November2011
Round Table Let's Talk About the GameCube and Wii
From a cube to the revolution
With the GameCube recently reaching its tenth anniversary and the Wii five years old, we decided to get together to discuss both consoles, assessing their impact and legacy. These two consoles are in an interesting position of being relatively close in terms of graphical technology, yet wildly different in gaming...
Feature Remembering the GameCube
A decade of cubed gaming
Every company in every industry will have a few years in its history that don't quite stack up to the rest. With the mammoth success it had enjoyed with the SNES, Nintendo must have had quite the shock when Sony's PlayStation proved to be a huge overnight success in the mid-Nineties and poached many publishers, developers...
News Miyamoto Plays Games, a Lot
Is 10 hours a day enough?
It's been reported today that Shigeru Miyamoto often spends around 10 hours a day playing games, in work. According to a translation, Miyamoto says he is "continually playing the games and checking their content, and sharing my opinion with the development staff." It's stated that he typically has around seven...
Feature How Japanese Folklore Inspired Mario's Tanooki Suit
What’s a Tanooki, anyway?
Ever since Super Mario Bros. 3 landed on store shelves, when Nintendo fans hear the word “tanooki” they almost always produce an excited smile and start reminiscing about days spent flying through levels as Racoon Mario. If you were to utter this same word today around these same Nintendo fans you’d probably get a...
Feature The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in Motion
Were the motion controls worth the wait?
Very few games over the past decade have had the sheer level of hype and anticipation that The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has found heaped upon it. Not only has the game been in development for an extremely long time, but it's also been hampered by developmental challenges that, at one point, almost led...
Talking Point Nintendo's Plans to Fight Back
Mario’s gloves come off
If we were to summarise Nintendo’s year so far, we’d say that it’s been having a tough time. There have been moments of brilliance that have reaffirmed the faith of loyal gamers, but there have also been a lot of mis-steps, mistakes and bad publicity, some of which has been unjustified. In fact, despite the release of...
Feature Pikmin's 10th Anniversary
A modern classic
The GameCube era is still a questionable time for Nintendo fans. While the console undoubtedly had its standout titles, there always seems to be a lingering question over how high — or, more to the point, how low — it would rank when gauged against Nintendo's other consoles. But wherever you fall in the debate, it's impossible...
October2011
Feature Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert Report
London, Eiji Aonuma, Koji Kondo, Zelda Williams, legendary
After a successful first show at the Pantages theatre in Los Angeles, The Legend of Zelda 25th anniversary symphony took in London's Hammersmith Apollo with a sold-out show that celebrated the series' captivating music. Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma took to the stage to introduce the...
Rumour 3DS Expansion to Be Called 'Circle Pad Pro'
Amateurs not allowed
The upcoming Circle Pad attachment for the 3DS appears to be gearing up for launch, with speculation swirling with regards to what it'll be called. According to a trademark filed by Nintendo in Japan, the add-on could be called the ‘Circle Pad Pro’ in the West. This is already scheduled for release on 10th December in Japan,...
September2011
Talking Point The Role of the N64 on the 3DS
Classic games for a new audience
It's no secret that Nintendo has been having something of a tough time of it in regards to the 3DS. Since its launch in late March of this year, Nintendo's newest handheld has battled through a significant price drop, a shaky start as far as its online functionality is concerned, complaints about poor battery life...
News New Skyward Sword Character and Story Details Revealed
A few new juicy tidbits of info
For all of you out there who are waiting anxiously for the November release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Nintendo has just released a few new nuggets of information regarding the game's storyline and characters. It seems the developers are delving a bit deeper into character development in Link's newest...
News Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 Steals an OFLC Rating
Greed is great
It's a big day for the Game Boy's Mario Land series. The rather splendid Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins became available on the 3DS Virtual Console, and its follow-up has taken the first step towards the same fate thanks to Australia's OFLC ratings board. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 marks the first leading role for...
News G4's X-Play Celebrates Nintendo 64 Console's 15th Anniversary
Nintendo's 64-bitter turns 15
It seems that G4 TV's X-Play is about to join in on the fun in celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Nintendo 64 console. The show starts at 6:30pm ET on G4 and will be covering a wide range of Nintendo 64 topics. Wanted to let you know that tomorrow on G4’s X-Play, Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb celebrate the 15th...
