Wii U News
November2013
Poll As the PS4 Arrives, What Do You Think of the 'New Gen' Environment for Wii U?
It ain't about 'next-gen' any more
So can everyone stop talking about 'next gen" now, or do we have to wait for the One to complete the Triforce of systems? No doubt there'll still be talk of "next gen" experiences and bickering over resolutions and framerates, all while Mario casually says hi with 3D World. There's arguably a sense that the more...
Review Batman: Arkham Origins (Wii U)
Same hero, less refined
Whenever a video game franchise moves from one developer to another during its lifetime, there tends to be a few raised eyebrows. There are definite examples of licenses that have significantly improved following the move from one studio to another, such as the console games in the Skylanders series jumping from Toys for Bob...
News Suda51: "Nintendo Are Always Very Important To Us"
Sees the rise of indie games as the highlight of the current generation
Suda51 (or Goichi Suda as he’s known to his mum), the mastermind behind titles such as No More Heroes, Killer7 and Lollipop Chainsaw, hasn’t released a game on a Nintendo home console since No More Heroes 2 for the Wii in 2010. However, Grasshopper Manufacture’s CEO hasn't...
Talking Point The Nintendo Network ID Creeps Ever Closer to Being Fit for the Modern Age
There's still some distance to go
Since the Wii U launched with its shiny new Nintendo Network ID system, we've been both pleased and frustrated with its implementation. The fact it's tied to the home console hardware has led us to be critical, on occasion, to the point where we once rather cruelly equated it to the abomination of its equivalent on...
News Norwegian Cruise Line extends partnership with Nintendo, now offering Wii U
It’s no Daisy Cruiser
Nintendo is linked to baseball teams, love hotels, and even Mahjong sets, so it should come as no surprise it has other unique partnerships helping to expand the brand name globally. With this in mind, US cruise ship operator Norwegian Cruise Line has announced a partnership expansion with Nintendo to offer brand new Wii U...
News Oh Yes, The Mario Galaxy Stage is Confirmed for the New Super Smash Bros.
Gosh
Even though its release date isn't set, and that very few people in the world have actually played the games, we're rather hyped about Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS. This anticipation is helped by Masahiro Sakurai's daily image uploads, which we summarise every week to bring some joy to each gloomy Monday. So Smash Bros. is awesome, but...
News Miyamoto: Nintendo Has Unfinished Business With Super Mario Galaxy Series
Release of Super Mario 3D World got in the way
Following on from Super Mario 3D World producer Yoshiaki Koizuma comments about the possibility of the Mario series returning to an open-world style approach if there was enough demand for it, EAD General Manager Shigeru Miyamoto has now assured fans in the latest Iwata Asks Interview that the...
Feature The Big Nintendo Direct Summary - 13th November 2013 Broadcasts
Big news for 3DS and a whole load of release dates and details
So, another Nintendo Direct broadcast has come and gone. The reaction online seemed to be, as is now standard, rather mixed. Some have expressed disappointment, while others (such as this writer) thought the broadcasts did a rather good job. Primarily announced as providing details on...
Video Most Haunted Special With Call Of Duty: Ghosts
Derek Acorah investigates
Are we alone? Are there things that happen in this life that cannot be explained without consideration of the paranormal? Are there actually any ghosts in Call of Duty: Ghosts? These are questions that have haunted mankind for decades, but we're here — with the help of acclaimed UK spiritual medium Derek Acorah — to...
News Paradise Lost: First Contact Makes Wii U A New Priority
Initial funding of $70,000 now guarantees a release on Nintendo's console
Previously we reported on the Kickstarter project Paradise Lost: First Contact and the team's controversial decision to leave development on Wii U as a final stretch goal, behind even other home consoles. The decision prompted debate on whether Nintendo's innovations...
"The team had a strong desire from the very start to call it "3D World"
Earlier today we posted a summary of some key points from a recently published Super Mario 3D World Iwata Asks, in which the team discussed camera angles, Rosalina and the desire to feature a large amount of content. The discussion took in plenty of other topics, naturally, as...
News A Super Mario 3D World Soundtrack is Coming to Club Nintendo in Japan
Oh, and it has awesome cover-art
We've commented, throughout our coverage so far, that Super Mario 3D World has a terrific soundtrack performed by a live Big Band / orchestra. Gamers in Japan will have a chance to pick up an official soundtrack as a Club Nintendo reward, which is sure to cause enormous outpourings of envy from, well, everyone else...
Video Pitching a Wii U to Parents Requires Serious Production Values
Does your Dad say "Bow!"?
