Guide How To Become The Ultimate Monster Breeder In Pokémon X & Y
Serebii's Joe Merrick offers some essential advice for new trainers
News 3DS Hack Removes Region Locking For Retail Cartridges
Plays legit cartridges only
"4 Swords, 4 Free, 4 Days Only"
News Satoru Iwata Announces a "Quality of Life" Platform Business of "Non-Wearable" Technology
To be unveiled this year, target release after 1st April 2015
News - January, 2014
Friday31st Jan 2014
News Nintendo Still Working On Bringing Game Boy Advance Titles To 3DS Virtual Console, Says Natsume
Publisher excited about DS support on Wii U, more GBC on the way
Remember the 3DS Ambassador campaign? Of course you do — it rewarded early adopters by giving them a raft of awesome Game Boy Advance titles for free. At the time, many assumed that the exciting prospect of downloading and playing even more GBA games on the 3DS Virtual Console was...
News A Tokyo-Based Business Will Get Your 3DS Running on a TV
Has had no problems or objections from Nintendo
The 3DS is an attractive little portable machine, and following on from its DS predecessors has further established the credentials of a small, dual-screen gaming system. For those that don't like to squint at their games there is the 3DS XL, but there's undeniably a desire for some to be able to hook...
Review Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Wii U eShop / NES)
Super Masochist Bros.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is the famously difficult, Japan-only sequel to the titular plumber's breakout NES hit, expanding on the original formula with deviously challenging level design and obstacles. Western audiences were instead given the comparatively easy 'Super Mario USA' (a re-skinned translation of Nintendo's...
Feature Breaking Down What Nintendo's QOL Platform Could Mean
Potentially a large, developing market
Satoru Iwata's Investor Briefing this week included a few surprises and, in limited detail, some of Nintendo's key strategies for the coming year and beyond. Yet it was the final announcement that caused the most head-scratching and, not surprisingly, didn't prompt investors to rush to buy up Nintendo shares;...
News Capcom's Monster Hunter Invades Universal Studios Japan
In the hunt
We recently covered the exciting news that Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate was heading westward, and 3DS owners around the world rightfully took to the internet to celebrate. Japanese Monster Hunter fans still get all the really cool toys though, like the brand new Monster Hunter Real 2014 exhibition that opens tomorrow at the Universal...
News Satoru Iwata States That Nintendo Should "Abandon Old Assumptions" About Its Businesses
Hiroshi Yamauchi "would tell me to carry an air of confidence"
As anticipated, this week's Q3 financial results Investor Briefing from Satoru Iwata attracted plenty of attention. The moment that Nintendo drastically revised its sales and projections down in January was also the point when plenty of speculation and ideas on the company's future were...
News Lucario The Aura Warrior Returns To Battle In Super Smash Bros. 3DS & Wii U
The heroic aura Pokémon returns!
Today, Masahiro Sakurai has revealed another returning veteran character for Super Smash Bros. 3DS and Wii U. Lucario — the Fighting/Steel type Pokémon who made its debut as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Brawl — will return for the upcoming Nintendo mascot-packed brawler. Many who feared that Lucario may face...
News Wind Waker HD Wii U Bundle With Two Extra Games On Sale for $269.99
Be quick
We've seen some attractive Wii U deals since the Holiday season, in various territories, and the latest to emerge is from the eBay outlet of Newegg. It's offering the only limited edition Wii U hardware design available to date, along with two games, for just $269.99USD. The bundle on offer includes the following: The Legend of Zelda:...
News Nintendo of America Issues Refunds After Warner Bros. Cancels Batman: Arkham Origins Wii U DLC
Decision "based on demand"
Wii U owners who had purchased the season pass for Batman: Arkham Origins will be disappointed to discover that Warner Bros. has decided to not bring the new story campaign to the console. Accordingly, Nintendo has begun refunding customers who have purchased the season pass for $19.99 (plus tax) by crediting their eShop...
First Impressions We Shine A Light On Arc System Works Action RPG Swords & Darkness
It's not very bright
You can’t beat a bit of side-scrolling beat ‘em up action as far as we’re concerned, but we’ve been left twiddling our thumbs on 3DS since Code of Princess first hit Nintendo’s handheld in 2012. Arc System Works aim to fill that gap in Japan with the eShop exclusive Swords & Darkness, a moody action RPG set in a...
News Super Bowl Player Chilling with Pokémon Before the Big Game
Use Tackle!
Denver Broncos linebacker Nate Irving will be spending this Sunday evening trying to smash himself through the Seattle Seahawks' offence at the Super Bowl. Before the game, however, while his teammates are spending their downtime exploring all the host city of New York has to offer, Irving told the Wall Street Journal's Stu Woo that...
Video Short Film Extols The Virtues Of Buttons, Features Nintendo Quite Heavily
Can you spot R.O.B. the Robot?
Gaming used to be exclusively about buttons, but with the rise of touch-screen gaming — pioneered by the Nintendo DS and taken to the next level by the proliferation of smartphones and tablets — we've got an entire generation of players growing up in a world where buttons aren't necessarily the default gaming...
Video Japanese Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Trailer Swings Into View
The Kongs go bananas when they get the cold shoulder
A new Japanese video showcasing footage from the upcoming Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has appeared, and it's chock-full of gameplay bits that may help tide fans over until the game's February launch. The video — which may contain spoilers for players who are trying to avoid seeing too...
Thursday30th Jan 2014
"4 Swords, 4 Free, 4 Days Only"
Hands up if you remember when Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition for free to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the franchise? That was back in 2011, when the Game Boy Advance title was spruced up with local wireless multiplayer and released as DSiWare (on the DSi Shop and 3DS eShop)...
News Satoru Iwata Announces a "Quality of Life" Platform Business of "Non-Wearable" Technology
To be unveiled this year, target release after 1st April 2015
In what was the finale of Satoru Iwata's Investor Briefing, the Nintendo President has announced that the company is developing a new business platform that will be focused on "Quality of Life" (QOL) in the health sphere, utilising its history as an entertainment business to engage people...
News Satoru Iwata Confirms That DS Games Are Coming To The Wii U Virtual Console
Quick loading using the GamePad also on the way
Update: The official English translation of Satoru Iwata's briefing confirms that the quick-start GamePad feature — outlined below — will come in a system update due in the early summer. All other details below are accurate as per the translated briefing. Original Article: We will be providing a...
Feature 10 Nintendo DS Games We Want To See On The Wii U Virtual Console
Dual-screen desires
Nintendo has just lifted the lid on its plans to bring DS games to the Wii U Virtual Console, which means that owners of that particular machine will soon be able to enjoy a library of classic releases from one of the company's most popular formats. The DS has played host to some truly stunning pieces of software since its...
Nintendo Download 30th January (North America)
Link finally revisits his 16-bit past, discounts, new 3DS titles and more
It's Nintendo Download time, North America, and this week includes a variety of offerings to — hopefully — cater to most tastes. There's a much anticipated Super NES classic on the Wii U Virtual Console, a variety of discounts on both eShop stores and some new titles for...
No friend of mine
Warner Bros. Interactive and Hellbent Games' LEGO Friends is a bad game. There's no nicer way of putting it. A squandered opportunity to make another gaming hit out of a popular LEGO property, LEGO Friends feels like a cynical cash-in designed to provide young gamers with a few minutes of mindless diversion before they request the...
News Nintendo's Expanded List of Million Selling Games Includes Some Surprises
Mario Kart Wii shifted one million units in nine months
Earlier today Nintendo's initial financial results highlighted some million sellers for the financial year so far, which covers nine months from 1st April to 31st December 2013. Fully updated results now include more details on some of those loosely confirmed earlier today, along with some...
News Nintendo Confirms Dedicated Development Team for Smart Device Services
"I have not given any restrictions to the development team"
In his recently completed Investor Briefing, now translated into English, Satoru Iwata has confirmed plans to utilise the Nintendo Network ID system more effectively, highlighting an objective to one day remove the ties of the IDs to hardware and deliver the much-requested account-based...
News Nintendo Planning to Offer "Flexible Price Points" for Games
Will utilise conditions to encourage sharing, buying more
Satoru Iwata's Investor Briefing contained some intriguing proposals, and one that may become particularly important for enthusiastic gamers is a plan to introduce a new pricing structure for titles on Nintendo's systems. Nintendo aims to introduce new sales mechanisms to break out of the...
News Mario Kart 8 Drifting In For a May Release
Aiming for top gear
Satoru Iwata has completed his investor briefing presentation, and one detail that's thankfully beyond the dangers of translation errors is that Mario Kart 8 is set to arrive in May — that window is for the worldwide market. The importance of the release for Wii U is self-evident, as just today both Mario Kart 7 and —...
News Nintendo Confirms "Super Indie Connection Sale" on North American Wii U eShop
Five games to choose from
Earlier this week the European Download Update included the "Super Indie Connection Sale", a set of five download-only titles on the Wii U eShop that are available at meaty discounts on the condition that you own at least one of the games. Nintendo of America has now confirmed that the same update will be included in its...
News Pokémon X & Y Beta Competition Coming to Global Link in February
Get ready, world!
Whether you have finally fine-tuned your perfect Pokémon team or just want to take on the world with a group of Klefkis (hereby now known scientifically as a "klatter"), you will want to register with the Pokémon Global Link for the upcoming Pokémon X & Y Beta Competition. This online tournament is open to all players...
News Nintendo to Step Up Character IP Licensing, Including "Win-Win" Options in "Digital Fields"
Perhaps expect ringtones, toys and even more plushies?
It may be that you don't need to go far to find a Mario plush, or perhaps you do, but Satoru Iwata has stated that Nintendo will be expanding its efforts to license out its various character IPs with partners around the world. In a market with so many brands competing for affections, the...
News These Charming Animal Crossing: New Leaf Posters Are Available Now On Club Nintendo
Only in North America, though
The Club Nintendo offerings in all regions occasionally throw up some real treats, and we think these Animal Crossing: New Leaf posters certainly fall into that category. They've popped up on the North American Club Nintendo with a cost of 500 coins, and they may just be worth it. Your hard earned coins can get you...
Video World 2 Of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Looks Something Like This
Monkey business
We trust that our recent preview of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has whet your appetite for some more simian-related fun — if so, then you're going to love the short but sweet highlights reel we've put together for World 2 of the upcoming Wii U platform adventure. We'll be running more videos in the next few weeks, leading...
News Mobile Pokémon Clone Eco Spirits Hatches A Kickstarter Campaign
No stretch goals set for an “Eco Spirits Rap”, though
Nintendo stated earlier this week that it currently had no plans to make or release any games — be they full size or mini — on mobile devices. This may have pleased some fans of the company, but it may also have disappointed others. If you fit in to the latter category, fear not — just...
News Nintendo Share Price Drops In Reaction to Investor Briefing
Let's see if it pops back up again...
While diligently following the progress of Satoru Iwata's Investor Briefing, we were keeping track of a Wall Street Journal live blog that observed that, as the presentation progressed, the Tokyo exchange wasn't exactly giddy at what was being said, with the share price falling. It seems like that's played out,...
News Atlus is Bringing Conception II to Europe as a Download-Only Title
A turn up for the books
Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars looks to be, like its predecessor, a rather peculiar game. Yet for those that like their localised Japanese titles to be slightly off-the-wall, the Atlus release in North America on 15th April can't come soon enough. In a surprising move, however, Atlus is breaking with convention...
Video New Siesta Fiesta Gameplay Lights Up The Night On 3DS eShop
A potential sleeper hit
The 3DS eShop has given plenty of new developers the chance to show off their skills, and provided us with no shortage of quality titles either. It's a breeding ground for some fantastic innovation, and now UK studio Mojo Bones has one hugely colourful new idea to show off. Arriba!! Designer Stuart Ryall has pointed us...
Wednesday29th Jan 2014
News Satoru Iwata Admits The "Wii U Isn't In Good Shape" Ahead of Investor Briefing
"I’m concentrating my mind on how to rebuild Nintendo"
Nintendo's investor briefing, thanks to the extensive gaps in time zones, is taking place rather soon. The unveiling of today's financial reports did involve a short press conference with Satoru Iwata, and Bloomberg has picked up some choice comments. After confirming a pay cut that will run...
News Pokémon X & Y Hit 11.61 Million Worldwide Sales as Nintendo Lists 3DS and Wii U Million Sellers
The Wind Waker HD and Super Mario 3D World included in Wii U list
Nintendo has released its Q3 financial results, which begin to reinforce the disappointing reductions in projections. While Nintendo has cited lower than expected sales for 3DS and Wii U hardware, with the latter being particularly damaging to profits at this time, it has also...
News Iwata And Miyamoto Both Take Pay Cuts In Response To Nintendo's Poor Financial Results
Iwata halves his salary, Miyamoto takes a 30 percent cut
It has been revealed that Nintendo president Satoru Iwata will be taking a 50 percent pay reduction following Nintendo's recent financial results. He's not the only one taking a cut; legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto will see his wage slashed by 30 percent, as will fellow Nintendo...
Talking Point Nintendo's 3DS and Wii U Strategies Face Rather Different Challenges
Past-generation trends need not apply
In some respects today's financial results were the least surprising and eye-opening of recent times, and that's mainly to the credit of Nintendo's decision to jump the gun and reveal major reductions in sales and financial projections, blunting the impact from today's Q3 results. Nintendo's previously bold...
News Developer Of New Dreamcast Shooter Redux: Dark Matters "Has Plans" For Wii U And 3DS eShops
"It will be easy for us to port the game to Nintendo consoles"
The Dreamcast may be dead and buried as far as Sega is concerned, but that doesn't mean that developers have entirely abandoned the console. Back in 2012, NG.DEV.TEAM's Gunlord brought its high-octane, Euro-style platforming action to the "defunct" system, and 2014 has started with...
News Masahiro Sakurai Teases New Super Smash Bros. Stage With Palutena Image
Statue hints at Kid Icarus stage on Wii U
Masahiro Sakurai continues to increase his daily picture to tease ratio for the upcoming Super Smash Bros. titles on Wii U and 3DS, with yesterday bringing a new item reveal; the Director's Room on Miiverse shows all, and we'll summarise as always early next week. Occasionally his posts tip over from being a...
News NES Remix Update Adds Wii U Pro Controller, Remote and Classic Controller Support
Or play with those controllers on the GamePad screen, to be fancy
NES Remix was not only a surprise Wii U eShop release late last year, but also a popular arrival on the platform. By combining NES retro games with twists and tweaks to their gameplay it managed to earn a solid number of fans. One peculiarity was that it was GamePad-only in the...
News Hardware Sales Drop in Japan as Wii U Falls Into Four Figures
Can January be over now?
When considering important sales months in the calendar year, we suspect that plenty within the game development and publishing industry have January near the bottom of the list. It does bring some new games, such as Kirby: Triple Deluxe in Japan, but it generally represents a notable downturn after the highs of November and...
News Nintendo Confirms Plans To Acquire Up To Ten Million Of Its Own Shares
Already owns 13,793,439 shares
In a notification document accompanying today's Q3 financial reports, Nintendo has confirmed plans to acquire up to ten million of its own shares up to 31st March, the end of the financial year. This isn't uncommon, as Nintendo already holds 13,793,439 of these Treasury shares, though the planned increase is still a...
