Retro News
September2015
Review Wario: Master of Disguise (Wii U eShop / DS)
Master of Mediocrity
After WarioWare took off, it seemed like that was all everybody's favourite antihero was up to, save for a Wii instalment of the Wario Land series. In truth, there was also an attempt at a Wario platformer on the DS, though it is quite easy to see why not many seem to remember this outing. Developed by Suzak, the company...
August2015
Mario History Super Mario Sunshine - 2002
Trippin' on sunshine
In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario game per day, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. It was a bold move from Nintendo to launch the GameCube in 2001 without a Mario game. The tables were turned so that Mario's link to the launch was through...
Feature Handheld LCD Gaming Past And Present
For those times when an original Game Boy just isn’t retro-chic enough
Nintendo first hit the LCD game scene all the way back in 1980 with Ball, a simple but thoroughly playable affair at the time that may be familiar to fans of the Game Boy Camera or those brave souls who ventured onto the DSi shop. From these humble beginnings Nintendo's LCD...
Mario History Super Smash Bros. Melee - 2001
A new generation
In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario game per day, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. It wasn't so long ago that we were writing about the original Super Smash Bros. on Nintendo 64, a 1999 release that achieved success on the Nintendo 64 and...
Video Here's What Rare's Final GameCube Title Should Have Looked Like
Very early prototype for Kameo unearthed
As we all know, Rare was once a second-party Nintendo studio but was purchased by Microsoft over a decade ago. When the acquisition took place, the UK company was working on several GameCube projects, including Donkey Kong Racing and Kameo, the latter of which would eventually appear as a launch title for the...
Mario Memories Basking in the Glow of Super Mario Sunshine
"It introduced me to a passion I still hold to this very day"
In this series articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have Pokémon expert Andrew Karklins. When I was younger, my first home...
Mario History Mario Tennis - 2000
Two match points
In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. Our original plan for our 2000 entry in this series was to write about Paper Mario, yet just recently we shared an editorial to celebrate its 15th...
Feature A Pokémon Retrospective: Generation 1 - 1996 To 1999
The start of something beautiful
As we build up to the 20th anniversary of Pokémon in February 2016 and look hotly ahead towards brand new things such as the green blob Pokémon, we're going to take you back on a monthly journey through each of the generations of Pokémon, starting with the first Generation. The build-up to launch: It all began...
Mario History Super Smash Bros. - 1999
The start of a long fight
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In our final entry for Mario in the 20th Century we reach the beginnings of one of Nintendo's most vital franchises. While not strictly a 'Mario'...
Review G.G Series VECTOR (DSiWare)
Low magnitude
The last title in the G.G Series has come to pass at last, and it concludes the series in a rather anticlimactic and slightly disappointing manner. G.G Series VECTOR attempts to yet again take a crack at the falling block puzzler and it does so with mixed results. While there's an interesting original idea that's executed in a...
Review G.G Series ENERGY CHAIN (DSiWare)
Off the chain
The next title in the G.G series takes us back to the puzzler genre with yet another take on the tried and true block puzzler. Amazingly enough, this is pulled off with a surprising amount of success and is as enjoyable as it is original. If there's any complaint to be levelled against G.G Series ENERGY CHAIN, it's that the overall...
Colourtastic! Colourrific! Colourawesome!
In the words of the late Satoru Iwata - "Above all, video games are meant to just be one thing: Fun for everyone". Runbow embraces this philosophy and runs away with it. The result is a game that is simple in concept and execution, yet it radiates personality from every shade of its palette. In short, Runbow...
Mario History Mario Party - 1998
Let's get it started
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. We'll admit it, we're cheating a little with this entry. All entries in this series of articles have - until now - taken their release dates from the...
News MOTHER 2 Vinyl Soundtrack Heading West
North America bound
Back in March we reported on a Kickstarter campaign aimed at bringing the original arranged Mother soundtrack to vinyl for the first time in North America. The campaign smashed its target funding goal and the project is now well on its way to completion. In a surprise announcement made earlier today, it was revealed that Ship to...
