Wii U Features
Talking Point Gamescom Announcements Raise the Stakes for the Wii U and 3DS
Nintendo yet to reveal its full hand
In a typical year Gamescom is a vibrant show, undoubtedly, but not necessarily one that draws a mini-E3 level of headlines. Yet if you're following Microsoft or Sony, this year's show has certainly delivered. It's all about circumstances, and with the two companies launching new hardware no high-profile...
Feature The World of Pikmin 3 on Miiverse
Now that the world's had time to explore
In case you haven't seen it, our video man Rory Cocker has spent the past weeks documenting Pikmin behaviour on Planet PNF-404, bravely filming while trying to send fruit to Nintendo Life HQ to satisfy our snacking habits. If he really wanted to send us some goodies he'd persuade his Pikmin masses to find...
Video Planet PNF-404 with Rory Cocker
A first-person Pikmin 3 documentary
Rory to Koppai, Rory to Koppai! Mayday! Mayday! Emergency distress transmission, Foxtrot 249. I am broadcasting from an unknown location, do you copy? We've got a situation over here! I've crash landed on a strange planet that's home to a bunch of dangerous predators, and a disturbing lack of unencrypted Wi-Fi...
Feature Some Early Miiverse Favourites From Art Academy: SketchPad
Lots of talent on display
Last week brought the release of Art Academy: SketchPad, a Wii U eShop tool-set that's a budget-priced warm-up for a full app to come at a later date; it gives artists a chance to show what they can do on Miiverse. It means that Wii U owners are no longer restricted to sharing monochromatic drawings, and though the app is...
Talking Point The Wonderful 101 Direct and Demo Set the Standard for Wii U Marketing
Removing confusion and doubt
The Wonderful 101 has had a slightly peculiar route to the Wii U, in terms of visibility and awareness. At E3 2012 Nintendo used its live conference to make peculiar jokes about zombies liking French food and provide a rather thorough walkthrough of Luigi's Ghost Mansion in Nintendo Land. That presentation had good...
Feature The Big Nintendo Direct Round-Up - 7th August 2013
Release dates, a few surprises and some awesome footage
Yesterday was one of those slightly-crazy Nintendo Direct days. When announced it was stated that the focus of the broadcasts would be on existing and confirmed Wii U and 3DS releases; that was true for the most part, but there were some surprises thrown in for good measure. For example there...
Talking Point Wii U and Third-Party Inconsistencies Pose Questions for Console Owners
Is Nintendo's system enough on its own?
It's been a slightly bruising week for the Wii U, though some positives have also emerged. From a first-party perspective there's the notable positive of Pikmin 3 hitting the valuable North American market, a game generally considered to be of excellent quality and an opening salvo in Nintendo's bold plans of...
Interview Ubisoft On Splinter Cell Blacklist, Taking the Series Forward and Wii U Features
Going for a triple-A sneak kill
Splinter Cell Blacklist is, at the time of writing, just a few short weeks from sneaking onto the Wii U. This is the sixth home console game in the series, with just one of those games — Conviction — skipping the Wii in 2010; all others featured on the GameCube or Nintendo's last-gen system. Its arrival on Wii U...
Feature A Weekend With Pikmin 3
Our staff share their thoughts on the major Wii U release
It's been quite a while since we could discuss a major Wii U exclusive, in terms of a title with the potential for strong sales and capturing the public imagination. Game & Wario has its supporters, of course, but it's been a long summer short of eye-catching new content to grab headlines...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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
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...
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...
Poll How Important is Dual / Second Screen Gaming?
A major part of Nintendo's strategy
Yesterday brought us some interesting comments from Ubisoft Managing Director Nicolas Rioux, who spoke about the potential prominence of "second screen" gaming, even going so far as to praise the Wii U as an innovative first step. As we observed in that article, it'd be a nasty piece of irony if technical...
Talking Point The Wii U's Third-Party Concerns Are Brushed Off By 3DS
Support for the handheld is modest, yet doom-and-gloom is minimal
The 3DS is hot right now, with positive vibes bouncing around the web as its major releases have enjoyed an impressive record of critical and commercial success. Simply mentioning games like Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Fire Emblem: Awakening and Animal Crossing: New Leaf justifiably...
Let's get it started, in here
So, Wii Party U's evolved from a Summer Party to a Holiday Party, courtesy of the development delay confirmed by Satoru Iwata at E3. That's fine with us here at Nintendo Life, as we think every day is a party day, so we happily wandered over to the the demo unit at a recent preview event ready for the ultimate digital...
