News - 2013, Week 15

Sunday14th Apr 2013

Saturday13th Apr 2013

Friday12th Apr 2013

  • News Nintendo to Pull the Plug on Several Online Wii Channels

    Pour one out for News cat this summer

    Better get those last rounds in with the Wii's Channels before Nintendo starts flickering the lights at closing time, as the company has announced that a chunk of the console's quirky online features are shuttering on 28th June. This will effect the Forecast, News, Everybody Votes, Check Mii Out and Nintendo...

  • Hardware Review 3DS Circle Pad Pro XL

    Two pads are better than one?

    When Nintendo announced the 3DS XL, many were disappointed that the system lacked that all-important second slider pad. This omission was made all the more puzzling by the fact that Nintendo had already released the Circle Pad Pro for the original 3DS console, an admission that perhaps a twin-pad arrangement would have...

  • Review NAM-1975 (Wii Virtual Console / Neo Geo)

    War is heaven

    Although NAM-1975 was an early Neo Geo release, it's certainly not short on fun. Released in 1990, it took a simple shooting approach and built an interesting war theme around it. Simple mechanics and a level of playability that wasn't too common in the genre made for an amazing gameplay experience. Now SNK Playmore is bringing back...

  • Review The Croods: Prehistoric Party! (Wii U)

    Croodités

    As a video game adaptation of Dreamworks' cave-dweller caper, The Croods: Prehistoric Party casts the film's characters in a Mario Party-style experience for up to four players. It borrows heavily from Nintendo's series, linking disparate mini-games together with a simple board game conceit. Like the movie's titular Neanderthal family...

  • News Power Rangers Megaforce Fighting Its Way Onto 3DS

    It's morphin' time!

    Can you believe Power Rangers is 20 years old? Well it is, and as part of the anniversary celebrations there's a new show on Nickelodeon called Power Rangers Megaforce, which is now being morphed into a video game for the 3DS. Namco Bandai has revealed Power Rangers Megaforce will be available in North and Latin America this...

  • Rumour Ni no Kuni Could Yet See A Western Release, According To Publisher Namco Bandai

    DS role-player could find a new lease of life on the 3DS

    You might be familar with Level-5 and Studio Ghibli collaboration Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch from its recent release on the PlayStation 3, but the origin of the series actually stretches back to a Nintendo DS game, released in Japan in 2010. Ni no Kuni: The Jet-black Mage shares the...

  • News South African Retailer Slices Wii U Price in Half

    Toyzone offering a Wii U for as little as R1,500

    In order to help boost Wii U sales, many UK retailers decided to cut the price of the system. Back in March Asda and Amazon sliced £50 off the price tag, while HMV knocked a staggering £140 off a Premium console and ZombiU bundle. It seems heavy price drops aren't exclusive to the UK though, as it...

  • News Cliff Bleszinski Likens The Wii To A "Virus"

    Outspoken designer agrees with earlier comment by ex-Epic colleague

    Back in 2008, Epic's Mike Capps described the Wii as a "virus" which infected gamers in the short-term but didn't leave any lasting impression. He said: It's a virus where you buy it and you play it with your friends and they're like, "Oh my God that's so cool, I'm gonna go buy...

  • Rumour Criterion Is Rebooting Need For Speed: Underground

    Updated: Criterion's creative director shoots down rumours

    UPDATE: Criterion's Alex Ward has tweeted in response to these rumours: [tweet 322632944776802304] So that's that, then. ORIGINAL STORY: We've already reported on the fact that Criterion is working on a new project, and if a fresh rumour is to be believed, we could now have a name for...

  • News Tales Producer Says The Series Could Eventually Make It To Wii U

    If the system becomes more successful

    Recently Hideo Baba, the producer behind the Tales franchise, praised the Wii U by calling it a "brilliant console". However, he confirmed he currently has no plans to develop any games for the system. That could all change though, as in an interview with Destructoid Baba said the series could appear on Wii U...

  • Talking Point The Blurring Lines of Kickstarter Fundraising Goals

    Pwnee Studios gives its perspective on the publication deal with Ubisoft

    If you go back just a few years, the idea of developers raising funds for non-existent games from the consumer marketplace may have seemed to be a wacky proposition. The thinking may have been along the lines of "ask consumers to pay for a game that isn't even in development...

