News - 2012, Week 49

Sunday9th Dec 2012

  • Review Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013 (Wii U)

    Witness the fitness

    Wii Fit may have kickstarted the fitness genre, but it isn't the only game in town. Ubisoft's Your Shape series started out on Wii with its own motion capture camera before moving to Kinect, and now comes full circle with Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013 for the Wii U. While ditching the motion capture for a Wii Remote comes with...

  • Review Funky Barn (Wii U)

    E - I - E - I - oh

    If you're looking for the most happening place on Miiverse, look no further than the community for Funky Barn. Filled with sketches of animals in sunglasses and musical references, it's become a haven for memes and the friendliest trolling you've ever seen. When somebody posts about the game itself rather than its title, it's met...

  • Feature Our Staff's Thoughts on Wii U - Part Two

    Because U are worth it

    Yesterday we brought you the first part of our staff thoughts on Wii U, so now we bring you the not-creatively-titled part two. More Nintendo Life staffers weigh in with their impressions, good and bad, of their new Nintendo home consoles. We recommend you get a comfy seat and a snack, as this entry is a little longer than...

  • News Capcom Announce Street Fighter X Mega Man

    Will be a free PC only download

    Street Fighter and Mega Man are both celebrating their 25th Anniversary this year, which is quite a feat. To celebrate both of their birthdays a special fan-made game called Street Fighter X Mega Man will be made available to download on your PC through the Capcom Unity website on 17th December. Street Fighter X Mega...

  • News Wii U Launches In Japan To Great Fanfare

    Japanese gamers join the party

    Western Wii U owners may have noticed in the last few days that there’s been a few Japanese Miis wandering around the WaraWara and Nintendo Land plazas. That’s because it is now official: the Land of the Rising Sun has Wii U. The console launched on Saturday and Japanese gamers flocked to their nearest store in...

  • News Sir Patrick Moore, Astronomer And Broadcaster, Dies Aged 89

    Fondly remembered for his role as the GamesMaster

    Legendary British astronomer and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore has died, aged 89, according to his close friends. According to a statement he "passed away peacefully at 12.25pm this afternoon", in Selsey, West Sussex. After a short spell in hospital last week, it was determined that no further...

Saturday8th Dec 2012

  • Feature Our Staff's Thoughts on Wii U - Part One

    The beginning of a new era

    Now that Wii U has arrived in both Europe and North America, a number of the Nintendo Life team have got their hands on the system and have been happily playing various launch titles. We've already produced a number of Wii U reviews — with more on the way — and provided a formal hardware review, but decided that it'd...

  • Review Crystal Adventure (DSiWare)

    In which "adventure" is revealed to be a relative term

    If there's one thing RPG fans enjoy, it's a good story. The quest should be epic, the characters should be interesting, and there should preferably be a few surprising twists along the way as well. Here is the story of Crystal Adventure: you get bored quickly and delete it. Okay, you caught...

  • News Mass Effect Trilogy Could Yet Come To Wii U

    BioWare has plans for Nintendo's new console

    Mass Effect 3 was a Wii U launch title and saw the franchise make an appearance on a Nintendo console for the very first time. Naturally fans of the series want to see the previous two games make the move to Wii U as well, but BioWare has no plans to do so - at least for now. Speaking to GamerSyndrome,...

  • News Etrian Odyssey DS Trilogy Set For Reprint

    Canadian retailer is first out of the gate

    The Etrian Odyssey trilogy of games on DS can probably be regarded as cult classics for the handheld, an RPG series famed for relentless difficulty and harsh punishment of failure. Of course, when you combine that genre with a sufficient level of challenge, there'll be a group of gamers more than willing to...

  • News New Super Mario Bros. U Wins VGA For Best Wii / Wii U Game

    No other Nintendo winners

    Another year, another Video Game Awards (VGA) extravaganza on Spike TV. The VGAs are undoubtedly polarising within the gaming community, possibly due to their reliance on celebrity presenters — Samuel L. Jackson made his fourth appearance this year — exclusive premieres of trailers and a lot of glitzy goings-on that...