Video How Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Dev Factor 5 Gave Sonic His Home Video Game Début
A tale that gets even more unlikely with each telling
Sonic may be one of the most famous video game characters on the face of the planet, but first appearance in a domestic video game is actually relatively unknown. Sonic's actual début occurred in the arcade racer Rad Mobile (later ported to the Sega Saturn under the title Gale Racer) where he...
Mario History Mario Kart 64 - 1997
A new kind of racing
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In our last entry for this series we covered Super Mario 64, a title that utilised the capabilities of the Nintendo 64 to revolutionise Mario...
Review G.G Series SCORE ATTACKER (DSiWare)
The name says it all
The next title in the G.G series opts to return to the bullet hell genre with generally positive results. Due to the fact it makes little to no effort at creating its own identity, G.G Series SCORE ATTACKER is rather forgettable. That being said the controls are solid, the visuals and sound are suitably old-school, and the...
Mario History Super Mario 64 - 1996
A gaming revolution
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. The Nintendo 64 was a revolutionary system in multiple respects. Its unique controller introduced an analogue stick to Nintendo gamers, for one thing,...
Review G.G Series NYOKKI (DSiWare)
Snake charmer
The next title in the G.G series aims to remix a classic arcade game, and it mostly succeeds in achieving that goal. While there are some issues with the way that the main character responds to your controls, there really isn't much else to complain about. G.G Series NYOKKI is a good example of how to pull off a budget arcade game; it...
Mario History Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Mario's Tennis - 1995
A new look and new beginnings
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. It's easy to forget, in this period of fresh Mario 'main' series platformers every 12 to 24 months, that the mid-'90s brought a notable gap...
Mario Memories A Portable Warp Pipe To Lost Adventures
Catching up on history
In this series of not-quite-daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have reviewer and contributor Conor McMahon. SEGA's dominance over the UK and Irish market meant...
Mario History Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 and Hotel Mario - 1994
Wait, this isn't Mario...
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In this daily series most entries have been 'main' Mario titles across portables and home consoles, with just a couple of spin-offs and cameos...
Mario Memories Conquering the First Level in Super Mario Bros.
"I had a sense of fear about progressing further into the first level"
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have news writer, reviewer and Australian Correspondent...
Review G.G Series AIR PINBALL HOCKEY (DSiWare)
A missed opportunity
Thought the G.G Series was done, did you? Well it's not, and – after a brief hiatus – we're back to giving you our two cents as to which of these numerous mini games are worth your time. This time around, G.G Series AIR PINBALL HOCKEY is in the hotseat and it manages to provide a beautifully divisive experience that manages...
Mario History Super Mario All-Stars - 1993
Remastering NES classics
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. As part of the inevitable circle of life in gaming, we come to a compilation of remasters. In some respects Nintendo was a trailblazer, as...
News This iBookGuy Video Explaining How "Oldschool" Graphics Work Has Deservedly Gone Viral
Simple and detailed at once
In a reminder of how curiosity in retro gaming, programming and technology can combine to dramatic affect online, a video exploring 'How "oldschool" graphics worked' has gone viral this week. Published by The iBookGuy on 17th August, it's already amassed over one million views at the time of writing. It's a great watch,...
Mario History Super Mario Kart - 1992
The start of something beautiful
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. With the exception of our 1987 entry, this series of articles on Mario titles for each year since 1985 has been all about main-series...
Mario History Super Mario World - 1991
A new generation of Mario
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In our 1990 entry we covered Super Mario Bros. 3, so rapidly moving onto Super Mario World is an indication of h
Mario History Super Mario Bros. 3 - 1990
Platforming wizardry
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. Though it landed in Japan in late 1988, it would be February 1990 before Super Mario Bros. 3 would grace the NES in North America - painfully, it...
Gallery This NES Console Mod Is The Ultimate Metroid Tribute
Worth hunting for
This year marks 29 years since Metroid was released in North America, and to celebrate the occasion fans are paying tribute to the NES classic in a wide range of ways. Modder Platinumfungi has collaborated with airbrush artist Noel McEwen to craft a one-of-a-kind NES console complete with a Samus sprite which lights up when the...
