News - 2012, Week 46

Sunday18th Nov 2012

  • Feature Wii U Launch Day, Live!

    It's a whole new game

    So here we are, North America, your Wii U day has arrived. It's a Super Sunday, and some of you will be lucky enough to have a midnight launch, while others will need to have a good night's sleep and wait for the stores to open. Either way, you're first up for Nintendo's brand new system, so we expect you to be rushing home,...

  • Nintendo Download 18th November 2012 (North America)

    U better believe it

    It's a special Nintendo Download update today, as lucky gamers in North America can enter a brave new world of HD offerings on Wii U. There are five download-only titles to choose from and a giddying range of retail options, which shows how seriously Nintendo's taking the idea of selling us games without boxes. Let's get to it...

  • News Isaiah Triforce Johnson Grabs First Wii U at Launch Event

    Reunited with his old pal Reggie

    To join in with all of the hubbub of North American gamers picking up Wii U systems today, Nintendo has sent out some pictures of the midnight launch event in New York for us to enjoy. As the headline makes clear, Isaiah Triforce Johnson was on hand with his trusty Power Glove to seize the honour, once again, of...

  • News Colors! 3D Receiving Update Before The New Year

    A new kind of social network

    There have been a fair amount of artistic games released for 3DS since its arrival, and one of the more impressive applications around has been Colors! 3D. It's a tool which allows you to paint on five different layers to create a three dimensional painting that, with a bit of practice, can look good enough to hang on...

  • News Ubisoft Uplay App On The Way To Wii U

    Adding a bit extra

    Ubisoft is comfortably the most supportive third-party developer in Wii U's launch window, releasing a mixture of ports and exclusive titles that cover genres suitable for less experienced players, through to blockbusters for those who'd call themselves hardcore. It seems the publisher's support is set to step up a notch further,...

  • News Frozenbyte - Indie Developers Have More Control On Wii U eShop

    Trine 2 developer enjoying the freedom

    Trine 2: Director's Cut is available in the Wii U eShop right now in North America — and will be on launch in Europe — and the game's developer, Frozenbyte, has had nothing but praise for the way Nintendo is approaching downloadable gaming. In an interview with IGN, marketing manager at Frozenbyte, Mikael...

  • News New Trailer Released As Chasing Aurora Soars Onto Wii U eShop in North America

    Broken Rules' indie title finally flies the nest

    Broken Rules has released a launch trailer for its Wii U indie game Chasing Aurora, which is available now on the Wii U eShop in North America. Featuring up to five-player asynchronous multiplayer and glorious vector art, Chasing Aurora is a 2D aerial action game where players battle it out as birds...

Saturday17th Nov 2012

  • News Jack Tretton Wishes Nintendo Every Success With Wii U

    "Nintendo has a great heritage in the business"

    President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America Jack Tretton has wished Nintendo every success with Wii U, ahead of the official launch in just a few short hours. Speaking about his own company’s heritage on the latest Official Playstation Blogcast, Tretton took the time to talk about Wii...

  • Feature The Making Of Myst

    We speak to one half of the Miller brothers about its creation

    Few video games have the ability to polarise opinion quite as sharply as Myst. When it hit shop shelves back in 1993 many critics scoffed at the sedate gameplay and predicted that few people would want to sit through a game that was little more than an ‘interactive picture-postcard’...

  • News Iwata Reveals How Nintendo Developed The Early Prototype For Wii U

    Simply strap two Wii consoles together

    With the immense success of the Wii, the folks at Nintendo certainly had their work cut out when developing its successor. It was around 2009 - with the Wii well into its third year of service - that Nintendo’s top men got around a table and started to discuss what their next move would be. The first task...

  • News Reggie Surprises Nintendo World Store Campers 24 Hours Before Wii U Launch

    His body is ready!

    Following Reggie's slot on the Jimmy Fallon show, the man himself took a stroll down to Nintendo World Store in NYC, where he stumbled upon 50 campers outside gearing up for Wii U's midnight launch. Reggie had some fun with the fans in the queue, where he was taking note of what fans wanted to see on the system (Smash Bros. and...

