DS News
June2009
News Doki Majo Plus Set To Interfere With Little Girls
Avert your eyes - SNK Playmore's worrying sequel gets the trailer treatment.
Doki Doki Majo Shinpan is a DS title produced by SNK Playmore that revolves around touching little girls in order to see if they're witches. Unsurprisingly, it failed to get a western release. However, the Japanese absolutely lapped it up and a sequel is now inbound...
News HISTORY Great Empires: Rome Coming to DS
Valcon Games announces their new strategy title for Nintendo's DS system.
Valcon Games has just announced their newest title HISTORY Great Empires: Rome for Nintendo's DS system. The game is a turn-based strategy title that will feature many realistic historical elements and game play options. Below is a copy of the official press release announcing...
News XSEED: Retro Game Challenge 2 Isn't Coming To The US
Publisher replies to personal request regarding the status of the game
Nintendo Life forum member slapshot82 recently wrote a letter to US publisher XSEED Games asking if the company would relent on its non-committal stance regarding the North American localization of Retro Game Challenge 2. Sadly, the reply was less than positive: Thanks for the...
News The Legendary Starfy Avatar Contest Winner
Find out which Starfy avatar we voted as the best in show!
Well the time has come to announce the winner of "The Legendary Starfy Avatar Contest" we recently held. We want to first thank everyone for the overwhelming response to the contest. I don't think any of us actually thought we'd see this many unique avatar entries into the contest...
News Tingle to Star in Another Game?
Everybody's favourite green spandex-wearing fairy wannabe might get another game.
The latest issue of Famitsu has a page-sized teaser for what appears to be a new Tingle game for the DS. Logic assumes that this will be a sequel to his 2007 RPG, Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, which was only released in Japan and Europe. As it's just a teaser...
Review Knights in the Nightmare (DS)
Strategy-RPG goes bullet-hell in this unique and thoroughly demanding game
Let me put a word to you, folks: hardcore. That's right, hardcore. It's a word used to describe something overwhelmingly tough or resilient, something that crosses a perceived threshold of difficulty and endurance and reaches a level that few others can hope to match. Within...
News The Legendary Starfy Avatar Contest
Your Legendary Starfy avatar could win you a copy of the game!
We here at Nintendo Life have decided to give away one brand spanking new The Legendary Starfy DS game to one lucky reader who can impress us with their own unique Legendary Starfy avatar. Now the avatar doesn't have to be Starfy himself, but it does have to be related to the game in...
News Upcoming DS Titles Get Dates
Yes, even the ugly ones.
Although the DS's showing at E3 was nowhere near as expansive as some of us would have liked, Nintendo still came out of it with a few nice treats lined up for us in the next twelve months. Well, today they got a little more specific with their timings, letting us know exactly when we can buy those mouthwatering new pocket...
News Pokémon Heart Gold/Soul Silver "PokeWalker" unveiled
Pedometer accessory to ship with copies of upcoming Pokémon DS games in Japan.
Today's episode of the Japanese Pokémon Sunday officially revealed the "PokeWalker", a pedometer-like accessory that will come bundled with copies of the upcoming Pokémon remakes, Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver The Poke Ball-shaped device allows you to...
News Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Trailer
Check out the upcoming Kingdom Hearts DS title in action!
Kingdom Hearts fans have been anticipating this new DS release for some time now, so it should come as good news that we finally have the official promotional trailer for Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days to show you. You can check out the trailer below along with a snippet taken directly from the...
News New Nintendo Handheld Dropped Amid DS Success
Amazing DS sales force Nintendo to reconsider plans for new handheld system.
Gamers waiting for the true successor to the DS system might be waiting a bit longer than once thought. According to an IGN news article, Nintendo had already completed work on the new handheld, but given the rampant success of the DS system over the past few years, they've...
Review PDC World Championship Darts 2009 (DS)
Bullseye? Perhaps not.
PDC World Championship Darts 2009 from Oxygen Games brings all the, ahem, "excitement" of darts to the Nintendo DS, offering four different modes of gameplay as well as a local tournament mode. Being a game based on arguably not the most active of sports, and indeed one which is most often associated with an older...
News New Wii Zelda Game in the Works
Famed game designer Shigeru Miyamoto sits down and talks about some of Nintendo's upcoming titles, including a new Wii Zelda title.
