Tag: Nes - Page 11
News Final Fantasy's Battle System Is Based On American Football
Who knew?
Square Enix's Hiroyuki Ito has revealed to 1UP the origin of the turn-based battle system in the original Final Fantasy - and it's somewhat unexpected, to say the least. Driven to create an efficient system for Hironobu Sakaguchi's seminal NES RPG, Ito turned to professional sports for his inspiration. 1UP: So did you create the battle...
News Take An Ambient Musical Trip Through 8-bit History With NEScapism
Zelda and Castlevania, trance-style
Electronic recording artist The Electric Witch (real name Zac Bentz) has created a fitting aural tribute to the NES era in the form of NEScapism, a mini-album which spurns the traditional chiptune format and instead re-imagines classic 8-bit tunes as swirling ambient soundscapes. To quote the composer:...
News You Fools, Blowing on NES Cartridges Is Not The Answer
Well I never
We've all done it. Blowing on cartridge connections has (apparently) always been the most effective way of getting stubborn games to load, but according to MentalFloss, it could actually cause more problems in the long term. MentalFloss spoke to Digital Press expert Frankie Viturello and he had some pretty damning words to say about...
News We Sing 80s Hits The Nintendo Entertainment System
In the fictional world of video game promotion, at least
We Sing 80s is the latest in a long line of Wii-based music titles, so it's a given that the promotional campaign for the game needs to be something special for it to get noticed. Publisher Nordic Games has done just that by mocking up a video which shows what the game would have looked like...
News The Complete 1986 CES NES Brochure For Your Viewing Pleasure
Another retro gem from the vaults of ex-employee Howard Phillips
Howard Phillips has been raiding his collection of Nintendo-related memorabilia again, this time coming up with an awesome NES brochure from the 1986 CES. The promotional material focuses heavily on R.O.B. the Robot, Nintendo's ill-fated attempt to give the fledgling NES a little...
News NES Signed by Stars of The Wizard Up For Sale
No Power Glove, unfortunately
One trick of adding value to old gaming memorabilia is to get it signed by famous people, and even if you have no intention to sell, it makes it that bit more magical. If you're going to get a Nintendo Entertainment System signed, then, you could do much worse than obtain the scrawls of the stars and director of The...
News Good Lord, The Knit-tendo Entertainment System Actually Exists
We're not pulling the wool over your eyes, honest
When you consider how omnipresent the NES was in North America during the early '90s, it's hardly surprising that a wide range of money-spinning - but ultimately pointless - peripherals were pushed out onto store shelves (Power Glove, we're looking at you). However, the king (or should that be...
News Serve Up Some Pixels For Breakfast With The NES Toaster
Full of retro goodness
Digital artist, MyBurningEyes, has recently posted a rather smashing 3D design of an NES Toaster on deviantART.com. Sadly the Nintendo gadget is only a concept, but we're hoping that someone with the necessary skills will spot it and make our dream breakfast machine a reality! And then send us one to try with complimentary...
News Meet The Man Who Brought Nintendo To America
Howard Phillips' amazing journey from warehouse to boardroom
Although it's hard to imagine it now, Nintendo wasn't always a dead cert in North America. Back in the early '80s, before the company had launched the super-successful NES system in the States, it was just one of many Japanese coin-op manufacturers attempting to muscle in on the flagging...
News Nintendo Champ Puts Coveted Golden Mario Trophy Up For Auction
Got a spare $300,000?
Way back in 1990, Thor Aackerlund saw off all challengers to secure the Nintendo World Championships in the 12-17 category. Now, over twenty years later, he's selling his one of a kind trophy on eBay for an eye-watering $300,000. Just in case you're thinking that figure is a little high, it should also be noted that included...
News Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles Helped to Save NES
In the UK they were heroes, not ninjas
It's a popular perception that NES swept all before it when it was released, dominating sales and 8-bit popular culture in the late 1980s. While that's probably true in North America and Japan, Nintendo's debut home console actually had a slow and rather unsuccessful start in the UK, with distribution via...
News Baseball Team Commemorates Vital Win Through The Power of The NES
Celebrating in style
When sports teams score a particularly significant or memorable victory, it's customary for them to celebrate the event with some kind of promotional activity, but The Dunedin Blue Jays have gone one better - they've immortalised one of their proudest moments in 8-bit form. A single-A affiliate of Toronto, The Blue Jays..
