News - 2011, Week 50

Saturday17th Dec 2011

  • Talking Point Nintendo's Year of Giving

    Making Santa look bad

    As we approach the Holiday season, it seems appropriate to reflect on the act of giving. Although it’s nice to say that the real pleasure is in giving gifts, 3DS owners can be honest and say that receiving them is also rather enjoyable. Nintendo have provided a lot of free content since the handheld’s launch, in a variety...

  • Review Elite Forces: Unit 77 (DSiWare)

    Definitely forcing it

    On paper, Elite Forces: Unit 77 sounds great. A number of high-profile and wealthy individuals have gone missing all over the world, and it's correctly assumed that this is just the first step in a global terrorist plot. Desperate, the world turns to a renegade troop of no-nonsense butt-kickers: Unit 77. Unit 77 consists of...

Friday16th Dec 2011

  • Out Now Nintendo 3DS Ambassador GBA Games

    Every region has GBA Ambassador games now

    The 3DS Ambassador games are available all across the globe now: after Australians got their free games, lucky gamers across Europe and North America can pick theirs up too now. To download your 10 free games, follow these steps: 1 - Enter the eShop from the 3DS Home Menu.2 - Scroll to the far left and...

Thursday15th Dec 2011

  • Review The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn (3DS)

    Blistering barnacles

    In the nine months since the 3DS launched, Ubisoft has released no fewer than 12 games for the handheld. Some, like Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars 3D, have been very good. Others — say, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D — haven't. Where does The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn fit in? Somewhere in the...

Friday16th Dec 2011

  • Review Duracell Wireless Wii Sensor Bar

    Worth a closer look?

    You'd have to say the wire on the standard Wii sensor bar is of a reasonably generous length, but the fact it's wired at all irritates some, leaving wires trailing around if you don't have your TV and Wii set up how Nintendo originally envisioned. We took the Duracell wireless Wii sensor bar for a spin to see if it's worth going...

  • Review Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder (WiiWare)

    Not the worst game ever

    At the back of every game shelf, at the bottom of every YouTube favourites list, in the dark recesses of every gamer's heart, they live. Games with which we are far too familiar, games that some of us have taken a near-masochistic pride in seeking out. Superman. E.T. Super Noah's Ark 3D. These are some of the worst games ever...

  • News Mighty Switch Force Gets Release Date

    Get ready to switch!

    We've just gotten word from WayForward that its upcoming 3DS eShop platformer Mighty Switch Force is coming to Nintendo 3DS eShop in North America, Europe and Australia on 22nd December. The game will also only set you back a paltry $5.99 (€6 in Europe). If you're somehow still on the fence, you can check out our Mighty Switch...

  • News Nintendo Japan to Release Stunning Zelda Art Book

    Cover to covet

    We might be two weeks from 2012 but the Legend of Zelda 25th anniversary festivities aren't over just yet. Nintendo Japan is to release a Legend of Zelda art book on 22nd December for ¥3255 (£27/$41/€32). At 274 pages long it's a seriously weighty tome, with character and location concept art taken from Zelda's quarter-century...

  • Review Christmas Wonderland (DSiWare)

    Cruel, cruel Santa…

    Christmas is here, with endlessly looping festive songs on the radio, frazzled and angry shoppers seeking toys that are always out of stock, and themed downloads appearing on DSiWare. Christmas Wonderland has arrived: is it a land full of magic and goodwill, or a cheap resort with dogs dressed as reindeer? Christmas Wonderland...

  • News Wicked Monsters Blast is WarioWare Meets Point Blank

    Madness ensues

    Budget Wii shooters are almost literally ten-a-penny these days, but PQube's Wicked Monsters Blast might have a little something about it. The four-player family-friendly shooter is already out in North America but is due to reach the UK in February 2012, and judging from the trailer below takes heavy inspiration from Point Blank and...

  • News Nintendo Donates 5,000 3DS Consoles to The Louvre

    Imagine all those StreetPasses

    The home of the Mona Lisa will loan 3DS consoles to visitors from March next year in a new partnership between The Louvre and Nintendo, as reported by PhysOrg. The consoles will feature Nintendo-developed content including audio guides in seven languages under the editorial direction of the Louvre. The museum hopes the...

  • News Roll Up, Roll Up, It's the Dillon's Rolling Western Trailer

    Towering above all

    Dillon's Rolling Western has one of the weirder set-ups of any 3DS download game: you're an armadillo in the Wild West who has to spin into enemies and build towers. It's odd, but as it's developed by Nintendo it's probably going to be pretty good. We reported yesterday that Nintendo America put new 3D trailers in the eShop but...

  • News Watch a Slice of Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword

    Looking sharp

    Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword was on Nintendo's eShop Q1 2012 release schedule, and now we have the first English language trailer. As well as timing-based sword fighting the game also features a little bit of exploration as you walk around talking to villagers and learning that throwing frogs at your opponents "gives them the...

