Download the first issue of Nintendo Power (1988) in PDF

by Blake Snow { Jul 8th 2006 at 2:30PM }

Chances are, if you were a wee tyke who liked video games in 1988, you wanted the first issue of Nintendo Power when it was released that July. Well if missed it, Racket Boy scanned the whole thing into a downloadable PDF for your retro reminiscing pleasure.

The issue features a preview of Super Mario Bros. 2, a Zelda guide, and a roundup of the three best baseball games of that year, not to mention a slew of cheesy 80's ads. Here's looking at you, claymation Mario!

See also:

Review of Nintendo Power issue #1

[via Flicker Gaming]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Stoli @ Jul 8th 2006 2:48PM

I miss the claymation covers. My first issue was the Mega Man 2 cover with a claymation Mega Man and Dr. Wily.

Waf @ Jul 8th 2006 2:53PM

Really that was the first Nintendo Power? I have the first Nintendo power. That's totally sweet.

oz @ Jul 8th 2006 2:54PM

I have an absolutely MINT copy as well as succeeding issues since new. Anybody wanna trade me a Wii for #1? heh lol

Foppe @ Jul 8th 2006 2:54PM

retromags did this ages ago, and they have scanned more Nintendo Powers...

Nathan @ Jul 8th 2006 3:00PM

That one issue sums up so many childhood memories. Thanks.

junkie @ Jul 8th 2006 3:16PM

I still remember them handing them out with any game purchase at Toys R Us. I bet that my collection of those is still hanging out somewhere at my parent's house. Those were the days...

KR @ Jul 8th 2006 3:22PM

Anyone have the Nintendo Fun Club newsletters that PRECEDED Nintendo Power? I should scan mine if I can find it, I know it's around here somewhere...

Also, check out the first name listed on page 99 under "Super Mario Bros." Hmmm...that name looks familiar....

KR @ Jul 8th 2006 3:24PM

...oh, fine. For the lazy, it's Cliffy B.

Idiot @ Jul 8th 2006 4:01PM

Stoli you mean clay models, claymation clay that has been filmed in a way that when played back is animated like animation. :-p Yeah I am a dork

Intangible 360 @ Jul 8th 2006 4:32PM

Isn't that copyright infringement?

Matt @ Jul 8th 2006 4:33PM

I remember discovering a few years back that I had the first issue of NP when a Nintendo-fan friend of mine found it in my closet and was like "OMG! OMG! OMG!" I actually have every issue up to 200-something... it takes up a ton of room in my closet.

sonofnone @ Jul 8th 2006 5:17PM

This is the exact conversation that will be repeated ad nauseum in retirement centers someday...on Mars.

AssemblyLineHuman @ Jul 8th 2006 5:22PM

KR: OH! That's why he's developing for the Xbox 360 now. Nintendo misspelled his name. ;)

drewi @ Jul 8th 2006 6:25PM

Hah is that Cliffy B in the high scores section?

GSI @ Jul 8th 2006 8:39PM

HAHA! Yea I think it is!

n8dogg @ Jul 8th 2006 8:40PM

It's not claymation if it's not moving...

You wouldn't call a still picture animation, would you?

I was a wee bit too young to get Nintendo Power that early.

KrazyIan @ Jul 8th 2006 9:26PM

Cliffy B in the high scores is awesome.

Intellectualdiot @ Jul 8th 2006 10:48PM

Oh, how I love thee Super Mario 2.

TheIrishLegend @ Jul 8th 2006 11:21PM

I have that issue! It's still in pretty good shape too! I was a wee tyke of 18 years.
18?

WedgeTalon @ Jul 8th 2006 11:24PM

Joystiq, you need to use your sway to send an a message to Cliffy B asking if that is, in fact, him in issue#1. :)

Justin @ Jul 9th 2006 12:11AM

@10

Yes, it's copyright infringement if Nintendo wanted to prosecute them for it. Corporations have rights in their magazines for 95 years after their publication.

PaulBlake @ Jul 9th 2006 12:52AM

Copyright infringement? Possibly. Maybe.

See, in order for it to be an enforceable case of copyright infringement, it would have to damage the market value of the work in question. It would be tough to argue that this in any way damages the value, since Nintendo doesn't sell copies of NP that old, and "market value" doesn't take into consideration second-hand sales. This isn't an "abandonware" issue: The magazine was essentially a monthly wad of advertising for Nintendo products.

Really, the only possible reasons Nintendo could concievably object to this is A) If they plan on releasing old NP issues in digital format, or B) They're embarassed that people might remember past promises (Virtual Boy, SNES-CD, 64DD, etc...) and glowing reviews of games that tanked.

Other than that, if Big-N objects, they're just being mean.

GSI @ Jul 9th 2006 3:49AM

Asking CliffyB isn't all that hard...he has a MySpace page. I actually sent him a message earlier today asking about it. He's on my buddy list b/c we share some of the same friends...and b/c I also work in the industry. :-)

Pseudo @ Jul 9th 2006 4:54AM

Wow. I had that issue. Too bad I got tired of collecting old game mags and chunked 'em.

The ZeroCorpse @ Jul 9th 2006 5:17AM

Wee tyke?

I was starting my senior year in high school in 1988. I spent most of my time playing gigs with my band and doing unmentionable things to groupies and members of my clique.

So no, I never read that issue of Nintendo Power. I had better things to do.

I love video games, but I love sex just a bit more, thanks.

Spiritualized @ Jul 9th 2006 8:39AM

I remember the UK equivalent, it used to feature pictures of games years (literally) before they actually got released.

Part Troll @ Jul 9th 2006 8:43AM

ZeroCorpse:

It all leads to arguing with kids on a blog, then?

rock n roll

Josh @ Jul 9th 2006 1:54PM

Matt, glad to hear I'm not the only NP uber-geek with a full set in his closet. Every issue from #1 to this month's, most of them in those flimsy cardboard holders they used to sell through their catalogs.

Jason @ Jul 9th 2006 2:59PM

I never did own issue #1, so this was a sweet find for me.

Thanks for the link love!

The ZeroCorpse @ Jul 9th 2006 3:57PM

@ Part Troll

Unfortunately, geekhood is a lifelong condition. My music career was just another aspect of my geekdom, albeit a slightly cooler aspect.

Know this: You'll be here in 25 years. You can't escape your destiny!!!

Part Troll @ Jul 9th 2006 6:26PM

What about the groupies? Do I get any of those?

Adam @ Jul 10th 2006 4:13AM

In the Super Mario Bros 2 preview..one of the exclamations is BAMF! Hahah Dane Cook fans rejoice!

Brian Albright @ Jul 10th 2006 7:26AM

Yes it is Cliffy in the magazine. He mentions it all the time.

Scott Vieth @ Jul 10th 2006 9:10AM

Might I point weveryone to another site dedicated to scanning in all of the Nintendo Power issues ... A large chunk of them have already been scanned and released via newsgroups and torrents.

http://www.retromags.com

Rootbeer @ Jul 10th 2006 12:56PM

"See, in order for it to be an enforceable case of copyright infringement, it would have to damage the market value of the work in question."

Which part of the US Codes pertaining to copyright does this clause appear in? Or is it just something you read on a web site?

The only criteria needed for "an enforceable case of copyright infringement" are
1. that the claimant has a valid claim of copyright ownership on the work;
2. that the defendant lacks an agreement with the claimant to make copies of the work;
3. that the copying is not of a type expressly permissible under "fair use" conditions (e.g. critical excerpting).