Wii Virtual Console - Timeline
Tuesday16th Jul 2013
Review Donkey Kong (Wii U eShop / NES)
Klassic Kong
This month marks the 30th anniversary of the initial Japanese launch of the Nintendo Family Computer, more popularly known around the world as the Famicom. Among the landmark console’s launch titles was Donkey Kong, a port of the arcade hit that began Nintendo’s launch into video game history. Now, just in time for the anniversary...
Friday12th Jul 2013
Review Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS eShop / NES)
Sweet dreams are made of these
By now we all know the story of Super Mario Bros. 2: concerns about the Japanese sequel to the original Super Mario Bros. kept it from release in North America and Europe. Different reasons have been given over time, from the game being too difficult to it simply not demonstrating enough creativity to keep gamers...
Tuesday2nd Jul 2013
Review Vegas Stakes (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Jackpot winner or total craps?
Nothing says “SNES classic” like a high-stakes trip to a menagerie of Las Vegas casinos. You’re invited to bust open the bank account for a night of potentially irresponsible entertainment as you hop from game to gambling game with your crew of potentially irresponsible friends. Even if a 1993 rendition of...
Monday1st Jul 2013
News Club Nintendo Rewards Updated for July
Do a barrel throw!
A sky-climbing star, a rank-climbing boxer, barrel rollers and a barrel thrower are all up as Club Nintendo rewards this month in North America, if you have the coins. The following titles will be available until 4th August: Aura-Aura Climber — 100 Coins Donkey Kong ‘94 — 100 Coins Super Punch-Out!! — 150 Coins Star Fox...
Nintendo Download 4th July (Europe)
Pilotwings returns, X Zone madness, Game Gear goodies and more
It's Monday morning, and it's that time again for European download gamers. This week's download goodies are confirmed, including a Super NES title that we think will be popular, a chaotic retail release on 3DS and plenty more besides. Let's get down to the details, shall we? Wii U...
Sunday23rd Jun 2013
Review Mario Bros. (Wii U eShop / NES)
Definitely not super
If you've ever been curious about Mario and Luigi's actual credibility as plumbers, you'll want to look all the way back to 1983's Mario Bros., the game which established pipe-cleaning as their true vocation and served as something of a bridge between arcade sensation Donkey Kong and early platforming masterpiece Super Mario...
Monday17th Jun 2013
Review Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (3DS eShop / GG)
Emphasis on the “mean”
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is somewhat of an anomaly. It's a Puyo Puyo puzzle game that takes place in the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog - a short lived but wildly popular television series from the mid-90s - universe, but the blue blur is completely absent. Instead, the only hero here is you, a presumably...
Saturday15th Jun 2013
Review Sengoku 3 (Wii Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Third time's the charm
While SNK was far more well known for its one-on-one fighting games, it did toss out a few beat 'em ups along the way. Some of the attempts were better than others: Sengoku 3 is one such example. It basically takes many of the solid gameplay perks of the first two games and amps things up considerably. Toss in a fresh coat of...
Monday10th Jun 2013
Nintendo Download 13th June (Europe)
Animal Crossing arrives, along with Game Gear goodies and more
It's Monday, so it's time to see what we have lined up for this week's Nintendo Download update in Europe, minus any E3 surprises, of course. One of the year's most anticipated 3DS retail titles finally lands, along with the latest Famicom Anniversary Promotion game and a lot of Game...
Sunday9th Jun 2013
News Don't Expect Retro Games to Play in New Animal Crossing Releases
Now go virtually play outside!
Back in the days of the GameCube Animal Crossing, when friends swapped memory cards and Tom Nook in a sweater vest was only a vague wisp that haunted the edges of our dreams and/or nightmares, players could find virtual NES consoles that contained emulated classics such as Pinball and Balloon Fight. Since then,...
Thursday6th Jun 2013
Nintendo Download 6th June (North America)
A New Leaf is turned, Wii U goes retro, discounts and Neo Geo goodness
It's Nintendo Download time once again, North America, with your goodies a little scaled back compared to the extravagances of last week. Alongside confirmation that there'll be extensive footage and coverage from the upcoming E3 Nintendo Direct on the eShop platforms, we have a...
Monday3rd Jun 2013
News Club Nintendo's June Rewards Bring Out More Retro Goodies
Including one of the greatest platformers ever made
It's that time again, North America, when you're tempted to part with your hard-earned Nintendo coins in exchange for a free download game, and for Europeans to unite as one and say "why don't we get monthly game offers?" In any case, there are four new games to consider if you have a Wii U, Wii or...
Monday27th May 2013
Nintendo Download 30th May (Europe)
Classic Zelda, the Denpa Men return, hyper speed and more
Due to a public Holiday in various countries, we didn't receive the Nintendo Download as early as normal. Thankfully we now have the translated line-up from Germany for your reading pleasure below. It's mostly about the Wii U and 3DS this week, with retro and new delights to enjoy, while the...
Review Kirby's Dream Land 3 (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Third time's the charming
Kirby’s Dream Land 3 is the epitome of a lovable gaming experience. Carefree and popping with irresistible charm, this SNES platformer builds off the two previous Game Boy entries in the series and fulfills the potential they introduced. That doesn’t mean the core mechanics have suddenly become nuanced or up to par with...
Review Kirby Super Star (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Dedede-lightful
Kirby Super Star is a smorgasbord of creativity, as if the developers at HAL Laboratory had a game jam for two weeks straight and came out on the other side with a beautifully disheveled collection of Kirby’s best. Nine sub-games, ranging from one-button tests of reflex to multi-hour adventures, are stuffed onto the SNES with no...
