Tag: Nintendo - Page 147
News Roll With this New Trailer for Star Fox 64 3D
It's got special vehicles in it
Presumably all the vehicles in Star Fox 64 3D are special — they're flown by animals, after all — but these machines are extra special. Ahead of the game's release in September, Nintendo's put out a trailer to remind you — or teach you, if this is your first go-around with the Star Fox crew — about the...
Talking Point What If Nintendo Became a Third Party?
And would it prove a wise move to embrace the smartphone?
It's no secret that the 3DS sold far below expectations, even after Nintendo wowed us at E3 and promised to clean up its online act. Many are going as far as to suggest that the Ambassador programme and slashed pricing is as good as a death knell, while investors argue that Ninty should do...
News Here's the European Release Line-Up for 2011
What takes your fancy?
Here's the complete list of upcoming European releases sent through by Nintendo this morning. You'll find future games for 3DS, Wii, DS and digital download games tucked in there too. To pull out some of the interesting dates, MotoHeroz is now scheduled for Quarter 4, alongside the similarly perennially-delayed La-Mulana...
News These Pokémon World Champions Are the Very Best
Like no one was before
Last weekend saw the Pokémon trading card game and video world championships in San Diego, and now the winners have been crowned it's time to shower them in golden Internet glory. Each game was split into three age categories: Junior, Senior and Master, with the Pokémon video game master crowned as American Ray Rizzo. His...
News Wii U Controller Patent Reveals Interesting Features
Fingers crossed for a mini George Foreman grill
At this stage in the game, Nintendo has officially revealed relatively little about the specifics behind the upcoming Wii U and its controller technology. Apart from the standard features one would come to expect from any brand of console controller, we know the Wii U's will also sport a 6.2-inch touch...
News Download More New Solatorobo DS Quests Now
And in the coming weeks, too
If you've been enjoying Solatorobo: Red the Hunter over the past few weeks, you might have had chance to try out its free download content. There's more to come too, as Nintendo outlines the next month's quests available only via download. There's a new quest every week, with today's being the Air GP Pharaoh Cup for all...
News Kirby Mass Attack Trailer Storms the Stronghold of Your Brain
Duck and cover
The adorable pink ball of whatever-he-is, Kirby, is coming back to DS for one last appearance with Kirby Mass Attack. Nintendo has just shot over a hot slice of video footage and some screenshots too, which you can find below. We played the game in July, so if you want to know more you can hurl yourself into our Kirby Mass Attack...
News Investors Urge Nintendo to Develop for Smartphones
If further alienation is something it wants to avoid
It's taken just several months for Nintendo to issue the 3DS's first price-cut since the console's launch; a move which Nintendo is hoping will play a part in giving the console a much-needed boost after sales have been less than expected. According to investors, there's another move that Nintendo...
News 3D Classics: Urban Champion Coming to Europe Next Week
Raise your fists
The 3D Classics series will receive its third instalment next week when 3D Classics: Urban Champion launches in Europe. The 3DS eShop was updated today with the release date and a new 3D trailer for the game, which still depicts two men fighting in front of a snack bar but with all new 3D graphics. It's quite something to behold,...
News NOA Will Be Watching European Xenoblade Chronicles Sales Closely
Nintendo doesn't want to miss out, does it?
Although Nintendo has no plans to localise sought-after games like the ones at the heart of Operation Rainfall's genesis, that's not to say the situation will necessarily stay the same. For months, fans have been vocal about their desire for Japanese RPGs The Last Story, Xenoblade Chronicles a
News Let's Play Xenoblade Chronicles Channel Reaches YouTube
Rubbing it in some more
European Wii owners can buy Xenoblade Chronicles next week. They can play it on their Wii consoles, without modification or anything like that: just put the disc in, pick up a pad, off they go. North American gamers though... well, they're not so lucky. You know what would take some of the sting out of that, though? How about...
Feature Staff Roundtable - Metroid's Past, Present and Future
Primed and ready
25 years ago, Nintendo released the original Metroid on the world, kicking off a franchise that has hit incredible highs and suffered the odd low point too. Here news editor James Newton is joined by reviewers Jacob Crites and Thomas Whitehead to discuss the series, its heritage and where it might go in the future. James Newton:...