Ninterview Dave Higgins And The Quest For A Complete European Game Boy Library
Collecting at a rate of 1.064 games per day
Nintendo is responsible for some of the most iconic gaming systems of all time, but one of its most technically humble seems to be undergoing something of a resurgence at present. The monochrome Game Boy may not have the visual impact of the SNES or N64, but its portable nature arguably lends a more...
Mario History Super Mario Land - 1989
Portable platforming
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. It's a reflection of the technological times that it was 1989 before Nintendo produced a profitable portable - its grey and green screen was far from...
News This Mario Kart XXL Game Boy Advance Prototype Looks... Interesting
Best left on the cutting room floor
If any company is currently the leading light in prioritising enjoyable gameplay over pushing technology it's Nintendo. A look at the current and upcoming sleight of games re-affirms that clever ideas, established gameplay and colourful visuals are the priority - in most cases - above pushing boundaries. Of...
Mario History Super Mario Bros. 2 - 1988
Like a dream
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In our 1986 entry of this series we covered Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, which forms the other half of this particular tale. Both that and what would...
Event Super Mario Kart SNES World Championships 2015 - 18th to 22nd August
Champion racers are back
The worldwide Mario Kart community is huge, especially since the success of Mario Kart 8; yet let's not forget that the older versions are still heavily competitive. Super Mario Kart has Official World Championships held annually in France every August run by the French Federation of SMK team ( Nintendo of France have been a...
Mario Memories Pre-Internet Timeline Confusion and the Joys of Computer Club
The first rule of Computer Club...
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. Next up is reviewer Jonathan Town. Looking back now, I realise that growing up in Wakefield (West...
Mario History Punch-Out!! and Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race - 1987
The master of cameos
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game (or more!) every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. 1987 was a rather quiet year for Mario. Nintendo was somewhat occupied with conquering the video game world and popularising a range of...
Review Onimusha Tactics (Wii U eShop / GBA)
The Oni put the feud in feudal Japan
Onimusha Tactics was originally released 12 years ago, in 2003, for the Game Boy Advance. Developed and produced by Capcom, the same company that made the Onimusha series on the PS2, Tactics's gameplay and individual story deviates from the originals but retains a similar plot (involving the Onimusha and battling...
Video Iron Maiden's New Music Video Pays Tribute To Donkey Kong, Of All Things
A heavy trip through gaming history
Legendary British heavy metal band Iron Maiden are preparing to release their first single in half a decade and have put together a video game-inspired music video to mark the occasion. Speed of Light's official video sees the band's iconic mascot Eddie getting sucked into an arcade machine which then forces him...
Mario History Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels - 1986
Or just Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. We kicked off this series with a look at Super Mario Bros., and it's pleasing that it only took one year for Mario's history to get...
Mario History Super Mario Bros. - 1985
Changing the gaming industry forever
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. To paraphrase the great poet Dylan Thomas, for this run of articles celebrating the Super Mario franchise we will begin at the...
News This SquidKid Splatoon Game Boy Mod Aims to Make a Splash
Pre-order details due this week
Nintendo wasn't shy of releasing a whole load of Game Boy designs and variations in the '90s, and in the modern day enthusiasts and modders are more than happy to keep the trend going. There are a lot of cool mods out there - if you can think of a cool design you'd like to see, the odds are reasonable that someone,...
Editorial Paper Mario is 15 Years Old Today, and Provides a Reminder of Nintendo's Wonderful Whimsy
Silly and brilliant, what a combination
Paper Mario is 15 years old today, 11th August, in terms of its Japanese release in 2000. Intelligent Systems, a development company typically associated with Fire Emblem and Advance Wars, took a step back from serious strategising to produce what was, at the time, a bit of a revelation. Actually originally...
Video Say Hello To The SNES Game Which Ships Inside A Game Boy Cartridge
Invading a 16-bit home console near you
One of the really cool things about the Super Game Boy adapter - besides the fact that it allowed you to play your portable titles on SNES - was that it added embellishments to certain titles, like two-player modes, additional colours and even attractive borders around the screen. However, there's one title...
