NGamer

NGamer

Editor	Charlotte Martyn
Categories	Computer and video games
Frequency	Monthly
Circulation	ABC 17,801 July-December 2008
First issue	13 July 2006
Company	Future Publishing
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Website	http://www.ngamer.co.uk
ISSN	1751-3910

NGamer is a British magazine which mainly covers Nintendo video game consoles and software, and also to a much lesser extent, Sony and Microsoft consoles. The first issue was released on 13 July 2006. It is the successor publication to N64 Magazine (later renamed NGC Magazine) (1997-2006) and Super Play (1992-1996), continuing the unique style of those magazines.

The magazine currently covers the Wii, Nintendo DS and 3DS formats, along with news about the upcoming Wii U console. Previously, NGamer has covered the both GameCube and Game Boy Advance.

Editorial Staff

NGamer's main staff writers and designers:

Current staff members

• Assistant Editor: Charlotte Martyn (issue 57 to present)
• Contributing Editor: Matthew Castle (issue 4 to present)

Past staff members

• Art Editor: Paul Tysall (issues 1 to 9)
• Editor: Mark Green (issues 1 to 19)
• Production Editor: Chrissy Williams (issues 1 to 22)
• Editor: Nick Ellis (issue 20 to 47)
• Deputy Editor: Martin Kitts (issue 1 to 68)
• Art Editor: Andy McGregor (issue 10 to 68)
• Deputy Art Editor: Kim Bissix (issue 1 to 68)

Guest reviewers

These people have occasionally contributed software reviews, but are not regular NGamer staff members.

• Alex Dale
• Mike Gapper
• Richard Stanton
• John Walker
• Tim Weaver
• Matthew Pellett
• Rory Smith
• Geraint Evans
• Tom Sykes

Recent changes to the Editorial role

Nick Ellis "vanished" from NGamer HQ after issue 47, so Martin Kitts stood in as Editor until his return. Several mini references to him were made on the 'final word' page. He returned as Editor in issue 54, before leaving for good in issue 56.

Sections

NGamer has the following sections or features in its magazine. This is subject to change as new issues are published.

• Welcome!: This is where the editor introduces himself and the magazine. It also features a mini legend of everything featured on the cover, and the full credits for the magazine.

• Meet the Team: Small biographies for each member of the NGamer staff, including their answers to select questions that differ every month. This page also shows the guest reviewers for the issue, and what they reviewed

• Contents: Where everything in the magazine is given its corresponding page number for quick browsing.

• NGExpress: A round-up of recent news, rumours, gossip, facts and opinions. Also occasionally includes a one-page interview (known as NGamer Interview), and a release schedule for upcoming games software.

• News Blast: This section contains a page of pictures, each accompanied by a couple of sentences describing a rumour or news story of the last month. It also usually contains the charts for British game sales for Nintendo console formats, as well as international charts.

• Online Desk: A double-page section dedicated to Nintendo on the Internet, including information on upcoming games that will use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, choice websites that can be viewed on the Wii's Internet Channel, and a section on flash games that are compatible with the Wii Remote.

• Previews: This section gives previews of upcoming games on Nintendo systems, beginning with a contents page detailing which previews appear in the issue. The major previews can vary in length from one to six pages, with a double-page spread at the end in which other games "they didn't have space for" receive small pictures and paragraphs each. It also has an NGamer Diary, in which each member of the NGamer team writes a short article about their current favourite upcoming game. Although primarily for comical purposes, it does give away small bits of relevant information about the games.

• Reviews: This section has reviews for games already released over the last month, or those available between the current and next issues. It has a front page explaining how they score, along with another contents section detailing the pages of the reviews. As well as UK releases, NGamer also reviews the major Japanese and American releases and has a 'roundup' of other games at the end of the section.

