Latest Reviews of THQ Games
Review Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge (Game Boy Advance)
The dynamic duo go portable
When we at Nintendo Life think of Rare’s masterpieces from the Nintendo 64 era, we think of expansive and adventurous games like Donkey Kong 64, Jet Force Gemini, and of course the beloved Banjo-Kazooie series. Off-the-wall characters, exuberant locales, and an epic sense of scope added to the hook of what made these...
I’ll play your game, you rogue
As the tagline on the game’s case suggests, the ever popular Jeopardy! very well might be “America’s favorite quiz show”. Countless incarnations of the television program have swept across game consoles from the NES to the current generation of platforms, finally landing squarely on Wii U. After years and...
Review Wheel of Fortune (Wii U)
Worth a spin?
Since its debut in 1975, Wheel of Fortune has been an early evening staple in homes across America. Its engaging simplicity has had viewers shouting answers at their television sets for almost 40 years now, and the tension stirred by a spin of its titular wheel has been felt by everybody rooting either for or against any given...
Don't fear the reaper
Whenever a new piece of Nintendo hardware is released one of the first things fans ask is “when is a Zelda game coming out?” In the case of the Wii U, the answer is simple: it’s already out, it’s just called Darksiders II. Like the original Darksiders, this sequel wears its inspiration on its sleeve. You’ll ride a...
Review SpongeBob SquigglePants 3D (3DS)
Are you ready, kids?
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? So begins the theme song to one of the longest-lasting cartoons to come along in some time, SpongeBob SquarePants, enjoyed by kids and adults alike for 12 years and running. But a license is only as good as the developer handling it, and luckily SpongeBob SquigglePants 3D comes to us...
Oooh yeaahh!
There's something undeniably special about a wrestling match. Combining colourful characters, high-flying acrobatics and riveting rivalries, it's an exciting spectacle that too often gets the shaft for being a fake sport than a real piece of theatre. At least, that's the sentiment you might share at a live event, your enthusiasm and...
Review Jet Grind Radio (Game Boy Advance)
Funk on wheels
Sega's Dreamcast died in an explosion that sent the company's intellectual property flying all over what was left of the gaming landscape, and few consoles of that generation received more surprise ports than the Game Boy Advance. Not only did it see Sonic return to his former 2D self in the Sonic Advance series, the handheld also...
Review Star Wars: Flight of the Falcon (Game Boy Advance)
Turds in space
We can only imagine what mind-numbingly stupid things people were thinking during the pitch for Star Wars: Flight of the Falcon. We suspect it started out with noble intentions: the Rogue Squadron games were well received, and crazier games had successfully made the leap to the Gameboy Advance. Why not put the Millennium Falcon at the...
¡Viva la revolución!
Chroma City has been subjugated by the diabolical INKT Corporation! Can anyone free the formerly colourful Raydians from their grey prison? Enter the members of the Colour Revolution led by legendary Chroma City graffiti artist Blob, whom players control in their quest for colour, funk and freedom! Based upon a game created by...
Review Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter (DS)
Definitely not the life of the party.
Coming in the wake of its below average-rated predecessor, Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter is a game that not only has a lot of potential but also a lot to make up for. As a concept it’s a good one: you get to draw your very own character as well as various in-game elements including platforms, falling blocks...
Latest THQ Articles
Random Golden Wii Intended For Queen Elizabeth II Will Be Shown At Gamescom
"One shall be player one"
It's fair to say that the late Queen Elizabeth II had her fair share of bling during her 70-year reign; you know, the Imperial State Crown, the Sovereign's Orb, the Kokoshnik Tiara... rather expensive stuff, a few notches above the kind of tat you might have found at the bottom of a box of Coco Pops. Given her status,...
Guide Best Indiana Jones Games, Ranked - Switch And Nintendo Platforms
Fortune and glory, kid
Indiana Jones returned to cinemas in 2023 for one final crack of the whip. While rewatching the movies and whistling that John Williams theme as we awaited Harrison Ford's return in The Dial of Destiny, we found ourselves looking back at Indy's video game library. By our count, there have been a total of 15 Indy games released...
Random Early Build Footage Of Unreleased DS de Blob Game Surfaces Online
The blob that never was
In a time before Splatoon, de Blob was the big name in spreading colourful ink around town. Unlike Nintendo's inky shooter, the series saw you take control of a colour-absorbing ball which would complete various challenges by spreading paint across a monochromatic landscape. You might remember de Blob on the Wii, its sequel...
