Pure Nintendo Magazine

Last updated
PNM (Pure Nintendo Magazine)
Pure Nintendo Magazine Logo.png
Editor-In-ChiefJustin Sharp
CategoriesVideo games
FrequencyBi-monthly
PublisherPure Media, LLC
First issueOctober 2011
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish
Website http://PureNintendo.com

Pure Nintendo Magazine (PNM) is a bi-monthly, independently published magazine that features Nintendo-related content and news. The print's first issue of PNM was published in October 2011 by Pure Media, LLC. The magazine joined Metacritic in 2019 with its consistent stream of first-party and third-party video game reviews. [1] Currently, issues of the magazine are released digitally and physically.

Contents

Overview

PNM focuses on content such as developer interviews, game previews, concept and fan artwork, game tips, interactive puzzles, and gaming history. This content is supplemented with news, reviews, and other game information. Each issue has regularly featured content as well as additional features written by either Pure Nintendo staff members or contributors.

History

Founder Justin Sharp created the website, Niwifi.net, in 2007 for users to exchange friend codes (a 12-digit code that allowed users of Nintendo's online service to find and connect with each other). Soon after, Justin Sharp teamed up with James Higginbotham, and the website eventually turned its focus towards Nintendo-related news.

PNM, as it is known now, was founded by Justin Sharp and James Higginbotham and first published October 2011. The magazine was initially conceptualized as a monthly publication. [2] PNM switched to a bi-monthly publication schedule beginning with the February 2012 issue. The first 5 issues of PNM were offered in a digital-only format. The sixth issue of PNM was the first print issue and was published August 2012 for the months of August and September 2012. Early issues of PNM were small and only 26 pages by Issue 5. Issue 6 of PNM more than doubled in size and was 62 pages long.

On September 11, 2012, Pure Nintendo launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the magazine and start a subscription service. The Kickstarter funding goal was set at $20,000 and Pure Nintendo reached said goal on October 12, 2012 after raising $22,386 in funds. [3] The subscription service for the magazine began with the seventh issue for October and November 2012.

On January 24, 2013, Pure Media LLC., with the help of Ben Stitzer, released an app on Google Play to facilitate an interactive digital version of PNM. [4] On February 8, 2013, Pure Media, LLC., with the help of Ben Stitzer, released an iOS app on the Apple AppStore to enable the interactive digital version to function on iOS devices. [5]

PNM was included in the May 2013 Loot Crate, a subscription box service, which featured the theme "Equip." [6]

Name Change to 'PNM'

Starting with Issue 10 (April/May 2013) of Pure Nintendo Magazine, the design of the magazine was updated and the name was shortened to "PNM," which stands for Pure Nintendo Magazine, instead of Pure Nintendo. This was partly inspired by the change in design but was also influenced by Nintendo.

Shift To Digital Only Format

As of June 2014, Pure Nintendo officially announced that they have discontinued print subscriptions. [7] PNM is still available in digital format. Individual print issues are still available for purchase even though print subscriptions are no longer available.

Shift Back To Print

In 2023, Pure Nintendo released print subscriptions through Patreon. [8] It also discontinued the iOS/Android apps.

The PNM logo has gone through four iterations:

Evolution of the Pure Nintendo P-Wing Logo Evolution of the Pure Nintendo logo.png
Evolution of the Pure Nintendo P-Wing Logo

Current Features

The Fan Art Gallery is devoted to user submitted Nintendo fan art. Fan art pieces featured in the Fan Art Gallery include paintings, pencil drawings, digital art, crafts, baked goods, and Miiverse art. Fan art is curated by Kaelyn Daugherty and initially appeared in sporadic issues of PNM but has featured regularly since the October/November 2013 Issue 13 of PNM.

The Question Block

In the Question Block, PNM features correspondence sent in by the readers with replies from the staff. This section of PNM was first published in June/July 2014 Issue 17.

Character Profile

The Character Profile features the history of Nintendo characters. Character Profiles feature main characters as well as bosses, enemies, and obscure, lesser known characters. The Character Profile has been a staple feature article in PNM since the first issues of the magazine.

