Wii U - News
April2016
Reminder Six Wii U Games Are Now Discounted to Nintendo Selects Prices in the European eShop
DK Tropical Freeze! Wind Waker HD! LEGO City! More!
It was mentioned in the European Nintendo Download Update at the start of the week, but five days is a long time in the modern world. Nintendo of Europe has released six 'Selects' budget titles for Wii U in stores, but pleasingly the discounts are also available on the eShop; there's even an extra...
News Twilight Princess HD and Pokkén Tournament Perform Well in US NPD Charts
3DS hardware shows signs of decline, though
The March NPD results are in for the US - though they only reflect sales of new game copies at physical retail stores, they nevertheless give a sense of sales trends in one of the industry's most vital markets. There are notable positives for Nintendo, with two key Wii U results securing impressive top 10...
News SpongeBob SquarePants is the Theme for the Next Splatoon Splatfest
SpongeBob vs Patrick
Almost a year after its launch Splatoon is still a go-to game for many Wii U owners, especially those looking for some online gaming. The colourful shooter has proven to be a significant hit and new IP for Nintendo. It's attracted the occasional big-name partnership, too, and it's now been announced that the next Splatfest will...
Poll The Utterly Charming Animal Crossing Series Is 15 Today, But Which Is Your Favourite?
Turning a new leaf or heading to the city? Let us know
The Animal Crossing series turns 15 today, and to celebrate this occasion Nintendo has released a special video. The first game in the franchise launched in Japan on the Nintendo 64 15 years ago, and since then we've seen entries on the GameCube, DS, Wii, 3DS and Wii U. The GameCube version was...
Feature The Biggest Wii U Games of 2016 - Spring Edition
Time for the eShop to fill the void
We're well into 2016 and in a calm before the storm. Very soon Nintendo will announce its annual financial results, and we'll likely go into a pre-E3 cycle and all that'll entail - details and rumours on Nintendo Mobile, Pokémon, the ever-looming Nintendo NX and more. Yet we still have two current generation...
News Here's How Much Space Star Fox Zero And Star Fox Guard Will Consume On Your Wii U
"Hey, what's the big deal?"
Digital download cards released in Japan have revealed the file size data for forthcoming Wii U titles Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard. Star Fox Zero gobbles up 6.2GB of storage space, while the spin-off title - which began life as Project Guard - occupies a more slender 2.1GB. Both launch at the end of the month -...
Random Here's Another Super Mario Maker 'Full Game' to Enjoy
40 levels across 10 worlds
Super Mario Maker has a loyal and sizeable audience that continues to stretch the creation tool to its full potential. With each update that adds doors, keys and other bits and bobs we also see increasingly clever stages, some which test our minds as well as our thumbs. In any case, while some create ambitious individual...
News Yo-Kai and Dragon Quest Still Lead for 3DS in Japan Following Modest Disney Art Academy Launch
Wii U sales climb a little as hardware struggles
The latest Media Create results are in to show what's hot and what's not in Japan, and they reflect a relatively stagnant hardware market and fairly predictable brand power, with a couple of new releases struggling to impress. The top two games are both on 3DS this week, with Yo-kai Sangokushi still...
Rumour Nintendo Is Planning A Series Of Wii U Remasters For NX
"More powerful than PS4", but handheld element remains a mystery
Nintendo continues to keep its cards close to its chest regarding NX, so in the meantime we've got lots of lovely rumours and "leaks" to sift through. The latest round of whispers involves a series of Wii U remasters for the new console. More than one source has indicated that Super...
News Splatoon's New Update Just Went Live
Time to try out these remixed weapons
In the latest Nintendo Direct, it was revealed that Splatoon would be receiving some more free DLC, albeit in a slightly different form than before. Some existent weapons – dubbed "Sheldon's Picks" – have been retooled with new secondaries and specials, giving them an entirely different feel. While this may...
News Pokkén Tournament Update 1.2 Goes Live, to the Despair of Shadow Mewtwo Players
It's a tiny download
Pokkén Tournament has big goals, with the aim to find an audience on Wii U and also to establish itself in the fighting game scene. Its competitive appearances throughout 2016 will be interesting to follow, though naturally these tournaments will bring the spotlight onto the game's balancing and mechanics. Developer Bandai...
Preview Star Fox Guard Just May Be the Scariest Game of 2016
No, really
Star Fox Guard is a strange spinoff of a beloved franchise, taking on an entirely unorthodox gameplay loop for Fox and friends. You can glean as much from a quick peek at screenshots and videos. What you won't see in your fancy screenshots and schmancy videos is just how much Guard is secretly a horror game. Nintendo Life, we hear you...