  • Review Christmas Wonderland 2 (DSiWare)

    Roast it on an open fire

    A textbook example of a sequel nobody asked for, Christmas Wonderland 2 has graced DSiWare. We guess, however, that we should be somewhat grateful. After all, last year Microvalue released two awful holiday-themed hidden object games: Halloween: Trick or Treat and the first Christmas Wonderland. This year it only left one...

  • News Retro Gamer Magazine Celebrates Christmas With Nintendo-Themed Cover

    Festive fun

    We're massive fans of UK publication Retro Gamer here at Nintendo Life, and this month's issue has us particularly excited. It showcases exclusive cover artwork featuring a plethora of Nintendo characters, including Mario, Link, Captain Falcon, Samus Aran and Donkey Kong. The cover is the handiwork of Wil Overton, who's a long-time...

  • News Gunman Clive Blasting Onto The European 3DS eShop Before Christmas

    North America must wait a little longer

    Mobile gaming, whether you like it or not, is fast becoming a popular platform for game developers. Sometimes though, the games spread their wings and make the move onto a dedicated gaming device such as the 3DS; take for example SpeedX 3D, a hugely popular mobile game that now resides in the 3DS eShop...

Friday7th Dec 2012

  • Review Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Wii U)

    Mighty morphin power racers

    SEGA may no longer be the same company that bloodied Nintendo’s nose during the glorious days of the 16-bit console wars, but it still has a keen fan base and a truly amazing legacy within the games industry. Even so, there have been numerous occasions over the past few years where it's struggled to emerge from...

  • Review Wipeout 3 (Wii U)

    Thrills and spills

    Gamers will forever associate the name Wipeout with Psygnosis' futuristic racing series, but in the world of primetime TV, Wipeout means wacky announcers, massive pratfalls and Big Red Balls. Based on ABC's hit US game show (which our UK readers will recognize as Total Wipeout) Wipeout 3 brings the slapstick spirit of the show to...

  • News Nintendo Network Premium Website Goes Live

    Good news for enthusiastic Wii U eShoppers

    Unlike with the arrival of Wii, Nintendo gamers have an important choice to make when picking up a Wii U — Premium or Basic? Various factors dictate the final decision, and perhaps one is the Nintendo Network Premium promotion, which gives those with the black model points for Wii U eShop purchases. If...

  • News 18-Rated Content on Wii U eShop Only Accessible for Four Hours a Day

    Yes, really

    Earlier this week we received messages from readers that couldn't download ZombiU or Assassin's Creed III from the Wii U eShop. We tested this and received the same error message, which made it seem as if there were botched parental controls on the platform. You cannot view this content. The times during which this content can be...

  • Review Puddle (Wii U eShop)

    Soak it up

    Puddle was originally released on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network earlier this year to decent reviews, and after looking at feedback from the previous versions Neko Entertainment has released what it claims to be the best edition of the game at Wii U launch. The Fluidity (Hydroventure)-like game isn't quite a super soaker, but...

  • Talking Point Time for Wii U to Treat Us Like Adults

    The nanny console

    This week has brought us an interesting story about Wii U eShop restrictions that are limited to European consoles, but perhaps provide greater insight into the relationship between gamers and their new Nintendo systems. It came to light that what we initially thought was a botched parental control issue on the platform was...

  • News Here's How PlayStation Boss Shuhei Yoshida Lovingly Trolled Nintendo

    Subtle yet effective

    President of Sony's Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, has recently treated himself to a Wii U. That's right, Yoshida (@yosp as he's known on Twitter), posted his Nintendo Network ID to his followers earlier this week in the hope of discussing his experience with fellow Wii U users. However, in a cheeky and light-hearted...