Witness the Mario Kart killer that never was
Given the amount of love and attention we've bestowed Xbox One title Rare Replay recently, you'd be forgiven for thinking that you'd logged onto our sister site Pure Xbox by mistake. Still, Rare will forever be a major part of Nintendo history, and there's a lot of bonus content in this collection which...
Video Kids React to Pokémon Snap In Rather Interesting Ways
Where's that darn Z button?
It's oddly fascinating when young gamers get given a retro game to play, which helps to partly explain the huge success of the REACT channel. Yes, it covers people of all ages reacting to all manner of things, but when you hand a kid a retro controller the results can be - in their way - educational. The latest episode...
Review DK: Jungle Climber (Wii U eShop / DS)
Aping the King of Swing
What do you get when you throw away an established series' playbook and try for something new? You get DK: Jungle Climber. Unlike previous entries in the venerable Donkey Kong franchise, DK: Jungle Climber takes a fresh look at the series by focusing on swinging and timing more than precise platforming. The problem? It gets...
News This Controller Wants to Bring the 'Next Gen' to NES
Works on the 8-bit system or PC
Plenty of companies tackle the surprisingly complex challenge of producing a high quality game controller, and not all pull it off successfully. We somewhat admire the effort from Retro Fighters, then, which is aiming to crowdfund a 'next gen' NES pad. The main pitch for this pad is that it has both usb and a NES...
Review Mario Tennis (Wii U eShop / N64)
Love All
Some people would say Mario Tennis is worthy of praise solely for the fact it introduces the glorious specimen known as Waluigi into the Nintendo World. These people are right, but you can't write a full review out of that. In all seriousness, Mario Tennis marks a highlight in Nintendo's adaptation of the sport into a fun, casual style...
Video Did You Know Gaming? Tackles The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The history of a classic
We rather like the Did You Know Gaming channel here on Nintendo Life, as it neatly summarises familiar and sometimes fresh trivia on iconic games. Nintendo titles get plenty of coverage, and next up is The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Drawing on sources recent and otherwise, including an Iwata Asks for The Legend of...
July2015
News Fire Emblem Meets Front Mission In Galaxy Robo, A Freshly Fan-Translated SNES RPG
Robot rock
Not a week seems to pass without another Super Famicom RPG getting translated by devoted fans, and this particular week it's the turn of Copya Systems' Galaxy Robo, a turn-based strategy title that was published in Japan by Imagineer in 1994. Playing like a cross between Fire Emblem and Square's Front Mission, Galaxy Robo has been...
Event Movies, Mirth And Mario Kart Mastery At The First Nintendo Life Gaming Night
Hosted at the Centre for Computing History, Cambridge
As you'll no doubt be aware, here at Nintendo Life we've got a real soft spot for vintage gaming. Keeping this in mind, our recent event at the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, England was something of an eye-opener. Our relationship with the museum itself goes back some time - thanks...
Video Pokémon Gold & Silver Glitches Deliver Celebi Magic
And some weird stuff
The A+Start YouTube channel specialises in showing off fun game glitches, both practical and otherwise, and its latest video is sure to be worth a watch for Pokémon fans. It tackles Pokémon Gold & Silver, and in particular the lengthy method for obtaining one of the rarest 'mon in the games. We're talking about Celebi,...
Weirdness Super Mario Bros. 3 is Rather Creepy With "The Plumber's Dream" Theory
The hills have eyes
Super Mario Bros. 3 is an undoubted classic, and one of the finest platformers of all time. At times bizarre, always great to play, it's a testament to what could be achieved on the 8-bit NES. Naturally it's an enduring topic for gamers of all types, and some like to really dive into the meaning of the colourful and bonkers...
Review G.G Series THROW OUT (DSiWare)
Throw this one out
We return to the G.G series with the sports genre, this time looking at a soccer game with combative elements reminiscent of the Mario Strikers series. It somewhat succeeds in this attempt, but matches are seldom challenging and consequently feel dull. While the game mechanics themselves are solid enough, one can't help but...
