Tag: Hands On - Page 5
Hands On Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre
A touch of class
When Nintendo announced, in Spring 2012, that it was taking on the role of providing the interactive museum guides at the Louvre in Paris, it seemed slightly odd. The prospect of visitors wandering around the famous site with a 3DS around their necks seemed peculiar, but there it was in undeniable reality. We learned that it had...
Hands On Toki Tori and EDGE (Two Tribes Classics)
Budget brilliance?
After announcing their existence earlier in the year, Two Tribes recently lifted the lid on its Classics range coming to the Wii U eShop, three games that come to Nintendo's latest system in shiny optimised HD forms. It's possible that they'll all be familiar to gamers in some form or other, with each having appeared on a mix of...
Hands On An Evening With Wii Karaoke U By Joysound
Take On Mii
Nintendo has previously stated that one of its main objectives with the Wii U is to provide experiences that can’t be done on other video game systems. In addition to this rather admirable quest, the company has also been keen to emphasise the fun that can be had with the system in local multiplayer. So far it hasn't had a great deal...
Hands On Pure Chess (Wii U eShop)
The grand old sport comes to the people
While the 3DS eShop is maturing into a platform with a healthy variety of experiences, and the Wii U eShop promises to do so, one obvious gap is in delivering a virtual edition of one of the grandest old games / sports in existence. Chess may have appeared as a minigame option in a mediocre 3DS game or two,...
Hands On Skylanders: SWAP Force
We visit Vicarious Visions HQ to check out Skylanders: SWAP Force
It’s difficult to believe that the Skylanders franchise — a series that has sold millions of copies worldwide and has spawned a multitude of sequels and spin-offs — is only just turning two years old. Since the 2011 release of the series debut, Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure,...
Hands On Assault Android Cactus
Crazy name, crazy game
Assault Android Cactus is a name that may initially baffle, but once the game begins makes perfect sense; that's the case with this title as a whole. Bullet-hell shooters like this can look like confusing, terrifying propositions to the wrong audience, but once into the action anyone with quick thumbs will have a lot of fun...
Potential fulfilled
Toki Tori 2 was a bold, ambitious game in its design, and delivered on many fronts. Its deliberately hands-off approach, combined with occasionally ambiguous objectives and awkward backtracking counted against it in the eyes of some — certainly not all — gamers. In our review we awarded 7/10, concluding that a high degree of...
You know you're playing a Platinum game when...
Way back in June 2012, we had the chance to play Project P-100, an exuberant new IP from PlatinumGames being published by Nintendo. It's had a name change, and its arrival has been delayed to such an extent that it's done the rounds to appear at this year's preview events; we've gone hands on with...
Hands On StreetPass Plaza's Downloadable Content
Play Coin guzzlers
A few days ago, Nintendo launched a surprise update to the 3DS's StreetPass Plaza in Europe and Japan. Previously home to Puzzle Swap and StreetPass Quest alone, users can now purchase a further four games to play with any Miis that they encounter when out and about. As with the other Plaza games, you can use the Mii of anybody...
Hands On Rage Quitting with Cloudberry Kingdom
Another coin for the swear jar
What has happened to the days of trial-and-error platformer gaming? Those old NES and Mega Drive titles which saw you repeating the same level over and over in order to finally make it to the far right side of the seemingly ever-scrolling screen? The games which had no boss battles nor real 'enemies' except for...
Hands On Going for the Combos in Project X Zone
Pure pixelated madness
When Project X Zone was announced for Japan, we could barely contain our glee. Here was a game with retro-styled visuals, rocking music and popular characters from Capcom, SEGA and Namco Bandai all rolled into one — oh, and Monolith Soft was one of the developers. And then, it underwhelmed in the Japanese charts. It didn't...
Hands On Running Scared in Resident Evil Revelations
Not quite as three-dimensional
Capcom is a publisher that isn't afraid to use assets originally conceived on last-gen home consoles or recent handhelds, applying a spit and polish and selling them to a whole new audience. We've seen it with Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and the trick's being repeated with Resident Evil Revelations. This time around a...