Thursday6th Dec 2012

Friday7th Dec 2012

  • News 3DS Remake Of Dragon Quest VII Features Visible Encounters

    Random battles are no more

    It was revealed a couple of months back that Dragon Quest VII would be making a return with a remake on the 3DS in Japan. The game will largely stay true to the original, but it’s been confirmed that the random encounters system found in the PlayStation version have been changed to visible encounters on 3DS. Dragon...

  • News Bizarre Games Related Wedding Stories Emerge

    Simulation girlfriends and Zelda wedding rings ahoy!

    Ah, love at first sight; the sun is always shining, the grass is always green, and the sky is always blue. This is exactly what one Japanese otaku felt for his virtual woman - Nene Anegasaki of the dating sim Love Plus on the Nintendo DS, to be precise. Over time, he met a real life woman and they...

  • News Little Inferno Developer Looking Into Enabling User-Created Content

    Mods coming to your fireplace?

    Little Inferno is one of the more unusual additions to the Wii U launch line-up; an eShop game which is essentially a virtual fireplace, it's the work of Kyle Gabler, Allan Blomquist and Kyle Gray - otherwise known as the Tomorrow Corporation. Gabler created the cult classic World of Goo for WiiWare, while Gray was the...

  • News How A Modified Wii Zapper Inspired The Wii U

    Prototype also impacted the development of the 3DS

    With the Wii U launching in Japan tomorrow, the latest edition of Iwata Asks focuses on Nintendo Land, one of the console's most significant first-party titles. During the interview, Takayuki Shimamura from EAD's Software Development Department revealed a prototype Wii Zapper - with a screen...

  • News Nintendo Enjoys Bumper North American Hardware Sales In November

    More than 1.75 million hardware units shifted in one month

    Nintendo has released its sales figures for the month of November, revealing that it has sold more than 1.75 million units across the US. This means that November 2012 marks the 36th time that Nintendo has sold over 1 million units in a month in North America since 2004. Attributing to this...

  • News Nintendo UK Looking To Maintain Wii U Momentum

    Focus turns to Q1 2013

    It's fair to say the Wii U's launch has been a success, with the system selling out across the United States and shifting 40,000 units in the UK. Extra shipments are coming in thick and fast to meet the extreme demand that you'd expect for a new Nintendo console at Christmas time. Nobody really doubted that Wii U would be...

  • News Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate Western Release Dates Confirmed

    Marching into your doom

    Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate producer Dave Cox has confirmed via his Twitter account that the game will launch in North America on 5th March 2013, with the European release coming a mere three days later (that's the 8th, in case you were wondering). The gothic action adventure was pushed into 2013 w

  • News Rayman Legends Release Date Confirmed For The UK

    Update: EMEA territories on 28th February, UK on 1st March

    It's been confirmed by Ubisoft that this title will actually arrive in the UK on 1st March, but in the other EMEA territories on 28th February. Original article One title that was noticeably absent from the Wii U launch in Europe was the graphically stunning Rayman Legends. Back in October...

  • Feature Toki Tori 2 Top 5: Two Tribe's Favourite Creatures

    Going natural

    Toki Tori 2, the sequel to one of WiiWare's best-known titles, arrives on the Wii U eShop on 20th December. This sequel features significant changes from the structure and gameplay of the original release, while the included level editor may give extra life to the experience for any budding game designers with their hands on a Wii U...

Thursday6th Dec 2012

  • Review Transformers Prime (3DS)

    More than meets the eye?

    Long-time Transformers fans have enjoyed a renaissance of sorts this console generation, with the Cybertron games offering a vision of the robots in disguise that those of us who grew up with the old cartoon could get behind in our capacity as grumpy old men. Keen to serve fans of all ages, Activision has turned its...

  • Nintendo Download 6th December 2012 (North America)

    Titanic murders, mighty bombs, burgers and retail goodies

    It's Nintendo Download update time, and this week brings a rather lengthy list of titles for North America. All four systems are covered, with quite a few retail games making their download début, so let's get on with it. 3DS download software: Murder on the Titanic (Joindots GmbH, $7.99)...

