Retro Features
Hardware Classics Sega Mega CD
Mega Seedy
The rise and fall of Sega Enterprises is a classic tale of hard-won success being scuppered by a bewildering lack of focus and an incredible degree of overconfidence. The company scored an almost impossible victory by bloodying the nose of the all-powerful Nintendo in the early '90s and was arguably the first console maker to bring an...
Feature The Making of Wetrix and Its Route to Nintendo 64
How the Pickford Bros' creative little puzzler made a huge splash
Time hasn't been kind to the memory of the Nintendo 64. While it was extremely well received upon its release 18 years ago, and still holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers, it signalled a turning point in Nintendo's history. The company's controversial decision to opt for...
Retrospective The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - A Decade On
Caps off to The Minish
Today marks an historic day. The tenth anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Perhaps one of the most unappreciated and overshadowed chapters in the long and lucrative series - selling just over 1 million units since its release - it's also one of the most unique, quirky and charming Zelda titles to have been...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Book Review Boss Fight Books - Super Mario Bros. 2
Subcon-text
For how unique it is compared to other games in the Mario line, it’s amazing how easily Super Mario Bros. 2 is taken at face value or glossed over entirely. Many fans are happy to share the fact that the game is actually a reskin of Japanese title Doki Doki Panic after the original Super Mario Bros. sequel was deemed too difficult and...
Feature The Nintendo 64 Controller and the Rise of 3D Gaming
The three-handled situation
The Nintendo 64 controller is one that has fallen out of favour with some gamers – its outdated control stick and limited number of buttons leaves it and its parent system in a state of being old but without necessarily being seen by the general public as 'retro'. You could easily say the same for Sony's original...
Feature The History of Super Smash Bros.
How Nintendo's crossover fighting series smashed its way to fame and glory
Despite its immense popularity — not to mention the frenzied hype and anticipation that comes during the lead-up to each new instalment — the origins of the Super Smash Bros. series are in fact remarkably humble. When its creator, Masahiro Sakurai, initially came up with...
Talking Point The Argument For And Against Retro Flash Carts
Preserving the past, or exploiting it?
As technology has advanced over the years, we've seen massive strides being taken in the realm of retro gaming, and one of the most important events to occur recently is the emergence of flash carts that allow gamers to potentially store every single game ever made for a single platform on an SD card and run...
Video Behold the Sheer Majesty Of The Backlit And Biverted Game Boy DMG-001
Now you can play anywhere, even in darkened rooms
Not so long ago, we spoke to Shaun Jones of GameBoyMods.co.uk about the services he offers to Game Boy owners looking to breathe some new life into their ageing handhelds. Shaun was kind enough to perform some surgery on our trusty old DMG-001, and we thought you might like to see the results in...
Video Hyperkin RetroN 5 Review - King Of The Clone Consoles?
Tom and Damien put the wonder machine through its paces
The Hyperkin RetroN 5 has been with us for a while now, and we've had ample time to really get to know the system inside out. With that in mind, we present to you a video review of this talented piece of tech, which is capable of running games from a wide range of retro platforms, including the...
Feature Ten Must Play Titles on the Game Boy
25 years young
In this past week the venerable Game Boy celebrated its 25th Anniversary in North America, which means we've had a quarter century of monochrome gaming goodness. The iconic system established Nintendo's leadership of the dedicated gaming handheld market, a position it still holds in the 3DS generation. It's not just nostalgia that...
Hardware Review AtGames Arcade Gamer Portable
Sega's Master System and Game Gear hardware gets cloned
Nintendo may be fiercely protective of its vintage games and retro hardware, but former rival Sega isn't quite so precious about where its former classics end up these days. We've already seen the likes of Sonic, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage migrate to practically every modern format under...
Hardware Classics Sega Master System
Everyone's favourite underdog
If you're reading this outside of Europe, then there's a very good chance that your perception of the Sega Master System is one of complete and utter failure. The 8-bit system wasn't even close to contesting the might of the NES in North America or the Famicom in Japan; although Sega at that point was a well-known...
Feature Breathing New Life Into The Original Monochrome Game Boy
We speak to GameBoyMods.uk's Shaun Jones about the iconic brick
Despite being one of Nintendo's oldest systems, the humble Game Boy continues to bring joy and entertainment to dedicated players all over the world. We've already spoken to Joe Heaton about the Game Boy and its appeal to chiptune composers, and recently we got the chance to catch up...
Mario Kart Month A History of the Mario Kart Series - Part Two
Turbo boosting to record sales
As June begins and our Mario Kart Month celebrations throughout May draw to a close, the build-up and expectation surrounding Mario Kart 8 has transitioned into mass play sessions and hands-on racing time. This is the moment on which memories are built, as competitiveness and hilarity ensues from worldwide showdowns,...
Mario Kart Month A History of the Mario Kart Series - Part One
From pixels to polygons, then back to pixels
As June begins and our Mario Kart Month celebrations throughout May draw to a close, the build-up and expectation surrounding Mario Kart 8 has transitioned into mass play sessions and hands-on racing time. This is the moment on which memories are built, as competitiveness and hilarity ensues from...
