1. Graphics & Sound
2. Play Control
3. Challenge
4. Theme & Fun
I've added up the scores from each category and divided them by 2. That allows me to get a overall total out of 10, which make it easily comparable to other magazine reviews.
EDIT (July 2009): It's come to my attention after looking through some back issues that each game was rated in 8 different categories by several people. The process is explained in one issue of NP. They took 8 separate scores, and each of the four categories is an average of two of them. For example, graphics and sound are rated separately then averaged to get the graphics and sound score. That's not exactly surprising. But what is interesting is that one of the scores for the 4th category (theme and fun) is "overall." So technically, I guess the "overall" score for each game would comprise half of theme and fun. It might be better to consider only that category when determining how good they thought a game was. However, we have no way of knowing what the overall rating was, so this is the next best thing I suppose.
Nintendo Power's first issue was released in July/August of 1988, so games released before that won't be in the list below. In addition, not all games were rated, especially early on (SMB2, for instance). Also early on, the scores were given in bar form instead of numbers. I've tried my best to read them although some were difficult to interpret. Finally, some games were reviewed twice, in which case I've used the latest review.
454 NES games were reviewed by Nintendo Power. The average score was 6.50.
What follows is the list of the top 25 best rated games, the 10 worst rated games, and finally the overall list in alphabetical order.
Nintendo Power's Top 25 Reviewed NES Games
| 1 | Mega Man 2 | 9.25 |
| 2 | Super Mario Bros. 3 | 9.00 |
| 3 | Fester's Quest | 8.80 |
| 4 | Adventures of Bayou Billy, The | 8.75 |
| 5 | P.O.W.: Prisoners of War | 8.70 |
| 6 | Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos | 8.50 |
| 6 | Shadowgate | 8.50 |
| 8 | Mega Man 3 | 8.45 |
| 9 | Battletoads | 8.35 |
| 9 | Three Stooges, The | 8.35 |
| 11 | Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse | 8.30 |
| 12 | Batman | 8.25 |
| 12 | Immortal, The | 8.25 |
| 12 | Pinbot | 8.25 |
| 12 | Stealth ATF | 8.25 |
| 12 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | 8.25 |
| 17 | Deja Vu | 8.20 |
| 17 | Mega Man | 8.20 |
| 17 | Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom | 8.20 |
| 17 | Vice: Project Doom | 8.20 |
| 21 | Adventures of Lolo III, The | 8.05 |
| 21 | Gremlins 2: The New Batch | 8.05 |
| 23 | Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers | 8.00 |
| 23 | Crystalis | 8.00 |
| 23 | Little Nemo: The Dream Master | 8.00 |
| 23 | River City Ransom | 8.00 |
| 23 | Super C | 8.00 |
Nintendo Power's Bottom 10 Reviewed NES Games
| 1 | Conan: The Mysteries of Time | 4.20 |
| 2 | Monster Truck Rally | 4.50 |
| 3 | Hatris | 4.60 |
| 3 | Hydlide | 4.60 |
| 3 | Rally Bike | 4.60 |
| 6 | Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle and Friends | 4.75 |
| 6 | Cabal | 4.75 |
| 8 | Harlem Globetrotters | 4.80 |
| 8 | Last Action Hero | 4.80 |