  • Feature What Excites Us About Wii U - NA Edition

    So close we can smell the packaging

    And so it's almost here, a new home console launch from Nintendo. We only have one of these every five years or more, and North America gets out of the gate first to soak up the new system and put it through its paces. It brings plenty of new features to the table, including its impressive GamePad, a new online...

  • Review Jump Trials (DSiWare)

    Trial without style

    Jump Trials, a 200 point DSiWare release from G-Style Games, is a game about running and jumping from left to right. It's a game for players who feel that perhaps platformers have become too ambitious, and that the "right" in "left to right" should refer to the far edge of a single DS-sized screen, rather than the ends of the...

  • News Wii U Mass Effect 3 Owners Cannot Retake Omega

    New DLC pack unavailable on Wii U

    Bioware is set to release some additional DLC for Mass Effect 3 on 27th November in the form of the Omega pack, however those with a copy of the game on Wii U will not be able to download it. This news comes via a tweet from the official Mass Effect account, which when answering a fan’s query on the DLC’s Wii U...

  • News Reggie Discusses Embracing The Digital Age Ahead of Wii U Launch

    Delighted with developer input for the GamePad

    Reggie is out in force leading up to Nintendo's next generation console release on 18th November (like you'd forgotten). Reggie appeared on the Jimmy Fallon show last night in the US to do some high-profile promotion work, and took a midnight stroll to the Nintendo World Store to meet and greet fans...

  • News Disney Interactive Reportedly Developing A Skylanders Rival

    To Infinity, and beyond!

    Activision’s innovative Skylanders series has been a great success for the company. The multi-platform game sees the physical and virtual realms blur as physical objects are scanned into the virtual world using a peripheral known as the Portal of Power. It seems Disney Interactive has noticed the achievements of...

Friday16th Nov 2012

  • News Donkey Kong Country Trilogy To Be Pulled From Wii Virtual Console

    Donkey Gone-ga

    According to an image uploaded onto Twitter by Daan Koopman (@NintenDaan), Nintendo is to remove Donkey Kong Country and its SNES sequels from the European Wii Virtual Console this month, on 25th November. The following games will be removed: Donkey Kong Country Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

  • Review Ninja Gaiden (3DS eShop / NES)

    Frustratingly fun

    Gamers nowadays might be more familiar with the rebooted series, but now you've got yet another chance to experience the original NES Ninja Gaiden, the game that started it all. A classic 2D action platformer, you assume the role of Ryu Hayabusa as he seeks to kill Jaquio, who murdered his father. This original is frequently...

  • News Nintendo's Recommended Range For GamePad Use Is Conservative

    Playing it safe

    Ever since the GamePad was revealed people have wondered just how far away from your TV you can go with it. Can you get to the next room? The kitchen? The bathroom? The garden shed? So far Nintendo have only confirmed that you can definitely play it within the same room and the official Wii U specs declare a maximum range of up to 26...

Thursday15th Nov 2012

  • News Official Youtube App Launches On The Wii In North America

    Better late than never?

    Just days ahead of the Wii U launch in the US, Google has announced today that it has launched the official YouTube app for the Wii. For the time being, the app will only be available in North America, but Google has plans to bring it to other countries soon. The app has previously been available on the PlayStation 3 and the...

Friday16th Nov 2012

  • Feature Shigeru Miyamoto - The Father of Modern Video Games

    An era unlike any other

    Today is Shigeru Miyamoto's 60th birthday, a key personal landmark but also one that should be celebrated in broader terms by the gaming industry. Miyamoto's well-known description as the "father of modern video games" isn't just casually applied praise, it's a title that's deserved and has genuine significance. Nintendo's...

  • News WayForward Would Like To Make A Metroid Game

    Will you be signing the petition?

