Retro News
January2015
News Mario Bros. Coin-Op High Score World Record Is Smashed
Steven Kleisath bags 5,424,290 points on the 1983 classic
Before Mario became Super he starred in Donkey Kong and the 1983 arcade title Mario Bros., which would later be ported to the NES console. Like so many of Nintendo's classic arcade releases, Mario Bros. continues to attract high-level players who aim to bag the world's best score. The...
Weirdness Japanese Rock Legend Gackt Has Finally Beaten Mega Man 2
A victory months in the making
Back in July of last year (we're still not used to typing that yet) we told you about Japanese rocker Gackt's ongoing quest to beat the NES title Mega Man 2. In case you didn't know, Gackt — whose real name is Kamui Gakuto — was once part of the band Malice Mizer, but has since become one of Japan's most popular...
News Nintendo Quest, a Collector's NES Journey, to Launch a Fresh Kickstarter Campaign
The NES Club returns
Last year we interviewed Rob McCallum, the man behind the NES Club, about his planned documentary to follow "Jay Bartlett, as he tries to amass the entire NES library (NTSC retail games) in 30 days with no online purchases". Beyond the road trip vibe the film is aiming to highlight and explore retro gaming culture and Nintendo /...
Video Super Mario 64 Is Getting A Fan-Made HD Remake, And It Looks Gorgeous
And is totally unofficial, needless to say
Super Mario 64 is one of the finest video games ever made, but aside from a Nintendo DS remix, it has rather been forgotten by Nintendo. Thankfully, dedicated fans still love the title enough to bring it back from the dead, and four such individuals -- Aryoksini, mStuff, Callum Martin and Chadtronic -- are...
Video Teens Race and Talk Smack in Mario Kart 64
"Yo dawg I've got the golden mushroom"
YouTube has plenty of ways to entertain us, and one formula that's hugely successful is the React series in which different groups encounter games and are filmed as they get to grips with them. With Nintendo battling for attention against its big rivals, it can be fun to watch teens - particularly - getting to...
Video This Incredible Retro Gaming Collection Will Blow You Away
And it has a rare Sega item as its latest centrepiece
It's amazing what you discover when you're travelled across North America's vast expanse. Video producer, Sega fanatic and Nintendo Life contributor Tyler Esposito has uncovered a pretty special retro collection that contains items from Atari, Nintendo and Sega -- and is almost certain to attract...
Review Kuru Kuru Kururin (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Brill Brill Brilliant
Kururin's siblings have wandered off and got themselves lost, and now he must hop into his Helirin (a spinning blade with a cockpit stuck in the middle) to fly around a number of worlds to rescue them. There are tutorial levels available in Kuru Kuru Kururin, but the game is straightforward enough even if the gameplay is quite...
Oh, and Mario's favourite music is opera or new wave Euro-pop
Last year we reported on some humorous details from the official Nintendo Character Manual of 1993 - it was provided to companies and brand agents to ostensibly provide key facts around these characters. The main revelation on that occasion was that Yoshi's real name is T. Yoshisaur...
December2014
Feature Tales From The Frontline Of Game Boy Development
The Rise And Fall Of Crawfish Interactive
As the video game industry lurches from one generation to the next, the multitude of companies involved with producing software for the endless conveyor belt of platforms never remains static; just as studios are created to cater for the demands of new hardware, established firms are forced to close due to...
News The N64 Almost Got A Multiplayer-Focused Doom Sequel
Details regarding the cancelled Doom Absolution emerge
The N64 got an exclusive Doom title in 1997, but this wasn't the only game in the lineage that was planned for Nintendo's 64-bit system. The plan was to follow up with Doom Absolution, a 2-player competitive shooter developed to capitalise on the deathmatch craze triggered by Rare's excellent...
Guide How To Create A Custom Game Boy From Start To Finish
The glorious rebirth of a handheld gaming legend
In this unique one-off feature, esteemed Game Boy modder Joe Heaton — also known as Joeteach — takes us through an entire Game Boy custom job. Over the last couple of years, since getting hooked on the Game Boy modification scene and sharing my creations on Instagram, I have been asked a lot of...
Interview Nintendo Arcade Collector Shoots From the Hip With Rare Sheriff Cabinet
Now we're cooking with gas
Earlier this year we invited you to step into the Nintendo Arcade and meet London based Alex Crowley, who has amassed a legendary collection of classic Nintendo arcade cabinets. It's easy to forget that before it shot to prominence with the NES system, in particular, a core aspect of Nintendo's business was in arcade...
