News Articles
Friday9th Oct 2015
News Nintendo Enjoys Market Share Dominance in Japan
Splatoon and Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer lead the way
We report the Japanese Media Create chart results on a weekly basis, with most entries showing a strong position for Nintendo in its home country. Its level of dominance has now been reflected in figures posted by Dengeki Online for the first half of the financial year - 30th March to...
Thursday8th Oct 2015
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...
Monday5th Oct 2015
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Makes Top 10 Chart Debut in UK
Quite Pleased Home Designer
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer has now rolled out around the world, attempting to charm all-comers and to tempt them into buying amiibo cards. The spin-off entry appears to have made a reasonable debut in the UK charts, too, following the fairly impressive sales numbers that have been developing in Japan. Happy...
Sunday4th Oct 2015
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...
Friday2nd Oct 2015
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...
Thursday1st Oct 2015
Video See the Unboxing of the Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer New Nintendo 3DS XL
Home is were the hearth is
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is already out in North America but Europe will have to wait until the 2nd October. In the mean time why not kick back and enjoy this short unboxing we've produced of the limited edition New Nintendo 3DS XL based around the game? As a bonus why not check out the video beneath ours from...
Monday28th Sep 2015
Nintendo Download 1st October (Europe)
Animal Crossing! Medabots! 1001 Spikes! Dragon Ball Z pre-load! More!
It's the beginning of another week, which means we have Nintendo Download Update details for Europe to consider; this week brings 3DS retail treats, a long awaited download game across both systems and even Virtual Console options. On top of that there are more download-only games...
Thursday24th Sep 2015
Nintendo Download 24th September (North America)
Animal Crossing! Extreme Exorcism! Nova-111! Beatbuddy! More!
It's that time again as details are confirmed for the Nintendo Download Update in North America. This week brings some highly promising and anticipated releases on the Wii U eShop, with plenty of Nindies pitching in with their latest efforts. In addition the 3DS has a big-name release at...
Monday21st Sep 2015
News Black New Nintendo 3DS and Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Bundle Confirmed for Australia
Beefing up the range ahead of the festive season
In late 2014 Australia and New Zealand were the only countries outside of Japan to receive the New Nintendo 3DS ahead of the updated portable broadening out to the West in early 2015. Despite this it's taken a while for the whole range to make its way to the region, which is now being remedied. It's...
Thursday10th Sep 2015
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Update to Bring Online Sharing in Japan
Will likely be there day one in the West
Animal Crossing: New Leaf had rather decent online features for sharing and visiting towns, which certainly added to its allure. Having been on the Japanese market for a short while, it seems that Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer will be following suit and improving its online features. There'll be a...
Wednesday9th Sep 2015
News Dragon Quest VIII and 3DS Overtaken by Metal Gear Solid V and PS4 in Japan
VIII is not greater than V, after all
It's Japanese Media Create chart results time again, and after a sustained spell of ruling the roost the 3DS and its games take a backseat this week, though that was always on the cards. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Hideo Kojima's final entry in the series and with Konami, has naturally taken the two...
Wednesday2nd Sep 2015
News Dragon Quest VIII Storms to Number One in Japan and Boosts New 3DS Sales
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer creeps towards 1 million sales
Wednesday is Media Create results day in Japan, in which we see whether Nintendo and its system's games can maintain strong form in the company's homeland. On that score this week brings more positive news. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, the 3DS port of the PS2...
Tuesday1st Sep 2015
Video Nintendo Produces Some Chirpy Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer TV Commercials
If you're not happy, it's not for you
When Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer was unveiled, reactions within Nintendo Life HQ ranged from confusion, to more confusion, then bafflement. We could sort of figure out what it was supposed to be, but couldn't figure out how Nintendo was going to sell it - would it be free-to-play and need amiibo cards?...
Monday24th Aug 2015
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and amiibo Festival Bundle Details Emerge
Including NFC reader info for North America
As part of a detail dump from Nintendo today, information on key bundles and extras for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival have emerged. Release dates were already known for the 3DS title, and it's worth noting that amiibo Festival on Wii U still has a 'Holiday'...
Thursday13th Aug 2015
Pre-orders now open for business
Nintendo's official UK store has opened pre-orders for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, and is offering a selection of bundle options related to the game. The game on its own is up for pre-order at £34.99 and comes with a special 3DS Kit, which includes: A universal system case which holds New Nintendo 3DS...
