Feature How ColecoVision Became the King of Kong
How a trip to the toilet resulted in video gaming's greatest coup
Review Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
A simplified Final Fantasy experience
News - September, 2010
Thursday30th Sep 2010
Review Snowboard Kids (Nintendo 64)
You won't get board of this one
Although Atlus is undoubtedly best known for its expertise in the field of RPGs, the Shinjuku-based company does occasionally try its hand at other genres. One such example is Snowboard Kids, released on the Nintendo 64 back in 1998 in cooperation with Japanese development studio Racdym. Best summed up as Mario Kart...
Review GO Series: Defence Wars (DSiWare)
Tower defence with a twist
Tower defence games aren’t really a new concept on DSiWare, and with already a few titles in the genre available, you might wonder whether this one has anything special to offer. It turns out that GO Series: Defence Wars gives a nice twist to tower defence that makes it a bit more interesting. In most tower defence...
News Nintendo Release Schedule Outs Mario Party 2, Super Bonk and More
Virtual Console still twitching
It's very rare to get any kind of heads-up for what's coming to Virtual Console, but this release schedule from Nintendo's Netherlands office contains a few surprising treats for the year ahead. N64 party game Mario Party 2 is set to launch in December, just in time for the party season, with Super Bonk for Super NES...
News October is Spook Month on Nintendo Life
Frightful Fridays and Scary Saturdays ahead
As we all know, October 31st is All Hallows Eve, popularly known as Halloween. It's a night when some of you will dress up in your favourite fear-inducing garb and haunt the town, others will dress up as well but instead go to screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and others still will stay home and...
Interviews Hudson - Oops! Prank Party
We talk with producer Yukihiro Kobayashi about the new Wii title
While party games are relatively common today, the one that put the genre on the map is undeniably Hudson's Mario Party, released a little over a decade ago on the Nintendo 64. Now the company's making another foray into the party business with the devious Oops! Prank Party, set for...
News Nicalis Wants You to Know Cave Story DSiWare Music is Perfect
Upcoming update for WiiWare too
Cave Story was a much anticipated WiiWare release – of course, European gamers are still much anticipating its eventual release – but the forthcoming Cave Story DSiWare is beginning to mimic its big screen predecessor in terms of generating excitement. Some gamers will be hoping it doesn't copy some of its...
News Download the Soundtrack for Dive: The Medes Islands Secret
For free, of course
Dive: The Medes Islands Secret is one of the better games to have arrived on WiiWare so far this year: a submarine blend of exploration and action, it's sold well enough for Cosmonaut Games to want to say thank you with the release of the game's complete soundtrack. Composed and remastered by El Topo Negro, it includes 11 tracks...
News WayForward Not Working on A Boy and His Blob for 3DS After All
But is another studio?
Back in June, when the 3DS was revealed, Nintendo released a long list of games on their way to the system, with Majesco's A Boy and His Blob right at the top of the list (alphabetically speaking, anyway). Now developer WayForward has confirmed it's not currently working on the title, and that the announcement of the game was...
News 2011 Release for 3DS is a Move to Avoid Stock Shortages
Seems a smart decision
The pre-conference buzz around 3DS was for a release in Japan late this year, with Nintendo's share price jumping hugely at a rumour the machine would launch in October for ¥18,000 (around $215/£136/€157), though that news turned out to be the Mario edition DSi XL. It turns out the original plan was to launch the machine...
News Nintendo Predicts 4 Million 3DS Units to Sell in Debut Month
That's Nintendo with its conservative hat on
It's all very well showering us with release dates and pricing (well, for Japan anyway) and the trailers and screenshots certainly don't do any harm, but how well does Nintendo think the 3DS will perform sales-wise? Nintendo is predicting the 3DS to shift more than 4 million units by the end of the...
News Nintendo of Japan Shows Off Upcoming DS Games
New Kirby title and more (now with video!)
As part of its recent conference, Nintendo's released screen shots of six upcoming DS titles including a new Kirby adventure, a Pokémon typing-based game and the next entry in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, Mini-Land Mayhem. There are some friendly dogs and fearsome dinos to see as well, not to mention...
News Ubisoft Reveals Driver and Splinter Cell Games for 3DS
Screenshots inside
Cast your minds back to E3 and that long list of upcoming third-party releases for 3DS: it's going to take a while for each of those games to be revealed, but Ubisoft's doing its part by showing off the first screenshots of Driver 3D and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory 3D. Splinter Cell seems to take some of the stylistic inventions...
Wednesday29th Sep 2010
News 3DS To Get Revamped Online Shop
Better interface, faster menus and a new Virtual Console
Nintendo's Wii Shop Channel and DSiWare Shop may have some great games on them, but browsing the services for content could be a bit easier. Unless you go in there knowing what you want, finding something new and interesting can be a bit cumbersome, as sifting through menu after menu can take...
News Yes, You Can Transfer DSiWare to 3DS
Software you've bought can be saved
One of the worries about the 3DS was whether the DSiWare that you'd lavished your hard-earned Nintendo Points on would make the jump across to the new console. According to a Nintendo PDF, the answer is "yes, but with limitations." Those limitations seem to be that some software simply won't be...
News Play with Augmented Reality with 3DS Pack-In Cards
Six special cards to enjoy AR
Whilst PlayStation Move and Xbox Kinect press on with augmented reality games, Nintendo has a few tricks up its sleeve as well, bringing the genre to 3DS with six specially created cards to interact with 3DS's built-in software. If you're not sure what augmented reality is, it's a type of gaming that uses a camera to...
News See 3DS's Menu, Mii Creator and More in Motion
Video shows off new features
So far Nintendo has announced the Virtual Console for 3DS as well as the ability to transfer DSiWare to 3DS, but it has a few more things to show off. This video shows the console's Mii Creator in more detail, with a photo used to create the basis of your Mii character. It also delves a little deeper into the Tag Mode...
News Wii Remote Plus is Real, Coming in Four Colours
Technicolour gaming rainbow
The news that FlingSmash would be bundled with a MotionPlus-packing Remote landed the other day, but Gamestop swiftly removed the game page. Now Nintendo, in amongst all the 3DS news, has officially announced the new controller – a Remote with MotionPlus built-in – is on the way. Although no individual pricing or...
News See Plenty of New 3DS Games in Motion Right Here
Resident Evil: Mercenaries, Super Monkey Ball and more
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, Final Fantasy: Chocobo Tales, Super Monkey Ball and more all combine to make this 3DS software trailer a pretty tasty affair. Plenty of 3D games make their motion debuts, as well as with Capcom's Resident Evil: Revelations and recently announced Resident...
News 3DS's StreetPass Communication Feature is Tag Mode Done Right
Smart, fast and actually useful
The DS's Tag Mode is an under-used feature of the hardware, with very few games getting the most out of it. That hasn't deterred Nintendo from making it a bigger feature of its upcoming 3DS however, with the StreetPass system taking games social. It's not just the 3D screen that is 3DS's big revolution: Nintendo is...
News Virtual Handheld Confirmed for 3DS
Not a joke this time
For years, gamers have been clamouring for a VIrtual Console-style system for the DS, allowing them to download and play their favourite GameBoy titles. You just have to read the comments on this spoof article to know how keenly awaited the service was. Now, with the 3DS, Nintendo has answered your calls, as it's announced it's...
News SpotPass is Essentially WiiConnect24 for 3DS
Get new content just by leaving the machine on
The 3DS's StreetPass feature maximises the console's portability by offering interactive features with no user input required, but Nintendo hasn't ignored the machine's at home functions, creating a system called SpotPass to enable the 3DS to communicate via the Internet whilst in Sleep Mode. Working in...
News Japan Receives Red DSi XL in Honour of Mario's 25th Anniversary
Limited edition console on the way
Yes, it's the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., and even the most ardent plumbing fan might be getting just a little fed-up of the fanfare. Just show that person this upcoming Mario edition DSi XL and watch their face light up again, though. Released in Japan on October 28th, the machine is of course in...
News Tales of the Abyss Coming to 3DS
3DS port in the works for Japan
Namco Bandai has just announced that their Playstation 2 RPG Tales of the Abyss will be making its way to Nintendo's new 3DS system in Japan. They've also stated that the game will be an updated port in full 3D glory. We've seen speculation and rumors in the past about the game coming to various platforms, but it...
News Brand New 3DS Screenshots For Your Eyes to Behold
Ocarina, Paper Mario, StarFox, PilotWings and more!
Information is great, but if a picture speaks a thousand words then we have several novels' worth of words for you to digest with brand new screenshots of 3DS games. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Paper Mario, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Steel Diver,
News Capcom Announces Franchise 3DS Titles
Mega Man Legends 3 project and Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
Capcom's just announced two upcoming 3DS titles, a Mega Man Legends 3 project as well as Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D. The former will continue the spin-off series while the latter will present missions from the Mercenaries Modes of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5 in...
News Super Monkey Ball 3DS Title to Roll Out Next Year
Get ready to tilt some monkeys in the palm of your hand
Earlier today we brought you the 3DS software trailer and the only reason our eyeballs didn't implode with excitement from the barrage of treats on display was because we're weren't seeing it in 3D. At just under three minutes in duration, it showed clips from twenty 3DS titles and one of them...
News 3DS Details Unleashed at Japanese Press Event
Nintendo releases 3DS information
For those of you who don't already know, Nintendo is holding a special news conference to release details on their plans for the upcoming 3DS system. We'll be posting tidbits of information in this article as they announce them. 3DS will be released in Japan on February 26, 2011 and will retail for 25,000 yen...
News New Dead or Alive: Dimensions Trailer Lands a Few Combos
Tecmo shows off some gameplay footage
Among the invited developers and publishers at Nintendo's exclusive 3DS event today was Tecmo Koei, the studio behind Rygar: The Battle of Argus; the Wii instalment of the Platstation action game from 2002. The developer's upcoming Dead of Alive: Dimensions for the 3DS has been progressing steadily and the...
News 3DS Launches Feb. 26 in Japan
Europe and North America join the fun in March
During Nintendo Conference 2010, CEO Satoru Iwata announced the Japanese launch date and price for the upcoming 3DS handheld. The portable will release on Feb 26, 2011 and retail for 25,000 yen. The two launch colours are Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black. Prices vary by market and it's tough to say that the...
