3DS eShop News
December2011
News First 3D Classics: Kid Icarus Footage Flies In
The pits?
Club Nintendo members in Europe who register 2 3DS games could win a Mario 3DS, with everyone who registers getting a free download code for 3D Classics: Kid Icarus. Want to see what the game looks like before you go rushing out and buy two 3DS games? Here's the first trailer. As you can tell the game adopts the same aspect ratio as 3D...
News Shin'en Putts Fun! Fun! Minigolf TOUCH! Into the eShop Cup
!
As proof that three exclamation marks is just enough to express excitement, Shin'en Multimedia has announced Fun! Fun! Minigolf TOUCH! for the 3DS eShop. After an outing on WiiWare, the 3DS version brings with it several key features, including the ability to play as your Mii using either touch or button controls. There are 54 holes — half as...
November2011
Muddin' makes you feel good
For those who don't know, Mutant Mudds began life as a 3D polygonal platformer called Maximillian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds that was to be released as a retail title on Nintendo DS. Sadly, the retail release and a pitched DSiWare rendition were never able to get off the ground, leaving developer Renegade Kid to...
Review Metroid II: Return of Samus (3DS eShop / GB)
Exploring colourless lands
When Metroid was first released it was a unique game: with a lot of exploring to do across a giant map and with plenty of hidden items and paths, those willing to spend the time to find everything were well rewarded. The original title has aged fairly poorly though — the game lacks many things we take for granted...
News Mutant Mudds 3DS eShop Trailer Released
Mudds in 3D!
Nintendo has just released the first 3D trailer of Mutant Mudds on the 3DS eShop, so those who've wanted to see how the game looks in 3D, here's your chance. It's a short clip from the first world, but you can see how the different layers look with the 3D depth. You can find the clip in the "Coming Soon to Nintendo eShop"...
News Zen Pinball 3D is Pinging to Europe Next Week
Don't flip out
The 3DS download software is flowing like a three-dimensional river these days: after Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! this month we've now got Zen Pinball 3D on the horizon, with a European release date and price locked in. The 3DS eShop states the game will see release next Thursday, 1st December, at a price of £4.50. If you...
News Here's a New Pushmo Trailer to Grab You
Intelligent Systems at work
Pushmo — known as Pullblox in Europe and Hiku-Osu in Japan — is coming to the 3DS eShop next month, and to get you geared up Nintendo has released a new trailer and some screenshots for the download release. Created by Intelligent Systems — the team behind Fire Emblem and Advance Wars — the game is designed to...
News New Mutant Mudds Trailer Released
Gets ESRB rated as well
Few titles excited us back at E3 in June more than Renegade Kid's upcoming 3DS eShop platformer Mutant Mudds, so to say that we've been keeping an anxious eye on the project over the past few months would be an understatement. Thankfully, Jools Watsham, lead director of Mutant Mudds, has been kind enough to send over the...
News Samus Shoots 3DS VC in North America This Week
Double bounty
It's another simultaneous release on the 3DS Virtual Console this week, as Nintendo of America has confirmed Metroid II: Return of Samus is coming to the eShop on Thursday. Set before Super Metroid, Metroid II is — as surely everybody knows — completely devoid of Space Pirates, despite the official Nintendo press release stating:...
News Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword Journeys West in 2012
Ken-do attitude
You might remember our recent story on Samurai Hirari Sakura, a samurai sword fighting game that hit Japan's 3DS eShop last week. Nintendo of America has now confirmed the game is on the way to North America next year with a new name. Called Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword, the downloadable 3DS game is due out in January for an...
News Metroid II Returns to 3DS VC in Europe This Thursday
Having a (morph) ball
Less than one week after Mario leapt to 3DS, galactic heroine Samus Aran is readying her first real appearance on the console as Metroid II: Return of Samus is confirmed for a European release on Thursday. The Game Boy title hits the 3DS Virtual Console for £3.60/€4.00, in line with the premium pricing of other high-profile...