With the Holiday shopping season upon us, not to mention the upcoming madness of Black Friday, Nintendo is unleashing a new TV commercial in North America called "The Pitch". It involves two siblings selling the concept of Wii U, Super Mario 3D World and "togetherness"; it's not as dry as it sounds, honest. There's some...
Miyamoto & Co. take Iwata through the warp pipe
Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata exercised his gift of gab yet again in the latest Iwata Asks, this time leaving no koopa shell unturned in a rousing discussion with the developers of Super Mario 3D World. Legendary Nintendo producer Shigeru Miyamoto sat down with his fellow 3D World designers...
Video This "10 New Things" Super Mario 3D World Trailer Will Push Your Buttons
Super is the word
Super Mario 3D World is, based on many written perceptions of Nintendo fans online, a game that becomes increasingly exciting the more it's seen. The initial E3 trailer arguably struggled to prompt much buzz, but recent videos have taken the action up a notch and, in the process, ramped up the hype levels for the plumber's next...
News Nintendo Outlines Details of Third Wave of Pikmin 3 DLC
Eight new Mission Mode stages incoming
Since Pikmin 3’s release back in the summer, the game has already seen two downloadable add-on mission mode sets, both available through the Wii U’s eShop. In today’s Nintendo Direct presentations, a third mission mode pack has been announced for release on 2nd December in Europe and North America; the...
News System Update Will Allow You To Share eShop Balances Across Wii U And 3DS
The first step towards a single account system?
During today's Nintendo Direct broadcast it was announced that players will be able to combine and share their eShop credit across their 3DS and Wii U systems. By signing into the 3DS with your Nintendo Network ID, you will be able to spend credit you have attached to that account. Likewise, any...
News Call Of Duty: Ghosts Patch Breaks The Cover Of Darkness On Wii U
Comes armed with minor fixes
Developer Infinity Ward has launched the latest update patch for the recently released Call of Duty: Ghosts. The patch covers all platforms, including the Wii U. The update has given the shooter title improved operations functionality along with some bug fixes. A band-aid has been applied to private match settings,...
News Ubisoft Launches Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag Companion App
Compatible with the Wii U version
Ubisoft has launched a companion app for its most recent entry in the Assassin's Creed series, Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag. The app is available for download on both iOS and Android devices, giving gamers a more immersive experience in Edward Kenway's Caribbean adventure. The second screen has many features...
News Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida Wants The Wii U To Succeed
So much so, he's bought two of them
We've known that Sony's Shuhei Yoshida is a fan of the Wii U for some time — he has previously revealed that he owns Nintendo's current home console — but in a chat with IGN's Greg Miller, he has spoken a little more of his desire to see the console become a success. During the interview, Yoshida mentioned...
News Wii Fit U Update Resolves Data Transfer Issues
Fixes 'lock up' issue
Last week we reported that some players were experiencing lock ups in Wii Fit U when attempting to transfer save data from either Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus. Nintendo quickly issued a manual solution to resolve the problem, which involved deleting Mii characters in the Wii U Mii Maker, along with any transfer data. Fortuna
News Classic And Modern Skins Pack Now Available In Batman: Arkham Origins
Style your Batman
Protectors of the Wii U version of Gotham City will be able to continue their fight against crime with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today releasing the New Millennium Skins Pack for Batman: Arkham Origins. The pack can now be purchased from the eShop for US$3.99 — $1 less than on PS3 and Xbox 360 — and will be...
Video Ubisoft Unveils Illuminating New Child of Light Walkthrough Footage
More than just a pretty face?
One of two new UbiART titles announced by Ubisoft just a few months ago, Child of Light caught the attention of the public with a whimsical style that stepped away from the outright zaniness of the celebrated frameworks' counterpart; Rayman Legends. Today we've been treated to a video demo of the game's mechanics, and...
News DuckTales: Remastered Hits Retail Shelves in North America
New video celebrates its release (we think?)
If you've been holding off on DuckTales: Remastered until you had a version you could hold in your own two mitts and/or amass a swimmable vault-full of, then today is your day — if you're in North America, at least. The physical retail version of DuckTales: Remastered has been released to stores today...
News Nintendo of America Confirms Details for Mario & Sonic Winter Olympics Remote Plus Bundle
Just an extra $10 for the controller
Already released in Europe, Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games arrives in North America on 15th November. Nintendo of America has taken the opportunity to officially confirm the Wii Remote Plus bundle offering in the region, a product that various retailers had listed in recent weeks. For a...
