News - 2012, Week 03

Sunday22nd Jan 2012

  • Review 40-in-1 Explosive Megamix (DSiWare)

    More is less

    You’re given a bag of sweets. On the outside they’re a bit misshapen or broken up, but at least they’re brightly coloured, there’s a big variety of flavours and there are plenty of them, right? The first one doesn’t taste quite right. Neither does the second one. Nor the third. Half the bag has to be thrown in the bin when all...

  • Review Anne's Doll Studio: Gothic Collection (DSiWare)

    Doll-orous

    Anne's Doll Studio: Gothic Collection is your chance to slap drab Gothic accessories on two dead eyed dolls that look like charmless rejects from the movie Corpse Bride. That sentence is a complete and accurate summation of this title, and it's probably the only thing you'll need to read in order to decide if you want it. Anne's Doll...

Saturday21st Jan 2012

  • Feature Nintendo Life Presents... Pullblox Levels

    Give 'em a try

    Not only is Pullblox — or Pushmo in North America — one of the finest titles available on the 3DS eShop, but it also features a rather nifty level creator. It's quickly become a favourite feature amongst 3DS gamers, so our staff decided that they'd join the fun and produce some levels, just for you. Four members of the team have...

Friday20th Jan 2012

  • Review Prince of Persia (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)

    Worthy of the throne

    Most gamers are familiar with the original Prince of Persia. Its incredibly realistic animations, created by Jordan Mechner from hours of video footage of his brother running and jumping around, made it an instant hit, and it's still one of the most well-known western game franchises today. Most people, however, are only...

  • Review NASCAR Unleashed (3DS)

    Gentlemen, please don’t start your engines

    Over the years, the high speed competitive sport of repetitive left turns, otherwise known as NASCAR, has fuelled the hearts of racing enthusiasts around the world. In some places, you can hardly step into a crowded area without seeing some sort of branded paraphernalia. With young drivers like Kyle Busch...

  • News Unsheath Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword on 2nd February

    $6.99 to pay

    Nintendo has revealed the North American release date for Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword — 2nd February. The Nintendo-developed sword fighting game will cost you $6.99. No European release details have been revealed yet, so sit tight. Here's a recent trailer to get you ready. Thanks to Twitter follower @franklero for the tip!

  • News Finally, Shouting at Donkey Kong Makes a Difference

    "You stupid ape!"

    SEGA's Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games uses just about every input the 3DS has to offer, but it's the weightlifting event that looks to make best use of the machine's microphone. As the new trailer below shows, you can shout at your character to give them an extra bit of power. While it might make you look a bit...

  • News Kid Icarus: Uprising Trailer Shoots Past

    Two months and counting

    Yesterday Nintendo revealed more details about Kid Icarus: Uprising, and now we have a fresh trailer to share too. North American residents who pre-order from select retailers (to be confirmed) will also receive a download code for 3D Classics: Kid Icarus. Check out the trailer below — which contains the immortal line...

  • News Nintendo Reveals More Kid Icarus: Uprising Details

    Free 3D Classics: Kid Icarus for some pre-orders

    Kid Icarus: Uprising isn't far away, and as one of the first titles to be teased for the 3DS all the way back in 2010, it's been a while coming. Nintendo of America is starting to crank up the hype generator and have issued the following press release, with a number of details about the title. Some of...

  • News Mutant Mudds Hits eShop on 26th January

    The wait is nearly over

    Renegade Kid has just announced that its upcoming eShop platformer Mutant Mudds will be released on 26th January in North America and will set you back $8.99. We'll have a full review of the game up shortly, but in the meantime, you can check out the screenshots gallery below for a taste of what you can expect from the game...

  • Charts 19th January 2012 (North America)

    Order, order

    How did the new releases on 12th January 2012 fare? Let's find out with your charts for the week denotes last week's position. indicates game is a new entry. indicates a non-mover. Popular Last Week — All Downloads: To everybody's surprise, the Club Nintendo rewards rise up the charts. Can they hold off the competition until the...

  • News Do You Want to Be a Record Breaker?

