News Mewtwo 10-Man Smash Glitch is Stopping Some From Playing Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Online
You don't want this to happen to you
Poll Which Characters Do You Want to Win the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot?
Realistic and, erm, not so realistic choices
Review Donkey Kong 64 (Wii U eShop / N64)
He's finally back, but does he still kick some tail?
News Super Smash Bros. Club Nintendo Mewtwo Codes and Costume DLC Now Live
Instructions for accessing the DLC inside
News Flygon Was Once Going to Receive a Mega Evolution
...but didn't due to design challenges
News Hacked Passcodes Leaked For 3DS eShop Microtransaction-Based Title, Pokémon Rumble World
Unlocks new Pokémon, outfits and additional diamonds
News - April, 2015
Thursday30th Apr 2015
News Playtonic's Project Ukulele Becomes Yooka-Laylee, Wii U Release Confirmed
Meet the stars of the spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie
Playtonic Games has finally lifted the lid on its new game, revealing its final title: Yooka-Laylee. Previously referred to as Project Ukulele, the game is being pitched as the spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie and even shares the same dual-character set-up. Yooka is a chameleon who can...
Nintendo Download 30th April (North America)
Paper Mario, amiibo tapping, mech blasting, pinball DLC and more
It's that time again, North American gamers, for details on the fresh download treats making their way to the eShop. This week brings an amiibo freebie, a Nintendo 64 classic, DLC, demos, discounts and more besides. It's certainly a diverse and quirky line-up this time around, so let's...
Review Karous -The Beast of Re:Eden- (3DS eShop)
Not exactly the beast
The "shmup" genre is relatively niche but is also, among its devoted fans, one of the great pleasures in gaming. It's a difficult genre to create games for, however, as the nature of the gameplay is rather limited and simple, with innovations being hard to come by. After all, there's only so many ways one can pull off...
News Fire Emblem If Box Art Confirms amiibo Support and 15 Years and Up Age Rating
Now we just need to find Fire Emblem amiibo in stock...
Fire Emblem If is already shaping up to be one of the most intriguing entries in the popular series to date. Though it's not due in the West until 2016, it's raising eyebrows with its approach to two separate retail releases + DLC for its Summer release in Japan, which will be combined through...
News This GameStop Advert May Have Revealed Next Month’s Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate DLC
No pun intended
Capcom’s strong support for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on the 3DS continues with both new and free DLC arriving on a monthly basis. So far this content has included new quests, items, and even well-known video game character collaborations. With new DLC content anticipated to arrive over the coming days, this week’s GameStop...
News Xenoblade Chronicles X Skell Models on the Way in Japan
The big marketing push continues
The RPG genre may not be quite as all-conquering as it once was, but Nintendo and developer Monolith Soft are clearly very determined to make a success out of Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U. We've seen a solid couple of months of build-up through 'special presentations' in flashy videos, while a handsome hardware...
Weirdness eBay Listings for the Club Nintendo Majora's Mask Light Set a High Price
Nintendo should really sell more of this stuff
In this latest entry of 'the internet does the strangest things', we have the entrepreneurial activities around the Club Nintendo Majora's Mask Light, pictured above. Listed earlier today on Club Nintendo in PAL territories, the cool but rather modest light - measuring just 12cm by 12cm - is already...
Video Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Skies Shines On Wii U
A pleasurable experience
For the latest Wii release to get another chance on the Wii U eShop, Nintendo has given us something a little different in Treasure's Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Skies, or Star Successor as it's known in North America. A sequel to an N64 game that never even made it out of Japan (until a Virtual Console release on...
News PAL Gamers Can Brighten Their Day With This Club Nintendo Majora's Mask Light
Not a terrible fate at all
We're well into the final stretch of Club Nintendo's existence, putting the pressure on us all to spend our last coins and stars before the service shuts down for good. Nintendo of Europe has been gradually adding new items to tempt us in that quest, and the latest addition is one of the best yet. As you can see in the...
News Nintendo Celebrates Japanese Launch Of Fire Emblem If With Themed Cover Plate & Bundle
Another week, another cover plate
Since the launch of the New Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo has allowed users to accessorise their system with a wide selection of cover plate offerings. This trend won’t be stopping any time soon, with the latest cover plate reveal celebrating the upcoming Japanese launch of Fire Emblem If. The special Fire Emblem If...
News Nintendo Classics in the Running for Inaugural World Video Game Hall of Fame Honour
Just don't let Angry Birds win
While any award or honour can be taken completely seriously or dismissed as a trinket, it's nevertheless pleasing when Nintendo's in the running. The latest gong up for grabs is from The Strong National Museum of Play in the US, which is opening its World Video Game Hall of Fame with the first entrant this year. As...
Nintendo Direct A Special Splatoon Direct is Inked In for 7th May
Expect a splattering of details
Nintendo is clearly keen to keep up its run of Nintendo Direct broadcasts for major releases, confirming a Splatoon Direct that'll be broadcast on 7th May - it's going down at 7am Pacific / 10am Eastern / 3pm UK / 4pm CET. This has been confirmed by both Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe, suggesting that...
News Ubisoft Releases "Child of Light: Reginald the Great" Art eBook for Free
Another charming piece of lore
There are some that take enjoyment from being rather anti-Ubisoft, but the publishing and development giant undoubtedly produces some exceptional work. Child of Light, released last year on the Wii U eShop and a host of platforms, was one such example. Utilising the gorgeous UbiArt engine it brought us a charming new...
News Comic Workshop Update on the Way to "Mark the Comeback of Screenshot Posts to Miiverse"
Stan Lee will be thrilled
While Miiverse is certainly popular with a number of Wii U and 3DS owners, it's had some moments of controversy. Many of these relate to the availability and then removal of screenshot functionality, often as a result of Nintendo trying to moderate inappropriate content. Comic Workshop fell victim to controversy on this...
Friday1st May 2015
Video Reminisce and Watch the History of Super Mario Intro Scenes
From 8-bit to HD
The Super Mario franchise isn't renowned for its complex storytelling; in fact the old joke goes that when reviewing one of the plumber's platformers you can cover off the plot in one line - "it doesn't really matter". Be that as it may, the opening scene of a new Mario game can, nevertheless, set the tone for the platforming...
Thursday30th Apr 2015
News Nintendo Confirmed as Exhibitors at Legends of Gaming YouTube Extravaganza in London
Mario Kart 8 looks like a key event
It's not uncommon to attend an expo nowadays, see a particularly long queue and accurately assume that those fans are in line to see a YouTube star. Some online celebs have millions of subscribers and over a billion views to their name, making them a big draw for the crowds at events. Legends of Gaming is an expo...
News Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold Limited Edition shows its Artistic side
Everything you'll need on your adventure
As the road to launch grows shorter for Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight, Atlus has released more information and insight into the game's limited edition. Known simply as the limited launch edition, the main attraction comes in the form of the Official Staff Book. This art book includes concept...
Wednesday29th Apr 2015
Review LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin (3DS)
Left in the dark
At this point, "Oh, look! Another LEGO game!" is a phrase that can only be said with genuine excitement or seething, bitter sarcasm. Regular releases in the LEGO series of video games have become such a constant in the industry that these action-adventure titles are on the verge of becoming a genre of their own. Not to leave the...
News The Legend of Zeldo: Lonk's Awakening is an iOS Flappy Bird Clone, and an Abomination
Takedown from Nintendo in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
This year Nintendo - in its partnership with DeNA - will be endeavouring to make its brands a major success on iOS and Android with its own official games and apps. It'll discover, if it hasn't done so already, that the platforms are already flooded with its IP - or lousy versions of them, in any case. An...
Talking Point Mario Maker Can Be A Game Changer For Nintendo And Its Relationship With Gamers
A future with NES Maker and more could be extraordinary
Sometimes a game has the power to seize the imagination from the moment it's revealed, with a self-hyping capacity to get thousands of gamers excited from little more than a glimpse. Others can be a slow burner or need the right moment to set off alarms in an individual's head. This writer will...
News Fire Emblem's Two Versions Will Offer Very Different Challenges
More difficult "Black Kingdom" edition aimed at veterans of the series
The next entry in the Fire Emblem series - dubbed Fire Emblem If in Japan - is coming in two different packages: White Kingdom and Black Kingdom. While it's tempting to assume that these two versions boast only subtle differences, Intelligent Systems' Masahiro Higuchi and...
News Just When You Thought the Humble Wii Was Dead, Here Comes PSA World Tour Squash
Late to the Wii party?
Given that the Wii U first went on sale in November 2012, you might have assumed by now that publishers would have all stopped developing Wii games and moved on to take advantage of the power of the newer system. Alternative Software doesn't seem to have got the memo and is releasing PSA World Tour Squash on the Wii on the...
Weirdness You Can Now Browse Zelda: Link To The Past's Map Using Your Web Browser
Turn-by-turn Navi-gation not included
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past features one of the most vibrant game worlds ever created for any video game, and now you can gaze longingly at it using your humble HTML5 web browser. The peeps at Jadsdsengine have created a living, breathing replication of the game's overworld which can be viewed via...
News World of Nintendo 8-Bit Plushes Available from July
PIxelated Plush Pals
We adore plushes here at Nintendo Life, especially when they're as awesome as these. This trio of retro-inspired plush toys, made by Jakks Pacific and for the World of Nintendo line of toys recreate Mario, Luigi and Link in their iconic 8-Bit NES appearances - only softer! Nintendo has, in the past, offered the plush 8-Bit...
News Bravely Second: End Layer Passes 100,000 Sales in Its Launch Week in Japan
Wii U has a small boost as 3DS remains static
There's some cheer for Square Enix and 3DS fans in the latest Media Create charts from Japan, with a fresh release sealing top-spot and six-figure sales. Despite that, there's still an overwhelming volume of new releases on Sony systems hogging the top 10. It's Bravely Second: End Layer that claims top...
News Listings and Rumours Point to a Silver Mario amiibo Release on 29th May
In North America once again
It's pretty clear that the limited silver edition Super Mario amiibo is very real, with a sample bought from a Chinese auction site having been demonstrated in Mario Party 10. Its original leak was alongside the golden Mario that caused amiibo collectors to sweat over their complete collections, and this silver variation...
Video Even The Credits Sequence For 3D Streets Of Rage 2 Is Awesome
M2 magic
Yesterday we gave you some initial impressions of 3D Streets of Rage 2, the latest entry in Sega's 3D Classics series, which has just been released in Japan. Everything about the game drips class; it's already a wonderful brawler, but developer M2 has added in even more goodness, such as a special "Quartet" mode, various screen filters and...
Thursday30th Apr 2015
News Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies Art Book Taking the Stand
AKA The Big Book of Courtroom Breakdowns
So sure, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies never came out in a physical form for most of us, and that might still sting a bit. For those still yearning to feel justice in their hands, however, a different sort of medium has arisen. Capcom's courtroom style will be set to page this coming 9 June...
Wednesday29th Apr 2015
News Science Museum in Tokyo Aiming for Super Effective Education With The Pokémon Lab
Disclaimer may clarify that no real Pokémon are featured
Here's another event to file under the "wish I was in Japan" category, as Pokémon fans within travelling distance of Tokyo could potentially learn a little about science and also have fun with one of their favourite franchises. From 8th May onwards, The Pokémon Lab exhibit at the Miraikan...
News Pawbyte Launches Game Pencil Engine to Support Wii U Development
Suitable for the Nintendo Web Framework
Since Nintendo introduced the Nintendo Web Framework on the Wii U, there's been a substantial expansion of HTML5-based projects on the system's eShop. Easier to learn and implement than alternatives, multiple software suites are available to help developers program and port their games to Nintendo's home...
News WayForward is Flipping the Tables With a Mighty Switch Force! 3DS HOME Theme
This week in North America, soon in Europe
WayForward has stepped into the 3DS HOME Theme business of late, releasing Premium themes for Shantae and the Pirate's Curse. They were charming, and the developer / publisher is now bringing another of its popular titles to our 3DS UI screens with an upcoming arrival for Mighty Switch Force!. As you can...
A special long weekend event
Australian and New Zealand Pokémon fans are in for a treat from 6th – 8th June, with Nintendo announcing the 2015 Pokémon Video Game and Pokémon Trading Card Game National Championships will be coming together for the first time at the Melbourne Park Function Centre over a three-day long weekend event. As players...
And more besides...
The current Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses - Master Quest tour is well underway, and those attending concerts in North America will soon have the opportunity to pick up some classic Zelda manga and graphic novels while enjoying the music. VIZ Media is kicking off a partnership with the tour to sell its range of...
Tuesday28th Apr 2015
News Mario Kart 8's 200cc Mode Has Apparently Negated Firehopping
"It's a legitimate strategy!"
Look at any popular, competitive video game and it's practically guaranteed that there will be a particular exploit that advanced players use to gain the edge over their opponents. Whether these exploits are "cheating" or not is very much debatable; it can certainly be argued that a glitch already in the game could just...
News Xenoblade Chronicles X Paid-DLC Details Emerge With Characters, Quests and Skell Unlocks
All available in a bundle for 2000 Yen, about $17
Xenoblade Chronicles X is downloading onto some Japanese Wii U systems right now, and new details on paid-DLC options have accompanied the launch. On a whole the content on offer seems to be a decent value, though day one extras aren't always greeted with open arms. The four characters above each...
Gallery Feast Your Eyeballs on These Xenoblade Chronicles X Wallpapers
Time to buy a Japanese Wii U?
We'll admit it, we like covering Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U, even if it means gazing longingly towards Japan and contemplating rapid-fire lessons in the Japanese language. Monolith Soft's RPG is rather impressive in its scope and ambition, and we can't help but admire it. With that in mind, and with the game...
Weirdness Care for Your Own Virtual King Dedede
And pick up his royal poops
Remember Tamagotchi, the virtual pet on a keychain you could take care of until it died either through neglect or being sent through the wash? Artist Paperbeatsscissors has brought back all the fun in browser-based form, and with everybody's favourite stretchy, penguinny dictator! It's enough to fill that King Dedede...
Matters Of Import Cleaning Up The City In 3D Streets Of Rage 2
Bare those knuckles
Streets of Rage 2 - or Bare Knuckle 2 as it is known in Japan - is widely regarded as one of the best side-scrolling fighters ever created, so the fact that its announcement as part of Sega's burgeoning 3D Classics range caused such excitement should come as no great shock. This is one of the defining games of the 16-bit era, and...
News Mighty No. 9 Confirmed for September Release, Along With Physical Retail Version
Deep Silver publishing, 3DS release due "at a later point"
Mighty No. 9, the upcoming title from Keiji Inafune's Comcept studio that has Mega Man fans rather excited, finally has release dates. As many have guessed it won't arrive this Spring, but is hitting the Wii U in North America on 15th September and other territories on 18th September. In...
Poll With Races Won and Cups Collected, How Do You Rate Mario Kart 8's DLC Pack 2?
And 200cc, for that matter
It's clear that Nintendo's approach to DLC has moved on a great deal when extras begin to take on the status of a brand new release. With April being generally low on enticing new releases, the big N successfully got plenty of current Wii U and 3DS gamers excited with DLC for existing evergreen blockbusters. In the case of...
News Xenoblade Chronicles X Development Details Emerge in Iwata Asks Interview
Going into detail on the huge adventure that awaits
Xenoblade Chronicles X is about to arrive in Japan, bringing an end to a huge development undertaking for Monolith Soft. While Wii U owners in the West need to wait until later in the year, the build up to release in Japan has brought plenty of fascinating details, also boosted by a recent
News Konami Removes Its Listing from the New York Stock Exchange
Will raise eyebrows, but doesn't mean imminent doom
Some of the Nintendo Life team on the wrong side of 30-years-old recall the days when Konami was a true powerhouse brand in gaming. The Castlevania franchise was hugely popular, Pro Evolution Soccer was the mainstream choice ahead of EA's FIFA - really, that was a thing - and Hideo Kojima could get...
News Renegade Kid Twice Pitched Silent Hill DS Projects to Konami
Was quickly and then politely rebuffed
Renegade Kid is best known to most Nintendo fans - we suspect - as an indie download developer, in particular stepping up a notch in popularity with Mutant Mudds on the 3DS eShop. In the DS era, though, the studio released a variety of respected retail efforts, very much part of the mid-tier market subsequently...
News Nintendo of America Aims to Cause a Splash for Splatoon With a 'Mess Fest' Event
Celebs, PR photos, you know the drill
It seems as if Nintendo of America is determined to give Splatoon a strong chance of achieving mainstream success for the Wii U, announcing an event designed to get the attention of young gamers and families, in particular. A 'Mess Fest' event will take place on 15th May at Santa Monica Pier, from 11am to 7pm...
News Image & Form Answers Questions on SteamWorld Heist Platform Features, Multiplayer and amiibo
Announces the first 'Ambassador' contest winner, too
SteamWorld Heist is certainly one of the highest-profile download-only releases heading to the Wii U and 3DS this year, and ahead of a Fall release window Image & Form is keeping fans informed with weekly updates and contests. Last week the studio launched its first SteamWorld Ambassador...
Weirdness ESPN's Michelle Beadle Gets Punch-Out!! Training
Let's keep it clean! Now come out boxing!
Unless you've been living under a rock, you are probably aware that Floyd Mayweather will be fighting Manny Pacquiao this Saturday in Las Vegas. The excitement in the air is palpable as the unbeaten 38 year old American Mayweather gets training like Rocky to take on The Filipino Slugger, in a bout expected...
Monday27th Apr 2015
Preview Unraveling the Truth in Yoshi's Woolly World
Baby Mario cheerfully absent
For many years now fans of games in the Yoshi series have been clamouring for a successor to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, yet the games Nintendo has presented us with so far haven't quite hit the mark. Yoshi's Story ditched the somewhat irritating Baby Mario mechanic much to the delight of many, but overhauled...
