Feature Retro Duo Console Review
Bring your 8-bit and 16-bit Nintendo titles out of retirement
Guides Everything You Need To Know About Importing a Wii
Are considering getting a North American Wii?
Review Secret of Evermore (Super Nintendo)
A challenging but rewarding RPG experience.
A worthwhile upgrade or just Nintendo milking its new cash cow?
News - November, 2009
Monday30th Nov 2009
Review Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Wii)
Do not underestimate the power of the Darkside!
When Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles was seen to only cover RE0, 1 and 3 it was pretty clear that a sequel would be in the offing; the positive reception and respectable sales figures it received probably didn't hurt. If you're a fan and expecting more of the same in this digest-version of the...
Review Reflect Missile (DSiWare)
Bub and Bob would be jealous
When Q-Games boast about their games, it always seems to be PS3's PixelJunk series hogging the limelight, with almost no mention of their other projects. That's a shame, because with their recent remake of Bit Generations title Art Style: Intersect, and now this, they've already got two great download games on Nintendo's...
Take this one back to the lab
Here at Nintendo Life Towers we are quite partial to those Raving Rabbids: those mindless jabbering critters remind us of ourselves. Seeing the release of a scaled-down version of Rabbids Go Home’s In Ze Remote feature, however, gave us cause for concern: could this dress-up game justify the 500 Point price tag? For...
Rabbids Go Home stamped with new, higher rating
A few weeks ago we hit you with the big news that Ubisoft's Rabbid adventure was facing recall from select UK retailers due to "potentially offensive content." Now you'll be pleased to hear Rabbids Go Home has reappeared on shop shelves with a new, higher PEGI 12 rating. Considering the...
News Giant Mario Coins Hidden in Aussie CBDs
Nintendo holding strange new contest to win copies of New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Live in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane? Haven't got much to do between Tuesday the 1st and Friday the 4th of December? Like looking for stuff? Well, you're in luck! Nintendo Australia are hiding coins in each of the three Central Business Districts in honour of the recent...
Nintendo Download Monkey Island, Zoos, 'Copters, Face Stealing and Puzzles! (US)
A mix of catch-up and new titles in another big update for Wii and DSi.
There's a mix of new and catch-up titles in the update this week including the penultimate chapter in the new Tales of Monkey Island series: Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 4. Copter Crisis and My Zoo were both recently released in PAL territories. Reviewer Tommy Bowskill...
Sunday29th Nov 2009
Review Copter Crisis (WiiWare)
What a load of cop(ter)!
There's something appealing about being a helicopter rescue pilot: it's one of those aspirations we have when we're children of what we'd like to grow up to be. Sitting at home pretending to be one via Digital Leisure's latest WiiWare instalment certainly doesn't sound the full realisation of such childhood pipedreams, but...
Loners rejoice!
It would be proper to regard any WiiWare program consisting of a game that's already pre-installed on every Windows PC in the universe as a complete waste of everyone's time. It would be about as pointless as releasing a poker game with rules for only one version of poker. The only way you could possibly justify putting out a...
Saturday28th Nov 2009
Review Harvest Moon: My Little Shop (WiiWare)
Work sucks.
Farm life has always been the focus of the Harvest Moon series, and My Little Shop technically continues that tradition. You do live on a farm and have to knock out the daily rituals of watering crops, feeding the chickens and petting the cows, but that’s pretty much it and is accomplished in about one minute. Which leaves you plenty...
Review Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
A history lesson in the failure of PC-to-console ports.
Activision was the first to sell a mahjong solitaire (for lack of a better term) game for IBM PCs and Apple Macs in 1986 under the name Shanghai. They even got the programmer of the original game -- which was created on University of Illinois mainframes -- to do the programming and create...
Impressions Max & the Magic Marker
We take the unique WiiWare title for a spin.
The kind folks over at Press Play were nice enough to send over a preview build of their upcoming WiiWare puzzle platformer Max & the Magic Marker for us to try out. Now that we've spent several hours playing through the game's 15 levels, we'll give you an idea of what you can expect from this rather...
Interviews Christmas Clix - JV Games
JV Games talk Christmas Clix.
With the upcoming release of their WiiWare holiday puzzler Christmas Clix this coming Monday in North America, we thought now would be a good time to get in touch with JV Games in order to find out a bit more information about the game. Jag Jaeger, CEO of JV Games, was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule...
Nintendo Download 1-2 December 2009 (Japan)
A light download selection next week after this week's mega releases.
This week's update was full to bursting, so it's just as well that next week is a little on the light side with only a few downloads for both Wii and DSi. WiiWare: Ponjan (1000pts - Tomy) -- The Wii counterpart to the DSiWare release of the kiddy version of mahjong (real mahjong...
Friday27th Nov 2009
Review Secret of Evermore (Super Nintendo)
A challenging but rewarding RPG experience.
After having success with their Secret of Mana release outside of Japan, Squaresoft decided to try a different approach with their next action RPG release Secret of Evermore. While Japanese gamers would get the true sequel to Secret of Mana in the shape of Seiken Densetsu 3, US gamers were treated to what...
Review ANNO: Create a New World (Wii)
Have sim fans' prayers been answered?
The history of sim games on home consoles hasn't been the brightest since the control pad interface doesn't lend itself as well to the fine control you would normally expect using a mouse on home computers. The Wii's pointer makes a good mouse replacement of course, so theoretically a game like Anno: Create a...
Review BIT.TRIP VOID (WiiWare)
Don't avoid the VOID
The third release (of six) in Gaijin Games' BIT.TRIP series has quite a bit in common with its predecessors. And that is a good thing. Even better, though, is just how much VOID manages to stand apart from its popular older brothers. Rather than striving to recapture their specific glories, VOID charts territory of its own. And...
News Japanese Virtual Console list - December 2009
Finishing off the year with some more big-name titles.
Nintendo of Japan just never seems to stop being awesome - They've got another eight VC games planned for release in December, with the large likelihood of Namco Bandai also having some yet to be announced titles in store. Part of the lineup are another Japan-exclusive, Nintendo-developed NES...
News Sony Boss: All Your Sales Are Belong To Us, Nintendo
Says PS3 is picking up speed, Wii flagging
Sony Europe exec Andrew House has a history of mouthing off about his company's chances so his latest little outburst is hardly suprising. In an interview with Games Industry.biz, House touched upon the current surge in PS3 sales and compared it with Nintendo's recent struggles with Wii hardware: I think...
Thursday26th Nov 2009
Review Castle of Magic (DSiWare)
Is this the magical platforming experience fans have been waiting for?
If it's one thing the DSiWare service needs more of it's platformers. The folks at Gameloft must have sensed this when they decided to port their iPhone platforming hit Castle of Magic over to the service. Since one of the main complaints about the original iPhone release was the...
News Mario Was Almost Called Mr Video
"It's-a me Mr Video" just doesn't have the same ring to it
Legend has it that Super Mario was named after the landlord of Nintendo's North American offices back when the company first started, but in the new 'Iwata Asks' feature it was revealed that our lovable tubby plumber was also going to be called 'Mr Video' at one stage. Shigeru Miyamoto said...
Review A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia (Virtual Console / NES)
An innovative gameplay idea that's beginning to feel a bit dated.
There's no denying that the original NES release of A Boy and His Blob brought some fairly unique gameplay ideas to the table when it was released in 1989. David Crane, who'd already seen success with his Atari 2600 hit Pitfall, brought a few ideas from his classic and combined it...
