Review Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Double the trouble, double the fun?
Review Pokémon Snap (Virtual Console / Nintendo 64)
Playing this is a snap
Review Cybernator (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Don't be a Cybernator hater
Review Mega Man 2 (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Can Mega Man save the world again?
Review Light Crusader (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
Take the role of Sir David in this action-RPG and get to the bottom of the mysteries of Green Row.
Review Ghosts 'n Goblins (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Arthur's first ghostly quest
News - December, 2007
Monday31st Dec 2007
News US VC Releases - 31st December - Light Crusader
The US plays catchup today, as they get three games Europe's already had a while. All of them are good, though, so hopefully no complaining this time!
Leading the pack is Treasure's Genesis RPG, Light Crusader. This is to this day probably Treasure's only Western game, featuring almost no obvious Japanese influence. It's also usually named as one of...
Sunday30th Dec 2007
Review Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (Wii)
Umbrella have since been defeated, but how exactly did it all happen?
Resident Evil, one of the biggest gaming series around today, has already landed on Wii with a port of the ever-popular Resident Evil 4. Capcom no doubt saw the innovative Wiimote and impressive sales figures as a new opportunity to expand the series even more. The Umbrella...
Friday28th Dec 2007
Review NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (Wii)
Ah NiGHTS.. you're finally here, it's been a long time coming, so how does it measure up?
Journey of dreams, the sequel SEGA Saturn fanboys have been waiting 10 years for, after all those rumours its finally here, but was it ever going to live up to the cult following surrounding the original, NiGHTS Into Dreams? Our hero is NiGHTS, a Nightopian who...
News Japanese Virtual Console List - January 2008
Not quite as much games for Japan in January as in previous months, but that doesn't really matter when almost every one that's getting released is a "big" title, including the next N64 game. Take a look:
Japanese VC schedule for January: Famicom: Yie Air Kung Fu (January 8th) (Master Takahashi's) Adventure Island Devil World Mappy Super...
Tuesday25th Dec 2007
Review Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Double the trouble, double the fun?
After the stellar Donkey Kong Country 2, people were wondering if the third game would be even more amazing. It was released very late in the SNES's lifecycle, so naturally it was expected that Rare would be pulling out all the stops. In DK Country 3’s storyline, both DK and Diddy have been kidnapped. You're...
News EU Christmas surprise - Donkey Kong Country 3
Many gamers in Europe and Australia were feeling left out when North America got Donkey Kong Country 3 for their Christmas Eve update. Don't worry Nintendo of Europe haven't forgotton you and have sneakily released it on Christmas day instead! Now stop your moaning! :-)
DKC3 is the final game in the DKC trilogy. The game was released late in the...
Monday24th Dec 2007
News It's On Like Donkey Kong!
Donkey Kong made his debut as a monster truck on Saturday, December 8, at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Fans in attendance had no idea they were about to see the unveiling of the newest truck on the Monster Jam circuit. Before the event, the Donkey Kong truck was hidden in a huge barrel and was revealed at the opening...
News US VC Releases - Christmas Eve - Donkey Kong Country 3
Merry Christmas! Nintendo's gift for Americans is the final game in the DKC trilogy, Donkey Kong Country 3! The game was released late in the SNES's life, meaning a lot of people missed out on it. Now is the time to make up for that mistake, as it's a great game, although not as good as DKC2. Here's a secret - Enter your name on the file select screen as "MERRY" for a very Christmas-y experience!
Today's other releases probably won't cater to as much people, unfortunately. Blades of Steel is one of very f...
Saturday22nd Dec 2007
Review Skate or Die! (Virtual Console / NES)
Hop on your board and take part in five extreme skate events!
Long before the Tony Hawk’s franchise made skateboarding games mainstream the cool kids got their kicks on Skate or Die for the NES. The action begins in Rodney Recloose’s skateboard shop. He’s a crazy middle-aged dude with a blue Mohawk who organises different event such as...
Review Blades of Steel (Virtual Console / NES)
With sharpened blades and a lethal stick, you slash into a rink surrounded by thousands of screaming fans.
Blades of Steel, much like one of Konami's other NES sports games, Double Dribble, was loved all over the world back in the day. Double Dribble didn't hold up that well, so you may wonder how its ice hockey has fared. Actually, it has aged...
Friday21st Dec 2007
News "Stop Buying So Many Nintendo Consoles" Says Reggie
He doesn't like hardware bundles, either
Reggie Fils-Aime has expressed concerns over the stock problems experienced by the company of late. Basically, the Wii and DS are TOO popular! He also had some cutting words to say about the increase in bundles offered by money-grabbing games retailers. From GamesInstustry.biz: Nintendo of America's...
