Talking Point A History of the Sexualisation of Samus
Exploring the long, complicated history of the bounty hunter's public image
News Mario Kart 8 DLC Coming In November, Features Zelda, F-Zero And Animal Crossing
DLC packs promise new characters, courses and karts
Guide New Nintendo 3DS - Everything We Know So Far
The nitty-gritty around Nintendo's new hardware
News New Nintendo 3DS Models Announced
NFC, Second Circle Pad, Extra Shoulder Buttons And Improved Screens
News Beautiful Limited Edition Super Smash Bros. 3DS XL Console Bundle Revealed
And it's not just a dull logo on it either
News - August, 2014
Sunday31st Aug 2014
Feature The Benefits of a Portable Super Smash Bros.
Why being able to take the fight with you is a good thing
This year sees a number of landmark moments for the Super Smash Bros. series: it’s now 15 years old, two games are being released within mere months of each other and one of them will feature glorious high-definition graphics. However, even more significant than all of these notable...
Review Jett Tailfin (Wii U eShop)
The art of drowning
So far this year, the Wii U eShop has allowed us to submerge our imaginations in the ocean with titles like Squids Odyssey and Abyss, two games we found to be rather charming and worthy of your investment. Yet, as we all should know, the ocean and the eShop are also filled with predators ready to take a big juicy bite out of your...
Saturday30th Aug 2014
Guide New Nintendo 3DS - Everything We Know So Far
The nitty-gritty around Nintendo's new hardware
Unless you spent the latter part of the week completely isolated from the world, you'll be aware that Nintendo unveiled new 3DS hardware, which will be rather simply called the New Nintendo 3DS and the New Nintendo 3DS LL, the latter of which is the XL in the West. We've endeavoured to provide plenty...
Review Demon King Box (3DS eShop)
Put a lid on it
Prolific publisher CIRCLE Entertainment’s latest eShop effort takes players down into the world of demons, where the once mighty Demon Lord now sits boxed up and bodiless. Unable to reconquer his kingdom alone, he enlists the help of several of the underworld’s finest fighting spirits; that’s where you come in. While it’s...
Gallery It's Time for a Shulk Super Smash Bros. Blowout
Images, move details and another look at the release trailer
Courtesy of Nintendo's desire for secrecy — we suspect — and its willingness to make a big splash, the close of this week was full of drama. Now that the dust has settled a little we should do full justice to the news of Shulk's reveal for Super Smash Bros., one that had been leaked...
Video This New Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Trailer is Battle Hardened
In Japanese, so just enjoy the footage
It'll potentially give you a sense of seething injustice and jealousy, but Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS arrives in Japan on 13th September, a few weeks ahead of its Western release. That does mean all the more marketing as Nintendo builds hype for that arrival, which does no harm at all. Nintendo's...
News Full Extent of Nintendo of Europe Job Cuts Becomes Clear
Around 320 roles are lost overall
Earlier this year we reported on a reshuffle at Nintendo of Europe that was bringing the loss of 130 permanent jobs, with the Großostheim office in Germany being the largest affected area due to its closure. It's emerged, however, that the total number of roles that will be lost as of 31st August is nearer 320. As...
Friday29th Aug 2014
News New Nintendo 3DS Models Announced
NFC, Second Circle Pad, Extra Shoulder Buttons And Improved Screens
It has been revealed during today's Japanese Nintendo Direct that Nintendo is refreshing its 3DS line of consoles with new features. The revised hardware will include NFC as standard — for Amiibo support — a second, smaller Circle Pad, additional shoulder buttons and improved...
News Nintendo Shows Off 38 "Kisekae Plate" Changeable Covers For New Nintendo 3DS
Gorgeous
Today's announcement of New Nintendo 3DS models brought us plenty of interesting details, including the fact that the smaller model will have the unique feature of easy-to-use interchangeable faceplate covers — branded as "Kisekae Plates" in Japan — that slide across the top and bottom sections. As this smaller, less expensive model is...
Reaction Picking Apart The New Nintendo 3DS And New 3DS XL
Tom and Damien chew the fat over today's shock reveal
Earlier today, Nintendo shocked the video gaming world by announcing the impending launch of not one but two revised 3DS models. The New 3DS and New 3DS XL take the core template of the original model and add in NFC, a nipple-like C-Stick, additional shoulder buttons and an improved screen...
News Nintendo's Italian Twitter Feed Shows off a Super Smash Bros. Double Pack for Nintendo 3DS
Two-hit combo coming to Europe
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is going to be very popular in local multiplayer; that's inevitable. Interestingly, confirmed by a packshot tweeted by Nintendo of Italy, Nintendo is attempting to cash in on that idea with a Smash Bros. double pack. The package, which is yet to be confirmed outside of this tweet,...
News New Wii U and 2DS Bundles Announced, Rolling Out in North America this Fall
Shaping up for the holiday season
It may seem a little anticlimactic after today's big news, but for those happy to stick with trusty, old, familiar hardware, Nintendo have lined up a couple of decent bundles for this Fall. If you're in North America, you can expect some new Wii U and 2DS bundles to arrive on your shores just in time for the...
Talking Point Nintendo Brings Life to the 3DS With New Models
Game changer
When Nintendo announced a Japan-only 3DS Direct, one phrase immediately came to mind — RPGs. Yet what happened was entirely unexpected. Not only was new 3DS hardware announced, but it's a substantial change that can — perceivably — extend the life of the portable a fair amount. We've discussed, here in the office and briefly in...
News Nintendo Confirms amiibo Launch Range of 12 Figurines
$12.99 each in North America
Following today's somewhat extraordinary Japanese Nintendo 3DS Direct, in which new hardware was revealed. Nintendo of American and Nintendo Europe have released separate information, with the focus on previously confirmed products; in the case of North America we finally have more concrete details on amiibo. The...
News Interchangeable Dashboard Themes Are Coming To Your Nintendo 3DS
Theme me up, Scotty
Nintendo has revealed that dashboard themes are coming to its 3DS range of consoles. This information was showcased during today's Japanese Nintendo Direct, with The Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds and Super Mario Bros. themes shown off very briefly. These will be distributed via the eShop. The ability to change themes...
News Nintendo of America Unleashes Wii U Game Sizzle Reel
Past, present and future blockbusters
Nintendo has, undoubtedly, had a significant spell in grabbing headlines and provoking debate. Much of that attention, unsurprisingly, has been on the new 3DS models, though the big N has also been directing attention towards the Wii U. Perhaps drawing some inspiration from the rather flashy Nintendo of Europe...
News Xenoblade Chronicles Coming to 3DS in Japan
Surprising is not the word
During its most recent Direct livestream, Nintendo announced that the critically acclaimed Xenoblade Chronicles will be heading over to its handheld system. After a huge number of surprises, Nintendo still had bombshells to drop on us. This surprise came at the end of the presentation after the announcement of Shulk's...
Nintendo Direct Watch the Japanese 3DS Direct Presentation - Live!
We expect RPGs
Nintendo Japan is hosting a Nintendo 3DS Direct, which should paint a picture of key titles coming to the portable in the company's homeland. We'll watch in interest as there could be some intriguing projects that'll make their way to the West in the future...
News Xenoblade's Shulk Confirmed For Super Smash Bros. During Japanese Nintendo Direct
The leaks were true, it seems
It has been confirmed during today's Japanese Nintendo Direct that Shulk will be joining the roster of Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U and 3DS. The existence of the character — taken from Xenoblade Chronicles on the W
News Ultimate NES Remix Coming To 3DS This November
Both eShop and physical releases planned
It has been revealed today that the Wii U eShop series NES Remix is making the leap to the 3DS in the form of Ultimate NES Remix. The game — which will be released on the 3DS eShop and in stores — will boast quick-fire challenges from 16 8-bit classics. It will also have online leaderboards and a...
News Register Smash Bros. on Both Wii U and 3DS and Get a Soundtrack Disc for Free
Club Nintendo members rejoice!
Nintendo has announced a special gift for fans who register both versions of the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, and it's something definitely worth having: "As another offering for fans, those who register both Wii U and Nintendo 3DS versions of the games in Club Nintendo – before a set time...
News Bayonetta 2 has North American Release Date Confirmed
Witch Time
Following a wait which felt like an eternity, it's finally been revealed when exactly gamers will be getting their hands on Bayonetta 2. Well, gamers in North America at least. You see, we've yet to see a European release date for Platinum's much-anticipated Wii U exclusive, but we finally know when the American launch will be taking...
News Go! Go! Kokopolo Developer Explains Why It's Being Pulled From The eShop
"It's quite nice that this version will become a limited release exclusive"
If you haven't purchased DSiWare title Go! Go! Kokopolo then you might want to get your skates on, as the title is going to be pulled from sale on the 31st of this month. Creator Keith Webb has gone public to outline the thinking behind the move, and while it's tempting to...
News Reggie Fils-Aime and Co. Take On The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Pretty cool, Reggie
As you are no doubt aware, a current trend that's gone viral is to complete an Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness and money for ALS — amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The idea is that you douse yourself in cold water and nominate three others to do the same, donate to charity or...
News Kirby Mini-Games Now Available on North American eShop
Straight from Triple Deluxe
You can now download two of the mini-games from Kirby: Triple Deluxe from the eShop without buying the full title if you happen to live in North America. The two games in question are Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe and Kirby Fighters Deluxe and promise to contain enhanced gameplay features rather than just being a straight...
News PokéBall-patterned Vivillon Available in Europe and Australia
Charizard also lurking in German GameStops
Attention, Pokéntomologists in Europe and Australia! From now until 8th September, the PokéBall Vivillon can be downloaded onto copies of Pokémon X & Y. This special-patterned Vivillon was previously distributed at Gamescom and in North America. Vivillon nuts shouldn't miss the chance to add to...
News Trashmania Trilogy Shooting For A Q1 2015 Release On The Wii U eShop
Three games in one!
Jonathan Bont, best known for his indie development efforts on the Ouya, has announced via his Twitter page that Trashmania Trilogy will be coming to the Wii U eShop early next year. The Trashmania Trilogy will include Trashmania, Trashmania: Remix, and Trashmania: After Dark – with all games playable in an original and...
Thursday28th Aug 2014
News Limited Edition Steelbook Bundles Announced for Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire in the UK
Steel your nerves
Nintendo have surprised us yet again by following another modern gaming trend – steel book special editions. Both versions of the upcoming Pokémon remakes will have their own very appealing steel book version which comes with a miniature version of the Primal forms of either Kyogre or Groundon, depending on which version of the...
Nintendo Download 28th August (North America)
SteamWorld, The Fall, Azure Striker Gunvolt, Mega Man X3 and much more
It's that time again, North American gamers, as we learn what download treats will be joining the eShop stores today. There's plenty on offer, too, with enticing new titles on both Wii U and 3DS, alongside a range of DLC and discounts. There's a lot to consider, so let's get on...
Feature The History of Super Smash Bros.
How Nintendo's crossover fighting series smashed its way to fame and glory
Despite its immense popularity — not to mention the frenzied hype and anticipation that comes during the lead-up to each new instalment — the origins of the Super Smash Bros. series are in fact remarkably humble. When its creator, Masahiro Sakurai, initially came up with...
News New Legend Of Zelda "Only Possible" Thanks To The Wii U Hardware, Says Eiji Aonuma
"We can achieve this thanks to the hardware features of Wii U"
This year's E3 was notable for showing us the first footage of the next Legend of Zelda title, which is due to hit the Wii U next year. This new release promises a massive game world to explore, and has predictably become one of the most hyped Nintendo launches of next year. Producer...
News Nintendo Confirms a 3DS-Themed Japanese Nintendo Direct on 29th August
A short-notice delight
Nintendo has announced a Nintendo Direct focusing on its latest handheld system. No details have been released about what specific games or content may be shown, but given the recent leaks and rapidly approaching release date for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, you could be forgiven for suspecting a mention of the game to...
"Unique software can always be realized with unique hardware"
The Wii U's commercial struggles and the massive rise in popularity of smart devices has seen many within the industry predict that Nintendo will go multi-platform sooner rather than later, but Shigeru Miyamoto has poured a large bucket of cold water all over such prophecies in a recent...
News Shigeru Miyamoto Confidently Outlines Nintendo's Move From Casual To Core
"People take games for granted now"
The Wii and DS consoles were systems which achieved incredible global success and marked Nintendo's shift from "core" players to a much larger market, dubbed "casual gamers". Titles like Wii Sports, Wii Fit and Brain Training made gamers of people who had historically never taken any interest in interactive...
News Wii U Shooter Splatoon Almost Starred Mario As The Main Character
"There were heated debates over who the main player character should be"
Splatoon was one of the big surprises of Nintendo's E3 showing this year, and looks set to offer an exciting new take on the tried-and-tested squad-based shooter template. It's also refreshing in that it's an entirely new IP — although according to Shigeru Miyamoto, it very...
News Nintendo's Unity Presentation Confirms Critically Acclaimed Gone Home for Wii U eShop
Interesting details on the Wii U's demographics, connectivity and more
Last weekend a sizeable number of developers and industry professionals descended upon Seattle for Unite 2014, a major gathering focused on the widely used Unity development engine. Nintendo's Unity support on Wii U — in which developers on the system receive a free license for...
News Pokémon X & Y Themed Toys Coming Down Under To McDonald's
Better known as Maccas in Australia
Aussie Nintendo fans will no doubt remember a golden period during 2012 when fully grown adults reverted to children Australia-wide, all because the international fast-food chain McDonald's released an exclusive set of Happy Meal toys based on the Pokémon Black & White series. Not to mention each toy bundled...
Review Life Force (Wii U eShop / NES)
Forcefully fun
Konami's 1985 hit Gradius is one of the most influential scrolling shooters of all time, so it was pretty tough to follow up. Rather than make Gradius II right away, the company decided to create a spin-off; Life Force — originally known in Japan as Salamander — hit arcades in 1986 and the NES two years later. Space shooters were...
Friday29th Aug 2014
Video Something Overshadows this Sonic Boom 3DS Trailer
Allegedly leaked before PAX
A trailer for Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal, apparently meant for PAX Prime, has surfaced on the Internet. From what it shows, the world of the 3DS Sonic Boom is one of robot-suited snakes, not very portable-looking video phones, and Shadow giving the routine he gives everyone, including kind old ladies ahead of him in...
Thursday28th Aug 2014
News Nintendo Confirms Two More Virtual Console Titles Coming in the Next Week
'Street Fighter' with an odd release date and Nobunaga's Ambition
As is now the norm, Nintendo of America's most recent Nintendo Download Update also confirmed two additional titles on the way soon. In this case there are a couple of surprises and an uncommon release date. Both of the confirmed releases are for the Wii U Virtual Console, and...
News Win a Copy of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright from Nintendo of America
Just point at something with your mouth open (or not)
To celebrate Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney's arrival in the far west, Nintendo of America is holding a sweepstakes to give away copies of the game to fourteen lucky winners who can point convincingly and with a certain judge-pleasing style. To enter, take a photo of yourself...
Watch Square Enix Presents Final Fantasy Explorers - Live!
See more of the game not yet confirmed for the West
Final Fantasy Explorers, a multiplayer RPG that Square Enix hopes will serve as the ideal introduction to the franchise, arrives in Japan later this year. This Japanese presentation will show more of the game in action, so we'll watch and fantasize of a future localisation in the West.
News Tappingo 2 Release Pushed Back a Week on Nintendo of America's Advice
"Having them behind me is a great feeling!"
Tappingo 2 from Goodbye Galaxy Games was expected to release in North America in today's Nintendo Download Update, but has instead been pushed back until 4th September. The delay isn't down to final checks on the game itself, but courtesy of Nintendo of America working with the developer. Hugo Smits, the...
News Poptropica: Forgotten Islands is One for the 3DS Kids This October
Ubisoft pushes the boat out
We know that Ubisoft is happy to support Nintendo with anything but "mature" games, and it's fulfilling that brief with the announcement that it's publishing a learning game for 3DS - Poptropica: Forgotten Islands. Poptropica is an online 'virtual world' for children that includes games to improve literacy and provide...
News Fret Not, A World of Keflings Is Still On Its Way To The Wii U eShop
Will include visual enhancements and all three DLC packs
We might not have heard about A World of Keflings since the start of this year, but the folks at NinjaBee Games have recently reassured Wii U owners via their official Twitter page that the eShop title is indeed on its way to Nintendo’s latest home console. In addition to the news, Keflings...
News Patch 1.01 For ZaciSa’s Last Stand On The Wii U Goes Live
Half-price to celebrate!
