News Angry Birds Dev Calls Nintendo Games "$49 Pieces of Plastic"
Ruffles some feathers
Review Final Fantasy III (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Still one of the best RPGs to come out of the 16-bit era
News - March, 2011
Thursday31st Mar 2011
Review Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars 3D (3DS)
Emerging from the shadows
The debut of the 3DS has seen a number of releases and ports tailored to show off 3D effects, with some perhaps coming up short in terms of depth and content, but Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars 3D aims to set itself apart from the field. There is pedigree behind the development: the project lead, Julian Gollop, is...
Review Madden NFL Football (3DS)
Down, set, fumble
It’s no secret that the NFL captivates millions of fans each year, and the Madden franchise has always been there at the forefront, leading the pack on the videogame side of the football world. Even though it’s currently in the off-season for the NFL, it’s not stopping EA from charging onto the 3DS scene and putting a new 3D...
Sub-lime idea, sub-par content
For those who aren't aware, Steel Diver began life as a demo for Nintendo DS and almost became a full game before being moved over to the 3DS. Combining simulation aspects of submarine driving with arcade-style action elements, the game is one of the more impressive demonstrations of the system's 3D and hardware...
Review Bust-A-Move Universe (3DS)
Burst bubble
Bub and Bob may have started out capturing foes with their crazy dinosaur bubble breath by day and moonlighting as arcade puzzle game stars, but the latter of which we can only imagine to be the more lucrative field as it morphed into their full-time job. It's easy to see how this happened: Bust-A-Move/Puzzle Bobble is incredibly fun...
News Xenoblade Chronicles Heading to Europe This Year
At long last!
Fans of Japanese RPGs have been gazing longingly at Xenoblade for a long time now, but those soppy eyes are about to cheer up as Nintendo of Europe announces the game will find release there under the name Xenoblade Chronicles. Featuring new English voiceovers as well as the original Japanese actors, the game will also include English,...
News The Brothers Mario 2 Trailer Introduces Us to the New Don
One pastiche you don't want to mess with
When the trailer for the fictitious film The Brothers Mario was released, it gave us a good chuckle at how many video game and cultural references were crammed so beautifully into the space of 5 minutes. How might a sequel turn out? The Country Club shows us how. Another exclusive from The Game Station, The...
News DS Has Outsold Xbox 360, PS3 and PSP Combined in Europe
Prepare for big numbers
DS is Europe's undoubted sales champion, according to recent data from GameStop and technology research firm IDG. In fact, such is the console's success, its sales are more than triple any other non-Nintendo console on the market. With an estimated 114m current generation consoles in homes around Europe, the Nintendo DS makes...
Nintendo Download 1st April 2011 (Europe)
Will you be an April fool?
This week's North American Nintendo Download was underwhelming to say the least, and its European counterpart absolutely blows it out of the water. Let's see what treats await. Virtual Console: Brawl Brothers (JALECO, Super NES, 800pts) — We've already got Rival Turf on Virtual Console, and now its successor reaches the...
News Japan's Minna No Theater Channel Closes Its Curtains
It's a wrap for the WiiWare video rental service
Since its launch back in January 2009, Japan's Minna No Theater (Everyone's Wii Theater) service allowed users to stream rented video content on their Wii consoles, and half a year later, the service got a boost when homegrown and international films were added to the selection of various television...
News First Antipole Screenshots Flip DSiWare On its Head
Defying gravity
Saturnine Games just sent over the first screenshots of its upside-down platform puzzler Antipole for DSiWare, revealing a little more about the gravity-flipping title. Like all good games, the ultimate aim in Antipole is to prevent a robot invasion. Thankfully your mysterious main character has the ability to reverse gravity,...
Wednesday30th Mar 2011
News Angry Birds Dev Calls Nintendo Games "$49 Pieces of Plastic"
Ruffles some feathers
Whether you think Nintendo has nothing to fear from mobile games or not, it's quite a verbal battleground these days as both sides stick up for their pricing and content structure. This time it's the turn of Angry Birds developer Rovio to send a few well-chosen word birds flying through the air to attack the metaphorical green...
My name is Hurl
Ever since David Crane and Richard Gold created Little Computer People for 8-bit computers in 1985, gamers have been fascinated with life simulation games, as demonstrated by the huge sales success of The Sims series. However, The Sims is also a series that has suffered from 'content filtering', as the PC experience has been watered...
Review Nintendogs + Cats (3DS)
New leash on life
The original Nintendogs blew many away upon its release way back in 2006 – here was a game designed to show off the DS in full, with voice recognition, plenty of touchscreen functions and even a communication feature called Bark Mode that let consoles exchange data automatically. Fast forward five years and we've got Nintendogs +...
Review Simply Minesweeper (DSiWare)
Simply, Minesweeper
Engine Software doesn't exactly have a track record of making amazing games for DSiWare, all of its output has at the very least always been mediocre at worst and average at best. The studio has previously released Simply games for Mahjong, Sudoku and Solitaire, all of which were quite functional, but ultimately all very basic...
News WiiWare, Fez Developer Does Not Like You At All
Hence the cursing
Love it, hate it, WiiWare divides opinions even among the most ardent Wii fans. Its polarising effect goes much farther though, splitting developers down the middle like a samurai sword through a ripe watermelon. Falling on the juicy — if bitter — side is Phil Fish, developer of Xbox Live Arcade title Fez. Fish told Destructoid...
News BurgerTime HD Takes 40 Mega Bites Out of WiiWare
A whopper to relish
Retro remakes and WiiWare go together like bleeps and bloops, like gloomy arcades and sticky floors, like burgers and relish. How appropriate then that MonkeyPaw Games and Frozen Codebase are bringing BurgerTime HD to Nintendo's download service this summer. A game about creating a giant and delicious burger, when a press release...
News Dig Into Cave Story 3DS on 28th June
Nearly ready for retail
Much-loved platform adventure Cave Story isn't just content with appearances on WiiWare and DSiWare: it wants to conquer every Nintendo format going. The next part of its world domination plan kicks off on 28th June, when Cave Story 3D reaches stores across North America. It's not a simple port of the existing game either, as...
News 3DS Had Best First Day Sales of Any Nintendo Handheld
Take that, GameBoy Micro!
It might be a little early in the day to talk about the 3DS's launch success, with in-depth statistics set to be available in the NPD Group's next report on 14th April, but Nintendo is obviously pleased with the console's day-one sales, claiming it beat every other Nintendo handheld's launch day figures in North America...
News We'll be Forever Collecting Carrots with Bobby Carrot Soon
Game submitted for lotcheck
It's been a long road for FDG Entertainment in getting Bobby Carrot Forever ready for release on the WiiWare service, and the end of that road is finally in sight. We've brought you exclusive screenshots of the latest instalment in the puzzle series, which also launched on iOS devices, we then brought you the traile
News Jill and Wesker Show Their Moves in New Resi: Mercenaries Video
Into battle once more
If the rumours are true and Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is indeed set for release on 17th June, it's looking like being a very good month for 3DS owners as the trailer below shows. Returning characters Jill Valentine and Albert Wesker pop up in the game to dispense justice with both barrels, blowing up the infected,...
News Fils-Aime: Next Home Console Unlikely to be 3D
Are you bothered?
Nintendo's taken handheld gaming by the ankles and slung it into the 3D pool, so it's long been a question whether the successor to the Wii will also be capable of pumping out 3D visuals too. According to the president of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime, it doesn't look likely. Speaking to CNN, 3DS producer Hideki Konno spoke...
Tuesday29th Mar 2011
News Nintendo Responds to 3DS Black Screen Error
How widespread is it?
We've heard numerous reports from users suffering a black screen error on their shiny new 3DS consoles that halts any game mid-flow, causing a hard reset. Nintendo has now released a statement on the matter, though it doesn't go into much more detail than the advice displayed on-screen. If anyone is experiencing any problems...
Review LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (3DS)
A well-honed clone or a droid to avoid?
Back in 2005, if you would have told someone that six years down the road, LEGO Star Wars would still be one of the most bankable and consistently enjoyable franchises in gaming, you would have been laughed at. Many called the idea a shallow cash grab, yet here we are in 2011 with another instalment in the...
Review Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D (3DS)
A decent first touch
While the 3DS launch line-up is full of old territory being retrodden, Konami's got itself a bona fide first: the world's first three-dimensional football game. Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D makes a decent run at goal but sadly fluffs its chances in the dying minutes. For starters, the game is disappointingly feature-light:...
Talking Point The 3DS Friends List is Severely Lacking
What can you do?
Picture the scene: a new Nintendo handheld is announced, promising brand new features including more advanced communication functions. You'll be able to send messages to your friends through thin air, arrange to meet-up in games and, of course, draw crude pictures using the touch screen. What more could anyone want? That's right:...
News New Patents Reveal Balance Board Motorcycle Game
New patents unearthed
It's been a while since we saw a Nintendo-published game that uses the Balance Board, surprising considering the number of boards sat in living rooms around the world, but a new patent filing has revealed a motorcycle game could be in the works at Nintendo Software Technology. The application shows a first-person motorcycle...
