News 3DS System Update Locks Out a Lot of Flashcards, Permanently
The answer is to buy the games
Guide A Beginner's Guide to The Denpa Men: They Came By Wave
Five tips to keep your Men alive!
News - 2012, Week 39
Saturday29th Sep 2012
News Wii U and 3DS Pre-Paid eShop Cards Spotted
DSiWare and WiiWare left out of the party
The arrival of the 3DS eShop saw Nintendo move away from Nintendo Points, the custom currency that, in the opinion of some, was far from ideal. The 3DS eShop has continued to evolve and now allows top-ups of a download's value, for example, so the days of buying a block of 1000 points when you only need 100...
Feature Lessons From a Gaming Expo
A rite of passage
For many gamers, this hobby of ours is about more than just buying and playing games, but also about hitting up expos, which are havens of gaming and related shenanigans. We’ve spent the past few days soaking up the sights and sounds at the Eurogamer Expo in London, and we’ve had some important gaming life lessons reaffirmed in...
News Cloudberry Kingdom Goes Hardcore In This New Trailer
You can change the difficulty, thankfully
Cloudberry Kingdom is one of the few eShop titles that's set to launch this November for Wii U. While most of the game is still shrouded in mystery, its stand-out feature is its use of procedurally generated levels, which scales the difficulty to the player's level of skill. Of course, this means that...
Friday28th Sep 2012
News Pokémon Black and White 2 Designed for Dedicated Trainers
"Let’s open up the complexity of Pokémon for people who want it."
The Pokémon series is one of the most serious in gaming, with world championships and resources for Trainers that are reserved for the most dedicated and skilled. One trend with the most experienced players is to dig down into the games and understand the hidden stat values for...
News GAME: UK Pre-Orders Are "Exceeding Expectations"
Premium systems in demand
With Wii U's arrival just two months away, or slightly less if you're fortunate enough to be in North America, there's plenty of focus on whether the system is going to sell well and generate buzz at launch. There's little doubt that Nintendo's succeeded in North America with most retailers, notably GameStop, closing Wii U...
News Fatten Mario's Wallet with New Super Mario Bros. 2 DLC
Drop some coin on new level packs. UPDATE: Pricing and pack info.
If you found the rather good New Super Mario Bros. 2 to be rather short, you may soon give its lifespan a 1-up with three new level packs. Announced in a seemingly spontaneous Nintendo Direct hosted by NCL boss Satoru Iwata, the packs, all due on 2nd October in Japan and costing 200...
News Reggie: Big Guns Focusing on Future Wii U Projects
To appear at E3 2013, or earlier if we're lucky
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime recently conducted an interview with gametrailers.com, talking about all things Wii U and no doubt mentioned that "it's all about the experience" on at least one occasion. When asked about future Wii U projects, Fils-Aime stated that arguably Nintendo's...
News Sonic Racing Transformed Frame Rate Issues Have Been Solved
Sumo Digital confirms that Wii U frame rate issues have been fixed
A couple of days ago, our very own Thomas Whitehead went hands-on with a handful of third-party Wii U titles, including Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Aside from a few GamePad-specific complaints, Thomas' biggest problem with Sonic's new outing was the game's awful frame...
News Pokémon Almost Brought a "Seizure Gun" to the World
From the U.S. military, of course
At times we mock video games, particularly those based around war, for their ludicrous ideas and unrealistic scenarios. There's nothing as strange as real life, however, as a report on wired.com has uncovered a U.S. military project from 1998, which was to develop an electromagnetic weapon that would induce seizures...
News Super Paper Mario Bros. - Level 1-1 Recreated in Mobius Strip
Yours for $24
With a franchise like Mario, it's safe to say that there are plenty of arts and crafts projects out there that have been created as a dedication to the moustachioed one. Pins, animations with nothing but post-it notes, and any wacky idea you can imagine have probably been done already. One that involved a fair bit of effort and skill...
Events Photos From The Eurogamer Expo 2012 Show Floor
Your visual guide to the UK's biggest gaming event
Just in case you didn't know, the Eurogamer Expo is currently running at full force in London. Nintendo Life is an official media partner for the event, and even has its own StreetPass Zone where 3DS users can meet up, engage in a spot of light gaming and generally have a chat. We'll be posting...