News Nintendo DS Sales Figures Make Wii's Look Tiny
More big numbers
The Nintendo Annual Report Wii sales figures were impressive, weren't they? 86m Wii consoles sold with over 716m games sold as well. The DS sales figures dwarf those big numbers, though. Worldwide, the DS family of consoles — that's DS, DS Lite, DSi and DSi XL/LL of course — has shifted a massive 146.42m units. An estimated...
News Nintendo Won't Keep Miis Cooped Up in the Plaza
More 3DS software coming
Seeing all those Mii characters shuffling about in the 3DS Mii Plaza with little to do might be a little disheartening to watch, which is why impending first-party software that will utilise players' Miis will be good news for many. At the financial results briefing for the first quarter of this fiscal year, an investor...
News Nintendo's Annual Report Continues Incredible Wii Figures
More corporate intrigue
It's a busy time at Nintendo following the company's first quarter results for this financial year, and it's also just released its annual report for the year just gone that contains lots and lots of numbers. While many of them won't mean anything to anyone without a head for figures, there are some phenomenal numbers in...
News Zelda Symphony Concert Hits London on 25th October
Europe's only show
Nintendo's Legend of Zelda anniversary celebrations reach Europe with a symphony concert in London on 25th October. This is the only Zelda concert that will reach Europe, so if you want to see Zelda music played live, you need to get to London in October. Tickets start from £33.75 (plus booking fees) and will be available from...
Feature The Future of Nintendo Gaming - 2D or Not 2D?
That is the question
It’s been a busy year for Nintendo as it seeks to move onto a new generation of consoles. The 3DS is already here and, despite a sluggish start, has some big releases ahead. Then of course there is the Wii U, boasting a unique touch screen controller and the promise of much greater processing power than the Wii. Both devices...
News Nintendo Social Responsibility Report Makes Fascinating Reading
"Putting smiles on faces" paramount
Nintendo is all about creating games, but it's also a huge company with all the business stuff that entails: shareholders, finance sheets and stacks of paperwork. Business documents can be exceedingly boring, but when Nintendo's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report starts with a message of "Bringing...
News You Can Buy Your Zelda Symphony Tickets Today
You know, if you want to
The Zelda 25th Anniversary tribute concerts kick off in Los Angeles later this year, and tickets for the LA show are on sale today. There are three tiers of tickets: the bog-standard ticket at $35, the next level at $125 and a set of 200 VIP packages at $128.50. It's worth pointing out that none of these include booking...
News Iwata Shoulders Blame for Low 3DS Sales, Cuts Salary in Half
"Very, very sorry"
As the 3DS only shifted 710,000 units worldwide between 1st April and 30th June, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is feeling the hit in his own pocket, cutting his own salary in half. Iwata isn't the only high level Nintendo executive taking a hit: Shigeru Miyamoto's salary will drop by around 30%, as will fellow that of managing...
News Here's Nintendo's Most Up to Date Release Schedule
No surprises
Nintendo just updated its release global release schedule for the remainder of the calendar year, although it's disappointingly light on definitive dates for the company's biggest titles. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is still down for late 2011, Super Mario 3D Land is November and Mario Kart 7 is December. Here's the list of North...
News Catch Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 in October, Europe
Nearly slime time
We originally thought that Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 was going to make it next month, but now Nintendo Europe has dashed those hopes by announcing a release date of 7th October. The monster-catching spin-off from the main Dragon Quest series communicates with the most recent DS releases, Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the...
News Nintendo Gets Around to Releasing Inazuma Eleven in UK
About time
In January, Nintendo did something unusual: it accidentally released a video game. A small number of copies of DS football RPG Inazuma Eleven from Level-5 deftly dodged the tackles of Nintendo's distribution system and scored a few goals with customers before Nintendo blew the half-time whistle and the error was corrected. Now the game of...
Where can Wii go from here?
Let's not beat around the bush here: WiiWare hasn't been a runaway success. Many Wii owners are unaware the service exists, what it offers and why they would want to use it, and those console owners who are familiar with the Wii Shop Channel are just as conscious of its myriad problems: poor content, dull presentation and...
News Dr. Mario Cures Japanese Virtual Console Next Week
Say "ahhh"
Japan's about to come down with a fever, and Dr. Mario is the cure. The medicinally-minded Game Boy puzzle game comes to the console next week for 400 Yen. DSiWare fans might already be familiar with the game from Dr. Mario Express, but interestingly this is the first time we've seen the original released on Virtual Console — the NES...
