Thomas Whitehead

Thomas Whitehead

Former Editor, Nintendo Life

Author Profile

Tom has been involved in the games industry for over a decade, mostly writing about it or struggling to sell Indie games. Loves reading, writing, hunting Capcom’s fiercest monsters and watching baseball.

Having joined the site in 2011, Tom took over as Editor three years later, ably steering the good ship Nintendo Life through the Wii U waters and safely into the Switch era. He now serves as a Producer at PM Studios.

Username
ThomasBW84
Articles
11,883 (257 reviews)
First Article
Wed 26th, January 2011
Avg. Review Score
6.8
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  • Nintendo's Charlie Scibetta Explains the Benefits of Developers Running the Company

    35

    News Nintendo's Charlie Scibetta Explains the Benefits of Developers Running the Company

    "'Is it fun?' Most executives don't ask that question first"

    During E3, Nintendo of America sent its marketing and product executives into the wilds of the expo floor to be quizzed by various games writers. In some respects that's given us confirmation of things we already knew, such as the continued resistance to any thoughts of going mobile, and...

  • If Only Monster Hunter Was Released on the Game Boy

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    Weirdness If Only Monster Hunter Was Released on the Game Boy

    On a scale of one to awesome, it'd be awesome

    Monster Hunter is a huge deal in Japan, with the upcoming Monster Hunter 4 likely to cause retail mayhem, or perhaps crashes of the 3DS eShop servers. Despite the high quality of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on Wii U and 3DS, however, it's not hit those heights in the West, relying on a loyal core following...

  • 20th June (Europe)

    70

    Nintendo Download 20th June (Europe)

    Luigi steps up, the Guild returns, some retro goodies and much more

    So E3 is now but a fading memory, but at least we have a lot of Wii U and 3DS games on the way to keep us entertained for the rest of the year. One of those lands as Wii U DLC today, while the 3DS is pretty much overflowing with varied offerings, including the second entry from the...

  • Animal Crossing: New Leaf Earns Enough Bells For Second in the UK Chart

    15

    News Animal Crossing: New Leaf Earns Enough Bells For Second in the UK Chart

    Even with downloads and promotions

    Animal Crossing: New Leaf has been, in all likelihood, Nintendo's biggest release of the year to date. It's been long awaited by keen fans, but has also enjoyed a substantial build-up and marketing campaign as the company has sought to recreate the game's phenomenal success in Japan. Nintendo's stated that the U.S...

  • E3 Exposed the Strains of Nintendo's Development Workload

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    Talking Point E3 Exposed the Strains of Nintendo's Development Workload

    Delays have been common on Wii U

    Nintendo and, in particular, the Wii U are in a tricky catch-22 situation; third-parties — including Ubisoft at E3 — are holding off on most additional support for the platform until sales improve, yet games are needed to boost sales. It's an issue that feels all too familiar, though the absence of much support...

  • Nintendo - Inclusion of Peach in Super Mario 3D World to Encourage More Players

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    News Nintendo - Inclusion of Peach in Super Mario 3D World to Encourage More Players

    Wii U Pro Controller support also confirmed

    Super Mario 3D World appeared to be — initially at least — a divisive announcement at E3. We knew a 3D Mario was coming, but the successor to Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS was a surprise considering expectations of a title more in-line with the Galaxy releases on Wii. It may make commercial sense and...

  • Toki Tori 2 Miiverse Drawing Contest Flutters Into Round Two

    6

    News Toki Tori 2 Miiverse Drawing Contest Flutters Into Round Two

    Getting historical

    A little over a week ago we reported on an interesting Toki Tori 2 Miiverse drawing contest that was launched by Two Tribes, aiming to encourage the talented artists in the game's community to share even more creations. The prize is a grand one, with winning drawings set to appear as cave drawings in the game. The contest is...

  • Retro Studios Working on "One Major Project at a Time"

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    News Retro Studios Working on "One Major Project at a Time"

    Oh...

    When Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was announced at E3 as the next game from Retro Studios, some Nintendo fans — including members of the team on this site — rationalised disappointment at the reveal by adding a caveat that it may have been produced alongside a bigger, larger scope project. The thought was that with the groundwork...

  • Nintendo Releases Its E3 Wrap-Up

    29

    Video Nintendo Releases Its E3 Wrap-Up

    A nice quick look at the company's E3

    Nintendo's E3 was certainly a bit different this year, as rather than a laser-focus on the events of a live presentation, it had the feel of revolving around multiple video releases — starting with the E3 Direct. There were the developer videos, which gave some enjoyable insight, while the standard round...

  • Pokémon X & Y Trailer Shows Off New Gym Leader and Battles

    39

    News Pokémon X & Y Trailer Shows Off New Gym Leader and Battles

    Is it October yet?

    So it looks likely that Pokémon X & Y will be a bit of a success on 3DS. Something to do with the start of a new generation of one of the highest grossing gaming franchises in the industry, so we imagine that Nintendo, developer Game Freak and The Pokémon Company International are preparing bigger cash vaults and planning...

  • Nintendo's Scott Moffitt - Upcoming Wii U Lineup Will "Ignite Sales"

    43

    News Nintendo's Scott Moffitt - Upcoming Wii U Lineup Will "Ignite Sales"

    While 3DS delivers "magic that can't be replicated on a phone"

    Nintendo's presence at E3, despite the battle between new systems from Microsoft and Sony, was nevertheless successful at earning some media attention. The focus was mostly on Wii U, as the company went into the expo with little choice but to acknowledge its issues so far, but...

