Latest Features
Feature The Biggest 3DS Games of 2016 - Spring Edition
Portable delights
We're well into 2016 and despite the hullabaloo around the NX and mobile games from Nintendo, it's too soon to move on from the various delights coming to current-gen systems. We've already published our updated list of the biggest games coming to Wii U this year, though it was lacking in major retail titles. The 3DS doesn't have...
Guide Nintendo Switch Release Date, Rumours, Tech Details, Games And More
The console formerly known as NX
Nintendo Switch has finally been revealed, but to get to this point we've had to endure over a year of constant speculation, rumours, leaks and a lot more besides. This guide was written prior to the Switch preview and we've decided to preserve it in order to show the crazy rollercoaster ride everyone has been...
Feature The Biggest Wii U Games of 2016 - Spring Edition
Time for the eShop to fill the void
We're well into 2016 and in a calm before the storm. Very soon Nintendo will announce its annual financial results, and we'll likely go into a pre-E3 cycle and all that'll entail - details and rumours on Nintendo Mobile, Pokémon, the ever-looming Nintendo NX and more. Yet we still have two current generation...
Preview Star Fox Guard Just May Be the Scariest Game of 2016
No, really
Star Fox Guard is a strange spinoff of a beloved franchise, taking on an entirely unorthodox gameplay loop for Fox and friends. You can glean as much from a quick peek at screenshots and videos. What you won't see in your fancy screenshots and schmancy videos is just how much Guard is secretly a horror game. Nintendo Life, we hear you...
Feature How One Man Saved Kyoto - And Video Games - From The Atomic Bomb
Nintendo fans have a lot to thank Henry Stimson for
As we all know, Nintendo's history stretches back quite some time - over 125 years, in fact. The Kyoto-based firm started out manufacturing playing cards and moved into other forms of entertainment - including toys and eventually video games - much later on. However, Nintendo might not have...
Talking Point The Great Star Fox Zero Controls Debate Highlights Important Lessons
Simplicity and instinct matter when playing games
Star Fox Zero isn't far away, yet rather than unquestionable hype about the first series entry for over a generation, much of the talk is over its control scheme. As the Wii U heads towards its retirement it seems like an apt conflict - innovation vs familiarity, instinctive play versus unfamiliar...
Talking Point My Nintendo's Pros, Cons and Areas for Improvement
Looking forward after a positive start
The My Nintendo loyalty programme has been live for a week in the West, finally delivering a Club Nintendo replacement. There's been plenty of positivity in the reception to it so far, yet there's no hiding the fact there's also discontent - the download / digital-only aspect of it is one sticking point. Due...
Parent Trap Mario & Sonic At The Rio 2016 Olympic Games Scores With Download Play
Andy Robertson builds up a sweat on the 3DS
For families it is often the games you least expect to be a big hit that get played more than any other. While I liked the look of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games I wasn't expecting it to turn into my family's go-to game this month. There are a few factors here that make it a great fit for...
Preview Preferring the Air in Star Fox Zero
Well, Alex does
It's been the best part of a decade since we last received an original title in the Star Fox series, a time only briefly broken up by the release of the admittedly excellent Star Fox 64 3D. It feels like this entry could be make or break for these anthropomorphic adventures in space, so can Star Fox Zero meet the lofty expectations...
Editorial Miitomo is Surprisingly Strange and Compelling
Adjectives perhaps used by bemused but entertained users
Miitomo is an odd app. Nintendo's pre-launch attempts to pitch it to investors left many scratching their heads, and even with its release plenty of commenters online have been relatively dismissive - lines like "I deleted after an hour" appear frequently. Yet on the flipside the app has...
Feature Breaking Down the My Nintendo Loyalty Economy, Again
Now focused on the Western points and rewards
The Club Nintendo replacement - My Nintendo - has now launched in the West alongside Miitomo. In the end Nintendo just hit its March deadline, launching the service and app on 31st March in various countries, with My Nintendo landing in more territories than the social app. For those in countries...
Poll What Do You Think of My Nintendo and Miitomo?
Points and answers
31st March was a notable day for fans of the big N, with Club Nintendo replacement My Nintendo launching in addition to Nintendo / DeNA's first full app - Miitomo. They're certainly tied together in their intention of encouraging fans old and new to engage with the company - hence the shared release date - though in practice...
