The Nintendo Power, Dragon Warrior Giveaway.

[Veepa]

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]

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]

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]

I guess the letter didn't exist then.

[The Plucky Little Ninja]

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]

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]

So, I'm not insane..

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

[maxlords]

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

[qbertandernie]

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]

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]

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]

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

[rbudrick]

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

Dear Power Animal:

Dear who?

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.

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!! )! I always wished I ordered another year's subscription just to get the exclusive hint guide. But, I was young, poor, jobless and stupid.

-Rob

[notoriusvig]

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

[DogP]

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]

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]

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]

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.

He must have led an incredibly frustrating existance.

[drwily008]

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]

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.