Review Soul of Darkness (DSiWare)
Castlevania called - it wants its game back
News MundoRare Shuts Down After Losing Faith in Rare's New Direction
Operators of long-running fan community saw no other choice
Review Pearl Harbor Trilogy - 1941: Red Sun Rising (WiiWare)
The dawn of a promising new WiiWare franchise
News - July, 2010
Saturday31st Jul 2010
Review Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law (Wii)
Take the case! ...I think.
If you're a Hanna-Barbera cartoon, job security should be the least of your worries – just as long as you don't mind your occupation's title changing a bit. In 2000, winged warrior Birdman saw a resurrection in the suit and tie of a third-rate attorney. Other characters from the low-budget animation house came along for...
First Impressions GoldenEye 007 Multiplayer
We've been expecting you
Surely few words cause such excitement and rampant nostalgia in the Nintendo community as “GoldenEye multiplayer”, so it was with great anticipation we sat down to play Activision’s new Bond outing in a split-screen four-player deathmatch. With only one game mode, one map and four characters available – not including...
News Nnooo Releases New myDiary Video
Check out the app in action
Our good friend Nic Watt from Nnooo has just sent over the latest video showcasing their newest DSiWare application myDiary in action. You can check out some of the many features the app has to offer, along with a brief explanation of them in the video below. We'll keep you posted on any new information regarding myDiary...
Nintendo Download 3rd & 4th August (Japan)
Fish and VC goodness for the Wii; the DSi gets the usual bumper crop of new titles
WiiWare: Blue Oasis: Michi naru Shinkai (500pts - Hudson) — People in the know will recognise Blue Oasis as the Japanese name for Hudson's perennially popular virtual fish tank, My Aquarium. Apparently not satisfied with what has to be one of the best-selling...
Friday30th Jul 2010
News Lovefilm Streaming Heading to Wii
Just as well, as it doesn't play DVDs
European film fans will probably be familiar with Lovefilm, an online DVD and game rental service with some 1.4 million members across Europe. Primarily built on discs and web-based viewing, the service has now signed an agreement with Widevine to allow Wii owners a chance to watch movies online through their...
Review Petz Hamsterz Family (DSiWare)
This time, you won't be so sad when your dad accidentally steps on it
The hamster is largely considered a cute and desirable pet, even in spite of its often curmudgeonly temperament and stinky, difficult to clean cage. They're a lot more fun to watch than they are to play with, which means that it shouldn't be difficult for Petz Hamsterz Family to...
News Dirk Dares to Conquer Wii with Dragon's Lair Trilogy
All three games for one cheap price
We've already seen Dragon's Lair on DSiWare and it seems Digital Leisure and Destineer aren't ready to give up on Dirk the Daring, as they're combining to bring all three titles in the series to Wii in one package. Cleverly titled Dragon's Lair Trilogy, the game includes the original game, Dragon's Lair 2: Time...
News NBA Jam Spreads Boss Battles on Your Basketball
Magic, Rodman and more will school you
We recently got chance to play a little two-on-two with NBA Jam and came away a little dizzy but thoroughly entertained nonetheless. Although no fresh information was given during our hands-on time, a recent interview with the game's creative director Trey Smith has smashed the backboard of secrecy and set the...
News Nintendo Posts 43 Percent Revenue Drop
For the first time in two years, the Big N posts a quarterly loss
There has been many-a-meme relating to the DS “printing money,” but now a quarterly earnings report from Nintendo suggests the handheld's printer may be running out of ink. According to the earnings report, which covers the second quarter of fiscal year 2010/2011 running from...
News 3DS Coming to Japan by October
Gamespot backtracks on 3DS release window report
Gamers interested in Nintendo's new 3D portable might want to start saving a little sooner. It seems that Nintendo has just confirmed to Bloomberg Japan that their new 3DS system will indeed launch in Japan by October of this year, according to a recent article on Gamespot. We've already heard about...
News Japanese Virtual Console list - August 2010
Survival horror from Sunsoft and more
Just three games for Japan this month, which is pretty much to be expected by now. One of them is a Nintendo 64 game everybody else has already gotten, while the other two games are both great, but Japan-exclusive. The only way we'll be seeing either of them is through import releases! The full, short list for...
Thursday29th Jul 2010
Review Heavy Fire: Special Operations (WiiWare)
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-buyer's remorse
There’s certainly no lack of lightgun games on Wii; in fact, one of the more vocal complaints about Wii shooters is that too many of them are on-rails. It’s a silly thing to complain about given the dearth of them in previous console generations and the relatively high quality of the Wii’s...
Review Dive: The Medes Islands Secret (WiiWare)
As much relaxing as it is fun
Dive: The Medes Island Secret marks the second WiiWare release from developer Cosmonaut and a far more ambitious project than its first release 5 Spots Party was. This time around, players will get the opportunity to explore vast underwater depths in search of hidden treasures using the unique motion controls of the Wii...
Review Crazy Pinball (DSiWare)
The only thing crazy is that nothing about this game is crazy
There aren't many pinball games on DSiWare. We have no clue why: they're pretty much perfectly suited to digital distribution. dtp Entertainment has given us Crazy Pinball, the second pinball title available, and its name seems to imply that it is quite crazy indeed. Upon first booting it...
News Kirby's Epic Yarn Unravels to 2011 in Europe
Predictably, it sucks
We've had chance to play Kirby's Epic Yarn in both single-player and co-operative multiplayer, and both occasions only served to increase our thirst for the newly-knitted one's next adventure. Whilst North American gamers can look forward to getting hands-on with the game this Christmas, the bad news for European gamers is that...
First Impressions Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
Glory be to Camelot!
This truly is a rich time for DS RPGs: Dragon Quest IX, Final Fantasy the 4 Heroes of Light and of course Golden Sun: Dark Dawn should ensure we remember 2010 as the Year of the RPG, and Golden Sun could emerge as the best of the bunch. The demo offered two available modes: adventure and battle, and we had time to try both. The...
It’s on fire!
This is truly a golden age fans of remakes of classic gaming titles: Kirby, Donkey Kong, Mario and Sonic are all still rocking 2D like it’s 1994, and EA’s keen to get a piece of the two-dimensional pie with NBA Jam. A throwback to the classic basketball title of old, NBA Jam features the same two-on-two action as its...
News 3DS Release Date and Price Will be Revealed in September
Place your bets now, please
Although we recently got chance to have a second bite at the 3DS apple, there was no further information available about when the machine would be released or how much it would cost. Now we have a clearer idea of when that information will be forthcoming. Nintendo has confirmed to Bloomberg that it will announce these...
News The Latest Lost in Shadow Trailer Materialises
Behold... the Watchman's Sword
Hudson Entertainment has announced that its upcoming puzzle platformer will launch in North America on 4th January 2011, and we've got our hands on some new screenshots and the latest trailer, which sheds light on one of Lost in Shadow's features: the act of materialisation. From the press release: While the main...
News Get Briefed on the New Features Implemented in Call of Duty: Black Ops
A portable companion to the regiments on the home front
With first-person shooters often making more of an impact on home consoles, n-Space is working hard to offer DS gamers something that can be enjoyed as well when Call of Duty: Black Ops launches later this year on 9th November. The company previously brought three other titles in the series to...
News Match Up! Tests DSiWare's Memory! From Monday!
Flipping fun for 200 Points
Not content with offering you all the card and word games your DSi can muster, Digital Leisure is bringing its seventh downloadable title to the machine on Monday. Called Match Up!, the game sounds like a variant on the classic memory game pairs, with shapes, colours and hidden bonuses to be uncovered, and explosive cards...
Wednesday28th Jul 2010
News MundoRare Shuts Down After Losing Faith in Rare's New Direction
Operators of long-running fan community saw no other choice
When you have a fan community website that has been up and running for almost a decade, you'd think that it would stick by the developer through thick and thin, right? Apparently not, if that developer is Rare. It appears that MundoRare has run out of reasons to support the creator of such...
News High Court Outlaws Flash Carts in UK
Piracy? But that's not all they R4!
