Wii U Features
Feature Exciting Wii U and 3DS Games to Play in Spring and Summer 2016
Nintendo upped the ante in its most recent Direct
Following Nintendo's latest Direct broadcasts, a much clearer picture of the upcoming goodies on Wii U and 3DS has emerged. It was pitched as a presentation to show off current-gen games in our near-future, and it delivered on just that. Following on from our equivalent list for the first quarter of...
Poll Did the Wii U and 3DS Nintendo Direct Kickstart 2016?
Aiming for current-gen buzz
Well, Nintendo certainly tried to wow its fans with its first full Direct of the year. Regardless of opinions over the content, what is clear is that there was plenty of it across the different key regions, with a mix of solidified details and surprises thrown in. Considering the timing and content here it's certainly...
Feature The Big Nintendo Direct Summary - 3rd March 2016
Setting the scene for longer gaming days
It had been a little under four months since the last full broadcast - aside from game-specific efforts - so Nintendo came into its most recent Direct broadcasts with a remit to seize momentum and excite Wii U and 3DS owners. Overall there was plenty to mull over with some surprises and big announcements,...
Feature What We Expect from Nintendo Direct - 3rd March
The temperature rises for Wii U and 3DS
Following the quickfire Pokémon Direct that arrived in late February, we now have a full-fat Nintendo Direct to look forward to. With clear expectations set by Nintendo - Spring and Summer games for Wii U and 3DS - along with trademark postings and the obligatory 'leaks' that always precede any broadcast,...
Release window discrepancies point to varied regional broadcasts
Thinking back to some older Nintendo Direct broadcasts between Europe and North America, the formula used by both was often largely the same - there'd be shared segments from Japan led by former company President Satoru Iwata, and then regional sections that specified local promotions...
Interview Eiji Aonuma and Tomomi Sano Shed Light on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
The balance of modernising and showing faith to the original
The Wii U is about to receive its second Legend of Zelda HD remaster. Following the success of The Wind Waker HD, we now have Twilight Princess HD on the way to share the decade-old GameCube / launch Wii title with a new audience. We think that the upcoming release is
Feature Eiji Aonuma Reminisces on How Twilight Princess Connected His Work and Family
An adventure for his wife and son
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is out this week (3rd March) and in our review we've been full of praise for the release. An entry in the series that can certainly cause some debate among fans, this writer is firmly in the camp that believes in its merits, with the Wii U edition being a definitive version...
Preview Punching Pikachus in Pokkén Tournament
Electrifying
Having been available as an arcade game in Japan for some time, Pokkén Tournament is at last making its way to Western shores on the Wii U. Unlike Super Smash Bros., Nintendo's previous collaboration with Bandai Namco, this title takes a much more traditional approach to the fighting genre. You're tasked with knocking out your opponent...
Editorial Considering the Recipe For Successful Nintendo Remasters and Re-Releases
Are big names enough on their own?
Recently I was heavily focused on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, figuring out the focus for what would become our preview of the title. From a personal perspective it's proving to be a lovely experience replaying the GameCube / Wii title, and it is by most definitions a solid remaster. The graphics are...
Preview Looking for the Light in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
We sense a true adventure
This has been the generation of The Legend of Zelda remasters, with two Nintendo 64 titles on 3DS and one GameCube HD release. Following The Wind Waker HD we now have GameCube / Wii title The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, which has the tricky task of kicking off the 30th Anniversary of the franchise. It's also...
Feature Five Key Details That May Emerge From Nintendo's Financial Reports and Briefings
Mobile plans, release details and hints for the next generation
This week will bring Nintendo's Q3 financial results, a presentation briefing from company President Tatsumi Kimishima and a Q & A with investors. Now, that may not be very exciting on paper, but this particular set of results comes at an interesting point, as it'll be the first...
Talking Point Splatoon Began With an Early Access Approach, and Has Provided a Valuable Lesson
Free updates that kept on giving
Cast your mind back to launch day Splatoon. Single player campaign? Check. Slightly mediocre local multiplayer mode? Check. Online modes? Well, some of them. Back when we were publishing our Splatoon review, its writer and our video man Alex was gushing in his praise, yet some debate was had within our team about...
Feature Why We're Still Playing... Bayonetta 1 & 2
Tom Whitehead on why nearly dislocating his thumbs is fun
When Bayonetta was confirmed as the final character in Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS, I couldn't help but be amused. Here's a character that's spent two games torturing and spanking (literally, at points) angels from heaven and demons from hell. When a combo move is achieved her outfit...