Team Notion Developer Diary

The Team Notion Developer Diary is a section of PNM that chronicled the development of the indie game title Team Notion for Wii U by Notion Games, written by Andrew Augustin, founder of Notion Games. The first Team Notion Developer Diary was featured in the April/May 2014 Issue 16 of PNM.

Indie Spotlight

The Indie Spotlight is a section of PNM that highlights an independent game developer. The Indie Spotlight first appeared in June/July 2014 Issue 17.

Let's Talk

Let's Talk features short opinion pieces from the Pure Nintendo staff. Topics typically revolve around gaming and occasionally touch on Nintendo specific subjects. Beginning with the October/November 2013 issue of PNM, Pure Nintendo has invited a guest game developer to contribute their thoughts on the Let's Talk subject for each issue. The first PNM Let's Talk appeared in the April/May 2012 Issue 5 and became a regular PNM feature beginning the February/March 2013 Issue 9.

Reviews

The Review section of PNM is a collection of score based reviews on popular recent releases for Nintendo consoles. PNM uses a 10-point scoring system for their reviews.

Pixel Puzzles

Three Pixel Puzzles are featured in each issue and are solved by filling in the appropriate amount of squares with the corresponding color. After the puzzles are complete, the reader is left with a depiction of a colored in sprite of a Nintendo related object or character.

Upcoming Releases

The Upcoming Releases section relays information about upcoming releases for Nintendo consoles.

Top News

The Top News section features Nintendo gaming news topics from the two months prior to the magazine's release.

Intermittent

Gear Review

The Gear Review section of PNM is a score based review of a product. Products in the PNM Gear Review may not necessarily be Nintendo-related. PNM uses a 10-point scoring system for their reviews.

Retro Review

The Retro Review is a retrospective of a game from Nintendo's catalog of past titles.

Recipe

The Recipe features are a how-to guide to creating gaming-inspired food. These recipes first appeared in the February/March Issue 15. Recipes have included rice crispy treat 'bombs' from The Legend of Zelda, Professor Layton Hint Coin cookies, Kingdom Hearts Sea Salt Ice Cream, and a cake from Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

Culture Corner

Culture Corner is a series of articles written by a YouTube gamer, Gaijin Goomba, who was featured in the YouTube Gamer article in PNM Issue 15 for February/March 2014. Culture Corner focuses on the cultural influences on gaming, game franchises, and even particular aspects of specific games. Culture Corner first appeared in the 17th issue of PNM for June/July 2014.

Animal Crossing Corner

As of April 2020 and the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch, PNM revived the recurring spread to discuss tips, tricks and monthly gets from the newest addition of the Animal Crossing franchise.

Previously, this was known as "Getting To Know Animal Crossing" feature, which provided information about the game Animal Crossing: New Leaf for the 3DS. This section of PNM first appeared in the magazine beginning with the August/September 2013 Issue 12. The last Getting to Know Animal Crossing feature appeared in the April/May 2014 Issue 16.

Retired

Game Music

The Game Music feature delves into the music in Nintendo games. Game Music sometimes features interviews with the composers and creators of game music compositions. The Game Music feature first appeared in the August/September 2013 Issue 12 of PNM. The Game Music articles last appeared in June/July 2014 Issue 17.

YouTube Gamers

The YouTube Gamers features an interview with a gamer from video hosting service YouTube. The YouTube Gamers feature first appeared in the October/November 2013 Issue 13 of PNM. The last issue to feature YouTube Gamers was June/July 2014 Issue 17.

Linking You To The Past

The Linking You To The Past (LYTTP) feature focuses on topics from Nintendo's past. Linking You To The Past first appeared in the December 2012/January 2013 Issue 8 of PNM. The last LYTTP feature was published in October/November 2014 Issue 19.

Related Research Articles

Star Fox is an arcade style rail shooter and third person action-adventure video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto, produced and published by Nintendo. The games follow the Star Fox combat team of anthropomorphic animals, led by chief protagonist Fox McCloud. Gameplay involves many adventures around the Lylat planetary system in the futuristic Arwing fighter aircraft, in other vehicles, and on foot. The original Star Fox (1993) is a forward-scrolling 3D rail shooter, but later games add more directional freedom.