Wednesday12th Aug 2015
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Leads as Splatoon Passes Half a Million Sales in Japan
Wii U sales increase, too
The latest Media Create Japanese charts have arrived, bringing with them more positive news of Summer sales for Nintendo. On the software side Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer stays on top with over 180,000 sales in its second week, pushing it beyond 700,000 retail sales already. The two iterations of Yo-Kai Watch...
Wednesday5th Aug 2015
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Dominates Japanese Charts, Boosts 3DS Sales
Wii U sales increase, too
It's that time of the week, once again, for the Japanese Media Create sales charts. Pleasingly for Nintendo a spin-off for one of its most successful franchises has had a strong start, allaying fears that it would struggle to grab attention. That title is Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, which launched with various...
Monday27th Jul 2015
'Special' amiibo cards for character's houses not otherwise accessible
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is arriving in Europe on 2nd October, and the region's subsidiary has now confirmed release details of various bundles and packs that'll give all 3DS owners a chance to get hold of the game and some amiibo cards. The cards themselves are...
Friday24th Jul 2015
News Japanese Retailer Highlights Stock Issues With Animal Crossing amiibo Cards
Play-Asia is taking pre-orders, though...
Slowly and surely, the stock scenario with amiibo has become a little better. Through a combination of Nintendo churning out stock and retailers trying to help fans, more of the figures have been up for grabs. It's still difficult for hardcore collectors, of course, but there have been signs of progress...
Thursday23rd Jul 2015
News Animal Crossing New 3DS Cover Plates Coming To Europe In October
Same day as Happy Home Designer, in fact
Nintendo's Italian office has confirmed that Animal Crossing New 3DS cover plates will be coming to Europe on October 2nd - the same day that Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer hits the console. Three plates will be available, one showing Isabelle, the other portraying K.K. Slider and the third showing a...
Wednesday22nd Jul 2015
Video Nintendo Shines The Spotlight on Aya Kyogoku and Risa Tabata
"Please cherish what you really want to do"
In recent years we've seen a number of young faces move to the forefront of Nintendo development, and we've also seen key women step up with increasing visibility in the company. One of the most recognisable is Aya Kyogoku for her leadership in the Animal Crossing franchise, and in a video from Nintendo...
Thursday16th Jul 2015
News Sharing to Miiverse in Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is a Breeze
No booting into the Home Menu here
Nintendo recently updated the Japanese website for the upcoming Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer on the 3DS, and lots of new information about the sharing functionality within the game has been revealed. In addition to posting images to Twitter and Facebook via the Image Sharing feature - as was the case in...
Wednesday15th Jul 2015
Digital download block size also revealed
Nintendo has officially begun promoting its upcoming 3DS release, Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, due out in Japan at the end of July. The two ad spot commercials highlight the seemingly endless amount of design possibilities featured within the title. In addition to this, the Happy Home Designer...
Friday10th Jul 2015
"I see these as spin-offs"
In the general trend of E3 delivering Nintendo franchises in unexpected forms, Animal Crossing amiibo Festival on Wii U joined the previously announced Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer as an unexpected update to the series. Aya Kyogoku, the series director, has been speaking to U
Thursday25th Jun 2015
News Animal Crossing Director Talks More About Happy Home Designer and amiibo
"To be sure, Happy Home Designer can be played without any Amiibo cards."
It's safe to say that fan reaction has been rather mixed towards the amiibo-centric focus of the two upcoming Animal Crossing games for Wii U and 3DS. While it's far too early to definitively judge the quality of these upcoming games, it's very apparent that these new games...
Tuesday16th Jun 2015
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Promises Domestic Bliss This September
New trailer shown at E3 2015
We've known a fair amount about Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer since it was initially revealed, especially following details in a recent Japanese Nintendo Direct. Nintendo confirmed North American release details in today's Digital Event, with release due on 25th September. This title will see you use amiibo cards...
Sunday31st May 2015
It's actually quite pricey
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer remains a bit of an oddity, at least in the opinion of this writer. It appears to be a rather simplistic game in which you decorate homes to satisfy cute characters, adopting one small part of AC charm into one package. It's also a vehicle for the first range of amiibo cards, which will...
Saturday30th May 2015
News Splatoon Producer Interview Sparks E3 Animal Crossing Wii U Speculation
Reading between the lines
Its E3 silly season, or close enough, and that means plenty of reading between the lines when Nintendo employees dodge and weave from questions. Such is the fate for Hisashi Nogami, producer on Splatoon but arguably best known as a co-Director on the Animal Crossing franchise. First of all, we recommend having a read of...