Review 3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure (3DSWare)
A great game gets an underwhelming paint job
In 1993 the NES got a latter-day boon from a truly brilliant addition to its library: Kirby's Adventure. Still regarded today as one of the strongest titles on the console, it boasted an unforgettable soundtrack, stunningly creative visuals and gameplay innovations that became Kirby staples from there...
News Blaster Master: Enemy Below Joins Japan's GBC VC Library
Always growing
The options for colourful Virtual Console games in Japan keep on growing: after The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX kicked off the chromatic revolution back in June, the Japanese service has grown to welcome three more GBC titles, while Western gamers still have just the one. Next week the gap widens further, with Blaster Master:...
News WayForward Working on Shantae for 3DS Virtual Console
(Still)
In the five months or so that the 3DS Virtual Console has been up and running, we've only seen one Game Boy Color game, the rather magnificent The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX. Other developers and publishers are looking into the service though, with WayForward investigating rereleasing its GBC classic Shantae. The studio used its...
Review Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! (3DSWare)
It’s alive!
The touch screen in the DS family of consoles has often been the focus for artistic experiences. The mere act of holding the stylus should inspire artists, and it’s this instinct that forms the foundation for Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! on 3DS. It’s a strange name that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, and is perfectly...
News Bionic Commando Swings to Japan's 3DS VC Next Week
Who's next?
Capcom's already put two Game Boy titles on 3DS Virtual Console in the West — Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge and Gargoyle's Quest — and next week it adds a third title over in Japan: Bionic Commando. We already know the game is heading to the West in "Quarter 4" thanks to an announcement in
Review Balloon Kid (3DS eShop / GB)
Somewhat deflated
Balloon Kid is the Game Boy sequel to the NES original Balloon Fight. That game is remembered by some as a stone-cold classic of addictive action, and by others as a pointless, repetitive chore. In our Balloon Fight review we fell somewhere in the middle. And so it's quite fitting that we also find ourselves there for the sequel...
News Freakyforms Come Alive on the eShop Next Week
Price and date confirmed
Formerly known as Picture Lives!, Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! is coming to the 3DS eShop in North America this coming Thursday. Priced at $6.99, the game lets you form your own freaky creatures and explore the world with them, like Spore but even more bizarre. Here's the trailer below along with some new screenshots...
News Enjoy Gaming Cuts the Ribbon on Block Factory for eShop
Open for business soon
After the success of Pyramids, Enjoy Gaming has just revealed its next eShop title, Block Factory. As you'd expect it's a puzzle game, but with a vital twist: essentially you can create your own games by choosing pieces and defining the rules. You can then export these as a QR code and share them online to show off your...
Review Adventure Island (3DS eShop / GB)
Master Higgins' first Game Boy adventure
There were a good number of NES franchises that ended up making appearances on the Game Boy system, some better than others. Hudson had already enjoyed some popularity on the NES console with their Adventure Island titles, so it was pretty much a no-brainer that they'd eventually bring the series to...
Review BurgerTime Deluxe (3DS eShop / GB)
A tasty treat
When people think of Data East's games, they tend to think of Joe & Mac and Karnov, but one title that's just as much of a classic but never seems to get mentioned that often is BurgerTime. Originally debuting in arcades and being ported to many platforms, it was an endlessly looping, fast-paced game with six levels that required...
October2011
News Excavate the Pyramids Facebook Page for QR Levels and Tips
Enjoy Gaming celebrates NA release with new stages
Pyramids released last week on the North American eShop, and publisher Enjoy Gaming is celebrating with a new QR code stage, which you can scan below. The company also let us know that for those players who find themselves stuck in a particularly challenging spot, the team will happily provide...
An ancient relic
It may be early days for download content exclusive to the 3DS, but we can confidently say that it's been a slow start. In fact, if you disregard 3D Classics and a free Pokédex 3D produced by Nintendo, Pyramids is only the second game to utilise the capabilities of the 3D screen. This adds a certain level of expectation to this...
