Wii U News
February2014
"We first need to create a strong foundation in areas Nintendo excels at"
With the Wii U currently enduring a tough run in the marketplace, finding answers to the conundrum of enticing consumers is becoming increasingly challenging. The system is struggling for third-party support, yet that becomes less likely with each poor set of sales results,...
News Satoru Iwata Talks Down Wii U Price Cut Prospects, 3DS to Drive Profits in 2014
"We will try to turn around Wii U and enrich the value of the GamePad"
Profit is one of many keywords in the recently translated investor Q & A, in which Nintendo's President fielded a number of questions from investors. Naturally, considering the audience, the issue of returning to the sizeable profits of past years was raised in a variety of...
News Nintendo Is Here To Stay And Will Do Very Well This Year, States Amazon UK Games Boss
"Everyone thinks it’s a dying format. It’s absolutely not"
Nintendo has been getting a lot of downbeat press recently thanks to the poor performance of the Wii U and dismal financial results, but Amazon.co.uk’s category leader of video games and software Ketu Patel feels that the Japanese giant is long way from throwing in the towel — and...
The element of surprise is key
Last week Satoru Iwata delivered his Investor Briefing, a tough task in which he outlined some key strategies for Nintendo that will begin to emerge this year. Elements of the presentation focused on the longer term, however, and the overall direction of the company was a recurring theme in the investor Q & A that...
News Nintendo's Slump "Could Be Detrimental" To The Entire Gaming Market, Says Sony UK Boss
Fergal Gara speaks out
Not everything is as peachy as it could be in the world of Nintendo right now; the company has posted a quarterly loss and has reduced its sales projections for both the Wii U and 3DS consoles. The firm's massive war chest of cash — around $8.6 billion — means that it's not exactly on the ropes just yet, but things could...
Video Smash Bros. Characters Recast in an Attack on Titan Opening
No giant monstrosities were harmed in the making of this video
Super Smash Bros. and Attack on Titan both dwell firmly in the realm of the grandiose, but it may still seem a bit farfetched for someone to attempt a mashup. After this video from YouTuber AmazingArtistYellow, however, the concept becomes much more believable: According to...
News Nintendo of America Running TVii Sweepstakes During the Super Bowl
10 special "FOOTBAAAAAAALLLL" tops up for grabs
Today is Super Bowl day, or "Big Game" day as Nintendo of America is calling it, and a massive TV audience will be tuning in to watch and, we suspect in many cases of those watching their one and only NFL game of the year, wondering what the heck is going on. It's not just a game of American Football,...
Rumour 2015 Sonic Title To Hit Wii U Alongside PS4 and Xbox One
Is Sega keeping the faith?
While the list of big-name third-party developers and publishers backing the Wii U into this year and beyond seems rather small, they do still exist. We can just about include Ubisoft, while others actively involved in Wii U retail games are Bandai Namco, Tecmo Koie, Atlus and, of course, Sega. Nintendo seems to have a...
Poll Have Your Say on Satoru Iwata's Nintendo Strategies
Plans to bring prosperity?
After a couple of weeks of rampant speculation and opinionated musings around the web, Satoru Iwata stepped out following Nintendo's financial results reveal and put forward some plans, ideological shifts and teases to indicate, loosely in various cases, what the company would do to revive the Wii U and return to...
News Nintendo of America Discounts Refurbished Wii U Deluxe Sets to $225
Another $25 off
While the recommended retail price for the Wii U Deluxe model in the U.S. is currently $299.99, that hasn't stopped some less expensive alternatives emerging. Just recently we had a crazily good deal from Newegg of the Wind Waker HD hardware bundle and two games for just $269.99, and now potential Wii U owners in the U.S. have...
January2014
News Wind Waker HD Wii U Bundle With Two Extra Games On Sale for $269.99
Be quick
We've seen some attractive Wii U deals since the Holiday season, in various territories, and the latest to emerge is from the eBay outlet of Newegg. It's offering the only limited edition Wii U hardware design available to date, along with two games, for just $269.99USD. The bundle on offer includes the following: The Legend of Zelda:...
News Satoru Iwata States That Nintendo Should "Abandon Old Assumptions" About Its Businesses
Hiroshi Yamauchi "would tell me to carry an air of confidence"
As anticipated, this week's Q3 financial results Investor Briefing from Satoru Iwata attracted plenty of attention. The moment that Nintendo drastically revised its sales and projections down in January was also the point when plenty of speculation and ideas on the company's future were...