Nintendo Download 30th April (Europe)
Smash Bros. DLC, Sin & Punishment 2, amiibo freebies and much more
It's the start of another week, and as always we have the European Nintendo Download Update to warm us up to the goodies on the way. This time around we have a popular Smash Bros. fighter available to buy, a free app of amiibo-powered retro demos, along with an excellent new Wii...
Video The Nintendo 64 Kid Is Taking Unboxing To The Next Level For Taco Bell
"Nintendo Sixty-Foooooooooour!"
Remember Brandon Kuzma, AKA The Nintendo 64 kid? He got rather excited about his shiny new Nintendo 64 console back in 1998, and when YouTube arrived a few years later, became something of a celebrity. He's now harnessing that power by starring in a commercial for Taco Bell's Steak DoubleDilla. His sister Rachel is...
Weirdness Shigeru Miyamoto Takes on a Shinya Arino Level in Mario Maker, and It's Awesome
We'd give this level a Yeah
Game Center CX is rather iconic - popular in Japan and with a small legion of fans in the West, its host Shinya Arino is also particularly well known. Naturally Nintendo features regularly, and Arino-san recently took part in a special NicoNico fan event in which Shigeru Miyamoto appeared to show off September's Wii U...
News Here's The First Round Of Songs Confirmed For Guitar Hero Live
The perfect note?
Since the announcement of Guitar Hero Live, Activision has been trying hard to get its fans pumped for this new release - which is coming to the Wii U as well as other systems. Despite this, one piece of information has divided them more than others. Catching the most heat is the announcement that old controllers and DLC will be...
Feature A Day With The Biggest StreetPass Group in the US
Hits, games and cake in San Diego
In this special feature Nintendo Life contributor Alan Lopez shares his experience of a day with the San Diego StreetPass group. What do you get when you Google "StreetPass groups"? If you're searching in the land of Nintendo of America, Facebook pages for "StreetPass Chicago", "StreetPass NYC" and other cities...
Video Gawk at Streets of Rage 2 in 3D on Your New Nintendo 3DS
Grand Upper!
We may be waiting until the Summer for the next batch of 3D Classics from Sega in the West, but Japanese gamers can look forward to 3D Streets of Rage 2 this week, on 28th April; yes, we're jealous. The good news is that Sega's official YouTube channel has served up a taster of how the brilliant fighting game will look on Nintendo's...
News Say Hello To Star Fox's NES-Based Forerunner, NesGlider
The prototype which started a profitable friendship
Star Fox is one of the most technically impressive games on the SNES, and was a collaboration between Nintendo and UK-based Argonaut Software. We've covered the making of the game in the past, but Unseen64 has an excelle
Too many energy drinks for you, Link
When developing a sizeable adventure for hardware as humble as the Game Boy, coding trickery and compromises are inevitable. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX on the Game Boy Color - and the non-DX original - naturally falls into that category; it's a lovely game, and also has some rather entertaining...
News Pokémon Shuffle Celebrates 3.5 Million Downloads With Special Celebi Challenge
Runs until May 18th
Nintendo's free-to-play puzzle title Pokémon Shuffle has now been downloaded over 3.5 million times. To mark this occasion, Nintendo has opened a special Celebi challenge, which runs from today until May 18th. Successfully completing the challenge earns you 1000 coins, and as you might expect, you'll need to be running the...
Review My Style Studio: Notebook (Wii U eShop)
Out of style
Theoretically, the Wii U is a great platform for art applications and software. Art Academy: Sketchpad and its dedicated Miiverse community have created some wonderful works of art using the GamePad, with many wondering where the heavily delayed full Art Academy application is. Cypronia's My Style Studio: Notebook might be a tempting...
Over 100 missions and customisable ships
CIRCLE Entertainment remains one of the most active publishers on the 3DS eShop, often localising some promising games from Japan for Western audiences; it appears to be doing that once again with the conceptually enticing Karous -The Beast of Re:Eden-. Originally developed by Sakura Flamingo Laboratory,...
Sunday26th Apr 2015
Assume nothing, hope for a belated Fall release
Call of Duty: Black Ops III has had its big reveal, and confirmed platforms for the usual triumvirate - PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Treyarch, the lead developer and source of some hope for a Wii U version courtesy of the studio's considerable experience with the Nintendo system, has also confirmed that as...
Review Heart Beaten (3DS eShop)
Be still my beating heart
Originally created and developed during the Global Game Jam of 2013 in a little over 24 hours, Heart Beaten has been available on Android and iOS platforms for a couple of years. The newly released Nintendo 3DS version expands on the mobile version with structural changes, brand new mini-game types and a new soundtrack...
Review TABLETOP GALLERY (Wii U eShop)
No Dice
TABLETOP GALLERY serves as a compilation as of three eShop titles previously only released in the US - TOSS N GO, SHUT THE BOX and POKER DICE SOLITAIRE FUTURE. Each of these dice-rolling titles never made their way to European shores, prompting developer/publisher RCMADIAX to eventually re
Video Gengar Confirmed as a Fighter in Pokkén Tournament
Fingers crossed for a Wii U release
Pokkén Tournament is an intriguing new project from Bandai Namco. A game that aims to blend the Pokémon series with traditional fighter action; it has so far only been confirmed to release in Japanese arcades, with no word of a Western launch to be found. Given the console-like controller that will feature on...
Saturday25th Apr 2015
Review Pokémon Rumble World (3DS eShop)
Diamonds and Pearls
One of many spin-offs to come out of Nintendo's Pokémon phenomenon, the Rumble series takes toy versions of Game Freak's famous monsters and throws them into simple, action-packed beat-'em-ups. The 3DS has already played host to Pokémon Rumble Blast, but following in the free-to-play footsteps of the recently released Pokémon...
Praises Nintendo's work, talks up Hexadrive for more remakes
With the Wii U now roughly 2.5 years old, and Nintendo busy - along with a select few partners - keeping its retail library ticking over, it's entirely possible that low-maintenance options will have already been considered for 'easy wins' on the system. The 3DS has had its share of...
Video Catch Up With the Xenoblade Chronicles X Video Showcase With This Handy Summary
Or watch the whole thing if you have a spare couple of hours
After a fair wait and multiple presentations in Japan, gamers in the West that are looking forward to Xenoblade Chronicles X this year were finally treated to a localised broadcast that introduced the title and brought us some of the names and terms as they'll be in English language...
Ninterview Jeremy Parish On Cataloguing The History Of The Game Boy, One Game At A Time
"I've made peace with the fact that I'll die before completing this"
The original monochrome Game Boy is the elder statesman of Nintendo's handheld family, having arrived on the market back in 1989. The console became a commercial and cultural phenomenon, effortlessly casting aside its more technically-competent rivals and establishing a brand which...
News amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits Bringing Retro Freebie Fun to North America on 30th April
Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition demo on the same day
For those in North America with a Wii U and 3DS that fancy some free gaming, the upcoming Nintendo Download update - on 30th April - will certainly deliver. First up will be amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits, the quirky Wii U app that serves up 30 demos of retro Virtual Console...
Friday24th Apr 2015
Review Cube Creator 3D (3DS eShop)
A proper substitute for Minecraft?
It's a rather unfortunate reality that Minecraft has never made it to Nintendo platforms. The multi-billion dollar franchise has reached millions of people all over the world in the course of its run and it would seem to be a good fit for Nintendo platforms given its extremely approachable, yet deep gameplay...
News Natsume Suggests That Nintendo's Moving Away From SNES on Wii U Virtual Console
Explains how games are selected for the Virtual Console
Natsume is a publisher and developer that pops up relatively regularly on the current day Virtual Console, certainly more so than some other names that were common on the Wii but have appeared less on the Wii U and 3DS. As such it's a company with some useful insight into how the platform...
Nintendo Direct Watch Nintendo of America's Xenoblade Chronicles X Video Showcase - Live!
Fingers crossed for a release date
Xenoblade Chronicles X may be just days away in Japan, but we're finally getting a Western focus on the RPG with Nintendo of America's video showcase. We'll no doubt get plenty of information on the game and, if we're lucky, a release window; we can't wait to find out...
Talking Point Mario Kart 8 DLC is a Winning Formula for Nintendo, But It Can Go Further
A real Battle Mode, Challenges and more
We suspect that the online multiplayer servers for Mario Kart 8 saw a handsome spike this week, with the launch of DLC Pack 2 and an update that includes the 200cc race class. It's a title that just keeps growing, and as we argued recently the arrival of non-Mario franchises points to a potential future for...
Video So, How Fast Is 200cc In Mario Kart 8?
Spoiler: Very - we compare it to 50cc, 100cc and 150cc
Oh Nintendo, with this free update for Mario Kart 8 you are really spoiling us! Sure, we're grateful for stability and the ability to purchase the awesome new Animal Crossing x Mario Kart DLC, but let's face it - today we are all about the brand new 200cc speed. This face-melting new difficulty...
News The Mechs of Xenoblade Chronicles X Are Named "Skells" in its Western Release
Helloooo skelly!
Xenoblade Chronicles X has had us drooling over its mighty array of transformable mechs from the very beginning, treating us to glimpses of these powerful weapons soaring across the sky and engaging in combat. Today's special Nintendo Direct focused on the upcoming Western localization, and revealed that the technology has been...
"We hope to be able to do a better job of satisfying these needs"
The life of an amiibo collector isn't easy - getting some of the figures is simple enough, especially if you're not picky, but when it comes down to grabbing specific and less common toys the going gets rather tough. Pre-orders sell-out in minutes and can often be left unfulfilled,...
News New Super Smash Bros. Update Resolves Mewtwo Bugs and Online Bans
Online fights await you, Mewtwo
Earlier this month there was a great deal of excitement around the arrival of Mewtwo in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, at least for Club Nintendo members. Unfortunately some ran into trouble, however, when a glitch started to prevent players getting online after playing as Mewtwo. Some single-player...
Interview Bringing Together the 3DS and Game Boy in BOXBOY!
Thinking outside of the box
HAL Laborary Inc has been busy of late, bringing Kirby into the HD era with Kirby and the Rainbow Curse but also, on a much smaller scale, developing BOXBOY! for the 3DS eShop. With a Game Boy style and retro approach to puzzle solving it's charmed plenty of portable gamers, and also showed that the house of Kirby is more...
News Composer Noriyuki Iwadare Returns For More Langrisser Adventures
Iwadare helps to reincarnate the series
Fans were no doubt pleased to discover earlier this year that the Langrisser series is being reignited to bring Langrisser Re: Incarnation Tensei to the 3DS. After a 15 year break it is fair to say that fans are ready, and now the buzz can be heightened further by the announcement that world famous composer...
Review Bubble Gum Popper (Wii U eShop)
Pop goes the bubble
Bubble Gum Popper is about as basic as a match-three puzzler can get, and unfortunately this doesn't work in the its favour. Puzzle games don't necessarily have to be groundbreaking to be worthwhile, but it certainly helps if they're at least engaging; this lacklustre effort is barely even worth the low price thanks to its...
Thursday23rd Apr 2015
News Flygon Was Once Going to Receive a Mega Evolution
...but didn't due to design challenges
Love them or hate them, Pokémon X & Y were revolutionary titles in the Pokémon handheld series - and not just because of their enhancements in art style and graphics. The two games introduced the Mega Evolution mechanic, where a selection of Pokemon were able to Mega Evolve into a Super Saiyan-like form...
News Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 Available to Download Right Now
Rev up the engines
The time is here, with the Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 and software update now available to download; if you try and fire up your copy of the game it should automatically trigger a download update. Once that's done you can open up the game and set the DLC downloading - when that's finished you have various delights waiting for you...
Nintendo Download 23rd April (North America)
Mario Kart 8 DLC, DS karting, Mewtwo, 3D cube creation and more
Happy Mario Kart Day, Nintendo gamers! The usual download update details are out a little later than normal for North America and, unsurprisingly, the Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 has a prominent place in the listing. It's not the only fresh arrival, though, we also have more Mario Kart of...
News Xenoblade Chronicles X Nintendo Direct Confirmed for 24th April
This one's for the West
With its arrival in Japan less than a week away, Xenoblade Chronicles X is a hot topic for RPG fans in the West that are keen to take on Monolith Soft's latest creation. The exciting news is that a Nintendo Direct focused on the game is airing very soon, as confirmed by Nintendo of America. It'll be broadcast on Friday 24th...
Play Take On 200cc and DLC Racing in Mario Kart 8 With Nintendo Life
Race for honour and opportunities to gloat
It's a fun day for Mario Kart 8 fans, with a free update bringing a 200cc race class and more Mii costumes to unlock with amiibo. On top of that there's the main attraction, with DLC Pack 2 available now and bringing eight new tracks, three characters and four vehicles. We thought we'd celebrate the arriva
News Pokémon Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, X & Y Receive Global Updates
You'll be kept offline until you join in
For those of you still regularly battling online in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, or still firing up Pokemon X and Y for some matches, you'll have an update to complete before you get get on with the serious business of trading and fighting pocket monsters. Both games have patches of around 250-270...
"It’s all about making players happy"
It wasn't so long ago that Masahiro Sakurai was musing on his future with Super Smash Bros. and prompting fans to worry, sounding rather worn down and contemplating stepping away from the franchise. It seems that the last few months and a switch up in development - to focusing on DLC - has lightened...
News Call of Duty: Black Ops III "Ember" Tease Sets a Futuristic Scene Ahead of Full Reveal
Deus Duty
It's Spring-time, which means the inevitable limbo that comes with a new Call of Duty release; the Wii U had two CoD games in a row before missing out on the most-recent entry. Now we have Black Ops III on the way, and the presence of a Nintendo Network ID registration option on the franchise website has sparked rumours that the latest...
News amiibo Tap Gets A New Title In Europe, Available For Free At The End Of The Month
Say hello to amiibo Touch & Play: Nintendo Classics Highlights
Nintendo's next free-to-play download is launching on the Wii U eShop at the end of this month in Europe, it has been revealed today. amiibo Touch & Play: Nintendo Classics Highlights - known in North America as amiibo Tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits - is an app which works in...
Gallery Get Hot Under the Collar in the Continent Of Black Steel in Xenoblade Chronicles X
Is it warm in here?
If you're a Wii U owner in Japan with any affection at all for RPGs, we suspect Xenoblade Chronicles X by Monolith Soft is pinging rather loudly on your radar. The huge adventure arrives in Japan on 29th April, less than a week from today, leaving those of us in the West a tad jealous. A benefit of the upcoming release is the...
Video Nintendo Shows Off amiibo Tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits as it Launches in Japan
30 demos to get stuck into
One of the quirkiest uses of amiibo to date is amiibo Tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits, a free download on the Wii U eShop that'll allow you to play quick-fire demos of Virtual Console games by tapping one of the figures on the GamePad. It's out today in Japan and Nintendo has released a new video that shows it off. As you...
Video Here's Our Own Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8 Showcase
The Return of Baby Park
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines....again! The second DLC pack for Mario Kart 8 is here and it is a must-buy piece of downloadable content if ever there were one. Even if Animal Crossing isn't your cup of tea, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about this pack. How about another F-Zero track? Is Dry Bowser...
News Splatoon Producer Talks Up Post-Launch DLC to "Keep Interest in the Game"
Dev team "thinking of the launch as a first step of sorts"
Nintendo likes the idea of DLC right now, especially due to its potential for keeping established games active and popular. It wouldn't exactly be surprising if upcoming Wii U third-person shooter Splatoon jumps on board the DLC train, especially as its structure of arenas, equipment and...
Live Watch and Race With Us in Mario Kart 8's DLC and 200cc Mode - Live!
Alex will take on anyone
Today has brought lots of goodies in Mario Kart 8, with 200cc racing free for all and new DLC to get stuck into. Our video man Alex will be racing in our own online Tournaments against you, our lovely viewers - see how he gets on in the stream while watching the blog and live chat for details to join...
Live Nintendo UK Shows Off Mario Kart 8 DLC and 200cc Mode
Remember to brake
As this is Mario Kart 8 day, in particular thanks to the free 200cc mode and the Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8 pack, we thought we'd share yet another opportunity to check it out. Nintendo UK is running a live stream from 5pm to 6pm local time, which will be showing off the new tracks and 200cc mode. If you haven't yet had a...
Wednesday22nd Apr 2015
Editorial Nintendo's Problems With Trends and Modern Media Continue to Damage Its Image
Its need for control costs it vital audiences
We've argued the case before that Nintendo needs to modernise and drastically improve its attitudes to modern media, in terms of YouTube and social media platforms. It's easy to be defensive of its efforts, too, but we feel some recent statistics truly highlight the folly of Nintendo's current approach...
News Tales of More Super Smash Bros. amiibo Pre-Order Woes and Cancellations Emerge
ShopTo among the offending retailers
While the release of wave four Super Smash Bros. amiibo is due in May for North America, the latest toys are set to arrive this week in Europe. Not that they'll be gracing store shelves, of course, as pre-orders sold out a long time ago, in many cases within hours of going live. Unfortunately we've had multiple...
News Famitsu Unleashes Xenoblade Chronicles X Score
Famitsu Dolls Itself Up
It's finally here guys, and we couldn't be more enthusiastic. Monolith Soft and Nintendo have been drip feeding its fans for months now, with screenshots, soundtrack teasers, and even a brand new story trailer, but as the Japanese release is fast approaching, the Famitsu Scores are in. World renowned gaming magazine Famitsu...
News Yoshi's Woolly World Yarn amiibo Now Available for Pre-Order on the Nintendo UK Store
You'd better be quick!
We've seen lots of delightful amiibo over the past few months from the Super Smash Bros. and Mario Party ranges, however it's the yarn Yoshi amiibo figurines which tie in with the release of Yoshi's Woolly World on Wii U which really seem to be exciting collectors at the moment. They're amiibo made of wool and ridiculously...
Video We Reckon This Fan-Made Ryu Intro for Super Smash Bros. Did Quite Well
Still needs more training, though
There are plenty of rumours swirling around regarding future fighters and stages for Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, and one that seems to have slightly more backing among the online community is that of Street Fighter's Ryu being on the cards. Though still far from confirmed, leftover code has some...
