Wii U Features
Feature 10 Essential Wii U And 3DS Platformers
Jump to it
Not long ago we picked out 10 RPG gems that we think are pretty much indispensable for fans of the genre that own a 3DS. Now, with the recent release of Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, we thought it was high time to look at the best of the platforming genre. To do the word 'essential' justice, though, this list takes in both the Wii U...
Feature Xenoblade Chronicles X - One Year Later
Musing on Mira
In this article Gonçalo "Shiryu" Lopes shares his personal reflections on Xenoblade Chronicles X, the enthralling Wii U title. Exactly one year ago Wii U owners were given a unique opportunity to escape reality by embarking on the extremely difficult assignment: to beat extinction against all odds on Planet Mira. But Xenoblade...
Guide The Top Nintendo Black Friday 2016 Deals in the US
Grab yourself a bargain!
It's that time, once again, when shoppers around the world prepare to brave the crowds in search of bargains. The Black Friday festivities are mostly based in crowded stores, though plenty of deals can also be hunted down online. For gamers, it's often a time of year for stocking up on goodies ahead of the festive season;...
Guide The Top Nintendo Black Friday 2016 Deals in the UK
Grab yourself a bargain
It's that time, once again, for Black Friday, when shoppers around the world prepare to brave the crowds in search of bargains. Though originally an American tradition, like Big Macs and over-sized soft drinks it's been exported around the world, for better and worse. A lot of UK bricks-and-mortar stores try and avoid the...
Soapbox In The Wii U's Final Days, Let's Be Thankful For Lego Dimensions
Keeping the dream alive
With production coming to an end, big-name releases drying up and previously-confirmed titles getting cancelled left, right and center, Wii U owners have every right to feel a bit glum at the moment. Switch is coming early nex
Feature 25 Essential Wii U Retail Games
Play them all
With the Wii U turning four years old in North America just recently, and with the system soon to be supplanted by the Nintendo Switch, we've been reflecting on the console's qualities and failings. One thing we've consistently argued, however, is that there's a core of excellent games on the system, many of them exclusives, that are...
Feature Reflecting on Four Years of the Wii U
Four NL writers pitch in on the outgoing system
The Wii U has now passed its 4th Birthday, in North America at least, though its generation is already nearing its end. A bad run, imminent discontinuation and the March 2017 arrival of the Nintendo Switch all mean that the system is on its way out, a sad fate for a system that has had some terrific...
Poll The Wii U is Four Years Old, But What Is Its Legacy?
The GamePad! HD Nintendo games! Rubbish file management!
On 18th November 2012, the Wii U was launched in North America. There was a high profile midnight launch attended by Reggie Fils-Aime to give it positive press, and it was Nintendo's jump into HD gaming, with a GamePad-led concept at the core of the messaging. The system had a relatively...
Editorial The Wii U Has Been Nintendo's Lowest Selling Home Console; It Deserved Better
Its sales will fall well short of the GameCube
It's been coming for some time, and Nintendo made the odd call to initially deny it was happening, but the Wii U is in its final stretch; manufacturing of the system is due to end soon. Nintendo's decision to make a denial, only to quietly contradict it a little over a week later is - to quote our...
Poll Nintendo Switch Delivers Single Screen Gaming - Will You Miss the Dual Screen Concept?
DS, 3DS and Wii U kept our eyes busy
Ever since Reggie Fils-Aime plucked a DS out of his jacket pocket at E3 2004, Nintendo has focused on dual screen gaming. The DS was the best selling portable system of all time, so inevitably the same broad design was carried across to the 3DS. The WIi U was the grand experiment in bringing dual screen gaming to...
Interview Image & Form Discusses Development Challenges and Continual SteamWorld Growth
"We really wanted to prove ourselves"
This week brings two intriguing retail releases in Europe, published under Nintendo's eShop Selects label. FAST Racing NEO and SteamWorld Collection will be available on disc, and in the latter case Image & Form is also bringing the same compilation to North America (in October) with a different publisher...
Editorial Rediscovering the Gems of the Wii U Library
A legacy to appreciate
A little while ago I wrote an editorial called 'Losing It All - When a Wii U's External Hard Drive Dies', in which I recounted the tale of just that very thing happening to me. I bemoaned the weird setup of Nintendo's data management on the home console and in particular its treatment of save data, which rather bizarrely is...
Editorial Losing It All - When a Wii U's External Hard Drive Dies
The quirks and annoyances of Wii U data management
There are lots of things that many people assume will never happen to them, just to 'others'. You don't think you'll be the victim of a crime, or get stranded overnight when a flight gets cancelled, or perhaps get addicted to amiibo collecting. These are all problems that other people have to deal...
