Wii U News
July2013
Feature A Brief History of Pikmin
Three down, more surely to come
Pikmin 3, after a lengthy development period, is now beginning to grace Wii U systems around the world, and is clearly a source of great pride for Shigeru Miyamoto. The famous Nintendo designer has described it as the "ultimate version of Pikmin 1", and to date it's received substantial critical praise, including a...
News The Wonderful 101's Download Will Grab Over 10GB of Precious Hard Drive Space
Put the kettle on
While Pikmin 3 is all the rage on the Wii U in Europe right now, with North America soon to follow, PlatinumGames will be bringing its own brand of anarchic action and real-time strategy to the system with The Wonderful 101; it arrives in Europe on 23rd August and the U.S. on 15th September. For those looking to pick up the...
Rumour Nintendo Planning a Wind Waker HD Hardware Bundle
Pokémon X & Y 3DS XL bundles, too
So, let's all get some salt to hand. Ready? According to a cheeky rumour-merchant that claims to have access to the inventory system at a "major system retailer" in the U.S., Nintendo is planning a Wii U hardware bundle with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, as well as red and blue 3DS XL bundles with...
First Impressions Disney Infinity
To Infinity and beyond
To be completely fair and totally honest, these are not our first impressions of Disney Infinity for the Wii U. Our first impressions came to mind long before we had a chance to play the game, and they were assuredly similar, if not identical, to most people’s thoughts. Our first impressions of Disney Infinity were something...
News SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton's Robotic Revenge Confirmed For Wii U, Wii, 3DS And DS
Five player co-op will feature on the Wii U version
Activision and Nickelodeon have announced everyone's favourite water-absorbing sea creature will be starring in a new game later this year known as SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton's Robotic Revenge. The game will be released on Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS - as well as other platforms - and is being...
News Nintendo Finally Confirms Call of Duty: Ghosts Is Coming To Wii U
At last, we know the truth
It's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Call of Duty: Ghosts in relation to the Wii U version. Infinity Ward executive producer Mark Rubin confirmed the game will be making its way to the Wii U during a stage show with Gamespot during E3, with the game previously being leaked by certain retailers. Fiv
News There's a Day One Pikmin 3 Update Waiting For You
Or day -1 for you sneaky pre-order or eShop types
Pikmin 3 hits Europe on 26th July, though some gamers have taken the chance to pick it up early by redeeming download codes sold by GAME. Well, for those already playing and those patiently waiting until launch day, there's an update waiting. This has only popped up very recently, as we fired the...
News Masahiro Sakurai Rules Out Story Sequences For Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS
Blames online leaks of Brawl CG videos
While not necessarily loved by everyone, the Subspace Emissary adventure in Super Smash Bros. Brawl was undoubtedly loved by some, with a fairly lengthy campaign and a bonkers storyline incorporating a broad spectrum of characters. While Masahiro Sakurai has stated there'll be some form of single-player...
News Wii U Finally Hits One Million Sales in Japan
It's a marathon, not a sprint
The Wii U has had a tough opening eight months on the market, which doesn't rule out the system's prospects but, nevertheless, has been a source of disappointment for Nintendo as it's missed various sales targets. While it may not be moving the number of units that the company would hope, it's nevertheless reached a...
News Gamers in Europe Can Download Pikmin 3 Now By Picking Up A Code From GAME
Redeem the code for an early Pikmin fix
Pikmin 3 will be available to buy from stores or download from the Wii U eShop this Friday in Europe but eager players can get hold of it sooner as UK-based retailer GAME is selling and distributing eShop codes right now. Although GAME are based in the UK, anyone living in Europe can buy the code from them and...
Talking Point F-Zero GX HD Could Boost the Franchise onto Wii U
We're ready
While Nintendo makes great efforts to release high quality Mario, Zelda and Kirby games on a regular basis, the development of games in the Metroid, Star Fox and F-Zero franchises, for example, is approached more cautiously. In the case of F-Zero, Nintendo's reluctance to create further sequels seems to stem from fears that the series...
News Mario & Luigi Has a Dreamy Japanese Chart Debut, Wii U Hardware Sales Drop by a Third
3DS hardware SKUs occupy both top spots
It's Media Create Sales time in Japan, which is our weekly insight into the best-selling software and hardware in Nintendo's homeland. Once again the 3DS rules the roost, even if last week's pleasing jump in Wii U hardware sales has dropped away in Pikmin 3's first full week in the market. In terms of...
