News You Can Now Make Your Own Game Boy JRPGs With GB Studio
No programming knowledge needed!
Development - News
May2019
News You Can Now Make Your Own Game Boy JRPGs With GB Studio
No programming knowledge needed!
If, back in the day, you planned your Link's Awakening killer for the Game Boy but never got past the concept phase, it might just be the time to dig up those plans, because thanks to GB Studio and some effort, you can finally make your dream Game Boy game a reality. Released to coincide with Nintendo's...
February2019
News Sonic Mania Devs Form New Development Studio, Evening Star
And they're hiring!
Several members of the development team behind Sonic Mania have banded together to form their very own game development studio, Evening Star. The studio has its headquarters based in Los Angeles, with others working across Melbourne and London. It describes itself as a "boutique" studio, with each team member pursuing "a goal to...
December2018
News Starlink And Dark Souls Porting Studio Virtuos Shares Switch Development Advice
"Don’t try to force what worked on other platforms"
If there's one name that pops up most frequently when talking about the great quality ports that have been arriving on Switch over the last few months, it's probably Panic Button. The DOOM, Wolfenstein II and Warframe porting masters have received an awful lot of praise in recent times, but...
October2018
News Amid Closures And The Decline Of Print Media, Raspberry Pi Is Launching A New Games Mag
Say hello to Wireframe
The world of print video game journalism is in a pretty rough place right now, with companies like Future Publishing shutting down long-running mags as readership dwindles in the face of online competition. However, one company is bucking this trend by launching a new magazine. Wireframe is a fortnightly publication that will...
August2018
Random Game Boy Title Terminator 2 Got Into A Pickle Over One Character's Small 'Bangs'
"Her 'bangs' were too small"
If you're a die-hard fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator films, or even just classic arcade shooters, you may well have picked up a copy of Terminator 2: Judgement Day on Game Boy. Also released on SNES, this was an official tie-in to the movie of the same name, but the developers faced a rather comical issue...
Comcept to blame
It’s fairly evident the handheld versions of Mighty No. 9 are stuck in video game development hell. Comcept has not provided an update on these iterations of the game since 2017 - essentially leaving backers in the dark. Following up from its investigation earlier this week, Destructoid has since explained how port specialist...
News Mighty No. 9 Developer Comcept Remains Tight-Lipped About Handheld Releases
Playing the waiting game
Mighty No. 9 by Comcept had a rough development cycle, suffering from a series of delays and then a bumpy launch filled with performance problems and middling reviews. It's safe to say, the game didn't live up to expectations. As a result of these issues, the handheld versions appear to be stuck in limbo. The title was...
July2018
News Rising Star Games Joins Indie Game Development Supergroup Thunderful
All under one roof
The Thunderful Group, which is already made up of development studios Image & Form and Zoink Games, has announced that it has now acquired publisher Rising Star Games. The Sweden-based group was established in December 2017, by Bergsala Holding (the sole distributor of Nintendo products in the Nordic region),...
June2018
News No Plans For More Wolfenstein Switch Ports, But Panic Button Is "Totally" Up For It
"That's a Bethesda discussion"
Wolfenstein II launches on Switch this week, and if it's anything like DOOM, then we're in for a treat. The port will be handled by the same studio that converted both DOOM and Rocket League to Nintendo's console - Panic Button - and given the high praise Wolfenstein has received on other formats, it's hard not to...
April2018
Events Birmingham City University To Celebrate The Impact Of Rare And Other Midlands Games Studios
A certain bearded Nintendo Life staffer is going to be there, too
The Midlands might not be the most exciting area in the UK but it has a rich video gaming history; not only is it the birthplace of Rare, one of the most iconic NES, SNES, Game Boy and N64 developers of all time, but it is also home to the likes of Codemasters, US Gold, Core Design,...
News The Creator Of Seaman Worked On A DS Title Called Mario Motors
He also provided the inspiration for StreetPass
Yutaka "Yoot" Saito is one of Japan's most unique game designers, having creating titles such as Seaman and Odama. Over the years he has enjoyed a close relationship with Nintendo, and was on very friendly terms with the late Satoru Iwata. Speaking at Reboot Develop 2018, Saito revealed...
March2018
News GameMaker Studio 2 Comes To Nintendo Switch
Well, that explains the Undertale announcement
2D game development engine GameMaker Studio 2 is coming to Switch, it has been revealed. YoYo Games issued a press release with the good news following the announcement that Undertale - which is made using the engine - is coming to Switch. The original GameMaker Studio launched in 1999, and GameMaker...
