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News: Metroid Celebrates its 25th Anniversary Today

Metroid Celebrates its 25th Anniversary Today

A quarter-century of hunting bounties

25 years ago today, 6th August, Samus Aran took her very first steps into the gaming world in Metroid on the NES, and she never looked back. To celebrate we have a great week of content planned, but for now let's recap on some of our past Metroid coverage. Want to know which game rises above the rest? We have reviewed every game, spin-off or compilation, and..

Feature: The Making of TOTAL! Magazine

The Making of TOTAL! Magazine

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..

News: Super Mario Converse High-Tops Let You Jump Real High

Super Mario Converse High-Tops Let You Jump Real High

(May not be true)

Converse high-top sneakers are iconic. Super Mario Bros. is iconic. Combine the two, and you get an iconoblast. These four officially licensed pairs of Mario sneakers might be a little garish for some wardrobes, but if you've ever wanted World 1-1 on your feet then they're your best hope, as long as you live in Japan or don't mind...

Review: Donkey Konga (GameCube)

Donkey Konga (GameCube)

Moving to a new beat

Donkey Konga is a pretty average rhythm action title when purely viewed as a piece of software engrained upon a small disc that one slaps onto the GameCube's spindle. Without a "true" Donkey Kong platformer on the horizon Nintendo rather shamelessly took the beloved characters of the franchise and transposed them into a title for the rhythm action crowd in 2004, one..

News: Would You Pay $150 for this Metal Sonic Statue?

Would You Pay $150 for this Metal Sonic Statue?

We know someone who would

First 4 Figures has made a name for itself with high-end statues and dioramas, but quality doesn't come cheaply. The company has opened pre-orders on its new Metal Sonic statue, starting at just $155. As with previous lines, there are two versions available: a 'standard' edition at $154.99 and a more expensive exclusive version that lights up, which will set you back..

News: The King of Kong Remake Could End Up as a Mockumentary

The King of Kong Remake Could End Up as a Mockumentary

Seth Gordon talks directorial influences

Seth Gordon's The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters documentary about Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe ― two gamers on a quest for a world record-breaking high score on Donkey Kong ― is still on course for a remake, but the style in which the film will be presented might in some ways end up being a pastiche of The King of Kong. Speaking to The Playlist,..

News: Metroid Remix Album Sounds Pretty Sweet So Far

Metroid Remix Album Sounds Pretty Sweet So Far

Samus it ever was

Next month marks the 25th anniversary of Metroid, and dedicated fan community ShineSparkers has just released a preview of remix album Harmony of a Hunter. The OCRemix project contains tracks spanning Samus Aran's gaming history, from 8-bit to today, with styles ranging from electronic to choral. The snippets provided so far certainly sound good, with the full album due for..

News: Videogame History Museum Needs Your Donations

Videogame History Museum Needs Your Donations

Needs to raise $30,000

In the UK, the Retro Computer Museum just moved to a new home, and now the Videogame History Museum over in Silicon Valley needs to raise funds for its own bricks-and-mortar initiative. The non-profit charity needs to raise $30,000 to build itself a permanent building in which to house its classic coin-ops, consoles and gaming...

News: Awesome Nintendo Hip-Hop Starts Your Weekend Right

Awesome Nintendo Hip-Hop Starts Your Weekend Right

Block-bashing beats

We love a bit of Nintendo-inspired music, and it's testament to the company's creativity that it inspires artists over a wide range of genres, from Japanese beatboxers to Mario Kart jazz. Hip hop artist Heath McNease is a new favourite here at Nintendo Life Towers, waxing lyrical about Tanooki suits, the Konami code and everything in between. McNease's 19-track album Straight..

News: Cuthbert and Miyamoto Taught Each Other Their Native Tongues

Cuthbert and Miyamoto Taught Each Other Their Native Tongues

Now that's successful learning

Were you ever curious where Miyamoto picked up his English skills? It turns out the responsible party is Dylan Cuthbert, creator of Star Fox, president of Q Games and one of the best-known Westerners to get in good with Nintendo. When he was featured in the most recent Iwata Asks, he revealed that the two taught each other their native languages when he first started..

News: Check Out Retro's Unreleased American Football Game

Check Out Retro's Unreleased American Football Game

Life before Metroid

Before there was Metroid Prime, Retro Studios hadn't had a bona fide hit, and several of the studio's games were cancelled before seeing the light of day. One such title was this unnamed American football game, recently featured by prominent site Unseen64. The animation shown below is undoubtedly impressive, particularly considering this game was intended for release on..

Features: 10 Life Lessons Learned From Mega Man

10 Life Lessons Learned From Mega Man

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...

News: Retro Computer Museum Now Has a Permanent Home

Retro Computer Museum Now Has a Permanent Home

Rooted in Leicestershire

The Retro Computer Museum just recently celebrated its third birthday on Sunday, and along with the anniversary announcement came the news that the museum now has a permanent home in Leicestershire. Now the museum has a fixed address, it should hopefully mean events and exhibitions will be more frequent. The exact location has yet to be announced but the building itself is..

Interview: Star Odyssey and The Challenge of Bringing Dead Games Back to Life

Star Odyssey and The Challenge of Bringing Dead Games Back to Life

We speak to Super Fighter Team's Brandon Cobb about its latest retro resurrection project

If you're the kind of person that appreciates vintage gaming then chances are you're already familiar with Super Fighter Team. Formed in San Diego, California with the express intention of giving long-forgotten games a new lease of commercial life, the group has already successfully localised and published a..

News: Ocarina of Time at One Point Confined Within Ganon's Castle

Ocarina of Time at One Point Confined Within Ganon's Castle

Could have turned out very different yet still familiar

One of the things that we love about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is how easy it is to just take Epona out for a ride; whether it's a quick boost from point A to B, or just making prints in Hyrule Field to past the time, horse riding has now become a staple of main Zelda games. As the...

Review: Sonic Advance (Game Boy Advance)

Sonic Advance (Game Boy Advance)

Spin-tendo

One of the few good things about being old is that sometimes you can glean satisfaction from being in the right place at the right time, where you were lucky enough to have first-hand experience of something special. Nostalgia is the bread-and-butter of retro gaming and throughout its history there will always be moments that stick in a...

Talking Point: Your Sonic the Hedgehog Memories

Your Sonic the Hedgehog Memories

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

Feature: Staff Memories of Sonic the Hedgehog

Staff Memories of Sonic the Hedgehog

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..

Review: Diddy Kong Racing (Nintendo 64)

Diddy Kong Racing (Nintendo 64)

A Rare treat, or will it drive you bananas?

For fans of Nintendo kart racers, 1997 has to go down as one of the greatest years in the history of the genre. Not only did it witness the European and North American release of the iconic Mario Kart 64, but Rare also introduced their own challenger to the karting crown with Diddy Kong Racing on the same...