Wii U News
November2015
Review The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy's Grand Adventure (Wii U)
Going for peanuts
Celebrating its 65th Anniversary, Charles Schulz's Peanuts comic remains iconic and influential. The comic has spurned television movies which are staples to American culture, such as It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and, this year, The Peanuts Movie hit theaters. Its characters are beloved, recognizable and icons in of...
Nintendo Download 19th November (North America)
Mario Tennis! Pokémon! Typoman! GBA Street Fighter 2! More!
With another week comes another batch of Nintendo Download goodies in North America, and 'tis the season for major retail releases on both Wii U and 3DS. The Wii U eShop also gets an exclusive while a range of options are available across both stores - let's get to the details. Missed the...
Feature Our Top 10 Wii U Retail Games - Third Anniversary Edition
Plenty of great games make the grade
The Wii U is now three years old, having arrived in North America on 18th November 2012. Though it's struggled commercially we think history will be kind to the system in years to come courtesy of the strength to be found in its core games. Whether titles catered to dedicated fans, less experienced gamers or a...
Site News A Brief Update on Our Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash Review
Waiting for a second serve
The Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash review embargo has passed, but we're yet to post our own despite having had plenty of access to the game for quite some time. Simply put we've opted out of going for the initial 'Score Pending' approach this time around while we wait for launch weekend online play on live servers. We've used...
News Splatoon Bundle Boosts Wii U Sales in Japan as Project X Zone 2 Struggles
3DS 'family' sneaks top in hardware
It's Media Create chart results day, once again, and the Japanese market has had a few key releases to shake things up. Starting off with software we have Project X Zone 2 making its debut on 3DS, though it's unable to overthrow Call of Duty: Black Ops III having only shifted 40,935 units; that's well down on the...
Video These Charming Japanese Commercials Highlight Festive Wii U Bundles
Splatoon and Mario Maker get a big push
Christmas is an important time of year when it comes to selling video game hardware and software, and over in Japan Nintendo is giving the Wii U a festive push with special bundles. The company has given recent hits Splatoon and Super Mario Maker their own hardware bundles, and has rolled out some TV...
News Yoshi's Woolly World Developers on Baby Mario's Exclusion and Creating the Yoshi Designs
It's so fluffy!
Though it's been out for a while in Europe, Yoshi's Woolly World is still sort of new over in North America. The adorable and colorful new entry in the Yoshi's Island series is certainly a worthwhile experience; we awarded it a 9/10, praising the visual design and creative gameplay. In order to learn a bit more about the game's...
Feature Reflecting On Three Years With The Wii U - Part One
The Nintendo Life team talks about the current-gen gem
The Wii U is - at the time of writing - about to turn three years old, and despite its young age some are already looking to the next generation from the big N. That seems a pity in light of the strengths of the system, especially as it's delivered so many wonderful games and memories, so to...
News Tune In Today For a Nintendo UK Super Mario Maker Broadcast With Comedian Imran Yusuf
Mario Maker chuckles
Nintendo UK is still waving the flag for Super Mario Maker and will be doing another Twitch broadcast today for viewers eager to see more of this excellent game. This time the guest appearance will be from none other than comedian Imran Yusuf. Who is Imran you ask? Aside from being a Edinburgh Festival Best Newcomer Nominee and...
News The Bamboozler 14 Mk II Arrives in Sheldon's Shop Tomorrow Morning
Here comes the Bamboom
Sniping is something of an interesting playstyle in Splatoon. When playing a game where the point is to cover as much turf as possible, it seems counterintuitive to be posting up in places and covering what you can from a vantage point. Moving around isn't much of an option either, as the Rollers will make short work of you...
News Hover: Revolt of Gamers Will Be "Properly" Recreated For Wii U
A fusion of Jet Set Radio and Mirror's Edge
After a successful Kickstarter campaign and an Early Access release on Steam earlier this year, Hover: Revolt of Gamers is now looking towards a release on consoles – including Nintendo's system, the Wii U. Drawing inspiration from the likes of SEGA's Jet Set Radio series and EA DICE game Mirror's Edge,...
News Minecraft Wii U Edition Classification Has Been Removed By PEGI
Was it all a dream?
Compared to retailer listings, classification boards are normally considered a reliable source when it comes to spotting upcoming video game releases. When a rating for Minecraft Wii U Edition surfaced via the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) page last week, the news seemed too good to be true when considering factors such...
