Retro News

October2010

  • Review James Bond 007 (Game Boy)

    Fun portable Bondage

    As an MI6 agent with a license to kill, James Bond has obvious video game potential. One option is the first person shooter, as seen with the Nintendo 64's Goldeneye 007, but that's not the only choice. Released not long after Rare's classic, the simply titled James Bond 007 is a very different game, but there's still a lot of...

  • Review Fester's Quest (NES)

    What the macabre sixties sitcom were they thinking?

    Uncle Fester of the Addams Family has to save the world from aliens in this cheap cash in on a beloved franchise. So, why is Fester's Quest so terrible? The reasons go on and on. This will remind you to go enjoy a nice day outside, play a board game or clean your kitchen. Any activity you could...

  • Review Mahjong (DSiWare)

    Pay the same, get less

    Mahjong titles were strangely absent from all of Nintendo's download services for a long time, but this year there seems to have been a sudden explosion of them. This is about the fifth mahjong game we've had this year, so is there really anything new here? Probably the best of the previous offers has been Simply Mahjong. For...

  • Review DuckTales (NES)

    Woooo-ooh!

    As part of our celebration week for the 30th Anniversary of the Famicom system, we'll highlight some key retro reviews to highlight the best of what the 8-bit system had to offer. Today we have DuckTales, and don't forget to click the Famicom banner on the homepage to see our content for this special occasion. Isn't it great when a...

  • Review Armada (DSiWare)

    Air traffic, controlled!

    Managing time can be difficult: work, school, cleaning the house or anything else that you are compelled to spend your time on are usually no-brainers. You gotta do what you gotta do, though, and in Armada you gotta guide various flying vehicles to land safely on aircraft carriers in the middle of the ocean. The core of the...

  • Review My Starry Night (WiiWare)

    Star quality

    Hudson's My Starry Night (or My Planetarium in North America) is very much the celestial cousin to their earlier WiiWare effort My Aquarium. It’s surprisingly informative, moderately entertaining and at a low enough price that it might entice you to take a trip through the heavens. The game contains three modes: Observation, Celestial...

  • Review Just Dance 2 (Wii)

    You can't stop the beat

    Ubisoft's Just Dance came out of nowhere last year and was promptly the target of filth and excrement flung by the core gamer contingent, decrying it as yet another casual suck-fest as they put their controllers down between rounds of the Call of Duty. And that crowd wasn't entirely off base; to them, Just Dance seemed to...

  • Features Things We Miss About the 8-Bit Era

    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...

  • Review BIT.TRIP FATE (WiiWare)

    You can't fight fate

    If we've learned anything from the BIT.TRIP series, it's that you don't need a lot of flashy visuals or complicated mechanics to make a great game. The unique combination of old school arcade elements blended together with a host of musical rhythm overtones have given the series a look and feel all its own and made the titles...

  • Review Spot the Difference (DSiWare)

    It's hard to spot the fun sometimes

    Most of you will probably be familiar with the old game known as spot the difference. For those who aren't, it's generally meant for children and simply involves looking at two pictures side by side, an original image and an altered one, between which you have to find any differences. Now, Enjoy Gaming Ltd. has...

  • News Super Mario Design Documents Reveal Guns, Rockets and Fighting

    The Mushroom Kingdom was very different back then

    We've only just recovered from the bombshell that Super Mario Bros. nearly had a shoot 'em up stage, but prepare for more shocks as original design documents show the path the plumber nearly took. Part of the History of Mario booklet contained in the Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition,...

  • Review Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes (Wii)

    So many bad guys, so little fun

    It's easy to think all hack & slash games are mindless and repetative in nature, but it doesn't have to be that way, as fans of the genre will know. Unfortunately, "mindless" and "repetitive" are the very words that spring to mind when writing this review, not because it's a hack & slash...

  • Review Racers' Islands: Crazy Arenas (WiiWare)

    Racers' Islands is back to drive you mad

    Crazy Arenas is the second in the Racers’ Island series of WiiWare games, and this time around, it takes the form of five multiplayer battle mini-games for you to compete in with your friends and enemies. Even the most cold-hearted person, however, wouldn’t wish this much tedium on another human being...

  • Review Street Hoop (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)

    Slam dunk or flagrant foul?

