Guide The Best Nintendo Black Friday 2015 Deals in the US
All the big Wii U and 3DS discounts
Review Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)
A Mira-culous discovery
News - November, 2015
Monday30th Nov 2015
Review Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)
A Mira-culous discovery
Monolith Soft has made plenty of bold claims about Xenoblade Chronicles X. It's talked up the size of the planet as being five times that of Xenoblade Chronicles, stated that any landscape you see is there to be explored, and promised that there are not only dozens of hours of legitimate gameplay, but hundreds. Often that...
Review Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. (3DS)
This Mario mashup is a real jam
Though it came as a bit of a surprise, quietly tucked away into Nintendo's Digital Event during E3 earlier this year, fans of RPG silliness have been anticipating the crossover of a lifetime since the announcement of AlphaDream's latest adventure. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. (known simply as Mario & Luigi:...
Rumour NX Set for 2016 Release With Nintendo Targeting 20 Million Shipped Units
Suppliers apparently estimating 10-12 million units
Strap yourselves in, get that salt ready, it's another Nintendo NX rumour; this time it points to what we think - at this stage - is rather obvious. It suggests that the console is heading to us in 2016 - we've often thought and suggested a Holiday 2016 arrival would make the most sense in terms of...
Nintendo Download 3rd December (Europe)
Xenoblade Chronicles X! Mario & Luigi! Wii games! More!
Another week begins with the Nintendo Download Update for Europe, and this week we have two major retail releases across the Wii U and 3DS; beyond that we have three rather good Wii games available on the eShop, some free-to-play Pokémon and a range of discounts. Let's get to the details. Wii...
Art Halo Character Artist Gives Legend Of Zelda's Link A Realistic Makeover
Zelda meets Skyrim?
The Legend of Zelda protagonist Link is one of gaming's most iconic heroes, but he's something of an enigma - an intentionally empty vessel for the player to inhabit instead of a fleshed-out character. Rather than being a negative thing, this has led to Link becoming one of the most drawn and imitated video game icons, with...
Video New Mighty No. 9 Trailer Aims to Bring Back the Hype
Leaving those troubles behind
Comcept's Mighty No. 9 has had a curious development history. It stormed to success on Kickstarter seemingly off the back of Keiji Inafune's reputation and its potential as a spiritual successor to Mega Man, yet as development wore on and more footage emerged opinions cooled. The reaction to the visual style hasn't...
News Shigesato Itoi on the Mother Series' Popularity, Denies Mother 4
Apparently, making Mother 4 would be like running a marathon with no breath
The Mother series is perhaps most notable for breaking from JRPG tradition by telling a tale led by children in the modern day. The quirky humor present is an additional bonus, setting the whole experience in a rather bizarre and somewhat dry tone. At any rate, there are...
News Lost Reavers Developers Reveal More Details About the Impending Release
Passing the torch to the younger generation
Remember when Namco Bandai announced that free to play game, then called "Project Treasure"? It seems like not much information has been surrounding the release since, yet it's supposedly due out in winter. While there's still lots we don't know about the game (now called Lost Reavers), Famitsu recently...
News Mario Kart 8 to Feature in Competitive TV Show on 5th December
Will be broadcast on the Disney big grin channel
Nintendo of America's marketing campaigns for the Holiday season take various forms, and one seems to be a partnership to promote one of the Wii U's biggest hits. This will be through "Clash of Karts: Mario Kart 8", a show that'll be broadcast on Disney XD this coming weekend. In essence it's going...
News The Splatoon and Mario Kart 8 Wii U Bundle Leads the Way in UK Cyber Monday Deals
Some decent game discounts, too
The shopping madness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday ends soon to be replaced by the vagaries of Christmas shopping. Yep, it's all one big spending bonanza. The themed occasions like Cyber Monday can throw up some decent deals, however, and what started out as an article pointing out a tasty Wii U bundle discount in...
Video Santa Is Ready For Insane Levels Of Monster Strike 3DS Demand In Japan
Very asobemasu!
You might not have heard of it, but Monster Strike is one of Japan's biggest smartphone games, and pulls in daily revenues in excess of $4 million. Think Puzzle & Dragons, but even bigger. Co-created by former Konami and Capcom employee Yoshiki Okamoto (1942, Final Fight, Street Fighter II) and currently available on Android and...
News A Decent First-Person Avengers Game Could Have Graced the Wii U
Instead we got Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth - boo...
It's only natural that a number of promising game projects bite the dust - sometimes an artistic vision doesn't come together, another idea is pursued or the money runs out. The latter apparently ended a cool-sounding project at THQ, a publisher that fell into financial problems and had to...
News Music Producer Hardwell to Perform a Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remix at The Game Awards
"There are similarities between dance music and video games"
The Game Awards are coming up this week, and in addition to world premieres - of which we're hoping there'll be some for Nintendo fans to enjoy - there'll be the actual giving of awards and some musical performances. Prior to now both CHVRCHES and deadmau5 have been confirmed, and now we...
Sunday29th Nov 2015
News This Limited Edition Luigi's Mansion Game Boy Horror Has Been Reanimated For A Good Cause
"Hello...?"
If you're a fan of collectable custom hardware and like the idea of helping a worthy cause, then you might be interested in purchasing one of ten limited edition "Game Boy Horror" handhelds from 8-Bit Evolution - the same talented people who created the fantastic Smash Bros. N64 we featured a while back. Mimicking the handhe
Review Dementium Remastered (3DS eShop)
A new horror with some old scares
Why are you in this abandoned hospital? Why are these monsters attacking you? Where did they come from? Is it really safe to down 38 bottles of pain killers? Dementium Remastered has few answers for you, but the mystery only enhances its eerie, lonely atmosphere. This new version completely rebuilds the original DS...
News Nintendo of Europe's eShop Cyber Deals End With a Bang on Wii U and 3DS
Xenoblade! Kid Icarus! Bayonetta 2!
Nintendo of Europe has been running discounts on the Wii U and 3DS eShop stores over the weekend in its Cyber Deals promotion, throwing in retail releases with discounts of 40-50%. There have been some decent deals but, in our opinion, the final batch is the best yet. Xenoblade Chronicles is the cross-platform...
News Wii U Named as "The Top Selling Item on Target.com" In Black Friday Sales
Bundle power
The 'Black Friday' craze is almost at an end, with the hectic shopping weekend finishing and 'cyber Monday' still to come. Nintendo will naturally have been hoping that its bundles and promotions will have boosted sales; the good news is that its deals seem to have had a bit of impact. In a press update issued earlier this weekend -...
News We Could See New Nintendo Stuff At The Game Awards 2015, As Well As A Tribute To Satoru Iwata
Producer Geoff Keighley does some teasing
The Game Awards 2015 takes place in a few days, and producer Geoff Keighley has been answering a few questions about the event via Periscope - and it would appear that the event could hold a few surprises for Nintendo fans. Keighley stated that NX won't be making an appearance at the show - hardly a shock,...
Random Check Out the Most Expensive Super Mario Watch in the World
It only costs as much as a new car
As some of you watch connoisseurs may be aware, Romain Jerome is a fine watch manufacturer that develops wristwatches for rich people. After all, nothing says "I make way more money than you," like a handmade watch crafted from crocodile skin, parts of the original Apollo 11 space shuttle, ISS spacesuit fibres, and...
Review The Adventures of Bayou Billy (Wii U eShop / NES)
Billy's swampland slog
In 2014 Nintendo suddenly realised that it could recreate the experience of a light gun game by using the pointer controls of the Wii Remote. Duck Hunt arrived on the Wii U eShop that Christmas and a few other NES Zapper games have followed since. Now we have Konami's The Adventures of Bayou Billy, although it should be noted...
News Kirby Stars Alongside Wario and Steamy Strategy in Nintendo of Europe Cyber Deals
Day three brings more different franchises
Nintendo of Europe is now into the third day of deals in its four day discount event across the Wii U and 3DS eShop stores. The first two batches have featured Mario and Donkey Kong franchise releases alongside thoroughly decent alternatives, and on the third day it's the turn of Kirby. As before there are...
Video Did You Know Gaming? Covers Golden Sun
Still waiting on part 4, Camelot
As a few of you are likely aware, Nintendo has a small JRPG franchise called Golden Sun that's actually pretty good. It's developed by Camelot, a studio that also works with Mario sports spinoffs. Though there's only three entries in Golden Sun (technically two, due to how the first two were initially one game), the...
News Splatoon's Next Splatfest in North America is All About Junk Food
You are what you eat
It's getting to be that time yet again for North America, when it's time for another Splatfest. Arguably the biggest event to happen within Splatoon, these day long battles provide the easiest way to acquire those expensive Super Sea Snails in bulk. This month's Splatfest is something of a dilemma, as the debate is between two...
Saturday28th Nov 2015
Review Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon (3DS)
Gotta recruit 'em all
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon is very much a rollercoaster ride, frequently oscillating between highs and lows. Just when you think you can't bear the tedium any longer something interesting happens that pulls you right back in. On the other hand, just when things are starting to get good it levels off and you're forced to...
News Nintendo of Europe Confirms Its Second Batch of eShop Cyber Deals
DK x2! Pikmin 3! Ultimate NES Remix!
While Nintendo of America went for a varied batch of Black Friday to Cyber Monday offers for its eShop cyber deals, Nintendo of Europe is opting for a smaller number of options spread across 24 hour windows. The first batch featured key Mario titles and The Wonderful 101, and the latest offerings blend some DK...
Random Keep Warm This Winter with the Yoshi's Woolly World Sweater
Another great addition to the ugly Christmas sweater collection
One of the more recent traditions to emerge around the Holiday season is that of the ugly Christmas sweater. Many of you have probably been in that awkward situation; where that weird aunt that you see three times a year opts to knit you a hideous green and red sweater emblazoned with a...
News 8 Bit Music Power is a New Famicom Release, Due Out 31st January
The first release in 21 years
The Famicom was a trailblazing console in many ways, virtually paving the way for a successful game industry after many thought it would fade away. Nonetheless, the console is a product of the early 80's and has since been succeeded by numerous consoles that have gone on to achieve bigger and better things. Although the...
Nintendo Life Weekly Hi-Def NES Gaming, Replacement GamePads, Facial Hair Battles and More
Mario's moustache won't back down
With all the fun and games of the week with Thanksgiving in the US and Black Friday madness around the world, it's been another busy seven days. As is now tradition we've decided to make life easy for you, collating the best news of the week as well as all of the releases and reviews you've come to expect of...
Video The Latest Xenoblade Chronicles X Survival Guide Maps Out How to Use the GamePad
Pay attention...
With Xenoblade Chronicles X rapidly approaching release there'll be a distinct buzz for Wii U owners that enjoy Monolith Soft's brand of immersive RPGs. Promising a huge amount of content to support an enormous game world, it looks set to keep players busy through the Winter months. It's a complex game, however, with a lot of...
Friday27th Nov 2015
Feature The Twilight Princess HD Fan Project That's Taking On Nintendo At Its Own Game
"Let's just say the project will finish one way or another"
It's fair to say that this month's Twilight Princess HD announcement left hardcore Zelda fans on different sides of the fence. Some were happy to see such a title receive a HD makeover, while others were distraught at the arguable lack of a visual overhaul. Although the game's aesthetics...
News Nintendo of Europe Launches Its Cyber Deals Weekend With Four Major eShop Discounts
Today only
While Nintendo of America has opted to put a whole range of titles on discount across an extended weekend, Nintendo of Europe is going for a different approach. It looks set to highlight a series of daily deals across four days, and has announced four retail games that are reduced today (27th November), on the eShop. Each system gets two...
News NES Remix Event And Frog Mario Costume Hop Into Super Mario Maker
No, not THAT Toad
A special NES Remix event has been added to Super Mario Maker, with the reward for completion being the Frog Mario costume from Super Mario Bros. 3. The course is designed to mimic the creative chaos of the NES Remix series, offering a fresh view on familiar features. Here's the official overview: Become the world's greatest NES...
Weirdness Someone Has Created A Real-World HUD For Super Mario 64
Just because they can
The rebirth of Virtual Reality in the games industry is blurring the lines between the real world and fantasy, offering an immersive experience which - as time goes on - could become indistinguishable from reality. But that's not the only way that video games and real-life can mix with one another - electronics hacker James...
Feature A Glimpse Behind the Scenes of FAST Racing NEO - Part Two
Bernhard Wodok on its technology and a surprise DS cameo
FAST Racing NEO is certainly set to be one of the year's biggest Wii U eShop releases. Shin'en Multimedia has established itself as a leading 'Nindie' developer capable of producing wonderful visuals and strong gameplay, while sci-fi racing is a genre that's been long-neglected on Nintendo...
News Splatoon and Mega Yarn Yoshi amiibo Included in Nintendo UK Restock
Yes, that includes the standalone squid
In recent months there have been brighter times for amiibo fans. In the UK, particularly, there's been an abundance of stock available in stores and online, and even the trickier to acquire figures have seen relatively frequent restocks. The Official Nintendo Store has been among the most affordable options...
News Get Sloshed With Splatoon's Sloshing Machine This Weekend
Might help you clean up your act
These are happy times for Splatoon addicts, as some weeks are actually bringing two new weapons. The second new weapon to arrive this week looks set to arrive at the normal time of 7pm Pacific / 10pm Eastern / 3am UK / 4am CET on Friday / Saturday, and looks a bit like a portable washing machine. It's the Sloshing...
Feature Super Mario Maker’s Weekly Course Collection - 27th November
North America, step up
Nintendo has hand-picked another selection of stages from the highest-rated Super Mario Maker courses, but this week it's North America's turn! Give them a spin and let us know what you think by posting a comment at the end! Teamwork! 9D93-0000-00D6-B85C Hard Difficulty Designed
News Weapon Variety and 60fps New 3DS Performance Outlined in SteamWorld Heist in Community Q & A
Lots of hats up for grabs, too
SteamWorld Heist is approaching a December release, so naturally Image & Form is doing its utmost to build awareness of the release. To that end it's revived its 'Engine Room' video series to tackle some questions from the community. The Q & A picks up on some key points for those curious about the upcoming...
News Story of Seasons Release Date Brought Forward to 31st December in Europe
That's one way to usher in the New Year
Here's an odd release date for you - Story of Seasons is now coming to Europe on 31st December, New Year's Eve - it had previously been pegged for an arrival on 8th January in the region. It's a strange date to launch a game but seems to be a decision to also tap into the Download Update, if we allow...
Thursday26th Nov 2015
Review The Legend of Legacy (3DS)
SaGa All-Stars
A pedigreed project if ever there was one, The Legend of Legacy could easily have been named for its own lineage — this Furyu-developed RPG counts among its creators some of the legendary minds behind Chrono Trigger, the SaGa series and Final Fantasy XIII. As the latest in a long line of Atlus adventures for the 3DS, it's also...
Review Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival (Wii U)
The sigh heard 'round the wild world
Animal Crossing made its name as a quaint, cutesy, somewhat bizarre life simulator where something new to do, collect or modify is always around the corner. This year, two spin-off games hone in on separate areas of that Nintendo life: Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer on 3DS explores "work," and Animal...
Nintendo Download 26th November (North America)
Cyber Deals! A jumping Platypus! Konami Racing! More!
It's Nintendo Download Update time in North America, which also doubles as a Thanksgiving update in the US. This week's big draw is the glut of discount prices from the eShop Cyber Deals; these are below if you missed our original article. Beyond that we have a quirky Wii U eShop release...
News Dragon Quest X Compilation of All Three Versions Heading to Wii U in Japan
The rest of the world says hi, Square Enix
Until recently Western Nintendo fans of the Dragon Quest series had to either gaze longingly at the Japanese release slate or resort to importing the various titles that have arrived on Wii U and 3DS. Thankfully Dragon Quest VII and VIII on 3DS were both confirmed recently for localisation in the most...
News Square Enix Offers Black Friday Deals, Live Now, on Its Official North American Store
Deus Ex, Theatrhythm, Final Fantasy and much more included
With one of the most frantic shopping periods almost upon us, plenty are sure to be looking at whether they can simply grab all of their bargains online and avoid the madness of the shops. Square Enix fans in North America may just have that option, with the publisher's online store for the...
Review Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Waka-waka, or just plain wak?
If you were to download recent Virtual Console release Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures to your Wii U with no prior knowledge of what to expect, you'd be forgiven for anticipating a spot of maze-based pill-munching entertainment. In reality, this 'sequel' to arcade classic Pac-Man is a bizarre take on the point-and-click...
Feature Five Nintendo Games Perfect For Multiplayer Fun and Thanksgiving - 2015 Edition
Lift the roof off with some multiplayer games
It's Thanksgiving in the US, a major celebration in the country and the predecessor to discount shopping shenanigans. With the Holiday season approaching it's also a useful reminder that this can be a time of year best enjoyed with family and friends. For gamers it can be a great opportunity for some...
Video This Is What An All-3D Version Of Chrono Trigger Could Look Like
Fan-made in Unreal Engine 4
Chrono Trigger is one of the most beloved RPGs of all time, but aside from DS and smartphone re-releases, Square Enix has been curiously reluctant to leverage the popularity of the game. The prospect of a totally remastered edition of the time-travelling fantasy epic will have most fans drooling with anticipation, and...
