Wii News (Page 6)
Video Digital Foundry Explores the Potential for GameCube and Wii Emulation on Nintendo NX
Putting the older Tegra X1 to the test
The past week's key revelations on the NX, established through multiple sources and reinforced by plenty of checks and off-the-record conversations, have many (including us here at Nintendo Life) confident that there's validity and value to the details. One key aspect is the use of Nvidia technology to power...
Video Weep with Us Over these Top Five Gaming Series that Ain't What They Used to Be
No prizes for guessing number one
Every series has its high points and its low points, but for some franchises we seem to be stuck at the bottom of a rut with no clear way out. It's sad that some of our favourite series have taken such a nosedive, but that's just what happens sometimes. In an effort to try and inform, entertain, and relieve some...
Video Learn More About Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2
And quietly judge the millions that apparently pirated it
Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are among the most critically acclaimed and popular titles of the Wii era, even proving popular as Virtual Console downloads on Wii U. They're also games with interesting histories - from the origins of the sequel as Super Mario Galaxy 1.5, down to...
News The Servers for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex Are Down
No word on when, or if, they'll be back up.
UPDATE: (9:05 CST) It looks like the servers are back up. For now, online for Call of Duty on the Wii will live another day. Evidently, it was some sort of technical issue. As many of you likely remember, the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was shut down for good almost exactly two years ago. Succeeded by the...
News Nintendo Defeats Yet Another Patent Claim Against the Wii Remote
Motion Games loses its appeal
The Wii utilised common technology in clever ways and sold over 100 million units - that's the perfect combination to prompt a whole lot of patent-related court cases. Nintendo has successfully defeated the majority of patent claims against it in recent years, and has now confirmed the end of another case. This time...
Video Feast Your Eyes on these Five Cancelled Super Mario Games
Obligatory CD-i appearance included
Mario's been around for donkey's years and has starred in so many games it's almost worrying. It's no surprise then that there were a few games surrounding the portly plumber that never made it to retail shelves, and thanks to the internet we can now display them for you for your amusement. Check out the video...
News 10 Years On, Hideki Kamiya Still Doesn't Think He Could Better Okami
Not even "a pixel of confidence" that he could "surpass the original"
The gorgeous Okami is 10 years old, which is an almost unbelievable fact in itself - it seems like only yesterday that we were stalking its stunning ink-rendered world as Amaterasu, marvelling at the motion controls and tight, appealing gameplay. Despite getting a sequel on the...
Video See If This Tale of the Cancelled Dirty Harry Game Makes Your Day
The developers weren't feeling lucky
Dirty Harry, to many younger readers (heck, including this writer), may seem like a rather old movie series in which a youthful Clint Eastwood mutters iconic lines. It's not too long ago, however, that Warner Bros. (and Eastwood's own company) had grand plans to revive the franchise with licensed games. The...
Video Learn About Hero World, the MMO That Could Have Changed Guitar and DJ Hero Forever
Struck the wrong chord as the series collapsed
In the last generation of systems there was a frenzied period when Guitar Hero and Rock Band went head to head and dominated the gaming industry. With pricey yet desirable accessories and gameplay that struck a nerve with the public, the concept of plastic instruments and music games was a huge...
Video More Footage And Details Emerge For The Cancelled Bonk: Brink Of Extinction
Cave story
Bonk is one of video gaming's most unlikely mascots. Originally named PC Kid and seen as the PC Engine's lead character in Japan, he was renamed Bonk when that console was released in North America as the TurboGrafx-16. Bonk would enjoy three mainline adventures on NEC's hardware - all of which were very well recieved - as well as...
Video Learn More About Superman: Blue Steel, Factor 5's Final Project
Kryptonite to an excellent studio
Factor 5 was a studio that had plenty of fans, with its Rogue Squadron titles in particular being standouts for Nintendo fans. Unfortunately its later years were punctuated by aborted projects and difficult generational transitions, an example being an attempt to produce a Kid Icarus game for Wii. Now occasional...
Video Learn About the Quirky History of Wii Sports and Its Role in Bringing Us Mii Characters
Wuhu Island could have been more important, too
Wii Sports is the biggest-selling retail game of all time. Sure, the fact it was bundled with many Wii systems outside of Japan made that a reality, but it's still an extraordinary statistic. It's a title with an interesting history, too, especially in its integral role in helping the concept of Mii...