Video Chill Out With Smooth McGroove's Onett Theme A-Cappella From EarthBound
Released in honour of Satoru Iwata
Fans of awesome video game music with a taste for a-cappella are likely familiar with Smooth McGroove, who's covered a huge number of iconic tracks in his own style. There'd been a bit of a gap (around three months) since his last video at the time of writing, but the singer / composer has now released a fresh...
Review G.G Series THE LAST KNIGHT (DSiWare)
Hopefully this really is the last knight
The G.G series has grown a great deal in recent weeks, and another addition is an action adventure game that bears more than a passing resemblance to dungeons from The Legend of Zelda. Unfortunately, G.G Series THE LAST KNIGHT doesn't hold any of the same magic and fails to deliver entertainment that has much...
Review Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Tending to the roots
If you're a fan of the Harvest Moon series, you know that a faithful instalment will leave only two questions: who do I get to marry and just how much free time can I afford to sacrifice over the next month or two? Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town sticks closer to this original formula than some of its more modern cousins,...
Weirdness Sega's Repackaged Transformers Arcade Game Is An Unexpected Nod To Its Glorious Past
Feeling the G-Force
Back when arcades really mattered, Sega was one of the industry's big hitters. The company not only produced amazing titles like Golden Axe and Alien Storm, but also ran a pretty amazing line in dedicated coin-op cabinets. Titles like After Burner, Space Harrier, Out Run and Thunderblade were all housed in massive, hulking units...
Anniversary The Virtual Boy Is 20 Years Old Today
Nintendo's most famous failure is getting on a bit
According to the history books, the Virtual Boy is Nintendo's biggest failure — both commercially and critically — in the hardware arena. Launched 20 years ago today on 21st July 1995 in Japan to almost complete consumer apathy, it bypassed Europe entirely and was discontinued the following...
Review Final Fight One (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Still the One?
It's fair to say Capcom was on a roll in the late '80s and early '90s. During this period it pushed out some bona-fide classic pieces of software, including 1989's seminal coin-op brawler, Final Fight. Indisputably one of the finest side-scrolling beat-'em-ups ever created, it joined a rush of similar coin-guzzling titles including...
News Secret Of Evermore's Epic Soundtrack Gets The Remaster Treatment
Sean Schafianski works his magic on Jeremy Soule's original tracks
Secret of Evermore is one of Square's forgotten classics - a SNES title created entirely in North America that tried to ape stable mate Secret of Mana, but didn't quite match it. Despite being less acclaimed than some of Square's other 16-bit titles, Evermore still has plenty of fans...
Video There's Plenty to Admire in this Super Mario World Speedrun
Son of a Glitch explains how it's done
Speedrunning is a particularly neat part of gaming culture, in which extremely dedicated and skilful players push games and their coding to the limit. Often exploiting glitches and - in the case of retro games - memory limitations of the original hardware, gamers find clever way to beat classic titles in a...
Review G.G Series VERTEX (DSiWare)
A bit too one dimensional
The next game in the G.G series is here, and this one is yet another unique take on the puzzler genre. While G.G Series VERTEX starts out strong with an interesting shooter-puzzler hybrid, it quickly peters out when this concept fails to develop into anything further. Pair this with lacklustre visual and sound design, and...
Live Watch the Super Smash Bros. Melee Finals from Evo 2015
Time for a champion to be crowned
Evo 2015 (Evolution Championship Series) is reaching its big conclusion - ZeRo has already triumphed in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and today brings the grand finale of the Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament. Join us for the action! [liveblog=watch_the_super_smash_bros_melee_finals_from_evo_2015]#Evo2015...
Review G.G Series RUN & STRIKE (DSiWare)
Double fault
The next entry in the G.G series opts to branch out a bit and little something in the sports genre. While this works relatively well initially, the novelty of the gameplay soon wears off and it quickly becomes rather boring. G.G Series RUN & STRIKE is a decent arcade game, but players looking for anything more will be sorely...
