Wii U - News
April2016
Video Fans Mod Goku Into Super Smash Bros. For Wii U
Hear what we're Saiyan…
Modding within the Super Smash Bros. community isn't anything new, for fans have been creating an array of in-game tweaks for years now - such as altering physics engines or reskinning characters as a whole. The most notable of the bunch is 'Project M'; this is a mod of Nintendo Wii's Super Smash Bros. Brawl that focused...
News The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth Coming To Wii U "In The Coming Months"
And you thought it would never happen
Once upon a time, it seemed unlikely that The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth would ever arrive on the Wii U. Nicalis' Tyrone Rodriguez tweeted back in November that he wasn't happy with the performance of the game on Nintendo's console, and many assumed the game would be skipping the platform entirely. However,...
Guide Unlocking Every Stage in Star Fox Zero
We're not leaving Peppy behind
In many respects Star Fox Zero is a loving tribute and reimagination of Star Fox 64, yet it takes a different approach to unlocking stages. It starts off relatively linear, in a first run-through of the story, and then it's time to play through once again. As you unlock new transformations and vehicles new options...
Guide Getting Started With Star Fox Zero and Mastering the Controls
We also look at the basics of amiibo and co-op
Star Fox Zero is landing on the eShop and in stores, bringing us the first full entry in the series in a number of years. We were big fans in our review, yet the game has been divisive, in part because of its GamePad-centric controls - for our money we think the time required to master the game's...
Reaction Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins Had Humour, Weirdness, Teases and Lots of Potential
An idea that Nintendo should pursue with all key franchises
Nintendo has made 'events' out of various quirky online broadcasts, with some being surprisingly short and light on actual reveals or details. It wasn't too surprising, then, to see Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins given the live broadcast treatment, followed by the Nintendo Treehouse team...
News PlatinumGames CEO Tatsuya Minami Has Resigned
Star Fox Zero studio to be helmed by Kenichi Sato
The head of Japanese studio PlatinumGames has stepped down, according to a report by GamesBusiness.jp. CEO Tatsuya Minami resigned at the end of March and has been replaced by Kenichi Sato. As part of the reshuffle, Seigo Tabira and Atsushi Inaba join the management as company directors. Minami...
News You'll Need To Dig Deep For This Insane Lego Minecraft Set
Blockbusting
A lot of Minecraft's appeal can be traced back to construction toys like plastic building blocks - a fact which is neatly acknowledged by the growing range of Lego toys based on Mojang's famous title. Lego's Minecraft sets have been pretty decent so far, but this latest offering is shaping up to be the most expansive - and expensive -...
Live Blog Check Out Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins and a Nintendo Treehouse Showcase - Live!
The animated short will take flight
Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard are arriving on Wii U this week, and to get us warmed up we have Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins, an animated short produced in collaboration with Shigeru Miyamoto, Production IG and WIT Studios. After that the Nintendo Treehouse team will be showing off the games, and we'll be...
Video See Peppy's Barrel Roll Obsession Go too Far in this Star Fox Zero Easter Egg
Do a...
Star Fox is a series renowned for various tropes and memorable moments, perhaps none more so than the first time we heard Peppy Hare tell us against our better judgement to spin our Arwing around in a manner he referred to as a barrel roll. The developers working on Star Fox Zero apparently could't resist throwing in further reference to...
From zero to hero
Almost from the moment it was revealed, Star Fox Zero has endured the kind of scrutiny that first-party Nintendo releases are rarely subjected to. From Time's botched announcement during E3 2014 to the news that external help was being used and the game would
News Yo-kai Watch and Dragon Quest Continue to Lead in Japan as Wii U Has a Small Boost
All other systems show declining sales
The Japanese games market is pleasingly different to the West, with its own trends and patterns alongside some unique releases. We get a look at this courtesy of the weekly Media Create results, though the updated data shows that old favourites continue to lead as last week's new arrivals struggle. Starting...
News Nintendo Confirms PAX East Line-Up and Bravely Second: End Layer Panel
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE and Monster Hunter Generations will be playable
PAX East is landing in Boston from 22nd-24th April, which is making the city a hot destination for the coming weekend. Nintendo will be there, of course, and it's outlined what it'll have to offer. In terms of games there'll be the first chance (outside of Japan) for the...
News Nintendo Announces 'Fortissimo' Special Edition of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
DLC! Artbook! Soundtrack CD! More!
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is an intriguing upcoming release for the Wii U, finally making its way out of Japan to hit Europe and North America on 24th June. The unique RPG - co-developed by Nintendo and Atlus - combines aspects of Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem, though is so colourful and quirky when viewed...
News Star Fox Zero's Arcade Mode Is Aimed At "Advanced Users", Claims Shigeru Miyamoto
Gaming veteran "confident" that the game has legs
Star Fox Zero will be with us later this week, and producer Shigeru Miyamoto has let slip that the game contains a bonus "route-focused" Arcade Mode to test advanced players. He also revealed that the development team had plans to allow players to make wider use of the game's garage of vehicles, but...
