Retro News
May2009
Review NASCAR Kart Racing (Wii)
Can NASCAR Kart Racing raise the bar previously set by Mario Kart Wii?
Mario Kart Wii has been on the market for over a year now and is regarded by many as the best racer on the platform. Due to its success it’s no surprise that some developers have tried to make their own clone of the game. While many of those clones have ended up pitifully,...
Ten sports in one - too good to be true?
Wii Sports has become a huge success for Nintendo: chances are if you’ve played a Wii, you’ve played Wii Sports, and it even wins our coveted Wii Game Most Likely to be Played at Parties Award. The easy-to-play multiplayer title is enjoyed by all demographics, and after a few quick matches, gamers and...
Review Penguins & Friends - Hey! That's My Fish! (WiiWare)
Cool as ice or a bit fishy?
What does a short supply of fish, a continually sinking ice float, and a bunch of greedy penguins have in common? They all star in the board game 'Hey! That's My Fish!' which was originally brought to the gaming scene by Phalanx Games and which is now available for WiiWare under the moniker Penguins & Friends. This...
News Famicase 2009 Art Exhibit Opens
Fifty-eight artists and designers craft imaginary Famicom game carts
The art on game boxes and carts from the 8-bit era was generally pretty crap. A lot of it is still crap today, but back then gaming was still considered largely a kid's thing so people gave even less of a **** on whether or not the box art looked good. Japanese retro games shop...
News Modders Build Mario 64 Expansion
Play as Luigi in The Missing Stars
We can all finally stop resorting to hokey FAQs to find Luigi buried deep within the castle in Mario 64 (I hear he hangs with Boo), all thanks to a computer-savvy fan. Typically reserved for PC games, the TC-loving has been extended to the plumber's 3D debut. Dubbed The Missing Stars, not only does the...
Review Animal Crossing Clock (DSiWare)
Is Animal Crossing Clock a useful DSiWare application, or just an ironic waste of time?
Animal Crossing Clock is the second Animal Crossing-themed application so far for Nintendo's DSi system. Nintendo has carefully put together a clock application and tossed in a bunch of Animal Crossing audio/visual influences to create yet another semi-useless...
News Fan-made Mother 3 Guide is All Kinds of Awesome
The English guide for the English version that never was
Nintendo's Mother series might not be all that well known here in the West, but the name Earthbound certainly is. You see, Earthbound is actually the English-language version of the Japanese Super Famicom game Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushū. Its sequel - which took 11 years to produce and was...
The best puzzler on the DS?
Puzzles have always been an ideal fit for the DS, with its touch screen capabilities and the portable nature of the console means that is perfect to dip in and out of a puzzle for a few minutes in between waiting for a phone call or the dinner to emerge unscathed from the oven. As a result, there have been numerous puzzle...
Review Teleroboxer (Virtual Boy)
Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots
Teleroboxer is a boxing game that puts you in control of a giant fighting machine as you face a series of weird and wonderful opponents in a bid to become the champion. The game uses a first person perspective with your fists visible on screen. The left d-pad and L control your left fist and the right d-pad and R control...
News Prepare To Gnash Those Teeth: Perfect Dark May Be XBLA-bound
Leaked screenshot suggests that Rare is porting the classic N64 FPS to the 360
Website Destructoid has been sent an image from an undisclosed source that gives a pretty solid indication that former Nintendo cohort Rare is porting its beloved Nintendo 64 title Perfect Dark to Microsoft's console. Given that Microsoft owns Rare now, this is hardly a...
News New Copy Of Earthbound Sells For Over $1000 On eBay
Don't you wish you'd have kept your copy sealed now?
A new and factory sealed copy of the cult SNES RPG Earthbound has sold for over $1000 on auction site eBay, proving once and for all that video game collectors aren't scared of the credit crunch. Seller dave2236 bagged a whopping $1,025.01 for the minty-fresh copy of the game. To give you some...
News Retro Game Challenge Sequel Localization Looking Dire
Sales not up to snuff for XSEED
Things just ain't what they used to be for niche-localizer XSeed. First they lose the gorgeous Muramasa: The Demon Blade to publisher Ignition due to financial woes, and now another promising gem is stripped from them. Yes, Virginia, Retro Game Challenge 2 for DS (Game Center CX 2 as it's known in the motherland)...