News ThruSpace Slides Through the 3DS eShop Keyhole
A game about fitting in
WiiWare's ThruSpace is in line for a 3DS eShop update, as a sequel has just hit the Japanese download service. The trailer below shows what to expect, but anyone familiar with the WiiWare original should already have a pretty good idea: you fit different shapes through holes. The translation of the Japanese genre is...
First Impressions Mighty Switch Force
The Mighty series just got a lot mightier
While Shantae will probably always be the series WayForward is best known for, it's also been quite successful on Nintendo's download services, especially with its two previous Mighty releases, Mighty Flip Champs and Mighty Milky Way. Now the developer is looking to continue that success with its first 3DS...
News Kid Icarus, Kirby Getting 3D Classics Makeovers
And PictoChat lives on, sort of
Following the illustrious lead of Excitebike, Xevious, Twinbee and, uh, Urban Champion, Nintendos of Japan and Europe announced that NES gems Kid Icarus and Kirby's Adventure are next i
News AiRace: SPE3D Racing to 3DS with Online Multiplayer
Not until next year, though
DSiWare flight game AiRace and its sequel AiRace Tunnel were two fine titles for DSi, and now publisher QubicGames has revealed exclusively to us its plans for a 3DS eShop sequel. Development work on the follow-up — cleverly titled AiRace: SPE3D — has just begun at the studio, with new tracks, planes and online...
News Picture Lives! is Now Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!
Straight to the point
Oddball 3DS eShop download Picture Lives! has been rechristened Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! in Australia. The Australian Board of Classification gave the game a G for General rating, you'll be pleased to know. You can check out a
News Europe, Your Next Original 3DS eShop Game Launches on 20th October
Visit Pyramids before the end of the month
It's been slim pickings as far as 3DS eShop games go, and that counts double for non-3D Classics. That's set to change on 20th October with Pyramids, a puzzler-platformer from Enjoy Gaming and Visual Impact. The publisher has also informed us that it's set to retail for €4, or about £3.60. The game is...
Interview Enjoy Gaming - Pyramids (3DS eShop)
We talk about the eShop's first 3D puzzler-platformer
We at Nintendo Life love a good puzzle, and Pyramids looks to provide just that. It originally caught our eye as one of the first announced third-party eShop titles, and it's still only one of less than ten in the running so far. We sat down with Enjoy Gaming's Production Manager, Janice Spencer,...
Review Catrap (3DS eShop / GB)
Definitely not a trap
Nintendo's been releasing 3DS Virtual Console games at a very nice pace so far. In just a few months, we've already had classics like Donkey Kong and Gargoyle's Quest. The newest release, Catrap, however, is probably the most obscure title yet. Originally released in Japan under the title Pitman, and based on a game earlier...
Review Side Pocket (3DS eShop / GB)
Dead ball
The great thing about the Virtual Console is that it allows people to experience games that they somehow missed out on the first go around and encourages discovery of forgotten and overlooked gems. The flip side is that not everything dug up has aged particularly well, like Data East's portable version of once-esteemed billiards game Side...
Interview Collecting Smiles - Colors! 3D
Take a look at the upcoming 3D painting app along with the first two screenshots
The 3DS eShop is slowly gaining steam, but most will admit that the download service doesn't quite have the robust library we might hope for four months in, especially when it comes to third-party software. That's set to change soon with the help of Colors! 3D, an art...
Talking Point Should Nintendo Regularly Offer Free Games for Download?
Is continuing in Four Swords' footsteps the answer to the $0.99 download mentality?
As of last week, every DSiWare gamer can download The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition for free. This was originally a full retail title, now with added wireless connectivity, a new single-player mode and bonus levels. Compare that to Super Mario...