Busted
Xenoblade Chronicles X launches in the west soon, and is shaping up to be quite the experience - as you'll know if you've already read our hands-on impressions with the final code. However, fans have expressed some concern at the localisation changes made by Nintendo so far. First up was the fact that majo
News Nintendo Breaks Out the Bubbly Following More Patent and Anti-Piracy Wins in the Courts
"We are very pleased with this decision" heard over party poppers
Nintendo and its legal teams have some cause for celebration today, especially the latter once they submit their billable hours. Nintendo of America has announced another patent victory in California, while Nintendo of Europe has been tackling mod-chips and 'game copiers' in Italy...
Parent Trap Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival Goes Where Other Wii U Games Don't
We also break down the amiibo card mini-games
Families come in all shapes and sizes, we say that often, but then we expect a handful of popular games to work with all of them. Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival breaks the mould in both its form and structure, in doing so it caters for a brand new type of audience and introduces them to the world of...
News Nintendo Titles Get Pushed Down But Hold On to Top 40 in UK Charts
New releases will try and flourish on 20th November
We'll give you one guess what was number one in the UK charts for last week, just one... Fallout 4 set the record as the best-selling début of its franchise in the UK, while the focus for Nintendo fans in the country takes us further down the charts. Three of the company's main Holiday releases...
Video Check Out Cloud Strife's Marvellous Super Smash Bros. Moveset
Let me be your (final) fantasy
Last week's Nintendo Direct broadcast had a few neat surprises for fans, but the biggest shock of all was the revelation that Final Fantasy VII's protagonist Cloud Strife is joining the roster of Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS. The trailer showed plenty of footage of the new fighter in action, and unsurprisingly...
News Brunswick Pro Bowling Is Aiming For A Strike On Wii U
Will this rare third party retail release bowl you over?
A recent ESRB rating has revealed that Brunswick Pro Bowling is heading to the Wii U, and the accompanying box art (shown below) suggests that it is getting a physical retail release. The original game was released in 2008 and was ported to practically every system of the era, including the...
Humour The Pain Of Being A Wii U Owner This Christmas, Summed Up In Rap Form
The guys behind the amiibo rap are back
A short while ago, the guys behind YouTube channel Hot Chocolate Party managed to summarize the perils of amiibo collecting in a funny rap video - and now they're back with a rather cutting appraisal of what it's like to own the Wii U this Christmas. While we're keen to defend Nintendo's honour as much as...
Video Here's How Much Those Data Packs for Xenoblade Chronicles X Speed Things Up
Gotta go fast
It's hard to believe, but Xenoblade Chronicles X is now only a few weeks away from launching in the West. The main setting of the game - Planet Mira – supposedly boasts one of the largest open worlds ever and all of its different environments are said to be seamlessly interwoven, with next to no loading screens. This would be quite a...
Video Did You Know Gaming? Dives Into Super Mario Maker History
New episode details game’s origin, facts, and easter eggs
A new video in the popular YouTube series Did You Know Gaming? recently premiered sharing many neat details surrounding Super Mario Maker, such as the game's origins and technical secrets. This episode touches on many details such as amiibo easter eggs, cancelled levels, and origins of the...
Video Nintendo Makes a Holiday Pitch for Wii U 'Magical Nights'
Warm and cozy
In recent weeks Nintendo of America has rolled out its Holiday adverts for 3DS, utilising its biggest franchises to pitch the portable to the public. It's now issued a TV commercial for Wii U, and we rather like its approach. The general pitch is of 'magical nights', with some CG Nintendo effects in a family's home before they pop...
Video See the Differences Between Star Fox Zero at E3 and Now
All systems go
Among the many things brought up in the recent Nintendo Direct, Star Fox Zero was given a new trailer and some new footage. Indeed - after the initial E3 presentation - a common concern brought up about the game was its perceived lacking in the visuals department. Whether or not this was an entirely valid complaint depends upon the...
News Take a Look at Nintendo's Game Awards 2015 Nominees
Super Mario Maker is up for GOTY
As we reported on a little less than a week ago, The Game Awards will soon be taking place on 3rd December. The up and coming award show will employ a board of industry veterans from a wide array of game companies and backgrounds to decide which of this year's games were the cream of the crop. The nominations for...
Feature The Big Nintendo Direct Summary - 12th November 2015
Surprises, omissions and a Smash Bros. shock
Well, it had been a while. For a variety of reasons, 12th November brought the first global Nintendo Direct broadcasts in quite some time. Overall the presentations stuck to familiar styles and approaches, with Nintendo of Europe playing it fairly straight and Nintendo of America even indulging in a...
