Review Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (3DS)
Home is where the art is
News Nintendo Hammers Out A New Update For Super Mario Maker
Version 1.10 is now live
News - 2015, Week 39
Sunday27th Sep 2015
Rumour Retailer-Exclusive amiibo Look Set for Roll Out At Rival Stores in North America
Timed exclusives only?
In Europe most amiibo, if not quite all, have been released by any retailer that's wanted to stock the figure. It's been a rather different tale in North America, with major players Toys "R" Us, GameStop, Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon all having exclusives at some point over the past 10 months. In some cases, however, these may...
News HyperPlay RPG Is A Glorious Throwback To The Pre-Internet Days Of Homemade Fanzines
We go hands-on with issue zero
If you're old enough to remember the days before the internet took over everything then you may recall the vibrant and active video game fanzine community. Before the web arrived the only way for non-professional writers to get their words in front of others was by making black-and-white photocopied magazines and...
Spoilers... obviously
Speedrunning remains as one of the most fun yet niche areas of gaming, with highly skilled enthusiasts achieving amazing things in classic titles, mostly of the retro variety. They can be great to watch, though it's also pleasing to be shown how it works on occasion, too. The hugely popular A+Start channel has been running a...
Weirdness Mario Kart 8's Yoshi Bike Found In Japan
Well, kind of...
Those familiar with the latest instalment in the Mario Kart series will know that one of the available vehicles is the 'Yoshi Bike' - a motorbike shaped as Mario's long-time dino companion, obviously. As cool as it looks in the game (if that's the kind of thing that floats your boat), it looks even better in real-life. Twitter user...
Hands On Reaching the Depths of Space in SteamWorld Heist
We dive into an extended play session with the 3DS title
SteamWorld Heist is certainly one of the most anticipated releases heading to the 3DS eShop this year, coming to the portable first ahead of a slew of HD iterations. The success of SteamWorld Dig on the portable was an integral part of Image & Form's recent momentum, with numerous ports...
Saturday26th Sep 2015
Reminder There's Only One More Week Left To Vote In The Super Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot
Who's it gonna be?!
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U & 3DS has been a game that's kept on giving, with its consistent DLC of new characters, stages and Mii Fighter costumes. However, on April 1st 2015, Nintendo went one step further and announced the Super Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot in one of its Directs - a voting system where players can submit...
News Chromophore: The Two Brothers is Still Heading to Wii U, Developer Explains Delay
There's an updated release window
Chromophore: The Two Brothers has always seemed like a title destined to hit it off with a Nintendo audience; it's an action adventure with Game Boy-style visuals and a heavy Link's Awakening vibe, which naturally attracted a lot of attention in the past. Its planned arrival on Wii U hasn't come around, however,...
Friday25th Sep 2015
News Retailers In North America Merge Wii U & 3DS Library Under One Nintendo Banner
Here we go!
With rumours about Nintendo’s next big move already running rife, this latest morsel of information will no doubt add some extra fuel to the fire. Across the US, eagle-eyed individuals have spotted a rather interesting change at local retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, noting the Wii U & 3DS game library sections have been...
News Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Tops Japanese Charts as Wii U Beats PS4
Super Mario Maker claims second place
The Media Create Japanese chart results have been later than normal this week, but the eventual outcome certainly has some positives for Nintendo. For starters, Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon has claimed top spot in its début week, with the 3DS title sneaking past 150,000 sales. Super Mario Maker claims second...
News Analysts Wonder If Super Mario Can Save Nintendo
"I do think that Super Mario will be a driver for mobile revenue"
American business publication Fortune has recently asked the big question 'Can Super Mario save Nintendo from itself?' and to answer that question has consulted the wisdom of several analysts including Nintendo Life reader favourite Michael Pachter. With Super Mario Maker seemingly...
News FAST Racing NEO's F-Zero-Like Hero Mode is For The "Hardcore Science-Fiction Racing Fans"
An unlockable for those up to the challenge
Fast Racing NEO is one of the hottest titles in the Wii U 'Nindies' section at EGX, which is currently taking place at the NEC in Birmingham in the UK. It's the largest expo of its kind in the country, and the Shin'en Multimedia title is getting plenty of attention. We've spent plenty of time with Martin...