The R4 flash cart has been the bane of Nintendo's handheld existence for years now, with the device widely being used to play illegally downloaded DS ROMs. Rampant piracy has made it especially difficult for third-party developers to reach projected sales marks, and is also the reason non-Japanese-speaking gamers...
First Impressions Kirby's Epic Yarn Co-Operative Play
Cast on for a two-player pearl
Kirby’s Epic Yarn emerged from E3 as a highlight for many people, even winning the much sought-after Nintendo Life Best Overall Game of E3 Award. Whilst Corbie raved about the game’s single-player pursuit, Darren and James got chance to team up in tackling several levels from the game, and like many things in life,...
Hands On We Experience 3DS in London
We play PilotWings Resort, Nintendogs + Cats and more!
Our intrepid reporters Darren and James made a trip to London's rather posh Millbank Tower yesterday to experience the one and only 3DS. First things first: there were no new titles available here, no new information about the 3DS and no word on its release date and pricing. It was simply a...
First Impressions Disney Epic Mickey
How's the rodent romp shaping up?
Disney Epic Mickey was a big hit at E3 2010, atoning for its earlier disappointing screenshots with a more refined graphical style and a gameplay system described as "playstyle matters" by Warren Spector. We got the chance to give the rodent a run-out at a recent event, and came away with admittedly mixed...
Nintendo Download 30th July 2010 (Europe)
A bit of a catch-up week
The Virtual Console takes another expected break to focus more on WiiWare and DSiWare this week, with five releases total spread across the both of them. All of them have already been released elsewhere, including a few in North America only a few days ago, so you can expect reviews for them all very shortly. WiiWare: Dive:...
First Impressions Wii and DS Round-Up from London
Get the lowdown on Okamiden, Super Scribblenauts and more!
Ace Nintendo Life reporters James and Darren were recently invited to attend a special preview event in London to get hands-on with the 3DS as well as Nintendo's upcoming Wii and DS line-up. We've already posted our impressions of the 3DS and its games, so let's cast our eye to the wider...
Tuesday27th Jul 2010
Review Arc Rise Fantasia (Wii)
A bit too typical for its own good
To say that the Wii has been a bit lacking in the role-playing game department would be a gross understatement. Not only have there been very few releases for the genre, the few we have seen haven't exactly offered much to get excited about. With Arc Rise Fantasia, Ignition Entertainment are looking to change all...
News Flick Through The History of Nintendo
The first volume is available for pre-order
Even if you've never had an interest in history, this upcoming book will surely find its way onto your to-buy list. Penned by Florent Gorges in collaboration with Isao Yamazaki, a prolific voice-actor over in Japan with many roles in video games, The History of Nintendo: Volume 1 has been translated into...
News Nintendo Provides Face Training to European Gamers This September
A rarity that is a DSi-only game
We here at Nintendo Life know the importance of exercise and general body & mind maintenance; especially since we're in the business of interactive entertainment which requires a significant amount of time in front of a screen. Muscles need to be exercised and the ones in the face are no exception. It's been...
News New Trademarks Suggest Potential Names for 3DS Tag Mode
Possible software titles pop up too
It's not uncommon for companies to register trademarks for potential names of products and services, and whilst most will disappear into the mist of time, never to be used, a select few actually will. We'll leave it to you to decide if the latest Nintendo trademarks hit the spot. That is, until their potential...
Monday26th Jul 2010
Review Vortex (Super Nintendo)
Transform and tear your hair out
The magical mystery core has been stolen and taken away. The Aki-Do forces are the ones responsible and naturally they've split it in to five parts and scattered them across the galaxy. But forget that cobblers, the cool part about Vortex is that you take control of the Morphing Battle System which as the name...
Review Aero the Acrobat (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Will you go aerobatty for Aero?
Everybody into gaming at the time remembers the "cool mascot" craze during the early 90's; Sega was heavily in on it with Sonic and a whole bunch of other companies tried to cash in on it as well. Sunsoft's attempt came in the form of Aero the Acrobat – a bat with attitude who works as an acrobat in the...
Fouled by the W-word
Streamline Studios' HoopWorld has been a long time coming. Originally announced as an Xbox Live Arcade title back in 2005 and looking like an odd Power Stone/sports hybrid, it's finally seen release on WiiWare in slightly scaled-back form as a 3-on-3 arcade basketball game. There's a hokey backstory to do with primal energy or...
Review Hospital Havoc (DSiWare)
Dead on arrival or just what the doctor ordered?
Hospital Havoc is quite a simple, fun game that debuted as an iPhone application almost a year and a half ago and doesn't seem to have changed much since. This is apparent in both the gameplay and graphical simplicity, and while it is a lot of fun, the lack of variety and abundance of bugs add a touch...
News Here's a Pokemon Black & White Video Chat Video For You
And another mysterious beast revealed
A few weeks ago we brought you news that video chat could be coming to Pokémon Black & White for DSi and 3DS owners. Now the feature's been confirmed, with its television debut on the Pokémon Sunday show, and it seems you can even draw on your friends' faces using the touchscreen for some on-the-fly facial...
News These Gaming Figures are Great, But There's a Catch
Japanese Wonder Festival shows off Nintendo treats
Japan, video games and figurines go together like bacon, lettuce and tomato, and here's a particularly tasty sandwich of gaming figures from the latest Japanese Wonder Festival. Monster Hunter Tri fans are well-served as always, with series stalwart Rathalos roaring wildly, hunters in sets of...
News New Epic Mickey Footage Keeps it Classy in San Diego
Spector shouting about the Mouse's outing
Alongside the announcement that Disney Epic Mickey will get the comic book treatment, Warren Spector and team also showed off some new footage from the game. In this b-roll video, Mickey enters the 2D worlds of Plutopia and Oh What a Knight, revealing more 2D platform action along the lines of the Steamboat...
News You Can Enjoy Your Massage from August 9th
Get your relaxation on, North America
We got our first sight of Enjoy Your Massage! with an ESRB rating last month, and now we have the first screenshots, trailer and a release date for this upcoming downloadable relaxation-puzzle game. Coming to North American WiiWare on August 9th for an as-yet unspecified price, Enjoy Your Massage! puts you in...
Nintendo Download 26th July 2010 (North America)
Diving and Firing for WiiWare; Acrobats for VC; a bumper crop for DSiWare
A big week for DSiWare with five titles arriving, WiiWare receiving two very different titles and Aero the Acrobat tumbles gracefully onto Virtual Console. WiiWare: Dive: The Medes Islands Secret (Cosmonaut Games, 1000pts) – This underwater adventure takes a few leaves from...
Sunday25th Jul 2010
News Epic Mickey Brushes with Paper and Digital Comic Books
Tales of the Wasteland sets up Wii title
With the Epic Mickey excitement train picking up new passengers all the time following its impressive showing at E3, the game's designer Warren Spector has just announced a series of comic books to accompany the game. Named "Tales of the Wasteland", the series will be written by Peter David and will...
Saturday24th Jul 2010
News Trademarks Suggest Dragon Quest VI is Europe-bound
Though we doubt you're bored of DQIX yet
In January this year, Japanese DS owners rejoiced at being able to buy yet another Dragon Quest game in the form of Dragon Quest VI, a conversion of the Super Famicom original that never saw release outside the Land of the Rising Sun. It seems the DS remake won't suffer the same fate though, if a...
News Heavy Fire Rains Down on WiiWare on Monday
Just 500 Points
We've already had chance to have a quick blast on Heavy Fire: Special Operations, the upcoming on-rails shooter from Teyon, and soon you'll get the chance to enlist as the game is due to hit North American WiiWare on Monday, costing just 500 Points. With a heavy high-score focus, you unlock different weapons as you move up the ranks,...
Friday23rd Jul 2010
News Green Lantern Games Put Ryan Reynolds in Your Wii and DS
Rise of the Manhunters on the way next year
Not to be outdone by Sega's recent announcement of the Thor video game heading to Wii and DS next year, Warner Bros. Interactive is bringing the Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters to both machines to coincide with the launch of the film next summer. With a Wii version from Double Helix software,...
