News Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition Coming This November, Ships With 30 Games
We are getting new Nintendo hardware this year after all
News Patent Reinforces the Prospect of Nintendo NX Having a Portable Handset
Application focuses on sound and vibration technology
News Android Wear Users Can Now Get Pokémon GO Notifications Direct To Their Wrists
Who needs the Pokémon GO Plus, right?
Guide Pokémon GO Monster Types And Where To Find Them
Trying to find your favourite? We're here to help
Feature What We Can Expect From The Future Of Pokémon GO
Keeping the going good
News - July, 2016
Sunday31st Jul 2016
News Reggie Fils-Aime on Why the Wii U Was Misunderstood
"We missed the opportunity to be clear on the concept"
By this point in time, it's safe to say that the Wii U was not the success Nintendo hoped it would be. Though the console has been the host to numerous quality titles over the years, it never caught the mainstream attention that many hoped it would, and has long since been abandoned by most...
News Nintendo Clarifies Reasoning for Pokémon GO Plus Release Delay
Preparations for updating the app are cited
The Pokémon GO hype has been quite something to behold, though it's calming down a little despite the app's continuing success. As we heard earlier in the week, the Plus accessory - which allows you to receive updates and play aspects of the game with the press of a button - was pushed back to September,...
Video Digital Foundry Explores the Potential for GameCube and Wii Emulation on Nintendo NX
Putting the older Tegra X1 to the test
The past week's key revelations on the NX, established through multiple sources and reinforced by plenty of checks and off-the-record conversations, have many (including us here at Nintendo Life) confident that there's validity and value to the details. One key aspect is the use of Nvidia technology to power...
Japan Weekly Famitsu Fuses Dragon Ball Fusion and Etrian Odyssey V Into a Worthwhile Issue
Also goes in-depth with Etrian Odyssey's races and classes
While last week was packed full of Nintendo news, Famitsu took a step back this week with only a handful of Nintendo games featured. However, they're some big ones; an in-depth preview and a review for Etrian Odyssey V and a review for Dragon Ball Fusion on the 3DS make this week's edition...
Saturday30th Jul 2016
Poll The Nintendo NX - Where Do You Stand on the Future of Nintendo?
A new approach for a new generation
It's been an interesting week for those that follow Nintendo closely. It began with Eurogamer publishing a variety of details around the Nintendo NX that were compiled from multiple sources. We spoke to Eurogamer's team and multiple sources of our own and, it seems, the details revealed are indeed largely...
Review Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (New 3DS / SNES)
Super solo fighter
The New Nintendo 3DS is a nifty device with a number of great games available, but as everyone knows something cannot be considered a true games machine unless you can play Street Fighter II on it. Thankfully Capcom has stepped in to save New 3DS owners from the taunts of ZX Spectrum, Atari ST and CD32 gamers by bringing the game...
Review Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting (New 3DS / SNES)
Speedy fighting on the go
Ever since SNES games were announced as coming to the New Nintendo 3DS it seemed inevitable that Capcom would jump at the chance to flog us Street Fighter II again and - sure enough - here it is. In a surprise move they've skipped the World Warrior port and moved straight to Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting, released...
News Pokémon GO Updates to Make Game "Respectful" of Private Institutions
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum already removed from the game
The rapid rise of Pokémon GO has brought plenty of benefits, fostering communities of fans and helping players explore and get exercise. There can be negatives, however, and not just in terms of absent-minded players being robbed of their phones. There have been multiple reports of...
News Citizens of Earth Has Returned to the 3DS eShop
Passed the residency test
Back in mid-May Citizens of Earth was taken off the 3DS eShop as a result of it being used for a homebrew exploit. As per Nintendo's current policy, exploits released online are rapidly (often within 24 hours) counteracted by the removal of any apps or games that are being utilised. The developers in question are,...
Friday29th Jul 2016
Video This Raspberry Pi-Powered, 3D Printed NES Mini Puts Nintendo's Effort To Shame
Complete with tiny NFC carts and scaled-down controller
The recent announcement of the NES Classic Edition (or NES Mini if you're in Europe) caused quite a stir, triggering feelings of intense nostalgia with thirtysomethings all over the globe. While we can't wait to get our hands on the unit, there's definitely room for improvement here - for...
News Renegade Kid Has Kindly Offered To Port Sonic Mania To Nintendo 3DS
Sega remains silent on the matter, however
Sega has two new Sonic the Hedgehog titles in development at the moment, both of which are expected to arrive next year. Project Sonic 2017 is coming to NX as well as other platforms, while Sonic Mania - a more traditional take on Sega's mascot - sadly isn't coming to a Nintendo system. Given the 2D nature...
Weirdness Shadow the Hedgehog is Rather Foul-Mouthed in Mario & Sonic at the Rio Olympics
Won't somebody think of the children?
Here's a perfect end-of-week bit of weirdness for us all - it appears that Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on the Wii U has a bit of a shocking swear in it, and it's fan-favourite (not really) Shadow the Hedgehog that's responsible. It was reported in UK tabloid The Mirror earlier in the week...
Poll Will You Still Be Playing Pokémon GO at the End of 2016?
Will the evolution of a revolution be enough?
It's quite clear that Pokémon GO has been one of the most widespread and revolutionary concepts with which Nintendo has ever been associated, albeit the app is very much the work of developer Niantic. Sure, the Nintendo Wii, DS, Game Boy and original NES are also of great mention, but the mainstream...
Hardware Review 8Bitdo x Analogue SNES Retro Receiver
Look Ma, no wires!
The removal of the pesky joypad cable has to rank as one of the most important advances in video game tech. For far too long were we resigned to dealing with tangled wires that shackled us to our games consoles, forcing us to sit within a range dictated by the length of the cable itself (Super Famicom owners will feel this pain...
News Nintendo Share Price Stabilises After Worst Weekly Performance Since 1989
Closed the week with a small increase
Earlier in the week we reported upon a dramatic drop in Nintendo's share value, which was prompted by the company's statement that Pokémon GO would only have a 'limited' impact on its finances. Nintendo only has a share of The Pokémon Company and Niantic, separately, and clarified that the extraordinary...
News Tom Dubois Talks About Creating Some Of The Most Iconic Boxart Of The NES And SNES Eras
"There was never any direct influence from Konami of Japan"
We're used to video game art assets being more or less consistent across all regions these days, but back in the 8 and 16-bit eras it was common for games from Japan to receive entirely new box artwork when released in the west. In the majority of cases the replacement covers were woefully...
Review Tumblestone (Wii U eShop)
Block party
A few generations ago, puzzle games had a prominent presence on home consoles. Brimming with individual personality, many could be relied upon to offer some fun single- or multi-player play. You don't see as many of these games any more. Puzzle games have migrated more towards mobile platforms, a large number swirling together into a...
News Online Support is Being Cut For Disney Infinity
Looks like it didn't go to infinity and beyond
A couple months ago, it was announced that the ongoing Disney Infinity project is being shut down, its development studio shuttered, and that Disney is exiting the video game publishing business. Evidently, it was ultimately due to issues with turning profits from the overstock of unsold toys. It was...
Review New Adventure Island (Wii U / TG-16)
An old-school endless runner
It's often said that there's no such thing as a bad idea, that it just needs the right moment to shine. More than any other medium video games like to rehash what's come before, retrofitting old concepts into new titles for something that can feel wholly unique while paying tribute to what's come before. For instance,...
News Somebody Has Already Hit the Level Cap in Pokémon GO
The rewards aren't as exciting as you'd think
About a week ago, data miners revealed various hidden files in Pokémon GO's code. Among these things, the level cap was found to be at level 40, which would take an eye-watering 5 million experience to achieve. Considering that the Master Ball was also found in the game's code, many assumed that players...
Review Style Savvy (Wii U eShop / DS)
Retro Chic
If there's one thing that's true in style, it's that what's old is new again. That's as true in fashion games as it is on the runway, and now, after two excellent turns on the 3DS in Style Savvy: Trendsetters and Fashion Forward, Nintendo's going back to basics by bringing the DS original Style Savvy to the Wii U's Virtual Console. Style...
Video Hyperkin's Upcoming SmartBoy Lets You Catch Pokémon On Your Phone The Old-Fashioned Way
No data connection or walking required
As the world is gripped by Pokémon GO fever, you can't blame peripheral maker Hyperkin from leaping on the bandwagon in order to promote its forthcoming SmartBoy accessory. The device connects to Android phones and allows you to load up original Game Boy cartridges and play them via emulation. Hyperkin's...
Review JACKPOT 777 (Wii U eShop)
More like 666
It seems that many developers have a difficult time translating casino games to a video game format. When you take away the stakes of having your own hard-earned cash on the line, the experience can come across as feeling hollow and pointless. One would think that this could be easily sidestepped by introducing some kind of in-game...
Rumour Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is Getting a Physical 3DS Release
Better late than never
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero comes out in just a couple months, and it will be available in both physical and digital formats. The past two Shantae games haven't had the same treatment, at least in the West, but a recent listing suggests that 2014's Shantae and the Pirate's Curse will be getting a cartridge release on 3DS for...
Video Check Out Some Intriguing Metroid Prime: Federation Force Footage
Including a section outside the suit
Metroid Prime: Federation Force isn't far away, with its blend of co-op shooting on the 3DS set to be quite a diversion for the series. The free release of Metroid Prime: Blast Ball recently may have helped win over a few naysayers, and now there's some interesting footage kicking around that 's from the official...
Random Pokémon GO Road Signs Are a Reality
Dutch event made cool signs that were stolen, entrepreneurs steps up
The Pokémon GO craze has various weird and wonderful parts to it - we're had many bizarre PR emails plugging GO 'walkers' that you pay to play the game for you, and even 'recharging rescuers' in town centres. Where there's a craze, there are entrepeneurs seeking opportunities...
News Quest of Dungeons Confirmed for 1st September Wii U Release in Europe, Includes Cross-Buy
StreetPass also confirmed for 3DS version
A while ago we told you about Quest of Dungeons, a turn-based dungeon crawler that utilises procedurally generated environments. It has permadeath, too, so that when you die you start again with a new hero - yep, with a retro look it offers a retro-style level of challenge. The Xbox One version's trailer is...
Video Take Another Look at the Action-Packed Dragon Ball Fusions
Out in Japan soon
We've had a handful of exciting Dragon Ball releases in recent years, with Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden being a decent entry on the 3DS. The next portable arrival in Japan is going to be Dragon Ball Fusions, which is out soon. Though we don't have Western release information yet, it's interesting to see the direction this one's...
Reminder Super Mario-Themed Miitomo T-Shirts Now Available on My Nintendo
Free and otherwise
With its major update this week that introduced a new way to use Candy to earn game tickets, Miitomo is getting a bit of a push by Nintendo in order to try and lure back some users. The latest set of outfits to be won or bought in the app are snappy Super Mario t-shirts, and some of them are up for grabs on My Nintendo. In...
Thursday28th Jul 2016
Gallery Let This Awesome Nintendo NX Mock-Up Excite You
There's no play like it!
Following Eurogamer's report that we can expect to see a portable NX with detachable controllers based on Nvidia tech, the interwebs has gone crazy trying to imagine what it could look like. Just to refresh your memory, here's Eurogamer's basic mock-up based on its information from sources: We've seen lots of attempts at...
Review Mega Man X (New 3DS / SNES)
Mega Xcitement
The Mega Man games provided people with enjoyable action-platforming and Capcom was happy to keep producing more and more of them to be purchased and played. 1993 (at least in Japan) saw the release of the sixth NES game in the series, but also the start of something new. Following Virtual Console releases (and a compilation) of the...
Review Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard (SNES)
Out Of This Valken World
The original Front Mission raised the bar very high indeed for what we have come to expect from mecha games on Super Nintendo. Just one year later, Square released a sequel - but don't be fooled, Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard is everything but a traditional follow-up. In fact, it's not even in the same timeline as the...
Nintendo Download 28th July (North America)
Lots of Kirby! Gotta Protectors! 3Souls! Vektor Wars! More!
It's that time, once again, for the North American Nintendo Download Update. This week celebrates the Birthday of a certain pink puffball with a few retro treats, while there are some varied and intriguing new download-only releases on both Wii U and 3DS. There are some promising options...
News Lead and Assistant Designers Quit Nintendo Software Technology
The unwanted stepchild of Nintendo development teams
Some of you may be familiar with Nintendo Software Technology, the American studio that Nintendo opened to create games that appealed more to Western markets. Though it was started with the best of intentions, things began to fall apart with the ill-fated Project H.A.M.M.E.R., which seemed to...
Video Eurogamer's NX Rumours and What They Mean for the Next-Gen System
"High-quality" mockups included
The Nintendo NX may have had more about it leaked than Nintendo would like. According to Eurogamer, the NX will be a portable system with detachable physical controllers and a whole lot of power inside, as we've previous reported. But what does this all mean? Check out the video to see how this rumour may translate...
Weirdness Pokémon GO Has Inspired Parents in the US to Name Their Children After Pokémon
Pleased to meet you, Onyx
Pokémon GO has obviously been quite the social phenomenon, reintroducing the popular series to mainstream culture and roping in hordes of new fans. While it's inevitable that the viral popularity will eventually die out somewhat, some people have clearly been extremely inspired by the new app, and have since chosen to name...
Welcome to the world of Mustland
One of the biggest criticisms the Wii U has faced during its lifespan is that not enough games released on the system have utilised the full potential of Nintendo's unique GamePad controller. Red Column's three-part episodic game 3Souls aims to fill the void, providing an inquisitive 2D puzzle platform experience...
News Darksiders: Warmastered Edition Will Run At 30 FPS On Wii U
Half that of PS4 and Xbox One, unsurprisingly
We really liked Wii U launch title Darksiders II; while it pays homage to the Zelda series, it adds its own unique flavour as a grittier take on the action-RPG dungeon crawler. We recently reported that a remastered Darksiders would be coming to the Wii U, too, as Nordic Games have taken over the reigns...
Feature Considering The Possibilities For Nintendo's QOL Sleep Monitor
Taking a look at Hello Sense
Getting a good night's sleep plays a vital role in your well-being, so it's easy to see why Nintendo plans to tackle this first and foremost in the Quality of Life (QOL) initiative which was set into motion by the late Satoru Iwata. While Nintendo's sleep tracking gizmo was thought to be on hold indefinitely based on...
Random There Are Pokémon GO Players That Have Caught 'em All
You have to hatch a lot of eggs
For most players Pokémon GO is a game that adds extra fun to walks and journeys, picking up new 'mon as you find fresh spots in which to engage in some augmented reality. It's also developed a strong community of players that meet up and play together, so the social element is key to its ongoing popularity. Some...
News Miitomo Update to Version 1.4.0 Lets You Use That Annoying Candy To Win Game Tickets
Perhaps it's time to revisit the weird world of Miitomo
Nintendo and DeNA will have been learning a lot of lessons from both the successes and mis-steps of Miitomo, the quirky social app that started fast but burnt out rather rapidly. It's had frequent updates that have sped it up and improved the user interface - which plenty will have missed - but...
Wednesday27th Jul 2016
News Retro-Bit's Next System Aims To Challenge The NES Classic Edition Mini Console
Over 100 titles, HDMI support, SD card slot and 6-button controllers
Ever since the Retron 5 and Retro Freak arrived on the scene clone hardware maker Retro-Bit has fallen a little silent. The company's last major release - the Super Retro Trio - was seen as a rival to Hyperkin's hardware, but lacked HDMI su
Talking Point Nintendo NX Deal Is A Vindication Of Nvidia's Shield Program
A mutually beneficial agreement that could be a boon for gamers
Reports that Nvidia's Tegra tech is going to power Nintendo's apparently portable NX console triggered a fairly familiar reaction online yesterday. Perhaps not all that familiar to those of you under the age of 20, but veterans will surely have gotten a sense of deja vu as the
News Level-5 Shows More of The Snack World and Unveils Cross-Media Strategy
Heading to 3DS in Japan in July 2017
With Yo-kai Watch established as a major cross-media money-spinner for Level-5 - with its TV show, toys, video games and assorted merchandise - the company is plotting its next major project that'll employ a similar strategy. We've known about The Snack World for a little while, but the recent Level-5 Vision 2016...
News Wall Street Journal References Nintendo's NX Being 'Compatible' With Its Smart Device Games
It'd be silly if it isn't, surely?
It's been an interesting week with the Nintendo NX, with Eurogamer firing the starting gun on a substantial set of details that appear to reflect the reality of the system's form factor. As we mentioned in our initial reaction editorial and again in today's musings on the
Video Digital Foundry Breaks Down Details on Nintendo NX and Nvidia's Tegra Technology
An alternative approach from Nintendo
As reported yesterday, Eurogamer has come forward with what it believes to be solid details on Nintendo NX - it reports on a portable device with detachable controllers and a 'base' for playing on the TV, while Nvidia's Tegra technology is powering the system's graphics through the GPU. As sets of rumours go...
News Level-5 Announces Lady Layton, Coming To Nintendo 3DS In 2017
Also coming to smartphones
Level-5 has confirmed the next title in the Professor Layton series, Lady Layton. The game will be coming to 3DS and smartphones in 2017, and looks set to continue the puzzle-solving tradition of the original Layton outings. The trailer above shows off a lot of animated content and a little of the smartphone game, which...
News Nintendo Delays Pokémon GO Plus Accessory Until September
Was supposed to launch this month
If you're one of the many people who pre-ordered their Pokémon GO Plus accessory the moment it was available, then you'll no doubt be wondering where it actually is. The device - which pairs with your smartphone via a low-energy Bluetooth connection and allows you to acquire items and catch monsters in Pokémon GO...