Video Here's Some Pikmin 3 Direct Feed Footage To Tide You Over
Treasure collection and enemy battling awaits
Pikmin 3 launches in Europe this week and hits North America at the start of August. If you're an avid follower of the site you'll be aware that we've already passed judgement, awarding a 9/10 score and showering it with plenty of praise. To tide you over until the launch date comes around we've...
Video Ubisoft Shows Off Splinter Cell Blacklist and Assassin's Creed IV
Gearing up for blockbuster season
As the busy season of game releases — on Wii U and all platforms — gets ever closer, publishers will give us more and more teasers and footage to tempt us into picking their games abover others. Ubisoft is no different, and as a publisher bringing a number of triple-A titles to the Wii U, it's got some games to...
News Wii U And 3DS Developers Share Their Thoughts On Region Locking
"Region Locking is a self-damaging form of DRM"
Region locking has been something of a hot topic recently, with both Sony and Microsoft confirming that their next consoles would be region-free, allowing buyers to play games from anywhere in the world. That means that Nintendo is the only one of the "big three" which continues to utilise region locks...
Weirdness So Tyrion Lannister Got To Play Some Wii U At Comic-Con
Along with a host of other television stars
When you want to promote your latest console and its software, there's really no better way than to get a load of famous people to play it and take some photos of them. Nintendo adhered to this time-honoured strategy at this year's San Diego Comic-Con by gathering a bunch of TV stars on a yacht and forcing...
News Shigeru Miyamoto Reportedly Hints at Pikmin 3 DLC
Cough up for more Pikmin goodness
Pikmin 3 is just days away in Europe, while North America doesn't have too long to wait before its long awaiting arrival on the Wii U. As you may have read in our Pikmin 3 review we were very impressed, sharing our view that it's "beautifully crafted and filled to the brim with exciting gameplay features". With a...
Feature Our Favourite Wii U and 3DS Smash Bros. Screens So Far
Smashing stuff (geddit?)
So the new Super Smash Bros. titles on Wii U and 3DS may only have a vague "planned release" for 2014 — which hopefully won't become "erm, maybe it'll be 2015" — but that doesn't mean that we're not getting regular doses of brawling goodness. In fact, Masahiro Sakurai has been regularly picking in-development screens for...
News Nintendo Not Accepting Independent Wii U Developers Based in Japan "At This Time"
GDC form rules studios out
Update: Nintendo has issued the following statement to Eurogamer, which unfortunately says relatively little. Ultimately, it's the decision of each regional body of Nintendo to decide on licensing policies, so this is a decision squarely on the shoulders of the Japanese licensing department. The policy in question is...
News Nintendo Comments On EarthBound's Inflated Pricing
"Different games will be offered at different prices"
As you're probably aware, EarthBound hit the Wii U Virtual Console last week. This SNES classic was one of the most-requested titles during the Wii era, and many believed it would never see the light of day in the west. Thankfully Nintendo surprised us all, and not only that, they produced a...
News Phineas And Ferb: Quest for Cool Stuff Begins on 13th August
On Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS
What do you do when you have a quirky, successful and relatively long-running cartoon on the Disney Channel? You release a video game, of course, with confirmation today that the Majesco-developed Phineas and Ferb: Quest for Cool Stuff will arrive on the Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS in North America on 13th August. That's not...
News Ben 10: Omniverse 2 Coming Later This Year on Wii U, Wii And 3DS
A new trailer emerges at Comic-Con
Ben 10: Omniverse was a Wii U launch title and it appears to have done well enough as a sequel will be coming later this year, courtesy of D3Publsiher and Cartoon Network. The original was also on Wii and 3DS and both these platforms are being supported again. Appropriately titled Ben 10: Omniverse 2, this...
Should you Pik(min) this up?
Nine years. That's how long it has been since a new Pikmin game has graced a Nintendo system. With the exception of two motion control-enhanced re-releases which proved how suited the franchise was to the Wii, a new entry in the series was conspicuously absent from the system's line-up. Nevertheless, Pikmin 3 is finally...
News LEGO Marvel Super Heroes To Feature Stan Lee as a Playable Character
And lots of others, naturally
In the coming months we're going to see an epic face-off, of sorts. Nope, we're not talking about the Wii U vs Xbox One vs PS4, or even 3DS vs anything with a small-ish screen, but a battle between superheroes for the public's affections. Yep, we have Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure coming to the Wii U and...
News Pikmin 3 Shifts Slightly More Copies Than The Original in First Week in Japan
Naturally, it sold less than Pikmin 2
Pikmin 3 was released in Japan last week and new data from Media Create has shown it has sold a respectable number of copies. The folks at Siliconera have put together a little comparison chart showing how the third game in the series sold in relation to its two predecessors. As we know, Pikmin 3 sold 92,720...
