October2014
Rumour Nintendo Removed Tharja From Super Smash Bros. To Avoid A Higher Age Rating
Fire Emblem: Awakening's scantily-clad character just can't catch a break
Remember when Nintendo of America censored the character Tharja in the Fire Emblem: Awakening DLC? If rumour is to be believed — and we should stress that this is very much a rumour — then the same thing has happened in Super Smash B
June2014
Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem is also "right on schedule"
Nintendo revealed Code Name S.T.E.A.M. at E3 yesterday, the next outing from Intelligent Systems — and it looks rather great, too. However, Nintendo fans being Nintendo fans, certain people weren't satisfied with a brand-new IP to look forward to and couldn't resist asking about the...
May2014
What about those other items?
Whilst core items such as the banana, shell and mushroom have carried the traditions of the Mario Kart series over the past 22 years, there are many other forgotten, reinvented, and even untouched items that arguably contin
Mario Kart Month A Brief History Of Mario Kart Item Evolution: Mighty Mushroom
There’s a shroom for every occasion
You wouldn’t normally associate a mushroom with speed, but just look at Toad with his white and red polka dot head – he’s always zipping about. Clearly he’s got a need for speed after excessive use of the mighty mushroom out on the track. Actually, it’s hard to imagine what’s even under that...
News Pullblox/Fallblox Sequel Coming to Wii U eShop in Japan on 19th June
Right outta nowhere
According to a newly found addition to Nintendo of Japan's official website, a Wii U sequel to the Intelligent Systems-developed Pullblox (known as Pushmo in North America) and Fallblox (known as Crashmo in North America) translated as Pushmo/Pullblox World is coming to Japan on 19th June this year. The site is in Japanese, so...
Mario Kart Month A Brief History Of Mario Kart Item Evolution: The Shell
When spiny blue shells grow wings
If you thought Donkey Kong’s banana-throwing antics were foul play out on the circuit, Koopa Troopa is probably worthy of mention as well – no doubt coming under fire from various animal rights groups for the exploitation of his own species. Although shells have been one of the many foundations of Mario Kart...
April2014
News The Wonderful 101 Saving Wallets on Wii U eShop
Ninja Gaiden, Game & Wario also discounted
It isn't too difficult to find a physical copy of The Wonderful 101 for a villainous price, but now the digital counterpart has been slashed as well. The quirky superhero action game has been reduced to $29.99 on the Wii U eShop, and it looks like this is a permanent drop. Players who have been wanting to...
January2014
News Intelligent Systems Development HQ Image Emerges
Part of continued investment
Intelligent Systems is a first-party Nintendo studio that's forged its identity through its continued work on the popular Paper Mario and Fire Emblem franchises, with Fire Emblem: Awakening being a particular highlight in 2013. Beyond those well known examples, however, its importance to Nintendo across console...
December2013
Feature 12 Days of Christmas - Fire Emblem's Awakening
Long-running strategy RPG dodges permadeath with one of the year's best
There were greater commercial and critical successes than Fire Emblem: Awakening's in this Year of Luigi, but none could be as sweet. The underdog series finally saw the acclaim that it deserved from a mass audience for a banner year, one in which the stakes couldn't have been...
November2013
News Fire Emblem: Awakening and ZombiU Developers Outline the Challenges of Permadeath
"[Writing ZombiU] was the toughest challenge...in over 10 years of writing"
In an era of gamers regularly debating the level of challenge offered in modern titles, an argument that can be tough to resolve, the concept of permadeath is a relatively rare feature that caters to those seeking a lack of compromise in their experiences. Taking away...
August2013
News Jam With the Band 3DS Title in Development By Intelligent Systems
Its most recent 3DS game was Fire Emblem: Awakening, just sayin'
Some European DS owners may be fans of Jam With the Band, a colourful music game published by Nintendo that incorporates performing and composing in some rather fun ways; it was never released in North America, unfortunately. Nintendo has now uploaded a teaser site for a new title in...
May2013
News Fire Emblem: Awakening Could Have Been The Swansong For The Series
Ultimatum spurred the developers on
Fire Emblem: Awakening has been a commercial and critical triumph, gaining positive review scores and bringing a whole new generation of fans to the series. However, had sales been lower, it could have been the final entry in the franchise. Producer Hitoshi Yamagami was told that if the game sold less than a...
News The Image Of Tharja In A Swimsuit Nintendo Of America Didn't Want You To See
Avert thine eyes, children
We've already seen that the European version of Fire Emblem: Awakening has been subjected to alterations to remove "adult" content, but now it's the turn of the North American version of the game. The recently-released DLC packs — Harvest Scramble, Summer Scramble and Hot Spring Scramble — were created as the result...