News Video Game Voice Actors Contemplate Strike Action Over Pay and Conditions
Wil Wheaton explains reasoning
Voice acting in video games is perhaps taken for granted and overlooked, more-so than in a movie or theatre production. Multi-voiced talents such as Troy Baker may adopt a variety of sounds and approaches depending on the character, and Charles Martinet adopts an unnatural voice for Nintendo's own Mario, Wario and...
News Here Is Nintendo’s Exciting Line-Up Of Games For Australia’s 2015 EB Expo
A chance to play unreleased Wii U & 3DS games
Nintendo Australia has confirmed it will feature its usual booth at this year’s EB Games Expo. Those attending the event at the Sydney Showgrounds between October 2-4 will be able to go hands on with many unreleased Wii U & 3DS titles including Star Fox Zero, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Project Zero:...
Thursday24th Sep 2015
Review Disney Infinity 3.0 (Wii U)
The Force is with it
This year's Disney Infinity game has a trump card in play, Star Wars. This, along with some triple-A development assistance from the likes of Studio Gobo, Ninja Theory and Sumo Digital adds up to an impressive overall pedigree. The game itself comes in the now-standard Starter Pack, although this year if you already have a...
News Nintendo Hammers Out A New Update For Super Mario Maker
Version 1.10 is now live
It's only been a few weeks since Wii U owners got their hands on the brilliant Super Mario Maker, and already Nintendo is showing strong support for the title via a series of updates. The first was delivered on release to speed up the arrival time of in-game unlocks, and now a second patch has been issued under the veil of...
Weirdness Bowser Bummed by Skylanders amiibo Tie-in
GAME store has a cheeky time of it
Anatomically, Bowser's nose can be considered to have two primary purposes. First, it provides something to breathe through when he has a mouth full of hot, fiery death to spit. Second, its presence keeps him from looking like a total goober. Case in point, one GAME store seems to have come across a Hammer Slam...
Nintendo Download 24th September (North America)
Animal Crossing! Extreme Exorcism! Nova-111! Beatbuddy! More!
It's that time again as details are confirmed for the Nintendo Download Update in North America. This week brings some highly promising and anticipated releases on the Wii U eShop, with plenty of Nindies pitching in with their latest efforts. In addition the 3DS has a big-name release at...
News Angry Sun Game Files Reportedly Uncovered In Super Mario Maker
Future DLC or simply unused assets?
A well-known Splatoon data miner under the Twitter handle NWPlayer123 has reportedly made an exciting discovery whilst sifting through the files of Nintendo’s latest Wii U title, Super Mario Maker. It appears there are a series of unused files leading to speculation about future download content for Mario's...
News A Mighty New Patch For Shovel Knight Is On The Way
Irons out a number of kinks
Following the recent release of the free Shovel Knight expansion, Plague of Shadows, Yacht Club Games has issued a patch ironing out a few kinks, and further enhancing the overall experience. While the update is currently only available for PC users, it will be rolled out across other platforms very soon. Take a look...
News Nintendo Partnering with Green Man Gaming for Digital Offerings
Another place to buy magical games made of air
Following up on a digital partnership with Amazon in North America, Nintendo has teamed up with Green Man Gaming to offer downloadable titles through the UK-based seller. According to Green Man CEO Paul Sulyok in a story on GamesIndustry, game offerings will be for both the 3DS and Wii U, including...
News New Assault Android Cactus Trailer Shows Fast, Fun & Frenetic Blaster Action
Charge and unleash
If you’re a fan of frantic sci-fi bullet-blasters, the upcoming title Assault Android Cactus for Wii U eShop may be one game worth keeping an eye on. Featuring a vibrant art style, slick frame rate, funky tunes, 1-4 player co-op and fast & frenetic twin-stick shoot em’ up gameplay, the title looks to take the concept of...
Video Get a Closer Look at Picross 3D 2 in These New Japanese Commercials
Doomsday giant puzzles in the sky
There's a reason we're happily sharing new videos and information on Picross 3D 2 on a regular basis, and that's due to our hope that it'll eventually make its way to the West. A sequel to the popular DS game, it's a budget retail title in Japan but, should it be localised, could be a good candidate for an...
Wednesday23rd Sep 2015
Video Is This The Hardest Super Mario Maker Level Ever Made?
