Review Soul Blazer (Super Nintendo)
Still one of the greatest action RPGs ever created.
Review Ashes Cricket 2009 (Wii)
We don't like cricket... but we don't love it that much, either!
News Metroid Prime Trilogy: Visually Worse Than Original Releases?
Footage seems to suggest as much
Review Golden Axe (Virtual Console / Virtual Console Arcade)
Sega's classic fantasy side-scroller hits the Virtual Console in its original arcade form - but is it any good?
News - September, 2009
Wednesday30th Sep 2009
Review Dragon Quest Wars (DSiWare)
It might not be a typical Dragon Quest RPG, but there's still plenty of fun to be had
It goes without saying that the Dragon Quest series has enjoyed phenomenal success around the world as an RPG series over the years, so placing the name on any game is going to automatically heap certain expectations onto that game, no matter what type of game it...
Thursday1st Oct 2009
Interviews Rage of the Gladiator - Ghostfire Games
Ghostfire Games talks about their upcoming WiiWare fighter.
Anyone that's spent any time in the comments sections of our various Rage of the Gladiator news items will know Ed Roman, CEO of Ghostfire Games. Ed is always kind enough to answer questions and concerns from our readers and even implemented some new features into the game based on feedback...
Wednesday30th Sep 2009
News Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (30th Sept)
It's Wednesday again and time for the WiiWare Top 20!
It's time to take a look at the most popular WiiWare titles available on the Wii Shop Channel. If you're feeling adventurous you can even take a look for yourself by simply logging on to your Wii Shop Channel, heading into the WiiWare section and then viewing "Popular Games". It's that...
Thursday1st Oct 2009
News Ubisoft: The DS Salad Days Are Over
DS market is in decline, says publisher
There was a time when the Nintendo DS was a pretty sure bet as far as sales were concerned but publisher Ubisoft has gone on the record stating that the DS market is shrinking. The company's UK boss Mark Slaughter had this to say about the sorry situation: Overall, for everybody there is a decline in the DS...
Tuesday29th Sep 2009
News Official: DSiWare Purchases Cannot Be Transferred to a New Console
Nintendo of Australia reveal DSiWare policy
A common question we get asked here at Nintendo Life (and especially since the new DSi colours were announced) reads something like this: "If someone were to buy a different coloured DSi, can DSiWare purchases be taken from the original DSi and transferred to the new one?" Well we did a bit of digging for...
News Wii System Update 4.2 Hits US
Addresses "behind-the-scenes" fixes
Little white boxes hooked up to WiiConnect24 in the US should have a little blue light emanating from the front as Nintendo have updated the Wii's System Menu yet again. According to the letter delivered by Nintendo's digital pigeons: This update provides behind-the-scenes fixes that will not affect features but...
News WiiWare Needs More Exposure, Says Former XBLA Manager
Also states that Nintendo's service needs demos and user ratings
Speaking at the Digital Distribution Summit in Melbourne, Australia, Fuzbi's David Edery has touched upon the problems facing Nintendo's WiiWare service, as well as discussing the issues that affect all three of the major digital download services - Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation...
News Smart Bomb Issue One Now Available
Former Super Play artist produces awesome comic along with fellow Rare employees
If you're a UK-based SNES fan then chances are you will recall a fantastic magazine called Super Play. Easily the best publication devoted to Nintendo's 16-bit machine, the mag was especially notable for focusing on import releases (when all other magazines ignored...
News Earthworm Jim WiiWare Details Emerge
Gameloft reveals more info about the worm that turned
We noticed that quite a few people are understandably excited about Gameloft's upcoming Earthworm Jim "update", so we couldn't resist reporting on this little bit of news from GamerBytes. The site has spoken exclusively with Gameloft about the title and has discovered quite a few...
Monday28th Sep 2009
Nintendo Download Art, Beasts, Cars, Paddles and Wars (US)
Catchup on the Wii, new games on the DSi.
Yes, it's that time again - time to release a few WiiWare and Virtual Console games Europe has already had for some time! The WiiWare side of things is quite decent, but most people will likely pass on this week's single new VC offering. DSiWare gets a certain anticipated strategy title from Square Enix and...
News Globulos Party Wins French Milthon Award
Globulos Party voted best mobile platform game of the year.
GlobZ has just informed us that their upcoming DSiWare release Globulos Party has just won the "Mobile Platform Game of the Year" award at the Milthon French Awards show. You can check out the press release below and we'll keep you updated on the progress of the game. We've also...
News Gravitronix Coming to North America on October 5th
The long-awaited WiiWare title is finally about to see a release.
Medaverse Studios has just announced that their long-awaited WiiWare title Gravitronix will be released onto the North American WiiWare service on October 5th for 500 Wii Points. To celebrate, they've released a brand new batch of screenshots of the game in action, along with a new...
Sunday27th Sep 2009
Review Wacky World of Sports (Wii)
Or should that be "Tacky World of Warts"? Maybe...
It’s a well-known fact that the Wii excels at quick-fire games – sports compilations and minigame packages abound, and amongst all those renditions of golf, tennis, boxing and the rest you’d have to assume there’s no sport on Earth yet to be rendered in glorious Wii-o-vision. Well, you would...
Will DJ Star get your party started?
Sold as a sort of DJ-ing equivalent to the Guitar Hero franchise, DJ Star offers up the Guitar Hero concept for the Ibiza generation. You won’t find any guitars here: your instrument of choice is instead a set of decks, and your mission is to fill the dance-floor with as many dancers as possible. Loading up DJ...
Review Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam (DSiWare)
A fallen soufflé
You may remember this game from its appearance on WiiWare, so you won't be surprised to know this is a direct port. We didn’t think much to its incarnation on the Wii, particularly struggling with its controls, but now it’s on the DSi is it more to our taste? Yes and no, is the answer. Essentially, the DSiWare version is...
Bowser, Bang Camaro and Nintendo's Media Summit! Plus, your voices!
It's already been four weeks since our EA Interview Extravaganza, so that means it's time for the eighth episode of the Nintendo Life podcast! As usual we have a recap of our news and reviews, meaning we revisit some of the stellar games we've seen this month - Professor Layton and...
Saturday26th Sep 2009
Stranger in a strange land...
Would you like to hear a story? Good! This is a story about Opoona and his family: his daddy is a famous Cosmo Guard -- that's right, Opoona and his family are from the planet Tizia. In fact, Opoona's daddy is one of the most famous Cosmo Guards ever! He was recently awarded the title of Startizian -- a rank only a...
Review R-Type (Virtual Console / Master System)
Blast off and attack the evil Bydo Empire once again in 8-bit!
While we applaud Sega for bringing some of its most fondly remembered Master System games to the Virtual Console, we can’t help feeling that on this occasion it is a little bit pointless. After all, we’ve had a near arcade perfect port of R-Type on the TurboGrafx-16 since 2006, which...
News Nintendo Download 29-30 September 2009 (Japan)
Things are back on track with a 2-4-7 week!
After another download holiday Japanese downloaders (and their importing compatriots) are having a week that's more VC than WiiWare and more DSiWare than anything else. WiiWareHamekomi Lucky Puzzle Wii Returns (500pts - Tryfirst) -- This is the sequel to the game known as NEVES Plus elsewhere: a puzzle...
News Monsters of Dragon Quest Wars
Check out the monsters you'll be using in battle.
The good folks at Square-Enix were kind enough to send over some information on the monsters that will be used during battle in their upcoming DSiWare strategy title Dragon Quest Wars. You can check out the monster list below to find out what each one has to offer up in battle from an offensive and...
Friday25th Sep 2009
Review Biker Mice From Mars (Super Nintendo)
Time to rock 'n ride!
If you want to know what Biker Mice from Mars is like, think of it this way. Take RC Pro-Am for the NES, change the cars into Harleys, and then throw a bunch of thug-like mice onto those bikes and there you have it. It's pretty much a carbon copy of the ideas and gameplay found in RC Pro-Am, with the over-the-top weirdness of...
Review You, Me, and the Cubes (WiiWare)
Are these cubes worthy of Rubik, or just rubes?
Anticipation for this title has been somewhat high 'round these parts, thanks to some excellent first impressions by our own Sean Aaron. The only question was whether or not we would ever get our hands on it, but as of this week, we have. And so should you. Brainchild of the mad genius Kenji Eno,...
News Trent Reznor Big Fan of Nintendo
Charismatic frontman talks video games in his latest interview.
You might not know it, but the charismatic front man of Nine Inch Nails just happens to be a huge video game fan. Not only that, he's also a huge fan of Nintendo. Joystiq recently caught up with Trent and conducted an interview in which he shared many of his thoughts and stories on the...
