Hardware Review New Nintendo 2DS XL
2D or not 2D? That is the question
News Extra Nintendo Switch Stock Drives Game Sales in UK, as Ever Oasis Struggles on Debut
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Breath of the Wild move back up
3DS
Feature Puzzling Over Dragons with GungHo CEO Kazuki Morishita
On puzzles, dragons, Switch support, and (not) beating Breath of the Wild
Passing the torch to a new generation
3DS - News
October2015
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Getting Monster Hunter Items Next Month
Felyne groovy
Nintendo has revealed that Monster Hunter content is coming to Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer in November. Next week in Europe (9th November in North America) a SpotPass update will bring a Felyne to the game, and with it some Monster Hunter-related items. https://twitter.com/NintendoEurope/status/658674636935274497...
Review Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations
Ooo's clues too
If you want to play Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations, the odds look really good for you. A version of the game is kicking around on just about all the current (and a few not-so-current) systems out there. If you ask nicely, they might even make a port for the N-Gage. The 3DS version of Finn & Jake Investigations is...
News The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Misses Out on UK Top 10
Tri again next week
The latest UK chart results are out, with some new releases battling it out with long-established blockbusters. It's a mixed week from Nintendo's perspective, with some ever-green titles clinging on and a new release underperforming - arguably - a little. The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes has made its début in 11th place in...
Rumour Data Miners Reveal That The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Will Be Receiving DLC
New areas and new costumes appear to be on the way
It's amazing to think how far Nintendo has come along with paid DLC in the last few years. The Nintendo of five years ago seemed to be very reluctant to consider adding content to their games, though admittedly the DS and Wii didn't have the best infrastructure for this kind of thing. Now it's an...
News Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Originally Didn't Have a Single Player Mode
That explains a lot
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is now out in the wild and while there are definitely positives to the experience, it doesn't seem to be up to the usual standards of the series. The game is obviously designed to be played with two other friends locally and while there is online functionality and a single player mode, these...
Insert your own joke about a fully stocked amiibo shelf
Just like in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, some little DLC freebies will likely become increasingly common in Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. It's a little way to keep players coming back, and in a game focused on nothing but decorating it seems inevitable that the furniture range will be...
Random Nintendo Continues to Show Its Fun Side With Tri Force Heroes Pom Pom Face Off
Eiji Aonuma takes the win?
It may be our contention that The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes doesn't show the famous franchise in its finest light, but it's a title that is undeniably designed to bring 3DS owning friends together for an enjoyable shared experience. For most of us that'll mean sitting in a comfy seat and hopping online or maybe...
News Nintendo UK Launches Weekly Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Contests
This week's theme is blue (Da Ba Dee)
It seems that Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer has come up a fair bit this week, so we might as well wrap up with details on a Nintendo UK contest that's kicked off - players in the region can try and design their way to receiving a pack of amiibo cards and a Collector's Album, after all. Starting on 23rd...
Video Get Some Tips on Accessing and Enjoying the Animal Crossing Happy Home Network
Don't worry, be happy
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer has been out for a few weeks now and had a day one update to add in online room viewing and sharing, which had been a post-launch addition in Japan. Unlike with some titles this game isn't overly insistent on you installing the update, and some may have missed it entirely. Yet it's the only...
News Here's Where The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Falls in the Timeline
Thank God it doesn't branch again
As many of you know, all games in the Legend of Zelda series are actually connected by a large and somewhat convoluted timeline. Basically, there's one timeline up to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and then it splits into two parts based on whether the hero was defeated or was victorious. The defeated hero...
Video Remember the Good Old Days With These Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Animations
The nostalgia may overpower you
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon is coming to the 3DS in North America pretty soon - early 2016 in Europe - and The Pokémon Company wants to build a little hype for the latest entry in the spin-off series. To do that it has revisited past entries of the series, or their accompanying animations, in any case. The...
News There's a Free Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate 3DS HOME Theme Coming to Europe
Celebrating four million sales
Just this week Capcom announced that Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate has passed four million sales globally, with this entry also being the first of the series to sell more than one million copies across Europe and North America. It's been a breakthrough title for the IP, in other words. To celebrate it's now been confirmed...
News Online Battles Coming to Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden in Japan
Yes please, Bandai Namco
Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is out now in both Europe and North America, giving Western 3DS owners a welcome dose of the popular franchise. It has a pretty decent range of content and a surprisingly deep combat system, prompting us to give it a recommendation in our review. One complaint we had, though, was the lack of...
