Wii U News
July2014
News Golden Sun: The Lost Age Hitting Japanese Wii U Virtual Console Next Week
Western release should be on the cards
We've already seen the excellent Golden Sun on the Wii U Virtual Console, and next week Japanese players will be getting their hands on the equally brilliant sequel. Golden Sun: The Lost Age was originally released on the Game Boy Advance in Japan in 2002 (and a year later in North America and Europe) and...
News Wii Sports Club Update Arrives, Probably Doesn't Do Much
"Enhancements to improve the user’s experience"
Wii Sports Club has now been released in full as four separate downloads, while it's also now in stores as a retail disc in Europe — that offering arrives in North America on 25th July. The Wii U upgrade to the iconic bundled Wii software may not be enjoying the cultural impact of the original, but...
News Just Dance 2015 on Wii U To Be Featured in The Nintendo Gaming Lounge During Comic-Con
Take that, Wii version
Nintendo has already confirmed that it'll have a presence at this years San Diego Comic-Con, running from 24th to 27th July. There'll be a Nintendo Gaming Lounge at the Marriott Marquis & Marina located at 333 W. Harbor Drive (adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center), and the big N has already announced a Super Smash...
Talking Point Should Nintendo Be Promoting The Wii U GamePad As A Tablet Killer?
Kids love tablets, so why isn't Nintendo shouting about the GamePad?
When Nintendo first lifted the lid on the Wii U and its unique GamePad controller, many within the industry murmured their cautious approval. It all seemed to make so much sense — Apple's iPad had already kickstarted a tablet revolution and second-screen gaming promised big...
Video Mario Kart 8 Final Reveals The Top UK Family Racer
Speed demons
After weeks of heats and numerous family competitors, Family Gamer TV whittled the field down to the final four racers in their Mario Kart 8 competition. In a head-to-head final race the families each cheered on their children to complete Toad Harbour ahead of the field. Ben (racing as Mario, top left), Jarvis (racing as Larry, bottom...
News Nintendo and Koei Tecmo Hosting Fatal Frame Broadcast on 17th July in Japan
Details of Wii U exclusive on the way
Earlier this year it was announced that a new Fatal Frame / Project Zero title is coming to the Wii U, which is pleasing news for fans of the horror franchise. The series has a slightly patchy release history in the West, however, with Project Zero 2: Wii Edition coming to Europe but not North America, the...
News Mercedes Reports a Boost in Interest Since Announcing Mario Kart 8 Ad and DLC Deal
Marketing Experts 1 - 0 Jaded Cynics
There were some raised eyebrows when free Mercedes DLC — along with a marketing campaign — was announced for Mario Kart 8 in Japan, and more excitable chatter when that same content was confirmed for the West. Some are indifferent to the whole thing, others are pleased, while there's certainly a contingent...
News Best Buy Gearing Up For Enticing Buy One Get One Free 3DS Game Promotion
Starts 20th July, deals on 3DS XL, Wii U Pro Controller and Remotes, too
Now over three years old, the 3DS has amassed an impressive library of games, including plenty developed and/or published by Nintendo. For those still gradually building collections, or perhaps only now jumping into 3DS ownership, there's plenty of choice. Best Buy shoppers in...
Video Fi Shows What She Can Do in This Latest Hyrule Warriors Trailer
Always handy when you can turn into a sword
The roster of playable characters and villains in Hyrule Warriors keeps growing, and last week brought the intriguing reveal of Fi as a playable character, along with plenty of other content derived from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Naturally Fi can probably take care of
News Captain Falcon, Lucina and Robin All Join The Super Smash Bros. Roster
Male and female options for Robin, too
Nintendo has broadcast its quickfire three minute Super Smash Bros. New Fighter Intro Video, during which it revealed three new challengers — one of which is a returning favourite and another with a male and female variation. The headline announcement is likely to be Captain Falcon, the popular figure from...
News These Lucky Kids Got McDonald's Happy Meal Mario Kart Toys Direct From The Brothers Themselves
Envy is a terrible thing
McDonald's has a long tradition of hawking lumps of Nintendo-themed plastic with its Happy Meal range — we still have fond memories of the Super Mario Bros. 3 toys which launched more than twenty years ago. Similar playthings were recently given away in the UK, and in Sou
News Tomodachi Life Climbs UK Charts Yet Again as Mario Kart 8 Stays in the Race
Animal Crossing: New Leaf creeps back into the top 40, too
While gameplay comparisons between Tomodachi Life and Animal Crossing: New Leaf were often made and always a bit wrong, similarities could certainly be identified in their target audience and potential success. As a humorous, rather quirky Mii life-sim, Nintendo no-doubt hopes that it'll be...
