Latest Previews

July2012

  • First Impressions Trine 2: Director's Cut

    Triple trouble

    Three: it's the magic number. It's also the number of playable characters in Trine 2: Director's Cut, a 2D puzzle platformer that sees you regularly switching between a mismatched trio of varying skillsets to traverse beautiful lands. The wizard Amadeus commands bridges and blocks with the tips of his wizened fingers, either...

  • News 3DS XL Comparison Gallery

    We go hands-on with Nintendo's new portable

    The 3DS XL launch is almost upon us, but thanks to our godly status in the world of Nintendo, we've been sent a pre-release retail unit to touch and fondle. Thanks to our steadfast belief in the spirit of sharing, we thought you might like to see what the 3DS XL looks like when placed alongside its...

June2012

  • First Impressions New Super Mario Bros. U

    Mushroom magic?

    It's OK to say you were disappointed that New Super Mario Bros. U is Wii U's first Super Mario game. You may have wanted something groundbreaking like Super Mario 64, and Nintendo revealed a shinier, sharper version of a Wii game from 2009. You're entitled to be disappointed. Your excitement for Mario's next home adventure all...

  • First Impressions Project P-100

    Crowd sourcing

    Tucked away at E3, shielded from the glare of the main presentation for reasons unknown, was Project P-100. It's an all-new superhero action IP by well-lauded developer Platinum Games, due to be published by Nintendo in Wii U's launch window. It's also bonkers. One Mr Hideki Kamiya is at the helm as director, famous for a track...

  • First Impressions ZombiU

    London crawling

    Ubisoft's first-person shooter ZombiU is brutal. Adapted from the ashes of the cancelled Killer Freaks from Outer Space, it sees London overrun by hordes of infected monsters. Your only goal is to survive, but don't expect to do so for very long; battles are desperate, fought with melee weapons or a weak pistol until you can scrape...

  • First Impressions Nintendo Land's Multiplayer Games

    Wii U's main attraction

    Nintendo Land is lots of fun. In some ways it's exactly the kind of fun you had when you played Wii Sports for the first time, regularly erupting into laughter and occasional curses when things don't go your way. It didn't look much on stage at E3, but Nintendo's right to put its faith in the game's ability to communicate...

  • First Impressions Game & Wario

    No Ware out

    Wario's first Wii U appearance isn't quite what we've come to expect from the garlic-munching gold grabber. Instead of a platformer or a new entry in the micro game-fuelled WarioWare series, Game & Wario is a collection of more fleshed out mini games that shows off what Nintendo's new home console can do with a single GamePad. Game...

  • First Impressions Batman: Arkham City Armoured Edition

    Sonar, so good

    Batman's latest crusade through video games has been out on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC for a good eight months now, but that didn't stop Nintendo giving enhanced port Batman: Arkham City Armoured Edition plenty of stage time at E3. Escaping the confines of Arkham Asylum, a section of Gotham City has been cordoned off as a gigantic...

  • First Impressions Pikmin 3

    Extra floretstrial

    For years Nintendo has been tending to a new entry in the Pikmin series, experimenting with different control methods and systems both handheld and home console. After starting life on Wii, Pikmin 3 was eventually transferred to Wii U due to the benefits of high definition and the GamePad's touch screen. The little plant-alien-bug...

  • First Impressions Scribblenauts Unlimited

    Unlimited indeed

    We've already seen two Scribblenauts releases on Nintendo's DS system, but now the series is making the jump to the home console on Nintendo's upcoming Wii U, in the form of Scribblenauts Unlimited. While the series has never looked better visually, it's the major improvements to the gaming experience itself that really takes this...

  • First Impressions Rayman Legends

    An absolute jaw-dropper

    Ubisoft's Rayman Origins was praised for its amazing 2D visuals, lush environments and solid platforming. So when word leaked out that Ubisoft was working on a possible sequel, fans of the limbless one sat up and took notice. After finding out the game would be shown at E3 on Nintendo's upcoming Wii U console, the thought of...