News Fangamer Launches Legends Of Localization Book 1: The Legend Of Zelda
It's dangerous to read alone
Fangamer is publishing a book all about the localisation (or localization, if you prefer) of the very first Legend of Zelda title on the NES, and it looks set to be an essential purchase for truly hardcore fans of the series. Written by professional translator Clyde "Tomato" Mandelin, whose credits include Attack on...
News Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures Looks Set for Europe on 10th December
Festive fury
There can certainly be some frustrating eShop release gaps between Europe and North America, with the former coming off worse on most occasions. An example of this has been Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures, which came out in North America in Spring / Summer on Wii U and 3DS and has taken a little while to make the move to Europe. On a...
News Nintendo Badge Arcade Gets A Mario Kart 8 Turbo Injection
Vroom vroom
We had mixed feelings about Nintendo Badge Arcade when we took a look at it over the weekend, but those with collecting streaks will likely find the arcade too cute and compelling to put down. Today Nintendo of Europe revealed that new catchers containing badges from Mario Kart 8 have just been added to Nintendo Badge Arcade
News Official Nintendo UK Store Launches 3DS Hardware and Merchandise Price Drops
Yep, Black Friday again
It's the time of deals and crushes in stores, unless you opt to do your shopping from the luxury of home of course. That's probably the smart move and now UK retailers are increasingly joining in, with Nintendo UK's official store unveiling its premier deals. The main options can be found on this 3DS hardware page, at which...
News Pokémon Picross Launches on 3rd December in the West
I choose you!
One of the new announcements made in the recent Nintendo Direct was that of Pokémon Picross. The upcoming puzzle game aims to crossover the Pokémon and Picross series by featuring over 300 puzzle based off of various Pokémon from the popular series. Moreover, once each puzzle is solved, the Pokémon that it depicts is "caught" and...
Video Catch the Skull Kid in Action in the Latest Hyrule Warriors Legends Showcase
Tatl and Tael bring the pain
Koei Tecmo has been releasing plenty of videos for Hyrule Warriors Legends recently to showcase new characters in action. Now it's the term of Skull Kid, with the iteration from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask being new in this 3DS entry. True to the character's roots Skull Kid seems to use the fairies Tatl and Tael...
News Give Thanks For The National StreetPass Weekend: Thanksgiving Edition
It doesn't get much better than turkey and StreetPass
It's Thanksgiving today if you're in the US, so what better time for Nintendo of America to launch a Thanksgiving National StreetPass Weekend which runs from Nov. 26th to Nov. 29th? After you fill up on turkey you can stop by any of the 29,000 Nintendo Zone hotspots scattered around North...
News A Play Set Based on The Force Awakens is Coming to Disney Infinity 3.0 on 18th December
Also, a couple new figures and a Power Disc pack
The next installment in the Star Wars Franchise is mere weeks away from release and it's already poised to smash box office records. Indeed, it already has broken records in pre-order sales alone, with sites such as Fandango and Movietickets actually crashing when the tickets were put on sale. It's no...
Wednesday25th Nov 2015
News Nintendo of America Confirms Its Black Friday eShop Cyber Deals
Retail, download-only and Virtual Console games all included
With Black Friday about to descend on the world with more deals than you can shake a stick at, Nintendo of America has now confirmed its eShop promotions that'll be part of the shopping madness - Nintendo of Europe is planning a similar swath of discounts to be announced later in the week...
News Two Wii U Hits Are Included in TIME's Top 10 Games of 2015
About time too
'Tis the season for lists. 2015 is approaching its end and there'll be plenty of lists to outline the year's best, worst and most innovative games, and the Wii U has cause for celebration in one of the first high profile 'top 10' articles to appear. TIME is out of the blocks early with its own top 10 list of games for the year, and...
Guide The Best Nintendo Black Friday 2015 Deals in the UK
We've got you covered
Last week we shared some of the best Black Friday deals coming to the US in 27th November; it's quite an event Stateside with promotional leaflets leaked and released well ahead of time. It's rather different in the UK as deals are revealed somewhat later and closer to the day itself. With the shopping occasion rapidly...
News Xenoblade X Developers Talk About the Game's Complexity and Why The "Xeno" Appears in the Name
A game for the fans
Xenoblade Chronicles X is only a couple weeks away from release in the West now, and most JRPG fans couldn't be happier. The follow up to 2011's excellent Xenoblade Chronicles promises to feature a world significantly bigger and more complex than the already staggering world of its predecessor, with seemingly hundreds of hours of...
News Vblank Entertainment Announces Shakedown Hawaii and Targets 3DS Release
NX decision to come when "more is known"
Retro City Rampage was one of the final WiiWare releases, and returned in an improved and hugely enjoyable form on 3DS with Retro City Rampage: DX. Brian Proviciano - the founder of Vblank Studios - spent a significant amount of time updating that title, and we were huge fans of its fast-paced top-down...
News Europeans Will Be Able To Download Xenoblade Chronicles X's Data Packs Early Next Week
Get prepared
Xenoblade Chronicles X is now so close we can practically taste it, and there's good reason to get excited - the game boasts one of the biggest open worlds yet seen on a Nintendo console. A world that size means that loading times can be an issue, so Nintendo has kindly provided players who plan to purchase the disc version of the game...
News Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction Now Available for Download
Along with an interactive iBook
It was confirmed earlier in the year that Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction would eventually be available in the West; it feature on TV in North America, and now The Pokémon Company has confirmed that the film can be downloaded. It's available for download from three stores, in the UK costing...
Video Hands On With The Revo K101 Plus, The Ultimate Game Boy Advance Clone
Clone in the dark
Veteran members of the site may recall that we reviewed the Revo K101 Plus a few months back, and found it to be an excellent means of playing old and dusty Game Boy Advance software on more recent hardware. The system has been tinkered with and improved of late, with better controls and a fancy new transparent case design - so we...
News Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival Has Modest Impact in Japan as 3DS Sales Improve
Wii U is still comfortably in five figures
The latest Media Create Japanese chart results are in and bring a mix of good and bad news for Nintendo. Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival has, unsurprisingly considering the trends elsewhere, struggled to achieve notable sales; the Wii U title shifted just 20,303 units in its first week, well down on the...
News Chief NES Designer Describes Nintendo as an Indie Studio
"Nintendo has always been like that, we are like indies"
In a game industry that's increasingly becoming larger and more monetized, Nintendo arguably stands as an oasis. While it may be that the company plays it safe a fair amount, it's nonetheless notable for its implementation of creative or innovative ideas. After all, how many other AAA...
News The eShop is Opening Up in More European Countries Soon
Beginning on 10th December
Update: We've been able to verify this as accurate with other Europe-based eShop publishers. Original Article: It can be easy to take the eShop and various services for granted, but in various countries providers such as Nintendo can be rather slow in making everything available. This has been the case in a number of...
News Soon You'll Be Able To Create A Games Store In Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
Gaming at home
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer might not have been the Animal Crossing game fans had hoped for, but it still has its fans - and those same fans will no doubt be over the moon to hear that a host of new video game-related items are on their way. The items are due to arrive next month in Japan, and include racks full of games, an...
News Level-5 CEO Talks About Bringing the Company's Games to Wii U and NX
Perhaps a home console Yo-Kai Watch is on the horizon?
Yo-Kai Watch has been out for a couple weeks now and has fared pretty well in the West, though it certainly doesn't seem to be the massive success that it was in Japan. Nonetheless, the franchise has established itself now and we'll likely be seeing the various sequels and spinoffs that the...
Tuesday24th Nov 2015
News You Can Now Buy A Replacement Wii U GamePad On Its Own
In Japan, at least
Eagle eyed Pokémon Master and Nintendo Life contributor Joe Merrick has spotted that Nintendo are now selling a solo GamePad for the first time in Japan. While we've come to accept that the Wii U will probably never support two GamePads at the same time in future games, it's nice at least to have the option to replace your...
Review Barbie and her Sisters Puppy Rescue (Wii U)
Pawfully Repetitive
If there's one thing truly great thing about rescuing puppies in Barbie and Her Sisters Puppy Rescue, it's not the satisfaction of doing a good deed, or the subsequent obedience training you can do to ensure well-behaved canine friends. No, it's the sweet bicycle ride Barbie has on her journey to puppy saving. Barbie and Her...
News Donkey Kong Champ Billy Mitchell Loses Legal Battle Against Regular Show Parody
"GBF appears as a non-human creature, a giant floating head with no body"
Famed games player Billy Mitchell has lost his legal battle against his depiction in the Cartoon Network's The Regular Show. The character - known as GBF (Garrett Bobby Ferguson or Giant Bearded Face) - is a floating head with arms who is revealed to be an alien who cheats at...
Poll Nintendo's Free-to-Play Experiments - Are You Still Playing?
We may as well get used to it
Nintendo's played its pricing pretty straight with the Wii U eShop, outside of supporting occasional diversions in standard models from Indie developers, and also dabbling in free-to-start with Fatal Frame / Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water. On the 3DS eShop, however, the company's been more experimental - a...
Video Gaming Historian Pays Tribute To The Late Nintendo President Satoru Iwata
Has someone been chopping onions?
Many of us are still coming to terms with Satoru Iwata's passing. Nintendo's president was a much-loved and admired leader in the video game industry who guided the company through some of the most significant periods of its long and proud history. We've shared many of the Gaming Historian's videos on Nintendo Life...
Video Let This Xenoblade Chronicles X Battle Trailer Get Your Blood Pumping
Attack, attack, attack
Xenoblade Chronicles X is extremely close to release, a cause for celebration for Monolith Soft and RPG fans with a Wii U. With many, many hours of content it's sure to keep players busy into 2016, and it takes many of the mechanics from its Wii predecessor and shakes them up - the Skell mechs are a big part of that,...
Video Check Out Ganondorf's Terrifying Trident In This New Hyrule Warriors Legends Trailer
Stick 'em with the pointy end
Forthcoming 3DS brawlerHyrule Warriors Legends has been blessed with another new trailer, this time showcasing the evil Ganondorf's Trident weapon. The footage shows some of the new attack combos available to the malevolent character, as well as the destructive power of the weapon itself. Hyrule Warriors Legends...
Video Nintendo Kindly Reminds Us That amiibo Exist With This Timely Festive Commercial
"Tis the season to discover the power inside!"
With the Wii U and 3DS approaching the end of their lifespans and the release schedule looking rather bare, the amiibo range is going to be more important than ever to Nintendo this Christmas. The toy-like nature of the figures combined with a low price point should ensure they sell briskly this...
News Guitar Hero Live to Add 34 New Tracks on 25th November
With popular bands like Cinderella and Five Finger Death Punch
Guitar Hero Live on Wii U may not have stormed the charts as successfully as versions on other platforms, but Nintendo's system is still getting the full works of new songs and content additions. New tracks have gradually been added to the online GHTV and related areas, even if you're...
News Story of Seasons Hits Europe on 8th January, Australia the Next Day
The Not-Harvest Moon finally arrives
The story behind Story of Seasons is a rather strange one. While it may be a Harvest Moon title in Japan, XSEED Games had to change the name in the West due to licensing. So, it's a Harvest Moon in every possible way, but it just can't be called that over here. The situation is complicated further, then, because...
News Splatoon Picks up BAFTA Children's Award
Hip with the squid-kids
Awards season is approaching, and colourful shooter Splatoon has already drawn ink by picking up the 2015 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Children's Award for Best Game. The Inklings beat out a second Nintendo nominee, Yoshi's Woolly World, for the honour, as well as the console edition of Minecraft and...
News Chasing Dead Developers Claim it's Awaiting the Approval Process
Shambling to completion
There aren't many survival horror games on the Wii U at the moment, with Fatal Frame V, ZombiU, and Resident Evil Revelations being the most notable in the genre. It may be a bit sparse in this regard, but that's all the more reason why 2020 Venture's upcoming game – Chasing Dead – will be welcome. The premise of the...
News The Slosher Deco is Splashing Into Splatoon on 25th November
If in doubt, just add 'deco' to the name
Nintendo seems to like adding new weapons to Splatoon on Wednesdays now, with the Slosher Deco arriving on 25th November. Amusingly Nintendo of Europe accidentally tweeted images of the original Slosher originally, but we couldn't really see the difference between that and the 'deco' weapon on the way. Well,...
News Image & Form Launches Its Final SteamWorld Heist Ambassador Challenge
Have your words in the launch trailer
As SteamWorld Heist approaches its target of a December release on 3DS, developer Image & Form has announced the final part of its Ambassador Challenge series. These have been community events in which fans have designed hats or come up with slogans, and the winners have won the right to free copies on all...
News Tiny Galaxy is Due to Receive an Update in the Near Future
Also, a price drop and a EU release
Tiny Galaxy is a rather fascinating 2D platformer that appears to draw some inspiration from Super Mario Galaxy. Unfortunately, we weren't overly fond of it, describing it as dizzying and difficult to control. Nonetheless, it likely appeals to certain gamers that appreciate playing games that are absolutely...
Monday23rd Nov 2015
News The NES Joins The High Definition Era With This Awesome HDMI Mod
Back to the future
A HDMI mod is already in the works for the N64, and allows you to get the best possible picture out of the vintage system. However, that's not the only modification which brings retro hardware bang up to date - there's a similar mod available for the older NES which performs the same trick. Available via Game-Tech, the Hi-Def NES...
News Shigesato Itoi Explains, Once Again, Why Mother 4 is "Totally Impossible"
We should probably give up on it, then
Back in 2013 famed writer and game maker Shigesato Itoi described the prospect of Mother 4 as impossible. That was a pretty blunt comment, though naturally it didn't stop fans from dreaming. Perhaps we should move on to other games on our wishlists
Editorial It's Not Fun to Criticise Nintendo Games, But It's Been Unavoidable in 2015
Tom Whitehead assures you he's not on a maniacal quest to destroy Nintendo
I love the first Jurassic Park movie, which combined perfect casting with terrific film-making flair and a script touched by genius. Memorable characters and one-liners are everywhere, and at the time of release the dinosaurs were a visual effects revelation and, to be fair,...
Rumour A Class in Bravely Second is Supposedly Being Censored for the Western Release
The Wild West
It seems that the controversy of games for Nintendo systems being censored just doesn't end. Only a few weeks ago, it was revealed that Xenoblade Chronicles X would be removing certain character customization options. Now, it appears that a similar tactic was employed in Square Enix's upcoming RPG, Bravely Second. In the Japanese...
Nintendo Download 26th November (Europe)
Double Dragon III! Two Ninja Gaidens! HOME Themes Galore! A bit more!
Another week begins with the European Nintendo Download Update, and this time around there's a bonanza of Virtual Console games and 3DS HOME Themes to consider along with some discounts; we're lacking new downloads beyond smaller retail games, though. Without further pre-amble...
News Super Mario Maker Developers Discuss the Difficulties of Adding in Yoshi
Good thing Tezuka insisted
Super Mario Maker is a wonderful conglomeration of various elements from the series' rich history and one of the elements included is Yoshi, Mario's faithful dinosaur companion. Though he's gone on to successfully star in his own series – most recently in Yoshi's Woolly World – and is very much his own character at...
News Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival and Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash Fail to Chart in the UK
Other titles show improvement, however
Even if Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival looks a little underwhelming as a gaming package - yes, we're still reviewing it - the inclusion of two amiibo figures in the package should help, in theory, to make it more attractive. Unfortunately that's not proven to be the case in the UK, as the title has failed to...
"Oh, what, Mega Man 3's out? Yeah, we don't have that one yet."
Before the internet came along and made sure that every possible hint, tip and cheat was just a Google search away, players relied on magazines and telephone lines for their gaming wisdom. In North America, Nintendo's Powerline game play counselors became almost God-like thanks to their...
Review Totem Topple (Wii U eShop)
No strategy, depth or appeal
In Totem Topple you have to drop heads down on top of a totem pole while weird spiny things idly float into it as they try to knock it down. It's hard to know what these spiny things' problems are, but they will never give up, only giving way to more persistent, different coloured spiny things until they eventually take...
Feature Assessing Affordable Space Adventures and Its Ongoing Journey
KnapNok's Anchel Labena talks it over
The Wii U eShop has an expansive and - we'd suggest - fantastic range of download titles, covering a significant number of genres and styles. Many are cross-platform titles, naturally, as Indie developers seek to make a living and grab as wide an audience as possible, though plenty go to the effort to utilise...
News Bring a Bit of Splatoon Goodness to Your 3DS With This HOME Theme
Yoshi goes for a softer touch
If you're in Europe you may have gawked at the most recent Nintendo Download Update for the region just recently, which is mainly full of NES games and 3DS HOME Themes. Nintendo of Europe has shared images of the HOME Themes, and as one of them is the fetching 'Squid Sisters' Splatoon option we felt obliged to share it;...