Video Pokkén Tournament Goes on the Road to Impress Fighting Fans at Hypespotting
Hooray for Pokémon Tekken!
Pokkén Tournament has been out for a short while now, and a fun fact is that it's called Pokémon Tekken in Germany; next time someone tells you the comparison to Tekken is entirely erroneous, point them to Amazon Germany. In any case, beyond that irrelevant factoid there are some new videos that have been shared by...
News Star Fox Zero's Credits Feature A Touching Tribute To A "Fallen Wingman"
ALERT: Spoilers contained within
Star Fox Zero launches this month on Wii U, and it's fair to say the with NX on the horizon the game is one of the console's final AAA titles. Conceived during the tenure of the late Satoru Iwata, it is fitting that Star Fox Zero's credit sequence features a tribute to the former Nintendo president. After finishing...
Video Grab a Rundown of all of Runbow's New and Delicious DLC
Adding additional Val-Hue
Runbow has been available on the Wii U eShop for a little over six months and it's safe to say it's a favourite amongst the team here at NLife Towers. That love is no doubt going to run even deeper now that 13AM Games is about to release a wealth of brand new DLC for this action-packed party platformer. Check out the video...
Rumour Voice Acting Audition Hints At Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Sequel
Could we be getting a new game, or just add-on content?
Avex - the company which produced the music for Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE - is holding auditions in Japan to look for "new talent", a move which has sparked rumours that we could be getting more content for the game, either in the form of a sequel or DLC. Kaori Fukuhara - who provided the...
Talking Point The Great Star Fox Zero Controls Debate Highlights Important Lessons
Simplicity and instinct matter when playing games
Star Fox Zero isn't far away, yet rather than unquestionable hype about the first series entry for over a generation, much of the talk is over its control scheme. As the Wii U heads towards its retirement it seems like an apt conflict - innovation vs familiarity, instinctive play versus unfamiliar...
News Digital Foundry Puts the Star Fox Zero Resolution and Framerate to the Test
Conceptual cleverness rather than performance perfection
The near arrival of Star Fox Zero has certainly earned the Wii U title a lot of attention, and a key point for many will be how much performance Nintendo and PlatinumGames have brought out of the Wii U hardware. The new Star Fox makes relatively unique demands of the system, too, as it needs...
Nintendo Life Weekly Zelda Wii U Rumours Point to Sex Choice in Playable Character
Grab that salt shaker
After a short break due to various other commitments, you'll be pleased to hear that Nintendo Life Weekly is back, and we've once again condensed all the biggest and best bits of the past week in the world of Nintendo into a single, manageable video. This week we look at the wealth of information in rumours surrounding Zelda...
Video The Star Fox Zero Puppets Return in a New TV Commercial
"Nice one Foxy"
Nintendo's Digitial Event of E3 2015 may have prompted negative reactions for some of its reveals, but the presentation and concept of lovable puppets was a winning approach. Reggie Fils-Aime, Shigeru Miyamoto and the late Satoru Iwata were all represented by puppets, and in a memorable segment to unveil Star Fox Zero they became...
News Minecraft: Wii U Edition is Getting a Retail Release Soon
Perhaps to coincide with the Nintendo DLC?
Minecraft: Wii U Edition was a natural fit for the eShop, finally providing Nintendo gamers with the opportunity to give it a shot. 4J Studios has certainly shown that it's willing to support the game post-release, and while the Nintendo exclusive DLC plans are still under wraps, there was an update last...
News Nintendo Updates Its Guidance on Super Mario Maker Level Deletions
Doesn't actually answer many questions
For a number of the most dedicated Super Mario Maker creators there's been a sore point - Nintendo removes levels with little explanation or warning. Communication has been an issue, as gamers have used social media to piece together limited details from terms of use and calls / emails with Nintendo's customer...
Music Let This Musical Tribute To Xenoblade Chronicles X Gently Massage Your Eardrums
Mech some sweet music
Nintendo Life contributor Gonçalo "Shiryu" Lopes isn't just great at digging up classic Super Famicom games - he's also a keen music-maker and long-time fans of the site will know that he has produced many a fine tribute album in his time. He's back with NLA Blues, an "original music tribute album to Nintendo Wii U's...
News Super Mario Maker and Splatoon Miss Out at BAFTA Game Awards
Darn
Nintendo has had some BAFTA wins to celebrate over the years, but the UK awards left the big N empty handed this year. In addition to the absence of any 3DS games in the Mobile & Handheld category, both Super Mario Maker and Splatoon missed out in their categories. You can see the relevant results (winners in bold) below: Family
News Splatoon Update to 2.7.0 Will Bring Us The First Volume of Sheldon's Picks Next Week
Eight remixed and new weapons
During the March Nintendo Direct it was confirmed that the Splatoon updates weren't finished yet, with confirmation that there'd be two 'waves' of Sheldon's Picks, new weapons that'll provide abilities and secondary attacks a little different from their contemporaries. We now have a date for the first of these updates,...
