Review Super Double Dragon (Super Nintendo)
Billy and Jimmy Lee star in Super Double Draggin'!
Review Doc Louis' Punch-Out!! (WiiWare)
What's your favourite WiiWare download, Mac? Mine's chocolate.
News Rare May Return to Nintendo Consoles
Don't think you've seen the last of them...
Review Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
For once, there's no bad puns - snow joke!
News - October, 2009
Saturday31st Oct 2009
Review Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 3 (WiiWare)
A well-liked classic character returning makes everything better.
As you might have expected, it's a tad pointless to review this game. It's a direct sequel to the previous chapter, and plays exactly the same way. As it is not recommended to play this before playing the previous two chapters, you should already know what you're getting into when you...
New build, new features, new joy
Since our first hands-on play with Red Steel 2 all the way back in June - yes, it really was that long ago - we've had two more chances to get to grips with the game, the most recent at this week's Eurogamer EXPO where a new build was on display. How's the title coming along? Very, very nicely. Our play-through was...
News Frobot WiiWare Music Video
Fear the fro!
The guys over at Fugazo have put together a little promo video for their upcoming WiiWare release Frobot and they've put it together in a music video format. If you want to see some of the game in action and have a little laugh at the same time, take a look at the funny music video below. We'll have more information on Frobot as it...
Nintendo Download 04 November 2009 (Japan)
Japan converges the dates and a long lost Virtual Console system returns from the dead!
Owing to a holiday on Tuesday Nintendo are releasing downloads for both Wii and DSi on Wednesday. Only one WiiWare release and two VC releases appear for the Wii, though Virtual Console fans will be excited to see the first NEO GEO game in ages. 4 DSiWare...
Friday30th Oct 2009
Review Doc Louis' Punch-Out!! (WiiWare)
What's your favourite WiiWare download, Mac? Mine's chocolate.
Before the release of the Wii version of Punch-Out!! earlier this year, rumors began circulating that a few "surprise" fighters would make appearances in the game. One of those rumors was that Mac would have to face his trainer, the rotund and irresistibly optimistic Doc...
Review PictureBook Games: The Royal Bluff (DSiWare)
A unique card game on a service that's quickly becoming crowded with them.
We've already seen a host of card games released for the DSiWare service, but PictureBookGames: The Royal Bluff looks to add a little variety to the mix with its unique gameplay and entertaining royalty theme. But with a service already loaded with card games, can it beat a...
News Konami Announces Tomena Sanner For North America
Dancing onto WiiWare next year
Konami is just full of download announcements today, this time with one for North America. Previously released in Japan, Tomena Sanner is bringing its odd dance party to us other NTSC gamers early next year. The game has players take on the role of businessman Hitoshi Susumu who is behind schedule and won't stop...
Interviews Big John Games - Thorium Wars
Big John Games talk Thorium Wars.
Earlier this month we saw the release of Thorium Wars on DSiWare. The game was a pleasant (and unexpected) surprise, and we recommend it highly. Needless to say, we were excited by the opportunity to have a few questions answered by the developers. Read on for insight into the retail version that never was, the...
First Impressions New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Plumbing new heights
Now we've had chance to play the final version of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, it's time to tell you the hard truth about Nintendo's latest plumbing escapades. Well, the hard truth is, it's a lot of fun and impossible to play without a smile on your face. Although a lot of emphasis has been put on the series-first multiplayer,...
News Japanese Virtual Console list - November 2009
The Neo Geo and MSX make their triumphant return to Virtual Console!
Nintendo, Hudson and even Namco all seem to be taking a bit of a step back this month - Not too surprising when there's 2 new Neo Geo and 5 new MSX games after over a year of nothing! And it's not just small titles either - Nintendo's releasing another Fire Emblem, D4 Enterprise is...
News Konami Announces Planned MSX Releases for Japan
It's not just November's five games, there's even more in the pipeline!
It seems like Konami is supporting the Wii's download services more and more - First the ReBirth games on WiiWare, and now support for the MSX catalogue on Virtual Console in Japan. No new MSX Virtual Console games have been released in Japan for over a year, so the fact that...
News Snag A Spooky Scribblenauts Level At The London Dungeon On Halloween
One day only!
Sure, you can conjure up vampires, werewolves, witches and pumpkins in developer 5TH Cell's DS write-em-up Scribblenauts, but you can't summon this freebie in-game. On Halloween, also known as this Saturday, publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will be giving away a macabre level to all those who dare enter London Dungeon...
News Nintendo Announces Wii Line-Up For THE WORLD
North America, Europe and Japan get tentative release schedules
In case you were wondering about a release window for Metroid: Other M or any other Nintendo-published title, lo and behold, we have a list. Read with your eyes (or voice software) and mark your calendar with your hand (or voice software). Hey look, Japan is getting a Kirby game. North...
News Nintendo Announces DS Line-Up For THE WORLD
Release dates and windows for Europe, North America and Japan announced
Since the Wii release list was such a hit, Nintendo has followed up with a sequel in the form of a DS release list for the near future. There has been some fan backlash to this new list, with certain gamers upset that Nintendo has dared release a new list so shortly after the...
Thursday29th Oct 2009
Review Zombies Ate My Neighbors (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
B-Grade horror movie action comes to the Virtual Console.
Every once in a while a game is released that's so unique it garners a cult following and becomes more popular years later than when it was first released. Toe Jam & Earl for the Sega Genesis is one such game, but another prime example would be Konami's Zombies Ate My Neighbors. The game...
Pick a number from one to nine
Sudoku was invented in the late 70's and introduced to Japan in the mid-80's, but it waited nearly thirty years to become a worldwide phenomenon. Newspapers publish sudoku puzzles even more prominently now than the crossword puzzles that have held dominance for nearly a century, and there are sudoku books, toys, and...
News Celebrate Halloween With Nintendo Life's Exclusive 8-Bit Decorations!
Print 'em, cut 'em out and scare the retro crap out of everyone.
Ah, Halloween, the one day of the year where little kids are encouraged to defy all parental advice and take candy from strangers. It's so close you can almost feel the post-holiday sugar hangover. Are you excited? Nintendo Life is pretty excited, and that's not just the sugar talking...
Review Midway Arcade Treasures 2 (GameCube)
This time the spotlight is on Midway's glory days
Whilst the first Arcade Treasures collection was firmly focused on the Williams catalogue, this second collection is all about the Bally Midway and Midway brands featuring games spanning the mid to late 1980s and 1990s, with a handful of Williams and Atari Games titles for good measure. This...
News Carnival King Coming to WiiWare on Monday
Carnival shooting gallery action comes to WiiWare.
We've just got word from Incredible Technologies that their upcoming WiiWare release Carnival King will be hitting the North American WiiWare service on Monday, November 2nd and will cost 700 Wii Points. Carnival King is an all-ages target shooting game that combines exciting 3D graphics and an...
News It's Official: Big-Screen DSi LL is Confirmed
The rumours were true after all - but is it a mistake to launch new hardware so soon after the DSi?
The DSi launch may seem like it was only yesterday but that hasn't stopped Nintendo from announcing a new version of its portable gaming system. As we reported recently, the large-screen DSi - known as the DSi LL - will feature bigger displays (4.2...
Nintendo Download Zombies, LIT, Ghost Mansion Party, Little Red Riding Hood and Card Classics (EU)
Get ready for Halloween with today's new download games.
Nintendo of Europe's gone all out with Halloween-themed releases - 4 of this week's 5 new downloads feature zombies, ghosts and other typical Halloween monsters. Funnily enough, the only game that doesn't fit the bill is published by Nintendo. Zombies is probably much better known under its...
Feature The Spooky Denizens of the World of Nintendo
We run down the scariest of scaries the Big N has cooked up
We here at Nintendo Life love Halloween. Despite the fact it was originally a time when the dead were believed to cause sickness to the living and damage their crops, but nowadays it's just a good excuse to gorge ourselves on delicious, delicious candy. As part of our All Hallows’ Eve...
News Make Miyamoto Smile: Show StarFox Love
Feels Fox fallen, fears future frustration
Some would argue - not necessarily us, but some - that StarFox is a franchise best left dead, having had its glory years nearly a decade ago and only reappearing in mediocre titles since Lylat Wars/StarFox 64 on N64. Shigeru Miyamoto wouldn't say that, though: he's a big fan and is upset the series has...
Talking Point How Does The DSi LL Compare To Rival Handhelds?
Compare-me-do!