• Feature: A section of the magazine that contains a special feature on a certain subject. These can range from detailed break-downs into the construction of a certain game or piece of hardware to a chart or case file of significant events. A past example of this was "20 Magical Nintendo Moments", a list of the staff's favourite obscure, forgotten or hard-to-reach moments in Nintendo games. In some issues this has been integrated into the World of Nintendo section (see below).

• World of Nintendo: Almost a tribute to Nintendo, this section is varied. Over the life of the magazine it has contained:
  • A "20 Nintendo Happenings" feature, usually four pages long, detailing odd Nintendo-related events, websites or objects that the team have discovered or readers have sent in.
  • A tips section or walkthrough solution for a specific game, past examples including New Super Mario Bros. and Mario Strikers Charged.
  • One or two articles that can contain anything relating to Nintendo games - examples include a guide to the toughest stages of the Super Monkey Ball series and a double-page spread of pictures showing 100 ways that Mario has been able to die in his series of games.
  • A Top Tips section, where readers can send in tips for various games along with NGamer's own, usually for recently-released games.
  • A section about what people have done Nintendo-wise outside of gaming, for example, getting Nintendo tattoos, modifying an NES, and creating a cardboard Wii.
  • An interview with a video game developer, for example Yasuhiro Wada, the creator of Harvest Moon.
• Page 89: A selected page designated for random happenings in NGamer. No longer called this anymore, as movements in the magazine have meant it no longer occupies a selected page.
• Mailbox: The letters section of the magazine, where letters, emails and texts from readers are published. The majority of the section comprises several letters sent in by readers, with the editor replying to each one. It also contains many mini-sections (some of which originated in predecessor N64 Magazine), including:
  • "Star Letter", where the best letter received is displayed, with the reader who wrote the letter winning a prize, usually a Wii game or some DS games. Past star letters have ranged from standard letters to poetry.
  • "Correction Corner", where readers point out errors in previous issues, including spelling mistakes, inaccurate information, and printing errors. Also occasionally featured alongside it is "Not Correction Corner", where letters are displayed from readers pointing out mistakes that aren't actually mistakes.
  • "Bonus Letters", where bizarre excerpts from letters that didn't make the main section are printed, usually with a humorous reply from the editor.
  • "So Tell Me This...", a Q&A section where the NGamer team attempt to answer questions that readers send in.
  • A section containing the best text messages received.
  • An art section where the best artwork sent in is displayed.
  • A section displaying the best messages sent by readers to NGamer's Wii consoles. Also a few pictures of the best Miis sent in are displayed, in pictures labelled "From You to Mii".
  • A section containing jokes that readers have sent in.
  • "Why Haven't They Made...", a section containing a concept, pitch and box art for a new game that a reader has sent in. This section was put in after a post on the NGamer forums.

• Download: This section is dedicated to retro gaming and fielded by "R.O.B.'s brother: DR64". It usually contains:
  • A "History Lesson" section which looks at the story of a video game company, character, console or game series - past examples have included the MSX and Mega Drive.
  • A Classic Levels series where levels from retro games are looked at in detail. Examples of games that have featured in this section include: GoldenEye 007 and Pilotwings 64
  • A column called "The Way We Were", which takes a look back at an old issue of N64/NGC Magazine, or occasionally, Super Play.
  • A section on the Wii's Virtual Console (VC), including announcements and rumours of upcoming games, a list of every VC game released so far, and a challenge section where the staff challenge the readers to beat their high scores or best times on select VC games. Occasionally there is another retro-related article - one of example of this was a two-issue game on how to make an arcade joystick for use with the Wii.

• Meanwhile...: An unusual double-page spread which summarises key new titles and news related to non-Nintendo platforms, usually focusing on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

• Subscribe: A double-page spread describing how to subscribe to NGamer. A free gift is often included in the subscription offer, which changes every few months; sometimes a game, other times a peripheral or a Nintendo-related accessory.

• NGamer Directory: Contains a list of the top 50 wii games judged by NGamer, along with a summary and review score for each one. The Directory also lists NGamer's Top 50 DS games, and their top five Game Boy Advance games. It also contains a small mini-section where each member of staff lists what they are currently playing, and a mini-section showing the attempt of each member of staff to draw a well-known video game character using the DS's PictoChat.