News Nintendo of Japan Showcases Wii Line-up in New Video
Includes footage of (presumably) a new Rhythm Heaven game
As part of their recent conference, Nintendo of Japan's just released a video showcasing some hotly anticipated games in the upcoming Japanese Wii line-up. Everything from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword to Super Mario Collection Special Pack and Mar
Tuesday28th Sep 2010
News Next Year Will See 750 Metroid Prime Gunships Landing on Desks
First 4 Figures continuing its Metroid Gunship Series
If the recent listing of the life-size Samus Aran promotion statue was too big for you to handle, then you might be interested in First 4 Figures' latest model in its Metroid Gunship Series as it's considerably smaller and won't be a nuisance when it comes to vacuuming. The Metroid Prime Gunship,...
News Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Races to WiiWare on October 11th
WiiWare gets it before XBLA and PSN
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode One will come to WiiWare on Monday October 11th with a European release to follow on Friday October 15th. The game will cost 1500 Points, as previously claimed by Nintendo Power. WiiWare will also receive the game before Xbox 360 and PS3 owners, if only by a matter of days. Our...
News Shantae: Risky's Revenge Soundtrack Now Available
And the tunes won't break your wallet either
If you're one of the ones anxiously awaiting next week's release of Shantae: Risky's Revenge on DSiWare, the kind folks at Wayforward have a little treat to help tide you over. The full soundtrack of the game is now available for download and the interesting (and rather generous) twist is that you can...
Competition Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts T-Shirt Competition
Like Lawn Darts? Like T-Shirts? Then boy do we have a competition for you!
Together with Incredible Technologies we're able to offer 10 XL Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts Official T-Shirts to celebrate the release of the dangerous looking Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts for WiiWare which was released this week in North America. The competition is open to...
News Buy Advance Copies of the Game at the Super Scribblenauts Event
Get them signed too while you're at it
It's not long now before 5th Cell releases Super Scibblenauts, the sequel to 2009's Scibblenauts, and in conjunction with the game's launch GameStop will be holding a special event where gamers can take part in a costume contest and even buy copies of the game ahead of its scheduled retail release. The GameStop...
News A Thumping December Euro Release for Donkey Kong Country Returns
Slipping behind North America by only a couple of weeks
It's always encouraging to see anticipated games make it to retail before the Christmas period as it can obviously be a helpful boost for sales, and we're glad that Retro Studios' upcoming Donkey Kong Country Returns will be launching before the holidays on both sides of the Atlantic. Nintendo...
Monday27th Sep 2010
News Nintendo Japan Humbly Attending to Metroid: Other M Bug Fix
No word on other territories yet
There's a serious bug in Metroid: Other M that requires gamers who encounter it to restart their game from the beginning, unless they've been saving in multiple slots along the way. Nintendo of Japan is the first company out of the blocks to arrange for those unlucky souls to receive help. Affected Japanese gamers...
News Nintendo Power Claims Sonic 4: Episode 1 Will Cost 1500 Points
High price for hedgehog heaven
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is one of WiiWare's most anticipated games, either because of or despite the claims it will bring Sonic back to his glory days, depending on your point of view. Flagship WiiWare titles don't come cheap however, and the latest issue of Nintendo Power claims Sonic's next outing will set...
First Impressions Lost in Shadow
We take Hudson's new platformer for a spin
It doesn't take a genius to see that Hudson's upcoming Lost in Shadow release isn't your typical run-of-the-mill platformer. Not only does the game feature a protagonist that's not even a real person, rather his shadow, it also features some absolutely mesmerizing audio and visuals to further make it stand...
Nintendo Download 27th September (North America)
Two each for WiiWare and DSiWare
This week's release schedule is as varied as usual, taking in potentially fatal sports games to cerebral puzzlers, with two games apiece for WiiWare and DSiWare and the expected break from Virtual Console. WiiWare: Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts (700pts, Incredible Technologies) – The follow-up to Target Toss Pro:...
News My Planetarium Trailer and Screenshots Look Stellar
All in Japanese, though
The ESRB outed My Planetarium a month or so ago, and now the Japanese website has been updated with the first screenshots and trailer of Hudson's upcoming gaze 'em up. With three different modes allowing you to view the night sky freely, learn about the history of constellations and search for particular clusters, nebulae and...
News Thorium Wars Blasts European DSiWare After Twelve Month Wait
Better late than never
Thorium Wars, believe it or not, was released in North America in October 2009, and until now hadn't troubled European gamers' radars. Now the space adventure is set to land on European DSi consoles on Friday, October 8th, for a cheaper-than-in-North-America 800 Nintendo Points. You can read our Thorium Wars review to find out...
Sunday26th Sep 2010
News Classic Mario DS Games Get Reprints at Toys 'R' Us
Mario Hoops, Super Princess Peach and Partners in Time
So it's Mario's 25th anniversary and everyone's after a piece of the plumber, particularly fans of portable gaming, but some titles can be hard to find. That's why it's good news that Toys 'R' Us has secured a wad of brand new versions of Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Super Princess Peach and Mario and...
Review Everyday Soccer (DSiWare)
Hardly in the Premier League
When it comes to soccer on the DSi, it really comes down to the Real Soccer franchise, and we're certainly not complaining. For a mere 800 Points you can get a portable, yet retail-quality version of the beautiful game with tons of content. Still, it's nice to see a game like EveryDay Soccer come along. Offering a more...
News Miyamoto and Itoi Discuss Mario, Rubik's Cubes, TV and More
Top Nintendo designers shoot the breeze
Nintendo's Iwata Asks series has provided us with plenty of fascinating insights into the creation of the company's games, the minds of its creators and the creative spirit that defines its output. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., Nintendo legends Shigesato Itoi (creator of the...
Saturday25th Sep 2010
Review Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
A simplified Final Fantasy experience
Back in 1992, role-playing games were still largely ignored outside of Japan, but Square tried to remedy this with the release of Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest. The game not only added a bit more action to the experience, it also greatly simplified the gameplay mechanics as well. While this certainly offered up a...
News Exclusive Sneak Peek at Shantae Fan Club Mailer
WayForward also confirms that DSiWare release is the complete game!
The nice folks at WayForward Technologies were kind enough to give Nintendo Life an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming Shantae Fan Club mailer that will be sent out soon. It seems gamers who already own Mighty Flip Champs are in for a little treat when they purchase Shantae:...
Friday24th Sep 2010
News FlingSmash Shows off a New Wii Remote with MotionPlus Built-In
Could this account for its delay?
We played FlingSmash in February of this year and quite enjoyed it, as our First Impressions show, but its projected release date of Summer 2010 has been and gone without the game hitting shelves. Now retailer Gamestop has released boxart of the game showing the game is set to be bundled with a Remote, seemingly...
Review Nintendo Countdown Calendar (DSiWare)
Count it out
Have you ever wished for a calendar that counts down to the day of literally any event that you programme into it all by itself? Well, thanks to Nintendo's latest DSiWare application, the Nintendo Countdown Calendar, your dreams can now become a reality! This new application provides users with a calendar that has a separate list...
Review Triple Throwing Sports (WiiWare)
It’s not hammer time and it never will be
Please have your Wii Remote and Nunchuk handy. You’ll need them to read this review. Ready? Okay, first, begin by spinning the Nunchuk around in a circular motion. Any direction will do, just spin it really fast, then faster still. Then, when the time is right, press the B button. Are you with us so far?...
News Have a Banana When You Pre-order Donkey Kong Country Returns
Slip your controller in there
If you were to pre-order Super Scribblenauts, Sonic Colours and Nine Hours, Nine Doors, Nine Persons from Gamestop you'd have enough items of clothing to walk the streets as a headphone-wearing Sonic the Hedgehog with a metal watch. If that's not your idea of value for your pre-order money, Gamestop has something a bit...
News Rabbids Travel in Time to Defeat Billy the Kid
New trailer takes on the Wild West
A group of white rabbits found Excalibur and met Julius Caesar, and now they're in the Wild West taking on outlaw Billy the Kid. It can only be Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time. The first online-enabled party game in the series, Travel in Time plots a course through various times in human history and lets the Rabbids...
News Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light Action Battle Points Trailer
Combat gets covered
Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light is shaping up to be another quality entry in the famed RPG series, with its unique graphical style and developer heritage. Its battle system could take a bit of getting used to though, which is why publisher Square Enix has put together a brief video showing you how to get the most out of the...
News European Club Nintendo Members Invited to Wii Party Event
Hang out with Jedward!
The upcoming Christmas sales steamroller Wii Party is gathering momentum as it prepares to crush all in its path, and Nintendo wants to get you in the party spirit early with an exclusive event at UK theme park Chessington World of Adventures. As well as free access to the entire park including the zoo and Sea Life Centre,...
News Spirit Hunters Inc. Trailer Shows Augmented Reality in Action
Get into the party, spirit
Nnooo has made a name for itself on the downloadable Nintendo scene, with titles as varied as Pop+ Solo and myDiary, and now it's ready to show off the latest game in its line-up, the spirit-hunting DSiWare title Spirit Hunters Inc. Shadow/Light. Using the DSi's camera to perform augmented reality actions, where in-game...
Nintendo Download 28th & 29th September 2010 (Japan)
Two each for Wii and DSi next week
Could predictions of the death of WiiWare in Japan have been premature? It appears so as there's two new titles coming next week, both from 3rd parties. Import gaming fantatics should reign in their excitement, however as both appear to be "lifestyle" apps rather than games. The DSi offerings are unlikely...
News Black Lantern Studios' Enchanting Fairy Tale Release
Gather round and watch the announcement trailer with us
It must be a fairly busy period for Lemon Team and Reflexive Entertainment at the moment; with the recent announcement that the collaborative release of Airport Mania: First Flight will soon be launching on the WiiWare service, and with the DSi getting its own Airport Mania too, it's never too...
News Japanese Virtual Console list - October 2010
Three more for Japan next month
Japan is taking it a bit easy again next month with just three new releases. Two of them could have been predicted quite easily - Both were rated by the OFLC not too long ago and should thus also be heading to other regions. The last is yet another Japan-exclusive RPG which is very unlikely to see the light of day...
Thursday23rd Sep 2010
Review The Very Hungry Caterpillar's ABCs (WiiWare)
Often imitated but never duplicated
Everyone knows that caterpillars are excellent at education by munching, mostly because of the work of Eric Carle. 30 million copies of his book The Very Hungry Caterpillar have been sold worldwide since its release in 1969. Now, the distinct artwork and simple teaching style of the classic come to WiiWare in the...
News First Cave Story DSiWare Screenshots
Portable Cave Story in action
With the recent news that Cave Story is indeed headed to the DSiWare service this fall, screenshots of the game in action have already become hotly anticipated. Luckily, we were able to get our hands on three shots of the game in action for you to enjoy. We'll keep you posted on any new information on the DSiWare...
