DSiWare News
News Cinemax Puts Together Rytmik Website Mix Tape
Back-to-back hits
Cinemax's Rytmik series is about to welcome its fourth release with Rytmik Retrobits in the near future, so the studio's put together a website showcasing the DSiWare music app's various flavours. The Rytmik Collection site also contains links and videos of some of the highest rated songs created by users of DSiWare downloads...
News Castle Conqueror Heroes Marches for DSi on 10th November
To arms!
CIRCLE Entertainment's DSiWare onslaught continues apace: no sooner have we had Castle Conqueror — Revolution than we're ready to greet Castle Conqueror — Heroes. CIRCLE just let us know the game will reach the North American DSi Shop on 10th November, and fired over a little bit of information about the game and a trailer too. Be a...
Review Halloween: Trick or Treat (DSiWare)
It's the Great Disappointment, Charlie Brown!
Holiday-specific games are nothing new to Nintendo's download services, but developers just don't seem interested in providing much for your money. Just take a look at the scores for Happy Holidays: Halloween, Happy Holidays: Christmas, Just Sing! Christmas Songs or the immortal
Nintendo Download 3rd November 2011 (Europe)
Master Higgins is back!
Hudson was a big supporter of the Wii's Virtual Console, releasing no fewer than 53 games on the service over the past five years. Now it's bringing its little mascot Master Higgins to the 3DS as well with this week's title. 3DS Virtual Console: Adventure Island (Game Boy, Hudson, £2.70/€3) — This is actually based on...
Review Academy: Checkers (DSiWare)
A smart move
Gamelion's proved itself adept in the DSiWare space, creating portable versions of board or pen and paper games — Extreme Hangmen and Academy: Tic-Tac-Toe are examples — and its latest effort is Academy: Checkers. Checkers — or draughts to some of you — is a game most people know how to play already, removing the need for a...
Nintendo Download 27th October 2011 (North America)
Blocks, burgers and board games
3DS owners are best catered-for this week, with releases on the portable Virtual Console and some brand new software too. WiiWare fans get a 1000 Point offering and DSi fans can play checkers or go trick or treating. Here's the full list. 3DS Download Software: Pyramids (Enjoy Gaming, $3.99) — A neat 3D homage to...
News Nintendo America Creates New DSi XL Bundles For You
We hope you like Mario
Just because 3DS is out doesn't mean the DSi XL is totally dead: Nintendo knows it's onto a good thing with the giant-sized handheld, and has put together two new hardware bundles for North America for the holidays. The packs are available in Metallic Rose or Midnight Blue and both come with a free copy of Mario vs. Donkey...
Feature The Development Process of Go! Go! Kokopolo
How a stray cat, a passion for classic gaming and a dream coalesced into a DSiWare delight
A little while back, a little gem appeared as if from a cloud of smoke onto the DSiWare service – Go! Go! Kokopolo, from young indie developer Tanukii Studios. In speaking with Keith Webb, the company's founder, we discovered that he was also its only...
Nintendo Download 27th October 2011 (Europe)
Trick or treat?
With the most frightful night of the year just around the corner, Nintendo of Europe has put together a platter of mysterious gifts. Will they be sweet as candy or as welcome as rotten eggs through your letterbox? Time to find out. 3DS Virtual Console: BurgerTime Deluxe (Game Boy, G-mode, £2.70/€3) — No doubt in anticipation of...
Review Castle Conqueror - Revolution (DSiWare)
It revolves, but it doesn't evolve
The first Castle Conqueror game was one that we definitely felt comfortable recommending. It mixed cutesy aesthetics with fast and addictive gameplay, and while seasoned RTS veterans no doubt found the game a little too simplified, the amount of fun it offered was difficult to resist. Its sequel, Castle Conqueror...
Nintendo Download 20th October 2011 (North America)
Dragons, castles and more
Some games we expected to be available today haven't made it, but here's the full list of what's up for your download dollars today including the 3DS's first ever paid video content. 3DS Virtual Console: Double Dragon (Game Boy, Aksys, $3.99) — The classic 2D side-scroller finally makes it to North America, nearly four...
Review 1001 BlockBusters (DSiWare)
1001 ways to say "meh"
101 Dolphin Pets. 101 Shark Pets. 1001 Crystal Mazes Collection. And now 1001 BlockBusters. Teyon sure tends to feel a great deal of pride for the sheer amount of content it packs into every release. But playing this most recent game, at least, it's difficult not to wish that it'd aim for smaller, more refined ex
Review Furry Legends (DSiWare)
Fun, but still floaty
To say that Furry Legends for DSiware has been in development for a long period of time would be an understatement. In fact, the game became so far removed from gamers' minds that many assumed that the game had been cancelled altogether. But here we are, over two years since the game was first announced, and Gamelion has...