News Japan Is Getting Some Gorgeous New 3DS Hardware Bundles And Cover Plates
Jealousy mode: engaged
Japan gets all the best hardware bundles - that's just one of the things us westerners have to live with. As if to prove this universal truth, details have just been released regarding two fresh New 3DS bundles coming to The Land of the Rising Sun, and both look downright lovely. First up is the Super Mario Bros. 30th bundle,...
Video Nintendo Digs Out an Old Favourite for Halloween New 3DS Commercial
Also plugs Yo-Kai Watch
Apparently Halloween is rather popular - maybe it's the outfits, all the sweets / candy, or just a general love of spooky and horrifying things. What was a bit of a laugh when your humble writer was in short trouser many years ago is now a 'Holiday', so we all need to jump on board. Of course we'll do some Halloween-type...
News 7th Dragon III Code: VFD Claims Japanese Number One Spot as Nintendo Maintains Momentum
PS4 still leads hardware, though
The Media Create results are out in Japan, and this week is relatively low key overall, with a new SEGA RPG on 3DS arriving as the most successful newcomer. 7th Dragon III Code: VFD jumps up to number one spot in the software top 20, with Yo-Kai Watch Busters holding onto second place. In a chart dominated by...
Review The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
Tri-al and error
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is a remarkably segmented and potentially divisive game from Nintendo. It attempts a similar trick to Four Swords Adventures but, with its totem mechanic and implementation, doesn't accommodate both solo and group players in canny ways; as a result this is a multiplayer game with single player...
News Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Passes Four Million Global Sales
A monster hit
The Monster Hunter franchise has become increasingly important to Capcom, over the course of 10 years establishing itself as one of the company's most consistent IPs. It's growing in the West, too, which boosts our confidence that the upcoming Monster Hunter X (Cross) will eventually make its way out of Japan. Monster Hunter 4...
News Let The Music From Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Bring Cheer To Your Soul
Good music never goes out of fashion
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is out very soon and to celebrate Nintendo Japan has released a charming video showing off some of the amazing music in the game. In the video we can see a violin and accordion being played with great gusto; it all adds up to a very impressive sound. Looking back to The...
News Dementium Remastered Pricing Confirmed as Renegade Kid Looks Ahead to Release
Has been submitted to Lotcheck in North America
Not so long ago we highlighted Dementium Remastered as a 3DS title to look forward to this year, with the Renegade Kid title aiming to bring some horror to the portable's eShop. It's getting closer to release, too, with the studio confirming that it's now gone into Lotcheck approval for its North...
News The Chibi-Robo amiibo is Being Sold Separately in Japan
Perhaps Nintendo has similar plans for the West?
Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash launched recently in North America to somewhat middling critical reception. We awarded the game a 6/10, praising its solid gameplay and criticising its somewhat derivative execution. The game also launched alongside an amiibo which was sold exclusively in a bundle with the game...
News 3DS System Update to Version 10.2.0-28 is Now Live
So stable it'll blow your mind
How much stability can one system handle? At what point does it reach peak stability? Nintendo's keen to find out with the 3DS. You see, the 3DS (New and original models) has now been updated to version 10.2.0-28, which is a minor increase of one on that last figure; basically that means it's a stability update. At...
Video Savour the Intensity of This Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final Music
Rock on
Atlus and RPG fans are no doubt looking forward to Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final and awaiting news of localisation to the West (we may be waiting until late next year, as a guess). A standalone new entry in the series, early details suggest that it'll give fans plenty to dig into. Keen to keep up momentum on the buzz it's building in Japan,...
News Yo-Kai Watch 2DS Bundle Coming To North America On November 6th
Comes with the game pre-installed for $99.99
Nintendo is releasing a new 2DS hardware bundle to mark the launch of Yo-Kai Watch in North America. The console - which comes with the game pre-installed - will launch on November 6th for $99.99, alongside the game's full retail release. Yo-Kai Watch is the first in a series which has taken Japan by a...
Random Check Out These New Officially Licensed Storage Peripherals From PDP
Store your gaming equipment with style
PDP is a company that has long since manufactured relatively high quality hardware for Nintendo consoles. Be it a GameCube Fight Pad or a headset for playing games online, PDP is a name that can be relied upon far more so than others like Madcatz. While the company has been rather quiet lately on new releases...