News THQ Teasing Innovative Wii Title for Gamescom
Make that "very, very innovative"
Ian Curran, THQ's Global Publishing Executive Vice President, is a fan of the 3DS: this we know from his previous discussion about its anti-piracy measures. The company is supporting the machine with plenty of content, from de Blob to Saints Row 3D, but it's not leaving the current consoles behind. Far from it, with...
Nintendo Download 27th & 28th July 2010 (Japan)
WiiWare and VC releases and four new DSiWare titles next week for Japan.
It's been awhile since we've seen any new WiiWare in Japan, though the drought is only being broken by a single title from Nintendo. The weekly Virtual Console parade is also continuing and the DSi has its usual mix of education and entertainment apps to choose from. WiiWare:...
News EA Boss Lavishes 3DS with Praise
It's "incredibly cool" and "magical", you know
Just in case you thought the world had forgotten about 3DS since the newsplosion that was E3 2010, EA reminds you the machine is coming with a few choice words. The company's Chief Operating Officer, John Schappert, spoke to IndustryGamers and bestowed high praise on the machine, calling it...
News Rising Star Wants to Know the Games You Want, Europe
Let them know and who knows what may happen
Rising Star Games has already brought European gamers the likes of Rune Factory Frontier and both No More Heroes titles, and later this year is releasing Yuji Naka's Ivy the Kiwi? games, Eldar Saga and Rune Factory 2 for DS. It's quite a busy year for the publisher but it's hungry for more, and is opening...
News Ignition Gets a New Spark as it Aims for Download Dominance
That's UTV Ignition Entertainment from now on
Ignition's got a commendable history of Wii and DS releases, with Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Nostalgia and plenty of other titles. Now the company wants to aim even higher by positioning itself as a distributor of quality digital content, with WiiWare on its list of priorities. The company, now rebranded...
Thursday22nd Jul 2010
Review Furry Legends (WiiWare)
More floaty than furry
We've seen the rolling platformer idea explored several times over the years to varying degrees of success, but with the release of Furry Legends, Gamelion is attempting to inject a whole new level of playability into the standard formula and make things more interesting through the use of creatively-designed levels and a host...
Impurrrfect
There once was a time when all that one could expect from a virtual pet was to feed it and play with it when it beeped. We've come a long way and should now expect a lot more, having moved on from imaginary digital creatures to real animals. Certainly a kitten simulator should simulate the behaviour of a kitten. It should be good enough...
Review Happy Birthday Mart (DSiWare)
Not worth a shoplift
It’s probably safe to say that Happy Birthday Mart is a legitimate winner of the Most Childish Game on the DSiWare Store Right Now Award. From the simplistic gameplay to the mindless use of animals, it’s definitely not for anyone over the age of 6 or 7. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad game; actually,...
Review Scrabble Tools (DSiWare)
Hey, a Scrabble dictionary! And some other junk, too.
After a solid vanilla version of the main game and a less-than-great spin-off, EA and Hasbro's third DSiWare outing of the popular board game comes in the form of Scrabble Tools. It's not so much about playing as it is about improving how you play. The application bundles two useful tools along...
News Swedish Chiptune Organ Sounds as Awesome as Can Be
Even better thanks to awkward commentary
If you listen to our chip and game music podcast NLFM you've not only proven yourself to be a gamer of outstanding taste, you'll also appreciate how intricate and enjoyable chip music can be. Despite severe technical constraints, many gamers' favourite tunes stem from those 8-bit days, and one such dedicated...
News Get Immortalised in a Tetris Tournament Documentary
If you're good with blocks, that is
Tetris is as iconic and highly-regarded now as at any time during its twenty-year lifespan, and a new World Championship and related documentary is set to keep the classic lines-and-blocks title fresh in the mind. If you want to put your money where your blocks are, the Classic Tetris World Championship will take...
News Let Wii Entertain You with We Sing: Robbie Williams
More singing from Nordic
Shy and retiring British popstar Robbie Williams is popular again now having rejoined Take That, the band he essentially condemned to death with his departure all those years ago. Fans of the publicity-shunning singer will soon be able to see a lot more of him on their TV than is possibly healthy, as Nordic Games is slotting...
News Show Your Love for Bit.Trip with Commander Video Videos
Superimpose the running man into your world
You can't fault the fans of Gaijin's Bit.Trip series – from fanart to papercraft, they know how to show their love for Commander Video and friends. One ardent fan thinks there's more that can be done, and has created a YouTube 'call to arms' for other fans of the series. The idea is to superimpose...
Wednesday21st Jul 2010
News Yes, There Really Is a Zelda Master Timeline Document
No, you cannot see it
There's been plenty of speculation over the years about how all the different Legend of Zelda games fit together: is Link to the Past before Ocarina of Time? Which came first, Minish Cap or Majora's Mask? Despite
Review 4 TRAVELLERS - Play French (DSiWare)
Liberté, Égalité, Médiocrité
Learning a foreign language is hard work. There are gendered nouns, verb conjugation, sentence structure, idiosyncratic phrasing, funky pronunciation and, of course, seemingly countless words to memorize. There are ways to facilitate the travail, but beyond the most basic education, playing a game isn't one. Maybe...
News Not Tetris Looks Like Tetris But is Not Tetris
Got it?
With its 90-degree turns and grid-based gameplay, Tetris takes a few liberties with the laws of physics (not to mention why these blocks are dropping and disappear once adjoined.) But what if its physics were a little more fluid; a little more unforgiving? That's what Not Tetris is all about. A free PC download, Not Tetris is all about...
News EA Tagging DSiWare with Need For Speed: Nitro-X
Graffiti and driving: a natural combination
EA unveiled several upcoming games yesterday during the their Studio Showcase press conference, and while most of the announcements were related to HD consoles, PC and iPhone, the company slipped in a little sumthin'-sumthin' for DSiWare. Need for Speed: Nitro-X continues the Nintendo-exclusive spin-off...
News European Professor Layton Movie Bundle is Big and Mysterious
Eternal Diva BluRay and DVD in one box
The top hat professor and his cheery chum Luke aren't just busy conquering the world of gaming: their first feature film Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva is on the way to Europe later this year, and this triple-disc boxset wants you to know about it. Featuring the film on BluRay and standard definition DVD...
News Jett Rocket's Return May Not be in Platform Form
Shin'en interview hints at branching out
Graphically resplendent and rather enjoyable WiiWare platformer Jett Rocket has been making waves since landing in June, and those who've clocked the adventure may have already seen this closing screen that hints at a reappearance for the jumpsuited Jett. Well, don't expect to see him repeating his...
News Nintendo to Show Off Other M and Dragon Quest IX at San Diego Comic-Con
Get a free treasure map!
Of all the conventions, one stands staunchly above the others in nerd notoriety: Comic-Con International in San Diego, California (July 22 to July 25 at the San Diego Convention Centre). Nintendo's announced that it's to have a featured exhibit for the first time since 2006, complete with tantalizing playables and super cool...
Nintendo Download 23rd July (Europe)
Acrobats, skaters and more
While North America has now suffered three consecutive weeks without a new retro game available for download, we're about to get another. It's accompanied by a bunch of DSiWare and WiiWare games that might not be to the liking of everybody. WiiWare: Arcade Sports Air Hockey, Bowling, Pool, Snooker (800pts - Icon Games) –...
News Oh Look, Australia Gets to Sin and Punish Too
JB HiFi does what Nintendon't
Nintendo might not think that Treasure's Sin and Punishment 2: Star Successor is worth the effort to bring over to Oceania, but somebody sure does. That somebody is retailer JB HiFi, who have taken it upon themselves to stock the game in limited quantities for sale exclusively through their brick-and-mortar stores...
News Look Out, There's a New Pearl Harbor Video on Your Six
Do a barrel roll, of course
It's already available in North America and Europe of course, but those of you who want to see just one more video of Pearl Harbor Trilogy - 1941: Red Sun Rising before taking the download plunge are in luck today. Check out the video below and be sure to read our Pearl Harbor Trilogy - 1941: Red Sun Rising review to find...
