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Nintendo Download: 1st December 2011 (Europe)

1st December 2011 (Europe)

A bumper crop

There's plenty to choose from this week, with WiiWare, 3DS download software, DSiWare and 3DS Virtual Console all represented, though there's no sign of resurrection on Wii's Virtual Console. Here's what's available this coming Thursday. 3DS Download Software: Zen Pinball 3D (Zen Studios, €5/£4.50) — The first downloadable pinball...

Nintendo Download: 24th November 2011 (North America)

24th November 2011 (North America)

Samus is back!

The headline story this week: intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran returns to Nintendo 3DS, battling Metroids — but definitely not Space Pirates — in a portable adventure that paves the way for Super Metroid. In other news, DSiWare continues to swell with puzzle games and there's definitely something fishy going on in WiiWare. 3DS Virtual ConsoleMetroid II: Return of Samus..

Nintendo Download: 24th November 2011 (Europe)

24th November 2011 (Europe)

Samus returns

Four titles on the download front this week, with a bit of a mish-mash of styles: shooting, singing, escaping and bounty hunting. Of course there's only one title we're really interested in, so let's just dive in and introduce you to this week's contestants. 3DS Virtual ConsoleMetroid II: Return of Samus (Game Boy, Nintendo, £3.60/€4) — Samus is playable on 3DS for the second..

News: WiiWare Reels In Big Bass Arcade Next Week

WiiWare Reels In Big Bass Arcade Next Week

It's a live one

Fresh from its DSiWare appearance earlier this year, Big John Games' Big Bass Arcade is on the way to WiiWare in North America next week. The trailer below, we're told, is "all in-game graphics" and below that you'll find screenshots from the game too. Will you have a crack at landing this one next week? Big Bass Arcade is loaded with fishing action! Catch a boatload of..

Nintendo Download: 10th November 2011 (North America)

10th November 2011 (North America)

Your digital delectable delights are in

The headline act of this week's Nintendo Download comes from Nintendo itself, with a spot of 3DS downloadable software from the Big N. There's also some healthy stuff on WiiWare and a spot of puzzle and strategy on DSiWare. Let's meet the contestants, shall we? 3DS Download Software: Freakyforms: Your...

Podcast: NLFM Episode 22: Mascots and Mixes

NLFM Episode 22: Mascots and Mixes

New digs for old friends

Our chip and game music podcast rears its lovely head this month with a collection of Nintendo mascot sounds new and old, from that new Kirby game to Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Metroid remixes. Jun Ishikawa, Hirokazu Ando — Cookie Country (Kirby’s Return to Dreamland)The Greatest Bits — Fear Factory (Donkey Kong Co

Competition: Win escapeVektor: Chapter One [EU, NA and AUS]

Win escapeVektor: Chapter One [EU, NA and AUS]

15 copies to give away

We know you love great games, and we know you love competitions, but we bet you love both of them together even more. We've teamed up with Nnooo to give away 15 copies of WiiWare gem escapeVektor: Chapter 1 to readers around the world. We have five copies for North America, five for Europe and five for Australia and New Zealand. Can't say fairer than that, can we? To enter,..

News: Machinarium Finally, Officially Cancelled

Machinarium Finally, Officially Cancelled

Guess why

Last September, XGen Studios announced Machinarium was coming to WiiWare, but since then we've heard not anything else about the game, leading many to assume it would never see the light of say. Sadly, those folks were right. Developer Amanita Design's founder Jakub Dvorský finally sealed the game's coffin in an interview with Eurogamer, where he criticised the Wii's limitations: We..

Nintendo Download: 3rd November 2011 (Europe)

3rd November 2011 (Europe)

Master Higgins is back!

Hudson was a big supporter of the Wii's Virtual Console, releasing no fewer than 53 games on the service over the past five years. Now it's bringing its little mascot Master Higgins to the 3DS as well with this week's title. 3DS Virtual ConsoleAdventure Island (Game Boy, Hudson, £2.70/€3) — This is actually based on Adventure Island II on NES, but let's not split hairs..

Nintendo Download: 27th October 2011 (North America)

27th October 2011 (North America)

Blocks, burgers and board games

3DS owners are best catered-for this week, with releases on the portable Virtual Console and some brand new software too. WiiWare fans get a 1000 Point offering and DSi fans can play checkers or go trick or treating. Here's the full list. 3DS Download Software: Pyramids (Enjoy Gaming, $3.99) — A neat 3D homage to...

Nintendo Download: 27th October 2011 (Europe)

27th October 2011 (Europe)

Trick or treat?

With the most frightful night of the year just around the corner, Nintendo of Europe has put together a platter of mysterious gifts. Will they be sweet as candy or as welcome as rotten eggs through your letterbox? Time to find out. 3DS Virtual ConsoleBurgerTime Deluxe (Game Boy, G-mode, £2.70/€3) — No doubt in anticipation of the upcoming BurgerTime World Tour, G-mode keeps the..

