"Very disappointing and frustrating"
Random Sonic The Hedgehog Creator Yuji Naka Thinks Nintendo Has Changed
Indie collabs paving the way
Indie - News
June2019
"Very disappointing and frustrating"
Do you know an individual who happens to be working on a small-scale video game and aspires to one day publish it on the Nintendo Switch eShop? Well, the above video might be of interest. It has been uploaded by an up-and-coming indie developer named Adam Ashbaker and talks about what is supposedly "bad news"...
May2019
Random These 3D Concepts Have Us Dreaming Of A Nindie amiibo Line
Stunning work
Nintendo's amiibo line has been an absolute cash cow for the Japanese company since arriving alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U in 2014. To date, there are more than 170 amiibo available. While most of them are based on first-party Nintendo titles, there are a few exceptions such as Yacht Club's Shovel Knight. If you've always...
April2019
News German Publisher First Press Games Will Distribute Physical Releases For Switch
Welcome to the club
On Friday, we found out First Press Games had begun a Kickstarter campaign for a physical version of the 2D platformer Tobu Tobu Girl Deluxe on Game Boy Color. Following on from this announcement, the German-based publisher has now revealed its intentions to distribute physical limited releases of indie games for the Nintendo...
March2019
Random Sonic The Hedgehog Creator Yuji Naka Thinks Nintendo Has Changed
Indie collabs paving the way
Now that we know Brace Yourself Games is working on a cross-over between Crypt of the NecroDancer and The Legend of Zelda series, it has raised questions about what else could be on the horizon. When the Sonic The Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka first found out about an indie developer working with one of Nintendo’s most...
News Dead Cells Surpasses One Million Sales, Switch Version Leads The Way On Console
Well deserved
Motion Twin's Dead Cells didn't have the best launch on the Switch eShop. In fact, when it arrived, the French-based developer had to acknowledge frame-drops and performance issues with a public apology. It spent the next six months reworking the game engine, to bump the framerate up to 60fps and since then, it's been recognised as one...
News Nintendo Reveals The Best-Selling Indie Games On The Switch
Nindie representation
The relationship between Nintendo and indie developers seems to be getting stronger by the day. We've seen characters such as Shovel Knight represented as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and now the developer behind Crypt of the NecroDancer is working on a special Zelda cross-over known as
Feature Nintendo Indie Collaborations And Crossovers We’d Like To See
Tasty indie matchings with some cherished favourite franchises
The announcement of Cadence of Hyrule – Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda (to give its unwieldy full name) in yesterday’s Nindies Direct presentation was a delightful surprise. Although we’d heard whispers of
News Limited Run Games Confirms E3 2019 Press Conference
Get hyped
There are a number of physical video game distributors who have made a name for themselves during the Switch generation and one of them is Limited Run Games. Following in the footsteps of EA and Devolver Digital, the company has now confirmed its own plans for E3 2019 via Twitter. Once again, Limited Run will be hosting a pre-recorded...
News Devolver Digital Praises Nintendo's "Fantastic" Indie Support During Switch Generation
Driving success
In celebration of the Switch making it to the two-year mark, a number of developers and publishers have been speaking out about their personal experiences with the hybrid platform so far. Indie titles, in particular, have done incredibly well on the system, often surpassing sales on other platforms by a significant margin. During a...
January2019
News Downwell Creator Leaves Nintendo To Pursue Indie Development
"I found my passion"
Last Friday, publisher Devolver Digital confirmed Downwell would arrive on the Switch on 31st January. Now, in a bit of a surprise announcement, the creator Ojiro Fumoto has revealed he's officially left Nintendo, after being picked up by the Japanese company about a year ago. He explained the reason behind this decision in a...
September2018
News Indie Shmup Astebreed Announced For Nintendo Switch
"Hope turns to an unlikely hero"
The shoot 'em up genre is a perfect match with the Nintendo Switch, so it should come as no surprise yet another one is on the way. Japanese indie developer Edelweiss, with the help of Active Gaming Media, will be bringing the 2014 title Astebreed to the Switch eShop in the near future. A release date has not been...
June2018
Video The Unsung Heroes of the Nintendo Switch eShop
Games that deserve more chatter
One of the downsides of the Switch having quite so many lovely games (and a little bit of filler) is that certain games that demand attention get lost at the wayside. Frankly it's a travesty, and so we decided to swing that proverbial spotlight around and onto ten games we feel are worthy of significantly more credit...
