News Learn to Draw Mario with Nintendo's Official Flipnote Tutorial
It's for a competition you see
Review Faxanadu (Virtual Console / NES)
Zelda II's spiritual successor
Feature Slipped Disk - The History of the Famicom Disk System
We look back at Nintendo's first misstep in the domestic gaming hardware arena
News - November, 2010
Tuesday30th Nov 2010
News Here's the Midna and Wolf Link Statue Photos You Wanted
Looking good
We reported on this Midna and Wolf Link statue the other day, and now anyone wanting to pre-order the pair from Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess can see what their money is getting them, with the release of the first photos. Available in two flavours – "exclusive" and "normal" – the only real difference seems...
Frenzied
We're used to quality from Two Tribes so far, with excellent titles like Toki Tori and Rubik's Puzzle Galaxy: RUSH available on WiiWare getting good scores all around. With its latest game being an iPhone port for DSiWare, can it keep up this streak of entertaining titles? Frenzic is a fairly simple game, but it can get deceptively hard...
News Japanese Retailer Sells Wii & Entire Games Catalogue Dirt Cheap
Although some will be second hand copies
Ever wondered what it would be like to own a console and every single game available for that system? Sankei News has reported that Japanese retailer Enterking will be making that a reality for someone as part of the fukubukuro tradition this New Year's. Fukubukuro is a custom in Japan where retailers offer...
News New Super Mario Bros. Wii Smashes 4 Million Units Block in Japan
Now the country's biggest seller
New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a global sales sensation, having racked up over 16 million sales worldwide since its release just one year ago, with four million of those sales in Japan alone, making it the territory's biggest selling Wii title. New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the first title to pass the four million...
News A New Appointment With the Brain Training Series Has Been Booked
Kawashima and Iwata conducting their "special idea" in a new game
The Brain Training (also known as Brain Age) series is making a return after a long hiatus as Prof. Ryuta Kawashima confirms in his new book, Saraba Nou Game. Translated as "Farewell Brain Games", the book talks about the development of the third title in the popular puzzle...
Monday29th Nov 2010
Review Music On: Electric Guitar (DSiWare)
It's electric!
There are distinct advantages to an electric versus an acoustic guitar, such as being able to play for a larger audience using an amplifier. Unfortunately, a title that emulates the instrument on your DSi won’t offer any of these advantages, with the exception of manipulating the sound with various effects. Unlike a real axe, the...
News Cave Story Finally Burrows to Europe Next Friday
December 10th for WiiWare release
Fed up of waiting for Cave Story to reach Europe? Well, your wait is nearly over: the game is Europe-bound on Friday, December 10th. The game's also set to be a little cheaper than its North American counterpart, launching at 1,000 Nintendo Points rather than the original 1,200 price, and will see a simultaneous...
News Miniature Mario Kart Course Will Bring a Smile to Your Face
The course we've all dreamt of
If you're separated from your beloved Super NES and Super Mario Kart, there may be another way for you to get your fix of its speedy charms by following the example of anime association Motsukora. The Spanish group built a real-life Mario Kart circuit for its remote controlled cars to boost around, displaying it at a...
News We Want Skinless Mr Science to Reach the Western World
DS's oddest game ever
You don't need to have a very vivid imagination to guess what a skinless chap named Mr Science might look like, and you'd probably be right. Japanese TV show Tobidase! Kagaku-kun features the muscular man going on adventures and teaching kids about science, the perfect basis for a DS game, of course. Roughly translated as Fly...
News Gaijin Games Releases BIT.TRIP Teaser
Can you figure it all out?
Alex Neuse and the guys over at Gaijin Games have always enjoyed toying with their fans when it comes to their BIT.TRIP series and it seems this time will be no different. We've already seen the name BIT.TRIP FLUX pop up on various sites as the probable name for the sixth and final entry in the series and when we contacted...
Nintendo Download 29th November 2010 (North America)
Cave Story DSiWare is here
A little delayed but still delicious, it's this week's Nintendo Download for North America and a cracking week it is too. Let's get on with it. DSiWare: Cave Story (Nicalis, 1000pts) – The portable version of WiiWare's top notch Cave Story, this can hopefully live up to the standard of its home console predecessor whilst...
News Nintendo Shifts 1.5 Million Consoles During Black Friday Week
Almost a million DS systems alone
Black Friday proved to be a very prosperous period for Nintendo as the various bundle packs that have been rolled out helped the company shift an impressive number of units in less than a week. Between Sunday 21st November and Saturday 27th November, consumers snapped up 900,000 units of the DS range of handhelds...
News Ghost Mania Coming To Haunt WiiWare Soon
Yet another puzzle game to download
To date, Legendo has been bringing a different genre to the table with every WiiWare title it has released. First there was the 2009 platformer The Three Musketeers: One For All!, and then a year later, there was the episodic debut of World War II shooter Pearl Harbor Trilogy - 1941: Red Sun Rising. Well, things...
Sunday28th Nov 2010
Review Faxanadu (Virtual Console / NES)
Zelda II's spiritual successor
Not many people outside Japan are familiar with the Dragon Slayer series. Created by Nihon Falcom, the great minds behind Ys, the first game enjoyed a good deal of popularity and got many sequels, though unfortunately, almost all of them remained exclusive to Japan. The second Dragon Slayer game, Xanadu, actually...
Review Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (DS)
Worth its weight in gold?
When the Golden Sun series kicked off on the Game Boy Advance in 2001, it was lauded for its unique visual style and challenging puzzle elements, but after two releases the series took an extended break, so long in fact that many fans wondered if the series would ever see another entry. Now, over seven years later, Camelot...
News Pre-Order the Midna & Wolf Link Statue From Next Tuesday
The second model in the Twilight Princess "Master Arts" series
About two months ago, First 4 Figures released the first model from the Twilight Princess "Master Arts" series in the form of a 1/4th scale statue of Zant ― the antagonist from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Now, the officially-licensed maker of video game figures...
Saturday27th Nov 2010
Review Snowpack Park (WiiWare)
An ice game or a total flake-out? You get the drift.
A massive snowstorm has struck Snowpack Park, blocking off roads, causing damage and isolating the poor, poor penguins from each other. Only one person can bring them back: you! Or your Mum! Or Dr. Zoidberg, any Mii stored on your Wii. But, still, you get the idea. Snowpack Park is a game of...
News Cricket Challenge, Rated and Spinning Towards WiiWare Service
A gentleman's game
GameShastra is India's largest games services company (apparently) and has had its upcoming cricket game rated by the Pan European Game Information ratings board, bowling its way to a WiiWare release. Formerly announced as Balle Baaz, Cricket Challenge will be the first cricket game to launch on the download service. The...
News Don't Expect Announcements From Nintendo at CES 2011
What exactly is the purpose of attending, then?
First, there was the exciting news that Nintendo would be attending the Consumer Electronics Show for the first time in 16 years. Then, there was the disappointing mix-up that mistakenly listed Nintendo as an exhibitor with a public display. Now, hopes of announcements ― even behind closed doors ―...
