News Nintendo Reportedly Has 812.8 Billion Yen in the Bank
Steak dinners are on Satoru Iwata
Nintendo Download 15th March 2012 (North America)
Time to get into Game Gear
News - 2012, Week 11
Sunday18th Mar 2012
Feature The Life and Times of SEGA's Game Gear
Black beauty
Ask any gamer of a certain age which handheld they grew up with and the overwhelming response will be "Game Boy". Long before the Pokémon explosion of the late 90s, Nintendo's portable dominated the competition — not even closest competitor SEGA could upset the balance with the release of its Game Gear in the early part of...
Saturday17th Mar 2012
Feature Obscure Series That Should Return on Wii U
Baby come back
Whenever a new system is announced, cyberspace is filled with wish lists of games that ought to be released faster than you can say Miyamoto. Very little is known so far about games coming to Wii U, so speculation is rife even though some classic series have already been heavily hinted at (Pikmin 3) or should be an announcement away...
Review Shinobi (3DS eShop / GG)
On-the-go ninja, go ninja, go.
The Shinobi series has been sneaking about the gaming world for over two decades, and the 1987 original arcade entry remains a classic to this day. The 1991 Game Gear instalment — also called Shinobi — has now infiltrated the 3DS eShop, and we're happy to say that it's aged better than we would have expected. You...
Review Pirates Assault (DSiWare)
Stealing your money in more ways than one
CIRCLE Entertainment has carved out a fanbase for itself with the DSiWare crowd, due in large part to the consistently excellent Castle Conqueror series. It's had a few misfires along the way — see The Seller — but, by and large, gamers have been able to count on CIRCLE's releases to feature a hefty...
News Nintendo Leaves BAFTA Empty-Handed
Not a Tanooki statue in sight
Last night saw the GAME British Academy Video Game Awards in London, with Nintendo's brightest and best up for several awards. Shame the Big N didn't actually win any, then. Arguably the biggest upset came in the Mobile & Handheld Game category, where iPad title Peggle HD beat Super Mario 3D Land to take the title...
Friday16th Mar 2012
Hardware Review Hyperkin SupaBoy Portable SNES
The biggest retro hardware release in more ways than one
The lapse of hardware patents on retro platforms has resulted in an explosion of clone machines, most of which are produced cheaply in the Far East. These systems emulate the performance of consoles such as the NES, Super Nintendo and Genesis/Mega Drive, all of which are no longer covered by...
News SEGA Drops Four Sonic Games from Japanese VC
Are we next?
SEGA is taking four Sonic games off the Virtual Console in Japan. The Mega Drive/Genesis games Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic & Knuckles will all be removed from sale on 30th March, along with Sonic the Hedgehog on Master System. There's currently no word on whether these games will re
News eShop Welcomes You With Update Notifications
Come in, sit down
Those exhausting days of opening the eShop, heading over to settings and scrolling through your download list to see if any of your purchased games have received updates are over. Power up the eShop now and, if any updates for your games are available, you'll be met with a message telling you exactly that; it's then a simple tap to...
News Samus and Link Suits Pop Up in Dynasty Warriors Vs.
Suits you
Tecmo Koei's next Dynasty Warriors game for 3DS, Dynasty Warriors Vs., features some interesting sartorial options for discerning Nintendo fans. The Japan-only scrapper lets you dress up as Link or Samus in her Zero Suit. They're included on the cart, but you'll have to get far enough in the tutorial mode to unlock them. Note that these...
News Rayman Origins 3DS Pushed Back in Europe
Summer date
Ubisoft's pushed the 3DS version of Rayman Origins back to June for Europe. The platformer was originally supposed to be released today but instead Ubi's now put an 8th June release date on the platformer. No reason for the delay has been given. Over in North America, Nintendo.com still lists the game for 20th March but there's no...
News Game & Watch Gallery 2 Coming to Japan
Having a ball
What comes after Game & Watch Gallery? If you said Game & Watch Gallery 2, you get a cookie. The Japanese Virtual Console service gets the second compilation next week, retailing for 400 Yen. The original game was released on Game Boy and later revamped for Game Boy Color in the West, but as Japan only got the black and white...
News Arc Style: Soccer!! 3D Shoots, Scores on 29th March
3D dribbling
Arc System Works' Arc Style: Soccer!! 3D is two weeks away from slotting its first effort past the eShop goalkeeper. Or, in English, the 3D soccer game will hit the 3DS eShop in North America on 29th March. The sporty download will set you back $6.99 and includes the ability to customise players and kits, use your own photograph for a...
News Catch the BAFTA Awards Live Stream Tonight
Will Zelda or Mario win?
Tonight you can watch the 2012 GAME British Academy Video Game Awards live online through the magic of streaming. Zelda and Mario are up for multiple BAFTA awards and you can see how they get on over at the BAFTA website. The event starts at 9pm UK time — that's 10pm CET, 4pm Eastern and 1pm Pacific. Here's the full list...
Thursday15th Mar 2012
Review Fun! Fun! Minigolf TOUCH! (3DS eShop)
Put some putt in your strut
The second 3D golf title to hit the eShop, Fun! Fun! Minigolf TOUCH! offers a miniaturized approach compared to its counterpart Let’s Golf! 3D, but promises at least three times the level of exclamation points. A close cousin to the pricier WiiWare game Fun! Fun! Minigolf, this title delivers short, simple courses...