ZeRo also offers tips for tackling the witch
Just recently we reported on a debate currently raging in the Spanish Super Smash Bros. community over potentially banning Bayonetta from tournaments. A top player in the country, Greward, discussed the topic and shared a belief that a ban of the DLC character seemed likely, albeit not yet finalised. It...
News Star Fox Zero Goes Live For Pre-Load Today, Discount Available On Star Fox Guard
Every little helps
Nintendo of America has confirmed that Star Fox Zero will be available for pre-purchase from 9AM PT on April 7th - that's today, in case you were wondering. Buying the digital version of the game on either the Wii U eShop or online entitles you to an automatic discount of $4.99 against the digital version of Star Fox Guard, which...
Video Have a Gawk at Keiji Inafune's Super Mario Maker Stage
Insert your own Mighty No. 9 joke here...
Keiji Inafune is one of the best known game creators in the industry, and a designer that commands a great deal of respect. As a result it's intriguing to see him create a stage in Super Mario Maker while citing some principles first formed in the early Mega Man games. That's the idea behind a Polygon video...
Random Someone Hacked The Original Sonic To Include Sonic Boom's Annoying Chatter
"It's like they're drawn to me!"
Like the vast majority of gaming icons who appeared during the 16-bit era, Sonic the Hedgehog was a silent protagonist. However, his journey into 3D saw him gifted - if that's the right word - with a voice, and in his most recent outings, he rarely shuts up. As if to prove that less is most definately more, hacker...
News Yo-kai Brand Power Strikes Again in Japan as Pokkén Tournament Passes Sales Landmark
Wii U hardware sales continue to toil, however
It's the middle of the week, which means it's time to look over what's hot and what's not in Japan with the Media Create charts. Level-5 will be rolling around in bundles of cash once again, while there are both positives and negatives for Nintendo. Kicking off with software, Yo-kai Sangokushi on 3DS...
News Competitive Super Smash Bros. Scene in Spain Prepares to Ban Bayonetta
Time's up for the witch
While many of us play and enjoy Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the competitive scene naturally takes the game to another level. With the top players mastering movesets and identifying weakness right down to individual frames, it's continuing to grow both as a competitive scene and as a popular spectator sport online. It's also...
Video Check Out This Japanese Overview of Star Fox Zero
Also, some footage of Star Fox Guard
In just a few weeks, Star Fox Zero will finally be made available to the public, marking the first release of a console Star Fox game since the release of Star Fox: Assault back in 2005. Though early impressions of the game were a bit middling at its E3 reveal last year, recent footage indicates that it's all...
Soapbox No, Star Fox Zero's Controls Are not Bad or Broken
"Gee, I've been saved by Fox, how swell"
If there's one aspect of Star Fox Zero that's been weighing on fans' minds it's the new control scheme; adding motion controls to such an established formula with controls that have barely changed since the SNES is bound to cause a little concern. Thankfully we've had enough time to realise that although the...
Video Catch Up With the Hyrule Warriors Legends Developer Panel from Wondercon
Includes some whoops and cheers
A week may be the equivalent to a century online, but nevertheless Nintendo has uploaded an interesting video from a Wondercon presentation on 26th March. It's the Hyrule Warriors Legends developer panel, with Koei Tecmo's Yosuke Hayashi (producer) and Hiroya Usuda (director) in attendance. The headline announcement...
Preview Preferring the Air in Star Fox Zero
Well, Alex does
It's been the best part of a decade since we last received an original title in the Star Fox series, a time only briefly broken up by the release of the admittedly excellent Star Fox 64 3D. It feels like this entry could be make or break for these anthropomorphic adventures in space, so can Star Fox Zero meet the lofty expectations...
Video Feel the Hype Build in This Showcase for Star Fox Zero and Guard
Everybody, stay alert
It's not long now until we have an all new adventure with Fox and his crew in Star Fox Zero, while Star Fox Guard will be an eShop extra with a co-operative and tactical edge. As the main event Zero has certainly divided opinion, yet with the final game around the corner there's a natural buzz around its arrival. Nintendo's...
News Mighty No. 9's Release Date Remains A Mighty Mystery
No comment from publisher on "Spring" launch
Kickstarter success story Mighty No. 9 hasn't had the smoothest of routes to market. After smashing its crowdfunding goal by some margin the title was expected to launch in September last year, but missed that original release window and was given an "early 2016" date. It then slipped from its new release...