News Critical Analysis of Wario Land 4 Now Available on Kindle, Discount Price Extended
Get analytical
Late last year we told you about an eBook called Game Design Companion: A Critical Analysis of Wario Land 4, which aims to take a thorough, academic approach to assess the popular Game Boy Advance title. It's stated aim is to step beyond the normal boundaries of games criticism and to drill down into significant detail. Author...
News Remember, Wii Fit U's Free Trial Offer Expires On January 31st
It's not too late to get fit
The Nintendo Wii did a lot for the video game industry. It brought a breath of fresh air by allowing players to play games with motion controls, it had an approachable attitude and it allowed developers an opportunity to get creative with their games. Yes, the Wii was quite a step forward, and one of its messages to...
News Nintendo Q3 Results Bring Net Profit, But Warnings of Projected Losses Remain
3DS hardware surpassed 40 million lifetime sales
Following its revised projections from earlier in the month, Nintendo left little scope for surprise in its financial results. Overall there was a net profit, but warnings remain that typically slow Q4 sales would contribute to end of year losses like those projected; there were also some landmarks...
Video This Bravely Default Trailer Gives a Handy Gameplay Overview
Plus it has that awesome music
Bravely Default is creeping ever closer to its North American release on 7th February. It's received plenty of praise for in Europe and Japan to date, and Nintendo of America continues to gear up its marketing campaign to promote the title's arrival. Two new videos have been released recently, one of which is a rather...
Tuesday28th Jan 2014
Talking Point Is There A Future For The Wii U Without The GamePad?
Could sacrificing the console's main selling point be the way to success?
When the Wii U was first announced, the confirmation of the GamePad controller — complete with a second-screen bursting with tantalizing asymmetrical gameplay possibilities — caused quite a stir. The reaction from the industry and general public was mainly positive, and...
News Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Reduced to $19.99 on Both Wii U and 3DS
Hunt those downloads
With Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate confirmed to be on the way to the West in early 2015, Capcom seems keen to use the good news to shift more copies of the excellent Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on both Wii U and 3DS. European gamers can already look forward to some juicy discounts on both versions in this week's download update, but...
Guest Blog Shut up! Nothing is Wrong With The Nintendo Wii U!
Goodbye Galaxy Games' Hugo Smits speaks his mind
The last few weeks there has been a lot said about Nintendo and its products. It seems every analyst out there is keen on sharing his doom scenario. Most of them seem to think that Nintendo could solve all this by simply moving their software over to other platforms (mainly mobile) and some seem to...
Review Mario Bros. (3DS eShop / NES)
Subpar Mario
Mario and Luigi’s adventures have been nothing short of fantastical over the years, to the point where you could be forgiven for questioning their occupations as plumbers. But despite the brothers’ incredibly varied employment history as doctors, sportsmen and racing drivers — in which they’ve rarely called upon their supposed...
Preview Japanese Gamers Get Their Free Super Mario Bros. Deluxe Download
Can't grumble at free, right?
European gamers have to wait a few weeks longer yet, but lucky Japanese 3DS owners should have already received their free download codes for this fondly-remembered port of a gaming legend. First impressions of Super Mario Deluxe aren't, however, particularly good – the VS. game mode and print options simply don’t...
News The Nintendo Phone Almost Happened A Decade Ago
Ex-Danger employee reveals how Game Boy games nearly came to mobile
Everyone seems to be telling Nintendo to get its games on mobile phones these days, and yesterday's news that the company would be announcing some kind of smartphone strategy seems to suggest that it is listening to such advice. However, a former employee at Danger Research — the...
Matters of Import E.X. Troopers Brings The Heat To 3DS
Capcom however, remains frosty
Capcom’s E.X. Troopers may not be the latest or biggest Japanese 3DS game around, but it’s certainly no less worthy of inclusion here than any other game we’ve previously covered on Matters of Import and — as this and its high-resolution PS3 port are the only E.X. Troopers games so far — it is sadly still the...
Review Brilliant Hamsters! (3DS eShop)
Not quite brilliant
Nintendo revived the pet simulation genre with its hit Nintendogs series, and since then there have been plenty of other pet sims hoping to catch the animal-loving gamers' hearts. Bergsala Lightweight's eShop title Brilliant Hamsters! is a competently crafted pet simulator that simply doesn't present enough variety to sustain...
News Nintendo States There Are "No Plans" to Bring Mini-Games to Smart Devices
Satoru Iwata's Corporate Management Policy Briefing will reveal more
The Nikkei, a prominent business newspaper and website in Japan, recently published an article outlining its understanding of Nintendo's upcoming smart device strategies, highlighting its expectations of what will be announced later this week when Satoru Iwata provides an investor...
Video This Senran Kagura Burst Euro Trailer Will Put A Spring In Your Step
3D brawler is bursting out next month
Senran Kagura Burst might be seen by some individuals as a plague on gaming thanks to its cheap titillation and scantily-clad female fighters, but it's got just as many fans for those very same reasons — it's also a pretty decent game as well, as you'll know if you've already consulted our review. The...
Weirdness An Album You Can Remix On Your Game Boy Advance
Making music with an old friend
The charming blips and scratching synth of chiptune soundtracks has never really lost its appeal among gamers and musicians alike, with many examples of retro sounds being used in new projects even today. From Anamanaguchi to I Fight Dragons, there's plenty out there to discover, and now electronic pop maestro Doctor...
News 3DS Hardware Sales Pass 15 Million Units in Japan
It took 153 weeks
While the 3DS may not have sales tracking alongside those of the DS family of systems, it's achieved a great deal after a poor start and — as most would agree — performed well in an increasingly crowded, volatile market. Nintendo had hoped for better, naturally, having revised its yearly target down just recently, but that's...
Video Capcom Celebrates 10 Years of Monster Hunter
Epic
This is a big year for the Monster Hunter franchise, and Capcom has every reason to be happy with its current status. Monster Hunter 4 cruised past the company's sales targets for Japan, and in the process won't have done any harm to Nintendo's chances in retaining exclusivity of the franchise. In the Japanese market MH counts for a lot, so its...
News Monochroma Release Delayed on All Platforms
Nowhere Studios provides an unofficial new release window for Wii U
Last year we directed your attention to Monochroma, a successfully crowdfunded project that promises much with a 1950s dystopian setting and attractive visuals. A puzzle platformer with four chapters weighing in at around 90 minutes each, it scraped past its target to secure...
News The Tetris Company's Co-Founder Explains How He Brought The RPG Genre to Japan
A tale of fantasy
RPGs are often considered as a foundation block of the Japanese development industry, with the region's studios still producing a high number of these titles on a yearly basis. Whatever systems you own there are likely to be RPG titles available that were developed in Japan — especially if you have a DS or, increasingly, a 3DS...
Monday27th Jan 2014
Video The 10 Biggest Wii U Games Of 2014
It's a bumper year ahead
Not so long ago, we asked you to pick your most anticipated Wii U game for 2014 from a list of the 10 titles we thought were worth getting excited about. Fast forward a short while and the results have finally been counted and verified, and our trusty video expert Rory Cocker has duly created this handy presentation which...
Nintendo Download 30th January (Europe)
Wii Fit U, hamsters that are brilliant and plenty of discounts
As is now the regular routine, European Nintendo Download fans can kick off the week with an early look at what's to come in Thursday's update. The upcoming week does only feature one new game, rounding off a quiet January for the eShop platforms, but does include a series of tempting...
News The Nikkei Reports Potential Nintendo Smartphone Strategy, to be Announced This Week
Marketing and mini-games on the agenda
Nintendo recently announced major reductions in its sales and financial projections for this financial year, prompting various calls for action throughout the media and from fans. Those calls have naturally included suggestions to jump into the smartphone and tablet markets, though Satoru Iwata has stated that...
Feature A Week of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Screens - Issue Twenty Two
New stage! Luma! Edge mechanics! More!
Another week has passed, which means we've enjoyed more Super Smash Bros. screens. Masahiro Sakurai served up more goodies on the Super Smash Bros. Director's Room on Miiverse as always; there were some good'uns. There were two notable posts last week, with Sakurai-san reiterating t
News Zoink Games Has "Great News" On The Way for Wii U Owners
Tweeted with a typo, admittedly
While the Wii U may have taken some knocks recently, there's a steady stream of download developers, in particular, with games on the way or alternatively teasing future announcements. Zoink Games now falls into the latter category, having engaged in some tweeting with a fan and confirmed that it has news on the way...
News Kickstarter Research Highlights Low Delivery Rates of Game Projects
Delays are also common
A number of Wii U — and to a lesser extent 3DS — projects have emerged through crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. Some have arrived with publisher support, such as Cloudberry Kingdom, other examples like Shovel Knight are legitimately well on the way, and a series of others are well into development or a little way off...
News Professor Layton Vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Box Art Enters The Courtroom
A classic team-up gets some eye-catching cover art
Not so long ago, we delivered the excellent news that Professor Layton Vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney was coming to Europe this March. We've now been given some compelling additional evidence: the game's box art. What do you think of this cover? If you're on the fenc
Video Yoshi's New Island Trailer Shows Off Vehicle Transformations
Because Yoshi can do anything
Yoshi's New Island hits 3DS on 14th March in both Europe and North America, making it one of the earliest major first-party releases on the portable in 2014. As a sequel to the marvellous Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island on Super NES, it has a tough legacy to emulate. But still, it's Yoshi, so we should try and look...
News Nintendo Is "Wonderful" To Work With, Says BIT.TRIP Studio Gaijin Games
Unannounced projects currently being worked on
Nintendo's Wii U may be struggling to make the desired impression at retail, but that doesn't mean the system — and Nintendo itself — isn't held in high regard by some sectors of the development community. Last week, we heard Wales Interactive speak positively about the console, while Dakko Dakko's...
News Ubisoft Describes the Origins of Just Dance and Reflects on its Success
"People dared to dance in front of a screen and in front of people"
Gone are the days when any gamer with respect for the enjoyment of others can casually dismiss the Just Dance series. It may not be to all tastes — this writer would rather play Urban Champion again than dance — but it is hugely popular, with yearly releases doing little to...
News AiRace Speed Price Also Reduced in North America
European discount confirmed in previous download update
AiRace Speed is the third title in the handheld download series from QubicGames, adopting a futuristic setting and delivering high speed racing; despite a limited scope we stated that this could be an attractive option for "time trial junkies and aviation enthusiasts" in our review, in which we...
News Square-Enix Registers Curtain Call Trademark In Europe
Stylus' at the ready, Theatrhythm fans!
It looks like European Theatrhythm fans can start to get cautiously excited, as it turns out Square-Enix filed a European trademark for "Curtain Call" on Christmas Eve last year. There's always a chance that this just another bit of boring legal legwork done to keep less scrupulous developers from pinching...
News Mario Party: Island Tour Is Still Having a Good Time in the UK Top 20
Something to play in the January drought, it seems
We weren't convinced that the UK charts would be kind to Mario Party: Island Tour in its second week, after it made a decent — if unspectacular — début in 18th place. It seems that the good-old January games drought and some eager 3DS owners have kept the sales going, however; hey, Mario's in...
Sunday26th Jan 2014
News Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Confirmed for the West
Arrives in "early 2015"
Earlier today we shared the news that Monster Hunter 4 G arrives in Japan this year, an expanded and improved version of the phenomenally successful 3DS original. As we observed in that article, the arrival of Monster Hunter 3 G eventually paved the way for the "Ultimate" games — on Wii U and 3DS — in the West. In...
Preview Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Dat HD fur
The E3 event can be a strange beast, as the unveiling of a sequel to one of the Wii's finest platformers was met with wails of despair in some corners. A number of fans, including this writer, wanted a fresh project from Retro that was either Metroid or something new, and instead we received Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. It's...
News Rare Nintendo World Championships Cartridge Eventually Fetches $99,902
Update: Buyer backs out
Update: The buyer has apparently backed out of the purchase, claiming the bid was a "mistake". Here's what the seller had to say: The unfortunate reality is the second I approached the winning buyer with payment options, they retracted their bid claiming it was a “mistake.” I’m not offering the item to other bidders...
News Monster Hunter 4 G Due In Autumn / Fall This Year
Just for Japan at the moment, though
Capcom has just announced, at Monster Hunter Festa 13, that the 3DS will be receiving an updated version of Monster Hunter 4. It will release in Japan this coming autumn and, most importantly, saves will carry over from the original 3DS game, so professional wyvern-botherers can enjoy all the new content without...
Saturday25th Jan 2014
Guide How To Become The Ultimate Monster Breeder In Pokémon X & Y
Serebii's Joe Merrick offers some essential advice for new trainers
Over the coming weeks and months we'll be running a series of articles giving expert advice on Pokémon, focusing on the latest entry in this esteemed series: Pokémon X & Y. To start off, we're going to look at the mystic art of breeding Pokémon, because even before you decide...
News Extended Maintenance On The Way For Pokémon X & Y Servers
Start your Pokémon Bank rumours now
Server maintenance is nothing new for the Nintendo Network, as it's a weekly occurrence, but there are occasions when it's extended for some extra work. Sometimes that extra downtime leads to no notable changes, while on other occasions it clears the way for new features and updates. Let the speculation begin,...
News Namco Bandai Will Now Be Known As Bandai Namco Around The World
Don't forget
While we may know it as Namco Bandai, in its Japanese homeland the famous developer is known as Bandai Namco. In a bid to boost the brand around the world, the company has now decided to unify the name, so from 1st April we will have to revert to the Japanese convention. Bandai Namco it is, then, with its subsidiaries and regional...
News Kickstarter Campaign Launches For ReVeN
Metroid-inspired game includes Wii U in main target
A new Kickstarter campaign has been launched by Texas-based indie developer Varia Games for a 2D shooter/platformer called ReVeN. The title, which draws inspiration from classic games such as Metroid and Mega Man, could be coming to Wii U — as well as PC, Mac and Linux — if its $18,000 target...
News Castle Clout 3D Brings Medieval Destruction to the 3DS eShop on 30th January
Will cost $4.99 in North America
Selectsoft and Teyon are both prolific developers and publishers, and have teamed up on a new title to arrive in North America this week — Castle Clout 3D; the former is the primary publisher. This is a physics based action game where you utilise a trebuchet to fire projectiles and destroy enemy castles. It'll...
Weirdness Famicom Cartridges Turned Into Chiptune Harmonicas
Because some of you will just never stop blowing into them
The idea has been sitting right under our noses (where our mouths are) the entire time: we blow into cartridges; we blow into harmonicas. Why not merge the two together? Finally, we have the technology — or at least someone creatively wily enough to use it. The gadgeteer(s) at Ugoita...
Friday24th Jan 2014
News Ubisoft Refuses to Comment on Watch_Dogs Wii U Cancellation Rumours
Update: It still seems to be on the way to Wii U
Update 2: There is some very positive news regarding this rumour, as Kotaku has consulted its sources in Italy and the US — the latter was also showing cancellations in its GameStop stores — and stated that the disappearance of pre-order options was a "glitch". Pre-orders should be available now...
News Renegade Kid's New 3DS FPS Is Moon Chronicles
Seasonal structure, visual overhaul and Circle Pad Pro confirmed
Renegade Kid co-founder Jools Watsham has been busy throughout January, teasing an announcement for FPS lovers and 3DS owners, and adding to the perspective with some tweets following the studio regaining the rights to the Moon IP. As promised on social networks this week, the mystery...
