Tag: Awesome - Page 4
News Google Maps Launches a Pokémon Challenge
It's already 1st April in Japan...
Google may be a mega corporation with investments in killer robots, but it does also (occasionally) have a sense of humour. Two years ago it unveiled an awesome NES cart version of Google Maps, and it's now incorporated its map software with one of the biggest brands in gaming — Pokémon. This app sets wannabe...
Site News Tom Has Evolved Into A New Form: Editor Tom!
Our erstwhile Features Editor goes up a level
Those of you that are long-time followers of this site will have witnessed Thomas Whitehead's inexorable rise from the status of mere reader to the position he has, until today, occupied with assured brilliance: Features Editor. Tom has been a hugely passionate and incredibly dedicated member of the...
Weirdness Square Enix Reproduces Deadly Final Fantasy XIV Boss in 16-Bit Style
We'd play a Super NES version any day
Final Fantasy XIV, an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) for the franchise, has had a troubled history. The first version was such a disappointment that Square Enix eventually dropped it, reproducing the game and changing up the development team that eventually released the far-improved A...
News Hori is Bringing Some Awesome Mario Kart 8 GamePad Skins and Mario & Luigi Wheels to Japan
We'll take them in the West, thanks
The release of Mario Kart 8 has already served up some promising pre-order choices in Europe and — to a lesser extent — in Japan. Now Hori is stepping in with some accessories in Nintendo's homeland, and we want them all. As you can see in the images below, Mario and
Fox and Falco looking mean and moody
The Star Fox series has been dormant for far too long — 3DS remake accepted, of course — and we sincerely hope that one day soon, Nintendo will bring the franchise out of retirement and give us the epic Wii U space adventure we've all been waiting for. Until then, we can simply feast our eyes on this...
News Real-Life Mario Kart Event Brings a Community Together in Japan
Not a blue shell in sight!
The streets of Shibuya, Tokyo were transformed into a Mushroom Kingdom speedway last weekend, as a group of kart-drivers in full costume got together for a multiplayer session not to be forgotten. The event was organised by the members of Tokyo Gaijins, a Japan-based community group dedicated to bringing overseas and...
News These Nintendo Illustrations to Highlight The Wii U Difference are Just Too Good
Hardware advertising, Japanese style
It's little secret that Nintendo will be aiming to up its game, in territories all around the world, in selling the Wii U concept to the masses. We expect that these marketing efforts will retain the hallmark style for which Nintendo is famous — in other words, there'll probably be plenty of light-hearted,...
Weirdness Engineer Uses Four Monitors to Display Whole Super Mario Bros. Levels
It's a me, Mario!
It's always fun when people use their skills to display a beloved video game character in an interesting way. Twitter user Morikuma_Works, who works as an engineer in Japan, has done just that with his four computer monitor display of Super Mario Bros. World 1-1. He also posted a picture of World 1-2, warp zone and all. Quite...
Video This Pokémon XY The Movie - The Cocoon of Destruction & Diancie Trailer is Rather Dramatic
Stuff is happening
Pokémon X & Pokémon Y have done particularly well since arriving on 3DS, selling an impressive number of copies and — with follow-up apps such as Pokémon Bank — is likely still keeping plenty of players entertained months after release. As is always the case with those Pocket Monsters, though, there's always something...
Video Manami Matsumae Performs Her Awesome Mighty No. 9 Theme Song
Tune those retro ears
Update: Unfortunately the live performance video and the related source article have been taken down. Below is another version of the theme tune in the meantime... [ Original Article: The release of Mighty No. 9 may still be over a year away on multiple platforms — including the Wii U and 3DS eShop stores — but we can...
News The Link Between Worlds Poster Set is Back on Club Nintendo
Act fast, North Americans
Back in November last year we directed your attention to a gorgeous Link Between Worlds poster set on the North American Club Nintendo, featuring three large posters for 500 of your hard-earned coins. Then, just four days later, they were all gone. Happily for those that missed out first time around this set is now back in...
News Latest Mega Man 2.5D Beta Adds New Single Player and Co-Op Stages
The Blue Bomber owes much to fans
Last year we directed your attention to the Mega Man 2.5D fan project, yet another game dedicated to the Capcom mascot in the absence of official alternatives. Its rather smart twist is in the name, as it plays with perspective and camera angles to give the traditional 2D play more depth. It also brought Mega Man...