Video Japanese Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Trailer Swings Into View
The Kongs go bananas when they get the cold shoulder
A new Japanese video showcasing footage from the upcoming Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has appeared, and it's chock-full of gameplay bits that may help tide fans over until the game's February launch. The video — which may contain spoilers for players who are trying to avoid seeing too...
News Nintendo of America Issues Refunds After Warner Bros. Cancels Batman: Arkham Origins Wii U DLC
Decision "based on demand"
Wii U owners who had purchased the season pass for Batman: Arkham Origins will be disappointed to discover that Warner Bros. has decided to not bring the new story campaign to the console. Accordingly, Nintendo has begun refunding customers who have purchased the season pass for $19.99 (plus tax) by crediting their eShop...
News Lucario The Aura Warrior Returns To Battle In Super Smash Bros. 3DS & Wii U
The heroic aura Pokémon returns!
Today, Masahiro Sakurai has revealed another returning veteran character for Super Smash Bros. 3DS and Wii U. Lucario — the Fighting/Steel type Pokémon who made its debut as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Brawl — will return for the upcoming Nintendo mascot-packed brawler. Many who feared that Lucario may face...
Feature 10 Nintendo DS Games We Want To See On The Wii U Virtual Console
Dual-screen desires
Nintendo has just lifted the lid on its plans to bring DS games to the Wii U Virtual Console, which means that owners of that particular machine will soon be able to enjoy a library of classic releases from one of the company's most popular formats. The DS has played host to some truly stunning pieces of software since its...
Video World 2 Of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Looks Something Like This
Monkey business
We trust that our recent preview of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has whet your appetite for some more simian-related fun — if so, then you're going to love the short but sweet highlights reel we've put together for World 2 of the upcoming Wii U platform adventure. We'll be running more videos in the next few weeks, leading...
News Nintendo Planning to Offer "Flexible Price Points" for Games
Will utilise conditions to encourage sharing, buying more
Satoru Iwata's Investor Briefing contained some intriguing proposals, and one that may become particularly important for enthusiastic gamers is a plan to introduce a new pricing structure for titles on Nintendo's systems. Nintendo aims to introduce new sales mechanisms to break out of the...
News Mario Kart 8 Drifting In For a May Release
Aiming for top gear
Satoru Iwata has completed his investor briefing presentation, and one detail that's thankfully beyond the dangers of translation errors is that Mario Kart 8 is set to arrive in May — that window is for the worldwide market. The importance of the release for Wii U is self-evident, as just today both Mario Kart 7 and —...
News Nintendo's Expanded List of Million Selling Games Includes Some Surprises
Mario Kart Wii shifted one million units in nine months
Earlier today Nintendo's initial financial results highlighted some million sellers for the financial year so far, which covers nine months from 1st April to 31st December 2013. Fully updated results now include more details on some of those loosely confirmed earlier today, along with some...
News Satoru Iwata Admits The "Wii U Isn't In Good Shape" Ahead of Investor Briefing
"I’m concentrating my mind on how to rebuild Nintendo"
Nintendo's investor briefing, thanks to the extensive gaps in time zones, is taking place rather soon. The unveiling of today's financial reports did involve a short press conference with Satoru Iwata, and Bloomberg has picked up some choice comments. After confirming a pay cut that will run...
Talking Point Nintendo's 3DS and Wii U Strategies Face Rather Different Challenges
Past-generation trends need not apply
In some respects today's financial results were the least surprising and eye-opening of recent times, and that's mainly to the credit of Nintendo's decision to jump the gun and reveal major reductions in sales and financial projections, blunting the impact from today's Q3 results. Nintendo's previously bold...
News Hardware Sales Drop in Japan as Wii U Falls Into Four Figures
Can January be over now?
When considering important sales months in the calendar year, we suspect that plenty within the game development and publishing industry have January near the bottom of the list. It does bring some new games, such as Kirby: Triple Deluxe in Japan, but it generally represents a notable downturn after the highs of November and...
News Remember, Wii Fit U's Free Trial Offer Expires On January 31st
It's not too late to get fit
The Nintendo Wii did a lot for the video game industry. It brought a breath of fresh air by allowing players to play games with motion controls, it had an approachable attitude and it allowed developers an opportunity to get creative with their games. Yes, the Wii was quite a step forward, and one of its messages to...
News Masahiro Sakurai Teases New Super Smash Bros. Stage With Palutena Image
Statue hints at Kid Icarus stage on Wii U
Masahiro Sakurai continues to increase his daily picture to tease ratio for the upcoming Super Smash Bros. titles on Wii U and 3DS, with yesterday bringing a new item reveal; the Director's Room on Miiverse shows all, and we'll summarise as always early next week. Occasionally his posts tip over from being a...
