Guide How To Beat Everyone At Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo 3DS
Going to EGX? Check out these top tips to ensure you have a smashing time
News Demo for Super Smash Bros. 3DS Announced for North America and Europe
Club Nintendo members may get it even earlier
News Impending Japanese Launch Of Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo 3DS Brings New Character Reveals
If you don't want the surprise to be ruined, look away now...
Review Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (3DS)
The smash-hit 3DS owners have been waiting for?
News - September, 2014
Tuesday30th Sep 2014
News Master Quest DLC Details Emerge for Hyrule Warriors
Play as Cia, the villain with the insane 'figure'
Hyrule Warriors is now bringing hack and slash mayhem to gamers around the world, but Koei Tecmo is busy producing multiple paid-DLC packs to tempt us to buy more. A major entry is due on 16th October with the Master Quest DLC pack, which has already been confirmed to feature Epona as a rather scary...
Wednesday1st Oct 2014
News Modder Shows How to Play the 3DS With a GameCube Controller
No need to smash up the system
One controller generally considered to go hand-in-hand with the Super Smash Bros. series is the GameCube pad, which many still use in the most recent home console releases. Of course, it'll be possible to continue that tradition with the GameCube Controller Adapter for Wii U, but it's not an option for the imminent...
Tuesday30th Sep 2014
News Super Smash Bros. on 3DS Lacks Circle Pad Pro Support Due to Processing Power Limitations
So says Masahiro Sakurai
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS has a solid control scheme, but there was some gnashing of teeth when it emerged that it won't support the Circle Pad Pro for some convenient Smash Attacks with the second Circle Pad. It's only been natural to wonder why, then, the c-stick on the New Nintendo 3DS is supported, with various...
News Wii U System Update 5.2.0 Brings Folders, New UI Design and More
Don't forget extra stability
The latest version of Nintendo’s Wii U software — 5.2.0 — has been released to the masses, and brings with it a feature that many users have been demanding for over two years: folders on the Wii U Menu. Folders have been a part of the 3DS’ internal software since 2012, and their organisational abilities have...
News Naughty German Retailer Breaks Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Street Date
Those rascals
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is just days away, yet it seems a retailer in Germany couldn't even wait for the right month before grabbing some sales on the title. It is sure to be one of the year's biggest releases on 3DS, yet any street date-breaking sales will inevitably frustrate Nintendo. The apparent early sale was posted...
News Ocarina of Time gets a 2D Makeover
Downgradin' and relaxin'
A group of Zelda fans have decided to take the classic gameplay and graphics from A Link to the Past and apply it to what is arguably the most famous outing the the Zelda series, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The game is in the very early stages, and it’s not clear what engine the game is running on, but it’s...
News Battleminer Screens Show Some Familiar Block Building On the Way to 3DS
MineBattle
It was only recently that we were talking about U Craft, an apparent Minecraft clone coming to Wii U, though we've now received some fresh screens of an equally blocky title on the way to the 3DS eShop. Announced earlier in the summer and due in North American in the next month — later elsewhere — is Battleminer, which is bringing its...
Weirdness Rainbow Road Muscles its Way onto Realistic Racer Assetto Corsa
Hilariously out-of-place
Rainbow Road from Super Mario 64 is a track steeped in many people's nostalgia banks, and Mario Kart 8 recreated that experience in HD for the first time earlier this year. Now, a clever modder who goes by the name of 'N64AC' has managed to get the original track working on an upcoming realistic racing simulator coming out...
Wednesday1st Oct 2014
Video Aqua Moto Racing Utopia Footage Breaks Some Waves
Some wave racing
Earlier this year Zordix AB announced Aqua Moto Racing Utopia for Wii U; it'll be an expanded HD follow-up to Aqua Moto Racing 3D on the 3DS eShop. For fans of water-ski racing who mournfully wait for a certain Nintendo franchise to return, the upcoming download release is sure to grab attention; it'll feature local and online...
Tuesday30th Sep 2014
Video Which Indie Developer Is Best At Mario Kart 8?
We didn't know either, so we decided to find out
As we've already mentioned several times before until we're blue in the face, we helped Nintendo UK host the official UK Mario Kart 8 Championships at this year's EGX. During the four days we held daily competitions so attendees could show off their skills, as well as two special races which featured...
Nintendo 64x64 Killer Instinct Gold
Wisely held back from the Snes; giving gamers a further reason for a N64. Subsequently, better fighters did arrive but this became one to saviour as Rare never produced its own sequel. Instantly, the killer soundtrack stands out as well as great backgrounds, fresh new characters and team battles. Pitched perfectly to novices and experts; a rare...
Monday29th Sep 2014
News Koei Tecmo Europe All But Confirms Fatal Frame Wii U As Japan-Only
Spirit selfies still a long way off
Grab those tissues, because Koei Tecmo Europe has practically confirmed that Wii U exclusive Fatal Frame: The Black Haired Shrine Maiden won't set foot outside of Japan. In response to Twitterers requesting news of a potential western release of this latest instalment of the Fatal Frame series using the...
News Nexis Games is Developing U Craft, a Minecraft Clone, for the eShop
Aiming for before Christmas
The continuing absence of Minecraft from Nintendo systems — a release even less likely following Microsoft's acquisition of Mojang — continues to frustrate some, especially considering the phenomenal popularity of the game. In recent days news emerged of a Minecraft clone on the way to Wii U, though we were...
Review BlazBlue: Clone Phantasma (3DS eShop)
Small brawl
There's always excitement in the air when a new fighting game hits the streets. These days, especially with the upcoming release of Nintendo's premier brawler, it's easy for lesser-known releases to get swept under the rug. Some fighting franchises are big among niche groups of gamers, but this means that great titles often get...
Weirdness This Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Bug is a 'Big' Problem
Screen filling mayhem
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS has been available for a decent spell now in Japan, with players unlocking its many secrets and discovering some quirks. A particular bug that's been shown off recently is pretty eye-catching; it's impossible to miss, actually. When playing the Multi-Man Smash mode as Yoshi, you thrash some...
News Almost 50 Different System Themes Revealed Prior To New 3DS Launch
Third party themes included in the first batch
The New 3DS launches in Japan next month, and along with it we'll be seeing a firmware update which will allow all 3DS consoles to implement custom themes. Nintendo of Japan has posted a selection of themes online, along with prices which range from 100 yen ($0.90 / £0.55) to 200 yen ($1.80 / £1.20)...
Video Japanese Commercial For New 3DS Highlights Those Fetching "Kisekae Plate" Covers
Dressing up time
The Japanese launch of the New 3DS is just around the corner, and Nintendo is running commercials in its homeland to promote the customisable nature of the system. The standard New 3DS — not the New 3DS XL — features interchangeable "Kisekae Plate" covers which are sold separately and come in a wide range of eye-catching...
Video Here Are Some Cool Facts Around the DS
Thank goodness it wasn't called City Boy
The DS family of systems is a fundamental part of Nintendo's history for multiple — and obvious — reasons: it is the company's most successful hardware and the second highest-selling in the industry's history, it introduced a new brand that lives on with the 3DS family, and it sidelined the iconic Game...
Book Review Boss Fight Books - Super Mario Bros. 2
Subcon-text
For how unique it is compared to other games in the Mario line, it’s amazing how easily Super Mario Bros. 2 is taken at face value or glossed over entirely. Many fans are happy to share the fact that the game is actually a reskin of Japanese title Doki Doki Panic after the original Super Mario Bros. sequel was deemed too difficult and...
Nintendo Download 2nd October (Europe)
Smash Bros., a double dose of Street Fighter and more
Another week begins, yet this time around the customary Nintendo Download news for Europe includes one of the most anticipated titles of 2014. As well as that smashing arrival we have a retro double header across the Wii U and 3DS, along with a new arrival on the home console and a couple of...
Tuesday30th Sep 2014
News Warlocks Battles For Final Funding Push, With Wii U Version Planned
Fast-paced pixel action
In the absence of our Kickstarter update, which will return in the coming days, it seems like a good time to highlight Warlocks, a campaign close to closure that is targeting Wii U. A fast paced action platformer with pixel graphics, at the time of writing it's raised nearly $19,000 of its $25,000 goal, with around 60 hours...
Monday29th Sep 2014
Feature A Week of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Screens - Issue Fifty Seven
Master Hand mystery! Conquest! Mii Outfits! More!
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is now just days away from arriving all around the world, much to our delight, and it looks set to be just the beginning as we then look ahead to the Wii U release later in the year. It's almost too much to handle. Yet handle it we must, and we still have Masahiro...
News Fantasy Life Makes Top 10 UK Chart Début as Hyrule Warriors Loses Its Base
Some football game dominates proceedings
This past weekend saw the release of FIFA 15 around the world, and unsurprisingly it's dominated the latest chart results for the UK. According to Chart-Track the EA title "accounts for 80% of all entertainment software units this week and a whopping 87% of revenue". That's crazy, though Nintendo did get a...
The best F-Zero
F-Zero had abundant stand-out features, leaving even the strong competition tailing. Although graphically divisive, fans hailed Nintendo for capturing the Snes essence - choosing speed and frame rate over unnecessary graphical overhaul. Persevere with completion - the ground breaking random track generator ensures longevity almost...
Gallery Check Out These Photo Highlights From EGX 2014
Didn't attend? Then cast your eyes over these snaps
The end of last week saw the arrival of EGX 2014, the UK's biggest gaming event and home to the 2014 Mario Kart 8 Championships — which Nintendo Life helped host. Although the show saw a record attendance this year, sadly not everyone can have the chance to go along for the ride — so we've put...
Sunday28th Sep 2014
Old dungeon, new tricks
Many dungeon crawlers tend to come pre-packaged with a dose of nostalgia through the nature of the genre alone, their exploration and equipment elements resonating as familiar conventions. Stick with a medieval fantasy theme like The Keep and it feels even more from Yon Olde School. The story of The Keep is kept rather...
Review Cubemen 2 (Wii U eShop)
Multi-sided gameplay
While Pure Chess became the first cross-platform multiplayer title on Nintendo eShop stores, Cubemen 2 arrives with a far more complex and potentially rewarding setup. Developer 3 Sprockets and publisher Nnooo have done an admirable job on a technical level, but importantly have also served up an entertaining real-time strategy...
Weirdness Sears' Listing for 3DS is Wacky and Brilliant
With features like these, why wouldn't you want one?
It's the end of a long week, and perhaps you're taking a break from your weekend activities — gaming, perhaps? Now is the perfect time, then, to read a product description for 3DS that was clearly written by an individual that's never used one. The following product description is from Sears, a...
Weirdness This Original Life-Sized Pikachu Needs A Home
Just don’t break your back lugging this pocket monster about
Collectibles are a major part of gaming, at least for those that are most enthusiastic. Weighing in at 6kg, the stuffed Pikachu pictured above is a good example being offered by Japanese brand, department and clothing chain, Beams. Due for release in November, local customers have been...
Feature Working 9 to 5 in a Fantasy Life - Week Three: Miner
Can U Dig It?
In the third part of a regular series, Karen takes on Fantasy Life in a variety of 'lives' and documents her adventures. Clearly tailoring was not my calling, although I managed to stitch up some nice outerwear and the frilliest thing I’d ever be caught alive in, but with city life being all right for the most part yet lacking that...
Nintendo 64x64 Gauntlet Legends
While a multiplatform release, the N64 version of Gauntlet Legends benefited greatly from the system's four built-in controller ports. Ported over from the arcade, Gauntlet Legends' simplistic hack n' slash gameplay makes it accessible to players of all skill levels. It's a solid, button-bashing adventure which is best enjoyed with three friends...
Saturday27th Sep 2014
Transparent 2DS release date and price also revealed
Nintendo Australia has revealed that select Club Nintendo members in the land down under will receive an exclusive email code for the Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Special Demo Version from 15th October onwards, with the demo to be made publicly available at selected retailers (yet to...
News Hyrule Warriors Horses Around with Epona in Master Quest DLC
Aged like a fine equine
Eiji Aonuma – the producer behind many of the titles in the Legend of Zelda series – announced today on Miiverse that Epona will be joining the cast of available weapons in the recently released Hyrule Warriors. Epona is featured as a weapon seemingly exclusively for Link, rather than being a seperate character...
News Bayonetta on Wii U Bewitches as the Best Version
Outshines the Xbox 360 version
Bayonetta will arrive in October alongside its Wii U-exclusive sequel — Bayonetta 2. Included as a free extra in North America and available in select bundles or separately on the eShop in Europe, it'll give Nintendo gamers all of the context and lore they need before jumping into the new release. Naturally, the...
News Hyrule Warriors Limited Edition Sparks Huge Numbers of Fans to Queue Through the Night
Or buy it on eBay for ten times the price
Hyrule Warriors was released in North America today, but the limited edition was for an undisclosed reason only available in the Nintendo World Store in New York. This peculiar move caused eager fans to queue through the night in order to have a chance at owning a copy. Copies were so limited that staff...
News Miiverse Currently Affected by Maintenance, More Wii U and 3DS Work Planned
Various periods of disruption ahead
Nintendo often completes minor maintenance on its Network and eShop platforms, though is lining up a fairly major period of work that'll disrupt most aspects of the company's online services. At the time of writing Nintendo is advising of intermittent access problems for Miiverse on the Wii U and 3DS, since 3pm...
News Pokémon Trading Card Game Launches on iOS in Canada
More regions no doubt to follow soon
Earlier this year, during the Pokémon World Championship, a Pokémon Trading Card Game app was confirmed for iPad. It caused some debate due to the choice of platform, with some sharing the view that they'd have preferred to see the app on Wii U and / or 3DS instead. In any case, it seems the initial roll-out...
Nintendo 64x64 F1 World Grand Prix
Solid racer but one only suitable for the niche F1 gamer, not a casual lover of the racing genre. The F1 'feel' is realistic and racing from the bumpy cockpit view is awesome. Accurate track layouts yet backgrounds are dull and racing them doesn't engage like a F-Zero or MK64 track. Advice: conquer the challenges but turn down that incessant...
Friday26th Sep 2014
Review Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (3DS)
The smash-hit 3DS owners have been waiting for?
Ever since being announced alongside its Wii U counterpart, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS has been scrutinised by fans around the world to an almost excessive degree. Being the first game in the popular crossover fighting series to be released on a handheld system, there were understandably some...
News Limited GameCube Controller Edition of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Comes to Light
Fully armed for winter 2014
Amazon mistakenly revealed the limited edition of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U earlier today, complete with an image of the box – which you can see above – and a US price tag. The bundle itself contains the game, a special GameCube controller bearing the Super Smash Bros. logo, and the necessary adapter in order to...
News Game & Wario Stage Brings The Fear of 'Mom' Into Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
"She'll scold you and blow you away!!"
Much current attention is on Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, which is now just a week away from release in the West. The Wii U version isn't far away, however, considering that many expect it to arrive in November; some money is on retailer leaks for 21st November. It's interesting that, overall, we
Video This Hyrule Warriors Launch Trailer Aims to be Legendary
Available now
The wait is over for North American gamers, as Hyrule Warriors is now available on Wii U in the region. It's been a whirlwind time for the Koei Tecmo Warriors / Zelda spin-off, announced in December 2013 and rather rapidly arriving to target fans of both franchises. With the title now available in Nintendo's highest value region, a...
News Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Details on the Way in Japan
Niconico and Pokémon Get☆TV in the act
Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arrive soon, with Nintendo no doubt hoping that they'll have a major impact on Holiday sales in the same manner as Pokémon X & Y in 2013. While plenty of features and Mega Evolutions have already been revealed, it seems that there's yet more information on the...
News Actos Games Announces Wii U eShop Exclusive psyscrolr
psysing up the opportunities
Burlington, North Carolina-based Actos Games, the creator of APEXICON - Fantasy Puzzle Combat, has returned with the recently announced Wii U exclusive psyscrolr, a platformer that features a strong narrative, epic boss battles and mini-epic mid-boss battles with integrated puzzle mechanics. Players take on the role of...
