If you missed the Portland Retro Gaming Expo last month and the 35 Years of Nintendo Power Magazine panel, then we have some great news to share.
The roughly 46-minute panel is now available to view on Art of Nintendo Power's YouTube channel, letting you hear some fabulous firsthand insights into the creation and growth of the influential gaming magazine that Nintendo of America started all the way back in 1988.
The panel features stories from former editor-in-chief Gail Tilden, illustrator Scott Douwes, and design manager Kim Logan, and is hosted by Stephen Reese (the executive director behind the 501c3 nonprofit The Interactive Art Collection, the charity behind the Art of Nintendo Power touring exhibit).
Some of the topics covered include why Nintendo of America decided to start the magazine, opinions on how a surprisingly high number of women came to work on the magazine over the years, how the maps found inside the magazine were originally put together, and of course, the origin of some of the whackier contests the magazine put on like giving away Robocop's car or Bill & Ted's phone booth. There was also an audience Q&A as well, with some hilarious questions thrown in like why the magazine covered specific "bad games" and whether certain Nintendo titles were intentionally made harder to shift a few extra copies.
It's well worth your time, and if you find yourself enjoying it, then you should definitely donate to The Interactive Art Collection to help with its incredible preservation efforts (some of which we've reported on in the past).