News Super Mario Bros. was Gaming's Big Bang, says Kojima
"One of mankind's greatest creations," says great man
It's been 25 years since Super Mario Bros. hit the world of gaming, and its influence is still felt widely around the world. Konami legend and Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima is just one individual whose life was altered by the plumbing adventure. Kojima has said: With the creation of...
News Japan's Limited Edition Wii Points Cards are Enviably Cool
Zelda and Mario branded cards in stores
Ever get bored of seeing the same old designs on the Nintendo Points cards you buy? Wouldn't it be nice to see a little more artistry on the packaging? As usual, Japan has you covered. Japanese branches of 7-11 carry the Mario and Zelda branded cards for 1000 or 2000 Nintendo Points, each of which contains a...
News Japanese DS Sales Spike Last Week in Mysterious Circumstances
Whatever could be the driving force?
Of course, Pokémon Black & White saw their Japanese release last week, with hardware sales more than doubling across the country. Previous week's DS sales stood at a respectable 39,749 across all models, with last week's figures passing 85,000 units sold across the entire week. In fact, the DS range outsold...
News Shantae: Risky's Revenge Coming October 4th
The much-anticipated platformer is on its way
WayForward has just announced that its brand new DSiWare platformer Shantae: Risky's Revenge is headed to the DSiWare service in North America on October 4th. We'll keep you posted on any news on the title and we'll have a full review shortly after its release early next month. We've also got an...
News Nintendo Turns 121 Years Old Today
That's old
It was on this day in 1889 that a playing card company opened up in Kyoto, Japan, headed up by Fusajiro Yamauchi. Its name was the Nintendo Playing Card Company – catchy, right? – that went on to become one of the world's biggest entertainment companies. If you want to know more about Nintendo's history, the excellent The History of...
Friday24th Sep 2010
Nintendo Download 24th September (Europe)
More Final Fantasy, robotic boxes, and more
After two Virtual Console-less weeks, the service returns with a bang with another title from Square Enix. It might not be one of the most fondly remembered games they've made, but the more the merrier! It's accompanied by a few interesting WiiWare and DSiWare titles. WiiWare: Robox (1000pts, Dreambox...
Thursday23rd Sep 2010
News Watch Out for Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts Next Monday
From the makers of Target Toss Pro: Bags
The Wii has played host to countless sports games since the days of Wii Sports, with everything from cricket to compendiums, but WiiWare's about to receive one of the more unusual sporting outings in the form of Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts. From Incredible Technologies, the team behind Target Toss Pro: Bags,...
Wednesday22nd Sep 2010
The original Rayman
A few years before Rayman hit the scene, there was another lesser known platforming hero with floating hands and feet that he could throw at enemies. Created by John and Ste Pickford, two fairly well-known British video game designers, Plok is perhaps one of, if not the best, examples of a cult classic Super Nintendo platformer...
Because there's no Hulu streaming disc
We recently had the opportunity to try out the video-streaming application PlayOn from MediaMall Technologies, which acts as a conduit between your Wii and the countless number of videos locked away on the Internet. It turns out there's a lot more than YouTube out there, and while the program's appeal clearly...
News You Can Stop Waiting for Worms: Battle Islands on WiiWare Now
It's coming out on disc instead
It's been a long old time since we last heard anything about Worms: Battle Islands but we were expecting it to launch on WiiWare this month. Sadly, the downloadable service just got a little duller, as THQ has announced the game is on its way to Wii as a retail release. The game is now scheduled to release in...
News Netflix Now Available in Canada
Grab your Wii Remote and start streaming
Back in July, it was announced that Canada would be getting in on the Netflix service and logistically, that meant Canadian Wii owners could be treated to the same sort of console streaming that their neighbours South of the border have been enjoying since April. Netflix has today announced that its streaming...
Rumour 3DS Tech Specs Revealed
Specifications, not spectacles
The technical specifications for Nintendo's upcoming wonder machine, the 3DS, have found their way online, IGN reported recently. An anonymous source has divulged to them that the hardware will feature two 266MHz ARM11 CPUs, a 133MHz GPU, 4MBs of dedicated VRAM, 64MBs of RAM, and 1.5GBs of flash storage. Other devices...
News La-Mulana Tokyo Game Show Trailer
New footage for you to check out
We haven't heard a lot of news lately on the upcoming WiiWare title from Nicalis La-Mulana, but a brand new trailer was recently unveiled for the Tokyo Game Show and it features some amazing footage of the game in action. As you can see from the new trailer, the game is shaping up quite well and looks fantastic...
News Spot the Differences Marking Its WiiWare Release Very Soon
Sanuk's latest puzzle game will have you paying close attention
There are certain games that transcend language barriers and Sanuk Games tapped into one particular example when it launched Spot the Differences! on the Sony PSP and PS3, and then later on the Apple Apps Store. With the success it has enjoyed across the platforms, the developer has...
News DSiWare to Get Frenzic Thanks to Two Tribes
Room for one more puzzle game
DSiWare is a pretty crowded place for puzzle games, so the announcement of one more is generally met with more than a little world-weariness. When the team behind the announcement is Two Tribes, the studio responsible for Rubik's Puzzle Galaxy: RUSH and Toki Tori, you might be a bit more inclined to show interest. The...
News Airport Mania Touching Down on DSiWare Too
Not just WiiWare
Just last week we brought you news about Airport Mania: First Flight's approach to WiiWare, and now we can bring you confirmation the title is also on its way to DSiWare. Black Lantern Studios, the team behind Ben 10 Alien Force: The Rise of Hex and Agatha Christie's ABC Murders, is in charge of development duties, with the ga
Tuesday21st Sep 2010
Interviews Brian Provinciano - Retro City Rampage
Vblank Entertainment's open-world game looks set to hijack your 8-bit heart
Grand Theftendo may have started out as a pet project of Vblank Entertainment's Brian Provinciano, but eight years later it's turned into one of the most intriguing games slated to hit WiiWare in the form of Retro City Rampage. The novelty of an 8-bit open-world game was...
News Sakamoto Wants to Know Your Metroid: Other M Thoughts
Could sculpt future Aran outings
Metroid: Other M has divided gamers; some love the blend of action and story, others are less impressed. Whatever your thoughts, Metroid creator Yoshio Sakamoto wants to hear them: they could very well hold the key to Samus's future adventures. Speaking to Gamespot about the continued evolution of Metroid, Sakamoto...
News New Super Mario Bros. Wii Named Game of the Year in CESA Awards
Top Japanese designers give Mario the nod
New Super Mario Bros. Wii was Nintendo's big Christmas hit of 2009, sweeping all before it in a multi-coloured wave of shells, fire flowers and multiplayer rage. It wasn't just a big hit with consumers though, netting a range of awards, the latest being the Grand Award from Japan's Computer Entertainment...
News Sonic Colours Gets Special Edition Figures in PAL Regions
Grab a batch of toys with the game
North American hedgehog fans will be able to keep their heads warm with this pre-order Sonic hat, but gamers Down Under are heading towards a warmer time of year. What will they get to honour the release of Sonic Colours? Some figurines, that's what. EB Games Australia lists special editions for both the Wii and DS...
News Catch a Live Stream of Symphonic Legends This Thursday Evening
Orchestral arrangements of classic Nintendo games
If you've not got any plans this Thursday night, then be sure to tune into a live stream of Symphonic Legends' orchestral renditions of classic video games. Produced by Thomas Boecker with Jonne Valtonen taking lead composer duties, the WDR Radio Orchestra will be performing at the Cologne...
News Even More Virtual Console Titles on the Way
Four more possible future retro releases
We only reported on a few potential Virtual Console games getting rated less than a week ago, but it's already time to report on even more of them. Since the last news post, the OFLC has rated two more classic titles which are very likely for Nintendo's beloved retro service, and in addition to that, we've...
News Super Street Fighter IV Producer Hints at Extra 3DS Content
Game to use as-yet unannounced 3DS features
A portable, fully-equipped, 3D-enabled conversion of Super Street Fighter IV sounded too good to be true just six months ago, but here we are in the knowledge that Capcom is bringing Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition to the 3DS with all 35 characters intact. Will it be adding more to the mix? Producer...
Monday20th Sep 2010
News Steve Wiebe Reclaims Donkey Kong World Record
The high score merry-go-round keeps turning
Billy Mitchell, Hank Chien, Steve Wiebe: these men are the giants of Donkey Kong, throwing the world record around like a numerical barrel. Chien bested Mitchell, then Mitchell topped Chien, and now long-time underdog Steve Wiebe has reclaimed the top spot by a whisker. Mitchell's previous best stood at...
News Cammie Dunaway Leaving Nintendo Next Month
Executive's gaming days will soon be behind her
Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales and Marketing, is to leave the company on October 1st to take up a new role elsewhere. Although her new job is not known, it's not another games industry position. Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's president, paid his tribute...
News Watch Out for this Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors Bonus
It's a watch!
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors is a graphic adventure developed by Chunsoft, described by publisher Aksys as: A game that simulates life, or at least it would if your life was about being trapped on a sinking ship and forced to complete a series of incomprehensible puzzles before your practically inevitable death. As if that...
News It's Dangerous to Go Alone, But the Zeldathon Raises Rupees Regardless
Take this press release
Nintendo charity marathons are all the rage these days: Mother/Earthbound and Mario have both had successful marathons, with Zelda set to join the titles from December 27th. The team at Zeldathon got in touch to spread the word about its upcoming money-raising efforts. The press release below contains all the information you...
Competition Aussies Can Share Their Favourite Mario Moments to Win a DSi XL
Red, blue or yellow up for grabs
North America's Super Mario Bros. 25th anniversary site opened recently, and now Nintendo of Australia has launched its 25th Anniversary competition website offering one misty-eyed gamer the chance to win a brand new DSi XL. If your entry is selected as the best Mario memory, you could win a red, blue or yellow DSi...
Nintendo Download 20th September 2010 (North America)
Throwing and Caterpillars on WiiWare; Aero 2 on VC; Soccer, Go Series and Countdown on DSiWare
The world of Nintendo Downloads is often surprising, even for aficionados such as ourselves. Sometimes a long-awaited title appears; others come from out of the blue. Enjoy this week's line-up. WiiWare: Triple Throwing Sports (Code Monkeys, 500pts) – The...
News New Robox Trailer as Game Launches this Friday
1,000 Points for mechanical marvel
Dreambox Games has been hard at work on Robox, polishing the little robotic box for his big debut, and that date is fast approaching. The game launches across Europe this Friday, September 24th, for 1,000 Nintendo Points. To celebrate, Dreambox has released a new trailer showing off some more of the game's...