Video DC Comics Shows Off the Hero Creator in Scribblenauts Unmasked
We'd love a SuperBat, ourselves
In what's becoming an increasingly regular franchise, Warner Bros. is preparing to release 5th Cell's Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure in North America on 24th September; due to the ongoing absence of Scribblenauts Unlimited in Europe, it's hard to tell when it'll actually arrive on the other side of the...
Soapbox The 8-Bit Era Laid the Groundwork, but Modern Day Progress Shouldn't be Discounted
Tom feels that enjoying both retro and modern games is vital
This week we've published a few features to celebrate the Famicom's 30th Anniversary. It's an extraordinary landmark, particularly because so many games from the 8-bit machine are still treasured to this day, many of which are deserving because they're enormous fun. I think there's...
News Soul Calibur II HD Online Not Announced For Wii U
Well that's Link out of the equation
Namco Bandai has revealed an HD remake of Soul Calibur II is in development for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but there's been absolutely no mention of a Wii U adaptation. Soul Calibur II was originally on the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox and each iteration had its own special character. Nintendo fans had the...
News Female Version of Copperhead To Feature in Batman: Arkham Origins
She's a slippery one
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is in attendance at the San Diego Comic Con where it is showing off its upcoming title Batman: Arkham Origins. During the event, a new character was revealed in the form of Copperhead, who isn't typically a Batman antagonist but is a DC supervillain all the same. This rendition seems to be...
News Sonic Lost World Has a Casino Stage, And it Looks Kind of Fun
Addicted to the slots
Sonic Lost World is a title that's starting to shape up rather nicely, particularly with plenty of footage and images emerging for the Wii U version; while Sonic fans have every right to be cautious of the blue blur in a 3D game, early impressions have generally been positive. The title has been on show at Comic-Con in San...
News Retailer Listings and Comic-Con Reveal New Figures for Skylanders Swap Force
Prepare your bank accounts
Skylanders Swap Force, the latest entry in the hugely successful toy-based Activision series, is getting ever closer to its October release on Wii U, Wii, 3DS and other consoles. As it approaches we can look forward to details on what new figures will be available and in what waves, though it seems that a combination of...
News Nintendo Reporting Technical Difficulties in Online Services
Update: Issues now resolved
Nintendo has now updated its status messages in North America and Europe to state that its network services are once again operating normally, after a downtime of one hour and 25 minutes. Original article: Nintendo has posted a network status update for North America and Europe advising that there are currently issues...
News Satoru Iwata Aims for "Critical Mass" of Wii U Owners to Shift Perceptions
Also talks up the performance of the 3DS and eShop
Satoru Iwata has fielded plenty of questions about the Wii U and 3DS in recent months, with the latter providing some welcome positivity against what Nintendo itself regards as a poor 2013 for the Wii U. Of course a rough patch doesn't doom a system, as the 3DS demonstrates, and we're approaching...
Video Learn the Pikmin 3 Basics
You don't just charge, regardless of what U.S. trailers tell you
Nintendo UK has been producing a series of short videos to introduce gamers to Pikmin 3, which arrives in Europe on 26th July; it's worth bearing in mind that not all current and prospective Wii U owners will have experienced the GameCube originals or Wii re-releases. The latest video...
Video New Wonderful 101 Trailer Explains Techniques of Teamwork
Also shows a future of enormous, snaking school buses
Included within today’s Nintendo Direct Mini, a new trailer for The Wonderful 101 delves a bit more into the story behind the versatile team and their capabilities thanks to a secret agent-sounding voiceover. The combat agents of the Wonderful 100 (the extra 1, of course, is you) were...
News Just 3% of All Ubisoft's Sales Came From Wii U in Q2 2013
To be fair, it hasn't released a game on it for over 6 months
Ubisoft has held its latest earnings call where it stated it was pleased with the number of pre-orders for the upcoming Xbox One and PlayStation 4. During the call, the company's CEO Yves Guillemot revealed that just 3% of its total sales in the second quarter of 2013 were from Wii U,...
Video New Nintendo Direct Mini Broadcasts Released - July 2013
Check them out here
In what's rapidly becoming a rather busy day for fans of the big N, there are all new Mini Nintendo Direct broadcasts to enjoy, released right onto YouTube. Both the European and North American regions have their own variations, with subtle differences between the announcements. In both cases Earthbound is saved as the finale,...
Soapbox When It Comes To Software Support, The Grass Isn't Always Greener
Damien McFerran feels that all the Wii U needs is more Nintendo titles
During the Wii U’s relatively short time on the market one of the hottest topics has been the lack of third-party support. After the initial promises made by many publishers the console has largely been left out to dry, with many notable multiplatform titles bypassing the...