Podcast NLFM Episode 19: DS Swan Songs
Not with a whimper, but a bang!
So 3DS is out in places other than Japan now, hooray! But just because its successor is stealing the spotlight, that doesn't mean the DS is content with resting on its two-dimensional laurels. Why, it's not even April yet and it's already seen at least five fantastic games this year with some fantastic music to go...
Competition Win 1 of 3 Nintendo 3DS' & 4 Games with Ubisoft (UK)
Snag yourself a 3DS, for free!
Nintendo brings a new dimension to handheld gaming. To celebrate the launch of the Nintendo 3DS and the fabulous Ubisoft launch line-up it's our pleasure to offer 3x Nintendo 3DS units each with 4 Ubisoft games. The games included are Rayman 3D, Asphalt 3D, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon:...
Competition Winners Signed Monster Tale and Soundtrack
Were you the lucky one?
We recently gave you the chance to win a signed copy of Monster Tale and soundtrack, and we were overwhelmed by the response, with countless entries flooding into the Nintendo Life Twitter account. We tossed all the qualifying entrants into an empty 3DS box and drew a single winning name... Congratulations to NRLegge! Thanks...
Review Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D (3DS)
Tripping over in the dark
Splinter Cell 3D is one of quite a few 3DS launch titles from Ubisoft, a publisher that is showing plenty of enthusiasm for Nintendo’s little device of tricks. The number of gizmos and clever features in the console make it seem like the perfect home for deadly agent Sam Fisher. The question is whether this title is able...
Monday28th Mar 2011
News BBFC Slaps 17th June Date on Resident Evil: Mercenaries
With free demo included
Today Capcom announced that Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D will come with a Resident Evil Revelations demo, but when can UK gamers get their hands on the multiplayer monster mash? As soon as 17th June, according to ratings board BBFC. The board slapped a 15 certificate on the game and its included demo — named Resident...
News 3DS Launch Title Sales Chart (UK)
Capcom's brawler flies off store shelves
Well the Nintendo 3DS system has now been available in the UK for a mere four days, but the launch title sales figures have already started rolling in and there are actually a few surprises to be found. It's not often that we see a third-party offering manage to beat out Nintendo's first-party titles, but it...
News Metacritic Career Ratings Pit Aonuma Versus Miyamoto
But who wins?
Love it or loathe it, Metacritic is here to stay. The site collates review scores for thousands of films, TV shows and of course video games, but while the site is the source of plenty of debate it has given rise to an entertaining pastime: Metacritic Top Trumps. The site was recently updated to allow you to see average Metacritic...
News Resident Evil: Mercenaries Comes Loaded with a Revelation
Console's first demo
Gory team shooter Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D is set to show 3DS owners what their console can do when it's released in a few months, but it'll also give gamers a taste of more traditional Biohazard outing Resident Evil: Revelations in the form of an included playable demo. The demo will take players on board the ocean...
Nintendo Download 28th March 2011 (North America)
No new WiiWare this week
We often talk about rarities in the Nintendo Download, but here's a truly surprising event: this week's download sees no new WiiWare title available for download. There's a pair of demos, two DSiWare titles and no Virtual Console outing, making a pretty underwhelming week for those with Nintendo Points. WiiWare Demos: Dart...
News Deca Sports Extreme Survives and Gets Rated by the ESRB
Any more Hudson titles on the way?
Following the news of the North American arm of Hudson disbanding last month leaving the future of its titles uncertain, Konami ― the publisher into which Hudson will be absorbed ― later clarified what the official situation was regarding Hudson's projects. Speaking to
News Nintendo Clarifies Stance on Garage Developers
Loves them really
There was something of a storm in a teacup around Reggie Fils-Aime's recent comments that Nintendo isn't interested in garage developers. As long-time fans of WiiWare and DSiWare will know, some of the services' better titles have originated from semi-professional coders or small development teams. Now Nintendo of America's...
Sunday27th Mar 2011
Screeching fault
Gameloft’s racing series is something of a DS staple, with Asphalt: Urban GT launching with the original dual-screened console, a sequel, and then Asphalt 4 available on DSiWare. The French developer is certainly getting some mileage out of the Asphalt name, and now with the 3DS comes Asphalt 3D, a sadly middle-of-the-road affair...
Saturday26th Mar 2011
Rayman goes 3D
When Rayman 2 first saw the light of day on the Nintendo 64 console, it pretty much came out of nowhere and surprised many gamers with its amazing transition into the realm of 3D gaming. After seeing a host of releases on various consoles of the time period, the game was finally released on Sega's struggling Dreamcast system to...
Review Street Racer (Super Nintendo)
Road to joy?
On rare occasion, a game so revolutionary will appear that not only will it receive the usual much deserved critical acclaim, it’ll become responsible for the creation of an entirely new genre. Take Super Mario Kart for instance — the title single-handedly responsible for the birth of the console kart racer. Following its huge...
Not much of a sequel
A few years ago, MumboJumbo published the Hot Lava-developed 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, a very average Bejeweled clone. Since then, our standards for DS puzzle fare have gotten a little bit higher, and MumboJumbo has updated its previous release to hopefully meet these standards. Enter 7 Wonders II. The formula remains the...
Friday25th Mar 2011
News Jill Valentine and Albert Wesker Both on Mercenary Duties
Four just became more
When Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D producer Masachika Kawata hinted that the game will contain secret content that he thought fans would enjoy, that was enough to make many of you vocalise which Resident Evil characters you would like to see appear as unlockables. Looks like some of you may get your wish granted. As...
Interviews Richie Knucklez - The Kong Off
"the most important person in video gaming right now"
In the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Steve Wiebe travels to FunSpot Arcade to put a stop to all the naysayers disputing his record-setting Donkey Kong skills. To the amazement of everyone watching, he achieves the first ever kill screen on the Funspot Donkey Kong machine...
News Retro Handheld Games Now Digitised on the Internet
Game & Watch titles included
Fans of the old handheld games like the ones in the Game & Watch series are in for a treat when they find that several in said series ― as well as others not related to Nintendo ― have been "digitised" and put on the Internet for all to enjoy. Games like Donkey Kong Jr., Mickey & Donald, Merry Cook...
News Gameloft Announces Let's Golf 2 for 3DS eShop
Yes, it's starting with a sequel
We're months away from the eShop update but already Gameloft has announced the first game it'll be bringing to the 3DS console's download service: Let's Golf 2. As you've probably already guessed, the game is a conversion of an iPod Touch title and a sequel to DSiWare green adventure Let's Golf. The original version...
News 3DS Won't Be This Cheap Forever Says Nintendo UK
Say buy buy to low prices
Amazon's 3DS price of £187 caused plenty of commotion on the Internet ocean, then Tesco trumped them with £175. If you think this is just the start of a price war, you may be disapointed. Nintendo UK marketing manager James Honeywell spoke to
News River City Ransom 2 Gives WiiWare a Wallop this Summer
Beat it
Last week we shared news that River City Ransom 2 had been announced, but at the time it was still up in the air whether the game would come to WiiWare. Will it? Won't it? It will, says Miracle Kidz. Andriasang pegs the game for a release on WiiWare this summer, though that's likely to be a Japanese release only at this stage, so don't...
News Chrono Trigger is Coming to Virtual Console in Japan
Will the Western world follow?
It's one of the most requested games for Virtual Console: Square's Super NES classic Chrono Trigger, but its chances of coming to the Wii's download services in North America and Europe just got a bit of a boost as the game is coming to Japanese Virtual Console next month. In its native country the game would retail...
News Warner Bros. Announces Green Lantern as Its Debut 3DS Title
The Silver Age is returning
Last summer, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced that it would be bringing video game adaptations of the new Green Lantern film to the Wii and DS. Now it seems there's a slight change of plan as Warner Bros. has revealed that the 3DS will also be getting its own instalment, making it the company's debut title...
News Japanese Virtual Console list - April 2011
Square and Capcom battle for supremacy
You've already heard that a Chrono Trigger is coming to Virtual Console in Japan next month, but that's not the only thing to get excited over. Capcom is also releasing a big title next month, which happens to be the first of another series many have requested to make an appearance on the service. Here's a...
News Melbourne EB Games to Host Official 3DS Launch Party
Launch games confirmed too
Oh Australia: in all the excitement about the 3DS European and North American launches, with their special guests and exciting giveaways, somehow you got forgotten about. Don't worry though: we still love you, so here's the 3DS launch events you could be attending next Wednesday night. The official event kicks off next...
Thursday24th Mar 2011
A celestial pup worthy of your praise
Back in 2008, a two year old PS2 ‘game of the year’ was ported to the Wii amid much critical acclaim. Okami, an epic adventure boasting a glorious art style, was perfectly suited to the Wii’s capabilities, and Capcom has once again embraced a Nintendo console for a follow-up adventure on the DS. With such...