Weirdness Jackie Chan Backed A Motion-Controlled Fitness Console That Pre-Dated The Wii
Say hello to the XaviX Port!
The Wii was revolutionary in that it introduced the mainstream gaming market to motion controls and the concept of "keeping fit" through gameplay. However, it was by no means the first gaming platform to achieve this - in 2004, Japanese firm SSD Company Limited released the XaviX Port alongside a range of sports-focused...
News Nintendo Finalises Wii Patent Win Over UltimatePointer
"Nintendo will vigorously defend itself" and so on...
We think it's fair to say that a decent percentage of patent claims filed in the US could best be described as being in 'bad faith'. Though Nintendo has lost a small number of notable cases, being forced into payments or shared royalties, it wins the majority of patent cases launched against its...
News Nintendo of America Confirms New Wii U, 3DS and Wii Nintendo Selects Titles for 11th March
Just $19.99 each
In mid-February a retailer listing from Canadian store VGP Video Games Plus pointed to a new batch of Nintendo Selects titles being on the way to North America. The good news is that the listing was accurate, with Nintendo of America confirming that the range of Wii U, 3DS and Wii games will be available for $19.99 - that's the US...
Random Turning Your Wii Balance Board Into A Skateboard Isn't A Great Idea
Don't try this at home, or anywhere else for that matter
Not so long ago, we asked if you knew where your Wii Balance Board was. After the runaway success of Wii Fit, millions of these peripherals were sold worldwide, only to be shoved into a cupboard after the allure of keeping healthy via video games inevitably waned. Nintendo's attempt to revive...
News New North American Nintendo Selects Range Emerges in Retailer Listings
Includes Wii U, 3DS and even Wii titles
The European range of Nintendo Selects titles - which is available at handsome price points - has continued to grow, leaving some in North America frustrated at the lack of progress in their region. Thankfully that seems to be heading for an improvement, with Canadian retailer VGP Video Games Plus apparently...
Video See How Far The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has Come Since the Wii & GameCube
Things can only look better
If you were in any doubt that the visuals in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD surpass those of the original Wii and GameCube versions, let us clarify that the visuals have indeed surpassed those of the original Wii and GameCube versions. If you need further proof of just how much tastier things are in this...
Video Reliving the Memories of the Original Announcement for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Out of time, into Twilight
With the release of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD just around the corner we thought it was about time we looked back at the fantastic reveal that the original game received. Much controversy surrounded the art direction of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and many people wanted a more realistic Zelda game...
News Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition is Shuffling Onto the North American Wii U eShop on 4th February
"Where's everyone going? Bingo?"
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition is rightly held in high regard by a number of series fans; this writer likes it a bit too much, completing at least one playthrough every year. It's a terrific version of a classic game, with pointer controls and occasional waggle that are actually fun to use, along with the inclusion of...
Video Collecting Every Wii Game Is Difficult, But This Guy Did It Anyway
1260 games later
The Wii is one of the most successful games consoles of all time with over 100 million consoles sold - and counting. As ever, commercial triumph goes hand-in-hand with loads of software, and the Wii has been blessed with 1260 games to date, not all of them good. You might assume that collecting all of these games would be a foolish...
Video Sonic Colours Has Some of the Coolest Glitches
Blurring the lines
We know the popular narrative for some is to say that Sonic's been in a rut and had a bad run of games, but recent years have brought some solid entries. Sonic Colours / Sonic Colors certainly qualifies as one of the better releases in the past couple of generations, blending 2D and 3D play with some neat twists and power-ups. In...
Video Watch as New Super Mario Bros. Wii Gets Pitted Side-by-Side with its Wii U Successor
HD-licious
New Super Mario Bros. Wii has joined its younger sibling New Super Mario Bros. U on the Wii U eShop in Europe. Many people jump to compare the two and believe them to be achingly similar, so in order to put this to the test once and for all we've put both games side-by-side in the video below. We chose to showcase levels that bore a...
News The First 4 Figures Amaterasu Reminds Us of Why We Love Ōkami
Pure art
Ōkami was developed by Clover Studio, the fantastic Capcom-owned developer that disbanded and formed - for the most part - the equally wonderful PlatinumGames. Originally a PS2 game, we fell in love with the Wii version courtesy of its Wii Remote pointer controls - the act of drawing shapes to trigger abilities and attacks worked...
