DS News

April2014

March2014

February2014

January2014

December2013

November2013

  • News Rune Factory Developer Neverland Closes Its Doors

    Where now for Rune Factory 5?

    After a sluggish financial performance due to business changes, Rune Factory developer Neverland has announced it will be closing its doors. The Japanese company made the announcement via its official website, explaining that its financial status had deteriorated considerably in recent times. After failing to raise the...

  • News Activision Rolls Out Transformers Combo Packs For Wii And DS

    Just in time for Christmas

    While it's easy to get excited about the new games coming to the Wii U and 3DS, it's worth remembering that there are an awful lot of Wii and DS consoles out in the wild, and plenty of people still rely on these superseded formats for their interactive entertainment — hence Activision's recent announcement of...

  • News Famitsu Reveals Japan's Best Selling Games Of The 21st Century

    New Super Mario Claims Top Spot

    Japanese video game publication Famitsu has just unveiled the top 100 Best Selling Video Games in Japan for the 21st Century (the period 1st January 2001 until 29th September 2013), and as expected Nintendo games feature heavily, with nine of the top ten games being for Nintendo platforms — seven of which are for...

October2013

September2013

  • Rumour Nintendo Renaming The 3DS Page On Facebook

    "Nintendo Handheld Gaming" looks set to replace it on 19th September

    Nintendo is renaming the Nintendo 3DS Facebook page, according to an email sent from the social network to a selection of people who like the page. When Facebook pages change their names, an email is sent out by the social network to inform people of the change. Nintendo hasn't...

  • News Devil Survivor 2 Hits Pre-Order Target to Confirm EU Release

    Additional pre-orders are now guaranteed

    Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 has had a rather odd route to release in Europe. Ghostlight picked up publishing duties for the DS title in Europe, but not before a 3DS port was confirmed for Japan. With time and effort invested in the DS original, Ghostlight has nevertheless persevered. Its path to the...

August2013

  • News HackYourConsole.com Goes Offline and Closes Pre-Orders

    Nintendo opened legal proceedings earlier this month

    On 7th August Nintendo announced that it was opening legal proceedings against HackYourConsole.com, a subject that unsurprisingly caused plenty of debate and disagreement within the Nintendo Life community. The site had sold R4 cards and offered mods to Nintendo hardware for a good amount of time,...

  • Video Check Out the Masters Final From the 2013 Pokémon World Championships

    These guys don't mess around

    In recent times the 2013 Pokémon World Championships have had a couple of mentions on Nintendo Life, with the Vancouver event hosting gamers from around the world and champions stepping forward from the battling chaos. Not all of us could be there for the action, of course, so The Pokémon Company has kindly uploaded...

  • News More Than 1500 Cheaters Took Part in Pokémon's 2013 Global Showdown

    Those monsters

    Earlier in the Summer The Pokémon Company hosted the 2013 Global Showdown, a WiFi tournament for Pokémon Black and White 2, which some undoubtedly used for practice ahead of other tournaments. It was open to 50,000 competitors, but it's now been revealed that 1,558 of those that took part were cheaters, utilising smartphone apps to...

  • News Former EA VP Named New President of n-Space

    Takes place at head of longtime developer

    Dan Tudge, a former vice-president and executive producer at Electronic Arts, has ranked up in title to become President of Orlando, Fla.-based independent developer n-Space. According to GamesIndustry International, the former president of n-Space, co-founder Dan O’Leary, is now the company’s CEO...

  • Review Art Academy: SketchPad (Wii U eShop)

    A masterpiece or sketchy at best?

    One of the most fascinating things about Miiverse is how Nintendo is paying such close attention to it. Not just in the sense that it is regularly updating it, but rather the company is actually listening to what its consumers are saying on the platform. It's remarkably unusual for a company that until now had been...

  • News Nintendo Now Selling Refurbished SD Cards and 3DS XL Consoles

    Original 3DS and DSi XL models are also available

    Earlier this year Nintendo announced it was selling authentic refurbished products on its official website in North America, stating the systems are the only refurbished products on the market that have been cleaned, tested and inspected to meet the company's high standards. At the time, Nintendo...

