Wii News

July2010

  • News Tetris Party Deluxe Rotates & Drops Down in Europe This September

    The latest cross-platform puzzler has its release date slotted in

    Tetris is one of those franchises that just won't go away, whether you want it to or not. The simplicity of its premise has lead to countless variations in rule-sets, and the latest instalment that's out on the Wii and the DS – Tetris Party Deluxe – has had its European release...

  • News Netflix Launching in Canada This Fall

    At least we know it's logistically possible for a Wii appearance

    Those in the U.S. have already been enjoying Netflix via the Wii for a few months now, and it looks like their neighbours to the north could soon be doing the same when the service makes its first international appearance this fall. Although it hasn't been officially announced that the...

  • Nintendo Download 19th July 2010 (North America)

    The kittenpocalypse begins!

    Let's just not talk about the Virtual Console this week. Instead, let's talk about furry things, like legends and kitties and selling things to unsuspecting animals. WiiWare: AquaSpace (Nintendo, 600 Points) – This fish tank...thing hit Europe recently under the name Zenquaria: Virtual Aquarium. The most notable...

  • Podcast NLFM Episode 7: User-Generated Content

    Listener contributions, confusing homophones and Team Fortress 2 secrets revealed!

    Oh hi, didn't see you come in there. Stay a while, and listen! Turns out we've got some fine musicians in the audience as we take a look to some listener-created tunes. We've also got a few select choices from The Megas, The World Ends With You, and the song that...

  • Review PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure (Wii)

    A substandard spin-off appears!

    Let's face it, Nintendo's churned out filler titles before while we waited for the next main instalment in the Pokémon series, and that's exactly what PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure is. A spin-off from the more traditional Pokémon games, its focus is primarily on meeting and befriending others via mini-games...

  • News Capcom Bringing Titles to Japanese Virtual Console Arcade

    Come on, we like Ghouls 'N Ghosts too...

    Capcom announced on Friday that it plans to begin expanding Japan's catalogue of Virtual Console Arcade titles this summer with some of its own. They'll start with SonSon, a 1984 sidescroller loosely based on the Chinese fable Journey to the West. If you enjoy playing classic games on your Wii, it seems that...

  • News Metroid: Other M & Dragon Quest IX to Take Centre Stage at Nintendo Unleashed

    Sample a present masterpiece and some future fun

    The Nintendo Unleashed tour will be starting this weekend as The Big N gives fans the opportunity to play the latest and biggest titles before they hit the shops. The tour takes its first steps at the London Film and Comic Con on the 17th and 18th of July, where attendees will be able to get their...

  • News Skyward Sword Swinging For Early 2011 Release

    At least it's not late 2011

    The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's release being pushed back to 2011 might have been a disappointing pill to swallow, but soldier on we must. Whilst not making it in-time for this year's Christmas wish list, the release window for Link's latest adventure is materializing. Speaking to Official Nintendo Magazine UK,...

  • News Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes Unleashes Its Kiai This October

    From the producer of Devil May Cry 4

    16th Century Japan is remembered mostly for its poetry and samurais; we think we all know which of those two we'd rather see in our video games (unless you wear a beret), and Capcom knows it too. Capcom has announced that Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes for the Wii will be launching on October 15 in Europe and...

  • News Nintendo's European Release Schedule Offers Few Surprises

    Unless you love Scooby-Doo

    The news of Last Window: The Secret of Cape West heading to Europe is just one nugget from the latest Nintendo Europe press release outlining its schedule from now until the end of September. While this means that there's no sight of its big 2010 titles like Kirby's Epic Yarn, Donkey Kong Country Returns and

  • News New Metroid: Other M Footage Looks Intense

    ONM ODs on M:OM

    With a now-confirmed European release date of September 3rd to follow the North American launch on August 31st, the good ship Metroid: Other M is running at full-pelt now, with the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine running a week-long series of new footage. The first video shows off some of the new cinematics that will feature heavily...

  • News The Last Story Gets Incredible First Trailer

    Mistwalker RPG in motion at last

    The Last Story has been one of the Wii's most-teased titles this year, with only the tiniest of details creeping out of Hironobu Sakaguchi's Mistwalker studio. Now we finally have the first footage of the game in action in this Japanese trailer, and it's an absolute stunner. Even from this brief footage it's clear...

  • News Metroid: Other M Launches Across Europe on 3rd September 2010

    Not long for Samus fans to wait now!

    Good news Euro friends, we’ve just had word from the Big N that Metroid: Other M will be launched across Europe on 3rd September. Only a few days behind the North American release date of 31st August which is nice. Not much longer to wait now! To whet your appetite for Team Ninja’s 2.5D reboot of the Metroid...