Review Duck Hunt (Wii U eShop / NES)
Old dog, same tricks
Despite Nintendo's refusal to acknowledge the Duck Hunt character in Super Smash Bros. until long after the 3DS version was released, we all knew that the duo – or trio – were in the game. What we didn't know at that time was that Duck Hunt was due to release on the Wii U's Virtual Console, and now it has. The question is...
Review Shadow of the Ninja (3DS eShop / NES)
Gaming pleasure and pain, oh look it's ninjas again
There's a great moment early on in Shadow of the Ninja where an armoured trooper stands atop a ledge occasionally shooting at you. You can't simply wait for the firing to stop before attacking as the gun doubles as a shield against your slashing blade. As you contemplate jumping between bullets to...
Review Mega Man Zero (Wii U eShop / GBA)
A side character gets a great spotlight
The Classic Mega Man Series was popular enough to warrant its own spin-off series, Mega Man X. That, in turn, proved strong enough for a spin-off series of its own, and in 2002 it arrived in the form of Mega Man Zero The Zero series spans four titles — all released exclusively for the Game Boy Advance —...
News Cancelled Game Boy Advance Title Is Back From The Dead A Decade After Its First Showing
Given away free as an added extra with new indie game
Back in 2003, developer Quantized Bit showed off Overstorm, an action platformer for the Game Boy Advance at a gaming convention. The title would not be seen again for more than a decade, as it was ultimately cancelled. However, the developer — which is still going strong and creating indie...
Video Learn About the Nintendo 64 in Stop-Motion Style
Seven fascinating facts
It's the season for being a little lazy, which can certainly include sitting around watching a lot of films, TV shows and online videos. For Nintendo fans, it's not hard to find enjoyable snapshots of entertainment to chill out with. Case in point is this short effort from hugely popular YouTube channel Vsauce3, which covers...
Review DK: King of Swing (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Shouldering the effort
Between 1999's Donkey Kong 64 and 2010's Donkey Kong Country Returns, Nintendo's great ape served a cool-off period of sorts when it came to straight-up platforming adventures. He had no huge releases to his name, but that didn't mean he was on the backburner entirely. The 2000s were a time to utilise Donkey Kong as a...
Video Watch How Sonic CD Made A Family's Christmas Back In 1993
Toot Toot Sonic Warrior!
As you may be aware, Sega fanboy and occasional Nintendo Life video contributor Tyler Esposito runs The Sega Channel, one of YouTube's best sources of original Sega video content. He has shared many videos taken during his youth, including this heart-warming clip of him and his late father extolling the vir
Review Pokémon Puzzle Challenge (3DS eShop / GBC)
Pokémon! Blocks! What more do you need?
The eShop is rife with puzzle games, and it’s understandable as to why; they’re fairly simple in design and can provide a huge amount of entertainment to an incredibly broad audience. Some of them can be a little bit monotonous or shameless clones of another game, but you’ll sometimes find something...
Feature Dreaming of a Nintendo Christmas - Damien McFerran
Damien McFerran talks festive play and mentions Sega a few times (sorry)
In the second part of our festive series, Damien McFerran talks about the gaming Christmas memories of his youth and why consoles like the SNES and Mega Drive have such a special place in his heart. As you may have gathered from the large volume of Sega-related content that...
News European Version Of Super Retro Trio Boasts Improved Compatibility With PAL Games
Available now from leading retailers
At the start of the year we reviewed the Retro-Bit Super Retro Trio, a remarkable machine which plays a wide range of retro formats. During our initial review, we spotted a few minor compatibility problems with PAL games — Super Mario Kart on the SNES in particular, which played fine but suffered from...
Review Lode Runner (Wii U eShop / NES)
Not quite endless runner
Broderbund's Lode Runner is a challenging puzzler that, unfortunately, hasn't aged particularly gracefully. Originally released in 1983 on computers like the Apple II and the Commodore 64, Lode Runner feels dated, even for an NES game. It's easy to see the reason Lode Runner was released on so many different platforms over...
Review S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team (3DS eShop / NES)
Invading aliens, a fight for survival and all that jazz
It is the year 2029 and aliens are attacking the earth. Have they observed mankind’s violent nature and opted for a pre-emptive strike to protect themselves? Or do they just dislike the way the people of S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team have taken to painting their buildings a shade...