News Sonic Boom Was Originally Called Sonic Synergy, Alternative Character Designs Emerge
Game would likely have still been a bit pants
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric and Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal are unlikely to be talked of fondly in years to come, which is a pity for the slightly more competent 3DS title. Rise of Lyric on Wii U, however, was particularly poorly received, from the character designs down to the gameplay, but most...
News Legend of Kay Anniversary Set for Budget Retail Release on Wii U This Summer
As little as $19.99 on some platforms
It's been known for quite some time that Legend of Kay Anniversary is coming to the Wii U and a host of platforms, and publisher Nordic Games has today confirmed a Summer arrival, though stopped short of giving exact dates. In addition to Wii U it'll be released on PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC and Mac; intriguingly...
Video New Xenoblade Chronicles X Video Goes Big on Drama, Plot and Battles
Cat also sighted
It pains us to say it, with pangs of jealousy that are almost overwhelming, but Xenoblade Chronicles X arrives in Japan very soon. The sizeable adventure will bring the series into a new setting and with a host of fresh systems and mechanics, all in lovely HD. With release approaching Nintendo has unleashed another video to show it...
News 3DS RPG Lord Of Magna: Maiden Heaven Is Heading West This June
From the producer of Rune Factory and Story of Seasons
Publisher Marvelous has confirmed that Lord Of Magna: Maiden Heaven is heading west this June. The strategy RPG - produced by Yoshifumi Hashimoto, the man behind Harvest Moon, Rune Factory and Story of Seasons - will be getting a physical and digital release in North America, where it launches...
News Splatoon Creation Was Inspired by Rare's Perfect Dark
Making something fun, new, different and not a shooter
As the release date for Nintendo's colourful multiplayer ink-em-up Splatoon draws ever closer, we're starting to get more and more insights into the rationale behind the development of the game. GamesRadar+ recently interviewed Producer Hisashi Nogami and it turns out that Rare's classic N64 FPS...
News Girls Mode 3 Struts to Number One in Japan, Though Hardware Sales Stumble Again
Worth it for the Kirby bag
It's easy to be dismissive of Style Savvy / New Style Boutique, with its focus on fashion, designer coffees and neat apartments, but it's a rather fun and entertaining title on the 3DS. The release of the latest entry in Japan has given some life to the country's charts this week, too, though overall sales are still...
Video Check Out the Surprising Complexity of Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition
Elements, team members, levelling...
It's tempting to look at Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition and say "pfft, just another match-three game". Well, it is, but this series also has a whole load of other aspects such as elements, teams and levelling to worry about. In fact, when having a go of the free demo in Europe we'll admit to...
News Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem’s Character Designer Speaks Of New Challenge
Toi8 Tackles New Crossover
World renowned character designer, toi8, takes to Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem's Official Blog to share a little more about himself. We all know and love him for his work on hack//The Movie and Chain Chronicle movie, but did you know that working for Nintendo has been a huge dream of his? "As part of the generation...
Launches in Europe on 19th June
Following the North American confirmation, Nintendo has revealed Australia, New Zealand and Europe will also receive a special hardware bundle to celebrate next month's release of team-based squid shooter, Splatoon, on the Wii U. Launching 30th May in Australia and New Zealand alongside the game's release, the...
Video A Closer Look at Classic Mode in Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight
For you hardcore dungeon crawling enthusiasts
Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight is set to be quite the content rich package, featuring two parallel game modes that promise to offer roughly the same amount of content. The newest mode, Story Mode, will follow the adventures of the Fafnir Knight and be much more focused on story and feature a...
News Avengers: Age of Ultron DLC Rolling Out to Zen Pinball 2 Soon
We're going to show you something... beautiful
Excited cinema goers will be rushing in droves to see the latest instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Avengers: Age of Ultron hits the silver screen in Europe later this week. (Sorry North America, you'll have to wait until 1st May). Of course, every cinematic blockbuster such as this has a...
Tuesday21st Apr 2015
News Hacked Passcodes Leaked For 3DS eShop Microtransaction-Based Title, Pokémon Rumble World
Unlocks new Pokémon, outfits and additional diamonds
Nintendo's recently released free-to-play titles have been designed to challenge and push players to their limits in the hope they will at some point seek aid via their wallets. Elements such as set timers, movement limits and special tasks spread out over a day, week or month add to the...
Nintendo Download 23rd April (Europe)
Double Mario Kart delight, Kirby week, discounts and more
A day later than is custom, we finally have the European Nintendo Download Update details to pore over. It's a week with one particularly notable DLC pack on Wii U to be excited about, along with some Virtual Console offerings, a special Kirby-themed promotion ahead of the arrival of Kirby...
News Nintendo 3DS System Update 9.7.0-25 Has Stability To Spare
Not a lot else, alas
A new system update for the Nintendo 3DS is now available, and guess what - it's bringing that sweet, sweet stability. System update 9.7.0-25 (for that is its name) can be downloaded to your console right now, and offers the usual benefits: Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been...
News Best Buy Nabs Exclusive Splatoon Wii U Hardware Bundle in North America
Costs $299.99 and also includes Nintendo Land
Splatoon is the next major Wii U retail release on the way from Nintendo, arriving in Europe and North America on 29th May - the latter region now has a confirmed Wii U hardware bundle to look forward to, as Nintendo aims to convert hype around the colourful shooter into some additional system sales...
News Super Mario 64 HD Triggers Surge Of YouTube Interest In Nintendo's Famous Mascot
But given Nintendo's stance on fan-made videos, it might be short-lived
While Minecraft continues to dominate YouTube when it comes to video game-related content, March saw Super Mario entering the top ten game franchises on YouTube list, thanks to a flood of videos being posted using the fan-made Super Mario 64 HD project. The chart - compiled by...
News Custom Metallic Mega Man amiibo Will be Prize at Upcoming Super Smash Bros. Tournament
Trophy Rush
Super Smash Bros. players and amiibo collectors alike will have the chance to win a rather neat customized Mega Man amiibo at the Wizard World Comic Con in Las Vegas, running 24th to 26th April. A Super Smash Bros. tournament will be held at the event on 25 April at 1pm, with the winner walking away with a custom Metallic Mega Man...
News Bravely Second Offers Over 100 Hours Of Gameplay, Producer Already Has Plans For Third Game
"We’ve packed it with all the ideas we can think of"
Bravely Second: End Layer launches this week in Japan, and Famitsu has been speaking to producer Tomoya Asano and assistant producer Shinji Takahashi about the game ahead of release. Both seem to be pretty pleased with how the sequel has turned out, with Takahashi stating: I feel like there's...
News Cube Creator 3D Bringing a Minecraft-Style Experience to 3DS This Week in North America
Demo has been downloaded over 260,000 times
Nintendo systems may be lacking the selling power of Minecraft, but a number of developers have been endeavouring to fill the gap. The latest to throw their hats into the ring are collaborators Big John Games and Gamers Digital, with Cube Creator 3D - it's arriving on the eShop in North America this week...
Interview AVGN Adventures Developer on Influences, Spinning 'Bad' to Good and Miiverse Screenshots
"I'm surprised Miiverse pages don't have an age gate"
It's becoming a trend for YouTube and web celebrities to release their own games, though in a number of cases these games come to smart devices. That was never likely to be the sole focus with Angry Video Gamer Nerd Adventures, however, as it celebrates the expletive-riddled retro 'reviewer' with...
News Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations Heading to Wii U and 3DS This Fall
It's all going 3D
Adventure Time, the quirky show with fans of various ages, hasn't been short of video games to spread its brand. Nintendo systems have benefited from these titles, too, with the Wii U and 3DS being rather well served. It's not surprising, then, that another is on the way this Autumn / Fall - Adventure Time: Finn and Jake...
Video Nintendo Inks In 'Claim Your Turf' Marketing Campaign With New Commercial
Pre-orders now open for Splatoon Wii U hardware bundle, too
With its release due on 29th May, we can expect Nintendo to ramp up its efforts in turning Splatoon into a big hit for the Wii U. Nintendo of America has taken its chance today to kick off its efforts, just recently announcing a Splatoon Wii U hardware bundle exclusive to Best Buy in North...
News Clean Up Your Act With This Game Boy Laundry Basket
Begone, foul undergarments
Playing on your Game Boy all day long is so much fun, but if you're anything like us you'll find that it tends to eat up time you'd usually spend cleaning your house and tidying away all the smelly clothing you casually drop on the floor. If only someone could somehow combine these two elements to make the process of...
Wednesday22nd Apr 2015
News Challenge Mode to Accompany Shovel Knight's Plague of Shadows Update
Japanese localization also on the way!
As exceedingly rad as Shovel Knight is, the radness velocity only climbs upon the realization that Yacht Club Games is still digging up free add-ons, updates and treats that will keep the game fresh for quite some time. We previously learned that the Plague of Shadows expansion is on its way, but Yacht Club has...
Tuesday21st Apr 2015
News Space Hulk Will Be Docking With The Wii U eShop On May 2nd
Stealer's Kiss
Turn-based tactical strategy game Space Hulk will be hitting the North American Wii U eShop on May 2nd. Based on the Games Workshop board game, Space Hulk sees you taking control of a team of Space Marine Terminators tasked with boarding derelict spaceships and ridding them of the alien Genestealer menace contained within. The...
Gallery Feast Your Eyes On FullBlast, An Old School Vertical Shooter For The Wii U
Two player action promised
Following the PEGI rating we reported on a while back, EnjoyUp Games has confirmed that it will be publishing UFO Crash Games' FullBlast on the Wii U eShop. A vertically-scrolling shooter with 3D visuals and a heavy metal soundtrack, FullBlast calls to mind the likes of Raiden, Battle Garegga and DoDonPachi. It offers...
News Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures on 3DS is "All Done" and Awaiting Approval
Stereoscopic 3D and dual screen features are included, naturally
Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures is out now on the Wii U in North America, which allows you to play with handsome HD pixels, though there are undoubtedly some that want to play it on the smaller screens of the 3DS. Shovel Knight and Shantae and the Pirate's Curse are two examples of...
News Unseen64 Digs Up Some Screens of Brimstone, a Cancelled SNES JRPG From Taito
A lost classic
Over the course of its life, the SNES hosted several legendary RPGs, such as Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, and Earthbound. These are just a few examples of how the RPG genre really came into its own in this generation, stepping out of the rather awkward and simplistic experiences that were available on the NES and creating games...
News Image & Form Announces 'SteamWorld Ambassador' Challenges
Play SteamWorld Heist before anyone else
SteamWorld Heist is due to start arriving in Fall this year, with the 3DS and Wii U eShop stores on the list of supported platforms. A spin-off from SteamWorld Dig, its blend of a steampunk aesthetic with 2D turn-based strategy is certainly full of potential. Developer Image & Form is now launching a set...
Video Go Beyond The Beards With This Behind The Scenes Look At Guitar Hero Live
FreeStyleGames opens its doors
Activision is relaunching its famous Guitar Hero brand as Guitar Hero Live, a game which not only offers a new-look controller but also focuses on using live-action footage to deliver a more immersive experience. It's coming to the Wii U - as well as other formats - this year. FreeStyleGames is the studio in charge,...
Monday20th Apr 2015
Rumour More Super Smash Bros. Code Digging Points to Five Planned DLC Characters and Seven Stages
Pass the salt...
Nintendo knows what it's done. It's releasing paid-DLC characters for Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, opened the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot for fans to vote for future inclusions, and in the process got us dreaming of exciting characters arriving in the future. Rumours and counter-rumours fly around as a result. Of...
Review 3D Fantasy Zone II (3DS eShop)
Let me be your fantasy
Fantasy Zone II was developed and released for the Sega Master System back in 1987. Unfortunately the limitations of the console (the original Fantasy Zone was built on Sega's more powerful System 16 arcade hardware) crippled the design aspirations; admirable attempts to include new gameplay elements weren't successful and...
What are the scores on the DOOORS?
Imagine this: you wake up one morning and find yourself in a windowless, white room with nothing but a screwdriver in your pocket and a scrap of paper that contains a bizarre sequence of numbers. Upon closely examining the only door, you find it locked and there's no obvious keyhole. What do you do? If problem...
Review Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Sweet dreams
Klonoa's never really gotten the recognition he deserves, has he? The floppy-eared hero's original adventure, released for PlayStation in 1997 and given a superb Wii remake in 2008, was an extraordinary 2.5D platformer that forced players to take a different perspective on the action. Following this, Klonoa got multiple releases on...
Review Guac' a Mole (Wii U eShop)
Worth dipping into
When the Wii U was unveiled back at E3 2011 much was shown off in the way of its special abilities and functions, especially when regarding the system's controller. Unfortunately, the GamePad's many perks (such as its impressive use of motion controls) have been relatively untapped in the years since, and use of its built in...
News Pirate Bay Co-Founder Unable To Experience The Joys Of NES Behind Bars
Game over
In November last year, The Pirate Bay co-founder, Fredrik Neij, was arrested after five years on the run. Since then, he’s been experiencing life behind bars. Now, according to the latest reports from Swedish news magazine, Expressen.se, Neij has recently been denied the use of a Nintendo Entertainment System to play video games while...
News New Safari Event Now Live In Pokémon Shuffle
The expedition is on!
Nintendo’s strong support for its free-to-play 3DS eShop title, Pokémon Shuffle, continues with the latest in-game event now live. Pokémon Safari draws inspiration from the main game series featuring Safari Zones, and more recently Friend Safari, which has players attempting to catch a random selection of Pokémon. Each...
Video This Is The 3D Sonic Game We All Truly Want, But May Never Have
Shame it's just a visual demo
Sonic's legions of loyal fans will no doubt state otherwise, but the Blue Blur's 3D career has been a somewhat bumpy one. Sure, he's starred in some enjoyable three-dimensional romps, but there are just as many - if not more - terrible 3D Sonic games, leading many to suggest that the character is better suited to...
Resident Evil, Mega Man, Yakuza and more
Project X Zone remains one of the most bonkers games on the 3DS, with quirky gameplay and a storyline that spanned popular Bandai Namco, Sega and Capcom franchises. Though it wasn't a game that truly took off in sales, it evidently did well enough to prompt the recent announcement of Project X Zone 2. As...
Rumour Mickey, Minnie Mouse and Olaf Among Characters on the Way in Disney Infinity 3.0
Not to be frozen out
The toys-to-life market is going to be a fascinating battlefield this year, with multi-platform arrivals on the horizon for Skylanders, LEGO Dimensions and the anticipated Disney Infinity 3.0. All are confirmed or have strong odds of coming to Wii U, and let's not forget Nintendo's own multi-functional amiibo range to further...
News Mario Kart Super Circuit Arrives on the Wii U eShop This Week in Europe
Yes, we're still waiting for the download update information
We're not sure why, but at the time of writing we're yet to receive the usual Nintendo Download Update news for Europe; we've enquired to see what's happening, in any case. Yet Nintendo of Europe does have its line-up at least partially confirmed, stating on Twitter that Mario Kart Super...
Talking Point Market Expectations Remain High For Nintendo and DeNA's Smart Device Crusade
A bubble to burst or the start of major success?
It's now been over a month since Nintendo and DeNA announced their major corporate partnership, with one relatively short presentation blowing away the big N's apparent reticence and minimalist approach to bringing games to smart devices. The announcement brought a marked shift in strategy - we went...
News Project X Zone 2's Development Made Possible By The Original's "Good Global Reputation"
"I think there will be surprising announcements in the future"
Project X Zone 2's shock announcement is welcome news for fans of the original game - and is perhaps a little unexpected, too. Following the news, Japanese magazine Famitsu caught up with Kensuke Tsukanaka (producer, Bandai Namco), Ichirou Morizumi (Monolith Soft, development director)...
News Thousands Of Pikachus Will Be Taking Over Yokohama This August
Mark it in your diary
This August sees the annual Pikachu Tairyou Hassei Chu - or "An outbreak of Pikachus" in English - which takes place in the Japanese city of Yokohama. Thousands of Pikachus will be in attendance, and they'll be marching around the city from August 8th to August 16th. Other activities celebrating the world's most famous Pocket...
Review Word Search by POWGI (3DS eShop)
No explanation needed
If you've read our review of the Wii U version of Word Search by POWGI, you'll know that this download takes a no-frills approach to translating a very popular paper-based puzzle to a screen. However, while the Wii U version at least tries to add a tiny bit more variety with a very limited multiplayer mode, this portable...
News Nintendo UK's James Honeywell Wins The MCV Unsung Hero Award 2015
Veteran has been with the company for 20 years
Nintendo UK's Head of Consumer Marketing James Honeywell has been honoured as 2015's Unsung Hero at this year's MCV awards. Honeywell - who began his career at Nintendo two decades ago - has overseen a wide range of product launches, including the Game Boy Advance, DS and Nintendo's current handheld,...
News UK StreetPass Groups Planning Mario Kart 8 Race Meetings This Weekend
200cc mode is the focus
This week sees the release of the second Mario Kart 8 DLC pack, which brings new racers, circuits and vehicles to the Wii U's premier racing title. However, for many players these additions pale in comparison to the pack's most important feature: the introduction of a blazingly-fast 200cc race class
Sunday19th Apr 2015
News Social Networks Go Into Meltdown Over Apparent The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 3D Rumour
Was as iffy as it looked
Update: As expected considering the factors we highlighted below, this was indeed fake, though apparently down to a hack rather than photoshopping. Same outcome regardless of method, though the online chatter certainly shows that some were excited about the prospect. Original Article: With Nintendo enjoying a fair amount...
Bringing more gaming with less releases
Let's kick off this article with some current-day realities - not negative as such, but perhaps uncomfortable. At the moment, especially with the Wii U, Nintendo is responsible for producing the bulk of high-quality retail releases. There are partners or second-party studios producing some key efforts - like...