First Impressions: Gnomz (WiiWare)

Gnomz (WiiWare)

WiiWare gets weirder

QubicGames' Gnomz isn't much like other fighting games. There are no punches, no blocks and no health bars — instead it has gnomes, rainbow socks and reindeer with lights on. We recently grappled with a preview version of the game and came out (mostly) mentally unscathed. Played with the Wii Remote sideways, Gnomz is a single-screen platformer/fighting game that owes as much..

Nintendo Download: 20th October 2011 (Europe)

20th October 2011 (Europe)

Another late one

Just like last week, there's been no press release announcing what's available this week but here's what's appeared in Nintendo's digital shops. 3DS eShop: Pyramids (Enjoy Gaming, €4/£3.60) — You'd think Nintendo would make more of a song and dance about this, only the second third-party release for the 3DS eShop, but hey ho...

Nintendo Download: 20th October 2011 (North America)

20th October 2011 (North America)

Dragons, castles and more

Some games we expected to be available today haven't made it, but here's the full list of what's up for your download dollars today including the 3DS's first ever paid video content. 3DS Virtual Console: Double Dragon (Game Boy, Aksys, $3.99) — The classic 2D side-scroller finally makes it to North America, nearly four...

Interviews: QubicGames - Gnomz (WiiWare)

QubicGames - Gnomz (WiiWare)

Learn more about the porcelain protectors

After the revelation of Gnomz yesterday we had to sit down with QubicGames' Michał Dys to learn more about the bizarre WiiWare fighting platformer. We'll also have a preview of the game coming up tomorrow, so don't miss it. Nintendo Life: The first question has to be: why gnomes? What is it about them that makes them good but under-used game characters?..

News: Are You Afraid of Gnomes? You Will Be After This Gnomz Trailer

Are You Afraid of Gnomes? You Will Be After This Gnomz Trailer

Don't go into the garden alone

QubicGames has put out some pretty good games on DSiWare — AiRace and AiRace Tunnel — but it's never made the jump to the big screen... until now. The developer has just told us about Gnomz, a new multiplayer fighting game for WiiWare starring everyone's favourite ornament — the garden gnome. From the video below...

Nintendo Download: 13th October 2011 (North America)

13th October 2011 (North America)

Cat's out of the bag

A little something for everyone this week — other than Wii Virtual Console fans, that is — from WiiWare demos to forgotten classics. 3DS Virtual ConsoleCatrap (Game Boy, ASK, $2.99) — The original turning-back-time puzzler featuring cats — take that, Blinx the Timesweeper — this game is exactly what Virtual Console is about: a hidden gem given a new lease of life..

Podcast: NLFM Episode 21: Curse of the Halloween Hootenanny

NLFM Episode 21: Curse of the Halloween Hootenanny

Fear the reaper!

Since it's not only the single best month of the year and because we had so much fun last time [citation needed], the NLFM Halloween Hootenanny has returned! More spooky, more sinister and more deathly, this episode is best listened to in a dark castle dungeon while eating raw pumpkins. Failing that, anywhere else will do. 1. Hip Tanaka, Keiichi Suzuki — Giygas Battle..

News: Nintendo UK Launches New WiiWare Portal

Nintendo UK Launches New WiiWare Portal

See what you're missing out on

WiiWare, it's safe to say, hasn't had quite the impact some would have hoped. Its problems have been well-documented — not least on this site — but Nintendo UK is throwing more weight behind the service with a new online portal called We are WiiWare. Designed to showcase some of the best games and the teams...

Talking Point: Should Nintendo Regularly Offer Free Games for Download?

Should Nintendo Regularly Offer Free Games for Download?

Is continuing in Four Swords' footsteps the answer to the $0.99 download mentality?

As of last week, every DSiWare gamer can download The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition for free. This was originally a full retail title, now with added wireless connectivity, a new single-player mode and bonus levels. Compare that to Super Mario...

Nintendo Download: 6th October 2011 (North America)

6th October 2011 (North America)

Bulging pockets

Following on from Baseball and Golf, the Game Boy sports trend continues with this week's Virtual Console release, while WiiWare gets some futuristic shooting action while DSiWare gets medical problems and minesweeping. The Nintendo Download: always varied. 3DS Virtual ConsoleSide Pocket (Game Boy, G-Mode, $2.99) — Europe received catboy puzzler Catrap

Feature: A Peek Behind the BIT.TRIP Curtain

A Peek Behind the BIT.TRIP Curtain

Concept art and inspirational materials pulled straight from the Gaijin Games archives

Gaijin Games' BIT.TRIP series hits all the right notes for retro game enthusiasts over the course of its six games: Clever and varied design, formidable challenge, pregnant storytelling and an audio/visual style that quotes the days of the Atari 2600 without the baggage of age. We've spent considerable time..