Talking Point Nintendo's Resilience Against Wii U Criticism Emphasizes Its Longevity
As the critics attack, Satoru Iwata simply looks ahead
It's been, overall, a tough couple of weeks for the Wii U's image in the online land of gaming enthusiasts. The focused attention of many outlets is, unsurprisingly and quite correctly, on the upcoming launches of the PS4 and the Xbox One, with Super Mario 3D World just about grabbing some...
Video Get Lost In Space As We Take You Through The Epic Opening Level Of Call Of Duty: Ghosts
In space, no one can hear you shoot Federation goons
Call of Duty games tend to open with a bit of a bang, and Ghosts is no different. The opening level starts off relaxed enough, with a battle-hardened father regaling his sons with tales of valour, but it soon takes a turn for the worst as an orbital space station starts taking pot-shots at...
Video Check Out Wii Sports Club's Skill Shaper Modes
Brush up on your tennis and bowling
Wii Sports Club isn't just a series of HD remakes of the events seen in the Wii launch classic — it also offers "Skill Shaper" modes which are supposed to enhance and improve your talents by focusing on the basics. Each sport has three Skill Shaper events, and you can view all six (three from Tennis, three from...
News Call of Duty: Ghosts Wii U Performance Reportedly Drops Below PS3 and 360 Standards
Eurogamer's Digital Foundry issues its verdict
Activision's Call of Duty: Ghosts may not have reached the standard series heights with its sales — perhaps due to a combination of wearied franchise veterans, a middling critical reaction and the impending arrival of the One and PS4 — but it's nevertheless one of the biggest releases of the year...
News 2DS For $99.99 Among Major Sales Arriving On Black Friday
Plenty of cheap thrills summarised inside
Nothing captures the Holiday spirit quite like a line of angry shoppers wrapped around the outside of a Walmart store. On 29th November, Americans will officially ring in the Christmas season with the arrival of Black Friday, that annual all-day shopping event when retailers nationwide offer up countless...
News Wii Fit U Retail Release Delayed a Week in Europe
A bit of a stretch
Wii Fit U is already available as a free trial on the Wii U eShop, with a synchronised Wii Fit Meter then allowing that download to become a permanent purchase. Naturally Nintendo is accommodating those that prefer a disc copy or didn't pick up the original Wii software and balance board with retail releases, which are due in...
News WonderFlick Hits iOS and Android This Month, Cross-Platform Saves Should Support Wii U in 2014
In Japan, naturally
Earlier this year we told you about WonderFlick, a new RPG from Level-5 that will be coming to a host of platforms, including smartphones and the Wii U. The unique selling point of this title is an effort to directly correlate and connect progress on smartphones and consoles, with the developer aiming to go "beyond the...
News Professor Layton's Final Adventure Can't Quite Puzzle Its Way Into UK All-Format Top 10
Re-emergence of Mario and Luigi U suggest some bundle sales
Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy arrived in Europe last week, bringing a close to that particular part of the franchise, even if Level-5 is continuing the Layton name in other titles. UKIE has now issued its multi-platform chart results and, considering the range of big-name...
Review Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag (Wii U)
A pirate's life for Wii (U)
Unless this is the first time you’re being exposed to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, you won’t need a telescope to notice that the landscape has changed drastically from past entries in the series. Residing in the Caribbean, you take on the role of Edward Kenway, an 18th-century pirate who dreams of obtaining...
Video This Is Why CoD: Ghosts Is Best on Wii U
On point
'The latest instalment in the phenomenally successful Call of Duty franchise launched earlier this week, and it's probably already broken all sorts of crazy sales records' - is a sentence that you've probably read every year now, since around 2007. Nonetheless, Ghosts is out now for Wii U, and we reckon it's the best version money can buy...
News Nintendo of America Confirms 23 Locations for its Holiday Mall Experience
Portland, Orlando and plenty more besides
The Holiday shopping season is nearly here — perhaps it's already started for some — and Nintendo of America is preparing to take the Wii U, 3DS and its biggest games on a tour around various shopping destinations in the US. On the Wii U we'd expect titles such as Super Mario 3D World and Wii Party U to...
Fit for purpose
It’s astonishing just how successful the Wii Fit franchise has been for Nintendo since it first graced our living rooms in 2008. In fact, both Wii Fit and its expanded sequel Wii Fit Plus have each sold more than 20 million copies, which is staggering when you take into account that a good number of those purchases would have...
Feature Why Nintendo Isn't Popular in Poland
Rob Burgess explains how a country with 40 million people has been missed
Earlier this year we posted an article based on a Nintendo fan's blog, which explained how difficult it was to buy a Wii U in Poland, a large European country. Rob Burgess, the author of that blog, has since written a follow up article in which he explains in a little more...