News Acclaimed 3DS Shooter Steel Empire Finally Cleared For European Landing
Steamy
Steel Empire may be a distant memory to Japanese and North American players, but Europe still doesn't have access the cult 3DS steampunk shooter. Publisher Teyon previously stated that the game might not make the jump to the Old World, but that decision seems to have been overruled as the game is currently waiting on a USK rating, after...
News Wii U eShop Exclusive Temple of Yog Will Begin Its Quest on 16th December in North America
7th January in Europe
There aren't many Wii U eShop exclusives, so when they come around they always grab attention. Temple of Yog will be the next to do just that, with the intriguing roguelike from CHUDCHUD Industries now confirmed for a debut in North America on 16th December, though it'll fall into early 2016 in Europe with a 7th January...
Video This Professional Farmer 2016 Trailer Is Packed With Misplaced Sassiness
Music to hatch hens by
The news that Professional Farmer 2016 is headed to the fertile fields of the Wii U is positive - while the game might not be for everyone, it's nice to see a bit of variety headed to the Nintendo's system. UIG has now released a trailer to promote the title, and while it shows off some neat visuals and intriguing...
Sunday22nd Nov 2015
Review Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash (Wii U)
Into the net
Mario's spin-off titles have been integral to Nintendo systems for multiple generations, typically designed to bring families and friends together for light-hearted fun. The tennis spin-off has often found a fascinating middle-ground between depth and accessibility, though the home console entries have often been focused on simple...
Feature Our Top Wii U Games - Third Anniversary Edition
Retail and eShop go head-to-head
The Wii U is now over three years old having arrived in North America on 18th November 2012. In recent times we've celebrated some of the best games the system has to offer, with our staff voting (and readers through embedded polls) on their favourite Wii U retail and top eShop games. Now, as a little bonus, are the...
News Check Out This Unused Stage Found in the Splatoon Art Book
Maybe material for a future update?
At launch, it could certainly be argued that Splatoon had just enough stages to get by, but this was assuaged over the coming months as Nintendo introduced new stages to the rotation; in addition to new gear and other goodies. While the post release DLC for Splatoon has been exceedingly generous, one must wonder...
Video Splatoon Gets the Did You Know Gaming? Treatment
Splatofu would have been interesting...
Splatoon is one of the most popular Wii U games around at the moment, still going strong since its May release. With weekly additions, Splatfests and occasional major updates it keeps giving us reasons to play, not that plenty of fans need any excuse. Now the Did You Know Gaming? channel has kept up its...
News 13AM Games Announces Upcoming Update for Runbow
Adds 2 player matchmaking and bug fixes
Runbow has been out for a few months now and by all accounts, it stands as an excellent couch multiplayer party game. We awarded it a 9/10, praising the distinct art direction and frantic gaming, and it's no doubt been a source of much entertainment to many fans over the last few months. 13AM Games is...
Saturday21st Nov 2015
Nintendo Life Weekly Huge Pokémon Reveal Next Month, Arguably the Rarest Nintendo Game, and More
Skip, fly, straight to the sky!
With all the hustle and bustle of the recent Nintendo Direct the past week has seemed quiet in comparison, but that doesn't mean we're going to avoid our duties! Once again we've collated the best news of the week as well as all of the releases and reviews you've come to expect of Nintendo Life Weekly. This week we...
News Nintendo Launches eBay Store for North America
No amiibo for a hundred bucks, surprisingly
The last time we wrote about eBay we were probably despairing at scalpers flogging limited edition consoles or amiibo at ludicrous prices in the height of demand and low supply. The topic is Nintendo once again, but this time it's an official store on the marketplace - without a $100 Gold Mario amiibo to...
Video Watch What Happens When Reggie and Bill Speak Their Minds
Those mischievous Yo-Kai!
For those of you that watched the Nintendo Direct, you probably remember the humourous short that advertised Yo-Kai Watch. Bill Trinen arrived to a meeting early, where he was soon influenced by Hungramps and subsequently stuffed his face with donuts. If nothing else, it was an amusing skit and it did a great job of showing...
Review Lucentek - Activate (Wii U eShop)
Time to Deactivate
There are games that need some work, and then there are games that need a complete overhaul. Then, there are games that feel so unfinished that they never should have been released in their current state. Lucentek - Activate falls in the last category. You can tell this is a budget game as soon as you see the first title screen...
Video See Splatoon's New Fearsome Hydra Splatling in all its Over-encumbering Glory
It costs 400,000 Super Sea Snails to fire this gun for 12 seconds
If Splatoon's Heavy Splatling and Heavy Splatling Deco aren't quite heavy enough for you, the latest addition to the arsenal could well be right up your street. This new Splatling boasts incredible range & firepower at the cost of gulping away at your ink reserves in the blink of...
News The Super Famicom is 25 Years Old
16-bit beauty
The 21st of November, 1990, was a day of commotion in parts of Japan; namely those that were around electronics shops. This was the day Nintendo launched the Super Famicom, a 16-bit system that has since found its place within gaming history and atop many's lists of greatest consoles. Only two games launched with the Super Famicom,...
Video New Hollow Knight Trailer Shows Off Some Ferocious Foes
Looks to be anything but hollow
The Wii U eShop is really a great place for Indie games to thrive. Affordable Space Adventures, Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails, and Runbow are just a few examples of the kind of creative endeavors that the storefront plays host to and - to put things in a more positive light – the lack of heavy hitting AAA third...
Friday20th Nov 2015
Guide The Best Nintendo Black Friday 2015 Deals in the US
All the big Wii U and 3DS discounts
Black Friday shopping season is on the way and, as the mighty Mr Burns once said, it's time to deploy the cow catcher and consider your crowd management tactics. It could get a bit crazy. With the festivities officially falling on 27th November - though some offers will be available beforehand - it's worth...
News EA CFO Explains Why the Company Doesn't Make Wii U Games Anymore
But, what about the unprecedented partnership?
As is referenced in the tag, many of you will likely remember when John Riccitiello took the stage when Wii U was initially revealed at E3. The EA CEO explained how his company and Nintendo were to engage in an unprecedented partnership, placing heavy emphasis on the online component of the Wii U...
That'll rule New 3DS out too, then
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth ended an intriguing saga for Nintendo download gaming when it came to the Wii U and New 3DS eShop stores. Having previously been rejected by Nintendo based on its content, a gradual change in the company's approach eventually opened the door for Edmund McMillen's critically acclaimed...
Feature A Glimpse Behind the Scenes of FAST Racing NEO - Part One
Manfred Linzner talks us through an early car and track
FAST Racing NEO is certainly set to be one of the year's biggest Wii U eShop releases. Shin'en Multimedia has established itself as a leading 'Nindie' developer capable of producing wonderful visuals and strong gameplay, while sci-fi racing is a genre that's been long-neglected on Nintendo...
News Live In The UK? You Could Find A Sega Mega Drive In Your Stocking Come Christmas Morning
Resurrected system seeing 400 percent jump in sales
The Sega Mega Drive - or Genesis, if you're of the North American persuasion - might be coming up for its 30th birthday, but that doesn't mean the system is completely dead from a commercial perspective. According to UK newspaper The Daily Mail, the 16-bit classic is making something of a comeback...
News Shovel Knight is Now Playable on Wii U Emulator, Cemu, But Progress Remains Slow
Is likely to remain closed-source for a while, too
A little while ago we shared news of Cemu, a functioning Wii U emulator. Early doors it could barely boot up the opening artwork of a game, and the slow nature of progress on such projects points to it being many months (maybe years) away from being functional in a meaningful way. It's less a threat...
News Project X Zone 2 Will Have Some Pre-Order Bonuses in North America
Will include an exclusive theme and some in-game goodies
As many of you are likely aware, Project X Zone 2 is only a few months away from releasing in the West. The three company crossover extravaganza is set to be even more massive than the original, with more franchises being represented and more characters than ever before. It's also worth noting...
News Gold Mega Man amiibo Will Not Be Coming to Europe
Mega Bummer
One of the unforeseen, but no less pleasant, announcements from the Nintendo Direct was that the collector's edition of Mega Man Legacy Collection would come with a golden Mega Man amiibo that will unlock an additional 11 challenge levels that are exclusive to the 3DS version of the game. As it would happen, the game will be a...
Retro Classic NES, SNES And N64 Controllers Get Stripped Down For Inspection
The evolution of play
Nintendo's story could be seen as the story of the games industry as a whole, certainly from an interface perspective. The company's NES console introduced domestic players to the D-Pad (first used on the 1982 Game & Watch Donkey Kong) and more than one action button, while the SNES a
News The Hydra Splatling is the Next Freebie For Splatoon
More style with the power
Splatoon keeps on adding content, sometimes through major updates but often with new weapons, with the additions becoming part of many Wii U owner's weekly routines. The next new gun has now been confirmed, and it looks pretty cool. Arriving late evening on 20th November in North America and in the early hours of the...
News Cube Life Update to Version 1.1 is Still Due This Year
Will include custom maps for Deathmatch mode
Earlier this month it looked like Minecraft was finally coming to Wii U courtesy of a PEGI rating listing, yet that's now disappeared. Quite why the listing has done its vanishing act - or indeed why it appeared in the first place - is a mystery to all but Microsoft and PEGI, we suspect. While we wait to...
Feature Memories of Court Battles in Mario Tennis
Nintendo Life writers and some readers pitch in
We're not going to sugar coat it - Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash isn't a golden entry in the spin-off series. We were disappointed by the lack of content in our preview and are currently testing out online play before publishing our review, but what we can say right now is that we w
Feature Super Mario Maker’s Weekly Course Collection - 20th November
In need of a fresh challenge? Look within
Nintendo has once again hand-picked a selection of courses from the 100 highest-rated Super Mario Maker courses across Europe. Give them a spin and let us know what you think by posting a comment at the end! Fun and fair Challenge! 94CA-0000-00A1-3DF7 Medium Difficulty Designed by {ñ²}Nuki from Germany...
Thursday19th Nov 2015
Review The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy's Grand Adventure (Wii U)
Going for peanuts
Celebrating its 65th Anniversary, Charles Schulz's Peanuts comic remains iconic and influential. The comic has spurned television movies which are staples to American culture, such as It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and, this year, The Peanuts Movie hit theaters. Its characters are beloved, recognizable and icons in of...
Nintendo Download 19th November (North America)
Mario Tennis! Pokémon! Typoman! GBA Street Fighter 2! More!
With another week comes another batch of Nintendo Download goodies in North America, and 'tis the season for major retail releases on both Wii U and 3DS. The Wii U eShop also gets an exclusive while a range of options are available across both stores - let's get to the details. Missed the...
Man of letters
Many writers daydream of their words having a powerful impact on the world; effecting change against evil and oppression. Developer Brainseed Factory has sought to adopt this concept quite literally in the form of Typoman. The bleak yet somehow achingly beautiful world of Typoman is one where letters take form and serve functions...
Art If Nintendo Did Resurrect The Game Boy, We'd Want It To Look Like This
Past and present
The Game Boy line may be effectively retired in Nintendo's eyes, but the name itself still carries a lot of weight with gamers all over the world - including German designer Florian Renner, who has put together a cool concept which resurrects the classic brand for the modern era. The Game Boy 1up is of course nothing more than a fe
Feature Our Top 10 Wii U eShop Games - Third Anniversary Edition
A Nindie bonanza
The Wii U is now three years old, having arrived in North America on 18th November 2012. Though it's struggled commercially we think history will be kind to the system in years to come courtesy of the strength to be found in its game library. Whether titles catered to dedicated fans, less experienced gamers or a mix of both, the Wii...
Random Sega And Nintendo Go To War Over Facial Hair
It's like the 1990s all over again, but for a good cause
Sega and Nintendo were once mortal enemies, fighting for domination of the video game hardware arena. These days, they're happy bedfellows, with mascots Sonic and Mario starring in games together and Nintendo even publishing Sega's titles on its consoles. However, both companies are...
Video Remembering Bubsy The Bobcat, The 16-bit Mascot Nobody Asked For
"What could possibly go wrong?"
Remember Aero the Acrobat? Awesome Possum? How about Wonderdog? The 16-bit era was flooded with such me-too mascots from a wide range of publishers, largely spurred on by the incredible success of Sonic and Mario. As is the case when a single idea takes over the market, there simply wasn't enough of an audience to...
Video Latest Hyrule Warriors Legends Trailer Shows More of Toon Link In Action
Wave-ridin' since '03
As many of you are probably aware, the Wii U's Dynasty Warriors and Legend of Zelda mashup - Hyrule Warriors – is coming to the Nintendo 3DS in the form of Hyrule Warriors Legends on 25th March. Since the hack-and-slash's handheld announcement, a variety of new and exclusive content has been revealed, including a "Classic...
Video Get Creeped Out By the Final Pre-Launch Dementium Remastered Trailer
Aiming for Europe / Australia in early 2016
It's a sign of the growing prominence of the eShop that titles considered to be retail releases in the DS can be enticing download-only games in the 3DS generation. Prominent 'Nindie' Renegade Kid knows this all too well, and the studio's latest enhanced re-release - Dementium Remastered - is heading to...
News Rush Hour Director Lining Up Hollywood Drama Based On Tetris Creator Alexey Pajitnov
It's all falling into place
While we've had movies based on video games in the past, there seems to be a current trend for films which are about gaming rather than taking a property like Street Fighter or Super Mario Bros. and using the plot as a basis for a popcorn-based entertainment. The acclaimed documentary King of Kong arguably paved the way,...
News Dementium Remastered Launches on the North American 3DS eShop on 3rd December
The Nightmare Before Christmas
For those of you that weren't aware, Dementium: The Ward was a first person horror title originally developed for the Nintendo DS. Interestingly enough, there were aspirations early on in development to turn it into a new Silent Hill game for the platform, but Konami turned down the offer. After the relative success of...
News Standalone Chibi-Robo amiibo Will Be Amazon Exclusive in North America, Releases 30th November
Pre-orders go live on 19th November
Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash has been out for a while now and it unfortunately doesn't seem to have performed too well. While this could potentially signal the end of the series, it nonetheless was a decent, if so
News CHVRCHES and deadmau5 to Bring Some Musical Flair to The Game Awards
All part of the show
After a number of missteps in the past under different names, it felt like The Game Awards 2014 were a success. For one thing we got to check out quite a bit of Nintendo goodness including a look at The Legend of Zelda on Wii U, but beyond that it was primarily focused on games and their creators as opposed to dodgy attempts at...
News RCMADIAX Announces Skeasy, Expected to Release in Q1 2016
Yet another score chaser
Only yesterday, it was revealed that RCMADIAX – the infamous Wii U eShop developer – would be bringing a new game called Avoider to the eShop in early 2016. Evidently, RCMADIAX has multiple games being worked on simultaneously, as the developer recently lifted the lid on another game that is also expected to release some...
Wednesday18th Nov 2015
Hardware Review Gamepad Digital GPD XD
That design reminds us of something
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but when you're creating mass-market electronic devices, slavishly cloning the work of others usually lands you in costly lawsuit - just ask Samsung and Apple. However, there are a multitude of hardware makers working out of China which are small enough to operate...
Feature Our Top 10 Wii U Retail Games - Third Anniversary Edition
Plenty of great games make the grade
The Wii U is now three years old, having arrived in North America on 18th November 2012. Though it's struggled commercially we think history will be kind to the system in years to come courtesy of the strength to be found in its core games. Whether titles catered to dedicated fans, less experienced gamers or a...
Site News A Brief Update on Our Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash Review
Waiting for a second serve
The Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash review embargo has passed, but we're yet to post our own despite having had plenty of access to the game for quite some time. Simply put we've opted out of going for the initial 'Score Pending' approach this time around while we wait for launch weekend online play on live servers. We've used...
News This Handsome Infographic Shows Off All The Job Roles in Final Fantasy Explorers
Even the Monk is ready for battle
We all love a good infographic, right? They're a visually pleasing way to gawk at information on upcoming games, or perhaps to show off timelines and franchise histories without all that confusing text. Square Enix clearly sees the value of them, too, as it's now in on the act. It's promoting Final Fantasy...
Gallery There's Loads Of Awesome Linkle Fan Art Available Already
We're pulled together some of our favourites
The news that Hyrule Warriors Legends is getting a female version of Link named Linkle has caused quite a stir online, but it's merely the latest chapter in the character's interesting history. Concept art appeared in the Hyrule Warriors artbook
News Mega Man Legacy Collection Gets a Budget Price as a Download-Only Release in Europe
Better than a Mega Buster shot to the face
Mega Man Legacy Collection is a slightly strange release on the 3DS - not so long ago Capcom released all six original 'classic' style NES games on the 3DS eShop as individual Virtual Console offerings; now you can play them again in a collection that throws in a Challenge mode and a Museum section to view...
News Splatoon Bundle Boosts Wii U Sales in Japan as Project X Zone 2 Struggles
3DS 'family' sneaks top in hardware
It's Media Create chart results day, once again, and the Japanese market has had a few key releases to shake things up. Starting off with software we have Project X Zone 2 making its debut on 3DS, though it's unable to overthrow Call of Duty: Black Ops III having only shifted 40,935 units; that's well down on the...