Review Super Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Ryu on Wii U (again)
1991's Street Fighter II is a game that got people very excited and led to a surge of interest in the fighting genre. It's also a game that got updated a lot — new moves, new characters, new speeds... — while being ported to numerous home consoles and computers. Several of those ports have seen a Virtual Console release...
Review Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Just like a black hole, it'll suck up hours of your time
With the first Advance Wars being a hit on the GBA not long after the system launched, it was no wonder that a sequel would eventually follow. Released about two years later, Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising feels very much like an expansion pack, but one that is still more than worth the...
Review G.G Series DRILLING ATTACK!! (DSiWare)
Rock solid
The next title to look at in the G.G series is yet another action platformer, but it manages to feel distinct from the others in more ways than one. Unlike every G.G game up to this point, G.G Series DRILLING ATTACK!! focuses less on being an arcade-focused game best suited for quick playthroughs, and more on being an experience that...
News The Famicom is 32 Years Old Today
Should have a steady job and a mortgage by now
Here's one to make some of us feel old - the Famicom is 32 years old today, released in Japan on 15th July 1983. It was, of course, the system that would be revamped and remodelled as the NES in October 1985 in North America. Famicom was the shortened name for Family Computer; a key difference of this...
Ninterview Meet The Man Who Makes Hip-Hop Music From Classic Nintendo Hardware
"The controller we have created is like wearing my childhood round my neck"
We recently came across a UK based hip-hop producer and DJ by the name of Imperial, who makes quite a striking impression with a strange musical instrument strapped around his neck, which has parts that might seem very familiar to our readers. This musical instrument is...
Review Star Fox Command (Wii U eShop / DS)
Command and conquer
Fox McCloud and friends are coming back in a big way this Holiday season with Star Fox Zero for the Wii U, and while the jury's still out on whether the title will live up to expectations, Nintendo has given fans a refresher course in barrel rolls by releasing Star Fox Command on the system's Virtual Console in North America...
News MEGABytes to Blend a Cafe and Arcade Together in Glasgow
Cake and NES, together at last
Retro gaming culture remains strong, with the collector's scene, events and expos remaining hugely popular around the world. Arcades are less common, though some entrepreneurs in Glasgow have decided that rather than simply open a cafe, it'd provide a blend of old and new. MEGABytes is opening in Glasgow (Scotland)...
Video Check Out an Extensive History of Super Mario Bros. 2
The real original and the Doki Doki Panic re-skin
Many Nintendo fans know the basic story around Super Mario Bros. 2 as known in the West, and the original sequel which would be called Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels outside of Japan. It's a familiar tale, but one nevertheless with some detail that's reserved for those keen to delve into the...
News Zeldamotion's Link To The Past Animated Series Takes to Kickstarter for Support
Aiming to complete the series
Fans of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past may remember episode one of Zeldamotion's Link to the Past Animated Series; the fan effort boasted impressive visuals as it began a re-telling of the game's memorable adventure. It's been around 10 months since that episode launched, but the Patreon pa
News This 'PikaBoy' Game Boy Color Mod Goes the Extra Mile
LED cheeks, a tail and feet to stand up
We sure like retro console mods here at Nintendo Life, as fans take classic systems and apply a neat twist to their design. Nintendo systems are often re-imagined in wonderful ways, and this 'PikaBoy' system is another example. The creator, 'eforie', had the idea in 2011 but made it a reality for...
Review Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (Wii U eShop / N64)
Kirby Sixty-Phwoar
Like many of Nintendo's properties during the transition from the SNES to the N64, Kirby underwent a shift from a flat 2D sprite to a fully rendered polygon rendition of himself. Rather than taking Kirby down the route of Mario and Link, however, the pink mascot stuck closer to his origins - the mechanics of Kirby 64: The Crystal...
Weirdness Revenge is a Dish Best Sold on eBay, as This EarthBound Sale Shows
Ouch
Retro gaming, most notably collecting, can be an expensive business. Not all gamers are content with downloading whatever classics pop up in the Virtual Console, as there can be a desire to own the original cartridges and play them on their retro systems. Collections can be treasured, then, but based on an eBay sale can also be used as...
