Quite the smash
It wasn't the portly plumber's first outing on the virtual court, but Mario Tennis was nevertheless the first smash-hit in the franchise. The simple control input is easy to understand, yet allows for advanced techniques too; the control sticks enhances accuracy greatly. The single-player tournament mode is a bit drawn and...
Nintendo 64x64 BattleTanx: Global Assault
Madison's Militia
BattleTanx: Global Assault is one of those games that deserved far more attention than it actually got. Incorporating fast-paced gameplay based around tank warfare, the game's sense of scale and all-out action is surprising for an N64 title. The campaign mode is a tad repetitive, although more enjoyable when played cooperatively;...
Preview Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Goes Big on the Portable
Will Nintendo's portable brawler smash it out of the park?
It may be less than a month to go until Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is finally released in North America and Europe, but that doesn’t change the fact that the wait over the next few weeks is going to be unbearable for its most ardent fans. The game — which at the time of writing...
Stop the evil Herd Army!
Featuring the most annoying theme song to have ever graced the medium, Buck Bumble is an aerial combat game in which radioactive waste has transformed the insect world into a high-tech war zone. Playing as a gun-wielding bumblebee, the task of completing garden-based objectives is unusually appealing, yet a lack of polish --...
Nintendo 64x64 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
I'm Hit! Rear shields down!
Taking everything that is loved about the grand battles of the original Star Wars trilogy -- the dogfights, the scale and the classic theme of good versus evil -- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron delivers an authentic aerial action experience with its own bespoke storyline. Produced with astonishingly high production values --...
A hugely underappreciated gem, Body Harvest was DMA Designs (later Rockstar North) first attempt at a 3D open-world game. Playing as a genetically enhanced super-soldier, you must travel across time and thwart a race of sinister aliens before they can harvest mankind. Ambitious, yet buggy and lacking in polish, Body Harvest is greater than the...
It didn't sit well with purists at the time, but Bomberman's first outing in 3D was nevertheless a valiant effort on Hudson Soft's part to ensure its explosive star remained relevant in gaming. To its credit, the single-player mode delivers an engaging experience based around puzzles and exploration; the multiplayer, however, fails to retain the...
Aside from being the first release in Nintendo's long-running party game series, Mario Party's biggest claim to fame is its stick-spinning mini-games, which left many eager players with blisters on their palms. The series may have come a long way since 1999, but this title nevertheless features a diverse range of timeless mini-games and every...
Few games outside of the horror genre get the heart pounding quite like Rare's Blast Corps does. Its a race against the clock: playing as a demolitions expert, you must clear a path for a nuclear missile carrier that's out of control -- not too much pressure then! The range of real-life and absurd fictional vehicles on offer ensures that...
Feature The Benefits of a Portable Super Smash Bros.
Why being able to take the fight with you is a good thing
This year sees a number of landmark moments for the Super Smash Bros. series: it’s now 15 years old, two games are being released within mere months of each other and one of them will feature glorious high-definition graphics. However, even more significant than all of these notable...
Feature The History of Super Smash Bros.
How Nintendo's crossover fighting series smashed its way to fame and glory
Despite its immense popularity — not to mention the frenzied hype and anticipation that comes during the lead-up to each new instalment — the origins of the Super Smash Bros. series are in fact remarkably humble. When its creator, Masahiro Sakurai, initially came up with...
Review Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Full of promise, or just hot air?
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land is in fact a remake of Kirby's Adventure, Kirby's first outing on the NES from 1993. While it isn't his original adventure (that honour goes to Kirby's Dream Land), it is the first instance in which he was able to use his now classic copy ability. The remake — which originally...
Review Mario Power Tennis (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Raising a racquet
Originally released on Game Boy Advance in 2005, Mario Power Tennis is unusual in that it takes the tennis simulation genre and embeds it into a role-playing game experience. It’s a combination that works surprisingly well, with the biggest success being a player progression system which allows you to level up your character and...