May2018
News Nintendo Reveals a Feast of Nindies Coming to the Japanese Switch eShop
Western devs make their mark
To say Nintendo's embracing the indie scene is a vast understatement, and now that support has spread over to Nintendo's homeland with the recent Indie World showcase. Unsurprisingly, it's a video showing off a load of lovely new indie games coming to the Switch in the near future, most of which we've heard of before,...
October2017
Video 8 Handy Tips to Help You Get Started in Stardew Valley on Switch
Or any other platform for that matter
To say Stardew Valley has a lot for you to do is a little bit of an understatement. With so much farming, mining, fishing and rummaging through bins to do, it can be a bit overwhelming the first time you set out. As such we've put together the video above with 8 handy tips that should help you on your way to...
April2016
Video Grab a Rundown of all of Runbow's New and Delicious DLC
Adding additional Val-Hue
Runbow has been available on the Wii U eShop for a little over six months and it's safe to say it's a favourite amongst the team here at NLife Towers. That love is no doubt going to run even deeper now that 13AM Games is about to release a wealth of brand new DLC for this action-packed party platformer. Check out the video...
November2015
News Chief NES Designer Describes Nintendo as an Indie Studio
"Nintendo has always been like that, we are like indies"
In a game industry that's increasingly becoming larger and more monetized, Nintendo arguably stands as an oasis. While it may be that the company plays it safe a fair amount, it's nonetheless notable for its implementation of creative or innovative ideas. After all, how many other AAA...
News Typoman For Wii U eShop Will Be Released In North America And Europe On 19th November
The power of letters
Headup Games has announced Brainseed Factory's elegantly crafted platform game, Typoman, will be released on the Wii U eShop in both Europe and North America on 19th November. The Wii U exclusive will be priced at € 13.99 (USD 13.99, GBP 9.99), with individuals who participated in the E3 [email protected] program in June eligible...
October2015
News Developer Of Acclaimed Indie Title Lumo "100% Trying" To Secure Wii U Release
Inspired by SNES title Equinox, no less
If you were lucky enough to attend EGX here in the UK recently then you may have spotted a lovely-looking indie title by the name of Lumo. This isometric offering is packed with references to gaming's past, and was born out of a Twitter conversation between its creator - former Ruffian, Lionhead and Bizarre...
News Freedom Planet Bug Causes Screen Freezing Problems for Some Players
Still fighting for freedom from bugs
Freedom Planet only just released on 1st October, but it was initially supposed to release much earlier. As some of you may have known, Freedom Planet was delayed by a few months due to some sort of game breaking bug that was reported in the advance release copies sent to reviewers. While the delay may have upset...
News VoxelMaker is Set to Hit the North American eShop on 1st October
Adding a whole new dimension to pixel art
For those of you that aren't well versed in technical jargon, a voxel is essentially just a 3D version of a pixel. While this isn't something that would really have much relevance in most everyday conversation, it is of utmost importance in Nostatic Software's upcoming game, VoxelMaker. You'll be able to see...
September2015
News New Assault Android Cactus Trailer Shows Fast, Fun & Frenetic Blaster Action
Charge and unleash
If you’re a fan of frantic sci-fi bullet-blasters, the upcoming title Assault Android Cactus for Wii U eShop may be one game worth keeping an eye on. Featuring a vibrant art style, slick frame rate, funky tunes, 1-4 player co-op and fast & frenetic twin-stick shoot em’ up gameplay, the title looks to take the concept of...
News A Mighty New Patch For Shovel Knight Is On The Way
Irons out a number of kinks
Following the recent release of the free Shovel Knight expansion, Plague of Shadows, Yacht Club Games has issued a patch ironing out a few kinks, and further enhancing the overall experience. While the update is currently only available for PC users, it will be rolled out across other platforms very soon. Take a look...
Video This Laparoscopic Wii U Controller is Teaching Medical Students to Perform Keyhole Surgery
Time to scrub up
Nintendo consoles have been privy to some incredibly unusual controllers in their time, most of which are a bit rubbish and don't really improve gameplay in any way. However these previous blunders haven't deterred Grendel Games from designing a Wii U eShop game called Underground and an accompanying controller to accurately...
August2015
Happy happy, joy joy
Chasing Aurora developer Broken Rules has revealed on Twitter that is it porting Michael Todd's Electronic Super Joy to the Wii U eShop. A music-filled platformer with a strong sense of humour, Electronic Super Joy is currently available for Windows, Mac and Linux, and was awarded a solid 9/10 by Destructoid. Ironically, its...