News EnjoyUp Announces Gaia's Moon for DSiWare
Will it be crater-iffic?
Having had some success with Chronos Twins, 99Bullets and Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ, EnjoyUp Gaming's next DSiWare project is Gaia's Moon. The press release promises "amazing graphics", an "unlimited adventure" mode and allows two players to play on the same DSi or 3DS console. Noth
Review House, M.D. - Episode 3: Skull and Bones (DSiWare)
Numb skull
It’s about time we all came to terms with the fact that episodic games aren’t really going to change from episode to episode. Sure, each episode may have a different plot and contain different puzzles, but the gameplay will stay generally the same. Because of this, all of the good elements of the first episode will generally carry...
Nintendo Download 13th October 2011 (North America)
Cat's out of the bag
A little something for everyone this week — other than Wii Virtual Console fans, that is — from WiiWare demos to forgotten classics. 3DS Virtual Console: Catrap (Game Boy, ASK, $2.99) — The original turning-back-time puzzler featuring cats — take that, Blinx the Timesweeper — this game is exactly what Virtual Console...
Podcast NLFM Episode 21: Curse of the Halloween Hootenanny
Fear the reaper!
Since it's not only the single best month of the year and because we had so much fun last time [citation needed], the NLFM Halloween Hootenanny has returned! More spooky, more sinister and more deathly, this episode is best listened to in a dark castle dungeon while eating raw pumpkins. Failing that, anywhere else will do. 1. Hip...
Talking Point Should Nintendo Regularly Offer Free Games for Download?
Is continuing in Four Swords' footsteps the answer to the $0.99 download mentality?
As of last week, every DSiWare gamer can download The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition for free. This was originally a full retail title, now with added wireless connectivity, a new single-player mode and bonus levels. Compare that to Super Mario...
Nintendo Download 6th October 2011 (North America)
Bulging pockets
Following on from Baseball and Golf, the Game Boy sports trend continues with this week's Virtual Console release, while WiiWare gets some futuristic shooting action while DSiWare gets medical problems and minesweeping. The Nintendo Download: always varied. 3DS Virtual Console: Side Pocket (Game Boy, G-Mode, $2.99) — Europe...
Review Crystal Caverns of Amon-Ra (DSiWare)
Is the quality of this game just a mirage?
Puzzle games are a dime a dozen on DSiWare, so when a new one comes along, it's pretty easy to dismiss. Throw in a word like "crystal" and the words "Bejeweled clone" immediately come to mind. While this does involve the matching of three similarly coloured objects, however, Crystal...
News Robin Williams and Zelda Team Up for Four Swords Adverts
Back in the saddle
Robin Williams named his daughter Zelda after The Legend of Zelda, and now 25 years on he's still connected to the series, as this pair of adverts for The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition shows. The first advert shows the Williams clan competing to collect the most Rupees, with Robin so confident he bets his...
News Survey - 58% of Indie Devs Say Nintendo Difficult to Deal With
Interesting statistics ahead
2D Boy is responsible for World of Goo, one of the best games WiiWare has to offer. The studio's Ron Carmel recently conducted a survey of around 200 independent developers, asking which formats the teams had supported and planned to continue working on in future. Sadly, Nintendo consoles sit right at the bottom. The...
Nintendo Download 6th October 2011 (Europe)
Three to go
There's new content on 3DS Virtual Console, WiiWare and DSiWare this week, so let's get to it and see what's on the way. 3DS Virtual Console: Catrap (Game Boy, ASK, £2.60/€3) — You must restore Catboy and Catgirl to their normal forms — whatever that may be — by heading through a series of mind-bending puzzles. Not the most...
Review The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition (DSiWare)
Four Links for the price of none
In the hubbub, hype and over-excitement of E3 2011, some gamers would have been particularly delighted by a DSiWare announcement from Nintendo: while that seems unlikely, it does reflect the dedication of fans and their love for the Zelda series. After a relatively short wait, the much anticipated The Legend of...
Together at last
Say what you will about the rest of the game, one thing Bugs'N'Balls gets exactly right is its title. It has bugs, and they are indeed armed with balls. The question is this: do bugs and balls go together like peanut butter and jelly, or is it more like oil and water? Let's just say it's peanut butter jelly time. Bugs'N'Balls is...
