Soapbox Why Region Locking Is A Total Non-Issue
Damien McFerran outlines why the current hot topic is hot air
Review EarthBound (Wii U eShop / SNES)
An RPG experience unlike any other
Review Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale (3DS eShop)
Pacific Rim meets The Goonies
News - July, 2013
Wednesday31st Jul 2013
News Pokéball Offered with Pokémon X & Y Pre-orders in the UK
A game case and a lifestyle statement
It looks like UK trainers will have a neat incentive for pre-ordering Pokémon X & Y at GAME stores: their own little Pokéball! GAME recently revealed what it's calling an exclusive pre-order bonus on its Twitter feed, along with a photo. It looks like the ball will be able to hold at least three 3DS or DS...
News Looks Like Batman: Arkham Origins Isn't Getting Online Play On Wii U
Update: Low Wii U multiplayer audience given as the reason for the omission
Since publishing this article Warner Bros. has been in touch with Eurogamer to explain its decision to omit multiplayer from the Wii U edition of Batman: Arkham Origins. The publisher explained that it only wants to develop the feature on the platforms with the largest...
Video New Pokémon X & Y Trailer Shows Fun Stuff, and Oorotto
Looking rad
Pokémon X & Y's hype train is well and truly on the tracks now, rushing through the internet's wilds ahead of its worldwide October release. Poorly thought-out metaphors aside, there's a new trailer online for us all to enjoy. This footage made its debut in Japanese theaters with the release of Pocket Monsters Best Wishes! The...
Talking Point Nintendo's Financial Results Tell a Tale of Two Systems and Bold Ambition
The company builds wealth amidst negative Wii U news
Nintendo has announced its first quarter financial results, which brought some notable headlines. The company made an operating loss, but ultimately posted a net profit; despite hardware and software business struggling overall, Nintendo had boosted its coffers by roughly 8.6 billion yen ($87.8...
News Report Suggests You'll Soon Be Able To Purchase Nintendo Titles Via Your Phone Or PC
Nintendo outlines its digital future
Nintendo is taking the online side of its business very seriously — little wonder when you consider that it has just reported a 150% increase in download revenue compared to last year — and the next phase of its plan will allow users to purchase Wii U and 3DS content using platforms other than their consoles...
Review Cute Witch! Runner (DSiWare)
Magical Nights
With last year's Dress to Play: Cute Witches!, developer Coder Child channeled both Cotton and cosplay into a unique mix of dress-up and side-scrolling flight, a solid concept that we felt was let down by poor execution on the fashion side of the equation. We found plenty to like about the airborne action, however, and that's the main...
News Dragon Quest Monsters 2 Remake Coming to 3DS in Japan
Alas, unlikely to come to the West
Earlier in the year a trademark emerged suggesting a Dragon Quest Monsters 2 remake, which seemed likely to be for the 3DS following the success in Japan of Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D. Square Enix has now made it official, unveiling Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru and Luca’s Wonderful Mysterious...
Professor Layton set for 2013 in Europe
As part of today's financial reports from Nintendo, the company has released additional documents outlining details such as upcoming releases on Wii U and 3DS. Most of the release windows are as expected, though a few changes have caught attention. For one thing, and likely to disappoint a number of European...
News Nintendo's First Quarter Financial Results Boosted By 3DS Performance
Despite operating loss and Wii U struggles, no change in profit projections
A few months ago Nintendo released its annual financial results, which saw the company make an overall profit but an operational loss, meaning its business had been partly bailed out by economic instruments, as opposed to profiting from selling video games and hardware. The...
Rumour The Wind Waker HD May Have An Additional Difficulty Level
So says Amazon, so we'll wait and see
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD will perhaps be to the Wii U what The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D has been to the 3DS; a reasonable sales success and the definitive version of an already excellent game. If so, it could be a win-win for everyone. The Ocarina of Time remaster had spruced up visuals...
News SNES Platform Hero Plok Makes A Long-Overdue Return
Comic book series revealed - could a new game be next?
Those of you with keen memories will no doubt recall a SNES platform title by the name of Plok. Released in 1993 and created by Ste and John Pickford — The Pickford Brothers, to you and me — the title was something of a cult classic and fans have been asking for a new entry for years. It...
News SEGA Reveals Jump in Profits in Q2 Results
Boxed sales witness a slowdown, while digital performs well
SEGA has released its financial results for the second quarter of 2013, revealing a massive 408 percent leap in profits. The company recorded a 12.9 billion yen ($131.8 million/ £87 million/ €99.4 million ) profit between 1st April and 30th June, compared to the 2.5 billion yen ($25.8...
News Nintendo Reports 150% Download Revenue Increase Over Equivalent Quarter Last Year
Wii hardware and 3DS software sales each pass 100 million units
Nintendo has released its first quarter financial results which delivered a net profit, significant 3DS success and some cringe-worthy Wii U figures. Alongside the main results, Nintendo has released some other tid-bits of information to highlight notable landmarks and game sales over...
News Capcom Confirms 37.3% Drop in Profits in Second Quarter of 2013
Lack of new releases sees profits tumble
Capcom has confirmed its profits took a big hit in the second quarter of 2013, largely down to the low amount of new releases. The company recorded net sales of 17.4 billion yen for the three months to 30th June ($178.7 million/ £117.5 million/ €134.2 million), down 6.2 percent compared to the second...
Ninterview The Power Of Glove Filmmakers Adam Ward, Andrew Austin And Paula Kosowski
"At the time it looked like the coolest thing humankind had ever produced"
We recently reported on The Power of Glove, a documentary about one of the most notable Nintendo accessories of all time: The Power Glove. We got a chance to sit down and chat with the team behind the film — Adam Ward, Andrew Austin And Paula Kosowski — about their...
News Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies Storms to the Top of the Japanese Charts
No objections here
It's Japanese charts time, and there's happy news for Capcom and its release of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies, as it surpassed a quarter of a million sales in its debut week. The Wii U news is less positive, with momentum sliding further for the system and Pikmin 3. The software top 20 is dominated by Capcom's...
News SteamWorld Dig To Hit 3DS eShop in North America and PAL Regions on 8th August
Keep on diggin'
A little while ago we discovered that Swedish developer Image & Form was working on a spiritual successor to DSiWare title SteamWorld: Tower Defence. In our interview with the developer, we were told that the 3DS eShop title is a "platform mining adventure" with the "aim to mix platform play with puzzles and emergent elements"...
Tuesday30th Jul 2013
News Petition Started To Make Reggie A Playable Character In Upcoming Smash Bros. Title
Nintendo of America COO says his body is ready
We've seen some odd online petitions of late, but this new one really takes the biscuit — it's to get Nintendo of America COO Reggie Fils-Aime into the forthcoming Smash Bros. title on Wii U and 3DS. The petition — which can be viewed here — seems absurd, but it is based on comments previously...
News Flipnote Studio 3D European Release is Delayed
Will be reanimated soon
Some of you may be wondering where the European Nintendo Download Update is, and we've been wondering the same thing. This week's details haven't been forthcoming at the usual time, and we now understand why that may be the case. Flipnote Studio 3D, which was originally due out this week in Europe, has been delayed. Nintendo...
Nintendo Download 1st August (Europe)
Fiendish Wii U platforming, retro farming, loads of discounts and more
So the Nintendo Download update has been a little later than normal this week for Europe, possibly due to the sudden delay of Flipnote Studio 3D. Nevertheless, there are a few new titles to consider as well as a lot of discounts, so without further ado let's get right to it. Wii...
News Shigesato Itoi Elegantly Explains What EarthBound Means to Him
"What is the video game, Earthbound?"
While we normally open any article with an introduction setting context, in this case we're going to keep it brief and say that Nintendo's Official EarthBound webpage has a wonderful piece of writing from the game's creator, Shigesato Itoi. It should be mandatory reading for fans of the game, and perhaps those...
News Nintendo Feels That Working On Smartphones And Tablets Would "Decrease Brand Value"
"You can’t get a true feel for Mario on smartphone or tablet"
Once upon a time — year ending March 31, 2009, to be precise — Nintendo managed to post a profit of 555.2 billion yen. Those days feel like a lifetime away now, what with the Wii passing into memory and its successor — the Wii U — struggling to sell in meaningful quantities...
First Impressions DuckTales Remastered
The quack is back
There is a well-known phenomenon in the video gaming world where a licensed game will be adapted from a much larger franchise, and it will inevitably flop. It’s been happening for decades now, with such notable titles as Atari’s 1982 stinker E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and more recently with the ill-fated Aliens: Colonial...
News Black 3DS XL Arrives in North America on 11th August
Black like your former bank balance
Last week we told you about some marketing for the black 3DS XL suggesting that the model would arrive in North America at the weekend. Well, it didn't hit stores as expected, but Nintendo has now confirmed that the new colour will be available in the region from 11th August. That's the same day that Mario &...
News Disney Infinity's First Wave of Power Disc "Blind Packs" Is Revealed
The wails of parents reverberate around the world
The upcoming Disney Infinity — which will arrive on Wii U, Wii and 3DS — is undoubtedly Disney's pitch at the lucrative toy / collectible market that Activision has so effectively exploited with its Skylanders franchise. If you can sell a game and then earn money through on-disc DLC with...
News Don't Worry, Those Early Pikmin 3 Downloads Are Eligible For The Wonderful 101 Promotion
Nintendo confirms details, pricing and Nintendo Network Points
Last week we shared the happy news that eager European gamers could download Pikmin 3 early with GAME code purchases, which was great news for those planning to go the eShop retail route. Unfortunately, concern started to spread around the web when some Wii U Premium Pack system owners...
News Former Codemasters Boss: Don't Rule Nintendo Out
"Nintendo has always been a pioneer and has always been innovative"
Yesterday we posted a video interview with David Darling, one of the founders of UK studio Codemasters. We chatted about his time with the company responsible for such hits as Micro Machines and BMX Simulator, but also (off-camera) touched briefly on the topic of Nintendo's current...
News Legendary Adventure Title Myst Receives Permanent Price Cut On 3DS eShop
No longer a mystery
Classic PC adventure Myst has had its price slashed from $9.99 to $4.99 on the North American 3DS eShop. The game — which originally launched as a Mac and PC CD-ROM title back in 1993 — uses CGI environments to set the scene. The 3DS version has all the locations — known in the game as "ages" — from the original, and...
News Miiverse Update Adds Tags to Posts
Character limit for messages also increased
Filtering through the walls of posts in Miiverse communities has become easier thanks to an announced update that includes the ability to add certain tags to posts. Tags vary by community and type of game, but can include Question, Accomplishment, Impressions, Retro and Players Wanted. These tags will...
News Monochroma Aims to Bring Its 1950s Dystopia to the Wii U Library in 2014
This game looks gorgeous
While some may not be fans of crowdfunded games, it'd be churlish to disregard them entirely, especially as promising titles such as Cloudberry Kingdom and Shovel Knight are coming to Nintendo platforms courtesy of receiving vital funds through their own campaigns. Sometimes projects of undeniable quality emerge, and one...
News Even Miyamoto Struggles To Bring All His Pikmin Home Safely
There's hope for us mere mortals, then
Pikmin 3 may look cute at first glance, but it's a game which teaches some harsh lessons about life and death. Your actions create an army of dutiful Pikmin characters, but you're also responsible for the untimely demise of many of these adorable fellows. One of the most upsetting situations in the game...
News Rising Star Games Is Bringing Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi To Europe
3DS romantic visual novel is the first of two new titles from the publisher
Rising Star Games has revealed that it will be publishing Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi in Europe, following news that Aksys would be bringing the title to North American shores. Developed by IDEA FACTORY, Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi is billed as a "romantic...
News Keep Your Eyes Open For Spot the Differences: Party! On The Wii U eShop
Could be puzzling your eyeballs as early as next month
Sanuk Games has revealed that it is bringing Spot the Differences: Party! to the Wii U eShop. The game is a sequel to the WiiWare original which launched back in 2011. As the title suggests, the game will revolve around pointing out the differences between two seemingly identical images. It...
Monday29th Jul 2013
Review Kid Icarus (Wii U eShop / NES)
A demonic angel
The popularity of Pit, even before his triumphant return in Kid Icarus: Uprising, was focused around nostalgia for his first two appearances on NES and Game Boy, with the home console original setting the tone with catchy music, quirky mythological enemies and lashings of creativity. This was impressive in the days of the early 8-bit...
News Nintendo Blames 2011 Tohoku Earthquake For Sluggish Wii U Performance
Natural disaster?
The Wii U's struggles are well documented, and Nintendo has even admitted that a lack of software and poor communication have harmed the system's chances of early success. However, another reason has recently come to light following an interview with Japanese magazine SAPIO. According to Nintendo, the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake is...
News Retailers Preparing Multi-Region Shiny Legendary Pokémon Distribution Events
They're rare, too
With Pokémon X & Y creeping ever closer, The Pokémon Company continues to have the clever idea of promoting the new 3DS game with the previous DS games, thus successfully hyping three (or six) titles at once. As a result there's another distribution event coming to various retailers in the coming weeks, so it's time to dig...
News AlphaDream Currently Has No Plans For The Mario & Luigi Series On Wii U
The idea is interesting, however
The latest addition to one of Nintendo's most popular handheld franchises, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros., arrived on European 3DS' at the start of this month and has been causing sweet dreams ever since. The series has been a handheld exclusive since its debut with Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga on the...
News Asda Stores No Longer Stocking New Wii U Systems or Games
Limited stock via Asda Direct
Update: Following the emergence of this story around various outlets, Asda has contacted MCV to state that Wii U consoles have only ever been available in around 100 stores, rather than all 555 around the UK. Wii U systems will apparently continue to play a part on Asda Direct — the online store — with limited...
Video The Pokémon Tretta Lab Add-On Makes the Circle Pad Pro XL Look Streamlined
You can't get this monster in your pocket
A little while ago we told you about Pokémon Tretta Lab coming to the 3DS in Japan, an app accompanied by fairly bulky hardware to bring an arcade experience home. It arrives in the region on 10th August, with the app being free but the hardware costing 3,800 yen (approx. £25 / €30 / $38). This provides...
News Pikmin 3 Almost Had Four Heroes And Could Have Appeared On Handhelds
Miyamoto gives up fresh development details
Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto has been speaking to Japanese site 4Gamer about the development of Pikmin 3, and has revealed that the game started life as a DS and 3DS prototype before moving over to the Wii U: The truth is we were doing prototype tests of Pikmin for the DS and 3DS but it turned into unit...
Weirdness This First-Person Sonic the Hedgehog Video is Rather Impressive
But would it be playable?
It's a favourite hobby of some gamers to fantasize over "what ifs"; maybe "what if Mario had worn green and been the easily frightened taller brother?" Or "what if Mega Man had been a middle aged man with a pistol, like on the box art?" Another may well be, what if Sonic the Hedgehog wasn't a 2D platformer, but a...
Feature A Weekend With Pikmin 3
Our staff share their thoughts on the major Wii U release
It's been quite a while since we could discuss a major Wii U exclusive, in terms of a title with the potential for strong sales and capturing the public imagination. Game & Wario has its supporters, of course, but it's been a long summer short of eye-catching new content to grab headlines...
News SEGA Is Hoping To Win Back Platforming Fans With Sonic Lost World
Less speed, more platforming
Back in May this year, Nintendo announced a worldwide partnership with SEGA, along with a brand new Sonic the Hedgehog title coming exclusively to the Wii U and 3DS: Sonic Lost World. In the August issue of Official Nintendo Magazine, head
News Pikmin 3 Makes UK Chart Debut in Second Place
Throw a few more Pikmin at it
Pikmin 3 arrived in Europe last week, and while it earned critical acclaim from a number of outlets there was plenty of interest over just how the title would sell at retail. The results for its launch weekend in the UK have arrived and, pleasingly, it's performed rather well. Nintendo's latest Wii U exclusive has made...
News Super Cute Mega Man Nanoblock Sets Emerge in Japan
No new game from Capcom again... again
Mega Man is still in his 25th Anniversary Year, and what delights he's received as promotional gifts in his honour. We've had themed USB drives, miniature statues, and even a Rush tissue box. And yet, as our imaginary real-life Blue Bomber opens present after present, the one thing he wants the most isn't...
News Nintendo Files New Eternal Darkness Trademark
Adds downloadable options
Don’t worry, your sanity meter is full: Nintendo has in fact filed a new trademark for Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem that suggests a possibility of seeing the 2002 GameCube title in download form. According to Siliconera, Nintendo filed the new trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on 23rd...
Video Codemasters Co-Founder David Darling Talks Game Genie, Micro Machines And More
Industry veteran speaks exclusively to Nintendo Life
Codemasters is one of the UK's long-running video game studios and was founded by brothers David and Richard Darling way back in 1986. Although both have since parted company with the firm, they've left an incredible legacy which covers a variety of platforms, including the 8-bit Nintendo...
News Ashes Cricket 2013 Delayed Until November
Bowled out
If attempting to cash-in on a major sporting event, it's normally a good idea to release a game before that event takes place. That's a key lesson forgotten by 505 Games, which has today confirmed that Ashes Cricket 2013 will now arrive in November ahead of the return real-life series in Australia, missing the boat on the Summer's...
News Devil Survivor 2 European Pre-Order Threshold and Details Outlined by Ghostlight
1800 pre-orders needed for release
DS title Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 has been available in North America — published by Atlus — for well over a year now, yet it's taken time for a publisher to successfully pick up the reins in Europe. Ghostlight has stepped in, but successfully selling a DS game is increasingly difficult in the...
Sunday28th Jul 2013
Feature EarthBound Captivates Miiverse
The old and rare meets new and inclusive
More than a week ago, EarthBound arrived on the Wii U Virtual Console, with Nintendo adopting a shock tactic by releasing the long-awaited title with no advance notice. Though the merits of dropping one of the Nintendo community's most talked about games onto the service in that manner can be debated, what is...
Video Nintendo Demonstrates Wii U Dev Tools in This Unite Nordic 2013 Presentation
See the Nintendo Web Framework and Unity in Action
We've written much here on Nintendo Life about Nintendo's sustained efforts to attract small developers to the Wii U, through relaxed requirements, greater accessibility and support, and most vitally development tools designed to assist studios with limited time and budgets. In that respect we've...
News Liege Confirmed for Wii U and Passes All Stretch Goals
Due in 2014
Earlier in the week we told you about Liege, a crowdfunded project approved for Wii U, with a stretch goal added to its target with under a week of fundraising remaining. It didn't seem like a certainty that the Wii U version would be funded, but the goal has been passed to confirm the release on Nintendo's system. This Coda Games...