Wii U owners familiar with the 2D tower defence title ZaciSa’s Last Stand — released last month on the eShop — will be pleased to hear the latest patch adds extra meat to the game, bringing many improvements such as refined balance – helping ensure the experience remains challenging – and a plethora of new content...
News Siesta Fiesta Patch Goes Live in Europe
Fixes a medal saving issue we didn't know existed
We're big fans of Siesta Fiesta here at Nintendo Life, as it takes the classic Breakout formula and shakes it up with scrolling levels, power-ups and varied environments. At a budget price it's a reminder that enjoyable, great value games with a high level of polish are still possible. It clearly...
Wednesday27th Aug 2014
News Mario Kart 8 Update, Mercedes Karts and DLC Pre-Orders Now Live
Vroom vroom
Just recently we've had the exciting news that extensive DLC is coming to Mario Kart 8, the details ultimately accompanying the imminent arrival of the game's update and free Mercedes DLC. Nintendo's now unleashed plenty of details with the scheduled update and Mercedes content. It's worth noting that, at the time of writing, the game...
Talking Point Mario Kart 8's Diverse DLC Sets Up Endless Potential for the Franchise
A vehicle that could be vital in future
It's safe to say that Nintendo caught us off guard with its recent DLC announcement for Mario Kart 8, with these extras bringing new franchises into the MK world and, just as importantly, serving up a significant dose of content. Once both packs arrive the number of courses will have doubled, which is...
Review Thorium Wars: Attack of the Skyfighter (3DS eShop)
Thor' real
It’s not that space shooters don’t exist on Nintendo systems, but there’s certainly not enough of them to keep cockpit-hopping fans from feeling parched. 3PM Games took advantage of this vacuum by releasing Thorium Wars on DSiWare and now, just like the alien antagonists of the series, it's back with Thorium Wars: Attack of the...
News September Update for Hyrule Warriors Adds New Challenge Mode, Retro Sword, and BGM Settings
A few bug fixes thrown in for good measure
While the western world is still waiting on the release of Hyrule Warriors, it appears Nintendo and Tecmo Koei already have many of the future updates for the Wii U title well and truly laid out. Due out on the 1st of September in Japan, the incoming update adds a new challange mode, a new weapon, BGM...
The road less traveled
DSiWare releases are becoming fewer and far between, but there are still some interesting titles to be found for the service, and they're all accessible thanks to the 3DS eShop. Collavier Corporation's Amida's Path is a creative, fun game that combines strategy, action and light role-playing to create an experience that feels...
Weirdness Earthbound Designer Shigesato Itoi Comes Under Fire For Tweeting About Fukushima Peaches
“If you go to Fukushima you can buy peaches like this"
Earthbound designer Shigesato Itoi who has appeared on a number of Japanese variety shows and commercials, recently came under fire on Twitter when he showed his support of Fukushima peaches to over 600,000 followers. Prior to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, the prefecture was known for...
News The Last of Us Fails to Overtake Yokai Watch 2, 3DS and Wii U Sales Fall
Down but not out
Yokai Watch 2 has continued to obliterate the competition in terms of sales this week in Japan, and the remastered release of The Last of Us for PS4 makes less than half the sales of the 3DS title that has taken the country by storm. Sony's has a fairly strong week overall, taking all but the very highest of the top five slots with...
News You Can't Count Nintendo Out, Says Activision CEO
"They've been through rough hardware cycles before"
We all know the Wii U is struggling right now, but Nintendo still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve — yesterday's Mario Kart 8 DLC announcement being proof of that — and it would appear that the wider industry feels the same way, too. Speaking to Examiner, Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg has...
Video Bravely Second Gameplay Footage Revealed
The second time around
The first footage of gameplay from Bravely Default's sequel has emerged. The gameplay was broadcast during Square Enix's live stream earlier today and shows the same beautiful watercolour art style we saw in the original. The video also shows off some of the jobs that will be available in the sequel as well as the outfits...
News EarthBound Celebrates 20 Very Strange Years of Existence
Proving that fighting piles of puke only gets better with age
It's almost hard to believe that EarthBound (Mother 2) is 20 years old with the way it continues to pop up nowadays. The 27th of August marks the RPG's 1994 release in Japan, however, and paved the way for its strange journey through other parts of the world. Brought to North America in...
Weirdness Hearthstone Game Boy Demake Is An Experience Nintendo Fans Can Never Have
At least we’ll always have the Pokémon Trading Card Game
If you’ve ever wondered what Hearthstone would have been like on the original Game Boy, wonder no more. A digital artist by the name of Pixelpowerluke from Game Boy Demakes is currently teasing fans with images of what Blizzard’s online card game would have possibly looked like if it...
Video Watch Us Test Drive The Three New Mercedes-Benz Cars In Mario Kart 8
A scenic drive through the Mushroom Kingdom
Mario Kart 8's Mercedes-Benz DLC is now live, and we've wasted no time in getting behind the wheel of these iconic vehicles and burning some rubber around the game's various courses. You can view the resultant footage below — be sure to look out for the awesome glowing effect on each car when it engages...
News Minor Web Miiverse Update Allows You to Show Off Favourite Genres
The Miiverse equivalent to system stability
When it came to system updates in the Wii and DS era, Nintendo typically didn't get too carried away with frequent changes and additions. That's all changed in this Wii U and 3DS era, with system stability changes on a regular basis, while Miiverse — as a browser-based service — regularly has minor...
Video This Moody Trailer for The Fall Sets The Scene
Available now in North America, coming to Europe in the future
Crowdfunding on Kickstarter has brought us a select group of enticing games on the Wii U eShop, one of which has arrived this week in North America. The Fall seems to be a stylish adventure title that cites Super Metroid as a major influence; it arrived in North America on 26th August...
Video Capcom Posts San Diego Comic-Con Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Panel
Never mind the concussion grenades
2014's San Diego Comic-Con is long over, but Capcom has prepared for online consumption and posted the video of their Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate discussion panel featuring several Monster Hunter staffers, including the game's director Kaname Fujioka as a special guest. Most of the information concerning the game...
Tuesday26th Aug 2014
News Mario Kart 8 DLC Coming In November, Features Zelda, F-Zero And Animal Crossing
DLC packs promise new characters, courses and karts
Update: Nintendo of America has now issued a press release confirming the details outlined below. It provides the exact same detail, while also confirming US prices of $7.99 for each individual pack or $11.99 for the double pack. Original Article: A listing on Nintendo's UK online store has...
News That Shocking Pokémon Announcement Was Arcade Fighter Pokkén Tournament
Pokémon brawler by Bandai Namco, no Wii U version planned yet
Remember that "shocking" Pokémon announcement that was teased a while back? It's just been announced on NicoNico that the game in question is Pokkén Tournament, a fighting title co-developed by Bandai Namco which apparently uses the Tekken game engine. Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada...
Talking Point The Argument For And Against Retro Flash Carts
Preserving the past, or exploiting it?
As technology has advanced over the years, we've seen massive strides being taken in the realm of retro gaming, and one of the most important events to occur recently is the emergence of flash carts that allow gamers to potentially store every single game ever made for a single platform on an SD card and run...
Feature A Week of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Screens - Issue Fifty Two
Nightmare Wizard! Skimpy Samus?! Lord Ghirahim! More!
The hype keeps rolling on for Super Smash Bros., with official — and less official — updates showing us what we can expect when it arrives on the 3DS in early October. There's a sense that Masahiro Sakurai is getting to the nitty-gritty details. Sakurai-san's posts in the Director's Room...
News Image & Form's Olle Hakansson Teases New SteamWorld Game
Down with that, picked up some minerals while there
In a recent interview with PRANKSTER101 PRODUCTIONS, Image & Form's lead programmer Olle Hakansson discussed the inspiration for SteamWorld Dig, praised Nintendo's developer support, and gave a few details on a new title in the SteamWorld series. Hakansson briefly discussed the next SteamWorld...
Monday25th Aug 2014
Rumour Unconfirmed Smash Bros. Footage Supposedly Shows Three New Characters
ALERT: potential spoilers!
Update: The videos have been removed by Nintendo on copyright claims, which we're not surprised about in the least. The videos have been removed from the article but the original article will still allude to them. Original Article: Footage has emerged from an unknown source that appears to show three currently...
News Nintendo Has Nothing to Say About Recent Smash Bros. Video
Unconfirmed video doesn't faze the gaming giant
Nintendo have stood firm in light of the recent video claiming to be a leak from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. After understandably claiming copyright infringement on the uploaded videos showing footage from the upcoming title with three otherwise unannounced characters as the focus – followed...
Nintendo Download 28th August (Europe)
SteamWorld, Mercedes, Zen pinball DLC, Advance Golf and more
It's Monday, which means the start of another week, though European Nintendo fans at least have the benefit of the Nintendo Download Update news to brighten the day. This week brings us some excellent titles, old and new, across both the Wii U and 3DS, while there's a major game update...
Tuesday26th Aug 2014
News Amazon Pre-order Bonus Will Light Up Your Sonic Boom Characters
Shine little glow-hog, glimmer, glimmer
UPDATE: This pre-order bonus only seems to apply to the US Amazon shop for now. We will update again if this changes. Step right up, my long-faced friend. Why, I know exactly what you're thinking: "My hedgehog! It spins, speeds, dives, dashes, slices, races, and saves the world but oh, woe is me why doesn't...
Monday25th Aug 2014
Video Evolution And Biking Shown In Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Footage of Acro Bike & evolution in action
A new video recently posted to Centro Pokémon showcases some new footage of Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire. Although the footage is in Japanese, the footage reveals some new footage of the evolution sequence, as well as the Acro Bike in action. The video bregins by showcasing a wild encounter,...
News Square Enix Announces Limited Edition of Final Fantasy Explorers in Japan
Onion knight gear also available, chive knight is chuffed
Square Enix has just announced a limited edition of Final Fantasy Explorers, available though the company's own online e-STORE in Japan. The bundle features the 3DS game, the mini-soundtrack Final Fantasy Explorers Suppin Tracks, an art book with illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano, Gen...
Matters Of Import Taking Off With 3D Thunder Blade
Thundering ahead?
1987 was a great year for Sega in the arcades – After Burner II was wowing gamers and the previous year’s big hit, Out Run, was still going strong. But there was another Sega game doing the rounds at the same time with equally impressive sprite scaling techniques, and that game was Thunder Blade. Broadly speaking the game’s...
Review SteamWorld Dig (Wii U eShop)
Groundbreaking!
The two hottest properties in indie gaming right now are Sweden and spelunking. From Amnesia to Hotline Miami to Goat Simulator to that DotA song, a hugely disproportionate number of big independent releases the last few years have come from Swedes; whether it's Cave Story, Shovel Knight,
Sunday24th Aug 2014
Talking Point The Wii U May be Best as One of Two Consoles, Just Like Wii
Whether the 'first' or 'second' console, unique content remains vital
When the Wii U was launching in late 2012, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime did his job; he kicked in with full PR-nonsense in his statements and predictions. The focus in that time — in multiple territories — was to talk up the system as a console for the...
Feature Kickstarter's Wii U and 3DS Campaigns - 24th August
The list grows again
Just recently we revived our Kickstarter summary, as a means of sharing the progress on some current projects that may make it to Nintendo hardware through the crowdfunding platform. It's time for another go around, with some new projects and updates on those previously highlighted. We are generally targeting those with...
News The Mario Opera Graces YouTube for the First Time
Watch the first act right now
Jonathan Mann is the mind behind taking Shigeru Miyamoto's iconic red plumber and putting his story into the form of an opera. Mann's script and score were originally performed over four days back in 2005, and the production was not performed again until 2013, when a final farewell performance was held and recorded...
Play & Win Mario Kart 8 Championship - Heat 2 - Today!
Sunday, 2pm - 6pm (UK)
As we hope you're aware, we've teamed up with the Official Nintendo UK Store to run the Mario Kart 8 Championship 2014 in the UK, looking for the country's fastest racer who'll receive some fantastic prizes. This Championship has multiple online Heats, with the top three in each of those Tournaments then progressing to the...
Saturday23rd Aug 2014
Poll Which Is The Best Super Mario Platformer?
2D or 3D, old or new, you decide...
Not too long ago we asked you to vote for the best Legend of Zelda game; plenty of you participated. You made the impossible decision, as it's never an easy pick with so many world class games on the list; in the end the iconic and memorable The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time seized the crown. We rather enjoyed...
News Monopoly: Pokémon Kanto Edition is Bringing Ruthless Landlord Gaming to a New Generation
Gotta bankrupt 'em all
As a board game representation of cold-blooded capitalism, Monopoly is rather brutal — up to six entrepreneurs start with the same level of capital and acquire land as quickly as possible, before then applying hefty rent charges for merely standing on the land. The goal is to bankrupt the other players; it's a cruel world...
News Super Smash Bros. For 3DS Will Feature A Music Player That Works In Sleep Mode
AKA: The best idea ever
We can't be the only ones who often turned on Super Smash Bros. Brawl just to open up its music player and fill our living rooms with that glorious soundtrack. If the thought of even more classic Nintendo tunes makes you weak at the knees, you may want to sit down for this one. Masahiro Sakurai yesterday revealed an...
News Ubisoft Executive Talks Up Super Smash Bros. as a Wii U System Seller
"I think that franchise could be magical"
Earlier this week Ubisoft made it clear that — in the foreseeable future — Watch Dogs will be the company's only "mature" game on Wii U. It's a decision that makes business sense due to Ubisoft's struggles with the system, as the company aims to release and target games that typically sell well on...
News Meta Knight and Pac-Man's Full Move Set and Custom Moves Discovered in Famitsu Magazine
Wakka this way
Famitsu Magazine has detailed the move sets for Pac-Man and Meta Knight in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS as well as the variants that can be used for offline matches and matches with friends. So without further ado, here's what the Japanese publication has taught us. Starting with Pac-Man, his neutral...
News Don't Miss Chip-Hop Ambassador Mega Ran On His UK Tour
Random but true
North American hip-hop artist Random AKA Mega Ran is well known on the music scene thanks to his cutting edge retro-styled beats. Since the creation of his alter-ego Mega Ran, this former teacher has become one of the premier artists in hip-hop’s nerdcore genre, released multiple albums, secured a licensing deal with Capcom and...
Friday22nd Aug 2014
News Somebody At Ubisoft Really Doesn't Like Mario Kart 8's Mercedes-Benz DLC
"Kinda breaks the magic"
In these days of rapid fire communication via social media, it's not uncommon for somebody to hastily post something to the world and get themselves into trouble. More often than not these gaffs are made by individuals, not those working on social media teams for multinational video game publishers such as Ubisoft. At 12:17...
News GameStop President Says "Don't Bet Against Nintendo"
"I would also not sell Amiibo short"
It's safe to say that Nintendo's Wii U hasn't been universally acclaimed by gamers and developers alike, but then again what console has? GameStop's president Tony Bartel expressed his opinions on the Japanese giant's latest hardware. We've been very consistent every time we're asked about the Wii U, really...
News Fifa 15 Coming to Wii and 3DS on the 26th of September
There's no 'U' in 'team'
The Fifa games are met with either devotion or disdain. The multi-million pound video games franchise releases a new game in the series every year for nearly all consoles and are always successful due to the nature of nature of the game it emulates. In a strange move by the publisher, they have decided to release the latest...
Review Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge (Wii U eShop / GBA)
The chips are bringing us down
Adding RPG elements to a beloved side-scrolling franchise may seem like a stroke of insanity, but Mega Man has enjoyed more than a few titles that play off this idea while still retaining the atmosphere and challenge of the core series. Even a certain red plumber has proved that the transition can pay off, fleshing out...
News Check Out these Remastered Metroid and Super Smash Bros. Themes
A treat for the old eardrums
Music from video games is something that not many people outside the gaming circle really recognise or appreciate, so it's all the more encouraging when groups of people – be they large or small – band together in order to create a new experience from established melodies. Many of the classic themes from the Metroid...
News Hyrule Warriors Update to Bring New Game Mode
What could it be?
The official Japanese Hyrule Warriors Twitter account has announced the release of a new game mode delivered through a patch that will also tackle minor bugs in the game. [tweet 502761679235469312] Translated: An update is coming that addresses bugs and glitches and also includes a new mode. Development is near to completion,...
News Charles Martinet Makes an Amusing Vine Debut
That's not a swing you see every day!
The voice of Mario, Charles Martinet has recently set up an account on Vine where within the space of 24 hours he's already shared some awesomely creative micro-video clips. Using dancing figurines of Mario, Luigi and Wario he breathes live into his surroundings. 58 year old talented voice actor Martinet...
