News Articles
Thursday22nd Feb 2024
Random Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze Could Have Been About Alien Invaders
Donkey Kong Country: Independence Day?
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is all about snow; that much should be obvious from the game's title, even for those who have yet to play Retro Studios' excellent platformer. According to a recent interview from KiwiTalkz in which he chats with former Retro artists Eric Kozlowsky and Ted Anderson,...
Tuesday13th Feb 2024
Anniversary Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Is Now A Decade Old
Time for a new one?
Just in case you weren't feeling old today, it's now been a decade since Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was released for the Wii U in Japan (13 February, 2014). Yes, the latest platformer in the Donkey Kong Country sub-series is now basically old enough to sneak a tenner out of Dad's wallet and laugh incessantly at toilet...
Monday30th May 2022
News Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Artist Talks About "Frustrating" Zelda Rumours
Not-so Funky mode
Back when Retro Studios was riding high on the success of the Metroid Prime trilogy, not many expected them to jump off of the space bounty hunter's ship and into the jungle in Donkey Kong Country Returns. This fantastic platformer rebooted the Donkey Kong Country series from the SNES with beautiful visuals, tight platforming, and...
Friday1st Jul 2016
News More Discounts and Downloads Arrive on My Nintendo in Europe
Taking flight
Pinch, punch, start of a new month. Nintendo of Europe has added a small batch of new Rewards to My Nintendo in the region, and as is normal is going for smaller and regular updates in comparison to Nintendo of America. This time around we have two full downloads - or rather one across two platforms - along with a handful of...
Friday15th Apr 2016
Reminder Six Wii U Games Are Now Discounted to Nintendo Selects Prices in the European eShop
DK Tropical Freeze! Wind Waker HD! LEGO City! More!
It was mentioned in the European Nintendo Download Update at the start of the week, but five days is a long time in the modern world. Nintendo of Europe has released six 'Selects' budget titles for Wii U in stores, but pleasingly the discounts are also available on the eShop; there's even an extra...
Thursday10th Mar 2016
News Five Wii U Releases Confirmed for Nintendo Selects Range in Europe
Will be joined by an equivalent eShop price cut
Update: A kind European tipster (PtM) has pointed out that Nintendo Land is also going to be part of this range in mainland Europe, though evidently not in the UK. Original Article: In recent times Nintendo of America has confirmed a handsome expansion to its Nintendo Selects range (due to launch on...
Monday29th Feb 2016
News Nintendo of America Confirms New Wii U, 3DS and Wii Nintendo Selects Titles for 11th March
Just $19.99 each
In mid-February a retailer listing from Canadian store VGP Video Games Plus pointed to a new batch of Nintendo Selects titles being on the way to North America. The good news is that the listing was accurate, with Nintendo of America confirming that the range of Wii U, 3DS and Wii games will be available for $19.99 - that's the US...
Saturday13th Feb 2016
News New North American Nintendo Selects Range Emerges in Retailer Listings
Includes Wii U, 3DS and even Wii titles
The European range of Nintendo Selects titles - which is available at handsome price points - has continued to grow, leaving some in North America frustrated at the lack of progress in their region. Thankfully that seems to be heading for an improvement, with Canadian retailer VGP Video Games Plus apparently...
Saturday28th Nov 2015
News Nintendo of Europe Confirms Its Second Batch of eShop Cyber Deals
DK x2! Pikmin 3! Ultimate NES Remix!
While Nintendo of America went for a varied batch of Black Friday to Cyber Monday offers for its eShop cyber deals, Nintendo of Europe is opting for a smaller number of options spread across 24 hour windows. The first batch featured key Mario titles and The Wonderful 101, and the latest offerings blend some DK...
Saturday14th Feb 2015
Video How To Game Safe On Valentine's Day
Who wants to go out, when you can have a romantic night of gaming?
It's that time of the year, which is either a celebration of your love to another person, or just another day for those who aren't quite as lucky. Alas, this is a video for those of the former category, but the single folk amongst you could do worse than make some notes for that...
Monday13th Oct 2014
Nintendo Download 16th October (Europe)
DK delights and discounts, Lone Survivor, themes, PAC-MAN and more
The start of a fresh week can be a happy occasion for European Nintendo gamers, as it means Nintendo Download Update news. While it doesn't always provide thrills and spills, this week's selection certainly has some tempting options, including a new title on Wii U, some retro...
Wednesday2nd Apr 2014
News Patch Fixes Bug in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Thaws out a progress-stopping problem
Nintendo has made a software update available for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze today that fixes a game-halting glitch in World 3. According to update notes, the patch will solve an issue some players have faced when completing level 3-3, Frantic Fields and finding no path has opened to the next level,...
Friday14th Mar 2014
Video DK Breaks The Ice in These Short Tropical Freeze Animations
For your viewing pleasure
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has been out for a few weeks now and — as we reported earlier this week — it’s selling quite a few copies as well as assisting Wii U sales. Everyone’s favourite gaming ape is certainly playing his part, seemingly winning the hearts of many that play it. If you can’t seem to...
Thursday13th Mar 2014
News Nintendo Highlights Positive February Sales in the U.S. of Bravely Default and Tropical Freeze
Wii U hardware and software increase compared to February 2013
It's that time again, with the NPD results — which cover physical retail sales in the U.S. — for February starting to emerge. Nintendo has, in a surprising twist on previous months, been quick to jump into the fray with its results, no doubt due to the fact it could report positive...