    WayForward, the developer behind games such as A Boy and his Blob, Mighty Switch Force: Hyper Drive Edition, and the upcoming 3DS title Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?! has expressed its desire to make a Metroid game. Responding to a

  • News Rayman Legends Demo Available In Wii U eShop On Launch

    We will get to play it after all

    Rayman Legends was originally supposed to be a Wii U launch day title but was pushed back to a Q1 2013 release, much to the disappointment of Rayman fans across the globe. However, North American Wii U owners will still be able to get a little bit of their Rayman fix on launch day as Ubisoft has confirmed that there...

  • News Iwata Asks Reveals New Super Mario Bros. U Took Three Years To Develop

    And it's not child's play either

    New Super Mario Bros. U will be one of two first party Wii U launch titles when Nintendo’s new console finally becomes available to buy - the other of course being Nintendo Land - and it has been revealed in the latest edition of Iwata Asks that the game has been in the works ever since its predecessor New

  • News Happy 60th Birthday, Shigeru Miyamoto

    Father of Mario and Zelda reaches another milestone

    Exactly 60 years to the day in the Japanese town of Sonobe, one of video gaming's greatest visionaries was born: Shigeru Miyamoto. Since joining Nintendo at the late '70s, Miyamoto has arguably revolutionised the medium of interactive entertainment more than any other individual, producing a...

  • News GameStop Wii U Software Pre-Orders Surpass One Million

    Mamma mia!

    The Wii U is out in just two days time in North America, and you can already smell the excitement in the air. Drunk on the 'new console' fever, it seems that people have been getting a bit anxious thinking they may not secure their console for the holiday season. We reported that Wii U pre-orders were selling out quickly, and at one...

  • News Analysts Believe Wii U Will Be Put To The Test Come Summertime

    Will Nintendo keep momentum?

    As Nintendo of America’s Scott Moffitt pointed out recently, the response to Wii U has been nothing short of “phenomenal” as its North American launch date draws ever closer. Research firm IHS Screen Digest expects Nintendo to shift 3.5 million Wii U units worldwide by the end of December, meanwhile, which even...

  • News New Super Mario Bros. U To Jump Into DLC

    Additional courses planned

    New Super Mario Bros. 2 did something new for the core Mario franchise: it introduced DLC. While much of the game may have felt familiar — not always a bad thing — the idea of extra content being made available after release was new for the series, and has added some longevity to the Coin Rush mode. In an Iwata Asks...

  • News TVii Application Won't Be Available On Wii U Launch

    Will arrive in December

    Last week we discovered that the Wii U will need to be updated with a patch on day-one of launch to enable you to use features such as Miiverse, Wii U Chat and the eShop. North America was also told that TVii, the service that allows users to navigate through their online video subscriptions more easily, will also be...

  • News Level-5 Discusses Guild 01 Localization Details And More

    Maybe some new titles on the way too?

    As you're no doubt already aware, Guild 01 is an interesting compilation of games spanning from four unique developers. Liberation Maiden has already graced our 3DS consoles, with Aero Porter and Crimson Shroud making their way to the west in the not-too-distant future. One title that hasn't been mentioned for...

  • News Guild 01's Aero Porter Is Landing On The 3DS eShop This Month

    Ever wanted to run your own airport?

    Following on from the interview snippets from Level-5 earlier today, the company has announced that the next Guild 01 title - Aero Porter - will being flying west onto the 3DS eShop this month - November 29th, to be precise. Better yet, North America and Europe will be getting it on the exact same day, priced at...

  • Feature Mastering The Basics Of Spirit Hunters Inc.

    A guide to catching spooks, straight from the developer

    In this, the first of three articles, Creative Director at Nnooo Nic Watt will detail some of the components of Spirit Hunters Inc. to illustrate all the different aspects of the game. Spirit Hunters Inc. launches globally on DSiWare next week, so make sure you brush up on these tips to get a...

Thursday15th Nov 2012

  • Review Fallblox (3DS eShop)

    Drop 'em like they're blox

    Meet Fallblox – a game so clever that its very title could be a brand new synonym for “mindboggling”. Predecessor Pullblox / Pushmo remains one of the best titles on the 3DS eShop, an extremely smart puzzler that's fantastic value for money. Fallblox, known in North America as Crashmo, is no lazy sequel: it takes...