February2018
News Sumo Digital Responsible For Porting PAYDAY 2 To Switch
Any port in a storm?
As you will no doubt have noticed, our PAYDAY 2 review is now live, and we quite liked the co-op crime simulation, if we're honest. What we didn't expect to see was the name Sumo Digital in the game's credits. The UK-based studio is perhaps most famous for its work in the racing genre, but it would seem it has a neat...
News Panic Button Hints That More Nintendo Switch Ports Are In The Pipeline
"We might have some other titles for that platform"
We'd be willing to bet that before the arrival of DOOM and Rocket League, you hadn't heard of the developer Panic Button. This small company has become something of a household name in Nintendo circles thanks to its impressive work in porting these games to Switch, and it is currently hard at work...
January2018
News Game Developers Conference Survey Contains Positive Findings For Nintendo Switch
More devs interested in bringing games to the system than Xbox One
Switch is proving to be incredibly popular with developers, as you'll know if you keenly track each week's eShop download update. There's no shortage of new software for Nintendo's system, and the latest annual survey from the Game Developers Conference confirms what is perhaps...
News Image & Form And Zoink! Games Join Forces Under New Company Thunderful
Both will continue to create their own games, though
Swedish studios Image & Form and Zoink! Games have joined forced to create Thunderful, a new entity which will wholly own both companies. They're not going away, however; the two Gothenburg-based studios will "continue to develop games with existing and new IPs under their respective...
News The Creator Of Smartphone Hit Downwell Has Joined Nintendo
We're welling up
Ojiro "Moppin" Fumoto - best known for the award-winning mobile title Downwell - has joined Nintendo. Fumoto made the announcement via his Twitter account, and his profile now features the text "Downwell / Nintendo". While "serious" gamers often look down on smartphone titles, Downwell is one of those rare cases of a mobile game...
December2017
News The Story Of Gorogoa, One Of The Switch's Most Intriguing Indie Titles Yet
"You don’t know how long you have to wander"
The Switch certainly isn't short of top-quality indie games at present, and with so many titles hitting the eShop each week it can be hard to decide which ones are worth your time and money. Hopefully you consult our reviews to make your purchasing choices, but in the case of Gorogoa, you might find the...
News Switch Developers Will Soon Be Able To Use IKinema Animation Tools To Make Better Games
Mighty middleware
British game technology company IKinema announced today that it has signed a deal with Nintendo which will allow game studios to use its RunTime animation middleware in game development. RunTime is already commonplace in PC, PS4 and Xbox One development, so this is a welcome addition. By using this middleware developers...
August2017
News Splatoon 2 Staffer Jordan Amaro Gives Some Insight On His Approach To Game Design
"What is an interesting situation to play?"
Jordan Amaro might not be as famous in the world of gaming as some of Nintendo's other staffers, but he's had a hand in designing some of the most highly-rated games of recent memory, including Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Resident Evil 7 and - most recently of all - Splatoon 2. Amaro has taken...
Video Nintendo Details New Free Content Coming To Splatoon 2
New stage, weapon and Salmon Run location
To kickstart its Gamescom 2017 coverage Nintendo has detailed some upcoming free content coming to Splatoon 2. If you're a fan of Turf War and Ranked Battle then you'll be pleased to learn that Manta Maria joins the roster soon. That's not all, however; the Bubble Blower special weapon – available in...
July2017
"Oceanhorn 2 is going to look great on Switch, when the time comes"
Indie developer Cornfox & Bros recently ported its successful smartphone action adventure Oceanhorn to the Nintendo Switch, and while the game wasn't quite up to the standard of the title it seeks to emulate, it sure looks pretty in motion - which bodes well for future...
News Splatoon 2's Credits Herald Something Pretty Significant In Nintendo's History
Remember this name
Splatoon 2 is a remarkable game, as many of you will no doubt be aware. However, it's significant for another reason, too - it's one of the first major internally-developed Nintendo titles on which a westerner is credited for game design. Jordan Amaro might not be a household name right now, but you'll almost certainly have heard...
News Mega CD Super Strike Trilogy Prototype Reaches A Playable State
Pick a Strike, Any Strike
“One man's trash is another one's treasure” is how the saying goes. For Assembler Games forum user tdijital such was the case last year, when he stumbled upon an individual in possession of a substantial amount of diskettes and CD-ROM filled with video game source code and Sega development tools for Mega CD, 32X and...
