Tag: Hands On - Page 6
Hands On Devil's Third - Sampling Online Chaos and Fearing the Devilry of Microtransactions
Ironically you can buy Golden Eggs
When we shared our initial first impressions of Devil's Third it turned into a bit of a saga; your humble writer was surprised at the level of feeling that came out in response to an early look at the game. The focus was on the single player campaign at that point, with our general summary being that - while full...
Hands On Here's What The 3DS Version Of Terraria Looks Like
On show at this year's Gamescom
Although the Wii U version was not forthcoming, the 3DS iteration of the popular 2D mining game Terraria - recently confirmed as coming to Nintendo platforms - was fully playable at this year's Gamecom. We've put quite a lot of time into the PC version and it took a little while to get used to the controls on the 3DS...
Feature Hands On With The Spooktacular Luigi's Mansion Arcade
Don't cross the streams
Deep in the dimly lit bowels of Japanese arcades lurks a surprisingly wonderful new first person shooter (sucker?) with an unlikely arcade hero. It's not surprising that Luigi is running the show this time around. After all he's saved Mario from the notorious King Boo on two separate occasions at this point. The surprise...
Tom and Anthony scratch their heads at Nintendo's Prime demo
Blast Ball had a peculiar reveal and presence in recent weeks. It first appeared in the Nintendo World Championships without Metroid branding, and was then revealed in the E3 Digital Event to be part of Metroid Prime: Federation Force, the divisive 3DS title in development by Next Level...
Hands On Logging More Flight Time With Star Fox Zero
“Impressive, Star Fox!”
In this second look at Star Fox Zero, Morgan Sleeper has a more positive experience than colleague Alan Lopez. To reflect the divisive nature of the controls, Alan's updated impressions from another playthrough are also included. When Miyamoto-san's Muppet started sprouting Star Fox features during the Nintendo Digital...
Hands On Checking Out Splatoon's Freshly Unlocked Ranked Battle Mode
Laying it all on the line
If you booted up Splatoon this morning you might have noticed that without even the need to download an update that you can now play on the new Port Mackerel map. You can also buy the N-ZAP '85, a new weapon which looks suspiciously familiar. Of course what will be most exciting for competitive gamers is the introduction of...
Hands On Disney Infinity 3.0's Twilight Of The Republic Brings The Star Wars Saga To Wii U
The Force is strong in this one
After much anticipation we finally got our hands on the Star Wars levels in Disney Infinity 3.0 in London last week. There's a little time before launch still but the headline here is that things feel very polished and locked down already - we came away very impressed. Having had a play with the Toy Box game-creator...
Hands On Disney Infinity Toy Box 3.0 Brings A Fresh Mario Kart Rival To Wii U
Sumo Digital works its magic once more
Getting hands-on with the Toy Box for Disney Infinity 3.0 was more than a little interesting, not least because of the Star Wars content and characters therein. At an event in London yesterday we had a chance to experiment with the new game creator as well as try both the Toy Box Takeover adventure and Toy Box...
Hands On Hitting the Tracks in Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 and 200cc Mode
It just keeps getting better...
When Nintendo announced that the second Mario Kart 8 DLC pack was coming earlier than promised, we were appropriately excited. Now that we've had a chance to get to grips with everything this extra content has to offer, suffice to say we're not disappointed. In this early look at the full DLC pack we check out the...
Hands On We Check Out The New Nintendo 3DS XL
North America's only New Nintendo 3DS, lest we forget
The New Nintendo 3DS XL is a sleek piece of kit that streamlines many of its predecessor's quirks. Be it changed button placement or new features altogether, it's evident that Nintendo has put a lot of thought into alleviating pain points both obvious and subtle. While we aren't fans of every...
Hands On Wii U GameCube Controller Adapter
Party like it’s 2001
The GameCube controller has become the community gold-standard for playing Super Smash Bros. So much so that Nintendo has wheeled out an adapter to make the controller released in 2001 compatible with its home console released in 2012. All for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The adapter is about as thick as two retail game cases...
Video New Nintendo 3DS Unboxing And Hands On
Watch in awe as we remove and refit a face plate
We've got the New Nintendo 3DS in the office right now and in-between gazing at its rock-solid 3D screen and fondling its nipple-like C-Stick, we somehow found the time to record a special unboxing and hands-on video, which you can view below. The new console — currently only available in Japan —...
Feature We Go Hands On With SteamWorld Heist, The Next Image & Form Game
“A game about space adventure and survival”
Image & Form, the Swedish development studio that shot to prominence with the success of SteamWorld Dig on the 3DS eShop, which was subsequently ported to Wii U and other platforms, has announced the next game in the SteamWorld franchise. This isn’t a straight-up sequel, however, but a spin-off...
Hands On Exploring the Four New Tables of Zen Pinball 2
The Walking Dead! Guardians of the Galaxy! Deadpool! Doctor Strange!
It's tough for comic book fans these days – movies based on superhero comics are more popular than ever, but the comic books themselves are often lost in the shuffle. Everyone loved The Dark Knight, but have you been reading Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's fantastic run on...
Hands On Photos with Mario and AR Card Fun
Koopa Troopas invade your living room!
How long has it been since you thought about AR (augmented reality) gaming on your 3DS? If the stack of AR cards that came with your system is gathering dust in a corner somewhere, go dig 'em out, because Nintendo has finally released a new AR game; it doesn't even seem to want you to know about it. Photos with...
Hands On Storing Pocket Monsters in Pokémon Bank
And going last-gen with Poké Transporter
Pokémon Bank, the online store app just recently released in Europe to accompany Pokémon X & Y, is a simple utility; at first glance you essentially take in its entirety. It's a storage box for all of your Pokémon. As such, you know what you're going to get; in Pokémon Bank, you will find 100 boxes...
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...