Review Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Not just a load of balls
Following on from the highly enjoyable Pokémon Pinball on the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color, Nintendo released a successor to coincide with the release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Now, with Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire firmly secured by many a 3DS owner, Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire
Video Today's Teens Simply Cannot Handle The Insane Challenge Of Mega Man
"EVERYTHING is hitting me!"
As seasoned gaming fans we all wonder exactly why Capcom is ignoring its legendary Mega Man franchise, but the latest video in the React series points to a possible answer: the games are just too damn hard for modern players. The video places a NES controller into the hands of a group of teens and points them in the...
Review Mighty Final Fight (Wii U eShop / NES)
Looks can be deceiving
At first glance, it would be easy to mistake Capcom's Mighty Final Fight as a cheap cash-in of a superior arcade beat 'em up, with its chibi-styled characters and its seemingly limited 8-bit presentation. But while Mighty Final Fight may appear simpler than other entries in the series — game history buffs would be interested...
Video What if... Smash Bros. Had Announcers From Other Fighting Games?
Flawless Victory!
We still haven't got enough of Smash Bros. yet, but playing the game relentlessly day after day has had us hankering for revisiting old fighting games. Then, a crazy thought entered our brains — what if the cheesy Smash Bros. announcer was replaced with those of other famous brawlers? The result of this incredibly strange train...
Review Around the World in 80 Days (DSiWare)
Have money, will travel
When pondering the subject of exploration, match-three puzzle titles might not be the first thing that springs to mind. Jules Verne's classic story of an 80 day adventure around the world is a difficult concept to adapt through gem-switching and colour combinations, but Joindots GmbH has gone and done exactly that. Around the...
News Composer Legend Hirokazu Tanaka Throws Down Killer Chiptune Set
Showing how it's done as Chip Tanaka
Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka has a firm place in Nintendo's musical foundation. Most prolific in the '80s and earlly '90s, some of the more memorable songs in his repertoire include the themes to Metroid and Kid Icarus, "Song B" in Tetris and "Balloon Trip" from Balloon Fight, among many other
News AI Program Can Learn To Play Game Boy Games, Next Stop: The Subjugation Of Humanity
When is Judgment Day due, again?
Developer Daniel Shumway has created an AI program which is capable of learning how to play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. Named Piglet — but previously developed under the moniker WideEyes — it's a machine-learning AI built with Lua and designed to interact with the Visual Boy Advance emulator. Inspired by...
Review Shadow of the Ninja (Wii U eShop / NES)
Go ninja, go ninja GO!
Ninjas really were a hot ticket back in the '90s. The Turtles were making TV and toy executives money hand over fist, and children became so caught up in the craze they had the sheer gall to drag their parents into the cinema to watch dreck like Surf Ninjas. Yep, it was a great time to be a kid. The trend bled into gaming and...
Video Did You Know Gaming Explores Cancelled Mario Games and Concepts
Shame about the volleyball / wrestling hybrid from Next Level Games...
Nintendo goes through a lot of concepts and projects that don't, in the end, become a full game. While that's normal, it can be fascinating to learn about some of the games or ideas that never made it to our systems, with a recent example being that Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker...
Review S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team (Wii U eShop / NES)
I'm a scatman
Right, let's get this dealt with from the start; S.C.A.T is an awful name for a game — we won't go into why here, but it actually stands for Special Cybernetic Attack Team. Interestingly, the cart shipped in Europe as Action in New York. That's a much better title, although the game has as much to do with the Big Apple as mushy peas...
News The Father Of Video Games Ralph H. Baer Passes Away Aged 92
The industry owes him a massive debt
It has been confirmed today that Ralph Baer, often referred to as the father of the video game, has passed away. He was 92. Without Baer's pioneering work in the '60s and '70s, the modern video game industry would be totally different today. He created the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972, which was the first...
All very fin-miliar
Let's face it; you can't simply release a match-three puzzle game on Nintendo's range of handhelds today and expect to come across as unique. Developers are entering into an eShop saturated by shiny things just waiting to be lined up, so there needs to be some kind of hook to get players interested. Fishdom wears an intriguing...
Review Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge (Wii U eShop / NES)
Crashing with the boys
After another success at the track-meet Crash and the Boys from Southside High are issued a street challenge by a jealous rival; now they and teams from four other schools compete in a series of no-holds barred sporting events to find who really is the greatest. Crash ‘n the Boys: Street Challenge differs from other sporting...