Random Amazon Promotes Nintendo's Latest Legend of Zelda Releases With a Pretty Infographic
A bit hard to read though...
Infographics. Ah, the marketing of the Gods, where nice art assets are aligned with some quirky facts and details. They're rather popular, which is why large companies task employees with creating them on a regular basis. Despite a rather peculiar and sketchy history with Amazon, the retail giant, Nintendo of America...
Video Super Mario Maker Player Clears Insane Level and Shows Just How Tricky It Was
Come for the clear, stay for the bloopers
Here at Nintendo Life we rather enjoy videos of extremely complex and difficult Super Mario Maker stages - it's easier to admire the play of others than to attempt them ourselves, after all. The precision and skill in both the stage designs and the players that clear them can be extraordinary. Often we...
News Pokkén Tournament Holds Steady in UK Charts as Monster Hunter Enjoys an Unlikely Boost
Hyrule Warriors Legends clings on to top 40 place
Holiday periods can bring some quirky chart results in the UK gaming scene, as heavy discounts help older titles climb back into the top 40. That's happened for the second week in a row, while a recent Wii U release is showing decent momentum. Pokkén Tournament is giving a solid performance in the...
Hardware Review Hyperkin ProCube Controller for Wii U
Wireless GameCube love for your Wii U
The GameCube Controller is one input device that has lasted the test of time better than most, even beyond the hardcore Super Smash Bros. community, so it's not surprising that a company would take advantage of this retro love in the form of Hyperkin's ProCube Controller. This little number is essentially a Wii...
News The Ace Attorney Anime Series is Waiting For You On Crunchyroll
Just thought we'd point it out
The Ace Attorney series has a loyal following in the West, perhaps not as big as in the GBA and DS glory days, but a sizeable enough fan-base to prompt download-only releases on the eShop. It's not just Capcom that seems keen to keep interest in the brand alive in the West, as Crunchyroll is doing its bit too. The...
Video Check Out What Crash Bandicoot Would Look Like as a Smash Character
What could've been...
For those of you that owned a PlayStation back in the day, you probably played one of the famous Crash Bandicoot games. Billed by many as the PlayStation's answer to Mario, Crash Bandicoot once starred in a popular line of platformers and spinoffs that put Naughty Dog – the development studio – on the map. Since then, Crash...
News Upcoming Pokkén Tournament Update to Fix Shadow Mewtwo's Infinite Combo
Due 'early April'
Pokkén Tournament on Wii U has certainly earned some fans, though like a lot of fighting games a dedicated audience has been digging up its flaws. That's not surprising, of course, as it's going to be prominent in the competitive scene this year through events like Evo and official Pokémon Championships. The most notorious issue...
News Splatoon to Arrive on 3DS Under the Name "Splatoon Legends"
April Fools'
Update: Yep, as most of you guessed this was our contribution to the tradition of ludicrous and fabricated news stories on the first of April. We made it all up, all of what you see below is complete and utter nonsense as far as we know, we hope you got a laugh out of it! Massive thanks to Andy Carolan (@AndyCarolan) for the Inkle...
News Nintendo of America Offers to Mail a Shadow Mewtwo Card to Digital Owners of Pokkén Tournament
Let the infinite combos commence
As many of you were likely aware, physical copies of Pokkén Tournament ship with a special Shadow Mewtwo amiibo card in every case. This is a limited, first-run offer, and it no doubt changed the minds of many gamers to buy physical rather than digital. Of course, some digital buyers may have felt left out by this...
March2016
News My Nintendo and Its Rewards Are Live
Huzzah!
The time is finally here - My Nintendo has launched in the West. The replacement to Club Nintendo appears to have beaten Miitomo to the punch as you can visit the official website, register and start earning and redeeming coins. We'll be rustling up a short Getting Started guide, but for now we have the European reward details below...
News Digital Foundry Breaks Down the Resolution and Framerate in Pokkén Tournament
60fps but sub-720p
Pokkén Tournament, the Pokemon fighter developed by Bandai Namco, has now been out on Wii U for a couple of weeks. It's performed relatively well in the chart results that have emerged and helped fill a gap in the console's library. The priority for any fighting game, of course, is a solid framerate. In our review we praised the...
News Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 Makes Impressive Sales Debut in Japan
Wii U hardware sales drop significantly, however
As we're in the middle of another week we have the Media Create Japanese charts to consider, and this time around there's a new release on 3DS that's stealing the headlines. It's Square Enix's 3DS RPG Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3, the latest entry in the spin-off series, that's stormed to the top...
