Home to some of the most iconic games, groundbreaking consoles and recognisable characters in videogame history, Nintendo is one of the most popular and well-loved entertainment companies on the planet. In this bookazine we celebrate the very best of Nintendo, and discover the key moments on the company’s journey from playing card manufacturer to gaming powerhouse. We’ve got in-depth looks at some of the greatest videogames ever seen, such as The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past and Super Mario 64, while we count down the top 25 games on the NES, Game Boy Advance and GameCube. We also go under the hood of the consoles that have shaped Nintendo’s story and gaming as a whole, with fascinating features on the Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo, Game Boy and many more. Enjoy!
THE BIG BOOK OF NINTENDO
THE NINTENDO TIMELINE • Here are the key moments on Nintendo’s journey to becoming one of the most popular entertainment companies in the world
Donkey Kong
Nintendo ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM • When Masayuki Uemura came to the UK in early 2016 to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the NES, we went along to get the inside story of Nintendo’s iconic first cartridge-based console from the man who designed it
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE • The many faces of Uemura’s 8-bit console
FRANCHISE STARTERS • The hit game series’ that started on the NES
UNDER THE HOOD • Here’s a look at the key components of the NES
MORE FROM UEMURA
TO THE MAX • The games and chips that expanded the NES’s capabilities
THE GREATEST NES GAMES • Nintendo’s 8-bit machine established the company as the dominant force in the international console market, and it couldn’t have done so without classic software. Nick Thorpe counts down its top 25 games, as voted for by Retro Gamer readers…
The Impact Of The GAME BOY • OVER THREE DECADES AFTER ITS LAUNCH, THE GAME BOY HAS BECOME MORE THAN A GAMING ICON – IT’S A TRUE CULTURAL PHENOMENON. WE LOOK BACK AT HOW NINTENDO’S MACHINE ACHIEVED SUCH A FEAT, AND SPEAK TO THOSE STILL FLYING THE FLAG FOR THE HANDHELD TODAY
PRINCE OF PERSIA • ED MAGNIN CONVERTED JORDAN MECHNER’S CLASSIC TO THE GAME BOY
ALIEN 3 • JAS AUSTIN REVEALS THE STORY BEHIND HIS UNIQUE INTERPRETATION OF ALIEN 3
MONSTER MAX • JON RITMAN ON CREATING HIS MINI ISOMETRIC OPUS FOR THE GAME BOY
DONKEY KONG LAND III • IAN MANDERS CODED THE THIRD AND FINEST DONKEY KONG LAND
R-TYPE DX • BOB PAPE RECALLS THE BUMPER R-TYPE PACKAGE THAT DELIGHTED ALL GAME BOY OWNERS
Tetris • SO SIMPLE, EVEN I CAN PLAY IT
SUPER MARIO LAND • SUPER MARIO LAND HAS ATTRACTED A REPUTATION OVER THE YEARS FOR BEING WEIRD AND OFF-KILTER. RETRO GAMER ARGUES THAT THE ONLY UNUSUAL THING ABOUT MARIO’S SMALL BUT MIGHTY HANDHELD ADVENTURE IS THAT IT’S UNBELIEVABLY GOOD
THE SUPER SEQUELS • HOW NINTENDO’S MINIATURE SERIES PROGRESSED
LAND SPEED RECORD • WE CATCH UP WITH SPEEDRUNNER ADAM FERRARI WHO CAN COMPLETE SUPER MARIO LAND IN A LITTLE OVER 12 MINUTES
GET THE FUNK OUT • REMEMBERING WHEN MARIO CLIMBED TO THE TOP OF THE MUSIC CHARTS
THE LAY OF THE LAND
PLAYING WITH SUPER POWER INSIDE THE SUPER NINTENDO • OVER 30 YEARS SINCE IT HIT JAPAN, MANY PLAYERS STILL FEEL THAT THE SUPER NINTENDO IS THE BEST CONSOLE EVER. WE SPEAK TO VETERAN SNES DEVELOPERS TO FIND OUT HOW THE GAMES THAT MADE THIS GREY BOX LEGENDARY WERE SHAPED BY WHAT WAS INSIDE OF IT
GET ON BOARD • A GUIDE TO THAT MAKE UP THE SNES
TECH TRICKS • THE SPECIAL EFFECTS THAT THE SNES WAS BUILT TO PERFORM
A LA MODE • EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT MODE 7, BUT WHAT BENIFITS DO MODE 0-6 GIVE YOU? HERE’S A HANDY GUIDE TO NINTENDO’S FLEXIBLE FRAME CONSTRUCTION METHODS
FRAME-UP • THE MOST COMMONLY USED GRAPHICAL MODE OF THE SNES...