News Dragon Quest VIII Pushed Back to 2017 in Europe
The curse of localisation
With Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past not too far away, it's easy to overlook the fact that Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King is also heading to the 3DS in the West later this year. That's still the case in North America, according to Nintendo's latest schedule, but t
Talking Point Recent Sales Results Show That amiibo Needs Games For Success, Not Just Collectibility
A quiet quarter in sales is a rare market blip for the range
Nintendo's Q1 financial results were some of the most uneventful in recent memory; we're not expecting a President's Presentation or Q & A as they aren't the norm for the company's Q1 reports. What the financial results brought were losses and low sales, which weren't surprising in the...
News Pokémon GO Players Told To Steer Clear Of Japanese Nuclear Disaster Zone
Strangely evolved Pokémon discovered at Fukushima plant
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings has requested that Pokémon GO developer Niantic remove the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant from its database after discovering that the app spawns Pokémon on the site. The plant was partially destroyed by a nuclear reactor meltdown in March 2011,...
amiibo struggles as NX is confirmed to be included in projected sales
As was already known, this is the financial year that will bring us Nintendo's NX system, though the company isn't yet ready to reveal details despite reports that may have outed key details on the platform. What we do have are the Q1 financial results, which as expected don't...
News North Americans Get Two New Kirby Games on Wii U VC This Week
Mass Attack and Epic Yarn join the fray
Kirby has always sort of been an experimental franchise for Nintendo. Of course, the power-stealing platforming type of game has always been the foundation, but the Big N hasn't been afraid to branch out with new or weird gameplay ideas featuring the Super-Tuff Pink Puff. Over the years, this has resulted in...
News Level-5 Confirms New Inazuma Eleven Outing And NFC "Eleven Band" Accessory
Could be NX-bound
During Level-5 Vision 2016 the esteemed Japanese studio showed the trailer for the anime pilot episode of Inazuma Eleven Ares, the next entry in the popular soccer-based RPG franchise. The title takes place after the events of the very first Inazuma Eleven game. Three main protagonists are included this time around - Ryouhei...
News Sound Team From Sonic's 25th Anniversary Bash Explains Live Stream Issues
"Day of show, lots of weird issues"
This past weekend brought some pleasing news for Sonic fans, with a standout being Project Sonic 2017 confirmed for the NX; that announcement came at the close of a 4 hour live stream by SEGA from San Diego. The event was a celebration party, in addition to a vehicle for announcements, but those watching online...
News Megaton Musashi Boasts Giant Morphing Mechs And Cunning Cross-Media Marketing
Pacific Rim for kids?
Level-5 has lifted the lid on its next "cross media" property, Megaton Musashi. Set in a universe where aliens have decimated 90 percent of the human population, this new venture will take the same approach as Level-5's other multimedia projects. There will be a 3DS game, smartphone title, anime show and plenty of merchandise,...
News Yo-kai Watch 3 and New 3DS Continue to Lead the Way in Japan
Tasty results
It's Japanese Media Create charts time, as we see what's hot and what's not in Nintendo's homeland. It's another good week for Level-5 and the 3DS, with a handful of new releases on Sony hardware arriving in the top 20. Dual release Yo-kai Watch 3: Sushi / Tempura comfortably retains top spot, albeit not quite living up to the sales...
Review Chroma Blast (Wii U eShop)
Palette swap
If you want colourful battles, video games have long been a good place to find them - at least in many cases. Colour has long shown us which barrels explode, which enemies take more hits, and where exactly our turf is. Chroma Blast takes the colour of competition and strips it down into a simple, abstract package. Players control a...
News Tadpole Treble Releases on Wii U on 11th August
Music to our ears
Some of you may remember Tadpole Treble, a fascinating rhythm action game created by Matthew Taranto, the creator of Brawl in the Family. The game officially released on other platforms this past spring, but the Wii U version didn't materialize. This was clarified later on to be the result of struggles getting the game through...
Video Get a Good Look at MHFesta 2016, Japan's Monster Hunter Expo
So much Monster Hunter...
Monster Hunter Generations hasn't been out long, and it'll be interesting to see whether it can achieve similar success in the West to Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, which was touted as a breakthrough release. In Japan, however, there's never any question over whether a major MH title will do well - the franchise remains hugely...
Tuesday26th Jul 2016
News Android Wear Users Can Now Get Pokémon GO Notifications Direct To Their Wrists
Who needs the Pokémon GO Plus, right?
While the rest of the world waits for the arrival of the Pokémon GO Plus device, those who own an Android Wear smartwatch can now keep their phones in their pockets while they hunt for Pokémon out and about. A new smartwatch app called PokéDetector has been released which tracks any nearby monsters and...
Eurogamer sticks its neck out
There have been lots of Nintendo NX rumours from individuals and their sources over the past few months, but now our colleagues at Eurogamer have stuck their necks out with their own assessment of Nintendo's next-generation system. Citing multiple sources, it's sketched out a number of key details it believes represent...
Retro Fresh Nintendo NX Rumours Indicate That History Is Repeating Itself
Beware the savage jaw of 1984
Nintendo is a company that loves to innovate - the Wii and Nintendo DS are prime examples of this desire. However, the Game Boy Advance SP is proof that the Japanese veteran is also wise enough to pillage from the past when it makes sense; the clamshell design was borrowed from its '80s Game & Watch LCD rang
News Nindie Favourites Coming To Wii U Disc Under Nintendo eShop Selects Label
FAST Racing NEO and SteamWorld Collection leading the charge
The Wii U eShop has really punched above its weight during its short lifespan with many excellent Nindie games (and a few terrible ones) being made available for lucky gamers to download. Some of our favourites are Shin'en Multimedia's FAST Racing NEO and Image & Form's SteamWorld Dig...
Rumour Nintendo NX Will Be Powered By Nvidia's Mobile-Focused Tegra Tech
Possibly Tegra X2, the company's latest offering
It has long been assumed that the forthcoming NX console would use AMD's tech and would be based on x86 architecture - just like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Indeed, we've had reports that Nintendo's new console is on par with its establis
News LEGO Dimensions Expansion Packs Get Solid Release Date
Fantastic Beasts, Sonic The Hedgehog, Gremlins, E.T. and Adventure Time!
LEGO Dimensions continues to get even more amazing in Wave 7 which will arrive on 18th November 2016 to empty your bank account. Including a host of new media franchises and gameplay features, the toys-to-life brand looks like it's going to have quite a big Christmas this year...
Talking Point Considering the Angles of a Portable and Dynamic Nintendo NX
Detachable controllers, a home 'base' station? It fits some expectations
Earlier today our network colleagues at Eurogamer published details representative, potentially, of the Nintendo NX system that's currently out in the wild in dev kit form. Citing multiple sources it outlined a number of key details that you can read in summary here, though...
Video Almost 20 Years On, The Guy Who Sang The Original Pokémon Theme Has Still Got It
Still the very best
Even if you've resisted the urge to download Pokémon GO to your smartphone and make a fool of yourself in public, there's a good chance that if you were to hear the opening notes of the iconic Pokémon TV show theme then you wouldn't be able to stop yourself joining in. It's a classic theme that even those who have never watched...
Review The Battle Cats POP! (3DS eShop)
Almost paw-fect
If the success of Neko Atsume proves anything, it's that cats are popular and will not be losing their appeal any time soon. That said, The Battle Cats POP! is not your regular kitty game, incorporating tower defence strategy and delivering something truly unique. Battle Cats POP! lacks a storyline and throws you into the craziness...
News The Man Who Humbled Nintendo In The '90s Has Returned To The Video Game Arena
Sega legend Tom Kalinske returns to gaming
Those of you old enough to have lived through the 16-bit war of the '90s will almost certainly know the name Tom Kalinske. He served as Sega of America's CEO during this incredible period and is often credited with overturning Nintendo's dominance of the US console arena. When he took over the company was...
Guide Building The Perfect Team In Pokémon GO
The best monsters rated by attack, defense and stamina
If you've spent the past few weeks catching Pokémon, grabbing items and evolving your brood in Pokémon GO, then you'll no doubt be keen to fine-tune your team in order to take down some local gyms. That means building the perfect fighting unit of monsters with a mixture of high attack (or CP)...
News Mini Mega Drive / Genesis Systems On the Way to Cash In on Sonic's 25th Anniversary
Nintendo's NES revival is also a handy comparison
The upcoming NES Classic Edition / Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System is undoubtedly a cool little product. Its tiny form, accompanying controller, HDMI support and 30 pre-installed games will likely make it a Holiday hit for the big N. One thing we pointed out in an editorial...
Random Pokémon GO Costs WWE Tag Team A Win
No luchador Pikachu here
We've already reported on the fact that Pokémon GO has reached the level of awareness that permits it a mention during a WWE broadcast, and now the popular app is making its presence felt once more, this time to the detriment of one of the organisation's tag teams, The Shining Stars. During the team's match against Enzo...
Video Nintendo Wants You to Bask in Some Splatfest Nostalgia
There's a Squid Sisters song for every occasion
This past weekend Splatoon hosted its final Splatfest, the regular events that have allowed teams to put on snazzy virtual outfits and fight over topics such as pizza flavourings and favoured lifestyle choices. For plenty of Wii U owners the events have been a welcome regular routine, and their...
Guide How to Have Your Pokémon Gyms and Keep Them in Pokémon GO
Trust your instincts
Pokémon GO allows you to become a gym leader which is pretty darned lovely, but you may find that all too often your power is usurped by a plucky Youngster called Joey and his top-tier Rattata. Curses! <related tags="Pokemon Go, Guides">Are you finding this guide useful? Let us know with a comment, and don't forget to...
Review Hot Rod Racer (Wii U eShop)
A complete write-off
In Hot Rod Racer you take on the role of a reckless driver with the need for speed. Selecting from a car or a motorbike as your main mode of transport, you put the key in the ignition of your vehicle of choice and take to the track with the intention of speeding along until you run out of gas. Hot Rod Racer seemingly aims to...
News Pokémon GO Has Surpassed 75 Million Downloads Worldwide
How far will it go?
Pokémon GO has been out on the market for several weeks now, and it seems like the hype surrounding the game is finally starting to cool off somewhat. Of course, that's not to say that it will be fading away anytime soon; in fact, it seems like things will only continue to get better from here. The game's meteoric rise to the...
News Level-5 Trademark Filings in Europe Suggest Future Projects
Lady Layton, eh?
About a month ago, we reported on the news that a new, mainstream Professor Layton game would be revealed on 27th July. Ever since, nothing else has surfaced surrounding the future title, but with Level-5's annual Vision event just days away, some new information has recently come to light. The company recently filed some...
News European Miitomo Users Make the Correct Choice as Bowser T-Shirt Heads to My Nintendo
The only choice
Miitomo, Nintendo's sort-of social app, is still getting frequent updates and new outfits. The next set is all about Super Mario, with a mix of outfits to buy or win in Miitomo Drop - you can see the whole range of tasty virtual apparel in our original article on the topic. In addition Nintendo has been giving social media fans in...
News Aussie Yo-Kai Watch 2 Rating Builds Hype For European Release
He's got a Yo-Kai Watch
Yo-Kai Watch 2 has already been confirmed for a North American release, but now we have the first confirmation that the ghost-catching title will also be making its way to Europe. The game's two versions -
Monday25th Jul 2016
Exclusive RIVE Delayed for Wii U and Could Switch to NX, Two Tribes Tells Us Why
"A better RIVE is preferable to an early sub-par RIVE"
In the steadily decreasing list of enticing titles still coming to the Wii U and its eShop, RIVE was among the most anticipated in the download scene. The final game from Two Tribes, it made a favourable impression as one of the demos in the E3 2015 'Nindies@Home' promotion, and we rather...
News Niantic Reveals What's Next For Pokémon GO
PokéCenters, trading and a fix for the "three step" bug all on the way
Pokémon GO developer Niantic held a special panel regarding the game at the recent San Diego Comic-Con where it not only lifted the lid on the identities of the three team leaders but also outlined future plans for the game. Niantic CEO John Hanke claimed that only around 10...
Nintendo Download 28th July (Europe)
Secret Files Tunguska! 3 Street Fighter Games! 3 TurboGrafx-16 games! More!
We're a little later than normal with the European Nintendo Download Update details today thanks to a bit of confusion, but in any case our pals at Nintendo Insider have helped us out, so a big hat-tip to them. This week brings plenty of Virtual Console goodness across both...
News With Splatfests Finished, Judd Is Now Your Source of Super Sea Snails in Splatoon
You have to earn them, though
The final Splatoon Splatfest ended with Team Marie victorious, with plenty of players taking off their team t-shirts, collecting their winnings and no doubt letting out a disappointed sigh. After more than a year of regular updates and Splatfests, the Wii U's colourful shooter is about to settle down and conclude its...
Tuesday26th Jul 2016
News Take-Two Interactive CEO is a Believer in Nintendo and the NX
"We feel pretty enthusiastic actually"
Take-Two Interactive is one of the behemoths of game publishing, though Nintendo-focused gamers may not have played many of the company's games. It's the publishing and financial muscle behind IPs like Grand Theft Auto, Civilisation, NBA 2K, Borderlands and more, working with a broad range of developers across...
Monday25th Jul 2016
News The Definitive Version Of Super Turrican Was Denied A Virtual Console Release Back In 2008
We got the incomplete retail release instead
There was a bit of a surprise on the latest Retro Spielen webcast with legendary composer Chris Huelsbeck - the show's special guest was none other than founding president and creative director of the defunct and very much missed Factor 5, Julian Eggebrecht. The stage was set for some nostalgic chatter...
Zig-a-zig-ahhh
We open into a tale of a young wizard apprentice readying up to take the challenge of the Ziggurat, a rite of passage consisting of a series of tests inside a multi-floored labyrinth. As usual, many have tried but most have failed (and died in the process). Now it's your turn to prove your worth and earn the right to become one of the...
News Nintendo Shares Slump Dramatically as Company Cites "Limited" Financial Impact of Pokémon GO
Because, you know, it's not a Nintendo game
A little while ago we wrote about Pokémon GO being a surprising gift for Nintendo. Though it has a stake in the app and evidently had some senior level input into the app, it's a Niantic-developed game in which Nintendo is just one of multiple major investors. Nintendo was a brand on many lips around the...
Video As TurboGrafx-16 Hits The Wii U Virtual Console, Let's Look Back At Gaming's Lamest Mascot
Meet Johnny Turbo
As the first wave of TurboGrafx-16 classics arrive on the Virtual Console, now is as good a time as any to look back on what has to be one of the weakest video game mascots ever created. That's right, we're talking about TTI's Johnny Turbo, a hero so lame he was put out to pasture almost as soon as he arrived on the scene. In case...
Tuesday26th Jul 2016
News Minecraft: Wii U Edition is Receiving Another Patch Soon
Map packs, bug fixes, and more
Roughly a month ago, Minecraft: Wii U Edition received a fairly substantial update where a new multiplayer competitive arena mode was added in. A few updates followed to fix issues with this, among other things, and it's been several weeks since the last update was pushed out. Now, a new update is due out sometime this...
Monday25th Jul 2016
News Here Are Your Pokémon GO Team Leaders
Which one did you pledge allegiance to?
When you reach level 5 in Pokémon GO you've given the opportunity to select which of the three teams you'd like to pledge your allegiance to: Valor, Mystic or Instinct. This choice has serious consequences as it determines whether or not you have to fight for local gyms or add your strength to them if...
Review Minecraft: Story Mode - Episodes 2-5 (Wii U eShop)
Once upon a time...
After months of waiting, Telltale Games has finally gotten around to releasing more episodes of Minecraft: Story Mode content on Wii U. The question on everyone's mind, then, is whether or not it was worth the wait. Overall, the storytelling has some pacing issues and the performance sometimes isn't up to snuff, but it's...
News Hollywood Director Oliver Stone Brands Pokémon GO "Surveillance Capitalism"
"It's not really funny"
Pokémon GO may have ensnared millions of players with its monster-catching gameplay but not everyone is a fan, it would seem. Hollywood director Oliver Stone - famous for such critically-acclaimed movies such as JFK, Platoon and Nixon - has been speaking about the game at this year's Comic-Con, and he's clearly a little...
News Three SNES Street Fighter Titles Heading to European New 3DS Virtual Console This Week
Buy two get the third free
Some of the more eagle-eyed among you may be wondering where the usual European Nintendo Download Update details are; that's a good question, as we're thinking the same thing [Update, the full details are now live]. Nintendo hasn't sent out the press release to kick off the week, so we're working on the assumption it'll...
News Team Marie Triumphs in Splatoon's Final Splatfest
The end of an era
Since its release in May 2015, Splatoon has been a notable success for the Wii U. While the platform has struggled, those that do own the system have embraced Nintendo's colourful third-person shooter in a big way. The cultural impact - especially in Japan - has been significant, with amiibo, merchandise and even live concerts...
Review SpaceRoads (Wii U eShop)
Take a higher road
How do games like this get released in 2016? Wurd Industries' SpaceRoads is a mess. From the Microsoft Office-style Word art "Wurd Industries" logo to the horrendously optimized introduction video, to the amateurish visuals and loose gameplay, everything about SpaceRoads recalls the worst of 1990s shareware. There is no reason to...
News 8bitdo And Analogue Interactive Team Up Again For The SNES Wireless Retro Receiver
Begone, cables!
Peripheral maker 8bitdo and retro revivalist Analogue Interactive recently joined forces to create a wireless adapter for the NES which allows players to use Bluetooth controllers on their vintage hardware. The pair have combined their efforts once again, but this time it's Nintendo's 16-bit console which is getting the cable-free...
