The Nintendo Power, Dragon Warrior Giveaway. [Archive]

View Full Version : The Nintendo Power, Dragon Warrior Giveaway.

Veepa

07-30-2005, 04:07 PM

Does anyone else remember this? I'm only assuming that it was nationwide.. but in the late 80s-mide 90s I had a subscription to Nintendo Power, and I remember one morning before school my older brother woke me up early, because Nintendo Power sent us a free game.. I was surprised they actually sent an entire game.. Anyway, my brother put it in, and I watched him play it for a little while.. It was unlike any game I had ever seen. I don't remember if Nintendo Power shipped it with a box, or not.. but I know that it had the poster, and the manual. And I *think* there was a letter with it from Nintendo Power.. but if there was, I don't have it anymore. I still have that same copy of the game, though. I assume that it's identical to any other copy, though..

Did any other past-subscribers receive it? And does anyone still have the letter (if there was one..)?

DDCecil

07-30-2005, 04:21 PM

I did receive it (for X-Mas w/ the NP subscription), don't remember a letter though. I did get a Dragon Warrior 2 map with mine (couldn't wait for DW2!) and mine did come with the box (and all inserts).

Kevin Listwan

07-30-2005, 04:21 PM

I have the game, a poster with dungen maps on the back, and a special stratagy guide for DW. My guide and poster a very beat up, but I still have them. Most likely the best giveaway ever for a magazine subscription.

Veepa

07-30-2005, 04:25 PM

I guess the letter didn't exist then.

The Plucky Little Ninja

07-30-2005, 08:30 PM

My stepbrother got this deal with his Nintendo Power subscription.

He hated Role Playing Games.

I mean really hated.... yet he insisted on beating it just because it was a free game. Poor bastard couldn't stand to have unbeaten NES games sitting around.

Dr. Morbis

07-31-2005, 01:11 AM

I guess the letter didn't exist then.
Yes it did, and I have it. I don't have a scanner, but here's the text verbatim:

---------------------

[Letter Head:] Nintendo Power
[Huge Text:] Congratulations!

Dear Power Animal:

Here's your Dragon Warrior Game Pak! Get ready to embark on one of the greatest video adventures of all time. And to help you in your quest, you'll be armed with the most powerful magazine on earth--Nintendo Power!

And check out the other power tools we sent you, including the must-have Special Edition Explorer's Handbook, provided only through this offer, and designed to help you master this super-challenging role playing adventure. Add that to the Dragon Warrior Adventure Card and the two FREE poster-sized maps, and you've got everything you need to start kicking some serious dragon tail!

If you haven't received your first issue of Nintendo Power, don't worry, it's coming. It'll be packed with more power tips, tricks and scorcher strategies than you can believe--every month! Plus, you'll read previews of upcoming games to thelp you make the right choice in your next purchase. Best of all, it's your link to the supercharged world of Nintendo!

Thanks for subscribing and welcome aboard! You're now in the ranks of a million-plus Power Animals who'll only play with serious power--Nintendo Power!

Best Regards,
[signature]
Gail Tilden
Editor in Chief

---------------------

It came with the following items that the retail release didn't have:

-Congrats Letter
-EXplorer's Handbook (entirely different than the standard instruction manual).

Veepa

07-31-2005, 07:17 AM

So, I'm not insane..

Well, I'm still insane.. but there was a letter.. so I'm slightly less insane.

maxlords

07-31-2005, 08:11 AM

Heh...I got that deal...I didn't even HAVE an NES at the time, but I bought a sub to get the free game :D

qbertandernie

07-31-2005, 02:15 PM

any difference between this copy and the actual release? ive suspected the yellow box/more yellow laabel version was the nintendo power one, and the more gold copy was the original...anyone>?

starchildskiss78

08-23-2005, 10:12 PM

I got that same exact game in the mail when I subscribed to Nintendo Power years ago. I don't have it anymore unfortunately as I got rid of all my original NES stuff a long time ago. (I was so mad about my friend playing Dragon Warrior on his NES and the save being corrupted somehow!)

WiseSalesman

08-23-2005, 11:00 PM

I rememeber ordering this. I got my nes for christmas when i was like....six or seven, I think. The subscription card with the deal was in the box. I remember the game took so long to arrive that I forgot about. I ordered at christmas...I think I got the game in late spring or summer.

Great game though.

Querjek

08-24-2005, 06:25 AM

I have the original envelope that came with the game, and all of the contents are in really good condition.

rbudrick

08-24-2005, 10:37 AM

[Letter Head:] Nintendo Power
[Huge Text:] Congratulations!

Dear Power Animal:

Dear who? LOL LOL LOL

And check out the other power tools we sent you, including the must-have Special Edition Explorer's Handbook, provided only through this offer, and designed to help you master this super-challenging role playing adventure. Add that to the Dragon Warrior Adventure Card and the two FREE poster-sized maps, and you've got everything you need to start kicking some serious dragon tail!

Does anyone have pics of all these, including the letter?

Most likely the best giveaway ever for a magazine subscription.

Well, besides the 26 gold NWC carts, yeah I'd say so...

I have the original envelope that came with the game, and all of the contents are in really good condition.

:eek 2: That's awesome! Please PM me if you'd like to strike a deal on that (Ahhhh! The money is burning in my pocket!!! Take it! Take it! AHHHH!! LOL )! I always wished I ordered another year's subscription just to get the exclusive hint guide. But, I was young, poor, jobless and stupid. 8-)

-Rob

notoriusvig

08-24-2005, 11:51 AM

I got mine too complete with box, manual, etc. I stayed with my same subscription until around 1997 too, lol.