Nintendo's surprise confirmation of the DSi LL is proof that the company is willing to change the way it operates; normally, such a launch would be hyped to high heaven, but here's a machine that we knew little about yesterday - other than rumours - and it's going to be with Japanese gamers in less than a month. However, this isn't...
News Sega Invites You to Get Your PS0 On
Head to their San Francisco HQ for Phantasy Star multiplayer!
With Sega's epic multiplayer DS RPG Phantasy Star Zero hurtling towards its US release in a few weeks, the kind chaps and chapesses at SEGA have thrown open their doors to invite you - the great general public - the chance to visit their offices in San Francisco and enjoy the game in a...
News PES 2010 landing on Wii in November
Top-flight soccer action this way comes
Konami has released a new trailer for the latest edition of PES for Wii, PES 2010, currently set for European release on November 20th. Here's the company's official take: The trailer showcases some of the new gameplay features - including the Play Energy element and the "Call for the Ball" play -...
News DSi LL Coming To Europe First Quarter 2010
New console to be rebranded as the "DSi XL"?
Wondering if the recently confirmed DSi LL is coming to Europe? Wonder no longer. Website VG247 has pressed Nintendo Europe for an answer regarding this hot question and the company has confirmed that the new machine will be hitting The Old World in the first quarter of 2010. Nintendo Europe has also...
News Official Extreme Hangman Trailer Released
Check out the game in action!
Game Lion have just released the official gameplay trailer for their upcoming DSiWare release Extreme Hangman. They've also informed us that the game is currently in QA at Nintendo and should be available soon. You can check out the gameplay video below for a taste of what you can expect from the game. We'll have more...
News Top 20 DSiWare Games in USA (29th Oct)
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...
Wednesday28th Oct 2009
Review Ghost Mansion Party (WiiWare)
Less party, more pooper.
Mini-game collections are becoming a dime-a-dozen on the Wii console as of late, and with Halloween coming up, it comes as no surprise to see an aptly-themed release that's packed to the gills with yet another round of fairly standard mini-game fare. But at a lofty 1000 Wii Points, is this haunted board game release good...
News Yoga for Wii Stretches Out
But slowly, to avoid pulling a muscle
Publisher JoWood may be best known for adventure games like the Sam & Max Collection and Agatha Christie titles - the latest of which they've just announced for DS - but they're taking a step into the expanding world of fitness gaming with the launch of Yoga for Wii. Vienna, Austria, October 20th 2009; The...
News Doc Louis Wants to Fight You
If you bought it, Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! is now downloadable.
If you live in North America and chose Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! as your platinum Club Nintendo reward, then you'll be happy to know that Nintendo of America sent out your download code yesterday. After getting the e-mail, simply go to the Wii Shop and enter the code in the correct section...
First Impressions Shadow Walker (Japan)
Unconventional puzzling for the kiddies.
This game kind of came out of nowhere, but there does seem to be few WiiWare games concerning shadows on the horizon: Nicalis' Night Game and Hudson's Tower of Shadow being the ones that spring immediately to mind. Shadow Walker's story isn't completely clear seeing as it's relayed storybook-style with a lot...
News ABC Murders Investigates DS Next Month
Work with Poirot to solve the mystery!
JoWood Entertainment AG, a European publisher and distributor with a global presence, has announced a new adventure game based upon a novel by renowned mystery scribe Agatha Christie for the Nintendo DS: Vienna, Austria, September 14, 2009; Agatha Christie’s A.B.C Murders tells the story of Captain Hastings...
Competitions Win a DSi and Nostalgia!
Yet another competition... this time we've got a shiny white DSi and a copy of Nostalgia up for grabs.
In celebration of the release of Ignition Entertainment's brand new DS RPG Nostalgia, we here at Nintendo Life are giving our North American readers a chance to win a brand new Nintendo DSi system and a copy of Nostalgia to play on it, lucky you!...
News Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (28th Oct)
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...
First Impressions Bit.Trip VOID
Could the third time be yet another charm?
Gaijin Games has really earned a place in many a retro-gaming fan's heart with their old, old-school Bit.Trip series on WiiWare. It's one of the shining examples of how good download games can really be: updated Atari 8-bit graphics with jazzed-up special effects and a soundtrack that's enhanced by the...
Tuesday27th Oct 2009
One of the most unique and enjoyable DS RPGs to date.
The developers of Nostalgia have repeatedly stated that they've been putting the game together for the better part of a decade. While this might seem like an exaggeration at first, when you begin playing the finished product you'll quickly see the many different eras of RPG influences that make...
News Frogger Returns Coming To WiiWare
Twelve times the size of the original game, says Konami
Frogger, the little amphibian who has been trying to cross roads with varying success since the early 80's, is coming back for another go this fall. Frogger Returns, slated for a fall release, is being developed by Konami for PlayStation Network and WiiWare. New for this time around are time...
First Impressions Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth
Worth getting your teeth into?
The Castlevania series of action platformers is widely regarded as containing some of the best games on the Famicom, and indeed home consoles full-stop, with top-notch instalments on Super Famicom, PC Engine, Playstation and handheld platforms to name a few. Needless to say the news that the first GameBoy game was...
First Impressions Need for Speed Nitro
Leader of the pack?
There are very few serious driving games of note on Wii - the machine is undoubtedly missing its Forza Motorsport, Gran Turismo or Race Driver: Grid - and EA's latest in the Need for Speed franchise does little to address this problem. Whilst 360 and PS3 owners can play the generally well-received NFS: Shift, Nintendo gamers are...
Competitions Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympics (Update)
Going for gold
SEGA UK offer up some official Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games goodies for our European AND Australian readers. We've once again teamed up with SEGA to celebrate the launch of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games giving you lucky readers the chance to win some official Mario & Sonic goodies. We've got 5x...
News Capcom Bringing MT Framework To Wii
Game engine powers Resident Evil 5, Lost Planet 2 on HD consoles
According to a report from today's edition of Japanese newspaper Nikkei Industrial, Capcom has plans to bring over a game engine normally used for Xbox 360 and PS3 to Wii with the hopes of shrinking development costs and time; specifically, developing simultaneously on all platforms...
News Rayman Getting A DSiWare Game
According to German ratings board site
Ratings board Web sites occasionally and unintentionally announce new games, and today yet another hitherto unknown title has been exposed. According to the USK, Germany's game ratings board, Ubisoft's limbless freak Rayman is getting a DSiWare entry. And that's all we know. The rating states the title's genre...
News New GoldenEye Title in Development?
Ex-Eurocom staffer says he's worked on it
Rare's GoldenEye 007 is often regarded as one of the finest video games of all time, so when EA attempted to cash-in on the name with the lackluster GoldenEye: Rogue Agent a few years back, it hardly came as a massive shock. Now, it would seem that new Bond license-holder Activision is trying the same trick...
Another gaming revolution from Archer Maclean?
Wheelspin is an unashamedly old-school arcade racer, with exaggerated physics, rollercoaster-style tracks and an emphasis on enormous speed. Its influences are clear - F-Zero and San Francisco Rush 2049 are the strongest - but sadly Wheelspin never feels more than the sum of its parts. The single-player...
Competitions Halloween with The Three Musketeers: One for All!
Our friends at Legendo offer up 20 slices of download adventure in the form of The Three Musketeers: One for All!, open to almost anyone.
To celebrate Halloween we've teamed up with Legendo to offer you 20 copies of the platform adventure The Three Musketeers: One for All!. The first 10 winners will be picked from our North American readers (that's...
News Feast Your Eyes On This Castlevania: ReBirth Footage
Video of the first few levels hits the net, looks fang-tastic
As you may already be aware, Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth came out in Japan recently. The Western release is still up in the air, so while you're waiting you might want to take a look at this footage, which has been posted up on YouTube by user jodecideion. Be warned - this may...
News Disney Tasked Warren Spector with Mickey Reinvention
Deus Ex creator also massive Mouse fan
When Disney revealed their forthcoming Wii exclusive Epic Mickey, one of the most surprising revelations was that it's headed up by industry legend Warren Spector, renowned for his extremely serious and profound adventure games. However, in a recent interview with Game Informer Spector revealed his enormous...
Monday26th Oct 2009
Review Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (DS)
Enjoy Winter Olympic fun on the move.
Refreshingly for a simultaneous release on Wii and DS, the handheld version is a completely different beast to its big brother: far from being a stripped-down conversion it’s a decent accompaniment to the Wii version, although one aimed at a completely different gamer. Where the Wii game looks to capture the...
Review Combat of Giants: Dragons - Bronze Edition (DSiWare)
Sadly not the Gold Edition.