News Rayman Trophy Revealed For Super Smash Bros. On Wii U And 3DS
Does this mean more Ubisoft on the way later today?
We'll be seeing a new Super Smash Bros. character reveal later today, but that hasn't stopped director Masahiro Sakurai from lifting the lid on another very interesting piece of information: Ubisoft's Rayman will be featured in the game as a trophy. Sakurai dropped the news on Miiverse: In order...
Play It's The Second Nintendo Life Community GP in Mario Kart 8 - Live!
Hit A on the 2...
Just recently we announced the second Nintendo Life Community GP competition, and it's now open. Mario Kart 8 has been with us for over a month now and players are getting rather good at it, so this is a chance to show just how good you are. This one is a code-based tournament, to give it that community feel, so below are...
Review One Piece Unlimited World Red (Wii U)
Not unlimited, but not bad
Eiichiro Oda’s anime juggernaut isn't short of games on multiple systems, and quality can be distinctly variable; the unimpressive One Piece: Romance Dawn on 3DS, with its repetitive gameplay and questionable production values, is one at the wrong end of the chain. In that sense it's tough to know what to expect from the...
First Impressions Throwing Down in Shigeru Miyamoto's Mech Maker, Project Giant Robot
A robot riot
At the very end of Nintendo’s Digital Event at this year’s E3, Shigeru Miyamoto made a brief appearance to announce that he’s been hard at work creating new games that use the Wii U’s dual-screen setup in innovative ways. One of these works-in-progress was Project Giant Robot, an experimental venture that lets players build...
Play Time for Another Nintendo Life Community GP - 12th July
Get ready!
A while ago we had our first NLife Community GP, which allowed us to take each other on in the terrific Mario Kart 8. There's been a lot going on since that last tournament but now there's no excuse; it's time to do it again. So, let's do this. It's a code-based tournament — this is for the community after all — with all the details...
News New Fighter for Super Smash Bros. to be Revealed on 14th July
There's even a live countdown for an intro video...
Until now Masahiro Sakurai, his team and Nintendo have revealed new challengers for Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS through a combination of Nintendo Direct broadcasts and sudden updates on the official website. There seems to be a big announcement coming, however, as they've gone so far as to...
Video Watch Samus, Mario And Link Duke It Out In Super Smash Bros. For The Wii U
The gloves are off
If you read our impressions of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U yesterday then you'll be aware of the fact that it's shaping up to be pretty special indeed. To confirm this a little more, allow us to present some off-screen footage captured at Nintendo UK's recent post-E3 event in London, England. In it, you'll see plenty of cartoon...
News Wii U Version Of Project CARS Drops To The Back Of The Starting Grid
Delayed until 2015
Bandai Namco has confirmed today that the Wii U version of Project CARS won't see the light of day until next year. The Nintendo version was expected to launch alongside the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions in November, but developer Slightly Mad Games has so far shown no footage of the game running on Wii U — although...
First impressions HD Brawling with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Big screen action
At a first glance, you could be forgiven for assuming that Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is simply a HD refresh of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, especially given that the core gameplay concept hasn't evolved a great deal. Nevertheless, underneath its incredibly polished aesthetics and smooth 60 frames per second speed, there’s a wealth...
Review Wii Sports Club (Wii U)
Wii Sports Club Assemble!
Wii Sports Club began life as a rather interesting eShop initiative by Nintendo, as sports from the original Wii pack-in were gradually released with multiple purchase options — timed passes for a small amount or a permanent pass for fairly standard download price. With the set of five now complete it's hard to say how...
Interview Pro Smash Competitors Armada & Mew2King on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
"The game’s graphics are on a completely different level"
With Evo 2014 around the corner, competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee players are gearing up for one of the year's biggest events. Of course, the new Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will potentially become a competitive main
Talking Point Nintendo Rewrote the E3 Rulebook With a Focus on Children
Sharing the experience
With their online press conferences and fan events Nintendo has been doing E3 differently for a couple of years now. This year, though, it broke one of the golden rules of show business — never work with children. A Kid’s Corner initiative brought some hand-picked children into E3 to try out the new games and experience...