  • News Prepare Yourself Well for this Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts Trailer

    The world's most dangerous game, apparently

    Did you find the soft, clothy corners of Target Toss Pro: Bags to be a bit lacking in danger? Would you rather have something sharp and pointy to throw into something soft and loamy? It sounds as though Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts is for you, then. But be warned: it's dangerous. With 16-player tournaments...

  • E3 2010 Best of E3 Awards

    Nintendo Life honours the great and the good

    The most recent episode of the Nintendo Life podcast revealed the winners of the Reader's Best of E3 Awards, and in case you've not caught the show yet here they are: Reader's Awards: Best Wii Game – Donkey Kong Country Returns.Best Handheld Game – Kid Icarus: Uprising.Best Overall Game –

  • Competition Wii Games: Summer 2010 Competitions Announced

    Time to get off that couch and get moving!

    Don't let those Summertime blues get you down. Now you can join Olympic champion Shawn Johnson as she teams up with our favourite Italian plumber to help get people up and get in shape. You can check out the official press release below for all of the information you'll need to become a part of the...

  • News Lust After this New Monster Hunter 3 Longsword

    Rising Soul up for two weeks

    Monster Hunter Tri's event quests keep on bringing the new content, with the new quest Sea Power letting qualified hunters grab themselves the new Rising Soul sword. Fancy your chances? Here's the lowdown straight from Capcom: The new event quest, Sea Power, throws you into a battle versus two Lagiacrus. This quest is...

  • News Poképark Wii Coasts into Europe on 9th July

    Get your Corn Houndooms ready

    While it may not be the full-fledged console Pokémon adventure that fans are after, Poképark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure promises a unique adventure the likes of which the Pokéworld hasn't seen. We'll let the Big N explain things further. 6th July: Jump into an incredible new adventure on Wii as you take control of...

  • News Prepare Yourself for GoldenEye's "Epic" Tank Level

    Bond brings big bangs

    We all remember the tank level from the original GoldenEye: the feeling of destructive power at your fingertips was brilliantly realised, and with the recently-announced GoldenEye for Wii on the way Activision is looking to revive this classic level in a big fashion. In a recent interview with the UK's Official Nintendo...

  • News Still Hope Rayman Origins May Find its Way to Nintendo Consoles

    Updated game info page says Wii and 3DS is "to be considered"

    The Wii excels when it comes to 3D platform games, but it's certainly no slouch in the side-scrolling department. With a healthy back catalogue including Klonoa, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and A Boy and His Blob, as well as upcoming treats Kirby's Epic Yarn and Donkey Kong Country Return

  • News Horizon Riders Sets its Sights on WiiWare

    Teaser trailer for Sabarasa's next project

    The Wii has played host to some great shooters in its time, from arcade hits to brand new titles from genre masters Treasure, and Sabarasa is preparing to bring one more to WiiWare in the form of Horizon Riders. Although the company's released little information so far, the teaser trailer below shows an...

  • Review Tournament of Legends (Wii)

    Decent, but not quite legendary

    We've seen quite a resurgence within the fighting game genre over the past few years, in terms of both 2D and 3D varieties. While flashy over-the-top special moves and an almost limitless arsenal of moves have become the staple of these titles, we are beginning to see a bit more innovation within the games, especially...

  • News Metacritic Midyear Report Shows Nintendo Consoles Still Rocking

    DS had no "bad games", Wii receives best-reviewed game of the year so far

    However you feel about Metacritic's methods and impact, it's hard to deny the statistics it generates can make for some interesting reading. With the first six months of 2010 now behind us, the site has released its midyear report, showing how each console stacks up against...

  • News Nintendo Files Patent for Wii Hard Drive

    But to what end?

    Mysterious patents, electronic goods and the Internet can often be a volatile combination, so take this latest application as you will. Nintendo has recently filed for a patent that offers the ability to install Wii games to a hard drive, though there's little information available as to its wider applications. Certain retailers...

  • News Arc Rise Fantasia's NA Release Rolls Back to July

    Seems to be the last of the delays though

    Following on the last update we posted on the turn-based game, it seems the JRPG Arc Rise Fantasia's North American release has slipped back by about a month. The game has now gone gold and will be released on July 27. For more information on this title, check out the latest press release below: Experience...

  • News Metroid: Other M to Reach Europe in September

    Advert tightens launch window

    We know that Metroid: Other M is landing in North America on August 31st, but so far there's been next-to no news about when the collaboration between Nintendo and Team Ninja would land on European shores. Now, a Nintendo advert on this week's trade magazine MCV UK offers a little clarification: September. That's all...