Video The Legendary Starfy Joins Super Mario Maker as a Costume
The star of the show
The Legendary Starfy was a mostly Japan-only platforming series that starred (sorry) the eponymous aquatic character and propelled him to relative fame. Drawing many comparisons to the Kirby series, Starfy games rose to popularity by smartly designed stages that mixed aquatic themed platforming stages with some light puzzle...
Video See the Super Mario e-Reader Levels You Never Played in Super Mario Advance 4
33 'new' levels of delight
Super Mario Advance 4 was a common enough game back in the day, but one area of this game was elusive to all but a handful of individuals who were of the importing nature. Now with the release of the game on the Wii U Virtual Console these exclusive levels are now available for all to play. Check out our video below where...
News The Guy Who Designed Sonic The Hedgehog Supervised On Mario & Sonic At The Rio Olympics
Not Yuji Naka, the other one
The credits for Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games have revealed that Arzest was involved with the game's development. Sega fans will recognise Arzest as the home of several former Sega employees, including Naoto Ohshima - perhaps better known as the guy who designed Sonic the Hedgehog. While Yuji Naka was...
News Hyrule Warriors Legends is Best-Selling New Release in UK, But Can't Crack Top Ten
Easter discounts keep new release out
With the public holidays over the past week there were plenty of discounts running in UK stores, and it's these promotions that have likely denied Hyrule Warriors Legends a top 10 place in the charts, though the results aren't all bad. The 3DS release has secured 13th place in the all-format chart on its debut...
Random Metroid Resurrection - The Super Mario Maker Series With a Plot and Marketing
'The Chozo One' - zing!
Many of us like to talk a big game with Super Mario Maker creations, how we're planning to wow the world and change the way we play platformers in the Mario universe. In most cases, of course, a level creation is often abandoned early to do something a little less taxing; it's harder than it seems to make a good level. Some...
News The Falco amiibo Unlocks a Special Black Arwing in Star Fox Zero
Double lock on, but it takes three times the damage
Star Fox Zero is just about a month away from release as of now, and naturally there's plenty of buzz being drummed up around the newest entry in this classic franchise. Though we never got the transformable Arwing amiibo that Miyamoto wanted to make, it was revealed earlier that the game will be...
News Marin Will be Part of the Summer's Hyrule Warriors Legends DLC Pack
An awakening for the character
Hyrule Warriors and now Hyrule Warriors Legends aren't short of interesting choices for playable characters, and now we have another intriguing addition on the way. It was confirmed during a Wondercon panel that Marin will arrive in the Summer's Link's Awakening Pack. You can see some character art from the reveal...
News TT Games Wanted To Include Mortal Kombat In The Lego Dimensions Midway Pack
"We had to take into account the typical age of our players"
The expansion of the core Lego Dimensions experience is continuing nicely, with the recently-released Midway pack granting access to an incredible selection of arcade classics. These include such coin-op hits as Gauntlet, Joust, Spy Hunter and Defender, but developer TT Games has revealed...
Video Check Out This Unbeatable Combo Recently Discovered in Pokkén Tournament
As if Shadow Mewtwo wasn't already strong enough
Fighting games are notoriously difficult to balance, as the extraordinarily technical nature of the gameplay can lead to certain methods simply being more effective than others. Playtesting helps greatly in this regard, but nothing can quite replicate the phenomenon of the full public having access,...
Video Check Out the New Hyrule Warriors Legends Characters on Wii U
Going for the quirky kills
With the launch of Hyrule Warriors Legends plenty will be switching the portable entries new characters across to Wii U in order to enjoy them in their full HD glory. It's one of the perks on offer for those that double dip on the Koei Tecmo button masher. We've naturally redeemed Linkle, Toon Link, Tetra, King Daphnes...
Soapbox Nintendo Was Wrong To Turn Its Back On The Wii Remote
Damien McFerran sticks up for the device that gave the world some waggle
One of the greatest things about having children - aside from the free manual labour and the unspoken understanding that you'll have someone to wipe your bottom for you when you're old and infirm - is getting to reappraise video games. I have a seven-year-old son who, over the...
News Star Fox Zero's Stage Names Are Another Delicious Throwback
The path to Venom
Star Fox Zero contains a lot of references and throwbacks to iconic past entries. Whether on-the-nose goodies like the 16-bit Arwing that can be unlocked with a Fox amiibo, or the strikingly familiar opening cutscene, it's sure to bring back a lot of memories while also introducing the series to a new audience. There's a sense of...
News Pokkén Tournament Beats Digimon to Number One in Japan and Boosts Wii U Sales
Splatoon is still rocking it in fifth place
It's time once again for the Japanese Media Create charts, and this week is particularly fascinating as it pitches the Pokémon and Digimon brands against each other. The good news for Pokémon fans is that the franchise came out on top in the head to head, with Pokkén Tournament seizing top spot for Wii...