Sunday19th Sep 2010
Review Star Fox: Assault (GameCube)
A bumpy ride for Team Star Fox
Star Fox has an active history on the GameCube, first appearing on the console in the form of Star Fox Adventures back in 2001. It took on a whole new direction and saw Fox McCloud out of the cockpit for the first time in an on-foot adventure across Dinosaur Planet, and while the game received acclaim in some quarters,...
Everyone, take note
Nnooo has seen a fair amount of success with DSiWare. Originally starting off with Pop+ Solo, the developer really began to make its mark on the DSi with the myLifeCollected series, a set of applications for the DSi that started with myNotebook. Since then, Nnooo has moved onto other applications such as myPostcards and...
News Nab a Life-Size Samus Statue on eBay
Auction site sells heroine
Ever wonder what happens to all those amazing life-size statues and installations in game shops after they're taken down? They usually end up on eBay, of course. That's the fate of this Metroid statue created to promote celebrated first-person adventure Metroid Prime, currently on sale for a measly £65. Standing 190cm...
News New Trailer for NBA Jam Remix Modes is Nothing But Net
What crazy play modes await us?
When we caught up with Pete Trenouth, a producer of NBA Jam for the Wii, he was wasn't quite ready to spill the beans on the upcoming Remix Modes, but now EA has released a trailer that showcases the weird and wonderful play modes that we'll be slammin' and jammin' to when the iconic basketball game makes its return...
News Itagaki Makes Curious Remark about Nintendo's Next Console
Not 3DS either
Wii is approaching its fourth birthday across the world, with no announced successor currently on the horizon. We know it's in development but there's been no clue as to its form or any such thing. So when an industry figure such as Tomonobu Itagaki, former head of Team Ninja, makes cryptic comments about the company's next home...
Rumour Sadness Still in Development With Update by the End of the Year
Will it? Won't it? The mystery continues...
Since it was something that was much-talked about many years ago, let us refresh your memory a little. Remember that spooky-looking game for the Wii that was in development by Nibris? What was it called, again? Ah yes, Sadness. Well, the game that no one's seen seems to be making a bit of a resurgence as...
First Impressions Surinuke Anatōsu
Thrill-seeking for puzzler fans
One doesn't often think of thrills and puzzles as belonging in the same sentence. You can get a bit of excitement from kicking off a combo in a fast-paced game, but to actually get a rush in the same sense as riding a rollercoaster is something else entirely. Whilst it might be an exaggeration to say Surinuke Anatōsu...
Saturday18th Sep 2010
Feature How ColecoVision Became the King of Kong
How a trip to the toilet resulted in video gaming's greatest coup
When you think of the early '80s video game scene one name instinctively springs to mind: Atari. This pioneering firm had practically invented the concept of the interactive television experience, and its all-conquering VCS (also known as the 2600) was incredibly popular. Naturally...
Review Castle Conqueror (DSiWare)
The beginner’s RTS
With its touch screen and stylus controls, the Nintendo DS seems like it was practically built for real-time strategy games. Sadly, entries in this genre have been few and far between. Publisher CIRCLE Entertainment comes out of the woodwork with Castle Conqueror, an all-new RTS for DSiWare. Referred to as a strategy game for...
News Nintendo Declares Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary Website Open
Due to be updated in coming weeks
First a logo, then a collector's edition pack; now the Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary celebrations get even wilder, with Nintendo of America rolling out website for the portly plumber's quarter-century. At the moment there's not really a lot to see other than a trailer and some pixel art, but Nintendo promises...
News Expect La Mulana to be Really, Really Hard
No Easy Mode in sight
La Mulana is coming to WiiWare – yes, we promise – with improved graphics but no alterations made to the game's notorious difficulty level. Designer Takumi Naramura has said there'll be no Easy Mode in the game, for one very simple reason: We made the game difficult so players can die. According to Naramura, it can take up...
News Airport Mania: First Flight Approaches the Runway with a Trailer
Take an eagle-eyed look at the new WiiWare air traffic control game
If you enjoyed playing Firemint's Flight Control, then you might want to take note of the upcoming WiiWare title Airport Mania: First Flight and check out the first trailer for the air traffic control game from Reflexive Entertainment and South Winds Games. Originally published on...
News The Latest GoldenEye Vignette Shows a Lot of Character
Ah yes. There's the vertically-challenged little...
Back in the days of GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64, choosing your character had the potential to be as strategic as the choice of weapons or the place of combat. Well, when we say strategic, we actually mean questionably unsportsmanlike. Okay, let's just say it. Anyone who chose Oddjob was a bit...
Competition Monsteca Corral Competition Winners
Drumroll please...
Last week we ran a cheeky little competition to let 10 lucky Euro/Aussie readers win a copy of A Monsteca Corral: Monsters vs. Robots on WiiWare. Everyone likes a freebie, and competition here was fierce. We had 199 entries! However only 10 could win, so we punched the button on the magical Nintendo Life bingo machine and can now...
Friday17th Sep 2010
News Serious Metroid: Other M Bug Requires Total Restart
Nintendo aware of issue
A rather serious bug in Metroid: Other M has come to light that requires players who encounter it to load a previous save file or, in dreaded circumstances, start their save file over again. The issue is a single door on the far side of a lava pit in Sector 3, right after moving on from the desert refinery. If that door is...
News Three More Virtual Console Titles Incoming
One NES classic and two new arcade games coming in the near future
If you've been keeping an eye on new game pages on our site, you might have already noticed, but over the last few days, three classic games have received age ratings, indicating that they will be making their way to the Virtual Console soon. Possibly the most important to most...
News Rising Star Games Talks About PANG and Localisation Grapples
Gamers will have to continue to wait for certain games to get localised
Gamers old enough to remember destroying bouncing balloons in the 1989 two-player arcade game Pang might also be aware that due to its popularity, instalments on the SNES and Game Boy were eventually released, and Rising Star Games is continuing to entertain gamers by launching...
News Ni No Kuni Trailer Shows Stunning Animation Chops
Dream collaboration looking fantastic
Since we reported that Ni No Kuni is coming to North America we've kept an eagle eye on the team-up between legendary animators Studio Ghibli and Professor Layton powerhouse Level-5. Now Tokyo Game Show has given us a new animated trailer to gawp at, and gawp we must. There's no in-game footage shown, but there...
Nintendo Download 21st & 22nd September 2010 (Japan)
VCA and DSiWare next week in Japan
Japan receives a mix of RPGs, shooters, mathematics training for youngsters and short quizzes about feudal Japanese history. Virtual Console: Romancing Saga 3 (800pts, Super Famicom - Square-Enix) – The third in a series of RPGs from one of the RPG masters. Exed Exes (800pts, Arcade - Capcom) – An early Capcom...
News Retail Rumour Pegs 3DS for April Launch Across America
The mill gears are grinding again
We know you're impatiently waiting for September 29th, when Nintendo will finally announce the release date and pricing for its upcoming 3DS handheld, but if this rumour turns out to be true you could be waiting impatiently for the console a little longer than first thought. An anonymous retail source – your...
Thursday16th Sep 2010
Review Super Smash Bros. Melee (GameCube)
Better than Brawl?
We live in a world of advanced communication. We can be sitting in our living room in Columbus, Ohio and play a game of Call of Duty with our friends in Vietnam. We could even put a headset on and have a conversation with them while we do so. We can whip out our Nintendo DS consoles and play a game of Mario Kart against complete...
Review Last Window: The Secret of Cape West (DS)
A fitting send-off from Cing
Throughout its lifespan, the DS has been a popular medium for graphic adventure games, many of which have become very successful. 2007 saw one such example in the form of Hotel Dusk: Room 215. Developed by Cing, also well known for the Trace Memory/Another Code series and published by Nintendo, it was a hit among gamers...
Review Adventure on Lost Island: Hidden Object Game (WiiWare)
Short and sugary sweet
Playing Adventure on Lost Island: Hidden Object Game is a lot like eating a doughnut – it looks good, is very sweet and the experience feels nice. Before you know it, though, it's gone. ATeam definitely had a young audience in mind when making this game, with its winsome tone, brightly coloured graphics and simple gameplay,...
News Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Nets a Best Audio Award
Beats some stiff competition too
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories was a brave and very successful attempt to produce a psychological horror game that used the Wii's unique capabilities, grabbing some excellent review scores if not the sales it deserved. The game's audio design has received a deserved nod in the form of a Best Audio Design award at...
News Sakamoto Wishes to Start Metroid Dread From Scratch
Metroid co-creator might not even be involved with it
With the revelation that a Metroid game was close to materialising on the Nintendo 64, it's almost a mirror image of the elusive Metroid Dread that's supposed to be on the DS. Series co-creator, Yoshiro Sakamoto, has recently shed some light on it and we could be back to square one before we've...
News Peter Moore Disappointed With Tiger Woods 11 Sales on Wii
Has EA shot itself in the foot?
EA is one of the industry's juggernauts, thanks to its array of sports franchises that release a game a year across all platforms. Whilst that is potentially lucrative, it's also a double-edged sword as each instalment needs to have significant improvements over the last, otherwise gamers won't have any incentive to...
Friday17th Sep 2010
Nintendo Download 17th September (Europe)
Not a whole lot of excitement
Nintendo of Europe has chosen not to release a Virtual Console game, instead giving you the choice of several games that will likely not appeal to many hardcore gamers out there. You have been warned! WiiWare: Adventure on LOST ISLAND - Hidden Object Game (Ateam Inc., 500 Points) — More similar to "Aha! I Found...
Thursday16th Sep 2010
News Raise Your Objections with this Ace Attorney Investigations 2 Trailer
Edgeworth returns, of course
It was only a few days ago that Famitsu revealed the first details of Ace Attorney Investigations 2, then the first screenshots followed a short while later, and now we have the first trailer for the game. With this video being produced for Tokyo Game Show it won't surprise you it's all in Japanese, but it still shows...
News Activision Announces Six More DJs to Feature in DJ Hero 2
...and the mixes that they'll be bringing to the turntable
It's not long before DJ Hero 2 drops and when it does, it's going to bring with it a staggering amount of remixes and mash-ups that players will scratch and beat-juggle to. A while ago, DJ Shadow let it slip that he would return in some form or another, and now Activision has confirmed that...
News Disney Announces Epic Mickey Release Dates, Delivers New Trailer
See the mouse become the epic hero he was always meant to be
Disney has just announced that their hotly anticipated Wii title Disney Epic Mickey will hit store shelves in the United Kingdom on November 26th and North America on November 30th. You can also watch their new trailer below. Warren Spector, general manager and creative director of Disney...