  • Review Smurfs 2 (DS)

    To Smurf, or not to Smurf?

    Recently we got a little down and smurfy with our review of The Smurfs 2 for the Wii U, and now, we’ve set our focus on the DS version which offers a completely different gameplay experience, despite sharing the same title. Where the former offered up uneventful platforming that should only appeal to novice players or...

  • News Nintendo Opens Legal Proceedings Against HackYourConsole.com

    Continuing the fight against piracy

    The Wii U and 3DS have so far maintained robust security, against flashcards and illegal modding, in comparison to the DS family of systems and the Wii. Both of the last-gen systems were easily cracked, and to date both current systems have stayed secure, which is perhaps particularly impressive in the case of the...

  • News Ghostlight Opens European Pre-Orders For Devil Survivor 2

    Requires 1,800 pre-orders for release

    Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 has been available in North America for over a year now and has yet to emerge in Europe. UK-based publisher Ghostlight has the rights to release the DS game, however, the European market is a bit tricky these days and it would be taking a gamble to manufacture the game and...

July2013

June2013

  • News Australia Gearing Up For Pokémon Video Game National Championships At PAX

    Winners get the chance to compete at the World Championships

    Nintendo Australia has announced the upcoming PAX event to be held in Melbourne will host the Pokémon Video Game Australian National Championships for trainers in Australia and New Zealand to take part in. Trainers will battle it out using their copy of Pokémon Black and White 2 at the...

  • News Pokémon US National Championships Set To Commence Next Week

    All attendees will receive a special Metagross

    Back in January, thousands of Pokémon trainers flocked to several different US cities with their copies of Pokémon Black and White 2 to compete in the Pokémon Video Game Winter Regional Championships. Each region had three different age divisions to compete in and the winners are now preparing for...

  • News The Pokémon Company Lays Down The Law On Cheaters

    Users of "illegal Pokémon" will be banned

    Considering how fun and addictive Pokémon battles with friends are, it's no surprise tournaments have cropped up all over the world for trainers to show off their 'mon's skills. However, one blight that has been attached to the competitions is the use of modified Pokémon. Essentially, people can use...

  • Video LEGO Marvel Super Heroes E3 Trailer Saves the Day

    It's a LEGO Wolverine, at last

    There are so many LEGO games out on the market — so, so many. Yet we seem to keep wanting more, possibly because in the majority of cases they're a lot of fun, and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes looks set to be a big release this Fall; versions will grace the Wii U, 3DS and DS. With the E3 madness now well underway, the...

  • Feature The Humble Origins of Animal Crossing

    How an obscure little N64 title grew into a hit franchise for Nintendo

    The hype and excitement for Animal Crossing: New Leaf across the web is reaching a critical level. Hitting North America on 9th June and Europe on 14th June, it begs the question whether some people might literally explode as a result of not being able to contain their...

  • Video Asgard Looks Pretty Epic In Lego Marvel Super Heroes

    Plastic blocks, assemble!

    TT Games is currently hard at work on Lego Marvel Super Heroes, the latest in its wildly successful line of video games based on the popular Danish building block. Our good friends over at Family Gamer TV have visited the TT Games studio for some hands-on time with the new title, the results of which you can view below...

  • Video Disney's Planes Trailer Flies Into View

    Exclusive to Nintendo systems

    Earlier this year it was confirmed that Disney's Planes will be coming exclusively to Nintendo systems, covering Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS. It'll arrive in North America on 6th August, just before the film arrives on 9th August; as most of you probably already know — or will have guessed — this is a follow up to the...

May2013

  • News Namco Bandai Is Bringing Barbie And Monster High To Wii U, Wii, 3DS And DS

    Thank goodness for that

    While other publishers and developers fall over themselves to find excuses not to produce software for the Wii U, Namco Bandai is making a little bit of effort — although we're not entirely sure that Barbie Life and Monster High: 13 Wishes are the kind of games that dedicated Nintendo fans are waiting for. Both titles are...

