Wii U News
March2014
News Senran Kagura Bursts Into The UK Top 40 While Donkey Kong Country Hangs A Little Higher Up
Racy subject matter helps niche fighter gain some sales
Senran Kagura Burst isn't your typical 3DS title — it features large-chested anime girls rather than rotund Italian plumbers — but it has gained quite a bit of attention ahead of its European release. We've seen saucy (and
News Platinum: Nintendo Has Been The "White Knight" Behind Bayonetta 2's Development
Creative producer JP Kellams sings Nintendo's praises
Platinum's Hideki Kamiya has already stated in no uncertain terms that if it were not for Nintendo, Bayonetta 2 simply wouldn't exist, and now it's the turn of creative producer JP Kellams — the same guy who is sick to death of people begging for the game to come t
February2014
News Retro Studios Talks Up Wii U And Has Been Working On A New Title Since November
Speculation ahoy!
With Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze now settling into stores around the world, its developer Retro Studios is looking back on the development and hinting at what's to come. As a first-party studio with high-profile experience on GameCube, Wii and now Wii U, it's also in a position to share its perspective on the hardware...
Month Of Kong Tropical Freeze Composer David Wise On Working With The Ape Again
A Rare breed of composer
As we all know, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze launched this month on the Wii U, and comes with a glorious soundtrack composed by former Rare staffer and original Donkey Kong Country music-maker David Wise. We got chance to sit down and chat with Wise recently, and he shared a few thoughts on what it was like working...
News Hush Is An RPG All About Courage, And It Could Be Coming To The Wii U eShop
Game Studio 78 is looking to bring its debut to Nintendo's system
The Wii U's appeal to indie developers continues, with Portuguese company Game Studio 78 being the next developer to pledge its support to the system. The fledgling studio is currently preparing an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign for its first title, which goes by the name of Hush...
News Super Mario 3D World Director Koichi Hayashida Explains The Origin Of "Miyamoto's Teachings"
"They’re part of the criterion used for proposals from everyone"
Shigeru Miyamoto is arguably one of the most famous games designers in the world, and it goes without saying that he has influenced countless other developers over the past few decades. He's taken more of a backseat role at the Nintendo of late, but thanks to the efforts of Super...
News Airtight Games Feels That Murdered: Soul Suspect "Doesn't Fit" On Wii U
"Only good games" for Wii U are those made "specifically" for it
The Wii U is fast becoming a console which only has first or second-party Nintendo retail games to rely on, and it's always interesting to see the justifications that third-party publishers and developers use to explain why their titles aren't headed to the system. However, when asked...
News Ballpoint Universe Coming To The North American Wii U eShop On March 18th
A scribble-driven adventure
While the retail side of Wii U isn't so dandy right now, the system’s digital library continues expanding at an impressive rate with a lot of indie developers pouncing on the favourable opportunities to be had. Part of the excitement is Arachnid Games' involvement, along with its side-scrolling shooter and platform...
News It's Not Waluigi Time In The New Super Smash Bros. For 3DS And Wii U
He’s an Assist Trophy (again)
The character line-up in the new Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS has been shaping up nicely so far. There are both classic and modern characters such Mario and the recently revealed Diddy Kong, thrown in with the
Because we all need more plastic accessories, right?
Remember the Wii Wheel? It’s a plastic peripheral that some would rather forget, and others will have fonder memories of. Despite mixed reactions, the wheel was ultimately an integral part of the Mario Kart experience on the Wii. Nintendo strongly marketed the product offering a new way to play,...
News Razor Global Domination Pro Tour Bringing Its Grinding Skills to Wii U in 2015
Renegade Kid on development duty
Do you have scooter skills? Or even 'skillz'? Are you wondering why we're going on about scooters on Nintendo Life? Well, Razor Global Domination Pro Tour is coming to the Wii U — as well as Xbox One and PS4 — in 2015; it'll be published by Scarab Entertainment and developed by eShop download favourites Renegade...
News Wii U Lifetime Sales in Japan Overtake the Xbox 360
Hey, it's a landmark
At the end of 2014 we're hopeful, even optimistic, that we'll be looking at a far brighter scenario for the Wii U. We don't have the facts and figures to start talking comebacks at the time of writing, however, so are restricted to looking ahead and taking the positives that we can. There is one, too. Earlier today we reported...
