Review The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition (DSiWare)
Four Links for the price of none
News Officially Licensed 3DS Headset Revealed, Priced and Dated
Chat and tunes in one set
News - October, 2011
Monday31st Oct 2011
News Two New Characters Take To the Mario Kart 7 Grid
You may bee surprised
Metal Mario and Lakitu are two of the already-confirmed characters joining the roster in Mario Kart 7 in December, but they're not the only new faces you'll be able to pick. Honey Queen from Super Mario Galaxy and Wiggler, first seen in Super Mario World have both signed up as competitors in Nintendo's big 3D racer. Last week...
Review Halloween: Trick or Treat (DSiWare)
It's the Great Disappointment, Charlie Brown!
Holiday-specific games are nothing new to Nintendo's download services, but developers just don't seem interested in providing much for your money. Just take a look at the scores for Happy Holidays: Halloween, Happy Holidays: Christmas, Just Sing! Christmas Songs or the immortal
Nintendo Download 3rd November 2011 (Europe)
Master Higgins is back!
Hudson was a big supporter of the Wii's Virtual Console, releasing no fewer than 53 games on the service over the past five years. Now it's bringing its little mascot Master Higgins to the 3DS as well with this week's title. 3DS Virtual Console: Adventure Island (Game Boy, Hudson, £2.70/€3) — This is actually based on...
Feature Classic Sequels - Tricks or Treats?
Better than monkey nuts
The night is finally here: Halloween is upon us. At the time of writing the world isn’t being taken over by zombies, werewolves or ghosts. Instead, the main horrors are the legions of children in cheap masks ringing the doorbell and demanding treats. Many can look forward to bags full of toffee apples, loose sweets and a...
News Resident Evil Revelations Blows Up With Multiplayer Raid Mode
Trailer inside
Remember when we told you that you wouldn't have to face the nightmare alone in Resident Evil Revelations? We meant it — Capcom has just sent over a trailer of the multiplayer co-operative Raid mode for you to digest. It seems the multiplayer component takes in specific missions rather than the regular story levels and in truth it...
News We Love This Origami Wind Waker Boat
Truly the King of Red Lions
Last week's Gamecity festival in Nottingham had a strong Zelda focus, with the city centre becoming a replica Hyrule Town for the day, but we've got something much smaller and even more awesome to share. This origami replica of Link on board the King of Red Lions from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is just about the...
News Super Mario 3D Land Launch Spreads to San Diego
Nothing in between
Mario mania isn't just taking in New York, as Nintendo has revealed San Diego California can expect a Mushroom Kingdom-themed party next week to celebrate the launch of Super Mario 3D Land. This Friday, "sometime between 12pm - 1:30pm" according to Nintendo, dozens of Marios in Tanooki ears and tails will race through...
News Rayman Origins Trailer Shows Ten Ways to Travel
Q & A 2
In all the excitement over Super Mario 3D Land and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, we almost forgot another iconic gaming character is due to return this Christmas. Rayman Origins on Wii and 3DS are both on the way before Christmas, and so it's time to learn a little more about them with a new trailer and a little Q&A with director
Sunday30th Oct 2011
News Excavate the Pyramids Facebook Page for QR Levels and Tips
Enjoy Gaming celebrates NA release with new stages
Pyramids released last week on the North American eShop, and publisher Enjoy Gaming is celebrating with a new QR code stage, which you can scan below. The company also let us know that for those players who find themselves stuck in a particularly challenging spot, the team will happily provide...
Saturday29th Oct 2011
News Japanese Virtual Console List: November 2011
A whopping seven new titles
Europe is now getting frightfully close to going five entire months without a Wii Virtual Console game, and North America also hasn't had anything in a while, but that isn't stopping Japan from trucking on. Although most of their previous months only had three or four games, this month has a whopping seven, one of the...
Fun to the third power?
Mahjong solitaire has appeared on just about every console since the dawn of video games, though their developers generally remain content with sticking to the basic formula. Mahjong CUB3D takes a different path in exactly the way the title suggests – by wrapping the puzzle around a 3D framework. But does the new take on...
Feature Fun and Frights on Nintendo - Part 2
Moments of gaming horror
Halloween is almost upon us, with many gamers making plans for a night of terrifying gaming. Whether these are modern titles or retro, old-school goodness, there are plenty of scary games to enjoy. In the first part of our Fun and Frights feature, we gave a brief outline of how horror games have developed through the...
Friday28th Oct 2011
News Final Wii U Form to Be Shown At E3 2012
Changes planned?
The Wii U reveal at E3 2011 probably didn't go quite as Nintendo had hoped, with some confusion over exactly what the console is and how it works. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is keen not to make that mistake again though, and has revealed the console will be shown off in its "final format" at next year's E3. That could...
News Iwata Reveals Big New Improvements for eShop
DLC, web, demos and more
At the recent financial briefing, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata discussed plenty of interesting new ideas to evolve the company's online strategy, revealing some big initiatives. Extra downloadable content for games will be available to game developers after the late November system update, letting studios and publishers...
News Nintendo Developing New Game Genres to Revitalise 3DS
No laurel-resting here
Nintendo DS and Wii were hugely lucrative for many reasons, but part of their success is down to the innovative new games only possible on Nintendo's hardware: from Nintendogs and Brain Training to Wii Fit, these new genres really made the hardware into global phenomena. Of course, other hardware manufacturers and publishers...
News Explore Super Mario's 3D Land at New York Launch
Tanooki tails mandatory
For the North American launch of Super Mario 3D Land, Nintendo is going all-out by turning Times Square into a real-life rendition of the Mushroom Kingdom. From 12th November, fans will be able to pick up their very own Tanooki tail and ears to wear while leaping through Mario's world: green pipes, coin jumps and even the...
News Nintendo's Latest 3DS Global Release Schedule
Not many surprises
After releasing its quarterly results, Nintendo always likes to share its upcoming games for the next few months. With the critical Christmas period fast approaching, here's the company's first party line-up for Japan, the United States and Europe. Western fans will note there's nothing in these lists we didn't already know...
News Another Two Zelda: Skyward Sword Trailers Appear
But our lips are sealed
We're in the final few weeks before The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is finally available to buy. We know you're excited about the game, but that some of you don't want to see everything about the game before you have a chance to play it yourself. We understand. That's why we're not telling you anything about the videos...
News Iwata: We Want 3DS Sales to Show Consoles are Here to Stay
President comes out swinging
One of the most anticipated 3DS games is nearly here: Super Mario 3D Land releases in Japan next week, and Nintendo president Satoru Iwata expects it to ignite 3DS hardware sales. Speaking to investors after the company's quarterly results, Iwata revealed that since the price drop the 3DS is selling at a better pace than...
Review Academy: Checkers (DSiWare)
A smart move
Gamelion's proved itself adept in the DSiWare space, creating portable versions of board or pen and paper games — Extreme Hangmen and Academy: Tic-Tac-Toe are examples — and its latest effort is Academy: Checkers. Checkers — or draughts to some of you — is a game most people know how to play already, removing the need for a...
News Rhythm Heaven Wii Still Alive and On Course for the West
Picks up a new name
The tentative name for Rhythm Heaven on Wii may have just been discarded, as the latest Nintendo release schedule has rechristened the upcoming beat 'em up (that's a pun.) The official title for the North American release now seems to be Rhythm Heaven Fever, though it's spelt "RHYTHEM HEAVEN FEVER" in the document. It's...
Thursday27th Oct 2011
Nintendo Download 27th October 2011 (North America)
Blocks, burgers and board games
3DS owners are best catered-for this week, with releases on the portable Virtual Console and some brand new software too. WiiWare fans get a 1000 Point offering and DSi fans can play checkers or go trick or treating. Here's the full list. 3DS Download Software: Pyramids (Enjoy Gaming, $3.99) — A neat 3D homage to...
News You Don't Just Play as Mario in Super Mario 3D Land
Back to the land of intrigue once more
There's still a lot of mystery surrounding Super Mario 3D Land — remember the Luigi statue spotted in the enormous panoramic artwork? It seemed to hint at an appearance from the nervous brother in Mario's next adventure. While we think you can probably see where we're going with this, our next sentence may...
News Go Beyond the Labyrinth With New 3D Screenshots
RPG gets Japanese date
Konami just revealed a release date for gorgeous 3DS RPG Beyond the Labyrinth, and bundled in a load of new 3D screenshots too. The game — developed by experienced RPG studio tri-Ace — will reach Japan on 19th January, and follows a mysterious and anonymous white-haired girl as she chances upon an ancient sealed magic...
News Colourful European 3DS Bundles Look Like This
It's good to know what to expect
The newly announced Ice White and Coral Pink 3DS consoles look nice enough on their own, but it's the retail packaging that really shines. The pink console in particular has some of the cutest artwork we've ever seen for a Nintendo console, decked out in puppies and kittens and a pink box. Ice White is slightly less...