News Pokémon X & Y Hit 11.61 Million Worldwide Sales as Nintendo Lists 3DS and Wii U Million Sellers
The Wind Waker HD and Super Mario 3D World included in Wii U list
Nintendo has released its Q3 financial results, which begin to reinforce the disappointing reductions in projections. While Nintendo has cited lower than expected sales for 3DS and Wii U hardware, with the latter being particularly damaging to profits at this time, it has also...
Talking Point Is There A Future For The Wii U Without The GamePad?
Could sacrificing the console's main selling point be the way to success?
When the Wii U was first announced, the confirmation of the GamePad controller — complete with a second-screen bursting with tantalizing asymmetrical gameplay possibilities — caused quite a stir. The reaction from the industry and general public was mainly positive, and...
News Nintendo States There Are "No Plans" to Bring Mini-Games to Smart Devices
Satoru Iwata's Corporate Management Policy Briefing will reveal more
The Nikkei, a prominent business newspaper and website in Japan, recently published an article outlining its understanding of Nintendo's upcoming smart device strategies, highlighting its expectations of what will be announced later this week when Satoru Iwata provides an investor...
Guest Blog Shut up! Nothing is Wrong With The Nintendo Wii U!
Goodbye Galaxy Games' Hugo Smits speaks his mind
The last few weeks there has been a lot said about Nintendo and its products. It seems every analyst out there is keen on sharing his doom scenario. Most of them seem to think that Nintendo could solve all this by simply moving their software over to other platforms (mainly mobile) and some seem to...
News The Nikkei Reports Potential Nintendo Smartphone Strategy, to be Announced This Week
Marketing and mini-games on the agenda
Nintendo recently announced major reductions in its sales and financial projections for this financial year, prompting various calls for action throughout the media and from fans. Those calls have naturally included suggestions to jump into the smartphone and tablet markets, though Satoru Iwata has stated that...
Video The 10 Biggest Wii U Games Of 2014
It's a bumper year ahead
Not so long ago, we asked you to pick your most anticipated Wii U game for 2014 from a list of the 10 titles we thought were worth getting excited about. Fast forward a short while and the results have finally been counted and verified, and our trusty video expert Rory Cocker has duly created this handy presentation which...
News Nintendo Is "Wonderful" To Work With, Says BIT.TRIP Studio Gaijin Games
Unannounced projects currently being worked on
Nintendo's Wii U may be struggling to make the desired impression at retail, but that doesn't mean the system — and Nintendo itself — isn't held in high regard by some sectors of the development community. Last week, we heard Wales Interactive speak positively about the console, while Dakko Dakko's...
Preview Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Dat HD fur
The E3 event can be a strange beast, as the unveiling of a sequel to one of the Wii's finest platformers was met with wails of despair in some corners. A number of fans, including this writer, wanted a fresh project from Retro that was either Metroid or something new, and instead we received Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. It's...
News Namco Bandai Will Now Be Known As Bandai Namco Around The World
Don't forget
While we may know it as Namco Bandai, in its Japanese homeland the famous developer is known as Bandai Namco. In a bid to boost the brand around the world, the company has now decided to unify the name, so from 1st April we will have to revert to the Japanese convention. Bandai Namco it is, then, with its subsidiaries and regional...
News Ubisoft Refuses to Comment on Watch_Dogs Wii U Cancellation Rumours
Update: It still seems to be on the way to Wii U
Update 2: There is some very positive news regarding this rumour, as Kotaku has consulted its sources in Italy and the US — the latter was also showing cancellations in its GameStop stores — and stated that the disappearance of pre-order options was a "glitch". Pre-orders should be available now...
News Dakko Dakko's Rhodri Broadbent Emphasizes The Value of Unique Consoles
"Choice is always good"
The upcoming Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails may have missed its target of a Q4 2013 release, but that doesn't change the fact that Dakko Dakko's title is a promising exclusive for the Wii U eShop. That exclusivity is representative, in part, of the company's design focus, aiming to utilise unique aspects of hardware for...
"I know where I, as the COO, and my company stands on this relationship"
Just recently an EA source was quoted as saying Nintendo was "dead" to EA "very quickly", after an initial show of support for the Wii U at E3 2011 and during its early months on the market. It was a source that wanted to be anonymous but, nevertheless, was cultivated by the...