Video The Top 20 Wii U Games So Far - Part One
Just got a Wii U? These are the titles you should consider
The Wii U has now been with us for over a year, and in that time we've perhaps not seen quite as many titles as we'd like. Still, that's not to say that the machine is lacking in quality retail releases — far from it. In fact, it could be argued that Nintendo's console is home to some of...
News LEGO The Hobbit Questing Onto Wii U and 3DS in April
Will block up the charts
With two movies down and a third on the way, LEGO The Hobbit finally has release dates for its arrival on Wii U, 3DS and pretty much every gaming console on the market. It'll begin its epic quest on 8th April in North America and 11th April in Europe. This game entry will take in events from the first two movies — An...
News PS4 Launch Sales Close to Wii U Equivalents, 3DS Remains Best of the Rest
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze swings past 50,000 sales to date
It's been a big week for the games industry in Japan, with Sony's PS4 arriving in the market. Naturally it's made a splash in both the hardware and software charts, leaving efforts on 3DS, Wii U and other systems up against a new group of launch games. To start with software, as...
News Sega Unleashes Sonic Boom Behind The Scenes Video
All aboard...
Sega prompted an internet meltdown in early February when it announced Sonic Boom — a new branch of the Sonic universe that'll feature a TV show, toy range and, most excitingly, games exclusive to the Wii U and 3DS. Though the portable version of the game from respected developer Sanzaru Games is something to look forward to, there's...
Talking Point NFC And The GamePad Can Succeed If Nintendo Gives Players Control
Lessons to be learned from successes such as Minecraft and Disney Infinity
This year is vitally important for Nintendo, just like 2013 and 2012, admittedly. 2013 was a strange year in that notable successes and triumphs were overshadowed by missed targets and Nintendo's own disappointment. It was a year of contradictions — 3DS was the top-selling...
News Wii U System Update 4.0.3 Goes Live
Dat stability
As with the 3DS, Nintendo's keeping busy with system updates for the Wii U, releasing version 4.0.3 for your gaming pleasure. We suspect that, due to the close proximity of the update with the news, that this has little to do with the reported Wii U exploit; either way, it's a minor update. There aren't any shiny new menus or...
News Nintendo Releasing a Wii Sports Club Wii U Hardware Bundle in Japan
A reverse from Wii Sports not being bundled with Wii in the region
With Wii U hardware sales in Japan once again down to four-figure numbers in the weekly charts, Nintendo's preparing a fresh bundle to attract the region's consumers. This time around the offering, pictured above, will include the three Wii Sports Club eShop titles released so far,...
News Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Makes Top 10 Début in UK All-Format Charts
The highest new entry of the week
After being pushed back from a Holiday season release, Retro Studio's Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze arrived in Europe and North America on 21st February. The UK chart results covering its opening weekend of sales are in — reflecting physical retail purchases only — and the platformer has managed to swing a...
News Hacking Group Claims To Have Discovered Wii U Homebrew Exploit
Hack to the future
Update: This article has been updated to reflect that Wii U Hax is a news website that has tested the work of others, as opposed to being a "hacking group", with two additional amendments in square brackets. Original Article: Every piece of gaming tech is potentially hackable, but so far the Wii U has proven to be a tough nut...
Feature When Cranky Kong Took On Twitter
Madness? Brilliance? Both?
With Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze now on sale in Europe and North America, Nintendo of America celebrated the big launch by having 'Cranky Kong' takeover its official Twitter account. The elderly ape — the original Donkey Kong from the arcade according to lore — has been promoted for his entertaining character,...
News Nintendo Launches Animal Crossing: New Leaf Miiverse Drawing Event
Shake the metaphorical trees of creativity, or something...
Nintendo has been making good use of Miiverse and Wii U title Art Academy: SketchPad in recent months, running events for the Year of Luigi and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. Its latest event is for Animal Crossing: New Leaf; while it might seem late in the day for an event...
News UK Retailer, GAME, To Hold Special Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Day Next Week
In select stores, of course
Yes, at last it’s finally here, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has landed in the UK and US. It’s been three years since the primate pilgrim had his own private outing, but we’re just as happy to see him now as we were all those years ago; to celebrate the simian superstar’s frosty return UK retailer, GAME,...
News Diddy Kong Confirmed as the Latest New Challenger for Super Smash Bros.
With a bunch of images inside
Barely a week passes at the moment without some form of interesting reveal for the new Super Smash Bros. titles on the way to Wii U and 3DS, with Little Mac recently confirmed as part of a Nintendo Direct broadcast. Announced today with a little less hype but not lacking in fan service is the news that Diddy Kong will...