Nintendo Download 15th March 2012 (North America)
Time to get into Game Gear
The long wait for Game Gear titles on the eShop is finally over, with three releases arriving as expected. The DSi and Wii aren't entirely forgotten, while there's some anime on Nintendo Video: let's get right to it. 3DS Virtual Console: Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble (Game Gear, SEGA, $4.99) — Before Sonic and Mario...
News Pokémon Black and White 2 Box Art Revealed
Let battle commence
It's safe to say that the announcement of Pokémon Black and White 2 caused a stir in late February, with many fans of the series having strong opinions on a direct sequel being released on DS. Now that the dust has settled and the reality of these new titles has sunk in, it's time to take a look at the recently released Japanese...
News Super Mario 3D Land Director Wanted Cape Mario
Fluttering in 3D
Last week's Game Developer's Conference was clearly an ideal opportunity for Nintendo's brightest to talk about the company's main mascot. Koichi Hayashida, a key figure in all things Mario nowadays, revealed that Mario could have had a skateboard, amongst other things, and that he wanted Donkey Kong and Pikmin cameos in Super Mario...
News Mathematics Proves That Mario Games Are Difficult
Mario + Retro = Hard
Many gamers, including those of us who consider ourselves to be accomplished gaming ninjas, find older Mario titles such as Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World difficult to finish. Thanks to scientific research, we no longer need to feel shame when the dreaded 'Game Over' screen appears. According to an analysis of the...
News Transformers Prime Announced For Nintendo Consoles
Time to transform and roll out
Activision has announced Transformers Prime, based on the TV show by Hasbro studios. It's described as an 'action brawler', so we can expect lots of button pressing, but other details outside of a 2012 release are in short supply. This title appears to be exclusive to Nintendo consoles, with versions planned for Wii,...
Wednesday14th Mar 2012
News Kid Icarus Uprising Gets Perfect Review Score in Famitsu
Now it's really flying
The anticipation and hype for Kid Icarus: Uprising seems to be growing with each passing day, with AR card giveaways and regular trailers ensuring a high profile. Despite all of the build-up it's surely the game itself that matters most, and it's received a major boost from renowned Japanese magazine Famitsu. In the latest...
News Kingdom Hearts 3D Director Promises 35 Hour Campaign
An RPG with some distance
If you're looking for a lengthy adventure for your 3DS, then perhaps Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance will satisfy that urge. The 3DS debut of the series is expected in both Europe and North America this year, and game director Tetsuya Nomura has promised that it will be a substantial experience. In an interview with...
News New Fire Emblem Trailer Raises the Temperature
Battles, and then more battles
Upcoming 3DS title Fire Emblem: Kakusei, or Fire Emblem: Awakening as its known outside of Japan, undoubtedly has eager fans clamouring for a release date. With the title due to hit Japanese stores on 19th April specific worldwide details have not yet been forthcoming, though Europe has been confirmed for a 2012...
News Capcom Admits It Can't 'Sugarcoat' Its Revelaitons Typo
Avoids comment on Mega Man Legends 3 cancellation
It may have been the first major 3DS title of 2012, but the North American release of Resident Evil Revelations was affected by the horrifying Revelaitons typo. It caused much mirth around the internet as reviewers posted photos of the offending box-art, as well as the strange scenario of some gamers...
Feature The Evolving Role of Swapnote
More than just a letter box
Nintendo Letter Box, also known by the catchier title of Swapnote in North America, filled a notable gap in the 3DS’ functionality when it was launched in late December last year. When the handheld launched various features were bare-bone or missing, and one frustrating omission was the lack of any meaningful way to...
News 3D Beauty Clock Timing a Release on 3DS in Japan
And it's free
Nintendo's download services have seen some peculiar releases in their time, with the 3DS eShop slowly joining in the fun. Today, courtesy of Andriasang, we bring you Beauty Clock 3D. From the creatively-named publisher Beauty Clock Co., this is a free app due for release on the Japanese eShop next week. A total of 360 women pose with...
News Kid Icarus: Uprising Won't be Available from GAME/Gamestation
Nintendo confirms other retail options
In the past few weeks we've reported that a number of titles on Nintendo consoles weren't going to be stocked by the embattled GAME retail group in the UK: titles such as The Last Story, Mario Party 9 and Tekken 3D Prime Edition have all missed out. The much-hyped Kid Icarus: Uprising can now be added to the...
Tuesday13th Mar 2012
News Nintendo Reportedly Has 812.8 Billion Yen in the Bank
Steak dinners are on Satoru Iwata
It's well known that Nintendo is set to announce losses for this financial year, with its latest projections from earlier this year predicting a loss of 45,000 million Yen. While that may seem like a grim statistic, a feature in UK magazine Nintendo Gamer has sifted through Nintendo's bank accounts and found an...
Tiny ship, big adventure
There's a new threat to civilization, and this time it's something we can't see: the Nanostray virus, which is deadly enough to serve as an immediate threat to humanity as we know it. The solution? Well, as anyone who's seen Fantastic Voyage (or, erm...Innerspace) knows, it's time to shrink a spacecraft down to microscopic...