Hands On Seeing The World in Wii U Panorama View
It needs a new lens prescription
Wii U Panorama View has been around for a fair amount of time, appearing at various events and being a common feature at Wii U demonstration units. The concept is simple but, at the same time, is a solid demonstration of the unique possibilities of the Wii U GamePad; the innovative controller functions as a window...
Hands On Getting Competitive in the Rayman Legends Challenges App
Nice for a freebie, modest as compensation
Sometimes game releases, or apps in this case, bring to an end a saga of delays, upset fans and development strife. This Rayman Legends Challenges App does that, representing the final (probably) peace offering from Ubisoft to disgrunted Wii U owners before Rayman Legends arrives in late August/early...
Preview Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
We ain't afraid of no ghost!
There’s no denying that the 3DS was somewhat overshadowed by the Wii U during the holiday period and that it didn't quite have the packed software line-up it had enjoyed back in late 2011. Aside from Paper Mario: Sticker Star there wasn't a great deal for us to sink our teeth into, and things were made worse when the...
Die hard the hunter
It's hard to believe that it's been almost three years since we first saw Spirit Hunters Inc. in its earliest incarnation. But rest assured, that development time has gone into turning the idea into a rather diverse and playable augmented reality experience. When you first begin playing Spirit Hunters Inc., the game seems fairly...
First Impressions Wii U Pro Controller
We go hands on with one of the most important Wii U accessories
With games like Bayonetta 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 blazing a trail to the Wii U very soon, the need for a decent 'traditional' joypad is obvious. Nintendo is making sure 'core' games will play as well as possible by producing the Wii U Pro Controller, a device which boasts an...
Hands on Wii U Third-Party Round-Up
Trine 2, Skylanders Giants, Ninja Gaiden 3, Tekken 2, NBA 2K13 and Sonic Racing
During this week we've been giving first impressions and hands on accounts of a number of Wii U launch window titles, both retail and downloadable. Nintendo of Europe provided access to a wide range of games we haven't yet covered, however, including some additional...
Hands On Ubisoft's Wii U Launch Hits
Taking Rayman Legends and ZombiU for another spin
When it comes to third-party launch support for Wii U, Ubisoft is the stand-out with its sheer volume of titles on the way. As always, the publisher is wading in with a substantial variety of games to cater to gamers of almost all levels and persuasions, but we recently had a chance to have another...
Playing together and going solo
Nintendo Land is going to be played by a lot of Wii U owners, which we know thanks to pre-orders for the system's Premium Set being practically sold out in the U.S., for example. We were able to try a number of its titles in a post-E3 London event, where we gave you first impressions of Nintendo Land's multiplayer...
Hardware Review Hyperkin SupaBoy Portable SNES
The biggest retro hardware release in more ways than one
The lapse of hardware patents on retro platforms has resulted in an explosion of clone machines, most of which are produced cheaply in the Far East. These systems emulate the performance of consoles such as the NES, Super Nintendo and Genesis/Mega Drive, all of which are no longer covered by...
We go one-on-one with popcorn in one hand and a stylus in the other
In many cities across North America you can still find them: all-but-deserted video rental stores trying every special deal and coupon in their cap to reclaim business from the rampantly successful postal-based Netflix service. But for many, getting movies in the mail isn't its best...
Hands On The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Link's past and future in one evening
Last year's E3 conference was full of 3DS announcements, but one moment that still sticks in the memory after a year is the revelation of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the console. With less than a month until the game hits shelves worldwide, Nintendo UK invited Nintendo Life to a special preview event...
We take Nintendo's 3D portable wonder for a spin
To say that the buzz surrounding the upcoming Nintendo 3DS system is insane would probably be the understatement of the century. The system has garnered an incredible amount of hype and anticipation over the past year since it was announced and now that we've had a hefty dose of playing time on the...
Hands On Nintendo 3DS Augmented Reality Games
Taking a reality check
The striking autostereoscopic screen of the Nintendo 3DS might be responsible for the console gaining countless column inches over the past year or so, but here at Nintendo Life we've been equally as impressed with the potential offered up by the external cameras. Augmented Reality isn't anything new - it's been big news in...