News Mass Market Price And Mario Kart 8 Will Reverse The Wii U's Fortunes, Say UK Retailers
Key figures in UK games retail pass judgement
Nintendo's recent poor financial reports and the less-than-brilliant sales of the Wii U console have triggered a flood of comments and suggestions from fans, developers, publishers and analysts alike, and now it's the turn of the retailers to offer their own perspective on the situation. Speaking to UK...
News Nintendo Was Dead To Us Very Quickly, States EA Source
"We don't really make games for kids"
When Nintendo announced the Wii U, one of the first publishers to pledge its allegiance was EA, which promised "unprecedented" support for the new console. That quickly dissolved to nothing, with EA's only contributions coming in the first months of the Wii U's lifespan. It has — for the time being, at least...
Feature Nintendo Games Our Readers Would Love to See in 2014
Some eclectic choices
With 2014 swinging into gear, we can anticipate a number of fresh game announcements and arrivals from Nintendo, as was the case in 2013. A little while ago we shared some Nintendo games we'd love to see in 2014, attempting to produce some concrete concepts and names that we feel would be welcome announcements. Whether any of...
News Kirby: Triple Deluxe Remains Number One in Japan as Hardware Sales Dip
Well, it is January
It's Wednesday, which means Media Create Japanese chart results, and this week brings further cheer for everyone's favourite pink ball, as Kirby: Triple Deluxe retains top spot in the software chart. The hardware positions remain the same, but with every system seeing a drop in sales. To start with the software top 20, Kirby...
News Masahiro Sakurai Confirms Super Smash Bros. Changes to Edge Grabbing Mechanics
If you have the skills, this stuff matters
While Masahiro Sakurai's daily Miiverse posts are entertaining in their own right, in recent weeks he's been revealing more tid-bits of info on features and fighting mechanics in the new Super Smash Bros. titles. While not wholly revealing in themselves, they're gradually painting a picture of a development...
News Creative Racer, Velocity Stream, Could Be Speeding Towards Wii U
Paving the way forward
One of the best things about video games is their versatility. A game can go in any direction it wants to and can lead to some pretty creative means of storytelling or gameplay down the line. Sometimes, however, it’s easy for some games to get caught up in the genre and limits start to get in the way. One such genre is...
News Netflix Wii U App Update Goes Live
Spot the differences
Gone are the days of slotting in a cartridge and simply playing a game, as consoles have become multimedia devices for surfing the web and watching slightly different TV. The Wii U's Netflix app does a pretty decent job with the service, happily handling the HD streaming and being nice and functional all around. But still,...
News Nintendo of America Offers Stock of Refurbished Wii U Deluxe Sets for $250
A $50 saving on the recommended retail price for new systems
While two of the biggest retailers in the UK are dropping Wii U console prices, the tale naturally varies elsewhere. Gamers in North America currently considering a Wii U find some retailers sticking with the recommended 32GB price of $299 — there are some cheaper options. Just like...
Talking Point The Wii U's 'Relevance' Is About Sales, Nintendo's Strategy Has Remained Consistent
It's tried to stick to a winning Wii formula
Last week was a bit grim for Nintendo and its followers, as it changed from an official stance of predicting a positive year to the polar opposite. Gone were optimistic projections aligned with profits, and in their place were lower numbers — distressingly so with Wii U — and predicted losses...
News BBC is "Working to bring iPlayer" to the Wii U
It's still a thing, then
While the Wii U has some useful apps for TV viewing, including examples such as Netflix, it's still short of some key features. Those with TVii in North America can lord it over those missing out in Europe, for example, while another absentee to date is BBC iPlayer, which did feature on the Wii. Thankfully it is still...
News Rhythm Fighting Game KickBeat Gets Rated For Wii U
Blood on the dancefloor
A German rating for the Zen Studios "experimental rhythm game" KickBeat suggests that the downloadable PS3 and PS Vita title is headed to the Wii U eShop. This unique brawler combines music with combat action, and boasts a soundtrack packed with songs by artists such as Pendulum, Marilyn Manson, Celldweller, Blue Stahli,...
News UK Retailer Argos Drops Wii U Premium to £179.99
Update: Amazon UK joins in
Update Amazon, not one to be outdone on a deal, has now matched the Argos Wii U Premium price of £179.99, which you can see right here; as with Argos, this is for the standard 32GB model. Original article After a festive period that — as acknowledged by Nintendo — failed to deliver the bumper sales it anticipated,...
News Nintendo Confirms Rambi's Return in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Power play
With its release now a little over a month away, Nintendo is starting to gradually reveal more minor pieces of information for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. At the end of last year we were shown the return of Funky Kong, and now there's confirmation that a favourite from Donkey Kong Country Returns — and from the original Super...
