Wii U News
April2014
Video This LEGO The Hobbit Launch Trailer Prepares You for the Quest
Orcs, a dragon and all that good stuff
Its arrival may be rather at odds with the movie Christmas launches of the past two years, but LEGO The Hobbit is in North American stores from today and hits Europe on 11th April, including the Wii U and 3DS in its many release platforms. The game features events from the first two films of the trilogy, and...
News Nintendo Releases An Awesome Mario Kart Infographic
Sorry arcade titles, you're out
With the release of Mario Kart 8 on Wii U preoccupying many minds ahead of 30th May, Nintendo is taking every opportunity to raise awareness and hype. Is there a better way to do this than with a fancy infographic? No, no there isn't. The infographic below shows the eight main series entries to date, spurning the...
News Castlevania Composer Michiru Yamane Joins Flying Hamster II Team
Aiming for a campaign boost
Composer Michiru Yamane, best known for her work on music for the Castlevania series, has joined forces with Parisian indie studio Game Atelier for its upcoming Kickstarter-funded title, Flying Hamster II. Check out Game Atelier's reveal video for the composer below: [ Flying Hamster II is currently in development for...
Video Silicon Studios Shows Off Tech Demo of Yebis 2 Advanced Optical Effects Middleware
Will eventually support Wii U
Silicon Studios, developer of the popular 3DS title Bravely Default, has revealed a beautiful tech demo preview of Yebis 2 — via its YouTube channel — which is a visual effects engine. According to the studio, Yebis 2 is a "nexus of real-time processing effects" with physically based optics simulation. The demo...
Video This New Amazing Spider-Man 2 Trailer Showcases In-Game Story
Kingpin featured as a prominent baddie
Activision has just released the latest trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, a story-centered preview that showcases many of the villains giving Spidey trouble this time around. Among them are the Kingpin, the notorious crime lord who's placed a bounty on Spider-Man's head; Black Cat, who is carrying out said...
News Target Offers Free $50 Gift Card With Mario & Luigi Wii U Bundle in the U.S.
That's got to be tempting
With major releases such as Mario Kart 8 getting closer, as well as a number of enticing download games on the eShop, the Wii U should become an increasingly attractive console in the coming weeks and months; there's also a backlog of high-quality titles to explore, too. We can expect various bundles and offers to tempt...
News Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Still Makes a Case in UK Top 20
Super Mario 3D World creeps into top 40
Last week Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney made its UK all-format chart début in 15th place, while coming an impressive 6th in the single-format results. Its second week is still relatively positive despite dropping a little. Level-5 and Capcom's entertaining cross-over is 18th in this...
News Mobot Studios Is Bringing iOS Hit Gears To Wii U This Spring
A ballsy move
If you've been unhappy with the relative squareness of Nintendo's eShop lately then weep no longer — some majorly spherical action is coming your way soon. Having enjoyed a popular run — or rather roll — on iOS devices with a reported 1.5 million downloads to date, Mobot Studios has been in touch to confirm that it will be...
Talking Point The Timing of Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Direct Raises Expectations
A release date must be on the agenda
During 2013 Nintendo delivered 16 Nintendo Direct broadcasts — that's the count from the official Nintendo of America website, which includes some game-specific "mini" videos and does not include some Japan-specific examples. By this stage of 2013 there had been four Directs, and there was typically a broadcast...
Round Table Let's Talk Endlessly About Mario Kart 8, Just Because
Tom, Ant, Daz and Damo share their hands-on impressions
Our official Mario Kart 8 hands-on preview went live yesterday — if you haven't done so already, you should really read it. We'll wait here until you get back. Done? Good. We can now move onto the next phase of our Mario Kart 8 coverage: a good old-fashioned chat around a table featuring...
Video Check Out The Mario Kart 8 Visual Upgrade in This Retro Track Comparison
It's never looked this good
This week has brought us a flurry of activity relating to Mario Kart 8, with information emerging and a host of previews arriving online, including our own. One area that's been agreed upon across most outlets is that Nintendo's upcoming racer is a visual treat, utilising the hardware and terrific art design to great...
News Super Smash Bros. Direct Will Bring the Hype on 8th April
Here we go...
In recent weeks we've been wondering when the next Nintendo Direct would hit, with predictions and theories of the next broadcast denied by silence from the big N. That silence has been lifted today, and those excited by Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS should most definitely pay attention — a Super Smash Bros. Direct is coming...
Video Here's a Child Of Light Hands On And Interview With The Creative Director
There's a light and it never goes out
Child of Light is Ubisoft's attractive upcoming turn-based RPG that tells the coming of age story of a young girl, Aurora. Our colleague and Nintendo Life contributor, Andy Robertson of FamilyGamerTV, has provided a video in which he details his four favourite things from his hands-on experience with the game...