  • News Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Talks Tetris And Giving Game Boys To World Leaders

    He's rocking an awesome Limited Edition Astro Boy Game Boy Light, too

    It's no secret that Apple co-founder Steve "Woz" Wozniak is something of a legend at Game Boy Tetris, but seeing the man in action is something else. Game Informer managed to infiltrate Woz's hotel room recently, and recorded some footage of him dominating at

  • News Resident Evil Revelations DLC Season Pass Revealed on Steam

    Delicious DLC, or horrifyingly disappointing add-ons?

    The upcoming Resident Evil Revelations re-release on Wii U is bringing some new features over its 3DS original — there'll be an "infernal" difficulty level, off-screen play for that, er, unique handheld experience, and you'll be able to troll other players by giving monsters speech bubbles with...

  • News Europe Receives Fire Emblem: Awakening Puzzle Panel

    The European release is tantalisingly close

    North American 3DS owners have been playing through Fire Emblem: Awakening since February, while Europe watches on with envious eyes. There's not that much longer to wait though, as Intelligent Systems' turn-based strategy title is set to make the journey across the pond on 19th April. There's even an...

  • Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Eleven

    Yikes, we're up to number 11?

    So, OK, we've done some seasonal issues of this jolly series of features, so this isn't actually the 11th entry in the series. But the idea of shamelessly riffing off a Hollywood movie only came to us when typing out "Issue Eleven", so it is what it is. What we do have is another collection of weekend gaming plans from...

Thursday11th Apr 2013

  • Feature Ten SEGA Mega Drive / Genesis Games We Want on the Wii U Virtual Console

    They skipped Wii VC, so now their time has come

    Earlier this week we were rather pleased the share the news, based on a couple of sources, that Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse looks set to come to Wii U. It's unclear whether it'll be a straight-up re-release (on the Virtual Console) or a remastered port, but whatever the case it's a SEGA...

  • Nintendo Download 11th April 2013 (North America)

    A rolling ranger, brawling Gods, a pink ball's debut and more

    It's Nintendo Download time, North America, and this week there's new content to choose from on Wii U, 3DS and DSi. In the coming week there'll be a couple of tasty retail downloads and a classic platformer that'll cost less than a chocolate bar, while today a rolling Ranger makes his...

  • Rumour 3DS Owners Noticing Software Performance Improvements Since Update

    Certain games running smoother?

    OK, grab a pinch of salt for this one, because it's taken straight from the box marked "Rumour". According to some posters over at NeoGAF, the recent 3DS firmware update has delivered some unexpected benefits: namely better performance in certain games. Rayman 3D, Sonic Gene

  • News Skylanders Giants Toys Munching Their Way Into McDonald's Happy Meals This Month

    I'll have a Spyro with fries, please

    Activision and popular fast-food giant McDonald's have teamed up to bring characters from Skylanders Giants to Happy Meals this month. Starting this Friday 12th April and running up until the 2nd of May in the US, those who purchase a Happy Meal will receive one of nine character figures. Not only this, but...

  • News Super Comboman Fuses Smash Bros. With Marvel Vs Capcom, And It Could Be Coming To Wii U

    Visually stunning platform title was built using Unity 3D

    Kickstarter-funded title Super Comboman could be coming to the Wii U eShop, we can exclusively reveal. We've been speaking to Interabang Entertainment's Justin Woodward about the forthcoming platforming adventure, which raised $16,170 on Kickstarter last November — just a little over the...

  • News Injustice: Gods Among Us Will Support Off-TV Play On Wii U

    In-game quick move list also included

    With Warner Bros. and NetherRealm's upcoming title Injustice: Gods Among Us set to release next week in North America on the 16th April — and in Europe three days later on the 19th April — new details have been emerging prior to its launch. What sets the Wii U version apart from other platforms' release is...

  • News Iwata Asks Delves Into Animal Crossing: New Leaf

    Nintendo's President talks Mr Resetti, being mayor and panning for gold

    Animal Crossing: New Leaf is edging closer and closer towards its Western release date and we think it's fair to say there are a lot of 3DS owners out there chomping at the bit to get hold of it. As if the hype needed building up any more Nintendo has kindly translated the...