Interview Gameloft - Let's Golf! 3D and the State of the eShop
Talkin' shop
The 3DS eShop is entering its fourth month, but besides the 3D Classics series and Pokédex 3D, the only original software available for download is Let's Golf! 3D from Gameloft. As we look forward to the future of Nintendo's online shops and back at their predecessors, we decided to sit down with the team and chat about the Big N's...
September2011
Review Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (3DS eShop / GB)
Monochrome Mario is back in style
Nintendo managed to squeeze quite a bit of the Super Mario experience into the original Super Mario Land, but many gamers felt like the game was a bit too scaled down to feel like a true adventure from the series. Nintendo obviously sensed this when they sat down to create Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, as this...
News Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 Steals an OFLC Rating
Greed is great
It's a big day for the Game Boy's Mario Land series. The rather splendid Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins became available on the 3DS Virtual Console, and its follow-up has taken the first step towards the same fate thanks to Australia's OFLC ratings board. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 marks the first leading role for...
News Zelda: Four Swords is Out Now in Europe and North America
Get downloading
Here's a nice treat to wake up to on a Wednesday morning: Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition is available now in the European and North American 3DS eShop and DSi Shop. The four-player game — which is absolutely free, remember — boasts local multiplayer, new stages and a single player adventure mode too, and is...
Talking Point Why No Plans for GBA on 3DS Virtual Console?
If the Ambassadors are getting them, why not everyone else?
It's been a few weeks since the first half of the Ambassador Programme titles hit 3DS consoles everywhere, and now we're getting more anxious than ever for the upcoming ten from the Game Boy Advance line-up. So far, Nintendo has announced five of them: Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island,...
First Impressions Zen Pinball 3D
We take the game for a spin
Zen Studios has become quite well-known for its pinball simulations released across several gaming platforms in recent years, but now the company is looking to jump into the 3DS eShop pool with the upcoming Zen Pinball 3D. The folks at Zen Studios were kind enough to send over a preview build of the game, which we...
Review Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge (3DS eShop / GB)
Slightly less than mega
Back when the Mega Man franchise started with the release of the original NES game, Capcom never thought it would do well — the first game was expected to bomb horribly, as almost nobody at the famous developer thought people would like it. Fast forward to today, and Mega Man has become one of their best-known franchises...
Yep. It's golf.
Rare is the game that leaves us truly speechless, but the Game Boy version of Golf is certainly one of them. Of course that's just because there's not really much to talk about. Golf, as you might expect, is a golf game. Whatever comes to mind when you hear that, that's what you get. No less, and no more. It consists of two courses...
Talking Point The Future of No-Frills Emulation on the eShop
Why should it stop with the Ambassador scheme?
Before the Virtual Console, emulators provided the only way that people could relive their favourite gaming experiences of years past. Allowing players to download "rom" files and load them onto their personal computers and other platforms, their only real legal application is to allow those...
News Better Late Than Never, Europe's 3DS Ambassador Tool is Here
About time
Last week 3DS owners all across Europe were feverishly downloading free NES games, except those left out of the 3DS Ambassador programme, disappointed that they weren't eligible for the freebies. Wouldn't it have been useful to have some sort of eligibility verification tool to see who was in and who wasn't? Now — one week after the...
News Beat More Picture Dungeons in Dot Eater: New Picdun
DSiWare treat goes 3D
GO Series: Picdun is something of a DSiWare gem, so it's pleasing to hear it's going to see a downloadable follow-up on 3DS with the aptly named Dot Eater: New Picdun. The game will see release in the 3DS eShop next week for 300 Yen (around $4/£3), with the trailer below showing a new emphasis on picking up pills in a Pac-Man...
Talking Point The Five Remaining GBA Ambassador Games
What could they be?
With the NES half of the Ambassador titles hitting the eShop last week, it's only a matter of time before the ten Game Boy Advance games launch. So far Nintendo has announced only half: Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, Mario vs. Donkey Kong and WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$...