  • Nintendo Download 15th November 2012 (North America)

    Mickey gets epic, monster shooting, Myst and more

    It's Thursday, which comes before Friday, but also means Nintendo Download day. This week throws up a fair bit of content on 3DS, including four retail downloads with one high-profile release and the return of a PC classic, while DSi owners also have a couple of options to look forward to. Feast your...

  • Review Puzzler World 2012 3D (3DS)

    Puzzles, puzzles everywhere

    Puzzler is a big name in the world of pencil-and-paper puzzle compendiums, and Ideas Pad has been bringing the license to the digital age since 2008. Puzzler World 2012 3D is the first 3DS title following a long line of DS games, including the recently reviewed DSiWare release Puzzler World XL. While there haven't been...

  • News The Wii Was Born Thanks To Microsoft And Sony's Rejection

    And boy, does that feel good

    Motion Control has quickly become an important part of how we play games today. The Wii's success has been based around this bold invention but in reality, the patent, idea and various concepts came from an independent inventor named Tom Quinn. Nintendo bought a small stake in Quinn's company and as part of the deal...

  • Developer Interview Gaijin Games Gets Drunk with Wii U Power

    WiiWare champs set their sights on the future and rhythm aliens

    While plenty of developers have stepped up to take a swing at WiiWare, only a pinch have started from scratch and built good names strictly based on their output for the service. Perhaps the biggest success story in this realm is Gaijin Games: as a brand-new studio, the three-strong...

  • News Wii U Version Of Mighty Switch Force Much Harder Than The Original

    The difficulty has gone into hyper drive

    When you get your brand spanking new Wii U home on launch day and dive into the eShop, you’ll find a sidescrolling puzzle-platformer called Mighty Switch Force: Hyper Drive Edition; it's a game 3DS owners will be more than familiar with seeing as it's an enhanced port of the 3DS eShop title, Mighty Switch...

  • News Pokémon Pokédex Is Coming To iOS Devices In Japan

    A smart move?

    Japan has had Pokédex 3D Pro available to download on the 3DS since July, and it seems the demand for Pokéknowledge knows no bounds in the Land of the Rising Sun. The Pokémon Company has announced today that it will be bringing a new Pokédex to iOS devices from November 16th. The base application, which costs 170 Yen, is similar...

  • News Soccer Up 3D Screens Viewable Via This Handy QR Code

    Cameras at the ready

    EnjoyUp Games has been busy in recent weeks releasing titles such as La Mulana on WiiWare and Abyss on DSiWare. Its next project is Soccer Up 3D, which as you may have guessed makes the leap onto the 3DS eShop. Soccer Up! has previously been released on WiiWare but obviously didn’t include any 3D visuals. Helpfully, EnjoyUp...

  • Developer Interview KnapNok On Spinning The Bottle For Wii U And Creating Innocent Social Games For Adults

    "Wii U is a revolution of the social space of the play situation"

    Spin The Bottle certainly isn't your average run-of-the-mill video game - but then the studio behind it is unique, as well. Spawned from the development hotbed of the Copenhagen Game Collective, KnapNok Games is all about creating unique experiences with modern technology, with a...

  • News Naughty Nintendo Counterfeiter Sentenced To 32 Months In Jail

    Crime really doesn't pay

    Last month we reported that the ironically-named Justin Success Brooks was accused of selling thousands of counterfeit Wii, DS and DSi Nintendo games between 2009 and 2011 - pocketing himself up to £600,000 in the process - and that pleaded guilty to all charges. His court case was scheduled for November 9th, in which he...

  • News 3DS Passes Eight Million Sales in Japan

    Turning over a new leaf

    When it comes to keeping the accountants and shareholders happy, Nintendo can always point to its 3DS sales in Japan. While there's undoubtedly improvement needed in North America and, particularly, Europe when it comes to sales figures for the handheld, Nintendo's homeland consistently shows healthy sales that simply blow...