News New Official Hyrule Warriors Screens Show Off Fi, Ghirahim, Skyward Sword Stages and More
Over 30 legendary screens
The Hyrule Warriors hype train, increasingly driven by tapping into our nostalgia for the series and its recent games, is still very much on track. Following early Famitsu reports of Fi as a playable character, alongside a host of references from Skyward Sword, official
News Super Smash Bros. on Both Wii U and 3DS to be Playable at HYPER JAPAN 2014
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, MK8, a peek at amiibo and more
Not too long ago we confirmed that Nintendo will have a booth and events at HYPER JAPAN in London, taking place at Earl's Court in London between 25th and 27th July. Nintendo's now announced what it'll have on show, and it includes the UK début of Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and
News Miiverse Update Allows You To List Favourite Game Genres and Add Lines To Posts
Because it's mine, I write with lines
Have you ever been writing a post on Miiverse and thought, "darn it, why won't it let me share my message in multiple, perfectly placed lines"? Or perhaps you're wanted to share with the world that you love puzzle games and platformers above all else? If either of those wishes applies to you, then you're in...
News 3DS On Top As Wii U Remains Highest Selling Home Console in Japan
Mario Kart 8 passes half a million physical retail sales
The latest Media Create chart results for Japan are in, and they continue the trends established over recent week in terms of hardware and software. There are certainly yet more positives for Nintendo, albeit against a backdrop of modest overall industry sales in the company's homeland. The...
News The Wii U Version Of Tengami Is Complete, Age Ratings And Lot Check Still Pending
Looking good on paper
The Wii U version of puzzle adventure title Tengami is now complete and ready to be submitted to Nintendo's Lot Check process, according to developer Nyamyam. The news was posted on the studio's official blog: The version is finished (yay!!!) and we are preparing to go into Lotcheck, Nintendo’s certification process that...
News Kotaku Says YES to the Wii U - Rejoicing Begins
Invaluable positive press for the system
We don't often reference editorial opinion from major websites as news, but as we're forever seeking silver-linings and positivity for the rather marvellous Wii U, we're going to make an exception. Kotaku, one of the most influential — we're talking top three — gaming sites in the world, has upgraded its...
Feature A Week of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Screens - Issue Forty Five
Rosalina! Mega Man! New 3DS stage! More stuff!
Super Smash Bros. is still coming, yes it is. We may be approaching a half century of these features, which is bordering on insanity, but Nintendo keeps assuring us that the games are coming, and that it's not all a mass-hallucination as part an experiment for the mysterious Quality of Life platform...
News Aussie Rating Outs Wii U Virtual Console Release Of Capcom's Onimusha Tactics
Game Boy Advance strategy spin-off is getting a second chance
Thanks to a rating on the Australian Board of Classification, we can reveal that Capcom's 2003 Onimusha spin-off Onimusha Tactics is coming to the Wii U Virtual Console. Based on the popular Onimusha series of action titles, this Game Boy Advance release takes place on a grid-based...
News Fi Confirmed For Hyrule Warriors Along With Skyward Sword Costumes For Link And Zelda
Oh, and that ball and chain weapon from Twilight Princess
Japanese magazine Famitsu has confirmed that Fi from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be a playable character in the forthcoming Hyrule Warriors. The publication has also revealed that both Link and Zelda will be able to wear their costumes from Skyward Sword, and that the huge ball...
News Tomonubu Itagaki Thinks Gamers Will Buy A Wii U Just For Devil’s Third
"I feel that ultimately gamers are the ones who make the future"
Devil's Third isn't your typical Nintendo-published title — it's loaded with guns, swords, gore and lady's bottoms. Given the family-friendly nature of the Wii U, you might assume that creator Tomonubu Itagaki would be a little worried that this new title will struggle to find an...
First Impressions Hyrule Warriors Is Zelda, But Not As We Know It
Button-mashing with the Hero of Time
On paper, Nintendo's decision to ally Zelda with the Dynasty Warriors franchise makes perfect sense; Koei Tecmo's series is incredibly popular in its native Japan and Wii U owners are simply dying for another Hyrule-themed adventure to embark upon. However, almost immediately after the announcement of Hyrule...
Download copies come with free original via the eShop, naturally
Nintendo's E3 announcement of Bayonetta 2 including a Wii U-enhanced edition of the original Bayonetta was pleasing; it's terrific news for Nintendo gamers, as those yet to enjoy the original can now enjoy both titles in the correct order, with the original even having new outfits and...
News Retail Promotions Prompt Tomodachi Life to Continue Climb in UK Charts
Life in the old Mii yet
Tomodachi Life made a modest UK chart début when it launched in early June, not exactly shaming itself but struggling to make a significant impact. Since then, however, Nintendo of America has been making positive noises about its performance in its region and, in the UK charts at least, the Mii-sim has not only seen a...
Video Mighty No. 9: The Animated Series Gets A Slick Teaser Trailer
Japanese studio Digital Frontier does the honours
It was confirmed a while back that we could be seeing a Mighty No. 9 live-action movie in the not-too-distant future, but it would appear that Beck and friends could be hitting our screens sooner than expected. Japanese studio Digital Frontier has put together a teaser trailer for a proposed...
