News - 2013, Week 03

Sunday20th Jan 2013

  • Feature What You Told Us About Wii U

    Quite a lot, actually

    Not long ago we published The Big Wii U Survey, as we asked you whether you owned a Wii U and, if you do, what you think about it. The response was terrific, with over 4,300 fully completed submissions being returned to us. As promised, below is a summary of what you told us, with some surprising statistics thrown in...

  • News Zen Pinball 2 Wii U Pricing to Match Other Platforms

    $3 per table, or $10 for a four pack

    Despite its delay from an original December release, Zen Pinball 2 is still very much on the radar for those eager for a new download on the Wii U eShop. It'll also be the first game on a Nintendo system to follow a structure of a free download accompanied by paid content. Naturally with a multi-platform...

  • News Nano Assault Neo Update Now Available

    Fixes online ranking flags and GamePad disconnection issues

    Arcade-style blaster Nano Assault Neo has been in the Wii U eShop since the console launched, and has been keeping plenty of people entertained ever since. The game wasn't perfect, however, as it had a few niggling issues that needed to be fixed; fortunately Shin'en Multimedia, the game's...

  • News Frozenbyte - Boxed Retail Release Of Trine 2: Director's Cut Is "A Possibility"

    Seems unlikely, however

    One problem with the Nintendo Network ID system is that you cannot currently transfer them between consoles. This of course means you can't nip over to your friend's house and sign in to your own NNID, and more crucially should anything happen to your Wii U you'll be reliant on Nintendo customer services to retrieve the...

Saturday19th Jan 2013

  • News Capcom Comments On Monster Hunter 4 Vita Rumours

    Best not to believe everything you read

    Not so long ago we reported on a rumour that was spreading like wildfire across the internet. According to Japanese magazine GameLab, the upcoming 3DS title Monster Hunter 4 hasn't been delayed for further quality enhancements - as Capcom has officially stated - it is in fact simultaneously being developed for...

  • Ninterview Cosplayer Regina "RikkuGrape" Marie

    We speak to a seriously talented Zelda cosplayer

    It's been a while since we ran a Ninterview, but we're back with our first of 2013. This time, we're speaking to cosplayer Regina Marie, better known as RikkuGrape. She's dressed up as a wide variety of different characters, but we're most interested in her amazing replications of individuals from The...

  • Feature Nintendo and Bond Through the Ages

    A license to thrill

    While film tie-ins are expected these days, few games can attest to having their origins found in novels, and fewer still can claim to have outgrown those origins and become a success in their own right. But that is exactly what the James Bond franchise has done. What initially began as a series of novels by Sir Ian Fleming,...

  • News Local Multiplayer Sneaks Up On Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

    Um, what?

    On each occasion that we've played Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, the demo on offer has been a single-player level. The prospect of multiplayer arrived before promptly disappearing way back in November 2011, with Nintendo listing multiplayer as a feature, before saying it was all a big mistake. Yet now we have the official site for the game,...

Friday18th Jan 2013

  • News Monster Hunter Tri Servers To Be Shutdown At the End of April

    Go hunting on your own

    As newer consoles and titles come along, it's inevitable that games with healthy online components have their support taken away, leaving what remains for gamers to pick over. Unfortunately that fate awaits Monster Hunter Tri, with the servers for the online co-op in the Wii title being taken down on 30th April. Described as...

  • Review Blaster Master (3DS eShop / NES)

    Master of blasters

    When it was originally released in Japan as Meta Fight, Blaster Master failed to make much of an impact. In the west, however, it was retooled slightly and given a new story about a boy and his pet frog, and became a cult classic that spawned multiple sequels - several of which ended up not even being released in Japan. On the...

  • News Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Getting A Demo In February

    Monster Hunter Try

    Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate will be released on Wii U and 3DS in North America and Europe on 19th March and 22nd March respectively. The full game is expected to be available in the eShop at around the same time. Capcom has also revealed that a demo for the game will also be available to download for both the 3DS and Wii U versions...

  • Rumour Monster Hunter 4 Delay Is Due To PS Vita Port

    We hope this isn't true

    If we could give the "Rumour" prefix on this news story additional emphasis, then we would - because this one needs to be taken with a sizable pinch of salt. Japanese magazine GameLab is reporting that the delay of Monster Hunter 4 on the 3DS isn't due to quality improvements - as stated by Capcom - but because the game is...