Review Virtual Boy Wario Land (Virtual Boy)
The Virtual Boy's best game?
It's hard to talk about the Virtual Boy without mentioning Virtual Boy Wario Land; the ill-fated system only experienced 22 games throughout its short lifespan and this lack of software has resulted in some VB games getting a better reputation than they deserve purely because there's so little else to play on the...
Review Animal Crossing Calculator (DSiWare)
The Animal Crossing theme adds charm to this basic application - but is it ultimately enough to justify the cost?
With the popularity of the applications available for Apple's iPhone, it comes as no real surprise to see Nintendo releasing apps for their DSi system. Animal Crossing Calculator takes the standard calculator function and builds an...
News Get Technical With The Science of the Mushroom Kingdom
Know your mushrooms
A student at Carnegie Mellon University known only as 'Theyab' has produced a seriously cool faux-medical manual for his/her Communication Design Fundamentals class, and rather than keep this awesome document in the classroom, they've posted it online for us all to chuckle at. The manual explains the various side-effects of...
Review Galaxy Force II (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
Galaxy Force II is another classic Sega arcade shooter that hasn't aged very well.
Galaxy Force II debuted as a Sega arcade release, using the same type of sprite scaling seen in Sega's other arcade title Space Harrier, and basically mimicked 3-D scrolling without the use of actual polygon graphics. While Sega's Saturn console would later get a...
Review Nobunaga's Ambition (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
An ambitious strategy game from a nobler time.
It is hard to imagine now, but there was once a time when strategy games were the primary style of play on home computers. Japanese game developer Koei made it their mission to bring this style of game to consoles. And by appearances, they were successful given the sheer volume of games they were able...
Review Excitebots: Trick Racing (Wii)
Excitebots is everything a great sequel should be - and then some!
When Excite Truck launched alongside the Nintendo Wii console it was the perfect showpiece for showing off the Wii console's motion controls while still providing a true arcade racing experience for gamers to sink their teeth into. While the game lacked the real-life physics and game...
April2009
Review Job Island: Hard Working People (Wii)
In the words of Sir Alan, You're hired!
After Hudson’s relative success with Sports Island, last June, comes the first of two new titles; Job Island: Hard Working People and Sports Island 2. Job Island (aka Help Wanted) has to be one of the most bizarre ideas for a mini-games title yet, working! Job Island has 3 main game modes: Employment office,...
Review Clubhouse Games Express: Card Classics (DSiWare)
Call Nintendo's bluff or fold.
In the vein of the previously released Express titles, Clubhouse Games Express: Cards Classics offers a very slimmed-down, bite-sized version of its full-featured cartridge release. Whether this package offers enough to warrant a purchase is the question, and although this is a strong hand, ultimately there's no real...
Review Cocoto Platform Jumper (WiiWare)
Will Cocoto have you jumping for joy or off a cliff?
It's no big secret that WiiWare could use more platformers, . Cocoto Platform Jumper may count itself lucky then that this genre is relatively underrepresented at this time. Is it worth enough to spend your hard-earned cash, though? It just might be. The player is represented by the whimsical...
Review Red Alarm (Virtual Boy)
Should Fox McCloud be scared?
Red Alarm is a 3D shooter where you take your Tech-Wing Fighter and battle through five enemy-filled levels, each ending with a showdown with a boss character. When it was originally released the first thing people noticed were the wire frame graphics, bringing to mind games such as Battlezone and Elite; although these...
Review Pokémon Red and Blue (Game Boy)
Catching them all never felt as good as it did back in 1998.
To say that Pokémon has made its mark on the video game industry would be something of an understatement. While many claimed the franchise to be a fad when it first made its debut in each of the world’s four major video game regions, over time those people have been proven wrong. Even...
Review Jewel Quest Solitaire (DS)
Is this puzzle game a hidden gem or a useless trinket?
If there's one thing you could say about Nintendo’s DS console it's that it certainly isn't short of puzzle titles. Over the years we’ve seen many good (and not so good) games that reside within that particular genre, and in Jewel Quest we have another to add to the ever-expanding ranks. The...