Ninterview Stu Brett On Putting Super Famicom Guy To Rest And His Next Venture, Ghost Arcade
"My collection is done and dusted"
Long-time fans of the site will surely know the name Super Famicom Guy. It's been the online handle of Scotman Stu Brett for almost a decade, and using this moniker he has spread his love of Nintendo's 16-bit console to thousands via his Twitter account, Instagram feed and - most notable - his book Super Famicom:...
News Monster Hunter Generations Holds Top 10 UK Spot as Pokémon Titles Enjoy GO Benefits
A welcome boost in the quiet shopping season
The UK chart results are in, and they bring some positive news for Nintendo UK and also Capcom, with the quiet Summer months not doing too much harm to 3DS releases in particular. Monster Hunter Generations, which had an impressive debut in third place, secures 9th in its second week in the all-format...
Sunday24th Jul 2016
News Darksiders is Coming to Wii U
Before Death, there is War
Last month, Nordic Games mentioned how they had a game coming that Action/Adventure fans would appreciate. Many made the guess that this would be a port of Darksiders, considering that Darksiders II already came to the console early on. It appears that this turned out to be true, as Nordic Games has confirmed that they are...
Video Learn a Little More About the History of Super NES
Did You Know Gaming? does its thing
A lot of retro gaming chatter right now, courtesy of the upcoming minitiarised version, is focused on the NES. Yet its successor has a fascinating history - the Super NES arrived in a time of notable upheaval in the gaming market, with the so-called 'Bit Wars' as SEGA grappled for supremacy with Nintendo. It...
Japan Weekly Puzzle & Dragons X Reviews Are In, And It's Good
A series of unusual visual novels also gets a reveal
Famitsu has finally picked up the pace after an E3 hangover. This week features an impressive amount of previews, although most of them are for games we've already gotten in the West or for titles already released in Japan. However, a new game reveal and the review for Puzzle & Dragons X more...
Talking Point Free and Early Access Downloads Like Metroid Prime: Blast Ball Make a Lot of Sense
Working harder for sales
Poor old Metroid Prime: Federation Force - following its bizarre and poorly received E3 2015 reveal it's been kept largely out of the spotlight, only emerging in the past week with Nintendo opening the doors for previews and, somewhat surprisingly, releasing Metroid Prime: Blast Ball for free. Essentially a bonus / training...
Saturday23rd Jul 2016
News Project Sonic 2017 Confirmed for Nintendo NX Release
Check out the debut cinematic trailer
At the close of its 25th Anniversary Sonic Party in San Diego, SEGA unveiled a cinematic for the next main-series release for the franchise - codenamed Project Sonic 2017, it's due in the Holiday season next year and is confirmed for the Nintendo NX. It's a Sonic Team project, cited as the same team that...
Live Blog It's Time for Sonic the Hedgehog's 25th Anniversary Party and Game Reveal - Live!
Hopefully not Boom and bust
Oh Sonic the Hedgehog, we love you and we fear you. The Blue Blur's games over the past decade have varied from promising and solid efforts to atrocious disasters, with some 3DS and mobile games in between. Now SEGA is throwing a 25th Anniversary bash in which a new game will be announced; we're watching and hoping for...
News Sonic Mania Announced for Spring 2017, But No Nintendo Platforms Are Included
Sad times
SEGA has been running a somewhat chaotic live stream for its 25th Anniversary Sonic bash (at the time of writing), with delays and atrocious sound being issues early on. The disappointment continued for Nintendo fans when a new Sonic game was announced without any mention of Nintendo platforms. Sonic Mania is a remix title, in some...
Video Here's The Cheapest Way To Play Pokémon GO
Get smartphone ready for just $99 / £60
Some people out there may have resisted the Pokémon GO craze because the game simply doesn't appeal to them or they'd rather not walk around the streets in the dead of night searching for elusive Squirtles, but for others the barrier to entry is a technological one; despite their ubiquitous nature, not...
Talking Point SEGA Has the Right Idea With Its Upcoming Sonic Projects
Looking to the past for answers to the future
As many of you are no doubt aware, SEGA made two major announcements during its Sonic anniversary bash that gave a lot of insight into the near future of the Blue Blur. Sonic Mania appears – for all intents and purposes – to be the sequel to Sonic & Knuckles that many have been asking SEGA to...
Review Buddy & Me: Dream Edition (Wii U eShop)
Is this endless runner a dream to play?
Imagine as you're nodding off to sleep one night, you realise there is a big furry creature with long ears outside your bedroom window staring at you. Why didn't you purchase curtains? This is pretty much the premise of Buddy & Me: Dream Edition. The "Dream Edition" part of the title is derived from the...
Friday22nd Jul 2016
News Data Miners Reveal Information Buried in Pokémon GO's Code
Level caps, Legendaries, and more
It's obvious at this point that Pokémon GO is very much a work in progress. Aside from addressing the server issues the game still suffers from weeks after release, it's been said in the past that the game will eventually see trading, expanded gyms and Pokéstops, and new Pokémon. Granted, all of this has yet to...
News The Official Nintendo NES Classics Book Will Go Nicely With Your NES Mini
Now you're reading with power!
We were delighted to hear that Nintendo and Bitmap Books settled their dispute with the upcoming NES Visual Compendium book, which has been a rip-roaring success on Kickstarter. Now we might have a clue why Nintendo was being so precious about use of its IP in such a book. Billed as a veritable love letter to Nintendo...
Video Ben Heck Fixes and Plays the Rare SNES PlayStation Prototype
One for all you electronics buffs
The so-called 'SNES PlayStation', which exists in prototype form, is undoubtly intriguing to observers of gaming history. Just recently we shared a video in which one of the units had a full technical teardown, with The Ben Heck Show doing the good work. A follow-up has now been shared in which Heck works on fixing...
News Say Hello To The Site Which Lets You Find Rare Monsters Near You In Pokémon GO
Cheating or taking a shortcut?
Finding rare beasts in Pokémon GO is often a matter of trial and error, as you only have a very narrow view of the world around you and can't "see" where monsters are expected to spawn. However, a group of fans have used the game's API to create a site which shows the locations of nearby monsters and even goes as far...
Guide How To Gain XP Fast In Pokémon GO
All those Pidgey, Weedle and Caterpies are useful after all
While some might assume that capturing Pokémon is the ultimate objective in Pokémon GO, what you really need to focus on in the beginning is levelling up your trainer as fast as possible. Not only do you need to be a level 5 trainer to gain access to gyms, the level of your avatar...
News Tempting North American Sonic eShop Discounts Are a Perfect Warm-Up to Anniversary Event
Sonic Lost World! 3D Sonic titles! More!
With San Diego gearing up to host a much-anticipated Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary Party, there's more for fans of the blue blur to enjoy while they wait. Partially outlined in this week's Nintendo Download Update details, a range of tempting discounts are currently available on the Wii U and 3DS eShop...
News Fresh Pokémon Sun And Moon News Coming August 1st
What's next?
It has been confirmed that we'll be hearing a bit more about the forthcoming Pokémon Sun and Moon 3DS games early next month. On August 1st 22:00 Japanese Standard Time, more information will be revealed about the titles, which are surely to be the last Pokémon outings for the 3DS. That translates as: 2 PM UK time 3 PM European...
News Bask in Nendoroid Goodness in This Celebratory Good Smile Company Video
So many Nendoroids
Occasionally, when the right IPs are featured, we take great pleasure in covering Good Smile Company Nendoroids here on Nintendo Life. These cute and diminutive figures rarely fail to raise a smile, especially when featuring familiar and much loved characters. Good Smile Company is now celebrating a landmark for this series of...
News VD-Dev Co-Founder, Fernando Velez, Passes Away
Studio colleagues: "A tremendous loss for all of us"
In some sad news for close followers of the eShop and the broader download gaming scene, studio VD-Dev has announced that its co-founder - Fernando Velez - has passed away as a result of "a cardiac failure". A developer with a number of titles on his CV - as shown in VD-Dev's commemorative banner...
News SurveyMonkey Intelligence Data Highlights Pokémon GO's US Performance Since the App's Peak
Consistently has over 20 million users a day in the US
Pokémon GO has been a viral phenomenon, a process that continues to evolve as it rolls out in more territories around the world, with Japan the latest country to join in. The US was there on day one, however, so it's a market that provides some useful data on the app's performance...
Poll How Much Do Early Access and Free Downloads Affect Your Purchasing Choices?
Metroid Prime: Blast Ball is the latest to lure players in early
This week brought a rather interesting surprise from Nintendo, as it released Metroid Prime: Blast Ball as a free download. In Europe it's effectively a gift, seemingly a standalone download that takes the mini-game / training from Metroid Prime: Federation Force and hands it over well...
News Two Men Sentenced Over 2015 Pokémon World Championships Gun Threats
Two years each for unlawful gun possession
You may recall a rather disturbing incident around the time of the 2015 Pokémon World Championships in Boston, when two men due to attend were arrested in possession of multiple firearms. It emerged that social media and forum posts had been reported as threatening, prompting the police to act. The trial...
News Retailers Expect Pikachu And Pals To Be Big Sellers This Christmas Thanks To Pokémon GO Fever
Pokémon 3DS games sales rose by 145 percent last week
We already know that Pokémon GO has caused a spike in sales at retailer GameStop, but it would appear that the beneficial effect of the mobile title is bigger than previously assumed. The increased interest in Pokémon has triggered a spike in 3DS hardware and software sales in the UK, with...
Random Take This Pokémon GO Safety Tips Guide with a Pinch of Salt
Seriousness aside
Pokémon GO has been supposedly linked to various accidents since its inception, and we at Nintendo Life aren't ones to sit around and let this sort of thing carry on. As such, please find below our guide on how to stay safe when playing the game, right down to the appropriately comfy and easy to wear attire. We're serious.
News Super Mario Apparel is Set to Appear in Miitomo Next Week
Well, it's about time
With all the positive press that's been surrounding Pokémon GO lately, it's easy to forget that Nintendo's first smartphone app, Miitomo, is still going strong. Though it seems that Miitomo's popularity plateaued rather quickly following its release, Nintendo certainly can't be faulted for abandoning the app, as it's received...
News National StreetPass Weekend: Summer Edition Takes Place This Weekend in North America
Along with a Mario Kart 7 tournament
Some of you may remember that Nintendo put on a National Streetpass Weekend in early June to celebrate the upcoming E3 extravaganza. Not ones to leave the isolated gamer out of the fun for long, they've opted to do another one that technically started yesterday. National StreetPass Weekend: Summer Edition is...
News Pokémon GO Finally Arrives In Japan
Coming home
Pokémon GO's Japanese adventure has been something of a saga. It was initially released in that region alongside Australia and New Zealand a few weeks back, but was pulled when it became clear that the servers simply couldn't cope with the demand. Japanese players were then told that they might have to wait until later in the month to...
Thursday21st Jul 2016
News Metroid Prime: Blast Ball Gets Surprise Release, for Free, on the 3DS eShop
Blast away today
Though Metroid Prime: Federation Force is still a little while away on 3DS, Nintendo has surprised owners of the portable with the sudden release of Metroid Prime: Blast Ball as a free download on the eShop, giving players an early chance to try out the controls of the new entries and to engage in some futuristic sci-fi sports. The...
Nintendo Download 21st July (North America)
Pokémon Ranger! Buddy & Me! Star Fox demos + Battle Begins! More!
The time has come, dear readers, for the North American Nintendo Download Update details. This week has a range of promising download-only releases on both the Wii U and 3DS, while some high profile demos also nudge their way into view. Throw in some discounts (including some that...
Review Dracula's Legacy (Wii U eShop)
This one' s got bite
Dracula's Legacy doesn't waste any time in getting on with proceedings - thrusting the player straight into a spooky hidden object adventure. The story focuses on a young woman named Isabella who is haunted by frightening dreams about her forgotten past. With an eagerness to find a solution to her problems, she travels to an old...
Gallery Take a Better Look at July's Monster Hunter Generations DLC Goodies
Worth it for the Starter Pack alone
Monster Hunter Generations arrived recently in the West, so we trust that plenty of you are currently going on some exciting hunts both offline and online. Something you may have overlooked is that, as per tradition, there's a launch set of DLC to get you started, and Capcom Unity has broken down the full details...
Hands On Painting a Clearer Picture of Paper Mario: Color Splash
"This is more of an adventure game"
There was an elephant in the room inside of Nintendo's off-site Comic-Con Nintendo Play Lounge. Not to be confused with a small stage shaped like an oversized Nintendo 3DS console, or the mammoth, room-sized inflatable Kirby set up to greet guests, this elephant took the shape of a video game kiosk. The game was...
News NES Visual Compendium Dispute Comes To An End, Kickstarter Resumes For Final 24 Hours
A happy end
Bitmap Books appears to have come to some agreement with Nintendo of America regarding the intellectual property dispute on its NES: A Visual Compendium book. The publication - which is part of Bitmap's Visual Compendium range - had proved to be a massive crowdfunding success on
News Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition Gets a Snazzy Trailer and Website
Now you're playing with power
A week after its announcement, Nintendo has released a snazzy trailer to 'introduce' the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition. About time too, as we suspect this could be a big-seller for the company in the vital Holiday season. The trailer shows off the included games, and goes a bit retro at the end to...
Hands On Squashing Space Pirates in Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Insane in the Mother Brain
It's safe to say the general - or at least loudest - response from Metroid fans upon the reveal of Metroid Prime: Federation Force was one of disappointment. One year on and things have calmed down a little bit, but is there enough in this game to sway those who spoke so strongly against it at E3 2015? First and foremost...
Gallery A Look at the Quirky Delights of the Play Nintendo Family Lounge at San Diego Comic-Con
Including the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition
San Diego Comic-Con is now getting into full swing, and in addition to a Splatoon-centric booth inside the show Nintendo is hosting its Play Nintendo Family Lounge nearby in the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina (333 W. Harbor Dr.). It's open to the public (no expo pass required) and...
Review Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs (Wii U eShop / DS)
New features and more circle-capture adventures
The Oblivia region has tidy beaches, clear seas and lots of sunshine; it's a pleasant place to be whether a human or one of the many free-roaming Pokémon. Things have changed recently, however, with many Pokémon abducted by a villainous gang known as the Pokémon Pinchers (no, really) and it's up to...
News Nintendo's Official UK Store Opens Pre-Orders for the Nintendo Classic Mini NES
With some extras thrown in
The Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System is no doubt going to be a big-seller in November, as fans rush to get the budget-priced system. Nintendo's Official UK Store is now joining in with the pre-order fun with its own range of offers; as always everything is priced at the recommended retail rate, but with...
Review Futuridium EP Deluxe (Wii U eShop)
Psychedelic shooting
If you blend on-rails conventional Star Fox action with the Death Star run from the first Star Wars, then drop in some psychedelic visuals, you're starting to get a feel for Futuridium EP Deluxe. MixedBag makes its Wii U debut with its colourful shooter that's done the rounds on multiple platforms, and it's a welcome slice of...
Random Speedrunner Sets New World Record For Blindfolded Run of Super Mario World
Of course that's a thing
Speedrunning is an impressive feat in and of itself. Gamers spend countless hours of their lives memorizing games' structure and design to the point that they understand nearly every bump, crack, and crevice, all in order to beat the game as fast as humanly possible. Very few are capable of competing with the very best in...
News Legendary Pictures Has Secured the Film Rights to Pokémon
And the first movie is… Detective Pikachu
A few months back, there were rumours of multiple film companies battling it out for the rights to produce silver screen films based on Nintendo's popular Pokémon franchise. Things quieted down for a bit, but the dust got kicked up again in more recent times with the runaway success of Pokémon GO. Now,...
News The Stages for the Final Splatfest Have Been Announced
Kelp Dome! Moray Towers! Walleye Warehouse!
A couple weeks ago, it was announced that the final Splatfest for Splatoon would be taking place later this month. The news was disappointing to many, but it seems like Nintendo wants to make sure that it goes all out with this final celebration. As a result, fans were allowed to vote on what three stages...
News Yo-kai Watch 3 and New 3DS LL Lead The Charts in Japan
Level-5's latest release struggles to match its predecessors, however
This week's Media Create chart results for Japan tell an interesting tale of one enormous hit overshadowing a number of older, struggling titles. Only two games managed to sell unit numbers above five figures, with Nintendo being one beneficiary of the week's one smash hit...
Weirdness Now You Can Even Find More "Pokémon" In The Dictionary
"A pet monster in this fictional world"
The world has gone mad hunting Pokémon in the real world, but now you can even find them in the dictionary. Popular online resource Dictionary.com recently added the word Pokémon with an extended definition, seemingly as an acknowledgement that this craze is never going to die. Here's the definition:...
Interview Jason Behr on Buddy & Me: Dream Edition, Going Independent and His History With Nintendo
"We just needed some space to prove we could carefully craft our own world"
Along with the regular slew of digital releases in the weekly update of eShop downloads, today marks the release of Buddy & Me: Dream Edition. Starting life as a mobile game born of a Kickstarter campaign, Dream Edition takes the best of the endless runner and...
Gallery Nintendo's Favourites in the Art Academy "Splatfest Memories" Event
Ink-redible
Over the past few weeks Nintendo has been running an Art Academy event on Miiverse to celebrate Splatoon, encouraging fans to show off their skills in honour of the Wii U title. Plenty evidently did, and Nintendo has picked out some favourites to show off just how talented some Wii U owners are. The big N's Miiverse team has picked out...
Wednesday20th Jul 2016
News Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Delays Partly Due To Developers "Breaking" The Game, Says Eiji Aonuma
"I learned that, when it's good, I have to say so"
The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma has been spilling the beans about the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for Wii U and Nintendo NX in a recent interview in issue 296 of UK magazine Edge. The title - which was originally expected to arrive on the Wii U this year but...