Review Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (3DS eShop / NES)
What a horrible night to play this game
Sequels of the present day are almost an inevitability; a safe way for a developer to earn some extra revenue by expanding their previous game, slightly tweaking gameplay nuances and throwing in additional levels and enemies. However, in the late '80s, things were different – sequels could vary wildly from...
Ninterview Stepping Into The Nintendo Arcade
Alex Crowley tells us about collecting cabinets and his love for DK
When gamers refer to and discuss retro gaming, we suspect that in most cases the conversation revolves around ageing consoles, cartridges and CDs; occasionally, the debate may even revert to libraries and choices on services such as Nintendo's Virtual Consoles. Yet an integral part...
News Super-Rare Nintendo World Championship Cartridge Up For Sale On eBay
One of only 90 ever made
If you've got a few thousand dollars just sitting in your bank account doing nothing and you fancy owning a piece of (somewhat grubby) Nintendo history, then point your browser at this eBay auction for a NES Nintendo World Championship cartridge. These cartridges were produced for the 1990 Nintendo World Championship event,...
"I know where I, as the COO, and my company stands on this relationship"
Just recently an EA source was quoted as saying Nintendo was "dead" to EA "very quickly", after an initial show of support for the Wii U at E3 2011 and during its early months on the market. It was a source that wanted to be anonymous but, nevertheless, was cultivated by the...
News Early Mighty No. 9 Screenshots Blast Into View
Looking mighty fine
In September 2013, Mega Man mastermind and creator, Keiji Inafune, teased fans all over the world with the idea of a spiritual successor to the Blue Bomber. He showed off concept art and ambitious plans for his project, but the one thing he lacked was money, and so he turned to Kickstarter to ask fans to provide the necessary...
News Dragon Fantasy Set To Bring Retro Goodness To The 3DS eShop This Year
RPG fans are treated to another handheld adventure
There's quite a lot of nostalgia permeating the gaming industry nowadays, and it's made for some really interesting remakes, prequels and tweaks on classic titles in recent years. Games like NES Remix or even WarioWare play on old conventions, while others revel in their pixel art and tradition...
Play Mario Kart 7 with Nintendo Life - The Return
Start your engines
At the dawn of time Nintendo Life arranged community nights of online Mario Kart 7, and the gamers were happy. And lo, the ceremonies were ended in favour of seeking new forms of entertainment, exploring the world of online Nintendo gaming and seeking places where all could meet, unite as one, and compete in fun games. So began a...
News Nintendo "Confident" in PC Box Anti-Piracy Case Following European Court of Justice Decision
It's complicated
Nintendo has been involved in a number of legal cases to shut down and cease the sale of products used for "modding" its consoles, with the resulting uses circumventing the official functionality of the hardware. A current ongoing case in Italy is with PC Box, with Nintendo pursuing a case due to the company marketing and selling...
Video This Awesome Gerudo Valley Violin Cover Brings the Heat
Desert thieves, for strings
We last checked in on violin virtuoso Taylor Davis after she released an inspiring medley of songs from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Since then, Davis has traded her Sheik outfit for a Goron Tunic, bringing her talents to an arrangement of the famed Gerudo Valley theme. The video hits the trifecta: a stirring...
Video Persona Q Website Unveils Two More Characters
We really can't wait to get started on this one
We've had a look at the official Persona Q: Shadow of Labyrinth website a few times before, and now we drop back in just as Atlus releases videos focussing on Persona 3's Shinjiro Aragaki and Persona 4's Yukiko Amagi. They may struggle to even hit the one minute mark, but as they're almost entirely...
News Dakko Dakko's Rhodri Broadbent Emphasizes The Value of Unique Consoles
"Choice is always good"
The upcoming Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails may have missed its target of a Q4 2013 release, but that doesn't change the fact that Dakko Dakko's title is a promising exclusive for the Wii U eShop. That exclusivity is representative, in part, of the company's design focus, aiming to utilise unique aspects of hardware for...
News Spin the Bottle DLC Update and Increased Price Detailed and Dated
"We are basically trying to do 'DLC’s done right'"
Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party is an intriguing game in a number of ways; not only does it utilise the GamePad and Wii Remotes for quirky minigames, but developer KnapNok Games wasted little time in stating that it'd be incorporating a DLC pricing model to reward early adopters. It may have taken...
Thursday23rd Jan 2014
News 3DS System Update 7.1.0-15 is Available Now
We're digging all this extra stability
Just when the 3DS was settling down into a January stupor, Nintendo's gone and released a fresh system update. What does it do? Well, not much, and it's probably designed to stop naughty people doing things they shouldn't, such as hacking it. Update 7.1.0-15 is one of those quick downloads that makes your...
News Nintendo Was Dead To Us Very Quickly, States EA Source
"We don't really make games for kids"
When Nintendo announced the Wii U, one of the first publishers to pledge its allegiance was EA, which promised "unprecedented" support for the new console. That quickly dissolved to nothing, with EA's only contributions coming in the first months of the Wii U's lifespan. It has — for the time being, at least...
News Mass Market Price And Mario Kart 8 Will Reverse The Wii U's Fortunes, Say UK Retailers
Key figures in UK games retail pass judgement
Nintendo's recent poor financial reports and the less-than-brilliant sales of the Wii U console have triggered a flood of comments and suggestions from fans, developers, publishers and analysts alike, and now it's the turn of the retailers to offer their own perspective on the situation. Speaking to UK...
Nintendo Download 23rd January (North America)
Jack of Mighty Bombs, a Life Force and some discounts
Another download update is here, North America, yet this week we're left to pick over some discounts and two Virtual Console titles. There's not much more we can say in this pre-amble, so let's get to it. Wii U Virtual Console: Mighty Bomb Jack (Tecmo Koei, $4.99) — This NES 'sequel' to a...
News Senran Kagura Burst Pre-Order Bonuses Announced For Europe
Throwing stars, unfortunately, are not included
School can be boring sometimes. Let’s face it, it’s not the greatest thing in the world, but if Japanese Anime and Manga is anything to go off, school is the best place to be. You get to learn how to become a samurai that hunts down evil spirits, or a magician who tracks down spells to undo an...
Video The First Thirty Minutes Of The Best 3DS Action Game You've Never Played
That's E.X. Troopers, by the way
"Like Lost Planet, but anime" could easily have been the most cynical boardroom pitch ever, but thankfully Capcom couldn't have any poured any more love into E.X. Troopers if it had tried. We've got a full Matters of Import feature coming up soon on this amazing title, so in the meantime grab yourself a hot beverage...
Interview Wales Interactive on its Upcoming Wii U eShop Games and Working With Nintendo
"We love the GamePad concept and being able to connect to another display"
It seems fair to say that, though some quality releases have graced the Wii U eShop, we're still awaiting — due to various delays — a consistent flow of tempting download-only content on the store. With each passing week the list of promising and confirmed titles creep...
News Harvest Moon: Connect To A New World Shows Us How To Get Started
English tutorials are never this good
A new issue of Famitsu has arrived, giving fans of the turnip-pulling series a very brief glimpse at the seasonal changes and two events in the upcoming Harvest Moon title. Short of trees looking a nice brownish-gold in autumn and snow covering the ground in winter there's not a fat lot else to tell there, so we...
News Yoshi's New Island Hatches in Europe on 14th March
Nintendo UK offers Yoshi Egg Game Case as pre-order bonus
Update: Nintendo UK has now clarified that the Yoshi Egg Game Case pre-order bonus will be available from GAME. Original Article: Not too long ago Nintendo of America announced, as a rather casual aside in a broader press release, that Yoshi's New Island will arrive in the region on 14th...
Video Ace Attorney Collection Promotional Trailer Is Now Available As Hard Evidence
No objections here (sorry)
In addition to yesterday's news, we've got a few further details and a lovely little trailer for the Ace Attorney Collection, courtesy of the official website. The e-Capcom exclusive limited edition set, priced at ¥5,240 (about £30 / $50 USD / €37), will include a drama CD (cover to be determined) and a set of three...
"We are massive Nintendo fans so it's a huge privilege"
Late last year we reported that Wales Interactive is bringing two games to the Wii U eShop; these are Gravity Badgers and Master Reboot. The studio has been prolific in its short existence to date, publishing a number of smartphone titles, but is increasingly moving onto PC and home console...
News Level-5 Trademarks Yo-kai Watch in the US
Watch for monsters
You know youkai? Those strange creatures of Japanese folklore that sometimes masquerade as "raccoons" or "turtles" in certain localized games? Level-5 might be giving these monsters more of their due outside of Japan, if recent trademarks are any indication. According to Siliconera, Level-5 has trademarked "Yo-Kai Watch" in the...
News Project X Zone Price Slashed To $20 On The North American 3DS eShop
Role-playing on a budget
Project X Zone is one of those games that isn't for everyone; the unique mixture of JRPG action and fan-service means that it's only going to appeal to a very focused audience. Chances are some of you may have passed on this title when it first released — but the game has just received a permanent price reduction which...
News Release Window and Pricing Confirmed for Tappingo on the 3DS eShop
Tapping you up for $2.99 / €2.99
Tappingo is the latest title from popular portable download developer Hugo Smits (aka Goodbye Galaxy Games); his titles on DSiWare consistently delivered enjoyable, clever mechanics. The developer's 3DS eShop début looks promising, as it produces a new twist on ideas that may have some familiarity for Picross...
News Shovel Knight Targeting 31st March For Launch
Shiny new trailer and website also arrive
Shovel Knight was a significant crowdfunding success for Yacht Club Games, which is comprised primarily of former WayForward employees. That's impressive considering that it's the studio's first game, yet its initial release window of September was missed, as was its target for late 2013. The positive news...
Wednesday22nd Jan 2014
News Netflix Wii U App Update Goes Live
Spot the differences
Gone are the days of slotting in a cartridge and simply playing a game, as consoles have become multimedia devices for surfing the web and watching slightly different TV. The Wii U's Netflix app does a pretty decent job with the service, happily handling the HD streaming and being nice and functional all around. But still,...
News Pokémon Bank Re-Released In Japan
Still waiting on North America and Europe
For many gamers, the unveiling of an upcoming game or feature is truly an exciting time. Waiting for the next big release creates feelings of anticipation unmatched in the industry. For some, one of these times was during the lead up to Pokémon Bank. The ability to transfer Pokémon from previous games and...
Feature Nintendo Games Our Readers Would Love to See in 2014
Some eclectic choices
With 2014 swinging into gear, we can anticipate a number of fresh game announcements and arrivals from Nintendo, as was the case in 2013. A little while ago we shared some Nintendo games we'd love to see in 2014, attempting to produce some concrete concepts and names that we feel would be welcome announcements. Whether any of...
News Pokémon Trading Card Game: XY Expansion Pack Arrives 5th February
Introduces Mega Evolution mechanic and over 140 new cards
The Pokémon Company has announced the upcoming arrival of the Pokémon Trading Card Game: XY expansion, which will be available in stores from 5th February; this is applicable in multiple territories, while a price of $3.99 for 10-card booster packs is confirmed for North America. Unlike the...
News Masahiro Sakurai Confirms Super Smash Bros. Changes to Edge Grabbing Mechanics
If you have the skills, this stuff matters
While Masahiro Sakurai's daily Miiverse posts are entertaining in their own right, in recent weeks he's been revealing more tid-bits of info on features and fighting mechanics in the new Super Smash Bros. titles. While not wholly revealing in themselves, they're gradually painting a picture of a development...
Review Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (Wii U eShop / NES)
Should've put a stake in it
With 1987's Castlevania on the NES, Konami created a classic. The vampire hunting action game was a whip-roaring success, kicking off one of gaming's most iconic series and introducing a generation of gamers to the adventures of Simon Belmont, the joy of whip-based combat, and the explosive properties of holy water. The...
Video Levi and Sasha Slay Some Giants In This Attack On Titan DLC Mission Footage
Scratch that Titan-hating itch
We've taken an in-depth look at Attack on Titan before, but we couldn't resist sharing some more footage — this time showing DLC-exclusive characters Levi and Sasha doing their thing. Levi's mission is a straightforward Titan-killing exercise, while Sasha has the much tougher task of hunting for hidden items whilst...
Weirdness Someone's Actually Compiled All of the NES 'Start' Screens
Just, because...
No matter how much games change, some things stay the same — like 'Start' screens. Nowadays they represent a "this has finally stopped loading, wake up" screen, but in the NES days the focus was arguably different — load times weren't a particular issue, so they perhaps felt more like arcade-style prompts to give that initial...
News Kirby: Triple Deluxe Remains Number One in Japan as Hardware Sales Dip
Well, it is January
It's Wednesday, which means Media Create Japanese chart results, and this week brings further cheer for everyone's favourite pink ball, as Kirby: Triple Deluxe retains top spot in the software chart. The hardware positions remain the same, but with every system seeing a drop in sales. To start with the software top 20, Kirby...
News Ace Attorney Collection Coming To Japanese 3DS Consoles This April
The first three adventures in one handy package
Capcom is releasing a special Ace Attorney collection for the 3DS which contains the first three games in the best-selling series. While the 3DS console's unique screen will be used to give each game a sense of depth, they will remain effectively unchanged from a graphical perspective. English...
News Creative Racer, Velocity Stream, Could Be Speeding Towards Wii U
Paving the way forward
One of the best things about video games is their versatility. A game can go in any direction it wants to and can lead to some pretty creative means of storytelling or gameplay down the line. Sometimes, however, it’s easy for some games to get caught up in the genre and limits start to get in the way. One such genre is...
News Unsung Story: Tale of the Guardians Campaign Drastically Reduces 3DS Target
It's now feasible
Just over a week ago we told you about the Unsung Story: Tale of the Guardians Kickstarter campaign, which has Yasumi Matsuno on board. If you're unaware, Matsuno-san has worked on and been responsible for a diverse range of games, such as Final Fantasy Tactics Advance on GBA, Tactics Ogre on Super NES, MadWorld on Wii and the...
News Cody, Haggar And Guy Are Scrapping Their Way To The Japanese 3DS eShop In Mighty Final Fight
While we get Mighty Bomb Jack
Next week, Japanese 3DS owners will be able to step into the super-deformed shoes of Metro City's famous wrestling mayor Mike Haggar thanks to the release of Mighty Final Fight on the 3DS Virtual Console. Capcom's side-scrolling fighter originally launched on the Famicom and NES back in 1993, and offers the same kind...
Play Mario Kart 7 With Nintendo Life - Choose Your Rules
It's baaaaaaaack!!!
There was a time, in early 2013, when team NL had a conversation that went like this... "Right, time for another Mario Kart 7 community night, right?" "Maybe we should see if any Wii U games have online community features." "Erm, Call of Duty?" "Nah, let's look into it." Well, we've been 'looking into it' — which means...
News Activision Confirms Cut the Rope: Triple Treat for 3DS
The 3DS eShop version says hi
If Activision has learnt anything from its Angry Birds retail releases, it's that it really is possible to get more money for old rope, which is appropriate with confirmation of Cut the Rope: Triple Treat. Following on from the Angry Birds Trilogy, this will be a compilation of Cut the Rope and its two expansions,...