Review Electroplankton Luminarrow (DSiWare)
Last, but certainly not least.
Electroplankton is a group of unique sound-manipulation applications all bundled together as one DS title. Designed by exhibition artist Toshio Iwai, it is a collective work of art disguised as a game. The title itself has gone on to become a cult hit. With the advent of DSiWare, Nintendo has seen fit to separate the...
Review Electroplankton Varvoice (DSiWare)
Repeat ad nauseum.
Electroplankton is a group of unique sound-manipulation applications all bundled together as one DS title. Designed by exhibition artist Toshio Iwai, it is a collective work of art disguised as a game. The title itself has gone on to become a cult hit. With the advent of DSiWare, Nintendo has seen fit to separate the games and...
News Naughty Nokia Boasts About Nintendo Games On N900
Official video shows SNES emulator in operation, complete with ROMz
Let's not beat about the bush - the Nokia N900 is a supremely powerful piece of kit and we want one here at Nintendo Life Towers. The Finnish manufacturer's latest handset is going head-to-head with Apple's iPhone and Motorola's Droid, and has an amazing amount of tricks up its...
Review Electroplankton Lumiloop (DSiWare)
Harmony without rhythm.
Electroplankton is a group of unique sound-manipulation applications all bundled together as one DS title. Designed by exhibition artist Toshio Iwai, it is a collective work of art disguised as a game. The title itself has gone on to become a cult hit. With the advent of DSiWare, Nintendo has seen fit to separate the games...
Review Electroplankton Sun-Animalcule (DSiWare)
Planting pretty plankton, cultivating undersea chaos.
Electroplankton is a group of unique sound-manipulation applications all bundled together as one DS title. Designed by exhibition artist Toshio Iwai, it is a collective work of art disguised as a game. The title itself has gone on to become a cult hit. With the advent of DSiWare, Nintendo has...
News WiiWare Demo Program Proving Successful
Sales boost seen for all games with free trials
During an early november earnings meeting, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata explained how the company wants to get more people to visit the Wii and DSi Shop Channels and browse around, instead of going in already knowing what they want to get. Iwata then announced the company’s plans to roll out a temporary...
Review Electroplankton Marine-Crystals (DSiWare)
Don't eat the yellow plankton.
Electroplankton is a group of unique sound-manipulation applications all bundled together as one DS title. Designed by exhibition artist Toshio Iwai, it is a collective work of art disguised as a game. The title itself has gone on to become a cult hit. With the advent of DSiWare, Nintendo has seen fit to separate the...
The Virtual Console does not bring us what most of us wanted.
After a week with no Virtual Console game, and the recent North American releases of Indiana Jones and Super Mario Kart, one would think that one or both of them would've been released in PAL regions this week - After all, either would've been the 300th VC game for Australia. Sadly,...
News New Copter Crisis Gameplay Trailer
Check out new footage of the game in action.
The good folks at Digitial Leisure were kind enough to send over the brand new trailer for their upcoming helicopter simulation Copter Crisis that will be hitting the WiiWare service in Europe on November 27th and in North America on November 30th. You can check out the snippet of information on the game...
Wednesday25th Nov 2009
Review Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders (DS)
Belgian waffle?
Thank goodness for Nintendo consoles making it easy for gamers to pick a range of moustachioed characters from various spheres of the employment world. If you fancy something a bit more cerebral than plumbing in your portable plaything you might want to check out Agatha Christie’s ABC Murders, in which you play the world’s only...
Jambo! Now jam on outta here!
Animal games seem to be the big new thing, especially on the family-friendly Wii. You can't throw a Remote in a shop without hitting one these days, with every major publisher putting out their own take on the safari-vet-sim sub-genre. Jambo! Safari is Sega's entry in the virtual-wild-animal-game stakes, and a...
News Miyamoto: I Wanted To Patent Jumping In Games
Nintendo's latest Q&A session reveals an amusing tid-bit
Nintendo's regular "Iwata Asks" Q&A sessions have thrown up some interesting points and the latest one - featuring Shigeru Miyamoto - is no exception. Miyamoto: After Mario Bros., there were a fair few jumping-style games released by various companies and I felt that this kind...
Interviews Pop Island - Odenis Studio’s Founder, Olivier Denis
Olivier Denis sits down with us and has a chat about his zany and colourful DSiWare game, Pop Island
Those who read our impressions of Pop Island at the Nintendo Media Summit will know that the game is something of a buzzword here at Nintendo Life. The vibrant colours, frantic gameplay and multiplayer mayhem seem to be an ideal combination for...
Tuesday24th Nov 2009
Review Super Mario Kart (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Back to the good old days before the blue shell from hell
Less than a year after the Super Nintendo was launched, our pals at Nintendo had the bright idea of taking the Super Mario World universe and squeezing it into a kart-racing game. It sounded like a crazy idea at the time, but they managed to pull it off with style and create an almost...
Review Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter (DS)
Definitely not the life of the party.
Coming in the wake of its below average-rated predecessor, Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter is a game that not only has a lot of potential but also a lot to make up for. As a concept it’s a good one: you get to draw your very own character as well as various in-game elements including platforms, falling blocks...
News New Super Mario Bros. Wii Gets Perfect Score in Famitsu
Japanese magazine gives Mario's latest top marks
Print media might be suffering at the moment but that hasn't stopped Japanese magazine Famitsu's influence in the industry. The veteran publication is still seen as something of an authority - both in its native homeland and the West - so the news that it has awarded New Super Mario Bros. Wii a...
Hardware Review Nintendo DSi XL
Is bigger really better?
It would be accurate to say that more than a few heads were scratched when Nintendo announced that they were releasing yet another new model of their DS system called the DSi XL, especially considering that their DSi system had only been on the market for less than eight months. And to make things even more odd, instead of...
Podcast NLFM Episode 1 - Open For Business!
We kick off our first game/chip music podcast with YMCK, Anamanaguchi, Metroid Metal and more!
Welcome to the first episode of NLFM, the new monthly Nintendo Life podcast focused on music from and inspired by video games! We feel game and chip music doesn't get the credit it deserves a lot of the time, so we decided to kickstart our own show...
News DSi LL Shifts 100K Units In Japan
Two-day launch sales beat the competition
No matter how much head-scratching came out of the arguably non-portable portable's announcement, we've now learned one thing: it sells. According to Famitsu and sales tracker Enterbrain, the giant handheld sold 103,524 units in two days. While an impressive number, it's still not too surprising given the...
News Christmas Clix Coming November 30th
Christmas comes early!
You might remember that we recently reported that JV Games' new holiday puzzler Christmas Clix would be hitting the North American WiiWare service on December 7th. Well there's been a change of plans. JV Games today announced that Nintendo has bumped up the release of Christmas Clix one week to November 30th in North America...
Monday23rd Nov 2009
A mini-game collection for retro-fans.
Whilst the word "arcade" will mean "video game" to many, it mustn't be forgotten that many arcades also featured carnival-style games that dispensed tickets for buying plastic trinkets (or, for the truly skilled, something more flash like a transistor radio or a soft toy) from a prize shop...
Review Army Defender (DSiWare)
Defend Your Castle made portable.
One of WiiWare's launch games was Defend Your Castle, a fairly good yet now mostly forgotten title based on the flash game of the same name, in which the objective was quite simple: defend your castle from endless waves of enemies until it finally crumbled. Mindscape and Kaolink must've been inspired by the title,...
Review C.O.P. The Recruit (DS)
Cop a load of this.
