News - 2012, Week 50

Sunday16th Dec 2012

  • News Warren Spector Hints At Epic Mickey 3

    Would also like to work with other Disney characters

    Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is out right now on Wii and Wii U. The game sees you painting your way through several Disney-esque levels with Mickey and his pal Oswald and is designed with two players in mind. In an interview with Red Bull, Warren Spector, the man behind Epic Mickey, has hinted...

  • Review Murder on the Titanic (3DS eShop)

    Lost at Sea

    Imagine, if you will, a tale of two young lovers aboard the infamous ship known as Titanic. The woman, young and from an affluent family, in love with a poor man working as a stoker deep within the bowels of the ship. Sound vaguely like a blockbuster film you’ve seen at least a dozen times? Now add a murder into the mix and a whole lot...

  • News Miyamoto Wants To Return To Unrealised GameCube-GBA Link Ideas With Wii U

    A decade's worth of ideas

    The GameCube-Game Boy Advance link cable is now a relic of Nintendo’s past. First shown at E3 2002, the cable was designed to connect gamers’ GBAs to the GameCube and allow them to use it as a controller. At that E3 show, Nintendo showed off Pacman Vs., a game that could only be played with GBAs. In truth there...

  • Review Chuck E. Cheese's Alien Defense Force (DSiWare)

    In space, no one can hear you regret your purchase

    Earlier this year, DSiWare had the misfortune of becoming home to Chuck E. Cheese's Arcade Room. A joyless collection of five dull mini-games and additional gimmicks such as achievements and an outfit customisation feature, the game was a disappointment in nearly every possible way. Now we have a...

  • News Little Inferno Soundtrack Available To Download For Free

    A heart-warming gift

    Wii U eShop title Little Inferno has caused a heated debate in the gaming community. Some people love it, others simply don’t get it, but one thing most people have enjoyed about the niche little game is the soundtrack. Tomorrow Corporation, the game’s developer, has revealed on its blog that the soundtrack is now available...

Saturday15th Dec 2012

  • News Wii U GamePad Lookalike On the Way

    No surprise, really

    One thing is guaranteed when a new high-profile gadget arrives in the market: within months it'll be heavily copied for a tablet device. It happened with the PlayStation Vita, and now it's the turn of the Wii U GamePad. The culprit this time is Chinese company JinXing with its SMART S7300 Console, described as a Dual Core HD...

  • Rumour Capcom Is Bringing Its Arcade Classics To 3DS And Wii U eShop

    Coin-op titles headed to Nintendo systems in 2013?

    Capcom is working on bringing its arcade classics to digital platforms in the form of Capcom Arcade Cabinet, and according to French site Pockett Videogames, the Wii U eShop and 3DS eShop will be joining the retro party. So far, it would seem as if Capcom Arcade Cabinet is only coming to the Xbox...

  • News Introductory Video Emerges For Fire Emblem: Awakening

    More details on characters, relationships and tactics

    During the latest Nintendo Direct the hotly anticipated 3DS strategy RPG Fire Emblem: Awakening was finally given a release date. The game arrives in North America on 4th February and will land in Europe at some point in April. Some people may be unfamiliar with the Fire Emblem series, so to...

  • News Nintendo Releases a Video Guide for Wii to Wii U Transfer

    Don't forget the extra TV

    Though Wii U has been available in North America for nearly a month, Nintendo is still producing information and videos to help new owners get the most out of their systems. One strength of the new console, something that Nintendo's been offering for a number of years on different systems, is full backward compatibility...

  • News Monolith Soft: We Want To Be Like Bethesda

    Xenoblade Chronicles developer has big ambitions

    Monolith Soft is certainly a developer worth keeping a close eye on. In 2007 Nintendo became the studio's parent company by acquiring an 80% stake in the business, and since then the developer has made titles such as Xenoblade Chronicles on the Wii and Project X Zone — a Japan only crossover RPG...

  • Feature Memorable Nintendo Direct Moments

    Bringing ten memories direct, to you

    Over the years, Nintendo’s press conferences have produced some truly memorable moments, showcasing the fun that is at the heart of the company’s development philosophy. E3 showcases for games such as Wii Sports and Wii Fit became show highlights for many attendees, which not only served to promote and...