News New Video of Dragon Quest X on 3DS Released by Square Enix
Toriyama trims the buckles, doesn't spare the cel shading
Square Enix is continuing to tease their port of Dragon Quest X to the 3DS with this five-minute epic trailer full of explosions, dramatic poses, interior decoration, boss battering, and other acts of derring-do. To help on-the-go adventurers accomplish these things the 3DS version of the...
Weirdness Slowpoke Reggae Exists, and it's Terrifying
Kind of catchy, still nightmare inducing
Everyone's Friday jut got a little weirder with the official Pokémon YouTube channel's latest post, a nearly four minute reggae epic of Slowpoke doing Slowpoke things like attempting to swallow other Slowpokes' tails, Busby Berkeley water number-style: One theory states that this video is related to an...
News Nintendo UK Gets Help from Boy Band The Vamps to Advertise Tomodachi Life
Vamping up the gameplay
Indie pop group The Vamps have teamed up with Nintendo in order to promote the less-than-usual life simulator Tomodachi Life for 3DS. The campaign will show the band's exploits with the game and shows off the wacky experiences that can be had on your island. Nintendo aims to appeal to a younger female audience with this...
News Alphadia Genesis Set to Begin at the Beginning in North America
Natsume releasing the RPG on Wii U eShop this Fall
Natsume has released more information on Alphadia Genesis, an upcoming RPG release that will hit consoles exclusively on the Wii U eShop. According to the publisher, the story takes place 15 years after the Energi Wars, a torrid affair where clones were used as weapons. The kingdoms of Augustine...
News BLOK DROP X TWISTED FUSION Coming To The Wii U eShop Soon
A block capital crossover
Hot off the heels of announcing Flappy Bird clone SPIKEY WALLS for the Wii U eShop, our CAPS LOCK addicted friends over at RCMADIAX are back to announce BLOK DROP X TWISTED FUSION to an unsuspecting world. This upcoming Wii U eShop title is due to land this Fall and is a crossover between RCMADIAX's
Play & Win Mario Kart 8 Championship - Heat 2 - Launches on Sunday 24th August
Another chance for glory
As we hope you're aware, we've teamed up with the Official Nintendo UK Store to run the Mario Kart 8 Championship 2014 in the UK, looking for the country's fastest racer who'll receive some fantastic prizes. This Championship has multiple online Heats, with the top three in each of those Tournaments then progressing to the...
News Pokémon Art Academy to School North America on 24th October
Now you can go Warhol with Wartortle
Those of you in North America waiting to get your hands on Pokémon Art Academy finally have a date to put on your calendars, as Nintendo has dated the Pokémon-themed art instruction and sketching program for 24 October. Our own devastatingly handsome Conor McMahon gave the title an 8/10 in his review on its...
News Win a Hometown Story T-Shirt Signed by Yasuhiro Wada
This is a story of the sprite Pochica
The ever-generous Rising Star Games is giving you the opportunity to win one of five Hometown Story T-shirts featuring a pattern of Hometown Story characters, Brady Bunch grid-style, set off in the center with the genuine by-hand signature of Yasuhiro Wada, the father of the Harvest Moon series: [tweet...
Thursday21st Aug 2014
Talking Point A History of the Sexualisation of Samus
Exploring the long, complicated history of the bounty hunter's public image
Zero Suit Samus' alternate costumes in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Just this week, Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai revealed the new alternate costumes for Zero Suit Samus in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U: “From the ending o
Nintendo Download 21st August (North America)
Free Disney Infinity, Mega Man, Demon's Box, BlazBlue, Discounts and more
That time has come once again, North American gamers, for details of the downloadable treats coming to Wii U and 3DS this week. There's a major surprise with a retail freebie on Wii U, while there are a couple of new titles on the 3DS eShop and some excellent Virtual Console...
News Masahiro Sakurai Outlines the Challenges of Debugging for Super Smash Bros
That explains the Wii U wait, then
Masahiro Sakurai often emphasizes the underlying complexity of Super Smash Bros.; with good cause. His team is no doubt furiously finishing off the Nintendo 3DS version at present, before attention will shift to the Wii U iteration that's due in the Holiday season. In his latest Famitsu column — translated by
News Activision Confirms That Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is Skipping Wii U
Hardly surprising
The Call of Duty franchise has had a mixed history on Nintendo hardware, on occasion skipping the Wii but, most recently, seeing entries arrive on the last-gen system before moving onto the Wii U. Often the Nintendo versions have been announced late in the day, yet that's not happening with Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, as...
News Wii U Pre-Orders Enjoy a Healthy Boost Following Gamescom
Amazon Wii U pre-orders jump more than for PS4 and Xbox One games
While Sony and Microsoft provided live press conferences and a sustained bombardment of news, interviews and reveals during last week's Gamescom event in Germany, Nintendo of Europe adopted its usual strategy of focusing on its booth and some online promotion. Its most notable effort...
News Nintendo Aims Big at PAX Prime With Super Smash Bros., Hyrule Warriors and More
Special events planned around Seattle
PAX Prime, the latest major expo event planned in the US, is coming up and will run from 29th August to 1st September at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. Nintendo of America will be in attendance as normal, and has announced its plans for the show. To start off with the games, the following...
Interview Zen Studios Outlines Its Ongoing Support for Wii U
"We are aiming for Wii U parity in the future with updates and new tables"
The Wii U eShop has seen a growing library of games from various publishers and developers since the console launched in November 2012, and among the most supportive studios — in terms of the number of titles released — has been Zen Studios. Zen Pinball 2 is one of very...
News WayForward is at the Reigns of Another Adventure Time 3DS Venture
"Sucking at something is the first step to being sort of good at something"
The cast of Adventure Time are at it again! Based heavily on the assets from the last installment Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW!, the newest title of the franchise Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom is a pixellated adventure in a...
News Capcom Confirms Shark 'Laser' for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
I don't know but I've been told that shark pew pew is mighty cold
Earlier this week we reported reported on the inspiration for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate's zamtrios. Several astute commenters pointed out both here and on Yuri Aurajo's original blog
News Cubemen 2 Hits the Wii U eShop on 4th September
Impressive cross-platform support included
Cubemen 2 has long been one of the most interesting projects coming to Wii U. It's the first third-party game that'll be published by well-known Australian developer Nnooo, which has been working with developer 3 Sprockets on the ambitious title. Its defining hook is that it'll support a substantial range...
News Zen Studios Announces Another Three Tables for Zen Pinball 2
Guardians of the Galaxy, Deadpool and Doctor Strange
Zen Pinball 2 remains a unique app on the Wii U eShop, as it's free to download and then offers a range of packs and individual tables to buy. Fans of the game on Wii U have perhaps been frustrated that a number of new tables released elsewhere have failed to materialise, but following up news of...
Wednesday20th Aug 2014
News Nintendo Confirms Loads of "Veteran Fighters" eShop Discounts to Celebrate Super Smash Bros.
Fire Emblem! Mario! Donkey Kong! Pokémon! Sonic! Kirby!
Last week Nintendo of Europe announced a huge range of eShop discounts to celebrate Super Smash Bros., with a focus on newcomers to the fighting line-up. As promised it's now unveiled more Super Smash Bros.-themed discounts that'll run from 21st August until 28th August, this time celebrating...
News 3DS Homebrew Channel Reportedly in Final Stages of Development
Works in any region and on latest system update
When it comes to console hacks and mods, there are plenty of grey areas and debates over ethical practices. Those aspects may come to the test soon on 3DS, if the coding efforts of Twitter user Smealum deliver as expected — the coder is currently working on the later stages of a functional homebrew...
News Wii U Sales Continue to Rise with the Release of Hyrule Warriors – 3DS Sales Also Strong
Yokai Watch 2 still top banana
Hyrule Warriors was released in Japan last week, and it appears that the unprecedented level of promotion and advertising the game received has paid off. The crossover game holds second place in Japan's charts this week with just shy of 70,000 copies sold. This is certainly a promising figure, and we can only hope for...
Talking Point A Virtual Console Revival Could Be Just a Pricing Revolution Away
Time for some of those new pricing structures promised by Satoru Iwata
When the Virtual Console arrived on the Wii Shop it was a revelation, an official and guilt-free way to download and play classics from across the history of Nintendo systems and even former rivals from Sega and Commodore. It was an opportunity to sample games from consoles that...
News Reggie Fils-Aime Accepts Ice Bucket Challenge
His bucket is ready
The Ice Bucket Challenge, a web phenomenon that has been raising millions for ALS research, is currently washing through the games industry and Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime is not expected to back down. The challenge is simple: film yourself getting doused by a bucket of ice water, post it to social media, and...
News Fire Emblem Bringing The Battle to the Wii U in Europe This Week
Launches at discount price
The growing Game Boy Advance library on the Wii U Virtual Console has already brought us some excellent titles, but the latest announcement will no doubt have strategy fans rather excited. Fire Emblem — the Game Boy Advance version that was the first in the series released outside Japan — will arrive in this week's...
News "Mystery Travelers" Are Waiting to be Found in Wii Street U
Hints point the way
Wii Street U has perhaps been forgotten a little since its initial arrival as a free download in early 2013, though the fact it was a freebie helped to make it the most downloaded Wii U eShop title ever in some regions — Google really is taking over the world. We suspect that downloads of the Google Maps / Street View-inspired...
News Resident Evil Revelations 2 Assets Spotted
Uh-oh, they're on the official Xbox site
While each passing year leaves us less convinced than ever that Capcom can rediscover the glory days of its Resident Evil franchise, which arguably culminated with Resident Evil 4, 3DS title Resident Evil Revelations was a pleasing step in the right direction. It also remains one of the best-looking games on...
News Footage of Rad Retro Spin-Off Mighty Gunvolt Emerges
A free extra with Azure Striker Gunvolt in Japan and NA
Update: It's now been confirmed (thanks Tiny Cartridge) that this Mighty Gunvolt game will also be free for those that buy Azure Striker Gunvolt in North America. Original Article: Fans of pixel-based 2D action games that happen to also be North American 3DS owners are surely on alert, as...
Video Turns Out Former James Bond Pierce Brosnan Isn't Very Good At GoldenEye 007
The Spy Who Karate-Chopped Me
GoldenEye 007 is arguably one of the finest video games ever made, and was a massive seller on its host platform, the N64. It recreated the events of the iconic 1995 James Bond movie of the same name, and starred a digital likeness of Pierce Brosnan (and a "square" Sean Bean, lest we forget). Just in case you're...
Thursday21st Aug 2014
Video This Drake-Inspired Mario Kart Rap is For Champion Racers
"Got all these races looking like they're just time trials"
There are only a few Nintendo franchises that can bring on very real trash talk; no, that Nintendo E3 press conference attempt for Wii Sports Resort back in the day does not count. One of these franchises that'll have friends and family boasting red shell success is Mario Kart, to this day...
Wednesday20th Aug 2014
Weirdness Two Fish Duke it Out in Street Fighter II
Get PETA on the line!
Not so long ago we shared the humorous and slightly goofy spectacle of a Fish playing Pokémon, in which its often lazy swims around its tank would be converted into D-pad and button inputs. Like any Twitch phenomenon there'll be others that use that original as a source of inspiration, and we reckon this particular spin-off is...
News Alone In The Dark is Set for Yet Another Comeback
Will it find the light?
Alone In The Dark on Wii, released back in 2008, won't exactly go down in the annals of history as a classic. While the original game in this franchise is widely cited as a source of inspiration for subsequent survival horror experiences, the Atari-published reboot in the previous generation of systems didn't go down...
Tuesday19th Aug 2014
News Yokai Watch Western Release Targeting Next Year, With Toys Also Planned
No detailed plans revealed as yet
Level 5 has been clear that it's exploring its options to bring Yokai Watch to the West, though quite what form it'll take remains intriguing. The popularity of the first title gained additional momentum when the animated TV show took off in Japan, and the sequel — which is a dual release — has well exceeded the...
News Wii U System Update 5.1.2 Takes Stability to Another Level
Stability to make your head spin
Nintendo loves its system updates for the Wii U, with regular notifications telling us that our shiny systems are ready to go to the next level. The next level of stability. That's right, firmware fans! Nintendo has released another system update promising more stability and mysterious improvements to our user...
News Brinstar Confirmed as Classic Stage for Smash Bros. 3DS
New Zero Suit Samus outfits as well
The infamous rising-lava stage Brinstar has been confirmed for a return in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. During Sakurai's pic of the day, he revealed a new costume design for Zero Suit Samus based on her Metroid: Zero Mission final design, and was very clear to point out that the slightly risqué design was...
News Watch Dogs Will be the Only "Mature" Ubisoft Game on Wii U in Upcoming Lineup
"Nintendo customers don’t buy Assassin’s Creed"
Ubisoft is one of a few major publishers — right behind EA — that often incurs the wrath of Nintendo gamers for its sketchy support of the Wii U, in particular. It's partly a result of companies like these making silly promises in the past, some unrealistic expectations from gamers and cruel...
News Microsoft's Phil Spencer Lays Down Ice Bucket Challenge to Reggie Fils-Aime and Shuhei Yoshida
Is his body ready?
It seems every season of the year has its irresistible online trends, and one doing the rounds this year is for people to film themselves being doused by a bucket of ice water before passing the challenge on with a nomination. It has the noble cause of raising awareness around ALS — amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known...
Interview Dan Adelman on the Indie Scene, the Nintendo Years and His New Venture
Still in the indie's corner
Dan Adelman's official job title at Nintendo of America used to be Head of Digital Content and Development, but in practice he was regarded by many as Nintendo's most recognisable ambassador for download and 'indie' games. Well known and liked among developers, he's widely attributed as helping to drive Nintendo towards...
News The First 4 Figures Sword Kirby is Cute But Costly
Over $200 if you want one
We do like the varied collectible figurines offered by First 4 Figures here at Nintendo Life, even if they're slightly unobtainable luxuries due to their hefty price tags. Fans of cute pink fluffball Kirby should take note, then, as Sword Kirby is the latest offering on the way in Q1 2015. Standing at 16 inches tall, this...
News SteamWorld Dig Wii U Release Date and Pricing Surface
We're digging that HD resolution
SteamWorld Dig is one of the most popular games on the 3DS eShop, and for good reason, so it's unsurprising that news of the HD iteration coming to Wii U was greeted with some delight. After previously outlining a release date on Twitter, Image & Form has now shared full details of the ever-closer HD release. To...
News Keiji Inafune Juiced Up Azure Striker Gunvolt
You don't get to become an "action director" for nothing
Action platformer fans might already know that Mega Man designer Keiji Inafune and Inti Creates are in cahoots. The development company is lending its considerable talent toward the production of Inafune's Mighty No. 9 while Inafune was announced as "action director" of Inti Creates's Azure...
News Ghost Song Developer "Prepared to Move Heaven and Earth" for Wii U Release
Time needed to port Open FL project to the system
Ghost Song was a Kickstarter project that certainly caught the eye in 2013, with an obvious source of inspiration being Super Metroid, while its mechanics, setting and sense of style were certainly appealing. While it reached its funding goal for PC / Mac, it unfortunately fell short of its Wii U...
News Check Out Project Colour Park - Heading to Wii U eShop
Rainbow rhythms
Crystalline Green Ltd. has revealed a new Wii U eShop exclusive to Nintendo Life, and today we get to share it with you. Project Colour Park (working title) is an unusual game for the Wii U which has you flying along a set course coming into contact with brightly coloured cuboids at various intervals. Whilst this doesn't sound...
News Thorium Wars: Attack of the Skyfighter Takes Flight on 3DS eShop on 28th August
There are barrel rolls, so do one
Just before E3 this year Nintendo unveiled an impressive range of eShop trailers that announced some brand new games; one of these was Thorium Wars: Attack of the Skyfighter for the 3DS eShop, developed by 3PM Games and published by Big John Games. As a sequel to the rather good DSiWare original, there's
News Touch Detective Funghi Rhythm Could be Delightfully Weird on 3DS
Unlikely to grow in the West
In the earlier days of the DS you could simply put 'Touch' in the title of a game and sales would follow, as the idea of touch screen games was still new and exciting. How times have changed, but we're sure some still have fond memories of Touch Detective and Touch Detective 2½, charming point-and-click — or...
News Armillo Update Rolling Through Nintendo Approval Process
Shouldn't be too long now
Armillo has been another solid addition to the Wii U eShop library in recent times, earning a positive 8/10 in our review. Developer Fuzzy Wuzzy Games has acknowledged that some aspects of the experience could be better, however, and has been diligently working on an update. A Miiverse update has confirmed that this v1.1...