News Star Fox 2 Developer Has A "Great" Idea For Switch, But Needs A Publisher
Get that man a publishing deal, pronto
Star Fox 2 developer and Q-Games studio head Dylan Cuthbert has announced that he and his team have a "great" idea for a Switch game, but they need a publisher to make it happen. Cuthbert posted his tweet after it was revealed this week that the servers for Q-Games' ambitious PS4 title The Tomorrow Children...
News Oddworld Creator Lorne Lanning "Has No Faith" In Switch
UPDATE: Lanning clarifies "poorly phrased" statement regarding Iwata
Update: Lorne Lanning has taken to Twitter to apologise for his statement: Original Story: We dread to think about how many man-hours have been invested in discussing third party support on Nintendo consoles. Back in the days of the NES, SNES and Game Boy, Nintendo enjoyed...
News Switch Isn't Getting A Plague Tale: Innocence As It Can't Handle The Volume Of Vermin Involved
Best excuse yet
A Plague Tale: Innocence is shaping up to be quite an interesting piece of software, mixing historical elements, gore and lots and lots of rats. Given that the Switch is becoming increasingly popular with small-scale indie developers it's fair to ask if the game is coming to Nintendo's console, but Asobo...
June2017
News Mighty No. 9 Dev Comcept Acquired By Level-5, 3DS Version Is Still Coming
"The possibilities are limitless here"
Mighty No. 9 studio Comcept has been acquired by Level-5 - custodians of the Professor Layton and Yo-Kai Watch franchises - to create a new company named Level-5 Comcept. This will be an entirely new studio built upon the foundations of Comcept’s existing staff, which currently consists of about 15...
News The Order: 1886 Studio Ready At Dawn "Interested" In Working On Nintendo Switch
"Lots of interest", according to creative director Ru Weerasuriya
The studio behind the PlayStation 4 exclusive The Order: 1886 is interested in working on the Nintendo Switch, according to its creative director. Ready At Dawn's Ru Weerasuriya told GamesIndustry.biz: Every time a platform comes out, we always feel like there's something really...
May2017
News Unreal Engine Adds Full Native Support For Nintendo Switch
Version 4.16 brings "fully-featured native support"
After adding early support for the Nintendo Switch to its Unreal Engine with February's 4.15 update, Epic has pushed out fully-featured native support for the console in version 4.16. To work with Unreal Engine on the Switch, developers must first gain approval from Nintendo. Once this...
News WRC 7 Studio "Looking Into" Nintendo Switch Development
Console represents "a good opportunity to rethink the driving experience"
French studio Kylotonn is hard at work on its latest rally title WRC 7, which is due to arrive on PS4, Xbox One and PC later this year. However, it would seem that many within the company are fans of the Switch, and game director Alain Jarniou has stated that he and his...
News Sega Is Looking To Revive Some Of Its Past Classics
But which ones will be resurrected?
Sega may be one of the gaming world's biggest third-party publishers but it was once a mover and shaker in the world of hardware and the first company to seriously challenge Nintendo for dominance of the living room. During the '80s and '90s the company produced a string of hits, including Streets of Rage, Sega...
News Epic And Nintendo On Their Burgeoning Relationship And Bringing Unreal Engine 4 To Switch
Easy porting, easy optimisation, easy third-party support?
Unreal Engine is one of the most powerful development tools of the modern gaming age and after a period of playing catch-up, Nintendo is finally on a level playing field because Unreal Engine 4 supports the Switch, the company's latest console. Last month Epic Games Japan held a lecture...
News Fan-Made Zelda Title Breath Of The NES Gets Hit With Inevitable Takedown Notice
Development will continue, as planned
When we reported on Breath of the NES, Winter Drake's 8-bit take on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the indie developer made it clear that if Nintendo did decide to take legal action to prevent distribution of the game then production would co
April2017
News Silicon Studio Extends Support For Its YEBIS Post Processing Effects Middleware To Switch
Graphics package used in Dark Souls III and Dragon Ball Xenoverse
Silicon Studio has revealed that its post processing effects middleware graphics package YEBIS now supports the Nintendo Switch. YEBIS - now up to version 3 - allows developers to add glare, depth of field, motion blur and anti-aliasing effects to their games, amongst other things...
March2017
News Developer Survey Reveals Worrying Lack Of Interest In Nintendo Switch
Only 3 percent working on software for the console, apparently
After the rather dismal third party showing on the Wii U Nintendo knows that it has to work harder to entice the development community with the Switch, but if a survey taken just before this year's GDC is to be believed, the Japanese company has a long way to go yet. 4,500 developers...
February2017
Capcom seems eager to continue support in future,too.
