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JonWahlgren
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591 (178 reviews)
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Mon 4th, May 2009
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  • Podcast NLFM Episode 19: DS Swan Songs

    Not with a whimper, but a bang!

    So 3DS is out in places other than Japan now, hooray! But just because its successor is stealing the spotlight, that doesn't mean the DS is content with resting on its two-dimensional laurels. Why, it's not even April yet and it's already seen at least five fantastic games this year with some fantastic music to go...

  • Podcast NLFM Episode 18: Rageful Streets and Happy Dinosaurs

    Missed weeks? What?

    Remember when we said NLFM was going to be weekly? Well, we kind of fudged that for the past couple of weeks. Sorry! But we're back with a fiery fever in this episode, where gangsters are punched, pianos diddled and dinosaurs remembered. 1. MONSTER! MONSTER! — Penny Arcade2. Yuzo Koshiro — Go Straight (Streets of Rage 2,...

  • Review Heavy Fire: Black Arms (WiiWare)

    Kill 'em all

    Remember Heavy Fire: Special Operations, that on-rails military shooter that was kind of not good at all? Well, it got a sequel. Don't ask us how, but somehow it convinced enough people to plunk down their cash to be worth another go for developer Teyon. While it does delight us to say that there have indeed been a few tweaks for the...

  • Features The History of BIT.TRIP, Part 3

    In this installment, Gaijin explains their carefully laid plan for game four's runaway popularity, go through BIT.TRIP hell and reflect on the end of the series.

    Be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2 of our look at the history of BIT.TRIP and Gaijin Games. EYEBALL REVOLUTION: The team somewhat jokingly chalks RUNNER’s popularity, apart from being very...

  • Features The History of BIT.TRIP, Part 2

    In this installment, Gaijin struggles to find the fun in CORE and crafts what they feel to be a beautiful game in VOID.

    Be sure to read part 1 of our history of BIT.TRIP. ON THE MAP: Luckily for Gaijin, BEAT was a success; had the game tanked then the series would’ve likely gone ahead as planned, but it ensured them that they were on the right...

  • Features The History of BIT.TRIP, Part 1

    In the first part of our look at how the BIT.TRIP series was made, learn how its developer, Gaijin Games, crashed and burned on its first go, how the series formed and why level 3 of BEAT is so visually messed up.

    “Who is the Commander?” The question posed by IGN as the headline for a Dec. 19, 2008 news post on their Wii channel was modest,...

  • News These Target Renders Reveal Gaijin's BIT.TRIP Visions

    Get a peek at pre-development mock-ups of the first five games

    Seeing how games develop over time is always of interest to us here at Nintendo Life, which is why we badgered BIT.TRIP developers Gaijin Games for an exclusive peek at some of their development documentation and how we wound up with these target renders for the first five games. These...

  • Podcast NLFM Episode 17: Love Fest 2011

    Love is in the air for this Valentine's Day special

    Ho ho ho! Happy Valentine's Day, citizens of Earth! Let Nintendo Life be your love muffin this year with a very special NLFM dedicated to all things lovey-dovey-goo-goo. If the music of this episode doesn't melt your ice-cold heart even a little then we'll only be hurt just a tad. 1. Shōgo Sakai...

  • News Club Nintendo NA has a Ball with New Prizes

    Game and Watch replica, reversible DS pouches added

    The North American branch of Club Nintendo has dabbled in its fair share of trinkets and doo-dads and has only occasionally dipped its toe into offering actual games with the odd downloadable title and a

  • Podcast NLFM Episode 16: Adventurous Adventures

    Zelda, Dragon Quest, Terranigma and more

    Didn’t we have some fun though? Remember when the podcast was sliding into the fire pit and I said "Goodbye" and you were like "NO WAY!" and then I was all "We pretended we were going to murder you"? That was great. 1. Sick YG — Ain't That Funny (MadWorld, Wii)2. Miyoko...

  • Interviews Ben Geisler - Jam City Rollergirls

    We go all post-mortem

    Cast your minds back several years to the announcement of WiiWare, and its promise to bring smaller, riskier titles to Wii owners. Over the years there's no doubt the service has seen some pretty unique games, and the latest in that line is Jam City Rollergirls, the only video game ever based on roller derby. Our Jam City...