Review Yoshi's Island DS (Wii U eShop / DS)
Swap-a-bye baby
The challenge of having to follow up such a hot act as Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is staying true to the original while simultaneously feeling fresh and exciting. The original Yoshi's Island was a pioneer in its design; that design can be straight-up copied again, sure, but the sense of surprise that the first possessed...
News Playtonic's Mark Stevenson Teases Wii U Fans Over Project Ukulele Release
A "rare" quote
Mark Stevenson, of Playtonic Ltd, has decided to throw Project Ukulele fans another tantalising tidbit regarding the studio's current project. Playtonic Ltd is mainly made up of ex Rare staff and has been putting itself around a great deal to build anticipation for its upcoming project. Since the announcement that Project Ukulele...
News Take on 3D Streets of Rage 2 With a Pal
As long as you're in hitting distance of each other
Sega's 3D conversions of classic titles have been consistently satisfying, often adding levels of polish and features that... Do we really have to say this? Ugh... Nintendon't. 3D Streets of Rage 2 looks to continue this trend, according to a recent report from Famitsu. The simultaneous two-player...
Video Did You Know Gaming? Tackles the Monster Hunter Franchise
For example, segmented maps and four-player limits look set to stay
Monster Hunter is one of Capcom's most important franchises, consistently causing retail meltdowns with impressive sales in Japan. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate has performed well in the West, too, seemingly providing a breakthrough for the franchise outside of Capcom's homeland. It's...
Saturday18th Apr 2015
Review A-Train 3D: City Simulator (3DS eShop)
Chugging uphill
In the 3DS library, there is a rather unsurprising gap of management sim games. The niche genre essentially revolves around placing the player in the chair of a person in charge of a large city or company, tasking them with running it and maximising profitability. This is something of a double-edged sword; patient gamers will find...
Poll Would You Like Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. DLC to Expand for a Whole Generation?
Platforms within platforms
This week Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS had its first DLC in the form of Mii character outfits, while on 23rd April we'll get to enjoy the Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2. We know there's more to come in Super Smash Bros. in the form of purchasable characters - Mewtwo (already available to eligible Club Nintendo...
Sunday19th Apr 2015
News Official GameCube Controller Adapter for Wii U Available Again on Amazon in the US
Currently the cheapest option
It's not as rare as it once was, but there are probably still a handful of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U gamers that would like a GameCube Controller Adapter to play the game with their favoured controller. Finding one at a decent price can be a challenge, though. It's worth noting, then, that Amazon US has stock once...
Saturday18th Apr 2015
News Fan Ports Hideo Kojima's Cyberpunk Classic, Snatcher, to the Virtual Boy
In honour of a fellow Virtual Boy fan that passed away
The Virtual Boy is a true oddity in Nintendo's history - though the company has acknowledged the curious system recently, it was largely ignored for years due to its status as the company's biggest ever flop. Never even released in Europe, it was undeniably a commercial disaster for the famous...
Video Nintendo Minute Races Around the Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2
On the starting grid
The Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 - or Mario Kart 8 X Animal Crossing, if you prefer - is now just days away, adding another eight tracks, three characters (four if you count Boy and Girl Villager separately) and four vehicles. There'll also be the 200cc mode as a free extra for everyone, too. One of the Wii U's finest games is about...
News New FAST Racing Neo Footage is Set to be Revealed in Summer
"The biggest, and most beautiful game we ever did."
Remember FAST Racing Neo? You'd be forgiven for forgetting about it, as Shin'en has been rather reluctant to release much information about the racing extravaganza. The sequel to the popular Wiiware hit, FAST- Racing League, it promises to deliver a blisteringly fast experience in glorious 60 FPS...
Review Word Search by POWGI (Wii U eShop)
Finding words, one letter at a time
Sometimes, a game's title tells you very little about its content. What do titles like "Bayonetta" scream to you when read? Meanwhile, a game with a title such as Word Search by POWGI pretty much tells you everything you need to know about this download. Within each of the 300+ levels you're given a grid filled...
Friday17th Apr 2015
News Fire Emblem: If Special Edition Bundle Sold Out In Japan, Sparks Second Shipment for Pre-Orders
If only it was out in the West this year
It seems Intelligent systems has pulled it out of the bag with its latest release. The brand new game in the Fire Emblem series has sold out of its pre-orders for the Special Edition pack, resulting in a second shipment being ordered for Japan. Some people may call this an ironic twist of fate, after Fire...
News Here's Why The StreetPass Bunny Couldn't Care Less If You Don't Buy His Games In Europe
Grumpy in North America and Japan, but chilled out in Europe. What gives?
Yesterday saw the launch of not one but two new 3DS StreetPass games, and triggered a rush of Nintendo fans opening their consoles and handing over digital funds for both titles. However, depending on which region you're in, you will have gotten a slightly different reaction...
Review Yoshi Touch & Go (Wii U eShop / DS)
Fleeting fun
Between the DS, 3DS and Wii U, Nintendo has delivered many touch screen gaming experiences throughout the years. While some are genuinely creative and/or mechanically deep, others have ended up feeling like little more than an experiment or a tech demo rather than a full-fledged game; Yoshi Touch & Go falls into that latter...
News Unity on New Nintendo 3DS Will Utilise Latest Version of the Engine at Launch
Spokesperson: "We're not ready to discuss release timelines currently"
Earlier this week Unity Technologies confirmed that its engine will support the New Nintendo 3DS, which could lead to a variety of interesting developments - the eShop could receive more ports exclusive to the New hardware, and it also serves as another area in which the Wii
News Nintendo Submits Trademark for NES Controller
We weren't aware it was still required
The legal world of trademarks and rights can be slightly baffling at the best of times, so a Nintendo of America trademark for the NES controller, essentially, is certainly one to raise eyebrows. The application is most certainly for the design of the iconic controller, with the image above being included...
There are multiple reasons
Last year Sony Pictures was hacked, and thousands of emails were stolen and effectively used as weapons against executives, film-makers and those within that creative industry. Saucy emails were shared showing executives bashing movie stars, and there were even leaks related to talks that had taken place with regards to...
First Impressions The Addictive Futility of the New StreetPass Games
An existential crisis wrapped in awesome Nintendo cutesy style
Here's a tale of the lengths that editorial director Damien McFerran and editor Tom Whitehead went to in order to test out the new StreetPass games - StreetPass Zombies / Battleground Z and StreetPass Fishing / Ultimate Angler. Due to working in a small UK town and not Tokyo, added to...
News 3DS Homebrew App Turns 3DS Into PC Remote Desktop, and Naturally Plays World of Warcraft
Slightly pointless, but impressive
Due to Nintendo's repeated firmware updates and security measures, homebrew on the 3DS and Wii U has been stifled a great deal in comparison to the previous generation. It's the preserve of enthusiasts willing to keep their portable offline, but nevertheless there's still a small community that experiments with the...
News Unseen64 Breaks Down the Hidden History of Metroid Prime
Unused bosses, a picky Shigeru Miyamoto and more
It's often enjoyable to consider what could have been - new IPs, sequels and spin-offs that never made it to stores. Examples such as Star Fox 2 and Metroid Dread have us wishing for the ability to visit an alternative universe, to play titles that were, at some stage, destined for our consoles. Even...
News Nintendo Australia Lists eShop Offerings Redeemable Via Club Nintendo Stars Catalogue
65 items to select from
In a similar fashion to other regions, Nintendo Australia will soon offer loyal fans a range of eShop content redeemable via the Club Nintendo Stars Catalogue. While Nintendo is still hard at work making this content available as soon as possible, it has now revealed the full list of Wii U and 3DS downloadable titles for...
News Extended Stella Glow Footage Breaks Down Gameplay Structure
Chill out with free time
Stella Glow continues to rumble towards release, despite the peculiar - and perhaps worrying - news of developer Imageepoch's President going missing, while the company's website continues to be down. Reports of the offices being up for rent, the phone line being disconnected and staff leaving all suggest that their are...
News Nintendo UK Has Picked Its New PR Agency, Splatoon Activity Incoming
Other clients include Nando’s, Virgin Media and John Lewis
Nintendo UK has named PrettyGreen as its new PR agency, replacing previous firm 77PR. PrettyGreen - which has Nando's, Virgin Media and John Lewis on its client list - will be in charge promoting Nintendo's titles in the region, with Splatoon being its first major project. Nintendo UK's...
Thursday16th Apr 2015
Guide Improve Your Wii U's External Hard Drive Performance By Disabling Sleep Mode
Banishes choppiness and pauses to The Land of Wind and Ghosts
Those of you who use an external USB HDD with your Wii U may have noticed that during gameplay the drive goes to sleep when it's not be accessed by the console. While this is good for keeping energy consumption down - something Nintendo has traditionally been quite keen on - it can lead...
Weirdness The Worst Ever Charmander Tattoo Has Gone Viral
Not hot
The internet's a peculiar but often funny place, in which the daftest of things can go viral and amuse millions. A current craze seems to be having a laugh at a 27-year-old who tried to tattoo Charmander onto himself, while drunk. You can see the results below - apologies for the gratuitous pasty complexion and hairy belly button. It's...
Nintendo Download 16th April (North America)
StreetPass DLC, Smash Bros. DLC, DK 64, 3D Fantasy Zone II and much more
It's that time again, North American gamers, for the Nintendo Download Update to bring more treats to Wii U and 3DS. This week we have some Rare action on the Wii U, Smash Bros. DLC, StreetPass extras, another Sega classic and much more besides. Let's get to the details...
News Nintendo Highlights Increased US Hardware Sales for Wii U and 3DS in 2015
Mario Party 10 takes 4th in March NPD results
It's NPD results day, once again, with US game retail sales once again taking the centre stage. Nintendo jumped out ahead of the official results - which is normally a positive sign - to point to a decent opening three months for 2015. On the hardware front, the Wii U sold more than 20% more systems up...
Hardware Classics Sega Dreamcast
The last throw of the dice for Nintendo's old rival
Sega's Dreamcast holds a special place in the history of home video game entertainment. It was an innovative beast, being the first home console to offer online connectivity out of the box and setting the modern trend for sourcing internal components from PC manufacturers. It also proved to be...
News Diddy Kong Nerfed In Latest Super Smash Bros. Update
Fans rejoice
The troublesome Diddy Kong has reportedly been nerfed in yesterday’s Super Smash Bros. for Wii U & 3DS update which saw the highly anticipated return of Mewtwo and introduction of costume DLC for Mii Fighters. Donkey Kong’s side kick has caused mayhem in competitive Smash for some time now due to his over-powered nature, and...
Please understand
Club Nintendo members had some exciting emails this week, as they included Mewtwo codes for the latest Super Smash Bros. titles on Wii U and 3DS. Unfortunately some players experienced a downside, triggering a glitch in the Wii U version that blocked access to online play. In multiple cases players seemed to corrupt their save data...
Reminder New StreetPass DLC Games Offer a 'Thank You Pack' Discount if You Own Original Extras
So says the StreetPass rabbit in the UK
For fans of StreetPass, who like to gather hits where possible and spend a surprising amount of time clearing the charming games on offer, today's a rather happy day. Two fresh games are available - Ultimate Angler / StreetPass Fishing and Battleground Z / StreetPass Zombies. These can be bought individually...
News International StreetPass Week Details Confirmed for North America
The return of gold-pants Reggie Fils-Aime
Last week Nintendo of Europe confirmed its plans for International StreetPass Week, which is utilising Nintendo Zone and StreetPass Relay hotspots in the region for special distributions and events. It's an opportunity to pick up special Mii characters from around the world, handily timed to coincide with...
Review Music On: Electric Guitar (3DS eShop)
While my 3DS gently weeps
If someone were to come up to you on the street and loudly proclaim "My 3DS is an electric guitar!!", you'd probably just smile politely and try to put as much distance between the two of you as possible. Their boasting isn't total insanity however, as Music On: Electric Guitar is an ambitious little app that aims to...
News Nintendo of America is Teaming Up With GameTruck to Start the Party With Splatoon
Splatrucks
Looking from the outside as a Brit, this writer observes that most things are bigger in the US. Buildings, stores, malls, servings of fries, all big. It seems Birthday parties also fall into that category - a game of bowling and a few balloons isn't enough, it's important to hire a huge truck for entertainment on the go. That seems to be...
Music Say Hello To The World's First LSDj Music Album On A Game Boy Cartridge
Includes Nordloef, Tommy Creep, Pixel Hero Zero and Solarbear
The Game Boy may be as old as the hills, but it's alive and well in the world of chiptune music. In recent years an active musical community has grown up around Nintendo's iconic handheld, intent on creating awesome tunes and even playing them to live audiences. If you needed any more of...
News Bandai Almost Made A Laptop With A Built-In SNES
Say hello to the Bandai HET
Bandai may be joined at the hip with Namco these days, but once upon a time the company stalked the edges of the video game industry, desperate to find a route into the potentially profitable hardware arena. It released consoles such as the Pippin (in conjunction with Apple) and created the WonderSwan handheld, but...
News Vote Now and Decide Which Classic Mega Man Title Will Kick Off Mega May in North America
The choice is yours
If you'll remember back to this time last year, Capcom ran an event called "Mega May" in which at least one new Mega Man title was released on the Virtual Console each week. It was primarily focused on launching the remaining Game Boy Mega Man games as well as two from the GBC, though the Wii U didn't receive as much love...
Video Greatness Awaits In This New Project CARS Trailer
Become a legend
Project CARS launches on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 soon, with the Wii U release taking place later this year. To build up interest in the game - which has already suffered a couple of delays - publisher Bandai Namco has published a fresh trailer which aims to show off the progression of the game's single-player career mode. The...
News WayForward is Bringing Shantae and Friends to the Apple Watch in Watch Quest! Heroes of Time
Geddit?
For a good amount of time the Shantae franchise was exclusive to Nintendo hardware, though in relatively recent times we've seen Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut on PC (also coming to Wii U), and the crowdfunded Shantae: Half-Genie Hero will be coming to a host of platforms. This is wise from WayForward, from a business perspective,...
News Nintendo Has Released This Fabulous 3DS Theme In Japan To Celebrate The Launch Of Girls Mode 3
Stunning, darling!
The latest entry in the Girls Mode series (known locally as Style Savvy or New Style Boutique depending on where you live) is now out in Japan.To celebrate the special occasion, Nintendo has released a Girls Mode 3: Kira Kira Code 3DS theme. The new theme, which can be viewed on the catwalk in the trailer below, is available for...
Video Here's Our Super Smash Bros. Mewtwo & Mii Costume Pack Showcase
Smash Bros. DLC is here!
Finally, Mewtwo is available as downloadable content for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U & 3DS. Players who have both versions of the game should hopefully have some download codes for this new character if they registered their games with Club Nintendo; if not you can buy him with cold, hard virtual cash soon. For those...
Review Tilelicious: Delicious Tiles (Wii U eShop)
A bittersweet treat
There has been much debate over Nintendo opening up the eShop to a wider array of developers and allowing what some would consider to be lesser experiences to be featured. The main argument being that consoles justify better, higher quality games than the relatively shallow offerings that can be found on smartphone markets, and...
News Citizens of Earth Update Halves Wii U Load Times And Adds Retro Soundtrack
Also includes improved stability and minor bug fixes
Atlus and Eden Industries have updated the JRPG-inspired role-playing game, Citizens of Earth, with added and improved functionality. The update which applies to both the Wii U and 3DS eShop versions of the game includes the addition of a retro chiptunes soundtrack menu option to relive the glory...
Video Traveller's Tales Animator Proposes To Girlfriend Via His Own Mario-Style Platformer
Leap of faith
Proposing marriage is one of the most signficant gestures of affection one can give to another human being, but the event itself can be quite intimidating - will your other half say yes? Will you make a fool of yourself? Will they turn their noses up at the cheap ring you've bought? It's serious business. However, we like the approach...
News A Book About The Iconic Bitmap Brothers Is Being Kickstarted
The full history of the creators of Gods, The Chaos Engine and Speedball
If you're a UK gamer with a keen sense of history then the name The Bitmap Brothers will be instantly recognisable. Most active during the 16-bit era, "The Bitmaps" are considered by many to be gaming's first "rock star" developers, and produced such classics as Gods, The Chaos...
Wednesday15th Apr 2015
News Mewtwo 10-Man Smash Glitch is Stopping Some From Playing Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Online
You don't want this to happen to you
Update: Nintendo has stated that it's working on a patch, and confirmed modes on both the Wii U and 3DS versions that could prompt this glitch - full details are right here. Original Article: The arrival of Mewtwo in the latest Super Smash Bros. titles today - for Club Nintendo members, that is - has certainly...
News Super Smash Bros. Club Nintendo Mewtwo Codes and Costume DLC Now Live
Instructions for accessing the DLC inside
Update: The DLC, Smash Bros. update are both also live in North America (our original post specified Europe), while most seem to be receiving their Mewtwo codes. Original Article: The first ever paid DLC for Super Smash Bros. is now live in Europe, with updates available for both the Wii U and 3DS...
Weirdness Street Fighter's Ryu is Now Being Rumoured as Future DLC in Super Smash Bros.
And Roy, by the way
Get that salt ready, Super Smash Bros. fans, we have rumours that are claimed to be based on the latest source files buried in the latest game update. Got some salt? Good, let's begin. A poster over on Reddit, who claims to be part of the 3DS modding scene, has apparently been digging around in source files following the latest...
Hands On Hitting the Tracks in Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 and 200cc Mode
It just keeps getting better...
When Nintendo announced that the second Mario Kart 8 DLC pack was coming earlier than promised, we were appropriately excited. Now that we've had a chance to get to grips with everything this extra content has to offer, suffice to say we're not disappointed. In this early look at the full DLC pack we check out the...
News Nintendo of Japan Confirms the Tracks in the Upcoming Mario Kart 8 DLC
Baby Park and Neo Bowser City are in, after all!