Video Nintendo Minute Shows Off Two Favourite Levels From Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Tough but fun
With Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze now so close that we can smell the bananas, Nintendo's YouTube show 'Nintendo Minute' has naturally pitched in to show a little more of the game in action, with the co-hosts each picking a favourite level. First up is world 3-3 (Frantic Fields) which includes some heroic charging with Rambi...
Video These UK and US Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Adverts Are Islands Apart In Tone
Bongo-drumming up interest
By now you might have seen our coverage of the Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze commercial currently airing to promote DK's latest outing, and it's a fun showcase of gameplay and character that definitely paints a charming picture to drum up some anticipation. Today, a UK version of the same trailer has just arrived to...
Video These Are The Ten DS Games We Want To See On The Wii U Virtual Console
Which one did you vote for?
The news that Nintendo is bringing DS games to the Wii U had us dreaming of all the amazing titles we wanted to see arrive on the eShop. Like some kind of benevolent moving-image god, our resident video guru Rory has transcoded these desires into magical lights and sound, and has lovingly deposited the results onto the...
News Minor Miiverse Update Improves Options For Following, Screenshots and Videos
X marks the screenshot
Nintendo's bespoke Miiverse social network — on Wii U, 3DS, web browsers and with future plans for smart devices — has evolved a fair bit since its début with the Wii U launch in November 2012. As it's a web-based service it can be easily updated without down time or the need for gamers to download updates; as a result...
News Nintendo UK's Store Offers The Mario and Sonic Winter Olympics Wii U Bundle
Going for gold
With the Winter Olympics well under way in Sochi, Nintendo UK has issued a reminder that its official store is offering a special Wii U bundle to celebrate the occasion, which represents a saving over buying each part of the package individually. Unsurprisingly this bundle includes the appropriately themed game, details below: Wii...
News Retro Studios Outlines "Symbiotic Relationship" With Nintendo Teams
"We spent a lot of time working on fur as requested by Iwata-san"
With Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze swinging into Western stores this week, eager fans are no doubt continuing their own personal countdowns. Ahead of the release Official Nintendo Magazine has published its interview with Retro Studios CEO Michael Kelbaugh and Nintendo SPD...
News Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Only Sells Just Over 35,000 Units in Japanese Launch
No notable Wii U hardware boost
The latest Media Create Japanese chart results are in, and while there are positives for the 3DS there's little cheer for Wii U. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze arrived in Japan on 13th February and, despite coming in second in the charts, has failed to make a significant impact. Top honours in the software...
News Rayman Legends On Wii U Is Still The ''Definitive Version'' According to Digital Foundry
The GamePad swipes, taps and turns its way to the top
Simply saying the name Rayman Legends aloud is enough to get a reaction from Wii U owners, but that reaction could easily lie on either end of a broad spectrum. On one hand it's a bitter development story many would like to forget, but it's truly difficult to deny the title's charm, imagination...
News Less Than 5% of Those Polled by the Game Developers Conference Have Wii U Plans
Under 2% for 3DS
GDC (Game Developers Conference) 2014 takes place from 17th - 21st March in San Francisco, a gathering of thousands of companies and individuals to demonstrate, discuss and debate the current trends and patterns in the development industry. As is the norm, ahead of this year's event the organisers have polled "more than 2,600 North...
News Old School RPG Pier Solar Coming To Wii U In April, 3DS Version Could Happen
WaterMelon's future projects could come to modern consoles, too
Remember Pier Solar? We covered it quite some time ago, and also delivered the good news that the game was getting remastered for a HD release on the Wii U eShop. Things have gone a bit quiet on this front recently and the last we heard, the game was aiming
News Famicom Remix 1 + 2 Coming to Retail in Japan
A one-two nostalgic combo right in Japan's childhood
NES Remix was a pleasant surprise when suddenly announced for the Wii U eShop, and the appearance of its slightly more mature cousin NES Remix 2 is a good sign that this particular brand of retro carnival play is taking off. It may come to the delight and/or great envy of others, then, that Japan...
Review Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U)
Ain't no business like monkey business
It says much for the level of expectation placed upon Nintendo and Retro Studios that some questioned the decision to revisit the world of Donkey Kong for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, yet that initial reaction should be pushed aside. Anyone that discounts this title due to the fact it’s not the exact...
Nintendo Download 20th February (Europe)
It's on like ..., Retro City Rampages again, tasty discounts and much more
Monday morning means happy times for European download fans, and the latest update is through from Nintendo. This is a rather good week by most standards, with an exciting Wii U retail title being joined by some excellent titles on the 3DS eShop, with some tempting discounts...