News Woah Dave! Arrives On The Wii U eShop 20th August, Cross-Buy Promotion Also On Offer
Double Dave
If you live in the US and purchased the 3DS eShop title – Woah Dave! – when it was released in October last year, you’re in for a treat, with the publisher Choice Provisions today announcing the game will be available on the Wii U eShop on 20th August, with a cross-buy promotion also on offer for existing 3DS owners – making the...
News Wii U eShop Space-Themed Title Factotum Arrives In North America 20th August
Can you save the day?
You’re deep in space and something has collided with your space vessel. The main power is offline and you’re now trapped. Fortunately you have access to a walker control terminal. Although it’s a tad outdated, with the assistance of two little robots, some cleaver thinking and an unknown voice guiding you, you might be...
July2015
News High-Speed Action Platformer Spark The Electric Jester Seeking Support On Kickstarter
Inspired by classics such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man X
Modern games inspired by classic 16-bit titles from the 90s are all the rage as of late. With the release of Freedom Planet for the Wii U eShop just around the corner, it appears a new game of a similar variety, titled – Spark the electric jester – is next in line for a potential...
Ho ho ho? More like no no no
XINESS Games' Santa Factory isn't likely to inspire much confidence in players over the age of five. It's clearly aimed at very small children, featuring extremely simple platforming mechanics and some light edutainment elements after each level. That being said, it's not fair to write it off for its target demographic...
News BADLAND: Game Of The Year Edition Hits Wii U eShop On 30th July
Save the clones
The Wii U eShop is doing a good job of attracting quality multiplatform indie titles lately, and the next in line is BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition, which lands on 30th July in North America and Europe. The North American price is $9.99, with Euro pricing still to be confirmed. The Wii U version builds on the original tablet game...
News 2D Action-RPG Dark Flame Has A Chance Of Coming To Wii U eShop If Nintendo Fans Show Interest
Kickstarter assisting the process
The creator of the Metroidvania-style 2D Action-RPG, Dark Flame, has tweeted the title has a chance of a release on the Wii U eShop if Nintendo fans show their support. Dark Flame's creator is looking at taking his project to Kickstarter in hope of gaining funds to hire a few professionals and further polish the...
Cut the crap
Visual novels haven't historically made much of a splash outside of Japan. It's only been in relatively recent times that titles like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward have shown Western gamers that reading can be fun - especially when mixed together with simple game elements like puzzles and branching...
Review Quadcopter Pilot Challenge
Controls failin', players wailin', quadcopter
A common complaint among Wii U critics is that the platform's primary controller, the GamePad, doesn't get utilized enough to justify its existence. Whether or not you agree with this assessment, one indie developer that's making an effort to assuage these concerns is TACS Games, whose Quadcopter Pilot...
News Endless 3D Platformer Blocky Bot Jumps Across To European Wii U eShop On 23rd July
Additional points for the bloopy bloopy blop rap video
After launching on the North American Wii U eShop in May, Mobot Studios has announced Blocky Bot is jumping across to Europe on 23rd July. The endless 3D platformer featuring 'mini arcade action' promises to test even the best players’ platforming skills and reflexes, pushing them to the...
News Epic Indie Sale For Wii U eShop Is On Its Way To North America
Own or buy one receive 60 percent discount off the rest
As discovered earlier this week, the 'Epic Indie Sale' is on its way to the Wii U eShop in Europe. As part of the promotion, if you own or purchase any of the eligible titles, you’ll receive a 60 percent discount on all other offers. We now have confirmation that this same sale will be...
June2015
News Co-Op Teleporting Platformer Roving Rogue Releases On Wii U eShop July 2nd
What's left to do after the final boss?
Roving Rogue is a unique take on a classic formula. Players control an adventurer named Kurt who has just defeated the final boss in a castle. Traditionally the reward is a kiss from a princess, but on this particular occasion, the hero has forgotten why he’s even in this castle in the first place. This...
News Spooky 2D Adventure Whispering Willows Will Be Haunting Your Wii U This Summer
An out of body experience
Indie publisher Abstraction Games has confirmed that it is bringing Night Light Interactive's spooky adventure title Whispering Willows to the Wii U eShop. Originally released on Ouya, the game features gorgeous 2D visuals and an haunting soundtrack. The unique hook is that you'll be able to exit the main character's body...
