| Nintendo Power's second issue (September/October 1988) listed Bionic Commando among its September 1988 releases in North America; a footnote warned that release dates may vary. | PDF p. 3, Insiders' CalendarPDF p. 3, Insiders' CalendarPDF p. 3, Insiders' Calendar, footnote | Magazine |
| The North American manual says the game was created by Capcom, which it calls a premier arcade game designer, and the NES title screen reads © 1988 Capcom Co., Ltd. and © 1988 Capcom U.S.A., Inc., licensed by Nintendo of America. | printed p. 6 (PDF p. 8), title screen shown in the feature | Manual |
| The hero carries the Bionic Arm, a wire grappling device, which the North American manual puts on the B button. Nintendo Power noted that it can't be used to climb down, and Famicom Hisshoubon that on the side-view screens the player can't fire while hanging from the wire and swinging. | PDF p. 9, Bionic Commando featurePDF p. 12, Bionic Commando feature | Magazine |
| Nintendo Power's second issue (September/October 1988) ran a 12-page feature on the game, calling it a "super-charged hit". The feature closes that it combines the action of the finest arcade games with the mysteries of a superb adventure. | PDF p. 5, issue introductionPDF p. 19, The Final Conflict | Magazine |
| Sunsoft released Blaster Master for the NES in North America in November 1988, by Nintendo of America's release list. Nintendo Power's September/October 1988 issue already reviewed it under a "Now Playing" stamp. | printed p. 75 (PDF p. 73), Blaster Mastercontents (PDF p. 7) | Publisher |
| In the North American manual Jason's pet frog Fred escapes and touches a huge radioactive chest, grows to an enormous size, and falls into the earth with it; Jason falls in after him. Below lie an armoured vehicle built to fight the radioactive mutants living under the Earth's crust, and the mutants' master, the Plutonium Boss, whom the player has to destroy. Nintendo Power tells it differently: there Jason finds the vehicle and jumps into the cockpit. | printed p. 74 (PDF p. 72), Blaster Master, storyprinted p. 74 (PDF p. 72), Blaster Master, story | Manual |
| The vehicle's main weapon is a cannon. Three special weapons, the Homing Missile, Thunder Break, and Multi Warhead Missile, are earned by catching certain objects and fired with down and B. | printed p. 75 (PDF p. 73), Blaster Master | Magazine |
| Nintendo Power reviewed the game in its September/October 1988 issue, printing no score; the issue promised nine pages of maps and a fold-out poster for the next, and the November/December issue's back-issue entry lists the poster. | contents (PDF p. 7)Next Issue (PDF p. 103) | Magazine |
| Nintendo Power's second issue, September/October 1988, gave Life Force a six-page feature, printed pp. 18-23, headed by the line that evil Zelos is making his plans. Its first stage takes place inside a giant mutant space cell, and a later section is a volcanic stage where volcanoes spit out rocks. | contents (PDF p. 6)printed p. 18 (PDF p. 20), headlineprinted p. 20 (PDF p. 22)printed p. 22 (PDF p. 24)printed p. 22 (PDF p. 24) | Magazine |
| Nintendo Power's first issue (July/August 1988) announced that Data East would soon introduce RoboCop, "this near future science fiction adventure". Its second (September/October 1988) recalled the announcement and said it had found no more details. Its November/December 1988 issue listed RoboCop for February in its release schedule. | p. 87 (PDF p. 85), Pak Watch | Magazine |