News Disney Interactive Sees Big Financial Boost in Q4
Disney Infinity is keeping this steamboat chugging
Disney Interactive has been a financially struggling arm of the Walt Disney Company, but its investment in Disney Infinity is showing a significant payout as more game consumers are putting their money where the mouse is. According to Disney's latest earnings report, Disney Interact
Hot footage, or does it leave you cold?
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games has launched today in Europe, continuing the hugely popular series starring the Nintendo and SEGA mascots. Unlike previous entries that appeared on the Wii and 3DS, this latest entry is only on the Wii U and is setup to utilise the system's various control...
News A Fresh Batch of Lovely Super Mario 3D World Screens is Ready
You want more, right?
It seems that, in the opinion of many, Nintendo's nailed a strong art-style and visual look for Super Mario 3D World, adopting the approach of 3DS predecessor Super Mario 3D Land while employing the more powerful hardware. Whenever new screens are released, we can't help but look. Nintendo has now unveiled even more screens,...
Video Check Out Captain Toad's Contribution To Super Mario 3D World
"Bring it on!"
Captain Toad — previously seen in Super Mario Galaxy — has a starring role in the forthcoming Super Mario 3D World. He takes part in exclusive levels where he has to traverse various obstacles in order to grab as many stars as possible. The unique thing about Captain Toad's challenges is that he can't jump. Another major...
News Nintendo UK Planning Major TV Campaign For Super Mario 3D World
Do not adjust your set
Much has been said about Nintendo’s marketing of the Wii U, or at least, lack of it. Our recent poll suggests that many of you don’t think Nintendo is doing enough to promote the Wii U. Nintendo UK, however, has announced plans to raise awareness for the upcoming Super Mario 3D World release. Speaking to MCV, Nintend
News Aonuma Keeps Returning To Zelda In The Hope Of Making A Perfect Game
Perfection is only a Triforce away
Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma exhibits all the traits of a true artist, from a willingness to buck the confines of tradition to the overwhelming desire to branch out into different territory. Now, he has admitted that with every new Zelda adventure, he has been striving to make the perfect video game. In an
Rumour Nintendo Is Looking To Release The Wii U In Brazil This Year
High import fees and piracy concerns no longer a problem?
As global as Nintendo is, there are still a number of untapped markets around the world. One of them includes Brazil. Only recently did Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime single out Brazil as an important area of growth for Nintendo’s business future — explaining that the...
News Nintendo Combats Wii Fit U Lock-Up Error With Manual Solution
No patch for now
The game-breaking troubles continue for Nintendo with Wii Fit U. Only weeks after the glitch in Pokémon X and Y was put to rest, it has now come to the attention of Nintendo that players may encounter an error causing Wii Fit U or the trial version of the game to lock up when attempting to transfer save data from Wii Fit or
News Super Mario 3D World Director and Producer Discuss Content Choices
Cats, maps, and the absence of Yoshi
With the release of Super Mario 3D World creeping up on little cat feet, producer Yoshiaki Koizumi and director Kenta Motokura recently sat down with IGN to talk about some of the more noticeable inclusions and omissions in the game. The increasingly iconic Cat Suits were the natural first stop in questioning...
News Nintendo Releases Handy Wii U Comparison Chart
Spot the difference
Since its launch, consumers — and even some retailers — have had trouble differentiating between the Wii U and its older sibling, the Wii. In a move to help consumers clearly distinguish between the two consoles, Nintendo has distributed a comparison chart detailing the different features of the Wii U and the Wii. The chart...
News Project CARS Pushed to Autumn 2014 and Re-Confirmed for Wii U
Xbox 360 and PS3 look to be dropped in favour of One and PS4
Project CARS is an intriguing project in that it's been pushed forward by crowdfunding and by thousands of beta testers that have been playing a role in helping development towards its completion. Coming from Need for Speed veterans Slightly Mad Studios, the messaging around the game has...
Video Watch Japanese Celebrity Aya Ueto Make Cat Noises In These Mario 3D World Commercials
Almost too cute
In Japan — just like any other part of the world — famous faces are often rolled out to promote various products or services. For Super Mario 3D World, NCL has selected Japanese singer, actress and all-round personality Aya Ueto to front its TV campaign for the game. She's a good choice; easy on the eye, relatively famous and...