News Sacked Nintendo Treehouse Staffer Chris Pranger's Dialogue Has Been Removed From Star Fox Zero
"Bummer, but that's business"
Chris Pranger - the Nintendo localiser who was removed from the company after talking about what goes on behind the scenes at the Nintendo Treehouse - has confirmed via Twitter that the lines he recorded for Star Fox Zero have been removed and will be re-done by another voice actor. Nintendo using internal staff to...
Preview Getting Lost in the World of Xenoblade Chronicles X
That's a positive, mostly
When an individual has spent well over a hundred hours of their life playing Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, there's an initial instinct that jumping into the enormous world of Xenoblade Chronicles X will be like putting on a big woolly jumper. Sure, it's larger and less snug, but it's also warm, inviting...
Feature Super Mario Maker’s Weekly Course Collection - 13th November
Which is your personal favourite this week?
Nintendo has once again hand-picked a selection of courses from the 100 highest-rated Super Mario Maker courses across Europe. Give them a spin and let us know what you think by posting a comment at the end! No EscaPeach! E03B-0000-00B0-5EE1 Medium Difficulty Designed by Fabio from Italy What would...
Version 2.3.0 gets detailed
The latest Splatoon update has been explained in detail on Nintendo's official site, and brings with it some new gear for players to purchase. The patch launched yesterday and also includes changes to the way in which data is displayed on ranked battle result pages, as well as some alterations to weapons and basic...
News These Are Nintendo's Black Friday Hardware And Software Offers
Wii U, 3DS and amiibo all up for grabs
Black Friday is almost upon us, and that means striking discounts on all manner of gaming hardware and software. Nintendo has started outlining exactly what products its will be reducing in price on the big day, and if you've yet to invest in a Wii U or 3DS console, then now might be the time to do so. The...
News Yoshi's Woolly World Secures Top 10 Spot in US NPD Charts
Super Mario Maker also maintains decent momentum
It somewhat passed us by during Nintendo Direct madness, but the October NPD results are out for the US. Though they only account for new copies sold of physical retail games, and exclude bundles, they nevertheless give us an idea of current sales trends. To kick off with the all-format top 10, an...
Video Check Out a Graphical Comparison for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
Looking sharp Link
In what could be the worst kept secret ever, Nintendo confirmed in last night's Nintendo Direct that the rumours were indeed true and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is receiving a HD facelift for a release on the Wii U on 4th March 2016. As the Wii U is backwards compatible with old Wii discs you might be questioning if...
News Typoman For Wii U eShop Will Be Released In North America And Europe On 19th November
The power of letters
Headup Games has announced Brainseed Factory's elegantly crafted platform game, Typoman, will be released on the Wii U eShop in both Europe and North America on 19th November. The Wii U exclusive will be priced at € 13.99 (USD 13.99, GBP 9.99), with individuals who participated in the E3 Nindies@Home program in June eligible...
News Lucas & Next Wave Of Animal Crossing amiibo Due Out In North America On 22nd January, 2016
More amiibo cards are also on the way
Nintendo has revealed the Lucas amiibo for Super Smash Bros. Wii U & 3DS along with the Animal Crossing amiibo Resetti, Blathers, Celeste and Kicks designed for Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival will be released in North America on 22nd January, 2016. In addition to this announcement, was the news Series 2...
News Super Mario Maker Web Portal Arriving in December
Discover levels online to play in-game
The success of Super Mario Maker continues into the Holiday season with a brand new feature arriving in December. A new online portal will allow players to discover levels through a more detailed search function than the built-in search on the Wii U, as well as filter levels based on interest and level type...
News Final Fantasy's Cloud Is Set To Cause Some Strife In Super Smash Bros. On Wii U And 3DS
More details coming in Special Smash Bros. Direct next month
Nintendo's "one more thing" for today's Direct broadcast was something of a shocker - Final Fantasy VII's Cloud Strife is coming to Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS. No, we didn't see that one coming either. Possibly the single most famous character in Final Fantasy history, Cloud is a...
News Star Fox Zero Launches on 22nd April, 2016
It's about time
In today's Nintendo Direct, Star Fox Zero was finally nailed down with a firm release date for North America, which will be on April 22nd of next year - it's just 'April' in Europe for now. While many will no doubt be disappointed with this news after the game was initially promised for a Holiday release, it certainly doesn't seem...
News Shadow Mewtwo amiibo Card Coming With First Print Copies Of Pokkén Tournament
Arrives alongside the anticipated fighter in Spring 2016
Additional information regarding the highly anticipated Pokkén Tournament was revealed during today's Nintendo Direct. A new amiibo card was shown depicting Shadow Mewtwo, but will only be available in copies of the game during the first production run. This will allow players to unlock the...
