News Playtonic's Project Ukulele Becomes Yooka-Laylee, Wii U Release Confirmed
Meet the stars of the spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie
Preview Unraveling the Truth in Yoshi's Woolly World
Baby Mario cheerfully absent
Nintendo Download 30th April (North America)
Paper Mario, amiibo tapping, mech blasting, pinball DLC and more
Nintendo Download 30th April (Europe)
Smash Bros. DLC, Sin & Punishment 2, amiibo freebies and much more
News Mario Kart 8's 200cc Mode Has Apparently Negated Firehopping
"It's a legitimate strategy!"
Poll Is It Time For a Fresh Alternative to the Virtual Console?
Bundles, remixes, subscription services - what's next?
News - 2015, Week 18
Sunday3rd May 2015
Talking Point Nintendo's Legacy Makes The Virtual Console Essential, But It Must Modernise
Idealism should make way for realism
Technologically, the world is busier and noisier than it's ever been before. So many gadgets and screens demand our time and loyalty, from smart TVs with hundreds of channels and streaming apps, to smartphones and tablets and, of course, game systems. Those with a decent amount of spare cash that are anxious to...
Video Did You Know Gaming? Tackles Metroid Prime, Dread and a Cancelled 3DS Entry
Please come back, Samus
When it comes to fan-favourite franchises due an announcement and comeback, we'd think that Metroid is relatively high on the wishlists of many. In the GameCube and Wii era the IP had four releases, with the Metroid Prime Trilogy from Retro Studios being the obvious stand-out. While we wait to see what's next for the series...
Saturday2nd May 2015
Poll Is It Time For a Fresh Alternative to the Virtual Console?
Bundles, remixes, subscription services - what's next?
When the Wii launched it had plenty of exciting ideas that contributed to its extraordinary success. One service that appealed to older gamers and / or dedicated fans was the Virtual Console - while relatively niche services had offered older games for download in the past, this was a game...
News Yooka-Laylee Double-Jumps Through Final Kickstarter Stretch Goal In Less Than 24 Hours
£1 million in the bag, day one Wii U release assured
Update: Playtonic Games has now announced two new stretch goals on its campaign page. £1.1 million will bring an N64 'shader mode' plus a DK rap + video in the credits, while £1.2 million will add a developer walkthrough and commentary video. At current momentum these will likely be passed in...
News Atlus Confirms Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains Release Date
Swinging into action
Attack on Titan has taken the world by storm; with a popular manga and anime series, the property has seen a lot of success. After a long wait the 3DS game, Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains is finally leaving Japan and allowing the rest of the world to join the ranks of the Scout Regiment. The Atlus published game,...
News SEGA and M2 Are Happy to Continue 3D Classics "Indefinitely if Sales Are Good"
No current plans beyond upcoming line-up, however
It's no secret that we're big fans of the SEGA 3D re-releases on the 3DS eShop, in which a range of classics from the Mega Drive and arcade era are reproduced in a brilliant fashion; the development work is done by the porting masters at M2, of course. The series has had a good run, with a number of...
Friday1st May 2015
First Impressions Hands On With Playtonic's Yooka-Laylee
Damien and Thomas share their initial impressions
The cat - or should that be chameleon - is out of the bag. Fledgling UK studio Playtonic Games has lifted the lid on the stars of its début title - Yooka and Laylee - and has sent Rare-loving Nintendo fans into a frenzy of anticipation by confirming that the game will be coming to the Wii U eShop...
Exclusive Behind The Scenes On Playtonic's Yooka-Laylee
Meeting with a Rare breed of developers
They say that the apple never falls far from the tree, and that's certainly true of UK startup Playtonic Games. Based on an industrial estate in the middle of the rolling English countryside, this team of former Rare developers is but a stone's throw away from the historic town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, where Rare...
News Yooka-Laylee Kickstarter Campaign Smashes Its Funding Goal In Less Than An Hour
Thousands of backers jump in for spiritual Banjo-Kazooie Successor
Playtonic Games, a new studio comprised of ex-Rare developers, has been generating a lot of hype for its first project. We know from speaking to the studio, however, that it'll be absolutely stunned by the reaction to the Kickstarter campaign for its first game - Yooka-Laylee. After...