Friday26th Nov 2010
News Mission in Snowdriftland Returns this December
chick chick BOOM's older brother is coming back as well
If you've been paying attention to Nintendo happenings on the internet for the past few years, you might be familiar with a little game called Mission in Snowdriftland, which was only available for about a month at the tail end of 2006. A conjunction between Nintendo and Extra Toxic, it was...
News Super Monkey Ball 3DS Site Rolls Up with New Information
It's all in Japanese, though
If, like us, you're itching to get your hands on some Super Monkey Ball action for 3DS, the game's official website might ramp up that excitement just a little bit. Whilst we already knew the title would include the popular Monkey Race and Monkey Fight modes, the first screenshots show off the monkeys in cars and...
News Asphalt 3D to Set 3DS Hearts Racing in Spring 2011
Screenshots screech in
The Asphalt racing series has had some decent outings on Nintendo handhelds, not least Asphalt 4: Elite Racing on DSiWare, and now Konami is taking over the publishing reins to bring the game to 3DS in Spring 2011. The game's official site has just launched bringing with it a few teaser screenshots showing off some of the...
News Japanese Virtual Console List - December 2010
Hudson and Capcom serve up some more games
Japan maintains a small lead on the rest of the world next month, by both catching up on two titles that were already released in Europe, and releasing three new games which everybody else will also likely see. There's nothing really surprising here this time! The games Japan will be getting next month are:...
News Frenzic Lands Today with a Fresh New Trailer
200 Points for portable puzzler
Two Tribes' latest release, Frenzic, launches on European DSiWare today with a North American release to follow on Monday, and we have the official launch trailer to fill in some of the details in case you're not sure whether to take the 200 Point plunge or not. If the press release and following trailer still don't...
Thursday25th Nov 2010
Review Call of Duty: Black Ops (DS)
Portable ops
Even though they're wheeled out every year alongside their console cousin, n-Space's Call of Duty games on DS never cease to surprise. From making first-person gameplay work well on the unconventional handheld to pushing horsepower limits, each entry seems to have something new to prove. This year, Call of Duty: Black Ops pushes the DS...
Review Supermarket Mania (DSiWare)
A pretty good sale
There's plenty of games available on DSiWare which are nothing more than glorified Flash games, which you could find playable for free online if you searched for just a few minutes. At first, we suspected that Supermarket Mania would join their ranks, but thankfully it offers a little bit more. As a single player-only experience,...
Ruff
Playing fetch is a great way to bond with a canine companion. There's nothing like going to the park on a nice summer day and tossing a ball for your favorite four legged friend. When you first hear of a DSiWare release based on this you might imagine that you'll be guiding a puppy along with the stylus, avoiding obstacles and retrieving balls...
News Rytmik: Rock Edition Just 200 Points in North America
Out on December 6th
Rytmik: Rock Edition is a good buy for European musicians at 800 Points, but its upcoming North American release on Monday December 6th is about to get a lot better value. Cinemax has just got in touch with us to say the portable studio will launch at just 200 Nintendo Points, an absolute steal. Boasting all the features of...
News New Conduit 2 Trailer Heavy on Talk, Light on Action
A little less conversation, a little more action, please
Whilst previous trailers for Conduit 2 have focused on the game's massive amounts of bullets, bangs, booms and bombs, this latest trailer shows off the game's cinematic leanings. New voice actors take up the story after the final events of The Conduit, with Agent Ford drawn deeper into the...
News Japanese Public Get to Play the 3DS at Nintendo World 2011
Might a similar demo event be planned for the West?
With the 3DS only months away from release, Nintendo of Japan has announced its upcoming Nintendo World 2011 event where members of the public can finally get their hands on the handheld system and see the wonder machine in all its glory. The Japanese site has launched and reveals the demo event...
News Gamelion Bringing the Boom Boom to DSiWare
New title on the way next year
WiiWare's Furry Legends may not have quite lived up to all our expectations, but Gamelion clearly thinks the characters and setting is a recipe for success, as it's using elements of its rolling platformer in upcoming DSiWare game Boom Boom Squaries. Currently awaiting approval at Nintendo, with a release expected for...
Wednesday24th Nov 2010
Review Michael Jackson: The Experience (Wii)
It's good to be the King
Ubisoft struck gold last year with Just Dance, a light-hearted game that didn't really care about hardcore talent as much as it did good times and booty shakin'. Its runaway success explains the improved sequel, Broadway number and kid-centric titles we've seen only one year into the franchise, so it was really only a matter...
Review Tetris Party Live (DSiWare)
Online Tetris for people on the go
Let's face it, we've seen hundreds of Tetris releases on various systems over the years, some obviously better than others. Hudson released the original Tetris Party on WiiWare almost two years ago, but with the release of the game on DSiWare, they're now giving gamers a version to take with them on the go. As a...
Review Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar (DS)
Top of the crops
Harvest Moon games have remained largely the same since the series made its debut on the Super Nintendo all those years ago. You get up, tend to crops, care for animals, get married, raise a sprog, and continue forever. However, the latest title to hit North American shores, Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar, strays from the template...
Review Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (DS)
Flail, you fools!
Released in parallel to the Headstrong Games-developed Wii title, it is worth noting that the DS version of Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest is a separate game, not just a handheld port of the Wii version. It shares similarities with the Wii game, predominantly in its hack-'n-slash gameplay, but it distinguishes itself in the...
News Mario Sports Mix Serves, Sets and Spikes Europe in January
Make your own ball jokes inside
Sport and Mario is a classic combination, so we have high hopes for Square Enix's Mario Sports Mix, which just received a confirmed European release date of 28th January 2011. Update: The UK release is set for Friday, February 4th. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini Land Mayhem is also due for release on the same day, making...
Nintendo Download 26th November 2010 (Europe)
Bloody beaches, dying dodos and Faxanadu
As Advent draws near, it's truly the season of giving, with Nintendo joining in the festive spirit by giving Nintendo download fans 50% price cuts on two WiiWare titles finally making their way across from North America. Elsewhere, fans of NES side-scrolling RPGs are well catered for, and DSiWare gets the...
Interviews Two Tribes - Frenzic
Promising puzzler gets it in the Q&A
DSiWare puzzler Frenzic is nearly upon us – released this Friday in Europe and Monday for North America at 200 Points, in fact. Publisher Two Tribes graciously granted us time for an interview to find out more about the process of bringing Frenzic to DSiWare. Nintendo Life: Can you tell us a bit about Frenzic?...
News Nintendo's CES Presence is All Behind Closed Doors
Sorry, general public!
The recent news that Nintendo would return to CES after a 16-year hiatus caused many to jump for joy, but sadly the truth isn't quite so exciting, with the Consumer Electronics Association announcing the company will not have a public booth at the show. It seems Nintendo will be utilising meeting rooms at the Las Vegas...
Tuesday23rd Nov 2010
News Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary is 50Hz Only
Bad news for Europe
If you've been crossing your fingers for Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition in the expectation of it receiving a PAL-optimised conversion, you can unbend them and start using them to type vitriolic comments now – the package will not be 60Hz compatible. Below is the response reader XD375 received when enquiring with...