Review The Mysterious Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (DSiWare)
"Cor blimey, gu'vnor"
The Mysterious Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde takes us right back to a London morning in 1886. A body is discovered – a wealthy man who was highly regarded by everyone. Why was he murdered? How? What is going to happen next? Your job is to step into the shoes of an inspector, looking for clues and talking to important...
News Yoshi's Woolly World Developers on Baby Mario's Exclusion and Creating the Yoshi Designs
It's so fluffy!
Though it's been out for a while in Europe, Yoshi's Woolly World is still sort of new over in North America. The adorable and colorful new entry in the Yoshi's Island series is certainly a worthwhile experience; we awarded it a 9/10, praising the visual design and creative gameplay. In order to learn a bit more about the game's...
News You'll Be Able To Dress Up Your Felyne Palico As A Yu-Gi-Oh Dark Magician In Monster Hunter X
Or "Dark Maginyan", to be precise
The latest issue of Weekly Jump reveals that the forthcoming 3DS title Monster Hunter X will allow players to dress up their Felyne Palico as a Dark Magician from the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! series. Known as the "Dark Maginyan", the costume will be obtainable via an event quest. This is likely to be the first of many...
Feature A History of the Mario Tennis Franchise
Holding court
Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom chums are a talented bunch. They race karts and motorbikes, compete for medals in the Olympics, get into the swing of golf and more besides. They also, of course, play a bit of tennis - maybe it's for the exercise, the fashionable sportswear or to enjoy a post-match bowl of strawberries and cream...
Weirdness This Dad Is Better At Pulling Off Street Fighter II Victory Poses Than You
"Go home and be a family man!"
Following the delights of watching YouTuber Nick Luciano's dad reenact the taunt animations from Super Smash Bros for Wii U, we had to bring you his latest video where the game-for-a-laugh Father takes on the challenge of mimicking the victory poses from beloved Capcom brawler Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting...
Video Nintendo's Japanese Showcases Make Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Tough to Resist
The charm, it is overpowering...
Nintendo's an accomplished purveyor of charm. Does any other company do a better job of providing colourful and quirky entertainment? Possibly, but we never cease to be surprised at the ease with which Nintendo can draw a smile, simply through its characters, design and gameplay approaches. Of the various teams and...
Gallery Image & Form Shows Off More SteamWorld Heist 3DS Screenshots
Scan the QR code to see in 3D
SteamWorld Heist is due to arrive on the 3DS eShop in December, and as the latest entry in the series to follow SteamWorld Dig is sure to gain plenty of attention when it lands. As those that have been following it will be well aware, however, this 2D turn-based strategy title is a notable departure for the series...
Video These Charming Japanese Commercials Highlight Festive Wii U Bundles
Splatoon and Mario Maker get a big push
Christmas is an important time of year when it comes to selling video game hardware and software, and over in Japan Nintendo is giving the Wii U a festive push with special bundles. The company has given recent hits Splatoon and Super Mario Maker their own hardware bundles, and has rolled out some TV...
News RCMADIAX Announces Avoider, Due Out on the Wii U eShop in 2016
Hopefully won't be one to avoid
If nothing else, RCAMDIAX has certainly been faithful to the Wii U eShop, with about a dozen titles released on the storefront in a relatively short period of time. While it may be that none of these have been rated particularly highly here on Nintendo Life, the games nonetheless offer some cheap entertainment for...
News Mutant Mudds Super Challenge Has Been Delayed Until Early Next Year
It'll be worth the wait
Mutant Mudds Super Challenge is something of an interesting entry in the Mutant Mudds series; it's not a sequel, but it's standalone and supposedly will have more content than DLC ordinarily would. It's something of a "pseudo-sequel" then, the New Super Luigi U to Mutant Mudds' New Super Mario Bros. U
Tuesday17th Nov 2015
News See The Super Smash Bros. Silver Lining With These Cloud Screens
Anywhere you go
Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS can't be accused of playing it safe and predictable, with Sakurai-san and his team utilising the lucrative money-making of DLC to go a bit nuts with its new character additions. We've already had Ryu, yet the recent announcement of Final Fantasy's Cloud was on a whole new scale of the unexpected. We...
News Minecraft Wii U Edition Classification Has Been Removed By PEGI
Was it all a dream?
Compared to retailer listings, classification boards are normally considered a reliable source when it comes to spotting upcoming video game releases. When a rating for Minecraft Wii U Edition surfaced via the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) page last week, the news seemed too good to be true when considering factors such...
News Amazon Lists Pokémon Red, Yellow And Blue At 10 Bucks A Pop
Premium Pocket Monsters
The news that Pokémon Red, Yellow and Blue are finally headed to the 3DS Virtual Console caused quite a bit of excitement when it was announced during last week's Nintendo Direct. The games which launched the phenomenally successful franchise, these monochrome masterpieces are sure to sell well - and it would appear that...
Feature Reflecting On Three Years With The Wii U - Part One
The Nintendo Life team talks about the current-gen gem
The Wii U is - at the time of writing - about to turn three years old, and despite its young age some are already looking to the next generation from the big N. That seems a pity in light of the strengths of the system, especially as it's delivered so many wonderful games and memories, so to...
"It really depends on third-party support"
Michael Pachter - the industry analyst that all Nintendo fans love to hate - has been sounding off about the company's next console, currently dubbed NX. While Pachter has some harsh words to share, he's also looking on the positive side with his predictions for NX. According to the Wedbush Securities...
Review Girls Like Robots (Wii U eShop)
Happy happy, joy joy!
Girls Like Robots. They also like pie. They don't like nerds, but nerds like girls. And nerds also like corners. They don't like other nerds. But cows like being near people who are beside things they don't like. And sometimes, everyone is just being attacked by the bug king and no one really likes it. Girls Like Robots'...
News Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl is Currently a Bargain in North America
With two other smaller Atlus discounts
Atlus often runs eShop discounts on its 3DS releases, either to grab some additional sales from those on the fence or to tempt players into trying a new franchise. More discounts were confirmed in last week's North American Download Update, and now that they're actually live (from 16th November) we can see if...
News Hover: Revolt of Gamers Will Be "Properly" Recreated For Wii U
A fusion of Jet Set Radio and Mirror's Edge
After a successful Kickstarter campaign and an Early Access release on Steam earlier this year, Hover: Revolt of Gamers is now looking towards a release on consoles – including Nintendo's system, the Wii U. Drawing inspiration from the likes of SEGA's Jet Set Radio series and EA DICE game Mirror's Edge,...
Video Learn a Little More About Chrono Trigger
Courtesy of Did You Know Gaming?
When any conversation turns to the 16-bit era and classic RPGs, Chrono Trigger naturally gets mentioned. It's a stone-cold classic, undoubtedly, and turned 20 years old this year. As a fondly regarded SNES title - which also had a DS release - it's now been given the treatment by Did You Know Gaming?, the YouTube...
News Today Was Shigeru Miyamoto's 63rd Birthday
Video games are bad for you? That's what they said about rock 'n' roll!
Shigeru Miyamoto is a developer who could certainly be referred to as the "Walt Disney of Gaming". The man is responsible for the likes of franchises such as Donkey Kong, Super Mario, and The Legend of Zelda, and he holds considerable influence over the development of countless...
News Unseen64 Reveals Information on Game Zero, a Sandbox GameCube Game from Former Rare Staff
Looks kind of like a Minecraft precursor
Unseen64 is always digging up interesting facts and trivia about games that never got released and they've recently followed through yet again with another cool project that unfortunately didn't get to see the light of day. The project was to be developed by Zoonami, a studio composed of ex-Rare staff, but...
News Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final to Feature Predecessor's Cast and Use Its Save Data
For those dedicated to the series
While we're still awaiting news of Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final being localised to the West, the popularity of its processor - unsurprisingly called Shin Megami Tensei IV - gives us hope that Atlus will bring the title outside of Japan. For now we can only follow coverage for the February 2016 release in Japan, and...
Review Test Your Mind (Wii U eShop)
Better stick to Brain Age
Brain teasers and Nintendo consoles have long enjoyed a fruitful partnership; the Brain Age series proved that games could give a great mental workout while still being fun. Unfortunately, Test Your Mind doesn't fare as well. Test Your Mind is a simple title with three single-player modes and one multiplayer mode. The...
News Puzzle & Dragons X Confirmed for 3DS in Japan
Why about Y?
A little while ago we shared the news that a new Puzzle & Dragons title had been confirmed for the 3DS, albeit without a name or details. Well, there's a little more to share now - it's called Puzzle & Dragons X and will arrive in Japan in 2016. It was confirmed by GungHo Online Entertainment and Nintendo in the latest issue of...
Random Check Out This Saxophone Cover of the Link's Awakening Overworld Theme
Looks like this guy found the Ninth Instrument of the Sirens
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening was certainly one of the weirder entries in the Legend of Zelda franchise. What started as an off the books side project by a few developers on the team quickly turned out to be one of the most memorable entries in the series, with the mysterious...
News The Bamboozler 14 Mk II Arrives in Sheldon's Shop Tomorrow Morning
Here comes the Bamboom
Sniping is something of an interesting playstyle in Splatoon. When playing a game where the point is to cover as much turf as possible, it seems counterintuitive to be posting up in places and covering what you can from a vantage point. Moving around isn't much of an option either, as the Rollers will make short work of you...
News Tune In Today For a Nintendo UK Super Mario Maker Broadcast With Comedian Imran Yusuf
Mario Maker chuckles
Nintendo UK is still waving the flag for Super Mario Maker and will be doing another Twitch broadcast today for viewers eager to see more of this excellent game. This time the guest appearance will be from none other than comedian Imran Yusuf. Who is Imran you ask? Aside from being a Edinburgh Festival Best Newcomer Nominee and...
Monday16th Nov 2015
Review Nintendo Presents: New Style Boutique 2 - Fashion Forward (3DS)
Back in style
Like high-waisted shorts or the reemergence of leg warmers, some things just come out of nowhere. Syn Sophia's New Style Boutique was a similarly surprising success when it hit the 3DS runways in 2012, giving the fashion sim genre a real gem. After a few seasons off it's back for another appearance (in Europe at least) with this...
Review Rodea the Sky Soldier (3DS)
Fasten your seatbelts
Rodea the Sky Soldier has had a pretty turbulent launch. The original concept for the game was conceived way back in 2010 by Yuji Naka, lead programmer and eventually producer on many Sonic the Hedgehog titles. The next year it was reported that the game was finished and ready to be published for the Wii, yet it never came...
Busted
Xenoblade Chronicles X launches in the west soon, and is shaping up to be quite the experience - as you'll know if you've already read our hands-on impressions with the final code. However, fans have expressed some concern at the localisation changes made by Nintendo so far. First up was the fact that majo
Video This Guy Has Found What Could Be The Rarest Nintendo Game Ever
Say hello the little-known 1981 coin-op, Sky Skipper
Donkey Kong might be one of the world's most famous arcade games, but it wasn't Nintendo's only stab at making a smash-hit arcade - the company had produced many other coin-ops around the same time, few of which could match the mighty Kong's commercial success. As a result, many of these early...
Video Here's How Much Those Data Packs for Xenoblade Chronicles X Speed Things Up
Gotta go fast
It's hard to believe, but Xenoblade Chronicles X is now only a few weeks away from launching in the West. The main setting of the game - Planet Mira – supposedly boasts one of the largest open worlds ever and all of its different environments are said to be seamlessly interwoven, with next to no loading screens. This would be quite a...
Parent Trap Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival Goes Where Other Wii U Games Don't
We also break down the amiibo card mini-games
Families come in all shapes and sizes, we say that often, but then we expect a handful of popular games to work with all of them. Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival breaks the mould in both its form and structure, in doing so it caters for a brand new type of audience and introduces them to the world of...
Nintendo Download 19th November (Europe)
Mario Tennis! New Style Boutique 2! Typoman! DS Animal Crossing! More!
Another week begins, and therefore we have the European Nintendo Download Update details to consider. This week brings notable retail releases on both Wii U and 3DS, along with a surprising DS Virtual Console arrive and a particularly promising Nindie release. There are some...
News SNES Title Super Star Wars Coming to PS4 and Vita
Blasphemy!
Well, it's happened. The PS4 and Vita may have a cooler Virtual Console release than Wii U and 3DS this week - well, sort of. Super Star Wars, the extremely tricky but fun SNES action platformer is coming to the PS4 and Vita in this week's North American PSN update, though it'll have some neat extras. From the PlayStation Blog:...
Video Check Out Cloud Strife's Marvellous Super Smash Bros. Moveset
Let me be your (final) fantasy
Last week's Nintendo Direct broadcast had a few neat surprises for fans, but the biggest shock of all was the revelation that Final Fantasy VII's protagonist Cloud Strife is joining the roster of Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS. The trailer showed plenty of footage of the new fighter in action, and unsurprisingly...
Humour The Pain Of Being A Wii U Owner This Christmas, Summed Up In Rap Form
The guys behind the amiibo rap are back
A short while ago, the guys behind YouTube channel Hot Chocolate Party managed to summarize the perils of amiibo collecting in a funny rap video - and now they're back with a rather cutting appraisal of what it's like to own the Wii U this Christmas. While we're keen to defend Nintendo's honour as much as...
Video Watch Kids React To The Original Pokémon Anime Television Series
"I love it, it's the old one"
What happens when you gather a bunch of kids who were born after the year 2000 and get them to watch the original Pokémon anime which originally aired on Japanese television in 1997? The result is the latest video entry in the Kids React YouTube series. Although the anime series is older than every participant...
News Nintendo Breaks Out the Bubbly Following More Patent and Anti-Piracy Wins in the Courts
"We are very pleased with this decision" heard over party poppers
Nintendo and its legal teams have some cause for celebration today, especially the latter once they submit their billable hours. Nintendo of America has announced another patent victory in California, while Nintendo of Europe has been tackling mod-chips and 'game copiers' in Italy...
Woodn't you like one of these?
There aren't enough consoles made out of wood, in our opinion. Sure, the Atari VCS had pretend wood on its front and the guys over at Analogue Interactive have spoiled us rotten with their range of wooden Neo Geo systems, but there's still room in the market for more of this kind of thing - and thankfully the...
News Brunswick Pro Bowling Is Aiming For A Strike On Wii U
Will this rare third party retail release bowl you over?
A recent ESRB rating has revealed that Brunswick Pro Bowling is heading to the Wii U, and the accompanying box art (shown below) suggests that it is getting a physical retail release. The original game was released in 2008 and was ported to practically every system of the era, including the...
News Nintendo Titles Get Pushed Down But Hold On to Top 40 in UK Charts
New releases will try and flourish on 20th November
We'll give you one guess what was number one in the UK charts for last week, just one... Fallout 4 set the record as the best-selling début of its franchise in the UK, while the focus for Nintendo fans in the country takes us further down the charts. Three of the company's main Holiday releases...
Sunday15th Nov 2015
News CoroCoro is Teasing a Big Pokémon Announcement for Next Month
What could it be?
For those of you who aren't aware, CoroCoro is a monthly Japanese comic magazine that primarily focuses on manga for elementary school children. Among the comics that appear within its pages each month are Pokémon pieces, and these are sometimes accompanied by news and screenshots that pertain to the game series. Many times in the...
Hands On Getting Pinned Down By Nintendo Badge Arcade
Down the bunny hole
We will try our best not to associate the free-to-start Nintendo Badge Arcade with drug use - even if the first sample is free it's easy to get hooked, and visions of pink rabbits will fill your life more the farther you go into it. The Badge Arcade is perfectly legal, for one, and its pink rabbit will not whisper at you to burn...
Talking Point The Latest Nintendo Direct Was a Bright Return to the Limelight
The end result got the job done
What should we expect of a Nintendo Direct? Megatons, subtle updates, comedy, straight-faced detail, important information? The strength of the format, ultimately, is that is can tackle any and all of these approaches, often within the same presentation. The 12th November broadcasts generally did this, especially in...
News Pre-ordering Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Will Net You a Papercraft Set in the UK
On the paper cutting edge
While it may be that North Americans have to wait until early next year, those of you from Europe will be able to pick up Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam in just a few weeks. We recently spent time with the game on a preview build and were fairly satisfied with the product, and it seems that this will be a game well worth the...
Video Did You Know Gaming? Dives Into Super Mario Maker History
New episode details game’s origin, facts, and easter eggs
A new video in the popular YouTube series Did You Know Gaming? recently premiered sharing many neat details surrounding Super Mario Maker, such as the game's origins and technical secrets. This episode touches on many details such as amiibo easter eggs, cancelled levels, and origins of the...
Saturday14th Nov 2015
Video See the Differences Between Star Fox Zero at E3 and Now
All systems go
Among the many things brought up in the recent Nintendo Direct, Star Fox Zero was given a new trailer and some new footage. Indeed - after the initial E3 presentation - a common concern brought up about the game was its perceived lacking in the visuals department. Whether or not this was an entirely valid complaint depends upon the...
Poll Did The Nintendo Direct Comeback Fire on All Cylinders?
Did it work for you?
Was the Nintendo Direct on 12th November the most hyped we'd ever seen? Not quite, we'd suggest, but most definitely not far off. There have been broadcasts in the past that were slightly more anticipated due to specific games that were known to be featured, for example, while the '50 things' Super Smash Bros. broadcast is an...