First Impressions Tapping In With amiibo Tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits
amii-boo
There's a decent indication that amiibo Tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits (known as amiibo Touch & Play: Nintendo Classics Highlights in Europe) is considered a fairly valuable release - internally - by Nintendo. When highlighting the role of amiibo in an investor's briefing at the start of the year Satoru Iwata referenced the project by...
Nintendo Life Weekly 1st May 2015
Your weekly gullet-full
We all have busy lives, and often it can be very difficult to keep up with everything that's happened in the world of Nintendo without totally sacrificing our social lives. Introducing Nintendo Life Weekly, a new series of videos that aim to condense all the news, releases, and reviews of the previous week. The video has...
News Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate's May DLC Brings Metroid, Mega Man and Street Fighter Madness
The unlocks seem relatively sane, too
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is a massive game, and Capcom also throws in free monthly DLC to keep us busy. Though we've occasionally complained about the sometimes outrageous difficulty of some of the quest unlocks, it certainly gives us all plenty to aim for with cross-over outfits and awesome weapons. The May...
News More Disney Infinity 3.0 Leaks Emerge With Starter Pack Line-Up
Don't click on this if you don't want spoilers
Disney Infinity 3.0 will be a major challenger in the toys-to-life space later this year, going up against the next Skylanders (we assume) and LEGO Dimensions, while Nintendo will likely continue its own model with yet more amiibo functionality. When it comes to buying plastic toys that double as DLC...
Weirdness Watch This Awesome Dad Recreate Super Smash Bros. Taunts
Smash Dad DLC on the way?
We know what you're all thinking - "Man, I wish my Dad would stop recreating the taunts of my favourite Smash Bros. characters, it's getting a bit stale now..." Err...no? Well, there's at least one crazy parent out there who's been absolutely nailing the performance, and it makes for a hilarious start to the weekend. Yes,...
Video Digital Foundry Puts the Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 Performance to the Test
Spoiler - it's impressive
The Digital Foundry team makes its living by delving into the minutiae of detail over a game's performance, looking at visual effects, resolution and frame rate among other factors. It did just that for Mario Kart 8 last year when it launched, and was full of praise for Nintendo's racer. In addition to being an attractive...
News Less Than A Day Old And Yooka-Laylee Already Has Lots of Awesome Fan-Art
Now that's a Rare sight
It's been less than a day now since Playtonic Games lifted the lid on its upcoming game, Yooka-Laylee, and already the Internet has gone fan-art crazy. This is all before the Kickstarter campaign has even gone live, too, emphasizing the hype around this project. We've picked out some early winners in the fan-art stakes for...
Would also love to see Shovel Knight added to the Super Smash Bros. roster
Yacht Club Games’ side-scrolling platform title, Shovel Knight, was a huge success on launch, receiving critical praise and scooping up several game awards soon after. Since its initial release on the Wii U, 3DS and PC in June last year, the independent developer has been...
News Rynn’s Adventure: Trouble in the Enchanted Forest Arrives On The Wii U And 3DS eShops This Fall
Defeat an army of reptiles as a fearless fox
Yet another indie title will arrive on the Wii U and 3DS eShops soon, with developer Arcane Four Studios announcing their side-scrolling 2D platform game, Rynn’s Adventure: Trouble in the Enchanted Forest, will be released this fall. Players take control of a fox named Rynn as they attempt to take back...
News Here's How the Combat System Will Work in Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker
Kinda like a weird cross of Fire Emblem and Pokémon
The release of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker draws ever closer and the game looks more exciting with each passing week. If you haven't noticed, Atlus has been drip feeding us videos over the past few weeks, with each one showcasing a different aspect of gameplay. We've...
