Features News - Page 8 of 48

The SteamWorld Dig developer shares its 2013 experience

In the first of a mini-series here on Nintendo Life, some of the most respected eShop developers share their experiences of 2013. First up we have Brjann Sigurgeirsson of Image & Form, which brought us the terrific SteamWorld Dig on the 3DS eShop. Below is the studio's 2013, in...

Fans rejoiced

If you tell a non-interested observer that the release of a Super NES game on the Wii U caused a frenzy of excitement online, they may raise an eyebrow or, more likely, give you a quizzical look. Why would a game from so long ago be thrilling, when we have all of these highly cinematic HD experiences to enjoy? Of course, being a...

Damien and Tom share their thoughts on this week's broadcasts

It's like Nintendo read our minds, or at least deduced what a number of enthusiasts may be thinking. Aside from a slightly awkward appearance at the VGX awards to reveal Cranky Kong for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, we've had festive season advertising but relatively slim pickings...

Spend a little, get a bit more

While we could argue until the end of days about some aspects of Nintendo pricing, particularly with download retail games, 2013 has been another year where the company has taken positive strides to offer promotions and incentives on key games and their systems. Whether in Europe or North American there are decent...

Hyrule Warriors, NES Remix, Kirby, Smash Bros., Mario Kart 8 and much more

With the Holiday season rapidly approaching, Nintendo took the opportunity to bring us all new Nintendo Direct broadcasts to show us what's to come, throw in a surprise or two and build some buzz around both the Wii U and the 3DS. Broadcasts in Europe and North America —...

We hope the franchise will find a solution

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy is already out in Europe and arrives in North America on 28th February; for some the end is still to come while others have already closed their 3DS lid — or hit a button on the 2DS — with a regretful sigh. Level-5 may have kept the door open for the series to...

Feel the burn

Wii Fit U has had an odd history to date, with little mention for much of 2013 before Nintendo then announced a terrific trial download offer. We knew it was still a project very much on the way, however, because it was part of quite possibly the oddest E3 reveal in recent memory — to the point that we initially thought it was a...

M2, please take note

Sega's range of 3D Classics has finally hit the west, and with the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Harrier, Super Hang-On and Galaxy Force II already thrilling 3DS owners, this fine selection of reheated vintage legends proves beyond all doubt that good, old-fashioned gamepl

A game for all

While a number of 3DS titles have performed well for Nintendo in 2013, Animal Crossing: New Leaf has been a notable success story. While its core sales numbers have been impressive, it's perhaps been the cultural impact of New Leaf that's been the most pleasing for those keen to see 3DS success. To give some context of how well...

Wii U and 3DS cross-play brings Hunters together

Monster Hunter Tri on the Wii was a standout not just for its epic scale and unique style, but for its ability to bring owners of the system together in a solid, cohesive online component; that was a rarity. With honourable exceptions such as Mario Kart Wii, many titles on Nintendo's last-gen system...

Steel Diver, Nintendogs, The Yellow Devil and more

The start of another week means more Super Smash Bros. screens for us to enjoy; Masahiro Sakurai treated us to some particularly charming examples last week in the Super Smash Bros. Director's Room Miiverse community board, making some minor reveals in the process. The reveals are mostly centred on...

A more than welcome return

When considering Nintendo's most treasured franchises it can be humbling to consider how many began in the 8-bit NES era or even, in more primitive forms, in Arcade cabinets before then. It can be argued as a wonderful strength or as an area of concern, depending on an individual's opinion or whichever way Nintendo's...

Plenty to enjoy for 3DS and Wii U owners

The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's most powerful and iconic brands, a franchise capable of exciting a legion of fans with little more than a subtle hint of a teaser. In pure sales numbers it doesn't always match up to the mighty Mario, but its impact has arguably been as great as the plumber's in...

Yay green!

This is the first of 12 special features that will look back and highlight some of the best things Nintendo gave us in 2013. It's only natural that we start with the mascot that made 2013 his own. 2013, the Year of Luigi. Though, it may incorporate some of 2014, but let's not quibble. Nintendo declared this to be the green one's year...

We take a look at Sega's Japan-only DS strategy RPG

Sega's Shining Force series is still well thought of, even if the PS2 instalments arguably got off on the wrong foot by drastically rewriting series canon and deviating from the strategic gameplay found in older titles. Evidently someone was buying these games anyway, as after four entries on the...

Tens of millions of Nintendo fans can now interact

This week Nintendo finally delivered Miiverse, along with the Nintendo Network ID and shared eShop fund support, to the 3DS. While it has its flaws — which we'll cover to some degree this weekend — that's to be expected with any launch, especially one such as this that fundamentally shakes up...

Import gaming addict Kerry Brunskill explains the appeal of overseas gaming

I’ve been fascinated by Japanese games for as long as I can remember, going right the way back to faux-Japanese Amiga games like Leander and Apidya II. There's something appealing about Japanese game design and art which can't quite be matched by western titles, and...

StreetPass is social networking without the junk, says Andy Robertson

We all have peculiar reasons to like particular videogame hardware. Whether it’s the diminutive form factor of the Game Boy Micro, the wonderful ergonomics of the GameCube controller or the ingenious speaker on the Wii Remote, these designs trigger something inside us that...

Tom Whitehead cringed for three painful hours

I'll start this with a confession — I'd never bothered watching the VGA awards until this year's rebranded VGX event. I'd pre-judged it based on its own marketing message and what others had said, which isn't actually the best way to approach it; nevertheless life is short and, frankly, I was always...

From getting started to making the most of your ID

Today has brought us the latest major 3DS update, and it's one that's been anticipated for a good amount of time. It introduces Nintendo Network IDs to the portable, which now allows unified eShop funds with the Wii U equivalent and, perhaps most importantly, Miiverse access. Until now...

Skull Kid, Turnips, a Lloid rocket and more

It's Monday, so that means it's Super Smash Bros. screens time; once again we have Masahiro Sakurai to thank, as he diligently gives us our regular fix over on the Super Smash Bros. Director's Room Miiverse community board. To half-quote Depeche Mode (google them, younger readers), we just can't get...

Family Gamer's Andy Robertson on the topic of game length

The perfect game length is a personal thing. Those with oodles of time will want maximum value from their purchases and demand at least 30 hours of gameplay, but those with less time — such as myself and the many other games-playing parents out there — may prefer games to be shorter. I...

Damien McFerran experiences buyer's remorse thanks to a recent purchase

Before we stumble headlong into what will surely be a touchy subject to some, allow me to clarify something. As many of you will be aware, Nintendo Life is but one third of a network of gaming-focused sites. Nestled in the bosom of a growing media empire, this site is flanked...

The numbers don't add up

It seems that a month can't pass by — in the past couple of years — when investment analysts, games industry figures and Nintendo's own investors aren't saying that Nintendo needs to expand and release games on alternative platforms. It's creeping into discourse around the Wii U due to the hardware's struggles to date,...