Saturday25th May 2013
Review The King of Fighters '99 (Wii / Neo Geo)
Different, but still impressive
The King of Fighters is a series that's long been a staple of the Neo Geo platform. But with a few new twists and added bells and whistles, the developers have kicked things up a notch. While not as revered as its predecessor, considered by many to be the pinnacle of the series, King of Fighters '99 still adds enough...
Thursday16th May 2013
Nintendo Download 16th May (North America)
Super inexpensive Metroid, scares, soldiers, retro classics and more
It's that time, North America, and you've undoubtedly got a particularly meaty lineup this week. All three Virtual Console services have new content, and the region gets a special retro Mario offer on the Wii U. There's also a stone-cold classic for 30 cents, along with quite a few...
Sunday12th May 2013
News Eternal Darkness Will "Definitely" Be Discussed For The Wii U, Say Precursor Games
Let's not get our hopes up
We reported last week that Shadow of the Eternals - the "spiritual successor" to GameCube spook-'em-up title Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem - would make its way to the Wii U next year should its crowdfunding campaign prove to be a success. We know developer
Monday6th May 2013
News Club Nintendo Rewards Updated for May
The fresh batch brings giant, talking, castle-impaling swords
It’s that time when Club Nintendo’s North American branch clears its shelf and refreshes its selection of downloadable rewards. Mario’s first foray into the RPG realm is up for the taking on the Wii Shop — which can also be redeemed via the Wii Mode on Wii U — as is a...
Nintendo Download 9th May 2013 (Europe)
Moving Minis, an adventurous starship, a commando, retro goodies and more
It may be a Bank Holiday in some parts, but the European Nintendo Download waits for no-one, with this week's update being a fairly meaty offering featuring every current platform. We have some high-profile arrivals on the 3DS eShop, an assortment of retro treats and even a...
Saturday4th May 2013
Review Super Mario World (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Everybody wants to rule the World
Right from the six-note melody that opens the first stage, you can tell there's something special about Super Mario World. This is the Super Nintendo launch title that set the bar impossibly high for day-one releases, created the magic that games such as Super Mario 64, Sonic Adventure, and Luigi's Mansion have...
Wednesday1st May 2013
Review Sengoku (Wii Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
An interesting twist on the beat 'em up genre
Given the popularity of arcade titles like Final Fight and Double Dragon, the beat 'em up genre was a big draw in arcades during the late eighties and early nineties. Hoping to cash in on some of this success, SNK created its own unique take on the genre with Sengoku for its Neo Geo system. While the...
Tuesday30th Apr 2013
Review Ice Climber (Wii U eShop / NES)
Slippery controls are on thin ice
Ice Climber, despite the self-explanatory title, is more complex than a cursory glance would suggest. Popo the parka-toting lad (and identical twin Nana in the multiplayer mode) must scale thirty-two vertically scrolling mountains to rescue a large number of delicious eggplants, using only wits and indestructible...
Thursday25th Apr 2013
Nintendo Download 25th April 2013 (North America)
Free Rayman, Mega Man, a colourful commando and more
It's that time, Nintendo Download fans in North America, when you can cast your gaze over the downloadable treats coming your way. After last week's somewhat epic list, this week we have a much smaller range of options to chew over. One of them is a free part of a rather awesome looking Wii U...
Monday22nd Apr 2013
Interview Marc Franklin - Nintendo of America
We chat with Nintendo's head PR honcho about 3DS, Earthbound and Zelda
Between test drives of a selection of Nintendo's 2013 line-up, including The Legend of Zelda 3DS, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D and Animal Crossing: New Leaf, we had the chance to catch up with Nintendo of America's PR wizard Marc Franklin to talk about w
Nintendo Download 25th April 2013 (Europe)
A legendary Rayman freebie, brawling gods, Mega Man and more
A little later than normal this week, Nintendo of Europe has told us what to expect in this week's Nintendo Download update. No news of any Wii U Virtual Console games — though that doesn't necessarily mean they're not coming — but plenty of titles to choose from including some free,...
Wednesday17th Apr 2013
News Wii U Virtual Console Will Arrive Shortly After Next Week's System Update
Time for the real deal
So far we've seen glimpses of the Wii U Virtual Console, courtesy of the Famicom Anniversary celebrations bringing us one classic a month for just £0.30/$0.30. And yet, following next week's system update, the real thing will arrive and bring regular retro downloads to the system. As we've already experienced, the VC titles...
Friday12th Apr 2013
Review NAM-1975 (Wii Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
War is heaven
Although NAM-1975 was an early Neo Geo release, it's certainly not short on fun. Released in 1990, it took a simple shooting approach and built an interesting war theme around it. Simple mechanics and a level of playability that wasn't too common in the genre made for an amazing gameplay experience. Now SNK Playmore is bringing back...
Thursday11th Apr 2013
Feature Ten SEGA Mega Drive / Genesis Games We Want on the Wii U Virtual Console
They skipped Wii VC, so now their time has come
Earlier this week we were rather pleased the share the news, based on a couple of sources, that Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse looks set to come to Wii U. It's unclear whether it'll be a straight-up re-release (on the Virtual Console) or a remastered port, but whatever the case it's a SEGA...
Tuesday2nd Apr 2013
Nintendo Download 4th April 2013 (Europe)
A puzzling chick, chaotic aliens, Mega action and more
Now that the long Holiday weekend is over the video game world's wheels start spinning once again, starting today with Nintendo of Europe's weekly download update details. It's a busy week with every download store having some new content on offer, so let's get started. Wii U eShop: Toki Tori...