News Classic Arcade Shooter Ultratron Is Inserting Credits On May 14th
Twin-stick Robotron homage launching on the Wii U eShop soon
Curve Digital has confirmed that Puppygames's Ultratron is launching on the Wii U eShop on May 14th. A loving tribute to arcade shooters like Robotron and Smash TV, Ultratron is a twin-stick blaster with a retro-futuristic soundtrack and "slick, stylised graphics." It even has a filter...
Video Reminisce and Watch the History of Super Mario Intro Scenes
From 8-bit to HD
The Super Mario franchise isn't renowned for its complex storytelling; in fact the old joke goes that when reviewing one of the plumber's platformers you can cover off the plot in one line - "it doesn't really matter". Be that as it may, the opening scene of a new Mario game can, nevertheless, set the tone for the platforming...
News How Some Of Rare's Leading Lights Traded Platforming For Pensions
Preciousbluedot is using game design to change the world of finance
Just in case the news relating to Playtonic's début didn't get the Rare fans among you excited enough, we've got a little update on what another group of famous ex-Rare developers have been up to since leaving the legendary UK studio - and it's probably not what you were expecting...
Initial screenshot posting "never was planned"
Miiverse has had its share of community controversies, typically when users have been restricted from posting content they want to share. Comic Workshop fell victim to this problem when screenshot sharing was rapidly removed from the community, frustrating those that wanted a quick and easy way to share...
News Elliot Quest Patch Fixes Bugs and Graveyard Glitch
Version 1.2.2, for the record
Elliot Quest is an indie RPG on the Wii U that was heavily pushed by Nintendo ahead of release, which is hardly surprising due to its retro-style visuals and design. It's also a solid advertisement for the occasionally maligned Nintendo Web Framework, too. At launch it did have some shortcomings, though to the credit...
Parent Trap Why Affordable Multiplayer Adventures Matter
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson tackles a space odyssey with his kids
Players in young families are all different, but they are also all in the same place. That's why local multiplayer games with different roles of varying difficulty work so well. However, get the balance wrong and young players will soon los
News Quadcopter Pilot Challenge Aims to Take Flight on the Wii U eShop
Uses the GamePad for a separate camera
The Wii U eShop continues to attract fresh developers, some with ambitious ideas, and TACS Games appears to be in this category with Quadcopter Pilot Challenge. Based on the small toy craft of that name, this title appears to aim for a blend of Pilotwings-style challenges and ambitious use of the GamePad...
Thursday30th Apr 2015
News Playtonic's Project Ukulele Becomes Yooka-Laylee, Wii U Release Confirmed
Meet the stars of the spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie
Playtonic Games has finally lifted the lid on its new game, revealing its final title: Yooka-Laylee. Previously referred to as Project Ukulele, the game is being pitched as the spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie and even shares the same dual-character set-up. Yooka is a chameleon who can...
Nintendo Download 30th April (North America)
Paper Mario, amiibo tapping, mech blasting, pinball DLC and more
It's that time again, North American gamers, for details on the fresh download treats making their way to the eShop. This week brings an amiibo freebie, a Nintendo 64 classic, DLC, demos, discounts and more besides. It's certainly a diverse and quirky line-up this time around, so let's...
Review Karous -The Beast of Re:Eden- (3DS eShop)
Not exactly the beast
The "shmup" genre is relatively niche but is also, among its devoted fans, one of the great pleasures in gaming. It's a difficult genre to create games for, however, as the nature of the gameplay is rather limited and simple, with innovations being hard to come by. After all, there's only so many ways one can pull off...
News Fire Emblem If Box Art Confirms amiibo Support and 15 Years and Up Age Rating
Now we just need to find Fire Emblem amiibo in stock...
Fire Emblem If is already shaping up to be one of the most intriguing entries in the popular series to date. Though it's not due in the West until 2016, it's raising eyebrows with its approach to two separate retail releases + DLC for its Summer release in Japan, which will be combined through...
News This GameStop Advert May Have Revealed Next Month’s Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate DLC
No pun intended
Capcom’s strong support for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on the 3DS continues with both new and free DLC arriving on a monthly basis. So far this content has included new quests, items, and even well-known video game character collaborations. With new DLC content anticipated to arrive over the coming days, this week’s GameStop...