• Next Month: This is a single page previewing the next issue.

• The Back Pages: In early issues, the last page of the magazine was a quiz that gave readers a chance to win a prize - previous prizes including a Nintendo DS Lite. However, the questions were very hard and could only be answered by someone who had read the magazine cover to cover, as it asked very obscure questions. Currently it contains a random image, such as an early photograph of Mark Green trying to play professional wrestlers at a wrestling game on Nintendo 64. For issue 12, however, the staff have requested readers to send in Nintendo-related photos of themselves to fill the page. This page also contains "The Very Last Gasp", which contains four or five items that either didn't fit in anywhere else or were only added just before the magazine went to press. On the very last page there is now a Nintendo related picture. In issue 35, this was a Nintendo DSi and a circle with a smiley face inside saying, 'NGamer'.

Top scoring games

In Issue 1, the magazine printed their revised review scores for GameCube, Game Boy Advance (GBA) and DS games; made by intense negotiation by the staffers. This was because they felt that review scores in NGC Magazine had been too lenient, so they used a stricter scoring system. This stricter system is used for all NGamer reviews.

Score:	Games:
100%	WarioWare D.I.Y. (DS) (Japanese version) (The 100% score was generally meant as a joke, seeing the game itself was based on making your own games, so they gave it full score. It is not at "Top 20" DS games in the magazines. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is at top with 95% score.) In the redesigned Top 50 DS games (as of issue 61) WarioWare D.I.Y appears with the score of 88%.
98%	Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii) The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
97%	Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
96%	Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Wii)
95%	Resident Evil 4 (GameCube) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GameCube) The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
94%	Advance Wars (GBA) WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! (GBA) No More Heroes (Wii) Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS)
93%	Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (GBA) Advance Wars: Dark Conflict (DS) Super Smash Bros Brawl (Wii) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS) Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
92%	The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GameCube) Animal Crossing (GameCube) The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords (GBA) Manhunt 2 (Wii) (uncut version) Little King's Story (Wii) The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS) Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (DS)
91%	Advance Wars: Dual Strike (DS) Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii) Puzzle League DS (DS) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii) Ōkami (Wii) Bully: Scholarship Edition (Wii) Metroid Prime Trilogy (Wii) Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS) Rock Band 3 (Wii)
90%	Pikmin 2 (GameCube) Super Monkey Ball (Gamecube) Metroid Prime (GameCube) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (GameCube) Hitman 2 (GameCube) WarioWare: Twisted! (GBA) Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 (GBA) Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA) Red Steel (Wii) MySims (Wii) LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Wii) Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (Wii) The World Ends With You (DS) Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (Wii) Guitar Hero: Metallica (Wii) Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (DS) Infinite Space (DS) Jam With The Band (DS) Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes (DS) Ghost Trick (DS) Fatal Frame IV: The Mask of the Lunar Eclipse (Wii) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

Lowest scoring game

The lowest scoring game in NGamer history is the Nintendo DS game Secret Flirts II, which received a -47, the reviewer stating it to be "A hateful piece of software."

Novelty scores

Certain titles have received 'novelty' scores, as opposed to scores that fit in with the scoring system proper. As well as 'WarioWare DIY' and 'Secret Flirts' mentioned above, Witch-touching game 'Doki Doki Majo Shinpan' scored 'No', while a DS entry into the Cabela Hunting series scored ':(' Spelling title 'Mizuiro Blood' scored '???' due to its bizarre nature.