News North American Pricing Confirmed for Hyrule Warriors Legends DLC and Season Pass
A little higher in Canadian dollars
A little while ago we reported on the European pricing for the rather extravagant (and slightly fiddly) Hyrule Warriors Legends DLC and Season Pass. There are separate passes for 3DS and Wii U, along with a supplemental character pack for those with the Wii U game that don't plan on buying the portable iteration...
We have a good feeling about this
Warner has released the first gameplay trailer for LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and it gives a solid taster of what we can expect to see in the finished product. Firstly, the variety on show is impressive - not only will it include the usual on-foot sections with puzzles, multiple "build" solutions and...
News Chompy Chomp Chomp Party Bites Into A Fresh Trailer And Release Date
Europe first, US afterwards
Our chums at Utopian World of Sandwiches have gotten in touch to let us know that Chompy Chomp Chomp Party is coming to the European Wii U eShop at the end of this month - March 31st, to be exact. A North American release will follow shortly afterwards. Described by the developer as "a fast paced multiplayer party game...
News Star Fox Zero / Guard and Metroid Prime: Federation Force to be Playable at Wondercon
Hyrule Warriors Legends panel also included
Wondercon is just days away from landing in LA, running from 25th - 27th March, and Nintendo of America has confirmed some key playable titles and a promising panel event. The headline grabber is that the main Metroid Prime: Federation Force game will be playable for the public for the first time, as...
News Nikkei Report Suggests That Wii U Production Will End in 2016
UPDATE: "The report didn't come from us", claims Nintendo
UPDATE: Nintendo has commented on this news, stating that "the report didn't come from us". ORIGINAL STORY: The Wii U has underperformed for Nintendo, failing to gain early momentum and only achieving modest sales each year since its arrival in late 2012. Though momentum in this financial...
News Version 1.4.0 of Wii U Emulator, Cemu, Shows More Rapid Progress
Still a long way from full emulation
It's hard to know what Nintendo makes of Cemu, a Wii U emulator that's been making rapid progress. Often these fan-based projects take years to come together, but in this case there have been frequent updates, perhaps helped by the similarity - in some respects - of the current-gen system to the Wii. In any...
News Popular Super Mario Maker Speedrunner and Streamer Has All His Levels Deleted by Nintendo
"Streaming Mario Maker is 90% of my stream"
When it comes to engaging an enthusiastic community and holding the attention of online streamers and speedrunners, Super Mario Maker has all of the key ingredients. As a creation tool it allows fans to create and tackle extraordinary levels and to share them with followers on various platforms - it's...
News Scribblenauts Studio 5th Cell Is Closing Its Doors
UPDATE: Layoffs rather than closure, says CEO
UPDATE: 5th Cell CEO Jeremiah Slaczka has spoken to Polygon about the news, and has confirmed that the studio remains open but layoffs have taken place: WB cancelled [Scribblenauts: Fighting Words] today so we had to lay off the staff. It happened so quick we're not sure what the plans are going...
Random An Official Splatoon Lint Roller is a Thing You Can Own
Keep your threads fresh!
The world of Splatoon is populated almost entirely with cephalopods as far as we know. Although Judd may be the only furred creature left on the planet, any cat-owner knows he'll still find a way to get his hair over everything every squid in a 10-km radius owns. Do they even have, like, bones and stuff under all that fluff?...
Video See How Hyrule Warriors Legends on the Original 3DS Compares to the Wii U
Hey! Watch!
Hyrule Warriors Legends is a technical marvel, there's no denying that. To get such a complex and character-heavy game to run on such simple hardware is an incredible feat, but it's not as plain sailing on the original 3DS as it is on the New 3DS. Check out the comparison video below where you can see the performance of this new...
Video Watch the Leading US Presidential Candidates Battle It Out in Super Smash Bros.
Redefining 'battleground states'
When Mii characters were introduced in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, the potential for entertaining videos was rather obvious. As a result they're everywhere on YouTube, but we have recently been directed to a rather good example. The Nostalgia Trip channel has put together a fun 'Super Smash...
Video Catch Up With Nintendo's Pokkén Tournament Early Access Competition
All four hours and 22 minutes, if you're really keen
Last week Nintendo of America hosted the Pokkén Tournament Early Access Competition, in which eager finalists battled over some neat prizes and a place in the official National Pokémon Championships later this year. It was a fun event and we enjoyed live streaming it, but Nintendo has now...
News Looks Like The Pokkén Tournament Pro Pad Was Supposed To Have LEDs And Force Feedback
Pokémon Rumble?