News Hideki Konno Emphasizes That Mario Kart 8 Balancing Means It's Not All About Luck
Promises that the new Rainbow Road is "spectacular"
As this is Mario Kart 8 day, or so it seems, there are some more snippets emerging from a GDC (Game Developers Conference) group interview held by game producer Hideki Konno in March. We've already heard details on why a custom track creator hasn't been included, and
Video Nintendo Minute Shows Off Two Courses in Mario Kart 8
Sweet Sweet Canyon and Toad's Turnpike in full
Today's certainly Mario Kart 8 day, with some new details emerging, while we've shared our — rather positive — opinions on the latest build in our own extensive preview; that article also includes a gorgeous new trailer. It's safe to say that some who weren't paying attention to the upcoming Wii U...
News Mario Kart 8 Producer Explains The Absence of a Custom Track Creator
"We'll come back to that issue and maybe re-address it"
With Mario Kart 8's arrival creeping agonisingly close, Nintendo has lifted the lid on more details and removed embargoes on a fair bit of information. One set of details is actually from last month's GDC (Game Developers Conference) in San Francisco, with quotes from a round table interview...
The green light is nearly on
When it comes down to major, triple-A retail releases on the way that will — Nintendo hopes — lift the Wii U's sales and boost the public's perception of the system, there's currently only one show in town. While there are a number of exciting titles on the way from Nintendo and its partners, Mario Kart 8 has a firm...
News Patch Fixes Bug in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Thaws out a progress-stopping problem
Nintendo has made a software update available for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze today that fixes a game-halting glitch in World 3. According to update notes, the patch will solve an issue some players have faced when completing level 3-3, Frantic Fields and finding no path has opened to the next level,...
News 3DS Enjoys a Major Hardware Boost in Japan as Wii U Sales Also Increase
Increase in Japanese sales tax drives extra pre-rise sales
The results for last week's sales in Japan are here thanks to Media Create, and they bring pleasing news of hardware sales increasing for both 3DS and Wii U. It may be a peak before a notable dip, however, as Sales Tax in Japan increased from 5% to 8% in 1st April; many likely rushed ahead...
News EA Boss Peter Moore Apologises For Frostbite's "Stupid" Wii U April Fools Prank
The person in charge of the Frostbite Engine Twitter could be in trouble
Yesterday was April Fools Day, that one day of the year when media outlets are allowed to let their imaginations run riot and create some truly outlandish — and totally fictional — news stories. You'll no doubt have seen our Nintendo VR prank, and — to save you the bother...
Feature The Biggest Wii U Games of 2014 - Spring Edition
Time for some additions
At the start of this year we continued our quarterly tradition of looking at the biggest games coming to the Wii U, this time considering 2014. Even with an admittedly shallow confirmed line-up for the year we'd like to think that it was a list to give optimism to Wii U owners anxious for exciting games to play. It's now...
News Report Suggests That June Could Be Crucial For Iwata's Future At The Head Of Nintendo
CEO's internal approval rating has dropped to 77.26 percent
A report by Japanese business publication Nikkei suggests that Satoru Iwata is facing his sternest test yet as Nintendo CEO. It has been revealed that Iwata's internal approval rating has dropped from from 92.89 percent in 2011 to 77.26 percent in 2013. This has led to speculation that he...
"We want to get to work on Nintendo"
While other developers and publishers seem to be finding any excuse they can to not bring their games to the Wii U, Oddworld's Lorne Lanning has stated emphatically that his studio's upcoming remake — Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty — will hit Nintendo's consoles, irrespective of its current commercial fortunes...
"I want to make more, rather than just simply one zone"
Wii U title Sonic Lost World was recently given some DLC-love with special Yoshi and Zelda-themed levels, and producer Takashi Iizuka has been speaking to 4gamer about how
Exclusive Nintendo Developing "Virtual U" VR Platform to Rival Sony's Morpheus and Oculus Rift
A sight of the future
Update: As the vast majority of you have figured out within seconds, this is our own little contribution to the April Fools' madness this year. We've summarised some others in this round-up feature. If you want to see the original hi-tech specs which we 'borrowed' for this article, meanwhile, head on over to
News Wii U System Update 4.1.0 Available Now
More wonderful stability
Nintendo does occasionally have humorous timing, releasing a new system update for the Wii U on 1st April. It's real though, we can assure you of that, and is a relatively small download that should download and install within five minutes on a solid connection. As always the Nintendo support website provides a changelog,...