  • News Conker's Bad Fur Day Creator Could End Up Making Wii U eShop Games

    "It definitely might have potential for the new controller"

    Chris Seavor - the man behind Rare's infamous Conker's Bad Fur Day on the Nintendo 64 - has revealed in an interview with Not Enough Shaders that he's considering the possibility of developing for the Wii U eShop:

  • News Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D Rises From The Dead For Japanese eShop Release

    Updated version also allows you to wipe save data

    Capcom has confirmed that 3DS title Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is getting an eShop release in Japan, alongside a "Best Price" physical release. The game was an early release for the 3DS back in 2011, and is possibly more famous for its undeletable save data than the quality of its...

  • News 3DS Continues To Decimate The Competition in Japan

    Nintendo's handheld outsells all other platforms by more than 2.5 times

    The recent release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf in Japan has enabled the 3DS to further increase its dominance in that part of the world. According to Media Create, the system shifted 167,408 units during the week of 26th November to 2nd December, bringing its lifetime sales...

  • News Guitar Hero 7 Was in Development With a Six-Stringed Guitar

    "No one could figure out a way to make it so your average Joe could buy one"

    Who remembers the Guitar Hero series? Not so long ago there were a lot of these games, with the rival Rock Band series also weighing in with its own share of titles and plastic peripherals. It was Activision's franchise that arguably grabbed the most attention during the...

  • News Wii Fit U Arriving In The U.S. In Q1 2013

    Features an all new dance category

    Wii Fit has certainly been a revelation for modern day gaming that's turned people's living rooms into their own personal gym. It was part of what made people who were unfamiliar with the hobby give it a go, and its success was phenomenal. At E3 earlier this year, Nintendo announced that it would be bringing out a...

  • News This LEGO City: Undercover Trailer is a Treat

    Shawshank Redemption, anyone?

    During yesterday's Nintendo Direct shenanigans, it was tough to keep track of the varied footage and announcements from across the regions. With that in mind, we consider it our duty to make sure that you see the latest LEGO City: Undercover trailer that was included in the Nintendo of Europe broadcast. Not only does...

  • News Retro City Rampage Storming Onto WiiWare Soon

    Updated version coming to European shores

    Popular download title Retro City Rampage has been available on PC, Playstation 3 and Playstation Vita for a while now in North America. The game has recently been tweaked and updated to give the player a better experience, and now it's coming to a multitude of platforms in Europe, including WiiWare. For...

  • News Satoru Iwata is 53 Today

    Happy Birthday, Iwata-san

    Today brings us another Birthday for one of Nintendo's most well-known figures, with President Satoru Iwata turning 53 today. It would seem that, should he want to, Iwata-san will be able to continue in his current role for many years to come. Satoru Iwata had a passion for video game development from a young age, deciding...

  • News BIT.TRIP SAGA On The Way To 3DS eShop

    Download some bits

    As the weeks pass Nintendo has been gradually bringing more 3DS retail titles to the handheld's eShop, and it seems that a series that began life as a download exclusive is set to join in — BIT.TRIP SAGA is next in line. According to an updated page on the eShop, the collection from Gaijin Games will be available to download...

  • News 72 Hour Super Mario Marathon Promises Fun and Fundraising

    Keep running right

    Occasionally we bring you news of charitable marathons that not only bring amusement and entertainment for interested spectators, but also raise a lot of money for charity. With the recent glut of 2D Mario titles — well, two — we feel we should share the news of an upcoming 72 hour Super Mario marathon being organised by The...

  • News Nintendo Vs. Zombies: 28-Bits Later Mixes Metroid, Mario And ZombiU

    All set to a obligatory dubstep soundtrack

    To create hype for the launch of the Wii U, Nintendo issued consoles to a select group of movie-making fans and gave them 10 days to create a short film to promote the system. YouTube movie making group mikeNgary Films were lucky enough to receive a console and came up with Nintendo Vs. Zombies: 28-Bits...

