Wii U News
April2013
Feature The Big Nintendo 3DS Direct Summary - 17th April 2013
There's a lot to take in
Before the latest Nintendo Direct broadcast, we're sure that many were unsure of what to expect. We've watched enough of them to know that sometimes they can be rather light on revelations, simply stringing us along with a few release dates, and on other occasions they can be blockbuster events that get the Nintendo Life...
News Game & Wario Brings Mayhem to North America on 23rd June
It looks suitably bonkers
Game & Wario is a game that promises "GamePad Pandemonium", yet the latter adjective was a good description for the sheer volume of reveals and information that came from the most recent Nintendo Direct broadcast. One story that we didn't cover right away but want to bring to your attention is the release date for...
News Iwata Reveals More Details On New Super Luigi U
No bros allowed
Satoru Iwata revealed more details about New Super Luigi U, the upcoming downloadable expansion for New Super Mario Bros. U, during today's Nintendo Direct presentation. First revealed in February as part of Nintendo's Year of Luigi, New Super Luigi U takes the "Bros." out of the equation, giving Mario's clumsy green brother the...
News Wii U System Update Coming Next Week
A whole host of enhancements promised
Nintendo has confirmed that a Wii U system update will be rolled out worldwide next week. As expected, the update will shorten loading times when switching between applications or returning to the Wii U Menu. You'll also be able to copy or move data from one USB hard drive to another, automatically install new...
News Pikmin 3 Arrives in North America on 4th August
Europe has a less specific date of "just a few months"
While today may have been branded as a 3DS Direct, the Wii U was mentioned and has enjoyed a bit of attention in the huge amount of information to come out of Nintendo since the broadcasts. One of these is an important one for the home console, with Pikmin 3 confirmed to arrive in North America...
News FIFA 14 Details Announced, Wii U Version Not Included In The Initial Line-Up
Maybe we'll get FIFA 13.5 instead
We reported yesterday that EA would be giving us some fresh details on its annual installment in the FIFA series of games, FIFA 14. Right on schedule, EA has indeed released a plethora of information on new features for the upcoming title, but what's even more interesting is the fact that there's no Wii U listing...
News Frontier Adamant Coaster Crazy Deluxe Won't Impact Elite: Dangerous Development
Forced on the defensive after negative reaction to Wii U title from fans
Frontier Developments has been forced to defend itself following the announcement of Coaster Crazy Deluxe for the Wii U eShop. There's been something of a negative reaction from certain sectors of the gaming public, with some individuals suggesting that Frontier has used money...
News Injustice: Gods Among Us For Wii U May Not Support Cross-Unlock Content With iOS Version
Perhaps in a future update?
Just days before its release in the UK, we were given unfortunate news that Injustice: Gods Among Us will miss its scheduled release date of 19th April this week in that region. For any Brits reading it's worth noting that it'll only be delayed by one week, launching on 26th April. Now, it seems, the spotlight has been...
News EA Announcing More FIFA 14 News Tomorrow
Back of the net
The football season is slowly drawing to a close, which can only mean one thing: EA will soon be announcing its next FIFA title in preparation for the next campaign. Fans of the series will be pleased to hear EA will be revealing more news on FIFA 14 tomorrow, on the same day as Nintendo Direct. Coincidence? Probably, yes. [tweet...
News Climax Studios Working On Two Wii U Titles
One looks a lot like Prince of Persia
Update: In response to the Prince of Persia-esque image above, Ubisoft has now said the following: The screenshots in question are from a prototype created by one of our partners, not a game currently in development. Prince of Persia remains an important element in Ubisoft’s portfolio, but we’re currently...
News Play Wii U From The Comfort Of The Passenger Seat With MaxPlay
A new standard of in-car entertainment
We know the Wii U is pretty portable, but the guys at MaxBuy have taken things to the next level. They've produced the MaxPlay, a device which connects to your car's cigarette lighter and enables you to play Wii U on the move — as long as the game you're using supports off-TV play, of course. Not only does...
Guide The Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Wii U Update is Now Live
We tell you how to make the most of it
With a game like Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, it's easy to see why a number of gamers would be tempted by the 3DS version. This is an experience that devours dozens of hours of your life, and indulging in the quest to that degree can be tricky if you're fighting over access to a shared TV in order to enjoy it...
News Rating Emerges For The Previously Unannounced Tekken Revolution
Could Namco Bandai's brawler be fighting to the Wii U or 3DS?