Thursday27th Sep 2012
Review The Denpa Men: They Came By Wave (3DS eShop)
Radioheads
When we first started hearing the news about Denpa Ningen no RPG coming to the West, we didn't know what to expect. Its visual debt to Nintendo's Miis and Pikmin intrigued us, and the fact that the brains behind this game had their fingers in Pokémon Colosseum and great series such as Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and Ogre Battle meant...
Guide A Beginner's Guide to The Denpa Men: They Came By Wave
Five tips to keep your Men alive!
Ready to plunge into The Denpa Men: They Came By Wave? Well, don't be fooled by its cuddly exterior,as this game offers some absolutely devious challenge! Of course you could learn the ins and outs of the quest through trial and error, but that's liable to leave your conscience strewn with avoidable — and adorable...
Nintendo Download 27th September 2012 (North America)
Denpa men, a Game Boy classic and some Real Bout Newcomers
After the confirmation of Europe's somewhat disappointing selection of Nintendo Download titles, you might be forgiven for expecting the North American update to be similarly lackluster. However, Nintendo has pulled out all the stops to deliver a varied selection of titles - the details of...
News 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors Gets A Reprint
With new cover art to boot!
To celebrate the newest installment in the Zero Escape series, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, Aksys Games is reprinting 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors with redesigned cover art. Ben Bateman, who served as an editor on the game, explains the last minute change. For “Zero Escape” we wanted to create a...
News Frozenbyte: "The Wii U eShop is Very Promising"
Affordable updates and certification on the wish list
Of all we've heard and seen of Wii U, the eShop remains the biggest mystery. We may have an idea of some of the launch window titles, but we know little of what it'll look like or what additional content it'll feature, beyond games. We do know of Nintendo learning from some past mistakes,...
News Nintendo Australia Brings Wii U to EB Games Expo 2012
Nintendo, Ubisoft, THQ and SEGA join Warner Bros.
Following yesterday's reveal that Warner Bros. will be bringing the Wii U to the EB Expo in Sydney in just over a week, we have now learned that it's not the only publisher coming to the party. Nintendo of Australia has announced today that it will also introduce the Wii U to the Australian audience...
News Come On! Dragons Stomping onto DSiWare Soon
A dance with dragons
CIRCLE Entertainment is combining oversized lizards with tower defence in its latest DSiWare title, Come On! Dragons. You'd better start building those defences now! Using several types of archery attacks and special skills, you've got to defend the kingdom against the fearsome beasts and the invaders that accompany them...
Wednesday26th Sep 2012
News Ex-Rare Developers Join Forces To Create A Spiritual Successor To Banjo-Tooie
All hope is not lost
Nothing puts a frown on a Nintendo fan's face like mentioning Rare. The company that once brought Perfect Dark, Donkey Kong 64, Banjo Kazooie and GoldenEye 007 are currently working on the Kinect Sports series for Microsoft. While most gamers have given up on seeing a new "proper" Banjo Kazooie sequel from Rare, a new glimmer of...
News 3DS System Update Locks Out a Lot of Flashcards, Permanently
The answer is to buy the games
Although some may use flashcards on DS systems as a convenient way to store copies of games they own, many people use them to play games they have not bought. Piracy was a big problem for the DS family of systems, and Nintendo always reiterated that it would ensure that 3DS was more secure, closing the door on illegal...
News You Fools, Blowing on NES Cartridges Is Not The Answer
Well I never
We've all done it. Blowing on cartridge connections has (apparently) always been the most effective way of getting stubborn games to load, but according to MentalFloss, it could actually cause more problems in the long term. MentalFloss spoke to Digital Press expert Frankie Viturello and he had some pretty damning words to say about...
News North America, Here Are Your 23 Wii U Launch Titles
What you'll be able to pick up with your console come November 18th
Nintendo has officially confirmed the 23 games which will launch alongside its Wii U console in North America on the 18th November. It has also revealed the 29 additional titles that are confirmed for release in the 'launch window', a period which runs from 18th November all the...
Hands on Wii U Third-Party Round-Up
Trine 2, Skylanders Giants, Ninja Gaiden 3, Tekken 2, NBA 2K13 and Sonic Racing
During this week we've been giving first impressions and hands on accounts of a number of Wii U launch window titles, both retail and downloadable. Nintendo of Europe provided access to a wide range of games we haven't yet covered, however, including some additional...