News The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon Are Doing Business With Monopoly in September
"Connect 4: Super Mario" drops this Spring
With so many competing brands in game, toy and general stores, few would argue against Nintendo upping its licensing game in a big way, an objective it's already declared as a priority. We're rather pleased, then, that two of the most important of the company's franchises will be teaming up with one of the...
News Dutch Developer Ronimo Games Working On Swords & Soldiers II For Wii U
A sequel to the 2009 WiiWare original
Ronimo Games is best known by Nintendo fans for its release of Swords & Soldiers on the WiiWare service back in 2009. Less acclaimed was the release of the 3D version of the game on the 3DS eShop last year. However way you've heard about the Netherlands-based studio and its side-scrolling strategy game, the...
News Pre-orders for Mario Kart Ride-on Available at Toys 'R Us in the United States
Comes with a 100,000-mile or 1-Blue Shell warranty
Remember that sweet-looking Mario Kart ride-on we reported was coming to the UK later this year? Turns out Toys 'R Us customers in the United States can already put money down on the same set of wheels. Pre-orders for the Super Mario Kart Ride-on are currently open at the Toys 'R Us website. The 6V...
Weirdness Listen To The Super Mario Theme On A 3,000 Year Old Chinese Instrument
A bit trickier to play than a warp whistle, probably
Doodoo doo do dooo do, dah! - It's the Super Mario theme! Known across the globe and endlessly catchy, this tune has been played on every instrument under the sun, as well a few renditions that should barely count. Hearing a cover version is certainly nothing new, but allow us to present one just...
News Majora's Mask "Time's End" Music Beautifully Reimagined by Rozen
Epic
It's unsurprising that The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is treasured by many Nintendo gamers, with the calls for a remake persisting on a yearly basis. For those that do hope for that day, and that remastered visuals will also be accompanied by a sweeping orchestral soundtrack, this new EP from musician Rozen should capture the imagination...
News Super Mario Bros. Stop Motion Pixel Art Kickstarter Campaign Hops Over Its Target
Funding goal passed with weeks of funding remaining
Nintendo's titles, particularly of the retro variety, inspire many fan projects in the form of music albums and, of course, videos. One example we highlighted in the past was an impressive stop motion video featuring the original Donkey Kong, which was remarkably produced with beads. That was the...
Weirdness Super Mario Bros. Record For Lowest Score is Beaten
A 500 point play-through done without tool assistance
Normally while playing a game, the goal for most people is to see how many points they can rack up; more often than not they aim for the most points possible. There are, however, a select few who flip that idea on its head and shoot for the lowest score possible. Going out of their way to avoid...
News Mega Man: The Board Game Now Available for Pre-order in North America
Time to power up
Mega Man enthusiasts that aren't averse to browsing a bit of crowdfunding will have no doubt followed, with interest, last year's Kickstarter campaign from Jasco Games. Its crowdfunding project for an officially licenced board game based on the classic Capcom series was unsurprisingly popular, raising $415,041 when it had sought...
Weirdness This Mario Golf Bag Could Help You Hit the Links in Style
Hole in one
Mario Golf: World Tour arrives on 2nd May in North America and Europe, ending a fairly long wait for the latest entry in the popular series. With Mii integration, customisation and online tournaments and communities on the way, it's looking like a promising prospect for a below par — in a good way — score. Nintendo's clearly keen to...
News These Mario Figures Are All Kinds of Awesome
He has that 'cheeky chappy' grin
We do like collectibles here at Nintendo Life, and figurines can be a nice way to decorate our homes with our favourite heroes. While Link is no stranger to gorgeous figurines, Mario's presence is often in the form of plushies, so it's pleasing to find some figures that, while lacking the complexity of Figma...
News This Final Fantasy IV Medley Rocked A Whole Crowd Of Fans
Mega potions in the air like you just don't care
Final Fantasy IV is known as one of the most highly regarded RPGs of all time, and for good reason. Interesting characters, a classic battle system and an engaging plot all helped set it apart, but what stood out most for many players was its truly masterful soundtrack. Nobuo Uematsu's timeless score...
Video Smash Bros. Characters Recast in an Attack on Titan Opening
No giant monstrosities were harmed in the making of this video
Super Smash Bros. and Attack on Titan both dwell firmly in the realm of the grandiose, but it may still seem a bit farfetched for someone to attempt a mashup. After this video from YouTuber AmazingArtistYellow, however, the concept becomes much more believable: According to...
"4 Swords, 4 Free, 4 Days Only"
Hands up if you remember when Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition for free to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the franchise? That was back in 2011, when the Game Boy Advance title was spruced up with local wireless multiplayer and released as DSiWare (on the DSi Shop and 3DS eShop)...