News Dive: The Medes Islands Secret to Surface on WiiWare Next Week
For gamers on both sides of the Atlantic
Cosmonaut Games has just confirmed the North American release date of its next outing, the WiiWare title that one of its designers described as "an underwater Metroid". The company has also released a batch of new screenshots to coincide with the announcement. Launching on the download service in...
Tuesday20th Jul 2010
Review Balloon Pop Festival (WiiWare)
Good enough to pop open your wallet?
With the increasing number of puzzle games furiously leaping to Nintendo’s online stores, it makes for a pretty fascinating battle for supremacy. The latest to make the jump is Balloon Pop Festival, an interesting combination of Bejewled and Puyo Puyo with a family friendly presentation and enjoyable gameplay...
News Tetris Party Deluxe Rotates & Drops Down in Europe This September
The latest cross-platform puzzler has its release date slotted in
Tetris is one of those franchises that just won't go away, whether you want it to or not. The simplicity of its premise has lead to countless variations in rule-sets, and the latest instalment that's out on the Wii and the DS – Tetris Party Deluxe – has had its European release...
Wednesday21st Jul 2010
News Thor to Hammer Down His Presence on Wii & DS in 2011
The God of Thunder gets his first standalone video game outing
As far as video game adaptations go, graphic novels and comics can be a goldmine. Sega recently announced that they're to mine one of those nuggets, and just in time for Comic Con season: Marvel's Thor. Thor: The Video Game has been announced as a third-person action game in development...
Monday19th Jul 2010
DSiWare sees one of its most rewarding puzzlers yet
Indie (like, really indie) developer Jason Rohrer's portfolio is filled to the brim with what may be best referred to as interactive art: works like Passage, Gravitation and Between operate on a whole different emotional and philosophical plane than a Mario. So it makes sense that his attempt at a...
Review Hair Salon: Pocket Stylist (DSiWare)
Mane attraction or curl up and dye?
Just in case you've ever wondered what you'd look like with a head of luscious bright green hair, here's Hair Salon: Pocket Stylist to satiate your curiosity. To start, you snap a picture with your DSi camera and manoeuvre your face within the guide area, which then becomes the face of your character. In case you...
Podcast NLFM Episode 7: User-Generated Content
Listener contributions, confusing homophones and Team Fortress 2 secrets revealed!
Oh hi, didn't see you come in there. Stay a while, and listen! Turns out we've got some fine musicians in the audience as we take a look to some listener-created tunes. We've also got a few select choices from The Megas, The World Ends With You, and the song that...
Nintendo Download 19th July 2010 (North America)
The kittenpocalypse begins!
Let's just not talk about the Virtual Console this week. Instead, let's talk about furry things, like legends and kitties and selling things to unsuspecting animals. WiiWare: AquaSpace (Nintendo, 600 Points) – This fish tank...thing hit Europe recently under the name Zenquaria: Virtual Aquarium. The most notable...
News Netflix Launching in Canada This Fall
At least we know it's logistically possible for a Wii appearance
Those in the U.S. have already been enjoying Netflix via the Wii for a few months now, and it looks like their neighbours to the north could soon be doing the same when the service makes its first international appearance this fall. Although it hasn't been officially announced that the...
Sunday18th Jul 2010
Review LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (DS)
Harry Potter gets the LEGO treatment
Some of the most successful movie series of all time have already received the LEGO treatment, so it's no real surprise to see the immensely popular Harry Potter series given a blocky makeover. While LEGO Harry Potter doesn't stray too far from the trademark gameplay mechanics the series has featured in previous...
Interviews Takumi Naramura - La Mulana
La Mulana creator talks about new WiiWare remake
Nicalis have already released one hit indie PC title on the WiiWare service with the release of Cave Story and are now putting the finishing touches on their second WiiWare release La Mulana. Since it's been awhile since we've heard any new information on the game, we decided to go directly to the...
News Shu Takumi Talks Ghost Trick, Ace Attorney
Would love to see a 3DS Phantom Detective
Recently, PlanetDS.de published an interview with Shu Takumi, a creative director at Capcom who's working on Ghost Trick and whose past projects include the first four Phoenix Wright titles. In it, he discusses his excitement with Phantom Detective: I swear none of you have ever seen anything like it...
Saturday17th Jul 2010
Review PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure (Wii)
A substandard spin-off appears!
Let's face it, Nintendo's churned out filler titles before while we waited for the next main instalment in the Pokémon series, and that's exactly what PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure is. A spin-off from the more traditional Pokémon games, its focus is primarily on meeting and befriending others via mini-games...
News Exclusive Mecho Wars WiiWare Screenshots
Check out the WiiWare version of the iPhone classic.
Our good friend Luc Bernard was nice enough to send over a batch of brand new Mecho Wars WiiWare screenshots for everyone to peruse in the screenshot gallery. Luc has informed us that development on the game is completed, but no release date has been set currently. There's also a WiiWare version...
News Capcom Bringing Titles to Japanese Virtual Console Arcade
Come on, we like Ghouls 'N Ghosts too...
Capcom announced on Friday that it plans to begin expanding Japan's catalogue of Virtual Console Arcade titles this summer with some of its own. They'll start with SonSon, a 1984 sidescroller loosely based on the Chinese fable Journey to the West. If you enjoy playing classic games on your Wii, it seems that...
Friday16th Jul 2010
News Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light World Map Trailer
Storybook scenery comes to life!
The nice folks over at Square-Enix were kind enough to send over the newest gameplay video of their upcoming DS role-playing game Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light in action. In this new World Map Trailer, you'll be given a glimpse of how your characters will move around the world map as well as a peek at some of...
Nintendo Download 20th & 21st July 2010 (Japan)
Street Hoops on the Wii; dolphins, Dasshutsu and dating (or ditching) for DSi next week
Virtual Console: Dunk Dream (900pts Neo Geo - D4 Enterprise) -- Sold in Europe as Street Slam and North America as Street Hoop, it's a tournament game of 3-on-3 street basketball with a choice of teams from various nations around the world. DSiWare: @Simple DS...
News Metroid: Other M & Dragon Quest IX to Take Centre Stage at Nintendo Unleashed
Sample a present masterpiece and some future fun
The Nintendo Unleashed tour will be starting this weekend as The Big N gives fans the opportunity to play the latest and biggest titles before they hit the shops. The tour takes its first steps at the London Film and Comic Con on the 17th and 18th of July, where attendees will be able to get their...
Thursday15th Jul 2010
Review Pop Island: Paperfield (DSiWare)
More capture the flag on wheels
When odenis studio released its first Pop Island title onto DSiWare last year, it brought a simple, yet wildly playable capture the flag experience complete with one of the most ambitious visual presentations yet seen on the service. Now it's returned with what you might call a semi-sequel, and once again the game has...
Review Zenquaria: Virtual Aquarium (WiiWare)
Not too deep
With a rather good and successful aquarium simulator already available and a sequel underway, it seems rather futile of Nintendo to release a version themselves at a slightly higher price. Created by Paon of DK King of Swing, Jungle Climber and Barrel Blast fame, Zenquaria's primarily toted feature is the ability to swim around an...
Review 2Puzzle It: Fantasy (DSiWare)
This being worth your time is a mere fantasy
DSiWare's already got way too many Sudoku games, so it's a nice sight when a developer releases a puzzle game that isn't something done to death already. The service has yet to get one traditional sliding puzzle game, so we had at least some hope for this first effort. Likely to be the first in a series,...
News Skyward Sword Swinging For Early 2011 Release
At least it's not late 2011
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's release being pushed back to 2011 might have been a disappointing pill to swallow, but soldier on we must. Whilst not making it in-time for this year's Christmas wish list, the release window for Link's latest adventure is materializing. Speaking to Official Nintendo Magazine UK,...
News Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes Unleashes Its Kiai This October
From the producer of Devil May Cry 4
16th Century Japan is remembered mostly for its poetry and samurais; we think we all know which of those two we'd rather see in our video games (unless you wear a beret), and Capcom knows it too. Capcom has announced that Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes for the Wii will be launching on October 15 in Europe and...