News Club Nintendo Now Offering Festive 8-Bit Mario Wrapping Paper in Europe and Australia
Potentially pricier than the gift inside
With the festive holidays upon us it's time to worry about our planning. Have we got all the gifts? Is there enough food? Will those drunk relatives actually avoid arguing this year? Lots to worry about, and when it comes to gifts we have to make sure we've got tags, scissors sellotape and — of course —...
News Kickstarter Project Wants to Turn Your Game Boy into a Full HD Beast
If it's worth doing, it's worth doing in 1080p
Gunpei Yokoi, the late father of the Game Boy, famously embraced a design philosophy of "lateral thinking with withered technology," in which one found cool new ways to entertain with cheaper, older equipment. One can only wonder if Yokoi ever even considered the notion that, 25 years later, his iconic...
News Blinking Light Win Means You'll Never Have To Blow On Your NES Cartridge Again
No soldering required
The NES is one of Nintendo's most famous systems, but it came with a massive, massive design flaw. The "toaster" zero insertion force cartridge slot — designed so the system could avoid unwanted comparisons with traditional games consoles and thus avoid the stigma which had risen up since the Video Game Crash of 1983 —...
News Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry Almost Made Our Day On Nintendo Wii And DS
...but it was cancelled. Do you feel unlucky, punk?
Detective Harry Callahan is one of Clint Eastwood's most enduring characters, and starred in some seminal action movies back in the '70s and '80s. Eastwood's no-nonsense cop would inspire countless clones in both movies and video games, and back in 2004 Warner Brothers decided that it was time that...
November2014
Review Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness (3DS eShop / NES)
Little monsters
It might not be too off kilter to think that, in some alternate universe, things could have shaken out differently in Capcom’s stable and Firebrand the Red Arremer/Gargoyle would have become a bigger star. The company could have been associated more with crimson than true blue, and fans today could be crying out over the absence of...
News Assets For Cancelled Nintendo DS Version Of Crash Tag Team Racing Emerge
Was apparently only months from completion
Back in 2005 Sierra released Crash Tag Team Racing on a variety of formats, including the Nintendo GameCube. The game was a sequel of sorts to the well-received PlayStation classic Crash Team Racing and its follow-up Crash Nitro Kart, and was also due to hit the Nintendo DS at the same time. That port was...
Review Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Donkey wish your girlfriend was Kong like me?
Having stunned audiences with Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest, Rare had an awful lot to live up to on the final entry of the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble! sees the titular hero take centre stage after being second to the delightful...
News The Lost Worlds of Power eBook Arrives This Week to Fulfil Your Retro Life
"12 unique literary adaptations of classic and not-so-classic NES games"
Earlier this year we told you about The Lost Worlds of Power: Volume 0, a free eBook — led and collated by Nintendo Life alumni Philip J Reed — which included five new tales inspired by the notoriously awful Worlds of Power video game novels from the NES era. That was...
News Sami Cetin Breaks The NTSC Super Mario Kart World Record On Mario Circuit 1
He's a Time Trial master
Super Mario Kart SNES has just had another barrier broken on the Time Trial Mode. You may recall us reporting that UK-based Mario Kart expert Sami Cetin was the first person to break the sub-58 second barrier on the PAL Version of Mario Circuit 1 on Christmas Day, 2013. After this amazing Christmas present it was almost...
Weirdness This Wearable Power Glove Accessory Can Be Yours for $150
Tremendous hair not included
It seems the legacy of the infamous Power Glove controller for the NES lives on, so much so that one adventurous young individual has cracked a couple of them open and replaced their guts to create an interesting range of winter hand accessories. The connections are cut from the device and then the innards with wiring...
Review Natsume Championship Wrestling (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Tapped out
Let's be honest here: wrestling is essentially one big television drama, and that's no way an attempt to belittle the incredible athleticism of the men and women involved. It's Eastenders with a mullet and tight pants, complete with plot twists and a cast of larger than life characters to root for. These heels and faces are the reason we...
Review Lufia: The Legend Returns (3DS eShop / GBC)
The legend isn't feeling so good
Young Wain is the protector of his small village; it’s not a tough gig, with just the occasional blob-creature to slash on the outskirts, but things are about to change. As a spiritual force awakens inside him, the powerful Sinistrels re-emerge to release a threat of “unseen terror on the land”. His bloodline...