  • News Amazing Fan-Made Video Explores Link's Obsession With Smashing Pots

    We just feel sorry for the guard

    When you really think about it, Link is a bit of nuisance. Throughout the The Legend of Zelda series he may have rescued princesses and saved entire worlds from destruction, but he's also broken a heck of a lot of pots in the process - sometimes for no other reason than to let off some steam. This worrying habit is...

  • News Unchained Blades Coming To North American 3DS eShop In The New Year

    Will be the first download only retail title

    Last month XSEED confirmed via Facebook that it was struggling to get the artistic dungeon crawling RPG Unchained Blades onto the 3DS eShop in North America, but said it hoped the game would make it before the New Year. Well there's good news, and there's bad news. The good news is that Unchained Blades...

Friday14th Dec 2012

  • News Wii U Review Score Average Is Modest, At Best

    Doesn't necessarily tell the whole story

    Now that the Wii U and its launch library of games has been in the wild for almost a month, in North America at least, a general impression of the critical reaction to these titles and the console is starting to emerge. It's not a complete picture, of course, but gaming enthusiasts can start to see the trends...

  • Review Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion (3DS)

    Mouse trapped

    It takes a brave developer to tackle nostalgia head-on, even moreso when the original game was created by a completely different company and is considered one of the high points of an entire generation. For the first portable entry in the Disney Epic Mickey series, Dreamrift has peered back to the well-loved Mickey Mouse games of the...

  • News Masahiro Sakurai: The Wait For Smash Bros. Will Be Worth It

    Producer stops tweeting to focus solely on upcoming brawler

    Masahiro Sakurai, producer of Kid Icarus: Uprising, is currently working hard on the next instalment of the Smash Bros. series which will be available on both Wii U and 3DS. In his latest Famitsu column Sakurai reiterated that the game is still a long way off, and that Nintendo fans would...

  • News Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Now Available For Free On iOS

    But 3DS offers better value for dedicated players

    Earlier this week Square Enix teased the world with a website showing a couple of symbols from the popular Theatrhythm Final Fantasy on 3DS. Was it teasing a sequel? A new Theatrhythm for a different series? Nope, it was just an iOS port. That iOS port is available right now and can be do

  • Talking Point Test Running Rayman Legends

    The art of a good demo

    Yesterday the demo for Rayman Legends arrived on the Wii U eShop in both Europe and North America, and a number of gamers who wanted this title at launch eagerly started the download. There are a few things to say about it, both in terms of the glimpse it gives us of the game and how it is, essentially, the epitome of a well...

  • News Vampire Crystals Cuts A Bloody Path To December Release In NA

    European launch for WiiWare title to follow in January

    Shanblue Interactive has confirmed that its WiiWare action title Vampire Crystals will launch this month in North America. The date to look out for is December 20th, with a European release following on January 3rd, 2013. The top-down shooter has been in development for quite a while - we first...

  • News Unepic Adventuring Onto Wii U eShop in 2013

    "A mixture of platform game, role game and joke"

    EnjoyUp Games has announced this week that it'll be publishing Unepic, an indie RPG platformer released on PC in 2011. In this adventure you play as Daniel, "great videogame player, big lover of sci-fi movies, novice player of role games, pot-head", who is swept away to a mysterious castle which he...

  • News Oliver Twins Admit Dizzy Returns Kickstarter Has Failed

    Potential Wii U release no longer on the cards

    We've seen our fair share of Kickstarter success stories of late, but it's worth remembering that not every campaign achieves its goal. One Kickstarter project which looks unlikely to reach its target is Dizzy Returns, a drive by famous coding siblings The Oliver Twins to create an all-new game...

  • News Operation Friidom Petitions Nintendo For Greater Control Over Network ID Accounts

    You'll never take our Friidom

    As we've previously reported, Nintendo Network IDs are tied to a single Wii U console - for the time being, at least. Nintendo has stated that in the future that this will change, but that clearly can't come soon enough for American Nintendo fan Curtis Bonds, who has established a petition to speed things up a little...

  • Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend? - Festive Edition

    Ho-Ho-Holy moly that's a lot of games

    Ah, the Holidays. A time of year when we all run out of money, fight tooth and nail through packed shopping malls and put on lots of weight. Festive greetings indeed, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, bah humbug and all that. Of course, we're only calling this the festive edition of WGAYPTW — let's see if that...