Video Midna's Unique Fighting Style Brings Extra Chaos to Hyrule Warriors
Link is the star again, sort of...
Koei Tecmo has been steadily releasing new videos of Hyrule Warriors to show the various playable characters in action, though curiously has been slow to release its Midna equivalent. It's been a slightly odd omission as the Twilight Princess star was revealed as playable a good time ago. Yet still, we now have...
News Hacker Claims to Demonstrate an Exploit to Mod a Wii U System and Mario Kart 8
Utilises a browser-based workaround
The Wii and DS systems suffered from extensive hacking and unauthorised mods, which allowed people to create their own apps and, alternatively, download and use ROMS of games for free. The homebrew scene was one aspect, though accompanying piracy was a substantial problem that impacted software sales and has been...
Talking Point With E3 Long Gone, Nintendo Still Has Plenty to Reveal 'Directly' to Fans
Keep the hype train running
While Nintendo's appearance at E3 — widely regarded as a success — was only a little under a month ago at the time of writing, in modern consumer and internet terms that is an age. Since that time we've had some updates on key releases on the way this Fall, and a lot of focus on the wider picture of eShop games and...
Video This Hyrule Warriors Trailer Shows Off Agitha's Peculiar Moves
If you don't like insects, look away now
Not too long ago Koei Tecmo confirmed, through Famitsu magazine and then its official website, that Agitha from Twilight Princess would be a playable character in Hyrule Warriors; it was an interesting reveal, with subsequent screenshots showing various large bugs being used as part of special moves.
News Those Mario Kart 8 McDonald's Happy Meal Toys Are Now Available in the US
Clap along...
Not too long ago we brought you the news that Mario Kart 8 toys were coming to McDonald's Happy Meals in the US, predicting an early July arrival. Well, they're now available, and looking rather charming. As reported before and as the image above shows, there are seven toys to collect in addition to a Mario visor, and they'll be...
Feature The Biggest Wii U Games of 2014 - Summer Edition
E3 has shaken things up
You should now be fairly familiar with our quarterly tradition of looking at the biggest games coming to the Wii U. Our Spring edition had some games that have since fallen out of a 2014 release, as it was pulled together at a time when 'TBC' was far too common as a release window on Wii U games — alternatively, some...
Video Watch Us Gleefully Bust Some Skulls In Hyrule Warriors
So much carnage
Hyrule Warriors is a unique title in that it takes two very popular franchises — Zelda and Dynasty Warriors — and combines them to create a game which should in theory appeal to two very different fanbases. We've got a more detailed hands-on preview going up on the site soon, but in the meantime here's some off-screen footage...
News 72 Million Kids Are Dying To Get Their Grubby Hands On Smart Toys Like Amiibo
New research bodes well for Nintendo's new "Toys to Life" range
Nintendo may find that the commercial success of its upcoming Amiibo NFC toy range could exceed even the most outlandish of expectations, if new research conducted by Entertainment, media and technology market research firm Interpret is correct. The company recently commissioned a...
News GAME's One Day Mario Kart 8 Deal, for £29.99, is a Must Buy for UK Racers
Don't delay
Are you a Wii U owner in the UK that still hasn't picked up Mario Kart 8? Perhaps you've seen cheap Wii U system deals and aren't sure whether to take the plunge? This one day deal on the fantastic racer may push you over the edge in either direction. GAME has reduced the disc version of Mario Kart 8 to £29.99 — which you can grab on...
News Shovel Knight Has an Unlockable "Butt Mode"
Sorry, everyone else who wanted to be Game of the Year
In classic retro gaming fashion, Shovel Knight comes with a slew of cheat codes to unlock various perks and quirks. By far the most prominent of these codes has been Butt Mode, which replaces many of the common words in the game (e.g. "Shovel," "Knight," "Magic") with "Butt." Yacht Club Games...
"We have ideas for Nintendo 3DS which we have not announced yet"
There's little doubt that, among Nintendo's various big-name franchises, The Legend of Zelda is currently one of the most discussed and prominent at the moment. The Legend of Zelda for Wii U was shown for the first time at E3 this year, while Hyrule Warriors is getting closer to its...
News Nintendo Highlights Hundreds of Developers Working on Games for Wii U and 3DS
The Wii U eShop is strongest in the US
As you may be aware, Nintendo recently hosted The 74th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, in which company management provides presentations to its shareholders and answers a number of questions — Satoru Iwata was unable to attend. The official transcript of that meeting has been published, which...