News New Super Mario Bros. Wii Looks Set to Hit Europe on 7th January
Wahoo!
Though the Wii U Virtual Console is missing a few obvious platforms and release - ahem, GameCube - it has brought some goodies. One of the welcome additions has been Wii downloads; a number of excellent games have arrived, including some that are relatively hard to find or expensive in physical form. It's certainly had its successes in terms...
News Super Mario Galaxy May Arrive on the North American Wii U eShop on 24th December
A festive treat
A number of Wii titles have now made their way to the Wii U eShop, and there could be a rather wonderful pre-Christmas treat on the North American store. Following a recent ESRB rating, Super Mario Galaxy's official game page on Nintendo of America's website is now listing it for a 24th December release, at the standard $19.99 price...
Review Trauma Team (Wii U eShop / Wii)
Trauma Drama
Back in the early days of the Nintendo DS, Trauma Center: Under the Knife was a standout example of how the then-new touch screen controls could provide a fresh experience on the go. Atlus would then take its anime-pumped surgery games to the Wii, translating touch controls to motion controls, and found a winning combination there as...
Talking Point Nintendo is Right to Move On From the Wii Family Name With NX
Perfect for its time, but change is due
Earlier this week TIME shared an intriguing interview with Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima, and one of the topics raised regarded the NX and the fact it won't be the 'next' in the Wii / Wii U line of systems. That's been reasonably clear for quite some time, as comments around the new hardware (to be...
Feature There and Back Again - A Xenoblade Tale
How Monolith Soft’s Magnum Opus brought Gonçalo Lopes back to JRPGs
In this article Gonçalo Lopes, better known to many as music composer and arranger Shiryu, talks about the lasting impact that Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii has had on his gaming life. Being a European PAL gamer in the early '90s was pretty cool. Yet being a well-informed...
Music Have a Listen to the Rodea the Sky Soldier Soundtrack
Soaring high
Rodea the Sky Soldier is out now in North America and is imminent in Europe, and is a title that's been years in the making. It had a sticky route to release, yet for some eager followers that'll matter little - especially as it's a Nintendo exclusive and the original work of Yuki Naka. Although it has shortcomings we gave it a...
News Beenox Won't Be Working on Spider-Man Games Anymore
Moving on to greener pastures
As some of you may be aware, Beenox has more or less been the studio responsible for the Spider-Man video games for the past several years. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Spider-Man: Edge of Time, and both of The Amazing Spider-Man games all came from this studio, which is a rather impressive feat given how quickly...
Video A Wii Wave Race Project Got Far Enough to Have Its Own Patents
Ultimately turned down by Kyoto management
When we consider long-abandoned Nintendo franchises we'd like to see again, there's always a chance - if it's a top 10 - that Wave Race will come up within such lists. Those with fond memories of the Nintendo 64 may reminisce over its entry, even if the Game Boy original passed many by, while its last...
News Sonic The Hedgehog Titles Being Pulled From The Wii Virtual Console
Spin dashing into the void
Famitsu has revealed that Sega will be withdrawing Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 from the Wii Virtual Console at the end of the month. The Mega Drive / Genesis classics will cease to be available via the service on Friday 30th October. The Xbox Live Arcade versions are also being taken down at t
News Fresh Project H.A.M.M.E.R. Details Reveal Shigeru Miyamoto's Role In The Game's Downfall
Legendary designer took issue with game's costly CGI spend
Not so long ago we covered the tortured production of the Wii title Project H.A.M.M.E.R., a waggle-heavy action title in development by Nintendo Software Technology, Nintendo's famed North American studio. Revealed early in the life of the Wii, the game would never see the light of day and,...
Following in the footsteps of Twilight Princess HD
We recently reported on a rumour which seemed to suggest that Nintendo is currently working on a HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii U. Since then, dataminers have discovered references to other titles, including Super Mario Galaxy,
News Just Dance: Disney Party 2 Is Serenading The Wii U And Wii This Month
Yes, the original Wii
Nintendo may be on the verge of announcing its next home console but the Wii - now a decade old and a distant memory to some fans - is still getting new games. Ubisoft has confirmed that Just Dance: Disney Party 2 will be coming to Wii U, Xbox One and Xbox 360 - as well as the Wii - at the end of this month. The title...
