DS - Timeline
Wednesday6th Aug 2014
Art Controller Evolution Photo Series Hammers Home The Nintendo Factor
A visual record of how Nintendo has pushed the industry forward
Nintendo has been responsible for some major innovations when it comes to controllers — the NES D-pad, the N64 analogue stick, the Wii Remote — and Spanish artist Javier Laspiur has put together a photographic whistle-stop tour of the evolution of the game pad which shows just how...
Tuesday22nd Jul 2014
News UK Government Effectively Decriminalises Download Piracy, Raising Importance of System Security
Nintendo is still battling hackers of the Wii U and 3DS
The Wii and DS were compromised for a significant period of their lifespan, with the latter being a victim of rampant game piracy with the sale and availability of R4 cards. Though there are always those that make the case for such devices as a means for obtaining backups of games already...
Monday21st Jul 2014
News Mario Kart 8 Sales Increase By Nearly a Third in UK, Moves Back Up the Charts
Pokémon Black and White make surprise return
With the Summer well underway — and with the UK currently enduring a heat wave — it's been a quieter week of game sales in the country, with a drop of 14% in revenue for game sales last week. Nintendo has bucked the trend however, with Mario Kart 8 and discounted DS games enjoying terrific weeks in...
Thursday17th Jul 2014
News Disney Planes: Fire & Rescue Flying Exclusively to Nintendo Systems This Fall
That's Wii U, 3DS, Wii AND DS
As we begin to swelter in the summer months, Disney is doing its bit to distract children from wanting more ice cream by bringing Planes: Fire & Rescue to theatres, with screenings kicking off this week in some regions. It's naturally taken the chance to reveal that Disney Planes: Fire & Rescue will also be...
Thursday19th Jun 2014
News This Is Where Unwanted 3DS And DS Games Go To Die
Spare a thought for these abandoned titles
Ever wondered what happens to all the 3DS and DS games that never find a loving home, either brand new or on the preowned market? They get recycled, as the materials they are made from still have some value — even if the code contained on the card doesn't. Reddit user HxCut works at a recycling plant and...
Review Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain? (Wii U eShop / DS)
Brain food
It seems like only yesterday that we got Game Boy Advance games on the Wii U Virtual Console, but now DS games have also joined the party. Curiously enough, Nintendo has chosen not to start off with one of their classic franchises, like Mario or Zelda, but has instead opted to go with one of their best-selling titles, the original Brain...
Friday13th Jun 2014
News Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain Now Free on European Wii U eShop
Not yet in North America
Just recently Nintendo released its first DS title on the Wii U Virtual Console, offering Brain Training / Brain Age for free in Japan. Now, without any warning or announcement, it's released Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain onto the Wii U eShop for free in Europe. The banner for the title says that it's only available...
Friday6th Jun 2014
News Nintendo Spain Secures Win Over R4 Card Retailer
Better late than never
While Nintendo has, for the most part, successfully held off the mass proliferation of pirated software on 3DS and Wii U, it was a major issue for the DS, in particular. R4 cards, regardless of their potentially innocent use, were largely sold and utilised to download and play ROMS of DS games for free, and for a time they...
Wednesday4th Jun 2014
Mario Kart Month A History of the Mario Kart Series - Part Two
Turbo boosting to record sales
As June begins and our Mario Kart Month celebrations throughout May draw to a close, the build-up and expectation surrounding Mario Kart 8 has transitioned into mass play sessions and hands-on racing time. This is the moment on which memories are built, as competitiveness and hilarity ensues from worldwide showdowns,...
News Brain Training / Brain Age Makes DS Début on Wii U Virtual Console in Japan
Suddenly released for free
Nintendo caused a minor stir earlier this year when it announced DS titles for the Wii U Virtual Console, with the accompanying concept image showing both screens side-by-side on the GamePad; it's an idea that may not suit all games released on the portable, at least not without some alternative formatting. In any case it...
