Retro News
September2013
Review Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link - Unforgiving But Underappreciated
Zelda II, have you any tough dungeons? Yes sir, yes sir...
Back in the early days of several franchises, the second game in a series tended to be radically different from the first, as developers had not quite pinned down what they wanted the series to become. Take a look at Castlevania II or the Western Super Mario Bros. 2, for example. Zelda II:...
Review Super Mario Bros. (Wii U eShop / NES)
Forever running to the right
Mario. Say it loud and there's music playing. Say it soft, and it's almost like praying. Super Mario Bros. was, is, and will always be one of gaming's great masterpieces, and its availability on any additional format is a good thing. It's come to the Wii and 3DS Virtual Consoles before, and now jumps onto the Wii U...
Feature Great Nintendo 64 Multiplayer Games You May Not Have Played
All you need is a bunch of friends
When it comes to local multiplayer, the Nintendo 64 is undoubtedly one of the best systems around. With four controller ports built into the console, as well as a solid line-up of classic multiplayer games, it isn't surprising that the system is still being enjoyed by many people around the world – it is, after...
News James Pond Franchise to Return With Crowdfunding Campaign
The original's creator, Chris Sorrell, is on board
Gamers of a certain age may remember the original James Pond, which graced a number of platforms including the SEGA Mega Drive / Genesis; the sequel James Pond 2: Codename RoboCod has also been ported a lot, including a DS version in 2005. At its peak in the '90s the series was quite a hit in pop...
News Crowdfunding Campaign Launched for Licensed River City Ransom Sequel
No consoles confirmed as yet, however
Earlier in the summer we told you about a Canadian development studio that was planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign for a licensed sequel to the much loved NES brawler River City Ransom / Street Gangs. Known then as Combit Studios, the rebranded Conatus Creative has now launched its Kickstarter campaign...
Weirdness If You Always Wanted to See Kanto From Pokémon Red and Blue in Minecraft, Here You Go
Spare 10 minutes to reward hundreds of hours of effort
If we were to name a top ten, maybe even a top five, of the biggest franchises in the current gaming landscape, it's possible that both Minecraft and Pokemon would feature. Minecraft, and its ability to allow gamers to create their own worlds, has become a phenomenon, while the hype surrounding...
Review Jewel Adventures (DSiWare)
Woo-hoo, glitchy woman
Jewel Adventures is a puzzle game that’s partially familiar due to its match three gameplay, but freshened up by a few extra layers of depth. A sense of story, enemy battles, world (re)building and various gameplay goals are the glue that gives this puzzler a bit more substance than most like it. Much of it is only fluff –...
Interview Exploring The Centre for Computing History - Cambridge
Taking a trip down memory lane
One of Cambridge’s best kept secrets is The Centre for Computing History, a museum dedicated to preserving the history of home computers and video game consoles from all eras. Located on a quiet industrial estate only a few miles outside of the historic city centre in East Anglia, England, the museum is not one you...
Video This Documentary Tells the Tale of Final Fantasy's Origins
When Square was in a tough spot
The Final Fantasy franchise is one of the best known in the industry, and over the course of nearly three decades has evolved in numerous ways. It's also the source of one of the most interesting stories in gaming, as its very name is testament to its status as a last-ditch attempt at survival for Square, the company...
Review J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings - Volume I (Super Nintendo)
Middle Earth is doomed
Before Peter Jackson came along and turned The Lord of the Rings into one of the most popular cinematic experiences of all time, the video game licence to J.R.R. Tolkien's literary epic was held by the now-defunct Interplay. The company pumped out related games for the Commodore Amiga computer and PC CD-ROM — the latter of...
Video There's A Fan-Made Final Fantasy VI Movie In The Works
Makers of Final Fantasy: Terra "seeking permission" from Square Enix
We love a good fan-made movie here at Nintendo Life — although they often look a bit goofy or unintentionally amusing, they show just how passionate and creative gamers can be when they've got a HD video camera, a decent PC and a capable video editing program. Final Fantasy:...
Review Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Work in progress or fighting masterpiece?
Street Fighter II hit arcades in 1991 but amazingly, by the time 1993 rolled around, players had already experienced three upgrades to the core game: Street Fighter II': Champion Edition, Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting and Super Stree
News Chiptune Artist Dj CUTMAN Releases Zelda: Link's Awakening Tribute Album
A link to the ghetto blast
Dj CUTMAN is a name you'll probably be familiar with if you follow the world of chiptune music, and he's just launched another album packed with retro-tinged tunes updated in a modern style. Taking inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, MeowMeow & BowWow is a collaboration between Dj CUTMAN and fellow...
