March2012

  • Round Table Let's Talk About a Year of 3DS

    There's a lot to cover

    This week we've been celebrating the one-year anniversary of 3DS, a landmark that finds the handheld in relatively good health. It's been a dramatic, at times traumatic beginning for the console, so some of the Nintendo Life team got together to talk about their experiences and opinions of the system's first year. Joining...

  • News The Mystery of the Super Mario Bros. U.S. Release Date

    If you know for sure, let us know

    Occasionally, an enthusiastic researcher will embark on a quest to find information on obscure gaming facts, so it's surprising that one of the great unknowns in video game history is the U.S. release date for Super Mario Bros. on NES. Considering the fact that this is one of the most successful and iconic video...

  • Feature How 3DS Brings a New Dimension to the DS Family

    Welcome to the 21st Century

    The humble DS and DSi consoles may have been a spectacular commercial success, but they were anything but modern technological devices when they were released. Much like the philosophy behind the Wii, Nintendo eschewed current-day technology in favour of finding a unique angle and putting it forward in old technology...

  • Feature The Mistakes of the 3DS Launch

    Lessons for Wii U

    Now that the 3DS is one-year old in most territories – its Australian anniversary hasn’t quite arrived yet – it’s safe to say that Nintendo can look at the handheld’s progress and be reasonably happy. It’s unlikely to be ecstatic and popping open the champagne, however, as the road to the current good times has been...

  • News 3DS Celebrates First Birthday in Europe

    It's come a long way

    Today is a big day for Nintendo's latest bid for continued handheld gaming dominance: the 3DS is one year old in Europe. Its North American anniversary arrives on 27th March, so there will surely be plenty of high-fives and Mario style 'wahoo' whoops coming from the famous old company's regional teams. It's been a rather...

  • Feature Kid Icarus: Uprising - What the Review Couldn't Tell You

    Minor spoilers within

    When we published our Kid Icarus: Uprising review, we observed a strict set of guidelines from Nintendo. These embargo criteria were designed to ensure that some features of the title weren’t given away before it hit stores. It’s not an uncommon practice, but in the case of this particular title we feel that it’s...

  • News Fire Emblem Awakening Wireless Features Revealed

    Taking the battle to the streets

    Fire Emblem Kakusei, or Awakening as it'll be known outside of Japan, is starting to power up the hype generator. Within the latest batch of details revealed to the Japanese press is information about how StreetPass and SpotPass will be used, with some interesting results. As reported by Andriasang, there will be...

  • Talking Point Why Wii U's Image Must Grab Attention

    First impressions count

    With each passing week we get closer to the arrival of Nintendo’s next home console, Wii U. It’s due by the end of 2012, yet there’s still so much that we don’t know: technical specifications, prices, planned launch games and even the final name. All of these factors will be important to its early success, but...

  • News Kid Icarus: Uprising Tournament Final Announced

    Get ready to face the light

    With its local and worldwide multiplayer mode, Kid Icarus: Uprising is another Nintendo game perfectly suited to competitive play. As part of the promotion for the release, Nintendo of America has been running regional tournaments for lucky winners to receive a paid trip to a National Championship in New York: we've...

  • News Mathematics Proves That Mario Games Are Difficult

    Mario + Retro = Hard

    Many gamers, including those of us who consider ourselves to be accomplished gaming ninjas, find older Mario titles such as Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World difficult to finish. Thanks to scientific research, we no longer need to feel shame when the dreaded 'Game Over' screen appears. According to an analysis of the...

  • News Super Mario 3D Land Director Wanted Cape Mario

    Fluttering in 3D

    Last week's Game Developer's Conference was clearly an ideal opportunity for Nintendo's brightest to talk about the company's main mascot. Koichi Hayashida, a key figure in all things Mario nowadays, revealed that Mario could have had a skateboard, amongst other things, and that he wanted Donkey Kong and Pikmin cameos in Super Mario...

  • News Pokémon Black and White 2 Box Art Revealed

    Let battle commence

    It's safe to say that the announcement of Pokémon Black and White 2 caused a stir in late February, with many fans of the series having strong opinions on a direct sequel being released on DS. Now that the dust has settled and the reality of these new titles has sunk in, it's time to take a look at the recently released Japanese...

  • Feature The Evolving Role of Swapnote

    More than just a letter box

    Nintendo Letter Box, also known by the catchier title of Swapnote in North America, filled a notable gap in the 3DS’ functionality when it was launched in late December last year. When the handheld launched various features were bare-bone or missing, and one frustrating omission was the lack of any meaningful way to...