Video Capcom Celebrates 10 Years of Monster Hunter
Epic
This is a big year for the Monster Hunter franchise, and Capcom has every reason to be happy with its current status. Monster Hunter 4 cruised past the company's sales targets for Japan, and in the process won't have done any harm to Nintendo's chances in retaining exclusivity of the franchise. In the Japanese market MH counts for a lot, so its...
Weirdness Famicom Cartridges Turned Into Chiptune Harmonicas
Because some of you will just never stop blowing into them
The idea has been sitting right under our noses (where our mouths are) the entire time: we blow into cartridges; we blow into harmonicas. Why not merge the two together? Finally, we have the technology — or at least someone creatively wily enough to use it. The gadgeteer(s) at Ugoita...
Video This Awesome Gerudo Valley Violin Cover Brings the Heat
Desert thieves, for strings
We last checked in on violin virtuoso Taylor Davis after she released an inspiring medley of songs from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Since then, Davis has traded her Sheik outfit for a Goron Tunic, bringing her talents to an arrangement of the famed Gerudo Valley theme. The video hits the trifecta: a stirring...
News Listen To This Awesome Street Fighter II Rock Opera
An epic six years in the making
What started as a throwaway joke between friends has now concluded as something much, much more; a fully-fledged rock opera extravaganza. In 2007, Texan indie group Man Factory got together and decided that there was enough referential material in the Street Fighter series to knock together a garage rock album telling...
Video James Farr's Awesome Star Wars and Nintendo Mashup Continues
This time it's The Empire Strikes Back
Back in October we shared the latest animation from James Farr, Super Smash Wars: A Link to the Hope, which had already followed thoroughly entertaining efforts that combined Nintendo franchises with those such as Ghostbusters. The good news is that the animator has returned to give his spin on the second Star...
News Speedrunner Alert - Majora's Mask Glitch Allows Unexpected Warps
It's on
It seems that we can't get away from speedrunning at the moment, which is absolutely fine by us. Not too long ago we had a whole week of runs with the Awesome Games Done Quick event, which did an outstanding job to raise over $1,000,000 for charity. Away from fundraising, however, speedrunning is a major passion in the gaming world, and...
Weirdness Japanese Gamer Clears Ocarina Of Time Using Only His Feet
Saving Hyrule is by no means an easy feet
Ocarina of Time needs no introduction. It's a title that has been explored through speedrun after speedrun, exploited and researched tirelessly for different ways to complete it, and today it will even be featured on Awesome Games Done Quick's fantastic charity streaming event. This particular playthrough,...
Video Learn How To Play Mega Man: The Board Game
Figure out the rules and power-up with this sample playthrough
Let's forget all about consoles for a moment. Mega Man is an icon that defies the medium, up there among the greats and immortalised in song, literature, and even Lego. He's had a shot at just about everything by now, and in December we reported that an officially l
News Luigi Nendoroid Figure Up for Preorder
In this, the Eternity of Luigi
That Luigi diorama offered on Club Nintendo is pretty sweet, but has having the coins or stars for it before preorders sold out been a pipe dream? Don't fret; other options exist. Cute options. A 10-cm (3.9-inch) PVC Luigi Nendoroid figure is currently up for preorder on J-Box. The Man in Green is posable and comes...
News Do You Want This Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-Themed NES? It'll Cost You A Pretty Penny
Heroes on a NES shell, Turtle power!
Sometimes a good console modification can brighten a day. We've seen plenty such as a custom Tron Nintendo 64, a Zelda-inspired SNES and a Luigi-themed 2DS; now more recently, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle coated NES. The console features Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo on a backlit panel, with...
News Designer Creates a 3D Model of Onett from EarthBound
Prompts dreams of a HD game
When it comes to inspiring video game culture Nintendo is arguably top of the class, and one game — among many — that can inspire impressive levels of fan devotion is Super NES RPG EarthBound. Its release on the Virtual Console this year caused a frenzy of excitement after years of waiting, satisfying waiting retro...
News This Video Brings Back Festive Sega Memories of the '90s
When new games dominated letters to Santa
We suspect many know what we mean when referencing "the Nintendo 64 kids", a short video that showed the excitement that a new games console could prompt on Christmas Day. Naturally a games console is for life — or at least a generation — and there are plenty of Holiday seasons when games for our...