  • Super Smash Bros. Won't Feature Cross-Platform Play Between Wii U and 3DS

    70

    News Super Smash Bros. Won't Feature Cross-Platform Play Between Wii U and 3DS

    Character customisation will be a thing

    As we watched footage of Super Smash Bros. for both Wii U and 3DS at this year's E3, there was a nagging suspicion in the back of our minds at Nintendo Life HQ; will this support "cross-play", similar to that in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, or are the games too different? No, is the simple answer.

  • Zelda Series Timeline Wasn't Planned From the Beginning

    37

    News Zelda Series Timeline Wasn't Planned From the Beginning

    The wails of theorists reverberate around the world

    The Zelda timeline is one of the mysteries of gaming — well, it is to enthusiasts that don't simply want to play the games and deal with the cards they're dealt. It's also rather confusing, even though the gorgeous Hyrule Historia includes an "official timeline". Multiple paths and time travel...

  • The Wacky World of Nintendo at E3 2013

    28

    Weirdness The Wacky World of Nintendo at E3 2013

    The Villager is a homicidal sociopath, apparently

    With another E3 coming to an end, we've once again seen Nintendo produce some quirky moments. It must be one of the few multi-billion dollar corporations with executives willing to pose in somewhat bizarre setups, either in front of the obligatory over-sized props or, on occasion, playing a bit of...

  • Nintendo Confirms That Yarn Yoshi Just Wasn't Ready to be Shown Off at E3

    40

    News Nintendo Confirms That Yarn Yoshi Just Wasn't Ready to be Shown Off at E3

    It may be a while, then

    During Nintendo's Wii U Direct back in January, a number of brand new titles were announced and teased in various forms, yet aside from the new Zelda Wii U and the Fire Emblem / Shin Megami Tensei mashup, Yarn Yoshi was the only title from that broadcast to not be mentioned or shown in some form during the E3 Direct. As part...

  • New Super Luigi U Trailer Flutter Jumps Into View

    33

    Video New Super Luigi U Trailer Flutter Jumps Into View

    Just a week away

    It may have slipped off some radars, but the substantial New Super Luigi U release arrives as DLC for New Super Mario Bros. U in next week's Nintendo Download update. The initial download release will arrive alongside an update for the Mario retail title, with the content then purchased through the game; a standalone boxed version...

  • 13th June (North America)

    105

    Nintendo Download 13th June (North America)

    Mudds, mighty switching, Game Gear goodies and more

    As the E3 madness settles down to daily regular madness, we have the reliable and steady Nintendo Download news to enjoy. This week is a strong one in North America, with both the Wii U and 3DS eShop services hosting games from Renegade Kid and WayForward, while the Game Gear also returns on the...

  • Which Wii U E3 Game Has Impressed You the Most?

    200

    Poll Which Wii U E3 Game Has Impressed You the Most?

    There are plenty to choose from

    This E3 has seen Nintendo show off a lot of Wii U software, even if we already knew about all but one of them before the expo launched. Rather than potential based on name alone, however, we've now seen these titles in action, with some certainly catching the eye. With the expo now having been open to the public,...

  • Miiverse Update Adds Facebook and Twitter Sharing

    23

    News Miiverse Update Adds Facebook and Twitter Sharing

    Or Google+ and Tumblr, if you prefer

    While most attention is currently drawn to the floor at E3, Nintendo has applied a Miiverse update that now allows you to share posts on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Tumblr. It's another smart move for the bespoke network, especially as those with a Nintendo Network ID can now view individual posts when...

  • Nintendo's Wii U Lineup Makes Commercial Sense

    151

    Talking Point Nintendo's Wii U Lineup Makes Commercial Sense

    Nintendo plays it safe, like everyone else

    E3 presentations can be strange occasions, often prompting exaggerated reactions — either delight or dismay — immediately after the event, before a following hangover of acceptance and anticipation for the games on the way. That's the general sense within the Nintendo Life team the day after Nintendo's...

  • Kensuke Tanabe: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is "Kind of a Road Movie"

    44

    News Kensuke Tanabe: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is "Kind of a Road Movie"

    Dynamic camera, furriness and an unnamed additional character discussed

    In one of a series of developer videos recently released by Nintendo, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze producer Kensuke Tanabe took some time to discuss some of the design choices and priorities that he shared with primary developers Retro Studios. Some are fundamental to...

  • Masahiro Sakurai Demonstrates Super Smash Bros. in Developer Video

    100

    News Masahiro Sakurai Demonstrates Super Smash Bros. in Developer Video

    The Wii Fit Trainer Weighs In!?

    One thing we'll readily admit about the Super Smash Bros. series is that it gets away with being completely daft and nonsensical. In a game where a flower can be a useful weapon, and Nintendo mascots battle in some of the craziest arenas imaginable, it's easy to get swept away in the madness; that's really the whole...

  • Monolith Soft's X Given More Epic Footage

    52

    Video Monolith Soft's X Given More Epic Footage

    Slated for 2014

    There was plenty of game footage on show in Nintendo's E3 Direct, with one eagerly awaited trailer being for Monolith Soft's X. First revealed in January, the fresh footage arrived with a vague confirmation of a 2014 release. Some themes from the first trailer have continued across, such as the use of impressive mechs that can...

  • Super Smash Bros. Footage Revealed, Mega Man Introduced as a New Challenger

    195

    News Super Smash Bros. Footage Revealed, Mega Man Introduced as a New Challenger

    Yes, Mega Man

    Today's E3 Nintendo Direct featured plenty of footage of games not previously seen, with the most hyped arguably being the new Super Smash Bros. Most encouraging was the fact that the trailer showed a lot of gameplay footage alongside CGI flourishes, with plenty of favourites duking it out. The footage showed both the 3DS and Wii U...