  • News Pikmin 3 Development Going "Extremely Well"

    The alien vs. garden battle wages on at Nintendo

    Nintendo's E3 showing was quite a success for fans, showcasing the new 3DS handheld and the return of beloved characters in the forms of Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kid Icarus: Uprising. But despite the slew of new reveals, one question couldn't be shaken: What's up with Pikmin...

  • News 172 Australians Hug Mario for a World Record

    Game also released Down Under today

    You may remember last week we told you of Nintendo's plan to launch Super Mario Galaxy 2 in Australia with a world record attempt for the most hugs by a mascot character in twenty minutes, and by jingo they've done it. The famous plumber got to grips with 172 people, each of whom received a photo of the momentous...

  • News And Here's Your 2010 Club Nintendo Awards, North America

    Delectable collectables

    So the Club Nintendo North America year came to an end yesterday, and along with the beginning of a new one today the Big N has revealed what super special exclusive awards members who reached Gold or Platinum status are eligible for. The suspense is murderous! In a repeat of last year, Gold status members get a 2011 desk...

June2010

  • Competition Show Your Mettle in the Wii Games 2010

    North American competition on the way

    Think you've got serious skills when it comes to Wii gaming? Think your Little Mac could take down the competition, or that your Funky Kong is unstoppable on the track? It might be time to put your coins where your mouth is as Nintendo is launching Wii Games Summer 2010. Starting on Friday, July 16th in New...

  • News Rabbids Travel in Time Details Step Out of the DeLorean

    Rabbids back in party mode

    The new Rabbids title was announced at E3, and now Ubisoft has unleashed a further set of details about Raving Rabbids Travel in Time. After a brief spell spent in the world of 3D adventures in Rabbids Go Home, the white monsters are now back in minigame territory as they explore the fabric of space in a washing machine...

  • Nintendo Download 28th June 2010 (North America)

    Jett Rocket and Mario Tennis N64 headline this week's 10 releases

    Mario and Camelot breathe some life into the Virtual Console's N64 offerings, Shin'en shows the power of WiiWare and DSiWare keeps up its flood of titles. WiiWare: Jett Rocket (Shin'en, 1000 Points) – This platformer from the creators of the excellent Art of Balance blasts onto...

  • News Iwata: Blame Poor Games Not Poor Economy for Sales Decrease

    Recession not the be-all and end-all

    Just under two months ago we shared news that software sales in the UK were at their lowest in four years, with various factors blamed. Nintendo's President Satoru Iwata has recently discussed why software sales figures have fallen worldwide, with the blame levelled at a surprising party: video game developers...

  • News Nintendo Considering Online Play and DLC for Future Zeldas

    Eiji Aonuma talks extra content and multiplayer

    Zelda games are single-player epics: one elf questing to prevent the resurrection of a giant evil and destruction of the world. But if Eiji Aonuma can make it work, we may one day see a Zelda game with online functions. Speaking to GameInformer, Mr Aonuma said he's constantly thinking about how people...

  • News Capcom Not Ruling Out Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on Wii

    Don't hold your breath, though

    During E3, Joystiq had a few words with Marvel vs Capcom 3 producer Ryota Niitsuma about the upcoming game and the Vs. series in general, leading to a few probes about why the Wii was left out. According to Niitsuma, Capcom just wants to spread the fight love. Well, [after Tatsunoko vs. Capcom], we felt now it's time...

  • News Nintendo Doesn't See an Immediate Need for a New Wii

    Cautious, naive, or wise?

    Given the apparent leap the 3DS has taken over the current generation of DS systems, it's understandable that gamers are continuing to wonder if and when a Wii successor will be developed. Nintendo has consistently denied such a system will appear anytime soon and Satoru Iwata has recently confirmed this stance. Speaking at...

  • News North American Club Nintendo Year Coming to an End Next Week

    Might want to hurry up with that Gold or Platinum status

    How's your Club Nintendo account looking, North Americans? Did you register enough Nintendo Product™ since last July to qualify for a neat-o Gold or Platinum badge? If not, you might want to scrape your game collection for stray Coins as the second Club Nintendo year winds down on June 30 to...

  • News Mario Wants Your Hugs, Australians

    Plumbing promotion next week

    Everywhere else in the world has already received Super Mario Galaxy 2: sorry folks Down Under, it's just a fact. You could yet have the last laugh though, as Nintendo's launch plan for the game could see you set a new world record for the most hugs of a mascot character in 20 minutes. Kicking off at 7am on July 1st at...

