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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  • 21st March 2013 (Europe)

    63

    Nintendo Download 21st March 2013 (Europe)

    Monstrous quests, reckless driving, retro boxing, a big sale and more

    It's Monday, so you know what that means Europe. It's time for the Nintendo Download update news, letting us know what'll be dropping onto our systems later this week; we have a lengthy list that includes the latest €0.30 / £0.30 Wii U Virtual Console promotion, some...

  • Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U)

    153

    Review Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U)

    Don't forget your potions

    While the arrival of a new Monster Hunter title, particularly of the handheld variety, in Japan can probably cause retailer's systems to crash, it's a franchise that's been unable to capture that same fevered audience in the West. Capcom's latest attempt is Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, an expanded and enhanced re-release of...

  • Let's Talk About the F-Zero Franchise

    71

    Round Table Let's Talk About the F-Zero Franchise

    Ready

    With SNES classic F-Zero coming to the end of its spell as the 30 cent/30 pence Famicom Anniversary promotion on the Wii U eShop, some of us in the Nintendo Life team thought that it was the perfect time to talk about the franchise. With just four main releases — include the GBA title but discounting the arcade unit — it's not been...

  • Doom and Gloom Merchants on Wii U Being Nintendo's Last Home Console

    163

    Reaction Doom and Gloom Merchants on Wii U Being Nintendo's Last Home Console

    We discuss the casual dismissal of Wii U in some quarters

    In a regular series of features, we're going to take a rather strong statement or opinion expressed about Nintendo, and give our own take. These opinions aren't those of the site as a whole, but rather of a collection of your humble Nintendo Life writers. This time around we're looking at a...

  • The Pros and Cons of a Wii U Price War

    66

    Talking Point The Pros and Cons of a Wii U Price War

    Sell, sell, sell, say the retailers

    Earlier this week we saw a bit of a Wii U price war break out, in the UK at least, with Amazon UK joining Asda in slashing the price of both Wii U models by £50. At the same time, a number of US retailers are being rather creative with their offerings, not necessarily going for a full-blown price reduction but...

  • Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D Swings Into a Release on 24th May

    77

    News Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D Swings Into a Release on 24th May

    We're not monkeying around

    Announced recently during a Nintendo 3DS Direct broadcast, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D is a handheld re-release of the critically acclaimed Wii platformer, originally developed by Retro Studios. It's a title that involves plenty of perspective changes from foreground to background, and as a result it's not hard to see...

  • U.S. February Sales Figures Make Grim Reading for Wii U and Wider Industry

    53

    News U.S. February Sales Figures Make Grim Reading for Wii U and Wider Industry

    A marginal increase on January's poor results

    NPD has released its figures for February video game sales in the U.S., and they're not results to give cheer to Nintendo, or even retailers and those invested in the overall traditional gaming market. Taken as an overall sales figure, hardware, software and accessories across the board dropped 25% in...

  • Nintendo States That an External Hard Drive is Needed for LEGO City Undercover Download

    67

    News Nintendo States That an External Hard Drive is Needed for LEGO City Undercover Download

    Update: File size of 22GB will squeeze onto a Deluxe/Premium Wii U

    Now that LEGO City Undercover is available for download in the North American eShop, IGN has completed a download and confirmed that it is a 22GB file that will squeeze onto a Wii U 32GB model with enough space. That confirms the suspicion that Nintendo's official website stating a...

  • Pokémon Rumble U Trailer Shows NFC in Action

    54

    News Pokémon Rumble U Trailer Shows NFC in Action

    Details of first set of figurines included

    Announced in Coro Coro magazine in February, Pokémon Scramble U, commonly being called Pokémon Rumble U in the West, arrives as a download-only Wii U title on 24th April for 1800 Yen, which at the time of writing equates to just over $18/€14/£12; it continues on from Pokémon Rumble on WiiWare and...

  • This NES Arcade Unit is a Perfect Introduction to Gaming

    13

    News This NES Arcade Unit is a Perfect Introduction to Gaming

    All for one lucky little girl

    Earlier today we posted an article on The Electus 64 II Mini, a handheld Nintendo 64 that resembles a glossy, chunky Game Boy. And rather like London buses (wait for an eternity and two come at the same time), we've been directed to an arcade cabinet that plays NES games — just like the handheld N64, that's actual...

  • Zen Pinball 2 Launches Into North America on 21st March

    32

    News Zen Pinball 2 Launches Into North America on 21st March

    The wait is nearly over

    Every week with Nintendo Download updates for both North America and Europe, there are games that are eagerly awaited and seem to be perpetually missing. It can be frustrating, but one wait being endured by North American Wii U owners is almost at an end — Zen Studios has confirmed that Zen Pinball 2 will arrive on the Wii...

  • 14th March 2013 (North America)

    124

    Nintendo Download 14th March 2013 (North America)

    Hunting monsters, going to the City, throwing retro punches, being Mega and much more

    It's Nintendo Download update time, North America, with so much packing the eShops and DSi store that we even had the information earlier than normal — all the more time to soak it up. Quite a few high profile retail downloads are joined by some demo action, a...