Anniversary 20 Years Ago Today, Rare Resurrected The Donkey Kong Brand
Donkey Kong Country is now two decades old
Donkey Kong is Nintendo's first major star, having made his début in the arcade game that effectively turned the company into the global monster it is today. However, when Mario decided to become Super on the NES and take his place as Nintendo's number one mascot, DK was bumped down the pecking order and...
Review Mario Kart Super Circuit (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Good for another lap
When the Nintendo 64 hit the market and suggested that 2D games had gone the way of the dodo, many of us that were fond of fancy sprite-work were forced to dust off elderly hardware to scratch our itch for the classic genres we held dear — until the Game Boy Advance came along, that is. Often reflected upon as the second...
Review Super Mario Advance - A Welcome Reworking Of Two Atypical Mario Platformers
Old Super Mario Bros.
While some video games don't age well, playing through Nintendo's back catalogue is generally like drinking a fine vintage wine. Super Mario Advance is rather unique in that it's a re-release of a collection of remade NES games. Super Mario Advance's brightly coloured remakes of Super Mario Bros. 2 and Mario Bros. and their...
Video Someone Has Built Mario Kart 8's Mute City Track In F-Zero X, Just Because They Can
You've got boast power!
Mario Kart 8's new DLC is a beautiful thing, offering additional characters, karts and tracks which breathe new life into what was already one of the best Wii U games. However, one of the highlights for the Nintendo Life team — all card-carrying F-Zero fans — is the Mute City track, which makes us want a sequel more than...
Review Bionic Commando: Elite Forces (3DS eShop / GBC)
Well, it ain't too young or pretty but it sure as hell can swing
The evil Avar Empire and their evil leader are planning evil things such as an evil invasion of the peaceful and generally lovely Karinia. Commander Joe was sent in to sabotage their evil plans but unfortunately he was a bit rubbish and got himself captured (again!? – no wonder they...
Review Adventures of Lolo (3DS eShop / NES)
Bubbles and puzzles and DEATH
The fine folks over at HAL Laboratory have an affinity for protagonists who could double as pretty decent basketballs, and the often-forgotten NES puzzler Adventures of Lolo features our first example of a blob hero. Unlike the platforming cuteness of the Kirby series, arguably HAL's most famous creation, Lolo has a...
Weirdness Fan Turns Pokémon Blue into a SNES Game
Making a classic…more of a classic?
It can be said that most Pokémaniacs share the dream of one day being able to play a full Pokémon adventure on a big screen, and one dedicated fan has achieved this by managing to fit a Pokémon Blue Game Boy cartridge into an empty SNES cartridge through some soldering work. The Nintendo 64’s Pokémon...
Video The Top 10 Mario Platformers, As Selected By You
You voted, and the winner is...
Way back in August, we asked you wonderful readers what your favourite Super Mario platform game was. You voted, and from those votes we came up with a Top 10 list, which we have immortalised in this video. If you ever played a Super Mario game, then you must be curious about what game is number one, right? Could it...
Review Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Wii U eShop / GBA)
The best for last?
Konami's Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is the third and final Castlevania title for the GBA, and arguably the strongest. A departure from the typical period drama involving the extended and ever-complicated Belmont clan, Aria of Sorrow introduces new characters and mythology into the series while also building on what has made...
News The Man Behind Sega's Wonder Boy Series Hates The Controls In Super Mario Bros.
"The movements just didn't feel right"
Super Mario Bros. is one of the most influential video games of all time, and has gone on to inspire countless titles over the years. While the vast majority of these subsequent games have tried to capture the magic which made Shigeru Miyamoto's NES classic so popular, Westone Bit founder Ryuichi Nishizawa has...
Review Harvest Moon 2 (3DS eShop / GBC)
Crop ‘til you drop
Clearly a testament to the popularity of the genre, the 3DS as a platform has been flooded with life simulation games. Ranging from the cutesy and calm world of Animal Crossing: New Leaf to the adventurous Fantasy Life, the surplus of games has spanned a plethora of sub genres, but they all come down to one thing: allowing their...
Hardware Classics The Sega Genesis Nomad
The less-travelled roadie
During the early '90s Sega's hardware department effectively went crazy. Flushed with the success of the Genesis / Mega Drive in North America and Europe, the company produced a series of commercial duds in an attempt to buttress its 16-bit business in the face of stiff competition from rival Nintendo. The first endeavour...