Review Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time (Wii U eShop / DS)
Fun for all ages
It takes quite a lot of star power to be able to co-star with yourself in something. The upcoming Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is set to show that our favourite plumbers are not lacking in this department, but it's not the first time developer AlphaDream has pulled a similar gimmick! For that we should look to Mario & Luigi:...
Review G.G Series THE HIDDEN NINJA KAGEMARU (DSiWare)
The way of the ninja
The next game in the G.G series opts to return to the platformer genre yet again, and the end result is surprisingly engaging. G.G Series THE HIDDEN NINJA KAGEMARU is a unique arcade focused, 2D stealth platformer that manages to put forth a distinct and compelling gameplay system that'll keep gamers coming back again and again...
News Say Hello To What Could Be The Most Obscure Piece Of Nintendo Hardware Ever Made
Copy me do
There's been a lot of chatter lately about obscure gaming hardware, mainly inspired by the discovery of the prototype SNES PlayStation. However, if you want a truly off-the-wall slice of Nintendo history, then you need look no further than the Copilas. Produced in 1971 way before Nintendo had begun experimenting with video games, the...
Review G.G Series ALL BREAKER (DSiWare)
Are you worthy of the hammer?
We have another title in the G.G series to consider, and this one opts to go back to action platformer roots. However, G.G Series ALL BREAKER focuses on including puzzle elements into the mix alongside the oddly compelling, melee-centric action. The end result is an engaging experience that'll keep challenging both your...
Video Capcom Shares Footage of Resident Evil 0 N64 Prototype
Fuzzy horror
We love a bit of survival horror here at NL Towers, and Resident Evil 0 was one of our favourite GameCube games, along with the slightly more accessible Resident Evil 4 of course. What you might not have realised is that Resident Evil 0 was originally intended to be a Nintendo 64 game which was planned to come out in 2000. The game...
Video Take A Drip Down Memory Lane With Game Freak's Second Game, Jerry Boy
Or Smart Ball, if you had the misfortune of playing the American version
Game Freak may be most famous for the Pokémon series, but the company's history goes back a little further than that. Back when the firm was still learning the ropes, it released the platform title Jerry Boy on the Super Famicom. A cute and cuddly romp through a colourful...
Review G.G Series GREAT WHIP ADVENTURE (DSiWare)
I hate snakes, Jock! I hate 'em!
The G.G series continues onward, and once again goes back to the platformer genre. G.G Series GREAT WHIP ADVENTURE does its best to provide gamers with a compact action platformer, and it largely succeeds in achieving this goal. While it may seem a bit derivative at times, the solid platforming action on offer here...
News Sony's Shuhei Yoshida Plays It Cool With The SNES PlayStation
"Actually, I played some games [on it] as well"
Shuhei Yoshida, rather like his contemporaries at Nintendo, is refreshingly light-hearted and open in interviews - the President of Sony Computer Entertainment's Worldwide Studios has popped up in these pages in the past speaking positively about Nintendo and sharing amusing tales of getting banned on...
News Gunpei Yokoi Discusses The Struggle To Make The Game Boy In One Of His Last Interviews
"Hardware design isn't about making the most powerful thing you can"
Gunpei Yokoi is one of the most important figures in the history of Nintendo. One of the engineers who helped turn the company into what it is today, Yokoi produced some of its most significant releases - including the iconic Game & Watch series and the world-beating Game Boy...
Review G.G Series SHADOW ARMY (DSiWare)
Bob and weave
The next title in the G.G series opts to go once again into the shooter genre, and the interesting gameplay manages to set G.G Series SHADOW ARMY apart from its predecessors in a meaningful way. While some aspects of it may be dull and somewhat uninspired, the continuously variable and fast paced nature of its gunplay make it an...
Weirdness Twitch Plays Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel, With Hilarious Results
Chaos, failed stealth and furious Metal Gear gamers
The Twitch Plays phenomenon has been around for over a year now, which makes it positively medieval by internet standards. The concept of hundreds of viewers issuing input commands is predictably chaotic, of course, and the concept can still be entertaining with the right game. We think this...