NGTV

NGTV is the name applied to the DVD given away with the first 15 issues of NGamer. Each 'episode' contains footage of both newly released and upcoming games, as well as other footage of interest, for example of little-known or unreleased Mario titles (Episode 2) or retro games that the NGamer staff would like to appear on the Wii's Virtual Console (Episode 3). Episodes 3 and 4 have both featured commentary by former editor Mark Green, with Episode 4 containing a documentary of some of the NGamer team going to test the Wii. Episode 5 contained a video walkthrough of the first few dungeons and villages in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Episode 6 contained a video walkthrough to the last five dungeons of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, as well as a video guide showing small Easter eggs that can be done on the Wii. Episode 7 showed a detailed Virtual Console review guide, as well as a review for Pokémon Battle Revolution, and a guide to importing Japanese Wii consoles and games. In a post made by Mark Green at the NGamer forums, it was explained why the DVD has no longer been a monthly gift since issue 16.

Dutch [N]Gamer

There is another Nintendo magazine named NGamer (alternative spelling: [N]Gamer), of Dutch origin with no links whatsoever to the UK's NGamer magazine. It is published bi-monthly and is the longest running Nintendo-related publication in the Benelux region. This magazine pre-dates the British version by three years; its first issue was released in 2003. Other than the similar name and the shared specialisation, they are wholly unrelated.

Brazilian NGamer

In July 2007, a magazine was released about Nintendo with the name NGamer by Editora Europa. It features links with the original NGamer. As well as this, some features from the UK magazine were translated. It is published monthly with a page length of about 100 pages.

Spanish NGamer

On 20 October 2007, the Spanish version of NGamer became available in stores. It is published by Editorial Globus. However, it only lasted 19 issues until it stopped being published in 2009. Most of it contents were translated from the UK issues.

Recurring themes and in-jokes

The magazine continues the tradition of including in-jokes and themes that may recur for several issues of more. Here are some notable examples

• The word "natch" (a shortened slang term for the word 'naturally') appears on a frequent basis in the magazine and has been attributed to former editor Mark Green's fondness of the word.

• The phrase "that is all" is frequently used.

• The NGamer crew have a hatred of Diddy Kong and Tingle.

• Games Editor Matthew Castle is famed (and ridiculed) for his total ineptitude at playing the more difficult games, particularly 2D retro titles.

• There was much uproar from readers after Matthew's import review of Super Smash Bros Brawl awarded the game 93%. Although a high score, it was one of the lowest scores awarded to the game. Readers said that this score was much too low and suggested it should be much higher. In issue 22, NGamer responded via a small article in NGEXPRESS saying "Matthew stands by everything he said," and "Unlike the people sending him internet death threats, he's actually played the game." He calls the Internet Death Threats "Fanboy Bile". He also said that if he were to make a WiiWare title, he would call it, "Death To Fanboy Bile." In issue 29, a sheet of stickers were given out free with the magazine. One of the stickers was the number, '95', which the magazine informs readers can "simply slap on the sticker over his verdict and you can make it look like he actually knew what he was talking about."

• A powerful and destructive character named Ninja Cat, based on an item from the game Tenchu 4, has appeared in several issues.

• The phrase "Worth Seven Pounds" has appeared many times in the magazine, since a free Wii Wheel-style accessory was given away with an issue of the magazine, and described as such.
• On the Welcome! page of the magazines after Thanks To there is No Thanks To.

• In a recent issue, a Beach Ball that mimics Chain Chomp from Super Mario 64 has been dubbed Wrong Chomp and the crew include it in contests, and is frequently mentioned when reviewing extremely poor or awkward non-Game Nintendo merchandise. It currently takes pride of place in the magazine's Twitter logo, with the remains of the bird from the Twitter logo in its teeth.

• Recent issues have been haunted by the ghost of Charlton Heston, emerging to review light gun peripherals and assorted tat, normally exaggerating Charlton's personality.

• The team (Matthew in particular) appear to have a fondness for cakes, and often encourage readers to send them in.

• The BBC Four television programme Only Connect has frequently appeared in The Very Last Gasp section. On 22 August 2011, editor Charlotte would appear as part of team "Edwards Family" in the second episode of Series 5.

External links

• Official Site
• Official Subscription Site
• Digital Version of Issue 11
• Spanish NGamer site