Get The Inside Scoop on Everything Neopet Related With Neopets "The Official Magazine"
Written: Nov 15 '05 (Updated May 27 '06)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: One of the best ways to get the inside scoop on Neopets, great articles.
Cons: $9.99 an issue at the newsstand
The Bottom Line: If you are a Neopet junkie and want to keep up to date with everything that goes on at the site, this is the mag for you!
|
|
|
| Freak369's Full Review: Neopets |
Being a Neopet addict it was inevitable that I would subscribe to the Neopet Magazine, the one thing that kept me from ordering it in the past was that it cost an arm and a leg. If you are looking to pick up a single issue at a bookstore or newsstand you are going to pay $9.99 [$14.99 in Canada]; as much as I love the site, that is just way too much for a magazine. Now, if it came with a promo disc for the upcoming “The Darkest Faerie” PS2 game or trading cards then maybe I could justify that price. In defense of the magazine I do have to say that it is a very nice product with full color pages, minimal amount of outside advertising and contests but again, you are laying down a ten dollar bill for this so even if it is jam packed with features, posters, contests and ‘cheats codes’ [legal cheat codes that is] - chances are you are still going to feel a little cheated when you are done reading it. I took advantage of an offer that I got from My Points to order a magazine at a reduced price and get points for the purchase so I got the year subscription for $22.00 and got 2,000 points credited to my My Points account.
Neopets: The Official Magazine
Even though I just recently subscribed to the magazine, I have purchased it in the past when it had trading cards or perks that I really wanted. Until I subscribed I’d read most of the issue at the bookstore because I flat out refused to spend that much money one something. As I said, the mag is awesome and something that any Neopet player will appreciate but is it really worth the cover price or subscription price? That all depends o the kind of deal you get on it. Some of the regular features include learning how to draw various Neopet characters [and petpets], Neopet TCG Secrets, game guides to learn how to beat the games at the website, trivia, contests, letters and drawings from Neopet fans, Collectibles Corner, improving your NeoPage and pet pages and more. The past few issues have really started to hype the upcoming “Darkest Faerie” game but so far I’ve yet to see a preview disc for it anywhere. One of the nicest things about the mag is that it goes into detail about different worlds like The haunted Woods, Brightvale and The Lost Desert. If you are someone that rarely goes into these areas it helps to let you know what hidden treasures are there, games you can play, stores you can hit and petpets you can purchase.
The magazine is printed on glossy paper, each and every page is full color and has some phenomenal artwork. There are fan sections where you can submit your own artwork to be featured in the sections - my son had a few drawings published and he was tickled pink to see his name in the mag. The game guides are really helpful if you are having trouble getting through sections; they don’t have direct cheats but they do offer you a ton of hints. These guides are a must have if you need to achieve a certain score to unlock an avatar! Most of the drawing sections in the book can be found at the website but the ones in the magazine offer you a more indepth process on how to complete them. From time to time they will pick a certain item and go into detail about it. In one issue they covered all the musical instruments that can be purchased or obtained in Neopia. While I had no interest in this subject I wanted to read up on it to see what the going prices were and which ones were considered rare in case I came across them in a shop. You also get pet spotlights that give you the inside scoop on why some pets are better than others for battles, why some are better friends and which one would be best for you.
Some of the downsides of the magazine are obviously the price [but I covered that already]. One thing that really irks me is the pull out posters; you have to make a choice between the feature and the cover image. The poster has an image on each side so you are sort of forced to pick the one that you like more to hang up or display. I would rather have one image with a white backing page than to have two and have to make a choice. That might sounds trivial but there really aren’t a ton of publications out there that cover Neopets outside of a few mags that have TCG cards listed and their values. Even though the covers usually have a foil face or extra thick paper to them and it makes them look nice, eventually they start to wear away if you read them often - and for that price you better believe that I am going to read them over and over. The cons to the magazine are minimal when you read through all the articles and learn a lot from it. Some people pick these up with the hopes that the individual issues will increase over time. The only one that has an increased face value is the first issue and that retails for $14.95.
Subscription Information
If you are ready to make a commitment to getting the magazine then getting the one your deal is the cheapest way to go. You can fill out one of the reader service cards or call the toll free number [800 840-3137] to place your order. The magazine is published six times a year so you will get a copy about every eight weeks; right now they are offering it for $29.99 per year which is half the suggested retail price - bottom line - it brings it down to five dollars a copy. Canadian and International orders will have to pay $20.00 extra for delivery fees. You can also visit the website to place an order - www.neopetsmagaine.com. Make sure you check out the different offers that they have; sometimes you can get a free plushie or TCG Booster Pack with your order. I got both when I placed mine and received the perks as soon as my payment was processed. If you are thinking about picking up a single copy at the bookstore think twice - for twenty dollars more you can get five more issues.
Advertising
There aren’t many outside advertising spots in the magazine which might be why it costs so much. Some of the ads that you might run across from outside sources are BIC, Sony / PS2 games, InuYasha, Yu-Gi-Oh and other Beckett magazines. There is a lot of Neopet adverts that will try to sell you everything from stickers to jewelry, plushies to talking figures. The prices for the products are average but you’ll want to look in the Marketplace at the end of the magazine for the sale items. You can also order older issues from the magazines, this is a great way to pick up issues that you missed or if there is a favorite character on the cover.
The Bottom Line
Even though I might complain about the cover price, getting the subscription as well as the extra points for My Points was a great deal. If you are a fanatic about the site then the magazine will help you get the most from it. The articles are well written, artwork superb, contest are plentiful and there are always new sections being added to it. Most issues are about eighty pages but some are longer if they are introducing a new land or providing the lay out of a new deck. Most of the time there is a huge pull out posted in the middle of the magazine, a very nice perk if you are someone that loves to have Neopet stuff on display. The staff that takes care of the magazine are quick to reply to emails and the site helps you through the process of reporting missing issues or if you are having trouble contests your bi monthly copy.
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2005 Freak369
Neopet product reviews ..
Neopets Online Website, Neopets Official Magazine, Hasbro Deluxe World Meridell Game, Hasbro Deluxe World Faerie Land Game, Thinkway Interactive Neopet Talking Shoyru Plushie and Talking Uni Plushie, Hasbro Playskool Neopet Mutant Kacheek Interactive Game, Hasbro Interactive Krawk Island Pocket Neopet, General Mills Neopets Islandberry Crunch Cereal, Neopet Red Shoyru NeoPen
Neopet Collectible Figurines
Chomby, Scorchio, Uni, Shoyru, Grundo, Aisha, Moehog, Wocky, Gelert, Kougra
Milton Bradley Neopet Puzzles
Blumaroo Lab Ray • Scorchio Scientist
Aisha Princess • Jeran Knight
And the editorials ...
Neopets: The Scams, Hacks, Cheats & Darkside of Neopia
The Dark Side of Neopets: Pant Devil, Dr. Sloth, Boo Brothers, Esophagor & Tax Beast!
The Neopets Primer: Getting Stared On That First Million!
The Neopet Primer II: Making The Second Million!
So You Want To Get Rich At Neopets? Quests, Quests & More Quests!
Spoil Your Neopet! Get Them Their Very Own Petpet!
Want to play the stock market? Check out Mobiprof’s primer here:
How I Became A Stock Market Millionaire
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.