    While many of the other consoles of the time were receiving a good variety of basketball offerings, the Neo Geo system was relegated to just one. Data East's Street Hoop passed over the traditional basketball experience in favour of a more playground-esque 3-on-3 style, complete with backboard shaking dunks and a wealth...

  • Review Snapdots (DSiWare)

    Aww, snap!

    If you think that there are all together too many puzzle games available on the DSiWare service, there is a good chance that you are right. It can be a bit overwhelming when there are so many great titles to choose from, but fortunately for you Snapdots has finally arrived in North America to make that choice a bit easier. This new, fun,...

  • Features Reader NES Stories

    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...

  • Review Academy: Tic-Tac-Toe (DSiWare)

    Tic-Tac-Tolerable

    DSiWare is already host to numerous pen and paper games, but out of all of them, Tic-Tac-Toe has got to be most pointless thing imaginable to put into virtual form. Nobody should need an introduction to what Tic-Tac-Toe is. You have a grid of 3 by 3 squares, and you and your opponent take turns filling one square at a time with...

  • Review Addams Family Values (Super Nintendo)

    The Legend of Addams

    When anyone drops a mention of licensed games, it's generally appropriate to tune out. With very, very few exceptions, almost every single game based on a movie, TV series, comic or what-have-you is mediocre at best, and frequently completely terrible. There are exceptions – everybody knows about classics like DuckTales and...

  • Review ThruSpace (WiiWare)

    A charming little hole in the wall

    WiiWare is no stranger to the puzzle genre, offering up classic experiences like Tetris Party and Dr. Mario alongside more unconventional titles like the Art Style series. Nintendo's latest title, ThruSpace, hopes to try something new to stand out in the sizable crowd. How does it do it? By combining the shape...

  • Review The Addams Family (Super Nintendo)

    Morticia's marooned in a maniac mansion

    Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, Manchester-based Ocean Software became synonymous with movie licensed games and established themselves as the go-to developer for Hollywood. They delivered their software on the home computers that were flourishing at the time and handled a huge list of movie...

  • Features Staff NES Stories

    Learn our shocking pasts

    To continue our celebration of 25 years of NES, the staff's gathered around the campfire to share their favourite memories of that little dream machine. Not everyone could make it to the party, unfortunately, but we're sure that those who couldn't had good reason to stay home. Join us now as we lay bare our souls to you and...

  • Review Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow (DS)

    Forever in the shadow of other RPGs

    Awakened Shadow is the third RPG game in Hironobu Sakaguchi’s Blue Dragon series. Developed at Mistwalker Studios, this iteration also marks the third completely new gameplay style after the turn-based tactics of the original and the RTS stylings of Blue Dragon Plus. Awakened Shadow has a more real-time action...

  • News Super Mario Bros. Nearly Had a Shoot 'em Up Stage

    Before fireballs came bullets

    You might know enough about Super Mario Bros. to win our 25th anniversary competition, but did you know a shooting stage was planned for the game? A Famitsu interview with Shigeru Miyamoto reveals that using Mario's original controls, pressing Up would jump, with B to dash and A to fire bullets, before the team settled...

  • News If You Cross Mario with Twitter, You Get Super Twario

    Cutesy client makes Twitter a game

    We can all agree that Super Mario Bros. has made a big influence on gaming, but social networking? Not so much. Until today that is, with a new Mario-inspired Twitter application now on the iPhone. The bunny-hopping Super Twario client launched on the App Store today, turning the social messaging site into a...

  • Review Music On: Playing Piano (DSiWare)

    Slightly off key

    Abylight's Music On: Playing Piano is the fifth musical outing from the Spanish developer, and one that takes a slightly different approach to its predecessors. In some ways that works out to its credit, but without the fun of free play it comes out slightly behind others in the series. Whereas Music On: Learning Piano gave the...

  • Review Miffy's World (WiiWare)

    Bunny business

    Some of you may already be familiar with Miffy. Originally starting off as a children's book by Dutch author Dick Bruna in 1955, the story is based around the small, female rabbit called Miffy and has since spawned a very successful children's series of books and cartoons. So, in a similar fashion to The Very Hungry Caterpillar's...

  • Review Kidz Bop Dance Party! The Video Game (Wii)

    Your children would prefer a spanking

    As a franchise, Kidz Bop is a strange one. While compilations of popular dance songs are nothing new, Kidz Bop releases are actually compilations of covers of dance songs, all performed by a troupe of prepubescent moppets whose voices are auto-tuned and otherwise processed until they arrive, indistinguishable...