Funk off, Titans
On the surface, it seems like Funk of Titans might be crazy enough to work. Take a jive-talkin', funk-lovin' interpretation of Perseus, toss him in a Mount Olympus setting occupied by an Aretha Franklin-inspired goddess, add a dash of hop-and-bop auto-running and stir vigorously. This project had the recipe for cheesy goodness, but...
May2015
News Icy Wind Games Set To Release Action-Adventure Title "Heroes, Help!" On Wii U In Q1 2016
Brought to you by an indie studio based in Sweden
The new two-man Stockholm-based indie studio, Icy Wind Games, is set to release its upcoming action-adventure Wii U title – Heroes, Help! – in Q1 2016. The top down title featuring 4-player local co-op involves travelling through a wide range of environments and fighting large amounts of enemies...
News Don't Starve: Giant Edition Arrives on the North American Wii U eShop on 28th May
Sate your hunger
It appears that 28th May will be a rather exciting day for Nintendo gamers. As you may have been aware, 28th May is the eve of Splatoon's launch; no doubt thousands of gamers will be keeping a few cans of energy drinks on hand as they get started on the game as soon as it launches at midnight. However, earlier in the day, the eShop...
News Shapes of Gray Arrives On The North American Wii U eShop May 21st
“Hotline Miami meets WarioWare”
Described by Secret Tunnel Entertainment as “Hotline Miami meets WarioWare”, Shapes of Gray is set to arrive on the North American Wii U eShop on 21st May. As previously noted, Shapes of Gray is an aesthetically simple 2D title that takes players through 10-second battles within small game environments...
News The New Update For Teslagrad is Now Live in North America
Adds additional controller support, screenshots, and some bug fixes
For those of you that may have forgotten about it, Teslagrad is a sublime metroidvania adventure that was released early last fall. It follows the story of a young boy as he explores a decrepit castle and slowly unravels the mystery behind the conflict that led to the downfall of...
April2015
Video The Importance of Co-Op Gameplay in Modern Gaming
Featuring Affordable Space Adventures
It's no lie that due to the popularity of the ultra-competitive gaming scene that co-operative gameplay has taken rather a sideline in recent years. Luckily all is not quite lost, and a handful of developers are still keen to provide this style of gameplay for the fans who crave it, and there's no example better...
“Experience possible only on the unique hardware of the Wii U console”
Last year indie developer CHUDCHUD Industries announced the dungeon-crawler adventure, Temple of Yog, was on its way to the Wii U eShop. Since then, we haven’t heard all that much about it, but it appears the creators are now gearing up for the title’s official launch...
March2015
News Two Tribes’ Toki Tori Remake is Coming to the 3DS eShop
How eggsciting
A brief history on the development of Toki Tori. Toki Tori was a puzzle platformer originally launched on the Game Boy Color back in 2002 as a pseudo-remake of an MSX title called Eggbert, but it didn't sell too well due to being released late in the console's life. In 2008, Toki Tori was ported to Wiiware and was one of the first...
News Elliot Quest Developer Talks About a 3DS Port
No plans yet, but the desire is there
Several of you have already played Elliot Quest, the new side scrolling adventure game from Ansimuz Games that takes several design and gameplay cues from the likes of Zelda II and Kid Icarus. We awarded it an 8/10 in our review, citing minor performance issues and frustrating pacing as main issues. Whatever way...
News Gunman Clive 2 Developer Talks About a Possible Wii U Port and a Potential Third Entry
“I think I will shake up the formula a bit more”
Gunman Clive was one of those fun little games that had all the right ingredients of a success. A creative and interesting art style, tight gameplay inspired by classic side scroller games such as Mega Man, plenty of replayability, and a cheap price point helped it to stand out from the pack and...
News Elliot Quest Patch Adds Several Additional Control Options and Fixes a Graphical Bug
It’s always nice to have more options
Elliot Quest is a new Metroidvania title on the Wii U eShop developed by Ansimuz Games. The 8-bit adventure sees players controlling a character named Elliot (who bears several similarities to Pit) on his race to find an ancient demon that can cure a curse placed on him that keeps him from dying, and will...
News Dot Arcade Lights Up the North American Wii U eShop on 26th March
Three FULL COLOR games!
For those of you who may remember, we previously reported on a secret solo project coming from James Montagna, a key Wayforward employee. We now know that the project is called Dot Arcade and will feature three extremely simplistic arcade style games meant to remind gamers of the golden age of arcades. The first game on...