News Mario and Sonic Have a Valentine's Day Date
Look away, kids
SEGA's continuing to support the 3DS strongly with an array of new and revamped games, and the famous publisher has just rubber-stamped release dates for some of its games due in the coming months. Here's the full list: Shinobi — 11th November (Europe), 15th November (North America)Sonic Generations — 22nd November (North...
News 3DS Hardware Sales Show Big Improvements
Not all doom and gloom
Nintendo just posted a 70 billion Yen loss: even the least economically minded of us can tell you that's not good. Every cloud has a silver lining though, and in this case it's the dramatically increased upswing in sales of the 3DS. In the period between April and June 2011, Nintendo shifted just 710,000 consoles around the...
Feature Fun and Frights on Nintendo - Part 1
How horror has evolved
At this time of year, it’s no doubt common practice for many gamers to find their favourite scary game, turn off the lights and get into the Halloween mood. There’s something about frightful gaming experiences that's unique in the entertainment industry. Unlike horror movies or tense, nerve-wracking books, video game fear...
News DS Family Nears 150m Worldwide Hardware Sales
Still going strong
After celebrating 50 million DS consoles sold in the United States, Nintendo's venerable dual-screened handheld is closing in on another milestone: 150m units sold around the globe. The company's latest financial results show the system sitting on 149m consoles sold since its release in 2004 to the end of September 2011. Software...
News Nintendo Posts 70 Billion Yen Net Loss in Past Quarter
The results are in
Nintendo's quarterly financial results just appeared on the company's Japanese site and, as expected, the company is still struggling in the market. Nintendo failed to meet its sales targets set in July 2011, with DS software and the 3DS still dropping short of expectations, missing its ¥240 billion income target by 10%. This in...
News Swimming, Cycling and Spin Attacks in Mario and Sonic Trailer
It gets weirder
The first screenshots of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games did indeed blow minds and collapse worlds: from dinosaurs riding horses to Sonic the Hedgehog taking part in a walking race, there were truly incredible scenes. This next trailer can't quite match it, but makes a good effort anyway. Events new to the series...
Wednesday26th Oct 2011
Review Pokémon Rumble Blast (3DS)
Let's get ready to rrrrumble! Again...
Two years ago, Nintendo released the surprisingly addictive Pokémon Rumble on WiiWare. It was a bizarre little title that took the various generations of Pokémon and reduced them to jittering clockwork toys haphazardly duking it out in chaotic Battle Royales. We liked it quite a lot, but it was difficult...
Feature Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert Report
London, Eiji Aonuma, Koji Kondo, Zelda Williams, legendary
After a successful first show at the Pantages theatre in Los Angeles, The Legend of Zelda 25th anniversary symphony took in London's Hammersmith Apollo with a sold-out show that celebrated the series' captivating music. Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma took to the stage to introduce the...
News Nintendo America Creates New DSi XL Bundles For You
We hope you like Mario
Just because 3DS is out doesn't mean the DSi XL is totally dead: Nintendo knows it's onto a good thing with the giant-sized handheld, and has put together two new hardware bundles for North America for the holidays. The packs are available in Metallic Rose or Midnight Blue and both come with a free copy of Mario vs. Donkey...
Tuesday25th Oct 2011
An ancient relic
It may be early days for download content exclusive to the 3DS, but we can confidently say that it's been a slow start. In fact, if you disregard 3D Classics and a free Pokédex 3D produced by Nintendo, Pyramids is only the second game to utilise the capabilities of the 3D screen. This adds a certain level of expectation to this...
News Europe Feels the Chill of Ice White 3DS in December
Update: bundle delayed
Update: Nintendo has now told us the package will arrive two weeks later on 2nd December. We've revised the story below. The array of 3DS colours just keeps on growing: after the recent Metallic Red console hit Europe, we now have confirmation that the Ice White machine is on the way too. The console launches in a bundle with...
Rumour 3DS Expansion to Be Called 'Circle Pad Pro'
Amateurs not allowed
The upcoming Circle Pad attachment for the 3DS appears to be gearing up for launch, with speculation swirling with regards to what it'll be called. According to a trademark filed by Nintendo in Japan, the add-on could be called the ‘Circle Pad Pro’ in the West. This is already scheduled for release on 10th December in Japan,...
Feature The Development Process of Go! Go! Kokopolo
How a stray cat, a passion for classic gaming and a dream coalesced into a DSiWare delight
A little while back, a little gem appeared as if from a cloud of smoke onto the DSiWare service – Go! Go! Kokopolo, from young indie developer Tanukii Studios. In speaking with Keith Webb, the company's founder, we discovered that he was also its only...
News You'll Be Tickled Pink with New 3DS Deal, Europe
The colours keep flowing
Don't want a 3DS in Cosmos Black, Aqua Blue, Metallic Red or the newly-revealed Ice White colour? How about a Coral Pink console? As if wanting to suck every available penny in Europe, the console launches on 18th November – the same day as the Ice White 3DS, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Super Mario 3D Land and the...
Monday24th Oct 2011
Review Kirby's Return to Dream Land (Wii)
A dream come true
To say that long-time Kirby fans have been clamouring for Nintendo to release a good old-fashioned Kirby title would be a gross understatement. While Nintendo has released several instalments in the series over the past few years, the majority of them, such as Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby Mass Attack, have been fairly radical...
Feature Ten Games to Play This Halloween
Not for the faint of heart
Halloween is now just one week away, while many horrors await: ghosts, zombies, children in masks demanding sweets and candy. Up to now we've focussed on Resident Evil and Castlevania, but now we're just looking for thrills to take us to the darkest night of the year. To get us started we decided to produce a list of games...
News GunLord Offers Conclusive Proof That You Can't Keep a Good Console Down
NG:DEV.TEAM has yet more SNK goodness on the way
As you're probably already aware, we love SNK's Neo Geo. For so long a tantalising glimpse of how the other half lived, this powerhouse of a machine remains a status symbol amongst hardcore gamers - despite the fact that it's now possible to enjoy many classic titles from its library for fraction of...
News Classic Courses Captured in Mario Kart 7 Stills
Balloons at the ready
It's no surprise that Mario Kart 7 features courses from previous games, but now you can race by land, air and sea some past tracks might work a little differently. In the new shots below we've got some aerial action in Mario Kart Wii's Mushroom Gorge, the return of Balloon Battle in a Super Mario Kart-inspired battle stage and...
Nintendo Download 27th October 2011 (Europe)
Trick or treat?
With the most frightful night of the year just around the corner, Nintendo of Europe has put together a platter of mysterious gifts. Will they be sweet as candy or as welcome as rotten eggs through your letterbox? Time to find out. 3DS Virtual Console: BurgerTime Deluxe (Game Boy, G-mode, £2.70/€3) — No doubt in anticipation of...
News We've Plucked the First Footage of New 3DS Harvest Moon
Land a panda
Three weeks ago Marvelous AQL announced a new Harvest Moon on 3DS, and now we have the first in-game footage from upcoming agricultural adventure Bokujou Monogatari: Hajimari no Daichi, or Harvest Moon: First Earth. As you can see it's business as usual in Harvest Moon world, with chickens to fuss over, fields to till and giant pandas...
Rumour Monster Hunter 3 G Lurching Toward Europe
So have your swords sharpened by Autumn 2012
Update: We have received word from Official Nintendo Magazine that the posted Autumn 2012 date is not official confirmation of the game's European release. Capcom's official statement about the game is "we have nothing to announce at this time." Original story below. Capcom's popular...
News New Monsters and Weapons Ahoy in Monster Hunter 3 G Video
A new twist on old favourites
Monster Hunter 3 G looks good in screenshots, but it looks even better in the video below. We already knew that new monsters would appear, but the trailer also shows off variants on some of Monster Hunter 3 (~Tri)'s most fearsome challenges: there's a purple Jhen Moran and a white Lagiacrus for starters, as well as a...
News We Like These Tiny Pinball Tables and Arcade Cabinets
Flipping cool
Nintendo curiosities often fascinate, and these tiny replica arcade cabinets and pinball tables certainly fit the bill. The 1/12th scale models available to buy at Retro Heart includes classic Nintendo titles like Donkey Kong Jr., Mario Bros. and plenty more. Each model is individually hand-made, with glossy vinyl graphics and little
News ThruSpace Slides Through the 3DS eShop Keyhole
A game about fitting in
WiiWare's ThruSpace is in line for a 3DS eShop update, as a sequel has just hit the Japanese download service. The trailer below shows what to expect, but anyone familiar with the WiiWare original should already have a pretty good idea: you fit different shapes through holes. The translation of the Japanese genre is...
News Nano Assault Trailer Shoots to Thrill
Have a blast
Just checking: is Shin'en Multimedia's Nano Assault still one of the best looking games on 3DS? Yes, yes it is. That's good, then. The new trailer for the game — out in North America on 22nd November for just $29.99 — shows off more of the same fantastic graphics we've come to expect from Shin'en. The accompanying press release also...