The trailer will rip out your optics
Last week we revealed that Activision was preparing a new game in its Transformers series, and that said game would be coming to both the Wii U and 3DS consoles. More details have now emerged, including information on which companies are handling development. According to Game Informer, Texus-based Edge of...
Weirdness The VideoTendo 2000 is a VHS Tape Converted into a NES
Rewind the clock with this fully functional modification
We've seen our fair share of weird and wonderful console modifications during our time at Nintendo Life, but this latest project from modder Shinobicycle could well be the weirdest one yet. In what looks to be a wholesome celebration of the 1980s, this brave modder has taken a NES clone and -...
Talking Point Nintendo Direct Pointed to Another Wii U Retail Drought
The eShop should tide current owners over
In the past week Nintendo delivered its first Nintendo Direct broadcasts of 2014, a little later than was perhaps expected. The truth was that January was not a good time for the company, as it revealed and then dealt with the fallout of drastically lowered sales and financial projections. It was a difficult...
Review The LEGO Movie Videogame (Wii U)
Almost everything is awesome
Unless you’ve been living under a rock or have been otherwise indisposed from newspapers, radio, television, the Internet, or any of the other countless forms of communicative devices that the news media uses to infiltrate our lives in 2014, you’re probably well aware that a new movie based on your favourite...
News Mario Kart 8 Accelerates to Number One on Amazon Japan
Top 10 in the UK
After confirming a May release in late January, Nintendo used its latest Direct broadcasts to announce that Mario Kart 8 will arrive on 30th May in North America and Europe, with it arriving one day earlier in Japan. That official date has seen retailers start to open pre-orders, and Nintendo is no doubt watching to see whether the...
News AE Games Reveals Mad Men Football, High Impact Gridiron With "An Historical Twist"
Would George Washington have made a tasty quarterback?
AE Games — the indie studio which caused a few ripples when it announced its support of the Wii U earlier this week — has now confirmed its first title: Mad Men Football. Described as American Football with "an historical twist", the game will take notable figures from world history and...
Feature The Big Nintendo Direct Summary - 13th February 2014
Lots of games, few major surprises
The first Nintendo Direct of 2014 is down and, at this stage, it's tricky to digest and 'grade'. On the surface it was actually packed with announcements — some unique between North America and Europe — with a number of new titles shown, while footage was revealed for major titles such as Mario Kart 8,...
News January's NPD Results Show Improved Software Sales for Nintendo, With Hardware Figures Elusive
Pokémon, Mario and Zelda lead the charge
The NPD results, which reflect physical retails sales in the U.S., have been revealed for January. And by revealed, we mean a rather minimal amount of data from all parties concerned. Some information has emerged, however, and what's not said is as indicative as the figures actually provided. In terms of...
Apple shames unethical mineral suppliers, but will Nintendo do the same?
Progress isn't always a good thing. New consoles, gadgets and services can hold a hidden price which goes way beyond what we pay at retail. The minerals that are used to create much of our technology are often obtained from conflict-ridden parts of the world — such as the...
News A Radiant New trailer For Child of Light Emerges, With A Slight Change To The Euro Release Date
Burning brighter with every glimpse we get
Ubisoft's artistic action-RPG Child of Light has been drawing plenty of attention since its announcement last year, and yesterday's Nintendo Direct has treated us to yet another gorgeous trailer. There's plenty of gameplay brought to light as the young Princess Aurora battles, explores, and puzzles her way...
News Amazon Lists Transformers: Rise Of The Dark Spark For Wii U And 3DS
You can win if you dare?
While it's always worth taking listings on Amazon with a pinch of salt, when one comes out of the blue — and appears on multiple platforms to boot — there's probably an element of truth in there. Listings have appeared on the popular online retailer for Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark, the next instalment in the...
News Monolith Soft's X Combat is Shown Off, Based on Xenoblade Chronicles System
Oh my...
While JRPG fans that adored Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii may have been hoping for a release date for Monolith Soft's latest in Nintendo's most recent Direct broadcast, we had to settle for some real-time in-game footage of the combat system. It was exciting to see, as it was the first time that a sustained period of gameplay had been shown...
News Bowser's Koopalings Join the Cast of Mario Kart 8, Launches 30th May
The gang's all here!