  • News There Sure Are A Lot Of Nintendo References In PSN Title Guacamelee

    Sony title is bursting with love for Ninty

    Given the remit of this site, we try to avoid featuring games which are exclusive to rival consoles, but in the case of PlayStation Network release Guacamelee!, we're happy to make an exception. This Metroidvania-style action platformer is currently avaialble for the PS3 and PS Vita, and comes absolutely...

  • News Swapnote Update Available For Download On North American 3DS Consoles

    Euro Letter Box update still AWOL, though

    Nintendo has updated its Swapnote application for the 3DS console. The update is available now and weighs in at a modest 81 data blocks, so it shouldn't take long to download. To install the new version of the app, you first must locate it in the 3DS eShop and then click the "To Update Screen" option. The...

  • News Ace Attorney 5 Release Date Accidentally Revealed By Capcom

    Someone made a boo boo in the courtroom

    It seems that Capcom has let the release date for Ace Attorney 5 slip in a recent blog post about a Nico Nico developer Q&A on the upcoming 3DS title. The game is set to have fingers pointing in Japan on the 25th July this year. Capcom objected by removing the evidence of the release date from the blog...

  • News Project X Zone European Release Date Confirmed

    It'll be available in July

    Last week Namco Bandai revealed Project X Zone would be coming to North America on 25th June, but Europe was left with its original vague release date of Summer 2013. This lead people to believe European 3DS owners would be getting the game much later than their American counterparts, however, this is not the case at all...

  • News Ubisoft's E3 2013 Conference Dated

    Mark 10th June on your calendars

    E3 2013 is almost upon us. With a little over two months to go, you can almost smell the excitement in the air amongst gamers, developers and publishers alike. To kick off the major gaming event, Ubisoft will be holding its presentation on Monday 10th June - which is actually a day before E3 is scheduled to begin...

  • News Zelda Symphony Returning To Los Angeles During E3 2013

    Da da da daaaaaaaaa

    It's been almost two years since something beautiful and magical happened during Nintendo's E3 press conference in June 2011 - the company opened the presentation with a spectacular orchestra, displaying tunes from The Legend of Zelda's impressive musical catalogue. The Legend Of Zelda: Symphony Of The Goddesses - under Irish...

  • Video Nintendo Europe Highlights Key eShop Titles From The Past Two Months

    How many have you downloaded?

    The 3DS and Wii U eShops are becoming pretty packed with cool titles right now, and Nintendo Europe has taken some time out to highlight some of the more significant releases from the past two months. Some of the games featured are Code of Princess, Harmoknight, Nano Assault EX and Zen Pinball 2. Wil

  • Video SEGA Teases Possible Castle of Illusion Title

    Disney is involved in some capacity

    Earlier last week, we reported that Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse is looking set for release on the Wii U, as the title received a classification in Brazil. To add further speculation to this news, SEGA posted the following teaser video on its Twitter account, suggesting that a remastered version will...

  • News Ubisoft To Publish Cloudberry Kingdom This Summer

    No set date just yet

    Cloudberry Kingdom was supposed to be released on the Wii U eShop in March but as many eagle-eyed gamers may have noticed, it didn't make it. Fortunately, the game hasn't disappeared from the face of the earth, it's just been pushed back and it now has a new publisher some people may have heard of. Yes, Ubisoft will be...

  • Video Get Cosy With Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara's Fighter Class

    Fight club

    Capcom has released the first in a series of video profiles for each of the character classes in Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara. This initial video focuses on the Fighter class, a no-nonsense warrior who excels in melee combat and represents an ideal starting point for newcomers. Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of...

  • News Bass and Treble Figures Turning Up In The U.S. This Summer

    Will join Mega Man and Rush pack

    The 25th anniversary of Mega Man continues to be celebrated in a number of beautiful, non-interactive ways! Capcom Senior Online/Community Manager, Brett Elston, confirmed through his blog that a combo pack of Mega Man’s rivals Bass and Treble will arrive in the U.S. this summer. Produced by D-Arts/Bandai/Tamashii...