| 10 | Castelian | 4.85 |
| 10 | Fisher Price: Firehouse Rescue | 4.85 |
| 10 | Muppet Adventure: Chaos at the Carnival | 4.85 |
| 10 | Orb-3D | 4.85 |
| 10 | Where's Waldo? | 4.85 |
Alphabetical List of Nintendo Power NES Review Scores
| 720* | 6.50 |
| 8 Eyes | 6.85 |
| A Nightmare On Elm Street | 5.50 |
| Abadox | 6.50 |
| Addams Family, The | 6.20 |
| Addams Family: Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt, The | 6.75 |
| Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonstrike | 6.25 |
| Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes Of The Lance | 5.55 |
| Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Hillsfar | 5.65 |
| Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Pool of Radiance | 6.15 |
| Adventure Island II | 7.15 |
| Adventure Island III | 6.90 |
| Adventures in the Magic Kingdom | 6.50 |
| Adventures of Bayou Billy, The | 8.75 |
| Adventures of Dino Riki, The | 6.35 |
| Adventures of Gilligan's Island, The | 5.50 |
| Adventures of Lolo III, The | 8.05 |
| Adventures of Lolo, The | 6.65 |
| Adventures of Rad Gravity, The | 6.35 |
| Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle and Friends, The | 4.75 |
| Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The | 5.25 |
| Air Fortress | 6.80 |
| Airwolf | 6.00 |
| Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing | 6.50 |
| Alfred Chicken | 5.75 |
| Alien3 | 6.35 |
| All Pro Basketball | 6.60 |
| Amagon | 5.25 |
| American Gladiators | 5.80 |
| Arch Rivals: A Basket Brawl! | 6.05 |
| Archon | 7.20 |
| Arkista's Ring | 6.85 |
| Astyanax | 7.75 |
| Athletic World | 6.00 |
| Back to the Future | 5.75 |
| Back to the Future II & III | 6.50 |
| Bad Dudes | 7.65 |
| Bad News Baseball | 5.75 |
| Bad Street Brawler | 5.60 |
| Bandit Kings of Ancient China | 6.40 |
| Barbie | 5.65 |
| Bard's Tale | 5.85 |
| Barker Bill's Trick Shooting | 7.20 |
| Base Wars - Cyber Stadium Series | 6.55 |
| Baseball Simulator 1.000 | 6.75 |
| Baseball Stars | 7.25 |
| Baseball Stars II | 6.75 |
| Bases Loaded II: Second Season | 6.50 |
| Bases Loaded III | 5.20 |
| Batman | 8.25 |
| Batman Returns | 6.70 |
| Batman: Return of the Joker | 7.95 |
| Battle Chess | 6.45 |
| Battle of Olympus, The | 7.25 |
| Battle Tank | 6.10 |
| Battletoads | 8.35 |
| Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team | 7.15 |
| Beetlejuice | 5.50 |
| Bigfoot | 5.55 |
| Bill & Ted's Excellent Video Game Adventure | 6.05 |
| Bill Elliot's Nascar Challenge | 5.45 |
| Black Bass | 5.95 |
| Blue Marlin | 6.45 |
| Blues Brothers, The | 6.25 |
| Bo Jackson Baseball | 5.85 |
| Bomberman II | 6.55 |
| Bonk's Adventure | 6.45 |
| Boulder Dash | 5.75 |
| Boy And His Blob, A | 6.05 |
| Bram Stoker's Dracula | 5.30 |
| Break Time: The National Pool Tour | 5.65 |
| Bubble Bobble: Part 2 | 6.40 |
| Bucky O'Hare | 6.65 |
| Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout, The | 6.65 |
| Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle, The | 5.50 |
| Burai Fighter | 6.50 |
| Cabal | 4.75 |
| Caesar's Palace | 6.00 |
| California Games | 5.50 |
| Captain America and the Avengers | 7.15 |
| Captain Planet | 5.65 |