Shigeru Miyamoto has held a roundtable session to speak to the media regarding some of his own personal projects so we thought we'd talk about some of the highlights here. Miyamoto-san is quite excited about New Super...
News Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story E3 Trailer
The Mario Bros. are back for their second DS RPG adventure.
Nintendo finally showed some footage of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story this morning at E3 and it looked as amazing as ever. This time the Mario Bros. find themselves inside of the evil Bowser and controlling him from the inside out. Below is the official E3 press release for the...
Hugh Laurie's genius doctor makes a house call to Nintendo's handheld
Legacy Interactive and Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group have joined forces to bring DS owners the chance to play everybody's favourite cantankerous physician (that's the only way House can be described: it's the law) with their upcoming game House, M.D., announced today...
E3 2009 Nintendo's Announcements
New games announced for Wii include Wii Fit Plus, New Super Mario Bros, Metroid, and Super Mario Galaxy 2, for DS we'll be seeing the new Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and WarioWare DIY.
Reggie and co took the stage earlier today to announce the latest games and gizmos that we'll be yearning over for the coming twelve months. Wii Fit Plus...
The classic GBA RPG series is headed to DS!
It's been over 6 years since we've seen a Golden Sun release, but the series, consisting of two releases on Nintendo's Game Boy Advance system, is now officially coming to Nintendo's DS system with the announcement of Golden Sun DS. In the brief promo video shown at Nintendo's Press Conference, we got to...
News DSi Selling Like Hot Cakes In Europe
One million served since launch
Nintendo has confirmed that its DSi console has shifted a million units since it's European launch at the start of April. It's taken a mere eight weeks for the new hardware to clock up this impressive amount of sales. To put this success into perspective, its predecessor the DS Lite took 13 weeks to hit the same...
May2009
News Another Legendary Starfy Commercial
Check out Starfy's second commercial running in theaters.
The guys at Nintendo were once again kind enough to send us over a second commercial for their Legendary Starfy DS game that hits store shelves on June 8th. This commercial features a little bit of actual Legendary Starfy footage at the end of the spot. The commercial is set to run in movie...
News Hey, You Got Your Rhythm Heaven In My iTunes!
Quirky visualizer makes your trippy music even more so.
Music and visualizers go together like caramel and apples, chocolate and peanut butter, and apple sauce and chocolate chip cookies (don't knock it till you try it!). iTunes users have been blessed with a series of excellent ones built right in, and now you can add another one to your arsenal of...
News The Legendary Starfy TV Commercial
Check out Starfy's brand new TV commercial.
The guys at Nintendo were kind enough to send us over the brand new commercial for their Legendary Starfy DS game that hits store shelves on June 8th. While there's not any actual Legendary Starfy footage, the commercial is still worth a look. Don't forget to check out the interview with Nintendo/TOSE...
News Introducing Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
SEGA to try their hand at Mario Kart with Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing powering our way in early 2010 on Wii, DS, PS3 and Xbox 360.
In a frantic battle to the chequered flag, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing sees Sonic and friends speed around tracks set in mediaeval castle ramparts, lush rainforests and bustling cities, all taken from the...
News EU Club Nintendo Gets Giratina DS Lite
Further proof that the US offers the worst gifts.
Club Nintendo in the US has been the last one to really get off the ground. Launched last December, it has a couple DS cases, some Hanafuda cards and a DS compilation of Game & Watch games. They're not terrible, per se, but certainly no Zelda statue or Mario Galaxy kite that you Europeans have...
News Taito Announces More Retro-tastic Games
New-old versions of Arkanoid, Space Invaders and Bust-A-Move coming to WiiWare
Did you like Bubble Bobble Plus!? Taito is banking on a big ol' "yes" to that one, because the company has announced it'll be unleashing five more new-old games for WiiWare and DS. Bust-A-Move Plus!, Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure and Arkanoid Plus! will be...
News Aliens: Colonial Marines DS Trailer Leaked?
Could this be Wayforward's spiritual follow-up to Contra 4?
A mysterious trailer has hit YouTube recently that appears to show footage from Aliens: Colonial Marines for the Nintendo DS. The previously unheard of game appears to have been coded by highly respected developer Wayforward. While we're not entirely convinced this is a 100% official video,...
