Latest Interviews

September2012

  • News Rayman Creator: Wii U Is For The Core Gamer

    Legendary designer seems very pleased by Nintendo's new console

    Rayman creator Michel Ancel has taken part in an interview with French site GameBlog, where he talks about his experience with Nintendo's new Wii U console. Ancel's comments, which have been translated by a NeoGAF forum member, give a tantalising glimpse into the power and potential of...

August2012

July2012

June2012

May2012

  • Interview Michael Inglis - Building LEGO Zelda

    Legendary LEGO

    Recently we found out that a project to make LEGO Zelda a reality, via the CUUSOO platform, had reached 10,000 supporters and, as a result, has gone forward for consideration by The LEGO Group. There are still hurdles to get over, including the small matter of Nintendo agreeing to license the brand, but it's an achievement to...

  • Interview Nigoro on La-Mulana's Cancellation

    What happened?

    Those waiting for La-Mulana's WiiWare release were left disappointed recently when publisher Nicalis cancelled the game's western launch. Nicalis cited problems with low sales of the WiiWare platform and a protracted development period, leaving no current route overseas for the 2D platformer and developer Nigoro. We spoke to...

  • Interview Peter Ong - Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion

    We have a chat with the game's director about Mickey's handheld odyssey

    We're suckers for retro here at Nintendo Life, and we certainly found our interest piqued when Disney Interactive revealed that it's upcoming portable title Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion was to be a 16-bit-style sequel to the Mega Drive's Castle of Illusion Starring...

  • Interview Trent Oster - WiiWare from a Developer's Perspective

    Changes that can support independent developers

    After declaring that Beamdog will never develop for Nintendo again, company president Trent Oster was the recipient of both praise and criticism for his honesty. The tone of the original remarks on Twitter riled some, while debates about the merits and flaws of WiiWare and Nintendo’s digital strategy...

  • News Oster Lays Out WiiWare Criticisms

    Lessons to be learned

    There was a lot of controversy recently when Trent Oster — president of Beamdog, the company responsible for MDK2's WiiWare port — said that his company would never develop for Nintendo again: some objected to the tone of his remarks and comments about Wii as a console. In an interview with Nintendo Life, Oster outlines...

April2012

  • Interview Renegade Kid - ATV Wild Ride 3D

    ATV racer gets a 3D facelift

    After having trouble getting the original ATV Wild Ride for Nintendo DS onto retail shelves, developer Renegade Kid have decided to give the game a 3D makeover and this time offer the game on Nintendo's 3DS eShop. We recently got the chance to take the game for a spin and we thought now might be a good time to sit down...

  • Interview Shinesparkers - Celebrating Metroid with Music

    Recreating the adventure

    Recently we became aware of Harmony of a Hunter, a two-disc album of fan-produced Metroid music that covers the history of the franchise: it's available for free from this download page. It's a project from Metroid fan-site shinesparkers.net, and a follow-up album called Harmony of a Hunter: 101% Run is on the way. We spoke...

  • Ninterview IAmThatOneGuy Talks About Creating Paper Samus

    Aran sweater

    Last week we told you about a giant paper Samus created by Flickr user IAmThatOneGuy, and we decided that we wanted to learn more about how it was created. We reached out to the paper artist and learned more about him and his unique project. Nintendo Life: First, please introduce yourself and your creation. Matthew R Green: My name is...

  • Interview Senile Team - Rush Rush Rally Racing

    Racing to answer

    Tomorrow sees the European release of Rush Rush Rally Racing (R4) for WiiWare, nearly 18 months after it was first announced. We sat down with developer Senile Team's Jeroen and Roel van Mastbergen to talk racers, future releases and WiiWare. Nintendo Life: Firstly, please introduce yourself to our readers. Senile Team: Hi readers!...

  • Interview Ludosity - Alien Chaos 3D

    Signs of intelligent life

    Developer Ludosity and publisher Reef Entertainment just revealed a new 3DS download game for Europe called Alien Chaos 3D, so we tracked down the developer and convinced it to spill the beans on its upcoming eShop shooter. Nintendo Life: First of all, can you tell us a little bit more about the Ludosity studio? Ludosity:...

