Retro News
April2015
News Game Boy Advance Given Up The Ghost? The Revo K101 Could Answer Your Prayers
Now with added colour options from Rose Colored Gaming
Hardware clones are pretty common these days thanks to the relentless march of technology, and recently we've seen a host of 8 and 16-bit systems replicated by products like the RetroN 5, Supaboy and Super Retro Trio. The Game Boy Advance is
News Activision Almost Rebooted The Atari 2600 Classic River Raid On The SNES
Canned heat-seeker
You might assume that the allure of retro gaming is a modern thing, but even back in the days of 16-bit machines players were keen to sample titles from the past. To fill that demand publishers released reboots of classic titles; Activision's update of Pitfall is perhaps the most famous of the period, but we very nearly got a new...
March2015
News Microsoft Once Had Some Pretty Wild Ideas, Including Making Xbox Free And Buying Nintendo
"Name a bad idea and it was something we had to deal with"
Back when Microsoft was looking at entering the home gaming market and working on the first Xbox console, people within the company had some pretty far out ideas - precious few of which actually came to pass, thankfully. Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, Oddworld Inhabitants' Lorne Lanning has...
News Pac-Man Makes a Playable Appearance in Google Maps
It's already 1st April in Japan and Australia...
April Fools' Day has begun, or at least that's how we're interpreting the latest shenanigans from Google. With 1st April rolling around in some countries, there is now playable Pac-Man embedded into Google Maps, which is certainly a fun way to waste time and get directions all at once. When you head...
News You Can Now Create Your Very Own Game & Watch Handheld
Soldering skills required
While some believe that Nintendo's domination of the handheld market started with the Game Boy, it was in fact the Game & Watch series which really kicked things off for the Japanese firm. The brainchild of Gunpei Yokoi - the same man who created the Game Boy - these simple LCD portables sold millions during the '80s...
News Nintendo Begins Takedown Proceedings on Super Mario 64 HD Fan Project
Seems harsh
Late last week we shared a small demo that had been created by a programmer teaching themselves to create 3D platforming in Unity - Super Mario 64 HD. The title actually sounds a little grander than the reality - it's one level re-created practically from scratch, that serves as a fun proof of concept with no intention of continuing the...
Video Did You Know Gaming Delves Into the History of the NES
Hopefully, an SNES video is in the works
For those of you out of the loop, Did You Know Gaming is a fun site dedicated to sharing obscure trivia and facts about video games, both new and old. The site also runs a YouTube channel which gets updated on a fairly frequent basis, featuring videos about particular series, companies, or consoles and...
Feature The Best Pro Wrestling Games That the N64 Has to Offer
We're tapping in, not out.
The thought of a modern pro wrestling game these days is often coupled with an eye-roller. They've become as iterative as most sports games released on an annual basis - such as FIFA and Madden - but certainly have far less to offer than the examples just mentioned. What we're left with is a game that's ever-so-slightly...
Weirdness Someone's Made a Super Mario 64 HD Demo in Unity
Hopefully Nintendo will leave it be
It's common for budding game developers to utilise Nintendo games as a source of inspiration when learning their craft; the Kyoto company is regarded by many as the finest game creator in the industry, after all. Sometimes these efforts lead to impressive imitations, albeit running the gauntlet of takedown notices...
Interview Aaron Hamel on Bringing the Mother Original Arranged Soundtrack to the West
We talk about the soundtrack’s history, future projects, and much more
We recently reported on the Kickstarter campaign that has been launched with the goal of giving the Mother Original Arranged Soundtrack a western release. In just four short days the campaign smashed its funding goal and is now well on
Video What If Super Metroid Was A 3D Classic?
The Last Metroid...Is in 3D!
In our latest series of 3D videos, we've successfully converted a true classic to 3D. You wanted Super Metroid, you got Super Metroid. This phenomenal action exploration game is just calling out for a 3DS remake. Infact, Tom even suggested as much very recently. As always, you'll need to watch this video through the...
News Canned Shooter Dune: Ornithopter Assault Could Have Added Spice To The GBA Library
Title was practically finished but fell foul of publisher issues
Frank Herbert's epic fantasy series Dune has inspired some amazing video games - including Dune II: Battle for Arrakis - and should have delivered another riveting experience in the shape of Game Boy Advance shooter Frank Herbert's Dune: Ornithopter Assault. Developed by Soft Brigade...
News We're Over The Moon With This Zelda: Majora's Mask Game Boy
You've met with some awesome paint, haven't you?