Some reports are doing the rounds from Game Creators Conference 2017 out of Japan, which are interesting if not necessarily ironclad in detail. Twitter user @aizen76 attended a talk held by Masaru Mitsuyoshi from Nintendo and Capcom's Masaru Ijuin - and tweeted some remarks from the presentation...
News Nintendo's Dev Teams Rival Western Counterparts In Terms Of Skill, Claims Miyamoto
They've "mastered state-of-the-art technologies" like Unreal engine
There's been a running argument over the past decade that the Japanese development industry has fallen behind that of the west, with studios in the Far East struggling to make the best use of the latest game engines and software technology. While it's true that the balance of power...
January2017
News Warner Bros Resurrects Disney Infinity Studio Avalanche For Cars 3 Video Game
Back on track
Warner Bros has announced that it has purchased Avalanche Software, the studio which was shuttered by parent company Disney Interactive last year following the underperformance of its Disney Infinity franchise, which Avalanche developed. Warner Bros has succeeded in re-hiring many of the staffers which were let go last May, including...
News Nintendo Confirms Game Developers Conference 2017 Attendance
Takes place at the end of next month
This year's Game Developers Conference is due to take place between Monday 27th February and Friday 3rd March 2017 in San Francisco, and Nintendo has confirmed that it will be in attendance. GDC is one of the industry's most effective means of bringing together platform holders with the wider dev community and...
December2016
News Miyamoto On Working With Apple, Living With Mario And Why He's Not Retiring Any Time Soon
"I kinda of look at it as if I'm running a talent agency"
Super Mario Run launches on iOS this week, an event which not so long ago would have been totally inconceivable to the average Nintendo fan. Nintendo's slow but steady embrace of mobile has certainly generated column inches in the gaming world, and to push the release the legendary Shigeru...
November2016
News Capcom "Researching" Viability Of PS4 And Xbox One Ports On Nintendo Switch
"We do feel that there are differences in the desired direction"
Capcom has stated during its financial year 2016 Q2 question and answer session that it is currently researching the viability of porting PS4 and Xbox One titles to the Nintendo Switch. The veteran publisher - which has franchises such as Resident Evil, Street Fighter and Monster...
September2016
Video Take A Rare Look Behind The Scenes At Nintendo's Hit Factory, Circa 1990
Starring a youthful Shigeru Miyamoto
These days, Nintendo employees like Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka are well known with gamers, but back in the days before the internet came along and enriched/ruined everything, these individuals were largely mysterious to the average player. That's what makes this 1990 visit to Nintendo's Kyoto HQ so...
News Fan-Made Title Pokémon Uranium Is Officially Dead
No longer catching 'em all
Pokémon Uranium made quite a splash when it launched a while back, with 1.5 million downloads being racked up. Sadly download links for the fan-made game were removed following fears of legal action, but the developers insisted that the project was
News Lost Nintendo 64 Racer Rev Limit Rolls Out Of The Garage
The Gran Turismo beater that never was
Seta is a name that will be familiar to SNES owners thanks to the firm's well-recieved Exhaust Heat / F1 Race of Champions titles and the Castlevania-inspired Nosferatu. During the N64 era the firm pledged its support to Nintendo with a raft of titles including Wild Choppers (Chopper Attack in the west) and a...
August2016
News Here's The Machine Sega's Artists Used To Bring Some Of Its Best Games To Life
It's the Sega Digitizer System!
3D visuals have largely become the industry standard these days, supported by a host of special tools and engines which aid their creation and streamline the design process. However, back in the '80s the landscape was a lot different. 2D pixel artwork was the dominant style, but studios often had to create their...
July2016
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...
June2016
News Pawbyte's 'Game Pencil Engine' Development Tool is Released, Supports Wii U
Supports languages such as HTML5
About a year ago we reported on Pawbyte's Game Pencil Engine, development software that also operates as a 2D editor, that was released for PC development. The key news was that it was also promising future support for the Wii U, adding to tools such as Construct and Impact, in particular, in helping developers...
May2016
News Medabots Studio Delta Arts Has Closed Its Doors
Also responsible for Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle on 3DS
Japanese studio Delta Arts has closed, it has been announced. The company has been responsible for the major instalments in the Medabots series since 2010, and also created Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle on 3DS. The last Medabots release it worked on was Medabots 9, which launched in Japan...