News Nintendo Reconfirms March 2017 NX Launch And Quality Of Life Concept Development
NX is a "brand new" concept, as we've been told before
Nintendo has just published its 2016 Annual Report, and tucked away alongside all of the numbers and figures you'll find some interesting titbits about the company's future products. First up is NX, which was once again confirmed as coming in March next year: Nintendo is also devoted to the...
News Autumn Animal Crossing: New Leaf Update To Bring amiibo Figure And Card Support
Four years after release
Nintendo is bringing amiibo support to Animal Crossing: New Leaf almost four years after the game's original release in Japan. The update - which is due in the Autumn - will allow users with a New 3DS or NFC Reader to use their amiibo figures and amiibo cards in the game. Cards will make villagers arrive in your town but it...
News The Full Site For Kirby Café is Now Open
*Cue Gourmet Run music*
A couple weeks ago, it was revealed that there would be a Kirby Café coming to Japan. The Café remained shrouded in mystery for a time, other than the logical assumption that it would feature Kirby themed food and drink. Fortunately, a full site recently opened for the Café, revealing everything that lucky Japanese Kirby...
News Ubisoft CEO Says Nintendo NX Will Help Grow The Industry And Pull In Casual Players
"What we have seen is really great"
While the world (and, some of you might argue, this site) descends into Pokémon GO fever, it's important to remember that there's more to Nintendo than just catching monsters with your smartphone. The company launches its new console next year, a system which is widely expected to unify the company's portable and...
Video This Is What The Next Generation Of Pokémon GO Could Look Like
Thanks to Microsoft's HoloLens headset
Pokémon GO's use of location-based tech and Augmented Reality has led many to dub it "anti-VR" in that it pulls us out of an immersive world and forces us to move around the real world, interacting with others and potentially forging social relationships face-to-face. However, it's easy to guess at how...
Video We Need To Talk About Ghostbusters 2 On The NES
Scrolling to the left, doing its own thing
In case you hadn't noticed, there's a new Ghostbusters film out at the moment, and it has endured its fair share of unfair criticism purely for having four female busters instead of four male ones. Yes, that's the kind of crazy world we now occupy. Putting such gender-related silliness to one side for a...
News Here's What Darkrai Looks Like In Pokkén Tournament
Aren't Pokémon supposed to be cute?
The fearsome Darkrai may not be confirmed for the Wii U version of Pokkén Tournament just yet, but it's coming to the arcade version - as these lovely new screenshots attest. The update goes live in arcades today in Japan. Darkrai - along with Scizor and Empoleon - is referenced in the Wii U game code, so it's...
News Japanese Launch Of Pokémon GO Delayed Due To McDonald's Email Leak
Fast food causes slow down
Yesterday, we reported that Pokémon GO was set to launch in Japan alongside a campaign which would see 3,000 McDonald's outlets turned into gyms within the game. However, TechCrunch - the source of that piece of news - is now claiming that the launch has been postponed amid fears that the leaked info would cause
Video The Squid Sisters Stay Fresh In These Splatoon Music Clips
Callie and Marie do their funky thing
Here's a friendly reminder that the final Splatfest happens this weekend from the Squid Sisters - Callie and Marie. Making sure that Splatoon stays fresh in your minds, Nintendo of Japan has released two videos with each sister performing their signature solo songs: Those were some funky moves. Will you be...
Random Even The WWE Isn't Safe From Pokémon GO Fever
Xavier Woods drops the P-Bomb (and we don't mean Power)
We recently reported on the fact that Pokémon GO has reached the level of awareness that it's being parodied by The Simpsons, and today we've got another example of the app's power to penetrate the consciousness of the mainstream media. In short, it got a mention during a WWE broadcast, which...
Tuesday19th Jul 2016
Guide How To Use Niantic's Ingress App To Discover Rare Pokémon In Pokémon GO
Better connected
Pokémon GO is proving to be quite popular in the world of smartphone gaming, and with good reason - it successfully combines location-based gaming with the thrill of hunting those iconic 'mon. However, the title hasn't become a global smash hit without having a solid foundation, and Pokémon GO owes a massive debt to fellow...
Guide Making the Meowst of Palicoes and Prowler Mode in Monster Hunter Generations
You can never have too many cats
Not only do cat puns abound in Monster Hunter Generations, but your furry friends are also bounding around the field. Palicoes - as they are called - are your friendly Felyne companions on your quest to hunt giant monsters, gather rare items and level up your battle-scarred Hunters. In this guide we provide key...
Video Here's The Ultimate Game Boy Cartridge Storage Solution
Hanging loose
If you're a discerning retro collector then the issue of how to properly display loose cartridges will probably keep you up at night. If you're unable to get any shut-eye due to this troubling problem, then YouTube channel My Life in Gaming - along with the equally brilliant Game Dave - is here to help. They've pooled their collective...
News Nintendo Is Now More Valuable Than Sony Thanks To Pokémon GO
Never thought we'd say that in 2016
The recent surge of interest in mobile title Pokémon GO has caused Nintendo's share price to double, which means that the company is now worth more than rival Sony. On Tuesday Nintendo's shares jumped by 12 percent, contributing to a 120 percent rise since the app was launched. 2.5 trillion Yen (approximately...
News Hyper Training, Six New Pokémon and More Announced for Sun and Moon
Pokémon Global Link to offer customisable competitions
Pokémon Sun and Moon aren't too far away, with the dual release to be ready to rock our 3DS systems in November, and The Pokémon Company is continuing its steady reveal of new details as the weeks and months tick by. Today's information drop is an exciting one as it reveals new ways to play...
News Junichi Masuda on the Process of Composing Music for Pokémon
Gotta make sure it's not too Loudred
Music in the Pokémon games is something that's nearly as iconic as the titular monsters themselves, with many memorable tracks being produced over the series' long run. After all, who could ever forget the sweet relief of hearing that Pokémon Center tune, or the anticipation that starts building once you enter...
News When Will We See Legendary Pokémon Mewtwo And His Pals In Pokémon GO?
Mew, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres...and Ditto?!
Cast your mind back to the official trailer for Pokémon GO. It sold the concept well enough, showed off the forthcoming Pokémon GO Plus accessory, teased the (still unavailable) trading eleme
News LEGO Dimensions Second Year Goodies Include More Detailed Worlds
Supergirl to the rescue
Disney Infinity might have been canned, but that doesn't mean toys-to-life is going anywhere soon. The talented team behind LEGO Dimensions have a lot of confidence in the future of their brand and have been talking to our chums at Eurogamer.net about plans for Second Year content. Speaking to game director Jimmy
Rumour Report Points to the Nintendo NX Potentially Monitoring Your Heart Rate
That should get the blood pumping
Here's an interesting little tidbit which might give us some clues as to the direction which the the NX might be taking, perhaps the 'handheld' component should there be one. Taiwanese company Pixart Imaging is a player in CMOS-based heart-rate monitoring (HRM) solutions which are used by brands in the fitness...
Gallery A Closer Look at the Latest Additions to Pokémon Sun and Moon
We're in Team Bewear
Earlier today new details were revealed for Pokémon Sun and Moon - these include 'Hyper Training' and expanded options in the Pokémon Global Link service. In addition six new Pokémon got revealed, so as is now the norm we've looked through the Pokémon Twitter feed and official website for the full lowdown and images on the...
Review Hurry Up! Bird Hunter (Wii U eShop)
One dead duck
Let's be upfront about this, Duck Hunt knock-offs never do very well. Hurry Up! Bird Hunter is disappointingly no different from the rest. The title by EnjoyUp Games aims to recreate the practice in a fun arcade manner, and all it does is fall flat on its face. It's hard to tolerate what is presented in this game, because every aspect...
Codes being given away seems to be the issue
It's no secret that Nintendo has been behind the times with online services for quite some time. While the company has made fantastic leaps ahead over this past hardware generation, and the new My Nintendo system points towards a bright future, there's definitely been some glaring issues that will have to...
Video Watch Pokémon GO Mania Unfold In New York City
It's an apokélypse!
It might seem like a bit of overstatement to say that Pokémon GO has become a worldwide phenomenon, but with each passing day it feels like a modern day Beatlemania (can we coin the phrase Pokémania?). YouTuber Alexander Steinberg has attempted to document this ever-growing craze as many hundreds of Pokémon Trainers gathered...
News Japanese Kids Go Crazy For McDonald's Pokémon Toys In The Absence of Pokémon GO
McDonald's shares jump 23 percent as a result
Another day, another Pokémon GO success story. This time it's McDonald's in Japan which has enjoyed the benefits of the new surge of interest in all things Pokémon. Since it started giving Pokémon-themed toys away with its Happy Meals, sales have gone through the roof and their shares have jumped a...
Random Turns Out Mario Kart Might Make You A Better Driver In Real Life
Just don't thow any bananas skins, please!
Gamers rejoice - a recent study has revealed that playing action videogames can improve your real life driving skills. New York University Shanghai participants were trained by playing Mario Kart, using a steering-wheel controller to drive a go-kart on a track. The data showed that by playing Mario Kart the...
News Pokémon GO To Arrive In Japan Tomorrow Along With McDonald's Gym Sponsorship
3000 outlets included, global launch mooted
TechCrunch is reporting that Pokémon GO will be coming to Japan tomorrow alongside a special sponsorship deal which will see 3000 McDonald's outlets transformed into gyms within the game. This report flies in the face of the official line from developer Niantic, which has previously stated that the app...
Monday18th Jul 2016
News Pokémon GO Cyclists Aren't Thrilled About Being Penalised By Speed Limit
Pokemon Walk
As a key component of Pokémon GO requires travelling to hatch eggs, find Pokémon and get to training gyms, it's natural that players would look for ways to cover ground more efficiently. At present the player has to travel about 2km in order to hatch just one egg. Unfortunately for those wishing to hop on a bicycle in order to cover...
Review Langrisser Re:Incarnation Tensei (3DS)
Languid
With a string of well-loved strategy RPGs spanning the glory days of the Mega Drive, Super Famicom and Sega Saturn, Masaya's Langriser is a storied series. Its unique art style, large-scale battles and Germanic-inspired lore earned it a passionate following; now, nearly two decades after 1998's Langrisser V, Aksys has delivered a new entry...
The very best?
We might as well come right out and say it: Pokémon GO is a genuine phenomenon, one of those rare moments in video game history (think Pac-Man, Donkey Kong or Tetris) where the entire population of the planet seems to be hooked. That might sound like the most extreme hyperbole imaginable - especially when you consider that the...
Nintendo Power
When the Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System was announced - called Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition in North America - it caused quite a stir. Its cute form-factor (it can fit in the palm of a hand) and pre-installed list of 30 games got gamers of various kinds rather excited. As pre-orders are live...
Nintendo Download 21st July (Europe)
Buddy & Me! A Shadow's Tale! Wind-up Knight 2! Demos! FE DLC! More!
With the start of another week we have the usual batch of details for the goodies due in the European Nintendo Download Update. Coming up on Thursday we have a range of promising download-only titles across Wii U and 3DS, including a New 3DS exclusive. We also have a new Wii...
Tuesday19th Jul 2016
Review Bonk's Adventure (Wii U eShop / TG-16)
The third (stone) wheel
Woe is the child who grew up with a TurboGrafx-16. Whereas battles of words and wills cropped up endlessly in the schoolyard by stalwart Nintendo and Sega fans in the great console wars of the early 90s, anybody with NEC's home rendition of the PC Engine was the gaming equivalent of Switzerland, a neutral entity that was more...
Monday18th Jul 2016
Video Even Homer Simpson Is Playing Pokémon GO
Pokémon Now?
The Simpsons TV show might be well past its prime, but you have to give the writers their props. They aren't shy of jumping on a bandwagon in order to make headlines. D'oh! It worked too! In the clip below entitled "Pokémon Now?", we see Homer visiting the local zoo with his beloved children Bart and Lisa. Unfortunately he's become...
News Official Nintendo UK Store Opens Pokémon Sun and Moon Pre-Orders With Bonus Figurines
Solgaleo or Lunala, the choice is yours
Pokémon Sun and Moon has been available to pre-order from various retailers for quite a while, depending on your region, but now UK gamers have the option of the official Nintendo store to consider. As is the norm with this store it's charging the typical retail prices, but is throwing in extras to tempt us...
Feature Happy Birthday Imajin! The Characters from Doki Doki Panic Turn 30 Years Old
Exploring the intriguing history behind Yume Kōjō
Super Mario Bros. 2 was one of the best selling NES games out there. By now the history of the game is fairly well known, but if you don't know the story here's a refresher. Super Mario Bros. 2 stands out as the black sheep of the series for its different play mechanics and character design; that's...
News GameStop Enjoys a Sales Spike as it Lures in Pokémon GO Players
People just Pokéstopping by
As you've no doubt seen around the web and on your travels, savvy small businesses such as restaurants and coffee shops that are near Pokéstops have been buying lures to, well, lure in players who then happen to buy something while they're catching pocket monsters. Of course, this is a tactic that big businesses can...
News Server Demand For Pokémon GO Means Japan Won't Get It Until Late July
Some speculate it could even be September
Pokémon GO has slowly but surely finding its way to more countries over the past week, but one region which is still waiting is Japan. Despite briefly getting the game alongside Australia and New Zealand, access was withdrawn when it became clear that the game's servers couldn't cope with the demands of...
News Monster Hunter Generations Enjoys a Positive Launch in the UK
Disney Art Academy gets frozen out
The UK chart results are out for the last week of sales and certainly have some interesting news for 3DS fans, with Capcom seeking to follow up a previous hit with continued momentum. We're referring, of course, to the arrival of Monster Hunter Generations. The huge action title has finally arrived in the West and...
Video Learn The Full Story Of The Famicom Disk System With The Gaming Historian
Slipped disk
The Gaming Historian (aka Norman Caruso) is back with ever more luscious hair to get us up to speed with the ill-fated Famicom Disk System. Nintendo considered the Disk System the future of the Famicom, and promised bigger, cheaper games through the hardware iteration. To get a better understanding of how the Famicom Disk System came...
News This New Book Chronicles the Early Days of Satoru Iwata's Life
The President, Programmer, and Gamer
The late Satoru Iwata contributed much to Nintendo's history. While it's easy to remember him for his more recent accomplishments in the Wii and DS eras, many are aware that Iwata's time at the company has lasted for much longer; he got his start as a part-time programmer at HAL Laboratory in the 1980's. This...
Review Blackjack 21 (Wii U eShop)
Bust
Skunk Software seems to have a thing for making casino-style games for the Wii U eShop, and unfortunately they're not strong releases. After two shoddy attempts at poker games and a similarly unappealing slot machine title, the studio has opted to make a Blackjack game. For what it's worth Blackjack 21 stands as the best casino game to come out...
Review Prism Pets (Wii U eShop)
Find your zen
Those of you who enjoy playing the odd puzzle game on your smartphone will no doubt remember 2048. The viral "It" game of 2014, 2048 was centered around the very simple idea of consolidating like numbers on a grid by swiping in any direction. Naturally, dozens of clones began to arrive on digital storefronts shortly after, hoping to...
Video Catch Up With the Smash Bros. and Pokkén Tournament Grand Finals From Evo 2016
Including the epic Melee showdown between Hungrybox and Armada
For followers of the competitive fighting game scene few events are as exciting as Evo 2016, one of the year's most hyped occasions. Pleasingly Nintendo games have a notable presence every year through Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and now Pokkén Tournament...
Reminder Nintendo Life Gaming Night in Cambridge UK - 30th July
Nintendo gaming fun for all the family
As some reading these pages know a number of the Nintendo Life team are based in the UK, and through our friendship with The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge we occasionally host gaming events with that awesome organisation. Our next one is lined up, and instead of the late evening shenanigans and...
Sunday17th Jul 2016
Feature What We Can Expect From The Future Of Pokémon GO
Keeping the going good
Niantic's Pokémon GO - in which Nintendo has a major stake - has been a lion's roar to the naysayers, for as you're probably well aware the app is breaking records all over the shop. Naturally, we can expect to see this huge spike of interest drop as the novelty may wear off for the more casual fans. However, if you're...
News Racing Apex Fuses Virtua Racing With Mario Kart Combat, And It's Racing Towards Wii U
Death on the track
Gamers of an advanced age will no doubt get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside when the name "Virtua Racing" is mentioned. One of the first genuinely effective demonstrations of 3D graphics in an arcade setting, this slick title followed on from the likes of OutRun and Super Monaco GP and paved the way for future Sega classics such as...
Video Check Out the Innards of the SNES PlayStation in This Hardware Teardown
The Ben Heck Show gets into the nitty gritty
For fans of Nintendo and Sony's gaming history, few devices are quite as fascinating as the SNES PlayStation, a unit that was planned as a CD add-on, with a version that would have also incorporated the full package in one box. The emergence of prototype units has been interesting to follow as the...
Review Educational Pack of Kids Games (Wii U eShop)
What an apt name
Skunk Software is a studio that's released a handful of disappointing games on the eShop; its releases typically consist of sophomoric and barebones approximations of gambling games and educational games. Still, you have to hand it to the developers for trying to fill a gap in the eShop's library, as there aren't too many games in...
Gallery A Look At HYPER JAPAN 2016
Nintendo out in full force
HYPER JAPAN is a wonderful cultural festival that celebrates everything Japanese, and returned to Olympia in London, UK for its three day summer showcase this past weekend. We've been to the show a couple of times before but this was our first time visiting the Olympia West Hall. Nintendo had a host of activities
Watch The Finals of Super Smash Bros. Melee at Evo 2016 - Live!
Should be a smashing time
One of the biggest events in the competitive fighting game scene, Evo 2016, is now in its final hours. Champions have been crowned for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Pokkén Tournament, but now it's time for what many consider to be the main event - the Super Smash Bros. Melee finals. There'll be a big crowd watching and...