Video Lana Brings Some Deadly Magic to Hyrule Warriors
Check out the Princess Zelda trailer from last week, as a bonus
Nintendo and Tecmo Koei / Koei Tecmo are certainly putting a great deal of effort into building the levels of anticipation for Hyrule Warriors, with regular releases of new trailers, screens and details on new characters; more playable characters are yet to be revealed. A relatively...
Video Hands-On With Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker On Wii U
Going for gold
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was one of the surprises of Nintendo's E3 this year, taking a minor mini-game from Super Mario 3D World and turning it into a fully-fledged release. We got chance to spend some time with the title at Nintendo UK's recent post-E3 event, and found it to be jolly good fun — check out the footage below...
News Bandai Namco Picks up Project CARS for Worldwide Distribution
Still lining up in November
The almost unbelievably stunning racer Project CARS has a new teammate in its garage: Bandai Namco Games Europe, who has announced a worldwide distribution agreement with developer Slightly Mad Studios. According to Bandai Namco's press release, the publisher will be involved with distribution of the crowd-funded title...
Video Curve's Jonathan Biddle Takes Us Through Stealth Inc 2 On Wii U
Sneaky stuff
Last week, Nintendo UK held a post E3 event in London where the gaming press that didn't make it to LA were able to sample some of the latest games for the Wii U and 3DS. We were in attendance and got a chance to chat with Jonathan Biddle of Curve Studios — the man behind the brilliant Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark and its...
News The eShop Is "A Great Place To Be" And Packed With Unique Experiences, Say Curve Studios
Stealth Inc 2 expected to arrive around October
While the Wii U and 3DS eShops may not have the depth of content seen on the likes of the iOS App Store and Android Google Play market, they're still home to some amazing titles which simply cannot be experienced elsewhere — and that is part of the reason why Curve Studios is bringing Stealth Inc 2...
News One Piece Unlimited World Red Is Getting Some Free DLC In Europe
"Red Stands Alone" quest will be entirely free to download
To mark the arrival of One Piece Unlimited World Red on Wii U and 3DS, Bandai Namco Games has announced that a free DLC quest will be made available. "Red Stands Alone" is the name of the quest itself, and will boast an increased challenge which will test skilled players. We're in the...
News Nintendo Scoops Three "Best Of E3" Game Critics Awards
The awards are the reward
Nintendo had a pretty solid E3 this year, and this is reflected in the fact that the company has scored three Game Critics Awards in the annual "Best of E3" round-up. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS was branded the Best Handheld / Mobile game, while its Wii U sibling took home the Best Fighting Game award. Rounding off the trio...
Exclusive Getting Into Sync With Dead Pixel Entertainment's Wii U Exclusive First Person Shooter
"The GamePad is a highly flexible piece of equipment"
If you're trying to get the attention of the average Nintendo fan, mentioning Metroid usually has the desired effect. When Dead Pixel Entertainment announced Sync for the Wii U eShop earlier this year, that particular tactic worked wonderfully; of course, the Wii U exclusivity, intriguing...
June2014
News Tomodachi Life on the Rise in UK Charts
The quirky Mii-sim still has legs
The weekly UK game sales charts are in again and we continue to see a flurry of PS4/Xbox One blockbusters hogging the top slots. Sniper Elite 3, Watch Dogs and EA Sports UFC are enjoying their time at the top this week. Tomodachi Life
News Princess Daisy Costume Confirmed For Bayonetta
Dressing up is fun
Nintendo has previously revealed that you'll be able to use Samus, Peach and Link costumes in Bayonetta on the Wii U, but eagle-eyed fans have spotted that screenshots show a fourth costume selection slot. Given the colours and flower design used in the mystery icon, some had predicted that it would be an outfit for Princess...
News Nintendo Supported Our Vision The Most, Says Devil's Third Maker Valhalla Game Studio
"As far as boundaries go, there was nothing they told us we couldn’t do"
Devil's Third was perhaps one of the biggest surprises of Nintendo's E3. Previously announced by THQ as a PS3 and 360 title, its future was thrown into doubt when the publisher went under. Nintendo was the company which picked it up, and now the game will be hitting the Wii U...
Review Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (Wii U)
Less than meets the eye
Whether it's Batman, Gears of War or Zelda, it's always a gamble when a beloved series leaves the developer that created it in favour of a new one. In many of these cases it's because the publisher wants to churn out annual or semi-annual instalments in a profitable franchise, and one studio is not enough to carry this...
News Pier Solar HD Delayed, Wii U Version Will Now Come With Built-In Achievements
Certification process throws up some issues
WaterMelon's rebooted 16-bit RPG Pier Solar and the Great Architects HD was due for release earlier this year, but the developer has now revealed that a last-minute snag in the certification process has resulted in a minor delay. Apparently it's Microsoft which is kicking up a stink — it rejected the...
