DS News

July2010

  • News Get Briefed on the New Features Implemented in Call of Duty: Black Ops

    A portable companion to the regiments on the home front

    With first-person shooters often making more of an impact on home consoles, n-Space is working hard to offer DS gamers something that can be enjoyed as well when Call of Duty: Black Ops launches later this year on 9th November. The company previously brought three other titles in the series to...

  • News High Court Outlaws Flash Carts in UK

    Piracy? But that's not all they R4!

    The R4 flash cart has been the bane of Nintendo's handheld existence for years now, with the device widely being used to play illegally downloaded DS ROMs. Rampant piracy has made it especially difficult for third-party developers to reach projected sales marks, and is also the reason non-Japanese-speaking gamers...

  • First Impressions Wii and DS Round-Up from London

    Get the lowdown on Okamiden, Super Scribblenauts and more!

    Ace Nintendo Life reporters James and Darren were recently invited to attend a special preview event in London to get hands-on with the 3DS as well as Nintendo's upcoming Wii and DS line-up. We've already posted our impressions of the 3DS and its games, so let's cast our eye to the wider...

  • News Nintendo Provides Face Training to European Gamers This September

    A rarity that is a DSi-only game

    We here at Nintendo Life know the importance of exercise and general body & mind maintenance; especially since we're in the business of interactive entertainment which requires a significant amount of time in front of a screen. Muscles need to be exercised and the ones in the face are no exception. It's been...

  • News Here's a Pokemon Black & White Video Chat Video For You

    And another mysterious beast revealed

    A few weeks ago we brought you news that video chat could be coming to Pokémon Black & White for DSi and 3DS owners. Now the feature's been confirmed, with its television debut on the Pokémon Sunday show, and it seems you can even draw on your friends' faces using the touchscreen for some on-the-fly facial...

  • News Trademarks Suggest Dragon Quest VI is Europe-bound

    Though we doubt you're bored of DQIX yet

    In January this year, Japanese DS owners rejoiced at being able to buy yet another Dragon Quest game in the form of Dragon Quest VI, a conversion of the Super Famicom original that never saw release outside the Land of the Rising Sun. It seems the DS remake won't suffer the same fate though, if a...

  • News Green Lantern Games Put Ryan Reynolds in Your Wii and DS

    Rise of the Manhunters on the way next year

    Not to be outdone by Sega's recent announcement of the Thor video game heading to Wii and DS next year, Warner Bros. Interactive is bringing the Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters to both machines to coincide with the launch of the film next summer. With a Wii version from Double Helix software,...

  • News Rising Star Wants to Know the Games You Want, Europe

    Let them know and who knows what may happen

    Rising Star Games has already brought European gamers the likes of Rune Factory Frontier and both No More Heroes titles, and later this year is releasing Yuji Naka's Ivy the Kiwi? games, Eldar Saga and Rune Factory 2 for DS. It's quite a busy year for the publisher but it's hungry for more, and is opening...

  • News Nintendo to Show Off Other M and Dragon Quest IX at San Diego Comic-Con

    Get a free treasure map!

    Of all the conventions, one stands staunchly above the others in nerd notoriety: Comic-Con International in San Diego, California (July 22 to July 25 at the San Diego Convention Centre). Nintendo's announced that it's to have a featured exhibit for the first time since 2006, complete with tantalizing playables and super cool...

  • News Thor to Hammer Down His Presence on Wii & DS in 2011

    The God of Thunder gets his first standalone video game outing

    As far as video game adaptations go, graphic novels and comics can be a goldmine. Sega recently announced that they're to mine one of those nuggets, and just in time for Comic Con season: Marvel's Thor. Thor: The Video Game has been announced as a third-person action game in development...

  • News Tetris Party Deluxe Rotates & Drops Down in Europe This September

    The latest cross-platform puzzler has its release date slotted in

    Tetris is one of those franchises that just won't go away, whether you want it to or not. The simplicity of its premise has lead to countless variations in rule-sets, and the latest instalment that's out on the Wii and the DS – Tetris Party Deluxe – has had its European release...

  • Nintendo Download 19th July 2010 (North America)

    The kittenpocalypse begins!

    Let's just not talk about the Virtual Console this week. Instead, let's talk about furry things, like legends and kitties and selling things to unsuspecting animals. WiiWare: AquaSpace (Nintendo, 600 Points) – This fish tank...thing hit Europe recently under the name Zenquaria: Virtual Aquarium. The most notable...