  • News Tecmo Koei Hints At A Pokémon Conquest Sequel

    "There was a lot of unfinished material for Pokémon Conquest"

    The Pokémon Company and Tecmo Koei recently collaborated to make a strategy RPG crossover called Pokémon Conquest that took the Nobunaga's Ambition style of gameplay and threw in a flurry of Pokémon to do the battling. Even though the 3DS had been out a while at the time of the...

  • News LEGO Friends Coming to 3DS and DS

    Explore Heartlake City this fall

    OK, now. Deep breaths. Not all LEGO games are about undercover cops or action-packed film and comic licenses. Some of them can be about dancing and taking care of pets and scrapbooking and... and that’s perfectly fine. Warner Bros. Interactive has announced LEGO Friends, a game based on the popular toy line...

  • News There's Still Plenty Of Interest In Older Pokémon Games

    People are still buying the previous titles

    This year Nintendo announced it would be bringing a brand new Pokémon title to the 3DS in the form of Pokémon X & Y. This new iteration breaks the mould set by previous games and incorporates full 3D environments instead of the conventional top-down view we're all used to. Of course, Pokémon Black...

April2013

  • News Nintendo Selling Refurbished 3DS and DSi Consoles

    All systems come with a one year warranty

    Nintendo is now selling authentic refurbished products on its official website. The company says the systems are the only refurbished products on the market that have been cleaned, tested and inspected to meet its own high standards. According to the website listings the consoles are guaranteed to be fully...

  • News Pokémon Black & White 2 Owners Can Catch Deoxys In May

    From the comfort of your own Wi-Fi

    Legendary DNA Pokémon Deoxys will be made available to English language copies of Pokémon Black & White 2 from 8th May until the 31st May. Players will be able to snag Deoxys in all its Level 100 glory through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Once acquired, Nacrene City will be the place to alter Deoxys between...

  • Interview Meet Christopher Robin Miller - Voice Actor For Professor Layton

    An interview with a gentleman

    We were first introduced to Professor Layton back in February 2007 with his debut title, Professor Layton and the Curious Village. Since then, the 'Sherlock Holmes' inspired character has gone from strength to strength with an original trilogy, a prequel trilogy, a movie, and an upcoming crossover with defense attorney...

  • Rumour Ni no Kuni Could Yet See A Western Release, According To Publisher Namco Bandai

    DS role-player could find a new lease of life on the 3DS

    You might be familar with Level-5 and Studio Ghibli collaboration Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch from its recent release on the PlayStation 3, but the origin of the series actually stretches back to a Nintendo DS game, released in Japan in 2010. Ni no Kuni: The Jet-black Mage shares the...

  • News WayForward and Ubisoft Releasing The Smurfs 2 on Wii U, Wii and DS

    Hopefully it won't make us feel blue

    The Smurfs are making a comeback this Summer with the release of the aptly named The Smurfs 2 in cinemas across the world and Sony Pictures has decided to release a platforming game alongside it. Now, before you throw your arms up in despair, it might not actually be that bad as it's being developed by Ubisoft...

  • News Disney's Planes Jetting Onto All Nintendo Platforms This Year

    Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS editions coming in August

    Disney Interactive Studios has revealed that Disney's Planes — which is based on the forthcoming CGI film — will be hitting all Nintendo platforms later in 2013. Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS versions are in development, with August 6th being the take-off date in North America — just a few days before...

  • News LEGO Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey Begins This Summer

    Coming to 3DS and DS

    Today seems to be LEGO day, with the fresh screens of LEGO Marvel Super Heroes now being followed up by the announcement of a new title coming to both 3DS and DS, LEGO Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey; it's also on the way to the PlayStation Vita. The 3DS release is set for the Summer, with the DS version pegged for Autumn,...