We love a good custom paint job of classic gaming hardware here at Nintendo Life Towers, and this Majora's Mask Game Boy is one of the coolest mods we have seen in a while. French artist Oskunk has given this tired old Game Boy a refreshing new lease of life by bringing it bang up to date with a...
Taking a look at a genuine piece of gaming history
It's tempting to look back and think of Nintendo and Sega as long-standing rivals, and that was certainly the case during 8-bit and 16-bit era until the shock announcement that Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games was coming to the Wii. However, this wasn't the first time the two companies had...
Weirdness Watch A Complete Masochist Play Dark Souls With Some Donkey Konga Bongos
A different beat
From Software's Dark Souls is one of gaming's most rewarding - and brutal - experiences. For many, the game - as well as its forerunner Demon's Souls and sequel Dark Souls II - is hard-as-nails when played normally, but there's a small subset of completely insane players who feel it isn't quite punishing enough. Twitch and YouTube...
News Nintendo Share Prices Continue to Climb in Response to DeNA and NX Announcements
Victory lattes all around
In the first day of trading following the announcement of a major partnership with DeNA to - among other things - bring Nintendo IPs to smart devices, the company's share value jumped a massive 21%. This was unsurprising, as a number of investors had been demanding that Nintendo move to smart devices for some time, while...
Video Did You Know That Gunstar Heroes Shipped With A Fruit Roll-Up?
The Sega Channel takes a look at Treasure's first release
Gunstar Heroes is unquestionably one of the greatest games ever to grace Sega's 16-bit Mega Drive / Genesis system. It was also the first title from Treasure, a studio formed by former Konami employees that would find greater fame producing the likes of Radiant Silvergun, Ikaruga and Sin...
News This Awesome Star Fox 2 Box Art Shows Us What Could Have Been
We did a barrel roll when we saw this
With an all-new Star Fox game for Wii U on the way later this year, our thoughts sometimes drift back to the good old days of the Super Nintendo. With the critical and commercial success of Star Fox on the SNES, a sequel of some description was inevitable and it seemed that the SNES would be the platform to host...
Review Sky Kid (Wii U eShop / NES)
Bombs away
Originally an arcade game, the 1986 Namco NES title Sky Kid draws hard battle lines from the start, though exactly who the warring parties are is unclear. This quirky game is iconic of Namco's early days and even earned a song and a cameo in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U. The action here is a combination of unforgiving and short,...
Review Metroid: Zero Mission (Wii U eShop / GBA)
From zero to hero
First things first, Metroid: Zero Mission is not a straight remake of the original NES Metroid with GBA quality graphics. It's a complete retelling and retooling of Samus' first 2D space adventure, including remixed areas, new power-ups and over a decade of refinements added to the formula. Nintendo has freshened the experience...
News Go The Whole Hog With This Amazing SNES New Nintendo 3DS Skin
You've already got the buttons, why not take it to the next level?
When Nintendo announced the New Nintendo 3DS, the use of SNES-colour face buttons triggered a flood of nostalgia in 30-something players all over the globe. However, for some, just having coloured buttons isn't enough - they require the full SNES treatment. This SNES Edition Decal...
Review Harvest Moon 3 (3DS eShop / GBC)
Third time's a chore
Completing the trilogy of portable Harvest Moon games in the original series, Natsume released Harvest Moon 3 - a title originally release on the Game Boy Color - on the 3DS Virtual Console. This game expands on the two that came before it, recycling the tropes present in the series and shaping them into what more modern entries...
News The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Speedrun World Record Holder Improves His Time
18 minutes and 5 seconds
Speedrunning remains a particularly fascinating part of gaming culture, with players mastering skills and finding glitches that defy the odds. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is one of our favourites when it comes to speedrunning, as improbable times are continually set courtesy of a skipping glitch early in the game...
News Flashcard Company Announces Initial Support for New Nintendo 3DS
Only supports firmware 9.2 and needs Ocarina of Time 3D retail copy
While flashcards ran rampant in the DS era, the 3DS generation has been protected far more vigorously by Nintendo through firmware updates. There have been numerous exploits and hacks, but users of them have often been driven offline by system updates, reducing their practicality...
News Chrono Trigger Turns 20, but is Ultimately Timeless
History has never quite repeated itself
What do you get when you combine the creator of Final Fantasy, the creator of Dragon Quest, and the creator of Dragon Ball? You get arguably one of the best RPGs of all time, and a game that maintains a strong legacy 20 years after its 11 March 1995 release. Chrono Trigger is the brainchild o
Hardware Review 8Bitdo FC30 Pro Controller
We are Family (Computer)
Remember the 8Bitdo NES30 pad we reviewed a while back? It was a likeable take on the whole Bluetooth gaming pad concept which looked and felt like a genuine NES pad from back in the day. The makers of that particular controller are back with a revised unit, and this time it's focused on the NES' Japanese counterpart - the...