First impressions HD Brawling with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Big screen action
At a first glance, you could be forgiven for assuming that Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is simply a HD refresh of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, especially given that the core gameplay concept hasn't evolved a great deal. Nevertheless, underneath its incredibly polished aesthetics and smooth 60 frames per second speed, there’s a wealth...
First Impressions Going Portable With Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
Anything but a little ruckus
While much attention remains on a home console version of a certain iconic franchise, it's perhaps worthwhile reminding ourselves that Super Smash Bros. for 3DS is now less than three months away and giving us our first fix in the series since Brawl on Wii — we should pay it more attention. As much as Nintendo is...
Review Monkey Pirates (Wii U eShop)
Banana boat
Despite all the doom and gloom that currently — and unfairly — surrounds the Wii U at the moment, it hasn't stopped indie developers from flocking to the system to release their games. Moreover, a good proportion of developers have even designed their games to specifically take advantage of the system; one only has to look at...
News The Nintendo 64 is Now 18 Years Old in Japan
Finally old enough to run Conker's Bad Fur Day
Time flies when you're having fun, especially for those of us who grew up spending excessive amounts of time playing GoldenEye 007 and Mario Kart 64. That's because the Nintendo 64 was released a whopping 18 years ago today in its native territory of Japan. Released on 23 June 1996, the N64 served as a...
News Final Fantasy Explorers Announced for 3DS
The final frontier
Japanese publication Jump has revealed in its latest issue that Square Enix is currently developing a multiplayer action-RPG game for the 3DS called Final Fantasy Explorers. According to magazine, players will be able to select from a variety of different classes for their character, essentially enabling them to narrow down to a...
E3 2014 PDP Shows Off its New GameCube-Styled Wired Fight Pad For Wii U and Wii
More ways to smash
PDP has taken the golden opportunity that is E3 2014 to show off its upcoming Wired Fight Pad for Wii U and Wii, and they're bound to turn the heads of many long-time Nintendo fans. Clearly designed to capitalise on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U's impending release, these remodelled versions of the Classic Controller (not to be...
E3 2014 Fantasy Life for 3DS Gets a North American Release Date
Another excuse to escape real life
Nintendo announced earlier today that life role-playing game Fantasy Life for 3DS will be arriving in North America this coming October. Developed by Level-5 in collaboration with Nintendo subsidiary 1-UP Studios, the game tasks players with choosing a profession and making a name for themselves within the game's...
E3 2014 Wii U eShop Version of Bayonetta 2 Does Not Come with the First Game
Two-player online multiplayer also confirmed
A small disclaimer found at the bottom of the Bayonetta 2 official website has revealed that the Nintendo eShop version of the game will not include the Wii U port of the original title that was released back in 2010. Before you reach for your pitchforks, it's worth noting that the text may simply be...
E3 2014 Art Academy Confirmed for 2014 Arrival on Wii U eShop
Games can be art
A new Art Academy game has been announced for Wii U and will be available exclusively on the Wii U eShop. The title is a follow-up to last year's Art Academy: SketchPad and will offer users a wide range of tools, as well as in-depth advanced lessons, to get the most out of their digital drawing. Unsurprisingly, the Wii U GamePad...
E3 2014 Palutena to Descend From the Heavens to Join Super Smash Bros.
Divine Intervention
Kid Icarus fans will be delighted to learn that Palutena, the Goddess of Light from the classic Nintendo series, will be making a playable appearance in the upcoming Super Smash Bros games for Wii U and 3DS. Showcased during Nintendo's Digital Event, gameplay footage revealed the divine being's impressive move set. The footage...
E3 2014 Mario Party 10 Subtly Announced for Wii U, Amiibo-Compatible
First title for the series on Wii U
During its Nintendo Minute Live @ E3 showcase, Nintendo stealthily announced that Mario Party 10 will be coming to Wii U when discussing game compatibility with its upcoming Amiibo NFC figurines. Not much is known about the game, but it will be available to play on the show floor at E3. With that said, it was...