  • News Iwata: 3DS Games May Cost as Much as Wii Titles

    Better start saving or thinking up Sanford and Son-esque money making schemes

    With the 3DS generating as much hype as it is, it's no surprise that its software may cost as much as your average Wii release. You get what you pay for, and this handheld could hardly be classified in the same ballpark as the Game Boys of yesteryear. No, friends; the 3Ds...

  • E3 2010 Your Chance to Salute the Best of E3

    Reader's vote returns!

    So E3 is over for another year, now a distant memory as we look to the future to anticipate when we might all be able to join Corbie in appreciating the 3DS for ourselves. It's not time to forget just yet; in fact, quite the opposite: it's time to celebrate the best of E3 in our imaginatively titled Nintendo Life Best of E3...

  • News Don't Expect Lefty Link in Zelda: Skyward Sword

    Southpaw control method "not currently planned"

    When Zelda: Twilight Princess made the jump from GameCube to Wii, some fans of the green-clad hero were unhappy that the game was completely flipped from left to right to accommodate many players being right-handed. With the unveiling of Zelda: Skyward Sword only one week old – doesn't time fly? –...

  • News Iwata: Nintendo Looking to Improve Online Efforts

    Company is "not satisfied" with current functionality

    When it comes to online functionality, Nintendo doesn't rank particularly high among developers – and they know it. Earlier, Shigeru Miyamoto expressed the company's need to rethink it's online strategy on a macro level. Now, in an investor Q&A session held during E3 last week (via

  • News Epic Mickey Paintbrush Controller and Charging Station

    PDP gets into the Epic Mickey spirit

    For those looking to get a little more into the Mickey spirit when they sit down to play Disney's upcoming Wii release Epic Mickey, PDP has just the item for you. Performance Designed Products has created an Epic Mickey-themed Wii Remote Charge Station and an Epic Mickey Paintbrush controller to launch right...

  • Nintendo Download 21st June 2010 (North America)

    Spin some tentacles, strategize against dinsoaurs, and puzzle puzzle puzzle

    Nintendo hopes you like puzzle games, because that's five of the eight games released this week across WiiWare and DSiWare. To nobody's surprise, the Virtual Console has yet again been left out on a hill to die or something. But look, puzzlers! WiiWare: Art Style: Rotozoa...

  • News Strap On Your Headset for Conduit 2

    Trash talking foreign children finally comes to Wii

    Of all the many promised improvements for Conduit 2, the overhauled multiplayer mode is the one we're most keenly awaiting. With the addition of splitscreen local multiplayer the offline side should be covered, but the original title lacked in the online department, so the latest batch of...

  • News You Can Play the Tron Wii Game with this Tron Wii Controller

    Light cycles speed to Wii

    As if the seemingly Tron-inspired Art Style: light trax weren't enough, you can get a second helping of Wii-based light cycle action as Tron: Evolution will be racing across the Wii landscape later this year. If you feel your current Wii Remote just isn't futuristic-looking enough after years of familiarity, you may want to...

  • News Vitality Sensor's Vague Vital Signs Ever-Virile

    Expo no-show no dodo

    Those who discounted Nintendo's odd pulse-reading doohickey as a stillborn experiment swept under the carpet in favour of more potent technological advancements might want to re-count those unhatched chickens. As Nintendo of America's Cammie Dunaway told GameSetWatch: We're continuing to work on the Vitality Sensor. As we...

  • E3 2010 First Impressions: Donkey Kong Country Returns

    Nintendo's famous ape is back and better than ever!

    When Rare developed the original Donkey Kong Country title for the Super Nintendo console, many were in awe of the impressively-rendered graphics they had managed to syphon out of the Super Nintendo's 16-bit hardware. Now with Rare a part of Microsoft, Nintendo needed someone to reignite the series...

  • E3 2010 First Impressions: Kirby's Epic Yarn

    We take Nintendo's newest Kirby title for a spin

    In the weeks leading up to the E3 show, we all heard the rumours of a new Kirby game being possibly in development so it should come as no real shock that one actually materialised during Nintendo's Press Conference. What is surprising is that Kirby's Epic Yarn is not only a 2D side-scroller for the...

  • E3 2010 Wii 2 Will Probably be 3D, says Iwata

    Might take a while, though

    The world gaming world is riding the crest of a 3D wave at the moment, with Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo all moving into that space in the near future. Nintendo, however, is the only console manufacturer to be bringing three dimensions to the portable space, but company president Satoru Iwata has revealed its next home...

