Metroid News
December2018
Reminder Three New NES Games Hit Switch Today, Plus SP Versions Of Metroid And Dr. Mario
Fill your retro boots
In case you'd forgotten, today sees that time of the month when Nintendo boosts the Switch's NES game catalogue with a handful of new games. Three new titles have appeared today, and as has become tradition, we've also be treated to a couple of SP versions of old favourites, too. The three main additions this month are...
November2018
Reminder Three New NES Games Have Launched On Switch Today, Plus Another Bonus SP Version
NES games for everyone
As promised, today sees another trio of retro delights hit the Nintendo Switch Online - Nintendo Entertainment System library of games (plus a special bonus version, too). If you're subscribed to the service, here's what you can expect to find joining your collection. The three main additions this month are Metroid, Mighty...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 10th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Once again, we find ourselves at the end of another week, and now it's time for Team Nintendo Life to gather 'round and discuss all of the lovely games we'll be playing over the next couple of days. We've got demon slaying, RPG beating, and even some real-life Pokémon catching on the agenda this week, so make...
News Nintendo Adds Trio Of Games To Switch Online NES Library Next Week
Membership required
Anyone with a Nintendo Switch Online membership can look forward to playing three more classics on the NES service next week. As previously confirmed, Metroid, Mighty Bomb Jack and TwinBee will be added to the library. The arrival of these games on 14th November will increase the total number to 26. Alongside the launch date...
Random Lady Gaga Reveals She's A "Secret Gamer Girl" Who Has Been Playing Bayonetta
Brie Larson also wants to be Samus Aran
While most Bayonetta fans are waiting on the third entry to arrive at some point in the near future, the American singer, songwriter and actress Lady Gaga is busy playing through the first game. According to one of her tweets, she's a bit of a "secret gamer girl" having recently completed Chapter IV in the...
June2017
News Former Metroid Prime Designers Talk About What They Want From A New Metroid Game
"The isolation, the wonder, and the fear"
Metroid turns 30 this year, and the news has been marked in the best way possible by not one but two new titles in the franchise. Metroid Prime 4 and Metroid: Samus Returns are certainly worth getting excited about, but former Metroid Prime designers Kynan Pearson and Mike Wikan have more ambitious ideas for...
January2017
News Fan-Made Prequel Metroid: Rogue Dawn Released On NES
Set before Metroid Zero Mission
Time and time again fans surprise us with projects born out of their love for Nintendo franchises despite the obvious legal issues. One franchise in particular that seems to generate substantial fervor is Samus Aran's very own backyard, the Metroid series. As years go by without a new mainline entry in this revered...
December2016
News Metroid Developers Reflect on the Development Process of the Original Metroid
Samus was mistakenly named after a Brazilian soccer player
The Metroid series is one of those franchises that has a ravenous and loyal fanbase, but doesn't always have the best of luck. It's been in something of a slump lately, with the middling Metroid Prime: Federation Force being something of an anticlimactic comeback after 2010's Metroid: Other...
August2016
News Metroid Composer Shares Personal Note About the 30th Anniversary
Also, a cool Metroid montage track
The Metroid series has always been known for crafting an effective atmosphere, there's just no other game that manages to capture that same sense of creepy isolation. Environment design plays a large role in this, but the soundtrack also contributes in no small way. Considering that we just passed the 30th...
Video Learn Some Handy Metroid Glitches
Skip those pesky boss fights
Glitches remain an important part of games for enthusiasts and speed runners, with unintended gaps in code or system limitations allowing those with the know-how to do strange things. Sometimes you can skip entire areas, defeat an enemy easily, or just make something look cool. There's a mix of techniques in the latest...
August2015
Gallery This NES Console Mod Is The Ultimate Metroid Tribute
Worth hunting for
This year marks 29 years since Metroid was released in North America, and to celebrate the occasion fans are paying tribute to the NES classic in a wide range of ways. Modder Platinumfungi has collaborated with airbrush artist Noel McEwen to craft a one-of-a-kind NES console complete with a Samus sprite which lights up when the...