  • Review Word Searcher 4 (DSiWare)

    It’s more word searches… again

    You know the old adage “less is more?” Well, it’s pretty obvious that Digital Leisure takes this saying to heart with its Word Searcher series. Word Searcher 4 marks the fourth game in the series of word search puzzle games, and it’s not much of an advancement from the last one, or the one before that, or...

  • News Capcom to Host Resi Revelations Live Stream Today

    Get ready to RAID

    Resident Evil Revelations is the first big game of 2012, and Capcom wants to show you more of its online-capable Raid co-op mode in a live stream later today. Starting at 3pm PST/6pm EST/11pm GMT over at Capcom Unity's Twitch TV page, the stream will show off the mode's unlockable characters and weapon customisation across several...

  • News Rytmik: Hip Hop King Beats Up North America in January

    Release date down

    Music makers in North America can get to grips with Rytmik Retrobits next week, but if you want something a bit more contemporary then we have good news: Hip Hop King: Rytmik Edition is out on 12th January 2012 for 800 Nintendo Points. That's not all Cinemax has on the way in the next 12 months: it's also bringing 90's Pool,...

Wednesday14th Dec 2011

  • Feature Further Adventures in Scanlines: The SLG SCART

    Reading between the lines

    Not so long ago we reported on an awesome piece of tech which imbued your HD TV with the power to display authentic retro-style scanlines. The SLG3000 has since gone on to become a highly sought-after piece of kit in vintage gaming circles, so much so that Arcade Forge - the company behind the unit - have come up with a...

Thursday15th Dec 2011

  • Out Now Nintendo 3DS Ambassador GBA Games (Australia)

    Get to it!

    Lucky 3DS Ambassadors in Australia and New Zealand: your GBA games are waiting for you right now. Vooks.net reports the games are available early for those living Down Under. Here's how to download your games: 1 — Enter the eShop from the 3DS Home Menu. It's the icon with the bag on it. 2 — Scroll to the far left and select...

  • Nintendo Download 15th December 2011 (North America)

    Blaster Master and more

    It's a rather average week for the Nintendo Download this week, except for one title, which is the often overlooked Game Boy Color sequel to Blaster Master. No new 3DS Download Software this time, though you're probably still too busy playing Pushmo to care much. 3DS Virtual Console: Blaster Master: Enemy Below (Sunsoft,...

  • News Nintendo America Loads eShop with New 3D Trailers

    See upcoming games in motion

    After announcing a stack of 3DS release dates this week Nintendo of America has now posted 3D trailers of some upcoming titles on the eShop itself. You can download new 3D footage of Kid Icarus: Uprising — out on 23rd March 2012 — as well as Q1 download releases Dillon’s Rolling Western and Sakura Samurai: Art of...

  • News Eurosport Video App Coming to 3DS For Free

    More sports videos on the way too

    Starting today, there'll be new Eurosport video content coming to 3DS via SpotPass, Nintendo has announced. 3DS owners will be able to download a free Eurosport video application from the eShop that will give them access to weekly videos from the popular WATTS series. All videos will be free. Search for...

  • Nintendo Download 15th December 2011 (Europe)

    Better late than never edition

    No press release from Nintendo of Europe this week but here's what's available to buy on the download services this week. 3DS eShop: Eurosport application (free) — This new video application is part of a new partnership between Nintendo and Eurosport. Featuring clips from the WATTS series it's set to get new content...

  • News 3DS Games Take Top Three in Japanese Sale Charts

    Hardware a best seller too

    Japanese firm Media Create has revealed sales data between 5th December and 11th December, with 3DS games and hardware leading the field. As expected, Monster Hunter 3 G's phenomenal first week sales ensured it took the top spot, but Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land also had strong

  • News Nintendo Japan Preparing Skyward Sword Save File Fixer

    Will it reach the West?

    You may remember we posted how to avoid Skyward Sword's game-ending glitch, but if that advice came too late then Nintendo of Japan is preparing a solution in the form of a program to fix glitched save files. Full details aren't available yet but Nintendo will offer two options. Users with internet access will be able to...

  • Competition European Pokémon Championships Dated and Detailed

    You could go to Hawaii

    If you want to be the very best — and live in Europe — here's how to get there. The Pokémon Company International just announced European dates and details for the upcoming Pokémon Video Game National Championships, starting next year. From 3rd March to 1st April 2012, Pokémon Black & White players can step up to...

  • News Zelda: Skyward Sword Available for £24.99 in UK

    Missing Link?

    If you haven't got around to picking up The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword yet, or you want to pick it up as a Christmas gift, GAME and Gamestation have just dropped the game's price to a superb £24.99. As you'll know if you've read our Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword review, Link's latest outing is worth every penny. Buy The Legend...