News eShop Games Added To The European Club Nintendo Store
Rewarding rewards
Club Nintendo shall soon close its doors. This heartbreaking news was announced earlier this year, revealing that Nintendo would close the program to make way for a new rewards system. Following this announcement the company flooded its users with a variety of new rewards, promising more to come leading up to the closure. Today the...
Video Nintendo Minute Interviews Several Prominent Indies on Their Upcoming Releases
Also, see which one of them is the best at Mario Kart 8
Indies play a vital role in Nintendo's lineup for the Wii U. With major third party developers all but deserting the console, the responsibility to keep gamers engaged on their Wii U in between major Nintendo releases falls to Indie developers. Some may see this as a weakness of the platform,...
News Here’s Why Axiom Verge is Not Initially Coming to Wii U
Foiled again!
For those of you out of the loop, Axiom Verge is a highly anticipated, upcoming indie title that takes heavy inspiration from Metroid as well as other side-scrolling shooters of the NES era. Axiom Verge is especially notable for being the product of merely one man, an engineer named Tom Happ, who has some light experience in the game...
News A Cowboy's Tale from Nexis Games Rides to the Wii U eShop in 2016
We added the apostrophe
When one gets right down to it, there aren't a lot of notable Wild West-themed games currently, on any platform; it's a rather puzzling omission. In an industry that's absolutely obsessed at the moment with open world adventure games, one must wonder why more developers don't follow in the footsteps of titles such as Red Dead...
News Nintendo Executive Discusses the eShop, Indies, and Their Relationship With Nintendo
"There's so much talent that's coming out of it"
It's no secret that Indie games play a much larger role in the lineup and promotion of Nintendo's consoles than they have ever before, with a number of triple-A third party companies being largely inactive on Wii U. Indeed, Nintendo has come a long way from the days of the DSiware and Wiiware...
News Yacht Club Games Announces Free Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows DLC Expansion
Plague Knight seizes the spotlight
It's doubtless that many of you have probably already played Shovel Knight, the old-school indie smash hit. Inspired by series such as Mega Man, Castlevania, and The Legend of Zelda, this was a classic styled game done right. Featuring vibrant pixel art, a stellar soundtrack, loot, collectibles, and that good old...
February2015
News Scram Kitty Developer Praises the Wii U and Mentions New Project
“It always brings a lot of new potential to gameplay”
Many of you may remember Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails. The crazy rail shooter took its name rather literally and featured a gunner that moved along physical rails, with the goal being to shoot all the evil mice in a space station and save all the cats. It was a pretty strange setting;...
News Indie Title Bizerta: Silent Evil is Stalking its Way to Wii U
Resident Hill
The Wii U is relatively lacking in the horror games department - games such as ZombiU and Resident Evil Revelations are few and far between, leaving players looking for a good thrill disappointed. It's possible that Fatal Frame V could be set to rectify that, but there's no confirmation of that getti
News Candlelight Studios' Untold Story Could Potentially Be Told On Wii U
It starts with a spark
It seems like there's currently a renaissance of sorts happening regarding retro RPGs. Seeking to recreate the glory days of Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy, many indie developers are putting out RPGs featuring sprites, classes, towns, turn-based combat, and all the trimmings of the RPG days of yore. Candlelight Studios is...
January2015
News Key WayForward Director is Bringing His Solo Project to Wii U
Risky move?
It's not uncommon for creative minds at studios to strike out on their own. With limited budgets and resources, companies are sometimes hesitant to take big risks on games that don't necessarily sound like a profitable idea. If the developer really believes that the game is special, he or she may take a chance and shoulder the...
Rumour Cave Story 2 Teased at PAX South and Could Be in the Works
"Maybe, maybe not"
Cave Story is quite the tale of success. Developed over five years by one man, named Daisuke Amaya, it first saw release over ten years ago on PC. Since then, it's received universal acclaim, achieved widespread popularity and has been ported to numerous platforms. Taking inspiration from old school exploration and action games...
News Indie Title Holobunnies Fails to Make The Hop To Consoles
But hey, there'll be a board game!
Kickstarter can be a rather fickle beast. With a veritable sea of pending projects at any one time, making a particular endeavour stand out from the pack can be difficult; especially given the limited budgets and expertise that many aspiring developers have to work with. While there are many great success stories,...
News Nintendo Confirms New 3DS eShop Shooter IronFall Invasion
Iron't falling just yet
Keen to get their foot in the door of the shooter genre, Nintendo has announced an indie-developer third person shooter for the European 3DS eShop. Not much is currently known about IronFall Invasion, but the developer VD-dev has been posting screenshots of the game since September last year. The game takes heavy inspiration...