| Captain Skyhawk | 7.20 |
| Casino Kid | 7.15 |
| Casino Kid 2 | 6.40 |
| Castelian | 4.85 |
| Castle of Dragon | 7.00 |
| Castlequest | 5.35 |
| Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse | 8.30 |
| Caveman Games | 6.10 |
| Championship Bowling | 5.75 |
| Chessmaster, The | 7.50 |
| Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers | 8.00 |
| Circus Caper | 5.30 |
| Clash at Demonhead | 7.25 |
| Classic Concentration | 5.50 |
| Cliffhanger | 6.00 |
| Cobra Triangle | 7.75 |
| Code Name: Viper | 7.50 |
| Conan: The Mysteries of Time | 4.20 |
| Conflict | 7.50 |
| Conquest of the Crystal Palace | 7.00 |
| Contra Force | 6.40 |
| Cowboy Kid | 5.65 |
| Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge | 6.30 |
| Crystalis | 8.00 |
| Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine | 6.00 |
| Danny Sullivan's Indy Heat | 6.00 |
| Darkman | 5.50 |
| Darkwing Duck | 7.75 |
| Dash Galaxy in the Alien Asylum | 5.40 |
| Day Dreamin' Davey | 6.50 |
| Days of Thunder | 6.30 |
| Defender of the Crown | 6.50 |
| Defenders of Dynatron City | 5.65 |
| Deja Vu | 8.20 |
| Desert Commander | 7.60 |
| Destination Earth Star | 5.50 |
| Destiny of an Emperor | 7.05 |
| Dick Tracy | 6.05 |
| Die Hard | 6.20 |
| Dig Dug II | 5.75 |
| Digger T. Rock: Legend of the Lost City | 6.75 |
| Dirty Harry: The War Against Drugs | 5.35 |
| Double Dare | 6.50 |
| Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stone | 6.85 |
| Dr. Mario | 7.45 |
| Dragon Fighter | 6.10 |
| Dragon Spirit: The New Legend | 6.75 |
| Dragon Warrior | 6.20 |
| Dragon Warrior II | 7.15 |
| Dragon Warrior III | 7.30 |
| Dragon Warrior IV | 6.55 |
| Dragon's Lair | 6.20 |
| Duck Tales | 7.75 |
| Duck Tales II | 7.15 |
| Dungeon Magic | 7.00 |
| Dusty Diamond's All-Star Softball | 5.25 |
| Dynowarz: The Destruction of Spondylus | 6.50 |
| Eliminator Boat Duel | 6.45 |
| Empire Strikes Back , The | 7.00 |
| Evert & Lendl Top Player's Tennis | 6.75 |
| F-117A Stealth Fighter | 5.55 |
| F-15 Strike Eagle | 6.25 |
| Family Feud | 6.10 |
| Faria: A World of Mystery & Danger | 6.65 |
| Faxanadu | 6.75 |
| Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge | 6.00 |
| Fester's Quest | 8.80 |
| Final Fantasy | 7.75 |
| Fisher Price: Firehouse Rescue | 4.85 |
| Fisher Price: I Can Remember | 6.00 |
| Fisher Price: Perfect Fit | 6.00 |
| Fist of the North Star | 5.75 |
| Flight of the Intruder | 5.60 |
| Flintstones, The | 7.00 |
| Flintstones: The Surprise at Dinosaur Peak, The | 6.35 |
| Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll | 6.25 |
| Flying Warriors | 6.75 |
| Formula 1: Built to Win | 6.55 |
| Frankenstein: The Monster Returns | 7.50 |
| Fun House | 5.00 |
| G.I. Joe | 7.20 |
| G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor | 6.80 |
| Galaxy 5000 | 7.10 |
| Gargoyle's Quest II | 6.85 |
| Gauntlet II | 7.10 |
| Gemfire | 6.15 |
| Genghis Khan | 6.50 |
| George Foreman's KO Boxing | 5.85 |
| Ghostbusters II | 5.50 |
| Ghoul School | 5.75 |
| Goal! | 6.45 |
| Goal! Two | 6.05 |
| Godzilla | 7.15 |
| Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters | 5.80 |
| Gold Medal Challenge '92 | 6.35 |