In today's much anticipated Nintendo Direct, CEO Satoru Iwata announced that Mario Kart 8 will officially be launching on 30th May in both NA and EU; this follows the late January confirmation that it was to be a May release. Iwata-san also announced that a few new "unexpected" characters will be added to the game's roster. For...
News Little Mac Arrives as a Knockout Challenger in Super Smash Bros.
Images galore inside
The latest Nintendo Direct didn't tell us when Super Smash Bros. is arriving on Wii U and 3DS, aside from '2014', but there was a rather pleasing reveal for the title. Little Mac, the hero of the Punch-Out!! series, arrives as a challenger for the first time. The trailer, below, shows the pugilist in action and certainly...
Nintendo Direct Trailers Round-Up
Feast your eyes
Today's Nintendo Direct is over, we'll be recapping the major news points in other posts, but first here is a recap of trailers released during the broadcast. Wii U - Bayonetta 2: Did You Miss Me? Wii U - Mario Kart 8 - Here Come the Koopalings Trailer Wii U - Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Launch Trailer Nintendo 3DS -...
Nintendo Direct Watch The North American Presentation Live
Directly to you, and you, and you.
The first Nintendo Direct of 2014 is confirmed for Thursday 13th February at 2pm Pacific, 5pm Eastern, 10pm UK, 11pm Europe; that time suggests that the company aims to reach more people, rather than the standard broadcast at around 10am Eastern. The broadcasts will be a little different per region, too, with...
Nintendo Direct Watch The European Presentation Live
With Shibata-san and Iwata-san
The first Nintendo Direct of 2014 is confirmed for Thursday 13th February at 2pm Pacific, 5pm Eastern, 10pm UK, 11pm Europe; that time suggests that the company aims to reach more people, rather than the standard broadcast at around 10am Eastern. The broadcasts will be a little different per region, too, with Satoru...
News Extended Nintendo Network Maintenance Scheduled for Later Today
And then Pokémon X & Y extended maintenance on Sunday / Monday
In a move that's raised our eyebrows to Toon Link levels, Nintendo has scheduled extended Nintendo Network maintenance that will affect Wii U and 3DS services later today in North America, which represents the early morning in Europe. With a Nintendo Direct broadcast some hours before...
News Nintendo Versions Of Mutant Mudds Have Sold Better Than Those On Other Systems
Sales of Wii U and 3DS editions beat Steam, PS Vita and PS3
Renegade Kid co-founder Jools Watsham has divulged an interesting piece of sales data via his Twitter account — the Wii U and 3DS editions of Mutant Mudds are selling better than those on other systems. Watsham first revealed that the Wii U eShop version of the game has sold more than...
News Kamen Rider: Battride War II Steers Its Way to Wii U in Japan
Like Power Rangers with bikes
In positive news for Wii U gamers in Japan, and a reminder that some third-party projects in the region are supporting the platform, it's emerged that Kamen Rider: Battride War II is coming to the system; the predecessor to this game was a PS3 exclusive brawler / bike-action game and enjoyed reasonable chart success...
News Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Finally Hitting the Track in Japan
"You're too--uh... what was it, again...?"
Most often, a cool game gets released in Japan and the rest of the world languishes, wondering when it will ever hit their corner of the planet — if it even will in the first place. However, now and then Japan is the last to receive a title, and that is most definitely the case with Sonic & All-Stars...
News Wii U and 3DS Nintendo Direct Confirmed for 13th February
At last!
After a January in which Nintendo's priorities were financial reports and strategies, we finally get to focus on new games once again. The first Nintendo Direct of 2014 is confirmed for Thursday 13th February at 2pm Pacific / 5pm Eastern / 10pm UK / 11pm Europe; that time suggests that the company aims to reach more people, rather than the...
News Super Mario 3D World and Animal Crossing: New Leaf Up For BAFTA Awards
No Nintendo titles in the Mobile & Handheld category
Last year’s BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Game Awards saw a surprising absence of any Nintendo nominations. However, this year the Big N has secured nominations in four categories, which includes Super Mario 3D World being up for Best Game. Super Mario 3D World is also...
Parent Trap Wii Fit U Accepts Our Varied Bodies
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson has another look at Nintendo's fitness title
Video games reflect wider society’s desire for the perfect body. Having children only presses this issue home and means I’m pickier about the shape of our video-game protagonists. However, I have been happily surprised then to see how Wii Fit U handles this. Rather than...