18 years on and the wave physics still mightily impress; capturing the essence of jet skiing is WR64's finest achievement, yet not its sole one. Firstly, eight tracks that are so well-constructed the replay value moves into decade three. Secondly, it's immensely challenging - myself yet to win at expert! If the PAL version hadn't suffered and...
News You'll Definitely Want to Try Out Stealth Inc 2's Level Editor
Editing for the masses
Stealth Inc 2 is a puzzle platformer of a different kind coming to Wii U later this year, and it's been known for a while that the game would feature a level editor, but the level of freedom is probably greater than you expected. Speaking to us at EGX, Rob Clarke gives a deeper look into the editor's capabilities: The tools...
News Atlus Releases Two New Persona Q Character Trailers
Name those archetypes
Atlus recently released two new trailers for its upcoming dungeon-crawling Nintendo 3DS title Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, featuring two of the game's characters from previous titles in the Persona series. Persona 3's noted puddle of angst Shinjiro Aragaki gets a dark and brooding minute finished with a rousing electric...
Thursday25th Sep 2014
News Nintendo Confirms Final Week Details For Its Super Smashing eShop Sale
Donkey & Diddy Kong! Kirby! Pac-Man! Fox! More!
In the past three weeks Nintendo of America has run a series of discounts across the Wii U and 3DS eShop stores to celebrate characters from Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo 3DS, and it's now confirmed the final set before the brawler arrives on the portable. This week's selection includes some...
Nintendo Download 25th September (North America)
Hyrule Warriors, Mario Golf Advance, discounts and more
It's that time again, North America, and a little later than normal this week. There's a major Wii U retail release for Zelda and action fans, an enjoyable slice of Game Boy Advance goodness along with some discounts and assorted other goodies. Let's get to it. Missed the European Nintendo...
News Two Castlevania Classics Confirmed for Wii U Virtual Console Débuts
Coming in the next two weeks
Details for Nintendo's Download Update in North America have been announced, and as is now tradition the company has provided a teaser of titles coming soon. This week's reveals are arguably the best yet of these previews. We have two iconic Castlevania titles coming to the Wii U Virtual Console in the next two weeks,...
News Wii U Version of Watch Dogs to Miss Out on DLC
Base game extras and items purchases reportedly off limit as well
After a series of ongoing release promises and the eventual confirmation that Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs was indeed on its way to Nintendo’s latest home console, new information has surfaced that the Wii U entry will not include any downloadable content. The announcement w
News Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS National Open Tournament to Find the Best Fighter in the US
There's a champion's robe and trophy at stake
With Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS now just a little over a week away, Nintendo of America has announced a national tournament in the US to find the best fighter in the country. In addition, the Nintendo World Store in New York will run a special event on 2nd October (at 8pm Eastern time) for gamers...
Video See the B Dasher Tear it Up in This Mario Kart 8 DLC Trailer
Be dashing
Nintendo has released a new trailer for Mario Kart 8, which shows the recently announced B Dasher in motion. The kart will be available in the Legend of Zelda x Mario Kart 8 DLC pack this November. The classic racer made its first appearance in 2005 in Mario Kart DS, and soon enough you'll be able to use it yourself in glorious HD.
Friday26th Sep 2014
Weirdness Nintendo Shows The Glory and Danger of Cuccos in Hyrule Warriors
They will fight back!
With Hyrule Warriors about to hit stores in North America, Nintendo is stepping up its final pre-launch push to promote the Warriors / Zelda crossover. The latest trailer, however, is rather quirky. As you can see below, this video is focused on the role of Cuccos in the game, in their capacity as allies and — if you upset...
Thursday25th Sep 2014
News Get a Good Look at Fantasy Life in This New Video
Check out the Lives on offer
Fantasy Life arrives in Europe this week — 24th October in North America — and Nintendo is doing its bit to promote the Level-5 / Brownie Brown collaboration. The latest video not only shows off the general game, but provides a useful overview of the Lives (classes) on offer. You can check it out below, which shows...
News Two Tribes Confirms That RIVE is Definitely Coming to Wii U
Let there be no doubt
During the summer period Two Tribes, the studio best known for its Toki Tori titles that also restructured and started again earlier in the year, announced its new 2D shooter — RIVE. At the time Two Tribes told us that it was "gunning" for Wii U development, and the studio has now confirmed on Twitter and to us at EGX in...
News Miiverse Update Moves Search Boxes and Improves Web Version
Break out the bunting
Miiverse, the ever evolving and quirky bespoke social network, has had a couple of minor tweaks to the web version. Despite some occasional shenanigans such as those in the Mario & Luigi community recently, the service continues to provide a haven for fans to discuss games, share screenshots and art as well as — it must...
At a popular period for futuristic racers, Extreme-G was certainly not ground breaking... nor terrible either. Pace is extreme indeed; developers allowing this by misting the upcoming track, luckily not spoiling your ability to race. Admirable scenery (dystopian industries, Aztec past / future fusions) and fitting soundtrack rescue it because track...
Wednesday24th Sep 2014
Splitting the userbase
It was confirmed recently by Satoru Iwata, when revealing the New Nintendo 3DS models, that a port of Wii title Xenoblade Chronicles will be exclusive to the new hardware to utilise its improved CPU. It was unclear how common this would be, yet in today's surprise announcement of the hardware hitting Australia and New Zealand...
News Meme Run is Coming to Troll Your Wii U Very Soon
So impress. Wow such tempt. Much memes.
Following on from their Wii U eShop debut with mediocre brain bamboozler IQ Test, Ninja Pig Studios has revealed some early details of Meme Run, which will be their next game developed in Unity and promises to be one of the more subversive games in the short time that Nintendo has welcomed indies using Web...
News Hyperkin Responds To Accusations Of Infringing On The Rights Of Emulator Creators
"We have not been as quick as we could have been"
Last week, we reported on accusations that Hyperkin had infringed on the right of emulator authors with its RetroN 5 console, and at the time we gave Hyperkin the chance to put across its side of the story. We've now had an official response from Hyperkin developer Lawrence Lee: It has always been...
Nintendo Direct New Nintendo 3DS Models Coming to Australia and New Zealand on 21st November
Still not coming elsewhere until 2015
In a surprise Nintendo Direct in Australia and New Zealand — the first that's been unique to the region — it's been announced that the New Nintendo 3DS and XL model will be coming to the two countries on 21st November; it's also been reiterated that the systems will not come elsewhere in the West until 2015...
News Hyrule Warriors Producer Would Love to Work With Mario and Company
Cites Smash Bros. concept as a starting point
Hyrule Warriors is available now in Europe and is just days away in North America, bringing a blend of Dynasty Warriors gameplay with the Legend of Zelda franchise. It's a mix that serves as entertaining fare on the Wii U as we enter the busiest gaming season of the year. As indicated to us by Zelda...
News Super Smash Bros. Continues Chart Domination in Japan as Bayonetta 2 Grabs Third Place
3DS rules again as Wii U enjoys a minor boost
It's that time once again for the Media Create chart results in Japan, which brought good news for Nintendo last week with the launch of Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo 3DS bringing nearly one million sales — Nintendo's figure had it passing the landmark by including eShop downloads. The latest results...
News Capcom Shows Off Comparison Screens For Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
No objections here
Just prior to E3 this year Capcom announced that Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy will arrive in the West as a 3DS eShop download in Winter this year. Already released at retail in Japan, it'll follow its immediate predecessor — Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies — as a download-only arrival outside of Japan;...
Developer Interview How Two Graduates From Nottingham Are Bringing Robin Hood To Life On The SNES
"We'd absolutely love to be able to do a cartridge release"
Indie development has never been more popular than it is now, with each of the major console makers bending over backwards to accommodate bedroom coders in the hope of finding the next Minecraft. However, while most small-scale devs favour the likes of iOS, Android, Steam and the digital...
Competition Win A Limited Edition Copy Of Hyrule Warriors Complete With Prima Game Guide
The Legend of Prizes
Hyrule Warriors features a cast of Zelda legends and pits them in an epic battle to rid the land of a brand new evil. It's one of the most action-packed Wii U titles of 2014, and we're giving you the chance to win a limited edition copy of the game — complete with a rather fetching scarf — and the official Prima game...
Review Top Model 3D (3DS eShop)
Not so style savvy
There are going to be many unhappy customers in the eShop thanks to Treva's Top Model 3D. The misleading title would suggest an affiliation with any number of popular reality television series, such as America's Next Top Model, but there is no branding to be found. The atrocious presentation is going to turn off anyone expecting a...
News Super Mario World Speedrun Record Is Broken
Beating the game in under 10 minutes is an artform
Super Mario World is a big game — so big it put other 2D platformers to shame when it launched alongside the shiny new SNES back in the early '90s. However, while many of us will have happy memories of wasting countless hours finding all those levels and secret routes, speedrunner linkdeadx2 has...
Video Nintendo Australia Gives Us A Jaunty Tour Of The New 3DS
Turn the volume up
As you may be aware, Australia got its first Nintendo Direct today, and the big news is that it's going to be one of the first regions outside of Japan to get the New 3DS and New 3DS XL. As well as putting the Direct online for non-Aussies to watch, Nintendo Australia has produced another, shorter clip which shows off the console...
Review Hideaways: Foggy Valley (3DS eShop)
Low visibility
It’s hard to believe that the 3DS eShop houses so many hidden object games within its figurative walls. We haven’t tallied an exact count of these games on offer, but we do know that there are very few that we’ve scored higher than average; in most cases we’ve found them to be unsatisfactory. It’s a pity that we've seen a...
News Kirby: Triple Deluxe Soundtrack Now Available On Club Nintendo in Australia & Europe
Treat your ears to the sweet sounds of the pink puffball
If you live in Australia or Europe and were unable to claim the adorable Yoshi Plush Soft Toy earlier this month — it's gone in Australia but is still available in Europe — a Kirby: Triple Deluxe Soundtrack has now floated onto Club Nintendo at a much more affordable price. Fans of Kirby:...
Excitebike 64 serves as yet another prime example of Nintendo's sheer mastery when it comes to developing technical racing games. A fully 3D sequel to the NES classic, this title requires players to pay particular attention to the topography of tracks. Features some of the best quality visuals and audio on the N64, although Hi-Res mode comes at the...
Tuesday23rd Sep 2014
News Nintendo Confirms Pokémon Omega Ruby & Pokémon Alpha Sapphire Special Demo Version
We'll have UK demo codes to give away, so watch this space
Pokémon Omega Ruby & Pokémon Alpha Sapphire both launch in November, and Nintendo UK has confirmed that a special demo of the new monster-catching adventure will be made available on October 15th. This "Special Demo Version" contains "gameplay that players won’t experience anywhere...
News Nintendo Unveils Transparent 2DS Models and Pokémon Bundles
We can see everything
Last October Nintendo launched the first 2DS models alongside Pokémon X & Y; it's clearly a strategy that worked well, as the hardware and games will be intertwined once again this year. Nintendo has announced new transparent 2DS models, and also related bundles with Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire. The basic...
News Nintendo Celebrates Its 125th Anniversary
Founded in 1889
Nintendo has celebrated its 125th Anniversary today, with the company founded on 23rd September 1889 in Kyoto, where its headquarters remain. The company has had an extraordinary history that goes well beyond video games, console wars and Mario, a fact that can be easily forgotten. Founded initially as Nintendo Koppai by Fusajiro...
Rumour Secret Chant Within Super Smash Bros. 3DS Hints At Last-Minute Withdrawal Of The Ice Climbers
"Nana, Popo, Nana, Popo!"
We all know that The Ice Climbers were supposed to make the cut in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U, but they were removed from the roster due to technical issues. However, it would appear that a reference to the pair is still contained within the game, and that their removal happened a little later in development than...
Review KickBeat: Special Edition (Wii U eShop)
The first Wii U title to feature Papa Roach!
After reviewing the newest tables for its meticulously-detailed Zen Pinball 2, we were in for a totally different experience from Budapest-based Zen Studios when KickBeat: Special Edition hit the eShop. Rather than a realistic recreation of a real-life activity, KickBeat is a zany martial arts rhythm
Video These Mario Games Have More Secrets Than You May Think
And it's not even Easter
Continuing the series of discovering hidden Easter eggs in games, Did You Know Gaming has released the final part of its dissection of main series Mario games. It's always a joy to see hidden little details and secrets in video games, it shows just how much developers care about the creations that they make. Unsurprisingly,...
News B Dasher is Speeding Onto The Legend of Zelda X Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack
Vroom vroom
The Legend of Zelda X Mario Kart 8 will be the first paid-DLC pack for the Wii U racer this November, and Nintendo has confirmed another of the new karts that will make an appearance. Joining the Blue Falcon from the F-Zero franchise will be the B Dasher, which made its début as the main box cover kart in Mario Kart DS, before making...
Talking Point History Shows Us That Nintendo's Here to Stay
125 years and counting
On 23rd September 1889 Nintendo was founded as Nintendo Koppai, meaning the company is now 125 years old; it's been known as Nintendo Co., Ltd since 1963. The history of the company is particularly fascinating, and also reminds us of some important lessons regarding Nintendo; it's not solely a video game manufacturer,...
News Nintendo Region Locks Consoles To Get More Hardware Sales, Says Mitchell Corp Boss
"They want more people to buy their hardware"
Mitchell Corp founder Roy Ozaki thinks that Nintendo's region locking policy has more to do with shifting additional units than it does with controlling releases in different territories. While Nintendo has always exercised some kind of regional lock in its home systems, its portable devices have...
News Nintendo Rolling Out New In-Store Digital Distribution Service For The UK And Europe
Pick your game and DLC, get a unique download code
For some time now, you've been able to walk into your typical European high street games retailer and buy download cards — like the ones shown above — for 3DS and Wii U eShop titles. However, Nintendo is looking to dramatically expand the remit of this in-store service by offering an even more...
Feature A Week of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Screens - Issue Fifty Six
Conquest! StreetSmash! Castle Siege stage! More!
Super Smash Bros. is now only a little over a week away in the West, helping to ease the jealousy around lucky gamers in Japan; many will be rather familiar with the demo, too. As a result the hype levels continue to build ahead of millions more gamers getting their hands on the title. Masahiro...
Rescue you he will not dare, there's many dangers in my lair!
Its Mario 64 comparison was always inevitable and which is better is divisive. BK's biggest strengths lie in its 'Rareness': game engine crafted excellently; splendidly contrasting worlds of increasing challenge; Grunty's surprise quiz; and Rare's unique humour injection. Does it have...
Video Nintendo Broadens its Girls Club Advertising with Help from Olympic Gold Medalist
Getting sporty
Nintendo appears keen to spread the word about its Girls Club YouTube channel, and to help do so it's recruited Olympic gold medalist Nicola Adams. Featuring games such as Tomodachi Life and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Nicola expresses her fondness for the 3DS and indulges us in her gaming past. Starting out on the SNES with games...
Player Profile Mario Kart 8 Championship - Finalists 9-12
Rounding out the top 12
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 four online heats, with the top three in each of those heats then progressing to a live final at...
News Film Something Cool At EGX London, Win Tickets To Future EGX Events For Life
Lights, camera...
EGX London — the UK's biggest gaming event — kicks off this week. With massive support from Nintendo — as well as the official Mario Kart 8 UK Championship (being overseen by none other than Nintendo Life, we might add) — you'd think there were already enough reasons to get very excited about the show, but our friends at...
Monday22nd Sep 2014
Guide How To Beat Everyone At Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo 3DS
Going to EGX? Check out these top tips to ensure you have a smashing time
There's less than a week to go before the UK's biggest and best gaming expo, EGX London, kicks off, offering consumers the opportunity to go hands-on with a wide selection of upcoming games due out this holiday season or at some point next year. As you may already know,...
