March2013

  • 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...

  • News Sami Cetin Regains PAL Super Mario Kart Time Trial World Title

    Niece Leyla Hasso bags the women's world title, too

    UK Super Mario Kart champ Sami Cetin has regained the PAL version Time Trial World Title for the second time. Sami previously held the title from September 1998 until April 2004, and beat one of the World Records set by former title holder Karel van Duijvenboden of the Netherlands on Sunday, March...

  • 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,...

  • 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...

  • News Special Edition Pikachu 3DS XL Shows Up In North American Commercial

    Nintendo, you tease

    Remember that awesome Pikachu 3DS XL that hit Japan all those months ago? It's long been rumoured that it could be heading stateside, and it would appear that we now have confirmation of that momentous event — from Nintendo itself, no less. The distinctive yellow system stars in the new TV commercial for

  • News Miyamoto Overseeing Series of Animated Shorts

    Even in his spare time he's playing with Pikmin

    Nintendo has a bit of a history in cartoon making, as anyone who ever had the pleasure of watching The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! will testify to. It seems as though the company is now contemplating venturing into the business once more, with a few animated shorts designed to be viewed using the...

  • Video Get Spooked by Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon's "ScareScraper" Multiplayer

    We want a polterpup

    Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon's release is now around two weeks away for both North America and Europe, a long-awaited sequel to the GameCube launch title. As well as featuring an all-new adventure with the under-appreciated brother, it'll include local and online multiplayer, an extra mode that was kept under wraps for the majority...

  • News The Nintendo DS Celebrates its 8th Birthday in Europe Today

    Blow into the mic to put out the candles

    Eight years ago today, Europe became the last major territory to get its hands on the original DS, that now known as the "phat". It can be easy to forget that it was a handheld that truly innovated the concept of mainstream handheld gaming, incorporating a clamshell two screen design famously pioneered in the...

  • News Dad Hacks Donkey Kong So His Daughter Can Play As Pauline

    Role reversal

    Remember the story of Mike Hoye and his daughter Maya? He didn't want her to have to play The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker from a male perspective, so he hacked the game to make Link a "she". YouTube user Mike Mika has performed a similar trick, this time making the hero of Donkey

  • Talking Point Nintendo's Stock Jump Bodes Well for the Value of Potential

    History and pedigree in the industry are vital weapons

    This week brought some interesting and, perhaps, unexpected news. Nintendo's stock jumped a little over 7% on the Osaka Stock Exchange, a boost attributed to factors such as a weakening Yen being a benefit against trade in the U.S., while positive economic news from the big N's most valuable...

  • News Miyamoto: Mobile Competition Actually Helps Wii U

    Says the console will be "very much improved" once updates are complete

    The performance of the Wii U operating system has been a major talking point ever since its release. A few system updates have arrived since the console launched that have smoothed things out a bit, but the major updates are yet to be implemented. In an interview with TIME,...

  • News Nintendo's Stock Price Jumps Higher than Mario

    Happy shareholders spotted smoking cigars and drinking expensive brandy

    Sometimes relatively obscure financial news can bring rather nice vibes for Nintendo and its fans, such as today's confirmation of a fairly meaty jump of over 7% in share price, to 10,330 Yen — roughly $110 / €85 / £73. While it'd be nice to think that this surge in value...

  • News F-Zero AX Found Hidden In GameCube F-Zero GX

    Arcade version discovered by hackers

    If you're one of the thousands of people that still despairs that the arcade version of F-Zero GX — cunningly titled F-Zero AX — was really hard to find in its heyday, and has since all but died out, we've got some good news for you. The intrepid folks over at The Cutting Room Floor have found that the...

  • News Pikmin 3 Aims to "Simply Go Deeper" Than Previous Experiences

    Miyamoto believes players need to play Wii U before grasping "how fun it is"

    As part of an extensive interview that's been published by GameSpot, we've already been given an idea of Shigeru Miyamoto's perspective on Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon's role as "lighter fare" on 3DS. Naturally a big topic raised with the executive producer was an upcoming...