News Kickstarter Project Aims to Fund a Vinyl Album Release of the Mother Soundtrack
Music to our ears
Video game soundtrack releases are always interesting pieces to be added to any avid fan’s collection. Be it something like the Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack or, more recently, the Super Smash Bros. soundtrack, these always serve as bearers of some of the best tunes to grace gamers ears. More often than not, these things are...
Gallery This Custom Mario Party N64 is a Sight for Sore Eyes
The analogue joysticks will still burn your palms, though
Mario Party 10 isn't far away, arriving in the West - along with the Super Mario amiibo range - on 20th March. Its minigames have come a long way from the days of destroying Nintendo 64 analogue sticks; waggle, pointing and gyroscopic movement and aiming are now more common. For some it's a...
Review Kung-Fu Heroes (Wii U eShop / NES)
Everybody was kung fu fighting
Kung-Fu Heroes is a charming looking title for the NES released in the US in 1988 - the comical martial arts game was originally launched as an arcade title in 1984, and was then ported to the NES in 1986 by Culture Brain (formerly known as Nihon Game). The NES adaptation is the second entry in the Super Chinese series...
Video Fan Manages to Port F-Zero to the Mega Drive
Can you handle this blast processing?
Who could forget the great console war of the early '90s? After a several year period of having an iron fist clamped firmly around the console industry, Nintendo finally had to go on the defensive when Sega became the new kid on the block with the Sega Mega Drive. Promising a far superior experience to the SNES...
Review Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll (Wii U eShop / NES)
There’s not much fight in this one
Culture Brain's Hiryū no Ken fighting series dates back to the 1985 arcade release, Shanghai Kid. The 1987 NES title, Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll – exclusive to Japan and the US (1989) – took the original concept and expanded on it, as well as paving the way for future entries in the franchise. This...
News Capcom Had Two Game Boy Color Versions Of Dino Crisis In Development, But Cancelled Both
Everybody walk the dinosaur
Back in the 32-bit era, the world's biggest handheld was unquestionably the Game Boy, and its updated variant, the Game Boy Color. Any title which was big on domestic systems invariably received a scaled-down port on Nintendo's all-conquering mobile console, with varying degrees of success. Capcom was no stranger to this...
Weirdness British Children's TV Channel Gets Its Nintendo History Somewhat Mixed Up
Has popular YouTuber TheDiamondMinecart mixed up his Mario games?
We're all for educating the younger generation here at Nintendo Life. Nintendo itself has been around for longer than everyone on the face of the planet, and no matter how knowledgeable you think you are, there's a good chance you don't know everything about the Japanese firm...
News Fan Discovers StarTropics Music Tracks that Were Broken and Unnoticed for 25 Years
No, he didn't dip anything in water
Remember StarTropics? No? Well, it was a much beloved Nintendo game from the glory days of the NES. Playing something like a tropical spin on The Legend of Zelda, it followed the adventure of a kid named Mike Jones as he scoured an island in search of his lost archaeologist uncle. It was a very charming adventure,...
News Eiji Aonuma Talks About his Journey to Becoming The Legend of Zelda’s Producer
Everybody has to start somewhere
It's always interesting when a game developer reminisces and talks a bit about his or her roots. This industry moves so fast that it can sometimes be easy to lose sight of the fact that it's powered by the hard work of real people. Though breaking into game development may seem like a daunting and intimidating...
News Speedrunner Conquers Super Mario 64 in World Record Time, With No Stars
You don't need any stars to be a star
The rules of Super Mario 64 are well known. Jump, flip, and swim through treacherous levels to collect the shimmering power star at the end; speedrunners take this premise to the extreme. They collect all 120 power stars in as fast a time as possible, using precise jumps and taking advantage of various glitches...
News Thor Aackerlund Set To Celebrate The 25th Anniversary Of The 1990 Nintendo World Championships
"The true birth of eSports started here"
A quarter of the century ago Nintendo held the first round of the 1990 Nintendo World Championships in Texas, and this weekend there will be a special event to mark this anniversary. Taking place across two days - March 7th and 8th - at the newly-opened store Freaks and Geeks in Denton, Texas, the event will...