News Mother 4 Is On The Way, But It's Not Being Made By Nintendo
Fan project is aiming for a release this year
The Mother series — perhaps better known in the west as EarthBound (AKA Mother 2) — is one of Nintendo's most enduring franchises. However, it has been dormant since 2006, when Mother 3 hit the Game Boy Advance in Japan. Rather than wait for Nintendo to start work on a fourth game in the series —...
Nintendo Download 25th September (Europe)
Fantasy Life, Art of Balance, FIFA(!), loads of discounts and much more
It's time to brighten our Mondays with the European Nintendo Download Update, once again, and this week serves up a lot of options across the Wii U, 3DS and even DSi. There's a major retail arrival on 3DS, new titles on both eShop platforms along with Virtual Console entries,...
Review Wild Guns (Wii U eShop / SNES)
True Bit
The Wild West is a fantastic setting for a video game. Rugged gunslingers, drunken shootouts, limited presence of the law and a surplus of criminals lend to a volatile and rowdy backdrop for a tense, controller-gripping time. In the case of Wild Guns it takes the Steampunk route, injecting hostile machinery and advanced weaponry into the...
News Nintendo Unleashes Wacky Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo 3DS Commercials
"Settle it in Smash!"
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is less than two weeks from launch in the West, exciting news after well over a year of build-up. Nintendo, of course, will be unleashing a sizeable marketing campaign to push sales for the portable version, no doubt hoping it'll prompt some to also go for the HD version upon its release on...
News Atlus Just Can't Stop Offering Discounts, With Another Round Live on 3DS
Crazy about deals
We often get a sense of déjà vu when producing the weekly Nintendo Download Update for North America, as we frequently include details of more Atlus discounts. The venerated publisher and developer — much loved for bringing distinctly Japanese experiences to the West — simply can't resist offering enticing deals to lure more...
Bully for you
Many reading this may be aware that this title was previously released on the 3DS as Darts Up 3D, and you might be expecting a more fleshed-out experience on the Wii U’s considerably more powerful hardware. As it stands, this version of the pub-game simulator is largely the same as the portable instalment. You aim with the...
News Hyrule Warriors Battles Its Way to Number 3 in UK Chart Début
Theatrhythm shimmies into top 20
Due this week in North America, Hyrule Warriors arrived in Europe this past weekend; it seems to have had a strong start in the UK charts. The Koei Tecmo / Nintendo mash-up has made its all-format début in third place, just behind Disney Infinity 2.0 in second and Destiny, which holds top spot for a second week...
Video New Bravely Second Trailer Sets The Scene for Gorgeous 3DS Sequel
Wait a second...
In some respects the 3DS is representative of rapidly ageing technology, with low resolution screens and modest processing power necessitating the 'New' model upgrades to make a Xenoblade Chronicles port possible, for example. Some developers clearly struggle to make the hardware sing, yet there are numerous examples of games that...
News Shovel Knight Triumphantly Exits Final Testing Phase For International Release
"We’ll be shipping up and shipping it out the door!"
North American players have been playing — and enjoying — the excellent Shovel Knight for what feels like an eternity now, but the game still hasn't launched in other parts of the world. Thankfully, the wait for non-Americans is finally drawing to a close, as developer Yacht Club Games has...
News Mitchell Corp Is Keen To Bring Strider's Spiritual Sequel To Home Formats
Along with many of its other arcade titles
Mitchell Corp might not be a household name with most gamers, but the more astute among you will recognise the name from such hits as Pang, Puzz Loop and Polarium. Founded by former Data East staffer Roy Ozaki, the firm has enjoyed a very close relationship with Nintendo in recent years, with its last title...
News Capcom Releases Awesome TGS Trailers for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and The Great Ace Attorney
We sure love a bit of hype
In recent days the Tokyo Game Show has dominated the gaming scene in Japan; it's an event that doesn't often have any concrete details for Western gamers to latch onto, but it does bring more footage and details on titles confirmed or expected for localisation. That trend continued this past weekend, and two of Capcom's...
Nintendo 64x64 Beetle Adventure Racing
Arcade-style racing from the creative minds behind N64 launch title, Pilotwings 64. What makes Beetle Adventure Racing so enjoyable is that it feels fast and doesnt punish you too much when you make mistakes. It looks pretty good too, with its decent lighting effects and accurate VW Beetle models. The multiplayer battle mode makes for a nice...
News Engine Software Announces MindFeud For 3DS eShop
A social board game for the mentally nimble
Dutch-based outfit Engine Software has announced it will collaborate with Norwegian developer Monkeybin to release the classic social board game hit MindFeud on the 3DS eShop later this year. The revival promises to be true to the iOS, Android and Facebook originals, but adds a completely exclusive single...
Sunday21st Sep 2014
Feature Working 9 to 5 in a Fantasy Life - Week Two: Tailor
A stitch of mine makes you look fine
In the second part of a regular series, Karen takes on Fantasy Life in a variety of 'lives' and documents her adventures. In addition to this series you can check out our review of the game. *Last week I got my start in Castele and surrounding kingdoms as a hunter, which was nice for exploring the environmen
Nintendo 64x64 Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
Your friendly neighbourhood ninja
A platforming adventure that takes place across Feudal Japan, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon focuses on a kiseru-wielding hero and his friends trying to prevent the country from being turned into a westernised fine arts theatre. Rich in Japanese folklore, yet stuffed with anachronisms such as giant robots, the...
Saturday20th Sep 2014
Developer Profile Masahiro Sakurai
About the man behind two of Nintendo’s most significant franchises
"I decide what goes in the game; nobody else." These were the words of Masahiro Sakurai during a 2008 interview with Official Nintendo Magazine about Super Smash. Bros. Brawl. It's a quote that stands out because it contrasts quite starkly with the modest way in which the man...
Review Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness (Wii U eShop / NES)
It's good to be bad
Although many people are familiar with the Red Arremers, the notoriously persistent enemies from the Ghosts 'n Goblins games, not many seem to be aware that one particular Arremer also starred in several games of his own. The first Gargoyle's Quest was released on the 3DS Virtual Console a while back, and now we've finally...
News Animal Crossing Content Is Coming To Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
Yeah, we have no idea either
Capcom has revealed during this year's Tokyo Game Show that Animal Crossing content is coming to Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on the 3DS. The series is no stranger to crossovers — it's already mixed it up with Zelda, and Sonic
Ninterview We Talk Bits and Beats With Mega Ran
Bringing nerdcore to the masses
Raheem Jarbo, known as Random or Mega Ran, is a popular American underground rapper, Chiptunes DJ, and record producer. To those that love retro game music and the creativity it can spark he can perhaps be considered as a trailblazer; best known on the Nerdcore Hip-Hop scene, Mega Ran has also coined the term...
On target
Released alongside the N64, Pilotwings 64 delivered a sense of scale and open-world exploration that easily rivalled that of Super Mario 64. While it may not have been as revolutionary, it arguably did a better job of showcasing one of the N64's major unique selling points: the analog joystick, which provides a level of precision that...
Friday19th Sep 2014
News Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Demo Smashes onto the EU eShop
The wait is over
Today all the tears and howling have ended, as Nintendo has officially released the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS demo on the EU eShop! A version was released a week ago to random members of their Club Nintendo scheme, but now it has been made available to all. You can find it by navigating through the standard menus or you...
News Disney Infinity Toy Box 2.0 Backward Compatibility Tested On Wii U
Stepping back in time
While this year’s Disney Infinity 2.0 may not be coming to the Wii, the Wii U game benefits from all the upgraded features of the new game creator Toy Box mode. You can access this by purchasing the Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Super Heroes starter pack or upcoming Disney Infinity 2.0 Toy Box Combo starter pack. If you have...
News Cancelled Mario Volleyball/Wrestling Wii Title Comes to Light
As strange as it sounds
The clever boffins over at Unseen 64 have managed to dig up some information on a cancelled Mario volleyball game that incorporated some of the elements of wrestling into the gameplay. Known as Super Mario Spikers, the game was set to be released on the Wii and was being developed by Next Level Games, who was responsible for...
News Nintendo Reveals Details on the Third Week of its Super Smashing Sale on the NA eShop
Pokémon! Metroid! Wii Fit! Oh my!
Nintendo of America is continuing its promise of low, low prices for its Super Smashing eShop sale, a four-week string of promotions set out to celebrate the upcoming release of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Be sure to make the most of what Nintendo has to offer for this week. The following games are...
Review SPIKEY WALLS (Wii U eShop)
Feeling a bit Flappy
It's difficult to review RCMADIAX's new title SPIKEY WALLS in a rational fashion – without any context, one could easily write, "This is a Flappy Bird clone," and it would be exactly correct. SPIKEY WALLS accomplishes everything it sets out to do. You control a flappy bug by pressing the A button to navigate a never-ending...
News Nintendo Unleashes its Plans for EGX London 2014
Almost too much to do
Nintendo has a rammed event schedule for us this year at EGX London 2014. Many of you will already know that we'll be in charge of the Mario Kart 8 tournament at the show, but Nintendo has much more in mind than that. No-one will be surprised to hear that Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS will be available to play, but you'll...
News Giana Sisters 2 In Development, Could Be Coming To Wii U As Early As Next Year
Black Forest Games fills us in
Nintendo Life editor Tom Whitehead is currently lording it up at the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, but fear not — in-between consuming vast amounts of alcohol from a beer stein and gorging himself with tasty bratwurst, he continues to have the best interests of Nintendo Life at heart, and to that end has been...
Nintendo 64x64 Chameleon Twist
Chameleon Twist is the game that Yoshi's Story should have been. Playing as an anthropomorphised chameleon, you're tasked with traversing a range of 3D environments, using your character's remarkably long tongue to reach otherwise inaccessible places and defeat enemies. An innovative idea that uses the control stick to its strengths, and one which...
Thursday18th Sep 2014
Review Bayonetta (Wii U eShop)
Back to the start
With Bayonetta 2 around the corner as a Wii U exclusive, a reality that caused quite a stir when announced in 2012, it may be important for Nintendo-focused gamers to consider diving into the fresh port of the original Bayonetta, a title that skipped Wii when released in the last generation. Whether it's a worthwhile double-dip...
News Hyperkin's RetroN 5 Console Allegedly Infringes On The Rights Of Multiple Emulator Authors
Team behind RetroArch says Hyperkin is using emulators without permission
Hyperkin's RetroN 5 console is a fantastic way to enjoy old classics, and offers plenty of benefits over existing clone retro systems, largely because it uses advanced software emulation to offer HD visuals and other benefits. However, it would appear that Hyperkin can't...
Nintendo Download 18th September (North America)
Smash Bros. demo, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, Cooking Mama and SPIKEY WALLS!
It's time once again for the Nintendo Download Update, North American gamers, and this week brings a variety of treats to the Wii U and 3DS. Let's get to it! Missed the Nintendo Download Update for Europe earlier in the week? No problem, all of the details are right here...
News Immediate DLC Reinforcements Arriving Soon On The Hyrule Warriors Battlefield
Let the onslaught of additional content begin!
Whether you love or hate DLC, it’s fast approaching the latest Wii U release, Hyrule Warriors. But seriously, with Koei Tecmo’s history were, you expecting anything less? With this in mind, a Koei Tecmo live stream at the 2014 Tokyo Game Show has revealed a new batch of playable characters are on...
News The Original Final Fantasy Is Getting The 3D Classics Treatment In Japan
Owners of Final Fantasy Explorers will receive the game for free
While western gamers are still waiting on a possible announcement from Square Enix regarding the release of its latest 3DS RPG Final Fantasy Explorers in both Europe and North America, Japanese gamers are currently bracing themselves for the title’s release towards the end of this...
Video Episode One Of Zeldamotion's Link To The Past Animated Series Makes Its Debut
Link to it, fast
After a long period of silence, Aeipathy Industries has released the first episode of its adaptation of Akira Himekawa's Legend of Zelda manga series. Produced under the Zeldamotion banner, the fan-made series is being funded via direct donations and its own Patreon campaign. It showcases the vocal talents of Todd Haberkorn and Vic...
News Sonic Boom: Rise Of Lyric Speeds To Earlier Release Date On Wii U
Now launching alongside the 3DS edition
Sega has confirmed that Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric will launch in North America a week earlier than originally planned. The Wii U title — being developed by Big Red Button — was given a November 18th release date not so long ago, but this has now been pushed forward to the 11th — the same day that Sega...
News Sonic-Themed Felyne Drag Races into Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
Tails armour still just a rumour
Not to be upstaged at the den of weird and wonderful that is the Tokyo Game Show 2014, Capcom has announced a Sonic the Hedgehog-themed suit of armour for the felyne fighting compadres (also known as Palicoes) of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, complete with Sonic's legendary sword Caliburn. To properly accessorise the...
Review Outback Pet Rescue 3D (3DS eShop)
Lost in the bush
Treva Entertainment's Outback Pet Rescue 3D is an attempt at an "edutainment" title that doesn't succeed at being a quality learning experience or a fun game. While there's nothing wrong with the idea — see animals found in Australia while learning about animal care and responsibility — the execution is atrocious, with horrible...
News Work On Your Taiko Drumming Skills While Beating Creatures In Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
No bemani required
Not to leave the humans in the dark when it comes to new equipment options, Capcom has announced a Taiko: Drum Master-themed hunting horn for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. This friendly-looking smacker of things has been confirmed for American and European versions of the game: And also has its own typically restrained themed...
Player Profile Mario Kart 8 Championship - Finalists 5-8
Round Two!
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 four online heats, with the top three in each of those heats then progressing to a live final at EGX London -...
Quite the smash
It wasn't the portly plumber's first outing on the virtual court, but Mario Tennis was nevertheless the first smash-hit in the franchise. The simple control input is easy to understand, yet allows for advanced techniques too; the control sticks enhances accuracy greatly. The single-player tournament mode is a bit drawn and...
Wednesday17th Sep 2014
Review Hyrule Warriors (Wii U)
Warriors, come out to play
There's a very good reason why Hyrule Warriors is the first major Zelda release not to have the "Z" word in its title. As we've suspected since that surprising reveal in December of last year, this is much more a Warriors (or Musou, if you prefer) outing than it is a Zelda one, and that news will trigger mixed feelings for...
News Sakurai Explains Reasoning Behind Removal Of Ice Climbers From Super Smash Bros.
The 3DS couldn’t handle the pressure
Whilst the soon to be released Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS features one of the greatest character rosters in the history of videogames, veteran fans of the series will no doubt have noticed that a previously regular pair in the cast line-up are now missing from the latest entry. In this week's...
News Super Smash Bros. for 3DS Thrashes the Competition in Japan – 3DS Sales Increase
Sells more than ten times second placed Destiny
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS hit Japanese shops late last week – some even released it before the agreed date – and it's safe to say that no one is surprised by seeing it at number one in the charts today; Nintendo has already announced over one million launch weekend sales when downloads are...
Review Mega Man 7 (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Bigger sprites, bigger fun?
Mega Man 7 is in an awkward place; while most big NES franchises made huge leaps to the Super Nintendo, the mainline Mega Man series' 16-bit thunder was stolen by its Serious Business spin-off, Mega Man X. Released after X and its sequel Mega Man X2, Mega Man 7 is Capcom's attempt to bring its classic platforming roots to...
News You Need To See This Amazing Hand-Sculpted Donkey Kong GBA SP Case Mod
Good luck trying to play a game on it, though
If you follow the hardware modding community then the name Vadu Amka will be instantly familiar to you. A seasoned pro when it comes to taking existing systems and making them even more attractive, Amka has recently released another new creation: a Game Boy Advance SP which is based on the model used in...
Exclusive TriForce Johnson Announces The Legend of Zelda: Order Of Time YouTube Series
"We're going to piece together one streamlined timeline"
Isaiah TriForce Johnson is a name that will be instantly familiar to most Nintendo fans. One of the company's most loyal supporters, TriForce is famed for being first in line at hardware launches, wearing a Power Glove every waking moment of the day and running his own incredibly successful...
News First 4 Figures Unveils Running Mega Man Collectibles
Oh my...
