News - March, 2016

Thursday31st Mar 2016

Wednesday30th Mar 2016

Tuesday29th Mar 2016

Monday28th Mar 2016

Sunday27th Mar 2016

Saturday26th Mar 2016

  • Feature Thoughts on the 3DS as It Reaches Its Fifth Anniversary

    Dave Letcavage and Jose Acosta share their perspectives

    The 3DS has reached its fifth Anniversary for its release in the West, and in the first of multiple feature articles focused on the portable Dave Letcavage and Jose Acosta share their thoughts and memories related to the portable. Dave Letcavage: I haven't been in the best heath for the...

  • News 7th Dragon III Code: VFD Arrives in North America on 12th July

    Surprisingly, this one's not from Atlus

    A couple months ago, SEGA announced 7th Dragon III Code: VFD for Nintendo 3DS in North America. While the game's premise is certainly a bit off the wall – you travel through time to fight dragons, or something like that – it looks like an interesting choice for any fans of the RPG genre. Previously, we...

  • Editorial A Week When NX 'Leaks' Were Thankfully Fake and New Tricks Were Used

    Tom Whitehead was concerned, very concerned

    The pre-E3 silly season is early this year, and it's all Nintendo's fault. We know full well that this year, likely at E3 or potentially a little beforehand, the company will reveal its next generation of hardware. It's potentially a 'third pillar' of hardware but, in light of declining 3DS momentum and...

  • Review Blast 'Em Bunnies (3DS eShop)

    Cracked egg

    Nnooo has released several titles on Nintendo platforms since Pop launched with WiiWare. While not all of its releases have been successes — the DSiWare myNotebook line and Spirit Hunters showed ingenuity but just weren't very fun to play — the studio's nonetheless been consistent in developing new IP with a unique style. Blast 'Em...

  • Review The Hand of Panda (3DS eShop)

    Sad panda

    With perhaps a few notable exceptions, such as Harmoknight or Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, the rhythm genre has had something of a slight showing on the 3DS. While it may be a somewhat niche genre, it's one that everybody can easily relate to, as it can be as universal as tapping one's foot to good music. The Hand of Panda does its best to...

Friday25th Mar 2016

  • Guide Which Nintendo 3DS or 2DS System Should I Buy?

    There's life in the old dog yet

    Though we have a new generation of Nintendo hardware set to be revealed this year, there's life yet in the current generation. With the 3DS family of systems celebrating its fifth year anniversary in the West, it's worth taking the time to consider how much it still has to offer. With the range of portables...

Thursday24th Mar 2016

Friday25th Mar 2016

Thursday24th Mar 2016

  • Feature Batman V Superman In The Battle Of The Nintendo Games

    Which superhero comes out on top? Find out within...

    This article was originally published on 25th November 2014, and has been re-posted to celebrate the cinematic release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Things are really heating up in the world of superhero movies, thanks to both Marvel and DC revealing their cinematic hands like two Texan...

  • Soapbox Nintendo Was Wrong To Turn Its Back On The Wii Remote

    Damien McFerran sticks up for the device that gave the world some waggle

    One of the greatest things about having children - aside from the free manual labour and the unspoken understanding that you'll have someone to wipe your bottom for you when you're old and infirm - is getting to reappraise video games. I have a seven-year-old son who, over the...

  • Nintendo Download 24th March (North America)

    Hyrule Warriors Legends! Yoshi's Story! SNES on New 3DS! More!

    It's that time again, dear readers, for the North American Nintendo Download Update. This week has plenty of tempting options to consider, with four Virtual Console games across Wii U and New 3DS, a major retail release on the portable, a Director's Cut from WayForward, some tasty...

  • News 80's Overdrive is Coming to the 3DS

    A new arcade racer from a mysterious developer

    The 3DS has had a fairly diverse library of games so far, but the one thing that it seems to be somewhat lacking in is the racing genre. It could be that this is just due to the limitations of the portable format, but it nonetheless comes as a slight disappointment that there aren't too many games of...

