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.
It's all about perspective
The last time we played Super Mario 3D Land, we came away confident that Nintendo was taking its mascot forward, as our preview explained. That was based on a four level demo but we've since played the game's opening two worlds, so does that first impression still hold true? Well, it all depends on your point of view...
News Pokedex 3D Update Unlocks Content For You
It's all here
Free 3DS download Pokédex 3D is one of the more compelling reasons to use SpotPass: new monsters are sent to your console every day, and all you have to do is switch on and collect them. The more monsters you collect, the more you can do with them, with some features locked away until you collect a certain number of character...
News Can Fossil Fighters: Champions Make Cleaning Fun?
It's going to have a good try
The DS has had more games about cleaning dinosaur fossils than we ever imagined: Dinosaur King, Fossil Fighters and the upcoming Fossil Fighters: Champions to name three. Now, to get you really excited, Nintendo has released a video showing exactly how to clean fossils in its upcoming DS adventure. The trailer below...
News Sonic Generations Japanese Site Opens with New Details
Some good, some bad
Sonic Generations — the ultimate celebration of everything fans love about SEGA's iconic hero — just veered dangerously into "uh-oh" territory. The game's official Japanese site just opened and revealed that alongside Sonic, Tails, Dr Robotnik and Metal Sonic, the so-called ultimate life form Shadow the Hedgehog...
Nintendo Download 6th October 2011 (Europe)
Three to go
There's new content on 3DS Virtual Console, WiiWare and DSiWare this week, so let's get to it and see what's on the way. 3DS Virtual Console: Catrap (Game Boy, ASK, £2.60/€3) — You must restore Catboy and Catgirl to their normal forms — whatever that may be — by heading through a series of mind-bending puzzles. Not the most...
News Learn to Wield the Master Sword in Skyward Sword Video
Wii MotionPlus at work
The deluge of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword videos continues, with the new footage below showing just how accurate the new MotionPlus-powered swordfighting is. The tutorial video below depicts Link slashing in all directions to fell the training logs, developing skills that will come in handy for overcoming the wily enemies...
News Zelda Gets All Lovey-Dovey in Skyward Sword Trailer
And it's not even Valentine's Day
He was a ruffian from the wrong side of the tracks: she was a Princess who longed to explore the world. Their romance flourished, with the help of a talkative genie and a magic carpet. Hold on... we've got something mixed up along the way. The latest trailer for Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword plays up the romance...
News Doodle Fit is Coming to DSiWare
We have screens and everything
Gamelion's busy on DSiWare these days, recently announcing a release date for Furry Legends as well as the next game in its Academy series, Academy: Checkers. The studio made its name on DSiWare with Extreme Hangman, but on other formats its biggest hit is Doodle Fit. Guess what? That's coming to DSiWare too...
News Shinobi's StreetPass Modes Explained in New Trailer
Are you ninja enough?
SEGA's Shinobi isn't just the story of a ninja that kills people: Juro Musashi is mortal too, particularly in the new StreetPass Challenge modes revealed today. The details we have so far reveal that StreetPassing other plays unlocks Challenge maps, which are much tougher than the standard game as you'll die after just one hit...
News Let Shigeru Miyamoto Take You Through Skyward Sword
And in English, too
If you can't get enough of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, what could be better than an official tutorial from Shigeru Miyamoto himself? How about a video showing Miyamoto in full-on Link mode, swinging his very own Master Sword around like the Hero of Time himself? Now we're talking. The video below is eight minutes of Skyward...
News How Many Levels of Breakout Is Enough?
100? 500?
How about 1,001? That's what's on offer in 1001 Blockbusters, the next DSiWare game due from Teyon and Selectsoft. The stack of power-ups — including magnetic paddles, protective walls and fiery and thorny balls — should hopefully keep things relatively fresh over the 1,001 levels of block-breaking that make up this 200 Point download...
News Club Nintendo Offers Collectible Handheld History Cards
Know your roots
We've recently been diving into the history of Nintendo, and now Nintendo itself wants its fans to have a bit of a history lesson, releasing some new collectible cards for North American Club Nintendo users. The 12 hand-drawn cards detail over 30 years of handheld systems, from the Game & Watch up to the 3DS. They even come in a...
