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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  • The Last Story Hits North America on 14th August

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    News The Last Story Hits North America on 14th August

    Operation Rainfall yet to claim release date responsibility

    We've known for a good while that The Last Story will arrive in North America this summer, and publisher XSeed has finally confirmed the details to IGN. The date for your diaries is 14th August, and there are a number of goodies awaiting eager buyers. It's been confirmed that all...

  • 8-Bit Summer Flips Out With Kirby Pinball Tomorrow

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    News 8-Bit Summer Flips Out With Kirby Pinball Tomorrow

    There's also a sword of hope

    Nintendo of America normally releases details of eShop downloads on the morning of the update, but our source has given us a heads-up on the Virtual Console '8-bit summer' titles that you can look forward to this week. As you've no doubt guessed, the headline Game Boy title is Kirby's Pinball Land, which sees the...

  • Warren Spector Proud That Epic Mickey 'Polarised People'

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    News Warren Spector Proud That Epic Mickey 'Polarised People'

    Key improvements made to Epic Mickey 2

    The upcoming release of Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two may be coming at the end of the Wii's lifespan, but is probably worth more focus than it's currently attracting. It's worth consideration simply because the original Disney Epic Mickey on Wii was praised for its many positive features, but suffered...

  • White Raccoon Mario to The Rescue in New Super Mario Bros. 2

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    News White Raccoon Mario to The Rescue in New Super Mario Bros. 2

    No platformer left behind

    Super Mario 3D Land may not have tested series veterans in its early worlds, but by the time we got to the later levels — the real later levels — various members of the Nintendo Life team were faced with the temptation of White Raccoon Suit Mario. Dying five times in the same area made this power up appear, and Mario...

  • Escape! Zombie City Set to Infest Japanese eShop

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    News Escape! Zombie City Set to Infest Japanese eShop

    The latest from Tom Create

    Tom Create is a Japanese developer that may be familiar to gamers who enjoy a lot of download titles from the GO series. The studio has produced DSiWare titles such as GO Series: Earth Saver and GO Series: Tower of Deus, with many being thoroughly decent downloads at a budget price. It now seems that the developer is...

  • New Super Smash Bros. Is a 'Big Priority' for Namco

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    News New Super Smash Bros. Is a 'Big Priority' for Namco

    Roster decisions a way off

    The game may still be a fair bit away, with the only publicly shown development being a whiteboard sketch, but the next entry in the Super Smash Bros. series is, it's safe to assume, high on the hype lists of a lot of Nintendo gamers. It's the ultimate fan-service franchise, so it's only natural to want to know as much as...

  • Dylan Cuthbert Talks Star Fox, Game Development and Miyamoto

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    News Dylan Cuthbert Talks Star Fox, Game Development and Miyamoto

    Interested in returning to Star Fox in the future

    Dylan Cuthbert is a name well-known to fans of the original Star Fox, as a member of the Argonaut development team that relocated to Nintendo HQ in Kyoto to work on the Super NES title. Cuthbert's had a long and successful career since, and his studio Q-Games was most recently seen on a Nintendo...

  • Square Enix: Nintendo Works With a 'Different Perspective'

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    News Square Enix: Nintendo Works With a 'Different Perspective'

    Going its own way

    One debate that has swirled around Wii U is its graphical power and grunt, with many debating whether it's on par, stronger or potentially weaker than its Microsoft and Sony counterparts. One thing we do know is that it produces HD visuals and that Mario and company have never looked so pretty, all while coming out with its...

  • Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Keeping it Simple on Wii U GamePad

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    News Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Keeping it Simple on Wii U GamePad

    Second screen can be 'distracting'

    We've already read and heard much about the Wii U GamePad, with its screen and various control methods set to be explored and tested by developers. While these features are likely to be prominent in a number of launch window titles, it seems that one in particular will be keeping it simple. Tekken Tag Tournament 2...

  • Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy Earns Passing Rank in UK Chart

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    News Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy Earns Passing Rank in UK Chart

    Fantasizing about top spot

    The UK charts can be a tough place for Nintendo system exclusives in recent times, but Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy has secured a reasonable 19th place in the UK all-format charts in its first week. While that may not sound like something to celebrate, we should consider that the excellent Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's...

  • Inazuma Eleven GO 2 Has a Time Travelling Trailer

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    News Inazuma Eleven GO 2 Has a Time Travelling Trailer

    And a talking teddy bear

    The Inazuma Eleven series takes a relatively simple game, football — or Soccer to our North American friends — and surrounds it with world-saving antics and outrageous special moves. It's a bit like football from the perspective of a hyper-active six year old, which happens to make it a lot of fun. Europe is slowly...

  • A Visual Guide to Nintendo's Handheld Revamps - Part Two

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    Feature A Visual Guide to Nintendo's Handheld Revamps - Part Two

    Time for double vision

    Earlier this week we brought you the first part of our visual guide to Nintendo's Handheld Revamps, starting with Game Boy and going all the way up to Game Boy Advance SP. In terms of handheld console models, and despite the number of years covered, that only covered about half of the story; now we'll pick up with the first...