News Doodle Fit is Coming to DSiWare
We have screens and everything
Gamelion's busy on DSiWare these days, recently announcing a release date for Furry Legends as well as the next game in its Academy series, Academy: Checkers. The studio made its name on DSiWare with Extreme Hangman, but on other formats its biggest hit is Doodle Fit. Guess what? That's coming to DSiWare too...
News How Many Levels of Breakout Is Enough?
100? 500?
How about 1,001? That's what's on offer in 1001 Blockbusters, the next DSiWare game due from Teyon and Selectsoft. The stack of power-ups — including magnetic paddles, protective walls and fiery and thorny balls — should hopefully keep things relatively fresh over the 1,001 levels of block-breaking that make up this 200 Point download...
Nintendo Download 29th September 2011 (North America)
Another trip to Super Mario Land
With yesterday's release of Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition you'd be forgiven for thinking there's nothing worth paying for today, but this certainly is not the case. 3DS Virtual Console: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (Game Boy, Nintendo, $3.99) — One of Mario's best portable outings, this...
Review Break Tactics (DSiWare)
Uninspired, but not broken
Strategy games come in many forms, but these days, subgenres like tower defence and resource management are far more commonplace than your traditional turn-based affairs. Break Tactics helps fill the void, and while it's a fine entry in the category, it doesn't innovate much either. The game is reminiscent of Chess and a...
News Zelda: Four Swords is Out Now in Europe and North America
Get downloading
Here's a nice treat to wake up to on a Wednesday morning: Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition is available now in the European and North American 3DS eShop and DSi Shop. The four-player game — which is absolutely free, remember — boasts local multiplayer, new stages and a single player adventure mode too, and is...
This cuts it
There has been much debate in gaming circles about Nintendo’s digital offerings and the competition from smartphones and tablets. Now one of the biggest hits from those rival platforms, Cut the Rope, has finally arrived on DSiWare. The question is, does this title succeed on the DSi, or does it miss out on the candy? The premise of...
Review Escape Trick: Ninja Castle (DSiWare)
Escape while you still can
Escape Trick: Ninja Castle is the second game in the Escape Trick series that we've seen here at Nintendo Life. The first game, Escape Trick: The Secret of Rock City Prison, failed to really grab us: its ambition was laudable, but its execution consisted of dull visuals, underwhelming gameplay, and nonsensical puzzle...
Nintendo Download 29th September 2011 (Europe)
Mario and Zelda together
There's three titles out on the Nintendo Download in Europe this week, but it's certainly a case of quality titles available. Here's what's coming up on Thursday. 3DS Virtual Console: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (Game Boy, Nintendo, £3.60/€4) — This classic portable outing is fondly remembered as one of Mario's...
Review Defense of the Middle Kingdom (DSiWare)
Middle of the road
Many games take the history of Asian nations as their focus, from the Japanese combat-based Samurai Warriors series to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms games, which use the warring kingdoms of first-century China as their basis. The newest to enter the ring is Defense of the Middle Kingdom, which also focuses on the latter's...
Nintendo Download 22nd September 2011 (North America)
Twinbee, cubes and a ninja
This week's North American download releases once again cover all three of Nintendo's platforms, though fans anticipating a particular release may feel that the titles on offer don't quite cut it. Read on for details. 3DS eShop: 3D Classics: TwinBee (Nintendo, $4.99) — The 3D Classics series continues with another...
Nintendo Download 22nd September 2011 (Europe)
TwinBee rides again
Wii owners aren't tremendously well catered-for this week but 3DS owners get to play a new 3D Classic, so as usual it's easy come, easy go here at the Nintendo Download. Let's see what lucky Europeans will get to pick up on Thursday. 3DS eShop: 3D Classics: TwinBee (Nintendo, €5/£4.50) — The 3D Classics range continues to...
News Flush the Goldfish Development Update
Flipper sequel is almost here
We just got word from developer GoodbyeGalaxyGames that development of Flush the Goldfish, the sequel to hit DSiWare game Flipper, has officially been completed. Hugo Smits, Director of Flush the Goldfish, was even kind enough to give us a development update on the game: Development is totally done, the game is at...
Nintendo Download 15th September 2011 (North America)
Mega Heroz this week
Details of this week's North American downloads are sure to please, with a variety of titles on all formats. Without further ado, check below for details. 3DS Virtual Console: Mega Man: Dr Wily's Revenge (Game Boy, Capcom, $3.99) — Mega Man's first adventure on the Game Boy gets the 3DS Virtual Console treatment. Our review...