  • First Impressions Bomb Monkey

    Monkey + bombs = puzzler fun

    When you mention developer Renegade Kid's name, some gamers' minds immediately gravitate towards the spine-chilling first-person shooters the developer has created like Dementium and Moon. So when the group released its retro platformer Mutant Mudds, most were fairly caught by surprise. There's another surprise as...

April2012

  • First Impressions ATV Wild Ride 3D

    ATV racer goes 3D

    When the original ATV Wild Ride was released on Nintendo DS last year, it was praised for its impressive play controls and solid track designs. Unfortunately the game's limited release made it difficult to find at retail outlets, thus keeping it from reaching a wider audience. Now developer Renegade Kid has decided to give the DS...

  • First Impressions Art of Balance TOUCH! (3DS eShop)

    Small scale

    Art of Balance on WiiWare is one of the service's best puzzlers — the second highest-rated puzzler on Wii, according to Metacritic — so an enhanced, portable version for 3DS sounds like a winner. Surprise! It is. Art of Balance TOUCH! follows the same format as previous Shin'en WiiWare-to-eShop transition

  • First Impressions Mario Tennis Open

    Nintendo serves up another winner

    The mustachioed plumber’s handheld tennis and golf outings have an RPG history able to trigger warm and fuzzy feelings of nostalgia in all who earned hand cramps from them at one point or another. Those feelings won’t be triggered by Mario Tennis Open on 3DS as it eschews levelling up solo in favour of...

March2012

  • Hardware Review Hyperkin SupaBoy Portable SNES

    The biggest retro hardware release in more ways than one

    The lapse of hardware patents on retro platforms has resulted in an explosion of clone machines, most of which are produced cheaply in the Far East. These systems emulate the performance of consoles such as the NES, Super Nintendo and Genesis/Mega Drive, all of which are no longer covered by...

February2012

December2011

November2011

  • Preview Mutant Mudds

    Muddin' makes you feel good

    For those who don't know, Mutant Mudds began life as a 3D polygonal platformer called Maximillian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds that was to be released as a retail title on Nintendo DS. Sadly, the retail release and a pitched DSiWare rendition were never able to get off the ground, leaving developer Renegade Kid to...

  • First Impressions Nano Assault

    Shin'en knows shmups

    Shin'en is certainly no stranger to the shoot 'em up genre, having already developed games in the Iridion and Nanostray series for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS respectively, but after taking a few years to work on other projects, many shooter fans were beginning to wonder if the developer would ever get back to its shmup...

  • First Impressions Fishing Resort

    Is there a catch?

    Yuji Naka's Prope studio has been responsible for some interesting Wii titles over the past few years, including Ivy the Kiwi and the upcoming Rodea the Sky Soldier. So when the developer announced Fishing Resort, many gamers were left wondering just exactly how a game like this would turn out. And while its cute look and feel is...

October2011

  • First Impressions Mighty Switch Force

    The Mighty series just got a lot mightier

    While Shantae will probably always be the series WayForward is best known for, it's also been quite successful on Nintendo's download services, especially with its two previous Mighty releases, Mighty Flip Champs and Mighty Milky Way. Now the developer is looking to continue that success with its first 3DS...

  • First Impressions Gnomz (WiiWare)

    WiiWare gets weirder

    QubicGames' Gnomz isn't much like other fighting games. There are no punches, no blocks and no health bars — instead it has gnomes, rainbow socks and reindeer with lights on. We recently grappled with a preview version of the game and came out (mostly) mentally unscathed. Played with the Wii Remote sideways, Gnomz is a...

  • Preview Super Mario 3D Land

    It's all about perspective

    The last time we played Super Mario 3D Land, we came away confident that Nintendo was taking its mascot forward, as our preview explained. That was based on a four level demo but we've since played the game's opening two worlds, so does that first impression still hold true? Well, it all depends on your point of view...

September2011

  • First Impressions Zen Pinball 3D

    We take the game for a spin

    Zen Studios has become quite well-known for its pinball simulations released across several gaming platforms in recent years, but now the company is looking to jump into the 3DS eShop pool with the upcoming Zen Pinball 3D. The folks at Zen Studios were kind enough to send over a preview build of the game, which we...

