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Steve Jarratt and Andy Dyer spill the beans on the production of one of the UK's most endearing Nintendo publications

It’s hard to believe it now, but back in the early ‘90s Nintendo was not the dominant force on UK shores. That accolade went to Sega, whose 8-bit Master System and 16-bit Mega Drive were the driving force behind the console revolution in that region of the world. However, with..

It's not just blasting, you know

Playing the Mega Man series is cathartic in many ways. You get to listen to great music, appreciate the impressively cartoony visuals Capcom wrung out of the NES hardware, and experiment with many unique and varied abilities. But overall, we tend to like it because it's mindless. It's a platformer with clear...

Spill it

We've gone all-out to celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog's 20th anniversary this week, bringing you Staff Memories of Sonic the Hedgehog, a look at unreleased Sonic the Hedgehog games and Sonic's Nintendo games too. With 20 years of rich history behind him, we want to know how Sonic's affected you, the gamers. What memories do you have of the

We reminisce about the blue guy

Today marks 20 years since the very first time Sonic the Hedgehog burst onto TV screens around the world, kicking off a genuine phenomenon that continues to draw in new gamers to this day. As experienced gamers ourselves, naturally the team at Nintendo Life has plenty of memories of the spiky blue one's glory days, so we invited our staff to share their fondest..

The second instalment of our look back at gaming's favourite blue dude with attitude

Sonic: The Nintendo Years — Part One detailed the hedgehog's first few years on Nintendo consoles, but by the end of 2005 it was clear that Sonic games had changed very drastically, and nowhere was that more evident than in the next two 'hog-related outings. First...

As Sonic the Hedgehog reaches 20 years old, we take a look at the spiky one's past.

Sonic’s career is as chequered as those famous green hills; since his runaway success in the first half of the 1990s he’s struggled to reclaim those glory days. Luckily if you’re a Nintendo console owner you can play all the best Sonic games extremely easily,...

We remember why Ocarina of Time is more than just a game

As we move through life, we will at times look back fondly at memories that we hold dear. And, as gamers, many of us merge recollections of the virtual world with those of reality. Some titles simply bring the right elements together in the perfect way, making this feel natural, normal, important. One game pulled this off better than most..

The hitherto untold story of the UK's finest SNES-focused publication

As much as it pains us to admit it, print media is slowly coming to the end of its relevance in the video game industry. Although some pockets of resistance still exist and continue to fight the good fight, the truth is that magazines have been usurped from their position on the...

How two unassuming British programmers succeeded inside the halls of Nintendo

As a nation, the Japanese have gained a reputation of being particularly insular; despite their wholehearted acceptance of many aspects of western culture, they tend to regard their own products, traditions and population as superior. Bearing this in mind, the success of Dylan Cuthbert and Giles Goddard – two British..

How to get that authentic retro look from your modern flatscreen TV

Sometimes, outdated technology has a quality which seemingly defies description. For example, those of you that are old enough may harbour a strange nostalgic affection for the monochrome Game Boy’s blurry LCD screen, even to the point of spurning the updated Game Boy Color because its improved display doesn’t exhibit the same..

We recap the event and sit down with "the most important person in video gaming right now"

In the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Steve Wiebe travels to FunSpot Arcade to put a stop to all the naysayers disputing his record-setting Donkey Kong skills. To the amazement of everyone watching, he achieves the first ever kill screen...

We investigate the troubled genesis of one of the finest SNES RPGs in existence

We're big fans of pen-and-paper fantasy role-playing games here at Nintendo Life. In fact, we were the first to pour out a little liquor when the legendary Gary Gygax passed away not so long ago. The reason for our love comes not from every human's natural attraction to...

In this installment, Gaijin explains their carefully laid plan for game four's runaway popularity, go through BIT.TRIP hell and reflect on the end of the series.

Be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2 of our look at the history of BIT.TRIP and Gaijin Games. EYEBALL REVOLUTION: The team somewhat jokingly chalks RUNNER’s popularity, apart from being very...

We catch up with Alexis and Hank at the film's Brooklyn premiere

The saga over high scores in Donkey Kong is no longer a tale of two dudes. While most of us came to know the world of modern day Donkey Kongers through the epic rivalry between Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchelll, it wasn't long before a third player emerged out of left field. Hank Chien, a plastic surgeon from New York, shattered both of..

How to give your Wii and classic hardware a new lease of life

While the relentless march of progress ensures that modern gaming consoles — and the televisions upon which they are played — are able to offer pin-sharp HD picture quality, it's worth sparing a moment to consider where this leaves older machines, as well as the humble Wii — which has yet to break through the 480p barrier, much to..

The former champ ain't no chump

Not since a certain famous gorilla and plumber-to-be squared off for the coveted Pauline has there been a rivalry like that of the Kings of Kong. The film The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters brought to public attention the fight for dominance between family man Steve Wiebe and Goliath-like hot saucier Billy Mitchell, and since then New York plastic surgeon Dr..

Doctor Kong tells all

We recently live blogged former King of Kong Steve Wiebe's attempt to take back the Donkey Kong record, but before last March, we weren't even aware that a new champ was out there. We recently sat down with the New York plastic surgeon to get his thoughts on his rise to fame, competitive playing and more as well as get some...

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 NES gave birth to some of the most brilliant and..

Gather round, gather round

For many gamers, Nintendo is as big a part of Christmas as tinsel, turkey and too-tight trousers, the company's magic helping to make the festive season just a little more joyful. With that in mind, we want to hear from you, our beloved Nintendo Life readers, about your favourite Nintendo Christmas memories. Perhaps it was...

Why the latest Metroid game's depiction of Samus isn't a complete departure for the series

Metroid isn't a franchise that is known to rest upon its laurels. While each entry maintains the same basic elements that made the first game successful, one could hardly say that the series has gotten comfortable over the years. Whether it's adding a...

Nintendo's Mode-7 machine turns 20

For those who aren't aware, the Super Famicom console is celebrating its 20th birthday today. On this day in 1990, Nintendo released the much-anticipated follow-up to its immensely popular Famicom system onto the eager Japanese gaming world. The Super Famicom became an instant hit in Japan and a North American release, labelled the Super Nintendo Entertainment..

We look back at Nintendo's first misstep in the domestic gaming hardware arena

Given what we now know about add-on hardware for games consoles, the very concept of the Famicom Disk System seems hopelessly flawed. Since this Japan-only system hit the market in 1986 we’ve seen the equally ill-fated Sega Mega CD, Sega 32X and Nintendo 64DD all come...

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...

You tell us why you loved that 8-bit magic machine

To help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the NES's North American debut, we asked you to send in your favourite memories with that machine, and you delivered. We apologise to those whose letters we unfortunately were unable to find a place for, but whether you made it into the article or not, it's much appreciated. Though some outside of the..