With the DS now nearly five years old, you’d think there’d be no surprises left inside that flip-top wonder box, but here comes Ubisoft with something we probably didn’t even realise was possible on DS, under the rather off-putting title of C.O.P. The Recruit. The very talented (if unfortunately named) V.D. Dev have...
Another mega update for North America.
Multiple games were already announced for release this week, but they don't even make up half of the total releases. Each service gets more than one new game, and almost all of them are (or seem to be) good. The Virtual Console steals the show this time though - Super Mario Kart on the SNES is the long-awaited...
News Nintendo Preloading DSi's For Black Friday
Blue and white handhelds get Mario and Brain bonuses
Nintendo is making the DSi an even more attractive purchase this Friday to coincide with American Shopping Day by bundling in over $20 in downloadable software with certain models. The metallic blue DSi (a new color) will come loaded with five Mario-themed games and apps, namely Dr. Mario Express,...
News Miyamoto Keeps Edging Toward Hardware Design
Role shifting since the DS
Shigeru Miyamoto is known for creating some of the best games ever made, some of which necessitated a few revolutionary hardware designs to even be able to play them properly. While his game-making style hasn't changed too much over the years (still mining those hobbies), Miyamoto explained to Edge that over the years his...
Sunday22nd Nov 2009
Delivering what the DSi should've already had.
Until now, Nnooo only released one arcade-like highscore game on WiiWare and DSiWare. And though one game is hardly enough to go by, we were still quite surprised to find out that their next project was not another game, but rather a simple application. myNotebook pretty much does what the title implies...
News Nintendo Blocking Third Party Releases On Virtual Console?
If your title is in direct competition with a Nintendo one, you may be screwed
If you like to moan about the apparent lack of quality titles coming to the Virtual Console then you may wish to direct your anger at Nintendo itself rather than third party publishers, if this recent piece of news is anything to go by. A poster on NTSC-UK forum has...
News Nintendo's Denise Kaigler Calls It Quits
Steps down for family reasons
After two years on the job, Nintendo of America's Denise Kaigler has stepped down from her position as vice president of corporate affairs. Kaigler revealed the news in IGN's Nintendo Minute, a weekly feature where she would (try to) answer a question about the company's operations. It's a fact of life that job and...
Saturday21st Nov 2009
Gameloft deals DSiWare a decent hand
This DSiWare release of UNO marks the card game's second appearance on Nintendo platforms within a few weeks, but does it hold up better in pocket format than its recent WiiWare release? As you'd expect, your cards appear on the bottom screen with the top screen showing the play area. Playing your cards is a...
News Super Mario Kart Hits Virtual Console on Monday
The wait is finally over.
Well Super Mario Kart fans have waited long and hard for the Super Nintendo classic to make an appearance on the North American Virtual Console service, but it seems the wait is finally about to be over. Gamespot has just announced that Nintendo has confirmed to them that Super Mario Kart will be released on the North...
Friday20th Nov 2009
Nintendo Download 24-25 November 2009 (Japan)
WiiWare is back and the MSX returns with a vengeance, plus DSiWare and more Namco Arcade games!
Japan gets a lot of downloads ordinarily, but next week must be setting some kind of record - and there's not even a public holiday to account for it! WiiWareOkiraku Kart Wii (500pts - Arc System Works) - You cannot keep the Family down, especially if...
News Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Intro Video
A little insight into the Spirit Tracks.
The nice folks at Nintendo have just sent over the newest trailer for their upcoming DS release Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. The game is set to hit North American store shelves on December 7th and Europe retail shelves on December 11th. You can check out the new gameplay video that shows off the game's...
Nintendo Download Pokémon, Shootanto, All Time Classics, Army Defender, myNotebook and UNO (EU)
Virtual Console takes a week off.
It's an all-new game affair this week - There's not a single retro game in sight. WiiWare gets a mighty 4 new releases, but don't be fooled too much - Two of them are just demos North America got Monday but we didn't yet. DSiWare gets 4 games too, but there's no tomfoolery going around there. Arguably the biggest...
News BIT.TRIP VOID Coming This Monday
Don't avoid the Void!
Well all of you BIT.TRIP fans can rejoice now, as Gaijin Games has just Tweeted that their newest entry in the series, BIT.TRIP VOID will be hitting the North American WiiWare service on Monday, November 23 for 600 Wii Points. How's that for good news? You can check out the official press information on the game below, as well...
News Watch Some More Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ Footage
View some of the game's boss fights.
If our very positive review didn't yet convince you that the vertical zombie shoot 'em up is worth your time and money, then maybe these recently released videos will. However, they feature the first three boss battles in the game, so if you don't want the strategies to beat them spoiled, it might actually be...
A little fun and games!
Nnooo has just released a brand new video of their upcoming DSiWare application myNotebook in action. In this video you'll be shown a quick game of Boxes using this unique DSiWare application. You can check out the full video below and we'll have a full review of the application as soon as it hits the DSiWare service. We'll...
Thursday19th Nov 2009
Guides Everything You Need To Know About Importing a Wii
Are considering getting a North American Wii?
Given the pan-Wii coverage on Nintendo Life there's been plenty of opportunity for the green-eyed monster to make himself known on both sides of the Atlantic. You might have considered buying a Wii "from the other side" to avoid waiting for your favourite downloads or disc releases, so here's a few tips...
First Impressions Super Meat Boy
We take Team Meat's upcoming platformer for a spin.
The guys over at Team Meat were kind enough to send over a preview build of their upcoming PC/WiiWare title Super Meat Boy yesterday and we've spent the past few hours putting it through its paces and snapping a few screenshots in the process. The guys at Team Meat did want us to make sure and...
News Japanese Club Nintendo Members Get Game & Watch Goodness
Retro-themed freebies = WIN
Western Nintendo fans are used to getting rubbish gifts from Club Nintendo while their Japanese cousins take home some seriously amazing kit, but this latest news is especially depressing for anyone outside the Land of the Rising Sun. Nintendo of Japan is offering actual Game & Watch "Ball" units to Platinum...
News All Rise for the First Phoenix Wright WiiWare Shots
Court is now in session!
Looks like the Phoenix Wright steam train is really picking up... er... steam at the moment, with the announcement yesterday and now the first screenshots of the rookie lawyer's transition to WiiWare. One thing you'll notice is that it looks absolutely identical to the GBA/DS versions of the game, with very little in the way...
News 101 Minigolf World Coming to DSiWare
DSiWare's first true 3D minigolf title
Teyon has just announced that their brand new 3D miniature golf title 101 Minigolf World is on its way to Nintendo's DSiWare service. You can take a look at the official press release snippet below for more information on the game, as well as four brand new screenshots of the game in action. 101 MiniGolf World...
News Copter Crisis Gets Release Dates
WiiWare helicopter sim is on its way.
Digital Leisure has just announced that their Copter Crisis WiiWare title will be coming to Europe on November 27th and North America on November 30th. You can check out the official game description below for a taste of what you can expect from this unique helicopter title. You're in the pilot seat now! Copter...
Wednesday18th Nov 2009
Review Pokémon Rumble (WiiWare)
Rumble or fumble?
One thing we've learned time and again (sometimes painfully) is that when it comes to WiiWare there's no necessary correlation between quality and cost. Of the most expensive games available, for instance, one of them is arguably the best game on the service, and another is ...not. And so when a new release scurries into view...
Review Street Fighter II': Champion Edition (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
A very solid, albeit unknown port of the Capcom arcade fighter.