News Xenoblade Chronicles X Skell Models on the Way in Japan
The big marketing push continues
The RPG genre may not be quite as all-conquering as it once was, but Nintendo and developer Monolith Soft are clearly very determined to make a success out of Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U. We've seen a solid couple of months of build-up through 'special presentations' in flashy videos, while a handsome hardware...
Weirdness eBay Listings for the Club Nintendo Majora's Mask Light Set a High Price
Nintendo should really sell more of this stuff
In this latest entry of 'the internet does the strangest things', we have the entrepreneurial activities around the Club Nintendo Majora's Mask Light, pictured above. Listed earlier today on Club Nintendo in PAL territories, the cool but rather modest light - measuring just 12cm by 12cm - is already...
Video Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Skies Shines On Wii U
A pleasurable experience
For the latest Wii release to get another chance on the Wii U eShop, Nintendo has given us something a little different in Treasure's Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Skies, or Star Successor as it's known in North America. A sequel to an N64 game that never even made it out of Japan (until a Virtual Console release on...
News PAL Gamers Can Brighten Their Day With This Club Nintendo Majora's Mask Light
Not a terrible fate at all
We're well into the final stretch of Club Nintendo's existence, putting the pressure on us all to spend our last coins and stars before the service shuts down for good. Nintendo of Europe has been gradually adding new items to tempt us in that quest, and the latest addition is one of the best yet. As you can see in the...
News Nintendo Celebrates Japanese Launch Of Fire Emblem If With Themed Cover Plate & Bundle
Another week, another cover plate
Since the launch of the New Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo has allowed users to accessorise their system with a wide selection of cover plate offerings. This trend won’t be stopping any time soon, with the latest cover plate reveal celebrating the upcoming Japanese launch of Fire Emblem If. The special Fire Emblem If...
News Nintendo Classics in the Running for Inaugural World Video Game Hall of Fame Honour
Just don't let Angry Birds win
While any award or honour can be taken completely seriously or dismissed as a trinket, it's nevertheless pleasing when Nintendo's in the running. The latest gong up for grabs is from The Strong National Museum of Play in the US, which is opening its World Video Game Hall of Fame with the first entrant this year. As...
Nintendo Direct A Special Splatoon Direct is Inked In for 7th May
Expect a splattering of details
Nintendo is clearly keen to keep up its run of Nintendo Direct broadcasts for major releases, confirming a Splatoon Direct that'll be broadcast on 7th May - it's going down at 7am Pacific / 10am Eastern / 3pm UK / 4pm CET. This has been confirmed by both Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe, suggesting that...
News Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies Art Book Taking the Stand
AKA The Big Book of Courtroom Breakdowns
So sure, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies never came out in a physical form for most of us, and that might still sting a bit. For those still yearning to feel justice in their hands, however, a different sort of medium has arisen. Capcom's courtroom style will be set to page this coming 9 June...
News Ubisoft Releases "Child of Light: Reginald the Great" Art eBook for Free
Another charming piece of lore
There are some that take enjoyment from being rather anti-Ubisoft, but the publishing and development giant undoubtedly produces some exceptional work. Child of Light, released last year on the Wii U eShop and a host of platforms, was one such example. Utilising the gorgeous UbiArt engine it brought us a charming new...
News Comic Workshop Update on the Way to "Mark the Comeback of Screenshot Posts to Miiverse"
Stan Lee will be thrilled
While Miiverse is certainly popular with a number of Wii U and 3DS owners, it's had some moments of controversy. Many of these relate to the availability and then removal of screenshot functionality, often as a result of Nintendo trying to moderate inappropriate content. Comic Workshop fell victim to controversy on this...
News Nintendo Confirmed as Exhibitors at Legends of Gaming YouTube Extravaganza in London
Mario Kart 8 looks like a key event
It's not uncommon to attend an expo nowadays, see a particularly long queue and accurately assume that those fans are in line to see a YouTube star. Some online celebs have millions of subscribers and over a billion views to their name, making them a big draw for the crowds at events. Legends of Gaming is an expo...
News Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold Limited Edition shows its Artistic side
Everything you'll need on your adventure
As the road to launch grows shorter for Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight, Atlus has released more information and insight into the game's limited edition. Known simply as the limited launch edition, the main attraction comes in the form of the Official Staff Book. This art book includes concept...
Wednesday29th Apr 2015
Review LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin (3DS)
Left in the dark
At this point, "Oh, look! Another LEGO game!" is a phrase that can only be said with genuine excitement or seething, bitter sarcasm. Regular releases in the LEGO series of video games have become such a constant in the industry that these action-adventure titles are on the verge of becoming a genre of their own. Not to leave the...
News The Legend of Zeldo: Lonk's Awakening is an iOS Flappy Bird Clone, and an Abomination
Takedown from Nintendo in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
This year Nintendo - in its partnership with DeNA - will be endeavouring to make its brands a major success on iOS and Android with its own official games and apps. It'll discover, if it hasn't done so already, that the platforms are already flooded with its IP - or lousy versions of them, in any case. An...
Talking Point Mario Maker Can Be A Game Changer For Nintendo And Its Relationship With Gamers
A future with NES Maker and more could be extraordinary
Sometimes a game has the power to seize the imagination from the moment it's revealed, with a self-hyping capacity to get thousands of gamers excited from little more than a glimpse. Others can be a slow burner or need the right moment to set off alarms in an individual's head. This writer will...
News Fire Emblem's Two Versions Will Offer Very Different Challenges
More difficult "Black Kingdom" edition aimed at veterans of the series
The next entry in the Fire Emblem series - dubbed Fire Emblem If in Japan - is coming in two different packages: White Kingdom and Black Kingdom. While it's tempting to assume that these two versions boast only subtle differences, Intelligent Systems' Masahiro Higuchi and...
News Just When You Thought the Humble Wii Was Dead, Here Comes PSA World Tour Squash
Late to the Wii party?
Given that the Wii U first went on sale in November 2012, you might have assumed by now that publishers would have all stopped developing Wii games and moved on to take advantage of the power of the newer system. Alternative Software doesn't seem to have got the memo and is releasing PSA World Tour Squash on the Wii on the...
Weirdness You Can Now Browse Zelda: Link To The Past's Map Using Your Web Browser
Turn-by-turn Navi-gation not included
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past features one of the most vibrant game worlds ever created for any video game, and now you can gaze longingly at it using your humble HTML5 web browser. The peeps at Jadsdsengine have created a living, breathing replication of the game's overworld which can be viewed via...
News World of Nintendo 8-Bit Plushes Available from July
PIxelated Plush Pals
We adore plushes here at Nintendo Life, especially when they're as awesome as these. This trio of retro-inspired plush toys, made by Jakks Pacific and for the World of Nintendo line of toys recreate Mario, Luigi and Link in their iconic 8-Bit NES appearances - only softer! Nintendo has, in the past, offered the plush 8-Bit...
News Bravely Second: End Layer Passes 100,000 Sales in Its Launch Week in Japan
Wii U has a small boost as 3DS remains static
There's some cheer for Square Enix and 3DS fans in the latest Media Create charts from Japan, with a fresh release sealing top-spot and six-figure sales. Despite that, there's still an overwhelming volume of new releases on Sony systems hogging the top 10. It's Bravely Second: End Layer that claims top...
News Listings and Rumours Point to a Silver Mario amiibo Release on 29th May
In North America once again
It's pretty clear that the limited silver edition Super Mario amiibo is very real, with a sample bought from a Chinese auction site having been demonstrated in Mario Party 10. Its original leak was alongside the golden Mario that caused amiibo collectors to sweat over their complete collections, and this silver variation...
Video Even The Credits Sequence For 3D Streets Of Rage 2 Is Awesome
M2 magic
Yesterday we gave you some initial impressions of 3D Streets of Rage 2, the latest entry in Sega's 3D Classics series, which has just been released in Japan. Everything about the game drips class; it's already a wonderful brawler, but developer M2 has added in even more goodness, such as a special "Quartet" mode, various screen filters and...
