E3 2012 Mad Catz Has Got Wii U Covered
The accessories begin
You won't have to wait too long to get your Wii U accessories. Mad Catz has just announced a range of useful plastic, all ready for the launch of Nintendo's new home console. There's a fancy headset, a charging dock and an iPad-style protective screen cover. There's also a new Wii Remote charging station. Costs haven't been...
E3 2012 Pre-E3 Nintendo Direct Round Up
Wii U re-revealed
Satoru Iwata opened the pre-E3 Nintendo Direct show with a declaration of Nintendo's intent to continue being unique — and a half hour long web show dedicated to its new console days before the start of E3 certainly fits into that category. Iwata promised that Tuesday's conference would focus "almost entirely on Wii U games", so...
E3 2012 Prepare to Enter the Miiverse
Get yourself connected
Nintendo has offered a tantalising peek at Wii U's menu and online systems at its pre-E3 Nintendo Direct. Dubbed Miiverse, it's a bit like a Mii-based social network that is always online, allowing you to chat with your friends and others online about all the games you're playing. The Miiverse Plaza is the first thing that...
E3 2012 Wii U Pro Controller Offers More Options
For the traditionalist
Worried about playing your Wii U games with that big screen controller all the time? Have some jealous friends who don't want to use Wii Remotes for asymmetrical multiplayer? Nintendo has you covered with the Wii U Pro Controller. The Wii U Pro Controller is more standard in form than the main Wii U GamePad. There's no touch...
E3 2012 Meet The Wii U GamePad
Sticky thumbs
The Wii U controller has a new name — it's now called Wii U GamePad. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has revealed the redesigned controller, which now features two clickable analogue sticks rather than the sliders previously seen. It was decided that analogue sliders were better suited to handheld devices. Iwata also revealed that...
E3 2012 E3 Starts Early With Nintendo Direct
The party starts now
Nintendo is kicking off E3 a bit sooner than expected — it's just announced a surprise Nintendo Direct show for tomorrow, 3rd June. Even more excitingly, it's to talk about Wii U. There'll still be plenty to tune into the main E3 press conference for, though, as this is all about the console. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata...
Feature How Nintendo Can Win E3
Drop the bomb
The time is nearly here. In just a few days, Nintendo has to make the presentation of its lifetime at E3 2012. After being hit by the first losses in the company's history in recent months, and with the weight of proving a brand new home console's worth on its shoulders, there's no doubt that nailing this conference is crucial. It'll...
Review Kirby's Dream Land 2 (3DS eShop / GB)
Dreamy
Dream Land's peaceful moniker is surely false advertising. There are constant problems with invasions and takeovers, the bad guys are apparently impossible to evict, based on how often they show up and the fact that some buffoon keeps dumping huge piles of those star blocks in everybody's way. It's an absolute nightmare. You wouldn't get that...
Review Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Wii Virtual Console / Virtual Console Arcade)
Boy wonder
The Wonder Boy franchise is one of many treasured relics from SEGA's past. Dedicated fans have clamoured for a new entry in the platform series ever since the 1994 Mega Drive release of the sixth title, Monster World IV. For now, though, they'll have to make do with the splurge of digital download re-releases. This time, it's the arcade...
Interview Nigoro on La-Mulana's Cancellation
What happened?
Those waiting for La-Mulana's WiiWare release were left disappointed recently when publisher Nicalis cancelled the game's western launch. Nicalis cited problems with low sales of the WiiWare platform and a protracted development period, leaving no current route overseas for the 2D platformer and developer Nigoro. We spoke to...
Purr crazy
“Little kittens are trapped in a well!” yowls Cat Frenzy's press release, invoking worrying thoughts of helpless baby felines in peril. Actually, this sliding block game is a bit more cheery in reality – the background implies they're actually in a house, for starters. Phew. Played with your handheld in sideways book-style, Cat...
Review Block Factory (3DS eShop)
Block party
If you've ever harboured the desire to create your own block-falling games, Block Factory might just be what you've been looking for. Through its editor you can build new games in the puzzle sub-genre with ease, but in doing so you'll have to look past the bland presentation, and it soon becomes clear that there's a reason there are only...