Impressions Multiplayer is a Big Deal in Nintendo's Wii U Lineup
Get by with a little help from your friends
Earlier this week various Nintendo Life staffers were lucky enough to attend post-E3 preview events, from which we've been covering games that we didn't go hands-on with at the LA extravaganza — more impressions are on the way, too. Various Wii U games were on show, and one theme that shone through was...
You know you're playing a Platinum game when...
Way back in June 2012, we had the chance to play Project P-100, an exuberant new IP from PlatinumGames being published by Nintendo. It's had a name change, and its arrival has been delayed to such an extent that it's done the rounds to appear at this year's preview events; we've gone hands on with...
First Impressions Sonic Lost World
Super Sonic
After a line of games that it would be altogether generous to label a “rough patch”, poor old Sonic is back on his speedy feet. Thanks to the combo of Sonic Unleashed (well, its daytime stages), Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, SEGA's mascot is finally leaning back towards the positive side of the quality spectrum, and it seems...
Talking Point It's Time for Nintendo to Drop Region Locking
Microsoft and Sony have moved on
There are some realities that, despite their annoyances, are part of the typical life of a Nintendo gamer. For the second home console generation in a row Nintendo's offering is less powerful — in terms of raw graphical processing — than its direct upcoming competitors in the PS4 and Xbox One, with a focus on...
Poll Are You in the DLC Brigade?
More and more is on offer
The arrival of New Super Luigi U — our review of which will be posted this weekend — is, as we've argued, a potential evolution of paid-DLC and budget retail titles, as Nintendo seeks to produce a package significant enough to be a fairly expensive (comparatively) piece of add-on software and, on the flipside, a...
Talking Point New Super Luigi U Opens The Door For Quick Expansions in Other Franchises
DLC and boxed copies can satisfy everyone
After a bit of a wait and a release lineup that, apart from the odd exception, has been drier than the Sahara desert in recent weeks, Luigi jumps to the rescue with New Super Luigi U. It's arrived in this week's Nintendo Download update as DLC for New Super Mario Bros. U, but will have a life of its own as a...
Impressions The Best Buy "Nintendo Experience"
Bringing E3 to the masses
This year’s E3 has come and gone and the Nintendo Life team made it through the coverage mostly unscathed. We brought you all of the latest and greatest news from Nintendo, and our man on the street Anthony John Agnello even brought you our first impressions from games that he got a taste of on the show floor. What...
Talking Point E3 Exposed the Strains of Nintendo's Development Workload
Delays have been common on Wii U
Nintendo and, in particular, the Wii U are in a tricky catch-22 situation; third-parties — including Ubisoft at E3 — are holding off on most additional support for the platform until sales improve, yet games are needed to boost sales. It's an issue that feels all too familiar, though the absence of much support...
Kiss kiss, bang bang
Really, Bayonetta 2 isn’t that far outside of Nintendo’s wheelhouse. The creators of Nintendogs and Wii Fit may like to play it family-friendly, but come on — there’s always been a playful, almost kinky side to Nintendo, games with just the right amount of dirtiness. Look at ol’ Jimmy T. making it happen in WarioWare,...
First Impressions Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Frozen in time?
If there is a rule that Nintendo lives by, it’s that one good turn deserves another. Hence why the E3 2013 revelation that the game Austin, Texas’ Retro Studios has been slaving away on for the past three years is none other than a sequel to Donkey Kong Country Returns isn’t much of a revelation at all. Donkey Kong Country...
Interview Zelda Producer Eiji Aonuma Talks DLC, Missing Dungeons And Majora's Mask
Exclusive access to Link's protector
Eiji Aonuma has presided over the The Legend of Zelda series for the past 15 years and has overseen some of the franchise's most iconic entries. We got the chance to sit down and speak with him during this year's E3 event, where he was promoting the two forthcoming instalments: The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD...
First Impressions The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
Wind Reawakened
It’s strange to have a first impression on a remake of a game, especially when it’s a game like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The truth is that despite being 10 years old at this point, Wind Waker is still a great looking game that plays well and has held up very well over time. Whether that’s due to the GameCube’s...
First Impressions Mario Kart 8
Turning things upside down
Imagine the Mario Kart series as an enormous living being made out of adorable cars, happy drivers, delightful loops passing through volcanoes and haunted houses and vicious blue shells. Envision this being, this body of Kartdom, and now answer this simple question: where is its heart? What is the thumping engine within...
First Impressions Super Mario 3D World
Stranger things have happened
Sometimes it’s easy to forget how weird Mario games are. Think about it: A pudgy plumber in overalls who can jump ridiculously high, throw fireballs when he touches flowers, get huge when he eats mushrooms and make it with a princess provided he kicks the seven shades of crap out of a giant turtle dragon. That is the...