News Michael Pachter Suggests That Wii U Could Struggle
Too early to know
Earlier today we reported that the Gears of War developer expects Wii U success, so it would be remiss of us to not report the alternative viewpoint of well-known Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter. On his regular GameTrailers show, Pachter answered a question about whether Wii U would face a similar fate to Dreamcast, an...
News Free Kid Icarus: Uprising Cards Fly Onto North American Club Nintendo
No time to waste
Lucky Club Nintendo members in North America now have a chance to pick up a free pack of AR cards for the upcoming 3DS release, Kid Icarus: Uprising. For those not in the know, AR cards unique to this title will be used for simulated battles, with the victor apparently earning in-game currency and goodies. With plenty of cards...
News Donkey Kong and Pikmin Could Have Had Cameos in Super Mario Galaxy 2
Yoshi would have enjoyed the company
There was a lot of talk about Mario at this year's GDC — Game Developer's Conference — including the revelation that Super Mario 3D Land could have had skateboarding. Koichi Hayashida, a leading figure in recent Mario titles, revealed that particular piece of information when on stage, but in an interview...
News Inazuma Eleven GO Chrono Stone Confirmed for 3DS in Japan
Time travelling and sports finally together
The Inazuma Eleven series is unlikely to be well-known outside of Japan due to significant delays in localisation for European releases, while North America has missed out entirely. With the second title's Inazuma Eleven 2 Firestorm and Blizzard dual-release due at the end of this week in Europe, it may...
News Gears of War Developer Expects Wii U Success
'I think it will do great'
With Wii U getting closer to release and with so many details yet to be revealed, the clamour for insight and opinion on the console is growing. At the recent Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco Eurogamer.net took the opportunity to discuss the console with Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games, a developer best...
News Zombie Slayer Diox Trailer is Dead Musical
A rhythmic slash-fest
UFO Interactive has officially confirmed that its next eShop title, Zombie Slayer Diox, will be released in North America on 22nd March. It's a rhythm-action game that sees the hero slashing through waves of zombies to a hard-rock soundtrack: not your typical eShop release. The developer has wasted little time since its last...
Monday12th Mar 2012
Review Samurai Shodown IV (Neo Geo)
Another victoly
It's only taken 18 months since Samurai Shodown III for the fourth instalment, Samurai Shodown IV, to reach Virtual Console in Europe. As part of something of a Neo Geo resurgence following King of Fighters '97, Sam Sho IV is another strong addition to VC's fighter library. SSIV takes the basic three strengths of slash from its pre
Rumour Donkey Kong 3D Swinging Into View
Disclaimer — might not be a real game
We quite enjoy the occasional rumour here at Nintendo Life, especially on a Monday. With that in mind, we're pleased to bring you the latest speculative news, and that is that Donkey Kong 3D is coming to 3DS this year, or on 25th May if you believe one particularly enthusiastic online retailer. This rumour...
Nintendo Download 15th March 2012 (Europe)
UPDATE: Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure Demo arrives
Last week was a bumper Nintendo Download week in Europe, but this week plays catch-up with North America and has some releases that are sure to please retro fans: check out the details below. 3DS Virtual Console: Metroid (NES, Nintendo, £4.50/€5) — Samus' original NES adventure was...
News Mega Man Legends 3 Fan Group Launches Weapon Design Contest
Blast to the prize
The cancellation of Mega Man Legends 3 is still a source of disappointment for some gamers, and we even looked into the background of the project in our 3DS games you'll probably never play feature. The '100,000 Strong' campaign group that formed to press for a return of the game's development is still in action to this day, with...
News Mad Dog McCree Takes Aim at 3DS
Strictly old-school
In its relatively short existence so far, the 3DS eShop has already enjoyed its fair share of vintage download titles. The latest to emerge — somewhat unexpectedly — is Mad Dog McCree, a full motion video (FMV) arcade shooter. Originally an arcade machine, this simple point-and-shoot title made its way to different disc-based...
News Wii Remotes Can Help Diagnose Eye Disorder
No, really
The humble Wii has been a lot of things in its lifespan beyond a simple gaming machine. It's become an alternative exercise centre, dance studio, artist's easel and, of course, a games console. The Wii Remote, meanwhile, has been possibly the most creatively-used game controller in the industry's history, with its motion capabilities...
News New PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond Trailers Arrive
Cute and deadly
PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond has already arrived in North America, with the European release on the way, and promises to bring more typically colourful and cute gaming to the franchise. The latest trailers released by Nintendo UK show all four playable characters in action, giving you an idea of how the action unfolds and the sheer...
News Bomb Monkey Aiming for a Spring Explosion
Renegade Kid co-founder hopes so
Last week we brought you the news that Renegade Kid had teased a new game for eShop, Bomb Monkey. There were no significant details on the title's web page, but we made a guess that its a puzzle game that involves using the monkey to blow up blocks in an aztec setting. The lack of details, however, doesn't...




















