News New Stages and Gear Are Soon to be Added to Splatoon
Also, an official tournament is on the way
In today's Nintendo Direct, it was confirmed that Splatoon will soon be receiving a massive influx of content. In terms of what's being added, two new maps are set to enter the rotation, called Mahi Mahi Resort and Museum d'Alfonsino. Museum d'Alfonsino will go live in an update on 14th November and Mahi...
News The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Is Receiving A High-Definition Face Lift
Wolf Link amiibo also confirmed
Earlier in October we reported a rumour about a popular data miner in the Nintendo scene who uncovered listings on the Wii U eShop for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. At the time the evidence available was not entirely concrete in regards to what exactly this release would be, but now we have an official...
Nintendo Direct Watch the North American November 2015 Nintendo Direct - Live!
Is your body ready?
It's been a long time coming but we now have a fresh Nintendo Direct to enjoy. We expect plenty of details on confirmed games along with some surprises, while a special episode of Nintendo Minute will follow the standard broadcast. Follow it all and chat with us live!...
Nintendo Direct Watch the European November 2015 Nintendo Direct - Live!
The time has come
After a long wait it's time for another Nintendo Direct, and this stream will follow the European variation of the broadcast. Satoru Shibata will be hosting and will no doubt giving us plenty to look forward to on Wii U and 3DS, with Holiday 2015 and quite likely early 2016 on the agenda. Watch it live here!...
News New Splatoon Map, Museum d'Alfonsino, Revealed on SplatNet
We're going to guess that was an accident
Nintendo Direct hasn't happened yet, but it looks like a relatively small reveal may have tumbled out courtesy of the Splatoon Splatnet website. We suspect the automated process of the site's schedule page has caught Nintendo out as it shows an all-new stage that's on the way very soon. It's called Museum...
News Devil's Third Online for PC to Include New Modes and Voice Chat
The free-to-play PC alternative takes shape
Devil's Third is still making its way to North America in December following its previous arrival in Japan and Europe, and a quirky aspect of the release is the fact it's also got a 'free-to-start' version coming to PC in the future. For those with both a PC and a Wii U that brings an interesting choice -...
Feature What We Expect from Nintendo Direct - 12th November
The hype is building
After a long wait it's finally time to think about Nintendo Direct once again. With simultaneous broadcasts in North America and Europe we can expect a show packed with information on Holiday releases, perhaps some titles due in early 2016 and - hopefully - some surprises. We've already written about the need for deep breaths...
Nintendo Download 12th November (North America)
Stella Glow! Nintendo Badge Arcade! Contra! Girls Like Robots?! More!
It may be 'Nintendo Direct Day', but we still have a Nintendo Download Update to look forward to, even if there are rumours of blocky surprises still to come. This week's line-up in North America has some varied and quirky offerings across both Wii U and 3DS, including a...
Video Watch The King of Red Lions Make Waves in Hyrule Warriors Legends
He needs the exercise
The King of Red Lions is a pretty quirky character, even by Nintendo standards. It's a talking boat after all, and... well, just play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD to catch up. Of course, Hyrule Warriors Legends kind of gives the story away - to a degree - by virtue of featuring the character in his human-esque form...
News Here's How the Development Team of Super Mario Maker Brainstormed Ideas
Tearing up the Super Mario rulebook
Super Mario Maker has been out for a couple months now and it definitely stands out as a very unique game within the Super Mario canon, if it could even be considered part of it in the first place. The open ended nature of the game allows for players to try out whatever ideas come to mind, no matter how...
News USK Lists "Replay: VHS Is Not Dead" For Wii U
Disc-based media killed the VHS star
The German Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK) has listed Replay: VHS Is Not Dead for the Wii U. The title was released by publisher Neko Entertainment in July on Steam and received a positive reception for being a challenging, satisfying and convincing puzzle-platformer. Taking place in a...
News Minecraft Wii U Edition Has Been Rated By PEGI
A dream come true
Minecraft is arguably the most influential video game of all-time. While the masterpiece where players create their own adventure and the world around them has graced multiple platforms over the past number of years since its initial release on PC, Mojang has unfortunately skipped Nintendo systems time and time again. When...
Parent Trap Oft-Forgotten Wii U Features That Matter To Families
Family Gamer TV looks at the eShop, backward compatibility and more
Weighing up which console to invest in for a family is a matter of identifying which features are most important to you. I've had a repeated conversation over the last few months where I introduce friends and parents to some of the lesser known features of the Wii U. Some of these...