  • Podcast NLFM Episode 7: User-Generated Content

    Listener contributions, confusing homophones and Team Fortress 2 secrets revealed!

    Oh hi, didn't see you come in there. Stay a while, and listen! Turns out we've got some fine musicians in the audience as we take a look to some listener-created tunes. We've also got a few select choices from The Megas, The World Ends With You, and the song that...

  • News Shu Takumi Talks Ghost Trick, Ace Attorney

    Would love to see a 3DS Phantom Detective

    Recently, PlanetDS.de published an interview with Shu Takumi, a creative director at Capcom who's working on Ghost Trick and whose past projects include the first four Phoenix Wright titles. In it, he discusses his excitement with Phantom Detective: I swear none of you have ever seen anything like it...

  • Review LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (DS)

    Harry Potter gets the LEGO treatment

    Some of the most successful movie series of all time have already received the LEGO treatment, so it's no real surprise to see the immensely popular Harry Potter series given a blocky makeover. While LEGO Harry Potter doesn't stray too far from the trademark gameplay mechanics the series has featured in previous...

  • News Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light World Map Trailer

    Storybook scenery comes to life!

    The nice folks over at Square-Enix were kind enough to send over the newest gameplay video of their upcoming DS role-playing game Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light in action. In this new World Map Trailer, you'll be given a glimpse of how your characters will move around the world map as well as a peek at some of...

  • News Metroid: Other M & Dragon Quest IX to Take Centre Stage at Nintendo Unleashed

    Sample a present masterpiece and some future fun

    The Nintendo Unleashed tour will be starting this weekend as The Big N gives fans the opportunity to play the latest and biggest titles before they hit the shops. The tour takes its first steps at the London Film and Comic Con on the 17th and 18th of July, where attendees will be able to get their...

  • News Professor Layton and the Unwound Future Jumps a Week Closer to the Present

    North America hits 88 and skips a week

    With the recent announcement of a Professor Layton game on the 3DS, let's not forget the platform on which the popular series made its debut. In a truly time-puzzling manner, Nintendo has confirmed that Professor Layton and the Unwound Future will be launching a week earlier than previously announced, now on...

  • Review Runaway: A Twist of Fate (DS)

    Potent point-and-click

    The DS, initially thought of as the ideal format for point-and-click adventures and hidden object games, has seen a veritable deluge of such titles. It seems like for every few flops there's a classic awaiting discovery. Runaway: A Twist of Fate doesn't quite fit into the latter category, but it's more than decent enough for...

  • News Nintendo's European Release Schedule Offers Few Surprises

    Unless you love Scooby-Doo

    The news of Last Window: The Secret of Cape West heading to Europe is just one nugget from the latest Nintendo Europe press release outlining its schedule from now until the end of September. While this means that there's no sight of its big 2010 titles like Kirby's Epic Yarn, Donkey Kong Country Returns and

  • News Last Window Coming to Europe in September

    Hotel Dusk sequel picked up for localisation

    It's been a long wait to see if Last Window, developed by the sadly bankrupt Cing, would be heading to Western shores, but Nintendo has revealed the game will be coming to Europe in September. Players take the role of detective Kyle Hyde, returning from Hotel Dusk: Room 215, for another mystery-packed...

  • News Live Video Chat Could Come to Pokemon Black & White

    Live Caster feature for DSi and 3DS only

    Pokémon Black & White is shaping up to be a big push forward for the series: as well as a revamped graphical style, three-on-three battling and more, the latest information suggests it will allow DSi and 3DS owners to use video chat in local and WiFi Connection play. Pokémon website par excellence...

  • Review Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS)

    It's slime time!

    You'd be hard-pressed to find a video game series more influential to the Japanese RPG genre than Dragon Quest. Although the constantly-evolving Final Fantasy titles have generally remained more popular over the years, the former has stayed a favourite among long-time fans for its uncanny ability to retain the old-school console RPG...

  • News Aksys Calls 999 for Western Translation

    Japanese adventure heading Westward, ho!

    These are good times to be a DS-owning fan of rich adventures, with RPGs falling into your lap every five minutes. What about a less battle-oriented title, though? Aksys may have just the thing, as it's announced it will be translating Chunsoft's adventure title 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors. A combination...

  • News Seth Green Gives Sartorial Advice Using Dragon Quest

    A headline we never thought we'd run

    It's wall-to-wall Dragon Quest IX for DS at the moment as Nintendo's marketing machine is running at close to full speed, with a slew of adverts and the chance to meet the series creator in New York this weekend. Last week we brought you the first commercial starring Seth Green in which he gave a group of girls...