News Mega Man is Going to Blast 3DS Virtual Console
In Japan at least
NES classic Mega Man is coming to the 3DS Virtual Console in Japan next week. The Blue Bomber's legendary 8-bit adventure lands in Japan on 18th July for 500 Yen — around £3.99 or $6.30 — but expect the pricing to be slightly different when it reaches the West. If you're interested in playing some Mega Man on the go but...
News NES-Bit Magazine Volume 2 Hits the Stands
Back to the past
Fans of the humble Nintendo Entertainment System can learn more about their favourite machine with a new issue of NES-Bit, a fan magazine devoted to all things 8-bit. The second issue features a look back at the NES vs. Master System war, a guide to importing Famicom titles, a Castlevania series retrospective and much more. It's...
News Mario Bros. Battle Marathon to Raise Money for Charity
Bro-off
Mario marathons are nothing new, but this weekend sees an oft-overlooked entry in the franchise take centre stage — and all for charity. The Bro-Off puts Mario Bros. front and centre, with four world class players battling simultaneously to set a new world record. It all kicks off tomorrow at 12 midday Eastern (9am Pacific, 5pm UK, 6pm...
News Angry Birds NES Cart Catapults Into View
Perhaps Shigeru Miyamoto would like one
Last week Shigeru Miyamoto shared his admiration for Angry Birds, even mischievously suggesting that it would be better on DS. Even better though, what if it had been on the NES? The idea is crazy and technically impossible, but perhaps that adds to the charm of the pictured NES cart produced by 72pins.com, a...
News 8-Bit + 6 String = NES Guitar
Making beautiful music
You can play a lot on an NES, but you know what you can't play on it? Stairway to Heaven. You could end all that injustice with an NES guitar. Get Lo-Fi (via This Is Why I'm Broke) makes and sells various configurations of the guitars — single coil pick-ups and rosewood or maple neck will set you back $155, while humbuckers...
News Donkey Kong Jr. and Sonic Blast Head to Japan 3DS VC
G, Sonic
Two more for the 3DS Virtual Console in Japan: NES title Donkey Kong Jr. and Sonic Blast (aka G Sonic) for Game Gear. Neither title is the most fondly remembered in its respective canon, though Sonic Blast has the dubious distinction of being the last game commercially released for the Game Gear in Japan. Knuckles is playable too, which is...
News Square Enix Involved in NES Google Maps April Fool
Officially confirmed
When it comes to Nintendo-themed April Fools jokes, Google showed plenty of creativity with Google Maps 8-bit. Some of our readers with a solid grasp of NES classics observed that the music and overall theme of the fictional cartridge strongly resembled the original Dragon Quest: accessing the trial version online also involved...
News Google Maps 8-bit for NES
Amazing.
It's that time of year again folks, Google have put something together which should please every single Nintendo Life reader - Google Maps for NES. Google Maps is now available for 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment Systems (NES). Availability in Google Store is TBD but you can try it on your browser by going to and clicking "Quest"...
News God of War NES Demake Released
On PC, and it's free
There are some things that immediately grab your attention, and we'd classify the following as one of those things: God of War NES version, free of charge. It may seem unlikely, but that's exactly what indie developer Holmade Games has produced. PlayStation 3 owners are likely to be familiar with the God of War series set in...
News Super Mario Bros. for Ambassadors Just Got VC Features
Suspend points are in!
If you're a 3DS Ambassador, the NES upgrades just started rolling in. Super Mario Bros. now comes with Suspend Points, allowing you to suspend your play mid-game and reload it as often as you like. Should make those speed runs a whole lot easier. Other games have updates available but from our quick flick through it doesn't...
News The Origins of the Konami Code Revealed
All together now...
The Konami code is one of the most famous video game cheats of all time, but how did it come about? According to a translated chat between Konami's Kazuhisa Hashimoto and Shigeharu Umezaki, it all started with the NES port of Gradius. Hashimoto, the code's creator, explains: I had one guy under me, and he played through the...
News First NES Game Hits 3DS Virtual Console in Japan Today
It's Zelda
Japanese 3DS owners can now download The Legend of Zelda for Virtual Console for 500 Yen. It's the first of the 3DS Ambassador games to be sold on the service, and goes for around £4/€6.40. The game now comes with a digital manual and a new VC menu that offers improved save and suspend features. We'll update you when we know more about...