The Australian Classification Board has rated Tekken Revolution, a hitherto unheard of entry in the long-running fighting game franchise. This follows the news that Namco Bandai has also rated Tekken Arena in Europe — could we be looking at two entirely new instalments, or is this a...
News Pachter: Price Cut Unlikely To Help Wii U Without Software Support
Expects continued slow sales
Sometimes it’s rather difficult not to see Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter as the herald of the U-pocalypse, but you can’t say he isn’t committed to his job. According to GamesIndustry International, Pachter has forecast sales of just 55,000 Wii U consoles within the last month, as NPD Group prepares to...
News Criterion Has No Immediate Plans For More Need For Speed
Burnt out?
Criterion Games' Creative Director Alex Ward has taken to Twitter to debunk recent rumors about a Need For Speed reboot. In a series of tweets, Ward explained that Criterion wanted to take a break from the Need For Speed series, and racing games in general. [tweet 323861676720005121] Ward did, however, leave the door open for future...
News Injustice: Gods Among Us Release Pushed Back To 26th April In The UK
No details as to why it's delayed
Expected to arrive in the UK this Friday 19th April, Injustice: Gods Among Us has been delayed for the Wii U. The upcoming brawler has been pushed back to the 26th April, so we've just one week to wait. Speaking to CVG, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. had confirmed the new release date, but never gave any...
Developer Interview Ubisoft on the Expanding Rayman Legends and Wii U's Free Challenge Mode
The upcoming Wii U eShop app sounds promising
When Wii U was preparing for launch, a good number of gamers were particularly excited about Rayman Legends, at one time a Wii U-exclusive launch title. Unfortunately for those eager fans, both promising selling points fell by the way-side, with an initial delay to Spring 2013 being extended to...
News Sam Fisher Shows Off His Abilities In This New Splinter Cell Blacklist Trailer
Stalking the shadows
Ubisoft has unleashed a new trailer for Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist which showcases Sam Fisher's impressive selection of unique abilities. The game launches on Nintendo's system in August. The Wii U edition will offer all the features of its current-gen siblings, but will come with exclusive Wii U GamePad features,...
News First-Person Puzzler QUBE Is Coming To The Wii U eShop
Colour us excited
Toxic Games has revealed that its unique first-person puzzle title QUBE is coming to the Wii U eShop. QUBE — which stands for Quick Understanding of Block Extrusion, in case you were wondering — is currently available on PC and Mac. The objective of the game is to move around levels by manipulating coloured blocks. Toxic...
News Luigi's Mansion 2 Refuses to Get Scared Out of the UK Top 10
No Wii U exclusives in the top 40
Last week we were rather pleased to report that Luigi's Mansion 2 secured 5th place in the UK all-format chart for the second week running; maintaining a top 10 place beyond launch week is relatively rare for 3DS titles in the region. That was an excellent achievement, but even better news this week is that Luigi is...
News WB Montreal Looking To "Add Value" To Batman: Arkham Origins
Rocksteady offering support to the studio
Last week Batman: Arkham Origins was announced for Wii U and other platforms. It's being developed by WB Montreal instead of Rocksteady and is set a few years before Batman: Arkham Asylum, allowing you to take control of a younger caped crusader as he bumps into some of his most recognisable foes for the...
News C-Wars Could Make It To Wii U And 3DS Should It Surpass Kickstarter Goal
It's halfway there already
C-Wars is a real-time strategy tower defence game that's being developed by Onipunks. The studio has just launched a Kickstarter campaign and is set to appear on PC, Mac, Linux and Android at some point this year. However, the developer confirmed it could also appear on Wii U and 3DS should it be successful in receiving...
News Splinter Cell: Blacklist Features "Nostalgic" Gameplay Elements
Building on what was achieved with Conviction
Ubisoft Toronto was created in 2009 and is close to releasing its first title Splinter Cell: Blacklist, which is coming to Wii U, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. In an interview with Game Reactor at the recent Game Developers Conference Jade Raymond, who heads up the studio, spoke about the upcoming...
News NetherRealm Had A Tough Time Building The Roster For Injustice: Gods Among Us
The fighter features a three button playing style
Upcoming beat 'em up Injustice: Gods Among Us features a plethora of characters from the DC universe and is fighting its way onto consoles on 16th April in North America and 19th April in Europe. Considering just how many characters have graced the pages of DC comics over the years, its...