Nintendo Download 15th September 2011 (Europe)
Fab four this week
Whatever your Nintendo console of choice, this week's Europe update has you covered. If you happen to own a Wii and 3DS, then it may be time to pick up some more Nintendo Points and eShop funds. 3DS Virtual Console: Mega Man: Dr Wily's Revenge (Game Boy, Capcom, €4/£3.60) - Mega Man's first adventure on the Game Boy gets the...
Not quite on point
Welcome to DotMan, the game of driving in circles. And that's it, basically. There's also a small amount of strategy, along with boredom and frustration, but we'll deal with those shortly. DotMan has its roots in classic games like Dodge 'Em and Pac-Man, but that's a bit like saying Twilight has its roots in Bram Stoker's Dracula:...
Podcast NLFM Episode 20: It's Alive!
Thanks for hanging on to those RSS feeds
Had you going there for a while, didn't we? Weekly. Ha! Sorry for the absence, fearless listeners, but Nintendo Life's chip and game music podcast NLFM is back on track after a too-long hiatus. And boy do we have some doozies for your ears! 1. Shiryu — The Goddamn Batman (Shiryu’s Arcade vol. 4)2. Yoko...
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...
News Cut the Rope to Slice Up EU DSiWare on 22nd September
When it comes to quality downloads, will this make the cut?
Among the best-received iOS titles is Cut the Rope, which represents along with others like Angry Birds that quality gaming is possible on smartphones, iPads and the like. We've just learned via the European Nintendo Channel that it's heading to DSiWare on 22nd September from Chillingo for...
Review House, M.D. - Episode 2: Blue Meanie (DSiWare)
Blue all over
Earlier this summer saw the release of Legacy Interactive’s first DSiWare game, House, M.D. - Episode 1: Globetrotting. If you played the game, or simply read our review, then you’ll know that this maiden voyage was not a very successful one for the company. Now, several months later, the series continues with House M.D. -...
Interview Tanukii Studios - Go! Go! Kokopolo and Beyond
We sit down with the sole member of the young DSiWare dev
Here at Nintendo Life, two things we love are creative independent developers and unique game designs. One great example of the latter is the recently released Go! Go! Kokopolo, a quirky, challenging downloadable title that hit the DSi Shop a little while ago and scored an 8/10 in our Go! Go!...
Nintendo Download 8th September 2011 (North America)
Another mixed bag
You know the drill by now: today's Nintendo Download spans the good, the not-so-good and the downright baffling. Here's what's available for you today. 3DS Virtual Console: Golf (Game Boy, Nintendo, $2.99) — Take to the links in this simple take on a good walk spoiled. Whether it's a better golf game than free Ambassador game NES...
Review 1950s Lawn Mower Kids (DSiWare)
A bit of a chore
When it comes to attempts to turn boring, low-paid jobs into exciting DSiWare downloads, Zordix AB jumped to the fore with Valet Parking 1989. It was an intriguing but flawed game, jam packed with nostalgia and 80’s humour. The developer is now continuing the theme of decade-specific chore simulation with 1950s Lawn Mower Kids...
Nintendo Download 8th September 2011 (Europe)
Two to tango
Most kids have gone back to school, so perhaps that's why this week's Nintendo Download is so slim, to minimise distractions from the very serious studying going on. Or there's simply nothing good to release this week and any proximity to children returning to full-time education is merely coincidental. Whichever it is, here's your two...
Nintendo Download 1st September 2011 (Europe)
Any surprises lurking?
Today's the day — 10 free NES games are now available to 3DS Ambassadors in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan, but what else is there to choose from today in Europe? Well, not a lot as it happens. Aside from the Ambassador games there's just one new title out in Europe today. Read on and see what it is. DSiWare:...
Nintendo Download 1st September 2011 (North America)
NES, DSiWare and WiiWare
By now you've probably downloaded the 10 free NES Ambassador games for 3DS but if there's still currency burning a hole in your pocket help is at hand. Here's what's vying for your virtual funds this week. WiiWare: Trenches Generals (Fishing Cactus, 700pts) — This is a strategy war game that some recognise from an earlier...
News Intrinsic Pushes Amoebattle Back to 2012
Another project to be revealed soon
Intrinsic Games has revealed its upcoming DSiWare real-time strategy title Amoebattle has been delayed until 2012. Intrinsic president Hersh Choksi announced the delay is necessary to overcome some development difficulties and ensure the game is a noteworthy release on DSiWare: We hit some major development...