Thursday13th Dec 2012

  • Rumour iOS Smash Hit Super Hexagon Could Be Coming To 3DS

    Developer Terry Cavanagh “definitely thinking about it”

    If you've got an iPhone or iPod Touch then you may have already heard about Super Hexagon. Described by its creator Terry Cavanagh as a "minimal action game", it's one of those insanely addictive experiences which you intend to play for just a minute or two but end up wasting hours on...

Friday14th Dec 2012

Thursday13th Dec 2012

  • Review NBA 2K13 (Wii U)

    Hoop dreams

    Despite its only competitor in the basketball sim arena being dormant for the past few years, the NBA 2K series has continued to march forward year after year enjoying fan and critical acclaim thanks to its constant improvement with each franchise iteration. The series finally makes the bounce pass to a Nintendo console, and hoops fans...

  • News YouTube Workaround Now Needed For Wii U Web Browser

    It works, but is a fiddle

    Many opinions on the Wii U's dedicated YouTube app agree on one thing — it's not the best. With slow load times and in some cases a bad habit of crashing, it seems ripe for some updates and improvements in the future. Many discovered that, courtesy of the system's speedy Web Browser, it was actually quicker and a far more...

  • News ZombiU Producer "Disappointed" By Early Reviews

    Additional opinions provided the antidote

    ZombiU was a high-profile system exclusive on Wii U's launch day, grabbing a lot of headlines and even having its own hardware bundle in Europe. It's also a survival horror title that we rated rather highly here at Nintendo Life, yet it attracted a broad range of diverse critical opinions in various reviews...

  • Nintendo Download 13th December 2012 (North America)

    Crimson RPG questing, ninja action, world music and more

    It's time for another Nintendo Download update, and this one brings with it quite a few titles on all platforms. There are some retail goodies, the conclusion of the Guild01 trilogy, a long awaited 3DS Virtual Console release and more. Let's get on with it, shall we? 3DS download software:...

  • News Japanese 3DS Lifetime Sales Overtake PlayStation 3

    Nintendo consoles dominating on home soil

    Recently we learnt that the 3DS was dominating sales in Japan with the portable console shifting 2.5 times more units than all other platforms combined. It seems this momentum isn’t showing any signs of slowing down either, as this week’s impressive sales have seen it leapfrog a big rival in total sales...

  • Developer Interview ZombiU Producer Talks About Beginnings, Reactions and Survival Horror

    "Some players are not into survival, and that’s totally fine"

    In terms of high-profile third-party exclusives on Wii U launch day, ZombiU was comfortably the biggest show in town. While a number of multi-platform titles brought their HD shine to a Nintendo platform for the first time, those looking for a new experience that was hardcore in nature...

  • News System Faults Didn't Stop THQ From Bringing Metro: Last Light To Wii U

    Clarification incoming!

    We reported last month that A4 Games - developer of Metro: Last Light - had found that the Wii U had a "horrible, slow CPU", with Huw Beynon of THQ elaborating that the console wasn't "worth pursuing at this time". The end result is that Wii U owners aren't going to see the first person shooter on their consoles next year...

  • News Nintendo Says The Play Limit On Demos Is Set By The Publishers

    But why have a limit in the first place?

    Similar to 3DS equivalents, Wii U demos come included with a play limit - meaning that after you've played a demo a certain number of times you can no longer access it, leaving it unavailable for further use. Eurogamer.net questioned Nintendo on why limits vary with each demo title, and why such a limit...

  • News Virtual Boy Title Bound High Goes Into Production 16 Years Late

    Better late than never

    Bound High was originally shown at the 1996 E3, but like all of the other Virtual Boy games demonstrated at that event, ended up being cancelled when it was clear that the console's fate was sealed. Since then, the game has become famous with hardcore Virtual Boy fans, with its source code floating around the web and a...

  • News Here's A Special Edition 3DS XL And First Trailer For Super Robot Taisen UX

    Robot rock

    Namco Bandai has released the first trailer for its upcoming 3DS title, Super Robot Taisen UX. Due to hit the portable console on 14th March 2013, the game is classed as a 2D side-scrolling action game based on the popular Japanese series - featuring plenty of anime mech battles with notable characters from the show. To commemorate the...