Tuesday11th Mar 2014
Four Nintendo titles in the top 10
We often report the weekly UK and Japanese chart results here on Nintendo Life, as well as the monthly NPD results for the U.S., but there are a significant number of other valuable territories in which Nintendo is competing. It can also paint a worrying picture for European sales as titles struggle in the UK,...
Monday10th Mar 2014
Modest performance in multi-platform releases, too
The latest UK software chart results are in, and they make worrying reading for Nintendo. With 2014 well under way and new releases increasingly arriving on multiple platforms, weekly sales of Nintendo titles — and multiplatform titles on Wii U and 3DS — are being increasingly pushed out of the...
Saturday8th Mar 2014
News Nintendo Canada Unpeels The Making Of Its Tropical Freeze Contest
4835 bananas are frozen in total, breaking DK's heart
To help celebrate the launch of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, you may have heard of Nintendo Canada's pretty extravagant contest, Banana Mania. With everything having wrapped up last month, we're all now able to get a peek behind the scenes and see exactly how it was done. A video
Monday3rd Mar 2014
News Senran Kagura Bursts Into The UK Top 40 While Donkey Kong Country Hangs A Little Higher Up
Racy subject matter helps niche fighter gain some sales
Senran Kagura Burst isn't your typical 3DS title — it features large-chested anime girls rather than rotund Italian plumbers — but it has gained quite a bit of attention ahead of its European release. We've seen saucy (and
Friday28th Feb 2014
News Retro Studios Talks Up Wii U And Has Been Working On A New Title Since November
Speculation ahoy!
With Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze now settling into stores around the world, its developer Retro Studios is looking back on the development and hinting at what's to come. As a first-party studio with high-profile experience on GameCube, Wii and now Wii U, it's also in a position to share its perspective on the hardware...
Monday24th Feb 2014
News Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Makes Top 10 Début in UK All-Format Charts
The highest new entry of the week
After being pushed back from a Holiday season release, Retro Studio's Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze arrived in Europe and North America on 21st February. The UK chart results covering its opening weekend of sales are in — reflecting physical retail purchases only — and the platformer has managed to swing a...
Friday21st Feb 2014
News UK Retailer, GAME, To Hold Special Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Day Next Week
In select stores, of course
Yes, at last it’s finally here, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has landed in the UK and US. It’s been three years since the primate pilgrim had his own private outing, but we’re just as happy to see him now as we were all those years ago; to celebrate the simian superstar’s frosty return UK retailer, GAME,...
Thursday20th Feb 2014
Nintendo Download 20th February (North America)
DK is back, NES action, forging weapons, kung fu rabbits and more
The time has come, North America, for details of the goodies that'll be available to download on the eShop stores this week. The latest title from Retro Studios is the headline arrival on Wii U, while two NES games (one on each current Virtual Console) are joined by three promising...
Video Nintendo Minute Shows Off Two Favourite Levels From Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Tough but fun
With Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze now so close that we can smell the bananas, Nintendo's YouTube show 'Nintendo Minute' has naturally pitched in to show a little more of the game in action, with the co-hosts each picking a favourite level. First up is world 3-3 (Frantic Fields) which includes some heroic charging with Rambi...
Wednesday19th Feb 2014
Video These UK and US Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Adverts Are Islands Apart In Tone
Bongo-drumming up interest
By now you might have seen our coverage of the Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze commercial currently airing to promote DK's latest outing, and it's a fun showcase of gameplay and character that definitely paints a charming picture to drum up some anticipation. Today, a UK version of the same trailer has just arrived to...
News Retro Studios Outlines "Symbiotic Relationship" With Nintendo Teams
"We spent a lot of time working on fur as requested by Iwata-san"
With Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze swinging into Western stores this week, eager fans are no doubt continuing their own personal countdowns. Ahead of the release Official Nintendo Magazine has published its interview with Retro Studios CEO Michael Kelbaugh and Nintendo SPD...
News Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Only Sells Just Over 35,000 Units in Japanese Launch
No notable Wii U hardware boost
The latest Media Create Japanese chart results are in, and while there are positives for the 3DS there's little cheer for Wii U. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze arrived in Japan on 13th February and, despite coming in second in the charts, has failed to make a significant impact. Top honours in the software...
Monday17th Feb 2014
Nintendo Download 20th February (Europe)
It's on like ..., Retro City Rampages again, tasty discounts and much more
Monday morning means happy times for European download fans, and the latest update is through from Nintendo. This is a rather good week by most standards, with an exciting Wii U retail title being joined by some excellent titles on the 3DS eShop, with some tempting discounts...
Saturday8th Feb 2014
News Nintendo Canada Announces an Awesome Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Contest
Where's Rain Man when we need him?
Calling all Canadian Nintendo Lifers! Nintendo of Canada Ltd. is currently running a special contest for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. The contest, aptly named "Banana Mania," is open only to Canadian residents and offers one Grand Prize and five second place prizes, both including a copy of Retro Studios'...
Monday3rd Feb 2014
Video A Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze TV Commercial Swings Into North America
"Donkey Kong and friends got your back"
Nintendo of America, for a good while now, has opted to mix real-life actors with CG characters in its commercials, sometimes to excellent effect. A stand-out example was the North American advert for Pikmin 3, but now it's the turn of Donkey Kong and his companions to help out photogenic humans in need. The...
Friday31st Jan 2014
Video Japanese Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Trailer Swings Into View
The Kongs go bananas when they get the cold shoulder
A new Japanese video showcasing footage from the upcoming Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has appeared, and it's chock-full of gameplay bits that may help tide fans over until the game's February launch. The video — which may contain spoilers for players who are trying to avoid seeing too...