News Assassin's Creed II: Discovery To Make Use of DSi Camera
Handheld spin-off also launching alongside home console editions
It's just been confirmed that the DS version of Assassin's Creed II will make use of the DSi's camera to enable players to put their own faces on wanted posters within the game. Thankfully it hasn't been stated that the game is a DSi-only release, so owners of the DS and DS Lite should...
News Limited Edition Wii Sports Resort Bundle to Feature Two Wii MotionPlus Accessories
For a limited time you can get an extra Wii MotionPlus add-on for half the price.
Nintendo has just announced that they'll be releasing a limited edition version of their best-selling Wii Sports Resort title that will come with two Wii MotionPlus Accessories for only $59.99. You can check out the details of the offer in the official press release...
News The Elusive Kenji Eno Speaks!
Legendary games industry figure hints at future Nintendo titles
Back in the mid-90s, the games industry was lacking some of the colourful characters that you'll find today, but one man who certainly stood out was Kenji Eno, of Japanese developers Warp. Most well-known for his immersive adventure games Enemy Zero and D, as well as its ill-fated...
News Okamiden TGS Trailer Turns The Cute Factor Up to Eleven
We love Chibiterasu!
Okamiden - the sequel to the criminally under-appreciated Okami - is shaping up to be one of our most eagerly-awaiting DS titles. We don't know why, but there's something about playing as an adorable four-legged animal that appeals to our softer side. Just when you thought things couldn't get any cuter, Capcom has released an...
News F1 2009 Night Race Screens Emerge From The Darkness
Singapore Night Race recreated for the first time ever in an F1 racing title
You may (or may not) be interested to learn that F1 2009 is the first digital representation of the sport to feature a night race, as screenshots published today prove. The official F1 licence has been dormant for a while now, but this new version is promising big things...
News Japanese Virtual Console List - October 2009
Two Nintendo games which recently got DS remakes are coming to VC.
Next month's Japanese Virtual Console lineup is quite surprising - Two games which weren't expected to be released on the VC anytime soon, because they just got DS remakes, will be released anyway! Both of them are from Nintendo. Perhaps they're trying to convince other companies to...
Thursday24th Sep 2009
Review Family Tennis (WiiWare)
By downloading this game, you agree to get served
One of the very first Wiiware games was also the first in Aksys’ “Family” series: Family Table Tennis. We gave it a fairly generous 5/10 score considering we labeled it “outclassed,” “hard to recommend” and even “un-loseable.” Well, it seems that someone at Aksys was paying...
Review Clubhouse Games Express: Strategy Pack (DSiWare)
Nintendo rehashes another set of Clubhouse Games, so we rehashed the review. Touché!
Nintendo seems to have a penchant for taking its DS retail releases, cutting them up into bits and selling them on the DSiWare service. So it should come as no surprise that it's at it again with this third release in the Clubhouse Games Express series. This time...
News Capcom Unveils Sengoku Basara Samurai Heroes and Ghost Trick
New Wii and DS titles revealed at TGS 2009
Capcom has already dropped the Frank-bomb on Tatsunoko vs. Capcom at this year's TGS but there's more fun to be had with two new announcements. First up is the next instalment in the massively popular (at least in Japan, anyway) of the Sengoku Basara series (which has previously been known as Devil Kings...
News Zombies Ate My Neighbors Heading to Virtual Console for Real This Time?
The OFLC seems to think so.
In the latest OFLC update, fans of LucasArts will find that one of their most requested games seems to be on its way to the Virtual Console at long last. Zombies Ate My Neighbors is an awesome SNES and Mega Drive game in which you play as one or two teenagers attempting to rescue their neighbors from zombies, mummies,...
News New Super Mario Bros. Wii also confirmed for November European release
On November 20th - just 5 days after the North American release - Mario fans in Europe will be playing New Super Mario Bros. Wii
This comes as very welcome news to European Wii fans - no stupidly long PAL-wait™ this time around, here's what Nintendo Europe had to say about the upcoming Mario adventure: A classic 2D adventure, the game follows the...
News Here Are Those Mario & Sonic Dream Events You Ordered
First look at the special events of Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games
Sega Europe has released a trailer that details the "Dream Events" featured in the forthcoming Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games. As fans of the original game will tell you, these events are a little bit on the zany side, and as a result they're often...
Nintendo Download R-Type, Cubes, Monkey Island, Poker and Cookery (EU)
WiiWare plays catchup to North America while VC and DSiWare both get one new game.
WiiWare this week is mostly predictable - All three games have been out in North America for some time, and two of them were even specifically announced for release today. VC and DSiWare are a bit more surprising, although neither of them has really gotten something...
News French Government Lobbied To Establish Retro Gaming Museum
Now there's an idea we can all agree with!
MO5 - a group of retro video gaming fans - has lobbied the French government to start up a retro video game museum. More specifically, it's after a "National Institute of Digital Sciences", where visitors can view - and play - classic systems. MO5 members between them currently own around 30,000...
News Frank West Confirmed For Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
Zombie killer channels Mega Man
Looks like that leaked list of new Tatsunoko vs. Capcom characters is spot-on in at least one regard, as Capcom has revealed at the Tokyo Game Show that Frank West has been added to the Western and Japanese rerelease of the fighter. West made his first appearance in Capcom's Xbox 360 game Dead Rising, which later...
News New Super Mario Bros. Wii Confirmed For November Release
Mark the 15th down in your diary, North American Nintendo fans
Nintendo has officially confirmed that New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be hitting store shelves in North America on the 15th November. The actual announcement comes as little surprise; a pre-Christmas release had been fully expected by many sectors of the industry and some had even...
News Nintendo Announces Official U.S. Wii Price Drop
Will be $199 starting this Sunday
After days of alleged price drop sightings in upcoming American store circular ads, it's officially official: Nintendo will drop the price of the Wii in the U.S. to $199 on Sunday, Sept. 27. That's this Sunday. Marked down from $250, the best-selling system will retain it's original Wii Sports bundle. The new price...
News New Wii Bundle to Hit British Shelves
Grab yourself all sorts of new gubbins for £180
Yes, we've just reported that the Wii's trade price has dropped, but that's not all the good news we have for those Brits yet to take the plunge and buy one of those Wii machines. That's right - biding your time and sitting on the fence may just have got you a good deal, as Nintendo has let slip that...
News Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll TGS Trailer and Info
Ei-Ei-Poo!
Sega has announced at Tokyo Games Show that the next instalment in the Super Monkey Ball franchise will hit the Wii in February 2010, and also provided us with a few more details about the game itself. We already know the monkeys will be controlled via the Balance Board, although the game will still support the Remote and Nunchuk...
News Top 20 DSiWare Games in USA (24th Sept)
It's Thursday and time for our DSiWare Top 20!
It's time to take a look at the most popular DSiWare titles available on the DSi Shop. If you're feeling adventurous you can even take a look for yourself by simply logging on to the DSi Shop, heading into the DSiWare section and then viewing by "Popular Games". It's that easy! We compile this...
News UK Wii Price Continues to Resemble Rat Up a Drainpipe
Is it up or down today?
You may recall a few short weeks ago we reported that one UK games retailer had decided to increase the price of Wii consoles, as a result of the increased costs of buying the consoles from Nintendo (something else we covered!). However, we've just learnt that Nintendo are now set to decrease the unit cost of Wii consoles to...
Wednesday23rd Sep 2009
Write your way to victory!
You don’t have to solve - or even begin - the included challenges to fully appreciate what Scribblenauts is trying to do. Right after the opening credits slide show, you are greeted by Maxwell standing in a field with nothing to do but smile as he always does. So you give him something to do. Anything. Type...
News Capcom Cordially Invites You To Decide The Next Versus Title
Company blog wants you to submit your dream crossover idea
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is just around the corner for Western fighting fans but Capcom is already thinking about future instalments in its insanely popular "Versus" series. Posting on the Capcom Unity blog, team member Snow has asked fans to submit their own ideas for the next crossover title...
Nintendo Life wishes the Big N a very happy 120th birthday.
Well, it's been a long time (120 years, would you believe?) since the small Japanese handmade card business was founded, and where would the video game world be without them? The years have seen ups, downs, highs and lows for the Japanese gaming giant, but through thick and thin they've...
News Rage of the Gladiator to Support Wii MotionPlus
Ghostfire Games listens to its fans and adds in new control feature.
Who says that game developers never listen to their fans? It seems one developer is listening and has decided to add on a very important feature to their upcoming WiiWare fighter. Of course this also marks the first WiiWare release to make use of the Wii MotionPlus system, as well...
News Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (23rd Sept)
It's Wednesday again and time for the WiiWare Top 20!