News Collecting Rupees In...Call Of Duty? Ghosts Features Zelda Easter Egg
Rupees really are important now
When Eiji Aonuma announced that collecting rupees would be more important than ever in the new 3DS Zelda adventure, A Link Between Worlds, he probably never realized that significance would carry over to the Call of Duty franchise. It seems the latest COD title — Ghosts — contains a
News Marth Confirmed as the Latest Challenger in Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS
Emblematic of the growing roster, screens galore inside
Since it was officially unveiled at E3 2013 with a fairly modest roster, Masahiro Sakurai and his team have been gradually expanding the number of playable characters in the new Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS and, by extension, building hype. Today it's been announced that Marth will be...
News Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo Discuss Their Involvement with Super Mario 3D World
There's plenty of high notes
In a recent interview with Destructoid, Nintendo composers Mahito Yokota and the legendary Koji Kondo revealed a number of new details regarding their work on upcoming Wii U title, Super Mario 3D World. In terms of how involved each composer has been involved with the game, Yokota acted as sound director and main...
News Nintendo Releases New Pikmin 3 DLC in North America
Whittle down your Pikmin reserves with four new missions
Nintendo of America has announced that a second set of downloadable content is now available for Pikmin 3 owners in North America. The pack of four new "Battle Enemies!" missions is available to download from the Wii U eShop for $1.99. One of the stages is free, although you need to receive...
News Paradise Lost: First Contact Leaves Wii U Stretch Goal Till Last
Wii U target is more than three times the initial $70,000 goal
By now we've come to understand that Nintendo's innovations have many developers excited by the possibilities, and many more simply scratching their heads. The Kickstarter project for acclaimed indie game Paradise Lost: First Contact by developer Ashtree Works has left its Wii U port...
News Pre-Order Super Mario 3D World At GAME And Receive These Purr-fect Gifts
This keyring and Cat Sleeve could be yours
GAME has let the cat out of the bag by revealing its pre-order bonus for those looking to purchase Mario's upcoming Wii U adventure, Super Mario 3D World. If you place your order with the retailer you'll bag yourself a keyring featuring Mario's transformation as a cat, which no doubt will claw its way onto...
News Nintendo Issues Full Statement Regarding Uncensored Lyrics In Wii Karaoke U
"Nintendo does not restrict which songs are included in the catalogue"
Last week, we broke the news that Wii Karaoke U contains uncensored versions of songs with offensive lyrics, and that these songs can be downloaded and accessed by anyone using a Wii U console. Nintendo of Europe has now given us an official statement regarding this matter,...
News Wii Party U and Wii Fit U Deliver Major Increase to Wii U Hardware Sales in Japan
Pokémon X & Y dominate at number one, of course
The weekly Japanese charts often tell the same story, with the 3DS dominating the hardware scene and, in the recent software stakes, Pokémon X & Y doing the same. Those trends continue this week, but we actually have positive Wii U results to share as well, with Wii Party U and Wii Fit U bringing...
News Mamma Mia! The Mario & Luigi Wii U Bundle Is Sold Out At Target And GameStop
New set flies off shelves in lead up to the holiday season
With the recent influx of new Wii U bundles offering pack-in games such as The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, Wii Party U, Just Dance 2014 and Skylanders SWAP Force, it’s clear Nintendo is offering a wide variety of options in order to entice potential customers this holiday season.
Video Watch Andre Agassi Get Beaten At Wii Sports Tennis By A Little Girl
How the mighty have fallen
Wii Sports Club is coming to the Wii U this week, and to remind us of this fact Nintendo has produced a TV advert featuring tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. In the commercial, Agassi can be seen struggling to beat an unknown opponent in Wii Sports Club: Tennis, whom he believes to be his partner, Graf...
News Packaged Physical Release of Wii Sports Club May Happen
Might not be an exclusive digital offering
Nintendo is a smart cookie when it comes to milking franchises. Its products, services, and software regularly offer the perfect balance of new and old. The latest example of this is Wii Sports Club – a digital remake of the original Wii Sports in HD, with online play and Miiverse functionality joining...
News Nintendo Goes Live With Full North American Site For Super Mario 3D World
The cat is out of the bag
Though naysayers have reprimanded Nintendo over its lack of a successful marketing campaign for Wii U, the company's brand new site for Super Mario 3D World shows no sign of the lackluster advertising claimed by many media outlets. The new website's handsome display features individual pages showcasing the game's story,...
News Satoru Iwata Outlines Wii U Holiday Target Audience and Aim for a "Unique Approach"
"Imitating others is the kind of reasoning that Nintendo tries to avoid"
Last week Nintendo revealed its Q2 financial results, which delivered a narrow profit but showed a largely downward trend in performance, particularly as the Wii U endured a poor Summer. Nintendo has now released the official translation of the financial results Q & A that...