| Golf Grand Slam | 6.45 |
| Gremlins 2: The New Batch | 8.05 |
| Guerilla War | 6.80 |
| Gun Nac | 5.75 |
| Harlem Globetrotters | 4.80 |
| Hatris | 4.60 |
| Heavy Barrel | 6.75 |
| Heavy Shreddin' | 6.10 |
| High Speed | 6.65 |
| Home Alone 2: Lost in New York | 5.05 |
| Hook | 5.75 |
| Hudson Hawk | 5.95 |
| Hunt for Red October, The | 5.45 |
| Hydlide | 4.60 |
| Image Fight | 6.40 |
| Immortal, The | 8.25 |
| Incredible Crash Dummies, The | 7.75 |
| Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 6.30 |
| Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 6.25 |
| Infiltrator | 7.00 |
| IronSword: Wizards and Warriors II | 6.40 |
| Isolated Warrior | 6.90 |
| Jack Nicklaus' Major Championship Golf | 5.75 |
| Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu | 6.90 |
| James Bond Jr. | 6.00 |
| Jeopardy! 25th Silver Anniversary Edition | 6.55 |
| Jeopardy! Jr. Edition | 7.50 |
| Jetsons: Cogswell's Caper, The | 6.80 |
| Jimmy Connors Pro Tennis Tour | 6.10 |
| Joe & Mac | 6.60 |
| Jordan vs. Bird: One-on-One | 5.45 |
| Journey to Silius | 7.00 |
| Jungle Book, The | 7.20 |
| Jurassic Park | 6.55 |
| Kabuki: Quantum Fighter | 7.20 |
| Kick Master | 6.95 |
| Kickle Cubicle | 7.50 |
| Kid Klown in Night Mayor World | 5.85 |
| Kid Kool | 6.25 |
| King's Knight | 6.60 |
| Kings of the Beach | 7.25 |
| King's Quest V | 6.10 |
| Kirby's Adventure | 7.50 |
| Kiwi Kraze | 6.60 |
| KlashBall | 6.20 |
| Krion Conquest, The | 6.85 |
| Krusty's Funhouse | 6.75 |
| Kung Fu Heroes | 5.10 |
| Laser Invasion | 5.95 |
| Last Action Hero | 4.80 |
| Last Ninja, The | 5.70 |
| Last Starfighter, The | 5.05 |
| Legend of Ghost Lion | 6.10 |
| Legends of the Diamond | 7.10 |
| Lemmings | 7.80 |
| L'Empereur | 6.35 |
| Lethal Weapon | 5.05 |
| Little League Baseball: Championship Series | 7.05 |
| Little Mermaid, The | 7.65 |
| Little Nemo: The Dream Master | 8.00 |
| Little Ninja Brothers | 5.30 |
| Little Samson | 7.15 |
| Lone Ranger, The | 7.35 |
| LoopZ | 5.60 |
| Low G-Man | 6.65 |
| M.C. Kids | 6.45 |
| M.U.L.E. | 5.15 |
| Mad Max | 5.50 |
| Mafat Conspiracy: Golgo 13 II, The | 7.50 |
| Magic Darts | 6.50 |
| Magic Johnson's Fast Break | 5.50 |
| Magic of Scheherazade | 6.75 |
| Magician | 7.10 |
| Maniac Mansion | 7.50 |
| Mappyland | 5.25 |
| Mario is Missing | 5.20 |
| Mario's Time Machine | 5.75 |
| Marvel's X-Men | 6.00 |
| Mechanized Attack | 6.00 |
| Mega Man | 8.20 |
| Mega Man 2 | 9.25 |
| Mega Man 3 | 8.45 |
| Mega Man 4 | 7.90 |
| Mega Man 5 | 7.75 |
| Mega Man 6 | 7.30 |
| Mendel Palace | 5.20 |
| Metal Mech | 6.35 |
| Metal Storm | 6.45 |
| Michael Andretti's World Grand Prix | 6.00 |
| Mickey's Safari in Letterland | 6.30 |
| Might & Magic: Secret of the Inner Sanctum | 6.20 |
| Mighty Final Fight | 6.35 |
| Mission: Impossible | 7.05 |
| Monopoly | 7.15 |
| Monster in My Pocket | 6.85 |
| Monster Party | 6.25 |
| Monster Truck Rally | 4.50 |
| Ms. Pac Man | 6.30 |
| Muppet Adventure: Chaos at the Carnival | 4.85 |
| Mutant Virus, The | 5.40 |
| NARC | 5.25 |
| NES Open Tournament Golf | 7.45 |
| NES Play Action Football | 7.00 |
| Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing | 6.65 |