News Scalebound was Originally Planned to be a Wii Game
If only Kamiya wasn't dragon his feet
For those of you that don't keep track of upcoming releases on other platforms, Scalebound is an Xbox One game currently in development at Platinum Games, the studio responsible for Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101. The ambitious title will follow the adventures of a young boy and his dragon as they explore a...
Video Did You Know Gaming? Explores The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Reminds us that it's due a replay
The Zelda franchise is often the source of many delicious and occasionally unlikely rumours, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has been at the centre of some in recent years. Some wanted it to be remade for Wii U, others thought it'd come to 3DS - or maybe New Nintendo 3DS - as a 3D remake, and in the end...
Weirdness Just Dance 2016 Will Include An Exclusive Song About Stepping On A Chihuahua
Boasting the vocal talents of Japanese singer Reni Mimura
Ubisoft has created a unique song for the forthcoming Just Dance 2016 and it's totally and utterly bonkers. Composed by the Just Dance team alongside Tom Salta and Japanese singer Reni Mimura, "Chiwawa" is all about a girl who steps on her Chihuahua by accident: Chiwawa is the surprising...
News Don't Count Nintendo Out, Says Former Xbox Boss Robbie Bach
"Nintendo - with great respect - is a toy company, and always has been"
With the Wii U look set to sell less units that the GameCube and the 3DS falling short of the commercial performance of its immediate predecessor the DS, many industry analysts have characterised Nintendo as a company in decline. However, former Xbox boss Robbie Bach - who spent...
News Factor 5's Lost Wii Kid Icarus Boasted A Dark Hero With 60fps Airborne Action
"I feel like we were missing the point"
Fans of Kid Icarus had to endure a long and painful wait between the original NES and Game Boy titles and the eventual 3DS update, but had Star Wars: Rogue Squadron studio Factor 5 had its way, we would have been playing a sequel a little bit sooner. Unseen 64 staffer and occasional Nintendo Life contributor...
News Apple Just Announced Its Own Wii, Almost A Decade After Nintendo
New gaming controller for Apple TV looks very familiar
Unless you happen to live under a rock, you will no doubt have been aware that yesterday Apple held one of its special events in which it announced several new products. There was a larger iPad, two new iPhones and - perhaps most significantly of all - a new Apple TV, this time with a very...
Mario History Super Mario Galaxy 2 - 2010
Some say sequel, some say level pack - we say brilliant
In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario games per day, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. Nintendo has some rules that it follows with its games and franchises, particularly in terms of frequency. There's one...
Mario Memories Rediscovering the Wonder in Gaming With Super Mario Galaxy
"I'd forgotten that games can make you feel happy"
In this series of articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have our charming reviewer Joel Couture. There was a long period in my life where...
Mario History New Super Mario Bros. Wii - 2009
The new, new 'New'
In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario game per day, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. Following the warm reception to New Super Mario Bros. which was released on the DS in 2006, it was inevitable that Nintendo would bring the New Super Mario...
Mario History Mario Kart Wii - 2008
Filling the world with plastic wheels
In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario game per day, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. Mario Kart: Double Dash! on GameCube played its part in shaking up home console racing in the iconic karting series, while Mario Kart DS...
Mario History Super Mario Galaxy - 2007
Out of this World
In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario games per day, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In our previous entry we highlighted how New Super Mario Bros. was the first new 2D Mario title in some time; that was due to a general focus on 3D Mario...
News Rodea The Sky Soldier Special Edition Now Available For Pre-Order On Nintendo UK Store
Wii version included, huzzah!
Although recently being delayed, Rodea The Sky Soldier is now available to pre-order on Nintendo's UK Store for both the 3DS and the Wii U version, the latter of which comes bundled with a Wii copy of the game as well. Strangely the only version that's available for each console is the limited edition that comes with...
Mario Memories Super Mario Galaxy 2: A Tale of Hype and Expectation
The hype was real
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. Next up is reviewer and news contributor Mitch Vogel. May 23, 2010. That date will forever hold significance to me as...
Mario Memories Being Taken To A New World In Super Mario Galaxy
Tom Whitehead recalls a watershed moment in his relationship with Nintendo
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. First up is site editor Tom Whitehead. I've confessed in the...