Video THQ Nordic Cooks Up A New Gameplay Trailer For AEW: Fight Forever
Bringing the brawl to Switch in 2023
Earlier this year in August, THQ Nordic surprised wrestling fans with the news AEW: Fight Forever would be coming to the Nintendo Switch at some point in 2023. If you're eager to see more, you're in luck - with the publisher releasing a brand new look at the gameplay footage. This title is promoting itself as a...
Random Feeling Flush? The Queen's 24 Karat Golden Wii Has Popped Up On Ebay
Royal Family Games
You may remember an old PR stunt pulled by publisher THQ around the 2009 launch of Big Family Games (known in the US as Neighborhood Games) which involved sending a gold-plated Wii to Buckingham Palace as a present for HRH Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen isn't in the habit of opening unsolicited gifts, so she almost certainly never...
Soapbox It's Time For WWE No Mercy To Make A Comeback On Nintendo Switch
The champ deserves a comeback run
In case you haven’t been keeping tabs on the WWE video game scene, it’s currently in a state of complete anarchy. Ever since THQ went bust and 2K Games took over the licence in 2013, the games have been gathering a steady flow of criticism, which has been rapidly gaining in pace as each instalment is released...
News You Won't Be Receiving The Full Package When Saints Row: The Third Arrives On Switch
Due out this May
Publisher Deep Silver originally revealed Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package was coming to the Switch at Gamescom 2018. When the official name was confirmed months later, it suggested the game would include all of the previously released DLC. It turns out this isn't actually the case. A listing on 365games.co.uk reveals the...
News Switch eShop Lists Estimated Release Dates For Four THQ games
More digital offerings
2019 is shaping up to be busier than ever for the Nintendo Switch, with dozens of games already arriving each week on the eShop. Publisher THQ isn't wasting any time, either. In the 'Coming Soon' sections of Nintendo's digital platform, the estimated release dates for four THQ titles have been listed. They include Sphinx and...
News Saints Row: The Third Brings The Full Package To Nintendo Switch Next Year
Full of it
The Saints Row series has come under fire on a number of occasions in the past for its edgy gameplay containing violence, drugs and sexual references. While Rockstar's open world series Grand Theft Auto might be the more well-known of the two, make no mistake - this THQ published title is just as rebellious, with some entries in this...
News Dev Behind Darksiders II For Wii U Worked On An E3 Demo Nintendo Never Showed
No harm done
Reflect on the troubled era of the Wii U generation and you might recall the 2012 launch title Darksiders II, developed by Vigil Games and published by THQ. Being one of the few third-party releases during this time, it remained one of the standout games throughout the system's life - often drawing comparisons to The Legend of Zelda and...
Video Learn About The Unreleased Game Boy Title Starring The Rapper Vanilla Ice
Ice ice baby
Back when licensed video games first caught on during the '80s and '90s, it wasn't just cartoons, comics and movies that were being adapted to the newest form of entertainment at the time, there were also games based on musicians. The most famous was Michael Jackson's Sega-developed title Moonwalker - requiring the player to execute...
News Someone Has Found Prototypes Of The Game Boy Version Of THQ's Akira
Four copies, to be exact
Akira is recognised as one of the breakthrough hits which really pushed anime in the west during the early '90s, and it perhaps surprising that it didn't get more video game adaptations at the time. That's not to say there weren't any planned, of course; a Famicom version never saw the light of day outside of Japan, and...
Video Meet The Akira Video Game That Never Saw Release
Footage of cancelled project surfaces online
If you're a fan of anime, then chances are you'll have already appreciated the masterpiece that is Akira. Arguably the first anime movie to find mainstream success in the west, Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 classic triggered a surge of interest in the medium and offered many western viewers their first taste of...
Feature The Best Pro Wrestling Games That the N64 Has to Offer
We're tapping in, not out.
The thought of a modern pro wrestling game these days is often coupled with an eye-roller. They've become as iterative as most sports games released on an annual basis - such as FIFA and Madden - but certainly have far less to offer than the examples just mentioned. What we're left with is a game that's ever-so-slightly...