Interview Solving the Puzzle of PixlCross on Wii U
PixlBit Studios went from Picross addicts to Wii U developers
Nintendo's systems have played host to various unlikely game genres, and Picross can certainly be considered one example. The history of the puzzle genre goes right back to the Game Boy, and on the 3DS eShop we've also had numerous Picross e releases. Let's not forget, either, that My...
Guide Getting Started With My Nintendo
Making the most of early days with the Club Nintendo replacement
It's been a busy day for Nintendo, as it rolled out both My Nintendo and Miitomo across various countries in the West. We sense that it's the former that excites people the most, as it replaces the much loved and long lost Club Nintendo loyalty programme. We've published quite a lot...
Talking Point My Nintendo and Its Account System Start The Process of Unifying Platforms
One happy family
It's only in recent years that Nintendo's embraced connectivity and unified platforms in a meaningful way. Though it dabbled with extensions, add-ons and cables in past pre-broadband generations, the Game Boy range and home consoles retained distinct identities from each other. That's continued a great deal in this generation with...
Feature Some of Our Favourite 3DS Games - Fifth Anniversary Edition
We recommend them all
The 3DS is five years old, a grand age for a portable family that had a rough start but recovered to establish itself as a success for Nintendo. As it heads into - potentially - a home stretch that will include highlights such as Pokémon Sun and Moon, we've been looking at some of its best games. We already published the...
Editorial The Weird World Discovered When Searching for Miitomo on Google Play
Emulators everywhere
After a storming opening week in Japan during which it led the download charts on iTunes and Google Play, Miitomo has started to slide back a little from those giddy highs. That's no surprise, as its regular rival at launch - the new Puzzle & Dragons title - has actually fallen further back; after the initial boom apps start...
Community Your Favourite 3DS Games - Fifth Anniversary Edition
The results are in
With the 3DS now being five years old we thought it'd be a good time to reflect on its impressive game library. To do this we asked you to pick your favourite games through the user review feature on the site, covering both retail and eShop releases. It proved to be an interesting experiment, taking into account the sheer size...
Feature The Nintendo Easter Egg Hunt - Greatest Hits
With a couple of new ones, too
Many people around the world are currently celebrating Easter, either observing an important religious occasion, using it as an excuse to scoff chocolate or perhaps a bit of both. One of the traditions of the day for kids and big kids, meanwhile, is going on an Easter Egg Hunt. With that in mind we thought we'd pick...
Editorial A Week When NX 'Leaks' Were Thankfully Fake and New Tricks Were Used
Tom Whitehead was concerned, very concerned
The pre-E3 silly season is early this year, and it's all Nintendo's fault. We know full well that this year, likely at E3 or potentially a little beforehand, the company will reveal its next generation of hardware. It's potentially a 'third pillar' of hardware but, in light of declining 3DS momentum and...
Feature Thoughts on the 3DS as It Reaches Its Fifth Anniversary
Dave Letcavage and Jose Acosta share their perspectives
The 3DS has reached its fifth Anniversary for its release in the West, and in the first of multiple feature articles focused on the portable Dave Letcavage and Jose Acosta share their thoughts and memories related to the portable. Dave Letcavage: I haven't been in the best heath for the...
Soapbox Nintendo Was Wrong To Turn Its Back On The Wii Remote
Damien McFerran sticks up for the device that gave the world some waggle
One of the greatest things about having children - aside from the free manual labour and the unspoken understanding that you'll have someone to wipe your bottom for you when you're old and infirm - is getting to reappraise video games. I have a seven-year-old son who, over the...
Feature Batman V Superman In The Battle Of The Nintendo Games
Which superhero comes out on top? Find out within...
This article was originally published on 25th November 2014, and has been re-posted to celebrate the cinematic release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Things are really heating up in the world of superhero movies, thanks to both Marvel and DC revealing their cinematic hands like two Texan...
Community Pick Your Favourite Nintendo 3DS Games - Fifth Anniversary Edition
Let's do things a little differently
Though the landmark has already passed in Japan, we're now approaching the fifth anniversary of the 3DS in the West. The first model launched on 25th / 27th March 2011 in Europe and North America, respectively, with the original model focusing much of its sales pitch on autostereoscopic 3D. That feature would...
Feature Ten Game Boy Advance Games You Should Play
Puzzle games, RPGs, action, platforming...
The Game Boy Advance just recently turned 15 years old, with that first model kicking off what would be the last Game Boy 'family' or systems, at least so far. It would be a platform that would take Nintendo's portable offerings forward in leaps and bounds, not just in terms of raw power but also...