| Nightshade | 6.85 |
| Ninja Crusaders | 5.75 |
| Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos | 8.50 |
| Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom | 8.20 |
| Nobunaga's Ambition | 6.55 |
| Nobunaga's Ambition II | 5.65 |
| North and South | 6.60 |
| Orb-3D | 4.85 |
| Overlord | 6.65 |
| P.O.W.: Prisoners of War | 8.70 |
| Pac Man | 6.95 |
| Palamedes | 6.30 |
| Panic Restaurant | 7.10 |
| Paperboy 2 | 5.75 |
| Peter Pan & the Pirates | 4.95 |
| Phantom Fighter | 6.00 |
| Pictionary | 5.95 |
| Pinball Quest | 5.90 |
| Pinbot | 8.25 |
| Pipe Dream | 6.20 |
| Pirates! | 6.20 |
| Power Blade | 7.55 |
| Power Blade 2 | 6.90 |
| Power Punch II | 6.05 |
| Predator | 7.00 |
| Prince of Persia | 7.20 |
| Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom | 7.20 |
| Pro Sport Hockey | 6.50 |
| Punisher, The | 5.50 |
| Puss 'N Boots: Pero's Great Adventure | 5.80 |
| Puzznic | 6.55 |
| Qix | 5.60 |
| R.C. Pro-Am II | 7.35 |
| Race America | 7.05 |
| Rad Racer II | 6.00 |
| Rainbow Islands | 5.40 |
| Rally Bike | 4.60 |
| Rampart | 7.35 |
| Remote Control | 6.25 |
| Ren & Stimpy Show: Buckaroo$, The | 5.85 |
| Rescue: The Embassy Mission | 6.75 |
| River City Ransom | 8.00 |
| RoadBlasters | 6.25 |
| Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves | 7.30 |
| RoboCop | 5.90 |
| Rock 'n Ball | 5.85 |
| Rocketeer, The | 6.55 |
| Rockin' Kats | 6.65 |
| Roger Clemens' MVP Baseball | 6.40 |
| Rollerball | 7.50 |
| Rollergames | 7.55 |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | 5.90 |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms II | 6.05 |
| Roundball: 2 on 2 Challenge | 6.05 |
| S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team | 7.10 |
| Sesame Street: ABC | 7.65 |
| Sesame Street: ABC/123 | 7.30 |
| Sesame Street: Big Bird's Hide & Speak | 6.35 |
| Sesame Street: Countdown | 6.95 |
| Shadow of the Ninja | 7.00 |
| Shadowgate | 8.50 |
| Shingen the Ruler | 5.50 |
| Shooting Range | 6.75 |
| Short Order/Eggsplode | 6.25 |
| Silent Service | 7.25 |
| Silkworm | 6.25 |
| Silver Surfer | 6.20 |
| Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants, The | 5.90 |
| Simpsons: Bart vs. the World, The | 6.05 |
| Skate Or Die 2 | 6.00 |
| Ski Or Die | 6.50 |
| Sky Shark | 7.10 |
| Smash T.V. | 6.30 |
| Snake Rattle 'n Roll | 7.25 |
| Snake's Revenge: Metal Gear II | 7.75 |
| Snoopy's Silly Sports Spectacular | 6.60 |
| Snow Brothers | 6.40 |
| Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warship | 7.25 |
| Solstice | 7.50 |
| Space Shuttle Project | 6.20 |
| Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six | 5.85 |
| Spot | 7.25 |
| Stanley and the Search for Dr. Livingston | 6.25 |
| Star Trek: The Next Generation | 5.90 |
| Star Wars | 7.20 |
| Starship Hector | 6.45 |
| StarTropics | 7.85 |
| Stealth ATF | 8.25 |
| Street Cop | 5.60 |
| Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight | 6.25 |
| Strider | 7.10 |
| Super C | 8.00 |
| Super Cars | 5.05 |
| Super Dodge Ball | 6.80 |
| Super Glove Ball | 5.65 |
| Super Jeopardy! | 7.35 |
| Super Mario Bros. 3 | 9.00 |
| Super Spy Hunter | 6.85 |
| Sword Master | 6.35 |
| Swords and Serpents | 7.35 |