DSiWare has already seen plenty of "A Little Bit of..." games, which are basically smaller, budget-sized (And priced!) versions of Nintendo-published DS retail games. It seems that other developers are now taking similar advantage of the service - Mitchell recently released Sujin Taisen, and now Ubisoft has...
Review Cate West: The Vanishing Files (Wii)
An enjoyable way to make time disappear
While adventure games are becoming more and more popular over recent years, there has been a new entrance to the arena: the Hidden Object Game. This new breed has inundated the PC with numerous variations on the theme, taking place in fairgrounds, lost temples, mysterious locations and even haunted houses, and...
Nintendo Download Zombies, Ghosts, Monkeys, Axes, Royal Bluffs and Even More Sudoku (US)
One of the most requested Virtual Console titles of all time arrives in time for Halloween.
Halloween's coming up, and as is tradition for Nintendo, that means at least some of this week's downloads are related - It's only two this year, but who honestly cares when one of them is a Virtual Console game which has been on thousands of "most wanted"...
News Excitebike: World Rally Coming To WiiWare
Track editor, online multiplayer and more
Nintendo's long-dormant Excitebike franchise has seen two entries proper: the original NES release and a 3D sequel in the form of Excitebike 64. Yeah, the Excite name has lived on in the excellent Wii releases Excite Truck and the more recent Excitebots: Trick Racing, but Bike fans know they're just not the...
News Japan to Receive Widescreen DSi
Another variant of the console heading to Japan soon
Just as we were reporting on the possible development of an nVidia-powered DSi successor, Japanese website Nikkei has published a news story claiming Nintendo are ready to launch another variant of the console's current iteration, the DSi. According to the report, the console will boast screens...
News UK Retailers Give Muramasa a Miss
Some shops not interested in swords and beautiful animation
Although we love Muramasa: The Demon Blade around here, it seems UK retailers are less than optimistic about the game's success, with some stores refusing to stock it completely. Martin Defries, managing director and general head honcho of the game's UK publisher Rising Star Games, wrote...
Sunday25th Oct 2009
News More Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth Screenshots
More gorgeous shots of the upcoming WiiWare release in action.
Well it's not much, but we were able to get our hands on three additional screenshots of the upcoming WiiWare release Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth in action. As you can see in the screenshots below, the game looks absolutely amazing and should prove to be a great addition to the...
Saturday24th Oct 2009
Interviews Hudson Entertainment/Pi Studios - Bonk: Brink of Extinction
Hudson and Pi Studios talk about their new Bonk title.
With the recent announcement from Hudson that they were creating a brand new adventure for our lovable caveman hero, we knew it was time to get in touch with them and find out more information about their upcoming WiiWare release Bonk: Brink of Extinction. We were lucky enough to catch up with...
Friday23rd Oct 2009
Review Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility (Wii)
A withering flower
Tree of Tranquility is the first game in the main Harvest Moon series designed exclusively for Wii, following 2007’s disastrous Gamecube port Magical Melody. It’s been available in the US for over a year, but now it’s finally available in PAL territories it’s time to see how it measures up. You’ll either be relieved or...
News Be a PAL - Become a Connection Ambassador
Promotion now available in PAL territories
On October 21st, Nintendo's Connection Ambassador Promotion launched in Europe and Australia. The idea behind it is to reward those loyal fans who can get their friends to connect their Wii to the Internet. The ambassador and the person they help will both receive 500 free Wii Points when someone connects...
With a boss named 'Windy Pants', you know this game was made for the kiddies
The developers at IO Interactive - previously known for such mature titles as Hitman, Kane & Lynch, and Freedom Fighters - decided to switch things up this time around and try to create a game that they could play with their children; thus, the story and gameplay in...
Review Shinobi (Wii Virtual Console / Virtual Console Arcade)
Put on your ninja suit and rescue the kiddies once again!
After treating retro gaming fans to the delights of Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi III from the Mega Drive / Genesis, it is only right that SEGA bring us back to basics and let us get our grubby mitts on the original arcade game from 1987 where this glorious franchise began. Considered to be...
Nintendo Download 27-28 October 2009 (Japan)
WiiWare is back with a vengeance and Japan gets its teeth into Castlevania: Rebirth
After a hiatus Japanese download services are back in top form with 4 new WiiWare releases, 4 new VC releases and (only) 3 DSiWare titles - not too shabby! WiiWareSimple Series Vol. 5: The Judo (700pts - D3Publisher) -- A first-person judo game featuring local...
Developers chat about their social simian saga
Earlier this week we got a chance to visit the guys from The Code Monkeys and root around their upcoming banana 'em up Manic Monkey Mayhem, and you can read our First Impressions here. What you might not realise about The Code Monkeys is they've been around for over twenty years, having started out as...
News Brand New Flipper Screenshots and Artwork
More media of the upcoming DSiWare release.
Hugo Smits has just sent us a brand new batch of screenshots and artwork for his upcoming DSiWare title, Flipper. These show off the game's menus and an only recently revealed pirate world and can be viewed on the game page. The game seems like it's almost ready for release - Hugo is currently working on...
News Top 20 DSiWare Games in USA (23rd Oct)
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 Live Down Under? Try New Nintendo Games!
Be one of the first to try out New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Australians! Nintendo of Australia are offering you the chance to give a couple of very anticipated Nintendo games a spin before they are released. It's not often that Aussies get the chance to do stuff like this, so if you live in the Sydney or Melbourne areas, why...
News More Manic Monkey Mayhem Game Modes Revealed
Try saying that fast three times!
The folks over at Code Monkeys have just sent out another press release that reveals a few more interesting game modes in their upcoming WiiWare release Manic Monkey Mayhem. You can check out the full press release below, along with a host of brand new screenshots of the game in action. And don't forget to check out...
Thursday22nd Oct 2009
Guide Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky Strategy/Tips
Need a little help? Here are some tips to get you started.
The folks at Nintendo were kind enough to send over a strategy tip sheet for their brand new Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky DS release. You can check out the strategy tips below and we'll have a full review of the game up soon. 1. Once the Croagunk Swap Shop is open, be sure to...
Friday23rd Oct 2009
Review Shootanto: Evolutionary Mayhem (WiiWare)
An evolutionary step for light gun shooters?
In the grand tradition of so-called “light gun” games, Shootanto uses the pointer function of the Wii remote to task the player with shooting targets onscreen as quickly as possible. Given the strengths of the Wii remote in this regard, the Wii should provide fertile ground for this genre. But is...
Thursday22nd Oct 2009
Competitions Spore Hero (Wii) Giveaway!
North American readers finally get the chance to win a copy of the recently released Spore Hero game by EA.
Along with our friends at EA we're giving you the chance to win a US copy of Spore Hero for Nintendo Wii to celebrate its recent release. The competition is open to US readers only this time, to give yourself a chance of wining Spore Hero just...
News DSi Speak Channel On the Way?
Rumours and leaks surround DSi voice chat channel!
We know the Wii Shop Channel was updated yesterday to allow those who'd bought the Internet Channel to claim their free NES game, but the DSi Shop Channel was updated as well, bringing with it rumours of a future launch of a DSi voice chat channel. According to Kotaku, those quick enough to access...
News Arc Rise Fantasia Coming to Wii Summer 2010
Check out the details on the upcoming Wii RPG exclusive.
Ignition Entertainment and Marvelous Entertainment have just announced that they'll be bringing the hit Japanese RPG Arc Rise Fantasia to US gamers sometime in summer 2010. The game has already garnered much praise at this year's E3 Expo and looks to be a great turn-based RPG addition to the...
Nintendo Download Shinobi, Brain Training, Combat of Giants, Protöthea and PictureBook Games (EU)
WiiWare plays catchup, DSiWare gets more miniature retail titles
Things are a bit disappointing on the download front for Europe this week - only the Virtual Console release can really be recommended. What's most interesting about this update is that we've finally gotten a WiiWare game North America has had for over a year - if only it was any good!...
Interviews Square-Enix - Dragon Quest Wars
Square-Enix talk about their Dragon Quest Wars title.
When Dragon Quest Wars was first announced, we thought it would be a good idea to get in touch with the developers to find out more about the upcoming game. We caught up with Taichi Inuzuka, producer of Dragon Quest Wars, and he was kind enough to answer a few of our questions in this exclusive...
News Solitary Castlevania Rebirth Screenshot Rises From Its Grave
But it's a lovely screenshot nonetheless
Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth comes out in Japan on the 27th of this month, but aside from a few images in Famitsu, we've seen precious little of the game thus far. That's changed somewhat, but not by much. A single screen from the game has been released onto the net, and while we'd rather have a few...