News Details of Nintendo's GDC Europe Sessions Are Confirmed
It's all about Unity, HTML and Javascript on Wii U
Just recently we reported that Nintendo is not only attending GDC (Game Developers Conference) Europe for the first time in Cologne, but that it's hosting two special sessions, though details weren't confirmed on what those sessions would cover. Both have now been confirmed, and are targeted at...
Video Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Slips Into View
Sonic and Peach, Bowser and Doctor Eggman, cats and dogs
While the main event — that we know of — for Nintendo's three game SEGA partnership is undoubtedly Sonic Lost World on Wii U and 3DS, we also have the snappily-titled Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games to look forward to. We don't have a firm release date yet, but it...
News Angry Birds Star Wars Confirmed for Wii U, Wii and 3DS
That's impossible!
So, who wants to buy a smartphone game for a retail price? Well step on up, games fans, because Angry Birds Star Wars is coming to Wii U, Wii and 3DS; tough luck, DS owners. Once again Rovio's iOS and Android phenomenon is being brought to consoles by Activision, with a North American release date set for 29th October and a global...
Video New Splinter Cell Blacklist Trailer Gets Dramatic
Cue orchestra, explosions, shooting sounds, and ACTION!
Splinter Cell Blacklist is now just one month away from performing a stealth kill on the Wii U launch library, one of a decent number of Ubisoft multi-platform titles coming to the system. This one also promises to make use of the GamePad in interesting ways, which seems perfect for a sneaky...
News Michel Ancel: Working on Wii U Provided the "Main Excitement" for Rayman Legends
"Perhaps people are not as fast" to grasp Nintendo's innovation
Michel Ancel is a vital creative leader at Ubisoft, and enjoys a level of popularity with some fans not always reserved for his employers. He's also the project leader for Rayman Legends, the former Wii U exclusive that's endured delays in order to accommodate a multi-platform release;...
News Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW! Confirmed For European Release
Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby In 8-Bit Land is coming too
A couple of months back D3Publisher and Cartoon Network revealed WayForward would be making two new titles in the form of Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW! and Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby In 8-Bit Land. The former will be coming to Wii U and 3DS, while the...
Talking Point Pikmin 3 Shows the First Shoots of the Wii U's Planned Recovery
It's a marathon, not a sprint
For a number of months now we've reported on sales success stories for the 3DS and often had an accompanying Wii U line saying something like "X had a quiet debut week, hardware sales still struggling". Another common refrain, this time instigated by Nintendo itself, has been "the games are coming, the fightback will...
We find out why the one-time Wii U exclusive remains a key title
Following Ubisoft's decision to delay the launch of Rayman Legends on Wii U and take the game multi-platform, many Nintendo fans were so irate they insisted that they would be boycotting the release come August (or September if you're in North America) time. Sadly, the negative...
News Pikmin 3 Makes Japanese Chart Debut at Number One, Boosts Wii U Hardware Sales
Light on the horizon
The Wii U has endured a largely consistent loss of momentum in 2013, which a release lineup that — despite some excellent titles — has largely failed to inspire substantial sales. Nintendo has, unsurprisingly, lined up a significant range of titles for the second half of 2013, starting off with Pikmin 3. The latest title in...
News Pikmin 3 Causes Wii U Sales Growth In Japan
Launch sales comparable to those of New Super Mario Bros. U
Pikmin 3 launched this week in Japan, and appears to have had the desired effect on the Wii U's retail health. According to Japanese store Tsutaya, the sequel is selling very well indeed and has triggered "greater sales" of its host console. Here's Taketo Matsuo, Tsutaya’s Director of...
Video Sonic Busts Out Some Colours Moves in This New Lost World Trailer
Dashes into North America on 22nd October
Sonic Lost World is the biggest part — that we know of to date — of Nintendo's three game exclusivity deal with SEGA, and it looks rather promising. It won't be the first time that SEGA's mascot has been exclusive to Nintendo's systems, with Sonic Colours certainly accumulating fans for its Wii and DS...
Video Assassin's Creed IV Takes to the High Seas and Blows Stuff Up
Blast 'em, Cap'n!
While it's tempting to get carried away and focus almost exclusively on the titles that Nintendo's bringing to the Wii U in the second half of 2013, there are also some fairly tasty offerings from third-parties to look forward to. One of these is Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag, the latest entry in the flagship — geddit? —...