Video Eiji Aonuma Plays Dress-Up As He Shows Off The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
You go for it Aonuma-san
Eiji Aonuma is clearly a very talented, motivated developer, qualities necessary when fulfilling the role of series producer for The Legend of Zelda. He also has a brilliantly playful side, as he demonstrated when he performed a cool Cucco dance at E3 2014. He approached a recent live stream of The Legend of Zelda: Tri...
News XSEED VP Talks About the Future of the Rune Factory Series
"Marvelous knows fans are clamoring for a sequel"
For those of you that aren't aware, Rune Factory is an interesting RPG that aims to merge elements of Harvest Moon with more conventional fantasy themes. While a large portion of the game does revolve around tending crops and building relationships with fellow villagers, there's also dungeons to...
Leaks-a-plenty
At Nintendo Life we know how tricky it can be to keep up with all the happenings that go on in a week, so once again we've compiled the cream of the crop for your entertainment. This week we focus on the recent Nintendo NX rumours that suggest the system may be a fusion of a home console and a handheld, eShop listing leaks, The...
News 3DS Added as Stretch Goal on Ghost Police Kickstarter
Potential soundtrack to be composed by Shovel Knight Composer
Many promising and interesting projects have been made possible only because of Kickstarter. The crowdfunding startup has help give shape to games such as Shovel Knight, Mighty No. 9, Yooka-Laylee, and many more. While it has become a popular spot for displaced industry veterans to raise...
News There's a New Update Incoming for Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition
Adds new transformations and enemy types
Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition is one of those games that sadly failed to make a meaningful impact on Western audiences. This is made all the more interesting when you consider that the RPG/Puzzler hybrid shares many similarities with Pokémon Shuffle - which has...
News Nintendo Network ID Going Offline Next Week During General Maintenance
Something exciting this way comes?
We're used to Nintendo Network Maintenance taking place and impacting certain features of our consoles, but next week's work could be the prelude to something very interesting. Nintendo has confirmed that there will be a bit of downtime taking place from Monday that will mean that Wii U and 3DS users will be...
News Nintendo Launches Updated Developer Portal Website
Designed to be welcoming
In this generation Nintendo has been open-armed and welcoming to developers of all sizes, fostering the 'Nindie' age and opening the Wii U (and eventually the New Nintendo 3DS) up to development tools such as Unity. It seems to be stepping up those efforts, having launched a new Developer Portal with key information and an...
News Nintendo's Official UK Store Promotes 2DS Price Cut
Lots of bundles for under £100
We're creeping towards the busiest shopping season of the year, and Nintendo like many other companies will be running promotions and bundles to tempt us into parting with our cash. One potential stocking filler for this year, particularly for younger games, could be the 2DS, and in the UK Nintendo's Official Store...
Music Fantasy Grooves Is The Chill-Out Fantasy Life Soundtrack You've Been Waiting For
DJ Cutman does it again
We're big fans of DJ Cutman here at Nintendo Life - the famed chiptune artist has kindly allowed us to use his work on some of our YouTube videos - and we have a feeling his latest project will turn many others into firm followers as well. Fantasy Grooves is billed as the sequel to his 2012 album Wii U Grooves, a laid-back...
News Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 Will Contain Over 500 Beasts For You To Befriend
Monster mash
This week's Jump magazine has fresh details relating to the forthcoming Square Enix 3DS RPG Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3. First up is the storyline, which is set in the far-flung future. The hero is a young man suffering from amnesia (original!) who discovers a device known as a "Reactor" which allows him to analyse the monsters...
News Lottie amiibo Will Be Exclusive to Best Buy in Canada
Not a whole Lottie places to find this one
It seems that exclusive amiibo announcements have been all the rage lately. Just this past week, we've received confirmation that the Villager re-stock, Mii Fighter 3-pack, and the Mega Yarn Yoshi will be exclusive to Toys "R" Us and that the Falco amiibo will be exclusive to Best Buy
News Nintendo Allows Players To Blacklist Troublemakers In The Legend Of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
A lesson in how to deal with the unworthy
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes releases worldwide on the 3DS next week. While it's not the next big entry fans of the series have been waiting for, Nintendo promises it will still be a blast being able to team up with friends, family and even players online as a party of Links unite in an attempt...
