Nintendo Download 3rd January 2013 (North America)
Welcoming in the new year with some downloadable goodies
News SNES Classic SimCity Removed From Wii Virtual Console
Nintendo bowing to pressure from EA?
News - 2013, Week 01
Sunday6th Jan 2013
Feature Nintendo in 2012 - Part Two
Lots of Mario and Wii U's arrival
In the first six months of 2012, which we looked at in the first part of our 2012 retrospective, Nintendo oversaw some major releases on 3DS and announced the XL model, the Wii had a few memorable arrivals and E3 came and went with its own brand of madness. There were also a number of quirky stories that passed by,...
News Fire Emblem: Awakening Will Be Available On 3DS eShop
In case there was any doubt
Nintendo has been making all of its retail titles available in their respective eShops for a few months now. You can find the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS eShop while New Super Mario Bros. U and Nintendo Land both reside in the Wii U equivalent. It won't come as a surpr
Review Air Battle Hockey 3D (3DS eShop)
Balls to the wall
Ever since Pong invaded homes 40 years ago, simple ball and paddle games have had a home in gaming. Air Battle Hockey 3D doesn't manage to stand out among the four-decade pedigree, but it is at least a competent entry on its own merits. The game is so simple that there's really not much to say about it. You use your stylus to...
Review Snowboard Xtreme (DSiWare)
Xtremely lacklustre
Sometimes a game company develops a game that doesn’t turn out to be nearly as well received as they expect it to be. After that, the very same game company will sometimes take that sorry excuse for a game, change the theme, fix the controls, re-skin it to look like something different, and then release it as an entirely new...
News Renegade Kid Clarifies 3DS Piracy Comments
"If we cannot make money from developing games we can no longer develop games"
Recently Renegade Kid co-founder Jools Watsham sparked off a conversation about piracy on the 3DS. In a blog post he stated that if piracy was to get bad on the handheld he would have no choice but to pull support for the system. In a second blog post on the topic,...
Saturday5th Jan 2013
News New Super Mario Bros. U's High-Definition Credentials Tested
Up-scaled Wii engine, or genuine leap in graphical detail?
Now that the dust has settled on Wii U's launch, a number of people have spent extensive time with New Super Mario Bros. U and seen the first ever HD appearance of Mario outside of the Dolphin emulator on Wii. For those that do put a certain stock in visual fidelity as well as simple...
Feature Nintendo in 2012 - Part One
3DS fought back, hype mode was engaged
Not so long ago it could be argued that Nintendo was having some relaxing times, with DS and Wii systems flying off shelves and console rivals rushing to the platform in order to hop on the motion-control train. Of course, technology and the gaming industry evolve, and in 2011 Nintendo found itself trying to...
Friday4th Jan 2013
Feature The Biggest 3DS Games of 2013
Mostly on their way from Japan
With a New Year comes optimism for lots of fun, exciting gaming experiences. We've already outlined what we think are ten of the biggest Wii U games of 2013 — well, those that are confirmed — so now we'll do the same for 3DS. After a rocky début year, 2012 went some way to revive the fortunes of the handheld —...
Rumour 3DS Cartridge Could Allow Handheld to Function as Wii U Controller
A bucket of salt is needed for this one
We do love the occasional rumour here at Nintendo Life, and the latest has emerged from French website nintendo-master.com, courtesy of its very own unnamed source — we love that guy/gal, we really do. In any case, the rumour is that an old DS patent is going to be revived which will allow a cartridge and...
News Picked Up A Pre-Owned Wii U Console? You Could Have Access To Free Downloads
Content tied to hardware and not Nintendo Network ID
We all know that the current Nintendo Network ID system isn't perfect - we've spoken about it in the past, in fact. However, things have become even more interesting with the news that second-hand Wii U consoles retain download privileges for games purchased by the original owner - even after the...
News GameStop Sales of Wii U Are Reportedly "Slightly Disappointing"
Thankfully not "very disappointing", we suppose
Now that the Holiday season is passing and the majority of people are already returning to the drudgery of work and normal life, some analysis about festive spending and sales is expected to emerge. Wii U will be a major topic in the gaming industry when looking at sales, as it's a new home console...
News The Tragic Tale of Bonk: Brink of Extinction Developer Pi Studios
You don't always get a happy ending
Remember Bonk: Brink of Extinction? It was an update of Hudson's famous TurboGrafx-16 platformer that was supposed to come out on WiiWare in 2010, but was cancelled despite being almost finished. Texas-based Pi Studios - the team behind the update - closed in 2011, but many of its staff moved on to form Oscar...