April2013
News Celebrate The European Launch of Fire Emblem: Awakening With This Tribute Album
30 classic cuts to download for free
As you're no doubt aware, Fire Emblem: Awakening launches in Europe today. To mark this grand occasion, Shiryu Music has launched Fire Emblem: War Memories, a free-to-download 30 track tribute album featuring music from previous games in the long-running tactical RPG series. You can download the album
Out Today Fire Emblem: Awakening (Europe)
European gamers, for you the wait is finally over
North American 3DS owners have been enjoying Fire Emblem: Awakening since February, and Japanese fans have had the game even longer — since April last year, in fact. It's only now that European players are getting their hands on one of the 3DS' most accomplished releases, but games of this quality...
News Europe Receives Fire Emblem: Awakening Puzzle Panel
The European release is tantalisingly close
North American 3DS owners have been playing through Fire Emblem: Awakening since February, while Europe watches on with envious eyes. There's not that much longer to wait though, as Intelligent Systems' turn-based strategy title is set to make the journey across the pond on 19th April. There's even an...
Weirdness Fire Emblem Devs Answer That Burning Question: What Happened To Everyone's Feet?
Best foot forward
Fire Emblem: Awakening is a fantastic game — you need only gaze at our review to acquire this knowledge — but there's something that has been bugging us for quite some time here at Nintendo Life Towers: all the characters seem to possess odd-looking feet. Thankfully, this troubling situation now has an answer, as Intelligent...
News Intelligent Systems Isn't Done With Advance Wars Just Yet
More mobile war-gaming on the horizon?
Intelligent Systems has recently reinvigorated the Fire Emblem franchise with Fire Emblem: Awakening, one of the best 3DS games to date. It would seem that the studio is keen to perform the same trick with one of its other famous properties, too. Speaking in an interview on the official Fire Emblem site,...
Video Nintendo UK Unleashes a Series of Fire Emblem: Awakening Tasters
It's getting closer, Europe
Although lucky gamers in North America have now been enjoying Fire Emblem: Awakening on 3DS since the start of February — Japanese gamers have been playing since last year — those of us in Europe are still waiting. It arrives in the region on 19th April, which still seems like a fair old wait considering just how much...
March2013
News Fire Emblem: Awakening Demo Questing To Europe On March 28th
You're having a Marth
Nintendo has confirmed that Europe will be getting a demo of Fire Emblem: Awakening on March 28th. Intelligent Systems' insanely popular turn-based strategy title has already been released in Japan and North America. The US release has been the most successful in the history of the franchise for that particular region. The...
News Fire Emblem: Awakening's US Sales Are The Best In The History Of The Series
180,000 units sold since launch
Nintendo has confirmed that Fire Emblem: Awakening has enjoyed the best first month sales in the entire history of the franchise, shifting 180,000 units since its launch on February 4th. Impressively, around 63,000 of that total was downloaded via the 3DS eShop. In contrast, the game's handheld predecessor — Fire...
February2013
News New Fire Emblem: Awakening DLC Details Battle For Attention
There's a lot of extra content
Fire Emblem: Awakening has, judging from the conversations among members of the Nintendo Life community, proven to be an engrossing and all-consuming strategic RPG experience. It seems that our love for the title, as shown in our Fire Emblem: Awakening review, is shared by a good number of 3DS owners. While the main...
News Fire Emblem: Awakening Battles Into Europe on 19th April
Special edition 3DS XL bundle also confirmed
While Japanese gamers have been enjoying Fire Emblem: Awakening for a number of months, and North Americans have been taking on the adventure in recent weeks, poor old Europeans have been left without so much as a firm release date. Nintendo of Europe boss Satoru Shibata apologised for that during...
Feature Fire Emblem's Western Adventure
From humble Japanese strategy RPG to important Western franchise
The long arduous wait for Fire Emblem: Awakening is almost over. North Americans will be getting hold of it on 4th February while Europeans, whose patience must be more enduring, will have it in April. Naturally, Japan has had the title for over a year now. Fire Emblem is a tactical...
News Fire Emblem: Awakening Was Almost Set On Mars
Nintendo's President conducts an eye-opening Iwata Asks
With Fire Emblem: Awakening emerging on North American shores this week, it seemed only fitting that Nintendo President Satoru Iwata was joined by the team behind the game in the latest instalment of Iwata Asks. Usually Iwata-san interviews three or four members of the development team, but...