News Retro-Bit Is Releasing A Super Mario Edition Of Its RetroDuo Console
Dubbed "Mascot Edition", for obvious legal reasons
The Retro-Bit RetroDuo clone console may have been surpassed by Hyperkin's Retron 5 and the Super Retro Trio, but it's still a neat little system which allows you to play your old Nintendo games without having to have multiple consoles conne
Review Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Worth fighting for
While Fire Emblem is a franchise with a long history in Japan, its track record in the West is far more condensed; in fact Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones on Game Boy Advance was only the second series entry to arrive in the West. The first Western arrival is also available on the Wii U eShop, meaning that there's a useful...
News Nintendo's 1993 Style Guide Proves That Everything Revolves Around Princess Peach
Mario will also "accept anyone at face value", apparently
Style guides exist so that companies can ensure their treasured characters are used consistently through various forms of media - be it video games, TV shows, comic books or cheap lunch boxes produced in far-eastern sweatshops - and Nintendo is no stranger to this process. This...
Hardware Classics Sega Mega CD
Mega Seedy
The rise and fall of Sega Enterprises is a classic tale of hard-won success being scuppered by a bewildering lack of focus and an incredible degree of overconfidence. The company scored an almost impossible victory by bloodying the nose of the all-powerful Nintendo in the early '90s and was arguably the first console maker to bring an...
News Viewtiful Joe Figure is Ready for His Close-up
First in First 4 Figures' Capcom All-Stars line
We haven't seen Viewtiful Joe a whole heck of a lot since the GameCube days, but if the cry of "Henshin a go-go, baby!" still burns in your heart, First 4 Figures has something for you. The game figure producer announced via Facebook that Capcom's blazing red hero will arrive as the first in its new...
Review Pac-Attack (Wii U eShop / SNES)
When worlds collide
Originally a multi-platform release in 1993, Pac-Attack – otherwise known as Pac-Panic – was derived from Namco's arcade game released in the previous year, Cosmo Gang the Puzzle. On first glance, Pac-Attack may appear to be an average run-of-the-mill puzzle game with one of the prominent videogame characters of the time...
News Interplay Is Remastering Cult SNES Brawler ClayFighter
And its sequels, apparently
Veteran publisher Interplay has announced plans to remaster the amusing 16-bit title ClayFighter - and its sequels - for a new audience. The original ClayFighter was released on the SNES in 1993 - arguably the height of Street Fighter II's popularity - and gave the one-on-one brawler a humorous slant. It was later ported...
News We Have World War II To Thank For This Insanely Detailed Hand-Written Dragon Quest V Guide
Grandson uncovers incredibly in-depth tome
World War II was a pretty dire business, costing the lives of countless millions all over the globe. However, if there's one thing we can thank this catastrophic international conflict for, it's possibly the most awesome fan-written guide to Dragon Quest V ever seen. A fellow in Japan has recently...
Review Mappy-Land (Wii U eShop / NES)
Cats vs. Mouse
Mappy, a plucky mouse detective, is one of many arcade game mascots lost to time, having only starred in a few games over the years. While the character has guest-starred in various Namco games over the years (and makes a clever cameo in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS), the biggest role Mappy's had is in a web series from the...
February2015
News Speedrunner Unexpectedly Collects New Super Mario 64 World Record in Duel
Powered up
Super Mario 64 has long been a popular game for speedrunning, and the title has had many world records attached to its name. Another has just been added, and it was rather unexpected. On 26th February two speedrunners known as Nero and Puncayshun raced to see who could collect the game's 120 power stars first. Despite saving and quitting...
News Look On In Despair At The Hardest Super Mario World Level Ever Made
Three years in the making, and breaking
The ROM hack scene can be an endlessly entertaining place. Offering up creative, fan-made content, one can never really know what to expect from the community. More often than not, fans will create more challenging levels after completing a game in a quest for additional prestige and for a true test of skills...
Review Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Slightly less than super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts
Once upon a time when arcades were vibrant and 2D platform games were all the rage, Capcom struck gold with the original Ghosts 'N Goblins. The legendary tale of Sir Arthur and his quest to save Princess Prin Prin from demons was a huge success, but also notoriously difficult. Super tough from the off, in...
News Yes, People Are Still Making NES Games In 2015
Just because they can
The NES is one of the most iconic gaming systems of all time, but it hasn't been on Nintendo's radar - at least from a hardware perspective - for quite some time. That hasn't stopped homebrew developers from continuing to support the vintage console, and as a result 2015 will see the release of The Mad Wizard: A Candelabra...