News Euro Virtual Console - 21st December
Admit it - you were expecting Super Mario RPG, weren't you?
With Christmas just around the corner you might have expected Nintendo to release something really special for download on the Virtual Console. Sadly, they've pushed out three titles that don't exactly get pulses racing. Here's the lowdown from our friends at Virtual Console Reviews: Our...
Thursday20th Dec 2007
News EU VC Releases - 21st December - Blades of Steel
Our pals at Nintendo haven't exactly pushed the boat out this week with festive spirit sadly. Still it could be worse! We finally have Blades of Steel on the NES, even before North America! For those not in the know this is one of the best, if not THE best ice hockey game from the 8-bit era. Very often NES games feel tired with age but the gameplay is still as much fun as ever with this one!
Another NES game in the shape of Skate or Die is also up for grabs on the VC today. It's quite a fun skateboarding game but unlike Blades of St...
News Europe Loves Brain Training
It's already sold bucketloads of copies in Japan, American and the UK - now our European friends are warming to Dr. Kawashima's unqiue brand of mental fitness.
Nintendo's amazing success story continues with the news that its Brain Training series has topped sales charts in two key European territories. Nintendo's DS Brain Training games have...
News Wii And DS Dominate In Japan
Sony and Microsoft struggle to get a look in
Sony’s Gran Turismo 5 Prologue may have entered the Japanese sales charts in the top 5 but a cursory glace at the rest of the chart should make depressing reading for anyone not affiliated with Nintendo. The Wii and DS continue to dominate the Japanese market in a way that hasn’t been seen since the...
News Bumper Year For UK Games Industry
It's been an amazing year for the UK videogame market - and Nintendo has been instrumental in this success.
Traditionally, when you move from one generation of videogame hardware to the next, there's a slight dip in sales. Amazingly, that doesn't seem to have happened with this generation, as GamesIndustry.biz reports: Sales of game software in the...
Wednesday19th Dec 2007
News Lords Of Thunder Coming To The VC
Superb retro-style 2D blasting action is coming to a Wii near you!
Although we don’t usually do individual updates for Virtual Console releases, this latest bit of news is so special we think it’s warranted - Lords of Thunder is VC inbound, people. The Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC for short) has rated the game,...
News Fresh Mario Kart Wii Details Emerge
Cunning stunts are now included!
UK site Eurogamer has recently picked up on some more Mario Kart Wii details, thanks to US magazine Nintendo Power. We already know that the game will feature online play for up to 12 participants, but the big news here is that some kind of stunt system will also be included to spice up proceedings. Performing tricks...
Tuesday18th Dec 2007
Review Monster Lair (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Join young Adam and Laura as they embark on a fantastic adventure in this comical action/shooting game.
Before you get excited, this isn’t your traditional Wonderboy adventure. Although we’ve already been blessed with Virtual Console versions of the quite frankly sublime Wonderboy in Monsterworld (Genesis / Mega Drive) and the exceptional...
Review Alien Storm (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
Shape-shifting aliens have infiltrated the city, creating chaos and panic!
There’s an alien invasion. Save the people! Kill the aliens! Not the most original premise for a game, granted, but Alien Storm carries its heart on its sleeve. Pretensions of artistry and greatness are laid aside; the story serves only as fodder to introduce baddies that...
News Smoking Pot = No Guitar Hero III, Sonnyjim
Living the rock and roll lifestyle doesn't always pay off, it would seem.
This rather amusing ebay auction has recently come to our attention here at NintendoLife. Turns out that one parent, annoyed by the fact that he caught his good-for-nothing son smoking weed in his backyard, decided to teach him a lesson by selling his Christmas present on...
News Stars Points For Wii Points Debacle
The Wii points exchange dream is slowly turning into a nightmare...
A few days ago we reported on the news that long suffering PAL Wii owners had wanted to hear since the machine hit European stores: Nintendo had at long last given us the chance to trade our (generally useless) Stars/VIP points for Wii points! The result? Nintendo's new-look site...
News DS Breaks UK Sales Record Again
The Nintendo DS continues to sell like cakes that are rather hot, effortlessly breaking the UK hardware sales record for the second week running.
All the predictions of a bumper Christmas for Nintendo in the UK seem to be proving accurate, with news that its consoles are selling in record numbers. The DS has now broken the previous UK weekly...