  • Features NES Homebrew Is Where The Heart Is

    How two indie developers are keeping the system kicking after all these years

    It’s nigh impossible to overstate the importance of the Nintendo Entertainment System in video game history: its popularity pretty much single-handedly revived the home game console market in the US, which had crashed a few years before the NES’s October 18th, 1985...

  • Review GO Series: Pinball Attack! (DSiWare)

    No extended play here

    Pinball Attack! is perhaps the most interesting game in the GO Series yet. Developed by ArtePiazza, who has already worked on well-liked titles such as Opoona and several Dragon Quest games, we were expecting the 500 DSi Point price to be more than justified. Unfortunately, this did not turn out to be the case. Many different...

  • News We Celebrate 25 Years of NES

    We're throwing a hootenanny, and you're invited

    Today is the 25th anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System's North American debut, and we're celebrating in style. This week, you can look forward to a menagerie of features that hearken back to the olden days of 8-bit glory. Twenty-five years ago today, every New Yorker sensed something magic...

  • Review TrackMania (Wii)

    Spectrackular

    Mention the name TrackMania to any console gamer and barely anyone will know what you're talking about. Mention it to hardcore PC gamers, however, and there's a good chance they'll regale you with stories of what is perhaps the best racing series out there. For those unfamiliar with the series, it's not really a pure "racing"...

  • Review Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)

    A game that truly lives up to its name

    Kirby has enjoyed success on Nintendo's various portable systems in recent years, but he hasn't shown up in a game of his own on a home console since his Nintendo 64 adventure Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards back in 2000. Nintendo obviously took notice of this when it put Good Feel Games on the task of creating a...

  • Review G.G Series: Super Hero Ogre (DSiWare)

    An exercise in frustration

    In late August, the North American DSiWare service saw the release of Genterprise's G.G Series: Ninja Karakuri Den, the first title in its G.G Series of games to make it across the ocean from Japan. Now, two months later, the second instalment in the series of inexplicably titled games has made it stateside as G.G Series:...

  • Review Resident Evil 2 (Nintendo 64)

    The horror continues

    Leon Kennedy's having a tough first day at work. As with every new job, there are new people to meet and new challenges to face – namely, zombies and killing said zombies. Capcom's Resident Evil 2 follows two concurrent storylines: that of Leon, a police officer, and Claire Redfield, who's in town to investigate the...

  • Review Resident Evil (GameCube)

    Possibly the best in the series

    In many ways, the GameCube remake of Resident Evil marks a return to where it all began. The original PlayStation release popularised the budding horror survival genre, and the events that took place at the mansion were, for a time, at the centre of the series' universe. The moment that gamers boot up the GameCube...

  • News Brush Up on Your Super Mario Bros. Glitches, Tips and Tricks

    Nintendo gives a round-up of classic moments

    Some of these Super Mario Bros. glitches will be familiar to experienced gamers, but some might reveal hitherto unknown secrets about the little plumber's big adventure. Witness a tiny Mario using the Fire Flower, Koopa Troopas walking in mid-air and plenty of other little oddities that may shed new light...

  • Review Ivy the Kiwi? Mini (DSiWare)

    Ivy the Kiwi? light

    After spending years helping Sega create some of its most popular console releases during the Mega Drive and Saturn eras, Yuji Naka decided it was time to form his own development studio. His main goal was to create gaming experiences that appealed to a much broader audience. No better title could sum up this goal more perfectly...

  • Review Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light (DS)

    As challenging as it is charming

    Having already had success with its two previous Final Fantasy DS remakes, Matrix Software decided to take a fairly different approach for the brand new and completely original Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light. While some of the basic gameplay elements were carried over, the game received a fairly significant...

  • News Wisdom Tree's NES Catalogue Now Available to Play Online

    Notable Christian software seller unleashes its brand of spiritual justice to retro net users

    Wisdom Tree is a company that holds a special place in the history of the NES. Born from Color Dreams - one of the first firms to successfully bypass Nintendo's notorious NES lock-out chip - the company made a name for itself by releasing mostly terrible...