Review LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (DS)
A little too familiar
For whatever reason, LEGO games on Nintendo handhelds are never as good as their home console counterparts. Rather than harness the handheld's unique strengths from the ground up, they too often opt for creating a more compact version of the larger adventure. LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars is no exception, providing an...
News First 3DS Update Sends 3D Video to Your Machine
And for free, too
3DS isn't even officially out in the West yet, and already Nintendo has sent out a system update that adds new features to the machine. Gamers in Europe receive a pretty stunning 3D video montage of skateboard, skydiving, flowers growing and more, whereas North American consoles get a free music video from OK Go! We'll leave it to...
News Ono: "Street Fighter x Tekken on 3DS Should Happen"
Wants more noise made
It's wall-to-wall fighting game news on 3DS at the moment: Nintendo will publish Dead or Alive Dimensions in May, and Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition producer Yoshinori Ono is in London for the console's launch. If Ono gets his own way, the onslaught of fighting games won't peter out in May, as he wants to bring upcoming...
News Tesco Slashes 3DS to Low Low Price of £175
Cheep cheep 3DS
3DS has seen some of the most fevered price-cutting of any hardware launch as retailers from almost all spheres compete for a slice of what's sure to be an enormous gaming pie. From its original cost of around £230, the console's price has slowly dipped over the weeks, with Amazon selling 3DS for £187 the lowest price. Until now...
News Nintendo Europe Beating Up Dead or Alive Dimensions in May
The great fight begins
Nintendo Europe clearly has faith in the fighting skills of its 3DS handheld: not only is it taking care of marketing and distribution for Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, it's going to do the same thing for Tecmo Koei's Dead or Alive Dimensions in May. While Tecmo Koei will maintain publishing privileges, Nintendo's...
News Here's the 3DSWare Logo You'll Spend Years Looking At
Update: Or will you?
The WiiWare and DSiWare logos are like old friends, with their slanty, curvy letters, so it's no surprise Nintendo decided to stick to exactly the same design style with the logo for 3DSWare. Nintendo of Greece uploaded the logo to its website recently, although there's nothing else to see in the section: no confirmed games,...
Podcast Episode 21 - 3DS Launch Spectacular!
Grab your headphones and take a journey into sound
It's here: the day the whole of Europe has been waiting for since way back in June. Nintendo 3DS goes on sale at 00:01am on Friday 25th March, and who better to talk you through the machine's launch than Nintendo Life's very own experts Corbie Dillard and James Newton. This special commemorative...
Nintendo Download 25th March 2011 (Europe)
Dodos, Wallies, maths
It's new game overload in this week's Nintendo Download, with no fewer than four brand new titles appearing on European shores, a stark contrast to the most recent North American Nintendo Download. What's on offer for European download fans? Scroll down and don't waste another second waiting. DSiWare: DodoGo! Robo (Neko...
News Asphalt 3D Launch Trailer Mirrors, Signals and Manoeuvres
Will it set your heart racing?
Ubisoft's racing series is quick off the starting grid when it comes to DS launches: Asphalt: Urban GT launched with the DS in Europe, Asphalt 4: Elite Racing hit DSiWare after a little pause and Asphalt 3D is pulling up to 3DS on day one. The latest gameplay footage shows off the gameplay modes featured in the game,...
News 3D Sound Adventure Nazo Waku Yakata Gets Sited
Websited, that is
Yesterday we reported on Capcom's 3D sound adventure Nazo Waku Yakata, and now the publisher has opened a website to show off the game's graphical side too. The official website contains a few small screenshots showing some of the strange situations you'll find in the mystery mansion: bees, matches and old crones feature, though no...
Wednesday23rd Mar 2011
Review LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (Wii)
Not just a clone
A long time ago in a development studio not terribly far away, the idea was hatched to combine a beloved children's toy with a paradigm-shifting film franchise to make one of the most innovative licensed games to date. Since then the LEGO train has kept chugging along, claiming series after series as it goes to which to add its...
News Bomberman and Bonk Cancelled for 3DS
Omega Five gone, too
At a time when we all want to hear about more 3DS games in the pipeline, it seems Hudson has struck a few games from its release schedule, cancelling Bomberman, Omega Five and Bonk. Andriasang reports the games are confirmed as cancelled in this month's Famitsu magazine, but also warns that there may be other games facing the...
News Summon Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 this Summer
Atlus' RPG sequel is almost complete
In the latest issue of Famitsu, details have emerged on the upcoming sequel to the 2009 tactical role-playing game, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 is currently under development for the DS by Atlus and once again features a 7-day attack on Earth by an outside force; if...
Interviews Electronic Arts - Madden NFL Football (3DS)
The development team tackles our tough questions
Sports and video games go together like quarterbacks and cheerleaders, and that's why we at Nintendo Life are excited that Madden NFL, one of the longest-running and most popular American football franchises, is among the 3DS launch line-up. We've been tossing the pigskin back and forth across the...
News Splinter Cell 3D Soundtrack Available via Download and Vinyl
Double LP pack includes 3D inner sleeve
It's not often you see video game soundtracks released on vinyl records, especially in this digital age where even CDs are slowly becoming obsolete. Which is why it's come as a surprise that Tom's Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D's official soundtrack is available not only via digital download, but by way of a...
News Capcom's 3DS Adventure Game Sounds Very Different
3D visuals? How about 3D sound?
Who needs buttons when you have sound? That's the approach that Capcom is taking with regards to its upcoming adventure game for the 3DS. As detailed in the latest issue of Famitsu and translated by AndriaSang, Nazo Waku Yakata (Nazo Waku Mansion) is a game that has been loosely termed as a "sound adventure"...
Talking Point 3DS Launch Line-Up Lacks Fresh Ideas
Where are the new games?
We're just days away from the launch of the Nintendo 3DS in Europe and North America, and although the launch line-up is peppered with good games — read our 3DS reviews if you don't believe us — for many there's still a nagging feeling the launch day games aren't quite as original as they could be. The DS had a similarly...
News Sega Auctions Rare Memorabilia to Raise Money for Charity
Artwork, clothing... pillowcases?
In an effort to raise money for the relief effort following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan, Sega of America is auctioning off a wide range of rare collectibles with 100% of the money raised going directly to the Red Cross. With everything from NiGHTS Journey of Dreams pillowcases to House of the...
News Game Group Giving Away 482 3DS Consoles at Midnight Events
Will you be one of the lucky ones?
Of the 1,200 UK 3DS midnight launches, just over one-third of those will be operated by the Game Group, with 482 GAME and gamestation stores opening from tomorrow night to let gamers get their machines first. If you're not sure about going down to a midnight event, perhaps this will change your mind: every single...
News This is Your Chance to Dragon Punch Street Fighter's Producer
Or Hadouken, if you prefer
We told you about the official UK 3DS midnight launch the other day, with your chance to step up on stage and battle other players, but Nintendo has just revealed one of the opponents is none other than Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition producer Yoshinori Ono. Ono will attend to sign copies of the game at the official UK...
Tuesday22nd Mar 2011
Review Pilotwings Resort (3DS)
Flashy and fun!
Pilotwings titles have always been showpieces for Nintendo's new hardware, and Pilotwings Resort is no exception. It's clear from the moment you begin playing the game that the developers created the game in an effort to show off the fancy 3D visuals and analogue Circle Pad, and given the fact that it's been over 15 years since the...
News 3DS eShop's May Launch to Ensure it Beats Wii and DS Shops
Needs more polish
The 3DS eShop, one of the console's most anticipated functions, won't be available until May, and Nintendo's hardware head honcho Hideki Konno wants to assure you it's for a good reason: so it's good. Speaking to Gamasutra, Konno admitted previous digital shopfronts for the Wii and DS haven't been up to the standard required, and...
News Nintendo Uncertain Whether 3DS Demos will be Worth the Effort
Hideki Konno ponders...
The 3DS has shown a rather cautious side to Nintendo: from the delayed roll out of the eShop, to the sophisticated anti-piracy measures that can't be put into words, to safety warnings for young children, Nintendo has most of the bases covered. So much so, Nintendo is even consideri
News Nintendo Likely to Retain Price Control in 3DS eShop
Still no price cuts?
In many other digital store fronts, the content provider gets to choose the prices, but Nintendo sets the price of all content on its WiiWare and DSiWare stores. With the company promising the 3DS eShop will be better, it appears we'll still see games priced by Nintendo, rather than the publisher. In an interview with Wired, 3DS...
Podcast NLFM Episode 18: Rageful Streets and Happy Dinosaurs
Missed weeks? What?
Remember when we said NLFM was going to be weekly? Well, we kind of fudged that for the past couple of weeks. Sorry! But we're back with a fiery fever in this episode, where gangsters are punched, pianos diddled and dinosaurs remembered. 1. MONSTER! MONSTER! — Penny Arcade2. Yuzo Koshiro — Go Straight (Streets of Rage 2,...