Poll Is Nintendo's Wii U Advertising and Marketing Doing Enough?
It's safe to say the 3DS messaging is doing fine
It's a common refrain for critics of Nintendo to state that it doesn't do marketing well. Some may see adverts featuring celebrities or colourful trailers of smiling children and despair, as there's often a sense that in targeting families and young gamers with much of its advertising the company has...
News Super Mario 3D World Producer Says DLC is Unlikely To Happen
Title will be largely traditional
Nintendo has experimented with DLC on relatively few occasions, and it doesn’t look like its approach to modern-day gaming will be changing pace anytime soon. In mostly unsurprising news, Super Mario 3D World producer Yoshiaki Koizuma has revealed DLC for the upcoming Wii U title is unlikely to happen. Although...
Video Nintendo Gets Literal in TV Commercial for Super Mario 3D World
Cat outfit with over-sized paws + Wii Remote = many deaths
With Super Mario 3D World now less than a month away from release, it's surely time for Nintendo to crank up the hype machine. As a title aiming to incorporate a range of gamers, its unsurprising that Nintendo of America's recently released TV commercial focuses on the theme of playing the...
Review Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut (Wii U)
Myths of the near future
Square-Enix's idea to bring Eidos Montreal’s swell Deus Ex: Human Revolution to the Wii U over two full years after the game first saw light of day on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC is a curious resurrection, perhaps, but given the quality of protagonist Adam Jensen’s cyberpunk caper the title deserves as big of an audience as it...
News Super Mario 3D World's Team Highlights the Values of Accessibility and Empathy
The cat costume is designed with beginners and veterans in mind
Much has been said about Super Mario 3D World and its approach in recent weeks; while we had a say in our preview and feature on the madness of the multiplayer, it'll be interesting to see how gamers of various backgrounds and proficiencies adapt to the title. It's clear
News River City Ransom: Underground Dev Still Wants To Bring The Game To Nintendo Consoles
Smartphones, not so much
Conatus Creative's Kickstarter campaign for a new version of River City Ransom may have surpassed its original funding target, but it failed to meet the stretch goals which would secure a version for consoles — including the Wii U and 3DS. River City Ransom: Underground is only certain for PC, Mac and Linux at present,...
Review Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Wii U)
Back on the slopes and going nowhere fast
Unless you’re an enthusiast or currently living in Sochi (that’s in Russia, by the way), there’s a good chance you aren't aware that the Winter Olympics are almost upon us. Yes, it’s time for all your favourite winter sports to hit the screens again; sports such as skiing, skiing off a cliff,...
News Super Mario Bros. 3 Is Leaping To The Wii U And 3DS Virtual Console Services Soon
The best NES entry is getting a new lease of life
Not since the movie The Wizard has Super Mario Bros. 3 been played on this many screens. It appears the game often touted as the greatest Super Mario of them all will be headed to the Wii U Virtual Console, as Nintendo’s main website has listed Super Mario Bros. 3 for its flagship system. An...
Review Just Dance Kids 2014 (Wii U)
Get ready to wiggle
If you want to juice up a party then you can’t do much better than getting everyone on the dance floor, and the Just Dance series has been responsible for untold cut rugs for years now. But sometimes, when the age-appropriate drink for party-goers is juice, the grown-up songs and elaborate choreography of the mainline games...
News Crowdfunding Campaign For Paradise Lost: First Contact Includes Wii U Stretch Goal
Alien life-form is found
A Kickstarter campaign has crash landed for extraterrestrial stealth-puzzler title Paradise Lost: First Contact, currently seeking $70,000 to gain funding for development. A Wii U version could possibly be in the works if it meets its staggering stretch goal of $250,000 by 1st December. Set in a bio-engineering facility,...
News Nintendo of America Cuts Recommended Price for Nintendo Land
If you don't have it with your Wii U, now's the time
We suspect a significant percentage of current Wii U owners have a copy of Nintendo Land, simply due to the 32GB model — with which it was originally bundled at launch — selling in greater numbers in the system's early days. A number of upcoming bundles are shaking up the formula, however, and...
News Wii Karaoke U Doesn't Censor Explicit Lyrics
Cover your eyes and ears, kiddies
This morning, we reported that Nintendo had disabled Swapnote's SpotPass functionality due to safety concerns. The Japanese giant is clearly mindful of its younger fans, but doesn't seem to have checked the kind of songs which are available through Wii Karaoke U. We've discovered that the Wii U title grants access...