Review Personal Trainer: Walking (DS)
Nintendo brings fitness gaming to their portable DS system.
With the success of Nintendo's Wii Fit release for their Wii console last year, it comes as no big surprise to see them release a fitness title on the DS system as well. Personal Trainer: Walking takes the simple task of walking and builds an entire DS title around it, allowing you to...
First Impressions Personal Trainer: Walking
We take Nintendo's new DS fitness title for a walk.
We recently got in the upcoming DS title Personal Trainer: Walking and we've had a chance to spend a little time with it and we think gamers who want to increase their fitness level are in for a treat with this interesting new DS game package. Inside the package you basically get the DS game, two...
News Gameplay Trailer - The Legendary Starfy
Check out the upcoming DS platformer in action!
We just got in the official game play trailer for the upcoming DS release The Legendary Starfy. As you can see in the trailer, there's plenty of platforming action and underwater puzzle-solving elements to go around. You can also get a glimpse into some of the amazing boss fights the game features...
Interviews Nintendo/TOSE - The Legendary Starfy
The Legendary Starfy developers talk about their upcoming DS platformer.
We were fortunate enough to be invited to take part in a teleconference with several developers of the upcoming DS title The Legendary Starfy today. While there was a Q & A session, it turned out to only be yours truly and one other guy who fired one question and then...
A little history lesson on Nintendo's adorable platforming star.
Since many gamers outside of Japan are not terribly familiar with the Densetsu no Stafi series of games, not to mention the fact that The Legendary Starfy is set to be released in North American on June 9th, we thought it would be fun to take a look at the history of the series...
News Nostalgia Coming to Nintendo DS in September
Tecmo and Ignition Entertainment bring some new JRPG goodness to Nintendo's DS.
Tecmo and Ignition Entertainment will be bringing a brand new Japanese RPG experience to Nintendo's DS system in September called Nostalgia and they were kind enough to send us over some brand new screenshots of the game in action. As you can see, the game has quite a...
First Impressions Mario & Luigi RPG 3
Mario and Luigi return to the DS in their third humorous adventure.
Mario and Luigi have been to some pretty bizarre places, but none as weird as where they end up in Mario and Luigi RPG 3. You see, a mysterious epidemic is raging through the Mushroom Kingdom, causing people to inflate many times their normal size. The residents of the kingdom...
News Ragnarok Online DS slashes its way out of Japan
XSEED Games announces a winter release schedule for the online dungeon-crawler.
Out in Japan since December of last year, it seemed extremely unlikely that the co-operative hack-and-slash RPG Ragnarok Online DS would ever see an international release. Thankfully for North American gamers, XSEED Games have just announced plans via press release to...
News Nintendo DS: Over A Million Served In NA During April
The plucky handheld is truly unstoppable
The world's economy might be in the dumps but that hasn't stopped Nintendo from selling hardware like it's going out of fashion. The company's massively successful DS range shifted 1.04 million units in the United States during the month of April. The DSi clocked up 827,000 sales while the older DS Lite...
News There's a DS Sold For Every One in Five People in Japan
Lifetime sales data by region revealed
Nintendo's sales statistics this gen have been impressive across the board (except for Wii Music, which the company admits underwhelmed at retail), but this one is a doozy. The company has released lifetime sales data for the mighty DS, covering all three iterations, and market penetration in the US and Europe...
Interviews Kyle Gray talks Henry Hatsworth & indie plans
Nintendo Life catches up with the man behind one of the most creative DS games to find out if there is life after EA.
If you've read our review then you'll know that Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure is one of the most creative and fun games you can play on the DS right now; the blissful combination of gorgeous 2D visuals, top-quality...
News First Pokémon Heart Gold & Soul Silver footage appears
Japanese television show debuts in-game footage of the upcoming DS remakes.
Viewers of the Japanese television show Pokémon Sunday were greeted with a welcome surprise yesterday - new, exclusive in-game video of the recently-announced Pokémon games, Heart Gold and Soul Silver! Along with the announcement that the games were in development and due...
News Infinite Space Gameplay Trailer
Sega shows off some battle footage from its upcoming space-sim/RPG.