News Update For Arrow Time U Improves Overall Game Experience
XenoHorizon also reveals a Wii U exclusive announcement is on the way
Despite poor sales, indie title Arrow Time U has received an update to improve the overall game experience. Ohio-based developer, XenoHorizon, has followed through with its previous promise, making adjustments to time limits in certain levels, removing an irritating voice clip,...
December2014
News Black Forest Games Confirms New Giana Sisters Title
"Expect a new Giana early 2016"
Adrian Goersch of Black Forest Games revealed in an interview with Red Bull that a new game in the Giana Sisters series should be expected in early 2016. With an HD Director's Cut of Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams arriving on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One – but sadly not Wii U – in the near future, Goersch explains...
News Plenty of Fishies Swimming onto Wii U this Week
Finding Wiimo
Nitrolic is releasing a brand new title known as Plenty of Fishies to the Wii U eShop in the US. You control a fish – as you might imagine – and have to take on various challenges in order to get the highest score amongst your friends. The game features a number of different gameplay modes in both single player and multiplayer...
News TACS Games' Space-Themed Puzzler "Factotum" Heading to Wii U eShop
TACS Games' first foray onto Nintendo hardware
The Wii U eShop is certainly brimming with indie games, but TACS Games' upcoming sci-fi puzzler — Factotum — looks like it could be one of the most unique titles available on the store with it's archaic visuals and brainteasing puzzles. TACS Games is a one man indie game development studio...
News Renegade Kid’s 3DS Metroidvania Title Xeodrifter Blasting To North America Next Week
From the creator of Mutant Mudds
After Renegade Kid’s mid-year announcement of Xeodrifter for the 3DS eShop — followed by the launch of the debut trailer — Jools Watsham and company have now revealed the game will be released in North America next week: on 11th December to be exact, for the price of $10. As previously described; Xeodrifter is...
Weirdness Fan-Made Pokémon Virtual Reality Prototype Rears its Head
Gotta catch that one!
A fan of the Pokémon franchise has been working hard to create something that many of us dreamed of when we were children; a virtual reality Pokémon game. It's only a prototype thus far, but it give a flavour of what could potentially be, although likely won't be for the foreseeable future. In the video below you can see the...
November2014
News uWordSmith Is In Development Exclusively For The Wii U
Coming to the US this December for $1.99
If you’ve ever wanted to be a writer, perhaps this upcoming Wii U eShop release will let you start to make those dreams a reality (on a very basic level). uWordSmith is a new puzzle game for Wii U by Temple of Yog developer CHUDCHUD Industries. The creator, Cody Diefenthaler, has been promoting the project...
October2014
News Moving Player Announces Game Adaptation And Publishing Program “Xport” For Indie Developers
Rakoo’s Adventure for Wii U also revealed
With Cosmophony for Wii U now available to the masses, Moving Player is looking towards a bigger and brighter future with its latest announcement at Game Connection Europe 2014; a console game adaption and publishing program for indie developers. The new program known as "Xport", allows indie developers...
Video 'Nindie' Trailers Flood Nintendo's Official YouTube Channel
Strong, nindependent titles
Nintendo has released a wealth of new trailers for upcoming indie games that it is showcasing at IndieCade 2014. Charmingly referred to as 'Nindies', these developers have all declared their commitment to Nintendo's systems, and you can see just a snippet of the fruits of their labour in the trailers that you can see...
News Renegade Kid Releases Debut Trailer For Upcoming 3DS eShop Title, Xeodrifter
Even Samus Aran would be marginally impressed
If you caught the original announcement back in August, you’ll already know Renegade Kid’s next project is a Metroidvania-style action-platformer titled Xeodrifter for the 3DS eShop. So for those who did miss this exciting bit of news, Jools Watsham and company have now released a debut trailer of...
News Nintendo Highlights 'Nindies' and Their Games at IndieCade 2014
We're not sure we can forgive that name, though
Nintendo has compiled a long list of prolific indie games that will be making an appearance at IndieCade 2014 which runs from the 10th to the 12th of this month in California. Nintendo is quick to showcase this promising batch of titles that are coming to the systems. This list of titles that will be...
News Actos Games Launches Tutorial Video Series To Explain Wii U eShop Exclusive, psyscrolr
Get psyched!