Over troubled water
It’s one of the simplest forms of entertainment: if all electronic entertainment is unavailable, when there is nothing else to do, a simple pack of playing cards can save the day. Card games can be simplistic or confusing and complex, with straightforward options often seeming suitable as cheap downloads on the DSi shop. More...
News Cuddle Up to a Furry Legends DSiWare Trailer
Awww
While we're waiting for a release date for Furry Legends: Beginnings here's a trailer to make the wait a little easier. Gamelion sent over the new trailer showing what's in store when the Furries and Squaries face off in the upcoming downloadable DSiWare game. There's still no firm release date, but as the game was recently sent to Nintendo for...
News Rytmik Retrobits Takes You Back in Time
One bit at a time
Remember when game music was a little less ambitious? When the most impressive creations were achieved with bleeps and bloops in a handful of channels? If you're nodding vigorously — or have no idea what we're talking about — then you might want to check out Rytmik Retrobits. Unlike previous instalments Hip Hop King: Rytmik...
Review Let's Create! Pottery (DSiWare)
Let's not
Let's Create! Pottery may have the least appealing title this side of Let's Perform! Complex Trigonometry and Let's Compose! A Musical About Kobe Bryant's Lunch, but its problems run much deeper than that. Mainly, it’s just not very fun. The game begins with a title screen that offers several options, but none of them involve starting...
Review Magical Whip: Wizards of the Phantasmal Forest (DSiWare)
Magically delicious!
Puzzle-style games have proven to be quite a good fit for the DSiWare service, but some gamers have expressed concern at the growing number of puzzlers that have flooded DSiWare in recent months. Thankfully, Agetec's Magical Whip: Wizards of the Phantasmal Forest brings a fun experience to the service, and while not the most...
News 1950s Lawn Mower Kids to Release Next Week
Keep off the grass!
Publisher Zordix AB is continuing its quirky output of DSiWare releases ― as revealed back in June with a rather informative trailer ― and fans of grass cutting are sure to be in for for a treat. 1950s Lawn Mower Kids does what it says on the tin. Set in suburban America in the '50s, the game features Tom, Nancy and Tim as...
A bit of a fixer-upper
The year was 2008. Mario and Sonic were on their way to the Olympic Games, the 3DS was but a twinkle in Satoru Iwata's eye and the housing bubble was on its way to bursting. You wouldn't know that last fact, however, from MumboJumbo's 2008 real estate celebration Build-a-lot, a retail DS adaptation of HipSoft's 2007 PC game of...
Nintendo Download 25th August 2011 (North America)
Watched over by the Gargoyle
This week in the Nintendo Download there's something new available for almost every downloadable platform, with 3DSWare the only thing missing out. There's even a WiiWare demo, so without any further hesitation let's bring you the rundown. 3DS Virtual Console: Gargoyle's Quest (Game Boy, Capcom, $3.99) — Play as...
News Metal Slug-Style Action From Cinemax Coming to DSiWare
Go Commando: Steel Disaster
SNK's revered Metal Slug series has already made one stop on DS in the form of Metal Slug 7, but there's been no downloadable outing for Marco and crew. While that's not looking likely to change, Cinemax is getting ready to transfer retail game Commando: Steel Disaster across to DSiWare later this year. The run-and-gun...
News Japan Gets Cool Zelda-Themed Prepaid Cards
Grab the Skyward Sword
Over in Japan, Nintendo releases all kinds of themed cards for its digital stores, from Mario and Link eShop cards to a new range of Zelda 25th Anniversary eShop cards. The cards each focus on a different game, from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to the latest design promoting Skyward Sword. Each costs 1,000 Yen. There's a...
News Let's Create! Pottery on DSiWare This Week
Demi Moore nowhere in sight
We've seen tattooing in Art of Ink, music creation in Rytmik and cosmetics in Make Up & Style, but DSiWare's appetite for unusual games is insatiable. Surely Infinite Dreams' Thursday release Let's Create! Pottery will go some way to plugging a hole, though. The 500 Point title promises "eye-catching gorgeous 3D...
Review Blockado - Puzzle Island (DSiWare)
Too tried-and-true
Bitfield's Blockado series has already enjoyed success on Apple's iOS devices, but now the game is looking to take on Nintendo's DSiWare service with a little sliding-block puzzle action. And while there are a few interesting new twists in Blockado: Puzzle Island, it's still basically the same gameplay idea the series has been...