  • News Tomorrow Corporation Turns Up The Heat With New Little Inferno Trailer

    Great balls of fire!

    With the Wii U launch just days away in North America, Tomorrow Corporation has released a new trailer for its upcoming Wii U eShop title Little Inferno. This bizarre new title from Kyle Gabler (World of Goo) and Kyle Gray (Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure) provides the player with an "entertainment fireplace". Players...

  • News Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition Coming To European eShop

    Just not right away

    Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition will be available to download via the eShop on the same day the Wii U launches over in Japan and it has now been confirmed that European Wii U owners will be getting the same treatment, albeit not straight away. European Wii U owners will be able to download a copy of the game at some point...

  • News Spin The Bottle Is A Wii U Game That Doesn't Use Your TV

    Involves "tight coordination, daring trust, body and eye contact or extreme flexibility"

    KnapNok Games has released details of its forthcoming Wii U eShop title Spin The Bottle, a game which allows up to 8 players to indulge in addictive micro-challenges which take their attention away from the TV and focus it solely on the Wii U GamePad. A...

Wednesday14th Nov 2012

  • News Wii U External Hard Drive Usage Outlined by Satoru Iwata

    Up to 2TB supported

    For those of you that have watched today's Nintendo Direct broadcast — you can check it out here — you'll have seen lots of graphics of external hard drives, Wii U systems and some interesting demonstrations with large science lab-style glass jars. There was some pretty good news from Satoru Iwata, and a few small things that...

  • Talking Point The Realities of Wii U System Memory Have Become Clear

    The fridge will fill up quickly

    Today's unexpected Japanese Nintendo Direct broadcast gave us various details to frantically decipher and translate, ranging from confirmation that the Wii U GamePad won't have backward compatibility with WiiWare or Wii Virtual Console games, to some less intriguing information about parental controls. Another section...

  • News Wii U GamePad Will Not Have Backward Compatibility

    Not just yet, anyway...

    We've already argued that backwards compatibility is an important aspect when purchasing a console, and Wii U is no different. The latest Nintendo Direct provides us with new infomation on playing previous software titles — including WiiWare and Virtual Console — and how they will not be playable on the Wii U GamePad,...

  • News Wii U Basic Can Only Store 3GB Of Downloaded Software

    You can't swing a cat in there

    Gamers will have two choices when the Wii U is released, they can either take home a Premium Pack which has 32GB of memory, or the Basic Pack which comes with a relatively meagre 8GB. However, once the internal drives have been formatted and other built-in data requirements are taken into account these figures nosedive...

  • News Unexpected Wii U Nintendo Direct Details Storage And Online

    Nintendo loves surprises

    Nintendo is always great at surprises, especially when it comes to not letting anybody know about its forthcoming Nintendo Direct presentations. True to form, Nintendo Japan uploaded a new video literally just minutes ago without telling anyone, so excuse us if we seem a little dazed. We'll be breaking down the video and...

  • News Capcom Reasserts Its Commitment To Mega Man

    "You've not seen the last of the Blue Bomber on consoles and handhelds"

    We've said it once, and we'll say it again: this year has not been good for Mega Man. His most recent outing — Mega Man Xover — didn't sit too well with fans, and he is sorely missing from the 3DS eShop, (though Capcom is working to rectify this). However, in a recent...

  • News Wii U Deluxe Set Selling Like Hot Cakes

    "Response has been phenomenal"

    In just a few short days the long, arduous wait for Wii U will be over - in North America at least - as Reggie Fils-Aime will hand over the very first Wii U console at the Nintendo World Store in New York City, in exchange for money of course. It appears, however, that if you decided against pre-ordering a Wii U...