While they're a purchase typically too extravagant for many, including this humble writer, we at Nintendo Life nevertheless enjoy gawking at the latest efforts from First 4 Figures, the prominent purveyor of lovely but unaffordable game-related collectibles. Enter two new iterations of a Running Mega Man for us to gaze upon. Portraying the...
Review Chimpuzzle Pro (Wii U eShop)
Monkeying around
Chimpuzzle Pro is CW-Games’ first offering on the Nintendo Wii U eShop, building on the company’s previous Chimpuzzle (for PC/Mac/Linux) by adding five new levels. In Chimpuzzle Pro, the object is to save the auto-walking monkey Bobo from hazards by building up a partially completed obstacle course using Tetris-style block...
News Cooking Mama 5 Becomes a Little Too Real at Launch
YouTube celeb Rosanna Pansino raises its profile
The Cooking Mama franchise is perhaps unfairly dismissed by some, but it has an impressive sales track record and a loyal fanbase — the publisher states there have been over 13 million copies sold worldwide. It surged to popularity during the DS "Touch Generation" days, and it can be strangely fun...
Video We Take A Look At Super Smash Bros. 3DS' Exclusive Smash Run Mode
Smash Run races for victory!
Recently we showed off twenty-five minutes of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS Classic mode, so today we're going to focus on the all-new and 3DS-only Smash Run mode. This mode is a little different from anything that's gone before, with a five minute prep time on an oversized stage filled with random adversarie
3... 2... 1... GO!
Despite some memorable moments from this game, it disappoints compared to its predecessor. Level of challenge almost non-existent; 150cc is comparatively a walk in the park. Rainbow Road is laborious and let's not get started on Battle Mode... Agreed, tracks are beautiful, with varied locations and their own challenges and quirks:...
News Renegade Kid Now In A Position To Produce More Dementium Games
Ward you believe it?
Dementium: The Ward and its sequel Dementium II stand out as two of the most unusual games to appear on the family-friendly Nintendo DS, and earned a large following of fans thanks to their mature themes and use of horror. Renegade Kid founder Jools Watsham has always said that he'd like to return to the series, but was unable...
News Match 3 In Moving Player’s Upcoming 3DS eShop Title, Wizdom
A few months away from release
Following last week’s announcement that the rhythmic rail shooter Cosmophony was on its way to the Wii U eShop thanks to the assistance of partner Bento Studio, Moving Player has now revealed that’s not the only game it has in the works for fans of the Big N. Wizdom will be released on the 3DS eShop in “a few...
Tuesday16th Sep 2014
It’s a wonderful Life
Fantasy Life, Level-5 and Brownie Brown’s life sim and action RPG, is a game with a long and storied history. Originally announced in Japan for the Nintendo DS/DSi generation of consoles back in 2009, it spent three years in development, seeing a platform upgrade to the Nintendo 3DS, finally releasing in Japan-only on 27th...
News Nintendo Advert Confirms November 21st Launch Date For Super Smash Bros. Wii U
Supports earlier leak from US retalier
Not so long ago, we reported that North American retailer Fred Meyer had listed the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros. for release on November 21st. The date wasn't officially confirmed by Nintendo, but it would appear we now have the next best thing: an advert from Nintendo itself which pinpoints the exact...
News Nintendo Shuts Down Screenshots in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Miiverse Community
If in doubt, shut it down
Yesterday we shared the news that a rather elaborate loophole in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team on 3DS had allowed gamers to post images from the web browser onto its Miiverse community; while some used this feature for comedic effect, others posted mature and explicit images. It's an odd bug in how complex it is to use —...
Review Super Mario Ball (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Balls to the wall
It's no secret that Nintendo's iconic red-wearing plumber has had a number of vocations. From referee to painter to kart racer to hotelier, Mario's been through a lot and shows no sign of actually doing some plumbing. Keeping that in mind, let's take a look at a game where he becomes a pinball. Super Mario Ball's plot revolves...
Feature We Go Hands On With SteamWorld Heist, The Next Image & Form Game
“A game about space adventure and survival”
Image & Form, the Swedish development studio that shot to prominence with the success of SteamWorld Dig on the 3DS eShop, which was subsequently ported to Wii U and other platforms, has announced the next game in the SteamWorld franchise. This isn’t a straight-up sequel, however, but a spin-off...
News First Image Of Wii U Wipeout-Beater FAST Racing NEO Speeds Into View
Speed demon
Shin'en Multimedia's FAST - Racing League was one of the best titles to grace the Wii's WiiWare service, and when the German developer announced that it was producing a sequel for the Wii U eShop back in 2013, fans were predictably excited. There's been little news on FAST Racing NEO since then, but Shin'en has ended the dro
News Nintendo Announces Super Smash Club for Canada
The first rule of Super Smash Club...
In a late-notice broadcast via epn today, Nintendo of America has announced Super Smash Club for Canada, which will be a web hub and a series of events to bring together Super Smash Bros. fans in the country. The main meeting point will be nintendo.ca/supersmashclub. In the first week Nintendo wants gamers to...
News Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Sells Over One Million Copies in Launch Week
Super Smash!
While we've been waiting for the Media Create chart results in Japan to see just how smashing the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS sales have been, Nintendo has been unable to contain its excitement and has announced launch week results. They're rather good, to put it mildly. The portable's first entry in the series has sold over one...
News Missing Super Mario Philips CD-i Game Comes To Light
How Mario almost took America
When Nintendo ditched Sony at the altar and decided not to proceed with the SNES-based PlayStation console, it quickly inked a new deal with Dutch firm Philips. That agreement also fell through, but Nintendo sweetened the divorce by allowing Philips to create games based on its characters for its CD-i entertainment...
News Masahiro Sakurai Confirms Plans to Continue Super Smash Bros. Pic of the Day
Will keep us entertained until the Wii U version arrives
Masahiro Sakurai's Pic of the Day routine on Miiverse has been a regular source of information and entertaining screenshots for Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. With the portable version now released in Japan and so many details having been revealed, the game's director has...
Interview We Loot Image & Form For Insight Into SteamWorld Heist
"We really want to put this out on the 3DS, of course"
Earlier today Image & Form announced SteamWorld Heist, the next entry in the franchise that made its mark and surged to popularity with SteamWorld Dig on the 3DS eShop. It's quite a departure for the steampunk IP, adopting a 2D turn-based strategy approach with healthy doses of resource...
Feature A Week of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Screens - Issue Fifty Five
Demo! Alph! Spectator Mode!
Super Smash Bros. hype moved to a whole new level last week, with the 3DS version's launch in Japan revealing the final roster, the arrival of a demo for Club Nintendo members in the West and more. There were some crazy scenes. Masahiro Sakurai'
News Thomas Was Alone Will Look For Company on Wii U
Curve Studios is keeping busy
Curve Studios is currently finalising Stealth Inc 2 as a Wii U exclusive, but it's also a company that publishes and ports some excellent download games across multiple platforms. The positive news is that it's bringing another highly-regarded title in its range to Nintendo's home console eShop — Thomas Was Alone...
Nintendo 64x64 BattleTanx: Global Assault
Madison's Militia
BattleTanx: Global Assault is one of those games that deserved far more attention than it actually got. Incorporating fast-paced gameplay based around tank warfare, the game's sense of scale and all-out action is surprising for an N64 title. The campaign mode is a tad repetitive, although more enjoyable when played cooperatively;...
Monday15th Sep 2014
News Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bug Allows Miiverse Image Posting Shenanigans
Sleep this one off, Nintendo
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is one of the most entertaining titles on the 3DS, continuing AlphaDream's fine form with the spin-off RPG series. Despite its seemingly low-profile arrival it's performed rather well in stores, though the previously sedate Miiverse community showed an explosion of interest over the weekend;...
Nintendo Download 18th September (Europe)
Hyrule Warriors, Theatrhythm, KickBeat, original DK and lots more
Monday morning doesn't have to be a time of gloom, European gamers, as Nintendo brings us details of this week's Download Update to enjoy. This week's pretty hot, it must be said, with major retail releases on Wii U and 3DS, some promising download-only games and more discounts than...
At least the West has these nice pictures to enjoy
There is a clean-freak hiding away within everyone, and this includes Nintendo fans. So if you like your game systems to remain in pristine condition, don’t even consider putting your grubby mitts on these New 3DS consoles with suede Pokémon-themed faceplates – if they do somehow wash up on...
Video These Hacked Mario Kart 8 Runs Show Tracks in a Whole New Light
Going off course
In recent weeks we've shared some videos from YouTube duo MrBean35000vr, which has followed up its modding of Mario Kart Wii with being the first notable team to hack Mario Kart 8. The modders have been keen to emphasize that their desire to not 'break' the game for others is making them think carefully on how to release the...
News This Fan-Made NES 3DS XL Offers a Cool Alternative Design
Better than Nintendo's?
Nintendo certainly grabbed attention when it announced a NES-themed 3DS XL; the model will be exclusive to GameStop in North America, and unfortunately there are no plans to bring it to Europe. It's due for release on 10th October and will cost $199.99. Not all love the design, however, with the presence of the NES...
News Ubisoft Confirms Just Dance 2015's Full Tracklist
Dancing in the moonlight
Ubisoft has revealed the full tracklist for the upcoming Wii and Wii U title Just Dance 2015. The songs featured are a mix of genres to try and appeal to as broad an audience as possible. You can see the full list for yourself right here: "Bang Bang" – Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj “She Looks So Perfect”...
Feature Ahead Of Hyrule Warriors, We Take A Look Back At Koei Tecmo's Famous Musou Series
New to the franchise? Allow us to educate
With Hyrule Warriors marching dangerously close to its day of release, we wonder how many Nintendo gamers know their Dynasty Warriors from their Samurai Warriors – their Lu Bu from their Tadakatsu Honda. Indeed, most probably already know that Hyrule Warriors itself is just another in a long line of...
Video Nintendo Goes For Drama and a Deep Voice in Hyrule Warriors TV Advert
"It's time to fight", in case you weren't sure
Hyrule Warriors is now just days away in Europe and a little over a week from release in North America, which will kick off a solid run of exclusives on Wii U. There's been plenty of anticipation since this one's reveal in late 2013, so it'll be interesting to see sales and gamer reactions once it lands...
Video Here, Have A Generous Helping Of Super Smash Bros. 3DS Minigame Mania
Bombs, bats, and brawls!
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS players that fancy a change from the usual brawling have always been able to take a break from the action with some compelling minigames, and the latest game is no different. From the familiar Home-Run Contest to the all-new Target Blast, join us as we take you on a whirlwind tour of Super...
News Wii U Art Of Balance Release Date Confirmed For Europe
Balancing act
Shin'en has confirmed that the Wii U version of Art of Balance will be coming to Europe later this month — September 25th, to be exact. The physics-based puzzler is based on the WiiWare original — which was then updated for the 3DS in the shape of Art of Balance TOUCH! — and will feature 200 different challenges in its...
News New Hardcore Gaming 101 Book Takes On Konami's Classic Castlevania Series
Physical and digital versions available now
Remember Sega Arcade Classics Volume 1? Well Hardcore Gaming 101 founder Kurt Kalata is taking a break before starting Volume 2 and has put together another fine tome in the form of Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: Castlevania. Kalata will be famous among seasoned Castlevania fans as the man behind The...
News Carbon Fire Studio Launching Frenchy Bird On Wii U eShop
Is this the Wii U’s answer to Flappy Bird?
Following the overnight success of iOS sensation Flappy Bird, newly founded French indie developer Carbon Fire Studio has announced that its first game — Frenchy Bird — will be released on the Wii U eShop in North America before the end of the year, with a release likely within other regions. Players...
They see me cruis'n...
An arcade port that never used the N64's true capabilities and looked easily at home on a PSOne with its pop-up cardboard scenery. Although there are finer racers on the system, it's an enjoyable arcade-style racer: plenty of tracks with recognisable locations, and unlockable cars. It's slightly average but as a Brit who's...
News Armillo Update Arrives in Europe
Roll up, roll up
Armillo is a rather enjoyable title on the Wii U eShop, exclusive to the platform at present, and certainly has some keen fans throughout the Nintendo community. The launch day version wasn't without problems, however, and developer Fuzzy Wuzzy Games recently released a patch in North America to resolve issues with the framerate,...
News Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Brings Circle Pad Doom in Japan
Darn
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is currently being enjoyed by many in Japan, while some Club Nintendo members in the West have also had an opportunity to put the demo through its paces over the past few days. It seems that fast paced brawling may not suit the 3DS as well as previously thought, however. As you can see in the images above and...
Sunday14th Sep 2014
Review One Piece Unlimited World Red (3DS)
A pirate's life
Even if you don’t follow anime or manga, chances are you’ve heard of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece - having gotten its start in 1997 and still going strong today, this long-running tale of the Straw Hat crew’s far-reaching, seafaring adventures in piracy has blossomed into one of Japan’s most popular exports. With such wide...
Weirdness Playing as Peach Online is Triggering Auto-Bans in Japan
Would be autobahns in Germany (Google it)
In a special Smash Bros. Direct earlier this year Masahiro Sakurai announced a feature that made as gaze skywards to praise the divine idea — moderating in online play. If players are constantly rage-quitting, playing with an awful connection, targeting a particular player or being naughty in any other way...
Feature Working 9 to 5 in a Fantasy Life - Issue One: Hunter
Wherein I get my start and pick on the local wildlife
In the first part of a regular series, Karen takes on Fantasy Life in a variety of 'lives' and documents her adventures. One of Fantasy Life's most notable features — the upcoming life sim/action RPG from Level-5 and Brownie Brown — is that it has twelve jobs, or Lives, that players can...
News Retailer Lists Super Smash Bros. Wii U for 21st November
November's a no-brainer
As Nintendo steps up its efforts to hype Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, it's no surprise that the Wii U version remains undated, with formal details no doubt coming after the portable brawler is on store shelves. Sensible predictions typically peg the HD version of the fighting game, along with the amiibo toy range, for...
News The GameCube is 13 Years Old
Happy Birthday to the handled innovator
The GameCube, the system with a look like no other, is now 13 years old. Released in Japan on 14th September 2001, it holds a special place in the hearts of many Nintendo gamers, and was memorable not just for the fact it had a handle, but due to its line-up of exceptional games. While it holds the...
News SmileBASIC Will Bring Petit Computer Game Development to 3DS Next Year
To be unveiled at Tokyo Game Show
Petit Computer, despite its staggered arrival in the West, remains one of the most intriguing DSiWare apps available. It allows you to create simple games using the BASIC programming code and is a useful tool for budding developers to learn some, well, basics. It was confirmed last year — with the web image above...
Hands On Exploring the Four New Tables of Zen Pinball 2
The Walking Dead! Guardians of the Galaxy! Deadpool! Doctor Strange!
It's tough for comic book fans these days – movies based on superhero comics are more popular than ever, but the comic books themselves are often lost in the shuffle. Everyone loved The Dark Knight, but have you been reading Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's fantastic run on...
"Mr. Diaz, a synthetic human hybrid created by aliens"
Hybrid Heaven was certainly an ambitious game from Konami and felt widely ignored at a time of MGSs, Final Fantasies, and Zeldas. It deserves praise for trying to revolutionise the norm: a unique battle system; an outlandish plot; claustrophobic playing areas rife. Faults? Much like M:I and SOTE...
Watch Heat 4 - The Final Lap Of Our Mario Kart 8 Championship - Live!
Only three places left for the Grand Final
As you've no doubt noticed over the past few weeks, 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; there are some awesome prizes up for grabs. This Championship has multiple online Heats, with the top three...
Saturday13th Sep 2014
Weirdness There Are Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Demo Codes Being Sold on eBay
Madness
Nintendo's live Treehouse broadcast kicked off with a bang when it announced details around a Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS demo. It will launch worldwide (with a 30 use limit) on 19th September, but select Club Nintendo members in North America and Europe have today been emailed four download codes to be enjoyed and shared with...
