News - 2012, Week 44

Sunday4th Nov 2012

  • News GAME Mobile App Suggests That Nintendo ID Is On Its Way

    Sign-in of the times?

    It's pretty much a given that Nintendo will create some kind of user ID system on the Wii U console, and we've had further evidence from UK retailer GAME. The company's mobile application for iOS now has a field requesting a "Nintendo ID" - and it's nestled right next to the "PSN" and "XBOX Live Tag" ID fields. Nintendo has...

Saturday3rd Nov 2012

  • News Miyamoto Puzzled As To Why Anyone Would Want A New F-Zero

    "I thought people had grown weary of it"

    If you ask any self-respecting Nintendo fan which series they'd like to see come out of hibernation, many will say F-Zero. Aside from the themed mini-game in the forthcoming Wii U launch title Nintendo Land, we haven't seen an F-Zero title since 2004's F-Zero: Climax on the Game Boy Advance - which never made...

Sunday4th Nov 2012

  • News Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward Bug Infects Save Data

    Uh-oh

    Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is a recent 3DS release that — though unlikely to be a big-seller — will have attracted a committed group of enthusiasts that enjoyed 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors on DS. While a number of gamers are no doubt enjoying the experience and its many, many endings, it's emerged that a save-breaking...

  • Review 2 Fast 4 Gnomz (3DS eShop)

    Gnome-madic

    While the title might indicate that 2 Fast 4 Gnomz could be the marriage of Miami street racing and gnome culture we've all been waiting for, what we have instead is a much-improved eShop version of QubicGames' WiiWare runner of the same name. In fact, the title's silly, Prince-esque number usage and 90's-edgy "z" belie the fact that 2...

  • Review Cake Ninja 2 (DSiWare)

    Unjust desserts

    Almost one year ago, the DSiWare service was graced with the appearance of Cake Ninja, an unrepentant clone of mobile craze Fruit Ninja. However, its lifeless approach to the formula, lack of addictiveness and total dearth of variety doomed it to receive a mere 2/10 in our review. Now we have Cake Ninja 2, which seeks to atone for...

  • News Developer Excited by Indie Friendly Wii U eShop

    Anticipated indie title teased for Wii U

    The Wii U eShop may still be a mystery to us — a Nintendo Direct broadcast to show it off wouldn't be a surprise — but there have certainly been plenty of developers queuing up to share optimistic viewpoints on the platform. The latest to do so is a young studio called Nyamyam, founded in late 2010 by two...

Saturday3rd Nov 2012

  • Talking Point Wii U and the Importance of Backward Compatibility

    Long live the Wii

    In future years, maybe even in a matter of weeks, there's likely to be plenty written about Wii and its lifespan, with judgements made on its strengths and weaknesses. The list of negatives is fairly predictable: it was underpowered, with motion controls that brought an unrelenting wave of sub-par games, it struggled for major...

  • Interview The Trouble With The TurboGrafx-16

    We speak to former TTI Vice President and General Manager

    The NEC PC Engine turned 25 this week, and to celebrate the life of this remarkable system we've already taken a comprehensive look at its history. If that didn't satisfy your hunger for NEC-related knowledge, then allow us to offer up this interview with Ken Wirt, who served as Vice...

  • News XSEED Hints at Rune Factory 4 Localisation

    The big tease

    The thing about developers and publishers being on social networks is that they have another means to poke and tease us gamers. Gone are the days of big announcements being exclusively in gaming magazines, and now we have pre-announcement hints of teasers. Still, it sure keeps us interested. The latest publisher to join in is XSEED,...

  • News EA Releases Full Details On FIFA 13's Wii U GamePad Features

    A new way to play the beautiful game

    EA has now released a vast amount of detail on how FIFA 13 will make use of the Wii U GamePad's features. Some of this has already been covered in detail before, including taking control of the manager making strategic decisions on the sidelines, "shake and shoot" and touch screen navigation as opposed to...

Thursday1st Nov 2012

  • News Limited Edition Pink 3DS XL Available Online In North America

    Pretty in pink

    Nintendo of America has announced on its Twitter feed today the availability of the Pink 3DS XL. The cute coloured system is available in limited quantities, and you must be a member of the shopping site Gilt to purchase it. The Pink 3DS XL will come as part of two bundles - one with Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask and the...