Talking Point Considering amiibo Features and the Reality of 'Physical DLC'
The evolution of amiibo, locked content and why some hate it
Courtesy of Famitsu screens and Amazon France continuing its impressive record of product page blunders, some details have dribbled out recently for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. Much of the information has been relatively minor, but one potential detail - let's consider it...
Poll Are You Optimistic About Nintendo's 2016?
It's a big year for the company
With 2016 now well underway many thoughts are on what will be a vital 12 months for Nintendo. In this year alone it'll reveal - and potentially release - its next generation of gaming hardware with the NX, it'll launch its first smart device apps and the My Nintendo / Nintendo Account services. Throw in the annual...
Feature Exciting Wii U and 3DS Games to Play in the First Quarter of 2016
Enough to keep us busy...
The start of any year can be rather quiet in terms of game releases. Plenty of major publishers save blockbusters for the final third of the year, while mid-late Spring can also be a rather busy period for releases. Nintendo, courtesy of some delays or strategies on its part and from third-parties, actually has quite a lot...
Editorial Let's Make 2016 a Year of Nintendo Optimism
Tom Whitehead wants to see smiles on faces
Isn't it great when a new year rolls around? We can just dust off our hands, shrug and march forward with a skip in our step and smiles on our faces. We can - oh yes, we can. As 2015 drew to a close I had a Skype call with the Triforce of Nintendo Life Directors, my bosses that I try and boss around when /...
Analysis Assessing Why NX Needs to Take Over From Both the Wii U and 3DS
And why the recent share price drop is illogical
Stock markets and investing in shares can be a strange affair. Though business acumen and experience can go a long way, aspects of the process can resemble a casino; even just taking Nintendo as an example, the company's share prices soared in March 2015 when the partnership with DeNA and the...
Talking Point Nintendo Can Exploit Its Rich History With More Remasters
Easy money
The current generation of home console hardware has had an interesting challenge in defining itself as 'next gen'. In the era of Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 Nintendo brought motion controls to the mainstream while its contemporaries placed their focus on HD graphics and a drastic progression in online multiplayer gaming. In this current...
Feature The Biggest Wii U Games of 2016
The Legend of Zelda x2! Star Fox! Pokkén Tournament! More!
2016 has arrived, and with it comes optimism and potential for an exciting gaming year ahead. Though plenty of eyes are turning to the next generation of Nintendo hardware, of course, there's still plenty of interest for current Wii U gamers. The number of confirmed games may be low, but...
Feature Five Key Reveals and Releases That Will Define Nintendo's 2016
It's going to be a big year
The New Year has begun, and after a 2015 that was considered reasonable by a number of Nintendo Life readers, the hope is that 2016 can be a blockbuster year for the company. Less 'not bad', and more 'holy moly that was amazing'. The exciting thing is that it could go either way. This is going to be a 12 month period...
Feature Our Staff's Hopes and Dreams for Nintendo's 2016
NX, Legend of Zelda, Mother 3 and more besides
It's now 2016, and hopefully the beginning of an exciting year for Nintendo and its fans. With various big games, products and reveals either dropping out of 2015 or always being planned for this year, we're set for what could be a bumper 12 months. Your humble writer will be looking ahead at what...
Talking Point 2015 - A Peculiar Year of New, Old and Surprising Nintendo Games
Not quite the expected
Reflecting on Nintendo's 2015 isn't a simple task. There has been great sadness and disruption due to the passing of Satoru Iwata, and the company has been in a general holding pattern for large parts of the year. Let's consider the key releases or updates that have fallen back to 2016, in no particular order. Most prominent...
Feature How Mario Kart Brought Two Soul Mates Together
The road to true love is littered with red shells
From now until the start of the new year we're going to be republishing some of what we feel are our best features of 2015. Hopefully this will offer the chance for newer readers to catch up on content they might have missed and allow long-time fans to reacquaint themselves with features they enjoyed...
Game of the Year Nintendo Life's Reader Awards 2015
These are your winners
It's the season of end of year awards, and now it's time to reveal your winners for the best games on Nintendo hardware in 2015. Thousands of you cast your votes, and now the results are in. You had all of the same categories as in our staff awards, and these are the gongs that mean the most; rather than a team of 20 or so...