News Mario Party: Island Tour Arrives in the UK Top 20
Super Mario 3D World sneaks back into the top 40
Mario Party: Island Tour arrived on the 3DS in Europe on 17th January, and its opening weekend of sales have helped it up to 18th in this week's all-format UK charts. It's a reasonable mini-game collection, in our view, describing it as "a sound purchase for kids, families or anyone looking to play...
Nintendo could make "billions" with its "treasure trove" of characters
Last week's dismal news regarding Nintendo's financials has triggered a wave of comment and debate, with many industry experts earning their keep by offering several different scenarios for getting the Japanese giant out of the hole it currently finds itself in. However, the...
News $1.2 Billion Wiped Off Nintendo's Market Value As Share Prices Plummet
Biggest decline since September
The recent news that Nintendo expects to sell less Wii U and 3DS consoles — as well as make a loss — has caused the company's share prices to drop dramatically. Friday's announcement that Nintendo expects to make an operating loss of 35 billion Yen ($335 million / £205 million) this financial year — after...
News Shadow Of The Eternals Isn't Dead, But Don't Expect Big News Any Time Soon
Precursor "taking a look" at potential options
It's fair to say that Shadow Of The Eternals has had a particularly eventful development period. The game's status as a spiritual sequel to the GameCube classic Eternal Darkness ensured that it received plenty of attention when it was initially announced, but after more than one failed crowd-funding...
Review Hot Wheels: World's Best Driver (Wii U)
Lead it Away
It’s wonderful to think about the toys of our childhood and how they’re being brought back to life as video games. Through gaming, new generations of youngsters can enjoy the same things that older gamers did in their youth, but in a completely different way. It’s safe to assume that many of you reading this grew up building with...
Weirdness When Publicity Pictures Aren't Worth It - Aaron Paul With Wii Fit U
Wii Fit U, B****
Aaron Paul is all the rage right now. Although an actor with a highly respectable career over a number of years, he's shot to prominence in recent times due to his role as Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad; he's now appearing in the lead role of the upcoming Need for Speed movie, for better or worse. So he's hot stuff, winning awards...
News Mathematical Adventure Time DLC Heads to Wii U
Get your brawl on with Peppermint Butler
Adventure time fans yearning for new characters to dungeon-crawl with in the Wii U's Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW! will be pleased to discover that a fresh batch of DLC is now available. The downloadable content, which is currently up for purchase on the Wii U eShop, features three...
Video YouTube Challenge Winner's Video Blasts Into View
FreddyW (RocketJump) and HAWP collaboration
Back in December Nintendo announced that the HAWPOfficial channel was the winner of its YouTube challenge, in which a number of popular content creators were given the goal of producing videos inspired by Super Mario 3D World or The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. The winner had the chance to work on a
News Nintendo President Satoru Iwata "Has Earned The Right To Fail", Says David Jaffe
Nintendo's "ups and downs" are what make the company great
Yesterday, Nintendo revealed that it was slashing its hardware projections for this financial year and that it expects to make a loss — not the kind of news that under-fire president Satoru Iwata will have wanted to impart to investors and shareholders, we're sure. Iwata himself has...
News Nintendo Has "Great Games" But Is Facing A "Structural Problem", According To Industry Analysts
"The first step to recovery is to acknowledge the problem"
Today's somewhat dismal financial results have given Nintendo fans plenty of food for thought, as well as providing the company's critics with all the ammunition they need. Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Asset Management Co. in Tokyo, feels that Nintendo needs to...
Talking Point Nintendo's Wii U Struggles Bring a Challenge, Not Doom
The wider picture shows more than "Nintendoomed"
So, it was a funny old day at Nintendo HQ. Within a short space of time we went from 3DS topping hardware sales in the U.S., alongside the Wii U enjoying its "highest month", to Nintendo confirming major reductions in its sales and financial projections. The timing of this — after the December NPD...
Video Feast Your Tired And Weary Eyes On This Fresh Puyo Puyo Tetris Footage
Four-way puzzle madness
Today's not been fantastic as far as the world of Nintendo is concerned, but thankfully we've got some new footage of puzzle crossover title Puyo Puyo Tetris to show you, and that goes at least some way to making up for the less enjoyable news we've had recently. The video — which shows off the four-player mode — is...
News Satoru Iwata Explains Reduced Projections and "Large Margin" 3DS and Wii U Sales Misses
Wii U hardware and software sales suffered "a huge gap" from their targets
Nintendo has issued a financial update with major reductions in sales and financial projections, stepping in ahead of its Q3 report at the end of January. In all likelihood this was to head off speculation following yesterday's NPD results, which would have combined with...