  • News Indie Dev Island Officials Turning To Kickstarter To Fund Boxed DS Game

    Don't count out the dual-screen console just yet

    Kickstarter has become a popular way for small indie developers to fund their projects, with games like Shovel Knight being targeted for release via the Nintendo eShop, but every so often there's a campaign that aims for something a little different. New Jersey-based developer Island Officials is...

March2013

  • News Renegade Kid Open To Idea Of Moon Sequel

    IP rights present an issue, however

    Renegade Kid recently announced its new FPS, Cult County, which is to be released on the 3DS eShop episodically later this year and into next year. Speaking to Nintendo Force magazine about the horror-themed shooter, co-founder Jools Watsham made reference to his studio's DS horror series Dementium and the...

  • News Ghostlight May Yet Bring Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 To Europe

    Publisher is considering its options

    Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked will finally be released in Europe on 29th March. It's being published by Ghostlight, which took up the task due to Atlus only localising it for North America. Attention has now switched to the game's sequel Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor

    • DS
  • News The Nano Soundtrack Collection is Blowing Up Speakers Right Now

    Shin'en delivers a gift to the fans

    After confirming the imminent arrival of Nano Assault EX on the 3DS eShop last week, Shin'en Multimedia stated that it had a much-requested surprise on the way for fans of the series — that new treat is The Nano Soundtrack Collection. As anyone who's played any of the "Nano" titles — from DS to Wii U — will...

  • News The Nintendo DS Celebrates its 8th Birthday in Europe Today

    Blow into the mic to put out the candles

    Eight years ago today, Europe became the last major territory to get its hands on the original DS, that now known as the "phat". It can be easy to forget that it was a handheld that truly innovated the concept of mainstream handheld gaming, incorporating a clamshell two screen design famously pioneered in the...

  • Review Puzzler World 2013 (DS)

    A puzzling affair

    There are a number of reasons why the Puzzler World series continues to see new life on DS. For one, it's still a bestselling series, which is no doubt partly down to the DS's impressive install base around the world. However, it's also the fact that the titles' word and logic puzzles — which historically have been restricted to...

  • News Ace Attorney Collection for 3DS Has Been Proposed "Many Times" at Capcom

    We should "hang in there"

    While the 3DS has seen some notable franchises carry across from its predecessor, the DS, one that hasn't done so in the West is Ace Attorney. Japan has been enjoying Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney since late last year, while Ace Attorney 5 is expected in the same region later this year; alas, localisation hasn't even...

  • Feature Series Reboots That Have Divided Gamers

    They did WHAT with [insert treasured franchise name here]?

    There are some undeniable truths in life, death and taxes being two examples, and the video game industry has its own rules and obligations that can never be avoided. One of these revolves around reboots of treasured franchises — if you're going to "re-imagine" a popular character or...

  • News Scribblenauts Collection Out Now in North America

    Both DS instalments on one handy cartridge

    North American gamers have been pleasantly enjoying Scribblenauts Unlimited on Wii U and 3DS for a while now, while Europe is still waiting to get its deprived mitts on it. It looks as though Europeans will have more reasons to be jealous now, as Warner Bros. has released Scribblenauts Collection on the DS...

February2013

  • News Mythical Pokémon Meloetta Available at GameStop in March

    Music to our ears

    Pokémon fans in North America are to receive a special treat in March, as the mythical Meloetta will become available to download onto your Pokémon Black and White or Pokémon Black and White 2 cartridges at GameStop. Meloetta is a Normal Pokémon that can double up to become either a Psychic or a Fighting type during an actual...

  • Hardware Classics Nintendo DS Lite

    This is how you redesign a console

    Let's be brutally honest here — the original DS design was ugly. Quite what Nintendo's designers were thinking when they came up with it we'll never know, but the dumpy, two-tone casing hardly got pulses racing, even back in 2004. It felt like a system that was rushed out of the door purely to meet a deadline,...