  • News Nintendo TV Hits the UK eShop in 3D

    Includes 3D footage of our editor

    You'll probably remember that Nintendo Life took the podium at the Mario Kart 7 launch event, but now you can experience that excitement for yourself in the first episode of Nintendo TV, available now in the UK's eShop. The 3D episode features a very brief report on the game's London launch event — where our own...

Wednesday14th Dec 2011

  • News 3DS Ambassador Game Boy Advance Games Revealed

    All inside!

    After a long wait, Nintendo of Japan has revealed the full line-up of ten Game Boy Advance games that will be available to Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors. In Japan the games are available from this Friday, but we're just waiting on confirmation from Nintendo of Europe and America on the dates. F-Zero: Maximum VelocitySuper Mario Advance 3:...

  • News 3DS Ambassador GBA Games Out Friday in Europe

    Good news, everyone

    After news of the Japanese 3DS Game Boy Advance Ambassador games we now have official confirmation from Nintendo Europe that the following games are on the way this week. SpotPass notifications through the 3DS Ambassador certificate are rolling out from today. From Friday 16th December 3DS Ambassadors in Europe will be able to...

  • News Club Nintendo Now Lets You Buy Download Games with Coins

    Update available now

    Last week's brief appearance of Club Nintendo's major overhaul was indeed a portent of things to come, as the new site is now up and fully operational. Just as we reported last week, you can now use your Club Nintendo coins to pay for download games on the Wii or 3DS eShop. The following games are available until 10th January:...

  • News New Pokémon Game to Be Announced in January

    What could it be?

    Pokémon super site Serebii reports that a new Pokémon game is set to be revealed in early 2012. Japanese magazine CoroCoro claims to have the world exclusive on a new Pokémon game in its next issue, due out on 14th January 2012. There are no further hints about what it could be, so feel free to engage your rampant speculation...

  • Feature Celebrating 10 Years of Animal Crossing

    Population: glowing

    Here's a fun game next time you're at a boring social occasion: try explaining the point of Animal Crossing to an elderly family member. Nintendo's genre-defying life series first appeared in Japan in April 2001 as Dobutsu no Mori ("Animal Forest") on Nintendo 64, but it was the enhanced Animal Forest+ for GameCube —...

  • Review Michael Jackson: The Experience 3D (3DS)

    Once you pop, will you want to stop?

    Given the runaway success of motion-controlled dance games and the stratospheric popularity of Michael Jackson, it’s frankly quite bewildering that nobody thought to marry the two before his death in 2009. Last year’s Michael Jackson: The Experience from Ubisoft was a thoroughly decent example of the genre,...

  • News Club Nintendo Japan Gets Gold Nunchuks

    Jealous?

    GoldenEye 007 has a gold Classic Controller Pro, Club Nintendo members can get a gold Wii Wheel for Mario Kart Wii and of course there's a gold Wii Remote Plus for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, but there's not been a gold Nunchuk — until now. Japanese Club Nintendo members can now get a gold Nunchuk to go with their other golden acc

  • News Get 5% Off Custom Nintendo Crafts at Broodr

    Festive savings

    In October we posted about Broodr, a crafts site that offers all sorts of interesting trinkets, from Game Boy Advance USB memory sticks to Game Boy Color soaps. With Christmas just around the corner we've teamed up with Broodr to offer Nintendo Life readers a 5% discount on all goods bought on the site. Simply make your purchase...

  • News Rhythm Heaven Fever Box Art is Bright and Beautiful

    It really is

    Now we know that Rhythm Heaven Fever is out in North America on 13th February 2012 it's time to take a look at the shiny art that'll greet you upon arrival at your chosen purveyor of video gaming goods. Nintendo of America's gone for a very different approach to the slightly staid cover on Rhythm Heaven, throwing as much colour and as...

  • News Miyamoto: "Retro Could Work with Nintendo on Zelda"

    Zelda Prime?

    Retro Studios has a pretty incredible development record: having developed Metroid Prime Trilogy and Donkey Kong Country Returns there's understandable excitement about what other Nintendo franchises the Texan studio can turn its magic hand to next. How about The Legend of Zelda? Shigeru Miyamoto spoke to 1Up about Retro's involvement...

  • Review House, M.D. - Episode 5: Under the Big Top (DSiWare)

    Not-so-grand finale

    If you’ve been keeping score at home, then you should know by now that playing the House, M.D. games is about as fun as being hospitalised. Fortunately, the suffering can finally end now that the fifth and final installment in the series has arrived. If you’ve played any of the previous games and enjoyed them, then stop...

  • News NES Bit Magazine Powers Up with Issue Two

    8 bits of glory

    In September we reported on the first issue of NES-Bit magazine; originally intended as a one-off, it performed well enough for editor Lorfarius to start work on issue two. Available as a PDF at first before getting a print release, the next issue covers a range of topics, with a special feature on the much-loved Castlevania series...