News Super Castlevania IV Is Whipping The Japanese Wii U Virtual Console Next Week
A 16-bit classic to get your teeth into
Japanese Wii U owners will be able to enjoy what is arguably Simon Belmont's best adventure next week as Super Castlevania IV (or Akumajō Dracula as it's known over there) hits the Virtual Console in that region. The first 16-bit outing for Konami's esteemed vampire-hunting series, Super Castlevania IV was...
Review Chrono Trigger Symphony: Volume 1 by The Blake Robinson Synthetic Orchestra
A timeless classic
Chrono Trigger is rightly remembered for being one of the best games to ever grace the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Even now, players around the world come back to it over and over again – no doubt partly thanks to both the recent Nintendo DS and iOS ports. But if there’s one element of Chrono Trigger that’s truly...
Video Street Fighter Fans, This 25th Anniversary Documentary Is For You
Get some snacks and a drink
As we've seen with Nintendo in recent years, plenty of major publishers are celebrating major anniversaries that go back to the 8 and 16-bit eras. Capcom is included in this, and has celebrated Mega Man by releasing a load of merchandise and by being upstaged by Keiji Inafune — the latter clearly wasn't part of any...
Review Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting (Wii U eShop / SNES)
The need for speed
Although many will accuse Capcom of flogging the Street Fighter license within an inch of its life, the company wasn't solely to blame for the production line of incremental updates which appeared after the release of the original Street Fighter II. Unscrupulous arcade owners would "hack" arcade boards to increase the speed of the...
Hardware Review N64 Hori Mini Pad
Better get this controller in a Hori
The original Nintendo 64 controller proved to be quite divisive as far as gamepads are concerned. With its peculiar three-pronged design – which was partly borne out of Nintendo’s fear that 3D gaming might not take off – camera buttons and novel Z-trigger, the controller was the perfect tool for fully...
August2013
Review The Legend of Zelda (Wii U eShop / NES)
A Link from the past
When The Legend of Zelda was released in 1986, it was at least as much an eye-opening experience for gamers as Super Mario Bros. had been. Whereas that game expanded and solidified the left-to-right nature of platformers for generations to come, The Legend of Zelda opened sprawling worlds before us, and allowed us to go wherever...
News Nintendo Has "Nothing To Announce" Regarding Mother 3 Localisation
Earthbound Wii U release won't pave the way for future ports
Earthbound coming to the Wii U Virtual Console was quite an event — fans had been asking for the game since the days of the original Wii. Given the tremendous exposure surrounding the launch of the game, you might assume that Nintendo would want to explore the possibly of bringing other...
Review Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (Wii U eShop / SNES)
The original, but sadly not the best
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior was nothing short of a phenomenon. If you're old enough to remember when the game hit the Super Nintendo two decades ago then you may recall it as all you ever thought of or spoke about for weeks on end. The gaming world seemed to gravitate around Capcom's seminal one-on-one...
Review Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (3DS eShop / NES)
Go Ninja, Go Ninja GO!
Chances are that even if you don’t know much about Ninja Gaiden, you’re at the very least aware that it’s a series synonymous with high difficulty. When the original hit the NES back in 1989, we have to imagine it lead to the demise of many controllers – we vividly recall rage-quitting on at least an occasion or two...
Weirdness If You Always Wanted a Gold DuckTales NES Cartridge, Now's Your Chance
Sing or draw to win, it's up to you
DuckTales: Remastered is now gracing the Wii U eShop, giving the NES classic a HD makeover and the odd extra feature. Capcom isn't quite finished promoting the multi-platform release — mainly due to the fact it's yet to arrive on the Xbox 360 — so has launched a rather intriguing contest for eager collectors...
Interview Dan Hess on Composing the Pilotwings 64 Soundtrack
Hitting the high notes
Pilotwings 64 is fondly remembered for the impressive amount of freedom that it granted gamers back in the late 90s. 'Whether it was taking in the view while flying a hang glider or navigating your gyrocopter along a meandering and treacherous river, there was a memorable moment for everyone. Yet, despite all the vibrant...
Weirdness The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is Beaten in Under 20 Minutes
Cosmo strikes in 19 minutes 15 seconds
A little while ago we told you about Cosmo Wright, a speedrunner that was recorded explaining, in detail, how to complete Ocarina of Time in 22 minutes. As he admitted himself it wasn't an impeccable run, possibly because he was trying to describe intricate maneuvers while executing them. That run was at a...