  • News The Amazing Spider-Man: Ultimate Edition Revealed By Amazon

    Swinging into the Wii U launch window

    Marvel revealed earlier this year at the New York Comic Con that The Amazing Spider-Man - a game that's been on other consoles for a while now - would be making the move to Wii U in Spring 2013. Online retailer Amazon has now listed the game as available for pre-order and gives it a release date of 5th March,...

Wednesday12th Dec 2012

  • News Level-5 Responds To SEGA's Legal Threats Regarding Inazuma Eleven

    "We've concluded that there is no patent violation"

    Japanese developer Level-5 has responded to SEGA's recent legal campaign to have the company remove its Inzauma Eleven series from sale due to an alleged patent infringement. SEGA is claiming that Level-5's soccer RPG features a touch-driven interface which violates two of its patents. The...

Thursday13th Dec 2012

  • News Rayman Legends Demo Finally Arrives In The Wii U eShop

    Three levels to satisfy your hunger

    Ubisoft's highly anticipated Wii U platformer Rayman Legends is set to be released in the end of February (1st March for the UK). The game was originally penned down as a Wii U launch title but was unfortunately put back, however Ubisoft did say it would make a demo version available on the eShop from the off -...

  • News Capcom: E.X. Troopers "Not Planned For Western Release"

    Localisation would be much more difficult

    Not so long ago Capcom released its Lost Planet spin off game E.X. Troopers in Japan on the 3DS and Playstation 3. It originally started off as a sequel to the original Lost Planet, but turned into a spin off title once the multiplayer element complicated things. It appears that hopes of a Western release...

  • News 2K Sports: Wii U Has The Potential To Offer A "Superior" Experience

    The smell of sweet success

    Senior Producer of NBA 2K13 Rob Jones has said that in many ways the Wii U version of the hit basketball title is "superior" to versions on other platforms - which is quite impressive considering it's also been released on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. He explains that the newest addition to the Nintendo console...

  • News Square Enix Working On 3DS Game Featuring Transforming Cars

    Robots in disguise

    Square Enix is working on a brand new 3DS title based on its shounen TV series, Gyrozetter. The game, titled Gyrozetter: Wings of the Albatross, is slated for a Spring 2013 release. The actual series itself features cars made from famous manufacturers - such as Toyota - transforming into robots. Sounds awful familiar, doesn't it?...

Wednesday12th Dec 2012

  • Review Crimson Shroud (3DS eShop)

    The red coat is coming

    All magic in the world stems from gifts delivered directly to mankind from the gods. That much, as far as Crimson Shroud is concerned, is fact. Or is it? As you lead your party through a treacherous dungeon in search of the original gift — the titular and mysterious Crimson Shroud — other possibilities present themselves...

  • Hardware Review Wii Mini

    I shall call it Mini Wii

    To say the Wii Mini's announcement was something of a surprise is an understatement. Having just launched the Wii U you would have assumed that Nintendo would want to focus all of its attention on its next-gen system and not risk any other hardware-based distractions. Strange timing aside, the Wii Mini is now a reality - and...

  • Review Wario Land 3 (3DS eShop / GBC)

    Warioid

    Nintendo loves to experiment with the Wario Land series. The second game diverted from the first in that it was more of a puzzler than a platformer, as Wario was invincible, and the third game continues that trend by offering yet another twist: an almost Metroid-like exploration system. This time, Wario finds a mysterious music box in the...

  • News Nintendo Explains Why Nintendo Land Doesn't Include Online Multiplayer

    It's all about encouraging gamers to play together in real life

    We're massive fans of Nintendo Land here at Nintendo Life Towers - multiplayer action is rife in Animal Crossing Sweet Day and Luigi's Ghost Mansion, but there are many out there who haven't sampled the wonders of the Wii U's star attraction due to a lack of potential co-players, and...

  • Review BurgerTime (Wii Virtual Console / NES)

    Burger building bonanza

    When the coin-op release of BurgerTime hit arcades in 1982, it was praised for its quirky theme and wildly unique gameplay design. Given the game's popularity at the time, it garnered a port on just about every home game system and personal computer of the period. The NES release came a bit later, but it was a fairly accurate...