News Pressure Group Makes Fresh Calls For Nintendo To Embrace Mobile Phones
Upwardly mobile?
Are you sick of hearing people saying that Nintendo should start making games for smartphones? Yes? Well prepare yourself for more nausea, because a new pressure group - with the snappy title of Nintendo Go Mobile - has been created to achieve just that goal. Here's what they have to say, spelling errors and all: Nintendo go...
News Reggie Promises Steady Stream Of Wii U Consoles
Supply chain is "solid", lessons learned from past launches
Hardware launches are traditionally accompanied by annoying shortages as early demand outstrips supply, but Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has taken steps to calm nervous customers who may be worried that they're in for a long wait if they haven't already preordered the Wii...
News La-Mulana Stands Atop Download Charts Worldwide
Global dominance beckons for WiiWare classic
WiiWare smash hit La-Mulana has taken top spot in the UK, German, Italian, Dutch, French, Spanish and North American WiiWare download charts. The long-awaited 2D adventure - which, as we love to remind you, almost didn't make it to the Wii - was finally released globally last week. In our glowing 10/10...
News Clever People Turn a NES Zapper Into a Real Laser
Ducks beware
We have exciting news for you today, and possibly the most important scientific breakthrough since the wheel: a laser NES Zapper. Some smart — and we hasten to add, safe — people have changed the famous NES accessory from a light gun to a laser gun, and we're not even kidding. After taking the light gun apart and stripping out...
News Quarth is Blasting Onto the 3DS Virtual Console Soon
Think of it as Tetris X Space Invaders
The slow drip-feed of Game Boy titles on the 3DS Virtual Console may frustrate some that would prefer a deluge, but we can confirm — thanks to our source at Nintendo of America — another title from the extensive back catalogue that's due to arrive in the next couple of weeks. This time around it's Quarth,...
Events Nintendo Life Is Coming to Eurogamer Expo 2012
Win a Wii U, plus much more
You might have noticed that we've been getting increasingly excited about this year's Eurogamer Expo, which is due to start tomorrow in London. The reasons are legion; it's going to be the first public UK showing of Nintendo's Wii U console where you can get your hands on Pikmin 3, ZombiU and New Super Mario Bros U...
News Wii U Will Be Playable At EB Expo 2012 In Sydney
Warner Bros. Interactive showcasing their Wii U offerings
You may recall that we reported last week that the EB Expo - set in Sydney in just over a week's time - will feature Pokemon Black and White 2 as the only playable title on a Nintendo system. However, we've since received some wonderful news from Joel Graham, Warner Bros. Interactive...
Tuesday25th Sep 2012
News Toys R Us Taking Wii U Pre-Orders Again
Wii U Basic Bundle and two games available for $419
While stores left, right and centre are running out of pre-orders for the Wii U, it's since turned out that Toys R Us is now accepting them again. There's a caveat, of course - they're fresh out of Wii U Premium Models, and are bundling the Basic 8 GB model with copies of Scribblenauts: Unlimited...
Rumour Kid Icarus Planning a Wii U Uprising?
Too good to be true? Not according to Amazon
While Kid Icarus: Uprising lead designer Masahiro Sakurai has stated that he has no plans to make a sequel , it looks like a console port may be in the works, depending on how optimistic you happen to be. Earlier today, Amazon France put up a listing for Kid Icarus: Uprising, except the game is being...
News Capcom Explains Wii U and 3DS Cross-Play in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
"You can have a Monster Hunter party"
The announcement of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for Europe and North America, as part of Nintendo's recent Wii U reveal extravaganzas, finally gave fans of the series a welcome fix after a rather lengthy delay. Some were disappointed with the titles coming in March 2013, especially as Japan will get the new...
First Impressions Wii U Blockbuster Ports
Mass Effect 3 and Darksiders II put through their paces
One thing that many will have already noticed about the Wii U launch line-up is that it's showing the beginnings of greater third-party parity for Nintendo gamers. There are exclusives, of course, but there is also a mix of big-budget titles being ported to the new system: some will be...