  • Review Wild Adventures: Ultimate Deer Hunt 3D (3DS eShop)

    Familiar Hunting Grounds

    Do you remember last year when Outdoors Unleashed: Africa 3D was released on the 3DS eShop and it got people talking about the ethics of video games? Many were up in arms and offended by the idea of a game featuring the hunting of wildlife on an African safari, but that didn’t stop it from being a fun arcade shooter. Now...

  • News House Of The Dead: Overkill Studio Working On Secret Wii U Project

    Unannounced title in development

    UK studio Headstrong Games - the company behind House of the Dead: Overkill, New Art Academy, Battalion Wars 2 and Lords of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest - is working on an unannounced title for the Wii U. We know this because Headstrong Games Associate Producer

  • Talking Point The Blurred Lines of "Collectables" and On-Disc DLC

    Are Skylanders and Disney Infinity pulling a Capcom, with toys?

    Yesterday, before a maelstrom of date reveals and other news, the pricing emerged for Disney Infinity, which put parents and their bank managers on alert. It also instantly raised comparisons with the Skylanders series, now two games old, which despite differences in approach to the...

  • Developer Interview Fuzzy Wuzzy Games Talks Armillo And Developing For The Wii U eShop

    Rolling ever onwards

    Yesterday we exclusively broke the news that Fuzzy Wuzzy Games' Armillo is coming to the Wii U eShop. Keen to know more about the development and history of this interesting title, we sat down with James Saito and Yanni Fyssas for a little chat. Nintendo Life: Can you give us a bit of information on your respective backgrounds...

  • Book Review Sega Arcade Classics Volume 1

    To be this good takes ages

    Those of you that like retro gaming will no doubt have already heard of the site Hardcore Gaming 101. Run by a team of super-knowledgeable and keen gaming enthusiasts, HG101 is bursting with content relating to vintage games and franchises. The site was founded by Kurt Kalata, who is the driving force behind Sega Arcade...

  • News Sony and Kevin Butler Actor Settle Lawsuit Over Wii Appearance

    No more Mario Kart Wii for Jerry Lambert

    Last year we reported the peculiar news that Sony was taking 'Kevin Butler' actor Jerry Lambert to court over an appearance in a Bridgestone advert in which he was part of a Wii promotion. The Kevin Butler character was, for a significant period, the figurehead of Sony's advertising for PlayStation 3 and...

  • News Frozenbyte Hopes To Release Trine 2 Update This Month

    The Australia and New Zealand release, too

    Late last year Frozenbyte told us that an update for Trine 2: Director's Cut would arrive before the Holidays, providing improved graphics, Wii U Pro Controller support and voice chat. As the eagle-eyed among you undoubtedly noticed a while ago, that didn't happen. The developer has now published a video...

Thursday17th Jan 2013

Wednesday16th Jan 2013

  • News Ubisoft Open To The Idea Of ZombiU Sequels

    A frightening franchise?

    Wii U launch title ZombiU seemed to divide critics across the globe, but we thought it was pretty darn special - so much so that we've got all of our fingers and toes crossed that a sequel eventually goes into development. It would appear that the guys at Ubisoft are equally keen to see the game turn into a fully-fledged...

  • News Disney Infinity Developer Would Like to Include Star Wars And Marvel

    No decision made as yet

    Yesterday Disney Interactive revealed that Disney Infinity — possibly its most ambitious project yet — would be coming to Wii U, Wii and 3DS this summer, as well as mobile devices and other platforms. The game allows the player to bring real-world toys to life by scanning them into the game in the same way that...

  • News Epic Mickey Future In Doubt After Sequel Falls Short In Sales

    Epic Mickey 2 only sold 270,000 copies to the original's 1.3 million

    Let's face it, Epic Mickey 2 was something of a critical disappointment. After the promise of the first game, we had high hopes that the follow-up would be even better, but as our Epic Mickey 2 Wii U review shows, it was a bit of letdown. It would seem that the poor reaction has...

  • News Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Receiving Day-One Keyboard Update

    Chat to your heart's content

    Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is already pre-occupying plenty of gamers in Japan; it was released in The Land of the Rising Sun on Wii U launch, joining its 3DS cousin. The West will get hold of the game, both in the home console and portable variety, at some point in March 2013. A lot of people have been wondering whether...

  • News Pandora's Tower Finally Heading To North America

    Will be available spring 2013

    Japanese action RPG Pandora's Tower has been available in Europe since April 2012, and no news was ever heard regarding a North American localisation - until now. It looked as though the critically acclaimed Wii game had slipped through the net, but localisation specialist XSEED Games has revealed it has picked up the...