News Mad Dog McCree Coming To The Wii?
Crusty old FMV shooter gets rated by the ESRB
Chances are many of you won't have been alive when the FMV gaming craze happened in the late '80s/early '90s; the storage power of formats like LaserDisc and CD-ROM caused game developers to go a little crazy, creating titles with live action footage that had all the depth of a shallow puddle. One such...
News The King of Kong Strikes Again
Steve Wiebe bags the Donkey Kong Jr. World Record
As we noted a while back, Steve Wiebe (star of the hit movie King of Kong) is busy preparing to make another attempt on the Donkey Kong world record at this year's E3. As part of his training he's set a new high score record for Donkey Kong Jr. - 1,139,800 points, to be exact. Here's the full story,...
Review Real Football 2009 (DSiWare)
A good effort, but does it hit the back of the net?
As the first Premium title available on DSiWare, there’s a certain amount of expectation surrounding Gameloft’s Real Football 2009. Do you get enough game for your 800 Points? First things first – Real Football 2009 is more or less a straight conversion of the same game that was released on...
You know what to do…
Blocks fall down the screen and the player has to place them to make lines. Get a line and it disappears. Get multiple lines for extra points. Alexey Pajitnov’s falling block puzzle game has been ported to many different systems over the years, all essentially playing the same, only differentiated by the variety of modes...
News Ten Game Boy Games You Should Be Playing
Here are ten Game Boy games that you should be playing.
With anticipation already building as to whether or not Nintendo is going to actually bring classic Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance titles to the DSi system via some type of Virtual Console service, we thought it would be fun to sit down and come up with a list of ten classic...
Review Adventure Island: The Beginning (WiiWare)
Higgins is back after a 15-year break. Is he still the master?
As you might know, Adventure Island is a bit of an odd series. The main character Master Higgins is actually a real person, although he's only well known in Japan. Ask anybody there about Takahashi Meijin (Master Takahashi) though and they'll know him for sure - he's a legend over there,...
Review Little King's Story (Wii)
Fit for a King!
We've all dreamed of being King or Queen of our own miniature Kingdom: sat upon our thrones, dishing out orders from on high, pleasing our loyal subjects and amassing loads and loads of money. Sadly, for anyone other than the bosses of Nintendo Life, this is destined never to come true, but don't despair, regal wannabes! Little...
Crashed and burned…
CID The Dummy from Oxygen Games is an action platformer that was released earlier in the year on Sony's PSP. The hero is a crash test dummy, CID, given special powers by inventor "Professor B.M. Werken" to go on a mission to save his apparently very beautiful daughter. From the outset the very idea of the game feels...
Review Sutte Hakkun (Super Nintendo)
Sutte Hakkun might just be one of the most unique video game experiences ever crafted.
Every so often a game comes along that makes you take your thumb off the fire button and don your thinking cap. But who wants to have to spend a lot of time thinking just to get through a game, you say? Well one thing that stands abundantly clear from playing...
News NES Controller is in the Bag
Quite literally
Crafty Etsy gal inhope has decided to grace her online shop with this lovely NES-controller bag -- not a bag for carrying a NES controller, but a ladies shoulder bag which has NES controller stylings (it does look like you could probably fit a Wii into that thing along with a large wallet, however). inhope is based in the USA and...
Review Dr. Mario Express (DSiWare)
Dr. Mario Express retains all of the addictive charm of past releases and proves to be a great fit for the DSiWare service.
Over the years, Dr. Mario has become one of the most beloved Tetris clones available for any game system. From its original inception on Nintendo's NES console to the more recent offering on the WiiWare service, Dr. Mario has...
More than just a quick thrill?
Looking at the library of DS games it is evident that racing is a scarce genre, with motorbike racing being even more so; such games tend to generate little excitement due to the DS’s restricted graphics capabilities and potentially awkward controls. Despite this, will Moto Racer DS – the first outing of the series...
News Seriously Cool Game Boy Timeline
The Game Boy is 20!