News Disney Magical World 2's Whimsy is Outsold By Call of Duty's Futuristic Warfare in Japan
Also can't match the launch sales of its predecessor
The latest Media Create Japanese chart results are in, and this week reflect one notable sales trend from the West with a big-name shooty-shooty-bang-bang game making a strong debut and boosting Sony's hardware, while there's also a major release on 3DS. Yes, Call of Duty: Black Ops III takes top...
Music Have a Listen to the Rodea the Sky Soldier Soundtrack
Soaring high
Rodea the Sky Soldier is out now in North America and is imminent in Europe, and is a title that's been years in the making. It had a sticky route to release, yet for some eager followers that'll matter little - especially as it's a Nintendo exclusive and the original work of Yuki Naka. Although it has shortcomings we gave it a...
News Keiji Inafune is Interested in Implementing amiibo in His Games
Just don't delay Mighty No. 9 again, Inafune
Up until recently, amiibo had been exclusively first party affairs. There are already dozens of the evasive figures available for a wide array of Nintendo franchises, but the question always remained: will amiibo ever be utilized by third parties? This was answered by a rather surprising reveal by Yacht...
Video Take a Look at the New Cat Costumes Now Available In Super Mario Maker
Play custom courses as a feisty feline
If Super Mario Maker on the Wii U wasn’t already addictive enough with its extensive list of course-making tools and user-made levels, the costume collection aspect of the game is yet another reason to hang around. With the number of costumes in the game steadily on the rise, Nintendo has just added two more...
Video Watch Splatoon's Surprisingly Early Neo Sploosh-o-matic Giving its all
We've forgotten the Kraken
Splatoon continues to be updated, and strangely this week we've been gifted with a new weapon half a week earlier than usual. This time around it's the Neo Sploosh-o-matic and its devastating close-quarters capabilities. Coupled with the 'Neo' in its name, this variant comes bundled with Point Sensors and the Kraken, a...
News The Next Nintendo Direct is on 12th November
The wait is over!
It's been a long wait since the last Nintendo Direct broadcast, which was before E3, but we finally have a date and time for the next information bonanza. It's happening on 12th November at 2pm Pacific / 5pm Eastern / 10pm UK / 11pm CET. The wait for another Nintendo Direct has been a long one for fans, though company President...
News Japan Is Getting This Charming Animal Crossing amiibo Diorama
Perfect for displaying those figures
Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival is with us soon, and while it might not be generating the same interest as a "proper" Animal Crossing outing, the introduction of several new amiibo figures is helping to build the hype - and over in Japan, they're whipping fans into a frenzy with free tat. Japanese consumers who...
Review Rodea the Sky Soldier (Wii U)
Turbulence ahead
Yuji Naka is a legend in the world of game design. He has worked on notable series such as Sonic the Hedgehog, NiGHTS into Dreams and Phantasy Online for nearly 30 years. His newest creation, Rodea the Sky Soldier, has been stuck in development limbo for over five years, but the time has finally come for it to see the light of day...
News Splatoon's Content Update is a Little Early This Week With the Neo Sploosh-o-matic
Soak it up
We're used to new content arriving in Splatoon every Friday / Saturday, depending on time zones, serving as a nice start to our weekends. Nintendo has different plans this week, however. Nintendo of Europe has tweeted confirmation that we'll receive a new weapon early this week, arriving Wednesday morning (11th November). Assuming it's...
News Valhalla Game Studios is Being Sued Over a Trademark Dispute
Valhalla Motion Pictures would like a word
It seems that people and companies in the modern age will find just about anything to get upset over enough to sue each other. It can be quite entertaining to see the things that get brought to court, such as the infamous case where Red Bull had to pay $10 to anybody that's ever bought the energy drink...
Video Learn All About Skells in This Xenoblade Chronicles X Survival Guide
Transforming our expectations
We're now just a small number of weeks away from Xenoblade Chronicles X, the enormous Monolith Soft RPG that'll likely keep plenty of Wii U owners busy into 2016. Excitement is sure to build as a result, and Nintendo is keen for players to go in with a decent amount of knowledge to tackle the complex and varied game...
Review Just Dance 2016 (Wii U)
Keeeeeeeeep dancing!
Every year as the leaves begin to fall from the trees, as we start to moan about the weather even more than usual and as we start to hopelessly search the entire house for our gloves which we've lost for the fifth year running, you can be certain of one thing… Another entry to Ubisoft's Just Dance series will be fox-trotting...
News Nintendo of America Confirms Holiday Season Mall Tour
Showing off the best of Wii U and 3DS
With the Holiday season rapidly approaching the battle for shoppers' hearts and minds will be well and truly underway. As a result Nintendo of America has now confirmed that it'll be targeting shoppers directly in an upcoming mall tour to show off major Wii U and 3DS releases. Perhaps a little disappointing is...