News New Details Emerge Around Phoenix's Story in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 6
No objections here
As some of you are likely aware, Capcom has confirmed that Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 6 will eventually be making its way to the West. The quirky game centered around legal battles will be starring not only Phoenix Wright, but also Apollo Justice. There's lots to look forward to about this game and while there's still no word on...
News Atlus Outlines Details of Stella Glow Demo and Gorgeous Launch Edition
Play the prologue for free
Stella Glow is coming to North America on 17th November (next year in Europe), with plenty surely looking forward to the Imageepoch SRPG. We were charmed and impressed by its musical approach in our first impressions earlier in the year. Atlus has now confirmed some details for the North American release, including a...
Challenge accepted, NoA
Nintendo's regional teams are all part of the wider family, but like any siblings they occasionally try to out-do each other. With Nintendo of America kickstarting frantic code swapping with its The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes demo distribution this week, Nintendo of Europe has decided that it's ready to tango. The...
Video Eiji Aonuma's Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Introduction Is Now Available In English
It suddenly all makes sense
We reported a while back about the first in a proposed series of videos by Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma detailing the play mechanics of the forthcoming 3DS title The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes. It showed off how the game's online mode worked, but there was a catch - it was all in Japanese. Thankfully, a version has...
News Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Launches on 4th December in Europe
Two worlds collide
Mario has had an interesting journey in the RPG genre. After an initial start in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars on the SNES, Mario went on to star in the Paper Mario franchise, which was something of a spiritual successor. Then, a little before the release of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the Mario & Luigi...
Video Try to Keep Up With This Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden Launch Trailer
Super Butoden 2 is definitely only for pre-orders
Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is just days away in North America and Europe, so Bandai Namco naturally wants to keep momentum going ahead of release. To that end a new trailer has been released to build some launch hype. To the eyes of this non-fan this seems like a colourful and confusing...
News Nintendo of America Distributes The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Demo Codes
Three per email
Ahead of The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes arriving on the 3DS Nintendo is stepping up its promotion efforts, and has now kicked off a familiar - and popular - process for fans. Nintendo of America has started to email some lucky players with three demo codes, a tactic used for a variety of games in the past couple of years. It...
News Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash Fails to Clean Up in Japanese Charts
Outperformed by baseball title Pro Yakyuu Famista Returns on 3DS
The Japanese Media Create charts are out in Japan and, despite some positives, are likely to cause some disappointment in Nintendo HQ. This is due to an attempt at mainstream success for a long-established franchise falling flat at launch in the country. The game we're referring to...
Triple threat
It's easy to lose track as we approach gaming's silly season, but The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes isn't far away. As a result Nintendo will be upping its game to remind 3DS fans that this is a title that should very much be in their thoughts. In Japan the big N has been busy uploading some new videos to promote the title. First...
Review Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden
Not so extreme
Outside of Super Smash Bros., it feels like there's something of a gap in the 3DS library when it comes to fighters, so the overseas arrival of Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is a welcome one. A 2D, sprite based brawler that features characters and storylines from the perpetually popular manga and anime property, it's a solid if...
Video Here's Some More Footage of The Legend of Legacy
Which, by the way, is out now in North America
As a few of you are probably aware, The Legend of Legacy released today in North America. Atlus' latest RPG certainly boasts a fascinating art style, though its battle and level up systems do seem to be a bit polarizing. Rest assured, we'll have a review out soon with our stance on the game. In the...
News The Animal Crossing amiibo Cards Collectors Album Is Coming To Australia & New Zealand
Better late than never
Nintendo has confirmed via Facebook and Twitter that the series one Animal Crossing amiibo Cards Collectors Album will be making its way across to Australia and New Zealand very soon. Since the launch of Animal Crossing: Happ
Video This is How Single Player Works in The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
Walk, tap, pick up, tap...
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is out soon, and we're diligently working away on a review to share once we're allowed to share it. Undoubtedly designed for multiplayer, to the extent that the game tries quite hard to discourage you from playing solo, it's an experience that's certainly best enjoyed with friends or...
Whoops
We think Nintendo of America's social media team need a refreshing hot beverage and then a lie down, as it's incurred the wrath of some of its 2.4 million+ Twitter followers once again. After teasing a disappointing but cute photo last week and underwhelming many, it's now given followers a demo and then rapidly taken it away. Nintendo...