News Gaijin's Alex Neuse Plays Silly Beggars About 3DS Development
Let's play "will they, won't they"
Those Gaijin Games guys are a wily bunch: the first teaser for BIT.TRIP FATE was vague as they come, but even that has nothing on Alex Neuse's slippery 3DS comments to Eurogamer. When quizzed about whether the studio had plans to develop on other consoles, Neuse did – or perhaps didn't – have this to say: I...
News Ghost Trick Trailer Shows the Park is Susceptible to Strange Events
More gameplay footage from Capcom's puzzle game
The Tokyo Game Show has landed and everyone has a lot to show off. Capcom is continuing its steady release of episodic gameplay trailers for the upcoming mystery adventure game, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, and we can tell you that something strange is happening at the park. The game fuses logic...
News TGS Okamiden Trailer Shows Plenty More Gameplay
Familiar characters brush with new skills
Capcom is making a big noise about Okamiden, its DS-bound sequel to well-regarded escapade Okami, and with good reason. These new screenshots and fresh trailer from the Tokyo Game Show show the game looks set to maintain the quality level set by the original. Familiar characters Susano, Kushi and more return...
Wednesday15th Sep 2010
Review Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Wii)
Cartoon crime never sleeps in Gotham City. Good thing bats are nocturnal.
As far as pop culture is concerned, there are two types of Batman. Batmen, if you will. One is the gritty, serious Dark Knight that’s been Chris Nolan’s Hollywood blockbuster success of late and the star of Rocksteady’s excellent Batman: Arkham Asylum. Then there’s the...
News Metroid 64 Was This Close to Existing
Not that close, actually
There was no Metroid game on Nintendo 64, Samus Aran skipping the console altogether save for a cameo appearance in Super Smash Bros. Series creator Yoshio Sakamoto has revealed in an interview with UK magazine GamesTM that the heroine's history could have been very different, as Nintendo approached a third-party to develop...
News Game Over for Nintendo of America's Former Redmond Headquarters
The birthplace of Mario is no more
It's always sad to see something with so much history behind it get demolished in order for it to continue to progress. With the positive vibe that the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. has generated, it's a shame to see Nintendo of America's old Redmond, Washington offices; the birthplace of Mario, get...
News Independent PC RPG Eternal Eden Heading to 3DS
RPG Maker title ahoy!
The DS has taken years to gain its reputation as a heavyweight console for RPG fans, but the 3DS may quicker out of the blocks, with Eternal Eden one of the first announced entries in the genre. A translation of an independent PC game developed using RPG Maker VX, the story revolves around three children who live in a garden...
Thursday16th Sep 2010
News Brand New Kirby's Epic Yarn Trailer
More video of the silky side-scroller in action!
With only about a month left until the North American release of Kirby's Epic Yarn, Nintendo have shifted their marketing machine into high gear and have just sent out a host of brand new assets for the game. You can check out the brand new gameplay trailer below, along with a batch of 8 new...
Wednesday15th Sep 2010
News Familiar Abilities Return in New Golden Sun: Dark Dawn Trailer
Puzzles and battles in action
The anticipation for Golden Sun: Dark Dawn ramps up with each new video and droplet of information, but this latest trailer will be calmly reassuring to gamers who've experienced and loved Camelot's portable series over the past few years. Showcasing the game's Psynergy spells in both battle and dungeon sections, fans...
News Doc Clock and the Toasted Sandwich of Time Our New Favourite Game Title Ever
Chronological WiiWare puzzle adventure on the way
This truly is a golden age of time-travelling WiiWare adventures. Not only is Back to the Future set to grace the service soon, Stickmen Studios has just announced its new title, the gloriously named Doc Clock and the Toasted Sandwich of Time A side-scrolling adventure puzzle game with a promising...
News EA's Budding Line-Up of 3DS Titles Starts With My Garden
No need to water your 3DS, do that in-game
The upcoming 3DS clearly packs a punch in the visuals department in more ways than one, and instead of portraying more human forms of photo-realism, EA has decided to introduce itself to the party with a gardening simulation as its first release on the platform. My Garden (a working title), is exactly what...
Upcoming Start! Heart Walk events announced
Nintendo kicked off the first of five Start! Heart Walks with the American Heart Association on September 11th in Dallas with more events planned in the coming weeks. Events currently scheduled will be held in San Francisco (9/17), Chicago (9/24), Seattle (10/2), and Atlanta (10/30) for anyone looking to...
News North America Gets to Run for Ten Seconds in Five Days
A reason to dash to your DSiWare shop on the 20th
A representative at Rising Star Games has just let us know that their title GO Series: 10 Second Run, the first part of an effort to bring fun Japanese budget titles to Western shores, will be hitting the North American DSiWare shop on September 20th. We thought that this little title, with its...
Competition Prove Your Sin and Punishment 2 Skills in New Official Competition
Prizes and pride at stake
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor is a classic: hugely difficult, but a classic nonetheless. Anyone currently honing their best scores may want to take a look at this new official Nintendo competition for North America – sorry, rest of the world! – to prove they're the best. The challenge asks players to score as...
Tuesday14th Sep 2010
Review PHYSIO FUN Balance Training (WiiWare)
A good step in the right direction
Though most of the focus on the Wii's motion-based controls has been on their impact in gaming, what is more radical about Nintendo's approach with both the Wii and DS has been its success at positioning game systems as more than simply entertainment devices. Wii Fit stands as the biggest success story in this...
Review Racers' Islands: Crazy Racers (WiiWare)
Crazy? More like lazy
It’s relatively easy to guess what a game titled Racers’ Islands: Crazy Racers might be about. If you said "a crazy racing game in which you race across some islands," you’d be correct – assuming that by "crazy" you meant "rubbish." The aim was obviously to capture the hearts of the...
News Resident Evil: Revelations Uses a Version of Capcom's MT Framework
The first title to use portable version of Capcom's game engine
When it was revealed that what we saw in the Resident Evil: Revelations trailer at E3 was rendered in real-time, people had a hard time swallowing that nugget of information. Although Nintendo is tight-lipped about the technical specs of the wonder-machine, Capcom has recently touched...
News Expect More Sonic Games Like Sonic Colours
Series no longer so serious, says producer
Whether you're an old-school Sonic fan or one who's new to the hog's adventures, Sonic Colours looks set to cut fans' feelings right down the middle with its blend of high-speed platforming, multiplayer action and range of power-ups. The game's producer and head of Sonic Team, Takashi Iizuka, has said in an...
News Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock to Expand Wii and DS Connectivity
Now with double the cross-platform players
It seems Vicarious Visions and Activision are trying to add a much-needed key-change to the Guitar Hero melody, and as if a new story mode isn't enough, the creators are expanding the connectivity between Wii and DS players with a selection of play modes and multiplayer functions. The Roadie Battle mode...
News n-Space Interested in Bringing Geist Back from the Dead on 3DS
3DS makes Cube translations easy
n-Space is a busy place to be at the moment, with a duo of handheld Bond titles in GoldenEye and Blood Stone under development as well as Call of Duty Black Ops and TRON: Evolution for Wii and DS. That hasn't stopped the developer from contemplating resurrecting its own IPs though, with GameCube spiritual shooter...
News GoldenEye Online to Keep You Addicted with Killstreaks, Perks and More
GoldenEye feels the hand of CoD
Ah, Activision: we should have known you'd come up with this. Whilst its Call of Duty series continues to devour gaming hours like nobody's business, the publisher has taken some of the series' winning elements and slotted them neatly into upcoming Bond 'em up GoldenEye. Not only will the game feature an online...
Competition Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary Means Euro Club Nintendo Gets Updated
Share your love for Mario and enter Nintendo's video competition
Anniversaries are wonderful and joyous occasions to celebrate with loved ones. What makes them better is if you can win prizes in the process too, and that's exactly what you can look forward to as Nintendo celebrates one of the biggest NES titles continuing to entertain having...
News Jonathan Ross's Ceiling Lights Up with Mario Sprites
Video of presenter's home shows sparkly ceiling
Jonathan Ross loves many things, not least of all Twitter and controversy, but he loves gaming as well. As part of this month's Super Mario Bros. 25th anniversary the presenter has thrown open the doors to his gaming lair, showing not only his lack of progress on Super Mario Galaxy 2 but also his pix
News European DSi XL Palette Gets Three More Splashes of Colour
Yellow, green and blue, to be more specific
With Japan already enjoying its array of bright additions, Australia set to launch its own similar colours and North America receiving its Midnight Blue model, Europeans might be justified in feeling a little left out with the current available DSi XL colours. Not for long, as Nint
News Australia Throws a Wii Party to Get Gamers in the Mood
Check out one of Nintendo's flagship titles of the year
Ahead of its 7th October release, Nintendo of Australia is throwing a Wii Party... er... party at a selection of shopping centres where the public can try out the game that's surely going to be one of the big-sellers this year. Various locations across Australia will be hosting the...
News Lost in Shadow Documentary Sheds Light on the Game's Creation
Our well of shadow puns is running dry
It may have been pushed back until 2011 in North America, but Lost in Shadow is still looking like one of the Wii's brightest upcoming releases. This behind-the-scenes documentary is in keeping with the game's unique graphical style, projecting the game's development team as shadows rather than the usual...
News myDiary Hits Europe on Friday
Nnooo's newest application makes its debut
The folks at Nnooo have just announced that their myDiary application is headed to the European DSiWare service on September 17th for 200 Nintendo Points. You can check out the full press release below for more information and we'll have a full review of the application shortly after its release on Friday...
Monday13th Sep 2010
News Super Mario Collection Special Pack Revealed
Game details, box art, promo video and more
We've been bringing you all the news regarding the enticing yet vague announcement of the Japan-exclusive Super Mario Collection Special Pack, including a posting from an online retailer somewhat obliquely detailing its contents. Now comes the definitive announc
Nintendo Download 13 September 2010 (North America)
Find, conquer, scribble and flip this week
Got 500 WiiWare or DSiWare Points burning a hole in your digital wallet? Perhaps one of this week's Nintendo Download releases will help you put out that fire. WiiWare: Adventure on LOST ISLAND - Hidden Object Game (Ateam Inc., 500 Points) — Another find-fest brought to you by Ateam, the folks behind the...
Sunday12th Sep 2010
Review Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (DS)
Yet another engaging adventure
After the success of the first two Professor Layton releases on the DS, it should come as no surprise to see Nintendo localising the third. Its unique blend of mystery storytelling and brain-teasing puzzles somehow forms one of the most unique and engrossing gaming experiences available for the system and a style...
