Topic: Nintendo Power - 1988-1996 cover games

[JonLeung]

Forgot to note that the other day, Kirby: Super Star was completed, with the final couple maps thanks to G.E.R., and Tropicon having mapped the majority of the game earlier.  While Kirby: Super Star didn't get a Nintendo Power cover all to itself, Kirby does appear on Vol. 86 where the cover image is just a mash of characters from different games.  All other games already have their own cover, except PilotWings 64, which is not listed here because, you know, 3D.  Though, like anything else not mentioned here, I would still happily accept if there is a way to map it; we already do have some polygonal N64 games mapped here, after all.

This completes the last year I listed here, at least in terms of Super NES games.  I said that 1996 also has the N64 game Mortal Kombat Trilogy, though I don't know if mapping a 2D game from the N64 has any particular technical challenges.

[Stevenanete]

Its sad to see it go, but the truth is that it should have been axed when Nintendo decided they didnt want to helm the project anymore. Once Future got a hold of it, it didnt feel like Nintendo Power any longer. It was just another run-of-the-mill gaming publication at that point.

Got to love the swan song that is this last issue though. I might pick one up just for that cover.

[JonLeung]

Forgot to note that back in April 2020, Rick Bruns finished off Donkey Kong Country after it was started by Tropicon, G.E.R., The Ultimate Koopa, Stefan Mahrla, and even me (I mapped Gang-Plank Galleon as one of the very first maps ever).  That game was a big deal in 1994... how did I not realize it's been mapped?  Also, Tropicon finished Earthworm Jim back in 2016; that's silly that I didn't notice.  Or is there something missing?

Only noticed these when I was checking after zagato blackfist contributed ten stadiums for Ken Griffey Jr Presents Major League Baseball, which are up as of this morning.  So that's been started, and we have something from every game on a Nintendo Power cover in 1994.

There has also been FlyingArmor's start on The Addams Family: Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt.

[JonLeung]

Thanks, zagato blackfist!  For finishing off the remaining eight stadiums plus "miscellaneous" for Ken Griffey Jr Presents Major League Baseball, that game is finished, and all that is left for 1994 (one of my favourite years in gaming) would be maps for Stunt Race FX, if there is some way to map that...

[JonLeung]

Though almost a month late... we must give thanks to VGCartography for mapping the iconic Super Mario 64!  It was featured on two Nintendo Power covers, but wasn't in the original post; I guess I figured at the time that it would be a difficult request.  But, here we are with it mapped!

I was reminded of this when I put up VGCartography's maps for Banjo-Kazooie today.  This game also was on a Nintendo Power Cover, vol. 109 in June 1998.  I don't know if I want to extend the list to include the whole N64 generation, but it's good to know that they aren't totally out of reach!

[JonLeung]

LTIan lives up to his full "LooneyTunerIan" name and got me in touch with AlphaChannel, who has mapped Road Runner's Death Valley Rally and allowed VGMaps.com to host these maps!  So, 1992 (Nintendo Power's best year) is almost complete... we just need some more of Super Star Wars!

Though not yet complete, FlyingArmor has submitted two maps for The Addams Family: Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt this week.  The evening after Alisa fully mapped the NES version, I found myself thinking, "whatever happened to that Pugsley's stage seen in the crystal ball (in the Super NES one)?" and coincidentally, FlyingArmor sent it in the next day after such a long time since the previous map.  Then he sent in the map for the stage called "Normal Underwear" right on Valentine's Day, a day where you'd think "normal underwear" might not be worn in favour of something more... romantic... aaaanyway, we can look forward to more of that (Pugsley's, I mean), and once that's done, then 1993 will be almost complete... just need some Tiny Toons, and the next Super Star Wars... that's like a Spielberg/Lucas combo... another funny coincidence.

Thanks again for all your hard work, guys!

[JonLeung]

FlyingArmor has completed the Super NES version of The Addams Family: Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt!
(And eight days after Alisa completed the NES version.)  That takes care of February 1993, which was... 30 years ago?  Wow.
Nice to check off another one.

Thanks yet again, FlyingArmor!

[JonLeung]

After almost 21 months of inactivity (unless I've missed something), we have more progress on games featured on Nintendo Power covers!

Today, zagato blackfist has submitted maps for Gauntlet II on the NES!

Now, this is kind of iffy in terms of being a Nintendo Power cover.  I had this listed under Volume 19, which was one of the four Nintendo Power "Strategy Guide" issues they put in 1990 as they were transitioning from bimonthly (as in, once every two months) to monthly.  Unlike most other Nintendo Power covers which headline with the name of one specific game, this issue is titled "4-Player Extra", to promote the NES Satellite and NES Four Score, which are adaptors to allow for up to four players to play NES games, instead of the usual two.

The cover image is clearly about NES Play Action Football, but with its title being "4-Player Extra", I figured that for this to count, we should have maps of all the main features in this issue.  So here's the final one of six!

zagato blackfist shared some notes which might explain why this took so long for anyone to attempt to map it.  The Levels after the first five are randomized, plus, they can be rotated or flipped.  There is seemingly no "true" order of them.  He states, "the only function of this map set is to show people what this game looks like."  So, I take that to mean, barring some unlikely coincidence, your playthrough won't follow these maps exactly.  The effort put into this is appreciated, zagato!  And certainly more so with you having to deal with that randomness!

Besides 1990's cover games being completed, all the games featured on NES-related covers are now mapped!

Now the earliest incomplete game is Super Star Wars (November 1992) and the earliest game we have nothing from is Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (October 1993).  Kind of surprised the Super Star Wars games don't have more love.  May the Force be with whoever tries to map those!