Game of the Year Nintendo Life's Staff Awards 2015
A tight battle for top spot
Another year of gaming has passed, so it's time to look back and pick out some of our favourites. 2015 was - it's fair to say - a mixed year for Nintendo; in terms of major game releases there were some undoubted highs, but also a range of disappointing spin-offs and minor releases. On the flipside it felt like a strong...
Reaction The Nintendo 'NX', and Why We Think a Unified Platform is the Future
Better, together
From now until the start of the new year we're going to be republishing some of what we feel are our best features of 2015. Hopefully this will offer the chance for newer readers to catch up on content they might have missed and allow long-time fans to reacquaint themselves with features they enjoyed the first time around. Today we...
Feature 505 Games On Bringing Terraria To Nintendo Consoles And Facing Off Against Minecraft
"There's a bit of rivalry between the Minecraft and Terraria communities"
With Terraria on the 3DS, Minecraft on Wii U and Terraria coming to Wii U soon, there's arguably never been a better time to be a Nintendo block-builder. Looking at the first direct capture from the Wii U game alongside some 3DS footage, Dean Scott - Producer on Terraria at...
Editorial Xenoblade Chronicles X Has Tiny Text - Time for an Update?
Tom Whitehead's not really seeing it, are you?
This week we received an interesting email from one of our readers, Victor, which made a very good point. The text in Xenoblade Chronicles X is too small, and it should be improved; it was a lightbulb moment when we realised we should have brought it up far sooner - I certainly should have. In my...
Talking Point Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS Set a Standard That'll Be Tough to Follow
What can Sakurai-san do next?
Though some DLC and amiibo are still to arrive, leaving the development team with some work to finish off, it's certainly the end of an era for this generation of Super Smash Bros. The very nature of the Final Video Presentation was always going to be a tad divisive - the Fighter Ballot, in particular, had been a red...
Feature Time to Vote for Your Nintendo Life Game of the Year Awards 2015
Nintendo Life reader awards to be decided
As 2015 draws to an end it's that time once again - Game of the Year Awards. We're continuing with tradition (albeit with some improved polls) in having both Staff and Community awards; the latter are entirely in your hands. As in previous years you can vote through a series of polls. We've shaken it up a...
Nintendo Life Weekly Final Smash Bros. Direct, Minecraft on Wii U and More
The end of an era approaches
It was a busy week in the world of Nintendo, with two announcements standing out above all others and a couple of corking eShop releases that were reviewed. As is now tradition we've decided to make life easy for you if you're trying to keep up, collating the best news of the week as well as all of the releases and...
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...
Guide Getting Started With Xenoblade Chronicles X on Wii U
It's a big world out there
Xenoblade Chronicles X is out now in North America and Europe, which is certainly something to celebrate for Wii U owners that enjoy immersive, challenging RPG experiences. We've already shared our view that it's a fantastic game in our review - in that article we describe various key gameplay mechanics, so give that a...
Nintendo Life Weekly Hi-Def NES Gaming, Replacement GamePads, Facial Hair Battles and More
Mario's moustache won't back down
With all the fun and games of the week with Thanksgiving in the US and Black Friday madness around the world, it's been another busy seven days. As is now tradition we've decided to make life easy for you, collating the best news of the week as well as all of the releases and reviews you've come to expect of...
Feature A Glimpse Behind the Scenes of FAST Racing NEO - Part Two
Bernhard Wodok on its technology and a surprise DS cameo
FAST Racing NEO is certainly set to be one of the year's biggest Wii U eShop releases. Shin'en Multimedia has established itself as a leading 'Nindie' developer capable of producing wonderful visuals and strong gameplay, while sci-fi racing is a genre that's been long-neglected on Nintendo...
Feature Super Mario Maker’s Weekly Course Collection - 27th November
North America, step up
Nintendo has hand-picked another selection of stages from the highest-rated Super Mario Maker courses, but this week it's North America's turn! Give them a spin and let us know what you think by posting a comment at the end! Teamwork! 9D93-0000-00D6-B85C Hard Difficulty Designed
Feature The Twilight Princess HD Fan Project That's Taking On Nintendo At Its Own Game
"Let's just say the project will finish one way or another"
It's fair to say that this month's Twilight Princess HD announcement left hardcore Zelda fans on different sides of the fence. Some were happy to see such a title receive a HD makeover, while others were distraught at the arguable lack of a visual overhaul. Although the game's aesthetics...