January2015
News Week Three of the eShop Throwback Sale Goes Live in North America
Metroid Prime Trilogy, Mario Kart 8, Mario Golf: World Tour and more
In a move poised to please Metroid fans and ruin bidding wars for some, Nintendo has graciously released the Metroid Prime Trilogy on the Wii U eShop. Spearheading the third week of the North American "Throwback Sale," the beloved trilogy is available for a whopping 50% off its...
December2014
News December's Club Nintendo Rewards Aim to Bring Festive Cheer
Super Mario Kart! Kid Icarus! Kirby! More!
It's now time for the final North American Club Nintendo rewards update of 2014, with the December offerings taking us well into 2015 and giving keen coin collectors their last chance to splash the virtual cash before Christmas. This batch has the now-standard eight games, with four across Wii U and Wii...
November2014
News Sakurai Explains Why Ridley Is Not A Playable Fighter In Super Smash Bros.
Wanted to provide an accurate portrayal of the space pirate
The recent reveal of Ridley in the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U 50-fact extravaganza had Smash fans fooled for a brief moment thinking the well-known archenemy of Samus Aran was a playable character. As we now know though, this is not the case. In a re
September2014
Rumour Concept Work from Former Next Level Games Artist Shows a Certain Bounty Hunter
Was the studio once considering a Metroid project?
A former Next Level Games concept artist's portfolio is making Metroid fans' minds race with the possibility the studio had been working on or considering a new entry in the series. The artwork, which includes a stylized version of Samus in full Power Suit as well as two boss creature designs,...
August2014
Talking Point A History of the Sexualisation of Samus
Exploring the long, complicated history of the bounty hunter's public image
Zero Suit Samus' alternate costumes in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Just this week, Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai revealed the new alternate costumes for Zero Suit Samus in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U: “From the ending of
Nintendo Download 14th August (Europe)
More Mega Man, Pets and a whole load of discounts
It's time for our regular Monday fix of Nintendo Download Update news for Europe, with this week's releases not bursting at the seams with new content. We do have a particularly good Game Boy title on offer, however, while there are some tasty discounts including some of the best games for Wii U and...
February2014
Weirdness There's a Metroid in my Spelunky
A cross-over too good to be true
Spelunky with a dash of Metroid — it sounds just as bizarre, yet as appetising, as pea and ham soup. That’s why this weird match-up has now been made a reality by mod maker, joey4track. To publicise his unique creation exclusive to the PC version of the game, he passed the modification onto YouTube personality...
September2013
News Former Nintendo Composer Dedicates Retro Remixes to Hiroshi Yamauchi
Super Mario Land and Metroid both given special new tracks
Earlier this week former Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi passed away at 85 years of age. He'd led the company from 1949 to 2002, overseeing a revolution as Nintendo became the world's leading video game console manufacturer. By leading Nintendo to such success in the industry,...
July2013
Nintendo Download 11th July (North America)
A long awaited Atlus sequel, retro goodies, Pinball Wars and more
Another week, another Nintendo Download update for you, North America. This week brings Atlus RPG fans a 3DS title that's been long craved, one of the most famous film franchises of all time finally gets its pinball fix on Wii U, and some retro goodies join movie licensed games on...
Nintendo Download 11th July (Europe)
The flippin' Force, bullet hell, a dreamy RPG and much more
It's Monday morning, but our week is brightened once again by the European download news. This week brings us plenty to consider, with new and old titles on Wii U, a mixture of retail, video and download-only goodies on 3DS and a match-3 puzzler for DSiWare. So many downloads, so little...
Rumour Metroid Blasting Onto The Wii U Virtual Console Next Week
Samus' first adventure gets listed on Nintendo's website
Super Metroid was made available to Wii U owners for a measly 30c/30p earlier in the year as part of the Famicom 30th Anniversary celebrations and many people snapped it up straight away. The Super Nintendo classic was the home console successor to the popular NES title Metroid, which looks...