News Veteran Publisher THQ To Rise From The Dead, In Name At Least
Nordic Games looking to revive the brand, more Darksiders coming
Publisher THQ went bust last year, bringing to an end a story which dates right back to the days of the NES and Game Boy. The company's assets were sold off at auction and Nordic Games came away with plenty — including the rights to franchises such as Red Faction and Darksiders...
Rumour Rockstar Won't Be Bringing WWE Or Grand Theft Auto To The Wii U
More positive news, then
According to a post on 4chan (the source alone may well set alarm bells ringing), Rockstar Games is not looking to support the Wii U in any meaningful way. The poster — who claims to be working on the next iteration of the official WWE game — had this to say: There's no plans to ever bring a WWE game to the Wii U...
News Nordic Games Picks Up The Darksiders Franchise
Red Faction, MX and Homeworld also find new homes
Yesterday we reported that THQ had sold off most of its remaining assets to other parties, however it was not clear which ones had been picked up and which had fallen by the wayside. New information has come through today and we're very happy to inform you that the Darksiders franchise was salvaged...
News THQ Raises Nearly $7 million Auctioning Off Remaining IPs
Has Vigil Games found a home?
Back in January THQ sold off the majority of its assets resulting in most of its IPs being given new homes. Studios such as Volition, the developer behind the Saints Row franchise, were quickly snapped up, however, some failed to secure a deal such as Vigil Games, the team behind the Darksiders series. The remaining...
Rumour Vigil Co-founder Interested In Buying Darksiders IP
Will the horsemen ride again?
When THQ bit the dust a while back, Vigil Games was one of the companies which didn't get purchased. This seemed to spell the end of the popular Darksiders franchise. However, hope is not lost. It would appear that Crytek USA CEO David Adams has expressed an interest in purchasing the IP he and many members of his...
News THQ To Sell Majority Of Its Remaining IPs This April
There's hope for Darksiders yet
THQ auctioned off most of its assets last month, resulting in several studios and IPs being picked up by the highest bidders. Sadly, it appeared that the Darksiders franchise was dead and buried due to its studio, Vigil Games, not finding a suitable bidder. However, it looks as though there may still be hope for it...
News THQ President: Lack Of Vigil Buyer Is A "Travesty"
There's still some hope for Darksiders
This week saw the sad end of THQ, as the publisher sold off its assets at auction and closed its doors for the last time. SEGA, Koch Media, Crytek, Take-Two and Ubisoft all gathered around for the sale, taking with them most of its IPs and studios. One development team that unfortunately didn't get picked up...
News Troubled THQ To Be Picked Apart By Rivals
Key franchises to be sold to the highest bidder
The future of THQ largely hangs in the balance as the company struggles to find the cash to stay afloat. Back in December the publisher filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy handing over its assets to investment firm Clearlake Capital, which is now looking for a prospective buyer. It has been confirmed...
Rumour Ubisoft Looking To Buy THQ's Assets
French company reportedly in talks to acquire tangible assets
On Wednesday THQ filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the United States, handing over its tangible assets to Clearlake Investments, an investment firm, with a view to selling the business on. It appears that Ubisoft is the front runner to pick up THQ's tangible assets, with MCV reporting...
News THQ Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Upcoming games are safe
THQ has been sailing through some stormy seas recently. The developer currently has $16.4 million outstanding on its facility and recently entered into a forbearance agreement with the finance company Wells Fargo Capital Finance. The waves don’t seem to be easing up for the company as it has today filed for Chapter 11...
News THQ Adds Clarity To The Wii U "Horrible, Slow CPU" Comments
But worries surrounding it refuse to go away
It emerged yesterday that 4A, the developer behind Metro: Last Light, is not very impressed with the Wii U's CPU; Oles Shishkovtsov, the studio's chief technical officer, called it "a horrible, slow CPU". Huw Beynon of THQ, publisher for the latest Metro title, elaborated further by saying that bringing...
Random Golden Wii Intended For Queen Elizabeth II Will Be Shown At Gamescom
"One shall be player one"
It's fair to say that the late Queen Elizabeth II had her fair share of bling during her 70-year reign; you know, the Imperial State Crown, the Sovereign's Orb, the Kokoshnik Tiara... rather expensive stuff, a few notches above the kind of tat you might have found at the bottom of a box of Coco Pops. Given her status,...