It's time to take a look at the most popular WiiWare titles available on the Wii Shop Channel. If you're feeling adventurous you can even take a look for yourself by simply logging on to your Wii Shop Channel, heading into the WiiWare section and then viewing "Popular Games". It's that easy! We...
News EnjoyUp To Release Zombie BBQ on DSiWare in Europe
DS retail release becomes a download-only version for Euro gamers
EnjoyUp Games has confirmed today that it is working with Gammick Entertainment to release its shooter title Little Red Riding Hood Zombie BBQ on DSiWare in Europe. The game was previously only available in North America (and some parts of Europe) as a fully-fledged DS retail release...
News Brand New Dragon Quest Wars Screenshots
Check out the newest batch of screenshots from the upcoming DSiWare release.
The good folks at Square-Enix were kind enough to send us over the latest batch of screenshots from the upcoming English release of their DSiWare title Dragon Quest Wars. You can take a look at the new screenshots below, along with a snippet of information that accompanied...
Tuesday22nd Sep 2009
Any port in a storm?
For those of you who missed out on the PS1/N64 generation of the late 1990s, Rayman was actually quite a big deal. Viewed by many well recognized gaming institutions as one of the ‘Greatest games of all time’, Rayman 2: The Great Escape received many plaudits for its innovative level design and gameplay features. Though a...
News Suda Clarifies No More Wii For No More Heroes
Third installment will be for Nintendo's eventual next console
In early July, punk game designer Goicha Suda, perhaps better known as Suda51, commented on future games in developer Grasshopper's No More Heroes series, saying that he believed sequel Desperate Struggle would be the last one on Wii. It appears that the gaming media, Nintendo Life...
Competition Meet the 'Real' Professor Layton
Answer his riddles and you shall receive his gifts
Ever wanted to meet a real-life Professor Layton and have a chat? Well, now you can — so long as you live in America that is. Nintendo are sending out the good old Professor (or at least someone dressed as him) to cities across the country and if you can discover where he is, you'll be asked to...
News More Metroid Prime in the Pipeline?
Developer interview hints that the series is far from over
When Retro Studios put the finishing touches to Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, it stated that it would be the final game in the series. The announcement of Metroid: Other M - which is being handled by Tecmo's Team Ninja - seemed to confirm this, despite the recent repackaging of all three...
News PopCap Sets Sights On DSiWare, DS
Bookworm and Bejeweled Twist to both get downloadable and retail entries
Not too long ago PopCap Games, the folks behind smash hits Bejeweled, Peggle, and the recent Plants Vs. Zombies, announced their intentions on expanding their output to include Nintendo consoles. We weren't sure whether that meant retail games or downloadable ones, but as it...
News Here Are Those 3 New DSi Colours You Wanted
Nintendo gives European gamers a splash of colour with new DSi models
From October 23rd lucky European DSi fans will be able to get their grubby hands on not one but THREE new shades of their favourite console. Perfectly complimenting the current black and white editions, the new DSi colours are Metallic Blue, Light Blue and Red. What's more, the...
Wednesday23rd Sep 2009
News Square Enix Prez Stares Into Crystal Ball; Sees New Wii in 2011
Thoughts also passed on motion control
Square Enix president Yoichi Wada has opened his mouth and allowed various predictions to spew forth, some of which were collected and bottled during an interview with The Financial Times. Wada has foretold that Nintendo's successor to the Wii will be available in 2011, and is likely to be closer to the PS3/360...
Tuesday22nd Sep 2009
News Stunt Cars Gameplay Trailer
Check out the upcoming WiiWare racer in action.
We just got our hands on the official gameplay trailer for the upcoming WiiWare racing title Stunt Cars from Icon Games. You can check out the gameplay video, below along with a snippet of information about the game. As usual, we'll have more information on Stunt Cars as it becomes available, as well...
Monday21st Sep 2009
Review Learning with the PooYoos - Episode 1 (WiiWare)
Who said gaming was just for big kids?
Children’s games and WiiWare – a coupling that hasn’t really been explored. Well, that was the case until Lexis Numérique released Learning With the PooYoos Episode 1 on the WiiWare service. Designed for children between the ages of 3-6, this game set out to captivate the minds of the youngest gamers,...
Review Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii)
Gorgeous, engrossing, flawed.
A lot of Muramasa: The Demon Blade's pre-release hype hinged on its art; while you could get a good impression of the beauty of the game, it isn’t until you have it in motion on your own screen that it hits you. Vanillaware has delivered a visual and aural feast in its portrayal of feudal Japan; Muramasa is truly a...
Review MySims Camera (DSiWare)
Ever wanted to share a photo with a My Sim? No, we haven't either...
My Sims Camera is a simple program that requires an equally simple explanation; essentially, it takes animations from the My Sims series and allows you to edit photos taken with the DSi camera by placing characters and stamps into your photos in various poses and styles. The game...
News Rare: Fate Was Against Us With Goldeneye
UK developer sees little chance of a Virtual Console release
A while back we got rather excited about the prospect of seeing the N64 classic Goldeneye on the Virtual Console. Such enthusiasm was perfectly understandable - it's still one of the best FPS games you're ever likely to play - but sadly legal wrangles between Nintendo, Microsoft and...
News Wii Sports an answer to Parkinson's?
"Wii-hab" proving useful for sufferers
A hope of improving the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease could very well lie in an unlikely source! Over the course of summer, the Medical College of Georgia researched the effects of “Wii-hab” on people with the disease. 18 people were asked to play Wii Sports for an hour a day, three times a...
Nintendo Download Cubes, Ninjas, Tennis, Strategy Games and Cameras (US)
Nintendo finally releases their quirky new WiiWare game.
As it was already announced some time ago that Nintendo's latest WiiWare offering, You, Me and the Cubes would be released in North America during the summer, it was pretty much a given it would come out this week - This week has the last update of the summer, after all. It's accompanied by...
News Rage of the Gladiator - Naginata Trailer
Ghostfire Games shows off more of their upcoming WiiWare fighter.
Ed Roman, CEO of Ghostfire Games, has just sent over the latest video of their upcoming WiiWare fighter Rage of the Gladiator in action. You can check out Naginata in all of his Ninja glory and get another taste of what you can expect from this unique WiiWare fighting title. Below is...
Tuesday22nd Sep 2009
Server upgrade
We've moved to a brand spanking new server, "Slow Mondays" should be a thing of the past. Thanks to all you guys, 2009 has been a fantastic year for Nintendo Life. We've grown a lot since the fusion of Nintendo Life / Virtual Console Reviews / WiiWare World and frankly our popularity was causing our server to suffer. It's been...
Sunday20th Sep 2009
Review Star Fox (Super Nintendo)
Pretty Foxy stuff...
In 1993 the Mega Drive / Genesis was selling well and 2D was the bread and butter of console gaming. "Emergency, emergency… emergency, emergency! Incoming fighters prepare for launch", hailed the 16-bit Nintendo counter attack. For Sega and NEC it was too late: the swooping Nintendo Arwing squadron hammered the early ‘90s...
News WiiWare & DSiWare London Event - DSiWare Coverage
We get to grips with the DSiWare games at Nintendo's media summit held in London, 16th September
Well, as if the landslide of WiiWare information from Wednesday’s media summit wasn’t enough, we now have summaries of the DSiWare titles on show. And while the selection on Nintendo's portable machine may not have been as high profile as its console...
News Starfox: To be, or not to be?
When will the furry hero return?
New Starfox this, new Starfox that; there's been a lot of talk about the series recently, so here's a little filler in for the people who haven't been closely following. You may have read the articles back a few weeks claiming that in the next Nintendo Power issue, a new Starfox game for Wii would be revealed. The...
Introducing Payne, your new best friend
Red Steel 2 is looking more and more exciting with every piece of new media. You'll be pleased to hear then that this latest piece doesn't disappoint. The trailer showcases the first boss of the game, and who doesn't like bosses? [Depends if you're talking about the day job! - Editor] If you remember during...
Saturday19th Sep 2009
A magnetic arcade experience with plenty of attraction.
Whilst it seems that there is a surfeit of puzzle games on Nintendo's WiiWare service it has to be said that their overall quality goes a long way to making their numeracy forgivable. Magnetis is developer Yullaby's first offering on WiiWare and definitely deserves a place in the list of...
Interviews Learning with the PooYoos - Lexis Numérique’s Djamil Kemal
Djamil Kemal talks about what it’s like creating a WiiWare game for the youngest end of the gaming spectrum.
The WiiWare service has been growing from strength to strength, with a truly varied range of games covering almost every genre and demograph; however, if there is one market that has yet to be tapped into on this service, it is that of...
Friday18th Sep 2009
Review Soul Blazer (Super Nintendo)
Still one of the greatest action RPGs ever created.