Even watching it being beaten is painful
Super Mario Maker has been in the hands of the gaming public for a few weeks now and has already generated an incredible amount of content, with players creating and uploading their stages for others to enjoy. We've already had some good calls for the award of "hardest level ever", and only the other day...
Review StarTropics (Wii U eShop / NES)
Sun, sea, sand, and aliens
Winter is slowly creeping up on us, so it's as good a time as ever to explore warmer climates and take your mind off of the bad weather. For some NES-filtered beams of sunshine, why not step into the shoes of young Mike Jones, an American kid who's headed for an alphabetic island on the tropical adventure of a lifetime?...
Editorial Nintendo is a Toy Company, and That Will Be Vital in a New Era
It's a company of diverse strengths
Nintendo is now 126 years old, on the face of it an extraordinary statistic. Its relevant history in terms of its current identity and status really begins in the early 1980s, however, while a case can be made to go back to its initial days in the toy market in the late 1960s. Even that truncated history is...
News Super Famicom Exclusive The Amazing Spider-Man: Lethal Foes Gets Translated
Our 16-bit Spider Sense is tingling!
The Super Nintendo was home to several Spidey games, some better than others. Some of the best offerings came from LJN (yes, that LJN…), with Maximum Carnage and Separation Anxiety among the most notable. There was one however that never made it out of Japan, and as luck would have it, it's a rather good one...
Style savvy
Are you a budding fashionista? If so, the not-at-all clumsily-named Nintendo presents: New Style Boutique 2 - Fashion Forward might be one to keep an eye on when it lands on the 3DS on the 20th of November in Europe. It's your chance to rise to the top of the fashion world as the manager of their very own boutique. You aren't confined to...
News Nintendo is Now 126 Years Old
About to enter a new era
It's time for paper hats, party poppers and some slightly underwhelming cake at Nintendo HQ - we've all been to that party - as the company celebrates its 126th Anniversary. It was founded on this day in 1889. We wrote a pretty extensive article about Nintendo's history and longevity for its 125th Anniversary last year,...
Event Splatoon EGX Team Championships 2015
This Thursday through Sunday at EGX 2015
The UK's biggest games event EGX kicks off tomorrow and as usual Nintendo Life will be on the Nintendo UK stand running special tournaments throughout the four days. Two years ago we hosted the StreetPass Zone and held 3DS-focused competitions, while last year it was the UK Mario Kart 8
News FAST Racing NEO Will Have a Hint of F-Zero Courtesy of Voice Actor Jack Merluzzi
Featured in GX
FAST Racing NEO gets ever closer, with plenty of fans referencing it as an F-Zero styled experience on the way to the Wii U. Of course, the Shin'en Multimedia title has its own style and approach, though an announcement from the developer is sure to please fans of the long-dormant Nintendo IP. As you can see below, a voice actor with...
News Natsume’s Pocky & Rocky With Becky Arrives On The Wii U Virtual Console Next Month
The popular Medabots titles are also on the way
Following the release of the Game Boy Advance title Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town on the North American Wii U Virtual Console, as well as Car Battler Joe, Natsume has announced Pocky & Rocky with Becky is locked in for an October release in both North America and Europe. The action...
Tuesday22nd Sep 2015
Review Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (3DS)
Home is where the art is
Animal Crossing, while being one of Nintendo's most beloved franchises of the past decade, has taken on a new level of fame thanks to its first 3DS outing, New Leaf. A massive seller all over the world, this quirky and charming life simulation has been instrumental in selling its host hardware to an entirely fresh sector of...
News Konami Denies That It Is Walking Away From AAA Game Development
...for the second time this year
We recently reported on rumours that suggested veteran publisher Konami was abandoning AAA console development with the exception of its Pro Evolution Soccer series. The report - published by French site Gameblog but seemingly verified by ot
News Save Data Hackers Top Competition Leaderboards in Pokémon Shuffle
Nintendo and Genius Sonority are slow to react
Pokémon Shuffle has been a target for hacks in the past, with the free-to-play download previously being targeted by those seeking to obtain in-game items without buying them. It's part of the 'game' that data hackers infiltrate titles, with Nintendo and other developers then regularly issuing updates...