News The Nintendo Game Plan - How the NES Slowly Won Over the USA
A Tale of Two Cities
Lots has been written on the video game crash of 1983; needless to say after events with Atari, North American retailers were left with their hands burnt, so launching a new console was a risky proposition. We recently took a look at the baby steps which Nintendo took at CES in 1984, which provided usefu
Weirdness Pokémon Fan Finds a Way to Trade First Generation Pocket Monsters With Himself
No retro-loving friends required
Most Pokémon fans have friends, but they may not have buddies that are still rocking a Game Boy, link cable and a copy of Pokémon Red and / or Blue. After all, millions of fans have moved on to online trading and match-ups in the latest 3DS releases. If you still like to go retro, though, a 'mon fan called Pepijn...
Review Mega Man Battle Network 2 (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Casting a wider net
The world as portrayed in the Mega Man Battle Network series is so ridiculous and yet so outlandishly awesome that it's hard not to adore. In our boring reality, if your toaster doesn't work it means you're pretty much out of luck. In the Battle Network world, it more likely means you need to upload your virtual companion into...
Review Blaster Master (Wii U eShop / NES)
Master your blast!
The latest eShop release of Sunsoft's 1988 NES classic, Blaster Master, marks the title's third Virtual Console appearance. With the game previously sighted on the Wii and more recently the 3DS, now it's the Wii U's turn to host this side-scrolling and top-down platform shooter that has since spawned an entire series. The western...
News Twitch Plays Pokémon Celebrates Anniversary With Return to Pokémon Red - Live!
Wants to catch 'em all
In early 2014 Twitch Plays Pokémon was a phenomenon, taking audience participations to new levels and attracting headlines from the mainstream media. It was a chaotic but oddly entrancing affair in which thousands of viewers would enter commands and attempt to beat Pokémon Red. It attracted tens of thousands of concurrent...
News Finally, Street Fighter II Has Been Ported To The Nintendo Virtual Boy
Because, why not?
Street Fighter II was massive back in the day. After launching on the SNES it would be ported to practically every other games machine on the face of the planet, including the monochrome Game Boy. One format that didn't get it was the ill-fated Virtual Boy - understandable when you consider how much of a commercial bomb it was -...
News Nintendo Quest Scores More than $40,000 at Kickstarter's End
NES game stretch goal achieved
In a digital era of eShoppery and Virtual Consolitude, do people still want to see a documentary about hunting for old, gray NES carts on a road trip? Well, yes. Yes, they do. The Nintendo Quest Kickstarter ended this past weekend with a grand total of $40,286. The goal set by the campaign was $1,000, with the project...
Video Guess What, Super Mario Sunshine Looks Amazing Running At 60fps
GameCube classic is remastered by fans
We're so used to Super Mario games running in silky-smooth 60fps these days - it's hard to imagine playing Super Mario 3D World in anything less - but 2002 GameCube title Super Mario Sunshine has always been locked at 30fps - until now, that is. Industrious hackers have modded the game so it runs at 60fps via...
Video Watch A Bunch Of Teenagers Use The Legendary Power Glove Accessory For The First Time Ever
“I can feel the energy flowing through my veins”
The Power Glove is an iconic NES controller accessory that was originally released in 1989. For Nintendo fans, it is a love and hate relationship, helping to establish Nintendo within pop culture, paving the way for future technology, but also becoming the butt of jokes. It was most prominently...
Review Mega Man Zero 2 (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Zero times two
Just one year after Mega Man Zero, Inti Creates released a sequel for the Game Boy Advance spin-off. That might sound a bit quick, but Mega Man Zero 2 is no mindless cash-in. It took the sturdy foundation set by its predecessor and built upon it in impressive ways, while also smoothing out the rough edges. On top of that it wove an...
Music Here's The Entire Gradius III Soundtrack In NES Style, Just Because
The remix you didn't know you needed
Gradius III was one of Konami's first releases for the SNES and took the popular shooter franchise into the 16-bit realm for the first time. As is the case with many Konami games, it featured an excellent soundtrack by Konami Kukeiha Club, the company's in-house music team. In its pure, untouched form it's a...
News One Of The Brains Behind Tetris Explains How Their Relationship With Nintendo Began
Russian creator also offers some sound advice
Tetris has been a staple of Nintendo gaming since it was released on the Game Boy in 1989. Since then, the tile-matching puzzle game has enjoyed unrivalled success courtesy of its timeless formula. Considered by many as the greatest game of all-time as a result of this, it is always interesting to hear...