See the light
Even a cursory look at Hudson's A Shadow's Tale (known as Lost in Shadow in North America) should be enough to convince you it's not just another 2D platformer. Whilst New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Donkey Kong Country Returns hark back to those series' 2D glory days, A Shadow's Tale is more forward-thinking, combining platforming and...
News Meet Snivy, Oshawott and Tepig, Pokemon Fans
Official names for Black and White starters
Regardless of how you feel about Pokémon Black and White's starter Pokémon, at least you now have official names you can call them instead of Smugleaf, Hamferno and The Water One. Yesterday, the names of the monsters who'll accompany you through thick and thin when the game reaches the Western world next...
Review Super Scribblenauts (DS)
Word
We've always had to accept that in video games, there will always be more objects we want to play with than those we're allowed to use. The original Scribblenauts changed all of that, allowing the virtual world to become a malleable, ever-changing playground. You solved simple objectives in search of a Starite, manifesting any object that its...
News Radiant Historia is Waiting for You in February 2011
A time travelling RPG that's not made by Square?!
Atlus has been a staunch supporter of the DS for years, releasing some quality, quirky RPGs in that time, and the company has just announced another title bound for North America next year in the form of Radiant Historia. The press release hits all the key areas, promising to "channel the heart...
News Taito's Trademark Applications Suggest the Return of SNES Titles
Darius Twin, and two Lufia games if you must know
If Taito's latest filings at the United States Patents and Trademarks Office are anything to go by, we might well see a number of its Super NES titles on their way to the Wii Shop Channel. Darius Twin, Lufia & The Fortress of Doom, and Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals have all had trademarks...
News After 16 Years, Nintendo Returns to CES
Might it bring 3DS release info?
The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is the place to be if you're looking to see the bleeding edge of gadgets and gizmos. From what would become Kinect to a plethora of hyper-thin televisions, if you've got it you flaunt it. With the upcoming 3DS handheld, Nintendo's got it, and for the first time in 16...
Monday22nd Nov 2010
Review Need for Speed: Nitro-X (DSiWare)
Fast and (mostly) furious
Need For Speed: Nitro-X has a lot going for it. It's a racing game on a download service that's saturated with puzzlers, for one thing, but it's also part of one of the most long-running and successful racing franchises around. Is it a stripped down version of a retail game? Well yes, but it's a stripped down version of a...
Reward this hound or send it to the pound?
For all of those gamers out there who are looking for a shallow, average dog racing simulator, Derby Dogs is the WiiWare game for you. Stripped down to the bare minimum, this game will allow you to train your dog to be the top racer, but that’s about all that’s offered here. Disguising itself as a pet...
News 3DS Development Could Cost Triple That of DS Software
Will the extra cost be passed onto consumers?
Earlier this year, Satoru Iwata stated 3DS games may cost as much to develop as Wii titles, something that has now been backed up by Japanese studio Marvelous Interactive who's given some frightening figures for studios wanting to get into this potentially explosively lucrative market. The studio...
News Limited Edition Orange and Green DSis Spice Up Black Friday
New colours abound (now with press release)
It's one of the biggest shopping days of the year, so it's no surprise Nintendo has chosen to launch new DSi colours on Black Friday, according to this Gamestop catalogue. The new orange and green machines will go on sale from Friday with Mario Party DS, selling for $149.99 whilst stocks last. Nintendo...
News Price Slashing Helps Sonic Colours Jump to UK Top 20
That's better
Whilst the first week of sales for Sonic Colours on DS and Wii resulted in a disappointing 36th place for the hedgehog's latest outings, his second week on sale has seen significant gains, breaking into the UK Top 20 at number 18. Whilst we like to think our Sonic Colours DS review and Sonic Colours Wii
Nintendo Download 22nd November 2010 (North America)
Demos, penguins, portable Tetris and VC
Getting in there early to beat the cold weather, here's this week's Nintendo Download complete with list of downloadable demos at long last. WiiWare: Snowpack Park (Nintendo, 800pts) – Befriend penguins in this left-field release from Nintendo. A cross between the pet and adventure genres, Snowpack Park sees...
News This Golden Sun: Dark Dawn Trailer is Bursting with Psynergy
Through the fire and flames
There's not too long to wait until Golden Sun: Dark Dawn materialises on North American shores, so now's as good a time as any to take a look at the new Psynergy powers the Adepts will be using on their journey. Most of the spells on show in this new trailer will be familiar to gamers who've played previous titles in the...
Sunday21st Nov 2010
Review Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit (Wii)
Crash and burn
Until last year, the Need For Speed series on Wii was synonymous with crap from day one. And while Need For Speed: Nitro had its issues, it at least showed that EA’s heart was in the right place: instead of trying to shoehorn a game developed for HD platforms onto the Wii’s lesser hardware to the benefit of no one, it went out and...
Features Celebrating Super Famicom's 20th Anniversary
Nintendo's Mode-7 machine turns 20
For those who aren't aware, the Super Famicom console is celebrating its 20th birthday today. On this day in 1990, Nintendo released the much-anticipated follow-up to its immensely popular Famicom system onto the eager Japanese gaming world. The Super Famicom became an instant hit in Japan and a North American...
Review Triple Running Sports (WiiWare)
Run! No, seriously. RUN.
Every once in a great while, an already great series gets a new entry that not only renews the enthusiasm of fans worldwide, it reinvents and reinvigorates a classic formula. It raises the bar not only for its own series, but for gaming in general. It's the sort of event that has even non-gamers talking, nodding in...
News The DK Rap Isn't the Greatest Donkey Kong Song Any More
If it ever was, in fact
Lucky American readers can get their simian fingers on Donkey Kong Country Returns today, but to give your gaming thumbs a rest have a listen to this Donkey Kong song. Put together by Chad Nikolaus and Angie Griffin, the song takes more than a bit of inspiration from Taio Cruz's Dynamite but with a distinctly DK twist. It's a...
News Donkey Kong Stars in the Most Awesome Wedding Video Ever
Bride and groom go head-to-head
Sure, you all thought that Donkey Kong music video we posted the other day was about as cool as moving images could get, but we've unearthed an absolute gem of a video from the mists of time which beats it hands down - heck, it even features a cameo from the great ape himself. The story goes like this: developer Gregg...
Saturday20th Nov 2010
Feature Slipped Disk - The History of the Famicom Disk System
We look back at Nintendo's first misstep in the domestic gaming hardware arena
Given what we now know about add-on hardware for games consoles, the very concept of the Famicom Disk System seems hopelessly flawed. Since this Japan-only system hit the market in 1986 we’ve seen the equally ill-fated Sega Mega CD, Sega 32X and Nintendo 64DD all come...
Review Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)
Retro Studios resurrects a classic
When Rare created the original Donkey Kong Country titles for the Super Nintendo console, the games basically took the system's visuals capabilities to new heights and also offered up one of the best platforming experiences the console had to offer. Now, having spent the past few years resurrecting the Metroid...
Review 21: Blackjack (DSiWare)
Strong suit or bad bet?
The time has come for blackjack to take its place among solitaire and Texas Hold 'Em as a card game that can stand alone on the DSiWare service. The objective, as the name gives away, is to get as close to 21 as possible in card value without going over. We've already seen a couple versions of the game in two slightly...
