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NesterUpset

Nester reacting to running into Howard again.

Nester was a character who frequently appeared within the pages of Nintendo Power magazine from 1988 to 1993. Starring in the Howard & Nester comic strip, Nester grew in popularity and began appearing throughout the entire magazine, acting as the mascot of the publication. Nester was eventually phased out as the magazine's mascot in 1994, but by that time he had appeared in several Nintendo video games including Nester's Funky Bowling for the Virtual Boy. Nester was created by Nintendo Power editor and Nintendo Fun Club News "president" Howard Phillips.

While primarily the star of Howard & Nester, the character would randomly appear elsewhere in the magazine. In the Nintendo Power Awards, for example, his likeness would be fastened on the "trophies". He would also make an appearance in articles that the editors deemed appropriate. In the article pertaining to the NES version of Jeopardy!, for example, he could be seen playing against Howard (Howard's score was predictably much higher than Nester's, who had a score of -$1000).

Personality[]

Nester is a conceited kid who thinks he knows everything there is to know about the video games he's playing and believes that he doesn't need the advice of Howard or whoever he's currently hanging out with. As a result, he often suffers a karmic pratfall from whatever situation he is currently in.

Appearances[]

Nintendo Power (early issues)[]

Issue Comic strip
Click to enlarge
Other appearances
1 Howard Nester 01
  • Appeared above the staff listing.
  • Appeared throughout Counselor's Corner. A comic appeared in this feature that had Nester's father "glued" to the TV set playing the NES. Nester called the Nintendo hotline asking what he can do to get his father off of it.
  • Appeared in the Jeopardy! article where he is shown losing against Howard and another contestant named Annie.
  • Appeared on the Player's Poll Contest page alongside Howard saying that he'll send his form in "tomorrow".
2 Howard Nester 02
  • Appeared above staff listing and on Top 30 and in Counselor's Corner.
  • At the end of Counselor's Corner, Nester is shown saying that he is "waiting for your letters."
  • Appeared on the Player's Poll Contest page alongside Howard.
3
  • Appears in the two-page article hyping the NES Advantage and NES Max, which he calls his "secret weapons".
  • Appears under the "NES Planner" list at the end of the Pak Watch column.
4
  • Appears under the "NES Planner" list at the end of the Pak Watch column.
  • Appeared on the Player's Poll Contest page.
5 HowardAndNester05
  • Stars in an article reporting on the Winter 1989 Consumer Electronics Show.
  • Appeared on the Player's Poll Contest page.
  • Appeared on the Back Issues page.
  • Appears under the "NES Planner" list at the end of the Pak Watch column.
6
  • Stars in the "Professor Nester's Father's Day Lecture".
  • Appears under the "NES Planner" list at the end of the Pak Watch column.
  • Appeared on the Back Issues page.
7 HowardAndNester07
  • Appears holding a Game Boy in the Pak Watch column.
8 HowardAndNester08
  • Appears in three short strips in the Game Boy column.
  • Appears in the masthead for the new "Previews" column.
  • Appeared on the Player's Poll Contest page where he is seen playing the RoboCop arcade game.
9 HowardAndNester09
  • His face is hidden within the issue's cover art.
  • Appeared on the Player's Poll Contest page where he is seen napping and dreaming about what he could possibly win in the contest.
10 HowardAndNester10
  • Appears as a clay Tetramino in the enclosed Tetris tip book.
11 HowardAndNester11
12 HowardAndNester12
14 HowardAndNester14
16 HowardAndNester16
18 HowardAndNester18
20 HowardAndNester20
21 HowardAndNester21
22 HowardAndNester22
23 HowardAndNester23
24 HowardAndNester24
  • Appears dressed as a painter by the Envelope Art.
25 HowardAndNester25
26 Nester's Adventures 26
27 Nester's Adventures 27
28 Nester's Adventures 28
29 Nester's Adventures 29
30 Nester's Adventures 30
31 Nester's Adventures 31
32 Nester's Adventures 32
33 Nester's Adventures 33
34 Nester's Adventures 34
35 Nester's Adventures 35
36 Nester's Adventures 36 Appears in the 1991 NP Award Winners article.
37 Nester's Adventures 37
38 Nester's Adventures 38
39 Nester's Adventures 39
40 Nester's Adventures 40
41 File:Nester's Adventures 41.png
42 File:Nester's Adventures 42.png
43 Nester's Adventures 43
44 Nester's Adventures 44
45 Nester's Adventures 45

Later appearances[]

While Nester was retired as the mascot of Nintendo Power after 1994, he was still regularly mentioned by the writers and especially the readers who wrote in about him. In later issues, the writers of Nintendo Power honor him by naming their video game characters Nester whenever possible and secretly providing proof of this within the pages of the magazine.

For the 20th anniversary issue of Nintendo Power, Nester appeared once more in a comic that showed him as an adult playing Mario Kart Wii. In the comic, he had his own son, Max, who was more into modern video games while Nester was stuck in the past. In Nintendo Power V268, the editors included a special Nintendo 3DS QR Mii code that, when activated revealed a Nester Mii (with his facial hair from the 20th anniversary issue). In Nintendo Power V285, the final Nester comic was published.

Video game appearances[]

Nester To the Earth

Nester's cameo in To the Earth.

Camp Hyrule chat[]

During a Camp Hyrule 2006 chat with the writers of Nintendo Power, user JORDANM85 asked the following question:

JORDANM85: I was wondering if Nester will ever make a return to Nintendo Power? He would make a great mascot for the magazine. I'd love to see a monthly continuing comic, even if it was only one page a month... And are there any plans on bringing back comics like the old Mario and Zelda ones from the 90s? Maybe some new Mario adventures? Thanks, and keep up the good work guys.

The following was the reply from the editors:

NOA_GEORGE: Nester hit the skids in the 90s
NOA_CHRIS: Good grief. Howard Phillips, is that you?
NOA_GEORGE: I htink [sp] he's selling socks in a mall now
NOA_CHRIS: And besides, who needs a mascot when we have Pete?
NOA_GEORGE: We do have the Pokemon comics right now
NOA_GEORGE: You read them backwards
NOA_STEVE: As for comics, aside from the occasional thing like the Pokemon one we're doing now, I doubt they'll become a regular feature in the mag again

Trivia[]

  • Nester is referenced in the Super Mario Bros. comic story "Duh Stoopid Bomb!" (originally published in Super Mario Bros. #5); he is listed on Wooster's list of people who say that King Toadstool is dumb, though his name is misspelled as "Nestor".
  • Lark from Pilotwings 64 was modeled after Nester, to the point that Nintendo Power even jokingly remarked he was Nester in their preview for the game in Volume 86.

References[]

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