Mario Kart Month Clones And Alternatives to Nintendo's Classic Series
Lagging behind?
Every time a Nintendo device is released, it’s a pretty safe bet that Mario Kart isn’t far around the corner. Each new addition to the series further solidifies its well-earned reputation as the party game of choice, bringing together both the masters and the first-timers to join in on the madness and enjoy it regardless of their...
Interview Console Wars Author Blake J. Harris Discusses Film Adaptations and the Struggles of Sega
Sega of America does what Sega of Japandon't.
Blake J. Harris presents the two contenders A couple weeks ago we reviewed Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation by New York City-based author Blake J. Harris, about the bitter rivalry between Sega and Nintendo in the early 1990s through the eyes of Sega of America head...
Matters Of Import Survival Horror In A Sweet Home
Warning: Home not as sweet as advertised
Videogames made to tie in with movies have never been anything new, not even way back in 1989 when Capcom’s adaptation of Japanese horror movie Sweet Home hit the Famicom. What sets Sweet Home apart from the usual licensed fare is that not only does it vaguely resemble the material it’s based on, but...
Feature Celebrating 25 Years Of A Legendary Final Fantasy Title
When is a Final Fantasy not a Final Fantasy? When it’s a SaGa!
Way back in the mists of 1989; when we were all wondering how Nintendo’s Game Boy could possibly stand up to the mighty full colour Atari Lynx and whether it was really worth handing over $200USD/£190 for Sega’s new console, Squaresoft (as it was then known) decided to release an...
Book Review Console Wars - Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation
An insightful history with a bit too much Blast Processing
It's crystal clear from the first page of Blake J. Harris' Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation that the book is destined for the big screen. With not one, but two movies based on Console Wars already in production before it even hit bookstore shelves– a...
Mario Kart Month An Outsider's View Of Super Mario Kart
Kerry sees if the 16-bit classic is still in pole position
Mario Kart 8’s release is now just a few weeks away and everyone here at Nintendo Life is so excited about the game that they can’t sit still without applying superglue to their chairs first. Well everyone except me; I honestly haven’t been anywhere near a Mario Kart game for at least...
Ninterview Sami Cetin On His Journey To Super Mario Kart Success
The UK Super Mario Kart champion shares his experiences
With Mario Kart 8 now around the corner, it's an ideal time to begin looking both forwards and to those predecessors that made the series such an integral part of our gaming lives. Super Mario Kart on Super NES started it all, with its Mode 7 visuals and terrific design winning over millions of...
Month of Kirby A Series With Rewarding Game Design
The Great Cave Offensive, anyone?
It’s been 22 years since Kirby made his debut in the 1992 Game Boy confection Kirby’s Dream Land. In that time, players have seen the lovable pink puffball grow to become one of Nintendo’s biggest stars, scoring it big in hit after hit on both consoles and portables. Those not quite in the know about...
Talking Point The Game Boy is 25 Years Old, and Deserves Its Place in Gaming History
Nintendo's most vital triumph
Today's an important day, and we imagine a large celebration cake has been purchased for Nintendo HQ in Kyoto. The Game Boy was released 25 years ago today in Japan, and it was a system that — perhaps unlike any other — defined and set Nintendo on its path to being a successful multi-billion dollar corporation...
Look cute, lose friends
Kirby’s now comfortably over twenty years old at this point; HAL’s pink puffball is firmly entrenched in gamer’s minds as a Nintendo icon and the star of many, many games. When he’s not off saving Dreamland from the gluttonous King DeDeDe or going toe-to-toe with Mario in the latest Super Smash Bros., however, Kirby...
Month Of Kirby Kirby's Lost Levels
Kirby's Cancelled Curse?
In the first of a series of features that'll form a mini Month of Kirby — ahead of the release of Kirby: Triple Deluxe in May — we look at a few games starring the pink mascot that never saw the light of day. Kirby has had a storied run as one of Nintendo’s most recognizable characters, having appeared in traditional...
Ninterview Joe Heaton on The Joy of Game Boy Mods and Chiptune Music
"Over time it’s achieved an iconic status "
Nintendo's unrivalled history and cultural impact in gaming is manifested in various ways, and brings together fans and enthusiasts of many kinds. A number of us enthusiastically jump into the company's latest systems and games, while others find the most joy in collecting retro equivalents. There are...
Out of this world
Following their epic tussle for supremacy during the early part of the decade, the remainder of the '90s were difficult times for rivals Sega and Nintendo. The arrival of hardware newcomer Sony — and its phenomenally successful 32-bit PlayStation system — totally changed the landscape of the video games industry. Sega and...
Book Review Boss Fight Books - Chrono Trigger
There's more than one way to revisit the past
It's difficult to write about video games. Believe us, we know. The medium is, strictly speaking, a compound one. Whereas writing about works of art in most media entails a relatively straightforward discussion of how well or poorly the work in question used the tools available to that medium, writing...
Feature A Look At the Super Mario Kart (SNES) World Championship 2014
Start your engines
With the arrival of Mario Kart 8 soon this year, the franchise has come a long way; yet while plenty of gamers look ahead to what's next in the series, competitive gaming on its predecessors is still going strong. An example is the original Super Mario Kart on the Super NES, just recently released on the Wii U Virtual Console...