March2014
More ready than ever to clean up on the battlefield
Kicking off a new week's worth of daily pics, Masahiro Sakurai today revealed a shot of Luigi in a Miiverse post sure to scare off any ghost. The younger Mario brother has been continually tweaked as the Smash Bros series goes on, with altered mechanics and moves to make him stand out from his...
News One Piece: Unlimited World Red Is Getting A New Coliseum Mode
We come in piece
If you're a fan of the long-running One Piece series and are looking forward to the upcoming release of One Piece: Unlimited World Red, then you'll be pleased to know that the game will come complete with a new Coliseum Mode, which — according to publisher Namco Bandai — will "closely resemble" the latest episodes of the anime...
Review Hello Kitty Kruisers (Wii U)
Cute doesn't always cut it
Hello Kitty and friends have cornered the market on cute for four decades, and it’s easy to see why: Sanrio’s simple yet charming style makes for easy application to almost anything. Racing games are certainly not out of the question, and Hello Kitty Kruisers takes the obvious whimsical route through the genre, as much...
News Smartphone Game Market Shows Impressive Growth in Japan
Nintendo is no doubt watching
We've written on a number of occasions, including on its third anniversary, that the 3DS represents a triumph against shifting trends for Nintendo. Traditionally dominant in the portable gaming space, Nintendo's faced arguably its toughest generation to date with the rise of smart device gaming, itself perhaps stripping...
News We'll Be Seeing A Bit More Of Rusty Pup This April
Gory Detail confirm fresh details coming next month
Things have gone a little quiet on the Rusty Pup front since we exclusively broke the news that it was coming to the Wii U eShop back in 2013. Former Rare employees Christopher "Conker" Seavor and Shawn Pile have been working flat-out on the game since then, with a few pieces of artwork published...
News New Watch_Dogs Trailer Highlights a Living, Breathing Chicago Game World
Ubisoft boasts about intelligent NPCs populating the Windy City
Ubisoft has revealed a new trailer for its upcoming open-world computer hacking adventure Watch_Dogs today showing off the game's Chicago setting. The open-world urban environment based on the real-life city immediately brings to mind Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series, with hundreds...
Video We Dash Through the Sonic Lost World Legend of Zelda DLC
Sonic and Legend of Zelda, together at last
As many of you are no doubt aware, Sonic Lost World has more free Nintendo-themed DLC today — The Legend of Zelda Zone. As with the Yoshi equivalent before, it's a special free level that includes two distinct areas. You can't play as much as you want without a bit of effort, however; once you play it...
News Dragon Quest X Reaches One Million Sales In Japan
A slow increase in popularity of the Square Enix MMORPG
The subscription-based Japanese exclusive Dragon Quest X – released on the Wii in 2012 and the Wii U just last year – has today reached a significant milestone. According to Producer Yosuke Saito via Twitter, the Square Enix MMORPG has now sold a total of one million copies. Last April,...
News Mario Party: Island Tour Makes Japanese Chart Début at Number One
3DS and Wii U enjoy hardware bumps
It somewhat flew under our radar due to its previous release in Western territories, but Mario Party: Island Tour arrived in Japan only last week — proof that it's not always North America and PAL regions kept waiting. With that release the 3DS enjoyed an increase in sales, while the Wii U has crept closer to...
News Sonic Lost World Gets Free Legend of Zelda DLC Tomorrow
But can we team up Knuckles with Tingle?
Hot off the heels of Sonic Lost World's Yoshi's Island DLC, tomorrow the hedgehog's latest Wii U outing will get some Zelda-themed downloadable content to boot; it'll be free for all that have the game. Entitled The Legend of Zelda Zone, IGN reports the new level will be more than a reskinning of an old...
News Game Boy Advance Games On The Wii U Virtual Console Are Single Player Only
Going solo
Game Boy Advance games are hitting the North American and European Wii U Virtual Console very soon, and Nintendo has posted some fresh details up on its Japanese site. The biggest news is that all of the launch batch of titles are all listed as being single player only — even those which had multiplayer capability in their original...
News Super Mario Bros. 3 Is Warping To North American Virtual Consoles On April 17th
Nintendo of America confirms GBA Virtual Console lineup, too
It's been a long time coming, but Super Mario Bros. 3 finally has a release date for the North American Wii U and 3DS Virtual Console services. Nintendo of America has confirmed that the classic NES game will launch on April 17th, priced at $4.99. Regarded by many Mario fans as one of the...