News Rose Colored Gaming is Working on a New Line of Portables With Diverse Emulation Options
It's cool if you own the original games, naturally
Rose Colored Gaming is a fairly familiar name here on Nintendo Life, with the bespoke hardware and retro goods company producing a host of desirable - and pricey - gadgets in recent years. Often its work produces stylish cartridges and hardware mods, but its now taking a leap into its own range of...
News Weirdness: Animators Produce Bizarre Recreation of Pokemon Season One Opening
Watch if you love Pokémon. Or not, perhaps...
A group of 32 animators have remade the ever-famous opening to Pokemon's Season One (Indigo League), and it's definitely not what we'd typically expect of such a project. You'll notice two types of animation in the video, one being beautifully remastered scenes of the intro's original snippets, and the...
Weirdness A Budding Little Mac Beats Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! While Blindfolded
A knock out performance
You may remember late last year that Mike Tyson himself showed off his own skills at Punch-Out!! on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. While this was an entertaining moment, it served to prove that this classic NES boxing game is no pushover. You'll need to train hard to beat Iron Mike (or indeed Mr Dream!)...
Video Listen to a Drummer Nail the Mario Underground Theme
More than one way to beat World 1-2
Videogame covers are found in abundance on YouTube. You have covers with acoustic guitar, covers with Mario Paint, and even covers with just a guy singing mostly "Baah!" with the tones of an angel. One piece of the cover scene that doesn't seem to get as much attention is the drums, but we thankfully have artists...
News We'd Probably Buy This Fan-Made Resident Evil 2 Remake
Uses Unreal Engine 3
Just recently Capcom released a new HD version of Resident Evil - that's a HD port of a port, for the record - that annoyingly skipped Wii U. That first game is wheeled out regularly, yet its arguably superior sequel - surprisingly called Resident Evil 2 - isn't shown quite the same love. We're big fans of this one, and recall...
News Club Nintendo Goes Rewards Crazy With Final Update in North America
Over 100 games and physical rewards
Club Nintendo is now into its final stretch, with members in North America having until the end of March to claim coins and the end of June to redeem their balance. Nintendo of America had promised one final huge update of content, and now that the line-up is confirmed we can say that it's certainly delivered. On...
Weirdness There's an Awesome Super Mario Bros. World 1-1 Easter Egg in Dying Light
Stomping zombies
Dying Light, an open-world title in which you take on a lot of zombies, is a recent arrival on platforms such as the PS4 and Xbox One. The critical reception to Techland's game has been relatively mixed, but it's still one of 2015's first major releases; now, an awesome Easter Egg has been spotted to show that a current-day release...
January2015
Weirdness Super Bowl XLIX Analysis of 'Mega-Beast Mode' Recreates Marshawn Lynch as Mega Man
Running Man
Super Bowl XLIX is everywhere right now, as the US and a global audience ramps up for the showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. Improbably muscle-bound men wearing lots of gear will pummel each other over the course of many hours, and hundreds of millions will watch. There's a lot of coverage for the match, and...
Weirdness Legendary Composer Koji Kondo Drew Inspiration From '70s Rock Bands
Smoke on the water
It's always interesting to see the progression and evolution of music through history. Most genres start out small, but have far-reaching impact; with later entrants refining and perfecting the old sound until it is nearly flawless. As any musician could attest to, inspiration is a key factor to the formation of new music - it is...
Weirdness Meet The Man Who Plays Super Mario World With His Nose
A novel use for the humble recorder
Whenever we tried to play the recorder at school using our nose our teachers told us off. That early lesson in life didn't seem to get through to Japanese NicoNico user Wakou who can not only play music by blowing into a recorder through his nose, but also control Mario in Super Mario World. The secret to doing...
The greatest - but most obvious - mystery of our times
As a break from convention, we're going to give a behind-the-scenes glimpse into a conversation in Nintendo Life HQ between two grown men in their 30s. Player 1 - "Did you see that thread on Reddit about the Super Mario Bros. continue trick?" Player 2 - "Nope, what are you talking about?"...
Review Breath of Fire (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Dragon its heels behind the competition
The age of the 16-bit RPG is well-remembered, and many iconic titles from the time are still cherished by fans to this day. From Final Fantasy III to Chrono Trigger, the genre showed genuine growth through some shining examples of emotive storytelling mixed with addictive gameplay. Not one to miss out on all...