After seeing releases on both the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis consoles, Capcom figured they could capitalize one more time with a release on NEC's PC Engine system in Japan. While the game was considered a very faithful port of the arcade hit, waning sales and licensing issues kept...
News Prime Yourself for More Metroid
Developer interview teases possible DS outing for Samus
We may still be recovering from the majesty of Metroid Prime Trilogy, but a recent interview with the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine has unearthed an even more exciting titbit: there may be more Metroid Prime games on the way. Speaking to the magazine, Kensuke Tanabe of Nintendo said: We are...
Feature FC Mobile II Console Review
NES gaming on the go
Isn’t modern technology wonderful? Thanks to the joys of miniaturisation it’s now possible to enjoy retro machines in smaller form factors than they were originally released in. Take the FC Mobile II, for example – while it’s hardly small in portable terms, it’s a damn sight less bulky than the NES console it attempts...
Like synchronized swimming, but with less water and more robots
Working alongside developer Destan Entertainment, Polish video-game producer Teyon has previously focused on the PC, publishing a host of light puzzle games, pet simulators, and mini-game collections, and also the occasional FPS. Together they made their official console debut in...
News Muramasa Knocked Back by Week Delay
November 27th the new date for Europeans
We've just spoken to Rising Star Games's Yen Hau, who's confirmed that the firm's upcoming release of Muramasa: The Demon Blade has been pushed back by a week to launch next Friday, November 27th. Considering this week sees the European launch of New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Lego Indiana Jones 2 - among...
News Aonuma: Prepare for Zelda Surprise Next Year
Zelda big boss sets up E3 revelation
For a few years now, Eiji Aonuma has been promising something of a reimagining of the Legend of Zelda series. Twilight Princess was touted as the last Zelda "as we know it", and now Mr Aonuma has spoken to the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine about some of the developments in the next title. "It is something we...
News Phoenix Wright Series Coming To WiiWare
Courtroom drama will adopt an episodic format
The latest issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu has confirmed that Capcom's cult legal video gaming series Phoenix Wright is coming to Nintendo's WiiWare service, with the first instalment hitting the Japanese Wii Store next month. The series, which is known in Japan as "Gyakuten Saiban", has...
Tuesday17th Nov 2009
News Rabbids Go Home Recalled Due to Offensive Language?
UPDATED - Recall not happening says Ubisoft, official statement on its way
We've just received some early reports that Ubisoft is recalling Rabbids Go Home from UK stores due to it containing "language that some users may find offensive". Actual details are hard to come by, but we'd hazard a guess that the line in question is "No...
Review Arcade Bowling (DSiWare)
Some games were meant to be played in real life.
David Crane is a legend in terms of video game design. The creator of such early classics as Pitfall, its sequel Pitfall II, and the original A Boy and his Blob, he and fellow Activision alumnus Garry Kitchen have most recently co-founded Skyworks Interactive, focusing their talents on 'advergaming'...
News We Pray - Coming To A Console Near You?
Wii is getting cross...
File this one under "Huh?", "What?", and...you know what? Let's not file this one at all. We Pray is set to be the motion-controlled minigame-based church simulator to end all motion-controlled minigame-based church simulators. If, of course, it really exists... Check out the trailer below. According to...
News Rage of the Gladiator - Master Yee Trailer
Check out the old wise master in action.
The nice folks over at Ghostfire Games have just sent over the newest boss gameplay video for their upcoming Rage of the Gladiator WiiWare release. In this video you can see the aged Master Yee and his arsenal of attack moves. You can check out the full Master Yee gameplay trailer below for a taste of what...
News myNotebook Applications Get Release Dates
Different release dates for different colors.
Nnooo has just announced that their myNotebook DSiWare applications have been approved for release by Nintendo and each have their own individual release dates for each of the three different colors. You can check out the contents of the press release below for the exact release dates along with some...
News Mighty Flip Champs Europe-Bound This Month!
At long last...
It seems like European gamers have been waiting an absolute age to get their fingers on WayForward's really rather good Mighty Flip Champs, but the waiting is nearly over as WayForward has just told us the game will be releasing this month! As yet we have no exact date, but with European releases going up on Friday it can really only...
Monday16th Nov 2009
Review Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Another fantastic movie trilogy gets another fantastic game
By the end of 1994, Sculptured Software had already created two SNES games based on the Star Wars games, and were hard at work on a third. But of course movie fanatics noticed something - Star Wars already had a lot of representation, but where was everybody's favourite archaeologist?...
Review Ju-On: The Grudge (Wii)
Time to break out those rubber underpants!
The Ju-On series of films are a true horror landmark. Released at a time when most horror films have just become an endless series of remakes or are more depictions of torture than "scary movies," they refreshingly provide genuine frights with terrifying tales of vengeful spirits haunting the...
Bigger animals, bigger features.
We thought quite highly of Hudson's last WiiWare game based on keeping animals, but we also warned potential buyers that it was not so much a game as an interactive screensaver. My Zoo is meant to expand on the previous game in many ways. Aside from the animals being bigger, there are many new features and things to...
Nintendo Download Pokémon, Whips, Fighters, Bowling Balls, Robots, Intersections and Demos (US)
It's like a complete reversal - WiiWare only gets one new game this week, while DSiWare gets three.
Nintendo would like you to think that they're releasing a whopping 6 WiiWare games today, but the truth is there's only one - The remaining five are all demos of other games, allowing those unsure of their purchase to check them out before spending...
News Voice of Mario Wanted To Voice Link
It's-a me, Leenk! Yippieeeee!
As the voice of Mario, Charles Martinet has been a staple of Nintendo ever since the plumber first showed the industry how 3D gaming is done. But why stop with Mario? Speaking to That Gaming Site (via GoNintendo), Martinet explained how he tried to move his way into Hyrule. I spoke to Mr. Miyamoto and said: “I wanna...
News Original Castlevania Ported To Half-Life 2, Sort Of
Modder recreates first stage for PC shooter
Dracula's castle has come down with a bad case of alien head crabs. Where are the Belmonts to stop them? Dead, presumably, so it's up to Gordon Freeman to crowbar them into crab juice in this translation of the original Castlevania's first level to the PC's Half-Life 2. The mod retains the same look of the...
News Miyamoto Unsure if Super Mario Galaxy 2 Will Include the Super Guide
Remains a New Super Mario Bros. Wii only feature for now.
If you've been following (or have already purchased!) New Super Mario Bros. Wii, you should know that it includes a very helpful feature - the Super Guide will let the game demonstrate how to beat a particular level, so you can copy its tactics if you're having trouble. Of course, thinking...
Miyamoto sees more in the future of Wii Music.
ONM UK didn't just grill Shigeru Miyamoto on Mario, they also asked him some questions about other games. One of these was Wii Music. It's quite logical to think that after Wii Fit Plus, Nintendo would also want to offer an enhanced version of Wii Music. But although Miyamoto would like to do more with...
News WiiWare Demo Service Now Available Worldwide!
Which games are available? Read on!
Some exciting news for all you WiiWare fans out there - you can now access free WiiWare demos through the Shop Channel! Yes, pop on your Wii console and you'll be able to download limited trial versions of selected games. You lucky European and Australian Wii owners can access Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My...
Sunday15th Nov 2009
Review New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
The Super Mario Bros. experience long-time fans have been waiting for
Nintendo has been making Super Mario Bros. games for as long as they've been making game consoles, and after the mammoth success of New Super Mario Bros. on DS, it comes as no real surprise to see them continuing that tradition on the Wii. And while Nintendo have made it clear...