  • Review REPLAY: VHS is Not Dead (Wii U eShop)

    Taking it to the Betamax

    'Going retro' is all the rage in modern download gaming. Pixels and chiptunes aren't hard to find in any download store, from the eShop to PSN to Steam and beyond, as gamers of all ages embrace titles that offer an enhanced twist on gaming's past. REPLAY: VHS is Not Dead aims to distinguish itself with retro-styled visuals...

  • News More Official Pokémon Go Gameplay Details Emerge

    Teams! PokéStops! Evolutions! Battles! Great Balls!

    Just recently some stealthy off-screen footage emerged of Pokémon Go, the hotly anticipated AR (augmented reality) smartphone app being developed by Niantic and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. It looked pretty much as expected, with the demonstration showing a stylised Google Maps...

  • Video Get a Closer Look at the Charming Monster Hunter Stories on 3DS

    A new breed of pocket monsters

    Now that Monster Hunter Generations is set for a Summer release in the West, we turn our localisation attention on Monster Hunter Stories. This spin-off title sees you work with and train monsters rather than hunt them, and adopts a mixture of adventure and turn-based battles in its gameplay - add to that a lovely...

  • News Star Fox Zero's Stage Names Are Another Delicious Throwback

    The path to Venom

    Star Fox Zero contains a lot of references and throwbacks to iconic past entries. Whether on-the-nose goodies like the 16-bit Arwing that can be unlocked with a Fox amiibo, or the strikingly familiar opening cutscene, it's sure to bring back a lot of memories while also introducing the series to a new audience. There's a sense of...

  • Review City Connection (Wii U eShop / NES)

    Missed Connection

    If you don't remember City Connection, we wouldn't blame you. In 1985, arcades in the U.S. and elsewhere were booming in popularity, and as a result that particular industry was rather strong. This title came to NES owners a little later, however, releasing in the middle of 1988. It looks and feels like a relic of a bygone era, and...

  • Video Check Out the Launch Trailer for Slain!

    It's pretty metal

    Some of you may remember Slain!, the upcoming sidescrolling action game that seems to be drawing plenty of inspiration from Castlevania. A while back, it was delayed until summer due to the fact that the developers made the game just a little bit too hard for most audiences. Fortunately, it seems that this issue has been cleared...

  • Video Check Out the New Hyrule Warriors Legends Characters on Wii U

    Going for the quirky kills

    With the launch of Hyrule Warriors Legends plenty will be switching the portable entries new characters across to Wii U in order to enjoy them in their full HD glory. It's one of the perks on offer for those that double dip on the Koei Tecmo button masher. We've naturally redeemed Linkle, Toon Link, Tetra, King Daphnes...

  • Video Anki Overdrive Update Apes GoldenEye 007's One Shot Kill Mode

    The car with the Golden Gun

    If you've not seen it already, Anki Overdrive is a little hard to get your head around. It's a slot car-style game with no slots that's controlled via an app. The racing happens on the clip-together track but is augmented with the app that steers, shoots and triggers weapons. In the latest update t

Wednesday23rd Mar 2016

Tuesday22nd Mar 2016

  • Feature Ten Game Boy Advance Games You Should Play

    Puzzle games, RPGs, action, platforming...

    The Game Boy Advance just recently turned 15 years old, with that first model kicking off what would be the last Game Boy 'family' or systems, at least so far. It would be a platform that would take Nintendo's portable offerings forward in leaps and bounds, not just in terms of raw power but also...

  • Review Sadame (3DS eShop)

    Fated for fun

    The name 'Intergrow' might not mean much to most gamers in Europe or North America, but if you've spent much time with a Japanese 3DS it should ring a bell as it's the publisher responsible for bringing Western Nindie titles like SteamWorld Dig and Mighty Switch Force! to Nintendo's home country. Now Intergrow's teamed up with Rising...

  • Review Parascientific Escape Cruise in the Distant Seas (3DS eShop)

    Sail through this story

    You receive an anonymous invitation to board a luxury cruise ship… Do you heartily say yes? Do you politely say no? Or do you think to yourself: "Hang on a minute, isn't this like the start of a horror movie?" before running as fast as you can in the opposite direction? Well, our lead character from CIRCLE Entertainment's...