News Pokémon GO Has Finally Arrived in Canada
Good news? Eh?
It's time for the Pokémon GO servers to crash again, and not because of a so-called 'DDoS' attack. Niantic has rolled the ridiculously popular app out to Canada at long last, meaning that North American neighbours need no longer argue over who's more awesome based on Pokémon availability. The official Pokémon GO Twitter account...
News Power Disc Slam Spins Closer to Release on 3DS
New trailer shows it off
As reported late last year, Power Disc Slam is the debut game from UK based Chequered Cow Games, which is run by former Argonaut man David McEwen. This 3DS title is, in spirit at least, a modern take on Neo Geo title Windjammers, albeit with modern features and 60fps stereoscopic 3D. The game now h
Saturday16th Jul 2016
Hands On How Will the "Open World" Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Suit a Traditional Gamer?
Anthony Dickens feels too old to play in a sandbox
I'd consider myself to be quite a traditional gamer; I tend to prefer games that have a simple core structure and a finite length. Now in my 30's I've found that whilst getting older has many benefits it has also restricted the amount of time I spent playing games, typically an hour or two here and...
Review Bit Dungeon+ (Wii U eShop)
Devilish fun
As fast as video games have developed over the past few decades, when it comes to value for money the amount of replay value within a title remains an important factor when deciding whether or not to make a purchase. This is where Bit Dungeon+ excels, offering a one to two player roguelike endless adventure. Starting out as a free web...
News Two More Discounts Arrive on My Nintendo in Europe
A classic and some ninja action
My Nintendo in Europe has frequent but small updates, no doubt designed to keep users interested and logging in regularly. Two mid-month discounts have now arrived in the region to tempt us to part with our Gold and Platinum points. There's one discount apiece for Wii U and 3DS, one being Virtual Console and another...
News Pokémon GO Arrives in 26 More European Countries
Fill your boots, Europe
The roll-out of Pokémon GO has been a gradual progress, but it's certainly picking up speed. European gamers have had the chance to get in on the act this week, but until now that was limited to a few countries. It's now been confirmed, however, that 26 more nations in Europe can now download the app legitimately from...
Watch Catch the Day Two Smash Bros. and Pokkén Tournament Action from Evo 2016 - Live!
Smash Bros. Wii U and Pokkén champions will be crowned
One of the biggest events in the competitive fighting game scene, Evo 2016, is now getting serious. After a day one of qualifiers we now head into later rounds for Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and
Friday15th Jul 2016
Guide Pokémon GO Monster Types And Where To Find Them
Trying to find your favourite? We're here to help
So you've been playing Pokémon GO for a few days and have built up a pretty impressive menagerie of 'mon, but there are still a few firm favourites you've not stumbled across yet. If you're wondering how to nab these elusive beasts, then we're here to help. Pokémon each have an elemental affinity,...
Guide Where To Buy The Nintendo NES Classic Mini In The UK
£49.99 RRP
It's fair to say that the reveal of the Nintendo Classic Mini (NES Classic Edition) took the interwebz by storm yesterday. We had a flood of emails and social media comments asking where you can preorder one, so here we go. It only appears to be available for preorder in the UK at the moment, the rest of the world will follow soon we are...
Guide How To Hatch Eggs In Pokémon GO Without Taking A Single Step
You spin me round (like a record)
Hatching eggs in Pokémon GO is definitely something you'll want to do on a regular basis. Not only does it give you additional 'mon for your collection, it's the only way to bag some of the rarer beasts. The big problem? You actually have to walk around for the eggs to incubate. The distances involved vary, but as...
Poll What Other 'Classic Edition' Nintendo Systems Do You Want to be Released?
Dreaming of the good old days, but miniaturised
The Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition (called Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe) has caused quite a stir since its announcement earlier this week - a budget Nintendo retro unit at $59.99 with 30 pre-loaded games is always likely to go down well. Its...
Interview Collector 'Metal Jesus' on His North American Nintendo 64DD Discovery
"I knew from the first moment that it was something special"
Earlier this week we reported on the discovery of a North American Nintendo 64DD unit, likely the first high-profile example to be shared online. Its stickers caused plenty of chatter as they suggested it was a Lotcheck / retail-ready unit, helping to confirm the fact that a North American...
Video We Give the NES Classic Edition the Commercial It Deserves
"Stop blowing and get playing"
When Nintendo announced the NES Classic Edition / Classic Mini, it missed a trick. This most retro-tastic of systems needed an '80s-style advert and for some reason there wasn't one forthcoming. Thankfully our video man Alex is always up for a challenge, so he's produced the TV commercial that Nintendo didn't. Oh yes,...
News Listing Points to Darksiders Heading to Wii U
Still a deathly silence from Nordic Games
Back before E3 Reinhard Pollice, Business & Product Development Director and Executive Producer at Nordic Games, did something a bit unfashionable - he said the publisher was working on another Wii U release. His precise words were "I think Action Adventure fans will enjoy this a lot..." In that article we...
News Pokémon GO Player Retention Described as "Phenomenal" as Revenue Soars
It's doing alright, then
With each passing day since Pokémon GO launched we're getting a clearer picture of the scale of its success. By many metrics it's been almost unprecedented in its early levels of performance, and now some impressions on truly vital statistics bode well for the app's prospects as the initial hype simmers down. A key area is...
Random Sony XDev Europe Pokes Fun At Pokémon GO For Being Late To The AR Party
"Invizimals have been in the real world way before you"
Pokémon GO has blazed a trail since its launch over a week ago, combining a globally recognised franchise with Augmented Reality gameplay to create a media phenomenon which shows no signs of slowing down. However, as is often the case, Pokémon GO isn't the first title to use AR in this way...
News Nintendo Share Value Hits Highest Point in Over 5 Years and Breaks Volume Record
Share increase GO!
Earlier in the week we reported on Nintendo's soaring share value, which actually had one day (Wednesday) where it then dipped ever so slightly. The close of the week has seen further increases, however, with Friday trading in Tokyo bringing another near 10% increase to close on 27,780 Yen - the power of Pokémon GO at work. To...
All gearing up for a reveal (hopefully) on 22nd July
For Sonic the Hedgehog fans there's hopefully some excitement around the corner - a celebratory Anniversary event in San Diego on 22nd July looks likely to reveal a new Sonic game for 2017. The event is even getting streamed online, so we'll be giving it the full live blog and stream treatment in...
News T-Mobile US Joins the Pokémon GO Craze With Offer of A Year of Unlimited Data for the App
I Tues You!
There's not much left to say regarding Pokémon GO's success - it's a tremendously addictive app that delights both casual players and Pokéfanatics. Unfortunately, an app of this magnitude does come at a cost despite it being a free download. Pokémon GO saps the battery of mobile phone devices, and that's due to having WiFi / data, the...
News Pokémon GO Now Available In Italy, Spain and Portugal
Monster mash
Pokémon GO's global rollout continues today with the news that it is now available in Italy, Spain and Portugal. The app launched in Australia, New Zealand and Japan over a week ago, but was withdrawn from the latter following server issues. North American gamers were then gra
News Buddy & Me: Dream Edition Launches on 21st July
It's so fluffy!
UPDATE: It turns out that the release date is actually for North America as well. Original Story: A few months back, it was revealed that the adorable Buddy & Me: Dream Edition would be arriving on the Wii U eShop. An enhanced version of a popular endless runner on smart devices, Dream Edition aims to add new features such as...
To be a 'noid
Classic arcade styles have stood the test of time, making them ideal subjects for experimentation. Combine two in a certain way and you might just make a delicious chocolate/peanut butter combo of fun. The retro concoction of INVANOID, however, is a different matter. INVANOID combines the downward travelling foes of Space Invaders...
Watch Catch the Day One Smash Bros. and Pokkén Tournament Action from Evo 2016 - Live!
It begins...
This should be an exciting weekend for fans of the competitive fighting game scene, with Evo 2016 underway. Nintendo games have a presence, as always, through Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Pokkén Tournament. The world's best players will be battling it out, and today is a day for the early qualifying round
Thursday14th Jul 2016
News Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition Coming This November, Ships With 30 Games
We are getting new Nintendo hardware this year after all
In recent years we've seen a proliferation of "clone" systems which replicate the performance of vintage hardware. The Retron 5 and Retro Freak are perhaps the two most notable examples, but it would seem that Nintendo itself has finally woken up to the potential of reselling its classic...
News New NES Mini Console Won't Get More Games, Cartridge Slot To Remain Shut For All Eternity
Lock out
Nintendo caused quite a stir today when it unexpectedly announced the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition console. Bundled with an authentic pad and 30 pre-loaded games, it's coming this November and will cost $59.99. We assumed that the machine would be locked-down and wouldn't be able to accept original cartridges, but...
Guide Advanced Pokémon GO Capture Tips And How To Get Better Pokéballs
All you need to know about bagging those pesky 'mon
If you've already read and digested our handy starter's guide to Pokémon GO then you'll no doubt be ready for some more advanced tips and tricks. We're now going to take an in-depth look into how to actually catch monsters, how to bag the rarer ones and what you have you have to do to get your...
Review Terraria (Wii U eShop / Wii U)
Now more complete
After a half-year wait, Terraria is now also available on the 3DS's big brother system. The handheld release suffered from some annoying issues, mostly related to hardware limitations, so does the Wii U version fare any better? For those who weren't really interested in the game up until this point, Terraria is a 2D sandbox game...
Talking Point Nintendo's NES Classic Edition is Just One Way to Revolutionise the Virtual Console
It could be the beginning of a new approach
It was certainly a surprise today when the NES Classic Edition was unveiled (called Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe), a tiny little system that uses HDMI and will give access to 30 games right out of the box. With its extremely small form and accompanying classic-style...
Review Super Boss Gaiden (SNES)
Bad Day At Sony Headquarters
The retro gaming world came to a halt on Sunday when Chrono Moogle and Dieter von Laser released this game to the unsuspecting Super Nintendo-loving crowd. Understandably only one person in the world will be able to play Super Boss Gaiden on the SNES Playstation prototype, but for the rest of us the
Nintendo Download 14th July (North America)
Monster Hunter Generations! Tumblestone! 3 TurboGrafx-16 games! Much more!
It's that time again, dear readers, for the North American Nintendo Download Update. We'd suggest that this week is a good 'un - there are promising download-only titles on both Wii U and 3DS, while the Virtual Console also has some tasty options. There are also two major...
News Nintendo's Official UK Store Has More Pokémon GO Plus Stock, But With August Delivery
Good things come to those who wait
Update: They're out of stock once again on the official UK Nintendo Store. Original Article: Pokémon GO has taken off in a big way, but one potential sticking point with the current experience is the tendency to spend a lot of time walking while watching your phone. The Pokémon GO Plus accessory is supposed to...
Random Fan Finds a North American N64 DD Development Unit
"Nintendo Ultra Disc unit #1 for the USA"
Many of you will no doubt be familiar with the N64 DD, Nintendo's ill-fated first attempt at using disc-based media in consoles. Many big-name titles, such as Super Mario 64 2 and the original build of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, were destined for launch on the add-on, but were eventually canned or...
News Darkrai Is Coming To Pokkén Tournament
Only confirmed for the arcade version so far
Bandai Namco has revealed that Darkrai is coming to the arcade version of its crossover brawler Pokkén Tournament. The news came during a livestream to promote the coin-op version of the game, which has also been ported to the Wii U. There's no word on whether or not Darkrai will also be coming to the...
News Discovery of US Nintendo 64DD Unit Prompts Plenty of Excitement for Retro Collectors
A 'retail-ish' testing unit for a console that never made it out of Japan
Nintendo's rich history has some intriguing side-stories, systems that had limited releases and become topics of huge interest for enthusiasts and collectors. The Nintendo 64DD is one such example - a disc drive bolt-on for the Nintendo 64, it was a sizeable technological...
Review Rubik's Cube (3DS eShop)
Fits in the pocket more comfortably than the original cube, at least
The 3DS eShop has been host to some quirky releases, and a virtual portrayal of the Rubik's Cube certainly fits the bill. Cypronia aims to give you the puzzling experience on the go and at home with a dual release, no doubt hoping that nostalgia and a taste for a challenge will...
News Brooklyn Assemblyman Considering Pokémon GO Legislation
"Who’s sending what, and what is the follow up?"
The benefits and drawbacks of Pokémon GO have been reported on by practically every site on the face of the planet, but Brooklyn-based Democrat Felix Ortiz - who has previously taken a dim view of hoverboards, salt,
News SurveyMonkey Intelligence Says Pokémon GO is Now The Biggest Mobile Game in US History
Passes 20 million daily active users
The statistics keep rolling in for Niantic's Pokémon GO, with analytics companies tracking its performance and drawing up comparisons to highlight how significant the initial launch has been to date. SurveyMonkey Intelligence is the latest to pitch in, with a report summarised by a startling line - it's...
Video The Play Nintendo Show Focuses on Animal Crossing for Its Second Episode
Don't worry, President Regginator is back
This year one issue we've raised is the need for Nintendo to produce marketing and publicity content specifically targeting a young audience, which older players can also happily ignore. With credit to Nintendo of America, it's now backing up its Play Nintendo website with a regular YouTube show to keep...
Review Rubik's Cube (Wii U eShop)
The '80s are back...
Cypronia's take on the original rage quit toy, the Rubik's Cube, is now available on both the Wii U and 3DS eShop. Does this game differ a great deal from a physical Rubik's Cube? No, not really. Like with releases such as Epic Word Search Collection 2, it's down to personal preference whether you opt to have a physical,...
Book Review The Unofficial Guide To Konami Shooters
A timely reminder that Konami was really good at making games, once
Konami may be retreating from the production of video games these days but not so long ago the company was seen as one of the leading lights in the industry, challenging the likes of Capcom, Sega and Nintendo when it came to creating compelling, must-have experiences. This...
News Pokémon GO is Now Available in the UK
Cor blimey guv'nor
Pokémon GO has become a global hit without a global release, thanks to workarounds, but Niantic is continuing to increase the roll-out in new countries; it seems to be shooting for regular arrivals this week. After landing in Germany recently, it's now confirmed to be available on iOS and Android in the UK.
Wednesday13th Jul 2016
News A Duo Of TurboGrafx-16 Games Hit The Wii U Virtual Console In North America This Week
R-Type and New Adventure Island inbound
Kayne West will be delighted to find out that a lovely pair of TurboGrafx-16 games are making it on to the Wii U's Virtual Console in North America on 14 July [updated from 'later today', a mistaken mix up on dates in our original text]. Nintendo of America's site has listed both R-Type and New Adventure...
Guide How to Beat Pokémon GO's Server Problems
We've got some kind of connection
Pokémon GO's massive success is truly a wonderful thing in all ways except one: the servers can't keep up with all you lovely people trying to play it all catch that Raticate at the same time. Since the app's servers are so temperamental we've put together this short video guide on how you can work around some of...
News Sponsored Locations Are Coming To Pokémon GO
Businesses to pay cash for customers attracted by the AR game
Pokémon GO's phenomenal success has already bolstered Nintendo's share price and is sure to generate a considerable sum of cash for developer Niantic, The Pokémon Company and - via its 32 percent ownership of the latter - Nintendo itself, but it would appear that there are other revenue...
Talking Point The Viral Reaction to Pokémon GO is a Surprise Gift for Nintendo
And it's not even a Nintendo game, in the typical sense
Pokémon GO was an app that bored quite a few observers during a lengthy E3 Q & A this year, a session most entertaining for Shigeru Miyamoto's "who's your daddy" moment when he unexpectedly announced a release date for the Plus add-on - to the bemusement and surprise of Niantic and...
It's still hip to be square
Life may be good when you're a ninja block, but the original BOXBOY! possibly ended up doing a bit too much sneaking around when it released last year. The HAL Laboratory puzzle-platformer went completely under the radar for some people, never gaining widespread attention or shaking the eShop up with its monochromatic...
Video Check Out This New Trailer for Pokémon Sun and Moon
Bringing people together
With all the craze surrounding Pokémon GO right now, it can be easy to forget that the main series is due to see the debut of its seventh generation in just a few short months with Pokémon Sun and Moon. Details around the Alola region have been gradually coming to light over the past few weeks, wth the most recent news...
News Nintendo Announces Big Plans for San Diego Comic-Con
The Play Nintendo Family Lounge will keep things light-hearted
San Diego Comic-Con isn't far away, taking place from 21st to 24th July; as is now the norm Nintendo will have a booth inside the event but is hosting a bigger area outside of the convention centre, allowing those without a Comic-Con ticket to get involved. The Play Nintendo Family...
Weirdness It's Crazy To Think That Pokémon GO Wouldn't Exist Without Google's April Fool's Prank
Who'd have thought it?
It's fair to say that Pokémon GO has become a worldwide smash hit (despite not even being officially launched in some territories yet); when you're outperforming Candy Crush and Clash of Clans you know you're on to a winner. Still, it's amazing to think that this triumphant smartphone app would not even exist if not for...
News Pokémon GO Begins Gradual European Roll-Out With Arrival in Germany
Das ist gut
Although plenty of gamers in Europe and elsewhere have been enjoying Pokémon GO whether it's actually released in their country or not, Niantic hasn't forgotten that it still needs to roll-out the viral hit in a lot of major territories. There have been delays as the developers have battled against extreme demand on the game's servers...
Review Twin Robots (Wii U eShop)
Definitely not scrap metal
At first glance you would be forgiven for thinking Twin Robots was a copycat of Nintendo's very own Chibi-Robo!: Zip-Lash on the 3DS. This is not the case. Originally developed and released by Thinice for the Ouya game system in 2013 and later made available on multiple other digital platforms including Android and Steam,...