Review A Little Bit of... Nintendo Touch Golf (DSiWare)
A hole in one or simply par for the course?
Nintendo's "A Little Bit of..." series of DSiWare releases has received criticism in some quarters for offering severely cut-down versions of full titles at barely reduced prices. Well, A Little Bit of... Nintendo Touch Golf survives the transfer from cartridge to download pretty much intact,...
Nintendo Download 17-18 November 2009 (Japan)
More Namco arcade games and DSiWare next week.
Another WiiWare holiday and only two Virtual Console releases - both Namco arcade games. Hardly seems possible given the number of announced Virtual Console titles for November yet to be released, unless the 24th is going to break all previous records! Virtual Console Bosconian (800pts Arcade - Namco)...
Saturday14th Nov 2009
Review Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex (Wii)
Two years old. HD-to-Wii port. Surprisingly good
When Treyarch first announced that they'd be porting Infinity Ward's two-year-old Xbox 360/PS3/PC powerhouse Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare to Wii, nobody seemed to think that the game would faithfully translate to Nintendo's underpowered console. The first screens were laughed at and the game seemed...
To arms! To arms! Lego Battles storms onto the DS in the very first Lego RTS, but is it a battling success?
Following the unquestionable success of the various Lego games of the past few years, Lego Battles is something of an oddity in the ever-growing stable of generally very good, solid adventure titles (and one rhythm game) from the Lego brand...
Review Need For Speed: NITRO (Wii)
You've got boost power!
With lagging interest (read: sales) in their Need For Speed series, EA decided to try something new: instead of half-sim, half-arcade street racing games that lost direction with each new entry, the franchise would be split in two and refocused. Back in September, the Xbox 360/PS3's sim-oriented Need For Speed: Shift was met...
News Art of Balance Announced for WiiWare
Cubic cranium conundrums on the way
Puzzle games and physics go together like plumbers and mushrooms, so Shin'en Multimedia's announcement that Art of Balance is heading towards WiiWare is welcome news. Here it is in their own words: Shin’en Multimedia announces the development of Art of Balance for WiiWare. Grab your Wii Remote™ and build a...
Friday13th Nov 2009
Review Ninja Gaiden (Virtual Console / Virtual Console Arcade)
The original, but possibly not the best.
Ninja Gaiden is a game best known to many as a series of action-platformers that started out on the NES and has continued into the present day on the current crop of HD systems as a 3rd-person action game. It's worth remembering that it started out as an unforgiving beat-em up in arcades and thanks to Tecmo's...
News BBC To Launch New Dedicated iPlayer Wii Channel
Enhanced version of the popular TV streaming service coming to Wii on the 18th November
British Wii owners have been able to watch TV programs using the BBC iPlayer since 2008, but the veteran broadcaster has announced that it is releasing an updated version of the service which will function as a dedicated Wii Channel. The new version will be...
News Top 20 DSiWare Games in USA (12th Nov)
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 myNotebook Features Video
The ins and outs of the DSiWare application.
Nnooo has just released a brand new video of their upcoming DSiWare application myNotebook in action. In this video you'll get a more detailed look at the program's many features and how they function. You can check out the full video below and we'll have a full review of the application as soon as it...
Thursday12th Nov 2009
Review Excitebike: World Rally (WiiWare)
Will this remake kick the tires out from under the competition?
Nintendo’s often-overlooked Excite racing series kicks in the turbo and has released not one but two new games this year. This time, the series returns to its roots with a remake of the original NES classic. But with so many other “excite”-ing options to choose from on the Wii, is...
News NASCAR Gets A Mario Makeover
New Super Mario Bros. Wii car competing on Saturday
The world's of NASCAR and Nintendo fans alike will mesh together on November 14 (a.k.a. this Saturday, a.k.a. New Super Mario Bros. Wii Eve) thanks to a decked-out stock car co-sponsored by Gamestop and Nintendo of America. The car, and its driver, Denny Hamlin, will be competing in the Able Body...
News Phalanx Remake Coming to WiiWare
The Kemco shooter is getting an upgrade.
Chances are you're familiar with Phalanx one way or the other - Originally released for the Japan-only Sharp X68000 and later ported to the SNES for all regions, the game's somewhat infamous for having some of the most ridiculously inappropriate boxart of all time. Of course, the game itself is actually...
Nintendo Download Ninja Gaiden, My Zoo, Rock N' Roll Climber and Nintendo Touch Golf (EU)
Things are a bit underwhelming this week.
There's no doubt that a lot of people are waiting for the European release of Excitebike: World Rally, but it looks like Nintendo is letting us down for now - This week offers us only four new games, and none of them are particularly interesting. WiiWare's the only service with more than one game this time -...
News Hotel Dusk Is Getting A Sequel
Goes by the name of Last Window
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 was a great little mystery game for the DS. Set in a hotel in 1979 Los Angeles, developer CING combined mystery text adventure with a graphic novel style while crafting a decidedly DS experience. And now it's getting a sequel. Quietly announced by Nintendo, Last Window: Midnight Promise takes...
News Britain's Best Nintendo Gamer 2009 - Report!
Who walked away with the crown?
Our UK readers will probably have seen our adverts for Britain's Best Nintendo Gamer a month or so ago - in fact, some of you may even have competed at a GAME or Gamestation store - but we left you hanging on who emerged from the competition victorious. Well, hang no more - all can be revealed! Well, almost all...
News DS XL Promo Footage Shows Off Generous Proportions, Family-friendly Nature
Fun for the entire family
The DS XL - known as the DS LL in Japan - is something of a monster. Want proof? Check out this official promotional video, which has been released by Nintendo to advertise the impending Japanese launch of the console. The footage shows an almost unbearably happy Japanese family fawning over their new DS LL, and gives a...
News New Super Mario Bros. Wii Strategy Video
Check out some useful tips from the pros.
The kind folks over at Nintendo were kind enough to send over a brand new gameplay video for their upcoming Wii console release New Super Mario Bros. Wii. In this video you can check out some of the helpful strategies the guys over at Treehouse have put together to help you get the most out of the game. You...
News Christmas Clix Coming to WiiWare
JV Games announce their newest WiiWare title.
JV Games has just announced that they'll be bringing a unique Christmas-themed puzzler to the WiiWare service on December 7th called Christmas Clix. That means everyone out there in Nintendo Land will have something to play with their families during the Christmas holidays. You can check out the full...
News Onteca Announces Monsteca Corral For WiiWare
Herd monsters away from danger that is more dangerous than monsters
British developer Onteca yesterday announced their new WiiWare game, Monsteca Corral, and it will be hitting sometime in January. The game puts players in the shoes of a Monster Herder, whose job is to control a herd of monsters called Sdompe's and keep them away from danger and...
Wednesday11th Nov 2009
Review Dragon Master Spell Caster (WiiWare)
Dragon Master Spells Disaster
In Dragon Master Spell Caster, you mount your pet dragon and take to the skies in search of thrilling adventure (or floating balls), engage in epic struggles with (or shake your Wii remote randomly at) elementally-themed opponents, and fly on into your new life of fame and fortune (or...turn your Wii off and think about...
News Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (11th Nov)
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...
Interviews Mecho Wars - Luc Bernard
Luc talks about his many upcoming projects.
Well we're constantly seeing new artwork and rumors about what our good friend Luc Bernard is currently working on and with these rumors beginning to mount, we thought it might be time to get in touch with him in order to find out any new information on his plans for the various Nintendo platforms. Of...