News Buddy & Me Wii U eShop Version Added As Kickstarter Stretch Goal
Needs to hit $55,000 funding target
If you cast your mind back a couple of weeks, you'll recall that we were the first site to break the news about Buddy & Me, a title from Sunbreak Games — a studio founded by former Metroid Prime developer Jason Behr. Behr revealed at the time that a Wii U eShop edition of the game was a possibility, but...
News This Injustice: Gods Among Us Infographic Makes a Pitch for the Ultimate Superhero and Villain
They'd sure have strange outfits
With Injustice: Gods Among Us arriving on Wii U next week, Warner Bros. has seen some of the infographic action going on to celebrate two years of the 3DS and decided to get in on the act. With the brawler concerning itself with heroes and villains from the DC Universe, these diagrams attempt to put together the...
News Tales Producer Says The Series Could Eventually Make It To Wii U
If the system becomes more successful
Recently Hideo Baba, the producer behind the Tales franchise, praised the Wii U by calling it a "brilliant console". However, he confirmed he currently has no plans to develop any games for the system. That could all change though, as in an interview with Destructoid Baba said the series could appear on Wii U...
News South African Retailer Slices Wii U Price in Half
Toyzone offering a Wii U for as little as R1,500
In order to help boost Wii U sales, many UK retailers decided to cut the price of the system. Back in March Asda and Amazon sliced £50 off the price tag, while HMV knocked a staggering £140 off a Premium console and ZombiU bundle. It seems heavy price drops aren't exclusive to the UK though, as it...
Review The Croods: Prehistoric Party! (Wii U)
Croodités
As a video game adaptation of Dreamworks' cave-dweller caper, The Croods: Prehistoric Party casts the film's characters in a Mario Party-style experience for up to four players. It borrows heavily from Nintendo's series, linking disparate mini-games together with a simple board game conceit. Like the movie's titular Neanderthal family...
News Resident Evil Revelations DLC Season Pass Revealed on Steam
Delicious DLC, or horrifyingly disappointing add-ons?
The upcoming Resident Evil Revelations re-release on Wii U is bringing some new features over its 3DS original — there'll be an "infernal" difficulty level, off-screen play for that, er, unique handheld experience, and you'll be able to troll other players by giving monsters speech bubbles with...
Rumour Criterion Is Rebooting Need For Speed: Underground
Updated: Criterion's creative director shoots down rumours
UPDATE: Criterion's Alex Ward has tweeted in response to these rumours: [tweet 322632944776802304] So that's that, then. ORIGINAL STORY: We've already reported on the fact that Criterion is working on a new project, and if a fresh rumour is to be believed, we could now have a name for...
News Super Comboman Fuses Smash Bros. With Marvel Vs Capcom, And It Could Be Coming To Wii U
Visually stunning platform title was built using Unity 3D
Kickstarter-funded title Super Comboman could be coming to the Wii U eShop, we can exclusively reveal. We've been speaking to Interabang Entertainment's Justin Woodward about the forthcoming platforming adventure, which raised $16,170 on Kickstarter last November — just a little over the...
News Ubisoft's E3 2013 Conference Dated
Mark 10th June on your calendars
E3 2013 is almost upon us. With a little over two months to go, you can almost smell the excitement in the air amongst gamers, developers and publishers alike. To kick off the major gaming event, Ubisoft will be holding its presentation on Monday 10th June - which is actually a day before E3 is scheduled to begin...
Video SEGA Teases Possible Castle of Illusion Title
Disney is involved in some capacity
Earlier last week, we reported that Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse is looking set for release on the Wii U, as the title received a classification in Brazil. To add further speculation to this news, SEGA posted the following teaser video on its Twitter account, suggesting that a remastered version will...
Nintendo Download 11th April 2013 (North America)
A rolling ranger, brawling Gods, a pink ball's debut and more
It's Nintendo Download time, North America, and this week there's new content to choose from on Wii U, 3DS and DSi. In the coming week there'll be a couple of tasty retail downloads and a classic platformer that'll cost less than a chocolate bar, while today a rolling Ranger makes his...
News Skylanders Giants Toys Munching Their Way Into McDonald's Happy Meals This Month
I'll have a Spyro with fries, please
Activision and popular fast-food giant McDonald's have teamed up to bring characters from Skylanders Giants to Happy Meals this month. Starting this Friday 12th April and running up until the 2nd of May in the US, those who purchase a Happy Meal will receive one of nine character figures. Not only this, but...
News Injustice: Gods Among Us Will Support Off-TV Play On Wii U
In-game quick move list also included
With Warner Bros. and NetherRealm's upcoming title Injustice: Gods Among Us set to release next week in North America on the 16th April — and in Europe three days later on the 19th April — new details have been emerging prior to its launch. What sets the Wii U version apart from other platforms' release is...