Gadget site Gizmodo is celebrating the 20th birthday of Nintendo's Game Boy in style; the site has posted an illustrated timeline of the machine's history which goes all the way back to 1889. Along the way the timeline picks out moments of success (and failure) as well as mentioning key historical events, too. It's one of the...
Review Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (Super Nintendo)
Lufia II might not be as recognizable as some of the bigger name Super Nintendo RPGs, but that doesn't mean it packs any less of a punch.
If it's one thing the Super Nintendo System had a lot of, it was RPGs. Some were good, some were bad, and some were outstanding. Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals would fall into the latter category. Not only does...
How does Nintendo's ball-flicking puzzle game stand up to their other efforts?
Some games are destined to sink into obscurity, and unfortunately, Nintendo’s ball-flinging puzzler Magnetica was one of them. When the game was first released it was met with rather positive reviews but even such high critical praise wasn't enough to make a dent in the...
Review Master of Illusion Express: Deep Psyche (DSiWare)
Master of Illusion: Deep Psyche proves to be yet another tiny segment of average magic tricks taken directly from the DS retail release.
Master of Illusion: Deep Psyche is essentially a small selection of magic tricks from the DS retail release packaged into a tidy little 200 Point DSiWare release. While the two new tricks are fun enough, once...
Review Crystal Defenders R1 (WiiWare)
Break out the safe box.
Trailing off the coattails of Final Fantasy Tactics comes Crystal Defenders, Square's take on the incredibly popular 'Tower Defense' genre. Instead of methodically leveling units, using items, and strategizing your way through battle, you’ll be tasked with defending a set of crystals by means of brute force. Some may be...
Review Secret Command (Virtual Console / Master System)
Secret Command takes you back to an era when run 'n gun titles ruled arcades.
With overhead run 'n gun titles like Ikari Warriors and Commando snatching up large numbers of tokens in arcades, it comes as no real surprise that Sega would have to create one of their own for their Sega Master System. The game was originally released under the name...
Review Terranigma (Super Nintendo)
Does the final release in Enix's Gaia Trilogy hold up?
It was during the 16-bit era that the action-style role-playing game began to take off. Instead of using the turn-based battle system found in most traditional RPGs, many developers were putting the player more in control of the actual battles in an attempt to broaden the appeal of the genre...
Review Challenge Me: Brain Puzzles (DS)
A challenging brainteaser or a couple of mindless puzzles?
If someone had told you a few years ago that a videogame which trained your brain through a series of puzzles and mini games would be one of the biggest sellers on the DS, well, you probably wouldn’t have believed a word of it. However, fast-forward a couple of years and the Brain Training...
Is Trace Memory worth remembering?
Ten years after her parents’ presumed deaths, thirteen year-old Ashley Robbins receives a mysterious package – apparently sent by her father – that contains a small device coincidentally resembling a Nintendo DS. Tracing this package to the deserted Blood Edward Island, Ashley sets out on an adventure to...
Review Pass Your Driving Theory Test (DS)
A pass, with a few minors.
Here in UK before you can attempt the practical driving test you must pass the Theory test. Pass Your Driving Theory Test by LDC aims to get you through the theory test. The game, if you can call it that, is played with the DS on its side. The questions are on the normal screen and the answers are on the touch screen. When...
Review Kirby Super Star Ultra (DS)
Can Kirby prove that his latest DS adventure is a super offering?
It’s not at all hard to love Kirby – after all, he’s an adorable little puff ball! Nethertheless, despite being cute and on the short side, he packs a powerful punch and is not scared to dish out pain. This gives Kirby the appeal to satisfy young and old gamers alike, which has...
Review Kirby: Canvas Curse (DS)
Paint the town red. And orange, and yellow, and green, and blue...
Creative freedom has become an essential element of game design. Without it players are left following the path developer have set, and where is the fun in that? Worry not however; Kirby: Canvas Curse allows players to express themselves in ways you probably wouldn't expect. Forget...
Review Virtual Fishing (Virtual Boy)
No Bluefish here!
Virtual Fishing aims to replicate the fishing experience, pitting you against six opponents as you compete in several competitions. Upon starting the game you are presented with a 3D map screen with five locations on for you to compete at, as well as a training area where you can get used to the controls, which are pretty...
