Official Nintendo Magazine, or ONM, was a British video game magazine. It was published from 2006 to 2014. The magazine wrote about the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U consoles made by Nintendo.

The magazine was first published by EMAP as Nintendo Magazine System. It covered the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Game Boy consoles. Later, it was renamed several times: Nintendo Magazine, Nintendo Official Magazine, and briefly Nintendo Official Magazine UK. EMAP published it under these names for twelve years. Then, the rights were sold to Future plc.

Future plc published the first issue on February 16, 2006. The magazine was published for eight years and eight months. It ended with its 114th issue, which came out on October 14, 2014.

History

Mean Machines, a long-running British games magazine, divided into two separate magazines that focused on the two major video game console companies of the time: Sega and Nintendo. The magazine that covered Sega kept its original name, Mean Machines Sega, while the one about Nintendo was named Nintendo Magazine System (NMS).

The first issue of Nintendo Magazine System was released on October 1, 1992. Over time, the magazine’s name changed several times, including Nintendo Magazine, Nintendo Official Magazine (NOM), and Nintendo Official Magazine UK. Its publisher also changed from EMAP to Future plc. After this change, the magazine was renamed to Official Nintendo Magazine (ONM), received new staff, and reset its issue numbering. It reached its 50th issue on November 20, 2009, and its 100th issue in October 2013.

On December 15, 2008, the first issue of Official Nintendo Magazine for Australia & New Zealand was published by Future plc. This monthly magazine was based on Official Nintendo Magazine and was the second officially supported Nintendo magazine in Australia and New Zealand. It followed the Australian Nintendo Magazine System, which stopped publishing in 2000. The final issue of Official Nintendo Magazine for Australia & New Zealand, issue 60, was published in December 2013.

In early 2011, four guest bloggers were appointed: Colette Barr, Marti Bennett, Chris Rooke, and John Vekinis. These bloggers shared their views on Nintendo-related news and events.

In March 2011, the UK magazine changed its style and layout, adding new features. The first issue in this new format had a "3D without glasses" cover to celebrate the launch of the Nintendo 3DS.

A new version of the magazine was introduced in November 2012 with the release of the Wii U. The following year, the magazine marked its 100th issue, with cover art drawn by Shigeru Miyamoto.

The magazine ended with its 114th issue, which was released on October 14, 2014.

Closure

On October 7, 2014, Future announced that the magazine would end with its 114th issue, which was published on October 14, 2014. It was also announced that the website, including its forums, would shut down on November 11, 2014. On October 15, 2014, former moderators of the ONM forums created a new site to replace the forums after their closure. One example of this new community was Super ONM, which later merged with another group called GRcade. GRcade was previously part of GamesRadar. Nintendo has now decided to focus on other ways to connect with fans, such as Nintendo Direct and Live Treehouse.

Sections

Each month, the Official Nintendo Magazine included the following sections:

• Welcome – a short summary of the magazine's contents written by the editor. It also includes the editor's contact information.
• Meet the Team – an introduction to the people who work on the magazine.
• Contents – a list of all the articles, organized into categories (e.g., reviews are listed under the "Review" category). This section also includes an A–Z list of games featured in the issue.
• The Big Story – an overview of recent news about Nintendo.
• Mouthpiece – an interview with someone connected to a game featured in the issue (e.g., in issue 105, an interview with the composer of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze).
• World of Nintendo – news about Nintendo from around the world, including sales information for 3DS and Wii U games.
• Next Month – a preview of what will be included in the next issue.
• Nintendo Shopping Channel – recommendations for games and items available on the eShop and Nintendo online store.
• MiiVERSE Mii Plaza – humorous posts from the Miiverse.
• Connect – letters, emails, and social media posts from readers. This section also includes a short transcript of the podcast.
• ONM Rant – a controversial opinion shared by the magazine, which is debated by forum users.
• ONM Game Night – a review of online features in a game.
• DLC of the Month – reviews of recent downloadable content.
• Smash Update – a summary of recent news about Super Smash Bros., along with opinions shared on Miiverse.
• Feedback – a section showing the best letters, emails, and forum posts from the month. A "star letter" is chosen, and the writer receives a prize (forum posts are not included in the Australian/New Zealand edition).
• In a Word – readers' emails, letters, and forum posts are answered with a single word (forum posts are not included in the Australian/New Zealand edition).
• My Collection – a short interview with someone who owns a special Nintendo-related collection.
• The Gallery – pictures sent in by readers.
• Features – articles about interesting topics (e.g., Easter eggs, "50 Greatest…", "The Making Of…", etc.), exclusive to the issue.
• Previews – a description of upcoming games, focusing on what readers might expect rather than what the games are like.
• Reviews – detailed evaluations of new games, including scores (in percentages), summaries, and lists of the game's strengths and weaknesses.
• Round Up – a quick summary of the worst or least important games released that month.
• The Making Of… – an interview with developers of a recent game.
• Rewind – a look back at a classic game.
• Time Capsule – a list of 10 games based on a specific theme (e.g., Christmas levels).
• Classic Moment – a look back at an unforgettable moment in a classic game.
• Rated Wii – a list of the top 20 Wii games, including a "Don't Forget" game, a "High Five" top five list, and "Settling Scores," where a reader comments on a game's score.
• The Best of… – a list of the top 27 games, along with a feature called "In the Mood for…"
• Wii U, 3DS & 2DS – includes a guide on transferring data between 3DS systems.
• 3DS & 2DS eShop FAQs – answers to common questions about the 3DS and 2DS eShop.
• Legends – a short review of a popular game.
• The Back Page – often includes a humorous article (e.g., "Nair-tendo").

Scoring system

The Official Nintendo Magazine used a system that assigned percentage scores to games. The scoring categories were:

• 0–29% = Toxic
• 30–49% = Troubled
• 50–69% = Flawed
• 70–79% = Bronze
• 80–89% = Silver
• 90–100% = Gold

The highest-rated games ever were The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which both received a 98% score. Ocarina of Time 3D was rated in the July 2011 issue, and Skyward Sword was rated in the June 2010 issue. Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess all received scores of 97%. The lowest-rated games were the DSiWare titles Discolight and Flashlight, which were given scores of 2% and 3%, respectively.

Forums

The ONM UK forums were started in 2006. ONM AU/NZ does not have a forum. In 2011, the forums and the magazine were updated to create a cleaner and easier-to-use website. The forums closed on November 11, 2014. The Moderating team created a new forum to replace it, named Super Online Nintendo Messageboards. (This was shortened to either S ONM or Super-ONM. However, the abbreviation was later changed to avoid issues with trademarks related to the former magazine.)