News Spooky Halloween Events Are Now Live In Pokémon Shuffle
Ends 26th October
With the spooky time of year fast approaching, Pokémon Shuffle is celebrating the occasion with two new Halloween-inspired events. The first is titled Dusknoir Descends and requires players to defeat the ghost type Pokémon in 20 moves or less. If acquired and then used in battle, Dusknoir may occasionally use Last-Ditch Effort...
Video Play Nintendo Channel Launches Animal Crossing: HHDTV Series
No, that doesn't stand for hypetastic high definition TV
The Play Nintendo YouTube channel is an interesting beast - it targets a young audience and featured Shigeru Miyamoto being particularly cool with some kids during E3, but has struggled to truly take off. Occasionally long gaps between videos may be a factor in that, but nevertheless it...
Video Catch Up With Early Footage of Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final
Try and figure out what's happening
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final was a welcome recent announcement from Atlus; it's arriving in Japan next February and will hopefully be localised to the West by the end of 2016 - time will tell. Over the weekend there was a NicoNico livestream that
Video Teamwork Pays Off In Our Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Hinox Mine Playthrough
Alex goes hands-on with the new 3DS epic
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes might not be the Zelda title that everyone wanted, but we've been playing it for a while now and has discovered that when you're teamed up with two other players - rather than the AI-controlled bots - it has the capacity to be very entertaining indeed. If you need any...
News Lego Avengers Features Story Content From Other Marvel Movies
Six films covered in total
The forthcoming Lego Marvel's Avengers video game for Wii U and 3DS will cover more than just the two Avengers movies released so far, it has been revealed. Given the title, you'd be let off for assuming that only Avengers (which was called Avengers Assemble in the UK to avoid confusion with the cult TV show of the same...
News Yo-Kai Watch Busters Is Getting A Third Variant In Japan
Say hello to Moon Rabbit Team
As the west prepares itself for the onslaught of Yo-Kai Watch, our Japanese friends have been enjoying the franchise for some time - as well as its spin-off releases, such as Yo-Kai Watch Busters. Released this year in two flavours - Red Cat Team and White Dog Squad - Busters takes inspiration from the Hollywood...
News Atlus Drops a Slew of New Details on Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final
Hopefully, we'll get a release date soon
About a week ago, Atlus teased an announcement of a new game on the main page for Shin Megami Tensei IV and promised to make the big reveal once it was spread around sufficiently on Twitter. Naturally, the internet overcame this challenge quickly and the announcement was revealed to be Shin Megami Tensei IV:...
Video Learn About Alternate Costume Origins In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS
It ain't just a pretty wardrobe...
Alternate character costumes in the Super Smash Bros. series have always been a fun way to distinguish players from one another. These variants aren't just simple palette-swaps either, for characters such as Bowser Jr. and Olimar have alternate characters instead of a simple makeover like most fighters do. But you...
Prepare for a terrible fate
Although in terms of news it's been a little on the quiet side in the old Nintendosphere this week, what has happened has been fairly meaty. If you've not managed to keep up you needn't fear, as once again we've compressed all the good stuff into video for you. The big topic this week is the confirmation that Skull Kid...
News Here's Some of the Changes Atlus Made to the Western Version of The Legend of Legacy
"Basically, the adjustments were to cut down on the amount of grinding"
Atlus continues to be the final word in localised releases of Japanese RPGs and we're absolutely loving it. The latest in Atlus' seemingly endless lineup is The Legend of Legacy, which is due out for a release very soon in North America. Naturally, the PR team is hard at work...
News Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets Gets a 3DS Release Date
Uses the pretty UbiArt engine
Update: This is now also confirmed for a 23rd October release in Europe. Original Article: If you don't like licensed TV tie-ins developed by Ubisoft, look away now. Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets is a title that uses the handsome UbiArt engine that now has a release date for the 3DS in North America -...
Video Hands On With New Style Boutique 2, A Surprising Fusion Of Fashion And Business Smarts
Clothes line
New Style Boutique 2 – Fashion Forward is coming in November, and is going to be get its own 3DS hardware bundle with special cover plates. While it may seem that Style Boutique is a rather undemanding title aimed at younger female players, my daughter has been trying it out and getting more than just fashion tips. Along with...
News Hoopa Pokémon Distribution Details for X & Y and ORAS Begin to Emerge
UK and Germany are lined up
When it comes down to Pokémon lore, Hoopa caused a bit of a stir in the past as fans contemplated its significance after hackers had found the pocket monster's code in Pokémon X & Y. For fans of the movies, animated series and more its role has since become clear, and now those in the West that want the 'mon in...