Wednesday10th Apr 2013

  • Talking Point The Next-Gen Console War is Wii U's to Lose

    Graphical differences and consumer budgets continue to shrink

    If you'll forgive us, let's delve of into a faint whiff of politics in this introduction. In most major industrialised countries — whether in the West or Japan — national economies aren't exactly in rude health. After spells of prosperity and golden toilet seats for all in the...

  • News Animal Crossing: New Leaf Pricing Emerges On North American eShop

    Price is better than expected

    Animal Crossing: New Leaf is one of the most anticipated 3DS titles of 2013 and we're just about two months away from seeing it arrive. With the game doing sensationally well in Japan, there's no doubt that North American and European 3DS users are looking forward to its release this June. With the game being so close...

  • News Nintendo Stock Rises By 11%

    The largest increase since 2008

    The Japanese yen has reached a three-year low against the euro meaning many successful exporters are enjoying a rise in stock. Nintendo has seen an 11% rise in stock value, which now stands at 11,850 yen, the largest gain since 2008. The yen has weakened against all 16 major counterparts this year as speculation...

  • News Wii U Version Of Isometric Action Adventure Bloom: Memories "Definitely" On The Cards

    Gorgeous-looking RPG has the approval of Jenova Chen and David Jaffe

    Bloom: Memories developer Studio Fawn has confirmed to us that the game will most certainly be coming to the Wii U eShop — if it can reach its Kickstarter goal of $50,000. The title is described as "an epic adventure about the love between a mother and her child" and is...

  • News Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Update Takes a Bite Out of Wii U on 16th April

    Off-TV GamePad play and cross-region online included

    While Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is a top-notch experience in its current guise, Capcom aknowledged that a couple of key features could be added to enhance it further. And so it promised an April update to bring us Off-TV GamePad-only play and cross-region online multiplayer. GamePad-only play is a...

  • News WayForward and Ubisoft Releasing The Smurfs 2 on Wii U, Wii and DS

    Hopefully it won't make us feel blue

    The Smurfs are making a comeback this Summer with the release of the aptly named The Smurfs 2 in cinemas across the world and Sony Pictures has decided to release a platforming game alongside it. Now, before you throw your arms up in despair, it might not actually be that bad as it's being developed by Ubisoft...

  • News Nintendo Files New "Remotely Controlled Mobile Device Control System" Patent

    One of its more wacky patents

    It seems to have been brought to light that Nintendo has been given the thumbs up on a new patent — the idea of a "remotely controlled mobile device control system". The patent was filed back in June 2011, and has only just been approved. As you can see from the image, the Wii Remote is placed inside the remote...

  • News Deep Silver Has "No Plans" To Support Wii U

    "Their audience is not who we reach best"

    Deep Silver's desicion to not bring Dead Island: Riptide to the Wii U caused a moderate amount of drama last month — not least because the excuse given was denied by the development team behind the game, forcing Deep Silver to admit that the real reason was that the process simply

  • News Animal Crossing: New Leaf Passes Three Million Sales in Japan

    Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon still number one in the charts

    Update: As correctly pointed out on Twitter by NintenDaan, it's worth remembering that Media Create charts only account for physical retail sales. The full sales for Animal Crossing: New Leaf will be further beyond three million due to its success on the 3DS eShop. Original Article: Last...

  • News Rayman Creator Michel Ancel "Wasn't Shocked" By Backlash To Legends Delay

    Ubisoft hoping to make it up with additional content

    When Ubisoft made the decision to delay the launch of Rayman Legends to accommodate a multi-platform launch — thereby robbing the game of Wii U exclusivity — the reaction from Nintendo fans was intense. However, Rayman creator Michel Ancel says that the response from fans didn't surprise him...

  • News KORG M01D Music Workstation Hitting 3DS eShop This Summer

    What sweet music you'll make

    Some of you may fondly recall KORG DS-10, a "musical workstation" for your humble Nintendo DS. If you enjoyed making bizarre aural creations with this cult release then you'll be please to learn that it's getting a sequel for the 3DS eShop, entitled KORG M01D. Essentially a souped-up version of the DS original, KORG...

