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One year of 3D gaming

Nintendo’s 3DS has experienced a dramatic first year, no doubt far more eventful than Satoru Iwata and his team could have imagined. Despite all of the twists and turns that the handheld has experienced, it’s nevertheless been a source of some terrific and varied games. The 3DS may have evolved into more than the sum of...

Minor spoilers within

When we published our Kid Icarus: Uprising review, we observed a strict set of guidelines from Nintendo. These embargo criteria were designed to ensure that some features of the title weren’t given away before it hit stores. It’s not an uncommon practice, but in the case of this particular title we feel that it’s...

More than just a letter box

Nintendo Letter Box, also known by the catchier title of Swapnote in North America, filled a notable gap in the 3DS’ functionality when it was launched in late December last year. When the handheld launched various features were bare-bone or missing, and one frustrating omission was the lack of any meaningful way to...

How will it affect our gaming?

For Nintendo gamers, the video game market is currently a simple, relatively traditional place. If you want to buy a retail title, you hit the high street or visit your online retailer of choice and pick up a box with a disc or game cart inside. Pop that media into your Wii, 3DS or DS and you’re immediately playing...

Snaaaaaaake!

In a new regular feature, Nintendo Life's editors choose the best game reviewed in the previous month for your reading pleasure. Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D: Konami's PS2 remastering was revealed alongside the 3DS way back at E3 2010, and while it seems to have taken an age to materialise it's important to remember 3DS isn't even

Cancelled!

The 3DS has endured some trying times in its short lifespan, among these being a number of cancellations of high-profile games by third-party publishers and developers. We've decided to highlight five of the biggest titles to get the chop in the past year, why they were cancelled and the likelihood of these games being resurrected...

Bringing the hype

Yesterday, on the same day that rival Sony launched PlayStation Vita in Europe and North America, Nintendo hosted three online broadcasts designed to reveal and publicise upcoming services and titles. It was the second time Nintendo Direct had taken place, though the timing and execution of this second run showed that the company...

Developers left out of the party

Recent weeks have seen some positive news for Nintendo and 3DS: a truly abysmal launch period has been forgotten by many, as a major price drop and some heavy-hitting titles have resuscitated the device. It’s now exuding respectability after a difficult summer in 2011 when it looked like a flawed idea and,...

Time to evolve onto 3DS

Given that the 3DS console has been on sale worldwide for nearly a year now, the desolate wastes of its almost non-existent software library have finally blossomed into a variety of must-have titles. But there’s one Nintendo property that’s still criminally under-represented on the handheld: Pokémon. The franchise has...

A thin line between love and hate

It says a lot about the absurdity of the Circle Pad Pro that when its existence was leaked last year, some hardcore Nintendo supporters refused to believe it was real. The concept of adding an additional analogue stick to the machine by the way of a chunky add-on seemed almost unbelievable; surely Nintendo...

Who needs rainbows?

It’s been on the market for less than a year, yet the 3DS is already available in five distinct colours, with multiple limited edition console designs also in stores or on the way. The reaction to new colour announcements is always interesting: while some bemoan yet another ‘new’ 3DS hitting the market, many seem to accept...

Give 'em a try

Not only is Pullblox — or Pushmo in North America — one of the finest titles available on the 3DS eShop, but it also features a rather nifty level creator. It's quickly become a favourite feature amongst 3DS gamers, so our staff decided that they'd join the fun and produce some levels, just for you. Four members of the team have...

Disaster and redemption

Following on from Nintendo in 2011 — Part One, it's time to look at the latter half of the year. The gaming world quickly moves on, as the 3DS enjoys positive sales and the Wii U hype begins to build. It’s easy to forget that the tail-end of 2011 was particularly dramatic and eventful for Nintendo, leaving us with plenty...

Should be a good 'un

It's a new year, with a recovering 3DS and a fresh home console on the way from Nintendo: these are certainly interesting times. We decided to have a chat about the prospects for Nintendo in 2012, including our thoughts on the company's prospects, as well as our hopes, dreams and fears. Joining features editor Thomas Whitehead...

What's in store for the year ahead?

2011 is gone. After announcing our Game of the Year 2011 awards we're ready to move on and sink our teeth into all that awaits in 2012. There are of course dozens more games on the way to 3DS in the coming year, but we've picked ten of the most exciting due to crest the 3D horizon before 2013 rolls around. If...

An important year begins

It’s now 2012, which promises to be an eventful year for Nintendo. We’ll be giving our thoughts soon on what to expect in the coming year, but it's now time to look back at a dramatic 2011. There were plenty of major headlines and game releases, and we’ll pinpoint some of the key moments that defined the year. We'll...

Learning to walk

On 7th December the latest firmware update arrived on the 3DS, adding new features, functionality and playable content to the handheld. In fact, the system now has a more rounded feel to its functionality, with the current fully updated console boasting significant additions to its original capabilities. We've already put together...

Time for a congestion charge?

There’s a popular analogy that likens the act of waiting for buses to other everyday occurrences in life: around this time every year we’re all inevitably subjected to the same situation as we were last year, and the year before that, and so on. Picture the scene: you’ve endured summer months of crippling boredom, either prodding half-heartedly at the games you..

All the information you need

So you've got the 3DS system update and want to know exactly what's new? We've got you covered. Here you'll find a regularly updated account of how to get the most from your system's new features. If you have any questions, use the Contact form and we'll do our best to address them. Page 1: 3D Video RecordingPage 2:

Have a Mario holiday

The festive season is almost upon us, which means that it’s time to lighten our wallets and top up the gift stockings. For those who fancy some Nintendo gaming in the coming holiday, we thought we’d pass on some hints and tips on the games and consoles to buy. We’ll cover some of the console bundles available, as well as...

Shin'en knows shmups

Shin'en is certainly no stranger to the shoot 'em up genre, having already developed games in the Iridion and Nanostray series for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS respectively, but after taking a few years to work on other projects, many shooter fans were beginning to wonder if the developer would ever get back to its shmup roots. Thankfully, fans were given the answer they..

Aiming down 3D sights

It's old news that first person-shooters are bigger business within the industry now than they've ever been. Since the advent of online play on home consoles, they have inarguably become the most played genre on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with the latest Battlefield and Call of Duty titles dominating the market. However, FPS titles have remained relatively quiet on the..

Mario’s gloves come off

If we were to summarise Nintendo’s year so far, we’d say that it’s been having a tough time. There have been moments of brilliance that have reaffirmed the faith of loyal gamers, but there have also been a lot of mis-steps, mistakes and bad publicity, some of which has been unjustified. In fact, despite the release...

Welcome, stranger

Released in North America a few months ago, today marks the European release of BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 2 on 3DS, the fighting series' first ever appearance on a Nintendo console (well, there was BlayzBloo: Super Melee Action Battle Royale, but that doesn't really count.) But what exactly is BlazBlue? With a pretty decent select...