North Carolina-based Actos Games, the creator of the recently announced Wii U eShop platformer psyscrolr, has released a new tutorial video series explaining how the GamePad will be utilised in the project that promises to feature strong narrative elements, epic boss battles and seamlessly integrated puzzle mechanics. The first video...
September2014
News Actos Games Announces Wii U eShop Exclusive psyscrolr
psysing up the opportunities
Burlington, North Carolina-based Actos Games, the creator of APEXICON - Fantasy Puzzle Combat, has returned with the recently announced Wii U exclusive psyscrolr, a platformer that features a strong narrative, epic boss battles and mini-epic mid-boss battles with integrated puzzle mechanics. Players take on the role of...
Developer Interview How Two Graduates From Nottingham Are Bringing Robin Hood To Life On The SNES
"We'd absolutely love to be able to do a cartridge release"
Indie development has never been more popular than it is now, with each of the major console makers bending over backwards to accommodate bedroom coders in the hope of finding the next Minecraft. However, while most small-scale devs favour the likes of iOS, Android, Steam and the digital...
News Mother 4 Is On The Way, But It's Not Being Made By Nintendo
Fan project is aiming for a release this year
The Mother series — perhaps better known in the west as EarthBound (AKA Mother 2) — is one of Nintendo's most enduring franchises. However, it has been dormant since 2006, when Mother 3 hit the Game Boy Advance in Japan. Rather than wait for Nintendo to start work on a fourth game in the series —...
August2014
News The Letter Version 1.1 Update Has a New Trailer
Reaching for more stars?
Notorious indie title The Letter has had a storied history at Nintendo Life, being something of a poster child for quality control on the Wii U eShop and the recipient of a rare if not prestigious single star rating, with the major complaint being that there wasn't much to do, and what content there was ultimately didn't add...
News Shovel Knight is Burying Sales Expectations
Moving more green than previously imagined
Yacht Club Games' critically acclaimed love letter to the 8-bit era, Shovel Knight, is exceeding sales expectations across all platforms, an impressive feat considering the game was released for 3DS, Wii U, and PC a little over a month ago. In an interview with Game Informer, Yacht Club Games' captain Sean...
News Renegade Kid Announces Metroidvania Game Xeodrifter for 3DS eShop
It has "pixels and stuff," all right
Spilling the beans to GoNintendo, Renegade Kid has announced their next project, Metroidvania-style action-platformer Xeodrifter, for the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Accompanying the announcement is the first entry in a nifty developers' diary by Renegade Kid's own Jools Watsham, in which he describes his sudden...
June2014
News POKER DICE SOLITAIRE FUTURE Débuting on Wii U eShop 3rd July in North America
From the one-man studio that brought you BLOK DROP U
Earlier this year, RCMADIAX brought physics-based puzzler BLOK DROP U to the Wii U eShop. Its budget price and pick-up-and-play ease of use made it a nice digital download title for quick play sessions, even if we couldn't give it quite a full recommendation. On 3rd July, RCMADIAX will continue...
News Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition Release Details Pinned Down
Need-to-know info before you rock the guac
Yesterday, Nintendo Life snagged an interview with DrinkBox Studios' level designer Jason Canam about bringing the much-lauded indie gem Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition to the Wii U eShop. Today, we can also divulge when exactly you'll be able to get your hands on it: 2nd July, for...
News Insanity's Blade Release Date Changed to "TBA"
Causal Bit Games taking extra time to utilize game testers' feedback
Upcoming Wii U eShop title Insanity's Blade has had its release date changed to "TBA" for the time being, according to a blog post on Causal Bit Games' official site. The game, an 8-bit arcade-style adventure promising to offer "the ultimate 8-bit experience," was funded
May2014
News Don't Touch Anything Red announced for Wii U eShop
Play the demo in your browser today
Indie developer Helix Games will be bringing its challenging upcoming title Don't Touch Anything Red to the Wii U eShop in the not-too-distant future. The game features off TV play, versus and co-op modes, two single player modes and five-player multiplayer only possible on the Wii U by use of the GamePad. While...
News Wacky Physics-Based Puzzler Gravity Badgers Releasing 29th May
Grow out your mullet in celebration
Wales Interactive's utterly zany physics-based puzzler Gravity Badgers will be making its way to the Wii U eShop on 29th May. Nintendo Life had a little chat with Wales Interactive's Managing Director David Banner back in January; the team, excited by the possibilities offered by the GamePad, is also working on a...
