Nintendo Power Charmeleon #24/102: The 1999 Shadowless Pokémon Card Insert

Last Updated: August 2026

Nintendo Power Charmeleon is one of the most unusual Pokémon card distributions from the early English Pokémon TCG era. In March 1999, Nintendo Power Volume 118 included a Shadowless Base Set Charmeleon as an insert, giving readers a chance to own one of the earliest English Pokémon cards without opening a booster pack.

What makes this release particularly interesting is that the card itself is not a traditional Black Star Promo. It is a regular Shadowless Base Set Charmeleon #24/102 that was distributed through the magazine. The connection to Nintendo Power is therefore primarily established by the original magazine and insert rather than by any special marking on the card.

For collectors of early Wizards of the Coast Pokémon cards, this creates an unusual category: a standard Base Set card with a historically important promotional distribution.

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What Is the Nintendo Power Charmeleon?

The Nintendo Power Charmeleon is a Shadowless Base Set Charmeleon #24/102 that was distributed with the March 1999 issue of Nintendo Power, Volume 118.

The Video Game History Foundation’s archive confirms that Volume 118 was the March 1999 issue of Nintendo Power. Collector records and surviving examples identify the Shadowless Charmeleon as the Pokémon card included with that issue.

Unlike many Pokémon promotional cards from this period, the Charmeleon does not have a Black Star Promo symbol or a special Nintendo Power stamp. The card itself is essentially the same Shadowless Charmeleon found in the early English Base Set print run.

This distinction is extremely important when researching the card.

The Nintendo Power connection comes from the distribution history, not from a unique marking printed on the card.

Why Was Charmeleon Included With Nintendo Power?

Nintendo Power was one of Nintendo’s most important publications in North America during the 1990s. At the height of Pokémon’s initial popularity, the magazine was an important marketing channel for Nintendo products and the rapidly expanding Pokémon Trading Card Game.

The March 1999 issue featured Pokémon-related content while the English Pokémon TCG was still in its first year. Including a physical Pokémon card gave readers something tangible connected to the rapidly growing trading card game.

Rather than creating a completely new promotional card, Nintendo used an existing Shadowless Base Set Charmeleon.

This makes the distribution particularly interesting from a collecting perspective. The same Charmeleon artwork and card number can be found on ordinary Shadowless Base Set copies, while examples that remain attached to the original Nintendo Power insert have an additional layer of provenance.

Shadowless Charmeleon #24/102

The card distributed through Nintendo Power is the early English Shadowless Charmeleon #24/102.

Shadowless cards were produced during the earliest English Base Set print runs. As the name suggests, the Pokémon illustration window lacks the drop shadow that was added to later Unlimited Base Set cards.

The Shadowless print is closely related to the first-edition Base Set print, but it does not carry the 1st Edition stamp. This makes Shadowless cards an important part of the early Wizards of the Coast Pokémon TCG collecting landscape.

According to the established Base Set card records, Charmeleon is card 24/102 and is classified as an Uncommon card.

Nintendo Power Charmeleon vs. Regular Shadowless Charmeleon

Feature	Nintendo Power Distribution	Regular Shadowless
Card	Charmeleon #24/102	Charmeleon #24/102
Set	Base Set Shadowless	Base Set Shadowless
Card Marking	No Nintendo Power stamp	None
Holographic	No	No
Distribution	Nintendo Power Vol. 118	Booster packs / standard distribution
Provenance	Magazine provides evidence	Card alone

This is why a loose Charmeleon can be difficult to identify as a Nintendo Power example.

Once the card has been removed from the magazine, there is generally no special Nintendo Power marking on the card itself that proves its origin. Collectors therefore place considerable importance on the original magazine, insert, and the card remaining attached in its original presentation.

Why Keeping the Card Attached Matters

One of the most interesting aspects of this release is the difference between a loose card and a card that remains with the original Nintendo Power insert.

A loose Shadowless Charmeleon #24/102 is still an early and collectible Pokémon card, but there is no obvious way to prove that it originally came from Nintendo Power.

By contrast, an intact Nintendo Power issue containing the original Charmeleon provides direct evidence of the distribution history.

For this reason, collectors interested in the Nintendo Power release generally prefer examples that remain unremoved from the original magazine or insert.

Surviving complete examples are significantly more interesting than a loose Charmeleon because the magazine itself becomes part of the collectible.

How Rare Is the Nintendo Power Charmeleon?

There does not appear to be a reliable published distribution figure for the number of Charmeleon cards inserted into Nintendo Power Volume 118.

This is an important distinction from some Japanese promotional cards where official campaign distribution numbers are known.

Nintendo Power was a major publication, so the original number of copies distributed was certainly much larger than the population of surviving intact magazines today. However, many readers likely removed, traded, or discarded the card decades ago.

As a result, the number of surviving complete Nintendo Power + Charmeleon examples is much more relevant to collectors today than the original magazine circulation.

Is Nintendo Power Charmeleon a Promo Card?

This is where terminology can become confusing.

Collectors sometimes describe the card as a Nintendo Power promo because it was distributed through a magazine promotion. However, the physical card itself is not a conventional Black Star Promo.

It is a regular Shadowless Base Set Charmeleon #24/102.

There is no special Nintendo Power logo, stamp, or promotional card number printed on it.