News Nintendo Selects Range on 3DS Has a Handsome Price Point in Europe
Link Between Worlds for £16
Unlike Nintendo of America, the European subsidiary of the company - for various legal and retail reasons we won't get into here - doesn't announce firm prices for products. When NoA says a game will be out for $60, those of us in Europe have the alternative of shopping around for the best deals. So, when major 3DS...
News Gaze with Jealousy at These Monster Hunter X 3DS Themes
Keep your fingers crossed
Though the West is still being left in the dark, Japan is due to receive Monster Hunter X in a little over a month. The latest instalment in Capcom's best-selling monster hunting extravaganza, Monster Hunter X is set to introduce significantly more dynamic fighting styles and tactics into the already frantic gameplay...
News Yacht Club Games Issues an Update on Shovel Knight at Retail
New pricing and dates for the physical release, possibly amiibo preorders
Shovel Knight is one of those games that continues to improve and evolve as time goes on. With the excellent Plague of Shadows expansion adding significant value to the original campaign and with two more similar expansions on the way, it seems that the final version of the...
News Nintendo Has "Moved On" From Game Boy Games on the 3DS Virtual Console
No wonder the VC has been so quiet
When the 3DS Virtual Console was introduced, it brought with it the promise of giving classic portable games a new lease in life much the same as the Wii Virtual Console did for classic console games. While it had a pretty strong start, it's no secret that the 3DS Virtual Console has been lacking for quite some...
Feature The Biggest 3DS Games of 2015 - Q4 Edition
Gaming on the go to finish the year
Every few months of each year we do lists of what we consider to be ten of the biggest games on each system that are still on the way. We recently shared a Wii U list for this quarter and, just like in that case, we're going to do one list for 3DS. In our Summer editions we had separate retail and eShop lists but,...
News Final Fantasy Explorers is Playable at New York Comic Con
Posters for the lucky ones
With the inconsistent nature of localisation it's never clear which major releases in Japan will make it to the West, so a much-welcomed Summer announcement was when Square Enix confirmed 3DS title Final Fantasy Explorers for North America and Europe. It'll arrive in January next year (26th in NA and 29th in EU) and will...
Robots in plain sight
If you want to be all reductive about it, you can say there are two types of Nintendo mascot games: Biggies and Smallies. Everyone knows the Biggies because they're the company pillars, the keystones keeping Nintendo in the money: your Marios, Pokemons, and so forth. They're polished, beautiful, and ultimately a little safe...
News Hyrule Warriors Legends Site Shows Off Skull Kid and Phantom Ganon
The stuff legends are made of
The official Japanese site for Hyrule Warriors Legends has been updated, and as expected it features playable character Skull Kid, a bit more of the Wind Waker stage and a new enemy in the form of Phantom Ganon. All of these elements were confirmed by a recent Famitsu feature. Skull Kid is one of the most iconic c
Nintendo Download 8th October (North America)
Chibi-Robo!, 3D Sonic 2, Legend of Legacy and much more
It's time once again for another Nintendo Download Update, and this week's North American line-up has some tempting options. There are four 3DS retail games, including a Nintendo platformer and an RPG with impressive pedigree, while M2 remasters another wonderful SEGA game for the eShop. On Wii...
Random Isabelle Still Seems Upset At Negligent Animal Crossing: New Leaf Mayors
We apologise, Isabelle
Some 3DS owners are still diligently playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf - visiting their towns to exchange pleasantries with the locals, dig up some weeds and ensure that everything is tickety-boo. Those people will be held in high regard by the ever-lovable Isabelle. Then there are the rest of us, your humble writer included...
Video Savour the Madness of Project X Zone 2 in This Extended Showcase
Includes newcomers from Fire Emblem, Xenoblade and more
Project X Zone 2 joins a list of intriguing 3DS games that are due early next year (December this year in Japan); in fact, there may be one too many time sink games in that window for most of us mere mortals to tackle, but that's a nice problem to have. The Monolith Soft-developed IP mashup...
Video Zelda Producer Eiji Aonuma Guides You Through 15 Minutes Of Tri Force Heroes
In Japanese, obviously
The launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is very nearly upon us, and to tempt a few more people to part with their hard-earned cash Nintendo has convinced producer Eiji Aonuma to step in front of camera for 15 minutes in order to show you the ropes. The first video - which will be part of a series - Aonuma shows...