Friday2nd Nov 2012

  • News Zelda: Twilight Symphony Soundtrack Available For Pre-Order

    Over 3 hours of glorious music

    Zelda Orchestrated, the dedicated team behind Twilight Symphony, has finally unveiled that its most ambitious project is now available for pre-order with a price tag of $49.99. The 3-disc soundtrack, which is an orchestral arrangement of music from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, is only available in limited

  • News Wii U Web Browser Posts Impressive Benchmark Results

    Surf's up

    Early benchmark tests have shown that the Wii U's web browser is surprisingly good at handling HTML5 - better than Microsoft's Internet Explorer 10 on PC, in fact. The data posted on HTML5test.com shows the following info: Wii U browser – 323 + 8 Internet Explorer 10 – 320 + 6 Chrome 22 – 434 + 13 Xbox 360 Internet Explorer 9 –...

  • Developer Interview Pwnee Studios Talks About Cloudberry Kingdom and Wii U

    "We have learnt to expect bizarre events"

    With all of the excitement surrounding the upcoming release of the Wii U console and its retail launch titles, it’s easy to forget the assortment of potentially fantastic Wii U eShop titles also heading our way. One of which is Cloudberry Kingdom, a platformer which promises to supply the gamer with...

  • News Number-Crunching Reveals That Nintendo's Handheld Market Is "Stable"

    3DS matching the sales performance of both the GBA and Nintendo DS

    Lots of industry experts are arguing that the expansion of mobile phone and tablet gaming is having an impact on the fortunes of dedicated games consoles like the 3DS, but Gamasutra's Matt Matthews has taken a closer look at the figures and found that the truth is somewhat different...

  • News Retro City Rampage Isn't Headed Down Under

    "Ratings are expensive and time consuming", says developer

    VBlank Entertainment has revealed that the WiiWare version of Retro City Rampage won't be released in Australia. Posting on Twitter, the developer cited the expensive process of age rating approval as the reason for the no-show. The Xbox Live Arcade and PSN versions are also impacted by the...

  • Review Spot It! Mean Machines (DSiWare)

    I spy a decent game

    At a glance, Spot It! Mean Machines is simply a collection of grainy photographs of piles of junk. If you continue to explore this title, you'll find that your initial assessment was astute, but you will also find that it’s amazing how much fun can be had while staring at these still images. If you’re a fan of classic Spot...

  • News Nintendo Greece Scores Bonus Points With Super Mario Flashmob

    Worthy of the warp zone

    We've seen a few flashmobs in our time, but this has to rank as one of the best. Nintendo Greece confused, befuddled and ultimately delighted hordes of shoppers by holding a get-together of Super Marios in a shopping centre. The plumbers gleefully paraded around the various stores, drawing smiles from the assembled crowds...

Thursday1st Nov 2012

Wednesday31st Oct 2012

  • News Sin And Punishment Developer Treasure Working On 3DS Exclusive

    3D action shooter inbound

    Veteran studio Treasure - the team behind the amazing Sin and Punishment: Star Successor - has confirmed that it is working on a 3DS exclusive. Speaking to UK magazine gamesTM, Treasure CEO Masato Maegawa revealed the exciting news: We are making a new game on Nintendo 3DS now. Not multiplatform, but exclusive to 3DS...

  • Competition Nintendo Offering Real Gold To The Top New Super Mario Bros. 2 Coin Collector

    Real gold, you say?

    The crazy fellows over at Nintendo Germany are offering a solid gold coin — worth about €220 — to the country's gamer that's collected the most coins in New Super Mario Bros. 2 by 31st December 2012. It began with a small campaign, in which those that surpassed the one million mark and provided evidence would be awarded...

  • News Wii U Digital Promotion Giving You More Bang For Your Buck

    Nintendo delves deeper into its Deluxe Set promotion

    We already knew that Nintendo had mentioned a digital promotion for those who purchased the Wii U Deluxe Bundle - buyers of said bundle who purchase a game from the Nintendo eShop will receive 10% of their value back in the form of points. This in turn allows users to purchase more content from...

  • Feature Spooky Levels For Surprising Frights

    Sneaking up behind you

    The night is finally here, when legend tells of witches, ghosts and ghouls terrorising the people of the world for, well, some reason. It seems a little pointless to learn about the origins of Halloween as it's basically a cheap costume candy-fest, and that's just fine. Grown ups often spend the night watching grisly horror...

  • News Hori Set To Release Wii U Arcade Stick At Launch

    Fight 'em up arcade style

    For all you fighting fanatics out there, Hori is going to release a Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition fight stick this December, alongside the Wii U launch in Japan. To use the stick it'll need to be plugged into a Wii Remote, simply like you would use a Classic Controller; it'll set you back ¥7980 (approximately...

