Review Guitar Hero Live (Wii U)
Put another dime in the jukebox, baby
News - October, 2015
Saturday31st Oct 2015
Review Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets (3DS)
Why you ackin' so cray cray?
Gravity Falls seems like the kind of show that would translate well into the realm of video games. From Zelda to Mario to Donkey Kong, the Disney cult hit has trotted out references to many of gaming's greatest franchises. In fact one of the best episodes of the series, "Fight Fighters", is about main character Dipper...
Nintendo Life Weekly Miitomo, Twilight Princess HD, Unannounced 3DS & Wii U Titles, and More
Nice to Miit you
It's been a week and a half for Nintendo news so there's no shame in feeling like you may have missed something important. That's why we've once again brought all the biggest news together to form one substantial but bitesized video. This week we look at the announcement of Miitomo, the first official Nintendo-developed app for...
Review Human Resource Machine (Wii U eShop)
Conundrums for coders
If you thought Human Resource Machine would be about a robot who hires and fires people, nobody would blame you, but you'd be wrong. Instead, you're put in the shoes of a drone at a mega corporation, helping to sort their mail using the unlikeliest of methods: computer programming. Human Resource Machine features a single...
Feature Ten Wii U and 3DS Games That Are Perfect for Halloween
Get spooked on the go and at home
Well, the night is here, when we indulge in dressing up and scares like there's no tomorrow. Halloween has become increasingly popular all around the world, and a decent option for getting our share of spooks is to jump into the action with some suitable games. Despite the - inaccurate - perception that Nintendo...
News Dark Mewtwo Gets Added to Pokkén Tournament Arcade Machines
Just when you thought Mewtwo couldn't get any more powerful
As many of you are aware, Pokkén Tournament is a Japanese arcade fighting game that aims to incorporate elements of the Tekken fighting series into a Pokémon themed fighter. It certainly seems to be an engaging experience and it's been recently confirmed that it will be brought to the...
Video Nintendo Gets Literal in Its Latest Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Commercial
Cute but confused residents
Animal Crossing is a curious franchise. It's in the name, naturally, that animals are walking around on two legs and charming us with silly dialogue, but not all will relate the characters to real animals. Sure, they may loosely resemble dogs, ducks and more, but the stylised visuals and quirky setting ensure that we...
News Dry Bowser and Bowser Jr. will be in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Now we just have to wait for Pink Gold Peach...
It's hard to believe that in just a few short weeks, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash will be gracing the consoles of Wii U owners in the West. It'll certainly be interesting to see how this one performs both critically and commercially, as many see it as a consolation prize that's trying to fill the gap...
News Zombies Will Face Off Against Ghosts in the Next European Splatfest
Zombies 'ain't afraid of no ghosts
Due to Splatoon Splatfests now being on alternate weeks in North America and Europe, gamers in the latter region will need to wait until 7th November for their own spooky face-off. As confirmed by Nintendo of Europe it'll be a rather appropriate battle between Zombies and Ghosts on 7th November, with the usual 24...
Friday30th Oct 2015
News Nintendo Is Making Female Characters Cover Up For The Western Version Of Xenoblade Chronicles X
UPDATE: Age remains the same
UPDATE: Having played the final code ourselves, we've noticed that Lin's age remains unchanged. ORIGINAL STORY: It is being reported that Nintendo has changed some of the more revealing outfits in the forthcoming western localisation of Xenoblade Chronicles X. The changes were spotted in versions of the game currently...
Preview Hitting the Courts in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Called out
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is one of a couple of key Holiday releases on the Wii U, fitting snugly into being familiar, accessible and inviting for families, in particular. As it has Mario in the title and is a 'wacky' sports game there's certainly the prospect that it could win over a few households for some multiplayer fun over the...
News Yo-Kai Watch Will Be The Next Pokémon, Claims Viz Media
"We are certainly bigger than Pokémon in Japan"
Viz Media - the firm which is handling the release of the Yo-Kai Watch comic and TV show in Europe and America - has confidently claimed that the series will be "the next Pokémon". Waell Oueslati, EMEA associate brand manager at Viz Media, is clearly bullish about the chances of the franchise in the...
News CyberGadget's Ridiculously Well-Equipped Retro Freak Console Begins Shipping Tomorrow
All-in-one wonder machine finally coming to market
We covered the news of the Retro Freak quite a while ago, and since then we've been waiting expectantly for more information about this potentially amazing system. With support for 11 different consoles - Famicom, SNES/Super Famicom, Mega Drive/Genesis, PC Engine, TurboGrafx-16, Game Boy, Game Boy...
Review Ascent of Kings (Wii U eShop)
A quick burst of old-school adventure platforming
Although Ascent of Kings, developed by Nostatic Software, has been available for a few years on other platforms (Android, iOS, Windows Phone and Xbox Live), it has only recently graced the Nintendo Wii U. It's built as a side-scrolling adventure-platformer (in the vein of Metroid or Castlevania) and...
News Satoru Iwata is Awarded With Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at Golden Joysticks
Had "the brain of a game developer and the heart of a gamer"
Today brought the Golden Joystick awards in the UK, a long-running event that is voted upon by the public. Nintendo secured a few awards, though the most touching was awarded to the company's former President. Satoru Iwata was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, having...
News Nintendo Expecting Mobile Business To Eclipse Wii And DS Era Profits In Three Years
Available in 8 languages, over 100 countries
Nintendo's smartphone plans became a little more real this week with the announcement of the company's first smartphone title, Miitomo. The news was tempered slightly by the revelation that the game - if one can call it that - will be delayed until March next year so that Nintendo has time to properly...
Feature Super Mario Maker’s Weekly Course Collection - 30th October
How many have you beaten?
Super Mario Maker has been out for a while now and we've already seen an impressive number of user-generated stages for players to tackle. So many in fact that it's often hard to know where to begin, but fear not - Nintendo of Europe has taken the liberty of compiling a list of the 10 most popular courses this week. Check...
News Toki Tori 3D Confirmed to be Hatching on 5th November
Hitting the Americas, Europe and Oceania all at once
Toki Tori 3D has been in the works for a little while, and the good news for fans of the Two Tribes puzzle title is that it'll arrive on the 3DS eShop on 5th November. It'll also have a budget price of $1.99 / €1.99 and arrive in the Americas, Europe and Oceania on that release date. Two Tribes...
News RCMADIAX Is Bringing Its Entire eShop Back Catalogue To Europe And Australia
New IARC rating system to thank
Indie studio RCMADIAX has revealed that it is bringing its entire back catalogue of titles to Europe and Australia. It would appear that the mooted adoption of the IARC (International Age Rating Coalition) system is to thank for this news, as RCMADIAX Michael Aschenbrenner boss hints in the official PR: Thanks to...
Video See Splatoon's Shiny New H-3 Nozzlenose D & Luna Blaster Neo in Action
Or is that Chiko Blaster Neo?
Splatoon's the game that just keeps on giving, and this week we've been graced with two brand spanking new weapons: the H-3 Nozzlenose D and the Luna Blaster Neo! The H-3 Nozzlenose D is a heavy-duty, long-range weapon that fires a burst of rounds at your foe with tremendous damage, but at a pretty weedy rate of fire...
Thursday29th Oct 2015
News Pokémon Hoopa Distribution Confirmed for McDonald's in the US, XY & Z Anime Opening Emerges
Dramatic...
While Pokémon fans in Europe have had the opportunity to pick up Hoopa for Pokémon X & Y and Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, some other territories have had to wait a little longer. The good news for 'mon fans in the US is that the powerful pocket monster now has confirmed distribution details for the country. As rep
News Nintendo Has Unannounced Wii U And 3DS Titles Ready For Launch Before The Year End
Keeping things in reserve
Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima has stated that there are more unannounced titles on the way for the Wii U and 3DS this holiday season. Speaking for the first time as CEO at a special strategy briefing for investors in Tokyo, Kimishima explained that these new games will arrive before the end of the year. These titles are...
News Sonic The Hedgehog Titles Being Pulled From The Wii Virtual Console
Spin dashing into the void
Famitsu has revealed that Sega will be withdrawing Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 from the Wii Virtual Console at the end of the month. The Mega Drive / Genesis classics will cease to be available via the service on Friday 30th October. The Xbox Live Arcade versions are also being taken down at t
Rumour More Evidence Mounts of Twilight Princess HD
Hopefully, we'll hear something about it in the next Direct
As many of you are aware, data miners recently found interesting information present on the eShop that seems to suggest Nintendo is gearing up for an HD remaster of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. While there's not been any official confirmation so far, the evidence certainly does...
News Nintendo's New Membership Service Is Called "Nintendo Account"
Cloud servers used to exchange save data between mobile and console
Nintendo has revealed the name of its new membership programme - the one introduced to replace the outgoing Club Nintendo system. During a special investors strategy briefing in Tokyo, CEO Tatsumi Kimishima announced that the service would be known as "Nintendo Account" and, as...
News Rejoice, The Wii U Has Finally Outsold Sega's Ill-Fated Dreamcast
To sell this many takes ages
Buried within the details of Nintendo's recently announced second quarter earnings for 2015 it was revealed that the Wii U has now sold 10.73 million units. While this will be a small consolation to the bean counters at Nintendo (after all the original Wii has sold a whopping 101 million units to date), it is significant...
News Details Emerge on How Nintendo Accounts Will Work
At last
Nintendo just recently wrapped up its investors strategy briefing and revealed a large amount of information regarding the near future for the company, most notably its new membership program and its first smart device release. As we noted earlier, the new "Nintendo Accounts" will utilize a cloud based data service to exchange game data...
News This Is How Nintendo's First Smartphone Game Miitomo Will Work
Aims to deepen friendly relationships
In Nintendo's latest strategy briefing for investors, it revealed that the first smartphone title released will be a rather quirky Mii-centric game called Miitomo. Though many were disappointed to hear the news that this has been delayed to March 2016, it nonetheless has sparked lots of interest as to what...
Nintendo Download 29th October (North America)
Human Resource Machine! Octodad! Harvest Moon! Spooky discounts! More!
It's that time once again, North American gamers, to look at the download goodies on the way this week. There are a few tempting options on Wii U, a whole load of discounts and a high profile retail demo among other offerings. Let's get to it. Missed the European Download Update...
News Nintendo Shares Suffer Major Drop as Investors React to Miitomo and Its Delay
Some wanted Mario and Zelda - "instead we saw Miitomo"
The dust is starting to settle from Tatsumi Kimishima's first 'President's Presentation'; there were various interesting details - many of which we've covered elsewhere - yet the overall impact hasn't been entirely positive. As one of two briefings designed to address investors and media - a...
Rumour Retro Is Working On A Game It Pitched To Nintendo, And It's Not Metroid Prime 4
"The time is now for Retro to do an original property"
Just what is Retro Studios up to right now? That's the question that many a Nintendo fan has asked over the past year or so, and when E3 2015 came and went without any news from the Metroid Prime creator, brows became even more furrowed. However, Nintendo Life contributor and Unseen64 archivist...
News Miitomo, Nintendo's First Smartphone Game, Is Delayed Until March 2016
Free to play with IAP for special items and add-ons
During a special strategy briefing for investors in Tokyo, Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima has revealed that the first of its smartphone titles has been delayed. Miitomo will be a free to play title, with IAP for add-ons. Exact gameplay details are sketchy, but it sounds like an augmented version...
Talking Point Nintendo's Delays With My Nintendo and Miitomo are Disappointing, but Not Disastrous
Club Nintendo fans just need to wait a little longer
This week's investor briefing, in which Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima gave his first formal financial results presentation, was perceived as an opportunity to learn about some key short term products and long term company strategy. Details on the first Nintendo / DeNA smart device game -...
Reaction Nintendo's First Mobile App, Miitomo, Targets the Lucrative Depths of the Blue Ocean
Tom Whitehead mulls over Miitomo and its potential success
Miitomo is a tricky thing to assess early doors, as it's not exactly what many were expecting. In fact, my first reaction in a sleepy fog was that it was a bizarre decision that appeared to go back to the original idea - mooted back in 2013 - of a Mii-driven app. I felt a sense of slight...
News Michael Pachter Thinks Miitomo Will Have Trouble Tempting People Away From Facebook
"This is not a game. It’s a social network concept"
Nintendo has revealed its first smartphone offering, and it's fair to say that it wasn't quite what people were expecting. Miitomo is arguably more of a social experience than a game you play, and that hasn't been lost on our old friend Michael Pachter, managing director of equity research at...
Gallery Catch Up With Nintendo's Miitomo Reveal and Concept Images
An evolution of Tomodachi
Nintendo's first smart device app, Miitomo, isn't necessarily what many people expected. The general anticipation was for a game that would utilise a major franchise; while those will still happen, Nintendo is instead releasing a social app driven by the Mii brand. In addition it'll launch alongside the new Nintendo...
News Here's a Breakdown of 3DS Software and Hardware Sales This Year
Looking good, Nintendo
Nintendo released a lot of new information at the latest investors strategy and while some of this was highly anticipated, some of it was also just plain fascinating to see. Among this information was sales data for 3DS software and hardware sales. It seems like the 3DS is still doing pretty well in the West, though Japan is...
News Nintendo of America Launches Its Holiday Gift Guide Website
With all the pretty colours
Update: This website has apparently been up for about a week at the time of writing. Consider this a belated reminder and an opportunity to link to classic videos from The Simpsons... Original Article: It's really that time, when we have to prepare for the madness of the Holidays and - shudder - Black Friday. Put on...
Review COLOR BOMBS (Wii U eShop)
Bombs away
It can be disappointing to realize that you've just lost precious time that could've been spent in a better way. If you would like to avoid experiencing this feeling, we would recommend that you stay well away from COLOR BOMBS. This title is excessively simplistic in all ways, and while it may be available for dirt cheap you're getting...
News amiibo Sales Continue to Gain Momentum as Over Eight Million Cards Are Shipped
Updates on the most popular amiibo are also given
It's clear that amiibo is a true highlight for Nintendo's business at the moment, with over 20 million units shipped in a little under a year. When you consider the stock issues that were prominent in the early months, particularly, it's evident that it's a product that's truly taken off for the...
News The Legend of Legacy Isn't Too Far Away From a Release in Europe
NIS America shares the happy news
The Legend of Legacy is now out in North America, which is welcome news for RPG fans with a 3DS. Developed by the highly respected FuRyu team, it features seven core characters that each have their own unique ending to the game. Published by Atlus in North America, the good news for European fans is that the...
Wednesday28th Oct 2015
News Zelda Fans Vent Anger At Nintendo of America Over Doge Memes In Tri Force Heroes
"So ancient. Such ruin."
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes was released on the 3DS recently, and while some may feel it's not one of the greatest Zelda games to date; at least the quality of the writing won't be a problem, will it? The answer to that question seems to depend on where you live. The European version which we reviewed has a very...
Video Here's What Xenoblade Chronicles Looks Like On A Standard 3DS
(Kind of)
When Nintendo announced the New 3DS, it also lifted the lid on a handheld port of the popular wii RPG Xenoblade Chronicles. Exclusive to the new hardware, the game took advantage of the system's more powerful innards to reproduce the epic scale of its home console counterpart. Nintendo insisted that the conversion was only possible due to...
News Tatsumi Kimishima Confirms That Nintendo Direct Will Return, With "At Least One" This Year
And... exhale
Just recently we wrote about the continued desperation for a new Nintendo Direct, with a mix of circumstances meaning that there's been no such presentation since the E3 'Digital Event' in June. It always seemed likely that Nintendo would return with the hugely popular series, but there's always some nagging doubt until it's announced...
Project Guard still listed for 2015, Fates remains a single listing in EU
Following today's financial results from Nintendo, we've been picking up some additional details found within the accompanying press conference or documents. As usual we've taken a look at the updated release lists, too, and there are a couple of quirks to consider. First up...
News Nintendo Reports Profits as System Sales Show Positive Momentum
Major releases and amiibo keep the company on track
Nintendo has now revealed its financial results for Q2 of the 2015 / 2016 year, which cover the typically quiet period between 1st April and 30th September. The outcome is positive with profits and reasonable momentum, with the added outcome that Nintendo is sticking to its financial and sales...
"Only saying something general may be taken as a negative"
Today has brought the latest Nintendo financial results, so attention now turns to the upcoming President's Presentation from Tatsumi Kimishima, which will be his first in the role. It's taking place at 10am Tokyo time on 29th October, which is 1am UK / 2am CET, and 6pm Pacific / 9pm Eastern...
News Nintendo Confirms That amiibo Sales Have Now Reached 21 Million
amiiboom
We all know that amiibo figures are popular, either from struggling to find stock of some favourites or just from the many conversations on the topic with Nintendo fans. Some shoppers don't even seem to buy them to use in games, but rather as collectibles; Nintendo won't care how they're used as long as they sell. In remarks at the press...
News Vital Wii U and 3DS Releases Join the Million-Seller Club
Updated lifetime game sales for both systems released
Nintendo has released its Q2 financial results covering the first six months of this year, and the outcome's largely positive. Overall sales are up in comparison to last year, which can be put down to improvements in hardware sales for both Wii U and 3DS, the continuing popularity of amiibo and,...
A magical concoction
What do you get when you cross Cooking Mama with a match-three puzzle game? Something arguably more fun than either of those, actually. Wizdom is the latest title from publisher Moving Player, and it benefits from a similar presentational charm its last title - Rakoo and Friends - is known for. The premise of Wizdom is simple:...
Less than a quarter of Link Between Worlds launch sales
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes has rolled out around the world, with the quirky spin-off bringing a multiplayer focus on the 3DS. It's with interest that we check out the latest Media Create results in Japan, then, to see whether it's hit it off with the portable's audience in Nintendo's...
News A Level Made by Shinya Arino Will Be Included in the Upcoming Super Mario Maker Update
Who?