News Candle May Light Up Wii U If It Reaches Its Stretch Goal
Update: Will come to Wii U eventually should original goal be met
It's come to light that Candle will eventually be developed for Wii U should the original goal be reached, regardless of whether or not it meets the $85,000 stretch goal. Speaking to Nintendo Enthusiast Teku Studios co-founder Miguel Vallés said it would come to Nintendo's system...
News Australia Can Get 30% Off The Wonderful 101 By Downloading Pikmin 3 From The eShop
The European offer makes it Down Under
Pikmin 3 is now available in Europe and Australia either from retail outlets or the Wii U eShop and plenty of people have been out exploring the vast environments found in the game. As you may know, Nintendo of Europe is running a promotion that allows people to receive 30% off The Wonderful 101 if they...
Saturday27th Jul 2013
First Impressions Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
Batmanvania
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate for the Nintendo 3DS is an interesting release for a number of reasons. First off, it’s the only game in a now four-year-old series to land on a handheld console. Second, the plot takes place sometime between the forthcoming Batman: Arkham Origins and series flagship Batman: Arkham Asylum. Third, in...
Competition New Super Luigi U Competition Opens On Miiverse
The least number of coins wins!
New Super Luigi U has been available in the Wii U eShop for a good while now and plenty of people have picked it up and completed the 82 extra levels starring Mario's green-glad brother. Upon finishing it you can check out your records, which is handy to see just how you got on, and now the game's director Masataka...
News Rodea the Sky Soldier Still in Development for Wii and 3DS
Quite a delay for a Wii flight
Rodea the Sky Soldier has been a project in development purgatory, or so it seems to us here at Nintendo Life. For a couple of years infrequent updates have confirmed that the game is still set for Wii and 3DS, with the title being strung along every step of the way; for his part Sonic the Hedgehog co-creator Yuji Naka...
Weirdness Check Out This Brilliant Donkey Kong Stop-Motion Video
The mind boggles
Some YouTube videos dedicated to Nintendo games and franchises cross the boundary from happy enthusiast's amateur efforts to downright impressive, professional-level work. This stop-motion Donkey Kong video certainly fits in the latter category, with a lot of skill and hours no doubt needed to put it all together. We're not sure...
News Oddworld Founder Would Work With Satoru Iwata "In A Second"
Lorne Lanning admires Nintendo's President greatly
Oddworld Inhabitants has a couple of games heading to the Wii U eShop. During E3 the developer - which has turned its attentions to more indie games in recent times - announced it would be releasing Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee New 'n' Tasty, a Playstation classic, and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD,...
News Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destines DLC Won't Feature The Quiz in The West
The costumes and the new case are still on the table
A few days ago Capcom confirmed a batch of downloadable content would be coming to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destines in Japan and it look less than 24 hours for it to be confirmed in the West. However, it's now been confirmed by the publisher on the
News Organic Panic Could Come To Wii U if Kickstarter Goal is Reached
Hoping to ripen in the eShop
Last Limb is currently developing Organic Panic, a fun-looking physics-based platformer based entirely on weapon-wielding fruits and vegetables. The studio opened up a Kickstarter campaign not too long ago in order to obtain funding for the project and should it reach its $40,000 target the game will come to the Wii U...
Friday26th Jul 2013
Rumour Nintendo Planning a Wind Waker HD Hardware Bundle
Pokémon X & Y 3DS XL bundles, too
So, let's all get some salt to hand. Ready? According to a cheeky rumour-merchant that claims to have access to the inventory system at a "major system retailer" in the U.S., Nintendo is planning a Wii U hardware bundle with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, as well as red and blue 3DS XL bundles with...
News The Wonderful 101's Download Will Grab Over 10GB of Precious Hard Drive Space
Put the kettle on
While Pikmin 3 is all the rage on the Wii U in Europe right now, with North America soon to follow, PlatinumGames will be bringing its own brand of anarchic action and real-time strategy to the system with The Wonderful 101; it arrives in Europe on 23rd August and the U.S. on 15th September. For those looking to pick up the...
Feature A Brief History of Pikmin
Three down, more surely to come
Pikmin 3, after a lengthy development period, is now beginning to grace Wii U systems around the world, and is clearly a source of great pride for Shigeru Miyamoto. The famous Nintendo designer has described it as the "ultimate version of Pikmin 1", and to date it's received substantial critical praise, including a...
News Capcom Employee Outlines Details on Mega Man Legends 3 Cancellation
"Two years later and we're still here talking about it"
Mega Man Legends 3 is still a sore topic for some 3DS owners, as it aimed to involve the Mega Man community through its Devroom forum and promised a prototype version on the 3DS eShop to gauge its potential success. Unfortunately, the prototype and the main game were canned, leading to legions...
First Impressions Disney Infinity
To Infinity and beyond
To be completely fair and totally honest, these are not our first impressions of Disney Infinity for the Wii U. Our first impressions came to mind long before we had a chance to play the game, and they were assuredly similar, if not identical, to most people’s thoughts. Our first impressions of Disney Infinity were something...
News Flipnote Studio 3D World Gallery Priced and Detailed for Europe
Learn all about the in-app coin economy
Flipnote Studio 3D arrives in Europe next week on 1st August, with the North American release still pegged for "early August". It's already arrived in Japan, and the recent Nintendo Direct Mini is a useful video to see the free app in action, with various tools and features shown off. While we've already...
News Activision Committed To Doing 'Everything It Can' To Support Wii U
Six titles are on the horizon
Activision Blizzard is now an independent company led by its CEO Bobby Kotick and co-chairman Brian Kelly after the pair formed an investment group to purchase 172 million shares in the firm. The publisher is aiming to continue its presence as a company with a "best-in-class franchise portfolio" and has six Wii U games...
Weirdness Hackers Use NES Pad To Drive Car
All those hours on Rad Racer might come in handy after all
Security experts Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek have demonstrated a method which allows hackers to control a car using a laptop and NES joypad. The pair have created a system which enables them to connect to a car's electronic control unit (ECU) via the on-board diagnostics port and...
News Some Hometown Story Pre-Orders Coming with Plush Embers
Let them warm your heart
If you enjoy your games accompanied by soft, squishable companions, then Natsume has been quite the friend to you. Its pre-order deals in the past have included plush cows, yaks and a range of other critters and it looks set to continue that tradition with more plushie pals. For Hometown Story, the upcoming game from
News Kirby's Dream Land 2 Listed For North American 3DS eShop Release on 1st August
Suck it up
Game Boy title Kirby's Dream Land 2 arrived on the 3DS Virtual Console in Europe on 17th May 2012, over 14 months ago. So for portable Kirby fans in North America the question may well be, "where's my Kirby Game Boy fix, darn it?", as over 60 weekly updates have passed without a sniff of the release on that side of the Atlantic. Rest...
News Kotick's $8.2 Billion Buyout Makes Activision Independent
Vivendi's stake reduced to 12 percent
Call of Duty publisher Activsion Blizzard is to become independent following a $8.2 billion buyout spearheaded by CEO Bobby Kotick. Kotick — along with co-chairman Brian Kelly — has formed an investment group which will purchase 172 million shares in the firm, worth $2.34 billion. The publisher itself will...
News Bike Rider DX Pedals Towards The 3DS eShop
See the world from the comfort of your bicycle
Vehicular platforming games are somewhat common fare for most gamers, but independent Japanese developer Spicysoft is looking to spice up the genre with an original game titled Bike Rider DX, which is set to launch on the North American 3DS eShop on 1st August, followed by a European eShop launch on...
Thursday25th Jul 2013
Weirdness Mike Tyson Was Rubbish at Punch-Out!!
"I couldn't even beat Glass f****** Joe"
While some games, particularly in the '80s and '90s, proudly showed off a celebrity likeness or name to sell copies, that doesn't mean that those famous people even liked those games. In the case of Mike Tyson, he was so hopeless at his own part of NES history that it seems irrelevant whether he actually...
News Masahiro Sakurai Rules Out Story Sequences For Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS
Blames online leaks of Brawl CG videos
While not necessarily loved by everyone, the Subspace Emissary adventure in Super Smash Bros. Brawl was undoubtedly loved by some, with a fairly lengthy campaign and a bonkers storyline incorporating a broad spectrum of characters. While Masahiro Sakurai has stated there'll be some form of single-player...
News SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton's Robotic Revenge Confirmed For Wii U, Wii, 3DS And DS
Five player co-op will feature on the Wii U version
Activision and Nickelodeon have announced everyone's favourite water-absorbing sea creature will be starring in a new game later this year known as SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton's Robotic Revenge. The game will be released on Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS - as well as other platforms - and is being...
Nintendo Download 25th July (North America)
Kid Icarus, chain blasting, Picross puzzling and more
It's that time again, North America, and after releasing a long awaited cult classic last week, the Nintendo Download Update is fairly reserved this week. There are some goodies to enjoy, nevertheless, so let's get to the details. Wii U Virtual Console: Kid Icarus (Nintendo, $4.99) — Not the...
Friday26th Jul 2013
Review Undead Bowling (3DS eShop)
Bowl or be killed
Undead Bowling isn’t the typical ten frames of bowling that you’re used to. There are no spares or strikes, no gutters or pins, and no fungus-laden shoes or hairstyles leftover from the '70s – but you do knock things down with a bowling ball…a bowling ball of doom, that is. And actually, “knock” isn’t an appropriate...
Thursday25th Jul 2013
Talking Point The Download Games Battle is Just Beginning
So where does Nintendo and the Wii U eShop stand?
As a sign of the increasingly busy — or perhaps that should be frantic — times in which we live, it took a matter of hours for an element of a news item from yesterday to become comprehensively out of date. We're referring to an article where small 'indie' developers outlined Nintendo's approach...
News There's a Day One Pikmin 3 Update Waiting For You
Or day -1 for you sneaky pre-order or eShop types
Pikmin 3 hits Europe on 26th July, though some gamers have taken the chance to pick it up early by redeeming download codes sold by GAME. Well, for those already playing and those patiently waiting until launch day, there's an update waiting. This has only popped up very recently, as we fired the...
News Mario Kart Arcade GP DX Racing to Arcades
Like Mario Kart 7 on steroids, and probably not as good
While talking about the Mario Kart franchise, we think the majority of people focus on those games published by Nintendo for its systems, but any discussion will have at least one person say "ah, but what about the arcades?" Typically they're not counted as part of the series, as they're...
News Nintendo Finally Confirms Call of Duty: Ghosts Is Coming To Wii U
At last, we know the truth
It's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Call of Duty: Ghosts in relation to the Wii U version. Infinity Ward executive producer Mark Rubin confirmed the game will be making its way to the Wii U during a stage show with Gamespot during E3, with the game previously being leaked by certain retailers. Fiv
News Wii U Finally Hits One Million Sales in Japan
It's a marathon, not a sprint
The Wii U has had a tough opening eight months on the market, which doesn't rule out the system's prospects but, nevertheless, has been a source of disappointment for Nintendo as it's missed various sales targets. While it may not be moving the number of units that the company would hope, it's nevertheless reached a...
News Monster Hunter 4's Insect Staff Weapon Attributes Detailed
Buffs and evolving bugs to feature
Monster Hunter 4 is now less than two months away from release in Japan, with Capcom unsurprisingly ramping up the hype generator for the occasion. Its latest burst of fresh information, as translated from the official website by Siliconera, is focused on one of the two new weapons — the Insect Staff. While the...
News Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies DLC Confirmed For The West
The new case, quiz and costumes are making the trip
Yesterday we reported on the downloadable content that would be available for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies in Japan and Capcom has now confirmed it will all be coming to the West in due time. The company made the announcement on the
Video Animal Crossing: New Leaf Dev Team Answers Fan Questions
Courtesy of PAX Australia
Last weekend Melbourne was the location for PAX Australia, an event to celebrate the best of the local video game industry and, of course, plenty of studios and games from around the world. Nintendo was a sponsor of the event and also broadcast a special video presentation by three key figures of the Animal Crossing: New...
News Precursor Games Relaunches Shadow of the Eternals Kickstarter Campaign
The funding goal has been significantly reduced
Precursor Games has been trying to get its first ever project off the ground for a good while now. Back in May the developer - which is mainly made up of a handful of former Silicon Knights employees - opened up a crowdsourcing campaign on its own website in an attempt to obtain the funding required to...
News Two Tribes Planning Classics Series on the Wii U eShop
"We're already working on them behind the scenes"
Two Tribes has been a busy studio in recent times, bringing Toki Tori 2 to the Wii U eShop, a '+' version to Steam on PC, and has also confirmed to us on multiple occasions that updates to the Wii U version will add features such as the level creation tool. While that's plenty to deal with, the...
Video Nintendo Releases a Slick Comic-Con Round-Up
Talking heads ahoy!
Do you like slickly produced videos? Do you like talking heads? How about Nintendo games? If the answers to all or some of these questions is yes, then you'll probably enjoy Nintendo's official round-up video of its attendance at the past weekend's Comic-Con event in San Diego. It is pleasing to see Nintendo producing quality...
Wednesday24th Jul 2013
Review Shantae (3DS eShop / GBC)
Whip ya hair
Just over 11 years since its original release in 2002, Shantae has finally made it onto the 3DS Virtual Console – and it's the first time that it's been available in Europe too. Despite the long wait, WayForward's tricky 2D platformer is sprinkled with enough genie-magic to keep it fresh and interesting for a modern audience. Shantae...
Talking Point F-Zero GX HD Could Boost the Franchise onto Wii U
We're ready
While Nintendo makes great efforts to release high quality Mario, Zelda and Kirby games on a regular basis, the development of games in the Metroid, Star Fox and F-Zero franchises, for example, is approached more cautiously. In the case of F-Zero, Nintendo's reluctance to create further sequels seems to stem from fears that the series...
News Wii U And 3DS Developers Share Their Thoughts On Region Locking
"Region Locking is a self-damaging form of DRM"
Region locking has been something of a hot topic recently, with both Sony and Microsoft confirming that their next consoles would be region-free, allowing buyers to play games from anywhere in the world. That means that Nintendo is the only one of the "big three" which continues to utilise region locks...
News Gamers in Europe Can Download Pikmin 3 Now By Picking Up A Code From GAME
Redeem the code for an early Pikmin fix
Pikmin 3 will be available to buy from stores or download from the Wii U eShop this Friday in Europe but eager players can get hold of it sooner as UK-based retailer GAME is selling and distributing eShop codes right now. Although GAME are based in the UK, anyone living in Europe can buy the code from them and...
News Mario & Luigi Has a Dreamy Japanese Chart Debut, Wii U Hardware Sales Drop by a Third
3DS hardware SKUs occupy both top spots
It's Media Create Sales time in Japan, which is our weekly insight into the best-selling software and hardware in Nintendo's homeland. Once again the 3DS rules the roost, even if last week's pleasing jump in Wii U hardware sales has dropped away in Pikmin 3's first full week in the market. In terms of...
News Indie Developers Outline Nintendo's Approach Compared to Sony and Microsoft
"Nintendo is just doing the right thing without making a big fuss about it"
There's been a great deal of praise in recent times, from small developers, around Nintendo's efforts to support them in bringing content to the eShop platforms, particularly on Wii U. On the console battleground of the next few years, especially as hardware manufacturers...
Video Flipnote Studio 3D Nintendo Direct Sketched Out in Japan
Plenty of in-app footage inside
Fipnote Studio 3D is due to arrive on the 3DS eShop next week in Europe — on 1st August — and early August in North America; it arrives in Japan today. To celebrate the occasion Nintendo has released a new Nintendo Direct video to show off the app and explain its various features. While the video is in Japanese,...
Video Ubisoft Shows Off Splinter Cell Blacklist and Assassin's Creed IV
Gearing up for blockbuster season
As the busy season of game releases — on Wii U and all platforms — gets ever closer, publishers will give us more and more teasers and footage to tempt us into picking their games abover others. Ubisoft is no different, and as a publisher bringing a number of triple-A titles to the Wii U, it's got some games to...
News Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies Has Some DLC in Japan
Costumes, quizzes and a brand new case
Capcom has announced a batch of downloadable content for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies in Japan. The game becomes available in the Land of the Rising Sun tomorrow and the extra content will slowly filter out throughout August and possibly beyond. First up, players can download three new...
News Departing Eidos Montreal Boss Says Square Enix "Has Some Things To Learn" About Selling Games
"Last year...we didn't hit a single home run"
Eidos Montreal general manager Stephane D'Astous has parted company with the studio he founded, voicing his concerns about how parent firm Square Enix is running its business. The news broke of D'Astous' departure yesterday, and he has since spoken to Polygon to give a little more detail behind the...
News Liege Developer Approved For Wii U and Adds Stretch Goal to Crowdfunding Campaign
Not far away
Just last week we told you about Liege, a title from developer Coda Games that's currently building up its crowdfunding campaign — which had already passed its initial funding target — and was in talks to be approved for Wii U development. As a title citing inspiration from Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics, while also offering...
News Plotting Murder in Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies
Creators discuss what goes into writing cases
Phoenix Wright and crew have faced some pretty wild court cases in their time and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies is shaping up to appear no different. But how does one even begin to devise the crazy crimes that players are tasked with unraveling? Siliconera recently spoke with series...
News Nintendo Tops Japanese Software Sales in First Half of the Year
Not a surprise, really
With data for the first half the year now long-since collated, we've gradually been given more information on Nintendo's positives and negatives so far in 2013. One major positive has been the Japanese market, where the 3DS has reigned supreme and a number of software releases have set up residence in the country's top 20...
Video Here's Some Pikmin 3 Direct Feed Footage To Tide You Over
Treasure collection and enemy battling awaits
Pikmin 3 launches in Europe this week and hits North America at the start of August. If you're an avid follower of the site you'll be aware that we've already passed judgement, awarding a 9/10 score and showering it with plenty of praise. To tide you over until the launch date comes around we've...
News Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party Confirmed For An August Release
It'll soon be spinning into the Wii U eShop
Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party, the title that doesn't use your TV, will be available to download from the Wii U eShop on 8th August It's is a collection of mini games that takes all your friends and has some of them work as a team in order to complete a set of physical challenges such as dancing and...
Tuesday23rd Jul 2013
News Nintendo Comments On EarthBound's Inflated Pricing
"Different games will be offered at different prices"
As you're probably aware, EarthBound hit the Wii U Virtual Console last week. This SNES classic was one of the most-requested titles during the Wii era, and many believed it would never see the light of day in the west. Thankfully Nintendo surprised us all, and not only that, they produced a...
Feature Our Favourite Wii U and 3DS Smash Bros. Screens So Far
Smashing stuff (geddit?)