Review Azure Striker Gunvolt (3DS eShop)
Hz so good
The pedigree behind Azure Striker Gunvolt is the stuff of dreams for a Mega Man-inspired game. Inti Creates, after all, was the team behind the excellent Mega Man Zero series, the Mega Man ZX series, and the classic Mega Man "rebirth" titles Mega Man 9 and
Talking Point The Super Smash Bros. 3DS Demo Has Been an Easy Triumph for Nintendo
The 3DS brawler is given a chance to shine
With around 24 hours passed since its announcement, we can't help but be slightly amused by the understated nature of Nintendo of America's announcement of a Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS demo. Two of the Nintendo Treehouse staff stood outside their venerated department and, with a mixture of...
News A 3DS Can be Used as a Controller in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
That's handy
Masahiro Sakurai has always been clear that there'd be some form of connectivity between Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, and transferring customised fighters between the two versions is the logical feature to be included. Since the 3DS version's user interface appeared with a Wii U button
Weirdness Modder Recreates Donkey Kong Country In Doom Engine
Scary in a different way!
Rare’s Donkey Kong Country was a huge feat in itself when it was released on the Super Nintendo in 1994. Now imagine recreating the iconic jungle-based platformer within an entirely different game engine from around the same era. Enter Doom, and insert the reminder here of just how crazy modders of the classic...
News Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Expo Banner Raises Questions With Wii U Logo
Harmless printing error or accidental leak?
A curious banner is currently advertising Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate at a German expo that displays the Wii U logo in the corner. As of now there's be no indication that the latest entry in the Monster Hunter series was planned for any console other then the 3DS. Chances are that this is merely a mistake...
Video Who's Up for a Rousing Game of Smash Potato?
Last clobbered by a tree wins!
We know there's plenty of game modes to be found in the upcoming Super Smash Bros., but that hasn't stopped people from creating their own custom diversions. One such activity is "Smash Potato," utilizing the tree-chopping and pocket moves of the Villager. Smash Potato is better seen than explained, but be warned of a...
News Little Orbit Bringing Falling Skies: The Game To Wii U as eShop-Only Release
Fight for humanity’s survival
Following news back in June that Little Orbit was bringing a video game adaption of DreamWorks’ critically acclaimed sci-fi television series Falling Skies to the Wii U, the publisher has now revealed that the system's version will be released on the eShop, not at retail as with PS3 and Xbox 360. The initial...
Weirdness Here Is A Super Famicom On Top Of Mount Fuji
Reaching new heights since the '90s
The Super Nintendo goes down in history as one of the greatest video game systems of all-time, for a variety reasons – be it the at the time revolutionary controller design, the cutting edge graphics and audio, or the stunning library of games. So how do you make one of the most legendary Nintendo consoles to...
Player Profile Mario Kart 8 Championship - Finalists 1-4
Meet our first batch of finalists
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 four online heats, with the top three in each of those heats then progressing to a...
An exclusive to the console in what is a relatively small-scale franchise, Doom 64 has been unfavourably compared to Rare's masterpieces when it's a great FPS in its own right. An abundance of well-designed levels, monsters, secrets, and weaponry is wonderfully coupled by the haunting soundtrack and dark, atmospheric scenery. This is still a joy to...
Friday12th Sep 2014
News Demo for Super Smash Bros. 3DS Announced for North America and Europe
Club Nintendo members may get it even earlier
Update: Nintendo of Europe has now confirmed this demo for the region with very similar terms to North America. It'll be available to everyone from 19th September, while "selected Club Nintendo members" will receive an email with four download codes. The demo has unlimited plays — in North America and...
Watch Nintendo Treehouse Shows Off Upcoming Wii U and 3DS Games - Live!
Six games, including Smash Bros., to be shown
The Nintendo Treehouse team will be broadcasting live for eight hours, and we'll be watching and live blogging every step of the way. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS will be there in its final build, along with Bayonetta 2, Hyrule Warriors,
News Standard 3DS Consoles Will Have Limited Online Functions When Playing Super Smash Bros.
Miiverse and Internet Browser unavailable – please understand
The 3DS isn't an especially new piece of tehcnology, and in order to stay ahead of the curve Nintendo have taken a bold move in order to maintain pinnacle performance from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. When the game is running, players will not be able to access Miiverse or use...
Preview Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Goes Big on the Portable
Will Nintendo's portable brawler smash it out of the park?
It may be less than a month to go until Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is finally released in North America and Europe, but that doesn’t change the fact that the wait over the next few weeks is going to be unbearable for its most ardent fans. The game — which at the time of writing...
Weirdness A Pokémon Fan Broke into the White House Lawn
The eleventh of September was not the best day to choose
A presumed fan of the Pokémon series was seen climbing over a security fence into the grounds of the White House in the United States' capital yesterday. The man was wearing a Pikachu hat and t-shirt, but his intentions are completely unknown at the moment. You can see him in the tweets below...
News Release Day Patch Being Deployed in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Masahiro Sakurai also explains connectivity and spectator mode
Update: This update also includes a mode that will only be activated from 15th September in Japan — Conquest Mode. As reported by Siliconera this will be activated at random points in a "With Anyone" online battle — three players fight it out and the winner's character earns points...
Video We Battle Through Our First Twenty-Five Minutes Of Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo 3DS
Smash hit, or a (Ninten)dog?
In our first video with the retail version from Japan, Kerry jumps straight into Classic Mode, completing a run and tackling a recently leaked new character. Don't watch if you want to avoid spoilers. The latest version of Nintendo's epic brawler finally hits 3DS — in Japan. Luckily Nintendo Life is on the case and...
Saturday13th Sep 2014
News Nintendo Patent Hints at Pokémon Standalone Console With NFC Support
Super Effective at emptying bank accounts?
Nintendo is a company, due to its focus on creativity in recent generations, that registers plenty of patents for potential products. While they may not all become a reality, they give a fascinating insight into current priorities and concepts that are doing the rounds within the big N's Kyoto HQ. An...
Friday12th Sep 2014
Review Phonics Fun with Biff, Chip & Kipper: Vol. 2 (3DS)
The next step
While your little one may be performing well in school, when learning to read there are those tricky hurdles that manage to trip up countless a child. It is those troublesome times that are covered in Phonics Fun with Biff, Chip & Kipper : Volume 2. Featuring the characters from the Oxford Reading Tree curriculum books your child...
News SEGA Announces Sand-Based Arcade Game, Probably Not Coming to Wii U
Dat next-gen sand
SEGA has announced an innovative new product that will put all of our lousy childhood sandcastles to shame; the only trouble is that you need to be a small child at an arcade in Japan to truly enjoy it. This new sand arcade allows young gamers to create worlds with next-gen sand — as we're going to call it — though the downside...
News Mega Man 7 Storms onto North American Wii U eShop
Tears fall for Europe
Nintendo has revealed via its current Treehouse live stream that the coveted Mega Man 7 is available right now on the North American Wii U eShop! The SNES classic joins over half a dozen other Mega Man games on the eShop. Thanks should be aimed towards Capcom for bulking out the Virtual Console so effectively. There's no...
News Falcon and Yondu Join the Fight in Disney Infinity 2.0
Even more to Marvel at
Fans of Marvel comics will be pleased to hear that two more characters have been announced for Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes, namely Falcon and Yondu From the press release: Pararescue veteran Sam Wilson, codename Falcon, soars into Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes. As Captain America's closest ally,...
Nintendo 64x64 Diddy Kong Racing
Despite obvious comparisons to Mario Kart 64, DKR was a unique experience: platformer elements (explorable world, bosses and collectable items) were unique for its time, ensuring one-player longevity. Three vehicle types presented new areas already explored / raced. Vibrant storybook colours may have put off mature gamers but many challenges and...
News Image & Form Teams Up With Zoink In Self-Publishing Partnership
"Together, we’ll be a real powerhouse"
Two highly respected Scandinavian download developers, Image & Form and Zoink!, have announced a formal publishing collaboration. Image & Form is best known for SteamWorld Dig on 3DS and — recently — Wii U, while Zoink released the excellent Stick It To The Man on Wii U. This formal partnership...
News Rhythmic Rail Shooter Cosmophony Is Coming To The Wii U eShop
Let the music guide you
If you’re a fan of the techno beats, high speed and drum & bass, then Cosmophony by Bento Studios might just be the game for you. Thanks to the assistance of Moving Player, the title will be coming to the Wii U eShop at some point in the near future. Cosmophony was originally announced in 2012, and will be released on...
Play & Win Mario Kart 8 Championship - Heat 4 - Sunday 14th September
The Final Lap!
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 live final...
Thursday11th Sep 2014
News Impending Japanese Launch Of Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo 3DS Brings New Character Reveals
If you don't want the surprise to be ruined, look away now...
The 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. launches in Japan later this week, but as you might expect some lucky players already have their copies of the game and have been putting the hours in to unlock all of the lovely secrets contained within. Predictably, the full roster of characters is...
Review Teslagrad (Wii U eShop)
Alternating current, direct fun
We seem to love Scandinavian games here at Nintendo Life. We began our glowing SteamWorld Dig review last month by espousing the virtues of the Swedish indie gaming scene, but Sweden's neighbour to the west is not to be forgotten: hot on the heels of SteamWorld comes Teslagrad, an equally impressive Metroidvania-style...
Review Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS)
A rousing encore
When Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy arrived in the Summer of 2012 it was an entertaining, brilliantly constructed celebration of the venerated Square Enix franchise. It combined a charming aesthetic, plenty of content through its music pieces and a simple, functional control scheme. A little over two years later we have Theatrhythm...
News Nintendo Launches a Free 3DS Game Promotion in Europe
Register a console and blockbuster to qualify
Update: Scandinavian Nintendo gamers will also be able to take advantage of this offer, with the region's distributor — Bergsala A/S — confirming the campaign for Denmark and the rest of the Nordics; details will be posted here. Hat-tip to Kenneth Jensen for the tip. Original Article: Nintendo of...
Nintendo Download 11th September (North America)
Teslagrad, KickBeat, The Keep, discounts, demos and more
It's time once again for the Nintendo Download Update, North American gamers, and this week brings a variety of treats to the Wii U and 3DS. The home console has a highly regarded new title, some rhythmic action and a retro platformer, while the main arrival on the 3DS is a dungeon-crawling...
News Nintendo Confirms Week Two Details for Super Smashing eShop Sale
Featured characters like Link! Mega Man! Captain Falcon! Pit! More!
Last week Nintendo of America caused a fair amount of buzz when it launched the first week of its Super Smashing eShop sale, which is a series of promotions over a four week period to celebrate the fighters in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. The initial batch has...
News Game Schedule Outlined for Nintendo Treehouse Live Broadcast
Five upcoming releases and then a focus on Smash Bros.
While the battle to hold back key details around Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is being lost due to early pre-order deliveries in Japan — we're only sharing roster reveals, with a massive spoiler warning right here — Nintendo's upcoming
News Alph Confirmed as a New Challenger in Super Smash Bros.
A variation of Olimar
With Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS rapidly approaching release in Japan, game director Masahiro Sakurai is running out of time to make any major reveals. As a result he's taken the opportunity to unveil another new fighter for the two titles, though this one is a little surprising. The new character is Alph, who is...
News Pre-Orders Open For NES, Persona Q and Smash Bros. 3DS XL Models in North America
"No plans" for the first two in Europe
This week has brought some exciting news for compulsive hardware buyers or those still remarkably on the fence about the 3DS, with an NES-themed XL model confirmed for North America, along with an eye-catching Persona Q model and two variations of the Super Smash Bros. XL that's also coming to Europe, with the...
News Keep Your Eyes Peeled for this Orchestral Metroid Album
Paying homage to a very special lady
Composer Sam Dillard is in the process of producing an album of music from the Metroid series called Metroid Cinematica, and aims to release it during October. The music promises to be more of a re-imagining than a simple repeat performance of the original tracks. Certain moments from different themes will be...
News Scandinavian Gamers Will be Included in the Hyrule Warriors Costume Pack Promotion
In a slightly different way
It's been known for a long time that Nintendo's Club Nintendo system does not perhaps stretch as far across the world as many would like, and many territories in Europe often feel as though they are being left out. Thankfully for Hyrule Warriors, customers in Scandinavia aren't being left out in the cold. Nintendo has...
News Shigeru Miyamoto's Pikmin Short Films to Make Début at Tokyo International Film Festival
Have been coming to fruition for over a year
Last year we shared the news that Shigeru Miyamoto was overseeing a series of animated Pikmin short films, with the legendary game designer explaining that his origins in four-panel comics and passion for the franchise had brought the project to reality. They were initially planned to arrive in some form...
News Stealth Inc 2 Sneaking Onto the Wii U eShop on 23rd October
Curve Studios' Wii U exclusive creeps closer
Stealth Inc 2 was a slightly surprising announcement as a Wii U eShop-exclusive title earlier this year, especially as its predecessor has never been available on Nintendo hardware. On the other hand developer Curve Studios has recently confirmed more titles — The Swapper and Lone Survivor — for the...
News Mario Golf: Advance Tour Tees Off on the North American eShop on 25th September
No longer out of bounds
Nintendo of America has provided its download update for the week, and has also continued its fine tradition of revealing a select title that's on the way soon. The latest announcement is sure to please Game Boy Advance fans and those that think Mario needs to get a bit more exercise. It's been announced that Mario Golf:...
Stop the evil Herd Army!
Featuring the most annoying theme song to have ever graced the medium, Buck Bumble is an aerial combat game in which radioactive waste has transformed the insect world into a high-tech war zone. Playing as a gun-wielding bumblebee, the task of completing garden-based objectives is unusually appealing, yet a lack of polish --...
Wednesday10th Sep 2014
News NES-Themed Nintendo 3DS XL On The Way as GameStop Exclusive
Smash Bros. and Persona Q 3DS XL models also confirmed
While Japanese gamers are already gearing up for the New Nintendo 3DS models, gamers in the West need to wait until 2015 — that means that some special bundles of the existing hardware will arrive in time for the Holiday season. Confirmed by Nintendo of America at a GameStop conference and now...
Review Kirby Fighters Deluxe (3DS eShop)
Popstar wars
Ever since Kirby’s Adventure introduced the pink puffball’s trademark copy abilities in 1993, they’ve been at the heart of his every hobby, from Dream Course’s mini-golf to Air Ride’s racing. With Kirby Triple Deluxe, players were given the chance to use those powers in Kirby’s newest pastime — all-o
News Mega Camerupt, Mega Gallade, and Mega Sharpedo Revealed for Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Primal Kyogre & Primal Groudon abilities also unveiled
CoroCoro has revealed three new Mega Evolutions for the upcoming Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire games. The three monsters in question are Sharpedo, Gallade and Camerupt, all three of which started their evolutionary line in the original Ruby and Sapphire versions. Mega Sharpedo has...
Video Watch Us Crack Some Skulls In The 3DS Super Smash Bros. Demo
Looks like we're in for a Smashing time
3DS owners across Japan — as well as those international Nintendo fans dedicated enough to import Japanese hardware — are currently abandoning their friends, family, and careers while they get busy with the Super Smash Bros. demo that has just been released on the Japanese eShop. Of course being a demo,...
Feature Meet The Playable Cast Of Hyrule Warriors
Which one will you choose?
Hyrule Warriors isn't your typical Zelda title — the name should be a dead give-away — and nowhere is this more obvious than in the massive roster of playable characters. There are plenty of fan-favourites, not-so-fan-favourites and totally new characters to master here, with each one boasting their own play style and...
News Square Enix Temporarily Pulls 3DS Dragon Quest X From Sale Due To Unexpected Success
Sales of both physical and digital versions suspended
Dragon Quest X came to the Japanese 3DS recently, and as expected, the game sold very well — in fact, the first shipment of physical copies went in the space of a single week. However, such success has caused serious headaches not only for Square Enix, but for the hordes of existing Dragon...