News Dragon Quest Monsters 2 Storms to the Top of the Japanese Charts
3DS XL (LL) sales enjoy a boost
Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru and Luca’s Wonderful Mysterious Keys has enjoyed its début in the Japanese charts, with its success also bringing a boost to the 3DS; as for Wii U, there's not much to bring cheers. This week's Media Create results are dominated by two newcomers on the 3DS, with the DQ remake storming...
News Brand New Game Developer, AE Games, Shows Its Support For Wii U
Not to be confused with EA Games...
It is certainly no secret that some people - be they fans or critics - don’t like the Wii U. It seems that every other day someone has something bad to say about Nintendo’s latest home console, and if they aren’t doing that they’re revelling in the company’s shortcomings. Some would argue that it’s not...
News Dance Your Heart Out to New DLC Tunes for Just Dance 2014
Pump up the jam
Ubisoft recently announced new DLC tracks for its popular game Just Dance 2014. Just in time for Valentine's day, the tracks are now available on all systems, including the Wii and Wii U; they do cost a hefty $2.99 each, include the following chart-topping tracks: "Timber" by Pitbull ft. Ke$ha "Rock N Roll" by Avril Lavigne "Die...
Both scoop best game accolades
If you're a Nintendo fan, then you'll obviously be aware that both Super Mario 3D World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds were two of 2013's best video games. However, it's always nice to see the wider world recognise this fact, which is precisely what happened at the 3rd annual New York Video Game Critics...
News These Super Smash Bros. Home-Run Bat Screens May Brighten Your Day
Out of the park
Masahiro Sakurai doesn't often reveal new challengers or arenas in his daily posts on the Miiverse Director's Room for the new Super Smash Bros. entries on Wii U and 3DS, but he does often show-off individual moves, mechanics and items. Today may not send shock waves around the world, but could be a fan-favourite. As you can see...
Talking Point The Watch_Dogs Wii U Delay Demonstrates That Major Third-Parties Are Walking Away
How important that is for the system is up for debate
Before the Wii U was launched Nintendo made the right noises about third-party support — here was a powerful system with backing from major players like EA, Activision and Ubisoft, we were told, and the innovative new controller would encourage unique, multi-screen experiences. Of course,...
News Just 2% of Ubisoft's Q3 Sales Were for Wii U
Grim numbers
Confirmation that Watch_Dogs has been delayed again on Wii U, and will arrive later than on other platforms, is certainly a hot topic. While debates around the reasons, justification and ramifications for the game's sales will spin around, there are key statistics that highlight just why Ubisoft isn't exactly busting a gut to deliver...
News GameChops releases Club Kong: A Modern Jazz Remix of Donkey Kong Music
Sit back, relax and enjoy
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Donkey Kong Country, video game remix record label GameChops has released a six track remix of music from the game. The album, aptly named Club Kong, is best described as a Donkey Kong electronic jazz club infusion; it comes at a perfect time as Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze...
News Watch_Dogs Delayed Again on Wii U, Will Arrive on the System After Other Platforms
Ubisoft screws the pooch
There have been plenty of rumours and counter-rumours around Watch_Dogs in recent weeks, yet now we have some solid news from the company itself; it's not pleasing from a Wii U perspective. In its financial results today, and the investor call that followed, Ubisoft confirmed that the title would arrive on PC, PS3, PS4,...
News Wii Fit No Substitute For Real Exercise According To Academic Research
Includes all other forms of active gaming
Australians love being recognised globally for their sporting achievements. Be it their recent win over England in the Ashes, or Aussie golfer Adam Scott and his rise to number 2 in the world. It’s always a thrill to see a country of such a small population competing both fiercely and passionately on the...
News Ubisoft To Release New Wii U Title ''Know Your Friends'' - Actually, Probably Not
More multiplayer goodness on the way?
Update: This game was actually spotted last year, so the question now reverts to "will this game be released?". Possibly not, it seems. Original Article: A few scares and bumps in the ro
Talking Point Sonic and the Wii U Both Seek a Boom in Sales
Nintendo and Sega need mutual success
We may be Nintendo fans keen to see as many major exclusives as possible, but we can't help but wonder whether Sega — behind closed doors and in hushed tones — wishes it was free to go multi-platform with the upcoming Sonic Boom. We are aware that Sonic Boom is also coming the 3DS and is in the hands of...
News You Can Now Play Free HTML5 Games on the Wii U Web Browser
If you really want to
Just recently a website launched to provide links to dozens of free HTML5 games playable on the PS4 web browser, and the same group has now launched an equivalent Wii U website to give you easy access to these games. Similar resources existed for the Wii, in which pointer controls — for example — were supported. With this...