News Capcom Unity's Christmas Card Design Gets Festive With Monster Hunter
Cute and not deadly
It's the season of giving, and we can expect game companies to give us attractive image files of Christmas greetings; it's not quite a shiny new game wrapped in festive paper but, still, it's the best that's on offer. Capcom Unity's approach this year was to run a contest for its readers to design the company's official card,...
News These Zelda Plush Toys Make Monday Much Better
Tingle may be our favourite
It's the start of another week and, more notably, we're getting increasingly close to the Holiday season in which we give each other presents and accrue monstrous debts. It also means stress and incredibly crowded shopping malls, so sometimes it's nice to sit back, take a deep breath and contemplate the pleasant, cute...
Weirdness This Real-Life Version Of Mario Kart Looks Extreme
Blue shells seem thankfully absent
Australia is the place to go if it's raw thrills you're after. Even just putting on a shoe is a potentially heart-racing experience as you wonder what kind of multi-legged monster is waiting within. Bungee-jumping and surfing may be getting a bit stale for some adrenaline junkies though, so what better way to liven...
News These Pokémon X & Y Playing Cards Would Be Perfect for Poké Poker
Let's all speculate over brand confusion with Trading Cards, or not...
When it comes to Pokémon X & Y, it's unlikely that many merchandising opportunities will be missed; the games have sold in seriously impressive quantities and have a fiercely loyal fanbase, so collectibles and extras are likely to be doing a reasonable trade. As is often...
News Nintendo Recreates Super Mario 3D World Through Shadow Hand Puppetry
Shadow Play
Super Mario 3D World has finally arrived in Europe, with the outstanding 3D platformer gracing retail shelves today. After its North American release last week this is a culmination of a heavy marketing campaign, helped along by the fact it's a terrific game, to try and make it and the Wii U the must-have combination this Holiday season...
Weirdness Model Chrissy Teigen Celebrates a Mushroom Kingdom Birthday
Bowser's name reportedly not found on the list
Singer-songwriter John Legend has got to be feeling pretty good right now. Marrying a model is one thing, but marrying a model who later decides to celebrate her 28th birthday with a Super Mario twist is something very special indeed. After tying the knot in September this year, the newly-weds moved on...
News Check Out This Stained Glass Art With A Nintendo Twist
Heart (container) of glass
Let's be honest - when looking for festive gifts this year, an elaborate piece of stained glass artwork to hang in your cathedral / average-sized home might not be the first thing that springs to mind. However, the gallery of Rick Daniels' work showcased on his Etsy site may be just enough to tempt you. A self-taught...
Weirdness Pokémon Cards Tell A Story of Family
I've just...got something in my eye...
The Pokémon series practically glows with nostalgia and childhood memories for many of us, and Nintendo seems determined to find new ways to break through the cold, callous, adult exteriors of some to appeal to that sentiment again. With this surprisingly emotive trio of cards it may have done just that, so...
News Check Out Another Legendary Zelda Violin Medley
From Taylor Davis, who's released a "Melodies of Hyrule" album
We do enjoy examples of Nintendo gaming culture in action here at Nintendo Life, and these often come in the form of musical arrangements and tributes. With The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds currently gracing stores around the world, popular YouTube musician Taylor Davis —...
News North American Club Nintendo Releases a Gorgeous Link Between Worlds Poster Set
Legendary
As you may have noticed, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds has arrived almost everywhere today — it hits Australia on 23rd October and Japan, amazingly, on 26th December. It's been met with critical acclaim, and social networks are gradually being filled up with happy gamers sharing initial impressions. Keen to capitalise on...
News Nintendo Infographic Shows Off Phenomenal Pokémon X & Y Sales Records
Reached one million U.S. sales in one day
It's likely that anyone with a passing interest in Nintendo will be aware, by now, that Pokémon X & Y have been a major success since launch. The arrival of a new generation on 3DS was preceded by months of barely containable hype, and since hitting stores the two games have been breaking various sales...
Weirdness The Fresh Prince Meets Super Mario In This Toe-Tapping Mash-Up
I looked at my (Mushroom) kingdom, I was finally there
With the release of Super Mario 3D World almost upon us, what better way to celebrate than combine the lyrics of classic TV show Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air with the Wii U game's infectious soundtrack? That's exactly what one resourceful soul has done — you can witness the result below. If you're...
News Turn Your Animal Crossing Character Into A Custom Figurine
A new life for your New Leaf mayor
Animal Crossing: New Leaf has been a part of many 3DS users' lives for quite some time now, and in that time more than a few of us have surely grown particularly attached to their player character at the center of it all. This latest installment in the long-running series brought more customization options to the...