News Virtual Boy Port of Faceball Is Getting A Physical Release
ROM will be uploaded to the net for free once all copies are sold
It would seem that Nintendo's much-maligned Virtual Boy console is undergoing something of a renaissance at present. Last month we reported that Bound High - a Virtual Boy game which never saw the light of day when the console was originally released - had gone into production thanks...
News Two Tribes Considering More Wii U eShop Releases
Points are all that you can score
Two Tribes is currently working on finalising Toki Tori 2 for release on the Wii U eShop, but has been busy on Twitter hinting at more projects and releases that it's planning for the new system. On the cards are two existing PC/Mac/Smartphone titles, while the same thread of tweets also floated the idea of a "co-op...
Thursday3rd Jan 2013
Nintendo Download 3rd January 2013 (North America)
Welcoming in the new year with some downloadable goodies
It's quite a big week for the Nintendo Download, as it sees the arrival of the first "retail" download in the shape of XSEED Games' Unchained Blades. That's not the only reason to be cheerful though, as you can see from the selection of games below. 3DS download software: Unchained Blades...
News SNES Classic SimCity Removed From Wii Virtual Console
Nintendo bowing to pressure from EA?
According to a post on NeoGAF, the Super Nintendo version of SimCity is no longer available on the North American Virtual Console. No official line has been given for the removal, but we would imagine it has something to do with EA owning the SimCity license now. This isn't the first time that software has been...
Wednesday2nd Jan 2013
News Castlevania: Mirror Of Fate Contains Eye-Stabbing, Werewolf Appendages And Topless Action
ESRB rating paints a pretty picture
ESRB ratings are usually good for a laugh, as they have to spell out in quite a plain and matter-of-fact manner the themes which are contained within each game, and the rating for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate is certainly no exception. The game has been deemed 'Mature' by the ESRB, and goes on to...
Thursday3rd Jan 2013
News Paper Mario: Sticker Star Had Some Mini-Games Left On The Cutting Room Floor
Intelligent Systems ran out of time
Paper Mario: Sticker Star became a welcome addition to the 3DS catalogue towards the end of 2012 and many have been getting stuck into the game over the festive period. It has been revealed that some elements of the game were cut due to time constraints, most notably a selection of mini-games that were set to...
News The Disney Projects That Never Came To Life
Mickey Mouse titles that could have been
It's come to light that Buena Vista Games - now known as Disney Interactive Studios - was experimenting with different ideas for a Mickey Mouse game long before Disney Epic Mickey became a reality. The proposed Mickey Mouse title - given the working title Spy Mickey - sadly never got past the concept phase,...
News Mega Man Legends 3 Lives On In Fan-Made Browser Game
The legend will never die
Capcom broke a few hearts when it cancelled Mega Man Legends 3, but lovers of the Blue Bomber don't take setbacks like this sitting down. Fans Blyka and fAB have created a browser-based version of the Servbot mission in the Mega Man Legends 3: Prototype Version. Servbot Roundup allows you to: Ride around as Barrett, as...
News Renegade Kid Confirms Mutant Mudds 2
Even more Mudds
3DS eShop title Mutant Mudds has proven to be extremely popular with Nintendo gamers, so much so that Renegade Kid, the game's developer, is bringing the game to the Wii U eShop in what is known as Mutant Mudds Deluxe. Yesterday we learnt that the new content in Mutant Mudds Deluxe would be exclusive to Wii U, and now even more...
News LEGO Laying More Bricks With Legends Of Chima This Year
Coming to 3DS and DS
Warner Bros. and TT Games have revealed the next installment in the increasingly popular LEGO series. The title isn't based on a popular TV series or movie - it's a completely new game, based on LEGO's new Legends of Chima line of figures which is set to launch in 2013. The game - LEGO Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey, to give...
News Here's An Enormous LEGO NES Controller That Actually Works
Colour us amazed
If you're a fans of LEGO and the NES, you need look no further. It's taken him four months, but Baron von Brunk has created a gigantic NES controller out of LEGO. It's the ultimate accessory. Von Brunk began the project in July 2012, to coincide with the 25th anniversary release of the first The Legend of Zelda title for the NES...
News Fire Emblem: Awakening Teaser Trailer Emerges
Even more to whet our appetitie
Nintendo of America has released an incredibly short but very sweet teaser trailer for upcoming RPG Fire Emblem: Awakening for 3DS. The game will hit the US next month 4th February, with GameStop offering a special pre-order bonus in the form of a character art book. Europe will have to wait until 19th April to get...