News New Super Mario Bros. Wii Packaging Is All Kinds Of Awesome
Paint the town red with Mario's latest adventure
We don't have our press copy of New Super Mario Bros. Wii yet, but those lucky chaps over at Kotaku do - and they've taken some photos of the packaging to tease us with. Normally we wouldn't report on something as banal as this but the fact is the case for NSMB Wii looks fantastic. It's made of red...
News Electronic Arts Less Than Happy With Wii Sales
Veteran publisher laments "weak" third party sales performance on Nintendo's console
In case you hadn't noticed, EA is pruning its workforce with gay abandon at present, hacking away 1500 jobs in order to reduce its running costs. The fact that many of its Wii titles have underperformed (Dead Space Extraction has reportedly sold a pitiful 9,000...
Tuesday10th Nov 2009
Review Frogger Returns (WiiWare)
The return of an arcade legend.
It cannot be denied that Frogger is one of the original arcade hits. It was ported to pretty much every 8-bit console and computer system in the world, bootlegged numerous times and even immortalised in song on the seminal "Pac-Man Fever" LP by Buckner & Garcia. It's the only Konami arcade game from the...
Review Electroplankton Rec-Rec (DSiWare)
A chorus of fish!
Back in 2006, a talented and eccentric media artist named Toshio Iwai developed a very unique title for Nintendo's DS system that allowed the user to interact with various forms of plankton on both a visual and musical level. In fact, it was this combination that gave the game its unique feel and ultimately produced one of the more...
Review Electroplankton Hanenbow (DSiWare)
Make like a tree and leave.
Back in 2006, a talented and eccentric media artist named Toshio Iwai developed a very unique title for Nintendo's DS system that allowed the user to interact with various forms of plankton on both a visual and musical level. In fact, it was this combination that gave the game its unique feel and ultimately produced one...
Review Electroplankton Beatnes (DSiWare)
Feel the beat!
Back in 2006, a talented and eccentric media artist named Toshio Iwai developed a very unique title for Nintendo's DS system that allowed the user to interact with various forms of plankton on both a visual and musical level. In fact, it was this combination that gave the game its unique feel and ultimately produced one of the more...
Review Electroplankton Nanocarp (DSiWare)
Carpe Diem!
Back in 2006, a talented and eccentric media artist named Toshio Iwai developed a very unique title for Nintendo's DS system that allowed the user to interact with various forms of plankton on both a visual and musical level. In fact, it was this combination that gave the game its unique feel and ultimately produced one of the more...
Review Electroplankton Trapy (DSiWare)
A bit outside the lines.
Back in 2006, a talented and eccentric media artist named Toshio Iwai developed a very unique title for Nintendo's DS system that allowed the user to interact with various forms of plankton on both a visual and musical level. In fact, it was this combination that gave the game its unique feel and ultimately produced one of...
News Pixmania: Wiimote Tech Is "Endangered"
Death by Natal?
UK electronics retailer Pixmania has compiled a list for The Daily Telegraph of what it deems are "endangered" technologies that "will be lucky to survive by the end of next year," and Nintendo's game-changing Wii Remote is sitting pretty in 6th place. According to them, Microsoft's upcoming motion-sensing,...
News Club Nintendo Japan Adds WiiWare Game Ultrahand
Cook from afar for 50 points
Club Nintendo Japan yesterday reminded the other Club Nintendos around the world just how much better it was by adding the first all-member game download to its service. Take that, Mario Party playing cards! Ultrahand is a bit of an oddity and centers around using the titular object to grab meat off a grill; at 50 Club...
News Hudson Soft Releasing My Zoo in Europe This Week, Shootanto Next Week
It's been a while since the last Hudson WiiWare game, but now there will be two of them in two weeks.
Hudson's My Aquarium has seen continuous success - Almost every single week, it is among the top WiiWare downloads. Obviously, they've taken note of that, because this week, they'll be releasing a sequel to it! And to top it off, next week, they'll...
News Check Out the Final Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Trailer
Can you believe the game is out in just one month?
The holiday season's coming up, so Nintendo is gearing up to release some of the biggest titles this year. New Super Mario Bros. Wii is out next week, and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is out in December. In anticipation of the latter, Nintendo has released one more trailer which should quell...
Monday9th Nov 2009
Well and truly off its trolley
As the fourth Rabbids game in the Wii’s three-year lifespan, you’d be forgiven for thinking Ubisoft has run out of ideas for its bizarre creations, but Rabbids Go Home is potentially the oddest game in the series yet. Making a clean break from its minigame origins, Rabbids Go Home is an all-new adventure game from...
Gameloft WiiWare card games, take two!
Like many American board games, Uno was started by your average Joe making sets in his house and selling them to friends and neighbours before getting picked up by a big outfit and made into a classic. It's a fun social game that's been around for nearly 40 years now and is played around the world. Given the...
Review Manic Monkey Mayhem (WiiWare)
A monkey barrel beater?
Manic Monkey Mayhem is a clear attempt by UK-based developers The Code Monkeys to make a straightforward multiplayer shooter that anyone can play. All you need is a Remote and a decent throwing arm to pick this one up, but does it have enough depth to justify laying out 1,000 Points? The controls are very straightforward:...
Too sexy for its shirt
When word leaked out that Sega's Sonic Team was working on a minigame collection for Nintendo's new DS system, many wondered why such a talented development group would be wasting their time creating something as trivial as a minigame compilation. Gamers got their answer with the release of Feel the Magic XX/YY (known as...
News Rare Pokémon Found at US Toys 'R' Us Stores
Get your Arceus down there!
Those of you Pokémon Platinum owners in the US who can haul off to a Toys 'R' Us before November 14th can snag themselves the ultimate Pokemon of all: Arceus. Those who receive this rare beast will discover it has already been levelled up to lvl.100, and has some pretty unique stats that can only be found on this...
Nintendo Download Bikes, Frogs, Dragons, Bombs, Plankton and Cybernoids (US)
DSiWare gets another big batch of budget titles, WiiWare gets Excitebike.
There's eleven new games this week, but don't get excited right away - five of them are budget DSiWare versions of commercial disaster Electroplankton. WiiWare gets the previously announced Excitebike and two more games, while Virtual Console gets two rather unremarkable...
And it's quick and painless.
If you've taken a look at Gaijin Games' official web site you likely noticed the announcement that their first Bit.Trip release BIT.TRIP BEAT has been updated on the Wii Shop Channel. This update makes a few improvements on the level unlocking scheme and a few other minor improvements. The other good news is that it...
News Rabbids Race Through London
Souped-up trolley hitting UK cities
Game-themed cars are nothing new - everyone from Pikachu to Sonic has had their face plastered on a car over the years - but a game-themed shopping trolley capable of 70mph is definitely something we haven't seen before. Add a huge Rabbid figure to the back - in mid-BWAAAH pose, of course - and drive the trolley...
News Crystal Mario Surfaces Down Under
Melbournians, show your NSMB Wii chops to win!
The Nintendo Experience, EB Games of Swanston St, Melbourne are hosting the only launch event for New Super Mario Bros. Wii in Australia. From 9pm onwards on November 11th, everyone is invited to join in on the fun and have a chance to play the game with others before taking their own purchased copy...
Sunday8th Nov 2009
News Michael Jackson's Moonwalker Coming to Virtual Console?
Could the King of Pop make his Wii debut soon?
The PEGI has been a bit quiet for a while, as they tend not to add ratings to their site until the games in question have actually been released. Today, however, one game slipped through the cracks, and it's not an insignificant one either. A Virtual Console listing for Michael Jackson's Moonwalker has...