Sunday23rd Oct 2011
First Impressions Mighty Switch Force
The Mighty series just got a lot mightier
While Shantae will probably always be the series WayForward is best known for, it's also been quite successful on Nintendo's download services, especially with its two previous Mighty releases, Mighty Flip Champs and Mighty Milky Way. Now the developer is looking to continue that success with its first 3DS...
Saturday22nd Oct 2011
An unrequested fishin' surplus
We know what you're thinking: "yawn... another colour-matching puzzler." And you'd be forgiven for shrugging and moving on. If you do that, however, you'll be missing out on a game that's quite good on its own, and a multiplayer experience that absolutely bursts with frantic fun. Fish Tank is a game that's...
News We Have an Exclusive Extra Level for Pyramids
Scan it below
3DS download Pyramids just released on the eShop in Europe, with one of its major features the ability to add new levels by scanning a QR code just like the one below. In order to access our exclusive Pyramids level, follow these instructions: Launch Pyramids On the title's front screen, select 'QR CODE' The top screen will show...
Review Castle Conqueror - Revolution (DSiWare)
It revolves, but it doesn't evolve
The first Castle Conqueror game was one that we definitely felt comfortable recommending. It mixed cutesy aesthetics with fast and addictive gameplay, and while seasoned RTS veterans no doubt found the game a little too simplified, the amount of fun it offered was difficult to resist. Its sequel, Castle Conqueror...
Round Table Let's Talk About Castlevania
25 years of memories
This week has been Castlevania features week. We’ve picked our top ten games from the series, reviewed an awful novelisation of Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest, and provided some tips for wannabe Dracula hunters. One thing that has become clear amongst the team is that this series is packed full of memories and nostalgia, as...
Friday21st Oct 2011
Third dimension is the charm
When Cave Story was first released for the PC in 2004, players quickly fell in love with its simple visual design and action-packed gameplay. And while the game has generally retained that look and feel for its subsequent multiplatform releases in recent years, Nicalis decided to put the 3D capabilities of Nintendo's new...
Review 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (DS)
Fine, fine, fine
You wake up in a cabin on a ship, clueless as to how you arrived. You soon remember a mysterious figure in a gas mask and an odd odour filling your apartment. Before you have time to put the pieces together, the window cracks and water begins to flood the small space. Either you find a way out of the locked room, or you drown. This...
News Kid Icarus, Kirby Getting 3D Classics Makeovers
And PictoChat lives on, sort of
Following the illustrious lead of Excitebike, Xevious, Twinbee and, uh, Urban Champion, Nintendos of Japan and Europe announced that NES gems Kid Icarus and Kirby's Adventure are next i
News 3DS System Transfer Tool Arrives With November Update
It's not a physical tool, you understand
Frustrated that all the awesome content for your 3DS is trapped within its physical body, unable to exit to reside within another, perhaps differently coloured console? Angry that no matter how many times you tap the 3DS Transfer Tool in the system menu it won't let you move content between consoles? You'll...
News We Wish These Mario 3DS Consoles Weren't Japan Only
Too cool for words
It's a complaint we've heard countless times over the years: "Japan gets all the cool stuff." It's not always true of course — just look at StarTropics — but these limited edition Mario-themed 3DS consoles are definitely some of the coolest things we've seen. The Mario, Peach and Super Mushroom machines are special...
News Nintendo Direct October 2011 - 3DS Gets Official Plans for Hulu Plus and 3D Video Recording
Streaming service also Wii-bound
Much of the hullabaloo surrounding the upcoming 3DS system update and its will-they-won't-they feature set can be put to rest, as Nintendo has now stepped in to reveal exactly what it will entail for the device's multimedia capabilities. At the end of November the 3DS will get the ability to record 3D video for up...
News Mario Kart 7 Online Features Come Into View
Group effort
As promised, Nintendo has opened up about the online features in its big multiplayer title for 2011, Mario Kart 7. One of the big new features is the ability to create groups for your friends, letting you organise players into specific skill, location or friendship groups, with these shared via StreetPass too. You can also custom rules...
News Three Brand New Zelda Skyward Sword Trailers
Just for you
It's Friday, and that means one thing: time to get down. It also means time to check out some brand new footage of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, with three trailers to choose from this week: Goddess Cubes, Eldin Volcano and the Earth Temple, all right here. Skyward Sword is just four weeks away. Getting excited? Goddess Cubes:...
News Nikkei Leads with Nintendo Firmware Update Details
10 minutes of 3D recording
Japanese newspaper Nikkei reports that the upcoming 3DS firmware update will land in late November and allow up to 10 minutes of 3D video recording. The paper (via Andriasang) also states that these videos can be uploaded to sites like YouTube, though it doesn't specify that this is possible directly from the 3DS, meaning...
News StreetPass Mode Shown in Super Mario 3D Land Vid
More to share
Nintendo just released a new video sharing a little information about the StreetPass mode in surefire Christmas hit Super Mario 3D Land as well as some of the other recently announced features and characters. The local sharing function allows players to exchange so-called "Mystery Box" levels with each other. These stages are...
News Learn About Heat and Music in Skyward Sword
Very important information
The latest update from Nintendo about Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword reveals more locales and more items Link will encounter along the way in his new journey which, you probably know, is just four weeks away. Zelda experts may be surprised to hear Nintendo refer to one particular item as "all new" as it bears a...
News Sonic Generations 3DS Release Dates Finally Revealed
Not long to wait
After earlier confirmation that Sonic Generations will indeed see release on 3DS next month, we now have the game's final confirmed release dates in North America and Europe. North Americans get a few days' head start on Europe with a release date set for Tuesday 22nd November, while Europeans can pick up Sonic's adventure the...
News Eurosport, Red Bull and Aardman 3D Content Coming to 3DS
The roll out keeps rolling
While North America prepares to get Hulu Plus for 3DS — it already has Netflix too — Europe is left sadly wanting in the 3D video stakes. That'll soon change though, according to Nintendo's recently revealed plans to release more 3D video content in the coming months. Starting "soon", videos from Red Bull and...
Thursday20th Oct 2011
Nintendo Download 20th October 2011 (North America)
Dragons, castles and more
Some games we expected to be available today haven't made it, but here's the full list of what's up for your download dollars today including the 3DS's first ever paid video content. 3DS Virtual Console: Double Dragon (Game Boy, Aksys, $3.99) — The classic 2D side-scroller finally makes it to North America, nearly four...
News Mario Kart 7 Art Shows DK, Peach and Big Blue Shells
All the right ingredients
Last week's Mario Kart artwork — Mario Kartwork, if you will — has been quickly overtaken by this new set of pictures showing Donkey Kong, Princess Peach and Mario all enjoying their brand new rides. Peach's regal mobile looks fine and dandy with its tiny wheels, while DK and Mario have both decked out their rides with...
News New Super Mario 3D Shots Show Tonnes of New Stuff
But we won't say what
Nintendo's putting out new media every week for its biggest titles, but we know you like to save yourselves until the games are released. We do too. That's why we're not going to tell you about the new power-ups, stages or bosses pictured in the Super Mario 3D Land screenshots below. Instead, we'll just let the 62 new images...
News So That's What a Boomerang Flower Looks Like
Guess what it does
A few weeks ago we brought you news of a new power-up in Super Mario 3D Land, and now we see exactly how you'll be strapping on the new suit. The official Super Mario 3D Land website just updated with some brand new screenshots, showing off more of the game's secrets. For instance, we now know that Boom Boom's female counterpart...
News More 3DS System Update Details on 4th November
New StreetPass game on the way
Update: It appears the update will not be released on 4th November, but rather this is the date we can expect to know more information. Original story: Nintendo promised a major 3DS system update next month, and it seems the new features may make it sooner rather than later, with a new report pointing to a 4th November...
Nintendo Download 20th October 2011 (Europe)
Another late one
Just like last week, there's been no press release announcing what's available this week but here's what's appeared in Nintendo's digital shops. 3DS eShop: Pyramids (Enjoy Gaming, €4/£3.60) — You'd think Nintendo would make more of a song and dance about this, only the second third-party release for the 3DS eShop, but hey ho...
News Pluck Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns 3DS on 1st November
Free toy too
With the regular DS version of Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns already available in North America, Natsume has revealed a release date for its 3D companion: 1st November. As is traditional for a new HM game, customers who pre-order Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns on 3DS will get a free cuddly toy, this time the same alpaca that...
First Impressions Gnomz (WiiWare)
WiiWare gets weirder
QubicGames' Gnomz isn't much like other fighting games. There are no punches, no blocks and no health bars — instead it has gnomes, rainbow socks and reindeer with lights on. We recently grappled with a preview version of the game and came out (mostly) mentally unscathed. Played with the Wii Remote sideways, Gnomz is a...
Feature A Guide to Hunting Dracula
The old-school way
So far this week we’ve listed our top 10 Castlevania games, while also launching the Nintendo Life Book Club with the horrific Simon’s Quest novel. A common theme across the series is the quest to defeat Dracula, mostly by trekking through his unfeasibly huge castle. Should the unlikely ever occur and the world looks to you to...