March2012

  • Interview Super Fighter Team - Developing for SNES in 2012

    Brandon Cobb explains why retro gaming matters

    When we published a news article about a new SNES title on the way in 2013, Nightmare Busters, it attracted a great deal of interest. While many of us spend the majority of our game-time on current-day consoles, there still seems to be an appetite for retro titles and platforms. Few companies represent...

  • News Resident Evil Revelations Almost Had Campaign Co-Op

    Killer shrimp were also considered

    Resident Evil Revelations was the first major release on 3DS this year, and it's pushed a lot of buttons with an impressive campaign and online co-op mode. Like all video game projects, however, the final product doesn't include everything that the developers initially intended, as producer Masachika Kawata and...

  • Ninterview Camille and Kennerly - The Harp Twins

    Making sweet music

    The internet is full of unusual covers of Nintendo songs, but none caught our eye quite like this Ballad of the Goddess harp duet by identical twins Camille and Kennerly, aka The Harp Twins. We talked to the musical duo about gaming, music and sticking together. Nintendo Life: Hi guys, thanks for agreeing to this interview! First...

  • News Hideki Konno Discusses Mario Kart 7 and its Development

    Blue shells aren't going anywhere

    Mario Kart 7 is now well established as one of the games to own on 3DS, contributing to an important revival for the handheld in the Holiday period. We'd wager a lot of gamers are still revving up their karts for some racing, which says a lot for the series' appeal to gamers of varying experience levels. IGN has...

January2012

  • Interview Mutant Mudds Reader Questions

    Renegade Kid answers your questions

    With Mutant Mudds getting closer to release we recently gave you, the readers, the opportunity to ask Renegade Kid any questions you had about the game. Jools Watsham, director of Mutant Mudds and co-founder of Renegade Kid, was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer your questions...

December2011

October2011

  • Feature The Development Process of Go! Go! Kokopolo

    How a stray cat, a passion for classic gaming and a dream coalesced into a DSiWare delight

    A little while back, a little gem appeared as if from a cloud of smoke onto the DSiWare service – Go! Go! Kokopolo, from young indie developer Tanukii Studios. In speaking with Keith Webb, the company's founder, we discovered that he was also its only...

  • Interviews QubicGames - Gnomz (WiiWare)

    Learn more about the porcelain protectors

    After the revelation of Gnomz yesterday we had to sit down with QubicGames' Michał Dys to learn more about the bizarre WiiWare fighting platformer. We'll also have a preview of the game coming up tomorrow, so don't miss it. Nintendo Life: The first question has to be: why gnomes? What is it about them that...

  • Interview Enjoy Gaming - Pyramids (3DS eShop)

    We talk about the eShop's first 3D puzzler-platformer

    We at Nintendo Life love a good puzzle, and Pyramids looks to provide just that. It originally caught our eye as one of the first announced third-party eShop titles, and it's still only one of less than ten in the running so far. We sat down with Enjoy Gaming's Production Manager, Janice Spencer,...

  • Interview Collecting Smiles - Colors! 3D

    Take a look at the upcoming 3D painting app along with the first two screenshots

    The 3DS eShop is slowly gaining steam, but most will admit that the download service doesn't quite have the robust library we might hope for four months in, especially when it comes to third-party software. That's set to change soon with the help of Colors! 3D, an art...

  • Interview Gameloft - Let's Golf! 3D and the State of the eShop

    Talkin' shop

    The 3DS eShop is entering its fourth month, but besides the 3D Classics series and Pokédex 3D, the only original software available for download is Let's Golf! 3D from Gameloft. As we look forward to the future of Nintendo's online shops and back at their predecessors, we decided to sit down with the team and chat about the Big N's...

September2011

  • Interview Object Vision Software - Aya and the Cubes of Light

    We talk to the B2B software house turned game studio about its debut release

    For over a decade, if you knew about Object Vision Software, it was likely because your business needed custom, or bespoke, software or consultation. Now the B2B firm has stepped into the world of video game development with the innovative WiiWare puzzler Aya and the Cubes...

  • Interview Tanukii Studios - Go! Go! Kokopolo and Beyond

    We sit down with the sole member of the young DSiWare dev

    Here at Nintendo Life, two things we love are creative independent developers and unique game designs. One great example of the latter is the recently released Go! Go! Kokopolo, a quirky, challenging downloadable title that hit the DSi Shop a little while ago and scored an 8/10 in our Go! Go!...

