Letters have gone out letting subscribers know that their last issues of Nintendo Power are imminent. The long-running game magazine was a constant presence in the homes of Nintendo fans, including yours truly. Sure, it was oft-times more advertising circular than hard-hitting critical journalism, but it was also the manifesto for those of us who still defined ourselves by what system we owned. Good thing those days are over, right, PC gamers?
All joking aside, I'm going to miss the old rag, even though it's been years since I was a subscriber. One of the things I'll miss the most is the absolutely insane Players' Polls Sweepstakes that they used to run, and I do mean insane. Nintendo Power gave away, or at least promised to give away, amazing gifts and opportunities to its readers. I never won any of them, but here are the ten I most wish that I had.
10. A Golf Cart and Clubs
Yeah, golf clubs are cool, but if you're a kid you want mobilization, and a golf cart is one of those things that blur the line between driving/not driving. The contest, celebrating the upcoming NES Open, suggested you could hand these presents off to your dad, but like that was really going to happen. Hell, I'd take the golf cart now!
9. Be an Extra in The Mask II
Though I can't pin down the exact issue (it's probably Vol. 77 or near there), Nintendo Power was actually the first to announce a sequel to Jim Carrey's The Mask. Not only that, but they were so pysched about it that they offered a chance to be an extra in it. Of course, The Mask II never happened because Jim Carrey refused to return to the role. I've always wondered what the kid who won got instead.
8. Trip to Nintendo of America
Vol. 7 of Nintendo Power offered to fly five winners out to Nintendo of America in Seattle. While that was cool in and of itself, sort of the gamer version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the extra prize was a chance to beta test upcoming games. Granted, anyone that has ever seriously tested games knows that it's not nearly as fun as it sounds, but the bragging rights alone were worth it. Plus, Seattle's nice.
7. Visit the Set of Robocop 2
The very next issue offered kids a chance to be on set for Robocop 2...which didn't mean much to us since it was filmed in Houston. Even though the offer to tour the place where we actually live wasn't an incentive, who wouldn't want to meet Robocop himself! Now that I think about it, though, it was a little odd that they were offering a trip to the set of an R-rated movie about a drug-addicted cyborg being shot by another cyborg.
6. Private Screening of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Despite having Batman on the cover, Vol. 10 allowed you to set up a private screening of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie for you and 25 of your friends...which if you didn't have 25 friends before the contest you would definitely have them once you won it.