Review Rush Rush Rally Racing (WiiWare)
Blast from the 'Cast
Undeserving of such a short lifespan, Dreamcast has continued to play home to the occasional independent development. One such game is Senile Team's Rush Rush Rally Racing (R4). Originally created as an entry for a Dreamcast programming contest back in 2009, the team adapted its work so that it was fit for release on WiiWare...
Talking Point Could AR Games Drive eShop Sales?
Augmenting profit
Nintendo made a big deal of augmented reality at 3DS' launch, but it's all gone a bit quiet on the gaming-on-your-table front aside from scant appearances as extra modes in titles like Kid Icarus: Uprising, or in its various uses in horror games that don't cut it. The 3D overlay technology, through which games and avatars can...
Talking Point What New Super Mario Bros. 2 Means for 3DS and Nintendo
Aside $$$
The biggest news that came out of Nintendo Direct yesterday was the announcement of New Super Mario Bros. 2 for Nintendo 3DS. To say that the revival of 2D Mario has been a gigantic success for Nintendo is somewhat of an understatement; both New Super Mario Bros. on DS and New Super Mario Bros. Wii sold over 25 million copies each worldw
News Return to the Castle in Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
Castle crashers
Warren Spector joined in the fun of Europe's Nintendo Direct to hype up Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion. Developed by DreamRift in collaboration with Junction Point, the 2D platformer is due out on Nintendo 3DS in autumn. Though it's set in the same Wasteland as the console versions and lets you mess with the environment with...
News Sing Along to Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise in July
Better late than never
Great news, music fans — the latest edition of the musical equivalent of WarioWare, Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise is bringing the party to Europe on 6th July. It's been out in North America since February under the slightly snappier name Rhythm Heaven Fever. Perhaps to make up for the late release, Nintendo has prepared an...
News Europe, Your 3DS System Update Arrives 25th April
Update: North American update on the same day
You know that fancy 3DS system update that was announced earlier in Japan? Europeans can now look forward to grabbing it on the same day, 25th April. The update will come as a relief to those who have cluttered up their Home screens with the Ambassador games, demos and 3D trailers. You'll be able to give...
Can I bolt?
Held in prison for daring to protect his beloved from an attack, I Must Run!'s nameless protagonist is challenged to break out and run across the city in less than 24 hours for the ultimate prize: his wife's life. Apparently the escape itself poses no problem, as we cut straight to the chase. I Must Run! is a game of the same ilk as the...
Review Kirby's Block Ball (3DS eShop / GB)
Ball breaker
Outside of the popular platformers for which he was first known, Nintendo is always more than happy to take advantage of Kirby’s robust, rotund appearance for spin-offs. In the past the happy little chap has been flipped and lobbed about in Kirby’s Pinball Land and abused with golf clubs in Kirby’s Dream Course. It was never a...
Keep on truckin'
It’s not about the winning, it’s about the taking part. Though it’s technically of the racing genre, TNT Racers often encourages you to do all but grab the chequered flag first. Far more important is the ability to unleash timely havoc upon competitors to send them sputtering off-screen; consider it the driver’s guide to...
Review Wicked Monsters Blast (Wii)
Monster mash
Cute cartoon creatures; simplistic shooting; a mixture of mini-games. Wicked Monsters Blast is a kids game by-the-numbers, but its charm and heavy nods towards arcade classics such as Point Blank could have youngsters going crackers for these animals despite a slim number of levels. Wicked Monsters Blast is easy to pick up, with scant...
News "Trustworthy" Third Parties Get Microtransactions Go-Ahead
Horse armour anybody?
Downloadable content, software updates and microtransactions are not things that owners of Nintendo systems have been hugely exposed to in the past, but things are about to change. With expanded online offering Nintendo Network on the cards for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, third party developers will soon be allowed to sell...
News Nintendo Wants to Keep Old Titles Fresh with DLC
Add-ons a-go-go
It's a common problem in these days of overly crammed release schedules: wait around for a few weeks and you might find that the game you've just spent your precious pennies on is already considered old hat. The community has already moved on to the next title, nobody wants to talk about it any longer and, while it might still be...