News Metroid Database Needs Your Help with Series Bestiary
Get artsy
Long-running fansite Metroid Database needs your help compiling an in-depth record of every creature that inhabits the series' enormous universe. With so many games in the Metroid series the site needs help from artists and knowledgeable veterans to bring the catalogue to completion. In its current incomplete stage it's still a fascinating...
Wednesday19th Oct 2011
News Nintendo Holding Online 3DS Press Conference on Friday
Learn more about Mario Kart
Nintendo of Japan has announced an online press conference for 3DS taking place this Friday at 8pm Japanese time. Dubbed the "Nintendo 3DS New Information Internet Presentation", the event will be a pre-recorded video of Satoru Iwata going over some of the information that couldn't fit into the company's...
News AiRace: SPE3D Racing to 3DS with Online Multiplayer
Not until next year, though
DSiWare flight game AiRace and its sequel AiRace Tunnel were two fine titles for DSi, and now publisher QubicGames has revealed exclusively to us its plans for a 3DS eShop sequel. Development work on the follow-up — cleverly titled AiRace: SPE3D — has just begun at the studio, with new tracks, planes and online...
Interviews QubicGames - Gnomz (WiiWare)
Learn more about the porcelain protectors
After the revelation of Gnomz yesterday we had to sit down with QubicGames' Michał Dys to learn more about the bizarre WiiWare fighting platformer. We'll also have a preview of the game coming up tomorrow, so don't miss it. Nintendo Life: The first question has to be: why gnomes? What is it about them that...
News Pix'n Love Updates Site, Puts New Books Up for Pre-Order
Turning over a new leaf
Pix'n Love Publishing, the company behind the rather good History of Nintendo: Volume 1, has just overhauled its website and put up a stack of new books to pre-order. Top of the list is the next issue in the series, titled The History of Nintendo: Volume 2 — Game & Watch, which goes through the development of Nintendo's...
Tuesday18th Oct 2011
It's evolution, baby
The world is not lacking in Just Dance games. Since that original perfect storm of pop style, goofy fun and lack of inhibition crashed the Wii party near the tail end of 2009, Ubisoft's dance factory has put out an additional eight releases of varying quality in a short two years. It would thus be easy to dismiss Just Dance 3...
Review Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS)
Smells like evil spirit
By this point, most of our readers already know if they will like a Professor Layton game long before it's actually released. This is due to the fact that while the specifics of Layton's investigations change, the gameplay remains largely the same. With games such as these, however, that's not a bad thing. The Professor...
Feature Nintendo Life Book Club - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
For all you bookworms
Here at Nintendo Life we do our best to keep you entertained with a diverse range of news, reviews, features, podcasts and music shows. We've been missing one thing, though: a Nintendo Life Book Club. There's a lot of game-based literature out there, so we thought that the bookworms out there would like to chill out with a...
Review Brunswick Pro Bowling (3DS)
Split!
What's not to like about bowling? The feel of manoeuvring the ball in your hands as you launch it down the lane, the crack of the pins, the fun of going out with your buddies or your team, trying on a pair of communal shoes – ok, not that last one. It was only a matter of time before Crave's Brunswick Pro Bowling series made it to the 3DS,...
News Skyward Sword Nearly Had Button Combat Controls
Things could have gone very differently
We know that Nintendo nearly dropped MotionPlus from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, but it nearly had even less motion for your money, with the revelation in a recent Japanese Iwata Asks article that combat was nearly a button-based affair. The interview (via Silic
News Monster Hunter 3G Definitely Doesn't Have Online Play
The final word
Capcom's confirmed its much anticipated 3DS title Monster Hunter 3 G, due out in Japan in December, definitely won't have online play. The game's official Japanese site restates that the 3DS's online capabilities are only used to download extra content, and that anyone wanting to play multiplayer will need to get together with...
News New Fantasy Life Trailer is the Cutest Thing You'll See Today
Also contains giant dragon
Level-5 and Brownie Brown collaboration Fantasy Life is shaping up to be pretty special, if the super-cute video below is anything to go by. Revealed this past weekend at Level-5's regular press event, the video shows off some of the game's anime-styled cut scenes as well as in-game footage of the fantasy world itself. As...
News Behold, 3D Screenshots of Heroes of Ruin
Thine eyes!
By now you've hopefully listened to the Nintendo Life Podcast: Episode 22 where our host James Newton spoke to Heroes of Ruin community manager Kevin Eva about the 2012-bound 3DS action adventure game. Audio can only do so much, though: visuals pack a far mightier punch, particularly in three glorious dimensions. That's why Square Enix...
News BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 2 Gets Manga Edition in Europe
Extremely limited edition
How many copies would constitute a limited edition print run? 50,000? 5,000? How about 200? That's the number of copies Arc System Works Europe is printing of the BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 2 Manga Edition when it's launched on 4th November 2011. The extremely limited edition comes with the BlazBlue: Phase Zero Prologue...
News Blue Wii Heads Down Under with Donkey Kong In Tow
Hide the bananas
The reconfigured Wii console continues to spread its roots around the world, with Australia due to receive the blue machine on 3rd November. Whereas Europe gets the new colour with Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Australian bundle comes with Donkey Kong Country Returns instead, and all for $198 AUS. It's...
News Are You Afraid of Gnomes? You Will Be After This Gnomz Trailer
Don't go into the garden alone
QubicGames has put out some pretty good games on DSiWare — AiRace and AiRace Tunnel — but it's never made the jump to the big screen... until now. The developer has just told us about Gnomz, a new multiplayer fighting game for WiiWare starring everyone's favourite ornament — the garden gnome. From the video below...
News Ain't No Party Like a Mario and Sonic London Party
Just stay away from Soho
SEGA's next spin on multiplayer sports is just a month away, and to get you all excited for Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games the publisher has revealed a new trailer showing off the game's London Party mode. The minigame mode sees Mario, Sonic and friends take to the streets of England's capital city in...
News Now It's Getting Cold, Stay Warm with Game Boy Gloves
Look cool, feel hot
Our readers in the Southern Hemisphere can comfortably look away now: this one's for the northerners currently approaching the chill of winter. You know we love some Nintendo arts and crafts here, and these knitted Game Boy gloves by Nintendo Life reader MaDonna could be just the thing for keeping your hands warm during the...
Monday17th Oct 2011
Feature Castlevania - The Terrifying Ten
Our favourite Dracula quests
As the dreaded night of Halloween continues to loom ever closer, we are now turning our attention to the Castlevania franchise, which recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary. All of this week there'll be features looking at the series, as we join the hunt to take Dracula down once and for all. In previous features we've...
Review 1001 BlockBusters (DSiWare)
1001 ways to say "meh"
101 Dolphin Pets. 101 Shark Pets. 1001 Crystal Mazes Collection. And now 1001 BlockBusters. Teyon sure tends to feel a great deal of pride for the sheer amount of content it packs into every release. But playing this most recent game, at least, it's difficult not to wish that it'd aim for smaller, more refined ex
News Kids, Nintendo Wants to Know What Your Super Ability Is
Kirby will help
If the recent Kirby's Return to Dream Land artwork inspired you, Nintendo of America has a competition just for you. From today, Nintendo is inviting visitors to Kirby's Super Ability site to submit their own drawings and descriptions of their own Super Abilities, all in support of Starlight Children's Foundation and the upcoming...
News Sonic Generations Still On Course for Release Next Month
Delay rumours may be off target
There's been Internet grumblings recently that Sonic Generations might overshoot its projected November release date and land in 2012. However SEGA has reassured excited fans that the game will still see release next month: Sonic Generations for the Nintendo 3DS system will be released later in November 2011. Of...
News Limited Edition Zelda eShop Cards Confirmed for Europe
Due before Christmas
The Zelda 25th anniversary celebrations continue around the world. Next Tuesday sees the Zelda symphony reach London, and Nintendo of Europe has also confirmed it'll release limited edition Zelda eShop cards across the continent. These are the same designs as Japan's eShop cards and will be available later on this year. Remember...
News Symphonic Concert is the Latest 3D Nintendo Video
Quick, to the 3DS!
Calm down, fans of three-dimensional footage of orchestras rehearsing: today is about to be your best day ever. Nintendo of Europe has just released a 3D video of the Berlin Philharmoniker via SpotPass, as the world famous orchestra rehearses a performance of Russian Dance from Stravinsky's Petrushka, of course. By now you've...
Sunday16th Oct 2011
Review Furry Legends (DSiWare)
Fun, but still floaty
To say that Furry Legends for DSiware has been in development for a long period of time would be an understatement. In fact, the game became so far removed from gamers' minds that many assumed that the game had been cancelled altogether. But here we are, over two years since the game was first announced, and Gamelion has...
Saturday15th Oct 2011
Feature Staff Memories of the Resident Evil Series
Remembering the horror
This week we've been celebrating the Resident Evil franchise, a series of games that has set the benchmark for survival horror and is perfect for this spookiest of months. Before we move onto our next Halloween horrors, some of the Nintendo Life team have cast their minds back to their experiences with Resident Evil titles and...
