News - 2011, Week 47

Saturday26th Nov 2011

  • Feature Keeping Mario at the Top

    A never-ending icon

    Mario is the face of Nintendo, a fact that is clear to most. As a character, however, he lacks any depth or back-story. Although some titles, such as the Mario & Luigi RPG titles on the Game Boy Advance and DS, apply a simple and humorous story to Mario and his world, he is often simply rescuing a Princess from a giant turtle...

  • Review James Noir's Hollywood Crimes (3DS)

    The big easy

    Since its debut, the DS console's (then) unique capabilities have presented developers with more than ample scope to push boundaries and explore new ways for us to interact and perceive handheld games. The touch screen has been hugely beneficial for Level 5’s Professor Layton series, which has proved to be so incredibly popular with...

Friday25th Nov 2011

  • Review Sonic Generations (3DS)

    Spin cycle

    A lot can change in 20 years. When the original Sonic the Hedgehog launched on 23rd June 1991 we didn't even have the Super NES in the West, and the thought that Nintendo and SEGA would one day work together was less than laughable. Yet here we are, two decades later, playing a celebration of Sonic's career on Nintendo's latest console. A...

  • Review Metroid II: Return of Samus (3DS eShop / GB)

    Exploring colourless lands

    When Metroid was first released it was a unique game: with a lot of exploring to do across a giant map and with plenty of hidden items and paths, those willing to spend the time to find everything were well rewarded. The original title has aged fairly poorly though — the game lacks many things we take for granted...

  • News Japanese Virtual Console List - December 2011

    Keep on trucking

    Japan got seven Wii Virtual Console games last month while other regions got zero, but they still show no signs of stopping, as next month will offer another four. It's evenly divided between the Super Famicom and Neo Geo, with one of the games being another instalment in a certain Capcom series that ends with "X". The...

  • News Nintendo Finishing Mario Kart 7 Was an "Act of Emergency"

    Calling all cars

    Mario Kart series producer Hideki Konno has revealed Nintendo saw finishing work on Mario Kart 7 as an "act of emergency", according to a new Japanese Iwata Asks article (via Eurogamer). Konno reveals the game started development with just eight staff attached, but that once team members were peeled off to wo

  • News Send Your Friend a Mario Kart 7 Item to Brighten Their Day

    Here comes Bullet Bill!

    Mario Kart 7 is out next week, and to get you geared up (sorry) Nintendo has revamped the game's official website with new videos, information and social features. By visiting the items page you can send any of your Facebook friends an item from the series, so why not be the best friend ever and send them a Spiny Shell? We're...

  • News Nintendo Faces More Calls to Embrace Mobile

    Everyone's in on the act

    Andy Payne, chairman of UK Interactive Entertainment — the UK's games industry trade association — is the latest in a long line of industry notables to call on Nintendo to create games for smartphones. Speaking at Liverpool's Develop conference, Payne spoke in response to an audience statement that platform exclusivity...

  • News This Is The Sonic Generations Storyline Comic Strip

    Try to keep up

    Sonic Generations is out in Europe today, and what better way to celebrate than a comic strip explaining the game's story? Using still shots from the game's rendered intro — only available in the HD version, sadly — the strip sets up exactly why two eras of Sonic find themselves racing through the same stages. It also contains...

  • News Solve the Mystery of the James Noir Launch Trailer

    Oh, that was easy

    One of the earliest third-party games revealed for 3DS James Noir's Hollywood Crimes finally makes it to Europe today, and we have a new launch trailer to show off. Originally called Hollywood 61, the game has one of the most bizarre plots we've ever heard in a game: as a contestant in a 1960s game show, you soon discover a...

Thursday24th Nov 2011

Wednesday23rd Nov 2011

  • Review The Sims 3 Pets (3DS)

    A new leash on life

    Porting life management simulator The Sims to handhelds has proven a mixed experience with more missteps than successes, but when The Sims 3 debuted as a 3DS launch title the series hit one of its lowest lows to date. The obvious rush job felt like a cynical slap to the face, EA having sped the title to store shelves in a direly...

  • News Miyamoto: "Super Mario 64 Was Boring"

    Wasn't always a classic

    We now know that Super Mario 64 is one of the most important genre leaps in gaming history, taking Nintendo's mascot from 2D into 3D with enormous skill and craftsmanship. However, creating the game wasn't plain sailing, as a new Iwata Asks reveals. The discussion — which comes in at a colossal 26 pages — reveals that...

  • News Miyamoto Not a Huge Fan of Mario Kart 7 Customisation

    But he came around

    One of the biggest additions to Mario Kart 7 is the ability to change up your racer to suit the surroundings: big tyres, little tyres, that sort of thing. That's not to say that everyone within Nintendo was keen on including customisation though, with gaming genius Shigeru Miyamoto revealing he was against it initially. Speaking...