    Dedication's what you need

    Gamers who get down to London next week can try their hand at joining the Guinness Book of World Records at a special event in association with Nintendisco. A Guinness World Records adjudicator will be on hand to officiate record attempts, which kick off with a speed run on Super Mario World's World 1-1. It also looks like...

  • News Flipper 2 Rushes North America on 26th January

    Come on now, move along

    Flipper 2: Flush the Goldfish just got its release date for North America: 26th January. The one-button action game will set you back 500 Points. We interviewed Goodbye Galaxy Games about Flipper 2 recently. It's already available in Europe, so read our Flipper 2: Flush the Goldfish review for our verdict

Thursday19th Jan 2012

  • Guide Nintendo 3DS eShop Demos

    Get your information here!

    Today sees the much-anticipated downloadable demos hit the 3DS eShop, so we've put together a very handy guide to help you get the most from your free demo experience. What Demos Are Available?: New demos will be announced throughout the year but here are the ones we know about so far: 19th January 2012 Resident Evil...

  • News Kingdom Hearts 3DS Bundle Confirmed for Japan

    It's so pretty

    It seem like the Japanese market is enjoying quite a few special edition 3DS consoles, with the Metal Gear Solid themed console due soon. Not to be outdone, Andriasang reports that Square Enix is also preparing its own hardware bundle for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Once again it's the black 3DS that receives a...

  • Review Gaia's Moon (DSiWare)

    Full of fun or made of cheese?

    While many portable games praised for their accessibility and simple controls are often times associated with mobile game platforms, DSiWare is not without its own quality pick-up-and play titles. Games like Reflect Missile, Pop Plus: Solo and the Art Style series offer satisfyingly simple gameplay perfect for short...

  • Nintendo Download 19th January 2012 (North America)

    The first 3DS demo lands

    While there's some good games available to buy this week, we're pretty sure the most downloaded software this week will be the free Resident Evil Revelations demo, available from 9am PST/12pm EST today. 3DS Demo: Resident Evil Revelations (Capcom, free) — The first trial game comes to the eShop with this playable sample of...

  • News Rising Star Explains Rune Factory: Oceans Wii No-Show

    "Wasn't on the table"

    Rising Star Games just announced its 2012 line-up, but while it's bringing Rune Factory: Oceans on PlayStation 3 to Europe, Rune Factory: Oceans for Wii is missing from the publisher's slate. We asked product marketing manager Yen Hau why Wii owners in Europe won't be able to continue their Rune Factory adventures. Rising...

  • News Official Trailer Released for Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition

    Levelled-up hype

    Last week we reported that there's a new Pokémon title coming to Japan on the DS, a crossover title that features Tecmo Koei's Nobunaga's Ambition series. Pokemon Company has now released a two-minute trailer that shows off plenty of the overhead strategy gameplay, along with what appears to be a local multiplayer mode. We've...

  • News Rising Star Games Commits to 3DS with Five Games in 2012

    Farming and shifting ahoy

    Rising Star Games just revealed its 2012 line-up for Europe, and it's betting big on Nintendo's glasses-free portable with five 3DS games on the way this year. RSG already announced its plans to release BIT.TRIP SAGA, and is joined by 3D farmer Harvest Moon 3D: The Tale of Two Towns, monochromatic puzzler Shifting World,...

  • Charts 19th January 2012 (UK)

    Gotta get down on Thursday

    The 12th January Nintendo Download brought two new DSiWare games to the eShop: let's see how they performed. denotes last week's position. indicates game is a new entry. indicates a non-mover. Popular Last Week — All Downloads: Doodle Fit joins the top ten and Zen Pinball 3D jumps a few places, perhaps due to an...

Wednesday18th Jan 2012

  • Review Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (3DS eShop / GBA)

    Once more, to arms!

    For such a long-running series, it's hard to believe Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones was only the second game to leave Japan after GBA predecessor Fire Emblem. Since then the series has had a far bigger presence in the West, a fact underlined by Sacred Stones' status as a 3DS Ambassador title. If Sacred Stones is your first Fire...