News Watch Dogs Wii U Release Dates Confirmed
Hopefully it won't be a ruff port
After Ubisoft Mexico let the dog(?) out of the bag, the publisher has now officially confirmed release dates for Watch Dogs on Wii U — it hits North America on 18th November and Europe on 21st November. The development studio responsible for the port is Ubisoft Montreal, which also brought us the Wii U versions...
News Nintendo Treehouse Live Broadcast Kick-Off Time Confirmed
A late night for European fans
Earlier this week Nintendo of America confirmed that The Treehouse will host an 8-hour live broadcast, confirming that the final build of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS will be a main part of the event along with other upcoming Wii U and 3DS games. Initially we were only given a date, 12th September, but NoA has...
Review Gothic Masquerade (3DS eShop)
Hide it away
Surprise! There is yet another hidden object game now available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop! It's become clear to us that the developers behind all of these games are going for a world record regarding quantity, because the quality here does nothing to impress. If Gothic Masquerade — the latest addition to the flooded genre — is an...
News Yokai Watch 2 Back at Number One in Japan - Wii U Sales Remain Average, 3DS Drops
Microsoft adds a third home console to the mix
The Japanese charts show that Yokai Watch 2 can't be put down for long as it rises back to the coveted number one position. Even with the release of the Xbox One in Japan, the game simply cannot be shaken, it seems. Elsewhere in the software charts things are looking a bit grim for Nintendo, only two...
News This New Fatal Frame Trailer Highlights the GamePad's Functionality
Send those ghouls packing
We've known for a long time that the new title in the Fatal Frame series would be using the GamePad as though it were a real camera, but this is the first good look at how it plays out within gameplay. The trailer shows the player battling numerous ghosts and spirits with the GamePad by taking photographs of them, rotating...
News Famitsu Releases Dossier on Sherlock Holmes' Appearance in the New Ace Attorney
Watson is still a child with a medical degree
We were clued in yesterday to The World's Greatest Detective showing up in Capcom's upcoming The Great Ace Attorney (aka Ace Attorney: The Adventures of Ryunosuke Naruhodou). Now Famitsu Weekly has released more information and images on the game's renditions of Sherlock Holmes and his legendary...
News Watch Dogs Stares at a November Release Date on Wii U, According to Ubisoft Mexico
Throw us a bone, Ubisoft
Watching for Watch Dogs has become a bit of a hobby here at Nintendo Life HQ, taking up the tactic of our canine friends that if you stare at someone — in this case Ubisoft — long enough they'll give in and fetch you that sandbox shooting / hacking game you always wanted. The publishing giant likes to tease before giving...
Soapbox Fan Expo 2014 - A Nintendo Fan's Experience
Discussing Nintendo’s presence, or lack thereof
In this soapbox our resident Canadian writer and Pokémon expert Andrew Karklins shares his perspective from the recent Fan Expo 2014 event. Just recently (28th to 31st August), I was lucky enough to attend Fan Expo Canada, a convention held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As the third largest...
News Rising Star Games Confirms 10th Anniversary North American eShop Discounts
Beyblade! Fashion! Jewels! Fishing!
This week's European Nintendo Download Update includes a range of discounts from Rising Star Games — the publisher is currently celebrating its 10 year anniversary. It's a particularly active company in the EU, often taking on a number of niche titles from Japan that would otherwise never make it to the region...
News Miiverse Update Improves Filtering, Saved Posts and the Web Version's User Profile
Favourite posts also larger, because why not?
Miiverse continues its quest for social networking perfection today, as Nintendo has applied updates to the service on Wii U, 3DS and web browsers. As is always the case the changes are immediate, so you don't have a pesky update download and installation waiting for you on your gaming hardware of...
Nintendo 64x64 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
I'm Hit! Rear shields down!
Taking everything that is loved about the grand battles of the original Star Wars trilogy -- the dogfights, the scale and the classic theme of good versus evil -- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron delivers an authentic aerial action experience with its own bespoke storyline. Produced with astonishingly high production values --...
News Darts Up Lands On The Wii U eShop In Europe Next Week
You can’t beat a bit of Bully
If you've ever fancied yourself as the next Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor or just wanted the excuse to have friends and family gathered around, drinking yard glasses of ale and wearing silly outfits, EnjoyUp Games has you covered (as if you needed an excuse). The Spanish developer has recently announced a Wii U version...
News Shiny Gengar and Diancie Pokémon Distributions on the Way
North American and European gamers in luck
The Pokémon Company has a big few months ahead as it will aim to replicate the success of Pokémon X & Y with November's release of Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire on 3DS. Two new distribution events will bring some special 'mon to X & Y, with one also identified as being ready for...
Tuesday9th Sep 2014
News LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham DLC Season Pass is Skipping Wii U
Holy Fan Rage Batman!
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham arrives in November and will be the latest major entry in the popular series; it's coming to Wii U while there'll also be an alternative version on 3DS. Warner Bros. Interactive has now announced day one DLC for the title along with a Season Pass. The trouble is that the Wii U isn't listed as a...
News North America is Getting the Limited Edition of Hyrule Warriors
About time
It's been a long time coming, but the special edition version of Hyrule Warriors will be hitting the US. Here's the original tweet: [tweet 509373059539562496] There' same small downside to the whole scenario though, this version will only be available at the Nintendo World Store and pre-ordering is not an option. When release day comes...
Wednesday10th Sep 2014
Review Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight (3DS eShop / NES)
Back to the future
Capcom's Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight is not a typical Street Fighter game. If you go into this relatively obscure NES action title knowing you won't hear "Hadouken!" shouted once, you may be able to enjoy the experience. However, Street Fighter 2010's depth and surprisingly intricate gameplay will likely be lost on all...
Tuesday9th Sep 2014
News Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Will Support The New 3DS C-Stick, But Not The Circle Pad Pro
C-Stick it to the man
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS will support the New 3DS console's C-Stick, but won't be compatible with the Circle Pad Pro accessory for the original 3DS and 3DS XL. The information comes from Nintendo's official Japanese support pages, and has been translated by posters on NeoGaf. This follows news that
From the Forum To Buy or Not to Buy? SPIKEY WALLS Fires Debate as Developer Defends Project
"If you don't like a game...THEN DON'T BUY IT"
As you may — or may not — be aware, we have our own Forums here on Nintendo Life that allow discussion on Nintendo platforms, gaming as a whole and even life in general. It's often a source of lively debate on various topics, and occasionally developers that are active in the community will pop up...
News Motorola's New Smart Watch Features a Goldeneye-Style Interface Option
Dr. No way to resist
Who in their life hasn't pretended to be a secret agent on a daring mission to uncover and foil the plot of a notorious villain whose greed surpasses their humanity? Well now you can take one step closer thanks to a clever little Android developer. The Moto 360 smart watch from Motorola is one of the more traditional-looking...
Talking Point The Growing Role of The Treehouse Gives Nintendo More Personality
A human touch
It's not so long ago that The Treehouse at Nintendo of America's HQ was a mystery, a department with a rather charming door behind which delights could be found. It was tempting to think of it as a smaller game-related version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, with Oompa Loompas in Mario hats singing songs and playing games. Of...
News Rock Zombie Is Bringing Hard Rock And Side-Scrolling Combat Action To The Wii U
The dance of the undead
EnjoyUp Games has announced that it will be publishing Quaternion Studio's Rock Zombie on the Wii U eShop. Billed as a tribute to classic arcade combat titles like Final Fight and Golden Axe, Rock Zombie features three playable characters — all members of a female rock group — who have to brawl their way through hordes...
Weirdness Here's What DuckTales Would Look Like With Real Ducks
Someone call PETA
DuckTales has a special place in the heart of Nintendo fans not just because it was a superb early-morning cartoon romp, but because it also spawned some amazing games on the NES and Game Boy, the first of which was recently remastered for the Wii U eShop. What we're about to show has only the tenuous link to these amazing games,...
News The Classic Mode in Smash Bros. 3DS is Bolstered Further with Random Rewards System
Edging ever closer
With the Japanese release of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS practically within tasting distance and the hype level higher than ever, Sakurai continues the slew of information about the product by describing another interesting addition to Classic Mode. And here's the results screen. It shows what you gained in each stage,...
News Sherlock Holmes And An 8-Year-Old Female Watson Will Star In The Great Ace Attorney
Elementary, my dear Watson
It has been reported that Capcom's forthcoming 3DS title The Great Ace Attorney will feature Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective Sherlock Holmes — but with a twist. According to Game Jouhou, the famous sleuth will be joined by his famous sidekick Watson, who will be an 8-year old girl as opposed to a strapping...
Video Which 8-bit Version Of Ghostbusters Are You Gonna Call?
Sega or Nintendo? There's only one way to find out...
Back in the mid to late '80s, North American gamers were hooked on Nintendo, and prior to the launch of the Genesis / Mega Drive, Sega was very much locked out when it came to getting all of the juicy third-party titles. However, there were a handful of games which made it over to Sega's 8-bit...
News Mario Kart TV Update Allows You To Check Up On Friends, Tournament Videos and More
Take a look on your phone or PC
Mario Kart 8 is the ultimate evergreen title for Wii U, and is likely to retain that crown over the coming years. It's not just evergreen in terms of sales, either, but also through its ability to keep players coming back week after week; that's largely driven by the online options. Mario Kart TV is a part of this,...
News The Wonderful 101 Gets a Wonderful Soundtrack Release
Wonderful
Music fanatics, prepare your eardrums. Platinum Games announced today that the complete soundtrack of 127 tracks from its excellent title The Wonderful 101 is getting a digital release. Split into two volumes, the soundtrack would supposedly have needed five CDs in order to have a physical release, so our shelves can breathe a sigh of...
Do a barrel roll!
Nintendo: excellent decision. Ditch Starwing 2 and go for a next-gen sequel. Lylat Wars delivers on many fronts. Corneria is a perfect opener - capturing Starwings feel yet graphically upgraded. From then on levels are superbly varied: corridor levels, dogfights, numerous routes to Venom based on mission success. Not just a...
Monday8th Sep 2014
"I get knocked down, but I get up again..."
The Wii U has had a diverse range of artistically-driven download games ported to its eShop lately, from Another World to Master Reboot to the news that the critically-acclaimed Gone Home will be arriving later this year, and Vancouver-based
News Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Collector's Edition Coming to North America
Smells better than collecting actual giant beasts
Where the thrill of the hunt and the thrill of the swag meet, there shall ye find the Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Collector's Edition. Capcom revealed the upcoming edition for North America on its Unity blog, with the caveat that not all designs may be final. The Collector's Edition will come packed...
News September's Club Nintendo Reward Details Are Confirmed
Another eight games after your coins
It's that time again, as Club Nintendo in North America has updated its rewards for September; once again there are eight downloads that you can pick up with some hard earned coins. This batch follows the same trend as the August equivalent, with six Virtual Console games and two DSiWare titles; the eight...
Nintendo Download 11th September (Europe)
Teslagrad, Zelda discounts, Comic Workshop, Mega Man and much more
The start of another week means one thing for eager Nintendo gamers in Europe — Nintendo Download Update details. This week's list brings us a huge range of options, including new titles and Virtual Console entries on Wii U and 3DS, along with Zelda discounts, a host of Rising Star...
Review Mario Golf: Advance Tour (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Like Golden Sun, if all the weapons were golf clubs
Mario is a surprisingly active fellow. We've said it before and we'll say it again — the doughy little guy is a total sports nut, and he owes much of this to the kind developers at Camelot, who have a gift for creating really solid titles that allow him to strut his stuff. Like previous titles in...
Video Watch These Teenagers As They're Exposed To The NES
"I have an iPhone case like this"
Gaming is becoming more and more mainstream with every turn, and sometimes we have to take a step back to realise just how far we've come, and depending on your age that could go back anywhere between the GameCube and the ZX Spectrum. To give you some perspective of the progress we've seen, take some typical modern...
News Nintendo Treehouse Confirms 8 Hour Twitch Broadcast on 12th September
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS final build to feature
Earlier today we brought you the news that there's a special NicoNico Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS broadcast taking place on 12th September, during which it seems there'll be some final reveals ahead of the title's release in Japan. An announcement from Nintendo of America suggests that...
Extended play
When the first Tappingo hit the scene in early 2014, it brought a puzzle style that was simultaneously fresh and familiar. Combine that with an amiable price point and it was a pick to easily consider diving into. Now creator Hugo Smits is back with Tappingo 2, a new edition of puzzles for those who have thoroughly tapped all previous...
Preview Fantasy Life is Waiting to Become Part of Yours
Gotta live 'em all!
Originally released in Japan in late December 2012, Level-5 and Brownie Brown’s part life sim, part action RPG Fantasy Life was announced for the West at this past E3 and will see release in Europe on 26th September and on 24th October in North America for the Nintendo 3DS. Selling over 300,000 copies in its native Japan and...
News NicoNico Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Broadcast Confirmed for 12th September
New character and mode in line for reveals
Japanese 3DS gamers have cause for excitement ahead of this weekend's launch of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, as a broadcast has been confirmed for the game on NicoNico — it's taking place on 12th September at 3am Pacific / 6am Eastern / 11am UK / noon CET / 7pm Japan; that's just hours before the...
Feature A Week of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Screens - Issue Fifty Four
All-Star Mode! Outfit Colours! Smash Run running! More!
Super Smash Bros. on Nintendo 3DS is now just days away in Japan, so it's a short matter of time before full — official — details around the roster, stages and modes are available. Masahiro Sakurai is likely to remain the source of some final reveals, with the Director's Room Miiverse...
Review Phonics Fun with Biff, Chip & Kipper: Vol. 1 (3DS)
Learning with friends
Every parent wants the best for their child, but sadly trying to coax them away from their toys and towards something educational can be a feat of itself, especially with young children. Phonics Fun with Biff, Chip & Kipper: Volume 1 features characters from the Oxford Reading Tree curriculum books in a title that they will...
News Rejoice, Little Orbit's Penguins Of Madagascar Video Game Is A Nintendo Exclusive
Waddling to Wii U, 3DS and Wii this November
Little Orbit will be bringing a game based on the Dreamworks movie Penguins of Madagascar to Nintendo platforms later this year, it has been announced. Bandai Namco will be handling the publishing duties in Europe. The Wii U, Wii and 3DS will all be getting a version of the game, which launches on...
News Activision Is Bringing The Dulcet Tones Of The Voice To Wii U Next Month
Who needs Call of Duty, right?
Feeling glum about the fact that Activision isn't bringing Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare to the Wii U? Don't be, because the publisher isn't totally abandoning Nintendo's console — it's releasing an interactive adaptation of the TV The Voice next month, which is surely just as exciting as shooting people with...
News Retro City Rampage: DX Will Benefit From Additional Controls On The New 3DS
Is the best version going to get even better?
Retro City Rampage: DX will get an update in the near future which will allow it to take advantage of the New 3DS and its additional controls, creator Brian Provinciano has revealed. Provinciano posted the news to Twitter, stating that the updated hardware offers the kind of interface he wanted for the...
Video The Latest Trailer For Fantasy Life Urges You To Choose Your Professional Destiny
Which life is the one for you?
Fantasy Life is coming to western 3DS consoles very soon indeed, and Nintendo UK is keen to make sure fans are educated about the various roles which are found within the game itself. Fantasy Life is all about picking a profession — known as a "life" in the game — and gaining experience, money and "bliss" from...
A hugely underappreciated gem, Body Harvest was DMA Designs (later Rockstar North) first attempt at a 3D open-world game. Playing as a genetically enhanced super-soldier, you must travel across time and thwart a race of sinister aliens before they can harvest mankind. Ambitious, yet buggy and lacking in polish, Body Harvest is greater than the...
News SPIKEY WALLS is Flapping Its Way Onto the eShop on 18th September
Appy now?
SPIKEY WALLS is the latest title from RCMADIAX, a developer that was the first to publish a game on the Wii U eShop using the Nintendo Web Framework with BLOK DROP U. The block capital-loving developer has been prolific in the North American store, releasing a series of budget GamePad-centric titles that have, more often than not,...