Video We Heartily Endorse This Fan-Made Star Fox Zero Cartoon Introduction Sequence
"Good luck!"
Star Fox Zero hits the Wii U this week, and you can feel the hype levels building in the Nintendo Life office - editor Tom Whitehead has dressed up as Slippy Toad and Operations Director Darren Calvert is babbling on about barrell rolls. The latest adventure to star Fox McCloud and company is so close we can practically taste it. To...
News RCMADIAX Has Three New Wii U eShop Titles On The Way
Coming in June and July
Prolific indie studio RCMADIAX has released information regarding three new Wii U eShop titles, all of which are launching in the next few months. As we've come to expect from the company, these titles present quite a mix of gameplay styles. Here are the details: MEGA WIN CASINO SLOTS - Est Release June 2016 Bring home the...
Video Let the Hype Build With the Star Fox Zero Launch Trailer
Mission Accomplished
Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard are almost upon us, and the hype is certainly building. They're the first new Star Fox games in a number of years and, as a result, Nintendo is ensuring that they get plenty of attention, even live streaming an animated short. Ahead of the 22nd April release Nintendo of Europe has also released...
Feature Excited About Star Fox Zero? Check Out Our Extensive Series Content Here
Guess you should be thankful
Star Fox Zero launches on Wii U this week, and marks the long-awaited return of Fox McCloud and his team to active service. Given that Lylat fever has well and truly gripped the world of Nintendo, we thought it might be an opportune moment to remind you that we've got an embarrassment of Star Fox-related content tucked...
Video You'll Need Some Serious Surgical Shells Skills To Beat This Insane Super Mario Maker Creation
45 hours of attempts to beat
We love a challenging Super Mario Maker level here at Nintendo Life, but sometimes we come across a creation which is so punishing that it requires super-human levels of skill to complete. Behold The ER: Surgical Shells 2.0 by evil genius Docta_el, a course which has - at the time of writing - been completed zero times...
"Message from General Pepper. Priority one!"
Nintendo is airing a special animated short to commemorate the launch of Star Fox Zero this week. Produced in collaboration with Shigeru Miyamoto, Production I.G. and WIT Studio, Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins will be broadcast on April 20th at 3PM PT / 11PM BST. It will be immediately followed by a...
News The Nintendo Selects Range Brings Some Sales Success in the UK Charts
A fine selection indeed
Last week Nintendo of Europe released six more Wii U titles as part of the Nintendo Selects range, dropping their price to €24.99/ £19.99 in stores and on the eShop. It seems the new price ranges have worked nicely in stores, with three of the titles making their way into the UK all-format top 40. New Super Mario Bros. U
Random Super Mario Maker Bros. is Another Excellent 'Full Game' From an Ambitious Creator
Nine worlds and 70+ levels
Though being the creator in Super Mario Maker is undoubtedly rewarding, sometimes it's a lot of fun to just relax and enjoy the fruits of others' labours. As such we keep an eye on the game's subreddit, and sometimes creators share their 'full game' creations. Another has popped up as the finished article recently, called...
Nintendo Life Weekly NX Rumours Continue to Flow, Hacker Streams 3DS to PC Wirelessly and More
They just won't stop
If you've somehow fallen behind with the flurry of Nintendo NX rumours that have been circulating the internet lately, well, frankly this reporter envies you. Nevertheless it's our duty to report them when there's some credibility to them, and so we've once more taken all that's happened in the past week (rumours and all) and...
Poll The Wii U GamePad - Where Do You Stand on Nintendo's Hefty Controller?
Star Fox aims to show what it can do
In the coming week both Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard will arrive, both titles that'll not only aim to revive a franchise but also - in a manner of speaking - its controller. The Wii U GamePad has been one of Nintendo's most controversial controllers, in part because it's the pricey and mandatory inclusion...
News Eiji Aonuma Talks Twilight Princess HD in the Latest Miiting
Evidently, there could've been a Telma amiibo
Miiverse occasionally plays host to 'Miitings', essentially brief developer interviews that cover a recent release. It's been awhile since the last Miiting, so Nintendo decided to break the silence with one that covers the recent release of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. Eiji Aonuma was the...
Video Slippy Gets Scary in Our Star Fox Guard Trailer
Too spooky
In the comments of our recent preview of Star Fox Guard certain comparisons were made to a popular independent video game series. Being the responsible and mature professionals that we are, we decided that these parallels were worth taking one step further. Check out our trailer for Star Fox Guard below with a heavy dose of artistic...
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...
Wii U - Features
Forum Topics
Most Read
Random Masahiro Sakurai Reminds Nintendo Fans About 3DS & Wii U eShop Closu...
Guide Best 3DS And Wii U DLC You Should Get Before The eShops Close Forever
Guide How To Prepare Your 3DS And Wii U For Retirement - Hard Drive, Battery, ...
Guide Potential Switch Port Round-Up - The Wii U Games That Haven't Come To Sw...
News Footage Of Cancelled 'Epic Mickey' Spin-Off Starring Donald Duck Discovered
News YouTube And Crunchyroll On Wii U Won't Be Available For Much Longer