  • News Fractured Soul Locked In For 10th January Release In Europe

    3DS eShop action title also getting free demo in North America tomorrow

    Australian developer Endgame Studios has confirmed exclusively to Nintendo Life that its 3DS eShop action title Fractured Soul will launch in Europe, Australia and New Zealand on 10th January, 2013. Endgame also confirmed the release of a North American demo, which we reported...

Wednesday5th Dec 2012

  • Review Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (3DS)

    I want to play a game

    You wake up in a sealed metal bunker, surrounded by strangers, an odd bracelet secured around your wrist. You're told that there's only one way to escape: earn a certain number of points by participating in a deadly game with and against your fellow prisoners. But who can you rely on? Can you pick out allies from enemies? Would...

Tuesday4th Dec 2012

  • Review Tank! Tank! Tank! (Wii U)

    Meh! Meh! Meh!

    Every so often a video game comes along with a concept so amazing that copies should come with a roll of duct tape to keep consumers from having their faces rocked off. Tanks with crazy weapons fighting giant robot monsters in expansive, destructible cities seems like a concept that you’d have to work pretty hard to screw up...

Wednesday5th Dec 2012

Monday3rd Dec 2012

  • News If Nintendo Ever Made A Mature Zelda, This Is What It Would Look Like

    Fantasy artist Dave Palumbo has created the ultimate Dark Link

    The release of the Wii U and the advent of HD gaming in the world of Nintendo has led many fans to speculate what the next Zelda game will look like. The opportunity for realistic visuals could tempt Nintendo to create a grittier, darker version of its fantasy series, but chances are it...

Tuesday4th Dec 2012

  • News Trine 2: Director's Cut on Wii U Outperforms Rival Consoles

    A small win for Wii U graphics obsessives

    Trine 2: Director’s Cut has been a high profile launch download on the Wii U eShop, due to its popularity on other formats and eye-catching visuals. Prior to release day it drew a lot of attention for the latter reason, in that it showed off the fact that Wii U was bringing Nintendo into the HD age, and...

  • News Sony's President of Worldwide Studios Has A Wii U

    Shuhei Yoshida gets his game on

    Although most rabid fanboys would love to think that Sony and Nintendo's employees loathe each other so much that they can't even bring themselves to look at a system created by their rival, that obviously isn't the case. Just like common gamers, individuals within these two great companies will have access to a wide...

  • Feature Of Pixels and Stitches

    Handicrafts and video games unified

    Video game crafting has been around as long as there have been iconic video games, characters and environments to inspire people, and it's likely that you've already come across such projects in the past, be that on Nintendo Life or elsewhere. In essence, these impressive works are simply on the other end of the...

  • News Register Paper Mario: Sticker Star On Club Nintendo To Receive An A-peel-ing Sticker Book

    Limited to 10,000 copies

    Paper Mario: Sticker Star will finally arrive on European shelves — and of course in the 3DS eShop — this Friday, and Nintendo of Europe has cooked up a little reward to give you even more of an incentive to pick it up. This motivation comes with a glorious sticker book that will be available on Club Nintendo if you...

  • News You Need This Legend Of Zelda Figure In Your Life

    We go hands-on with Max Factory's amazing Figma Link action figure

    As much as it pains us to admit it, you never really grow out of toys. And it's pretty much official that toys based on popular video games are the bomb. Don't believe us? Then check out the photos below of the amazing Figma Link action figure from Japanese manufacturer Max Factory...

  • News Pier Solar HD Kickstarter Smashes Through Wii U Stretch Goal

    Nintendo version now assured

    You'll have to forgive us if we've been talking a lot about Pier Solar recently, but we're rather taken with WaterMelon's 16-bit RPG. Launched in 2010 on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, the game received a limited print run which has since become a collector's item. Keen to get the game into the hands of a wider audience,...