News Shantae Shimmying to Europe in a Few Weeks' Time
Three to eight, to be precise
European DSi owners' long wait to play Shantae: Risky's Revenge is nearly over: the game will be out in three to eight weeks, according to WayForward. A message posted on the company's Twitter account reveals the game has just been submitted to Nintendo Europe, and barring any hold-ups the game should be available...
Friday19th Nov 2010
News Learn to Draw Mario with Nintendo's Official Flipnote Tutorial
It's for a competition you see
The North American Mario Flipnote competition ended today, but Nintendo UK is now offering it to users of its free animation software Flipnote Studio. As before, entrants must use the provided soundtrack to accompany a short animation including Mario characters, but this time the judges will be none other than Nintendo...
All things wise and wonderful
One lament accompanied 2008’s lacklustre Sonic Unleashed more loudly than others – "why can’t Sega ditch the werehog and make the daytime stages into a complete game?" A few years later and in rushes Sonic Colours with all the usual fanfare and expectation around a new 3D Sonic game, except this time –...
News Black Wii Fit Plus Bundle Steps Up to UK on December 3rd
Another week, another bundle
Nintendo's already released or announced limited edition Wii consoles in red and black, but if you bet on the next package announced being red you just lost your chips. Launching in the UK on December 3rd, this new package includes a black Wii, Wii Fit Plus and an exclusive black Balance Board as well as Wii Sports. The...
Nintendo Download 19th November 2010 (Europe)
One more demo
This week's download arrives with four new titles and one more demo available to download. There's no Virtual Console game, but with one practically confirmed for next week and another confirmed for the week after, there's not too much reason to complain. This week you can get... WiiWare: BIT.TRIP FATE (Aksys Games, 800pts) – The...
News Cave Story Hits DSiWare November 29th
And this time you can take it with you
Nicalis has just announced that the portable rendition of its WiiWare hit Cave Story is set to make its appearance on the North American DSiWare service on November 29th. Gamers can enjoy a little portable Cave Story goodness after they've woofed down their turkey on Thanksgiving. No word yet on a price, but...
News Flowerworks Comes to Europe Next Week at Half Price
Better late than never
It's been a long old wait for European gamers to get their green fingers on Flowerworks as it's been out in North America for nearly a year, but publisher Nocturnal has just let us know the wait is nearly over, with the game sprouting up next week. In even better news, the game will launch in European and Australasian...
Thursday18th Nov 2010
Review Call of Duty: Black Ops (Wii)
Back in black
The Call of Duty series has come a long way from its humble origins as a Medal of Honor competitor, now standing as a world-conquering video game superpower able to clear release calendars with the mere threat of its presence in a month. On HD platforms, that is, with Nintendo's little white box relegated to answering the call in a...
News UK Gamers, Choose Your Donkey Kong Pre-Order Bonus Now
T-shirts, figures, in-store credit and more
North America gets a banana, whilst Australian gamers receive a plush DK, but UK gamers have the luxury of choice when it comes to their free pre-order item. Stick your name down against Donkey Kong Country Returns at
News Dive Into Lego Pirates of the Caribbean Next Year
TT Games raids Davy Jones' Locker
Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Batman: some of the world's biggest film franchises have received the Lego treatment, and now it's time for Disney's popular pirates to walk the bricky plank, as Disney announces Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game out next year. Heading to Wii and DS as well as...
News Shopping Malls to Bring Gamers Together as Part of Nintendo's Tour
Sample some of the top Wii and DS games of the year
With Christmas only a few weeks away, shopping malls are already getting crammed with people wearing a ridiculous amount of layers and all rushing about, reluctantly spending an amount of money that's even more ridiculous. Well, if you want to take a break from all that gift-buying, or even if you...
News WiiWare Developers Take On WarioWare: DIY
Big and little names lined up
If you've hit a plateau with your game-making inspiration in WarioWare: DIY for DS, Nintendo's next series of downloadable minigames might put the spark back into your ideas. A string of WiiWare developers will be bringing their ideas to life in the coming weeks, kicking off on Friday with a game from Max and the Magic...
News North America Gets In On WiiWare Demo Action Next Week
Four games lined up for initial offering
Had your eye on a few WiiWare games but have been hesitant to take the plunge? Want to try before you buy? If you live in Europe then you've probably been enjoying the new demo service for WiiWare. Anywhere else? Not so much. Next week is a different story though, as Nintendo of America has announced that the...
Wednesday17th Nov 2010
News Wii Speak's Time is Officially Over
Update: or is it?
Update: Nintendo UK has contacted Eurogamer to state that, in fact, Wii Speak has not been discontinued. Nintendo's Wii Speak room microphone may not have been the most well-supported of peripherals in its time on the market, and now the machine has an official headset it seems the time to lay Wii Speak to rest is at hand...
News GoldenEye's Success "Proves Core Games Sell on Wii"
Bond does the business
GoldenEye 007 had a strong start to its campaign across the UK, selling twice as many units as Blood Stone, and naturally Nintendo is quick to champion the game as proof that core games can succeed on Wii. Rob Saunders, Nintendo UK's head of communications, spoke to MCV about the game's success, saying: The sales of GoldenEye...
News Watch Rhythm Heaven Played with Lasers and Japanese Swords
Now this is technology
The GameBoy Advance belongs to a simpler time, when buttons were king. That's why it's so great to see a video of GBA title Rhythm Heaven played in a way we're fairly certain the developers never considered. The video below shows a simple circuit involving a laser pointer, a prosthetic finger and, of course, a Japanese sword...
News Take a Stroll Through Miyamoto's DSiWare Audio Guide
Free app for Japan
Based on his previous games, Shigeru Miyamoto's first DSiWare application could have been a handy guide for finding a local plumber, gardener or dog-walker, but instead it's a handy tool for creating and listening audio guides for museums, journeys and almost anything else. A free download available in Japan today, Make It...
News Ant and Dec's Jungle Romp Kick Starts Donkey Kong Campaign
In multiplayer they're both Diddy
Diminutive Geordie rascals Ant and Dec have been a staple of Nintendo's advertising campaigns for a while now, so it's no surprise to see them turn up again to promote Donkey Kong Country Returns with a series of web videos. With the latest series of jungle-based endurance test (for all concerned) I'm A Celebrity,...
Tuesday16th Nov 2010
All things bright and beautiful
The portable part of a hedgehog double whammy, Sonic Colours is – you guessed it – a high-speed 2D platformer. But wait, there’s more: this time Sonic is joined by a range of unique power-ups that help to refresh the standard formula. If you’ve played either of the hedgehog’s previous two outings on DS, the...
News If You Want Virtual Boy Games on 3DS, Speak Up
You never know, it might work
With the news that 3DS will offer downloads of GameBoy and GameBoy Color titles came the inevitable question: "would Nintendo also offer Virtual Boy games to download?" First, you have to convince Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's president. Speaking to Kotaku, Fils-Aime said As a consumer, I have...