  • News Level 5 Draws Ni No Kuni to North America

    Inazuma Eleven on the way, too

    A combination of Professor Layton-developers Level-5 and Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli sounds like a winning mix, and Ni no Kuni: Shikkoku no Madōshi (or "Second Land: The Jet-Black Mage") is certainly shaping up to be another strong addition to the DS's stable of RPGs. Level-5 President...

  • News UK DSi Price Goes Down, UK DSi Sales Go Up

    40% increase every week since cut

    About a month ago Nintendo announced it was dropping the cost of DS consoles to retailers, with retailers lowering the cost to consumers. It seems the move has paid off handsomely, as Nintendo has revealed the machine's sales have increased 40 per cent every week since the trade price was cut. A primetime...

  • News Dragon Quest IX Event Wants to Tag You With a Special Map

    Get to Gamestop, get a map

    There are just a few more days to go until North American fans can bash slimes all over again in Dragon Quest IX, and within a few weeks GameStops up and down the country will be hosting an event to grant gamers a Special Event Map. To get involved it's very simple. Head to a participating store on the 31st of July between...

  • E3 2010 Best of E3 Awards

    Nintendo Life honours the great and the good

    The most recent episode of the Nintendo Life podcast revealed the winners of the Reader's Best of E3 Awards, and in case you've not caught the show yet here they are: Reader's Awards: Best Wii Game – Donkey Kong Country Returns.Best Handheld Game – Kid Icarus: Uprising.Best Overall Game –

  • News Aussie Child Uses DS to Save Mother's Bacon

    Nintendo's dual-screen wonder to the rescue

    Next time you're in a potentially life-threatening situation you might want to make sure you have a handheld console nearby. A quick-thinking Australian schoolchild - credited only as "Christopher" - found a use for his DS that didn't involve training pocket monsters or defeating Bowser; when his...

  • News Prepare Yourself for GoldenEye's "Epic" Tank Level

    Bond brings big bangs

    We all remember the tank level from the original GoldenEye: the feeling of destructive power at your fingertips was brilliantly realised, and with the recently-announced GoldenEye for Wii on the way Activision is looking to revive this classic level in a big fashion. In a recent interview with the UK's Official Nintendo...

  • News Metacritic Midyear Report Shows Nintendo Consoles Still Rocking

    DS had no "bad games", Wii receives best-reviewed game of the year so far

    However you feel about Metacritic's methods and impact, it's hard to deny the statistics it generates can make for some interesting reading. With the first six months of 2010 now behind us, the site has released its midyear report, showing how each console stacks up against...

  • News Freddie Flintoff Hits DS for Six

    First cricket game heading to the handheld

    Last year's Ashes Cricket 2009 on Wii was a huge success for Codemasters, but the lack of a DS version disappointed fans who wanted a bit of leather-on-willow on the move. Thankfully UK developer Fuzzy Frog Games has stepped in to fill the gap with Freddie Flintoff's Power Play Cricket on the way to DS in...

  • News Meet the Dragon Quest Creator at this DQIX Launch Event

    Also featuring a Dragon Quest ice cream truck

    Nintendo's desire to get the name Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies on everyone's lips gathers apace. Fresh from the appointment of Seth Green in a series of adverts the Big N has just announced a launch event at Rockefeller Plaza on Saturday July 10th. Guest of honour for the event will be...

  • News And Here's Your 2010 Club Nintendo Awards, North America

    Delectable collectables

    So the Club Nintendo North America year came to an end yesterday, and along with the beginning of a new one today the Big N has revealed what super special exclusive awards members who reached Gold or Platinum status are eligible for. The suspense is murderous! In a repeat of last year, Gold status members get a 2011 desk...

June2010

  • News Dragon Quest IX Gets a Little Help from Seth Green

    Contains potentially fatal amounts of geek

    Just when you thought your anticipation levels for Dragon Quest IX couldn't get any higher, along comes Nintendo with a new celebrity endorsement to kick your excitement up just another little notch. It may not be quite Beyoncé Knowles advertising Rhythm Paradise, but Seth Green's comical turn in this...

  • News Triple Trouble in this New Pokemon Black & White Trailer

    Three-on-three battles could mean 50% increase in strategy

    Making two captured monsters fight each other is passé: one of the new features of Pokémon Black and White is the ability to take three monsters into battle for even more tactical fighting. Not only does the trailer show off a sextet of battling monsters, it also leaves tantalising hints...