  • News New Harvest Moon: First Earth 3DS Videos Ripen Up

    Don't soil yourself

    North America has already had one Harvest Moon game on 3DS — Harvest Moon 3D: The Tale of Two Towns — but that was really a slightly different version of the DS original rather than a just-for-3DS deal. The console's first original entry in the series is Harvest Moon: First Earth, or Bokujou Monogatari: Hajimari no Daichi in...

  • News No Good at Monster Hunter? Buy Quest Rewards Instead

    StreetPass mode explained

    While every hunter this side of Japan anxiously awaits a release date for Monster Hunter 3 G, Capcom has revealed more of the game's StreetPass features including an intriguing method of clearing quests. StreetPassed players will appear in a tavern by the harbour; for a fee, you can send them out to clear any quest they've...

  • News New Mutant Mudds Trailer Released

    Gets ESRB rated as well

    Few titles excited us back at E3 in June more than Renegade Kid's upcoming 3DS eShop platformer Mutant Mudds, so to say that we've been keeping an anxious eye on the project over the past few months would be an understatement. Thankfully, Jools Watsham, lead director of Mutant Mudds, has been kind enough to send over the...

  • News Try a Spot of Doctor Lautrec with Flash Demo

    What a challenging conundrum

    We don't have downloadable demos on 3DS yet, so Konami's free web-based demo for Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights is a nice chance to try before you buy. The Doctor Lautrec Flash game takes you through the game's 19th Century Parisian introduction with a little dialogue and puzzling to get your mental muscles...

Tuesday22nd Nov 2011

  • Feature The Most Bizarre Nintendo Life Search Results

    You won't believe your eyes

    We get around 300,000 referrals from search engines every month, but while you won't be surprised by the most popular searches — turns out around 50,000 people find it hard to remember the address nintendolife.com — some of the bottom-ranked searches will certainly raise your eyebrows. Here — in the spirit of our...

  • Review Pinocchio's Puzzle (WiiWare)

    Pinocchio goes to pieces

    Chances are, when you're deciding to pick up a puzzle game for your console of choice, you don't think of actual jigsaw puzzles. They just don't fit easily into the genre's landscape. Popular puzzlers like Tetris and Angry Birds have an immediacy to them that encourages quick play and gratification, while a real jigsaw...

  • Nintendo Download 24th November 2011 (Europe)

    Samus returns

    Four titles on the download front this week, with a bit of a mish-mash of styles: shooting, singing, escaping and bounty hunting. Of course there's only one title we're really interested in, so let's just dive in and introduce you to this week's contestants. 3DS Virtual Console: Metroid II: Return of Samus (Game Boy, Nintendo,...

  • News Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword Journeys West in 2012

    Ken-do attitude

    You might remember our recent story on Samurai Hirari Sakura, a samurai sword fighting game that hit Japan's 3DS eShop last week. Nintendo of America has now confirmed the game is on the way to North America next year with a new name. Called Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword, the downloadable 3DS game is due out in January for an...

  • News SEGA Opens Official Sonic Merchandise Store for Europe

    Just in time for Christmas

    Sonic's 20th anniversary may have been five months ago, but the celebrations continue all year round, as SEGA has just opened a new official store dedicated to its mascot. Sonic Merchandise currently serves the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany and France with officially endorsed products including t-shirts, toys, posters,...

  • News Samus Shoots 3DS VC in North America This Week

    Double bounty

    It's another simultaneous release on the 3DS Virtual Console this week, as Nintendo of America has confirmed Metroid II: Return of Samus is coming to the eShop on Thursday. Set before Super Metroid, Metroid II is — as surely everybody knows — completely devoid of Space Pirates, despite the official Nintendo press release stating:...

  • News Sonic Generations 3DS Launch Trailer Gathers Speed

    Out this week

    SEGA's mascot just hit 3DS in North America today, and to celebrate here's a brand new launch trailer. The video shows off Sonic Generations' stages, bosses, multiplayer and StreetPass mode, so if you've been waiting to see which classic and modern Sonic moments are revisited in the 'hog's first 3DS outing then wait no longer. Sonic...

  • News Nano Assault Delayed Until December 5th

    In case you were wondering

    We're currently enjoying a busy period of major Nintendo game releases, but one intriguing third-party title has quietly slipped off the radar. Nano Assault for the 3DS was thought to be due for release this week in North America, but publisher Majesco has confirmed to us that it is has been pushed back to 5th December. As...

  • News Roll Up For An Exciting Fortune Street Trailer

    Mario and friends take stock

    Property board game Fortune Street (Boom Street to Europeans) might not sound like the most exciting upcoming game for Wii, but if this video below doesn't have you jumping for joy when Mario increases his net worth and is able to purchase the bank... well, there's a good chance you're not even human. Genuinely...