Monday18th Aug 2014
News Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS File Size is 2.1GB, According to Japanese Packaging
Let the battle for space commence!
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is a huge release for Nintendo's portable in October, and it also looks like it'll be a sizeable title in another key respect. If images of Japanese packaging are to be believed this will demand a fair bit of space on many SD cards. According to the images posted on NeoGaf, the...
News Retro Studios Ramps Up Recruitment for a Variety of Vital Roles
Descriptions suggest Wii U project
What's Retro Studios working on? That question has been common since development of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze began to wrap up towards the close of 2013, while it's not beyond the realm of possibility that the talented studio will have begun work on its next major endeavour while DK's adventure was still...
Nintendo Download 21st August (Europe)
Double Dragon's back, classic portable Mega Man, demos, discounts and more
Monday morning can be a slightly bleak time, but it is brightened up by the European Nintendo Download Update that shows us what's on the way in the coming week. It seems like a fairly modest line-up this week, though there are some enticing retro options, demos and some...
Review Double Dragon II: The Revenge (Wii U eShop / NES)
Double draggin'
There was a period from the late-'80s to the early-'90s when side-scrolling beat 'em up games were all the (streets of?) rage – from Double Dragon to Final Fight to Streets of Rage, we just couldn't get enough of punching hooligans in the face down long straight paths. Perhaps the most fun aspect of these titles was the multiplayer...
News Expect a 'Shocking' New Pokémon Project on 26th August
Watch it live on Niconico
In the midst of the hype and stream of speculation over Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, The Pokémon Company has only fed the fire by announcing that its fans should expect a 'shocking' new project next week. Given that specific use of the word 'shocking' it would not perhaps be too presumptuous to assume that...
News Fantasy Life Offers Multiple Ways to Connect With Other Adventurers
Work experience
It's likely that Fantasy Life will be given a fairly substantial marketing push by Nintendo and Level-5 ahead of its release in the West, arriving in Europe and North America in September and October respectively. It's an adventure RPG on 3DS that promises plenty of depth in its mechanics and in the size of the world, with a visual...
News A Whopping 5-Disc Bayonetta 2 Soundtrack Will be Released in Japan
Bewitching
Bayonetta 2 arrives in Western territories this October, and we think you should be excited about it. It's impressed us a great deal so far, with fast-paced action, gorgeous visuals and a soundtrack that pushes you onwards. It's great news — if you're in Japan — that the soundtrack is all set for a full release in the country...
Talking Point The Pokémon Trading Card Game for iPad is a Smart Move
A sensible approach to the tablet market
Nintendo is likely to be weary of those ready to tell it — in ever authoritative tones — that it should pitch up its tent in the iOS and Android gardens and bask in the glow of golden revenues. We imagine that while the company is happy to debate the issue, it'll have little tolerance for those that...
Feature A Week of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Screens - Issue Fifty One
Mii outfits! Meta Knight! Mega Man! More!
It feels like we're approaching the home straight of Super Smash Bros. hype, with the nights (slowly) drawing in and the arrival of the 3DS entry well under two months away. There are still some mysteries to be unravelled, however, and Masahiro Sakurai has been upping his efforts to get gamers excited about...
News Capcom Outlines Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Shark Creature's Real World Inspiration
"It eats... and it makes little Zamtrios."
Further showcasing Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate designs drawn from real-world creatures but made even more spiky, Capcom community specialist Yuri Araujo is celebrating the end of the Discovery Channel's Shark Week by sharing some early designs and concept art for Monster Hunter's shark analogue, the Zamtrios:...
Tuesday19th Aug 2014
News These Felyne-Themed 3DS XL Accessories are Ludicrously Cute
We've resisted all the cat puns
The hype stirred up in the lead up to the release of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate was bound to cause the production of some themed accessories for the system it graces, but nothing could have prepared the gaming community for this overload of cuteness. The Felyne race has been a favourite amongst fans since it's...
Monday18th Aug 2014
News BLAZBLUE -CLONEPHANTASMA- is Battling Onto the 3DS eShop on 21st August
Button tapping mayhem
BlazBlue is a franchise that's only made one retail appearance on Nintendo hardware with Continuum Shift 2, but it's coming back to the 3DS in a more cutesy, download-friendly format. BLAZBLUE -CLONEPHANTASMA- — that's the publisher's use of block capitals, not ours — is arriving on the 3DS eShop in North America in this...
News Typoman Hoping to Get it Right on the Wii U eShop
Not a game about the perils of games writing, sadly
Typos are the curse of any writer, especially those that'll get metaphorically clubbed over the head and told off whenever they slip up in published articles. Thankfully these typos aren't actually important in a life and death sense, which seems to be the premise behind Typoman. Set to come to...
News illo: birth of the cool is Getting Ready to Chill Out on the Wii U and 3DS eShop
So cool that capitalisation isn't needed
While Gamescom in Germany may have been dominated by major presentations from Sony and Microsoft, in particular, the massive event had plenty more on show besides the headline grabbing games. One of these titles was illo: birth of the cool from Raylight Games, an intriguing cross-platform puzzle platformer...
Gallery Exploring the Pokémon World Championships in Photos - Day 3
They want to be the very best, like no one ever was
The Pokémon World Championships in Washington, D.C. wrapped up today, with champions emerging victorious in a dazzling spectacle of wit and Kangaskhans. Canadian Andrew Estrada was crowned the winner of the Trading Card Game Masters Division, while Korean Se Jun Park took home the Masters Division...
News Dolphin Up is Joining the Sea of Wii U eShop Games Soon
Is there an ecco in here?
The Wii U eShop is gradually building a collection of accessible, quickfire gaming fixes, particularly in North America. Some of these are ports of iOS and Android titles, and we can add Dolphin Up — from Rawkins Games — to that growing list. The origins of this title appear to be in Dolphin Olympics and its sequel,...
Sunday17th Aug 2014
Review Cybernator (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Run-n-gun in space
Konami's Cybernator isn't as well-known as run-and-gun titles such as Contra, but this SNES game is a quality offering with plenty of challenge, personality and replay value. The Virtual Console exists to let gamers relive (and experience for the first time) classic games, and Cybernator will be a breath of fresh air for anyone...
Weirdness Check Out this LEGO Bob-Omb Battlefield Reconstruction
In more than 64 bits
Everybody likes to celebrate their passion in different ways, and one intrepid gamer has recreated the entirety of Bob-Omb Battlefield from Super Mario 64 entirely from LEGO bricks. The detail is phenomenal, the enormous Chain-Chomp taking centre place, and King Bob-Omb in his rightful place perched atop the hill. Goombas,...
News Only 3DS Games Sold Over One Million Copies in Japan in 2013
Emphasizes the value of the Japanese market to Nintendo
While Nintendo may have endured some disappointment in hitting its own high targets for 3DS in the past 12-18 months, positive statistics do nevertheless keep coming for the portable system — especially in Japan. Not long ago we saw 3DS titles dominate the charts for the first six months of...
Hints at a Mega Evolution for Slowking?!
During this weekend's Pokémon World Championships in Washington, DC, we were able to catch up with J.C. Smith, the Director of Consumer Marketing for the Pokémon Company International, to talk about the competitive scene, the Trading Card Game Online, and Pokémon's worldwide appeal. Whether you're here for
Review Mysterious Stars: The Samurai (DSiWare)
Bushi-no.
The DSi’s touchscreen-and-stylus setup has inspired an impressive array of pen-and-paper puzzle conversions over the years, and this trend seems set to continue right into DSiWare’s twilight days. Collavier’s Mysterious Stars trilogy, as the most recent example, pairs classic connect-the-dots puzzles with children’s stories. It’s...
Feature Watch The Pokémon World Championships Final Day - Live!
Champions will be found
It's time for World Champions to be crowned. Hundreds of competitors have been battling it out in Washington, D.C., and now The Pokémon World Championships have reached their final day; we can all watch and enjoy. The order of play is reversed from yesterday, as we kick off with the Pokémon Trading Card Game and then move...
Saturday16th Aug 2014
News Nintendo Offers Condolences to Robin Williams' Family and Addresses Petition
"We will hold our memories of Robin close"
Earlier this week we reported the sad news that Robin Williams had died aged 63 years old, a loss that was keenly felt by many fans of his work. He's also fondly remembered for his relatively recently commercials for Nintendo, in which he appeared alongside his daughter Zelda. Since Mr William's passing...
News The Pokémon Trading Card Game Is Coming To iPad This Year
Confirmed during Pokémon World Championship
It has been confirmed that The Pokémon Trading Card Game is making the leap to the iPad this year. The news broke at the ongoing Pokémon World Championship when Josh Wittenkeller tweeted an image of the game in action on Apple's tablet device. Kotaku has since received confirmation from The Pokémon...
Gallery Exploring the Pokémon World Championships in Photos - Day 1
Getting a little furry
Today was the first day of the 2014 Pokémon World Championships, bringing the best players of both Pokémon X & Y and the Pokémon trading card game from around the world to convene on Washington, D.C. in hopes of claiming eternal glory for their Mudkips. While the tournament proper doesn't begin until tomorrow, the Last...
Video Mega Slowbro Spins its Stuff in New Trailer
Like a record, baby
Mega Slowbro was leaked accidentally earlier this week by Nintendo's official Korean website, and now the west has acknowledged its existence with a new trailer revealed earlier today. Mega Slowbro's ability changes with the transformation into Shell Armour as well as giving the pink rascal additional defence and special attack...
Gallery Exploring the Pokémon World Championships in Photos - Day 2
Even more cute hats
After a day of last-chance qualifiers yesterday, the Pokémon World Championships began in earnest this sunny Saturday in Washington, D.C. While the only competitors in attendance were the few who made it through to the tournament proper, the spectators came in droves today, packing the convention center's large ballroom wall to...
Feature Watch The Pokémon World Championships - Live!
Now it gets serious
After National Championships around the world, hundreds of players have descended upon Washington, D.C. with the hope of become a World Champion. The Pokémon World Championships are the pinnacle of competitive battling, and it's being broadcast live for us all to enjoy. Today is the opening day of coverage, which will include...
Play & Win Join the UK Mario Kart 8 Championship First Heat - Today!
Qualification for the grand final is up for grabs
The time has finally come for the first heat of the Mario Kart 8 Championship 2014 in the UK, which we're running in association with the Nintendo Official UK Store. It's all in aid of a quest to find the country's fastest Mario Kart 8 racer, and to have some fun at the same time. This Championship...
Friday15th Aug 2014
Feature HD Remasters That Would Be Perfect for Wii U
Easy wins and fan favourites
In a turn of events that shouldn't surprise any followers of Nintendo, an anonymous source of reasonable repute has recently been quoted as stating that a big-name HD remaster is on the way to Wii U in 2015. We'd suggest this isn't too far off from saying something rather obvious such as "Nintendo is making games that...
Review Xtreme Sports (3DS eShop / GBC)
Like, totally awesome
While WayForward is busy cooking up the latest instalment in the wonderful Shantae franchise, fans are sure to get a little bit impatient for more of that half-genie action. Although the original is available now on the 3DS Virtual Console, we’ve also recently been treated to something completely different in the form of the...
Saturday16th Aug 2014
News Clever Flower Pot Lets You Plant a Pokémon Among Your Home Décor
B-b-b-bulba! The pottery that evolves!
Collections vary among fans according to taste, but for some nothing is better than displaying a nice "covert" piece. This is the type of item that unknowing folk can appreciate on their own merits, but other fans will instantly recognize and blather over its coolness. These "Succulent Monster" ceramic pots...
Friday15th Aug 2014
News Mario Kart 8's Hackers Open Up Over Their Plans and Ethical Dilemma
"The Wii U was a bit of a fortress"
Earlier this year we brought you the news of hackers that had utilised an exploit in the Wii U and Mario Kart 8, a workaround that broke through older firmware and the system's internet browser. The first video showed the duo manipulating sound and text in Mario Kart 8, before changing fonts within the Wii U...
News Super Smash Bros. Seizes Gamescom Most Wanted Consumer Award
Bodes well
We're getting ever closer to the release of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, with its Wii U counterpart due in the Holiday season. While we can certainly gauge plenty of hype and anticipation within the community of dedicated Nintendo fans, the secret to the success of both titles will be in generating excitement among gamers of all...
News Night Trap ReVamped Developer May Flip-Flop on its Wii U Decision
A Wii U-turn
Update: It appears the developers have now officially applied for a Wii U developer kit. You can see the extent of their update here. Original Article: The developers of Night Trap ReVamped appear to have had a bit of a re-think in regards to how their full-motion interactive horror experience will be distributed. Despite previous...
News New Project CARS Screenshots Race Into View
It's a Gamescom media blowout
The good folks at Bandai Namco Games have been working their socks off at Gamescom this week promoting the upcoming racing sim Project CARS, which is being developed by Slightly Mad Studios. With over 60 licensed cars and 35 race tracks, it looks like a comprehensive racing simulator, while its visuals have also been a...
News Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Bringing the Fight to the Play Nintendo Tour in US
Battles coming to the last three legs
Over the summer months Nintendo of America has been taking its Play Nintendo Tour around the US, a 2DS / 3DS event that's offered various games for attendees to try out while enjoying the luxuries of themed furniture, StreetPass hits and competitions. Up until now the featured games have been those already...
News Don't Touch Anything Red Close to Release, Helix Games Planning Ambitious Wii U Media Player
Also planning Kickstarter campaign for "Altered"
Helix Games founder Bailey Earley has recently conducted an interview on Miiverse with user Folkloner, providing some details on the studio's upcoming Wii U eShop release Don't Touch Anything Red, as well as explaining some of the company's future plans. There are some interesting ideas, should they...
News Animal Traits and Unique Features Outlined for Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley
We'd be impressed by an Elegant Cow
Ahead of the release of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley later this year, Natsume has promised monthly developer logs that'll introduce a new aspect of the game. Last time we were told about the item system, and the latest entry is focused on the animals that you'll look after and utilise for your farm. Producer...
News Citizens of Earth Pushed Back to November, Priced at $14.99
30+ hour campaign promised
Citizens of Earth could be one of the most intriguing download titles on Wii U and 3DS to arrive later this year. Developed by Eden Industries, it failed in a Kickstarter campaign before well-known publisher Atlus jumped in to the rescue. A cartoonish style with heavy doses of humour will combine for a promised 30+ hour...
Weirdness Tetris Played With Pillows is Oddly Entertaining
We've had Kirby as yarn and Yoshi as wool, after all
As it's the end of a frantic week, and the main talking point going around right now is on a slightly obvious rumour about a Wii U HD Remaster — we'll get to that in our own way shortly — we thought we'd take the chance to relax and simply look at something cool. This video certainly qualifies...
News Paper Monsters Recut Will Arrive on the Wii U eShop "Very Soon"
New trailer sets the scene
Last year we told you about Paper Monsters Recut, a platformer with a charming aesthetic that had been confirmed for Wii U. Its arrival has taken longer than expected, yet Mobot Studios has now confirmed to us that the game has been submitted to Nintendo for approval, with the goal of releasing "very soon". Although this...
Video Nintendo's "Mario Kart 8 From The Pit" Series Sure is Energetic
Tips for beginners, shared loudly
Over the past year, in particular, Nintendo of America has been pushing plenty of video and social media content to promote its systems and games; other regions have done the same, yet NoA has commissioned a lot of unique content. It produced the imaginative and fairly flashy 'real-life' Mario Kart 8 trailers before...
News Road Redemption's Alpha Release Shows Off Rough Edges and Wacky Gameplay
Sticky bombs are always a nice tough
After earning plenty of interest in its successful crowdfunding campaign, Road Redemption has had a relatively turbulent development period. Some early videos were criticised due to a focus on gun weapons, which were then seemingly dropped, while its general physics have also come under fire. The concept —...
Thursday14th Aug 2014
Nintendo Download 14th August (North America)
XType Plus, GAIABREAKER, Mega Man, Double Dragon and more
It's time again for the Nintendo Download Update news, and this week's North American list brings us multiple new titles on the Wii U, along with some retro goodies to consider. There's also a free demo on 3DS, a host of discounts across both current-gen systems and even a DSiWare game. Let's...
News Sonic Boom Games Now Have Their Official European Release Date, Shadow Confirmed
New trailer and character reveals, too
Update: The Sega Blog (thanks Max) has also unveiled a Gamescom trailer for the Wii U entry, and also confirmed appearances in the game for Shadow and Metal Sonic, below. Original Article: Both Sonic Boom:
News Mario Kart 8 Passes One Million US Sales as Wii U Shows Improved Momentum
Four of top ten SKUs in July NPD results were on 3DS
Update: The NPD results provide a snippet of extra information from Nintendo's press release, and that is that Mario Kart 8 was the fifth best-selling game in the US (physical retail) in July; below is the multiplatform chart, where systems are listed in order of sales in brackets (via...