News First Snakenoid Screenshots Released
Check out the unique puzzler in action.
The folks over at Cinemax were kind enough to send us the first batch of screenshots for their upcoming DSiWare title Snakenoid. Snakenoid is an unique blend of the Snake and Arkanoid game concepts. Using the stylus the player controls a snake on the lower screen and tries to use it to bounce the ball...
News Rage of the Gladiator - Gargadan Trailer
Take a look at yet another ferocious Gladiator opponent.
Ed Roman, CEO of Ghostfire Games, has just sent over the latest video for their upcoming WiiWare fighter Rage of the Gladiator. In this newest trailer, you'll be introduced to yet another beastly fighter in the form of Gargadan, a twisted and ferocious Chimera who's size matches its appetite...
Wednesday21st Oct 2009
Review Crash-Course Domo (DSiWare)
Sometimes less is more, and sometimes less is less
When you have mini-games like the Domo releases that are so simple in design and execution, it's difficult to review them as separate entities. Crash-Course Domo is basically a bicycle racing game that's extremely basic and easy to pick up, but features very little depth as a stand-alone title...
Review Rock-n-Roll Domo (DSiWare)
It's still rock-n-roll to Domo.
Closing off our title-by-title wade through Domo's résumé, we have Rock-n-Roll Domo, which finds our fuzzy brown friend fronting a wildlife-staffed garage band. It's a rhythm game that might strike many as a little too simplistic, but compared to some of Domo's other outings, this one's not half-bad. The gameplay...
Review Hard-Hat Domo (DSiWare)
Domo needs his hard-hat because of all the falling quality
With five Domo games to choose from this week, it's more or less a given that some are going to be markedly better than others. That's okay: we like it when games are better than others, and we're sure you do, too. Of course, the flipside of this implication is that some are going to be...
Review White-Water Domo (DSiWare)
Preferable to drowning. Just.
Our week-long Domopalooza continues with a look at White-Water Domo, which finds our fuzzy, angular hero kayaking along a periodically-treacherous stream. As a single component in the larger cluster of Domo DSiWare titles, White-Water Domo doesn't do much to stand out, but neither does it do much wrong. In fact,...
News Free NES Game Offer Now Available!
If you purchased the Internet Channel, your NES game is waiting
Last night Nintendo updated the Shop Channel on Wii, paving the way for anyone who spent 500 Points on the Internet Channel to claim their free NES game, as we reported on way back when. If you're entitled, you'll need to connect to the Wii Shop Channel and run the update, then...
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks receives Ninty’s tin treatment
It appears Nintendo have taken a liking to special edition tins; well, in Europe at least. Just after the announcement that New Super Mario Bros. Wii will have a limited edition tin, it's been revealed that Gamestation will stock a special edition of the new Legend of Zelda: Spirit...
News Muscle March Marches Westward
Namco Bandai's crazy WiiWare game gets a USK rating.
There's a whole lot of Japan-exclusive WiiWare games we'd love to see released elsewhere, as unlikely as some of them are. However, the USK has rated a certain game which is a real shocker - We thought it would be the absolute least likely game to be brought over. Muscle March was released on...
Thursday22nd Oct 2009
News Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (21st Oct)
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...
Wednesday21st Oct 2009
News Capcom Raising The Dead For Darkside Chronicles Launch
If you're into eating human flesh but also like playing video games, head down to London on the 31st
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles hits the Nintendo Wii any day now and to promote the game in the UK Capcom is planning to flood central London with mindless, slavering zombies. The company is offering a free Nintendo Wii and a copy of the new...
News Black Wii Homes in on Europe
New colour to hit next month!
We've speculated, pontificated and downright invented when territories outside of Japan would see the majestic yet shadowy form of the black Wii console, but finally Nintendo have put us out of our misery by announcing the new console colour will be available across continental Europe on November 20th. The even better...
Tuesday20th Oct 2009
Review Pro-Putt Domo (DSiWare)
It might be cheap, but it doesn't look or play like it
When the Domo titles were first announced for the DSiWare service, many people were left unsure of what to think of them, especially given their rather inexpensive 200 Nintendo Point price tag. Now just as quickly as they were announced Nintendo has released all five titles onto the service at...
First Impressions Manic Monkey Mayhem
How do we like these bananas?
It's a well-known fact that monkeys like to fling things at each other, so it should come as no surprise that UK developers The Code Monkeys have taken this concept and applied it to their first title for the WiiWare and DSiWare services, in the form of does-what-it-says-on-the-tin Manic Monkey Mayhem. MMM is a...
News Spirit Tracks "Pushes DS Even Further" Than Prequel
Phantom Hourglass sequel more advanced, says Mr Miyamoto
Of course, with a release date set for December it's going to be a long time before we can vouch for what Mr Miyamoto says, but in a recent - and very short - interview with MTV he did speak very briefly about Link's upcoming adventures on DS and Wii. Speaking about Spirit Tracks, he says that...
Monday19th Oct 2009
Review A Boy and His Blob (Wii)
Now this is how you're supposed to update a classic
Originally released in 1989 on the NES console, A Boy and His Blob was quickly praised for its originality and unique gameplay ideas. Unfortunately, it was also criticized for its often sluggish control system and sometimes confusing level designs. Over the years several developers have created...
Review Academy of Champions (Wii)
A drab 0-0 draw
Over the years there have been some really enjoyable and innovative takes on the game of football (or soccer to our overseas chums) – Nintendo brought us the Mario Strikers series of course and Sega released the stereotype-laden but still enjoyable Sega Soccer Slam on Gamecube. Now Ubisoft are after a piece of the half-time meat...
Review Little Tournament Over Yonder (WiiWare)
It can stay over yonder for all we care!
The strategy genre is not a very popular one on WiiWare - aside from the RTS game Swords & Soldiers, there's no real "traditional" offerings available. Little Tournament Over Yonder finally gives us a turn-based strategy game, although it has some action genre elements as well. A match in Little...
News New Remote Colours for Good Boys and Girls
Nintendo releasing boyish blue and prim pink in Japan
We've only just reported on the news that the US is receiving a black Remote and Nunchuk on November 16th, but Japan is already bracing itself for another two colours in a few weeks. Yes, Japan will be receiving pink and blue Remotes on December 3rd, priced at ¥3,800, an equivalent of about $42...
Nintendo Download Winds, Warriors, Dinosaurs and Domo-kun (US)
A whopping five new DSi games.
This week's a mixture of catch-up games and new ones - Who would've thought that all five announced Domo-kun games for DSiWare would be released at the same time? Of course, today also sees the North American release of LostWinds 2, the fantastic sequel to the WiiWare launch game, as previously announced. LostWinds:...
Rumour New Mario In the Works?
Charles Martinet reckons so...
A Twitter account purporting to belong to one Charles Martinet - none other than the wonderful voice of our favorite plumber - has recently been posting about an as-yet unspecified new Mario title. Read this tweet from a few days ago: Mama Mia!!!! I'm going to Seattle this week to record a new Mario game! Followed by...
Sunday18th Oct 2009
Review Viking Invasion (DSiWare)
Pillage the village!
Viking Invasion by BiF is a tower defence game that puts the player in charge of protecting various castles and forts from hordes of Viking invaders. The game takes a slightly different approach to the standard tower defence set up, with foes pouring in through various waterways and rivers. Set over three difficulty levels and...
Review Wakugumi - Monochrome Puzzle (DSiWare)
Ikaruga: the puzzler
There’s a great “I’ve got it!” moment in Wakugumi where you graduate from simply sliding blocks about in the hope of making a capture to preparing combo captures with expert precision. Something about the game simply clicks and you find yourself having that classic puzzle inner monologue – “well, if this bit goes...
News Spread the Handheld Joy With a "Discover DS" Party!
Rope in nine mates and host a party with Nintendo!
It may seem odd, but it's a fact of life that there are people out there with no clue of what a Nintendo DS is. Well, Nintendo has come up with a clever idea to tempt such people out from underneath their rocks, with their "Discover DS" parties. Yes, the Big N are offering party games and...
Saturday17th Oct 2009
Review Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday (Super Nintendo)
A Looney Tunes platformer that's actually not too shabby.
For anyone who's watched the classic Porky Pig cartoons, you know that animators were quite fond of placing our stuttering pig friend into scary situations. Who could forget the leprechaun shoes or the moose head with the gun barrel protruding from its mouth. Well you'll be happy to know that...
News Mario Moneybox Wants Your Coins, UK Readers!