  • News 3DS and Wii Get Frosty with Winter Sports 2012

    Out in January

    3DS doesn't have a huge number of sports games in its catalogue but you can add one to that number in January, when PQube's Winter Sports 2012 lands across the UK. The 3DS version of the chilly compilation features seven disciplines and 50 challenges to complete, with a character designer and slow motion replay mode too. There's also...

  • News Antipole Flips Into Europe on 29th December

    Not 5th January

    Among the many Nintendo release date announcements yesterday was the announcement that DSiWare puzzle platformer Antipole is to reach Europe on 5th January, but developer Saturnine Games has dropped us a line to correct that date. Antipole will be released on 29th December, fully localised into French, Italian, German and Spanish as...

Tuesday13th Dec 2011

Monday12th Dec 2011

  • Review Pullblox (3DSWare)

    Mega blox

    Intelligent Systems is mostly known for its work on the Advance Wars, Fire Emblem and WarioWare series, but occasionally, when it's not too busy, it develops some unique games: it's created titles like Cubivore on the GameCube and Eco Shooter Plant 530 on WiiWare. Now it's back with another original creation for the eShop, and it can quite...

  • Review The Hidden (3DS)

    Hide and don't seek

    Hey, kids — remember the movie Ghostbusters? Remember how exciting and fun it looked? Well, be prepared to have that illusion siphoned out of you by The Hidden, which takes the concept of ghost busting and marries it to the embarrassment of walking in circles in public places. The Hidden bills itself as an "augmented...

  • News Miyamoto Sure Has Some Weird Game Ideas

    Baby-raising and family struggles

    Shigeru Miyamoto's ideas come from all angles. Pikmin came from gardening; Wii Fit from his wife bringing home a new set of bathroom scales. We're almost afraid to ask about the inspiration of an idea revealed in a recently translated discussion all the way from 1989 (thanks to Siliconera.) The discussion in...

  • Review Castle Conqueror - Against (DSiWare)

    Another day in paradise

    Another Castle Conqueror game? If CIRCLE Entertainment keeps this up, this just might turn into a monthly tradition. It's worth reading our previous reviews of Castle Conqueror and Castle Conqueror — Revolution as the gameplay here is largely the same as its real-time predecessors. The basic concept remains untouched:...

  • News Aonuma: "Future Zelda Games Will Use Motion Controls"

    Buttons undone

    The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's motion controls are here to stay, according to series supremo Eiji Aonuma. Speaking to Official Nintendo Magazine, Aonuma believes using buttons would be a step back: I honestly think we cannot go back to button controls now, so I think that these controls will be used in future Zelda titles, too...

  • News These Cut Scenes Never Made it Into Majora's Mask

    Yet here they are

    It's always fascinating to see what gets left out of games before they make it to players, and while these two cut scenes from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask aren't the most exciting we've ever seen they do show Link doing press-ups, so that's something. The clips below come from a beta version of the game, but we won't spoil...

  • Review Xmas Puzzle (WiiWare)

    X-cceptable

    Less than a month ago, EnjoyUp Games released Pinocchio’s Puzzle, a jigsaw puzzle game that proved to be good fun for the whole family. Now, just in time for the holidays, EnjoyUp’s second jigsaw puzzle videogame emerges as Xmas Puzzle. But is this puzzle worth finishing and framing, or is it just a cheap Christmas cash cow? If you...

  • Charts 12th December 2011 (North America)

    Shopping all over the world

    After our UK 3DS eShop Charts it's time to see what people on the other side of the Atlantic have been picking up. As this is the first time we've run these charts we haven't got the details of previous positions, but we'll pick that up in future weeks. Popular Last Week — All Downloads: A strong showing for Pushmo in...

  • Charts 12th December 2011 (UK)

    Did Pullblox reach the top?

    It's Monday morning and time to take a quick look at everything that's selling well in the Nintendo 3DS eShop across the UK. With plenty of new releases last week it'll be interesting to see how the new titles fared against established titles. denotes last week's position. indicates game is a new entry. indicates a...

  • News Abylight Wants to Recruit You For Elite Forces: Unit 77

    Heading to DSiWare, maggots!

    Abylight's Elite Forces: Unit 77 is bringing a touch of strategy to DSiWare this week in North America and Europe. A downloadable port of the 2009 DS retail release, Abylight has taken the opportunity to introduce new features: there's now local multiplayer for up to four players, a more accessible difficulty curve and...

  • News Soccer Up! Videos Show Off Four-Player Mode

    Briefly

    WiiWare sports sim Soccer Up! is out next Thursday, and if you feel like gathering a few friends around for some holiday season soccer action here's two brief videos showing all the fun you could have. The game supports four-player local play with no need for Nunchuks. It all looks like the kind of silly knockabout football that did the...