  • News "Emergency Maintenance" Planned For Nintendo Online Services on 26th February

    Don't get too excited

    It seems we have a monthly trend of service maintenance kicking into effect with Nintendo online functionality, as more "Emergency Maintenance" is on the way in major territories next week. There was a round of downtime on various platforms on 28th January, and a similar period is on the way from 26th February, or very late on...

  • News Legendary Pokémon Meloetta Distribution Date Announced

    This one's a real fighter

    Good news Pokémon fans! Starting 4th March, the mythical Pokémon Meloetta will be distributed by participating GameStop stores across North America for Pokémon Black & White and Pokémon Black & White 2, for a limited time only. Meloetta is the very first Pokémon able to change its Forme and type during a...

  • News Nintendo Hints At An Additional Platform In The Future

    Because Wii U and 3DS are not enough

    Nintendo recently confirmed that it would be merging its handheld and console divisions into one single entity this month. The two departments have always run separately in the past, but Nintendo now feels the time is right to bring them together under one roof. With the two departments merged, Nintendo's...

January2013

  • News XSEED Talks Wii Support And Why It Isn't Touching Retro Game Challenge 2

    "Our love for the game blinded our business reasoning"

    XSEED Games has a reputation for localising great Japanese-only titles for the west. The publisher has been very successful with its choices, with The Last Story becoming its most successful title of all time. Another highly-regarded title is Pandora's Tower, a game that has already made it to...

  • Talking Point The Trends and Inconsistencies of Localisation

    Predicting releases is getting tougher

    Yesterday brought the news that Project X Zone is being localised and released in PAL regions and North America this summer. To many that would arguably be a surprise, as the title has endured a relative failure in Japan, culminating in a major price-cut. Yet recent years have taught us that predicting...

  • News Scribblenauts Is Doubling Up On Nintendo DS

    New bundle includes the two DS instalments

    Warner Bros. is bundling together the first two Scribblenauts games - Scribblenauts and Super Scribblenauts - for the Nintendo DS in Scribblenauts Collection. Amazon's US site has a release date of February 26th. It's not currentl

  • News Pokémon Video Game Winter Regional Championships Begin This Sunday

    A special Cloyster up for grabs

    This Sunday thousands of dedicated Pokémon trainers will flock to several host cites with their copies of Pokémon Black and White Version 2 to attend the Pokémon Video Game Winter Regional Championships. The tournament will see competitors from three different age divisions battle it out for the title of Pokémon...

  • News Nintendo Announces 890,000 Wii U Sales in U.S. Launch

    Higher revenues than Wii launch, 3DS has over 1.25 million sales in Holiday period

    Nintendo of America has issued a series of facts and figures for its Holiday period performance in the U.S., following publication of the latest NPD figures that cover 25th November to 29th December. There were some solid results and, perhaps most importantly, decent...

  • News Footage of Renegade Kid's Crash Bandicoot DS Demo Emerges

    No kidding

    Crash Bandicoot, a series that originated as an exclusive on the Sony PlayStation but evolved to appear on multiple platforms, has been relatively quiet of late. In fact since Activision attained rights to the series in 2008, when it co-published Crash: Mind over Mutant, it's only appeared on mobile platforms. That's not the say that more...

  • Review Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?! (DS)

    I'm ready for you now Brad

    Back in March 2012 fans of the cult TV series Adventure Time rejoiced around the world, as series creator Pendleton Ward announced via a doodle on his Twitter page that WayForward Technologies and D3 Publisher would be working on a video game adaptation for the DS and 3DS, the absurdly named Adventure Time: Hey Ice King!...

  • Feature Nintendo in 2012 - Part Two

    Lots of Mario and Wii U's arrival

    In the first six months of 2012, which we looked at in the first part of our 2012 retrospective, Nintendo oversaw some major releases on 3DS and announced the XL model, the Wii had a few memorable arrivals and E3 came and went with its own brand of madness. There were also a number of quirky stories that passed by,...

