NES News, NES Features

Still one of a kind in the franchise

The Legend of Zelda is a franchise that has typically come in two stylistic flavours — top-down 2D/2.5D or fully 3D worlds. The latter began with Ocarina of Time while the former was common on older systems and notably on handhelds, with the DS entries shifting the top-down camera angle slightly. With that in...

8-bit classic is punching its way to the 3DS eShop in Japan

Nintendo has confirmed that the popular side-scrolling fighter Double Dragon II: The Revenge will be coming to the Japanese 3DS eShop on 29th May, priced at 500 Yen. Once again, the heroes of the hour are Billy & Jimmy Lee, who must avenge the brutal murder of Marian at the hands of...

There are plenty to choose from

There's a feeling you get with a cartridge that you just can't find with a boring compact disc. They may be a thing of the past but there are many people out there who still appreciate their charm. One person who clearly has a love for NES cartridges in particular is Etsy artist Jess Firsoff, who is making and...

The RetroN5 has a challenger

It would seem that 2013 is going to be a big year for new gaming hardware — not only will we see the PlayStation 4 and Next Xbox, but we've got two new retro systems to look forward to as well. Hyperkin's RetroN 5 will be joined by the Retro-Bit Super Retro Trio, which plays SNES, Genesis / Mega Drive, NES and (with...

A diamond in the rough

File this one under "Wowzer". A woman paid $7.99 for an old NES cartridge at a Goodwill store that — as luck would have it — is one of the rarest video games of all time. Bandai's Stadium Events — which has sold for more than $40,000 USD in the past — was one of the first titles to use the Family Fun Fitness Mat...

We hadn't forgotten

A little while ago the Nintendo Life team voted for its favourite NES games, which included plenty of classics and closely-fought tied positions. Our ultimate winner was Super Mario Bros. 3, and at the end of the feature we promised that you, the community, would have the chance to vote for your own top 10 NES games. We...

Wii U rival to offer ability to play ROMs on your TV

Ouya is one of the more high-profile Kickstarter campaigns, having raised a staggering $8.6 million in 2012. The system will run on Google's Android operating system and should retail for less than $100 when it launches in June this year. Although its primary objective is to host titles similar...

Let's begin at the beginning

One thing you may have noticed, if you're a regular visitor to Nintendo Life, is that we're more than happy to wear our retro-enthusiast, rose-tinted spectacles as often as possible. A merger with VC-Reviews in April 2009 is an important part of our history, and we often share entertaining blasts from the past and wax...

Arriving next week

Nintendo has confirmed that NES titles Castlevania II: Simon's Quest and Donkey Kong 3 will both be hitting the Japanese 3DS eShop on March 27th. Simon's Quest is one of the more unique entries in the Castlevania series, as it employs a day and night cycle and has strong RPG elements to it. Donkey Kong 3 is a sequel to the...

Well her name is in the title, after all

Recently, we saw Pauline switch roles with one-time romantic attachment Mario, and now it's the turn of Hyrule's most celebrated couple to change places. Animator Kenna W. decided to mod The Legend of Zelda to realise one of her childhood dreams — to get to play as the titular princess: For me, I played...

All for one lucky little girl

Earlier today we posted an article on The Electus 64 II Mini, a handheld Nintendo 64 that resembles a glossy, chunky Game Boy. And rather like London buses (wait for an eternity and two come at the same time), we've been directed to an arcade cabinet that plays NES games — just like the handheld N64, that's actual...

Role reversal

Remember the story of Mike Hoye and his daughter Maya? He didn't want her to have to play The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker from a male perspective, so he hacked the game to make Link a "she". YouTube user Mike Mika has performed a similar trick, this time making the hero of Donkey K

Give the dog a bone

The Nintendo Entertainment System — or NES, for short — is arguably the console on which Nintendo's current lofty status was built. Launched in Japan as the Famicom, the 8-bit platform is home to an almost endless list of solid-gold classics, including Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid,

Game Counselors were mere mortals after all

Those of you in North America old enough to remember the days before the internet will no doubt recall the Nintendo Power Line. This telephone service offered gameplay tips and hints for struggling players, and was your only hope in a period where online FAQs and strategy guides didn't exist. The service...

Billy and Jimmy are taking no prisoners

Nintendo of Japan has confirmed that the Famicom (NES to you and me) version of Double Dragon is coming to the 3DS eShop next week - February 6th, to be exact. It's set to retail for 500 Yen (approximately £3.50 / $5.50). The 8-bit classic is one of the seminal side-scrolling fighters of all time, and is...

Seven classic games incoming over the next seven months

During today's Wii U Direct Satoru Iwata announced the Wii U Virtual Console Trial Campaign, which has been devised to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original Famicom. Eagle-eyed readers will note that the Virtual Console doesn't officially launch until after Spring, when the system...

Old consoles never die

Nintendo has just released the Wii U, the latest in a long line of systems which stretches back over four decades. However, that doesn't mean that the company's first home console - the NES - has been entirely forgotten. Amazingly, software is still being produced for the 8-bit wonder, and Wired has dug up three entirely new...

Colour us amazed

If you're a fans of LEGO and the NES, you need look no further. It's taken him four months, but Baron von Brunk has created a gigantic NES controller out of LEGO. It's the ultimate accessory. Von Brunk began the project in July 2012, to coincide with the 25th anniversary release of the first The Legend of Zelda title for the NES...

"8-bit NES themes brought to life with today's technology"

A new Kickstarter project has been launched which intends to celebrate the authentic sound of NES music. Unchipped - 8-Bit Music Reborn is the work of Brad Tratzinski, and has a modest goal of just $4,000. Tratzinski - who also plays in the band Splitbelly - reveals that the project came...