News This 'Provisional' Mario Kart 8 Box Art May Get You Into Gear
It's just a few months away
Update: As correctly remembered by hwrose379 in the comments, this box art was initially visible as a very small image in the original announcement (linked in the text below). It seems even more feasible, as a result, that this provisional design will be the final box art. Original Article: Mario Kart 8 is a vitally...
Play Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate With Nintendo Life - The First Hunt
It's on
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate may have been available for nearly a year on the Wii U and 3DS, but there are still plenty of gamers that enjoy going on the hunt on a regular basis. Quite a few of us at Nintendo Life fall into that category, which is why we announced the first community hunting night earlier this week. Those beasts are strutting...
News Nintendo Canada Announces an Awesome Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Contest
Where's Rain Man when we need him?
Calling all Canadian Nintendo Lifers! Nintendo of Canada Ltd. is currently running a special contest for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. The contest, aptly named "Banana Mania," is open only to Canadian residents and offers one Grand Prize and five second place prizes, both including a copy of Retro Studios'...
News We Didn't Know It, But Sonic Boom Was First Shown in Spring 2013
Well darn
If Sega needed any evidence that its mascot can still generate buzz and hype, the online reaction to the reveal of Sonic Boom, with Wii U and 3DS games joined by the TV show and a range of toy merchandise, may have renewed the company's faith in the brand. Not all were immediate fans of the off-shoot's designs, admittedly, but Sonic was...
News Nintendo Scoops Two Awards at D.I.C.E
Well, it's better than none
Earlier this year we reported that Nintendo games had picked up multiple nomination in the D.I.C.E Awards, which act as the closing event of the summit with the same name — it stands for Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain. In total five Nintendo games were nominated across seven different categories; the awards...
News Ubisoft's Updated Line-Up Still Includes Watch_Dogs as an Upcoming Release on Wii U
Due in Spring, but after 1st April
Ubisoft's bold new IP, Watch_Dogs, is having a tricky route to release. Originally planned to make a splash in 2013, development progress appeared to slow down — playable demos weren't appearing as we'd expect at gaming events and expos — and the title was pushed back to allow extra development time. There was...
News Sonic Lost World Sales Reached 640,000 in 2013
In just over two months
Sonic Lost World was one of a small batch of major Holiday season releases to push the Wii U in the retail market, though the Nintendo-exclusive title was also available on the 3DS. Both games were different experiences — as is likely to also be the case with Sonic Boom and its separate development teams — and Sega...
Sonic veteran Takashi Iizuka speaks out
Sonic Boom is the big news in the world of Nintendo at the moment, with Sega's new plan of attack covering TV, toys and games — the latter of which will be exclusive to Wii U and 3DS. Thrusting its most prized possession into the hands of a western developers is risky, and Sega's move has had many fans...
News Big Red Button's Bob Rafei Spills More Details On Sonic Boom For Wii U And 3DS
Reveals Sonic Team is involved and explains THOSE new character designs
Yesterday's news that Sega's next Sonic title would be a cross-media extravaganza complete with re-imagined characters, CGI cartoon series and Nintendo-exclusive video game outings sent the web into overdrive, with the reaction from fans ranging from delighted to highly...
News Mother Brain Revealed As An Enormous Super Smash Bros. Assist Trophy
Mother NO!
If Samus in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. is ultimately going to be heavily influenced by the design from Metroid: Other M, then perhaps she'll be less the silent and deadly hunter from the Metroid Prime Trilogy and more prone to flashbacks, fearing the past and generally being full of angst. The latest assist trophy may, then, send our...
News A Sonic Boom Game is Dashing Towards Wii U and 3DS
The team's sporting a new look
Update: Sega has now released an official press pack regarding Sonic Boom, emphasizing that it's a "new branch of the Sonic universe" that will incorporate the TV show, the games on Wii U and 3DS as well as a new toy range. Below are some key excerpts from the press release: Sonic Boom’s visual identity includes...
Guide Nintendo Publishes a "New to Wii U?" Guide
Links galore
With Nintendo preparing to push the Wii U throughout 2014, promising major releases, system updates and features to boost the role of the GamePad, it's only natural that newcomers will seek out some advice and tips for making the most of the system. Nintendo of Europe is doing its part with a new guide article to point readers towards...
A 'cool' offer on the eShop? (We're so sorry)
The snappily titled Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games may have been released on the Wii U last year, but the actual event it's licensed for is only now getting ready to kick off. To celebrate Nintendo of Europe is running a 30% discount on the Wii U eShop from tomorrow (7th...
