Nintendo Power issue 1

Nintendo Power issue 1 is the first volume of Nintendo Power, released in July/August, 1988. It covers Super Mario Bros. 2.

In the "Welcome" section on the third page, Nintendo Power makes a reference to Mario, stating that the magazine will have "features that will keep you glued to Nintendo Power like Mario to a Magic Mushroom".

Pages 94 and 95 make several references to the Mario franchise, such as stating that Candace Cameron "has rescued the mushroom princess in Super Mario Bros. many times."

Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2, depicted on the cover of the volume, is covered on pages 6 to 25. Pages 6 and 7 showcase the story of the game, as well as its 4 playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess: Pages 8 and 9 describe the game's moveset: several jump types, carrying an item, and defeating enemies. The next page covers items and enemies that appear in the game. Each item is given a short description:
 * Mario "His ability to jump is average, but he loses it a little bit when he carries an item."
 * Luigi "He can spring up higher, but he greatly weakens if he has to carry an item."
 * Toad "He is the worst jumper, but the weight of items does not hinder him one bit."
 * Princess "She can float in the air for about 1.5 seconds if you hold down the A button."

A poster appears on pages 12 and 13, titled Super Mario Bros. 2 Sports Festival, showing the playable characters and enemies performing various activities on the stadium.
 * Sprout "This vegetable is not completely ripe yet. Which means you can only use it to attack the enemy. But to that end, it works wonders!"
 * Vegetables "Ah, a ripe vegetable. You can use it to attack. And it will bring the "Stopwatch" each time you find the 5th one."
 * Bomb "It will flash and explode within a few seconds after you pick it up. Use it mainly to destroy walls. Careful handling is a must!"
 * Stopwatch "An important trick is to count and remember the exact number of vegetables you have found."
 * Mushroom Block "Throw it to attack the enemy. Use it as a lid, or use it as a take-off spot."
 * Heart "It will appear when you defeat a lot of enemies. When you get one, you can refill your Life Meter by one."
 * Mushroom "It will appear only when you enter into "Sub-space" at a particular spot. Can you find it?"
 * POW "You can create an earthquake by throwing it, and the earthquake will eliminate all enemies on the ground."
 * Cherries "A Star Man will appear when you find enough cherries which are scattered at random around the area."
 * Potion "Use the Magic Potion to go to "Sub-space." It's a cinch!"
 * Coin "All grass you pull up in "Sub-space" will turn into Coins. Use these coins at the Bonus Chance stage."
 * Star Man "It may appear as you collect cherries. When you have it, you will become invincible for a while."
 * Shells "When you throw it, it will glide on the surface of the ground and crash into the enemy."
 * 1-UP "This is especially helpful. Just reach out and catch it, and it will give you a new life!"
 * Key "You need it to unlock a door. You can also throw it to attack the enemy."
 * Rocket "When you pull up grass at certain spots, rockets will appear which are capable of taking your character to different places."

The rest of the pages showcase levels with detailed maps, including secrets, items, enemies, as well as tips to defeating the bosses, up until level 2-3.
 * 1-1 Ready, set, go! "Now we'll give you some important pointers on how to tackle each area in Super Mario Bros. 2. To be on the safe side, try out each character, and get to know their movements at the very beginning of the game. Once you pass through the door below, the real fast-action fun starts. The first area will be an easy win."
 * 1-2 A flying carpet ride "Right after you start your adventure in this area, you will find yourself in the sky. Consider your options. There is only one smart way to go. You must take the flying carpet away from Pidgit. Later, when the going gets tough, try using bombs. They will make a big difference."
 * 1-3 Have courage!! "This is the last part of World 1. The area starts with a horizontal scroll, changes to a vertical scroll, and then goes back to the horizontal scroll. While in the vertical scroll, you can't open the door far below unless you get the key from the top room. Remember this while you move. Without this step you can't succeed."
 * 2-1 A desert expedition "Are you ready for quicksand? How about deep pits? You'll have to dig your way out through the sand, and it's not so easy. These are just a couple of many hair raising problems and challenges. Here's a clue to remember. Don't stop unless you have a good foothold."
 * 2-2 Don't be discouraged! "The World of Deserts seems extremely difficult when you are not used to it. It’s a continuation of World 1. However, the jars are closer together, the quicksand is faster, and you have a smaller area to move around in. If you haven’t selected Toad as your character yet, now would be a good time!"
 * 2-3 Stay cool! "The last area of World 2 is once again a desert! On the map you will find such tricks as quicksand that traps you or places where you need to dig deep into the ground — you won't have it easy!"

Counselors' Corner
Counselors Corner, on the page 52, covers an infinite 1-UP trick in Super Mario Bros., as well as the mechanics of fireworks.

Player's Poll
Player's Poll section on page 89 asked readers to participate in the poll about the first issue of Nintendo Power. The poll contained many images of Mario. The list for questions F, G, and H had the following Mario games:
 * 18 - Donkey Kong
 * 19 - Donkey Kong Jr.
 * 30 - Golf
 * 55 - Pinball
 * 70 - Super Mario Bros.
 * 71 - Super Mario Bros. 2

NES Achievers
Only the top scores are listed:
 * Donkey Kong Tyronne Vias (New York) / 150,700 (score)
 * Golf John Sullivan (Brighton) / -20, 52 (strokes)
 * Pinball John Bussiere (Pawtucket) / 633,810 (score)
 * Super Mario Bros. Multiple people / 9,999,950 (score)
 * Wrecking Crew David Nierstad (Merrimack) / 1,202,600 (score)

Top 30
Top 30 covers two Mario games on pages 103 and 104:
 * 4th: Super Mario Bros. (113 points) "SUPER MARIO is in good shape at fourth place. Keep it up!" Players' picks: 943 points Pros' picks: 86 points Dealers' picks: 104 points
 * 25th: Mario Bros. (8 points) Players' picks: 41 points Pros' picks: 16 points Dealers' picks: 46 points