Nintendo Download 25th August 2011 (Europe)
Three new titles
A trio of games round out August in Europe, with something on DSiWare, WiiWare and the 3DS Virtual Console as the Wii's Virtual Console drought continues. Here's what's dropping in this week. 3DS Virtual Console: Gargoyle's Quest (Game Boy, Capcom, €4/£3.60) — The ugly gargoyle appears on Virtual Console in this 2D adventure...
Review My Asian Farm (DSiWare)
Enter Old McDonald-San
Farming comes in many forms. Sometimes it's exotic. Sometimes it's Australian. And sometimes it's just regular, old-fashioned farming. But nothing you've seen in this DSiWare series, consisting of split-up portions of 2009's retail release My Farm Around the World, could have prepared you for this: My Asian Farm, featuring
Interview Firemint - Flight Control (WiiWare)
We talk about the newest iteration of the up-and-coming developer's popular IP
After conquering the iOS, DSiWare and even PlayStation Move platforms, Firemint's addictive air traffic control-based Flight Control is landing today on WiiWare in Europe and North America. We sat down with Writer and Media Liaison Logan Booker to talk about the...
Nintendo Download 18th August 2011 (North America)
Fighting in the streets
It's that time of the week again: the Nintendo Download is upon us, bestowing a bounty of digital deliciousness, or leaving a sour taste in your mouth. You decide. Here's what's on offer and vying for your currency today. 3DS eShop: 3D Classics: Urban Champion (Nintendo, $4.99) — The NES 'classic' is reborn in a third...
Review GO Series: Fishing Resort (DSiWare)
Luring you in…
Fans of both Nintendo and fishing have been given plenty of opportunities to don the virtual wellies and cast the line, on WiiWare. While the Wii Remote is an ideal opportunity to simulate fishing, the humble DSi stylus and touchscreen have largely missed out. As has often been the case, publisher Gamebridge has come to the rescue...
Review Crazy Hamster (DSiWare)
Crazy cool
The idea behind this game is simple: Crazy Hamster forgot to store supplies for the coming winter, so now it’s up to you to guide the rushed rodent through each level and collect all of the fruit. Make it safely to the end of the level with these supplies and you’re home free. While there may not be much here in terms of plot, this...
Nintendo Download 18th August 2011 (Europe)
Stretching the word "classic"
Europe gets its third 3D Classic this week, letting console owners indulge in a little three-dimensional fighting in the street. Elsewhere there's a bit of air traffic control, some Asian farming and extreme off-roading. Come with us, but look out for any manholes. 3DS eShop: 3D Classics: Urban Champion (Nintendo, €5)...
Review Play & Learn Spanish (DSiWare)
¿Plus ultra?
A good pocket translator can cost hundreds of dollars, so it's no surprise that some smart software studios would see an incentive in offering DSi and 3DS owners an affordable alternative. So far we've only seen the average 4 TRAVELLERS – Play Spanish on the service, so it's good to see a challenger appear. But is this a helpful...
Dog's dinner
With Go Fetch!, ICM took the simple activity of playing fetch with a puppy and added a timer, health bar and obstacles to create a unique racing game-esque experience that was unfortunately let down by imprecise controls, lack of depth and repetitiveness. The developer doggedly returned to the drawing board to remedy these issues and...
Nintendo Download 11th August 2011 (North America)
New content on all platforms
Is it Thursday already? With all the excitement around the 3DS price drop — happening tomorrow, remember — this is a crucial week for 3DS, and things just got even more exciting as it's Nintendo Download time. This week we've got a little bit of something for everyone, so let's dive in and see what there is. Virtual...
News Check Out This Awesome Knights vs. Orcs Press Kit We Got
Somebody set up us the bomb
Every so often we get cool stuff here at Nintendo Life's UK HQ — you wouldn't believe the swag that lurks under the our shiny workstations. This press kit from KRITZELKRATZ 3000 is certainly one of the better press kits we've received, though. Promoting Artillery: Knights vs. Orcs, the wooden chest contains something...
Review Go! Go! Kokopolo (DSiWare)
Koko-crazy
DSiWare is, quite rightly, well known for providing a diverse range of quirky titles to give DSi owners small downloadable gaming fixes. We’ve seen a few ‘off the wall’ concepts on the service, and Go! Go! Kokopolo deserves its place in this category. The title says it all; this is a game that doesn’t want to be taken seriously...