  • News Castlevania: Mirror of Fate 3DS Trailer Appears Just In Time For Halloween

    Whip-cracking fun

    It's all about the timing. Konami has released a new trailer for its forthcoming 3DS adventure Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate - and guess what? Today is Halloween. What a spooky coincidence. The new trailer showcases the game's combination of whip-based action and platform exploration, and long-time fans of the...

  • News Assassin's Creed III on Wii U Will Feature All DLC

    No mention of micro-transactions, yet

    With a big-budget release on the scale of Assassin's Creed III, you can be confident that one thing will definitely make an appearance — DLC. With Wii U set to support extensive online options only rarely utilised on Wii, we'll need to get used to the idea that sometimes the game in the box won't be the final...

  • News The Famicom's Biggest Rival Is 25 Years Old

    NEC's groundbreaking PC Engine comes of age

    It makes us feel very old to say it, but NEC's popular 8-bit PC Engine console turned 25 yesterday. Better known in the US as the TurboGrafx-16, the system launched in Japan on October 30th, 1987 (yes, we know we're a day late with this) - a time when the Famicom was enjoying a period of total and utter...

  • Podcast NLFM Episode 23: Revenge of the Halloween Hootenanny

    Best served as cold as a corpse

    Grab your bluntest instruments and aim for the head because NLFM has risen from its grave for the third annual Halloween Hootenanny! More spooky, more sinister and more deathly, this episode is best listened to in a dark castle dungeon while eating raw pumpkins. Failing that, anywhere else will do. 1. Masanao...

  • News Pitchford: Wii U GamePad is Nintendo's "Best Controller" for Hardcore Games

    GamePad link is "direct, fast and immediate"

    Aliens: Colonial Marines, from Gearbox Software, is a high-profile multi-platform title on the list of those making their way to Wii U, with confirmation that it's due in the "launch window" — up to 31st March — which means that it may hit Nintendo's console around the same time as its February...

  • News SiNG Party Will Test Your Vocal Chords This January

    Tell the neighbours to buy some earplugs...

    Are you ready to play one of the highest-profile party games for Wii U? We hope so, as Nintendo has announced that SiNG Party will be hitting European shelves on 18th January 2013. Developed by FreeStyleGames, details have been provided on various modes such as Party Mode, Sing Mode, Team Mode and Practice...

  • News Wii U Set To Embark On Nationwide Tour Of Australia

    Party Down Under

    Live in Australia? Didn't get to go to the EB Expo to play the Wii U earlier this year? Fear not, as Nintendo might be heading your way soon with some of the new consoles in tow. From the 5th of November, Wii U Experience Stores will be opened temporarily around Australia. Nintendo is currently advertising that Nintendo Land and...

Tuesday30th Oct 2012

  • News New Super Mario Bros. U Nabbit Chase Stages Revealed

    Dang nabbit!

    With launch less than three weeks away for lucky North American gamers, Nintendo has revealed some details for New Super Mario Bros. U. Some are well known and have previously come to light through magazine previews and other sources, such as the fact that the World Map will have a number of routes and secret exits — similar in...

  • Nintendo Download 1st November 2012 (Europe)

    Monsters, samurai, spaceships and dragons

    It's that time again when we cross our fingers and hope for some downloadable treats from Nintendo, hoping against hope that we aren't subjected to tricks instead. This week is a mixed bag, with promising, awful and mystery downloads available across all platforms, so let's get to it. 3DS Download: Monster...

  • News These Video Game Pumpkins Are Ghoulishly Effective

    Carving out a niche

    There's a definite skill to carving the perfect pumpkin, but in order to make sure yours stands out from the crowd this Halloween, it's always a good idea to have some solid inspiration - and what better medium to turn to than video games? The pumpkins shown here are some of the best examples we found online, and successfully...

  • Review Mighty Bomb Jack (3DS eShop / NES)

    Not so mighty

    The original Bomb Jack was an addictive little arcade game in which the objective was to collect all the bombs in each level while avoiding enemies. Sounds like a simple concept - and it was. For the NES, though, Tecmo decided to make a sequel with a bit of an adventure game element to it. The bomb rooms from the original game are...

  • News Dragon Quest VII Set to Venture Onto 3DS

    If in doubt, release a re-make

    While Dragon Quest X for Wii U was shown off recently during a Japanese Nintendo Direct broadcast — though it's already been released on Wii in the Land of the Rising Sun — Square Enix hasn't yet finished re-releasing earlier entries in the series. According to JUMP magazine, at least. A scanned page from the...