Wednesday2nd Jan 2013
Review Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (3DS eShop / NES)
Lost levels = lost sanity
It's a story so well known now that we'll just summarise it for you: what is now known as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels was actually released in Japan as the sequel to enduring classic Super Mario Bros. Western gamers instead received the subconscious vegetable buffet that we more traditionally think of as Super Mario...
Feature The Biggest Wii U Games of 2013
Well, those that we know about
2012 was a busy year for Nintendo — which our upcoming yearly review will hopefully demonstrate — but now it's all about moving forward with its current systems, with Wii U hogging plenty of headlines by virtue of the fact that it's less than two months old. We won't truly know how well worldwide launch and Holiday...
News Wii U Version Of Need For Speed: Most Wanted Will Feature Off-Screen Play
Japanese release date confirmed as 14th March
We know that Need For Speed: Most Wanted is coming to the Wii U in 2013, but up until recently there was no solid indication of when that would be. That's now changed as EA Japan has listed the release date as 14th March in that region - presumably North American and European dates will follow shortly...
Review Johnny Impossible (3DS eShop)
Mission: Intolerable
Johnny Impossible is a bad game. We'd be perfectly happy to leave the review at that sentence, as it does actually tell you everything you need to know, but Johnny Impossible is so interestingly bad that we need to say a lot more about it, if only to achieve some sort of closure. Having made his eShop debut in Johnny Kung Fu,...
News Project X Zone Suffers Massive Price Drop In Japan
3DS tactical role-player discounted by 85%
Namco Bandai's cross-over RPG Project X Zone has seen its price slashed by an incredible 85% by one Japanese retailer in what appears to be an effort to shift unsold stock. To make matters even more embarrassing, it would appear that the version of the game being discounted is the first-print limited...
Nintendo Download 3rd January 2013 (Europe)
Ghosts 'n stuff, tanks, crystals and vampires
As 2013 slowly cranks into gear, Nintendo of Europe has released details of what Europeans can expect in this week's download update. It's another week with no additions on the Wii U eShop, but the 3DS, DSi and Wii equivalents all have some content to consider. Is any of it going to get your year started...
News Goodbye Galaxy Games Responds To Renegade Kid's Piracy Claims
Indie developer says plenty of other factors contribute to poor sales
Over the weekend Jools Watsham, co-founder of Renegade Kid, wrote in a blog post that he felt hacking into the guts of the 3DS would result in an increase in piracy - something that could force developers to stop supporting the system. Watsham pointed to the DS which suffered...
News Indie Hit FEZ Is Finally Shaking Off XBLA Exclusivity In 2013
Could be heading to the Wii U eShop
FEZ creator Phil Fish has confirmed that the indie platformer will be coming to other platforms in 2013. He broke the news on the Polytron site in a post which reflects on 2012 and explains the plans for the next twelve months. FEZ launched on Xbox Live Arcade in April 2012, and gained a raft of awards. However,...
News Miyamoto: Pikmin 3 To Be More Like Series Original
Legendary designer looking to increase the player's stress levels
In a recent interview with UK gaming publication, GamesMaster, Shigeru Miyamoto has claimed that he wants Pikmin 3's gameplay to have more in common with the first game of the series, rather than its sequel. Miyamoto stated that he wasn't happy with the decision to make Pikmin 2 less...
News UK 007 Legends Wii U Release Now TBC 2013
DateFall
James Bond: 007 Legends has hardly had the most dignified of starts at retail. The game has received something of a critical mauling, and following its release the news hit that developer Eurocom had been closed down. Although the game was released in North America on 11th December, the UK release never happened. We approached Activision...
News UK Video Games Market Fell By 17.4% in 2012
Big challenges for the industry
The Entertainment Retailers Association has reported that in 2012 the UK video games market fell by 17.4%, including both physical and digital sales. In 2011 the whole video games market in the UK was worth £1.934 billion, in comparison to £1.598 billion in 2012. While digital sales did increase by 7.7% in 2012,...
News Mutant Mudds Deluxe Content Will Be Exclusive To Wii U
3DS won't be getting any DLC
Mutant Mudds Deluxe will be heading onto the Wii U eShop in the first quarter of 2013 and it has been revealed by Renegade Kid, the game's developer, that the additional content that will be found in it will be exclusive to the Wii U version. Taking to Twitter, Renegade Kid's co-founder Jools Watsham revealed that the...