News Discover Nintendo's 3D Legacy with Our Virtual Boy Coverage
3DS's granddaddy featured
You might be getting all geared-up for the new 3DS, but it's not the first dedicated 3D console from Nintendo: that honour belongs to the good old Virtual Boy, the now notorious machine that launched in the mid 1990s. Now is the perfect time, with 3DS just around the corner, to revisit the machine's creation, games and its...
News UK 3DS Pre-Orders Double Nintendo's Previous Record
Twice as popular as Wii
3DS is Amazon's most pre-ordered console ever, and now Nintendo has confirmed the console has twice as many pre-orders as the Wii back in 2006. While Nintendo UK hasn't announced the number of pre-orders taken for the console, rumours point to around 185,000 units for launch in the UK this Friday, a large proportion of which...
News Get Your Monkey Race On with this Super Monkey Ball 3D Trailer
On your marks. Get set. Monkey!
Balls won't be the only thing spinning when Super Monkey Ball 3D launches this week as we see in SEGA's new Monkey Race trailer, wheels will be spinning faster than you can say "bananas". As well as the single-player puzzle levels, gamers can take part in two other play modes: Monkey Race, and Monkey Fight...
News 99Bullets Trailer Pops In, Blows Up DSiWare
DSiWare gets blasted
EnjoyUp's forthcoming retro shooter 99Bullets intrigues with its combination of limited lives and bullets, and now you can see the game in action thanks to the first trailer. Each time you take a shot, you lose a life but the game continues until your stock of 99 bullets/lives is fully depleted. It's an intriguing take on the...
Monday21st Mar 2011
Down the rabbit hole
These days, with the recent release of Paul’s Shooting Adventure and Paul’s Monster Adventure, it seems as though Agetec is trying to claim the title of "most bizarre games available on DSiWare". Keeping the tradition alive, now the company's released Rabi Laby, a hybrid puzzle platform game that has players...
Review BINGO PARTY Deluxe (WiiWare)
Bing-oh…
Developers Ateam Inc have seen a gap in the download game market: bingo. For those who thought this pastime was restricted to bingo halls and retirement homes, think again. Bingo Party Deluxe is now available on WiiWare; does it succeed and scream ‘house’ at the top of its voice, or frustratingly bemoan the drawing of all the wrong...
News This Giant Augmented Reality Mii Could Destroy Us All
Run for it
The 3DS Augmented Reality (AR) cards are one of the console's coolest features: with just a piece of card and your console you can magic into existence Mario, Samus Aran or a virtual representation of yourself. But cards are small; what happens if you make them bigger? We're not talking A4 size here: we're talking enormous cards, 672cm x...
Competition Win a Signed Copy of Monster Tale and Soundtrack (North America)
Get tweeting!
DS adventure Monster Tale is available in North America now, so we've teamed up with publisher Majesco to bring you an exclusive contest for DreamRift's outing. Created by the key leads behind superlative DS puzzle-platformer Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure, the game merges a top-screen platformer with a pet-raising simulator...
News This Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars Walkthrough is For Your Eyes Only
Julian Gollop runs through a mission segment
As Ubisoft prepares for the release of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars 3D alongside the 3DS as the handheld launches in North America and Europe this week, the publisher has sent us a handy walkthrough video that details a segment of a mission found later on in the game. Narrated by Julian Gollop,...
News Best Buy in New York to Host the Big 3DS Launch Event
Food, fun and freebies
It's less than one week until you can get your very own Nintendo 3DS, but if the concept of waiting even a few more hours is enough to turn your guts to jelly you might want to turn up to the Best Buy in New York's Union Square this Saturday night to attend the console's official launch party. Nintendo promises music and...
Nintendo Download 21st March 2011 (North America)
Playing catch up
A rare occurrence in this week's Nintendo Download for our North American chums: all the games in the line-up are already available in Europe, so you'll likely already know if you're after any of the new titles or not. Let's delve in and see what's available. Virtual Console: Natsume Championship Wrestling (SNES, 800pts) — Step...
News 1,200 UK Stores to Open for 3DS Midnight Launches
Special VIP event details inside
The Nintendo 3DS's major North American launch event is this Saturday night at Best Buy New York, but in the UK gamers have a bit more choice when it comes to the big events. The official launch will take place at HMV's flagship Oxford Street store, where the first 500 people to buy the console will be able to claim...
News See Pokemon Come to Life on the Wall of a Shopping Centre
Don't use Rock Smash
Pokémon games work best in the palm of your hand: built for portable gaming, they're suited to the small screen, but that doesn't mean we can't see the creatures on a much grander scale. Over at Berlin's Wilmersdorfer Arcaden shopping centre, the pocket monsters broke free of the confines of the small screen to terrorise...
News Konno: 3DS Won't Compete with Mobile Gaming Prices
Project leader distinguishes the two separate markets
With development costs for 3DS software as much as triple that of DS games, does mobile gaming pose a threat to Nintendo's business plans? Following Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata's comments on mobile phone manufacturers and popular social utility networks
News Enjoy the Sights in this Conduit 2 Environments Trailer
Where will Agent Ford's mission take him?
We've been treated to a brief weapons preview in High Voltage Software's first-person shooter Conduit 2, now it's time to take a peak at the in-game environments that we'll be utilising said weapons in via SEGA's new trailer. At just over a minute in duration, the trailer is indeed a short one but long...
Sunday20th Mar 2011
Review Super Monkey Ball 3D (3DS)
Are you ready to roll?
Since the original Super Monkey Ball released alongside Nintendo's Gamecube console back in 2001, the series has experienced a roller coaster ride with as many bumps as its level designs. While we've seen some solid releases over the years, fans have typically continued to clamor for a return to the series' roots. While Super...
Saturday19th Mar 2011
Review Final Fantasy III (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Still one of the best RPGs to come out of the 16-bit era
What can you say about the Final Fantasy series that hasn't already been said a thousand times before? The titles have become one of the best-selling video game series in history and have been largely responsible for making the RPG genre so popular with fans across the globe. After having...
Review 7 Wonders of the Ancient World (DS)
Don't be fooled
There are many ways to play Bejeweled on the go, though when it comes to the DS catalogue, you're mostly looking at clones rather than the real deal. 7 Wonders of the Ancient World is one of those clones. It does more than just imitate the gold standard, however – it attempts to innovate as well. But what it adds to the mix takes...
News Super Dodge Ball's Attack Line Drawn for WiiWare this May
Updated and aiming for your head
Originally developed for the arcades and the NES in the late '80s, Super Dodge Ball is making a return as Miracle Kidz announces more details on the remake set for WiiWare release this year. Known in Japan as Downtown Nekketsu Dodgeball, the game will be taking after Nekketsu Koko Dodgeball Bu (known as Super Dodge...
The doctor, the teacher and the saucier go head-to-head
1,090,400 points. That's the record to beat, set by the cheerful Dr. Hank Chien just last week. Now the New York plastic surgeon joins the double-decade champion and hot sauce tycoon Billy Mitchell and the mild-mannered schoolteacher who toppled his throne, Steve Wiebe, to duke it out for...
News Kawata Hints at Fan-Favourite Unlockables in The Mercenaries 3D
Will it have anything to do with bean curd?
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D might not be the full Resident Evil experience that Resident Evil Revelations will be, but producer Masachika Kawata assures us that fans of the series won't be disappointed with the unlockables that Capcom has planned. Speaking to Official Nintendo Magazine, when asked a
Friday18th Mar 2011
News 3DS Augmented Reality T-Shirts this Summer's Must Have
Be quick with those VIP Stars
You've probably seen plenty already about the 3DS Augmented Reality cards bundled with the new Nintendo console, but why stick to the small cards bundled with the console? Dream big and wear your new-found love for ? Block cards with a new t-shirt from Europe's Club Nintendo catalogue. The first 3,000 people to register...
Three in one
With so many puzzle games on DSiWare already, it's kind of hard to invent a completely new concept for your game. So why not combine the concept of several other games into one? Shapo is pretty much a combination of Lonpos, Tetris and Art of Balance, with key elements from each coming into play during the game. There's a classic and...
News Street Gangs Return in River City Ransom 2
NES classic gets sequelised
NES brawler River City Ransom is showing its age a little now, though it's still a fun little title, with fans of the game no doubt hoping the newly-announced sequel will feature the same quality playability. Miracle Kidz has proudly announced River City Ransom 2 is in development for home consoles this summer, with a...
Review Successfully Learning Mathematics: Year 3 (WiiWare)
The numbers game
It's now year 3, and Successfully Learning Mathematics to offer more maths-related madness with Freddy the Vampire. Previous games saw a competent mix of maths puzzles for the younger generation, with some bonus games thrown in. Year 3, for better or for worse, changes little in updating the series. Freddy the Vampire, an avatar...
News Reggie: We're Not Interested in "Garage Developers"
Only wants proper indies, thanks
Whether or not Nintendo has nothing to fear from mobile games, or whether Nintendo President Satoru Iwata's comments about low value games were accurate, the debate about Nintendo's relationship with small game developers is ripe for analysis. What's the company's official stance the matter, though? Nintendo of...