Some look set to be store exclusives, too
It seems that if you're in North America the best way to see what amiibo are on the way is to head to retailers and look at displays. The amiibo market is so strong in the US, particularly, that major stores seem to be falling over themselves to promote the figures, and in the process are spilling on...
News There Was Once an Open World South Park Game Planned for GameCube
Dude!
South Park has had its share of dodgy games, including that rubbish one with snowballs as weapons on Nintendo 64 - c'mon, you know it sucked, admit it - though some reckon The Stick of Truth is a decent effort; not that Nintendo gamers had a chance to play that one. It seems, though, that a particularly ambitious project bit the dust in a past...
News Take a Look at Nintendo's Game Awards 2015 Nominees
Super Mario Maker is up for GOTY
As we reported on a little less than a week ago, The Game Awards will soon be taking place on 3rd December. The up and coming award show will employ a board of industry veterans from a wide array of game companies and backgrounds to decide which of this year's games were the cream of the crop. The nominations for...
Video Nintendo Makes a Holiday Pitch for Wii U 'Magical Nights'
Warm and cozy
In recent weeks Nintendo of America has rolled out its Holiday adverts for 3DS, utilising its biggest franchises to pitch the portable to the public. It's now issued a TV commercial for Wii U, and we rather like its approach. The general pitch is of 'magical nights', with some CG Nintendo effects in a family's home before they pop...
Friday13th Nov 2015
Stellar
Though they've had a hand in games as diverse as Yoshi's New Island and Time and Eternity, the name 'imageepoch' will forever be linked with Luminous Arc, the studio's successful strategy RPG series that debuted on the DS back in 2007. As a spiritual successor to those titles, as well as imageepoch's last release following their bankruptcy...
Video Check Out a Graphical Comparison for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
Looking sharp Link
In what could be the worst kept secret ever, Nintendo confirmed in last night's Nintendo Direct that the rumours were indeed true and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is receiving a HD facelift for a release on the Wii U on 4th March 2016. As the Wii U is backwards compatible with old Wii discs you might be questioning if...
Feature The Big Nintendo Direct Summary - 12th November 2015
Surprises, omissions and a Smash Bros. shock
Well, it had been a while. For a variety of reasons, 12th November brought the first global Nintendo Direct broadcasts in quite some time. Overall the presentations stuck to familiar styles and approaches, with Nintendo of Europe playing it fairly straight and Nintendo of America even indulging in a...
They just appear, as if an apparition...
The Nintendo Direct broadcasts had a few surprises included, and in a segment dedicated to The Legend of Zelda Nintendo of Europe had an extra treat in store; this is in the form of a couple of DS releases for the Wii U Virtual Console. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit...
News These Are Nintendo's Black Friday Hardware And Software Offers
Wii U, 3DS and amiibo all up for grabs
Black Friday is almost upon us, and that means striking discounts on all manner of gaming hardware and software. Nintendo has started outlining exactly what products its will be reducing in price on the big day, and if you've yet to invest in a Wii U or 3DS console, then now might be the time to do so. The...
News Sacked Nintendo Treehouse Staffer Chris Pranger's Dialogue Has Been Removed From Star Fox Zero
"Bummer, but that's business"
Chris Pranger - the Nintendo localiser who was removed from the company after talking about what goes on behind the scenes at the Nintendo Treehouse - has confirmed via Twitter that the lines he recorded for Star Fox Zero have been removed and will be re-done by another voice actor. Nintendo using internal staff to...
Preview Getting Lost in the World of Xenoblade Chronicles X
That's a positive, mostly
When an individual has spent well over a hundred hours of their life playing Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, there's an initial instinct that jumping into the enormous world of Xenoblade Chronicles X will be like putting on a big woolly jumper. Sure, it's larger and less snug, but it's also warm, inviting...
News Square Enix Confirms Details of Gorgeous Final Fantasy Explorers Collector's Edition
Arriving on 26th January
One RPG that some 3DS fans will hope to keep in the limelight is Final Fantasy Explorers, a twist on the franchise that prioritises co-op adventuring. It's heading to North America on 26th January and is sure to be on plenty of wishlists. It featured in the North American Nintendo Direct, and Square Enix has now issued...
Version 2.3.0 gets detailed
The latest Splatoon update has been explained in detail on Nintendo's official site, and brings with it some new gear for players to purchase. The patch launched yesterday and also includes changes to the way in which data is displayed on ranked battle result pages, as well as some alterations to weapons and basic...
News Lucas & Next Wave Of Animal Crossing amiibo Due Out In North America On 22nd January, 2016
More amiibo cards are also on the way
Nintendo has revealed the Lucas amiibo for Super Smash Bros. Wii U & 3DS along with the Animal Crossing amiibo Resetti, Blathers, Celeste and Kicks designed for Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival will be released in North America on 22nd January, 2016. In addition to this announcement, was the news Series 2...
Preview Crossing Over With Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros.
A real page-turner
Transforming a platformer into an RPG never did seem like an easy recipe for success, but somehow the Mario series has caught this rare form of lightning in a bottle not only once, not only twice, but three times over. The classic SNES title Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars established a winning formula of comedy,...
News Mother 3 Heading to the Wii U eShop in Japan on 17th December
Will it ever be officially localised for the West?
Though we've been following the Nintendo Direct festivities in North America and Europe, the equivalent broadcast in Japan has thrown up its own unique surprise; unfortunately it's an announcement that can perhaps be considered a bit of a long shot for the West. It's been confirmed that Mother 3 is...
Video Catch Up With All of the Nintendo Direct Videos
There are plenty to enjoy
Well, it's been a busy few hours courtesy of Nintendo Direct broadcasts in North America, Europe and Japan. Plenty of details and announcements have been issued, and now it's time to take a deep breath and soak it all in. We'll be doing our usual 'big summary' and editorial content over the coming days, along with a few...
News Super Mario Maker Web Portal Arriving in December
Discover levels online to play in-game
The success of Super Mario Maker continues into the Holiday season with a brand new feature arriving in December. A new online portal will allow players to discover levels through a more detailed search function than the built-in search on the Wii U, as well as filter levels based on interest and level type...
News Yoshi's Woolly World Secures Top 10 Spot in US NPD Charts
Super Mario Maker also maintains decent momentum
It somewhat passed us by during Nintendo Direct madness, but the October NPD results are out for the US. Though they only account for new copies sold of physical retail games, and exclude bundles, they nevertheless give us an idea of current sales trends. To kick off with the all-format top 10, an...
Feature Super Mario Maker’s Weekly Course Collection - 13th November
Which is your personal favourite this week?
Nintendo has once again hand-picked a selection of courses from the 100 highest-rated Super Mario Maker courses across Europe. Give them a spin and let us know what you think by posting a comment at the end! No EscaPeach! E03B-0000-00B0-5EE1 Medium Difficulty Designed by Fabio from Italy What would...
News Typoman For Wii U eShop Will Be Released In North America And Europe On 19th November
The power of letters
Headup Games has announced Brainseed Factory's elegantly crafted platform game, Typoman, will be released on the Wii U eShop in both Europe and North America on 19th November. The Wii U exclusive will be priced at € 13.99 (USD 13.99, GBP 9.99), with individuals who participated in the E3 Nindies@Home program in June eligible...
Interview Image & Form Discusses SteamWorld Heist and Its Nintendo Direct Cameo
"I think SteamWorld Heist is on par with some first-party games"
SteamWorld Heist doesn't have a firm release date beyond 'December' quite yet, but the Image & Form title had a welcome boost in exposure in the most recent Nintendo Direct broadcasts. In North America it had a prominent role in an eShop segment provided by Bill Trinen, while in...
Thursday12th Nov 2015
News Pokémon Red, Blue & Yellow Are Coming To The 3DS Virtual Console on 27th February, 2016
It's really happening!
Nintendo has delivered absolutely massive pocket monster news during its latest Direct. What fans have dreamed of for a very long time will soon become a reality with the announcement the original Pokémon Red, Blue & Yellow, released by Game Freak on the Game Boy in 1998, will arrive on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console on...
Nintendo Direct Watch the North American November 2015 Nintendo Direct - Live!
Is your body ready?
It's been a long time coming but we now have a fresh Nintendo Direct to enjoy. We expect plenty of details on confirmed games along with some surprises, while a special episode of Nintendo Minute will follow the standard broadcast. Follow it all and chat with us live!...
Games will have separate releases in Europe as well
Bill Trinen revealed more information at the latest Nintendo Direct regarding the upcoming 3DS release, Fire Emblem Fates. Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright and Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest will retail at the price of US$39.99 and will be released in-store and on the eShop in North America on 19th...
News Final Fantasy's Cloud Is Set To Cause Some Strife In Super Smash Bros. On Wii U And 3DS
More details coming in Special Smash Bros. Direct next month
Nintendo's "one more thing" for today's Direct broadcast was something of a shocker - Final Fantasy VII's Cloud Strife is coming to Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS. No, we didn't see that one coming either. Possibly the single most famous character in Final Fantasy history, Cloud is a...
Feature What We Expect from Nintendo Direct - 12th November
The hype is building
After a long wait it's finally time to think about Nintendo Direct once again. With simultaneous broadcasts in North America and Europe we can expect a show packed with information on Holiday releases, perhaps some titles due in early 2016 and - hopefully - some surprises. We've already written about the need for deep breaths...
News Minecraft Wii U Edition Has Been Rated By PEGI
A dream come true
Minecraft is arguably the most influential video game of all-time. While the masterpiece where players create their own adventure and the world around them has graced multiple platforms over the past number of years since its initial release on PC, Mojang has unfortunately skipped Nintendo systems time and time again. When...
News The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Is Receiving A High-Definition Face Lift
Wolf Link amiibo also confirmed
Earlier in October we reported a rumour about a popular data miner in the Nintendo scene who uncovered listings on the Wii U eShop for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. At the time the evidence available was not entirely concrete in regards to what exactly this release would be, but now we have an official...
Nintendo Direct Watch the European November 2015 Nintendo Direct - Live!
The time has come
After a long wait it's time for another Nintendo Direct, and this stream will follow the European variation of the broadcast. Satoru Shibata will be hosting and will no doubt giving us plenty to look forward to on Wii U and 3DS, with Holiday 2015 and quite likely early 2016 on the agenda. Watch it live here!...
News Hyrule Warriors Legends Gets a Release Date and 'Female Link', Linkle
So that concept art wasn't for nothing
Who remembers that Koei Tecmo concept art of a 'female Link' for Hyrule Warriors that got people talking? Most have it in their memory banks, we suspect, and now that same character - 'Linkle' - has been confirmed for Hyrule Warriors Legends on 3DS. We'd hope that she'll be part of the cross-platform content...
Nintendo Download 12th November (North America)
Stella Glow! Nintendo Badge Arcade! Contra! Girls Like Robots?! More!
It may be 'Nintendo Direct Day', but we still have a Nintendo Download Update to look forward to, even if there are rumours of blocky surprises still to come. This week's line-up in North America has some varied and quirky offerings across both Wii U and 3DS, including a...
News Shadow Mewtwo amiibo Card Coming With First Print Copies Of Pokkén Tournament
Arrives alongside the anticipated fighter in Spring 2016
Additional information regarding the highly anticipated Pokkén Tournament was revealed during today's Nintendo Direct. A new amiibo card was shown depicting Shadow Mewtwo, but will only be available in copies of the game during the first production run. This will allow players to unlock the...
News Dragon Quest VII And VIII Both Confirmed For Western 3DS Release In 2016
And you thought it would never happen
Dragon Quest fans rejoice - Square Enix hasn't turned its back on you after all. It was confirmed during today's packed Nintendo Direct broadcast that Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past and Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King are both headed to the west. The games are coming to the 3DS...
News Capcom "Will Consider The Possibility" Of Supporting Nintendo NX
That's awfully nice of them
Capcom's support of the Wii U has been lackluster at best, with the publisher stepping away from the machine after releasing just a handful of titles, such as Monster Hunter 3 and Resident Evil Revelations. However, the firm still enjoys a productive relationship with Nintendo, and its popular Monster Hunter series is...
News Gold Mega Man amiibo Launching Alongside Mega Man Legacy Collection On 3DS
Exclusive challenge stages will be unlocked by the figure
3DS owners have had to wait a little longer than other console owners for Mega Man Legacy Collection, but their patience is being rewarded with 11 special challenge stages which can only be unlocked using the Mega Man amiibo, as well as an all-new golden amiibo figure. In case you didn't...
Video We Gawk at the Contents of Nintendo UK's Super Mario Box
Unboxing a box
A little while ago we pointed out that Nintendo UK's official store is offering a Limited Edition Super Mario Box as part of the mascot's 30th Anniversary celebrations. It's only in the UK and costs £29.99, but is it worth it? Well, probably not if you already own the classic colour Super Mario 30th Anniversary amiibo, but if you...
News New Splatoon Map, Museum d'Alfonsino, Revealed on SplatNet
We're going to guess that was an accident
Nintendo Direct hasn't happened yet, but it looks like a relatively small reveal may have tumbled out courtesy of the Splatoon Splatnet website. We suspect the automated process of the site's schedule page has caught Nintendo out as it shows an all-new stage that's on the way very soon. It's called Museum...
News Star Fox Zero Launches on 22nd April, 2016
It's about time
In today's Nintendo Direct, Star Fox Zero was finally nailed down with a firm release date for North America, which will be on April 22nd of next year - it's just 'April' in Europe for now. While many will no doubt be disappointed with this news after the game was initially promised for a Holiday release, it certainly doesn't seem...
News Free Den of Trials DLC Update Heading To Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
Launches December 2nd
The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes will be receiving free DLC to embark on even more adventures to share with your friends. The Den of Trials downloadable content adds new stages that implement a brand new gameplay style; there'll be more than 30 new stages. In addition, new outfits will be added such as the Lineback...
News New Stages and Gear Are Soon to be Added to Splatoon
Also, an official tournament is on the way
In today's Nintendo Direct, it was confirmed that Splatoon will soon be receiving a massive influx of content. In terms of what's being added, two new maps are set to enter the rotation, called Mahi Mahi Resort and Museum d'Alfonsino. Museum d'Alfonsino will go live in an update on 14th November and Mahi...
News A New Yooka-Laylee Support Character Has Been Revealed
Remember the good old days with Rextro Sixtyfourus
When you get right down to it, there's still not a whole lot known about Yooka-Laylee, an upcoming 3D platformer made from ex-Rare staff that worked on games such as Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. After the initial buzz around the game from its successful Kickstarter debut died down, new...
News Here's How the Development Team of Super Mario Maker Brainstormed Ideas
Tearing up the Super Mario rulebook
Super Mario Maker has been out for a couple months now and it definitely stands out as a very unique game within the Super Mario canon, if it could even be considered part of it in the first place. The open ended nature of the game allows for players to try out whatever ideas come to mind, no matter how...
News Pokémon Picross Arrives On The 3DS eShop Early December
When Pokémon collides with picross
Nintendo's latest Direct has revealed yet another new free-to-start game is on the way. Following tradition, it's yet another Pokémon title for the 3DS eShop. Pokémon Picross is due out in early December, and is a mostly traditional picross experience with a dash of Pokémon. Players will reveal Pokémon...
News The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Master Quest Continues into 2016
Tickets on sale now
It's no secret that we're fans of Symphony of the Goddesses - a concert series in which a full orchestra plays everyone's favorite songs from the Legend of Zelda series - here at Nintendo Life, and we're always ready to bring you the latest updates. The good news for fans of the show, or those who haven't been able to attend...
Video Watch The King of Red Lions Make Waves in Hyrule Warriors Legends
He needs the exercise
The King of Red Lions is a pretty quirky character, even by Nintendo standards. It's a talking boat after all, and... well, just play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD to catch up. Of course, Hyrule Warriors Legends kind of gives the story away - to a degree - by virtue of featuring the character in his human-esque form...
News FAST Racing Neo Given a Release Window of December
Hopefully, racing to Wii U consoles before Christmas
Today's Nintendo Direct was a pleasing return to form, with a plethora of new games, updates, and announcements to get gamers excited for Nintendo's lineup for the near future. One of the games briefly covered in the presentation was FAST Racing Neo, the exciting futuristic racer that aims to...
News Rytmik Ultimate Aiming to Find the Beat on the 3DS eShop in December
Includes online sharing and composition
Despite its limitations - such as only allowing files of 16MB and under! - the DSiWare platform served up some gems. Among our favourites were the Rytmik apps from Cinemax, which provided various themed music creation tool on the portable; at the time they left us rather impressed. Pleasingly we don't have...
News USK Lists "Replay: VHS Is Not Dead" For Wii U
Disc-based media killed the VHS star
The German Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK) has listed Replay: VHS Is Not Dead for the Wii U. The title was released by publisher Neko Entertainment in July on Steam and received a positive reception for being a challenging, satisfying and convincing puzzle-platformer. Taking place in a...