Monday17th Dec 2007
News Hardware Focus: SNK Neo Geo
Of all the machines covered by the Virtual Console service, the Neo Geo is easily the most coveted and unattainable.
Never before had a console screamed 'elite'; when it was first released it comfortably outstripped the performance of rival machines and made good on SNK's promise that you could have an arcade in your living room. Then again, there...
Last week saw Mario & Sonic at the Olympic games the number 1 selling game across all systems in the UK, what a Christmas present for SEGA!
In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, players will compete in events that take place in environments based on the official venues of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Using a supporting cast of characters...
News US VC Releases - 17th December - Cybernator
A lot of shooting in today's three US games! First up is Cybernator, the SNES game where you control a large robotic suit and blast your way through a multitude of stages. It's one of the more popular "lesser known" SNES games and as such is quite a cult classic.
The second game today is Monster Lair, the TurboGrafx-CD version of Wonder...
News Nintendo Snubbed By Greenpeace
Going green
Greenpeace'ers snub Nintendo in a new energy report, designed to inform consumers of how "green" the manufacturer is. Environmental watchdog group Greenpeace has released its latest Guide to Greener Electronics, detailing the environmental responsibility of global consumer electronics companies, and given Nintendo the first zero grade...
News Europe: Stars = Wii Points
Nintendo Europe have finally relaunched their website, its looking nice and tidy and has one special new feature you've all been waiting for...
It’s the news that our most loyal members have been waiting for, and today we are happy to announce that we can finally unveil the eagerly awaited Wii Points Card Shop! The Wii Points Card Shop is the...
Sunday16th Dec 2007
Review Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (Wii)
Why did adventure games disappear?
Innovation is a big reason that I play games. Playing the same game rehashed over and over again bores me senseless. So when a new idea for a game comes along, like Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure, I turn into a kid at a theme park, running to buy it. The story behind the game deals with Zack and...
Saturday15th Dec 2007
Review Mega Man 2 (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Can Mega Man save the world again?
Surprisingly, the original Mega Man (or Rockman, as the series is known in Japan) did not perform very well. Initially reluctant, Capcom allowed its creator Keiji Inafune to create a sequel as a side-project in his own spare time, however, and with the effort of a few colleagues and a lot of time, he created Mega...
Review Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Take on the role of either Roddy or Cathy, bounty hunters in this side-scrolling action game set far in the future when humans have colonized space.
I'm sure many have played at least one game in SNK's awesome shoot 'em up franchise, Metal Slug. But did you know that SNK also created a game that's similar, yet at the same time quite different? They...
Thursday13th Dec 2007
Review The Golden Compass (Wii)
Shape-changing sprites, death-dealing polar bears and lots of snow. Shiny Entertainment attempts to transform one of this year's biggest films into a half-decent videogame. Has the company succeeded? Read on...
Where would videogame developers be without the humble Christmas Hollywood blockbuster? At the end of each year we witness a raft of...
Dancing seems to be everywhere right now, so why not in your pocket?
More musical mayhem hits the DS in the form of the discotastic Boogie, a smaller, simpler sibling of the Wii title released a few months ago. The concept is quite simple, its a dancing game, pretty much in the vain of the infamous Dance Dance Revolution but with a few twists thrown...
News EU VC Releases - 14th December - Mega Man 2
After already releasing Pokemon Snap earlier in the week, some people wondered whether Nintendo would release games at the normal time as well. Thankfully they did - And they included one of the greatest NES games in the update as well! Mega Man 2 is usually called the best classic Mega Man series game ever made (With heavy competition from Mega Man 3 - Which I personally find better). It's the only Mega Man game with an easier mode (Making it perfect for series newcomers), it's got an absolutely amazing soundtrack for the time, it's slightly less linear, and it's just plain fun! If you've never played it, do yourself a favour and do so now!
...
Wednesday12th Dec 2007
Interview InLight Talks Teenage Zombies
Recently we got the chance to put our questions to Darren McGrath, VP Creative Development at InLight Entertainment about their upcoming DS title, Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingies!
Putting up the rotting, decaying questions for NintendoLife.com was was our very own zombie slayer, Damien "Ghoulash" McFerran. How did...
Tuesday11th Dec 2007
Review Pokémon Snap (Virtual Console / Nintendo 64)
Playing this is a snap
Pokémon Snap's an odd one - it's not an adventure game like the handheld versions or a fighting game like those on the console. Instead, you have to take pictures of Pokémon! You play as Todd, who you might know from the anime. He has been asked by Professor Oak to take pictures of the various Pokémon around the island for...