  • News Nintendo Unifying Handheld and Console Divisions in Business Restructure

    $340 million being invested in a new development facility

    While many of us focus exclusively on our latest Nintendo consoles and what games are coming up, it's easy to forget that Nintendo's a rather large corporation that's always evolving and seeking a business edge. While it may crush any perceptions that Nintendo's facilities are populated by...

  • News Activision On Disney Infinity: We're Flattered

    But still "well positioned" to remain on top

    Last night, Disney announced its own take on the Skylanders "toys to life" concept: Disney Infinity. It hasn't taken long for Skylanders publisher Activision to react to the news, with John Coyne, Vice President of Consumer Marketing, telling Forbes: We are thrilled by the incredible success that the...

  • News "All The Bravest" Square Enix Trademark Was for iOS Game, Not Bravely Default Localisation

    Darn

    Late last year it emerged that Square Enix had trademarked the name "All The Bravest" and purchased a number of related web domains, which prompted excitable rumours that it could be an indication of a much-desired localisation of 3DS title Bravely Default: Flying Fairy. Unfortunately that dream has been crushed — which seems to be standard...

  • News Capcom Bringing Retail 3DS Games to the eShop

    The collection grows

    The 3DS eShop has evolved a fair bit in a little over a year and a half, with a fresh layout, demos, and retail downloads all arriving since its humble launch. It's the latter that's arguably the most intriguing, as it clashes with Nintendo's traditional support for high street retail partners, while prompting ire among some due...

  • News 3DS Maintains Dominance of the Japanese Charts

    Wii U slips just behind PlayStation 3

    The latest round of sales results from Japan, covering the period from 7th to 13th January, give us an early indication of sales levels in the region after the boosted business of the Holiday season. They tell a mixed tale, with 3DS still ruling the roost and Wii U scrapping it out within the main pack. In...

  • Interview Curve Studios' Jonathan "Bidds" Biddle

    We speak to the developer who’s making quite a splash

    One development studio that has made a valiant contribution to Nintendo’s digital download services is undoubtedly Curve Studios. Having first released Hydroventure for WiiWare to much critical acclaim back in 2010, the development team has recently returned to its original idea and expanded...

  • Feature A Tour of the Two Tribes HQ

    Going behind the scenes

    With its upcoming Wii U eShop release of Toki Tori 2, as well as plans to port a couple of existing titles to the console's download platform, developer Two Tribes has a lot of work on its plate. Despite that the team has been kind enough to produce the following exclusive tour of its HQ, giving an insight into the size of...

Tuesday15th Jan 2013

Wednesday16th Jan 2013

  • News The Sundance Festival and Red Carpet Are Calling For Mario

    Nintendo's going to the movies

    The Sundance Film Festival is one of the best-known and prestigious events of its kind in the film calendar, with events, screenings and prize-giving being given gloss by plenty of celebrities and successful actors. After Nintendo UK's short-film partnership with the British Film Institute (BFI) last year it's now...

  • News Blockbuster UK Joins HMV In Administration

    UK games retail suffers its second blow in the space of a week

    This week, HMV - the UK's last major high street entertainment retailer - slid into administration after suppliers declined to help the ailing chain, putting around 4,350 jobs at risk. The bad news for UK retail doesn't end there, however - Blockbuster UK has also announced its...

Tuesday15th Jan 2013

  • News Fire Emblem: Awakening Download Takes Up Almost 8,600 Blocks

    It's set to be a blockbuster

    Strategic RPG Fire Emblem: Awakening will be unleashed on the 3DS in North America from 4th February, and will be available in both physical and downloadable form. If you're looking to download a copy from the 3DS eShop you'll need 8,579 available blocks on an SD card - that's slightly over 1GB. This figure is quite...

  • Review Tokyo Crash Mobs (3DS eShop)

    Almost at the front of the queue

    Although many people assume that Zuma was the first game to feature match-three marble shooting, the honour actually goes to Puzz Loop, a 1998 arcade release by Pang creator Mitchell Corporation. Sequels on the DS and WiiWare have since followed, and now there’s a fresh entry in the series on the 3DS eShop - not...

  • News Club Nintendo Accounts Can't Be Linked To The Wii Shop On Wii U

    "Certain system constraints" punishing gamers

    As you may already be aware the Wii U eShop can be linked up to your Club Nintendo account. This means that when you purchase a game it is automatically registered and you may become eligible for surveys, which allow you to earn some coins. However it appears that games bought from the Wii Shop — via...