  • Review NBA Jam (Wii)

    Come on and slam, and welcome to the Jam

    You’d be forgiven for looking at this fall’s Wii release calendar and thinking you had stumbled out of a time machine set for 1997. Between all of the new 2D revivals starring some of gaming’s all-time classics and a new, old Bond movie adaptation, there's almost no time to see whether the Fresh Prince...

  • Review Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (WiiWare)

    After 15 years, 16-bit is back

    The drums are perfect. That's the second thing you notice about Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, right after Sonic runs past the Sega logo to the classic 16-bit "Say-gah!" sample. Anyone who's ever played a Sonic game will start to smile: it's off to a perfect start. That start builds momentum quickly. Splash...

  • Review Triple Jumping Sports (WiiWare)

    Jumping? In a video game?! Now we've seen everything!

    Wading in to review this third entry in an already less than impressive series, it's fair to say that our expectations were not very high. Therefore it could be seen as some kind of accomplishment that Triple Jumping Sports still managed to not live up to them. If you've played either of the...

  • Review Datamine (DSiWare)

    Pang in the future

    If you're an arcade game connoiseur, you may be familiar with the Pang/Buster Bros. series. With your grappling hook gun, the objective was to fire lines across the screen to pop the numerous bubbles bouncing around on contact. Of course, you yourself had to avoid any direct contact with the bubbles, or you'd get a quick Game...

  • News How Nintendo Manufactured the Famicom on the Cheap

    Recently revealed report hints at Scrooge-like attitude

    As we all know, the Nintendo Famicom (the Japanese version of the NES, in case you were wondering) was pretty damn successful back in the day. In fact, it would be no exaggeration to state that the machine practically created the modern console market - certainly in Japan, at least. Nintendo...

  • Review Luigi's Mansion (GameCube)

    It's-a me! Mari- wait, what? Luigi?

    Nintendo has always had a dark side. Though it's built up a name for itself as a family-friendly game company, every so often, when it can be contained no longer, its dark side manifests itself in the form of a Super Metroid or a Majora's Mask. But while we expect a touch of gloom and misery in our Zeldas and...

  • Review Learning with the PooYoos - Episode 3 (WiiWare)

    You can never have too many PooYoos!

    Because two episodes of Learning with the PooYoos just weren't enough, Lexis Numerique has finally released the highly anticipated third entry in the series. Retaining all of its colourful and engaging charm, Learning with the Pooyoos: Episode 3 is a welcome addition to the series. Though the fan base consists...

  • News Neverdaunt:8Bit MMO

    Perfect for those of us that just can't get enough of 8bit

    We love 8bit, you love 8bit, we recommend you check this out when you've got some time to kill. Those who decide to take a dip into the world of N8* should come back and let us know what you find. Neverdaunt:8Bit is a free to play Sandbox MMO set in a 8 bit stylized 3D world made out of...

  • Review Dr. Franken (Game Boy)

    You got Franken in my Castlevania

    There is some common confusion surrounding the tale of Frankenstein, namely the fact that Frankenstein is not really a monster, but rather the mad scientist who creates the bolted-neck creature. Developer MotiveTime avoids this common misstep in their game by simply combining the scientist and monster into the same...

  • Review FIFA 11 (Wii)

    Finishes mid-table

    Gamers that like playing video game adaptations of football (or soccer) will likely fall under one of two categories: the ones that prefer Pro Evolution and the ones that think FIFA games are better. The former has always strived to be as realistic as possible whilst the latter offers more arcade-style action as opposed to ultra...

  • Review Rummikub (DSiWare)

    Basic and boring or fantastic and fun?

    If classic board, card and table top games that have been brought to the DSiWare service were pop stars, solitaire would be Lady Gaga and Rummikub would be Kelly Rowland (formerly of Destiny's Child). While one stands alone and captures the attention of millions, the other struggles with popularity unless they...

  • Review Petz Catz Family (DSiWare)

    It's a cat-astrophe!!

    Petz has been around for a long time. Starting back in 1995, it saw a big reboot back in 2006 and has since seen multiple titles spanning all the way from mobile phones to the PS2, and are generally set around raising one particular type of virtual animal, such as a hamster or a kitten. The DS is no stranger to the series,...

  • Review Gods vs. Humans (WiiWare)

    Nobody wins?

