Tag: Hardware - Page 14
Gallery It's OK, We Want Each And Every One Of These Gorgeous New 3DS Cover Plates Too
Nintendo has it covered
We don't know about you, but we're pretty hyped about the forthcoming release of the New 3DS — there's just something about fresh Nintendo hardware that excites the places other companies simply cannot reach. However, out excitement levels have been pushed to the limit by the news that the standard "New" 3DS system will...
Reaction Picking Apart The New Nintendo 3DS And New 3DS XL
Tom and Damien chew the fat over today's shock reveal
Earlier today, Nintendo shocked the video gaming world by announcing the impending launch of not one but two revised 3DS models. The New 3DS and New 3DS XL take the core template of the original model and add in NFC, a nipple-like C-Stick, additional shoulder buttons and an improved screen...
News New Nintendo 3DS Models Announced
NFC, Second Circle Pad, Extra Shoulder Buttons And Improved Screens
It has been revealed during today's Japanese Nintendo Direct that Nintendo is refreshing its 3DS line of consoles with new features. The revised hardware will include NFC as standard — for Amiibo support — a second, smaller Circle Pad, additional shoulder buttons and improved...
News Wii U Sales Continue to Rise with the Release of Hyrule Warriors – 3DS Sales Also Strong
Yokai Watch 2 still top banana
Hyrule Warriors was released in Japan last week, and it appears that the unprecedented level of promotion and advertising the game received has paid off. The crossover game holds second place in Japan's charts this week with just shy of 70,000 copies sold. This is certainly a promising figure, and we can only hope for...
News Yokai Watch 2 Passes Two Million Sales in Japan as Wii U Sales Increase
3DS hardware also holds momentum
To the surprise of no one, Yokai Watch 2 has once again dominated the Japanese charts, bringing its sales to 2 million, and this figure doesn't even take into account any digital downloads so the total number is bound to be significantly higher than that. Not only this, but Level-5's original Yokai Watch takes ninth...
News Beautiful Limited Edition Super Smash Bros. 3DS XL Console Bundle Revealed
And it's not just a dull logo on it either
Nintendo has announced a new addition to its range of limited edition 3DS XL consoles, and this time it's celebrating Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. The special edition red console will come bundled with a digital copy of the game it represents, as well as an undeniably gorgeous design displaying many...
Video Hyperkin RetroN 5 Review - King Of The Clone Consoles?
Tom and Damien put the wonder machine through its paces
The Hyperkin RetroN 5 has been with us for a while now, and we've had ample time to really get to know the system inside out. With that in mind, we present to you a video review of this talented piece of tech, which is capable of running games from a wide range of retro platforms, including the...
Hardware Review 8Bitdo NES30 Bluetooth Controller
A familiar friend, reinvented
If you're an Android user then you'll already be well aware of the operating system's native connectivity with wireless Bluetooth peripherals, including dedicated game pad controllers. Apple has recently introduced a similar protocol for its iOS platform, and Android-based micro-consoles like the Ouya, M.O.J.O. and
News Looks Like You Can Only Install 300 Games And Apps On Your 3DS
Still enough to keep you busy for a while
We've all experienced the irksome problem of running out of storage space on our 3DS consoles, but it would appear that even the most spacious SD card in the world won't help overcome this issue totally — the hardware seems to have a maximum ceiling of 300 applications. Reddit user Rayquaza3010 received...
News Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Release in Japan Sees New Circle Pad Accessory
Vaguely resembles a Wavebird if you squint
Thanks to console accessories manufacturer Hori, the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL are about to get even bigger in Japan. To celebrate the upcoming release of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Hori is releasing the Extended Slide Pad Controller, a grip controller-style accessory that places a second circle pad...
News Official Nintendo UK Store Adds Cool T-Shirt to Wind Waker HD Hardware Bundle
Or there's the Link Between Worlds 3DS XL with a t-shirt
Update: Nintendo's store is also offering the Link Between Worlds 3DS XL bundle with a retro-styled Zelda t-shirt, for £199.99. Original Article: There are a variety of attractive Wii U hardware bundles doing the rounds at present, with the best surely being the Mario Kart 8 bundle, in...
News Nintendo UK Store's Kirby Hypernova Pack Aims to Suck You In
2DS deals everywhere
If you've not yet picked up a 3DS — what are you doing? — then the 2DS is perhaps a tempting option. Released by Nintendo to target a young demographic, it also provides a slightly lower entry point than the standard and XL 3DS models; all you lose is the 3D effect and clamshell design. When it last provided figures...