News You Can Vote For Nintendo In The 10th Annual Family Game Of The Year Awards
With a chance to win a big family gaming bundle, too
Nintendo systems have been gathering families and friends around the television set for decades now, but things are currently more accessible than ever. The TVs are bigger, yet even they're dwarfed by the sheer growth in our selection of games to play on them. Consoles have proven themselves as a...
Video Puzzle Mashup Puyo Puyo Tetris Works Better Than You Might Think
Two puzzle giants collide, with interesting results
We've dished out info on Sega's curious Puyo Puyo and Tetris fusion before, but now the playable demo has finally hit the Japanese eShop we've been able to get our grubby mitts on it and give you a real look at how it all works. It sounds quite jarring to play Puyo Puyo against someone else who's...
Tuesday21st Jan 2014
News Listen To This Awesome Street Fighter II Rock Opera
An epic six years in the making
What started as a throwaway joke between friends has now concluded as something much, much more; a fully-fledged rock opera extravaganza. In 2007, Texan indie group Man Factory got together and decided that there was enough referential material in the Street Fighter series to knock together a garage rock album telling...
Review F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition (Wii U eShop)
This Formula isn't quite the One
The kart racing genre has never been particularly short of options. While Nintendo may have created the most enduring franchise in the form of Mario Kart, others such as Sony and Sega have produced high-profile efforts, with Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed being a recent and excellent example. The fantasy of...
News BBC is "Working to bring iPlayer" to the Wii U
It's still a thing, then
While the Wii U has some useful apps for TV viewing, including examples such as Netflix, it's still short of some key features. Those with TVii in North America can lord it over those missing out in Europe, for example, while another absentee to date is BBC iPlayer, which did feature on the Wii. Thankfully it is still...
Talking Point The Wii U's 'Relevance' Is About Sales, Nintendo's Strategy Has Remained Consistent
It's tried to stick to a winning Wii formula
Last week was a bit grim for Nintendo and its followers, as it changed from an official stance of predicting a positive year to the polar opposite. Gone were optimistic projections aligned with profits, and in their place were lower numbers — distressingly so with Wii U — and predicted losses...
News UK Retailer Argos Drops Wii U Premium to £179.99
Update: Amazon UK joins in
Update Amazon, not one to be outdone on a deal, has now matched the Argos Wii U Premium price of £179.99, which you can see right here; as with Argos, this is for the standard 32GB model. Original article After a festive period that — as acknowledged by Nintendo — failed to deliver the bumper sales it anticipated,...
Weirdness These Tombstones for Fallen Characters Show The Horrors of Nintendo Gaming
RIP Goomba, Koopa Troopa... oh no, Link!
Death is everywhere in video games. Mario ruthlessly stomps on turtles — or turtle-like things — Link falls in his efforts to save Hyrule, and heroic Knights suffer the indignity of dying in their underpants. It's a cruel, cruel world. Sometimes the heroes die with a bit of sad music to accompany them,...
News Nintendo of America Offers Stock of Refurbished Wii U Deluxe Sets for $250
A $50 saving on the recommended retail price for new systems
While two of the biggest retailers in the UK are dropping Wii U console prices, the tale naturally varies elsewhere. Gamers in North America currently considering a Wii U find some retailers sticking with the recommended 32GB price of $299 — there are some cheaper options. Just like...
Matters of Import Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict Joins The 3DS Library
Like a light Shining in the Darkness
Thanks to Sega’s continuing support of the 3DS Virtual Console service we now have all three Game Gear Shining Force games available to buy on Nintendo’s much loved handheld — in Japan, at least. The emulation is so consistently brilliant on the 3DS it’s hardly worth mentioning these days: we’ll simply...
News Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver Soundtrack Available For Download
Additional soundtracks coming later this year
Video game music is perhaps one of the most cherished and appreciated aspects of a game’s reputation. Titles in franchises such as The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario are loved not solely for their gameplay, but for their connection to the player through wit, charm, and music; some of the most beloved...
News Mighty Bomb Jack Is Blowing Up The North American Wii U Virtual Console This Week
Explosive stuff
We usually put our North American Nintendo Download update live later in the week when the official word hits the street, but every now and then we get a bit of a heads-up on forthcoming releases — and today is one of those times. A listing for Mighty Bomb Jack has appeared on the North American Wii U eShop which lists the NES...
News Rhythm Fighting Game KickBeat Gets Rated For Wii U
Blood on the dancefloor
A German rating for the Zen Studios "experimental rhythm game" KickBeat suggests that the downloadable PS3 and PS Vita title is headed to the Wii U eShop. This unique brawler combines music with combat action, and boasts a soundtrack packed with songs by artists such as Pendulum, Marilyn Manson, Celldweller, Blue Stahli,...
Interview Kennedy Baruch on Filmmaking Inspired by Games
"The Legend of Zelda is basically the Holy Grail of gaming"
Over the past year we've shared two videos produced by Kennedy Baruch, the first of which was an award-winning short film titled ESCAPE!, a heart-wrenching tale of a young girl seeking escapism from bullying at school and abuse in a breaking home. Just recently Baruch confirmed that he's...
Video This Bravely Default Story Trailer Goes For An Epic Approach
Dat music
Ahead of its release in the region on 7th February, Nintendo of America continues to publish videos to build hype for Bravely Default on 3DS. We've already had a jobs trailer that outlines the different character classes and roles, but it's now getting down to the nitty gritty. The latest video, below, introduces the main cast and...
News La-Mulana 2 Emerges Through a Kickstarter Campaign
Meaty Wii U and 3DS stretch goals included
La-Mulana was one of the last high-quality titles to grace the WiiWare service, undergoing delays and various issues before eventually hitting the service worldwide — it was a success-story on PC, notably, becoming the first Japanese game to be 'greenlit' on Steam. There are a number of vocal fans of the...
Monday20th Jan 2014
News Sakurai Reiterates That There'll Be No Subspace Emissary-Style Story in Super Smash Bros.
Also teases a new 3DS stage
Last summer Masahiro Sakurai stated that there'd be no cinematic story in the new Super Smash Bros. titles coming to the Wii U and 3DS. The reasoning was a little peculiar, as Sakurai-san said the following. Unfortunately, the movie scenes we worked hard to create were uploaded onto the internet. You can only truly wow...
Review Chibi-Robo! Photo Finder (3DS eShop)
Photogenic or photobombed?
Explaining the attraction of the Chibi-Robo series to the uninitiated isn't the easiest task. While the idea of a helpful little robot may be charming enough, it's the activities he takes part in — which, on the surface, might sound like little more than virtual chores — that are sure to scare away many a gamer. What...
News Rune Factory 4 European Release Has Been Cancelled
"MAQL and MAQL Europe would like to thank everyone for their support"
Rune Factory 4 is another excellent title in the ever-growing list of 3DS RPG experiences, though as per its series it has its own rather quirky blend of play styles — dating and farming join heroic questing. We described it as a "gem of a game" and awarded it 9/10 when it was...
Nintendo Download 23rd January (Europe)
Unepic, old-school Mario and Ninja Gaiden challenge, loads of discounts
European Nintendo fans once again have the download update to bring some cheer to a dreary Monday morning. This time around we have a new Wii U eShop title that's already earned an 8 in our review, along with some retro goodies and a lengthy list of 3DS eShop discounts. Let's...
Review Cocoto Magic Circus 2 (Wii U eShop / Wii U)
Look ma', I shot that lizard!
Nintendo, the pillar of family friendly gaming, once made a good amount of money by selling kids plastic guns. OK, it was a Zapper, but the point stands; we may bemoan some mature, modern shooters for the violence they promote, but more fantastical and cuddly violence has always been part of the gaming landscape. Cocoto...
Nintendo could make "billions" with its "treasure trove" of characters
Last week's dismal news regarding Nintendo's financials has triggered a wave of comment and debate, with many industry experts earning their keep by offering several different scenarios for getting the Japanese giant out of the hole it currently finds itself in. However, the...
News $1.2 Billion Wiped Off Nintendo's Market Value As Share Prices Plummet
Biggest decline since September
The recent news that Nintendo expects to sell less Wii U and 3DS consoles — as well as make a loss — has caused the company's share prices to drop dramatically. Friday's announcement that Nintendo expects to make an operating loss of 35 billion Yen ($335 million / £205 million) this financial year — after...
Feature A Week of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Screens - Issue Twenty One
Dedede! Ashley! Group Shots! More!
While 2014 could have been a tad better so far, let's remember one important thing — Super Smash Bros. arrives on 3DS and Wii U this year! Go on, let a smile creep across those lips, and know that Masahiro Sakurai is still delivering daily goodies on the Super Smash Bros. Director's Room on Miiverse. With every...
News Scirra's Construct 2 Engine to Support Wii U Nintendo Web Framework Development
Another route to the eShop
While various small developers are bringing their games to the Wii U eShop using custom-developed engines or licensed options such as Unity, Nintendo's also established the Nintendo Web Framework to allow games using web-based codes such as HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript to be published on the store. One upcoming HTML5 game...
News Nintendo Confirms Rambi's Return in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Power play
With its release now a little over a month away, Nintendo is starting to gradually reveal more minor pieces of information for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. At the end of last year we were shown the return of Funky Kong, and now there's confirmation that a favourite from Donkey Kong Country Returns — and from the original Super...
Matters of Import Taking Initial D: Perfect Shift Online For A Spin
A Not-So-Hot Rod
Free-to-play is all the rage these days, with in-app purchases proving profitable for developers while allowing users to decide exactly how much they want to spend and everyone — from Square-Enix to Capcom to probably your Gran — has an iOS game or MMO available to install for free with optional micro-transactions attached. So...
News Mega Man Board Game Kickstarter Destroys Boss, Gets Money Beam
PayPal backing still possible
In further proof that the words "Mega Man" cause a violent reaction in money that makes it leap out of wallets and hurl itself kamikaze-like into screens, the Kickstarter for the Mega Man Board Game ended yesterday with almost six times the funding it initially requested. Jasco Games's Kickstarter finished at around...
News Team Kakumei Joins The Wii U Developer Family
They came in like a Wrecking Ball
For fresh, straight-out-of-college game devs, catching a break can be tough. It’s no different from any other job; employers want their new recruits to have experience in the field they’re applying for, so getting the job you want straight out of school can be hard. This was no different for Team Kakumei – a...
News Shadow Of The Eternals Isn't Dead, But Don't Expect Big News Any Time Soon
Precursor "taking a look" at potential options
It's fair to say that Shadow Of The Eternals has had a particularly eventful development period. The game's status as a spiritual sequel to the GameCube classic Eternal Darkness ensured that it received plenty of attention when it was initially announced, but after more than one failed crowd-funding...
News Mario Party: Island Tour Arrives in the UK Top 20
Super Mario 3D World sneaks back into the top 40
Mario Party: Island Tour arrived on the 3DS in Europe on 17th January, and its opening weekend of sales have helped it up to 18th in this week's all-format UK charts. It's a reasonable mini-game collection, in our view, describing it as "a sound purchase for kids, families or anyone looking to play...
Sunday19th Jan 2014
Not ungood
So you know how it goes: you’re playing a tabletop RPG with your friends. They poke fun at you because you, the Modern Gamer, want to try something that tends to work on a screen but doesn’t jive with the “realism” of high fantasy. Whatever. You excuse yourself to 'observe nature', but the lights go out and suddenly you’re not...
Review Hot Wheels: World's Best Driver (Wii U)
Lead it Away
It’s wonderful to think about the toys of our childhood and how they’re being brought back to life as video games. Through gaming, new generations of youngsters can enjoy the same things that older gamers did in their youth, but in a completely different way. It’s safe to assume that many of you reading this grew up building with...
Weirdness When Publicity Pictures Aren't Worth It - Aaron Paul With Wii Fit U
Wii Fit U, B****
Aaron Paul is all the rage right now. Although an actor with a highly respectable career over a number of years, he's shot to prominence in recent times due to his role as Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad; he's now appearing in the lead role of the upcoming Need for Speed movie, for better or worse. So he's hot stuff, winning awards...
Video James Farr's Awesome Star Wars and Nintendo Mashup Continues
This time it's The Empire Strikes Back
Back in October we shared the latest animation from James Farr, Super Smash Wars: A Link to the Hope, which had already followed thoroughly entertaining efforts that combined Nintendo franchises with those such as Ghostbusters. The good news is that the animator has returned to give his spin on the second Star...
Feature Monster Hunting With Kerry: Taking Baby Steps With Great Jaggi
Warning: Article contains gross incompetence
Hello! Kerry here, your inept but endlessly enthusiastic guide through the dangerous and thrilling world of Monster Hunter 4. At the behest of the kind and gracious Nintendo Life overlords, I've been locked away in a small room for days on end and tasked with playing as much of the Japanese version as...
Saturday18th Jan 2014
News Nintendo President Satoru Iwata "Has Earned The Right To Fail", Says David Jaffe
Nintendo's "ups and downs" are what make the company great
Yesterday, Nintendo revealed that it was slashing its hardware projections for this financial year and that it expects to make a loss — not the kind of news that under-fire president Satoru Iwata will have wanted to impart to investors and shareholders, we're sure. Iwata himself has...
News Book Focused on EarthBound's Development and Localisation Shut Down by Nintendo
Marcus Lindblom: "I have no desire to rock the boat with Nintendo at all"
Marcus Lindblom was the primary translator and localisation expert for iconic Super NES title EarthBound, and since its emergence on the Wii U eShop last year he's spoken a fair amount about his work on the project. It's emerged, however, from an interview with
Interview Codemasters - F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition
Vroom vroom
Codemasters’ F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition finally zoomed on to the Wii U eShop this week in Europe and North America; its marketing promises fast and fun arcade racing on the Wii U, with four-player split-screen racing. Formula One fans may get a kick out of seeing stars such as Lewis Hamilton, Alonso and Vettel make an appearance...
News Speedrunner Alert - Majora's Mask Glitch Allows Unexpected Warps
It's on
It seems that we can't get away from speedrunning at the moment, which is absolutely fine by us. Not too long ago we had a whole week of runs with the Awesome Games Done Quick event, which did an outstanding job to raise over $1,000,000 for charity. Away from fundraising, however, speedrunning is a major passion in the gaming world, and...
News Mathematical Adventure Time DLC Heads to Wii U
Get your brawl on with Peppermint Butler
Adventure time fans yearning for new characters to dungeon-crawl with in the Wii U's Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW! will be pleased to discover that a fresh batch of DLC is now available. The downloadable content, which is currently up for purchase on the Wii U eShop, features three...
Video YouTube Challenge Winner's Video Blasts Into View
FreddyW (RocketJump) and HAWP collaboration
Back in December Nintendo announced that the HAWPOfficial channel was the winner of its YouTube challenge, in which a number of popular content creators were given the goal of producing videos inspired by Super Mario 3D World or The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. The winner had the chance to work on a
Friday17th Jan 2014
Review Disney Frozen: Olaf's Quest (3DS)
A short and chilling quest
Those of you that are keen movie buffs will know that Frozen is Disney's latest animated motion picture, and — judging from the enthusiastic critical and commercial reaction — it's fair to say that it has gone down a treat with adults and children alike. Full of lovable characters and boasting a good soundtrack (like...