  • News What's On Your Game Boy Camera?

    Check your cupboards now, you could be sitting on valuable memories

    The Game Boy Camera was a cool little device. Released at the end of the '90s, it allowed you to take grainy monochrome snaps using your beloved handheld. The images were pretty poor quality and you could only fit a few inside the minuscule memory, but for a generation of kids...

  • News Nintendo Now Involved With Twilight Symphony

    Set to be released before Christmas

    Twilight Symphony, the epic 3-disc orchestral rearrangement of music from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, was set to be released mid-November but never actually made it through the letterboxes of those who placed an order. The box-set, made by the extremely talented Zelda Reorchestrated and distributed by...

  • News Nintendo of America Confirms Its Own Nintendo Direct Broadcast

    All set for 5th December

    With the announcement earlier today that Nintendo of Europe is hosting a Nintendo Direct broadcast this week, it seems that its colleagues across the Atlantic have decided to join in; the Nintendo of America equivalent is also scheduled for tomorrow, 5th December. The NA broadcast starts at 9am Pacific, which is 11am...

  • News Wii U Update Will Be Available Out Of The Box Next Year

    Oh why must U make us wait

    We all had to face that dreaded update for Wii U upon first setting it up, leaving no choice but to pop off for a cup of tea or a quick stroll to the shops and back. It has come as no surprise, however, that this hour long update - some have had less time to wait, while others had much longer - will come pre-installed with...

  • News Reggie Fils-Aime Focused on Customer Feedback, Not Industry Critics

    "Every time we launch a new system, there are significant challenges"

    With the exception of Japan, which joins the party this weekend, most of the world has now had the opportunity to pick up a Wii U, or to at least be told that it's out of stock while extra supplies are brought in. Thanks to the wonders of the internet and Nintendo's own Miiverse,...

  • News This Week's European Nintendo Direct To Focus On Wii U And 3DS Games

    2012 and beyond

    Nintendo of Europe has confirmed that a Nintendo Direct presentation will take place on the 5th December (that's tomorrow). The presentation will occur at 5PM UK time and will focus on 2012 and "early 2013" software for the Wii U and 3DS. It will be hosted by Nintendo of Europe President Satoru Shibata. As always, we'll be covering...

  • News This Strange Russian Cartoon Shows Mario's Nasty Side

    It's funny what crops up on YouTube. Packed among the videos of funny cats and "Fail" compilations you'll find hidden gems like Super Mario & Three Russian Bogaturs, a short animated film which stars Nintendo's famous mascot and three bumbling bogaturs (best described as Slavic knights). Check out the crazy video below and let us know what you...

  • News Nintendo Unfolds Paper Mario Visual History

    It's so pretty

    Paper Mario: Sticker Star is days away in Europe and has been available in North America for a few weeks, and represents the first venture of the flat Mario onto a handheld. It's the fourth entry of a series over a decade old, meanwhile, games with enough RPG elements and dialogue to require a bit more development time than a...

  • News LOVEFiLM Arrives on Wii, Wii U App Will Go Live "Soon"

    Or you could use Wii mode on your Wii U

    Wii may be fading into the shadows in the face of its HD successor, but today brings a new release to the little white box in the UK. It's the LOVEFiLM app, which will allow subscribers to stream TV shows and movies directly to their TV, assuming they have a suitable online connection. If you're a subscriber,...

Monday3rd Dec 2012

  • Review FIFA 13 (Wii U)

    Party like it's 2011

    EA has a bit of history when it comes to releasing versions of FIFA on new consoles. No matter how many years the series runs for or how many formats the game is released on, the first edition on a new machine is always a bit hit and miss. You can track that all the way back to the days of the Sega Megadrive and EA’s first...