News myNotebook Carbon, Tan, and Pearl Trailer Released
New colors and new features to go along with them
The nice folks over at Nnooo have just sent over the newest video showcasing their three new colors in the myNotebook series of DSiWare applications. You can check the video out below, along with a brief snippet of press release information that lines out the various features. Information about...
Wednesday14th Jul 2010
Worth a bash
Already freely available for PC, Toribash has landed on WiiWare with a 1,000 point price tag and a lot to live up to. A turn-based fighting game, this title is seemingly impenetrable at first despite a series of tutorials that teach you your first basic moves: how to jump, to kick and to decapitate your opponent and throw their head out...
Review Runaway: A Twist of Fate (DS)
Potent point-and-click
The DS, initially thought of as the ideal format for point-and-click adventures and hidden object games, has seen a veritable deluge of such titles. It seems like for every few flops there's a classic awaiting discovery. Runaway: A Twist of Fate doesn't quite fit into the latter category, but it's more than decent enough for...
First Impressions Heavy Fire: Special Operations
We enlist for Teyon's war shooter
We've been bringing you regular field updates on Teyon's WiiWare lightgun shooter Heavy Fire: Special Operations since its announcement in April, and we recently got the chance to sit down and blast through two missions from the completed game. Played out entirely on-rails, Heavy Fire is immediately reminiscent of...
Nintendo Download 16th July 2010 (Europe)
Flying and fighting on Wii; French, Darkness, solitaire and 3D tanks on DSi
Another Virtual Console holiday, but WiiWare gets Pearl Harbored and then engages in some funky fighting. Conspicuous by its absence is Furry Legends, previously believed to be released this Friday but Gamelion has confirmed to us there will be an announcement of its new...
News Last Window Coming to Europe in September
Hotel Dusk sequel picked up for localisation
It's been a long wait to see if Last Window, developed by the sadly bankrupt Cing, would be heading to Western shores, but Nintendo has revealed the game will be coming to Europe in September. Players take the role of detective Kyle Hyde, returning from Hotel Dusk: Room 215, for another mystery-packed...
News Nintendo's European Release Schedule Offers Few Surprises
Unless you love Scooby-Doo
The news of Last Window: The Secret of Cape West heading to Europe is just one nugget from the latest Nintendo Europe press release outlining its schedule from now until the end of September. While this means that there's no sight of its big 2010 titles like Kirby's Epic Yarn, Donkey Kong Country Returns and
News Alley-Oop! Hoopworld Slams WiiWare's Backboard on 19th July
That's our basketball knowledge exhausted
Virtual Toys has been absent from the world of WiiWare for quite a while, but it's ready to return on Monday with Hoopworld, 1000 Point, 3-on-3 basketball game with tons of fighting. Promising plenty of arcade action, an online leaderboard, offline two-player modes and plenty of the sport's trademark...
News Professor Layton and the Unwound Future Jumps a Week Closer to the Present
North America hits 88 and skips a week
With the recent announcement of a Professor Layton game on the 3DS, let's not forget the platform on which the popular series made its debut. In a truly time-puzzling manner, Nintendo has confirmed that Professor Layton and the Unwound Future will be launching a week earlier than previously announced, now on...
Tuesday13th Jul 2010
News 1 in 10 People Can't See 3D Properly
Potential problem for 3DS
The upcoming launch of Nintendo's 3DS is getting people pretty excited as they imagine their first glimpse of true 3D gaming in the palm of their hand. For 12% of those giddy gamers, however, the moment could be a disappointing one. According to British charity The Eyecare Trust, as many as 6m Britons can't properly process...
News 3DS Form is Final Shape, says Hideki Konno
Don't go changin'
Most of the released images of the 3DS so far have come with a "not final form" caveat, but it seems you can start to ignore that now, as Nintendo hardware honcho Hideki Konno has stated you can take those images as the final shape, making the confirmation in a brief but wide-ranging interview with Wired magazine:...
News New Metroid: Other M Footage Looks Intense
ONM ODs on M:OM
With a now-confirmed European release date of September 3rd to follow the North American launch on August 31st, the good ship Metroid: Other M is running at full-pelt now, with the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine running a week-long series of new footage. The first video shows off some of the new cinematics that will feature heavily...
News Gamelion Invites You to Enrol in the Tic-Tac-Toe Academy
More pen and paper games for DSiWare
Gamelion's Extreme Hangman was an extreme hit on DSiWare, quickly becoming one of the biggest-selling paid titles on the service, so it makes sense the developers want to expand on this success with more simple games. The next title lined up is Academy: Tic-Tac-Toe, and you'll never guess what it includes. Yes,...
Monday12th Jul 2010
Review Atari Anniversary Advance (Game Boy Advance)
A nice sampler of classic greatness
When you open the arcade gaming history books to the early years, they should feature the name "Atari" in big, bold letters. Though strongly associated with home consoles in later years, Nolan Bushnell started this gaming empire in the arcades with games like Pong and Breakout (the assembly of the latter...
Review 101 Shark Pets (DSiWare)
Shark weak
Part virtual pet, part mini-game compilation, 101 Shark Pets cobbles together enough halfway-decent features to create a slightly above average game that younger audiences ought to enjoy. While its individual parts could never hold up on their own, within their sometimes fun framework they just manage to make this a passable title. As...
News Live Video Chat Could Come to Pokemon Black & White
Live Caster feature for DSi and 3DS only
Pokémon Black & White is shaping up to be a big push forward for the series: as well as a revamped graphical style, three-on-three battling and more, the latest information suggests it will allow DSi and 3DS owners to use video chat in local and WiFi Connection play. Pokémon website par excellence...
News Preorder Sonic Colours to Fulfil Your Sonic Dress-Up Ambitions
Gamestop offering Sonic hats for all
Annoyed by some of Sonic's recent outings and feel you would put the 'hog back on track if you could? Well, Gamestop is offering you the chance to do just that, sort of. Preorder Sonic Colours for Wii or DS with the chain and you'll also grab a Sonic hat, letting you complete your hedgehog ensemble and race...
Nintendo Download 12th July (North America)
Bashing and balloons for Wii; puzzles, paper and playing French for DSiWare
A pretty varied platter for North America today, with Virtual Console again absent but WiiWare gaining two games and DSiWare letting five more passengers onto the download bus. WiiWare: Toribash (1000pts - Nabi Studios) – A turn-based fighting game that's big on physics,...
News This Zelda Paper Animation is Awesome, Hilarious, Frightening
Run the gamut of emotions
A slice of Zelda humour that doesn't play on the well-trodden "it's dangerous to go alone" joke is worth a hundred Rupees, so this series of paper animations that portray Link as an unruly creep is worth about ten times that amount. From smashing up a man's house to exacting his revenge on Navi at last, Link's...
News Thirty Years of Nintendo Handhelds Stem from Make-Up Cases
Clamshell design inspired by compacts
The most recent Iwata Asks article is a fascinating insight into the development of the Game & Watch series, showing off unseen design documents and now revealing the origins of the system's iconic style that lives on through Nintendo's current and next-gen handhelds. But where did the folding feature...
Sunday11th Jul 2010
News Steve Wiebe to Enter the Video Game Hall of Fame
DK master honoured
Former holder of the Donkey Kong World Record and Nathan Fillion lookalike Steve Wiebe is about to receive another accolade by being inducted into the International Video Game Hall of Fame. Mr Wiebe, who once held the score record that now rests with Hank Chien, is being recognised for his arcade accomplishments and will join 28...
Saturday10th Jul 2010
Review Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS)
It's slime time!
You'd be hard-pressed to find a video game series more influential to the Japanese RPG genre than Dragon Quest. Although the constantly-evolving Final Fantasy titles have generally remained more popular over the years, the former has stayed a favourite among long-time fans for its uncanny ability to retain the old-school console RPG...
Review SteamWorld: Tower Defense (DSiWare)
Your head will be steaming
There’s no doubt that you'll know if SteamWorld: Tower Defense is for you upon asking yourself one simple question – do you like tower defence games? Not only is SteamWorld the essence of this sub-genre, it doesn’t try to pull anything crazy, either. If you’ve never played this type of game before, they’re quite...