<i>Mario Paint</i> 1992 video game

Mario Paint is a 1992 art creation video game developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1 (R&D1) and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Mario Paint consists of a raster graphics editor, an animation program, a music composer, and a point and click minigame, all of which are designed to be used with the Super NES Mouse peripheral, which the game was packaged and sold with. Per its name, the game is Mario-themed, and features sprites and sound effects that are taken from or in the vein of Super Mario World.

<i>Nintendo Power</i> American video game magazine and podcast

Nintendo Power is a video game news and strategy podcast and former magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Nintendo of America, then independently, and in December 2007 contracted to Future US, the American subsidiary of British publisher Future. Its 24–year production run is one of the longest of all video game magazines in the United States and Canada.

<i>Super Play</i> British video game magazine

Super Play was a British Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) magazine which ran from 1 October 1992 to September 1996.

Super Smash Bros. is a crossover fighting game series published by Nintendo. The series was created by Masahiro Sakurai, who has directed every game in the series. The series is known for its unique gameplay objective which differs from that of traditional fighters, in that the aim is to increase damage counters and knock opponents off the stage instead of depleting life bars.

Video game packaging refers to the physical storage of the contents of a PC or console game, both for safekeeping and shop display. In the past, a number of materials and packaging designs were used, mostly paperboard or plastic. Today, most physical game releases are shipped in (CD) jewel cases or (DVD) keep cases, with little differences between them.

<i>Official Nintendo Magazine</i> Video game magazine

Official Nintendo Magazine, or ONM, was a British video game magazine that ran from 2006 to 2014 that covered the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U video game consoles released by Nintendo.

<i>GameFan</i> Former video game magazine

GameFan was a publication started by Tim Lindquist, Greg Off, George Weising, and Dave Halverson in September 1992 that provided coverage of domestic and imported video games. It was notable for its extensive use of game screenshots in its page design, contrasting other U.S. publications at the time. The original magazine ceased publishing in December 2000.

<i>Total!</i> Defunct video game magazine 1991-1996

Total! was a video game magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future plc. It was published monthly for 58 issues, beginning in December 1991, with the last issue bearing the cover-date October 1996. A "1993 Annual" featuring reprint material and a poster magazine were also released during the magazine's lifetime.

<i>Banjo-Kazooie</i> Video game franchise

Banjo-Kazooie is a series of video games developed by Rare. The games feature a male bear named Banjo and his friend, a large female red bird named Kazooie, who are both controlled by the player. Banjo originally made his debut as a playable character in 1997 as part of the cast of Diddy Kong Racing. Throughout the various games, they are tasked with thwarting the various evil schemes of a witch named Gruntilda. The first game, Banjo-Kazooie, was released in 1998 to critical acclaim and was followed by three sequels and a spin-off racing game.

<i>Super Smash Bros. Melee</i> 2001 video game

Super Smash Bros. Melee is a 2001 crossover fighting video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the second installment in the Super Smash Bros. series. It features characters from Nintendo video game franchises such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox and Pokémon, and Donkey Kong among others. The stages and gameplay modes reference or take designs from these franchises as well.

<i>Angry Video Game Nerd</i> Comedy web series about video games

The Angry Video Game Nerd is an American retrogaming review comedy web series created by and starring James Rolfe. The series centers on Rolfe's titular skit character, often simply shortened to "the Nerd", a short-tempered and foul-mouthed gamer who delivers commentary on retro games of poor quality. While the series began with Rolfe simply playing games while delivering retrospective commentary, the show would eventually grow in scope to encompass sketches featuring guest characters, reviews of gaming consoles and peripherals, and short lectures about video game history and culture.

<i>Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS</i> and <i>Wii U</i> 2014 video games

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U are 2014 crossover platform fighter video games developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U video game consoles. It is the fourth installment in the Super Smash Bros. series, succeeding Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The Nintendo 3DS version was released in Japan on September 13, 2014, and in North America, Europe, and Australia the following month. The Wii U version was released in North America, Europe, and Australia in November 2014 and in Japan the following month.

