August2012

  • News Fresh Animal Crossing 3DS Details Emerge

    Gardening store confirmed

    The latest issue of Famitsu magazine is packed with details relating to the forthcoming 3DS installment of Animal Crossing, including news that the game will showcase a gardening store, thrift outlet and raccoon housing project — the latter being run by everyone's favourite exploitative landowner, Tom Nook. You'll also...

  • News Sakurai Spills Some Beans On Super Smash Bros. 4

    Control methods being explored, more cameos looking unlikely

    Super Smash Bros. boss Masahiro Sakurai has spoken to IGN about the fourth installment in the series, revealing that he's keen to avoid unnecessary gimmicks and feels that adding more non-Nintendo characters might be detrimental to the game's focus. "The GameCube controller is not the...

  • News Actually, New Super Mario Bros. 2 May Not Take 45 Minutes To Download

    New fastest time submitted

    Yesterday we brought you the harrowing news that it could take upwards of three quarters of an hour to download the digital copy of New Super Mario Bros. 2 on your Nintendo 3DS console. That figure came courtesy of Siliconera, who tested the download using a review code and a US 3DS. Compared to the kind of download times...

  • Talking Point 3DS eShop Deserves Big Franchises

    Boosting digital downloads

    For many Nintendo gamers, we suspect, the release of New Super Mario Bros. 2 looms large as the highlight of the next gaming month. Even if the game doesn’t innovate the plumber’s series in any major way, the purchasing options do just that. For 3DS owners it’ll no longer be a case of simply picking up a boxed game...

  • News Planning To Download New Super Mario Bros. 2? You'll Need About 45 Minutes

    Plenty of time to make a hot drink, then

    Much has been made of Nintendo's move into digital download retail releases; while this kind of distribution is commonplace on consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation Vita, Nintendo is only just finding its feet. New Super Mario Bros. 2 is the first Nintendo game to be available digitally and in stores...

  • News Check Out These Cool Star Fox Facts

    Cunning

    NASA's Curiosity touched down on Mars today, which in our eyes is a perfectly good excuse to hear some interesting facts about Nintendo's premier space series, Star Fox. Did You Know Gaming? has pulled together some facts that'll make you want to barrel roll. The YouTube clip notes the multiple cancellations that have plagued the franchise,...

  • News Collect All The Yoshi Colours in Mario Tennis Open

    Seven for the price of none

    Since Mario Tennis Open was launched Nintendo has been releasing QR codes for a variety of Yoshi characters, each with their own specialities and styles of play. Now that all of the individual codes have been released through various means — and potentially by some cheeky websites — there's a video that compiles all...

    • 3DS
  • News Mario Kart 7 'Fastest Family' Competition Hits The Road

    UK contest teams up with HMV

    You may have been aware in recent weeks of Nintendo's build up for its Mario Kart 7 Fastest Family contest in the UK, with celebrity Rufus Hound starring in videos to advertise the event. For those interested in entering with their families, the time to put that practice to good use has finally arrived. Nintendo has...

  • News Kid Icarus: Uprising Series 2 AR Cards Flying Into the USA

    Limited availability is the pits

    European Kid Icarus: Uprising enthusiasts can now buy the title's cards from various retailers due to a distribution deal with Panini. In North America, however, the focus has been on attending specific events to get hold of these AR cards, which bring in-game idols and unlockables as well as satisfying that...

    • 3DS
  • News Nintendo Wins Judgement in Wii Patent Lawsuit

    Talking 'bout a revolution

    Nintendo has confirmed that it's seen off yet another patent lawsuit in the U.S., with this one perhaps being the most significant victory so far. A company called Copper Innovations Group, LLC had claimed that both Wii and its controllers had infringed one of its patents, but a U.S. District Court judge dismissed the case...

  • News 3DS Hardware Dominates Japanese Charts

    Demon Training has a modest start

    We already know that 3DS XL and New Super Mario Bros. 2 have been able to boast of big launch sales in Japan, but we now have access to the full charts for a wider picture. The Enterbrain software figures (via Andriasang), show that six of the top ten games are found on Nintendo systems, though Demon Training only...

  • News Matte Red and Matte Blue DSi Models Hit North America This Week

    Why wait?

    The 3DS XL may have arrived in Europe and Japan merely weeks after it was announced, but it's got nothing on the new Matte Red and Matte Blue DSi systems hitting North America. Set to start hitting stores this week, the colours look remarkably similar to the 3DS XL equivalents, suggesting that Nintendo may have had a bulk discount and...

July2012

  • Talking Point What Do You Think of 3DS XL?

    Is bigger better?