News Warner Bros. Announces The LEGO Movie Videogame For Wii U And 3DS
Get ready to build more blocks next year
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games have revealed The LEGO Movie Videogame, a brand new title set to launch on the Wii U and 3DS in 2014 alongside the release of the upcoming film, The LEGO Movie. You take control of the game's protagonist, Emmet, who is a less than average, normal guy going...
News European Development Support For Nintendo Systems Lags Behind Rivals
Smartphones and tablets are the biggest priorities
In just over a month Cologne, Germany will host Game Developers Conference Europe (GDC) — 19th to 21st August — before Gamescom kicks off shortly afterwards from 21st to 25th August. After being a no-show at the latter event last year Nintendo has confirmed its attendance this time around, while...
Video This New Pikmin 3 Trailer Goes For Realism, Sort Of
All you need is a whistle
The release of Pikmin 3 creeps ever closer, and considering just how long a new entry in the series has been in demand, we should surely be getting rather excited about it. It's also a brand-new Wii U game to sink our teeth into, and is a title about which Shigeru Miyamoto has been particularly enthusiastic; it's become...
News Nintendo UK Is Taking The Wii U And 3DS On Tour This Summer
Soak up the sun, play some Mario Kart
Nintendo UK has confirmed that it will be attending a variety of Summer events to promote software for its Wii U and 3DS consoles. The Wii U Den Tour will kick off at the Sunderland Air Show at the end of this month, and will give attendees the opportunity to get their hands on Nintendo's latest home console...
News Satoru Iwata Refutes Claim That Nintendo Is "Suffering" Right Now
Experience counts for a lot in this game
Nintendo's in a funny place right now. The 3DS is doing great, but business types will point out that it's tracking below where the DS was at the same point in its lifespan. The Wii U — the successor to one of the most popular home consoles of all time — is struggling, with dismal sales and a lack of...
News Ubisoft Will Only Make Games That Can Be Turned Into Franchises
The policy must have come in after ZombiU...
Ubisoft has plenty of titles coming up for Wii U and all of them are installments of a franchise, apart from one - Watch_Dogs. However, that may not be the case for very long as the French publisher has said it will only be producing new titles that can become franchises, such is the volatility of the...
News 3DS UK Success in 2013 Offset by Abysmal Wii U Figures
A lot of ground to make up
As we're now into July — and melting in a heat wave to suit the time of year — sales data has emerged for UK video game sales in the first six months of the year. Gamasutra has broken down the key data as published in MCV magazine, and from Nintendo's perspective it's a tale of two platforms on very different...
News Pikmin 3 Will Support The Use Of The Regular Wii Remote
Plenty of control methods
There are quite a number of control options for the highly anticipated Pikmin 3; the Wii U GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk, and now it's been confirmed that you can use the standard Wii Remote and Nunchuk. In our first impressions of the game, we were only able to test it out with the Wii Remote...
Your View Predicting "Brand-New Types of Games" for Wii U is Rather Tricky
Whatever they are, they'll be welcome
Following comments made to investors during a Q & A session, Satoru Iwata got Nintendo gamers talking by suggesting that "brand-new types of games" are coming to the Wii U during 2013 and 2014, not yet announced in order to have maximum impact and avoid rivals copying the ideas. Some may speculate that these...
News Codemasters: F1 2013 Would Need To Be "A Very Different Game" To Run On Wii U
Don't hold your breath for a Nintendo version, then
F1 2013 — the latest entry in the popular motor racing series from UK publisher Codemasters — is being revealed today. Given that F1 Race Stars has recently been ported to the Wii U, it's understandable that many Nintendo petrol heads are hopeful that this sequel will get the same treatment...
News Ubisoft: Nintendo Has The Brand Power To Turn Wii U Around
CEO Yves Guillemot is a fan of second-screen gaming
The whole Rayman Legends saga has sullied Ubisoft's name with a lot of Wii U owners, but the fact is that the French publisher has stuck with Nintendo's console for longer than most. Watch_Dogs and Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag — two of the company's biggest 2013 releases — are both destined...
News Capcom To Share More Details On Upcoming Titles At San Diego Comic Con
Batman: Arkham Origins and Assassin's Creed IV will also be there
Comic Con International 2013 will be taking place in San Diego this week and Capcom will have a large presence at the event. The publisher will be showing off a range of titles for a mixture of platforms and will also be holding panels focusing on specific games. Phoenix Wright: Ace...
News Calm Night of Snowfall Turns To Crowdsourcing To Fund Wii U Version
It's cold outside
Spanish indie developer Unnamed Stdio has set up a crowdsourcing campaign for its upcoming title Calm Night of Snowfall. It's a first person survival horror game set in a wintery urban environment that, according to the developer, "hates you". Based on that, it could be Paris, but it's likely to be a fictional city as each time...