News Sega Emits a Spectrum of Sonic Colours Information
Little flecks of detail
From manoeuvres that the little blue hedgehog can perform, as showcased in an early gameplay trailer, to hints of new characters, information on Sonic Colours for the Wii and DS has slowly been released from Sega's grasp, although all will not be ment
Review Music On: Acoustic Guitar (DSiWare)
Good guitar or bad lyre?
Music On: Acoustic Guitar is like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree – its beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you know your way around a fret board, you may see it as a fun tool to mess with when you can't lug your giant six-string around with you. Gamers with no prior guitar knowledge, however, will see it as a useless,...
Sticking to the basics
Whilst many will think of 8-bit classics like Blaster Master when they hear the Sunsoft name, one of their biggest brands has been Shanghai, with new editions for every handheld and console over the past decade or so. Preceding Shanghai Wii by two years, the handheld and console titles have little in common beyond the same...
News Suda51 Talks About No More Heroes 3, 3DS Game Ideas and More
Find out what qualities are important to him as a game designer
When you have an unorthodox game designer like Goichi Suda and a wonder machine like the 3DS that's sure to ignite a few sparks in developers' creative minds, we as consumers could very well be in for a treat. The CEO at Grasshopper Manufacture, more commonly known as Suda51, recently...
First Impressions Shinobi Karakuri-den 2
Double the ninjas, double the fun
Retro gaming fans surely enjoyed the first Ninja Karakuri Den (as it's known outside of Japan), playing like a cutsey combination of Ninja Jajamaru Kun and Mappy. This sequel is pretty much the same game with a few tweaks to the formula, as with the other G.G. Series sequels we've seen thus far, continuing the...
Saturday11th Sep 2010
Review Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (Wii)
Four dimensions, one disc
Making a superhero game suddenly became a lot more of a challenge last year, thanks to Rocksteady’s excellent Batman: Arkham Asylum. Activities tangential to what these characters are, like flying through rings and grabbing lost balloons for dumb kids, just doesn’t cut it anymore after roaming the terrifying asylum...
Review Where's Wally? Travel Pack 3 (DSiWare)
Go find something else
Over the last two weeks, Ludia has brought their video game adaptation of the highly successful Where's Wally? book series to DSiWare in Europe, cutting down their game Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey into three episodes. We didn't exactly think too highly of Where's Wally? Travel Pack 1 and Travel Pack 2, and,...
News Pokémon Black & White to Explore New Territory
Iwata Asks about the game setting and Pokémon design
With Pokémon Black & White's upcoming Japanese release of September 18th fast approaching, the Nintendo president has taken part in another Iwata Asks with Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO at The Pokémon Company, as well as Pokémon Black & White director Junichi Masuda and 2D art director Ken...
Features We Want Your NES Stories!
Tell us your 8-bit bits
October 18th marks the 25th birthday of the NES's North American debut, then only to a select number of cities, and we're celebrating by bringing you a veritable coin box of features and treats. And we want to make you, our beloved readership, a part of the celebration. We'll be running a feature that puts the spotlight on...
News Capcom Releases Ace Attorney Investigations 2 Screenshots
These images are worth investigating
We recently reported a leak by Famitsu Magazine of the existence of Ace Attorney Investigtions 2, the sequel to the DS crime adventure Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth which itself is a spinoff of the Phoenix Wright series. Now Capcom has announced the game's existence and released these lovely
News Flash Back with a Zapper in Retro City Rampage
Vblank Entertainment's parodic action game pays homage to the iconic Nintendo light gun
It's not uncommon for characters and items from one franchise to appear in another by the same developer, but when homage is paid to an unrelated series or item, there's an extra sense of joy in recognising the proverbial nod of the head. Vblank Entertainment's...
News Nintendo Shows Who's Boss of the August Sales Chart
It's them, taking ten of the top U.S. spots
The month of July saw Nintendo dominating the U.S. sales charts, shifting more machines than its competition and moving over 192,000 happy homes for copies of Super Mario Galaxy 2. Additionally, nearly 142,000 copies of Lego Harry Potter: Years 1 to 4 were sold, making it the top-selling handheld title. So...
Friday10th Sep 2010
Review Despicable Me: The Game (Wii)
When you wish upon a moon
Ever since George Bailey promised Mary in It's A Wonderful Life that if she said the word, he'd throw a lasso around the moon, people have plotted to steal that thing. Despicable Me: The Game tells the tale of one such dreamer, Gru, as he heists parts to build a combination rocketship/shrink ray. It's up to you to guide...
News Jedward: The New Face Of Nintendo UK
Irish twins bag a £250,000 advertising deal
Nintendo UK has reportedly signed Irish pop duo Jedward to be the face of their upcoming Christmas advertising campaign. The X-Factor twins will apparently be filming a series of adverts and promos next week for Nintendo Wii and DSi which will net them a cool £250,000. A source close to them reports:...
News Mario Collection Special Pack Coming to Japan
It's-a-me, the rest of the world's envy!
Online retailer Play-Asia has just added a title to their catalogue that confirms our earlier speculation: this generation will indeed see its own Super Mario All-Stars in the form of Super Mario Collection Special Pack, which is set to come with a bonus booklet of artwork a
News Billy Mitchell Was Never the Donkey Kong Jr. Record Holder
Score was beaten before he started
Last month, Billy Mitchell beat Hank Chien's Donkey Kong score to reclaim his place at the top of the game's scoring girders. On the same day, he also felt like setting a new high score on Donkey Kong Jr., something we reported on last month. Now it transpires the latter record is not really a record at all,...
Nintendo Download 14th & 15th September 2010 (Japan)
Another triple threat for Japan next week: BIT.TRIP, VCA and DSiWare
WiiWare: BIT.TRIP RUNNER: Rhythm Alien no Geki Sō (500 Points, Arc System Works) — A lot of Japanese Wii owners are going to be happy next week as BIT.TRIP RUNNER finally arrives in Japan. The fact that the price is the same 500 Points as the rest of the series kind of makes up...
Competition And Yet It Moves Competition Winners
Drumroll please...
Last week we ran a cheeky little competition to let 10 lucky North American readers win a copy of And Yet It Moves on WiiWare. This is a game so good we awarded it an impressive 9/10 in our recent review. Everyone likes a freebie, and competition here was fierce. We had 330 entries! However only 10 could win, so we punched the...
News Let's Look at Some New Dead or Alive: Dimensions Screenshots
Show us ya movez, Tecmo
With Nintendo slated to make announcements on September 29 regarding pricing and release dates for the upcoming 3DS handheld, we're hoping more third-party developers start rolling out information on their new wares. Today, we've got some new screenshots of Dead or Alive: Dimensions characters Kasumi, Ayane, Hayate and...
Competition A Monsteca Corral: Monsters vs Robots
10 free downloads of WiiWare's Monsteca Corral up for grabs
Nintendo Life have teamed up with Onteca the development brains behind Monsteca Corral, together we're able to offer free downloads of the game for 10 lucky WiiWare readers, all you have to do is answer the competition below!
News An Astro Bugz Revenge Trailer Crawls Out of the Woodwork
Sudden Games' puzzler looks to be a blast
Back in March earlier this year, we were fortunate enough to play an early build of Astro Bugz Revenge, an adaptation of the iPhone puzzler that Sudden Games is bringing over to the Wii Shop Channel. With the latest trailer available for all to check out, the game should get its North American release date...
Thursday9th Sep 2010
News XGen Studios Readying Machinarium and Super Motherload for WiiWare
Double-whammy on the way
XGen Studios' last WiiWare title, Defend Your Castle, seems like a long time ago now, but it won't be long before it's gracing our Shop Channel again as it's bringing two titles to WiiWare in the coming months. The first is a collaboration with Amanita Design to bring to WiiWare the highly-regarded PC puzzle-adventure...
Review Batman: The Brave and the Bold (DS)
A bold bat platformer
Batman is certainly no stranger to the world of video games, seeing releases on just about every console imaginable over the years, so it's no real surprise to see yet another developer trying their hand at the caped crusader. Developer WayForward has created two brand new Batman titles, this as well as its Wii counterpart,...
Review Fenimore Fillmore "The Westerner" (WiiWare)
A cowpoke past his prime
Fenimore Fillmore lives by the gun, namely Chekhov's Gun – the assertion that if in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. In Fenimore Fillmore "The Westerner", this trope surely rings true, as most of the seemingly insignificant items you encounter...
News Practise Your Balancing with PHYSIO FUN Tomorrow
2,000 Wii Points for helpful software
Kaasa is clearly the place to be when it comes to WiiWare firsts. As well as bringing the service its first pelvic floor exercise game, tomorrow the company launches PHYSIO FUN Balance Training as an alternative to lengthy rehabilitation programmes. Kaasa's tests have included a soft foam surrounding for the...
News Rune Factory 2 Ripe and Ready for Europe in October
Farming RPG hits at last
Some of our readers on the Western side of the Atlantic may be anxiously anticipating Rune Factory 3 and its multiplayer charms, but over in Europe there's just one month to go until Rune Factory 2 does the rounds. With more of the same mix of fighting and farming, not to mention a heavy amount of romance, Rune Factory 2...
News Lufia DS Ready to Conquer Your Free Time in October
October 19th, to be precise
Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals is just one of many impressive-looking RPGs on the way to DS this year, with a richer heritage than many might suspect, having been highly regarded in its Super Nintendo days. DS owners will get their chance to see what the fuss is about when the game hits North America on October 19th,...
News Shaun White Showcases His Skateboarding Skills in the Latest Trailer
Ubisoft's latest instalment swaps snow for concrete
With Tony Hawk: Shred already confirmed to feature the Birdman taking on the snow slopes as well as the concrete parks, now it's snowboarding giant Shaun White's turn to make his own crossover of sorts with his upcoming Ubisoft title, Shaun White Skateboarding for the Wii. Gamers will be treated to...
Friday10th Sep 2010
Nintendo Download 10th September (Europe)
More catching up
There's only one real surprise this week, and it probably won't be a pleasant one for most people, as it comes in the form of a new highest price for a WiiWare game. That particular game's also one of only two truly new titles this week, with every single other one already being released in North America and all but one of those...
Wednesday8th Sep 2010
News PES 2011 Promises a Wii Control Revolution
Dribbling all over the place
Last year's PES 2010 offered the Wii's best kick-about yet, with plenty of options and an improved control scheme. This year's entry, which you won't be surprised to hear is called PES 2011, is promising further enhancements to the dribbling mechanics, with full 360º freedom at the top of the list. As well as the...