Friday9th Jul 2010
Playlist Grasshopper Manufacture's Akira Yamaoka
Including a very special funeral request
Our new feature series explores the musical tastes of notable video game creators and figures. Former Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka kicks things off by sharing some of his favorite songs, including a very special funeral request. If you've ever played a Silent Hill game then you're familiar with...
News 3DS Anti-Piracy Measures are Too Sophisticated for Human Brain
So says THQ man
Nintendo's suffered badly at the hands of piracy this generation, although it's done its best to stem the flow with a series of court cases and lawsuits. With its next-generation 3DS handheld the company's keen to combat the problem still further, employing more preventative technology than before; tec
News Yuji Naka Not Interested in Making Sonic Games
Just as well, really
Even though he was creating blue hedgehog games for the best part of fifteen years, people still assume Yuji Naka hasn't had his fill of his most famous character just yet. It turns out he has. Speaking to Siliconera, Mr Naka said: Right now, I want to create new things. Even if I had the opportunity to create some kind of new...
News These Game & Watch Documents are All Kinds of Amazing
Black and white and oh so right
Currently enjoying a resurgence due to many rereleases on DSiWare, Nintendo's portable Game & Watch consoles are the subject of the latest Iwata Asks over at Nintendo Japan's site. Most of the development team, minus the late Gunpei Yokoi, dropped by on Mr Iwata to chat about these seminal titles and hardware and...
News Nintendo Admits Advertising for 3DS Will be Tricky
"Do I need these glasses or don't I?!" exclaims hypothetical customer
It wouldn't be tough to argue that Nintendo's forgotten child, the Virtual Boy, was doomed from the start. Among the myriad factors that contributed to its downfall was the inability to successfully advertise the product, as we detailed in our Making of the Nintendo Virtual Boy...
News Aksys Calls 999 for Western Translation
Japanese adventure heading Westward, ho!
These are good times to be a DS-owning fan of rich adventures, with RPGs falling into your lap every five minutes. What about a less battle-oriented title, though? Aksys may have just the thing, as it's announced it will be translating Chunsoft's adventure title 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors. A combination...
News Kirby's New Ability is to Fly Fast, Fly Far
With this European Club Nintendo Kirby flying disk, that is
How do you revamp Nintendo's famous pink ball and bring him smack up-to-date in this 3D era? By flattening him down, of course. That's the thinking behind Kirby's Epic Yarn and seemingly the same thought process went into the latest gift available from the European Club Nintendo catalogue:...
Nintendo Download 13th & 14th July 2010 (Japan)
Virtual Console RPG for the Wii; lifestyle apps, edutainment and a couple of games for the DSi next week in Japan
WiiWare is MIA yet again, so Wii owners will have to make do with an old Super Famicom RPG originally published by dear departed Data East. Virtual Console: Metal Max 2 (800pts Super Famicom - Enterbrain) -- The Data East IP parade...
Thursday8th Jul 2010
Review Pearl Harbor Trilogy - 1941: Red Sun Rising (WiiWare)
The dawn of a promising new WiiWare franchise
Pearl Harbor Trilogy - 1941: Red Sun Rising, one of the most anticipated WiiWare games of the year, wowed observers with screenshots that seemed far too impressive to be possible in a downloadable Wii title. In a field mostly populated by mini-game collections with simplistic graphics, Pearl Harbor...
News Metroid: Other M Launches Across Europe on 3rd September 2010
Not long for Samus fans to wait now!
Good news Euro friends, we’ve just had word from the Big N that Metroid: Other M will be launched across Europe on 3rd September. Only a few days behind the North American release date of 31st August which is nice. Not much longer to wait now! To whet your appetite for Team Ninja’s 2.5D reboot of the Metroid...
News Level 5 Draws Ni No Kuni to North America
Inazuma Eleven on the way, too
A combination of Professor Layton-developers Level-5 and Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli sounds like a winning mix, and Ni no Kuni: Shikkoku no Madōshi (or "Second Land: The Jet-Black Mage") is certainly shaping up to be another strong addition to the DS's stable of RPGs. Level-5 President...
News 3DS Could Feature 3G Connectivity
If cryptic interview is to be believed
We know that Nintendo is keen to do more with the connectivity features of its upcoming 3DS, with the ability to download new content automatically via WiFi. Now a rumour has surfaced that the machine could also feature 3G technology to offer an always-on Internet connection. Ryuji Yamada, President at Japanese...
News Seth Green Gives Sartorial Advice Using Dragon Quest
A headline we never thought we'd run
It's wall-to-wall Dragon Quest IX for DS at the moment as Nintendo's marketing machine is running at close to full speed, with a slew of adverts and the chance to meet the series creator in New York this weekend. Last week we brought you the first commercial starring Seth Green in which he gave a group of girls...
News The Last Story Gets Incredible First Trailer
Mistwalker RPG in motion at last
The Last Story has been one of the Wii's most-teased titles this year, with only the tiniest of details creeping out of Hironobu Sakaguchi's Mistwalker studio. Now we finally have the first footage of the game in action in this Japanese trailer, and it's an absolute stunner. Even from this brief footage it's clear...
Nintendo Download 9th July (Europe)
Plenty for everyone
As with every week, DSiWare gets the lion's share of releases this week, although most of it is not too stellar, or at least not likely to be. WiiWare gets a long-awaited fighter plus an interesting Nintendo-published title, while VC gets another ninja action game. WiiWare: Toribash (1000pts - Nabi Studios) — A very strange...
News UK DSi Price Goes Down, UK DSi Sales Go Up
40% increase every week since cut
About a month ago Nintendo announced it was dropping the cost of DS consoles to retailers, with retailers lowering the cost to consumers. It seems the move has paid off handsomely, as Nintendo has revealed the machine's sales have increased 40 per cent every week since the trade price was cut. A primetime...
News Budget Japanese DSiWare Headed to North American Shores
The land of the rising fun
If you've read some of our coverage of Japanese gaming with forlorn longing, you might want to stifle some of those sighs - a few games from Genterprise and Tasuke Co. are unexpectedly making their way westward. Recently evaluated by the North American ratings board, the ESRB, are G.G. Series: Super Hero Ogre and G.G...
Wednesday7th Jul 2010
Review Soul of Darkness (DSiWare)
Castlevania called - it wants its game back
No game publisher has released more games on the DSiWare service than Gameloft. And while the company has received a wide range of review scores among their various DSiWare releases, no one can argue that they've brought some quality games to the service in the short time it's existed. Soul of Darkness...
News Hey Square Enix, Let Obsidian Develop a Chrono Trigger Sequel
Western developer up for a sequel
Square Enix's Super Nintendo RPG Chrono Trigger is a masterpiece of storytelling and revered by Nintendo fans around the world, and Western developer Obsidian Entertainment thinks it could do a good job of updating the series. The studio behind Neverwinter Nights 2 and the upcoming Fallout: New Vegas has recently...
News Bplus Blowing Up 3DS with Vector Tank 3D+
Prepare for more 3D explosions than ever
Capcom, Konami, Nintendo and other big-name studios are all hard at work bringing some of their big name titles to the 3DS, but that's not to say the smaller developers are going to be left behind. Bplus, of Niki - Rock 'n' Ball and Bit Boy!! fame has just announced it will be bringing Vektor Tank 3D+ to 3DS...
News Prepare Yourself Well for this Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts Trailer
The world's most dangerous game, apparently
Did you find the soft, clothy corners of Target Toss Pro: Bags to be a bit lacking in danger? Would you rather have something sharp and pointy to throw into something soft and loamy? It sounds as though Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts is for you, then. But be warned: it's dangerous. With 16-player tournaments...
News Dragon Quest IX Event Wants to Tag You With a Special Map
Get to Gamestop, get a map
There are just a few more days to go until North American fans can bash slimes all over again in Dragon Quest IX, and within a few weeks GameStops up and down the country will be hosting an event to grant gamers a Special Event Map. To get involved it's very simple. Head to a participating store on the 31st of July between...
News Metal Gear Solid Creator Briefs Us on What We Can Expect in the 3DS Instalment
But will he be involved?