Weirdness How to Order Earthbound-Themed Japanese Old Folks' Undergarments
Headline may be somewhat misleading
They may not be a must-have item for Lolita fashion, but the uniquely Japanese undergarment called haramaki has shed its reputation of being for grandparents only and enjoyed a resurgence of popularity among the young and fashionable in the last decade or so. A haramaki, or belly warmer, is a sweater-like garment...
News Charming Zelda-Themed Carry Case Appears on European and Australian Club Nintendo Catalogue
Stars in their eyes
If you happen to live in Europe or Australia, Club Nintendo have a new Zelda-themed carry case available for you to order. A stylish dark green bag that promises to be of a size capable of carrying a 3DS as well as some games, and with dimensions of 19.5cm x 12cm x 6.5cm it's likely that a 3DS XL would fit in its stead. The...
News Footage and Details Emerge of Mega Audino in Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Expanding on details from the previous leak
Earlier this week a premature post on the official Korean website for Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire leaked Mega Slowbro and Mega Audino for the upcoming releases. The Pokémon Company has now taken the opportunity at Gamescom to reveal some official details and footage of Mega Audino, providing...
Video Ghirahim Looks Creepy and Deadly in Hyrule Warriors
Still does that thing with his tongue...
Koei Tecmo is continuing to rattle through its video introductions for the Hyrule Warriors cast, and now we have a video for playable villain Ghirahim. A villain in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Ghirahim has been one of Nintendo's most edgy, downright creepy creations in recent times. He's a menacing...
News Azure Striker Gunvolt Blasts Onto 3DS eShop on 29th August
At a thoroughly reasonable $14.99, EU version in the works
It's of little surprise that there's some excitement around upcoming 3DS eShop release Azure Striker Gunvolt, as it's a retro-style 2D action title from the developers that are also working on Mighty No. 9; a certain Keiji Inafune has been involved in the project, too. After previously...
News The Virtual Boy is 19 Years Old, Probably Hasn't Received a Celebratory Cake
We still love it
The Virtual Boy is 19 years old in North America today, having arrived in the region on 14th August 1995. It doesn't have a European anniversary to celebrate, as it never had a release in the region. It's a system that shows us a few aspects of Nintendo that remain today, in some ways representing its key strengths. Nintendo...
News Donkey Kong Jr. Math Arriving on the Wii U Virtual Console on 28th August
Layton vs. Ace Attorney is the day after, remember
Last week Nintendo of America changed things up by giving a preview of a couple of choice Virtual Console releases on the way, highlighting Double Dragon II and Life Force as arrivals over the following two weeks. Thanks to that we already know Life Force is due on 21st August, yet the latest
News The Sega Genesis is Now 25 Years Old
How many of you are feeling old?
It's a day of hardware anniversaries, with the 19 year old Virtual Boy being joined by the 25th Anniversary of the Sega Genesis; as the name should have tipped you off, it's the North American anniversary of Sega's 16-bit beast. Known as the Mega Drive in PAL regions, the Genesis arrived before the Super NES and...
Video Vancouver Elementary School Breathes New Life into Super Mario RPG Soundtrack
If we don't beware, who will?
Many of you who grew up with an SNES controller clutched between your fingers will have fond memories of the bizarre experimentation that was Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Little did people at the time know that it would be the first in a huge number of RPGs following the antics of the world's most...
News Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call Aims to be "Definitive" and Final Version
Curtain Call is an appropriate name, then
3DS owners with a love of rhythm-music games should certainly be on alert right now, as Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is just a month away. The greatly expanded release of the original game comes with a huge library of 221 tracks, new characters and a local multiplayer Versus mode, with all of the...
News XType Plus Arriving Today on North American Wii U eShop
Short-notice squeals of delight
That's right ladies and gentlemen! XType Plus is finally out of the Web Framework hospital and will be released in North America on the Wii U eShop today, 14th August. It's been a while coming, but hats off to the developer for sorting the issue out instead of just ignoring it. You can now blast away all your worries...
Play & Win The UK Mario Kart 8 Championship, Heat One, Is On Saturday 16th August
The first step to being National Champion
Recently we announced that, in partnership with the Official Nintendo UK Store, we'll be running the Mario Kart 8 Championship 2014 in the UK, looking for the country's fastest racer who'll receive some fantastic prizes. This Championship will kick off with four online Heats, with the top three in each of...
Wednesday13th Aug 2014
News Beautiful Limited Edition Super Smash Bros. 3DS XL Console Bundle Revealed
And it's not just a dull logo on it either
Nintendo has announced a new addition to its range of limited edition 3DS XL consoles, and this time it's celebrating Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. The special edition red console will come bundled with a digital copy of the game it represents, as well as an undeniably gorgeous design displaying many...
News Nintendo Confirms a Huge Range of eShop Discounts to Celebrate Super Smash Bros.
Kid Icarus: Uprising! Tomodachi Life! Animal Crossing! Mega Man! More!
As part of an exciting batch of Super Smash Bros. reveals today, Nintendo has announced an impressive range of discounts coming to the Wii U and 3DS eShop stores this week. These details are for Europe, though we'll update accordingly should Nintendo of America announce an...
Review LEGO Ninjago: Nindroids (3DS)
Cyberpunk ninja bricks
It's a new month, which means that the team behind the ever-popular LEGO games has a new release to share with the world. Rather than building a game based off of a popular book or film series, the latest addition to the LEGO pantheon is based on the company's own Ninjago universe. Acting somewhat as a sequel to 2011's LEGO...
News Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric Set to Add "Two Fan Favourite Characters"
Developer addresses the 'steroid Knuckles' comments
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric arrives on the Wii U as an exclusive this November, and it's a game that's had a remarkable and brief history to date. Its announcement earlier this year caused an internet meltdown, with plenty objecting to the character designs, in particular. It's part of a new Sonic...
News Ubisoft Clarifies Reasoning For The Crew Skipping Wii U
It's now coming to Xbox 360, but also skipping PS3
Ubisoft has had an interesting history with the Wii U to date, showing early support but following up that strong start with a controversial delay of Rayman Legends and missing DLC in major releases. Sales figures for Wii U games from the publisher do explain, however, why the company has been...
News Meta Knight Confirmed For Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS
Battleship Halberd stage sets the scene
Just recently we reported on a Miiverse update from Masahiro Sakurai that showed off mascot outfits for Mii characters, though he also seemed to be teasing a return for Meta Knight in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. That tease is now a reality. As you can see in th
Gallery A Closer Look at the GameCube-Inspired Wired Fight Pads
A treat for the eyeballs
As we've seen recently, PDP is planning to release some officially licensed controllers based off the classic GameCube design that so many fans of the Smash Bros. series have come to love; they'll work on Wii and Wii U, due to the fact they function as Classic Controllers. Many people have been rather taken in by the...
News More Single Player Details Enter The Battle in Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo 3DS
Kid Icarus-style difficulty adjustment, branching paths, Multi-Man Smash
We've seen some glimpses of the single player component in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS over recent months, with footage of a character of choice marching across an overworld with multiple paths. In a series of updates to the official website, one that's caught our eye is...
News A Pre-order of Sonic Boom Will Bag You an Exclusive Sonic Figurine
3DS or Wii U version, it doesn't matter
Any Sonic fans out there might be interested in this; if you pre-order either Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric for the Wii U or Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal for the 3DS you can get your mitts on an exclusive figurine of Sonic holding the Ancients' Crystal. The model itself looks fairly nicely done, Sonic has...
Feature Kickstarter's Wii U and 3DS Campaigns - 13th August
Our weekly (maybe) summary is back
Earlier this year we kicked off a series of weekly Kickstarter summaries, with the intention of providing handy regular updates of what's happening in terms of crowdfunding projects on the platform that are targeting Wii U and 3DS. The last entry was on 2nd June, after which we took a hiatus for two reasons — E3...
News Yokai Watch 2 Passes Two Million Sales in Japan as Wii U Sales Increase
3DS hardware also holds momentum
To the surprise of no one, Yokai Watch 2 has once again dominated the Japanese charts, bringing its sales to 2 million, and this figure doesn't even take into account any digital downloads so the total number is bound to be significantly higher than that. Not only this, but Level-5's original Yokai Watch takes ninth...
News The Letter Version 1.1 Update Has a New Trailer
Reaching for more stars?
Notorious indie title The Letter has had a storied history at Nintendo Life, being something of a poster child for quality control on the Wii U eShop and the recipient of a rare if not prestigious single star rating, with the major complaint being that there wasn't much to do, and what content there was ultimately didn't add...
Thursday14th Aug 2014
Video Flying Carpet Level in Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is Weaving Together Nicely
More playable characters may also be coming
WayForward has been living up to its name, steadily chugging along on Shantae: Half-Genie Hero ever since the project exceeded its Kickstarter goal last fall. In their most recent update, the team provides a taste from one of the ga
Wednesday13th Aug 2014
Gallery Meta Knight Slices and Dices in His Official Screenshots
Beware, he still looks deadly
It's been a busy 24 hours in the world of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, with European reveals of a 3DS XL console bundle and a whole host of eShop discounts; Ninten
Video Check Out Some Exclusive Skylanders Trap Team Features on Wii U
Tickle those bad guys
Skylanders Trap Team will be one of the most lucrative releases of the year when it arrives in early October on various platforms. Nintendo — and publisher Activision, naturally — will be hoping for big sales on Wii U, Wii and the alternative version on 3DS; the strange but welcome promotion of a free Wii U download with...
News The Walking Dead's New Table is Shambling Onto Zen Pinball 2 on 28th August
Yep, that's for the Wii U version
Earlier this week Zen Studios clarified to us that pinball news "is coming soon" for Wii U, as we followed up on some vocal discontent that had been expressed by some Nintendo gamers on the developer's forums. The company has been good on its word, having today confirmed that the latest new table in Zen Pinball 2...
Video The Demon Legion Look Fiendish In This New Swords & Soldiers 2 Walkthrough
Still due this year
Swords & Soldiers II isn't just a sequel to one of the best WiiWare games, but is also lined up to be a Wii U eShop exclusive. Ronimo Games seems to be going all out to deliver a top-notch experience, too. The developer is currently showing the game off at Gamescom in Cologne, and has also released a new video to showcase...
Tuesday12th Aug 2014
News The Hyrule Warriors Artbook Catches The Eye With 'Female Link'
Looks neat, too
While there's reasonable anticipation for Hyrule Warriors in the West, it's a title that's been given a particularly big push in Japan, where the Dynasty Warriors franchise is a mainstay of the market. There are multiple editions and extras, one of which is a rather attractive artbook for the title — this will also be available in...
News Nintendo Unleashes An Awesome Trailer Showing Off Upcoming Wii U Exclusives
The Time Is Now
There's quite a lot of hype around Gamescom right now, with Microsoft and Sony in the process of presenting or preparing E3-style briefings for the event in Cologne. Nintendo, as is always the case with this event, is simply attending with a booth, yet has taken the opportunity today to release a slick new trailer — almost eight...
News Mega Slowbro and Mega Audino Leaked for Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
It's the official Korean Pokémon website's fault
As the November release of Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire gets ever closer, we can expect more leaks and reveals to keep us busy. It seems that today brings us an example of the former, with the official Korean Pokémon website inadvertently spilling the beans on Mega Slowbro and Mega...
News Legendary Actor and Comedian Robin Williams Has Died at 63
A strong proponent for fun and children
Robin Williams was found dead in his home in Tiburon, California shortly before noon Monday morning. According to a release from the Marin County Sheriff's Office, the suspected cause of death is suicide, although the investigation is ongoing at the time of this post. Williams is undoubtedly most well known...
Talking Point Nintendo's Ambitious amiibo Plans - Pros and Cons
An exciting platform with lots of unanswered questions
Earlier this year, as part of a major presentation following Nintendo's annual financial results, Satoru Iwata unveiled the Nintendo Figurine Platform, which was then announced with some style as amiibo during E3 2014. The initial E3 reveal focused on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, though a follow...
Review Mega Man Battle Network (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Net neutrality
While the Mega Man series is mostly known for its action platformer instalments, in a move to perhaps appeal to more audiences Capcom decided to try pairing the Blue Bomber with some other genres, first in the form of Mega Man Legends, an action RPG, and then again with this title, Mega Man Battle Network. Released on Game Boy...
News The Console Wars Live On As Night Trap Remake Team Holds a Grudge Against Nintendo
"There's just too much bad blood between us and them"
We often talk about the Console Wars of the '90s — a term getting plenty of mentions courtesy of Blake J. Harris' Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation — as a relic of Nintendo and Sega's past rivalry. The current scene is very different, with Nintendo going...
News Skylanders Trap Team Tablet Starter Pack Poses a Fresh Challenge to Consoles
Nintendo must fight to retain its important role in the series
Skylanders Trap Team is the latest entry in the hugely popular series, published by Activision, with its arrival and new toy range expected to bring major sales to retailers. The title is coming to Wii U, Wii and 3DS, along with multiple other platforms, and the Wii in particular has...
News The Namco Special Flag Will Boost Your Score in the New Super Smash Bros.
Taking stock of the situation
In a bold move from the development team, Sakurai-san has revealed in his pic-of-the-day for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS that the elusive Namco Special Flag will have an unusual and potentially controversial effect on gameplay. If you're in a regular timed battle the flag will grant you an extra KO to add to...
News New Avengers Game, With Spider-Man, is Swinging Onto 3DS in Japan
For a Japan-only anime, sadly
The Avengers are big business right now, with the high-profile film being one of the greatest box-office successes in history, also directing attention to the existing comics and other media for the superhero team. The heightened interest in the other aspects of The Avengers also brought us a mediocre game, too. In...
News Amida's Path Brings Interesting Combat Mechanics to DSiWare Later this Week
Write 400 lines
It seems the DSiWare format refuses to give up the ghost as yet another game is set to grace its gates later this week for North American DSi and 3DS owners. Amida's Path takes place 900 years ago in Kyoto, Japan. The city seems to be at peace until a menagerie of demons decides to wreak havoc upon its gentle citizens. You take...
Video Nintendo Minute Outlines Its Favourite Games of the Past Month
Some great choices
A typical gaming month doesn't always take in the latest and greatest games, but can involve whatever titles we feel like playing in that period. That's nicely reflected in the latest episode of Nintendo Minute, as we're taken through a range of games that the presenting duo enjoyed over the course of the last month. It's a...
Video Zant Shows Off His Peculiar Twilight Moves in Hyrule Warriors
No, not moves from teen books and movies
By the standards of the internet, Zant was confirmed as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors an age ago, yet Koei Tecmo and Nintendo have been rather busy with live streams in Japan and the recent Hyrule Warriors Direct, with the reveal of Ganondorf also stealing some thunder. Poor o
News The Pokémon Company Unleashes Hype Video for World Championships in Washington, D.C.
Catch 'em all right here this weekend with live streaming and coverage!
After grueling national tournaments across the globe, more than 500 players from over 30 countries will convene at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. this weekend for the Pokémon World Championships, competing in both Pokémon X & Y and the...
Monday11th Aug 2014
News The Trending #WiiUDroughtAid Shows That, Actually, There's Plenty to Play on Wii U
Backward compatibility adds to a solid Wii U library
While it's easy to point out the range of multi-platform games not available on Wii U, it's equally simple to point to a reasonably-sized range of exclusives and download games that make the system a unique and fun option. That's only going to improve once September kicks off with Hyrule Warriors,...
Weirdness Pikmin on GameCube Can Be Run in Windows
With extra bugs included
Game development is a complicated business, even if modern tools and engines do much to ease the burden and the level of tricky coding required. Nintendo, of course, utilises its own engines and techniques, meaning that there are a lot of coders in its shiny new development building and others besides busily doing some...
Art This Young Artist Makes Awesome Hyrule Warriors Masterpieces
Only 17, ridiculously talented
Nintendo's treasured characters are often translated into fan art, but rarely with such talent as demonstrated by UK-based Polaara; at only the tender age of 17 she has amassed quite the awesome portfolio. Dare we say her latest two drawings inspired by upcoming Wii U brawler Hyrule Warriors rank among her best to date...
News Coleco Mini Arcades Set to Sit Proudly On Shelves Once Again
Fingers crossed for the Donkey Kong version
Just recently we shared the news that Coleco wants to bring back its version of Donkey Kong, with the planned ColecoVision Flashback in the works and the company hoping to re-release the version of the DK arcade title that graced the original console. When we say 'company', it's worth observing that the...