  • E3 2010 This Kirby Advert Looks Familiar

    Epic Yarn style traced back to Japanese commercial

    There's no doubt that Kirby's Epic Yarn is one of the stand-out titles of this year's E3 for Nintendo: our man Corbie Dillard has played it and rates it as one of the finest games available to play so far. Until the game nestles in our Wiis the rest of us can only sit back and watch the trailer, but...

  • E3 2010 Metroid: Other M Trailer

    Samus's latest on the move

    Some things in the world of gaming never get old: stomping Goombas, matching gems, eating Octoroks. Here's one more for the list: watching this new Metroid: Other M trailer. Showing off less action and more exploration than previous trailers, it certainly looks like the game is shaping up nicely, with great cutscenes and a...

  • E3 2010 First Impressions: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

    We got hands on with Nintendo's flagship E3 title.

    If there's one first-party game that's getting most of the attention at Nintendo's E3 booth, it's got to be Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword with the line to play it snaking around the entire Nintendo booth several times. So you can imagine the dirty looks I received when I was whisked up to the VIP...

  • E3 2010 Nintendo Wii News Round-Up

    All the games, all the hardware, all the news

    This year's E3 isn't over yet – still two more days to go, folks – but already we've seen enough information come out to sustain us for a long, long time. If you're still struggling to catch up on all the news, let us condense it for you by format for ease of digestion. Here's the Wii news and...

  • E3 2010 Nintendo's Press Conference Highlights

    Miss the show? Catch the highlights reel

    We brought you live text updates from Nintendo's press conference, but sometimes there's excitement only seeing things in motion can bring. Now you can live – or relive – all those cherished memories of times gone by with this highlights compilation from the show. From Satoru Iwata showing off the 3DS to...

  • E3 2010 Mario Sports Mix Coming Next Year

    On his way to conquering every sport ever played (Updated with trailer!)

    Mario has proven his sporting prowess time and time again over the years, with numerous golf, tennis, baseball and even Olympic outings. And, as announced during Nintendo's E3 keynote, the Brooklyn-ite has a lot more juice left in him. Must be all those electrolytes! Coming...

  • E3 2010 Wii's Upcoming Line-up

    If we said it looked half as good as 3DS's, we'd be telling half the truth

    With all the excitement about the upcoming 3DS and all the amazing titles lined up for it – again, Contra is coming – let's just take a moment to remind ourselves that the Wii is still very much alive and kicking. Nintendo has kindly put out a release schedule for the...

  • E3 2010 Kirby's Epic Yarn

    Kirby's journey to the Wii ends in a twist, now with trailer!

    Kirby’s debut on the Wii has been a long, confounding process. In fact, it dates back to the waning days of the GameCube, when a trailer of an untitled Kirby game emerged, with a “2.5-D” sidescrolling style, a la Kirby 64, and abilities, co-op and movesets reminiscent of Kirby Super...

  • E3 2010 The First Coat of Epic Mickey Game Details

    Get ready to paint the town epic. Updated with trailer

    E3 2010 might be remembered for the big names associated with Nintendo but let's not forget another big player in the company-mascot game. Ever since its initial announcement, the return of Mickey Mouse has been the source of anticipation and intrigue thanks in part to the apparent darker...

  • E3 2010 New GoldenEye is Real and it's Coming This Fall

    Yes, it will have online multiplayer (updated with trailer)

    After a lot of "is it happening?" and "is it fake?", we can now tell you that GoldenEye is happening and it's a Wii-exclusive. A modern take on the much-loved original is in the works and it got some airtime at this year's E3 event. Hopefully this new imagining can...

  • E3 2010 Donkey Kong Country Returns This Fall

    Retro revival on horizon for DK (updated with trailer)

    Nintendo's E3 conference proved last weekend's rumours true, as viewers saw a trailer for a Retro Studios-developed DK game. Donkey Kong Country Returns for Wii looks to be a sidescrolling affair in the style of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat or New Super Mario Bros. Wii. As the name suggests, Retro...

  • E3 2010 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

    Link's latest finally unveiled! Updated with trailer!

    All the speculation can finally end: we've seen the new Legend of Zelda game, subtitled Skyward Sword. And it looks good. Taking a graphical style that combines the cartoon palette of Wind Waker and the grown-up visuals of Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword is Nintendo's attempt to make the game...

  • E3 2010 Trailer of Wii-Exclusive Activision GoldenEye Remake Leaks

    A reason to never say never again, or a golden lie?

