Tag: NES - Page 12
News NES-Style Adventure Alwa’s Awakening Could Be Casting Its Spell On The Wii U
Inspired by NES classics like Battle of Olympus and Solstice
Yesterday saw the announcement of Alwa's Awakening, a gorgeous NES-style platform adventure for "modern systems" which takes inspiration from 8-bit gems like Battle of Olympus and Solstice - and, if we're lucky, it could be coming to the Wii U. The work of Alexander Berggren, Kevin...
News Game Freak's GBA Title Drill Dozer Rated By The Australian Classification Board
Konami's The Adventures of Bayou Billy is also on the way
The Australian Classification Board has revealed Game Freak's GBA hit, Drill Dozer, will be arriving on the Wii U Virtual Console in the near future. The critically praised action platformer previously released in Japan in 2005 and North America in 2006 has players take control of a...
Video Did You Know Gaming Delves Into the History of the NES
Hopefully, an SNES video is in the works
For those of you out of the loop, Did You Know Gaming is a fun site dedicated to sharing obscure trivia and facts about video games, both new and old. The site also runs a YouTube channel which gets updated on a fairly frequent basis, featuring videos about particular series, companies, or consoles and...
Interview Aaron Hamel on Bringing the Mother Original Arranged Soundtrack to the West
We talk about the soundtrack’s history, future projects, and much more
We recently reported on the Kickstarter campaign that has been launched with the goal of giving the Mother Original Arranged Soundtrack a western release. In just four short days the campaign smashed its funding goal and is now well on
Review Sky Kid (Wii U eShop / NES)
Bombs away
Originally an arcade game, the 1986 Namco NES title Sky Kid draws hard battle lines from the start, though exactly who the warring parties are is unclear. This quirky game is iconic of Namco's early days and even earned a song and a cameo in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U. The action here is a combination of unforgiving and short,...
Review Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll (Wii U eShop / NES)
There’s not much fight in this one
Culture Brain's Hiryū no Ken fighting series dates back to the 1985 arcade release, Shanghai Kid. The 1987 NES title, Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll – exclusive to Japan and the US (1989) – took the original concept and expanded on it, as well as paving the way for future entries in the franchise. This...
News Retro-Bit Is Releasing A Super Mario Edition Of Its RetroDuo Console
Dubbed "Mascot Edition", for obvious legal reasons
The Retro-Bit RetroDuo clone console may have been surpassed by Hyperkin's Retron 5 and the Super Retro Trio, but it's still a neat little system which allows you to play your old Nintendo games without having to have multiple consoles conne
Review Mappy-Land (Wii U eShop / NES)
Cats vs. Mouse
Mappy, a plucky mouse detective, is one of many arcade game mascots lost to time, having only starred in a few games over the years. While the character has guest-starred in various Namco games over the years (and makes a clever cameo in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS), the biggest role Mappy's had is in a web series from the...
News Take A Glance At The First Screens From Downtown Nekketsu Jidaigeki
Down by the river
If you were as excited as we were about yesterday's announcement of Downtown Nekketsu Jidaigeki then the first published images below may be too much for you to handle. Japanese publication Famitsu has now released its first online preview of Arc System Works' new game and from what we can see the images are clearly reminiscent of...
News Yes, People Are Still Making NES Games In 2015
Just because they can
The NES is one of the most iconic gaming systems of all time, but it hasn't been on Nintendo's radar - at least from a hardware perspective - for quite some time. That hasn't stopped homebrew developers from continuing to support the vintage console, and as a result 2015 will see the release of The Mad Wizard: A Candelabra...
News The Nintendo Game Plan - How the NES Slowly Won Over the USA
A Tale of Two Cities
Lots has been written on the video game crash of 1983; needless to say after events with Atari, North American retailers were left with their hands burnt, so launching a new console was a risky proposition. We recently took a look at the baby steps which Nintendo took at CES in 1984, which provided usefu
Review Blaster Master (Wii U eShop / NES)
Master your blast!
The latest eShop release of Sunsoft's 1988 NES classic, Blaster Master, marks the title's third Virtual Console appearance. With the game previously sighted on the Wii and more recently the 3DS, now it's the Wii U's turn to host this side-scrolling and top-down platform shooter that has since spawned an entire series. The western...
