After nearly three hundred issues, Nintendo Power has finally come to an end. To send this long-running periodical off in style, the Cover Critic has decided to review every single issue. Join him as he experiences every aspect of Nintendo's journey through their magazine covers.

Oh, to be a Star Wars fan in 1992. Everybody still loved the science fiction trilogy, George Lucas was a respected filmmaker and there was no dispute over whether or not Han Solo shot first. Best of all, this was long before everybody got greedy and announced the second trilogy. 1992 was a time when fans could hold their heads up high and confess their love for every Star Wars characters, and not a single person would mockingly name drop Jar Jar Binks. Those were the days.

This Nintendo Power cover may be from 1992, but it's just as lazy as The Phantom Menace. It's a close-up of Darth Vader, who appears to have fallen asleep in his chair again. In the distance there is an a giant explosion, likely killing countless people. But Mr. Vader doesn't notice; he's not even facing the right direction. An exploding planet isn't the newest sitcom on NBC; it's something you might actually want to watch live.

There's a reason I'm spending so much time focusing on that exploding planet in the distance, and that's because it's the only interesting part of this design. Remember when Star Wars was about great lightsaber fights and likeable characters? Here we're treated to a close-up of an emotionless villain and little more than bright lights in the background. There's nothing "Super" about this boring cover.

Back to that explosion for a moment; isn't it odd that Nintendo Power chose that as the perfect place to advertise Super Mario Land 2? Forget the plight of those innocent people who died for no reason, because Bunny Mario is on a quest to defeat Wario. Look, I'm not saying there's a better place on this cover to advertise all six golden coins in Super Mario Land 2, but the placement does seem odd. Oh well, at least this design beats Star Trek.