August2011

  • Interview Microforum - Kyotokei and the Future of the eShop

    We take the new horizontal shmup head-on

    We love when something a little out of the ordinary pops up on WiiWare, and one such game is Kyotokei, an original horizontal shoot-em-up that recently launched in North America and garnered an impressive 7/10 in our Kyotokei review. Our own Corbie Dillard and Zach Kaplan sat down with Giovanni Simotti, CTO...

  • Interview Firemint - Flight Control (WiiWare)

    We talk about the newest iteration of the up-and-coming developer's popular IP

    After conquering the iOS, DSiWare and even PlayStation Move platforms, Firemint's addictive air traffic control-based Flight Control is landing today on WiiWare in Europe and North America. We sat down with Writer and Media Liaison Logan Booker to talk about the...

  • Interviews Renegade Kid - Mutant Mudds

    Developer talks platforming

    When developer Renegade Kid first showed off some early footage of its Maximillian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds 3D platform title, many gamers were a bit shocked at the radical departure from many of its previous efforts like Moon and Dementium: The Ward. The game's cartoon looks and light-hearted theme were a far cry...

July2011

June2011

  • Feature Gaming Thoughts of a Self-Confessed Tattooligan

    Jim Smallman about his gaming heritage and why Nintendo will always have a special place in his hear

    While most gamers show their love and appreciation for their hobby by tirelessly buying up software, hardware and official merchandise, there are a select few who decide to take their adoration a step further. One such individual is UK-based comedian...

April2011

  • Interview MonkeyPaw Games - BurgerTime World Tour

    Developer talks classic arcade update

    With the upcoming release of Burgertime World Tour on the WiiWare service, we thought now might be a good time to get in touch with MonkeyPaw Games and attempt to gain some new information on the title. John Greiner, president of MonkeyPaw Games, was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to sit down...

  • Interviews High Voltage Software - Conduit 2

    We go deep inside the Wii's newest FPS

    A little under a week ago saw the release of the first person shooter Conduit 2, the highly anticipated sequel from High Voltage Software. To take a closer look at the development of the game (as well as a possible hint at future 3DS outings), we went behind the scenes with Kevin Sheller, a senior producer at...

  • Interviews Monster Tale - Dreamrift's Peter Ong

    DreamRift's co-founder spins us a tale of two screens

    Even though its successor released last month in Europe and North America, the DS was never going to go down without a fight. A new Pokemon generation dominated the handheld's last days as top dog, but right under the radar flew Majesco and DreamRift's excellent platform/pet RPG Monster Tale...

  • Interviews TT Games - LEGO Battles: Ninjago (DS)

    We talk about ninjas and studs

    LEGO Battles: Ninjago is bringing its own brand of Spinjitzu to North America and Europe this week. TT Games producer Vince Grogan appeared in a puff of smoke, so we hurled shuriken-sharp questions in his direction until he fled. Nintendo Life: What's the first thing we should know about LEGO Battles: Ninjago? Vince...

March2011

  • Interviews Richie Knucklez - The Kong Off

    "the most important person in video gaming right now"

    In the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Steve Wiebe travels to FunSpot Arcade to put a stop to all the naysayers disputing his record-setting Donkey Kong skills. To the amazement of everyone watching, he achieves the first ever kill screen on the Funspot Donkey Kong machine...

  • Interviews Electronic Arts - Madden NFL Football (3DS)

    The development team tackles our tough questions

    Sports and video games go together like quarterbacks and cheerleaders, and that's why we at Nintendo Life are excited that Madden NFL, one of the longest-running and most popular American football franchises, is among the 3DS launch line-up. We've been tossing the pigskin back and forth across the...

  • Interviews Scroll's Ray Barnholt Talks SNES and New-Age Fanzines

    Former 1UP staffer fills us in on what he's up to now

    The humble fanzine harks back to an era when the net didn't exist and the most bits you could possibly hope for from a games console was 16. It's hard to appreciate this now, but back then these crude pen-and-paper creations were the ancestors of sites like the one you're reading right now;...

February2011

  • Interviews Doctor Kong Director Alexis Neophytides

    We catch up with Alexis and Hank at the film's Brooklyn premiere

    The saga over high scores in Donkey Kong is no longer a tale of two dudes. While most of us came to know the world of modern day Donkey Kongers through the epic rivalry between Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchelll, it wasn't long before a third player emerged out of left field. Hank Chien,...