Talking Point Nintendo's Wii U Struggles Bring a Challenge, Not Doom
The wider picture shows more than "Nintendoomed"
So, it was a funny old day at Nintendo HQ. Within a short space of time we went from 3DS topping hardware sales in the U.S., alongside the Wii U enjoying its "highest month", to Nintendo confirming major reductions in its sales and financial projections. The timing of this — after the December NPD...
"We are thinking about a new business structure"
The news that Nintendo has reduced its hardware sales projections for this financial year and expects to make a loss has come as quite a blow to dedicated followers of the company, and has led some critics to repeat claims that the firm needs to move away from making its own hardware and embrace rival...
News Nintendo Confirms Major Reductions In Sales and Financial Projections
Lowered expectations across the board
Yesterday brought us NPD sales results for the US, which delivered top of the class results for 3DS and Wii U's strongest month to date, but it is now clear that — combined with results worldwide — those numbers simply weren't high enough. Nintendo has today issued adjustments to its financial and sales...
News 3DS Tops US Hardware Sales as Wii U Achieves "Its Highest Month" in December
A positive step for Wii U, but progress still needed
Industry tracking firm NPD has released some details for December sales in the US, and they provide some solid news for Nintendo, even if the absence of an official press release from the company — at the time of writing — suggests a cautious reaction to the results. The major positive for...
News Iwata Accepts Responsibility For Poor Financial Results, Ignores Calls To Resign
No management shake-up expected
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has taken responsibility for the poor financial results posted earlier today but has insisted that he will remain in charge in order to steer the Japanese company through these testing times. Nintendo's latest report reveals that it expects to sell less Wii U and 3DS consoles by the...
News Nintendo Has "Great Games" But Is Facing A "Structural Problem", According To Industry Analysts
"The first step to recovery is to acknowledge the problem"
Today's somewhat dismal financial results have given Nintendo fans plenty of food for thought, as well as providing the company's critics with all the ammunition they need. Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Asset Management Co. in Tokyo, feels that Nintendo needs to...
News Satoru Iwata Explains Reduced Projections and "Large Margin" 3DS and Wii U Sales Misses
Wii U hardware and software sales suffered "a huge gap" from their targets
Nintendo has issued a financial update with major reductions in sales and financial projections, stepping in ahead of its Q3 report at the end of January. In all likelihood this was to head off speculation following yesterday's NPD results, which would have combined with...
News Mario's Iconic Hat Is Now Available From Club Nintendo Australia
Don't go plumbing without it
After a surprising end to 2013, Club Nintendo Australia has kicked off the New Year with a bang, adding Mario's famous hat to the local catalogue. As the description on the catalogue states: This is a true-to-life replica of the iconic red hat worn by Mario. Keep it as a collector item, and display it with pride...
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Twenty One
Adulthood awaits for WGAYPTW
It's been a while, for which the features editor in question is receiving a firm reprimand, but the treasured WGAYPTW series returns. And it's all grown up for its 21st issue — that means doing the laundry, paying taxes and being more miserable than in its younger years. Thankfully video games are here to save the day...
News Ninja Gaiden III Is Slashing Its Way To The European 3DS eShop Next Week
Jumping the ship of doom
Nintendo UK has confirmed that Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom is coming to the European 3DS eShop next week — the 23rd of January, to be precise. The third game in the NES-based trilogy from Tecmo, Ninja Gaiden III is seen by many fans as the best of the three. "Ninja Gaiden III does a great job of being true...
Video Feast Your Tired And Weary Eyes On This Fresh Puyo Puyo Tetris Footage
Four-way puzzle madness
Today's not been fantastic as far as the world of Nintendo is concerned, but thankfully we've got some new footage of puzzle crossover title Puyo Puyo Tetris to show you, and that goes at least some way to making up for the less enjoyable news we've had recently. The video — which shows off the four-player mode — is...
Thursday16th Jan 2014
News This Design For A "Game Boy Evolution" Sure Is Intriguing
A hi-tech system with fold-out controls
When it comes to Nintendo's next move in the portable gaming space — not that it's likely to be in a rush — we've seen a few dreamers with decent software come up with interesting ideas and flashy concept images. A notable recent example was the Nintendo smartphone, a potato so hot that we'll leave that...
Review Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure (Wii U)
Well-written heroes
There’s an oddly profound moment at the beginning of Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure in which Batman tells Maxwell, the series protagonist, that “no one respects a hero who takes the easy way out.” That one line, though innocuous as it may be, actually sets the tone for the rest of the game. It’s a reminder...
Nintendo Download 16th January (North America)
Unepic, Powered Up F1, double Castlevania and a discount
It's Nintendo Download time, North America, and this week we have rather slim pickings. That said, there are two new offerings on the Wii U eShop, a Konami double on the Virtual Console's and an attractive discount. So, let's get to it. Wii U eShop: Unepic (EnjoyUp Games, $9.99) — The work...
Matters Of Import A Peek Into The Tragically Unobtainable World Of Dragon Quest X
Taking the quest online
In an utterly baffling move, Dragon Quest X — the most recent game in the iconic RPG series — is not only import-only but also IP blocked, meaning the game will refuse to work for all legitimate users trying to play from outside Japan. Luckily, there are ways to get your foreign internet connection to disguise itself with...
News Final Fantasy VI On Android Is Pricey and Looks Rather Peculiar
One alternative is the Wii Virtual Console...
Square Enix is a publisher that's made a significant push on smart devices, often standing apart due to its willingness to release some of its biggest franchises at premium prices, clearly resisting the ongoing race to the bottom. The latest case in point is Final Fantasy VI — commonly known on the...
News Here Are Some Monstrous eShop Discounts for North America
Monster Hunter! Scribblenauts! Bomb Monkey!
We've already had today's Nintendo Download update for North America, which included a tasty discount on the excellent Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl. But wait, there's more! Some of you kindly pointed out that there are extra discounts available, and as Nintendo's official update didn't...
News Senran Kagura Is Bursting Onto European Store Shelves In February
Digital release coming a day earlier
If you're a fan of fighting games which feature buxom girls who lose their clothes during combat, then you'll want to sit up and take note of this news. MarvelousAQL has confirmed that Senran Kagura Burst will be coming to Europe this February in both physical and digital formats. A compilation of the first two...
News Watch_Dogs' Pre-Delay Budget Was $68 Million
No tight leash for this ambitious project
Watch_Dogs certainly caught plenty of attention when it first surprised the E3 audience in 2012, and broke more than a few hearts when an unexpected delay set it back from a November 2013 release to Spring 2014. A fresh eye was cast on the game's development, and in the wake of Ubisoft's apologies and...
News Shin Megami Tensei IV Soundtrack Released Next Month
Four discs crammed full of incredible music
Atlus has just announced that Shin Megami Tensei IV, which scored a fantastic 9/10 in our review, will finally see its wonderful soundtrack released in Japan on 26th February. Even better is that this isn't some half-hearted "best of" or "selection" CD, but all 112 tracks spread across four CDs and...
Video A New Bravely Default Trailer Shows You How To Get A Job
Not your average 9 to 5, though
Any RPG – or JRPG – gamer knows that strategy is the most important thing when playing through the game. Knowing enemy weak spots, which armour to equip and which weapon is the most effective are all key factors to make victory a certainty. Yet sometimes things go into deeper levels of planning. Bravely Default...
News Nintendo Picks Up Multiple Nominations in D.I.C.E. Awards
Zelda and Mario lead the way
In early February Las Vegas will host the D.I.CE. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit, which is run by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS); it's a major annual meet-up of game designers and developers from around the world. The culmination of the summit is always the D.I.C.E. Awards, with...
Video This New F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition Trailer Hits the Accelerator
Maybe the real sport could do with some of these ideas
At the risk of irritating Formula One enthusiasts around the world, we'll suggest that it's a sport often lacking the wow factor. Occasionally races are thrilling, but there are plenty of occasions where the cars simply follow each other around for a couple of hours — at admittedly high speeds...
Video Thirty Glorious Minutes Of Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict
Yet another excellent but untranslated Sega RPG hits Japan
The last Game Gear Shining Force game, Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict takes place in between the mainline Genesis / Mega Drive titles Shining Force I and II and — as you'd expect — features many, many, fan-pleasing plot threads, characters and general references to the events in...
News Quest Begins To Find The Best Game Boy Tetris Player In The United Kingdom
Block buster
Since the release of the excellent King of Kong, it's fair to say that the world of video game high-score chasing has become a little more respectable. The documentary showed that the people who post these amazing scores are necessarily locking themselves away in rooms for weeks at a time; they're normal people with families and jobs...
Wednesday15th Jan 2014
News 3DS Region-Free Hack is Hacked by Hackers
Irony goes into overdrive
Not so long ago we reported on a hack that utilises a flashcard and edits to a launcher to enable a 3DS to play legitimate cartridges region-free. Intriguingly, the tweak made the launcher itself unable to play ROMS and illegal game copies, but did mean a 3DS could run games from anywhere in the world, though admittedly...
Talking Point An Unplanned Flash Sale Looked Like Retail Download Genius from Nintendo
A flash sale... well, 'flashed' before our eyes
There was a moment this week when, for a brief and glorious moment, Nintendo ran a Steam-like flash sale on retail games. It may have passed plenty of people by, especially as it was for download codes on the official Nintendo UK store, but it was a glimmer of a brave new world where Nintendo creates...
First Impressions Kirby: Triple Deluxe Is Three Times More Fun Than Most Other 3DS Games
Definitely doesn’t suck
It’s obvious from the moment you start that Kirby Triple Deluxe is Nintendo and HAL Laboratory at the height of their collective powers — software and hardware coming together to create a game as games should be: good fun, embracing all of the the 3DS’s unique features without ever reducing them to mere gimmicks. We...
News Updated Zelda and Animal Crossing 3DS Card Cases Arrive on Club Nintendo
Hey, listen!
Some Club Nintendo items, regardless of region, do sell out rather quickly. Examples can be stylish game card cases, invaluable as they can hold plenty of games in one handy set while making you look rather snazzy at that next StreetPass meet-up. There was one released in North America in December 2012, for example, and it sold out...
Weirdness Alex Kidd Infiltrates The Legend Of Zelda, With Disastrous Results
Crossover chaos
Before Sonic the Hedgehog sped onto the scene, Alex Kidd was Sega's undisputed mascot, appearing in a host of Master System adventures — as well as a single 16-bit outing — and attempting to challenge Nintendo's Mario in the sphere of platforming goodness. Since being ousted by the blue hedgehog, Alex Kidd has wandered in the...
News Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Was "A Great Opportunity to Explore New Ideas and Techniques"
The aim was to exploit "different ways of using interactivity"
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories certainly stands out within its franchise, and was a notable Wii release back in late 2009 — early 2010 for Europe. Its attempts at psychological profiling and a focus on avoiding combat were divisive, but for our money it was an unmissable horror title,...
Interview RCMADIAX on BLOK DROP U and Working On the Nintendo Web Framework
"At $1.99, that's about the cost of a pack of gum!"
Throughout 2013 Nintendo went to a good deal of effort to spread the work that its platforms, particularly the Wii U, were supportive of small, download-only developers. Much focus and, by extension, confirmed releases fell into the Unity engine camp, with Nintendo offering free tools and usage of...
News FuzzyWuzzyGames Talks About Its Development Experience With The Wii U
In early stages of planning for a fresh Wii U project, after Armillo
From an outsiders’ point of view, being a game developer seems like a fantastic way to express creativity. Whether you’re working as a team or whether you’re on your own, you are making something from scratch and turning it into something people can enjoy. There are many in...
News Bravely Default Producer - No Need for More Improvements
The improvements will not be improved upon
Not many games are given the chance to receive an improved update. Bravely Default was granted that opportunity after its initial Japanese release, and our review implies this reworking was of great benefit to the European and North American players who are receiving the updated version. After taking the...
News Disney Magic World Sells Half A Million Units In Japan
Namco Bandai's Walt simulator is a hit
News has reached our ears that Namco Bandai's 3DS adventure Disney Magic Castle: My Happy Life has managed to sell an impressive 500,000 copies across both physical and digital formats in Japan. The game allows you to take your Mii into the magical kingdom and buddy-up with a cast of famous Disney faces. You...
News Kirby: Triple Deluxe Makes Japanese Chart Début at Number One
3DS remains on top as Wii U dips below Sony rivals
The Japanese charts seem to follow the patterns of many individuals from the Holiday season into a New Year. Festive excess and gorging makes way for a rapid retreat to the norm, with appetites slowed down to more reasonable levels. The latest Media Create charts show sales figures settling back to...
Weirdness It's Finally Here, a Labrador Retriever-Themed 2DS Case
Paws for thought
When the 2DS launched Nintendo also weighed in with official colour-matching cases, a necessity due to the tablet form stripping away the screen protection of the original clamshell design. It's only natural that third-party companies join in with their own versions, and one that's been confirmed for the UK market is the pictured...
News Renegade Kids Regains Publication Rights to Moon
Rumours also sparked by "Moon Chronicles" trademark
Jools Watsham, co-founder of Renegade Kid, has proven a master of the teaser this month. He recently said that the studio was preparing an announcement for "FPS lovers and 3DS owners", bringing to mind the company's early days on the DS and prompting some to express a desire for a sequel to Moon...
News A World Of Keflings Now Expected In "The Latter Half" Of Q1 2014
Will the wait be worth it?
A World of Keflings was supposed to hit the Wii U eShop last year, but the game sadly missed its scheduled launch date. Thankfully, developer NinjaBee Games has addressed the slippage and insists that the title will see the light of day this year: A kingdom-building adventure of epic proportions, A World of Keflings has...
News Boost in GAME Retail Sales Suggest a Potential Stock Market Return
Specialist retailer back in the, erm, game
GAME, the UK retailer with some limited presence in Europe, has reported that sales in its stores for last year increased by 90%, with its online sales jumping 213%. There was also, predictably, a major boost in the closing weeks of last year with the arrival of PS4 and Xbox One, while major contributors on...
Tuesday14th Jan 2014
Review Super Mario Bros. 3 (3DS eShop / NES)
Pixel-perfect platforming
Many old-school Nintendo titles are remembered fondly and adored by nostalgic fans; The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Kirby’s Adventure and more still receive heaps of praise and see frequent re-releases to this day. Few games, however, received the unanimous commendations lavished upon Super Mario Bros. 3 on its release, an...
News Nintendo Is Sorry That The Wii U's TVii Service Hasn't Launched In The UK Yet
Please understand
While Wii U owners in North America and Japan have been enjoying Nintendo TVii for the best part of a year, it still hasn't launched anywhere else in the world as yet. The internet television and on-demand entertainment service was due to launch in Europe in 2013, but that obviously didn't happen — and Nintendo UK has publicly...
Talking Point Claims of Wii U Third-Party Development Troubles Shouldn't Be Dismissed Lightly
Problems may have been resolved since, but are nevertheless still relevant
Over the weekend there was an interesting article published by Eurogamer's Digital Foundry, in which a "secret developer" shared their Wii U development experience. It made tough reading for anyone loyal and committed to the Nintendo and Wii U cause, but did provide some...
News Club Nintendo Rewards Updated for January
Game & Watch! F-Zero! Snowboarding!