A dark and twisted adventure that takes the player deep into the depths of the human psyche - both a truly rewarding and at times painful experience.
Lux-Pain has a tried and tested set-up common in many Japanese visual novels; an idyllic suburb of a Japanese city where all is not what it seems. Fans of the genre will be pleased by the wealth of...
Review Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles (GameCube)
Change is good.
After first being officially announced on December 21 at the 2003 Jump Festa event in Japan, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles marked the dawn of a new era for Nintendo fans. After Square Enix packed their bags and left Nintendo’s consoles, the state of the role-playing genre on Nintendo’s consoles was questionable; developer...
Review Pokémon Battle Revolution (Wii)
There’s a lack of evolution in this revolution.
Pokémon Battle Revolution was first announced back in June of 2006, and it sounded as though it was going to be the ideal console Pokémon game: destructible environments, Wii-DS connectivity, online battling – everything we wanted from the franchise. Satoru Iwata lived up to his promise of...
Review Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
Can Harry Jr. fill his father's boots?
The two original Pitfall games for the Atari 2600 have become quite dated now – walking across a handful of endlessly repeating screens in the hope of finding treasure has lost its appeal. Activision once tried to "upgrade" the formula by allowing the Japanese developer Pony Canyon to make Super...
Review Retro Game Challenge (DS)
A TV show about a man playing videogames actually works as a game itself.
Retro Game Challenge was originally released in Japan back in 2007 under the title Game Center CX: Arino’s Challenge. This is because the game is actually based on the Japanese TV show titled Game Center CX, which stars Shinya Arino, a popular Japanese comedian who tackles a...
Review Master of Illusion Express: Shuffle Games (DSiWare)
Does Nintendo's second Master of Illusion DSiWare release stack up any better than the first iteration did?
While the retail version of Master of Illusion was an interesting package, it didn't exactly light up the DS sales charts, nor did it get much love from the media either. So how exactly does a second stripped down version of the game fare as...
Review Samurai Shodown Anthology (Wii)
Victoly!
You certainly can’t accuse SNK Playmore of ignoring its past. Recently we’ve been blessed with the retro-themed duo of King of Fighters Collection and SNK Arcade Classics, and the Japanese veteran is now following up with yet another compilation of top-notch vintage action. Samurai Shodown Anthology contains six slices of weapon-based...
Review Flower, Sun and Rain (DS)
Flower? Nope. Sun? Very little. Rain? In buckets.
Flower, Sun and Rain is the first DS game from game director Goichi Suda, aka Suda51. It started life as a Japanese PS2 game, but it's been ported over to DS presumably to take advantage of the feature-rich console. Or so you'd think... Known by many as the mastermind behind classic style-driven...
Review Nester's Funky Bowling (VB)
From comic strip to bowling alley.
After a few years' absence (spent as a struggling actor according to the instruction booklet) former Nintendo Power comic strip star Nester returned in this bowling game, featuring three modes of play and some “funky” animations. Before the Wiimote provided a natural way to play bowling, video games had to find...
Review Mixed Messages (DSiWare)
Activision's DSiWare debut leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
Mixed Messages could be classified more as an experience than an actual game, since there's actually no clearly-defined goal. You basically just alternate typing sentences and drawing pictures to try to match each other in an attempt to keep the original message intact. As you can probably...
Review Game & Watch Collection (DS)
A blast from the past or something best left forgotten?
If you are a Nintendo fan living in North America, you probably remember the heavily publicised launch of the Club Nintendo program last December. Additionally, if you were a big investor at the time, you were probably hoping that you had enough recent Nintendo products to afford the coveted...
News It’s Tyson vs. Aliens in Aborted NES Punch Out!! Sequel
Rare ROM surfaces after 17 years lost in space
The Wii version of Punch Out!! is going to be with us shortly so what better time for a kindly NES collector to release the ROM for the awesomely bad Mike Tyson's Intergalactic Power Punch (the aborted sequel to the original NES Punch Out!! which was eventually released - sans Tyson - as Power Punch II)...
Review Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (DS)
The definitive version of Square Enix's latest FF outing.