Guide Best Indiana Jones Games, Ranked - Switch And Nintendo Platforms
Fortune and glory, kid
Indiana Jones returned to cinemas in 2023 for one final crack of the whip. While rewatching the movies and whistling that John Williams theme as we awaited Harrison Ford's return in The Dial of Destiny, we found ourselves looking back at Indy's video game library. By our count, there have been a total of 15 Indy games released...
Random Early Build Footage Of Unreleased DS de Blob Game Surfaces Online
The blob that never was
In a time before Splatoon, de Blob was the big name in spreading colourful ink around town. Unlike Nintendo's inky shooter, the series saw you take control of a colour-absorbing ball which would complete various challenges by spreading paint across a monochromatic landscape. You might remember de Blob on the Wii, its sequel...
Video THQ Nordic Cooks Up A New Gameplay Trailer For AEW: Fight Forever
Bringing the brawl to Switch in 2023
Earlier this year in August, THQ Nordic surprised wrestling fans with the news AEW: Fight Forever would be coming to the Nintendo Switch at some point in 2023. If you're eager to see more, you're in luck - with the publisher releasing a brand new look at the gameplay footage. This title is promoting itself as a...
Random Feeling Flush? The Queen's 24 Karat Golden Wii Has Popped Up On Ebay
Royal Family Games
You may remember an old PR stunt pulled by publisher THQ around the 2009 launch of Big Family Games (known in the US as Neighborhood Games) which involved sending a gold-plated Wii to Buckingham Palace as a present for HRH Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen isn't in the habit of opening unsolicited gifts, so she almost certainly never...
Soapbox It's Time For WWE No Mercy To Make A Comeback On Nintendo Switch
The champ deserves a comeback run
In case you haven’t been keeping tabs on the WWE video game scene, it’s currently in a state of complete anarchy. Ever since THQ went bust and 2K Games took over the licence in 2013, the games have been gathering a steady flow of criticism, which has been rapidly gaining in pace as each instalment is released...
News You Won't Be Receiving The Full Package When Saints Row: The Third Arrives On Switch
Due out this May
Publisher Deep Silver originally revealed Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package was coming to the Switch at Gamescom 2018. When the official name was confirmed months later, it suggested the game would include all of the previously released DLC. It turns out this isn't actually the case. A listing on 365games.co.uk reveals the...
News Switch eShop Lists Estimated Release Dates For Four THQ games
More digital offerings
2019 is shaping up to be busier than ever for the Nintendo Switch, with dozens of games already arriving each week on the eShop. Publisher THQ isn't wasting any time, either. In the 'Coming Soon' sections of Nintendo's digital platform, the estimated release dates for four THQ titles have been listed. They include Sphinx and...
News Saints Row: The Third Brings The Full Package To Nintendo Switch Next Year
Full of it
The Saints Row series has come under fire on a number of occasions in the past for its edgy gameplay containing violence, drugs and sexual references. While Rockstar's open world series Grand Theft Auto might be the more well-known of the two, make no mistake - this THQ published title is just as rebellious, with some entries in this...
News Dev Behind Darksiders II For Wii U Worked On An E3 Demo Nintendo Never Showed
No harm done
Reflect on the troubled era of the Wii U generation and you might recall the 2012 launch title Darksiders II, developed by Vigil Games and published by THQ. Being one of the few third-party releases during this time, it remained one of the standout games throughout the system's life - often drawing comparisons to The Legend of Zelda and...
Video Learn About The Unreleased Game Boy Title Starring The Rapper Vanilla Ice
Ice ice baby
Back when licensed video games first caught on during the '80s and '90s, it wasn't just cartoons, comics and movies that were being adapted to the newest form of entertainment at the time, there were also games based on musicians. The most famous was Michael Jackson's Sega-developed title Moonwalker - requiring the player to execute...
News Someone Has Found Prototypes Of The Game Boy Version Of THQ's Akira
Four copies, to be exact
Akira is recognised as one of the breakthrough hits which really pushed anime in the west during the early '90s, and it perhaps surprising that it didn't get more video game adaptations at the time. That's not to say there weren't any planned, of course; a Famicom version never saw the light of day outside of Japan, and...
Video Meet The Akira Video Game That Never Saw Release
Footage of cancelled project surfaces online
If you're a fan of anime, then chances are you'll have already appreciated the masterpiece that is Akira. Arguably the first anime movie to find mainstream success in the west, Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 classic triggered a surge of interest in the medium and offered many western viewers their first taste of...