Just weeks away from release in Japan, Sega has finally released some combat footage from the upcoming DS space opera Infinite Space (known as Infinite Line in Japan). The top screen displays the action via a cinematic battle camera, with the touch screen used to give commands and...
News They Sold a Million: Nintendo's Biggest Titles Revealed
List of top-selling titles puts Sony and Microsoft to shame
We don't need to tell you that the DS and Wii have been pretty damned successful. However, it's always interesting to see numbers that illustrate just how damned successful the two consoles have performed, so here goes (figures are for worldwide sales): Nintendo DS Brain Training - 17.4...
News Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver officially announced
Classic GBC Pokemon games reborn, ten years on.
Nintendo of Japan has been hinting at it recently, but now the news is official - Pokemon Gold and Silver are being remade for the Nintendo DS! Set for a Japanese release this Fall to co-incide with the original games' ten-year anniversary, the remakes (dubbed Heart Gold and Soul Silver) will be remade...
News Zelda: Spirit Tracks To Appeal To a Wider Age Group?
Will Nintendo dumb down Link's latest adventure?
As you may have noticed, Nintendo has released its sales figures for the fiscal year end 2009. In the document there's plenty of predictions for the coming year, and one small item that has caught the eye of Nintendo fans worldwide. The report states that: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks...will...
News Nintendo 2009 Fiscal Year End Figures = Massive Win
The Big N continues to rake in cash, despite the global credit crunch
The world economy may be up a creek without a paddle but Nintendo isn't feeling the pinch all that much. For the financial year ending March 31, 2009, the Kyoto-based video game veteran reported record figures for both sales and operating profit. Sales clocked in at 1.83 trillion...
News Creator of Henry Hatsworth Had A Big Day
Kyle Gray left his job at EA on his wedding day
April 15 is a big, lurching deadline for many Americans: it's tax day! While half the country is left scrambling to file and avoid an audit, Henry Hatsworth creator Kyle Gray had other plans this year, like quitting his job and getting married. Kotaku writes that Gray, adorned in bowler hat and suit,...
The best puzzler on the DS?
Puzzles have always been an ideal fit for the DS, with its touch screen capabilities and the portable nature of the console means that is perfect to dip in and out of a puzzle for a few minutes in between waiting for a phone call or the dinner to emerge unscathed from the oven. As a result, there have been numerous puzzle...
News Retro Game Challenge Sequel Localization Looking Dire
Sales not up to snuff for XSEED
Things just ain't what they used to be for niche-localizer XSeed. First they lose the gorgeous Muramasa: The Demon Blade to publisher Ignition due to financial woes, and now another promising gem is stripped from them. Yes, Virginia, Retro Game Challenge 2 for DS (Game Center CX 2 as it's known in the motherland)...
April2009
News Capcom Announces Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth for Western Release
Play as Phoenix's rival in the newest Ace Attorney game.
If you've been following the game since it was announced for Japan (As Gyakuten Kenji) you should already know what Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is like - It focuses far more on the investigation aspect of the previous Ace Attorney games, leaving out the court scenes entirely...
News No Madden NFL On DS This Year
EA's Gridiron franchise is Wii only for '10
EA has confirmed that its best-selling Madden NFL franchise will be skipping the DS for the 2010 edition. Rumours started to circulate when EA revealed the cover artwork for Madden NFL 10 and the DS version was missing, but EA Sports' Senior PR Manager Rob Semsey has confirmed what DS-owning American...
News Henry Hatsworth Gives Australia a Miss
Our tea-drinking hero won't be making the trip Down Under
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure is certainly one of the freshest games to emerge from EA in quite some time. Featuring a unique brand of 2D visuals and old-school puzzle/platform gameplay, we awarded it a very respectable 8/10 when we reviewed it not so long ago. Bearing this in...
Review Jewel Quest Solitaire (DS)
Is this puzzle game a hidden gem or a useless trinket?
If there's one thing you could say about Nintendo’s DS console it's that it certainly isn't short of puzzle titles. Over the years we’ve seen many good (and not so good) games that reside within that particular genre, and in Jewel Quest we have another to add to the ever-expanding ranks. The...
News Nintendo Throws Rhythm Heaven Events
If you're a fan of Rhythm Heaven, we've got the events for you.