At a time when action RPGs were truly beginning to catch on with gamers, Soul Blazer came along and offered up an adventure that was as charming and engaging as any role-playing game fans had experienced. Taking many of the unique gameplay elements found in the Actraiser title that came before it,...
Review Golden Axe (Virtual Console / Virtual Console Arcade)
Sega's classic fantasy side-scroller hits the Virtual Console in its original arcade form - but is it any good?
It would be fair to say that the expansion of the Wii Virtual Console to incorporate arcade releases has been extremely welcome, but it has resulted in one rather unusual side-effect: we’re seeing rampant duplication of titles already...
Saturday19th Sep 2009
Interviews Spaceball Revolution - Virtual Toys
The Director answers a few questions for us about the past, present and future of Virtual Toys.
After reviewing their most recent game Spaceball Revolution, it seemed a good time to find out a little more about veteran developer Virtual Toys. Corporate Director Fabriciano Bayo was kind enough to answer a few questions for us and give us some...
Friday18th Sep 2009
News Braben: Many Wii Owners Don't Realise They Can Go Online
LostWinds developer admits that the situation is improving, though
Frontier boss David Braben has stated that he believes many Wii owners aren't even aware of their console's connectivity. Braben, who is currently putting the finishing touches to the LostWinds sequel Winter of the Melodias, had this to say: With online on Wii, it is gradually...
First Impressions Derby Dog (WiiWare)
This breed needs a little more refinement.
Pet sims have been all the rage with the "yoof" for some time; especially on the Nintendo DS with scads of games having words ending with "Z" instead of the more grammatically correct "S." Derby Dog for the Japanese WiiWare service is clearly designed to cash-in on this trend, however instead of simply...
News No More Heroes 2 Gets A Control Shake-Up
Classic in, Motion Plus out
Despite designer Suda 51 expressing interest in implementing Motion Plus support for his awaited sequel No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle, it looks like that ain't happening any more. Instead, developer Grasshopper is opting for a more old-school approach. 1UP reports that instead of improved motion controls, Classic...
News Fast Draw Showdown Coming to WiiWare
Digital Leisure brings a classic arcade shooter to WiiWare.
Digital Leisure has just announced that they'll be bringing the classic arcade shooter Fast Draw Showdown to the WiiWare service later this year. What will mark the first full-motion video release for the service, the game promises to feature plenty of arcade shooting fun to the WiiWare...
Thursday17th Sep 2009
Review Art Academy: First Semester (DSiWare)
Paint Misbehavin'
Much moreso than WiiWare, DSiWare has seen a significant number of non-game releases. Applications, utilities, programs...call them what you will, but they're not games, and they've not been exactly welcomed universally, either. Art Academy may well be poised to change that, not least because they've selected as their focus...
Review Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
It's River City Ransom with a side order of Track & Field.
What do you get when you combine the River City Ransom theme with Track and Field-style gameplay? You get Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge. The game takes the street gang theme and creates some fitting Olympic-style events to go along with it. Sounds like a mouth-watering proposition, but...
Nintendo Download Super Star Wars, Golden Axe, Magnetis, PooYoos and MySims Camera (EU)
Something for people of all ages.
Although WiiWare and DSiWare have a lot of games left to get this year, if everything on Nintendo's list actually comes out, that doesn't mean the Virtual Console is going to suffer from it (At least not yet) - Today sees the release of two new retro games, just like last week. WiiWare gets two games as well, while...
Will you have the patience to shop till you drop?
Kart racing has a long and illustrious history on Nintendo consoles. Now replace “Karts” with “shopping carts” and “racing” with “be the first to complete a tedious task” and you have Mart Racer, arguably the most unsatisfying racing game on WiiWare. Mixing the usual suspects of...
News WiiWare & DSiWare London Event - WiiWare Coverage
London, 16th September: Nintendo hold their WiiWare and DSiWare media summit, and we’re lucky enough to have been invited…
Well, those of you who scan our site on a regular basis will know that today - in London - Nintendo made a few announcements regarding the WiiWare and DSiWare service: first of all, they gave us the release schedule for a...
News Top 20 DSiWare Games in USA (17th Sept)
It's Thursday and time for our DSiWare Top 20!
It's time to take a look at the most popular DSiWare titles available on the DSi Shop. If you're feeling adventurous you can even take a look for yourself by simply logging on to the DSi Shop, heading into the DSiWare section and then viewing by "Popular Games". It's that easy! We compile this...
News First Bomberman Blitz Screenshots Released
Check out the brand new screens of the game in action!
The guys at Hudson were kind enough to send over the first batch of screenshots of their upcoming DSiWare release Bomberman Blitz in action. You can check out a snippet of information about the game below, along with the set of brand new screenshots in the screenshot gallery. Bomberman Blitz...
News Legendo Takes to the Skies with Pearl Harbor Trilogy
Episodic air combat series is making the transition to WiiWare
Legendo has confirmed that it is set to release its Pearl Harbor series on WiiWare, with the first episide - entitled Red Sun Rising - expected to touch down on the service this Winter. The games will be developed by Slovakian studio Arcade Moon and are based on the PC versions, which...
News Rubik's Puzzle Galaxy: Rush Official Trailer
Check out the upcoming WiiWare puzzler in action.
Two Tribes have just sent over the brand new official trailer of their upcoming WiiWare puzzler Rubik's Puzzle Galaxy: Rush in action. The game is currently in lot check at Nintendo, so it should see a release fairly soon if all goes according to plans. You can check out a snippet of information...
News Nostalgia "In the Skies" Trailer Released
Check out the newest trailer of the game in action!
The guys at Ignition Entertainment were kind enough to send over a brand new gameplay trailer for their upcoming DS RPG Nostalgia. In this trailer you can see how exploration is executed in the air, as well as some of the unique aerial battles the game makes use of. You can check out the brand new...
News Gravitronix Gameplay Trailer Released
Check out the long-awaited WiiWare title in action.
You might remember that Gravitronix was one of the first WiiWare games announced all the way back in October of 2007. We even conducted an interview with Medaverse a few months later regarding the game. Well we've got good news. (Of course any news after almost two years is good) Medaverse has...
Wednesday16th Sep 2009
News Nintendo of Europe Announce WiiWare and DSiWare Plans for 2009
NoE has once again revealed a bunch of their upcoming downloadable games in advance.
Today, Nintendo of Europe held a press event for the announcement of a whole bunch of DSiWare and WiiWare titles. And it paid off - There's at least 37 WiiWare games left for the rest of the year, so it looks like we're going to get at least 2 every single week from...
News Help People Get Their Wii Consoles Online, Get Free Games
Nintendo of Europe announces their upcoming promotion.
Not too long ago, Nintendo of Japan announced a new promotion - those who helped enough people connect their Wii consoles to the Internet would receive free Wii Points and the ability to download a multitude of Virtual Console games absolutely free. Nintendo of Europe has now announced that they...
First Impressions Minna de Tobikome! Penguin Diving Hooper Looper
Jumping off a cliff can be fun!
"Everybody dive!" is part of the title of Agenda's newest WiiWare game to hit the Japanese Wii Shop, and that is what this game is all about: diving off cliffs – as penguins are known to do – for big points! Of course this isn't March of the Penguins, so the penguins in this game aren't dropping off...
News Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth Coming This Month
Nintendo's confirms Konami title as a Q3 release
Wow, things sure move quickly in the world of WiiWare. We've only just heard the awesome news that Konami's new Castlevania is in the works, and now Nintendo's own release list has confirmed that the game is going to be with us sooner than expected - this month, in fact. Castlevania: The Adventure...
News The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks dated
Just in time to fill your stocking!
Pull out your Christmas wish-lists everybody! The latest game in the Legend of Zelda series has been dated by Nintendo of America through their holiday line-up announcement for a December 7 release. There's no word as of yet when it will be out in European/Australasian territories. Though we don’t know a lot...
News Castle of Magic Trailer is Conjured Out of Thin Air
Gameloft's old school platformer crosses over from the iPhone
Nintendo's recent confirmation of upcoming releases for the remainder of 2009 has thrown up some pleasant surprises, with Gameloft's Castle of Magic being one of the more interesting DSiWare announcements. Based on the well-received iPhone version (which in turn evolved from a similarly...
Thursday17th Sep 2009
News Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (16th Sept)
It's Wednesday again and time for the WiiWare Top 20!
It's time to take a look at the most popular WiiWare titles available on the Wii Shop Channel. If you're feeling adventurous you can even take a look for yourself by simply logging on to your Wii Shop Channel, heading into the WiiWare section and then viewing "Popular Games". It's that...