News Rocksteady Confident in Batman: Arkham Origins Developer
Holy vote of confidence, Batman!
When WB Games Montreal was announced as the developer for Batman: Arkham Origins, fans of the series were concerned that things wouldn't be the same without original Arkham developer Rocksteady Studios. In the latest issue of Game Informer, Rocksteady's Sefton Hill said the studio is confident that Batman's in good...
News WayForward and Ubisoft Releasing The Smurfs 2 on Wii U, Wii and DS
Hopefully it won't make us feel blue
The Smurfs are making a comeback this Summer with the release of the aptly named The Smurfs 2 in cinemas across the world and Sony Pictures has decided to release a platforming game alongside it. Now, before you throw your arms up in despair, it might not actually be that bad as it's being developed by Ubisoft...
News Disney's Planes Jetting Onto All Nintendo Platforms This Year
Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS editions coming in August
Disney Interactive Studios has revealed that Disney's Planes — which is based on the forthcoming CGI film — will be hitting all Nintendo platforms later in 2013. Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS versions are in development, with August 6th being the take-off date in North America — just a few days before...
News Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Update Takes a Bite Out of Wii U on 16th April
Off-TV GamePad play and cross-region online included
While Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is a top-notch experience in its current guise, Capcom aknowledged that a couple of key features could be added to enhance it further. And so it promised an April update to bring us Off-TV GamePad-only play and cross-region online multiplayer. GamePad-only play is a...
News Animal Crossing: New Leaf Passes Three Million Sales in Japan
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon still number one in the charts
Update: As correctly pointed out on Twitter by NintenDaan, it's worth remembering that Media Create charts only account for physical retail sales. The full sales for Animal Crossing: New Leaf will be further beyond three million due to its success on the 3DS eShop. Original Article: Last...
News Rayman Creator Michel Ancel "Wasn't Shocked" By Backlash To Legends Delay
Ubisoft hoping to make it up with additional content
When Ubisoft made the decision to delay the launch of Rayman Legends to accommodate a multi-platform launch — thereby robbing the game of Wii U exclusivity — the reaction from Nintendo fans was intense. However, Rayman creator Michel Ancel says that the response from fans didn't surprise him...
News Splinter Cell Blacklist Sneaks Onto Wii U in August
Ubisoft's support continues
Nintendo has sent out a fresh press release re-affirming third-party support coming to Wii U, and within the details of titles we know about is one that was still an unknown. After plenty of rumours suggesting its arrival, it's now confirmed that Sam Fisher's latest adventure, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist, is...
Talking Point The Next-Gen Console War is Wii U's to Lose
Graphical differences and consumer budgets continue to shrink
If you'll forgive us, let's delve of into a faint whiff of politics in this introduction. In most major industrialised countries — whether in the West or Japan — national economies aren't exactly in rude health. After spells of prosperity and golden toilet seats for all in the...
News Wii U Version Of Isometric Action Adventure Bloom: Memories "Definitely" On The Cards
Gorgeous-looking RPG has the approval of Jenova Chen and David Jaffe
Bloom: Memories developer Studio Fawn has confirmed to us that the game will most certainly be coming to the Wii U eShop — if it can reach its Kickstarter goal of $50,000. The title is described as "an epic adventure about the love between a mother and her child" and is...
News GameFly Slaps June 30th Release Date On Game & Wario In North America
Retailer outs possible launch day for Wii U title
Online retailer GameFly has given Game & Wario a June 30th release date in North America — ahead of any official confirmation from Nintendo itself. The Wii U game was released in Japan at the end of March, and is the next entry in the popular WarioWare series, which started on the Game Boy...
News BIT.TRIP Runner 2 Dashing To European Wii U eShop Tomorrow
Australian release delayed due to rating issues, though
When we reported on this week's European eShop downloads there were a few disappointed comments regarding the absence of BIT.TRIP Presents: Runner 2 Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, which many expected to see among the games listed in the update. However, we've got a bit of last-minute news that...
News Deep Silver Has "No Plans" To Support Wii U
"Their audience is not who we reach best"
Deep Silver's desicion to not bring Dead Island: Riptide to the Wii U caused a moderate amount of drama last month — not least because the excuse given was denied by the development team behind the game, forcing Deep Silver to admit that the real reason was that the process simply
News Batman: Arkham Origins Confirmed for Wii U
3DS gets a 2.5D spin off, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
Earlier in the year we learned that a new Batman Arkham title was due in 2013, courtesy of a Warner Bros. financial briefing, and we were hoping that it'd appear on Wii U. The good news is that the statement was true and that Nintendo's system is in line to enjoy the next entry; Batman:...