News 3DS Helps Developers Render Fog Effects Via Its Own Chip
Such a handy handheld
If the 3DS was to be personified, it would surely be a hip youngster helping old ladies cross busy streets. However, when we say old ladies, we mean games developers, and by crossing busy streets, we actually mean render in-game fog effects. Close enough. In D3Publisher's upcoming retro shooter Dream Trigger 3D, there's a level...
News Amazon Preorders Make the 3DS King of the Jungle
Most preordered console in the history of Amazon.co.uk
3DS preorders have not only been record-breaking for Nintendo, because that kind of impact filters down to retailers too. With about a week left to go until the 3DS launches outside of Japan, online retailer Amazon.co.uk has announced that the system has become the most pre-ordered console of...
News World's Finest to Compete This Weekend at the Kong Off
Join us for live coverage
You've seen the movies. You've read the interviews. You've designed the shirts. You've cheered for the former champion. And to top it off, the bar just got raised by 20,000 points. This weekend is what it's all been building up to: The Ko
Thursday17th Mar 2011
Iit's veery goood!
Announced as it was all the way back in 2008, gamers can be forgiven for suspecting that Liight might, like so much vapourware before it, never have graced our Wii consoles. But this week, the long-awaited and oft-discussed game finally got its chance to shine. The good news is that the extended development time actually seemed...
Review 5-in-1 Mahjong (DSiWare)
Overlooking this would be mah-wrong
cerasus.media specialises in telling you exactly what you're getting and giving it to you with no frills. It's questionable that they'd apply that strategy to game that already has four versions available in the DSi Shop, three of which are also priced at 200 Points. Yet 5-in-1 Mahjong is probably the best of the...
News Prepare for a Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion on 3DS
See Samurai Jack inside
Back in October, Crave Games announced it was bringing a Cartoon Network game to 3DS, and now we have more details and gameplay footage too. Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion, despite sounding like a five word story about a particularly bad babysitting experience, is a 3DS fighting game from Papaya Studios. Featuring 18...
News Super Mario Galaxy 2 Wins BAFTA for Best Gameplay
The only award that counts
Nintendo's jewel in its Wii crown, Super Mario Galaxy 2, was honoured at the BAFTA Video Games Awards last night, taking home the award for Best Gameplay. The plumber beat competition from Heavy Rain, God of War III, Mass Effect 2 and more, though Mario's space sequel lost to BioWare's space sequel in the Best Game...
Nintendo Download 18th March 2011 (Europe)
Take on Final Fantasy III
As we revealed recently, SquareEnix is backing Virtual Console with a pair of classic RPGs, kicking off this week with the one and only Final Fantasy III, also known as Final Fantasy VI. Virtual Console: Final Fantasy III (Super NES, 900pts) — This is an excellent chance for Wii owners in Eur
News Fresh Bobby Carrot Forever Trailer and Details for You to Digest
Hare raising
WiiWare adventure Bobby Carrot Forever is coming along at a fair old clip now, having spent a few years in the WiiWare wilderness. The latest updates comes in the form of a new trailer and confirmed gameplay details too. Apparently the game will offer 15 hours of gameplay across more than 70 levels, with further levels to be made...
Wednesday16th Mar 2011
Review Plants vs. Zombies (DSiWare)
Plants vs. Zombies Lite!
PopCap's Plants vs. Zombies has been released on quite a number of platforms already, so it certainly wasn't a surprise to see the game make an appearance recently on Nintendo's DS system. But what does seem a bit surprising is that only two months later the company has now chosen to release a slightly stripped down version...
Review Beauty Academy (DSiWare)
This could get ugly...
Recently, we at Nintendo Life reviewed Model Academy from developer Tivola. As a team with plenty of modelling experience between us, we felt well qualified to judge the merits of this title. Tivola have wasted no time releasing a follow-up title, Beauty Academy, and as regular patrons of beauty salons we once again take it on...
News Iwata: Ocarina of Time 3D "Crammed with New Content"
But keeps quiet on just what
While plenty of gamers are looking forward to revisiting Link's first 64-bit outing when it comes to 3DS in the form of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has hinted the title will still have plenty of new and interesting things to offer gamers this year. Speaking to Nintendo legend...
News Art Academy Helps Students Brush Up Their Creative Skills
A bit of class
DS paint programme Art Academy has been out for a good while now, starting off on DSiWare as Art Academy: First Semester and Art Academy: Second Semester, and now Nintendo is bringing the cartridge compilation to select schools across North America to help students express their creative side. In conjunction with the National Art...
Tuesday15th Mar 2011
Review Heavy Fire: Black Arms (WiiWare)
Kill 'em all
Remember Heavy Fire: Special Operations, that on-rails military shooter that was kind of not good at all? Well, it got a sequel. Don't ask us how, but somehow it convinced enough people to plunk down their cash to be worth another go for developer Teyon. While it does delight us to say that there have indeed been a few tweaks for the...
Talking Point Nintendo has Nothing to Fear from Mobile Games
Why the rise of mobile gaming won't destroy Nintendo's handheld dominance
These days it almost goes without saying that most gamers own some kind of mobile phone, and a staggering majority of those devices are capable of playing moderately entertaining games. Indeed, Apple's iPhone platform has been graced with some maddeningly addictive titles,...
News 1 Million Copies of Pokémon Black and White Sold in Europe
European Pokémon install base grows to a monster number
We recently learnt of the successful launch of the Pokémon Black and White games in the United States, and it seems they haven't been doing too badly in Europe either. Since both Black and White versions of the latest Pokémon adventure were released into the European wilderness on 4th March,...
News ESRB Rating Sheds Light on Cubic Ninja Gameplay, Buttocks Fragments
UPDATE: New info and screens
We don't know much about Ubisoft's upcoming 3DS title Cubic Ninja, but recently an ESRB rating summary has appeared that clears a few things up – for one, will there be butt fragments? Yes, there will. This is a puzzle platformer in which players guide a boxy ninja through over 100 mazes. As players float and bounce...
Monday14th Mar 2011
A familiar lap around the track
Namco’s Ridge Racer series has often been criticised for being a relic of a bygone era, a driving game that clings to outmoded arcade sensibilities and refuses to step into the super-realistic world inhabited by the likes of Forza and Gran Turismo. The irony is that when Namco Bandai attempts to take the franchise...
News Cave Story DSiWare Headed to European Lotcheck Soon
Could the wait almost be over?
For all of you European Cave Story fans, Nicalis has just informed us that the DSiWare version will be submitted to Nintendo's lotcheck within the next two weeks and hopefully will see a release in European territories soon after. It's been a bit of a long wait for European gamers, but hopefully that wait will soon be...
Review Puzzle to Go Sightseeing (DSiWare)
Still no new sights to see here
We originally only got two Puzzle to Go games before the series took a break for about a year, but since its return we've now already very quickly gotten three more of them, including this newest release, Sightseeing. It should now come as absolutely no surprise that this instalment is once again pretty much exactly...
Nintendo Download 14th March 2011 (North America)
They're coming!
It seems North America is getting quite the variety of download releases this week, although the Virtual Console is taking a vacation. The mulltiformat smash hit Plants vs. Zombies finally arrives on DSiWare and the extremely long-awaited WiiWare puzzler Liight has finally made its way to a release. There's also yet another WiiWare...
News Canadian 3DS Launch Event Split Between Two Cities
The ears of Toronto and Vancouver are burning
Ahead of its North American launch on 27th March, Canadian gamers can experience the 3DS at one of two venues as part of Nintendo's official 3DS launch event. On Saturday, 26th March from 6:00pm to 12:00am; Toronto, Ontario, and Vancouver, British Columbia will be hosting the special occasion where...
News Get Fired Up Over This Conduit 2 Weapons Preview
What will gamers pack next month?
It's a shame that Conduit 2 from High Voltage Software has been plagued by several delays, but if in-game improvements come as a result, then it's probably worth it. While we wait for the first-person shooter sequel to hit both sides of the Atlantic next month, producer Keith Hladik and six-year veteran at HVS...
Sunday13th Mar 2011
JellyCar or SmellyCar?
JellyCar 2 is a tricky one. It's a quality driving-platforming game with a variety of content; and while that really should be all that matters, the fact is you can download the game for $4 cheaper on an iOS and get more content. Paying more for less stinks. That's obvious. But if the DSi is all you've got, the fact remains:...
Talking Point To 3D or Not to 3D?
That is the question
With the release of the 3DS in Japan, gamers have finally been able to sit down with the system and play it for extended periods of time. While this has led to a lot of excitement and rave reviews, it's also brought up a lot of complaints about headaches, motion sickness and blurred vision. Given that there are a huge number of...
News Japan Selling More 3DS Consoles Than Other Platforms Combined
Last week's figures are in
Following the highly successful Japanese launch of the 3DS, Nintendo's hardware sales have been continually dominant as the handheld stays at the top of the charts after its first full week. According to digital entertainment data tracker Media Create, the 3DS sold 374,764 units during the launch weekend of 26th February,...