  • News Gorgeous New Fire Emblem: Awakening Art Book Coming To Japan

    More than just a stocking filler

    The lucky citizens of Japan have been playing the epic 3DS title Fire Emblem: Awakening since April now, while in North America and Europe release details are still sketchy at best – sometime in 2013. As if gamers in Nintendo's homeland weren't fortunate enough, it’s now been revealed that Japan will be getting...

  • News Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition Looked Set To Be "Simplified"

    Nintendo wanted it to stay "hardcore"

    As we all know, Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition will be on the shelves on the same day as Wii U launches. The game is not only a true rendition of the version found on other consoles but also has new exclusive elements, such as extra Nintendo themed character costumes and the return of Tekken Ball. It...

  • Review Smart Girl's Playhouse Mini (DSiWare)

    Empty house

    It’s no easy task setting out to create a game that is wholesome and fun while maintaining an educational aspect. Unfortunately for Smart Girl’s Playhouse Mini, fun seems to have jumped ship, and all you’re left with is a too-sweet edutainment title with very little actual gameplay on offer. Touted as a collection of mini-games...

  • News Nicalis Blasting onto 3DS eShop with Guxt

    Shmup from Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya, creator of Cave Story

    Nicalis may have a rather questionable record of localising its download titles in all regions — mention Cave Story on DSiWare or the 3DS eShop to a European and see what happens — but it does actively seek to bring high-quality indie releases to Nintendo systems. When you consider that...

  • News LEGO Lord Of The Rings Dated For 3DS, Wii And DS In Europe

    Three games to rule them all

    November is looking to be quite an expensive month for European Nintendo gamers, what with the Wii U just around the corner and titles such as Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion and Rabbids Rumble on the horizon. It's not about to get any easier, either - amid all this money spending madness, Warner Bros. has decided...

  • News Nintendo Talks Miiverse, Nintendo Network, And Internet Browser

    NoA's Bill Trinen dishes on the Wii U's online functionalities

    Last week, Nintendo of Japan hosted a Nintendo Direct, which focused on Miiverse and a variety of online features for Wii U. While Nintendo of America has yet to host its own streamed broadcast on the subject, it's released a new video that showcases Miiverse, Nintendo Network, and the...

  • News Kick Off With PES 2013 On 3DS This Month

    Another one for all you football fanatics

    Konami has announced that PES 2013 will make its European Nintendo 3DS debut this month on November 30th. The yearly football hit hopes to bring its A-game to the handheld to compete with its rival FIFA 13. It exclusively makes use of the UEFA Champions League and Copa Libertadores competitions, and allows...

  • News Rabbids Rumble Launch Trailer Fights For Attention

    In case you missed out on your daily dose of crazy

    Rabbids Rumble, the newest entry in the Raving Rabbids series, was released yesterday for the 3DS in North America, and is due out on November 16th in Europe. To kick off its launch, Ubisoft has released a launch trailer which should provide you with your daily (or weekly) dose of sheer insanity...

Tuesday13th Nov 2012

  • News Guess What? Wii U Discs Have A Rounded Edge

    Nintendo gets out the sandpaper

    As we’ve known for a while now, the Wii U will use piracy-fighting proprietary discs that will hold a capacity of 25GB – the same amount as a single-layer Blu-ray Disc used by the PlayStation 3 and much more than the 4.5GB single-layer DVDs that the Wii uses. Sometimes we get so bogged down by all this technical...

  • Interview The Team Behind Paper Mario: Sticker Star

    We speak to the team behind the biggest 3DS title this Christmas

    The dust has barely settled on our Paper Mario: Stick Star review, but we're far from finished with Mario's latest handheld outing. Prior to launch we were lucky enough to speak with director Mr Naohiko Aoyama (Intelligent Systems), director and scenario writer Mr Taro Kudo (Vanpool)...

  • Review Sengoku 2 (Wii Virtual Console / Neo Geo)

    Transformations and annihilations

    SNK may have dedicated a large portion of their efforts to the one-on-one fighting genre, but occasionally they would branch out into other game types, sometimes with rather successful results. The original Sengoku was praised for its unique use of character transformations, but the play controls weren't always the...