Competition This Zelda Drawing Video Will Help With Your Flipnote
More than that, we can't say
Yesterday we told you about the Legend of Zelda Flipnote Studio competition, and if you're struggling to get a grasp on sketching the Hero of Time this instructional video might help you out. The video shows how to draw Link in his classic adult look as well as the more divisive Toon Link style, and should help improve...
News EnjoyUp Promotes DSiWare Games with New Video
Also in the eShop
EnjoyUp has a decent array of games available to buy in the DSi Shop and 3DS eShop, but it's no good having them if people don't know about them, right? Good job this new video sums up the company's line-up so neatly, then. Featuring innovative retro shooter 99Bullets, red hot Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ and sibling...
Competition Zelda Developers Want to Judge Your Zelda Flipnotes
So make 'em good
Last year Nintendo celebrated Mario's 25th anniversary with a Flipnote Studio competition. This year it's celebrating Zelda's 25th anniversary with a Flipnote Studio competition. It's nothing if not consistent. As with last year's effort, Nintendo wants you to use its DSiWare animation tool Flipnote Studio to create a short skit...
News Try to Escape from Makatu in North America on 18th August
Acclaimed title crosses the pond
DSiWare gets new games every week, but not all of them are worth your hard-earned Points — that's why we review every single one of them, of course. One of the better titles to reach the service this year is Zoonies - Escape from Makatu, which is heading to North America on 18th August in both the DSi Shop and 3DS...
Nintendo Download 11th August 2011 (Europe)
Back with a vengeance
A small download this week with four titles reaching European shores. Wii owners get nothing sadly, with the Wii Virtual Console drought stretching to two months now. 3DS Virtual Console: Avenging Spirit (Game Boy, JALECO, £2.70/€3) — You play a murdered gangster out to rescue his girl. Luckily your ghostly form can...
Review B Team - Episode 2: Ice & Venom (DSiWare)
New name, same game
May of 2011 saw the DSiWare release of B Team - Episode 1: Dust & Steel. Now, a short three months later, the gang is back in B Team - Episode 2: Ice & Venom. Anyone who played the first game (or read our Dust & Steel review) will know exactly what to expect here. As this game clearly shows, consistency is not always...
Review Successfully Learning German: Year 5 (DSiWare)
The end of an era?
Another week, another instalment in the venerable Successfully Learning series from Tivola. Successfully Learning German: Year 5 is on DSiWare so young German speakers have another opportunity to return to Freddy the Vampire’s classroom. It’s the final instalment in the series, so prepare to graduate and say goodbye. How does...
Review Artillery: Knights vs. Orcs (DSiWare)
A misfire
Most of us have played one of them before: one of those free online Flash games where your goal is to hit something by firing a projectile, after deciding what angle and what speed the object should be thrown or shot at. Of course, you'll also be familiar with this concept if you've played any Worms game. Artillery: Knights vs. Orcs takes...
Review My Australian Farm (DSiWare)
You call that a farm? THIS is a farm
Ahh, life on the farm. The sweet taste of buffalo milk, sheep and crocodiles playing together... OK, perhaps My Australian Farm isn't the most realistic agricultural simulator, but at least it makes for a decent money-management time-waster. This, along with My Farm, My Exotic Farm and the upcoming My Asian Farm,...
Nintendo Download 4th August 2011 (North America)
It's Mario's Picross time!
Get out the chisel and get on the grid as the original portable Picross comes to 3DS Virtual Console, alongside some Spanish, black-and-white rubber-burning and plenty more. 3DS Virtual Console: Mario's Picross (Game Boy, Nintendo, $3.99) — The classic picture crossword game makes its way across the pond after its 14th...
Review GO Series: Portable Shrine Wars (DSiWare)
Shinto to go
What do you get when you mix Mikoshi (portable Shinto shrines) and top-down shooters? Oddly enough, you come up with Gamebridge’s newest DSiWare release, GO Series: Portable Shrine Wars. But is this bizarre combination a match made in yomi, or is it just too weird to work? The goal in Portable Shrine Wars is to race your Mikoshi...
Review Oscar's World Tour (DSiWare)
Around the world, around the world
Oscar's World Tour marks the fourth instalment of the series on DSiWare, and once again finds Oscar in the familiar situation of tracking down Baby Oscars and heading for the Pig Stop. While the game stays very close to its predecessors in terms of gameplay, the developer has tossed in a few new visual twists to...
Nintendo Download 4th August 2011 (Europe)
Wakka wakka wakka
The maze craze comes to 3DS with the world's most famous yellow pill-muncher landing on Virtual Console this week. Elsewhere there's a catch-up on DSiWare and a new WiiWare game, though sadly Wii Virtual Console is left lacking again. 3DS Virtual Console: Pac-Man (Game Boy, Nintendo, £3.60/€4) — The ever-hungry blob is back...