Saturday7th Nov 2009
Review Bomberman Blitz (DSiWare)
A cut down, portable Bomberman Blast.
Pretty much every platform in this gaming generation has had a downloadable Bomberman title. The DSi hadn't yet, so Hudson must've figured "Why the heck not?" and made yet another one. As with all other downloadable (non-Virtual Console) Bomberman titles, this is strictly a multiplayer affair — there...
Does the series’ DS debut rock or roll over and die?
DS music game fans have a pretty good selection for a portable, with Nintendo’s own stellar Rhythm Heaven and Activision’s Guitar Hero and Band Hero outings eager to put your rhythm skills to work. Harmonix’s Rock Band series has now taken the handheld’s stage for the first time in the...
Nintendo Download 10-11 November 2009 (Japan)
WiiWare takes a holiday, but that's okay because we've got Arcade action and DSiWare!
Well, after this week's Japanese holiday, it looks like we're back to Wii downloads on Tuesdays and DSiWare on Wednesdays for next week. No WiiWare is coming, but that's probably okay after the bumper crop of titles released in October! Virtual ConsoleStreet...
Friday6th Nov 2009
Review Carnival King (WiiWare)
Is this take on the old-fashioned carnival shooting gallery a hit or miss?
There have been quite a few games over the years that have made use of various carnival-style shooting galleries. Some have leaned towards an arcade feel while others have gone for a more realistic experience using a light gun. Intelligent Technologies, makers of Target Toss...
A lot of choices this week!
A whole bunch of games were already confirmed for release today - But of course, they weren't the only games scheduled, and one of the confirmed games even got delayed at the last moment. WiiWare and DSiWare both get three new games, while the Virtual Console only gets one lonely new one. That loner is Fighting Street,...
Podcast Episode 9 - Muramasa, Mario and More!
Four contributors. Three exclusive interviews. One unstoppable podcasting force
Slightly delayed but bigger and better than ever, it's the ninth episode of the Nintendo Life podcast. Weighing in at a massive forty minutes, it's got Rising Star Games answering your questions about Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Corbie Dillard telling you more about...
Competitions Do you feel lucky, punk?
Well, do ya? It's almost that time of year, the time of giving, we couldn't wait any longer so here's the winners from 4 of our recent fantastic competitions.
Okay, so let's get started... we've drawn the winners from the 100s of entries using our very faithful rand() function. Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games Giveaway: We
News Zelda Tin Switches Tracks to GAME
Limited preorder bonus still available
You may remember a few weeks ago we reported that Gamestation was stocking a limited edition figurine and tin set for Zelda: Spirit Tracks, but that they quickly sold out. Well, it seems they sold out because all the rest of the stock went to their parent company GAME. Yes, the pink-hued retailer are offering...
News Game Boy Granted Access To National Toy Hall Of Fame
Nintendo's classic hand-held rubs shoulders with other vintage playthings
The Game Boy has entered the National Toy Hall of Fame in recognition of its incredible influence on the video game industry and its uncanny ability to keep kids quiet on long car journeys. The Strong Museum of Play's National Toy Hall of Fame is intended to celebrate toys and...
News HD Wii - Is It Coming? Depends Who You Ask
Nintendo's left hand says, "I don't know what my right hand's doing"
Another week, more HD Wii confusion. Last week's Nintendo investors meeting is proving to be a goldmine of quotes and teases, following the cats and WiiWare demo service, and now further translation has revealed an interesting little titbit about the possibility of an upcoming...
News Pearl Harbor Trilogy Shots Come In To Land
WiiWare dogfighting game squares up
Thanks to our chums over at Legendo we've got a few new screenshots of their upcoming aerial ace Pearl Harbor: Episode 1 - Red Sun Rising, the first part of their Pearl Harbor Trilogy expected to hit WiiWare within the next few months. The title seems to be coming nicely, with some pleasing detail on the planes...
News Black Wii Accessories Hit UK Shelves Early
At least one retailer has Nunchuks for sale already
The black Wii is available on shop shelves across Great Britain today, but we were under the impression that the accessories - black Nunchuks, Remote + MotionPlus bundles and Classic Controller Pros - weren't going to be available until the pan-European launch in two weeks' time. Well, it seems at...
News Nintendo Blasting Off With New DSiWare Puzzler
Boldly go where no rocket has gone before...in three minutes.
Japan's DSiWare fight against space wages on next week as Nintendo has revealed a new downloadable puzzle-fest. Developed by Intelligent Systems, Panel Connection: 3 Minute Rocket has you move tiles around in order to complete the rocket's fuel line for blast-off. The three-minute limit...
Thursday5th Nov 2009
News Jackal ReBirth - The Next Konami ReBirth Game?
Prototype screenshots seem to say so.
Konami's been very busy making new versions of their classic games for WiiWare. With Gradius, Contra and Castlevania already done, and with Life Force apparently also on the way, they've picked some excellent series so far. Their fifth pick now seems to have been revealed as well. If you head over to designer
News Top 20 DSiWare Games in USA (5th Nov)
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 Old Cart on the Block Has the Right Stuff
Rare prototype NES box surfaces on eBay
Every now and then, eBay turns up a real find, something you never thought you'd see in your natural life: a rare console edition, a forgotten classic, a badly beaten prototype box for an unreleased NES game. If you're a fan of the latter, you'll be thrilled by this story that a scuffed box for the sadly...
40,000 bricks recreate Nintendo icon
He may be more into the plumbing business, but that doesn't mean Mario can't get involved in the bricklaying side of things too, as this story proves. Made as part of the LEGO World Fair, this blocky brother measures nearly 6' tall and weighs over 110lbs, so whilst it may not be a hugely realistic effigy of the...
News Gaijin Games Releases BIT.TRIP BEAT Soundtrack and Sponsors Blip Festival 2009
Here's some music for chip tunes fans ears!
The folks at Gaijin Games have just announced that the official BIT.TRIP BEAT soundtrack is now available for sale via iTunes and CDBaby. The soundtrack features all of the in-game music from BIT.TRIP BEAT from chip-tunes composer BitShifter. You can also check out the press release snippet below for more...
News BIT.TRIP VOID Coming to North America November 23rd
The third release in the Bit.Trip series coming for Thanksgiving.
Gaijin Games has just announced that their BIT.TRIP VOID WiiWare title will be available in North America on November 23rd, just in time for Thanksgiving! The game will cost you 600 Wii Points and should give everyone something to do after stuffing down some turkey and dressing. You...
Wednesday4th Nov 2009
Feature Retro Duo Console Review
Bring your 8-bit and 16-bit Nintendo titles out of retirement
Retro gaming is a hobby that is both rewarding and enlightening; like leafing through an old book or listening to a record from many moons ago, there’s an element of discovery for those who weren’t around to enjoy vintage titles when they were first released. Conversely, those of us...
Review Fighting Street (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Proof that some memories are best left in the past
Before Street Fighter 2 became all the rage in arcades and one of the most popular fighting games in the world, it began life as an overlooked arcade title called Street Fighter, which saw the light of day way back in 1987. While the title was far from the monster hit its successor would become, it...
Review Family Card Games (WiiWare)
The family that plays drinking games together, stays together
Worn out from extended sessions of Table Tennis, Mini Golf and Slot Car Racing? Feeling like if you have to look at Mommy, Daddy, Billy, or Sarah’s plastic smiling faces one more time you will throw your Wii Remote through the TV? Why not unwind with a few pleasant card games?...