News Sega Releases New Super Monkey Ball 3D Trailer
Roll 'em!
The upcoming launch of the 3DS system in regions outside of Japan has caused a rush of new media and information to start flowing and the nice folks at Sega were kind enough to send over a brand new gameplay trailer of their upcoming Super Monkey Ball 3D release. The video shows off quite a few of the different worlds found in the game,...
Saturday12th Mar 2011
We take Nintendo's 3D portable wonder for a spin
To say that the buzz surrounding the upcoming Nintendo 3DS system is insane would probably be the understatement of the century. The system has garnered an incredible amount of hype and anticipation over the past year since it was announced and now that we've had a hefty dose of playing time on the...
News BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 2 Scrapping with Europe this Year
Arc System Works' 2D fighting game going 3D
Having already developed the BlazBlue spinoff title BlayzBloo: Super Melee Action Battle Royale for DSiWare, Arc System Works' latest BlazBlue title returns to its more traditional one-on-one beat 'em up roots and will also make it outside of Japan too. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 2 is a port of the Japanese...
News Wii is the Fastest Console in U.S. History to Shift 35 Million Units
Several Nintendo titles reach new milestones
If you need proof that the Wii is still going strong, you only need to look at the month of February as Nintendo shifts another 5 million consoles in the United States in less than a year, with several games breaking new milestones to boot. Having sold 30 million Wii consoles back in August, Nintendo has...
News Hank Chien Breaks Previous DK Record, Climbs Further Up the Ladder
The high score just got higher
To be the best you have to beat the best, even if that means beating yourself. On 27th February, current Donkey Kong champion Hank Chien did just that. Nearly a year after he originally broke the record for the highest score on a Donkey Kong arcade machine, the New York surgeon has surpassed his best score, making...
Friday11th Mar 2011
Features The Game Gear Games We Need on 3DS Virtual Console
We go digging in the Sega vaults
We already know about the first five Game Gear games for 3DS Virtual Console, but looking further down the line, what titles would we love to see made available on the console's download service? Below are just some of the games we'd love to download after the eShop launches in May. Shinobi II: The Silent Fury: The...
Nintendo Download 11th March 2011 (Europe)
Here comes the Lilt man... LILT!
It's Friday again, and as usual there is a veritable smorgasborg of downloadable goodies for you to consider including Gaijin Games' lilt line on WiiWare. There are no Virtual Console games this week, but you can look forward to Final Fantasy III next week. Oh yus! WiiWare: lilt line (Gaijin Games, 500pts) —...
Thursday10th Mar 2011
News Mario Kart Without Items Isn't Mario Kart, That Includes the Blue Shell
Hideki Konno explains the importance of its inclusion
We can't expect franchises to stay the same forever, but when the crowd-dividing Blue Shell was introduced to the Mario Kart series back in Mario Kart 64, maybe not all of us expected it to stay through to the modern day instalments. Hideki Konno is one of the main players behind the series,...
Review GO Series: Earth Saver (DSiWare)
Simple and fun, though not earthshaking
We've already seen about half a dozen GO Series releases on DSiWare, each offering up an experience that revolves around simplicity from both a visual and gameplay standpoint. While the results from have been mixed, there have been a couple of releases that caught our attention and proved quite accessible and...
Review Successfully Learning Mathematics: Year 2 (WiiWare)
Do the math
For many years, even before the heady days of Mario is Missing, gaming has given something back to the community in the form of educational titles. Whilst rarely excellent in the traditional entertainment sense, they aim to integrate fun challenges with learning, thus creating the edutainment sub-genre. Successfully Learning Mathematics:...
News Square Enix Brings More SNES Goodies to Virtual Console
Anyone order some Lufia or Final Fantasy III?
The Virtual Console news just keeps on coming! This time, two different sources have each revealed one new upcoming Square Enix-published game for Virtual Console. Coming straight from Nintendo of Europe's site is Final Fantasy III, which will be released on VC in Europe next week. Better known as number...
News Artist Brushes Up on 8-Bit History With Unique NES Paintings
Every English-language game to get its own custom artwork
With the extensive catalogue of games that the NES has to offer, the collectors out there understandably try to get themselves a copy of each and every title. For artist Campbell Whyte, his mission is to paint every single one of them. Based in Perth, Australia, Whyte is in the process of...
News Scratch That, There's Three Adventure Island Games Coming to Virtual Console
Hudson's going all out
A few days ago we spotted a rating for Super Adventure Island on the OFLC, but now yet another game in the series has been rated for the Virtual Console, although this time it's by the ESRB instead of the OFLC. It might be easy to miss on the ESRB site, as it's not a "new" rating, but if you search for Super...
News Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove Will Now Be Spooking Gamers in 3D
Leaving the physical DS world and entering the 3DS realm
Originally announced for the DS last summer at E3, Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove ― Natsume's rhythm adventure game ― will now instead launch on the 3DS, utilising the stereoscopic effects to make the ghostly apparitions really jump out at you. Known for its Lufia series and more recently, for...
News Nintendo Begins Its U.S. 3DS Demo Tour This Weekend
Four major cities playing host
Ahead of the North American launch of the 3DS on 27th March, Nintendo has announced details on its United States demo tour where members of the public can try the system out and experience its unique 3D effects. Demo Pods and mobile Demo Squads will be spread across 40 locations in cities across the U.S. starting from...
Wednesday9th Mar 2011
Third time the charm?
When the original PC title The Sims saw release, Maxis treated it as a spin-off of their popular SimCity franchise, the 3000 edition of which included a teaser for upcoming title SimMars. Before Will Wright could say "(insert Sim gibberish here)," though, it proved a sensational success both critically and...
Review Bomberman Hero (Virtual Console / Nintendo 64)
Bomberman flies solo
Apart from the very first game in the series, Bomberman has always been famed for its frantic, fast-paced, and, above all, fun multiplayer modes. Pretty much every single game starring the little guy has featured support for multiple players, with most of the Nintendo outings allowing four or five, and others like Saturn...
Hands On Nintendo 3DS Augmented Reality Games
Taking a reality check
The striking autostereoscopic screen of the Nintendo 3DS might be responsible for the console gaining countless column inches over the past year or so, but here at Nintendo Life we've been equally as impressed with the potential offered up by the external cameras. Augmented Reality isn't anything new - it's been big news in...
Tied to the rail tracks
Rango is a new CGI movie coming to a cinema near you. You gamers all know what that means, a video game tie-in! Rango is a chameleon that becomes stranded as the sheriff of a mini Wild West town populated by animals of the desert; snakes, lizards, rabbits and a mariachi band of owls. So far, so typical of a CGI movie. The...
Review Monster Buster Club (DSiWare)
Will the kids win or get busted?
The gargantuan success of the DS and subsequently the DSi has meant that the little handheld has become a prime device for games based on children’s television and film. The latest in the list of games targeting this audience has arrived on DSiWare, Monster Buster Club. Does this collection of mini games bring...
News Tenchu Developer is Working on an RPG for the 3DS
Everything's rather stealthlike at the moment
Japanese developer Acquire is keeping itself busy with a plethora of unannounced titles that are underway across the majority of current platforms. Although nothing seems to be in the works for the Wii or the DS, a PDF file containing corporate information that was shared at the Game Developers...
News Walk the Plank with this LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean Trailer
Plastic Captain Jack in action
If you're a fan of a popular film franchise, you can bet that sooner or later, TT Games will make a slapstick-infused LEGO video game adaptation of it. The next scheduled to receive the treatment is Disney's blockbusting, swashbuckling series in LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean for 3DS, Wii and DS. The game will feature...
News Who Dares to Release We Dare in the UK? Not Ubisoft!
That's two regions now not getting the game
Remember that announcement trailer of We Dare from Ubisoft? No? You know... the one with all the suggestive flirting and bottom-spanking? Yeah, now you remember. Well, despite all the attention that the kinky party game received, it seems the French publisher is very selective in which regions the game...
News Nintendo Hasn't Forgotten About the Wii, Don't Worry
More titles to be elaborated on in the coming weeks
Gamers might be forgiven to assume the DS is reaching the end of its lifespan since the 3DS is almost available worldwide, but perhaps we should be a bit more optimistic about the Wii? In terms of titles that are developed or published by Nintendo, things are looking rather quiet for this coming...
Tuesday8th Mar 2011
Review Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (3DS)
Hadouken in 3D!
Anyone who follows Capcom knows that it likes to take its sweet time when it comes to releasing a new numbered release in the famed Street Fighter series. In fact, it was nearly a nine year wait between Street Fighter III and Street Fighter IV's debut in arcades in 2008. And after making a huge splash on both the Playstation 3 and...
Review My Little Restaurant (DSiWare)
Diner Dash meets... Diner Dash
There's really no point in beating around the bush about it: My Little Restaurant is Diner Dash in disguise. In fact, if it wasn't for the different sprites, the two would be virtually indistinguishable. But while it's hard to sing praises to something so unoriginal, the fact still remains that as of now there's no...