  • First Impressions MotoHeroz (WiiWare)

    We take the Trials-style game for a quick spin

    It's always tough to tell what you're going to get when developers decide to combine two separate genres into one new gaming experience. Sometimes it works and offers up something fresh and unique, whereas other times it can be a complete and utter disaster. With their upcoming WiiWare release...

  • Feature BIT.TRIP SAGA vs. BIT.TRIP COMPLETE

    We'll help you decide

    When Gaijin Games released its first BIT.TRIP title BIT.TRIP BEAT back in 2009, the game took many players by surprise not only with its unique musical and visual presentation, but also with its extremely addictive gameplay. And as beloved as BEAT would become, the series would only get more interesting as each new release took...

July2011

  • Preview Super Mario (3DS)

    Piping hot

    Nintendo could have gone in any number of directions with its first Mario outing on 3DS: an enhanced remake of a previous game a la Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, an extension of the Super Mario Galaxy series or a sequel to the mega-selling New Super Mario Bros.. It's done none of these, or possibly all of them at once. For a start,...

  • First Impressions Kirby: Mass Attack

    Kirby rides again!

    The DS is nearing the end of its life now; there are very few big games planned as everybody's making the move to the 3DS. Still, Nintendo's got another title coming out in the form of Kirby: Mass Attack, which takes the traditional Kirby platforming and gives it another unique twist. We had a chance to sit down with a still...

  • First Impressions Rayman Origins (Wii)

    Back to his best?

    Rayman Origins is the long awaited return to 2D platforming for Ubisoft's chopper-haired hero. While the version we played at a recent preview event was running on Xbox 360, we were told the team is aiming to make the Wii version as similar as possible. Running on Ubisoft's new UbiArt framework, the game is extremely beautiful —...

  • Preview The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

    Hands-on once more with the Hero of Time

    In all the Wii U commotion at E3 this year, Link's next and final outing on Wii was rather lost, but we were able to reconnect with the Hero of Time at a recent preview event in the UK. Three levels in total were playable: an aerial bird race, a dungeon and a face-off against Lord Ghirahim. With Wii Remote...

  • Preview Kid Icarus: Uprising

    Has Pit found his wings yet?

    Masuhiro Sakurai's game of two halves continues to delight and frustrate in almost equal measures. When we played the game back in January we came away thoroughly impressed with the aerial sections but less enamoured with the ground fighting elements, and this hasn't changed based on our latest hands-on time with the...

  • First Impressions Sonic Generations

    Making us blue

    June was Sonic's 20th anniversary, and later this year Sega celebrates with Sonic Generations, a project that aims to combine the hedgehog's best and, admittedly, worst moments. 3DS owners get a very different version to PS3 and 360 fans, both for better and worse. Sonic Generations on 3DS joins traditional 16-bit style platforming...

  • First Impressions Heroes of Ruin

    To arms!

    There haven't been many new franchises so far in 3DS's short life so far, but RPG masters Square Enix and handheld specialists n-Space are busy preparing a very promising new IP for release in 2012: Heroes of Ruin. We recently went hands-on with the game, and from our early impressions it's one that should hit your radar. From the off it's...

  • First Impressions Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D

    Snake returns to Nintendo

    It's odd that, despite Hideo Kojima requesting Solid Snake to be put in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, there haven't exactly been many games from the Metal Gear series on Nintendo systems, and none since that crossover happened. Thankfully, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D is due to change that later this year. An enhanced port...

  • First Impressions Rhythm Heaven (Wii)

    Tapping never felt so good

    At last week's Nintendo press event in the Netherlands, we played several games, but one which has oddly not seen much coverage around the web yet is the latest entry in the Rhythm Heaven series. Scheduled for release in Japan next week, the demo Nintendo had on offer was completely untouched by translators, and was thus...

  • Hands On Netflix for 3DS

    We go one-on-one with popcorn in one hand and a stylus in the other

    In many cities across North America you can still find them: all-but-deserted video rental stores trying every special deal and coupon in their cap to reclaim business from the rampantly successful postal-based Netflix service. But for many, getting movies in the mail isn't its best...