  • Guides How to Get Your Musical Creations Off Your DS

    With a lack of Export feature for most music software on the handheld, we show you how to preserve and share your masterpieces

    DS-owning music enthusiasts have quite a few tools at their disposal for composing their latest and greatest, laying down that melody that came out of nowhere for use later or just plain old messing around with bleeps and...

  • Nintendo Download 28th June 2010 (North America)

    Jett Rocket and Mario Tennis N64 headline this week's 10 releases

    Mario and Camelot breathe some life into the Virtual Console's N64 offerings, Shin'en shows the power of WiiWare and DSiWare keeps up its flood of titles. WiiWare: Jett Rocket (Shin'en, 1000 Points) – This platformer from the creators of the excellent Art of Balance blasts onto...

  • Review The World Ends With You (DS)

    Animazing

    Tearing up many RPG conventions that its publisher Square Enix put into place, The World Ends With You is vibrant, energetic and an absolute blast to play. You play Neku Sakuraba, a young Japanese kid who wakes up with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. So far, so standard, right? It would be, except for the fact he wakes up...

  • News Kingdom Hearts DS Release Re:coded to Tease 3DS Title

    Nomura tells all!

    According to a recent interview with Square Enix director Tetsuya Nomura, the 3DS Kingdom Hearts game will be a brand new adventure in which characters Soru and Riku explore worlds previously unforeseen in the series (no Pixar characters, though). If you want any more tidbits, though, it might do you well to check out the upcoming...

  • News North American Club Nintendo Year Coming to an End Next Week

    Might want to hurry up with that Gold or Platinum status

    How's your Club Nintendo account looking, North Americans? Did you register enough Nintendo Product™ since last July to qualify for a neat-o Gold or Platinum badge? If not, you might want to scrape your game collection for stray Coins as the second Club Nintendo year winds down on June 30 to...

  • E3 2010 Your Chance to Salute the Best of E3

    Reader's vote returns!

    So E3 is over for another year, now a distant memory as we look to the future to anticipate when we might all be able to join Corbie in appreciating the 3DS for ourselves. It's not time to forget just yet; in fact, quite the opposite: it's time to celebrate the best of E3 in our imaginatively titled Nintendo Life Best of E3...

  • News Iwata: Nintendo Looking to Improve Online Efforts

    Company is "not satisfied" with current functionality

    When it comes to online functionality, Nintendo doesn't rank particularly high among developers – and they know it. Earlier, Shigeru Miyamoto expressed the company's need to rethink it's online strategy on a macro level. Now, in an investor Q&A session held during E3 last week (via

  • E3 2010 Interviews: Okamiden - Capcom

    Okamiden producer answers a few of our questions

    Okamiden has remained under the radar for the most part as of late, so it was nice to see the game on display at E3 2010. After spending a bit of time with the game, it's clear that it continues the tradition of beautiful oriental-style artwork and scenery, not to mention the same unique gameplay of...

  • Nintendo Download 21st June 2010 (North America)

    Spin some tentacles, strategize against dinsoaurs, and puzzle puzzle puzzle

    Nintendo hopes you like puzzle games, because that's five of the eight games released this week across WiiWare and DSiWare. To nobody's surprise, the Virtual Console has yet again been left out on a hill to die or something. But look, puzzlers! WiiWare: Art Style: Rotozoa...

  • E3 2010 First Impressions: Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light

    Something old and something new

    With so many great games on the E3 show floor, it was difficult to find the time to get in some solid playing time on them all. But of all the titles I was fortunate enough to get to play during the E3 show, it was Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light that I found myself going back to time and time again whenever I...

  • News Secret of Mana On the Way to iPhone, Not DSi

    Square classic misses DS transfer

    It's a classic entry in the pantheon of RPGs: Square's Secret of Mana for Super Nintendo is widely regarded as one of the finest games in the genre, even after all these years, but other than the less well-received Children of Mana and Heroes of Mana we haven't seen the series reach the DS. It looks as though that...

  • E3 2010 Okamiden Trailer

    Brush with destiny

    The focus might be on 3DS at this year's E3, but that doesn't mean the DS's life is about to reach an abrupt end. With Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective and

  • E3 2010 Super Scribblenauts Trailer

    Warner Bros is bringing sketchy back

    We already know that Warner Bros' sequel to last year's Scribblenauts lets you use adjectives to customise your world, so here's a few to customise this E3 trailer: shiny, new, luscious. With promises of fixed controls, new challenges and even more words to be added, there's good reason to be hopeful that this...