| Taboo: The Sixth Sense | 6.60 |
| Tale Spin | 6.45 |
| Target: Renegade | 6.50 |
| Tecmo NBA Basketball | 6.65 |
| Tecmo Super Bowl | 7.10 |
| Tecmo World Cup Soccer | 5.70 |
| Tecmo World Wrestling | 7.20 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | 8.25 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game | 7.70 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project | 7.50 |
| Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 6.15 |
| Terminator, The | 5.20 |
| Terra Cresta | 7.50 |
| Tetris 2 | 6.95 |
| Three Stooges, The | 8.35 |
| Thunder & Lightning | 5.45 |
| Thunderbirds | 6.65 |
| Thundercade | 6.10 |
| Time Lord | 6.30 |
| Times of Lore | 5.45 |
| Tiny Toon Adventures | 7.55 |
| Tiny Toon Adventures 2: Trouble in Wackyland | 6.55 |
| To the Earth | 7.25 |
| Toki | 6.50 |
| Tom & Jerry | 6.55 |
| Tombs & Treasure | 7.00 |
| Top Gun: The Second Mission | 7.25 |
| Totally Rad | 7.15 |
| Town & Country II: Thrilla's Surfari | 6.20 |
| Toxic Crusaders | 6.00 |
| Treasure Master | 5.20 |
| Trog | 5.95 |
| Twin Cobra | 6.65 |
| Twin Eagle | 6.40 |
| Ultima: Quest of the Avatar | 6.95 |
| Ultima: Warriors of Destiny | 5.70 |
| Ultimate Air Combat | 7.25 |
| Ultimate Basketball | 6.15 |
| Uncharted Waters | 6.10 |
| Uninvited | 6.85 |
| Untouchables, The | 5.80 |
| Vegas Dream | 6.25 |
| Vice: Project Doom | 8.20 |
| Videomation | 6.00 |
| Wacky Races | 6.75 |
| Wall Street Kid | 6.05 |
| Wario's Woods | 6.05 |
| Wayne Gretzky Hockey | 5.05 |
| Wayne's World | 5.50 |
| Werewolf: The Last Warrior | 6.40 |
| Wheel of Fortune: Family Edition | 7.00 |
| Wheel of Fortune: Jr. | 7.80 |
| Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego? | 6.25 |
| Where's Waldo? | 4.85 |
| Whomp 'Em | 6.50 |
| Widget | 6.10 |
| Willow | 7.50 |
| Win, Lose or Draw | 5.50 |
| Wizardry II: Knight of Diamonds | 5.70 |
| Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord | 7.00 |
| Wizards & Warriors III | 6.15 |
| Wolverine | 6.25 |
| World Championship Wrestling | 5.75 |
| Wrath of the Black Manta | 7.80 |
| Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth | 6.70 |
| WWF Wrestlemania Challenge | 6.50 |
| WWF Wrestlemania: Steel Cage Challenge | 5.90 |
| Xexyz | 7.45 |
| Yo! Noid | 6.30 |
| Yoshi | 7.40 |
| Yoshi's Cookie | 6.80 |
| Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, The | 5.80 |
| Zen: Intergalactic Ninja | 6.65 |
| Zombie Nation | 6.30 |
4 comments:
In the Mar/Apr 1990 issue, there is a booklet containing information, including review scores, for pre-NP games. Maybe someday I'll get you the data if you don't have it. If you didn't have that, though, where did you find scores for games like Mario 3? I don't see its score in the issue which features it, except for in that booklet.
this is awesome! i love lists like this. thanks for taking the time to calculate all of these and thanks for posting.
You deserve an award for creating this!
Fester's Quest is very polarizing. I tend to favor the haters. I think Sun may have paid off Nintendo Power, because giving it almost a perfect score is just absurd.
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