Games Center CX – known to many as Retro Games Master – is a fascinating Japanese show where a charismatic host plays through retro video games and conducts interviews with developers. It certainly seems like stuff that would belong in the realm of Youtubers and Let's Players, but the show has gone on to achieve a cult following both in...
Analysis There Are Reasons to be Optimistic About Nintendo's Financial Results
Don't order the champagne yet, but there's progress
We think it's fair to say that a number of enthusiastic Nintendo gamers may have felt a little gloomy over the past few months. The tragic passing of Satoru Iwata was prominent above all else, a loss that gave valuable context to what truly matters. That was a dominant part of the summer,...
News Masayuki Uemura on How the NES Controller Came About
Thank God it didn't have a joystick
When you really get down to it, the NES controller is the granddaddy of all modern game controllers. Granted, they didn't have thumbsticks, triggers, or tilt controls back in the 80's, but it doesn't take a terribly observant eye to note the design principles that are still evident in today's controllers. This is...
Video Catch Up With Famitsu's Most Recent Monster Hunter X (Cross) Feature
Learn more about key monsters, Palicoes and more
Monster Hunter X (Cross) is only around a month away in Japan, which means those of us in the West can start getting jealous right about now. This new title will include a number of familiar elements from Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, but will have plenty of different monsters, attack styles and new...
Weirdness This 1983 Short Movie Combines Horror With Donkey Kong
Can you find the Treasure of the Haunted House?
Long-time readers of the site will be familiar with the work of Tyler Esposito - not only have we covered his excellent videos in the past, he's also contributed to Nintendo Life with an amusing look at one of the most bizarre NES games ever made. He also runs the excellent YouTube channel iretrogamer...
Tuesday27th Oct 2015
News Super Mario Maker Gets Mid-Level Checkpoints and More in Upcoming Update
But no slopes or Chargin' Chucks yet!
We absolutely adore Super Mario Maker here at Nintendo Life, but as polished and wonderful as the level creating experience can be there is always room for a little improvement. Nintendo isn't resting on its laurels and a software update has been announced which will add a few requested changes from players,...
Talking Point Five Potential Reveals Coming From Nintendo's Financial Briefing
No, NX isn't on our list
The Nintendo Financial Results are due to be announced on 28th October. Can you feel the tingle of excitement, the buzz, the hype, the uncontrollable giddiness? No? Well, fair enough, but you should have a bit of anticipation for the next couple of days. Every three months Nintendo gives its quarterly financial results...
Review Slender: The Arrival (Wii U eShop)
Scared, lost, alone (and maybe annoyed)
Slender: The Arrival is either going to wind you up so tight with tension that you'll feel like you'll implode from fear, or make you so angry that you split your entire game room in two. There's really little middle ground between the two. Why? Because a teleporting monster that can appear anywhere around you...
Review The Magic Hammer (3DS eShop)
It sure isn't Mjölnir
Setting off on an adventure which transcends various realms beyond your own. Taking a magic, talking hammer in hand by which to slay the undead, and rebuild a broken mess of a world. Doing all of this with a grandiose soundtrack tracking every step on an epic journey sounds like the best experience any gamer can have...
News Fresh Project H.A.M.M.E.R. Details Reveal Shigeru Miyamoto's Role In The Game's Downfall
Legendary designer took issue with game's costly CGI spend
Not so long ago we covered the tortured production of the Wii title Project H.A.M.M.E.R., a waggle-heavy action title in development by Nintendo Software Technology, Nintendo's famed North American studio. Revealed early in the life of the Wii, the game would never see the light of day and,...
Random Fan Creates Custom amiibo of EarthBound Cast and Pokémon Trainer Red
Because wave-waiting just doesn't cut it...
Custom amiibo have become a growing craze since shortly after the launch of Nintendo's NFC figurines, and have ranged from simple paint-jobs to full-blown model changes. It's impossible to keep track of everyone's creations, but Insomniac Games' Environment Artist Bryan Renno has joined the party and has...
News Someone Has 100 Percent Completed Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Whilst Blindfolded
We are not worthy
You might think that seeing the end credits of a game means you've totally mastered it, but for Runnerguy2489, that isn't anywhere near satisfying enough. Nope, this dude doesn't consider a game "done" until he's finished it blindfolded - and not just finished, but totally busted open with every item collected and quest fulfilled...
News Pokémon Developer Game Freak Acquires Smartphone Development Studio Koa Games
Game Freak evolves again
There can be a perception that Game Freak = Pokémon and not much else, but that's certainly not the case. It may be the core developer of an IP prized by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, but Game Freak is a business that has become increasingly independent in recent years. The company self-published HarmoKnight on the...
"New games will be more inspired by how it played in its heyday"
The release of 3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the 3DS eShop has given fans a timely reminder of just how much better the Blue Blur's classic adventures are compared to his more recent offerings. While fans constantly debate the merits and shortcomings of games like Sonic Generations,...
News Awesome Super Mario Maker New Nintendo 3DS Cover Plates Heading to Europe
Lovely, lovely pixels
It's a nice day for Super Mario Maker fans, with much demanded mid-level checkpoints and more features on the way via a software update. New Nintendo 3DS owners in Europe have an extra bonus, though, as the Wii U title is the inspiration for new 'Pixel Mario' cover plates on the way to the region on 27th November. As you can...
News AeternoBlade 2 Confirmed for the 3DS eShop
Targeting a Q2 2016 release
AeternoBlade - from Corecell Technology - was much anticipated on the 3DS eShop when it landed in the West back in early 2014; though we weren't hugely impressed in our review it certainly found an audience. The developer has now stated that strong sales - beyond expectations, it seems - on 3DS, Vita and PS4 have given...
News A Teaser Site for Xenoblade Chronicles X Has Just Gone Live in North America
We're really feeling these wallpapers
As many of you are likely aware, Xenoblade Chronicles X is due out for release in a little over a month here in the West. The much anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed Xenoblade Chronicles will likely be a highly desired Christmas gift for many gamers and for good reason. Featuring a world that...
News Apparent Prototype of Unreleased N64 Game Found at UK Sale
Getting Freak Boy on
Sometimes fate isn't on the side of game concepts and their makers. An idea might just not pan out, or get caught in a vicious cycle of corporate choices. The latter, according to an article at Unseen 64, happened to "Freak Boy," a prospective N64 title that was under development by Zono Incorporated and Burst Studio. Virgin,...
StreetPass Earn Yourself Tri Force Heroes 'Friendly Tokens' at these UK Events
Don't forget your 3DS
We love a bit of StreetPass here at Nintendo Life and with our recent review of The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes it was our intrepid adventurer Thomas Whitehead who concluded that the game is best served as local multiplayer. The game also restricts you by only allowing you to earn 'Friendly Tokens' using the...
Translation, triple audio, and true romance
When we got our first hands-on time with Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale at E3 earlier this year, we were very impressed; this quietly charming little JRPG ended up being a highlight of the 3DS' lineup at the show, and we were eager to see more. Thankfully, at a preview event in San Fra
News Spooky StreetPass Event Coming To North America In Time For Halloween
Stalking almost 30,000 locations
This weekend Nintendo of America is holding a special StreetPass event to mark the arrival of the scariest day of the year. No, we're not talking about New Year's Eve, but Halloween. Dropping by one of the 29.000 Nintendo Zone hotspots across North America between October 30th and November 1st could bag you up to...
News Street Fighter II: The Definitive Soundtrack Releases by the End of This Year
The first in a series of soundtrack remasters
A strong argument could be made that Street Fighter II was the game that led to the meteoric rise of the fighting genre. The simple controls, yet incredibly deep gameplay gave gamers a taste of competitive gaming like they'd never seen. Couple this with the excellent art style and the classic soundtrack...
Monday26th Oct 2015
Video Watch This Amazing Nintendo 64 HDMI Mod Banish Smeary Visuals Forever
I can see clearly now
We've covered RetroActive's promising N64 HDMI project in the past, but the guys over at My Life in Gaming now have exclusive footage of the mod in action, and it's amazing. As anyone who has owned an N64 will know, the video output is the wrong side of average. Because the machine lacks RGB output as standard there's no easy...
Review Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations (3DS)
Ooo's clues too
If you want to play Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations, the odds look really good for you. A version of the game is kicking around on just about all the current (and a few not-so-current) systems out there. If you ask nicely, they might even make a port for the N-Gage. The 3DS version of Finn & Jake Investigations is...
Nintendo Download 29th October (Europe)
Project Zero! Resi 4! Binding of Isaac! Freedom Planet! Much, much more!
It's the start of another week, but Nintendo fans in Europe at least have the download update to cheer their spirits. This week's edition seems to be a bit of a doozy, in fairness, with a mix of in-demand titles across both Wii U and - notably - the New Nintendo 3DS / 3DS; on...
Random Someone Loved Super Mario Bros. Special Enough to Recreate it in Super Mario Maker
From when licensed Mario platformers were a thing
It's interesting that we often talk of Nintendo being cautious in licensing its IP - a trait it's currently moving away from - when considering some of the quirks in its history. For example, between Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels on NES there was Super Mario Bros. Special...
Talking Point As Rumours Come and Go the Desperation for a Nintendo Direct Grows
Roughly 7.8 billion 'rumoured' Directs haven't happened
There's totally going to be a Direct this week everyone... Someone probably said two months ago. There'll be a Nintendo Direct this week, because Miyamoto sneezed and it sounded like a very loud 'Direct'. And Kimishima-san was seen smiling, so that must mean he's thinking about the Direct...
News Lost NES Title Wonderland Dizzy Made Available For Free
My head is spinning
Famous games dev siblings The Oliver Twins have just released a NES title which was assumed lost many years ago. Wonderland Dizzy - an entry in the beloved platforming series the brothers originally created for the likes of the ZX Spectrum and C64 - was produced during the early '90s but never saw the light of day on Nintendo's...
Weirdness Miyamoto Wanted A Murder-Free GoldenEye Where You Made Friends With Enemies At The End
"Close-up killing - he found it a bit too horrible"
In your average James Bond flick the suave British secret agent dispatches countless goons and bad guys without batting an eyelid, but if Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto had had his way, the best Bond video game of all time wouldn't have contained a single death. Speaking at the ongoing GameCity event...
News Nintendo Wanted A GoldenEye Sequel On N64 But Rare Turned It Down
And Nintendo gracefully accepted the decision
1997's GoldenEye 007 was a massive commercial and critical success for Nintendo, selling 8 million copies worldwide and generating an enormous amount of revenue. Unsurprisingly, Nintendo wanted a sequel and even asked developer Rare to make one - but the UK company, which was at the time a second-party...
Rumour Data Miners Reveal That The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Will Be Receiving DLC
New areas and new costumes appear to be on the way
It's amazing to think how far Nintendo has come along with paid DLC in the last few years. The Nintendo of five years ago seemed to be very reluctant to consider adding content to their games, though admittedly the DS and Wii didn't have the best infrastructure for this kind of thing. Now it's an...
Video Nintendo Focuses on a Mix of Old and New in 3DS Holiday Commercial
Once again the New Nintendo 3DS XL has the limelight
We're rapidly approaching the craziest shopping season of the year for the Holidays, with Nintendo and its rivals gearing up to compete for our hard earned money. From Nintendo's perspective it'll be focused on exclusives for 3DS and Wii U, most of which will naturally be first-party. Nintendo of...
News The Cute Little Green Yarn Yoshi amiibo Gets a Standalone Release in North America
For all you collectors out there
Occasionally amiibo figures are only available within game bundles, either for a limited period or - potentially - as a permanent arrangement. Naturally this doesn't suit everyone, so Nintendo of America is un-bundling one toy for its own release. On this occasion it's the small green Yarn Yoshi, which has been...
News Genei Ibun Roku #FE Directors Reveal More Details About the Game
Let's hope that unwieldy title gets an English translation soon
As many of you are aware, there's an upcoming crossover RPG for the Wii U between the Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem series, which we'll just tentatively call Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem to save you the headache of its Japanese title. Though we do know it's coming West, very...
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Getting Monster Hunter Items Next Month
Felyne groovy
Nintendo has revealed that Monster Hunter content is coming to Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer in November. Next week in Europe (9th November in North America) a SpotPass update will bring a Felyne to the game, and with it some Monster Hunter-related items. Are you looking forward to decorating houses with piles of bones?...
Video Nintendo Goes for the Zany Approach in North American Yo-Kai Watch Marketing
No, this isn't a Japanese commercial
Yo-Kai Watch is out in North America soon, and Level-5 will be hoping that it makes them enough money for a second swimming pool of cash - we're assuming there's already one in the company's HQ from sales of the IP in Japan. We're not quite sure whether the RPG is enjoying the buzz it'd hope for, however, at...
News Don Bluth And Gary Goldman Want Your Help To Make A Dragon's Lair Movie
Not an interactive one this time
Dragon's Lair will forever have a place in video game folklore for offering an experience which - at the time of release - was simply mind-blowing. Back in 1983 gamers were used to crude and blocky visuals with beeps and chirps for sound, but Dragon's Lair offered movie-quality animation and audio. The catch was...
News The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Misses Out on UK Top 10
Tri again next week
The latest UK chart results are out, with some new releases battling it out with long-established blockbusters. It's a mixed week from Nintendo's perspective, with some ever-green titles clinging on and a new release underperforming - arguably - a little. The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes has made its début in 11th place in...
News Word Party Will Scramble Some Letters on Wii U Soon
Word up, this could be fun
Though Word Party isn't a title that'll necessarily spark huge excitement among all Wii U gamers, it certainly has an audience. After all, Lightwood Games has been releasing a range of word games on mobile and 3DS, no doubt pleasing some with each. This Wii U title is a little different in that it accommodates up to five...
Sunday25th Oct 2015
News Red Fly Studio is Trying to Resurrect the Cancelled Nintendo Exclusive Darth Maul Game
The dark side of the force re-awakens?
About a year ago, it came to light that Red Fly Studio – the studio responsible for porting the two Force Unleashed games to Wii – was at one point working on a new Star Wars game that would be focused on Darth Maul. The game would've aimed to flesh out Darth Maul much more as a character and would've taken...
News A Different Mother 2 Cartridge Has Recently Surfaced Online
What could it be?
Mother 2 – known in the West as Earthbound – was arguably one of the most unique RPGs to emerge from the fourth generation of game consoles. Eschewing the well-trodden swords and sorcery theme of games such as Final Fantasy, Earthbound was about the adventures of a group of children in the modern age. Additionally, it featured...
Editorial It's Far Too Soon to Go Download-Only, and Physical Retail Still Matters
Increases in downloads don't equal death for discs
Just recently Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water arrived in North America as a download-only game, making it a relatively high-profile retail title to be exclusive to the eShop. It's happened in the past with Ace Attorney titles, yet for fans of the niche horror series - developed by Koei Tecmo -...
Feature Our Nintendo Gaming Plans for Halloween - Part Two
More spooky goings on
With Halloween creeping up on us slowly, relentlessly and with added creepy noises to scare us, it seems only right that we write about it. The season isn't just about dressing up and eating candy / sweets until we're sick, but it's also a time to either embrace scary gaming or, alternatively, find something cute and cuddly to...
News Japan's Upcoming Splatfest is Between Love and Money
Money can't buy me love
Up to this point, Splatfests have generally been lighthearted affairs. Whether it be something like cats vs. dogs, Decepticons vs. Autobots, or pirates vs. ninjas; the competitions have been primarily set up to poll the masses for their favorites or opinions on popular subjects. Evidently, Japan has chosen that it's time to...
Saturday24th Oct 2015
News Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Originally Didn't Have a Single Player Mode
That explains a lot
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is now out in the wild and while there are definitely positives to the experience, it doesn't seem to be up to the usual standards of the series. The game is obviously designed to be played with two other friends locally and while there is online functionality and a single player mode, these...
News Analysts Talk About Nintendo's Upcoming Mobile Release Strategy
Don't worry, Pachter wasn't among them
As most of you are aware, Nintendo is just on the brink of entering the mobile space with software releases and competing with developers on platforms such as iOS and Android. This is something that many felt was a long time coming and while it does seem like a no-brainer in terms of profits (really, who...
Feature Our Nintendo Gaming Plans for Halloween - Part One
Scary games not mandatory
With Halloween creeping up on us slowly, relentlessly and with added creepy noises to scare us, it seems only right that we write about it. The season isn't just about dressing up and eating candy / sweets until we're sick, but it's also a time to either embrace scary gaming or, alternatively, find something cute and cuddly...
Friday23rd Oct 2015
Review Guitar Hero Live (Wii U)
Put another dime in the jukebox, baby
In 2005 Guitar Hero sparked a gaming revolution, filling our heads with wicked riffs and our closets with plastic instruments. The series grew from a single act into a full fledged ensemble in a matter of years, invoking various imitators and spin-offs. Eventually players' excitement for rockin' around the clock...
"I always want to implement something new"
With the end of the year approaching and The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes now out in stores, series producer Eiji Aonuma is clearly aware that the attention of fans is on The Legend of Zelda for Wii U, which is expected in 2016. Just recently a very brief comment was given to Famitsu promising
News Here's Where The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Falls in the Timeline
Thank God it doesn't branch again
As many of you know, all games in the Legend of Zelda series are actually connected by a large and somewhat convoluted timeline. Basically, there's one timeline up to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and then it splits into two parts based on whether the hero was defeated or was victorious. The defeated hero...
Random This Super Mario Maker Level Was Created on a Plane, With the Flight Crew's Help
Wigglers on a plane?
Back in 2013 we reviewed an in-car adapter for Wii U, a logical albeit weird step considering the console's ability to stream to the GamePad screen. Others showed it off as 'portable', too, taking it on trains and anywhere with a power supply. With that theme in mind we rather like this video by Nick Robinson, who took his Wii...
Insert your own joke about a fully stocked amiibo shelf
Just like in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, some little DLC freebies will likely become increasingly common in Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. It's a little way to keep players coming back, and in a game focused on nothing but decorating it seems inevitable that the furniture range will be...