  • News Wii Version Of PES 2013 Looks Rather Familiar

    Reduce, reuse, recycle

    The Wii has rather awkwardly come to the end of its product life cycle at around the same time that sports franchise games emerge for their yearly updates. This has meant that companies like EA have had to ponder whether or not to bring games like FIFA to Wii, as well as the other major consoles. Of course EA did decide to...

  • News Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two Receives Collector's Edition Treatment On Wii

    Epic is the word you're looking for

    Disney's Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is due to release for the Wii on November 23rd, and fans can look forward to a special Collector's Edition of the game as well as the standard retail copy. UK retailer GAME has the exclusive on this bundle, which features a copy of the game, an 8GB Oswald-shaped USB stick...

  • News Wii U Has "Plenty Of Power" According To Team Ninja

    But with great power, comes great responsibility

    Nintendo has had plenty of third party support for the Wii U with a whole host of games being released alongside its first party titles in the coming months. One such developer is Team Ninja - who will be releasing Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge on January 11th - and in a recent interview its studio...

  • News Pokédex 3D Pro Tops 3DS eShop Chart in North America

    Not too high a price to pay, clearly

    Pokédex 3D Pro was a high profile release on the eShop in last week's Nintendo Download update, bringing enhancements and extra features from the original freebie, Pokédex 3D. That said, many members of the Nintendo Life community were unhappy with the price, which is $14.99 in the US, €14.99 in Europe and...

  • News Ubisoft Boss Thinks Wii U Is Cheap, But Is Still Unhappy On Pricing

    No pleasing some people

    Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has stated that although the Wii U is cheap when compared to devices like Apple's iPad, he's not 100% happy with the price of the system. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Guillemot remarked: I always prefer lower pricing, so I can't say I'm happy. I'm never happy when the machines are expensive...

  • News ZombiU Live Action Video Shows Multiplayer Battle

    All hail the Zombie King

    Halloween may be gone for the year, but one particular Wii U game will be playing on the fact that, for many of us, it's the time of year with long, dark nights. ZombiU is one of the most eagerly anticipated Wii U launch titles, with early impressions emphasizing the complexities and difficulties it'll offer, as well as its...

  • News Harmony of a Hunter: 101% Run Available From 17th November

    A must for Metroid fans

    Harmony of a Hunter is a fan-produced album that celebrates the Metroid franchise, and when released it gave a more significant acknowledgement of the series' 25th Anniversary than that from Nintendo itself. A free, two-disc album with 36 tracks, it was a major undertaking that we discussed in our interview with Shinesparkers...

  • News Take A Look At The Gatorade-Infused Exclusive Features Of Wii U NBA 2K13

    Is it the shoes?

    2K Sports has slam-dunked a Developer Insight video for its upcoming NBA 2K13 for the Wii U. The video pays particular attention to hilariously-titled Gatorade Biometric Scanner. This feature allows you to quickly view your player's fatigue level and see whether they're hot or cold; all this can be done simply by holding the...

  • News Toki Tori 2 Lands on Wii U eShop on 20th December

    Not for use in festive meals

    Toki Tori 2 is likely to be one of the most widely recognisable names in the early weeks of the Wii U eShop, due to its predecessor being one of the leading titles to herald the arrival of WiiWare. The diminutive little chicken isn't going to be quite ready for launch day, however, with confirmation from Two Tribes that...

  • Competition Winner Win a Wii U at Eurogamer Expo

    One lucky winner

    Nintendo Life attended Eurogamer.net's annual Eurogamer Expo in late September, the first ever public showing of the Wii U console in the UK. We had a great time meeting gamers, filling up our 3DS puzzle pieces and running rather intense competitions in the Nintendo Life StreetPass Zone. You can get a taste of what it was all about...

  • News New Chasing Aurora Gameplay Videos Show Off Different Modes

    Catch that pigeon!

    Broken Rules has released a series of new videos showing off the various game modes in its upcoming Wii U title Chasing Aurora. As the first title in a three-part series, Chasing Aurora is a 2D aerial action game in which players control birds and battle it out over the Alps for a glowing treasure known as Aurora's Gem. The game...