  • Podcast NLFM Episode 15: They Might Be RPGs

    FInal Fantasy makes its NLFM debut, along with a sweeping Bionic Commando remix

    Gather round, children! Zip it, listen! NLFM is back and bringing the big guns, with a killer Bionic Commando remix, lurvely NES medley by way of PiCTOBiTS, and an almighty power with a huge sword chopping woodland critters. What more could you want? What more??? 1. Star...

  • News Behold This Boppin' BIT.TRIP FLUX Trailer

    CommanderVideo's final journey is a lot like his original one

    If this first trailer is anything to go by, it appears that Gaijin Games' BIT.TRIP series is coming full circle with the final entry, BIT.TRIP FLUX. Not only is it the final entry in the acclaimed series, but it looks to play exactly like show-starter BEAT. Except, you know, now playing...

  • News Zelda: Skyward Sword Getting "Finishing Touches"

    Link's latest looks locked for later this...year

    It's been a while since we heard anything concrete about the highly awaited The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Revealed at E3 2010 with nary a peep afterward, until one day last December, out of nowhere, Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto poked his head out to say "it's half-finished, y'all."...

  • First Impressions Kid Icarus: Uprising

    Our Big N hearts go Pit-ter patter

    As its sequel itself is keen to point out in a tongue-in-cheek manner, it's been 24 years since Pit flapped his wings up, up and away in his nail-biting platform debut Kid Icarus. The NES original cribbed the best bits of franchises like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda and Metroid and crafted an ambitious,...

  • Review Jam City Rollergirls (WiiWare)

    The revolution has now been televised

    According to the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, roller derby is one of the fastest-growing sports in the US right now, and anyone that's ever been to a bout can see why: hard hits, lots of action and ladies on wheels. Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore even got in on the action in the movie Whip It. What's not...

  • Podcast NLFM Episode 14: The Past and Future, Remixed

    Check out some of our favourite remixes of classic franchises coming to 3DS

    We're absolutely killing 2011 with our new weekly schedule, even if we're a little late in the day from time to time. As in every episode so far. This episode we're inspired by the 3DS line-up and looking towards both the future and past by checking out some excellent...

  • First Impressions PilotWings Resort

    PilotWings returns after a billion years

    Another long-abandoned fan-favorite series, PilotWings debuted on SNES but hasn't seen the flight of day since the N64 launched way back in the mid-90's with the lovely PilotWings 64. But despite the series' rarity, the third installment, PilotWings Resort, which we were able to go hands-on with in Amsterdam...

  • First Impressions The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

    The Hero of Time, now in three dee's

    Few games are as hotly anticipated for Nintendo's upcoming handheld as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, and with good reason: when the game originally hit the N64 in 1998 it was quickly hailed by gaming's vox populi as the greatest game ever. That's a title that many still bestow upon it after 13 years...

  • First Impressions Ridge Racer 3D

    Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidge Raceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer

    Namco's Ridge Racer series has been around the block a few times on Nintendo platforms, starting out with Ridge Racer 64 all the way up to Ridge Racer DS with a pit stop on Gamecube in between. Now the franchise is drifting on over to 3DS with the appropriately named Ridge...

  • First Impressions 3DS Virtual Console

    Time travel meets blur-o-vision

    Virtually nothing is known about how the 3DS will handle its new eShop apart from that it will eventually offer a Virtual Console for Game Boy and Game Boy Color software, and in New York City and Amsterdam this past Wednesday Nintendo Life was able to test out a couple of games confirmed for Shop shelves: Super Mario...

  • First Impressions Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

    The franchise's first 3DS outing is familiar territory for fans

    Of the two games in the horror series slated for 3DS, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is at first blush the least interesting. Where Resident Evil: Revelations looks to be taking the atmosphere back to the series’ spooky roots, Mercenaries is a complete embracement of the...

  • News 3DS Hits North America on March 27 for $249.99

    Games, prices, details - all inside!

    Nintendo of America just confirmed its new 3DS console will launch on March 27 for $249.99, available in Cosmo Black or Aqua Blue. Nintendo claims 30 games will accompany the console on or near (before the end of June) launch. The list of titles confirmed as in development for 3DS includes: Nintendo: Animal...

  • Podcast NLFM Episode 13: Yep, Still Weekly

    Storms can't hold this podcast back

    Your eyes doth not deceive you: NLFM is back with another episode a mere week after the last one. And man, did we almost not make it thanks to an impending snowstorm and travel arrangements. But lo and behold, here is a delicious ear scoop for you. We couldn't bail on our weekly promise one week after making it,...