Feature Bandai Namco Characters We'd Love to See in Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS
Transcending Nintendo history and the Smash Bros. world
The development of Super Smash Bros. Brawl apparently took its toll on series creator Masahiro Sakurai, though you'd have never of guessed from his perpetually fresh-faced appearance and calm demeanour. Since Brawl's release, Kirby's creator has been rather outspoken on the stressful amount of...
News Indie Parkour Title Hover: Revolt of Gamers Slated for Wii U
Jet Set Radio x Mirror's Edge?
French indie studio Fusty Game, creator of The Secret of Space Octopuses and Super Commodore Holy Tank Soccer Deluxe (it has a way with titles), has announced via Twitter that its new game Hover: Revolt of Gamers will be coming to Wii U this year, in addition to PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, and Xbox One. Hover is a futuristic...
News JetGetters Is The Most Insane Aerial Combat Game You've Ever Seen, And Could Be Hijacking Wii U
Described as "Just Cause 2 meets Battlefield 4"
JetGetters is — in the developer's own words — "a game about jumping out of jets, and landing on other jets". A unique team-based dogfighting title by indie studio tinyBuild, it has just hit Kickstarter and a Wii U eShop edition is one of the many console-based stretch goals on offer. The concept...
Video Nintendo Approves of this Mario Kart Song
For the First Time in Forever, for you Frozen fans
It's a well-known fact that, aside from the occasional multi-platform game that many will happily ignore, Mario Kart 8's 30th May arrival is the closest major release for the Wii U. One consolation is that there is an enticing line-up of eShop games, but retail titles can still arguably get the...
News Ronimo Games: PS4 And Xbox One Are More Of The Same, But Wii U Is "Something New"
Developers behind Swords and Soldiers II shower praise on Nintendo
As we reported recently, Ronimo Games is hard at work on Swords and Soldiers II for the Wii U, a sequel to the popular Wii title. Speaking to Nintendo World Report, Ronimo's Joost van Dongen and Thomas Pathuis spoke a little about why they
Talking Point Nintendo's Major Wii U Retail Titles Can Benefit From More eShop Trials and Demos
A taste before taking the plunge
Whether you want to call them free trials or demos, the ongoing absence — for the most part — of these offerings on the Nintendo eShop stores is noticeable. What's peculiar, at least from our perspective, is why that gap exists with some of Nintendo's finest first-party releases; in an increasingly competitive...
News The Wait for Mario Kart 8 Is Filled With Sunshine in This Week's Course Update
More goodness flies into view
In recent weeks Nintendo — through social network accounts including its Wii U UK Facebook page — has been teasing out additional courses for the upcoming Mario Kart 8. As a result it's become a slightly unexpected weekend routine of skimming the previous seven days to see what new tracks are on show, and the happy...
News Latest Assassin's Creed Announcement Continues Doubts Over Wii U Inclusion
Time will tell with second AC title due this year
Ubisoft, though not universally loved by Nintendo fans due to the delay and multi-platform release of Rayman Legends, among other reasons, has offered the most consistent third-party retail support of the Wii U. As recent figures indicate, however, that support has been rewarded with dreadfully low...
News Crytek Confirms a "CRYENGINE as-a-service" Subscription Model for Small Developers
$9.90/€9.90 monthly cost per user to access latest updates
Last year we reported that Crytek's latest CRYENGINE tool-set includes support for Wii U, a welcome inclusion due to the popularity of the technology with various developers. It's a powerful engine that produces some of the strongest visuals currently available, and is utilised in some...
News Capcom Unity Celebrating Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate's Anniversary With a 12 Hour Live Stream
Monsters beware
It may not necessarily feel like it, but Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate has been available in the West for a year, celebrating the landmark on 19th March in North America and 22nd March in Europe. Whether it was the commercial smash Capcom desired or not, it's gathered a loyal, passionate following of Wii U and 3DS owners. Capcom Unity,...
Video Allow This Epic Swords & Soldiers II Trailer To Pillage Your Eyeballs
Shaping up to be quite a (Viking) saga
We recently revealed that Swords & Soldiers II is bound for the Wii U eShop, and today we can show you the first full trailer for the game, which comes complete with gameplay footage, a booming soundtrack and electrocuted livestock. You can watch the full trailer below — be sure to let us know what you...
News Images Emerge of Wii U Mario vs. Donkey Kong Tech Demo Running On Nintendo Web Framework
More exciting stuff from Nintendo at GDC 2014
With the annual GDC preparing to close, a lot of cool bits of information regarding the latest game industry happenings and developments are popping up all over the net. Nintendo has already revealed a few things this week – including the fact it’s been able to shift 7.3 million copies of Animal...