News SEGA Genesis Shooter, Steel Empire, to Get the 3DS eShop Remake Treatment
Steampunk shooting
We may have reported this week that the publisher of Kokuga sees "difficult crossroads" for the shoot-em-'up genre in Japan, but that hasn't deterred others from flying into the market. One upcoming release is promising to bring back a side-scrolling shooter from the 16-bit era, as Japanese developers Starfish are preparing Steel...
Review Solomon's Key (3DS eShop / NES)
You'll need the wisdom of Solomon for this one
In Solomon's Key – an action / puzzler from Tecmo – you take command of a wizard named Dana as he searches for a magical formula that's said to banish all evil from the world. It began life in arcades back in 1986, finding its way to NES a year later, and now it's resurfaced on the 3DS Virtual...
Review Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Depth incarnate
If there's one thing that you could pretty much be assured of when it came to a Koei game back in the day, it was getting a lot of depth to your gameplay experience. Not only were you generally treated to a very high production value visual experience, but the attention to detail and historical accuracy was always of high quality...
Review Summer Carnival '92 RECCA (3DS eShop / NES)
For shoot 'em up experts only
The release of this game on the 3DS eShop is a bit of a strange occurrence. Summer Carnival '92 Recca was, as you might guess from its odd name, created for a shoot 'em up game competition held in 1992, exclusively in Japan. It was only available from those competitions, so the supply was quite limited and, as a result,...
News Game Designers Reveal How Super Mario Bros. 3 Would Work As A Free-To-Play Mobile Title
It's not for the faint hearted...
Free-to-play mobile games have proven popular with casual gamers over recent years and there is seemingly no end of developers looking to create another addictive bird chucking or candy crushing title to harvest money from people's e-wallets. Many people have wondered if this free-to-play model can work for much...
Hardware Review Wireless Super Retro 64 Controller
Out of control
With digital download services on the rise and HD remakes becoming more of a regular occurrence, the retro gaming scene is bigger than ever. Restore points and improved visuals — not to mention the off-TV play function offered by the Wii U GamePad — have done a good job of making older titles more suited to our modern...
Review Star Soldier (3DS eShop / NES)
I got soul, but I'm not the best Star Soldier
We may as well stop playing games en masse right now, because we all suck. That may sound harsh, but this 3DS eShop release of Hudson Soft’s vertically scrolling NES shoot-em-‘up will either make or break you. Unfortunately, if you play Star Soldier on the smaller screen of an original 3DS, the tiny...
Weirdness Mike Tyson Plays Punch-Out!! And Takes on His Arch-Nemesis, Glass Joe
Did he beat Glass f****** Joe?
A little while ago we brought you some retro news of huge importance that shook the foundations of the NES — Mike Tyson was rubbish at Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!. Here's what he told a charming paparazzi journo that was following him around. "I couldn't even beat Glass f****** Joe. I couldn't beat Glass Joe, you know...
News Translated EarthBound 64 Interview Gives Insight Into Struggles of Development and Cancellation
Satoru Iwata, Shigesato Itoi and Shigeru Miyamoto pull no punches
Despite the loyal following generated by the first two games in the series, EarthBound 64 — or MOTHER 3 as it actually was — never saw the light of day. It didn't in that form, in any case, as MOTHER 3 eventually arrived on the Game Boy Advance in 2006, but only in Japan; the...
Weirdness It's a Nintendo 64 Controller Pillow, Which Looks Rather Comfortable
Retro resting
Most gamers will have a favourite spot from which they like to play games, whether it's a chair, bed or hanging upside down from the ceiling — that last one may just be for Batman fans. In any case some handicraft enthusiasts create their own gaming seats, with some impressive examples. One such gamer is DeviantArt user tavington,...
Review Donkey Kong (3DS eShop / NES)
It's on like Donkey Kong
This year marked the 30th anniversary of the initial Japanese launch of the Nintendo Family Computer, more popularly known around the world as the Famicom. Among the landmark console’s launch titles was Donkey Kong, a port of the arcade hit that began Nintendo’s launch into video game history. Now, in the year of the...
Review Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (Nintendo 64)
Oblivion is at hand
Acclaim Entertainment must have always had a good feeling about Turok: Dinosaur Hunter. Before the game was even released in 1997, the company announced that it was already working on a sequel. In hindsight of course, it’s easy to see why Turok: Dinosaur Hunter was such a massive success; it released at an ideal time in the...