News This Jedward Dragon Quest Promotion is Getting Too Much
Bonkers video inside
Part of Jedward's joint role as face of Nintendo UK is, naturally, to draw attention to the company's fantastic line-up of games from users who might not normally be into gaming. This video below is a perfect example. At a recent canvassing event for Dragon Quest IX, the talented twins took to the stage dressed as their Dragon...
News Lots of Monkey Business in New Donkey Kong Country Returns Trailer
Ape escapade
It's not long until Donkey Kong Country Returns bashes its way into the paths of Wii owners, riding their hearts like a minecart through a cave filled with nostalgic memories. This new trailer should help to stir up recollections of those 16-bit glory days, filled as it is with 2D platforming capers, catchy music and the series'...
News DSi Shop Getting Stormed by Dairojo! Samurai Defenders
New tower defence game on the way
Following its recent medley of musical releases, Abylight is getting ready to publish its upcoming tower defence game that's developed for the DSiWare service by Japanese studio Kawamoto Industrial, and we have the official trailer that shows the kind of multi-tasking gamers will have to perform when it launches...
Monday15th Nov 2010
Third-person Bond is first-rate fun
Whereas Nintendo console gamers only get one James Bond shooter this fall, with the first-person GoldenEye 007 on Wii and third-person Blood Stone on HD platforms, DS owners get their pick of the litter with diminutive versions of both courtesy of developer n-Space. Just as GoldenEye on DS did, Blood Stone 007...
Review Spin Master (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Not masterful, but still pretty good
With probably about half of the Neo Geo's library of games consisting of fighting games, it's always nice to see another platformer for the system released on VC. In Spin Master, you take control of either Johnny or Tom as you try to recover five pieces of a lost treasure map and rescue Johnny's girlfriend. It's...
Podcast NLFM Episode 10: Fear Your Tears
From Kirby to 80's synthpop chip covers, this month's episode is all encompassing
Variety is the spice of life, and thanks to the insane variety of this 10th episode of our chip and game music podcast NLFM you'll be feeling that spice for hours after consumption. It's so spicy that we think we've got flavor for every mood, whether you're in the...
News Sonic Colours Barely Breaks into UK Top 40
Disappointing figures for 'hog's latest
Sonic Colours for DS and Wii have been garnering positive reviews all over the globe – don't worry, we're working on our reviews too – and launched in the UK on Friday with a somewhat unconventional marketing approach. Whilst there once was a time a Sonic game on Nintendo platforms would be eaten up by the...
Nintendo Download 15th November 2010 (North America)
Need for Speed Nitro-X, puppies and cards
EA's high-octane racer Need for Speed: Nitro-X should have seen the light of day back in September according to an early release schedule, but delay caused it to burn rubber in November instead. It's easily the highlight of this week's release, which seem to show WiiWare and DSiWare have gone to the dogs...
Competition Winners chick chick BOOM (PAL)
Were you one of the lucky ones?
We recently ran a competition for 10 lucky winners to receive a free copy of WiiWare strategy title chick chick BOOM, with the top prize being a piece of personalised artwork drawn by the development team. We've just performed the draw so let's reveal the lucky winners! The following Twitter users below received a...
Sunday14th Nov 2010
News Reggie Wonders Where Metroid: Other M Sales Went Wrong
Why did Samus underperform?
Metroid: Other M divided gamers: many loved its combination of action, exploration and conversation, whilst others hated the new portrayal of traditionally less vocal heroine Samus Aran, amongst other things. All this equated to disappointing sales for Nintendo, the title sitting at around the half-million mark in the US...
Review Mix Superstar (WiiWare)
SCRATCH-ficky-ficky....Wii-mix!
Lately the DSiWare service has received several musical creation tools: Music On series has provided us with a means to play musical instruments on the go, and the excellent Rytmik titles have shown exactly how awesome creating tunes on your DSi can be. Well, now it's WiiWare's turn in the form of Mix Superstar. If...
Review Adventure In Vegas: Slot Machine (DSiWare)
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!
There's a reason slot machines are successful: they tease the player with the chance of winning it big. The idea that you can walk in to a casino with only a few pennies to your name and walk out a rich man has enticed people for decades, and the game remains a staple at nearly every casino in existence. Once...
Competition Winners Rabbids Sleep Over (UK)
Chickens, eggs, arcades and cake
To celebrate the release of upcoming Raving Rabbids In Time for Wii Ubisoft and Nintendo Life were proud to present a very special competition, with three sets of tickets available, each set lets one winner plus two friends and a parent to attend a special Rabbids sleep over in the Science Museum. Contestants had to...
Saturday13th Nov 2010
News Multiplayer in Angry Birds Will Resemble "Old School Worms"
So don't lose your temper, the game is still migrating to WiiWare
An ESRB rating back in August revealed that Chillingo was in the process of bringing Angry Birds from the iOS App Store to the Wii Shop Channel, and speaking at the Virtual Goods Summit in London, Rovio CEO Peter Vesterbacka has reaffirmed that the WiiWare instalment is being worked...
News Nintendo Expecting Consumers to Buy Ho-Ho-Hardware This Christmas
NPD sales figures show Nintendo's dominance in the U.S.
It's approaching the season of giving but, for the most part, that giving requires some buying at some point and the President at Nintendo of America is confident that consumers will be buying a lot of Nintendo hardware this Christmas as the Holiday season is more important to the company than...
Friday12th Nov 2010
News Limited Edition Mario Kart Wii Bundle Under Starter's Orders
Wii, Remote Plus and the game
Want a Wii this Christmas but not interested in the red machine with New Super Mario Bros. Wii? This dark beauty might be of interest to you, then. Nintendo Europe has just announced a limited edition black Wii bundle featuring racer Mario Kart Wii, a black Wii Wheel, Wii Sports and Donkey Kong pre-installed on the...
News Mario Sports Mix Gets a Little Square Enix Boost
Famous faces face-off
Square Enix's next Mario sports title, Mario Sports Mix, isn't just about characters from the Mushroom Kingdom: the company has just confirmed it'll be bringing some of its own most popular characters to the title as well. Joining Mario and chums will be characters from the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series, with a Moogle,...
News Miyamoto Hints at Wii Music Sequel to Change Things Up
Could Mario pop up as a session player?
It's been almost two years since Nintendo launched its creative take on the rhythm/music genre with Wii Music and Shigeru Miyamoto has hinted that a sequel could be in the works, or at least some point in the future. Talking to Techland, Miyamoto spoke about the use of Mii characters in connecting players in...
News Two Tribes has a Frenzic Release Planned for This Month
Another puzzler under its belt
Two Tribes has carved out a nice position for itself in the download market with its selection of puzzle games on the WiiWare service. Having already brought Toki Tori and Rubik's Puzzle Galaxy: RUSH to release, the developer is getting ready to launch its upcoming port of The Iconfactory's puzzle game Frenzic from the...
News Fluidity Flows to North America on December 6th
Wet your appetite
Whilst Europeans can experience Hydroventure on Christmas Eve, WiiWare fans in North America get a small headstart, as the game will be released on December 6th under the name Fluidity. Priced at 1200 Points, the game is a physics-based platformer based on the three states of water: steam, liquid and ice. Players have to master...