News Space Simulator "Space Pioneer" Shoots for the Stars with Kickstarter
Crowdfunding...the final frontier
Outer space has never ceased to capture the imaginations of mankind. It’s been the source of so many ideas since the space race first got started, both for scientists questioning the real limits of the cosmos, and for creative minds like writers or directors. Yes, space has been the inspiration for so many books,...
Play Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate With Nintendo Life
Grab your weapons
Some games are more fun when played with others, and just recently we revived the Mario Kart 7 community event, which will return for more laps in the not-too-distant future. Naturally we like a bit of variety in our online multiplayer, however, so we're delighted to confirm the first Nintendo Life Hunting Expedition — it'll be...
News Scram Kitty And His Buddy On Rails Is Blasting To The Wii U This April
New gameplay trailer unleashed, too
Dakko Dakko has confirmed to us that Scram Kitty and hid Buddy On Rails will be hitting the Wii U eShop this April. The unique blaster — which promises to make convincing use of the GamePad controller — was announced some time ago, and hasn't had a solid release window — until now. The studio hasn't got a...
Matters of Import Bahamut Lagoon Roars Onto The Japanese Wii U eShop
Here be dragons
Due for re-release on the Japanese Wii U Virtual Console service today, Bahamut Lagoon is (another) one of Squaresoft’s lost RPG treasures, a game that eighteen years after its original release still doesn’t officially exist to those of us living outside Japan. The game most closely resembles a strategy RPG, similar to Shining...
News Miiverse Gets a Minor Update for Wii U
Buttons now do different things!
Updates to the Wii U and 3DS are a far cry from the days of the Wii and DS, when system updates were comparatively rare and tweaks and improvements to individual apps clearly weren't high on Nintendo's list of priorities. Nowadays the 3DS has frequent system updates — many of which boost "system stability" to...
News Nintendo Finally Appoints a New Distributor in Poland
It only took six months...
Those of you that are eagle-eyed and have good memories may recall a couple of articles that we posted last year focused on the fortunes of Nintendo in Poland. We published a guest post by a teacher called Rob Burgess, a Nintendo fan living in the country that had a tough time finding a Wii U and up to date content from...
Review Barbie Dreamhouse Party (Wii U)
Problems with plasticity
It's easy to dismiss licensed games like Barbie Dreamhouse Party as cheap cash-ins on popular franchises because, in all honesty, that's usually what they are. Creating a video game based on a classic line of dolls may seem like a step in the right direction towards our increasingly digital future, but it comes with the...
Soapbox A Monster Hunter Obsession, and Why the Franchise Could Take Off in the West
Tom Whitehead argues the case for the divisive, demanding series
I'll put it out there right from the off — I'm no Monster Hunter veteran. Not by a long way, and in fact my first experience with the series was Monster Hunter Tri on the Wii. I played the campaign to completion and enjoyed it a lot, but it wasn't until Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate that...
News Sega Moves To Quash Sonic Rumours, PS4 & Xbox One News Was "Incorrect"
“Sega is yet to announce details of upcoming console video games"
A short while ago, we ran a story about Sonic's next console adventure, and how it appeared to be destined for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2015. A sign displayed by US toymaker Jazwares at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair suggested that the next Sonic outing would be...
News Nintendo Completes Share Buyback, Including Some Holdings of Hiroshi Yamauchi's Family
$1.1 billion of shares purchased
Yesterday we reported that Hiroshi Yamauchi's heirs had expressed a desire to sell some Nintendo shares, with the inheritance from the former Nintendo President set to bring related taxes upon the family. This tied in with Nintendo's previous announcement that it was planning to acquire up to 10 million of its own...
Rumour Disney Infinity 2 Coming To Wii U, But Not Wii
Job listing appears to confirm sequel is on the way
Last year, we saw Disney Infinity hit multiple formats and impress with both its toy-based gameplay and commercial performance. Unsurprisingly for such a high-profile, family-friendly franchise, it would appear that Disney is keen to turn the series into a yearly event; a new job listing seems to...
News Capcom Reportedly Planning Western Release of Monster Hunter Frontier G
It's massive, multiplayer, and online
Monster Hunter Frontier G is currently gracing the Wii U, and a host of other platforms, in Japan. While not exactly part of the main series and certainly not enjoying the same commercial success, it's intriguing as it applies the Monster Hunter setting to a MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing...
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