    So far, games priced at 1500 Wii Points have either been at the top or at the bottom of the spectrum; none of them have been anywhere in between. The fifth title to receive this price tag, Gods vs. Humans, might be the first game to fill in that empty space. One of the few strategy games on WiiWare, the title says it all. The humans are...

  • News Read About the Birth of the Famicom in Latest Iwata Asks

    Go right back to the start

    Nintendo's Famicom is a piece of gaming history. The company's first cartridge-based gaming system, it set the revitalised the industry and set the standard for what was to follow. Satoru Iwata sat down with two of Nintendo's behind-the-scenes heroes for his latest "Iwata Asks" feature: R&D advisor Masayuki Uemura and...

  • News Charity Marathon Sees Every NES Game Played Back to Back

    Over 750 games in total

    Mario, Zelda, Pokémon: these are all good themes for charity marathons, and have raised countless thousands of dollars for a range of charities. Playing every game in a particular series back-to-back is a big accomplishment, but how would you feel about playing every game available for a single con

  • Review Shantae: Risky's Revenge (DSiWare)

    Stop reading now and go buy this game

    When the original Shantae was released in 2002 on the Game Boy Color, it was lauded for its amazing animation and challenging platforming action. Unfortunately, this was after Nintendo had launched its new Game Boy Advance system, and sales of the unique title never really reached the level many expected them...

  • News Retro Computer Museum Event Incoming

    UK-based retro gamers take note

    Those of you with above-average memories will recall that we attended a Retro Computer Museum event a while back, and were blown away by the sheer magnitude of the vintage gaming hardware on display. If you gazed upon our coverage with envy, you'll be pleased to learn that another event is taking place at the end of...

  • Review NBA Jam (Super Nintendo)

    The very definition of Boomshakalaka

    Released amid a surge in the popularity of professional basketball during the early 1990s, NBA Jam rode the wave along with many other basketball video games. In spite of all the competition, it became a legend in its own time and is still remembered fondly today. Often sport-based games become obsolete a year...

  • Podcast NLFM Episode 9: Halloween Hootenanny

    You don't need to be the master of unlocking to access these horror treasures

    Boo! It's a regular fright fest in this episode of NLFM as we queue up some of our favorite horror game tracks. BEHOLD! the wonders of mad science gone wrong! GASP! at the children of the night! WONDER! how Chuck D. Head doesn't need more painkillers! RUN! from the...

  • News The First Nintendo Console to Play DVDs was the NES

    Well, sort of

    The humble Nintendo Entertainment System has been everything from a lunchbox to a guitar, but for those who like the classic experience of putting media in and getting entertainment out will be intrigued by this latest mod that turns the console into a fully functioning DVD player. A little more complex than simply putting a DVD player...

  • Review M.C. Kids (NES)

    A super-sized side-scrolling McVenture

    The time from 1990 to 1994 was the golden age of games as starring vehicles for junk food mascots. Few remember, but some will never forget, the convoluted, hyper-caloric brilliance of Yo! Noid, Chester Cheetah: Too Cool to Fool, and Cool Spot. Of the myriad snack-hocking titles, however, the super-sized,...

  • Review Astro Bugz Revenge (WiiWare)

    Revenge is sweet

    It's a tale that's old as time: a puzzle game is released that requires you to match up three of the same colour in order to clear the screen and advance through levels. It is inevitably compared to Bubble Bobble and Bejeweled, and usually labelled as a clone of one or the other. Astro Bugz Revenge can safely be added to the list of...

  • Review Wii Party (Wii)

    Wii like to party

    If there's anything that the Wii's software catalogue arguably doesn't really need more of, it's minigame compilations and party games. From Wii Sports to Rabbids to numerous others, "drought" is not the word. But lo and behold, along comes Nintendo and their Mii army with Wii Party, including 80+ minis presented in...

  • Review FIZZ (DSiWare)

    Fo Fizzle

    Shocking update: a puzzle game was released on DSiWare this week. Non-sarcastic shocking update: it's actually pretty good. We know, we know, it's hard to get too excited about downloadable puzzle games these days, but even with stiff competition on the service, FIZZ still proves itself as a fun and affordable puzzler – even if it's...

  • Review Pokémon Emerald (Game Boy Advance)

    Some things, it seems, never change

    In Japan in 1996 a craze started; by the turn of the century, it had worked its way around the world capturing the hearts and minds of gamers as easily as a level 3 Rattata is caught in a Master Ball. That craze was Pokémon: Nintendo’s pocket monster catching/training/battling powerhouse. The two Game Boy...