Tuesday15th Sep 2009
Book Review Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry
Game over man
You won’t find an abundance of book reviews here on Nintendo Life – we’re aimed squarely at providing you the best content from the world of interactive entertainment, after all – but anyone who considers themselves to be a fan of The Big N (or video gaming in general) should read David’s Sheff’s Game Over (or Game Over:...
News Shantae Coming to DSiWare
WayForward set to release the long-awaited sequel to their Game Boy Color classic!
Well it's been a long time coming, but Shantae fans are about to have their wishes come true with the release of not one, but three new Shantae episodic titles on Nintendo's DSiWare service. The first release Shantae: Risky's Revenge, is expected to hit the DSiWare...
News Bomberman Coming to DSiWare
Hudson brings their Bomberman series to DSiWare!
Over the years we've seen the Bomberman series make appearances on just about every video game system around, and now Hudson are bringing their hit multiplayer series to Nintendo's DSiWare service with the announcement of Bomberman Blitz! Below is a snippet of information from the official press...
News Nintendo Trademarks "The Last Story"
What has The Big N got planned?
It's been revealed that Nintendo has registered the title "The Last Story" as a trademark in Japan. The title is registered in English - which might not come as a massive shock, but Nintendo normally files its names in Japanese. Could this mean we're looking at an international release for the mysterious...
Monday14th Sep 2009
Review Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (DS)
Is the third time the charm for the Mario & Luigi series?
After years of hearing Super Mario RPG fans clamor for a sequel, Nintendo put developer AlphaDream to work creating a new Mario-themed RPG for their Game Boy Advance system back in 2003. But instead of copying the same ideas used in the original Super Mario RPG, AlphaDream came up with the...
Have your prayers been answered?
Cursed Mountain, like its ghostly enemies, came out of nowhere to surprise us: a bona fide adult game, where the phrase doesn't equate to gratuitous swearing, gore and nudity, designed exclusively for Wii. With a story heavy on Buddhist philosophies, a combat system that requires prayer gestures and plenty of other...
Review Solomon's Key (Virtual Console / Virtual Console Arcade)
A near-identical version of a game already available on the Virtual Console
Way back when the Wii came out in late 2006, one of the initial games available on Virtual Console was the NES version of Solomon's Key. Now that arcade games have been added to the service's catalogue, Tecmo has chosen to release the original arcade version. But is it...
News Left 4 Dead Map Infects Mushroom Kingdom
You gotta shoot 'em in the head
Has the Mushroom Kingdom ever really been a happy place? Seems every time we visit the castle is under siege, the princess is kidnapped and a Brooklyn plumber goes on a killing spree. The old kingdom looks like it's going to be in for another bumpy ride as, what else, zombies are preparing to muck up the...
Now $179 of your Canadian moneys
Several retailers in Canada, including Toys R Us, are listing the Nintendo DSi at a lower price point. Originally $199 Canadian (equivalent to $183 US or €125), the new price is down to $179 Canadian (or $165 US and €113). By comparison, the DS Lite is $139 CAD. No word on whether this price drop will be rolled...
Interviews LostWinds 2 - Frontier's David Braben
The big boss man talks to Nintendo Life about LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias
It's hard to believe that LostWinds was a WiiWare launch title. It still effortlessly overshadows much of the content being published on the service and remains a deliciously playable slice of video gaming that puts even full-price retail releases to shame. The game was...
Nintendo Download Spaceballs, Shopping Carts, Poker, Street Challenges, Art and Toys (US)
Another WiiWare boost with three new games.
For some reason, Nintendo chose not to reveal today's releases in advance - Not only did they not put a press release on their press site, but they didn't even send one to journalists through email! We have no idea why, because this is actually a relatively solid week - Definitely not as bad as some past...
Feature Super Nintendo Review Fridays
We're going to show the Super Nintendo console some love each Friday.
You might remember that we recently gave some love to Nintendo's Game Boy system in our Game Boy 20th Anniversary Special. Well the feature went over so well that we've decided to do another one and this time we're going to be showering some attention on another legendary Nintendo...
News Wal Mart: Wii Price to be Rolled Back Next Month
Worldwide price cut may be on the cards - but will UK gamers see the benefit?
It's a funny time in retail at present. The global economy is still reeling from the worldwide recession and in the UK - where the value of the Pound has plummeted - Nintendo has been forced to push up the trade price of its Wii console, which in turn has resulted in some...
News Nintendo Channel Gets An Update in North America
Easier to navigate and prettier to boot
Nintendo has rolled out the update that hit the Japanese Nintendo Channel a little while ago to North America today. The channel now includes a much-improved navigation system, the option to stream "high-quality" video, reworked game recommendation setup, a better statistics presentation and a whole...
News Mobile Hit Townsmen Tipped for DSiWare Release
HandyGames's CEO confirms that talks are taking place
Most mobile phone games are pretty poor, hindered mainly by the terrible control systems sported by the majority of handsets out there right now. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule - and one of them is HandyGames's brilliant Townsmen series. Speaking in a recent interview with...
News Toys R Us Get In On Wii Price Drop Shenanigans
Print ad indicates forthcoming price drop for North America
First Wal-Mart, now Toys R Us. We're still officially sticking with rumor for now, but maybe something is in the cards after all? A scan of a circular ad for the big ol' toy store due to hit the week of Sept. 27 indicates that the console/Wii Sports bundle will be dropped to $199, putting...
News Flowerworks "Coming Soon" To WiiWare
Flowers, explosions and gnomes, oh my!
Aussie developers Nocturnal Entertainment have announced that their WiiWare title Flowerworks is just about ready to drop after 18 month in development. No date or window was given for the release, but we've got a whole slew of new screens for you to check out. Flowerworks is an adventure that puts you in the...
Sunday13th Sep 2009
Review Rygar (Virtual Console / Virtual Console Arcade)
Lesser-known than its NES counterpart, but is it still worth picking up?
When you utter the name "Rygar", many people will instantly think of the NES game with the same name. In it, you played as the bare-chested warrior Rygar, making his way through both side-scrolling and overhead stages using his unique weapon, the Diskarmor, to take...
Review Spaceball: Revolution (WiiWare)
Balls in Spaaaaaace!
The primary attraction of the arcade puzzle game is the immediacy of the arcade experience. Unlike a game like sudoku or a crossword, there's no taking time to figure out what to do next, you simply play out the game reacting to events and aim for the highest score possible. Of course the key to a good arcade puzzle game is...
First Impressions Penguin United CrossFire Remote Pistol
Is the first gun-shaped Wiimote a sharp-shooter or full of blanks? We put it to the test.
Thanks to the built-in pointer capabilities of the Wiimote, light gun games have seen a renaissance of sorts on Nintendo’s little white box. Connoisseurs of this genre have a load of accessory options in the shape of plastic shells a la Nyko’s lauded...
News Wii Version of Madden NFL 10 Selling Poorly
Wii owners are not feeling the love for Madden 10.
It's certainly no surprise that EA's newest Madden release Madden NFL 10 is selling like hotcakes at retail, but it seems this sales success doesn't include the Nintendo Wii version of the game. Although the game has sold nearly 2 million copies since its launch two weeks ago, the Wii version of the...
Nintendo Download 15-16 September 2009 (Japan)
The magic numbers next week are 3-3-4 as WiiWare makes a reappearance in Japan.
After a wee holiday from the Japanese download service, WiiWare has come back with three new titles along with three Virtual Console titles and four DSiWare titles for happy downloaders everywhere. WiiWareMinna de Tobikome Penguin Diving Hooper Looper (500pts -...
News Castlevania Comes to WiiWare
The third game in Konami's ReBirth series is a trip back to Dracula's castle
The ESRB has frequently revealed previously unknown games for WiiWare, Virtual Console and DSiWare through its software ratings. Today's new ratings include perhaps the biggest reveal yet - a brand new Castlevania game for WiiWare! After Gradius and Contra, and Koji...
Saturday12th Sep 2009
Review 2-in-1 Solitaire (DSiWare)
Like a deck of cards, only smaller...
As you'd expect from a 200 point version of Solitaire, you're not exactly going to be blown away by all the options on offer here. You've got Spider and Klondike versions of the card game, and they both have two initial difficulty settings to choose from, so once you've made your selections on both screens...
Friday11th Sep 2009
News New Add-On Content Released For FFIV: The After Years
When they say "final," they never really mean it
Square-Enix has announced that an add-on pack for their mobile-turned-WiiWare title Final Fantasy IV: The After Years is now available for download in PAL territories. Called The Crystals "The Planet Eater," the add-on will run you 800 spacebucks and 17 blocks, and you've gotta stop the...
News Top 20 DSiWare Games in USA (11th Sept)
It's Friday and time for our DSiWare Top 20!