Video Teenagers Try Their Hand at the Original Super Smash Bros.
Arguable levels of success throughout
If you've ever wanted to feel old or skilled at a game from the Super Smash Bros. series, this video should be able to accommodate you. The REACT YouTube channel has taken six teenagers of varying names and sexes and pitted them against one another to see who has the most skill on the N64's classic Super Smash...
Nintendo 64x64 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
One game to Hyrule them all...
The most hyped game the N64 ever received was a heavenly gaming spectacle. The franchise leapt across to 3D glitch-free, providing everything that was already loved: a franchise-traditional story, dungeons, longevity and challenge. The game's engine, controls and camera were perfect and allowed us to be immersed in...
Nintendo 64x64 Rocket: Robot on Wheels
Unfairly overshadowed by its high-profile counterparts, Rocket: Robot on Wheels is one of the best 3D platformers available for the N64. Physics-based gameplay and a futuristic theme park setting provide the basis for seven different game worlds, each filled to the brim with challenging platforming segments and hugely inventive puzzles -- the...
Psygnosis could've released a port / rehash but us Nintendo 64 gamers were treated to an exclusive: delivering the best of the franchise at that time. Seven tracks were people's negative but quality was important here mastering them on Phantom tested the pros; varied challenges kept the one-player interested. The signature soundtrack didn't...
October2014
Review Donkey Kong Land III (3DS eShop / GB)
Marvellous Monkeys
In 1997 the fifth generation of video games was well underway (even Europe and Oceania had the N64 by then), but the trusty Game Boy was still the place to go for portable gaming joy. Having successfully brought monkey platforming action to the handheld twice already, Rare produced a third game — the imaginatively titled Donkey...
News Former President Of Silicon Knights Announces New Entertainment Company, QE2
Will the spiritual successor to Eternal Darkness finally be released?
Dennis Dyack, former president of the now defunct Canadian-based developer, Silicon Knights, has announced the formation of a new entertainment company titled, Quantum Entanglement Entertainment Inc., also abbreviated to,“QE2.” The new company will focus on the development of...
Review Demon's Crest (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Fire-grand
Fans of the Ghosts 'n Goblins series should be familiar with the rather annoying little demon Firebrand; he would be the main reason Arthur would spend his time walking around the many levels of the games in his underwear. Capcom obviously thought enough of the guy to give him a series of his own, which began life on the Game Boy systems...
A divisive DK outing where the character's transition to 3D split fans' opinions. Plot, graphics, locations, and handling all do a DK game justice and are not faulted. However, it suffers from over-collectablitus, causing some tedious gameplay. DKC games had an addictive simplicity - offering challenge in a far more rewarding way which is lost...
Video I ♥ Virtual Console - Monster Party Is The Wackiest Halloween Classic You'll Never Play
This NES classic deserves another lease of life - or should that be death?
Halloween is upon us, and while children all over the globe get themselves ready to don horrible costumes and harass their neighbours for candy, we're taking a look at a spooky old NES classic which really should be on the Virtual Console on a day like today. Monster Party...
Review Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (Wii U eShop / GBA)
A perfect harmony?
The Wii U eShop is becoming an embarrassment of riches, with a robust library of indie titles complemented by a growing lineup of strong Virtual Console games. Konami's Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance is the second of three Castlevania titles released on the Game Boy Advance, and while it controls and plays similarly to its...
Review Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Wii U eShop / SNES)
The ape escape
Rare managed to do something incredible with Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong-Quest; it took the well refined gameplay and style of the first Donkey Kong Country game and made it even better. This second entry in the series features gameplay almost identical to its predecessor’s, but this time everything’s been streamlined...
Combining Tetris with terraforming isnt your usual recipe for making a video game. Nevertheless, the Pickford Bros. managed to take these elements and merge them into the creative tour de force that was Wetrix. A thrilling 3D puzzler in which you attempt to create lakes to contain a never ending flood of water; it's remarkable just how tense the...
Weirdness Mike Tyson Fights Himself in Punch-Out!!
K-Oh
While the NES version of Punch-Out!! now has 'Featuring Mr. Dream' in the title, before licensing issues and imprisonment in the '90s it was branded with the Mike Tyson name, who was one of the most ferocious boxers in Heavyweight history at his peak. He's now a somewhat mellow middle-aged man, of course, releasing books and conducting speaking...