News Devil's Third Online for PC to Include New Modes and Voice Chat
The free-to-play PC alternative takes shape
Devil's Third is still making its way to North America in December following its previous arrival in Japan and Europe, and a quirky aspect of the release is the fact it's also got a 'free-to-start' version coming to PC in the future. For those with both a PC and a Wii U that brings an interesting choice -...
Wednesday11th Nov 2015
Feature Five of Our Favourite Nintendo Direct Moments So Far
Well, six if you count the honourable mention
With Nintendo Direct rapidly approaching we can't help but look back - this will be the first Nintendo Direct in quite some time and since Satoru Iwata passed away. There was an undeniably sad moment, for this writer at least, when this week's presentation was announced and it dawned upon me how integral...
News Nintendo Badge Arcade is Out Now in North America
Get ready to start that collection
If you're anything like this writer, you probably have heard about Nintendo Badge Arcade, but have no idea what it really is. Nintendo Badge Arcade is basically a free to play, virtual arcade game that's centered around the concept of collecting "badges". For $1 you get five shots at controlling a claw machine that...
News All DeNA and Nintendo Smartphone Apps Currently in Development are Free-to-Play
Still aiming to launch five "carefully selected titles" by March 2017
Nintendo and DeNA has, up to now, spoken about applying mobile app pricing that reflects the type of game being offered. Social app Miitomo, for example, will be free-to-download but have optional purchases for things like Mii outfits, which is an approach that seems to work just...
Parent Trap Oft-Forgotten Wii U Features That Matter To Families
Family Gamer TV looks at the eShop, backward compatibility and more
Weighing up which console to invest in for a family is a matter of identifying which features are most important to you. I've had a repeated conversation over the last few months where I introduce friends and parents to some of the lesser known features of the Wii U. Some of these...
Video Take a Look at the New Cat Costumes Now Available In Super Mario Maker
Play custom courses as a feisty feline
If Super Mario Maker on the Wii U wasn’t already addictive enough with its extensive list of course-making tools and user-made levels, the costume collection aspect of the game is yet another reason to hang around. With the number of costumes in the game steadily on the rise, Nintendo has just added two more...
News M2 Has The Source Files For Aquario, The Lost Arcade Title From Wonder Boy Studio Westone
"Only the sound data is missing"
Wonder Boy studio Westone is sadly no more, but that doesn't mean that the company's legacy is doomed to be forgotten. In a recent interview with video game journalist John Szczepaniak for his book The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers Volume 2, Westone founder Ryuichi Nishizawa revealed that the source code...
News The 3DS Is Getting A New Puzzle & Dragons Game
CoroCoro magazine will reveal more details later this month
Puzzle & Dragons Z was a massive success in its native Japan, and encouraged Nintendo to work with developer GungHo to create a Super Mario-themed semi-sequel - which was released alongside the original game in the west. While Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Edition wasn't as...
News Langrisser Re:Incarnation Tensei Confirmed For North American Release
Aksys Games is the company to thank
Aksys Games has revealed that it is bringing Langrisser Re:Incarnation Tensei to North America in Spring of next year. The turn-based strategy title is a reboot of the famous Langrisser series, which began life on the Sega Mega Drive many years ago. Developed by Extreme and Masaya, the 3DS release had a somewhat...
News Keiji Inafune is Interested in Implementing amiibo in His Games
Just don't delay Mighty No. 9 again, Inafune
Up until recently, amiibo had been exclusively first party affairs. There are already dozens of the evasive figures available for a wide array of Nintendo franchises, but the question always remained: will amiibo ever be utilized by third parties? This was answered by a rather surprising reveal by Yacht...
Video Sit Back and Relax With This Jazz Version of the Pokémon Theme
It's super relaxing
It's been an excitable time for fans of the big N, with the first Nintendo Direct in months confirmed to be heading to our screens soon. It's enough to set minds and pulses racing, so perhaps we need to just sit back and relax. Frankly, it's hard to envisage a better way to do that than to chill out with this jazz version of the...
News Disney Magical World 2's Whimsy is Outsold By Call of Duty's Futuristic Warfare in Japan
Also can't match the launch sales of its predecessor
The latest Media Create Japanese chart results are in, and this week reflect one notable sales trend from the West with a big-name shooty-shooty-bang-bang game making a strong debut and boosting Sony's hardware, while there's also a major release on 3DS. Yes, Call of Duty: Black Ops III takes top...
Music Have a Listen to the Rodea the Sky Soldier Soundtrack
Soaring high
Rodea the Sky Soldier is out now in North America and is imminent in Europe, and is a title that's been years in the making. It had a sticky route to release, yet for some eager followers that'll matter little - especially as it's a Nintendo exclusive and the original work of Yuki Naka. Although it has shortcomings we gave it a...
Video Watch Splatoon's Surprisingly Early Neo Sploosh-o-matic Giving its all
We've forgotten the Kraken
Splatoon continues to be updated, and strangely this week we've been gifted with a new weapon half a week earlier than usual. This time around it's the Neo Sploosh-o-matic and its devastating close-quarters capabilities. Coupled with the 'Neo' in its name, this variant comes bundled with Point Sensors and the Kraken, a...
Tuesday10th Nov 2015
Gotta friend 'em all
There's no point beating around the bush: Yo-Kai Watch is a lot like Pokémon. But instead of straight up emulating one of Nintendo's biggest franchises, developer Level-5 has aspired to create something a bit stranger and fresher than Pokémon has done in years. The result is a welcoming RPG that has some highs and some lows,...
Review Rodea the Sky Soldier (Wii U)
Turbulence ahead
Yuji Naka is a legend in the world of game design. He has worked on notable series such as Sonic the Hedgehog, NiGHTS into Dreams and Phantasy Online for nearly 30 years. His newest creation, Rodea the Sky Soldier, has been stuck in development limbo for over five years, but the time has finally come for it to see the light of day...
News The Next Nintendo Direct is on 12th November
The wait is over!
It's been a long wait since the last Nintendo Direct broadcast, which was before E3, but we finally have a date and time for the next information bonanza. It's happening on 12th November at 2pm Pacific / 5pm Eastern / 10pm UK / 11pm CET. The wait for another Nintendo Direct has been a long one for fans, though company President...
Talking Point Deep Breaths Are Needed as Highly Anticipated Nintendo Direct is Confirmed
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Well, there it is. After months of waiting - for once that's not an exaggeration - we have the next full Nintendo Direct. With E3 and then the tragic passing of former President Satoru Iwata - who was very much the figurehead of the series - it was always likely to be a respectful delay before it returned; now,...
Review Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Farm Fatale
If you're familiar with the original Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town, released on the Wii U Virtual console earlier in 2015, then you know just about all there is to expect out of its follow-up, Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town. In fact, you should probably skim the review of the first title if you want a rundown of the...
News Nintendo Badge Arcade is Pinned Down For a 13th November Release in Europe
Pay for plays
Late last year Nintendo released Collectible Badge Centre in Japan, an app / game for the 3DS that allows you to 'win' badges that you can then pin and arrange on your HOME screen. It's rather like an addition to themes, and we shared our impressions at the time; it's now confirmed to be heading to Europe on 13th November, with the new...
News 3DS Firmware Update Now Available, Stability Remains The Focus
Stable and able
A new firmware update is available for the 3DS and as you may have anticipated, it offers stability and not a great deal else. Ver. 10.3.0-28 should be ready to download to your console now, and adds even more stability to what surely has to be the most stable piece of gaming hardware on the face of the planet. In case you don't...
News Valhalla Game Studios is Being Sued Over a Trademark Dispute
Valhalla Motion Pictures would like a word
It seems that people and companies in the modern age will find just about anything to get upset over enough to sue each other. It can be quite entertaining to see the things that get brought to court, such as the infamous case where Red Bull had to pay $10 to anybody that's ever bought the energy drink...
News Japan Is Getting This Charming Animal Crossing amiibo Diorama
Perfect for displaying those figures
Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival is with us soon, and while it might not be generating the same interest as a "proper" Animal Crossing outing, the introduction of several new amiibo figures is helping to build the hype - and over in Japan, they're whipping fans into a frenzy with free tat. Japanese consumers who...
News Bigley's Revenge Arrives on the Wii U eShop Just in Time for Christmas
From the talented studio that brought you Meme Run
There are some developers on the eShop that - in a rather bizarre inversion – seem to be famous not because of how good their games are, but how bad. It becomes something of a guessing game as followers theorize over what the studio will do next and if this one will be even worse than the studio's...
News Nintendo Badge Arcade Trailer Seemingly Confirms All-White New 3DS XL For Euro Release
Whiter than white
Nintendo launches its Badge Arcade app on the 3DS in Europe later this week, which is interesting in itself - but eagle-eyed viewers have spotted something else noteworthy in the accompanying trailer. At the trailer's conclusion, two New 3DS consoles are shown side-by-side. On the left is the white New 3DS, but on the right we...
News Final Fantasy Explorers Will Have a Collector's Edition
Let's hope an art book is included
Update: Square Enix has advised us that details around a Collector's Edition for Final Fantasy Explorers is based on information that was "posted inadvertently and is subject to change before being finalized." With that in mind we should wait and see what details emerge in future. Original Article: In just a...
News Moving Musical Iwata Tribute Casts Onett Theme in a Whole New Light
8 minutes of Gentle Love
Outpourings of admiration for late Nintendo President Satoru Iwata have continued since his passing in July. The performing duo Gentle Love, consisting of Metal Gear Solid and Bayonetta series composer Norihiko Hibino and pianist AYAKI, have added their own respects in the form of a soulful arrangement of the Onett theme...
News Photos With Mario Arrives in Europe With Special eShop Cards
Get a free app with your credit
Photos With Mario is an interesting app from Nintendo - it was previously dumped onto the eShop in North America with little fanfare prior to the release of special eShop $10 fund cards which included AR cards. Rather like the default AR cards that come with the 3DS these allow you to bring Nintendo items and...
News Splatoon's Content Update is a Little Early This Week With the Neo Sploosh-o-matic
Soak it up
We're used to new content arriving in Splatoon every Friday / Saturday, depending on time zones, serving as a nice start to our weekends. Nintendo has different plans this week, however. Nintendo of Europe has tweeted confirmation that we'll receive a new weapon early this week, arriving Wednesday morning (11th November). Assuming it's...
Video Get a Closer Look at the Lovely Stella Glow Launch Edition
...and warm up the iron
Stella Glow is just a week away in North America, the latest exciting RPG release to be localised and released with some style by Atlus - originally developed by Imageepoch, this one puts music at the core of a wider adventure. With its release so close and plenty of 3DS owners likely to have taken the demo for a spin, Atlus...
News Cybernator Creator Talks Destructible Environments, Cut Ideas And Missing Stages
Nonlinear stage progression was mooted at one point
Cybernator - or Assault Suits Valken as it is known in Japan - is one of the finest action titles on the SNES, boasting awesome visuals, inventive levels and one of the most authentic representations of military mecha yet seen in gaming. What's even more amazing is that the game was designed almost...
News Britsoft: An Oral History Charts The Birth Of The British Games Industry
Packed with exclusive interviews
While the exploits of Japanese and North American games makers are well documented, the considerable contribution that the United Kingdom has made to the global gaming scene is perhaps less well known. Thankfully that appears to be changing; last year's From Bedrooms to Billions documentary took an extensive look at...
News Get Ready To Blast Off With Space Dave!
Dave in space
We really liked Choice Provisions recent frantic arcade-inspired platformer Woah Dave!, next up from developer MiniVisions is Space Dave! which is described as a spiritual successor to this readily-avaible eShop entry; you can think of this new title as a modern take on the fixed shooters of yesteryear. Taking a page from classic...
Monday9th Nov 2015
Review Just Dance 2016 (Wii U)
Keeeeeeeeep dancing!
Every year as the leaves begin to fall from the trees, as we start to moan about the weather even more than usual and as we start to hopelessly search the entire house for our gloves which we've lost for the fifth year running, you can be certain of one thing… Another entry to Ubisoft's Just Dance series will be fox-trotting...
Nintendo Download 12th November (Europe)
Rodea the Sky Soldier! SEGA 3DS HOME Themes! Discounts! More!
With the start of a fresh week comes the European Nintendo Download Update details. This week brings a relatively rare case of cross platform retail release action, with two versions of a Yuji Naka title that some have been rather looking forward to. Beyond that we have some light-hearted...
News Sega Scrapped A Golden Axe Remake With Odin Sphere-Style 2D Visuals
Sadly didn't get to the prototype stage
Not so long ago, it was reported that Sega Australia was working on a reboot of the classic side-scrolling fighter Golden Axe, but the project was scrapped when the studio was closed down. That news was sad enough, but long-time Sega fans will be even more annoyed to learn that it wasn't the only remake of the...
News Nintendo of America Confirms Holiday Season Mall Tour
Showing off the best of Wii U and 3DS
With the Holiday season rapidly approaching the battle for shoppers' hearts and minds will be well and truly underway. As a result Nintendo of America has now confirmed that it'll be targeting shoppers directly in an upcoming mall tour to show off major Wii U and 3DS releases. Perhaps a little disappointing is...
News Gaze Upon The Lush Mega Man Legacy Collection Limited Edition You'll Probably Never Own
$120 to you, sir
Mega Man Legacy Collection arrives on the 3DS early next year - a little later than the home console editions - but should be well worth the wait for long-time fans of the series. Compendium of the six "classic" 8-bit adventures, the collection comes with added bonuses for hardcore fans, such as artwork and a special challenge mode...
Other evergreen releases hold the fort
The UK chart results are out and, yes, Call of Duty: Black Ops III is easily number one. That's hardly surprising, but the overall Nintendo results have prompted us to raise our eyebrows. Let's get the bad news out of the way - Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash appears to have tanked at launch in the UK. Not only is it...
Video Here's The Moment The SNES PlayStation Gets Turned On For The First Time
"Thanks to the haters, too"
Last week we reported on the news that the legendary SNES PlayStation has been turned on and played, proving once and for all that the system is the real deal and not an elaborate fake, as some people had claimed. Dan Diebold - son of Terry, who unwittingly purchased the system when the company he worked at went bust -...
News Nintendo's Share Value on the Rebound Following Poor Reaction to Miitomo
Nerves settled?
Not too long ago Nintendo unveiled some key points in its smart device strategy to investors, but in the process confirmed that its first app - Miitomo - and loyalty program 'My Nintendo' (part of a new 'Nintendo Account') would be delayed until March 2016. Both were originally expected this year, so that delay and the nature of...
Parent Trap Choosing The Right Nintendo 3DS For You And Your Family
Which 3DS is right for you? Family Gamer TV's Andy Robertson explains
The 3DS has had a long and winding history. Over the years it has developed a strong collection of games for families, but which version of the hardware is the best fit these days? Family Gamer TV works with a range of different families of varying shapes and sizes. They all play...
Video Learn All About Skells in This Xenoblade Chronicles X Survival Guide
Transforming our expectations
We're now just a small number of weeks away from Xenoblade Chronicles X, the enormous Monolith Soft RPG that'll likely keep plenty of Wii U owners busy into 2016. Excitement is sure to build as a result, and Nintendo is keen for players to go in with a decent amount of knowledge to tackle the complex and varied game...
Review Stinger (Wii U eShop / NES)
Cute, creative and cruel
Most shmups ask you to shoot your way through hordes of enemy ships while dodging gunfire. Stinger asks you to do this while juggling. The cute, goofy exterior of the game hides just how challenging it can be, as while it may be hard to take smiling shoes, flying phones and whirling donuts seriously, they're all highly...
News Free Origin Story and 'Remaster' Update Coming to Affordable Space Adventures
Origin Story to include five all-new levels
Update: This update is also live in North America on 12th November. Original Article: We're big fans of Affordable Space Adventures here at Nintendo Life - the Wii U exclusive is a collaboration between KnapNok Games and Nifflas, providing one of the best examples of innovative GamePad usage we've seen...
Random Fire Emblem 0 Will Be Getting Some Cards Based on Genei Ibun Roku #FE
A different kind of strategy game
Though we're still waiting for it to launch here in the West, Japan has already received the pleasure of experiencing Fire Emblem Fates, the latest in Nintendo's punishing SRPG series. In order to boost the release's popularity (and doubtless to make some lovely merchandising profit), Nintendo also launched a...
News Capcom Shows Off Toon Link Outfit for Monster Hunter X (Cross)
Along with lots of details and videos
Monster Hunter X (Cross) is now just a few weeks away from release in Japan, bringing with it an action-focused style of play and a whole load of new monsters and variations. With release getting close Capcom hosted an online stream focused on new details, and has released a whole load of goodies. First of all,...
News Sega Themes Are Coming To Your 3DS This Week
To get these themes means waiting AGES
Remember those lovely Sega themes that Japanese 3DS have been enjoying for ages? They're finally coming to the west, albeit with some minor modifications. This Friday, the Sega Game Gear, Sega Mega Drive / Genesis, Sega Master System and Sega Mark III themes will touch down in the 3DS Theme Shop:
News The Game Awards Will Take Place on 3rd December
Let's see what Nintendo wins this year
An official awards show for video games is something that still has yet to really stick in a notable way. Movies have Oscars, TV shows have Emmys, and Music has the Grammys, but there still has yet to become an accepted equivalent in gaming. Spike TV hosted a video game awards ceremony for a few years before a...