News Legend of Zelda Maker Fan Project is Currently in Development
Incoming C&D letter in 3…2…1…
With the release and massive success of Super Mario Maker, questions have been asked as to whether the concept will just be a one-off or if it will become an ongoing trend. Indeed, it's not too difficult to think of how a Super Mario 3D Maker could exist or how the idea could be applied to other popular Nintendo...
News Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition is Creeping Up On the European eShop for Halloween
Got somethin' that might interest ya'
With Halloween creeping closer Nintendo is doing its bit, particularly through the eShop, to get us in the mood. It now turns out that 29th October will have a double whammy for Wii U owners in Europe - not only will Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water finally arrive, but Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition will also...
News It's Pirates vs. Ninjas in the Next North American Splatoon Splatfest
Wins multiplier gets a boost
North America's next Splatfest event in Splatoon has been outlined, and will provide a colourful bit of gaming in time for Halloween. Kicking off at 9pm Pacific on 30th October - midnight Eastern - it'll be Pirates vs. Ninjas; it's being pitched as a Halloween-themed event because of outfits choices. Whether you buy...
Weirdness GAME Gift Card Slip Up is Awkward, Though Not a Sign of Troubled Times
A portent of doom isn't required
Update: Eurogamer has shared an update on this stock situation, with GAME's press office seemingly denying it was an issue while staff sources have stated that stock is gradually becoming available again (from today) in stores around the country. Original Article: It's easy to hit the wrong button with damaging...
Random Nintendo Continues to Show Its Fun Side With Tri Force Heroes Pom Pom Face Off
Eiji Aonuma takes the win?
It may be our contention that The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes doesn't show the famous franchise in its finest light, but it's a title that is undeniably designed to bring 3DS owning friends together for an enjoyable shared experience. For most of us that'll mean sitting in a comfy seat and hopping online or maybe...
Video Say Hello to Two More Characters from Genei Ibun Roku #FE
We still can't get used to that title
Genei Ibun Roku #FE - what was formally loosely called Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem - is getting increasingly close to its release in Japan. The Wii U title has had a long and rather peculiar development cycle, and though Nintendo is still promoting the game its title and prominence of Atlus as the named...
Video Get Some Tips on Accessing and Enjoying the Animal Crossing Happy Home Network
Don't worry, be happy
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer has been out for a few weeks now and had a day one update to add in online room viewing and sharing, which had been a post-launch addition in Japan. Unlike with some titles this game isn't overly insistent on you installing the update, and some may have missed it entirely. Yet it's the only...
Feature Smashing TVs Like a Rock Star at the Guitar Hero Live Launch Party
Rock star fantasies become reality
Guitar Hero Live is now in stores, and this week we were lucky enough to be invited by the Activision team to a behind the scenes launch party in London packed with celebs, YouTube stars and as many plastic guitars as you can imagine. Things started off with a bang - quite literally - as former MTV host Laura...
News Nintendo UK Launches Weekly Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Contests
This week's theme is blue (Da Ba Dee)
It seems that Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer has come up a fair bit this week, so we might as well wrap up with details on a Nintendo UK contest that's kicked off - players in the region can try and design their way to receiving a pack of amiibo cards and a Collector's Album, after all. Starting on 23rd...
Video Watch Our Resident Songsmith Ryan Craddock Rock Out On Guitar Hero Live
Flawless fret work at EGX 2015
Those of you in the UK will no doubt be aware that EGX 2015 took place a little while ago, and the Nintendo Life team was in attendance for all four days running tournaments and live events on the Nintendo UK stand. While we were there we also got chance to flex our gaming muscles on Activision's
Thursday22nd Oct 2015
Review Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations (Wii U)
Ooo's clues
Perhaps someone finally saw the potential in exploring a creatively quirky land to solve mysteries of fantastical and goofy natures. Perhaps they just looked at the title of the series and saw it had "Adventure" in it. Either way, Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations seeks to marry the "point-and-clickish" style adventure genre...
Nintendo Download 22nd October (North America)
Legend of Zelda! Fatal Frame! Gunslugs 2! Slender! More!
It's time for Nintendo Download Update goodness, North American gamers, and this week actually has quite a lot to offer. There are major 3DS retail games, a much anticipated Wii U title and an interesting range of download-only games on both systems. All told it could be - whisper it - a good...
News Aonuma Talks the Legend of Zelda's 30th Anniversary, Working as Fast as Possible on Zelda U
"I hope to give something everyone can look forward to next year"
Though the 30th anniversary of the Super Mario series is winding down, the Legend of Zelda is actually next in line for the 30th anniversary treatment. As most of you are aware, Zelda U will also be releasing in 2016, albeit after a somewhat disappointing delay. For many, this is more...
News Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash Details Revealed, Including amiibo Support and Rosalina
Don't lie, you wanted her in the roster
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is one of the Wii U's key titles coming up in the near future, and now Nintendo has upped its PR offensive for the November release. While it may not necessarily be the sort of big-name game to blow anyone's hair back, it could nevertheless provide some innocent fun over the dark...
Get to the chopper!
Gunslugs 2 goes right for your sense of nostalgia for dumb '80s action movies; we mean dumb in the best possible sense, in terms of those movies with muscle-bound heroes shooting everything and causing enormous explosions. If you're too young to remember that era then, our sympathies, but you can watch The Expendables and imagine...
Poll The Tricky Issue of Retail Games as Download-Only Releases
We want to know how much it bothers you, if at all...
The most recent download update in North America - at the time of writing - is actually a rather good one. Not all weeks can be counted as such, but this week has some key retail titles and promising download-only games. There's plenty of variety in genres and prices, along with a few demos, so...
News Japan Is Getting Some Gorgeous New 3DS Hardware Bundles And Cover Plates
Jealousy mode: engaged
Japan gets all the best hardware bundles - that's just one of the things us westerners have to live with. As if to prove this universal truth, details have just been released regarding two fresh New 3DS bundles coming to The Land of the Rising Sun, and both look downright lovely. First up is the Super Mario Bros. 30th bundle,...
News The Wii U's Broad Audience Means Star Fox Zero's Delay Won't Matter, Says Nintendo UK
"We will always focus on releasing games when they’re ready"
The delay of Star Fox Zero into 2016 was something of a blow for Wii U fans who had been hoping to play the game this Christmas. The unwelcome news has also left the system without a tentpole first-party Nintendo title this festive season - but according to Nintendo UK Marketing Manager...
News Dell Seems To Think Devil's Third Will Be A Low-Price Release In North America
Cheap and not-so-cheerful?
After much confusion and - as it has been rumoured - a bit of a U-turn, Nintendo of America is set to launch Devil's Third in North America this year - December 11th, to be precise. Interestingly,
News There's a Free Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate 3DS HOME Theme Coming to Europe
Celebrating four million sales
Just this week Capcom announced that Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate has passed four million sales globally, with this entry also being the first of the series to sell more than one million copies across Europe and North America. It's been a breakthrough title for the IP, in other words. To celebrate it's now been confirmed...
Review Cutie Pets Pick Berries (Wii U eShop)
Mandeer is Indifferent
Cutie Pets Pick Berries is a far more innocent game than its smouldering mandeer hunks might have you believe. Sure, they'll be up there posing on your tv screen the entire time you play the game, but this isn't anything like Bubble Bath Babes or Peek a Boo Poker - don't expect some sort of saucy, torrid forest affair. Just...
News Online Battles Coming to Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden in Japan
Yes please, Bandai Namco
Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is out now in both Europe and North America, giving Western 3DS owners a welcome dose of the popular franchise. It has a pretty decent range of content and a surprisingly deep combat system, prompting us to give it a recommendation in our review. One complaint we had, though, was the lack of...
News Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival Won't Have Online Play
Time to bust out all the extra controllers
It won't be long now before Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival launches in both North America and Europe. The polarizing party game was met with fairly lukewarm reception at its E3 reveal, so it will certainly be interesting to see how it's received once it's finally in gamers' hands. If nothing else, it'll...
Video Remember the Good Old Days With These Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Animations
The nostalgia may overpower you
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon is coming to the 3DS in North America pretty soon - early 2016 in Europe - and The Pokémon Company wants to build a little hype for the latest entry in the spin-off series. To do that it has revisited past entries of the series, or their accompanying animations, in any case. The...
Video Wii U Version Of Slender: The Arrival Gets Its Own Terrifying Trailer
Out this week in North America
Cult indie horror release Slender: The Arrival creeps onto the Wii U eShop in North America this week, and to mark the occasion the Nintendo edition is getting its very own trailer, packed with jump-scares and spooky scenes. The sequel to Slender: The Eight Pages, The Arrival originally launched on PC in 2013 and...
News Nintendo is Plotting a 'Miiverse Monster-a-thon' to Get You in the Halloween Mood
Better than Camp Miiverse?
Miiverse has undergone a lot of changes and a few re-designs, not all of them popular, but is still utilised by Nintendo as a unique social network for its fans. Possibly the best example of this was in the daily screenshots that Masahiro Sakurai posted during the development of Super Smash Bros., for example. It's also...
Friday23rd Oct 2015
Video New Aperion Cyberstorm Trailer Shows Off Multiplayer 'Onslaught' Play
Shoot all of the things
Aperion Cyberstorm for the Wii U eShop now has a 2016 release, but it's certainly one to watch for fans of twin-stick shoot 'em up action. We recently went hands on in a survival mode and came away rather impressed, and it could certainly fill a gap in the Wii U library. Developer aPriori Digital has now released some fresh...
Wednesday21st Oct 2015
Review The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (3DS)
Tri-al and error
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is a remarkably segmented and potentially divisive game from Nintendo. It attempts a similar trick to Four Swords Adventures but, with its totem mechanic and implementation, doesn't accommodate both solo and group players in canny ways; as a result this is a multiplayer game with single player...
News The Legend of Zelda on Wii U and 30th Anniversary on the Agenda for Upcoming Famitsu Feature
Main focus will be Tri Force Heroes
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is out on 3DS this week, so it's clearly a vital release for Nintendo at the present time. The minds of franchise fans are always looking forward, however, with the delay of The Legend of Zelda for Wii U into 2016 at the top of many priority lists. It's with that in mind that...
News Nintendo of Japan Has Just Published a 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Complete Encyclopedia
255 pages of gaming history
As many of you are likely aware, we're currently approaching the end of the year that has marked the 30th anniversary of the Super Mario series. It's hard to believe that this iconic game franchise has only been around for 30 years when you look at the impact it's had on the game industry and the world as a whole, but...
News The Latest Patch For Splatoon Is Now Available To Download
Plenty of improvements
Nintendo's squid-shooter, Splatoon, is the Wii U game that just keeps on giving. As previously reported, a massive patch was expected to drop this week, adjusting many of the finer competitive aspects of the title. The good news is, Version 2.2.0 is now available to download. Expect a number of changes to game modes, stages...
Video Nintendo Digs Out an Old Favourite for Halloween New 3DS Commercial
Also plugs Yo-Kai Watch
Apparently Halloween is rather popular - maybe it's the outfits, all the sweets / candy, or just a general love of spooky and horrifying things. What was a bit of a laugh when your humble writer was in short trouser many years ago is now a 'Holiday', so we all need to jump on board. Of course we'll do some Halloween-type...
Thursday22nd Oct 2015
Review VoxelMaker (Wii U eShop)
For display purposes only
It's rather difficult to judge a game / app such as VoxelMaker. On one hand it features an extremely in-depth and detailed suite for making 3D models out of a large collection of blocks. On the other hand the overall experience feels limited due to its omissions of any sort of interactivity with the models that are created...
Wednesday21st Oct 2015
News Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Passes Four Million Global Sales
A monster hit
The Monster Hunter franchise has become increasingly important to Capcom, over the course of 10 years establishing itself as one of the company's most consistent IPs. It's growing in the West, too, which boosts our confidence that the upcoming Monster Hunter X (Cross) will eventually make its way out of Japan. Monster Hunter 4...
Random This Real Life Pokémon Gym Looks Rather Fun
Better than a real gym, anyway
Going to the gym isn't necessarily fun for a lot of people - yes, some enjoy getting sweaty and having minor heart issues after doing one too many reps, but it's considered by many to be more of a thing to do if you don't want to be particularly chunky in body shape. A Pokémon Gym though, that's something else...
News Cutie Pets Pick Berries Brings Provocative Mandeer Action to the Wii U eShop on 22nd October
God help this game's Miiverse page
Every once in a while, you come across something that's so utterly baffling that it becomes strangely enrapturing. Nowhere is this more evident than in Yazar Media Group's upcoming eShop release, Cutie Pets Pick Berries. What initially appears to be an innocent and fairly unexceptional puzzle game quickly takes a...
News 7th Dragon III Code: VFD Claims Japanese Number One Spot as Nintendo Maintains Momentum
PS4 still leads hardware, though
The Media Create results are out in Japan, and this week is relatively low key overall, with a new SEGA RPG on 3DS arriving as the most successful newcomer. 7th Dragon III Code: VFD jumps up to number one spot in the software top 20, with Yo-Kai Watch Busters holding onto second place. In a chart dominated by...
News Nintendo Outlines Its 'Nindie' Plans for Indiecade
Time to book into Hotel California
This week Culver City, California will host Indiecade - the event's running from 23rd to 25th October and will be a celebration of download gaming in addition to giving small studios a chance to show off their work. With its 'Nindie' approach at the forefront Nintendo has confirmed the games for its own booth at...
News Electronic Super Joy Will Aim to Make Wii U Owners Happy on 5th November
Drop the beat
Update: The developer has confirmed to us that this release date is for both North America and Europe, with pricing of $7.99 / €7.99 / £6.99. Original Article: Earlier this year Wii U owners in North America got to take on Electronic Super Joy: Groove City, which we quite liked in our review. Tight platforming and a tough...
News Let The Music From Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Bring Cheer To Your Soul
Good music never goes out of fashion
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is out very soon and to celebrate Nintendo Japan has released a charming video showing off some of the amazing music in the game. In the video we can see a violin and accordion being played with great gusto; it all adds up to a very impressive sound. Looking back to The...
News Runbow Arrives In Australia & New Zealand This Week
Finally!
After quite a long delay linked to local classification troubles, Runbow is expected to arrive in both Australia and New Zealand later this week. The title is listed for release on the local Wii U eShop on 23rd October. The Toronto-based studio behind Runbow have also confirmed the date via Twitter: Users who participated in the...
Tuesday20th Oct 2015
News Yes, Fatal Frame's Lingerie Outfits Have Been Removed From The Western Version
Out with the smut, in with Samus and Zelda
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water (or Project Zero if you're in Europe) is out this week, and as we reported a few days back, comes with unlockable Nintendo-themed costumes which are exclusive to the western edition. These costumes replace the more revealing lingerie bonus outfits that were included in...
News You'll Be Able To Stuff Your Very Own Pikachu At Build-A-Bear Workshop Next Year
The wait is un-bear-able
The Pokémon Company International is teaming up with international toy retailer Build-A-Bear Workshop to bring the legendary Pikachu into even more homes across the globe. Walk into a Build-A-Bear store in early 2016 and you'll be able to make your very own Pikachu. The character will be rolled out across stores in the US,...
News 3DS System Update to Version 10.2.0-28 is Now Live
So stable it'll blow your mind
How much stability can one system handle? At what point does it reach peak stability? Nintendo's keen to find out with the 3DS. You see, the 3DS (New and original models) has now been updated to version 10.2.0-28, which is a minor increase of one on that last figure; basically that means it's a stability update. At...
News International Age Rating Coalition System, IARC, Set to Come to the eShop "Very Soon"
Could be a big deal in the Nindie scene
It's common for eShop gamers in different territories to have differing game line-ups to choose from, with some titles taking a while to make their way around different regions. There are multiple factors such as localisation with languages, and the fact that Nintendo of Europe and Nintendo of America operate...
News Dementium Remastered Pricing Confirmed as Renegade Kid Looks Ahead to Release
Has been submitted to Lotcheck in North America
Not so long ago we highlighted Dementium Remastered as a 3DS title to look forward to this year, with the Renegade Kid title aiming to bring some horror to the portable's eShop. It's getting closer to release, too, with the studio confirming that it's now gone into Lotcheck approval for its North...
Random Super Smash Bros. and amiibo Fan is Creating a Custom BattleCON Game
Inspired by Bowser, naturally
Tabletop gaming is a big part of broader gaming culture, now often found in its own areas at expos and events. Naturally there can be crossovers, too, with video game franchises being shifted to tabletops and vice-versa; this natural mix seems to have been a source of inspiration for one keen BattleCON fan. BattleCON...
Wednesday21st Oct 2015
Video Nintendo Shows Off a Few More Challengers in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Tricky Boo, of course
With around a month to go until release Nintendo is stepping up its efforts with Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, one of the Wii U's key Holiday releases. Following its brief appearance at E3 the title has been playable at a few expos and gaming events, and the latest trailer now shows us a slightly expanded cast. In terms of new...
Tuesday20th Oct 2015
An evocative and surprising look at Nintendo's uncharted history
It's common knowledge that Nintendo has been around for over a hundred years, and that the company started out producing playing cards many decades before finding fame as a purveyor of interactive entertainment. However, the years in between are often overlooked by even the staunchest...
Video Speedrunner Sets New World Record for Super Mario Bros.
Clocking in milliseconds quicker than the previous record
The competitive speedrunning scene makes you look at games you thought you were familiar with in a whole different light. It can be remarkable to see the kinds of exploits and techniques that certain people have discovered and employed in order to shave just a few more milliseconds off of...
News Bonk's Adventure Has Been Rated By The ESRB For Wii U
The prehistoric platformer returns
The classic platform title Bonk’s Adventure is set to make a return with the game recently rated by the ESRB for the Wii U Virtual Console. Starring a strong and bald cave boy who goes on an adventure to rescue a princess, the charming title developed by Red Company and Atlus was originally released on the...