For all of you Rhythm Heaven fans out there, Nintendo is throwing a few Rhythm Heaven events today and tomorrow. They'll be setting up these Rhythm Heaven 'lounges' at various major hubs across the US. You can check out the specific dates and locations below as well as a short snippet...
News Hollow Victory for Nintendo as Latest Pokémon Title Tops Japanese Charts
Oh noes! Mystery Dungeon sales down!
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky (AKA: Pokémon Fushigi no Dungeon: Sora no Tankentai) was recently released in Japan and promptly sold 141,000 copies, which equates to around a 30% sell-through. This retail performance was enough to place it at the top of the Japanese multi format games chart...
More than just a quick thrill?
Looking at the library of DS games it is evident that racing is a scarce genre, with motorbike racing being even more so; such games tend to generate little excitement due to the DS’s restricted graphics capabilities and potentially awkward controls. Despite this, will Moto Racer DS – the first outing of the series...
Warner, TT Games and Harmonix join forces to bring you the latest in the new cross-over genre of LEGO and music - LEGO Rock Band!
Players will become rockers as they embark on a journey to stardom that the whole family can enjoy as they work their way through local venues, stadiums and fantasy locations on Earth and beyond, that mimic the...
How does Nintendo's ball-flicking puzzle game stand up to their other efforts?
Some games are destined to sink into obscurity, and unfortunately, Nintendo’s ball-flinging puzzler Magnetica was one of them. When the game was first released it was met with rather positive reviews but even such high critical praise wasn't enough to make a dent in the...
News Starfy Finally Coming to North America!
Nintendo's unique platformer is finally making its North American debut in June!
For those of you who don't already know, Nintendo is finally bringing their cute little starfish Stafi to North American with the upcoming release of The Legendary Starfy on Nintendo DS. As you can tell, they've changed the little guy's name a bit, but he's still the...
News Colour Me Bad With These New DSi Hori Protect Cases
Want one of those fancy new colours that Japan has, but don't want to import?
In Japan, in addition to the current White and Black models, the DSi was recently released in three brand new colors: Pink, Lime Green, and Metallic Blue. If you want one of these new colors, you could always import, but this complicates things - language barrier,...
News Miyamoto's Unused Touch Screen RPG
Interesting new game design patent appears
The Nintendo DS certainly has had its share of unique RPGs, but Miyamoto's take on the genre is certainly one of the best. In another Miyamoto patent that popped up recently, we see another game idea that Nintendo has to use. An RPG idea for the DS in which enemies appear on the touch screen, and players...
News More Guitar Hero Spin-offs are on the Way
The German USK ratings board has updated with a listing for Guitar Hero: Van Halen.
It seems as though gamers can't get enough of the Guitar Hero franchise, and Activision can't get enough of trying to milk the franchise for all its got. Earlier this week, the German USK ratings board updated with a listing for Guitar Hero: Van Halen, presumably a...
News Nintendo comments on GTA: Chinatown Wars sales
Despite the somewhat lackluster first month sales of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Take-Two is going to continue supporting Nintendo's handheld.
It seems as though almost everybody is disappointed with the first month sales of Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. We reported earlier this week that the game managed to shift a tame 88,000...
News Nintendo’s Stock Drops 7.5%
Falling Wii sales to blame
Following the news that Wii sales were 17% down on this point last year, the value of Nintendo’s stock has plummeted by 7.5%. It’s hardly a shocking plunge but considering the general shoddy state of the global economy at present it certainly could have been a lot worse.
News March NPD - MadWorld Debuts With Sales of 66,000
Sega's latest hardcore Wii title didn't exactly open with the sales many expected.
While MadWorld certainly has received a lot of praise from the media and many gamers, Sega's latest hardcore Wii title didn't exactly open with the sales many expected. The NPD has confirmed that for the month of March, MadWorld managed to sell 66,000 units, a...
News Game Play Trailer - Bomberman 2 DS
Check out Hudson's new Bomberman 2 DS title in action!
Hudson has just released the official game play trailer for their brand new Bomberman 2 DS title. You can check out the official game play trailer below. Bomberman 2 DS has already been released in Japan and Europe, but there's currently no word on a US release for the game at this time. We'll...
Review Challenge Me: Brain Puzzles (DS)
A challenging brainteaser or a couple of mindless puzzles?