News Nintendo Confirms Major Reductions In Sales and Financial Projections
Lowered expectations across the board
Yesterday brought us NPD sales results for the US, which delivered top of the class results for 3DS and Wii U's strongest month to date, but it is now clear that — combined with results worldwide — those numbers simply weren't high enough. Nintendo has today issued adjustments to its financial and sales...
News 3DS Tops US Hardware Sales as Wii U Achieves "Its Highest Month" in December
A positive step for Wii U, but progress still needed
Industry tracking firm NPD has released some details for December sales in the US, and they provide some solid news for Nintendo, even if the absence of an official press release from the company — at the time of writing — suggests a cautious reaction to the results. The major positive for...
News Nintendo Picks Up Multiple Nominations in D.I.C.E. Awards
Zelda and Mario lead the way
In early February Las Vegas will host the D.I.CE. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit, which is run by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS); it's a major annual meet-up of game designers and developers from around the world. The culmination of the summit is always the D.I.C.E. Awards, with...
Matters Of Import A Peek Into The Tragically Unobtainable World Of Dragon Quest X
Taking the quest online
In an utterly baffling move, Dragon Quest X — the most recent game in the iconic RPG series — is not only import-only but also IP blocked, meaning the game will refuse to work for all legitimate users trying to play from outside Japan. Luckily, there are ways to get your foreign internet connection to disguise itself with...
News Watch_Dogs' Pre-Delay Budget Was $68 Million
No tight leash for this ambitious project
Watch_Dogs certainly caught plenty of attention when it first surprised the E3 audience in 2012, and broke more than a few hearts when an unexpected delay set it back from a November 2013 release to Spring 2014. A fresh eye was cast on the game's development, and in the wake of Ubisoft's apologies and...
Review Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure (Wii U)
Well-written heroes
There’s an oddly profound moment at the beginning of Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure in which Batman tells Maxwell, the series protagonist, that “no one respects a hero who takes the easy way out.” That one line, though innocuous as it may be, actually sets the tone for the rest of the game. It’s a reminder...
News Kirby: Triple Deluxe Makes Japanese Chart Début at Number One
3DS remains on top as Wii U dips below Sony rivals
The Japanese charts seem to follow the patterns of many individuals from the Holiday season into a New Year. Festive excess and gorging makes way for a rapid retreat to the norm, with appetites slowed down to more reasonable levels. The latest Media Create charts show sales figures settling back to...
News A World Of Keflings Now Expected In "The Latter Half" Of Q1 2014
Will the wait be worth it?
A World of Keflings was supposed to hit the Wii U eShop last year, but the game sadly missed its scheduled launch date. Thankfully, developer NinjaBee Games has addressed the slippage and insists that the title will see the light of day this year: [tweet A kingdom-building adventure of epic proportions, A World of...
News BLOK DROP U Developer Shares Perspective on HTML5 Web Framework Development for Wii U
Also outlines level release plans
BLOK DROP U is approaching release on the Wii U eShop, and is an early representation of a range of games we may see on the platform courtesy of the Nintendo Web Framework. It's a setup that Nintendo began to promote with greater visibility throughout 2013, as it enables game makers utilising code such as HTML5 (as...
Talking Point Claims of Wii U Third-Party Development Troubles Shouldn't Be Dismissed Lightly
Problems may have been resolved since, but are nevertheless still relevant
Over the weekend there was an interesting article published by Eurogamer's Digital Foundry, in which a "secret developer" shared their Wii U development experience. It made tough reading for anyone loyal and committed to the Nintendo and Wii U cause, but did provide some...
News Monster Savings To Be Had On Nintendo UK's Online Store, But You'll Want To Be Quick
Update: Prices are now back to normal
UPDATE: And that's that. In a matter of minutes, Nintendo UK appear to have fixed many of the prices. If you got in before that happened, let us know if your download code has been honoured. Original story: Nintendo's online store has gone discount-crazy, with many leading 3DS and Wii U games being sold for...
News Nintendo Is Sorry That The Wii U's TVii Service Hasn't Launched In The UK Yet
Please understand
While Wii U owners in North America and Japan have been enjoying Nintendo TVii for the best part of a year, it still hasn't launched anywhere else in the world as yet. The internet television and on-demand entertainment service was due to launch in Europe in 2013, but that obviously didn't happen — and Nintendo UK has publicly...