News This Is The Last Real Console Cycle, Proclaims Industry Analyst Michael Pachter
"The console installed base is as big as it's ever going to get"
We could see the end of dedicated games hardware in the near future, states Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter. Speaking at DICE Europe last week, the outspoken industry expert tackled the issue of the end of the console era, and pointed out that in terms of pure sales figures, this...
Review Extreme Exorcism (Wii U eShop)
A hauntingly good time
Extreme Exorcism is a simple, fun indie title that embraces one of Nintendo's core values: getting people together to play. From its aesthetics to its modes, this game is dripping with retro charm. If you haven't seen or heard of it before, it's a 2D pixel-art shooter that focuses on platforming and run-and-gun mechanics. It...
Review Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Prophesizing the amiiboom
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is interesting in that it's the only game in the Mario vs DK franchise (to date) that actually allows the player to control Mario; indeed this was originally planned to be a sequel to 1994's Donkey Kong on Game Boy, so arguably those two have more in common than the other games in the series. Mario vs...
News First 4 Figures Opens Pre-Orders for Its Cat Mario Collectibles
You can be 'lucky' and buy the $400 version
Oh, First 4 Figures, how you torment us. It's the retailer responsible for producing lovely but pricey collectible figurines / statues that we can't really justify buying. They often look amazing though. Pre-orders have now opened for Cat Mario, which comes with three different options to entice you...
Closest you'll get to a new Metroid game this year?
Blizzard's Heroes of the Storm is a big deal on PC right now, offering a MOBA experience which pulls in characters from the company's famous back catalogue of video games. As we've previously reported, it would seem that the guys at Blizzard are massive Nintendo fans, but if you require more...
News Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Is Still Targeting a Holiday 2015 Release
But it could slip!
We recently got our hands on Shantae: Half-Genie Hero and felt it is shaping up really nicely, and could turn out to be something rather special indeed. The Kickstarter-funded project was originally targeted for an October 2014 release, but it's been held back so the talented artists and developers at WayForward can make the game...
Video This Laparoscopic Wii U Controller is Teaching Medical Students to Perform Keyhole Surgery
Time to scrub up
Nintendo consoles have been privy to some incredibly unusual controllers in their time, most of which are a bit rubbish and don't really improve gameplay in any way. However these previous blunders haven't deterred Grendel Games from designing a Wii U eShop game called Underground and an accompanying controller to accurately...
News The Yo-Kai Watch Anime Starts In North America on 5th October
Premiering on the Disney Big Grin channel
Level-5 will try to take over the Western world, and give Pokémon a black eye, when it releases Yo-Kai Watch in North America in November. The battle of slightly confusing RPG franchises with never-ending collectible and money-making concepts will truly begin in earnest. Before the game arrives North...
All about that Bass
Regular visitors to these pages likely know all about Image & Form's SteamWorld Heist Ambassador challenges - they're contests that give gamers a chance to win copies of the game for every platform, and even some for friends. Free games in exchange for creativity, typically. The latest entry in the promotion should be a...
Monday21st Sep 2015
Guide How to Unlock Plague Knight in Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows the Easy Way
Cheatin' ain't cheatin'
Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows allows you to finally play as fan-favourite Plague Knight with his own hugely unique mechanics, but in order to unlock this character you're forced to play through the entire game as Shovel Knight. Many players will have already achieved this but many may have not; luckily there's another way...
Nintendo Download 24th September (Europe)
Skylanders! Extreme Exorcism! Nova-111! More stuff!
It's the start of another week, which means its time to bask in the joy of more Nintendo Download Update details for Europe. There are quite a few promising releases on the way for both Wii U and 3DS, including a major retail arrival and enticing download-only games; some rather good titles also...
News Don't Count Nintendo Out, Says Former Xbox Boss Robbie Bach
"Nintendo - with great respect - is a toy company, and always has been"
With the Wii U look set to sell less units that the GameCube and the 3DS falling short of the commercial performance of its immediate predecessor the DS, many industry analysts have characterised Nintendo as a company in decline. However, former Xbox boss Robbie Bach - who spent...
News 3D Effect Will Be Disabled When Playing Hyrule Warriors Legends On Older 3DS Hardware
New 3DS needed for the full impact
Hyrule Warriors Legends producer Yosuke Hayashi has revealed that the game will only boast autostereoscopic 3D on New 3DS hardware. In order to maintain performance with so many characters on-screen at once, Hayashi explains that the effect had to be disabled on the standard 3DS and 3DS XL. The additional...