It's time to take a look at the most popular DSiWare titles available on the DSi Shop. If you're feeling adventurous you can even take a look for yourself by simply logging on to the DSi Shop, heading into the DSiWare section and then viewing by "Popular Games". It's that easy! We compile this...
News Spaceball: Revolution Coming to NA on Monday
The unique WiiWare puzzler is almost here.
We've just learned that Spaceball: Revolution will be coming to the North American WiiWare service on Monday, September 14th for 800 Wii Points. We were also able to get our hands on a brand new gameplay trailer of the game in action that you can check out below for a taste of what you can expect from this...
News Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (11th Sept)
It's Friday again and time for the WiiWare Top 20!
It's time to take a look at the most popular WiiWare titles available on the Wii Shop Channel. If you're feeling adventurous you can even take a look for yourself by simply logging on to your Wii Shop Channel, heading into the WiiWare section and then viewing "Popular Games". It's that...
Thursday10th Sep 2009
Review Super Return of the Jedi (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
The Emperor has been expecting you
The third and final game in the Super Star Wars series promises more of the same great experience offered as its two forerunners, but did LucasArts give us a conclusion worthy of the series or just a clichéd third act with some kid-friendly Ewoks thrown in? Like the previous two outings, Super Return of the Jedi...
Review Kid Klown in Crazy Chase (Super Nintendo)
You don't have to be crazy to play this game, but it helps!
Super Mario World, Yoshi’s Island, Super Metroid, ActRaiser, Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, Mario All-Stars, the Donkey Kong Country trilogy…these games all have three things in common: they’re all platform games, they’re all on Super Nintendo, and they’re all genuine classics that stand out...
Review Professor Layton and Pandora's Box (DS)
Is Professor Layton's second adventure the worthy sequel fans are hoping for?
After the success of the first Professor Layton release on the DS, it should come as no surprise that we'd get a sequel. The game's unique blend of mystery storytelling and brain-teasing puzzles somehow forms one of the most unique and engrossing gaming experiences...
Nintendo Download Rygar, Solomon's Key, Spaceball and Solitaire (EU)
The last two weeks had no new Virtual Console games, but this time there's two.
Finally, some more Virtual Console Arcade support from a publisher other than Sega! It's not Namco, with their gigantic catalogue of arcade games already available in Japan, but rather Tecmo, who has chosen to release two more of their coin-op classics. Rygar is very...
News Super Meat Boy Development Update
A little information update on Team Meat's upcoming WiiWare title.
Well I just got a sneak peek at the brand new Super Meat Boy trailer that the guys at Team Meat will be showing at the upcoming Nintendo Media Summit in London and I have to say, the game is looking absolutely amazing! Not only are there quite a few little retro gaming surprises in...
News Tekkaman Blade Joins Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom
Rumor: Other new characters leaked?
Capcom has said that they would explore adding new features and characters to the Western release of the anticipated Wii fighter Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, but until now they've been pretty cagey about what those shiny new features actually are. Well, besides online play, we know they're pushing hard for that. This...
News Aardman Studios Teams With Nintendo For A Dozen Flipnotes
The house that Wallace and Gromit built go DSi
In a pretty smart marketing move on Nintendo's part, Oscar-winning animation house Aardman Animations is set to create twelve Flipnote Studio toons for the weeks leading up to Christmas. Tim Ruffle, one of Aardman's animators, will be the one behind the stylus. The first of these Flipnote shorts,...
Interviews Carnival King - Incredible Technologies
Incredible Technologies gives us the lowdown on their upcoming WiiWare title.
We recently caught up with Andy Kniaz, VP of Incredible Technologies and project manager on the WiiWare title Carnival King to get the lowdown on their upcoming title. You can read the full contents of the interview below for a taste of what you can expect from this unique...
News OFLC Ratings Promise Street Fighting Action
Two of Capcom's vintage brawlers get the classifications board treatment
Australia's OFLC ratings board has just confirmed that two instalments in Capcom's classics Street Fighter series have been awarded official ratings, which means they're probably coming to the Virtual Console very soon. Fighting Street is the PC Engine/TG16 version of the very...
News First Bands Announced For MAGFest 8
Metroid Metal and Arm Cannon to play New Years music and game festival
The annual New Year's Music and Gaming Festival, a four-day blast of gaming and concerts, has announced the first bands lined up for it's eighth time round the block. Metroid Metal, the band with the most self-explanatory name in music who we caught up with a little while ago,...
News Europe Getting Second Extreme Space Invasion
Set to hit DS early next month.
Those invaders, they never learn. First they tried to invade back in '78 and we fought 'em off. They took the fight to us, but then we whooped 'em back. Then they went all psychedelic on us and we still shot 'em in the face. Well, now they're gonna try some more of that whole trippy thing in Europe on October 2 on DS...
News Oscar in Toyland Available in North America Next Monday
DSiWare's first platformer makes the leap across the ocean next week.
Rated by the ESRB a while ago, Oscar in Toyland was recently released in Europe with no sign of a North American release. Developer Virtual Playground has now told us that the game will in fact be released next Monday, the 14th, so if you've been waiting for a platformer to hit...
News Rooms: The Main Building Coming To Wii, DS
Slide your way to freedom
Wii and DS owners looking to get some puzzle-y chamber sliding action on are in for a treat, as Hudson has announced their new title Rooms: The Main Building is all up in that business. Players find themselves swept into a world of mystery that proves to be unwilling to just let you waltz right on home again; instead,...
We've got two fantastic competitions running at the moment, we've extended them both another couple of days, get your entry in before midnight Saturday.
Generally we're nice people and we like to give things away (when they're given to us). Both Nintendo and Ubisoft have offered up some great prizes to our UK readers, we urge you to login and give...
News Official Copter Crisis Trailer Released
Check out the WiiWare helicopter rescue title in action.
We just got word that the official Copter Crisis trailer was online and now you can check it out for yourself. There's also a snippet of press release information below that gives a bit more information about this unique upcoming WiiWare title. You're in the pilot seat now! Copter Crisis puts...
News Hudson's Calling Gets A Trailer
I wouldn't answer that if I were you
Hudson's new survival horror game Calling seems dead-set on making you develop a fear of phones, at least if the new trailer they've just kicked over to us is any indication. Here's the scoop: The space-between-space where the Calling revolves around is made up by the memory of dead characters and various...
Wednesday9th Sep 2009
Review Ashes Cricket 2009 (Wii)
We don't like cricket... but we don't love it that much, either!
With the recent Ashes series over, the sport of cricket is buzzing with popularity, so it’s no real surprise to see the Wii get its first ‘proper’ cricket game. Codemasters have taken it upon themselves to create Ashes Cricket, but have they done enough to faithfully recreate the...
Far from the Madden crowd...
Taking its graphical cues from the recent Grand Slam Tennis, Madden NFL 10 on Wii eschews the hi-def emphasis on recreating every detail of the game, favouring a more stylised - though hardly cartoony - approach to the presentation. Defensive backs are bulky chunks of muscle, wide receivers are gangly running machines...
Review Clubhouse Games Express: Family Favorites (DSiWare)
Another stripped-down retail release for DSiWare
Nintendo seems to have a penchant for taking their DS retail releases and cutting them up into bits and selling them on the DSiWare service. So it should come as no surprise that they're at it again with this second release in the Clubhouse Games Express series. This time around, they're offering up...
First Impressions Classic Controller Pro
We go thumbs-on to determine whether it's for pros or schmoes
Launched in Japan alongside Monster Hunter 3 Tri and the Dark World Wii, the Classic Controller Pro is Nintendo's attempt at righting the wrongs of its original old-school pad. The good news is, it largely does. The bad news? It's got a few quirks of its own. We snagged a shiny black one:...
Blogs Rabbids Go Home Developer's Blog
Bahahaha!
We've teamed up with Ubisoft to bring you an insight into their latest Rabbid action, Rabbids Go Home, set for release on Wii later this year. "You can’t work on a Rabbids game without being a little bit mad yourself. We decided that the whole world needs to see quite what goes into making a 100% mental game experience like Rabbids Go...
News New Zelda Wii Trailer Rumored For October
Sword mystery to be revealed?
Rumor. Rumor rumor rumor rumor rumor. According to an anonymous insider source of Infendo's, a trailer for the new Wii Zelda title is being prepared by Nintendo to be shown at an October event. The trailer will supposedly reveal more on why Link didn't have a sword in the E3 teaser image and is said to showcase a...
News Toribash Has Finished Development
New trailer shows off violence perfected
There are two genres of games that I am absolutely terrible at: fighting and strategy. Of course, I keep buying fighting games and keep trying to be strategic, usually failing miserably at both. Certainly Toribash, a fighting game heavily focused on macro body movement strategy, is not the game for me;...
News Rage of the Gladiator Ixthid Trailer
Check out the evil beholder in action.