New Super Mario Bros. Wii special edition tin revealed
Nintendo are really ramping-up the promotion for what they undoubtedly see as the must-have Wii game for Christmas, New Super Mario Bros. Wii. In fact, they're going further than usual, announcing a limited edition version of the game available from UK retailers. Of course, it seems hardly a...
News New Super Mario Bros. Wii 'Super Skills' trailer
Showing you Nintendo's finest in action!
Consider yourself a Mario veteran do you? Then watch the best players on Nintendo’s development team turn all your platforming hopes and dreams to dust. These guys are good. Don't believe us? Watch and learn. On a slightly different note the game looks like it's going to be fantastic fun, and it's really...
Nintendo Download 20-21 October 2009 (Japan)
WiiWare returns, Dig Dug and more Tower DS!
After a two-week hiatus WiiWare returns, though given we're getting a card game, it's a bit anti-climactic. WiiWareUNO (800pts - Gameloft) -- Gameloft again honours Japan with the first look at a WiiWare title (their last entry, Ghost Mansion Party still hasn't seen release in other territories). Online...
Friday16th Oct 2009
Review Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
For once, there's no bad puns - snow joke!
A few years ago, the unthinkable happened – Sega announced that Mario and Sonic were to put aside their 16-bit rivalry and join forces in an officially licensed Olympic game. Clocks ran backwards, dogs barked uncontrollably in the street and the whole world lay in danger. Then we played it, and saw that...
Review Heron: Steam Machine (WiiWare)
WiiWare: the home of arcade puzzling goodness
Many people ask "don't we have enough puzzle games on the Wii already?" Triangle Studios answers "no!" and it's hard to disagree with them - especially given the quality of recent releases including their own Heron: Steam Machine. A little animated introduction tells the game's back...
A mini-game too far...
Mini-games. One might say that mini-game (or, more nicely, "party game") collections have a serious presence on the Wii; it is often a fact bemoaned by more "hard-centred" gamers. Some of these titles are amongst the more successful games on the platform: both Carnival Games and Game Party have done quite...
News IGA Involved With Castlevania: Rebirth; Next Project Top Secret
Don't fret - Koji Igarashi is still alive and well, Konami confirms
When Konami revealed its Castlevania series reboot Lords of Shadow at this year's E3, the absence of Koji "IGA" Igarashi raised some eyebrows. The legendary producer - who has been the Castlevania franchise head man since the days of Symphony of the Night - didn't seem to...
News You Won't Pull Any Wii-lies on This Bike!
Wiis newest accessory is sure to get your blood pumping.
We all know that exercise bikes are boring; furthermore, they demand an inordinate amount of energy, which ultimately gets you nowhere. As such, it is far better to jump on a real bike, as not only does it move you from A to B it can also be enjoyed with a friend or two. So when Big Ben...
News Want More C.O.P.? Preorder at GameStop!
US retailer offering bonus levels to new Recruits
Ubisoft's forthcoming adventure C.O.P. The Recruit is already getting some people all hot under the collar - yes, it's an open world game on DS! - but some of you may need a little prod in the direction of which retailer to grab the game from. Well, here comes GameStop to save you the brain-ache with...
News LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias Coming to North America on Monday
It seems the wait for a North American release wasn't as long as expected.
Frontier has just announced that their brand new WiiWare sequel LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias will be released on the North American WiiWare service on Monday, October 19th for 1000 Wii Points. You can check out the official press release detailing the game's release...
News The Stars Catalogue Gets More New Things
More stuff to cash in your stars for
Nintendo of Europe updates their Stars Catalogue on a relatively frequent basis - today is yet another one of those days, because they've added seven new items to exchange your stars for. If you've been paying attention to the last few updates, you should know that there are already yellow and blue Pikmin...
News Miyamoto Open To The Idea of User-Generated Content
He'll bring the tools, you make the games
Shigeru Miyamoto has stated in a recent interview that he's very interested in the notion of user-generated content in Nintendo games, which has given rise to the hope that he's prepping some kind of LittleBigPlanet-style title. Speaking to Joystiq, he had this to say about the concept: This is an area that...
Thursday15th Oct 2009
News Call of Duty Comparison Shots Don't Do The Wii Any Favours
As expected, the Nintendo version is looking a bit weak compared to the 360/PS3 editions
It might be an exercise in stating the obvious but recent shots posted by Game Informer magazine show the massive graphical gulf between the Wii version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - subtitled "Reflex" - and the original PS3/360 instalments, on...
Interviews Tecmo/Red Entertainment - Nostalgia
Tecmo and Red Entertainment talk about their upcoming DS RPG.
With the rapidly-approaching October 27th release of Tecmo's Nostalgia title, we thought it might be time to get in touch with the game's developers for a little interview to find out more information about the game. We were fortunate enough to catch up with Keisuke Kikuchi of Tecmo, and...
News Pink DS Lite Consoles Bite the Dust
Yet another colour out of production in Great Britain
The DS has been available in more colours than there are fish in the sea, but survival of the fittest dictates that some must be struck from the gene pool, so it's with regret we inform you that the pink DS Lite console will soon no longer be available within the UK. Okay, so it's probably not...
News Top 20 DSiWare Games in USA (15th Oct)
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...
Nintendo Download Star Wars, Little Tournament, Heron, Monochrome Puzzle and Viking Invasion (EU)
Nintendo of Europe reveals Friday's download games two days in advance!
Bumped for the Thursday night visitors! We believe this is a first - NoE regularly announces the weekly new downloadable releases one day in advance, on Thursday, but this time they've chosen to do it two days in advance instead. This week has the nice amount of five new games,...
News Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (14th Oct)
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...
Wednesday14th Oct 2009
Review Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon (DSiWare)
Maybe too realistic for its own good
Pinball simulations have always been a mixed bag over the years. While some developers have chosen to shoot for more of an authentic pinball machine experience, others tried to make their pinball simulations more arcade-like using multiple boards and mini-games to further accentuate their gameplay schemes...
One of the first titles announced for WiiWare finally sees the light of day.
Among the very first games announced for WiiWare, we might have expected to review Gravitronix around two years ago. But, as they say, life gets in the way. Plans change, things don't work out the way we expect them to, and release dates slip further and further away. It...
News NVIDIA-Powered DS Successor Coming 2010?
It now seems possible that Nintendo will announce the successor to the mighty DS some time next year according to insider info
Graphic chip maker has apparently been awarded a contract to provide its mobile-centric system-on-a-chip, Tegra, to a new Nintendo DS, which will be announced in late 2010. Insiders tell IT news outlet BSN that a single chip...
News Captain Lou Albano Passes Away
One of the greatest Mario actors there ever was has passed away.
This year's already had a lot of crazy celebrity deaths, but the person we lost today will probably hit the hardest for any Nintendo fan - Captain Lou Albano, who played the live-action version of Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show and also provided Mario's voice for the cartoon...
News Wii Remote and Nunchuk Back in Black Next Month!
They said it would never happen... well, sort of
We're all used to our white Remotes and Nunchuks nestling comfortably in our soft gamer's hands, pale plastic glinting in the sunlight, but those days are soon to be over - come November 16th you'll have the choice of a second colour, as Nintendo have announced black Remotes, MotionPlus attachments...
News Christmas in November? Club Nintendo Prepares to Ship Rewards
Your Mario hat - or permission to punch Doc Louis in the face - is on its way!
Good news has made its way to the inbox of many in the NA region who qualified for Elite Status this past year: Club Nintendo is getting ready to drop its bagful of goodies. If all goes well, Christmas might come a little early for those fortunate gamers who earned...
News Joe the Condor Zeroes in on Tatsunoko vs Capcom
Character roster updated!
We've had Frank West and Tekkaman Blade join the melee, and now Capcom has continued their accursed teasing by revealing another two characters joining the Western release of über-fighter-mash-up Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars: Mega Man Zero and Joe the Condor! Most gamers will be familiar with Zero, having...
News Castlevania Draculathon '09 Proves Vampire Slaying is a Charitable Cause
Support SouthSideGamers in this most noble quest
If the recent Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth screens have whetted your appetite for all things vampire-related then you might want to point your browser in the direction of the SouthSideGamers website. The gaming group intends to play Castlevania games for 48 hours straight (and possibly longer)...
News Dragon's Lair Coming to DSiWare?
Digital Leisure might be releasing its most famous title as DSi download.
A year or two ago, Digital Leisure, the creators of money-guzzling coin-op Dragon's Lair, announced that they would be rereleasing the game on DS with various bonuses. Things then stayed silent, and as you might expect, it was never released. Now, however, it seems that this...