So the new Super Smash Bros. titles on Wii U and 3DS may only have a vague "planned release" for 2014 — which hopefully won't become "erm, maybe it'll be 2015" — but that doesn't mean that we're not getting regular doses of brawling goodness. In fact, Masahiro Sakurai has been regularly picking in-development screens for...
News Nintendo of America Offers Free Wii U eShop Credit If You Splash the Cash
Reward depends on spend, naturally
While Nintendo of Europe is encouraging retail downloads on Wii U by offering a 30% discount on The Wonderful 101 if Pikmin 3 has also been purchased on the eShop, Nintendo of America has now stepped in with its own offer for residents of the U.S. and Canada. In a bid to tempt you into abandoning discs for a hard...
Review Robot Rescue 3D (3DS eShop)
Are these the droids you're looking for?
After two games on the DSiWare service, Teyon's Robot Rescue series, famous for fiendishly difficult maze puzzles and a unique synchronized movement mechanic, has made the jump to the 3DS eShop with this latest instalment, Robot Rescue 3D. Rather than an entirely new entry in the series, Robot Rescue 3D is a...
News North America, It Looks Like You'll Have The Black 3DS XL Soon Enough
New colour spotted in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team commercial
Live in North America and dearly want to get your hands on an all-black 3DS XL? Well rest easy, because it looks like your wait could be over soon. The black 3DS XL appears in the commercial for Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, which suggests that it could be coming state-side in the...
News Nintendo Not Accepting Independent Wii U Developers Based in Japan "At This Time"
GDC form rules studios out
Update: Nintendo has issued the following statement to Eurogamer, which unfortunately says relatively little. Ultimately, it's the decision of each regional body of Nintendo to decide on licensing policies, so this is a decision squarely on the shoulders of the Japanese licensing department. The policy in question is...
Weirdness So Tyrion Lannister Got To Play Some Wii U At Comic-Con
Along with a host of other television stars
When you want to promote your latest console and its software, there's really no better way than to get a load of famous people to play it and take some photos of them. Nintendo adhered to this time-honoured strategy at this year's San Diego Comic-Con by gathering a bunch of TV stars on a yacht and forcing...
News This GoldenEye 007 Wristwatch Is For Your Eyes Only
Fit for Commander Bond himself
N64 classic GoldenEye 007 is responsible for stealing away countless hours of our time here at the Nintendo Life office — we still crack out the dusty old console from time to time to indulge in a spot of remote mine-related tomfoolery. Bearing that in mind, you can imagine how pleased we were to see that some...
News Game Freak's New 3DS eShop Title Combines Horse Racing And Solitaire
Soriti Horse is hitting Japan at the end of the month
Following on from the successful HarmoKnight, Pokémon studio Game Freak is preparing to launch another 3DS eShop title in the shape of Soriti Horse. The game is divided into two phases: "Solitaire" and "Control". The former allows you to nurture your relationship with your steed in order to...
News EarthBound Translator Shares Insight Into Preparing a Cult Classic for the West
"It’s really a glass half full kind of game"
With EarthBound's arrival on the Wii U Virtual Console last week, many gamers can finally gain an insight into why the SNES title has accumulated such a vocal fan-base, despite its modest Western sales — it didn't even reach Europe — when it was originally released. It's a game lauded for its charm,...
Review Fashion Tycoon (DSiWare)
Fashion disaster
If there's one thing that Fashion Tycoon truly achieves, it's the way in which it makes you appreciate just how hard retail workers have it at times. Much like in real life, demanding customers, stock shortages and a lack of staff are just some of the problems you find yourself up against in this game — it's a nightmarish...
News Shigeru Miyamoto Reportedly Hints at Pikmin 3 DLC
Cough up for more Pikmin goodness
Pikmin 3 is just days away in Europe, while North America doesn't have too long to wait before its long awaiting arrival on the Wii U. As you may have read in our Pikmin 3 review we were very impressed, sharing our view that it's "beautifully crafted and filled to the brim with exciting gameplay features". With a...
News Code of Princess Receives Temporary Price Cut in North America
It's now in the eShop for just $19.99
Code of Princess was released in the North American 3DS eShop earlier this year and was given a starting price of $39.99. However, in May it was reduced by 25% to $29.99. It's now received a further reduction, but this time its only temporary. You can now download Code of Princess for $19.99 until 28th July,...
News Retro Collection of Manga Titles Coming To 3DS in Japan
Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya and Go! Go! Ackman all feature
Namco Bandai is bringing a compilation of Famicom and Super Famicom games known as J Legend Biography in Japan. The games included in the collection are Dragon Ball: Mystery of Shenlong, Go! Go! Ackman 3, Saint Seiya: The Golden Legend, Saint Seiya: The Golden Legend Final Chapter and...
Competition Animal Crossing Signed T-Shirt Giveaway!
What's in your house?
Animal Crossing: New Leaf is one of the biggest 3DS games of the year, and to celebrate its release we've teamed up with Nintendo UK to give away a once-in-lifetime prize: an Animal Crossing T-shirt signed by none other than producer Katsuya Eguchi and co-director Aya Kyogoku. To be in with a chance of bagging this amazing...
Video Total War Mod Allows You To Conquer The Land Of Hyrule
How long before Nintendo puts it to the sword?
The Total War series is a long-running and very successful PC franchise which allows players to command entire armies from historical periods. It also possesses a large and dedicated modding community which creates custom skins and levels to offer a new experience. Total War fan UndyingNephalim has...
Weirdness This Donkey Kong Art Plays With Your Sense of Perception
The impossible level
While some fan culture based on Nintendo is relatively light-hearted, full of parody or off-the-cuff, there are examples where artistic skill is employed to be both serious and irreverent at once. We think this may be a rather good example of that. YouTube group AweMeChannel has produced a video inspired by the work of Maurits...
Competition Nintendo UK Launches Weekly Animal Crossing: New Leaf Contests
Six weekly themes to take on
While a lot of games last for a limited amount of time before joining a pile of completed comrades, Animal Crossing: New Leaf is an exception. It never ends, and such is the dynamic that no two people play it the same way; each of our towns is ultimately different and unique. That's something that Nintendo UK is tapping...
News Hugo Smits Could Bring Super Beefjerks To 3DS eShop if There's Enough Interest
New team BYTEKRIEGER wants to know if you want it
Hugo Smits is a game designer and programmer at Goodbye Galaxy Games and has created a range of titles on DSiWare including the excellent Color Commando and the fantastic Ace Mathician. Now he has decided to embark on a new challenge after seeing how much interest there is in Kickstarter projects...
News Star Wars Pinball Confirmed to be Bringing the Force to 3DS
Expect '3D' to tag onto the end of the title
Very recently we shared the news that a PEGI rating had been spotted for Star Wars Pinball on the 3DS, which was pleasing for fans that just can't get enough of the title. Happily, Zen Studios has confirmed to Nintendo Everything that the title is indeed coming to the 3DS, but said nothing else apart...
Monday22nd Jul 2013
Should you Pik(min) this up?
Nine years. That's how long it has been since a new Pikmin game has graced a Nintendo system. With the exception of two motion control-enhanced re-releases which proved how suited the franchise was to the Wii, a new entry in the series was conspicuously absent from the system's line-up. Nevertheless, Pikmin 3 is finally...
Rumour Nintendo Is Shaping Up To Acquire Troubled Atlus
Could the esteemed Shin Megami Tensei developer become an in-house studio?
Atlus may be riding high on the success of Shin Megami Tensei IV, but its parent company Index is in serious financial trouble and is likely to begin auctioning off its assets — Atlus included — as early as this week. Interestingly, there are rumours circulating that...
Nintendo Download 25th July (Europe)
Pikmin 3 at last, lots of retro, BASIC programming and more
It's another Monday morning, but it's also another Nintendo Download update for Europe. The star of this week's show is undoubtedly an eagerly anticipated Wii U retail release, but we also have a variety of titles — old and new — covering every Nintendo platform. Without further ado,...
Video New Pokémon X & Y Footage Emerges, Proves How Exciting it Really Is
Off to the beach
While you may think you're getting hyped for Pokémon X & Y's arrival in October, you'll have to go some to show the level of excitement evident on Japanese TV show Pokémon Smash. Often the source — along with Coro Coro magazine — of early looks and exclusive reveals, the weekend's show brought more fresh footage of...
News Ben 10: Omniverse 2 Coming Later This Year on Wii U, Wii And 3DS
A new trailer emerges at Comic-Con
Ben 10: Omniverse was a Wii U launch title and it appears to have done well enough as a sequel will be coming later this year, courtesy of D3Publsiher and Cartoon Network. The original was also on Wii and 3DS and both these platforms are being supported again. Appropriately titled Ben 10: Omniverse 2, this...
A fowl business
Both DSiWare and the 3DS eShop have seen their share of sim games, managing a variety of businesses, creatures and a combination of both. My Farm 3D is the latest in a series that delivered a few budget priced options on DSiWare, some playing it straight and others being more off-the-wall. Aside from the odd quirky moment this latest...
News Nintendo Stock Hits Its Highest Point in Two Years
3DS sales, new games thought to fuel rise
The stock market can be a fickle creature, rising and falling on investors’ whims, but for today at least Nintendo has a high mark to celebrate. According to Bloomberg, Nintendo jumped four percent in Tokyo trading to close the day at 14,050 yen, the highest closing price since July 2011. Speculators are...
News LEGO Marvel Super Heroes To Feature Stan Lee as a Playable Character
And lots of others, naturally
In the coming months we're going to see an epic face-off, of sorts. Nope, we're not talking about the Wii U vs Xbox One vs PS4, or even 3DS vs anything with a small-ish screen, but a battle between superheroes for the public's affections. Yep, we have Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure coming to the Wii U and...
News Phineas And Ferb: Quest for Cool Stuff Begins on 13th August
On Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS
What do you do when you have a quirky, successful and relatively long-running cartoon on the Disney Channel? You release a video game, of course, with confirmation today that the Majesco-developed Phineas and Ferb: Quest for Cool Stuff will arrive on the Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS in North America on 13th August. That's not...
News Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams Aiming For August Arrival on the Wii U eShop
Has been sent to Nintendo for approval
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dream, from developer Black Forest Games, was confirmed for the Wii U eShop earlier this year, after a successful crowdfunding campaign brought the game to PC last year and to the Xbox 360 and PS3 in recent months. For those awaiting the Wii U arrival, the good news is that it's not far...
News Sin & Punishment Studio Treasure Is Working On Gaist Crusher With Capcom
Big things expected from 3DS action title
Capcom's Gaist Crusher is part of a concerted effort to create a new money-spinning brand which fuses the mediums of video games, animation and toys, and the forthcoming 3DS title is shaping up to be a significant title for 2013. It has been revealed by Treasure — the talented team behind Sin &...
News Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros. Retains Third Spot in UK Charts
New Leaf is just one place behind
There was a time in the earlier days of the 3DS when new game releases, even first-party titles, would flirt with the UK all-format top ten on their debut week and drop away rather quickly afterwards. Momentum wasn't a word often uttered, as the system strove to establish a user base and challenge the big boys...
Weirdness Check Out This Mario-Style Tribute To Manchester United Legend Alex Ferguson
English soccer's most successful manager scores a 1-up
Sir Alex Ferguson recently called time on the most successful managerial career in English football ("soccer" to anyone in North America), having secured an incredible 49 trophies over almost four decades. How do you pay tribute to such a sporting legend, one of the finest managers the world...
News Play Expo Confirms Nintendo's Attendance This October
The first confirmed exhibitor for the now.play area
As the Holiday season approaches, Nintendo will be stepping up efforts to get the Wii U and upcoming 3DS releases into gamer's hands to convince them that they're systems that they simply have to own. The UK arm of the company is doing its bit with various tours, including the Unleashed equivalent...
News Capcom Producer "Would Love" to Work On Another Ace Attorney Investigations Title
Making the case internally
While it may be an eShop-only release in the West, there are likely to be a keen group of Nintendo portable gamers eagerly awaiting Capcom's Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies, a new entry in the popular series. It's the fifth entry in the main series, but not the fifth overall in the franchise, as that honour...
News PEGI Rating Suggests Star Wars Pinball Is Coming To A 3DS Near You
We have a good feeling about this
Star Wars Pinball hit the Wii U eShop earlier this month, but it would appear that the game is also coming to the 3DS. A PEGI rating has surfaced for the game, which shouldn't be confused with the Wii U edtiion, as that has its
Sunday21st Jul 2013
Review Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale (3DS eShop)
Pacific Rim meets The Goonies
Level-5 saved the best for last in its final Guild02 release with Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale. Designed by Kaz Ayabe, this is a short, very sweet interactive story about a little boy who lives in a small town where mysterious monsters appear on Friday afternoons. The game takes place in rural Tokyo in...
Ninterview Meet Matthew Mercer - Voice Actor For Chrom
No one can stop me now!
Thirteen is unlucky for some, but not for Fire Emblem: Awakening, the thirteenth entry into the Fire Emblem series. The RPG title has enjoyed success across all regions, becoming the best selling game in the series in its first month in North America, and shifting enough copies in the UK to
News Masahiro Sakurai Did Consider Smash Bros. For Previous Handhelds
"We purely didn’t have the opportunity"
The upcoming 3DS release of Super Smash Bros. has — despite its HD brethren being lined up for Wii U — been attracting plenty of attention. Not only does it mean that the latest entry in the hugely attractive franchise will be available to owners of both of Nintendo's current gaming systems, but it'll be...
News Pikmin 3 Listed As £39.99 On The Wii U eShop in The UK
That 30% off The Wonderful 101 offer just got more tempting
During last week's Nintendo Direct Mini in Europe, the company revealed a promotion that will allow people who purchase Pikmin 3 from the eShop to receive a 30% discount on the digital version of The Wonderful 101. This certainly sounds like a tempting offer from Nintendo but many a savvy...
News Pikmin 3 Shifts Slightly More Copies Than The Original in First Week in Japan
Naturally, it sold less than Pikmin 2
Pikmin 3 was released in Japan last week and new data from Media Create has shown it has sold a respectable number of copies. The folks at Siliconera have put together a little comparison chart showing how the third game in the series sold in relation to its two predecessors. As we know, Pikmin 3 sold 92,720...
News Strider Could Come To The Wii U eShop "If There's Demand For It"
Double Helix could port the game easily enough
Capcom announced a couple of days ago at San Diego Comic Con that a new Strider game was in the works and will be released digitally on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It's a non-linear sidescrolling action game and Double Helix, the studio behind the upcoming free-to-play...
Video DC Comics Shows Off the Hero Creator in Scribblenauts Unmasked
We'd love a SuperBat, ourselves
In what's becoming an increasingly regular franchise, Warner Bros. is preparing to release 5th Cell's Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure in North America on 24th September; due to the ongoing absence of Scribblenauts Unlimited in Europe, it's hard to tell when it'll actually arrive on the other side of the...
Saturday20th Jul 2013
News New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Game Coming To Wii And 3DS
Turtle power!
A new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game is coming to Wii, 3DS and Xbox 360 later this year, which will be based on the current animated series on Nickelodeon. It's going to be a sidescrolling brawler and will feature local multiplayer for the home console versions in which four people can drop in and out of the action...
News Soul Calibur II HD Online Not Announced For Wii U
Well that's Link out of the equation
Namco Bandai has revealed an HD remake of Soul Calibur II is in development for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but there's been absolutely no mention of a Wii U adaptation. Soul Calibur II was originally on the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox and each iteration had its own special character. Nintendo fans had the...
Review Spelunker (3DS eShop / NES)
Go back to your cave and stay there
Ask a few western gamers about Spelunker and it's likely that barely any of them will have heard of the game, despite it being originally developed by an American company. Ask Japanese gamers, though, and it's a completely different story — the game is very well known to them and is joked about online all the...
News TowerFall Creator Has Been Approached By Nintendo
Game takes inspiration from Smash Bros., GoldenEye 64 and Yoshi's Island
TowerFall may be a time-limited Ouya exclusive for the next few months, but the game has been getting some serious attention thanks to its gorgeous 2D visuals, frantic multiplayer gameplay and surprising depth. Creator Matt Thorson — who cites Super Smash Bros. Melee,...
Soapbox The 8-Bit Era Laid the Groundwork, but Modern Day Progress Shouldn't be Discounted
Tom feels that enjoying both retro and modern games is vital
This week we've published a few features to celebrate the Famicom's 30th Anniversary. It's an extraordinary landmark, particularly because so many games from the 8-bit machine are still treasured to this day, many of which are deserving because they're enormous fun. I think there's...
Developer Interview G.rev CEO Hiroyuki Maruyama Talks Kokuga And The State Of The Shooter Market
Tanks for the memories
Much to our delight, G.rev's unique 3DS shooter Kokuga recently launched on the 3DS eShop in both North America and Europe. In between blasting enemy tanks and cursing our own lack of skill, we got the chance to chat with the G.rev CEO Hiroyuki Maruyama about the game's development, the future of the mobile gaming industry and...
Friday19th Jul 2013
Review EarthBound (Wii U eShop / SNES)
An RPG experience unlike any other
EarthBound landed on the SNES in 1995 with a dull thud. While the game didn't exactly light up the sales charts in North America and failed to make it to Europe, it has certainly gone on to become one of the most sought-after games in the second-hand market, selling for upwards of $80 as nothing more than a loose...
News Shigeru Miyamoto "Wanted to go to HD Sooner" With the Wii
Consumer take-up of HD TVs quicker than expected
During the Wii's lifespan there was one unavoidable fact, regardless of wonderful games and innovative experiences; it was a standard-definition system in an increasingly high-definition world. Its limitation to 480p and graphical capabilities that — brilliant art design aside — were struggling to...
News South Park Creators Cite Earthbound as a Major Inspiration for Their Own Game
Praise from all corners
South Park: The Stick of Truth is an RPG based on the adult cartoon series, and one that's had a troubled and challenging development history to date. It is coming, though, and is a project with the full involvement of series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. During a panel at Comic-Con, the two writers behind the...
News Female Version of Copperhead To Feature in Batman: Arkham Origins
She's a slippery one
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is in attendance at the San Diego Comic Con where it is showing off its upcoming title Batman: Arkham Origins. During the event, a new character was revealed in the form of Copperhead, who isn't typically a Batman antagonist but is a DC supervillain all the same. This rendition seems to be...
Interview WayForward on Shantae's Past, Present and Future
Some "pretty big surprises" in store for Pirate's Curse this Fall
With the release of Shantae (originally a Game Boy Color title) this week we touched base with WayForward's Creative Director and founding member, Matt Bozon, and he kindly agreed to a quick-fire interview before he jetted off to Comic-Con. This is a series that, despite being just...