News This Club Nintendo Coins Spreadsheet is Invaluable
So many 1-Ups
If ever you've sat down to calculate exactly how much you need to spend to secure that must-have item in Club Nintendo, you'll know it's a frightening prospect. Not as frightening as seeing the global totals for Club Nintendo coins in spreadsheet form, though. David Dayton has collated all the facts and figures for Club Nintendo coins:...
News UK Retro Computer Museum Hosts Gaming Weekend in November
Will you be there?
As much as we love to look forward to the future of Nintendo, it's important to acknowledge the company's past too. The UK's Retro Computer Museum is doing just that with a weekend of retro gaming scheduled for late November. Held at Snibston Discovery Park in Leicestershire, the show will celebrate 35 years of gaming from all...
News 3DS Trailers Allow You to Receive SpotPass Notifications
More than just a video
A set of seven new 3D trailers hit the eShop today, but like the Nintendo Life team they're not just pretty to look at: they serve a higher purpose too. Downloading any of the trailers also allows you in to receive SpotPass notifications for that title in future by playing the video, selecting "Notifications" and...
News New 3D Trailers Hit the European eShop Today
See Mario and more
Update: Nintendo of America has confirmed these trailers will also be available in North America soon. Nintendo Europe has announced a set of new 3D trailers will reach the European eShop today. Seven trailers in total will reach the eShop, and are likely to be 3D versions of videos that did the rounds before the recent Tokyo...
Nintendo Download 29th September 2011 (North America)
Another trip to Super Mario Land
With yesterday's release of Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition you'd be forgiven for thinking there's nothing worth paying for today, but this certainly is not the case. 3DS Virtual Console: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (Game Boy, Nintendo, $3.99) — One of Mario's best portable outings, this...
News New 3DS eShop Puzzler from Fire Emblem Team Revealed
It's cute and has blocks in it
Intelligent Systems is best known for its work on tactical games: the Fire Emblem and Advance Wars series have both emerged from the talented team over the years, but the studio has just unveiled its new franchise, a downloadable 3DS game called Hiku-Osu. As you'd expect from Intelligent Systems, it's not a simple case...
News New Super Mario 3D Land Artwork to Gaze At
Goombas with tails?!
The latest artwork for Super Mario 3D Land should act as a neat taster for upcoming in-depth hands on preview, showing some of the game's new elements. Propeller blocks, Goombas with raccoon tails, Mario on a pole: it's all here, along with an expanded version of the game's typically bold box art. According to the countdown...
News Zelda: Four Swords is Out Now in Europe and North America
Get downloading
Here's a nice treat to wake up to on a Wednesday morning: Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition is available now in the European and North American 3DS eShop and DSi Shop. The four-player game — which is absolutely free, remember — boasts local multiplayer, new stages and a single player adventure mode too, and is...
News Zelda: Skyward Sword Bundle Costs $115 in Japan
So be thankful
Want that awesome gold-but-not-gold Wii Remote Plus with your Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword? Of course you do. Bet you don't want to shell out $115 for it, though. That's the reality facing Japanese gamers, as Nintendo has unveiled the special controller and game will launch for ¥8,800 — that's $114 / £73 / €84. The game alone...
News Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy Trailer Takes Flight
Plane sailing
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy might read like a decent (if short) game of Scrabble, it's actually the name of Namco Bandai's upcoming aerial dogfighter, and it looks a lot like this. Containing such fantastic dialogue as "a coup on the day of the treaty signing?!", the trailer does show off some of the game's rather...
News GameCity to Transform Nottingham into Hyrule Town
Only with more shambling undead
UK event GameCity has established itself as one of the most notable events in the gaming calendar: kicking off five years ago with a celebration of SEGA music from maestro Richard Jacques, it's since taken in Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi, zombie world record attempts and everything in between. This year...
News Finally, Nintendo Owns SuperMario.com
Squatters stomped
Super Mario turned 25 last year, but Nintendo's only just got around to wresting control of the all-important domain SuperMario.com from a nefarious Internet squatter. Until 25th September, SuperMario.com offered free Mario games playable over the Internet, but domain snooping shows it now belongs to Nintendo of America. The page...