Square Enix has made some outlandish choices in the past, but none as strange as their decision to port Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time to the Wii. While the home console version wasn't all that impressive, its portable partner is a much more enjoyable experience. With the...
Review Conker's Bad Fur Day (N64)
One mean %&*@% Squirrel…
Once upon a time, there was a cute little squirrel that captivated the hearts of children in his debut game for the Game Boy Colour. This red-tailed critter was known as Conker: Conker The Squirrel. No one knows the full extent of what happened to this cute woodland creature in his transition to the N64; he had a...
Review Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (Wii)
Can the Wii version echo the quality of the DS game it spawned from?
It’s not every day that you hear about a game being ported from console to handheld, let alone the other way around. That’s why when Square Enix announced their plans to do this with Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time many started scratching their heads. For...
Review Junior Brain Trainer (DS)
Shaping the minds of tomorrow or simply boring them today?
Junior Brain Trainer is a learning game in a similar vein to the slew of other "brain training"' games released for the Nintendo DS. The genre was made famous with the massive popularity of Nintendo's Dr.Kawashima's Brain Training and many games since have attempted to capitalize...
Mama trades her spatula for a shovel; will the result be a blossom of fun, or a game only a Mama could love?
Our bright-eyed Mama is back and this time instead of breaking eggs, mixing ingredients and needing dough to make mouth watering recipes, your task is to grow a garden that rivals Eden. As with the entire Mama series this final goal will be...
Review Bubble Bobble Plus! (WiiWare)
Space Invaders Get Even proved that drastically changing a classic Taito franchise works very well. Bubble Bobble Plus, however, is more of a flat-out remake - is it a good one?
Bubble Bobble's one of the most well-known arcade games - If you so much as hum the theme song to someone it's very likely they'll recognize it. As such it's really a...
Equiibrio might not have the flash of a Kororinpa, but you're still getting an enjoyable game at a much cheaper price.
While we've already seen several 3D ball-rolling titles like Sega's Super Monkey Ball and Hudson's Kororinpa put the tilt function of the Wii Remote to good use, Equilibrio marks the first time this unique gameplay experience has...
Review Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS)
Grand Theft Auto makes the jump from the big screen to Nintendo’s small screen.
Whenever studios branch out and transform series well suited for consoles into the handheld format, there is always an element of risk – none more a prolific example than Rockstar’s GTA Chinatown Wars for the DS. Though we’ve already seen the Grand Theft Auto...
Review Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ (DS)
Who knew Little Red Riding Hood was so much fun?
At Nintendo Life, we very much doubted that anyone expected a great deal from Little Red Riding Hood’s Zombie BBQ. The title sounded like it would attract a very immature audience, and the box art didn't exactly inspire casual gamers to buy it either. So imagine how surprised we were when we played...
Another great RPG hits the DS in the form of Final Fantasy IV.
When Final Fantasy IV was originally released on the SNES in 1991, it quickly became a hit. Unlike many of the other RPGs at the time, it boasted a large cast of characters that were tied into a deep and intriguing plot, and this helped elevate it above the crowd. In 2005, Final Fantasy...
Review Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (DS)
Can Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword live up to the standards of previous titles?
Set six months after the events of the original Xbox version of Ninja Gaiden, Ryu Hayabusa has rebuilt Hayabusa Village. Momiji, a resident of Hayabusa, is abducted by the Black Spider Ninja Clan. During his quest to find her, Ryu uncovers the mysteries of the Dark...
Mistwalker gives their Blue Dragon franchise a real-time strategy makeover and the end result is one surprisingly entertaining DS title.
When the original Blue Dragon title was released on Microsoft's Xbox 360 console, it became one of the system's first traditional RPG experiences. Blue Dragon captivated the gaming audience with its unique charm...
It's not quite as fun as it should be
Released simultaneously with another Taito revival, Space Invaders Extreme, Arkanoid DS is an attempt at trying to breathe life into an old arcade classic. When Arkanoid was originally released, it was essentially a clone of the Atari classic Breakout. Despite this shameless copying, Arkanoid became quite a hit...