Thursday11th Nov 2010
Does it pass Go or should it go directly to jail?
Ah, Monopoly, the classic board game we all know and love, where you attempt to become the dominant force across the market and can become a rich tycoon living the high life in Mayfair or end up in the dumps of Old Kent Road. Starting back in 1903, it has since become one of the most successful board...
Review Rytmik: Rock Edition (DSiWare)
Rock solid
The original Rytmik completely surpassed our expectations of what a portable music studio could do within the constraints of DSiWare. Now the follow-up Rytmik: Rock Edition is here with a very different sound and new features, but crucially more of the same surprising control and musical freedom. If you haven’t dabbled with Rytmik yet,...
Review Oops! Prank Party (Wii)
Is the joke on us?
We should all cherish the moments we have with our families. Life is short, and it can get so hectic that we can neglect spending time with the ones we love in favour of work or sleep. Not to mention that some of the greatest Nintendo games are only single player! Thank goodness for the party game craze, right? Problem solved...
News Sega Creates an Animal Crossing to Promote Sonic Colours
Wordplay!
Okay, so Sega isn't really creating an instalment in Nintendo's happiest franchise Animal Crossing, but the blue and white company did create a safe hedgehog crossing point in London to promote this Friday's release of Sonic Colours for Wii and DS. With 50,000 hedgehogs a year lacking the speed to cross British roads safely, Sega dedicated...
News Dropping Tetrominoes Might Help with Post Traumatic Stress
Stacking blocks good for you
Anyone who's played Tetris – i.e. everyone ever – can attest to its soothing qualities as they stack block after block aiming to create those lovely lines. Now a new study suggests that playing the game isn't just good for fun, it may help to reduce the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Scientific journal...
News Madden NFL Football at 3DS Launch is Part of EA's Gameplan
Gridiron action coming in first half of 2011
E3 2010 gave us a laundry list of third-party titles that are in development for the Nintendo 3DS and since then, we've been steadily learning more about them. We've not seen much of sports games yet but EA is changing all that. The publisher has announced that its upcoming Madden NFL Football game will...
Nintendo Download 12th November 2010 (Europe)
A little bit more for every service, plus a new demo
With five new games and a demo on offer this week, you'd think that it would be pretty good overall. Unfortunately, only the Virtual Console game and the demo make up most of this week's goodness - The other four are all games North America already got, and none of them were very good. WiiWare:...
Wednesday10th Nov 2010
Use the handheld, that's what it's for!
Developer n-Space is no stranger to first-person shooters on Nintendo's technologically humble portable, having delivered three increasingly advanced Call of Duty DS games day-and-date with their console counterparts. That successful core formula hasn't changed all too much for their retelling of James Bond's...
Review Disney Guilty Party (Wii)
Crime and funishment
The ideal Wii experience, as advertised, is that of friends and family members gathering around their sets and swinging their Remotes, no matter how old or young, and doing so together. It's unfortunate then that some developers seem content to target the desirable non-traditional players not as a legitimate, equally deserving...
News Hydroventure Guarantees a Wet Christmas for Europe
Lands on Christmas Eve
Fluidity, known as Hydroventure in Europe, is set to make a splash on the European WiiWare servers on December 24th, priced at 1200 Points, with a free demo dropping in on the same day. Developed and published by Nintendo, Hydroventure is one of the most anticipated WiiWare releases of the next few months. Essentially the game...
News Dive into Conduit 2's Special Edition Only at Gamestop
Art, skins and extra in-game goodies
If you're excited about Conduit 2 this Gamestop-exclusive special edition package might just ramp up your giddy-o-meter just a notch or two. Available online or in-store at $49.99, the bundle includes a 44-page art book, an enhancement for the All Seeing Eye and an exclusive multiplayer skin, which isn't a bad...
News Chrono Twins DX Joins the Demo Ranks on Friday
One more for the pile
The return of WiiWare demos to Europe is truly a reason to be cheerful, but even more so when it receives new trials like this Friday. Accompanying the update this week is a playable demo of Chronos Twins DX from EnjoyUp. We gave the game a thorough shake and came up with our Chronos Twins DX review, but if you've missed the...
News Europe's FATE is Dated for November 19th
That's a week on Friday, folks
The latest entry in the BIT.TRIP series, BIT.TRIP FATE, is blasting its way to WiiWare next Friday, November 19th. The first out-and-out shooter in the series, FATE still revels in the customary retro aesthetics for which Gaijin Games is now famous. You can read our BIT.TRIP FATE review to get geared up for this one.
Tuesday9th Nov 2010
News If Donkey Kong Country Returns is Too Hard, Use Super Guide
Like the Force, only more monkey-like
Remember the controversial Super Guide from New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario Galaxy 2? If not, it's one of Nintendo's newest software features to keep gamers interested by allowing them to proceed past difficult parts of stages if they lose too many lives there. Whether you liked it or not it's here to...
Rumour House of the Dead: Overkill Sequel on the Way
Zombies beware, a follow-up to the 2009 Wii title may be in the works
Sources close to SEGA have revealed to Nintendo Life that a follow-up to SEGA's House of the Dead: Overkill is well under way and should be released sometime early or mid-2011. Details on the game are still undisclosed, but what we've been told is that a title codenamed "House of...
News La-Mulana Fails Nintendo Approval Process
Unlikely to make it this year
When we heard that La-Mulana was finished, submitted and out this year we did a little jump for joy at the prospect of playing the underground adventure before 2011 rolls around. Now that seems unlikely, as the game has failed Nintendo's submission process. LA-MULANA was said “No good” by Nintendo, then it has...
Competition chick chick BOOM (All PAL Regions)
Win one of 10 copies and personalised artwork!
chick chick BOOM is a tactical action game for WiiWare from developer tons of bits. With a unique sense of humour, great artwork and plenty of action, it gained an impressive 8/10 in our review last week, and now we've teamed up with tons of bits to bring you a very special competition. We're offering...
News Get Strategic on DSiWare with Glory Days - Tactical Defense
From the team behind Pop Island
Pop Island and follow-up Pop Island: Paperfield are among the best-looking titles on DSiWare, and now developer odenis studio is putting that graphical grunt to a different use in the form of Glory Days - Tactical Defense. A military-styled take on tower defence, Glory Days sees you building bases, rocket launchers...
Competition Winners Call of Duty: Black Ops (UK)
And the three lucky winners are...
To celebrate the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops for Wii Nintendo Life together with our friends at Argos were proud to offer a copy of the game to three lucky readers. As with most Nintendo Life competitions all you had to do was answer the cryptic question: During which war does Black Ops take place? Of course...
News Get Your First Look at Black Ops Campaign Mode on Wii
Updated: Campaign and multiplayer footage
There's been close to radio silence on Call of Duty: Black Ops for Wii, but now the game is available in the wild the first direct feed footage of the campaign mode has arrived courtesy of Official Nintendo Magazine. The 18-rated footage focuses on a three-man team attempting to take down Fidel Castro in a...