Tuesday13th Oct 2009
News Balance Board Coming To An Airport Near You!
The Department of Homeland Security are running a project which will utilise the Balance Board
We all know what travelling through an airport means: any liquid over 100mls being “politely” removed from your person and, if you're unlucky, a strip search. Well, the Department of Homeland Security is not content that this is enough. A new $20...
News Epic Mickey Character Designs Surface
Hand-drawn artwork for new Disney enemy
Game Informer is primed to reveal a bunch of new Epic Mickey details in its November issue but in the meantime the magazine's website has some interesting video content for you to digest. It's a three-minute time-lapse video (shortened from a half-hour) and showcases a rather traditional-looking Mickey facing...
News First Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth Screens Appear
Latest issue of Famitsu provides a closer look at the highly-anticipated dose of retro goodness.
Japanese gaming publication Famitsu has provided the world with a first look at Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth. The screens show the typical Gothic look we've come to love and expect from Konami's vintage series. The game appears to follow the...
News Sin and Punishment 2 Comes into Focus
Famitsu reveals new details, with more to come!
Thanks to Nintendo's lovely Virtual Console service, thousands of lucky Western Wii owners have experienced the wonders of Treasure's seminal shooter Sin and Punishment, its first appearance in the West after years out in the Japanese N64 wilderness. Then, as the delicious icing on the cake, a sequel...
News Manic Monkey Mayhem Swings in on October 30th
The monkey madness is about to begin!
Code Monkeys has just announced that their brand new WiiWare release Manic Monkey Mayhem will be hitting the European WiiWare service on October 30th. You can check out the official press release below for more information on the title, along with a batch of brand new screenshots on the game page. The Code...
Monday12th Oct 2009
Review 1080° Avalanche (GameCube)
Dude, where's my snowboard?
With its December 2003 GCN release, 1080° Avalanche faced a quandary which mirrored the mixed up personality of the board sport it represented. Development had to decide between following the previous 'extreme to the max' approach of SSX 3, or to continue in the vein of its N64 predecessor 1080° Snowboarding, which...
A bit of a mental lightweight
There's something intrinsically addictive about the whole genre of 'brain training' games. Implicitly we all want to better ourselves to a greater or lesser degree. By being told just how much a success or a failure we are at intelligence-related tests, there is definitely a major hook in this whole genre of games that...
Review MechAssault: Phantom War (DS)
A stomping good game?
MechWarrior. You’ve got to love it. The very concept of stomping around in your own personal giant robot, crushing things underfoot and blowing things up really is the sort of thing we gamers live for. Go on, admit it: every one of you has at some point had ‘the MechWarrior fantasy’. Up until 2002 however, the MechWarrior...
News Reggie Trash-Talks the PSPgo
NoA chief doesn't know who the machine is aimed at
You might have noticed that the PSPgo - Sony's attempt to plant its flag in the soil of digital distribution before anyone else - has recently launched. It's hardly been the most positive hardware release of all time, with reports that stores are refusing to stock it and industry experts writing it...
News Heron: Steam Machine Available on WiiWare this Friday
Yet another Dutch developer joins the party.
Triangle Studios have announced that their upcoming puzzler Heron: Steam Machine will be available on WiiWare in Europe this Friday. Remniscent of the classic Pipe Mania/Pipe Dream, in this game you move around sections of pipe in order to stop a steam machine from overflowing. There is also multiplayer...
Nintendo Download Pinballs, Fights and Gravity (US)
One for each service, again
With two games already previously announced, this week's new releases aren't very surprising, although many will no doubt be disappointed that a certain major WiiWare title Europe got last Friday is not part of the lineup. Final Fight 2 is arguably today's biggest new game, as it's really the only one we know a lot about...
Sunday11th Oct 2009
Review Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Virtual Console / Master System)
It's a trap!
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap marks the end of the Master System trilogy. It’s a direct sequel to the wonderful Wonder Boy in Monster Land with the action starting out in the final lair of the last game. Unlike the original Wonder Boy, though, there are no loincloths in sight. Most Master System fans will consider this game to...
Review LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias (WiiWare)
Is this Winter warmer as good as Toku’s first adventure?
LostWinds was one of WiiWare's launch titles, and is still one of the best games on the service. Now, almost a year and a half later, it has finally gotten its long-awaited sequel. For the uninitiated, in LostWinds you took control of Toku, a young boy who found a magical crystal containing...
Saturday10th Oct 2009
Review Happy Holidays: Halloween (WiiWare)
Take your holiday elsewhere!
The idea of sending greeting cards to your Wii friends isn't a bad one - after all you can already send messages with photos - so as a concept a cheap and cheerful greeting card program could easily have a place on your Wii, but a Halloween-focused one? Creating an application that will only be used once a year seems...
News Wanna Play? Ubisoft show more of Red Steel 2
Ubisoft release another video from the upcoming Red Steel 2 game demonstrating its "accurate" on-screen controls.
Ever since we played the original Red Steel we became overwhelmed with disappointment in the control section, we hoped for "real" one-to-one mapping of our Wiimotes to our swords, alas it wasn't meant to be... That's because...
News Hudson Bringing Shootanto: Evolutionary Mayhem to WiiWare
Prehistoric shooting action set to hit the WiiWare service.
Hudson Entertainment has just announced that they'll be publishing Shootanto: Evolutionary Mayhem on Nintendo's WiiWare service. You can check out the official press release below for more information on this upcoming WiiWare shooter release. You can also check out the screenshots of the...
Friday9th Oct 2009
Review Final Fight 2 (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Final Fight for two
The Mad Gear gang are back and out for revenge. This time they’ve kidnapped Guy’s fiancée Rena and her farther, so it falls to Haggar and friends to rescue them from the gang’s evil clutches. The original Final Fight was a classic side-scrolling brawler which received two paltry SNES ports, the first of which is already...
Nintendo Download 13-14 October 2009 (Japan)
WiiWare keeps on resting with VC and DSiWare action for Japanese downloaders next week.
Incredibly it appears we're having a second consecutive week with no WiiWare releases in Japan, but with three more VC titles (including a much-loved Kirby release) and five DSiWare releases, it's hard to complain. Virtual ConsoleKirby Super Deluxe (800pts Super...
Review Word Searcher (WiiWare)
Words fail to impress
Digital Leisure and Aksys seem locked in a fight to the death to see which company can release more generic, public domain games on the WiiWare service. Following up on their release of Sudoku Challenge earlier this year, which we found to be about as barebones a presentation of that game as you could get, DL now brings us...
First Impressions Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes
Might and magic and myths and... Meteos?!
The DS has loads of good puzzle games - Picross, Tetris, Meteos - and some fantastic strategy titles too - Fire Emblem and Advance Wars chief among them. But it could certainly do with more great puzzle strategy games; titles that blend the addictive action of matching coloured objects with the cerebral...
News Nostalgia - World Wide Adventure Trailer
See the various locations you'll be traveling to in the game.
Ignition Entertainment has just released the brand new World Wide Adventure trailer for their upcoming Nintendo DS RPG Nostalgia. The trailer shows off the many locations you'll be visiting throughout your adventure, each of them featuring their own unique look and style. You can check...
Thursday8th Oct 2009
First Impressions Rabbids Go Home
Put this in your trolley!
There's only one possible conclusion to be drawn from Rabbids Go Home - it's mental. Anyone involved in its development should probably be sectioned under the Mental Health Act, such is the scale of the crazy acts featured in this first traditional adventure game for the Rabbids. Of course, if you've been following our...
Nintendo celebrates the 100th WiiWare release in style.
Last week saw the release of a single WiiWare game in Europe, which happened to be the 99th - Logically, we all assumed that this meant Nintendo of Europe was saving something special as 100th release. Thankfully, we were right - One of today's new WiiWare games is a sequel to a launch game...
News Super Yum Yum Puzzle Adventures Coming to DSiWare
Mastertronic announces their new DSiWare puzzler.
European publisher Mastertronic has just announced that their new title Super Yum Yum Puzzle Adventures will be coming to Nintendo's DSiWare service this winter. You can check out the press release snippet below for more information on the game. Mastertronic have announced the development of Super...
First Impressions C.O.P. The Recruit
Take the beat to the streets
C.O.P. The Recruit was announced back at E3 in June, and quickly marked itself out as one to watch by promising an open world experience unlike anything on DS. Now we've had chance to grab a few minutes with the title, does it live up to the hype or is it lagging behind Chinatown Wars? The first thing you'll notice on...