News Even a Wii Remote or a DS Stylus Can Be a Sonic Device
Pretend you're The Doctor even when you're not playing his games
Every fan of Doctor Who (or, simply, The Doctor) knows that he'd have a lot more trouble fighting Cybermen and Daleks without his trusty Sonic Screwdriver. It seems that no matter what the problem is, it can be solved by him pointing the device at it and acting like he's concentrating...
News New Ace Attorney Investigations Title Outed by Famitsu
Miles Edgeworth returns!
The Ace Attorney series has a proud and well-regarded heritage on DS – less so on WiiWare – with this year's Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth another excellent entry in the series. Now Japanese über-mag Famitsu has outed a second instalment in the Investigations series and Edgeworth looks set to feature...
News Rytmik Gets Amped in Rytmik: Rock Edition
New edition of pocket music studio on the way
We brought you the announcement of Rytmik: Rock Edition last month, and now we have the first screenshots and audio samples to bestow upon you. As well as the appropriate array of instruments including electric, acoustic and bass guitars as well as new drum and keyboard sounds, parts of the game's...
News Tecmo Finally Masters the Single Entendre with Dead or Alive: Dimensions
3DS fighter gets named
Tecmo's Dead or Alive series has walked a fine line between serious and absurd ever since its first home conversion offered the option to boost the bounce of its female fighters. Plenty of conversation (amongst other things) arose after the game's unveiling at E3 for 3DS, under the then-uninspiring title of Dead or Alive 3D...
News chick chick BOOM Lays New Screenshots and Artwork
WiiWare title awaiting approval
It's been a long time since we heard anything from tons of bits regarding its WiiWare action game chick chick BOOM, but the studio's just been in touch to tell us the game's been submitted to Nintendo for approval, kindly sending over some artwork and screenshots too. Two opposing teams of chicks try to blow each...
Tuesday7th Sep 2010
Review My Exotic Farm (DSiWare)
Cleaning up animal excrement just got a whole lot more exotic
If My Exotic Farm teaches us anything, it's that picking up animal poop isn't any more fun in Africa than it is in America. And yet, it isn't any less fun either. So while it may simply be My Farm with a new lick of paint, My Exotic Farm still may be worth a look for those who missed out...
News Rejected! No Online Play for NBA Jam
Couch multiplayer only
When we interviewed NBA Jam producer Pete Trenouth earlier this year, he wasn't sure if online play would make it into the final release. Regrettably EA Sports' Community Manager Alain Quinto has confirmed via Twitter that the game will not ship with online play. Q: Will NBA Jam have an online multiplayer mode on the Wii? If...
News Nintendo Rolls Out Logo For Mario's 25th Anniversary
Most likely coming soon to a retro enthusiast near you
So Super Mario Bros. released on the NES in 1985. We ran out of fingers and toes trying to figure out how long ago that was, but our theory is 25 years. We feel pretty good about this theory in light of a recent trademark filing by Nintendo of this here image. It doesn't say "25"...
News Metroid Co-Creator: Next Nintendo Console Will "Leave Your Mouth Open"
Try not to drool
All it takes is a cursory glance at the company's history to see that Nintendo is not one to hold back a good ol' curveball when need be. The unconventional Wii and DS took the world by storm, and the forthcoming 3DS looks set to bring the portable wows. But what about the company's next home console? If Metroid co-creator Yoshio...
News Rock Out in this Rock Band 3 DS Trailer
Hear "Walking on the Sun" for the 400th time
How do you shrink a multiplayer music experience to a portable handheld console? Guitar Hero: On Tour offered a guitar grip and successor Band Hero even came with a silicone sleeve to make drums easier to use, but the DS's upcoming Rock Band 3 is taking a less accessory-based approach, being only...
News Last Chance to Like Lost in Shadow and Raise Money for Charity
Your thumbs still worth 10 cents to Child's Play
Hudson's promising Lost in Shadow (A Shadow's Tale in Europe) may have been delayed until 2011 but there's no need to cry about it: it's all for a good cause, in fact. Every "Like" of the game's official Facebook page between August 30th and 4pm PST today will raise 10 cents for Child's...
Monday6th Sep 2010
Review Gunblade NY and LA Machineguns Arcade Hits Pack (Wii)
Blasts from the past
Once upon a time, on-rails shooters ruled the arcades, and arguably no company did the genre better than Sega. Whether blasting criminals in Virtua Cop, gunning down zombies in House of the Dead or taking down dinosaurs, aliens or whatever else strays in front of your barrel, Sega brought a rich collection of shooters to arcade...
Review GO Series: 10 Second Run (DSiWare)
More than ten seconds of fun
With the GO Series, Gamebridge is attempting to give once Japan-exclusive DSiWare a chance elsewhere in the world. Their first pick for release in Europe is 10 Second Run, a very simple little title which greatly resembles something one would expect to find online as Flash game. That's not a bad thing, though. The...
Competition Wii Games: Summer 2010 Winners Announced
Warning: contains Super Adult material
Nintendo's first attempt at a national Wii tournament, Wii Games: Summer 2010, drew to a close in California this weekend to see which US gamers had the best Wii skills. Olympic gold medallist Shawn Johnson kept the finalists warmed-up with some Wii Fit Plus hula hooping before diving into the competitive...
Review Where's Wally? Travel Pack 2 (DSiWare)
Not a stripe has changed
Last week, we saw Ludia’s attempt at bringing the highly popular Where’s Wally series to DSiWare with Where’s Wally? Travel Pack 1 in Europe, a version of the full DS title Where’s Waldo? The Fantastic Journey. While it proved to be fun at times, the game’s downloadable release has forced it to be cut down into...
News Find Adventure on Lost Island: Hidden Object Game Next Monday
Bit of a mouthful
Ateam Inc, the team behind previous WiiWare releases "Aha! I Found It!" Hidden Object Game and "Aha! I Got It!" Escape Game, is bringing another colourful title to the service next week in the form of Adventure on Lost Island: Hidden Object Game. Another four-player find fest, Adventure on Lost Island is set to...
Nintendo Download 6th September (North America)
Westerners on WiiWare; Samurai on VC; Exotic Farms, Mahjong and Acoustic Guitars on DSiWare
Today might be a national holiday in United States but that doesn't mean the Nintendo Download is taking a day off, with five releases including the return of Virtual Console in the form of Samurai Shodown III. WiiWare: Fenimore Fillmore: The Westerner...
Podcast Episode 19 - So Long, Farewell
Full of audio treats you simply will not believe
The Nintendo Life podcast is taking a break for a little while, but this final-for-a-while show is crammed full of quality items. Terrible accents, anonymous listeners pretending to host talk shows about genitals – yes, really – and the culmination of Sean Aaron's interview with Gaijin Games's...
News Metroid: Other M Struggles to Ignite UK Sales Charts
Debut at #12 for bounty hunter
Despite getting off to a flying sales start elsewhere around the world, Metroid: Other M has faltered in its first week on sale in the UK, coming in at number 12. With a high-profile advertising campaign, generally positive reviews – including our 9/10 rating – and the always-reliable Metroid name, it's hard to see...
News myNotebook Tan Release Dates Announced
Newest colour soon to be available
Nnooo has just announced that myNotebook Tan will be coming to Europe/Australia/New Zealand on September 10th and in North America on September 13th. The application will cost 500 Nintendo Points in all regions. For those of you still on the bubble, you can check out our full review of the title to help you decide...
Sunday5th Sep 2010
Review The Chessmaster (Game Boy)
Far less fiddly than magnetic travel chess
As all the cool kids know chess is a centuries-old strategic board game for two players, played on a eight-by-eight grid. You have 16 pieces that move in different ways, and you may have to plan several moves ahead if you are to successfully checkmate your opponent’s king. The Chessmaster offers fans a...
Review Samurai Shodown III (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
A new spin on the popular fighting series
It's no secret that the Samurai Shodown series played a huge role in vaulting SNK up to the big boy fighting game table. And as popular as the original release was, it was the sequel that would set the standard by which all future titles of the franchise would be judged. Samurai Shodown III would mark the...
News Disney Epic Mickey Intro Video - Part 2
Mickey finds his weapon of choice
Well the Disney Epic Mickey train is rolling along at full steam now and the folks over at Disney Interactive have just sent over Part 2 of their Intro series of videos for everyone to check out. You can check out the newest Intro video below and if you somehow missed it, you can go back and check out the first one...
News iFixit Tears the Virtual Boy Down to Prevent Gamers from Tearing Their Hair Out
All you need to know should you attempt to fix one
Why call out a plumber when you can fix the problem yourself? Why buy a sandwich when you can make your own for less? Perhaps more annoying than blocked u-bends and fancy lunches where the bread costs more than the meat is when electrical goods breakdown. Machines are supposed to just work – and...
First Impressions BIT.TRIP FATE
We take the game for a spin in space
The folks at Gaijin Games have already brought us four amazing BIT.TRIP releases that take many of the classic arcade elements from days gone by and somehow make them relevant again with their unique music/rhythm gameplay twists. We've seen classic influences ranging from the original Pong all the way up to David...
News Racers' Islands: Crazy Racers Off the Starting Grid Next Week
Zallag zooming around on September 10th
European publisher Zallag, the same company behind the upcoming Gods vs. Humans, is set to launch its first WiiWare title in Europe next week with the release of Racers' Island: Crazy Racers. With up to eight players on one Wii console, 20 tracks to choose from and the nVidia PhysX engine making each object...
Saturday4th Sep 2010
News First Jam City Rollergirls Art Smashes Through
Concept art ahoy
Jam City Rollergirls, the upcoming arcade take on roller derby, has been creating a stir since we announced it here in August, and with the game making its debut at PAX this weekend we've received some concept art from developers Frozen Codebase to share with you. Frozen Codebase refers to itself as a "punk rock developer"...
News First Fluidity Video and Screenshots Released
Free flowing fluid physics are fun!
Well after a few weeks of mystery, the dam has finally busted on Nintendo's newest WiiWare release Fluidity and the video and screenshots are now beginning to flow. The game is currently on display at PAX 2010 in Seattle, but for those who can't be there, you can check out the first gameplay trailer and...
News BIT.TRIP FATE Revealed at PAX
It's bullet hell BIT.TRIP!
Gaijin Games finally unveiled their newest BIT.TRIP release BIT.TRIP FATE this morning at the PAX 2010 show in Seattle and the bullets were flying. After taking the series into the platforming realm last trip out with BIT.TRIP RUNNER, FATE propels CommanderVideo straight into on-rail bullet hell. You can check out the...