With the second half of the Mario Kart 8 DLC just around the corner, speculation has been at critical mass. Just a few days ago, a rumour on NeoGaf stated that Neo Bowser City and Baby Park would be making an appearance, but that rumour was supposedly debunked. It has recently come to light that the...
News Marvel at the Launch Trailer, Live Music and Tracks of Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2
Full details inside
After a lengthy period of furious winking, release date movement - for the better in this case - and rumours, Nintendo revealed the details for Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2. Some of the rumours actually proved correct, either by dumb luck or otherwise, and the line-up has certainly got plenty of fans excited. If you missed it, the...
Not pants-uru
Nintendo handhelds have been graced with many great puzzle games over the years, from the wonderful Tetris on the original Game Boy through to the present day; the Picross series, Pullblox and the Professor Layton titles all being notable recent examples. In fact, a quick filtered search of the 3DS eShop by 'Puzzle' genre reveals no...
Fashion This Fetching Range Of Zelda-Themed Clothing Hy-Rules
Strut your stuff in style
Gaming-themed clothing is a pretty big business these days, with plenty of clothing companies waking up to the fact that - hey - gamers like spending lots of cash on items emblazoned with images from their favourite titles. Jamie Koala is one such designer who is well aware that clothing with game art on can be pretty damn...
News Sales Fall Away in Japan as Xenoblade Chronicles 3D Drops to Ninth
New Nintendo 3DS continues battle with PS4 and Vita
It's Media Create Japanese charts time again, and we suspect the results have been greeted with a united sagging of shoulders among the bean counters of publishers and developers. When the number one game sells just 20,494, we'd suggest stiff drinks are required. That number one is Dark Souls II:...
Actually seems legit
Back in early February documentation was found for special edition Gold and Silver Super Mario amiibo, and after a few months of pretending the rumours didn't exist Nintendo of America confirmed the gold figure. A Walmart-exclusive limited edition in North America, it was released alongside
News Atlus Reveals its DLC Plans for Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker
Plenty of content to keep demon tamers happy
There's only a few weeks left now until Atlus launches its latest entry in the Shin Megami Tensei series, Shin Megami Tensei Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker. The enhanced remake promises to give players plenty of bang for their buck, adding a second story campaign that nearly doubles the estimated length...
Greninja and Jigglypuff pre-orders go live today
Though the situation with stock and pre-orders for much-desired amiibo is still far from ideal, Nintendo and retailers have slowly been learning lessons. In addition to many introducing one-per-customer rules, outlets have started to announce when pre-orders for new toys will open, giving eager fans...
Poll What Are You Most Excited About in the Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2?
Tracks, characters, vehicles, amiibo suits and free 200cc all coming
Earlier today Nintendo finally unveiled its full line-up for the Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2, with a whole host of lovely videos joining the announcement. We've also had a chance to go hands on with everything the DLC has to offer, including 200cc mode, to share our views on how its...
News Guitar Hero Live Won't Work With Your Old Gear Or DLC, Won't Be A Yearly Series
"It's not 2010 any more"
Yesterday saw the official unveiling of Guitar Hero Live, the next entry in the long-running music game series. The new game uses live action footage to place you in the shoes of a leading rock guitarist, and will boast an entirely new peripheral to strum on. Guitar Hero isn't the only music franchise that is getting...
Review psyscrolr (Wii U eShop)
Scroll right past this one
Critics are sometimes given a reputation for their occasional harshness. You might hear a critic accused of "wanting to hate something" or "looking for things to nitpick." While there are exceptions to every rule, it should be understood that most highly enjoy the medium they've chosen to review; as such, these complaints...
News Take Rivals to the Cleaners with Splatoon's "Squeaklean Alpha"
Leaves a streak-free splatting streak!
As Splatoon jets closer to launch, the desire to get our hands on its inky arsenal only grows. The game's development team has thrown the cover off yet another weapon some will no doubt enjoy specializing in. The new gun, announced via Splatoon's Japanese Twitter feed, has been dubbed the "Squeaklean Alpha"...
Physical and digital versions all confirmed
NIS America has confirmed that it is bringing three Atlus titles to European 3DS owners in 2015 and early 2016. First up is Etrian Mystery Dungeon, which is arriving this Autumn. A mash-up of the Etrian Odyssey and Mystery Dungeon series, it offers "infinitely random dungeon adventures". Shin Megami...
Thursday16th Apr 2015
Review My Pet School 3D (3DS eShop)
Plays dead
Do you get the feeling we've barked up this tree before? My Pet School 3D is much like other entries in TREVA's bloated stable of pet sims, such as Me & My Pets 3D and Life with Horses 3D. Each successive instalment comes with the desperate hope that some new tricks have been learned this time around, only to have it stare back at you...
Tuesday14th Apr 2015
News Those Yoshi's Woolly World Yarn amiibo Are Up for Pre-Order in the UK, and They're Pricey
Holy Knit!
When it comes to amiibo, it's hard not to be charmed silly be the yarn toys that are being released along with Yoshi's Woolly World on Wii U. They're amiibo made of wool - let's just digest that for a moment... Of course, stock will probably be harder to come by than an original Call of Duty concept, so the race will be on. UK gamers...
De-Minishing Returns
Remember Midora? It's a Zelda-inspired action-adventure which was successfully funded via Kickstarter to the tune of $73,470, and while it didn't meet its Wii U and 3DS stretch goals, developer Epic Minds insisted that it would still come to those machines - it would just take a little longer. However, there are doubts the
News Turn It Up To Eleven, Guitar Hero Is Making A Glorious Comeback On Wii U
Get the band back together this Autumn in Guitar Hero Live
Activision has revealed the next game in the best-selling Guitar Hero series, and it's coming to the Wii U. Guitar Hero Live is something of a comeback for the franchise, which became massively popular during the PlayStation 2 era but faltered during the last console war. Coded by UK-based...
Video Xenoblade Chronicles X May Have Been Subject to a Slight Graphics Downgrade
Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as Watch Dogs
In modern game development, it can sometimes be tough for developers to fulfill their initial promise with a game. Often, this results from too much being shown too soon; as the project continues to grow and change, certain aspects must be scaled back in order to accommodate more. As alluded to in the...
News Playtonic Releases First Animated Footage From Banjo-Kazooie Successor Project Ukulele
As a "Thank You" for reaching 30,000 followers on Twitter
Playtonic Games - a UK studio made up of former Rare staffers - has released the first footage from its Banjo Kazooie "spiritual successor", Project Ukulele. The short clip - posted via Vine on Twitter - shows a minion character from the game hopping from foot to foot. It's a good i
Parent Trap Lego Dimensions Could Be A Game-Changer In The Toys To Life Sector
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson reveals why Lego fever is gripping his home
With each year of parenting comes new challenges and, it seems, a new video game craze to spend money on. After Skylanders, Disney Infinity and amiibo, this year we also have to contend with Lego Dimensions. As you've likely seen, this offers a Toys to Life experience with...
News Egads, Shovel Knight Is Getting A Physical Release On Nintendo 3DS
UPDATE: Yacht Club Games confirms listing is a mistake
Update: Yacht Club Games has responded to this news on Twitter, and claims that while a physical release of Shovel Knight would be amazing, this listing is actually a mistake: Original story: Shovel Knight is getting a physical release on the Nintendo 3DS, according to retailer Best Buy...
Hardware Settle It With This Customised Super Smash Bros. Nintendo 64 Console
Complete with four pads
Super Smash Bros. may be the big thing on Wii U and 3DS right now, but veteran players will lovingly recall when they played the first entry on the N64 all those years ago. If you're hankering to revisit the past - or you're a newcomer who wants to see how it all started - then you might want to point your browser towards
"Shovel Knight, Meat Boy, and CommanderVideo would hold their own"
Choice Provisions remains one of the most admirably eclectic yet successful developers currently plying their trade in the download scene. After coming to prominence with the BIT.TRIP series on WiiWare and other platforms, the studio changed its name from Gaijin Games and has begun...
News Streets Of Rage 2, Gunstar Heroes And Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Are Your Next Sega 3D Classics
More 16-bit goodness on your 3DS
Sega has confirmed that Streets of Rage 2, Gunstar Heroes and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 are making their way to the 3DS eShop. This trio of Sega Mega Drive / Genesis titles will be joining the steadily-growing ranks of Sega's retro remasters, which already includes the likes of Space Harrier, Out Ru
Video Shovel Knight, Scram Kitty, CommanderVideo And More Are Headed To 9-Player Platformer Runbow
Everyone's invited
13AM Games' forthcoming Wii U eShop title Runbow is shaping up nicely - as you'll no doubt be aware if you read our early impressions of the game - and it has become even more appealing thanks to the addition of special guest characters from a whole host of other Wii U indie titles. Shovel Knight (from Shovel Knight, obviously),...
Feature Key Nindie Developers and Publishers Discuss Unity for the New Nintendo 3DS
"We have at least 5 games I would immediately want to start working on"
For those that follow the 3DS download scene closely, the recent announcement of upcoming Unity support for the New Nintendo 3DS was certainly welcome news. In the right hands the Unity engine can produce excellent, good-looking games, and is invaluable to small studios with...
News Choice Provisions Considering a Release for Tharsis on Wii U
Ground control to Major Tom
In case you missed the memo, Choice Provisions is what was once known as Gaijin Games, the studio that graced the Wii with the BIT.TRIP games and brought the snappily titled BIT.TRIP Presents: Runner 2 Future Legend of Rhythm Alien to the Wii U eShop. Choice Provisions is also a publisher, too, with Woah Dave! a recent...
News Ubisoft Announcement Suggests More Child Of Light 'Universe' Games Are On the Way
Child star
Child of Light was an intriguing release from Ubisoft, utilising the UbiArt engine that originated with Rayman Origins and delivering a detailed, and rather popular, download gaming experience. It appeared to be a success, with some physical releases also making it to market, and placed well on the Wii U eShop's own charts. We're rather...
News Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Devours 1 Million Players In The West
First entry in the long-running series to do so
Capcom has confirmed that Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is the first entry in the long-running series to have sold 1 million copies in North America and Europe, a milestone that has taken the franchise a decade to achieve. The total includes physical copies and downloads via the eShop, with Capcom...
News Super Doomed'n Damned to Channel Retro Capcom Action on Wii U This Year
16-bit gameplay with modern touches
Action platformers were arguably the bread-and-butter of the 16-bit generation - though RPG fans will likely disagree - and considering the positive reaction to classics on the Virtual Console and new titles inspired by retro experiences, we're still suckers for some challenging running and jumping. Super Doomed'n...
News The Scrappers Will Be Out to Get You in SteamWorld Heist
Details of enemy types are shown off
SteamWorld Heist could be a download highlight of 2015, with the follow-up - not sequel - to SteamWorld Dig heading to Wii U and 3DS alongside a host of other platforms. 2D strategy takes the place of digging and jumping, while steampunk will be heading into outer space. The Image & Form blog is posting...
Monday13th Apr 2015
News Akihiro Hino on Why Fantasy Life 2 is Not Coming to the 3DS
Excuses, excuses...
A few days ago, Level-5 announced they had made the decision to publish Fantasy Life 2 on smartphones, bypassing the 3DS (and all dedicated gaming consoles, for that matter) entirely. It seemed a strange choice given that its prequel was not a smartphone game, though an argument could be made that the smartphone market offers a...
Rumour Upcoming Mario Kart 8 DLC to Include Baby Park and Neo Bowser City
Supposedly dug up from the game's code
Update: Cancel the baby (park) shower, this is apparently a load of old bunkum, as we suggested it may be in the original article below. We're back to dreaming once again... Original Article: The Mario Kart 8 second DLC pack isn't far away, which mean we can start to fantasize about what tracks will be on...
Nintendo Download 16th April (Europe)
StreetPass extras, Elliot Quest, SEGA 3D goodness, Smash DLC and much more
Another week begins, and that means Nintendo Download Update news for European gamers. This week has plenty to offer, with Super Smash Bros. DLC arriving on 3DS and Wii U, a high profile indie effort on the home console, a SEGA 3D Classic, demos, another Wii title and much...
"My belief is that Nintendo is looking for a blue ocean"
Nintendo caused quite a stir when it announced its partnership with Japanese mobile firm DeNA and that it was working on its next hardware platform, dubbed "Nintendo NX". This double-whammy of news was greeted with a positive reaction, not only from the
Review Excave II : Wizard of the Underworld (3DS eShop)
Dungeon crawling on a higher budget
Not long ago, the budget-priced dungeon-crawler Excave hit the 3DS eShop, and our review found the experience a technically sound and overall enjoyable experience, despite some minor flaws. This sequel follows a bit more than a month later, and promises more polished hack and slash gameplay, though at an increased...
News Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages Heading to Cartoon Network Later This Year
Jumping through hoops for fans
While the main-series Pokémon games are easily the biggest draw of the IP, the anime and movies have plenty of loyal fans. Localisation enthusiasts should be pleased, then, to hear that this year's major movie release (due this Summer in Japan) will be arriving on Cartoon Network later in 2015. No region is specified,...
Video Mute City in Mario Kart 8 Just Got Crazy Courtesy of 200cc Racing
The closest we'll get to a real F-Zero experience for now
It's not long until we'll be racing around in Mario Kart 8 at the slightly silly - but potentially awesome - 200cc speed. Whether a case of perspective or true to reality, the free update is bringing a level of pace that seems more than a mere one-third increase. Up to now Nintendo UK has...
Points to a reasonable lifecycle for the New portable, too
For a decent amount of time Nintendo's been fielding questions about Unity support for the 3DS, and the answer's often been the same - it's being considered and it's a desired inclusion on the portable. The problem is the reality that the 3DS is derived of technology that was ageing even in...
News Unity Support Is Coming To The New Nintendo 3DS
Say hello to "tens of thousands of studios and over 4 million developers"
It has been announced during the Unite 2015 Tokyo event that Unity support is being rolled out to the New Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL. For those who don't know, Unity is a powerful development platform which is used by many studios and allows devs to create...
News Nintendo's Mobile Partner DeNA Lays Off Significant Number Of North American Staff
San Francisco and Vancouver offices impacted in "reshape" of operations
Japanese mobile company DeNA has laid off a significant number of North American employees, it has been revealed today. The job losses are taking place at the company's San Francisco and Vancouver offices, and while exact numbers aren't forthcoming at the moment, the layoffs...
News Project X Zone 2 Crosses Over to the West For a Fall Release on Nintendo 3DS
The Super Smash Bros. of SRPGs gets a sequel
For those of you out of the loop, Project X Zone was a massive SRPG from Bandai Namco, Sega, and Capcom. Featuring over 200 characters (most of which you probably hadn't heard of) from 30 franchises between the three companies, it was quite the mashup. The unique combat system and the roster on offer made...
Sunday12th Apr 2015
Review Donkey Kong 64 (Wii U eShop / N64)
He's finally back, but does he still kick some tail?
At the mere mention of Nintendo's first 64-bit console, many of us find it difficult not to get swept up by a wave of nostalgia. We drift through countless memories of flickering TV screens and eye-popping graphics, washing up on the shores of 3D gaming's first bold steps onto a Nintendo platform...
News Capcom Announces Monster Hunter Stories for 3DS
Oh... Snap...
The Monster Hunter franchise is certainly a favourite among many in the Nintendo Life team, with the recent arrival of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate being very welcome indeed. While the formula for the franchise has remained largely consistent, Capcom is now planning to shake things up with a cartoonish RPG experience - Monster Hunter...
News Mario Maker Japanese Website Points to Inclusion of Yoshi and, Maybe, Kuribo's Shoe
8-bit Yoshi, HD Kuribo's Shoe? Sign us up...
Sometimes it pays to look for clues and information on official Nintendo game pages published for the Japanese market. Some eagle-eyed Mario Maker fans over on NeoGaf have been looking around the Japanese website for the game and found some interesting pointers on potential content. For starters, as you...
Talking Point Splatoon Is a Typically Colourful Nintendo Dabble in the Mainstream Market
It can't be gory with all that ink
When Splatoon was revealed at E3 2014, this writer was rather unimpressed, which in the clear perspective of hindsight was a very narrow-minded reaction. Eager to see more 'hits', the oddball, super colourful third-person competitive shooter seemed like a peculiar announcement - both fundamentally Nintendo-esque...
Video Learn More About the SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive and Its Battle With the SNES
Did You Know Gaming does its thing
The 'console wars' of the '90s are the stuff of legend for some, and an important part of personal gaming history for those of us 'of an age'. Unless you were rather flush there were decent odds back then of being in one camp or the other - the SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive or the Super Nintendo / SNES. Friendships...
Saturday11th Apr 2015
News Each Splatoon amiibo Will Unlock 20 Special Challenges
Worth splashing the cash?
The most recent Nintendo Direct broadcasts unsurprisingly devoted a segment to Splatoon, a major release on Wii U that's arriving at the end of May. Part of this segment was confirmation that the rumours of Splatoon amiibo were accurate, with three toys on the way - Squid, Boy Inkling and Girl Inkling. Clarity on what...
Poll Is Splatoon a Blockbuster That'll Help Revive the Wii U?
We want your thoughts on its online play, amiibo and lack of voice chat
The Wii U has a small batch of highly promising titles on the way, though only one notable arrival is currently expected worldwide in the first half of this year - Splatoon. European gamers do have Yoshi's Woolly World to look forward to on 26th June, admittedly, but that title...
Review Mega Man Zero 3 (Wii U eShop / GBA)
(Mostly) Zero changes
After releasing the previous two Mega Man Zero titles and having them almost universally liked, it would've been crazy to end the series there; so, naturally, Capcom produced Mega Man Zero 3 for the Game Boy Advance. Just as before, the game follows the events of the previous instalments pretty directly. Picking up two months...
Feature The Best Alternate Reality Super Nintendo Classics We Never Got To Play
Super Elite! Super Dune! Super Strider! If only!
In this one-off feature, Nintendo Life contributor and retro fanatic Gonçalo Lopes thinks out loud about the greatest SNES games that never were. I have always been a bit of a dreamer. From as far as I can recall, I was always dreaming within the world of tomorrow. And speaking of dreams, how about...