Video Watch A Bunch Of Teenagers Use The Legendary Power Glove Accessory For The First Time Ever
“I can feel the energy flowing through my veins”
The Power Glove is an iconic NES controller accessory that was originally released in 1989. For Nintendo fans, it is a love and hate relationship, helping to establish Nintendo within pop culture, paving the way for future technology, but also becoming the butt of jokes. It was most prominently...
Weirdness A Budding Little Mac Beats Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! While Blindfolded
A knock out performance
You may remember late last year that Mike Tyson himself showed off his own skills at Punch-Out!! on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. While this was an entertaining moment, it served to prove that this classic NES boxing game is no pushover. You'll need to train hard to beat Iron Mike (or indeed Mr Dream!)...
News This NES Arcade-Style Unit is a Thing of Beauty
Some games incompatible due to use Retron cartridge emulation tech
Hardware mods for retro systems are rather common, so those seeking a stylish or convenient option for playing their old NES games aren't short of options. Not many are quite as impressive as the Model G1 from Rabbit Engineering, though, which features arcade-style inputs, a...
News Woah Dave! May Become a Real NES Cartridge Release
Woah!
Woah Dave!, a 3DS eShop title that we reviewed late last year, may just be arriving on the console that inspired the game's alien-exterminating mechanics, as well as gaming as a whole - the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Tiny Cartridge has spoken with Choice Provisions Director Jason Cirillo and learned that the company has tentative...
News Bidding Hits $100,000 on Uber-Rare NES Game, Stadium Events
Nintendo are welcome to bid on it if they want it!
We reported a few days ago that a user-rare copy of Stadium Events on the NES had been listed on eBay. While this isn't the most accomplished 8-bit game of all time, it is one of the rarest with a low production run - which was subsequently recalled as it was then rebranded. Only two sealed copies...
News Get Ready For The Most Expensive Video Game Auction Of All Time
Factory sealed Stadium Events is now on eBay
Given the massive popularity of video gaming and its long and proud history, it's hardly surprising that many rare games are fetching incredible prices when them come up for sale online. However, Bandai's 1987 NES title Stadium Events makes pretty much everything else look like chump change. The title...
The Advance Video System was a more literal family computer
This week has brought us the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, which has been particularly light on gaming goods. It's an opportunity for companies big and small to show off their technology, ranging from expensive high-end gear to slightly quirky or silly 'innovations'. For...
Review Lode Runner (Wii U eShop / NES)
Not quite endless runner
Broderbund's Lode Runner is a challenging puzzler that, unfortunately, hasn't aged particularly gracefully. Originally released in 1983 on computers like the Apple II and the Commodore 64, Lode Runner feels dated, even for an NES game. It's easy to see the reason Lode Runner was released on so many different platforms over...
Review S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team (3DS eShop / NES)
Invading aliens, a fight for survival and all that jazz
It is the year 2029 and aliens are attacking the earth. Have they observed mankind’s violent nature and opted for a pre-emptive strike to protect themselves? Or do they just dislike the way the people of S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team have taken to painting their buildings a shade...
Video Today's Teens Simply Cannot Handle The Insane Challenge Of Mega Man
"EVERYTHING is hitting me!"
As seasoned gaming fans we all wonder exactly why Capcom is ignoring its legendary Mega Man franchise, but the latest video in the React series points to a possible answer: the games are just too damn hard for modern players. The video places a NES controller into the hands of a group of teens and points them in the...
Review Shadow of the Ninja (Wii U eShop / NES)
Go ninja, go ninja GO!
Ninjas really were a hot ticket back in the '90s. The Turtles were making TV and toy executives money hand over fist, and children became so caught up in the craze they had the sheer gall to drag their parents into the cinema to watch dreck like Surf Ninjas. Yep, it was a great time to be a kid. The trend bled into gaming and...
News Blinking Light Win Means You'll Never Have To Blow On Your NES Cartridge Again
No soldering required
The NES is one of Nintendo's most famous systems, but it came with a massive, massive design flaw. The "toaster" zero insertion force cartridge slot — designed so the system could avoid unwanted comparisons with traditional games consoles and thus avoid the stigma which had risen up since the Video Game Crash of 1983 —...
Review Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness (3DS eShop / NES)
Little monsters
It might not be too off kilter to think that, in some alternate universe, things could have shaken out differently in Capcom’s stable and Firebrand the Red Arremer/Gargoyle would have become a bigger star. The company could have been associated more with crimson than true blue, and fans today could be crying out over the absence of...