News Satoru Iwata Aims for "Critical Mass" of Wii U Owners to Shift Perceptions
Also talks up the performance of the 3DS and eShop
Satoru Iwata has fielded plenty of questions about the Wii U and 3DS in recent months, with the latter providing some welcome positivity against what Nintendo itself regards as a poor 2013 for the Wii U. Of course a rough patch doesn't doom a system, as the 3DS demonstrates, and we're approaching...
News Game Freak Uses a Silhouette to Tease a New Collaboration Project
Those cheeky scamps
Game Freak should be fairly busy right now, presumably putting the finishing touches to Pokémon X & Y, yet it's found the time to tease a new title with a mysterious website, adorned with a silhouette that looks Pokémon-esque — our tipster reckons it doesn't look like any current 'mon, except possibly a Munna. In any...
News Retailer Listings and Comic-Con Reveal New Figures for Skylanders Swap Force
Prepare your bank accounts
Skylanders Swap Force, the latest entry in the hugely successful toy-based Activision series, is getting ever closer to its October release on Wii U, Wii, 3DS and other consoles. As it approaches we can look forward to details on what new figures will be available and in what waves, though it seems that a combination of...
News Nintendo Reporting Technical Difficulties in Online Services
Update: Issues now resolved
Nintendo has now updated its status messages in North America and Europe to state that its network services are once again operating normally, after a downtime of one hour and 25 minutes. Original article: Nintendo has posted a network status update for North America and Europe advising that there are currently issues...
News Sonic Lost World Has a Casino Stage, And it Looks Kind of Fun
Addicted to the slots
Sonic Lost World is a title that's starting to shape up rather nicely, particularly with plenty of footage and images emerging for the Wii U version; while Sonic fans have every right to be cautious of the blue blur in a 3D game, early impressions have generally been positive. The title has been on show at Comic-Con in San...
Round Table Let's Talk About the Famicom / NES
Oh, the memories
This week we've written some features and re-published some select reviews to celebrate the Famicom's 30th Anniversary, this particular landmark reflecting the Japanese release of the iconic original design. Naturally, not many of us in the Nintendo Life team have played that original system, but we have all indulged in the NES in...
Weirdness A Young Boy's Paper Game Boy Shows the Power of Imagination
Heart-warming and awesome
While many of us may be lucky enough to have all of the entertainment we want right at our fingertips, what do you do when you have to make your own fun? You could inadvertently dabble in 2D platform design, for one. Reddit user Juankestein has posted images of a paper "Game Boy" that he made when he was nine years old. As...
News Pre-Orders Open for Mega Man Anniversary Statue
Limited to 1,000 worldwide
Mega Man’s silver anniversary rolls along with a special edition commemorative piece up for grabs. Pre-orders have started for the Mega Man 25th Anniversary Statue at the Capcom Store. Made of solid resin and standing nearly 10 inches tall, the piece features both Mega Man and Mega Man X in action. The statue is going...
News Nintendo States That the 3DS is Outselling PS3 and Xbox 360 in the UK
A turn up for the books
The 3DS has been doing well in Japan for a long time, and the most recent U.S. sales in June had the portable topping the hardware charts. After some good showings for various titles, including Mario & Luigi: Dream Team making its debut at number two in the UK all-format charts, Nintendo UK has told
News Atlus Parent Company Reportedly Preparing To Sell Operations
Process could begin next week
As we reported recently, Atlus' parent company Index is in financial difficulty, having "civil rehabilitation proceedings" in Japan to resolve problems with substantial debts. To date the operations of Atlus have been unaffected by these issues, yet the process with Index is now reportedly moving onto significant next...
News Power Rangers Megaforce Starting a Brawl on 3DS
Go Go eh?
The current Comic-Con event in San Diego is always good for some surprise reveals, and this one certainly qualifies. Namco Bandai has confirmed that a brawler based on Power Rangers Megaforce is coming to the 3DS in North America and Europe this Fall. It's morphin' time. While we like to harp on about Nintendo franchises that have stood...
Video Learn the Pikmin 3 Basics
You don't just charge, regardless of what U.S. trailers tell you
Nintendo UK has been producing a series of short videos to introduce gamers to Pikmin 3, which arrives in Europe on 26th July; it's worth bearing in mind that not all current and prospective Wii U owners will have experienced the GameCube originals or Wii re-releases. The latest video...
News Picross e2 Set For July Release in North America, e3 Arrives in September
That e3 release window is for both Europe and North America
Jupiter Corporation's Picross series is gradually becoming a staple series on the 3DS eShop, providing a crisp, polished set of games based on the popular puzzle style. It's also a series that's had a sketchy release schedule in different regions, something that the publisher seems keen to...
Thursday18th Jul 2013
Nintendo Download 18th July (North America)
Earthbound at last, Friday monsters, Shantae and more
So, after a shock Earthbound reveal and Nintendo Direct Mini, here's your Nintendo Download update, North America. We have a good idea what many of you will be downloading right away, but there are some other tempting goodies on the way to both Wii U and 3DS, so let's get to it. Wii U Virtual...
News Classic Game Boy Mega Man Titles Coming To 3DS Virtual Console
Celebrating that 25th anniversary in style
Nintendo decided to casually drop EarthBound on the Wii U Virtual Console earlier today, ending the years upon years of waiting for North American and European gamers. Well, it seems the 3DS Virtual Console is also basking in the glow of some good news, as Capcom has revealed the Game Boy adaptations of...
News Earthbound Arrives on the Wii U eShop Today
Available in North America and Europe right now
Update: Earthbound is available now in North America, with the $9.99 download including a digital version of the original's strategy guide that has been optimised for the GamePad. As the UK eShop news tab promised, the title is now also live in Europe for £6.99 / €9.99. Original Article: So,...
News New Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies Trailers Reveal Mature Rating
It’s “the nature of the various crimes and storylines”
Capcom has released more info and videos on its Unity site for the anticipated release of Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies. Within those new videos, however, came a new detail that has been surprising to some: for the first time in the series, Phoenix Wright’s new cases have been rated...
News Nintendo Zone StreetPass Relay System Announced
Easier StreetPass hits for all
As part of today's surprise Nintendo Direct Mini broadcasts, both Nintendo of America and its European counterpart confirmed a Nintendo Zone StreetPass Enhancement to help all 3DS owners make the most of the functionality. Said to be on the way "in a few weeks" on both sides of the Atlantic, this upgrade will use the...
Video New Nintendo Direct Mini Broadcasts Released - July 2013
Check them out here
In what's rapidly becoming a rather busy day for fans of the big N, there are all new Mini Nintendo Direct broadcasts to enjoy, released right onto YouTube. Both the European and North American regions have their own variations, with subtle differences between the announcements. In both cases Earthbound is saved as the finale,...
News Angry Birds Star Wars Confirmed for Wii U, Wii and 3DS
That's impossible!
So, who wants to buy a smartphone game for a retail price? Well step on up, games fans, because Angry Birds Star Wars is coming to Wii U, Wii and 3DS; tough luck, DS owners. Once again Rovio's iOS and Android phenomenon is being brought to consoles by Activision, with a North American release date set for 29th October and a global...
News Purchase Pikmin 3 And Receive A 30% eShop Discount On The Wonderful 101
Exclusive promotion for European buyers who go digital
During Nintendo of Europe's surprise Nintendo Direct Mini broadcast, the company revealed that customers who purchase a download copy of Pikmin 3 will receive a fantastic 30 per cent discount on the highly anticipated The Wonderful 101 on the eShop. Satoru Shibata, President of Nintendo of...
Soapbox When It Comes To Software Support, The Grass Isn't Always Greener
Damien McFerran feels that all the Wii U needs is more Nintendo titles
During the Wii U’s relatively short time on the market one of the hottest topics has been the lack of third-party support. After the initial promises made by many publishers the console has largely been left out to dry, with many notable multiplatform titles bypassing the...
News Michel Ancel: Working on Wii U Provided the "Main Excitement" for Rayman Legends
"Perhaps people are not as fast" to grasp Nintendo's innovation
Michel Ancel is a vital creative leader at Ubisoft, and enjoys a level of popularity with some fans not always reserved for his employers. He's also the project leader for Rayman Legends, the former Wii U exclusive that's endured delays in order to accommodate a multi-platform release;...
News Inazuma Eleven 3 Kicks Off in Europe on 27th September
The 3DS remaster, rather than DS original
Earlier in the year it was announced, in a Nintendo Direct broadcast, that Inazuma Eleven 3 would come to Europe this summer on the 3DS. By confirming a 3DS release, Nintendo made clear that it'd be publishing the remastered version of Level-5's original DS title, which in itself is part of a 3DS trilogy...
News Nintendo Direct Mini Reveals SEGA 3D Classics on the Way to Europe
North America too!
Update: As spotted by gonintendo, SEGA has now confirmed in its blog that these titles are "coming soon" to both Europe and North America, after the titles were originally confirmed in the European Nintendo Direct. Original Article: We reported back in May this year
Friday19th Jul 2013
News 3DS and Animal Crossing: New Leaf Drive Strong U.S. Sales in June
Over 500,000 copies of New Leaf sold last month
Today is NPD results day, where physical retail sales for the U.S. are combined with select information that manufacturers decide to provide. In the case of Nintendo, the company has been more than happy to outline its successes in June, largely driven by the 3DS and Animal Crossing: New Leaf. For the...
Thursday18th Jul 2013
Video Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Slips Into View
Sonic and Peach, Bowser and Doctor Eggman, cats and dogs
While the main event — that we know of — for Nintendo's three game SEGA partnership is undoubtedly Sonic Lost World on Wii U and 3DS, we also have the snappily-titled Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games to look forward to. We don't have a firm release date yet, but it...
News Just 3% of All Ubisoft's Sales Came From Wii U in Q2 2013
To be fair, it hasn't released a game on it for over 6 months
Ubisoft has held its latest earnings call where it stated it was pleased with the number of pre-orders for the upcoming Xbox One and PlayStation 4. During the call, the company's CEO Yves Guillemot revealed that just 3% of its total sales in the second quarter of 2013 were from Wii U,...
Weirdness This Animal Crossing Rap is Rather Cool
A to the C to the New Leaf (or something)
So Animal Crossing: New Leaf represents quite an achievement for Nintendo, as gamers ranging from young children to grisly old cynics are all running their towns and having fun while doing it. It's magical indeed when a game as whimsical as this captures such a wide audience, and if Nintendo could bottle...
News Details of Nintendo's GDC Europe Sessions Are Confirmed
It's all about Unity, HTML and Javascript on Wii U
Just recently we reported that Nintendo is not only attending GDC (Game Developers Conference) Europe for the first time in Cologne, but that it's hosting two special sessions, though details weren't confirmed on what those sessions would cover. Both have now been confirmed, and are targeted at...
Video New Wonderful 101 Trailer Explains Techniques of Teamwork
Also shows a future of enormous, snaking school buses
Included within today’s Nintendo Direct Mini, a new trailer for The Wonderful 101 delves a bit more into the story behind the versatile team and their capabilities thanks to a secret agent-sounding voiceover. The combat agents of the Wonderful 100 (the extra 1, of course, is you) were...
Video New Splinter Cell Blacklist Trailer Gets Dramatic
Cue orchestra, explosions, shooting sounds, and ACTION!
Splinter Cell Blacklist is now just one month away from performing a stealth kill on the Wii U launch library, one of a decent number of Ubisoft multi-platform titles coming to the system. This one also promises to make use of the GamePad in interesting ways, which seems perfect for a sneaky...
News Ghostlight Will Open Pre-Orders For Devil Survivor 2 Next Week
Europe finally gets the chance to play it
Last week Ghostlight revealed it would be giving Europeans the chance to get hold of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 by pre-ordering the game from its online store. However, the publisher will only release the DS title should it receive enough requests. Well, the chance to reserve a copy will start...
Wednesday17th Jul 2013
Guide Prima Games Offering Collector's Treasure Chest of Zelda Game Guides and Goodies
We've struck gold
Are you a fan of collecting strategy guides? If you are, then you best start collecting those rupees now, as Prima Games has unleashed The Legend of Zelda Box Set, which includes Official Guides for previous titles in the series. Enclosed in a treasure chest similar to those that we've all encountered on countless occasions in our...
Talking Point Pikmin 3 Shows the First Shoots of the Wii U's Planned Recovery
It's a marathon, not a sprint
For a number of months now we've reported on sales success stories for the 3DS and often had an accompanying Wii U line saying something like "X had a quiet debut week, hardware sales still struggling". Another common refrain, this time instigated by Nintendo itself, has been "the games are coming, the fightback will...
News New 3DS eShop App Brings Voice and Text Chat to Japan
Odds of Western release, about a million to one?
The 3DS is not only a continuing sales success in Japan, topping the weekly hardware charts week after week, but its positioning as a device is arguably a fair bit different. In the West we'd suggest that its role is primarily that of a gaming system — of course — whereas in the Japanese market...
News Pikmin 3 Makes Japanese Chart Debut at Number One, Boosts Wii U Hardware Sales
Light on the horizon
The Wii U has endured a largely consistent loss of momentum in 2013, which a release lineup that — despite some excellent titles — has largely failed to inspire substantial sales. Nintendo has, unsurprisingly, lined up a significant range of titles for the second half of 2013, starting off with Pikmin 3. The latest title in...
News Pikmin 3 Causes Wii U Sales Growth In Japan
Launch sales comparable to those of New Super Mario Bros. U
Pikmin 3 launched this week in Japan, and appears to have had the desired effect on the Wii U's retail health. According to Japanese store Tsutaya, the sequel is selling very well indeed and has triggered "greater sales" of its host console. Here's Taketo Matsuo, Tsutaya’s Director of...
News Pokémon Rumble U Gets Into a Dust-Up With the Wii U eShop on 15th August
29th August in North America, GameStop to sell NFC figurines
Update Two: Release details for North America have now emerged on pokemon.com. This title will arrive two weeks later than in Europe on 29th August, while GameStop will sell accompanying NFC (Near Field Communication) figurines, with equivalent details yet to be clarified for Europe...
News Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW! Confirmed For European Release
Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby In 8-Bit Land is coming too
A couple of months back D3Publisher and Cartoon Network revealed WayForward would be making two new titles in the form of Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW! and Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby In 8-Bit Land. The former will be coming to Wii U and 3DS, while the...
We find out why the one-time Wii U exclusive remains a key title
Following Ubisoft's decision to delay the launch of Rayman Legends on Wii U and take the game multi-platform, many Nintendo fans were so irate they insisted that they would be boycotting the release come August (or September if you're in North America) time. Sadly, the negative...
Weirdness Nintendo Trademark Suggests Seaman Revival is on the Cards
It's a fishy business
We've seen some peculiar Nintendo titles over the years on its systems, including some that have only been released in Japan, but two new trademarks filed by the big N suggest that the crazy could be on the comeback. Japanese blog esuteru.com has noticed that Nintendo has registered two peculiar trademarks — Mysterious Pet:...
News Liege Channels Fire Emblem And Final Fantasy Tactics, And It Could Be Marching To Wii U
Coda Games is awaiting Wii U developer approval
We're massive fans of both Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics here at Nintendo Life, so you can imagine how interested we were in Liege when we discovered that the game takes inspiration from both. Developer Coda Games has expressed an interest in bringing the tactical RPG to the Wii U eShop, and...
News Cloudberry Kingdom Rising on the Wii U eShop on 1st August
Prepare your beards now
Update: Pwnee Studios has now confirmed to us that Cloudberry Kingdom will arrive in Europe on 1st August, the same as in North America, and will cost €9.99. Original Article: It's now been confirmed that the Kickstarter-funded platformer Cloudberry Kingdom — now being published by Ubisoft — will make its entrance...
Video Dakko Dakko Shows Off Scram Kitty and His Buddy on Rails
Looking to scratch an itch
There are a number of intriguing titles expected to land on the Wii U eShop later in 2013 and into next year, one of which is Scram Kitty and His Buddy on Rails, a game from the UK-based Dakko Dakko studio . This is a Wii U eShop exclusive and Nintendo UK has released a video interview from E3, with Dakko Dakko's Rhodri...
Tuesday16th Jul 2013
Feature The History Of The Famicom, The Console That Changed Nintendo's Fortunes
As Nintendo's iconic system turns 30, we chart the rise of a legend
Nintendo may be a company with a history that stretches back over a hundred years, but it has only enjoyed its current level of fame for the past thirty or so — and that’s largely thanks to a remarkable 8-bit console which launched in its native Japan three decades ago this...
Review Donkey Kong (Wii U eShop / NES)
Klassic Kong
This month marks the 30th anniversary of the initial Japanese launch of the Nintendo Family Computer, more popularly known around the world as the Famicom. Among the landmark console’s launch titles was Donkey Kong, a port of the arcade hit that began Nintendo’s launch into video game history. Now, just in time for the anniversary...
News This Zelda Art Collection is Gorgeous
And mind-boggling in its range
Of all of Nintendo's franchises, we think a good number will agree that The Legend of Zelda is the series with the most substantial and memorable lore and gaming culture. Mario is a huge seller, while brands such as Metroid have hugely enthusiastic fanbases, but the environments and characters in The Legend of Zelda...
Weirdness Two Kids Debate The Legend of Zelda
Still better than half of all Internet arguments
Today the Internet brings to you one of the most heated debates of our age: is The Legend of Zelda one of the best franchises in the world, or what? Representing anti-Zelda is HaleytheHedgehog, cooly wielding her observations like a surgeon’s scalpel. She has played Zelda with her 7-year-old cousin...
News Satoru Iwata Refutes Claim That Nintendo Is "Suffering" Right Now
Experience counts for a lot in this game
Nintendo's in a funny place right now. The 3DS is doing great, but business types will point out that it's tracking below where the DS was at the same point in its lifespan. The Wii U — the successor to one of the most popular home consoles of all time — is struggling, with dismal sales and a lack of...
News Warner Bros. Announces The LEGO Movie Videogame For Wii U And 3DS
Get ready to build more blocks next year
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games have revealed The LEGO Movie Videogame, a brand new title set to launch on the Wii U and 3DS in 2014 alongside the release of the upcoming film, The LEGO Movie. You take control of the game's protagonist, Emmet, who is a less than average, normal guy going...
News Namco Bandai Is Teasing A New 3DS Game, But What Could It Be?
Your guess is as good as ours
Namco Bandai has opened a countdown site for its new mystery title, which is now confirmed as coming to the 3DS. Aside from some abstract artwork, the enigmatic site gives us very little to go on at present. The countdown timer indicates the reveal will take place in just under four days (at the time of writing, of...