Interview Learning More About Tom Happ and the Making of Axiom Verge
Getting to know the man behind the masterpiece
Have you ever been so wrapped up in a project that it began to seep into your personal life? What if your passion became your day-to-day? Imagine spending so much time and energy working on something that it eventually outgrew your expectations and became your bread and butter. It's the dream of so many...
Preview Buckets Of Fun With Paper Mario: Color Splash
Colour us impressed
Paper Mario: Color Splash is one of the Wii U's last major releases of the year, and by all accounts it should be cause for some real excitement among fans. It's the latest entry in a series that's filled with humour, character, charm and amazing environments, with an interesting new paint mechanic to keep things fresh. Our time...
Interview Will Dubé on Mythology, Art and Big Bosses in Jotun: Valhalla Edition
"We want to make beautifully powerful game experiences"
If you haven't already, do yourself a favour and take the time to look at some screenshots and trailers for the upcoming Wii U release of Jotun: Valhalla Edition. It's a beautifully crafted adventure game that pulls its story right from the pages of Norse Mythology. Not long ago we posted a...
Exclusive Exploring The Unlikely Legend Of Rusty Pup
"Three years is a good cycle for what we're doing"
When we last visited Gory Detail it was way back in 2013 when we exclusively revealed that ex-Rare staffers Chris Seavor and Shawn Pile had begun work on their next project - The Unlikely Legend of Rusty Pup. While the team have issued various developer vlogs in the subsequent years, they've largely...
Interview The Voice of Fox McCloud and Much More - Joe Zieja
"As it happens, my neighbor is a floating monkey head"
Prior to the launch of Star Fox Zero, Nintendo generated plenty of hype with an extravagant animated short that was broadcast live online: Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins. A collaboration between Shigeru Miyamoto, Production IG and WIT Studios, it hit a lot of the right notes as far as we were...
Japan Weekly Level-5 Ensures This Week's Famitsu is a Memorable One
Lady Layton and The Snack World impress in previews
This week Level-5 did what it does best and made us excited for upcoming Japanese-made games. While there wasn't exactly a lot of information on the two Nintendo 3DS titles, Lady Layton and The Snack World, we got just enough of a glimpse of both to make owning a 3DS a sound investment well into...
Hands On Painting a Clearer Picture of Paper Mario: Color Splash
"This is more of an adventure game"
There was an elephant in the room inside of Nintendo's off-site Comic-Con Nintendo Play Lounge. Not to be confused with a small stage shaped like an oversized Nintendo 3DS console, or the mammoth, room-sized inflatable Kirby set up to greet guests, this elephant took the shape of a video game kiosk. The game was...
Hands On How Will the "Open World" Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Suit a Traditional Gamer?
Anthony Dickens feels too old to play in a sandbox
I'd consider myself to be quite a traditional gamer; I tend to prefer games that have a simple core structure and a finite length. Now in my 30's I've found that whilst getting older has many benefits it has also restricted the amount of time I spent playing games, typically an hour or two here and...
Feature The Biggest Wii U and 3DS Games of 2016 - Summer Edition
Yes, we're combining the lists...
Summer is pouncing upon us and at the time of writing it's Independence Day in the US and a tad drizzly in this writer's part of the UK. It seems like a typical early July day, but we are shaking things up a little in this latest quarterly entry of the 'Biggest Games' series. We're combining the Wii U and 3DS...
Japan Weekly Previews and Reviews as Famitsu Continues to Play Catch-Up with E3
Puzzle & Dragons X sees more coverage as well
With so much news coming out of E3 a few weeks ago and only so many pages in a magazine, Famitsu has struggled to keep up with it all. Like last week, ample E3 news buried a few shining gems of information about upcoming Nintendo games, along with a couple obscure titles that will likely never see the...
Editorial An Ode To The Wii U GamePad, Nintendo's Mad But Brilliant Controller
Big, unwieldy, but occasionally innovative and exciting
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. In hindsight the GamePad has been a problem for the Wii U, a system that has stumbled as a result of multiple issues. It contributed to a higher-than-ideal launch price for the hardware, and has been largely underutilised for most of this generation. The Wii U,...
Japan Weekly Shovel Knight Impresses Famitsu as Puzzle & Dragons X Follows in Pokemon's Footsteps
Zero Time Dilemma's review and a ninja brawler also make an appearance
It's been a while since Nintendo Life covered Famitsu magazine, but because it consistently features world-first previews and reviews of many Japanese Nintendo titles, we decided to bring it back for your reading pleasure. This week's magazine featured a double-page spread on...