News No Game Content "Hostile to China" Will Make It Through As Ban Lifts
The size of the market means most will likely play along
Last year the Chinese government confirmed that it'd lift its video game console ban, with news that last week's implementation of that promise contributed to a boost in Nintendo share value; this prompted speculation of the Kyoto company diving into the region. We shouldn't expect Wii U and...
Video Please Don't Let This Wii U Star Fox Footage Get Your Hopes Up
Suspicious shaky cam video alert
Let's face it, we all want to see Star Fox on Wii U — Nintendo's famous space battle series is crying out for a fresh sequel, and nothing would give us more pleasure than seeing Fox McCloud and his team dog-fighting in glorious HD. However, this longing for a new entry in the franchise won't allow our impeccable...
News Nintendo Software Continues to Lose Momentum in UK Charts
Titles such as Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze can't come soon enough
In recent weeks there hasn't been much to tell about the UK game charts from a Nintendo perspective, with the usual suspects maintaining familiar positions, from 3DS games such as Animal Crossing: New Leaf hanging around near the top 20 to Super Mario 3D World residing in the...
News Capcom Claims Its New Panta Rhei Game Engine Can Be Adapted To Any System
And that means Wii U and 3DS
Capcom's MT Framework game engine was pretty adaptable — it powered Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D on the 3DS as well as providing the horsepower for the company's home console titles — and the Japanese studio has gone on record to confirm that its successor will be just as versatile. Panta Rhei is Capcom's...
Review Zumba Fitness: World Party (Wii U)
Around the world in 80 calories
A modern take on Sweatin' to the Oldies with party-people style, the dance-fitness sensation known as Zumba has become incredibly popular over the last decade, and been perfectly positioned to take advantage of the video-game fitness craze started with Wii Fit. Now, after three successful outings on the Wii, Majesco's...
News A Third-Party "Secret Developer" Gives an Inside Story of Working on Wii U
"We would be lucky to make back all the money that we had invested"
One regular topic that can worry or frustrate Wii U owners is the issue of third-party support, particularly with retail content. While the Wii struggled to maintain third-party parity with its rivals — albeit with some excellent exclusives over its years — there was some hope...
Feature Nintendo Games We'd Love to See in 2014
Newcomers and some triumphant returns
If you cast your minds back to this time in 2013, it would have been tempting to wonder what games were coming for the rest of that year and into 2014. Long-term line-ups were a mystery, though educated guesses could be made, and then Nintendo blew away some of the obscuring smoke in a January Nintendo Direct...
Review Monster High: 13 Wishes (Wii U)
Make it stop
Monster High: 13 Wishes is garbage. There's no getting around it. Don't play it, don't buy it. Just don't. Spend your cash on something more worthwhile. Buy a Monster High DVD if you must. Invest heavily in dogecoin if you're determined to do something crazy with your money. Just, not this. Anything but this. In a nutshell, Monster...
Video Nyamyam's Jennifer Schneidereit Talks Tengami On Wii U
Folding is fun
We personally can't wait to get our hands on Tengami, and with the launch looming ever closer it's the perfect time to remind ourselves of how amazing this Wii U eShop adventure is looking. Created by UK studio Nyamyam, Tengami is described as a "relaxing" and "reflective" experience, and the hands-on time we got with the game when...
News King Dedede to Wield the Mallet as the Latest Challenger in New Super Smash Bros.
Plenty of screens to enjoy
King Dedede has been confirmed as a challenger in the new Super Smash Bros. titles on the Wii U and 3DS, the latest in a number of recent additions as the roster fills out. His appearance was always on the cards after his role in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, with his weight and ready-to-use weapon making him a useful...
News Nintendo Titles Secure Multiple GDC Awards Nominations
The results have to wait until 19th March
The Game Developers Conference will take place in San Francisco from 17th-21st March, with the "expo" part of the week running from 19th-21st March. It's always an interesting event to learn more about projects underway and wider issues within the development community, while also being notable for the Game...
Feature Looking Back at Nintendo in 2013 - Part Four
Games, system updates, more games...
We've looked back at the first nine months of Nintendo's 2013 to date, an eventful period full of reveals, positives, negatives and outright weirdness. The final leg is typically one of the busiest for game companies, as the scramble for momentum into the busiest shopping season of the year becomes a messy blur...
News MercurySteam's New Next-Gen Title Isn't Coming To Wii U
No love for Nintendo
It has already been confirmed that Spanish studio MercurySteam is moving away from the Castlevania franchise once work is completed on Lords of Shadow 2, but producer Dave Cox has now announced that company's as-yet-unnamed new project won't be hitting the Wii U. Speaking at a round table event attended by GameSpot, Cox...