  • E3 2010 More Clues to the Inner-Workings of Ghost Trick Phantom Detective

    New trailers introduce us to a mysterious man

    This year's E3 event saw Capcom unveiling some anticipated titles, as well as revealing some new and unexpected ones. A game that has grabbed our attention is the ghostly puzzle game known as Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective for the DS and the company has recently released the third episode video, along...

  • E3 2010 Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs for the DS

    Protect the region of Oblivia from all those thieves

    Want a change from all the stress of catching Pokémon? Well, now you can look forward to the third title in the Pokémon Ranger series as players once again take on the role of a ranger, this time tasked with looking after everything living in the Oblivia region. Watch out for those pesky...

  • E3 2010 Nintendo's Press Conference Highlights

    Miss the show? Catch the highlights reel

    We brought you live text updates from Nintendo's press conference, but sometimes there's excitement only seeing things in motion can bring. Now you can live – or relive – all those cherished memories of times gone by with this highlights compilation from the show. From Satoru Iwata showing off the 3DS to...

  • E3 2010 DS's Upcoming Line-up

    What's in store for Nintendo's current handheld hardware?

    We've seen a few big-name DS titles at this year's E3, most notably Golden Sun: Dark Dawn and Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, but they're not the only titles coming to DS in the coming months and beyond. Nintendo's current schedule for DS contains the above highlights as well as...

  • E3 2010 Golden Sun: Dark Dawn

    The heroes return only on DS! Updated with trailer!

    It's taken seven years for the franchise to return, but last year saw the announcement of Golden Sun DS. Today at Nintendo's E3 press conference we saw plenty more on the game, now officially titled Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. Following the heroes Matthew, Kans and Terrell, it looks set to deliver more...

  • E3 2010 Two New Professor Layton Mysteries On the Way

    One for DS and one for 3DS from Level 5 (updated with trailer)

    The first Professor Layton was a huge crossover hit all over the world, bringing non-gamers to the DS in droves, enchanted by its blend of puzzle and adventure in a rather whimsical shell. Last year's Pandora's Box was every bit as good, and now the saga continues with two more mysteries...

  • E3 2010 Mario vs Donkey Kong: Miniland Mayhem

    The struggle between apes and plumbers continues

    You'd have thought these two could have settled their differences by now, but the long-standing rivalry between Mario and Donkey Kong continues to boil, with Mario vs Donkey Kong: Miniland Mayhem for DS the latest title to pit the two against each other. With the promise of user-generated content and...

  • E3 2010 Nintendo 3DS

    All the news, all the facts straight from E3. UPDATED: Corbie's thoughts in!

    UPDATE: Corbie, our man at E3, has just been in touch with his first thoughts on the 3DS: Played the 3DS in person and it's unreal. The level of depth and clarity on the screen is incredible. And the graphics potential has to be at least on par with Wii, maybe even better...

  • E3 2010 Nintendo's 3DS line-up

    What Nintendo is bringing to 3DS might just blow you away

    What games are coming to the 3DS, the console we just so lovingly talked you through? Here's Nintendo to describe some of the titles on their way to the console with its latest press release: Nintendo Introduces Glasses-Free 3D Gaming, and Unleashes the Industry’s Best Franchises in...

  • E3 2010 Ubisoft's Michael Jackson Dance Game Moonwalking to a Console Near You

    King of Pop returns to video games

    Wrapping up his company's E3 2010 press conference, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot revealed yet another dance game — this time they're bringing out the big guns. Known only as Michael Jackson, the game is light on confirmed details so far. We do know that it will feature the "most famous tracks" from the...

  • News More Pokemon Black & White Monsters Revealed

    Certainly prettier than the first lot

    We've seen the three Pokémon you'll choose from at the start of your adventure, as well as the legendary monsters you'll look to snag nearer the end, but in-between there's dozens of new Pokémon to discover. Japanese magazine CoroCoro has obliged by revealing details and images of six brand new monsters and a...

  • News Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies Teaser Trailer

    Check out the latest trailer for the upcoming DS RPG.

    The kind folks at Nintendo were kind enough to send over the latest teaser trailer for the upcoming Square-Enix RPG Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies. While there's not a lot of actual gameplay footage in the trailer, there is some very cool animated sequences that should get you...

  • News Nintendo Sits Us Down for an Art Academy Compilation

    Another one? The ink pot's deeper than we thought

    With the nature of the DS touchscreen and stylus input, it's no wonder developers have tried to emulate the process of putting pen to paper in more ways than one. Whether it's drawing the path in which Link's boomerang will travel in, or more art-orientated implementations, it's certainly a fun and...