Other evergreen releases hold the fort
The UK chart results are out and, yes, Call of Duty: Black Ops III is easily number one. That's hardly surprising, but the overall Nintendo results have prompted us to raise our eyebrows. Let's get the bad news out of the way - Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash appears to have tanked at launch in the UK. Not only is it...
Random Fire Emblem 0 Will Be Getting Some Cards Based on Genei Ibun Roku #FE
A different kind of strategy game
Though we're still waiting for it to launch here in the West, Japan has already received the pleasure of experiencing Fire Emblem Fates, the latest in Nintendo's punishing SRPG series. In order to boost the release's popularity (and doubtless to make some lovely merchandising profit), Nintendo also launched a...
YO-KAI is the reasoning
We've had another corker of a week in terms of Nintendo happenings; so much so that we couldn't blame anyone for not being able to keep up with everything. As we usually do, we've compiled all you need to know in one handy little video for your entertainment. This week we look at the incredible SNES Playstation prototype...
Tom Whitehead thinks it's time for more cohesion
If you'll allow this wistful 30-something to get out his pipe and slippers for some reminiscing, there was a time when game releases were a mystery and seemingly scheduled by the Marx Brothers. There could be months - or years! - between regional releases in the West, nevermind localising Japanese...
News Beenox Won't Be Working on Spider-Man Games Anymore
Moving on to greener pastures
As some of you may be aware, Beenox has more or less been the studio responsible for the Spider-Man video games for the past several years. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Spider-Man: Edge of Time, and both of The Amazing Spider-Man games all came from this studio, which is a rather impressive feat given how quickly...
News Yuji Naka Expresses Interest in Sequels to Ivy the Kiwi? and Rodea the Sky Soldier
Hopefully, they won't take as long to develop
As many of you are likely aware, the long awaited release of Rodea the Sky Soldier is only a few days away in North America and Europe, at last bringing the game's heavily drawn out development cycle to its conclusion. Rodea the Sky Soldier was a brainchild of Yuji Naka - the mastermind behind Sonic the...
Rumour Vision May be Coming to Disney Infinity 3.0
Suddenly, everything's 20/20
The toys to life concept is certainly nothing new today, with the rather cleverly disguised DLC causing wallets around the world to cry out in despair when each new wave of figures comes out. Disney Infinity wasn't the first to jump on this bandwagon, but you could very much argue that it's been the strongest competitor,...
Video See Splatoon's New Heavy Splatling Deco in all its Rhinestoned Glory
Fabulous freshness
Splatoon's latest free update in the continued support for the game gifted us all with a brand new variant on the Heavy Splatling, the Heavy Splatling Deco, and we've only gone and recorded some footage of it fresh from the servers. This thing not only looks flashy and unwieldily, but it has Point Sensors to keep track of your...
News Super Smash Bros. + Splatoon Wii U Hardware Bundle Emerges in GameStop Black Friday Advert
New Nintendo 3DS XL deals and more also confirmed
Black Friday is still a little while away, falling on 27th November in the US this year, but some deals are already starting to emerge. Intriguingly, the leaked GameStop Black Friday leaflet confirms an exciting new Wii U bundle, though it's unclear whether it'll be exclusive to the retailer. In...
Video The New Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival Trailer is Seeking Happy Players
No points for sadness
Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival is now just a week away in North America (13th November) and a little longer in Europe (20th November), and it's going to be interesting to see how well it performs in stores. The reaction from eager Nintendo fans to its E3 reveal this year were - we think it's fair to say - relatively hostile,...
Smash Bros. for Wii U "could be near perfection"
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U has received numerous updates that have added content and also tweaked mechanics, from individual fighters down to broader improvements. It's also become a notable part of the competitive gaming scene, with the latest entry attracting levels of interest to bring it into the...
News Super Mario Maker Developers Talk About the Recent Update and Other Potential "Maker" Games
Looks like Zelda Maker won't be happening anytime soon
As most of you are aware, an update recently went out for Super Mario Maker that added several new features. Players are now able to place checkpoint flags as well as conditional power-up blocks that dispense power-ups according to Mario's current status. Additionally, a new concept called Event...
News Splatoon's Next New Weapon is the Heavy Splatling Deco
Look good while dispensing inky justice
Splatoon continues to serve up new items on a weekly basis, with last week bringing two new weapons - the H-3 Nozzlenose D and the Luna Blaster Neo. We're down to one new weapon this week, but it's both glamorous and destructive, and therefore may be irresistible. Nintendo has confirmed that this week's new...