  • Review Goosebumps HorrorLand (Wii)

    Horribleland

    In 1996, Dreamworks released a computer game called Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland, a fun point-and-click adventure that revolved around story elements and puzzle solving. Perhaps you can excuse us then for hoping that Goosebumps HorrorLand would be something similar, or anything more intriguing than the collection of carnival-style...

  • Review Pang: Magical Michael (DS)

    It's showtime!

    Everyone loves Magical Michael, 'cause the tricks that he does are ever so cool. However, at the moment, no one is particularly loving him, as a failed experiment on his part has caused hundreds of dangerous bubbles to be released across the world. Now it's his task to venture across the planet and eliminate the threat. If you've...

  • Review Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts (WiiWare)

    Flying Wii Remotes: less likely to cause injury than flying lawn darts

    A sequel to Target Toss Pro: Bags, released on WiiWare in 2008, Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts brings the same style of play to a different variety of games, this time using lawn darts. We thought the previous release was good but needed some work – did Incredible Technologies hit...

  • Review Zenonia (DSiWare)

    DSiWare's first must-have RPG

    With RPGs being such a popular genre, it's surprising to see that, up until now, Legends of Exidia has been the only one available on the DSiWare service. Fortunately, for the poor RPG fans who have been feeling neglected, Gamevil has finally added a new title to the mix with their release of Zenonia. Despite both...

  • Review Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (GameCube)

    To think that once I could not see beyond the veil of our reality to see those who dwell behind

    When Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem was released, there was a glut of Mature-rated horror games on the market from which to choose. Between the endless sequels to Resident Evil, Silent Hill and others, it was easy to overlook this newcomer. But...

  • Review Robox (WiiWare)

    Should you square off with this?

    From the first screens released, developer Dreambox Games’s first WiiWare title looked set for stardom. Robox is a 2D side-scrolling platforming adventure that has a beguiling beauty, utilising an art style that's full of character and reminiscent of the pages of classic children’s books like Where the Wild...

September2010

  • News October is Spook Month on Nintendo Life

    Frightful Fridays and Scary Saturdays ahead

    As we all know, October 31st is All Hallows Eve, popularly known as Halloween. It's a night when some of you will dress up in your favourite fear-inducing garb and haunt the town, others will dress up as well but instead go to screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and others still will stay home and...

  • Review Snowboard Kids (Nintendo 64)

    You won't get board of this one

    Although Atlus is undoubtedly best known for its expertise in the field of RPGs, the Shinjuku-based company does occasionally try its hand at other genres. One such example is Snowboard Kids, released on the Nintendo 64 back in 1998 in cooperation with Japanese development studio Racdym. Best summed up as Mario Kart...

  • Review GO Series: Defence Wars (DSiWare)

    Tower defence with a twist

    Tower defence games aren’t really a new concept on DSiWare, and with already a few titles in the genre available, you might wonder whether this one has anything special to offer. It turns out that GO Series: Defence Wars gives a nice twist to tower defence that makes it a bit more interesting. In most tower defence...

  • News Next Year Will See 750 Metroid Prime Gunships Landing on Desks

    First 4 Figures continuing its Metroid Gunship Series

    If the recent listing of the life-size Samus Aran promotion statue was too big for you to handle, then you might be interested in First 4 Figures' latest model in its Metroid Gunship Series as it's considerably smaller and won't be a nuisance when it comes to vacuuming. The Metroid Prime Gunship,...

  • News Miyamoto and Itoi Discuss Mario, Rubik's Cubes, TV and More

    Top Nintendo designers shoot the breeze

    Nintendo's Iwata Asks series has provided us with plenty of fascinating insights into the creation of the company's games, the minds of its creators and the creative spirit that defines its output. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., Nintendo legends Shigesato Itoi (creator of the...

  • Review Everyday Soccer (DSiWare)

    Hardly in the Premier League

    When it comes to soccer on the DSi, it really comes down to the Real Soccer franchise, and we're certainly not complaining. For a mere 800 Points you can get a portable, yet retail-quality version of the beautiful game with tons of content. Still, it's nice to see a game like EveryDay Soccer come along. Offering a more...

