Author Profile
James started his career in video games as News Editor on Nintendo Life. Since leaving in 2012 to join Nintendo of Europe, James has risen through the ranks to become NoE's Senior Product PR & Corporate Communications Manager.
News Japanese Developers Wrap Up 2011, Look Forward to 2012
What did they make of Nintendo?
Japanese website 4Gamer (via Andriasang) recently asked a huge selection of Japanese developers about their best moments of 2011, and what they look forward to in the coming year. Predictably the 3DS featured heavily, with Platinum Games producer Atsushi Inaba calling the console "a revolution in...
Feature The Biggest 3DS Games of 2012
What's in store for the year ahead?
2011 is gone. After announcing our Game of the Year 2011 awards we're ready to move on and sink our teeth into all that awaits in 2012. There are of course dozens more games on the way to 3DS in the coming year, but we've picked ten of the most exciting due to crest the 3D horizon before 2013 rolls around. If...
News Zelda Symphony Tour Gets Four More Dates
Updated: make that six
Update: Orlando and Denver added. Ticketmaster has revealed four six more dates for the Zelda Symphony of the Goddesses orchestral tour. The tour will take in Vancouver and Atlanta and stop in Phoenix twice. An Orlando date was added and then removed, then added again. 14th March — Vancouver, BC7th April — Denver, CO20th...
News Zen Pinball 3D Lights Up North America on 12th January
Bing! Ding-ba-ding!
Zen Studios has just confirmed Zen Pinball 3D will reach the North American eShop on 12th January, costing $6.99. The balls-and-bumpers game was released in Europe on 1st December 2011, but North Americans get their chance to try it out next week. The studio has also confirmed it will support the game with downloadable content in...
News Icon Games Breaks WiiWare Sales Figures Silence
Dev speaks out
All developers who sign up to work on Nintendo's download services have to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that forbids them from discussing sales numbers for their own games, among other things. However, British studio Icon Games has revealed sales figures for its WiiWare titles. The company's biggest-seller is Family Games,...
News Three New Stages for Pyramids Available Now
QR codes ahoy
3DS Download Software Pyramids might not be setting the charts alight, but those who took a chance on its chunky charms will be pleased to find three new stages for the game available below. Here's how you use the codes: Launch Pyramids On the title's front screen, select 'QR CODE' The top screen will show nine level slots, under a...
News Skyward Sword is Wii's 45th Million Seller in U.S.
Latest in a long line
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has sold over 1 million copies in the United States since its release on 20th November, Nintendo of America has announced. Link's airborne adventure sold 535,000 copies in its first eight days on sale to become the fastest-selling Zelda game ever, and has since reached the major milestone of...
Charts 3rd January 2012 (North America)
The results are in
It's Tuesday and that means it's North American 3DS eShop time. Read on to find out what's been most popular across the country in recent times. denotes last week's position. indicates game is a new entry. indicates a non-mover. Popular Last Week — All Downloads: In a surprising turn, excellent puzzler Pushmo has overtaken...
News 3DS Hits 4 Million Console Sales in United States
Software set records too
With 2011 now a long and distant memory, Nintendo has set about spreading the word of its successful 12 months. The big headline is the Nintendo 3DS reaching four million sales across the United States since its launch on 27th March. According to Nintendo, the 3DS has sold more in its first nine months than Wii did. Not only...
Rumour Wii U and 3DS to Get E-Reader Capabilities
Don't read too much into it
Nintendo showed off the Wii U's new controller reading the web, but surely it's got far greater potential when it comes to giving you something to read. According to Forget the Box, Nintendo is prepping full-on e-reader software for its new console. The site's anonymous developer source claims Nintendo is getting ready to...
Nintendo Download 5th January 2012 (Europe)
Hit the Pits
If you've registered two qualifying games in Club Nintendo, you can download a free game this week; if not, you'll have to choose from one of the other titles on offer in the first digital drop of the New Year. 3DS Download Software: 3D Classics: Kid Icarus (Nintendo, free to qualifying users) — You can only get 3D Classics: Kid...
Happy New Year edition
It's the first chart of 2012 and a watermark for the coming year. One day we'll look back at this chart and laugh — were we ever so young? — but for now let's see what we all bought at the end of 2011. denotes last week's position. indicates game is a new entry. indicates a non-mover. Popular Last Week — All...