News This NES Arcade-Style Unit is a Thing of Beauty
Some games incompatible due to use Retron cartridge emulation tech
Hardware mods for retro systems are rather common, so those seeking a stylish or convenient option for playing their old NES games aren't short of options. Not many are quite as impressive as the Model G1 from Rabbit Engineering, though, which features arcade-style inputs, a...
News This Is What Happened When A Kid Pitched Super Mario Bros. 4 To Nintendo 25 Years Ago
Even Nintendo's rejection letters are awesome
Back in 1990, Nintendo fan Jason Venter had an idea. He loved Super Mario Bros. 3 and the excellence of that game inspired him to create a planning document for a sequel. That document was packed with the kind of ideas that could only come from the active imagination of an 11-year-old gaming addict -...
News The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Comic to be Reprinted This Year
A Nintendo Power treasure returns
The graphic novel re-telling of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past that originally graced the issues of Nintendo Power in 1992 will flip the hourglass and return in full-colour form this year via VIZ Media. Outside of Nintendo's magazine, the graphic novel was last compiled for sale in 1993. Nostalgic...
Video YouTube's Gaming Historian Takes Offense At One Element Of Mario's Game Boy Past
"Come on Nintendo. You're better than this"
Mario is one of the most recognisable characters in entertainment media, and has starred in a staggering number of games over the past few decades. The portly Italian plumber has also enjoyed a number of cameo roles throughout the years, and it's this element of the character's history that the latest...
News Ninja Gaiden NES Team Discusses Its Origins and Design Approach
Have a listen to composer Keiji Yamagishi's new music, too
Ninja Gaiden is one of the most challenging games on the NES, combining fast-paced action, a fantastic soundtrack and brutal difficulty to make players work hard for their success. In some respects it was also a trendsetter, with cutscenes and cinematic moments that were ahead of their time...
Weirdness Yoshi's Island is Rather Different When Recreated in First-Person
Those poor Shy Guys
Animators looking for projects to show off on YouTube have plenty of options, yet a common idea among Nintendo fans is to take the company's best known games and switch them up into first person. We've seen it done with Pokémon on multiple occasions, while some have gone to lengths to mod games or run them through Oculus Rift;...
Feature The Making of Wetrix and Its Route to Nintendo 64
How the Pickford Bros' creative little puzzler made a huge splash
Time hasn't been kind to the memory of the Nintendo 64. While it was extremely well received upon its release 18 years ago, and still holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers, it signalled a turning point in Nintendo's history. The company's controversial decision to opt for...
News Speedrunner Sets New World Record for Fastest Time in Super Mario World
1-up'd
The speedrunning community is an endlessly competitive scene. Hardcore speedrunners may spend hours practising for a pixel-perfect performance or combing through endless lines of code to find obscure glitches. Anything that'll help shave off a few precious seconds from the final time. Just recently a speedrunner named SethBling exploited...
Review Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight (Wii U eShop / NES)
Planet Hopper 1990
Capcom's Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight is an interesting game, arriving on the NES after the release of the first Street Fighter, but before its sequel hit arcades and caused an explosion of interest in one-on-one brawlers. The game's story was changed for the western release to at least try and justify the use of the name...
News Club Nintendo Rewards are Updated for January, Kicking Off Its Final Run
Mario! Wario! Metroid! Zelda! More due in February!
After today's surprise news of the discontinuation of Club Nintendo, the North American version has had its regular monthly update, but with a bit of a difference. Though coins can only be earned in the region until the end of March, redeeming those coins is possible until the end of June. After a...
News Nintendo Quest Kickstarter Sets NES Game Stretch Goal
For those who love their retro goodness with a side of meta
A couple weeks ago we told you about the Kickstarter campaign for Nintendo Quest, a chance to pre-order and support a documentary on trying to amass the entire NES library from brick and mortar stores. The campaign has been doing quite well, scoring more than $12,000 at the time of this...
Review Axelay (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Restoring some Life Force to the 2D shooter
When you run through the list of prolific Japanese software houses during the 8 and 16-bit eras, Konami's name is usually pretty close to the top. Like rivals Capcom and Namco, it benefited from the incredible global success of the Nintendo's NES and many of its classic franchises gained astonishing...
News Resident Evil 4 Was Almost A Very Different Experience
"Let's create a setting that doesn't revolve around science or reason"
Resident Evil 4 is often spoken of as the best entry in Capcom's iconic franchise, blending an over-the-shoulder camera, action and horror in one varied, entertaining experience. Often declared a classic, it's also the reference point when fans bemoan the conceivable falling-away...