Review Ultimate NES Remix (3DS)
Not as ultimate as you'd think
Almost a year ago, the Wii U received some excellent download titles in the form of NES Remix and NES Remix 2, each taking a set of classic (and not so classic) NES games and making short challenges based on sections from each game, or in some cases creating entirely original scenarios. Curiously, the producer of the...
Video I ♥ Virtual Console - Monster Party Is The Wackiest Halloween Classic You'll Never Play
This NES classic deserves another lease of life - or should that be death?
Halloween is upon us, and while children all over the globe get themselves ready to don horrible costumes and harass their neighbours for candy, we're taking a look at a spooky old NES classic which really should be on the Virtual Console on a day like today. Monster Party...
Video Your Heart Will Melt At This Sega Genesis Promo Created By A Son and His Gaming Mad Father
1991 home movie intended to convince family members to dump the NES
As you'll know if you've read the recent Console Wars, back in the early '90s Nintendo was still very much the king of the hill when it came to video games. Sega's time in the sun was yet to come, but the 16-bit Genesis (Mega Drive if you're outside of the US) was already making...
Review Donkey Kong: Original Edition (3DS eShop / NES)
Whole once again
The legendary arcade title Donkey Kong is slightly infamous for receiving a rather botched NES conversion. Lacking several screens, animations and even an entire stage, it wasn't exactly one of Nintendo's finer porting jobs, especially when other home versions by different companies did manage to include all of the original content...
Book Review Boss Fight Books - Super Mario Bros. 2
Subcon-text
For how unique it is compared to other games in the Mario line, it’s amazing how easily Super Mario Bros. 2 is taken at face value or glossed over entirely. Many fans are happy to share the fact that the game is actually a reskin of Japanese title Doki Doki Panic after the original Super Mario Bros. sequel was deemed too difficult and...
Review Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness (Wii U eShop / NES)
It's good to be bad
Although many people are familiar with the Red Arremers, the notoriously persistent enemies from the Ghosts 'n Goblins games, not many seem to be aware that one particular Arremer also starred in several games of his own. The first Gargoyle's Quest was released on the 3DS Virtual Console a while back, and now we've finally...
News This Fan-Made NES 3DS XL Offers a Cool Alternative Design
Better than Nintendo's?
Nintendo certainly grabbed attention when it announced a NES-themed 3DS XL; the model will be exclusive to GameStop in North America, and unfortunately there are no plans to bring it to Europe. It's due for release on 10th October and will cost $199.99. Not all love the design, however, with the presence of the NES...
News NES-Themed Nintendo 3DS XL On The Way as GameStop Exclusive
Smash Bros. and Persona Q 3DS XL models also confirmed
While Japanese gamers are already gearing up for the New Nintendo 3DS models, gamers in the West need to wait until 2015 — that means that some special bundles of the existing hardware will arrive in time for the Holiday season. Confirmed by Nintendo of America at a GameStop conference and now...
Review Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight (3DS eShop / NES)
Back to the future
Capcom's Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight is not a typical Street Fighter game. If you go into this relatively obscure NES action title knowing you won't hear "Hadouken!" shouted once, you may be able to enjoy the experience. However, Street Fighter 2010's depth and surprisingly intricate gameplay will likely be lost on all...
Weirdness Here's What DuckTales Would Look Like With Real Ducks
Someone call PETA
DuckTales has a special place in the heart of Nintendo fans not just because it was a superb early-morning cartoon romp, but because it also spawned some amazing games on the NES and Game Boy, the first of which was recently remastered for the Wii U eShop. What we're about to show has only the tenuous link to these amazing games,...
Video Which 8-bit Version Of Ghostbusters Are You Gonna Call?
Sega or Nintendo? There's only one way to find out...
Back in the mid to late '80s, North American gamers were hooked on Nintendo, and prior to the launch of the Genesis / Mega Drive, Sega was very much locked out when it came to getting all of the juicy third-party titles. However, there were a handful of games which made it over to Sega's 8-bit...
Video Watch These Teenagers As They're Exposed To The NES
"I have an iPhone case like this"
Gaming is becoming more and more mainstream with every turn, and sometimes we have to take a step back to realise just how far we've come, and depending on your age that could go back anywhere between the GameCube and the ZX Spectrum. To give you some perspective of the progress we've seen, take some typical modern...
Review Donkey Kong Jr. Math (Wii U eShop / NES)
Summin' it
In among the Excitebikes, Super Mario Bros., and Ice Climbers of the NES’s North American launch sat Donkey Kong Jr. Math, an edutainment title seemingly designed so that hopeful tots could point to it on the shelf and Trojan-horse Nintendo’s new Duck Hunt-playing powerhouse into the family home, parents unsuspecting, under the guise...