April2016
News Koei Tecmo Confirms That It Has Nintendo NX Software In Development
But of course
Veteran Japanese publisher Koei Tecmo has publicly confirmed that it has software in production for Nintendo's mysterious NX console. The company - which worked with Nintendo recently on Hyrule Warriors - has clearly had some access to the NX previously. Last year, President and CEO Yoichi Erikawa was the first
News Sonic Team Boss Takashi Iizuka Heads To The US To Oversee New Sonic Games
Will "establish Los Angeles as the centralized hub for the global brand"
Sonic Team's Takashi Iizuka has relocated to North America to create a new "development hub" for Sonic the Hedgehog games, it has been revealed. Iizuka - who acted as producer on many recent Sonic titles before being sidelined by the externally-produced Sonic Boom series - has...
March2016
News MercurySteam Reunites With Castlevania Producer Dave Cox For New Secret Project
"I'm extremely excited about this very ambitious work they're undertaking"
Spanish developer MercurySteam - which created the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow sub-series and produced Mirror of Fate for the 3DS - has revealed that it has reunited with Dave Cox, the former Konami producer who worked with the studio on those titles. Cox enjoyed 17 years...
February2016
News Ori and the Blind Forest Director Criticises Secrecy and Lack of Access to NX Devkits
"They'll need indies and smaller studios to step up"
Just recently the studio behind the charming Unravel spoke of an interest in working on the NX. The problem? They have no idea what it is. Though some secrets may or may not be leaking out of Nintendo and partners recently, the actual concept itself remains under wraps. Picking up on Coldwood...
News Unravel Developer Open To Idea Of NX Port, Just Wishes He Knew More About The Console
"It's kind of hard to pitch something when you don't even know what it is!"
Coldwood Interactive's Unravel has been getting some pretty favourable reviews recently, and the folks over at Gaming Bolt have popped the question that many Nintendo fans will want to know - could the title ever see the light of day on the NX? Coldwood's Martin Sahlin...
News Overheating Computers Almost Cost The World The Original Pokémon Games
"I sure am glad I fixed those computers back then"
Pokémon turns 20 this year, and to mark the occassion Game Freak's Junichi Masuda has posted a video online in which he shares some of his strongest memories regarding the creation of this iconic series. Masuda - who served as a programmer on Pokémon Red and Green and created the music and sound...
December2015
Video Behind The Scenes On The GameCube Star Wars Rogue Leader Games
Stay on target
The world is going Star Wars-mad at the moment, what with The Force Awakens hitting cinemas this week. To mark the event, Nintendo Life contributor Gonçalo Lopes has uploaded the behind-the-scenes documentaries which were included on Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader and Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike as...
News Back In 1990, Miyamoto's Desire Was To Make Video Games Parents Wanted Their Kids To Play
"Ah, good! My child is old enough to play video games now!"
Video games are often unfairly blamed for society's ills, with critics claiming they make players violent or antisocial. While some might assume such claims are a recent thing, a newly-translated interview with the team behind Super Mario World reveals that such unwarranted criticism has...
November2015
Book Review The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Volume 2
"I hit my head against the monitor hard enough to make the screen crack"
The term "labour of love" is often bandied around in media circles, usually relating to a personally important project by an artist writer, and while it's possibly overused in some cases, it most certainly applies to John Szczepaniak's quest to chart the hitherto unseen history...
News Nintendo Indirectly Co-Funded An Ambitious PlayStation RTS That Never Made It To Market
"The money situation was unusual"
When you consider the sheer volume of games released every year, it should come as no massive shock to learn that a staggering number of projects get shelved or canned before making it to market, and each and every one of these games has a tale to tell. The story behind an unnamed PlayStation RTS title from the...
News Konami Already Planning Next Metal Gear Game, Presumably Without Hideo Kojima's Input
"A large-scale investment will become necessary"
The Konami drama continues. After rumours that the veteran publisher is leaving AAA development and the confusion surrounding the employment status of Hideo Kojima - its most famous staffer - Konami has recently confirmed that it is shuttering the LA-based studio responsible for Metal Gear Online,...
October2015
Rumour Retro Is Working On A Game It Pitched To Nintendo, And It's Not Metroid Prime 4
"The time is now for Retro to do an original property"
Just what is Retro Studios up to right now? That's the question that many a Nintendo fan has asked over the past year or so, and when E3 2015 came and went without any news from the Metroid Prime creator, brows became even more furrowed. However, Nintendo Life contributor and Unseen64 archivist...
News Fresh Project H.A.M.M.E.R. Details Reveal Shigeru Miyamoto's Role In The Game's Downfall
Legendary designer took issue with game's costly CGI spend
Not so long ago we covered the tortured production of the Wii title Project H.A.M.M.E.R., a waggle-heavy action title in development by Nintendo Software Technology, Nintendo's famed North American studio. Revealed early in the life of the Wii, the game would never see the light of day and,...