News Year of Luigi Gets Official Send-Off from Shigeru Miyamoto
Hopes we "continue to cheer on" Mario's little bro
Spring may be officially in the air today, but with it comes a bittersweet farewell. Following his announcement on 18th February that both the community and the company’s special activities would be ending, Shigeru Miyamoto brought Nintendo's Year of Luigi to an official close today through a post...
News Nintendo Considering 3DS Build of Unity Engine
Always room for more tools in the developers' shed
Nintendo's partnership with Unity Technologies has served well in attracting indie developers by making it easier to bring their games to a Wii U-specific build of the popular engine. The fact that Wii U development kits come with a free Unity license is certainly an encouraging gesture as well. So...
News Hori is Bringing Some Awesome Mario Kart 8 GamePad Skins and Mario & Luigi Wheels to Japan
We'll take them in the West, thanks
The release of Mario Kart 8 has already served up some promising pre-order choices in Europe and — to a lesser extent — in Japan. Now Hori is stepping in with some accessories in Nintendo's homeland, and we want them all. As you can see in the images below, Mario and
News Dead Pixel Entertainment Announces Sync, A Wii U Exclusive FPS Inspired By Metroid Prime
"How can we innovate an otherwise dull genre?"
Indie studio Dead Pixel Entertainment has lifted the lid on Sync, a first person shooter for the Wii U eShop which aims to channel the spirit of Metroid Prime and provide a AAA experience at a budget price. Speaking to Nintendo Enthusiast, Dead Pixel shared some details on this new title, as well as...
News Super Mario Kart Record Holder Sami Cetin Gives Some Tips and Hits the Track in Mario Kart 8
Niece and world champion Leyla Hasso takes him on
For the vast majority of Wii U owners, we suspect the 30th May release of Mario Kart 8 is a major event on their gaming calendars. It's a franchise that has consistently delivered success for Nintendo, with the most recent iterations uniting experienced gamers and enthusiastic newcomers in some...
News Pure Chess DLC Will Be Available Day One, And Won't Cost As Much As You Think
Standard game will still have three sets and environments
This week sees the launch of VooFoo's Pure Chess on Wii U and 3DS, and publisher Ripstone has dropped us a line to confirm that varied DLC for the game — which includes new pieces and locations — will be available from the moment the game goes live on the Wii U and 3DS eShop stores. Two...
News Yo-kai Watch Maintains Strong Run in Japan as 3DS Continues Battle with Vita
PS4 dips below 30,000, Wii U remains in four figures
It's Media Create charts time once again, our weekly insight into what's hot and not in Nintendo's homeland. It's a quiet week in terms of earth shattering revelations, but does continue some trends that have begun in the past few weeks. The software top 20 has a strong 3DS contingent as always,...
News Miiverse Gets a Fresh Update for Wii U and 3DS
Search options! Verified User stalking! Activity Feed screenshots!
Miiverse, the Nintendo social network where we can post doodles, screens and general thoughts on all things Nintendo, has today been updated for both Wii U and 3DS. As Nintendo had the foresight to make it a web-based platform rather than an app, in the typical sense, it means the...
News Nintendo Has "Lost Its Way" But Should Never Be Underestimated, Says Peter Molyneux
"They're super smart people"
Former Bullfrog and Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux has had plenty to say about Nintendo over the past few years, which is striking when you consider that he hasn't released a game on a Nintendo platform in quite some time. He has previously been critical of the Wii U, and even suggested that Nintendo's hardware gets in...
Wii U launch gave the chaotic project renewed focus
Little Inferno has sold a million units across all platforms since it launched in 2012, but Tomorrow Corporation's Kyle Gray still thinks he and his company could have done a better job. To that end, he has given a talk at this year's GDC about the many mistakes made during the production of the...
News Aztez Is MadWorld Meets Empire-Building Strategy, And It's Coming To Wii U
Monochrome madness
Team Colorblind has announced at this year's GDC that its brawler and strategy hybrid Aztez is coming to the Wii U eShop, as well as the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Xbox One. Aztez is described as a game of "conquest and brutality" which combines empire expansion with side-scrolling action sequences. The entire package...
News Expect Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty To Cost Around Thirty Bucks
Title has cost around $5 million to develop
Oddworld creator Lorne Lanning has been speaking to Eurogamer about his studio's forthcoming titles, and has stated that the forthcoming remake of the original game — Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty — will be one of the most expensive download-only releases on the Wii U eShop. Lanning has said that he expects...