  • Movie Review Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva

    A true gentleman never disappoints his fans

    Puzzle 001: How do you adapt a best-selling puzzle series for the big screen? The answer? Bring the puzzles along for the ride. For most movies, shoehorning in memorable gameplay elements hasn't always worked out as planned — the first-person shooting segment from Doom was lampooned by many viewers, and...

  • News Iwata: We Must Make Smart Devices Our Allies, Not Our Enemies

    Nintendo President addresses the rise of mobile in recent investor Q&A

    Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata has spoken during an investor Q&A this week about the challenges Nintendo faces with mobile gaming on the rise. Iwata noted that devices like tablets and smartphones shouldn't be compared with traditional systems, as dedicated gaming...

  • News Wii U Comparison Video Shows How It Sizes Up Against Other Nintendo Hardware

    Size isn't everything

    ONM has created a video which gives viewers a further insight into the Wii U's exciting new features and how it compares in size to other Nintendo systems. As you can see in the video below, the Wii U isn't that much bigger than the Wii, so hopefully you won't need to adjust your current home setup too much. Are you...

  • News Nintendo Is Holding Back Wii U Titles To Maintain Momentum Into 2013

    "We realize the biggest challenge is to make sure that Wii U sells well even in the next year"

    Talking in an investor's Q&A, Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata has revealed that the company has intentionally held back certain Wii U launch titles to ensure that sales remain robust well into 2013. He said: If you look at how pre-orders are...

  • News Project X Zone Struggles At Japanese Retail

    Crossover RPG limps to 100,000 copies

    Namco Bandai's much-hyped tactical RPG Project X Zone isn't performing as well as expected in its native Japan, with just 12,450 sold during the week of Monday 15th October. That brings the game's total sales to 97,989 units since its launch a week before. In contrast, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy has managed...

  • News Elminage Gothic Is Dungeon Crawling To The Nintendo 3DS

    Remixed and renewed

    Starfish's dungeon crawler Elminage Gothic is coming to the 3DS in 2013. A remix of the PSP edition, the developer hasn't yet said how this new version will differ from the original. It's not the first time the series has graced a Nintendo portable - Elminage DS Remix came out a while back in Japan, and was an update of a...

  • News Super Punch Out!!! Goes For a Club Nintendo Knockout

    150 coins to get into the bout

    Another week, another North American Club Nintendo treat to share with you. This time around there's classic SNES action to enjoy on Wii, with Super Punch Out!!! available until 14th November and stepping up for 150 of your gold coins. To say that Little Mac's 16-bit appearance is iconic is probably an understatement,...

  • News Ostrich Island Could Be Making Its Way To Wii U

    The game we've all been waiting for...

    MeDungeon Games has revealed that it has plans to bring Ostrich Island to the Wii U eShop. The game is already in the works for Windows, Mac, and Linux, but may make its way to Wii U should its current crowd-funding initiative prove successful. It's described as a mix between an adventure game and a...

  • Rumour Splinter Cell: Blacklist Sneaking Onto Wii U

    The pre-E3 rumour returns, courtesy of GameStop

    Just before L.A.'s E3 extravaganza this year, rumours emerged that Splinter Cell: Blacklist was coming to Wii U, yet Ubisoft's press conference passed without any mention of the multi-platform release arriving on Nintendo's new system. Whether fans would have been particularly disappointed depends on...

  • News Nintendo Direct Broadcasts Attracting Around One Million Viewers

    Videos proving popular with both core and casual players

    The investor Q&A Nintendo held recently is throwing up all kinds of interesting stories. We already know that Nintendo President Satoru Iwata is warming to the idea of smartphones and has intentionally held back Wii U launch titles, and we now have some illuminating figures relating to the...

  • Competition The Race To Be Australia's Fastest Mario Kart 7 Family Is On

    Get ready

    Think you've got what it takes to become the fastest Mario Kart 7 family across Australia? If the answer is yes then start your engines, as Nintendo is on a mission to find those who can prove they are the very best on the racetrack. There are some truly excellent prizes to be won: a Nintendo 3DS™ XL console signed by Charles Martinet,...

Monday29th Oct 2012

  • Review Ghosts 'n Goblins (3DS eShop / NES)

    A Halloween greeting from Satan himself

    Capcom couldn't have picked a better time to release Ghosts 'n Goblins onto the 3DS Virtual Console. It's Halloween, after all, and this is one of the most classic spooky games there is. The real question is how well it holds up today, and that's one we're happy to answer: quite well, actually. Despite the...