News Pikmin 3 is Playable Next Weekend At GameStop or EB Games
Pre-order a digital copy to get it a day early
During E3 Nintendo gave people in the US the opportunity to head down to a participating Best Buy store to play some of the games that were shown off during the special Nintendo Direct. The company is now running a similar scheme dedicated to the upcoming title Pikmin 3. Reggie Fils-Aime, President of...
Soapbox Retail Games Cost Too Much To Download From The eShop
Dazza lets off Steam about the cost to download
Nintendo has to be applauded for fully embracing the digital age with the launch of the Wii U eShop. Most retail games are available for download from day one (well at least the ones I would consider buying anyway!) and for some, it’s a pretty convenient way to get the latest game. The 3DS has been...
News Shigeru Miyamoto Optimistic About The Future of Wii U
Pikmin 3 will be followed by more great titles
Nintendo has been having a bit of a rough time with the Wii U in all worldwide regions but the company hopes to improve this in the future with the release of some stellar first and third party titles. In an interview with Japanese gaming website 4Gamer, Shigeru Miyamoto admitted things hadn't gone...
News Precursor Games Relaunching Shadow of the Eternals Kickstarter Campaign
It's set to emerge from the shadows on 25th July
Precursor Games has announced it will relaunch its crowdfunding campaign for Shadow of the Eternals on 25th July using Kickstarter. In the message posted on its website, the developer revealed there will be some contests and two podcast shows, one run by the studio that will feature developer...
News Nintendo Wanted To Take A Different Approach To DLC With New Super Luigi U
A distinct move away from the packs found in New Super Mario Bros. 2
New Super Luigi U has been available to download from the Wii U eShop for a short while and has breathed new life into New Super Mario Bros. U. Although, technically deemed DLC, it's a much longer experience than the downloadable software added to New Super Mario Bros. 2 and this...
News Pikmin Hero Captain Olimar Joins The Smash Bros. Roster On Wii U And 3DS
Face plant
Captain Olimar and his gang of loyal Pikmin have joined the ranks of the new Smash Bros. title, which is currently in development for the Wii U and 3DS. Judging from the screens shown below — taken from the Wii U version — Olimar can hurl his plant-like soldiers at enemies, just like he does in the Pikmin game series.
News Ubisoft - Splinter Cell: Blacklist A "Great Fit" For Wii U
Sam Fisher will be sneaking in next month
Ubisoft Toronto is only a few years old and is close to releasing its first title Splinter Cell: Blacklist on a range of consoles including the Wii U. The game will feature a co-op mode, which will be available on all versions, while the GamePad will be ut
News Still No Word On Scribblenauts Unlimited EU Release, Despite Unmasked Announcement
Will Europe ever see the game?
Yesterday we reported on Scribblenauts Unmasked, the next instalment in 5th Cell's popular series. Its prequel, Scribblenauts Unlimited, remains unreleased in Europe following its last-minute delay back in February. The game has been available in North America since last year. Following the announcement of Unmasked,...
News Platinum's Hideki Kamiya Claims He Doesn't Own A Wii U
Also takes to Twitter to confirm The Wonderful 101 Nintendo Direct
Platinum's Hideki Kamiya is the kind of guy who probably shouldn't be allowed a Twitter account. He's made some pretty strong statements in the past and seems to delight in winding up people who send him inane comments on the popular social network site, often forcing fellow Platinum...
News Wii U Summer System Update Pushed Back To The Fall
Update v3.1.0 U available now, but it's not the big one
Nintendo has pushed update v3.1.0 U to Wii U consoles worldwide, but it's not the big Summer update we were all expecting — that now seems to have been delayed until later in the year. v3.1.0 U comes with some stability and performance upgrades, and permits SpotPass to function even while...
Review Star Wars Pinball (Wii U eShop)
Laugh it up, pinball
If the Disneyland Star Tours attraction was systematically dismantled and reassembled by brilliant maniacs who love tabletop arcade games a whole lot, it would surely be a perfect doppelganger to Star Wars Pinball. The creators of Zen Pinball and Pinball FX have somehow managed to stuff all the joy and adventure of Star Wars...
News Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem Set For Modern Times "In The Real World"
"Imagine a Pegasus that lands on Building 109 of Shibuya, Tokyo", blimey
Earlier today we published comments from Nintendo's Hitoshi Yamagami, outlining that a standalone Fire Emblem title on Wii U would need to sell around 700,000 copies to cover development costs. That wouldn't be an issue for something like Fire Emblem: Awakening on 3DS, but that...