News Cooperative Puzzle Adventure Shadow Puppeteer Coming to Wii U eShop
Developer Sarepta Studio approved for Wii U development
Norwegian developer Sarepta Studio has been approved to develop games for Nintendo systems, and its first order of business is to bring co-op puzzle adventure Shadow Puppeteer to the Wii U eShop. The game was initially announced as a PC release, but the developers at the studio are ecstatic to...
April2014
Highlights low eShop sales and policies lagging behind Sony and Microsoft
Brandon Sheffield is, arguably, just the sort of developer Nintendo should be wooing — he produces games through his own studio Necrosoft, is an editor on Gamasutra and is a familiar face at industry events such as GDC (Game Developers Conference) and IDF (Independent Games...
News Next-Generation Visual Novel Nero Confirmed For Wii U eShop
Nintendo version will offer UI-free screen thanks to the GamePad
Italian indie developer Storm in a Teacup has confirmed that it is bringing its new game Nero to the Wii U eShop. Details on this mysterious game are scarce, but Storm in a Teacup's creative director Carlo Bianchi — who spoke to Official Nintendo Magazine about the game —...
March2014
News Industry Veteran Peter Molyneux Warns The Indie Craze "Won't Last"
"Don't think we're going to be all indies for the next five years"
In an interview with CVG, our old friend Peter Molyneux — who recently spoke about the Wii U and his thoughts on Nintendo in general — hopes the games industry won't take the recent indie boom for granted. The veteran developer — now in charge of indie studio 22Cans — likens...
News Fiendishly Tricky Precision Platformer Chubbins Is Bouncing To The Wii U eShop
Formerly exclusive to iOS
Two-man indie developer Dahku Creations released precision platformer Chubbins to iOS devices last year. Unfortunately, the game's high level of difficulty turned off a lot of users in that particular market. After working out some of the early details, Dahku is finally able to bring the game to a place where it will...
News Nintendo of America Launches eShop Indie Website
Links, links everywhere
With the eShop platforms increasingly becoming integral parts of the Wii U and 3DS, Nintendo is likely to continue to increase its support for the stores. Much has been done to ease entry requirements, a process that began on the 3DS, while the Wii U store has opened up new avenues with development tools and access through...
October2013
News Legend of the Lancer Bound for Kickstarter, Wii U Stretch Goal Planned
Draws inspiration from Super Mario World and Mega Man X
Gorilla Press Games has announced that it will shortly commence a Kickstarter campaign for a new non-linear Metroidvania-styled game called Legend of the Lancer. Currently planned for PC, the development studio is hoping to also bring the game to Wii U — provided a stretch goal is met, of...
November2012
News Nicalis Blasting onto 3DS eShop with Guxt
Shmup from Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya, creator of Cave Story
Nicalis may have a rather questionable record of localising its download titles in all regions — mention Cave Story on DSiWare or the 3DS eShop to a European and see what happens — but it does actively seek to bring high-quality indie releases to Nintendo systems. When you consider that...
May2011
News Jason Rohrer Tackles Blood Diamonds with New DS Game
Indie developer returns
DSi owners might already be familiar with Jason Rohrer's off-beat games, with Primrose and the Jason Rohrer Anthology offering some of the most unique experiences on DSiWare. Publisher Zoo Games just announced the next game from the developer coming to DS later this year: Diamond Trust of London. Maintaining his reputation for sticking to unexpected inspirations, the game..
September2010
News Independent PC RPG Eternal Eden Heading to 3DS
RPG Maker title ahoy!
The DS has taken years to gain its reputation as a heavyweight console for RPG fans, but the 3DS may quicker out of the blocks, with Eternal Eden one of the first announced entries in the genre. A translation of an independent PC game developed using RPG Maker VX, the story revolves around three children who live in a garden...
August2009
News Nintendo Wants To Spark Indie DSiWare Development
Zap!
Hot on the heels of Sony's PSP "Minis" program, Nintendo is about to launch something similar for its DSiWare download service. Like the Minis service, Nintendo's new initiative will make it easier for indie developers to publish their own games through DSiWare. Nintendo will keep the current pricing structure of 200 ($2), 500 ($5)...
May2009
Interviews Kyle Gray talks Henry Hatsworth & indie plans
Nintendo Life catches up with the man behind one of the most creative DS games to find out if there is life after EA.
If you've read our review then you'll know that Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure is one of the most creative and fun games you can play on the DS right now; the blissful combination of gorgeous 2D visuals, top-quality platforming action and brain-bending puzzle gaming..
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