Nintendo Download 14th August (Europe)
More Mega Man, Pets and a whole load of discounts
It's time for our regular Monday fix of Nintendo Download Update news for Europe, with this week's releases not bursting at the seams with new content. We do have a particularly good Game Boy title on offer, however, while there are some tasty discounts including some of the best games for Wii U and...
News Amazon Opens Pre-Orders For Super Smash Bros. GameCube Adapter and Controller Bundle
$100 if you're all in
Those eager to pick up Super Smash Bros. for Wii U have no doubt been spending plenty of time scouring listings and some pre-order packages popping up at some online stores, yet now Amazon US has placed its sizeable and particularly valuable hat in the ring. Amazon listing a pre-order does, in a sense, bring some legitimacy to...
News Goodbye Galaxy Games Reveals First Teaser Image of Wii U FPS
Tappingo soundtrack now available for free
Earlier this year we spoke to Hugo Smits, the man behind Goodbye Galaxy Games, to talk a little about the upcoming Tappingo 2. A surprising detail was that, when asked about other projects in the works, the answer was an "FPS with guns and blood" for the Wii U. The developer has now sent us a teaser image...
Tuesday12th Aug 2014
Weirdness Ocarina of Time is a Lot Less Legendary With Waluigi as the Hero
The horror!
Poor old Waluigi. While Wario's obesity and capitalist greed nevertheless enables him to be relatively popular with a series of his own games, Waluigi's fate is to be a rather unloved member of the Nintendo family. He's just there, and those that declare themselves supporters of the purple one are relatively few in number. Thanks to...
Monday11th Aug 2014
News Mii Mascot Outfits Shown Off for Super Smash Bros., as Sakurai-san Teases Meta Knight
It's either a hint or gentle trolling
Meta Knight was a somewhat divisive character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, as he was so proficient in aerial combat, and so deadly with very little effort, that he was actually banned from competitive tournaments. A favourite of button mashers not actually sure of what they're doing, his absence so far from the...
Feature A Week of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Screens - Issue Fifty
Pokémon again! Trophies! Game Boy! More!
We're up to issue 50 of this series, which means two things — this idea is beyond old, and the hype for Super Smash Bros. has been bundling along for quite a while. Consider the fact that we didn't even start this run when screenshots were already flowing on Miiverse, and you'll have a rough idea of how...
News Project CARS Limited Edition & Pre-Order Bonus Revealed
More guff to fill your garage
As with any major release these days it seems a special/limited/exclusive/legendary edition is inevitable. Some people love them, some people believe they have enough tat on their shelves already; opinion is divided and that's okay. Throwing its hat into the ring, Slightly Mad Studios has announced that Project CARS...
Video Japanese Wii U Owner Gives a Handy Demonstration of SUICA NFC Payments on eShop
We'll excuse the dodgy music overlap...
After a fairly lengthy period in the works, Nintendo implemented NFC SUICA card payments on the Wii U eShop in Japan, launching the service on 22nd July. The basic idea is that a typical swipe card used for public transport in the country, as an example, can also be utilised for applying funds to an eShop...
News RCMADIAX Reveals SPIKEY WALLS for Wii U, a Block Capitals Flappy Bird Clone
Has a revolutionary “HIGHSCORE” tracker
It's an age of clones in gaming, and one of the most peculiar, humorous and troubling instances of game cloning in the market was when Flappy Bird inexplicably went viral on smart devices. Clones followed, some tacky — oh, who are we kidding, all of them were — that attempted to repeat the success that...
News Zen Studios States That Wii U Pinball News is "Coming Soon"
Tells us it remains "committed to supporting players on Wii U"
Last week we were pointed to the Zen Studios forums, in which a few disgruntled gamers voiced unhappiness at a perceived falling away of support for Wii U, especially with a succession of pinball releases and DLC initially skipping Nintendo's system. An administrator on the thread stated...
News Castle Conqueror EX Invading the 3DS eShop Later This Year
The sixth release in the series
CIRCLE Entertainment is one of the most prolific developers on Nintendo's portable download stores, producing plenty of inexpensive and — in various cases — fun games on the platforms. It's continuing that trend with Castle Conqueror EX, with plenty of improvements promised over the DSiWare original. There will...
Weirdness A Resident Evil TV Show Has Been Proposed
Hey, it might be better than the films
Capcom has had quite the history with its Resident Evil franchise. Many people have fond memories of the early games, and when Resident Evil 4 appeared on the GameCube it threw everyone a curveball with its inventive new features. Recent additions have not been as well received, and the less said about the...
Video Citizens of Earth Recruitment is All About Favours
Being Vice President of the World isn't enough
Citizens of Earth has had an interesting history, with the charming RPG struggling and missing the mark on Kickstarter before Atlus stepped in to publish. Coming to Wii U and 3DS, among other platforms, it's been described — stylistically — as having similarities to Super NES classic EarthBound,...
Sunday10th Aug 2014
News Rare Shiny Beldum Confirmed as Launch Distribution for Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Hordes to include Trainers, trailer and assets released
Update: This Shiny Beldum distribution has now also been confirmed for Europe. Original Article: Earlier this week CoroCoro magazine revealed some exciting details regarding Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, focusing on three new Mega Evolutions and the workings of contests. A
Video Behold the Sheer Majesty Of The Backlit And Biverted Game Boy DMG-001
Now you can play anywhere, even in darkened rooms
Not so long ago, we spoke to Shaun Jones of GameBoyMods.co.uk about the services he offers to Game Boy owners looking to breathe some new life into their ageing handhelds. Shaun was kind enough to perform some surgery on our trusty old DMG-001, and we thought you might like to see the results in...
News Project CARS Shows a Tremendous Graphical Upgrade After Two Years
Like a fine wine
Project CARS has been a bit of an elusive mistress. We've had some videos, interviews, and gameplay footage, but compare the amount we know about Project CARS to the amount we know about Hyrule Warriors and it's not enough to get the large majority of the gaming community frothing at the mouth. Well fret not, for a new video has...
News The Letter Plummets to a New Low With eShop Discount
Less than 50¢
In the last generation there were consistent arguments that the DSi and Wii download stores were a little too expensive and inflexible, while access for developers was excessively difficult. We've seen changes on both scores in the 3DS and Wii U eShop platforms, while lower-priced games have begun to gain more interest, with Gunman...
News Pokémon Contest Details Confirmed for Ruby and Sapphire Remakes
For monsters who are lovers, not fighters
Nintendo is going all-out to make Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire as faithful to the original games as possible, as in conjunction with the return of secret bases fans will also be treated to the addition of the love-it-or-hate-it Pokémon Contest – rebranded as the Pokémon Contest Spectacular...
Saturday9th Aug 2014
Feature Ten Wii U and 3DS Games That Are Perfect For Summer - Community Choices
Games you're playing in this sunny season
Earlier this Summer we brought you two top 10 Wii U and 3DS game lists for the season, one for retail titles and another for eShop releases. We also promised to take your suggestions from the comments in those articles for a community list; so here we are. Naturally we've only picked 10, five for Wii U and...
News Die Rise Could Arrive in Call of Duty: Black Ops II on Wii U After Mystery Menu Appearance
You can see it, but can't play it
Update: This stage has now been removed from view, thanks NPaonessa. Original Article: Though the latest entry in the Call of Duty Series — Advanced Warfare — is yet to be confirmed for Wii U, there's still a small but dedicated group of players seemingly enjoying the franchise on Nintendo's system. For those...
Review Tangram Attack (3DS eShop)
Making the cut or on the chopping block?
Instead of piecing together various shapes to construct a square, like you would in a traditional tangram game, Tangram Attack is about slicing and dicing seven shapes from already-assembled asymmetrical designs. Since the outlines of these shapes are often masked by a single colour and a uniform pattern, the...
Review Mysterious Stars: A Fairy Tale (DSiWare)
Missed connections
From sudoku and crosswords to mazes and more, pen-and-paper puzzle games have found a happy home on Nintendo’s recent dual-screened systems, especially as part of smaller, downloadable offerings. One of the latest examples of this trend is the Mysterious Stars trilogy, a set of DSiWare games that couple classic connect-the-dots...
Interview Two Tribes Discusses RIVE, Starting Again and eShop Support
Currently earning more from the eShop than "any other digital shop"
Just recently Two Tribes lifted the lid on its shooter, RIVE, which it had been teasing for a number of months. It was a welcome landmark for a company that's endured a difficult year, with co-founders Collin van Ginkel and Martijn Reuvers shutting down the development company and...
News Princess Zelda A "Heroine in Her Own Right", Lucky to Escape a Bungling Rescue From Link
Ganondorf has been compared to the "business end of a skunk"
Earlier this week we brought you a slightly silly update on Yoshi's real name, in which 60 of you voted in our poll to suggest that the T in T. Yoshisaur Munchakoopas stood for Tupac; over a hundred of you instead decided it was "the greatest mystery of our times". Not the most serious...
News Super Mario Kart SNES World Championships Race Onto The Grid on 12th August
Watch the event live on Twitch
The Mario Kart franchise continues to thrive since the release of Mario Kart 8, but now it is time again for its eldest brother, Super Mario Kart, to hold the annual World Championships this week between 12th – 17th August at La Suze-sur-Sarthe in France. The original game actually has this huge event held every year...
Friday8th Aug 2014
News Super Mario 64 Has a Mystery Goomba That Can Never Be Killed
Nor its coin claimed
While most gamers have a particular title that they'll play over and over again to a borderline unhealthy degree, not many of us have the fortitude and familiarity with any game to find its deepest, darkest secrets. Some do just that, however, often sharing their ultimately fascinating discoveries with the rest of us. One...
Video Hyperkin RetroN 5 Review - King Of The Clone Consoles?
Tom and Damien put the wonder machine through its paces
The Hyperkin RetroN 5 has been with us for a while now, and we've had ample time to really get to know the system inside out. With that in mind, we present to you a video review of this talented piece of tech, which is capable of running games from a wide range of retro platforms, including the...
News Wii U Owners Finally Get The Nuketown 2025 Map For Call Of Duty: Black Ops II
Better late than never?
Call of Duty: Black Ops II is old news to most gamers now — it was a launch title for Nintendo's current home console back in 2012 — but Activision has only just gotten around to granting Wii U owners access to the fan-favourite Nuketown 2025 multiplayer map. The map has been available on other systems for ages, and many...
News CoroCoro Magazine Reveals Three Mega Evolutions For Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
That's pretty Mega
It's that time again, Pokémon fans, as once again CoroCoro magazine has gone big with information on the upcoming Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire on 3DS. The mag's gone Mega, in fact. The latest update has details of three new Mega Evolutions; details are below, via our friends at Serebii. Mega Altaria —...
News This Game Boy Stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Is All Retro Charm
A fitting tribute
It's almost hard to believe due to the extravagant length of its hype period, but Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is less than two months away. It's so close we can almost see our Circle Pad / D-pad wearing out from all those extended fight sessions. In any case, Masahiro Sakurai has been particularly attentive to the portable...
News Capcom Releases Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies on iOS, at a Lower Price
OBJECTION!
3DS download gamers have seen a few high-profile titles make the transition to smart device platforms — iOS and Android — over the years, an example being Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy. That release from Square Enix actually turned out to be fairly pricey for those wanting every bit of content on a smart device, making those with the 3DS...
News August Is Officially Princess Peach Month, According To Nintendo Of America
Roll it out for royality
Update: Well, who knew? As has helpfully been pointed out to us, it's actually National Peach Month — as in the fruit — and Nintendo appears to be jumping on the bandwagon with this announcement. Original story: Nintendo sure loves its themed time periods — who could forget the Year of Luigi — and now the company...
Preview Exploring Black Magic in Bayonetta 2
A climax worth waiting for
When Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aime revealed Bayonetta 2 at the Wii U's launch date announcement festivities, we suspect he did so with a mischievous glint in his eye. No doubt the anguished cries and wails of those that actually bought the original were expected, and Nintendo was also showing that it wasn't afraid...
News Cyber Gadget Unveils Gigantic Joystick Peripheral for 3DS XL
Is your D-pad not measuring up?
There have been all manner of unusual peripherals on Nintendo consoles. The Hyper Boy is the first that springs to mind, but the 3DS hasn't had as much attention lavished on it from the realm of the peculiar and cumbersome – until now. Introducing the Cyber Arcade Stick for the 3DS XL – an enormous grip for the...
Video Take Another Look at Ganondorf and Adventure Mode In Hyrule Warriors
Ganondorf's a bit of a smirker
Koei Tecmo and Nintendo are gradually moving beyond the stage of near-constant reveals for Hyrule Warriors, and on to slightly more reserved pre-launch hype. In a notable change to various sections on the official website there are no longer any "Coming Soon" boxes to tease us, but in their place final pre-launch...
News More Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Story and Setting Details Emerge
Where elite hunters lead, we follow
While gleefully carving a kill or cracking open the post-hunt box, it's easy to forget about the human element of the Monster Hunter series. At its heart Monster Hunter is about people — people who hunt monsters a lot, some of whom get exceptionally good at it. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate's story will follow one...
Video Nintendo's Wild Gunman And Sega's Bank Panic Face Off In A Deadly Shootout
Which one is the quickest on the draw?
Back in the '80s, it wasn't uncommon to see Sega and Nintendo launch games with similar themes in order to compete with one another, and a good example of this rivalry is the similarity between the NES light gun title Wild Gunman and the Sega Master System outing Bank Panic. Both had their origins in the...
News Sega Announces Chopper Action Title Thunder Blade As Its Latest 3DS Classic
Flying your way soon?
Sega's 3D Classic range shows no sign of slowing down, with Japanese gamers still getting to grips with Fantasy Zone II Double's new Link Loop Land mode while looking forward to this latest announcement - 3D Thunder Blade. Originally released in arcades back in 1987, Thunder Blade was another game to use Sega's impressive...
News Cult Classic Plok Transcends from Video Game to eBook
Beyond the pixel'd realm
Those who are well-versed in their SNES heritage should be aware of a sadly overlooked game from 1993 or 1994, depending where you were at the time. The name of the game in question is Plok - a platforming game where the titular character can remove and launch his limbs wherever he pleases in a style that's thankfully more...
Thursday7th Aug 2014
Feature The Ten Best 3DS Games For Your Kids This Summer
Child's play
Nintendo's 3DS family of console owes its success to its uncanny ability to appeal to players of all ages, but like so many of the company's products, the core of the range is designed around appealing to the younger end of the spectrum. Like the DS before it, the 3DS — and its sibling, the 2DS — is proving to be the perfect...
Nintendo Download 7th August (North America)
Super Mario Kart, Mega Man, Murasame, Cybernator and more
It's that time again, North American gamers, to see what treats are in store in this week's Nintendo Download update. There are plenty of enticing retro options, with three quality entries on Wii U and a North American début on 3DS; elsewhere there are two new download titles on the home...
Friday8th Aug 2014
News Coleco Wants to Bring Back Their Version of Donkey Kong
Might also be interested in ColecoVision on Virtual Console
Who's up for a quick history lesson? While Donkey Kong is purely Nintendo's furry, banana-breathed baby, the company originally granted Coleco rights to produce console and tabletop versions of the hit arcade game. Coleco bundled Donkey Kong with their new ColecoVision in 1982, then ported...
Thursday7th Aug 2014
News Nintendo of America Confirms Wii U Virtual Console Titles For Next Two Weeks
Fighting and shooting, NES style
Nintendo of America has taken the opportunity, in its standard Download Update details, to confirm two games that'll be arriving on the Wii U Virtual Console in the next two weeks. They're both familiar NES titles, though with Capcom keeping the lid on the running order for its month of Mega Man releases this doesn't...
News System Update 8.1.0-19 Now Available on 3DS
Can you handle the stability?
Earlier this week there was a Wii U system update that made it so stable that we could barely comprehend the level of stability. 3DS owners may have felt left out, so Nintendo has courageously stepped forward with an update for the portable, taking us to version 8.1.0-19. Below is the word from the official changelog...
Review SHUT THE BOX (Wii U eShop)
What's in the box?!
It's strange how little a concept matters as long as the execution is done well; just recently we criticised Dahku Creations' Soon Shine for playing too much like a mobile game rather than a home console title. Yet here we are with SHUT THE BOX (which seems like it's yelling at you), created by one-man studio RCMADIAX of BLOK...