Hardware Classics SNK Neo Geo Pocket Color
I'm not boy
As the '90s drew to a close Nintendo's massively popular Game Boy handheld — which was almost a decade old and had already seen away more powerful rivals like the Atari Lynx and Sega Game Gear — was about to face a fresh wave of competition. The Bandai WonderSwan was perhaps the most interesting challenger — on paper, at least —...
Ninterview The NES Club and an Epic Collector's Quest
Take a ride on the ultimate 8-bit road trip
A major ongoing strength for Nintendo is its cultural heritage, a history in the games industry that makes the brand immediately recognisable to so many. Younger gamers may be familiar with the DS, Wii, 3DS and gradually the Wii U, but we're approaching 30 years of major home console and gaming handheld...
Hardware Classics Bandai WonderSwan
What the creator of the Game Boy did next
Although Nintendo's lofty standing in the games industry cannot be attributed solely to a single person, it's fair to say that without the talents of Gunpei Yokoi the Kyoto firm wouldn't be where it is today. Yokoi was employed by Nintendo in 1965 and his inventions — such as the Ultra Hand and Lover...
Matters of Import Prepare To Die In Fire Emblem: Thracia 776
This Super Famicom swansong takes no prisoners
Fire Emblem is a strange series; much loved and well known, yet still a relative outsider when compared to the likes of Kirby or even Star Fox. Released first as a Nintendo Power exclusive deluxe pack in 1999 and then again in more standard SNES packaging in 2000, Thracia 776 has the d
Feature Games That Almost Were - A Look At Cancelled N64 Titles
Everything not saved will be lost
The end of the millennium was a turbulent time for Nintendo – the N64 hadn’t quite turned out to be the SNES Mk.II success it’d hoped the hardware would be, the 64DD add-on got off to a cautious launch in Japan and in 2001 both the N64 and the Game Boy Color would be completely replaced with younger and more...
Matters Of Import Wonder Project J2 Brings Masterful 2D To The N64
Making cute robots girls cry
The N64 never did get much 2D love when it was around, but games like Wonder Project J2 — as well as Treasure’s Bangai-O — show that other developers were missing a trick by ignoring the untapped potential of this side of Nintendo’s hardware. First published by Enix in 1996, Josette’s adventures on Blueland...
Ninterview Aaron "NintendoTwizer" Norton and the Ultimate Retro Collection
"The history of video games is awesome"
Even when Nintendo is in a quiet phase between Nintendo Direct broadcasts, or there's a wait for the next hot retail or download game, fans of the company are never short of conversation points. The big N's legacy and history give it a powerful impact in gaming culture, and the keenest of gamers do amazing...
Month Of Kong Whatever Happened To Donkey Kong Racing?
Former Rare man Lee Musgrave talks about a lost GameCube smash hit
E3 2001 was a joyous occasion for Nintendo fans. The GameCube was nearing its release in Japan and North America and Nintendo had a lot to say and show about it. Super Smash Bros. Melee, Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader and Luigi’s Mansion were just some of the games...
Month Of Kong The Making Of Donkey Kong Country
Behind the scenes on the game that spawned a million-selling series
This month has seen the launch of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, a superb platforming romp starring one of Nintendo's most iconic characters and coded by a western development team, Retro Studios. These days, the notion of an American company doing the heavy lifting on one of...
Soapbox A Case For The Defence: Castlevania 64
The only things that suck are the vampires
Castlevania 64, which is how we shall refer to the original Nintendo 64 vampire-killing game to avoid confusion with the other Castlevania, is a game that’s been unjustly left on the series' scrapheap for far too long, and I’m going to tell you why. Now that doesn’t mean I’m here to excuse the...
Feature Meet The Gamate, The Handheld Which Tried To Take On The Game Boy And Failed
We look at the history behind one of gaming's more obscure portables
When Nintendo launched the original Game Boy to a rapturous critical and commercial reception in 1989 it was almost a forgone conclusion that other companies would follow suit and concoct their own portable systems. Arch-rival Sega quickly pushed the Game Gear onto store shelves...
Playing God
Back when the Super Nintendo launched in Japan — where it was of course known as the Super Famicom — it was accompanied by some truly remarkable titles. As a young (and loyal) Sega Mega Drive owner at the time, for me personally it was torture to see the likes of Pilotwings, F-Zero and
Ninterview Stepping Into The Nintendo Arcade
Alex Crowley tells us about collecting cabinets and his love for DK
When gamers refer to and discuss retro gaming, we suspect that in most cases the conversation revolves around ageing consoles, cartridges and CDs; occasionally, the debate may even revert to libraries and choices on services such as Nintendo's Virtual Consoles. Yet an integral part...
Interview Kennedy Baruch on Filmmaking Inspired by Games
"The Legend of Zelda is basically the Holy Grail of gaming"
Over the past year we've shared two videos produced by Kennedy Baruch, the first of which was an award-winning short film titled ESCAPE!, a heart-wrenching tale of a young girl seeking escapism from bullying at school and abuse in a breaking home. Just recently Baruch confirmed that he's...