  • News Disney Infinity Heading to Wii U, Wii and 3DS This Summer

    Golly, that's a lot of platforms

    Late last year details emerged of Disney Infinity, a title that incorporates real-life figurines and a portal concept made popular by the Skylanders series, while adding a great deal of customisation and a sandbox environment to encourage freedom and experimentation. Disney Interactive has now unveiled a host of new...

  • Talking Point Wii U's Beginnings and Challenges For 2013

    Convincing sceptics is one

    Recent sales figures and industry conversations have given us a fair old glut of analytical articles focused on Wii U in recent days. For a system that's barely a couple of months old, there's been a temptation in some quarters to either predict doom and a major loss of market share, or to put faith in Nintendo's...

  • News Injustice: Gods Among Us Coming To Wii U In April

    Wii U version misses out on Collector's Edition

    Injustice: Gods Among Us is a heroic beat-em-up featuring a host of characters from the DC universe, and is on its way to Wii U as well as PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Warner Bros. has now revealed the game's release dates: 16th April in North America and 19th April in Europe. The fighter does have a...

  • News How Did GameStop's 500,000 Wii U Reservations Become 320,000 Actual Sales?

    GameStop explains the math behind its sales figures

    Before the Wii U launched, US outlet GameStop proudly stated that half a million people were on its waiting list for the shiny new console. However, speaking to investors last week, GameStop admitted that only 320,000 consoles were actually sold by the chain - which means 180,000 "orders"...

  • News Anima: Gate Of Memories Coming To Wii U eShop

    Another Kickstarter campaign is successful

    Spanish developer Anima Project Studio - the team behind the WiiWare title ANIMA: Ark of Sinners - has announced that its next project is coming to the Wii U eShop. Anima: Gate of Memories has recently passed its Kickstarter goal of $90,000, bringing in $110,664. The title will initially see release on PC...

  • News Shin'en Confirms Jett Rocket II - The Wrath of Taikai

    Going a bit Star Trek

    Yesterday we brought you the news that the 3DS sequel to WiiWare title Jett Rocket was confirmed to be nearly finished and on the way "early this year", good news for those who'd wondered about its fate for much of 2012. With that happy news confirmed, developer and publisher Shin'en Multimedia has now clarified the title for...

  • News Amazon Instant Video App Hits The Wii Today In North America

    Nice and simple

    Amazon has announced today that its video streaming service, Instant Video, has launched today for Wii consoles across the US. The app can be found in the Wii Shop Channel, and subscribers of the service will gain access to over 145,000 movies, TV shows and documentaries. Prime customers are able to watch over 30,000 of these videos...

  • News Renegade Kid Will Definitely Be Developing More Games For Wii U

    Mutant Mudds Deluxe is just the beginning

    Mutant Mudds Deluxe is heading to Wii U in the first quarter of this year and it appears Renegade Kid, the game's developer, enjoyed making the game so much it will be making more Wii U titles in the future. Speaking in an interview with Official Nintendo Magazine, Renegade Kid's co-founder Jools Watsham...

  • News Price Revealed For ATV Wild Ride 3D On 3DS eShop

    $7.99, by the way

    Renegade Kid has been on your news feed a lot lately, and for good reason. From revealing Mutant Mudds Deluxe for the Wii U eShop at the start of this month, to announcing that it is working on a new FPS title for the eShop in the first issue of Nintendo Force magazine — this year looks like a busy one for the developer...

  • News Evidence Indicates Wii Fit Is Beneficial For Children With Movement Difficulties

    Some positive press attention for gaming, for a change

    A UK-based pilot study has uncovered evidence that using Wii Fit could aid the development of children with movement difficulties. The study is a collaboration between Sussex Community NHS Trust, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust and academics at Goldsmiths, University of London and Oxford...

  • News UK Retailer HMV Set To Go Into Administration

    4,350 jobs at risk

    HMV is the latest high street casualty in the UK. The music, DVD and video game retailer is to appoint an administrator, putting around 4,350 jobs at risk. The company has been in a financial mess for more than a year now; in December share prices plummeted after it warned it could breach bank loan agreements. The retailer...

Monday14th Jan 2013

  • News Pokémon X & Y Catch More Official Artwork and Details

    More images and legendary dimensions, of course

    At the weekend we posted a feature titled Pokémon X & Y - What We Know So Far, with an assumption that the initial burst of images and concept art was over and that the dust would settle. The Pokémon Company isn't done yet, however, revealing new images and details for us all to absorb. The...