    According to Kotaku late yesterday, IGN put the video up and ever so swiftly removed it. Someone got a hold of it and uploaded it to YouTube, but it wasn't long before Activision removed it for copyright violation. At E3 we will

  • E3 2010 Raving Rabbids Travel in Time Revealed

    Heading to Wii in a washing machine

    Ubisoft has an impressive record when it comes to Rabbids titles on Wii: since the console's launch in 2006 we've seen no fewer than four outings for the chaotic white bunnies, with last year's Rabbids Go Home the most recent and very decent title. Now, straight from E3, Ubisoft has announced another new title for...

  • E3 2010 Need For Speed in Hot Pursuit of Wii

    The cops are back, and boy, are they not happy to see you

    Criterion games, best known for their white-knuckle crash-fest Burnout series, has been tapped by EA for the next Need For Speed game coming this fall to pretty much everything, Wii included. Hot Pursuit, a kinda-sorta sequel/remake of the 1998 game of the same name (we're not sure exactly,...

  • E3 2010 Ubisoft's Michael Jackson Dance Game Moonwalking to a Console Near You

    King of Pop returns to video games

    Wrapping up his company's E3 2010 press conference, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot revealed yet another dance game — this time they're bringing out the big guns. Known only as Michael Jackson, the game is light on confirmed details so far. We do know that it will feature the "most famous tracks" from the...

  • News de Blob 2 is Going Underground and Multiplatform

    Franchise increasing its spectrum of coverage

    When de Blob launched on the Wii back in 2008, it proved to be a solid and likeable game with fully deserved favourable reviews. THQ has now confirmed some initial details on the upcoming sequel, entitled de Blob 2: The Underground for the Wii, DS, Xbox 360, and PS3. de Blob 2: The Underground will...

  • News Super Mario Galaxy 2 Shoots to Number Two in UK Charts

    Strong weekend sales for plumber's latest

    We all know that Super Mario Galaxy 2 is something special, and it seems most of the UK public knows it as well, buying up enough copies since Friday's launch to put the game at number two in the UK all-formats chart. Whilst it couldn't topple multiplatform behemoth Red Dead Redemption, second position is...

  • News Madden NFL 11 Franchise Mode Gets Upgraded

    Football returns to Wii with single-player improvements

    Last year's Madden NFL 10 for Wii was one of the series' best multiplayer entries yet, with the Showdown and Huddle-Up modes bringing casual gamers into the gridiron action quickly. Its single-player elements, sadly, were not quite so well-developed, but for this year's instalment EA is...

  • Rumour Retro Bringing Back Donkey Kong

    Maybe he's finally coming back to kick some tail

    Most famous for its Metroid Prime series of course, Retro Studios has been rather quiet since completing work on Samus's first person odyssey, with nary a snifter of information slipping from its Texan headquarters. Here's an intriguing rumour courtesy of IGN, however: the studio is working on...

  • E3 2010 Wii Predictions

    What to look for at Nintendo's table next week

    This year's E3 promises to be a big one for the Wii: although the 3DS has taken most of the limelight in recent months, Nintendo will be keen to spell out its plans to keep Wii on top of the home console market in the face of rejuvenated opposition. Chief amongst those plans is the long-awaited...

  • News Conduit 2 Powers Up with MotionPlus Support

    Sega sequel getting extra precision

    Most people's issues with The Conduit didn't focus on the controls which were, in general, pretty good, but High Voltage Software is clearly keen to tidy them up with the sequel, announcing that the follow-up will support the MotionPlus peripheral for even better accuracy. Rather than taking the Red Steel 2 route...

  • Rumour Metroid: Other M to Reach Europe on September 24th

    Just a few weeks after Japan

    We fully expect to hear more about Samus Aran's Wii-bound adventure Metroid: Other M next week, but Spanish site Pikmin Squad has just posted a rumour stating the game may be on its way to Europe before the end of September. Citing an unnamed Nintendo distributor, the site claims that September 24th is the date gamers...

  • News Ivy the Kiwi? to be a Rising Star in Europe

    Home of Japanese Games picks up Yuji Naka's latest

    You've probably only just wiped away your tears of sadness following yesterday's introduction to the story of Ivy the Kiwi?, but you may now start weeping tears of joy with the announcement that Rising Star Games is bringing the title to Europe this Autumn. Developed by former Sonic Team head honcho...

  • Hardware Review VDigi VD-W3 Wii HDMI Upscaler

    We take a look at VDigi's up-scaler device that aims to bring you a step closer to "Wii HD".

    It's well documented that the lack of High-Definition (HD) doesn't affect the majority of Wii gamers, however there is a significant minority who eagerly await Nintendo's step up in the HD realm. VDigi have identified this specific Wii gamer and offer them a...