News Etrian Odyssey IV Confirmed for European Release on 30th August
The countdown begins
It's been a year of landmark releases from Atlus for fans of some of its most loved franchises. Just recently we've seen Shin Megami Tensei IV arrive, while earlier in the year another major release came in the form of Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan. While Atlus is often on the ball bringing these games to North...
Video Sonic Busts Out Some Colours Moves in This New Lost World Trailer
Dashes into North America on 22nd October
Sonic Lost World is the biggest part — that we know of to date — of Nintendo's three game exclusivity deal with SEGA, and it looks rather promising. It won't be the first time that SEGA's mascot has been exclusive to Nintendo's systems, with Sonic Colours certainly accumulating fans for its Wii and DS...
Video This New Pikmin 3 Trailer Goes For Realism, Sort Of
All you need is a whistle
The release of Pikmin 3 creeps ever closer, and considering just how long a new entry in the series has been in demand, we should surely be getting rather excited about it. It's also a brand-new Wii U game to sink our teeth into, and is a title about which Shigeru Miyamoto has been particularly enthusiastic; it's become...
News European Development Support For Nintendo Systems Lags Behind Rivals
Smartphones and tablets are the biggest priorities
In just over a month Cologne, Germany will host Game Developers Conference Europe (GDC) — 19th to 21st August — before Gamescom kicks off shortly afterwards from 21st to 25th August. After being a no-show at the latter event last year Nintendo has confirmed its attendance this time around, while...
Video Here's That Fully Orchestrated Animal Crossing Theme You Always Wanted
Thanks much
We've no doubt that the theme music to Animal Crossing: New Leaf is probably permanently engrained in the memories of many 3DS owners right now, but what would that iconic tune sound like if it were played by the orchestra behind The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concert? Wonder no longer — the results are contained in...
News Nintendo UK Is Taking The Wii U And 3DS On Tour This Summer
Soak up the sun, play some Mario Kart
Nintendo UK has confirmed that it will be attending a variety of Summer events to promote software for its Wii U and 3DS consoles. The Wii U Den Tour will kick off at the Sunderland Air Show at the end of this month, and will give attendees the opportunity to get their hands on Nintendo's latest home console...
Video Assassin's Creed IV Takes to the High Seas and Blows Stuff Up
Blast 'em, Cap'n!
While it's tempting to get carried away and focus almost exclusively on the titles that Nintendo's bringing to the Wii U in the second half of 2013, there are also some fairly tasty offerings from third-parties to look forward to. One of these is Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag, the latest entry in the flagship — geddit? —...
Monday15th Jul 2013
News Nintendo Reveals The 2013 Club Nintendo Elite Rewards
Which will you pick?
Every year Nintendo of America rewards its most loyal and active Club Nintendo members with Elite gifts, with members earning Gold or Platinum status. It seems to have taken longer for these rewards to be revealed this year, but the details are finally out; depending on your status, below are the treats that you can choose from...
News Aonuma Is Growing "Tired" Of The Zelda Formula And Wants To Ring The Changes
Could the new Wii U Zelda be a game-changer?
Eiji Aonuma — the man in charge of The Legend of Zelda series — has admitted that he feels the traditional dungeon-based format is growing stale, and he wants to change it to keep the franchise feeling fresh and exciting. Speaking to The LA Times, Aonuma said: It’s not that anyone is telling me...
Review Rhythm Core Alpha 2 (DSiWare)
Bring life back to music
Musicians both aspiring and experienced have had copious opportunities to break out into song with their DSi thanks to a cornucopia of software suites, including 2010's Rhythm Core Alpha that brought an emphasis on live performances to the table. Developer SoftEgg's sequel Rhythm Core Alpha 2 is the most advanced one yet to...
Nintendo Download 18th July (Europe)
Earthbound, Shantae, attacking Guild monsters, reduced Virtue and more
Update: EARTHBOUND!!! Original Article with updated entry: It's Monday, and as is now tradition Nintendo Download fans in Europe find out what's on the way in this week's update. There are some long awaited and potentially intriguing arrivals this week, along with a few price...
News Codemasters: F1 2013 Would Need To Be "A Very Different Game" To Run On Wii U
Don't hold your breath for a Nintendo version, then
F1 2013 — the latest entry in the popular motor racing series from UK publisher Codemasters — is being revealed today. Given that F1 Race Stars has recently been ported to the Wii U, it's understandable that many Nintendo petrol heads are hopeful that this sequel will get the same treatment...
News 3DS UK Success in 2013 Offset by Abysmal Wii U Figures
A lot of ground to make up
As we're now into July — and melting in a heat wave to suit the time of year — sales data has emerged for UK video game sales in the first six months of the year. Gamasutra has broken down the key data as published in MCV magazine, and from Nintendo's perspective it's a tale of two platforms on very different...
News Capcom To Reveal More Info On Mega Man's 25th Anniversary At Comic-Con 2013
Is a new game on the way?
Capcom is rolling like a tank at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, and will showcase a wide range of its forthcoming titles — including Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies and DuckTales Remastered. However, it's the tantalising promise of fresh information regarding Mega Man's 25th Anniversary that caught our...
News Pikmin 3 Will Support The Use Of The Regular Wii Remote
Plenty of control methods
There are quite a number of control options for the highly anticipated Pikmin 3; the Wii U GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk, and now it's been confirmed that you can use the standard Wii Remote and Nunchuk. In our first impressions of the game, we were only able to test it out with the Wii Remote...
News Ubisoft: Nintendo Has The Brand Power To Turn Wii U Around
CEO Yves Guillemot is a fan of second-screen gaming
The whole Rayman Legends saga has sullied Ubisoft's name with a lot of Wii U owners, but the fact is that the French publisher has stuck with Nintendo's console for longer than most. Watch_Dogs and Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag — two of the company's biggest 2013 releases — are both destined...
News Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl Release Date Confirmed for North America
Going back to the start
The Etrian Odyssey series certainly has its share of loyal fans, with the latest entry in the first-person RPG series arriving on the 3DS earlier this year — Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan. While that's the latest numbered entry, Atlus will shortly be bringing Etrian Odyssey: Millennium Maiden to 3DS in Japan,...
News Astrogun Confirmed as Wii U Developer, Project CIDER Coming to the System
"The kid in me is so thrilled"
A while ago we told you about Xander Davis, a developer that moved from being critical of the Wii U prior to its launch to being a believer in the system. Davis is also the man behind development studio Astrogun, stating his interest in that blog post in bringing his upcoming title Project CIDER to Nintendo's system...
News Ubisoft Will Only Make Games That Can Be Turned Into Franchises
The policy must have come in after ZombiU...
Ubisoft has plenty of titles coming up for Wii U and all of them are installments of a franchise, apart from one - Watch_Dogs. However, that may not be the case for very long as the French publisher has said it will only be producing new titles that can become franchises, such is the volatility of the...
News Smash Bros. Melee EVO Tournament Broke Viewer Records
130,000 were watching
While the EVO tournament is always a popular event, the issues surrounding the inclusion of Super Smash Bros. Melee grabbed a lot of headlines. The Nintendo legal team denied permission for the game to be live streamed, and then Nintendo of America rapidly retracted that decision, so that the brawler's contest could go ahead...
Talking Point The Famicom Was the Beginning of the Modern Gaming Era
Solid building blocks
We recently shared the landmark news that the Famicom has celebrated its 30th Anniversary, having launched in Japan on 15th July 1983, over two years before the NES made its way West. The latter version is that best known and most commonly cited, yet it was the original model's release — Nintendo's first dalliance with a home...
Your View Predicting "Brand-New Types of Games" for Wii U is Rather Tricky
Whatever they are, they'll be welcome
Following comments made to investors during a Q & A session, Satoru Iwata got Nintendo gamers talking by suggesting that "brand-new types of games" are coming to the Wii U during 2013 and 2014, not yet announced in order to have maximum impact and avoid rivals copying the ideas. Some may speculate that these...
Weirdness Formula One Champion Sebastian Vettel Channels His Inner Mario
His car doesn't look particularly safe
Mario is undoubtedly an icon, and it seems that plenty of people are willing to dress up as the mustachioed plumber — and sometimes his brother — for a bit of extra attention; let's not forget that we did just that recently. But still, when Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel dresses up as the...
News Soul Saga: Episode I Kickstarter Campaign Closes After Tripling Original Goal
Plenty of stretch goals reached
Disastercake's Kickstarter campaign for Soul Saga: Episode I has officially closed after receiving more than three times the original target. The project had 5,631 unique backers and amassed an impressive total of $195,528 in the end. Originally aiming for a PC, Linux and Mac release, Soul Saga: Episode I will now...
Sunday14th Jul 2013
Feature The Making Of Pilotwings 64
The N64 launch title which soared to new heights
In recent years Nintendo has made a habit of aligning itself with external studios in order to complete notable projects. We've seen fruitful unions with the likes of Sega (F-Zero GX), Capcom (The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap) and more recently Team Ninja (Metroid: Other M), Next Level Games (
News Level-5 Wants To Make Another Professor Layton Title
The series may not be over just yet
Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies is the last game in the prequel trilogy and is heading to European shores this year, while North Americans will get their puzzle fix in 2014. It's been out in Japan since February and is largely seen as the last ever Professor Layton title, although that may not necessarily...
Review Lost Treasures of Alexandria (DSiWare)
The perfect match?
Lost Treasures Of Alexandria's release on the DSi Shop comes as something of a surprise. That's because it's the first game in a short while to break the trend of poor Match-3 games to which the service has been cruelly subjected. In fact, this latest game rectifies many of the issues that plagued publisher MSL's other recent...
News The Famicom Turns 30 Years Old
The system that started it all
At the time of writing it may still be 14th July in many countries, but it's 15th July in Japan — that means that the Famicom has now turned 30 years old in its homeland. It would eventually make its way to the West, redesigned, as the iconic NES. Of course, Nintendo had been a Playing Card company in its earliest...
News Calm Night of Snowfall Turns To Crowdsourcing To Fund Wii U Version
It's cold outside
Spanish indie developer Unnamed Stdio has set up a crowdsourcing campaign for its upcoming title Calm Night of Snowfall. It's a first person survival horror game set in a wintery urban environment that, according to the developer, "hates you". Based on that, it could be Paris, but it's likely to be a fictional city as each time...
News Capcom To Share More Details On Upcoming Titles At San Diego Comic Con
Batman: Arkham Origins and Assassin's Creed IV will also be there
Comic Con International 2013 will be taking place in San Diego this week and Capcom will have a large presence at the event. The publisher will be showing off a range of titles for a mixture of platforms and will also be holding panels focusing on specific games. Phoenix Wright: Ace...
Site News The Nintendo Life "Bros" Run the Edinburgh Streets for GamesAid
Those outfits may get a bit sweaty
Update: We've reached the flagpole! Anthony (Luigi) finished in 1 hour 4 minutes 31 seconds, while Tom (Mario) — with the extra necessary tummy to fill the role — completed it in 1 hour 12 minutes 53 seconds. Now both are having some well-earned rest, though you can check out a victory image below. Original...
News Zen Studios Would Love To Make An Indiana Jones Themed Pinball Game
You'd better get running, Indy
Zen Studios released Star Wars Pinball onto the Wii U eShop last week - the latest in its series of pinball titles - and we rather enjoyed it as we explained in our review. The developer is behind such titles as the free to play Zen Pinball 2 for the Wii U eShop and Marvel Pinball 3D
Saturday13th Jul 2013
Soapbox Retail Games Cost Too Much To Download From The eShop
Dazza lets off Steam about the cost to download
Nintendo has to be applauded for fully embracing the digital age with the launch of the Wii U eShop. Most retail games are available for download from day one (well at least the ones I would consider buying anyway!) and for some, it’s a pretty convenient way to get the latest game. The 3DS has been...
Weirdness Zelda Answers Rejected on Jeopardy, Hearts are Broken
What a mean show
Jeopardy! is a popular quiz show in the U.S. Heck, there's even a Jeopardy! game for the Wii U, which is one in the eye for anyone that says there aren't enough games for the system; its iconic jingle and tense battles over thousands of dollars are typical game show fare. Yet Nintendo fans may object to a recent bit of pedantry...
Causing a bit of trouble in the camp
Earlier this year, Capcom revealed fantastic news at this year's PAX East - a mythical adventure would take place with Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara, a HD collection of two of Capcom's arcade hits, Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara. The game was set to be released in June for the Wii U eShop...
News Shigeru Miyamoto Optimistic About The Future of Wii U
Pikmin 3 will be followed by more great titles
Nintendo has been having a bit of a rough time with the Wii U in all worldwide regions but the company hopes to improve this in the future with the release of some stellar first and third party titles. In an interview with Japanese gaming website 4Gamer, Shigeru Miyamoto admitted things hadn't gone...
News Pikmin 3 is Playable Next Weekend At GameStop or EB Games
Pre-order a digital copy to get it a day early
During E3 Nintendo gave people in the US the opportunity to head down to a participating Best Buy store to play some of the games that were shown off during the special Nintendo Direct. The company is now running a similar scheme dedicated to the upcoming title Pikmin 3. Reggie Fils-Aime, President of...
News Wii U Version of Mighty Switch Force! 2 Rated By PEGI
Following in its predecessor's footsteps?
Mighty Switch Force! 2 was let loose into the 3DS eShop last month and there have already been murmurs about the 2D platformer making its way to the Wii U in the same way its predecessor did. WayForward's creative director Matt Bozon recently said the studio would certainly look into the prospect of making...
News Precursor Games Relaunching Shadow of the Eternals Kickstarter Campaign
It's set to emerge from the shadows on 25th July
Precursor Games has announced it will relaunch its crowdfunding campaign for Shadow of the Eternals on 25th July using Kickstarter. In the message posted on its website, the developer revealed there will be some contests and two podcast shows, one run by the studio that will feature developer...
Friday12th Jul 2013
Review Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS eShop / NES)
Sweet dreams are made of these
By now we all know the story of Super Mario Bros. 2: concerns about the Japanese sequel to the original Super Mario Bros. kept it from release in North America and Europe. Different reasons have been given over time, from the game being too difficult to it simply not demonstrating enough creativity to keep gamers...
News The Pokémon Company International Confirms Western Details For New X & Y Additions
Wonder Trade feature and new trailer included
Just yesterday we reported on details of new characters and Pokémon to feature in X & Y, with CoroCoro magazine naturally having the scoop. Those were the names and details for Japan, so The Pokémon Company International has now sent out a press release with the Western equivalents; there are a few...
Review Metroid (Wii U eShop / NES)
By Zebes, it’s Metroid on the Wii U
The NES section of the Wii U's Virtual Console expands by another notch with the addition of Metroid, regarded by many as one of the best entries that amazing series has to offer. The great news is that it's every bit as wonderful as you remember; the bad news is that it's no more interested in holding your hand...
News StreetPass DLC System Update Finally Hits North America
Rejoice!
Back in June Europe and Japan received an update to the StreetPass Mii Plaza that not only gave it a shiny new layout and some other minor tweaks, but also four new paid-DLC games. North America received a system update minus the StreetPass content, which was a little baffling and frustrating for those that fancied bringing some spice to...
News Wii U RPG Soul Saga Will Turn Your GamePad Into A Steampunk Phone
Can't take your call right now, fighting demons
Soul Saga: Episode I developer Mike Gale has been dropping some more details on the forthcoming J-RPG-style Wii U eShop title, and it sounds like he's got some cool ideas for the console's unique controller. Speaking to Cubed3, Gale discussed how the GamePad would be used: I am planning to put the...
News Pikmin Hero Captain Olimar Joins The Smash Bros. Roster On Wii U And 3DS
Face plant
Captain Olimar and his gang of loyal Pikmin have joined the ranks of the new Smash Bros. title, which is currently in development for the Wii U and 3DS. Judging from the screens shown below — taken from the Wii U version — Olimar can hurl his plant-like soldiers at enemies, just like he does in the Pikmin game series.
Weirdness Picking an Original Pokémon Starter, Always a Tough Call
Pick me!
Pokémon is a gaming culture phenomenon, with legions of fans that can readily recite 'mon names and abilities without a pause for breath. For newcomers or those that haven't been there and seen it all, however, picking a starter 'mon can be a tough call. Sure, they're different types and have varying strengths and weaknesses, but how do...
News Nintendo Wanted To Take A Different Approach To DLC With New Super Luigi U
A distinct move away from the packs found in New Super Mario Bros. 2
New Super Luigi U has been available to download from the Wii U eShop for a short while and has breathed new life into New Super Mario Bros. U. Although, technically deemed DLC, it's a much longer experience than the downloadable software added to New Super Mario Bros. 2 and this...
News Capcom Reveals More of Monster Hunter 4's Chico Village
Felyne good
While Monster Hunter 4 still represents a distant dream for many of us, its Japanese release on 14th September creeps ever closer. As a result Capcom is dishing up regular snippets of information for the Japanese market, while those of us elsewhere can look on as interested parties that can only hope. As translated by Siliconera, more...
Feature When it Comes to Games, What's in a Name?
Quite a lot, if you're fussy like us
The latest major 3DS release to hit Europe is Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros., except in our review we took to calling it by its North American name, just plain-old Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. It arrives Stateside around a month after Europe, but the shorter title seems like a better fit; that "Bros."...
Video Animal Crossing Fails To Provide A Decisive Verdict On Which Is Best: Scorpion Or Tarantula
In Nintendo's world, it's a tie
Animal Crossing: New Leaf is literally bursting with amazing secrets, some of which are only now being uncovered. For example, if you add both a scorpion and a tarantula to your town museum, you can watch these two bitter rivals battle it out in an eternal struggle which sadly provides no true victor. You see, in...
News Nintendo Will Attend GDC Europe For The First Time
Two special sessions have been scheduled in
Game Developers Conference Europe will be held this August in Cologne, Germany - just before Gamescom starts in the very same city - and Nintendo has announced it will be attending the event. This will be the very first time Nintendo has made an appearance at GDC Europe and the company has added two...
News Ghostlight Hatches A New Plot To Bring Devil Survivor 2 To Europe
A cunning plan
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 was released in the US well over a year ago now and poor old Europe has yet to have the game grace its presence. It appears that day may not be too far off, as UK-based publisher Ghostlight has devised a scheme to finally bring the DS game to European shores. Essentially, it's playing it very...