  • News Trine 2: Director's Cut Is Getting An Update Next Week

    Trine harder

    Frozenbyte has told Nintendo Life that an update for its Wii U eShop title Trine 2: Director's Cut should be available sometime next week. The update will bring several extra features, such as in-game voice chat and Wii U Pro Controller support, plus some additional language support and visual improvements. The puzzle-platformer sees...

  • News Nintendo Land Was Originally Going To Feature Star Fox And Excitebike

    Developers reveal the ideas that didn't make it into the final game

    In this week's issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu, the developers behind the Wii U title Nintendo Land have spoken about its creation in a roundtable interview. Interestingly, they revealed that ideas for potential mini-game settings had to be put aside as development progressed...

  • News Nintendo Confirms It Is Possible To Transfer Network IDs To Another Wii U

    Only in the event of a repair, it seems

    Last month we reported that Nintendo Network IDs were tied to one console - meaning you couldn't sign into your own account on a friend's Wii U or worse still, if you were unlucky and broke your brand new Wii U, there would likely be no easy way to simply login on a new console and retrieve your details. For...

  • Talking Point The Wii U eShop Needs Patience

    As did the 3DS eShop

    In our most recent Talking Point that reflected on a potential shift in Nintendo Direct expectations, we described the attitude among many gamers — including us here at Nintendo Life — that demands new content as quickly as possible, a relentless ongoing compulsion for more news and games than we can handle. It's human...

  • News Street Fighter X Mega Man Is "A Bit Of A Mea Culpa"

    Accepting blame with a free PC game

    A few days ago Capcom announced Street Fighter X Mega Man, a free PC game to be released on 17th December that blends the two iconic franchises together as one big anniversary celebration. Capcom has assured fans that this download will be just the start of celebrations for Mega Man's anniversary, and that the...

  • News escapeVektor Hacks Into 3DS eShop on 20th December

    The wait is over

    escapeVektor: Chapter 1 is one of WiiWare's finest games, though its arrival in late September 2011 didn't spark the multiple follow-ups that were expected. Developer Nnooo decided, after the first part was released, that it'd be better served releasing all four planned parts as one title — though Chapter 1 was an excellent...

  • Competition Winner Paper Mario: Sticker Star

    Time for the paperwork

    We've had a number of our UK readers tweeting us and emailing us in the past few days asking for the final verdict on the winners of our Paper Mario: Sticker Star competition, keen to know which talented letter writers had walked away with the prizes. This contest was limited to 100 entrants and we received a lot of letters...

  • News Cloudberry Kingdom Leaps To March 2013 Release

    New game also in development at Pwnee

    We reported last month that Wii U eShop title Cloudberry Kingdom wouldn't be available for download in the Wii U's launch month in Europe and North America. Developer Pwnee Studios has confirmed that the game - apparently set to be the Wii U's most insanely difficult download title - is now set for a March 2013...

Tuesday11th Dec 2012

  • Feature We've Unboxed A Wii Mini So You Don't Have To

    Getting to grips with the newest Nintendo console

    Exclusive to Canada and lacking online functionality, the Wii Mini might seem like an afterthought on Nintendo's part but that didn't stop us ordering one as soon as they became available and mobbing the courier the moment the package arrived. Nintendo hardware is still Nintendo hardware, after all...

  • News Give Your Wii U A Retro Makeover With This NES Skin

    Beauty is only skin deep

    The Wii U is an attractive system - a little too prone to picking up fingerprints perhaps, but aesthetically pleasing all the same. However, if it's just not "Nintendo" enough for you in its present guise, then you could slap this NES skin on it. Available in a gloss or matte finish, this skin will transform your shiny new...

  • News Capcom Has A Whole Year Of Mega Man Celebrations Planned

    Reaction to Street Fighter X Mega Man will decide the future of the series

    The PC-based game Street Fighter X Mega Man is most certainly a nice bonus for long-suffering Mega Man fans, but those same fanatics will no doubt be hoping that it's not the only way in which Capcom is marking the Blue Bomber's 25th birthday. Thankfully, such fears are...

  • News Petition Started To Get Dark Souls II On The Wii U

    Prepare to die, possibly?