If you've had the good fortune to have played Pokkén Tournament in its arcade guise then you'll be aware that its controller is festooned with cool-looking LED lights. LED lights make everything look better - it's a fact. If you've also played the Wii U version with the exclusive Pokkén Pro Pad, then you'll know that this feature...
Nintendo Life Weekly "Leaked" NX Controller, Miitomo Japanese Launch Success and More
Even pictures can't cure our thirst for salt
With Miitomo's Japanese debut it's been all go here at Nintendo Life Towers, so if you're someone who thinks they've missed out on some seriously spicy news, we've got you covered once again with our regular video feature Nintendo Life Weekly. This week we look at the supposedly leaked image of what some...
Hardware Review Pokkén Tournament Pro Pad by Hori
Are you pro enough?
Having started life as an arcade game it's no surprise that Pokkén Tournament has its own controller. What is a surprise is that it's been shrunk down, had a few extra buttons added and been released for the Wii U version. Despite its most obvious shortcoming being the fact that Pokkén is the only Wii U title that's compatible...
News Pokkén Tournament Punishes Players Who Rage Quit
"Quitting in the middle of a battle is rude to your opponent"
Pokkén Tournament punishes rage quitters, Eurogamer has reported. Dropping out of a match in an attempt to avoid a "loss" being registered on your record costs you some of your precious Poké Gold. The game even goes as far as to warn you of the consequences of rage quitting before you...
Video Yuu Ayasaki, Voice Actress for Mashiko / Mary-o, is Next Up in Super Mario Maker
Also stars in Daigasso! Band Brothers P
Super Mario Maker has had a good mix of familiar and lesser known characters in its regular Event Course unlocks, and the next in line is certainly in the latter category. Having seen the latest video on Nintendo's Japanese channel we had trouble figuring out who it was, so hat tip to Perfectly Nintendo for...
News Nintendo Announces Separate Hyrule Warriors Season Passes for Wii U and 3DS
With some shared content - it's... slightly confusing
With Hyrule Warriors Legends around the corner we knew there'd be a season pass and plenty of download content as Nintendo looks to recreate the success of its predecessor. What's a little unexpected is that the Wii U original will also have a version of the same season pass but with a separate...
News Stretchy And Sticky Splatoon Squid Toys Are Coming To Japan, Thanks To Taito
Easy squeezy
Video game veteran Taito is producing a series of stretchy, goo-filled Splatoon squid toys. Now there's a sentence we didn't think we'd be typing when we woke up this morning. Due for release in Japan (where else?) on April 5th, the toys can be seen in action in the teaser video below. You can squeeze 'em, splat 'em and throw 'em in a...
News Pokkén Tournament Demo Comes Out Fighting On The European Wii U eShop
Try before you buy
Well, that was unexpected. Without any warning, Nintendo has pushed a demo of Pokkén Tournament onto the European Wii U eShop, giving players the chance to sample the title for free. The download went live last night, and weighs in at an impressive 1150MB. There's currently no sign of a similar demo on the North American eShop,...
News LEGO Marvel's Avengers Season Ticket Goes Big With New Levels and Characters
Plenty for $10
DLC Season Passes are currently looked upon with some suspicion, as some high profile examples have failed to deliver on the goods in the current generation. At £8 / $9.99, however, the LEGO Marvel's Avengers Season Pass on Wii U (and other platforms) is actually looking like great value with a lot of characters and new levels...
News Nintendo's Official UK Store Opens Up Star Fox Zero Pre-Orders
Including an 'interesting' t-shirt
Star Fox Zero is now a little over a month away from release on Wii U, and it's set to be a key Spring release on the system. In Europe there'll also be a First Print Edition that includes a Steelbook case and a disc copy of Star Fox Guard, a shorter spin-off release that's evolved from Project Guard. Nintendo UK...
News Devil's Third Developer Valhalla Game Studios Goes International and Launches Vancouver HQ
Itagaki in "state of bliss that can sail against this endless challenge"
Devil's Third was one of the most talked-about Wii U releases in the latter half of 2015, for better and for worse, dividing opinion after its long development route that eventually brought it to Nintendo's system. Despite being so many years in the making it was the first game...
Live Blog Watch the Pokkén Tournament Countdown Clash and Early Access Finals - Live!
Hours and hours of live matches
Pokkén Tournament is due in stores on 18th March, and Nintendo is doing its utmost to ensure that we're all excited for the Wii U release. In this live blog we'll start with an hour of live action from Nintendo UK, before shifting to the 5 hour+ Early Access finals from the Nintendo NY store in New York...
News Toadette is Next in Line for Super Mario Maker's Mystery Mushroom Unlocks
Backpack 'n all
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a bit of a gem on Wii U, and certainly worth considering for those eager to bulk up their Wii U game collection. With lovely visuals and clever puzzle gameplay it's certainly enjoyable to play, and has two of Nintendo's cutest stars in Captain Toad and Toadette. The first of the duo has already been...