  • News Ivy the Kiwi? to be a Rising Star in Europe

    Home of Japanese Games picks up Yuji Naka's latest

    You've probably only just wiped away your tears of sadness following yesterday's introduction to the story of Ivy the Kiwi?, but you may now start weeping tears of joy with the announcement that Rising Star Games is bringing the title to Europe this Autumn. Developed by former Sonic Team head honcho...

  • E3 2010 DS Predictions

    What’s in store for Nintendo’s current gen handheld?

    We all know the buzz around Nintendo’s announcement of the 3DS is reaching fever pitch, but it would be foolish to write off its current DS hardware: DSi is barely a year old, so there’s bound to be a lot of titles to convince DS owners not to abandon the system just yet. Returning...

  • News Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light Gets E3 Trailer

    Showing the user interface, game environments and enemies

    When Square Enix announced that Western gamers will be sampling the delights of the latest Final Fantasy game built for the DS, we could hear the dusting-off of robes and the clunking of armour from continent to continent. Now, we have a bit more to share with you as we take a look at the...

  • News Ivy the Kiwi? Story Might Make You Cry a Bit

    Poor little lost bird

    You may have heard Nintendo Life staff James Newton and Corbie Dillard discuss this title in the latest episode of the podcast, and Ivy the Kiwi? continues to gain momentum with new screenshots and details about the tiny bird's story hitting the 'net from US publisher XSEED Games. Developed by Let's Tap developer PROPE, headed...

  • Rumour We May See a 3DS Animal Crossing Next Week

    Chug chug chug goes the E3 rumour mill

    You know the deal by now: until we have this confirmed, please treat the following as a rumour. Robot-worshipping games website Destructoid recently posted an intriguing piece of news, suggesting that one first-party launch title for the 3DS could be the next instalment in Nintendo's Animal Crossing franchise...

  • News Kingdom Hearts Returns to DS with Re:coded

    Square Enix and Disney collaboration continues

    Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days was released less than a year ago but Square Enix is already shouting about its next entry in the series, with Kingdom Hearts Re:coded heading to DS. Here's the official press release containing what little information we have: Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd./h.a.n.d...

  • News Nintendo Points the Finger at the Wii for the Drop in Handheld Sales

    Lack of big sales due to big games?

    With handheld sales in the UK reaching the lowest level in the last four years, the European MD at Nintendo, Laurent Fischer, has pointed the finger at a rather unexpected culprit. Fischer feels the Wii is responsible for the drop in DS sales, with its range of big releases hogging the limelight. Speaking to MCV,...

  • News Third Parties May Reveal Their Own 3DS Games at E3

    Nintendo apparently giving thumbs-up to proceed

    So far we've heard plenty of talk from third parties about how interesting the 3DS looks but naturally nobody's been able to say "look at our game, it's three-dimensional." The general expectation was that Nintendo would announce the 3DS and its own titles but that third-party games may take...

  • News EA CEO Has Seen 3DS, Confirms It Is Cool

    Take that, watertight NDA!

    As the head of one of EA, one of the world's largest publishers, John Riccitello is very much an Important Man in the games industry. That said, it's no surprise he's been able to have a look at Nintendo's upcoming 3DS, nor that he's unable to say much about it. What he can tell you, though is that it's cool. It’s like...

  • News 3DS Will Supposedly Not Use NVIDIA's Tegra Technology

    Digital Foundry's sources 'corroborates' what was claimed by IGN's insiders

    When rumblings of a new generation of handheld from Nintendo were first felt last year, there were reports of industry insiders leaking information on the 3DS hardware architecture. Claims of NVIDIA's Tegra chip being used in the 3DS are now being contradicted by Digital...

  • News Rune Factory 3 Will be Harvested for DS Later This Year

    Natsume announces third part of Harvest Moon spin-off

    Whilst our European readers are still waiting to play the second handheld instalment in the farming-and-fighting series Rune Factory – though Rising Star Games is bringing it to Europe in the coming months – Natsume has gone and jumped the gun by announcing the third entry, smartly titled...

  • News Get Your DSi XL in Sultry Midnight Blue, North America

    New colour launches on July 11th

    Last week Nintendo announced three new DSi XL colours for Japan in the form of bright green, yellow and blue, and it's safe to say opinion was divided. Nintendo of America thinks you'll appreciate its new colour rather more, announcing the machine will soon be available in Midnight Blue. Slinking into stores across...