Review Ninja Strike: Dangerous Dash (Wii U eShop)
These ninjas should stay hidden
Ninja Strike: Dangerous Dash is a perfect example of what sounds like a great idea being held back by poor execution. Published by Natsume, Ninja Strike: Dangerous Dash is a formulaic endless runner; in it you initially take control of Blue Shadow, a blue-clad Ninja with a red scarf. The art style is simple but...
News Octodad: Dadliest Catch Gets A Revised Release Date
You've got to be squidding me
As you'll know if you're a keen follower of this site, indie title Octodad: Dadliest Catch recently got delayed on the Wii U, with technical issues being to blame. However, if the game's Wii U eShop page is to be believed, such problems have swiftly been overcome and the title is headed to the console on October 29th...
News The Chibi-Robo amiibo is Being Sold Separately in Japan
Perhaps Nintendo has similar plans for the West?
Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash launched recently in North America to somewhat middling critical reception. We awarded the game a 6/10, praising its solid gameplay and criticising its somewhat derivative execution. The game also launched alongside an amiibo which was sold exclusively in a bundle with the game...
News Nostatic Software's Ascent of Kings Makes Its Regal Wii U Entrance on 22nd October
NA release, EU still TBD
Nostatic Software has been rapidly making its mark on the Wii U, making the transition to the eShop with three quickfire releases from its catalogue of games. Both The Quiet Collection and Kung Fu FIGHT! earned recommendations from our reviewers, and we're still making our way through the pixel-based creation tool...
Monday19th Oct 2015
Review Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water (Wii U)
Focusing on fear
Like the lashing of rain against a bedroom window, or the sound of a damp footstep outside your door - Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is coming for you. Also known in North America as Fatal Frame, this latest entry in the cult horror franchise has set its sights on Western shores just in time for Halloween, and while some might...
Nintendo Download 22nd October (Europe)
Legend of Zelda! NES light gun games! Gunslugs! Discounts! More!
It's the start of another week, and as normal we have the European Nintendo Download Update releases to consider. It's a relatively busy week ahead with a couple of retail titles and some varied downloads across both eShop stores, so let's jump straight into the details. Wii U Virtual...
Tuesday20th Oct 2015
Over half a million Super Mario Maker sales in the US so far
Though a little later than normal this month, we finally have the NPD US sales for September; though these only represent physical retail sales of new games, they provide an idea of what's performing well in the US market. The big release from Nintendo's perspective was, of course, Super...
Monday19th Oct 2015
News Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Competitive Scene Gets Shaken Up as ZeRo is Finally Defeated
ZeRo plans to take a break
At the moment all four home console versions of Super Smash Bros. have enthusiastic competitive scenes, though Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U are certainly the dominant two titles, drawing the most diverse fields of competitors and the biggest crowds - on and offline. In the HD entry's scene...
News Nintendo Marks Back To The Future's 30th By Releasing Wild Gunman On The Virtual Console
"You mean you have to use your hands? That's like a baby's toy"
The NES isn't the only thing that hits the big Three-O this year - the legendary Hollywood movie series Back to the Future also began 30 years ago, and in a neat bit of anniversary fusion, Nintendo is acknowledging the fact by releasing Wild Gunman on the Wii U Virtual Console. As any...
News It's Official, Hideo Kojima Has Parted Ways With Konami
Final day was October 9th
It has been confirmed today that Hideo Kojima has left publisher Konami. October 9th was his final day at the company. The news had been anticipated for some time, with rumours circulating that Kojima would leave the firm once work on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was completed. The rumour mill started running when...
Random Check Out These New Officially Licensed Storage Peripherals From PDP
Store your gaming equipment with style
PDP is a company that has long since manufactured relatively high quality hardware for Nintendo consoles. Be it a GameCube Fight Pad or a headset for playing games online, PDP is a name that can be relied upon far more so than others like Madcatz. While the company has been rather quiet lately on new releases...
Parent Trap Does The Wii U Still Make Sense For Families?
Andy Robertson takes a family-focused look at Nintendo's console
Choosing a videogame console for a family is a big decision. Get it right and you'll bring a positive experience into the home that matches how you play games together. Get it wrong and you'll be constantly looking over your shoulder at the experience you could have had on another...
Video This Pokkén Tournament Commercial Should Provide a Timely Reminder of Wii U Release Hype
Next Spring...
Pokkén Tournament was, for quite some time, the cool arcade that seemed destined to be a Japan-only release. Then there was confirmation it would come to the US at a limited number of locations, before wishes were fulfilled and it was confirmed for a Spring 2016 arrival on Wii U in the West. When you see t
Review Dig Dug II (Wii U eShop / NES)
Dig in
The original Dig Dug was fairly popular, so naturally a sequel had to follow eventually. Dig Dug II ended up being not nearly as widespread as its predecessor, only seeing release in arcades and on the NES, so you'd be forgiven for not even knowing it existed! Dig Dug II takes a massive departure from the first game. True to its title that...
News Sony Wishes The NES A Happy 30th Via Twitter
"Thanks for paving the way"
As we reported yesterday, the NES is now 30 years old. Nintendo's 8-bit console is arguably one of the most important video game hardware releases of all time, as it laid down the third party software licensing framework that still exists today and resorted consumer faith in a console market which had been all but...
News The Current Final Fantasy Director Would Like A Chance To Work With The Zelda Series
Clearly a fan of Nintendo
The conventions of The Legend of Zelda series have been re-imagined on numerous occasions in recent times, so how does a new game starring Link and drawing design elements from the latest Final Fantasy game sound? To celebrate the 600th issue of Japanese publication Dengeki PlayStation earlier this month, the magazine...
Review The Ignition Factor (Wii U eShop / SNES)
A reality show about the lives of hot and steamy firefighters
This is the scripted story of six strangers that are picked to become firefighters, work together and have their lives played by a total stranger with a controller. Find out what happens when they stop being polite... and realize their lives aren't real. There was a time in gaming...
News Dutch Retailer Lists Standalone Splatoon Squid amiibo, Available 6th November
Seemingly Japanese imports
The three amiibo released specifically for Nintendo's squid-shooter, Splatoon, add a whole lot of content to the game. Unfortunately, as fans located in Europe and North America will know, the Inkling Squid has only been made available in the Splatoon game bundle and amiibo 3-pack. Meanwhile in Japan, the squid retails...
News Yo-Kai Watch 2DS Bundle Coming To North America On November 6th
Comes with the game pre-installed for $99.99
Nintendo is releasing a new 2DS hardware bundle to mark the launch of Yo-Kai Watch in North America. The console - which comes with the game pre-installed - will launch on November 6th for $99.99, alongside the game's full retail release. Yo-Kai Watch is the first in a series which has taken Japan by a...
News Meet Our Splatoon EGX Champions - Team War and Quad Squad
Finding out the secret of their success
Regular visitors to Nintendo Life will know that we ran the Splatoon EGX Team Championships last month at EGX 2015 in Birmingham, UK. This was our first event using Splatoon and the first time we've ran a tournament that involved teams rather than single players. Running the tournaments we met loads of cool...
News Video Game Industry in Scotland 'Could Eclipse Oil Boom'
And then be argued over during Independence referendum
It's widely acknowledged that the broader video game industry, encompassing both dedicated systems and smart devices, is now statistically and definitively one of the most powerful entertainment industries in the world. In recent years its profile has increased a great deal, making gaming...
News Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams Director's Cut Has Been Delayed Again in North America
A delayed game is eventually good…
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams was a surprisingly original 2D platformer with a fascinating switch mechanic that completely changed the look and feel of the game at the touch of a button. We awarded it an 8/10, praising the visuals and creative gameplay mechanics. The game was initially a PC release, however, and...
Video Savour the Intensity of This Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final Music
Rock on
Atlus and RPG fans are no doubt looking forward to Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final and awaiting news of localisation to the West (we may be waiting until late next year, as a guess). A standalone new entry in the series, early details suggest that it'll give fans plenty to dig into. Keen to keep up momentum on the buzz it's building in Japan,...
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and Super Mario Maker Maintain Decent UK Sales
Mario Kart 8 sneaks back onto the grid
The latest UK chart results are in and they represent a couple of things from our perspective - there are various new releases on other systems that are only modest hits, and Nintendo's two standard bearers (one each for Wii U and 3DS) are showing reasonable momentum. First of all, Animal Crossing: Happy Home...
Sunday18th Oct 2015
News XSEED VP Talks About the Future of the Rune Factory Series
"Marvelous knows fans are clamoring for a sequel"
For those of you that aren't aware, Rune Factory is an interesting RPG that aims to merge elements of Harvest Moon with more conventional fantasy themes. While a large portion of the game does revolve around tending crops and building relationships with fellow villagers, there's also dungeons to...
News The NES is Now 30 Years Old
The game changer
The NES is 30 years old today, at least based on its widely agreed - albeit historically debatable - North American release date. Not to be mistaken with the Famicom release - which is way back in 1983 - it was nevertheless the Nintendo Entertainment System rebranding and a certain Super Mario Bros. that catapulted Nintendo further...
Video Eiji Aonuma Plays Dress-Up As He Shows Off The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
You go for it Aonuma-san
Eiji Aonuma is clearly a very talented, motivated developer, qualities necessary when fulfilling the role of series producer for The Legend of Zelda. He also has a brilliantly playful side, as he demonstrated when he performed a cool Cucco dance at E3 2014. He approached a recent live stream of The Legend of Zelda: Tri...
News ZaciSa's Last Stand is Getting a New Update That Adds in Loads of New Features
Taking a stand
ZaciSa's Last Stand was a product of the Nintendo Web Framework, an initiative that aimed to assist in the porting of flash games to the Wii U. The Nintendo Web Framework has divided opinion because while it does mean that virtually anybody can develop games for Nintendo's console, this also leads to many low quality games appearing...
Saturday17th Oct 2015
Leaks-a-plenty
At Nintendo Life we know how tricky it can be to keep up with all the happenings that go on in a week, so once again we've compiled the cream of the crop for your entertainment. This week we focus on the recent Nintendo NX rumours that suggest the system may be a fusion of a home console and a handheld, eShop listing leaks, The...
News SmileBASIC is Heading to Wii U, With Cross-Platform Support and DLC Also Confirmed
Time for advanced BASIC
SmileBoom, developer of the excellent Petit Computer on DSi and most recently SmileBASIC, has confirmed DLC and update information for the 3DS entry, and a hugely exciting Wii U version. SmileBASIC for Wii U - or PetitCom BIG - will be fully compatible with all creations from the 3DS version, with cloud-based saving allowing...
News NES Designer Explains the History of the Console's Release in North America
The one that started it all
The game industry was a very different place back in the early 80's, teetering just on the edge of extinction. Market saturation and poor quality games were major contributing factors to this, leading many to believe that video games were just another passing fad that would vanish as quickly as they appeared. It got to...
News There's a New Update Incoming for Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition
Adds new transformations and enemy types
Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition is one of those games that sadly failed to make a meaningful impact on Western audiences. This is made all the more interesting when you consider that the RPG/Puzzler hybrid shares many similarities with Pokémon Shuffle - which has...
News 3DS Added as Stretch Goal on Ghost Police Kickstarter
Potential soundtrack to be composed by Shovel Knight Composer
Many promising and interesting projects have been made possible only because of Kickstarter. The crowdfunding startup has help give shape to games such as Shovel Knight, Mighty No. 9, Yooka-Laylee, and many more. While it has become a popular spot for displaced industry veterans to raise...
Friday16th Oct 2015
Development kits already in the hands of third parties
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Nintendo NX development kits have been issued to third parties, and that the system itself will indeed be the much-rumoured combination of domestic and portable hardware. Citing sources "close to the matter", the report speculates that we could see a
News Cosplay Dreams Come True With Zelda and Zero Suit Samus Outfits in Fatal Frame
Maiden of Hyrule
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water - called Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water in Europe - is a hugely promising upcoming arrival that should be perfect for Halloween, even if most fans (outside of eager pre-order shoppers in Europe) will be limited to downloading the title. While it's not getting the full retail release its...
Talking Point The NX Hype Will Ramp Up as Nintendo Steps Into a Vital New Era
Mobile, next gen, QoL - oh, and games too
Strap yourselves in, it's going to be a busy 12 months in the world of Nintendo. Thank goodness, too, as it feels like we've been in a bit of a holding pattern for a number of months. We should also acknowledge that the terribly sad passing of Satoru Iwata also left a shadow over the Summer. Not that there...
News Nintendo Network ID Going Offline Next Week During General Maintenance
Something exciting this way comes?
We're used to Nintendo Network Maintenance taking place and impacting certain features of our consoles, but next week's work could be the prelude to something very interesting. Nintendo has confirmed that there will be a bit of downtime taking place from Monday that will mean that Wii U and 3DS users will be...
News Yukio Sawada's Super Mario-Kun Is Coming To Super Mario Maker
In Japan, at least
Super Mario-Kun is a manga series which has been appearing in the pages of CoroCoro Comic since 1991. Created by Yukio Sawada, the series is coming to Super Mario Maker in the form of a special costume. In addition to allowing his own unique take on the character to appear in the game, Sawada will also be designing his own level,...
News Next Splatoon Patch Drops October 20th, Rapid Blaster Pro Arrives Tomorrow
No sign of any Octolings
Nintendo's squid shooter Splatoon will very soon be receiving even more content to help users stay fresh. Starting from tomorrow, a new weapon called the Rapid Blaster Pro will be available to purchase from Sheldon's Weapon Shop. This weapon will be released at the following times: 7 PM PT 10 PM ET 3 AM in the UK...
News Nintendo Launches Updated Developer Portal Website
Designed to be welcoming
In this generation Nintendo has been open-armed and welcoming to developers of all sizes, fostering the 'Nindie' age and opening the Wii U (and eventually the New Nintendo 3DS) up to development tools such as Unity. It seems to be stepping up those efforts, having launched a new Developer Portal with key information and an...
News New Details Emerge Around Phoenix's Story in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 6
No objections here
As some of you are likely aware, Capcom has confirmed that Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 6 will eventually be making its way to the West. The quirky game centered around legal battles will be starring not only Phoenix Wright, but also Apollo Justice. There's lots to look forward to about this game and while there's still no word on...
News Nintendo Allows Players To Blacklist Troublemakers In The Legend Of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
A lesson in how to deal with the unworthy
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes releases worldwide on the 3DS next week. While it's not the next big entry fans of the series have been waiting for, Nintendo promises it will still be a blast being able to team up with friends, family and even players online as a party of Links unite in an attempt to...
News Nintendo Share Value Increases to New High Under Tatsumi Kimishima Following Niantic Investment
The power of Pokémon Go
It's clear, from the substantial increase in Nintendo's share value since it confirmed its plans for the smart device market earlier this year, that investors have a lot of faith in the money making prospects to be found on iOS and Android. Phones and tablets equal big bucks when combined with a brand such as Nintendo -...
Video Super Mario Maker Gets A Family-Focused Challenge
Mums and dads, get ready for a showdown
With millions of Super Mario Maker levels being created, the folks at Family Gamer TV are spreading the craze to mums and dads with a new family-friendly competition. A handful of families from all over the world will be going head-to-head to create their own levels and then battle each other to reign supreme...
News Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 Will Contain Over 500 Beasts For You To Befriend
Monster mash
This week's Jump magazine has fresh details relating to the forthcoming Square Enix 3DS RPG Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3. First up is the storyline, which is set in the far-flung future. The hero is a young man suffering from amnesia (original!) who discovers a device known as a "Reactor" which allows him to analyse the monsters...
News Lottie amiibo Will Be Exclusive to Best Buy in Canada
Not a whole Lottie places to find this one
It seems that exclusive amiibo announcements have been all the rage lately. Just this past week, we've received confirmation that the Villager re-stock, Mii Fighter 3-pack, and the Mega Yarn Yoshi will be exclusive to Toys "R" Us and that the Falco amiibo will be exclusive to Best Buy
News Fear Not SteamWorld Dig Fans, A Direct Sequel Could Still Happen
"But will we ever see the SteamBots in 3D?"
During our many excursions at EGX this year we found ourselves chatting to Brjann Sigurgeirsson from Image & Form, the developer most notably responsible for SteamWorld Dig and the upcoming SteamWorld Heist. During the interview we learnt that although every SteamWorld game thus far has been of a...
News Gunslugs 2 Will Be Blasting Up the 3DS eShop on 22nd October
Check out some new 3DS screenshots, too
It can sometimes seem like the Wii U eShop is getting a lot of the Nindie love, but 3DS owners have a potentially exciting arrival around the corner. Gunslugs 2, originally developed by OrangePixel and being ported by Engine Software, is heading to the 3DS eShop in North America and Europe on 22nd October,...
News Nintendo's Official UK Store Promotes 2DS Price Cut
Lots of bundles for under £100
We're creeping towards the busiest shopping season of the year, and Nintendo like many other companies will be running promotions and bundles to tempt us into parting with our cash. One potential stocking filler for this year, particularly for younger games, could be the 2DS, and in the UK Nintendo's Official Store...
Music Fantasy Grooves Is The Chill-Out Fantasy Life Soundtrack You've Been Waiting For
DJ Cutman does it again
We're big fans of DJ Cutman here at Nintendo Life - the famed chiptune artist has kindly allowed us to use his work on some of our YouTube videos - and we have a feeling his latest project will turn many others into firm followers as well. Fantasy Grooves is billed as the sequel to his 2012 album Wii U Grooves, a laid-back...
News Two Tribes is Aiming to Get Toki Tori 3DS Out by the End of the Year
New improvements and features will also be implemented
In a move that was somewhat out of left field, Two Tribes announced in March that it would be bringing a remake of Toki Tori to the 3DS eShop. Since then, we've received virtually no news as to what kind of content would be present in this version of the game or when and where it would be...