Tuesday3rd Jun 2014
News Renegade Kid's Jools Watsham Wants To Bring Retro Game Challenge 2 To The West
Could this fan-translated release find its way to the eShop?
Retro Game Challenge is one of our favourite Nintendo DS titles here at Nintendo Life, and the fact that the sequel remained exclusive to Japan is something that still bugs us to this day. Recently, fans of the game have translated it into English, an event which has resulted in Renegade...
Wednesday21st May 2014
Feature Memories of the Wii and DS Wi-Fi Connection Era
When the Nintendo Network was but a twinkle in Iwata-san's eye
It's finally happened, the Wi-Fi connection on the Wii and DS is gone, disconnected on 20th May. The DSi and Wii Shop platforms are still running, but online multiplayer and content in games is now shut down, prompting the end of an era for the last-gen systems. Regardless of the...
Tuesday20th May 2014
News Nintendo Overcomes Patent Dispute With Non-Practicing Entity
Five year fight finally comes to a close
Way back in February 2009, Wall Wireless LLC – a company whose primary focus is to enforce patents – took Nintendo to court claiming that it had infringed a patent with the DS and DSi hardware systems. Finally, however, after the United States Patent and Trademark Office cancelled all of the patent claims...
Monday19th May 2014
Reminder Nintendo's Wi-Fi Service on Wii and DS Closes on 20th May
Get in those last online rounds
An era ends on 20th May. Not a glittering golden era that will live on through the ages, but nevertheless a period of time that brought plenty of good times for Nintendo gamers. Nintendo is shutting down its Wi-Fi connection service on Wii and DS, primarily as a result of the closure of the GameSpy infrastructure that...
Thursday15th May 2014
Matters of Import Tomodachi Collection
The best of friends?
Tomodachi Collection is more a toy than a game in that very special Nintendo way: your own mad little island full of Miis that you never knew you wanted but you suddenly find yourself unable to live without, and while it may be the five-year-old prequel to the upcoming English language Tomodachi Life, that doesn't mean the...
Wednesday14th May 2014
News Here's a Handy Guide to Pokémon Services That'll Stop With Nintendo's Wi-Fi Shutdown
Sad times
As switched on DS and Wii owners likely already know, a number of Wi-Fi services will be shut down on 20th May, with high profile examples being the loss of online play in Mario Kart entries on both systems and other examples such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For Pokémon fans, meanwhile, the impact on those last-gen games could be...
Tuesday13th May 2014
News Pokémon Black and White 2 Soundtrack Album Completes Set on iTunes
The era of the Super Music Collection is over...
Over recent months Game Freak has released six substantial Pokémon albums, and has now confirmed the final entry — Pokémon Black 2 & Pokémon White 2: Super Music Collection. This is available on iTunes right now for $9.99 / £7.99 / €8.99. It features a whopping 172 tracks from Pokémon...
Monday12th May 2014
News EA Releases Lengthy List of Online Services to be Shut Down on DS and Wii
Oh no, not Bejeweled 2!
Closing down online game services is all the rage at the moment, with Nintendo switching off elements of its Wi-Fi services on the Wii and DS on 20th May. It appears that EA is now joining in the fun, with online services for over 50 games closing at the end of June. The range of games is old enough to incorporate a period...
Wednesday7th May 2014
News Here's an Updated Summary of Nintendo's Software Bestsellers
Pokémon and Mario lead the way
When Nintendo releases its updated financial reports, it also publishes fresh figures for hardware and software — we've covered the former in our main summary of the year-end results. The software highlights tell their own tale, however, and perhaps help to explain why Nintendo opts for particular franchises and...
Thursday24th Apr 2014
News Animal Crossing and Metroidvania GDC Talks Now Available For Your Viewing Pleasure
New Leaf and Castlevania devs discuss the intricacies of game development
Many of the presentations at last month's Game Developers Conference are now available to view for free on the GDC Vault website, including Animal Crossing: New Leaf producer Katsuya Eguchi and co-director Aya Kyogoku's "How to Turn a New Leaf at the Animal Crossing" and...