News First Zelda Concert Takes LA in October, Tour Starts in 2012
Ticket prices inside
Nintendo's orchestral tribute to the Legend of Zelda series will kick off on 21st October at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, ahead of a full tour in 2012. The 70-piece orchestra and choir will play pieces picked by Koji Kondo and the Nintendo sound team and will be produced by the team behind the PLAY! A Video Game...
News Nintendo UK's Metroid Hub is Open to Visitors
Come in, take a seat
As if to prove that Nintendo hasn't forgotten about the 25th anniversary of Metroid that kicks off early next month, the company's UK wing has just launched an official hub to celebrate Samus's space adventures. The Metroid Portal contains information on most of Miss Aran's adventures, with the only omission being Game Boy...
News New Zelda: Skyward Sword Trailer is Right on Target
The strongest Link?
While we anxiously await a release date for Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, have a new trailer for the game straight from San Diego Comic-Con. The trailer is 1:45 of pure gameplay footage and shows the return of the Gorons, the evil (and goth-tastic) Lord Ghirahim and plenty more aspects of the game we haven't seen yet. We got to...
News Nintendo Trademarks Mii U, WiiWare U, Wii U Music and More
Oh, the possibilities...
A smorgasbord of trademarks that Nintendo of Japan reserved approaching the unveiling of the Wii U at E3 has just been revealed. Most of these are likely to end up as unused protective placeholders, a usual practice for the Big N, but it's still neat to see what the company might have up its sleeves. It's also worth noting...
News Nintendo Returns to Comic-Con with Multiple Playable Games
18 titles spread across Wii, 3DS and DS
Nintendo is set for its return to Comic-Con in San Diego this year and among other activities, the special Nintendo Gaming Lounge will be set up so that attendees can stop by and try out some of the latest releases. As well as Nintendo's booth (#5135) at Comic-Con, the Nintendo Gaming Lounge situated in the...
News Hunt Down New Solatorobo Quests Every Week
Learn how inside
By now you've hopefully read our Solatorobo: Red the Hunter review, and if the 20-hour story mode isn't long enough for you there's good news: it doesn't end there. Nintendo has just given more details about the game's free downloadable quests that keep the action going after the credits roll. The first quest, available today, puts...
News Ocarina of Time 3D was Second Best-Selling Game of June
United States figures are in
Although The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D launched in the middle of the month, 11 days was all it took for the Zelda remake to establish itself as the second best-selling single-format game for the month of June. According to independent market research company NPD Group, more than 283,000 copies of the game were...
News EA Founder Criticises Nintendo's "Feudal Dark Age"
Evil overlords clash
EA founder Trip Hawkins isn't afraid to speak his mind, doing just that at a recent games conference in San Francisco. Hawkins criticised Nintendo for ushering in a "feudal dark age" with its hardware, in which "developers don't own the land they're tilling," a reference to Nintendo's licensing and...
News Tennis As a 3D Classics Release Was Way Out
Don't need Hawk-Eye to tell us it's no good
Tennis for the NES has already been released via the Wii Shop Channel as a Virtual Console game, but at one point, it was also in the process of being brought over to the 3DS as part of the 3D Classics range. The latest Iwata Asks centres on the Nintendo eShop and reveals why that re-release never came to...
Talking Point Wii U - Revolution or Evolution?
Is the Wii U innovative enough, or just a big DS?
When looked at logically, perhaps there is a valid point to be made about the Wii U. Admittedly, launch is a while away, and further details on the console and its capabilities will no doubt flow in the coming months, but the focus of this article is simple: will Wii U ‘disrupt’ the industry and...
News Nintendo Researching Mobile Phone Possibilities
Don't rule it out
In the days of the Game Boy, the idea of a portable telephonic device that also contained a powerful games console was a complete pipe dream, but here in the 21st Century the smartphone market undeniably overlaps with Nintendo's handheld consoles. Never one to be bullied out of its own game, Nintendo has conducted considerable...
News Awesome Nintendo Hip-Hop Starts Your Weekend Right
Block-bashing beats
We love a bit of Nintendo-inspired music, and it's testament to the company's creativity that it inspires artists over a wide range of genres, from Japanese beatboxers to Mario Kart jazz. Hip hop artist Heath McNease is a new favourite here at Nintendo Life Towers, waxing lyrical about Tanooki suits, the Konami code and...