2014 is now two weeks old, and we finally have the new North American Club Nintendo rewards to sink our teeth into. Nintendo's kept us in suspense but has now lifted the lid on some DSiWare and retro treats to get the pulses racing. While the DSiWare releases, in particular, may make you stretch your memories...
News Monster Savings To Be Had On Nintendo UK's Online Store, But You'll Want To Be Quick
Update: Prices are now back to normal
UPDATE: And that's that. In a matter of minutes, Nintendo UK appear to have fixed many of the prices. If you got in before that happened, let us know if your download code has been honoured. Original story: Nintendo's online store has gone discount-crazy, with many leading 3DS and Wii U games being sold for...
News BLOK DROP U Developer Shares Perspective on HTML5 Web Framework Development for Wii U
Also outlines level release plans
BLOK DROP U is approaching release on the Wii U eShop, and is an early representation of a range of games we may see on the platform courtesy of the Nintendo Web Framework. It's a setup that Nintendo began to promote with greater visibility throughout 2013, as it enables game makers utilising code such as HTML5 (as...
News New Road Redemption Footage Blasts Away Road Rash Comparisons
A work in progress, and all that...
Last year there was the pleasing news that Road Redemption had reached its crowdfunding goal and, in the process, been confirmed for the Wii U eShop. The work of Dark Seas Games and with an estimated release target of August 2014, it's been described by the developer itself as a title heavily influenced-by and...
News You'll Want To Check Out These New Senran Kagura 2 Screenshots
Bursting out all over
As we all know, Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson is coming to the 3DS in Japan later this year, and promises to bring more of the same schoolgirl-on-schoolgirl combat action which made Senran Kagura Burst so appealing. The screens show off the game's new locations and characters, as well as the full-3D boss battles. Oh, and there...
First Impressions Shouting Shounen in Capcom’s Gaist Crusher
We go hands-on with this hyperactive Treasure-developed 3DS title
Gaist Crusher is one of those multimedia extravaganzas where right from the start there’s a TV series, manga and other merchandise all lined up and ready to drain the wallets of anyone unable to withstand the assault. This 3DS offering — developed by none other than the legendary...
News Yasumi Matsuno On Board For "Unsung Story" Kickstarter Campaign
A high price to see it on 3DS anytime soon
Kickstarter projects are quick to mention any star members of the production team, and when you've got one as big as the acclaimed Yasumi Matsuno on-board, it's pretty understandable. Unsung Story: Tale of the Guardians will be the most ambitious title to date from developer Playdek, which is previously...
News Unepic Begins Its Quest in Europe on 23rd January
One week later than North America
Unepic appears to be confirmed as next in line for download-only titles coming to the Wii U eShop, with news of its arrival in North America on 16th January now matched by clarification that it'll land in Europe one week later, on 23rd January. As clarified before, off-TV play will be available while the...
News DS and Wii Set High Standards in Spanish Hardware Sales
3DS working towards one million sales in the country
As we get closer to the latest official Nintendo updates on worldwide hardware and software sales, more data continues to emerge for various territories. In recent days there's been information on 2013 sales in the UK, for example, but some further figures have now emerged showing sales of the...
Monday13th Jan 2014
Video Please Don't Let This Wii U Star Fox Footage Get Your Hopes Up
Suspicious shaky cam video alert
Let's face it, we all want to see Star Fox on Wii U — Nintendo's famous space battle series is crying out for a fresh sequel, and nothing would give us more pleasure than seeing Fox McCloud and his team dog-fighting in glorious HD. However, this longing for a new entry in the franchise won't allow our impeccable...
News Nintendo World Championships Trophy Up for Auction
Now YOU can be Atlanta's 11 & Under winner!
Back in 1990 you needed skill, dedication, and maybe a little bit of luck to get your hands on a Nintendo World Championships trophy. Today, all you may need is some cold, hard cash. An alleged 1990 Nintendo World Championships trophy has popped up on ebay for the Buy It Now price of $2,000 (or best...
Nintendo Download 16th January (Europe)
Luigi gets his PhD, F1 gets powered up, a mystical ninja and more
Monday means one thing, European gamers, Nintendo Download update time. News of what to expect on Thursday has arrived promptly this week and delivers a first-party puzzle game, a mini-game extravaganza on 3DS and a variety of racing, retro and discounted treats elsewhere. Let's get...
News Christian First-Person Shooter Super Noah's Ark 3D Is Sailing Back To The SNES
The reissue that nobody asked for
Remember the days when a game became almost impossible to get once it was no longer being printed? NES, SNES and even N64 titles became lost to us and wound up online for ghastly prices, and we just had to live with the fact that we weren't going to play certain games. Thankfully those days are a thing of the past...
Feature A Week of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Screens - Issue Twenty
Trophies! Springy Ropes! Dedede! More stuff!
Masahiro Sakurai and his team are, we hope, well rested after a short break at the close of 2013. The New Year is here now and, once again, Sakurai-san has taken to the Super Smash Bros. Director's Room on Miiverse to share screens of Super Smash Bros., and we'd suggest that it's continued its strong...
Video This Awesome Games Done Quick Super Metroid Race is a Must Watch
Learn how to speed-run a classic
At the weekend we shared the exciting news that the week-long Awesome Games Done Quick Event raised over $1 million, which was an outstanding effort from everyone concerned. We'd also heard that the Super Metroid race — between runners Garrison, Ivan, Krauser and Zoast — was a stand-out event; it had certainly...
First Impressions Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
We will never spell “Theatrhythm” right first time
A demo for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call recently went live on the Japanese 3DS eShop, and will hold few surprises with hardcore fans of the series. There’s really very little here that will not be immediately familiar to anyone with even the most casual experience of the original...
News Retro Could Work On Miyamoto-Led Project In The Future, Says Nintendo Producer Kensuke Tanabe
"We consider Retro as part of the Nintendo family"
Retro Studios has become one of Nintendo's most important associated teams, having produced the likes of Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong Country Returns — both of which gained critical and commercial acclaim. Retro Studios president Michael Kelbaugh and Nintendo producer Kensuke Tanabe have been...
News Fresh 2013 UK Hardware Sales Figures Keep 3DS on Top, While Wii U Sells Less Than Vita
The 3DS family and Wii U both show annual increases
Last week we shared a report by trade magazine MCV which listed the 3DS — the "family" of systems taken as one — as the top selling games system in the UK for the whole of 2013. MCV also had PS4 squeaking past the Xbox 360 as the best-selling home console, while no specific details were given...
News Silicon Knights Loses Appeal in Epic Games Lawsuit
Leaves the struggling company with $9.2 million in fees
To gamers with some experience of past console generations, Silicon Knights may be a name that provokes waves of nostalgia. From a Nintendo perspective its stand-out games are Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes on the GameCube. Its development history since...
Video This Is What The First Half Hour Of Kirby: Triple Deluxe Looks Like
Not just full of hot air
Can't wait for Kirby:Triple Deluxe to come out? Then pull up a comfy chair as Nintendo Life plays the Japanese version and takes you through the first world of Kirby's latest adventure; we've got a new foe, old friends, lots of hats and pixel-style collectable key-chains! There'll be plenty more information and a full...
News No Game Content "Hostile to China" Will Make It Through As Ban Lifts
The size of the market means most will likely play along
Last year the Chinese government confirmed that it'd lift its video game console ban, with news that last week's implementation of that promise contributed to a boost in Nintendo share value; this prompted speculation of the Kyoto company diving into the region. We shouldn't expect Wii U and...
News Nintendo Software Continues to Lose Momentum in UK Charts
Titles such as Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze can't come soon enough
In recent weeks there hasn't been much to tell about the UK game charts from a Nintendo perspective, with the usual suspects maintaining familiar positions, from 3DS games such as Animal Crossing: New Leaf hanging around near the top 20 to Super Mario 3D World residing in the...
Weirdness Puzzle & Dragons Z Yogurt Will Unlock A Scrumptious Special Dungeon
Part of a balanced breakfast
You may have seen our recent coverage on the 3DS sensation Puzzle & Dragons Z here at Nintendo Life, a game which hopefully see the light of day in the West at some point this year. What you haven't seen is a delicious new way to unlock some bonus content for the game — and we do mean delicious. After crossovers...
News Jett Rocket II: The Wrath of Taikai Update Goes Live
Applies quite a few improvements
Jett Rocket II: The Wrath of Taikai is the latest 3DS eShop title from Shin'en Multimedia, and was certainly eagerly anticipated by fans of the WiiWare original. Although a solid title, there were some aspects that weren't quite on the money, with our review highlighting issues such as the rather slow movement of the...
Sunday12th Jan 2014
Review Zumba Fitness: World Party (Wii U)
Around the world in 80 calories
A modern take on Sweatin' to the Oldies with party-people style, the dance-fitness sensation known as Zumba has become incredibly popular over the last decade, and been perfectly positioned to take advantage of the video-game fitness craze started with Wii Fit. Now, after three successful outings on the Wii, Majesco's...
Review Life Force (3DS eShop / NES)
A force to be reckoned with
The space shooter is a genre that has somewhat faded into obscurity in recent years, both due to advances in technology rendering their limited scope obsolete and their typically gruelling difficulty proving unpalatable to some gamers. The NES port of Life Force, (or Salamander, as it was originally known on Eastern...
Review Double Dragon (3DS eShop / NES)
Dragon us down
From the moment protagonist Billy Lee’s sweetheart is sucker-punched in the opening sequence, Double Dragon establishes itself as an action-packed, thrilling battle through hordes of enemy combatants in an attempt to reclaim the captured damsel. As soon as gameplay begins, however, this façade is quickly stripped away to reveal an...
News Awesome Games Done Quick 2014 Raises Over One Million Dollars for Charity
An exceptional effort
Around a week ago we told you about the start of Awesome Games Done Quick 2014, which was seven days of live streaming of speed-runs and assorted challenges, all with the goal of raising plenty of money for the Prevent Cancer charity. The events are now closed, and the current total — post-event donations may add a little...
News Capcom Claims Its New Panta Rhei Game Engine Can Be Adapted To Any System
And that means Wii U and 3DS
Capcom's MT Framework game engine was pretty adaptable — it powered Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D on the 3DS as well as providing the horsepower for the company's home console titles — and the Japanese studio has gone on record to confirm that its successor will be just as versatile. Panta Rhei is Capcom's...
News Kirby: Triple Deluxe Sound CD Now Available at Club Nintendo in Japan
We'll have this in the West too, please
Kirby: Triple Deluxe is out now in Japan, which is sure to make fans of the pink one jealous in the West; our import expert's currently preparing some early footage and impressions for you. We know that it'll make it to PAL and North American regions this year, but Nintendo is yet to pin down a more precise...
Saturday11th Jan 2014
Feature Nintendo Games We'd Love to See in 2014
Newcomers and some triumphant returns
If you cast your minds back to this time in 2013, it would have been tempting to wonder what games were coming for the rest of that year and into 2014. Long-term line-ups were a mystery, though educated guesses could be made, and then Nintendo blew away some of the obscuring smoke in a January Nintendo Direct...
Review Monster High: 13 Wishes (Wii U)
Make it stop
Monster High: 13 Wishes is garbage. There's no getting around it. Don't play it, don't buy it. Just don't. Spend your cash on something more worthwhile. Buy a Monster High DVD if you must. Invest heavily in dogecoin if you're determined to do something crazy with your money. Just, not this. Anything but this. In a nutshell, Monster...
News A Third-Party "Secret Developer" Gives an Inside Story of Working on Wii U
"We would be lucky to make back all the money that we had invested"
One regular topic that can worry or frustrate Wii U owners is the issue of third-party support, particularly with retail content. While the Wii struggled to maintain third-party parity with its rivals — albeit with some excellent exclusives over its years — there was some hope...
Review CastleStorm (Wii U eShop)
Always in another castle
Zen Studios, known mostly for its pinball titles, has created a promising new IP in CastleStorm, a tower defence / real-time strategy game with easy-to-learn, difficult-to-master gameplay and a tongue-in-cheek story filled with humour and personality. Playing a bit like a hybrid of Swords & Soldiers and Angry Birds, it's...
News A Link Between Worlds Early Japanese Sales Surpass Ocarina of Time 3D
Yet don't reach glory days of Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds arrived in Europe and North America on 22nd November last year, but it was 26th December before it arrived in Japan. It's had a decent performance in the charts, too, claiming top spot in its début week before falling back to third place in its second week...
Friday10th Jan 2014
Matters of Import Grappling With Attack On Titan: The Last Wings Of Mankind
Or Shingeki no Kyojin: Jinrui Saigo no Tsubasa, to Japanese players
Considering the intense critical and commercial acclaim Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan has been receiving, the emergence of a game based on the events portrayed in the anime and manga series was more of a question of “when”, rather than “if”. The more surprising news is...
Disney Magical World also confirmed
With 2014 slowly cranking into gear, Nintendo of America has taken an opportunity to remind us of some notable successes for the 3DS in 2013, while emphasizing "games planned for early 2014 to keep the momentum going". Just earlier today we reported that the 3DS was the UK's top selling games system in 2013, and...
Remake Request Shining The Holy Ark
Why Sega's Saturn dungeon crawler would be perfect for a 3DS remaster
While Shining Force continues to entertain players in some form or another with its own brand of deep tactical gameplay, it's worth remembering that the Shining line of games didn't begin life on a grid-based battlefield. The first instalment — Shining in the Darkness — was a...
Weirdness Chibi-Robo! Photo Finder Has a Virtual Butt Removed in North America
Won't somebody think of the children!
Chibi-Robo! Photo Finder is out now on the 3DS eShop in North America, and is certainly a title full of charm and potential. It utilises the device's camera for a quirky object finding quest, bringing back the franchise that began on GameCube and had two DS releases, one of which was Japan-only. As has proven...
News King Dedede to Wield the Mallet as the Latest Challenger in New Super Smash Bros.
Plenty of screens to enjoy
King Dedede has been confirmed as a challenger in the new Super Smash Bros. titles on the Wii U and 3DS, the latest in a number of recent additions as the roster fills out. His appearance was always on the cards after his role in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, with his weight and ready-to-use weapon making him a useful...
News World Record Speed Runner Just Can't Stop Playing Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Playing games to destruction
Everyone has their own reasons for playing games. Some play for entertainment, others for pure escapism, but for Cosmo Wright games are a sport. Not just any sport, but an athletic one: the sport of Speed Running. From the moment the game kicks off, he’s racing against the clock to get from the title screen to the end...
Weirdness Japanese Gamer Clears Ocarina Of Time Using Only His Feet
Saving Hyrule is by no means an easy feet
Ocarina of Time needs no introduction. It's a title that has been explored through speedrun after speedrun, exploited and researched tirelessly for different ways to complete it, and today it will even be featured on Awesome Games Done Quick's fantastic charity streaming event. This particular playthrough,...
News Animal Crossing: New Leaf Postmortem Discussion Coming to GDC
Coinciding with the release of Isabelle's brutal tell-all book (not really)
Animal Crossing: New Leaf players in PAL territories and North America have had more than half a year to fall into the mayorship and day-to-day happiness of its world. Now, back in this real, arguably less ideal world, New Leaf's director and producer will be opening up...