  • Interviews Catching Up with Steve Wiebe

    The former champ ain't no chump

    Not since a certain famous gorilla and plumber-to-be squared off for the coveted Pauline has there been a rivalry like that of the Kings of Kong. The film The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters brought to public attention the fight for dominance between family man Steve Wiebe and Goliath-like hot saucier Billy...

  • Interviews WayForward - Mighty Milky Way

    Sean Velasco talks Mighty Milky Way

    We've already seen WayForward release some of the best DSiWare titles the service has seen to date, but now the company is getting set to release the pseudo-sequel to their first DSiWare hit Mighty Flip Champs. And while Mighty Milky Way shares many of the traits of its predecessor, it's actually a completely...

  • Interviews Ben Geisler - Jam City Rollergirls

    We go all post-mortem

    Cast your minds back several years to the announcement of WiiWare, and its promise to bring smaller, riskier titles to Wii owners. Over the years there's no doubt the service has seen some pretty unique games, and the latest in that line is Jam City Rollergirls, the only video game ever based on roller derby. Our Jam City...

January2011

  • Interviews Dr. Hank Chien, the Current King of Kong

    Doctor Kong tells all

    We recently live blogged former King of Kong Steve Wiebe's attempt to take back the Donkey Kong record, but before last March, we weren't even aware that a new champ was out there. We recently sat down with the New York plastic surgeon to get his thoughts on his rise to fame, competitive playing and more as well as get some...

  • Interview Geek Prints - Retro Video Game Clothing

    Being a nerd has never looked so fashionable

    There are many ways to show your appreciation for gaming's illustrious past. One is obviously re-living classic titles via Nintendo's popular Virtual Console service, while another is seeking out original hardware and software for that authentic experience. However, here at Nintendo Life HQ we've been...

December2010

  • Interviews Curve Studios - Fluidity / Hydroventure

    Developers spill about Fluidity

    Fluidity was recently released on WiiWare in North America and we were very impressed with the game's unique approach and fluid execution. With the game making its debut today on the European WiiWare service under its new moniker Hydroventure , we thought it might be a good time to sit down with developer Curve...

November2010

  • Interviews Two Tribes - Frenzic

    Promising puzzler gets it in the Q&A

    DSiWare puzzler Frenzic is nearly upon us – released this Friday in Europe and Monday for North America at 200 Points, in fact. Publisher Two Tribes graciously granted us time for an interview to find out more about the process of bringing Frenzic to DSiWare. Nintendo Life: Can you tell us a bit about Frenzic?...

October2010

  • News Call of Duty: Black Ops Wii to Get Online Co-Op and Zombie Modes

    Activision interview opens up

    Call of Duty: Black Ops on Wii has been shrouded in secrecy for months, with next-to nothing concrete revealed, but now the game's senior producer Anna Donlan has spilled the beans on what gamers can expect on November 9th. The biggest news is arguably that the game will feature online co-operative play, including the...

  • Interviews Frozen Codebase - Jam City Rollergirls

    Jammers, blue shells and water bombs - welcome to roller derby

    Some games have thrilling stories of inspiration: a childhood nightmare overcome, fresh eyes on a new hobby. Jam City Rollergirls does not have quite such noble origins: it's the offspring of the fast-paced sport of roller derby and lots of drinking. We chatted to developer Frozen...

  • Interviews Epicenter Studios - Rock of the Dead

    House of the Dead meets Rock Band meets Neil Patrick Harris. Thoughts and new screenshots revealed

    Sometimes, a game comes along that makes you say "Why didn't I think of that?" – right after you marvel at how cool it is, of course. Rock of the Dead, the upcoming title from independent studio Epicenter, is just one such game. Imagine, if...

  • News NBA Jam Man Disappointed by Gamers' Negative Attitudes

    Try to contain your surprise

    Trey Smith, Creative Director of recent Wii slam-a-jamma NBA Jam, is an old head in this industry, having been working on games for the best part of a decade. He must have seen his fair share of problems in his team, but when quizzed by the MTV Multiplayer blog what did he state as the number one biggest problem...