News Action RPG CrossCode Could Be Heading To The Wii U eShop
Retro role-player looks like a perfect fit for the GamePad
Browser-based action RPG CrossCode could be coming to the Wii U eShop, according to its developer Radical Fish Games. Speaking to Nintendo Enthusiast, the studio has expressed interest in porting the game to Nintendo's system, but pointed out that finishing the PC version remains the...
News Miyamoto: Game Development is Still About "Starting From The Idea"
Talks about his use of Flipnote Studio, and new approaches to distribution
As reported earlier today, Shigeru Miyamoto's comprehensive interview with Rolling Stone has suggested that retirement isn't currently in the designer's plans, helping to put to rest one of the enduring question marks hanging over the Kyoto-based company. We do recommend...
News The Pokémon Company Describes 2013 as a "Key Year" for the Franchise
Big plans to take the series further
The Pokémon franchise is, without a doubt, a vital part of Nintendo's success, especially in the handheld space, with a new generation 'mon release prompting hype and excitement that's only seen for select brands. It's big in both Japan and the West, and an iconic part of the gaming industry. It's not from...
News Nintendo Working On Wii Remote Fast Charging Battery Pack
Online survey points to long-awaited accessory release
If there's one thing that really annoys us about using Wii Remotes in the Nintendo Life office, it's the fact that you need a constant supply of AA batteries on hand at all times, or a stock of rechargeable AA batteries which take ages to fully juice-up. Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 feature bespoke...
Interview Michael Pachter On Wii U, 3DS And The Challenges Facing Nintendo This Generation
"I don’t hate Nintendo at all"
Michael Pachter has been called a lot of things — not all of them repeatable on a family-friendly site such as this — but many of his harshest critics seem to miss the point of what he is actually saying; his job is to ensure that people invest their cash wisely and not to placate over-zealous fans. Nevertheless,...
News EnjoyUp Shows Abyss Running On The Wii U
We love a good teaser image
EnjoyUp, the company behind DSiWare download title Abyss, has posted a teaser image on its Facebook page of the game — or perhaps a sequel — running on the Wii U. The picture was posted with the caption, 'Abyss on Wii U?', so the company is sure working on something new for Nintendo's latest console. We look forward...
News LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Release Date Emerges From The Batcave
To the Batmobile!
We reported towards the end of February that LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes was set to blast onto the Wii U this Spring, however with Spring ending this month and still no official release date, that didn't seem to be the case. News has now emerged that Batman and co. will hit Nintendo's new console next month. Several online...
Talking Point The Terrible Timing of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate's Stock Issues
LEGO City Undercover had problems in North America, too
There's a strange dichotomy at work right now with Nintendo, Wii U and its games. We endured an undeniable retail software drought, with game retailers probably weary of trying to sell the same old launch titles week after week. We then had two diverse, high profile games arrive near each other...
News Luigi's Mansion 2 Still Scaring the UK Top 10
Luigi's got legs
When it comes to the UK software charts, we're typically used to seeing major games exclusive to Nintendo platforms making an early bee-line for the top 10 before, in many cases, promptly dropping back to modest placings the following week. That's not the case with Luigi's Mansion 2, however, which has steadfastly held onto the...
Rumour Nintendo Handing Out Free Dev Kits To Generate Interest In Wii U
Last gasp or forward-thinking?
Wii U dev kits usually cost around $5,000, but it would appear that Nintendo is forgoing that fee in order to kick-start interest in the system amongst the development community. The rumour has been triggered by Destructoid's Jonathan Holmes, who tweeted the following: [tweet 320243046916706304] More support from...
News Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse Looks Set For Wii U
Sources point to a release of the 1990 original
When Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion was described as a sequel to SEGA Mega Drive / Genesis classic Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, there were plenty of retro gamers that got rather excited; in the opinion of various critics the 3DS title failed to live up to that billing. Castle of...
Talking Point Nintendo Should Make EA Co-operation a Priority
Whether we like it or not
Let's say something right off the bat — we expect a number of readers will have read that headline and scoffed audibly, confidently saying that this article is deranged and already wrong. EA isn't exactly flavour of the month, and is at the time of writing a semi-final candidate to once again be crowned as the "worst...