DogP

08-24-2005, 12:39 PM

I got this... I don't remember a letter or a box (actually, I thought I remembered it coming in a padded envelope, but it could have had the box too). Anyway, mine had a map/enemy information fold out thing, and a card with all the spells and stuff. I believe I still have both, but they were in really crappy shape.

DogP

PapaStu

08-24-2005, 12:42 PM

I guess the letter didn't exist then.

The letter exists. I've got one left. It came in a Enix envelope and along with a map.

namzep

08-24-2005, 12:43 PM

As others are stating, I don't remember a letter/box but do remember the map/item listing. I have no idea what happened to everything, though. I just recently had to rebuy the game, itself.

hezeuschrist

08-24-2005, 01:49 PM

drwily008

09-05-2005, 10:53 AM

any difference between this copy and the actual release? ive suspected the yellow box/more yellow laabel version was the nintendo power one, and the more gold copy was the original...anyone>?

Yeah, I think your right. My Mom was all about freebies and rebates. So she ordered a subscription for all of my best friends and a few of my cousins (a total of 7 or 8 total) and I remember all of ours were yellow. Hey, it was a cheap Christmas present ($15 for a new game AND a year sub...now that was a deal)!

I had a friend who bought the game by itself because we were all addicts got the "golder" version at a retail store (Hills, if anyone remembers it).

Bender_rules

09-05-2005, 11:03 AM

mills

09-05-2005, 02:52 PM

I love reading such classic stories as this.

drwily008

09-06-2005, 08:28 PM

i also remember getting this deal,It was the first time i had played an RPG and was hooked from then on,unfourtunely i had gotten rid of it years ago.I remember the spell card and the two maps one from DW and the other from DW2.

Oh yeah, I know what you mean! I actually hated Zelda back then and actually didn't initially like Dragon Warrior either.

4 or 5 months later, I was ALL about RPG's sucking them all up and enjoying every single one of them! Still to this day I always remember playing the original DW for almost a year before I beat it. Then when I went on to part 2, I thought the same basic guidelines applied (being in level 20 w/Erdrick gear)...I found out the hard way that wasn't true! I made it ALL of the way through the cave to Rhone, then to the save point and saved, all while in level 19 or 20!

I called the "Game Couselors" at Nintendo to ask why it was so hard and he was amazed that a kid my age (probably 14) had made it that far with such crappy stats! LOL

rbudrick

09-08-2005, 05:50 PM

A year on DW1? Wow! I think I maxed out my stats in 3 or 4 days (beat it in 2). :) Not poking fun, sorry...didn't mean to sound mean (if I did). Just curious...why so long?

-Rob

The Plucky Little Ninja

09-08-2005, 07:10 PM

rbudrick

09-09-2005, 05:56 PM

He must have led an incredibly frustrating existance.

Luckily 90% of his collection was sports games so it really wasn't that big an issue. Bionic Commando was the one that drove us nuts.

A year on DW1? Wow! I think I maxed out my stats in 3 or 4 days (beat it in 2). Not poking fun, sorry...didn't mean to sound mean (if I did). Just curious...why so long?

How many hours a day were you pouring into that thing? A year is a little much, but maxed stats in 3 days! That's a shitload of green slimes. I was never able to plow past level 13 or 14. After "Phantasy Star," "Dragon Warrior" just couldn't hold my attention that long.

Hmmm...I dunno...I had to have ben 12 or 13 at the time...probably 13. I haven't gone through that game in 14 years...goddamn I feel old when I realize stuff like that. :( Anyway, I'm not sure how much I played each day...I think it was just a few hours a day...it only goes up to like level 27 or so if I remember correctly.

-Rob

drwily008

09-09-2005, 06:52 PM

A year on DW1? Wow! I think I maxed out my stats in 3 or 4 days (beat it in 2). :) Not poking fun, sorry...didn't mean to sound mean (if I did). Just curious...why so long?

-Rob

Not really sure...I've always been like that (you know savoring games). Keep in mind that DW 1 came out when I was 12 or 13 and I had never gotten into any RPG's. I was used to blowing through Mario/Little Nemo/Metroid/Duck Tales and others so fast, I didn't even realise I was supposed to level up. I would just try to see how far I could get in my current (low) level and I would run ALOT! You know trying to get a better weapon out of a cave or defeating a Gold Golem in level 6 LOL

I'm really good at RPG's nowadays and can beat games in record times. However, I still will try to take as long as I can to savor the fun ones!

Don't worry, you didn't sound mean. :D

Buyatari

09-09-2005, 08:23 PM

Most likely the best giveaway ever for a magazine subscription.

Well, besides the 26 gold NWC carts, yeah I'd say so...

What about the Final Fantasy Orbs or the Zelda Majoras Mask contest.

Which reminds me. Does anyone have the letter from one of the 26 gold NWC carts?

Adam

Zing

09-10-2005, 12:08 AM

I didn't realize that people actually completed the game without being level 30. The many times I played through, it felt like I would hit level 30 without even really trying. I do remember only being level 25 or something the last time I completed it.

I had already owned and beaten this game many times before this offer was available.

drwily008

09-10-2005, 09:08 PM

What about the Final Fantasy Orbs or....

Adam

SO...how's that working out for you? :D

Jasoco

09-10-2005, 11:34 PM

It was my first RPG. I remember we got the promo poster in the mail and it caught our attention so much we just had to get the game. So my sister and I begged Dad to order it. $15 total for the shipping. It arrived a bit later and we loved it. Aside from the Mario series, it's the only RPG I can play.

I'd love to see a scan of the promo poster again though. (It came in the mail with the order form to get the game.) Anyone? Anyone? Beuler?