News This Rather Neat "Mario White Edition" 3DS XL Will Run North American Games
A sort-of Western release
In the past we've shared some lovely 3DS hardware designs that are often rare and limited to release in Japan or other out-of-reach territories — some of the best examples are the iQue 3DS XL models released in China, too. It seems that the red and white Mario model from that iQue range will be an option for North...
News Wii Owners Are Upgrading To PlayStation 4, Claims Sony
Lies, damn lies and statistics?
Sony Worldwide Studios senior VP of product development Scott Rohde has made the bold claim that Wii and Xbox 360 owners are choosing the PS4 as their next system. Using stats collected by industry tracker Nielsen, Rohde explained that many new PS4 owners did not previously own a PS3, and instead upgraded from a...
News Sony Overtakes Nintendo In Global Hardware Sales For The First Time In Eight Years
Sony shifted 18.7 million consoles, Nintendo 16.3 million
It has been revealed that in the financial year that has just concluded, Sony has sold more consoles worldwide than its rivals Nintendo and Microsoft. For the first time since 2006, Sony has beaten its Japanese competitor in terms of hardware units retailed. Sony sold 18.7 million PS4, PS3,...
News 2DS Hardware Bundle With New Super Mario Bros. 2 Coming on 4th July
It's all about the coins, remember
In its recent financial results, Nintendo confirmed that over two million 2DS systems had been sold since its launch in October 2013, a solid return considering its arguably limited demographic. The company remains keen to promote the system, particularly to young gamers, and has now announced a new bundle set for...
Video Watch Us Rigorously Test Hyperkin's New RetroN 5 Superconsole
Direct-feed footage, UI details and more
Hyperkin's much-delayed and highly-anticipated RetroN 5 console finally ships this week, and we've kindly been sent a review unit which we're currently putting through its paces. To tide you over until the review appears, we've put together a video which shows direct-feed footage captured from the system...
Weirdness This Cool System Supports Famicom, Super Famicom and PC Engine Games
Has its own screen, too
Retro console mods and units are certainly on our list of cool things here at Nintendo Life, and we often take the opportunity to review clone hardware that allows for extra convenient play of '80s and '90s-era systems. You may have the original units in your collection, but as their chips age and if you don't want multiple...
News Older Wii U Bundles, Including All Black Systems, Discontinued in Japan
White models, 8GB and 32GB, now the main draw
While Nintendo sets off a major Wii U push with the arrival of Mario Kart 8 and with the system likely to enjoy a prominent role at E3 2014, it seems the company is nevertheless making logistical cost-saving decisions to ensure that the systems it does sell are produced as cheaply as possible. Part of...
News Nintendo Confirms New 'Sea Green' 2DS Model
Arriving alongside Tomodachi Life
With Tomodachi Life arriving in Europe and North America on 6th June, Nintendo has been pushing some fairly heavy marketing for the title. Commercials produced by Nintendo of America in particular have certainly been aiming for a young demographic, so it's of little surprise that a new 2DS model has now been...
News Hyperkin Finally Shipping Its Retron 5 Console This Week
$140 in the US, £119 in the UK
Hyperkin will begin shipping its Retron 5 console this week, according to IGN. The system is a retro powerhouse, and will play NES, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy Advance, Famicom, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Sega Mega Drive and Super Famicom games. It will also play Master System games using the Sega Power Base Converter. It...
News Wii U Reportedly Uses Less Energy to Run Than Wii and Rivals
Natural Resources Defense Council highlights low energy use
A report by the the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests that the Wii U annually consumes less energy than the Wii, as shown in the graph below: The graph, which is designed to show how much energy your console drains across the year, illustrates that the Wii U is more effective in...
News Nintendo Promotes $99 2DS Target Deal, Available Until 17th May
Think of the children!
A statistic that probably got little attention when Nintendo was dishing out financial results and sales figures recently was that, between 12th October 2013 and 31st March 2014, 2.2 million 2DS systems were sold in Western territories. The budget 2D-only iteration of the portable, which comes with a slab / tablet design, has...
News Nintendo's Plan for "Redefining the Definition of Video Game Platforms" Around Two Years Away
Company has a "clear idea to some extent" on future hardware direction
Following the financial results issued last week, Nintendo has now issued the officially translated Q & A with shareholders in which company President Satoru Iwata addressed a series of tough questions, some of which concerned the company's plans over the next 2-3 years to...
First Impressions Does Mugen's 2DS XL Battery Make Or Break The Handheld?
With great power comes increased girth
Whether you love or hate the Fisher Price-style design of the robust 2DS, we can all agree on the need for longer battery life in our handheld devices. With that in mind, Mugen is just about to release a battery upgrade for the 2DS that doubles the capacity of the internal power cell and costs a princely $89.99...
