3DS eShop News
July2011
Talking Point The NES Games You Want on 3DS Virtual Console
By popular demand
We've already heard about the GBA games you want on 3DS Virtual Console, but that's only half the equation: Nintendo will also be giving away 10 free NES games to 3DS users too. The NES games announced so far are: Super Mario Bros.Donkey Kong Jr.Balloon FightIce Climber
Talking Point The GBA Games You Want on 3DS Virtual Console
Go on, push our buttons
By now you've probably had chance to digest our Nintendo Ambassador program and free eShop games FAQ which explains the 20 free games current 3DS owners are entitled to, starting 1st September. All 20 games will be Virtual Console downloads — 10 from NES, 10 from Game Boy Advance — but so far only half the games have been...
News NES and Game Boy Advance Games Coming to 3DS Virtual Console
But there's a catch
It's official: Nintendo's 3DS Virtual Console service is getting Game Boy Advance games. However, they will not be available to anyone who buys a console after the 3DS price drop on 12th August. Here's the deal. Any North American 3DS owner who picked up the console before 11th August and accessed the eShop will be classed as an...
Review 3D Classics: Xevious (3DSWare)
Xevious goes 3D
When Xevious first hit arcades back in 1982, it became known for its odd visual style and unique sound effects. Now, after a number of releases on various platforms over the past 30 years, the game now makes an appearance on Nintendo's 3DS system via the eShop. While being able to take the game with you on the go for those quick...
News You'll Get Your First 3DSWare Game Next Week
What will it be?
Let's Golf! 3D will be the first new downloadable game for 3DS, and it's out next week. Gameloft's 3D version of a good walk ruined launches in Europe on 28th July for £5.40, with six courses, eight characters and two player modes confirmed too. Will this be a swing and a miss or a great teeing-off point for the future of...
News Dr. Mario Cures Japanese Virtual Console Next Week
Say "ahhh"
Japan's about to come down with a fever, and Dr. Mario is the cure. The medicinally-minded Game Boy puzzle game comes to the console next week for 400 Yen. DSiWare fans might already be familiar with the game from Dr. Mario Express, but interestingly this is the first time we've seen the original released on Virtual Console — the NES...
News It's OK Mega Man Fans, Dr Wily's Revenge is Imminent
Some light at the end of the tunnel
Disappointed that Mega Man Legends 3 is cancelled? You'll still get to try some Mega Man goodness on your 3DS this year at least, as the ESRB has rated Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge. While of course age ratings aren't cast-iron release confirmations — PEGI rated Mega Man Legends 3: Prototype Version after all —...
News 3DS Virtual Console Lands On Its Feet with Catrap
Another game rated
What do you mean you don't remember Game Boy puzzle game Catrap? Well, the Australian ratings board doesn't want you to forget, as it's just announced a rating for the cutesy block-pushing game — also known as Pitman in Japan — with a 3DS Virtual Console release looking likely. Game historians might be interested to know the...
Review Game & Watch Gallery (3DS eShop / GB)
More than a fresh coat of paint
Most fans of the Game & Watch series likely enjoy it for its simplicity. The nature of the original devices meant that certain allowances had to be made for the primitive visuals, sounds and rigid controls. All three of these things are charming in their own right, but what really made people fall in love was the...
Review Baseball (3DS eShop / GB)
The Babe Ruth of bad games
Hey, kids! How would you like to revisit a game from the Game Boy's early years that wasn't very good to begin with and, in addition, has aged horribly? Sounds exciting, we know, but it gets better: the only marginally redeeming feature of the game – the ability to play it with your friends – has been disabled,...
Review Mario's Picross (3DS eShop / GB)
Fun with numbers
Picross has always been one of the weirder puzzle games at which Mario has tried his hand. It seems very boring to slowly create a picture using nothing but numbers, but once you get the hang of it the time simply flies by and you'll find yourself playing for hours on end. Mario's Picross was the first game in which Mario attempted...
News Tennis As a 3D Classics Release Was Way Out
Don't need Hawk-Eye to tell us it's no good
Tennis for the NES has already been released via the Wii Shop Channel as a Virtual Console game, but at one point, it was also in the process of being brought over to the 3DS as part of the 3D Classics range. The latest Iwata Asks centres on the Nintendo eShop and reveals why that re-release never came to...
Review Fortified Zone (3DS eShop / GB)
Link goes Commando
Jaleco seems to be good at making a game of just about any genre. We've seen fighters, sports games, a firefighting game and more, and this one can probably be best described as a mix of The Legend of Zelda and Commando, similarly to the original Metal Gear, in a way. Like many old games there's not much of a story. You play as...
Get your QIX fix, dudes and chix!