News ATV Wild Ride 3D Racing To 3DS eShop
North American and European releases confirmed
Co-founder of Renegade Kid Jools Watsham has revealed via Twitter that ATV Wild Ride 3D will be coming to the 3DS eShop in both North America and Europe. No official release date has been given for the stunt-pulling title. You can read our First Impressions on the game here. This isn't the only news...
Tuesday1st Jan 2013
Review Scribblenauts Unlimited (3DS)
Doodle dandy
After enjoying some success with its Drawn to Life title on Nintendo DS, developer 5th Cell set out to create a unique action/puzzler that allowed the player to conjure up almost any object they could think of by merely typing the name of that object into the game. This offered not only a large array of creativity, but also allowed...
News Nintendo Hires Pop Group To Promote 3DS In Taiwan
Expanding its horizons in the East
The 3DS is just about to begin its journey in Taiwan, with Nintendo hiring popular female group S.H.E to help towards commercial marketing for the handheld. Across Taiwan, the group will feature in TV adverts playing Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. Nintendo of Taiwan has also translated The Legend of Zelda:...
Talking Point Nintendo's New Year Resolutions
Mario should probably lose some weight
So it's the start of a New Year, and is the ideal time to reflect on hopes for future success and on what can be done better. Nintendo had an exceptionally busy 2012, working hard to expand the 3DS user-base and releasing the XL hardware iteration, while also bringing us its new home console, Wii U. We can...
News Capcom Not Looking To Bring "Late Ports" To Wii U
Focusing on new titles rather than old ones
The Wii U has had its fair share of ports already; games that have been released previously on other consoles and have been transferred over to Nintendo's new system with a few more bells and whistles attached. Batman: Arkham City Armoured Edition, Darksiders II, and Mass Effect 3 for example have all had...
Review Jump Trials Extreme (DSiWare)
Aiming higher
It's only been a little over a month since G-STYLE's Jump Trials hopped onto the DSiWare service, but its sequel Jump Trials Extreme has already made the long leap over from Japan. Like 10 Second Run, the Jump Trials games are all about performing daring feats of platforming in under 10 seconds. We thought the original was an enjoyable...
Site News Nintendo Life Wishes You A Happy New Year
Here's to 2013
2012 was a massive year for Nintendo. It saw the launch of the Wii U and the release of the revised 3DS XL. It also played host to some amazing games, including New Super Mario Bros. U, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, Mutant Mudds, Resident Evil Revelations,
Monday31st Dec 2012
Review Mahjong 3D - Warriors of the Emperor (3DS eShop)
Not your 奶奶’s Mahjong
If you’ve ever played any iteration of Mahjong before, then there’s a good chance that you know how the tile-matching gameplay works. While the core experience remains unchanged, it’s what Mahjong 3D - Warriors of the Emperor does with the system that makes this one stand out. Rather than simply finding all of the...
News Renegade Kid Worried About 3DS Piracy
Hacking could cause developer to stop supporting the system
It has recently been reported that a couple of hackers have broken into the 3DS, allowing them to run custom code on the device. They claim their motives are good — getting around the 3DS region lock for example — however games developers, as you can imagine, are less than pleased with...
News In Need Of A Portable Super Nintendo? Look No Further
All packaged in a lovely yellow case
There's been a zombie apocalypse. You're going to need a survival kit. What comes to mind? A torch? A shotgun? A cricket bat? Well Reddit user Robotairz has created possibly the best emergency gaming kit we've seen with a portable Super Nintendo, protected within a hard yellow toolbox with a screen and room for...
Review Goooooal América (DSiWare)
New World, old game
For all the emphatic 'o's in its title's iconic interjection, Goooooal América is not a game about football. Nor is it a foosball game, as you might think. If you happen to have owned a certain toy as a child, however, you'll recognize the game's inspiration right off the bat. It's based on a particular small-scale...
Game of the Year Nintendo Life's Community Awards 2012
Your victors have been crowned
It's the last day of 2012 so it's time for you, the Nintendo Life community, to crown the winners of your Game of the Year awards. While the hotly debated Game of the Year Staff Awards were decided by 17 members of the Nintendo Life team, these awards have been determined by hundreds of votes. The categories and...
News Gunman Clive Will Have Glitches Fixed In The New Year
Second boss crash woes to be addressed
3DS eShop title Gunman Clive has been discovered to have a few glitches that can cause it to crash. Fortunately though, developer Bertil Hörberg has responded to it and is working on a fix. In a post on NeoGAF, the developer wrote: As I suspected, the train boss bug is a command buffer overflow, which...



























