Video The Importance of Co-Op Gameplay in Modern Gaming
Featuring Affordable Space Adventures
It's no lie that due to the popularity of the ultra-competitive gaming scene that co-operative gameplay has taken rather a sideline in recent years. Luckily all is not quite lost, and a handful of developers are still keen to provide this style of gameplay for the fans who crave it, and there's no example better...
Friday10th Apr 2015
News Nintendo's Super Spring Sale Shines Light on Some Top Wii U and 3DS eShop Deals
If you're in North America check them out
In addition to discounts announced as part of Nintendo's Download Update for North America, there are a range of enticing offers also available as part of a 'Super Spring Sale' in the region. It's Spring Break season, so there's that bit more time for games. The discounts stretch across Wii U and 3DS retail...
News Analyst Thinks Nintendo Is Already Winding Down Wii U Ahead Of Nintendo NX Launch
"The Wii U is on the wrong side of the bell curve"
It goes without saying that the Wii U hasn't been the success Nintendo had hoped for, with just under 10 million total hardware sales since launch - that's around half the amount of systems that Sony has shifted, and the PS4 is a year younger than Nintendo's machine. With the recent announcement of...
News Xenoblade Chronicles X Will Use Downloadable Data Packs To Expedite Loading Times
Only for the disc-based version, naturally
The disc-based version of Xenoblade Chronicles X will use free downloadable "data packs" to cut down loading times, it has been revealed. Developer Monolith Software is recommending that players download all of the packs, but if hard drive space is limited there is the option to pick and choose which ones...
Rumour Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3 Teased For Nintendo Release
It's that time again
Back when the Wii U was young, Activision supported the console by making it play host to its yearly Call of Duty franchise. The console launched with Black Ops 2 and a year later would get Call of Duty: Ghosts. However, last year's Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare didn't make the jump to the Wii U, which seemed to signal the end...
News Clear Display Cases Show Off amiibo in Style
Trophy collection
All Amiibo collectors looking for a good way to store their trophies are in luck. Play Asia has posted a listing for an amiibo Clear Case. The HORI created case is comprised of a shallow stand, deep enough to fit the Amiibo disk, and a clear, square covering case to show off the various fighters in style. The case is available in...
Feature The Final Xenoblade Chronicles X Presentation - Dolls and Online Features
Info on how mech suits will work in the game, along with online mechanics
Well, there you have it. With this latest Japanese Xenoblade Chronicles X presentation, Nintendo and developer Monolith Soft have spilled all the beans they're willing to spill before the game releases in Japan on 29th April. In the past we've seen the planet of Mira detailed,...
Rumour Project X Zone 2: Brave New World Heading to 3DS
More cross-over goodness seems to be on the cards
Project X Zone on 3DS isn't perfect, but its bonkers storyline and mashups of Capcom, Sega and Bandai Namco certainly aren't dull. A lengthy, occasionally odd game, for fans of those companies and their storied franchises it can be a slice of anarchic strategy heaven. The good news is that a sequel...
News This Rodea the Sky Soldier Special Edition is Rather Lovely
Includes hardcover art book, soundtrack CD and "Key of Time" pendant
Rodea the Sky Soldier isn't due in the West until September, but publisher NIS America is keen to build interest through any means it can. A rather fancy collector's edition is one option, certainly. The special edition below is available on the NISA Online Store for either the...
Reminder Xenoblade Chronicles 3D Out Now for the New Nintendo 3DS XL in North America
Are you really feeling it?
Xenoblade Chronicles 3D has now arrived in North America, completing its roll-out across all territories. The first exclusive on the New Nintendo 3DS XL, it sees Monster Games succeed in porting one of the most sizeable Wii U experiences onto a portable. In our Xenoblade Chronicles 3D review (where we awarded 9/10) we...
A bit ruff
Here's a quick generalisation: There are huge differences between mobile games and Nintendo 3DS games. The best mobile games take advantage of the host platform with regards to touch controls, usage of the screen and gameplay. It's also fair to say that for every great mobile game, there's a shed load of dross, but at least they're...
Time for the nitty-gritty
Xenoblade Chronicles X is just weeks away in Japan, so Nintendo and Monolith Soft have prepared another live broadcast to build excitement. This may just be the best yet, as it'll focus on Mech (Dolls) and online aspects - we'll be translating and blogging as it happens...
Video Extended LEGO Dimensions Announcement Trailer Sets the Scene
Five minutes of LEGO-building anticipation
LEGO Dimensions looks set to be one of the year's most notable releases, as it'll bring one of the world's most iconic brands into the toys-to-life market current occupied by Skylanders, Disney Infinity and Nintendo's amiibo range. The only surprise is that it's taken this long for the project to be...
Video Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power is Shaping Up Rather Nicely
Fingers still crossed for a Wii U version
Trine 2: Director's Cut, a launch Wii U eShop release back in November 2012, remains one of the best-selling download-only titles on the store, while Trine Enchanted Edition was a recent release. The presence of those two games, and the fact they run rather well, has given us cautious optimism that...
Good news for Smash fans down under
Earlier this year, Nintendo replenished select stores across both Australia and New Zealand with fresh but limited quantities of amiibo stock. Following this move, Nintendo Australia has now revealed the in demand official GameCube Controller Adapter for Wii U will soon be available again at select retailers for...
Thursday9th Apr 2015
Nintendo Download 9th April (North America)
Xenoblade, Etrian Dungeons, Affordable Space Adventures, DS treats and more
It's that time again, North American gamers, for the Nintendo Download Update details. This week brings a Wii U exclusive that makes interesting use of the GamePad, major retail releases on the New Nintendo 3DS XL and wider 3DS 'family', more free-to-play Pokémon on 3DS,...
Reaction LEGO Dimensions Could be a Sales Phenomenon, and Nintendo Must Push It For Wii U
Can Nintendo seize LEGO dominance to replicate the Wii era of Just Dance?
Long rumoured, today finally brought official news on LEGO Dimensions, the toys-to-life project - the good news for Nintendo fans is that the late September release is confirmed for the Wii U. Admittedly LEGO games always do come to the Wii U, but in these tricky times it's...
News Former Rare Devs Playtonic Want Donkey Kong Country Villain K. Rool In Super Smash Bros.
"Let's get another of our artists' beautiful children into the fight"
Nintendo has opened up voting to see which characters its fans want to see in Super Smash Bros., and this has predictably led to some rather outlandish recommendations. UK studio Playtonic - made up of former Rare developers - has thrown its hat into the ring by suggesting fans...
Weirdness Hospitalised Man Steals More Than $1,000 Of Nintendo DS Gear From 8-Year-Old Boy
How low can you go?
We all know that Nintendo's portable gaming hardware is pretty desirable, thanks to the countless number of amazing games available for platforms like the Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS. However, would you risk a prison term just to get your grubby hands on some sweet Ninty action? 43-year-old Dave A...
News GAME Launches UK Pre-Orders for Splatoon amiibo and New Wave for Super Smash Bros.
Let the rush begin...
The amiibo train can't stop, and shoppers in the UK have some more thinking to do with GAME opening pre-orders on a range of options - all of which are still available at the time of writing. First-up, pre-orders are open for the first six figures above - Jigglypuff, Dark Pit, Palutena, Ganondorf, Zero Suit Samus and...
Video Super Smash Bros. Glitch Turns Kirby Into A Great Ball Of Fire
It's a hot trick
It's only inevitable for a game like Super Smash Bros. to have its glitches emerge on a regular basis due to the amount of playtime that it is subjected to by millions of players everyday. Each match consists of a multitude of factors, triggering all kinds of events. In fact, a strange outcome of becoming 'Fire Kirby' has recently...
Gallery Fresh Xenoblade Chronicles X Footage, Screens and Concept Art Arrive
Arts! Screens! Mechs!
Xenoblade Chronicles X arrives very soon in Japan, at the end of April, so there's a continued increase in hype and anticipation for Monolith Soft's RPG. The official website, for its part, continues to post regular updates to show a little more of what this huge adventure will have to offer. A range of new updates have been...
News A Splash of New Details Emerge on Splatoon's Development and Inspiration
Colour us excited
We're on the home stretch now to the release of Splatoon, which was confirmed to be out on 29th May on the last Nintendo Direct. The colorful third person shooter has drawn plenty of attention in the industry and Reggie Fils-Aime even went so far as to say that this will do for shooters what Mario Kart did for racing. Quite a bold...
Wii U release confirmed
Lego Dimensions - Lego's much-rumoured Toys To Life concept - has finally been officially revealed. Set in a world where an evil force has created rifts between the various Lego worlds, the title effectively allows developer TT Games free reign to pick and choose from Lego's vast selection of licenses, and pull them all...
Video Check Out Every Fire Emblem Intro So Far, From NES to Current Day
With the recent promo videos for If and the Shin Megami Tensei crossover
The history of the Fire Emblem franchise in the West is far less substantial that its equivalent track record in Japan, with the strategy series enjoying a number of entries from the days of the original Famicom. Its struggles on a global scale, as has been well recorded, were...
Video This Is How Much Faster Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. Is After The New Update
No more waiting
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is the latest title from esteemed developer Intelligent Systems, and offers plenty for fans of turn-based strategy: an eye-catching Steampunk art style, Fire Emblem amiibo support and President Abraham Lincoln. What more could you possibly want, right? Unfortunately not everything in life can be perfect, and in...
News 3DS eShop Title Titan Run Is Attack On Titan In Bite-Sized Form
Smash up a city for the highest score
D3Publisher's Japan-only Simple Series has been running for quite a few years now, offering engaging experiences for reasonable prices. The latest entry - developed by E-Trek - is inspired by the anime and manga franchise Attack on Titan and sees you dashing through the crowded city of Tokyo causing as much...
Community Interview Affordable Space Adventures - The Developers Answer Your Questions
"All types of game making are risky"
Affordable Space Adventures arrives in the eShop today in both North America and Europe, a Wii U exclusive that makes impressive use of the GamePad and suits either solo play or co-op for three players. It's a unique arrival in various ways, and we were full of praise for it in our Affordable Space Adventures...
News NES-Style Adventure Alwa’s Awakening Could Be Casting Its Spell On The Wii U
Inspired by NES classics like Battle of Olympus and Solstice
Yesterday saw the announcement of Alwa's Awakening, a gorgeous NES-style platform adventure for "modern systems" which takes inspiration from 8-bit gems like Battle of Olympus and Solstice - and, if we're lucky, it could be coming to the Wii U. The work of Alexander Berggren, Kevin...
News Iron Combat: War in the Air Starts the Battle in Europe on 16th April
Fire it up
There aren't many 3D futuristic flying action games on the 3DS eShop, which makes Iron Combat: War in the Air one to consider. Developed by Amzy and published by Teyon, this blends in-air shooting with some melee action thrown in; already out in North America, the good news for European portable players is that it's now dated for a 16th...
News Fossil Fighters Frontier Roaring Into Europe on 29th May
Clever game...
European Nintendo fans have hopefully been saving the pennies during the recent quiet spell of releases (since the New Nintendo 3DS arrived), as another title has been confirmed for the rush of arrivals in May and June. This time it's Fossil Fighters Frontier on the 3DS, which is due to hit the region on 29th May. Developed by Red...
Wednesday8th Apr 2015
News Empty Slots on Super Smash Bros. Site Suggests More Upcoming DLC Characters
They're toying with us!
One of the biggest pieces of news from last week's Nintendo Direct was the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot - an online form on the official Super Smash Bros. website that allows fans to pitch their dream characters as upcoming DLC for the game. Of course, this has sparked much interest, with players voting for both realistic - and...
Feature A Day in The Future Life of a Nintendo Gamer
When smartphones and new systems take over our days
Imagine this. When you check your phone in the morning, the Nintendo app is marked with a red dot. After you check your text messages and Facebook notifications, you click the big red "N" and get to work. Inside the app, your notifications let you know you have some extra lives for the Animal...
News Natsume Has Eight Game Boy Advance Titles Prepped For The Wii U Virtual Console
Medabots! Medabots DX! Pocky & Rocky with Becky! More!
Publisher Natsume has eight GBA titles ready for launch on the Wii U Virtual Console, according to director of operations Graham Markay. Markay dropped the news during the latest Fragments of Silicon podcast, adding that the company had been planning its Virtual Console attack for quite some...
News Pokémon Rumble World Available Now, as Nintendo Releases a New Launch Trailer
A day earlier than most downloads
Pokémon Rumble World, Nintendo's latest dalliance with free-to-play on the 3DS, arrives today - 8th April. Just recently announced, it takes the button mashing brawling series into microtransaction territory and is set to include all Pokémon that we've seen to date, including many Mega Evolutions. It's already...
News The Man Who Created Trollface Wants A Cut Of Meme Run's Earnings
"I don’t think he knows what the consequences of ignoring me are"
Remember Ninja Pig's Meme Run? The game hit the Wii U eShop recently and caused quite a stir, not only for its pretty terrible quality but also because it apparently used the popular "Trollface" Meme without the permission of the original creator. The end result was that the game...
Video This 200cc Mario Kart 8 Comparison Footage Shows Insane Speed Through Piranha Plant Pipeway
The power of flight
Mario Kart 8 will have a load of new content soon, with the 200cc racing class arriving as a free update for all players. We've already seen footage showing just how much it'll shake up the way we race, with the speed on offer seemingly more that the 50cc boost suggested by the name. Comparisons with 150cc laps are certainly...
Weirdness Super Meat Boy Is Calling For Your Votes In The Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot
The steaks have never been higher
There’s already been some encouragement to nominate the likes of Banjo-Kazooie and Shovel Knight in Nintendo’s Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot, and now in a growing trend, there is yet another iconic character calling for players’ precious votes. Team Meat is asking fans of Super Smash B
News Wii U Shooter Splatoon Makes EDGE Magazine's Cover
Hype is building
Splatoon is arguably one of the Wii U's biggest games of 2015 - if not its biggest, now that Zelda has slipped to next year. It's something of a departure for Nintendo, a company which has traditionally resisted the video game industry's current focus on first and third-person shooting titles. However, Splatoon has found a very...
StreetPass Fishing, StreetPass Zombies and premium service due soon
Nintendo used its Direct broadcasts last week to announce that there are two new StreetPass games on the way - StreetPass Fishing / Ultimate Angler and StreetPass Zombies / Battleground Z - in addition to the StreetPass Mii Plaza Premium option that adds some extra Mii features...
News Xenoblade Chronicles 3D Takes Third Place in Japanese Charts, Lifts New Nintendo 3DS Sales
Unsurprisingly sells less at launch than Wii original
Xenoblade Chronicles 3D launched in Japan last week, giving a welcome new release on Nintendo hardware in the company's homeland. It performed reasonably well, if not brilliantly, and helped the New Nintendo 3DS LL to climb back up to second in the hardware charts. The software top 20 has the...
News Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. Update Goes Live to Speed Things Up
Full steam ahead
Code Name S.T.E.A.M., the new IP from Intelligent Systems, certainly has a number of strengths. A downside, however, has been the amount of time players spend observing the action - often without much of a good view - waiting for the enemy AI to move. You could make a coffee in the break between moves - oh, alright, we're...
News Unreleased SNES Music Game From The Creator Of Electroplankton Comes Back To Life
Making noise with the SNES Mouse
Back in the 16-bit era Interactive media artist Toshio Iwai designed a SNES music composition tool that was to be released along with the SNES mouse in a bundle package, just like Mario Paint. There was even a US trademark filled for the game's western release under the name Sound Factory. Sadly, it never got...
News Nikki Lives On in Latest Batch of 3DS HOME Themes in Japan
Sesame Street! Steel Empire! Doraemon!
Japanese 3DS owners are never short of options with 3DS HOME menus, and this week's new arrivals are typically diverse and large in number. A few of the fresh options certainly caught our eye, either because of the brand involved or simply because they look neat. First of all we have Nikki's ongoing survival...
Video A Closer Look at the Protagonist of Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight
See the demonic hero in action
As some of you are aware, Etrian Odyssey Untold 2: The Fafnir Knight launches this summer for North American gamers. Promising a brand new story mode on top of the original campaign of Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard, Etrian fans have plenty to look forward to in this one. In an effort to start building hype for...
Tuesday7th Apr 2015
Review Super Mario 64 (Wii U eShop / N64)
Platforming perfection
There are two types of gamer – those who have played Super Mario 64 and those who should. Regularly placing towards the high end of 'best game ever' lists, Super Mario 64 has become a standard name-drop in many a classic gaming debate. Since launching in 1996, there have been a number of successors and contenders for the...
Talking Point Nintendo's Plans for DLC and Microtransactions Point to Changed Priorities
Previous ethics and standards are being stretched
We're in the midst of changing times for Nintendo, perhaps of a turbulent nature, and the sands are shifting in multiple ways. In the past couple of months we've seen Nintendo partner up with DeNA to move towards bringing its core IPs to smart devices, bringing a resultant boom in share prices, while...
News Fantasy Life 2 Is Skipping 3DS In Favour Of Smartphones
Phone home
Level-5 has just revealed that the sequel to the 3DS title Fantasy Life is coming to smartphones, ignoring Nintendo's handheld entirely. Fantasy Life 2: Two Moons And The Village of God will contain all the usual character-building RPG goodness - with a focus on exploring different "lives" or jobs - but the catch this time around is that...
Nintendo Download 9th April (Europe)
Affordable Space Adventures, free Pokémon Rumble, Quell Memento and more
A day later than normal courtesy of a public holiday, we now have this week's full Nintendo Download Update details for Europe. There's a Wii U eShop exclusive, the next free-to-play Pokémon title on 3DS, an excellent 'zen' puzzle experience and more. Let's get to the...