Editorial Mighty No. 9 and High Profile Disappointments Don't Invalidate Crowdfunding
Kickstarter and others bring risks, but sometimes they're worth it
I'm yet to play Mighty No. 9, but I've been following the chatter around it with a sense of weary resignation. It's been getting a lukewarm response in PS4 reviews, and the publisher hasn't exactly been rushing to get Wii U code out to anyone other than those who have paid for it...
Hands On Skylanders Imaginators Brings Crash To Wii U For The First Time
Family Gamer TV's Andy Robertson gets back in touch with a gaming icon
Getting hands on with Skylanders Imaginators at E3 was something of a revelation. We had heard a lot about the character creator before the event but it wasn't until we tried it for ourselves that it became apparent just how in-depth and flexible this is. The interface works...
Hands On Embracing Freedom in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Where even the smallest details can surprise Zelda veterans
In our third and final hands on preview of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild from E3, Alan Lopez breaks down what makes it a unique new direction for the series. Links to our previous write-ups by Morgan Sleeper and Mitch Vogel can be found at the end. To really understand the...
Hands On Whipping Hair Back and Forth in Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
Half-genie, all hero
WayForward's popular half-genie mascot hasn't starred in a game in since 2014's Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, and now the wait for her next adventure is nearly over. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is due to arrive both digitally and physically this Fall, kicking off something of a new beginning for the series. Given that the...
Hands On Taking a Deep Breath with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
A fresh, new approach
In our second Hands On piece for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mitch Vogel shares his analysis of the demo experiences offered at E3. You can find a link to our first article by Morgan Sleeper at the end, while Alan Lopez will pitch in with his thoughts in our third impressions piece very soon. When Nintendo made...
Talking Point Where Does The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Fit Into the Zelda Timeline?
Considering some clues
After Nintendo's glorious reveal of the new 2017 Legend of Zelda title - Breath of the Wild - we were given lots of trailer and gameplay footage to marvel at. Naturally, these kinds of revelations spark much debate and theorising amongst series enthusiasts, including where it could belong on the almighty Zelda timeline. Now...
Hands On Wide-Open Wanderlust in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Legendary
Instead of the open-floor plan filled with dozens of demo kiosks we've come to expect from its showings, Nintendo's booth at E3 this year looked rather different, featuring a single space shielded from the rest of the showfloor and dedicated to a single game: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While it may have seemed like an odd...
Reaction Key Early Lessons We Learned About The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo goes all in on the adventure
We started the first day of E3 knowing very little about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - not even that name - and have ended it with a lot more knowledge. The Nintendo Treehouse, Eiji Aonuma, Shigeru Miyamoto and all involved excelled at demonstrating a lot of fascinating details while also steering...
A Link to the Future
We've already discussed, long before now, how Nintendo's approach to E3 has caused understandable disappointment for some. Even after the company expanded its plans with more streams and games, when we polled Nintendo Life readers there was still disappointment. The promise of E3 discounts on the eShop has helped lift the mood a...
Feature Skylanders Imaginators Embraces The Minecraft Generation By Turning Players Into Creators
Make your own Skylander
Last year the de-facto version of Skylanders Superchargers was on the Wii U and 3DS, no where else could you access the full set of characters - including crossover amiibo Skylanders for Bowser and Donkey Kong. At an event in London, Activision has just unveiled this year's game, dubbed Skylanders Imaginators. There's no...
Feature Team-Based Super Smash Bros. Format, The Gauntlet, Aims to Transform the Competitive Scene
Could "bring Smash to the level of League of Legends" in eSports
Through a mix of determined strategy and the benefit of plenty of open-minded competitors, Nintendo has seen Super Smash Bros. for Wii U establish itself in the competitive scene. Though the franchise as a whole is still lagging behind some huge franchises in eSports, it has a loyal...
Guide Tackling the Bosses in Star Fox Zero
Open the wings!
With Star Fox Zero now in stores, you all have the chance to enjoy it for yourselves - we think it's a gem, but ultimately the Wii U audience will decide. In order to help you with the game - should you want assistance - we've already shared a getting started guide and details on how to unlock all the stages. We're wrapping up our...
Guide Unlocking Every Stage in Star Fox Zero
We're not leaving Peppy behind
In many respects Star Fox Zero is a loving tribute and reimagination of Star Fox 64, yet it takes a different approach to unlocking stages. It starts off relatively linear, in a first run-through of the story, and then it's time to play through once again. As you unlock new transformations and vehicles new options...