News Can't Afford a Holiday Trip? Go Vacation for Wii May Be the Answer
Release dates, trailer and screenshots inside
If you're having trouble planning a trip this winter, Namco Bandai Games may have the answer for you. The company's upcoming Wii title Go Vacation has players explore Kawawii Island in an open-ended fashion, racing, scuba diving, playing volleyball and more, as you can see in the screenshots and trailer...
News 3DS Reclaims Top Spot in Japan
A return to form
There's been some positive news for Nintendo in Japan with the 3DS reclaiming top spot in the Hardware charts, according to Media Create weekly sales charts. The 3DS sold 58,837 units to seize the crown, an increase on the previous week: with no major new releases on the handheld last week it is a reasonably impressive showing. It...
Rumour Next Smash Bros. Could Be Called 'Universe'
Game not actually in development, though
After the peculiar 'unveiling' of a new Smash Bros. title at E3 2011, after which it was hastily shot down, we've become wary of any so-called news about the next entry in the series. Nevertheless, a rumour is worth sharing, even if the actual game is still, potentially, years away. There have been leaked...
Feature Remembering the Game Boy Advance
The end of an era
For many years, the Game Boy brand was as synonymous with Nintendo as Mario and, perhaps, it still is. Have you ever been playing on your DS or 3DS and had someone who’s not particularly games savvy refer to it as a Game Boy? After all, the Game Boy was a worldwide brand phenomenon, penetrating the public consciousness and...
Feature Luigi's Mansion 10th Anniversary
No longer the other brother
It may not be grabbing the headlines at the moment, but a notable anniversary has just passed: September 14th was the 10th anniversary of the release of Luigi’s Mansion in Japan. With the sequel due to arrive on 3DS in 2012, Downloads Editor Corbie Dillard and writer Jacob Crites have taken up the challenge of exploring...
Talking Point Nintendo's 3DS Press Conference
Is the 3DS back on track?
After a busy week of announcements, reactions to announcements, and Nintendo Life’s epic appearance on the eShop (we had to mention it), it seems like a good moment to sit back and take a deep breath. With so much news coming out of Nintendo’s Tokyo conference on 13th September, as well as localised press releases in...
News Pokémon Black Nominated for Inaugural GameCity Prize
The what prize?
GameCity, Europe’s biggest videogame culture festival, has today announced the shortlist for it's inaugural GameCity Prize. The Prize has been created to discuss, explore and celebrate the very best in interactive entertainment, aiming to be the video game equivalent to the Mercury Music Prize or the Man Booker Prize for...
Feature Nintendo - Gaming in Black and White
The continuing appeal of retro
In the midst of lively, colourful menu tiles that spin with a blow into the microphone and play charming tunes when selected, many 3DS's are littered with other tiles that are glaringly less interesting. They don't play charming animations on the top screen, and when selected, the greeting is nothing more than a little...
News Activision Comes Out in Support of Circle Pad Expansion
Some positive press for the peripheral
The 3DS 'circle pad expansion', due for release in Japan before the end of the year, has been a source of serious debate amongst Nintendo gamers. Amidst discussions about topics ranging from the aesthetic appeal of the add-on, to its compatibility with games and its requirement of one AAA battery for power, the...
News Iwata Resists Calls for Smartphone Games
Says Nintendo's business in hardware is vital
Following Nintendo's press conference in Tokyo, CEO Satoru Iwata conducted an interview with Nikkei about the future of the 3DS and Nintendo as a whole. Amongst expected talk of strong software line-ups and a Nintendo fightback, Iwata was asked, once again, whether Nintendo would be joining the...
News Pokemon Blasting to Europe on 2nd December
Time to rumble
In a day of feverish announcements of all things Nintendo and 3DS, one group of gamers may have been wondering about a particular announcement. Breathe easy, European Pokemon fans, Super Pokémon Rumble, or Pokémon Rumble Blast to our readers in North America, has been confirmed for Europe-wide release on 2nd December. The details...
News Four Swords Anniversary Edition Details Announced
Multiplayer Zelda isn't far away
As part of today's media blitz from Nintendo, a press release has confirmed the release date of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition as 28th September in the EU and North America. For those of you who haven't heard, this title was originally released on the Game Boy Advance and will be completely free...
