  • First Impressions Resident Evil Revelations

    A return to survival horror

    Although Capcom originally coined the term "survival horror" to describe the first Resident Evil, one can't say that the franchise has been very much about that as of late. Resident Evil 4 and its sequel were far more heavily focused on action rather than suspense, with almost no scares to be found. Of course,...

June2011

  • First Impressions Kirby Wii

    Kirby sucks once again

    Although Kirby's Epic Yarn was a wonderful experience, there were a lot of diehard Kirby fans who we're a bit put off by its radically-different visual style and gameplay scheme. Now Nintendo is sending Kirby back to his roots and bringing back not only the familiar visual stylings fans have grown to love over the years, but...

  • First Impressions Nintendo Wii U

    Taking Nintendo's new console for a spin

    After seeing the Wii U and its touchpad controller revealed at Nintendo's E3 Press Conference, it was difficult to get an idea of what the system would hold from a gaming perspective. Sure, the visual power looked good and the controller itself featured a wide array of control functionality, but getting a...

  • First Impressions Aya and the Cubes of Light

    It'll make your head spin

    There may not be the huge numbers of incoming WiiWare titles we've seen in the past, but we'll take quality over quantity any day. One of the more interesting titles coming to WiiWare is Object Vision's Aya and the Cubes of Light, a puzzle platformer that's quite unlike anything on the service so far. As you might expect,...

  • First Impressions Spirit Hunters Inc. Light/Shadow (DSiWare)

    The thrill of the hunt

    After the success of their pOp release on both the WiiWare and DSiWare services, Nnooo took a little time to create some unique applications for DSiWare before getting the urge to create another game. Spirit Hunters Inc. Light/Shadow represents not only a return to gaming for the studio, but also their first dip into the...

  • First Impressions BIT.TRIP SAGA (3DS)

    BIT.TRIP goes 3D!

    To say that the BIT.TRIP series has been a highlight of the WiiWare service would be a gross understatement. Their simplistic design and wildly playable nature have made for some of the most engaging gaming experiences on the service and continue to be among the most popular titles in the catalog. Now, the folks at Gaijin Games are...

  • First Impressions Cave Story (3DS)

    A truly stunning upgrade

    After enjoying years of success as an indie PC release, Cave Story finally made the transition to the dedicated game systems on both the WiiWare and DSiWare services thanks to the good folks at Nicalis. Now the game is getting a rather thorough 3D makeover on Nintendo's new 3DS system and while the game has taken a rather...

  • First Impressions Mario Kart (3DS)

    Mario Kart goes 3D!

    The Mario Kart titles have become a staple of Nintendo's consoles and handheld systems over the past 19 years, so the fact that a new game is being released for Nintendo's new 3DS system comes as no real surprise. What does come as a surprise is how many new ideas the developers have injected into this newest rendition and the...

  • First Impressions Mutant Mudds (3DSWare)

    Something old and something new

    There are some games that just grab you right from the moment you begin playing them and that was exactly the case when I began making my way through the levels of Renegade Kid's upcoming 3DSWare title Mutant Mudds. For those of you not familiar with the game, it actually began life as a free-roaming 3D retail title...

  • First Impressions Luigi's Mansion 2 (3DS)

    Busting makes Luigi feel good

    It's hard to believe that it's been almost a decade since the release of the original Luigi's Mansion, but fans of the game can certainly attest to the lengthy wait. Now, with the announcement of Luigi's Mansion 2, Nintendo is bringing back Mario's spooked brother and this time with a wealth of new gameplay touches and...

  • First Impressions Super Mario 3D (3DS)

    Super Mario comes to life in full 3D

    After the mammoth success of the two Super Mario Galaxy titles on the Wii, we had to know that a new Super Mario title was in the works for Nintendo's new 3DS system. While we received very little in the way of information when the game was first announced, Nintendo wasn't the least bit shy when it came time to...

May2011

  • First Impressions FAST - Racing League

    Taking Shin'en's latest for a spin

    Plenty of Nintendo fan ire has been drawn by the lack of an F-Zero game for the Wii, and with Wipeout exclusive to Sony consoles there's a huge gap in the market for sleek-looking futuristic racers. WiiWare developer Shin'en Multimedia is hoping to fill that with its upcoming WiiWare title FAST – Racing League,...