News Nintendo Wanted A GoldenEye Sequel On N64 But Rare Turned It Down
And Nintendo gracefully accepted the decision
1997's GoldenEye 007 was a massive commercial and critical success for Nintendo, selling 8 million copies worldwide and generating an enormous amount of revenue. Unsurprisingly, Nintendo wanted a sequel and even asked developer Rare to make one - but the UK company, which was at the time a second-party...
Weirdness Miyamoto Wanted A Murder-Free GoldenEye Where You Made Friends With Enemies At The End
"Close-up killing - he found it a bit too horrible"
In your average James Bond flick the suave British secret agent dispatches countless goons and bad guys without batting an eyelid, but if Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto had had his way, the best Bond video game of all time wouldn't have contained a single death. Speaking at the ongoing GameCity event...
News Nintendo Launches Updated Developer Portal Website
Designed to be welcoming
In this generation Nintendo has been open-armed and welcoming to developers of all sizes, fostering the 'Nindie' age and opening the Wii U (and eventually the New Nintendo 3DS) up to development tools such as Unity. It seems to be stepping up those efforts, having launched a new Developer Portal with key information and an...
September2015
News Factor 5's Lost Wii Kid Icarus Boasted A Dark Hero With 60fps Airborne Action
"I feel like we were missing the point"
Fans of Kid Icarus had to endure a long and painful wait between the original NES and Game Boy titles and the eventual 3DS update, but had Star Wars: Rogue Squadron studio Factor 5 had its way, we would have been playing a sequel a little bit sooner. Unseen 64 staffer and occasional Nintendo Life contributor...
Rumour New Report Suggests That Konami Has All But Abandoned Console Development
PES and Metal Gear Online are the only titles spared
With the incredible commercial and critical success of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain you'd think that publisher Konami would be feeling pretty pleased about its home console output, but it would appear that earlier reports regarding the company exiting the domestic arena are true...
Talking Point Sweeping Internal Changes Show That Nintendo Is Ready To Tackle New Challenges
Structural shifts and fresh promotions are just part of a wider plan
Yoshiaki Koizumi is one of the key beneficiaries of the merger of EAD and SPD While this week's big news is certainly the appointment of Tatsumi Kimishima as Nintendo's new president, it was the changes taking place behind the scenes which will have piqued the interest of seasoned...
News Nintendo Is Merging Its Prized EAD And SPD Teams Into A Single Group
Say hello to the Entertainment Planning & Development Division
Shinya Takahashi and Shigeru Miyamoto As well as confirming yesterday that Tatsumi Kimishima is its new president, Nintendo also detailed some organisational changes which will impact the day-to-day running of some of its famous internal teams. The big news is that EAD (Entertainment...
August2015
Exclusive MercurySteam Has Been Working On A Metroid Prototype For Wii U And 3DS
Update: Anonymous developer tried to leak the game three months ago
Update: Since we posted the original story, we have since come across this curious post from 4chan's /v/ board (click that link at your own risk) which appears to show a member of Spain's development community attempting to leak the existence of MercurySteam's Metroid. The post...
News Nintendo NX Could Get A Port Of MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Negotiations with Nintendo yet to happen
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida has revealed to DualShockers that a port of the game could come to the Nintendo NX, but there are still some hurdles to overcome. Square Enix has already caused considerable interest by announcing that Dragon Quest X and Drag
News Rare Co-Founder Has No Idea Why Nintendo Didn't Buy The Studio Outright
"I thought we were a good fit"
Rare co-founder Tim Stamper recently won the accolade of Development Legend at this year's Develop awards - along with his brother, Chris - and has now given his first interview since 2007. Stamper - who has recently returned to the games industry with mobile studio FortuneFish - talks about the origins of Rare, its...
Inside information
Nintendo has traditionally been very reluctant to allow its employees to speak to freely with the gaming press, but that stance has apparently been relaxed in recent years according to Treehouse staffer Chris Pranger - and as if to prove his point, he's taken part in a lively podcast where he covers a whole host of...
July2015
Video Nintendo Shines The Spotlight on Aya Kyogoku and Risa Tabata
"Please cherish what you really want to do"
In recent years we've seen a number of young faces move to the forefront of Nintendo development, and we've also seen key women step up with increasing visibility in the company. One of the most recognisable is Aya Kyogoku for her leadership in the Animal Crossing franchise, and in a video from Nintendo...
News M2 Initially Felt Porting Streets Of Rage 2 To 3DS Was "Impossible"
"We just didn’t know if we could pull it off"
This week sees the western launch of 3D Streets of Rage 2, the latest in Sega's line of 3DS-based 3D Classics. It's one of the most beloved games of the 16-bit era, and also one of the most technically impressive Genesis / Mega Drive titles seen so far. In fact, the game is such a potent showcase of...
