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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  • Watch the Japanese Wii U Announcement Here

    30

    News Watch the Japanese Wii U Announcement Here

    And we're off

    And so it begins, the first event of this Wii U preview day. It all starts in Japan, appropriately, and this presentation is only set to last 20 minutes. We expect basic details in this one, such as the hardware price, release date, maybe Miiverse info and the possibility of bundled software like Nintendo Land. It'll also be in...

  • This New 3DS Stylus Is Handy for Massaging Your Face

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    News This New 3DS Stylus Is Handy for Massaging Your Face

    Could be relaxing after a tough level

    Sometimes 3DS accessories are useless pieces of plastic tat, but occasionally they're practical and stylish. We doubt this one qualifies for the latter description, but you can decide for yourself: behold, The Germa Roller Touch Pen. We think the picture says it all, but here are some details. The face roller...

  • Nintendo of America Wii U Event Will be Live Online

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    News Nintendo of America Wii U Event Will be Live Online

    Reggie also gets chatty with the Mario brothers

    We all know that Nintendo of America is hosting its big Wii U event tomorrow in New York, with Europe and Japan each weighing in with Nintendo Direct broadcasts as well. We thought it'd be worth giving you all of the important details in one place, so that you won't miss a thing. To make sure you see...

  • This Rayman Legends Footage Seriously Rocks

    39

    News This Rayman Legends Footage Seriously Rocks

    Platforming to heaven

    Rayman Legends is a Wii U title worth keeping an eye on, as it's starting off as a system exclusive and, most importantly, is a follow-up to the highly regarded Rayman Origins. The original earned plenty of praise for gorgeous visuals — including the standard-definition Wii version — and lengthy, impressive level designs...

  • Nintendo UK Calls a Race For The Fastest Mario Kart 7 Players

    7

    News Nintendo UK Calls a Race For The Fastest Mario Kart 7 Players

    Lights are green

    Nintendo UK has been encouraging gamers to play a lot of Mario Kart 7 recently, with a number of heats completed in the quest to find Britain's Fastest Family. It's now confirmed that the grand final of that contest, 27th October in Birmingham, will be combined with the final of a new event to find the "Best Mario Kart 7 Player in...

  • New Super NES Game Project Launches

    28

    News New Super NES Game Project Launches

    Investors call the shots

    In recent months we've reported on some fan-funded campaigns that have appeared on sites such as kickstarter.com, but a new project has launched that's a little different in its approach. It's the latest campaign from Magical Game Factory, called 'ProjectN', which will be an all-new game developed for Super NES. Unlike...

  • "Hungry Hungry Koopas" Devour The Hippos

    20

    News "Hungry Hungry Koopas" Devour The Hippos

    A well-loved game with a twist

    Many who read this will be familiar with Hungry Hungry Hippos, a children's game that's popular around the world. You won't necessarily have heard of Hungry Hungry Koopas, however, as it's a custom-made one off game from toy and video game enthusiast Donald Kennedy, or KodyKoala as he's known on his website. Kennedy...

  • Japanese "Wii U Launch Presentation" Confirmed

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    News Japanese "Wii U Launch Presentation" Confirmed

    First out of the gate

    Nintendo has announced today that there will be a Japanese Nintendo Direct broadcast on Thursday, making the Wii U reveal a truly global endeavour. As Japan is Nintendo's homeland, it's hardly surprising that it'll be the earliest announcement of the lot, with the system's price and launch date promised. The broadcast has been...

  • New Super Mario Bros. U Character Choices Explained

    30

    News New Super Mario Bros. U Character Choices Explained

    Expect "more expression and emotion" on Mii faces

    New Super Mario Bros. U is one of the most anticipated launch window titles for Wii U, and like New Super Mario Bros. 2 on 3DS the Big N will be hoping that 2D Mario converts into big sales. Some of the information and footage suggests that a good deal of effort and design has gone into Mario's HD...

  • Nintendo Lists Game Boy Advance Title for 3DS Virtual Console

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    News Nintendo Lists Game Boy Advance Title for 3DS Virtual Console

    Dr. Mario ordered into Australian eShop

    Those that bought a 3DS at launch, and subsequently got stung by a drastic price cut, received 10 NES and 10 Game Boy Advance games as compensation. The NES games, and others from the system's library, have been gradually arriving in the eShop so that non-Ambassadors can join in, but Nintendo has consistently...

  • Check Out Dinosaur Planet, Before it Was Invaded by Star Fox

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    News Check Out Dinosaur Planet, Before it Was Invaded by Star Fox

    Anthropomorphic characters, but different

    Star Fox Adventures was the last Rare developed game on a Nintendo system before the company was bought by Microsoft, and it was famously not what had initially been planned. It was going to be a new IP called Dinosaur Planet, with creatures called Sabre and Krystal, sidekicks Tricky and Kyte, as well as a...

  • Rodney Greenblat: Nintendo Works on Creativity and Originality in Games "24/7"

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    News Rodney Greenblat: Nintendo Works on Creativity and Originality in Games "24/7"

    "Playstation and XBox have little incentive to do that"

    Rodney Greenblat is a name likely to be familiar to Sony gaming enthusiasts, as he was the designer and artistic creator for PaRappa the Rapper on PS1, as well as the sequel on PS2. Even those who've staunchly stuck with Nintendo all of these years have probably encountered these rhythm games...