  • News 3DS Demos Launch in Europe eShop Tomorrow

    Revelations afoot

    European eShop users can get a free demo of Resident Evil Revelations tomorrow. The eShop was updated to allow demos in late December but tomorrow sees the launch of the service outside of Japan. Resi is also joined by a demo of the slightly less exciting Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic. Future demos include Metal Gear Solid: Snake...

  • News The Last Story Limited Edition Officially Confirmed

    Out February

    After the retailer leak of The Last Story's special edition, Nintendo has confirmed the limited edition of the game will be available from 24th February. The limited edition comes with a steelbook case — Nintendo's first in Europe — a seven-track Premium Soundtrack CD and an art booklet titled The Illustrations. It's available to...

  • News Konami Dissolving Hudson Soft

    Not to bee

    Konami has just announced that they will be dissolving Hudson Soft on 1st March, bringing to an end a company that's become beloved by gamers over the years for such unforgettable contributions to gaming as the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 systems and the ever-popular Bomberman and Star Soldier series. For those of you who don't remember,...

  • Talking Point Using Glitches - Cheating or Clever Gaming?

    Everyone stay calm

    This week game cheats have been in the news. We learnt about the origins of the Konami Code and, controversially, that Nintendo has no plans to fix Mario Kart 7’s Maka Waku glitch. All this talk of codes, shortcuts and glitches got us thinking about the morality of these gaming quirks: when is it acceptable to take advantage of...

  • News North America Gets 3DS eShop Demo Tomorrow

    Everybody's happy

    North America: you get the first 3DS demo tomorrow. The service launches with a free demo of Resident Evil Revelations, with Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games due next week. Nintendo of America also confirms future demos for Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D and Rayman Or

  • News Europe Joins the Mario Party on 2nd March

    Send your invitations now

    Partygoers across Europe get an extra reason to be cheerful on 2nd March when Nintendo releases Mario Party 9 across the continent. The second Wii instalment in the series, MP9 includes new boss battles, 80 minigames and vehicles too. North America gets it on 11th March. WHO WILL YOU INVITE TO YOUR MARIO PARTY? Rivals...

  • News Hudson May Continue as a Brand

    There's hope yet

    Late yesterday we reported the sad news that Konami is dissolving Hudson Soft, one of the industry's most experienced development companies. Although it's clear that Hudson will no longer exist as an independent entity, there's now hope that it may still retain its own brand and identity. Hudson released a statement on its website,...

Tuesday17th Jan 2012

  • News THQ Has Two Secret Wii U Titles In the Works

    Maybe more

    THQ's Danny Bilson was one of the first talking heads pictured when the Wii U's third-party games were confirmed, announcing that Darksiders II and Metro: Last Light are both coming to Wii U. They may not be the publisher's only games for the console in the works, though. The LinkedIn profile of THQ senior producer Evan Icenbice lists two...

  • News Sakurai: Next Smash Bros. "May Take a While"

    Who knew?

    Super Smash Bros. helmsman Masahiro Sakurai has told Nintendo Power (via Nintendo Everything) that the next instalments are a long way off yet. Satoru Iwata announced Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS at E3 last year, but with Kid Icarus: Uprising on Sakurai's plate it seems development on the fight

  • News More Just Dance 3 DLC Available Now

    No Luigi DLC, shockingly

    It's clear that a title is selling in huge numbers when the publisher offers downloadable content (DLC) on the Wii, as Ubisoft did with its Just Dance 3 Mario DLC last year. The trend is set to continue, with owners of the Wii game now having access to two additional DLC packs. The details from the press release are below...

  • News Australia Gets Chance to Win Mario 3DS Consoles

    And 3D Classics: Kid Icarus

    Europe, your maniacal grip on 3D Classics: Kid Icarus and those Mario 3DS consoles is loosening. Nintendo of Australia just opened up its very own It's a Me, Mario competition with near-identical rules to Europe's: register two 3DS games with Club Nintendo and you get a free code for Kid Icarus, with entrants over the age...

  • News 3DS Gets Spooked with Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir

    Spooky scary

    Nintendo of America has announced plans to bring Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir over to North America on Friday 13th April. The augmented reality adventure, developed in conjunction with Tecmo Koei, comes with a 16-page book containing special AR markers that, when viewed through the Nintendo 3DS, unleash all manner of scary...