News Intelligent Systems Development HQ Image Emerges
Part of continued investment
Intelligent Systems is a first-party Nintendo studio that's forged its identity through its continued work on the popular Paper Mario and Fire Emblem franchises, with Fire Emblem: Awakening being a particular highlight in 2013. Beyond those well known examples, however, its importance to Nintendo across console...
News UK Retailer GAME States Ambition to be at the Forefront Of Download Content Sales
"The amount of digital content is going to keep growing"
GAME is the prominent specialist video game retailer in the UK, with some stores around Europe, but has endured difficulties in recent history with administration and a transition to new owners in 2012. Since then the company appears to have found a degree of stability, and in an interview...
Video Nyamyam's Jennifer Schneidereit Talks Tengami On Wii U
Folding is fun
We personally can't wait to get our hands on Tengami, and with the launch looming ever closer it's the perfect time to remind ourselves of how amazing this Wii U eShop adventure is looking. Created by UK studio Nyamyam, Tengami is described as a "relaxing" and "reflective" experience, and the hands-on time we got with the game when...
News The 3DS Was The UK's Top-Selling Games System in 2013
That includes the 2DS
It's well known that the 3DS family of systems had a strong year in 2013 in various territories, and in terms of the UK there'd been various positive headlines throughout the 12 months. A steady stream of high-profile games — such as Pokémon X & Y, Animal Crossing: New Leaf and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds...
Video Allow Us To Serve Up The First Thirty Minutes Of Puzzle & Dragons Z
Epic adventures await
Join us as we take you through the opening thirty minutes of GungHo’s smash hit Puzzle & Dragons Z, taking in cute white dragons with attitude, an evil group breaking the world into jigsaw-shaped pieces and of course plenty of puzzling too. Still not enough? Then be sure to check out our hands-on preview here.
News Rainy Frog Launches to Focus on Bringing Western Download Titles to Japan
Kicks off with a re-named version of Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party
Whenever we refer to the continual growth of the eShop platforms here on Nintendo Life, and in particular the continuing rise of download-only and 'Indie' developers, we're specifically referring to territories outside of Japan. At present a game can only be released in Japan if...
Thursday9th Jan 2014
Review Super Mario Bros. 3 (Wii U eShop / NES)
A truly super Mario game
Super Mario Bros. 3’s recent arrival on the Wii U eShop seemed like a conspicuously low-key affair compared to the considerable hype that surrounded its hugely anticipated original release back the early nineties. However, that doesn't mean that the lack of booming fanfare should be interpreted as a cause for concern; over...
Review Dr. Luigi (Wii U eShop)
Just what the doctor ordered?
Nintendo ends the Year of Luigi with Dr. Luigi, a puzzler that feels more like a green, L-shaped re-skin of the Dr. Mario series than a true sequel, due to its identical gameplay, much of the same music, and simplistic visuals. Fortunately, Luigi proves to be just as good a doctor as his more experienced brother, and...
Weirdness Try Not To Squirm As This Doomed Miiverse Romance Turns Sour
"I really did like u"
Miiverse is a powerful social tool which has won a lot of fans since it launched on the Wii U back in 2012. The recent expansion of the service to the 3DS has allowed it to become bigger than ever, with millions of users interacting with one another, sharing thoughts on games and generally connecting in a safe and friendly...
Nintendo Download 9th January (North America)
Chibi-Robo!, retro shooting and some 3DS discounts
It's Nintendo Download time, North America, and this week brings a potentially terrific 3DS eShop game, some retro shooting on the Wii U Virtual Console and a variety of discounts. It's a thin list, but may have something for everyone — let's get to it. Wii U Virtual Console: Gradius (Konami,...
News Next Level Games "Doing Only Nintendo Products Now"
Still an independent company, however
Next Level Games has produced a good number of Nintendo titles — including the excellent Punch-Out!! reboot on Wii — but truly shot to prominence with the critically and commercially successful Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. The studio has been working solely on Nintendo games for a number of years, and told us...
News 3DS XL Coloured Charging Cradles Arrive on Club Nintendo in Europe
Club Nintendo's servers prepare to enter meltdown
Last year Nintendo of America released a series of snazzy coloured 3DS XL charging cradles, and they sold out rapidly. We hope that Nintendo of Europe has reinforced its Club Nintendo servers, as it's just announced the same cradles for its region. Below is the tweet and snazzy image to announce...
News MercurySteam's New Next-Gen Title Isn't Coming To Wii U
No love for Nintendo
It has already been confirmed that Spanish studio MercurySteam is moving away from the Castlevania franchise once work is completed on Lords of Shadow 2, but producer Dave Cox has now announced that company's as-yet-unnamed new project won't be hitting the Wii U. Speaking at a round table event attended by GameSpot, Cox...
News Missing Guild 01 Game Weapon Shop De Omasse Is Finally Getting Localised
Better late than never
It's nothing new when a popular Japanese game doesn't get a western release, but every so often some manage to make it overseas. Guild 01 for the 3DS was one such release; technically a compilation of four titles back in Japan, it has been slowly released in the west as individual games over the past few years. We've already...
Feature Looking Back at Nintendo in 2013 - Part Four
Games, system updates, more games...
We've looked back at the first nine months of Nintendo's 2013 to date, an eventful period full of reveals, positives, negatives and outright weirdness. The final leg is typically one of the busiest for game companies, as the scramble for momentum into the busiest shopping season of the year becomes a messy blur...
News Nintendo Obtains IA Labs Patent Portfolio Following Lawsuit Win
Balance board technology weighed in
Nintendo is often engaged in multiple patent disputes, in various cases surviving the challenges though — in notable examples such as the recent case against Tomita Technologies USA — can occasionally come out on the wrong side. Nintendo does have another success to report, however, with progress in the case...
Interview Two Tribes Explains Development Closure and Starting Again
"We're still in the game making business, albeit in smaller form"
This week we reported the news that Two Tribes had shut down its development company and, in its own terms, rebooted with a smaller development studio. As Two Tribes Publishing B.V. was a separate company — as the name suggests — responsible for publication of both the studio's...
News Nintendo Titles Secure Multiple GDC Awards Nominations
The results have to wait until 19th March
The Game Developers Conference will take place in San Francisco from 17th-21st March, with the "expo" part of the week running from 19th-21st March. It's always an interesting event to learn more about projects underway and wider issues within the development community, while also being notable for the Game...
Video Learn How To Play Mega Man: The Board Game
Figure out the rules and power-up with this sample playthrough
Let's forget all about consoles for a moment. Mega Man is an icon that defies the medium, up there among the greats and immortalised in song, literature, and even Lego. He's had a shot at just about everything by now, and in December we reported that an officially l
Video You'll Get A Kick Out Of These Inazuma Eleven 3: Team Ogre Attacks Trailers
They think it's all over
Inazuma Eleven 3: Team Ogre Attacks is due to hit Europe next month, and to drum up interest Nintendo has released two new trailers for the game. An expansion of Inazuma Eleven 3 — which launched last year on the 3DS — Team Ogre Attacks uses the same game engine but boasts an entirely new storyline. The actual release...
Wednesday8th Jan 2014
News Kensuke Tanabe Highlights Potential Return of 3D Donkey Kong Games
Retro Studios used the Metroid Prime engine for Returns on Wii
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze arrives on 21st February, and combines the established skills of Retro Studios with many of the outstanding foundations laid down in Donkey Kong Country Returns on Wii. It may not be the game or franchise that some of the most vocal of Nintendo fans...
Matters of Import Drop Matching And Dragon Evolving In Puzzle & Dragons Z
This 3DS smash proves there is life after microtransactions
Puzzle & Dragons is popular wherever it’s available, but perhaps in its native Japan most of all. GungHo’s cash cow not only has regular tie-ins with big franchises like Monster Hunter, Taiko no Tatsujin and Hunter X Hunter, but has also generated an extensive range of merchandise...
News Monolith Soft Lists "Urgent" Job Postings, Including Requirements in Network Implementation
Online play in 'X', please
As a subsidiary of Nintendo, Monolith Soft has been involved in a number of supporting roles — including some work on A Link Between Worlds — but is best known in recent years for its outstanding Wii title Xenoblade Chronicles. It's understandable, then, that there's some hype about its Wii U project, codenamed X and...
News Sega Has No Plans To Bring Alien: Isolation To The Wii U
Game over, man
Yesterday, Sega dropped the news that The Creative Assembly is working on Alien: Isolation, a new title in the long-running series of games based on the famous movie franchise. The title has been leaked several times recently and focuses on Ellen Ripley's daughter, Amanda. It has been confirmed for PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One and...
News Nintendo Left Online Out Of Super Mario 3D World To Deliver The "NES" Experience
Keeping things local
Remember the days before online gaming when you used to huddle around the NES, SNES or N64 with friends and relatives for a competitive multiplayer session? Being able to test your skills against people all over the world is all well and good, but you can't beat the experience of playing someone who is within punching distance...
News Nintendo Open To Applying Zelda: Link Between Worlds Approach To Other Franchises
Could we see new Star Fox and Metroid games taking the same route?
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a unique title in the history of the franchise in that it uses an existing entry — A Link to the Past — as its foundation and builds new content on top of that. This strategy worked fantastically — as you'll be aware from our 10/10...
News Pokémon X & Y Return to Top of Japanese Charts as 3DS Leads in Hardware
Wii U sales drop to 60,548
Update: Our original Japanese Charts post cited Media Create results from 4Gamer, but these appear to be incorrect. Our apologies for the error, and as an alternative below are the latest results from Famitsu. Earlier this week we found out how Nintendo had performed over the festive period in Japan, with 3DS and Wii U...
Feature Looking Back at Nintendo in 2013 - Part Three
Pokémon goes Mega, 2DS, Wii U price cut and other shenanigans
We've so far covered the first six months of Nintendo in 2013, taking in various 3DS successes, ups and downs for the Wii U and some E3 madness. As is also the norm, there were weird moments, as well as the near-monthly delight of Nintendo Direct broadcasts. We now cover the latter...
News Shin'en Multimedia Clarifies Control Options For FAST Racing NEO
Doesn't rule out alternative platforms
FAST Racing NEO is due this year and is sure to be on the radar of those that enjoyed FAST Racing League on WiiWare. To date its developer, Shin'en Multimedia, has kept details close, but gave some tid-bits in a recent interview with Nintendo News. Tilt controls for steering were confirmed, as it was clarified...
News Two Tribes Development Studio Shuts Down and New, Smaller Company is Formed
Two Tribes Publishing B.V. remains unaffected
Two Tribes, the development studio best-known for games such as Toki Tori and Toki Tori 2+, has entered bankruptcy, with the original owners Martijn Reuvers and Collin van Ginkel now forming a new, smaller company. Two Tribes as a development studio was a separate business from Two Tribes Publishing...
Will it be sustained?
After the Chinese government confirmed last year that it would be lifting its ban on game consoles, it became a reality this week. There are still the same hurdles that were highlighted previously, namely that hardware will need to be manufactured in a designated zone and all products will need approval from the country's...
News Pokémon Winter Regional Championships Mark First Use of X & Y in Series Competition
Blowing across the U.S. this month
Think you've put enough [hundreds of] hours into Pokémon X & Y to take other trainers on in a sanctioned tournament? Many players in the United States will soon have the chance to find out as the Pokémon Winter Regional Championships become the first to introduce the new generation into their events. The...
News The Rockman X Sound Box Album Set Includes Four Tracks Cut From Mega Man X
And now you can listen to them for free
Years from now we may refer to "doing a Capcom Anniversary", with a knowing wink and nudge. For example, in a parallel universe Nintendo didn't celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Zelda franchise by releasing Skyward Sword with a special CD and a game plot right at the beginning of the timeline, but sold us...
Tuesday7th Jan 2014
News 3DS Hack Removes Region Locking For Retail Cartridges
Plays legit cartridges only
It's no secret that some gamers would like Nintendo to drop its region locking policy, especially in light of major rivals doing just that with their latest systems. It's not a simple argument, as Nintendo has legitimate reasons and the demand for playing games from other regions is probably, when all is said and done,...
News Pokémon Bank Remains Offline in Japan as Nintendo Apologises for Issues
An economic crash
During the festive break the Nintendo Network encountered issues for over two days, with a number of new system owners combining with Christmas Day Pokémon Bank gamers in Japan to cause major problems. The downtime of the eShop platforms in particular was damaging in such a busy period; yet while the online stores have been back...
Nintendo Download 9th January (Europe)
Contra goes to war, Mario's début, Korg creativity and more
Over a day later than expected, we now have this week's Nintendo Download details for Europe. This week brings us one game each on the Virtual Console platforms, some cooking and musical creativity as well as a few discounts. Let's get to it. Wii U Virtual Console: Contra III: The Alien...
News Level 5 Is Hard At Work On A New Game That Will "Surprise" Us
CEO hoping to move the gaming industry along
Level 5 is a thoughtful company, and not only because it is the developer behind the brain-bending goodness of Professor Layton. The studio is careful and considered in its evaluation of the current gaming industry, and is interested in how ''technology advances'' and is always striving to defy...
Matters of Import Welcome To The Terrifying Yet Accessible World Of Monster Hunter 4
Something to get your teeth stuck into
Monster Hunter 4 is the latest and greatest in Capcom’s endlessly popular series of wildlife-bothering games, bringing even more areas to explore and new monsters to turn into breastplates and boots. Thankfully hunters come prepared for these new challenges with two new weapon types and the all-new ability to...
News Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson Is Bouncing Towards Japanese 3DS Consoles This August
Best of the breast
It has been revealed in the latest issue of Famitsu that Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson is currently in development for the 3DS and will be hitting Japanese store shelves in August. Like Senran Kagura Burst, the game will be a side-scrolling fighter packed with scantly-clad, large-chested female combatants. Burst developer Tamsoft...
News Natsume Hints Toward Nintendo Announcements Before E3
Let's see what sprouts up
The puzzley adventure-platformer Yumi's Odd Odyssey (also affectionately known as Farewell Umihara Kawase) is slated for release by Natsume on the North American eShop sometime this month. Not much else is currently known about Natsume's future plans for the 3DS, but its Twitter account implies that we may know more by...
News Unepic Confirmed for 16th January on the North American Wii U eShop
GamePad and TV screens shown off
Unepic is an RPG adventure title that was confirmed for the Wii U eShop in 2013, even featuring in some official sizzle reel footage. It's the work of Barcelona-based Francisco Téllez de Meneses and is being published by EnjoyUp Games, a name likely to be familiar to Nintendo download enthusiasts. It certainly...
News Flavoured Cats Is Inspired By Super Mario 3D World, And Is Stalking Its Way To The Wii U
Could this be a purrrfect platform adventure?
If you liked Super Mario 3D World's feline transformation then you'll be like the cat who got the cream when you hear about CW Games' new title. The indie studio has revealed that it is bringing its furry 3D adventure Flavoured Cats to the Wii U eShop, a game inspired by Super Mario 3D World and Super...
Rumour Mega Man Legends 3's Aero To Live On In Capcom iOS Title
Could the character live on despite the game being canned?
Sound Rangers: Rhythm & Battle! is an iOS title from Capcom which combines RPG elements with music-based combat — and it showcases a selection of famous characters from Capcom's history. Interestingly, Capcom has just revealed via Twitter that a new character is coming to the game —...