Ghostfire Games has just released another brand new trailer of their upcoming WiiWare release Rage of the Gladiator in action. In this video you'll be introduced to another enemy in the game named Ixthid and this tentacled bad boy looks nasty! You can check out the video below along with a snippet of...
News Exclusive Rubik's Puzzle Galaxy: Rush Screenshots
Plus we're told that the game isn't too far from a release on the WiiWare service.
Two Tribes have just sent over five brand new screenshots of their upcoming WiiWare puzzler Rubik's Puzzle Galaxy: Rush in action. The game is currently in lot check at Nintendo, so it should see a release fairly soon if all goes according to plans. You can check out...
News Muramasa: The Demon Blade Launch Trailer
Check out the official Launch Trailer of the game.
As most of you already know, Muramasa: The Demon Blade has already been released to retailers, but we were able to get the final trailer release from the guys at Ignition Entertainment today. This is the official Launch Trailer for the game and does a nice job of showing off the game's strong points...
Tuesday8th Sep 2009
News Metroid Prime Trilogy: Visually Worse Than Original Releases?
Footage seems to suggest as much
Before this turns into a mud-slinging match, let's just point out that Metroid Prime Trilogy is fantastic. Being able to play all three games on one disc is a godsend and we rightly awarded it a whopping 10/10 when we reviewed it recently. With that out of the way, it's time to face up to an inconvenient truth - the...
News Pluck A Plush Pikmin From Club Nintendo EU
Take over the world one garden at a time
Club Nintendo in Europe is on top of things. Stuff may be relatively expensive, but the variety and timeliness of gifts is usually much better than its American counterpart. Case in point: for 2000 stars, you can snag your very own blue Pikmin doll. The stuffed buggers are 24 cm, which isn't even close to...
News Read Your Horoscope with the Today and Tomorrow Channel
New free Wii Channel launches in Europe tomorrow.
Japan's gotten a number of Wii Channels the past two or so years which the rest of the world has yet to see - Still nothing has been said about a western release of the TV Guide channel, the Wii no Ma channel and others. Well, except for one of them - Since late 2008, Japan has had a channel with...
News Capcom Interested In Doing More Retro Games
Unsure if sales were disappointing for Mega Man 9
Contrary to popular belief, game companies have a vested interest in making money. Things that appear to be massive fan service, like Capcom's downloadable retro sequel Mega Man 9, bank on said fans actually buying the game, especially when considering doing it all again. So how were those sales?...
News Two New Hudson Titles Coming Soon
Hudson to release two new titles in September.
Hudson is looking to continue their success on Nintendo consoles with the announcement of two new titles that will be available to consumers in September. Miami Crisis brings a unique action-adventure title to the DS system and My Zoo serves as the follow-up to Hudson's wildly popular My Aquarium title...
News A Boy and His Blob Transforms into Video Footage!
The first trailer is online now, and it looks rather tasty...
We're big fans of A Boy and His Blob here at Nintendo Life - in fact, you may remember a recent podcast featured an exclusive interview with creators WayForward! - so we were very excited to see the first trailer metamorphasise into view. As you can see, the game's 2D animation is...
News LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias Teaser Trailer Appears
Footage of WiiWare sequel hits the net
The original LostWinds was rather good, by all accounts. For the record, we absolutely adored it and it quickly became WiiWare's first "must have" download. Therefore it should come as no surprise to learn that we're rather excited about the upcoming sequel, Winter of the Melodias. The recent...
Monday7th Sep 2009
Nintendo Download Rebirths, Colours, Jedi and Clubhouses (US)
Contra and Star Wars return, and bring along two other games.
Not many surprises this week - Both WiiWare releases were already announced in advance, and the Virtual Console game was expected to be released this week as well. The only surprise is the sole DSiWare release, but we can't imagine anyone being genuinely excited for it! Contra ReBirth is...
News Okamiden Footage Revealed
Get a glimpse before the Tokyo Game Show!
Footage of Okamiden - you know, the super-cute looking DS version of Okami we told you about last week - has surfaced on Capcom's Tokyo Game Show page. The trailer contains a little Japanese we haven't translated yet, but it also shows some gameplay footage, and it looks sweet! As you can see, the game is...
Sunday6th Sep 2009
Review Dictionary 6 in 1 with Camera Function (DSiWare)
Oh, what's the word? Ah yes - "exiguous"!
First things first – this is not a dictionary in the traditional sense of the word. Not a single entry here comes with a definition or any usage guidelines, just a list of the equivalent words in five other languages. What we have here is more of a word bank, and sadly not a hugely in-depth one at that...
Features Looking Back At BIT.TRIP BEAT, Pt. 2
What happened?
Our Looking Back series of features aims to explore prominent Wii and DS titles from conception to reception. First up: Bit.Trip Beat. Continuing on from the first part of our look back at the development process behind WiiWare hit BIT.TRIP BEAT, Alex Neuse of Gaijin Games warns of the dangers of games going soft, explains the...
Saturday5th Sep 2009
Review Contra ReBirth (WiiWare)
Still separating the men from the boys.
The Contra series has always been one of gaming's greats: incredibly simple yet fun gameplay, top-notch design, and of course, what the games are most known for, a hard-as-nails difficulty level. After multiple failed attempts to create a good 3D Contra game, the DS recently got a brilliant new 2D entry that,...
Review Midway Arcade Treasures (GameCube)
Experience some of America's arcade masterpieces
The history of Midway Home Entertainment is a convoluted story of boom and bust that includes the most famous names in the index of America's arcade companies. Williams Electronics and Midway merged in the 1990s to create WMS Industries in a bid to remain competitive in a market seeing the rapid...
Features Looking Back At BIT.TRIP BEAT, Pt. 1
Our Looking Back series of features aims to explore prominent Wii and DS titles from conception to reception. First up: Bit.Trip Beat
With Gaijin Games recently announcing the third game in their psychedelic Bit.Trip series, Void, we felt the series' debut, Beat, deserved another look. In the first part of this inaugural entry, Alex Neuse of Gaijin...
Friday4th Sep 2009
News The Wii Sports Resort Events That Didn't Make It
Nintendo reveals the games that didn't get past the drawing board
Wii Sports Resort is pretty packed when it comes to events. However, Nintendo has gone on the record stating that before the final twelve games were picked, the development team had plenty more ideas that very nearly made it onto the disc. According to producer Katsuya Eguchi: We...
News Nintendo Download 08-09 September 2009 (Japan)
What's out today?
More arcade classics for the Virtual Console and DSiWare gets the spotlight as WiiWare takes another holiday. For a second week running there's no new WiiWare titles for Japan, but at least there's two VCA titles for the Virtual Console on the way next Tuesday. DSiWare definitely gets the spotlight next week with multiple...
News Dictionary 6 in 1 Gets a Price Drop
Now 500 DSi Points.
Apparently quickly realising the price was a little too high at 800 points, Nintendo of Europe has already given the DSiWare application Dictionary 6 in 1 with Camera Function, released today, a price drop. When it was released less than a day ago it would've cost you 800 points just to have a very simplistic dictionary to carry...
News Contra ReBirth Coming To America This Monday
Konami confirms that the classic franchise will be available on Labor Day.
While the chaps reading Nintendo Life over on the fairer side of the Atlantic were blessed with the news that they would be getting Contra ReBirth on September 4th, those of us in North America were left wondering when we would be able to get our hands on Bill Rizer and Lance...
News Yes, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Will Have A Preorder Bonus
Series soundtrack available through GameStop
Another game, another preorder bonus. This time, it's for your ears! Plunking down some of your hard-earned (or stolen) dollar bills at GameStop towards Konami's new non-combative reimagining of Silent Hill will net you a a nifty CD. Said CD will presumably have 18 of "your favorite tracks" from...
News TMNT To Spring An Arcade Attack On DS
Heroes in a clamshell handheld device
Touting "turtle power" and all that jazz, the horribly mutated teen ninjas will be hitting Nintendo's portable money maker in an all new adventure, courtesy of Ubisoft. Thanks, Ubisoft! Like the name implies, the DS title will be similar in gameplay to the Turtles arcade games, most recently seen in...
Thursday3rd Sep 2009
Review Namco Museum: 50th Anniversary (GameCube)
This is one exhibition that will disappoint many
Namco is a company with one of the most impressive back catalogues in video games and is now one of the biggest names in home entertainment following a successful merger with toy and anime company Bandai five years ago. Released at the end of the Gamecube's life to coincide with the 50th anniversary...
Nintendo Download Contra Rebirth, Dictionary 6 in 1 (EU)
A very underwhelming week for Europe.