News Forthcoming 3DS eShop Title Tappingo Promises Picross-Style Puzzle Action
Goodbye Galaxy Games announces its first 3DS download
Goodbye Galaxy Games — the studio responsible for DSiWare titles Color Commando, Flipper and Flipper 2: Flush the Goldfish — has announced its first 3DS eShop release. Tappingo is described by Goodbye Galaxy Games founder Hugo Smits as being "like
Review Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (3DS)
A never-ending dream
If there was more justice in the world, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team — or Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros. as it's known in Europe — would enjoy the same level of hype and anticipation as some of its prestigious predecessors on the 3DS in 2013. And yet, rather like its snoozy subject matter, it drifts into view on a...
Thursday11th Jul 2013
Nintendo Download 11th July (North America)
A long awaited Atlus sequel, retro goodies, Pinball Wars and more
Another week, another Nintendo Download update for you, North America. This week brings Atlus RPG fans a 3DS title that's been long craved, one of the most famous film franchises of all time finally gets its pinball fix on Wii U, and some retro goodies join movie licensed games on...
Feature Taking A Look Back At The Nintendo 64 Rumble Pak
The little peripheral that shook things up in a big way
Nintendo has always been a video game manufacturer renowned for innovation. From revitalising the video game console industry with the NES back in 1985 right through to opening it up to the mainstream with its Wii and DS systems in the mid-2000s, the Japanese company has continued to have a...
News Wii U Summer System Update Pushed Back To The Fall
Update v3.1.0 U available now, but it's not the big one
Nintendo has pushed update v3.1.0 U to Wii U consoles worldwide, but it's not the big Summer update we were all expecting — that now seems to have been delayed until later in the year. v3.1.0 U comes with some stability and performance upgrades, and permits SpotPass to function even while...
News CoroCoro Reveals Details on New and Existing Pokemon
"A wild magazine appears!"
It's that time of month again. Time for Pokemaniacs the world over to eagerly tear open their web browsers and find out what Japanese magazine CoroCoro has in store for the upcoming Pokemon X and Pokemon Y. This month fans get a peek at some brand new Pokemon, as well as some tidbits about Kalos legends Xerneas and...
News Platinum's Hideki Kamiya Claims He Doesn't Own A Wii U
Also takes to Twitter to confirm The Wonderful 101 Nintendo Direct
Platinum's Hideki Kamiya is the kind of guy who probably shouldn't be allowed a Twitter account. He's made some pretty strong statements in the past and seems to delight in winding up people who send him inane comments on the popular social network site, often forcing fellow Platinum...
News Nintendo Initially Requested a Shutdown of the Whole Smash Bros. EVO Event, Before Backtracking
It wasn't just the stream
We know that Nintendo, in recent months, has been attempting to assert greater control over its image and any representation of its IPs. It started claiming the advert money from monetized videos featuring its properties on YouTube, before subsequently backing down in some cases; it wouldn't be surprising if this was due to...
News Ubisoft - Splinter Cell: Blacklist A "Great Fit" For Wii U
Sam Fisher will be sneaking in next month
Ubisoft Toronto is only a few years old and is close to releasing its first title Splinter Cell: Blacklist on a range of consoles including the Wii U. The game will feature a co-op mode, which will be available on all versions, while the GamePad will be ut
Review Deer Hunting King (3DS eShop)
Oh, dear
Is there something about the 3DS that screams out to developers that it just might be the ideal platform for arcade shooters? Maybe it’s the 3D effect that adds simulated depth to in-game environments, or maybe it’s the touchscreen which is seemingly built for aiming a crosshair? Whatever the case may be, the 3DS has seen at least a...
News China Ready To Finally Lift Game Console Ban
There will be rules, naturally
China is perhaps on its way to becoming the most powerful economy in the world and hosted the Olympic Games as recently as 2008, and yet it can be easy to forget how different life is in the Communist state. While it's a country becoming increasingly open to some Western influences — inevitable as it bids for...
News Still No Word On Scribblenauts Unlimited EU Release, Despite Unmasked Announcement
Will Europe ever see the game?
Yesterday we reported on Scribblenauts Unmasked, the next instalment in 5th Cell's popular series. Its prequel, Scribblenauts Unlimited, remains unreleased in Europe following its last-minute delay back in February. The game has been available in North America since last year. Following the announcement of Unmasked,...
News DuckTales: Remastered To Hit the Wii U eShop in Mid-August
13th August in North America, two days later in Europe
We suspect that there are plenty of retro gamers keen to download DuckTales: Remastered, the collaboration between WayForward and Capcom that re-imagines the classic title with shiny new HD graphics. The original DuckTales is one of those NES titles that we're all supposed to play, with music...
News HTR High Tech Racing Will Turn Your 3DS Into A Pocket-Sized Scalextric
Minus the smell of burning metal, of course
Back in the days before video games ruled every young child's life, there was Scalextric. Here at the Nintendo Life office — where we're all rather old and wrinkly — we can fondly recall playing with a battered old Scalextric track handed down by older relations, before finally getting our very own...
News WayForward's Matt Bozon Confirms Shantae 3DS Virtual Console Release Date
July 18th for lucky North American players
Game Boy Color platformer Shantae has been on our radar for quite some time now, and was supposed to launch last month. However, to our great disappointment the game was delayed a little, but thankfully the wait is going to be over very soon. WayForward's Matt Bozon has taken to Twitter to confirm that the...
News Capcom's Christian Svensson Departs As Part Of Staff Reorganisation
Senior Vice President is among the casualties
Capcom has started its staff reorganisation programme in its US operations, which has resulted in the loss of several employees including Senior Vice President Christian Svensson. Svensson, who has been with the company for eight years, announced his departure on his personal Facebook page earlier...
News 8-Bit Titles Nuts & Milk And Mach Rider Hitting Japanese 3DS eShop Next Week
500 Yen a pop
Nintendo has confirmed that two new 8-bit titles are coming to the Japanese 3DS eShop next week. The excellently-titled Nuts & Milk was in fact the first third-party game for the Famicom, and launched way back in 1984. It's a curious puzzle / platfomer hybrid which involves linking up Milk with his girlfriend whilst avoiding the...
Wednesday10th Jul 2013
Review Shin Megami Tensei IV (3DS)
Good Goddess
Atlus has given 3DS-owning RPG fans plenty to be excited about recently, with Etrian Odyssey IV and Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers both released this year alone. Now the latest entry in the mainline Shin Megami Tensei series has arrived to complete the dungeon-crawling hat-trick, bringing its unique brand of demon...
News Nintendo: Wii U Fire Emblem Would Need To Sell 700K To Justify The Effort
Playing the numbers game
Fire Emblem: Awakening has sold extremely well on 3DS, but there will be many people who dearly want to see the franchise come to the Wii U. According to Nintendo's (not Intelligent Systems, as we previously stated) Hitoshi Yamagami, such a version would need to shift 700,000 copies to cover the cost of development. Given...
News Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem Set For Modern Times "In The Real World"
"Imagine a Pegasus that lands on Building 109 of Shibuya, Tokyo", blimey
Earlier today we published comments from Nintendo's Hitoshi Yamagami, outlining that a standalone Fire Emblem title on Wii U would need to sell around 700,000 copies to cover development costs. That wouldn't be an issue for something like Fire Emblem: Awakening on 3DS, but that...
Review Star Wars Pinball (Wii U eShop)
Laugh it up, pinball
If the Disneyland Star Tours attraction was systematically dismantled and reassembled by brilliant maniacs who love tabletop arcade games a whole lot, it would surely be a perfect doppelganger to Star Wars Pinball. The creators of Zen Pinball and Pinball FX have somehow managed to stuff all the joy and adventure of Star Wars...
Soapbox Why We Should Expect More From The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
Rory Cocker gets on his high Hyrulian horse about Nintendo's remaster
The Zelda community is almost infamously inflammatory and prone to knee-jerk reactions. I should know; I’m part of it. From my brief stint at this site, though, I’ve noticed that the Nintendo Life readership – that’s your fine selves – is a bit more level headed and...
Review Sonic Drift 2 (3DS eShop / GG)
Super Sonic Racing
Quite a few video game mascots got swept up in the kart racing craze of the 90's, and the world's fastest hedgehog was no exception. Sonic and racing have always seemed like a good fit, and after the success of Super Mario Kart in 1992, SEGA gave the Blue Blur some well-deserved time on the track with Sonic Drift for the Game...
News Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure to Save the World on 24th September
In North America, anyway
Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure is the next entry in the popular franchise coming to both Wii U and 3DS, which will be the only gaming platforms aside from PC to enjoy the title. It also see the series dive off into licensed territory for the first time, as it begins an assumed campaign to build a similar...
News Shigeru Miyamoto Emphasizes That New Experiences, and a New Franchise, Are Keeping Him Busy
When Mario Kart 8 arrives a "whole lineup" will be in place
Since E3 2013, Nintendo's made a big play of lining up an extensive range of regular Wii U releases for the remainder of 2013, along with Mario Kart 8 for Spring 2014 and a range of other titles — such as Super Smash Bros. slated for a broader 2014 arrival. Nintendo has also intrigued us...
News Nintendo Will Allow Super Smash Bros. Melee Stream From EVO 2013
Tournament now returning to regularly scheduled programming
Mere hours ago it was revealed by Shoryuken that Nintendo was, for some unknown, likely inane reason or another, blocking a stream of 2001 Gamecube title Super Smash Bros. Melee from the EVO 2013 fighting game tournament in Las Vegas this month. Well, scratch that: After a flurry of...
Review G-LOC: Air Battle (3DS eShop / GG)
Crash and burn
Around its initial release in the early '90s, Sega launched G-LOC: Air Battle in several different forms, including an arcade cabinet, a Mega Drive port, and eventually crash-landing it on the portable Game Gear console. The series has been mostly absent since then, finally popping back up on the 3DS’s Virtual Console service. Some...
News Yacht Club Games Reveals Shovel Knight's Partner, Shield Knight
A couple of tasty new screens, too
Shovel Knight is the debut game from Yacht Club Games, a studio founded by ex-employees of WayForward and with a goal of producing retro-styled games that live up to modern standards. Its pixel-based 2D action platformer — coming to the Wii U and 3DS eShop platforms — has enjoyed rave previews, while a few...
News Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Helped Miyamoto Bond With His Daughter
More proof that video games bring families together
As seasoned gamers, we're all aware that the medium of interactive entertainment — often decried by critics as an insular and lonely pastime — actually has very social qualities. People share their own experiences with other players, and when you get a group of people around a television set...
News Nintendo Denies Permission For a Live Stream of Super Smash Bros. Melee At EVO 2013
*UPDATE* Stream is back on
UPDATE: In a strangely prompt turn of events, it looks like Nintendo has reversed its decision to block the stream. What an eventful evening. ORIGINAL STORY BELOW Back in January this year, we reported that Super Smash Bros. Melee was a firm favourite to be the eighth title at EV
Weirdness Level-5 Flies Straight With its Favourite Character Poll Wallpaper
Well played
A little while ago we shared the peculiar news that a load of online pranksters had voted for the Aero Porter plane as their 'favourite' Level-5 character. It was a poll to celebrate the company's 15th anniversary, and pleas for the vote to be taken seriously were clearly ignored — we feel confident saying that these were pranksters,...
News Toki Tori Creator Tells of Missed Angry Birds Opportunity
"In retrospect, it has been my worst decision ever."
Videogames, like all other media, can be a fickle business. Highly anticipated titles can flop while relatively unknown works suddenly surge into extreme popularity. And on either side of these rises and falls, you’ll likely find people with regrets one way or the other. Martijn Reuvers,...
News The Power Of Glove Charts The History Of Nintendo's Most Questionable Controller
More power to your glove
Before the Wii revolutionised motion-controlled gaming, there was the Power Glove. Developed by Abrams Gentile Entertainment, this unique controller would find fame in Hollywood movie The Wizard, but in reality was something of a critical and commercial bomb — it was awkward to use and, according to its creators, was...
News Gaijin Games Reveals Remaining DLC Characters For Runner 2
Make six new friends on Wii U
Gaijin Games recently announced that BIT.TRIP Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien is to receive some extra content in the form of the Good Friends DLC pack. The new download will bring six new characters to the Wii U version of the game, while the Steam edition will get an extra pal thrown in for good...
News Whilom: Sins Will Battle Onto Wii U if Kickstarter Stretch Goal is Reached
The project needs $80,000 to make it
Dreamken Studios is currently developing a 2D RPG called Whilom: Sins and in order to get the project off the ground it has set up a Kickstarter campaign. The game, which is described as a hybrid between fighting games like Streets of Rage and adventure titles such as Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger, will be r
News Spin The Bottle Delayed Until August
The party won't be started just yet
Spin the Bottle developer KnapNok Games has announced that the Wii U eShop title has been delayed until August. The delay appears to be related to Nintendo's quality assurance testing the various elements of the gameplay, which involves using the various Wii U control options is somewhat unusual ways. KnapNok...
Tuesday9th Jul 2013
News Nintendo Wins Another Court Battle with R4 Cartridge Manufacturers
Nintendo and others to be paid nearly $1 million in damages
The DS family of systems has long since been replaced by the 3DS, but almost as an ironic tribute to the slowly grinding gears of legal systems, Nintendo and around fifty other companies have just been awarded nearly $1 million in damages; this will be paid by two R4 device sellers based in...
News One Piece: Romance Dawn Won't Be Sailing To North America
Europe is still feeling the love, though
Namco Bandai is releasing One Piece: Romance Dawn for the 3DS in Japan next month and has confirmed it will be localised in Europe at a later date. However, there has been no mention of a North American release and unfortunately it appears the love affair is now over as Namco Bandai has informed Siliconera...
News Register Shin Megami Tensei IV and Fire Emblem: Awakening and Receive $30 eShop Credit
Nintendo and Atlus combine to offer North Americans a great deal
It was rumoured yesterday that Club Nintendo would start a promotion this month in North America that would see 3DS owners receive some extra eShop credit should they register two specific 3DS titles. Well, that deal has today been confirmed and the extra credit totals a very appealing...
News Investment Expert Feels Nintendo Earnings Miss Will Trigger Multi-Platform Approach
Investors should buy now and reap the benefits later
Global investment firm Jefferies & Co's Atul Goyal has recommended that investors pick up Nintendo shares in the expectation of big profits should the Japanese company fail to meet its proposed operating profit of 100 billion Yen. Goyal's opinion is that Nintendo's failure to meet its targets...
Talking Point Why Interactive eBooks are a Perfect Fit for Wii U
They can include video, audio and even games themselves
So, new ideas for the Wii U, how about those? It's our topic for the community's next "Your View" feature over on the forums, and something we considered ourselves in terms of brand-new types of games for the system. Of course with Wii U it's all about games right now, as the
Video Kapp'n Songs From Animal Crossing: New Leaf Have Never Sounded So Good
misterrandell, we salute you
Animal Crossing: New Leaf had quite an impact when it launched, occupying plenty of gamers and their social network timelines for days on end. For some it's still occupying a lot of their time, because that's what Animal Crossing does. Naturally there are various fans doing their own tributes to the game and its...
News Miyamoto: HD Development "Took More Time Than Originally Anticipated"
Pikmin 3 was delayed for extra polishing
Shigeru Miyamoto has said working on Pikmin 3 has been a blast for him, but the upgrade to HD for it and other titles may have been more work than Nintendo originally anticipated. According to Gamasutra, Miyamoto explained to shareholders at their most recent meeting that higher-rate v
Feature A Virtual Tour of Pilotwings 64
Come fly with me
When it was released in 1996, Pilotwings 64 was praised for its incredible visuals and vast, open landscapes. Even now, the attention to detail is astonishing — as we pointed out in our recent Pilotwings 64 review so much so that we felt compelled to explore it. To save you the effort of having to dust off that old N64 and unlock...
News An Epic Mega Man Art Book is Coming to North America
It only has 432 pages...
As we all know by now, Capcom has been sanctioning various celebratory products for Mega Man's 25th Anniversary. It may have been saving the best non-game product for late in the day, however, as Udon Entertainment has given more details on the brand new official series art book — MM25: Mega Man & Mega Man X Official...
Rumour Attack of the Friday Monsters Breaching North American Shores Next Week
There goes the neighbourhood
We're not really sure where giant kaiju come from, perhaps they emerge from the depths or fly down from space, either way the North American eShop has listed Level 5’s Attack of the Friday Monsters: A Tokyo Tale for arrival on 18th July. The third and final game of the Guild 02 series is currently priced in the eShop...
Video This Is What Happens When You Fuse Mario Kart With Fast And Furious
The standard of acting is vastly improved, for one thing
We're not movie critics here at Nintendo Life, but we think it's safe to say that the Fast and Furious series is coming dangerously close to outstaying its welcome. But just how do you reinvent such an established franchise? You add Mario, of course. Created by Taiwanese firm NMA TV — which...
News NES-Inspired Action Platformer Odallus Could Be Hacking Its Way To Wii U
Yup, it's another Wii U-related stretch goal
Indie studio JoyMasher has revealed that its NES-style action title Odallus: The Dark Call might be Wii U-bound — assuming it reaches its crowd-funding stretch goal of $55,000. Inspired by the likes of Ghosts 'n Goblins, Castlevania and Demon's Crest, the game is an action platformer
News Gaijin Games Announces Good Friends Pack DLC For Runner 2
Seven new characters join the line-up
BIT.TRIP Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien is expanding before our very eyes; Gaijin Games has announced that the game is to receive the Good Friends DLC pack, which will bring a fresh batch of characters with which to dash through the levels — we suspect you'll recognise some of them. The Good...
News Broken Rules Unveils SECRETS OF RÆTIKON
In talks with "more than one party" concerning platforms
Broken Rules is the developer of WiiWare title And Yet it Moves and Wii U eShop release Chasing Aurora, a beautiful multiplayer game that we rated highly at the system's launch. It's now confirmed its new project, SECRETS OF RÆTIKON, a game that the developer hinted at in ou
Monday8th Jul 2013
Nintendo Download 11th July (Europe)
The flippin' Force, bullet hell, a dreamy RPG and much more
It's Monday morning, but our week is brightened once again by the European download news. This week brings us plenty to consider, with new and old titles on Wii U, a mixture of retail, video and download-only goodies on 3DS and a match-3 puzzler for DSiWare. So many downloads, so little...
News Ubisoft CEO Admits ZombiU Sales Were Disappointing, No Plans For Sequel
Staying dead
Despite rumours that a sequel is in the works, it would appear that ZombiU won't be turning into a franchise — at least not solely on the Wii U. Speaking to GamesIndustry International, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has revealed that the game was "not profitable" and that there are "no plans" — or even the desire — to make a...