Interview Intrinsic Games - Amoebattle for DSiWare
Your questions, answered
A while ago we invited you to submit your questions for Amoebattle developer Intrinsic Games. We pitched the best ones to the indie developer and now we have a whole stack of answers. @Squiggle55 - What sets Amoebattle apart from other games in the genre? Traditionally, most games in the Real Time Strategy genre are for the...
Nintendo Download 28th July 2011 (Europe)
Go on, let's golf
After a long wait we finally have the first new game to buy in Nintendo's 3DS software (download) category, as well as plenty of other downloadable content too. Let's see what's coming to Europe this week. 3DS eShop: Let's Golf! 3D (Gameloft, €6 / £5.40) — This isn't the first tee-off for Gameloft's sporting series, as we've...
Nintendo Download 28th July 2011 (North America)
Farming, shrines and more
In all the excitement about 3DS price drops and free download games, don't forget your old friend the Nintendo Download. Here's what's available in North America later today. 3DS eShop: Let's Golf! 3D (Gameloft, $6.99) — The eShop's first properly new downloadable game, Gameloft's golfing game features six courses, eight...
Rock you like a Hurricane
While it may be difficult to achieve the recognition and greatness of Shantae: Risky’s Revenge or Cave Story, platform adventure games are still very welcome on DSiWare. Antipole, the newest title from Saturnine Games, might not be the most original genre entry in the universe, it is still a very gravitating game with a...
News Castle Conqueror Sequel Starts a Revolution
They might take our land...
Some months ago, CIRCLE Entertainment released Castle Conqueror on DSiWare, and it turned out pretty well. There was some room for improvement though, so we're hoping that the newly announced follow-up Castle Conqueror — Revolution is a better big brother. We termed the original game a strategy game for beginners, but...
Review Jagged Alliance (DSiWare)
Watch out for sharp edges
On paper, Jagged Alliance looks like a must-have for fans of tactical role-playing games. A mid 90s PC classic that was originally distributed as a DS retail release in 2009, now available at a significantly lower price of 500 Nintendo Points – it’s a win-win, right? Well, two areas that hit the mark are storyline and...
News Crazy Hamster Swaps Pet Shop for DSi Shop in August
Part of the DSiWare genus
Having passed Nintendo's lotcheck earlier this month, Gamelion's Crazy Hamster will gnaw its way to the DSi Shop early August. Players will help the little hamster get from one part of the level to another via a selection of tools that will help the little fella navigate the terrain as if it was Bear Grylls. Gamelion has...
Review Kung Fu Dragon (DSiWare)
Since you're climbing a waterfall, you're more of a Kung Fu Salmon
If there's one thing we can say about Kung Fu Dragon, it's that there's really not much to say about Kung Fu Dragon. It's a game that's content to limit itself in nearly every respect, and that's going to earn it its share of detractors, but it's also a game that makes surprisingly...
Review Extreme Hangman 2 (DSiWare)
Extreme Sequel
If you’ve played the first Extreme Hangman game, then you know exactly what to expect with Extreme Hangman 2. While the word categories and visuals may have changed a bit, the core gameplay remains exactly the same. Though there is little different between the two games, that doesn’t necessarily detract from what Extreme Hangman...
As good as Bill Nye, or would it make him cry?
Pokémon and its ilk channel a sense of wonder as players explore new worlds to learn about their inhabitants. It seems that someone over at Abylight had the revelation that our own planet is filled with fantastic creatures as well – they're just too small to see. AfterZoom has you go about collecting...
Nintendo Download 21st July 2011 (North America)
Nintendo Video arrives!
After last week's excitement with the Netflix application coming to 3DS, now everyone gets a taste of free 3D video with the Nintendo Video application to download from the eShop. Elsewhere there's a 3D Classic, some DSiWare and a WiiWare title too. 3DS eShop: 3D Classics: Xevious (Nintendo, $5.99) — The second...
Nintendo Download 21st July 2011 (Europe)
3D Classics Xevious is here!
Now everyone's had their fill of the first game in the 3D Classics series, the NES favourite 3D Classics: Excitebike, it's time to kick it into second gear with the next instalment. Elsewhere there's a 3DS VC game and a trio on DSiWare, though WiiWare and the Wii Virtual Console take the week off. 3DS eShop: 3D Classics:...