News Nintendo has 3D Demos of Wii Sports and Super Mario Galaxy
Part of experiments
Nintendo's experiments with 3D go right back in time: there was 3D Hot Rally on the Famicom Disk System, a 3D GameBoy Advance SP and every GameCube has 3D-capable circuitry inside it. Despite the company's dabbling, not everyone was convinced that the new 3DS would be a success, so Nintendo set about changing their minds. 3DS...
News An Old School Look at The Reginator
Our favourite Nintendo president in his prime
Have you ever sat there watching Nintendo's E3 press conference and wondered what The Reginator looked like in his younger days? If so, have we got a picture for you. While we have no idea at exactly what age this photo of Reggie was snapped, we can definitely tell that people were still frequenting...
News Master Higgins Has Not One But Two Upcoming Virtual Console Games
Another Adventure Island game added to the queue
Only last month, we reported that the OFLC had rated the second NES outing of everybody's favourite overweight islander based on a real person, Master Higgins, thus very likely meaning it was on its way to Virtual Console. Well, the OFLC has struck again, and has rated yet another Adventure Island...
News Pokémon Black and White Catches a Million Trainers on Launch Day
Not the shoe variety
The 3DS may soon overtake its older brother, the DS, as Nintendo's première handheld system, but that's not going to stop its catalogue of games from selling like hot cakes in this stage of the handheld's lifespan. Pokémon Black and White launched this past Sunday in the United States, smashing the previous record for launch...
Monday7th Mar 2011
Rumour Using Piracy Devices May Disable Your 3DS
So don't do it
Nintendo has spoken before about the strong anti-piracy measures in 3DS, but there's been little more specific said. Now a rumour has surfaced that using a flash cartridge or similar device will actually render the console useless through a firmware update. A rough translation of a poster outside Japanese retailer Enterking reveals...
Interviews Scroll's Ray Barnholt Talks SNES and New-Age Fanzines
Former 1UP staffer fills us in on what he's up to now
The humble fanzine harks back to an era when the net didn't exist and the most bits you could possibly hope for from a games console was 16. It's hard to appreciate this now, but back then these crude pen-and-paper creations were the ancestors of sites like the one you're reading right now;...
Nintendo Download 7th March 2011 (North America)
Bomberman Hero!
It's a right royal knees-up on the Nintendo Download front this week, with everything from third-party N64 games to a double helping of Series games — one from G.G and one from GO — and much more. Hold onto your hats! Virtual Console: Bomberman Hero (Hudson Soft, N64, 1000pts) — A single-player Bomberman game, this one splits...
News BIT.TRIP FLUX Soundtrack Available to Download Now
$5.99 for music to go
Now that WiiWare has bid a teary-eyed farewell to the BIT.TRIP series with BIT.TRIP FLUX it's the perfect time to sit in the dark, on your own, and cry to some of the finest music to have graced WiiWare. The soundtrack for BIT.TRIP FLUX is now available to download from CD Baby, as a 10-track album for $5.99. Not only that,...
News Zelda Music Project Raises $19,000 for Twilight Princess Album
More than a few rupees
Last year saw the release of Zelda Reorchestrated's Ocarina of Time album, and now the pioneering group has moved onto the most recent home console Link adventure: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The project has so far raised over $19,000, which will be used to record the game's soundtrack with a live Hollywood-calibre...
Sunday6th Mar 2011
Ready to score
Football (or soccer to our American readers) and role playing: it's not a combination that instantly springs to mind as the basis for a video game, but that's exactly what's on offer with Level 5's latest creation, Inazuma Eleven. Despite sounding like an odd mix that frankly should never be considered, the concept works incredibly...
Features The History of BIT.TRIP, Part 3
Our final part
In this instalment, Gaijin explains their carefully laid plan for game four's runaway popularity, go through BIT.TRIP hell and reflect on the end of the series. Be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2 of our look at the history of BIT.TRIP and Gaijin Games. EYEBALL REVOLUTION: The team somewhat jokingly chalks RUNNER’s popularity, apart...
News Iwata Hits Out at Smartphone and Social Network Game Developers
GDC comments draw critics from industry
For all the praise that Nintendo got from its appearance at the Game Developers Conference this year, it seems President and CEO Satoru Iwata came away from his keynote (which was streamed live) with as many satisfied fans as he did disgruntled critics. During his speech, he made several comments on the...
News Take On the Master Quest in Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
3D 2-4-1
As if getting to play one of the greatest games ever in the upcoming Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time wasn't enough for you, the 3DS cartridge will also come with the harder Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Master Quest included, according to Nintendo of America's David Young. The Master Quest version of the classic game is essentially a remix, with...
News The 3DS Breaks... Nintendo's UK Preorder Record, That Is
Hopes for Wii-scale success
With Japan's hugely successful launch of the 3DS, it's now only a matter of weeks before the system hits the rest of the world, and preorders in the U.K. are coming in thick and fast. CVG reports that Andy Yates, Sales Director at Nintendo UK revealed the 3DS is approaching 100,000 preorders ahead of its European launch...
Saturday5th Mar 2011
News Hands-On: Hori 3DS Compact Pouch
Always carry protection around with you
When it comes to video game carrying cases, few companies consistently roll out products as high in quality as Hori. Not only are their DS and PSP cases favourites among gamers looking for something sturdy and protective to carry their favourite portable game system around in, but their cases are also...
Features The History of BIT.TRIP, Part 2
Digging deeper
In this installment, Gaijin struggles to find the fun in CORE and crafts what they feel to be a beautiful game in VOID. Be sure to read part 1 of our history of BIT.TRIP. ON THE MAP: Luckily for Gaijin, BEAT was a success; had the game tanked then the series would’ve likely gone ahead as planned, but it ensured them that they were...
Competition Winner Design the Official T-Shirt for Team Chien!
A smashing shirt
Around a month ago, Nintendo Life and Donkey Kong world champion Dr. Hank Chien teamed up to challenge you, the readers, to design the official Team Chien t-shirt. The response was overwhelming, but Dr. Chien was able to cut through the entries with surgical precision and pick a favourite. The winning design was submitted by user...
News See How Face Kart: Photo Finish is Developing at SXSW 2011
Renegade Kid's debut title on the 3DS
As we approach the South by Southwest Interactive festival next week, indie developer Renegade Kid announces that it will be an exhibitor at the SXSW ScreenBurn branch of the media event. From 11th - 13th March, Renegade Kid will be at SXSW 2011 in Austin, Texas, at booth 110 of Exhibit Hall 2. There will be...
Friday4th Mar 2011
Review Pokémon Black and White (DS)
Black and White and good all over
Last year’s Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver were just stopgap games to tide eager trainers over until the launch of Generation Five: Pokémon Black and White. Now the latest iterations in the series are here to eat up DS gamers’ spare time once again with a stack of new monsters and features. Set in the...
Features The History of BIT.TRIP, Part 1
“Who is the Commander?”
In the first part of our look at how the BIT.TRIP series was made, learn how its developer, Gaijin Games, crashed and burned on its first go, how the series formed and why level 3 of BEAT is so visually messed up. The question posed by IGN as the headline for a Dec. 19, 2008 news post on their Wii channel was modest,...
News Lend Your Voice to the Save Our Shining Force Campaign
It could make all the difference
Thanks to the wonders of the Virtual Console, many Nintendo gamers have been introduced to the wonders of Sega's Shining Force and Shining Force II games, but sadly the series hit hard times during the Sega Saturn days, causing developer Camelot to part ways with Sega, and the series has never recovered. Several...
News Retro Gamer Celebrates the N64 with Special Issue
64-bit baby in depth
With Bomberman Hero arriving on Virtual Console today in Europe, the N64 is firmly back in many gamers' minds, while for some it never went away. This month's issue of Retro Gamer magazine is ideal for both, as it's a special collector's edition detailing Nintendo's 64-bit beauty in all its glory. Taking a look through the...
News High Voltage Cancels Animales de la Muerte for WiiWare
Another casualty
WiiWare has had a rough time of it these past few months: Super Meat Boy was canned in November, then last week it lost Bloktonik, and now High Voltage's Animales de la Muerte has been cancelled for WiiWare. The game was originally announced back in 2008 as a Wii-exclusive, with its gameplay focusing on shooting undead animals, but...
Nintendo Download 4th March 2011 (Europe)
Holding out for a Hero?
It's an auspicious day in Virtual Console history, as the service receives only its second third-party N64 game in the West, after Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber. It's certainly the highlight of what is otherwise a rather underwhelming download this week. Virtual Console: Bomberman Hero (Hudson Soft, N64, 1000pts)...
News Splinter Cell 3DS Trailer Sneaks Up and Grabs You From Behind
Sam Fisher reels you in
It's a double-whammy of Ubisoft launch game trailers this week: first we saw gameplay footage of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars, and now stablemate Splinter Cell 3D has received the trailer treatment. There's not much in the way of gameplay footage available, but with three weeks yet to go until the game lands we're...