Podcast Episode 22 - Heroes of Ruin and Super Mario 3D Land
Plus Zelda hype too
That's right: the Nintendo Life podcast is back in action, focusing on some of the biggest games set for release in the next six months. We talk to Heroes of Ruin community manager Kevin Eva about some of the gameplay modes and secret surprises in one of 2012's most promising games, Brad Long shares some of his thoughts about...
News Picture Lives! is Now Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!
Straight to the point
Oddball 3DS eShop download Picture Lives! has been rechristened Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! in Australia. The Australian Board of Classification gave the game a G for General rating, you'll be pleased to know. You can check out a
Friday14th Oct 2011
Review Spider-Man: Edge of Time (3DS)
It ain't easy being radioactive
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions had a lot going for it last year with its snappy presentation of four incarnations of the webhead powered by a scrappy developer. While not quite in swinging distance of comic game king Batman: Arkham Asylum, Shattered Dimensions brought a massive jolt to a franchise on life support...
Review Spider-Man: Edge of Time (Wii)
Here come the Spider-Men
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions had a lot going for it last year with its snappy presentation of four incarnations of the webhead powered by a scrappy developer. While not quite in swinging distance of comic game king Batman: Arkham Asylum, Shattered Dimensions brought a massive jolt to a franchise on life support — and...
XY oh why
X-Men is the type of comic series that makes it tempting to visualise yourself in a starring role. Its heroes are just like the rest of us, give or take a few chromosomes, and its universe works both as an allegory for coming to terms with your identity as it does for the larger issue of race relations. But does X-Men: Destiny mutate into...
Feature Resident Evil's Most Nightmare-Inducing Moments
Playing from behind the sofa
The Resident Evil franchise has forged a reputation for inducing fear in the bravest of gamers. While the series has flirted with a more action-orientated focus, it's the survival-horror aspects that often stay in the memory. Features Editor Thomas Whitehead and writers/Resident Evil experts Zach Kaplan and Marcel van...
News Double Dragon II Coming to Save Wii Virtual Console
Everything's not lost
Well, maybe that's a bit strong, but we can't help but get a little excited when we hear news of another Virtual Console game heading to Wii, even if it is only Double Dragon II on NES. Aksys confirmed it's taking the 8-bit beat 'em up digital in the near future, though there's no more concrete release window than that. Of...
News Minigames, Insects and Giant Swords in Skyward Sword Shots
So much to see
It's Friday, which means more new screenshots and details from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword gracing your Internet boxes. This week's details show the return of the whip, first seen in Zelda: Spirit Tracks, as well as the Scattershot, potion upgrading, giant swords, bug-catching and so much more. Here's Nintendo to tell you more...
News Europe, Your Next Original 3DS eShop Game Launches on 20th October
Visit Pyramids before the end of the month
It's been slim pickings as far as 3DS eShop games go, and that counts double for non-3D Classics. That's set to change on 20th October with Pyramids, a puzzler-platformer from Enjoy Gaming and Visual Impact. The publisher has also informed us that it's set to retail for €4, or about £3.60. The game is...
News 3DS Posts Second Month of Sales Growth in United States
Zelda first to break 500,000
The much-publicised 3DS price cut on 12th August seems to be doing the trick, as Nintendo reports the console's sales have grown month-on-month since the snip. In September Nintendo sold over 260,000 units of the console, an increase over the previous month when 235,000 3DS consoles were sold. Since the price drop,...
Review House, M.D. - Episode 3: Skull and Bones (DSiWare)
Numb skull
It’s about time we all came to terms with the fact that episodic games aren’t really going to change from episode to episode. Sure, each episode may have a different plot and contain different puzzles, but the gameplay will stay generally the same. Because of this, all of the good elements of the first episode will generally carry...
News EnjoyUp Announces Gaia's Moon for DSiWare
Will it be crater-iffic?
Having had some success with Chronos Twins, 99Bullets and Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ, EnjoyUp Gaming's next DSiWare project is Gaia's Moon. The press release promises "amazing graphics", an "unlimited adventure" mode and allows two players to play on the same DSi or 3DS console. Noth
News DS Tops 50 Million Sold Across United States
That's a lot of lost styluses
The 3DS just grew its sales again, but it's got a long way to go to prove itself a potent sales successor to the Nintendo DS, which just passed a whopping 50 million consoles sold in the U.S. We all know that the DS hardware sells well, but games have been its big success too, with Nintendo on hand to reel off some...
News Brand New Nano Assault Gameplay Trailer
Game gets new gameplay video and official site
After enjoying success with its Iridion series on Game Boy Advance, developer Shin'en knocked the socks off of shoot 'em up fans with two Nanostray DS releases. And while Shin'en has released a variety of titles over the past few years, it's the studio's upcoming return to the Nanostray series, Nano...
Thursday13th Oct 2011
Wish you weren't here
Nintendo is a company that's world renowned for its varied cast of versatile characters and Wario is certainly no exception. Since his first playable appearance in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, Wario has starred in a plethora of 2D platforming adventures spanning the Game Boy right through to the DS, each one seeing...
News Kirby's Return to Dream Land Art is What Dreams Are Made Of
Also pink and cute
Kirby's Return to Dream Land is nearly here, and Nintendo is celebrating in fine style with a wealth of pink and cute artwork streaming forth from its archives. The artwork shows Kirby in all number of roles and poses: radio presenter Kirby, scuba diving Kirby, ninja Kirby. You name it, Kirby's doing it. Kirby's Return to Dream...
Nintendo Download 13th October 2011 (North America)
Cat's out of the bag
A little something for everyone this week — other than Wii Virtual Console fans, that is — from WiiWare demos to forgotten classics. 3DS Virtual Console: Catrap (Game Boy, ASK, $2.99) — The original turning-back-time puzzler featuring cats — take that, Blinx the Timesweeper — this game is exactly what Virtual Console...
News Mario Kart 7 Art Races Your Screen
Sorry, that should say "graces"
It's wall-to-wall artwork these days, with new Kirby art released today and now some character artwork for Mario Kart 7 screeching in too. The underwater art is particularly nice, and even if the other artwork has been seen so far it's still a nice reminder that we'll all be able to play some Mario Kart on 3DS in less...
News PassID Takes StreetPass To the Web
Spacial profiling
The 3DS's StreetPass function is nice to have, but the 16 character limit restricts any real information being shared, with no option to enter a Friend Code either. There have been numerous website workarounds, with the latest being PassID. Visitors can sign up for a profile displaying their Mii, Mii QR code, Friend Code and a...
Nintendo Download 13th October 2011 (Europe)
Better late than never
We normally get a heads-up on Europe downloads much earlier in the week, but we're only just hearing about this week's downloads today. Here's the reason why: 3DS Virtual Console: Golf (Game Boy, Nintendo, £2.60/€3) — A portable version of a good walk ruined, it'll do in a pinch but as with most of the GB's sports titles...
News Brand New Cave Story 3D Gameplay Trailer
Old versus new
For those of you out there who are anxiously awaiting the release of Cave Story 3D on 3DS, the folks at NIS America have been kind enough to send over a brand new gameplay trailer of the game in action. In this newest video, you'll get to see just how far the game has come with its brand new 3D visual makeover. There's even some new...
News Resident Evil Revelations Comes Loaded with Multiplayer
Online and local
You don't have to face the nightmare in Resident Evil Revelations alone, as the game's official Japanese site has just confirmed the inclusion of online and local multiplayer modes. The game will allow up to two players in local or online mode, and will feature StreetPass connectivity too. The site doesn't give any further details...
Wednesday12th Oct 2011
Review Horizon Riders (WiiWare)
Well balanced?
Horizon Riders is definitely a Wii-exclusive experience. A game that makes use of both the Balance Board and Wii Zapper, Sabarasa's on-rails shooter is tailor-made for the console. If you are one of the millions that bought Wii Fit, consider yourself in for a treat, as the game makes good use of the peripheral and really shouldn't be...
Review Catrap (3DS eShop / GB)
Definitely not a trap
Nintendo's been releasing 3DS Virtual Console games at a very nice pace so far. In just a few months, we've already had classics like Donkey Kong and Gargoyle's Quest. The newest release, Catrap, however, is probably the most obscure title yet. Originally released in Japan under the title Pitman, and based on a game earlier...
Feature Resident Evil's Nintendo History
Undead on the big N, past, present and future
The claustrophobic darkness. The creeping undead. The hideous monsters. The Resident Evil series has brought such thrills and chills to our TVs since 1996, and it’s taken quite a unique path when it comes to Nintendo consoles. With the month of All Hallows’ Eve upon us, we decided to take a look at...
News Get the Job You Always Wanted in Fantasy Life for 3DS
No, not Nintendo Life reviewer
Japanese developers Level-5 and Brownie Brown — creators of Professor Layton and Mother 3 respectively — are teaming to make Fantasy Life for 3DS, an RPG about keeping your job at the end of the world. Famitsu (via Siliconera) reports that the game will feature 20 jobs including chef, lumberjack, scholar, street...