  • News Learn to Crush in 3D with New Training Trailer

    We've got a crush

    SEGA's CRUSH3D — the story of an insomniac who compresses three-dimensional space to cure his illness — isn't like other games. That's probably one of the reasons why SEGA just sent over a new trailer showing how you play the game, due out in early 2012. Let the silky-voiced narrator explain (in quite some detail) how to...

Monday21st Nov 2011

  • Rumour 3DS Video Update Lands on 30th November

    Get ready for launch

    Nintendo UK recently launched a large-scale advertising campaign for its 3DS, with one of the focuses being the upcoming 3D video recording feature. Several users have contacted us to report that the advert claims the feature will be available "from 30th November". Update: YouTube user hutch1081 has recorded the advert...

  • Feature The Revolution of the Wii

    Five years on

    We’ve just passed the fifth anniversary of the Wii, Nintendo’s current generation console. With the Wii U likely to arrive in late 2012 these are the final months for the Wii at the forefront of Nintendo gaming in the home, with the recent release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword providing a much needed boost to the ageing...

  • News Mario and Zelda Bundles Coming for Thanksgiving

    Special additions

    In news that probably just secured a sizeable chunk of Black Friday spend for Nintendo, two limited edition 3DS bundles are on the way to North America on Thanksgiving Day. Starting this Thursday, for $199.99 you can pick up a Flame Red 3DS with Super Mario 3D Land or the limited edition Legend of Zelda 3DS console bundle with The...

  • Review Escape Trick: Convenience Store (DSiWare)

    Convenience snore

    We've already seen two Escape Trick releases on DSiWare, each taking place in a unique environment ranging from a musty prison to a oriental-themed castle. And while the games feature a point-and-click gameplay system that would seem to fit the DS touch screen quite perfectly, the execution in both titles has been severely lacking...

  • News Online Play Shown Off in Sonic Generations Shots

    Take on the best

    SEGA's just released a stack of new Sonic Generations screenshots ahead of its mascot's first 3DS first appearance this week, showing off the odd stage, boss and WiFi multiplayer too. While we won't spoil the stages or bosses — not that they're new, what with Generations being a compilation of Sonic's best bits and all — we can...

  • News Metroid II Returns to 3DS VC in Europe This Thursday

    Having a (morph) ball

    Less than one week after Mario leapt to 3DS, galactic heroine Samus Aran is readying her first real appearance on the console as Metroid II: Return of Samus is confirmed for a European release on Thursday. The Game Boy title hits the 3DS Virtual Console for £3.60/€4.00, in line with the premium pricing of other high-profile...

  • News Tekken 3D Packs In 40 Fighters at 60 Frames Per Second

    A contender?

    As the first Tekken game to grace a Nintendo console since Tekken Advance nearly ten years ago, Tekken 3D Prime Edition has a lot of catching up to do. Namco Bandai is certainly going all-out to bring a sizeable cast of characters to the 3D fighter, with over 40 characters crammed into the 3DS cartridge. As well as featuring 3DS's...

  • News Zelda and Mario Break Into UK Top Ten

    Strong showing

    In one of the most crowded release weeks in the gaming calendar, Nintendo's key players have performed well to enter the UK top ten chart. Super Mario 3D Land leapt into ninth place, while The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword grabbed seventh position. Further down the chart, the latest crossover between plumber and hedgehog, Mario and...

  • News Super Famicom Reaches 21 Years Old Today

    Finally able to drink

    It might seem like just yesterday, but it's 21 years ago today that Nintendo's 16-bit leviathan took its first step onto Japanese soil. The Super Famicom launched on in Japan on Wednesday 21st November for ¥25,000, selling out of its first shipment of 300,000 units within a few hours: hardly surprising considering it launched...

  • News Japan Gets His 'n' Hers Wii Remote Plus Bundle This Month

    The perfect match

    While the rest of the world rejoices in the gold Wii Remote Plus included in the limited edition of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Japan is also getting a double pack of MotionPlus-packing controllers this month. The set of two controllers — one pink, one blue — launches across the country for a pretty reasonable ¥5,800,...

  • News Match Those 3D Animals in Zoo Keeper for 3DS

    Elephants all in a row

    Remember Zoo Keeper? Remember how many hours you lost to it? Want to play it again in 3D? Eager fans crying out "yes!" to all three questions, rejoice: Zoo Keeper is on the way to 3DS in early 2012. Siliconera spotted a listing at the Japanese website of retailer HMV, pitching the match-three-in-3D game for a 26th...

  • News EB Down Under Sells Super Mario 3D Land Early

    Ask and thy shall receive

    Australia's release delay woes have been well documented, but retailer EBGames is doing its best to take the sting out of it by selling Super Mario 3D Land early. While the game is down for an official release in Australia this Thursday, Vooks reports that branches of the retailer will sell the game as soon as it arrives in...