News Take a Look at Capcom's New Monster Hunter Merchandise
Wallets at the ready
Capcom is catching on to popular Japanese fashion by bringing out its own Monster Hunter Sukajan. Sukajan-style jackets have been a tourist favourite for many years, blending American varsity jackets and Japanese embroidery, and can be commonly found being flogged to bewildered tourists in the busy streets of Tokyo. This...
Nintendo Download 27th September 2012 (Europe)
Balloons, mad chickens and another English lesson with Freddy
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Nintendo of Europe wasn't able to issue the Euro Nintendo Download news yesterday. Better late than never, the update has arrived on our desk today, and as a result we've got a selection of downloadable treats for you to sample. 3DS eShop: Balloon Pop...
News Zero Escape To Get Second Wave Of Pre-Order Watches
"VLR infection" runs rampant, officials to produce more inoculation devices
Last week, Aksys Games announced a pre-order bonus item for Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward. The item in question was a digital watch, which is based on an 'inoculation device' featured in the game. Unfortunately, the pre-order bonus, which was limited to Amazon, sold out...
News New Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion Screens Grant Three Wishes
Those with memories of Aladdin, enjoy
Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion is not only a 3DS accompaniment to upcoming sequel Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two on Wii and Wii U, but also a nostalgic 2D platformer that's got the interest of gamers with fond memories of the '90s. The latest set of official screens show off the Aladdin themed...
News Reggie: Miiverse Is Going To Be Unlike Anything You've Seen Before
Online service will be "a very compelling part" of Wii U
With the Wii U launch looming over us, it's rather worrying that we still know relatively little about the online side of the console - even developers are in the dark at present. However, in an interview with IGN, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime provided some assurances that...
News French Domination Predicted For Wii U
Industry experts believe Wii U will outsell rivals by massive margin
With many within the industry predicting a tough time for Nintendo and its Wii U system, leading tech company IDG has bravely stated that it thinks the console will enjoy a comfortable lead over its next-gen rivals by the time 2014 rolls around. The predictions were made by a...
News Mega Man 3 Leaps Onto The Japanese 3DS Virtual Console
For those about to rock
The third instalment of Capcom's popular Mega Man series is launching on the Japanese 3DS Virtual Console this week. Mega Man 3 - known in Japan as Rockman 3: The End of Dr. Wily!? - will go live on the Japanese 3DS eShop tomorrow (September 26th) for 500 yen. Even harsher than its already tough predecessor, Mega Man 3 has...
News Nintendo Shares Two Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask Demo Puzzles
"Just a dash of puzzle solving here"
Have you ever found yourself in that situation when a nearby clown is tangled in balloon strings, and you have to free him in precisely three moves? Well our good friend Hershel Layton is here to help with his latest puzzle-solving adventure, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask. To get you in the mood for the...
News Rhythm Hunter: HarmoKnight May Get Groovy in the West
Gotta catch the beats
There are a good numbers of gamers in the West that love Japanese culture and look on with envy at some of the creative, and occasionally wacky, delights that are released in Nintendo's homeland. One of these we may not have expected to see was Rhythm Hunter: HarmoKnight, a rhythm game on the 3DS eShop from Pokémon developer...
News Platinum Love The 3DS, But Are Too Busy To Work On It Right Now
A case of "what if"
Platinum Games executive director Atsushi Inaba has expressed his admiration for Nintendo's 3DS console in a recent interview with The Verge, but has also added that the company has too many ongoing projects to fund development for a 3DS game at present. He said: We are very interested in the Nintendo 3DS as a platform. I view...
Monday24th Sep 2012
News Shigeru Miyamoto: Mario and Luigi Don't Have Last Names
So stop saying he's called Mario Mario
When it comes to Mario, Nintendo's number one icon, there are plenty of myths and stories that can be debated by gamers until the moo moo cows come home. One of these, thanks to the Super Mario Bros. movie that wasn't particularly good, is that Mario and Luigi's last name is actually Mario, meaning that the...
News Wii U Pro Controller Feels "Amateurish", Say Kotaku
Hands-on time reveals potential issue
Kotaku's Brian Ashcraft has voiced his opinion on the Wii U Pro Controller, and it's not pretty. Ashcraft has stated in no uncertain terms that he "hates" the pad, which bares a strong resemblance to the Xbox 360 controller. He said: The Wii U Controller...feels, well, cheap. There's a nice gloss coating,...