  • News Capcom CEO Thinks 3DS Could Learn from Apple

    Business model the key with upcoming handheld

    Although nobody expects Nintendo to ignore boxed retail games with its 3DS handheld, the smart money is on the company announcing a greater focus on download titles than before. Capcom CEO Haruhiro Tsujimoto believes the system has the potential to introduce a new business model to the hardware...

  • Review Dementium II (DS)

    A demented good time

    Dementium II, the sequel to 2007’s Dementium: The Ward, has many characteristics spawning from a mixture of the Resident Evil-style survivor horror sub-genre and a first-person shooter. You control your character in a first-person perspective through many creepy, unsettling locales, but it’s not your ordinary shooter: it has...

  • Rumour 3DS Could Rival PS3 and 360 in Power Stakes

    Unnamed source talks power and internal chips

    You could fit everything we currently know about the 3DS into a flea's rucksack, so when tantalising rumours come along it's our duty to report them, even when they seem too good to be true. IGN has recently posted an article referencing several unnamed developers that claim the console outstrips the...

  • News First Sonic Colours Details Emerge

    And the first "return to form" claim is right behind

    The announcement of Sonic Colours for Wii and DS was a bit of a bolt from the blue (pardon the pun), with just a rendered trailer and short press release to go on. Now with the cat out of the bag the first proper information is starting to trickle through, with a Nintendo Power interview with...

  • News Rising Star to Bring Rune Factory 2 and More to Europe in Autumn

    My World, My Way and Eldar Saga on the way too

    European publisher Rising Star Games is responsible for bringing across some of the more original critically-acclaimed titles, localising feudal side-scrolling slasher Muramasa: The Demon Blade, monarchic masterpiece Little King's Story and most of the Harvest Moon series in recent years. Just before E3...

  • News Hudson Announces E3 Lineup

    To include mysterious secret title...

    Hudson Entertainment recently announced the list of games that it'll be showing off at the upcoming entertainment exposition which we know as E3. Their Wii lineup will feature BEYBLADE: Metal Fusion – Battle Fortress, Deca Sports 3, Oops! Prank Party and Lost in Shadow while for DS it'll be presenting...

  • News Nintendo of America has No Comment on DS Price Cut

    European and Japanese drops still happening

    Yesterday we revealed that the trade price of DS consoles is due to drop in the UK following a similar announcement for Japan, so naturally we were curious whether Nintendo of America would follow suit. Sadly it seems that, if they are, we won't be hearing about it just yet. A Nintendo of America...

  • News This DS Game Includes Bespoke Cheese and Wine Guides

    Only team-up with ELLE à Table makes that headline possible

    With E3 just a matter of weeks away, all eyes are on Nintendo to see what innovative and exciting titles the company has planned for the next year and beyond. It's safe to say that nobody ever expected the company to announce a game that includes cheese and wine guides, but here we are on...

    • DS
  • News Kapow! New Batman Trailer is Both Brave and Bold

    Holy hand-drawn animation!

    Time to dig out that cape and tiny pants, readers: this new trailer for upcoming Batman adventure The Brave and the Bold is sending out the Batsignal into the night sky. Despite sounding like an American daytime soap opera, Batman: The Brave and the Bold is based on the cartoon series, putting players in control of the...

  • News UK DS Prices Could Tumble as Nintendo Cuts Trade Cost

    No new colours on the way, sadly

    Earlier today we reported that Nintendo is set to launch new DSi XL colours over in Japan, accompanied by a decent price cut on all DS lines. Now Nintendo UK has announced it'll be chopping down the asking price of every DS unit it sells to retailers, leaving the door open for cheaper consoles across the country...

  • News DSi XL Brightens Up with Three New Colours

    Blue, yellow and green to reach Japan

    With its enormous screens and somewhat muted colour palette, the DSi XL is very much aimed at the more distinguished gamer. What about a slightly brighter take on the portable, though? Well, Japan is about to get the first wave of new colours for the XL as these pictures show. Sticking to simple blue, yellow and...

  • News 586 People Playing DS Earns Them a World Record

    London's MCM Expo made history

    What's the largest number of people you've ever seen playing DS at one time? Four? Ten? Thirty? Then this video will blow your mind. Okay, not really. Last weekend's MCM Expo in London was home to a Guinness World Record attempt by gamers to smash the record of "Largest Handheld Game Console Party", held by...