Thursday14th Jul 2016
Video Digital Foundry Breaks Down How Pokèmon GO Works
Building on Ingress
The concept of Pokèmon GO is well known by now, as you head out into the real world and your phone displays Pokèmon as if they're actually sitting on the ground in front of you. It's the most successful mainstream release utilising AR (augmented reality) yet, and it's got plenty of people hooked. Those whizzes at Digital...
Wednesday13th Jul 2016
News Nintendo Starts New Video Series for Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past
Yep, it has that music we all love...
Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past is sure to be near the top of a number of 3DS wishlists this year, and with its release getting ever closer Nintendo is stepping up its efforts to promote the Square Enix title. The big N is starting a new video series that will gradually show off various...
News Culdcept Revolt Tops Japanese Charts as Splatoon Bundle Boosts Wii U Sales
Splat-tastic shooter back up to second in software results
With the middle of the week upon us we have the usual Japanese Media Create chart results, and this batch brings a mix of good and interesting news for Nintendo followers. First of all we have Culdcept Revolt on 3DS making its debut at number one, though the card-based strategy game has had...
Talking Point A Front-Row Seat For The Yo-Kai Watch Multimedia Juggernaut
Damien McFerran on witnessing the birth of a brand
Despite being involved with Nintendo Life, there are elements of the wider Nintendo world of which I am largely unaware and, until very recently, Yo-Kai Watch was one such element. Naturally, I knew of the series, its popularity in Japan and the
News Live-Action Pokémon Movie Talk Gains Momentum Following GO Success
A rather different prospect to the many animated movies
The Pokémon franchise has a lot of movies and animated series, both of which remain major events in Japan and also enjoy a sizeable audience in the West through TV and streaming services. Yet that content has a lot of backstory and lore involved, and it's fair to say that among the tens of...
News Wii U Exclusive 3Souls - Episode 1: Nelesa Hits July Release for North America
Same day as in Europe
There aren't many eShop titles that are still utilising the unique possibilities of the Wii U GamePad, so for that reason alone 3Souls - Episode 1: Nelesa is rather interesting. Developer Red Column is working towards the first entry of this episodic series (in three parts) making its mark, and has good news for North American...
Tuesday12th Jul 2016
Review Monster Hunter Generations (3DS)
One to sink your teeth into
Monster Hunter Generations is, at its core, a celebratory release. With the franchise now past a decade old and starting to make notable sales progress in the West, this entry combines areas and characters from across those ten years with some new ideas. Nintendo gamers that have been following the series since Monster...
News CoroCoro Magazine Reveals Two New Pokémon for Sun and Moon
One's a bear, making Sun/Moon GOTY contenders
As if we haven't typed the word Pokémon enough in the past few days, we now have more news around the series. This time it's all about two new Pokémon that have been revealed for Pokémon Sun and Moon, popping up courtesy of leaked CoroCoro magazine scans. The new arrivals consist of a bear(!) called...
News Someone Has Finally Cracked The Sega Saturn's DRM, Can Load Games Via USB
A solid state future for Sega's underdog
Sega's 32-bit Saturn console wasn't the success story the company had hoped for, and its failure against the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64 is considered by critics to be one of the many reasons the Japanese company walked away from producing domestic hardware. However, the machine is home to some of the...
Guide Amazon Prime Day 2016 - Nintendo Deals
Quality rather than quantity?
Today is Amazon Prime Day 2016, in which the retail giant tries to tempt those that are part of that membership with tasty deals. From a Nintendo perspective it's a short line-up, but there could be some enticing deals in the US - if you're in the UK, sadly there's nothing there for big N fans. As a result we've also...
Guide How to Be a Champion in Pokémon GO's Gym Battles
Gotta smash 'em all!
Pokémon GO doesn't have a battle system that's as intricate as its main series counterparts, but that doesn't mean that there's not more than meets the eye in these gym-centric Poké-scuffles. <related tags="Pokemon Go, Guides">Are you finding this guide useful? Let us know with a comment, and don't forget to check out...
AKA: Xandra, the legendary klutz gummy hero
You might have stumbled upon Namco's love letter to Norse mythology, the Valkyrie series, in the past. Of the few games released, there is one rather noteworthy entry for the arcade named Walküre no Densetsu, a one or two player overhead shmup/platformer hybrid with a lot of impressive scaling effects...
Review Kirby's Dream Course (New 3DS / SNES)
Kirby's Krazy Golf
Super NES title Kirby's Dream Course has made it to the New Nintendo 3DS, and we had to see how this non-conventional Kirby title has held up since its initial release in 1994. Kirby's Dream Course is effectively crazy golf with our little pink pal acting as the ball. Kirby has three lives with four attempts each, and unless...
News Nintendo's Theme Park in Japan is Expected Open Before the 2020 Olympics
Investment exceeds that of Harry Potter park
It's been well known for a while now that Nintendo is looking to leverage its IP in more ways than just video games going forward. There have been rumours of movie and TV series', a Kirby Cafe is set to open this summer, and we know that there are plans to build a Nintendo Theme Park. The theme park is...
Random Australian Man Sacked For Moaning That Pokémon GO Isn't Available In Singapore
"Error in judgement to negatively label an entire country over Pokémon"
Pokémon GO isn't available all over the world yet - developer Niantic is working on that, so hold tight. If you really, really have to play it then there's always our sneaky workaround, but whatever you do, please remain patient and don't emulate the actions of Australian...
News Niantic CEO Explains How Mapping Works in Pokémon GO
GO could someday be on AR goggles as well
It's safe to say at this point that Pokémon GO has become quite the cultural phenomenon. While it'll be interesting to see whether it holds the public's long term attention, the absolutely staggering numbers this new app has generated is nothing to be ignored. While the initial release is still a buggy and...
News Pokémon GO Plus Wearable Already Selling For Over $100, Despite Not Being Released Yet
Pre-orders fetching three times original value, or more
The Pokémon GO Plus wearable isn't actually out yet - it was supposed to launch this month but at the time of writing is listed as "unavailable" on the sites of several different online retailers, including the UK Nintendo Store. However, people were able to place pre-orders a while back and...
News Nintendo Share Value Continues Rapid Ascent Amid Bold Estimates of Pokémon GO Revenues
Investors like viral success stories, unsurprisingly
Earlier this week we reported on the staggering jump in Nintendo share prices following the close of Monday's Tokyo trading, adding billions of dollars to Nintendo's value. That spike of well over 20% seemed like a logical point for momentum to slow down, but it's still climbing at an impressive...
News Pokémon Red, Blue & Yellow Virtual Console Releases Getting Discounted in Europe
30% off for two weeks
With the current mania around Pokémon GO, there's no doubting that Pocket Monsters are hot property right now. The good news for European fans of more traditional 'mon experiences is that they will soon be able to grab the original classics at a discount. Nintendo of Europe has confirmed that, between 14th - 28th July,...
UK tabloid The Daily Mail asks, is this "the world's most dangerous game?"
UK charity NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) has issued a statement regarding Pokémon GO, claiming that the new smartphone app could place children in danger. The warning follows reports that criminals have been using the game's "lure"...
Review 153 Hand Video Poker (Wii U eShop)
147 extra hands don't make it any better
We pity the poor souls who paid their hard earned money on a dud as bad as 6-Hand Video Poker, where soulless presentation and meaningless gameplay combined to make it a nearly worthless product in our eyes. Skunk Software evidently thought that adding dozens of additional hands to the game would somehow...
Video Take a Look at the Awesome Splatoon - Squid Sisters Concert from Japan Expo 2016
Here's hoping Nintendo inks in more concert dates
Splatoon's success isn't just judged on unit sales, which are nevertheless impressive on the Wii U, but by its broader cultural impact. It's a new Nintendo IP that, it's safe to say, has struck a chord with the public and is likely to become a regular part of Nintendo's library in the future. Along...
Video Get Ready for Monster Hunter Generations With the Opening Cinematic
Not long to wait now...
Monster Hunter Generations is now just a few days away, and Capcom is gearing up for what it hopes will be another successful release in the West. With reviews now dropping online - we gave it a strong recommendation in our own assessment - we're seeing the start of what's likely to be heavy promotion over the next few days...
News Etrian Odyssey V's DLC Gets Detailed And Dated For Japan
Still no word on a western release, sadly
We already know that Etrian Odyssey V is getting DLC that will enable FM sound, but that's not the only paid-for additional content coming to the game. The dungeon-crawling 3DS adventure - due for release in Japan next month - is getting a raft of DLC, all priced at 300 Yen each and available from August...
Monday11th Jul 2016
News Pokémon GO Global Rollout To Resume In The Next Few Days, Trading Element Coming Later
That includes Europe, Japan and other Asian nations
Pokémon GO has been a runaway success for Nintendo, The Pokémon Company and developer Niantic - so much of a success in fact that the global rollout for the app was paused last week so that more resources could be put towards making it stable and improving server performance
News You Might Not Want To Use Your Google Account With Pokémon GO
Doing so seems to grant full access on iOS [Updated]
Update: Niantic have issued a statement to engadget.com saying: We recently discovered that the Pokémon Go account creation process on iOS erroneously requests full access permission for the user's Google account. However, Pokémon Go only accesses basic Google profile information...
News Someone Has Actually Made A Game Which Works On The SNES PlayStation
Yes, you read that correctly
There are some news one never expects to write and this is one such case. A new Super Nintendo and SNES Playstation CD video game has been released! Super Boss Gaiden is the product of German duo Chrono Moogle and Dieter Lazer. If you like 16-bit retro platformers with tight controls, humorous dialogue and challenging...
Nintendo Download 14th July (Europe)
Monster Hunter Generations! Disney Art Academy! Tumblestone! Much more!
Another week begins, and we have the European Nintendo Download Update details to sink our teeth into. This week has plenty to offer with some major retail releases, some rather nice New 3DS Virtual Console offerings, a range of promising download-only options and some fantastic...
Video This Secret Pikachu in Pokémon GO Completely Passed Us By
Detecting Pikachu
Pokémon GO is still about as fresh as it can be, and yet people are already starting to uncover its inner secrets. A hidden Pikachu that's available right from the very start can be chosen instead of the usual starters if you're not afraid of a little walking. Check out the video below where we show you exactly how to get your...
News Unwanted Side-Effects Of Pokémon GO Include Robbery, Personal Injury And Dangerous Driving
Being the very best isn't easy
Pokémon GO's incredible success has taken developer Niantic by surprise, with the app now challenging the likes of Twitter when it comes to daily active users. Its release has also
Share value soars as downloads bring buzz and in-app purchases
When Pokémon GO launched last week it prompted a climb in Nintendo's share value, which was unsurprising considering its high profile status. Yet as the days have progressed the app has gone viral in many ways, and the stock market in Japan has reacted accordingly. At the close of the...
News The Option to Buy More Movies and Shows is Coming to the Nintendo Anime Channel
That's neat
Just recently Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva appeared in a European Nintendo Download Update, purchasable as a download for €3.99 / £3.59. The movie for the iconic Level-5 series may not be well-known to all fans of the games, so it's another chance for it to find an audience. The good news for 3DS owners in the region is that...
Tuesday12th Jul 2016
News SmileBASIC Gets Taken Down from the 3DS eShop Due to A Homebrew Exploit
FrownBASIC
This year has seen multiple game takedowns on the 3DS eShop, all following the same pattern. A hacker creates an exploit using a game, Nintendo spots this, the game is taken off the eShop mere hours after the exploit is posted online. Games that have gone offline in recent weeks and months include VVVVVV, Citizens of Earth and the...
Monday11th Jul 2016
Feature A Year On - Satoru Iwata and His Enduring Legacy
The gamer that changed the industry
On 11th July 2015, Satoru Iwata passed away, with Nintendo announcing the sad news a day later. It was rather sudden to those outside of the company, and undoubtedly had a profound impact on many around the world that felt a keen sense of loss. You can find our original features paying respects to Satoru Iwata at...
News Nexis Games Hopes Wii U FPS Draw The Line Will Help Speed Up UCraft's Development
Minecraft clone still in production, despite Kickstarter failure
Indie developer Nexis Games is releasing a Call of Duty-style shooter on the Wii U eShop in the hope that the revenue generated will speed up the completion of its Minecraft-inspired title UCraft. Taking more than a little inspiration from Mojang's phenomenally successful title,...
News Pokémon Go Fans Share Experiences of the App Improving Their Mental Health
"This is actually making me want to leave my room and interact with people"
As Pokémon GO has begun to roll out across the world, some fans are reporting that the smartphone app has already had a positive effect on their mental health. Of course the key hook to Pokémon Go is going outdoors to catch Pokémon in the real world. According to a...
News Monster Hunter Generations x Star Fox DLC Confirmed
Gee, I've been hunted by Fox. How swell.
Monster Hunter Generations is just days away, and in addition to Western-exclusive Capcom franchise cross-overs in its DLC offerings, it seems gamers outside of Japan will also enjoy some awesome Palico outfits themed on the big N's franchises; a Wind Waker outfit was confirmed recently. It's now confirmed...
News Drone-Powered Pokémon GO Is Pocket Monster Hunting Minus The Health Benefits
Sorry to keep "droning" on about this app
The world has been taken over with Pokémon GO fever and new players are busy exploring their localities and having lots of fun adventures outdoors. Of course there was always going to be someone who tried to avoid getting any exercise benefit whatever from playing the app as intended. Tumblr user Perchbird...
News Adventure Labyrinth Story Begins Its Quest on the 3DS eShop Soon
A spin-off for Adventure Bar Story
Adventure Bar Story was a quirky and enjoyable release on the 3DS eShop, and now developer Rideon Japan - with publisher CIRCLE Entertainment - is bringing a spin-off to the West called Adventure Labyrinth Story. Described as a rogue-like RPG, you set off into a randomly generated dungeon with the goal of...
News LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Wii U Starts Well in UK Charts After Delayed Release
Mario & Sonic continue to improve their results, too
The UK chart results have rolled out once again, and this week brings some positive news for Nintendo and third-parties. A delayed arrival had a positive impact, while a couple of older releases saw their fortunes slowly improve. First of all, LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens had its belated...
Sunday10th Jul 2016
News Pokémon GO Now Competing With Twitter In Terms Of Daily Active Users
No wonder the servers are at breaking point
Everyone's talking about Pokémon GO at the moment, and with good reason - the Augmented Reality smartphone title has captured the imagination of fans all over the globe since its launch last week. The fact that the game's servers are struggling to keep up with demand should give you some indi
Feature What Are Your Thoughts, So Far, on Pokémon GO?
Avoiding cars and other problems, we hope
It's fair to say that Pokémon GO has struck a nerve with the public, with the app going viral in terms of downloads, money made from micro-transactions and through social media. Pokémon GO is everywhere - well, except for Europe and some other territories still waiting for the release. It's generated some...
Japan Weekly Famitsu Sheds Light on Monster Hunter Stories
Elsewhere the post-E3 hangover continues
We keep hoping we'll see more quirky Japan-only titles and reviews of upcoming Nintendo games each week a new Famitsu rolls out, but since E3 every subsequent issue has held less and less Nintendo information for us. This week is an all time low, but there is some information for 3DS-owning Capcom fans to...
Monday11th Jul 2016
News We're Digging This Shovel Knight Cameo In Azure Striker Gunvolt 2
Didn't see that one coming
Shovel Knight has made his fair share of cameo appearances, but this latest one has to be his most left-field. The legendary warrior will be joining the cast of Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 thanks to some amiibo-scanning magic. Scan in the NFC-enabled figure and you'll be able to face off against him in a one-on-one battle...
Sunday10th Jul 2016
Editorial Monster Hunter - Vicious Cruelty With Cute Cats and Silly Animations
Some of those monsters are just minding their own business...
As you've probably guessed since I wrote our preview, I'm currently deeply immersed in the world of Monster Hunter Generations. It's not review time quite yet, but as I've been alternating between Generations, Bloodborne and most recently Dark Souls III, the latter two being my 'spare...
Saturday9th Jul 2016
News Pokémon GO Global Rollout Delayed While Niantic Fixes Server Woes
"We thought the game would be popular, but it obviously struck a nerve"
Pokémon GO developer Niantic has paused the international rollout of the game following performance and server issues. The monster-catching AR download went live in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and North America this week, and despite topping the iOS App Store and
Review Infinite Dunamis (3DS eShop)
Infinitely Decent
Kemco has found a comfortable niche on the eShop; over the past few years, the publisher has been steadily putting out budget JRPGs ported from mobile, from Grinsia to Justice Chronicles. They vary in quality, but their mission remains the same: to provide low-priced, nostalgia-tinged JRPG goodness. As the latest in the lineup,...
Video Take a Look at Nintendo's First Ever Console - The Color TV Game 6
Made with Mitsubushi, surprisingly
Though Nintendo may trace its contemporary roots in video game industry success to the 35 year old Donkey Kong arcade, which provided a key breakthrough for the company, it is by no means the big N's oldest gaming product. There were other arcade games, of course, but there was also a little-known gaming system...
Anniversary Donkey Kong is Now 35 Years Old
When Mr. Video rescued Pauline
We suspect that Shigeru Miyamoto and some veteran colleagues in Nintendo will be raising a glass this weekend in honour of Donkey Kong, as the arcade arrived in Japan on 9th July 1981 - 35 years ago. It was its impact in North America when it landed at the end of that month, however, which proved particularly vital to...
Review Emojikara: A Clever Emoji Match Game (Wii U eShop)
No Bed is a Lady
Here's a fun fact about the Japanese language - the word "Emoji" combines the Japanese for "picture" and "character". What's more, the word "Chikara" means power. What do you get when you combine the two? Emojikara, the name of a game that is anything but powerful (or clever, as the title would lead you to believe). While the...