Review Vampire: Master of Darkness (3DS eShop / GG)
Out for the count
Given its gothic setting, focus on melee combat and inclusion of Dracula as the final boss, it’s little wonder that Vampire: Master of Darkness was compared to the famous Castlevania series when it launched on the Master System and Game Gear back in the early ‘90s. Developed by SIMS — which at the time was a second-party Sega...
News SteamWorld Dig Dev: Wii U Is "Very Powerful", But Nintendo Is Struggling To Explain Its Appeal
Studio has ideas in the works for the console
Brjann Sigurgeirsson — CEO of Image & Form — has been talking to Nintendo Difference about his company's forthcoming 3DS title SteamWorld Dig, and was predictably asked about the chances of it coming to the Wii U eShop. He replied: We are still considering SteamWorld Dig for Wii U, but I also...
Talking Point The Wii U Has Plenty of Opportunities for "Brand-New Types of Games"
That "strong impact in the market" could be crucial
At the end of last week Nintendo released the official translations of Satoru Iwata's most recent investor Q & A, giving us an insight into Nintendo's current standing with that audience and providing some useful teases of information on what's to come. These meetings are intriguing as, in a...
Review Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey (3DS eShop)
Submerged in familiarity
If you’ve never been exposed to a hidden object game before, the concept is as simple to understand as a youthful game of I spy or finding Waldo hidden within the pages of a Where’s Waldo? book. Imagine your bedroom is contained in a snow globe. Someone takes it, shakes it for a minute or two, sets it down, and at that...
News Frozenbyte Praises Nintendo's eShop Support and is Interested in Future Wii U Projects
"Working with Nintendo is great"
Frozenbyte's Trine 2: Director's Cut was an early standout title on Wii U, both in terms of the adventure itself and as a visual showcase for the system. The developer has been one of the most positive voices in support of the hardware in that respect, and has also praised Nintendo's support of smaller studios on the...
Video New Project CARS Footage Gets Down to Nuts and Bolts
Making a big play of visuals
Slightly Mad Studios has been making a lot of noise about Project CARS, with plenty of focus on its visuals, realism, community involvement and an assurance that the Wii U won't get a "crappy" version. If a title's quality was determined by hype and positive intention, then this one would be a guaranteed success. Of...
News WaterMelon Hiring Pixel Artists For New SNES and Mega Drive / Genesis Titles
What's old is new
WaterMelon is a name likely to be well-known among retro gamers that want that elusive thing; a retro game that's brand new. If that sounds peculiar, it perhaps shouldn't, as this is a company that seeks out and hires specialists in the field. Wii U owners will see the studio in action, eventually, with the crowdfunded HD remake of...
News 3DS eBook App Details Emerge in Japan
Let us tell you about it, dear readers
Last week we reported on the news that eBooks are coming to the 3DS in Japan this Fall, with the slim details stating there'd be around 300 books aimed mostly at children. Dai Nippon Printing has now stepped forward as the company launching the service, confirming and showing the online store at the Tokyo...
News Trivia Title Know Your Friends Is Crashing The Wii U Party
Sex, booze and violence all included, apparently
We all like to think that we're intimately familiar with the secrets of our closest pals, but how much do you really know about what goes on inside the heads of your lifelong friends? Finding out is the aim of party trivia game Know Your Friends, and soon Wii U owners will be able to join in the fun...
News UK Store GAME Now Selling Original Wii Consoles For Just £35
Even less reason to consider picking up a Wii Mini, then
As part of its summer hardware and software sale, UK video game retailer GAME is now selling Wii consoles for just £35 (around $50 / €40). That's a considerable saving on the recently-released Wii Mini, which lacks internet connectivity, doesn't have an SD card slot and won't run on...
News Pokémon Adventure Tour Prepares to Heat Up UK Summer Events
Marketing is Super Effective!
There's a little game called Pokémon X & Y coming out in October, but there are also plenty of other 'mon games available right now. The series as a whole is part of the hype train, something that Nintendo UK is keen to exploit. It's announced the Pokémon Adventure Tour, which will take in five major outdoor...
Video Learn About New Pikmin 3 Types in This Nintendo UK Series
Cute and effective
Pikmin 3 is now surprisingly close to its European release on 26th July, while North Americans only have a little longer to wait until 4th August. As the first firing shot in what Nintendo plans to be a bombardment of top-notch titles to shift Wii U units, we can expect plenty of hype and build-up. Naturally, not all current and...
News Project X Zone Battles Into UK Top 20 in Debut Week
Lacking the X Factor
Recent UK all-format software chart updates have been full of good news, with various 3DS exclusives — most recently Animal Crossing: New Leaf — appearing regularly in the top 10. Nintendo's hugely popular real-time title is still performing well, staying in fourth place in this week's updated results from UKIE. For last...
Sunday7th Jul 2013
Your View The Issues of Collecting and Owning Download-Only Games
Downloads aren't forever
At the start of this week we posted a talking point on the questionable collectibility of download-only game libraries, an issue that's yet to come to a head on Nintendo systems. So far its debut download-only platforms, the Wii Shop and DSiWare, have been available in the company's current systems. The approaches have been...
Review Pilotwings (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Empty skies
Most readers here will remember the launch titles of the 3DS quite well, and as such they're probably familiar with the existence of Pilotwings Resort. While we certainly enjoyed the title there was a great deal of talk about it essentially feeling like a retail tech demo, more of a proof of concept for the new hardware than a game in...
News Iwata: Third Party Wii U Launch Titles Could Not Enjoy Brisk Sales As Many Were Ports
Boosting the install base is still the key to future success
Much has been made of the lack of Wii U support from third party developers since the system's launch last year. While publishers such as Ubisoft are still generating content for the console in order to boost the install base, others have stated they won't be bringing games to Wii U until...
News Hideki Kamiya Believes The Wonderful 101 Won't Need DLC
Platinum Games is squeezing a lot into it
The Wonderful 101 is one of the biggest third party Wii U exclusives of the year and it is tantalisingly close to being released now. It's set to emerge on 23rd August in Europe and 15th September in North America and the team at Platinum Games is hard at work implementing the finishing touches. A few Wii U...
Weirdness Bling is Redefined by These Zelda Songrings
One ocarina to rule them all
Owning Nintendo-related nick-nacks is, for some, part of the deal as a fan of the company and its games. They can be plushies, cushions, pins, bags and all-manner of things; some of these collectibles are worn, of course, whether they're t-shirts, hats or shoes. But what if you want to bling it up and show your Nintendo...
Saturday6th Jul 2013
Soapbox Why Region Locking Is A Total Non-Issue
Damien McFerran outlines why the current hot topic is hot air
In the first of what we hope will be a series of first-person discussions, Nintendo Life editorial director Damien McFerran shares his opinion on the recent calls for Nintendo to remove regional locks on its systems. Seeing as this is the first feature, we should point out that the views...
Review Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike (GameCube)
Three's a crowd
Factor 5 struck gold when it released the sublime Star Wars: Rogue Squadron for the Nintendo 64 way back in 1998/1999. Then, in 2001/2002, the development studio topped this already impressive feat with the astounding Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader. So when it announced that it had a third Rogue Squadron game in the works...
News Miyamoto: Mario Will Likely Return To Single-Player
May look to explore the Galaxy further
When Mario fans heard that a 3D Mario platformer for Wii U would be shown at E3, expectations were undoubtedly high and varied. Many had their own ideas about what Mario's 3D foray into high-definition would look and play like, but it would have been difficult to predict a successor to Super Mario 3D Land. Fan...
News Zelda-Inspired Ittle Dew Heading To The Wii U eShop This Year
It looks a ittle bit like a top-down Zelda adventure
The Legend of Zelda has certainly inspired a lot of developers ever since it emerged as a franchise over a quarter of a century ago and it looks as though Swedish indie studio Ludosity has taken a leaf or two out of Link's adventures with its latest game Ittle Dew. Though the action-adventure...
Rumour Metroid Blasting Onto The Wii U Virtual Console Next Week
Samus' first adventure gets listed on Nintendo's website
Super Metroid was made available to Wii U owners for a measly 30c/30p earlier in the year as part of the Famicom 30th Anniversary celebrations and many people snapped it up straight away. The Super Nintendo classic was the home console successor to the popular NES title Metroid, which looks...
News Monolith Soft's Working Environment and Development Culture Emerge
No crunching here
It's always fascinating to have an insight into development studios. Rather than being fun-lands in the style of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, they're ultimately rows of desks and, in many respects, look like any other office. Of course what's happening is a lot different, as the biggest studios have dozens — occasionally...
News Freedom Factory's Bloodbath Coming to Wii U
It's a bloody Hack'n'Slash
The Wii U's games library has had a decent mix, to date, of bright and cheerful titles and, in some cases, violent mature games. The latter may have been ports, for the most part, but those with a bit of bloodlust have had opportunities to scratch that itch on the system. For those that do enjoy some gory battles, another...
News European Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney Release Given Some Hope
Level-5 CEO says something is in the works
One title many 3DS owners have been yearning for in the West is Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney, which has been out in Japan since November last year. The game features two characters that have a proven track record in the Western market so many believe it will one day make it to Europe and North America...
Friday5th Jul 2013
News New Steel / Ghost Type Pokémon, Honedge, Revealed
New reveals are showing some edge
With just three months until Pokémon X & Y arrives, the hype generator is gradually being cranked up to maximum gear. Just yesterday we saw new 3DS XL models that are coming to Japan, and today we have new images and footage of a brand new 'mon — Honedge. As the image suggests and as reported by Serebii,...
News Nintendo to Bring "Brand-New Types of Games" to Wii U in the Coming Months
Projects left out of E3 for "a strong impact in the market"
Much has been said about Nintendo's Wii U lineup that was shown at E3 2013, with opinions from across the spectrum generally all making an appearance. It was an occasion short of surprise reveals — aside from Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze — simply because Nintendo had given us so...
Review Crystal Warriors (3DS eShop / GG)
Curiously characterless
One of the Game Gear's earliest RPG titles, Crystal Warriors tries to cherry-pick the best elements of genre classics like Fire Emblem and Shining Force while throwing its own element-driven combat system into the mix, along with the ability to tame monsters and use them in battle. Despite these attempts to do something fresh...
News Pachter: Nintendo Has Lost Its "Mojo"
Analyst questions why anyone would buy a Wii U
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has once again passed judgement on the Wii U, and has delivered perhaps his most damning assessment of Nintendo's console yet. Speaking to ABC's News 10, Pachter questioned why anyone would even consider picking up the console, aside from the (rather significant)...
Review Urban Trial Freestyle (3DS eShop)
Dropping in for a good time
What is Urban Trial Freestyle? The best way we can think to describe it would be a physics-based platformer – any of you familiar with the Trials series on XBLA should know what to expect here. Think of a 2D sidescroller like Mario, but instead of running around, you’re on a bike, zipping in-and-out of ramps and onto...
News Miyamoto: GamePad's Touch Screen Primarily Used To Make Navigating Menus Easier
Technology is available for developers to use should they so desire
Ever since the Wii U GamePad emerged everyone has been conjuring up new ways to use the innovative touch screen on the tablet-like controller. Games like New Super Mario Bros. U utilised it to create helpful blocks for the players on the main screen, while ZombiU used it as an...
News Iwata: Nintendo Not Considering Lay-offs To Strengthen Finances
Believes it would hurt long-term results
The recent economy has seen a trend of doing more with less - increasing individual productivity while trimming one's overall workforce. Nintendo CEO and President Satoru Iwata, however, is not expressing interest in going down this path as a business, believing its short-term gains would have negative...
Feature Animal Crossing StreetPass Event Brings 3DS Owners Together
We catch up with the organisers of this humongous event
The humble StreetPass feature on the 3DS is largely seen as a supplemental element of the system. Essentially, the idea is you walk around living your daily life with your plucky 3DS on sleep mode and upon passing someone else who's doing the same, that little green light will start flashing...
News Miyamoto: Fresh Experiences Make A New Game, Not New Characters
Nintendo focusing on new experiences rather than characters
One thing Nintendo is certainly not short of is franchises and over the years the likes of Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Kid Icarus and the plucky Pikmin have all emerged. However, a complaint that is sometimes leveled at Nintendo is its continued use of the same...
News Over 200,000 Gamers Have Bought StreetPass Mii Plaza DLC
Paid for with real, not Play, coins
Not too long ago Europe and Japan enjoyed an update to the StreetPass Mii Plaza, which brought a fresh layout and a batch of four new games to choose from. The catch is that these additions come at a price — they're £4.49 / €4.99 each, or there's a Combo pack of all four available for £13.49 / €14.99...
News Nintendo To Focus On Struggling Markets In The Short-Term
Performance in U.S. and Europe is "less than satisfactory"
During the Nintendo investor Q & A, Satoru Iwata took many questions about Nintendo's various struggles with the Wii U launch and also shared some insight about Streetpass DLC and the disappearance of the Vitality Sensor. But a question
News Cooking Mama 5 Development Heats Up for 3DS Sequel
Keep on cooking
The Cooking Mama franchise never seems to be out of the development oven, with titles regularly gracing Nintendo systems over recent years. The character has also dabbled with gardening and crafting, of course, but when we're not simulating chopping carrots with a stylus, it doesn't necessarily feel like the real deal. The good news...
News Satoru Iwata - Tech Limitations Held Wii Vitality Sensor Back, But Launch is Still Possible
It has a pulse
Ah, the Vitality Sensor. Remember that? It was shown off at E3 2009, leading to the raising of many eyebrows as Nintendo President Satoru Iwata pitched its ability to track the pulse and other readings, and explained how it could be suitable for games of relaxation. It's gone down as one of Nintendo's quirkiest product announcements,...
News Angry Birds Creator Cites Nintendo and Miyamoto As His Biggest Influences
Jaakko Iisalo clearly has good taste
Angry Birds has become something of a phenomenon in the world of video gaming, and has attained the kind of fame that is usually reserved for the likes of Sonic and Mario. Rovio creative director Jaakko Iisalo — the man responsible for the concept and look of the Angry Birds games — has revealed to EDGE his...
News Club Nintendo Japan Falls Victim to Hack Attack
Users encouraged to change passwords
It's an unfortunate reality of the cyber-world that hack attacks are a fairly regular occurrence, with Ubisoft recently falling victim. The most high-profile example — in the gaming world at least — was the infamous attack on the PlayStation Network, taking the service down for a month and, with it, online...
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Fifteen
It's not all New Leaf, really!
It's time for our semi-regular whenever-we-get-around-to-it feature where a number of Nintendo Life writers share their weekend gaming plans. We may be getting further into the Summer months, but we still intend to spend a decent amount of time inside, curtains drawn, playing games. Unless we're on the road, which is...
News Money Talks In CIRCLE Entertainment's DSiWare Title Banking Dream
Mo money, mo problems
CIRCLE Entertainment has announced that it is bringing another of its "Dream" titles to DSiWare this year, this time focused on the wacky world of finance. Banking Dream places you in the bank manager's chair, where you're expected to grow your bank's cash mountain whilst dabbling in stocks and shares to inflate your own...
Thursday4th Jul 2013
Challenge accepted
There is so much that can be said about the legacy that Kokuga brings with it to the 3DS. We can talk about the illustrious Hiroshi Iuchi, and how his work is seminal is shaping the modern shoot ‘em up genre, or we can talk about Ikaruga, the under-sold yet much adored bullet hell shooter that fans will remember fondly. Instead...
Nintendo Download 4th July (North America)
Retro flying and racing, plenty of discounts and more
It's that time again, North America, when fresh downloads appear on your Nintendo systems vying for your hard-earned funds. This week brings a mixture of the old, the new and the discounted on Wii U and 3DS, along with one or two relative unknowns. Let's get right to the details. Wii U Virtual...
News Limited Edition Pokémon X & Y 3DS Models Revealed in Japan
There's a nice new trailer, too
We've known for a few days now about Pokémon X & Y limited edition 3DS XL models coming to Japan, with the initial details being restricted to the knowledge that they'd predictably feature newcomers Xerneas and Yveltal. Now we have images of the systems, and they both look like a treat. First up is the...
News Every Wii U eShop Developer Gets A Free Unity Licence And Can Self-Publish
According to Retro City Rampage developer
Back in the bad old days of WiiWare, developers constantly complained about how hard it was to turn a profit on Nintendo's download service, largely because you had to reach a certain quota of sales before you saw any cash. This — combined with Nintendo's apparent indifference to indie developers — made...
Video This Shin Megami Tensei IV Limited Edition Set is a Thing of Beauty
All pre-orders get this package
Shin Megami Tensei IV arrives on 3DS in North America on 16th July, something that'll surely be keenly celebrated by fans of the series. Not only is it likely to provide an epic RPG adventure, but there'll also be a mix of free and paid DLC available from launch day, too. Perhaps the biggest bonus for early adopters...
News Eiji Aonuma - The Wind Waker HD is a "Test Case" for New Zelda Wii U Title
"The gaming community is — I don’t want to sound rude — very fickle"
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is due to arrive in Europe and North America this October, which will certainly be welcome to those that haven't played the GameCube original and also, we suspect, a good number of those that have. It'll be the first full title for the...
Video These Japanese Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Trailers Are a Sight to Behold
See a real life Luigi ball. No, really
At the weekend we shared the latest Nintendo UK trailer for Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, which gave plenty of hints at the humour and quirky gameplay sequences that we can look forward to. With that said, when it comes to Nintendo games we're not sure the message is made any clearer than in Japanese trailers,...
News The North American SNES Almost Shipped With Super FX Built-In
Idea was scrapped to keep costs down, says Jez San
The polygon-pushing power of the Super FX chip might seem humble in modern terms, but back in the early '90s it was a seriously potent piece of kit and allowed the SNES to produce games like Star Fox, Stunt Race FX and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. The chip — which was conceived by British...
News UK Store GAME Pulls Mention Of SNES Emulator From Ouya Sales Page
Super GNES no longer featured in advertising
Android-based micro-console Ouya is now available in both the US and Europe, and brings with it the ability to play specially-adapted smartphone and tablet games on your TV. It also comes with support for various emulators which allow you to play retro titles on the system — so long as you source the...
News Nintendo "Pedaling" The Wii U On Tour De France TV Coverage
Apologies in advance for the wheely terrible pun
The Wii U has provided some truly amazing gameplay experiences in the short time it has been available on the market, but few dedicated fans would argue that Nintendo has done its best to promote the system to the general public. TV and magazine advertising has been curiously thin on the ground —...