Review Ghosts 'n Goblins (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Arthur's first ghostly quest
You thought Ghouls 'n Ghosts and Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts were hard? The NES original, Ghosts 'n Goblins set the bar. The main focus of the game is pretty much the same as in the sequels. Princess Prin-Prin has been kidnapped by demons and Arthur, the one-man army, sets out to rescue her. He's armed with only a lance and...
News Surprise EU VC Release - Pokemon Snap + worldwide Photo Channel update
As some of you might have already noticed this morning, everybody's favourite blue Wii light was flashing. If you turn on your Wii you'll have gotten a message from Nintendo alerting you that the Wii Shop gift feature is now available (After a Wii Shop update). But that's not all!
Nintendo of Europe also saw fit to release Pokemon Snap together with...
Monday10th Dec 2007
News US VC Releases - 10th December - Pokemon Snap
The first Pokemon game hits VC in the US today! It's the strange but fun Pokemon Snap for Nintendo 64, where instead of capturing Pokemon in Pokeballs, you capture them on film. The game itself is good fun, but as an overall package it is a bit lacking. Still, if you're a Pokemon fan, better make do with this, because this will most likely be one of extremely few Pokemon titles to come to VC (We think the only other one will be Pokemon Puzzle League). Another thing worth considering is that this version of Pokemon Snap has a VC-exclusive feature!
...
News Wii Gift feature out now in EU and US
The long-awaited Wii Shop gift feature has launched in both Europe and the US! Now you can send your friend(s) VC games! Naturally you have to pay for them first, and there's no discount or anything, but hey, surely you want to let your friends enjoy Urban Champion as well, right?
The full quote about the feature from today's press release is as...
News Give Virtual Console Games As Gifts
Nintendo have announced a new feature of the Wii Shop channel, allowing users to buy VC games as presents for friends registered via the friend code system.
Later in the day on Monday, Nintendo will make your holiday shopping just a little bit easier. If some people on your gift list have visions of classic video games dancing in their heads, you're...
According to the BBC, Nintendo UK are considering putting a halt on advertising for Wii this Christmas season, because of its struggle to keep up with demand.
Nintendo is considering pulling UK television advertising for its popular Wii console in the run up to Christmas because it is battling to meet demand. It said that holding back adverts until...
Saturday8th Dec 2007
Review Cybernator (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Don't be a Cybernator hater
The Japanese have a real love for big robots that hasn't entirely crossed over into the West. Thankfully Cybernator (AKA: Assault Suit Valken) - a follow up to the Megadrive Assault Suit Leynos/Target Earth - made the jump from East to West and remains one of the more memorable SNES shooters. After the mission-based...
Review Light Crusader (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
Take the role of Sir David in this action-RPG and get to the bottom of the mysteries of Green Row.
After dazzling Megadrive/Genesis owners with the likes of Gunstar Heroes and Dynamite Headdy (let’s forget Ronald’s McDonaldland Adventure for now), Treasure turned its talents to the Action RPG genre with this 1995 release. Published in the...
Review Rolling Thunder 2 (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
Bring the thunder!
Rolling Thunder 2 is a conversion of Namco’s 1990 sequel to its original James Bond themed Shinobi-like game. The Megadrive home version is faithful to the arcade original in terms of gameplay and features a few improvements, including cut scenes between levels that feature some lovely artwork, 3 additional stages and some new...
Friday7th Dec 2007
News Nintendo of Europe relaunches with Wii Points exchange!
After a little over two weeks of downtime, the Nintendo of Europe site has relaunched with a totally new look and new features. One of these is the ability to swap your stars for Wii Points!
Go to and select your country. After logging in you can exchange your hard earned stars for Wii Points! They come rather expensive though - 4 stars for 1 Wii...
Thursday6th Dec 2007
Review Need For Speed: ProStreet (Wii)
EA go back to basics with the latest entry in the stunningly successful NFS series - has the company done enough to bring back old fans?
Need for Speed has been with us for over a decade now. Since making its debut on the ill-fated 3DO console, EA’s premier racing franchise has gone from being a fairly inoffensive car fan’s dream to a loud and...
The orcs have overrun the mountain, can you get to the bottom and save the King?
Your father, Eöl, has recently passed away and so you are travelling to meet one of his old friends, a Dwarven King named Brahm. Eöl and Brahm once fought together in a great war aided by magical weapons gifted to them by a powerful wizard. Eöl was given a talking...