Video The Story of Cel Damage 2, The Car Racing / Combat Title That Got Blown Off Track
It hit the wrong gear
Some GameCube owners may remember Cel Damage, a car racing / combat game that was also on Xbox and, eventually, PS2. Developed by Pseudo Interactive and published by EA, it had a mixed critical reception due to its rather unique blend of car racing and battling, though its visual style was certainly eye-catching. There was a...
News Catch the Finale of Summer Games Done Quick - Live!
Pokemon Red, Super Metroid, Super Mario RPG and more
Summer Games Done Quick is one of our favourite annual events - alongside the other 'Games Done Quick' extravaganza each year - in the world of speedrunning and general gaming awesomeness. It features some of the world's most skilful players rattling through classic games while raising an...
Friday8th Jul 2016
Review Conveni Dream (3DS eShop)
An inconvenient truth
When I was a child, I once told my mother that I wanted to work at a gas station when I grew up. I don't know why this was my aspiration at the time, and I don't remember my mother's response, but I never did live up to that goal. I went on to do other things: I went to college, worked a few different retail and customer...
News Pokemon GO Isn't Just Leading in Downloads, It's the Top Grossing App at Launch
Leading the way in early data for US, Australia and New Zealand
With its arrival in Japan, Australia / New Zealand and the US this week, Pokémon GO has enjoyed plenty of attention online. It's prompted an uptick in Nintendo's share value and plenty of positive comments, though there are undeniably some issues with servers; we've noted crunch...
News Pokémon GO Success Causes Nintendo Share Price To Surge, But Teething Troubles Frustrate
Taking the rough with the smooth
Pokémon GO is available in certain parts of the world right now, and the game's popularity has triggered a 10 percent leap in the value of Nintendo's shares, according to Reuters: Shares in Nintendo jumped 10 percent to their highest level in more than two months with the stock the most heavily traded by value on...
News Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Co-Director Was Initially "Disappointed" With Western Localisation
But now he's glad to see "passionate support" from fans
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE has been largely well-recieved by western players, but there has been some controversy over the changes made from the Japanese version of the title. Elements of the title have been altered, removed or replaced with more "family-friendly" content, and this has caused...
Poll As The amiibo Collection Hits 100, What's The Current State of Play?
That's a lot of little plastic (and yarn) characters
The amiibo range has been one of Nintendo's biggest successes of recent times, shifting tens of millions of units in a little over 18 months on the market. After initial hype in late 2014 the narrative was often dominated, for a while at least, by stock issues - these problems were prevalent...
News Gotta Protectors Looks Like an Amazing and Quirky Throwback to '80s Gaming
Music from great composers like Yuzo Koshiro
The 3DS eShop has hosted plenty of retro-styled games, a number of which have been excellent. We're rather optimistic about another that's on the way - Gotta Protectors by Ancient Games. Known as Protect Me Knight 2 in Japan, this one arrives in North America on 21st July and will cost $12.99. That's an...
Review STEEL LORDS (Wii U eShop)
Steel disappointing
Steel Rivals, released on the Wii U eShop not too long ago by indie developer nuGAME, was by no means a shining example of a quality fighting game experience. The package as a whole had poor production values and was uninspired in terms of its design. Be it the bland characters or broken fighting mechanics, it failed to garner a...
News Playtonic On Yooka-Laylee's Non-Linear Structure And Retaining That Trademark Rare Humour
"It's almost like Banjo-Tooie was yesterday and Yooka-Laylee was today"
Yooka-Laylee may have been cruelly pushed in 2017, but the game remains one of the most eagerly-anticipated titles of recent memory - and with good reason. It's being made by Playtonic Games, a studio formed almost entirely from ex-Rare staff, and it raised a massive amoun
News Etrian Odyssey V to Offer FM Sound Source Music as Paid DLC
It's that man Yuzo Koshiro once again
With Etrian Odyssey V heading to the 3DS in Japan in August, hype is starting to build for the latest in the much-loved franchise. We're still waiting for word of localisation to the West, but it's nevertheless interesting to follow the game's progress as it works towards the Japanese release. The latest update...
News Nintendo UK Announces The Summer of Splat And The Great British Splat-Off
...as well as The Splatoon Fan Fest
Nintendo UK is giving Splatoon a renewed push with The Summer of Splat, a series of events which will take place between 16th July and 7th August. Part of this campaign will involve The Great British Splat-Off, a selection of online tournaments for players of various skill levels which they can sign up to now...
News Nintendo Issues Patch To Prevent Splatoon Players From Becoming Invisible
Update 2.10.0 available now to squash strange bug
Glitches are commonplace in modern games due to their size and complexity, and Splatoon has seen its fair share of bugs which have subsequently been busted by patches. However, it looks like the last patch introduced a glitch of its own. Players are discovering that in certain situations their...
Video Latest Trailer For The Girl And The Robot Has The ICO And Studio Ghibli Feels
Coming to the Wii U eShop later this year
We covered The Girl and the Robot's Kickstarter campaign way back in 2013 when it was confirmed that the game was coming to the Wii U eShop. It's been awhile since we last heard anything about it, but developer Flying Carpet Games has just released the launch trailer, and it gives us a pretty comprehensive...
News Rain Games On Teslagrad's Success and World to the West
Teslagrad shifted 1.6 million copies
Some of you may remember Teslagrad from a few years back, the metroidvania title that featured beautiful, hand-drawn 2D graphics. The gloomy, steampunk-esque environments created a fantastic atmosphere, and the magnetism-centric puzzles were quite smartly designed. It was certainly a unique title on the eShop,...
30 places to be won
Nintendo UK is putting quite a lot of effort into HYPER JAPAN, the cultural expo that takes place at Olympia, London from 15th - 17th July. With plenty of playable games and events attendees at Nintendo's booth should have plenty to do, but now there's an opportunity for a small number to be the first members of the UK public to...
News Dual Core Has Just Gotten a Significant Update in North America
Off TV Play and new character customization options
Some of you may remember Dual Core, a futuristic twin-stick shooter that launched a couple months back. We thought it was a pretty good time, praising the variety of modes and the couch co-op action. Of course, it's not without its flaws, but Gray Fin Studios aimed to combat some of these by...
Thursday7th Jul 2016
Hardware Review EXEQ GameBox Game Boy Advance SP Clone
AGS-101 screen quality on a budget - what's the catch?
Love them or loathe them, clone consoles are very much here to stay. As existing hardware becomes harder to find or fails due to everyday use, the demand for replacement systems grows ever stronger, fuelled largely by the almost insatiable demands of a new generation of retro gaming enthusiasts...
Review 7th Dragon III Code: VFD (3DS)
Very Fine Dragons
3DS owners have watched the pocket-sized portable become something of a treasure trove of JRPGs over the past few years; ATLUS in particular has showered the system with Etrian Odyssey and Shin Megami Tensei titles, Square-Enix introduced the Bravely series, and Nintendo's stepped back up to the plate in helping to publish...
Guide New To Pokémon GO? Check Out Our Handy Starter's Guide
Catching, training and hatching - it's all here
Pokémon GO is experiencing a staggered release across the globe, and many people are now hunting Pokémon all around their homes and nearby areas. If you want to get off to the best start then we're here to help - we've compiled a handy starter guide for all budding 'mon catchers. Starting Out When...
Review Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (New 3DS / SNES)
Move over, Maximo
These days, it's in vogue to bemoan Mega Man's absence from the gaming scene. Mega Man, however, is not the only franchise Capcom has forgotten; one of its more egregious crimes is leaving the mighty Knight Arthur himself by the wayside. Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts is a classic SNES title and one of the hardest games on the platform...
News Monster Hunter Stories Gets Three Shiny New amiibo Figures
But still no western release date
Monster Hunter Stories doesn't have a western release date yet, so the news we're about to report might make you feel quite uncomfortable - queasy, even. We already knew that the game would be accompanied by its own amiibo, and the first few figures were revealed a while ago. However, we've now got images of three...
Nintendo Download 7th July (North America)
Legend of the Mystical Ninja! Flying Dragon! TAP TAP ARCADE 2! More!
It's time, once again, for the North American Nintendo Download update, and this week goes heavy on Virtual Console offerings in particular. The Wii U has two Culture Brain titles, including one that hasn't previously had a VC release, while the New 3DS gets a classic SNES game...
Random Here's 9 Mighty Reasons Mighty No. 9 Is Only Just Better than Nothing
Not our words
Mighty No. 9 may have created waves upon its release, but they probably weren't the waves Comcept were hoping for. In order to better illustrate why fans of its spiritual predecessor Mega Man feel a bit let down, we might have 9 mighty reasons why this mighty title may not be so mighty and might have failed to prove its mighty might.
News Japan-Exclusive Satellaview Zelda Game Gets Translated And Dubbed Into English
Yes, we said dubbed
The Satellaview truly stands as one of the most unique and visionary peripherals Nintendo has ever developed. Downloading games from outer space (well, Low Earth Orbit if you want to be technical about it) truly sounded like science fiction back in 1995. In the five years this Japan-only add-on operated along with the Super...
News Shigeru Miyamoto Provides Assurances on Pikmin 4 Development
Working its way back up the priority list
If Pikmin 3 taught us anything, it's that the series - evidently a personal favourite of its creator Shigeru Miyamoto - will be given the time it needs in development. At various points the third entry in the series was rumoured for Wii and then 3DS, before emerging in HD splendour for Wii U. It was with...
News Pokémon GO is Now Available in the US
Use Rollout!
Just yesterday, Pokémon GO began rolling out across Australia and Japan, kicking off the official launch of the highly anticipated AR game. Of course, it was a given that the game wouldn't be too far behind in other countries and regions, and the game has now officially been made available in the US on iOS and Android devices. Of...
News Someone At Nintendo Expected The Wii U To Shift 100 Million Units
"The thinking was that because Wii sold well, Wii U would follow suit"
The Wii U has sold just over 12.5 million units to date, and will go down as one of Nintendo's most disappointing hardware releases - from a purely commercial perspective, at least. However, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima - a man who has previously revealed that he was...
News Meet Salandit, The Latest New Pocket Monster in Pokémon Sun and Moon
A poison / fire type
During the Japan Expo in Paris, Junichi Masuda has revealed another new Pocket Monster for Pokémon Sun and Moon. It's a Poison/Fire-type and has a clear lizard-like design; a new trailer shows it in action. The official website has also been updated with details, as seen below. Salandit emits toxic gas, together with...
News Nintendo is Opening a Kirby Café in Japan
Grab a Kirbyccino and start the day right
Nintendo's ultra-popular "super-tuff pink puff" has always been all about eating things, from maxim tomatoes to enemies. In fact, many of Kirby's games seem to open with him just about to partake in a feast of some sort, before it's cut short by whatever the problem is in Dreamland this time around. This...
Review Mike the Knight and The Great Gallop (3DS)
The Modest Trot
Mike the Knight and the Great Gallop is unashamedly a game for the young 'uns. Based on the animated TV show it consists of an original storyline played out over nine mini-games; these are interspersed with cut-scenes depicting Mike's adventure complete with a whimsical narrator. Jumping straight in, our story centres on young Mike...
News Shigeru Miyamoto and Bill Trinen Explain Some of the Key Principles That Define Nintendo Games
Tegotae, or the 'feel' of controls, is just one example
While Nintendo as a company and platform holder naturally has its ups and downs, many agree that its core, big-name games deliver a distinct level of quality and refinement. From the precision platforming in Mario games to the structure and design of Zelda titles, to recent examples such as...
News Nintendo UK Outlines Impressive Range of Playable Games and Live Demonstrations for HYPER JAPAN
Spirit of Justice and Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 along with big hitters
As it does every year Nintendo UK is putting quite a lot of effort into HYPER JAPAN, the expo running at Olympia, London from 15th - 17th July. It's a celebration of all things Japanese culture, from clothing to art, to food and drink; Nintendo naturally fits right in as a beacon...
Reminder Splatoon Gets an eShop Discount in Europe as Warm-Up for Final Splatfest
Super Mario Maker course is around the corner, too
Splatoon has had an impressive run on the Wii U since its 2015 launch, from its 'kid now / squid now' song becoming a bit of a meme to critical and public acclaim for its gameplay. There have also been lots of updates, new content and Splatfests of various kinds. An era is now sort of ending,...
News Image & Form Confirms DLC Hat Pack for SteamWorld Heist
And you can design one of them
SteamWorld Heist has a lot of hats, a risk-reward part of the game where you sacrifice kill shots in the quest to add a nice top hat to your collection. It's one of the quirkier aspects of the game, and is no doubt all the more popular for it. Image & Form has now confirmed that it's going to produce Hat Pack DLC,...
Wednesday6th Jul 2016
News Patent Reinforces the Prospect of Nintendo NX Having a Portable Handset
Application focuses on sound and vibration technology
Throughout the course of 2015 Nintendo filed multiple patents that reinforce a widely held belief - that Nintendo NX will have a portable / handheld component in addition to being a 'home console'. We already know, based on game announcements such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and...
Guide Here's How To Get Pokémon GO On iPhone And Android
Super effective!
Pokémon GO has just gone live in Australia and Japan, but for the rest of the world, you can't access the app unless you're willing to jump through a few hoops. [Update: it's now also available in the US] Thankfully, we're here to make that process a little easier. Here's how you can get Pokémon GO on your iOS or Android device...
Editorial Nintendo NX in Multiple Form Factors Could Shake Up the Video Game Industry
A new way to play and buy games
Nintendo, perhaps, has us in the palm of its Master Hand. As July begins to drift by there's a general feeling and assumption that the NX 'unveiling', whatever form it'll take, could fall as late as September or October. It would be a way to grab headlines heading into the Winter and Holiday season without having to...
News Nintendo Producer Highlights How Paper Mario: Color Splash Improves on Sticker Star
No more aimless wandering?
It's no secret that Paper Mario: Sticker Star wasn't the best received Paper Mario game to date. Taking a different approach to the established and much-beloved RPG system, Sticker Star came under fire for the somewhat removal of experience points and stats, necessity of using "Thing" stickers to progress further, and...
News Outspoken Analyst Has A Good Feeling About The Nintendo NX
"Let's hope Nintendo get their mojo back"
Wedbush Securities research analyst Michael Pachter hasn't exactly endeared himself to Nintendo fans over the past few years. He wrote off the Wii U's chances early on and has been famously critical of the Japanese firm - something, it's worth remembering, he's paid to do in his day job, which involves...
Thursday7th Jul 2016
Weirdness Australian Police Station Becomes a Popular Location for Pokémon GO Fans
"Please be advised that you don't actually have to step inside"
With Pokémon GO now available in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, and elsewhere with a workaround, plenty of eager fans are walking around a bit more than normal to catch 'mon. The idea that some are walking around grassy areas simply to catch grass-types isn't far-fetched - AR gaming...
Wednesday6th Jul 2016
Video Here's What Pokémon GO Looks Like in the Real World
Go go Poké Rangers
Pokémon GO dropped last night as a total surprise in Oceania and Japan, but thanks to a clever little workaround we've managed to get it straight away despite being about as Australian as a puffy anorak. If you're not able to get your hands on it or you're just curious to see what all the whisperings are about, we loaded a...
Review Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia (Wii U eShop / DS)
New region, new Pokémon, similar circling action
During the Pokémon Ranger games you spend a lot of time wandering around catching Pokémon. Captures are different from the main series, however, as Poké Balls are ditched in favour of Capture Stylers, requiring you to use the touch screen to draw circles around the Pokémon with your stylus. The...
News Pokémon GO Roll-Out Begins in Japan and Australia
More countries likely to follow very soon
Following its Q & A during E3 and the recent closure of the public beta, we know that Pokémon GO is due to arrive globally this month (July). The roll-out now seems to be underway, with the free-to-play app now available to download in Japan and Australia. It's not yet available elsewhere at the time...
News Nintendo Might Soon Be Hawking Its Own Smartphone Controllers
Shut up and take my money
We've seen a lot of retro-inspired smartphone controllers hit the market over the years, with some of our favourites being the 8Bitdo NES30, FC30 and SNES30. As Nintendo sets its sights on success in the smartphone gaming arena with
News New Atlus and SEGA Publishing Deal is Great News For European Gamers
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse & 7th Dragon III Code: VFD on the way
It's a long running complaint for European and PAL gamers, particularly 3DS owners, that a range of excellent titles from Atlus (and sometimes SEGA) either take a long time to arrive in the region or never make the transition. This is due to Atlus in particular publishing...
News Zero Time Dilemma Makes Modest Debut in Japanese Charts as Shovel Knight Digs Into Top 20
Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns maintains solid momentum
It's that time of the week once again for the Media Create Japanese chart results, and there are a few notable new arrivals to consider. All told, it's a mix of good and bad news for those following the fortunes of titles on Nintendo hardware in Japan. First up we have Story of Seasons: Trio...
Random Man Creates Half-Tonne Computer In His Home, Uses It To Play Tetris
Somewhat less portable than a Game Boy, but more impressive
As we all know, Tetris was the game that sold the Game Boy to the world, and one of the key reasons for its success was the fact that the console was portable and could be played anywhere. Electronics engineer James Newman likes Tetris, but instead of taking the easy option and buying a...
Tuesday5th Jul 2016
News SGDQ Speedrunner's 3DS Dies During Live Run of New Super Mario Bros 2.
"That is really not good... um… huh...."
Many of you have no doubt been tuning in to the Summer Games Done Quick event, a weeklong twitch stream featuring some of the fastest gamers in the world as they blast through popular games. All proceeds from the event are donated to a chosen cause — Doctors Without Borders, this year — and the runs are...