  • News Is GO Series: Undead Storm DSiWare's Left 4 Dead?

    Shotguns at the ready

    The GO Series has been quiet on DSiWare for a few months but it's about to return with action shooter GO Series: Undead Storm, a four-player co-operative shooter that shares a small similarity or two with Valve's legendary zombie face-off. Developed by Japanese team G-Style, it's a top-down affair with support for four players...

  • Competition Winners Red 3DS and History of Nintendo Books

    Cross your fingers

    Our recent competitions gave you the chance to win a red Nintendo 3DS or one of five copies of Pix'n Love Publishing's excellent History of Nintendo — Volume 1. We've now drawn and contacted the lucky winners — if your name appears below we've emailed you with details of how to claim your prize. Here are the fortunate six. Red...

  • News Heroes of Ruin Trailer Asks a Lot of Questions

    Ruinscape

    Square Enix action adventure Heroes of Ruin made it onto our list of The Biggest 3DS Games of 2012, with a new trailer below coming along to whet your appetite. The video might be heavy on questions instead of answers but you can always listen to our podcast interview to clear up some of Heroes of Ruin's details.

  • News Game Expo East Kent GEEKs Out in February

    Their words, not ours

    The UK retro gaming meet-up scene is thriving, with Game Expo East Kent — GEEK — the next event on the 2012 calendar. Taking place from 15th – 19th February in sunny Margate, attendees can take part in tournaments on classic games like Super Mario Kart and meet like-minded gamers, while the Queen's Hall will hold industry...

Monday16th Jan 2012

  • Rumour Two Zelda Titles in Development

    Any bids for three?

    Just one week ago we reported that Nintendo is working on a new Zelda game, as confirmed by series producer Eiji Aonuma. With that comes the inevitable sound of the rumour mill grinding away, resulting in the image you see in this post. The image was uploaded to the notorious 4chan site, and seemingly shows two new titles that...

  • Nintendo Download 19th January 2012 (Europe)

    Wii Virtual Console is back!

    It seems like forever since we last got a Virtual Console game on Wii, but the service is back from the dead with a new Super Nintendo title from Ubisoft. Not only that, there's a Game Boy Color game too. Let's get to it. Wii Virtual Console: Prince of Persia (Super NES, Ubisoft, 800pts) — The rather good Super...

  • News Nintendo Has No Plans to Fix Mario Kart 7's Maka Wuhu Glitch

    So keep on droppin'

    If you've played Mario Kart 7 online, chances are you've encountered the Maka Wuhu glitch that allows devious racers to bypass a huge section of the course. Nintendo knows about it too, but will it do anything to address it? Stick Twiddlers emailed Nintendo of America about the issue and got this response: Thanks for your...

  • Review Duracell Wii Charging Stand

    It stands, but does it deliver?

    The Wii has come with a plastic stand for years, but Duracell's effort does more than just support your Wii upright. As the name suggests, the Duracell Wii Charging Stand lets you recharge your Wii Remotes while keeping your Wii in place. It comes bundled with two rechargeable battery packs for your Wii Remote, but...

  • News The Origins of the Konami Code Revealed

    All together now...

    The Konami code is one of the most famous video game cheats of all time, but how did it come about? According to a translated chat between Konami's Kazuhisa Hashimoto and Shigeharu Umezaki, it all started with the NES port of Gradius. Hashimoto, the code's creator, explains: I had one guy under me, and he played through the...

  • Rumour GAME User Accounts Compromised

    Update: Not really

    Update: GAME has responded with the following statement: At GAME we guard our customers' details very carefully. We have thoroughly investigated the hacking claims made today by the website Pastebin, and can confirm that they are entirely false. The published email addresses are not registered users of GAME.co.uk, and there has...

  • News TIGA Calls for Clarification on Download Sales Secrecy

    The debate continues

    In early January we reported that Icon Games broke its silence on WiiWare sales, breaching Nintendo's non-disclosure agreement in the process. It didn't take long for Nintendo to request that the figures be removed, prompting the developer to suggest that secretive Nintendo policies put jobs at risk. TIGA, the trade body that...