  • News Accio! Two Games Conjured from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Movies

    Last wizard adventure to come in two parts

    We haven't yet had Lego Harry Potter: Years 1 to 4 but fans of the boy wizard and whichever-of-his-friends-you-still-think-is-alive needn't worry about getting short-changed on the magic happenings this year, with EA and Warner Bros. announcing two new Potter titles are on the way. Based on the final two...

May2010

  • Feature The Great and the Good in WarioWare DIY

    Get some inspiration for your creations

    We love WarioWare: DIY here at Nintendo Life Towers: its ample array of game creation tools is enough to inspire even the most stunted imagination to create a gameplay masterpiece. When placed in the hands of the truly talented, however, some unbelievable microgames are possible: here's a selection of some of...

  • News Get Ready for More 3D Sonics: Sega Will Invest Heavily in 3DS

    Console is "landmark hardware" says Sega top man

    Renegade Kid's Jools Watsham recently spoke out saying he believed Western third-parties would get behind the 3DS after being put off by the lack of success on DS and now, from the other side of the world, Japanese giant Sega has confirmed its intentions to support 3DS fully. Speaking to Japanese...

  • News Catch Pokemon Black and White in North America Next Spring

    Update: European release also Spring 2011

    It might be nearly a year away but Nintendo clearly wants to get the bandwagon rolling early for the next Pokémon game, announcing it's going to be released in North America in Spring 2011. Not only that, we also know two of the legendary Pokémon that'll feature in the game: Black owners can capture...

  • News Lucky Australians, You Get Mega Man Zero Collection Before Europe

    Only a day earlier, though

    The great Gods of Australian game releases are a picky bunch: with one hand they taketh away Bejeweled 2, with the other they giveth Mega Man Zero Collection on June 10th. Yep, Capcom is bringing the Z-busting compendium over just two short days after the North American release and one day before its European launch, far...

  • News Embark on a New Adventure With Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light

    The DS has an entirely new chapter of the Final Fantasy saga to conquer

    With the HD consoles getting the main series in the Final Fantasy franchise and the with the Wii having its own Crystal Chronicles series to tuck into, DS owners might be getting a bit tired of getting old ports and updated versions of past Final Fantasy games. Well, now you can...

  • News First Details of de Blob: The Underground Revealed

    Nintendo Power gets first look at sparkly sequel

    De Blob was pretty special: smart design, a great atmosphere and a huge amount of fun mark it out as one of the Wii's finest titles. When THQ announced it would be bringing the title back for a release in 2011 we all had a smile on our collective faces, and now the first small details have surfaced...

  • News Lufia Returns to DS with Curse of the Sinistrals

    Natsume bringing RPG over later this year

    It's been a long old time since we last played a translated Lufia game on a Nintendo platform: around seven years ago, in fact. Natsume's never been one to let a good IP lay dormant though, announcing it's going to bring the latest title, Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals, to North America later this year. Not...

  • News Sonic Colours to Brighten Up DS and Wii

    New hog outing announced!

    We at Nintendo Life Towers had mixed feelings recently when Sega announced it was delaying the promising Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 for WiiWare as we were looking forward to getting stuck into the hog's latest. Still, always one to bounce back from his disappointments – let's face it, he's had enough practice –...

  • News Nintendo of Australia Sends DS to School But Don't Get Any Ideas

    "We're not Santa", they may have said

    Here's a heartwarming story for you: a young girl, frustrated at not being bought a DS console by her parents, wrote a letter to Nintendo as part of a school project, praising the company and explaining her situation. Signing off with a polite – if somewhat cheeky – request for a console, she was...

  • News Marth Returns as New Fire Emblem for DS Announced

    Looks like a remake of the third title

    Tactical battling on the go is a big win for us here at Nintendo Life Towers: many's the hour we've spent on Advance Wars and Fire Emblem, so the opportunity to get more of either is something we welcome with open arms. We already knew about a new Advance Wars, but today the Japanese Fire Emblem site has been...

  • Review Star Trek: Tactical Assault (DS)

    Tactics, but not as we know them

    Developer Quicksilver Software is no stranger to the Star Trek licence, having developed the well-regarded Starfleet Command for the PC, which is itself an attempt to deliver a computerised version of the venerable board game Star Fleet Battles. Tactical Assault is essentially a stab at a port of Starfleet Command to...

  • News Renegade Kid Excited by 3DS's Potential for Original Games

    Dementium developer thinks new machine could reignite third parties

    When it comes to creating superb DS-exclusive titles, nobody rivals Nintendo: we know this, you know this and developers certainly know this, resulting in a marked decrease in DS boxed releases as publishers look to distribute their funds elsewhere. Jools Watsham, founder of...