News SmileBASIC Releases on the North American 3DS eShop on 15th October
Programming that'll put a smile on your face
While the 3DS software library is primarily comprised of games, there are a handful of useful apps that are also available for those who might be interested. More often than not, these are more educational in nature; revolving more around teaching the user a particular skill than solely existing for...
Video Watch Us Put The Nintendo 3DS NFC Reader Through Its Paces
amiibo and amiibo cards both tested
While New Nintendo 3DS owners have been happily plonking amiibo figures onto the lower screens of their consoles for months now, people who are saddled with older 3DS models have had to watch on in envy - until now. Nintendo has finally gotten around to releasing the promised 3DS NFC Reader, a device which links...
News Xenoblade's Metal Face and Street Fighter's M. Byson Feature in Latest Project X Zone 2 Reveals
"How does it feel to be such a pathetic hero?"
Project X Zone 2 is shaping up to be a particularly intriguing sequel, with the IP mash-up RPG throwing in a diverse range of characters; that includes some from developer Monolith Soft and Nintendo's IPs. An updated list that can be added to the roster has now come out from the latest issue of...
News Midora Developer Admits He Knew Kickstarter Funds Wouldn't Be Enough To Complete The Game
"I knew that the game would need more than $60,000 to be made"
The developer of the Zelda-inspired RPG Midora has admitted that he knew full well that the amount of cash raised during its Kickstater campaign wouldn't be enough to cover the full cost of development. The crowdfunding drive raised $73,470 in 2014 - a little over the base target of...
News PS4 and Sony Enjoy Dominant Week in Japan With Price Cut and New Releases
Price cuts can help, Nintendo
The Media Create chart results are in for Japan, and after a number of weeks with Nintendo's systems and exclusive games leading the way there's a change in momentum. In the software top 20 the shift has come through a range of new releases, with the top 5 consisting of three games across three separate Sony platforms...
Video Here, Have Some More Zany Japanese Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Commercials
Three's a crowd
The Japanese marketing campaign for The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes has already veered towards the odd, and now Nintendo is pushing out TV spots to promote the upcoming release - and they're just as amusing. The two commercials shown so far feature a trio of real-world Japanese chaps (we're assuming they're famous in their...
News Renegade Kid Wants to Release Physical Versions of its 3DS Games
Perhaps a collection is on the horizon?
Renegade Kid is a studio that has been a very dependable supporter of the eShop, with games like Mutant Mudds and Xeodrifter periodically showing up and giving gamers solid slices of action that rarely disappoint. Though the studio seems to have a soft spot for retro games, releases like Moon Chronicles and...
News Sega Will Be Bringing a Game Gear 3DS Theme West Soon
Gear up
Arguably one of the greatest things to be brought to the 3DS in an update was the concept of themes. This addition allowed gamers to personalize their 3DS home menu as they saw fit, with a diverse range of themes based off of popular games and characters available for a cheap price, or even free in some cases. Sega has contributed...
News Skull Kid is Confirmed as a Playable Character in Hyrule Warriors Legends
Phantom Ganon to also feature
Hyrule Warriors Legends will give us portable hack 'n slash action in 2016, and Koei Tecmo is keeping up its momentum of new characters that'll feature in the 3DS version of the popular Wii U original. Recently it showed off characters and stages from The Wind Waker, and now it's revealed additional popular characters...
News The 3DS Is Getting A New Medabots Game, But Don't Expect A Western Release
Coming in two versions
The Medabots series may not be as popular in the west as it is in its native Japan, but there are still plenty of fans in this part of the world who will no doubt be pleased to learn that the series is getting a new entry on the 3DS. Those very same individuals may be equally annoyed by the fact that it probably won't get a...
News Nielsen Game Rank Lists the Most Anticipated Games of the Holiday Season
There's a disturbing lack of Xenoblade here…
It's hard to believe, but we're already fast approaching the Holiday season for 2015. This is a critical time for game companies everywhere, as this is when a significant chunk of yearly profits is made. While it is a pretty safe bet that no Nintendo games will be leading the charts this season, there's...