Feature An Insider's Look At The End Of An Era At Official Nintendo Magazine
Kate Gray on the final glorious days of a UK media legend
Back in 2014, I was fresh out of university, working in a call centre and feeling like maybe I'd never get anywhere in my dream to be a games journalist. I was also feeling like it was a stupid idea to dream of being a games journalist, because it's one of those jobs like "Jaffa Cake taster"...
Random Miyamoto "Flattered" By Super Mario Tribute In Mickey Mouse Cartoon
"We finally got a cameo together"
Back in 2013, Disney published a new Mickey Mouse cartoon entitled Tokyo Go, which shows the famous rodent running into some bother when he accidentally boards the wrong Japanese bullet train. The animated short is typically slick and amusing, but stands out for its use of iconic sound effects. Not only does it...
News Nintendo Believes Nintendo NX, Pokémon and Smart Device Games Can Deliver Promised Profits
"We are planning for NX to make up for falling Wii U sales"
It's another big year for Nintendo, as it continues to move towards the NX generation of hardware and increase its output on smart devices. With the Wii U estimated to ship less than a million units and with the 3DS projected to decline again, the big N will need new products to perform...
Weirdness Somebody Has Gotten Pokémon FireRed to Work in Minecraft
Whoa…
It's no secret that computer science types are regularly discovering increasingly more impressive creations and contraptions inside Minecraft. The popular sandbox title has a surprisingly in-depth array of tools for crafting complicated machines, so naturally the internet has taken to building absurd things such as functioning computers and...
News Faux-Retro Survival Horror Back In 1995 64 Shuffles Menacingly Towards The Nintendo 3DS
Party like it's 1995
Japanese indie title Back In 1995 launched on Steam in April, and whisks you back in time to the '90s when consoles like the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64 ruled the roost. This 3D action game uses deliberately outdated visuals to recreate the authentic feel of the period, and at this year's BitSummit event in Japan, developer...
"We have never said that we will produce a movie"
Following Nintendo's 76th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, the company has now published official translations of the Q & A session that took place. Many of the details are largely as expected, though there are some small shifts in detail that don't match fully with translations that came...
News The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Scoops Major Best of Show Award from E3
Three gongs in total
E3 is ancient news now, by the standards of the internet, but the LA extravaganza has one more bit of news to share. It comes in the form of the Game Critics Awards, which is brought together from the votes of 40 different media outlets. The outcome reflects much of what we saw in social media and traditional media coverage of...
First Impressions Exploring Whether Toad is a Fungi in Mario Party Star Rush
Getting the party started
Mario Party Star Rush was one of only a few new Nintendo announcements out of E3, with Ever Oasis by Grezzo (due in 2017) being the other major reveal. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was arguably a reveal too, but that was perhaps more of an unveiling, as it's a game we'd known about for around two years before it...
News Nintendo Staffing Up Internal Smart Device Development Team
Upwardly mobile
Nintendo is accepting applications for smart device developers who will work within the company on future mobile and tablet projects. That might not seem like surprising news on its own, seeing as Nintendo is currently in the process of expanding into the mobile space in partnership with established firm DeNA, but what makes these...
News Digger Dan DX Dispute Settled, Will Be Back On Sale "As Soon As Possible"
"We have already settled this issue to our mutual satisfaction"
At the weekend we reported on the news that the likeable title Digger Dan DX had been removed from the 3DS eShop due to a takedown notice from First Star Software, the company which owns the rights to the thematically similar Boulder Dash. It would appear that this problem has now been...
News Capcom Confirms Monster Hunter Generations x Wind Waker Outfit as Free DLC
Renews hope of equivalent Star Fox outfit
Just recently Capcom announced a neat Strider crossover DLC for Monster Hunter Generations, which is a Western exclusive and was suggested to be the 'final' of four multi-franchise crossovers. That made us worry that we'd miss out on some neat Palico outfits that arrived as free DLC on Monster Hunter X...
News Two-Player Roguelike Bit Dungeon+ Coming To Wii U eShop This Month
Procedurally generated dungeons and multiple endings await
Spanish developer Dolores Entertainment has confirmed that it is bringing its Roguelike dungeon crawler Bit Dungeon+ to the Wii U eShop on July 14th. The game features two-player co-op and procedurally generated levels. There are six different level themes, over 40 individual enemies and a...
Reminder There's More Splatoon Content Available In Miitomo Right Now
Team Callie and Team Marie t-shirts, GET
Another helping of Splatoon-related content has arrived in Nintendo's smartphone social app Miitomo. The most exciting items are Team Callie and Team Marie t-shirts, which cost 2,000 coins each and will be available until the 25th July. Existing content from the previous Splatoon campaign is also coming...
Monday4th Jul 2016
Feature The Biggest Wii U and 3DS Games of 2016 - Summer Edition
Yes, we're combining the lists...
Summer is pouncing upon us and at the time of writing it's Independence Day in the US and a tad drizzly in this writer's part of the UK. It seems like a typical early July day, but we are shaking things up a little in this latest quarterly entry of the 'Biggest Games' series. We're combining the Wii U and 3DS...
News Shigeru Miyamoto Thinks You Should Give Star Fox Zero Another Try
Pretty please?
Star Fox Zero is a great game - we gave it 8 out of 10 - but it possibly didn't make the impact that Nintendo had hoped for. Following a disappointing delay which robbed the Wii U of its biggest festive hit, the game met with a mixed reaction online, with many citing the awkward controls and short length as reasons for their
Review The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 (Wii U)
Let us tell you a story...
Nordic Games' The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 revisits the point-and-click adventure glory days known for titles such as Monkey Island and Simon the Sorceror. Although there are still some great adventure games out there, not many arrive on console (and even less on the Wii U), so it's always exciting to see how these titles...
Nintendo Download 7th July (Europe)
Splatoon discount! Professor Layton Movie! TAP TAP ARCADE 2! More!
With the start of another week we have the Nintendo Download Update details for Europe, and it's a relatively modest line-up this time around. Two new budget download-only titles arrive on the Wii U, while a fan-favourite also gets a timely discount. On the 3DS there's DLC, discounts...
News Ubisoft Hails Nintendo As "One Of The Best Partners In The World"
"You can expect we’ll support Nintendo"
The Wii U hasn't enjoyed particularly good support from third-party publishers but one company that has stuck with the machine longer than most is Ubisoft. Despite being vilified by some Nintendo fans for taking the early Wii U exclusive Rayman Legends multi-platform and delaying Watch Dogs on the console,...
News Aksys is Bringing Chase: Cold Case Investigations - Distant Memories to the 3DS This Year
Led by Taisuke Kanasaki and former CiNG staff
A while ago we told you about a new title being developed by Arc System Works, Chase: Unsolved Cases Investigation Division – Distant Memories, which was being led by Taisuke Kanasaki and was employing the talents of multiple staff from the now shuttered CiNG studio. They're well known for...
News Super Famicom RPG Classic Wizardry Gaiden IV Now Playable In English
Our demon's heart is throbbing
The original Wizardry turned many heads upon its original release in 1981 on the Apple II. It was a winning combination of Dungeons & Dragons-style gameplay with graphics unlike anything seen before. The series went to find success both in the west and Japan, where it was licensed to ASCii Soft. It gained such a...
News Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 Launches in North America on 30th September
Alongside a physical double pack that has both games
Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 was announced a while back for Japan, but a release in other territories was subject to doubt for a time. Sure, Azure Striker Gunvolt performed pretty well on a global scale, but sometimes release schedules just don't make sense. However, a recent listing in Australia outed...
Review SPLASHY DUCK (Wii U eShop)
Just keep swimmin'
So why did the duck cross the water? In SPLASHY DUCK, it's to grab a bunch of coins before colliding with a whale. So, uh, now you know? SPLASHY DUCK is another addition to the RCMADIAX line of simply designed score attack games. The player guides a duck endlessly swimming a vertical channel in the middle of the screen. When...
News Minecraft: Wii U Edition Makes Top 20 Debut in UK Charts
Mario & Sonic at the Olympics also shows solid form
The UK chart results have, as always, arrived to get the week underway. This week's ratings do include a handful of releases on Nintendo hardware, albeit not at the top end. The physical retail edition of Minecraft: Wii U Edition, arriving a little over six months after the eShop download, has...
News Check Out Summer Games Done Quick Day 2 As Its Fundraising Total Passes $100,000 - Live!
Mega Man block, Link's Awakening, Four Swords and more
Summer Games Done Quick is one of our favourite annual events (alongside the other 'Games Done Quick' extravaganza each year) in the world of speedrunning and general gaming awesomeness. It features some of the world's most skilful players rattling through classic games while raising an...
News Wii U Exclusive 3Souls - Episode 1: Nelesa Arrives Soon in Europe
28th July in EU, "a few weeks" later in Americas
There aren't many games still on the way that prioritise the Wii U GamePad and its unique features, but the exclusive eShop title 3Souls - Episode 1: Nelesa is one example. Developer Red Column has the goal of showing how the second screen can still be used in smart ways to enhance gameplay and...
Sunday3rd Jul 2016
News My Nintendo Really Wants You To Use Miitomo, But Only Offers 2 Points in New Daily 'Mission'
Don't spend it all at once
Part of Nintendo's long term strategy is to integrate the My Nintendo loyalty programme with multiple apps and even tie-in with visits to special locations and similar incentives. It's early days, however, and the Platinum points currently revolve around weekly logins to Miiverse, the eShop and My Nintendo itself, while...
Video Maya Fey Stars in New Trailer for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice
Just two more months...
We may not get all of the Ace Attorney games in the West, but we do have Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice to look forward to on the eShop. Capcom's releasing the localised version in September, and is slowly ramping up its efforts to promote the quirky entry in the series. It sees Phoenix Wright in a...
Japan Weekly Previews and Reviews as Famitsu Continues to Play Catch-Up with E3
Puzzle & Dragons X sees more coverage as well
With so much news coming out of E3 a few weeks ago and only so many pages in a magazine, Famitsu has struggled to keep up with it all. Like last week, ample E3 news buried a few shining gems of information about upcoming Nintendo games, along with a couple obscure titles that will likely never see the...
News Watch the Final Day of the 2016 Pokémon US National Championships - Live!
They want to be the very best
With places and qualifying points for the Worlds up for grabs, top Pokémon players of various kinds have been competing at The Pokémon US National Championships this weekend. Champions in some age groups and in particular for Pokkén Tournament were crowned on day two, so now we head to the highest profile showdowns...
News Catch Day One of Summer Games Done Quick - Live!
And donate if you like
Summer Games Done Quick is one of our favourite annual events (alongside the other 'Games Done Quick' extravaganza each year) in the world of speedrunning and general gaming awesomeness. It features some of the world's most skilful players rattling through classic games while raising an incredible amount of money. This year's...
Saturday2nd Jul 2016
Video Digital Foundry Produces Extended Breath of the Wild Technical Analysis
Testing the world's systems, visual techniques and more
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is certainly one of Nintendo's most ambitious projects of recent years, pushing the Wii U to the limit and hopefully in line to showcase what the NX can do. Digital Foundry, which specialises in technical analysis of games, has now produced the most...
News Takedown Notice May Spell the End for Digger Dan DX
Nintendo plans to take the game off the eShop
Digger Dan DX is a recent arrival on the 3DS eShop, which revamped and expanded upon DSiWare title Digger Dan & Kaboom. We rather liked it in our review, appreciating its blend of puzzles and mining, comparing it to the likes of Boulder Dash and Digger T. Rock. That comparison may
Video XSEED Shows Off Some Promising Titles in Post-E3 Showcase
Three promising Wii U / 3DS games feature
As we head into the Summer months we can expect some quieter times, but the recent E3 LA extravaganza also set us up for some promising releases in the coming months; XSEED happens to be publishing a few of these that are coming to Wii U and 3DS. The publisher has now shared a 3.5 hour stream showcasing a...
News Watch Day Two of the 2016 Pokémon US National Championships - Live!
Now it's getting serious
With places in the Worlds up for grabs, top Pokémon players of various kinds have been competing at The Pokémon US National Championships. Day one is now out of the way, so there'll be a lot of competitors dreaming of the big prize as they head into the middle day of the event. As before there's plenty to enjoy with...
Friday1st Jul 2016
News New My Nintendo Rewards Are Now Available in North America
Not bad, not bad...
The highly anticipated My Nintendo program launched a few months ago, though it seems that response to it has vastly cooled down since. The bulk of rewards are Miitomo outfits and coupons for digital games that usually can be found cheaper in physical form, which has understandably upset those who had higher expectations...
News This Is What Sonic The Hedgehog Looks Like In Lego Dimensions
Gotta go fast
We've know that Sonic the Hedgehog is coming to Lego Dimensions, but only now are we getting our first look at the figure itself. The image has shared by Mark Warburton, who is the Producer at TT Games on Lego Dimensions. It shows Sonic on his special NFC base, holding one of his iconic golden rings. Sonic is expected to launch as...
First Impressions Looking Back With Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past
The old and the new
There are a small group of titles coming to the 3DS in 2016 that will target a broad audience, but one Summer release in particular has engaged a dedicated group of RPG fans - Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past. The wait for localisation certainly made some rather unhappy, especially in Europe where the PS1...
News Scott Moffitt is Leaving Nintendo
Evidently, the departure was amicable
Though it's easy enough to think of Nintendo headquarters as being something akin to the interior of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, the reality is that it is a corporation that's run by a hierarchy just like any other. Scott Moffitt – Executive VP of Sales and Marketing – is a face and name that many...
Video Watch Us Experiment With Your Ideas in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
You asked, we delivered
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild features a whole host of new gameplay features, chief among them being the new dynamic physics engine. Being the loveable souls that we think we are we decided earlier in the week to reach out to you lovely people and see what you wanted to see happen in this fresh new title. You asked...
Gallery Get the Full Localised Details on Pokémon Sun and Moon's Newest Pocket Monsters
Western trailers and official profiles ahoy!
Earlier this week The Pokémon Company reacted to leaks online with a new Japanese trailer revealing a number of new 'mon for Pokémon Sun and Moon. The Western subsidiaries have now played catch up in order to release localised trailers and a host of details over on the official website. As we have in...
News More Discounts and Downloads Arrive on My Nintendo in Europe
Taking flight
Pinch, punch, start of a new month. Nintendo of Europe has added a small batch of new Rewards to My Nintendo in the region, and as is normal is going for smaller and regular updates in comparison to Nintendo of America. This time around we have two full downloads - or rather one across two platforms - along with a handful of...
New amiibo support included, of course
Splatoon is heading towards a grand finale, of sorts, as Nintendo prepares for the last ever Splatfest which will be shared across regions and pit Callie and Marie against each other. In addition, of course, the singing duo have new amiibo that are due to arrive very soon, and with them
News NES Visual Compendium Kickstarter Hit With Intellectual Property Dispute
Legally blind
We recently reported on the Kickstarter campaign for Bitmap Books' NES/Famicom: A Visual Compendium. Part of the publisher's long-running Visual Compendium series - which has previously featured the Commodore, Amiga and ZX Spectrum - the book is intended as a celebration of Nintendo's iconic 8-bit console, a machine which changed the...
Reminder Mythical Pokémon Shaymin is Up for Grabs Until 24th July
And... relax
With Pokémon in its 20th Anniversary year we've been getting one Mythical Pokémon every month for the current-gen games, each available for a few weeks. This month's offering is Shaymin, which is up for grabs until 24th July and originated in Pokémon Diamond & Pearl. It's level 100 in this distribution, of course, and has the...
News A New Fighter is Due to be Announced for Pokkén Tournament on July 14th
Who's that Pokémon?
Pokkén Tournament was a fun and quirky new fighter released in March, merging the 3D fighter action of the Tekken Series with the pocket monsters of Pokémon. We absolutely loved it, praising the accessible, yet deep, nature of the gameplay. The character roster is one of the game's many strengths featuring a diverse array of...
Video New Fan-Made Video Series Uncovers Animal Crossing's Darker Side
I am not a number, I am a free tanuki!
Animal Crossing: New Leaf feels like a lifetime ago now and recent spin-offs Happy Home Designer and amiibo Festival didn't really scratch our itch, but this unofficial Animal Crossing animated series should keep us entertained while we wait for the next proper instalment. As you can see it uses the characters,...
Competition Uniqlo T-Shirt Grand Prix 2017 Is Focused On The World Of Nintendo
Get your designs submitted, you could win $10,000
Each year, clothing retailer Uniqlo runs a T-Shirt Grand Prix design competition in which it picks a theme and then allows the public to submit designs - the best of which are put into production and sold in the company's stores all over the world. In previous years the themes have included Star Wars...
Video Nintendo Begins Pushing Teddy Together On UK Children's Television
You know, for kids
Teddy Together's recent announcement was something of a shock. Based on Japan-only Bandai Namco title Kuma Tomo from a few years back, this unique take on the virtual pet craze is currently exclusive to Europe and Nintendo clearly thinks it's onto a winner, as a focused TV advertising campaign is currently being rolled out in the...
Review Slots - Pharaoh's Riches (Wii U eShop)
More like Pharaoh's Rags
There seems to be a dearth of casino-style or gambling games on the Wii U eShop, so Skunk Software has taken it upon itself to try and fill this gap. Unfortunately, there is a glaringly obvious reason why gambling games aren't found all over the eShop: they simply don't work as intended. For its part, Slots - Pharaoh's...
News Catch Some Day One Action From The 2016 Pokémon US National Championships - Live!
Video Game, Trading Card Game and Pokkén masters go to battle
The competitive Pokémon gaming scene has been up and running for a few months already in 2016, with players around the world battling it out to qualify for the World Championships later this year. One of the most notable precursors for that event is running this weekend - The Pokémon...