News Mitsuru Hirata Expresses Interest in Pursuing a Radiant Historia Sequel
"Someday a new Radiant Historia!"
As some of you may remember, Atlus released a JRPG on the DS a few years back called Radiant Historia. The game took a page from the book of Chrono Trigger and was heavily centered around a time travel mechanic wherein the protagonist had to devise the best possible path to take in order to avoid the apocalypse...
Sunday8th Nov 2015
Tom Whitehead thinks it's time for more cohesion
If you'll allow this wistful 30-something to get out his pipe and slippers for some reminiscing, there was a time when game releases were a mystery and seemingly scheduled by the Marx Brothers. There could be months - or years! - between regional releases in the West, nevermind localising Japanese...
News Beenox Won't Be Working on Spider-Man Games Anymore
Moving on to greener pastures
As some of you may be aware, Beenox has more or less been the studio responsible for the Spider-Man video games for the past several years. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Spider-Man: Edge of Time, and both of The Amazing Spider-Man games all came from this studio, which is a rather impressive feat given how quickly...
YO-KAI is the reasoning
We've had another corker of a week in terms of Nintendo happenings; so much so that we couldn't blame anyone for not being able to keep up with everything. As we usually do, we've compiled all you need to know in one handy little video for your entertainment. This week we look at the incredible SNES Playstation prototype...
News Yuji Naka Expresses Interest in Sequels to Ivy the Kiwi? and Rodea the Sky Soldier
Hopefully, they won't take as long to develop
As many of you are likely aware, the long awaited release of Rodea the Sky Soldier is only a few days away in North America and Europe, at last bringing the game's heavily drawn out development cycle to its conclusion. Rodea the Sky Soldier was a brainchild of Yuji Naka - the mastermind behind Sonic the...
Saturday7th Nov 2015
Feature Why We're Still Playing... Pokémon Gold / Silver / Crystal
The revolution of a revolution...
This is a series of features that focuses on games that we keep playing again and again, either over an unhealthy number of hours or those that keep getting return visits long after they first graced our systems. In this entry Arjun talks about his favourite Pokémon games. The beginning: There's no doubt that the...
Review Wild Gunman (Wii U eShop / NES)
You mean you have to use your hands?
Just like Duck Hunt and Hogan's Alley, Wild Gunman was one of the first games released to take full advantage of the NES Zapper, and can now be played on the Wii U by using the Wii Remote's pointer instead. Based on Nintendo's light gun arcade machine, you might even remember seeing it in the Cafe 80's in Back to...
Site News Nintendo Life Turns 10 Today
Time flies when you're having fun
It was difficult finding out exactly when I started Nintendo Life. I can see that the domain name was registered on 29th October 2005 and my user account was created on 4th November, but the first article 'Our Nintendo Life Begins...' was posted 10 years ago today, 7th November 2005. I guess it took me a few days to...
Rumour Vision May be Coming to Disney Infinity 3.0
Suddenly, everything's 20/20
The toys to life concept is certainly nothing new today, with the rather cleverly disguised DLC causing wallets around the world to cry out in despair when each new wave of figures comes out. Disney Infinity wasn't the first to jump on this bandwagon, but you could very much argue that it's been the strongest competitor,...
News Activision Blizzard Has Just Opened a TV and Film Studio
Skylanders and Call of Duty are first up
Activision has no shortage of big hitter video game franchises, but it's a fairly safe bet that Skylanders and Call of Duty are the biggest successes to come from the company. It seems that Activision wants to continue to hit new heights and has just recently announced that it's opening Activision Blizzard...
Video See Splatoon's New Heavy Splatling Deco in all its Rhinestoned Glory
Fabulous freshness
Splatoon's latest free update in the continued support for the game gifted us all with a brand new variant on the Heavy Splatling, the Heavy Splatling Deco, and we've only gone and recorded some footage of it fresh from the servers. This thing not only looks flashy and unwieldily, but it has Point Sensors to keep track of your...
Friday6th Nov 2015
News SNES PlayStation Prototype Gets Turned On, Opened Up
It's really real, you guys
Earlier this year, a prototype SNES PlayStation was discovered in the wild and caused quite a stir among fans and collectors alike. The system - which was supposed to be start of a beautiful friendship between Nintendo and Sony but the former left the latter at the altar - never saw release and what images existed were...
Smash Bros. for Wii U "could be near perfection"
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U has received numerous updates that have added content and also tweaked mechanics, from individual fighters down to broader improvements. It's also become a notable part of the competitive gaming scene, with the latest entry attracting levels of interest to bring it into the...
News Super Smash Bros. + Splatoon Wii U Hardware Bundle Emerges in GameStop Black Friday Advert
New Nintendo 3DS XL deals and more also confirmed
Black Friday is still a little while away, falling on 27th November in the US this year, but some deals are already starting to emerge. Intriguingly, the leaked GameStop Black Friday leaflet confirms an exciting new Wii U bundle, though it's unclear whether it'll be exclusive to the retailer. In...
News Target Reservation Cards Re-Affirm Fire Emblem Fates as a Dual Release for North America
While a single release seems likely for Europe
At the end of October we highlighted a minor oddity in Nintendo's list of upcoming releases. It showed Fire Emblem Fates as a single release in Europe, but listed the separate parts - Conquest and Birthright - for North America. This was intriguing as it reinforced the ongoing listing on Amazon UK -...
Review Toki Tori 3D (3DS eShop)
A good egg
Toki Tori has been ported, tweaked and re-released a lot, with its blend of accessible but increasingly challenging puzzling appealing to gamers of various types on almost any platform you can name. Suitable for touch inputs or physical controls, it's playable on just about any system you want, though sadly we couldn't find a version for...
News The Final Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate DLC Update is Now Live
Some gorgeous GX armour leads the way
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate has been the franchises' most successful entry outside of Japan, passing one million sales in Europe and North America, in the process providing a vital breakthrough for the series. It gives us optimism that titles like Monster Hunter X (Cross) will also get localised, or at the very...
News Super Mario Maker Developers Talk About the Recent Update and Other Potential "Maker" Games
Looks like Zelda Maker won't be happening anytime soon
As most of you are aware, an update recently went out for Super Mario Maker that added several new features. Players are now able to place checkpoint flags as well as conditional power-up blocks that dispense power-ups according to Mario's current status. Additionally, a new concept called Event...
News 1993 Kirby's Adventure Interview Reveals Cut Content, Alternative Names And Why Kirby Is Pink
"Normally a character like Kirby would have been yellow"
Kirby is now a firmly-established member in Nintendo's vast catalogue of intellectual properties, but back in 1993 he was very much a newcomer looking to prove himself - as this fascinating interview from the period attests. Freshly translated by Shumplations.com, the feature originally...
News Akihiro Hino Explains Why Yo-Kai Watch Has Been So Successful and What Sets It Apart
It's kind of a big deal
As many of you are likely aware, Yo-Kai Watch is now out in North America. A massive hit in Japan, the fascinating Yo-kai adventure game has drawn many parallels to Pokémon and other similar monster catching series. Nonetheless, Level-5 is hoping that it'll achieve similar success in the West, and is launching a full...
Video A Wii Wave Race Project Got Far Enough to Have Its Own Patents
Ultimately turned down by Kyoto management
When we consider long-abandoned Nintendo franchises we'd like to see again, there's always a chance - if it's a top 10 - that Wave Race will come up within such lists. Those with fond memories of the Nintendo 64 may reminisce over its entry, even if the Game Boy original passed many by, while its last...
Video The New Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival Trailer is Seeking Happy Players
No points for sadness
Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival is now just a week away in North America (13th November) and a little longer in Europe (20th November), and it's going to be interesting to see how well it performs in stores. The reaction from eager Nintendo fans to its E3 reveal this year were - we think it's fair to say - relatively hostile,...
Video Check Out This Unused Great Fairy Costume in The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
Cut completely or future DLC?
One of the biggest innovations brought to the rather divisive The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes was the introduction of costumes. Swappable outfits that bestow various special abilities upon the wearer, these added a refreshing amount of diversity to the gameplay and helped add another layer of strategy to...
News Get Ready to Shred Some Solos in Hello Kitty & Friends Rock 'n' World Tour
Rock on you crazy cats
Hello Kitty is a hugely successful brand - yes, it really is! So it's not surprising that there are numerous spin-off games and, due to the family focus of Nintendo hardware, they can often be found on Wii U and 3DS. This week Bergsala and Rising Star Games teamed up to release both Hello Kitty Kruisers and Hello Kitty and...
"A series about art impacting life"
There once was a time when the notion of someone writing a serious book about the impact of video games would have seemed laughable, but the medium has become such an entrenched part of our popular culture that we're now blessed with many fine tomes on the topic. As if to illustrate the fact that gaming is now on...
Thursday5th Nov 2015
Nintendo Download 5th November (North America)
Yo-Kai Watch! Rodea! Stinger! Electronic Super Joy! More!
It's time for more Nintendo Download Update goodness, and this week gamers in North America have a high-profile retail arrival on 3DS to consider alongside a long-awaited dual release on the portable and Wii U. There are some promising download-only games on offer too, so let's get to the...
Feature A Pokémon Retrospective: Generation 3 - 2002 To 2006
A period of evolution
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 monthly journey through each generation of Pokémon, this month we cover the generation that many ignored, the one that came after the Pokémon "fad" ended, but...
News The Super Mario Maker Update Has Cleared Up Some Glitches
Less fun for random videos
Super Mario Maker may be a well polished product, but like any game with some weird and wacky features it has a few glitches and quirks for gamers to exploit. Actually, in some cases, that should be had a few glitches. Our own video man and Super Mario Maker superfan Alex Olney has been trying to recreate some of the...
News Super Mario Maker's First Major Update is Now Live
Checkpoints. Sweet, sweet checkpoints...
Well, it's here, the Super Mario Maker update is live. A teaser for a new Totem Link Mystery Mushroom item gave an early idea of some of the extras included, and now your copy of the game should automatically update when you start it up. Key new features include the ability to add checkpoints to levels,...
News More North American Women Own A Games Console Than Men
Smartphone and tablet use on the rise, too
A new study in the US has revealed that more women own games consoles than men, flying in the face of the common perception that the hobby is dominated by male players. Conducted by the Pew Research Centre, the research indicates that 42 percent of US women own a games console, compared to 37 percent of...
News Orders for the Actual Yo-Kai Watch Toy Open on 6th November in North America
This thing's been rarer than Nintendo Directs in Japan
Yo-Kai Watch arrives on 3DS in North America on 6th November, which is an important launch for both Level-5 and Nintendo. It's a franchise that's become a dominant force in Japan, and both parties will hope that it finds a significant audience in the West. In addition to the game it's recently...
Review Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II (Wii U eShop / NES)
Time for Mike to make his return
For banana fans and island hoppers alike, the original StarTropics stands to this day as an under-appreciated classic of the NES library. It's the kind of imperfect gem that sadly went a little under the radar at the time of its release, but has endured as a cult favourite thanks in large part to its distinctive...
News A Little Bit of The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is Coming to Super Mario Maker
It's 8-bit totem time
Super Mario Maker is getting a big update, and it seems that part of that will be a fun new pixel animation for the Mystery Mushroom item. Like plenty of others this one isn't based on an amiibo, as it recreates the heroes from The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes. Nintendo of America has shared the following via Facebook and...
Video Check Out The Super Mario Maker Door-Knocking Easter Egg
I am the one who knocks
The much anticipated Super Mario Maker update v1.2 is now live. Key new features include the ability to add checkpoints to levels, which had been much in demand, and you can now 'stack' items in blocks. More exciting additions have arrived through 'Official Makers' and Event Courses, both found in the Course World section of...
News Those Who Buy Stella Glow Digitally Will Receive an Exclusive 3DS Theme
Physical buyers will be glowing with envy
As some of you are likely aware, Stella Glow will be releasing in North America on 17th November. The latest RPG from Atlus will be taking a rather musical approach to things, starring a series of witches that all have musical powers of some sort. We certainly enjoyed it based on some limited hands on time...
Video The Story of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot... in Donkey Kong 64
Remember, remember
The Fifth of November, Guy Fawkes' Night, Bonfire Night, Fireworks Night, or whatever you want to call it is a celebration in the United Kingdom and certain other countries centred around a historical event known as the Gunpowder Plot. Many people know it because of the excellent comic and subsequent film adaptation V for...
Video The Pokémon Company Shows Off the Current Zoroark Distribution
Available in North America now in ORAS
The Pokémon Company likes being random sometimes, and has released a Zoroark distribution for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire to prove that very point. This particular version of the tricky 'mon comes with the Sludge Bomb move, which it can't learn in normal gameplay, with Dark Pulse, Flamethrower and...
News SNK Playmore Ditches Pachinko Machines To Focus Entirely On Video Games
You know, just like it used to
SNK Playmore has announced that it is abandoning the manufacture of Pachinko machines in favour of focusing totally on video games and smartphone titles. The company began making Pachinko units when it was acquired by Aruze in 2000, a company famous for its Pachinko machines. SNK would file for bankruptcy in 2001 but...
News Splatoon's Next New Weapon is the Heavy Splatling Deco
Look good while dispensing inky justice
Splatoon continues to serve up new items on a weekly basis, with last week bringing two new weapons - the H-3 Nozzlenose D and the Luna Blaster Neo. We're down to one new weapon this week, but it's both glamorous and destructive, and therefore may be irresistible. Nintendo has confirmed that this week's new...
Video New Hyrule Warriors Legends Video Shows More Footage of Tetra in Action
Tetra sure knows how to tussle
As many of you are aware, Hyrule Warriors is due to receive an enhanced port on the 3DS in the form of Hyrule Warriors Legends. Featuring all of the DLC from the original game and with some additional playable characters, such as Toon Link and Tetra, this is certainly shaping up to be a title that looks like it'll be...
News Family Fishing Will Aim to Lure You in on the 3DS eShop
Throw smoke bombs, like all families on fishing trips
There are a surprising number of fishing games available across Nintendo systems, with multiple examples on WiiWare and 3DS. They must be popular releases as, otherwise, developers wouldn't go out of their way to create and release the games; it sure beats wading around at a real lake, right?...
Video Toki Tori 3D Launch Trailer Flaps Into View
Just in time for release day
Toki Tori 3D launches today, and to mark the occasion developer Two Tribes has sneakily published a launch trailer on its YouTube channel. A remake of the Game Boy Color original, the game boasts improved visuals and animation, as well as a new "rewind" feature that allows you to backtrack and fix your mistakes. Toki...
Wednesday4th Nov 2015
Talking Point Super Mario Maker's Update Continues Nintendo's Focus on Major Games as Services
Going beyond day one
Super Mario Maker is on the cusp - at the time of writing - of receiving its first major update. It solves one of the most notable quibbles that fans have had by adding level checkpoints, in addition to features such as dedicated areas for official Nintendo courses and 'event' courses contributed by companies such as Facebook...
News Star Fox Zero Website Has Fans of amiibo and Online Play Dreaming
It happens with vague starter websites...
Earlier today we highlighted the fact that the Star Fox Zero official website has some lovely wallpapers to download that help ease the pain of its delay into Q1 2016. Sure, it'd have been nice to play the game this festive season, but putting one of these on our desktop will cheer us up in the meantime...
News Nintendo's Latest Hanafuda Deck Is Perhaps Its Most Eye-Catching Yet
If only we knew how to play
As we all know, Nintendo started out making playing cards - Hanafuda cards, to be precise - and although the company's focus has changed over the years, it has maintained a link with its past by producing special Hanafuda packs. The latest set is possibly the most visually alluring yet, and uses classic Super Mario...
News These Lush Star Fox Zero Wallpapers Will Make The Wait A Little More Bearable
"I see 'em up ahead. Let's rock 'n' roll!"
Many of us had hoped that we would be playing Fox McCloud's latest adventure on our Wii U consoles this Christmas, but sadly Star Fox Zero has been delayed until early next year - despite what some slightly optimistic retailers might have you believe. The wait might be pa
News Splatoon Art Book Reveals Early Concept for Warping via Urinals and Sinks
Eww
There's certainly no shortage of ways to travel around as a squid in Splatoon. You can choose to either just swim through your team's ink, tap on a teammate or Squid Beakon to super jump, or – in the single player mode – use a sort of powerline to quickly transport you from one side of the map to another. However, it appears that there was...
News Fatal Frame Developers on Why Water was a Central Theme and How Ayane Came to be Included
Evidently, ghosts are less likely to appear in dry climates
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water released only a couple weeks ago to generally positive acclaim. While the game may be a bit repetitive in some places, its integration of the GamePad as the Camera Obscura was a clever move that really added a whole new layer of immersion to the...
Review Electronic Super Joy (Wii U eShop)
Get out the glow sticks
A key question often lobbed at reviewers is "did you completely finish the game?" We'll answer that one straight away here - no. The reason? Because we can't, but the fact we'll keep trying says much about why we're happy to recommend Electronic Super Joy to Wii U owners. Originally developed by Michael Todd Games and ported...