Weirdness Perhaps We All Need These LEGO Nintendo 64 Transformers in Our Lives
More than meets the eye
Sometimes life is tough. Some of us have work, school, work and school, bills to pay, credit card bills to panic over and a myriad of other concerns. At least we have video games to ease the load, but there's always room for improvement; how about combining video games with LEGO and Transformers? Yes, that'll do the trick...
Review Galaga (Wii U eShop / NES)
That man is playing Galaga!
Galaga is old. It may well state 1988 on Galaga’s NES title screen, but that refers to its European and US release date, the Japanese Famicom conversion was released early in 1985 and they are all based on a port of Namco’s 1981 coin-op. This means that with any Wii U Virtual Console purchase you must consider if you...
News Killer Instinct's Music Gets the Cover it Deserves
Supreme Victory
We often share some of the best fan content that we find, whether they're short films portraying scenes from games, memorable pieces of art or top-notch music covers. The band On Being Human brings us the latter, and last year we shared a terrific Super Metroid rock cover that seemed like the perfect alternative soundtrack to the...
News Super Mario RPG Command System Inspired by a Laptop-Style "Children's Toy"
Each Mario & Luigi entry strives for evolution
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team has now been released across the world on the 3DS, the latest in the popular if somewhat niche series. It's not necessarily the biggest-selling series in Nintendo's library, but it feels like one of its most valuable; it incorporates familiar characters in a Universe of its...
News The Chrono Trigger Symphony: Volume 1 Arrives on 22nd August
Blake Robinson's Synthetic Orchestra returns
You may be quite familiar with the name Blake Robinson by now, especially if you're a fan of video game music. Using software and tools that he's meticulously developed, Robinson produces orchestrations of iconic video game soundtracks that, arguably, take the source music to another level. He's produced...
Video This Super Metroid Animation is Rather Impressive
Let's all dream of a full animated series...
So, things have gone a bit quiet with the Metroid franchise. Metroid: Other M divided fans on the Wii, 3DS ambassadors received a copy of Game Boy Advance title Metroid Fusion, and the IP made an appearance in Nintendo Land. None of those have quite satisfied fans in recent years, it's safe to assume...
News All 151 Kanto Pokémon Are Together, Each Drawn by a Different Artist
Twitter is Super Effective!
A few weeks ago artist Justin Chan took to Twitter to run Poké-Collab: Kanto, a bid to have 151 different artists each produce a representation of the first generation of Pokémon. Pictured below is the final result, which incorporates some pretty diverse illustrations, each with the artist's Twitter handle underneath...
To Smurf, or not to Smurf?
Recently we got a little down and smurfy with our review of The Smurfs 2 for the Wii U, and now, we’ve set our focus on the DS version which offers a completely different gameplay experience, despite sharing the same title. Where the former offered up uneventful platforming that should only appeal to novice players or...
Review River City Ransom (3DS eShop / NES)
BARF!
River City Ransom — or Street Gangs as it was known upon release in Europe — is arguably one of the most famous fighting titles for Nintendo's 8-bit NES console. Ported from the Japanese Famicom title Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari, the game combined the pugilistic focus of Double Dragon (which was created by the same company, Technōs...
Review Harvest Moon (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Barnstorming
Early wake ups, extensive hours, back-breaking labour and ever-vulnerable to unpredictable weather patterns – farming doesn't sound like the most tantalising profession on paper. Way back when, however, developer Natsume clearly caught a glimpse of the positive aspects of the job and was inspired to create one of gaming's most beloved...
News BBC Warns Of Online Gaming Addiction, Uses Image Of Someone Playing Offline Mario Kart
Nothing like a bit of fact-checking, right?
Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games — or MMORPGs — are pretty addictive. The allure of a constantly connected world populated by other players and challenges is often too much for some people to resist, leading to gaming sessions which last for days rather than just a few hours. According...
Ninterview Dan Clarke And Jake Smith Talk Project Dolphin, A Print-Based GameCube Tribute
"More games consoles need to be bright orange and have a handle"
By day, Dan Clarke and Jake Smith run JP74, a digital design agency based in the UK, but by night they're passionate gamers with a love of retro. Given their design background, it should come as no surprise to learn that the duo has successfully combined interactive entertainment with...
Review Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (Nintendo 64)
A game worthy of acclaim?
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter was a wise and lucky move for publisher Acclaim Entertainment. In the late '90s, the company was struggling financially and drastically needed to change its fortunes. Making good on its purchases of Valiant Comics in 1994 and development studio Iguana Entertainment in 1995, Acclaim used the rights it...