  • Review Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)

    A simplified Final Fantasy experience

    Back in 1992, role-playing games were still largely ignored outside of Japan, but Square tried to remedy this with the release of Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest. The game not only added a bit more action to the experience, it also greatly simplified the gameplay mechanics as well. While this certainly offered up a...

  • Review Triple Throwing Sports (WiiWare)

    It’s not hammer time and it never will be

    Please have your Wii Remote and Nunchuk handy. You’ll need them to read this review. Ready? Okay, first, begin by spinning the Nunchuk around in a circular motion. Any direction will do, just spin it really fast, then faster still. Then, when the time is right, press the B button. Are you with us so far?...

  • Review Nintendo Countdown Calendar (DSiWare)

    Count it out

    Have you ever wished for a calendar that counts down to the day of literally any event that you programme into it all by itself? Well, thanks to Nintendo's latest DSiWare application, the Nintendo Countdown Calendar, your dreams can now become a reality! This new application provides users with a calendar that has a separate list...

  • Review The Very Hungry Caterpillar's ABCs (WiiWare)

    Often imitated but never duplicated

    Everyone knows that caterpillars are excellent at education by munching, mostly because of the work of Eric Carle. 30 million copies of his book The Very Hungry Caterpillar have been sold worldwide since its release in 1969. Now, the distinct artwork and simple teaching style of the classic come to WiiWare in the...

  • News Super Mario Bros. was Gaming's Big Bang, says Kojima

    "One of mankind's greatest creations," says great man

    It's been 25 years since Super Mario Bros. hit the world of gaming, and its influence is still felt widely around the world. Konami legend and Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima is just one individual whose life was altered by the plumbing adventure. Kojima has said: With the creation of...

  • News Nintendo Turns 121 Years Old Today

    That's old

    It was on this day in 1889 that a playing card company opened up in Kyoto, Japan, headed up by Fusajiro Yamauchi. Its name was the Nintendo Playing Card Company – catchy, right? – that went on to become one of the world's biggest entertainment companies. If you want to know more about Nintendo's history, the excellent The History of...

  • Review Plok (Super Nintendo)

    The original Rayman

    A few years before Rayman hit the scene, there was another lesser known platforming hero with floating hands and feet that he could throw at enemies. Created by John and Ste Pickford, two fairly well-known British video game designers, Plok is perhaps one of, if not the best, examples of a cult classic Super Nintendo platformer...

  • Interviews Brian Provinciano - Retro City Rampage

    Vblank Entertainment's open-world game looks set to hijack your 8-bit heart

    Grand Theftendo may have started out as a pet project of Vblank Entertainment's Brian Provinciano, but eight years later it's turned into one of the most intriguing games slated to hit WiiWare in the form of Retro City Rampage. The novelty of an 8-bit open-world game was...

  • News Catch a Live Stream of Symphonic Legends This Thursday Evening

    Orchestral arrangements of classic Nintendo games

    If you've not got any plans this Thursday night, then be sure to tune into a live stream of Symphonic Legends' orchestral renditions of classic video games. Produced by Thomas Boecker with Jonne Valtonen taking lead composer duties, the WDR Radio Orchestra will be performing at the Cologne...

  • Competition Aussies Can Share Their Favourite Mario Moments to Win a DSi XL

    Red, blue or yellow up for grabs

    North America's Super Mario Bros. 25th anniversary site opened recently, and now Nintendo of Australia has launched its 25th Anniversary competition website offering one misty-eyed gamer the chance to win a brand new DSi XL. If your entry is selected as the best Mario memory, you could win a red, blue or yellow DSi...

  • News Steve Wiebe Reclaims Donkey Kong World Record

    The high score merry-go-round keeps turning

    Billy Mitchell, Hank Chien, Steve Wiebe: these men are the giants of Donkey Kong, throwing the world record around like a numerical barrel. Chien bested Mitchell, then Mitchell topped Chien, and now long-time underdog Steve Wiebe has reclaimed the top spot by a whisker. Mitchell's previous best stood at...

  • News Nab a Life-Size Samus Statue on eBay

    Auction site sells heroine

    Ever wonder what happens to all those amazing life-size statues and installations in game shops after they're taken down? They usually end up on eBay, of course. That's the fate of this Metroid statue created to promote celebrated first-person adventure Metroid Prime, currently on sale for a measly £65. Standing 190cm...