Interview Enjoy Gaming - Pyramids (3DS eShop)
We talk about the eShop's first 3D puzzler-platformer
We at Nintendo Life love a good puzzle, and Pyramids looks to provide just that. It originally caught our eye as one of the first announced third-party eShop titles, and it's still only one of less than ten in the running so far. We sat down with Enjoy Gaming's Production Manager, Janice Spencer,...
News Australia, You Get the Reconfigured Wii Console Too
Everybody's happy
The Wii-without-GameCube-bits — still marginally shorter than its official title, "newly reconfigured Wii" — is coming to Europe in various colourful bundles, and a black Mario pack in North America. Australian shoppers who fancy getting in on the Wii action will also get chance to buy the console in the coming...
News Guild 01 Is a 3DS Compilation by Japan's Brightest Lights
A dream team of talent
Level-5 is extremely busy on 3DS these days: we know a little more about Fantasy Life but the company also just announced a new project called Guild 01, a collaboration between some of Japan's best designers. Grasshopper Manufacture's Suda 51, Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen director Yasumi Matsuno and Seaman creator...
Rumour The Darkness II Planned for Wii U
Going bump in the night
The third-party software line-up for Wii U looks pretty good already, especially if you like shooting, and now according to VG247 another decidedly hardcore shooter is on its way to the system. 2K's comic book adaptation is on the way to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC in February 2012, but VG247 also reports the publisher is...
News More European Christmas Wii Bundles Announced
How much more can you take?
Blue reconfigured Wii. White reconfigured Wii. Ready for some more Wii packages? Nintendo of Europe hopes so, with two new bundles on the way before Christmas. On 4th November, Europe will get a white Wii with Wii Party and Wii Sports, titled the "Wii Family Edition" by Nin
News Tales of the Abyss 3DS Journeys to North America on 14th February
Better late than never
We recently reported that Tales of the Abyss, the 3DS enhanced remake of the well-regarded PlayStation 2 RPG, will hit PAL regions on 25th November, and Namco Bandai has now confirmed that the game will make it to North America a few months later on 14th February. Valentine's Day just got a little bit more epic. Do you plan on...
Tuesday11th Oct 2011
Book Review The History of Nintendo Volume 1
Let's-a go
You might consider yourself a Nintendo expert, with innumerable facts and figures at your disposal, but even the most knowledgeable follower of the Kyoto company will find hitherto unknown realms of information in The History of Nintendo: Volume 1 — 1889 - 1980: From playing-cards to Game & Watch. The book made waves last year in...
News Reconfigured Black Wii Heads to North America
Mario in tow too
The new Wii console without GameCube support is officially coming to North America, Nintendo has confirmed. From 23rd October Nintendo will offer a black Wii with New Super Mario Bros. Wii and an exclusive Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack CD to boot. The deal will cost around $149.99. Will you be picking one up? BLACK WII HOLIDAY...
News If You Like Storage and Nintendo We Have Just the Site for You
New life for old friends
To many retro gamers, cartridges are hallowed things: plastic shrines that hold the sacred texts within. They're also really handy things for sticking hard drives and portable storage in too, of course. Crafts website Broodr has some of the more ingenious options we've seen so far, with everything from Game Boy Advance carts...
News Konami Takes Pro Evo Online with PES 2012 3D
In at the second attempt?
The 3DS launched with Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D, and although it played a fine game of football it was a little lacking in the content department. Now Konami has announced PES 2012 3D with much-requested features in tow. The headline attraction is online play allowing two 3DS owners to settle scores on the pitch via...
News Centipede Infestation's Weapons Trailer is Old School
You'll see what we mean
You can't beat a good top-down shooter, especially when the enemies are giant bugs and you have flamethrowers and laser guns: that's scientific fact. By similar scientific logic, the upcoming Centipede Infestation on 3DS and Wii should be approaching unbeatability, as the new trailer below shows. The game itself might look a...
Monday10th Oct 2011
Review Side Pocket (3DS eShop / GB)
Dead ball
The great thing about the Virtual Console is that it allows people to experience games that they somehow missed out on the first go around and encourages discovery of forgotten and overlooked gems. The flip side is that not everything dug up has aged particularly well, like Data East's portable version of once-esteemed billiards game Side...
News Looks Like Mario's Got His Boomerang Suit On
Not a throwaway addition
A new piece of artwork has surfaced online showing one of the suits heading to Super Mario 3D Land: the boomerang. While Nintendo hasn't officially released any video or details of the suit, it's not hard to figure out anyway: Mario throws a boomerang. It comes back. Pretty simple. The Boomerang Bro enemies appear in Super...
News Unreleased N64 Game Glover 2 Surfaces Online
The sequel that never was
N64 platformer Glover may have been lost in the sea of other 3D platformers that flooded the system, but it's got nothing on its sequel. Glover 2 was never finished, but in 2010 a prototype version of the game made its way to eBay, allowing the world to see Interactive Studios' unreleased sequel. Check out the video below...
News The 3DS Circle Pad Expansion Comes in This Box
Batteries not included
The 3DS Circle Pad Expansion might look like a beefy behemoth, but there's something appealingly dinky about the box it comes in, in Japan at least. Amazon Japan has an image of the accessory's retail packaging along with a 10th December release date and price of ¥1,500. The box's bottom-right corner also bears an important...
News Blue Wii Console Competing for Europe's Christmas Money
Mario and Sonic bundle revealed
Nintendo's going all-out on coloured consoles these days: after the red, pink and white 3DS consoles, the company has announced a new blue Wii bundle on the way to Europe before Christmas. The newly announced pack is in honour of Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, out 18th November, and includes a copy...
News Nintendo UK Launches New WiiWare Portal
See what you're missing out on
WiiWare, it's safe to say, hasn't had quite the impact some would have hoped. Its problems have been well-documented — not least on this site — but Nintendo UK is throwing more weight behind the service with a new online portal called We are WiiWare. Designed to showcase some of the best games and the teams...
Feature How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse
The Resident Evil way
As we get closer to Halloween and all of the ghouls and ghosts that come with the spookiest of holidays, we feel it’s time to start focusing on what’s important at this time of year: survival. With all of these monsters preparing to rise from their graves, or wherever they’ve been hiding, perhaps we should all plan for...
News Let There Be No Doubt - The Last Story is Australia-Bound
Three out of four ain't bad
Hironobu Sakaguchi's The Last Story will make its way to Europe and Australia next year, as the Australian Classification Board has granted the game an M certificate. That of course leaves North America as the only major English-speaking territory not to be looking forward to the game next year, but there's always hope...
Podcast NLFM Episode 21: Curse of the Halloween Hootenanny
Fear the reaper!
Since it's not only the single best month of the year and because we had so much fun last time [citation needed], the NLFM Halloween Hootenanny has returned! More spooky, more sinister and more deathly, this episode is best listened to in a dark castle dungeon while eating raw pumpkins. Failing that, anywhere else will do. 1. Hip...
News Tales of the Abyss Slips to 25th November in Europe
Still not far off, though
3DS owners haven't got a lot of RPGs vying for their attention at the moment, but one that's on many players' radars is Namco Bandai's Tales of the Abyss, now confirmed for a 25th November release across Europe. The game was originally supposed to make it to European shores a few weeks earlier, but encountered a minor...
Sunday9th Oct 2011
Review Deca Sports Extreme (3DS)
Sixth time the charm?
When we first played Wii Sports back in 2006, it woke us up to the potential of sports compilations to provide simple yet rich entertainment. When it was at its best, it boiled down a game to its essence, then refined that to make something truly special. Since then, countless titles have attempted to reproduce the formula, and...
Saturday8th Oct 2011
FAQ Your Super Mario 3D Land Questions
Updated! New questions! New answers!
We've played the first two worlds of Super Mario 3D Land, and so we opened our inboxes to invite questions from you, the information-hungry Nintendo Life readers. Of course, the game isn't out yet so there are some questions we simply can't answer, but in the interests of fairness we'll reproduce those questions...
A narrow miss
When the 3DS launched in March, Konami instantly seized the opportunity to provide the first football – or soccer, for our US readers – title on the 3DS, with Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D. While that title was prompt but light on content, FIFA 12 has emerged for the second half of the year to attempt a comeback; can it turn the...
Feature Remembering the Super Game Boy
A colourful entry in the Game Boy family
The original Game Boy was a big hit when it launched in 1989, thanks to a winning combination of portability and some cracking games. One thing it did lack, however, was colour. Whilst rival handhelds the Sega Game Gear and Atari Lynx boasted colour back-lit displays, Nintendo's portable was limited to four...
Look both ways before crossing this game
Why did the frog cross the road? We've still yet to receive an answer, but the little guy's been doing it for 30 years. Marking his birthday is Frogger 3D, begging the question: can yet another entry really bring anything new to the table? The answer is yes, as this title takes the little amphibian on a...