Thursday15th Oct 2015
Rumour A List of Unreleased Titles for the eShop and Virtual Console Just Leaked
Prepare that salt
As many of you are aware, practitioners of particularly effective datamining techniques have recently uncovered the existence of data that seems to indicate that Nintendo is gearing up for an HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Additionally, there seems to be similar data that suggests that there will be more
News Mega Yarn Yoshi, Exclusive To Toys "R" Us in North America, Given Release Date
Joins Mii Fighter 3-pack and Animal Crossing Villager restock
Toys "R" Us has confirmed the well-known secret that the new Mega Yarn Yoshi amiibo will be exclusive to its stores. The soft toy - which is a larger variant of the existing Yarn Yoshi - does now have a release date; it launches on November 15th and will only be available in store. Mega...
Nintendo Download 15th October (North America)
Yoshi! Momonga! SmileBASIC! WiiWare! More!
It's that time again, North American gamers, for the Nintendo Download Update. This week brings an exceptional retail release on the Wii U, some interesting home console downloads, a promising 3DS programming app, a load of discounts and even a WiiWare download. Yes, really! Let's get to it. Missed the...
We're buying, Nintendo's selling
Rumours around a re-release / remaster of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess have been swirling for quite some time, occasionally a reflection of fan desires rather than any solid evidence. It wasn't so long ago that there was talk of it as a potential New Nintendo 3DS remake, taking the lead of Xenoblade...
Challenge accepted, NoA
Nintendo's regional teams are all part of the wider family, but like any siblings they occasionally try to out-do each other. With Nintendo of America kickstarting frantic code swapping with its The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes demo distribution this week, Nintendo of Europe has decided that it's ready to tango. The...
Review Pocky & Rocky with Becky (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Plain & Repetitive with Boredom
There's real promise behind Pocky & Rocky with Becky, far more than the unimaginative title might suggest. Bite-size levels quickly give way to intriguing boss battles, and speedy pacing helps hold your interest throughout the campaign. However, these positive aspects quickly fade in the face of bland enemies,...
Friday16th Oct 2015
Review Momonga Pinball Adventures (Wii U eShop)
He’s a pinball squirrel, there has to be a twist
Pinball may not be the first activity that comes to mind when thinking of possible pastimes for a squirrel, but nevertheless in Momonga Pinball Adventures we see exactly that. You take control of Momo, a Japanese dwarf flying squirrel whose preferred method of travel seems to be being whacked around...
Thursday15th Oct 2015
Review Whispering Willows (Wii U eShop)
And oh yes, she sees ghosts
An adventure game needs a fitting atmosphere, and Whispering Willows sets its tone well. An undercurrent of desolation and vague unease runs through the grounds of the old mansion in which the game is set. It's a set piece worthy of exploration, but the act of doing so doesn't seem to share the same level of...
Video Watch UFC Champ Ronda Rousey Train As A Pikachu
Max level
The Olympic medal-winning martial artist in Judo and UFC Women's Batnamweight Champion Ronda Rousey – also known for her roles in blockbuster movies such as Furious 7 – is arguably the most famous female athlete on the planet right now. So how exactly does one achieve such greatness? By dressing up as a Pikachu, of course. The former...
News Nintendo Increases Investment in Niantic, Developer of Pokémon Go
As does The Pokémon Company
Plenty of Nintendo gamers may not have heard of Niantic before it was confirmed as the developer of AR-based Pokémon Go, which is coming iOS and Android in 2016. Nevertheless the company has strong credentials - it was launched by Google co-founder John Hanke and has 13 million downloads behind it of previous AR title...
News Atlus Outlines Details of Stella Glow Demo and Gorgeous Launch Edition
Play the prologue for free
Stella Glow is coming to North America on 17th November (next year in Europe), with plenty surely looking forward to the Imageepoch SRPG. We were charmed and impressed by its musical approach in our first impressions earlier in the year. Atlus has now confirmed some details for the North American release, including a...
News Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Launches on 4th December in Europe
Two worlds collide
Mario has had an interesting journey in the RPG genre. After an initial start in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars on the SNES, Mario went on to star in the Paper Mario franchise, which was something of a spiritual successor. Then, a little before the release of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the Mario & Luigi...
News Wii U Version of Secret Files: Tunguska Sneaks Out in Germany
PEGI rating points to future release elsewhere
The point and click adventure genre is hugely popular in Germany, especially in PC gaming, and Deep Silver seems keen to give fans in the country more of what they want. As a result an updated version of Secret Files: Tunguska is arriving on the Wii U eShop today. This isn't a Virtual Console release...
Random Check Out These Awesome Splatoon Plushies from Japan
So fresh
Gaming paraphernalia can be a wonderful way to casually introduce elements of your favorite franchises into an environment. Be it an amiibo to be kept on a desk, a Yoshi plush toy to sit on your kitchen counter, or a replica of the Master Sword to be mounted over a fireplace; a simple object can act as a nice reminder of the things that...
News This Custom SNES Console Is The Perfect Way To Mark Three Decades Of Super Mario
Sadly one of a kind
We've featured the superb custom console mods of Zoki64 in the past, but this latest one seems especially timely when you consider that Super Mario reaches 30 this year. Boasting artwork from Super Mario All-Stars and coming in a fetching yellow colour (for once that has nothing to do with the plastic changing over time), this...
News SEGA’s GBA Version Of ChuChu Rocket! Arrives On The Japanese Wii U Virtual Console This Month
The Dreamcast port returns
Around the turn of the millennium when Sonic Team was in its prime with releases such as Sonic Adventure and Phantasy Star Online, Nintendo's Game Boy Advance was fortunate enough to receive a port of the Dreamcast title, ChuChu Rocket! Released in 2001 alongside the launch of Nintendo's latest portable system at the...
Video Eiji Aonuma's Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Introduction Is Now Available In English
It suddenly all makes sense
We reported a while back about the first in a proposed series of videos by Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma detailing the play mechanics of the forthcoming 3DS title The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes. It showed off how the game's online mode worked, but there was a catch - it was all in Japanese. Thankfully, a version has...
News Animal Crossing amiibo Triple Pack Confirmed For Australia
Releases alongside Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival
Following the announcement that the Animal Crossing amiibo Cards Collectors Album for series one would be arriving in Australian & New Zealand stores soon, Nintendo Australia has today confirmed the Animal Crossing amiibo triple pack including K.K.Slider, Reese and Cyrus will also be made...
Video Car Owners May Wince After Watching This Final Fight One Trailer
"Oh my car!"
Final Fight One launches on the North American eShop today, and to mark this occasion Nintendo has released a trailer for the game. As you'll know if you read our review, the GBA port of Capcom's seminal coin-op isn't quite perfect but is still worth a spin if you're a fan. The only part that could cause some upset is the bonus stage,...
Wednesday14th Oct 2015
Review Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden (3DS)
Not so extreme
Outside of Super Smash Bros., it feels like there's something of a gap in the 3DS library when it comes to fighters, so the overseas arrival of Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is a welcome one. A 2D, sprite based brawler that features characters and storylines from the perpetually popular manga and anime property, it's a solid if...
Review LEGO Dimensions (Wii U)
LEGO loans required
If ever there was a time for parents to put their collective foot down and tell their young ones to choose one favourite toy to buy, this may be it. The toys-to-life market has never been busier as three huge brands go head to head, and LEGO Dimensions arguably - or factually, in terms of the toy market - has the biggest brand of...
News Nintendo of America Distributes The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Demo Codes
Three per email
Ahead of The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes arriving on the 3DS Nintendo is stepping up its promotion efforts, and has now kicked off a familiar - and popular - process for fans. Nintendo of America has started to email some lucky players with three demo codes, a tactic used for a variety of games in the past couple of years. It...
Following in the footsteps of Twilight Princess HD
We recently reported on a rumour which seemed to suggest that Nintendo is currently working on a HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii U. Since then, dataminers have discovered references to other titles, including Super Mario Galaxy,
Video This is How Single Player Works in The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
Walk, tap, pick up, tap...
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is out soon, and we're diligently working away on a review to share once we're allowed to share it. Undoubtedly designed for multiplayer, to the extent that the game tries quite hard to discourage you from playing solo, it's an experience that's certainly best enjoyed with friends or...
News Mattel's Mario-Themed Hot Wheels Racers Are Hitting North American Stores in October
Vroom vroom
Earlier this year we shared the news that Nintendo's efforts to step up its IP licensing had brought about a deal with old favourites Hot Wheels, with six cars planned for an October release. As you can see below four are branded for the Super Mario 30th Anniversary, and another two are simply dedicated to gaming classics without that...
News Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash Fails to Clean Up in Japanese Charts
Outperformed by baseball title Pro Yakyuu Famista Returns on 3DS
The Japanese Media Create charts are out in Japan and, despite some positives, are likely to cause some disappointment in Nintendo HQ. This is due to an attempt at mainstream success for a long-established franchise falling flat at launch in the country. The game we're referring to is...
Review Pumped BMX+ (Wii U eShop)
Coming in hot with a 1080 backflip kickout… and it sticks the landing!
Released at the beginning of October on the Wii U eShop (and a slew of other consoles), we've spent lots of time mastering all sorts of BMX tricks and techniques in Pumped BMX+. Originally seeing success in the mobile market, developer Yeah Us! worked closely with publishing...
Video We Want Your Super Mario Maker Levels for Our New YouTube Series
Levels that require button inputs, preferably
For quite a while now we've been asking for your Super Mario Maker levels on our own dedicated page, with many of you joining in. We've also had some Nindies share and explain their designs to, hopefully, pass on some useful tips. We're now stepping up our efforts to share your creations on YouTube,...
What could it be?
Earlier this year Nintendo formed an alliance with fellow Japanese firm DeNA, with plans to release a game / app on mobile platforms before the end of 2015. In July, DeNA West CEO Shintaro Asako further explained how five different games – each of a distinct genre – were in the pipeline and were scheduled to arrive before the...
News IRONFALL Invasion Returns to the 3DS eShop Following IRONHAX Issue
Gunning for your SD card
A short while ago the thoroughly decent free-to-play 3DS shooter IRONFALL Invasion was removed from the eShop, a fairly drastic move in consideration of the marketing backing Nintendo had given the game and its position as a rare example of the genre available on the portable. Though never explicitly confirmed by developer...
Video Take a Look Around the Interior of Nintendo's Original Headquarters
Greatness from small beginnings
As some of you are likely aware, Nintendo has been around for a long time. Before it became the video game juggernaut that it is today, the company at some point turned its profit off of love hotels, taxis, and playing cards. Naturally, this meant that it started from rather humble beginnings and originally was...
News The Animal Crossing amiibo Cards Collectors Album Is Coming To Australia & New Zealand
Better late than never
Nintendo has confirmed via Facebook and Twitter that the series one Animal Crossing amiibo Cards Collectors Album will be making its way across to Australia and New Zealand very soon. Since the launch of Animal Crossing: Happy Home D
News Former Sony Exclusive PixelJunk Monsters Is Coming To The Wii U eShop
What's that coming over the hill?
A German USK rating has confirmed that tower defense title Pixeljunk Monsters is Wii U-bound. Originally exclusive to Sony systems, the PixelJunk series is created by Star Fox Command and Star Fox 64 3D studio Q-Games - the founder of which is none other than Dylan Cuthbert, a former Nintendo staffer who was...
Video Try to Keep Up With This Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden Launch Trailer
Super Butoden 2 is definitely only for pre-orders
Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is just days away in North America and Europe, so Bandai Namco naturally wants to keep momentum going ahead of release. To that end a new trailer has been released to build some launch hype. To the eyes of this non-fan this seems like a colourful and confusing...
Video Here's Some More Footage of The Legend of Legacy
Which, by the way, is out now in North America
As a few of you are probably aware, The Legend of Legacy released today in North America. Atlus' latest RPG certainly boasts a fascinating art style, though its battle and level up systems do seem to be a bit polarizing. Rest assured, we'll have a review out soon with our stance on the game. In the...
Video Legend Of Zelda: Symphony Of The Goddesses Drops By The Colbert Show
Music to our ears
We reported not so long ago that The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses orchestra would be playing on The Colbert Show to not only promote the ongoing tour (which is continuing into 2016) but also to push the impending release of Tri Force Heroes on the 3DS. The performance on The C
News Classic Sega Saturn Puzzler Baku Baku Animal Is Getting A Spiritual Successor
Please DO feed the animals
The Sega Saturn may have resided in the shadow of the Sony PlayStation during its short lifespan, but the system was still home to some incredible games, one of which was Baku Baku Animal. A puzzle title which involved matching animals with their preferred item of food, it was something of a cult classic back in the '90s...
Thursday15th Oct 2015
News Slender: The Arrival Will be Creeping Out Wii U Owners in North America on 22nd October
YouTube videos with screaming inbound
YouTube is a hugely powerful media resource for gamers nowadays, and does deliver some wonderfully varied content for all sorts of audiences. It can be the making of some games, too; if small Indie efforts get picked up by YouTube stars it can create viral hits and make the careers of developers. That seemed to...
Wednesday14th Oct 2015
Triple threat
It's easy to lose track as we approach gaming's silly season, but The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes isn't far away. As a result Nintendo will be upping its game to remind 3DS fans that this is a title that should very much be in their thoughts. In Japan the big N has been busy uploading some new videos to promote the title. First...
Video Learn the Basics of the Pokémon Trading Card Game
Gotta collect 'em all
It can sometimes be easy to forget that Pokémon is much more than just a best-selling video game series, with a successful anime and popular trading card game also contributing significantly to the franchise's mammoth success. The trading card game in particular is an interesting case; it could theoretically have the same...
Tuesday13th Oct 2015
News Proof of Functioning Wii U Emulator, Cemu, Emerges Online
Still very early days
For as long as there are consoles there'll be hackers and programmers attempting to reverse engineer them for emulation. Due to all of the work platform holders put into closing off their systems it proves to be difficult, and it took quite some time for the infamous 'Dolphin' emulator to make Wii games playable on PC. It's a...
Rumour Data Miner Uncovers Evidence Of Twilight Princess On Nintendo's Wii U eShop
The salt is on standby
When The Legend of Zelda: Twlight Princess was simultaneously released on the Nintendo GameCube and Wii in 2006, it was praised for being the mature Zelda title fans had always dreamed of. To this day, it remains a favourite – so how would you feel about it making a return? The proven data miner who operates under the...
And that's only the beginning
Earlier today Best Buy opened pre-orders as the only North American retailer to be selling the Falco amiibo. Toys "R" Us doesn't want to be left out so has now confirmed a release date for one of its own upcoming exclusives - the Mii Fighters triple pack. This pack will launch on 1st November and, in news that's either...
Weirdness French Far-Right Political Party Uses Little Mac Lookalike On Campaign Poster
"Hit the system with a good right!"
Nintendo is notoriously protective of its characters and franchises, and never allows them to be used outside of games unless the context is suitable - even using Mario on a mural took a lot of effort. Keeping this in mind, we wonder what the company makes of Little Mac's likeness being used in a campaign poster...
News These Limited Edition Analogue Nt Consoles Will Make Your Bank Account Weep
Gold LE and Famicom LE limited to 50 units each
We've been keeping a keen eye on the Analogue Nt since it was first announced as we're massive fans of the Analogue Interactive CMVS systems released in the past. By the sound of things this highly-refined NES system has been a real hit with fans, as the first production run is totally sold out...
Review Rakoo & Friends (Wii U eShop)
Love is in the air
Rakoo & Friends is a strong case for the allure of beautiful presentation. From a gameplay standpoint there's nothing really special about this one, but the fact that it's a joy to watch adds greatly to the overall package. Rakoo & Friends tells the story of the eponymous critter and his quest to find true love. The game...
News Toys "R" Us Teases More Exclusive amiibo in North America
Oh boy
It seems that Toys "R" Us is sweeping the board with the amiibo exclusives in North America. Following hot on the heels of the recent confirmation that the Mii Fighter amiibo will be exclusive to the retailer, it seems that there are still more amiibo that will be locked in to the massive toy store. Toys "R" Us recently tweeted a picture of...
News Best Buy Opens Pre-Orders for Falco's amiibo Release in North America
Everyone loves retailer exclusives, right?
It's that time again, amiibo hunters, as you scramble to grab the latest amiibo for your collection. This one's for North American gamers, in particular, as Best Buy has launched pre-orders for Falco, which is exclusive to the retailer. You can see the tweet below and you need to head to this product page...
Wednesday14th Oct 2015
Whoops
We think Nintendo of America's social media team need a refreshing hot beverage and then a lie down, as it's incurred the wrath of some of its 2.4 million+ Twitter followers once again. After teasing a disappointing but cute photo last week and underwhelming many, it's now given followers a demo and then rapidly taken it away. Nintendo...
Tuesday13th Oct 2015
News Academic Study Highlights How the Placebo Effect Works in Video Games
Interesting ramifications for game design
Don't Starve: Giant Edition is one of a number of high quality games on the Wii U eShop, and its randomised survival gameplay has been put to an interesting academic test, indicating that the placebo effect is perfectly applicable in games. The placebo effect is when a falsely perceived advantage or benefit...
News The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses - Master Quest Schedule Confirmed for 2016
The quest continues
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses tour has been an enduring success, running for multiple years and playing around the world. The orchestra will be appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on 13th October, and the series will feature footage and music from the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes...
News Spooky Halloween Events Are Now Live In Pokémon Shuffle
Ends 26th October
With the spooky time of year fast approaching, Pokémon Shuffle is celebrating the occasion with two new Halloween-inspired events. The first is titled Dusknoir Descends and requires players to defeat the ghost type Pokémon in 20 moves or less. If acquired and then used in battle, Dusknoir may occasionally use Last-Ditch Effort...
News Slender: The Arrival Has Received a German USK Rating
Perhaps an eShop arrival is inbound?
About a year ago, Slender: The Arrival received a rating from the PEGI board; which naturally led to an assumption that the game would soon be releasing on the eShop. The horror title featuring the infamous character released on PC and Mac about two years ago and it seemed like a good fit for the eShop, but there...