News Science Museum in Tokyo Aiming for Super Effective Education With The Pokémon Lab
Disclaimer may clarify that no real Pokémon are featured
Here's another event to file under the "wish I was in Japan" category, as Pokémon fans within travelling distance of Tokyo could potentially learn a little about science and also have fun with one of their favourite franchises. From 8th May onwards, The Pokémon Lab exhibit at the Miraikan...
News Pawbyte Launches Game Pencil Engine to Support Wii U Development
Suitable for the Nintendo Web Framework
Since Nintendo introduced the Nintendo Web Framework on the Wii U, there's been a substantial expansion of HTML5-based projects on the system's eShop. Easier to learn and implement than alternatives, multiple software suites are available to help developers program and port their games to Nintendo's home...
News WayForward is Flipping the Tables With a Mighty Switch Force! 3DS HOME Theme
This week in North America, soon in Europe
WayForward has stepped into the 3DS HOME Theme business of late, releasing Premium themes for Shantae and the Pirate's Curse. They were charming, and the developer / publisher is now bringing another of its popular titles to our 3DS UI screens with an upcoming arrival for Mighty Switch Force!. As you can...
A special long weekend event
Australian and New Zealand Pokémon fans are in for a treat from 6th – 8th June, with Nintendo announcing the 2015 Pokémon Video Game and Pokémon Trading Card Game National Championships will be coming together for the first time at the Melbourne Park Function Centre over a three-day long weekend event. As players...
And more besides...
The current Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses - Master Quest tour is well underway, and those attending concerts in North America will soon have the opportunity to pick up some classic Zelda manga and graphic novels while enjoying the music. VIZ Media is kicking off a partnership with the tour to sell its range of...
Tuesday28th Apr 2015
News Mario Kart 8's 200cc Mode Has Apparently Negated Firehopping
"It's a legitimate strategy!"
Look at any popular, competitive video game and it's practically guaranteed that there will be a particular exploit that advanced players use to gain the edge over their opponents. Whether these exploits are "cheating" or not is very much debatable; it can certainly be argued that a glitch already in the game could just...
News Xenoblade Chronicles X Paid-DLC Details Emerge With Characters, Quests and Skell Unlocks
All available in a bundle for 2000 Yen, about $17
Xenoblade Chronicles X is downloading onto some Japanese Wii U systems right now, and new details on paid-DLC options have accompanied the launch. On a whole the content on offer seems to be a decent value, though day one extras aren't always greeted with open arms. The four characters above each...
Gallery Feast Your Eyeballs on These Xenoblade Chronicles X Wallpapers
Time to buy a Japanese Wii U?
We'll admit it, we like covering Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U, even if it means gazing longingly towards Japan and contemplating rapid-fire lessons in the Japanese language. Monolith Soft's RPG is rather impressive in its scope and ambition, and we can't help but admire it. With that in mind, and with the game...
Weirdness Care for Your Own Virtual King Dedede
And pick up his royal poops
Remember Tamagotchi, the virtual pet on a keychain you could take care of until it died either through neglect or being sent through the wash? Artist Paperbeatsscissors has brought back all the fun in browser-based form, and with everybody's favourite stretchy, penguinny dictator! It's enough to fill that King Dedede...
Matters Of Import Cleaning Up The City In 3D Streets Of Rage 2
Bare those knuckles
Streets of Rage 2 - or Bare Knuckle 2 as it is known in Japan - is widely regarded as one of the best side-scrolling fighters ever created, so the fact that its announcement as part of Sega's burgeoning 3D Classics range caused such excitement should come as no great shock. This is one of the defining games of the 16-bit era, and...
News Mighty No. 9 Confirmed for September Release, Along With Physical Retail Version
Deep Silver publishing, 3DS release due "at a later point"
Mighty No. 9, the upcoming title from Keiji Inafune's Comcept studio that has Mega Man fans rather excited, finally has release dates. As many have guessed it won't arrive this Spring, but is hitting the Wii U in North America on 15th September and other territories on 18th September. In...