    Namco Bandai recently announced Dark Souls II, the sequel to one of 2011's surprise critical hits. Only the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions have been confirmed so far - there's no love for Nintendo players, sadly. However, a group of fans is hoping to change that by petitioning Namco Bandai - and developer From Software - in...

  • News Web Developer Puts HTML5 Games to the Test on Wii U Browser

    It works, sort of

    Prior to Wii U's launch we posted the news that the Wii U web browser posted impressive benchmark results when running resources such as audio and video, its score putting it above Internet Explorer 10. Those were pleasing results, though Matt Hackett, co-founder of HTML5 game developer Lost Decade Games, put the browser to work...

  • News Wii U Is The "Greenest" HD Console

    Not literally, obviously

    The Digital Foundry team over at Eurogamer.net has been doing a fair amount of work with Wii U since it launched, for the most part putting multi-platform titles through their paces on the system. The results, with Trine 2: Director's Cut being the exception, are that the system has often fallen slightly behind its rivals,...

  • Talking Point Time to Adjust Nintendo Direct Expectations

    How many big reveals can there be?

    It's easy to lose track of time in the helter-skelter video game industry, with games and exciting new projects that are merely months old already being so yesterday. We want the latest, hottest new games and announcements ten minutes ago, so stop telling us about old stuff, ok? For Nintendo gamers, the...

  • News SEGA Takes Legal Action Against Level-5 Over Nintendo DS Patent Dispute

    Inazuma Eleven to blame?

    In one of the strangest turn of events we've witnessed for a while, Japanese publisher SEGA is suing Professor Layton studio Level-5 over the use of touch control patents on the Nintendo DS handheld. Japanese news site Yomiuri Online broke the news, revealing that SEGA was taking action to protect two patents it had...

  • News Castlevania: Mirror of Fate's Boxart Comes With Lashings Of Belmont And Added Alucard

    The gang's all here

    Konami producer Dave Cox has revealed on this Twitter account the artwork that will adorn the cover of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate. That's it there, just under these words. The art showcases the four main characters of the game - Trevor Belmont and his son Simon, Gabriel Belmont/Dracula and everyone's...

  • News Japan Clocks Up Impressive Wii U Launch Sales

    New Super Mario Bros. U and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate most popular titles

    Wii U launched in Japan on Saturday, a whole three weeks after North America got its hands on the new console. As you'd expect Nintendo's homeland went wild for it, and that's been reflected in the opening weekend's sales. According to Famitsu Wii U sold 308,570 units in just...

  • News Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney Receiving Weekly DLC In Japan

    Extra content for the next 24 weeks

    Level-5, the developer behind the Professor Layton games, has gotten into the habit of being rather generous to us by extending the life of its games with free weekly DLC. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, for example, has been offering a new downloadable puzzle every single day since its launch and will do...

    • 3DS
  • News Toki Tori 2 Delayed Until Early 2013

    This egg's not ready to hatch

    Developer Two Tribes has today confirmed that it's delayed the release of Toki Tori 2 on the Wii U eShop, so it won't be arriving on 20th December. The reasoning is simple; the developer wants to make a better game. Toki Tori 2’s a personal project for us. It’s first game we’ve made without being tied to a...

  • News Color Commando Set to Bring the Fight to DSiWare

    Goodbye Galaxy Games' DSiWare swansong

    With the 3DS eShop continuing to expand, many would expect DSiWare to fade away; yet we're still seeing a steady flow of titles for the older platform, no doubt helped by the fact that they also see release on the 3DS equivalent. One of DSiWare's higher profile developers, however, is planning one last fling...

Monday10th Dec 2012

  • Review Batman: Arkham City Armoured Edition (Wii U)

    The Dark Knight Rises… again

    Last year saw the release of Batman: Arkham City, an open-world action adventure game that was touted as one of the best titles of its generation. Now Nintendo gamers are treated to an all new iteration of the already classic game made specifically for Wii U, with Batman: Arkham City: Armored Edition. While the new...

  • Review Assassin's Creed III (Wii U)

    America, **** yeah!

    Assassin's Creed III is a weird game to launch alongside Wii U: there is little context for those Nintendo-only players who sat out the other four games because they perhaps didn't own the proper hardware, and those who are invested in the series probably already picked this up elsewhere when it released weeks before the Wii U...

