Nintendo Power V80

Magazine          Quote “You've heard about the light at the end of the tunnel? The debut of the Nintendo 64 in Japan appeared more like a super nova exploding in your face.” — The opening of the "Out of the Shadows" article     X Nintendo Power V80   [Edit]   [Talk]

Nintendo Power V80 is the January 1996 issue of Nintendo Power magazine. It features the Nintendo 64 on its cover.

Power Charts[]

The "Power Charts" section of the magazine lists the top 20 Super NES games and only the top 10 Game Boy games and top 5 Virtual Boy games as ranked by the readers. The following are the first 5 for each game system from this issue.

• Super NES
  1. Killer Instinct
  2. Chrono Trigger
  3. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
  4. Mortal Kombat 3
  5. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

• Game Boy
  1. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
  2. Donkey Kong Land
  3. Killer Instinct
  4. Mortal Kombat 3
  5. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

• Virtual Boy
  1. Virtual Boy Wario Land
  2. Galactic Pinball
  3. Golf
  4. Mario's Tennis
  5. Red Alarm

Super NES[]

Earthworm Jim 2[]

The first Super NES article is about Earthworm Jim 2. The 10-page article provides maps for 4 different levels.

Revolution X[]

The next featured game is Revolution X. The article provides maps and a few details for different parts of the game.

Doom Troopers[]

The next SNES game featured in the magazine is Doom Troopers. The article has maps for Venus, Mercury, and Pluto.

Scooby-Doo Mystery[]

This article reviews Scooby-Doo Mystery. It has maps for 4 separate areas.

PGA Tour 96[]

The next game reviewed is PGA Tour 96. It shows the layout of each course.

Fight Fight 3[]

Final Fight 3 is the next reviewed Super NES game. The article lists the fighters and has maps for each round.

Out of the Shadows: Nintendo 64 Debuts in Japan[]

This article has a closer look at the Nintendo 64 console, detailing some of the technical specifics, the controller redesign and the creators behind it. A number of game screenshots are included, including pictures from Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Wave Race 64, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, and Star Fox 64.

Epic Center[]

This article would give strategies for certain role-playing games. Some of the games listed here included Breath of Fire II (SNES) and Secret of Evermore.

Members Only Special[]

This section was included only for subscribers and was not included in the newsstand versions. It listed the best games of 1995, gave an in-depth look at Ken Griffey, Jr.'s Winning Run, released tons of passwords and codes for numerous games, and provided previews of upcoming Disney games (including the Super NES version of Gargoyles, which ended up being cancelled).

Classified Information[]

The Classified Information section reveals codes and hidden secrets in certain games. Games featured in this section include:

Virtual Boy[]

Jack Bros.[]

The Virtual Boy article talks about Jack Bros. The brief article lists a few tips.

Game Boy[]

Tetris Blast[]

The first Game Boy article discusses Tetris Blast. It gives a few brief strategies.

Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball[]

The next game reviewed is Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball. The article discusses the gameplay and the rules of baseball.

Take 2 Reviews[]

Take 2 Reviews were brief 2-page previews of upcoming games. The Game Boy game featured in this issue is The Getaway: High Speed II.

Counselor's Corner[]

Counselor's Corner is a feature in which the writers of the magazine would respond to game-related questions in the hope of getting the player out of a tough spot in various games. The games featured in this issue are Operation Europe: Path to Victory 1939-45 (SNES), Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES), Chrono Trigger (SNES), and Arcade Classic 1: Asteroids + Missile Command (GB).

Now Playing[]

This article lists new game releases and ratings for those games. It also has a very brief overview of a few of them. Some of the top-rated games in this section include (in alphabetical order):

• Breath of Fire II (SNES), Earthworm Jim 2 (SNES) and Final Fight 3 (SNES).

Pak Watch[]

The Pak Watch section showcased games that were scheduled for release. It gave the reader a quick glance at future games. Some of the games seen in this section include Mega Man X3 (SNES), 3D Tetris (VB), Pocahontas (GB), and Lost Vikings 2 (SNES).