Wii U sales stay in four figures
It's Media Create chart results time in Japan, and after a debut week at number one for The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes and plenty of Nintendo platform releases close behind, the latest results show new titles on rival platforms taking over the top spots. We already highlighted that Tri Force Heroes
News Konami Already Planning Next Metal Gear Game, Presumably Without Hideo Kojima's Input
"A large-scale investment will become necessary"
The Konami drama continues. After rumours that the veteran publisher is leaving AAA development and the confusion surrounding the employment status of Hideo Kojima - its most famous staffer - Konami has recently confirmed that it is shuttering the LA-based studio responsible for Metal Gear Online,...
News Sprixie Joins the Ranks in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Bringing some magic to the court
The cast of Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash continues to grow, and Nintendo's latest reveal brings in a relatively recent creation from Super Mario 3D World. The green Sprixie from that title will make her début on the tennis courts, bringing her cutesy style to the upcoming Wii U release. The reveal trailer also shows...
News Nintendo Re-Iterates Drive to Seek Innovation for New and Existing IP
Smart devices and 3DS cited as key areas for fresh ideas
Nintendo is sometimes accused of underutilising its franchises, an area the company has been actively working to improve. Whether through new brands like Splatoon or achieving success through popularising its characters with amiibo, the big N has been taking steps to boost its branding and key...
News Dinosaurs and New Playable Characters Are Now Available for Disney Infinity 3.0
Rawr
Disney Infinity 3.0 has been out for a while now and is arguably the best version of the game, yet. Most notably adding material from the Star Wars universe, it certainly isn't lacking interesting things to do and will doubtless be a favorite Christmas game for gamers both young and old. Of course, the game is an ongoing project, with new...
The Yo-Kai basics, again
Yo-Kai Watch is just a few days away from its release in North America, as Nintendo and series developer Level 5 aim to turn it into the next major success story for the 3DS. The IP is hugely successful in Japan, but the question remains as to whether it can replicate that performance in the West. Based on the launch...
It makes sense, sort of...
Based on UK sales, at least, the revival of plastic guitar games is struggling to truly take off. Rock Band 4 has hardly flown off shelves and we're curious to see how Guitar Hero Live performs in other territories, as the Wii U iteration is somewhat tanking in the UK charts, with the PS4 and Xbox One versions doing ok. We...
Future smart device games could work with dedicated game systems
Following the recent investor briefing given by Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima, the company has now published official transcripts of its investor Q & A in which Nintendo's senior management was quizzed on key issues. Compared to some past iterations it's a rather short,...
Tuesday3rd Nov 2015
News Crazy Super Mario Maker Level Creator, Panga, Has Produced Another Insane Level
Took a combined 50 hours to upload
Super Mario Maker is a wonderful release from Nintendo, giving fans the ability to share incredibly creative levels. Some specialise in producing hugely difficult stages, perhaps none more so than 'Panga'. In case you need reminding, Panga produced the downright ridiculous P Break level, regarded by many as the...
Review Konami Krazy Racers (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Super Konami Kart
Konami Krazy Racers (AKA Konami Wai Wai Racing Advance in Japan) is a largely forgotten Mario Kart clone that was also one of the original launch games for GBA. If you can imagine Mario Kart Super Circuit with Konami-themed characters and courses, you'll be on the right track with what to expect from this decent little kart racer...
News Swapnote's Nikki is Revived as a Fan-Created Character in Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
Now known as 'Ikki' for copyright reasons, we suspect
We're still awaiting a release date for Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, the crowdfunded HD entry in the series that'll arrive either late this year or early in 2016, though WayForward is still ticking along and maintaining interest in the release. While doing so it's also fulfilling its duties to...
News Shadow Mewtwo Gets a Flashy Reveal in Official Pokkén Tournament Wii U Trailer
Confirmed for the home console port, then
Just recently a new 'dark Mewtwo' emerged as a boss character in the Pokkén Tournament arcade, which was an exciting reveal for fans of the fighting game. The Pokémon Company has now revealed the localised name for this character - it's actually Shadow Mewtwo. The trailer below ends with a stylish reveal...
Video Take a Look at This Super Mario Mod for Sonic Generations
Looks surprisingly polished
For those of you that aren't part of the PC gaming world, you may not be too familiar with mods. Basically free, fan-created DLC, mods can put an interesting spin and add significant value to the base game that they're made for. It's gotten to the extent that certain mods have become more popular than the game they've...
News New Style Boutique 2's amiibo Outfits Look Rather Fabulous
Strut your stuff
Nintendo Presents: New Style Boutique 2 - Fashion Forward may be one of the most awkward game names ever conceived of by Nintendo, but this is a title that's no doubt on a few 3DS owner's wishlists in Europe. The appeal and success of its predecessors speaks to that popularity, and the fact it's heading to the EU suggests that it's...
Review Wicked Monsters Blast! HD PLUS (Wii U eShop)
MASH, MASH, MASH, MASH, MASH…
Party-style mini-game compilations can sometimes be a treat. Many of us will have spent countless hours on games such as Nintendo Land and Mario Party, laughing uncontrollably as the same person fails over and over, or screaming hateful abuse towards those we held closest to our hearts only seconds before. These games...
Video Taking A Look At The New 3DS Retro Plate & Watch In Action
Taking retro a bit too far?
We brought you the news of the New 3DS Retro Plate & Watch way back in July, but the time has finally arrived for those preorders to be fulfilled. Naturally Nintendo Life chum Nintendaan is at hand to take the bullet and give it a try. Taking inspiration from Nintendo's classic series of Game & Watch devices, the...
News Stella Glow Now Has a Confirmed Release Date for Europe
The music starts
Stella Glow arrives in North America very soon, bringing its own unique blend of music and RPG gameplay - along with a gorgeous launch edition - to the region. Thankfully NIS America has now announced full details for the European release, with the good news being that it'll arrive as both a physical and download title. There are...
News ZombiU Servers Reanimate After Being Down for Several Months
Graffiti is back!
Though it's ancient history now by game industry standards, ZombiU is arguably one of only a few games on the Wii U to fully make usage of the GamePad, and the launch title is still a decent survival horror romp for those who might be interested. One rather neat feature of the game was a form of asymmetrical online multiplayer...
Random Looks Like Ratchet & Clank Have Been Taking Tips From The Star Fox Team
They see me rollin'
The latest Ratchet & Clank adventure is due to arrive on the PS4 next year, and despite the fact that it's not on Nintendo formats, that's still worth celebrating - it proves that there's room for cute, family-friendly action games on the next generation of consoles, amid all the brown and grey-coloured military shooters...
News Wave 2 Lego Dimensions Expansion Packs Arrive Alongside "Hire-A-Hero" Option
Doctor Who! LEGO Ninjago! The Simpsons! The LEGO Movie!
A new wave of expansion packs has been released for Lego Dimensions, along with a new feature which allows you to sample Wave 1 characters using the studs you've collected in-game. The packs include Doctor Who, LEGO Ninjago, The Simpsons and The LEGO Movie. "Hire-a-Hero" allows you to use...
News No, SNES Super FX Title Vortex Was Never A Transformers Game
Despite the rumours of the past few decades
1994's Vortex might not have been a smash-hit, but it was arguably one of the most technically impressive uses of Argonaut's Super FX chip - the hardware which made games like Star Fox and Stunt Race FX possible. Featuring a transforming craft known as the Battle Morphing System which could shift between...
Video Learn a Little About Pokémon Snap and Five 'Impossible' Pocket Monsters
From Did You Know Gaming? and our own Alex
Trivia and fictional logic are fundamental parts of the gaming landscape - it can be fascinating to learn more details on games and how they're made, while we may also fantasise over whether Bowser is really a bad guy. Either is an entertaining way to pass some time. So we thought we'd share a couple of...
Random Whoops, Toys "R" Us is Listing Star Fox Zero for November in Its Catalogue
"Jeez! Can anyone take care of it?"
Those on the Toys "R" Us mailing list in North America may be receiving its 'Book of Awesome', a catalogue with such a marketing push behind it that it even has its own commercial. As with any print run, though, it's liable to run into issues should details change late in the day; this one's unfortunately been...
News SEGA Posts Financial Results, Sales are Down and Profits are up
Live and learn
SEGA just recently revealed how the company has been doing from the period of April to September and the results are satisfactory, if rather unexceptional. Net sales hit $1.2 billion, which was a 2.5 per cent decrease from the equivalent period last year. On the flipside, the company turned a profit of $7.9 million, a solid turnaround...
News Grab Your Children's Day Pikachu Poké Plush While You Can
Won't somebody think of the children?
Pokémon fans might want to throw some money at the screen, as Pokémon Center is selling the Children's Day Pikachu Poké Plush for just $17.99 as we speak
News Make Your New Nintendo 3DS Cuter With Yoshi Cover Plates
Yoshi's so much happier when Mario isn't riding him to his doom
European New Nintendo 3DS owners may not have access to all of the cover plates that are enjoyed in Japan - known as Kisekae in the country - but attractive new variations do occasionally arrive. Some new plates featuring Yoshi are on the way soon, however, and they look like welcome...
Monday2nd Nov 2015
Video Jessica Chobot Is Samus Aran In This Lavish Fan-Made Metroid Short
In space, no one can hear you turn into a morph ball
Let's face it - Metroid would make a brilliant movie. A strong female lead, sinister alien forces and entire universe to explore; the franchise is ripe for the Hollywood treatment. Perhaps one day it will happen, but for now we'll have to take this stunning fan-made short, which stars video gaming...
Nintendo Download 5th November (Europe)
Chibi-Robo! Electronic Super Joy! Contra! Toki Tori 3D! More!
Another week begins, and Nintendo of Europe has the task of setting off some virtual fireworks in its Download Update. It does succeed in terms of delivering a first-party retail title on 3DS, while we think the download-only scene on Wii U is looking pretty encouraging this week. Throw...
News Nintendo Shares Level Out After $4 Billion Drop in Company Value
Investors vote with their wallets
Last week was a rather notable one for Nintendo and its smart device strategy. In addition to announcing financial results President Tatsumi Kimishima made a presentation to investors in which he announced that both the Nintendo Account system and first smart device app, Miitomo, would arrive in March 2016 as...
Feature Finding Top Speed in FAST Racing NEO
"It's been the biggest production for us. We're sure it'll pay off"
FAST Racing NEO, still due this year, is almost certainly among the most highly anticipated Wii U eShop releases of the next two months. In fact, among the hardier and most dedicated band of Wii U devotees it may be one of the most exciting upcoming releases on the system full stop,...
Review PictoParty (Wii U eShop)
Bad drawings are funny
Drawing with a time limit is a great recipe for laughter, especially among friends. PictoParty channels your inner terrible artist, letting you poorly draw cupcakes, skyscrapers and lamps as your friends desperately try to guess what it is you're trying to create. It's a simple party game that you may have seen before and is...
News Nintendo Is Unique, Different And Does Its Own Thing, Says Xbox Marketing Boss
"I guess we'll react to that when we know more"
Nintendo has a reputation of innovation within the games industry which runs all the way back to the '80s, when the company blazed a trail with its Game & Watch series - the first hardware to showcase the now-commonplace D-pad. Since then, we've seen the company embrace cutting-edge tech ahead of...
News Koei Tecmo is Planning Another Major Collaboration With a Western IP
Fingers crossed for Nintendo support
Koei Tecmo can certainly be considered among Nintendo's most valuable allies in Japan. It not only develops the Nintendo-owned Fatal Frame titles, but has also produced titles such as the rather popular Hyrule Warriors. That Legend of Zelda spin-off has shipped over a million copies on Wii U and is coming to the...
Video Take a Look at the Mega Man Cartoon that Never Was
Why did you change the look, Capcom?
For those of you that aren't old enough to remember, Capcom greenlit a brief Mega Man cartoon based on the classic series of games back in the mid 90's. The show was rather hit or miss, never hitting the heights of similar cartoons - like Ducktales or Darkwing Duck - and sporting a rather unattractive visual...
Review Hogan's Alley (Wii U eShop / NES)
Not exactly a bullseye
One of the earliest NES games released, Hogan's Alley is also possibly the most well-known Zapper game after the classic Duck Hunt. But does it hold up as well as its lightgun game partner? The premise of Hogan's Alley is fairly simple. You are (seemingly) some sort of police officer or soldier doing shooting practice, with...
News Word Puzzles by POWGI Will Include Support For All amiibo on 3DS
Even amiibo cards
Lightwood Games is a studio that's made its name with word games on smart devices, and has recently been releasing some of its titles on Wii U and 3DS. Word Search by POWGI has arrived on Wii U and 3DS, while Word Party is coming to Wii U soon; its next release has a fairly unique feature, though, in that it'll support all current...
News EA Will Evaluate "Any And All Opportunities" When It Comes To Nintendo And NX
"We’ve had a tremendous relationship with them over the years"
Electronic Arts is one of the industry's publishing veterans and has been known to make-or-break the fortunes of consoles in the past. The company threw its weight behind the Mega Drive / Genesis during the 16-bit era and helped Sega score a notable victory over Nintendo, but by the...
News Super Mario Maker Developers Share Details on How Costumes and Cursor Variations Came About
Evidently, Takashi Tezuka has ten cats
Super Mario Maker has been out for a couple months now and by all accounts has been a massive success. One particularly interesting feature is the ability to scan in virtually any amiibo and have the character replace Mario's sprite on certain stages. While this may not have much of an impact on gameplay, it's...
News Monster eShop Maintenance to Run Through Most of 2nd November
It's for a major server revamp, so don't get too excited
Some of you may have had some trouble accessing the eShop today, and having assumed it was the usual short weekly session we decided to wait a short while. Then we waited a little longer. In actual fact, the eShop will likely be down for most of 2nd November due to a potential 24-hour...
News The Starforce Pi Is An Arcade You Can Fit In Your Rucksack
Coming to Kickstarter this month
A new Kickstarter project is looking to resurrect classic arcade gaming in a more portable form via the power of the Raspberry Pi chipset. Starforce Pi is a tabletop gaming machine which offers a full-sized Sanwa-supplied microswitched joystick and buttons, powerful stereo sound, authentic video playback and support...
Video Just Who Exactly is Miitomo Designed for?
Miit & griit
Miitomo isn't the explosive introduction onto smart devices that many people were hoping, but many others remain vigilant that it is indeed a smart move by the big N; not least our own Thomas Whitehead who explains the strengths of the future app. In the video below we discuss with long-time Nintendo Life amigo Andy Robertson from...
News Super Mario Maker Still Leads the Way for Nintendo in the UK as Tri Force Heroes Stumbles
Happy Home Designer leads for 3DS
The UK charts aren't always a happy home for Nintendo, though can give an indication of which titles have the strongest long-term momentum on Wii U and 3DS. This week's results, then, show which titles are finding an audience and others that are having a tougher time. The first Nintendo game in the all-format top...
Video Toadette Takes to the Court in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash as Yo-Kai Watch Focuses on Weirdness
Net play won't be a strength of Toad and Toadette
It can be interesting to see how Nintendo's marketing varies across different titles, with concepts - or lack of concept as the case may be - drawn up to play to a game's strengths. On that score Nintendo's clearly got very different ideas of how to tempt players to pick up Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash...
Video Teens Discover That Finding A Weapon In GoldenEye 007 Is Harder Than You Think
"Bro, where's my gun at?"
GoldenEye 007 has been in the news lately thanks to comments from designer Martin Hollis regarding changes proposed by Shigeru Miyamoto, so this latest Teens React video is quite timely. You know the drill by now - the guys at the React YouTube channel take an old game, locate some willing teens and make them play it,...
Sunday1st Nov 2015
Feature Why We're Still Playing... Super Metroid
Mitch Vogel on why it’s just as good 20+ years later
This is a series of features that'll focus on games that we keep playing again and again, either over an unhealthy number of hours or those that keep getting return visits long after they first graced our systems. I believe that the true test of a game's value is found in how well it stands...
News Bertil Hörberg Releases Playable Game Boy ROM of Gunman Clive
You feelin' lucky, punk?
We're big fans of both Gunman Clive games, which are among the finest releases on the 3DS eShop and are also available as a collection on Wii U. Developer Bertil Hörberg has certainly demonstrated his design flair and ability to create tight platformers with some retro feel. Hörberg has taken his degree of homage to retro...
News Fire Emblem will be Getting an Art Book for its 25th Anniversary
Naturally, it's Japan only
It's hard to believe, but Fire Emblem has been a source of SRPG nirvana for almost 25 years already. Of course this statement is kind of cheating, as Nintendo didn't opt to bring the series West until a little over ten years ago, but at least Japan got to enjoy it for all that time. When it comes to Fire Emblem, it seems...
News The Falco amiibo is Now Available for Pre-Order from the Nintendo UK Store
Personally, I prefer home delivery
The next instalment of Nintendo's NFC figures is on the way, and you can now pre-order the Falco amiibo from Nintendo UK ahead of its launch date of November 20th in the region; this joins similar pre-orders around the world for the popular Star Fox character. The amiibo costs £10.99 in this listing (as always)...