News Rage of the Gladiator - Sea Witch Trailer
Here's another ferocious fighter from the upcoming WiiWare release.
Ed Roman, CEO of Ghostfire Games, has just sent over another brand new gameplay video from their upcoming Rage of the Gladiator WiiWare release for everyone to check out. You can check out a snippet of information that accompanied the video along with the Sea Witch gameplay video...
News Bloober Team Unveils New Last Flight Screens
Oh, I'm ready for it, come on, bring it.
It's been a while since we last heard about Bloober Team's episodic WiiWare action-adventure horror title Last Flight, but fret not! The undead are still the greatest threat to aviation this side of snakes and we've got some fresh screens to prove it. The cel-shaded chop-'em-up stars Larry Adelman, a portly...
News LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias Blows in on 9th October
Frontier's latest opus set to become the 100th WiiWare release!
We've just received word from Frontier that their follow-up to the critically-acclaimed LostWinds, subtitled Winter of the Melodias, will become the 100th game to launch on the WiiWare service when it hits on October 9th. Here's the official press release letting you know all about the...
News Top 20 DSiWare Games in USA (8th Oct)
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...
Wednesday7th Oct 2009
Review Final Fantasy (Virtual Console / NES)
The game that kicked off the most popular RPG series in existence.
Role-playing games began their climb to popularity during the early 80's on the many personal computers of the time period. These turn-based titles brought a more strategic element to gaming for those looking to use their minds more than their reflexes. Square obviously saw the...
News Super Meat Boy Developer Hospitalized
Edmund McMillen recovers but faces tough bills.
Despite Team Meat's penchant for heavy doses of tomfoolery, this is no joke or lame "Viral Marketing" technique: Team Meat Developer Edmund McMillen was hospitalized Sunday night with gall bladder inflammation. He required surgery to have it removed. Making matters complicated is the fact that Edmund...
News Sony: We Take More Risks Than Nintendo
Sony's American boss tells it like it is
Sony Computer Entertainment America boss Jack Tretton has been passing his own unique brand of judgement on his company's rivals and unsurprisingly, Sony comes out on top in his eyes. Speaking to Forbes, Tretton had this to say: Nintendo know what they do well and they stick to it. They deliver a casual,...
News Ryo Hazuki to Search for Sailors in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
Shenmue main man confirmed for racing game!
It's been a long and tearful six years since we last saw Ryo Hazuki on a console (that's Shenmue II on Xbox, fact-fans) but now the face-plastered one is set to return as a playable character in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing! This new video just sent to us by Sega shows Ryo thundering around the game's...
News Sokomania Coming to DSiWare
Cinemax announces their first DSiWare release.
Czech independent game developer Cinemax have just announced that their upcoming DSiWare release Sokomania will be coming to the European DSiWare service sometime in November 2009. You can check out a snippet of information from the official press release along with screenshots and a gameplay trailer of...
News Got Muramasa Questions? Get Muramasa Answers!
Your chance to ask Rising Star Games about their upcoming Japanese epic!
You gamers lucky enough to reside in North America already know how beautiful and generally awesome Muramasa: The Demon Blade is, but over on the other side of the Atlantic gamers have still to discover its wonders, with the game not set for release until November 13th. Don't...
Feature Over a Third of Wii Games Go Unreviewed
That's a lot of party and sports games
We do our best here at Nintendo Life to cover every game that's lovingly pressed onto disc for Wii consoles, but even with our team of review robots working around the clock for less than a drop of oil, there aren't enough hours in the day. It seems it's not just us straining under the weight of Wii reviews,...
News Get Ready for Macho King's Story!
If Mr Kimura's latest idea reaches fruition, that is
Now Little King's Story has successfully conquered all corners of the globe following its release in Japan last month, the game's creator and all-around genius Yoshiro Kimura spoke to Joystiq about his ideas for the potential follow-up we mentioned months ago, and they're as barmy as you'd expect...
News Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (7th Oct)
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...
News Consumers Respond Well to Wii Price Cut
$50 saving puts more Wiis in American homes
Since the Wii had a tasty $50 knocked off its price, it seems they've been flying off North American shelves quicker than fireworks in July. Nintendo haven't yet released any actual figures - it's only been a few weeks - but everybody's favourite Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime had this to...
News Snakenoid Coming to DSiWare
Cinemax announces yet another new DSiWare title.
No sooner did Czech independent game developer announce their first DSiWare release, they're now announcing yet another DSiWare title in the works called Snakenoid. You can check out the official game description below for a bit more information on this unique DSiWare release. Snakenoid is an unique...
News Gravitronix Hits WiiWare October 12th
Hopefully this release date will stick this time.
Well you might remember that last week Medaverse Studios announced that there would be a slight delay with the release of their upcoming WiiWare title Gravitronix due to some paperwork snafu. Well they've just informed us that the game has a new release date and will be available on the North...
Tuesday6th Oct 2009
News Rare May Return to Nintendo Consoles
Don't think you've seen the last of them...
Rare used to be Nintendo's behemoth, their go-to guys when it came to crafting first-party masterpieces. They really made their name on the N64, but afterwards their relationship with the Big N got a little more complicated and they now reside under the Microsoft umbrella. However, last year they released...
One more proton and you'd be playing Protactinium Wars.
It's always refreshing (to us at Nintendo Life and also, we imagine, to you folks at home) when a game is released for WiiWare or DSiWare that fills a tangible gap, and the first thing you'll notice about Thorium Wars is that it's like nothing else available through DSiWare. That uniqueness...
News It's Official: Nintendo is the Best
Are you going to argue with the experts at A.T. Kearney, punk?
As hardcore Nintendo fans we're all aware that the company is pretty freakin' special. However, it's always nice to have this kind of thing confirmed semi-officially, so the fact that highly respected consulting firm A.T. Kearney has decided that Nintendo is the number one firm in the...
News Nintendo vs R4: The Lawsuit and the Snitch
A very un-Harry Potter like snitch website opens to combat R4 and their brethren
A while ago Nintendo won a lawsuit against retailers that sold and distributed R4 and R4-like devices. In case you didn't know, these are essentially carts which allow consumers to pirate DS games. Since then, those retailers were sent notices updating them on the...
Monday5th Oct 2009
Review "Aha! I Got It!" Escape Game (WiiWare)
Will you want to escape from this game as fast as possible?
"Escape the room" games have been quite popular on the internet for a while — a quick Google search will yield a number of creative flash-based puzzlers in which the aim is to solve a number of puzzles within a single room in order to escape. With "Aha! I Got It!"...
News Check Out Some Jet Set Radio Wii Concept Art
Unseen 64 digs up material on the rejected title
Back in 2006, Kuju (now Headstrong Games) the development studio behind the Wii's House of the Dead: Overkill and Battalion Wars 2, liked Sega's Jet Set Radio series. They liked it so much back in 2006 that they tried to convince Sega to let them create a new entry in the graffiti-thon for Nintendo's...
News Nintendo Super Guide Mode in NSMB Wii: The Details
The infamous "Kind Code" could ironically mean tougher challenges
Nintendo's proposed "Kind Code" has had chins wagging for quite some time now, but few people were sure of what it actually meant for gaming. Some jumped to the conclusion that it would make games too easy, while others maintained it was merely a guide that would only help...
News Nintendo Shows Off Its History at Kyoto Cross Media Event
Lots of cool retro gear on display
This weekend the Kyoto Cross Media Experience 2009 took place in - you guessed it - Kyoto, Japan. Nintendo was in attendance and had plenty of goodies for avid gamers to ogle at. As well as showing off new games for the Wii and DS, the video game veteran had a massive display which illustrated the company's long...
News Epic Mickey Is Exclusive To Wii
Game Informer spills a few beans
It sure is a good time to be a Disney and Nintendo fan. Not only do DS gamers now have their hands on a new Kingdom Hearts game, Wii owners will be getting in on a new House of Mouse exclusive: Epic Mickey. Not much has been known about this secret Junction Studios project other than it is said to be...
News Vintage NES Game Up To $8.5K On eBay
Nintendo Campus Challenge 1991 cart proves yet again that collectors have oodles of money
As a retro game fan, if I had a ton of money to blow I'd probably point my browser over to this eBay auction for a Nintendo Campus Challenge cart and lay down the law. $8,500 of your American currency? Pfft, tis child's play. Forged by Nintendo's blacksmiths...
Nintendo Download Fantasies, Wars and Words (US)
Square's original RPG classic is finally here.
Just three games this week, but that doesn't mean they're not interesting - Especially not when one of them is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy seies. Final Fantasy on the NES was remade for the Game Boy Advance a while ago, which is possibly the reason Square held off on adding the game to...