  • News Ivy the Kiwi? Story Might Make You Cry a Bit

    Poor little lost bird

    You may have heard Nintendo Life staff James Newton and Corbie Dillard discuss this title in the latest episode of the podcast, and Ivy the Kiwi? continues to gain momentum with new screenshots and details about the tiny bird's story hitting the 'net from US publisher XSEED Games. Developed by Let's Tap developer PROPE, headed...

  • News Nintendo Points the Finger at the Wii for the Drop in Handheld Sales

    Lack of big sales due to big games?

    With handheld sales in the UK reaching the lowest level in the last four years, the European MD at Nintendo, Laurent Fischer, has pointed the finger at a rather unexpected culprit. Fischer feels the Wii is responsible for the drop in DS sales, with its range of big releases hogging the limelight. Speaking to MCV,...

  • News Sims 3 for Wii Goes Multiplayer, Loses Construction Mode

    Quizzes and preset houses for EA's life sim

    On PC, The Sims games are sprawling simulators of life's big choices: ambitions, careers, a family and how to decorate your life in the most opulent fashion you can afford. The upcoming version of The Sims 3 on Wii will lose the last part as everybody's favourite chore simulator gets a refresh. A GamePro...

  • News Vote for a Conduit Map to Return in Conduit 2

    High Voltage wants your input

    Promising to listen to your fans when revisiting a title and actually listening to them are often two totally different things, so it's cheering to see Conduit 2 developers High Voltage opening up a virtual voting booth, giving fans a chance to revisit their favourite maps from the original Conduit title. Head over to...

  • News Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock to Feature All-New Story Mode

    Activision re-designs the guitar controller (we wouldn't be surprised if it looks like an udder)

    To an extent, as long as gamers are satisfied with the track selection on the Guitar Hero brand of games, they are probably more than happy to carry on buying the continuous stream of new instalments that keep the franchise alive. If you don't mind the...

  • News New Nintendo Video Reminds You Wii has Great Games

    Four minutes full of core titles

    Wii's reputation as a family-friendly, casual gamer's paradise is well-storied and not undeserved; claims it's devoid of great third-party core games, however, are less accurate, and Nintendo UK clearly wants to set the record straight with its new "Play Wii" promo video. Taking in everything from...

  • News Rare Confirms It is Not Working on Activision's Rumoured GoldenEye Game

    Not what fans want to hear

    Rare was undoubtedly one of the brightest stars back in the Nintendo 64 era and with two top-quality first-person shooters alone tucked under its belt, a selection of compelling 3D platformers and of course, the much-loved Donkey Kong 64; it must have been difficult for Nintendo to let go and eventually sell its stake in...

  • News First Sonic Colours Details Emerge

    And the first "return to form" claim is right behind

    The announcement of Sonic Colours for Wii and DS was a bit of a bolt from the blue (pardon the pun), with just a rendered trailer and short press release to go on. Now with the cat out of the bag the first proper information is starting to trickle through, with a Nintendo Power interview with...

  • News Street Fighter II Designer Bringing Earth Seekers to Wii

    Ex-Capcom talent unveils new game

    Noritaka Funamizu was a key player at Capcom during his time there, working on almost all of the company's biggest games, from Super Street Fighter II to Resident Evil and beyond. Since he left the company he's only really hit our radar with arcade title Super Dragon Ball Z. Well, those days are over as his latest...

    • Wii
  • News Rising Star to Bring Rune Factory 2 and More to Europe in Autumn

    My World, My Way and Eldar Saga on the way too

    European publisher Rising Star Games is responsible for bringing across some of the more original critically-acclaimed titles, localising feudal side-scrolling slasher Muramasa: The Demon Blade, monarchic masterpiece Little King's Story and most of the Harvest Moon series in recent years. Just before E3...

  • News Hudson Announces E3 Lineup

    To include mysterious secret title...

    Hudson Entertainment recently announced the list of games that it'll be showing off at the upcoming entertainment exposition which we know as E3. Their Wii lineup will feature BEYBLADE: Metal Fusion – Battle Fortress, Deca Sports 3, Oops! Prank Party and Lost in Shadow while for DS it'll be presenting...

  • Review Samurai Warriors 3 (Wii)

    Learn some history and have some fun with real-life Japanese super-heroes

    Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu: these are the names of some of the greatest figures of the Sengoku, or "Warring States," period in Japanese history, a time of civil war in which rival daimyo struggled for positions of dominance as they attempted to...

  • News Super Mario Galaxy 2 Blitzes Original's Launch Sales Figures

    Japanese launch shifts 340,000 copies in 72 hours

    Super Mario Galaxy 2 has already been acclaimed as one of the greatest games of all time and the Japanese game-buying public certainly seems to agree, snapping up over 340,000 copies of the title in just three days. Outstripping the original's first week sales of just over 250,000, the stellar sequel...