  • Club Nintendo's Gold and Platinum Prizes Have Emerged

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    News Club Nintendo's Gold and Platinum Prizes Have Emerged

    Which are you?

    It's that time of year again, when North American Nintendo gamers are rewarded for their loyalty and spending power. After a year of meticulously registering your Nintendo games and saving up those coins until it was all reset on 30th June, what free treats await you this year? Although the Nintendo website hasn't officially revealed...

  • Ice Climber Now Has Download Play Multiplayer in Japan

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    News Ice Climber Now Has Download Play Multiplayer in Japan

    Double the fun

    With a steady increase of retro titles on 3DS Virtual Console, including those from NES and Game Boy Advance for 3DS Ambassadors, notable omissions from most re-releases have been multiplayer modes. For those hoping to recreate nostalgic days of 8-bit goodness with a friend, 3DS iterations have been a disappointment. It seems to be...

  • Nintendo Drops Price of 3DS AC Adapter in Japan

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    News Nintendo Drops Price of 3DS AC Adapter in Japan

    The writing's on the wall socket

    The upcoming 3DS XL packaging in Europe may say in big letters that an AC adapter is not included in the box, but that won't stop complaints on the internet and a few confused customers. It was a decision taken, apparently, to make the console more affordable, with adapters and cradles available to buy separately:...

  • New Super Mario Bros. 2 Pre-Order Bonus is Golden

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    News New Super Mario Bros. 2 Pre-Order Bonus is Golden

    Not real gold, though

    It's a big Mario release, so it's time for retailers to coax us to their stores with some 'collectibles' that, in all likelihood, will be lost behind the furniture within days. Still, extras are always nice, and lucky UK gamers will have the chance to get hold of a gold coin cartridge case — not actually made of gold,...

  • Monster Hunter 4 Director Says It's All About 'Adventure'

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    News Monster Hunter 4 Director Says It's All About 'Adventure'

    As opposed to 'grinding', perhaps?

    Plenty of gamers, including various members of the Nintendo Life team, thoroughly enjoyed Monster Hunter Tri, not least because it was a terrific Wii title that had the impressive scale and online functionality often reserved for its HD rivals. There was a nagging feeling amongst some, however, that the story in...

  • Nintendo Determined to Beat Hackers with Wii U and 3DS

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    News Nintendo Determined to Beat Hackers with Wii U and 3DS

    Pirates beware

    Most will agree that, when it came to online functionality and security, Wii and DS were both below par. Hacking and modding on both systems appears to have been widespread, which not only led to issues with some online games but, most importantly for Nintendo, cost the company money due to the extensive number of pirated games on...

  • 3DS Sales Momentum in U.S. and Europe is 'Not so Good'

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    News 3DS Sales Momentum in U.S. and Europe is 'Not so Good'

    Post-Holiday slump

    When it comes to sales in Japan, 3DS has been the undisputed number one for a number of months, finishing top of the hardware charts and often out-selling all other consoles combined. The story elsewhere, however, isn't as rosy, and while we're probably not looking at poor sales of the level that prompted a significant price-drop...

  • Iwata Expects Wii U to Last a Generation

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    News Iwata Expects Wii U to Last a Generation

    Microsoft doesn't seem to agree

    An obsession that has plagued video gaming since its earliest days is power, whether it was the 'BIT' wars of the 1990s or the current-day complexities of graphics processors. Wii has been a staggering success that has faded away in its twilight years, arguably because its lack of power has deprived it of many big...

  • Satoru Iwata: 'Deep' Online Services May Have a Cost

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    News Satoru Iwata: 'Deep' Online Services May Have a Cost

    'Ordinary' services should be free

    Satoru Iwata has recently chaired the latest Nintendo Shareholder's AGM, and as expected faced some tough questions about the future of the company and its plans. One subject that came up was online services, primarily whether the enhanced functionality on Wii U and the developing role of Nintendo Network on 3DS...

  • Sharing Some Hits at a StreetPass Event

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    Feature Sharing Some Hits at a StreetPass Event

    Go for that green light

    Did you leave the house today? If you did hit the streets to go to the shops, work or school, then we have two more questions for you. Did you take your 3DS with you, and did you get any StreetPass hits? It’s easy to forget that, when 3DS was launched, Nintendo placed a fair bit of emphasis on the idea of taking the...

  • 5th July 2012 (Europe)

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    Nintendo Download 5th July 2012 (Europe)

    Vampires, zombies, viruses and mutants

    This week's European Nintendo Download plays catch-up with North America and includes DLC for a game about to hit stores. Let's get to it. 3DS Virtual Console: Castlevania: The Adventure (Game Boy, Konami, £2.70/€3) — Considering the enthusiasm that normally greets a new Castlevania title from within the...

  • 99Seconds Dodging Its Way to Europe on 12th July

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    News 99Seconds Dodging Its Way to Europe on 12th July

    A bit more than 99 seconds to wait

    99Seconds is a budget DSiWare game that is ideally suited to short, compulsive gaming sessions on the go, or is the equivalent of a coin guzzler at a local arcade. As our 99Seconds review said, 'had 99seconds an arcade cabinet yelling for our attention, we would stroll right on up to it and put in the equivalent of...