  • Interviews WayForward - Shantae: Risky's Revenge

    Matt Bozon talks about his long-awaited sequel

    After an eight year absence, WayForward's half-genie has finally come out of the bottle for her brand new sequel just released on Nintendo's DSiWare service. Shantae: Risky's Revenge captures all of the unique gameplay of the original and expands upon it with all new magical powers and animal...

  • Interviews Sega - Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1

    We chat about the hedgehog's 2D return

    It's nearly here: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is released on WiiWare in North America on October 11th, with a European release following on Friday October 15th. With the game now finished and so very nearly here, we caught up with Ken Balough, Digital Brand Manager for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, to...

September2010

August2010

  • Interviews Onteca Studio Visit - A Monsteca Corral

    We discuss monsters, robots and WiiWare with Corral’s Producer and Art Director

    Following our recent A Monsteca Corral: Monsters vs. Robots review, we headed to Liverpool in the UK to chat with independent developer Onteca’s Jon Wetherall (Producer) and Rich Alston (Art Director), about their first WiiWare title. Nintendo Life: Where did the...

  • News Sakamoto says Metroid: Other M is a "Perfect Metroid Experience"

    The wait is nearly over

    It's been a long wait for Metroid: Other M, but within a few weeks we'll finally know whether or not it's an excellent outing for the bounty hunter. Metroid creator Yoshio Sakamoto certainly seems to think so, even going so far as to say it's the perfect Metroid experience in an interview with Official Nintendo Magazine. But...

July2010

  • News Jett Rocket's Return May Not be in Platform Form

    Shin'en interview hints at branching out

    Graphically resplendent and rather enjoyable WiiWare platformer Jett Rocket has been making waves since landing in June, and those who've clocked the adventure may have already seen this closing screen that hints at a reappearance for the jumpsuited Jett. Well, don't expect to see him repeating his...

  • News Shu Takumi Talks Ghost Trick, Ace Attorney

    Would love to see a 3DS Phantom Detective

    Recently, PlanetDS.de published an interview with Shu Takumi, a creative director at Capcom who's working on Ghost Trick and whose past projects include the first four Phoenix Wright titles. In it, he discusses his excitement with Phantom Detective: I swear none of you have ever seen anything like it...

  • Interviews Takumi Naramura - La Mulana

    La Mulana creator talks about new WiiWare remake

    Nicalis have already released one hit indie PC title on the WiiWare service with the release of Cave Story and are now putting the finishing touches on their second WiiWare release La Mulana. Since it's been awhile since we've heard any new information on the game, we decided to go directly to the...

June2010

  • Interviews Dancing Dots - QuickPick Farmer

    The independent French studio talks about its upcoming release, downloadable gaming, humour and more

    On July 5th, North American DSi owners will be able to download QuickPick Farmer, the first DSiWare release from independent developer Dancing Dots (not to be confused with Dippin' Dots, the ice cream of the future). We spoke to managing director...

  • News Kingdom Hearts DS Release Re:coded to Tease 3DS Title

    Nomura tells all!

    According to a recent interview with Square Enix director Tetsuya Nomura, the 3DS Kingdom Hearts game will be a brand new adventure in which characters Soru and Riku explore worlds previously unforeseen in the series (no Pixar characters, though). If you want any more tidbits, though, it might do you well to check out the upcoming...

  • News Optimus Prime Talks About Being the First Voice of Mario

    Peter Cullen reminisces about lending his vocal talents to the world's most famous plumber

    Legendary voice actor Peter Cullen - who has recently lent his talents to Activision's upcoming Transformers title War for Cybertron (also known as the slightly less threatening Cybertron Adventures on Wii) was interviewed by Wired.com the other day and...

  • News 3DS Online Content to Push, Not Pull

    In new Nintendo console, the games come to you

    There are still no hard-and-fast facts about how the 3DS's shop will function, but several recent interviews with Satoru Iwata have revealed a potential sea change in thinking at Nintendo's highest level: as well as Mr Iwata's post-E3 comments that the console could support video chat, a discussion with...

  • E3 2010 First Impressions: Ivy the Kiwi?

    Yuji Naka shows off his newest project

    For the three or four people on the planet who don't know, Yuji Naka is the former head of Sega's Sonic Team and had a hand in the creation of the Mega Drive Sonic releases. He was also heavily involved in the creation of NiGHTS Into Dreams for the Sega Saturn before leaving the team to pursue other projects...