August2011
News Picture Lives! Comes to Japan on 7th September
Drawing more details
One of the handful of 3DS downloadable games shown off at E3, Picture Lives! caused a stir with its strange premise: you draw a picture, and it comes to life. The clue's in the name. We haven't heard much about it since that day in June, but we're about to see a lot more as it's reaching Japan on 7th September. Among the new...
Review Gargoyle's Quest (3DS eShop / GB)
Firebrand is so hot right now
The Game Boy enjoyed one of the longest lifespans of any system to date, outlasting rivals and finding its way into the hearts of gamers the world over. Following a very basic logic, a system with a long lifespan will typically have a large amount of titles worth your time. In fact, games were being released for the...
News Capcom Sets Three Game Boy Games Onto 3DS VC
Gargoyle's Quest next week
Capcom has supported Virtual Console on Wii for years, so it's good to see it getting behind the 3DS Virtual Console with the same gusto. The company has just announced its line-up of 3DS Virtual Console games for the rest of the year, with some quality titles in there. Next week in Europe sees the release of Gargoyle's...
News These 3DS Download Titles Are On Their Way This Year
Promise
So far we've only seen third-party download game in the Nintendo 3DS eShop, the decent but could-do-better Let's Golf! 3D. That offering is set to multiply significantly by year's end though, as Nintendo announces the 3DS download games on the way before 2012. Mighty Switch Force from WayForward will see release this Autumn, followed by...
News Super Mario Land 2 and Metroid II Heading to 3DS Virtual Console
GB sequels confirmed
Nintendo just announced two more classic Game Boy outings on their way to the 3DS Virtual Console in the coming months: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and Metroid II: Return of Samus. Both games are down for a vague "Quarter 4" release date so don't expect to see them long before Christmas. Will you be picking up...
Review Avenging Spirit (3DS eShop / GB)
Like Kirby... if Kirby were SERIOUSLY TERRIFYING
It's a story as old as time itself: boy meets girl, boy takes girl out for a walk, boy is murdered by mobsters who kidnap girl, boy possesses vampires and kangaroos to get her back. Jaleco not only provides us with a bizarre and attention-grabbing backstory for the game, but they made sure to craft a...
Review Pac-Man (3DS eShop / GB)
Pac's back to steal your money
Everybody knows Pac-Man. The game's been ported to just about every platform under the sun, including the NES version on the Wii Virtual Console. It's now being released yet again on the 3DS Virtual Console, but is it worth another investment? Of course, there is absolutely nothing different about the gameplay in this...
News Europe, Your Spirit Will Avenge on 3DS VC Soon
Get your dollface
Jaleco's Avenging Spirit is the next 3DS Virtual Console game to hit Europe; its spectre will inhabit the service and start knocking things over on 11th August. For £2.70/€3,00 you'll be able to relive the story of a murdered mobster out for revenge in ghostly form, taking hold of 20 different creatures as you try to rescue your...
News Nintendo Rep Backpedals on Game Boy Advance Kirby
Sad.
Last week we heard a rumour that Kirby and the Amazing Mirror made up part of the Game Boy Advance section of the 3DS Ambassador program. We marked this as a rumour, and now it seems that rumour may not be true. Nintendo customer service sent out a follow-up email to Brandon Drumheller, correcting the earlier information that put Kirby and the...
News Twinbee is Your Next 3D Classic on 3DS
What do you mean, 'what's Twinbee?'
Top-down shooters are ripe for resurrection in Nintendo's 3D Classics line: recent release 3D Classics Xevious did a decent job, and next it's Konami's turn with a version of classic arcade shooter Twinbee. The revamped game takes flight to Japan on 10th August for 600 Yen, the same price as Xevious. Interestingly...
Review Let's Golf! 3D (3DSWare)
Pitch perfect?
Gameloft's Let's Golf! 3D may be the first third-party 3DSWare title to download, but it's not the company's first swing at portable pitching and putting: DSiWare has the original Let's Golf!, so this new outing has to bring more to the table. In some ways it delivers, but it doesn't quite hit the pin. For one thing, you're getting a...
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...
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