If someone had told you a few years ago that a videogame which trained your brain through a series of puzzles and mini games would be one of the biggest sellers on the DS, well, you probably wouldn’t have believed a word of it. However, fast-forward a couple of years and the Brain Training...
Is Trace Memory worth remembering?
Ten years after her parents’ presumed deaths, thirteen year-old Ashley Robbins receives a mysterious package – apparently sent by her father – that contains a small device coincidentally resembling a Nintendo DS. Tracing this package to the deserted Blood Edward Island, Ashley sets out on an adventure to...
Review Pass Your Driving Theory Test (DS)
A pass, with a few minors.
Here in UK before you can attempt the practical driving test you must pass the Theory test. Pass Your Driving Theory Test by LDC aims to get you through the theory test. The game, if you can call it that, is played with the DS on its side. The questions are on the normal screen and the answers are on the touch screen. When...
Review Kirby Super Star Ultra (DS)
Can Kirby prove that his latest DS adventure is a super offering?
It’s not at all hard to love Kirby – after all, he’s an adorable little puff ball! Nethertheless, despite being cute and on the short side, he packs a powerful punch and is not scared to dish out pain. This gives Kirby the appeal to satisfy young and old gamers alike, which has...
News Retail Success Eludes GTA: Chinatown Wars
A case of the right game on the wrong platform?
It might be the highest-rated game in the history of the Nintendo DS, but critical success hasn’t translated into commercial victory for Rockstar’s GTA: Chinatown Wars. The game failed to make the top 10 or 20 best-selling games for the month, and has sold well below the 200,000 copies that...
Review Kirby: Canvas Curse (DS)
Paint the town red. And orange, and yellow, and green, and blue...
Creative freedom has become an essential element of game design. Without it players are left following the path developer have set, and where is the fun in that? Worry not however; Kirby: Canvas Curse allows players to express themselves in ways you probably wouldn't expect. Forget...
News NPD Sales Results for March 2009 - Software/Hardware
With plenty of blockbuster hits released in March, which games managed to come out on top?
Hardware Sales Nintendo Wii - 601KNintendo DS - 563KXbox 360 - 330KPlayStation 3 - 218KPSP - 168KPlayStation 2 - 112K Software Sales Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360) - 938KPokemon Platinum (Nintendo DS) 805KHalo Wars (Xbox 360) - 639KResident Evil 5 (Playstation 3)...
News Made in Ore Gameplay Videos
For those who are a little confused as to what to expect with the latest WarioWare title, Nintendo has released plenty of videos to help explain things a little better.
Over the past week, we've done plenty of coverage on Made in Ore and its WiiWare counterpart, Asobu! Made in Ore. Thoiugh we've given you plenty of details on these upcoming titles,...
News Nintendo Sets Down Some New Release Dates
New Play Control: Chibi-Robo, New Play Control: Metroid Prime 2 Echoes, and Friend Connection have all been given June release dates by Nintendo.
Late last year Nintendo of Japan started re-releasing Nintendo Gamecube games on Wii with motion controls, and in some cases, special features. On June 11th though, the New Play Control line will...
News Japanese Sites for Made in Ore and Asobu! Made in Ore Go Live
With the upcoming release of Made in Ore and its WiiWare counterpart, Nintendo has launched an official site with plenty of screenshots.
Just over a week ago, Nintendo officially announced a release date for the latest entries in the highly acclaimed WarioWare franchise. With its release date in just a few weeks, information has begun pouring in on...
News Nintendo DSi – Deconstructed
Cool stop-motion video surfaces of a DSi ripping itself to pieces
Whenever there’s a new hardware launch you can practically guarantee that some nutcase will take it upon themselves to rip the machine open to see what it looks like inside. Nine times out of ten all they discover is a bunch of circuit board and some chips – hardly surprising...
A dark and twisted adventure that takes the player deep into the depths of the human psyche - both a truly rewarding and at times painful experience.
Lux-Pain has a tried and tested set-up common in many Japanese visual novels; an idyllic suburb of a Japanese city where all is not what it seems. Fans of the genre will be pleased by the wealth of...
News DSi Contains Improved Anti-Piracy Technology?
Early reports suggest that dodgy DS fakes are unplayable on the new machine
If you’re keen on sailing the seven seas of piracy then you might be interested to know that early reports are suggesting that fake DS cartridges fail to operate on the shiny new DSi console. It’s still not known whether or not this is down to improved anti-piracy...