  • Hands On The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

    Link's past and future in one evening

    Last year's E3 conference was full of 3DS announcements, but one moment that still sticks in the memory after a year is the revelation of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the console. With less than a month until the game hits shelves worldwide, Nintendo UK invited Nintendo Life to a special preview event...

April2011

March2011

  • Hardware Review Nintendo 3DS

    We take Nintendo's 3D portable wonder for a spin

    To say that the buzz surrounding the upcoming Nintendo 3DS system is insane would probably be the understatement of the century. The system has garnered an incredible amount of hype and anticipation over the past year since it was announced and now that we've had a hefty dose of playing time on the...

  • Hands On Nintendo 3DS Augmented Reality Games

    Taking a reality check

    The striking autostereoscopic screen of the Nintendo 3DS might be responsible for the console gaining countless column inches over the past year or so, but here at Nintendo Life we've been equally as impressed with the potential offered up by the external cameras. Augmented Reality isn't anything new - it's been big news in...

February2011

  • First Impressions escapeVektor: Chapter 1

    We take Nnooo's trippy arcade title for a spin

    It's now been almost three long years since Nnooo released its first WiiWare title Pop, and now after having turned its attention to DSiWare and its rather unique set of myLifeCollected applications, the company has decided to make a surprising return to WiiWare with the brand new title escapeVektor:...

January2011

  • First Impressions Kid Icarus: Uprising

    Our Big N hearts go Pit-ter patter

    As its sequel itself is keen to point out in a tongue-in-cheek manner, it's been 24 years since Pit flapped his wings up, up and away in his nail-biting platform debut Kid Icarus. The NES original cribbed the best bits of franchises like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda and Metroid and crafted an ambitious,...

  • First Impressions 3DS Operating System and Built-In Software

    What to expect from the included channels, augmented reality games and multitasking

    There are a ton of unknowns still left for Nintendo to address when it comes to the upcoming 3DS handheld, and the hardware's operating system itself it was one of the least-accessible aspects of our time with the device in New York and Amsterdam on Jan. 19. While...

  • First Impressions PilotWings Resort

    PilotWings returns after a billion years

    Another long-abandoned fan-favorite series, PilotWings debuted on SNES but hasn't seen the flight of day since the N64 launched way back in the mid-90's with the lovely PilotWings 64. But despite the series' rarity, the third installment, PilotWings Resort, which we were able to go hands-on with in Amsterdam...

  • First Impressions 3DS Video Round-Up

    Eyes-on with a whole lot of titles

    Regrettably not all the best-looking titles at the Discover 3DS event were available to play, with many games only visible in rolling footage. We spent plenty of time touring the cinematic areas of the events in Europe and New York to see how some of the non-playable games were shaping up. One of the best-looking...

  • First Impressions The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

    The Hero of Time, now in three dee's

    Few games are as hotly anticipated for Nintendo's upcoming handheld as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, and with good reason: when the game originally hit the N64 in 1998 it was quickly hailed by gaming's vox populi as the greatest game ever. That's a title that many still bestow upon it after 13 years...

  • First Impressions Ridge Racer 3D

    Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidge Raceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer

    Namco's Ridge Racer series has been around the block a few times on Nintendo platforms, starting out with Ridge Racer 64 all the way up to Ridge Racer DS with a pit stop on Gamecube in between. Now the franchise is drifting on over to 3DS with the appropriately named Ridge...

  • First Impressions 3DS Virtual Console

    Time travel meets blur-o-vision

    Virtually nothing is known about how the 3DS will handle its new eShop apart from that it will eventually offer a Virtual Console for Game Boy and Game Boy Color software, and in New York City and Amsterdam this past Wednesday Nintendo Life was able to test out a couple of games confirmed for Shop shelves: Super Mario...

  • First Impressions Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

    The franchise's first 3DS outing is familiar territory for fans

    Of the two games in the horror series slated for 3DS, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is at first blush the least interesting. Where Resident Evil: Revelations looks to be taking the atmosphere back to the series’ spooky roots, Mercenaries is a complete embracement of the...