News Mario Kart 8 Pre-Orders from Amazon Japan Get Sweet Mario or Rosalina Playing Cards
Full of win
With Mario Kart 8's release slowly creeping closer, Nintendo is gradually stepping up its pre-order marketing for multiple regions. Nintendo of Europe was first out of the gate with its Limited Edition software bundle, which includes a Spiny trophy along with the game, while the UK also has various offerings that include wheel...
Minus input "the character would have been a lot more alien and different"
When Sonic Boom was announced as a TV show, toy range and — perhaps most importantly — a game for Wii U and 3DS, there was an explosion of interest around the web. Much excitable chatter in those initial hours wasn't so much about the setting of the show of the potential...
Ninterview Legendary Designer Julian Gollop On Ghost Recon, Fire Emblem And Chaos Reborn
"Chaos Reborn would actually work really well on the Wii U"
A true veteran of the industry, British developer Julian Gollop has been making games for longer than many of this site's readers have been alive. His career started way back in 1983 with Time Lords, but it was with titles like Rebelstar and Laser Squad that he really made his name; Gollop...
News Yoshi's New Island Makes UK Chart Début in 12th Place
Avoids getting egg on its face
Last week brought us the launch of Yoshi's New Island, which was met with a decidedly mixed critical reaction. Despite that its success rests not in reviews but in the final results — its performance at retail and, of course, on the eShop. We have a chance to gauge part of its early performance courtesy of the weekly...
News Here Are Two More Mario Kart 8 Courses to Enjoy
The start line approaches
Earlier this month we shared five Mario Kart 8 courses shared by Nintendo in the form of rather presentable screenshots. We'd hoped it would be the start of a gradual reveal of many more of the upcoming tracks, yet our waiting has been rewarded with just two additional courses; the reveals stopped on 7th March. Rather than...
Video DK Breaks The Ice in These Short Tropical Freeze Animations
For your viewing pleasure
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has been out for a few weeks now and — as we reported earlier this week — it’s selling quite a few copies as well as assisting Wii U sales. Everyone’s favourite gaming ape is certainly playing his part, seemingly winning the hearts of many that play it. If you can’t seem to...
News Wii Fit U Update 1.2.0 Trims And Slims for a Better U
Addresses a few errors and adds some additional features
Regular users of Wii Fit U will have noticed a brief update when booting up the game for their, presumably, daily exercise routine yesterday. For those wondering what exactly the update to Ver. 1.2.0 addressed, it was a few minor adjustments and fixes further fine tuning of the overall...
News Nintendo Highlights Positive February Sales in the U.S. of Bravely Default and Tropical Freeze
Wii U hardware and software increase compared to February 2013
It's that time again, with the NPD results — which cover physical retail sales in the U.S. — for February starting to emerge. Nintendo has, in a surprising twist on previous months, been quick to jump into the fray with its results, no doubt due to the fact it could report positive...
News One Piece Unlimited World Red Is Sailing To Wii U And 3DS In Europe And Australia
Prepare to shiver those timbers
Namco Bandai Games has revealed that it is bringing One Piece Unlimited World Red to Wii U and 3DS consoles in Europe and Australia. Based on the massively popular manga and anime series created by Eiichiiro Oda, Unlimited World Red will showcase all the usual nautical action and adventure, fused with co-op play and...
News Nintendo Comes Up Empty at BAFTA Awards
Darn...
Nintendo's been picking up a decent number of awards in recent months, with varied winners such as Super Mario 3D World, Animal Crossing: New Leaf and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds winning in various ceremonies and multiple categories. The gravy train can't keep running forever, however, as Nintendo has been left empty-handed at...
News Pure Chess Will Checkmate Your Wii U And 3DS Very Soon Indeed
Developer VooFoo had to fine-tune the cross-platform multiplayer
There was a bit of a delay making the jump to Nintendo platforms, but Chess nuts need not wait much longer. Pure Chess publisher Ripstone has today announced that the highly anticipated digital title will finally be making its way to the 3DS and Wii U eShops on March 20th. The game...
News 3DS Faces a Renewed Vita Challenge in Japan as Home Consoles Underperform
3DS software continues strong run
It's Wednesday, so it's Media Create Japanese charts day. After a 2013 where each week could roughly be summarised as "3DS crushing all in its way", this year is shaping up to be a more competitive, dynamic contest. To begin with software, top spot is taken by PS Vita newcomer Soul Sacrifice Delta, an expanded and...
News These Nintendo Illustrations to Highlight The Wii U Difference are Just Too Good
Hardware advertising, Japanese style
It's little secret that Nintendo will be aiming to up its game, in territories all around the world, in selling the Wii U concept to the masses. We expect that these marketing efforts will retain the hallmark style for which Nintendo is famous — in other words, there'll probably be plenty of light-hearted,...