  • Feature Nintendo in 2012 - Part One

    3DS fought back, hype mode was engaged

    Not so long ago it could be argued that Nintendo was having some relaxing times, with DS and Wii systems flying off shelves and console rivals rushing to the platform in order to hop on the motion-control train. Of course, technology and the gaming industry evolve, and in 2011 Nintendo found itself trying to...

  • News LEGO Laying More Bricks With Legends Of Chima This Year

    Coming to 3DS and DS

    Warner Bros. and TT Games have revealed the next installment in the increasingly popular LEGO series. The title isn't based on a popular TV series or movie - it's a completely new game, based on LEGO's new Legends of Chima line of figures which is set to launch in 2013. The game - LEGO Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey, to give...

  • News Goodbye Galaxy Games Responds To Renegade Kid's Piracy Claims

    Indie developer says plenty of other factors contribute to poor sales

    Over the weekend Jools Watsham, co-founder of Renegade Kid, wrote in a blog post that he felt hacking into the guts of the 3DS would result in an increase in piracy - something that could force developers to stop supporting the system. Watsham pointed to the DS which suffered...

December2012

  • News Nintendo DS Inspired The Uniqueness Of Wii U

    Former president's philosophy still being put into practice

    Wii U is currently the system on everyone’s lips. It’s the first home console to add an extra screen to the television with the inclusion of the GamePad, but it’s not the first time Nintendo has added one to its hardware. In an interview on Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun, President of...

  • News Fresh Figures Suggest Nintendo DS Is The Most Popular Console Of All Time

    Overtakes the PS2 in global sales

    According to VGChartz, the Nintendo DS is now officially the most popular games console of all time. Updated sales state that Nintendo's dual-screen handheld has shifted an amazing 153.69 million units worldwide, while the PS2 has sold 153.68 million. The DS - which hit the market in 2004 - has sold 56.47 million...

  • News Level-5 Responds To SEGA's Legal Threats Regarding Inazuma Eleven

    "We've concluded that there is no patent violation"

    Japanese developer Level-5 has responded to SEGA's recent legal campaign to have the company remove its Inzauma Eleven series from sale due to an alleged patent infringement. SEGA is claiming that Level-5's soccer RPG features a touch-driven interface which violates two of its patents. The...

  • News SEGA Takes Legal Action Against Level-5 Over Nintendo DS Patent Dispute

    Inazuma Eleven to blame?

    In one of the strangest turn of events we've witnessed for a while, Japanese publisher SEGA is suing Professor Layton studio Level-5 over the use of touch control patents on the Nintendo DS handheld. Japanese news site Yomiuri Online broke the news, revealing that SEGA was taking action to protect two patents it had...

  • News Etrian Odyssey DS Trilogy Set For Reprint

    Canadian retailer is first out of the gate

    The Etrian Odyssey trilogy of games on DS can probably be regarded as cult classics for the handheld, an RPG series famed for relentless difficulty and harsh punishment of failure. Of course, when you combine that genre with a sufficient level of challenge, there'll be a group of gamers more than willing to...

  • Feature Your Guide to a Nintendo Holiday

    Christmas time, Mario and Trine...

    It's Christmas time, and we all know what that means — rapidly depleting bank accounts, lots of food and merriment, and plenty of video gaming. The Holiday season actually means different things depending on your own perspective, of course, but to many it's a great opportunity to spend time with family and...

November2012

  • News Wii U Shifts 400K Units in Début Week

    It's "essentially sold out of retail"

    Nintendo's revealed its sales results to incorporate the Wii U launch and the Black Friday festivities, with NoA COO Reggie Fils-Aime weighing in with the company's perspective in an interview with CNET. Nintendo's total hardware sales — according to internal data — hit around 1.2 million units in the U.S.,...

  • News Japanese Import Ban on R4 Cartridges Becomes Law

    Only years too late

    So, R4 cartridges. These are the devices that allow gamers to circumvent the security measure on a DS to run custom code — often referred to as homebrew — and illegally download copies of games. While the former reason often provides the grounds for defence of these cards, there are also a lot of people who used them to...

    • DS