Feature Looking Back at Nintendo in 2013 - Part Two
Some highs, lows, and E3 madness
Yesterday we brought you the first part of our 2013 summary, which contained the thrills and spills of three Nintendo Direct broadcasts and a handful of major game releases. We did miss out on the story of Ubisoft delaying Rayman Legends in order to facilitate a multi-platform release, as was correctly pointed out to...
News Pokemon X and Y Come Out on Top in Japanese Software Rankings for 2013
Hardware figures for 3DS and Wii U also revealed
Famitsu is reporting that Nintendo didn't just dominate the Japanese Christmas charts, but it almost cleaned up the entire year too, taking nine out of the top ten total sales spots for the year. The only game to break that hold over Japanese gamers was Grand Theft Auto V on Playstation 3, and even...
News HullBreach Uncloaked Emerges Into View For Wii U eShop
A modernisation of Wii Browser MMORPG HullBreach Online
While the Wii was best known for its virtual sports, waggle and the fact it had a lot of fantastic games, it also had a small but relatively dedicated batch of games that utilised the Wii Browser. One of these was HullBreach Online, an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game)...
News Pokémon Composer Leaves Game Freak for Independent Quest
Possibilities for the Poké-future still open
Shota Kageyama, a composer for recent Pokémon titles including X &Y and Black & White, has announced via Twitter that he has left developer Game Freak to pursue independent music. Kageyama's tweet has been translated and reported by
Monday6th Jan 2014
News Nintendo Ordered to Pay Royalties on 3DS Sales For Patent Infringement
1.82% of the wholesale price
Last year we told you about the ongoing patent dispute between Nintendo and Seijiro Tomita of Tomita Technologies USA. The case dated back to 2011, with Tomita arguing that the use of glasses-free 3D — in particular the 3D camera option — utilised his patented technology. Tomita had presented this technology to...
Review Knytt Underground (Wii U eShop)
An abstract adventure
Knytt Underground is unlike anything else on the Wii U eShop; it's the work of Nicklas Nygren (better known as Nifflas), a developer that's produced some intriguing download titles on PC — including this game's predecessors — as well as the critically acclaimed NightSky. The fact this game stands apart from its eShop...
Video Xbox One vs. Nintendo 64
There's a reason why the classics are referred to as classics
A new comparison video by Jeff Rubin, in which he pits the Xbox One against 1996's Nintendo 64, has proven what many of us have known all along: the Nintendo 64 is hands-down the superior system. The short tongue-in-cheek video (see below) actually makes a pretty compelling case as to...
News Masahiro Sakurai Confirms Separate Super Smash Bros. Trophies for Wii U and 3DS
Even more of them to collect
Masahiro Sakurai took a short break from posting daily Super Smash Bros. screens over the festive period, but has today made his triumphant return to the Miiverse Director's Room community. We'll be resuming our weekly summary from next week, but it may interest you to know that Sakurai-san has used his first post of...
News Nintendo Dominates Japanese Charts At Christmas
Not bad
Famitsu has released its multi-format sales figures for Japan, covering 23rd to 29th December. The title of this news post has given away who "won", but can you guess by how much? Wii U and 3DS games took eight out of the top ten positions, with the only non-Nintendo game to break it up being the Vita and Playstation 3 releases of Final...
News Dallas Tech Company iLife Thinks Nintendo Stole Its Idea For Motion Control
Federal lawsuit has been filed by the firm
A Dallas-based technology company has filed a federal lawsuit against Nintendo claiming that the Japanese video game manufacturer has violated six of its patents by including motion-sensing tech in its Wii and Wii U consoles. iLife Technologies and Solutions — which claims to invent "innovative...
News Prolific Video Game Box Art Illustrator Greg Martin Passes Away
Created covers for Sonic, Duck Tales 2, Adventure Island and many more
The name Greg Martin may not mean anything to most gamers, but if you've been playing since the days of the NES then you will definitely have seen — and no doubt appreciated — his work. Martin created the amazing western covers for plenty of Sega and Nintendo games, such as...
First Impressions 3D After Burner II
GET READY!
Japanese code-shop M2’s range of Sega 3D Classics consistently puts everyone else’s retro remaster efforts in the shade, and the time we've spent with the Japanese version of 3D After Burner II yet again shows that the studio simply cannot be beaten when it comes to getting an arcade-accurate port running smoothly on the relatively...
Feature Looking Back at Nintendo in 2013 - Part One
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times
We're already looking forward to the coming year here at Nintendo Life, picking some of our most anticipated Wii U and 3DS of 2014, while hoping for good times and another year of excellent gaming. Yet still, part of looking forward is understanding what's happened before, and as is our yearly...
News Microsoft's Phil Spencer Can't Say Enough Nice Stuff About Nintendo
Thinks Nintendo's first party content is an "amazing asset"
Remember the good old days when video game firms used to say all kinds of nasty things about their rivals to get the upper hand? It would seem the days Genesis does what Nintendon't are long past, as modern companies appear to be increasingly keen to praise one another. Microsoft and Sony...
Weirdness Snoop Lion's Latest Music Video References Pokémon and Retro Games
DoggTales...
Snoop Lion, for those unaware, is the current artistic name of the rapper many will likely know as Snoop Dogg. In recent times he's undergone a fairly major image change, with a shift in his music's themes, that new name and an even more chilled out style. Rather than hitting up the streets with Dr. Dre — or whatever — the most...
Sunday5th Jan 2014
News NES Remix Miiverse Contest Cancelled Due To Emergence Of Exploit
Cheaters never prosper, but ruin it for everyone else
Remember that NES Remix Time Attack Challenge contest we told you about not so long ago? Turns out Nintendo has discovered an exploit within the game which allows players to post a faster time. Director Koichi Hayashida has therefore issued a statement via Miiverse regarding the termination of...
News Award Winning Zelda-Themed Short Film, "Escape", To Get Feature Length Follow-Up
"PRINCESS IN ANOTHER CASTLE" to tackle similar themes
Way back in October 2012 we shared an award-winning, emotive and challenging Zelda-themed video called Escape. It portrayed some difficult times for a young girl that was miserable at school, before going home to a breaking family as well as physical and emotional abuse. Her escape was in the...
News Inazuma Eleven Is Finding The Back Of The Net On North American 3DS Consoles This Year
Popular soccer RPG coming in Q1
Level-5's Inazuma Eleven series has become something of a hit in its native Japan, spawning an anime series, comic adaptation and countless other items of merchandise. The games have also been released in Europe, but thus far they have ignored North America — possibly down to soccer's relatively lowly status when...
News Awesome Games Done Quick Seven Day Event Kicks Off Today
The title says it all
Last year we reported on an extraordinary Ocarina of Time speed-run by Cosmo Wright, in which he beat the game in 22 minutes (a record he'd subsequently improve) and narrated as he went along. That first time was set at AGDQ 2013 (Awesome Games Done Quick), a live stream event over seven days that raised $448,000 for cancer...
Competition Winners Prima Zelda Game Guides Box Set
Who gets a second dose of Christmas joy?
Just after Christmas we launched our Win The Prima Official Game Guide The Legend of Zelda: Box Set competition, giving readers across both North America and the United Kingdom the chance to win one of these luxurious box sets. We asked "Who has included a very special message in the Prima Games Zelda Box...
Saturday4th Jan 2014
Review Wipeout: Create & Crash (Wii U)
Primetime pratfalls
ABC's Wipeout - transatlantic cousin to the BBC's Total Wipeout - is a long running television show that sees a motley crew of caricatured contestants enthusiastically flinging themselves through, over, and off of the real-life equivalents of foam-padded platforming levels. It's also had quite a few video game adaptations over...
A different side of the same cube
We are already big fans of EDGE on the Wii U eShop, a release in which it was one-third of the Two Tribes Classics trilogy. Its arrival on the 3DS is as a solo flyer, and perhaps on a screen size that'll be more familiar to veterans of the mobigame title that Two Tribes has so effectively promoted to gamers of all...
Review Cubit The Hardcore Platformer Robot (3DS eShop)
What’s in a name?
We're often told that it’s not safe to judge a book by its cover. The adventures and perils that lie within those pages can often be very different than what is offered up by the image imprinted on a book's front, but we all do it anyway. Marketers and publishers know that we're drawn to book covers; it's the first thing that...
Matters of Import Dessert-Based Adventures With Kaeru No Tame Ni Kane Wa Naru
That Zelda-ish game with the frog guy
Twenty one years ago, Game Boy fans were graced with the wonderful Link’s Awakening, an action-adventure classic that has quite rightfully taken its place in gaming history as one of the greatest games in both the Game Boy’s library and The Legend of Zelda series. But a year before that, Japanese gamers had...
News Tantalus Media Seeking Staff With Wii U Experience for New Triple-A Title
Funky Barn 2: The Cattle's Revenge?
Wii U owners have had to endure plenty of game announcements that have skipped Wii U in recent months, so we're happy to jump on any news that suggests an upcoming project is destined for the Nintendo system alongside its new rivals in the market. It seems that a "new AAA Next-Gen title" from Tantalus Media, a...
Friday3rd Jan 2014
News Western Version Of Bravely Default Features Costume Changes For Female Characters
Ages also bumped upwards
When Japanese games are localised for western release it's often the case that publishers such as Nintendo decide that certain elements need to be changed in order to make things suitable for a western audience. We saw this recently with Tharja's bottom in Fire Emblem: Awakening's DLC, and it would appear that Bravely...
Review Super Punch-Out!! (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Brain over brawn
Whereas Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream is consistently considered to be one of the best games on the NES, console sequel Super Punch-Out!! seldom appears in the top 10 when recalling the best games on the SNES. Did the puzzle-fight formula not hold up as well for the second time around at home, or was 16-bit competition just that...
Talking Point Is The Castlevania Series Finished With Nintendo?
Fangs for the memories, but is it time to move on?
Ever since it began in 1986, Konami's Castlevania series has been closely associated with Nintendo. The vampire-slaying lineage started life on the Famicom Disk System in Japan and shortly afterwards found worldwide fame on the NES. Since then, the franchise has seen some of its most famous and...
Review Girls' Fashion Shoot (3DS)
Fashionably fun
It's apparently every young girl's dream to become a model - wearing the latest clothing trend, looking fabulous walking down the catwalk with photographers on the sidewalk capturing the moment. Girls' Fashion Shoot provides just that, but substituting the catwalk for magazine photo shoots while sitting comfortably at home. As the...
News Luigi Nendoroid Figure Up for Preorder
In this, the Eternity of Luigi
That Luigi diorama offered on Club Nintendo is pretty sweet, but has having the coins or stars for it before preorders sold out been a pipe dream? Don't fret; other options exist. Cute options. A 10-cm (3.9-inch) PVC Luigi Nendoroid figure is currently up for preorder on J-Box. The Man in Green is posable and comes...
News Renegade Kid Teases Announcement for "FPS Lovers and 3DS Owners"
Engage speculation mode
We do like a good tease here on Nintendo Life, as developers dangle an announcement in front of our noses before snatching it away, with a wink and cheeky smile all we have to go on. Jools Watsham — co-founder of Renegade Kid — knows that some like a little bit of mystery, and has given us a taster with confirmation that...
News Genius Sonority Has Something "Challenging" In Store For Fans In 2014
Denpa Men studio working on new software this year
Genius Sonority has revealed in an interview with 4Gamer that it is hard at work on new content for 2014, and that it could prove to be quite a stern test for players. The Japanese company — famous for its Denpa Men series — isn't able to give a name to this new project yet, but president...
Thursday2nd Jan 2014
Feature The Biggest 3DS Games of 2014
2013 set a high standard
2013 was a terrific year for the 3DS, when the recovery of 2012 was consolidated into a year of substantial sales and critical acclaim from gamers. The line-up of games throughout the year probably wasn't as substantial as popular perception would suggest, but it was a case of a small quantity delivering excellent quality,...
Nintendo Download 2nd January (North America)
It's déjà vu, plus some additional treats
This week's Nintendo Download update for North America is in, though it prompts a distinct feeling of déjà vu due to it being almost identical to last week's update; just two new downloads make an appearance. Our suspicion is that the details are reiterated to compensate for any confusion or loss of...
News Shenmue's Ryo Hazuki Is Speeding Towards Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
"I see"
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed was one of the true gems of the Wii U's early software line-up, and until Mario Kart 8 crosses the finish line and hits store shelves it remains one of the console's best racers. After a leaked reveal on Yogscast a short time ago, Sega has been tweeting various images over the fes
News Wii U Skylanders Bundle Deal Heading to GameStop This Weekend
A tempter for U.S. shoppers
With the festive shopping season now gone, retailers begin the challenging task of making us all spend even more money, after so many splashed the cash at the end of 2013. GameStop has sounded the New Year retail desperation klaxon with its first run of promotions for 2014, while also declaring this to be the "Year of...
Video Capcom's Local Japanese Commercials For Monster Hunter 4 Are Pretty Funny
Cats, singers and wrestlers all feature
Monster Hunter 4 launched in Japan last year but Capcom is giving the title another promotional push on home soil with a series of commercials which are exclusive to different regions in the country. These ads — which you can view below — range from strange to downright hilarious, and only serve to make...
Matters Of Import Conflict Is Always On The Cards In Sega's Sangokushi Taisen Ten
Like Magic the Gathering and Dynasty Warriors after a stint in a blender
Sangokushi Taisen is a long-running and popular series in Japanese arcades, its initially strange mix of collectable trading cards and real-time strategy turning out to not only be incredibly good fun but also commercially successful; it has spawning multiple sequels,...
Wednesday1st Jan 2014
Feature The Biggest Wii U Games of 2014
Some good 'uns are on the way
A new year is here, and with it comes the opportunity for Nintendo and its partners to excite Wii U owners in the best possible way — with great games. We've decided to list some of the most anticipated and exciting games coming to the Wii U in 2014, all as a taste of what's to come. Our aim with this list is to...
Review SpongeBob Squarepants: Plankton's Robotic Revenge (Wii U)
Best left in a pineapple under the sea
Not content with his role as star of an immensely successful Nickelodeon cartoon and enviable position as the world's most popular anthropomorphized sponge, SpongeBob Squarepants also enjoys a prolific and presumably lucrative side-career in the world of video games. This latest release, Plankton's Robotic...
Talking Point New Year Resolutions for Nintendo
We can all improve
With 2014 now here, it provides an opportunity to take stock and consider ambitions for the year, as well as identify areas of improvement. We can all do better things and improve ourselves, but what of major corporations? The same rule applies to them, so below are some suggestions for Nintendo, which brought us so much to enjoy...
News Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon Figurine Spooked Off Club Nintendo
Unfortunately they're all gone
During Nintendo's latest European and North American Direct broadcasts in December, the company revealed a Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon figurine, making it available right away on Club Nintendo in Europe and as a pre-order in North America. Unfortunately, it appears that the collectable is now sold out on the North...
Video This Dr. Luigi Trailer May Be The Perfect Remedy
Available now in North America
It may have slipped the attention due to its release date, but Dr. Luigi arrived on the Wii U eShop in North America on 31st December 2013 for $14.99, with its arrival in Europe set for 15th January. It continues the popular falling block puzzling well-known with Luigi's brother, introducing some new modes and also...