Aside from the previously announced Contra Rebirth things in Europe this week are pretty abysmal - Just one other new downloadable thing and it's another DSiWare application with highly limited use! Contra Rebirth is almost bound to be a great pick - It seems very similar to Contra III/Super Probotector on the...
News Data East Arcade Classics Coming to Wii
Get ready for some arcade action!
The ESRB has a new listing that ought to make retro arcade fans very happy. It appears that someone is planning on bringing a collection of classic Data East games to the Wii. The IP is mostly owned by a Japanese mobile phone company called G-Mode, so it's likely another company has licensed the content. The listing...
News Contra is Reborn in Europe Tomorrow
Finally a new Contra game for Europeans!
It's been a long time since a new Contra game was released in Europe - Although an awesome game, Contra 4 on DS never made the jump to European stores. What made this even weirder is the fact that it actually included the European Probotector robots as unlockable characters! Thankfully this latest installment...
Friday4th Sep 2009
News Muramasa: The Demon Blade Exclusive Release Party
A little reminder about the upcoming event!
Ignition Entertainment has just announced that they'll be hosting a release party in conjunction with the Nintendo World Store for their highly-anticipated Wii 2D action title Muramasa: The Demon Blade. If you're looking to get your hands on the game a few days early, not to mention some absolutely killer...
News Top 20 DSiWare Games in USA (3rd Sept)
It's Thursday and time for our DSiWare Top 20!
It's time to take a look at the most popular DSiWare titles available on the DSi Shop. If you're feeling adventurous you can even take a look for yourself by simply logging on to the DSi Shop, heading into the DSiWare section and then viewing by "Popular Games". It's that easy! We compile this...
Thursday3rd Sep 2009
News Frobot Tutorial Video and Demos Released
See and experience Fugazo's upcoming WiiWare title for yourself.
Fugazo have just sent over the official press release for their upcoming WiiWare title Frobot, along with a tutorial demo and links to PC and Mac demos of the game. If you've been wanting to see more of what the game has to offer, you'd be hard-pressed to find more information or...
News Muramasa: The Demon Blade Armory Trailer
Who needs the Slap Chop when you've got these bad boys?
The guys at Ignition have sent over another Muramasa: The Demon Blade trailer, this time showing off the many weapons you'll be able to find in the game. This newest trailer shows off the vast array of weapons that can be acquired and used throughout the game. And of course it also shows these...
Wednesday2nd Sep 2009
News Rage of the Gladiator "Battle Music" MP3
Check out yet another great music track from Ghostfire Games' upcoming WiiWare release.
Ed Roman, CEO of Ghostfire Games, has just sent us over another brand new MP3 soundtrack tune from their upcoming WiiWare title Rage of the Gladiator. This is yet another track from veteran video game music composer Sean Beeson, who also work on the soundtracks...
News Bomberman Blast: Battlefest Coming to WiiWare
More Bomberman action set to hit the WiiWare service.
Hudson has also just announced that the sequel to Bomberman Live will be hitting Xbox Live Arcade this fall and will land on the Playstation Network and WiiWare services in 2010. The WiiWare version is tentatively titled Bomberman Blast: Battlefest. You can check out the official press...
Thursday3rd Sep 2009
News Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (2nd Sept)
It's Wednesday again and time for the WiiWare Top 20!
It's time to take a look at the most popular WiiWare titles available on the Wii Shop Channel. If you're feeling adventurous you can even take a look for yourself by simply logging on to your Wii Shop Channel, heading into the WiiWare section and then viewing "Popular Games". It's that...
Wednesday2nd Sep 2009
News Bonk Headbutts His Way Onto WiiWare
Hudson officially announces their new WiiWare Bonk title.
We found out yesterday that Hudson was bringing their prehistoric hero to Nintendo's WiiWare service, but there was very little information made available at the time. Hudson has just sent out the official press release announcing Bonk: Brink of Extinction today and it looks like Hudson has...
News Gaijin Games Announces BIT.TRIP VOID
No rest for Commander Video.
We can all stop guessing about cryptic images for what Gaijin Games has in store for the third installment of Commander Video's journey through the BIT.TRIP saga, as that teaser site has finally put out. Titled BIT.TRIP VOID, the latest entry has you navigating a black hole of adjustable size as you try to intercept...
News Frontier Officially Announces LostWinds Sequel
A wealth of new information on the highly-anticipated WiiWare sequel.
We just recently featured news on the upcoming LostWinds sequel LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias, but Frontier have decided to unleash a barrage of new information on the upcoming title, including some gameplay and story line information that you can check out in the official...
News Muramasa: The Demon Blade Moment of Art Trailer
Ignition releases yet another new video of their upcoming Wii action title.
The guys at Ignition Entertainment were kind enough to send over another new video of their upcoming Wii 2D action side-scroller Muramasa: The Demon Blade. This trailer is titled Moment of Art and highlights some of the more stylistic moments in the game. The new trailer...
News Gaijin Games Releases Third Teaser Image
Have you figured it out yet? We haven't.
Alex Neuse, CEO of Gaijin Games, has just informed us that yet another new image has been added to their www.explorethevoid.com web site. As you can see, we're getting a more detailed picture as they keep updating the page. Hopefully we'll get an eyeful of their newest title soon. As usual, we'll keep you...
Tuesday1st Sep 2009
Review Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 2 (WiiWare)
Guybrush continues his piratey misadventures
It's almost pointless reviewing this second chapter in the Tales of Monkey Island story - you should absolutely not play it unless you've played the first, because it continues where that left off, meaning you will be missing potentially vital plot information. If you've already played the first and liked...
News Wii Internet Channel Now Free!
Nintendo backtrack on it's "Internet Channel" making the latest version free (again) and includes an updated version of Flash.
Nintendo has released a long-awaited update to the Internet Channel; best of all it's free again, just as it was when it was first released. To compensate those who may have purchased it a free NES game on the Virtual...
News New DSi and Wii Remote Colors Announced
Nintendo adds a bit of color to the holiday shopping season.
For those gamers who've been wishing for new DSi colors to be released in North America, it looks like your wish is about to come true. Not only is Nintendo bringing out two brand new DSi system colors, but they're also bringing an all-new black Wii Remote and Nunchuk to go along with it...
News Wii Fit Plus Release Date Announced
Find out when you can pick up the sequel to the popular Wii Fit.
After months of speculation, Nintendo has finally announced the release date for their upcoming Wii Fit Plus package. North American consumers will be able to purchase the newest Nintendo fitness release on October 4th at a cost of $99.99. You can check out the official press release...
Famitsu print the first screenshots
Everybody loves a paintbrush-wielding white wolf game, but if there's on criticism we could level at the genre it's that there just aren't enough titles like the stellar Okami, released on Wii to great critical acclaim last year. Well, the genre is about to bulge again next year, with the announcement of Okamiden,...
News First DSi-Only Retail Releases Hitting This Fall
Will come in a new box too
Back when the DSi was announced, Nintendo revealed that the new handheld would pack more horsepower under the hood than the DS and Lite. It certainly wasn't the first time the company had released an incremental upgrade to handheld hardware; apart from the obvious color screen, the Game Boy Color was essentially a slightly...
Podcast Episode 7 - EA Interview Special!
We chat to EA about Dead Space: Extraction and Spore Hero!
It's a genuine bumper episode of the podcast this month, weighing in at a mighty 32m 06s! It's chock-full of quality content as well, as we talk to the producers of Dead Space: Extraction and Spore Hero about their upcoming releases, getting some juicy information out of them in the process!...
News Bonk: Brink of Extinction Coming to WiiWare
Hudson's famous caveman is making his way onto the WiiWare service.
For those who don't already know, Hudson's lovable caveman Bonk is headed to the WiiWare service in Spring 2010. Bonk: Brink of Extinction will feature all of Bonk's trademark gameplay moves built into a brand new original title. You can check out the official snippet of...
News Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box Launch Trailer
Nintendo releases the official launch trailer for their brand new DS release.
Well Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box has just recently hit store shelves in North America and to celebrate Nintendo has released a brand new Launch Trailer for you to check out. Puzzle master Professor Layton and his apprentice, Luke, have stumbled upon another...
Competition Academy of Champions for Wii
We're on fire with another fabulous competition for our readers - your chance to win a copy of Academy of Champions and a Wii to play it on!
Together with Ubisoft we're celebrating this week's launch of Academy of Champions for Wii with a very special competition: you can win yourself a Nintendo Wii complete with Academy of Champions to play on it!...
News Overturn Weekend Challenge
Prepare to meet the makers!
Vince from Studio Zan has just let us know there's going to be a special Weekend Challenge running from the 3rd - 6th of September, where players can get a chance to play against the game developers online in the USA and Japan between 6pm and midnight PST (00:00-08:00 BST). Studio Zan developers can be identified by the...