We take Yuji Naka's unique platformer for a spin
Only getting a few minutes to play Ivy the Kiwi? at the recent E3 trade show in Los Angeles, it was difficult to get a good feel for what the games had to offer. While it was certainly fun getting to see them in action and having the gist of the gameplay fully explained, a part of me still wanted to...
E3 2010 First Impressions: Ivy the Kiwi?
Yuji Naka shows off his newest project
For the three or four people on the planet who don't know, Yuji Naka is the former head of Sega's Sonic Team and had a hand in the creation of the Mega Drive Sonic releases. He was also heavily involved in the creation of NiGHTS Into Dreams for the Sega Saturn before leaving the team to pursue other projects...
E3 2010 Interviews: Okamiden - Capcom
Okamiden producer answers a few of our questions
Okamiden has remained under the radar for the most part as of late, so it was nice to see the game on display at E3 2010. After spending a bit of time with the game, it's clear that it continues the tradition of beautiful oriental-style artwork and scenery, not to mention the same unique gameplay of...
E3 2010 First Impressions: Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light
Something old and something new
With so many great games on the E3 show floor, it was difficult to find the time to get in some solid playing time on them all. But of all the titles I was fortunate enough to get to play during the E3 show, it was Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light that I found myself going back to time and time again whenever I...
Hardware Review VDigi VD-W3 Wii HDMI Upscaler
We take a look at VDigi's up-scaler device that aims to bring you a step closer to "Wii HD".
It's well documented that the lack of High-Definition (HD) doesn't affect the majority of Wii gamers, however there is a significant minority who eagerly await Nintendo's step up in the HD realm. VDigi have identified this specific Wii gamer and offer them a...
Another reason to never leave the couch
It may be late to the party, but Netflix's movie streaming service has arrived on Wii consoles in the U.S. via a free disc for subscribers. Despite being stuck in standard definition, those lamenting the lack of a Wii no Ma or BBC iPlayer equivalent in the US will appreciate the increased functionality...
Hardware Review Yobo FC-16 Go Portable SNES
Attack of the clones
Those of you with especially keen memories will recall that we reviewed the RetroDuo console not so long ago. One of the growing number of unlicensed clones hitting the market at the moment, this neat machine is now joined by something a little more portable - namely the Yobo Gameware FC-16 Go. This is essentially a portable...
First Impressions Monster Hunter Tri
Nintendo let us get to grips with Capcom's monster offering
Yesterday we were cordially invited to a guest lecture at the Science Museum in London. The subject? Monster Hunter of course; in fact, it was the very first session of 'Monster Hunter University'. In a lecture led by long-time series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, the assembled masses were...
First Impressions Legends of Exidia
We get to grips with Gameloft's miniature epic
Earlier this week Nintendo Life was cordially invited to Gameloft's London office for a hands-on of their latest adventure for DSiWare, Legends of Exidia, which has now been released in the European shop. Gameloft is developing something of a reputation as the most ambitious developers in the download...
News Eyes on DSi - hands-on report
Earlier today I was fortunate enough to have a little face time with the new DSi, and I came away pretty impressed by Nintendo’s new baby.
The first thing you notice compared to the DS Lite is the DSi’s matte finish, which makes it easier to hide those troublesome fingerprints. Although you could say it looks a little dull compared to the shiny...
We've played the gorefest MadWorld from Platinum games, but is it all about the visuals?
MadWorld is a game that I've been wanting to play ever since I saw the first trailer. The "Sin City" comic book style is jawdroppingly cool, I wasn't sure what it'd be like in the flesh but it looks great. Having read other previews I'd heard of people...
The much hyped The Conduit has been making headlines left right and centre, but is it the FPS saviour for the Wii?
Maybe. Thanks to SEGA we managed to have a quick sneak-peak play of The Conduit yesterday. Let me start by saying that I do have some pre-conceptions about this title, casting our minds back to "Red Steel", we saw a shed load...