  • News LulzSec Members Who Hacked Nintendo Plead Guilty To Charges

    Hack attack

    Three UK-based LulzSec hackers have pleaded guilty to charges of hacking various high-profile targets — one of which was Nintendo — and setting up DDoS (distributed denial of services) attacks. The incident involving Nintendo occurred back in 2011. No permanent harm was done, but a configuration file was taken by the group and...

  • News Level 5's Fantasy Life Ships 300,000 Copies In Japan

    Another 3DS smash-hit is on the cards

    Level 5 CEO Akihiro Hino has revealed that total shipments to date of 3DS title Fantasy Life have reached the 300,000 mark in Japan. Back in January, we reported that the game — which is a collaboration between the Professor Layton studio and Brownie Brown — had sold out upon release, an event which no...

  • News Disney's Planes Jetting Onto All Nintendo Platforms This Year

    Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS editions coming in August

    Disney Interactive Studios has revealed that Disney's Planes — which is based on the forthcoming CGI film — will be hitting all Nintendo platforms later in 2013. Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS versions are in development, with August 6th being the take-off date in North America — just a few days before...

  • News Splinter Cell Blacklist Sneaks Onto Wii U in August

    Ubisoft's support continues

    Nintendo has sent out a fresh press release re-affirming third-party support coming to Wii U, and within the details of titles we know about is one that was still an unknown. After plenty of rumours suggesting its arrival, it's now confirmed that Sam Fisher's latest adventure, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist, is...

  • News BIT.TRIP Runner 2 Dashing To European Wii U eShop Tomorrow

    Australian release delayed due to rating issues, though

    When we reported on this week's European eShop downloads there were a few disappointed comments regarding the absence of BIT.TRIP Presents: Runner 2 Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, which many expected to see among the games listed in the update. However, we've got a bit of last-minute news that...

  • News Rocksteady Confident in Batman: Arkham Origins Developer

    Holy vote of confidence, Batman!

    When WB Games Montreal was announced as the developer for Batman: Arkham Origins, fans of the series were concerned that things wouldn't be the same without original Arkham developer Rocksteady Studios. In the latest issue of Game Informer, Rocksteady's Sefton Hill said the studio is confident that Batman's in good...

  • News Kung Fu Rabbit Fighting Into The European Wii U eShop Next Week

    North America should have it a couple of weeks later

    Last month we exclusively revealed Neko Entertainment would be bringing Kung Fu Rabbit to the Wii U at some point in April. Well we now have an official release date - European Wii U owners will be able to hop into the eShop and download it from 18th April. Kung Fu Rabbit is a 2D platformer and...

  • News GameFly Slaps June 30th Release Date On Game & Wario In North America

    Retailer outs possible launch day for Wii U title

    Online retailer GameFly has given Game & Wario a June 30th release date in North America — ahead of any official confirmation from Nintendo itself. The Wii U game was released in Japan at the end of March, and is the next entry in the popular WarioWare series, which started on the Game Boy...

  • News The Denpa Men 2: Beyond The Waves Gets Australian Classification

    Localisation splashing onto our shores

    The Denpa Men: They Came By Wave was possibly a bit of a surprise when it arrived on the 3DS eShop, going from a peculiarly advertised title to turn out, in our words, to be an experience that's "long and rewarding". It also made significant use of its portable platform, encouraging gamers to build their little...

Tuesday9th Apr 2013

  • Review Witch & Hero (3DS eShop)

    A curse upon the eShop

    CIRCLE Entertainment has been a prolific publisher on DSiWare, bringing to the fore its own titles and also helping small developers share their work with the DSi/3DS audience. With so many titles against its name there are some that are excellent, as well as others that we'd sooner forget. Witch & Hero arrives on the 3DS...

  • News The Story of an Abandoned Mega Man FPS, Maverick Hunter, Emerges

    Former Metroid Prime team worked on the project

    When it comes to the 25th Anniversary of Mega Man, we've had scraps to feast on from Capcom. We've had figurines, USB sticks and a free PC game, but what the fans truly crave — new top-end games in the franchise — have been absent so far. Courtesy of Polygon, meanwhile, we now have a glimpse of a...

