Latest Talking Point - Page 19
August2011
Talking Point The Future of Metroid
Where next, Samus?
It’s a big anniversary for Metroid, joining Mario and Zelda in the 25 year club. It’s interesting to note that there hasn’t been much fanfare from Nintendo, with the upcoming 3DS ‘Ambassador’ release of GBA classic Metroid Fusion being the only sign of Samus this year. It seems that as a franchise, Metroid is very much...
Talking Point Your 25 Years of Metroid Memories
Charge your beaming smiles
Today is the 25th anniversary of Metroid and we want to know your favourite Metroid moments. Do you remember the first time you faced off against Ridley? Touching down on Tallon IV for the first time in Metroid Prime? Whatever your favourite moments and memories of Metroid, we want to know. Leave them in a comment below...
July2011
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
Talking Point The GBA Games You Want on 3DS Virtual Console
Go on, push our buttons
By now you've probably had chance to digest our Nintendo Ambassador program and free eShop games FAQ which explains the 20 free games current 3DS owners are entitled to, starting 1st September. All 20 games will be Virtual Console downloads — 10 from NES, 10 from Game Boy Advance — but so far only half the games have been...
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...
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...
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...
June2011
Talking Point The Resident Evil: Mercenaries 3D Save File Debate
Is a single, permanent save file ever enough?
Capcom's decision to limited Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D to a single immortal save file has drawn plenty of discussion recently. It's a big issue, and one that deserves another look. At face value, only having one save file for life is baffling, and there's no precedent we can think of: certainly...
News Regional eShops Will Continue to Offer Different Content
Your voice matters
With a global community such as the one here at Nintendo Life, discrepancies between regional offerings may seem severe. Such is the case now that the eShop is here, offering 3D trailers to users in North America while those in other regions languish without. We contacted Nintendo of Europe, who sought to clarify the issue...
Talking Point What's in a Console Colour?
Hardware colour is crucial in getting your message across. What will Café don?
In today’s gadget-obsessed world, design is key. How a new piece of tech looks and feels communicates wonders about what type of product it is and the experiences it hopes to bring to the table. Form is important, but colour makes the most immediate impression:...
Talking Point Where Nintendo Went Wrong with the DSi Shop
And how the eShop can fix it
The imminent launch of the eShop on the 3DS is eagerly anticipated, especially as it is arriving over two months after the launch of the device. Nintendo has gone to great effort to emphasise that the delay will be worth it, with assurances of compelling content and a high quality interface. There has been...
May2011
Talking Point Should Nintendo Try to Recapture 'Hardcore' Gamers?
What is hardcore anyway?
In recent weeks the internet has been overloaded with rumours about Nintendo’s next home console, the successor to the phenomenally successful Wii. The rumours followed the usual pattern; anonymous sources said it was coming, speculation raged, ideas about the console started to find a level of consistency, and finally...
Talking Point Should Nintendo Have Made the 3DS Download-only?
By sticking with physical media as the primary form of software delivery, Nintendo may have handicapped its new handheld challenger
Earlier this year, Sony finally closed the book on the PSPgo, the company's ill-fated attempt at releasing a console based entirely on the concept of digital media. Although Sony's failure was the subject of much mirth...
Talking Point How 3DS Can Thrive at E3
What the Big N should do at this year's expo
A little less than one year ago, as E3 2010 approached, one question was on everyone's mind: would the 3DS work? Surely our bodies were not ready for the futuristic glasses-free technology Nintendo promised. As we all know, it wasn't long before Reggie put our fears to rest: yes, it works, and it works...
April2011
Talking Point Can Nintendo's Next Console Top Wii's Success?
Where to go after you've conquered the world?
The Wii is Nintendo's most successful home console ever, with 86 million machines sold around the world since it launched in 2006, but with the recent announcement of Nintendo's new console it's time to peek forward to the future. Wii was a remarkable success because it did something drastically...
Talking Point StreetPass - Is Silent Communication the Future?
We dive into the 3DS's automatic multiplayer
The 3DS is loaded with software right out of the box, from Face Raiders to Augmented Reality games, but it's the console's StreetPass functionality that Nintendo is banking on turning the console into a part of daily life for its owners. If you haven't been using StreetPass, you're missing out on some of...
Talking Point What You Want in a New Nintendo Home Console
Wii 2 HD Remix
This week the E3 2011 Rumour-o-Matic has suddenly spluttered into life: powered by an endless crew of anonymous sources, the rumours claim Wii 2 will contain a Blu-ray drive and screen-toting controller, as well as repeating the oft-heard statement that Nintendo is looking to "recapture the hardcore gamers and third-party developers"...
March2011
Talking Point The 3DS Friends List is Severely Lacking
What can you do?