QIX is the story of... aw, forget it. The eShop download screen has more of a story than QIX does, but that's a good thing. It means that the game can be played over and over again without feeling even slightly repetitive. The gameplay isn't just pushed to the forefront in QIX... the gameplay is all there is. QIX...
News 3D Classics Urban Champion Coming to Brawl on eShop Soon
The NES 'classic' which no one asked for in 3D!
While we wait for some original 3D games to arrive in the eShop, we’re more than happy to enjoy some classic NES remakes. 3D Classics Excitebike was warmly received, especially as it was a free download to coincide with the delayed eShop launch. We’re also looking forward to 3D Classics Xevious in...
News We Could See Inchworm Animation Come to 3DS
Inching closer
DSiWare animation suite Inchworm Animation is certainly an accomplished package, but already developer Bob Sabiston is looking to the future for the series. Talking to Joystiq, Sabiston discussed a potential outing for the series on 3DS, revealing some of the features omitted from the DSiWare original: People are asking a lot about a...
Review Kirby's Dream Land (3DS eShop / GB)
Is Kirby's debut adventure worth getting sucked into?
Kirby's debut adventure has been around the block a couple of times now, having been remade and mechanically enhanced for both Kirby Super Star on SNES as well as the DS version of that release called Kirby Super Star Ultra. Stripped down and monochromatic in comparison, this original Game Boy...
June2011
News Japanese 3DS Virtual Console Gets Pac-Man and More
Grey and green with envy
3DS owners in the West can expect to suck up some Kirby's Dream Land today, but over in Japan they're racing ahead with the number of Game Boy games available to download from the eShop. Yesterday saw Golf and Gargoyle's Quest loaded onto the service, with Pac-Man confirmed for release next week. At the moment, the number of...
News Mighty Switch Force to Release on 3DS eShop
Switching things up
WayForward Technologies' digital releases have scored very well here at Nintendo Life, which is why it's undoubtedly positive news that puzzle game Mighty Flip Champs! and the action platformer Mighty Milky Way will be followed by a third title in the studio's Mighty series. In an interviewed conducted by Nintendo Power,...
Review Double Dragon (3DS eShop / GB)
Streets of Joy
Double Dragon begins with Marion minding her own business when she is confronted and kidnapped by three thugs. She can remain calm, though. It's not because the cartoony visuals give the abduction a Donkey Kong vibe (even with a punch to the gut) – it's because her boyfriend is professional bottom-kicker Billy Lee. Based on the...
News Bplus Wants your Input in Developing Three 3DS eShop Games
Vektor Tank+ creators open their forums to comments and criticism
Bplus, the developer of such titles as Bit Boy!! and the upcoming Vektor Tank 3D+ wants your help in creating three in situ 3DS eShop titles. Following in Capcom's fan-centred footsteps, they've recently posted the following on their forums: These three game concepts are chosen to be...
Review Donkey Kong (3DS eShop / GB)
It's on with the King of the Kongs
In 1994, Nintendo had a great idea; why not make a true sequel to the original Donkey Kong arcade game? The result is Donkey Kong for the Game Boy, originally known as Donkey Kong '94 during development. When you first start up the game you might feel like you've been ripped off, as it starts with the exact same...
Review Radar Mission (3DS eShop / GB)
Sonar, so good?
Miyamoto's latest pet-project, Steel Diver, released to mixed critical reception; some found its slow-paced, strategic gameplay fun and refreshing, while others found it...well, boring. Suffice it to say that if you fall into the latter camp, you likely won't get a whole lot of enjoyment out of Nintendo's 1990 Gameboy title, Radar...
Review Tennis (3DS eShop / GB)
8-bit balls
Remember Tennis on the NES? Well, it's back, and this time it's in portable format! The Game Boy version of Tennis is pretty much a remake of the NES game: it's got the same extremely basic setup, but it has been polished it up slightly. Just like with its predecessor, there's not really much on offer here aside from essentially playing...
Gotta browse 'em all!
Unlike Excitebike's temporary free price of admission, Pokédex 3D is free for the foreseeable future, so there's no real reason for Pokéfans not to give it a fair shake. In fact, it's surprisingly well featured for a freebie, making use of many of the console's features to bring the critters to life. First things first:...
Review The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (3DS eShop / GBC)
A Game Boy classic
You wake up on an island; your boat shattered, your sword swept away by the storm that caused the crash. And at first, it almost doesn't seem like a bad thing. The islanders are kind enough (one girl in particular has caught your eye) and Mabe Village is one of the cozier little towns you've visited. The cozy feeling doesn't last...
First Impressions Mutant Mudds (3DSWare)
Something old and something new
There are some games that just grab you right from the moment you begin playing them and that was exactly the case when I began making my way through the levels of Renegade Kid's upcoming 3DSWare title Mutant Mudds. For those of you not familiar with the game, it actually began life as a free-roaming 3D retail title...