News Iwata: Wii Fit U's Free Trial Period Will Improve Wii U Sales Momentum
Getting fit for free
During a recent financial meeting with investors, Satoru Iwata has discussed how Nintendo hopes to improve Wii U sales momentum with the release of Wii Fit U and the month’s free trial period. The company president explained it was difficult to turn heads once the Wii U launch-period had passed: Under the current...
Video Bet You Wish You Were Talented Enough To Build This Awesome Zelda Sandcastle
A sandy work of art
The recent release of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD was pretty big deal for Nintendo, and the company celebrated the event in the most logical way possible: it commissioned some artists to construct a massive sandcastle based on one of the game's locations. You can watch the building of this amazing sculpture below, and...
October2013
Review Super Castlevania IV (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Fangs for the memories
The Castlevania series is enjoying something of a renaissance at the moment, thanks largely to MercurySteam's commercially successful Lords of Shadow sub-series. However, as many hardcore Castlevania fans will repeatedly tell you until they are blue in the face and you are deeply, deeply bored, the God of War-style gameplay...
Feature Ten Wii U and 3DS Games To Play This Halloween
Zombies, vampires, desolation, isolation and all that good stuff
It's that night, dear readers, when ghouls and monsters emerge from their pits of despair to torment the living. Or, another way of looking at it, children in rather inexpensive outfits come out to threaten adults with a good egging if they don't hand over sweets and candies. What a...
News Satoru Iwata Emphasizes "An Opportunity" for the Wii U This Holiday Season
The importance of variety
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Wii U once again served up the most damaging headlines from Nintendo's Q2 financial results. From 1st July to 30th September just 300,000 units were sold worldwide, adding to the Q1 results to account for 460,000 console sales in six months. Despite these figures Nintendo is standing by its...
News Just Dance And Skylanders Wii U Bundles Coming To Australia And New Zealand
Mario & Luigi Premium Pack also on the way Down Under
Australia and New Zealand may have missed out on the limited edition Zelda-themed Wii U bundle, but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Nintendo Australia has today announced it will bulk up its Wii U offerings with two new value packs - just in time for the holiday period. Consumers who...
News These Wii U Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag Screenshots Look Very Pretty Indeed
Yarr, it looks to be a decent Port!
By now, we're used to publishers being coy when it comes to showing off their Wii U versions of multiplatform games. More often than not, we won't actually get to see Wii U-specific footage or screenshots until the day of launch, when the community gets its hands on the game. Silence is deafening, as they say, and...
News Male Wii Fit Trainer Revealed as Latest Smash Bros. Challenger
He should Fit right in
Back at E3 2013, it was revealed that the female Wii Fit Trainer would be a playable character in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. It looks like she'll be in good company; series producer Masahiro Sakurai sent a post to Miiverse earlier today, indicating that her male counterpart would indeed be...
News EA's Financial Figures Reveal Dismal Wii U Software Sales
Wii not so great, either
Although EA has received much criticism for its poor support of the Wii U in recent times, it appears to make sense to the video game giant from a business perspective. EA’s decision to abandon Nintendo’s current generation home console has been validated with its most recent financial figures, which reveal that just...
News Iwata Braves Press Conference to Explain Nintendo's Earnings
Has faith that upcoming releases will reverse company's fortunes
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata made an appearance at a press conference in Osaka, Japan earlier today to explain the company's most recent financial results. Speaking about the ongoing troubles that Nintendo is currently experiencing with the Wii U, Iwata suggested that both the...
News Pokémon X & Y Reign Supreme in Japan Once Again, Though the Wii U and Sonic Endure Tough Times
The games are coming, the games are coming, the games...
Thanks to the lovely people at Media Create, we have our weekly dose of Japanese game charts to enjoy. In recent times it's been less about what's number one, but by how much it's dominating, and that applies to software and hardware. In the software stakes, Pokémon X & Y maintains its...
Video Here's Five Levels Of Super Mario 3D Multiplayer Mayhem For Your Delectation
Too cool for cats
Super Mario 3D World will be with us in time for Christmas and is sure to top the wish list of many a Wii U owner. We've been lucky enough to spend some quality time with the game and have put together this wacky multiplayer video which highlights five of the game's inventive and action-packed levels. Tom, Ant and Damo are the...
News F1 Race Stars Aims To Scratch Your Mario Kart Itch On Wii U This Christmas
Cartoon racer is exclusive to the eShop in Europe and North America
Codemasters has revealed that F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition will be racing onto the Wii U eShop this December in both Europe and North America. The title was announced many months ago and was assumed to be getting a retail release, but it then mysteriously dropped off the radar...