    3DS XL landed on European and Japanese shelves over the weekend. It seems to have had a good start; in the UK it outsold the original 3DS model at a rate of around 2:1 and bumped up the software sales of Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games — thoug

  • News 3DS XL and New Super Mario Bros. 2 Boast Big Sales in Japan

    Mario's reaction: 'wahoo!'

    We've already brought you news of 3DS XL enjoying a steady start in the UK, but figures for Japan are showing a positive weekend of sales for Nintendo both in terms of the new hardware and New Super Mario Bros. 2. To start with 3DS XL, chart company Enterbrain has confirmed that over 193,000 units were sold in the first...

  • News Legend of Zelda Prototype Cartridge Posted on eBay

    Yours for just $150,000

    When it comes to online purchases, you're unlikely to find any other website with quite the same variety as eBay. You can quite easily buy some custom made birthday cards for a few dollars, or a rare prototype The Legend of Zelda cartridge for just $150,000, which is the price of a small house or expensive sports car. The...

  • News Golf Tees Up as a US Club Nintendo Reward

    Worth a swing?

    3DS Virtual Console title Golf is the latest game up for grabs as a US Club Nintendo reward. It's on the green until 12th August for 150 coins. Golf replaces Starship Defense, which has now blasted off out of orbit. Is it above par and worth your virtual reward money? Read our Golf review to find out. Don't forget that WiiWare's...

  • News Nintendo: Indie Developers are 'Definitely Important' on 3DS

    Independently speaking

    Nintendo 3DS's eShop has seen quite a lot of action from independent developers since its launch, with the likes of VVVVVV, Bomb Monkey and Zen Pinball 3D gracing the service so far, to name just a few. It's a trend that Nintendo is keen to continue. Speaking to VG247, Nintendo UK marketing manager Ben Tayl

  • News Nintendo Talks Dragon Quest X in Latest Direct Broadcast

    Spot the Treevil

    Nintendo has published its latest Nintendo Direct broadcast, this time focusing on the upcoming Japanese release Dragon Quest X. The broadcast began with an introduction from Satoru Iwata, and then included gameplay commentary from Dragon Quest designer Yuji Horii, series producer Yousuke Saito and director Jin Fujisawa, who you...

  • News Find The Real Master Sword in This Ocarina of Time Tribute

    Expect the unexpected

    For gamers infatuated with iconic moments in gaming, who also happen to have a camera and a bit of film-making expertise, there's only one place to go: YouTube. While there's plenty of appalling rubbish on everyone's favourite video-sharing site, there's also some good work that re-creates memorable sequences with a twist. One...

  • News Mario & Sonic Win Olympic Bronze in UK Charts

    Coming through the field

    You'd expect a title released 38 and 25 weeks ago on Wii and 3DS, respectively, to have left the UK charts long ago, especially as it's not available on other platforms. Yet Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games has achieved just that, consistently sitting in the top ten of the all-format software chart. Thanks...

  • Feature Nintendo Life Presents... Our Freakyforms

    Freak'n you

    Most people have imagined up a character at some point, right? Whether it's your own fantasy Pokémon, an odd person or a bizarre monster, grabbing a pen and paper and drawing whatever comes into your mind is a lot of fun. Thankfully we're not the only ones who think so, as evidenced by games such as Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!,...

  • News Full 3DS Retail Downloads Have Teething Troubles

    Bandwidth buster

    Full retail games can now be downloaded to Nintendo 3DS in Japan, but there was a problem or two early on. Nintendo's online service page reported server troubles on the eShop shortly after launch, though it's now been fixed. Andriasang reports that the eShop issues came between 9:00am and 11:30am on the service's launch day. It...

  • First Impressions New Super Mario Bros. 2

    Master of coin

    New Super Mario Bros. 2 feels like any of the other games in the New sub-series. The look of it, the audio, the themes of the worlds – they're all safe, familiar comfort blankets that hit the same beats as the rest of the family. That is, until you encounter the central focus that Nintendo is betting its coin on: this time, Mario...

  • News Take a Look at These Nintendo DS Testing Machines

    Plastic breach

    Readers of a nervous disposition, turn away now — the following images of Nintendo DS testing may prove disturbing. Nintendo has published its 2012 Corporate Social Responsibility report, which contains several images of portable console torture. The report shows off some of the vigorous tests that Nintendo hardware goes through to...

  • News Namco's Harada: Smash Bros. Design is Sakurai's Job

    Super Smash Boss

    If you're worried that Namco Bandai's involvement in the next Super Smash Bros. will mean an influx of Tekken characters, fear not. Tekken series director Katsuhiro Harada says that usual Smash main man Masahiro Sakurai remains in control of design. Harada assured Dusty Cartridge that he is focused on Tekken — including upcoming...