News Ocarina of Time Speedrunner Explains How To Beat the Game in 22 minutes
No mods, cheats or external tools
Speedrunning may be a fairly niche activity, the preserve of enthusiasts that exchange ideas on forums and at events, but it can be impressive for anyone to watch when talented gamers show off what they can achieve. It's especially impressive when speedruns are completed on the original software, without...
News Classic SNES RPG Breath Of Fire II Is Coming To The North American Wii U Virtual Console
A breath of fresh air
Capcom's classic 16-bit RPG Breath of Fire II is coming to the North American Wii U Virtual Console "in the coming months". The news was broken on Capcom Unity, along with confirmation that UDON Entertainment is publishing a Breath of Fire Complete Works art book next year. The series is undergoing something of a revival of...
July2013
Review Cute Witch! Runner (DSiWare)
Magical Nights
With last year's Dress to Play: Cute Witches!, developer Coder Child channeled both Cotton and cosplay into a unique mix of dress-up and side-scrolling flight, a solid concept that we felt was let down by poor execution on the fashion side of the equation. We found plenty to like about the airborne action, however, and that's the main...
Ninterview The Power Of Glove Filmmakers Adam Ward, Andrew Austin And Paula Kosowski
"At the time it looked like the coolest thing humankind had ever produced"
We recently reported on The Power of Glove, a documentary about one of the most notable Nintendo accessories of all time: The Power Glove. We got a chance to sit down and chat with the team behind the film — Adam Ward, Andrew Austin And Paula Kosowski — about their...
News SNES Platform Hero Plok Makes A Long-Overdue Return
Comic book series revealed - could a new game be next?
Those of you with keen memories will no doubt recall a SNES platform title by the name of Plok. Released in 1993 and created by Ste and John Pickford — The Pickford Brothers, to you and me — the title was something of a cult classic and fans have been asking for a new entry for years. It...
News Super Cute Mega Man Nanoblock Sets Emerge in Japan
No new game from Capcom again... again
Mega Man is still in his 25th Anniversary Year, and what delights he's received as promotional gifts in his honour. We've had themed USB drives, miniature statues, and even a Rush tissue box. And yet, as our imaginary real-life Blue Bomber opens present after present, the one thing he wants the most isn't...
Weirdness This First-Person Sonic the Hedgehog Video is Rather Impressive
But would it be playable?
It's a favourite hobby of some gamers to fantasize over "what ifs"; maybe "what if Mario had worn green and been the easily frightened taller brother?" Or "what if Mega Man had been a middle aged man with a pistol, like on the box art?" Another may well be, what if Sonic the Hedgehog wasn't a 2D platformer, but a...
Review Kid Icarus (Wii U eShop / NES)
A demonic angel
The popularity of Pit, even before his triumphant return in Kid Icarus: Uprising, was focused around nostalgia for his first two appearances on NES and Game Boy, with the home console original setting the tone with catchy music, quirky mythological enemies and lashings of creativity. This was impressive in the days of the early 8-bit...
Video Codemasters Co-Founder David Darling Talks Game Genie, Micro Machines And More
Industry veteran speaks exclusively to Nintendo Life
Codemasters is one of the UK's long-running video game studios and was founded by brothers David and Richard Darling way back in 1986. Although both have since parted company with the firm, they've left an incredible legacy which covers a variety of platforms, including the 8-bit Nintendo...
Weirdness Check Out This Brilliant Donkey Kong Stop-Motion Video
The mind boggles
Some YouTube videos dedicated to Nintendo games and franchises cross the boundary from happy enthusiast's amateur efforts to downright impressive, professional-level work. This stop-motion Donkey Kong video certainly fits in the latter category, with a lot of skill and hours no doubt needed to put it all together. We're not sure...
Weirdness Hackers Use NES Pad To Drive Car
All those hours on Rad Racer might come in handy after all
Security experts Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek have demonstrated a method which allows hackers to control a car using a laptop and NES joypad. The pair have created a system which enables them to connect to a car's electronic control unit (ECU) via the on-board diagnostics port and...
Weirdness Mike Tyson Was Rubbish at Punch-Out!!
"I couldn't even beat Glass f****** Joe"
While some games, particularly in the '80s and '90s, proudly showed off a celebrity likeness or name to sell copies, that doesn't mean that those famous people even liked those games. In the case of Mike Tyson, he was so hopeless at his own part of NES history that it seems irrelevant whether he actually...