Friday3rd Sep 2010
Fun in little need of fine tuning
Custom Robo won't ring a bell to a lot of Nintendo fans on this side of the world. Though the first title hit Japan in 1999 on the Nintendo 64, it wasn't until 2004's GameCube update, the fourth in the action-RPG series, that the franchise saw a western release. The games revolve around players creating their own...
News Double Up in Sonic Colours Co-Op Multiplayer
Wii version gets team play
When screenshots of Sonic Colours Wii leaked recently showing grey Sonics with antennae, it was hard to know what to make of them. It's considerably easier now though, as Sega has revealed the first information of the game's multiplayer element. Unlocked through collecting hidden special rings in the single-player game,...
Interviews WayForward - Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Developers open up about new Wii and DS titles
WayForward have had their hands in quite a number of licensed releases over the years, but it's their upcoming Batman: The Brave and the Bold titles that have been garnering a lot of attention as of late. With the Wii and DS versions of the game set for release in North America on September 7th and in...
News Kapow! It's the Batman: The Brave and the Bold Release Dates
Holy crimefighting in September, Batman!
The masked defenders of hand-drawn 2D animation, WayForward Technologies, are set for a Wii and DS return this month as Batman: The Brave and the Bold crusades its way to stores around the world. Launching in North America on September 7th and with a European release following on September 24th, the new game...
News Metroid: Other M Tops Wii Sales Charts Worldwide
Released in Europe today
Samus's latest adventure Metroid: Other M finally finished charging this week, blowing a hole in wallets across both North America and Japan. According to sales data compiled by Gamasutra, the bounty hunter struck gold, topping the Wii charts in both territories. Based on sales information collated from Amazon's sites for...
News You'll be Shocked by Japan's Most Wanted 3DS Franchises
Better sit down
We all want 3DS, and we all know the games we want to see on the system, but what do our gaming counterparts in Japan want to play? If you said "Square Enix RPGs", you just scored five points. Japanese site 4gamer surveyed over 20,000 gamers to find out which title – announced or otherwise – they were most excited...
News Original GoldenEye Designer Suspicious of Wii Publisher's Eye for Gold
Though developer Eurocom is in his good books
Whether Activision is all about the money isn't really for us to say, but one thing most will agree on is that it has several franchises in its pockets into which at any given time the company can reach, pulling out a sequel or spin-off. So with the upcoming revival of the GoldenEye name, the publisher's...
Nintendo Download 7th & 8th September 2010 (Japan)
The gang's all here: WiiWare, Virtual Console and DSiWare next week in Japan
WiiWare: Surinuke Anatōsu (800pts - Nintendo) -- Though we've gotten the distinct impression that third parties have abandoned WiiWare in Japan, Nintendo certainly hasn't. Keys Factory is credited as the developer – a bit odd since all they seem to make are Wii and DSi...
News RZA Joins the DJ Hero 2 Clan as a Playable Character
Head of the Wu-Tang to mix things up
With the full tracklisting of DJ Hero 2 now revealed, Activision has gone a step further and announced another playable character and the mash-ups that this producer will bring to the turntable. RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan is the latest in a lineup of contemporary artists to lend their likeness and production skills...
News Movemodo is Officially Open for Business!
PlayStation Move site ready to rock your socks
PlayStation Move is on the horizon, bringing with it a stack of new games and possibilities. Who's going to guide you through the Move minefield and make sure you're the most clued-up Move gamer there is? We are, of course. Movemodo is a new site from the team behind the world-dominating Nintendo Life,...
News Conduit 2 Hits Intergalactic Turbulence, Delayed Until 2011
But Classic Controller support is in
Any discussion of Conduit 2 is always shrouded in an air of muted excitement, hopes tempered by past experience as some gamers felt disappointed by The Conduit. The breaking news today that the sequel has been delayed until early 2011, then, will likely be met with similarly mixed feelings. Not only does it grant...
First Impressions G.G Series Chō Hero Ōga 2
This sequel is MIGHTY difficult
Having collected the first wave of G.G Series titles, Genterprise and Suzak have decided to go back to the well and release their sequels. As with ZONE 2, Chō Hero Ōga 2 takes the fundamentals of the original and extends them whilst maintaining the same level of fun. The transition is not unlike moving from early...
Your chance to snag one of ten copies of the game
Nintendo Life really liked And Yet It Moves with its incredible ripped-paper style – and so should you. That's why together with Broken Rules we can proudly offer free copies of the game to ten lucky North American readers. All you have to do is answer the competition question below and cross your...
Thursday2nd Sep 2010
Perhaps a bit too old-school for some
Shoot 'em ups have evolved quite a bit since their humble beginning in arcades back in the early 80's, taking on a much more maniacal pacing and intensity in recent years. While we've already seen Metal Torrent offer a more modern shooting experience on the DSiWare service, Cosmos X2 takes a slightly different...
Review Music On: Learning Piano (DSiWare)
Ode to Joy or odious toy?
If Music On: Learning Piano was the last source of piano-playing knowledge on Earth, the art wouldn't be lost forever. That said, it doesn't offer instruction in the traditional sense like Art Academy does. The game includes no nutty professor or girl next door to teach you how to read sheet music or enlighten you with...
News Rare Reveals Nintendo Wanted to Cancel GoldenEye
The Bond title nobody wanted but everybody loves
Ahh, GoldenEye 007: so many wasted hours, so many headshots, so many arguments over Oddjob. It all could have been so different had Rare acted on a letter sent by Nintendo that pulled the plug on the shooter. Speaking to British magazine EDGE, Studio Director Mark Betteridge revealed the team's...
News Jam City Rollergirls Press Release Wants You to Sit Up and Take Notice
All the excitement of Roller Derby in a press release!
Our previous post on Jam City Rollergirls caught the attention of roller derby players the world over – over 1,600 Facebook "likes" and counting, viral fans – and now Frozen Codebase has put out the first official press release with more shouting than you can slam a lead jammer into. If...
Rumour Nintendo Japan Celebrating Mario's Birthday with Super Mario Collection
Super Mario All-Stars may be Wii-bound after all
It's a source of constant frustration to Virtual Console fans that Super Mario All-Stars isn't available on the download platform: the inability to enjoy some of Mario's greatest adventures with improved Super NES graphics and sound has annoyed many, but fear not, for an end to the frustration may be...
News Step to the Beat of the Lilt Line Website
First trailer available
Our recent Lilt Line First Impressions placed the game on many readers' radars, but words cannot do justice to the game's soundtrack or devious design. Thankfully Gaijin Games has obliged by launching the official Lilt Line WiiWare site containing the first trailer of the forthcoming release, hopefully filling in some of...
News Mama to Pick Up Two More Hobbies
She can craft and babysit too, and with this baby doll so can you
We've just added some newly released screenshots for Majesco's upcoming showcases of Mama's versatility, Babysitting Mama for Wii and Crafting Mama for DS. Interestingly, the former will hit stores in a special box the likes of which we've never seen before; the game comes in a crib...
News King Dedede Returns in Latest Kirby's Epic Yarn Trailer
It's hammer time
The news that Kirby's Epic Yarn won't reach Europe until 2011 tore our woollen hearts in two, but now this trailer has come along to cheer us back up again with more threadful antics. Showing King Dedede in woolly form for the first time as well as brand new levels featuring everything from dinosaurs to huge crushing balls, it also...
Nintendo Download 3rd September (Europe)
Another retro fighter, and more
Thankfully, the wait for another Virtual Console title wasn't long - Surely you managed to get by with just one week of no new retro games? It's accompanied by the first of Gamebridge's GO Series, and five other games. WiiWare: Fishie Fishie (500pts, DK Games) – The only WiiWare title this week. Fairly similar to...
Friday3rd Sep 2010
News First Episode of Back to the Future Could Appear in Our Timeline by November
Bob Gale lays down some heavy hints
When all that was known about The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was the notorious single piece of artwork, that didn't stop gamers lapping it up. They knew that a much-loved franchise in the hands of a developer with an impressive catalogue of releases can't go wrong. And it's that same kind of expectation which...
Wednesday1st Sep 2010
Review Tales of Elastic Boy: Mission 1 (WiiWare)
Elastic fantastic?
While still creating a line of educational games on WiiWare, Lexis Numerique decided to work on a platforming series alongside it. Sticking with a similar graphical style clearly geared towards younger gamers, does this fare well against other games in the genre currently available? You play as Mooky, just one member of an entire...
News Jett Rocket Developer Flooring It For FAST - Racing League
Shin'en Multimedia shifts gears for its next project
Shin'en Multimedia is on a WiiWare hot streak. After the impressive puzzler Art of Balance and platformer Jett Rocket, the German development studio is in a good position to score a service hat trick. Today the studio revealed its next project, a futuristic racer called FAST - Racing League...
News Strum Along with Music On: Acoustic Guitar Next Week
Abylight hoping it strikes a chord
If you like using your DSi to make beautiful music, you've so far been mostly limited to keyboards and studio software, with few to no alternatives. Abylight's Music On series is about to throw a new six-stringed option into the mix with the launch of Music On: Acoustic Guitar next week. Selling at the same 200...
News Takashi Iizuka Interested in Creating NiGHTS 3
Some fans not so keen
NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams could have been fantastic: a sequel to one of the all-time great Sega games, NiGHTS into Dreams on Sega Saturn, Journey of Dreams sadly missed the mark by changing the original's addictive score attack focus with a wider range of challenges and scenarios. The short development time mandated by Sega...
News MotoHeroz for WiiWare Sounds a Lot Better Than You Might Think
2D action platform racing from RedLynx
Here's a quick question for you: have there been many platform games where you control a monster truck? That slim genre is about to get a monster-sized boost as Finnish developer RedLynx has announced MotoHeroz on the way to WiiWare. Although you may not have heard of RedLynx, Xbox 360 owners may have played...
News Super Scribblenauts' D-Pad Controls are Thanks to You, Hardcore Gamers
Complaining does pay off sometimes
For a game based on imagination, you wouldn't have expected Scribblenauts to have frustrated gamers in such a basic regard, but its touchscreen controls rubbed plenty of gamers up the wrong way, complaining they lacked the precision required to manoeuvre Maxwell around his sketchy world. Developer 5th Cell is...
News Telltale Jolts Us with 1.21 Gigowatts of Back to the Future Character Art
Marty and the Doc looking sketchy
The announcement that Telltale Games is bringing Back to the Future to WiiWare was enough to send us into a wild frenzy of quoting lines. Now the first official character art has hit 88mph and materialised on our desk there's no telling what will happen. The information accompanying the artwork is similarly...