Feature The Best Pro Wrestling Games That the N64 Has to Offer
We're tapping in, not out.
The thought of a modern pro wrestling game these days is often coupled with an eye-roller. They've become as iterative as most sports games released on an annual basis - such as FIFA and Madden - but certainly have far less to offer than the examples just mentioned. What we're left with is a game that's ever-so-slightly...
News Veteran Publisher THQ To Rise From The Dead, In Name At Least
Nordic Games looking to revive the brand, more Darksiders coming
Publisher THQ went bust last year, bringing to an end a story which dates right back to the days of the NES and Game Boy. The company's assets were sold off at auction and Nordic Games came away with plenty — including the rights to franchises such as Red Faction and Darksiders...
Rumour Rockstar Won't Be Bringing WWE Or Grand Theft Auto To The Wii U
More positive news, then
According to a post on 4chan (the source alone may well set alarm bells ringing), Rockstar Games is not looking to support the Wii U in any meaningful way. The poster — who claims to be working on the next iteration of the official WWE game — had this to say: There's no plans to ever bring a WWE game to the Wii U...
News Nordic Games Picks Up The Darksiders Franchise
Red Faction, MX and Homeworld also find new homes
Yesterday we reported that THQ had sold off most of its remaining assets to other parties, however it was not clear which ones had been picked up and which had fallen by the wayside. New information has come through today and we're very happy to inform you that the Darksiders franchise was salvaged...
News THQ Raises Nearly $7 million Auctioning Off Remaining IPs
Has Vigil Games found a home?
Back in January THQ sold off the majority of its assets resulting in most of its IPs being given new homes. Studios such as Volition, the developer behind the Saints Row franchise, were quickly snapped up, however, some failed to secure a deal such as Vigil Games, the team behind the Darksiders series. The remaining...
Rumour Vigil Co-founder Interested In Buying Darksiders IP
Will the horsemen ride again?
When THQ bit the dust a while back, Vigil Games was one of the companies which didn't get purchased. This seemed to spell the end of the popular Darksiders franchise. However, hope is not lost. It would appear that Crytek USA CEO David Adams has expressed an interest in purchasing the IP he and many members of his...
News THQ To Sell Majority Of Its Remaining IPs This April
There's hope for Darksiders yet
THQ auctioned off most of its assets last month, resulting in several studios and IPs being picked up by the highest bidders. Sadly, it appeared that the Darksiders franchise was dead and buried due to its studio, Vigil Games, not finding a suitable bidder. However, it looks as though there may still be hope for it...
News THQ President: Lack Of Vigil Buyer Is A "Travesty"
There's still some hope for Darksiders
This week saw the sad end of THQ, as the publisher sold off its assets at auction and closed its doors for the last time. SEGA, Koch Media, Crytek, Take-Two and Ubisoft all gathered around for the sale, taking with them most of its IPs and studios. One development team that unfortunately didn't get picked up...
News Troubled THQ To Be Picked Apart By Rivals
Key franchises to be sold to the highest bidder
The future of THQ largely hangs in the balance as the company struggles to find the cash to stay afloat. Back in December the publisher filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy handing over its assets to investment firm Clearlake Capital, which is now looking for a prospective buyer. It has been confirmed...
Rumour Ubisoft Looking To Buy THQ's Assets
French company reportedly in talks to acquire tangible assets
On Wednesday THQ filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the United States, handing over its tangible assets to Clearlake Investments, an investment firm, with a view to selling the business on. It appears that Ubisoft is the front runner to pick up THQ's tangible assets, with MCV reporting...
News THQ Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Upcoming games are safe
THQ has been sailing through some stormy seas recently. The developer currently has $16.4 million outstanding on its facility and recently entered into a forbearance agreement with the finance company Wells Fargo Capital Finance. The waves don’t seem to be easing up for the company as it has today filed for Chapter 11...
News THQ Adds Clarity To The Wii U "Horrible, Slow CPU" Comments
But worries surrounding it refuse to go away
It emerged yesterday that 4A, the developer behind Metro: Last Light, is not very impressed with the Wii U's CPU; Oles Shishkovtsov, the studio's chief technical officer, called it "a horrible, slow CPU". Huw Beynon of THQ, publisher for the latest Metro title, elaborated further by saying that bringing...