Monday8th Nov 2010
Genetics has never been so dull
Have you ever dreamed about being a mad scientist? Well, how about being a disappointed gamer? The recent release of Gene Labs on WiiWare will finally give you the chance to feel a little bit of both. Just like its DSiWare counterpart which was also released this week, this self-proclaimed “arcade puzzle game”...
Not quite gene-ius
Every now and again a really great game comes down the pipe that is fun, engaging and exciting to play. Sometimes, as was the case with Ivy the Kiwi?, it even gets released on multiple platforms to accommodate those players who might not have one or the other. Unfortunately, sometimes the games that get released feel like...
News First Retail DS Karaoke Game Instructs Players to Just SING!
December could become noisier
Engine Software is clearly not happy with just providing karaoke games on the DSiWare service; no, it wants to provide the first retail karaoke game on the DS too. After last year's Just Sing! Christmas Songs, and the relatively-recent Just Sing! National Anthems, the Just SING! series is making its cartridge form debut...
News Miyamoto and Reggie Honour Mario's 25th with Amazing Cake
So emotional even the cake was in tiers
Nintendo's flagship New York store recently re-opened with a brand new Mario-themed design in honour of Super Mario Bros.'s 25th anniversary, and to celebrate it hosted a huge party with two very special guests. Reggie Fils-Aime and Shigeru Miyamoto made appearances at the event to meet fans, cut the cake and...
Competition Winners Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary
Is it a-you?
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Super Mario Bros. and the North American debut of the NES, we ran a competition to give away a free 500-point NES title for Virtual Console to each of twenty-five winners, the selection of the game being their choice. Almost a thousand users entered, so we'd like to congratulate the 25...
News Iwata: More Developers Interested in 3DS Than Were Into DS
Strong third-party support boasted again
3DS already has the support of major third-party publishers including Ubisoft, EA, Sega, Capcom and plenty more, but Satoru Iwata has spelled out the level of commitment from overseas companies, saying the console has more support than the DS did before launch. To say the least, our overseas publishers are...
News GoldenEye's Return Sells Twice As Well As HD Bond Outings
Still only debuts at number 13
It's not very often a Nintendo-exclusive title outsells a similar game on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but the GoldenEye name clearly still carries appeal for UK gamers as the game comprehensively outsold HD 007 outing James Bond 007: Blood Stone. Although the Wii and DS game landed outside the UK Top Ten at number 13,...
News Six Capcom Arcade Classics Launching on VC this Winter
Keeping the download service strong
As revealed at Comic-Con, New York this year, Capcom is planning on bringing some previously Japan-only Virtual Console titles to the West and, if all goes well, we will be tucking into some retro classics this Winter. Currently, there are six titles scheduled for release in North America and Europe, and from the...
Nintendo Download 8th November 2010 (North America)
No demos here
Whilst Europe welcomed the return of WiiWare demos last week, there's no such luck for North American gamers, who are demo-less for at least one more week. There's still a decent mix however with five games in total, if you could call Discolight a game. WiiWare: Gods vs. Humans (Zallag, 1200pts) – This deity-based strategy game...
Sunday7th Nov 2010
Online modes headline the evening's event
Activision might be an easy target for gamers who feel certain franchises have been milked beyond recognition (Tony Hawk: SHRED, we're looking at you) and with DJ Hero's first annual sequel out now, you'd be forgiven in wondering if this will be another franchise we'll get sick of seeing. Thankfully, the...
Review Sleep Clock: Record and Analyse Your Sleep Patterns (DSiWare)
Barely awake
We've seen quite a few DSiWare applications from Nintendo, from stinkers such as Photo Clock to highly praised ones like Flipnote Studio. Now we have Sleep Clock, which works as both an alarm clock as well as a tool for recording your sleep patterns for analysis. Considering that the DSi already has a built-in alarm clock, is this...
News Gothic Action Heads to WiiWare in Ark of Sinners
Like Castlevania, only Spanish
Here's a WiiWare game you can sink your teeth into: Ark of Sinners is a Castlevania-style 2D romp, mixing classic gameplay with modern graphics. Played with the Wii Remote held NES-style, with 1 button to attack and 2 to jump, there'll be multiple moves, combos and even special air combos too. The first part of a...
Friday5th Nov 2010
The N64 is not enough
Ah, GoldenEye 007. A remarkable game on the ol’ Nintendo 64, no doubt about it. Countless hours of planting proximity mines in Basement and Facility for your friends to run into, scream and punch you on the arm is enough to earn a hall of fame spot in any player’s heart. So when Activision and Eurocom — who first became...
News You Can Gaze At This Super Mario 25th Anniversary Box Now
But you can't buy it just yet
Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Collection is on the way to the West, and here's the box art for the collection when it lands on North American shelves on December 12th. Containing Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2 and
Thursday4th Nov 2010
Review chick chick BOOM (WiiWare)
Bursting with goodness
Most people may not know it, but this little game has a bit of history behind it. Around Christmas of 2006, Nintendo of Europe launched a website with a Christmas-themed platform game that could only be played for a limited amount of time. It was quite well liked, so a few months later, developer tons of bits created another...
News Digital Leisure's Mix Superstar Decks WiiWare on Monday
Get musical for 500 Points
Whilst DSiWare enjoys a fine array of musical downloads, including Rytmik, Rhythm Core Alpha and Abylight's Music On series, but WiiWare is completely devoid of tuneful tools. Not for long however, as Digital Leisure is bringing Mix Superstar to the wheels of steel on Monday. Unlike those DS games, however, Mix Superstar...
Review GO Series: Let's Swing! (DSiWare)
Not exactly the king of the swingers
The GO Series will be a familiar sight to DSiWare gamers. First seeing release in the West back in September, the quirky series has been a hit among gamers with its emphasis on gameplay over graphics. So from 10 Second Run, Defence Wars and Pinball Attack, we now have Let's Swing, a take on the gymnastic sport...
Review Peg Solitaire (DSiWare)
Does it hit the peg on the head?
Many Americans will probably recognise Peg Solitaire as a variation on what's more commonly as “that weird little game they have at all the tables at Cracker Barrel," but in Europe, Peg Solitaire is just, well, Solitaire (while that one-player card game we're familiar with is known as Patience). So if you feel...
News Games Basement Nabs Exclusive PDP Wii Headsets in UK
Limited stock of Headbangers nationwide
We've received numerous emails from worried Brits about the availability of PDP's upcoming Headbanger USB headset for Wii. Already available in North America, there's good news for gamers in the British Isles wanting to pick one up soon. The headset itself will only reach UK shores in very limited quantities,...
News WiiWare Gets Second Round of Heavy Fire with Black Arms
Shooter follow-up inbound
We may not have been completely blown away by wartime shooter Heavy Fire: Special Operations, but it obviously did the business for Teyon as the Polish publisher has announced it's bringing sequel Heavy Fire: Black Arms to WiiWare in the near future. There's no doubt the game looks graphically impressive, as evident in the...
News Supermarket Mania Heading to the DSiWare Checkouts Soon
500 Points for shopping fun
If you've always dreamed of running your own grocery shop – hey, it could happen – then you might be in luck soon. G5 Entertainment has just confirmed its multi-million selling iPod Touch title Supermarket Mania is on the way to DSiWare in Europe on Friday, November 19th for 500 Points. Players begin with a small...