Picture the scene: a new Nintendo handheld is announced, promising brand new features including more advanced communication functions. You'll be able to send messages to your friends through thin air, arrange to meet-up in games and, of course, draw crude pictures using the touch screen. What more could anyone want? That's right:...
Talking Point 3DS Launch Line-Up Lacks Fresh Ideas
Where are the new games?
We're just days away from the launch of the Nintendo 3DS in Europe and North America, and although the launch line-up is peppered with good games — read our 3DS reviews if you don't believe us — for many there's still a nagging feeling the launch day games aren't quite as original as they could be. The DS had a similarly...
Talking Point Nintendo has Nothing to Fear from Mobile Games
Why the rise of mobile gaming won't destroy Nintendo's handheld dominance
These days it almost goes without saying that most gamers own some kind of mobile phone, and a staggering majority of those devices are capable of playing moderately entertaining games. Indeed, Apple's iPhone platform has been graced with some maddeningly addictive titles,...
Talking Point To 3D or Not to 3D?
That is the question
With the release of the 3DS in Japan, gamers have finally been able to sit down with the system and play it for extended periods of time. While this has led to a lot of excitement and rave reviews, it's also brought up a lot of complaints about headaches, motion sickness and blurred vision. Given that there are a huge number of...
February2011
Talking Point Why Nintendo and Rare Should Reunite
Is now the right time for Rare to come back home?
Last week wasn't the best of times for the UK games industry. We reported that indie dev The Code Monkeys shut its doors after 23 years and on Friday Bizarre Creations – who produced the brilliant Project Gotham Racing for Microsoft, as well as the criminally underrated Blur – finally closed...
January2011
Talking Point Is the DS Dead at Retail?
Console's heyday is over
Nintendo's DS has had unprecedented success at retail, becoming the world's biggest-selling handheld and shifting millions of copies of unusual titles including Nintendogs, Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? and the Professor Layton series. Now, however, with the 3DS on the horizon it looks lik
December2010
Talking Point Your Nintendo Moment of 2010
Pick one. Just one.
As we all recover from yesterday's festive extravagances and pledge to do more on Wii Fit Plus next year, we're in a serenely reflective mood here at Nintendo Life. Talk has turned to the best Nintendo moment of 2010, and we want to hear your thoughts. Was it the revelation of the 3DS? Stepping foot into Throwback Galaxy in Super...
Talking Point Your Nintendo Christmas Presents
Celebrate the gift of giving
If Father Christmas brought you everything you asked for this year, then a) you're very lucky and b) you probably want to crow about it here. That's why we've opened up the comments for you to brag, boast and bray about your Nintendo-related Christmas presents. Whether you got the DSi XL you've been asking for, that...
Talking Point Your Favourite Nintendo Christmas Memories
Gather round, gather round
For many gamers, Nintendo is as big a part of Christmas as tinsel, turkey and too-tight trousers, the company's magic helping to make the festive season just a little more joyful. With that in mind, we want to hear from you, our beloved Nintendo Life readers, about your favourite Nintendo Christmas memories. Perhaps it was...
October2010
News Zoonami: Nintendo Not Generating Enough Interest in Downloads
Bonsai Barber studio disappointed
Martin Hollis was director and producer on N64 shooters GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark, but in more recent times his Zoonami studio created WiiWare hit Bonsai Barber, published by Nintendo. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Hollis speaks out about the support received from Nintendo, the service's fine...
April2010
Talking Point The Virtual Console's PAL Problem
60Hz and the confusing state of Virtual Console emulation
“Many people don’t know what the difference between 50Hz and 60Hz is, but since most modern TV models support 60Hz it’s definitely worth finding out.” This interesting and illuminative statement, plucked readily from any number of Nintendo Wii game manuals, is fascinating in its...
February2010
Talking Point Does Nintendo Need to Exercise More Quality Control on the Wii?
Are shoddy ports and the tide of cheap cash-in titles putting the Wii at risk?
Nintendo is right to be proud of the Wii: it has single-handedly put them back at the top of the console stack after two generations of consoles which, whilst not outright disasters, failed to capture the imaginations of the majority of the game playing public. The Wii...
Talking Point Nintendo Arcade Games on Virtual Console?
Should these arcade wonders get a re-release?
While we've already seen four of these arcade classics released as NES titles on the Virtual Console, we've yet to see Nintendo bring their own arcade games to the Virtual Console Arcade, despite many third party companies already doing so. So why exactly is Nintendo dragging its feet on these arcade...
January2010
Talking Point Are Rereleases Killing the Retro Market?
We sink our teeth into plummeting retro prices
MTV Multiplayer recently published an article detailing the decline in value of sought-after videogame classics after their rerelease on download platforms such as Virtual Console and Xbox Live Arcade. While it chronicles mainly high- profile games such as Marvel vs. Capcom 2; it’s the Nintendo...
October2009
Talking Point How Does The DSi LL Compare To Rival Handhelds?