Talking Point Nintendo Wants Us to Download More and Move On From Discs - Will It Work?
It's a tough sell
Nintendo is in an interesting position in terms of how it sells us retail games. On the one hand it continues to produce handsome special editions and 'first print' runs not only to appease fans, but also to promote amiibo or emphasize the significance of a particular release. On the other hand it's had a tough generation in...
Poll Are You Ready to Download More of Your Retail Games From the eShop?
Nintendo's keen, but are you?
Though we wait (im)patiently for My Nintendo - and Miitomo - to arrive in the West, the launch in Japan has given an early look at how the Club Nintendo replacement is shaping up. We expect tweaks and even alternative rewards for the West, but the general structure and broad detail is likely to be largely the same...
Feature Breaking Down the My Nintendo Loyalty Economy
Show Nintendo some love
The Club Nintendo replacement - My Nintendo - hasn't launched in the West as yet, mainly due to the fact we're waiting for the accompanying launch of Miitomo to make its way out of Japan. It's going to happen this month, but the vagaries of mobile app releases mean it could be tomorrow, 31st March or anything in between;...
Guide Here's How To Get Miitomo Early On iOS And Android
Fun with the Japanese release
Miitomo is out in Japan, and the surprising thing is that despite the regional exclusivity, it's possible to play the "game" entirely in English. Doing so requires a bit of additional legwork and (please read this disclaimer twice or maybe even three times) you won't be able to use your Nintendo Account unless you...
Feature Getting Friendly in Surprising Ways With Miitomo
Knowing Mii, Knowing You
The pressure has been on Nintendo for many years from some fans (and not to mention shareholders) to create games and apps for smart devices. It resisted for quite some time but a partnership with DeNA was announced in early 2015; thoughts of a Mario endless runner sprang to mind, but Nintendo's first entry into the crowded...
Timing is everything
Well, Sony has finally put its cards on the table in terms of Virtual Reality. Following Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive's release details the PlayStation bosses confirmed an October arrival for its headset, at $399.99 for the basic offering. The PS4 add-on is arriving after its biggest rivals and, predictably, at a lower price...
Editorial Accessibility Through Optional 'Invincibility' Buffs Can Only Be a Positive for Nintendo
Let's try to be Super Guides and spread the gaming bug
So, Star Fox Zero will not only have a co-op mode that'll allow less experienced players to play as a gunner and pew-pew stuff through the GamePad, but also a friendly option where gamers will have an invincible Arwing and simply fly through a level regardless of their performance. In the very...
Probably won't, but it's nice to think about it...
After following Nintendo for a number of years certain trends jump to the fore. Introducing new IPs is a minefield - Splatoon had buzz from day one, but Code Name: S.T.E.A.M's 2014 reveal was greeted with 'where's Advance Wars' questions and it struggled at retail. Too much of one franchise does...
Feature Nintendo Life's Favourite Mario Spin-Offs
The mascot's about more than platforming
This past week brought us Mario Day, or 'Mar10 Day' as Nintendo of America promotes it. Goofy campaign it may be, but it's nevertheless an excuse to celebrate the mascot and his many, many games. Having already extensively covered the series for its 30th Anniversary and having considered our favourites out...
Interview Renegade Kid on Stepping it Up With Mutant Mudds Super Challenge
It was nicknamed Uber Mudds, after all
A number of development studios have become well-known and familiar names to eShop aficionados - Renegade Kid is certainly a studio that most 'Nindie' followers will know from their releases across 3DS and Wii U. Though the company has a previous track record in the DS retail scene, and has also extensively...
Poll Which Is The Best Mario Spin-Off Series or Game?
There are so many...
Nintendo of America is keen for today to be 'Mar10 Day', a charming little spin on date conventions which doesn't have the same ring to it elsewhere - it's 10Mar day in the UK, for example, which isn't anywhere near as catchy. With a cute video to celebrate and some social media shenanigans afoot, it is at least an opportunity...
DLC Review Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation
The gang's all here
Note: Mild spoilers ahead for Fire Emblem Fates Birthright and Conquest. You've been warned. No matter which path you initially took, Fire Emblem Fates' two campaigns left a number of open questions around what's really happening in the world. Where did all those shadow enemies come from? Who is Azura, really? Why didn't the...