Sunday7th Sep 2014
Review Mega Man X3 (Wii U eShop / SNES)
A less than fitting farewell
In 1996, the Mega Man X series parted ways with Nintendo hardware. Mega Man X3 is how it ends. Not with a bang, but a whimper. The first Mega Man X game got things off to such a solid start that it was almost inevitable that a letdown would come sooner rather than later. After all, with so little room for improvement,...
Feature We Put Bayonetta 2's Nintendo Outfits to the Test
Nintendo's mascots have never been so deadly
Bayonetta 2, one of the highest profile third-party exclusives on Wii U — albeit published by Nintendo — is getting close to release. The Platinum Games extravaganza is all set to deliver high-intensity action to the system, and we've been impressed so far; we said as much in our preview. Nintendo's...
Video Mii Fighters Get Ready For Smash Bros. Battle with Nintendo Heroes on 3DS
The hype is real in Japan
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is less than a week away in Japan, which no doubt has Nintendo's accountants rather pleased. It's the début of the franchise on a portable, too, which is significant in a country where the 3DS rules the hardware charts on a weekly basis. The advertising campaign is picking up steam, too,...
Video If You Love Mario Easter Eggs, This Series is for You
Covering Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario World, so far
One of the delights of retro Nintendo games is in discovering their secrets, little snippets of interesting features that can only be spotted with close attention. Hunting 'easter eggs' is a major part of retro gaming. A current series on the Did You Know Gaming channel is looking to reveal...
Yoshi gets extra-huggable!
If you live in Europe or Australia and have recently been crying out for something else rather than last month’s charming Zelda-themed carry case on your local Club Nintendo catalogue, you’ll be pleased to know a cute and cuddly Yoshi Plush Soft Toy is now available. This loveable little friend sports a plush...
It didn't sit well with purists at the time, but Bomberman's first outing in 3D was nevertheless a valiant effort on Hudson Soft's part to ensure its explosive star remained relevant in gaming. To its credit, the single-player mode delivers an engaging experience based around puzzles and exploration; the multiplayer, however, fails to retain the...
News Robbie Lakeman Sets A New Donkey Kong World Record To Dethrone Hank Chien
We have a new King of Kong
When Hank Chien set a new world record on Donkey Kong back in 2011 — and then went on to break his own score another two times — many believed he could never be beaten. Chien's battle with Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe — the duo immortalised in the movie
Saturday6th Sep 2014
Review Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe (3DS eShop)
Hammer time
Though he might be best known for his platforming antics, Kirby is no stranger to spin-offs – from racing and pinball to madcap mini-golf, the pink puffball and his friends have been genre-hopping happily since 1993. Lately, Dreamland’s semi-benevolent King Dedede has spent some time in the spin-off spotlight himself, with his...
Feature The Nintendo 64 Controller and the Rise of 3D Gaming
The three-handled situation
The Nintendo 64 controller is one that has fallen out of favour with some gamers – its outdated control stick and limited number of buttons leaves it and its parent system in a state of being old but without necessarily being seen by the general public as 'retro'. You could easily say the same for Sony's original...
Rumour Concept Work from Former Next Level Games Artist Shows a Certain Bounty Hunter
Was the studio once considering a Metroid project?
A former Next Level Games concept artist's portfolio is making Metroid fans' minds race with the possibility the studio had been working on or considering a new entry in the series. The artwork, which includes a stylized version of Samus in full Power Suit as well as two boss creature designs,...
News Masahiro Sakurai Provides Another Look at Super Smash Bros. Modes
Games & more is the home of Classic mode and Stadium mini games
As we settle into the weekend we're given a good opportunity to dwell on future titles that we wish we were playing right now, and we bet Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is occupying a few minds at present. It arrives in Japan very soon, and hits the West on 3rd October. Masahiro...
Video Nintendo Minute's August Favourites Are Rather Good
One Wii title is likely to be in the next year's worth of videos
It's hard to believe that we're now moving into the early stages of game release silly-season, with mid-late September kicking things off ahead of the Holiday madness. There have been plenty of games to enjoy over the Summer months, however, for those happy to dive off into the eShop,...
Watch It's Getting Serious in Heat 3 Of Our Mario Kart 8 Championship - Live!
Watch Spamfish take on the challenge
As you've no doubt noticed over the past few weeks, 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; there are some awesome prizes up for grabs. This Championship has multiple online Heats, with the top three in each...
Aside from being the first release in Nintendo's long-running party game series, Mario Party's biggest claim to fame is its stick-spinning mini-games, which left many eager players with blisters on their palms. The series may have come a long way since 1999, but this title nevertheless features a diverse range of timeless mini-games and every...
Friday5th Sep 2014
Interview Eiji Aonuma and Yosuke Hayashi on Hyrule Warriors and Shigeru Miyamoto's Definitive Role
We talk melding franchises and defining Zelda with those that know best
As the Wii U moves into a hugely significant period of releases over the remainder of 2014, it'll be Hyrule Warriors that will, appropriately considering its genre, lead the charge of major retail releases. Already released in Japan and arriving soon in North America and Europe,...
News Shigeru Miyamoto Flipped The Tea Table with Hyrule Warriors
Stated the goal as "grafting Zelda onto the Dynasty Warriors experience"
Hyrule Warriors is now just weeks away from release in the West, a title that stunned fans upon its reveal in December 2013 and is eagerly anticipated as a rare spin-off to The Legend of Zelda. Its shock factor when revealed was down to its key feature — it's a crossover of...
News Project CARS Wii U Delay Was To Ensure It's As Good As Other Versions, Says Dev
"There's no conspiracy here"
Project CARS finally has a solid release date — November 21st — but that doesn't include the Wii U version, which has been pushed back into 2015. Slightly Mad's Andy Tudor has been speaking to Eurogamer about the title — which it boldly proclaims is a
News Walmart Lists Blue And Red Smash Bros 3DS XL Consoles For September Launch In North America
$199.96 each!
Remember that amazing red Smash Bros. 3DS XL that was confirmed for Europe not so long ago? It's coming to the US too, along with a blue variant of the same design. Walmart is the source of the news, and has listed both the blue and red consoles in one of its promotional flyers. They're going to retail for $199.96 each, and are...
News Nintendo Of America Celebrates Bayonetta 2 With A $40.00 eShop Card Sweepstake
No cosplay required (this time)
For those in the Americas who have recovered enough from that half-hour slice of "whoa" that was the Bayonetta 2 Nintendo Direct to read this, Nintendo of America is holding a sweepstake to give away a total of three $40.00 eShop cards to three randomly selected winners. To enter, tweet a fifteen second Instagram...
News Pokkén Tournament's Concept Even Shocked The Game’s Creators
“The entire office was dumbfounded”
In an announcement that could be described as hard to fathom, it was less than a week ago when it was revealed on NicoNico that a fighting-title by the name of Pokkén Tournament for arcade would be co-developed by Bandai Namco, with involvement from Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada and Soul Calibur producer...
News Nintendo of Europe President Satoru Shibata Enjoyed a Mario Kart 8 Birthday Party
Eiji Aonuma and more joined in
Satoru Shibata, Nintendo of Europe President, recently celebrated his birthday with an online tournament in Mario Kart 8, which seems like a perfect way to enjoy the occasion; Nintendo UK has taken the liberty of tweeting the video of some Mario Kart TV highlights. It was a high profile MK8 party, too, with some big...
News Super Mario Bros. Movie UK Blu-Ray Release to Offer Brand New Documentary
"This Ain’t No Video Game"
Yesterday we posted that everyone’s favourite plumber's live action big screen adventure Super Mario Bros gets its long-awaited UK Blu-ray release in November. With an all-star cast, including the legendary Bob Hoskins alongside John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper, not only does this madcap caper get the high-def...
News Ubisoft's Uplay Application Hints That Watch Dogs Is Still On Its Way To Wii U
TBC?
Following recent news that a solid street date continues to elude the Wii U version of Watch Dogs, a user of Nintendo’s latest home console who goes by the name of DiGiTaLM4N has taken a photo of the Uplay application on the system featuring an updated showcase of Ubisoft’s long-delayed title. If this is in fact new evidence, it is...
News Atlus Showcases P3 and P4 Heroes in Persona Q
Premium Edition also confirmed for North America
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth is aiming to be a tasty mashup of Etrian Odyssey with themes and characters from Persona 3 and Persona 4. Atlus today has released videos featuring the main heroes from both P3 and P4, complete with their English voice acting. P3 Hero is in the top video, while P4...
Tomorrow Watch Spamfish Attempt to Qualify in Heat 3 of our Mario Kart 8 Championship
Twitcher takes on the challenge, can you beat him?
twitch.tv/spamfish Twitch has been growing exponentially over the past year or so, even Nintendo Life has taken the plunge, but for a number of individuals Twitch, and 'casting', has become a way of life. During Heat 2 of our Mario Kart 8 Championship we came across popular 'Twitcher' Spamfish, who...
Saturday6th Sep 2014
News Armillo Patch Rolls Onto Wii U to Fix Framerate and Completion Issues
Out now in North America, Europe needs to wait
Armillo is a solid 'rolling platformer' on the Wii U eShop that's earned some loyal fans, though developer Fuzzy Wuzzy Games was quick to acknowledge that the release wasn't quite at its best on day one. Work has been ongoing on an update, as a result, to improve the framerate and to resolve some issues...
Friday5th Sep 2014
News Diggin' In The Carts Aims To Give Japanese Video Game Music The Exposure It Deserves
Chip tune greatness
Red Bull might be an energy drink, but the company is going all kinds of other cool stuff that doesn't involve beverages — and the Red Bull Music Academy is one of them. Diggin' In The Carts is a new web series which aims to explore the rich — and some would say under-appreciated — history of the Japanese video game music...
A divisive first foray into 3D for the franchise as it suffers from mixed fortunes. The feel of 2D versions was captured well through music, locations, enemies and plot. Its controls are quite tight and graphically impressive. Its a challenge; albeit, for the wrong reasons. Certain areas, bosses and gameplay choices leave one extremely...
Thursday4th Sep 2014
News Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire's File Size is a Bit of a Pocket Monster
Fit that in a Poké Ball, and gawk at this lovely new trailer
Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire is a bit of a big deal, bringing back and remastering two of the franchise's most beloved titles with all of the bells and whistles that the 3DS and the new 3D graphics engine allow. As it could be a title that's enjoyed on a daily basis, it may...
News Nintendo Confirms Details of Its Super Smashing eShop Sale
Four weeks of exciting discounts
Earlier today Nintendo of America announced in its Download Update that it'd be offering some tasty discounts to celebrate Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Details have emerged, confirming that there'll be four weeks of discounts to celebrate the various challengers from the upcoming brawler. To start off below...
Nintendo Download 4th September (North America)
Cubemen 2, Tappingo 2, Nobunaga, forgotten Street Fighter and more
It's time again, North American gamers, for details on the Nintendo Download treats that'll be available this week. We have new titles on both the Wii U and 3DS, while both Virtual Consoles also receive one game each; in addition there are some tempting demos and discounts to...
Nintendo Direct Watch the Bayonetta 2 Direct Presentation - Live!
She's put a spell on you
Nintendo is hosting a global Nintendo Direct broadcast to reveal more details about the upcoming Platinum Games Wii U exclusive Bayonetta 2. We could also see more of the original Bayonetta port and, if we're lucky, a surprise or two. [liveblog=nintendo_direct_watch_the_bayonetta_2_direct_presentation_live]#NintendoDirect...
News North American Club Nintendo Replenishes Its Physical Reward Stock
Totes amaze
North Americans who have been eager to grab hold of certain rewards on Club Nintendo will be pleased to know Nintendo of America has recently replenished its stock. Well, at least sort of, with most – but not all – physical items returning. These items range from a series of Nintendo-themed greeting cards, to Kirby Patch Sets, and...
News Bayonetta 2 Casting Its Spell In Europe On October 24th, Limited Edition Bundle Confirmed
Only 15,300 made, ships alongside Special and Solus editions
Nintendo has revealed a solid launch date for Bayonetta 2 in Europe, as well as details on three different physical retail editions of the game. The title will hit store shelves on October 24th. The most alluring version will be the “First Print Edition”, which includes the game and...
News You Can Dress Up As Fox McCloud Thanks To Bayonetta 2's Star Fox Costume
Foxy lady
During today's special Bayonetta 2 Direct it was revealed that in addition to the confirmed Nintendo-themed costumes, you will also be able to dress up as Fox McCloud from Star Fox. The outfit comes complete with fox ears and a bushy tail, and looks just as goofy and adorable as the other outfits. As mentioned above Bayonetta 2 will also...
Gallery It's OK, We Want Each And Every One Of These Gorgeous New 3DS Cover Plates Too
Nintendo has it covered
We don't know about you, but we're pretty hyped about the forthcoming release of the New 3DS — there's just something about fresh Nintendo hardware that excites the places other companies simply cannot reach. However, out excitement levels have been pushed to the limit by the news that the standard "New" 3DS system will...
News The Japanese New 3DS Packaging Is Both Cute And Colourful
The wait is killing us
Nintendo has revealed what the packaging for the Japanese version of the New 3DS will look like, and we're sure you'll agree that it's pretty sweet. The box is colourful and stylish, and very, very different from the kind of packaging design we've seen for the 3DS range so far. It hints at the bright and fun Cover Plates...
News Nintendo Confirms Three More Virtual Console Treats That Are Coming Soon
Legend of the River King 2 to make its VC début
As is now rapidly becoming the norm, Nintendo of America has used its latest Download Update press release to outline more titles on the way in the next two weeks. The news this time around is, potentially, the best of these preview line-ups that we've seen to date. Three games have been confirmed...
News UK And Australian Pricing For Nintendo's Amiibo Figure Range Is Confirmed
Same line up as North America, unsurprisingly
Nintendo UK has confirmed that its Amiibo range of "interactive figures" will retail for £10.99 each. The full range of 12 figures — the same roster that was announced for North America — has been added to Nintendo's online UK store, and the pricing has been replicated over at leading independent...
News Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze Slicing Up 3DS This Fall
Turtlevania
Last year Activision published Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on 3DS, an action brawler that tied in with the Nickelodeon animated show of the franchise. With the TV show still going strong the inevitable follow-up has now been announced — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze. This title will also be coming to 3DS, and...
Europe may have just won this round
To mark 10 years in the business, Hertfordshire-based game publisher Rising Star Games is celebrating with events and announcements every month until the end of 2014. On 11th September, “the home of Japanese games,” is holding a sale on the 3DS for select titles, and on this rare occasion Europe appears to be...
Friday5th Sep 2014
News Catch Up on All the Bayonetta 2 Direct Videos Right Here
We'll even throw in the Japanese TV trailers
Nintendo's completed its Bayonetta 2 Nintendo Direct, which focused on outlining the features of the game and, in the case of Europe, finally provided a release date and details on a gorgeous and very limited release special edition — both games were also confirmed to come in at $59.99 together in North...
Thursday4th Sep 2014
Interview Six Miles Under Developer Discusses Bringing Post-Apocalytic Brawling to Wii U
"We believe there is great potential for Nintendo's Wii U"
Kickstarter remains a source of multiple titles — current and on the way — for Nintendo's eShop platforms. Another that's potentially coming to the system, having just launched its own crowdfunding campaign, is Six Miles Under, which is shaping up to be a rather moody action brawler. It...
Rumour PAX Prime Flyer Teases Potential 2D Castlevania Successor
Could this be Koji "Iga" Igarashi's next project?
Last week, Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune hosted a panel at PAX Prime, and during the event flyers appeared which seemed to hint at a new Castlevania-style adventure. The rumour is that Koji "Iga" Igarashi — who oversaw the Castlevania series and recently parted company with Konami to make games on...
Play & Win Mario Kart 8 Championship - Heat 3 - Launches on Saturday 6th September
The penultimate chance to qualify
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...