  • Review Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013 (Wii U)

    The hunt is on?

    Maybe we're just gullible human beings here at Nintendo Life Towers, but we expected Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013 to feature some...you know...hunting. Not that we're disappointed, as this far more action-oriented approach has undoubtedly made for a better game, but the FPS / survival approach certainly caught us off guard. So,...

  • Review Reel Fishing 3D Paradise Mini (3DS eShop)

    A bassing fancy

    Natsume might be most famous as the house that Harvest Moon built, but fishing fans will know the name from its Legend of the River King and Reel Fishing series. Reel Fishing takes a more realistic approach to the angling action, and saw several installments on WiiWare with decidedly mixed results. Reel Fishing 3D Paradise Mini...

  • News Wii U Software Sales Are "Struggling"

    Analyst states Wii U launch games have failed to match Wii and GameCube equivalents

    Last week NPD figures — which cover U.S. retail results — were published covering 25th November to 29th December, and Nintendo of America issued a few facts and figures of its own in response to them. The figures showed that Wii U had performed pretty well since...

  • Nintendo Download 17th January 2013 (Europe)

    Crashing mobs, mysterious mahjong, more zombies and basketball

    It's another week of download news for Europe, this time arriving just in time to brighten up our Mondays. This week covers every platform; the 3DS receives a wacky match-three puzzle game as well as something a little more conventional, zombies infest DSiWare and the home consoles bring...

  • News Satoru Iwata: Customers Understanding The Wii U "Will Take a Little Time"

    "We aim to leave a smile on our customer's faces"

    With a New Year and Nintendo's upcoming announcement of its Q3 financial results, Satoru Iwata and his team have plenty to think about. 2013 will be an important year to continue momentum on 3DS with big releases, and more importantly to grow the Wii U audience as much as possible. Speaking to...

  • Developer Interview Zen Studios On Portable Pinball Success And Wii U

    The pinball wizards have more to come

    Zen Studios is an experienced indie developer that, despite its varied projects, is possibly best known for its pinball games. It's a team that wasn't entirely unfamiliar with Nintendo hardware in past generations — it developed Ghostbusters: The Video Game for DS — and it's become best known to fans of the...

  • News Ultra-Rare Tengen Tetris Prototype Up For Auction

    An important relic of video game history

    Tengen Tetris is one of the rarest, if not the rarest, NES cartridges out there. It was released way back in 1989 but after only a month on the shelves, unsold copies of the game were recalled - a shame considering many felt it was the better version of the game due to its improved graphics and two-player...

  • News Analyst Firm Concerned That Wii U Will "Lack Broad Appeal"

    Believes Sony and Microsoft successors are due this year

    Last week saw the annual tech hoopla of Consumer Electronics Association (CES) 2013, with a number of gadgets such as the Nvidia Project Shield handheld unveiled. Although not all major technology companies were in attendance, it was an opportunity for various contacts to be made and for...

  • News Renegade Kid's Upcoming FPS Will Focus On Single Player

    More info coming in March

    Last week Jools Watsham, co-founder of Renegade Kid, revealed more about what we'd find in the upcoming Wii U eShop title Mutant Mudds Deluxe. He also spoke of a new 3DS project: a first-person shooter that will hopefully be released in time for this Christmas. Watsham has since taken to Twitter again to answer people's...

  • News Zen Studios: Wii U eShop is an "Amazing Development for Nintendo"

    "The doors are wide open for other small studios"

    Best known for its pinball titles — though it has dabbled in other genres — Zen Studios earned a starring role in the final Nintendo Direct broadcasts of last year when Zen Pinball 2 was announced for the Wii U eShop. Initially expected in December, it's been pushed back from that original target...

  • News Jett Rocket 3DS Surfing Onto The eShop "Early This Year"

    Shin'en keeps the pace

    Remember Jett Rocket on WiiWare? It arrived a good while ago — summer 2010 — and brought a short but sweet 3D platforming adventure to the platform, which despite the odd flaw earned an impressive 8/10 in our Jett Rocket review. After various rumours we then learned of a new entry coming to the 3DS eShop, Jett Rocket Super...

  • News Gunman Clive Soundtrack Goes On Sale

    Yours for $1

    Gunman Clive is a recent budget-priced arrival on the 3DS eShop, and despite some reported bugs — which we didn't experience ourselves — it's earned a fairly positive response so far. With a development team of two and previous releases on smartphones, PC and Mac, it's a title that's earned some success from modest beginnings. Not...