News Twilight Princess HD Loses Out to The Division on Japanese Launch
Outperforms equivalent Wind Waker HD sales, however
It's Japanese charts time thanks to Media Create, and we have a major Wii U release joining in to try and start the party for Nintendo. The results are ok, but not spectacular. Kicking off with software we have the first week for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, which arrived seven days...
A shot at glory awaits
Back in late February Nintendo of America (and GameStop) hosted some small regional contests for Pokkén Tournament as part of its 'Early Access' tournament. The idea was simple, regional winners progress to a live final and - should they win that - they can then have a crack at winning the Nationals and then Worlds of the...
News Nintendo Seems To Be Deleting Super Mario Maker Levels Without Explanation Or Warning
"I know this has been post about before, but I am so angry"
Nintendo appears to be removing user-generated Super Mario Maker levels without warning or reason, and is refusing to comment on the reasons why. Kotaku has reported on various posts online from users who have had their beloved creations taken down despite the absence of any objectionable...
News Admit It, You Want This Splatoon Splattershot Water Pistol
Available for pre-order "soon"
The guns in Splatoon take a lot of inspiration from real-world water pistols, so it's perhaps a little surprising that Nintendo hasn't taken more advantage of this fact - an entire range of themed water shooters should have been available at launch; it would have been a licence to print money. Thankfully, the company...
News The Midway Arcade Level Pack for LEGO Dimensions Has Lots of Retro Goodness
Loads of retro arcade games unlocked
When we reviewed LEGO Dimensions last year we enjoyed various aspects of it, with the NFC technology used in clever ways and some stand-out levels winning our favour. However, it's also a game - or 'platform' - that's particularly aggressive in its upselling, locking a lot of extra content and even areas within...
Nintendo used Smash Hit. It's super effective!
Pokkén Tournament: it's not quite what a select few may have imagined when they dared to concoct a Pokémon / Tekken crossover game in the recesses of their wildest dreams, but few had even considered such a ludicrous idea until it actually came to fruition. Nevertheless, it's a real thing that...
News North America's Next Splatfest Will Take Place This Friday
Do you want to build a snowman?
Following hot on the heels of the announcement of Europe's next Splatfest, Nintendo of America has recently confirmed a Splatfest to be taking place this weekend at the same time. While it may be that this latest topic still isn't as awesome as its Pokémon predecessor, it nonetheless seems to be an appropriate topic...
Editorial Accessibility Through Optional 'Invincibility' Buffs Can Only Be a Positive for Nintendo
Let's try to be Super Guides and spread the gaming bug
So, Star Fox Zero will not only have a co-op mode that'll allow less experienced players to play as a gunner and pew-pew stuff through the GamePad, but also a friendly option where gamers will have an invincible Arwing and simply fly through a level regardless of their performance. In the very...
News Twilight Princess HD Holds Top 10 Place in UK Charts
Pokemon gives 3DS a minor presence
The UK chart results for last week have emerged, and in the absence of any knockout new releases for Nintendo - though next week will include Pokkén Tournament - the focus has been on momentum for key titles. Namely, we're referring to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, which had an impressive debut week...
News Future Of Project Giant Robot Is Still Up In The Air, Says Miyamoto
"Unfortunately we haven't yet decided to turn that into a full game"
When Nintendo lifted the lid on Star Fox Zero, it also showed off two titles which were intended to leverage the unique nature of the Wii U's GamePad controller. Project Guard has since become Star Fox Guard and will launch alongside Star Fox Zero in April, but the other title -...
News Star Fox Zero Will Include An Invincible Mode For Inexperienced Players
Other modes for those "looking for an even harder challenge", too
Shigeru Miyamoto has given an interview with Time about the forthcoming Star Fox Zero, and has revealed that an "invincible" mode will be included for those who find the challenge a little too daunting. While this might sound like dumbing-down, the legendary designer reveals that...
Soapbox It's too Early to Judge Paper Mario: Color Splash
Is there a colour for disappointment?
Paper Mario: Color Splash has been grossly panned by many disappointed fans, and considering how mixed the response was to its predecessor Sticker Star, it's understandable that any hallmarks of that game would illicit this response. Nevertheless, this video maker feels it's far too early to be passing such...
News The Next Splatfest Topic for Europe Has Been Announced
How would you like to get around?
Earlier this week, a fairly substantial update for Splatoon went out, making numerous changes to several different aspects of the game. One of the things that was overhauled with this update was how Splatfests will be conducted; basically, 'Splatfest Power' will now more closely tie in with the rank of individual...
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