Video Admire the Skills on Show as an Insane Super Mario Maker Level is Conquered
Only speedrunners and the best need apply
Super Mario Maker's level upload system has a simple but vital safeguard - to upload a level you have to be able to beat it. We may curse and claim some stages are impossible, but the fact is that every level in the game can be cleared. Of course, if a ridiculously good player spends hours designing a stage...
Super Nindie Maker Image & Form's Ghostly Mushroom
Spooky...
As you may have seen by now, we really want you all to share Super Mario Maker levels with each other; to achieve that we've set up a special level sharing page with some neat features - just for you. We're also teaming up with some 'Nindies' to share some levels from established and highly respected developers. To start off we have a...
News Black New Nintendo 3DS and Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Bundle Confirmed for Australia
Beefing up the range ahead of the festive season
In late 2014 Australia and New Zealand were the only countries outside of Japan to receive the New Nintendo 3DS ahead of the updated portable broadening out to the West in early 2015. Despite this it's taken a while for the whole range to make its way to the region, which is now being remedied. It's...
News Super Mario Maker Hangs Tough in UK Charts as Splatoon Finally Bows Out
Ink-splatting shooter squeezes into individual format top 40, though
Super Mario Maker had a strong start in its debut week in the UK charts, securing second place against some tough competition. It was a good early result for the Wii U exclusive, which is likely to remain a key title for the system in the remainder of 2015. Its second week has,...
News Sega Almost Licensed The Technology That Went Into The Virtual Boy
"I think we were right in turning it down"
Former Sega of America boss Tom Kalinske was in charge of the company during its glory years, and it was under his leadership that it was able to challenge the might of Nintendo during the early '90s. Full of interesting stories and anecdotes, Kalinske's story has been told in Blake J. Harris' excellent...
News Nintendo UK Store Serves Up Incentives for Ordering Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
A ball and a plush doubles partner
It feels like Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash has been cruising under the radar, even as real-life tennis has lately grabbed even more attention than it tends to. The Nintendo UK Store, however, is starting to hype up the 20 November release of the game in Europe with a couple fine items for those who pre-order through...
Video Take a Closer Look at Monster Arts and Hunting Styles in Monster Hunter X
Still waiting for a localisation date, Capcom...
Monster Hunter X looks rather exciting, at least for established Monster Hunter fans. Utilising many of the models and visuals of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate albeit with some new environments and monsters, its approach is to shake up gameplay and blend the series' traditional approach with...
Relying on Kickstarter stretch goals
Wii U eShop aficionados may recognise the name BeautiFun Games courtesy of Nihilumbra, a stylise release that we absolutely loved in our review. Earlier this year the studio announced its next project, Megamagic: Wizards of the Neon Age, though has just recently confirmed that it could make its way to Wii U. The...
News Project X Zone 2 is Hitting Europe on 19th February Next Year
With the previously announced Nintendo flavour
Update 2: Bandai Namco has confirmed that 19th February is actually the correct date, not 16th February as originally tweeted by Nintendo of Europe. Update: Bandai Namco of Europe appears to have confirmed a 19th February release date, we'll try and clarify the correct date and update this article...
News Amazon Offers Neat Picross 3D 2 Demo Promotion in Japan
'Buy' a free demo, get a discount on the full game
A little while ago it emerged that Picross 3D 2 is heading to the 3DS in Japan, providing a sequel to the popular DS retail puzzler. Due on 1st October in the country, it'll serve up more 3D puzzles and include amiibo support for extra content. In a neat promotion simply trying out a demo will also...
Most Read
Reminder There's Only One More Week Left To Vote In The Super Smash Bros. Fighter...
Guide How to Unlock Plague Knight in Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows the Easy...
News Retailers In North America Merge Wii U & 3DS Library Under One Ninte...
News Nintendo Hammers Out A New Update For Super Mario Maker
News Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Tops Japanese Charts as Wii U Beats PS4
News Konami Denies That It Is Walking Away From AAA Game Development
Video Is This The Hardest Super Mario Maker Level Ever Made?



































