Review WarioWare Touched! (Wii U eShop / DS)
A Touch of Magic
Nintendo's initial Nintendo 64 and Nintendo DS Wii U Virtual Console titles certainly are an eclectic mix - with WarioWare Touched! perhaps being the most unexpected inclusion of the bunch. Having been initially released on the Nintendo DS in February 2005, WarioWare Touched! is one of the DS's earliest titles, coming from an era of...
News Nintendo's Official UK Store Opens Pre-Orders for Splatoon Bundles and amiibo
Inking out deals
Splatoon is an important upcoming arrival on the Wii U, with the new IP looking to win over Wii U owners and newcomers with its release at the end of May. Nintendo's official UK store has now jumped in well ahead of time with pre-orders for the game, including bundles with the special edition (with a Squid amiibo) and various...
The mystery continues
Nearly two years ago, Level-5 announced Layton 7, a curious departure for the series that would be coming to iOS, Android, and 3DS. Since then, next to nothing has come out about the project, but that all changed at Level-5's Vision event this year. There's been a change in the design of the title, with it now being...
News Pokémon White Makes Surprise Appearance in UK Charts as Xenoblade Chronicles 3D Struggles
New Nintendo 3DS title makes little impact
The Easter / Bank Holiday weekend has now passed in the UK, and with it retailers were eagerly running promotions and discounts to tempt shoppers to spend some cash to welcome in Spring. Game retail was no different, and as a result the most recent UK chart results have brought some interesting positions...
News The Snack World Is Level-5's Next Cross-Media Project, And It's Coming To Nintendo 3DS
Toys use NFC to interact with the game
As if announcing three new Yo-Kai Watch titles wasn't enough, Level-5 has today revealed its next big "cross-media" venture, The Snack World. A multimedia effort which will see Level-5 collaborate with Takara Tomy, TV Tokyo and CoroCoro Comics, The Snack World will cover movies, manga, toys and video games...
Wednesday8th Apr 2015
Weirdness Fans Reimagine the Game of Thrones Intro as the Opening for A Link to the Past
It'd make a nice opening for that supposed Zelda Netflix series
Fan creativity can often have rather off the wall results. Typically when fan work is viewed, one might ask "Why?", but in reality, the question one should be asking is "Why not?" That was likely the question going through these fans' minds as they developed this short video, it exists...
Tuesday7th Apr 2015
Video Feast Your Eyes On The Brand New Bravely Second Cinematic Trailer
We'll have that Western release date any time, right Square Enix?
If you're a huge JRPG fan, then you will likely be looking forward to the arrival of Bravely Second: End Layer. As the release date for the Japanese version becomes ever closer, fans in the West are going crazy for more details. We already know that fan favourite Agnes Oblige will be...
Game expected to arrive in 2016
We already knew that Yo-Kai Watch was coming to the west thanks to Hasbro's deal to create toys for the popular Japanese cross-over franchise, but it wasn't until today - and Level-5's Japanese Vision 2015 conference - that a publisher (Nintendo) and solid release window (2016) came to light. Nintend
News Level-5 Announces Yo-Kai Watch 3 For Nintendo 3DS, Action Takes Place In USA
Third time's a charm
Level-5 has just revealed the third entry in its best-selling Yo-Kai Watch series, due to launch on the Nintendo 3DS. Yo-Kai Watch 3 will take place in North America, in keeping with the storyline of the ongoing anime series. A new character is introduced called Inaho Misora, who has her own Yo-kai named USApyon. Level-5 has...
News Yo-Kai Watch Busters Hitting 3DS This Year, Main Franchise Coming To The West In 2016
Busting makes me feel good
Level-5's Vision 2015 event is happening right now, and the company's CEO Akihiro Hino has just announced a new entry in its popular Yo-Kai Watch franchise. Yo-Kai Watch Busters is an 3DS action title based on a mini-game featured in Yo-Kai Watch 2. The title will come in two versions - Red Cat Troupe and White Dog Unit -...
“Experience possible only on the unique hardware of the Wii U console”
Last year indie developer CHUDCHUD Industries announced the dungeon-crawler adventure, Temple of Yog, was on its way to the Wii U eShop. Since then, we haven’t heard all that much about it, but it appears the creators are now gearing up for the title’s official launch...
News Level-5 Confirms Yo-kai Watch Crossover With Koei Tecmo's Three Kingdoms
Platforms still unclear
In an eye-raising development from the Level-5 Vision 2015 event in Japan, the company has confirmed yet another spin-off release for the Yo-kai Watch series, in addition to the 3DS-bound Yo-kai Watch Busters. Yo-kai Watch: Three Kingdoms has been announced as a collaboration with Koei Tecmo. Three Kingdoms is a series...
Monday6th Apr 2015
Poll Which Characters Do You Want to Win the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot?
Realistic and, erm, not so realistic choices
Since it launched the official Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot page last week, Nintendo will have undoubtedly been bombarded with thousands of votes. When it comes to Super Smash Bros. there are always fighters left off the roster that many want to see, so the voting is sure to be diverse. With votes not...
Review Affordable Space Adventures (Wii U eShop)
Three players for the price of one
Affordable Space Adventures is one of relatively few Wii U eShop exclusives, and is unsurprisingly a particularly unique arrival on the store. A collaboration between KnapNok Games and Nifflas, it brings a fusion of the former's expertise in user interfaces and control mechanics, and the latter's surrealist visual...
Review Etrian Mystery Dungeon (3DS)
Sharing the Wonder
Since its début back in the DS days, ATLUS' Etrian Odyssey series has been well-represented in the West, with every main entry, an ongoing run of 'Untold' story-driven remakes and the magnificent mashup Persona Q all making their way to eager European and American gamers. The Mystery Dungeon games - while equally well-known in...
Video Donkey Kong 64 Tumbles Onto Wii U Virtual Console
Don't even think about that rap
The avalance of Wii U Virtual Console games continues with a game that is new to the Virtual Console service, having never previously received a re-release. Rare's Donkey Kong 64 has achieved infamy thanks to THAT intro song, but is the gameplay worth talking about? As someone who missed out on the game the first...
Gallery Gaze Upon Fire Emblem Cipher, the New Card Game Unlikely to Escape Japan
Sweet, sweet artwork
It's a common refrain to say that Nintendo releases the 'coolest' stuff in Japan, but there are a number of reasons why that's said an awful lot. Perhaps there's something in the statement, if this lovely card game is anything to go by. Fire Emblem Cipher is due in Japan this summer, no doubt to coincide with the arrival of...
What a $*!$!*!$ of $*!$
Any game based on the hugely popular AVGN web-series is going to be full of profanity, of course - Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures, being relatively faithful to the source material, is therefore a mature game. We acknowledged this in our review for the game, with the following observation / warning. Expletives and...
News Download Card Prompts Speculation Over DLC Quests in Xenoblade Chronicles X
Just how big does it need to be?
Xenoblade Chronicles X is already shaping up to be the largest - by a distance - game on the Wii U, with dozens (perhaps hundreds) of hours required to see it through. It arrives in Japan soon, too, so more will emerge later in April. An image of the download card for the title has been doing the rounds over on...
Be quick to win a Blastoisinite
Pokémon Shuffle is the highest profile free-to-play release yet from Nintendo, mainly due to its use of microtransactions to try and get players to spend money in order to accelerate progress. Evidently Pokémon is the franchise for these experiments, as the upcoming Pokémon Rumble World will also have a similar...
We deduce that this is awesome
The Great Ace Attorney, which will take the series into a new era and no doubt expand upon its various case-solving mechanics, is creeping closer to its release on 3DS in Japan. Gamers in the West can do little but look on in envy, unfortunately, and the special edition bundles will do little to ease our suffering...
Video Lucas Visuals and Moveset Compared Between Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Wii U
Spot the difference
Fans of the latest Super Smash Bros. titles on Wii U and 3DS certainly have a lot to look forward to, with Mewtwo on the way soon - we also know that Lucas is coming this summer, of course, making a return from Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Wii. Though we have a wait for the character to arrive as DLC, we're yet to see how he'll...
If you really want to...
Fan art comes in all sorts of forms, including extravagant structures composed of 14,000 painted toothpicks. That's not a sentence we get to write every day. The start screen of Super Mario Bros. on the NES is iconic, to put it mildly, and a keen fan has taken the unusual approach of reconstructing it with toothpicks. The...
News Actos Games Announces a New DLC Content Update For Psyscrolr - Reign of the Twig King
Free update is poised to inject some Metroidvania goodness into the puzzler
Wii U eShop release psyscrolr is a recent puzzle platformer title from Actos Games, a new start-up based in North Carolina, USA. The game revolves around the exploits of a traveler with psychic powers called the Scrolr as he's guided along by The Narrator. While we're still...
Sunday5th Apr 2015
Review Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures (Wii U eShop)
Better than a buffalo diarrhoea dump in your ear
Making a game that is in itself a callout to awful games has to be like preparing fugu: you definitely want to retain the essence people are paying for, but leaving the wrong parts in is going to be lethal. You have to be crappy without being crappy, and if anyone can pull this off with zen-like...
Review Mario Kart DS (Wii U eShop / DS)
Flawed perfection
The 2005 hit, Mario Kart DS, marked a new era for Nintendo and its long-running racing series. This particular iteration was released during a transitional phase for the company, with Nintendo beginning to rethink the conventions of gaming. Mario Kart on the DS mirrored this fresh approach, incorporating a portable online...
"It's great to finally release something on Nintendo consoles"
As you're likely aware, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth was just recently confirmed for release on Wii U and the New Nintendo 3DS. The Zelda-inspired dungeon crawler caused quite a controversy back in the early days of the eShop when Nintendo rejected the game due to its questionable...
Retrospective Sega's Streets of Rage Series
In pursuit of pugilistic perfection
Nostalgia sells and publishers know it. You just have to look at all the reboots, Definitive and Remastered Editions out there for proof. But there are, however, some titles that cannot be modernised no matter how much companies try. Sega beat-em-up Streets of Rage is perhaps one of the best examples of such...
Saturday4th Apr 2015
News New Fire Emblem on 3DS Takes Shape as Two Separate Releases in Japan
Western details for 2016 release unclear
We think it's fair to say that, at the moment, the Fire Emblem series is in the position to go from strength to strength, following the success of Fire Emblem: Awakening. Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD continue to impress their Fire Emblem fans, and with a new addition to the series on the horizon Fire...
Review Fossil Fighters: Frontier (3DS)
Adventure's right around the bend
On paper, Fossil Fighters might appear to be little more than a Pokémon clone. It's a series about reviving dinosaurs — called vivosaurs — from fossilized remains and pitting them in turn-based battles against other dinosaurs. But even though the formula is undoubtedly similar, Fossil Fighters makes a solid...
Gallery Yarn Yoshi Is Just Too Darn Cute
Nintendo turns the 'cuteness' up to 11
During Nintendo's latest Nintendo Direct it emerged that we won't be able to visit Yoshi's Woolly World until at least June in Europe and a vague 'Fall' in North America. It's been over 2 years since the game was first announced and we can't wait to play it, but hopefully this selection of real-life Yarn Yoshi...
News Digital Foundry Puts Splatoon's 60fps Promise to the Test
"It's a lovely game with a look all its own"
Splatoon isn't far away, arriving in late May in both North America and Europe, and it promises a unique experience for the Wii U. Nintendo doesn't release many shooters, but the ink-based focus and GamePad controls in this one help it to stand out in the most crowded of genres. As per the big N's...
Video WarioWare Touched! Arrives On Wii U Virtual Console
We check out Wario DS mayhem on the Wii U
The WarioWare series is an excellent detour into the absolutely mad world of Wario and his friends, so it's great to see this DS game released on Wii U Virtual Console. We thought we'd show you how great this game is via the medium of video. Watch and enjoy! Like this video? Subscribe to our channel...
Friday3rd Apr 2015
"We've worked with Nintendo on Rare IP before"
In a blow to console warriors that want the major console manufacturers to battle it out to the death, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has spoken positively about the potential for Rare IP to be featured as DLC in Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Now that would be something to behold. This is in...
News Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate April DLC Available Now, Featuring Sonic Palico Gear
Hopefully won't troll as hard as the Zelda unlocks
We're not going to lie, aspects of the free March DLC for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate were frustrating - the Legend of Zelda gear looked fabulous but, heck, good luck clearing the quests to unlock it. We jumped online in a group of four and failed spectacularly - it hurt. Hopefully the key April...
Video Super Mario 64 Leaps Onto Wii U Virtual Console
We show off the Wii U features for this classic
Nintendo brought us all a treat during the most recent Nintendo Direct, when it announced the long-awaited arrival of Nintendo 64 games to Wii U Virtual Console. Available now on your Wii U, one of the first available games is the legendary Super Mario 64. We took the time to play and capture some...
Review Iron Combat: War in the Air (3DS eShop)
Altitude, don't forget to watch altitude...
Making an immersive 3D shooter on any platform is quite an undertaking, but this is especially true on the 3DS. There are some of these titles available on the platform, but they aren't as popular as many other genres. This makes the elusive quality shooter on 3DS even more valuable, and as a result, games...
Feature Gawk at Fancy Super Smash Bros. Mewtwo Screens and Full Costume DLC Details
What's the deal with the DLC?
As sanity returns to the world of Nintendo, with many taking some time off for the Easter weekend, we thought we'd take advantage of the fact that the official Smash Bros. website is no longer creaking under excess traffic and grab some details and pretty images. This article's in two parts - there's a gallery of the...
Video Mario Kart DS Skids Onto Wii U Virtual Console
We dig into DS settings for Wii U and classic racing
Nintendo DS games are finally getting their full chance to shine on the Wii U Virtual Console. The first of two games to be released at launch in Europe is Mario Kart DS, an excellent entry in the long-running racing series. All of your favourite Super Mario characters take to the roads once more...
Weirdness The Moon in Majora's Mask Probably Has a Black Hole Inside, Because Science
Physics is actually fun
We rather enjoy videos and articles that essentially serve as 'stealth education' here at Nintendo Life. Take a much-loved game or topic and apply scientific logic to it, and you have the ingredients for a video that's both entertaining and fascinating. That criteria certainly applies to this video focused on why the moon in...
News The President Of Stella Glow Developer Imageepoch Has Gone Missing
Sites also down, office apparently up for rent
Japanese RPG developer Imageepoch has been in the press this week thanks to the confirmation that its 3DS title Stella Glow is coming to the west, but not all of the news relating to the firm is positive. Kotaku is reporting that Imageepoch's president Ryoei Mikage has gone missing, and tha
Video Here's a Handy Comparison of Mewtwo's Moves in Super Smash Bros. Melee and on Wii U
Lots of extra polygons
Mewtwo is coming very soon to the latest Super Smash Bros. titles, as soon as 15th April for those that registered on Club Nintendo. For eager fans and series veterans it'll be an exciting arrival, with Melee players no doubt getting ready to bust out their old moves and combos once again. Though this DLC character has taken...
News Garfield and Paddington Bear to Star in Upcoming 3DS Blockbusters*
*Might not be blockbusters
The 3DS has a lot of great games, both at retail and on the eShop, but it can always do with a few more additions. It seems the world of mid-tier retail releases hasn't finished yet - it was dominant in the DS era - with publisher Ravenscourt bringing some recognisable IPs to the portable in Europe. Both set to cost...
News Game Freak's GBA Title Drill Dozer Rated By The Australian Classification Board
Konami's The Adventures of Bayou Billy is also on the way
The Australian Classification Board has revealed Game Freak's GBA hit, Drill Dozer, will be arriving on the Wii U Virtual Console in the near future. The critically praised action platformer previously released in Japan in 2005 and North America in 2006 has players take control of a...
Review Best of Arcade Games - Tetraminos (3DS eShop)
Line 'em up...again and again
It's safe to say that developer Bigben Interactive has been hard at work, relentlessly churning out adaptions of all manner of board and arcade games as part of a range of "Best Of" titles. While it might seem redundant to try and recreate the mighty Tetris on a Nintendo handheld of all places, Tetraminos is arguably...
Video Catch Up With The Nintendo Treehouse Splatoon Broadcast
In lovely 60fps, too
The Treehouse team at Nintendo of America has become an increasing presence in the past year, particularly since its excellent live coverage during E3. Live streams showing off upcoming games have been fairly common, and a few of the localisation experts were on hand to show off upcoming Wii U shooter Splatoon following the most...
Thursday2nd Apr 2015
News North American Retailers Confirm Super Smash Bros. amiibo Exclusives and Pre-Order Times
Details you need to know for a fighting chance
During its most recent Nintendo Direct broadcast Nintendo confirmed more Super Smash Bros. amiibo toys that are due in the coming months. It also confirmed a 29th May release date for wave 4, which will have grabbed the interest of ke
News Yoshi's Woolly World Knits Up Some Release Details And An Adorable Range Of amiibo
Will release on June 26th in Europe, and 'Fall' in North America
Today's Nintendo Direct brought further info on Yoshi's Woolly World, the latest platforming title to feature our egg-tossing hero, and went into some detail on two different difficulty modes to suit players of all skill levels. 'Classic' mode will have a similar feel to traditional...
News Splatoon amiibo 3-Pack Will Cost $35, According To Amazon
Pre-orders opening soon
Yesterday Nintendo hosted a pretty action-packed Nintendo Direct, followed by a really entertaining Treehouse session solely based around the forthcoming Wii U title Splatoon. This Nintendo Direct was absolutely bursting with amiibo fun. With a brand new wave of arriving later this year and the first images of a
Nintendo Download 2nd April (North America)
Nintendo 64 and DS on Wii U, AVGN, BOXBOY! and much more
It's that time again, North American gamers, and this week's Nintendo Download Update has some exciting treats following the Nintendo Direct shenanigans of 1st April. Nintendo 64 and DS arrive on the Wii U Virtual Console, while there are a whole load of new games and discounts across both the...
Nominate your dream fighter
Nintendo continued its strong support of amiibo and future content for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U & 3DS with a number of related announcements during today's Direct. Firstly, Nintendo has revealed the next three waves of Super Smash Bros. amiibo are due out in May, June and July. They include the likes of...