Weirdness Stop-Motion Animator Successfully Makes the Power Glove Awesome, and Useful
He's got the power
The Power Glove remains an iconic part of Nintendo history, an accessory that was hugely visible in the NES era and beyond. It promised much with motion controls, and famously failed to deliver. Its visual and cultural appeal at the time can't be denied, however, and to this day we see accessories and mods that keep it alive. One...
Gallery Imagining What Banjo-Kazooie Might Look Like in HD
Bringing a Rare classic up to date
Rare's classic N64 game Banjo-Kazooie is a fan favourite with retro gamers for good reason; even by today's standards this early 3D game is still incredibly charming and fun to play. Still, 1998 is a long time ago, and there is always room for improvement. Enter UK based 3D artist Neil Goodman, who has tasked...
News Bidding Hits $100,000 on Uber-Rare NES Game, Stadium Events
Nintendo are welcome to bid on it if they want it!
We reported a few days ago that a user-rare copy of Stadium Events on the NES had been listed on eBay. While this isn't the most accomplished 8-bit game of all time, it is one of the rarest with a low production run - which was subsequently recalled as it was then rebranded. Only two sealed copies...
Retrospective The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - A Decade On
Caps off to The Minish
Today marks an historic day. The tenth anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Perhaps one of the most unappreciated and overshadowed chapters in the long and lucrative series - selling just over 1 million units since its release - it's also one of the most unique, quirky and charming Zelda titles to have been...
News Get Ready For The Most Expensive Video Game Auction Of All Time
Factory sealed Stadium Events is now on eBay
Given the massive popularity of video gaming and its long and proud history, it's hardly surprising that many rare games are fetching incredible prices when them come up for sale online. However, Bandai's 1987 NES title Stadium Events makes pretty much everything else look like chump change. The title...
Review Dig Dug (Wii U eShop / NES)
A competent but unneeded version of a fun 80's classic
Originally hitting arcades in 1982, this NES conversion of Dig Dug followed a few years later (albeit only in Japan until arriving on the Wii's Virtual Console service in 2008). It's a classic Namco title that sees you digging your way around a single screen defeating (and sometimes fleeing)...
Review Mario Party Advance (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Party of One
Given the palm-rending popularity of the Mario Party series on Nintendo 64, it was only a matter of time before Nintendo brought the festivities to a handheld venue, and in 2005 Mario Party Advance arrived to fulfil the dreams of on-the-go party people everywhere. Developed by the busy bees at Hudson Soft - best known as the house of...
Review F-Zero: GP Legend (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Dare you to blink
The F-Zero series has often dished out a steep challenge to players, and in GP Legend the uninitiated will be given no quarter unless they dig in their heels and learn the ropes. Players will be expected to tame every brutal hairpin, memorize each risky shortcut and etch sweet boosting spots into their brain if they are to succeed...
News This Fan-Made Facelift Of The Original Paper Mario On The Nintendo 64 Looks Stunning
Five years in the making
For those of you who weren't particularly fond of more recent entries in the Paper Mario series, perhaps an unofficial re-textured version of the original game released on the Nintendo 64 in 2000 might be of interest. A game design student at Zurich University of the Arts, who goes by the handle Nelde, has been chipping...
Weirdness Meet The Studybox, The Famicom's Audio Edutainment System
Video games have often been twinned with education to create fun, interactive experiences which both entertain and enlighten, but one of the oldest examples has to be Fukutake Publishing's Studybox, a tape drive peripheral for the Famicom (the Japanese version of the NES) which ran tape-based games that featured actual recorded audio. Using audio...
Review Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World - An All-Time Classic, Tweaked
A world in no need of change
Having Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World exist alongside the original Super Mario World is like having two legit copies of the Mona Lisa hanging in the Louvre: each is fundamentally a masterpiece, and any attempt to compare the two is mostly going to come down to nitpicking about the way each is framed and whether...
News Donkey Kong Grabs a Place in List of Highest-Grossing Arcade Machines
Can you guess number one?
If you're under a certain age you may have never - and it pains us to say it - been to a proper arcade out in the wild. The few that remain are often a shadow of the good old days, and it's understandable; why pay over-the-odds to play a game for a few minutes when we can fire up powerful consoles at home? Of course home...
News Mario Bros. Coin-Op High Score World Record Is Smashed
Steven Kleisath bags 5,424,290 points on the 1983 classic
Before Mario became Super he starred in Donkey Kong and the 1983 arcade title Mario Bros., which would later be ported to the NES console. Like so many of Nintendo's classic arcade releases, Mario Bros. continues to attract high-level players who aim to bag the world's best score. The...
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