  • News Nintendo Working On Wii Remote Fast Charging Battery Pack

    Online survey points to long-awaited accessory release

    If there's one thing that really annoys us about using Wii Remotes in the Nintendo Life office, it's the fact that you need a constant supply of AA batteries on hand at all times, or a stock of rechargeable AA batteries which take ages to fully juice-up. Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 feature bespoke...

  • News Batman: Arkham Origins Confirmed for Wii U

    3DS gets a 2.5D spin off, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate

    Earlier in the year we learned that a new Batman Arkham title was due in 2013, courtesy of a Warner Bros. financial briefing, and we were hoping that it'd appear on Wii U. The good news is that the statement was true and that Nintendo's system is in line to enjoy the next entry; Batman:...

  • News Former WiiWare Title Animales de la Muerte Rises From the Dead On Smartphones

    Looking a lot different to before

    Remember High Voltage Software's Animales de la Muerte? It was supposed to hit WiiWare back in 2009, but the 40MB download limit imposed on developers prevented a release. The game has been stuck in limbo ever since, with a PSN and XBLA launch proposed but never materialising. However, that's all set to change as...

  • News The Pokémon Company Describes 2013 as a "Key Year" for the Franchise

    Big plans to take the series further

    The Pokémon franchise is, without a doubt, a vital part of Nintendo's success, especially in the handheld space, with a new generation 'mon release prompting hype and excitement that's only seen for select brands. It's big in both Japan and the West, and an iconic part of the gaming industry. It's not from...

  • News Shigeru Miyamoto Admits He Could Keep Working for "A Long Time"

    Retirement isn't on the agenda

    Following his recent press tour of the US, Shigeru Miyamoto has been prominent in spreading the word about the Wii U, the "Year of Luigi" and more. His presence has also been a reminder of how significant a figure he is within Nintendo, as he's still the key representative of the company's ideals and approach to game...

  • News Action RPG CrossCode Could Be Heading To The Wii U eShop

    Retro role-player looks like a perfect fit for the GamePad

    Browser-based action RPG CrossCode could be coming to the Wii U eShop, according to its developer Radical Fish Games. Speaking to Nintendo Enthusiast, the studio has expressed interest in porting the game to Nintendo's system, but pointed out that finishing the PC version remains the...

  • News Miyamoto: Game Development is Still About "Starting From The Idea"

    Talks about his use of Flipnote Studio, and new approaches to distribution

    As reported earlier today, Shigeru Miyamoto's comprehensive interview with Rolling Stone has suggested that retirement isn't currently in the designer's plans, helping to put to rest one of the enduring question marks hanging over the Kyoto-based company. We do recommend...

  • News Yacht Club Games: Shovel Knight Aims to be a "Next-Gen 8-bit Game"

    "Should feel the wonderful way you remember classic games feeling"

    With its Kickstarter fundraising campaign in its last week and well past its original total, Yacht Club Games' Shovel Knight is picking up stretch goals and becomingly increasingly promising as a result. So far, for example, it's added a playable boss character and a New Game+ mode...

  • News Super Ubi Land Kickstarter Has Ended, Target Goal Surpassed

    Super news!

    2D platformer Super Ubi Land's Kickstarter campaign has ended, with Notion Games' project reaching $6,333, surpassing its $5,000 target. Maestro Interactive Games - the team behind upcoming Wii U eShop titles Fade Into Darkness and Cosmic Highway - is helping to bring Super Ubi Land to Nintendo's online store, and said through its...

  • News Japanese Games Market Makes Long Due Return to Growth

    5% boost in hardware offsets drop in software sales

    Quite often we share the latest weeks' Japanese sales charts with you, to highlight how a new release is performing and to track hardware sales in Nintendo's homeland. A trend that's been consistent for well over a year has been 3DS dominance, with some occasions where the combined sales of the...

  • News Vote For Mushrooms Or Bananas In Nintendo UK's Mario Kart 7 Community Race Night

    Takes place this Wednesday

    Nintendo UK's Mario Kart 7 Community Race Nights have been going from strength to strength, and for this week's event the company is giving fans the chance to answer that age-old question: which is better, the mushroom or the banana? By posting a comment on Nintendo UK's official Facebook page, you can influence the...

Monday8th Apr 2013