  • The Electus 64 II Mini Brings the Sexy Back to Nintendo 64

    32

    News The Electus 64 II Mini Brings the Sexy Back to Nintendo 64

    Packed with features that actually work

    When it comes to modded consoles — which in this case means one that plays actual cartridges, not ROMS — we've seen plenty of innovative efforts over the years. Enthusiasts with a flair for hardware tech have produced handheld GameCube systems housed in tupperware boxes — we kid you not — a Super NES...

  • Flipnote Studio 3D Drawing to the West, For Free, This Summer

    57

    News Flipnote Studio 3D Drawing to the West, For Free, This Summer

    Localised Nintendo Direct details online and sharing communities

    Earlier today we brought you the news that Flipnote Studio 3D is coming to Japan this summer; the happy update is that it looks set to arrive in the West in the same period, with Europe confirmed and North America very likely to join in. Nintendo of Europe has also released a new...

  • Vita Knocks 3DS Down to Second in the Japanese Charts

    112

    News Vita Knocks 3DS Down to Second in the Japanese Charts

    Hell hath indeed frozen over

    It's Japanese charts time and, to the astonishment of the world, the Gods and all creatures of the Universe, the 3DS is only the second highest selling system in Nintendo's homeland. Sony's PS Vita, combining last week's price drop and this week's release of Soul Sacrifice (as well as, to a lesser extent, Tales of Hearts...

  • The Nano Soundtrack Collection is Blowing Up Speakers Right Now

    12

    News The Nano Soundtrack Collection is Blowing Up Speakers Right Now

    Shin'en delivers a gift to the fans

    After confirming the imminent arrival of Nano Assault EX on the 3DS eShop last week, Shin'en Multimedia stated that it had a much-requested surprise on the way for fans of the series — that new treat is The Nano Soundtrack Collection. As anyone who's played any of the "Nano" titles — from DS to Wii U — will...

  • Fire Emblem: Awakening SpotPass Content Going Into Battle Today

    35

    News Fire Emblem: Awakening SpotPass Content Going Into Battle Today

    New and free content every two weeks

    Fire Emblem: Awakening has been critically acclaimed and earned plenty of praise from Nintendo gamers since its arrival in North America; whether it's the expansive amount of content and gameplay, clever tweaks to the formula or polished mechanics, it's been popular in the Nintendo Life community and, frankly,...

  • Four Classics Available Now in the Latest Club Nintendo Rewards

    70

    News Four Classics Available Now in the Latest Club Nintendo Rewards

    Check your coin balance, North America

    Every month Nintendo of America unveils its latest Club Nintendo offers, giving members a chance to exchange hard-earned coins for download codes. Often the games available are hit and miss, but this month seems to offer a strong line-up to suit various tastes. The following are all available until 7th April...

  • Assassin's Creed III - Tyranny of King Washington's "Wolf Power" Has Some Bite

    10

    Video Assassin's Creed III - Tyranny of King Washington's "Wolf Power" Has Some Bite

    It's a dog's life

    As a big-budget release, Assassin's Creed III was always destined to have a fair bit of DLC. After a couple of packs featuring extra missions and multiplayer bonuses — the latter's not recommended on Wii U due to the lack of an active online community — it got to the main event, The Tyranny of King Washington. It's a new...

  • Review Scores and Unwinnable Arguments

    142

    Talking Point Review Scores and Unwinnable Arguments

    Just how important are review scores?

    Last week we published our Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate review; we liked it, despite some flaws that we outlined, and gave it a strong recommendation with a score of 8/10, which counts as "very good" in our review scoring policy. Such was the reaction to the review here, elsewhere and to the...

  • Miyamoto: "Entertainment is an Unpredictable Industry"

    32

    News Miyamoto: "Entertainment is an Unpredictable Industry"

    Not at a point of concern for Wii U as yet

    Shigeru Miyamoto, as you've no doubt noticed, has been on a press tour around the U.S., and the most recent port of call seems to have been the New York Times. A number of topics were covered, and in terms of the ever-present question of Wii U momentum the Nintendo executive admitted that he'd naturally...

  • Inazuma Eleven GO Galaxy Announced for 3DS in Japan

    7

    News Inazuma Eleven GO Galaxy Announced for 3DS in Japan

    We're counting down the years to localisation

    During the recent Nintendo 3DS Direct in Europe, it was announced that the third entry in the Inazuma Eleven handheld series would be coming to Europe this summer. As it's the 3DS version (not DS) it seems to be the enhanced edition that was part of a trilogy release in Japan — no trilogy was...

  • UK Supermarket Chain Asda Preparing a Bid for HMV

    7

    News UK Supermarket Chain Asda Preparing a Bid for HMV

    Around 120 stores could remain

    Earlier in the year we reported that the UK and Ireland retail firm HMV had gone into administration, the latest embattled high-street chain to do so. Although best known in the past for selling music, its stock has diversified to other areas such as video games, making it one of the most prominent high street sellers...

  • Richie Branson Celebrates Chrono Trigger Anniversary With a New Rap

    7

    News Richie Branson Celebrates Chrono Trigger Anniversary With a New Rap

    Three free tracks, album on the way

    Last summer we directed you to a music track from rapper Richie Branson, called Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, which combined rap with enough game references to satisfy almost anyone. He's now returning with a new album that's focused on SNES classic Chrono Trigger, and to celebrate the 18th Anniversary since its...