News The Super Mario Bros. Movie Is Coming To Blu-ray In The UK This November
It's probably not what Bob would have wanted
The 1993 movie adaptation of Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. series may have received scathing reviews and failed to set the box office alight, but it's still fondly remembered by a great many people, and has recently seen a resurgence in popularity due to the tragic passing of its star, Bob Hoskins. UK...
News Shovel Knight Rated By The Australian Classification Board
European release moving into final testing phase
Nintendo fans across Europe and down under in Australia will know how painful it’s been waiting on the release of Shovel Knight while certain other regions have been enjoying the game on various platforms for some time now. The good news is both of these regions have been making progress –...
News The Gypceros Returns in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
The gypceros blindeth, and the gypceros taketh away
A longstanding monster in the Monster Hunter series makes its return in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate; that evidently snappy dancer of a bird wyvern, the gypceros. By all accounts the gypceros is a sneaky little guy with the ability to blind hunters and steal things right out of their hands (and,...
Revered as the N64's favourite football game despite (in technical terms) not being the best. Yes, it had bugs, no FIFA licence and comedic commentary but ISS64 shone because it was the ground breaking next-gen football game. Gameplay bettered FIFA 64, multiplayer so addictive it caused sleep deprivation and, solo, it still had scenarios that kept...
Wednesday3rd Sep 2014
Feature Introducing The New Challengers in Super Smash Bros.
Adding diversity and a little weirdness to the franchise
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS will be the biggest entries in the franchise in a number of ways, with a daunting range of stages, trophies and extras promised. One area that looks all set to be more sizeable than ever before is the roster, with recent leaks suggesting that the...
News Sorry, Contrary to Rumours the New Nintendo 3DS Will be Region Locked
Hardly surprising
In recent days a rumour, with no substantial source beyond hearsay, has been doing the rounds that the New Nintendo 3DS systems would be region free. We declined to report the rumour due to the lack of compelling proof, but nevertheless checked up in order to clarify the situation; as some may be contemplating pre-ordering a...
Video This Japanese Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Commercial Takes Things Literally
Smashing
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS arrives in Japan on 13th September, which means that we're rapidly running out of time for Nintendo to formally finalise the roster and other features. Another perspective is that advertising and hype around the title is currently moving into full gear, and TV adverts will be a part of that. The most...
News Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS Step Up With More Outfit Variations
All the pretty colours
We've learnt in recent times that Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS won't be short of variety; the roster and stage lists continue to grow, while the number of trophies and music tracks are set to be higher than ever. There'll also be plenty of outfits, some rather risqué and others that are simple colour...
News New Nintendo 3DS Shown Off by Monster Hunter Series Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto
Have another look at the limited edition XL and MH faceplate
Part of the New Nintendo 3DS announcement last week was confirmation of a rather attractive Monster Hunter 4 G XL edition — Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate in the West — that sports a silver design. In addition Capcom's blockbuster franchise will have two of its own designs in the kisekae...
And yet so much more
There's been a lot of back and forth lately over the definitions of certain words in the realm of gaming culture; of what it is supposed to mean to be a certain thing and what else you might be if you don't fit someone's particular interpretation of the vernacular. In the midst of all the line-drawing and wall-building, YouTube...
Feature Kickstarter's Wii U and 3DS Campaigns - 3rd September
Lots of close calls
In the past few weeks we've produced some Kickstarter summary articles highlighting intriguing projects that are recent successes and currently seeking funding. The Wii U in particular is still, it seems, a relatively popular target for developers on the crowdfunding platform. As before we are showing projects with attainable...
News Yokai Watch 2 Finally Stripped of its Top Position – 3DS & Wii U Sales Steady
It'll probably be back up there next week
Yokai Watch 2 has finally lost its crown, dropping down to third place behind two Sony exclusives. It's a shame that it's been bested, but a game cannot stay at number one forever. Elsewhere in the charts Mario Kart 8 still holds its own whilst Hyrule Warriors drops down to number 14, but still with...
Video Super Street Fighter Monopoly Ultimate EX Champion Edition Alpha Plus VS Nintendo Life
Final Atomic BANKRUPT
Video games are a massively popular part of mainstream culture, but you don't need a snooty gaming critic to tell you that — you just have to gaze upon Street Fighter Monopoly to grasp this fact. That's right, Capcom's evergreen one-on-one fighting series has become so famous that it now has its very own version of the Parker...
News Sayonara UmiharaKawase and Code of Princess Set for European Discounts
Agatsuma offering back-to-school treats
Agatsuma Entertainment, the developer that has self-published some key titles on the European 3DS eShop, has confirmed a two week promotion on two of its highly regarded releases; the deals will run from 4th September until 17th September. Details of the two discounts are below: Sayonara UmiharaKawase (aka...
News Shin Megami Tensei IV's European Release Pushed Back to "Late October"
"We encountered a few last-minute issues specific to the EU version"
Shin Megami Tensei IV is a highly regarded RPG on 3DS that arrived in North America in July 2013, but has had a lengthy route to European shores. While titles such as this typically wait — potentially forever — for another publisher in Europe, Atlus has gone out of its way to...
Few games outside of the horror genre get the heart pounding quite like Rare's Blast Corps does. Its a race against the clock: playing as a demolitions expert, you must clear a path for a nuclear missile carrier that's out of control -- not too much pressure then! The range of real-life and absurd fictional vehicles on offer ensures that...
Tuesday2nd Sep 2014
Poll Tell Us What You Think of the New Nintendo 3DS
The new 'New'
The dust is now starting to settle on Nintendo's surprise reveal of the New Nintendo 3DS in a Japanese Nintendo Direct. Due in Nintendo's homeland this October and other regions in 2015, it adds a healthy dose of new features and improvements to — potentially — invigorate the 3DS family of systems in the coming years. Its success...
News Wii U Minecraft Looking Doubtful As Dev Says They Have "Fulfilled The Need For Now"
"We won't release on the platform if the base is very small"
Minecraft is massive — so massive in fact that it's one of the few franchises which challenges Nintendo's otherwise iron grip on younger players. We've said several times in the past that Minecraft on the Wii U would make brilliant business sense, but it would appear that 4J Studios...
News Nintendo Direct on 4th September to Reveal More Bayonetta 2 Details
A bewitching revelation
Bayonetta 2 will arrive exclusively on Wii U on 24th October in North America — it's still just 'October' in Europe — which is exciting news for fans of the original or those that simply like intense, fast-paced action games. Even more exciting news is that Nintendo's preparing to ramp up the excitement for the release...
News Mega Man Legends 3 8-Bit Fan Demake is Available Now
It's more than Capcom's giving us
Last year we told you about an 8-bit demake of Mega Man Legends 3 being produced by a group of fans; it promised quite a departure from the original 3D adventure, naturally, as it was taking the characters and setting for a more typical 2D action Mega Man experience. It's taken quite some time, but it's finally...
News All-Star Mode in Super Smash Bros. is a History Lesson Available From the Start
Unlock the full roster to complete the mode
It should surprise no one that Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS will feature an All-Star Mode, as it's been a staple of the series since Super Smash Bros. Melee. Masahiro Sakurai has now outlined how it'll work in the upcoming entries, focusing on the 3DS version. As before characters will...
Review Donkey Kong Jr. Math (Wii U eShop / NES)
Summin' it
In among the Excitebikes, Super Mario Bros., and Ice Climbers of the NES’s North American launch sat Donkey Kong Jr. Math, an edutainment title seemingly designed so that hopeful tots could point to it on the shelf and Trojan-horse Nintendo’s new Duck Hunt-playing powerhouse into the family home, parents unsuspecting, under the guise...
News Teslagrad Artist Makes a Cheeky Addition to Nintendo's Wii U Line-Up Infographic
Fair enough, we say
Teslagrad, after a fairly lengthy wait, will be bringing its magnetic charm to the Wii U eShop soon; it arrives on 11th September in North America and Europe priced at £13.99 / €14.99 / $14.99 — there are also plans for an eventual physical retail release. The developer is clearly excited that the Wii U version is finally...
News Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition Has One More Secret Beyond 100% Completion
The "Super Secret Meme Room" is the final destination
We're big fans of Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition here at Nintendo Life, awarding the colourful action-platformer Metroidvania adventure 9/10 in our review. A major part of the appeal with the Wii U eShop title is that even when the adventure is defeated there's more to do, with...
News Super Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival Is Dragon Punching Its Way To The Wii U Virtual Console
Australian classification rating gives the game away
Capcom's Game Boy Advance port of its classic Super Street Fighter II: Turbo arcade machine is headed to the Wii U Virtual Console. The source of this news if the good old Australian OFLC, which has recently rated the game. Super Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival
Weirdness In An Alternate Universe Danny DeVito Would Have Starred in Super Mario Bros. The Movie
Oscar winning script writer was also lined up
It has its defenders that'll protect its honour from a hail of criticism, but the Super Mario Bros. movie isn't exactly universally loved. It was the film equivalent of interpretive dance — it vaguely resembled its subject matter but was ultimately confusing and bonkers. It could have been an entirely...
News Harvest Moon and PoPoLoCrois Fantasy Farming RPG Heading to 3DS in Japan
Dances with turnips
The name Harvest Moon (now Story of Seasons in western territories because of licencing issues) will be familiar to most Nintendo gamers as it's a longstanding series with many titles and spin-offs. The more obscure PoPoLoCrois – originally a fantasy manga series that was later adapted as two anime series and five strategy RPGs...
Nintendo 64x64 1080° Snowboarding
Almost Wave Race on snow; 1080° recreates the feel of snowboarding via the realistic sound effects and beautiful backdrops. The developers have worked hard to create engaging, differentiated tracks despite the constriction of snow. To master the game, time needs to be invested in learning the tracks but the true fun of the game is pulling off...
Video Take a Look at Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call's Quest Medley Mode
Tap and slide for GP and prizes
Anticipating Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call's release later this month, Square Enix UK has released a video showcasing the game's new Quest Medley mode featuring a combination of classic Theathrythm gameplay and some new features such as the stage-hopping airship: Quest Medley mode features the classical...
Monday1st Sep 2014
News New Nintendo 3DS Delays Planned Homebrew Channel
New hardware and upcoming update give pause for thought
Recently we reported that a homebrew channel was cited as being in the final stages of development, leading us towards opening the can of worms that accompanies every Nintendo system. The hacker behind the planned app, smealum, stated that the app will not run illegal 3DS ROMS, but was planned...
Nintendo Download 4th September (Europe)
Cubemen, Xtreme Mega Man, Gargoyle's Quest II, Zelda discounts and more
It's Monday, which means it's Nintendo Download Update news for Europe. There are quite a few offerings on the way this week, with games on both Wii U and 3DS along with a rather good DSiWare app; in addition there are a host of Zelda-themed discounts, joined by some other price...
Celebrating 64 Nintendo 64 games over 64 days in 64 words
Today we bring you something a little different, Nintendo 64x64 - a collaboration project between @N64Memories and Nintendo Life. Now, if you've been a reader of Nintendo Life for a while you'll no doubt be aware that some of our team are huge Nintendo 64 fans, so you can imagine their...
News Resident Evil Revelations 2 Confirmed By Capcom, Skipping Nintendo Systems
Horrifying news
Not too long ago we brought you the news of leaked assets for Resident Evil Revelations 2, which naturally raised the issue over whether it would arrive on Nintendo hardware. It looks, sadly, like old retail listings excluding Wii U and 3DS were correct. The title was officially confirmed at a pre-Tokyo Game Show event for Sony...
News Nintendo UK Outlines September's Dazzling Zelda eShop Discounts
Plenty to be saved on the run up to Hyrule Warriors
If you've already consulted our European Nintendo Download report this morning you'll be aware that Nintendo is running a discount promotion to mark the release of Hyrule Warriors later this month. The promotion runs for the majority of September and will see Zelda games across the 3DS and Wii U...
News Trust Us, You Need This Super Famicom Box Art Collection Book In Your Life
Update: Kickstarter now cancelled
Update: The Kickstarter has now been cancelled for the reasons explained by Stuart here: Hey folks. Firstly, I’d like to say a huge heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported this Kickstarter project. I’ve had a whirlwind of a weekend with my inbox literally breaking with messages of support from fans...
News Win a Super Smash Bros. Trainer Jacket from Nintendo of America
Super sporting style for your carbon-based Mii
The Twitter contests keep coming from Nintendo of America, this time to celebrate Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS's upcoming release on 3rd October by giving away four Super Smash Bros.-themed trainer jackets to randomly selected winners. To enter, tweet the name of your favourite Super Smash Bros...
News Square Enix Wants To Bring Dragon Quest VII To The West, But Doesn't Know If You'll Bite
"We can’t promise anything"
If you're an English-speaking fan of the Dragon Quest series then you're probably not in the best of moods right now. After some good localisations for the Nintendo DS, Square Enix seems to have lost interest in bringing the franchise to the west, and while the announcement of the Dragon Quest VII remake for the 3DS is...
News Ubisoft's Latest UK Release Schedule Still Shows Watch Dogs Wii U As "TBC"
Don't worry though, Just Dance 2015 is locked in next month
Ubisoft has revealed its latest UK release schedule, and a solid street date continues to allude the long-delayed Wii U version of Watch Dogs. The open-world action adventure launched on other formats in May, while the Nintendo edition was held back until later in the year. Ubisoft has...
Feature A Week of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Screens - Issue Fifty Three
Spectator Mode! Customisation! Shulk! More Stuff!
The buzz around Super Smash Bros. remains strong, with the last week being relatively dramatic for the upcoming Wii U and 3DS blockbusters. Masahiro Sakurai contributed to the commotion with his Director's Room Miiverse community posts, particularly with a new character reveal
News New Mighty No. 9 Trailer Builds The Hype as Keiji Inafune Talks of a Retro and Modern Fusion
Same old pew-pew, but faster
As the weeks and months drift by we get closer to the release of Mighty No. 9, so close that certain Kickstarter backers will be receiving playable beta builds on PC right about now. The title seems to be making solid progress ahead of its arrival next year, which is sure to have action platformer — and Mega Man —...
News Dahku Creations Announces Departure From Game Development
Two Wii U eShop releases didn't sell enough
While the Wii U eShop has been the home of some success stories in recent times, there have also been releases and developers that have struggled to make an impact. An example that has emerged recently is Dahku Creations, which has stated that it is leaving game development; the studio recently brought...
Weirdness Hear Nintendo's Classic Themes Played on Kazoos
Marginally too cool for school
Nintendo has arguably some of the best music in the gaming world, causing different groups of people to take the music from the games they love and perform it themselves. It's no surprise that certain individuals take it upon themselves to somewhat reinvent tracks in order to give them a fresh and interesting feel...
News Previously Teased Alone In The Dark: Illumination is a PC Survival Horror FPS
Hm...
Just recently we shared the teasing news that Alone In The Dark is making another comeback, which raised our eyebrows considering the Wii release of dubious quality and the general panning that the last rebirth of the franchise endured on multiple platforms. Atari, now a new, fairly small-scale company, had confirmed that it wasn't deterred...
News The Keep Begins Its 3DS eShop Quest on 11th September
One week later in Europe, pricing confirmed
Earlier this year we directed your attention to The Keep, an ambitious 3DS eShop first-person dungeon crawler from Cinemax. It'll feature multiple difficulty levels and your general task will be to explore, defeat enemies in real-time battles and solve puzzles, all within a fantasy setting that includes an...
News Mario Kart 8 Leads Nintendo Nominees in Golden Joystick Awards Voting
Hoping to win the race
Nintendo's enjoyed a decent run in game award ceremonies during 2014, just reward for some world class titles that have been released in recent times. The company and exclusives on its hardware now have chances for more high-profile gongs in the upcoming Golden Joystick Awards. Nintendo missed out on any wins in last year's...
The most sublime platformer and yet considered Nintendo / Mario's peak; Mario games never really replicating that unparalleled innovation again. Free-roaming worlds to explore truly gave the gamer control over the game's destiny. A perfect control system and camera demonstrated the console's capabilities from its release, setting the bar...