  • Play Mario Kart 7 with Nintendo UK - Round 2

    Kicks off from 7-9pm UK time

    At the weekend Nintendo UK invited racers to some rounds of Mario Kart 7, though without a huge amount of advance warning. Nevertheless, the event — which should be open to worldwide players, we imagine — clearly went down well, as another official community get-together is confirmed for today between 7-9pm UK time;...

  • Video More LEGO City: Undercover Webisodes Introduce the Cast

    Meet Chief Dunby and Frank Honey

    With its release looming ever-closer, Nintendo UK is continuing its webisode series to introduce the cast of LEGO City: Undercover. The first video revolved around Chase McCain, the hero that you control as you venture around the open-world city and indulge in various wacky shenanigans. The latest videos — yes, one...

  • Talking Point Nintendo's Revised Approach to E3

    It’s not all about the LA expo

    Nintendo has often been one of the most secretive companies in the world, and while that prevents any unwanted information being leaked ahead of schedule, it means that at times it’s infuriating to follow as a fan. Up until a few years ago, the only chance we got to look inside the hallowed grounds of Nintendo HQ...

  • News Wii U January Sales in U.S. May be Higher Than NPD Figures, Thanks To Resellers

    Doesn't mean more systems in homes, however

    In mid-February the video game sales-tracker for the U.S., NPD, issued its sales results for January — the figures showed a year-on-year industry decline and Wii U sales "well below" 100,000. The actual estimate was between 45,000 and 59,000 Wii U sales, which reinforced a general impression —...

  • News Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity Demo Arrives In North America Next Week

    Well worth exploring

    Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity will be releasing on 3DS in North America on 24th March. The latest instalment in the sub-series will feature local multiplayer, have additional downloadable content and allows players to use the 3DS camera to scan objects and access new locations. Nintendo of America has announced it...

  • Play Mario Kart 7 with Nintendo UK

    Bob-ombs at the ready!

    Grab your race suit and join Nintendo UK in a special Mario Kart 7 community event happening right now. The event has been arranged via the official Nintendo 3DS UK Facebook page and is due to last until 4PM GMT. "The special Mario Kart 7 Community event code is 28-7591-1601-9148. The event is now open, good luck to all...

  • Interview Vblank Entertainment On Bringing a Retro Rampage to WiiWare

    "It’s a twenty layer dip with something for everyone"

    After a lengthy wait and a lingering suspicion that it would never come, Retro City Rampage has arrived on WiiWare, bringing its own blend of old-school game mechanics with a chaotic storytelling style. There are enough parodies and in-jokes to fill a dozen games, and it arrives on the service...

February2013

  • News Nintendo Gives US Government Recommendations on Tackling Piracy Abroad

    Brazil, Mexico, China, and Spain are the biggest culprits

    Every year copyright holders get the opportunity to make anti-piracy recommendations for the US Trade Representative’s Special 301 report. The report gets published on an annual basis and identifies countries that, in the eyes of the US, are not doing enough to put a stop to copyright...

  • News Nintendo Facing Lawsuit Over 3D Technology On The 3DS

    Major brawl in the courtroom

    Japanese inventor Seijiro Tomita is suing Nintendo over claims that he invented the 3D screen technology that the company is now using in its 3DS handheld system. The investigation into the claim began in 2011, when he sued Nintendo and its U.S. unit. According to Tomita's attorney, Joe Diamante, he displayed a...

  • News Wii Mini Shifts 35,700 Units in Canada

    Who needs internet connectivity?

    It's been announced recently that the Wii Mini is on its way to European shores. Once a Canadian-exclusive, the stripped down system cannot play anything other than Wii games, has no slot for an SD card and is unable to connect to the internet. So how has the Wii Mini done in Canada? Since its release on 7th...

  • News Masahiro Sakurai's Arm Injury Impacts His Work On Smash Bros.

    "Now I realize how important it is to have your health"

    Kirby and Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has revealed in the latest issue of Famitsu magazine that he's picked up a painful injury which is hindering his work — although it's worth pointing out that he stopped short of saying his situation will result in any kind of delay for the latest...