Talking Point Important Steps to Bring the 3DS and Wii U Closer Together
Do cross the streams
The Wii U is struggling. It’s a lovely looking console with some great games, but large developers whose names don’t start with “Nin” and end with “Tendo” are hardly queuing up to make software for the system, and there's little publicly visible to change that situation; the download-only scene is, thankfully, much...
Four Nintendo titles in the top 10
We often report the weekly UK and Japanese chart results here on Nintendo Life, as well as the monthly NPD results for the U.S., but there are a significant number of other valuable territories in which Nintendo is competing. It can also paint a worrying picture for European sales as titles struggle in the UK,...
News Super Mario 3D World Picks Up SXSW 2014 Best Multiplayer Game Award
Quite right, too
Super Mario 3D World has done rather well for itself, shifting a respectable number of copies, earning critical acclaim and picking up a host of award nominations and wins. We now have another to add to the list, with the delightful platformer picking up the Best Multiplayer Game award at the SXSW event this past weekend. Nintendo...
Modest performance in multi-platform releases, too
The latest UK software chart results are in, and they make worrying reading for Nintendo. With 2014 well under way and new releases increasingly arriving on multiple platforms, weekly sales of Nintendo titles — and multiplatform titles on Wii U and 3DS — are being increasingly pushed out of the...
News Extended Nintendo Network Maintenance on Wii U and 3DS Scheduled For 13th March
One month after the last Nintendo Direct...
Nintendo can be accused of many things, often unfairly, but sleeping on the online job surely isn't one of them. The current generation of Wii U and 3DS has seen the company drastically evolve and update its online infrastructure, and system maintenance has been a regular feature of just that. Sometimes...
News Nintendo Canada Unpeels The Making Of Its Tropical Freeze Contest
4835 bananas are frozen in total, breaking DK's heart
To help celebrate the launch of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, you may have heard of Nintendo Canada's pretty extravagant contest, Banana Mania. With everything having wrapped up last month, we're all now able to get a peek behind the scenes and see exactly how it was done. A video
News Former Criterion Boss Alex Ward Laments Issues With Releasing Need For Speed On Wii U
"Neither Nintendo or EA gave a s*** about it"
Criterion co-founder Alex Ward recently parted company with the studio to found his new firm, Three Fields Entertainment. Yesterday, he took to Twitter to partly explain the reasons behind this move, as well as highlighting some of the issues he and his staff faced when porting Need for Speed: Most...
News Refurbished Wii U Deluxe Systems Now $200 on Nintendo of America Site
Another temporary cut
The harsh reality is there are plenty of Wii U's out there that need loving players. A number remain boxed on store shelves, but that doesn't mean the ones that have found their ways back to Nintendo's doorstep should be ignored. For a one-time donation of $200 (plus tax and shipping, if applicable), you can invite one of...
"We wanted to be ambitious with it, be able to go full-on"
We suspect the name Watch_Dogs will prompt a similar reaction from some Wii U owners as Rayman Legends, and not in a positive way for Ubisoft. The company's decision to delay the Wii U version to arrive after other platforms unsurprisingly didn't go down well, so confirmation of a 27th May...
News Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn Wants Your Money
What the Fu?!
Last year we brought you the disturbing news that Mine O'Mine, a company owned by Shaquille O'Neal, registered a series of trademarks for possible use in video games. As Shaq Fu on the Super NES is widely regarded as a shockingly bad game, it was news to prompt shudders rather than celebrations. Well, a new game is possibly on the...
News Nintendo of Europe Confirms Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition Software Bundle
The Spiny Shell is back
With Mario Kart 8 set to be a major release for the Wii U on 30th May, Nintendo of Europe has now started its engines on building hype and encouraging pre-orders. Having confirmed Super Mario Kart for the Wii U Virtual Console, along with a tempting eShop discount, it's also outlined physical retail options to tempt you to...
News SNES Classic Super Mario Kart Is Racing To The Wii U Virtual Console This Month
Download and get a discount on the cost of Mario Kart 8
Nintendo UK has announced that Super Mario Kart will be hitting the European Wii U Virtual Console later this month — March 27th, to be precise. What's more, as part of a special promotion in the run up to the release of Mario Kart 8, if you download Super Mario Kart you will receive a...
Video The Top 20 Wii U Games So Far - Part Two
How many have you played?
So, with part one of our exciting rundown of the best Wii U retail titles available right now under our belts, there's only one thing left for us to do — run part two. Our video expert Rory Cocker is once again in the director's chair, so if you have any issues whatsoever with the running order, please send your hate...