<i>Digimon World Re:Digitize</i> 2012 video game

Digimon World Re:Digitize is a 2012 video game for the PlayStation Portable developed by tri-Crescendo and published by Bandai Namco Games on July 19, 2012. The fifth entry in the Digimon World series, itself part of the Digimon franchise, the game features a return to the gameplay mechanics introduced in the original game. An enhanced port was released for the Nintendo 3DS on June 27, 2013 under the title Digimon World Re:Digitize Decode.

<i>Rayman Legends</i> 2013 video game

Rayman Legends is a platform video game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and published by Ubisoft. It is the fifth main title in the Rayman series and the direct sequel to the 2011 game Rayman Origins. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PlayStation Vita platforms in August and September 2013. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were released in February 2014, with a Stadia version released in November 2021. A Nintendo Switch port, titled Rayman Legends Definitive Edition, was released in North America, Europe and Australia on September 12, 2017.

<i>One Piece: Romance Dawn</i> 2012 video game

One Piece: Romance Dawn is a role-playing video game based on the One Piece manga and anime series, released in Japan and other parts of Asia for the PlayStation Portable on December 20, 2012, via retail and the PlayStation Store. A port for the Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan on August 8, 2013, via retail and the eShop. It was also released in Europe on November 29, 2013, and February 11, 2014, in North America.

<i>NF Magazine</i> American magazine

Nintendo Force, or NF Magazine, is a bi-monthly magazine that centers upon various Nintendo hardware products. In December 2012, IGN editor and magazine founder Lucas M. Thomas announced his intention to release the magazine, stating that he had begun to plan for the magazine upon hearing of Nintendo Power's cancellation. The magazine includes staff members from Destructoid, GoNintendo, IGN, Nintendojo, 1Up.com, and the writer and founder of the online comic Brawl in the Family, and Nintendo World Report, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Augustin</span> American video game designer (born 1988)

Andrew Augustin is an American video game designer, 2d artist, and founder of Notion Games, LLC. He currently resides in Austin, Texas, and is best known for Super Ubie Island REMIX, Up Up Ubie REMIX, Sheep Herder Nay and Team Notion.

<i>Rare Replay</i> 2015 video game compilation

Rare Replay is a 2015 compilation of 30 video games from the 30-year history of developers Rare and its predecessor, Ultimate Play the Game. The emulated games span multiple genres and consoles—from the ZX Spectrum to the Xbox 360—and retain the features and errors of their original releases with minimal edits. The compilation adds cheats to make the older games easier and a Snapshots mode of specific challenges culled from parts of the games. Player progress is rewarded with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews about Rare's major and unreleased games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Read-Only Memory (publisher)</span> British publisher of video game art books

Read-Only Memory is a British publisher of art books on topics of video game history and culture. Following a resurgence of interest in 1980s and '90s British video game development, the company crowdfunded and produced four art books: an oral history of that Britsoft era, two books on British developers Sensible Software and The Bitmap Brothers, and a definitive volume on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, for which the publisher became best known. Read-Only Memory's books are archival anthologies, including original design documents juxtaposed with developer interviews and high-quality prints of in-game graphics. Reviewers were particularly impressed with each book's breadth of unreleased concepts.

References

  1. "Pure Nintendo Profile - Metacritic". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  2. "INTERVIEW: JUSTIN SHARP (PURE NINTENDO MAGAZINE)". Nintendo Feed. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  3. "Pure Nintendo Magazine Kickstarter" . Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  4. "Pure Nintendo Magazine debuts first-ever interactive Nintendo magazine". Games Press. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  5. "Pure Nintendo announces first-ever interactive Nintendo magazine for Apple's iOS Newsstand". Games Press. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  6. "Loot Crate Past Crates". Loot Crate. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  7. "PNM is Passing on Print to Focus on Digital Presence". Pure Nintendo. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  8. "Let's Get Physical".