News Nintendo Creating a New Console for Emerging Markets, Including China
"For us, Microsoft's approach wouldn't work," Iwata says
In an interview today with Reuters, Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata revealed the company is planning to introduce new hardware and software for unspecified "emerging markets" over the next two years to take advantage of a rising middle class in many parts of the world; China...
News 2DS CPU Update Looks Set to Adjust System Security
FCC filings spotted
Following its launch in Western territories on 12th October 2013 — alongside Pokémon X & Y — the 2DS has sold (as of 31st March 2014) 2.2 million units. That's not too bad for a hardware iteration targeted at a rather specific demographic and not given the most high profile of launch campaigns. As a budget tablet-like...
News Western Markets Vital For Nintendo Hardware Sales as Japan Gains Ground
More 3DS units sold in Japan than North America
With Nintendo no doubt plotting its route to profitability in the coming financial year, one area of consideration is likely to be boosting sales outside of Japan. Worldwide results are important, of course, but the Wii U and 3DS are showing patterns of dropping sales in the West as compared to...
System predicted to stay behind PS4 and Xbox One in generation sales
We're now well and truly into a fresh generation of home consoles, with Nintendo's 2012 Wii U release now joined by the late 2013 arrivals of PS4 and Xbox One. The previous Wii / PS3 / Xbox 360 era brought impressive sales all around, though a continually evolving market and...
News Gaze at This Pokémon Game Boy and Know That You Want It
Design celebrates Red & Blue, and maybe a bit of Yellow
Pokémon is a powerful force, a franchise that continues to shift millions of units and draw gamers in not just to the core games, but spin-offs, animations and trading card games, too. Pokémon X & Y on 3DS have continued the success, bringing the franchise to Nintendo's current generation...
News Sleek Metal NES Analogue Nt Now Available for Preorder
$499 price point and colour options revealed
Seattle-based custom console manufacturer Analogue Interactive has spilled the beans on its upcoming Analogue Nt, a sexy aircraft-grade aluminium NES/Famicom we reported on back in March. Set for a release this summer, the Analogue Nt is now available for preorder through the company's website with a base...
Talking Point What We Want To See From Nintendo's Next Handheld
Pocket-sized predictions
The 3DS is now more than three years old, which — if tradition is to be followed — places it roughly halfway through its effective life span as Nintendo's main handheld system. It's almost certainly the next piece of hardware that Nintendo will seek to replace, and given the (quickly quashed) rumours of new hardware...
News Nintendo Quashes Rumours Of New Hardware At E3 2014
Official confirmation that no new hardware will be shown
Earlier today, we reported on some comments made by IGN's Jose Otero and Peer Schneider regarding Nintendo showing off new hardware at this year's E3. Schneider, who is the co-founder of IGN and has been working in the industry for quite some time, even stated: They're absolutely going to...
Rumour Nintendo Will Reveal New Hardware At This Year's E3
"They're absolutely going to show new hardware this year"
Nintendo has already revealed some of its plans for E3 2014, but if a new rumour is to be believed, it could be showing off more than just new software at this year's show. In the latest episode of Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN
News Amazon Comes in Low With Mario Kart 8 Wii U Bundle Price, Awesome GamePad Skins on the Way
Nintendo UK store has impressive Mario Kart 8 bundles, too
You may have already seen the news that Nintendo of Europe has confirmed the Mario Kart 8 Premium Pack – Special Edition Wii U Hardware Bundle for the region, and we expect that a North American announcement is just a matter of time. As anticipated it's a 32GB system with a disc copy of...
News Nintendo Confirms The Mario Kart 8 Premium Pack – Special Edition Wii U Hardware Bundle
Peach and Yoshi Wii Remote Plus controllers coming to Europe, too
Update: Nintendo of Australia has now confirmed the Mario Kart 8 Premium Pack – Special Edition bundle, with the same details; it's stated the recommended retail price in the region will be AU$429.95. Original Article: Not so long ago there was a rumour of a Mario Kart 8 Wii U...
News Nintendo Launches 3DS XL "Recommended Software" Hardware Promotion in Japan
A free game with a 3DS XL purchase
Nintendo has run a number of eShop retail download promotions in the past couple of years to encourage gamers to buy its products. Most of these have focused on the 3DS, with varying schemes in different territories offering free game downloads in return for registering a fixed number of retail titles or hardware...