News Disney Infinity Executive Producer Discusses Wii Version's Limitations
Won't be drawn on future Wii support
Disney Infinity arrived late last year with a big task on its hands to take on the all conquering Skylanders franchise from Activision, yet it's had a solid start — it was one of the top 10 selling games in the U.S. in 2013, and has enjoyed spells of out-selling its major rival. With its Toy Box mode and...
Video Check Out The New Free Fall Map In Call of Duty: Ghosts
Free Fall, free-for-all
Well, looky here, if it isn't that most precious of treasures — a piece of DLC for a Wii U game! The online community for Call of Duty: Ghosts may not exactly be thriving on Wii U, but Activision has nevertheless treated us to a piece of free downloadable content in the shape of a brand new theatre of war. Free Fall is the...
Video This Pier Solar HD Teaser Trailer Will Make You Weep Tears Of 16-Bit Joy
HD update of WaterMelon's retro RPG is shaping up nicely
Pier Solar HD is one of those Wii U eShop titles that we simply can't wait to get our hands on, having already played and enjoyed the Mega Drive / Genesis original. Developer WaterMelon has now released a new teaser for the HD edition, which not only ties in with the game's arrival on Steam...
News Harvest Moon: Connect To A New World Dominates for 3DS in Japan
Hardware sales for the region aren't pretty as PS4 drops
The latest Media Create Japanese chart results are in, and they have some interesting numbers to consider. Software sees the latest Harvest Moon title enjoy an impressive début, while a substantial drop in the PS4 system's sales — which some reports suggest is due to stock shortages — is...
News Nicalis Boss Tyrone Rodriguez Thinks The Wii U GamePad Is "A Waste Of Time And Resources"
"I'd sure regret wasting $100+ on a second-screen that no one uses"
Anyone who has played Nintendo Land will know how much fun the concept of asymmetrical gaming can be, but it's fair to say that too few games have really exploited the potential of the Wii U GamePad's second screen. Clearly, coming up with unique concepts and new ideas takes time...
News Activision Fires Free Fall DLC Onto Call of Duty: Ghosts for Wii U
And it's free, free Free Fall
When Activision released Call of Duty: Ghosts, it was well known long before it even arrived that there'd be plenty of DLC and updates to rope you into playing the game well beyond that initial release buzz. Wii U owners have received a number of updates to improve the game's performance, but until now DLC has been...
News The Next Batman Game Is Arkham Knight, And No, There Won't Be A Wii U Version
Or a PS3 or 360 edition, for that matter
UK retailer Game has leaked the next instalment in the Batman "Arkham" series, which goes by the name of Batman: Arkham Knight. The retailer only lists the game as coming to the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. There's no reference to a PS3, Xbox 360 or — you guessed it — Wii U iteration of the title. Given the...
News Let's Gaze With Admiration At Five New Courses for Mario Kart 8
Flipping it around
Considering the notable success of its predecessor and the fact that we've thoroughly enjoyed our limited hands-on time with it so far, there's little doubt that current and prospective owners Wii U are keeping a close eye on Mario Kart 8. Much is yet to be revealed — such as the online and multiplayer modes, the potential...
News Latest PS4 Sales Figures Take it Past Wii U Life-to-Date Q3 Total
Momentum suggests current or imminent overtake
While we may have acknowledged — with a cheeky wink — the recent landmark of the Wii U sales surpassing those of Xbox 360 in Japan, the latest worldwide figures in the current generation remind us that, in terms of a sales footrace, Nintendo has already lost much of its advantage of launching a year...
News Special Mario Kart 8 Event Racing Towards SXSW on 7th March
Nintendo of America and Pennzoil strike a deal
Has there ever been a series that so perfectly captures the mayhem of racing games like everyone’s favourite plumber and his red shell collection? The short answer is arguably no, and this May will see Nintendo’s front man return to the track in Mario Kart 8. All new racers, all new tracks, all new...
News The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Will Be Creeping To European Wii U And 3DS Consoles This May
Slightly behind the North American release date
Activision has revealed that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be hitting Europe on May 2nd — just after the North American launch of April 29th, which coincides with the release of the movie in that region. The free-roaming action adventure is launching on a variety of consoles, including the Wii U and...
News NES-Style Action Title Insanity's Blade Is Cutting A Bloody Path To The Wii U eShop
Creator Causal Bit Games is now approved for Wii U development
Last year, Canadian studio Causal Bit Games successfully kickstarted the excellently-named Insanity's Blade, a tribute to the 8-bit hack-and-slash platformers of yesteryear. Boasting action and RPG elements and 18 different levels to conquer, the game also features a VCR6-based...
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