With the recent confirmation that what was shown at E3 was more of a tech demo than work-in-progress, you may be disappointed at the prospect of no Metal Gear Solid at all on the 3DS. Well, you can now breathe a sigh of relief because Hideo Kojima has cleared a few things up with regards to the demo and where it leaves us...
Tuesday6th Jul 2010
News Lust After this New Monster Hunter 3 Longsword
Rising Soul up for two weeks
Monster Hunter Tri's event quests keep on bringing the new content, with the new quest Sea Power letting qualified hunters grab themselves the new Rising Soul sword. Fancy your chances? Here's the lowdown straight from Capcom: The new event quest, Sea Power, throws you into a battle versus two Lagiacrus. This quest is...
Review QuickPick Farmer (DSiWare)
A flocking good time
One of the most important aspects of a video game is fun gameplay, and that's what developer Dancing Dots delivers with their budget DSiWare debut QuickPick Farmer. It's a simple, accessible and original experience that will hook you and carry you away like so much wool. The goal is to drag set quantities of differently styled...
Nintendo Life honours the great and the good
The most recent episode of the Nintendo Life podcast revealed the winners of the Reader's Best of E3 Awards, and in case you've not caught the show yet here they are: Reader's Awards: Best Wii Game – Donkey Kong Country Returns.Best Handheld Game – Kid Icarus: Uprising.Best Overall Game –
Competition Wii Games: Summer 2010 Competitions Announced
Time to get off that couch and get moving!
Don't let those Summertime blues get you down. Now you can join Olympic champion Shawn Johnson as she teams up with our favourite Italian plumber to help get people up and get in shape. You can check out the official press release below for all of the information you'll need to become a part of the...
News Our Perceptions of 3DS Metal Gear Further Solidify
May not be what we saw at E3
The latest Kojima Productions podcast revealed more detail regarding the upcoming 3DS Metal Gear title. It seems that the publishers are paying attention to the feedback from E3 in shaping the new release and in deciding whether the series comes to the potent portable at all. Judging by the buzz, it seems quite likely...
News Poképark Wii Coasts into Europe on 9th July
Get your Corn Houndooms ready
While it may not be the full-fledged console Pokémon adventure that fans are after, Poképark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure promises a unique adventure the likes of which the Pokéworld hasn't seen. We'll let the Big N explain things further. 6th July: Jump into an incredible new adventure on Wii as you take control of...
News Soothe Your WiiWare Bloodlust with Zenquaria's Virtual Aquarium
Here, fishy fishy
WiiWare's virtual pet shop is getting fuller all the time, with Zoo Disc Golf, My Zoo and My Aquarium among the animal-filled attractions on offer. Nintendo itself is entering the furry fray this week, with Zenquaria: Virtual Aquarium on the way to Europe for 600 Points. Looking like a combination between Endless Ocean and My...
News Aussie Child Uses DS to Save Mother's Bacon
Nintendo's dual-screen wonder to the rescue
Next time you're in a potentially life-threatening situation you might want to make sure you have a handheld console nearby. A quick-thinking Australian schoolchild - credited only as "Christopher" - found a use for his DS that didn't involve training pocket monsters or defeating Bowser; when his...
News Grasshopper Podcast Gives You the Inside Scoop
Webcast from deep within GhM
You may remember a few months ago Japanese developer Grasshopper Manufacture hosted a live webcast in celebration of the European release of No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle. It seems the show was successful, as the studio's new weekly audio podcast started last Friday. Hosts Esteban Salazar and John Davis will be...
Monday5th Jul 2010
Review Ufouria: The Saga (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Easy Mode Metroid
The original Metroid was a ground-breaking game for its time, but it feels incredibly dated to anyone playing it for the first time now. The lack of a map makes navigating the seemingly endless identical corridors way more annoying than it should be for newcomers, whereas those who know the game inside out can beat it within an...
Review Ancient Tribe (DSiWare)
Dino snore
Hot on the heels of T-Rex Rumble comes Ancient Tribe, another real-time strategy game in which you lead a prehistoric society as it grows, develops and fights the beasts with whom it shares the land. We at Nintendo Life try to judge a game for what it is instead of what it's not, but when two games that share the same basic concept hit...
Party pooper
Enjoy Gaming’s Cruise Party is a collection of four gambling games: video poker, blackjack, roulette and slots. In Video Poker, each player’s five-card hand is visible to all, with the exception of the Bank’s hand, of which you are only privy to one card. Your one and only goal is to wager whether your hand will be better than the...
News Still Hope Rayman Origins May Find its Way to Nintendo Consoles
Updated game info page says Wii and 3DS is "to be considered"
The Wii excels when it comes to 3D platform games, but it's certainly no slouch in the side-scrolling department. With a healthy back catalogue including Klonoa, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and A Boy and His Blob, as well as upcoming treats Kirby's Epic Yarn and Donkey Kong Country Return
News Prepare Yourself for GoldenEye's "Epic" Tank Level
Bond brings big bangs
We all remember the tank level from the original GoldenEye: the feeling of destructive power at your fingertips was brilliantly realised, and with the recently-announced GoldenEye for Wii on the way Activision is looking to revive this classic level in a big fashion. In a recent interview with the UK's Official Nintendo...
Podcast Episode 17 - E3 Roundup!
Reader's Awards and more!
Last month's E3 show in Los Angeles may be a blur for some, but here comes salvation: host James Newton and E3 attendee (and video star) Corbie Dillard sat down to bring you more details on some of the games and gossip you may have missed from the show. We also announce the Nintendo Life Reader's Choice Awards for Best Wii...
Nintendo Download 5th July 2010 (North America)
Dogfighting, vampire slaying and sheep launching this week
Today, the day after the United States blew itself up and Canada wondered what all that racket was about and some people have jobs in the morning, sheesh, the Nintendo Download brings a peace offering of eight titles across WiiWare and DSiWare. Some anticipated, some not so much, and the...
News Horizon Riders Sets its Sights on WiiWare
Teaser trailer for Sabarasa's next project
The Wii has played host to some great shooters in its time, from arcade hits to brand new titles from genre masters Treasure, and Sabarasa is preparing to bring one more to WiiWare in the form of Horizon Riders. Although the company's released little information so far, the teaser trailer below shows an...
News Abylight Tuning Up Music On: Acoustic Guitar
Latest in DSiWare music series on the way
We've already had the chance to tinkle the DSiWare ivories with Music On: Electronic Keyboard and Retro Keyboard, but developer Abylight isn't limiting itself to black-and-white keys and is branching out into stringed instruments with Music On: Acoustic Guitar on the way to the service in the near future...
News Download Versions of Ivy the Kiwi? Rated by ESRB
Tiny bird to fly to WiiWare and DSiWare
Last month we brought you our First Impressions of upcoming PROPE project Ivy the Kiwi?, as well as an exclusive interview with the game's creator Yuji Naka. In Japan, the game received small versions available via WiiWare and DSiWare, so naturally our intrepid reporter Corbie Dillard asked about the...
Sunday4th Jul 2010
News Miyamoto Brought Coat Hangers to his Job Interview
Makes perfect sense
We know that Shigeru Miyamoto likes to do things his own way, and it's safe to say that's got him quite far in this business. Judging from how he approached his first interview at Nintendo, you may be surprised he even got a foot in the door. The traditional props for a job interview tend to be a portfolio of work and a...
Nintendo Download 6th & 7th July 2010 (Japan)
Neo Geo puzzling for the Wii; Spartans, handwriting and hockey for DSi next week in Japan
The WiiWare drought continues with only the VC to comfort Wii fans next week and things aren't much more exciting on the DSi with only two games and an educational title to start out July. Virtual Console: Magical Drop III (900pts Neo Geo - D4 Enterprise) –...
Saturday3rd Jul 2010
Review Tournament of Legends (Wii)
Decent, but not quite legendary
We've seen quite a resurgence within the fighting game genre over the past few years, in terms of both 2D and 3D varieties. While flashy over-the-top special moves and an almost limitless arsenal of moves have become the staple of these titles, we are beginning to see a bit more innovation within the games, especially...
