Off the Newsstand: Nintendo Power Issue 279

Have faced a little drought of magazines this last little while.  It has taken a few weeks to get ahold of my newest issue of EGM and I am still waiting for the newest Game Informer, which I can buy in store yet I have not received my copy the issue as a subscriber.  Finished my latest issue of Nintendo Power, just before the craziness of E3 so I did not get a chance to publish my thoughts on their pre-E3 issue.

As the pre-E3 issue Nintendo Power had one big surprise with the cover story.  There will be a new Castlevania exclusive to the 3DS coming this Fall.  Called Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate (was that ever a mouthful?), this new entry in the Lords of Shadow lore follows four different characters as they venture through Dracula's castle during different time periods.  Nintendo Power's cover story revealed that you will get to play as Trevor and Simon Belmont.  Mirror of Fate looks to merge the great combat of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow with the structure of past handheld iterations in the Castlevania series such as Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin.  This cover story is the main reason why I am so excited for this 3DS game as it looks great.  The cover story was followed by a list of the greatest and worst moments in the Castlevania series to celebrate the franchises' 25th anniversary.    Other noteworthy articles found in this issue of Nintendo Power were the Essential Games for the Wii article that listed the games that Wii owners should have in their collection, a fascinating look into how the team at Mistwalker created the cast for The Last Story, interviews with Masahiro Sakurai and Jools Watsham and a review of Pokemon Conquest.

Overall, Issue 279 of Nintendo Power was another great issue.  It had one great cover story, a reveal that no other magazine or gaming site that was exclusive just to Nintendo Power, some excellent articles and a solid selection of previews and reviews.  Also as a pre-E3 issue, it did not take away any thunder from the big show unlike another magazine by the name of Game Informer.  While I have not received my issue yet, I have looked through the newest issue at my local video game store.  Enough of my little tangent.  Issue 279 of Nintendo Power is a great read for any gamer and a must-read for Nintendo fans.