Nintendo Download 5th November (North America)
Yo-Kai Watch! Rodea! Stinger! Electronic Super Joy! More!
It's time for more Nintendo Download Update goodness, and this week gamers in North America have a high-profile retail arrival on 3DS to consider alongside a long-awaited dual release on the portable and Wii U. There are some promising download-only games on offer too, so let's get to the...
News The Super Mario Maker Update Has Cleared Up Some Glitches
Less fun for random videos
Super Mario Maker may be a well polished product, but like any game with some weird and wacky features it has a few glitches and quirks for gamers to exploit. Actually, in some cases, that should be had a few glitches. Our own video man and Super Mario Maker superfan Alex Olney has been trying to recreate some of the...
Video Check Out The Super Mario Maker Door-Knocking Easter Egg
I am the one who knocks
The much anticipated Super Mario Maker update v1.2 is now live. Key new features include the ability to add checkpoints to levels, which had been much in demand, and you can now 'stack' items in blocks. More exciting additions have arrived through 'Official Makers' and Event Courses, both found in the Course World section of...
News Super Mario Maker's First Major Update is Now Live
Checkpoints. Sweet, sweet checkpoints...
Well, it's here, the Super Mario Maker update is live. A teaser for a new Totem Link Mystery Mushroom item gave an early idea of some of the extras included, and now your copy of the game should automatically update when you start it up. Key new features include the ability to add checkpoints to levels,...
News A Little Bit of The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is Coming to Super Mario Maker
It's 8-bit totem time
Super Mario Maker is getting a big update, and it seems that part of that will be a fun new pixel animation for the Mystery Mushroom item. Like plenty of others this one isn't based on an amiibo, as it recreates the heroes from The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes. Nintendo of America has shared the following via Facebook and...
News Sprixie Joins the Ranks in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Bringing some magic to the court
The cast of Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash continues to grow, and Nintendo's latest reveal brings in a relatively recent creation from Super Mario 3D World. The green Sprixie from that title will make her début on the tennis courts, bringing her cutesy style to the upcoming Wii U release. The reveal trailer also shows...
News Star Fox Zero Website Has Fans of amiibo and Online Play Dreaming
It happens with vague starter websites...
Earlier today we highlighted the fact that the Star Fox Zero official website has some lovely wallpapers to download that help ease the pain of its delay into Q1 2016. Sure, it'd have been nice to play the game this festive season, but putting one of these on our desktop will cheer us up in the meantime...
It makes sense, sort of...
Based on UK sales, at least, the revival of plastic guitar games is struggling to truly take off. Rock Band 4 has hardly flown off shelves and we're curious to see how Guitar Hero Live performs in other territories, as the Wii U iteration is somewhat tanking in the UK charts, with the PS4 and Xbox One versions doing ok. We...
Wii U sales stay in four figures
It's Media Create chart results time in Japan, and after a debut week at number one for The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes and plenty of Nintendo platform releases close behind, the latest results show new titles on rival platforms taking over the top spots. We already highlighted that Tri Force Heroes
News These Lush Star Fox Zero Wallpapers Will Make The Wait A Little More Bearable
"I see 'em up ahead. Let's rock 'n' roll!"
Many of us had hoped that we would be playing Fox McCloud's latest adventure on our Wii U consoles this Christmas, but sadly Star Fox Zero has been delayed until early next year - despite what some slightly optimistic retailers might have you believe. The wait might be pa
News Splatoon Art Book Reveals Early Concept for Warping via Urinals and Sinks
Eww
There's certainly no shortage of ways to travel around as a squid in Splatoon. You can choose to either just swim through your team's ink, tap on a teammate or Squid Beakon to super jump, or – in the single player mode – use a sort of powerline to quickly transport you from one side of the map to another. However, it appears that there was...
News Fatal Frame Developers on Why Water was a Central Theme and How Ayane Came to be Included
Evidently, ghosts are less likely to appear in dry climates
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water released only a couple weeks ago to generally positive acclaim. While the game may be a bit repetitive in some places, its integration of the GamePad as the Camera Obscura was a clever move that really added a whole new layer of immersion to the...
News Dinosaurs and New Playable Characters Are Now Available for Disney Infinity 3.0
Rawr
Disney Infinity 3.0 has been out for a while now and is arguably the best version of the game, yet. Most notably adding material from the Star Wars universe, it certainly isn't lacking interesting things to do and will doubtless be a favorite Christmas game for gamers both young and old. Of course, the game is an ongoing project, with new...