News New Screens are Unveiled for SteamWorld Heist as It Nears Release
Now rated and "nearing completion"
SteamWorld Heist is one of the biggest download games confirmed for 3DS this year, and developer Image & Form has provided another update on its progress. The title is said to be "nearing completion" before going off to Nintendo for approval, and as proof the studio has confirmed final ratings for each region,...
News Helix Games Announces Its Latest Wii U eShop Game, Escape From Flare Industries
Going for green blob hype
Helix Games is emerging as a rather prolific Wii U eShop developer; in 2015 it's released both Don't Touch Anything Red and Neon Battle on the store in North America. Neither are out and out winners, but they're tolerable budget efforts overall. The studio has now confirmed its next game for the Wii U - Escape from Flare...
News COLOR BOMBS Will Splat Onto the North American Wii U eShop on 22nd October
The 10th Wii U game from RCMADIAX
It's time to press that Caps Lock key, as RCMADIAX has announced a release date for its next Wii U eShop title. COLOR BOMBS will arrive in the North American store on 22nd October for a price of $1.49. As a reminder this is a chain-reaction title in which players must collect a predetermined amount of the...
News Image & Form Is Hoping to Get SteamWorld Heist Out by Early December
No promises, though
As many of you are likely aware, SteamWorld Dig is due to receive a sequel in the near future. Taking a vastly different approach than the Metroidvania-esque gameplay of the first game, SteamWorld Heist is an interesting shooter/turn based strategy hybrid that carries a lot of promise with its spacefaring setting. It's a release...
Monday12th Oct 2015
News Super Smash Bros. 'Digital Complete Pack' Combines Game and DLC for Wii U and 3DS
For a not-quite-smashing discount
Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS is the game that keeps giving, assuming you dig into your pocket every now and again. It's rather sneakily become Nintendo's most substantial DLC vehicle to date, serving up over $50 of extra content across four batches if you've opted to buy it all across both versions. It ain't...
Review 3D Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (3DS eShop)
Hogging the limelight
It's difficult to believe now, but there was a time when Sonic the Hedgehog games were good. Like, really good. Sega's recent efforts have been average at best, tragically bad at their worst (with a few exceptions here and there, mostly on handheld formats). Sonic the Hedgehog 2 falls into the series 'really good' period and so...
Review Medabots: Metabee & Rokusho (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Meh-abots
Medabots has always been a bit of an odd case. Clearly created to hitch a ride on the Pokémon hype train, it's a series about people who - instead of capturing and fighting with creatures - collect machine parts to build and fight with robots. Unlike Digimon, which was also similar in setup, Medabots never really seemed to catch on...
Feature A Pokémon Retrospective: Generation 2 - 1999 To 2002
Talking 'bout a generation
As we build up to the 20th anniversary of Pokémon in February 2016, and look hotly ahead towards brand new things including the new Zygarde forms, we're continuing our journey through each generation of Pokémon; this month we cover the much beloved second generation. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, and...
Nintendo Download 15th October (Europe)
Nintendo Selects! Dragon Ball Z! Momonga Pinball! DSiWare! More!
Another week begins and the European Nintendo Download Update details are now available - slightly later than normal - for us to peruse. This week brings Nintendo Selects discounts to the 3DS eShop along with a fresh retail release, while on Wii U we have some new eShop entries and a...
News Takashi Tezuka Gives His Opinion on Hard Levels Made with Super Mario Maker
"You need to take into consideration a wide range of users."
Super Mario Maker has been out for a while now and a nearly limitless amount of levels are already available to all players around the world. One popular trend among the countless armchair level designers is creating controller-throwingly difficult courses. More often than not, these...
Video New Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water Trailer Is Not For The Faint-Hearted
Or Fatal Frame, if you're in North America
Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water (known as Fatal Frame in North America) launches in Europe on October 30th, and Nintendo has just exclusively given us an early look at a fresh trailer which not only divulges a little more of the story, but also shows how the Wii U GamePad is used to enrich the famous...
Tuesday13th Oct 2015
Review Toto Temple Deluxe (Wii U eShop)
#GetTheGoat
You may be wondering, what is a Toto? No, we're not talking about the 1970s American rock band behind hit songs like 'Rockmaker' and 'Hold the Line'; Toto is amazing, but this isn't that Toto, even though this toto is also amazing. A toto is a small sentient tablet which has a strange obsession of having a goat sit on its head, and they...
Monday12th Oct 2015
Super Nindie Maker Curve Digital's P-Switcheroo and Déja Boo
Throwing a curveball
As you may have seen by now, we really want you all to share Super Mario Maker levels with each other; to achieve that we've set up a special level sharing page with some neat features - just for you. We're also teaming up with some 'Nindies' to share some levels from established and highly respected developers such as Image...
News Celebrate Super Mario World's 25th With These Stylish Prints
Available in poster or postcard form
Super Mario World launched alongside the Super Famicom on November 21st 1990, which makes this year the game's 25th birthday. Arguably one of the greatest video games ever made, this iconic platformer certainly deserves a bit of birthday celebration, and with that in mind Arkotype's Dan Clarke has created some...
News Atlus Drops a Slew of New Details on Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final
Hopefully, we'll get a release date soon
About a week ago, Atlus teased an announcement of a new game on the main page for Shin Megami Tensei IV and promised to make the big reveal once it was spread around sufficiently on Twitter. Naturally, the internet overcame this challenge quickly and the announcement was revealed to be Shin Megami Tensei IV:...
Weirdness Pokémon Meets The Sims In This Experimental Videogame Mash-Up
A funny concept
The recent release of Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer has proven there is more to the long-running series than just paying off loans to Tom Nook. By incorporating many ideas and game play elements from existing lifestyle and creation games, it makes you wonder what Nintendo’s other game series might look like if they received...
Video Play Nintendo Channel Launches Animal Crossing: HHDTV Series
No, that doesn't stand for hypetastic high definition TV
The Play Nintendo YouTube channel is an interesting beast - it targets a young audience and featured Shigeru Miyamoto being particularly cool with some kids during E3, but has struggled to truly take off. Occasionally long gaps between videos may be a factor in that, but nevertheless it...
News Takashi Tezuka on Mario's Success and His Hopes for the Future of the Character
"I think it all started with how the gameplay resonated with players."
It's no exaggeration to say that Super Mario has become a pop culture icon. The red-hatted plumber has appeared in dozens, if not hundreds, of games and has arguably become the unofficial face of gaming itself. If nothing else, he's been the star of the best-selling video game...
Not so sparkly
Puzzle solving games with gems, jewels and shiny objects are a dime a dozen. Sometimes, it doesn't take a gemologist to determine which ones are valuable or worthless colourful bits of glass. Gemology joins this glamorous, risky world of puzzle games hoping to be discovered. But is it really worth it? How many gem puzzle games are...
News Lego Avengers Features Story Content From Other Marvel Movies
Six films covered in total
The forthcoming Lego Marvel's Avengers video game for Wii U and 3DS will cover more than just the two Avengers movies released so far, it has been revealed. Given the title, you'd be let off for assuming that only Avengers (which was called Avengers Assemble in the UK to avoid confusion with the cult TV show of the same...
Video Catch Up With Early Footage of Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final
Try and figure out what's happening
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final was a welcome recent announcement from Atlus; it's arriving in Japan next February and will hopefully be localised to the West by the end of 2016 - time will tell. Over the weekend there was a NicoNico livestream that
News Yo-Kai Watch Busters Is Getting A Third Variant In Japan
Say hello to Moon Rabbit Team
As the west prepares itself for the onslaught of Yo-Kai Watch, our Japanese friends have been enjoying the franchise for some time - as well as its spin-off releases, such as Yo-Kai Watch Busters. Released this year in two flavours - Red Cat Team and White Dog Squad - Busters takes inspiration from the Hollywood series...
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and Super Mario Maker Continue Solid UK Form
Happy Home Designer holds top 10 place
The UK chart results have been updated for another week and bring a decent outcome for Nintendo; despite a small number of new arrivals on other platforms the current mainstays on Wii U and 3DS are holding good positions. For starters Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer has enjoyed a strong second week in...
News Wil Overton's Smart Bomb Gets A Second Issue, And It's Glorious
Another topper publication from the legendary UK artist
If you're a veteran Nintendo fan in the UK then the name "Wil Overton" will no doubt trigger fond memories of standing in your local newsagents staring longingly at one of the many Super Play covers the talented artist illustrated. Overton's career has taken him to many different places since...
Video Teamwork Pays Off In Our Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Hinox Mine Playthrough
Alex goes hands-on with the new 3DS epic
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes might not be the Zelda title that everyone wanted, but we've been playing it for a while now and has discovered that when you're teamed up with two other players - rather than the AI-controlled bots - it has the capacity to be very entertaining indeed. If you need any...
Sunday11th Oct 2015
Nindie can't win with this one
The internet can be a wonderful source of information, but can also get out of control when hype is engaged over potential goodies on the way. Nintendo recently fell victim to this when it inadvertently teased a tweet that was ultimately underwhelming, prompting plenty of frustration and humour. Nintendo of America...
Editorial A Wii U Price Cut is Still Worthwhile Despite Its Ongoing Woes
Nintendo's losing the 'value' appeal
In the last generation of home consoles the Wii was an innovative and fun budget option in the market, while the more powerful HD systems - PS3 and Xbox 360 - came with a premium price tag. As the generation wore on prices naturally dropped and bundles grew in number, but the basic market reality was that the Wii...
Monday12th Oct 2015
Video Learn About Alternate Costume Origins In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS
It ain't just a pretty wardrobe...
Alternate character costumes in the Super Smash Bros. series have always been a fun way to distinguish players from one another. These variants aren't just simple palette-swaps either, for characters such as Bowser Jr. and Olimar have alternate characters instead of a simple makeover like most fighters do. But you...
Saturday10th Oct 2015
Prepare for a terrible fate
Although in terms of news it's been a little on the quiet side in the old Nintendosphere this week, what has happened has been fairly meaty. If you've not managed to keep up you needn't fear, as once again we've compressed all the good stuff into video for you. The big topic this week is the confirmation that Skull Kid...
News Here's Some of the Changes Atlus Made to the Western Version of The Legend of Legacy
"Basically, the adjustments were to cut down on the amount of grinding"
Atlus continues to be the final word in localised releases of Japanese RPGs and we're absolutely loving it. The latest in Atlus' seemingly endless lineup is The Legend of Legacy, which is due out for a release very soon in North America. Naturally, the PR team is hard at work...
Review Perpetual Blast (Wii U eShop)
A shot in the dark
Perpetual Blast is an endless shooter. Similar to the concept of the popular endless runner genre on mobile devices, Perpetual Blast focuses on doing one thing and one thing only. Sadly, myriad execution errors keep it from being an enjoyable experience. The idea of Perpetual Blast is simple: find and destroy 100 boxes as fast as...
News It's Cats Against Dogs in the Next European Splatfest
Playing catch-up
While Splatoon gamers in North America and Japan have Splatfest battles to enjoy this weekend, the European equivalent was unexpectedly delayed. The good news is that Nintendo of Europe has confirmed the region's next contest for 17th October. It'll be catching up with one of the early Splatfests enjoyed in North America, as cats...
News Octodad: Dadliest Catch Has Been Delayed, Release Date Should Be Announced Soon
Developer had some tentacle difficulties to work out
It may have fallen to the back of many gamers' minds, but Octodad: Dadliest Catch is still due to receive a port on Wii U. The popular Indie PC game follows the adventures of an octopus masquerading as a typical suburban father and his attempts to hide his true identity from his family. Players...
Video Check Out Splatoon's Custom E-litre 3K Scope & Custom Range Blaster in Action
Customised to your needs (maybe)
Splatoon's the game that just keeps on giving, and this week we get to feast our Inkling eyes on the Custom E-litre 3K Scope and the Custom Range Blaster! The Custom E-litre 3K Scope is a scoped variant on the Custom E-litre 3K, allowing more precise aiming at the price of reducing your field of view whilst aiming...
Friday9th Oct 2015
News Hoopa Pokémon Distribution Details for X & Y and ORAS Begin to Emerge
UK and Germany are lined up
When it comes down to Pokémon lore, Hoopa caused a bit of a stir in the past as fans contemplated its significance after hackers had found the pocket monster's code in Pokémon X & Y. For fans of the movies, animated series and more its role has since become clear, and now those in the West that want the 'mon in...
News Nintendo Has "Moved On" From Game Boy Games on the 3DS Virtual Console
No wonder the VC has been so quiet
When the 3DS Virtual Console was introduced, it brought with it the promise of giving classic portable games a new lease in life much the same as the Wii Virtual Console did for classic console games. While it had a pretty strong start, it's no secret that the 3DS Virtual Console has been lacking for quite some...
News Speculation of Playable Octolings in Splatoon Triggered by Splatfest and SplatNet Updates
The squid vs. octopus battle intensifies
For quite a while eager Splatoon fans have followed the exploits of data miners and a more mischievous modder causing save data problems - the subject? Playable Octolings. For some they're an inevitability and we're just waiting for their arrival. Are more clues afoot? Our very own Alex Olney - who's not shy...
News Nintendo Selects Range on 3DS Has a Handsome Price Point in Europe
Link Between Worlds for £16
Unlike Nintendo of America, the European subsidiary of the company - for various legal and retail reasons we won't get into here - doesn't announce firm prices for products. When NoA says a game will be out for $60, those of us in Europe have the alternative of shopping around for the best deals. So, when major 3DS...
News Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets Gets a 3DS Release Date
Uses the pretty UbiArt engine
Update: This is now also confirmed for a 23rd October release in Europe. Original Article: If you don't like licensed TV tie-ins developed by Ubisoft, look away now. Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets is a title that uses the handsome UbiArt engine that now has a release date for the 3DS in North America -...
News Minecraft Game Engine Could Be Ported To Wii U Thanks To Minecraft: Story Mode
"Everything that looks like Minecraft is actually built in Minecraft"
Edit: Given the confusion that the original title caused, we've altered it slightly and are currently seeking clarification from Telltale regarding the game engine that Story Mode will run in. Original Story: Minecraft: Story Mode has been confirmed for release on Wii U, and...
Video The Game Theorists Explain Why We Should Go Easy on Bowser
Poor guy...
Bowser is a villain, but he's also a charismatic and comedic star, depending on the game you're playing. In some titles he's a straight-up villain that can't exactly be described as wordy, and in RPG titles such as the Mario & Luigi series he's a wise-cracking and loveable buffoon who seems barely in control of whatever fiendish...
News Nintendo Enjoys Market Share Dominance in Japan
Splatoon and Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer lead the way
We report the Japanese Media Create chart results on a weekly basis, with most entries showing a strong position for Nintendo in its home country. Its level of dominance has now been reflected in figures posted by Dengeki Online for the first half of the financial year - 30th March to...
News Gaze with Jealousy at These Monster Hunter X 3DS Themes
Keep your fingers crossed
Though the West is still being left in the dark, Japan is due to receive Monster Hunter X in a little over a month. The latest instalment in Capcom's best-selling monster hunting extravaganza, Monster Hunter X is set to introduce significantly more dynamic fighting styles and tactics into the already frantic gameplay...
News Yacht Club Games Issues an Update on Shovel Knight at Retail
New pricing and dates for the physical release, possibly amiibo preorders
Shovel Knight is one of those games that continues to improve and evolve as time goes on. With the excellent Plague of Shadows expansion adding significant value to the original campaign and with two more similar expansions on the way, it seems that the final version of the...
Hands On Learning to Enjoy Death in RIVE
Two Tribes isn't cute and cuddly any more
Two Tribes, prior to its closure and restructuring in early 2014, had a broad range of games and genres both developed in-house and as part of its publishing arm. Toki Tori was the best known of its titles, a cute - albeit tricky - puzzler that branched out across consoles and smart devices. The company's...
News Custom Range Blaster And Custom E-litre 3K Scope Coming To Splatoon Today
Tomorrow if you're in Europe
Rejoice, shooter fans! Two new weapons are coming to Splatoon - well, when we say "new" we mean custom versions of pre-existing weapons. The items in questions are the Custom Range Blaster and Custom E-litre 3K Scope. Both will arrive in North America tonight and early tomorrow morning in Europe. Are you still...
Video Hands On With New Style Boutique 2, A Surprising Fusion Of Fashion And Business Smarts
Clothes line
New Style Boutique 2 – Fashion Forward is coming in November, and is going to be get its own 3DS hardware bundle with special cover plates. While it may seem that Style Boutique is a rather undemanding title aimed at younger female players, my daughter has been trying it out and getting more than just fashion tips. Along with...
News Developer Of Acclaimed Indie Title Lumo "100% Trying" To Secure Wii U Release
Inspired by SNES title Equinox, no less
If you were lucky enough to attend EGX here in the UK recently then you may have spotted a lovely-looking indie title by the name of Lumo. This isometric offering is packed with references to gaming's past, and was born out of a Twitter conversation between its creator - former Ruffian, Lionhead and Bizarre...
Thursday8th Oct 2015
Random Isabelle Still Seems Upset At Negligent Animal Crossing: New Leaf Mayors
We apologise, Isabelle
Some 3DS owners are still diligently playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf - visiting their towns to exchange pleasantries with the locals, dig up some weeds and ensure that everything is tickety-boo. Those people will be held in high regard by the ever-lovable Isabelle. Then there are the rest of us, your humble writer included...
Review Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash (3DS)
Robots in plain sight
If you want to be all reductive about it, you can say there are two types of Nintendo mascot games: Biggies and Smallies. Everyone knows the Biggies because they're the company pillars, the keystones keeping Nintendo in the money: your Marios, Pokemons, and so forth. They're polished, beautiful, and ultimately a little safe...
Feature The Biggest 3DS Games of 2015 - Q4 Edition
Gaming on the go to finish the year
Every few months of each year we do lists of what we consider to be ten of the biggest games on each system that are still on the way. We recently shared a Wii U list for this quarter and, just like in that case, we're going to do one list for 3DS. In our Summer editions we had separate retail and eShop lists but,...
