N64 Magazine Issue 1

Introduction

The first issue of N64 magazine followed hot on the heels of the N64’s uk release, and provided everything you needed to know about the new console. With only 4 UK releases to review, and although each of them got massive reviews, there was still plenty of space left to cover everything else. Mario was the first cover star, unsurprisingly with reviews of his first two N64 games.

The magazine was accompanied by a video, showcasing gameplay of the launch titles and forthcoming releases as well as the entirety of Nintendo’s video from their recent Space World show. In the days before digital video, it did a great job of selling the N64 and its games. The video has been uploaded to YouTube and is available for your delectation below:

The magazine also showcased all of the forthcoming N64 releases with as many screenshots that they could find space for in the previews section, and with the Japanese release of Starfox 64 only a couple of months away, it got a good going over as the lead preview. In what was to become a regular over the next year and a half, the magazine showcased Zelda 64 (later to become ocarina of time) with everything they knew about the game up to that point. 

The four N64 launch titles got plenty of space in the issue - of course, with 11 other import games reviewed, all of the games released since the N64's release in Japan and America last year. Mario 64 was undoubtedly the star of the show, with a 14 page review explaining in detail the fantastic features of the game and going over some of the first moments of the game. Turok, Pilot wings and Shadows of the empire were the other UK games reviewed, whilst the US version of Mario Kart 64 was given another massive review.

The magazine began its Tips Extra section with a couple of pages worth of extras they couldn’t fit anywhere else in the mag. It also featured the precursors to what would become two major sections of the magazine, asking for High Scores (later I'm the Best) and a request for Readers Top 10 Tips. 

Thanks to an advert for the magazine in a recent Games Master issue, there were also plenty of letters in the Club 64 Mailbox. Letters talked about readers expectations for the N64, what they wanted in the magazine and the staff's attempt at designing games for the N64 - again this was to become a regular feature for readers.

Towards the back of the magazine, the staff carried out a complete teardown of the N64 hardware, covering in detail what each element of the console was capable of and the plans for the future (i.e. the Ill fated 64DD). That proved that the N64 was certainly the fastest most powerful console in the world!