Weirdness UK Survey Determines What Makes an "Average UK Gamer"
Probably not accurate, but a quirky result
Those of us a little longer in the tooth probably remember those days in the '90s when gamers were crudely pigeon-holed as sweaty teenagers in darkened rooms or, as TV adverts tried to suggest, happy smiling teenagers in brightly lit rooms. Games have come a long way since then, of course, with technology...
News Football Up 3D Goes For Goal on European eShop on 11th July
Back of the net?
Soccer Up 3D arrived in North America on 11th April, and EnjoyUp Games has now confirmed that it'll arrive in Europe as Football Up 3D on 11th July, with a confirmed price of €6.99. On paper this light-hearted football title has plenty going for it, with the ability to play as Mii characters and thoughtful multiplayers options...
Wednesday3rd Jul 2013
News Satoru Iwata - "There Are Some Reasons Behind" Region Locking
Will the importance of those reasons change in future?
One issue that's re-emerged recently is the region-locking applied to Wii U and 3DS. In light of Sony and Microsoft confirming that the PS4 and Xbox One will be region free, we recently questioned whether it's time for Nintendo to do the same. As highlighted in that feature, some fan...
News An Official Mega Man [Board] Game is Coming!
We're getting closer, at least
The 25th Anniversary of Mega Man has seen the series honoured in myriad ways, from a spot reserved for the Blue Bomber in the next Super Smash Bros. to, um, a Rush tissue pouch. The main thing that really seems to have been missing is an actual new game for Mega Man to call hi
![An Official Mega Man [Board] Game is Coming!](https://images.nintendolife.com/24f0dc8a9b26c/415x240.jpg)
Thursday4th Jul 2013
News New Smash Bros. to be "Something Right in Between" Melee and Brawl
Balancing a priority, while patches will be considered
While we saw some nice footage during E3, there's still relatively little known about the new Super Smash Bros. titles that we'll see on Wii U and 3DS. We know that Mega Man and The Villager will be new characters, and that each version will have its own platform-specific stages, while some...
Wednesday3rd Jul 2013
Ninterview Behind The Scenes At Club Nintendo Magazine
We speak to former staffer Natalie Griffith
Those of you in the UK who are old enough to recall the days of the NES and original Game Boy will no doubt have fond memories of Club Nintendo magazine. It was essentially the "official" mouthpiece of Nintendo at the time, and was distributed via subscription. It contained details on forthcoming games, as...
Poll How Important is Dual / Second Screen Gaming?
A major part of Nintendo's strategy
Yesterday brought us some interesting comments from Ubisoft Managing Director Nicolas Rioux, who spoke about the potential prominence of "second screen" gaming, even going so far as to praise the Wii U as an innovative first step. As we observed in that article, it'd be a nasty piece of irony if technical...
News Injustice: Gods Among Us Update Sneaks Out of the Shadows
Balance tweaks and DLC support swoop in
Holy patch notes, Batman! NetherRealm has finally made good on their promise to update the Wii U version of DC Comics fighter Injustice: Gods Among Us, bringing a few balance tweaks, a few new free skins and DLC support. Now lurking in the darkest shadows of the U.S. eShop are 19 packs for purchase, bringing...
News Fan Campaign Starts for Princess Zelda to be Given a "Stronger" - Perhaps Playable - Role
We are talking about the ruler of a Kingdom, after all
One of the oddities — depending on your perspective — with The Legend of Zelda as a series is that you don't actually play as the named character. Zelda is an authority figure, a ruler of Kingdoms, yet often needs to be saved or, at the very least, enlists the help of Link to tackle the...
Nintendo Direct Denpa Men 3 And Chibi-Robo AR App Confirmed In Japanese Broadcast
That was a surprise
Nintendo has unleashed a totally unexpected Chotto Nintendo Direct broadcast which showcases The Denpa Men 3 — the next in the series of popular 3DS eShop RPGs — and Chibi-Robo Live Action!, an Augmented Reality app which tasks players with snapping real-world items to match outlines within the game. The Denpa Men 3 includes...
News Japanese Wii U eShop Promotion Undercuts Retail Prices
Pikmin 3 is first up
One of many headline sales strategies from Nintendo right now is to encourage us to 'go digital' and download our retail titles. It's an idea that is producing some dividends on the 3DS, particularly as the convenience of readily accessible games is so useful with a portable device. It seems that the drive to encourage us onto...
News New Loveplus+ Heading To 3DS in Japan
Now with extra plus
Loveplus is one of Konami's more niche franchises. Essentially, the game is a dating sim that has you choose a virtual girlfriend to carry about on your handheld. It was released on the Nintendo DS way back in 2009 and it became a cult hit among the Japanese. A sequel was made in the form of New Loveplus for the 3DS and now an...
News Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Iwata Asks - Development, Accessibility for All Gamers and More
Sweet, sweet pixels
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team — known as Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros. in Europe — hits North America on 11th August, while European gamers are lucky enough to get their hands on it from 12th July. We're currently playing through this for review and will simply say that if this isn't on your radar, it should be. Ahead...
Video Yakuza Wii U Commercial Highlights Ability To Smooch Privately With Virtual Hostesses
Just make sure no one peeks over your shoulder
Yakuza 1 & 2 HD may be a serious game featuring serious burly men who throw serious punches in the serious underbelly of the Japanese criminal world, but that doesn't mean the TV commercial has to be quite so...serious. As you can see from the Japanese advert below, the game is being promoted on...
News New Etrian Odyssey Title Makes Japanese Chart Debut in Third Place
Praying it's not too late...
It's Japanese chart time. Hooray! Though this week doesn't reflect complete Nintendo dominance. Boo! But still, this week's results bring us a few interesting points; Atlus title Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl makes its debut in third place — it's a re-telling of the first entry in the series, of sorts —...
News Ubisoft Hit By Hacking Attack
Account holders being advised to change their passwords
Ubisoft has been victim of a hacking attack that has left customer's usernames, email addresses and passwords exposed. As a result, the French publisher is now advising anyone who has an account with the company to change their password immediately. Though the account database was breached,...
News Watch_Dogs Team Outlines In-Game Connectivity and Ideas for the Future
Other players will appear in your game
Watch_Dogs is a title attracting a fair bit of attention across the console spectrum, whether you own a Wii U or any of its rival systems. In a landscape packed with sequels it's a new IP that incorporates the rather topical issue of hacking and network security — in a turn of events almost beyond parody,...
News Moving Player Bringing Tangram Style To The 3DS eShop This Summer
Oppa Tangram Style
Mobile developer Moving Games is bringing its first game to the 3DS eShop this August, and it's called Tangram Style. You'll discover the mysteries of the Mayan people and collect totems along the way in this "cult" puzzler game, which is set to feature over 600 mind-benders and four game modes, so there should be plenty to keep...
Tuesday2nd Jul 2013
Review Aqua Moto Racing 3D (3DS eShop)
Choppy waters
When Zordix announced that it was bringing a smartphone jet-ski title to the 3DS eShop with Aqua Moto Racing 3D, we suspect that quite a few people immediately let their minds drift to certain iconic Nintendo 64 and GameCube games, and applied those expectations to this download title. That would be unfair, but this release still tries...
News Mario Kart 8 Team Talk GamePad Features, Track Design And F-Zero
Hideki Konno and Kosuke Yobuki spill some beans
French site Gamekult sat down with Mario Kart 8 producer Hideki Konno and director Kosuke Yobuki at E3 to talk about the inspirations and intentions around the latest, gravity-tumbling installment of the series. According to a translation of the interview, the reverse gravity idea showcased in Mario...
News Global Link For Pokémon Black And White Titles Will Cease On 14th January 2014
Black and White 1 & 2 will lose use of the service
According to a special notice on the Pokémon Global Link website, the service is set to completely shut down for Pokémon Black and White and Pokémon Black and White 2 on 14th January 2014. Certain features will begin to switch off this October over a three month period, starting with the Dream...
Talking Point The Wii U's Third-Party Concerns Are Brushed Off By 3DS
Support for the handheld is modest, yet doom-and-gloom is minimal
The 3DS is hot right now, with positive vibes bouncing around the web as its major releases have enjoyed an impressive record of critical and commercial success. Simply mentioning games like Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Fire Emblem: Awakening and Animal Crossing: New Leaf justifiably...
News Wii Karaoke U By JOYSOUND Is Coming To The West This Year
Sales of earplugs expected to skyrocket
Living room crooners take note: Nintendo has confirmed that it is bringing Wii Karaoke U by JOYSOUND to the west later this year. The service will be available as a free download on the Wii U eShop, with a robust library of songs to select from via online streaming. In a unique twist, you'll be able to...
News Wii U Version Of Beyond Good & Evil 2 Looking Unlikely
Creator Michel Ancel says current-gen version would be "painful"
Beyond Good & Evil 2 has never been officially announced for the Wii U, but Ubisoft's robust support for Nintendo's console always gave us hope that it might be coming. Sadly, creator Michel Ancel has all but confirmed that the system won't be getting the game. Speaking to...
Video Reggie Explains Nintendo's Approach to Ensuring Wii U Success
Content is King
It was pretty clear that, when it came to E3 2013, Nintendo took a different approach from its competitors. With a relatively short Nintendo Direct broadcast that only contained one surprise game — others had already been confirmed to appear — it was more about getting this Holiday season's big games in the hands of expo...
Review Vegas Stakes (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Jackpot winner or total craps?
Nothing says “SNES classic” like a high-stakes trip to a menagerie of Las Vegas casinos. You’re invited to bust open the bank account for a night of potentially irresponsible entertainment as you hop from game to gambling game with your crew of potentially irresponsible friends. Even if a 1993 rendition of...
News Deathstroke DLC Confirmed For Batman: Arkham Origins On Wii U
Play as great assassin, Deathstroke
Earlier last month, we reported that it was unknown if the Wii U version of Batman: Arkham Origins would receive downloadable content. Sniper Elite V2 and Mass Effect 3 had no signs of any DLC, and after a flyer revealed that the upcoming Batman title m
News Wii U Turned Ubisoft On To Second-Screen Gaming, But Isn't The Focus Moving Forward
Publisher now committed to "new gen" Microsoft and Sony platforms
These days we're seeing more and more console games shipping alongside companion mobile or tablet applications which aim to broaden the experience. If Ubisoft has its way, that trend is not only set to continue, but will develop to the point where "second-screen" gaming is...
News Nintendo Preparing A New Chapter For eBooks On 3DS This Fall
300 titles expected at Japanese launch
According to a report by Japanese business publication Nikkei, Nintendo is getting ready to launch an eBook service on its 3DS console. The service will be limited to Japan initially, and is expected to cover around 300 titles — mainly aimed at children. There's no word on whether or not a similar approach...
Video The Mysteries of Evolution Are Solved, Pokémon is the Answer
The old B button trick
Occasionally we like to highlight humourous videos that riff on Nintendo history, particularly as it shows — above all else — that Nintendo is a strong part of pop culture. If people keep referencing Nintendo's games and systems, particularly of the retro variety, it all helps to keep the company's brand at the forefront...
News Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers Discounted in North American eShop Until 14th July
Can you summon up the funds?
While Europeans patiently — or perhaps impatiently — wait for Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers to arrive on 13th September, North American 3DS owners have been enjoying the expanded reboot since April. Not only that, but the eShop download version is now available at a discount. Until 14th July it...
News Thatgamecompany Twitter Q & A Gives Hope For Future Wii U Release
"We're looking at touch controls, as they're pretty much universal now"
Thatgamecompany is one of the most highly regarded developers in the industry right now. Over a six year exclusivity deal with Sony it produced the widely praised FlOw and Flower download games, before Journey captured numerous Game of the Year awards and the public's...
News Developer Behind Code of Princess Plans To Bring More Titles To The 3DS
Agatsuma Entertainment wants to give us more
Code of Princess and Sayonara Umihara Kawase are just two games that Agatsuma Entertainment has developed for the 3DS, but the studio has revealed it doesn't plan on stopping there. In a recent interview with Game Modo, producer Yasuo Nakajima said the company is aiming to develop more titles for the...
News Former Rare Composers Contribute to "Heroes of Video Game Music" Album Project
Well on its way to being fully funded
While crowdfunded games can be a contentious topic, fundraising platforms are also used for various other projects, some of which are certainly more than worthy of seeing the light of day. One that's been brought to our attention is the Heroes of Video Game Music Album & DVD, which will be a collaboration...
News Cute Witch! Runner Flies Onto North American DSiWare on 4th July
Like Dress to Play equivalent, but without the fashion
Dress to Play: Cute Witches was a title targeting young gamers that combined basic fashion dress-up with a flying runner-style mini-game; ultimately it felt like neither was truly optimised and fleshed out to bear much scrutiny. Developer CoderChild is bringing the flying game back, at least it...
Monday1st Jul 2013
News Club Nintendo Rewards Updated for July
Do a barrel throw!
A sky-climbing star, a rank-climbing boxer, barrel rollers and a barrel thrower are all up as Club Nintendo rewards this month in North America, if you have the coins. The following titles will be available until 4th August: Aura-Aura Climber — 100 Coins Donkey Kong ‘94 — 100 Coins Super Punch-Out!! — 150 Coins Star Fox...
Talking Point The Uncertain Collectible Future of Download-Only Game Libraries
Servers will surely shut down, but what about the games?
Just before the weekend, a number of Wii Channels were shut down. On 28th June most of the online enabled channels and services — such as Weather, News, Everyone Votes and Wii Connect 24 — went off air; low participation rates more than likely caused Nintendo to deem them an expense not...
Review BUGS vs. TANKS! (3DS eShop)
Repellant
The Guild01 series brought 3DS owners three completely different, off-the-wall, and well-received games. The second iteration of this series, appropriately named Guild02, is already off to another fantastic start with the recent release of The Starship Damrey, a story-heavy science fiction adventure. Now, we’re lucky enough to experience...
Review Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (3DS eShop / GG)
Saving your Tails
A year after the runaway success of Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991, SEGA followed up with a sequel that introduced Miles 'Tails' Prower and the iconic Casino Night Zone to the gaming world. This, however, is not that sequel. Rather than leaving its Master System and Game Gear-owning fans with a simple, downsized port of Sonic the...
Nintendo Download 4th July (Europe)
Pilotwings returns, X Zone madness, Game Gear goodies and more
It's Monday morning, and it's that time again for European download gamers. This week's download goodies are confirmed, including a Super NES title that we think will be popular, a chaotic retail release on 3DS and plenty more besides. Let's get down to the details, shall we? Wii U...
News EA: Frostbite 3 On Wii U "Not Impossible"
Publisher wants to dish out "omnidirectional" support
Electronic Arts has had a strange relationship with Nintendo ever since the launch of the Wii U. There are currently four games from the publisher residing on the system but it seems the support - at least in the short-term - has all but dried up. The company is naturally offering support for...
News Phil Fish: Animal Crossing: New Leaf Not Having Microtransactions is "So Special And Precious"
Believes Nintendo is showing 'amazing restraint'
Animal Crossing: New Leaf is currently taking the world by storm with players from all over collecting fossils, catching fish, chasing bugs and selling turnips to their heart's content. It seems Phil Fish, the developer behind the popular title Fez, is also enjoying the game and he has taken to...
Weirdness Zelda And Pokémon Revisited As 1930s Disney Cartoons
Golly, Pluto!
Ever wondered what The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, Trine and Street Fighter would look like if they were magically transported back in time and drawn by the hand of Walt Disney himself? No? Well tough luck, because you're about to see them anyway. Red Little House — the team behind Fleish & Cherry in Crazy Hotel — have created...
News Beenox Aiming To Give Wii Skylanders Swap Force Parity With Next Gen Versions
Gameplay, levels and toy compatibility will be the same
Skylanders Swap Force is going to be a big title for the Wii U this year, but it's easy to forget that the original Wii is getting its own version, too. Family Gamer TV got chance to speak with Vicarious Visions CEOs Guha and Karthik Bala about the Wii version and was given some very positi
News Investor Approval Rating For Satoru Iwata Drops To 77.26 Precent
Down from 90.60 percent last year
Nintendo has just released this year's investor approval ratings for its top staff, and Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has seen his score drop from 90.60 percent last year to 77.26 percent. In contrast, the rest of the company's executives all scored over 90 percent. Recently, Iwata clarified comments he made some...
News Fan Group Prepares to Release 8-Bit Demake of Mega Man Legends 3
Former game staffers contribute
For those that didn't know, this past Saturday the Mega Rock Fan Fiesta event took place in Tokyo, and at the shindig a rather surprising fan project was announced. As the Blue Bomber's fans continue to bemoan the cancellation and abandonment of Mega Man Legends 3, a Facebook group called Get Me Off the Moon — which...
News Nintendo's Claim to WiiU.com is Denied
If Ninty wants it, it'll have to pay
A relatively common occurrence, and one that a lot of large companies confront on a regular basis, is the issue of cybersquatters that buy up common URL addresses in the hope that they'll subsequently make money selling them to the parties concerned. The likes of Nintendo and its rivals resist buying up addresses...
News Animal Crossing: New Leaf Catches Enough UK Sales for the Bronze Prize
Hanging tough
The latest UK chart results are here, and they make nice reading once again for Animal Crossing: New Leaf, as it secures third place after two weeks in second spot. While the number one spot has eluded it due to The Last of Us performing well on PS3, it's nevertheless been an impressive run for the title in the UK market; it should...
News Kokuga Blasting Its Way To Europe On 11th July
But Canada is still missing out
Kokuga developer G.Rev has confirmed to us that the game will be hitting the European 3DS eShop on 11th July. The game launched in North America last week. Oddly, Canadian 3DS owners have missed out on Hiroshi "Ikaruga" Iuchi's action-packed title. Here's what G.Rev had to say about the matter: Unfortunately, the...
News FarSight Studios Aiming To Have The Pinball Arcade Released This September On Wii U
It's still in development
Back in May of last year, we reported that The Pinball Arcade would be heading to the Wii U and 3DS, but no date had been given at the time. A couple of months later, FarSight Studios, the developer behind Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection, announced it was hoping
Site News Nintendo Life - AKA Mario & Luigi - Runs for GamesAid
You decide on Anthony and Tom's outfits
Mario and Luigi do a lot of running in their games, but do they run with thousands of others while raising money for charity? No? Tsk, poor show. But fear not, because Nintendo Life Managing Director Anthony Dickens and features editor Tom Whitehead will be running the BUPA Great Edinburgh Run on 14th July;...
News Renegade Kid To Regain Rights To Moon Next Year
Could a sequel be in the works?
Moon is something of a cult classic, and many Renegade Kid fans hold out hope for a sequel of some sort. The studio itself is open to the idea, but has always maintained that the rights to the name are an issue — the original was published by Mastiff, which currently has ownership of the IP. However, it would seem...