News Feast Your Eyes on Skyward Sword's Intro Movie
For real this time
Nintendo has released the superb opening movie for Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and it's sure to brighten up your weekend. The opening movie below needs no words to describe it: just watch it and know you'll be playing Link's next epic adventure in just over 40 days. If you've missed one of the many videos Nintendo's released...
News Explore Skyward Sword's Skyview Dungeon
How can a dungeon have a sky view?
We don't know how the estate agents came up with the name, but Skyview dungeon is the subject of a new trailer for Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The dungeon follows on from the Faron Forest featured in yesterday's dowsing trailer, and features swordfighting and an appearance from Lord Ghirahim. It's the same...
Friday7th Oct 2011
News Officially Licensed 3DS Headset Revealed, Priced and Dated
Chat and tunes in one set
It didn't take long for the Nintendo DS to get an official chat headset, and now the 3DS is getting its own add-on later this year. PowerA's take on the cans features an in-line remote for controlling your music, with play/pause, previous track and next track commands accessed with a single click. It also allows voice chat...
Egads! Tetrominos!
Tetris and handhelds go together like apples and cinnamon, and no more clear has this symbiotic relationship been than on Nintendo hardware, from the time Tetris first dropped like a well-placed I-block into Game Boys everywhere. Tetris DX followed with a splash of colour and tighter play on Game Boy Color, and the...
News Panoramic Super Mario 3D Land Artwork is Awesome
What's that tucked away?
The Super Mario 3D Land box art is nice and all, but it's just a very small square of the bigger picture. The much, much bigger picture. Nintendo Europe just released the full image, weighing in at an eye-watering 10,000 x 4,000 pixels, and it's like a who's who of Mario: Bob-ombs, Toad, Bowser and more are all there, but...
Interview Collecting Smiles - Colors! 3D
Take a look at the upcoming 3D painting app along with the first two screenshots
The 3DS eShop is slowly gaining steam, but most will admit that the download service doesn't quite have the robust library we might hope for four months in, especially when it comes to third-party software. That's set to change soon with the help of Colors! 3D, an art...
News Two More Super Mario 3D Land Trailers for You
Nintendo, you are really spoiling us
If there was any doubt at all that Super Mario 3D Land is one of Nintendo's biggest focus titles for 2011, the sheer amount of new material released for the game lately should put those thoughts to bed. After 74 screenshots, new character artwork and
News Learn All About Dowsing in New Zelda: Skyward Sword Trailer
It led you here
Are you ready to start your weekend with new details about the most anticipated Wii game of the year? We strongly advise reading on, then. Nintendo has released a new trailer and details about Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, with the first video below showing off the brand new dowsing ability. The press release promises details about...
News Nicalis Announces VVVVVV for 3DS eShop
VVVVVVery good news
In the wake of its success bringing Cave Story to DSiWare, Nicalis has announced it's bringing VVVVVV to the 3DS eShop later this year. The gravity-flipping retro platformer has been around the indie scene for a while and is generally regarded as an innovative and very enjoyable ride: it's less about jumping and more about...
News EA Pledges "Key Franchises" to Wii U
FIFA, Madden, Battlefield?
With a release date way off in the misty distance of 2012, there's not a huge amount of Wii U information to go around at the moment, but EA chief operating officer Peter Moore is confident the mega-publisher will be there with all its big titles. Speaking to Reuters, Moore revealed he's heading over to Nintendo's Japanese...
Thursday6th Oct 2011
Review Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GameCube)
Super Sonic or Super Chronic?
SEGA's attempt to have Sonic the Hedgehog transcend his 2D roots and venture into the realm of 3D didn't go nearly as smoothly as Nintendo's own Super Mario 64, despite Sonic Adventure being generally well received upon its release on the Dreamcast in 1999. It didn't take long for the cloud to lift from the judgement of...
News A Whole World of Super Mario 3D Land Artwork
Guess who's back?
Nintendo's just released yet more character artwork from Super Mario 3D Land, showing some classic characters will make their return. Super Mario Bros. 3 veterans will recognise the Boomerang Bro — also seen in New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario Galaxy 2 — but there are new characters too: Boom Boom seems to have f
Talking Point Should Nintendo Regularly Offer Free Games for Download?
Is continuing in Four Swords' footsteps the answer to the $0.99 download mentality?
As of last week, every DSiWare gamer can download The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition for free. This was originally a full retail title, now with added wireless connectivity, a new single-player mode and bonus levels. Compare that to Super Mario...
News Ubisoft: "Nobody Proved Wii Does FPS Controls Better"
Many have tried...
If there's one genre that's really exploded in popularity on consoles over the last five years, it's the first-person shooter, the Call of Duty series in particular experiencing phenomenal growth. While these titles thrive on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, they don't always take advantage of the Wii's qualities, particularly when it comes...
Nintendo Download 6th October 2011 (North America)
Bulging pockets
Following on from Baseball and Golf, the Game Boy sports trend continues with this week's Virtual Console release, while WiiWare gets some futuristic shooting action while DSiWare gets medical problems and minesweeping. The Nintendo Download: always varied. 3DS Virtual Console: Side Pocket (Game Boy, G-Mode, $2.99) — Europe...
News Mario Kart 7 Screens Come Up Tails
That pesky thing gets everywhere
The Tanooki suit is back, and how. As well as a starring role in Super Mario 3D Land, it's also set to feature as a power-up in Mario Kart 7, as these new screens show. The tail attaches to the back of your kart and, as you'd expect, can take out other racers with a quick swipe, as you can see in this screenshot...
News Nintendo Japan Unveils Ice White 3DS Console
Out 3rd November
It seems the 3DS console's range of colours is growing out of control: no sooner has Nintendo announced the Misty Pink 3DS for Japan, it's come out and announced another new colour — Ice White. The colour harks back to the Game Boy Advance's classic Arctic White scheme, of course, but boasts the familiar black surround for the 3DS...
News Limited Edition Monster Hunter 3 G Bundles to Hit Japan
Time to drool
Monster Hunter 3 G is just two months away from launching in Japan, with a lot resting on its broad warrior's shoulders. For maximum impact, Nintendo and Capcom have teamed up to provide two limited edition bundles that should hopefully turn excitement into sales. First off is the limited edition Monster Hunter 3 G 3DS console...
News We Have 74 New Screenshots of Super Mario 3D Land
And now so do you
Forget less is more: when it comes to Super Mario 3D Land, it's definitely a case of more is more. After the Super Mario 3D Land artwork earlier this morning we now have 74 — count 'em — new screenshots of Mario's latest adventure, showing everything from giant Goombas to what looks like a "super" Tanooki suit. Check...
News Keiji Inafune's King of Pirates is the Cutest Pirate Game Ever
Such big eyes
Forget Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure: there's a new contender on the block for "most adorable pirates". Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune just unveiled the trailer for his new 3DS game, King of Pirates, and it's full of all the things we love about video games: action, pirates, penguins and an eagle holding a...
News Nintendo Takes New Titles to New York Comic Con
Mario, Zelda and more on hand
If you want to get your hands on some of Nintendo's biggest upcoming titles and you're heading to New York Comic Con, you're in luck — Nintendo has revealed a 15-strong line-up of games playable at the event next week. Comic Con runs from 13th to 16th October at Manhattan's Javits Center, and sees hands-on time for...
Wednesday5th Oct 2011
Review Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (DS)
Farm-assured prime cut
Thanks to Rising Star Games, gamers in Europe have finally caught up on the Rune Factory series — until Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny launches on Wii in North America next week, that is. Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon on DS is the third and so far final portable instalment in the Harvest Moon spin-off, and the...
News Marvelous Reveals Brand New Harvest Moon for 3DS
It was only a matter of time
Natsume is preparing a 3DS version of Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns, but it's really just an enhanced version of the DS game and not a brand new game. The honour of being the first unique Harvest Moon for 3DS goes to Bokujou Monogatari: Hajimari no Daichi, or Harvest Moon: First Earth according to Andriasang. Famitsu...
Review Crystal Caverns of Amon-Ra (DSiWare)
Is the quality of this game just a mirage?
Puzzle games are a dime a dozen on DSiWare, so when a new one comes along, it's pretty easy to dismiss. Throw in a word like "crystal" and the words "Bejeweled clone" immediately come to mind. While this does involve the matching of three similarly coloured objects, however, Crystal...
Feature A Peek Behind the BIT.TRIP Curtain
Concept art and inspirational materials pulled straight from the Gaijin Games archives
Gaijin Games' BIT.TRIP series hits all the right notes for retro game enthusiasts over the course of its six games: Clever and varied design, formidable challenge, pregnant storytelling and an audio/visual style that quotes the days of the Atari 2600 without the...
Tuesday4th Oct 2011
Review escapeVektor: Chapter 1 (WiiWare)
Virtual world, real quality
After the delightful Pop (and its various offshoots), it seemed a bit like Nnooo was taking a break from game development. The studio released several applications through DSiWare, and while they were quite good, gamers might be forgiven for assuming that the company's future releases would gravitate more toward...
Review Mickey's Speedway USA (Nintendo 64)
Another kart racing game? Oh, boy!