News Suda51's Upcoming Project is Not No More Heroes 3
It's set to be a new franchise
A couple of weeks ago we reported on Grasshopper Manufacture's next project, which was teased by the studio's CEO Goichi Suda - known by many as Suda51. All that was revealed was new concept artwork, which featured a female protagonist who looks a lot like Shinobu - one of the assassins from the No More Heroes series...
Feature The GamePad - From Waggling Remotes To Dual Sticks and a Touchscreen
Is the Wii U's controller a revolution or evolution for gaming?
For a number of Wii U early adopters here on Nintendo Life, there have now been plenty of opportunities to try out a variety of games, incorporating various styles and genres while giving us a good glimpse of what the system's GamePad controller is capable of doing. After the Wii Remote...
News SEGA Still Committed To Wii U Despite Aliens: Colonial Marines Cancellation
Has some "fantastic" titles in the works
Yesterday we reported that SEGA had made the decision to cancel the Wii U version of Aliens: Colonial Marines. Other versions of the game didn't fare too well with reviewers so it's likely SEGA didn't see much value in spending any more money on it. However, the company appears to be committed to Wii U...
News Tales Producer Has No Immediate Plans To Bring The Series To Wii U
He's impressed with the system, though
The long running Tales series has proven popular with gamers over the years. It's found itself on several Nintendo systems in the past, with the likes of Tales of Symphonia on the GameCube, Tales of the Abyss on the 3DS and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World on Wii. Tales of Xillia will be the next game...
News Activision Confirms Fast & Furious: Showdown Won't Be Coming To Australia
Are you surprised?
Last month Australian retailer EB Games confirmed Fast & Furious: Showdown would be coming to Wii U. However, it has now emerged that Australia will ironically not be getting the game, as Activision has confirmed it won't be made available Down Under. This represents the fourth Activision Wii U title that will never see the...
News Shigeru Miyamoto: People Need To Be Patient With Wii U
Consumers need to become more familiar with the GamePad
Sales of Wii U systems in 2013 have been less than desirable. Uptake has been slow and retailers such as GameStop have called on Nintendo to educate consumers more on the advantages of the new home console. However, Shigeru Miyamoto has called for patience claiming the Wii U GamePad, with it's...
News Aliens: Colonial Marines Cancelled on Wii U
Game is actually over this time, man
Aliens: Colonial Marines on Wii U has had a strange history. It started as a hyped game, with Randy Pitchford of Gearbox waxing lyrical about the Wii U and its GamePad, declaring that the system would enjoy the best of the multi-platform versions. Then it arrived on other consoles and was roundly panned as a poor...
Talking Point The Downside to Delayed Releases on Wii U
What a difference a delay makes
At the start of the year we published a list of our biggest Wii U games of 2013; despite the beginning of a software drought on the system, we felt that the list showed the promise of the software lineup to come. There were eight exclusives at that point, either with fixed release dates or windows that we're confident...
Video Latest Miiverse Update Continues to Improve the Platform
Socialising on Wii U gets easier and quicker
While not a system-seller in its own right, Miiverse on Wii U is, for some at least, a major part of the console that can absorb as much time as some games. By blending popular features from a number of social platforms with its own "communities" structure, Nintendo has setup a thoroughly decent and...
News Nintendo of Europe Apologises for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Stock Shortage
Did you manage to hunt down a copy?
After a fairly lengthy spell of very few notable Wii U retail releases, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate arrived in Europe on 22nd March as Capcom's latest attempt to popularise the series further in the West. It seemed to help, with the game being attributed as part of the reason for a Wii U sales spike and with the...
Nintendo Download 4th April 2013 (North America)
A chick's adventure, slaying monsters, finding your groove and more
It's Nintendo Download time, North America, and this week you have options on Wii U, 3DS and Wii. It's a mixture of the old, the new and DLC extras, so let's get right to it. Wii U eShop: Toki Tori 2 (Two Tribes, reduced to $13.49 until 25th April, will be $14.99) — Starting off...
News SEGA Still Not Talking About Aliens: Colonial Marines On Wii U
No news is good news?
Aliens: Colonial Marines is one of those games that may never see the light of day on the Wii U — many of you may not be bothered at this stage about its status, but it's still a pity nonetheless. As we all know, the game was scheduled for release in the Wii U launch window, which technically ended on the 31st March — five...