News Crazy Super Mario Maker Level Creator, Panga, Has Produced Another Insane Level
Took a combined 50 hours to upload
Super Mario Maker is a wonderful release from Nintendo, giving fans the ability to share incredibly creative levels. Some specialise in producing hugely difficult stages, perhaps none more so than 'Panga'. In case you need reminding, Panga produced the downright ridiculous P Break level, regarded by many as the...
News Shadow Mewtwo Gets a Flashy Reveal in Official Pokkén Tournament Wii U Trailer
Confirmed for the home console port, then
Just recently a new 'dark Mewtwo' emerged as a boss character in the Pokkén Tournament arcade, which was an exciting reveal for fans of the fighting game. The Pokémon Company has now revealed the localised name for this character - it's actually Shadow Mewtwo. The trailer below ends with a stylish reveal...
News Wave 2 Lego Dimensions Expansion Packs Arrive Alongside "Hire-A-Hero" Option
Doctor Who! LEGO Ninjago! The Simpsons! The LEGO Movie!
A new wave of expansion packs has been released for Lego Dimensions, along with a new feature which allows you to sample Wave 1 characters using the studs you've collected in-game. The packs include Doctor Who, LEGO Ninjago, The Simpsons and The LEGO Movie. "Hire-a-Hero" allows you to use...
Random Whoops, Toys "R" Us is Listing Star Fox Zero for November in Its Catalogue
"Jeez! Can anyone take care of it?"
Those on the Toys "R" Us mailing list in North America may be receiving its 'Book of Awesome', a catalogue with such a marketing push behind it that it even has its own commercial. As with any print run, though, it's liable to run into issues should details change late in the day; this one's unfortunately been...
News ZombiU Servers Reanimate After Being Down for Several Months
Graffiti is back!
Though it's ancient history now by game industry standards, ZombiU is arguably one of only a few games on the Wii U to fully make usage of the GamePad, and the launch title is still a decent survival horror romp for those who might be interested. One rather neat feature of the game was a form of asymmetrical online multiplayer...
Video Toadette Takes to the Court in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash as Yo-Kai Watch Focuses on Weirdness
Net play won't be a strength of Toad and Toadette
It can be interesting to see how Nintendo's marketing varies across different titles, with concepts - or lack of concept as the case may be - drawn up to play to a game's strengths. On that score Nintendo's clearly got very different ideas of how to tempt players to pick up Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash...
News Super Mario Maker Developers Share Details on How Costumes and Cursor Variations Came About
Evidently, Takashi Tezuka has ten cats
Super Mario Maker has been out for a couple months now and by all accounts has been a massive success. One particularly interesting feature is the ability to scan in virtually any amiibo and have the character replace Mario's sprite on certain stages. While this may not have much of an impact on gameplay, it's...
News The Falco amiibo is Now Available for Pre-Order from the Nintendo UK Store
Personally, I prefer home delivery
The next instalment of Nintendo's NFC figures is on the way, and you can now pre-order the Falco amiibo from Nintendo UK ahead of its launch date of November 20th in the region; this joins similar pre-orders around the world for the popular Star Fox character. The amiibo costs £10.99 in this listing (as always)...
October2015
Nintendo Life Weekly Miitomo, Twilight Princess HD, Unannounced 3DS & Wii U Titles, and More
Nice to Miit you
It's been a week and a half for Nintendo news so there's no shame in feeling like you may have missed something important. That's why we've once again brought all the biggest news together to form one substantial but bitesized video. This week we look at the announcement of Miitomo, the first official Nintendo-developed app for...
News Zombies Will Face Off Against Ghosts in the Next European Splatfest
Zombies 'ain't afraid of no ghosts
Due to Splatoon Splatfests now being on alternate weeks in North America and Europe, gamers in the latter region will need to wait until 7th November for their own spooky face-off. As confirmed by Nintendo of Europe it'll be a rather appropriate battle between Zombies and Ghosts on 7th November, with the usual 24...
Wii U Features
Most Read
Video This Controller Has A Screen, But Don't Expect A Wii U GamePad
News Fan-Made Nintendo Network Replacement 'Pretendo' No Longer Requires Hack...
News Super Mario Maker Community Clears 'Trimming The Herbs' Just Days Before...
News It's Over! Nintendo Shuts Down Online Servers For 3DS And Wii U
Guide When Does 3DS And Wii U Online Shut Down? Nintendo eShop & Online Pl...
News Capcom Reminds Monster Hunter Fans About 3DS And Wii U Online Shut Down
News Splatoon's Final Wii U Stage Rotations Have Been Revealed
Random It's Done! Every Super Mario Maker Level Has Been Cleared Before Wii U's...
News It's Official, 3DS And Wii U Online Play Ends 8th April 2024