Monday12th Nov 2012

  • News Wii U Software Storage on USB Devices Detailed

    UPDATE: Original source was "misinterpreted"

    UPDATE: We've since been contacted by Official Nintendo Magazine - the source of this particular piece of news - to clarify a few points. According to ONM, a post on the Japanese Wii U website was "misinterpreted" and it has NOT been confirmed by Nintendo that software cannot be played directly from...

  • News Wii U Won't Include Trophies Or Achievements

    Maybe in the future?

    Creative director and co-founder of 5th Cell Jeremiah Slaczka has revealed on NeoGAF that the Wii U will not have a universal achievement system. Slaczka went on to explain how Scribblenauts Unlimited would have its own in-game accomplishments: There are no Wii U accomplishments that are system wide. Scribblenauts Unlimited...

  • Talking Point Life Without Wii U Achievements

    Nintendo sticks to its guns

    Nintendo isn't at all keen on mandatory, system-integrated achievements or trophies. The idea was ignored for Wii, while gamers with an Xbox 360 got used to notifications re-affirming their awesomeness for acts as simple as starting a new game, with their Gamerscore continually getting bigger with each accomplishment...

  • News Europe Is Getting White And Pikachu Yellow 3DS XL Consoles Before The Year Is Out

    Dreaming of a white Christmas

    It seemed as if poor old Europe was on Nintendo's naughty list this year seeing as it has missed out on several limited edition 3DS XL consoles - like the Charizard and Animal Crossing models exclusive to Japan - but thankfully this is not the case as Nintendo has revealed two new colours will arrive in Europe just in...

  • Nintendo Download 15th November 2012 (Europe)

    Falling blox, hotshots, ninjas and a magical whip

    It's Monday, but it's also time to turn that frown upside down. The European Nintendo Download update news is here, and it's full of handheld goodies for you to enjoy. Wii misses out, unfortunately, but we do have a highly anticipated sequel on the 3DS eShop, a teeth-grindingly difficult NES...

  • News Animal Crossing: New Leaf Already Sold Out In Japan

    Iwata reassures fans on Twitter

    Animal Crossing: New Leaf is one of the most anticipated games in the West right now, with fans of the series foaming at the mouth at the prospect of becoming the mayor of their own little town in 2013. Japanese gamers have had the game for a few days now, and it appears they loved it so much it has already sold out...

  • Competition Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS) Giveaway

    Win a 3DS and a copy of Paper Mario: Sticker Star! (UK residents only)

    To celebrate the launch of Paper Mario: Sticker Star we've teamed up with Nintendo to bring you a very special Letter Box competition. Up for grabs is a brand new 3DS XL Console with a copy of Paper Mario: Sticker Star, wahoo! Two runners up will also receive a copy of the game;...

  • News Unemployment And Platforming Combine In Wii U Title 8-Bit Boy

    One man show

    Danish one-man studio AwesomeBlade Software has announced that its retro-themed platformer 8-Bit Boy is coming to the Wii U. Created by Rasmus Kønig Sørensen - a Danish ex-video game journalist with a bachelor degree in Construction Management - 8-Bit Boy is a love letter to the 2D platforming epics of old. Sørensen counts himself...

  • News Wii U Holiday Sales Projected to Exceed Wii Launch

    Four year sales expected to be lower, though

    With Wii U set to arrive, and Nintendo needing a strong performance to appease shareholders, market analysts are inevitably checking various sources of data and making their predictions on the system's outlook. The latest to do so is research firm IHS Screen Digest, with projections that bring good and...

  • News Ubisoft Plan To Sell Wii U Retail Games Via The eShop

    Uplay service also incoming

    Nintendo are being secretive as always about their plans to bring retail Wii U games to the eShop but that hasn't stopped third party developers from getting the ball rolling with their own digital plans for the new console. Namco Bandai has already confirmed that Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition will be available...