Parent Trap Amiibo Charts A Fresh Course In The Toys To Life Sector
Wallets are going to suffer this Christmas
Seen one toy-video-game craze and you’ve seen them all, right? Counter to first impressions Skylanders, Disney Infinity and Angry Birds Telepods each offer a distinct experience. Nintendo’s amiibo characters offer another new way to combine toys and video-games, but how different is it to these other...
News The Results Of Nintendo Games Seminar Show Innovation And Imagination
Last year’s four games available for free on the Japanese Wii U eShop
We recently reported on Nintendo of Japan's Nintendo Games Seminar and commented on what a great opportunity it looked like for young Japanese developers who wanted to make a name for themselves. Every year selected teams of college students are given classes on game...
Hands On Bewitching Bayonetta 2 Brings Action Gaming To A Climax On Wii U
We spend some time with Bayonetta 1 and 2
It’s hard to overestimate just how much buzz Bayonetta 2’s Wii U exclusivity garnered back when it was announced in 2012; the first game in the series - from Platinum Games and Hideki Kamiya - was critically acclaimed and a big hit with fans, though since it only ever appeared on the Xbox 360 and PS3,...
News Thank Goodness, The Burning Mystery Of Bayonetta 2's New Haircut Is Finally Explained
"I think her shorter hair gives her a generally more masculine look."
By now you’ve probably seen the new look for everyone’s favourite modern witch, Bayonetta. But did you ever wonder why she had such a drastic haircut for the Wii U exclusive sequel Bayonetta 2? Thankfully Mari Shimazaki — freelance designer over at Platinum Games — is at...
News Mario Kart 8 Speeds Past The Two Million Copies Sold Barrier In Less Than A Month
Wii U hardware sales are up, too
During Nintendo's 74th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders it has been revealed that Mario Kart 8 has shifted an impressive two million copies in the month it has been on sale. In addition to this welcome news, it has also been stated that Wii U hardware sales are on the rise too — although this presumably...
News Bayonetta 2 Director Eager to "Nurture" the Series With Nintendo Again in the Future
"There's a lot that we learned from Nintendo"
Bayonetta 2 is getting increasingly close to its arrival on Wii U, and when you throw in the inclusion / release of an updated Bayonetta, albeit in different deals per region, it could be enough to keep Nintendo gamers busy for a good while from October onwards. It's easy to forget, too, how big an...
Video Nintendo Game Developers 'Sing' About Their Upcoming Wii U Releases
Splatoon! Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker! Star Fox! More!
So, we admit, that's a cheeky headline, though we trust the 'Sing' and image have tipped you off to what's really going on here. Nintendo has released a rather funny video of its big-name developers singing songs about their current Wii U projects... in Tomodachi Life. One of this game's...
News Hyrule Warriors Downloadable Costume Sets Feature Twilight Princess Outfits for Link and Zelda
Screens for Agitha, Lana, Zant and Argorok also released
Though we have release dates for Hyrule Warriors in the West, one area that's yet to be outlined is whether there'll be multiple retail editions with additional costume sets, as is the case in Japan. At present the official website outlines three offerings, with details as follows. A...
News Pokémon Art Academy Sneaks Top Spot in Japanese Charts as Console Sales Dip
3DS still top, Wii U remains as number one console
It's time once again for the Media Create Japanese chart results, and this week tells a tale of modest sales across the board. Though the numbers are low Nintendo still has plenty to cheer. Pokémon Art Academy makes its début this week and sneaks into top spot, narrowly out-selling more...
News Miiverse Update Adds Post Embed Option, Activity Feed Customisation and More
Say "meh" to Yeahs
Nintendo's ever-evolving Miiverse social network has had another update today, tweaking the experience in customising your Activity Feed, improving the browser-based User Page and adding an option to embed posts on websites. The latter option is a simple button at the end of a post that gives you some embed code, though it should...
News S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Metro: Last Light Developers Aiming to Bring Areal to Wii U
Blasting towards crowdfunding target
For Wii U gamers hoping for a shooter on the system that also aims to innovate the genre and provide a compelling post-apocalyptic atmosphere, Areal should perhaps be on their radar. It's a project by West Games, comprised of team members that worked on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series and Metro: Last Light. Presented...
News Devil's Third Developer Discusses Its Unique Approach, and Learning From Nintendo
"I had this opportunity to learn about Nintendo culture"
Devil's Third was a major surprise at E3; the Valhalla project formerly in the works for PS3 and Xbox 360 was announced as a Wii U exclusive. Its absence from the the Nintendo Digital Event was hardly a surprise considering its tone and genre, but it did raise eyebrows and will stand as one of...