News NES Bit Magazine Powers Up with Issue Two
8 bits of glory
In September we reported on the first issue of NES-Bit magazine; originally intended as a one-off, it performed well enough for editor Lorfarius to start work on issue two. Available as a PDF at first before getting a print release, the next issue covers a range of topics, with a special feature on the much-loved Castlevania series...
Ninterview The Wizard's Luke Edwards
A Nintendo icon talks exclusively about starring in the cult classic
Although critics will tell you that The Wizard was little more than a brazen Nintendo advertisement masquerading as a movie and box office statistics will suggest it was a dismal commercial failure, there are legions of devoted fans that will argue just as passionately that it's a...
News You're Not Alone in Finding the First Zelda So Hard
So does Eiji Aonuma
The re-release of Legend of Zelda as part of the 3DS Ambassador program has reminded gamers just how hard Link's first outing is. If you haven't finished it yet, don't give yourself a hard time about it: neither has series producer Eiji Aonuma. In a recent interview with Game Informer, Aonuma revealed to this day he has never...
News After 25 Years, The NES Gets A New Magazine
Oh happy day
The humble Nintendo Entertainment System: responsible for bringing so many to sip from the cup of gaming, and now enjoying yet another lease of life via the recent 3DS Ambassador games. As with all Nintendo consoles it has a dedicated following online, but it could soon have a bigger presence in the print world as website NES-Bit.com...
News These Are The 10 NES Ambassador Games in Japan
Here we go
The Nintendo 3DS NES Ambassador games are just two days away, and although there's been no official announcement of the full line-up yet the official Japanese 3DS eShop page has seen an update to feature the 10 NES games. Here's what's going to be available in Japan on Thursday. There may be a few changes to the Western releases, but for...
Feature Samus Aran, Gaming's Leading Lady
We take a look at the famous female bounty hunter
Historically, just about every form of media has seen itself dominated by men, and gaming is as guilty as the rest. You could chalk it up to the playing population remaining largely scant of females for reasons too complex and debatable to delve into here, but that's only half the story. The...
Talking Point The NES Games You Want on 3DS Virtual Console
By popular demand
We've already heard about the GBA games you want on 3DS Virtual Console, but that's only half the equation: Nintendo will also be giving away 10 free NES games to 3DS users too. The NES games announced so far are: Super Mario Bros.Donkey Kong Jr.Balloon FightIce Climber
News NES and Game Boy Advance Games Coming to 3DS Virtual Console
But there's a catch
It's official: Nintendo's 3DS Virtual Console service is getting Game Boy Advance games. However, they will not be available to anyone who buys a console after the 3DS price drop on 12th August. Here's the deal. Any North American 3DS owner who picked up the console before 11th August and accessed the eShop will be classed as an...
News This NES Pad is the Biggest Game Controller in the World
Forget sore thumbs
The trend for steadily increasing variants of the iconic NES controller is approaching critical mass, as Dutch students have just set a new record for the largest functioning game controller with an NES pad measuring nearly four metres wide. The pad measures 3.6 metres by 1.6 metres, which is around 11.8 feet by 5.2 feet, which...
News Street Gangs Return in River City Ransom 2
NES classic gets sequelised
NES brawler River City Ransom is showing its age a little now, though it's still a fun little title, with fans of the game no doubt hoping the newly-announced sequel will feature the same quality playability. Miracle Kidz has proudly announced River City Ransom 2 is in development for home consoles this summer, with a...
News Artist Brushes Up on 8-Bit History With Unique NES Paintings
Every English-language game to get its own custom artwork
With the extensive catalogue of games that the NES has to offer, the collectors out there understandably try to get themselves a copy of each and every title. For artist Campbell Whyte, his mission is to paint every single one of them. Based in Perth, Australia, Whyte is in the process of producing one painting a day in his 8 Bit Dreams art..
News Watch an NES Complete Super Mario Bros. All By Itself
Like a robot
Over the years we've seen people play Super Mario Bros. in some crazy ways: you can play Mario with Kinect, play Mario with your eyes and even, believe it or not, play Mario with your hands, like a baby's toy. They've all required some sort of human interaction, but not this latest Mario-related chicanery, which uses a robot to replace...
Nintendo Download 4th February 2011 (Europe)
DSiWare abound
It's another clearly DSiWare-oriented week this time, with four new titles released on the service. WiiWare and Virtual Console only get one game each, along with another WiiWare demo. WiiWare: Pucca's Kisses Game (Bigben Interactive, 1000pts) – What seems to be a platformer game, based on the surprisingly popular franchise which...