Inking out a deal
Nintendo's been pro-active during this generation to support and promote game development from smaller studios around the world, helping the eShop to be a vibrant platform on both Wii U and 3DS. Another project is now set to get underway, and this time it'll be utilising development talent in Singapore to bring 3DS eShop games to a...
News Unseen64 Digs Up Development Insights Into Metroid Prime: Hunters, Dread and Federation Force
Dread "literally looked like a port of Fusion on DS"
Just recently we shared the most recent work of Unseen64, which produced a devastating expose of the doomed Project H.A.M.M.E.R., highlighting the problems between North American studio Nintendo Software Technology (NST) and Japanese management. It was an episode that, ultimately, didn't reflect...
News Project H.A.M.M.E.R. Exposé Reveals Torrid State Of Affairs At Nintendo Software Technology
The game that humbled a studio
Project H.A.M.M.E.R. was supposed to be a Wii title which catered for the needs of serious gamers, thanks to its gritty setting and focus on intense destructive action. Developed by Nintendo Software Technology - the North American studio responsible for titles like Wave Race: Blue Storm, Metroid Prime: Hunters and...
"Development of Virtual Console titles require detailed manual work"
The Virtual Console promised so much when it launched alongside the original Wii all those years ago. Indeed, on that particular console it became something of a goldmine of amazing retro titles, and when Nintendo announced that the service would carry over to the Wii U, many...
Rumour Former Rare Composer David Wise Is Working On An Unannounced Nintendo Title
Man behind Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze's music is back
David Wise is a living legend for many Nintendo fans, having contributed some amazing music to a dazzling array of classic Nintendo releases - the most famous of which is arguably the Donkey Kong Country franchise. Wise has since gone freelance but composed the fantastic soundtrack to...
June2015
News AI Program Learns How To Build Super Mario Levels By Watching Gameplay Videos
Next stop, the complete destruction of mankind as we know it
Not so long ago we reported on a computer program which can "learn" how to play Game Boy games, but now someone has gone one better. A team at the Georgia Institute of Technology is currently working on a program which can build its own Super Mario levels - without the use of Super Mario...
News Monolith Soft Open To Helping Get Zelda Wii U Ready For Launch
"Monolith Soft is always available and we would love to help"
The talented development team at Monolith Soft is busy polishing off Xenoblade Chronicles X for its Western release on the Wii U in December, but that hasn't stopped them thinking of their next project. In a recent interview with Game Informer, Xenoblade director Tetsuya Takahashi and...
News Working On F-Zero Wouldn't Have Been My Idea Of Fun, Says Former Criterion Boss
Alex Ward responds to news regarding the F-Zero that never was
We recently broke the news that Nintendo asked UK studio Criterion to create an F-Zero title for the Wii U, but sadly the discussion came to nothing. Criterion founder Alex Ward has responded to the story on Twitter, pointing out that F-Zero was simply one project amongst many pitched...
Playable prototype actually exists
Next Level Games has a long and proud history with Nintendo, having worked on a wide range of titles including Super Mario Strikers, Punch Out!! and Luigi's Mansion 2. However, not all of the projects pitched by this developer have seen the light of day, and Unseen64 has posted an updated video explaining what...
News Cancelled Wii Adventure Zblu Cops Is Unearthed, Looks Amazing
Based on the cult French comic book
Those chaps at Unseen64 have done it again and unearthed another cancelled and forgotten game from the annals of history. This time it's Wii adventure Zblu Cops, which was based on a French comic book all but unknown in the west. The work of entertainment group Biodroid, this promising title used a cel-shaded...
News Nintendo Is A Slave To Its Past Success, Says Gearbox President Randy Pitchford
Japanese company needs to reach new customers
During this year's E3, a whole bunch of industry veterans met at the Lunch with Luminaries event. In this yearly talk Gaikai and Shiny founder Dave Perry invites big names for a in-depth discussion about the games industry, and this time around we had Gearbox Software president Randy Pitchford, Boss Key...
Feature The Making Of Body Harvest
Former DMA Design staffer Steve Hammond spills the beans
"Development Hell" is a well-known term for the painful gestation of a Hollywood movie. Whether modern AAA games suffer the same problems from concept to release, I don't know personally but I am certain that they do. I am currently reading Tales From Development Hell, and whilst the movie...