Tuesday8th Apr 2014
News Pokémon Black and White Soundtrack Now Available on iTunes
Remastered music collection joins iTunes' growing Pokémon library
A few short weeks after the release of the Pokémon Diamond & Pokémon Pearl: Super Music Collection on iTunes, today we get the Pokémon Black & Pokémon White: Super Music Collection, which you can preview and purchase here for $9.99 / £7.99 / €8.99. This digitally...
Friday4th Apr 2014
News GameSpy Shutting Down All Online Servers on 31st May, Following Wii and DS Wi-Fi Disconnection
End of an era
In late February we had the disappointing news that online multiplayer, online-based communication apps and even some DLC will become unavailable on Wii and DS, due to Nintendo switching off the Wi-Fi connection. This happens on 20th May — though the Wii Shop and DSi Shop will remain open for business — and prompted some to...
Thursday20th Mar 2014
News Pokémon Diamond & Pokémon Pearl: Super Music Collection Available Now on iTunes
Prince will not be happy
In recent weeks and months Game Freak has been releasing rather impressive soundtrack albums on iTunes for various titles in the Pokémon franchise. Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, the DS titles, have now been covered with the arrival of Pokémon Diamond & Pokémon Pearl: Super Music Collection on the download store. For...
Monday17th Mar 2014
News Koji Igarashi, Best Known for the Castlevania Series, Departs from Konami
"I've decided to break out on my own"
It's possible that gamers relatively fresh to Nintendo hardware won't know much of Koji Igarashi's work, but Castlevania fans that enjoyed the terrific series entries on the Game Boy Advance and DS — in particular — may mourn the formal passing of an era today, even if it's been on the cards for a...
Sunday16th Mar 2014
"We wanted to offer two intelligent characters"
Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy has now arrived in stores around the world, bringing a close to the prequel trilogy and, it seems, the adventures of the iconic Professor Hershel Layton. It was a fantastic finale that was also tinged with sadness, as it closed the door on the top hat wearing...
Friday14th Mar 2014
News Club Nintendo in North America to Remove Post-Play Survey Coins for Wii and DS Games
Sad face
Times keep on changing, and Nintendo is reminding gamers still rocking the Wii and DS that they should really consider an upgrade. There's the sledgehammer approach of disconnecting the Wi-Fi online multiplayer service on the systems, which is as loud a prompt as possible, but there are more subtle ways the message is being made. For those...
Tuesday11th Mar 2014
News Aksys Games Confirms 999: The Novel For iOS
The official website does plug the full games, at least
During February Zero Escape series creator Kotaro Uchikoshi emphasized the challenges he was facing to make a third game in the franchise, with publishers apparently not deeming another entry financially viable. Uchikoshi-san was touched by fan support, however, and is contemplating alternative...
Sunday9th Mar 2014
Soapbox The Nintendo Wi-Fi Disconnection Reminds Us Why Local Multiplayer Still Matters
Tom Whitehead goes on about online multiplayer's pitfalls, like an old man
I was disappointed to learn about Nintendo switching off online play on the Wii and DS; at the time I was on a short break spending some time with my family and, funnily enough, getting ready for some memory-jogging multiplayer gaming with my older brother. Growing up playing...
Thursday6th Mar 2014
Rumour Wii and DS Wi-Fi Disconnection May Be Tied To Glu Mobile Takeover of GameSpy Technology
Both system's online infrastructures use GameSpy middleware
News last week that Nintendo is switching off the Wi-Fi connection services for Wii and DS on 20th May understandably caused some disappointment. While the Wii Shop and DSi Shop will remain open, online multiplayer and some services on both systems will cease to be, which will affect major...
Thursday27th Feb 2014
News Nintendo Switching Off Wi-Fi Connection Service On Wii And DS
You've got until May 20th to play online
Online gaming may be a big part of our hobby these days, but it doesn't come for free — companies have to spend cash to keep the infrastructure in place and running smoothly. That also means that over time, services will be switched off when they're no longer deemed to be as vital as they once were. That's...