  • News Version 1.4.0 of Wii U Emulator, Cemu, Shows More Rapid Progress

    Still a long way from full emulation

    It's hard to know what Nintendo makes of Cemu, a Wii U emulator that's been making rapid progress. Often these fan-based projects take years to come together, but in this case there have been frequent updates, perhaps helped by the similarity - in some respects - of the current-gen system to the Wii. In any...

  • News Popular Super Mario Maker Speedrunner and Streamer Has All His Levels Deleted by Nintendo

    "Streaming Mario Maker is 90% of my stream"

    When it comes to engaging an enthusiastic community and holding the attention of online streamers and speedrunners, Super Mario Maker has all of the key ingredients. As a creation tool it allows fans to create and tackle extraordinary levels and to share them with followers on various platforms - it's...

  • News UK Gamers Can Now Catch a Legendary Pokémon Bird

    Beautifly and Zebstrika and moonbeams...

    Though the main 3DS Pokémon releases are now getting slightly long in the tooth, they continue to stay interesting courtesy of regular distributions. Now another neat giveaway is underway in the UK for those that either head to a Smyths Toys Superstore or wait for their Pokémon Trainer Club Newsletter...

  • News Nikkei Report Suggests That Wii U Production Will End in 2016

    UPDATE: "The report didn't come from us", claims Nintendo

    UPDATE: Nintendo has commented on this news, stating that "the report didn't come from us". ORIGINAL STORY: The Wii U has underperformed for Nintendo, failing to gain early momentum and only achieving modest sales each year since its arrival in late 2012. Though momentum in this financial...

Monday21st Mar 2016

  • News Scribblenauts Studio 5th Cell Is Closing Its Doors

    UPDATE: Layoffs rather than closure, says CEO

    UPDATE: 5th Cell CEO Jeremiah Slaczka has spoken to Polygon about the news, and has confirmed that the studio remains open but layoffs have taken place: WB cancelled [Scribblenauts: Fighting Words] today so we had to lay off the staff. It happened so quick we're not sure what the plans are going...

Tuesday22nd Mar 2016

Monday21st Mar 2016

Sunday20th Mar 2016

Saturday19th Mar 2016

Friday18th Mar 2016

Thursday17th Mar 2016

Wednesday16th Mar 2016

Tuesday15th Mar 2016

Monday14th Mar 2016

Sunday13th Mar 2016

Saturday12th Mar 2016

  • Review EarthBound (New 3DS / SNES)

    This game smells lovely

    Well here's a treat for New Nintendo 3DS owners: EarthBound! Back on the SNES, this second instalment of Shigesato Itoi's much-loved Mother series only received a western release in North America (where it sold poorly). Buying a second-hand copy for silly money was most people's only option until the Wii U came to the rescue,...

  • Nintendo Life Weekly New Nintendo Patent Spotted, Ubisoft Responds to NX Rumours and More

    Nintendo tries to Kinect with its audience

    It's been another whirlwind week in the world of Nintendo, and in order to help you digest all that's been occurring, we have once more condensed all the week's goodness into a single creamy video for your viewing pleasure. This week we look at a new Nintendo patent recently made public, Ubisoft's unusual...

  • News Shigeru Miyamoto on the Development of Yoshi's Island

    An oldie, but a goodie

    Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island was definitely something of a gamble for Nintendo when it launched back in the days of the SNES. The Super Mario series was only four (technically five) games long, and instead of making a safe sequel to the popular Super Mario World, a game was made starring his dinosaur companion, Yoshi...

  • Feature Nintendo Life's Favourite Mario Spin-Offs

    The mascot's about more than platforming

    This past week brought us Mario Day, or 'Mar10 Day' as Nintendo of America promotes it. Goofy campaign it may be, but it's nevertheless an excuse to celebrate the mascot and his many, many games. Having already extensively covered the series for its 30th Anniversary and having considered our favourites out...

  • Interview Renegade Kid on Stepping it Up With Mutant Mudds Super Challenge

    It was nicknamed Uber Mudds, after all

    A number of development studios have become well-known and familiar names to eShop aficionados - Renegade Kid is certainly a studio that most 'Nindie' followers will know from their releases across 3DS and Wii U. Though the company has a previous track record in the DS retail scene, and has also extensively...