Feature The Big Nintendo Direct Summary - 1st April 2015
Release dates, DLC, knitted amiibo and more
After a wait of over two and a half months, Nintendo finally gave us a fresh Nintendo Direct in which to indulge ourselves. It was interesting for a variety of reasons, not least the fact that its focus in large segments - particularly the opening and finale - was on DLC for existing blockbusters. There...
News Splatoon Release Date, Modes and amiibo Information Splat Into View
Ranked online matches and three special amiibo toys
We've known for a long time that Splatoon would arrive in May, and it seems that previous - and hastily removed - official web pages were correct; the new third-person shooting IP for Wii U arrives on 29th May. During today's Nintendo Direct broadcasts we were given more information, too. To start...
Video See for Yourself How 200cc Speed Affects Mario Kart 8 Racing
Some tracks will never be the same again
Nintendo may be exploring quite a lot of paid DLC options, but it still gives us some free treats - the upcoming 200cc update for Mario Kart 8 is a good example. Revealed during Nintendo Direct, it'll arrive on 23rd April and bring a whole new level of speed to the terrific kart racer. The reveal video...
Talking Point Nintendo Turns to Classics, DLC and amiibo to Keep Fans Hooked
Stalling tactics, but delightful nevertheless
Nintendo's most recent Nintendo Direct broadcasts were an oddity of contradictions - a lot was revealed, but it can easily be argued that there wasn't a great deal of new content. We were excited and delighted by some of the reveals, but conversely shook our heads and felt concern with every release...
News It's Not An April Fool, The Binding Of Issac: Rebirth Really Is Coming To The New 3DS And Wii U
Completely uncensored, apparently
Yesterday was April Fool's Day, and that meant plenty of joke news pieces which caused a few chuckles but were otherwise ignored as false. However, one story slipped through even the Nintendo Life "Fool Filter", and that was the revelation that The Binding of Issac: Rebirth is coming to the Wii U and New 3DS...
News Xenoblade Chronicles X's Soundtrack Is So Epic, It Needs 4 CDs To Contain It
55 songs, coming to Japan May 20th
With Xenoblade Chronicles 3D release date fast approaching, it's hard not to yearn for the brand new title from the series, Xenoblade Chronicles X. However far away the (still undecided) western release date might be, new information for the game has been arriving in spades leaving fans wanting more. Recently we...
Defend the outer walls against giant Titans
Based on the hugely popular Japanese anime, the latest Nintendo Direct has revealed the ATLUS title, Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains, will arrive locally on the 3DS eShop in May - that's in North America and Europe. The title will feature four-player local and online co-op gameplay, along with...
News Mario Kart 8 Animal Crossing DLC Pack Brought Forward to April, More amiibo Outfits on the Way
Track changes with the real-world seasons
Mario Kart 8 was saved for the finale of today's Nintendo Direct broadcasts, and with good reason. Satoru Iwata unveiled a free update that'll introduce a 200cc mode, but we also got more details on the upcoming Mario Kart 8 X Animal Crossing DLC pack and additional amiibo support. To start with the DLC...
News Pokémon Rumble World Arrives On The 3DS eShop Next Week
Free-To-Start, with paid transactions
Last month there was solid evidence of a new Pokémon Rumble game arriving in the near future. First a domain name was filed, and then came the Australian Classification Board rating. Following these developments, the latest Nintendo Direct has now officially revealed the next entry in the series as Pokémon...
News Nintendo Shows Off More eShop Games, With Cross-Buy and Promotions On the Way
2-for-1 with Don't Starve, Mutant Mudds cross-buy
The most recent Nintendo Direct broadcasts certainly had plenty of details, and as per tradition there was a segment dedicated to the eShop. In Europe there was the welcome news that Azure Striker Gunvolt will arrive today (2nd April), and the charming Mighty Gunvolt will be free until 2nd July with...
News Pandora's Tower And Sin And Punishment Coming To The European eShop This Month
Early bird discount applies, too
It has been confirmed during the recent European Nintendo Direct that the Wii classics Pandora's Tower and Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Skies will be coming to the Wii U eShop in Europe on the 16th and 30th April respectively. Both games will be subject to a 25 percent discount during their first week on...
News Buy Three Nintendo 64 and DS Virtual Console Games and Get the Fourth Free in Europe
Knocks the average price down a little...
During this week's Nintendo Direct we had the news that Nintendo 64 and DS games are coming to the Wii U Virtual Console in force. In the madness then and since we didn't notice a particular deal that's running in Europe as a result of the region having four games available right from the off. As was...
News Rodea the Sky Soldier Glides to European Consoles on 25th September
North American date is possibly a few days sooner
If you remember back a few weeks, it was finally confirmed that Rodea the Sky Soldier would be spreading its wings and escaping the depths of development hell. After a shaky development cycle that was dragged out over three years, NIS America made the announcement that it would be publishing the...
News Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. Update Will Speed Up Enemy Turns, More Stock Of Marth amiibo Promised
Fast forward
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is an excellent strategy title for the 3DS, but it's really handicapped by the slowness of enemy turns. Waiting for your opponent to move their units is a real drag, and makes the game hard to enjoy to its fullest. Thankfully, Nintendo is aware of this issue and during yesterday's Nintendo Direct confirmed that a...
News Let's Educate Parents About Mature Titles, Suggests Game-Loving Teacher
"Don't just sneer at the teachers who are trying to get the message out"
Last week, we reported on news that UK head teachers have issued a written warning to parents about 18-rated video games - like Call of Duty and Gears of War - being played by schoolchildren. The letter - issued by Nantwich Education Partnership - predictably caused quite a...
News Here’s How the Demon Auction Will Work in Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker
Sold!
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker is shaping up to be quite an attractive title, launching in the otherwise quiet month of May. A remake of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2, this enhanced version offers nearly twice as much content as the original, and a
News 2015 Pokémon Video Game Championship Series Announced For Australia & New Zealand
Championship Points and Premier Challenge tournaments are a game changer
Pokémon fans located in Australia and New Zealand will once again have the opportunity to compete in the Pokémon Video Game Championship Series this year with Nintendo Australia announcing the official 2015 season featuring the latest entries in the series, Pokémon Omega...
News HAL's 3DS Puzzle Platformer BOXBOY! Will Be Available To Download Today
Announced during yesterday's Nintendo Direct
HAL Laboratory's retro-themed puzzle platformer BOXBOY! will be available for download on the North American and European 3DS eShops today. Announced during yesterday's Nintendo Direct, the game tasks you with guiding a box-like character through increasingly tricky levels, using his ability to generate...
News Super Fighter Team Is Putting Its Retro Catalogue Back Into Production
Reprints for classic SNES and Genesis titles, plus two new games
Super Fighter Team has confirmed that it is putting several of its classic titles back into production for a limited period of time. Legend of Wukong and Star Odyssey - two Sega Genesis / Mega Drive RPGs released in 2008 and 2011 respectively - are both getting reprints, as is fellow...
Wednesday1st Apr 2015
Feature Nintendo Reveals the Final Club Nintendo Elite Rewards
Lots of games on offer, retail and download-only
The time has come for Club Nintendo members in North America - the last set of Elite Status rewards. It's the end of an era, and a final hurrah for everyone with a Gold or Platinum status that can be redeemed for an extra treat. As per last year the selection consists entirely of downloads. There are...
News Nintendo DS And Nintendo 64 Games Finally Coming To The Wii U Virtual Console
Update: Four games available in Europe right now
If you feel that the Virtual Console on Wii U has been a neglected of late then today's Nintendo Direct should have put a big smile on your face. Nintendo not only reconfirmed its commitment to bringing Nintendo DS titles to the service, but also revealed that N64 games are on the way, too. DS titles...
Nintendo Direct Watch the Latest North American Nintendo Direct - Live!
Wii U and 3DS games, Treehouse to follow
It's been quite a wait, but we now have the latest Nintendo Direct that'll focus on upcoming Wii U and 3DS games. We're expecting a mix of release dates, exciting new footage and some reveals, so join us for this North American broadcast...
Boxed in
BOXBOY! is Game Boy-era design and aesthetics reincarnated for Nintendo's latest handheld, picking up a few new ideas since the monochromatic minster's heyday. With plenty of polish and thoughtful puzzles to conquer, we were surprised to find ourselves so bored with it all. Just like the retro classics, BOXBOY! makes a simple request of...
News Mewtwo And Lucas Confirmed As Super Smash Bros. DLC Characters
Update 1.0.6 also detailed, along with special crossover costumes for Miis
During today's Nintendo Direct it was confirmed that Mewtwo and Lucas will be added to Super Smash Bros. as DLC characters. Mewtwo is the first up, and will be available for download on April 28th for $3.99. You can download the character on both 3DS and Wii U for $4.99. As...
Thursday2nd Apr 2015
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Launching With amiibo Cards And NFC Reader This Autumn
Lend your interior design talents to the animals
Not long ago, Nintendo revealed it was looking for alternate ways to make the new amiibo line more readily available to the masses and that it was even considering collectable cards which could be scanned into games as an option. The latest Direct has now revealed Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer...
Wednesday1st Apr 2015
Talking Point What We Expect from Nintendo Direct - 1st April
Release dates, teases, DLC and eShop goodies
It's that time again, and before we start referring to this as the April Fools' Day Direct, let's remember that it's airing on 2nd April in regions and countries like Japan, Australia and CET parts of Europe. Nintendo will most assuredly be announcing plenty of real details, which is certainly worth...
Feature The 'Best' Nintendo-Themed April Fools' Day Pranks of 2015
LOL, LMAO, WTF, ROFL and similar emotions
Hoho, Happy April Fools' Day everyone! We gathered around the imaginary tree and exchanged fake gifts, laughing at the silliness of it all. LOL! That one's great! RAGE! That one's realistic enough that I want it to be true! Punches were thrown, noses bloodied. So let's look at some of the 'Best' April...
Thursday2nd Apr 2015
News Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem Wii U Crossover is Finally Shown
Not coming until 2016
It was a long time ago that Nintendo announced a crossover for Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem, a collaboration between the big N and Atlus. The absence of updates led to speculation that the project was in trouble, with some doubting it would ever arrive. It did make an appearance in today's Nintendo Direct broadcast,...
Wednesday1st Apr 2015
Nintendo Direct Watch the Latest European Nintendo Direct - Live!
All aboard, Wii U and 3DS owners!
The wait is over, and today we have a fresh Nintendo Direct that'll bring us news on Wii U and 3DS games. We're hoping for plenty of excitement, with Satoru Iwata and Satoru Shibata on hosting duties - join us for the latest European Nintendo Direct!...
News Wii U Horror Title Fatal Frame Confirmed For Western Release Later This Year
Lights, camera, elation
Nintendo has confirmed that the latest Fatal Frame title will indeed be its way out of Japan later this year. Released last year in Japan under the title Fatal Frame: The Black Haired Shrine Maiden, this latest entry in the popular horror series uses the Wii U GamePad as a camera. Developed by Koei Tecmo, the game looked...
Thursday2nd Apr 2015
News Mario Kart 8 Is Getting A Blisteringly Fast 200cc Mode For Free
Feel the need for speed on April 23rd
150cc has always been the sternest test in the Mario Kart series. Right from the launch of Super Mario Kart, this expert racing class represented the very best the franchise could offer: incredible speed and tough, skilled rivals. However, during today's Nintendo Direct a bombshell was dropped - 150cc is no...
Wednesday1st Apr 2015
Exclusive Theatre Musical 'The Legend of Zelda: Harmony of Hyrule' to Tread the Boards of Broadway
Everyone sings but Link
When rumours of a Legend of Zelda TV series on Netflix circulated, there was an understandable mix of trepidation and excitement; its description of "Game of Thrones for a family audience" certainly raised eyebrows. However, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata subsequently came out and said that the apparent leak was inaccurate,...
News Game Boy Advance Given Up The Ghost? The Revo K101 Could Answer Your Prayers
Now with added colour options from Rose Colored Gaming
Hardware clones are pretty common these days thanks to the relentless march of technology, and recently we've seen a host of 8 and 16-bit systems replicated by products like the RetroN 5, Supaboy and Super Retro Trio. The Game Boy Advance is
Thursday2nd Apr 2015
News The New 3DS Fire Emblem Will Force You To Pick A Side
Hoshido or Nohr - which will you choose?
During today's Nintendo Direct more footage of the latest Fire Emblem title was shown, and although the game doesn't have a final title yet, we're starting to get a better picture of what this fresh instalment is all about. Unlike Fire Emblem: Awakening, you won't be assuming the role of a off-screen...
Wednesday1st Apr 2015
News Super Mario 64 HD Creator Bows To Legal Action And Removes Game From The Web
"I didn't really expect for this project to get so popular"
Man, Super Mario 64 HD was looking sweet. A totally free fan-made project built in Unity, its aim was to give Nintendo fans an updated version of the N64 classic. Sadly, Nintendo wasn't too pleased and issued a take-down notice earlier this week. Shocked by the level of fame his game has...
News Welcome to amiibo Tap, Nintendo's Retro Box Of Chocolates
Use your amiibo to unlock "Nintendo’s Greatest Bits"
Today's Nintendo Direct held a neat surprise for fans of the company's amiibo toy range. amiibo Tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits is a free downloadable title which uses amiibo figures to unlock snippets of classic Nintendo titles. Tapping an amiibo unlocks a 3 minute "scene" from a range of retro...
Thursday2nd Apr 2015
News New StreetPass Mii Plaza Games Incoming, Along With Premium Mii-Related Content
Fish and fight zombies with your StreetPass pals, or open a VIP room
During today's Nintendo Direct it has been confirmed that two new StreetPass Mii Plaza games are being released. Ultimate Angler (StreetPass Fishing in Europe) is, as the title suggests, a fishing-based title. You'll find 150 fishes and monsters contained within. Battleground Z...
Video Here's a Huge Batch of Nintendo Direct Videos For You to Enjoy
Sit back and hit play
The Nintendo Direct festivities have drawn to a close, bringing a range of announcements and details. While we're covering the big news in a series of articles, we thought it'd be nice to put a whole load of the recently released videos and trailers in one place for your convenience. Check them out below. Which is your...
News Get Ready To Build With Mario Maker On Wii U This September
Celebrating Mario's 30th anniversary
Mario fans were given a special mention during today's Nintendo Direct, as the portly plumber will be celebrating his 30th anniversary this year. To help mark the occasion, it was announced that Mario Maker will be coming to Wii U in September, so fans can create their own version of the Mushroom Kingdom as they...
Wednesday1st Apr 2015
Video Marvel At The Insane Dedication Of These Legend Of Zelda Cosplayers
Who wants to be Tingle?
The Legend of Zelda is a pretty big deal for Nintendo fans. The series is packed with amazing games and memorable characters, and it's little wonder that whenever cosplay events take place, a large proportion of attendees choose to dress up as famous faces from the franchise. If you need any more evidence of this, feast your...
Video Marvel At The Fabulous amiibo Unlocks In Style Savvy Sequel, Girls Mode 3
Accessorise with a Kirby handbag, darling
The latest entry in Girls Mode series (known locally as Style Savvy or New Style Boutique depending on where you live) will strut its stuff on the catwalk later this month when it debuts in Japan on 16th April. As with all of Nintendo’s current releases, Girls Mode 3: Kira Kira Code will receive the...
News Nintendo Bringing Some Big Hits and amiibo Competitions to WonderCon This Weekend
Win a Gold Mario amiibo
This weekend - from 3rd to 5th April - the Anaheim Convention Center in California will be taken over by WonderCon, an expo that celebrates films, TV, comics and video games. It's an extravaganza of noise, excitement and cosplay, and Nintendo of America has announced its plans for its own booth and events at the expo...
News Activision Almost Rebooted The Atari 2600 Classic River Raid On The SNES
Canned heat-seeker
You might assume that the allure of retro gaming is a modern thing, but even back in the days of 16-bit machines players were keen to sample titles from the past. To fill that demand publishers released reboots of classic titles; Activision's update of Pitfall is perhaps the most famous of the period, but we very nearly got a new...
Video New Nintendo TV Commercial Focuses on amiibo and Support for Multiple Games
Mention of Yoshi's Woolly World makes us hope for a release soon
We're finally getting to the stage that, beyond the inevitable 'rare' figures, amiibo toys are readily available in various stores. They may not often be the figures that die-hard collectors want the most, but there's decent stock of standard characters to catch the eyes of shoppers...
Parent Trap What My Kids Want From Lego's Toys To Life Concept, Lego Dimensions
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson on the future of Lego video games
Recent rumours of a new Toys to Life product from Lego has the internet buzzing and has made my kids put on their inventor hats. If you missed it, this is the news that Warner will team up with Lego for a new title called Lego Dimensions to compete with Skylanders, Disney Infinity and...
News Curve Digital Hints At A Possible Appearance In The Upcoming Nintendo Direct
Let the speculation begin
Curve Digital, responsible for the recently released Wii U and 3DS eShop cross-buy title, OlliOlli, has hinted it will make an appearance at some point during the upcoming Nintendo Direct. Given the success of OlliOlli, and the studio’s previous experience with Nintendo’s digital platforms releasing titles such as
News DeNA Hopes To Bring In $25 Million Per Month Via Its Relationship With Nintendo
Nintendo could be getting 70 percent of profits
Nintendo's first mobile phone game is expected to launch later this year, and partner DeNA has been talking up its expectations on the potential profitability of this joint venture. Speaking to Reuters, DeNA CEO Isao Moriyasu stated that while targets
News Theatrhythm Dragon Quest Battles Bravely Against Wave of Sony System Releases in Japan
3DS 'family' still performing reasonably well
In recent weeks Nintendo has seen the long-established dominance for the 3DS and its games strongly tested in Japan. There's been an influx of popular new releases on PS4, Vita and PS3, helping the first two systems in particular achieve improved hardware sales. No doubt it's a trend Nintendo hopes to...