Sunday4th Oct 2009
Review Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (Wii)
Ultimate? Not quite.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance was one of the launch titles for the Wii in 2006 and despite being a port of a game also released on the PS3 and Xbox 360, it was still good fun. As a love letter to Marvel fans over the decades it provided a virtual travelogue of the people and places of the Marvel universe and was a wonderful...
Review Art Style: INTERSECT (DSiWare)
It'll drive you mad!
Games in the Art Style series have a reputation for originality, aesthetic invention and for being among the highest quality games on WiiWare and DSiWare. Art Style Intersect, however, is a remake of an old GameBoy Advance title known as DigiDrive, originally produced by Q Games of Pixeljunk fame. Although it might sound...
News Monster Hunter 3 May Be Feeless
Capcom interview hints at free online play for all!
Capcom's unstoppable sales juggernaut that is Monster Hunter is scheduled to hit our consoles early next year, but one major concern surrounds its online mode, which in Japan requires a monthly subscription charge from anyone wanting to party with friends. With the Western release looming the...
News LIT Arrives in Europe on October 30th
European gamers will get the game just in time for Halloween.
Wayforward has just announced that their WiiWare horror title LIT will be released on the European WiiWare service on October 30th for 800 Wii Points. The wait has been long, but European gamers will finally get the opportunity to experience the spooky title for themselves. You can check...
Saturday3rd Oct 2009
Nintendo Download 06-07 October 2009 (Japan)
Another WiiWare holiday, three VC Releases and six DSiWare titles for next week!
Apparently there's been so much WiiWare released in Japan recently that they had to take a break next week, but there's three Virtual Console releases to make up for it and the DSi gets the lion's share of downloads again with six titles across all price points. Virtual...
Friday2nd Oct 2009
News Nintendogs Coming As DLC To Animal Crossing
Snag yourself a canine companion or four
Nintendo's brilliant DS puppy simulator Nintendogs has been around for four years now — time sure does fly! To celebrate the special occasion, Nintendo will be offering up some downloadable goodness for the Wii's Animal Crossing: City Folk. For four weeks running you'll have your own pick of the litter for...
News Fatal Frame IV Fan Translation Almost Finished
Get your Japanese scares in English soon
Tecmo and Grasshopper Manufacture's scare-fest Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse still isn't officially coming out in the West; Nintendo, holder of the title's publishing rights in North America, still doesn't want to bother, relegating it to the same territorial fate as Disaster: Day of Crisis and...
News Ashes Developer Loses A Third of its Staff
Australian studio Transmission Games makes unfortunate lay-offs
Despite the sales success of Ashes Cricket 2009 - and the enormous number of emails we receive about it here at Nintendo Life - the game's original developer Transmission Games (the Wii version was ported by UK-based Gusto Games) has just had to let go a third of its staff due to...
Saturday3rd Oct 2009
News Fight in the Street on Virtual Console Later This Month
The TurboGrafx-CD version of the original Street Fighter will be available in all territories soon.
As on every other Friday, Nintendo of Japan today revealed their download plans for next week, and among the games to be released is Fighting Street, a port of the original Street Fighter that is quite close to the arcade version. We already reported...
Friday2nd Oct 2009
News Fight Stress With Abylight's New WiiWare Title
Stop Stress: A Day of Fury promises relaxation aplenty
Abylight first caught our attention not so long ago with their decent WiiWare title Fish 'Em All, and now they're back on the scene with their next title, Stop Stress: A Day of Fury. Very little is known about the game at the moment, but Abylight have shared a video of its premiere at the Tokyo...
News Gravitronix Release Date Slips
Developer expecting an up to two-week delay.
All dressed up for its long-awaited arrival on the WiiWare service, Medaverse Studios' action battler Gravitronix looks like it won't be hitting its predicted October 5th release in North America. Jesse Lowther, the game's lead designer, told Nintendo Life that a minor clerical error has caused the game's...
Thursday1st Oct 2009
Review Super Double Dragon (Super Nintendo)
Billy and Jimmy Lee star in Super Double Draggin'!
The scene is set: grimy, littered streets patrolled by ruthless gangs, whose sole intent is to cause mayhem in the neighbourhood. This urban jungle setting for Return of Double Dragon (Super Double Dragon in the West) is as synonymous with 2D side scrolling beat-em-ups as it was with movies like The...
Review Dead Space: Extraction (Wii)
One of the most polished and immersive Wii titles yet.
Hyperbole is not uncommon on the back of video game boxes; claims that the game you hold in your very hands in the store is the “most exciting” or “mind-blowing” tend to be full of crap. For Dead Space: Extraction, EA studio Visceral Games went with “most cinematic action horror...
Review Art Academy: Second Semester (DSiWare)
Less of the same.
Two weeks ago, Nintendo released Art Academy: First Semester. We reviewed it and were happy to do so. The title was impressively functional, easy to use and very much successful at fostering creativity. These are all good things. We were painting apples and red peppers like there was no tomorrow. The sun was shining. We were merry...
News The Haynes Video Gaming Manual
A coffee table classic that every dedicated gamer should own
Following on from our review of the superb Game Over, we've got another literary classic to bring to your attention. The Video Game Manual is published by UK firm Haynes (famed for its automotive help guides) and is penned by João Diniz Sanches, former editor of Future's Edge magazine...
News System Update 4.2 Bricking Wiis Left, Right and Centre
Consoles slightly left of centre should be fine, though
The Wii only received its 4.2 update the other day, but already the Internet's alive with reports it's causing machines to stop working completely, with many popping up on our very own forums. The update's major purpose was to remove the Homebrew Channel from consoles, as well as protect the...
Nintendo Download Star Wars, Art Style and Escape Game (EU)
One new game for each service
Just three new games this week, but the offerings are quite good - Virtual Console and DSiWare get two new games in familiar series while WiiWare gets a puzzle game Japan has had since December last year. Of course the biggest release of the week is Super Empire Strikes Back, the second SNES Star Wars game. As you can...
News Classic Controller Pro Westward Bound!
Or so Koei think, anyway
Yes, Nintendo did have a few Classic Controller Pros in their E3 display cabinets, but without any firm release date or announcements of an intention to bring them to the West we just assumed they were on show to make us salivate even more over the lovely new pads. Even though the Big N's lips are still zipped, Koei recently...
Friday2nd Oct 2009
Interviews Gravitronix - Medaverse Studios
Medaverse Studios talks about their upcoming WiiWare release.
While Gravitronix has been in development for the better part of two years, the game is finally about to hit the WiiWare service in North American on Monday, October 5th. You might remember that we did an interview with Medaverse Studios way back in February 2008, but that was over a year...
Thursday1st Oct 2009
News Did Nintendo Secretly Patch The Conduit?
Spawning glitch reportedly a non-issue after System Menu 4.2 update
Players of High Voltage Software's online FPS The Conduit are familiar with this scenario: after waiting up to five minutes to connect to a new multiplayer game, you'd spawn seemingly into a wall and not be able to do anything, not even leave the game without shutting down the...
News Hudson Launches Calling Teaser Site
There's something sinister online
The 2009 spooky-spooky season is just beginning, and in a timely fashion Hudson Soft has launched a teaser Web site over at kuroeight.com for their upcoming Wii creep-fest Calling. The Web site lets you poke around a suspiciously dark and seedy room, exploring clues and newspaper clippings strewn about. It's...
News Red Steel 2 Devs "Have Beaten Waggle"
Still have room for breakfast
We're getting excited about Red Steel 2 here at Nintendo Life - in fact, we have been ever since our hands-on back in April! Whether it's the super-cool Japan-come-Wild West setting, the tasty graphics or the MotionPlus controls, there's no doubt it's one of the big titles we're dying to play next year. Sadly, all this...
News Top 20 DSiWare Games in USA (1st Oct)
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 Mario and Link to Warm Your Winter
Nintendo Europe announces their full Winter line-up, and there's some crackers in there
Winter is the perfect time to bombard gamers with great titles - the freezing cold weather makes them even less likely to go outside, meaning they'll spend even more time gaming. Nintendo seems to agree, as they've just sent us a list of their complete Winter...
News Muramasa Slices into Europe Next Month!
Demon Blade to pierce Euro souls on November 13th
Just as we were gearing ourselves up not to see Muramasa: The Demon Blade nestling in our European Wiis until April next year, Rising Star Games swoop to the rescue by letting us know it is confirmed for a release on November 13th, just six short weeks away. We've already reviewed it based on the US...