News The Pokémon Company Withdraws Settlement in Lawsuit Over Copyright Infringement
The plot thickens
For those of you that weren't aware, the Pokémon Company recently sued a fan over alleged copyright infringement. Here's the breakdown of what happened: A Seattle Café owner named Ramar Larkin Jones was going to be throwing a Pokémon themed party at his café, the Pokémon Company slapped him with a lawsuit, and the two parties...
News Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses to Play on Stephen Colbert
Late Night with Link
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses has had a few years to send its melodies throughout the lands, but there are still plenty of people who haven't had a good chance to see them perform. If you'd like to hear some Zelda music on a grand scale, however, and have access to CBS's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,...
News Put Some Boo in Your Pumpka with Halloween Pokémon Stencils
Gotta carve 'em all!
Pokémon has really gotten into the Halloween spirit as of late, showcasing a series of holiday-themed merch in its online store. Just look at that Pikachu dressed as a vampiric Zubat. Who wouldn't want that little guy slipping into their room at night and turning them into an adorable denizen of the dark? The standard Pokémon...
News Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final is an All-New Entry in the Atlus Series
Killing gods likely to be prominent
A little earlier today we shared a teaser from Atlus around a new announcement that would be shared if social media targets were hit. The fans responded with 15,000 tweets and Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final has been revealed. Like its predecessor this one is coming to 3DS, and is described by Famitsu as an entirely...
News Bandai Namco Launches Quirky 'Twitter Plays' Campaign for Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden
That won't be timeline spamming at all
Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is getting ever closer to its Western release, and Bandai Namco has announced a quirky social media campaign that's clearly taken some inspiration from Twitch Plays - it's going for 'Twitter Plays'. As you can see in the trailer below you're supposed to sign-up on the official...
News A New Shin Megami Tensei Announcement Has Been Teased by Atlus
New game on the horizon?
The Japanese website for Shin Megami Tensei IV has been recently updated with a very curious image of a stone wall accompanied by some text which apparently says something to the effect that in 15,000 tweets a disaster will occur. This could be anything related to the series, but do keep in mind that a representative from...
News Totaka's Song is in Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
The recurring easter egg strikes again
For those of you that are unfamiliar with it, Totaka's Song is a simple 19 note melody created by Kazumi Totaka, a sound designer that has worked on a broad range of Nintendo games over the years. Totaka's Song first appeared in X – a shooter for the original Gameboy – as a hidden secret and ever since, it...
Nintendo Life Weekly The Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot Ends, a Naughty Splatoon Octoling and More
Who'll Sakurai produce next
It's been another busy week in the world of Nintendo, with the usual blend of the good, bad and ugly. If you've been unable to keep track, or just want a nice bite-sized video to remind you of some highlights, Alex is here as always with his lovely weekly video. The headline this week revolves around the end of the Super...
News The Pokémon Company Sues Fan for Copyright Infringement, Demands $4,000 in Damages
It's super effective!
It feels like you can barely go a week without hearing another story of a fan-created work being shut down by the company that owns the IP being emulated. Here's the way things usually go: a cease and desist letter is sent to the fan as a sort of warning, the offending material is removed, and the issue is resolved...
Pretty darn generous
Earlier today we reported that GAME sent a letter of apology and £10 of store credit to those affected by issues of multiple Super Mario Maker pre-order payments. That was a reasonable goodwill gesture, though it seems to be a day of UK retailers going out of their way to apologise to customers that have been let down. The...
Video Terraria Shines on Wii U and 3DS
The wait is almost over
There were a load of indie games to try out at EGX this year, and many of those were on the Nintendo stand. One title with firm indie roots, although now outgrown its stable, is Terraria. As you no doubt know this is the 2D side scrolling Minecraft-a-like that actually has much more going for it than simplified block...
News GX Hunter Armor Stars in Penultimate Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate DLC Update
Just one more to go
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate has provided a huge amount of content on the 3DS, and for those with regular online hunting buddies or a lot of skill, the free monthly DLC has certainly kept things interesting. The October content is now up and, sadly, it means we only have one more set of DLC to come. In terms of what's available...
News Pokémon Rumble World Is Getting A Physical Release In Japan
Minus microtransactions, of course
A physical version of the free-to-play 3DS eShop title Pokémon Rumble World is coming to Japan on November 19th, it has been revealed. The game will feature none of the microtransactions seen in the digital release and will give players all 3,000 Poké Diamonds and the Poké Diamonds Digger from the outset. It...
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