Guide Getting Started With Star Fox Zero and Mastering the Controls
We also look at the basics of amiibo and co-op
Star Fox Zero is landing on the eShop and in stores, bringing us the first full entry in the series in a number of years. We were big fans in our review, yet the game has been divisive, in part because of its GamePad-centric controls - for our money we think the time required to master the game's...
Reaction Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins Had Humour, Weirdness, Teases and Lots of Potential
An idea that Nintendo should pursue with all key franchises
Nintendo has made 'events' out of various quirky online broadcasts, with some being surprisingly short and light on actual reveals or details. It wasn't too surprising, then, to see Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins given the live broadcast treatment, followed by the Nintendo Treehouse team...
Feature Excited About Star Fox Zero? Check Out Our Extensive Series Content Here
Guess you should be thankful
Star Fox Zero launches on Wii U this week, and marks the long-awaited return of Fox McCloud and his team to active service. Given that Lylat fever has well and truly gripped the world of Nintendo, we thought it might be an opportune moment to remind you that we've got an embarrassment of Star Fox-related content tucked...
Poll The Wii U GamePad - Where Do You Stand on Nintendo's Hefty Controller?
Star Fox aims to show what it can do
In the coming week both Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard will arrive, both titles that'll not only aim to revive a franchise but also - in a manner of speaking - its controller. The Wii U GamePad has been one of Nintendo's most controversial controllers, in part because it's the pricey and mandatory inclusion...
Feature The Biggest Wii U Games of 2016 - Spring Edition
Time for the eShop to fill the void
We're well into 2016 and in a calm before the storm. Very soon Nintendo will announce its annual financial results, and we'll likely go into a pre-E3 cycle and all that'll entail - details and rumours on Nintendo Mobile, Pokémon, the ever-looming Nintendo NX and more. Yet we still have two current generation...
Preview Star Fox Guard Just May Be the Scariest Game of 2016
No, really
Star Fox Guard is a strange spinoff of a beloved franchise, taking on an entirely unorthodox gameplay loop for Fox and friends. You can glean as much from a quick peek at screenshots and videos. What you won't see in your fancy screenshots and schmancy videos is just how much Guard is secretly a horror game. Nintendo Life, we hear you...
Talking Point The Great Star Fox Zero Controls Debate Highlights Important Lessons
Simplicity and instinct matter when playing games
Star Fox Zero isn't far away, yet rather than unquestionable hype about the first series entry for over a generation, much of the talk is over its control scheme. As the Wii U heads towards its retirement it seems like an apt conflict - innovation vs familiarity, instinctive play versus unfamiliar...
Preview Preferring the Air in Star Fox Zero
Well, Alex does
It's been the best part of a decade since we last received an original title in the Star Fox series, a time only briefly broken up by the release of the admittedly excellent Star Fox 64 3D. It feels like this entry could be make or break for these anthropomorphic adventures in space, so can Star Fox Zero meet the lofty expectations...
Soapbox Nintendo Was Wrong To Turn Its Back On The Wii Remote
Damien McFerran sticks up for the device that gave the world some waggle
One of the greatest things about having children - aside from the free manual labour and the unspoken understanding that you'll have someone to wipe your bottom for you when you're old and infirm - is getting to reappraise video games. I have a seven-year-old son who, over the...
Editorial Accessibility Through Optional 'Invincibility' Buffs Can Only Be a Positive for Nintendo
Let's try to be Super Guides and spread the gaming bug
So, Star Fox Zero will not only have a co-op mode that'll allow less experienced players to play as a gunner and pew-pew stuff through the GamePad, but also a friendly option where gamers will have an invincible Arwing and simply fly through a level regardless of their performance. In the very...
Talking Point Nintendo's Fortress of Secrecy Needs to Tighten Security for the Year Ahead
Sharing isn't always the best policy
It seems that not so long ago Nintendo's ability to keep secrets was legendary. When leaks or early slip-ups emerged in past years it was normally a trusted partner that spilled the beans - examples included the occasion when a TT Games employee tweeted a picture of the re-designed Wii U GamePad prior to its...
Particularly on the 3DS
Nintendo, for reasons covered frequently on previous occasions, can no longer rely on sheer volume of releases for 3DS and, in particular, Wii U. What it can do is share its passion for its hardware through its own game releases and how it delivers them to fans. In its 3rd March Nintendo Direct broadcast the company did just...