News Sin & Punishment Team Talks N64 Development Hell
The console "didn't work at all"
The paradigm shift from 2D to 3D that game developers faced in the 32/64-bit era was so drastic that not only did developers have to grapple with new tech but also figuring out how on earth their games would work in a new dimension. It didn't always work out so well, but when it did it was magical. Nintendo CEO...
News Easy Piano DS With Keyboard Peripheral Announced
Pretend you're Beethoven on the bus next year
Publisher Valcon Games has announced that they'll be bringing Game Life's new music game Easy Piano to the DS, complete with a 13-key, full-octave keyboard peripheral. The game hopes to be an introductory teaching tool for playing the real piano, similar to how Art Academy wants to teach you how to draw...
News Black Wii Unboxed Before Your Very Eyes!
Yes, we've got one.
When Nintendo announced the Limited Edition black Wii was on its way to the UK and Europe this month, our first reaction was a sense of satisfaction - the Wii has been stuck in its whitewash world for too long, so the added choice of another colour is more than welcome. Not all of you were so thrilled though, particularly you...
News Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (4th Nov)
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 Infinity Ward Unhappy With Wii's Power
In other news: the world is round and water is wet
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 6 months then you'll be aware that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is almost upon us, with everyone and their auntie getting unreasonably excited about the prospect of blowing up generic bad guys and making tiresome "RAT-A-TAT-TAT" noises...
News Space Invaders Extreme Z Hits Japanese DSiWare
Remember: short, controlled bursts.
Taito shocked and awed Japanese DSiWare aficionados today with the release of a miniature entry of its bat****-crazy Space Invaders Extreme series: Space Invaders Extreme Z. For 500 pointy points, Earth defenders get Fever and Bingo modes, whatever that means, from Extreme 2 playable over three courses. If you're...
Rumour GAME Group Not Stocking Muramasa?
UK's biggest games retailer may ignore feudal Japanese epic
Following our story last month where Rising Star Games' MD Martin Defries said some UK retailers weren't interested in Muramasa: The Demon Blade, we decided to do a little ringing around of GAME and Gamestation stores to check on the preorder availability of this fantastic game and were...
News Brand New Rubik's Puzzle Galaxy: RUSH screens
Feast your eyes on some more screenshots.
Two Tribes has just released a brand new batch of five screenshots for their upcoming WiIWare puzzler, Rubik's Puzzle Galaxy: RUSH. The new screens are a bit more zoomed in than the previous ones, to give us a clear view at the game's smooth graphics. The screenshots can be viewed below in the image section...
News Miyamoto Talks Zelda With MotionPlus
Swordplay and targeting get a boost
Details on the next installment in the Legend of Zelda series have been few and far between since Miyamoto unveiled concept art for the in-development title at E3 in June, depicting a swordless Link back-to-back with a mysterious, sword-like creature. Then we heard that the game wouldn't be radically different...
News Brand New Flipper Gameplay Trailer
Check out the newest video of the game in action.
The folks over at Goodbye Galaxy Games have sent word that they've just released a brand new gameplay trailer for their upcoming DSiWare title Flipper. You can check out the updated look of the game as well as some great in-game footage that shows off exactly how the game will play. We'll keep you...
Tuesday3rd Nov 2009
A worthwhile upgrade or just Nintendo milking its new cash cow?
Wii Fit's runaway success seemed to take even Nintendo by surprise given the number of times Satoru Iwata has publicly stated he never thought he could sell millions of bathroom scales as a new kind of fitness product. It's probably not much of a surprise to see them testing whether not...
Review Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ (DSiWare)
Not your childhood's Little Red Riding Hood!
You might've heard of Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ before; after all, a classic fairytale character blasting zombies to pieces should be almost guaranteed to get your attention. Chances are, however, that you never saw the game in stores — this is because the game never actually saw release in...
Review Sparkle Snapshots (DSiWare)
Adults may find it excessive, but little girls will eat it up.
In 1995, Atlus joined with Sega to create the very first Print Club machine in Japan. Print Club was a special kind of photo booth with the ability for users to add decorative borders, graffiti, backgrounds, and clip-art 'stamps' to their images, which were printed out in sticker form...
News Miyamoto Ready to Cough Up Nintencats Furball?
Investor meeting teases upcoming feline fun
Years and years ago, following the runaway success of super-cute puppy sim Nintendogs, Shigeru Miyamoto mentioned he was more of a cat person, leading everyone and their dog to point towards Nintencats clawing its needy way onto DS. Here we are, some four years later, and Mr Miyamoto has just let out a...
News Stop Stress: A Day of Fury Coming Soon to WiiWare
Abylight's newest title is on the way.
The folks at Abylight have just officially announced that their upcoming WiiWare release Stop Stress: A Day of Fury is nearing release. They were also kind enough to send us over a group of new screenshots and gameplay video as well. You can check out the new screenshots below along with the official gameplay...
News Iwata: WiiWare Demos Are Coming
Test program limited to a few titles at first
It's about time. Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata revealed to investors during a Q&A session at a recent earnings briefing that the company would soon roll out a test program for WiiWare: demos. Since this hasn't officially been announced by Nintendo yet there are a lot of details missing, like when it's...
News DSi XL Footage For Your Viewing Pleasure
See the monster handheld rolling
The Nintendo DSi XL (known as the Nintendo DSi LL in Japan) is the newest edition in the DS family and is slated for release in Japan on November 21st 2009. Europe and North America are to follow in the first quarter of 2010, with pricing still to be confirmed. The new console - which is essentially a bigger...
News Manic Monkey Mayhem Set for Friday
Only a small delay for Code Monkeys' banana 'em up
Well, that wasn't such a long wait after all - Manic Monkey Mayhem has only slipped by a week, so any European WiiWare owners wanting to check out some simian-on-simian action should head onto the Wii Shop Channel this Friday when the title will be available. If you're not sure what Manic Monkey...
Monday2nd Nov 2009
A whopping 8 new downloads this week.
There's nothing really big on DSiWare and WiiWare this week, so instead, Nintendo has chosen to release not 2, but 3 games for both services. The Virtual Console gets two well-known games, but both of them are of debatable quality. Let's start with WiiWare - "Aha! I Got It!" Escape Game is a lot like...
News Nintendo To Bring 3G Connectivity To The DS?
Big N considering an "always on" connection for its popular handheld
While Nintendo has always maintained that it doesn't want to compete with mobile phone manufacturers, the company has revealed that it is considering the notion of adding some form of online data connection to its DS console. Chatting to the Financial Times, Nintendo president...
News LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias Takes Top Spot
Highly-rated platformer goes to No.1 in both Europe and North America
Frontier's LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias has stormed to the top of the North American and European WiiWare charts. This is hardly an unexpected achievement, when you consider how fantastic the game is. Our very own Marcel Van Duyn gave it a well-deserved 9/10 in his review...
Competition Competitions Nudge
If you didn't know we've been running some great competitions over the past week or so, time is almost up to get your entries in though.
Because we're so nice we've extended two of the competitions, you'll now have another day to enter the following: The Three Musketeers: One for All! Halloween Giveaway (available to all PAL & NTSC/US) Spore...
Sunday1st Nov 2009
News Nintendo Life Podcast: Time Extension!
Next episode due on Friday
Tomorrow was the scheduled release of the ninth episode of our podcast, but due to time constraints it simply isn't going to be ready, but don't fret! It'll be only be delayed by a few days until this coming Friday, November the 6th. This gives you plenty of time to let us know what you think about Nintendo's latest...