  • First Impressions Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D

    The beautiful game goes 3D

    The revelation that Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D would find a home in Europe during the 3DS's launch period was no surprise to some, but the major part it played in Nintendo's conference showed the two companies obviously have big plans for the game's role in the 3DS launch. Our hands-on time with the world's...

  • First Impressions Dead or Alive: Dimensions

    A contender?

    Capcom's Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition may have been many attendee's standout game of the show, but Tecmo Koei's first portable Dead or Alive title had its fair share of admirers throughout the Discover 3DS event. We put the fighter through its paces and attended Team Ninja's developer roundtable to bring you all the information...

  • First Impressions Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition

    Indestructible

    You have to go back a long time to find the last time a Street Fighter title appeared on a Nintendo console – Street Fighter Alpha 3 on the GameBoy Advance in 2002, in fact. Now Capcom is once again giving Nintendo fans a portable port of its famous fighter with Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition. We went toe-to-toe with the title...

October2010

  • More Impressions Super Meat Boy

    A game with a lot of Meat on its bone!

    For anyone that's followed the independent gaming scene over the years, you know all too well how much talent and creativity many of these games feature. And now with digital download services like Nintendo's WiiWare and Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade, many of these indie developers are finally getting the chance...

September2010

  • First Impressions Lost in Shadow

    We take Hudson's new platformer for a spin

    It doesn't take a genius to see that Hudson's upcoming Lost in Shadow release isn't your typical run-of-the-mill platformer. Not only does the game feature a protagonist that's not even a real person, rather his shadow, it also features some absolutely mesmerizing audio and visuals to further make it stand...

  • First Impressions Surinuke Anatōsu

    Thrill-seeking for puzzler fans

    One doesn't often think of thrills and puzzles as belonging in the same sentence. You can get a bit of excitement from kicking off a combo in a fast-paced game, but to actually get a rush in the same sense as riding a rollercoaster is something else entirely. Whilst it might be an exaggeration to say Surinuke Anatōsu...

  • First Impressions Shinobi Karakuri-den 2

    Double the ninjas, double the fun

    Retro gaming fans surely enjoyed the first Ninja Karakuri Den (as it's known outside of Japan), playing like a cutsey combination of Ninja Jajamaru Kun and Mappy. This sequel is pretty much the same game with a few tweaks to the formula, as with the other G.G. Series sequels we've seen thus far, continuing the...

  • First Impressions BIT.TRIP FATE

    We take the game for a spin in space

    The folks at Gaijin Games have already brought us four amazing BIT.TRIP releases that take many of the classic arcade elements from days gone by and somehow make them relevant again with their unique music/rhythm gameplay twists. We've seen classic influences ranging from the original Pong all the way up to David...

  • First Impressions G.G Series Chō Hero Ōga 2

    This sequel is MIGHTY difficult

    Having collected the first wave of G.G Series titles, Genterprise and Suzak have decided to go back to the well and release their sequels. As with ZONE 2, Chō Hero Ōga 2 takes the fundamentals of the original and extends them whilst maintaining the same level of fun. The transition is not unlike moving from early...

August2010

  • First Impressions G.G Series Collection+

    The arcade collection you never knew about

    Genterprise certainly appears to be a big fan of the Nintendo DSi, having released nearly a score of titles under the G.G Series banner, all of which have been previewed on this very site. Having them collected into a DS retail release to reach a broader audience makes sense, but even if you've already...

  • First Impressions myDiary

    Are you trying to read myDiary?

    We recently reviewed the application myNotebook Carbon, Pearl and Tan, now out in America and soon to hit the virtual European shelves, and were quite impressed with it. Now the focus is on Nnooo's next release, myDiary for DSiWare. What can we expect from the next instalment of the myLifeCollected series? Our man...

  • First Impressions Lilt Line

    Gaijin gets ready to beat us up again

    WiiWare fans already know to associate the Gaijin Games name with a series of top drawer titles, all with unique retro stylings and a heavy emphasis on music. Now the developer has turned publisher, having picked up A Different Cloth's iPhone title Lilt Line for a transition to the big screen. We recently sat...