Review G.G Series EXCITING RIVER (DSiWare)
A quick trip through choppy waters
The G.G Series continues rolling forward with its seemingly endless number of releases, and this time it's branching out into light racing territory. True to the identity of the series that it's coming from, G.G Series EXCITING RIVER offers a barebones yet enjoyable arcade game that shows its value not through its...
News Square's Romancing SaGa Finally Gets Translated Into A Language We Can Easily Understand
Another Super Famicom classic liberated from the mists of time
1992 Super Famicom RPG Romancing SaGa has finally been translated into English. Designed by SaGa series creator Akitoshi Kawazu, this epic title never received a western release. The game is unique in that it abandons the linear structure seen in so many other JRPGs of the period and...
News The Classic NES Lives On As An Awesome PC Case Mod
Pimp my NES
The iconic Nintendo Entertainment System was hardly a design classic back in 1985, but it holds special memories for many of us. What better way to keep the spirit of the humble NES alive than with a custom PC case mod? A PC Gamer reader gutted an old NES which he had lying around, went to work with a dremel and sandpaper and gave the...
Review Kirby Squeak Squad (Wii U eShop / DS)
Squeaky Clean Fun
For a company so often associated as being at the forefront of innovative thinking in the video game industry, Nintendo can have a tendency to stick with a tried and tested formula. The Mario, Zelda and Pokémon franchises have all received their share of criticism for not drastically changing their instalments over the years, and...
Review G.G Series CONVEYOR TOY PACKING (DSiWare)
Fresh off the conveyor belt
Packing away hundreds of toys rolling off of a factory conveyor belt, who hasn't had that dream? The next title in the G.G series is another falling block puzzler, and while it presents a unique and enjoyable type of gameplay, it's impeded somewhat by some suppressive game mechanics and an uninspired soundtrack. That...
Review G.G Series BLACK X BLOCK (DSiWare)
Block Dude 2.0
Another entry in the G.G series has arrived, and anybody who's owned a TI series calculator and spent a lengthy amount of time in a high school math class will immediately feel at home with the type of gameplay here. Indeed, the premise of G.G Series BLACK X BLOCK feels like a successor of sorts to the cult classic, Block Dude, and it...
Review G.G Series ALTERED WEAPON (DSiWare)
More than meets the eye
Short, sweet, and to the point. That's the phrase that best describes most games in the G.G series and G.G Series ALTERED WEAPON is no different - it offers an interesting and enjoyable gameplay experience that's over just about as quickly as it's begun. While it would be nice if there was a bit more meat to it, what is...
News The Man Who Found The SNES PlayStation Thinks It Will Probably Be Sold
"Sure my dad would think about selling it because he's pretty broke"
Yesterday we reported on the stunning news that a SNES PlayStation has been located in the wild. The existence of this almost-mythical machine was never in doubt - Sony released promotional images back in the early '90s - but it was believed that all of the prototypes were either...
Review The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Wii U eShop / N64)
A classic for any time
There's little remaining to say that hasn't already been said about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. A true masterpiece and a genuine game-changer; what was once revolutionary is today simply one of the greatest action/adventure games ever created. Now available to download from the Wii U eShop, this latest release...
Review G.G Series ASSAULT BUSTER (DSiWare)
Mega Buster
The G.G series keeps on going, and next up is another shoot 'em up; yet this one presents a unique and dynamic combat system that's surprisingly engaging. In an experimental series that's pretty hit or miss depending on the genre being attempted, G.G Series ASSAULT BUSTER provides a fun, arcade style shooter that's easily the most...
News Prototype SNES PlayStation Found In The Wild, Unicorn And Big Foot Expected Next
Update: Video of console now live
Before Sony entered the home console arena it worked with Nintendo on a CD-ROM drive for the SNES. The aim was to eventually release a combined console - called the PlayStation - which would play SNES carts and SNES CD-ROM games. Of course, this never came to pass - at the 1991 CES Sony officially announced the...
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