Features The Joys of Following Nintendo at E3
A rollercoaster ride
E3 2013 is entering the final stretch, with one final day of the show floor being open for thousands of keen gamers to rush to their favourite booths. The PR campaigning will start to fade, too, as executives and developers pack up and try to remember where they put their passports. Rather like last year, this E3 has arguably...
Poll Which Wii U E3 Game Has Impressed You the Most?
There are plenty to choose from
This E3 has seen Nintendo show off a lot of Wii U software, even if we already knew about all but one of them before the expo launched. Rather than potential based on name alone, however, we've now seen these titles in action, with some certainly catching the eye. With the expo now having been open to the public,...
Talking Point Nintendo's Wii U Lineup Makes Commercial Sense
Nintendo plays it safe, like everyone else
E3 presentations can be strange occasions, often prompting exaggerated reactions — either delight or dismay — immediately after the event, before a following hangover of acceptance and anticipation for the games on the way. That's the general sense within the Nintendo Life team the day after Nintendo's...
Feature The Big E3 2013 Nintendo Direct Round-up
The most important E3 coverage in one place
Nintendo may not have hosted a live press conference this year, but through Nintendo Direct and a number of subsequent developer videos it still bombarded us with information of games coming this year and beyond. Although most of the big reveals were already known ahead of time, we had some important first...
Feature What We Expect From Nintendo's E3 Direct
Quite a lot, actually
So after plenty of build up and waiting for all the other presentations to finish, the E3 Nintendo Direct is now a matter of hours away. It's a diversion away from the live presentations of past years, but as a pre-recorded and scripted video it has the potential to be a well-paced extravaganza; we hope it'll seize the day for...
Talking Point Nintendo's Biggest E3 Challenge is Getting Noticed
Up against a wave of new hardware
When Nintendo announced that it was foregoing the traditional live presentation at E3, a common initial reaction was one of surprise, with some interpreting the move as a sign of weakness in the face of big-hitting rivals. When considered with a bit more context and analysis, however, the argument could be made that...
Talking Point Looking Ahead to Nintendo's E3
Can you feel that tingle of excitement?
E3 2013 is now tantalisingly close, and 48 hours from the time of writing Nintendo will broadcast its pre-expo Nintendo Direct presentation, which will be focused on Wii U releases for Fall, Winter and beyond. It's a break from the usual live presentation, but nevertheless we can expect three days of...
Developer Interview Renegade Kid on Mutant Mudds Deluxe and Looking Forward with Wii U
"It is all about the games"
Mutant Mudds Deluxe will not only bring the return of the highly-rated 3DS eShop title on a HD platform, it'll also be Renegade Kid's home console debut. Since the studio was founded in 2007 it's focused, primarily, on Nintendo's DS, DSi and 3DS systems, with recent diversions to PC and iOS in the form of Mutant Mudds...
Talking Point E3 2013 Is All About The Games
Wii U games, specifically
For many, the start of a new generation heralds the beginning of a golden age for gaming, promising new IPs, a fresh approach, or simply an established franchise seen through new technology. It is a time when the sky is the limit, and gamers everywhere can come together to celebrate change. But this time, that hasn’t...
Feature The Biggest Wii U Games of 2013 - Summer Edition
Now this list is getting juicy
With summertime almost officially upon us, and with E3 looming on the horizon, we've decided to take stock and provide our updated list of the biggest Wii U games of 2013. There are some changes since our Spring Edition, most notably the removal of two Wii U eShop titles. With the Wii U retail lineup getting more...
Talking Point The Wii U Controller Options Open Up PC Game Opportunities
Point and click, swipe and tap
While the Wii U was the first to kick off what will soon be considered the current generation of game consoles, we were left wondering what innovations Sony and Microsoft would be bringing to the table. With the Wii U we've had a major processor power upgrade over the Wii, which was expected, but the control innovation...
Talking Point Wii U vs Xbox One - Online Requirements and On-Disc DRM
A big deal, or a mountain out of a mole-hill?
Last week Microsoft unveiled its Xbox One, or the non-gaming aspects for the most part, and seemingly managed to confuse as many viewers as it hyped up. Those that opt for schadenfreude should tread carefully, however, as Nintendo's Wii U reveal at E3 2011 similarly baffled many in terms of what the...
Talking Point The Wii U's Next-Gen Challenge Starts to Take Shape
Microsoft, Sony and others start to show their cards
Yesterday, as we're sure most — possibly all — of you are aware, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One, the company's offering for the "next generation" of gaming. And so we finally have a situation where, piece by piece, the rumours, leaked design documents and outright fibs are making way for hard...