May2015
Exclusive Slightly Mad Studio Head Ian Bell Sets The Record Straight On Project CARS Wii U
"It was always 'maybe' as we had no knowledge of the system"
Slightly Mad Studios recently launched Project CARS on next-gen consoles and PC to positive reviews and encouraging sales. A truly unique racing title, it was crowdfunded by the community in a process which pre-dated the now-popular Kickstarter approach. The route to market has been a...
News Cabbage Is The Dream Nintendo Game That Never Was
Shigesato Itoi, Shigeru Miyamoto and Tsunekazu Ishi all involved
We recently ran a feature on Star Fox 2, one of Nintendo's most famous cancelled projects. This SNES-based sequel had all the ingredients to be a sure-fire classic, but never made it to market. However, there's another game in the company's past which had the potential to be even more...
Video Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric Blame Could Largely be With SEGA, Not Big Red Button
Seg-ah
Sonic Boom didn't do well on any metric; its sales failed to match those of fellow Nintendo exclusive Sonic Lost World, and it was panned by many critics and Sonic fans alike. Like any project it has its defenders, but many are agreed that it was a major disappointment, with Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric on Wii U being the biggest culprit. It...
News Nintendo Share Value Increases With Profits and Smart Device Gaming on the Agenda
Nintendo pushes back system plans for developing countries
Whether by design or simply coincidence, Nintendo managed to bury its financial results behind a Splatoon Direct, though for the first time in a few years the reports were actually positive. Nintendo made a larger than expected profit despite missing some sales targets, and expects improved...
Slow and steady
In March Nintendo announced its partnership with DeNA to bring its IP to smart devices in apps and games. It was a fairly drastic shift in direction, with the talk turning from apps that would have the sole aim of directing consumers to Nintendo hardware, to directly acknowledging the need for big-hitting franchises to have games on...
News You Can Own Sid Meier's SNES Development System, If You Have A Spare $9.5K
"The 'Holy Grail' of video game collecting"
Legendary game design Sid Meier is responsible for some of the most iconic titles in the history of the interactive entertainment industry. He helped found Microprose in the 1980s and has since produced the likes of Civilization, Sid Meier's Pirates!, Silent Service and F-15 Strike Eagle. It's now...
Exclusive Behind The Scenes On Playtonic's Yooka-Laylee
Meeting with a Rare breed of developers
They say that the apple never falls far from the tree, and that's certainly true of UK startup Playtonic Games. Based on an industrial estate in the middle of the rolling English countryside, this team of former Rare developers is but a stone's throw away from the historic town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, where Rare...
First Impressions Hands On With Playtonic's Yooka-Laylee
Damien and Thomas share their initial impressions
The cat - or should that be chameleon - is out of the bag. Fledgling UK studio Playtonic Games has lifted the lid on the stars of its début title - Yooka and Laylee - and has sent Rare-loving Nintendo fans into a frenzy of anticipation by confirming that the game will be coming to the Wii U eShop...
News How Some Of Rare's Leading Lights Traded Platforming For Pensions
Preciousbluedot is using game design to change the world of finance
Just in case the news relating to Playtonic's début didn't get the Rare fans among you excited enough, we've got a little update on what another group of famous ex-Rare developers have been up to since leaving the legendary UK studio - and it's probably not what you were expecting...
April2015
News Pawbyte Launches Game Pencil Engine to Support Wii U Development
Suitable for the Nintendo Web Framework
Since Nintendo introduced the Nintendo Web Framework on the Wii U, there's been a substantial expansion of HTML5-based projects on the system's eShop. Easier to learn and implement than alternatives, multiple software suites are available to help developers program and port their games to Nintendo's home...
Video Go Beyond The Beards With This Behind The Scenes Look At Guitar Hero Live
FreeStyleGames opens its doors
Activision is relaunching its famous Guitar Hero brand as Guitar Hero Live, a game which not only offers a new-look controller but also focuses on using live-action footage to deliver a more immersive experience. It's coming to the Wii U - as well as other formats - this year. FreeStyleGames is the studio in charge,...
De-Minishing Returns
Remember Midora? It's a Zelda-inspired action-adventure which was successfully funded via Kickstarter to the tune of $73,470, and while it didn't meet its Wii U and 3DS stretch goals, developer Epic Minds insisted that it would still come to those machines - it would just take a little longer. However, there are doubts the
News Unity Support Is Coming To The New Nintendo 3DS
Say hello to "tens of thousands of studios and over 4 million developers"
It has been announced during the Unite 2015 Tokyo event that Unity support is being rolled out to the New Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL. For those who don't know, Unity is a powerful development platform which is used by many studios and allows devs to create...
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