The Super Famicom version of Star Ocean might feature a lot of flashy technology, but it's the game's epic storyline and unique combat system that's made it such a beloved classic among 16-bit RPG fans over the years.
The Super Nintendo is well known for sporting a rather large and outstanding library of RPGs, but there were several of these...
News The N64 and Nintendo’s Fall From Grace
UK magazine EDGE charts the grim days of the 1990s
Highly respected UK video game magazine EDGE has posted up a feature on its website about the fall of Nintendo in the mid ‘90s. It’s been penned by veteran journo Douglass Perry (who actually wrote for Edge’s US sister publication, Next Generation, which is now sadly defunct) and focuses...
Sticking him in a go-kart worked out well. What else can we try?
Mario’s Tennis does exactly what it says on the cartridge. It takes Mario and six other characters and places them in a Tennis game. Singles and doubles matches are available as either one-off matches or a Tournament, and standard tennis rules apply. A launch game in Japan and the...
Can Captain Rainbow save the day in this quirky action title?
Let's face it; whenever Nintendo announces a new project, we all grow a little skeptical. With Nintendo creating games that are more accessible and aimed at casual gamers, hardcore types end up feeling more and more sidelined. It's for this reason that when Nintendo of Japan announced in...
Talking Point Copyright and Video Games
What is stopping us from experiencing the entire history of video games?
Last year Taito issued Space Invaders Get Even on the WiiWare download service as well as multiple versions of the original game on the Japanese, PAL and North American Virtual Consoles. This was in celebration of the 30th annivesary of the release of Space Invaders in arcades...
Review Insmouse No Yakata (VB)
Because everyone knows spooky mansions are the safest place to be…
Insmouse no Yakata, apparently based on a film that’s based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft (The Shadow Over Innsmouth - how they got 'Insmouse' from that is anyone's guess) is a first person shooter that sees the player work through maze-like floors of a mansion as they try to...
Is this the definitive version of Trivial Pursuit or does it raise too many questions?
Let’s face it: with the wider and more diverse spectrum of gamers that the console is now catering for, the Wii isn’t short of party-type games. We’ve seen countless conversions of popular board games springing up throughout the Wii’s life so far – many...
Review Uncharted Waters: New Horizons (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Look forward to new horizons
Koei released quite an arsenal of strategy titles during the 16-bit era, many of them on the Super Nintendo console. While the original Uncharted Waters laid the foundation, its sequel New Horizons picked up right where it left off and managed to add quite a few new game play ideas to the mix to form one of the most...
Review Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (Wii)
Does Guitar Hero: Aerosmith live up to the standards set by other Guitar Hero games?
After the huge amount of attention Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock received after its launch, it’s definitely no surprise that there was going to be a Guitar Hero IV. The most recent installment in the popular Guitar Hero series will not only utilize a guitar,...
The mightiest weapon of the medieval battlefield is at your disposal.
Towering over your soldiers, the mighty Odama rolls a path of destruction over all it touches - friend or foe. Direct your soldiers with voice commands, and guide them out of harm’s way on to victory. Let the battle begin! This is a pretty epic game, so allow us to set the scene...
News 20 Years On, The Power Glove is Still Awesomely Bad
“I love the Power Glove. It’s so bad.”
When Lucas Barton uttered those immortal words in the 1989 movie The Wizard it made every single Nintendo fan on the face of the planet want one. The reality was a little less impressive, but thankfully modder Matt Mechtley is ensuring that this iconic peripheral isn’t forgotten; he’s tinkered around...
Take a trip to heaven, Nintendo style!
Simplicity in game design is often a double-edged sword. On the positive side, the player is provided with a sleek and easy to understand interface. However, this often has an equally negative impact on the depth of the experience and what you’re left with is a quick 'pick up and play' variety of game. With...
Review Brain Age Express: Math (DSiWare)
It may be a stripped-down version of the original retail release, but Brain Age Express: Math retains much of the charm and fun from past titles.
Nintendo's Brain Age DS releases were very successful titles, so it comes as no real surprise to see them releasing a trimmed-down version of the games for their brand new DSiWare service. Whereas the...