News Nintendo Considering Automatic Demo Downloads for 3DS & Wii U
Turn your console into a veritable warp pipe
At a recent shareholders' Q&A session, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata spoke about introducing new releases to unfamiliar gamers through automatically downloaded demos. Just like agreeing to StreetPass or SpotPass, players would confirm their interest in receiving the content, which would later show...
News Nintendo Collaborating with Third-Parties to Make Hits
We don't hear the 3DS or Wii U complaining
At this year's E3, Nintendo showed that having strong support from third-parties is definitely something that the Wii U is striving for, and at the post event shareholders' meeting, Satoru Iwata spoke briefly about the kind of titles we'll see the company produce in the coming years. Keen to show that the...
News 3DS Could Be Your Ticket to International Museums
Console's educational uses being explored
There's been some interesting dialogue being had within Nintendo. As part of the 3DS's remit to offer unique experiences, it appears Nintendo executives have been exploring ideas that fall outside of the video game category and more within the interactive educational school of thinking. Educational software...
News Iwata: "Difficult to Launch Hardware Close to Its Announcement"
The timing of the 3DS and Wii U is certainly debatable
Everyone loves a bit of gossip, and what better gossip is there in the video game industry than what new consoles are capable of? That appears to be one of Nintendo's main problems when it's in the process of unveiling new hardware. Like the company and its products or not, many are interested...
News Wii U is Technically 3D-Ready
Check that off the list
While it may have taken Nintendo a few years to jump on the HD bandwagon, it seems the company doesn't want to be in a position where it finds itself being left behind again when it comes to the latest trend in consumer technology. In an interview conducted by Mercury News, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata clarified the focus...
News Nintendo Still Not Heading into iPhone Games
Pokémon app out of their hands
The announcement of an official Pokémon game for the iPhone and iPod Touch caused some news outlets to speculate that Nintendo was testing the App Store water for its other major properties. This isn't the case of course, as the company clarified. Nintendo shares rose as much as 4.9% after the announcement of...
Talking Point The Growing Storm of Operation Rainfall
Is gaming's biggest consumer advocacy movement a noble cause, or does NoA know best?
What you see to the right of this text is a poster for Operation Rainfall. It features screen shots and information on Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story and Pandora's Tower, all of which Nintendo has published in Japan to positive reviews and sales, and none of...
News Nintendo Invests 16 Billion Yen in Kyoto R&D Building
Got to spend money to make money!
Japanese news publication Nikkan has recently reported on Nintendo's new Kyoto, Japan facility and the amount of investment the company has put into the project. As translated by Andriasang, Nintendo is investing ¥16billion (approximately $204million or £127million) into the new building which will be situated at...
News Super Mario Galaxy Director was Kept in the Dark About Wii U
Koizumi left guessing
Nintendo unveiled Wii U at E3 in June without a single official first-party game to demonstrate it — attendees had to make do with tech demos like New Super Mario Bros. Mii and Zelda Wii U. If you were wondering why there wasn't a more concrete showing of upcoming games, it could be because Nintendo's legendary secrecy...
News Pachter to Operation Rainfall: "I Agree"
Infamous analyst shows his support
The ongoing grassroots project Operation Rainfall, designed to convince Nintendo to publish Last Story, Xenoblade Chronicles and Pandora's Tower in North America, has analyst Michael Pachter chiming in via Twitter to voice his opinion. Earlier today, he tweeted: a grass roots movement to convince Nintendo to...
News Ocarina of Time at One Point Confined Within Ganon's Castle
Could have turned out very different yet still familiar
One of the things that we love about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is how easy it is to just take Epona out for a ride; whether it's a quick boost from point A to B, or just making prints in Hyrule Field to past the time, horse riding has now become a staple of main Zelda games. As the...
News Xenoblade Chronicles Bundle Pack is Beautiful
Even more incentive to pre-order now
Deciding whether to buy a Classic Controller Pro? Planning on getting Xenoblade Chronicles? Nintendo might have made your purchasing decisions a little easier to make. With the RPG getting its European retail release on 2nd September, gamers will be able to buy a special pre-order bundle pack that comes with a...
News Nintendo 3DS Playable at Vans Warped Tour '11
Music, sports and video games
The Vans Warped Tour '11 has already kicked off and attendees won't only be enjoying the live music and sports as Nintendo has something of its own that people will be able to experience too. As a sponsor of the music and extreme sports festival, Nintendo will have its own interactive demo areas on-site. If in need of a...