News These Domo-Kun Photos May be Too Cute for Human Eyes
Domo plays classic Nintendo titles
You know him as the face of a thousand memes but it's easy to forget that Domo-kun, the brown oblong with the sharp teeth, is a big Nintendo fan too. DSiWare fans may know him from his excursions into golf, rafting and construction, among others. As these recent photos show, he also loves to get his Wii game on...
News Metacritic Midyear Report Shows Nintendo Consoles Still Rocking
DS had no "bad games", Wii receives best-reviewed game of the year so far
However you feel about Metacritic's methods and impact, it's hard to deny the statistics it generates can make for some interesting reading. With the first six months of 2010 now behind us, the site has released its midyear report, showing how each console stacks up against...
Friday2nd Jul 2010
WiiWare gets pushed to the limit in this fun 3D platformer
It’s clear that Shin’en Multimedia knows their way around WiiWare. After delivering the lovely Art of Balance, the German studio’s follow-up is a platformer with unparallelled looks on the service. Jett Rocket looks excellent, yes, and we’re happy to say that it plays well too and...
Review Pong Toss Pro - Frat Party Games (WiiWare)
The drunker you are, the better.
Nothing compliments a good buzz like tossing tiny ping pong balls into a group of plastic cups. In fact, Beer Pong has become quite the popular party game over the years, so much so that JV Games released their own version of the game for the WiiWare service back in 2008. Despite receiving extremely low review scores...
News Nintendo Files Patent for Wii Hard Drive
But to what end?
Mysterious patents, electronic goods and the Internet can often be a volatile combination, so take this latest application as you will. Nintendo has recently filed for a patent that offers the ability to install Wii games to a hard drive, though there's little information available as to its wider applications. Certain retailers...
News Get More Cutesy DSiWare Racing with Pop Island: Paperfield
Odenis Studio bringing more action soon
We know many of you enjoyed odenis Studio's animal racer Pop Island as some Nintendo Life user comments are featured in the press release for follow-up Pop Island Paperfield, coming to North American DSiWare on July 12th. With more of the same animal-piloting, flag-capturing multiplayer action as its...
News Enter the Steamy World of Tower Defence
Buy, build, blast
We've already seen a number of tower defence games on the DSi, but there's always room for one more. A good job really, as next week sees the release of SteamWorld: Tower Defense from Swedish developers Image and Form. Taking a steampunk-inspired approach to the genre, you're the role of Sheriff of the Cowbots, a robotic race that...
News Get Physical Next Friday with Toribash: Violence Perfected
1,000 Points for stop-motion fighter
It's been a long old while since we've heard anything about Nabi Studios' fighter Toribash: Violence Perfected, but it's emerged from the silence cocoon with the news it will hit Europe next Friday, July 9th for 1,000 Points. If you're unfamiliar with the admittedly odd concept, Toribash is a turns-based fighting...
News Freddie Flintoff Hits DS for Six
First cricket game heading to the handheld
Last year's Ashes Cricket 2009 on Wii was a huge success for Codemasters, but the lack of a DS version disappointed fans who wanted a bit of leather-on-willow on the move. Thankfully UK developer Fuzzy Frog Games has stepped in to fill the gap with Freddie Flintoff's Power Play Cricket on the way to DS in...
News Arc Rise Fantasia's NA Release Rolls Back to July
Seems to be the last of the delays though
Following on the last update we posted on the turn-based game, it seems the JRPG Arc Rise Fantasia's North American release has slipped back by about a month. The game has now gone gold and will be released on July 27. For more information on this title, check out the latest press release below: Experience...
News Furry Legends Delayed in North America
WiiWare roll 'em up simply "coming soon"
Those of you expecting to download Furry Legends: Chapter One on Monday might want to put those Nintendo Points away for a short time as the game has been delayed. Developer Gamelion Studios has said that Nintendo has changed the game's release date to "coming soon", and that they expect the new...
Thursday1st Jul 2010
Review Date or Ditch (DSiWare)
Ditchfest
Don't be fooled by the level of choice suggested by Date or Ditch: this is a strictly linear game with even less depth than its vapid title suggests. Another converted mobile game from Gameloft, Date or Ditch puts you in the shoes of a male or female protagonist who must decide which of three love interests to settle down with. Gameplay...
Review 24/7 Solitaire (DSiWare)
Solid solitaire
Relatively speaking, there's not too many solitaire picks available on DSiWare. Europe and North America each have two: one title created by Nintendo themselves is the only one shared, while North America has Digital Leisure's offering and Europe an Engine title. This new release has the most variety yet, not just offering about 30...
News And Here's Your 2010 Club Nintendo Awards, North America
Delectable collectables
So the Club Nintendo North America year came to an end yesterday, and along with the beginning of a new one today the Big N has revealed what super special exclusive awards members who reached Gold or Platinum status are eligible for. The suspense is murderous! In a repeat of last year, Gold status members get a 2011 desk...
News 172 Australians Hug Mario for a World Record
Game also released Down Under today
You may remember last week we told you of Nintendo's plan to launch Super Mario Galaxy 2 in Australia with a world record attempt for the most hugs by a mascot character in twenty minutes, and by jingo they've done it. The famous plumber got to grips with 172 people, each of whom received a photo of the momentous...
News Pikmin 3 Development Going "Extremely Well"
The alien vs. garden battle wages on at Nintendo
Nintendo's E3 showing was quite a success for fans, showcasing the new 3DS handheld and the return of beloved characters in the forms of Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kid Icarus: Uprising. But despite the slew of new reveals, one question couldn't be shaken: What's up with Pikmin...
News Miyamoto Ready to Create a New Character
This is the year for it, he says
Nintendo superman Shigeru Miyamoto is a man who can extract esoteric game concepts out of the most mundane things. So what's he been up to lately? During a Q&A session with investors (as translated by Andriasang), Miyamoto explained exactly what he's been keeping himself busy with outside of work. Swimming and...
News Sony: Please Be Nice to 3D Glasses, Nintendo
SCE exec would like to see the two companies promote 3D together
President of Sony's Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida is happy that Nintendo has joined Sony aboard the 3D train with its reveal of the 3DS handheld. But during an interview with IGN, he expressed his disappointment with Nintendo's narrow put-downs of 3D glasses, which are a keystone of...
News Your Club Nintendo PINs Will Self-Destruct in Five Years, Australia
So be quick
Nintendo gamers Down Under have been enjoying Club Nintendo for a while now, and although its Stars Catalogue is lacking somewhat compared to other territories – something we investigated earlier this year – it still contains a few welcome bonuses. Recently a round of emails was sent out to Antipodean Club Nintendo members to let...
Friday2nd Jul 2010
Nintendo Download 2nd July (Europe)
DSiWare galore!
DSiWare gets another massive load of new games today, but they're probably not the things you'll mostly be wanting to pay attention to - Both WiiWare and the Virtual Console only get one game each, but they're both great and more than worthy of a look-see. WiiWare: Jett Rocket (1000pts - Shin'en Multimedia) — A 3D platformer with...
Thursday1st Jul 2010
News Meet the Dragon Quest Creator at this DQIX Launch Event
Also featuring a Dragon Quest ice cream truck
Nintendo's desire to get the name Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies on everyone's lips gathers apace. Fresh from the appointment of Seth Green in a series of adverts the Big N has just announced a launch event at Rockefeller Plaza on Saturday July 10th. Guest of honour for the event will be...
News Metroid: Other M to Reach Europe in September
Advert tightens launch window
We know that Metroid: Other M is landing in North America on August 31st, but so far there's been next-to no news about when the collaboration between Nintendo and Team Ninja would land on European shores. Now, a Nintendo advert on this week's trade magazine MCV UK offers a little clarification: September. That's all...
News Advanced Circuits Flash Demo Offers Free Wheeling
DSiWare game sampler available online
You may have seen Advanced Circuits in the DSi Shop and thought to yourself, "would I like this game?" That's something not even our Advanced Circuits review can tell you, but it is a question the new Flash demo of the game can answer. By heading over to the game's official website you can partake in a...