Review Nintendo Letter Box (3DSWare)
A note to remember
Until mid-December, the only online communication built into the 3DS was a 16-character status message on your friends list. Even by Nintendo standards, that's extremely constrictive. Now we all have the chance to download Nintendo Letter Box — aka Swapnote — for free. The first thing to note about Nintendo Letter Box is it is...
News Happy New Year from Nintendo Life!
Here's to 2012
It's the very first day of 2012, and we want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy New Year. 2011 was our best year yet — we were featured in the 3DS eShop, teamed up with Eurogamer and even won a Mario Kart 7 medal — but we wouldn't be able to do any of this without the support of a great number of people
Game of the Year Nintendo Life Reader Awards 2011
The votes are in!
Last week we opened up the Nintendo Life Game of the Year 2011 Readers' Vote, giving you the opportunity to commemorate the very best titles of the past 12 months. We received over 6,000 votes over the course of a week, and after stringent verification we've tallied them all up to reveal the games you voted as the best of 2011...
News Disney Newsletter Accidentally Outs Epic Mickey 2
It's bound to happen
Rumours of a sequel to Disney Epic Mickey continue to swirl around the Internet like paint in a pot, with a Disney newsletter seemingly outing the game before its official announcement. The email mentions a brand new Epic Mickey 2 in development for Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with a release set for fall 2012: Disney Epic...
News SEGA Confirms No WiiWare Outing for Sonic 4: Episode II
Sad times
SEGA's digital brand manager Ken Balough has confirmed that Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II will not make it to Wii. In a post on the SEGA forum, Balough confirmed it wouldn't appear on Nintendo's home console: But no - the reason Episode I was on the Wii was because we wanted to bring the Sonic 4 saga to the widest possible audience...
News Trip World Visits Europe's 3DS Virtual Console on 5th January
Sends postcard
Trippy Game Boy release Trip World is part of next week's Nintendo Download in Europe. Sunsoft's second 3DS Virtual Console game after Game Boy Color outing Blaster Master: Enemy Below, Trip World is pretty graphically impressive for a Game Boy game, with a barmy plot about a stolen flower and an innocent hero who can transform...
News Sonic 4: Episode II Revealed, No Nintendo Formats Mentioned
No 'Ware in sight
SEGA finally made Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II official with a teaser trailer, but the first video makes no mention of any Nintendo formats. The teaser's closing screen mentions the following formats: PS3 (i.e. PlayStation NetworkXbox 360 (i.e. Xbox Live)Android MarketWindows PhoneApp Store. Of course that doesn't mean we...
Charts 28th December 2011 (North America)
2011's top sellers
We already know that Link's Awakening DX is the best-selling 3DS VC game of 2011, but here's the round-up of what's hot and what's not in the eShop world. denotes last week's position. indicates game is a new entry. indicates a non-mover. Popular Last Week — All Downloads: 3D Classics: Xevious and Mario vs. Donkey Kong...
News Link's Awakening DX is 2011's Best-Selling 3DS VC Game
The results are in
It's official: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX is the 3DS Virtual Console's best-selling game of 2011 in Europe and North America. Link's legendary adventure tops the all-time Virtual Console charts in the UK and North America — live later today — beating off competition from Mario, Samus and Kirby. In fact, the game...
News Sonic 4: Episode II Teaser Trailer Due Tomorrow
It's got a nice ring to it
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I seems all but a distant memory now, but SEGA is ready to revitalise your nostalgia for 2D Sonic games by officially revealing Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II tomorrow. Gamespot will have the exclusive teaser trailer tomorrow, with SEGA brand manager Ken Balough keen to emphasise its...
Charts 27th December 2011 (UK)
Check out the Christmas sellers
It's the last time to take a look at 2011's 3DS eShop charts, so savour the numbers below; they may very well hold the secret to the future. At the very least, they explain how well games sell relative to each other. Let's just get on with it, shall we? denotes last week's position. indicates game is a new entry...
News Japanese 3DS Sales Hit New High in Christmas Week
How high can it go?
3DS sales have been steadily growing in Japan over the past few weeks, with the week leading up to Christmas the busiest for the console yet. Enterbrain (via Andriasang) reports Nintendo sold a staggering 510,629 3DS consoles in the week before Christmas, topping the record of 367,691 set in the previous week. Since February,...