  • Review Darksiders II (Wii U)

    Don't fear the reaper

    Whenever a new piece of Nintendo hardware is released one of the first things fans ask is “when is a Zelda game coming out?” In the case of the Wii U, the answer is simple: it’s already out, it’s just called Darksiders II. Like the original Darksiders, this sequel wears its inspiration on its sleeve. You’ll ride a...

  • News Entire SNES Game Collection Up For Sale

    Yours for just $24,999

    Every now and then an eager retro collector raises eyebrows by offering something unique at an eye-watering price, which in the past has included items such as demo NES cartridges. This time around we have an entire collection of Super NES games up for sale, which includes all 721 retail releases for the system that hit the...

  • News Annoyed About Age Restrictions On The Euro Wii U eShop? Blame Germany

    Upholding the law

    Nintendo has confirmed that the time-based age restriction on the Wii U eShop - which prevents 18+ titles being purchased outside of a four-hour window at night - is down to German law. Speaking to Eurogamer, a Nintendo Europe spokesperson had this to say: At Nintendo we always aim to provide a safe gaming experience for fans of...

  • Nintendo Download 13th December 2012 (Europe)

    Details updated: crimson battling, a hydroventure and a wizard defence

    This week's European update has swooped in via YouTube, with both handhelds accounted for while the home consoles are neglected. Two 3DS eShop releases can be classified as "highly anticipated", while the DSiWare title is more along the lines of "hm, never heard of it". You can...

  • News Sumo Digital: Mario Kart Should Incorporate Other Nintendo Franchises

    Smash Bros. in a kart

    Steve Lycett, executive producer of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, is quite proud of his game on Wii U - and rightly so. Recently he made comments about how he feels the game pushes the genre forwards and said that Nintendo's Mario Kart series could learn a lot from it. Speaking to Mario's Hat, Lycett said he has a...

  • News Wii U Selling 1.2 Games Per Console In North America

    Game sales low compared to Wii

    The Wii U was launched with a huge selection of games to choose from covering a whole host of genres. There's the likes of Assassin's Creed III, Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition for experienced gamers while titles such as Nintendo Land and

  • News BioShock Creator Has A Wii U, But It's For Pleasure And Not Business

    "Nothing is brewing right now"

    Ken Levine is a pretty big name in the video game industry. The mind behind such seminal titles as Thief: The Dark Project, System Shock 2 and BioShock, Levine's one of those figures who could potentially make third party support for the Wii U explode if he decided to jump on board himself - but sadly, that doesn't...

  • News Wii U Struggles to Make an Impact in the UK Software Charts

    Stock shortages or poor sales?

    When Wii U initially launched in the UK its system exclusive titles made a modest start in the all-format software charts, which was hardly surprising as only 40,000 units had been available for sale in its first week. This week's results, unfortunately, make slightly grim reading, with no Wii U exclusives making it...

  • News New Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Teaser Site Opens

    Possibility of a sequel?

    Square Enix has mysteriously launched a new teaser site for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, promising visitors that something is "coming soon". What that something is, exactly, we don't know. The game was released in all regions this year - except South Korea - so could a sequel be in the works, or is it too early for one?...

  • News Kickstarter RPG Days Of Dawn Could Be Questing To The Wii U

    Nintendo's console provides "dream setup" for forthcoming fantasy adventure

    German studio Bumblebee has revealed that if its Kickstarter campaign for fantasy RPG Days of Dawn is successful, it will consider porting the game to the Wii U. Days of Dawn is described by the developer as an old-school RPG with HD-quality visuals: "Days of Dawn“ is...

  • News Zelda Swap Is Collaborative Art Genius, With Added Link

    Art attack

    Ten Paces and Draw is a site with a unique aim: each week it presents a challenge in which sketches are made and swapped between artists, with one providing an rough idea and the recipient finishing it in their own style. Projects cover all kinds of topics, including The Hobbit and the work of famed anime legend Hayao Miyazaki, but the...

  • News GoldenEye 007 Developer Closes Its Doors

    Eurocom Ceases Trading After 25 Years

    A few weeks back Eurocom - the developer behind Goldeneye 007 on Wii - announced a large number of redundancies, cutting 200 staff down to 50 in an attempt to restructure the company. However it has been revealed that the measures were unsuccessful and the studio will be closing its doors for good, with the...