Features NES Characters, Then and Now: Part One
See how some of your favourite characters have evolved over the past 25 years
The Nintendo Entertainment System was a system that stimulated the imaginations of designers and gamers alike. Whether it was the smiling, dream-like wonderland of the Mushroom Kingdom, the sprawling fantasy world of Hyrule or the atmospheric depths of planet Zebes, the...
Competition Winners Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary
Is it a-you?
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Super Mario Bros. and the North American debut of the NES, we ran a competition to give away a free 500-point NES title for Virtual Console to each of twenty-five winners, the selection of the game being their choice. Almost a thousand users entered, so we'd like to congratulate the 25...
Features Things We Miss About the 8-Bit Era
It's the little things that count
Today, the virtual reality experience of the Wii is as immersive as Lawnmower Man director/writer Brett Leonard ever could have hoped, with Mario as real and in-person as an actual member of our family and special effects so vivid that we compulsively hold our breath during underwater levels. Okay, maybe things...
You tell us why you loved that 8-bit magic machine
To help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the NES's North American debut, we asked you to send in your favourite memories with that machine, and you delivered. We apologise to those whose letters we unfortunately were unable to find a place for, but whether you made it into the article or not, it's...
Learn our shocking pasts
To continue our celebration of 25 years of NES, the staff's gathered around the campfire to share their favourite memories of that little dream machine. Not everyone could make it to the party, unfortunately, but we're sure that those who couldn't had good reason to stay home. Join us now as we lay bare our souls to you and...
News Super Mario Bros. Nearly Had a Shoot 'em Up Stage
Before fireballs came bullets
You might know enough about Super Mario Bros. to win our 25th anniversary competition, but did you know a shooting stage was planned for the game? A Famitsu interview with Shigeru Miyamoto reveals that using Mario's original controls, pressing Up would jump, with B to dash and A to fire bullets, before the team settled...
Features NES Homebrew Is Where The Heart Is
How two indie developers are keeping the system kicking after all these years
It’s nigh impossible to overstate the importance of the Nintendo Entertainment System in video game history: its popularity pretty much single-handedly revived the home game console market in the US, which had crashed a few years before the NES’s October 18th, 1985...
News We Celebrate 25 Years of NES
We're throwing a hootenanny, and you're invited
Today is the 25th anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System's North American debut, and we're celebrating in style. This week, you can look forward to a menagerie of features that hearken back to the olden days of 8-bit glory. Twenty-five years ago today, every New Yorker sensed something magic...
News Brush Up on Your Super Mario Bros. Glitches, Tips and Tricks
Nintendo gives a round-up of classic moments
Some of these Super Mario Bros. glitches will be familiar to experienced gamers, but some might reveal hitherto unknown secrets about the little plumber's big adventure. Witness a tiny Mario using the Fire Flower, Koopa Troopas walking in mid-air and plenty of other little oddities that may shed new light...
News Read About the Birth of the Famicom in Latest Iwata Asks
Go right back to the start
Nintendo's Famicom is a piece of gaming history. The company's first cartridge-based gaming system, it set the revitalised the industry and set the standard for what was to follow. Satoru Iwata sat down with two of Nintendo's behind-the-scenes heroes for his latest "Iwata Asks" feature: R&D advisor Masayuki Uemura and...
News Charity Marathon Sees Every NES Game Played Back to Back
Over 750 games in total
Mario, Zelda, Pokémon: these are all good themes for charity marathons, and have raised countless thousands of dollars for a range of charities. Playing every game in a particular series back-to-back is a big accomplishment, but how would you feel about playing every game available for a single consol
News The First Nintendo Console to Play DVDs was the NES
Well, sort of
The humble Nintendo Entertainment System has been everything from a lunchbox to a guitar, but for those who like the classic experience of putting media in and getting entertainment out will be intrigued by this latest mod that turns the console into a fully functioning DVD player. A little more complex than simply putting a DVD player...
Nintendo Download 5th & 6th October 2010 (Japan)
October begins with Virtual Console and DSiWare
WiiWare's alternating weeks continue, but at least there's the Virtual Console to keep Wii owners happy – even better when the releases include classic arcade games! The DSi has a trio of actual games for a change with nary a lifestyle download in sight. Virtual ConsoleCommando (800pts Arcade, Capcom) – This is the first VCA release from Capcom..