Compare-me-do!
Nintendo's surprise confirmation of the DSi LL is proof that the company is willing to change the way it operates; normally, such a launch would be hyped to high heaven, but here's a machine that we knew little about yesterday - other than rumours - and it's going to be with Japanese gamers in less than a month. However, this isn't...
July2009
Talking Point Bit Boy!! Took 50 Times More Work Than Bit.Trip?
It did according to Bernd Geiblinger of BPlus!
Over on the official BPlus forums, Bernd Geiblinger, Art Director at Bplus (AKA WiiBoy) posted the following: Now - we fought for the 'PADING'-GameBoy sound on the game start. For the PukiPuki-Sound like you know it from original tetris and Super Mario Land including the hearts in 'PAUSE'. Complete...
May2009
Round Table Is Nintendo Neglecting the 'Hardcore Gamer'?
Nintendo Life staff members sit down and discuss all things Nintendo
Welcome one and all to Nintendo Life's new feature: The Round Table. This is where you get to see the staff debate and discuss the most topical issues going around. From stereotypical views of Nintendo’s consoles, to our feelings on the evolution of gaming; you’ll find it all...
Talking Point About "The Waggle"
A button press by any other name...
For some reason the fact that motion controls (or "gestures") are a major part of the Wii control interface bothers people; it is felt that this ruins the gaming experience and that the majority of such implementations would be better served by traditional digital button presses. Indeed some people go so...
April2009
Talking Point Should Game Stories Be Regarded as Highly as Literature?
Expert assures us that games do, in fact, tell us stories that engage our minds.
Dr Souvik Mukherjee of Nottingham Trent University believes video games should be regarded as a storytelling medium that can stand along with traditional literary texts. Of course as a computer game narrative expert he has conducted an arbitrary research study to make...
Talking Point Could The Conduit Be in for a Rough Ride at Retail?
Game designer predicts poor sales performance for high-profile FPS
With past ‘hardcore’ failures like No More Heroes, House of Dead: Overkill and (more recently) Madworld, the Wii is getting a reputation for being a casual gamers’ machine first and foremost. This certainly doesn’t bode well for Sega’s upcoming FPS title The Conduit...
Talking Point Copyright and Video Games
What is stopping us from experiencing the entire history of video games?
Last year Taito issued Space Invaders Get Even on the WiiWare download service as well as multiple versions of the original game on the Japanese, PAL and North American Virtual Consoles. This was in celebration of the 30th annivesary of the release of Space Invaders in arcades...
January2009
Talking Point Is Nintendo Ignoring WiiWare?
Before WiiWare became a reality Nintendo was telling everyone that would listen that the service would revolutionise the way people purchase and play video games.
Such was the company’s enthusiasm for the notion of digital distribution, the hype surrounding the launch of WiiWare was almost deafening. It was hard not to get carried away by the...
Talking Point Is the Virtual Console On The Slide?
Since the birth of the Virtual Console a couple of years back we’ve been granted some truly amazing slices of retro-related brilliance. Zelda, Phantasy Star, Street Fighter, Alex Kidd, Mario, Castlevania, Sonic…all of these franchises (plus many others) have been reborn in a blaze of glory thanks to Nintendo’s download portal.
At the start of...
June2008
News SNK Virtual Console Releases In Jeopardy?
It’s been on the cards for some time now but Ignition Entertainment has officially announced the Euro release of SNK’s Arcade Classics Collection, Volume One.
This retro anthology is already available on the Sony PS2 and PSP and contains 16 choice cuts from the back catalogue of this illustrious company. All of the games are taken from the...
News Only Geeks And Otaku Want Extra Storage On The Wii
In a recent interview with Edge Magazine, Laurent Fischer, managing director of marketing at Nintendo Europe had the nerve to call Nintendo fans wishing for more storage space to download VC and WiiWare games “geeks and otaku”!
Here is a section of the interview directly from this month’s Edge: First Nintendo will not be concentrating any...
April2008
Feature Why April Is A Massive Month For the Virtual Console
If you count yourself as a hardcore gamer then you will have read our recent news piece about April’s Japanese Virtual Console games with marked interest. Sure, there’s the usual amount of filler in there, like Famicom Detective Club Part II and Bokosuka Wars (neither of which are likely to make the leap over to the US/Euro VC service), but there’s a trio of games that should cause your pulse to race uncontrollably – Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, MUSHA Aleste and Metal Slug.
Dracula X is widely regarded...
March2008
Talking Point The State of Play of the Virtual Console
How do you find things?
Since the end of last year there’s been an unpleasant undercurrent of tension in the world of the Virtual Console. It all started when Nintendo’s VC releases began to strangely dry up, with the usual three-game weeks becoming a thing of the past. This controversial move then kick-started a tirade of anger, with each...