Poll With Races Won and Cups Collected, How Do You Rate Mario Kart 8's DLC Pack 2?
And 200cc, for that matter
It's clear that Nintendo's approach to DLC has moved on a great deal when extras begin to take on the status of a brand new release. With April being generally low on enticing new releases, the big N successfully got plenty of current Wii U and 3DS gamers excited with DLC for existing evergreen blockbusters. In the case of...
News Xenoblade Chronicles X Development Details Emerge in Iwata Asks Interview
Going into detail on the huge adventure that awaits
Xenoblade Chronicles X is about to arrive in Japan, bringing an end to a huge development undertaking for Monolith Soft. While Wii U owners in the West need to wait until later in the year, the build up to release in Japan has brought plenty of fascinating details, also boosted by a recent
News Konami Removes Its Listing from the New York Stock Exchange
Will raise eyebrows, but doesn't mean imminent doom
Some of the Nintendo Life team on the wrong side of 30-years-old recall the days when Konami was a true powerhouse brand in gaming. The Castlevania franchise was hugely popular, Pro Evolution Soccer was the mainstream choice ahead of EA's FIFA - really, that was a thing - and Hideo Kojima could get...
News Renegade Kid Twice Pitched Silent Hill DS Projects to Konami
Was quickly and then politely rebuffed
Renegade Kid is best known to most Nintendo fans - we suspect - as an indie download developer, in particular stepping up a notch in popularity with Mutant Mudds on the 3DS eShop. In the DS era, though, the studio released a variety of respected retail efforts, very much part of the mid-tier market subsequently...
News Nintendo of America Aims to Cause a Splash for Splatoon With a 'Mess Fest' Event
Celebs, PR photos, you know the drill
It seems as if Nintendo of America is determined to give Splatoon a strong chance of achieving mainstream success for the Wii U, announcing an event designed to get the attention of young gamers and families, in particular. A 'Mess Fest' event will take place on 15th May at Santa Monica Pier, from 11am to 7pm...
News Image & Form Answers Questions on SteamWorld Heist Platform Features, Multiplayer and amiibo
Announces the first 'Ambassador' contest winner, too
SteamWorld Heist is certainly one of the highest-profile download-only releases heading to the Wii U and 3DS this year, and ahead of a Fall release window Image & Form is keeping fans informed with weekly updates and contests. Last week the studio launched its first SteamWorld Ambassador...
Weirdness ESPN's Michelle Beadle Gets Punch-Out!! Training
Let's keep it clean! Now come out boxing!
Unless you've been living under a rock, you are probably aware that Floyd Mayweather will be fighting Manny Pacquiao this Saturday in Las Vegas. The excitement in the air is palpable as the unbeaten 38 year old American Mayweather gets training like Rocky to take on The Filipino Slugger, in a bout expected...
Monday27th Apr 2015
Preview Unraveling the Truth in Yoshi's Woolly World
Baby Mario cheerfully absent
For many years now fans of games in the Yoshi series have been clamouring for a successor to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, yet the games Nintendo has presented us with so far haven't quite hit the mark. Yoshi's Story ditched the somewhat irritating Baby Mario mechanic much to the delight of many, but overhauled...
Nintendo Download 30th April (Europe)
Smash Bros. DLC, Sin & Punishment 2, amiibo freebies and much more
It's the start of another week, and as always we have the European Nintendo Download Update to warm us up to the goodies on the way. This time around we have a popular Smash Bros. fighter available to buy, a free app of amiibo-powered retro demos, along with an excellent new Wii...
Video The Nintendo 64 Kid Is Taking Unboxing To The Next Level For Taco Bell
"Nintendo Sixty-Foooooooooour!"
Remember Brandon Kuzma, AKA The Nintendo 64 kid? He got rather excited about his shiny new Nintendo 64 console back in 1998, and when YouTube arrived a few years later, became something of a celebrity. He's now harnessing that power by starring in a commercial for Taco Bell's Steak DoubleDilla. His sister Rachel is...
