In the May 1991 issue of Nintendo Power, Volume 24, Powerline talks up The Rocketeer, the NES game based on the "Disney movie destined to become this summer's comic-hero blockbuster"...which it was not; the film was a financial disappointment. Seems that would've made cover if not for Vice: Project Doom. Going onto the next section, in the conclusion of last month's chaotic Player's Pulse, Video Spotlight is gone, though there is "Art Beat" this issue. (This wouldn't be a reoccurring feature for long). Player's Pulse ends with calling on readers to dream up the next Player's Poll Contest idea.

The feature for this month, Vice: Project Doom (American Sammy) has some awful graphic design (in the magazine, not the game), though I found the misspelling in the Game Pak Data Box as "Merican Sammy" amusing. Afterwards, it's Art Nichols' Howard & Nester. Nichols clearly doesn't play by Shuji Imai's rules when it comes to Howard & Nester. Wanted a comic based on Power Blade? Screw you, you're getting Monopoly.

Bandai's The Rocketeer gets eight pages before the winners of the 1990 Nintendo Power Awards are revealed...Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse got Best Challenge. Super Mario Bros. 3 got Best Play Control and the Overall Best Game (NES category). Mega Man (I guess through Mega Man 3) got Best Hero, Shredder (through Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game) won Best Bad Guy, Shadowgate got Most Innovative (the runner-up was the Miracle Keyboard Teaching System) and Best Multi-Player Simultaneous was also won by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game.

If you were disappointed by Howard & Nester, there is the start of the new Battletoads comic. Sadly, the Dark Queen's risque design meant she covers herself in every single panel that she's facing the "camera" with. Classified Information has Sword Master, Conquest of the Crystal Palace, Mega Man 3 (good stuff...exploiting the password), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game, Captain Skyhawk, Silver Surfer, an easier way to get into Edna's room in Maniac Mansion, another Mega Man 3 tip, and unlimited lives in Dirty Harry. Strategy for Konami's The Lone Ranger continues on the other side of the poster for TaleSpin.

Game Boy's section includes Mysterium (published by Asmik and developed by Maxis), Gauntlet II (by Mindscape, a Software Toolworks company, and copyrighted by Atari Games/Tengen), Battle Unit Zeoth (Jaleco), Nintendo World Cup (Nintendo), Spot (Arcadia), and The Chessmaster (Hi-Tech Expressions). All those were also covered this month in Game Boy Now Playing (not sure why Spot get a second chance with actual coverage...maybe there's still hope for BurgerTime Deluxe. The other games that get reviews are Fish Dude (Sofel), Go Go Tank (Electro Brain), Hatris (BPS), Maru's Mission (Jaleco), Nobunaga's Ambition (Koei), Puzznic (Taito), Skate or Die: Tour de Thrash (Electronic Arts), and Tail 'Gator (Natsume). Game Boy Top 10 is still with Super Mario Land and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan in #1 and #2, respectively. But now Dr. Mario has jumped from #9 to #3 with The Final Fantasy Legend now taking #4 and Tetris now forced to #5. Gargoyle's Quest is now at #6 (from #7), Castlevania: The Adventure still improves at #7 (from #8), Batman drops back to #8 (from #5), Play Action Football returns to the list again as #9 and Radar Mission premiers at #10. I guess this time Double Dragon and Paperboy are out once more. Oh and I almost forgot--the Game Boy Classified ("Classified Classics" this month) covers Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan, Nemesis, and Daedalian Opus.

After Adventures of Lolo 3 (HAL Laboratory) it's time for Top 30, Volume 24 May 1991 edition. We have Super Mario Bros. 3 still continuing its #1 streak, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game leapfrogging (or leap-turtling) Mega Man 3 for the #2 slot, Final Fantasy holding #4, and Dr. Mario holding #5. Tetris has risen again to #6 (from #9), Crystalis holds #7, Dragon Warrior II falls back to #8 (from #6), NES Play Action Football moves up to #9, and Ultima: Quest of the Avatar is introduced to the top 10 at #10. This means, unfortunately, that The Legend of Zelda is off the top 10 again! It's at #14 now. However, Super Mario Bros. 2 has reappeared as #13 somehow. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link continues to fall to #21. DuckTales reappears on the list at #26, but no sign of Metroid or Punch-Out!!...

The Celebrity Profile is Alex Winter, who didn't have as big of a career as co-star Keanu Reeves. The column talks about "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure II" which was due out in summer 1991. When I read this I was confused...why would they not have a title for Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey this late? Apparently, even in spring 1991, the film's working title was "Bill & Ted Go to Hell" and that's probably why they referred to the movie as "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure II".

The Player's Poll Contest was themed after Hudson Hawk with the contest winners getting a big screen TV and a "personalized quest plotted in your hometown by the Nintendo Power staff" as "you and three friends will piece together clues found all over town while riding in a chauffeur driven limousine". You'll also get a Sony big screen television but no mention of the game, which is the second prize (along with movie tickets and money for snacks). And the Nintendo Power jersey (Version 2) is third prize.

Counselor's Corner has two StarTropics questions, two Ultima: Quest of the Avatar questions, and one question each from Magician, Werewolf, and Castlevania III.

Now Playing features the games covered this issue... Vice: Project Doom, The Rocketeer, The Lone Ranger, and Adventures of Lolo 3 as well as its own selections...Magic Darts by Romstar, Whomp 'Em by Jaleco (gets a full page), Mini-Putt by JVC, Klash Ball by Sofel, Bill Elliott's NASCAR Challenge (Konami), Laser Invasion (Ultra--using that stupid laser helmet controller), Nobunaga's Ambition II (Koei), and The Bard's Tale by FCI. Also listed in this section is Castelian (Triffix), Corvette ZR-1 Challenge (Milton Bradley), Flight of the Intruder (by Mindscape, based after the film), and The Mutant Virus (American Software). The Bard's Tale by FCI is another computer game port, this time a title developed by Interplay and published by Electronic Arts back in 1985.

The Super NES Showcase previews Super R-Type and HAL's Hole in One Golf, both of which would make it stateside by the end of the year. They mention a CSG Imagesoft title called "Jellybean" (I'm not sure if that was ever a working title), which was the name of a Japanese title (developed by Game Freak) called Jerry Boy. It did make to the U.S. in 1992 as Smart Ball, but the storyline and other information were completely stripped out. More importantly, however, this is the first time the U.S. Super NES is shown in its purple-and-gray appearance.

It's been teased for subscription offers, but Nintendo is now rolling out the Official Player's Guide series, reusing the name of the discontinued NES omnibus. While books on a single game would come later and the next three titles weren't known (only that #2 was Game Boy, #3 Mario, and #4 Super NES), the first title is the NES Game Atlas. It's a bit condensed from how they appeared in the magazine (no enemy/weapon profiles) but it is complete.

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