Review Shantae (3DS eShop / GBC)
Whip ya hair
Just over 11 years since its original release in 2002, Shantae has finally made it onto the 3DS Virtual Console – and it's the first time that it's been available in Europe too. Despite the long wait, WayForward's tricky 2D platformer is sprinkled with enough genie-magic to keep it fresh and interesting for a modern audience. Shantae...
Weirdness This Donkey Kong Art Plays With Your Sense of Perception
The impossible level
While some fan culture based on Nintendo is relatively light-hearted, full of parody or off-the-cuff, there are examples where artistic skill is employed to be both serious and irreverent at once. We think this may be a rather good example of that. YouTube group AweMeChannel has produced a video inspired by the work of Maurits...
News EarthBound Translator Shares Insight Into Preparing a Cult Classic for the West
"It’s really a glass half full kind of game"
With EarthBound's arrival on the Wii U Virtual Console last week, many gamers can finally gain an insight into why the SNES title has accumulated such a vocal fan-base, despite its modest Western sales — it didn't even reach Europe — when it was originally released. It's a game lauded for its charm,...
Review Fashion Tycoon (DSiWare)
Fashion disaster
If there's one thing that Fashion Tycoon truly achieves, it's the way in which it makes you appreciate just how hard retail workers have it at times. Much like in real life, demanding customers, stock shortages and a lack of staff are just some of the problems you find yourself up against in this game — it's a nightmarish...
News This GoldenEye 007 Wristwatch Is For Your Eyes Only
Fit for Commander Bond himself
N64 classic GoldenEye 007 is responsible for stealing away countless hours of our time here at the Nintendo Life office — we still crack out the dusty old console from time to time to indulge in a spot of remote mine-related tomfoolery. Bearing that in mind, you can imagine how pleased we were to see that some...
News Nintendo Comments On EarthBound's Inflated Pricing
"Different games will be offered at different prices"
As you're probably aware, EarthBound hit the Wii U Virtual Console last week. This SNES classic was one of the most-requested titles during the Wii era, and many believed it would never see the light of day in the west. Thankfully Nintendo surprised us all, and not only that, they produced a...
News Masahiro Sakurai Did Consider Smash Bros. For Previous Handhelds
"We purely didn’t have the opportunity"
The upcoming 3DS release of Super Smash Bros. has — despite its HD brethren being lined up for Wii U — been attracting plenty of attention. Not only does it mean that the latest entry in the hugely attractive franchise will be available to owners of both of Nintendo's current gaming systems, but it'll be...
Review Spelunker (3DS eShop / NES)
Go back to your cave and stay there
Ask a few western gamers about Spelunker and it's likely that barely any of them will have heard of the game, despite it being originally developed by an American company. Ask Japanese gamers, though, and it's a completely different story — the game is very well known to them and is joked about online all the...
Soapbox The 8-Bit Era Laid the Groundwork, but Modern Day Progress Shouldn't be Discounted
Tom feels that enjoying both retro and modern games is vital
This week we've published a few features to celebrate the Famicom's 30th Anniversary. It's an extraordinary landmark, particularly because so many games from the 8-bit machine are still treasured to this day, many of which are deserving because they're enormous fun. I think there's...
Round Table Let's Talk About the Famicom / NES
Oh, the memories
This week we've written some features and re-published some select reviews to celebrate the Famicom's 30th Anniversary, this particular landmark reflecting the Japanese release of the iconic original design. Naturally, not many of us in the Nintendo Life team have played that original system, but we have all indulged in the NES in...
Weirdness A Young Boy's Paper Game Boy Shows the Power of Imagination
Heart-warming and awesome
While many of us may be lucky enough to have all of the entertainment we want right at our fingertips, what do you do when you have to make your own fun? You could inadvertently dabble in 2D platform design, for one. Reddit user Juankestein has posted images of a paper "Game Boy" that he made when he was nine years old. As...
Interview WayForward on Shantae's Past, Present and Future
Some "pretty big surprises" in store for Pirate's Curse this Fall
With the release of Shantae (originally a Game Boy Color title) this week we touched base with WayForward's Creative Director and founding member, Matt Bozon, and he kindly agreed to a quick-fire interview before he jetted off to Comic-Con. This is a series that, despite being just...
Review EarthBound (Wii U eShop / SNES)
An RPG experience unlike any other
EarthBound landed on the SNES in 1995 with a dull thud. While the game didn't exactly light up the sales charts in North America and failed to make it to Europe, it has certainly gone on to become one of the most sought-after games in the second-hand market, selling for upwards of $80 as nothing more than a loose...
