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..
We talk to UK comedian and walking canvas Jim Smallman about his gaming heritage and why Nintendo will always have a special place in his heart
While most gamers show their love and appreciation for their hobby by tirelessly buying up software, hardware and official merchandise, there are a select few who decide to take their adoration a step further. One such individual is UK-based comedian Jim..
Simple in theory, anything but in practice
Nintendo has a brand image that's as solid as a rock, so what does it take for an independant studio to get backing from the company and the opportunity to develop games based on its IPs for its consoles? Retro Studios president Michael Kelbaugh highlights a few qualities needed to do just that. During a Gamasutra interview, Kelbaugh spoke about how Retro..
No more confusion!
Yes, there is a Zelda master timeline document, but members of Nintendo's inner sanctum will ever likely be able to see it. That hasn't stopped fans from trying to make sense of it themselves, but they were all missing the right tools: a DeLorean, a flux capacitor and a healthy love of all things Back to the Future. Of course, it's not the first time that 1980s movies and Zelda..
It's just wafer thin
You've heard the Mario theme played on a Chipophone. A Japanese beatbox version? Heard that too. But a dude creating the whole Mario theme tune experience on his own, with drums, sound effects and more? That's new. The video is the work of the talented Jack Conte, who takes the tune we all know, bolts on a big beat and lets the rest take care of itself. Enjoy.
Forget sore thumbs
The trend for steadily increasing variants of the iconic NES controller is approaching critical mass, as Dutch students have just set a new record for the largest functioning game controller with an NES pad measuring nearly four metres wide. The pad measures 3.6 metres by 1.6 metres, which is around 11.8 feet by 5.2 feet, which...
A wooden good 'un
While we’re a Nintendo site first and foremost, we obviously don’t mind reporting on other sectors of the gaming universe. SNK’s Neo Geo system is a particular favourite (just try and prise our resident Neo lover Corbie Dillard away from his beloved cab, we dare you) and when we reported on Analogue Interactive’s amazing...
Video game violinist supporting Bentley Jones in London
Promotional organiser Japan Underground returns to London this month to bring its eclectic mix of live music and Japanese culture to the capital's nightlife. Japan Underground at The Kingpin Suite at Bloomsbury Lanes, London on 28th May will be headlined by British J-Pop star Bentley Jones, the first British artist to be signed to a major..
Taking the warp pipe
Nintendo fans who've always dreamt of becoming their favourite 8- and 16-bit characters may have their wishes granted soon, as a hotel in Alabama is preparing to combine a theme park with cosplay in July. The Radisson hotel in Huntsville, AL will play host to the strictly unofficial "attraction experience" during PersaCon, a cosplay convention taking place between..
Nothing to do with ordering extra cheese
How many rotund heroes can you think of? Okay, it doesn't actually matter how many you can think of, the only chubby hero that matters for the sake of this article is the one and only Mario, and Shigeru Miyamoto explains why the plumber looked the way he did when he first appeared on our screens. During the Steel Diver edition of Iwata Asks, Miyamoto spoke..
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..
Faux wood effect is for losers
Ever wished your video game console would blend a little more effectively with your IKEA home entertainment unit? Or have you long desired to purchase a Neo Geo system that blows away the competition when it comes to aesthetic appeal? Look no further, friends — the Wooden Neo Geo MVS is here. Produced by Analogue Interactive — a group committed to creating..
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..
Full disclosure: it's in Swindon
Nintendo fans have a better grasp on handheld gaming than many, but Swindon Museum of Computing in England is about to plot the history of the portable with a new exhibition. The new 'Gaming on the Go' exhibition charts 35 years of handheld history, starting with Mattel's 1976 Auto Race, a game running on a reprogrammed calculator chip with 21 LEDs for a display..
There's nothing it can't do
Forget about actually having the GameBoy turned on to make music; the video below proves that its components can sing in their own right. While we've seen countless Nintendo beatboxers, it's far less common to see the machine itself take centre stage, but that's precisely what's happened here. YouTube user MrSeberi has turned the humble GameBoy into a musical instrument,..
See a classic in a new light
We've already seen hints that Super Mario on 3DS will include the famous Tanooki suit from Super Mario Bros. 3. What would the entire game look like in 3D, though? Let user Kevin Zeeff show you. As part of Zeeff's "Game Cubed" series, Mario's best 8-bit adventure has received a retro 3D makeover, and while it's not exactly up there with the graphics on Super..
The quest for the perfect picture
Getting a pin-sharp, colourful image on a modern gaming console is about as hard as falling off a log. Both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 support HDMI output for true HD gaming, and although the poor old Wii is still stuck in the land of 480p, it’s still capable of kicking out a pretty decent image via component. However, getting the same quality from older..
Surprise, a control port!
Custom consoles are all the rage these days, and the Nintendo 64 is particularly ripe for fan-made hardware revisions. The portable machine below might look oddly familiar to those who've seen the iNto64, but it's got an ace up its sleeve: a controller port. The combination of N64, screen and control port means split-screen...
According to Wesker, things are just warming up
In celebrating 15 years of Resident Evil, Capcom has released a trailer that takes us back to where it all began, as well as where the franchise will be taking us in the not-so-distant future. Narrated by Albert Wesker, the trailer compiles footage of games both old and new. From the upcoming high-definition versions of Resident Evil 4 and Resident..
