Nintendo Power was the official Nintendo magazine for North America, published from 1988 to 2012. Its visual identity evolved through several distinct logo treatments over that 24-year run, with each redesign marking a shift in the magazine’s editorial direction.
Design and History
The magazine launched in July/August 1988, succeeding the earlier Nintendo Fun Club newsletter. Early issues were a joint production between Nintendo and Japanese publisher Tokuma Shoten, with much of the design and artwork created in Japan. This Japanese influence shaped the magazine’s dense, illustration-heavy layouts, which drew from the crowded visual style of Japanese game magazines and kids’ manga anthologies. Almost all of the artwork done for Nintendo Power was created in Japan during this period. [1]
The original logo featured a blocky, bold wordmark with racing stripes, a look that readers came to associate with the magazine’s covers. [2]
The logo underwent its first major change in January 1995 with Volume 68, which introduced a new three-dimensional look. [3] This rendered style lasted until April 2001, when Volume 143 debuted a simpler white logo. [3] Contemporary coverage described the change as moving from the “fancy rendered” look to a “simple white one, which looks quite crisp.” [4]
The most significant redesign came in July 2005 with Volume 193. Nintendo Power introduced a new design intended to appeal to a broader audience, including a new logo and article format. [5] The redesign was described as a “top to bottom complete makeover” that dropped the 1980s look while retaining the famous three bars that had been part of the logo’s identity. [6] This final print logo remained in use through the magazine’s last issue in December 2012. [7]
Nintendo Power ceased publication in December 2012 after Nintendo declined to renew its licensing agreement with Future US, which had taken over publishing in 2007. [8] The brand returned in December 2017 as the Nintendo Power Podcast, an official Nintendo audio show hosted by Chris Slate, the magazine’s former editor-in-chief. [9] The podcast revived the classic Nintendo Power branding, with coverage noting the return of the familiar logo. [9]
Meaning and Symbolism
The most enduring element of the Nintendo Power logo was its three bars, which survived the 2005 redesign even as the rest of the wordmark was modernized. [6] The racing stripes and blocky letterforms of the original logo became a nostalgic touchstone for readers, frequently cited alongside the magazine’s paper quality and cover art as part of its sensory appeal. [2]
Typography and Design
The 2005 redesign made significant use of the typeface FF Dax, which appeared on captions, page numbers, charts, and other layout elements throughout the magazine. [10] The redesign also introduced a cohesive page design that unified the magazine’s look, replacing the earlier approach where individual articles often had their own distinct styles. [6]
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