News Shigeru Miyamoto Emphasizes That New Experiences, and a New Franchise, Are Keeping Him Busy
When Mario Kart 8 arrives a "whole lineup" will be in place
Since E3 2013, Nintendo's made a big play of lining up an extensive range of regular Wii U releases for the remainder of 2013, along with Mario Kart 8 for Spring 2014 and a range of other titles — such as Super Smash Bros. slated for a broader 2014 arrival. Nintendo has also intrigued us...
Soapbox Why We Should Expect More From The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
Rory Cocker gets on his high Hyrulian horse about Nintendo's remaster
The Zelda community is almost infamously inflammatory and prone to knee-jerk reactions. I should know; I’m part of it. From my brief stint at this site, though, I’ve noticed that the Nintendo Life readership – that’s your fine selves – is a bit more level headed and...
News Nintendo: Wii U Fire Emblem Would Need To Sell 700K To Justify The Effort
Playing the numbers game
Fire Emblem: Awakening has sold extremely well on 3DS, but there will be many people who dearly want to see the franchise come to the Wii U. According to Nintendo's (not Intelligent Systems, as we previously stated) Hitoshi Yamagami, such a version would need to shift 700,000 copies to cover the cost of development. Given...
News Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure to Save the World on 24th September
In North America, anyway
Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure is the next entry in the popular franchise coming to both Wii U and 3DS, which will be the only gaming platforms aside from PC to enjoy the title. It also see the series dive off into licensed territory for the first time, as it begins an assumed campaign to build a similar...
Talking Point Why Interactive eBooks are a Perfect Fit for Wii U
They can include video, audio and even games themselves
So, new ideas for the Wii U, how about those? It's our topic for the community's next "Your View" feature over on the forums, and something we considered ourselves in terms of brand-new types of games for the system. Of course with Wii U it's all about games right now, as the
News Miyamoto: HD Development "Took More Time Than Originally Anticipated"
Pikmin 3 was delayed for extra polishing
Shigeru Miyamoto has said working on Pikmin 3 has been a blast for him, but the upgrade to HD for it and other titles may have been more work than Nintendo originally anticipated. According to Gamasutra, Miyamoto explained to shareholders at their most recent meeting that higher-rate v
News Investment Expert Feels Nintendo Earnings Miss Will Trigger Multi-Platform Approach
Investors should buy now and reap the benefits later
Global investment firm Jefferies & Co's Atul Goyal has recommended that investors pick up Nintendo shares in the expectation of big profits should the Japanese company fail to meet its proposed operating profit of 100 billion Yen. Goyal's opinion is that Nintendo's failure to meet its targets...
Talking Point The Wii U Has Plenty of Opportunities for "Brand-New Types of Games"
That "strong impact in the market" could be crucial
At the end of last week Nintendo released the official translations of Satoru Iwata's most recent investor Q & A, giving us an insight into Nintendo's current standing with that audience and providing some useful teases of information on what's to come. These meetings are intriguing as, in a...
News Ubisoft CEO Admits ZombiU Sales Were Disappointing, No Plans For Sequel
Staying dead
Despite rumours that a sequel is in the works, it would appear that ZombiU won't be turning into a franchise — at least not solely on the Wii U. Speaking to GamesIndustry International, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has revealed that the game was "not profitable" and that there are "no plans" — or even the desire — to make a...
Video Learn About New Pikmin 3 Types in This Nintendo UK Series
Cute and effective
Pikmin 3 is now surprisingly close to its European release on 26th July, while North Americans only have a little longer to wait until 4th August. As the first firing shot in what Nintendo plans to be a bombardment of top-notch titles to shift Wii U units, we can expect plenty of hype and build-up. Naturally, not all current and...
Video New Project CARS Footage Gets Down to Nuts and Bolts
Making a big play of visuals
Slightly Mad Studios has been making a lot of noise about Project CARS, with plenty of focus on its visuals, realism, community involvement and an assurance that the Wii U won't get a "crappy" version. If a title's quality was determined by hype and positive intention, then this one would be a guaranteed success. Of...
News SteamWorld Dig Dev: Wii U Is "Very Powerful", But Nintendo Is Struggling To Explain Its Appeal
Studio has ideas in the works for the console
Brjann Sigurgeirsson — CEO of Image & Form — has been talking to Nintendo Difference about his company's forthcoming 3DS title SteamWorld Dig, and was predictably asked about the chances of it coming to the Wii U eShop. He replied: We are still considering SteamWorld Dig for Wii U, but I also...