Book Review Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: Castlevania
A bloody good read
Castlevania is one of those franchises which will always be inexorably linked with Nintendo. The series became a household name thanks to its well-received NES outings, and in the days of the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS it strengthened this connection with six excellent "Metroidvania" releases. Although its future may well...
Video Let's Celebrate The Game Boy That The West Never Got
Shedding some light on a handheld classic
Nintendo's Game Boy range was massively successful all over the world — heck, even Kurt Cobain had one — but not every variant of the system made it out of Japan. Just before the launch of the Game Boy Color, Nintendo produced a revised backlit version of the original monochrome system which was...
Rares follow-up to Banjo-Kazooie didnt arrive on the N64 with quite the same amount of impact as that of its first 3D platformer, but it nevertheless an impressive, and one which drew much critical acclaim. Banjo-Tooie is an even bigger game that achieves a number of technical feats, such as long draw distances and real-time shadows, without...
News Developers Reflect on F-Zero As It Passes Ten Years in the Wilderness
"F-Zero is really something special to me"
Barely an E3 or Nintendo Direct goes by without someone in the Nintendo Life team muttering that maybe, against all odds, F-Zero will return. It's now been over ten years since F-Zero Climax, a thoroughly disappointing Game Boy Advance entry that's ignored by many, arrived in stores. It was an inglorious...
Taking everything that made ISS64 a true next-generation football game, ISS 98 went far further, solidifying its reputation as the best football game on the N64. Its arcade style stands the test of time with fluid controls and ISS64s bugs eradicated. Tournaments / scenarios allow immense enjoyment alone but multiplayer is where it truly shines...
News Crazy EarthBound Fans Open EarthBound-themed Media Kickstarter
Many other, equally crazy EarthBound fans are backing it
It's 20 years old, with a prequel and sequel never officially released in the West, yet EarthBound continues to possess a significant presence in the gaming world. You can largely thank the game's dedicated fanbase for that; some so dedicated that they're planning to produce a cultural...
Review Mighty Final Fight (3DS eShop / NES)
Haggard by time or as mighty as ever?
Originally released for the NES in 1993, Mighty Final Fight is a home console spin-off of the original arcade classic, Final Fight. Interestingly, it came out a year after the technically superior home console port that appeared on the SNES and, furthermore, is quite a departure from the other games in the...
Review Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Over the moon
Konami's Castlevania has changed directions in recent years, with the Lords of Shadow titles polarizing fans of the long-running series. That's why fans of the "Metroidvania" outings should flock to the Wii U eShop and download the Game Boy Advance Castlevania titles, which feature the series' signature exploration-based, semi-linear...
Review Namco Museum (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Does it deserve to be exhibited on your Wii U?
Originally released for the Game Boy Advance in 2001, Namco Museum is part of a long-running series (which goes by the same name) that saw regular releases over a 15-year period all the way up until 2010. This game is a compilation, featuring five classic arcade games: Ms. PAC-MAN, Galaga, Galaxian,...
As a rally racer, TGR was not alone on the N64. Yet it stood shoulders above the competition. Its copious variables really added longevity; taking time to become skilled enough to be an expert, whether racing in snow or choosing the right suspension. Graphically impressive with excellent course layouts and locations: Strip Mine a personal...
Video Did You Know Gaming Tackles Donkey Kong Once Again
The Rare years
Rare's Donkey Kong titles have recently been making their way onto the Wii U eShop in Europe — and hopefully will do so soon in North America — making it a good time to look back on the franchise. Whether that timing was part of its consideration or not, we do have Did You Know Gaming returning to the DK IP in its latest video...
Nintendo 64x64 Jet Force Gemini
Rare again with another original title: wonderful visuals, addictive gameplay and atmospheric soundtrack. You're the JFG team, attempting to thwart antagonist Mizar and his insect army. As a third-person shooter, it showed another string to Rare's bow and was very popular. Personally, a least-favourite Rare N64 outing, having awkward controls and...
Nintendo 64x64 Turok: Rage Wars
Amongst four Turok games, Rage Wars is only for the purest Turok fan. Essentially, its a multiplayer-only game: lots of game options, characters, weapons and levels make for great battling. Single-player is weak compared to canonical Turok games, with its most redeeming feature being Co-op mode; although, subsequently bettered by Perfect Dark...
