To The Honorable Staff of Nintendo Power,

I write this letter to you with a deep melancholy. I refused to believe the rumors that you were closing down. Then, cold confirmation that you wouldn't be there for me after December. Anger took me, and tears fell whenever I remembered a crucial fact. The fact that you and your magazine have meant so much to me throughout my whole life. I was four when the first issue came out, and I had just played Zelda II for the first time. Though I could barely read, the bright pictures and maps in your magazine helped me make it through the mazes of Death Mountain and the mysteries of the secret town of Kasuto. I wanted to reach out; to help. Hold a subscription drive, write letters to NCL, get the help of Operation Rainfall and Starmen.net. I wanted to do something for you after all you've done for me.

The most exciting piece of mail I've received every month, to this day, has always been Nintendo Power. It brings me so much joy to see what's on the cover and what's getting reviewed. I should say it brings me that joy twice a month, as I'm always excited for taking the power polls, too. My friends and I still pull out old issues for help with retro games (of which I am a huge collector), like when we played through Young Merlin for laughs on my beloved Super Nintendo. I'm only missing a few issues in the entire run of the magazine.

In all the tough parts of my life, Nintendo, and Nintendo Power, were always there for me. When I didn't think I could make it in 6th grade, and thought about ending it all, NP saved me with news of Super Mario 64 and Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. When my Dad said he was getting remarried and my life fell into despair, NP was there with previews of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and hope for the future. And as an adult, after wanting to give up after getting laid off multiple times as an art teacher, NP made me feel like a kid again with news of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Though sure, I check Nintendo blogs obsessively, you hold a special place in my heart. I don't want endless bright screens of every little piece of news when I can have a beautiful printed magazine to pore over. Even when news and screenshots from Nintendo Power are posted online, I always to refuse to read those articles until I've received my issue and can read it myself, straight from the source. Honestly, I'm terribly depressed about a world without you. I proudly wear my Nintendo Power Player shirt (a replica, as my original fell apart from years of wear and tear).

I'm including a painting I started working on in August as soon as I found out the news about the magazine ending. I poured my heart and soul into it. It's the expression of all the feelings I've had, tempered with the sadness of losing you this December. It was really hard getting it done on time, as I work two jobs and often don't have the time or energy after work. I pray that you will print it, and this letter, in one of your final issues. None of my letters as a kid made it into the magazine, but you were always kind enough to write back to me either way. Thank you for that. Thank you for everything.

Much love,
Bry Sharland