Review Retro Game Challenge (DS)
A TV show about a man playing videogames actually works as a game itself.
Retro Game Challenge was originally released in Japan back in 2007 under the title Game Center CX: Arino’s Challenge. This is because the game is actually based on the Japanese TV show titled Game Center CX, which stars Shinya Arino, a popular Japanese comedian who tackles a...
News Next DS to Have Mobile Phone Capabilities?
Miyamoto drops a hint
Although Nintendo has gone to great lengths to insist that the DS and iPhone aren’t in direct competition, a recent comment from golden boy Shigeru Miyamoto has led to speculation that the company's next portable will have some kind of wireless connectivity that will allow users to access data when they’re out and about –...
News Reggie: We’ll Be Better at E3 This Year
Nintendo hoping to make amends for 2008's dire performance
E3 2008 wasn’t a particularly good one for Nintendo. Sure, the company was riding high in the sales charts but the limp presentation (which was essentially geared towards the casual gamer) did little to appease dedicated fans – and after all, they would have been the ones watching. You...
Review Flower, Sun and Rain (DS)
Flower? Nope. Sun? Very little. Rain? In buckets.
Flower, Sun and Rain is the first DS game from game director Goichi Suda, aka Suda51. It started life as a Japanese PS2 game, but it's been ported over to DS presumably to take advantage of the feature-rich console. Or so you'd think... Known by many as the mastermind behind classic style-driven...
News Rhythm Heaven Creator Talks J-Pop and Music Games
Record producer turned games designer speaks to Wired
Rhythm Heaven has shifted 1.5 million copies in Japan so far and looks set to repeat its success here in the West. However, not many people are aware that the brains behind this unique game is a 40 year-old J-Pop record producer previously famous for creating the all-girl Japanese super group...
Review Game & Watch Collection (DS)
A blast from the past or something best left forgotten?
If you are a Nintendo fan living in North America, you probably remember the heavily publicised launch of the Club Nintendo program last December. Additionally, if you were a big investor at the time, you were probably hoping that you had enough recent Nintendo products to afford the coveted...
Review Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (DS)
The definitive version of Square Enix's latest FF outing.
Square Enix has made some outlandish choices in the past, but none as strange as their decision to port Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time to the Wii. While the home console version wasn't all that impressive, its portable partner is a much more enjoyable experience. With the...
Review Junior Brain Trainer (DS)
Shaping the minds of tomorrow or simply boring them today?
Junior Brain Trainer is a learning game in a similar vein to the slew of other "brain training"' games released for the Nintendo DS. The genre was made famous with the massive popularity of Nintendo's Dr.Kawashima's Brain Training and many games since have attempted to capitalize...
Mama trades her spatula for a shovel; will the result be a blossom of fun, or a game only a Mama could love?
Our bright-eyed Mama is back and this time instead of breaking eggs, mixing ingredients and needing dough to make mouth watering recipes, your task is to grow a garden that rivals Eden. As with the entire Mama series this final goal will be...
News THQ is having a Big Huge sale; God: The Game in Limbo
In times of woe THQ is looking to sell off Big Huge Games to stay afloat.
Ok, it’s not huge news that the economy isn’t doing so well, so it’s no surprise that THQ is looking to get rid of extra weight in the form of subsidiary Big Huge Games. Hard to blame them after they posted a $191.8 million loss last quarter. A number of its employees...
News Morrison's offering DSi on the cheap
Get yourself down to Morrison's this weekend to save £20 on a DSi
Despite the DSi's strong first-week sales, British supermarket chain Morrison's are planning to shift even more of the things by offering them at £130 over the Easter weekend, a saving of £20 on Nintendo's RRP. Wii consoles are also set for a knockdown, available at £150, shaving...
Review Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS)
Grand Theft Auto makes the jump from the big screen to Nintendo’s small screen.
Whenever studios branch out and transform series well suited for consoles into the handheld format, there is always an element of risk – none more a prolific example than Rockstar’s GTA Chinatown Wars for the DS. Though we’ve already seen the Grand Theft Auto...
Review Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ (DS)
Who knew Little Red Riding Hood was so much fun?