Weirdness There's a Fish That Plays Pokémon
Magikarp breathes a sigh of relief (at least we think that was a sigh)
Today's entrant in the annals of human achievement comes courtesy of Twitch TV, in the form of a motion-tracked fantail betta playing Pokémon Red/Blue using virtualised Game Boy controls. The fish, one Grayson Hopper, has apparently been playing (or "swimming aimlessly in his...
Video This Modder is Playing a 2DS With a GameCube Controller, Because They Can
Slightly pointless, but awesome
Console modding is often popular with retro systems, as those with a tool-kit and some engineering smarts give new life or functionality to ageing hardware. Occasionally someone will mess around with the capabilities of current day systems, for either cosmetic or relatively unharmful reasons, and the results can be...
News Super Smash Bros. For 3DS To Feature More Trophies Than Brawl
Buy those you can't win with in-game money
One aspect of the Super Smash Bros. series that calls to the obsessive collector in all of us is trophies, little designs that will make us go for that 100,000th KO no matter what. Masahiro Sakurai is more than happy to feed this unhealthy obsession, and has outlined the volume of trophies and tweaks to the...
Weirdness Mario, Luigi, and Sonic Are Advertising A Chinese Mobile Phone Network
Honest truth, guv
There's something just a little bit wrong in China Mobile's advertising, pictured above. Apparently Mario, Luigi and Sonic have all been conscripted into the firm's latest promotion. Nintendo hasn't exactly made a habit of freely giving out its characters for other companies to use, being so protective as to initiate YouTube...
Video The Latest Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Trailer is Serene and Gorgeous
Take a break from the bloodshed
Capcom has released a new trailer for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate featuring the Song of the Cornerstone, presented by a ghostly wyverian singer. In contrast to Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate's elder dragon fight and port background hit Ode to Life, the new song has a more relaxing melody than its predecessor — although the...
News Dakko Dakko Confirms Development of Update for Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails
Purrfect
Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails is a colourful and rather challenging Wii U exclusive from Dakko Dakko, and has already gathered a band of devoted fans. The literal approach to on-rails shooting is certainly fun, albeit a number of gamers may find the level of challenge a bit too much to handle. As a positive for those unsure of whether...
News Shapes of Gray is Aiming to Bring Less Colour to the Wii U eShop
Has apparently been described as "“the WarioWare of Dark Souls"
We're seeing a number of simplistic but potentially snappy titles coming to the Wii U eShop, and another that may fit that description is Shapes of Gray from Secret Tunnel Entertainment. It's a title with a simple aesthetic and quickfire challenges. This has already been released on...
Video Soak Up Some Summer Sun At Nintendo UK's 3DS & 2DS Made For Play Tour
Highlights from the Sunderland Air Show
Nintendo's 3DS & 2DS Made For Play Tour is in full swing in the United Kingdom, and the company is going to great lengths to push its range of handhelds on the British public. The Sunderland Air Show was the setting for the tour's first leg, and Nintendo UK has published this sunny highlight video in...
News Nocturnal Outlines Flowerworks HD Sales and Future Wii U Plans
Interested in supporting user creation through the GamePad
Earlier this year Flowerworks HD: Follie's Adventure bloomed on the Wii U eShop, a HD remake of the colourful and rather popular WiiWare title. Available in North America and Europe, it's one of a small handful of titles that have made the transition Nintendo's most recent home console...
Wednesday6th Aug 2014
Hardware Review 8Bitdo NES30 Bluetooth Controller
A familiar friend, reinvented
If you're an Android user then you'll already be well aware of the operating system's native connectivity with wireless Bluetooth peripherals, including dedicated game pad controllers. Apple has recently introduced a similar protocol for its iOS platform, and Android-based micro-consoles like the Ouya, M.O.J.O. and
Weirdness Yoshi's Real Name Is Both Silly and Scientific
Will re-open the "is he a dinosaur" debate
We were once told by Nintendo that Yoshi is not a dinosaur, as we'd stated in a feature, but that he was simply a Yoshi. Once we'd dusted ourselves down from the polite but firm telling off, we felt indignant. He is a dinosaur, with boots, what's so wrong about that? It is possible that down the road of...
News Mario Kart 8 Update & DLC Scheduled for 27th August
Finally stop selecting "View Highlights" by mistake
Update 2: This update and DLC has now been confirmed in North America, with Super Mario Kart now also available on the Wii U eShop. Update: This update has now also been confirmed for 27th August in Europe. Original Story: Nintendo has updated its Japanese website with the following details...
News Nintendo's At It Again With Another Majora's Mask Tease
No Majora hype implied
Nintendo has been placing sly references to its off-the-wall cult classic The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask a number of years now – the most notable recent example was the presence of the titular mask on a wall of Link's house in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds for the 3DS. Not to be flogging a dead horse or...
News The Pokémon Center Online Store is in Business for US Gamers
Gotta spend it all
If you're a Pokémon fan in the US that's willing to spend top dollar for official merchandise, the freshly launched Pokémon Center online store may be the place for you. Only taking orders and deliveries for the US, it serves up more 'mon merchandise than you could possibly dream of catching. The main categories available are...
Art Controller Evolution Photo Series Hammers Home The Nintendo Factor
A visual record of how Nintendo has pushed the industry forward
Nintendo has been responsible for some major innovations when it comes to controllers — the NES D-pad, the N64 analogue stick, the Wii Remote — and Spanish artist Javier Laspiur has put together a photographic whistle-stop tour of the evolution of the game pad which shows just how...
News PokéBall Vivillon Available in Short Term North American Distribution
Collect it quickly
Update: This is now also confirmed as a wi-fi distribution for Europe and North America, taking place from 29th August to 8th September. Original Article: As we reported recently, the Pokémon Centre online store was launched today, making a return with a large range of merchandise to consider; that's coinciding with a...
News SNES Classic Cybernator Is Suiting Up For An Assault On The Wii U Virtual Console Tomorrow
In North America, that is
The SNES was a system which was lucky enough to enjoy amazing support from the best publishers and developers of its era, and one of the console's best third-party releases is set to stomp its way to the North American Virtual Console tomorrow. Cybernator — also known as Assault Suit Valken in Japan — was launched by...
Review Midtown Crazy Race (Wii U eShop)
Will drive you crazy
You know when you’re playing a game and it’s all going well when, suddenly, it introduces some arbitrary racing section just to add a little variety? Until now you’ve been jumping around, exploring, but for the next half an hour you’re stuck trying to complete this side mission just to continue. The driving controls are...
Review Soon Shine (Wii U eShop)
Here Comes the Soon
It's wonderful to see indie developers on Wii U find enough commercial success to produce more than one title for the platform, and two-man studio Dahku Creations has followed up June's Chubbins with a new family-friendly offering: Soon Shine. Our biggest criticisms of Chubbins were its torturous difficulty and lack of visual...
News Super Mario Kart Speeds Onto the North American Wii U eShop
At last!
Earlier today Nintendo confirmed release details for a Mario Kart 8 update and the free Mercedes DLC, with the content arriving on 27th August. That was European confirmation, but now Nintendo of America has confirmed the same date and changes to the game, along with an extra treat. A day before the standard Download Update, Super Mario...
News Shovel Knight Sales Numbers Revealed by Yacht Club Games
Indie developer rocks the boat
Actual sales figures are some of the most closely guarded secrets in the games industry, but Yacht Club Games has posted the full story of developing the indie hit Shovel Knight from its initial Kickstarter campaign to first full month of release, complete with approximate sales figures on Wii U eShop and 3DS eShop in...
News Sean Bean Declares His Head is 'A Bit Square' in GoldenEye on N64
But he's Bean a fan for a long time
In a recent 'ask me anything' (AMA) on Reddit, Sean Bean confessed his admiration for the N64 classic Goldeneye 007, but also made reference to how polygonally-handicapped his head appeared. Oh, it's good, it's great! Especially because it's so popular, it's like, quite unique really. It was such a big hit. But...
News Steel Diver: Sub Wars Gets an Upgrade to Version 3.0
More than 3.0 reasons to download
Nintendo has updated its unconventional shooter Steel Diver: Sub Wars to version 3.0, as promised last month. This isn't just a stability update either – prepare for some serious tweaks to the formula. The update is global, so no matter where you are you'll be privy to the spicy new additions. To save rifling...
News Nintendo Hardware and Exclusives Hold Firm at Top of Japanese Charts
3DS and Wii U see small increases
It's Media Create Japanese chart results time, once again, and they continue the usual trends — though there are a few talking points to consider. In terms of software, the two iterations of Yokai Watch 2 had another dominant week, now just one week away — in all likelihood — from passing two million physical...
Feature Nintendo's Natural Home at HYPER Japan Set The Tone For Future Events
Charm and interactivity were vital
A little while ago we attended HYPER Japan in London, an event which was heavily supported by Nintendo UK. Nintendo has shown support for similar Japan-centric expos around the world, with Shigeru Miyamoto originally planning to attend Japan Expo in Paris until, unfortunately, he had to withdraw due to his father's...
Review Anne's Doll Studio: Antique Collection (DSiWare)
Antique? Try "aged"
Gamebridge's Anne's Doll Studio: Antique Collection is one of several titles in the Anne's Doll Studio "series," and like the other entries is a complete waste of time and money. A simple application in which you can dress up a doll and save it as an image file, users will find all there is to discover in Anne's Doll Studio as...
News XType Plus Bug Resolved With Download Now Available on the European Wii U eShop
Concrete release date for North America is pending
Last week's Nintendo Download Update had some unexpected drama related to budget shooter XType Plus, when it arrived on the European store and an online leaderboard error caused some Wii U systems to freeze. It was pulled from the eShop within a few hours, and due to time zone differences in store...
Tuesday5th Aug 2014
News Capcom Is Remastering The GameCube Resident Evil, But It's Not Coming To Wii U
Headed to PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One
Capcom has confirmed that it is producing a HD remaster of the 2002 GameCube Resident Evil remake, and that the title won't be coming to the Wii U despite previously being a Nintendo exclusive. Set for digital launch next year, this new version of Resident Evil is coming to PC,...
News These Awesome Articulated Nintendo Figures Are Hard to Resist
Spotted in Target in the US, pre-orders elsewhere
Furthering its initiative to expand into the licensed toy market, it's emerged that Jakks Pacific will be distributing articulated figures to add to the World of Nintendo range of toys. Mario, Yoshi, Link, Bowser and Donkey Kong have all been revealed, and with Link being alone in his franchise it's...
News Hyrule Warriors DLC Floodgates Opened with Alternate Costume Packs
Costumes we've seen may not be free
The recent Hyrule Warriors Direct brought a lot of details over into western territories, and there were some slices of new localised information to take in. Nintendo announced that the alternate costumes it has been showcasing in Japan for Link and Zelda would not be standard unlockables within the game –...
News Wii U System Update 5.1.1 is Now Available
Minor enhancements and stability ahoy!
Just a short amount of time ahead of a Hyrule Warriors Nintendo Direct and in the midst of Nintendo Network maintenance, Nintendo has released a system update for the Wii U; version 5.1.1 is now available in Europe and North America, and appears to be one of those lovely stability updates. It's a small...
Nintendo Direct Watch The Hyrule Warriors Direct - Live!
Legendary details are promised
Hyrule Warriors, the exciting cross-over of Dynasty Warriors and The Legend of Zelda, is now just over a month from release in the West. Join us for Nintendo of America's special broadcast that'll show it off and reveal new details. [liveblog=nintendo_direct_watch_the_hyrule_warriors_direct_live]#NintendoDirect...
Review Frederic: Resurrection of Music (Wii U eShop)
A decomposing composer, recomposed
Public domain is often seen as the place cheap music games go to die, but it does not have to be this way. There is a lot of great music from the past that remains untapped; a multitude of virtuosos from previous centuries whose works can appeal within the context of a game. All that’s needed is the right...
News Keep Up With The Latest Hylian Fashion Trends With This Hyrule Warriors Scarf
Wrap up warm this Winter
The recent Hyrule Warriors Nintendo Direct brought up lots of exciting news for Zelda fans such as the opportunity to play as Ganondorf, a retro style Adventure World,
Feature Hyrule Warriors - Everything We Know So Far
Hacking and slashing up the details
Hyrule Warriors is the next major release on Wii U, with Nintendo no doubt hopeful that it'll kickstart a sustained period of solid sales for the home console, with subsequent months also bringing a variety of major releases. It's also the first high-profile and direct crossover for the Zelda franchise — aside...
News Ganondorf Confirmed as a Playable Character in Hyrule Warriors
Ghirahim and Zant also playable
Nintendo has concluded its Hyrule Warriors Direct, and a few snippets of new information were revealed. A major announcement saved for the end was Ganondorf; he's not just a villain in the game, but will also be playable. He looked pretty powerful in the reveal footage, dishing out meaty blows with his Great Sword...
Review Pop'n TwinBee: Rainbow Bell Adventures (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Jump'n TwinBee
Although the TwinBee series is mostly remembered as a shoot 'em up franchise, it might come as a surprise that there were actually a few games which took on different genres. Rainbow Bell Adventures — which is coincidentally also the last game released outside Japan — tries its hand at platforming, bringing its own unique little...
News Adventure Mode Details Revealed for Hyrule Warriors
Contains exclusive items and unlockable characters
While new details were relatively rare in Nintendo's Hyrule Warriors Direct, we did get a better look at some features in the localised broadcast. One part of the game that was shown off was Adventure Mode, an extra from the main campaign. It initially takes place on a retro-styled, grid-based...
News Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Introduces the Winged Snake Najarala
Snake wyvern... why did it have to be a snake wyvern?
The creature features from Capcom's Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate expanded bestiary continue apace, this time introducing the Monster Hunter franchise's first ever snake-style creature, the winged snake wyvern Najarala. Considering that the Najarala is a snake creature, it unsurprisingly uses...
Review Anne's Doll Studio: Lolita Collection (DSiWare)
Don't touch Lolita
Gamebridge's Anne's Doll Studio: Lolita Collection is one of several titles in the Anne's Doll Studio "series," and like the other entries, is a complete waste of time and money. A simple application in which you can dress up a doll and save it as an image file, users will find all there is to discover in Anne's Doll Studio as...
News Etrian Odyssey 2 3DS Remake Confirmed for Japan
They weren't kidding. There is no broccoli.
The "that game" teased by Atlus several weeks ago has finally been revealed, if this was in fact the game it was referring to. The somewhat infamous former "not broccoli" teaser site now presents a lovely smorgasbord of information in Japanese on a 3DS remake of Etrian Odyssey II, replacing somewhat...
News Hyrule Warriors Direct Reveals New Items and Character Progression Information
Chain Chomp! Badges! More!
As you may have seen, Nintendo has served up a 26 minute Hyrule Warriors Direct, which provided some useful localised information ahead of its September release in the West. A variety of details were given, some integral to gameplay and others simply a bit of fun. Pleasingly, we saw more of the character levelling and...
Wednesday6th Aug 2014
Contest wants to see you performing the Final Fantasy Main Theme
Square Enix is celebrating its repertoire of Final Fantasy music and the upcoming release of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call by sending out its own open call to anyone willing to perform. The company is holding a contest to see who can submit the best rendition of the iconic...
Tuesday5th Aug 2014
News Samurai Warriors Chronicles 3 Confirmed For 3DS in Japan
More button mashing mayhem
It may not have swept all before it critically and commercially when it arrived as a 3DS launch title, but Samurai Warriors: Chronicles — a portable spin-off for the main series — was a welcome early showing of support from Koei Tecmo; it's a relationship that developed to bring us the upcoming Hyrule Warriors. Like...
News XType Plus' Game-Breaking Bug Nearly Squashed
Get back to blasting
Due to the presence of a game-breaking bug, XType Plus was recently removed from the European Wii U eShop and omitted completely from the North American equivalent. Luckily, today the developer PhobosLab announced through its Miiverse account that the team behind the title have managed to locate the bug that has been causing...
News Team Behind The Power Of Glove Take To Kickstarter To Complete The Film
$15,000 being asked for
Remember The Power of Glove, a documentary we reported on a while back? The project has been on hold for a while, but the team behind it is now ready to add the finishing touches and has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the necessary funds. The film is aimed at celebrating the history of this much-maligned...
Monday4th Aug 2014
Review Steel Empire (3DS eShop)
The Empire strikes back
Side-scrolling shoot-‘em-ups were a force to be reckoned with in the early ’90s, gracing every arcade and home system under the sun with seemingly limitless variations on Gradius-style gameplay. Perhaps surprisingly, given the genre’s popularity, they also tended to stick rather closely to each other in terms of theme;...