Therefore, the most accurate description is:

Shadowless Base Set Charmeleon #24/102 distributed as an insert with Nintendo Power Volume 118.

This wording distinguishes the card from true Black Star Promo cards while still recognizing its unique distribution history.

Price Guide

The value of this collectible depends heavily on whether you are buying the loose card, the original insert, or a complete Nintendo Power issue with the card still attached.

Item	Approximate Market Range
Loose Shadowless Charmeleon #24/102	Varies significantly by condition
Nintendo Power insert + Charmeleon	Approximately $50–$100+ depending on condition
Complete Nintendo Power Vol. 118 + Charmeleon	Approximately $100–$200+ depending on condition

These figures should be treated as broad collector-market ranges rather than fixed prices. Recent marketplace records show substantial variation depending on whether the magazine, original inserts, posters, and card are all present.

For example, historical sales records include Nintendo Power Volume 118 examples with the Pokémon card selling for approximately $25–$40, while complete or particularly clean examples have appeared at considerably higher asking prices. Current listings can reach around $200 for very clean complete examples.

PSA Grading and Population

There is an important limitation when researching PSA prices for this card.

Because the Nintendo Power Charmeleon is physically the same Shadowless Base Set Charmeleon #24/102, PSA does not necessarily treat every graded copy as a separate Nintendo Power promotional issue.

Therefore, a PSA population figure specifically representing “Nintendo Power Charmeleon” should not be assumed unless the grading label or population report specifically identifies the magazine provenance.

This is another reason why the intact magazine and original insert can be more important than the card’s grade alone.

What Makes This Release Special?

• Distributed during the earliest period of the English Pokémon TCG.
• Uses a Shadowless Base Set Charmeleon.
• Distributed through Nintendo Power Volume 118.
• Released in March 1999.
• The card itself has no Nintendo Power stamp.
• Original magazine provenance can significantly increase collector interest.
• Complete surviving examples are much harder to find than loose Shadowless Charmeleon cards.

Collector’s Notes

The biggest mistake collectors can make with this release is assuming that every Shadowless Charmeleon #24/102 is a Nintendo Power card.

It is not.

There are many ordinary Shadowless Charmeleon cards from the Base Set print run. The Nintendo Power connection applies specifically to copies distributed with Volume 118.

Because the card itself does not carry a special identifier, provenance is everything.

If you encounter an intact Nintendo Power Volume 118 with the Charmeleon still attached to its original insert, it is worth treating the magazine as part of the collectible rather than simply removing the card.

Market History

Historical marketplace records demonstrate why condition and completeness matter so much.

Sales records for Nintendo Power Volume 118 show ordinary copies of the magazine selling for relatively modest amounts, while examples containing the original Pokémon card command a premium. A 2024 sales record, for example, lists a Volume 118 magazine with both posters and the Pokémon card at $40, while other examples without the card sold for substantially less.

More recent listings have shown complete copies with the Charmeleon at prices around $200, demonstrating the premium collectors may place on clean, intact examples.

These prices should not be interpreted as a guaranteed market value. The condition of the magazine, card, insert, posters, and other original contents can dramatically change the value.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Nintendo Power Charmeleon?

It is a Shadowless Base Set Charmeleon #24/102 distributed with the March 1999 issue of Nintendo Power, Volume 118.

Is Nintendo Power Charmeleon an official Pokémon promo?

The card itself is not a traditional Black Star Promo. It is a regular Shadowless Base Set Charmeleon that received a special magazine distribution.

Does the card have a Nintendo Power stamp?

No. The Charmeleon does not have a Nintendo Power stamp or other special marking identifying it as the magazine-distributed copy.

How can you prove a Charmeleon came from Nintendo Power?

The strongest evidence is the original Nintendo Power Volume 118 and its intact Charmeleon insert. Once the card has been removed and sold separately, its Nintendo Power provenance becomes much more difficult to establish.

What issue of Nintendo Power included Charmeleon?

The card was included with Nintendo Power Volume 118, the March 1999 issue.

Is the Nintendo Power Charmeleon Shadowless?

Yes. The distributed card is a Shadowless Base Set Charmeleon #24/102.

Is the Nintendo Power Charmeleon rare?

The original magazine had a much larger distribution than most Pokémon promotional cards, so the card itself should not be considered rare solely because of its distribution. The real collectible scarcity comes from surviving complete examples with the original magazine and insert intact.

Should I remove the Charmeleon from the magazine?

From a provenance standpoint, collectors generally have a stronger case for keeping an original example intact. Removing the card makes it much harder to prove that it came from Nintendo Power Volume 118.

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Final Thoughts

The Nintendo Power Charmeleon is a fascinating piece of early Pokémon TCG history precisely because it sits between two categories.

It is not a conventional Black Star Promo, and the card itself is not a unique Nintendo Power print. Instead, it is a Shadowless Base Set Charmeleon #24/102 that was distributed through Nintendo Power Volume 118 in March 1999.

That unusual distribution gives the card a story that an ordinary Shadowless Charmeleon does not have.

For collectors of Wizards of the Coast cards, Nintendo memorabilia, or unusual Pokémon distributions, an intact Nintendo Power Volume 118 with the original Charmeleon remains one of the more interesting early English Pokémon collectibles.

The card may look like an ordinary Shadowless Charmeleon, but when it is still attached to the magazine that distributed it, it becomes a piece of Pokémon TCG history.

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