News Dream Trigger 3D Brings Retro Shooting to 3DS
First shots fired
Retro shooters are practically a genre unto themselves these days, with D3Publisher hoping to land the first big hit on 3DS with the upcoming Dream Trigger 3D. Although the screenshots don't look up to much in 2D, the depth of field offered by the 3DS top screen should help to bring the graphics to life. Players must use sonar...
News High Voltage Would Like to Bring Conduit Prequel to 3DS
GDC tech-demo seems technically-impressive
Early last month we got word that High Voltage Software was in a position where a tech-demo of a 3DS instalment of Conduit 2 was looking likely for this year's Game Developers Conference, and the studio certainly delivered. As reported by Nintendo World Report, what was shown at GDC reflected ideas still in...
Thursday3rd Mar 2011
News Sega Names First Game Gear Games for 3DS Virtual Console
Surprise! Sonic!
The news that Game Gear and TurboGrafx-16 games are coming to 3DS Virtual Console was welcomed by all, and Sega has already announced five of the games it'll be bringing to the service when it launches in late May. Classic gem-stacker Columns and ninja outing Shinobi (known as The G.G. Shinobi in Japan) will need no introduction to...
Review Arcade Essentials (WiiWare)
We’re gaming like it’s 1979
Before the modern era of electronic entertainment, a major venue for any gamer was the local arcade. These establishments were noisy fun factories featuring enough flashing lights to cause fits, homes to huge game machines that were simple and addictive – the perfect combination for separating you from your pocket...
More polarising than magnetic
Magnetic Joe first became popular as a mobile game back in 2006, using its simplistic control scheme and colourful visuals to garner a fairly decent audience over the years. Now the game has come to Nintendo's DSiWare service, and it remains very similar to its original incarnation. However, the "ball rolling"...
News 3DS Arrives at Nintendo Life
And we've got the pics to prove it
Well after months of anticipation, the Nintendo 3DS system has finally arrived at Nintendo Life Towers, with more units still on the way. As you can see from the picture at the right, we got the Aqua Blue color, along with Super Street Figher IV 3D Edition and Ridge Racer 3D to go with it. You can also get a look...
News WiiWare Comes Under Heavy Fire: Black Arms on Monday
Jungle fever
Monday's Nintendo Download will arrive amid a storm of bullets as Polish developer Teyon has revealed its next title Heavy Fire: Black Arms will land on the service next week. The successor to shoot 'em up Heavy Fire: Special Operations, Black Arms takes the fight out of the desert and into the jungle. There's a launch trailer below...
News Two Tribes Asks What You Want Them to Make on 3DS
Other than Toki Tori
Dutch development studio Two Tribes has released titles on WiiWare and DSiWare, so it's only natural the team would want to move across to support the new Nintendo 3DS. What should they create, though? That's where you come in. The team is openly soliciting ideas on the official Two Tribes blog, asking users what they would play...
Wednesday2nd Mar 2011
News Netflix Heading to 3DS in Summer 2011
Movies on the go
Wii received Netflix support some time ago, and both Nintendo and Netflix are obviously keen on the two firms working together again as Satoru Iwata has just announced the video streaming service is coming to Nintendo 3DS this summer. All users with an unlimited plan for $7.99 a month or above will be able to stream movies and TV...
News Game Gear and TurboGrafx-16 Coming to 3DS Virtual Console
Two more systems confirmed for the portable version of VC
Making a surprise appearance at Satoru Iwata's keynote earlier today, Reggie revealed that alongside continued DSiWare support and the 3D Classics feature, which will see classics remade with 3D effects, the Virtual Console will not just feature Nintendo systems. Sega's Game Gear and NEC's...
News Nintendo Names Cynthia Gordon New Corporate Affairs VP
Denise Kaigler's replacement commences next month
As Nintendo's range of hardware expands, so too does its family of employees. The company has announced the hiring of Cynthia Gordon, a strategic communications professional with over two decades of consumer-brand experience, as Nintendo of America's Vice President of Corporate Affairs. Gordon will...
News AT&T Grants 3DS Owners Free Access to 10,000 Hotspots
SpotPass just got easier
The 3DS's new SpotPass feature is designed to let the console automatically seek out new content every time it comes within range of a wireless Internet hotspot, a feature that just got a lot more useful across North America as Nintendo President Satoru Iwata announced a new collaboration between the company and AT&T...
News Nintendo Announces 3DS Instalment in the Super Mario Series
First screenshots inside
Today's been a good day for 3DS news. Along with Nintendo's live feed of Satoru Iwata's keynote presentation at GDC 2011, the company has also made several new announcements regarding the upcoming 3DS. Following Iwata's rather short but sweet hint at a new Mario game for the 3DS, it's been announced that the handheld console...
News Iwata: Ocarina of Time 3D Will Release in June 2011
New screenshots look stunning
Excited about Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for Nintendo 3DS? Of course you are. Would you like to know when you can play it? According to Nintendo President Satoru Iwata's keynote speech at this year's Game Developers' Conference, you can get your Hylian fingers on Link's adventure in June this year. Iwata didn't...
News Iwata: Monthly 3G Fees Will Decrease the NGP Userbase
We wouldn't want that to happen with the 3DS, would we?
He may think that the 3DS and Sony's Next Generation Portable (NGP) will appeal to different demographics, but intrinsically, the two systems share more in common with each other than the rivals let on. One difference however, is the inclusion of a 3G service on the NGP, and Iwata has shared...
News Iwata Talks 3DS Expectations and Wii Successor
Both systems sure to have plenty riding on them
With the 3DS having just launched in Japan, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has expressed the company's hopes for the handheld system and the stance Nintendo is taking towards the eventual successor to the Wii. During an interview conducted by Yomiuri Online (as translated by AndriaSang), Iwata hopes that...
News Skyward Sword Combat Trailer Shows Plenty of MotionPlus
It's not just for combat, you know
This year's Game Developers Conference might yield some tasty pieces of information about the 3DS, but let's not forget about the titles that are bound for our home consoles. One prime example is the upcoming and anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. A combat trailer was showcased at GDC 2011 and it shows...
News Watch Satoru Iwata's Keynote at GDC Live
See Nintendo's president talk about the past, the present and the future
It may have come to your attention that the Game Developers Conference is currently on-going over in San Fransisco. Generally, there aren't any new game announcements at the show, but there are always some interesting roundtables, Q&As and keynotes. Case in point: Satoru...
Tuesday1st Mar 2011
News Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 Likely to have a Bigger Budget
First episode success gives developer more gold rings
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 marked the welcome return of the blue spiky one's 2D home console adventures after a long hiatus, and now, four months after the release of the debut title in the latest episodic adventure, talk is starting to flow on what we can expect from Episode 2. Brand...
News Konami's 3DS Sudoku Collection Includes Bomberman
Only as a cameo, though
After the excitement in November about White Bear Studio's 3DS Sudoku game — since revealed to be just a concept — it looks like Konami is going to win the honour of "first 3DS Sudoku game" with its publication of Hudson Soft's Sudoku: The Puzzle Game Collection in May. As the name implies, it's not just Sudoku you'll be...
News Iwata Drops Sneaky Mario 3DS Hints
"Packed with surprises"
Mario is coming to 3DS in full force, with Mario Kart and Paper Mario already announced for release within the next year, but of course Nintendo is bringing 2D and 3D Mario platformers to 3DS. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has recently tossed out a tiny scrap of information, and although it's not much to go on it's still...
News Sports Island 3D Shots Show Slams, Sumos and Snowmobiles
Something for everyone
Not content with releasing the first 3D football game in the form of Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D, Konami also wants to bring the first sumo wrestling, snowmobiles, snowballs, trampolining and more to 3DS with the release of Deca Sports Extreme (known as Sports Island 3D in Europe.) The trailer below shows off the game's new...
News New Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars Trailer Stealths In
Launch title in action
Considering Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars is one of the launch titles for 3DS things have been eerily quiet on the gameplay front, with not even a sniff of footage. Until now, that is, as Ubisoft has revealed the first trailer of its upcoming tactical title. While the video isn't exactly chock-full of gameplay it does...
News BurgerTime HD Gets a Taste of Being a Multi-Platform Game
MonkeyPaw Games' retro title rated by the ESRB
Our Ante Up: Texas Hold'em review showed that a game doesn't need to be flashy in order to be successful, and publisher MonkeyPaw Games has had its upcoming title rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board; a retro title that's sure to follow in the same vein. A recent ESRB rating of BurgerTime HD...
News Liight Finally Shines on WiiWare on 14th March
Just 500 Points
It's been a long time coming, but WiiWare puzzle game Liight is finally coming to WiiWare on 14th March for 500 Points. We first heard of the game way back in September 2008, after which we interviewed Studio Walljump, but now years later the colour-matching game is on the way to WiiWare. You can read our Liight Fir