  • News Kid Icarus: Uprising Won't be Available from GAME/Gamestation

    Nintendo confirms other retail options

    In the past few weeks we've reported that a number of titles on Nintendo consoles weren't going to be stocked by the embattled GAME retail group in the UK: titles such as The Last Story, Mario Party 9 and Tekken 3D Prime Edition have all missed out. The much-hyped Kid Icarus: Uprising can now be added to the...

  • News New Fire Emblem Trailer Raises the Temperature

    Battles, and then more battles

    Upcoming 3DS title Fire Emblem: Kakusei, or Fire Emblem: Awakening as its known outside of Japan, undoubtedly has eager fans clamouring for a release date. With the title due to hit Japanese stores on 19th April specific worldwide details have not yet been forthcoming, though Europe has been confirmed for a 2012...

  • News Kid Icarus Uprising Gets Perfect Review Score in Famitsu

    Now it's really flying

    The anticipation and hype for Kid Icarus: Uprising seems to be growing with each passing day, with AR card giveaways and regular trailers ensuring a high profile. Despite all of the build-up it's surely the game itself that matters most, and it's received a major boost from renowned Japanese magazine Famitsu. In the latest...

  • News Free Kid Icarus: Uprising Cards Fly Onto North American Club Nintendo

    No time to waste

    Lucky Club Nintendo members in North America now have a chance to pick up a free pack of AR cards for the upcoming 3DS release, Kid Icarus: Uprising. For those not in the know, AR cards unique to this title will be used for simulated battles, with the victor apparently earning in-game currency and goodies. With plenty of cards...

  • News Nintendo Reportedly Has 812.8 Billion Yen in the Bank

    Steak dinners are on Satoru Iwata

    It's well known that Nintendo is set to announce losses for this financial year, with its latest projections from earlier this year predicting a loss of 45,000 million Yen. While that may seem like a grim statistic, a feature in UK magazine Nintendo Gamer has sifted through Nintendo's bank accounts and found an...

  • News Donkey Kong and Pikmin Could Have Had Cameos in Super Mario Galaxy 2

    Yoshi would have enjoyed the company

    There was a lot of talk about Mario at this year's GDC — Game Developer's Conference — including the revelation that Super Mario 3D Land could have had skateboarding. Koichi Hayashida, a leading figure in recent Mario titles, revealed that particular piece of information when on stage, but in an interview...

  • News New PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond Trailers Arrive

    Cute and deadly

    PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond has already arrived in North America, with the European release on the way, and promises to bring more typically colourful and cute gaming to the franchise. The latest trailers released by Nintendo UK show all four playable characters in action, giving you an idea of how the action unfolds and the sheer...

  • Feature Nintendo's Motion Revolution

    Gaming for everyone

    The release of the Famicom is often regarded as one of the biggest moments in gaming history, as it not only brought Nintendo into the home console arena, but it also introduced the world to a plumber named Mario. The console, as we know, proved to be an incredible success and has helped create the industry we have today, but...

  • News 3DS Hardware and Software Still Dominating Charts in Japan

    Another week, same story

    In recent weeks there has been one trend that has been impeccably reliable: that the 3DS is outselling its competitors in Japan. Its software has also invariably sold well, with multiple titles camped out in the top 10. As reported by Andriasang, 3DS is once again the top selling hardware in The Land of the Rising Sun with...

  • Talking Point The Inevitability of Digital Retail Games

    How will it affect our gaming?

    For Nintendo gamers, the video game market is currently a simple, relatively traditional place. If you want to buy a retail title, you hit the high street or visit your online retailer of choice and pick up a box with a disc or game cart inside. Pop that media into your Wii, 3DS or DS and you’re immediately playing...

  • News Hideki Konno Discusses Mario Kart 7 and its Development

    Blue shells aren't going anywhere

    Mario Kart 7 is now well established as one of the games to own on 3DS, contributing to an important revival for the handheld in the Holiday period. We'd wager a lot of gamers are still revving up their karts for some racing, which says a lot for the series' appeal to gamers of varying experience levels. IGN has...

  • News Mario Party 9 is Coming Up the UK Charts

    So you better get it started

    Mario Party 9 may be trying a few new things, but it still knows how to keep a crowd happy. In this week's UK software charts the latest entry in the series has secured a very respectable third place, grabbing it a useful stash of mini-stars in the process. This is apparently the highest debut UK chart position for the...