Wednesday3rd Nov 2010
Review Paul's Shooting Adventure (DSiWare)
Nobody puts baby in a corner!
No two superhero babies develop just alike. Superman, for instance, was mostly helpless as an infant and couldn't even fly until he was sixteen years old. Franklin Richards, the son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, could warp the very fabric of reality as a toddler. The Powerpuff Girls sprang into existence...
News Frontier Preparing to Blow You Away With More LostWinds
Good news, everyone
LostWinds and its sequel, LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias, have been two of WiiWare's most notable hits, so it's good to hear that David Braben's Frontier team is preparing to release more titles in the series Braben confirmed to Eurogamer that the series was "far from done and dusted", saying: There are still many...
News White Bear Studios Starts the 3DS Sudoku Ball Rolling
Play the numbers game
We all know the 3DS's top screen is magical, but this trailer for new portable title Sudoku Ball 3DS might be stretching things just slightly. It's not currently known whether WhiteBear Studios' foray into 3D number manipulation will be a cartridge release or available via download, but our money would be on it being one of...
News Cosmonaut's Inkub Nearly Ready to Brush with WiiWare
Strategy-action game on the way
Cosmonaut Games is most well known for its deeply relaxing Dive: The Medes Islands Secret, but its next WiiWare project has nearly finished incubating and will be hatching soon. Called Inkub, it's an action-strategy game with a great premise: In a strange and distant world you will have to lead a bionic vegetative...
Tuesday2nd Nov 2010
Review Family Party: Fitness Fun (Wii)
Witness fun, but not much fitness
Hang around any Nintendo-themed internet forum, and you're bound to find similar posts over and over, all declaring the same thing: The Wii needs more party games! Alright, obviously that's not the case. The poor little Wii has more party games than it knows what to do with, making it difficult for new entries in...
News Former Pussycat Doll Brings Glamour to GoldenEye Soundtrack
Pussy(cat) Galore
Aside Famke Janssen's deadly Xenia Onatopp and the N64 game, the next best thing about GoldenEye was Tina Turner's brassy theme tune, a classic slice of slinky yet bombastic Bond music that's as good as any theme in the series. Now it's getting a modern touch-up thanks to former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger. Activision's latest...
News WiiWare Demos Launch This Week with Four New Downloads
Exclusive to Europe for now
Last night we brought you the exclusive news that Nintendo is bringing back WiiWare demos, and now we can reveal that they will return to Europe this Friday. The previous demo offering was only a trial, but now Nintendo has pledged that this new service will provide "ongoing" demos, hopefully extending the...
News Nintendo Bringing 2D and 3D Mario Games to 3DS
Talk about spoilt for choice
Hold onto your red caps Mario fans: the plumber's set to star in 2D and 3D games on the 3DS. Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that the ever-popular frontman will receive both old-school 2D outings and more complex 3D adventures to ensure broad appeal for all gamers. When Super Mario became Mario 64, the range of players...
News America, These Are Your New Club Nintendo Rewards
Two bags and a screensaver
As if Mario pinbadges weren't good enough rewards, North America's Club Nintendo has just been updated with three new treats you can purchase with your coins. You can purchase a tote bag for 250 coins, a messenger bag for 550 coins or a Super Mario Galaxy 2 screensaver for just 10 coins. Those of you waiting for your Super...
News Super Meat Boy May Skip WiiWare and Head to Retail
Would you buy it on disc for $20?
The ongoing struggles of Super Meat Boy's WiiWare existence are well-documented, but here's a quick recap. Originally available on PC, the game was slated to be a WiiWare-exclusive on consoles before announced as heading to Xbox Live Arcade, where it landed several weeks ago. Just the other day Team Meat announced...
Nintendo Download 5th November 2010 (Europe)
Bonfire Night goes with a bang
As well as the revelation that four WiiWare demos will launch across Europe this week, we also have brand new games for DSiWare and WiiWare as well. WiiWare: ThruSpace (Nintendo, 800pts) – A Nintendo-published puzzle game, this is the first ever WiiWare game to launch with a free playable demo. It's been out in...
News Okamiden Gives Europe Reason to be Cheerful in March
US on March 15th, EU on March 18th
Capcom's wolf goddess 'em up Okamiden has just received a confirmed European release date of March 18th 2011, as well as final – and very oriental – box art. Capcom has also announced a new competition on the official Okami Facebook page, inviting entrants to draw their own "goblin face" to win a 3DS,...
Monday1st Nov 2010
News We Love this Michael Jackson Wii Glove, It's So Bad
Shamone!
Step aside, Power Glove: there's a new ultimate glove-based peripheral in town. When Michael Jackson: The Experience ships later this month, dedicated King of Pop fans can pick up the special edition containing the game and a single white sparkly glove. That's right: you can finally live out your ultimate Michael Jackson fantasies in your...
News DS to Have Life After 3DS, says Nintendo
Company will still bring big games to DS
If you're not caught up in the whirlwind of excitement surrounding the 3DS and want to stick with your trusty DS, you'll be glad to hear that Nintendo still wants to bring major titles to the machine even after the 3DS is available. Satoru Iwata stressed the importance of quality software for the machine's...
Exclusive Nintendo Bringing Back WiiWare Demos
Updated: Nintendo confirms return
Last November Nintendo ran a brief trial of WiiWare demos, offering free trials to Wii Shop Channel users, but the service ended at the end of January. Now Nintendo Life can exclusively reveal that demos will be returning to the Wii Shop Channel in the near future. We've spoken to several WiiWare developers who have...
News Disney Epic Mickey Music "Will Make You Cry" says Warren Spector
But it'll make you smile too
It's not long until you can see if Disney Epic Mickey lives up to the promise of its title, and this latest behind-the-scenes video might sway you one way or the other as it discusses the game's musical score. Composed by Jim Dooley, the man behind countless scores including The Simpsons Movie and Madagascar, has created...
News Super Meat Boy Will Miss November Launch Window
Game proving tricky to tenderise below 40MB
Team Meat's bloody platformer Super Meat Boy has well and truly caught gamers' attention, stacking up rave reviews and selling well on its Xbox Live Arcade debut. Sadly the studio has just announced the game won't launch on WiiWare in November as originally proposed: attention internets, the wii version...
Nintendo Download 1st November 2010 (North America)
Robot boxes, genetic manipulation, super-powered babies and men dunking balls
If your trick-or-treat bag didn't have a Nintendo Points Card by the end of the night, well, you might want to look into buying a couple packages of toilet paper and retracing your steps. Just sayin'. WiiWare: Robox (DreamBox Games, 1000 Points) — A gorgeous...
News La-Mulana Finished, Submitted and "Out This Year"
Bish bash bosh
The long and arduous wait for La-Mulana will soon be over: the game is complete and has just been submitted to Nintendo for approval, as revealed on the La-Mulana developer blog. The blog states that if the game passes the inspection with no difficulties it'll receive a release date, but the team seems confident that it will see a...