Weirdness These Chinese Game Controllers Look Wii-ly Familiar
The designers at Xiao Bawang clearly ran out of ideas
China has recently lifted its ban on games consoles, and as a result we're seeing a few new challengers arrive on the market in the hope of leveraging the country's massive number of potential players. One such outfit is Xiao Bawang, the company which tried — and failed — to conquer China...
News This Metroid Game Boy Advance Design is a Treat
Perfect for celebrating Metroid Fusion's arrival on Wii U
Metroid Fusion is now available on the Wii U Virtual Console, which is good news as it's rather brilliant. The arrival of Game Boy Advance titles on the Wii U also gives portable gamers with longer memories or retro leanings an excuse to look back wistfully on the original platform, the last...
News Nintendo of Europe Reveals Pink + White 2DS for Release Alongside Kirby: Triple Deluxe
Time for a 2DS...
Update: This model has also been confirmed for Australia and New Zealand, with a release date alongside the game of 17th May. Original Article: The May arrival of Kirby: Triple Deluxe is no doubt on the radar of plenty of 3DS owners — it hits North America on 2nd May and Europe on the 16th. While the latter region has to wait...
News Walmart's Mickey 3DS XL Will Sell for $199.96, Does Not Include Game
Some better images and box art emerge
We reported yesterday that North America will be getting a special edition Mickey-themed 3DS XL on 11th April to coincide with the release of Disney Magical World. Now we know the Walmart-exclusive 3DS XL will retail for $199.96, and it will not include a copy of the game... despite the Dis
News GameStop Confirms Exclusive "Peach Pink" 2DS System for the U.S.
It's Mickey Mouse-themed, Princess Peach shunned...
While some may point out how many desirable limited-edition 3DS systems are available in Japan, it must be said that Western territories are catching up with plenty of eye-catching variations. Now the 2DS will get in the act, with the U.S. gearing up for a new colour to join the original blue and...
News Nintendo 64 Support Teased For A Future Hyperkin RetroN Console
Company teases an E3 reveal
The Hyperkin RetroN 5 is shaping up to be the most impressive "clone" system ever created; it has support for NES, Famicom, Genesis, Mega Drive, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance all in one box — but it would appear that Hyperkin is already thinking about how it can improve on this platform. Speaking...
News North American Retailers List Limited Edition Yoshi 3DS XL
Update: Nintendo of America confirms the rumours
Update: Nintendo of America has confirmed the March 14th release date and $199.99 retail price, and has also revealed that the game is sold separately and does not come preinstalled on the console. Original story: Nintendo may be masters of surprise reveals and keeping secrets — the 2DS being an...
News One Man Is Bringing The N64 Kicking And Screaming Into The HD Generation
Ever wanted to run your N64 through HDMI, DVI or VGA?
As we all know, the N64 was — and still is — a fantastic machine. For many Nintendo fans, it was their first real taste of 3D gaming and some of the console's best offerings stand the test of time very well indeed. The main issue with playing the console today is that it was never designed to...
News Nintendo Releasing a Wii Sports Club Wii U Hardware Bundle in Japan
A reverse from Wii Sports not being bundled with Wii in the region
With Wii U hardware sales in Japan once again down to four-figure numbers in the weekly charts, Nintendo's preparing a fresh bundle to attract the region's consumers. This time around the offering, pictured above, will include the three Wii Sports Club eShop titles released so far,...
News Nintendo UK's Store Offers The Mario and Sonic Winter Olympics Wii U Bundle
Going for gold
With the Winter Olympics well under way in Sochi, Nintendo UK has issued a reminder that its official store is offering a special Wii U bundle to celebrate the occasion, which represents a saving over buying each part of the package individually. Unsurprisingly this bundle includes the appropriately themed game, details below: Wii...
Apple shames unethical mineral suppliers, but will Nintendo do the same?
Progress isn't always a good thing. New consoles, gadgets and services can hold a hidden price which goes way beyond what we pay at retail. The minerals that are used to create much of our technology are often obtained from conflict-ridden parts of the world — such as the...
Feature Meet The Gamate, The Handheld Which Tried To Take On The Game Boy And Failed
We look at the history behind one of gaming's more obscure portables
When Nintendo launched the original Game Boy to a rapturous critical and commercial reception in 1989 it was almost a forgone conclusion that other companies would follow suit and concoct their own portable systems. Arch-rival Sega quickly pushed the Game Gear onto store shelves...
News Nintendo Patented an "Illumination Device" for Gaming Use
A little mood lighting, perhaps?
Nintendo has proven itself a company willing to buck standard conventions and try out new concepts. Some ideas, such as dual screens and motion controls, become a solid entry into gaming culture. Others may never leave the drawing board. A Nintendo patent that was filed in September 2010 and widely spotted today...