Review Nintendo DSi Browser (DSiWare)
Almost three years after the release of the original Opera Browser for the Nintendo DS, does this new iteration meet expectations or are we once again plagued with loading times from a decade long past?
The Nintendo DS Browser was released around three years ago on October 6th 2006 for the Nintendo DS and the then newly released Nintendo DS Lite...
Review Art Style: CODE (DSiWare)
An Art Style game based on boring old maths – could it be any good?
If you've been following WiiWare and DSiWare releases closely, you should know all about the Art Style series – loosely based on the Japan-only bit Generations titles for Game Boy Advance (with two of the WiiWare games borne as remakes of these) – the games all feature very...
Review Art Style: AQUITE (DSiWare)
Addictive, entertaining, and a bargain.
The Art Style series has never ceased to impress us; when the first three titles hit the WiiWare service late last year, they blew us away with their overall quality. Featuring elegant design, polished graphics, and pick-up-and-play controls, the Art Style series was a perfect-fit for WiiWare. Now that the DSi...
Review Master of Illusion Express: Funny Face (DSiWare)
Is Master of Illusion: Funny Face the magical experience DSiWare fans are hoping for, or is it more of a one-trick pony?
While the retail version of Master of Illusion was an interesting package, it didn't exactly light up the DS sales charts, nor did it get much love from the media either. So how exactly does a stripped down version of the game...
A compilation of two of the silliest, most enjoyable, minigames to ever hit WarioWare.
Anybody who's played every microgame in the original WarioWare will have met a small red bird called Pyoro. Basically, Pyoro is a member of an unknown species who has an extremely long tongue and an insatiable appetite for beans. And now, he's the star of not one,...
An upgraded version of the classic WarioWare minigame, but is it enough to warrant a purchase on its own?
When the original WarioWare, Inc. was released for Game Boy Advance, it brought with it a fresh new genre all its own. The concept of 'microgames' – a continual bombardment of shortened games that must be completed in a few seconds – has...
Review WarioWare: Snapped! (DSiWare)
After two years we finally get our hands on the sixth game in the WarioWare series, but is it anywhere near as good as its predecessors?
So far, every WarioWare game has focused on a certain gimmick: the original game simply had button controls, Mega Party Game$ was multiplayer-based, Touched! used the DS touch screen and mic, Twisted! had players...
Review Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team (DS)
What if you awakened one day as a Pokemon?
What if you awakened one day as a Pokemon? What if all of a sudden you find yourself in an unknown world, where you can speak and interact with many other Pokemon? Well essentially, that's what happens in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team; you wake up one day in a strange new world where you have...
Review The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)
There's no just masking how great it still is
Ocarina of Time proved that the Zelda series was even more captivating in 3D than it was in 2D. It is still regarded as one of the greatest games ever made, but despite this, at the very end of the N64's life, it got a sequel that quite a few people missed out on – Majora's Mask. Not counting the...
News Original Gameboy turns 20 years old!
Where were you when you first got ruined by a girl in Tetris? holding a Gameboy back in 89, no doubt!
You already know this if you had your first kiss while playing a Gameboy, or perhaps you passed your first drivers ed test while playing a Gameboy, or fought your first battle with a Gameboy under your flak jacket. Twenty years ago this month the...
Review Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol (DS)
Saving our ecosystems, one park at a time.
Chibi-Robo Park Patrol is one of those few great games that many people are just going to skip over because of its exclusivity to select retailers. Well at Nintendo Life we took it upon ourselves to give this game the review it deserves, and we must say that doing so put huge smiles on our faces; the unique...
News Former King of Kong to Appear at E3
Steve Wiebe to make another record attempt this year
For those of you that haven’t seen the brilliant King of Kong yet, stop reading this post, grab your coat and run down to your DVD store. Purchase the film, watch it, and then resume reading. Done that? Good. Steve Wiebe – the ‘good guy’ of the movie who triumphed by beating the ‘evil...
Review Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (DS)
The stylus is mightier than the sword.
With a name like Advance Wars, one is likely to expect an action packed, heart pounding war game. Needless to say, the Advance Wars series is really none of those things. Rather, the franchise has focused on slower paced turn-oriented strategy gameplay that is not unlike a glorified game of chess. So what is...
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