Review Double Dragon II: The Revenge (Wii U eShop / NES)
Double draggin'
There was a period from the late-'80s to the early-'90s when side-scrolling beat 'em up games were all the (streets of?) rage – from Double Dragon to Final Fight to Streets of Rage, we just couldn't get enough of punching hooligans in the face down long straight paths. Perhaps the most fun aspect of these titles was the multiplayer...
Video Nintendo's Wild Gunman And Sega's Bank Panic Face Off In A Deadly Shootout
Which one is the quickest on the draw?
Back in the '80s, it wasn't uncommon to see Sega and Nintendo launch games with similar themes in order to compete with one another, and a good example of this rivalry is the similarity between the NES light gun title Wild Gunman and the Sega Master System outing Bank Panic. Both had their origins in the...
Hardware Review 8Bitdo NES30 Bluetooth Controller
A familiar friend, reinvented
If you're an Android user then you'll already be well aware of the operating system's native connectivity with wireless Bluetooth peripherals, including dedicated game pad controllers. Apple has recently introduced a similar protocol for its iOS platform, and Android-based micro-consoles like the Ouya, M.O.J.O. and
Art Controller Evolution Photo Series Hammers Home The Nintendo Factor
A visual record of how Nintendo has pushed the industry forward
Nintendo has been responsible for some major innovations when it comes to controllers — the NES D-pad, the N64 analogue stick, the Wii Remote — and Spanish artist Javier Laspiur has put together a photographic whistle-stop tour of the evolution of the game pad which shows just how...
Review Ufouria: The Saga (Wii U eShop / NES)
A Ufouric experience
Retro-style indie platformers are all the rage these days, so you'd be forgiven for thinking Sunsoft's Ufouria: The Saga is simply another in the long line of 2D NES-inspired modern titles on the eShop like Shovel Knight, 1001 Spikes, and Insanity's Blade. Released in 19
Review Bases Loaded (Wii U eShop / NES)
America’s 8-bit pastime
Is there anything more American than hotdogs and apple pie? Yes. Yes there is. It’s baseball. The answer is baseball. It’s a game that has permeated the American culture and inserted itself firmly into so many of our lives. As such, it comes as no surprise that there are a plethora of video games available based on the...
Review Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Wii U eShop / NES)
Blood relative
After the success of the original Castlevania title on the NES system, Konami decided to change things up quite a bit for Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. Gone was the straight-ahead platforming action of the original, replaced with a much more rpg-flavored approach that placed more emphasis on item collection and exploration. While...
News NES30 GamePad Brings Old School Control To iOS, Android, Mac, Windows And Wii
Let's party like it's 1985
If you're fed up of using the Wiimote for games like New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Donkey Kong Country Returns, then you might want to take a look at 8Bitdo's new NES30 GamePad controller. A near-perfect replication of the original 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System joypad, this controller brings the concept up to date by...
News The NES Story Began On This Day 31 Years Ago
We are Family (Computer)
31 years ago today, Nintendo Co., Ltd. released the Famicom console in Japan, an event which would herald the beginning of the firm's wildly successful relationship with home video games. Hitting store shelves at 14,800 Yen (around $145 / £84 / 107 Euros), the system wasn't an instant hit with the Japanese public. Sales...
Review Adventure Island (Wii U eShop / NES)
Skate and die
Adventure Island started life as the SEGA-produced arcade title Wonder Boy, which itself was ported to several different home consoles and spawned a popular series of sequels with show-stealing box art. NES-owners missed out on the title, and would have to wait until Hudson Soft teamed up with original developer Escape to release a...
News Someone Has Beaten The Super Mario Bros. Speedrun World Record
Game completed in less than five minutes
Think you're a pretty hot Super Mario Bros. player? You're probably not as good as speedrunner Blubbler, who has just finished the game in 4:57.69, beating the previous record of 4:58.09. Blubber is clearly a talented individual, and in the video below you can see just how perfect this particular run is —...
Review Soccer (Wii U eShop / NES)
A well timed blast from the past
Just in time for the World Cup this week, Intelligent Systems' Soccer arrives on Wii U Virtual Console – but all is not well. One of the early titles in Nintendo's "Sports Series" on NES, Soccer seems to garner boatloads of hate from players compared to companions like Golf and Ice Hockey. These detractors are not...