Talking Point New Ideas, Not New IPs, Are The Key for Nintendo
Splatoon and Code Name S.T.E.A.M are joined by Captain Toad, after all
Earlier today we reported on an interview given by two of the developers behind upcoming Wii U third-person shooter Splatoon, in which they outlined the creative process that brought us human / squid hybrids rather than macho men with guns, with existing brands such as Mario also...
"We had robots, different animals, macho men, and Mario"
Of all its announcements at E3, Splatoon was arguably the biggest hit for Nintendo, perhaps aside from obvious blockbuster efforts such as The Legend of Zelda. It generated a lot of hype, seemingly caught the imagination of the Nintendo Life community and has been praised in numerous previews...
Video Impa Shows Off Some Impressive Moves in the Latest Hyrule Warriors Trailer
Call that a sword? THIS, is a sword
Tecmo Koei and Nintendo have been busy in recent days and weeks to make sure that gamers know all about Hyrule Warriors, both also doing their utmost to convince us that this is a title we simply must have on Wii U. This Dynasty Warriors mash-up will certainly be a diversion for the much-loved franchise, at least...
News Nintendo Confirms Appearance, With Wii U and 3DS Titles, at HYPER JAPAN 2014 in London
Will take part in "a number of showcases on the main stage"
HYPER JAPAN is a yearly event in London that, if you hadn't already guessed from the title, celebrates Japanese culture. It incorporates interests such as music, fashion, food & drink, sports demonstrations, technology and, of course, video games. Nintendo's been a consistent supporter...
News Agitha, of Twilight Princess Fame, Confirmed as Playable Character in Hyrule Warriors
New character Lana also playable, villains from Twilight Princess to appear
Update: Subsequent reports from this leaked Famitsu article explain that Lana (referenced below) is a new character, The White Witch, who uses a magical book of spells to combat enemies. Agitha can attack with a parasol and summon bugs, Link will have his iconic hook-shot,...
Feature Braving the Queue At Nintendo's Best Buy Smash-Fest
An account of Nintendo’s second foray into digital demonstrations
Not one to keep its ideas safely inside of the metaphorical box, Nintendo decided once again to forgo the standard E3 press conference this year and instead broadcast its own "Digital Event" directly to the consumers. While this caught many off guard last year during the first...
First Impressions Taking Sonic Boom for a Spin on Wii U and 3DS
Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)
Back in May 2013 Nintendo announced that it had entered into a partnership with Sega to bring a series of three Sonic games exclusively to its systems. Sonic Lost World and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games were the first products of that arrangement, and the upcoming Sonic Boom games —...
News Awesome New Hyrule Warriors Trailers Show Link Rocking the Fire Rod and Some Serious Swordplay
No mercy
It may turn out to be slightly mindless button mashing action, but Hyrule Warriors will be mindless button mashing action in The Legend of Zelda's world; we suspect that fact alone will be enough to excite plenty of players. It arrives in September on Wii U, of course, and with that release — along with an earlier arrival in Japan —...
More playable characters to be revealed for Hyrule Warriors
The Legend of Zelda is a franchise that's dabbled with multiplayer in the past, most notably with the Four Swords titles across GameCube, Game Boy Advance and DSiWare re-release The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition. The definition of 'multiplayer' can be stretched in this...
News Mario Kart 8 and Tomodachi Life Show Decent Momentum in UK Charts
Staying power
A worrying trend in the weekly charts we've seen in the UK throughout 2014 has been for Nintendo releases or system exclusives to make an initial appearance before rapidly tumbling out of the top 40, with the exception of Pokémon X & Y clinging on in the lower reaches. As we head towards July the latest major releases on Wii U and...
Video Watch Our Handy Highlight Video To See How Nintendo Silenced Its Critics At E3 2014
Zelda! Amiibo! Splatoon!
It's fair to say that many people in the industry who are deemed to be "experts" didn't give Nintendo much of a chance at this year's E3. The company's decision to not hold a traditional press conference for the second year running — coupled with the well-publicised struggles of the Wii U — resulted in many dire...
Talking Point Nintendo Should Beware the Slippery Slope of Sponsored DLC
A harmless way to make money, or guaranteed alienation of fans?
This week Nintendo confirmed the inevitable, and that was Mercedes DLC coming to Mario Kart 8 in the West, after it had previously been announced for the Japanese market. It'll be free in Nintendo's homeland and, we expect, everywhere else in the world, though Nintendo's refusal to use...
News Nintendo Serves Up Another Big Batch of Treehouse Videos
Have a Nintendo Minute E3 video as a bonus, too
Over the past 10 days or so we've brought you some summaries of Nintendo Treehouse @E3 videos as Nintendo's uploaded them, and the company has now produced what may be the last big batch of footage from the three day broadcast. This range covers major retail, download and conceptual games across Wii U...