Interview 5th Cell - Scribblenauts Unlimited
Word up
If adorable lexical puzzle games are up your street, you're bound to have heard of Scribblenauts, the series that lets you generate any item into the world by simply entering its name. The series has been around for a while on Nintendo DS, plus iOS, but it'll be hitting a home console for the first time when Scribblenauts Unlimited is...
News Angry Birds Trilogy Achievement Requires 300 Hours Of Play
Got plenty of spare time on your hands?
Angry Birds creator Rovio has cheekily revealed that the forthcoming Angry Birds Trilogy contains an achievement that is expected to take around 300 hours to unlock. The achievement is to clear all 700 stages with 100% destruction using the 'Mighty Eagle' bird. Speaking to Digital Spy, executive producer...
News GameStop Closes Wii U Pre-Orders in the U.S.
Waiting lists opened
While pre-orders are still very much available, at the time of writing, around Europe and elsewhere, it seems that demand for Wii U in the U.S. is hitting some impressive heights. We previously reported that Wii U pre-orders were selling out in the U.S., in terms of online purchases, but it's now being reported by softpedia.com...
News The Wii U Is Region Locked, Of Course
Quelle surprise!
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, it has been confirmed by Japanese publication Famitsu (via a translated tweet) that the Wii U will feature a region lock system. This is hardly a massive shock, as all Nintendo's domestic consoles have incorporated such a safeguard - only the Game Boy and DS ranges have opted out so far. The...
News Reggie Fils-Aime: "The Nintendo Power Brand is Very Strong"
Struggles of the print industry to blame for closure
For loyal readers of Nintendo Power, or perhaps just those that have fond memories of reading it in their youth, the December issue will be the last print copy to enjoy. Perhaps unlike any other website or magazine closures in recent years this is undeniably one that can be directly traced to...
Hands On Ubisoft's Wii U Launch Hits
Taking Rayman Legends and ZombiU for another spin
When it comes to third-party launch support for Wii U, Ubisoft is the stand-out with its sheer volume of titles on the way. As always, the publisher is wading in with a substantial variety of games to cater to gamers of almost all levels and persuasions, but we recently had a chance to have another...
News Men Like Metroid, Women Prefer Animal Crossing, But Both Like Mario
The tastes of Japanese gamers revealed
Men and women have different tastes as a rule - hence the fact that you'll struggle to get the average red-blooded male to sit through an entire season of Sex and the City, while your typical lady is unlikely to find the notion of a weekend-long NASCAR marathon all that appealing. Taking this into account, it...
News Project X Zone Could See A Western Release Yet
Tekken boss is pushing for localisation
We're all painfully aware that Project X Zone is looking pretty sweet right now. It's always been an outside bet for release outside of Japan though; the fact that its prequel Namco × Capcom never got released in the West doesn't exactly inspire confidence. However, the chances of the game making it to these...
News Nintendo Is Getting Its Hands Dirty With Bayonetta 2
Platinum confirm that Nintendo has producers working on the title
We've already been over the fact that Bayonetta 2's announcement for the Wii U has upset a very vocal minority of fanboys who expected the sequel to come to the PS3 or Xbox 360, but it's possible that there could be further misery in store for those who cried foul at the news...
News We Sing 80s Hits The Nintendo Entertainment System
In the fictional world of video game promotion, at least
We Sing 80s is the latest in a long line of Wii-based music titles, so it's a given that the promotional campaign for the game needs to be something special for it to get noticed. Publisher Nordic Games has done just that by mocking up a video which shows what the game would have looked like...
News Ace Attorney 5's Heart Scope System Detailed
Out with the old, in with the new
The Ace Attorney series has never been a stranger to unusual trinkets and gameplay mechanics. Phoenix himself wielded the powerful Magatama to uncover the deepest of secrets, his protégé Apollo used his trusty bracelet to perceive subtle twitches and nervous habits, and Miles Edgeworth has been known to play a few...



































