March2012
Nintendo Download 15th March 2012 (Europe)
UPDATE: Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure Demo arrives
Last week was a bumper Nintendo Download week in Europe, but this week plays catch-up with North America and has some releases that are sure to please retro fans: check out the details below. 3DS Virtual Console: Metroid (NES, Nintendo, £4.50/€5) — Samus' original NES adventure was...
Nintendo Download 1st March 2012 (North America)
Metroid on NES
Bit of a slow week to kick March off, with an NES game on 3DS Virtual Console, a couple of demos and one piece of DSiWare all there is to talk about today. 3DS Virtual Console: Metroid (NES, Nintendo, $4.99) — Samus Aran's first adventure surely needs no introduction, but it's available to buy in the eShop from today. We'll review...
August2011
Feature What Happened to Metroid 64?
Samus got lost
As a week of Metroid Anniversary celebrations draws to a close, we thought we’d look back at a Metroid game that never was. We’re not talking about Metroid Dread, which could still happen, but Metroid 64, which will obviously never see the light of day. We’ve made the title up, but in light of the trend of adding ‘64’ after...
Feature Samus Aran, Gaming's Leading Lady
We take a look at the famous female bounty hunter
Historically, just about every form of media has seen itself dominated by men, and gaming is as guilty as the rest. You could chalk it up to the playing population remaining largely scant of females for reasons too complex and debatable to delve into here, but that's only half the story. The...
December2010
Features NES Characters, Then and Now: Part One
See how some of your favourite characters have evolved over the past 25 years
The Nintendo Entertainment System was a system that stimulated the imaginations of designers and gamers alike. Whether it was the smiling, dream-like wonderland of the Mushroom Kingdom, the sprawling fantasy world of Hyrule or the atmospheric depths of planet Zebes, the...
October2010
Features Things We Miss About the 8-Bit Era
It's the little things that count
Today, the virtual reality experience of the Wii is as immersive as Lawnmower Man director/writer Brett Leonard ever could have hoped, with Mario as real and in-person as an actual member of our family and special effects so vivid that we compulsively hold our breath during underwater levels. Okay, maybe things...
Learn our shocking pasts
To continue our celebration of 25 years of NES, the staff's gathered around the campfire to share their favourite memories of that little dream machine. Not everyone could make it to the party, unfortunately, but we're sure that those who couldn't had good reason to stay home. Join us now as we lay bare our souls to you and...
September2010
News Catch a Live Stream of Symphonic Legends This Thursday Evening
Orchestral arrangements of classic Nintendo games
If you've not got any plans this Thursday night, then be sure to tune into a live stream of Symphonic Legends' orchestral renditions of classic video games. Produced by Thomas Boecker with Jonne Valtonen taking lead composer duties, the WDR Radio Orchestra will be performing at the Cologne...
August2010
News Gunpei Yokoi Gets The Legacy Treatment
The father of handheld gaming gets remembered in a hands-on tribute
Gunpei Yokoi pretty much created the handheld gaming market. His line of Game & Watch systems eventually paved the way for Nintendo's full-fledged portable gaming system, the Game Boy, also created by Yokoi. Before making video games though, he created a slew of toys that helped...
News Samus Narrates a Trip Down Metroid Memory Lane
Get your plot details in order before the next adventure
Well, now that Nintendo has gone ahead and hired a voice actor for the traditionally silent Metroid: Other M star Samus Aran, we suppose it makes sense that they want to make the most of her talents. What better than to let the now-verbose heroine narrate a retrospective of her adventures with space jellyfish? Not only is it a nice summary of..
August2009
News Buy Metroid Prime Trilogy, Get the Original Metroid Free
Nintendo of Europe offers a free VC game to those quick to the punch.
Two years ago, the original Metroid was made available on the Virtual Console in order to generate some hype for the release of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption a few months later. It seems only fitting that there is now yet another promotion featuring the original NES game, as Metroid Prime Trilogy will be released in Europe early..