  • The Importance of the Wii U Press Event

    103

    Talking Point The Importance of the Wii U Press Event

    Battle for the limelight

    This Thursday’s Wii U press event is a big deal for Nintendo. Well, let’s assume it is, as a loose teaser for future reveals may cause too much fan anguish to control: we’re talking mass hysteria and riots on the streets. Joking aside, we’re 99% confident that Nintendo’s going to hit us with at least two big pieces...

  • Mythical Pokémon Genesect to be Distributed to Black & White 2 Early Birds

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    News Mythical Pokémon Genesect to be Distributed to Black & White 2 Early Birds

    Worth it for the Techno Blast move

    Pokémaniacs all around the world now have only a month to wait until Pokémon Black & White 2 hits stores in North America and Europe, as well as some AR zapping fun with Pokémon Dream Radar on the same date. Nintendo is upping the ante further to encourage early adopters of the DS sequel, through a Wi-Fi...

  • New Super Mario Bros. 2 Continues Run in UK Charts

    9

    News New Super Mario Bros. 2 Continues Run in UK Charts

    Addaboy, Mario

    There's been a particular trend for plenty of major 3DS releases in the UK charts; they make an initial foray into the all-format software top 10, before promptly falling away within a week or two. It seems that Nintendo's most reliable of franchises is bucking that trend, however, with Mario continuing his coin rush in British...

  • Death's Apprentice Heading to Wii U in, wait for it... 2015

    34

    Rumour Death's Apprentice Heading to Wii U in, wait for it... 2015

    Stop the press!

    If there's one thing that unites Nintendo fans in their hopes for Wii U, it's that we want big games from third-parties to join the usual batch of Mario, Zelda and Metroid titles. Naturally, a new console is a long-term investment, so you'll be pleased to know that one title is apparently confirmed for release on the system in 2015...

  • Wii U and the Next Generation of Consoles

    80

    Talking Point Wii U and the Next Generation of Consoles

    Getting there first

    Wii U is getting ever closer, with a press conference scheduled for this week that’s expected to include details such as the system's price and a launch date. It’s possible to argue that Nintendo has been playing it too slowly in terms of building hype for Wii U, but that’s the company’s style in recent years when...

  • Nintendo Land May Not be Bundled With Wii U

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    Rumour Nintendo Land May Not be Bundled With Wii U

    Displayed for pre-order by Australian retailer

    With just five days until Nintendo's expected to lift the lid on Wii U launch plans, some retailers are starting to accept deposits for the system and advertise its arrival later in the year. Specific details are missing, of course, but one major store in Australia — JB Hi-Fi — is listing Nintendo...

  • Mass Effect 3 Wii U Developer Keen to Meet Expectations

    13

    News Mass Effect 3 Wii U Developer Keen to Meet Expectations

    Also working on new IP and "another big franchise" for the system

    Last week we reported that a young development studio, Straight Right, had been entrusted with the Wii U port of Mass Effect 3, which surprised some due to its relative inexperience. In an interview with Eurogamer.net, it's become clear that the developer has more mileage than...

  • Mario Kart 7 Community Rooms - You Decide

    58

    Play Mario Kart 7 Community Rooms - You Decide

    Let's go round again

    A week ago we hosted a Mario Kart 7 community event, where you joined us for some shell throwing, banana dodging mayhem. The community room we used expanded from four players to over 180 by the end of the night, and we loved racing against you all and chatting in the comments and on our Twitter page. Naturally, this isn't going...

  • August NPD Results Are Good Reading for Nintendo

    12

    News August NPD Results Are Good Reading for Nintendo

    Mario and 3DS XL boost figures

    As part of a monthly routine that is so vitally important for developers, publishers and the big three console manufactures, U.S. market research firm NPD has released its latest software sales figures for the region, covering 29th July to 25th August. While the news for the industry as a whole is grim reading, a...

  • 20 Extra Mutant Mudds Levels on The Way to eShop For Free

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    News 20 Extra Mutant Mudds Levels on The Way to eShop For Free

    Oh, and Renegade Kid is now an approved Wii U developer

    Mutant Mudds, a stylish retro platformer from Renegade Kid, is one of the top titles on the 3DS eShop. It's got plenty of content for those with the skills and patience, but some of you may know that the PC version has an extra 20 'Grannie' levels, which are particularly challenging stages that...

  • Bethesda Yet to Decide on Support for Wii U

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    News Bethesda Yet to Decide on Support for Wii U

    Clearly not in a hurry

    Bethesda Game Studios is a big deal in the video game industry; the company is behind major titles such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which it developed, and it handled publication of Fallout: New Vegas. Both are epic, open-world titles with enough content to devour dozens of hours, yet if your gaming has been restricted to...

  • Rising Board 3D Hits The eShop Surf on 20th September

    27

    News Rising Board 3D Hits The eShop Surf on 20th September

    3DS debut for the Pop Island series

    DSiWare has had its share of fun, addictive titles, with both Pop Island and Pop Island: Paperfield being good examples. Developer Odenis Studio is now taking this series in a new direction on the 3DS eShop, with Rising Board 3D set to take to the waves. This new entry seems to move away from capturing flags,...