  • News Sick Of The Wii U GamePad's Weak Battery Life? Nyko Is Your Friend

    Giving gamers a boost

    The Wii U GamePad is a wonderful piece of kit that allows the user to do some amazing things. The problem with that is that you’re going to want to use it a heck of a lot, meaning that you're going to have to get used to seeing that flashing red battery warning light. Thankfully peripheral maker Nyko has already set about...

  • News Wii Mini Doesn't Include an SD Slot

    Just another thing to add to the list

    It has been discovered that the recently unveiled Wii Mini system does not have an SD card slot. The new miniaturised Wii, which — bizarrely enough — will only be available to purchase in Canada, is a cut-down version of the original Wii that lacks online functionality or GameCube backward compatibility...

  • News You Can Use PlayStation 2 Pads On Your Wii U, Should You Want To

    Optional extra

    Are you a bit bummed about the fact that the Wii U Pro Controller isn't compatible with original Wii titles? Do you consider Sony's iconic Dual Shock pad to be one of the best in the business? Well you're in luck - Datel Japan has released an adapter which allows you to use your PlayStation 2 joypad on the Wii U or Wii. All you have...

  • Feature Taking Off to the Miiverse

    Remember everyone, it's all about empathy

    Apart from those living in Japan, many Nintendo gamers will have now spent some time with Wii U, Nintendo's new home console and foray into a variety of bold new directions. A great deal of focus, unsurprisingly, is given to the company's first dalliance with HD visuals, and more prominently the various uses...

  • News Wii U Hits 40K Sales in UK Launch

    Might not sound like much, but it's a sellout

    Although Europe-wide figures are yet to surface, it appears that Wii U has been a sell-out success on its launch weekend in the UK. According to MCV's estimates, 40K units were sold throughout the UK, with retailers reporting that this effectively meant a complete sellout. Weeks ago there were worrying...

  • News Take A Whistle Stop Animated Tour Of Nintendo's Hardware History

    Four decades of greatness in just over two minutes

    Nintendo has been in this business a heck of a long time - right the way back to the 1970s, in fact. It has also been creating video game hardware for several decades, something which animator Anthony Veloso and vector illustrator Quentin Dron are keen to celebrate. The talented pair have put...

  • Review Invasion of the Alien Blobs! (DSiWare)

    Houston, we have a bloblem

    At this point it's unlikely that anybody with a DSi or 3DS is in need of an inexpensive time-waster, but Invasion of the Alien Blobs! is here to provide one more option. And while it's not exactly a great game, it certainly provides some mindless fun along the way. The best thing about Invasion of the Alien Blobs! is its...

  • News Mario Comes To Life In Bead-Based Stop-Motion Animation

    Bead me up, Scotty

    Clearly bead art is a bigger deal than we thought. First we had an amazing tribute to Chrono Trigger in bead form, and how we have this awesome stop-motion Super Mario animation, constructed using - you guessed it - beads. The work of Swedish siblings Marcus and Hannes Knutsson, it follows on from their previous efforts, Super...

  • News Wii U Titles Make Début in UK Top 20

    Early beginnings for a small install base

    It may be tempting to read the headline that Wii U titles are just in the top 20 of the UK software charts and wheel out the "Nintendo is doomed" line, as anything other than number one is a disaster of epic proportions. Of course, that's not how the real retail world operates, and the early results for Wii...

  • News Trine 2 Has Gone Walkabout Down Under

    Is expected to become available mid-December

    Wii U eShop title Trine 2: Director's Cut was available on launch day in North America and Europe, but unfortunately Australian gamers were left disappointed as the game could not be found in the virtual store at all. The game’s developer, Frozenbyte, has revealed that the reason for the title’s...

  • News Wii U Premium Bundles Most Popular in UK Launch

    System memory and a bundled game matter, clearly

    The Wii U Premium Pack was by far the people's favourite in the UK over its launch weekend, proving to be the superior of the bundle bunch. The Premium 32GB bundle reportedly accounted for 60% of the Wii U's sales this past weekend, while the ZombiU package sold at 30%. That just leaves the Basic 8GB...