Feature Poster Children - Your Guide to Collecting Nintendo Power's Awesome Classic Posters
A blast from the past
If you were a kid growing up at the end of the '80s and into the late '90s, you very well may have known that home console gaming was in its prime glory in the Bush Senior and Clinton era. The new and as-of-yet unexplored frontiers of companies like Nintendo and Sega were fertile planting ground for now-classic and beloved...
Talking Point Nintendo's Fortress of Secrecy Needs to Tighten Security for the Year Ahead
Sharing isn't always the best policy
It seems that not so long ago Nintendo's ability to keep secrets was legendary. When leaks or early slip-ups emerged in past years it was normally a trusted partner that spilled the beans - examples included the occasion when a TT Games employee tweeted a picture of the re-designed Wii U GamePad prior to its...
Interview Former Retro Studios Man Rhys Lewis on Going Alone With Star Ghost on Wii U
"I reflected on Iwata-san's words" with move from iOS to eShop
When a one-man studio developer states - with as much humility as possible - that they've previously worked at both Rare and Retro Studios, you can't help but be intrigued. These are two of the most storied Western development studios in Nintendo history, with Rare being an integral part...
Editorial Nintendo's Virtual Console Revolution Must Wait as We Pay Once More for SNES Games
This cycle is surely ending...
In one sense Super NES games on the New Nintendo 3DS is rather exciting - it's the first (legitimate) time a lot of these games can be played on a portable device, after all. That's something to celebrate, but the reveal and pending line-up also comes with its own nagging issues and annoyances, some of which could...
Particularly on the 3DS
Nintendo, for reasons covered frequently on previous occasions, can no longer rely on sheer volume of releases for 3DS and, in particular, Wii U. What it can do is share its passion for its hardware through its own game releases and how it delivers them to fans. In its 3rd March Nintendo Direct broadcast the company did just...
Feature Exciting Wii U and 3DS Games to Play in Spring and Summer 2016
Nintendo upped the ante in its most recent Direct
Following Nintendo's latest Direct broadcasts, a much clearer picture of the upcoming goodies on Wii U and 3DS has emerged. It was pitched as a presentation to show off current-gen games in our near-future, and it delivered on just that. Following on from our equivalent list for the first quarter of...
Poll Did the Wii U and 3DS Nintendo Direct Kickstart 2016?
Aiming for current-gen buzz
Well, Nintendo certainly tried to wow its fans with its first full Direct of the year. Regardless of opinions over the content, what is clear is that there was plenty of it across the different key regions, with a mix of solidified details and surprises thrown in. Considering the timing and content here it's certainly...
Feature The Big Nintendo Direct Summary - 3rd March 2016
Setting the scene for longer gaming days
It had been a little under four months since the last full broadcast - aside from game-specific efforts - so Nintendo came into its most recent Direct broadcasts with a remit to seize momentum and excite Wii U and 3DS owners. Overall there was plenty to mull over with some surprises and big announcements,...
Feature What We Expect from Nintendo Direct - 3rd March
The temperature rises for Wii U and 3DS
Following the quickfire Pokémon Direct that arrived in late February, we now have a full-fat Nintendo Direct to look forward to. With clear expectations set by Nintendo - Spring and Summer games for Wii U and 3DS - along with trademark postings and the obligatory 'leaks' that always precede any broadcast,...
Release window discrepancies point to varied regional broadcasts
Thinking back to some older Nintendo Direct broadcasts between Europe and North America, the formula used by both was often largely the same - there'd be shared segments from Japan led by former company President Satoru Iwata, and then regional sections that specified local promotions...
Interview Eiji Aonuma and Tomomi Sano Shed Light on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
The balance of modernising and showing faith to the original
The Wii U is about to receive its second Legend of Zelda HD remaster. Following the success of The Wind Waker HD, we now have Twilight Princess HD on the way to share the decade-old GameCube / launch Wii title with a new audience. We think that the upcoming release is
Feature Eiji Aonuma Reminisces on How Twilight Princess Connected His Work and Family
An adventure for his wife and son
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is out this week (3rd March) and in our review we've been full of praise for the release. An entry in the series that can certainly cause some debate among fans, this writer is firmly in the camp that believes in its merits, with the Wii U edition being a definitive version...
Feature Why We're Still Playing... Star Fox 64 / 3D
Hey, Einstein! I'm on your side!
In this series reflecting on older games still getting regular boot-ups among Nintendo Life staff, Tom Whitehead talks about why he's still playing Star Fox 64 3D with worrying frequency. After all, it's worth warming up for Star Fox Zero, right? I was reminded today by my tweeting mother (who has been described...