  • News Animal Crossing: New Leaf Will Not Have "Unwholesome" Paid DLC

    No 99 cent purchases from Tom Nook, then

    Nintendo's spent a fair bit of time and effort this year taking steps forward in its download business on 3DS, with one notable area being in-game paid DLC. It's not as if extra add-on content is entirely new for the big N in 2012, but its profile undoubtedly increased with Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy and...

  • News Mario Clone Super Maria Land Jumps Onto Android

    Great artists steal?

    Smartphone-based clones of popular games are everywhere these days, but this latest effort really is unashamedly blatant. Super Maria Land - which proudly proclaims itself as a 'Mario Clone' on its official Google Play store listing is a port of a web-based Flash title for Google's popular Android platform. It's clearly a...

  • News Assassin's Creed III Micro-Transactions Sneak Into View

    Wii U inclusion yet to be confirmed

    Assassin's Creed III is one of the most high-profile multi-platform titles that'll be on store shelves for Wii U's launch. Nintendo gamers can look forward to a number of blockbuster hits that never saw the light of day on Wii, but at the same time these games may introduce one less-popular part of modern gaming:...

  • News n-Space Not Happy With Heroes Of Ruin Sales Figures

    Sales were ruined

    n-Space co-founder Dan O'Leary has admitted that sales for Heroes of Ruin on the Nintendo 3DS have been very disappointing. The game was released for Europe in June and for North America in July, but the dungeon-crawler didn't captivate the hearts of many. We’re not satisfied with the sales. The 3DS attach rate is…...

  • News French Firm Recycles SNES Consoles With a Unique Twist

    What once was old is new again

    We've got a saying here at Nintendo Life Towers: Old consoles don't die, they just go into storage. It's heartening to discover that French firm Lëkki feels the same way; the company is focused on taking existing retro hardware and making it new again with a fresh lick of paint - and we mean that literally. Lëkki...

  • Feature Halloween Scares on Wii

    The cute little console's horrors

    The scariest night of the year is now only two days away, a horrifying evening when strange children knock at the door and refuse to leave without a toll of sweets and candy. If you don't hand some tooth-rotting treats over, then you could find out what tricks they have up their sleeve; that's not always a smart...

  • News Hurricane Sandy Forces Isaiah Triforce Johnson To Abandon Queue For Wii U

    Mother Nature takes no heed of hardware launch hype

    We reported a few days ago that Isaiah Triforce Johnson was already queuing for his Wii U outside the Nintendo World Store in New York City, almost a month before the system was due to be released. Sadly, Johnson has had to abandon his vigil due to the incoming threat of Hurricane Sandy, which is...

  • First Impressions Ed Boon's Injustice: Gods Among Us Lays The Smackdown

    Superhuman potential

    Recently we were lucky enough to attend a demonstration of NetherRealm Studio's upcoming DC Comics fighting game, Injustice: Gods Among Us, by Mortal Kombat creator himself, Ed Boon. Boon started the presentation by stating that because he had been making Mortal Kombat games for so long, he felt it was time to try something...

  • News Watch the Translated GameCenter CX vs. Iwata Asks Segment Right Here

    Fresh from Japan

    If you watched last week's Japanese Nintendo Direct presentation you'll know that at the end there was a special GameCenter CX segment featuring none other than Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. For those of you that don't know, GameCenter CX (known in the west as Retro Game Master) is a TV show starring Shinya Arino, who plays...

  • News Nintendo Considering Wii U TVii For Europe and Japan

    Details possible "in the not-so-distant future"

    While Nintendo of America's Wii U release date reveal featured a substantial section outlining TVii, the app that promises to give intuitive extra functionality to existing TV services, the equivalent European and Japanese Nintendo Direct broadcasts focused almost exclusively on games. The simple...

  • News Professor Layton Puzzles His Way To Seventh Place in UK Charts

    Anything but puzzling

    According to UKIE's video games chart information for last week, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask has debuted in seventh place in the UK. The game, which is the fifth title in the beloved Professor Layton series, was released last Friday (26th October) in Europe, and has been warmly received by critics. While seventh...

  • News Australian Connection Ambassador Promotion Ends 21st November

    Connect those friends, fast

    You may or may not remember the Connection Ambassador program that Nintendo started three years ago. For those catching up, it granted those who could get ten friends to connect their Wii to the internet the ability to download every NES game from the Virtual Console for the grand price of absolutely nothing. Nintendo...