Feature Where Is Your Wii Balance Board?
Time to dust off that slab of plastic in preparation for Wii Fit U
Wii Fit U's special trial deal begins this Friday, and will no doubt trigger a fitness frenzy amongst flabby Wii U owners all over the globe. However, a lot of time has elapsed between the incredible popularity of the Wii original and the launch of this new title, and like so many...
News Nintendo Confirms Live Orchestration in Super Mario 3D World
So our ears have not deceived us
We've been fortunate enough to spend some time, recently, with Super Mario 3D World, which we've rather enjoyed so far. In our preview last week we also said the following to reassure those with a taste for orchestral music in their Mario games, a practice that hit its peak in the Super Mario Galaxy games. There's...
News Nintendo Financial Reports Bring Minor Profit, 3DS Success and More Wii U Struggles
PAL regions a key weak point in Wii U hardware sales
Earlier this year Nintendo revealed its Q1 financial results, in which it was able to report a net profit despite operating losses — value of the Yen and the mysteries of accounting allowed for a positive overall result. The trends largely continue with today's Q2 results (which also include the...
News Reggie Fils-Aime Talks Mobile Strategy for Nintendo
Probably not quite what you think
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Amie has been making the rounds since his recent hijacking of Twitter, landing today with the editors at CNET to discuss Nintendo’s approach towards mobile devices. Don’t worry; this is still far from talking about Nintendo ditching its hardware and working for iOS...
Video BloodBath Gets Gory in New Trailer
Due in November
During the summer we brought you the news that BloodBath is coming to the Wii U, a Hack'n'Slash title that pitches half a dozen gladiators against each other in multiple arenas. The trailer available at the time was from way back in September 2012, and all we really knew about the game was its setting — "a dystopian future where...
Feature The Madness That Is Super Mario 3D World's Multiplayer Mode
One crown to rule them all
In this personal reminiscence, Martin Watts describes his experience of playing Super Mario 3D World in multiplayer, and how it exposes our greatest flaws of character... Last week, Features Editor Thomas Whitehead and I were invited along to Nintendo UK's offices for a bit of hands-on time with one of Nintendo's most...
Video Comedian Wayne Brady Gets a Tad Excited About Wii Party U
The rap has potential
Wii Party U is good, harmless, silly fun, or at least that's what we think. Nintendo wants lots of people to think that, of course, and while Nintendo UK released a trailer featuring Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, Nintendo of America has been utilising the comedic talents of Wayne Brady for much of its publicity. He's been...
News Wii U Players Won't Be Able To Join A Clan In Call Of Duty: Ghosts
Not quite a band of brothers
Call of Duty: Ghosts will be rocking a new clan system when it launches soon, allowing fans to form cross-platform battle groups for the game's popular online multiplayer modes. However, something troubles us about the official FAQ for this element of the shooty-shooty, bang-bang game: Clans in Call of Duty: Ghosts...
News Wii Sports Club Is The Handiwork Of Namco Bandai, With Nintendo Assisting
External studio was instrumental in getting online Tennis working
It has been revealed during the latest Iwata Asks that Namco Bandai is handling development duties on the forthcoming Wii Sports Club. The selection of sporting titles — upscaled and improved from the Wii originals — joins the ever-increasing list of Nintendo franchises to be...
News Animal Crossing Team to Utilise Hardware Capabilities to Drive Innovation for the Franchise
Social network sharing prominent in New Leaf
Animal Crossing: New Leaf has been a major hit on the 3DS, earning significant success in Japan before achieving impressive results in the West. It's been remarkable how its attracted a sizeable audience that incorporates a wide range of gamers, taking over social networks for a notable spell after...
News Wii Party U Can Be Downloaded Digitally Down Under
New title is available on the Australian Wii U eShop
Wii Party U was released last week, but it bypassed the North American and European Wii U eShops and is available exclusively as a physical purchase at the time of writing. It has been assumed that the game's reliance on physical items — such as a Wii Remote and GamePad stand — has resulted in...
News Pokémon X & Y Maintain Top Ten Places in UK All-Format Software Charts
New Leaf, Sonic Lost World and The Wind Waker HD still linger
One of the treats that Monday brings is the UK software chart, which in recent times has brought some cheer for Nintendo fans. This week is little different, as Pokémon X and Pokémon Y continue in the top ten in fifth and sixth places respectively; X still holds the upper hand over Y...
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