Review Donkey Kong Country (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Hasn't aged a day
Back in 1994, before 3D games had taken off, a little UK-based games developer called Rare decided that if it couldn’t have good looking 3D models in a game, it'd have to get creative. Donkey Kong Country used a pioneering new technique for the time that took images of pre-rendered three dimensional models and turned these...
In the 3D age, this took Tetris to the next logical stage. By matching shapes, you break into a sphere to (e.g.) rescue that which is trapped inside. Graphically, it sensibly wasnt overcomplicated, further accompanied by superb music score. Highly addictive in single and multiplayer modes, as all puzzle games should be. Despite this, still parts...
Review Donkey Kong Land 2 (3DS eShop / GB)
Diddy's 8-Bit Quest
The success of Donkey Kong Country inevitably saw a sequel released. Likewise when Donkey Kong Land proved a similar platforming experience was possible on the Game Boy, it was a no-brainer that Rare would release a second handheld adventure. This time Donkey Kong has gone and gotten himself captured, and so it's up to Diddy and...
Nintendo 64x64 Super Smash Bros
It may feature a limited number of characters and stages compared to later instalments, but Super Smash Bros. packed one hell of a punch when it landed in 1999. It feels a tad sluggish today, but the brawl 'em up's arena style gameplay system stills offers an addictive and frantic multiplayer experience. The merging of different Nintendo universes...
Nintendo 64x64 Shadows of the Empire
At the time, a decent addition to the Star Wars franchise despite its failings being magnified up against Mario 64. Level locations, atmosphere, music capture the Star Wars universe well. Personally, too many third-person platform levels: the game needed more variety. These levels are clunky and some overly long. Bosses can also be unnecessarily...
News The Game Boy Color is Now 16 Years Old
It'll be asking to host house parties...
Nintendo's released so many systems and iconic games that anniversaries are a regular occurrence; now it's the turn of the Game Boy Color — it's 16 years old, having been released in Japan on 21st October 1998. While some attribute Nintendo's trend for focusing on innovation and content over raw power as a...
News RETRO Game Magazine Well On Its Way To Funding Another Year Of Issues
One for the print fans
While we've seen some iconic brands close down over the past year in the gaming print industry, some magazines and print projects have found life by gaining support through crowdfunding platforms. One of these is RETRO Video Game Magazine, which launched last year through a successful Kickstarter campaign; it's now back to...
Feature The Making of Rocket: Robot on Wheels
How one of the N64's most criminally under-appreciated games came to be
The Nintendo 64, while simultaneously renowned and infamous for doing many things, is arguably best remembered for defining the 3D platforming genre. When Super Mario 64 released in 1996, it didn't just blow everyone’s socks off; it revolutionised home console gaming and set...
Nintendo 64x64 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
A Link To The Mask
Releasing another same-platform entry following up the greatest game the N64 had seen was bold by Nintendo. Its two new gameplay mechanics, time travel and the use of masks, were simple at heart yet utterly integral in creating a sublime, more interesting, and darker world than Hyrule. It retained everything exquisite about OoT...
News New Music and Voice Samples Discovered in the Donkey Kong Arcade
A few decades on, there's still more to find
The Donkey Kong arcade was a key turning point for Nintendo as a company, as it brought Shigeru Miyamoto to the fore and helped to demonstrate to Hiroshi Yamauchi and his management that the video game business could be lucrative for the company. It's so iconic that a small band of gamers still compete...
What a treasure
Few N64 games manage to come close to delivering the sheer amount of chaotic action that Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh delivers in droves. A Japanese exclusive, this 2D shoot em up majestically -- and intentionally -- puts both the player and the console through their paces; the hundreds of projectiles and enemies on screen at any one...
Poll Nintendo Minute Debate - Is Super Mario World or Super Mario Bros. 3 More Influential?
Well, which one?
We often like to share Nintendo Minute videos here on Nintendo Life, the series in which hosts Kit and Krysta play games and do various things to entertain big N fans. Their video this week tries something a little different, as the two hosts debate the following: Which game is more influential – Super Mario World or Super Mario...
Say Cheese
Off-beat and remarkably novel, its surprising just how well Pokémon Snap works as a concept. In this snap em up, you trade in your Pokéballs for a trusty camera, with which you have to take the best Pokémon portraits possible. Sporting delightful environments and plenty of secrets to keep you coming back, its still one of the...
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