Weirdness Shigeru Miyamoto Takes on a Shinya Arino Level in Mario Maker, and It's Awesome
We'd give this level a Yeah
Game Center CX is rather iconic - popular in Japan and with a small legion of fans in the West, its host Shinya Arino is also particularly well known. Naturally Nintendo features regularly, and Arino-san recently took part in a special NicoNico fan event in which Shigeru Miyamoto appeared to show off September's Wii U...
News Here's The First Round Of Songs Confirmed For Guitar Hero Live
The perfect note?
Since the announcement of Guitar Hero Live, Activision has been trying hard to get its fans pumped for this new release - which is coming to the Wii U as well as other systems. Despite this, one piece of information has divided them more than others. Catching the most heat is the announcement that old controllers and DLC will be...
Feature A Day With The Biggest StreetPass Group in the US
Hits, games and cake in San Diego
In this special feature Nintendo Life contributor Alan Lopez shares his experience of a day with the San Diego StreetPass group. What do you get when you Google "StreetPass groups"? If you're searching in the land of Nintendo of America, Facebook pages for "StreetPass Chicago", "StreetPass NYC" and other cities...
Video Gawk at Streets of Rage 2 in 3D on Your New Nintendo 3DS
Grand Upper!
We may be waiting until the Summer for the next batch of 3D Classics from Sega in the West, but Japanese gamers can look forward to 3D Streets of Rage 2 this week, on 28th April; yes, we're jealous. The good news is that Sega's official YouTube channel has served up a taster of how the brilliant fighting game will look on Nintendo's...
News Say Hello To Star Fox's NES-Based Forerunner, NesGlider
The prototype which started a profitable friendship
Star Fox is one of the most technically impressive games on the SNES, and was a collaboration between Nintendo and UK-based Argonaut Software. We've covered the making of the game in the past, but Unseen64 has an excelle
Too many energy drinks for you, Link
When developing a sizeable adventure for hardware as humble as the Game Boy, coding trickery and compromises are inevitable. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX on the Game Boy Color - and the non-DX original - naturally falls into that category; it's a lovely game, and also has some rather entertaining...
News Pokémon Shuffle Celebrates 3.5 Million Downloads With Special Celebi Challenge
Runs until May 18th
Nintendo's free-to-play puzzle title Pokémon Shuffle has now been downloaded over 3.5 million times. To mark this occasion, Nintendo has opened a special Celebi challenge, which runs from today until May 18th. Successfully completing the challenge earns you 1000 coins, and as you might expect, you'll need to be running the...
Review My Style Studio: Notebook (Wii U eShop)
Out of style
Theoretically, the Wii U is a great platform for art applications and software. Art Academy: Sketchpad and its dedicated Miiverse community have created some wonderful works of art using the GamePad, with many wondering where the heavily delayed full Art Academy application is. Cypronia's My Style Studio: Notebook might be a tempting...
Over 100 missions and customisable ships
CIRCLE Entertainment remains one of the most active publishers on the 3DS eShop, often localising some promising games from Japan for Western audiences; it appears to be doing that once again with the conceptually enticing Karous -The Beast of Re:Eden-. Originally developed by Sakura Flamingo Laboratory,...
Most Read
News Playtonic's Project Ukulele Becomes Yooka-Laylee, Wii U Release Confirmed
News Mario Kart 8's 200cc Mode Has Apparently Negated Firehopping
Poll Is It Time For a Fresh Alternative to the Virtual Console?
Talking Point Nintendo's Legacy Makes The Virtual Console Essential, But It Must Moder...
News Xenoblade Chronicles X Paid-DLC Details Emerge With Characters, Quests a...





























































