Feature Five Nintendo Games Perfect For Multiplayer Fun and Thanksgiving - 2015 Edition
Lift the roof off with some multiplayer games
It's Thanksgiving in the US, a major celebration in the country and the predecessor to discount shopping shenanigans. With the Holiday season approaching it's also a useful reminder that this can be a time of year best enjoyed with family and friends. For gamers it can be a great opportunity for some...
Guide The Best Nintendo Black Friday 2015 Deals in the UK
We've got you covered
Last week we shared some of the best Black Friday deals coming to the US in 27th November; it's quite an event Stateside with promotional leaflets leaked and released well ahead of time. It's rather different in the UK as deals are revealed somewhat later and closer to the day itself. With the shopping occasion rapidly...
Editorial It's Not Fun to Criticise Nintendo Games, But It's Been Unavoidable in 2015
Tom Whitehead assures you he's not on a maniacal quest to destroy Nintendo
I love the first Jurassic Park movie, which combined perfect casting with terrific film-making flair and a script touched by genius. Memorable characters and one-liners are everywhere, and at the time of release the dinosaurs were a visual effects revelation and, to be fair,...
Feature Our Top Wii U Games - Third Anniversary Edition
Retail and eShop go head-to-head
The Wii U is now over three years old having arrived in North America on 18th November 2012. In recent times we've celebrated some of the best games the system has to offer, with our staff voting (and readers through embedded polls) on their favourite Wii U retail and top eShop games. Now, as a little bonus, are the...
Guide The Best Nintendo Black Friday 2015 Deals in the US
All the big Wii U and 3DS discounts
Black Friday shopping season is on the way and, as the mighty Mr Burns once said, it's time to deploy the cow catcher and consider your crowd management tactics. It could get a bit crazy. With the festivities officially falling on 27th November - though some offers will be available beforehand - it's worth...
Feature Super Mario Maker’s Weekly Course Collection - 20th November
In need of a fresh challenge? Look within
Nintendo has once again hand-picked a selection of courses from the 100 highest-rated Super Mario Maker courses across Europe. Give them a spin and let us know what you think by posting a comment at the end! Fun and fair Challenge! 94CA-0000-00A1-3DF7 Medium Difficulty Designed by {ñ²}Nuki from Germany...
Feature Our Top 10 Wii U Retail Games - Third Anniversary Edition
Plenty of great games make the grade
The Wii U is now three years old, having arrived in North America on 18th November 2012. Though it's struggled commercially we think history will be kind to the system in years to come courtesy of the strength to be found in its core games. Whether titles catered to dedicated fans, less experienced gamers or a...
Feature Reflecting On Three Years With The Wii U - Part One
The Nintendo Life team talks about the current-gen gem
The Wii U is - at the time of writing - about to turn three years old, and despite its young age some are already looking to the next generation from the big N. That seems a pity in light of the strengths of the system, especially as it's delivered so many wonderful games and memories, so to...
Parent Trap Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival Goes Where Other Wii U Games Don't
We also break down the amiibo card mini-games
Families come in all shapes and sizes, we say that often, but then we expect a handful of popular games to work with all of them. Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival breaks the mould in both its form and structure, in doing so it caters for a brand new type of audience and introduces them to the world of...
Feature The Big Nintendo Direct Summary - 12th November 2015
Surprises, omissions and a Smash Bros. shock
Well, it had been a while. For a variety of reasons, 12th November brought the first global Nintendo Direct broadcasts in quite some time. Overall the presentations stuck to familiar styles and approaches, with Nintendo of Europe playing it fairly straight and Nintendo of America even indulging in a...
Preview Getting Lost in the World of Xenoblade Chronicles X
That's a positive, mostly
When an individual has spent well over a hundred hours of their life playing Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, there's an initial instinct that jumping into the enormous world of Xenoblade Chronicles X will be like putting on a big woolly jumper. Sure, it's larger and less snug, but it's also warm, inviting...
Feature Super Mario Maker’s Weekly Course Collection - 13th November
Which is your personal favourite this week?
Nintendo has once again hand-picked a selection of courses from the 100 highest-rated Super Mario Maker courses across Europe. Give them a spin and let us know what you think by posting a comment at the end! No EscaPeach! E03B-0000-00B0-5EE1 Medium Difficulty Designed by Fabio from Italy What would...