By the end of the Nineties, UK developer Rareware had established itself as one of the most talented softcos in the world, and along with Nintendo's own in-house output, had helped to placate Nintendo 64 gamers throughout most of the console's life with a steady supply of premium software. Having delivered the...
News Survey - 58% of Indie Devs Say Nintendo Difficult to Deal With
Interesting statistics ahead
2D Boy is responsible for World of Goo, one of the best games WiiWare has to offer. The studio's Ron Carmel recently conducted a survey of around 200 independent developers, asking which formats the teams had supported and planned to continue working on in future. Sadly, Nintendo consoles sit right at the bottom. The...
News Robin Williams and Zelda Team Up for Four Swords Adverts
Back in the saddle
Robin Williams named his daughter Zelda after The Legend of Zelda, and now 25 years on he's still connected to the series, as this pair of adverts for The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition shows. The first advert shows the Williams clan competing to collect the most Rupees, with Robin so confident he bets his...
Interview Gameloft - Let's Golf! 3D and the State of the eShop
Talkin' shop
The 3DS eShop is entering its fourth month, but besides the 3D Classics series and Pokédex 3D, the only original software available for download is Let's Golf! 3D from Gameloft. As we look forward to the future of Nintendo's online shops and back at their predecessors, we decided to sit down with the team and chat about the Big N's...
News Nintendo Reveals Zelda: Skyward Sword Trailer
Soak it up
The avalanche of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword videos continues: we've seen the romance trailer and sword tutorial, but here's a trailer showing all sorts of other good stuff. The suitably epic video is embedded below, but be warned: it contains footage of previously unseen boss battles, as well as bamboo, balancing, balls and
News Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove Spooks 3DS Today
Starting Hallowe'en early
We took our first steps with Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove: Monster Mix on WiiWare back in May, and now the spooky series has launched on 3DS as Natsume announces Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove 3D is available across North America from today. The 3DS's first dancing game follows Gabrielle, a poor girl who's sneezed her soul right...
News Dreamworks Creating Exclusive 3D Video Content for 3DS
Starting today
Nintendo of America has just announced new partnerships with Dreamworks Animation, 3net and the Blue Man Group that will see all three bring new 3D video to the Nintendo Video application on 3DS. The first video from Dreamworks, featuring the characters from Monsters vs. Aliens, will go live today, followed by a second video featuring...
Competition Nintendo Europe Launches Japanese RPG Trio Contest
Look away, North America
One of the ways Nintendo of Europe marketed the superb Xenoblade Chronicles was with a series of official Let's Play videos over on YouTube. Depending on your point of view, it either went very well or very badly, as NoE now wants players to create their own Let's Play series as part of a new competition. The videos can be...
News Disney Registers Castle of Illusion Trademark
To what end?
Here's a curious one: Disney has just registered a trademark for Castle of Illusion that explicitly states it refers to video game cartridges, discs and software. Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse was a much-loved release back on the Mega Drive, and although it's unlikely this trademark could point towards the game's re-release...
News Nintendo UK Calls Circle Pad Expansion "Slider Pad"
Is this the official name?
The announcement of a release date for Resident Evil Revelations came with a small nugget of interesting news: the first time a western branch of Nintendo has mentioned the upcoming Circle Pad expansion in a press release. The official release mentions the attachment in passing, saying: The game is also compatible with...
News Resi Revelations Infects North America on 7th February
Europe on 27th January
Capcom has announced a release date for the first of 2012's big 3DS games: Resident Evil Revelations. The 3DS exclusive will reach North America on 7th February 2012, with retailer GameStop offering a protective 3DS case when you pre-order and purchase. Gamers in Europe get it even earlier: it launches across the continent on...
News Grapple With the First WWE All Stars 3DS Footage
The ultimate warrior?
THQ's battle of the ages WWE All Stars is coming to 3DS, and we've got the first video footage below. Admittedly the game isn't the most visually impressive game we've seen on the console yet, but hopefully it can deliver in the gameplay department with 43 playable characters and brand new modes including survival challenge...
Monday3rd Oct 2011
Review Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked (3DS)
Cool as hell
Nintendo 3DS owners don't have many choices when it comes to picking out a new RPG nowadays. Aside from DS games, the only title currently out in the genre is Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked, which is itself a port of a 2009 DS game. Atlus's decision to bring the title over to the 3DS may seem a bit confusing at first,...
Review Aliens: Infestation (DS)
"Another glorious day in the Corps!"
Of the four main Alien films, it's James Cameron’s action packed 1986 movie Aliens that provides the most explosive source material for a video game conversion. Konami knew this when it picked up the licence and released a fun arcade game, enabling players to blast pink xenomorphs in 1990. SEGA fans have...
Review Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection (3DS)
Top of the high score table or tilt?
When was the last time you played a really great pinball table? Not a digital approximation but an actual whiz-bangin', light-flashin', chaos table? Sadly, the agonising death of the arcade has put a damper on the availability of pinball tables, and unless you're one of the lucky few who live nearby a...
News Pokedex 3D Update Unlocks Content For You
It's all here
Free 3DS download Pokédex 3D is one of the more compelling reasons to use SpotPass: new monsters are sent to your console every day, and all you have to do is switch on and collect them. The more monsters you collect, the more you can do with them, with some features locked away until you collect a certain number of character...
It's all about perspective
The last time we played Super Mario 3D Land, we came away confident that Nintendo was taking its mascot forward, as our preview explained. That was based on a four level demo but we've since played the game's opening two worlds, so does that first impression still hold true? Well, it all depends on your point of view...
Nintendo Download 6th October 2011 (Europe)
Three to go
There's new content on 3DS Virtual Console, WiiWare and DSiWare this week, so let's get to it and see what's on the way. 3DS Virtual Console: Catrap (Game Boy, ASK, £2.60/€3) — You must restore Catboy and Catgirl to their normal forms — whatever that may be — by heading through a series of mind-bending puzzles. Not the most...
News Sonic Generations Japanese Site Opens with New Details
Some good, some bad
Sonic Generations — the ultimate celebration of everything fans love about SEGA's iconic hero — just veered dangerously into "uh-oh" territory. The game's official Japanese site just opened and revealed that alongside Sonic, Tails, Dr Robotnik and Metal Sonic, the so-called ultimate life form Shadow the Hedgehog...
News Can Fossil Fighters: Champions Make Cleaning Fun?
It's going to have a good try
The DS has had more games about cleaning dinosaur fossils than we ever imagined: Dinosaur King, Fossil Fighters and the upcoming Fossil Fighters: Champions to name three. Now, to get you really excited, Nintendo has released a video showing exactly how to clean fossils in its upcoming DS adventure. The trailer below...
Sunday2nd Oct 2011
Review The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition (DSiWare)
Four Links for the price of none
In the hubbub, hype and over-excitement of E3 2011, some gamers would have been particularly delighted by a DSiWare announcement from Nintendo: while that seems unlikely, it does reflect the dedication of fans and their love for the Zelda series. After a relatively short wait, the much anticipated The Legend of...
Review Thor: God of Thunder (3DS)
Does 3D Thor give 2D a hammering?
When SEGA decided to port Thor: God of Thunder to 3DS, there were two clear routes available: could build upon the DS game, a well-received pixel art 2D side-scrolling brawler by WayForward, or directly convert Red Fly Studio’s third person Wii hack-and-slash title. It chose the latter — after all Red Fly has...
Review 101-in-1 Explosive Megamix (WiiWare)
101 reasons to avoid this
One hundred and one games. It's a tempting proposition isn't it? It's unlikely that as an average consumer you will play, let alone purchase, one hundred and one games in a whole year, so when Nordcurrent comes a-knockin' at your door and offers you exactly that many titles for the low, low price of 700 Points, you'd be...
Together at last
Say what you will about the rest of the game, one thing Bugs'N'Balls gets exactly right is its title. It has bugs, and they are indeed armed with balls. The question is this: do bugs and balls go together like peanut butter and jelly, or is it more like oil and water? Let's just say it's peanut butter jelly time. Bugs'N'Balls is...
News Japanese Virtual Console List - October 2011
Four score
The amount of releases for Wii Virtual Console in the West has gotten woefully small as of late. Europe hasn't had a new title since early June, while the last handful of releases North America has gotten were all simply to catch up to Europe. The situation isn't so dire in Japan: they've been getting four or more new games per month for...
News Learn to Wield the Master Sword in Skyward Sword Video
Wii MotionPlus at work
The deluge of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword videos continues, with the new footage below showing just how accurate the new MotionPlus-powered swordfighting is. The tutorial video below depicts Link slashing in all directions to fell the training logs, developing skills that will come in handy for overcoming the wily enemies...
Saturday1st Oct 2011
Round Table Remembering the Nintendo 64
Check out the polygons!
This week we have been celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the Nintendo 64, looking at memorable games, the revolutionary aspects of the system, the let-downs and disappointments, as well as the possible 3D future for N64 titles. Now it’s time to relax and get into some good old retro reminiscences, scouring our aging...