Nintendo Download 8th October (North America)
Chibi-Robo!, 3D Sonic 2, Legend of Legacy and much more
It's time once again for another Nintendo Download Update, and this week's North American line-up has some tempting options. There are four 3DS retail games, including a Nintendo platformer and an RPG with impressive pedigree, while M2 remasters another wonderful SEGA game for the eShop. On Wii...
News Six More Retro SEGA 3DS HOME Themes Are on the Way
From much loved to slightly obscure systems
3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has arrived today in North America and Europe, along with Game Gear and SEGA Genesis themes that are only out in NA so far. It's another pleasing day for fans of SEGA retro games and systems that happen to own a 3DS. You can see the Game Gear theme in a tweet we shared earlier this...
Friday9th Oct 2015
Review Race the Sun (Wii U eShop)
A fine line between rapture and ruin
Race the Sun doesn't look like much from its screenshots. The minimalistic visuals and simple gameplay premise might not grab you at a glance. It's in hurtling down those gray fields, narrowly missing hulking monoliths as your plane's solar fuel gauge steadily drains, the sun slowly falling as the sky turns a...
Thursday8th Oct 2015
News Hyrule Warriors Legends Site Shows Off Skull Kid and Phantom Ganon
The stuff legends are made of
The official Japanese site for Hyrule Warriors Legends has been updated, and as expected it features playable character Skull Kid, a bit more of the Wind Waker stage and a new enemy in the form of Phantom Ganon. All of these elements were confirmed by a recent Famitsu feature. Skull Kid is one of the most iconic c
Review Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (Wii U eShop / DS)
A toy story
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis is the Nintendo DS sequel to the original GBA classic and a new recruit to the ever-growing Wii U Virtual Console library. Rather than being more of the same platforming puzzle action, Nintendo chose to focus this entire game around what is but a small percentage of the previous game - the...
News The Team Behind Earthworm Jim Would Like to Make a Sequel
"I think everyone would be up for it sometime"
Arguably one of the most memorable titles to grace the Sega Genesis in the 16-bit era was Earthworm Jim. Starring a worm in control of a super suit that fell from the sky, the crazy intergalactic adventure became famous for its bizarre sense of humour and fluid animation techniques. The classic received...
News Voice Actors Union Authorises Strike Action With Landslide 96.52 Percent Vote
Strike likely to go ahead unless agreement can be reached
Last month we reported that The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA for short) in the US was holding a vote to see if its members would support strike action in order to improve the working conditions of voice actors in the video game sector...
News SmileBASIC Releases on the North American 3DS eShop on 15th October
Programming that'll put a smile on your face
While the 3DS software library is primarily comprised of games, there are a handful of useful apps that are also available for those who might be interested. More often than not, these are more educational in nature; revolving more around teaching the user a particular skill than solely existing for...
News Final Fantasy Explorers is Playable at New York Comic Con
Posters for the lucky ones
With the inconsistent nature of localisation it's never clear which major releases in Japan will make it to the West, so a much-welcomed Summer announcement was when Square Enix confirmed 3DS title Final Fantasy Explorers for North America and Europe. It'll arrive in January next year (26th in NA and 29th in EU) and will...
Video Zelda Producer Eiji Aonuma Guides You Through 15 Minutes Of Tri Force Heroes
In Japanese, obviously
The launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is very nearly upon us, and to tempt a few more people to part with their hard-earned cash Nintendo has convinced producer Eiji Aonuma to step in front of camera for 15 minutes in order to show you the ropes. The first video - which will be part of a series - Aonuma shows...
Video Savour the Madness of Project X Zone 2 in This Extended Showcase
Includes newcomers from Fire Emblem, Xenoblade and more
Project X Zone 2 joins a list of intriguing 3DS games that are due early next year (December this year in Japan); in fact, there may be one too many time sink games in that window for most of us mere mortals to tackle, but that's a nice problem to have. The Monolith Soft-developed IP mashup...
Wednesday7th Oct 2015
Random Excitable Fans Face Disappointment When Nintendo Does Twitter Wrong
Deep breaths needed all around
What happens when Nintendo of America accidentally tweets "Mario has a new best buddy!" without an image and then deletes that tweet? Some of its 2.37 million followers - at the time of writing - get a bit over excited, thinking that a massive announcement is about to rock their world. Then this happens after a short...
Review Chronus Arc (3DS eShop)
Could have used more time
Chronus Arc hearkens back to the JRPGs of the Super Nintendo era, or at least it tries to. Kemco's 3DS port of its 2013 RPG has some interesting ideas but, sadly, they don't fit the overall experience particularly well. The story of Chronus Arc starts off interestingly enough: as the Time Rewinding approaches, a ritual...
News Midora Developer Admits He Knew Kickstarter Funds Wouldn't Be Enough To Complete The Game
"I knew that the game would need more than $60,000 to be made"
The developer of the Zelda-inspired RPG Midora has admitted that he knew full well that the amount of cash raised during its Kickstater campaign wouldn't be enough to cover the full cost of development. The crowdfunding drive raised $73,470 in 2014 - a little over the base target of...
News The YouTube Wii U App Has Another Update
Has a prettier user interface but not much else
Whenever we post an article about the Wii U YouTube app, we're reminded multiple times that it's better to use the web browser. So, early disclaimer - it is arguably better to use the web browser for YouTube on the Wii U, no argument here. Still, the actual app is a thing and Google continues to roll...
News English Translation Of Metroid EX: Samus & Joey Manga Finally Complete
It's non-canon, before you get too worked up
Keen followers of the Metroid series may be aware of the Comic Bom Bom manga, Metroid: Samus & Joey. This non-canon story was first published in the magazine in 2003 and focused around Joey, a young boy who is saved by Samus Aran after an attack on his village, and thereafter swears to stay by her...
News Miiverse Gets a Major Web Redesign, and Introduces Adverts
The Adblock wars begin
Nintendo's been jazzing up its websites in recent times, and has now shifted up another gear by giving a major redesign to Miiverse. It's tapping into various current ideas like showcasing trending posts, emphasizing popular content and generally looking a bit flashier. It's also added adverts. You can see the lowdown from...
News How A 165-Foot Super Mario Mural Helped Heal The Upset Created By Russian Military Propaganda
Reaching for the stars
Super Mario celebrates his 30th birthday this year and over those three decades the character has become recognisable to people from all over the world. Such is Mario's fame that when a group of Russian artists known as ArtFacade was commissioned to paint murals across damaged walls exposed by the removal of advertising...
News New Euro Wii U Premium Bundle Contains Mario Kart 8 And Splatoon
Launches this month, costs £239.99
Nintendo has confirmed today that it is releasing a new Wii U premium bundle which contains two of the console's most critically-acclaimed titles, Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon. The pack - which will be a limited-time offer - contains the standard black premium Wii U console with 32GB of storage and all the usual...
News Super Meat Boy May Be Coming to the Wii U
"Wii haven't forgotten about U"
For those of you with long memories, Super Meat Boy was actually set to release for the WiiWare service back in 2009. After a lengthy series of delays, it finally got canned in 2010; likely as a result of the miniscule file size restrictions for WiiWare. Indeed, this was difficult news for many, and it was made...
News Xenoblade's Metal Face and Street Fighter's M. Byson Feature in Latest Project X Zone 2 Reveals
"How does it feel to be such a pathetic hero?"
Project X Zone 2 is shaping up to be a particularly intriguing sequel, with the IP mash-up RPG throwing in a diverse range of characters; that includes some from developer Monolith Soft and Nintendo's IPs. An updated list that can be added to the roster has now come out from the latest issue of...
News PS4 and Sony Enjoy Dominant Week in Japan With Price Cut and New Releases
Price cuts can help, Nintendo
The Media Create chart results are in for Japan, and after a number of weeks with Nintendo's systems and exclusive games leading the way there's a change in momentum. In the software top 20 the shift has come through a range of new releases, with the top 5 consisting of three games across three separate Sony platforms...
Video Watch Us Put The Nintendo 3DS NFC Reader Through Its Paces
amiibo and amiibo cards both tested
While New Nintendo 3DS owners have been happily plonking amiibo figures onto the lower screens of their consoles for months now, people who are saddled with older 3DS models have had to watch on in envy - until now. Nintendo has finally gotten around to releasing the promised 3DS NFC Reader, a device which links...
News Sega Will Be Bringing a Game Gear 3DS Theme West Soon
Gear up
Arguably one of the greatest things to be brought to the 3DS in an update was the concept of themes. This addition allowed gamers to personalize their 3DS home menu as they saw fit, with a diverse range of themes based off of popular games and characters available for a cheap price, or even free in some cases. Sega has contributed...
Video Shin'en Discusses FAST Racing NEO's F-Zero-Inspired Hero Mode And Multiplayer Options
"We really wanted this to be a full package"
FAST Racing NEO is coming this year, and is likely to scratch that F-Zero itch with its brand of anti-grav racing action. We got chance to sit down with Shin'en's Martin Sauter to talk about the game at this year's EGX, and as well as speaking about the game's development, he revealed that the title is...
Video Indulge in the Weirdness of This Genei Ibun Roku #FE Footage
Introducing the opening song and characters
Wii U title Genei Ibun Roku #FE - or Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem to those of us confused by its name - had a rather interesting but baffling appearance at E3 this year. While it's arguably yet to be explained and localised to a helpful degree for those outside of Japan, it's moving rapidly towards its...
News Renegade Kid Wants to Release Physical Versions of its 3DS Games
Perhaps a collection is on the horizon?
Renegade Kid is a studio that has been a very dependable supporter of the eShop, with games like Mutant Mudds and Xeodrifter periodically showing up and giving gamers solid slices of action that rarely disappoint. Though the studio seems to have a soft spot for retro games, releases like Moon Chronicles and...
Video Here, Have Some More Zany Japanese Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Commercials
Three's a crowd
The Japanese marketing campaign for The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes has already veered towards the odd, and now Nintendo is pushing out TV spots to promote the upcoming release - and they're just as amusing. The two commercials shown so far feature a trio of real-world Japanese chaps (we're assuming they're famous in their...
News Momonga Pinball Adventures is Flipping Onto Wii U on 15th October
Includes challenges and online leaderboards
Pinball fans with a Wii U do have some options to scratch their itch courtesy of Zen Pinball 2, though Momonga Pinball Adventures from Paladin Studios is aiming to shake things up a little. Originally confirmed for the Wii U back in 2013, it's now got a final release date for the system. It'll roll its...
Tuesday6th Oct 2015
News The Pokémon Company Withdraws Settlement in Lawsuit Over Copyright Infringement
The plot thickens
For those of you that weren't aware, the Pokémon Company recently sued a fan over alleged copyright infringement. Here's the breakdown of what happened: A Seattle Café owner named Ramar Larkin Jones was going to be throwing a Pokémon themed party at his café, the Pokémon Company slapped him with a lawsuit, and the two parties...
News Upcoming Super Smash Bros. Patch Will Make Diddy Kong Less Obnoxious
Grab that
Diddy Kong has been an oddly controversial character in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS; even for the less-engaged Smash player he's been popping up regularly in arguments about balancing. He was OP, then nerfed, but still irritates some enough that they feel he should be outright banned. Even his cute Nintendo hat can't save him...
News Super Mario Advance 4's e-Reader Levels Get Resurrected Thanks To Super Mario Maker
e-Reader attachment not required
When Nintendo launched Super Mario Bros. 3 on the Game Boy Advance under the rather misleading title Super Mario Advance 4, it included 30 secret stages - all falling under the banner "World-e" - which could only be unlocked by using the optional e-Reader accessory and a set of special cards. Given that both of...
News Skull Kid is Confirmed as a Playable Character in Hyrule Warriors Legends
Phantom Ganon to also feature
Hyrule Warriors Legends will give us portable hack 'n slash action in 2016, and Koei Tecmo is keeping up its momentum of new characters that'll feature in the 3DS version of the popular Wii U original. Recently it showed off characters and stages from The Wind Waker, and now it's revealed additional popular characters...
Video This Super Mario Maker Player Captures The Frustration of Surprise 'Don't Move' Stages
Is this a joke?
Super Mario Maker is wonderful, at least in our humble opinion, and millions of stages have been created for us all to try. Naturally with so many people taking part there's scope for levels that are slightly peculiar of almost impossible to beat, yet it's the 'don't move' or 'keep running' stages that seem to be among the most...
News English Version of SplatNet Website for Splatoon Goes Live
Keep track of gear, stages, rank, and friends with this handy site
Splatoon is a game that can get fiercely competitive for those who are willing to put in the time and effort. Once you start getting into the upper limits of the Ranked Battle mode, you'll find that competitors wear very particular gear with very particular stats. Surprisingly...
News Sonic Lost World's Wii U Exclusivity Ends With Budget PC Release
Bundled with Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Sonic Lost World, released exclusively on Wii U in 2013 - also with a separate 3DS iteration - is a game full of good intentions. It attempted to make 3D Sonic speed more playable; though flawed it was a demonstration of ambition and arguably a step forward for the Sonic Team. SEGA has been moving a...
News The 3DS Is Getting A New Medabots Game, But Don't Expect A Western Release
Coming in two versions
The Medabots series may not be as popular in the west as it is in its native Japan, but there are still plenty of fans in this part of the world who will no doubt be pleased to learn that the series is getting a new entry on the 3DS. Those very same individuals may be equally annoyed by the fact that it probably won't get a...
News Nielsen Game Rank Lists the Most Anticipated Games of the Holiday Season
There's a disturbing lack of Xenoblade here…
It's hard to believe, but we're already fast approaching the Holiday season for 2015. This is a critical time for game companies everywhere, as this is when a significant chunk of yearly profits is made. While it is a pretty safe bet that no Nintendo games will be leading the charts this season, there's...
Hardware Review BitBoy Lets You Back Up Your Game Boy Camera Snaps With Ease
Digital photography, 1998 style
In 1998 Nintendo launched the Game Boy Camera, a tiny (at the time) digital camera that sat in the Game Boy's cartridge slot and took simple monochrome photos that could be edited and printed via the link cable and an optional Game Boy Printer, using a roll of thermal printing paper similar to a till receipt. In the...
News SEGA and M2 Reflect on 3D Classics Series and Name a Project for the Wishlist
"My 3DS has become, you could say, a SEGA Console in its own way"
The 3D SEGA Classics series, produced by the brilliant developers at M2, has been a highlight on the 3DS eShop. A broad range of games have been remastered, ranging from Arcades, to Master System and Mega Drive / Genesis games, with some being among the finest titles of the '80s and...
News Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses to Play on Stephen Colbert
Late Night with Link
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses has had a few years to send its melodies throughout the lands, but there are still plenty of people who haven't had a good chance to see them perform. If you'd like to hear some Zelda music on a grand scale, however, and have access to CBS's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,...
Video Gain Some Insight Into How Retro Game Music and Sounds Were Made
Musical memories
It can often be emphasized how important music is to any gaming experience. In the current day that can often mean professional live band performances and orchestras, though on retro systems this was focused on far more primitive sound chips and coding. There are gamers of all ages that get particular enjoyment from retro style game...
News Put Some Boo in Your Pumpka with Halloween Pokémon Stencils
Gotta carve 'em all!
Pokémon has really gotten into the Halloween spirit as of late, showcasing a series of holiday-themed merch in its online store. Just look at that Pikachu dressed as a vampiric Zubat. Who wouldn't want that little guy slipping into their room at night and turning them into an adorable denizen of the dark? The standard Pokémon...
Random UK MC Jme Produces Pokémon Season One Theme Song Remix
Complete with full animation!
UK MC Jme has made a remix of the Season One (Indigo League) theme song of Pokémon, entitled 'The Very Best'. For those unaware, Jme is a popular music artist (specialising in Grime) from the UK who has been creating music since 2003, and has become well-known worldwide due to his unique style, impressive lyrics, and...
Wednesday7th Oct 2015
News Image & Form Wants Real Life SteamWorld Photos, With Copies of Heist Still Up for Grabs
Hopefully your camera skills aren't too rusty...
We've been sharing a number of the SteamWorld Heist ambassador contests with you here on Nintendo Life, which have formed a neat promotion in which a number of gamers have won copies of the upcoming game across all platforms, from 3DS to Wii U, PC and beyond. The latest contest is now live, and once...
Monday5th Oct 2015
Nintendo Download 8th October (Europe)
STARWHAL! Sporty Mario! 3D Sonic 2! Pac-Man! More!
The start of another week has rolled around, so that means it's time for more Nintendo Download Update news in Europe. This week serves up some promising downloads with a frantic multiplayer Nindie game, a couple of Mario sporting games, another potentially wonderful 3D Classic from SEGA and more...
Review Skylanders SuperChargers (Wii U)
Articulation, That’s What You Need
While other toy-game hybrid makers are moving on from older Nintendo hardware this year, Activision has doubled down on Wii, 3DS and Wii U Skylanders with bespoke versions and cross-over dual action Skylander-amiibo. This year's Skylanders Superchargers novelty is a good one. The articulated vehicles not only...
News Lost Game Boy Color Banjo-Kazooie Game Unearthed In Design Documents
An early look at the game which would become Grunty's Revenge
When Rare was purchased by Microsoft many assumed that there would be no more titles from the famed UK developer on Nintendo formats, but such fears proved unfounded - Rare continued to release titles on both the Game Boy Advance and its successor, the Nintendo DS, although in recent...
News A Satoru Iwata Memorial Custom amiibo is Being Sold for Charity
Has attracted bids of over $1000 so far
Custom amiibo figures are rather common, with fans converting existing figures into other favoured characters and variations. With the passing of Nintendo President Satoru Iwata earlier in the year there was a petition for a Satoru Iwata amiibo, and some produced their own in honour of the gaming visionary...
News Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final is an All-New Entry in the Atlus Series
Killing gods likely to be prominent
A little earlier today we shared a teaser from Atlus around a new announcement that would be shared if social media targets were hit. The fans responded with 15,000 tweets and Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final has been revealed. Like its predecessor this one is coming to 3DS, and is described by Famitsu as an entirely...