News Monolith Soft Lists "Urgent" Job Postings, Including Requirements in Network Implementation
Online play in 'X', please
As a subsidiary of Nintendo, Monolith Soft has been involved in a number of supporting roles — including some work on A Link Between Worlds — but is best known in recent years for its outstanding Wii title Xenoblade Chronicles. It's understandable, then, that there's some hype about its Wii U project, codenamed X and...
Feature Looking Back at Nintendo in 2013 - Part Three
Pokémon goes Mega, 2DS, Wii U price cut and other shenanigans
We've so far covered the first six months of Nintendo in 2013, taking in various 3DS successes, ups and downs for the Wii U and some E3 madness. As is also the norm, there were weird moments, as well as the near-monthly delight of Nintendo Direct broadcasts. We now cover the latter...
News Pokémon X & Y Return to Top of Japanese Charts as 3DS Leads in Hardware
Wii U sales drop to 60,548
Update: Our original Japanese Charts post cited Media Create results from 4Gamer, but these appear to be incorrect. Our apologies for the error, and as an alternative below are the latest results from Famitsu. Earlier this week we found out how Nintendo had performed over the festive period in Japan, with 3DS and Wii U...
News Kensuke Tanabe Highlights Potential Return of 3D Donkey Kong Games
Retro Studios used the Metroid Prime engine for Returns on Wii
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze arrives on 21st February, and combines the established skills of Retro Studios with many of the outstanding foundations laid down in Donkey Kong Country Returns on Wii. It may not be the game or franchise that some of the most vocal of Nintendo fans...
News Sega Has No Plans To Bring Alien: Isolation To The Wii U
Game over, man
Yesterday, Sega dropped the news that The Creative Assembly is working on Alien: Isolation, a new title in the long-running series of games based on the famous movie franchise. The title has been leaked several times recently and focuses on Ellen Ripley's daughter, Amanda. It has been confirmed for PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One and...
News Nintendo Left Online Out Of Super Mario 3D World To Deliver The "NES" Experience
Keeping things local
Remember the days before online gaming when you used to huddle around the NES, SNES or N64 with friends and relatives for a competitive multiplayer session? Being able to test your skills against people all over the world is all well and good, but you can't beat the experience of playing someone who is within punching distance...
Feature Looking Back at Nintendo in 2013 - Part Two
Some highs, lows, and E3 madness
Yesterday we brought you the first part of our 2013 summary, which contained the thrills and spills of three Nintendo Direct broadcasts and a handful of major game releases. We did miss out on the story of Ubisoft delaying Rayman Legends in order to facilitate a multi-platform release, as was correctly pointed out to...
News Level 5 Is Hard At Work On A New Game That Will "Surprise" Us
CEO hoping to move the gaming industry along
Level 5 is a thoughtful company, and not only because it is the developer behind the brain-bending goodness of Professor Layton. The studio is careful and considered in its evaluation of the current gaming industry, and is interested in how ''technology advances'' and is always striving to defy...
News Pokemon X and Y Come Out on Top in Japanese Software Rankings for 2013
Hardware figures for 3DS and Wii U also revealed
Famitsu is reporting that Nintendo didn't just dominate the Japanese Christmas charts, but it almost cleaned up the entire year too, taking nine out of the top ten total sales spots for the year. The only game to break that hold over Japanese gamers was Grand Theft Auto V on Playstation 3, and even...
News Flavoured Cats Is Inspired By Super Mario 3D World, And Is Stalking Its Way To The Wii U
Could this be a purrrfect platform adventure?
If you liked Super Mario 3D World's feline transformation then you'll be like the cat who got the cream when you hear about CW Games' new title. The indie studio has revealed that it is bringing its furry 3D adventure Flavoured Cats to the Wii U eShop, a game inspired by Super Mario 3D World and Super...
Feature Looking Back at Nintendo in 2013 - Part One
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times
We're already looking forward to the coming year here at Nintendo Life, picking some of our most anticipated Wii U and 3DS of 2014, while hoping for good times and another year of excellent gaming. Yet still, part of looking forward is understanding what's happened before, and as is our yearly...
News Masahiro Sakurai Confirms Separate Super Smash Bros. Trophies for Wii U and 3DS
Even more of them to collect
Masahiro Sakurai took a short break from posting daily Super Smash Bros. screens over the festive period, but has today made his triumphant return to the Miiverse Director's Room community. We'll be resuming our weekly summary from next week, but it may interest you to know that Sakurai-san has used his first post of...
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