News Trivia Title Know Your Friends Is Crashing The Wii U Party
Sex, booze and violence all included, apparently
We all like to think that we're intimately familiar with the secrets of our closest pals, but how much do you really know about what goes on inside the heads of your lifelong friends? Finding out is the aim of party trivia game Know Your Friends, and soon Wii U owners will be able to join in the fun...
News Hideki Kamiya Believes The Wonderful 101 Won't Need DLC
Platinum Games is squeezing a lot into it
The Wonderful 101 is one of the biggest third party Wii U exclusives of the year and it is tantalisingly close to being released now. It's set to emerge on 23rd August in Europe and 15th September in North America and the team at Platinum Games is hard at work implementing the finishing touches. A few Wii U...
News Iwata: Third Party Wii U Launch Titles Could Not Enjoy Brisk Sales As Many Were Ports
Boosting the install base is still the key to future success
Much has been made of the lack of Wii U support from third party developers since the system's launch last year. While publishers such as Ubisoft are still generating content for the console in order to boost the install base, others have stated they won't be bringing games to Wii U until...
News Freedom Factory's Bloodbath Coming to Wii U
It's a bloody Hack'n'Slash
The Wii U's games library has had a decent mix, to date, of bright and cheerful titles and, in some cases, violent mature games. The latter may have been ports, for the most part, but those with a bit of bloodlust have had opportunities to scratch that itch on the system. For those that do enjoy some gory battles, another...
Soapbox Why Region Locking Is A Total Non-Issue
Damien McFerran outlines why the current hot topic is hot air
In the first of what we hope will be a series of first-person discussions, Nintendo Life editorial director Damien McFerran shares his opinion on the recent calls for Nintendo to remove regional locks on its systems. Seeing as this is the first feature, we should point out that the views...
News Miyamoto: Mario Will Likely Return To Single-Player
May look to explore the Galaxy further
When Mario fans heard that a 3D Mario platformer for Wii U would be shown at E3, expectations were undoubtedly high and varied. Many had their own ideas about what Mario's 3D foray into high-definition would look and play like, but it would have been difficult to predict a successor to Super Mario 3D Land. Fan...
News Miyamoto: GamePad's Touch Screen Primarily Used To Make Navigating Menus Easier
Technology is available for developers to use should they so desire
Ever since the Wii U GamePad emerged everyone has been conjuring up new ways to use the innovative touch screen on the tablet-like controller. Games like New Super Mario Bros. U utilised it to create helpful blocks for the players on the main screen, while ZombiU used it as an...
News Nintendo to Bring "Brand-New Types of Games" to Wii U in the Coming Months
Projects left out of E3 for "a strong impact in the market"
Much has been said about Nintendo's Wii U lineup that was shown at E3 2013, with opinions from across the spectrum generally all making an appearance. It was an occasion short of surprise reveals — aside from Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze — simply because Nintendo had given us so...
News Pachter: Nintendo Has Lost Its "Mojo"
Analyst questions why anyone would buy a Wii U
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has once again passed judgement on the Wii U, and has delivered perhaps his most damning assessment of Nintendo's console yet. Speaking to ABC's News 10, Pachter questioned why anyone would even consider picking up the console, aside from the (rather significant)...
News Eiji Aonuma - The Wind Waker HD is a "Test Case" for New Zelda Wii U Title
"The gaming community is — I don’t want to sound rude — very fickle"
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is due to arrive in Europe and North America this October, which will certainly be welcome to those that haven't played the GameCube original and also, we suspect, a good number of those that have. It'll be the first full title for the...
News Nintendo "Pedaling" The Wii U On Tour De France TV Coverage
Apologies in advance for the wheely terrible pun
The Wii U has provided some truly amazing gameplay experiences in the short time it has been available on the market, but few dedicated fans would argue that Nintendo has done its best to promote the system to the general public. TV and magazine advertising has been curiously thin on the ground —...
News New Smash Bros. to be "Something Right in Between" Melee and Brawl
Balancing a priority, while patches will be considered
While we saw some nice footage during E3, there's still relatively little known about the new Super Smash Bros. titles that we'll see on Wii U and 3DS. We know that Mega Man and The Villager will be new characters, and that each version will have its own platform-specific stages, while some...
News Satoru Iwata - "There Are Some Reasons Behind" Region Locking
Will the importance of those reasons change in future?
One issue that's re-emerged recently is the region-locking applied to Wii U and 3DS. In light of Sony and Microsoft confirming that the PS4 and Xbox One will be region free, we recently questioned whether it's time for Nintendo to do the same. As highlighted in that feature, some fan...
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