Talking Point Keeping It Simple Helped Nintendo Triumph At E3
The Nintendo Difference
E3 — the busiest week on any gamer's calendar — has been and gone for another year, but how has the Big N fared against the onslaught of the competition's 'next gen' power? We saw some very impressive stuff from rivals Sony and Microsoft, and many would argue that Nintendo's Wii U, with technical specs below PS4 and Xbox...
News Nintendo Open To Minecraft on Wii U and 3DS, and Expanding Its Popularity in Japan
Shigeru Miyamoto teases, "maybe we're meeting with them!"
Minecraft is everywhere, and it's a phenomenon. It's on a significant number of platforms, with releases confirmed to be on the way for PS4 and Xbox One, while its PS3 and Xbox 360 versions continually rest in the top 10 of sales charts in major territories such as the US. A social, creative...
News Bayonetta Wii U Director Shows More of What Those Nintendo Costumes Do
Visor up! Visor down. Visor up! Visor down...
Isao Negishi, director of the Bayonetta Wii U port, took to the Platinum Games blog recently with some news on the game. In addition to a short video showing more of Bayonetta in action on the Wii U, Negishi explained features of the witch's new wardrobe of Nintendo-themed costumes. According to...
First Impressions Moulding Clay With Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Rainbow Country
Kirby has always been a flexible little guy; from his humble beginnings as a placeholder sprite, he’s been moulded into a pinball, a golf ball, and an animate collection of yarn - not to mention the many hats he wears as part of his trademark copy abilities. Kirby’s workable versatility is a huge part of his identity as a...
News Mercedes DLC Confirmed for Mario Kart 8 in the West
High-end wheels
In late May we brought you the surprise news that free Mercedes-themed DLC is coming to Mario Kart 8 in Japan, the latest title to follow that path through a licensing agreement — we saw Nintendo do this with the Callaway brand in Mario Golf: World Tour. At the time Nintendo wouldn't comment on a potential Western arrival, yet it's...
News Two Separate Bayonetta 2 Retail Releases Confirmed for Europe
North American promotion details also updated
When Nintendo confirmed a free copy of Bayonetta with retail copies of upcoming Wii U exclusive Bayonetta 2, excitement quickly turned to some confusion. A poorly worded footnote on the official website suggested that eShop copies of the sequel would not include the first game, before an official...
News Nintendo Looking To Grow Wii U Audience To Tempt Back Third Parties
"We're in for the long haul in gaming"
One of the most common complaints we hear from Wii U owners is the lack of third party support for the system — aside from a handful of publishers, most of the big names working in the industry have all but abandoned Nintendo's system, presumably due to the lack of earning potential. Nintendo is aware that...
News Don't Worry, Splatoon Will Have A Local Multiplayer Mode Too
Expect a full-price retail release in the "first half" of 2015
Splatoon impressed pretty much everybody who saw it at this year's E3, and has become one of the most eagerly-awaiting titles of 2015. However, some questions have been raised regarding the game's offline potential; given the Wii U's social focus, the idea of a game which can only be...
News Reggie Fils-Aime Defends Wii U Prospects as Shigeru Miyamoto Highlights Nintendo's Creativity
Miyamoto-san - "the numbers have never been as bad as they are now"
We're entering a vital period for the Wii U — though that's been said plenty of times in the past — as Nintendo looks to use the early success of Mario Kart 8 to kick off a sustained revival of the system. The company threw a lot of exciting Wii U content out for the world to...
Talking Point Nintendo Successfully Wooed Some Wii U Doubters at E3
Its message of fun and innovation gets through
As a Nintendo-centric site, it's pretty obvious where the interests of our team and the community lie. While we'll be critical of Nintendo, its games, systems or policies when we feel such a stance is warranted, we are inevitably 'rooting' for the company. To nick the big N's slogan of choice right now,...
News Nintendo Executive Suggests Wii U is at a "Tipping Point" Towards Success
"We have a lot of great content that is about to be released"
The Wii U, it's fair to say, is currently enjoying its most positive spell of coverage and attention since it launched, with strong sales numbers for Mario Kart 8 combining with an excellent E3 showing to deliver some serious buzz. Perhaps unsurprisingly it's all about first-party games...
News Nintendo TVii Update Adds New Features and Improves Interface
Get from the home screen to your content faster than ever before
Recent conversation around the Wii U interface has centered on the awesome 5.0.0 system update that launched earlier in June; for many, the update provides aesthetic and functional improvements that help the system's interface better stand alongside its next-gen counterparts. For users...
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