News Dragon Quest X Posts Poor Sales Figures In Japan
Wii U version shifts just 33,000 units
Square Enix is certainly in a tricky spot right now, with under-performing games and a major reshuffle at the top thanks to some poor financial results. Things have just gotten worse for the firm with the news that one of its big titles for 2013 — Dragon Quest X on Wii U — has only mana
Feature The Biggest Wii U Games of 2013 - Spring Edition
Time for a few changes
At the start of the year we published our Biggest Wii U games of 2013 feature, sharing some of the exciting releases set for Nintendo's latest home console. That list included some titles that are now available, and also some "before 31st March" predictions that have come and gone — those due to drop out due to imminent or...
Video Deus Ex: Human Revolution Debut Trailer Blasts Into View
Take hold of the revolution
Eidos has revealed the debut trailer for Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut, an augmented version of the 2011 original which is launching exclusively on the Wii U this year. Expected to be the ultimate edition of the sci-fi FPS title, Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut on Wii U will boast improved visuals,...
News Sega Adds Disclaimer to Aliens: Colonial Marines Trailers
Too good to be true?
Sega Europe has added a disclaimer to its Aliens: Colonial Marines trailers following complaints that the shown footage does not represent the final product. The disclaimer was added after a Reddit user reported Sega to the Advertising Standards Agency. On Sega Europe's channel, the game's trailer now has the text "The trailer...
News Amazon Promoting Rival Consoles On Nintendo Product Pages
You know there's also this "Vita" thing...?
Kotaku’s Jason Schreier has long been intrigued by Amazon.com’s lack of direct supply when it comes to Nintendo consoles. Now he has reported on another unusual habit: the advertising of other brand names on Nintendo consoles’ product pages. Looking up Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles on Amazon shows...
News Deus Ex: Human Revolution Developer Hopes The Game Will Boost Wii U Sales
"It's even sharper than the PC version"
Nintendo fans have been waiting patiently for Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut to arrive on Wii U. It's been a good couple of years since it was released on other platforms, but it looks as though it could be well worth the wait as the developer has crammed in a tonne of new features to create what it...
Talking Point The Unreal Engine 4 Gaffe Exposes Graphical Snobbery, Again
The fact it's actually scalable for Wii U should surprise no-one
A number of articles on Nintendo Life really got the community talking last week, one of which was our April Fools for the year. In terms of stories that were real, however, we had high profile comments from Epic Games' Mark Rein, who essentially stated that developers on Wii U...
March2013
Review The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct (Wii U)
Walking Dud
Zombies are impossible to avoid. Not that the living dead are walking among us and causing havoc, but the media has been absolutely permeated by them. As evidence, we have The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct; the Wii U’s second game about zombies – known in-game as “walkers” – works as the prequel to a television show about...
News Epic Games: Developers Can Use Unreal Engine 4 For Wii U Titles
Mark Rein clarifies his previous comments
Unreal Engine 4 is Epic Games' impressive next-generation engine, which can help developers deliver more impressive visuals when making their latest titles. It's being geared towards the upcoming PlayStation 4 and the next Xbox, both of which are expected to have plenty of power under the hood. Recently...
News Shovel Knight Hits Kickstarter Target, Stretch Goals Set
Still 2 weeks to back and secure your copy
Well, it's official, Shovel Knight — the debut title from Yacht Club Games — has met its Kickstarter funding goal of $75,000 and is coming to both Wii U and 3DS. There's been a lot of hype about the retro-styled platformer since the former WayForward team announced its arrival, while hands-on...
News Ubisoft: Players Will Let Us Know When They've Had Enough Assassin's Creed
As long as people are buying it, Ubisoft will keep on making it
Every year brings with it an Easter Sunday, a Christmas Day and a new Assassin's Creed title. The series is just over five years old now and there are five home console games already in existence as well as several portable iterations on the DS, PSP and Vita. It's reached the point now...
Talking Point Going Mobile Will Give Miiverse a New Lease of Life
A true Nintendo social network
We think that many Wii U owners are likely to agree on one key point: Miiverse is a welcome and excellent new feature on the system. Nintendo was clearly aware that it'd be a major feature and selling point, giving the platform its iconic pre-E3 demonstration and reveal with the viral star, Non-Specific Action Figure...
News Epic Games Rules Out Unreal Engine 4 For Wii U
"If you want to make a Wii U game, we have Unreal Engine 3"
Epic Games' Mark Rein has been speaking recently about his company's impressive Unreal Engine 4, and has delivered some rather disappointing — but predictable — news for Nintendo fans. Speaking to Kotaku, Rein admitted that the cutting-edge game development engine won't be making its...