  • Review Star Fox: Assault (GameCube)

    A bumpy ride for Team Star Fox

    Star Fox has an active history on the GameCube, first appearing on the console in the form of Star Fox Adventures back in 2001. It took on a whole new direction and saw Fox McCloud out of the cockpit for the first time in an on-foot adventure across Dinosaur Planet, and while the game received acclaim in some quarters,...

  • Review myDiary (DSiWare)

    Everyone, take note

    Nnooo has seen a fair amount of success with DSiWare. Originally starting off with Pop+ Solo, the developer really began to make its mark on the DSi with the myLifeCollected series, a set of applications for the DSi that started with myNotebook. Since then, Nnooo has moved onto other applications such as myPostcards and...

  • News Nintendo Declares Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary Website Open

    Due to be updated in coming weeks

    First a logo, then a collector's edition pack; now the Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary celebrations get even wilder, with Nintendo of America rolling out website for the portly plumber's quarter-century. At the moment there's not really a lot to see other than a trailer and some pixel art, but Nintendo promises...

  • Feature How ColecoVision Became the King of Kong

    How a trip to the toilet resulted in video gaming's greatest coup

    When you think of the early '80s video game scene one name instinctively springs to mind: Atari. This pioneering firm had practically invented the concept of the interactive television experience, and its all-conquering VCS (also known as the 2600) was incredibly popular. Naturally...

  • Review Castle Conqueror (DSiWare)

    The beginner’s RTS

    With its touch screen and stylus controls, the Nintendo DS seems like it was practically built for real-time strategy games. Sadly, entries in this genre have been few and far between. Publisher CIRCLE Entertainment comes out of the woodwork with Castle Conqueror, an all-new RTS for DSiWare. Referred to as a strategy game for...

  • Review Super Smash Bros. Melee (GameCube)

    Better than Brawl?

    We live in a world of advanced communication. We can be sitting in our living room in Columbus, Ohio and play a game of Call of Duty with our friends in Vietnam. We could even put a headset on and have a conversation with them while we do so. We can whip out our Nintendo DS consoles and play a game of Mario Kart against complete...

  • Review Adventure on Lost Island: Hidden Object Game (WiiWare)

    Short and sugary sweet

    Playing Adventure on Lost Island: Hidden Object Game is a lot like eating a doughnut – it looks good, is very sweet and the experience feels nice. Before you know it, though, it's gone. ATeam definitely had a young audience in mind when making this game, with its winsome tone, brightly coloured graphics and simple gameplay,...

  • Review Last Window: The Secret of Cape West (DS)

    A fitting send-off from Cing

    Throughout its lifespan, the DS has been a popular medium for graphic adventure games, many of which have become very successful. 2007 saw one such example in the form of Hotel Dusk: Room 215. Developed by Cing, also well known for the Trace Memory/Another Code series and published by Nintendo, it was a hit among gamers...

  • News Metroid 64 Was This Close to Existing

    Not that close, actually

    There was no Metroid game on Nintendo 64, Samus Aran skipping the console altogether save for a cameo appearance in Super Smash Bros. Series creator Yoshio Sakamoto has revealed in an interview with UK magazine GamesTM that the heroine's history could have been very different, as Nintendo approached a third-party to develop...

  • Review Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Wii)

    Cartoon crime never sleeps in Gotham City. Good thing bats are nocturnal.

    As far as pop culture is concerned, there are two types of Batman. Batmen, if you will. One is the gritty, serious Dark Knight that’s been Chris Nolan’s Hollywood blockbuster success of late and the star of Rocksteady’s excellent Batman: Arkham Asylum. Then there’s the...

  • News Game Over for Nintendo of America's Former Redmond Headquarters

    The birthplace of Mario is no more

    It's always sad to see something with so much history behind it get demolished in order for it to continue to progress. With the positive vibe that the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. has generated, it's a shame to see Nintendo of America's old Redmond, Washington offices; the birthplace of Mario, get...

  • Review PHYSIO FUN Balance Training (WiiWare)

    A good step in the right direction

    Though most of the focus on the Wii's motion-based controls has been on their impact in gaming, what is more radical about Nintendo's approach with both the Wii and DS has been its success at positioning game systems as more than simply entertainment devices. Wii Fit stands as the biggest success story in this...

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