Friday11th Mar 2016

Thursday10th Mar 2016

Wednesday9th Mar 2016

Tuesday8th Mar 2016

Monday7th Mar 2016

Sunday6th Mar 2016

Saturday5th Mar 2016

Friday4th Mar 2016

Thursday3rd Mar 2016

  • News Paper Mario Colour Splash Coming to Wii U

    The next entry in the beloved series

    After much anticipation, the next console title in the Paper Mario franchise was announced during the most recent Nintendo Direct - Paper Mario Colour Splash. Equipped with his new weapon, the Paint Hammer, Paper Mario must help the citizens of Prism Island bring colour back to their home. Once in battle, using...

Friday4th Mar 2016

Thursday3rd Mar 2016

Friday4th Mar 2016

Thursday3rd Mar 2016

Friday4th Mar 2016

Thursday3rd Mar 2016

  • News Lost Reavers Open Beta Kicks Off On The Wii U eShop This April

    With the full release following closely behind

    Bandai Namco's free to play Wii U eShop offering Lost Reavers - once upon a time known as Project Treasure - is coming to the west this year, it has been confirmed. An open beta for the game will launch on April 14th, with the full release happening on April 28th. These release dates apply for both...

  • News Splatoon Updates to Continue Into 2016

    Contains balancing, tweaks, and weapon sets

    The hit multiplayer title Splatoon will be receiving some new updates throughout 2016. Beginning on March 8th, an update will address balancing issues regarding specific gear abilities. Some will recieve a buff making them stronger on the battlefield, while others a small nerf. Additionally, tweaks to...

Friday4th Mar 2016

Thursday3rd Mar 2016

Friday4th Mar 2016

  • Book Review Artcade: The Book Of Classic Arcade Game Artwork

    Got any spare change?

    It's hard to believe it now, but there was a time when the evolution of the video game industry happened not in the home, but at locations like bowling alleys, cinemas, bars and - if you're from the UK - humble fish and chip shops. While home consoles have been a massive part of gaming for decades, they traditionally lagged...

  • News Pocket Card Jockey Comes to the 3DS This May

    The latest from Game Freak

    It seems that Nintendo really brought the thunder with today's Nintendo Direct, with announcements of new games, release dates, DLC updates, and more making it a very packed forty-one minutes. One of the things that seemed to get a little bit ignored in all the hype was the announcement that Game Freak's Pocket Card Jockey...

  • News Pokémon Go is All Set for a March 'Field Test' in Japan

    The adventure begins, sort of...

    Though Pokémon Go recently saw its GDC presentation get cancelled, there's no real suggestion as yet that the project is in trouble; to the contrary developer Niantic is gearing up to send its app into the real world. In a short but sweet blog update the developer has stated that it's planning a field test of the...

Thursday3rd Mar 2016

  • News Rhythm Heaven Megamix Dancing onto 3DS

    Includes new and unreleased content

    Nintendo shocked the Rhythm Heaven community during today's Nintendo Direct with the announcement of the next installment in the hit franchise, Rhythm Heaven Megamix, a localisation of a previous retail release in Japan. The game will contain more than 100 rhythm games, 30 of which are brand new to the series...

Friday4th Mar 2016

Thursday3rd Mar 2016

Friday4th Mar 2016

  • Video Shigeru Miyamoto's Star Fox Zero YouTube Blitz Has Landed

    Lots of talk of an evolving project, utilising the GamePad and more

    During the most recent Nintendo Direct broadcast Shigeru Miyamoto appeared on our screens to present Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard, confirming their dual release in April. It was a pleasing affirmation that the title has been finished as planned, and we don't have long to wait...

Thursday3rd Mar 2016

Friday4th Mar 2016

  • News Rain Games Announces World to the West

    From the makers of Teslagrad

    2014 saw the release of Teslagrad, an innovative new metroidvania title that utilised a unique, hand drawn visual style. We rather liked it in our review, and even got to discuss the game at length with the developers. One of the points brought up in the interview was that Teslagrad was set in a greater universe, and...

Thursday3rd Mar 2016

Friday4th Mar 2016

Thursday3rd Mar 2016

Wednesday2nd Mar 2016

Tuesday1st Mar 2016