    • Wii
  • News Meet Charles Martinet at the Super Mario Galaxy 2 UK Launch Event

    Dress up as Mario and you'll get a goody bag too!

    As Nintendo gets ready for the UK launch of the highly-anticipated Super Mario Galaxy 2, gamers better sharpen their costume-making skills as the company announces a special launch event to be hosted at GAME, Oxford Street in London. As well as being the first people in Europe to play and get their...

  • News Kapow! New Batman Trailer is Both Brave and Bold

    Holy hand-drawn animation!

    Time to dig out that cape and tiny pants, readers: this new trailer for upcoming Batman adventure The Brave and the Bold is sending out the Batsignal into the night sky. Despite sounding like an American daytime soap opera, Batman: The Brave and the Bold is based on the cartoon series, putting players in control of the...

  • Review Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Wii)

    Sand trapped

    Ignoring the free-running, rather mouthy Prince from 2008’s HD Prince of Persia, The Forgotten Sands is set between Sands of Time and Warrior Within, playing as the expected combination of platforming showpieces, close combat and simplistic lever and button puzzles. As the Prince’s first original adventure on Wii, it has to be...

  • News Accio! Two Games Conjured from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Movies

    Last wizard adventure to come in two parts

    We haven't yet had Lego Harry Potter: Years 1 to 4 but fans of the boy wizard and whichever-of-his-friends-you-still-think-is-alive needn't worry about getting short-changed on the magic happenings this year, with EA and Warner Bros. announcing two new Potter titles are on the way. Based on the final two...

  • News Nintendo Connection to Tour Down Under

    Get hands on with Super Mario Galaxy 2 in a few weeks

    Gamers in Australia and New Zealand, we feel your pain: whilst North American gamers have had Mario's latest for a few weeks, and European fans get to play it in ten days time, you must wait a whole month from today to enjoy blasting off. Nintendo wants to ease that stinging feeling by bringing...

  • News Epic Mickey May Get a New Lick of Paint at E3

    Rumours suggest graphics could change

    It's been a few months since we last heard anything about Epic Mickey, the Warren Spector-led reinvention of the little mouse, but apparently that's for good reason. According to the latest Internet rumours, we could be seeing a very different Mickey emerge at E3 this month. Whilst the original artwork showed...

May2010

  • News NHL Slapshot Includes Wii's First Dinky Hockey Stick

    See Wayne Gretsky hold it and smile

    In a move that's caused someone, somewhere to curse why they didn't think of it first, the next NHL Slapshot game is coming to Wii complete with a very fetching mini hockey stick peripheral, as modelled by Wayne Gretsky and family here. As EA's first foray into Wii ice hockey you'd expect it to take on the more...

  • News Get Your Travis Touchdown Clothes on in Carnaby Street

    No More Heroes tie-in with British fashion label

    No More Heroes and clothing go together like beams and katanas: Australian gamers can look forward to an exclusive Bizarre Jelly t-shirt, last week saw the announcement of No More Heroes lingerie and now a British fashion retailer has had a complete makeover to become a real-life Airport 51. Chateau...

  • Review The Beatles: Rock Band (Wii)

    Here comes the fun

    We've seen the market quite saturated with numerous Rock Bands and Guitar Heroes, and at this point we’d need something extra special to pique our interest in the genre. The Beatles are happily just the right thing. They’re the perfect band for a music emulation game to take as its focus, their repertoire being one of the most...

  • News Pokemon Returns to European Wiis in July with PokePark: Pikachu's Adventure

    Yellow mouse and friends in cutesy adventure shocker

    You wait ages for one Wii game starring a gaming icon set in a theme park and before you know it, a second one has come along. Yesterday we found out about Sonic Colours, today we get confirmation that PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure is heading to European Wii consoles on July 9th. It's almost...

  • News First Details of de Blob: The Underground Revealed

    Nintendo Power gets first look at sparkly sequel

    De Blob was pretty special: smart design, a great atmosphere and a huge amount of fun mark it out as one of the Wii's finest titles. When THQ announced it would be bringing the title back for a release in 2011 we all had a smile on our collective faces, and now the first small details have surfaced...

  • News Sonic Colours to Brighten Up DS and Wii

    New hog outing announced!

    We at Nintendo Life Towers had mixed feelings recently when Sega announced it was delaying the promising Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 for WiiWare as we were looking forward to getting stuck into the hog's latest. Still, always one to bounce back from his disappointments – let's face it, he's had enough practice –...