Magazines

Super Play was the first magazine launched in November 1992 exclusively for Super Nintendo owners and was an offshoot from Future’s other Nintendo magazine Total! This then lasted throughout the Super Nintendo’s lifespan, until being discontinued in September 1996. The legacy of the magazine did continue however and several members of staff were present when N64 magazine was launched in March 1997.

Again (at least at first) N64 magazine was dedicated to one console, but with no Total! to compete with and only a small number of games to review most months, the writers found themselves with much more breathing space, covering the wider world of Nintendo - including the rise and rise of Pokemon and also dedicated section for Game Boy owners, covering the Game Boy Colour and release of the Game Boy Advance. Super Play’s life cycle repeated itself as the N64 was phased out in 2001, however Future this time decided to keep the magazine running to cover the GameCube’s imminent release and the magazine was first renamed and then redesigned from the ground up as NGC from November 2001.

NGC again, was exactly what it said on the packet, covering the lifespan of the GameCube in almost exactly the same vein as N64 Magazine did. With the increasing popularity of Pocket Consoles, NGC integrated the Game Boy Advance (and later the DS) into the main contents of the magazine - rather than its separate section, although for 2005, with the DS becoming more popular, the separate section (now retitled NGC Pocket) was reintroduced. NGC was on the scene until May 2006, with the Gamecube waning and the Wii due in November the magazine was replaced by NGamer, which celebrated the whole world of Nintendo.

NGamer was a celebration of all things Nintendo, and mainly covered the Wii and DS. With the internet and it’s wide range of online material becoming more readily available, rather than providing tips and guides for games, the magazine explored the wider world of nintendo, regularly showcasing various creations from the previous month that have gone viral. The Magazine also showcased interesting aspects from previous games, such as interesting sights to see in Mario galaxy. There was also regular sections devoted to Retro Gaming and what was currently happening in the wider world of gaming.

In 2012, in an attempt to increase declining reading figures, NGamer was relaunched as Nintendo Gamer, with a much more mature feel. Unfortunately in September the same year, the decision was made for Future to focus solely on official magazines and online content and thus the magazine was closed down, with the last issue taken off the shelves 20 years to the day after Super Play's first issue hit the shops.

In total, there were 247 magazines (plus countless specials) released over the 20 year lifespan, so there’s a huge library of material out there that have long since been forgotten. That’s exactly what this website has set-out to rectify, so if you’re interested in finding out more, have a browse through the site, and visit our partners websites to download some of the magazines for yourself.