News The Club Nintendo Reward Details Are In For August
Nintendo doubles up with 8 games
It's that time again, as Club Nintendo in North America has updated its rewards for August; there's a fresh batch of download treats that you can exchange for your treasure trove of coins. In a break from tradition, there are now eight games to choose from. This extended batch has six Virtual Console games and two...
Review Master Reboot (Wii U eShop)
Or Enaid Coll, if you prefer
With its continual growth the Wii U eShop library is bringing us a diverse range of games across various genres, yet Master Reboot from Wales Interactive nevertheless succeeds in delivering something unique to the platform. Previously released on PC and PSN, it's an ambitious effort that has moments of brilliance and a...
Review XType Plus (Wii U eShop)
The Citizen Kane of Web Framework games on the Wii U
Note: XType Plus was meant to be released on 31st July along with online leaderboards, but due to a bug in the ranking functionality the game was delayed. It was reinstated on the European eShop on 6th August, and is awaiting a North American release. Nintendo has opened up the floodgates to...
Nintendo Download 7th August (Europe)
Mega Man times two, Xtreme Sports, Rabi Laby, discounts and more
It's Monday morning, which means it's time for the Nintendo Download Update news in Europe, as we're informed of the delights on the way this week. There's a double helping of Mega Man, more retro treats, a new title and a host of discounts. Let's get to the details. Wii U Virtual...
Video This Is Possibly The Most Almighty Falcon Punch You'll Ever See
Mew2King, take a bow
When Captain Falcon was finally revealed for Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS recently, many instinctively yelled "FALCON PUNCH", or at the very least typed it in block capitals. It's an iconic move, even for those of us that clumsily button mash our way through brawls. Of course, pro players can deploy it to deadly...
News Nintendo Network Maintenance Scheduled For Just Before The Hyrule Warriors Direct
Is Nintendo planning something extra for today?
Earlier this year Nintendo dropped its regular Nintendo Network maintenance slots in favour of ad-hoc arrangements, but the latest confirmed work has caught our attention. It takes place today, and concludes just one hour before the upcoming Hyrule Warriors Nintendo Direct; the two may not end up being...
News Shovel Knight is Burying Sales Expectations
Moving more green than previously imagined
Yacht Club Games' critically acclaimed love letter to the 8-bit era, Shovel Knight, is exceeding sales expectations across all platforms, an impressive feat considering the game was released for 3DS, Wii U, and PC a little over a month ago. In an interview with Game Informer, Yacht Club Games' captain Sean...
News James Pond: Robocod Reboot No Longer Coming To Wii U
System 3 clarifies supported platforms
Earlier this year, there was a Kickstarter campaign for an all-new adventure based on the James Pond character created by Chris Sorrell in the early '90s. The campaign was cancelled when it failed to get anywhere near its £100,000 target. The whole matter was made all the more confusing by the...
News The Man Responsible For Reviving Nintendo's Relationship With Indies Has Left The Company
So long, Dan Adelman
Nintendo's approach to indie developers has undergone a massive overhaul in recent years, and that is partly thanks to the considerable efforts of one man: Nintendo of America's Head of Digital Content and Development, Dan Adelman. Adelman was instrumental in getting indies on board with the Wii, Wii U and 3DS, and has been...
News Link, Zelda, and Lana Show Their Moves in New Hyrule Warriors Trailers
Faron PUNCH
Another day, another recommended daily allowance of Hyrule Warriors goodness to be taken with meals. The folks at Koei Tecmo have given its fans three more videos to gawp at, and with just ten days until the Japanese release and the imminent Nintendo Direct focused entirely on the upcoming title, it would naturally be assumed that new...
News Renegade Kid Announces Metroidvania Game Xeodrifter for 3DS eShop
It has "pixels and stuff," all right
Spilling the beans to GoNintendo, Renegade Kid has announced their next project, Metroidvania-style action-platformer Xeodrifter, for the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Accompanying the announcement is the first entry in a nifty developers' diary by Renegade Kid's own Jools Watsham, in which he describes his sudden...
Feature A Week of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Screens - Issue Forty Nine
Paper Mario! Target Blast! Pokémon! More!
Another week has passed, which means we're ever closer to Super Smash Bros., with the 3DS version less than two months away. The tingle of anticipation is real, almost as real as the never-ending hype. Masahiro Sakurai knows this, of course, and continues to serve up daily doses of screenshot loveliness on...
News These Official Wisdom Tree T-Shirts Are So Bad, They're Great
Power up with Moses
Want the perfect item of clothing to go with your shiny new copy of Super Noah's Ark 3D? Then head over to Stone Age Gamer and order yourself one of these official Wisdom Tree T-Shirts, each featuring a title from the infamous religious game-maker's library. Super Noah's Ark 3D — arguably the most well-known Wisdom Tree title...
Competition Nintendo Life Set To Host Mario Kart 8 Tournament at EGX London 2014
A year's worth of games and more up for grabs
As you may have noticed, in recent weeks we've run a couple of Mario Kart 8 tournaments for UK gamers, with eShop funds up for grabs. These have been in partnership with the Official Nintendo UK Online Store and have attracted hundreds of players. We're now stepping things up a notch with the Mario Kart...
News Capcom's Latest Monster Hunter Figurine is Pure Gold
Literally
To celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Monster Hunter, Capcom has decided to celebrate with the release of a delightful little figure of a felyne – a cat-like race from the series. This little number would be eye-catching enough, bearing armour made from the mighty rathalos, but Capcom is marking this special occasion by making the...
Tuesday5th Aug 2014
Review Anne's Doll Studio: Princess Collection (DSiWare)
Evil princess
Gamebridge's Anne's Doll Studio: Princess Collection is one of several titles in the Anne's Doll Studio "series," and like the other entries is a complete waste of time and money. A simple application in which you can dress up a doll and save it as an image file, users will find all there is to discover as soon as the title menu is...
Monday4th Aug 2014
News Dan Adelman Formally Launches New Independent Business
States that Nintendo's download policies are in good hands
Earlier today it emerged that the well-known Nintendo of America Head of Digital Content and Development, Dan Adelman, had left the company; his official title didn't make clear the fact that, to many, he was the face of Nintendo's drive to attract independent developers to its download...
Sunday3rd Aug 2014
News The Legend of Zelda Monopoly Dated for 15th September in US
GameStop exclusive edition confirmed
Back in March this year USAopoly confirmed a special edition Legend of Zelda Monopoly along with a variety of other licensed products. There was no real insight into how it would look, but a pre-order listing by GameStop shows it off, while confirming a $39.99 price tag and 15th September release in the US. As...
Feature Ten Must Play Titles on the Game Boy
25 years young
In this past week the venerable Game Boy celebrated its 25th Anniversary in North America, which means we've had a quarter century of monochrome gaming goodness. The iconic system established Nintendo's leadership of the dedicated gaming handheld market, a position it still holds in the 3DS generation. It's not just nostalgia that...
News Majora's Mask Fan Project Gets a New Trailer, Even Showing a Scene on 3DS
Good luck with Nintendo's lawyers
Update: After initially publishing this video with no description, Pablo Belmonte has responded to enquiries of what this project is with some 'legal terms', suggesting this project is 'interactive' but not a remake. The final form it'll take is unclear, though the aim is apparently to present the finished product...
Prepare to put on your dunce cap
The Wii U eShop is filled to the brim with low-budget kids' games these days, and Ninja Pig Studios' IQ Test seems like just another to heap on the pile... but looks can be deceiving. Beneath the simplistic exterior, IQ Test is a real mind-bender: a series of trick questions designed to get you to think outside
News Shin'en Multimedia to Finally Show Off Fast Racing NEO in September
Some screens to start the race
FAST Racing NEO has had an odd but short history to date. The sequel to the popular and rather fun FAST - Racing League on WiiWare, it was unveiled with a teaser website in late 2013, with some minor noises about plans for the game in early 2014. Though the teaser site launched with "Coming 2014" text, however, a
Saturday2nd Aug 2014
Poll Is Online Co-Op a Major Miss in Hyrule Warriors, or is Local Multiplayer Enough?
Not all Dynasty Warrior features make it in the Zelda crossover
There's a lot of buzz around Hyrule Warriors right now, which is only being emphasized with Koei Tecmo and Nintendo's efforts to hype up the Japanese gaming public into a frenzy ahead of its 14th August release in the country. It's working out nicely for both companies, as much of that...
News Have Some Gorgeous New Super Smash Bros. Screens, Because Why Not?
Previously shown in Famitsu magazine in July
As it's a lazy Saturday afternoon, we thought it'd be a good opportunity to relax and bask in the glow of some particularly appealing Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS screens that have emerged over the past week. The background for this batch is that they were published across two separate...
Review Ufouria: The Saga (Wii U eShop / NES)
A Ufouric experience
Retro-style indie platformers are all the rage these days, so you'd be forgiven for thinking Sunsoft's Ufouria: The Saga is simply another in the long line of 2D NES-inspired modern titles on the eShop like Shovel Knight, 1001 Spikes, and Insanity's Blade. Released in 19
News Sega Once Again Targets 3DS As Its Most Lucrative Gaming System This Year
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth hits 250,000 sales in Japan
Sega has continued to show significant support for Nintendo systems in recent years, with that point being emphasized with the three-game Sonic deal that's now drawing to a close. The company's recent financial results, pleasingly, show that will continue to be the case. The company's...
Review Ice Cream Surfer (Wii U eShop)
Ice Cream Snorer
Shoot 'em ups aren't really a popular genre these days, but there seems to be a bit of a resurgence on the downloadable front. Not long ago we received Gaiabreaker, and now here we have Ice Cream Surfer, a game which had an unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign, but nonetheless ended up being developed anyway. Upon launching the game...
News WayForward Bringing GBC Classic Xtreme Sports to 3DS Virtual Console
The studio's first-ever Game Boy Color game returns
WayForward has announced through a tweet that it will be bringing its first Game Boy Color title, Xtreme Sports, to the eShop on 7th August. The game, described as "crazy ambitious" by the studio's own Matt Bozon, has players competing against 200+ individual AI-controlled adversaries in a variety...
Friday1st Aug 2014
News Heracross and Pinsir Distribution for Pokémon X & Y Coming to North America
Cross-game switches, Mega Stones included
Pokémon X & Y may be heading towards its one year landmark on the 3DS, but it's still keeping plenty of gamers busy — particularly in online battles. The Pokémon Company is particularly keen to keep gamers engaged while also promoting the upcoming Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, which...
Talking Point Deconstructing Nintendo's Retail Releases of Wii U eShop Titles
Sensible cash-in or lack of focus?
The recent announcement of a NES Remix physical disc compilation coming to North America was the latest in a minor trend for Nintendo, as it is showing an increased willingness to convert download titles into retail releases. It was also surprising, as NES Remix Pack will combine two $15 titles, so presumably will...
News Sainsbury's Reduces Mario Kart 8 Wii U Bundle by £40 in UK, Down to £209.99
Who needs a free game?
Throughout the last couple of months Nintendo ran the excellent free game with Mario Kart 8 promotion, with Europeans choosing between 10 games and four being available in North America. It was a great deal for those either buying the game or the Mario Kart 8 hardware bundle. That offer expired on 31st July, however, an...
Saturday2nd Aug 2014
News Former Cing Vice President Would Like the Story of Hotel Dusk to Continue
Seeking Kyle Hyde
The story of developer Cing is just about as morose as their cult hit adventure title, Hotel Dusk: Room 215. Signed on to develop with Nintendo, Cing released several interesting games, including Little King's Story and Another Code (aka Trace Memory), but were unable to escape a fate of bankruptcy. They released
Friday1st Aug 2014
News Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Delay in Europe Explained
"In order to optimise the best possible launch timing for Europe"
We recently shared with you the slightly disappointing news that Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker won't be out in Europe until next year. As the fiendish isometric puzzler appears to still be on course for a Holiday 2014 launch in North America, we reached out to Nintendo UK to enquire...
Review Wooden Sen'SeY (Wii U eShop)
More training required
The Wii U eShop, unsurprisingly, isn't short of options when it comes to platformers, especially as it's a genre typically associated with Nintendo systems and their gamers. Wooden Sen'Sey, published by Neko Entertainment, aims to capitalise on that popularity and remind gamers of old-fashioned difficulty; these are noble yet...
News You Won't Be Able To Cross Swords Online In Hyrule Warriors
Co-op restricted to local play only
Nintendo confirmed a while back that Hyrule Warriors will feature online functionality, and while the official page only lists elements such as potential DLC, Miiverse connectivity and "special battle" modes, many fans jumped to conclusions and assumed that online co-op would make the cut. It has now been...
Video Mario Battles Through Real Life Tokyo to Get to Super Smash Bros. Event
A smashing fan made trailer
We've seen some awesome fan made Nintendo videos in the past, and this certainly ranks as one of the best. YouTuber Dean Wright has faithfully created a trailer of everyone's favourite portly plumber dashing through the streets of real life Tokyo in order to get to a Super Smash Bros. event on time. Not only is Mario's...
News Rain Games' Upcoming Wii U eShop Title Teslagrad Will Also Be Released In-Store
Has also been sent in to Nintendo for approval
After the delay of the Wii U eShop title Teslagrad towards the end of 2013, fans of the Big N haven’t heard much about the upcoming puzzle-platformer except that its developer Rain Games is intent on delivering a quality product. Whilst Wii U owners were also teased with a lovely
Review 101 Pony Pets 3D (3DS eShop)
Horse play
Selectsoft apparently buys its quirky pets in bulk. From dinosaurs to penguins, it's got your number; as long as it’s 101. Now its attention has inevitably turned toward the ultimate care-for-me-and-squee animals: ponies. 101 Pony Pets 3D takes a cue from A Certain Friendshipically Magical Brand by offering three different breeds of...
News Gearbox Attempts To Extract Itself From Aliens: Colonial Marines Class Action Lawsuit
States that Sega "vetted, approved and accepted" the critically-panned game
While many of us have all but forgotten the ill-fated Aliens: Colonial Marines — a title which was released to scathing reviews and would eventually be cancelled on Wii U — publisher Sega and developer Gearbox Software are still fighting a
News Target Blast Mini-Game Blows Up on Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Boom
After devoting a lot of time earlier this year to the HD sibling of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Masahiro Sakurai seems to have clicked into the fact that as the portable version arrives first, he should perhaps plug that the most in his "Pic of the Day" posts. That's been the case this week, certainly, with two new stages revealed for...
Video Impa and a Naginata Mean Bad News For Gohma in Hyrule Warriors
More slick action from Koei Tecmo
Now that some Japanese press copies of Hyrule Warriors are in the wild, there's no shortage of footage popping up online for those that want to see the whole game before it arrives. For those seeking an element of surprise when it arrives in stores, however, there's the conventional hype machine of Koei Tecmo and...
News Mega Man Soundtrack Volumes 1-10 Announced for the West
Not a Japanese exclusive anymore
Capcom and Sumthing Else Music Works have announced the release of Mega Man Soundtracks in ten delicious volumes. The first four volumes are already available, and the subsequent six will be released at the rate of two per month. The classic chiptune tracks have been heralded as some of the best in the business, so...
News Nintendo Comes Out On Top As Japanese Gamers Vote For Their Favourite Developers
Foreign devs still struggling to make an impact
A Japanese website by the name of Freshers recently conducted a poll pretty much reconfirming that domestic developers and publishers are still the clear favourites amongst Japan’s game-playing population. The poll conducted last month asked 500 members of the public if they played video games, and...
Site News We're Doing a Reddit AMA Today, So Ask Your Burning Questions
What do you want to know?
For those of you trendy enough to browse Reddit on a daily basis, you may be familiar with the Nintendo sub-Reddit, which hosts plenty of discussions around all things Nintendo. The site as a whole also plays host to regular AMA (ask me anything) sessions across multiple communities, and today it's our turn. We'll be...
News September Brings Iconic Learning Characters Biff, Chip & Kipper To 3DS Systems
English, Mother, do you speak it?
It's no secret that the Nintendo DS was host to an enormous variety of non-gaming software for purposes ranging from fitness to diet, and it seems Nintendo is keen to bring a whole new host of these to the 3DS. Phonics Fun with Biff, Chip & Kipper is a collection of three volumes that take the well-known...
Play & Win Here Are The Mario Kart 8 UK Tournament Rematch Results
Thanks for playing!
Thanks to our friends at the Official Nintendo UK Online Store we held another Mario Kart 8 tournament yesterday; we changed things slightly by increasing the number of races from 12 to 16 and reducing the number of hours from 6 to 4. There was a total of £120 eShop credit up for grabs to our top three racers — competition was...