At Nintendo Life, we very much doubted that anyone expected a great deal from Little Red Riding Hood’s Zombie BBQ. The title sounded like it would attract a very immature audience, and the box art didn't exactly inspire casual gamers to buy it either. So imagine how surprised we were when we played...
Another great RPG hits the DS in the form of Final Fantasy IV.
When Final Fantasy IV was originally released on the SNES in 1991, it quickly became a hit. Unlike many of the other RPGs at the time, it boasted a large cast of characters that were tied into a deep and intriguing plot, and this helped elevate it above the crowd. In 2005, Final Fantasy...
Review Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (DS)
Can Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword live up to the standards of previous titles?
Set six months after the events of the original Xbox version of Ninja Gaiden, Ryu Hayabusa has rebuilt Hayabusa Village. Momiji, a resident of Hayabusa, is abducted by the Black Spider Ninja Clan. During his quest to find her, Ryu uncovers the mysteries of the Dark...
Mistwalker gives their Blue Dragon franchise a real-time strategy makeover and the end result is one surprisingly entertaining DS title.
When the original Blue Dragon title was released on Microsoft's Xbox 360 console, it became one of the system's first traditional RPG experiences. Blue Dragon captivated the gaming audience with its unique charm...
It's not quite as fun as it should be
Released simultaneously with another Taito revival, Space Invaders Extreme, Arkanoid DS is an attempt at trying to breathe life into an old arcade classic. When Arkanoid was originally released, it was essentially a clone of the Atari classic Breakout. Despite this shameless copying, Arkanoid became quite a hit...
News DSi Has a Strong Opening Weekend
Just how many units did the DSi move its opening weekend?
It was announced earlier today by Nintendo's President and CEO Satoru Iwata and Senior Managing Director Shigeru Miyamoto , the DSi had a successful opening weekend overseas and moved over 600,000 units between North America and Europe combined. 300,000 units per territory is a pretty...
News The DS To Get Video On Demand Service?
Iwata spills the beans.
It was announced before that the Wii would be getting its own video service before long in Japan, and eventually other territories should be following suit. Recently however President Iwata dropped a few tidbits about how this service may not be exclusive to Nintendo's home console. The Nintendo DS may be getting some love as...
News Mini Ninjas Set To Invade DS and Wii
Hitman developer trains assassins of diminutive stature
IO Interactive – the studio behind the best-selling Hitman series of video games – has allowed its latest venture to spring from the shadows. Mini Ninjas is a cute-looking action title that features – yes, you’ve guessed it – vertically-challenged ninjas. It marks something of a...
News Get Ready For Even More WarioWare!
Later this month, Japanese gamers will be able to get their hands on the latest title in the WarioWare series.
Just a few days ago, the latest WarioWare was released via DSiWare, and there's already another title in the series ready to ship for the platform. Entitled Made in Ore, the game puts a huge amount of emphasis on creating microgames as...
News Ubisoft announces first DSi-enhanced game
My Cooking Coach to harness the immense power of the DSi for... not much, really.
Ubisoft today announced the launch of cooking aid My Cooking Coach, designed to support the new functionality of the Nintendo DSi. You can watch the (DSi-less) trailer below the fold. The "DSi-enhanced" title, set for release in June and playable on both the...
News New York Holds Host To Rhythm Heaven
On April 9th (Rhythm) Heaven will be at Scratch Academy as part of a high-profile invitation-only event.
Nintendo's recent release, Rhythm Heaven, went down a treat at Nintendo Life, and it appears that the beat-bopping rampage is not going to relent for a while yet – Nintendo have just announced an invitation-only event that will be showcasing...
News A DSi You Cannot Object To
Capcom and Nintendo team up to bring a special edition Ace Attorney DSi to Japan.
Fans of the Ace Attorney series will probably go wild at the prospect of owning the recently announced limited edition DSi that features the emblem of the game's police force, Taihokun. Over the years the series has been going from strength to strength, and now has 4...
News Sony: PSP is Better Than The DSi
Wow, that was unexpected
You can’t beat a good console war, but with Nintendo’s current dominance of the both the home and portable video game industries it feels like years since we had a good, close fight between two major hardware manufacturers; the glory days of the 16-bit console war seem like an eternity ago. Thankfully, it looks as if...