Review Alleyway (3DS eShop / GB)
The poor man's Arkanoid
The most well-known block-breaking game, Arkanoid, became quite popular after its release in arcades in 1986. Many companies have created clones, and even to this day new low-budget ones show up all the time. Even Nintendo tried their hand at a clone with Alleyway for the Game Boy. Alleyway keeps things to the bare basics. No...
News The Rolling Western Keeps Those Wagons Rolling
Another 3DS eShop title outed
There have been a few Western-themed games to download on Nintendo platforms over the years — The Oregon Trail, Fenimore Fillmore "The Westerner" — and 3DS is about to get one of its very own. Nintendo just announced The Rolling Western, coming to the eShop later this year, with the trailer below showing...
News Nintendo Announces Picture Lives! for 3DS eShop
It's! Exciting!
Picture Lives! is like the attic-dwelling child of Scribblenauts and Spore, a strange combination of monster creator, animation tool and the rejects of Monsters Inc.. The downloadable title — Nintendo is still yet to use the term 3DSWare, though we'll be using it — will find its way to the 3DS eShop later this year.
Review Super Mario Land (3DS eShop / GB)
Mario's first Game Boy adventure is short, but sweet.
Given the popularity of the Super Mario Bros. series at the time of the Game Boy's release, it came as no real surprise that Nintendo would release a Super Mario title for its brand new portable game system. Now the 3DS eShop is available, it makes just as much sense for Super Mario Land to be...
News Mega Man: Dr Wily's Revenge Coming to 3DS VC
After 20 years, Wily's still got beef to settle
Looks like North America will be getting one of the Japanese eShop launch titles soon, according to an Entertainment Software Rating Board classification. A quick search on the ESRB website for Mega Man: Dr Wily's Revenge brings up a rating page that confirms the Game Boy classic is headed for North...
News More Details on Pokedex 3D Come into Focus
Yes, it's still free
Pokédex 3D is one of the free applications you'll be able to download next week, and Nintendo Europe has revealed a few more details about what the monster encyclopedia will include. The free download comes online early next week, when you'll be able to download your very own portable Pokédex of the monsters from Pokémon...
News Alleyway Bouncing to 3DS VC
ESRB rating outs eShop release
Nintendo and Intelligent Systems's 1989 Game Boy-based Breakout clone Alleyway is making its way to the 3DS Virtual Console, outed by a recent ESRB rating. If you've ever played Arkanoid or any number of brick-breaker games, you should know what to expect here. The ESRB's descripton is as follows: This is an action...
Rumour 3D Classic Excitebike Free for North America Too
It keeps coming
In Japan, the eShop will launch with Excitebike for free, and it seems the North American shop will follow. Nintendo World Report claims the eShop will launch with a free 3D Classics version of the NES Excitebike, complete with a track editor and save space for 32 tracks. Of course, Nintendo is yet to announce its launch line-up for...
Rumour 3DS eShop to Open with 3D Pokedex Application
Looking at monsters from all angles
Nintendo is yet to announce the line-up for the 3DS eShop's launch next week, but according to Nintendo World Report, one of the titles from the Big N will be a 3D Pokédex. The site went live with the first screenshots of the rumoured title, showing the ability to observe your monsters from all angles, as well as...
May2011
News Mutant Mudds Now Launching on the eShop
Renegade Kid planning a 2011 release
Maximilian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds, Renegade Kid's platformer title has had a bit of a rough ride since its announcement back in 2009. Originally planned as a DS game, MUDDS was then looking for a digital release due to a lack of publisher willing to go through with a retail release. Now it seems thi
News Miyamoto: We Want to Create Meaningful Download Games
How much they'll cost still undecided
With Nintendo's announcement that the eShop and other services will be available to download from 6th June came a sense of relief that the date had finally been finalised. Besides, even if it is a little bit later than originally planned, what's another week or so? The kind of software and features we'll be...
News 3DS Virtual Console's First Third Party Games Get Rated
ESRB ratings unearthed
The 3DS Virtual Console is only a matter of weeks away, and while we've known for some time that Nintendo's own Super Mario Land and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX are coming, no third party games for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color had been announced. Until now. North American ratings bastion the ESRB has put out...
January2011
First Impressions 3DS Virtual Console
Time travel meets blur-o-vision
Virtually nothing is known about how the 3DS will handle its new eShop apart from that it will eventually offer a Virtual Console for Game Boy and Game Boy Color software, and in New York City and Amsterdam this past Wednesday Nintendo Life was able to test out a couple of games confirmed for Shop shelves: Super Mario...