News Nintendo Drops Out of Interbrand 'Best Global Brands' Top 100
Work to be done
Nintendo is a major entertainment brand and still has the power to draw in gamers of all types, but even the most optimistic among us will acknowledge that it's fallen backwards in that area in the past few years. Nintendo was a leading force in entertainment in the Wii and DS era, yet has had to settle for a lower level of success...
News Miyamoto and Tezuka Discuss the Difficulties of Balancing Games for Players of All Skill Levels
"The difficulty balance is always something that I hear frustrations about"
Arguably, one of the greatest features of modern Nintendo games is how the difficulty almost always manages to cater to both advanced players and beginners. For those who need it, there's usually a power-up or handout that will make a challenge significantly easier to...
Super Nindie Maker Choice Provisions' Paratroopa Pounce
BIT.TRIP POUNCE
As you may have seen by now, we really want you all to share Super Mario Maker levels with each other; to achieve that we've set up a special level sharing page with some neat features - just for you. We're also teaming up with some 'Nindies' to share some levels from established and highly respected developers. We kicked off the...
Talking Point Nintendo Share Prices Return to Upward Trend
Consecutive days of improved fortunes
For a couple of weeks after the appointment of Tatsumi Kimishima we kept an eye on Nintendo share prices, because we're nerdy about that. After a number of consecutive days of line graphs going down following the news of the appointment we wondered why this was - written on 29th September - especially as...
News A New Shin Megami Tensei Announcement Has Been Teased by Atlus
New game on the horizon?
The Japanese website for Shin Megami Tensei IV has been recently updated with a very curious image of a stone wall accompanied by some text which apparently says something to the effect that in 15,000 tweets a disaster will occur. This could be anything related to the series, but do keep in mind that a representative from...
News Freedom Planet Bug Causes Screen Freezing Problems for Some Players
Still fighting for freedom from bugs
Freedom Planet only just released on 1st October, but it was initially supposed to release much earlier. As some of you may have known, Freedom Planet was delayed by a few months due to some sort of game breaking bug that was reported in the advance release copies sent to reviewers. While the delay may have upset...
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Makes Top 10 Chart Debut in UK
Quite Pleased Home Designer
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer has now rolled out around the world, attempting to charm all-comers and to tempt them into buying amiibo cards. The spin-off entry appears to have made a reasonable debut in the UK charts, too, following the fairly impressive sales numbers that have been developing in Japan. Happy...
News Guitar Hero Live Brings Out Big Stars for Its Marketing Campaign
Those without hardcover 'ART' books shouldn't buy this game
Marketing and branding are often about aspiration - look at the shiny thing and the photogenic people with the shiny thing, and look at their amazing living room. Nintendo and many game companies follow this 'how to advertise a game 101', and Activision is no different with its efforts for...
News Bandai Namco Launches Quirky 'Twitter Plays' Campaign for Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden
That won't be timeline spamming at all
Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is getting ever closer to its Western release, and Bandai Namco has announced a quirky social media campaign that's clearly taken some inspiration from Twitch Plays - it's going for 'Twitter Plays'. As you can see in the trailer below you're supposed to sign-up on the official...
Sunday4th Oct 2015
Review Freedom Planet (Wii U eShop)
Purple is the new blue
Yes, Freedom Planet feels like an old-school 2D Sonic game, but thankfully it manages to overcome some of the hurdles that bog down the blue hedgehog's classic Sega games. Freedom Planet boasts colourful characters whose story extends past a bland cliché of catch phrases. The art style consists of a gorgeous colour palette...
Review Hold Your Fire: A Game About Responsibility (Wii U eShop)
Star Chores
It's time we put a stop to the romanticism of life in space. Too long have we had to endure the thrills of blast-filled chases through asteroid belts and hyperspeed flings among the stars. Who do these games think we are? Interesting? No, we want the truth! We demand the 9-5 trudgery and certain, unforgiving death that comes with being a...
News A Prototype Cartridge For an Unreleased N64 Shmup Recently Sold for $3,000
Buyer shares first footage of the game since Space World 1999
It seems that game collectors will go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that their collection is virtually peerless. Be it traveling across the world or spending an enormous sum of money for an obscure piece, it's somewhat inspiring to see someone who's so absolutely dedicated to the...
News Totaka's Song is in Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
The recurring easter egg strikes again
For those of you that are unfamiliar with it, Totaka's Song is a simple 19 note melody created by Kazumi Totaka, a sound designer that has worked on a broad range of Nintendo games over the years. Totaka's Song first appeared in X – a shooter for the original Gameboy – as a hidden secret and ever since, it...
Rumour Mii Fighter amiibo Might Be a Toys "R" Us Exclusive in North America
Keep an eye out
The never ending stream of new amiibo figures continues moving at a rather brisk pace and although recent times with stock issues have been better, it's still not an easy task to find some of the more in-demand amiibo at a nearby store or for a reasonable price. Retailer exclusivity doesn't exactly help solve this issue, as it...
Hands On Aperion Cyberstorm is Bringing a Welcome Slice of Twin-Stick Shooting Action to Wii U
We play, and play, and play, in the score chasing mode
Sometimes we get an interesting perspective - based on our readership at least - of what 'clicks' with the eShop audience and what doesn't. Some games get a lot of buzz right off the bat while other equally deserving games continue to be largely overlooked. At times reasons can be discerned but,...
Saturday3rd Oct 2015
News The Pokémon Company Sues Fan for Copyright Infringement, Demands $4,000 in Damages
It's super effective!
It feels like you can barely go a week without hearing another story of a fan-created work being shut down by the company that owns the IP being emulated. Here's the way things usually go: a cease and desist letter is sent to the fan as a sort of warning, the offending material is removed, and the issue is resolved...
Nintendo Life Weekly The Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot Ends, a Naughty Splatoon Octoling and More
Who'll Sakurai produce next
It's been another busy week in the world of Nintendo, with the usual blend of the good, bad and ugly. If you've been unable to keep track, or just want a nice bite-sized video to remind you of some highlights, Alex is here as always with his lovely weekly video. The headline this week revolves around the end of the Super...
Rumour Nintendo and DeNA Will Be Revealing the First Smart Device Software Soon
"Expect the unexpected"
The fruits of the Nintendo and DeNA partnership are still very much a mystery to us. We know that DeNA has been enlisted to assist Nintendo in bringing their IP to mobile device platforms, but what this exactly means is still anybody's guess. Will the first release be an app or a game? What franchise will be chosen to blaze...
Video Catch Up With Combat Tips in the Xenoblade Chronicles X Survival Guide
Delightfully complicated
Xenoblade Chronicles X is creeping ever closer to a Western release, which is terrific news for Wii U owners that admire Monolith Soft and its enormous RPG projects. With potentially hundreds of hours of content and what appears to be quite staggering depth, many are likely to be playing it into 2016. Nintendo has been...
News The Next Splatfest in North America is About How You Like to Travel
Planes or Cars?
We're once again approaching that time in North America for the monthly Splatfest, the popular event that captures the hearts and minds of Splatoon players all over. While the Autobots vs. Decepticons Splatfest will never be topped, this Splatfest's theme is still decent. The battle will be between those who prefer to travel by car...
Friday2nd Oct 2015
Feature The Biggest Wii U Games of 2015 - Q4 Edition
Goodies to finish off 2015
Every few months of each year we do lists of what we consider to be ten of the biggest games on each system that are on the way. We're kicking off with the Wii U for this quarter and, although we gave retail and eShop games separate lists earlier in the year, the limited remaining slate for 2015 has prompted us to combine...
Rumour Data Miner Discovers Three Empty Character Slots in Super Smash Bros.
And possibly more stages
We know that more DLC is coming to Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS, but that doesn't stop data miners digging around for more information. They've done so successfully in the past, notably leaking some of the big E3 DLC reveals months before they were announced. The data miner that was apparently behind discovering Ryu...
News Star Fox Zero Delayed To Achieve a "Platinum Feel" in Quality
Pretty smooth flying, Fox
We're still reeling from the news that Star Fox Zero will be missing its Holiday 2015 launch, but this delay to Q1 2016 might end up making the game worthy of doing a barrel roll after all. In a recent interview with GameSpot, Platinum Games' Yusuke Hashimoto reiterated that Star Fox Zero is still running at an impressive 6
Pretty darn generous
Earlier today we reported that GAME sent a letter of apology and £10 of store credit to those affected by issues of multiple Super Mario Maker pre-order payments. That was a reasonable goodwill gesture, though it seems to be a day of UK retailers going out of their way to apologise to customers that have been let down. The...
News Scalebound was Originally Planned to be a Wii Game
If only Kamiya wasn't dragon his feet
For those of you that don't keep track of upcoming releases on other platforms, Scalebound is an Xbox One game currently in development at Platinum Games, the studio responsible for Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101. The ambitious title will follow the adventures of a young boy and his dragon as they explore a...
Video Learn How to Clear The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past in Under Two Minutes
The Japanese version, anyway
Speedruns of retro games can be pretty entertaining, especially as we see the end result of many hours of experimentation and work. Quite how some of these workarounds are discovered is beyond us. In recent months we've shared a few videos from the A+Start channel, as it demonstrates and explains classic speedrun tricks...
Video Terraria Shines on Wii U and 3DS
The wait is almost over
There were a load of indie games to try out at EGX this year, and many of those were on the Nintendo stand. One title with firm indie roots, although now outgrown its stable, is Terraria. As you no doubt know this is the 2D side scrolling Minecraft-a-like that actually has much more going for it than simplified block...
News GX Hunter Armor Stars in Penultimate Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate DLC Update
Just one more to go
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate has provided a huge amount of content on the 3DS, and for those with regular online hunting buddies or a lot of skill, the free monthly DLC has certainly kept things interesting. The October content is now up and, sadly, it means we only have one more set of DLC to come. In terms of what's available...
Video The Just Dance Unlimited Subscription Service Gets a Quirky Trailer
Pay to dance
It's an annual tradition here at Nintendo Life to live stream Ubisoft's always-bizarre E3 live conference, mainly so we can marvel at clunky scripts and joke about the big reveal of Nintendo systems getting another Just Dance game. That happened again this year with Just Dance 2016, though there was the pleasing announcement that the...
News You Can Now Preorder The Glorious Mewtwo amiibo in the UK
Gotta buy 'em all
Back in July we reported that a Mewtwo amiibo was spotted in the wild, which appeared to drive amiibo collectors and the Internet in general into a bit of a frenzy. If you're in the UK, your time has now come. You can preorder this glorious Mewtwo amiibo today on the Nintendo UK Store for a delivery on or around the 23rd October...
News Yo-kai Watch Release Date Moves Up to 5th December in Australia and New Zealand
Christmas comes early this year
It's no secret that the Yo-Kai Watch franchise has been a huge hit in Japan and it won't be long now until the West gets a chance to see what all the hype's about. Level-5's going all-in with its Pokémon-like series with an anime and toy line set to complement the release of the game in order to garner as much...
News Pokémon Rumble World Is Getting A Physical Release In Japan
Minus microtransactions, of course
A physical version of the free-to-play 3DS eShop title Pokémon Rumble World is coming to Japan on November 19th, it has been revealed. The game will feature none of the microtransactions seen in the digital release and will give players all 3,000 Poké Diamonds and the Poké Diamonds Digger from the outset. It...
News GAME Sends Out £10 Gift Cards and Apologises for Super Mario Maker Pre-Order Issues
"We made a mistake"
When Super Mario Maker arrived on 11th September, some UK gamers that pre-ordered the title with GAME experienced serious issues. The major problem was that some were charged up to seven times for the order and saw hundreds of pounds deducted from their bank accounts; this took quite a few days to resolve fully. It was...
News Just Dance: Disney Party 2 Is Serenading The Wii U And Wii This Month
Yes, the original Wii
Nintendo may be on the verge of announcing its next home console but the Wii - now a decade old and a distant memory to some fans - is still getting new games. Ubisoft has confirmed that Just Dance: Disney Party 2 will be coming to Wii U, Xbox One and Xbox 360 - as well as the Wii - at the end of this month. The title...
Who will win?
You'd be forgiven for forgetting about Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. Though we thought it was rather good, the relatively obscure puzzle title released somewhat stealthily in May and failed to make as much of an impact on Western audiences as Nintendo hoped. Evidently in an effort to spread...
Video What Nintendo Life Did At EGX 2015
Highlights from the big event
For those of you in the UK who were lucky enough to attend this year's EGX - that's around 75,000 of you, according to official figures - the show may well seem like a distant memory now. If you miss the lights, the noise, the crowds and most importantly, the games, then allow our handy little highlights video to bring...
Gallery Join Us On A Photographic Journey Through EGX 2015
It's just like being there
The dust has finally settled on EGX 2015, and what a show it was. Not only did more than 75,000 people attend over the four days, Nintendo Life helped out on the Nintendo UK stand, hosting tournaments and live events on the main stage. We were so good that even Nintendo of Europe president Satoru Shibata was smiling like a...
Thursday1st Oct 2015
News Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Will Support 18 amiibo Figures
Arrives this year in Japan
As anyone that followed us during E3 will know, this humble writer is pretty keen to get into Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, in the hope that AlphaDream will keep up its good form with the series. It'll be the second series entry on 3DS, and it transpires that it'll also do its part in promoting Nintendo's range of amiibo...
Nintendo Download 1st October (North America)
Freedom Planet! Pumped BMX+! Chronus Arc! More!
It's that time, North American gamers, to cast your eye over the new downloadable eShop treats that are available this week. There are diverse offerings, including a highly anticipated and delayed action platformer, a creation tool, BMX stunt action and more; some discounts are also rather tempting...
News Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection Is Back, And Better Than Ever
Book returns with publisher backing, Steve Jarratt editing
This time last year we reported on a book which look certain to adorn the coffee tables of Nintendo fans the world over. Stuart Brett's Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection was a glorious celebration of the lush Japanese artwork found on 16-bit Nintendo game covers of the period, and a...
News Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash Could Possibly be the Last Game in the Franchise
"To be honest, this might be the last chance for us."
It's been somewhat under the radar, but Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash is only a couple weeks away from launching in North America. The fairly niche action platformer starring that adorable miniature robot will represent a new direction for the franchise by being a 2D platformer, evidently in an effort to...
Arriving in Europe on 20th November
Update: It's now been confirmed that amiibo Festival will arrive in North America on 13th November. Original Article: Nintendo's showing at E3 this year didn't exactly receive universal acclaim, and many Wii U fans in particular didn't react favourably to the reveal of Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival, which...
Review The Rivers of Alice: Extended Version (Wii U eShop)
We’re all mad (about watercolour) here!
Fictional rivers usually come in one of two forms – either gentle and beautiful, moving softly through mystical forests, or fast and dangerous, destroying everything in their path. Luckily, in The Rivers of Alice: Extended Version the former idea is adopted, leaving us with a game that is just as...
Review Car Battler Joe (Wii U eShop / GBA)
One cup of Speed Racer lore. One cup of Mad Max universe...
Car Battler Joe tells the cliched story of how Joe Todoroki went out of the comfort of his bedroom to drive through the wasteland of Galacia in pursuit of his estranged father. Rumour has it that he joined a band of misfits in order to destroy the same sport that made him the most famous...
News Whisper It - You Can Still Download Rewards From Club Nintendo in Europe
Might not last forever
Club Nintendo was discontinued in PAL regions on 30th September, meaning that fans around the world are now simply awaiting news of its successor. Bizarrely, though, the actual catalogue is still active in Europe, and if you have leftover stars you should be able to get some downloadable treats. When you browse for Club...
News Nintendo of Japan's Website Reveals Four More Animal Crossing amiibo
Could there be even more on the way?
Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival is a very interesting entry in the beloved Animal Crossing series. Not only is it a significant break from series convention, but it was met by some admittedly cold reception when it was announced and a certain degree of uncertainty has surrounded the game ever since. Like it or...
News AVGN 2: ASSimilation Gets a Crazy Debut Trailer
Won't somebody think of the children?
The Angry Video Game Nerd remains one of the best known YouTube characters in gaming, or retro gaming at least. A trailblazer when the series began on YouTube, James Rolfe has taken his creation beyond 100 episodes and made a movie, while Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures was the first full official game for the...
Gallery Details, Screens and Video for This Week's Super Smash Bros. DLC
It's download day, so let's break it down
Nintendo closed out September with a bit of a bang, at least from the perspective of Super Smash Bros. fans. It released DLC on 30th September, and now that the rest of the week's download content has landed on the eShop and Nintendo mentioned the Smash DLC in its press release, we thought we might as well...
Video See the Unboxing of the Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer New Nintendo 3DS XL
Home is were the hearth is
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is already out in North America but Europe will have to wait until the 2nd October. In the mean time why not kick back and enjoy this short unboxing we've produced of the limited edition New Nintendo 3DS XL based around the game? As a bonus why not check out the video beneath ours from...
Video Catch Up With a Special Super Mario Maker Episode of GameCenter CX
GameMaker CX
When it comes to Japanese TV culture and gaming, GameCenter CX is well known and fondly regarded by plenty of viewers in the country and around the world. Host Shinya Arino and the show's unique style are familiar to many, so fans may want to take a look at a recent episode featuring Super Mario Maker. Nintendo has released two videos,...
News Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures is Still Coming to Europe, Currently Awaiting Approval
At last...
Earlier today we got a look at AVGN 2: ASSimilation, the next entry in the game series featuring the YouTube personality / character. In that same post we pointed out that the first game, Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures, is yet to come to the Wii U and 3DS in Europe.
News VoxelMaker is Set to Hit the North American eShop on 1st October
Adding a whole new dimension to pixel art
For those of you that aren't well versed in technical jargon, a voxel is essentially just a 3D version of a pixel. While this isn't something that would really have much relevance in most everyday conversation, it is of utmost importance in Nostatic Software's upcoming game, VoxelMaker. You'll be able to see...