News Nintendo of France: Games Will Improve Wii U Sales, Not A Price Cut
Boost in 3DS sales attributed to first party releases
A lot has been said about the Wii U and its slow sales in 2013. For example, research emerged yesterday from ABI which claimed the success of Nintendo's new home console hinged on a price cut. However, not everyone agrees with this statement. Speaking at GameStop's post-earnings financial call,...
News Digital Foundry - Need For Speed: Most Wanted U Delivers as Definitive Console Version
Nice one, Criterion
Earlier this year, highly respected developer Criterion stated that its release of Need for Speed: Most Wanted U would be based on the PC version, taking advantage of the technical improvements Wii U can offer over Xbox 360 and PS3. The technical capabilities of Wii U in comparison to these rivals has been hotly debated by some,...
Rumour Suda51 Set To Revisit No More Heroes
Grasshopper Manufacture teases its next project
Grasshopper Manufacture has been hard at work developing Killer is Dead, which will be released later this year on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. That hasn't stopped the studio's CEO Goichi Suda - more commonly known as Suda51 - from teasing his next game, though. In an interview with Famitsu, the...
News Monster Hunter And Price Cut Trigger Wii U Sales Spike In UK
125 percent increase compared to previous week
MCV has reported that Wii U hardware sales rose by 125 percent in the UK last week. The staggering leap is thought to have been caused by the UK launch of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, as well as HMV's price reduction on the Premium bundle - a deal which represents a saving of £140. Were you one of the...
News GameStop: Wii U Marketing Strategy Has "Not Broken Through" To Consumers
More first party titles will enable system to "take off"
Earlier in the month, GameStop President Tony Bartel said Wii U sales had been slower than the company had anticipated and that the system would need some great first party titles in order to compete. The games retailer recently had its post-earnings financial call, which has been reported on...
News Shigeru Miyamoto Makes His Miiverse Debut
Nintendo legend declares 2013 'The Year of Luigi'
Satoru Iwata took to Miiverse for the very first time earlier on to reconfirm that the update Wii U users will receive in April will reduce the time it takes to launch and exit software. Not to be outdone, Shigeru Miyamoto has now made his Miiverse debut by submitting a post to celebrate the Year of...
News New Research Claims Wii U Success Hinges On A Price Cut
ABI believes the video game market is set to improve
The video game market has been contracting in recent years. According to research from ABI, sales of video game consoles dropped by around a quarter in 2012 as the big three systems came towards the end of their life cycles. The launch of the Wii U over the festive period was reasonably...
Talking Point An Open Letter To Nintendo
A Wii U owner's plea to the company they love
Even the most dedicated Nintendo fan will admit that the Wii U hasn't had the best of starts. The console has struggled to shift units in the way that Nintendo expected, and although we've seen some quality software of late — including Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, LEGO City: Undercover and Need for...
Video An Ultimate Monster Hunter Gives a Masterclass
Less gathering, more hunting
Quite a number of us have probably, judging by the popularity of the subject within the community's forums, been playing a fair bit of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on 3DS and Wii U. It's a title that — given the chance to sink its claws in — can be difficult to put down. Still, advancing to the stage where you can...
News Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Update Goes Live on Wii U
Improved motion controls included
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed was possibly one of the most pleasant surprises in the Wii U launch lineup, as it features a huge amount of fan-service and top-notch track design. Throw in some Wii U-specific multiplayer options, and it's been a stand-out in the system's young life. As we've seen recently...
News Iwata's First Post On Miiverse Reconfirms Reduced Loading Times For Wii U
New update will make it quicker to load and exit games
Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata has taken to the Miiverse to reconfirm that the update Wii U users are receiving in April will bring with it faster loading times. Iwata wrote: Hello, this is Satoru Iwata of Nintendo. As we announced in the January Nintendo Direct, we plan to release...
News Metroid Prime Developer Working On 2D Platformer For Mobile Formats
Wii U eShop edition could be on the horizon
Sunbreak Games is a studio founded by former Retro staffer Jason Behr, who worked as lead level designer on the Metroid Prime series during his time with the company and can also list Halo 4 on his résumé. Behr has gotten in touch to let us know about his studio's next project, a 2D platform adventure by...
Out Today LEGO City: Undercover And Luigi's Mansion 2
Bumper times ahead for Euro gamers
Nintendo fans are being blessed with some seriously amazing software lately. We've only just had the amazing Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on 3DS and Wii U, and today European gamers have a double helping of brilliance in the shape of LEGO City: Undercover and Luigi's Mansion 2. "There are technical cracks in its...
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