News EU VC Releases - 7th December - Sega Week
Breaking the norm again this month, Sega only releases two games instead of the usual three. No matter though when both of them are great! Rolling Thunder 2 is one of Dazza's favourites. It borrows some elements from Shinobi and combined it with arcade action, as there's enemies coming at you from all sides. While somewhat short, the game just oozes quality every step you take, with great music, graphics and gameplay.
The other Mega Drive offering is Light Crusader, an isometric Action RPG which is somewhat similar to Landsta...
Wednesday5th Dec 2007
Interview Takashi Iizuka Talks NiGHTS
Last Friday we were invited back down to SEGA HQ for a press session with NiGHTS Directory, Takashi Iizuka, for those interested we have a full transcript of the Q&A session.
Nintendo Life: When did development for Journey of Dreams start?Takashi Iizuka: The idea came about 2 Years ago. Development began 1 and a half years ago Nintendo Life: Years...
Competition Mario & Sonic T-Shirt!
Thanks to our friends at SEGA we have a fantastic Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games "Team Mario" T-Shirt to give away!
In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, players will compete in events that take place in environments based on the official venues of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Using a supporting cast of characters from the amazing worlds...
On Friday the 30th of November 2007 Nintendo Life were invited to SEGA of Europe’s head offices in the UK for a press day.
The day was in aid of the much anticipated NiGHTS sequel, Journey of Dreams, a Nintendo Wii exclusive game. Ant asked me to go down on behalf of Nintendo Life, and this is a report on the day! The day was a chance for Takashi...
EA wants everyone to limber up and test their Ninja Reflexes in the amusingly named "Ninja Reflex" coming next spring.
Ninja Reflex uses a series of martial arts challenges to test gamers’ reflexes and measure their reaction times with millisecond precision. As players develop their ninja skills, they will strive to earn a black belt from their...
News The Masked Queen Coming Spring 2008
The Wii game with the longest title ever, Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors is scheduled for release in Spring 2008 across Europe.
Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that DRAGON QUEST® SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the...
Tuesday4th Dec 2007
Review WWE Smackdown! vs RAW 2008 (Wii)
We're too depressed for jokes about sweaty men and spandex
We’ll admit from the start that we truly believe this is the most difficult game this reviewer ever had to rate. Ever. And unfortunately it’s a flaw that comes from the fact that the Wii has been an absolutely massive commercial hit. You see the main problem with WWE Smackdown VS. RAW...
Review Eternal Champions (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
This 2-D fighting game introduces a cast of different characters that met untimely deaths in their lives on Earth.
Released at a time when Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat were both selling like hotcakes, Eternal Champions may have had players thinking it was an exploitative cash-in to make Sega a quick buck. This could not be further from the...
Review Zanac (Virtual Console / NES)
Take control of the state-of-the-art fighter, Zanac, with the objective of destroying the bases of the mechanized enemy forces.
When you’ve got shooters of the calibre of Gate of Thunder, Soldier Blade and Super Star Soldier to choose from, it’s not unreasonable to question the sanity of downloading a NES blaster; surely anything available on...
Monday3rd Dec 2007
Review Bomberman Story DS (DS)
Hudson pulls Bomberman out of the multiplayer arena and drops him into another game type. Is it a successful transition?
When a company succeeds in creating a strong mascot chances are it will milk the character for all its worth. Mario has driven karts, gained a PhD and hosted numerous parties, for example. However, there’s a fine line between...
News US VC Releases - 3rd December - Eternal Champions
After last week's disaster, this week's releases are a bit more bearable. First up is Sega's answer to Street Fighter - Eternal Champions. Instead of having fighters from around the world, Eternal Champions has fighters from various time periods! This of course leads to wildly different movesets for each character. The formula has obviously been bettered nowadays, but if you like the genre it's still worthwhile to check out the game.
Hot on the heels of Eternal Champions for pick of the week is Zanac. You might be thinking -...
Saturday1st Dec 2007
Review Baseball Stars 2 (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Lace up your cleats and step onto the diamond with the pros of Baseball Stars 2.
Are you getting sick of all the sub-par sports games on VC (excluding Kirby's Dream Course, Punch-Out!! and, to some, Ice Hockey)? Yeah? Well, here's Baseball Stars 2 - a game breaks every rule in the book and delivers a completely crazy experience filled to the top...
Review The Dynastic Hero (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Take control of Dyna as he battles through action-filled stages.
Dynastic Hero is basically identical to the Megadrive Wonderboy in Monsterworld. Anyone who has played this MD classic will know that this is no bad thing - it's one of the strongest titles in the Wonderboy series. However, this version features different characters. I can only guess...
