News Articles
Thursday23rd Apr 2015
Nintendo Download 23rd April (North America)
Mario Kart 8 DLC, DS karting, Mewtwo, 3D cube creation and more
Happy Mario Kart Day, Nintendo gamers! The usual download update details are out a little later than normal for North America and, unsurprisingly, the Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 has a prominent place in the listing. It's not the only fresh arrival, though, we also have more Mario Kart of...
Tuesday21st Apr 2015
Nintendo Download 23rd April (Europe)
Double Mario Kart delight, Kirby week, discounts and more
A day later than is custom, we finally have the European Nintendo Download Update details to pore over. It's a week with one particularly notable DLC pack on Wii U to be excited about, along with some Virtual Console offerings, a special Kirby-themed promotion ahead of the arrival of Kirby...
Monday20th Apr 2015
News UK StreetPass Groups Planning Mario Kart 8 Race Meetings This Weekend
200cc mode is the focus
This week sees the release of the second Mario Kart 8 DLC pack, which brings new racers, circuits and vehicles to the Wii U's premier racing title. However, for many players these additions pale in comparison to the pack's most important feature: the introduction of a blazingly-fast 200cc race class
Saturday18th Apr 2015
Video Nintendo Minute Races Around the Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2
On the starting grid
The Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 - or Mario Kart 8 X Animal Crossing, if you prefer - is now just days away, adding another eight tracks, three characters (four if you count Boy and Girl Villager separately) and four vehicles. There'll also be the 200cc mode as a free extra for everyone, too. One of the Wii U's finest games is about...
Wednesday15th Apr 2015
News Marvel at the Launch Trailer, Live Music and Tracks of Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2
Full details inside
After a lengthy period of furious winking, release date movement - for the better in this case - and rumours, Nintendo revealed the details for Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2. Some of the rumours actually proved correct, either by dumb luck or otherwise, and the line-up has certainly got plenty of fans excited. If you missed it, the...
News Nintendo of Japan Confirms the Tracks in the Upcoming Mario Kart 8 DLC
Baby Park and Neo Bowser City are in, after all!
With the second half of the Mario Kart 8 DLC just around the corner, speculation has been at critical mass. Just a few days ago, a rumour on NeoGaf stated that Neo Bowser City and Baby Park would be making an appearance, but that rumour was supposedly debunked. It has recently come to light that the...
Monday13th Apr 2015
Video Mute City in Mario Kart 8 Just Got Crazy Courtesy of 200cc Racing
The closest we'll get to a real F-Zero experience for now
It's not long until we'll be racing around in Mario Kart 8 at the slightly silly - but potentially awesome - 200cc speed. Whether a case of perspective or true to reality, the free update is bringing a level of pace that seems more than a mere one-third increase. Up to now Nintendo UK has...
Rumour Upcoming Mario Kart 8 DLC to Include Baby Park and Neo Bowser City
Supposedly dug up from the game's code
Update: Cancel the baby (park) shower, this is apparently a load of old bunkum, as we suggested it may be in the original article below. We're back to dreaming once again... Original Article: The Mario Kart 8 second DLC pack isn't far away, which mean we can start to fantasize about what tracks will be on...
Wednesday8th Apr 2015
Video This 200cc Mario Kart 8 Comparison Footage Shows Insane Speed Through Piranha Plant Pipeway
The power of flight
Mario Kart 8 will have a load of new content soon, with the 200cc racing class arriving as a free update for all players. We've already seen footage showing just how much it'll shake up the way we race, with the speed on offer seemingly more that the 50cc boost suggested by the name. Comparisons with 150cc laps are certainly...
Thursday2nd Apr 2015
Video See for Yourself How 200cc Speed Affects Mario Kart 8 Racing
Some tracks will never be the same again
Nintendo may be exploring quite a lot of paid DLC options, but it still gives us some free treats - the upcoming 200cc update for Mario Kart 8 is a good example. Revealed during Nintendo Direct, it'll arrive on 23rd April and bring a whole new level of speed to the terrific kart racer. The reveal video...
News Mario Kart 8 Animal Crossing DLC Pack Brought Forward to April, More amiibo Outfits on the Way
Track changes with the real-world seasons
Mario Kart 8 was saved for the finale of today's Nintendo Direct broadcasts, and with good reason. Satoru Iwata unveiled a free update that'll introduce a 200cc mode, but we also got more details on the upcoming Mario Kart 8 X Animal Crossing DLC pack and additional amiibo support. To start with the DLC...
News Mario Kart 8 Is Getting A Blisteringly Fast 200cc Mode For Free
Feel the need for speed on April 23rd
150cc has always been the sternest test in the Mario Kart series. Right from the launch of Super Mario Kart, this expert racing class represented the very best the franchise could offer: incredible speed and tough, skilled rivals. However, during today's Nintendo Direct a bombshell was dropped - 150cc is no...
Saturday14th Mar 2015
Video Nintendo Minute Interviews Several Prominent Indies on Their Upcoming Releases
Also, see which one of them is the best at Mario Kart 8
Indies play a vital role in Nintendo's lineup for the Wii U. With major third party developers all but deserting the console, the responsibility to keep gamers engaged on their Wii U in between major Nintendo releases falls to Indie developers. Some may see this as a weakness of the platform,...
Friday13th Mar 2015
News Mario Kart 8 Misses Out at BAFTA Game Awards, Though Indie Releases Earn the Spotlight
Upcoming Wii U release Never Alone wins Debut award
The BAFTA Game Awards do occasionally celebrate and reward the best of what Nintendo offers, but can also leave us scratching our heads. This year, notably, the Mobile / Handheld category didn't have a single 3DS game, which we certainly found baffling. Nevertheless Mario Kart 8 was nominated in...
Wednesday11th Mar 2015
Video Mario Kart 8 Hackers Duplicate Items For Racing Mayhem
All offline and not being shared, importantly
Mario Kart 8 is one of the best games on the Wii U, and through its DLC - more of which is due in May - has kept racers busy for many months. It's not entirely avoided the hacking fate of its predecessor on Wii, however, though widespread modding and cheating hasn't been a major problem to date. YouTube...
Sunday8th Mar 2015
Mario Kart 8 for $33, too
While Nintendo of America is yet to offer an online store as substantial as in the UK, its rather low key store does nevertheless occasionally offer great deals on refurbished goodies. At the moment Wii U fans in North America have some decent options, including a few select games. A notable option is a 32GB Black Wii U...
Thursday5th Mar 2015
Video Watch As A Gaggle Of Oldies Are Exposed To The Joys Of Mario Kart 8
"I'd prefer Poker"
Mario Kart 8 is a game with almost universal appeal, effortlessly able to transcend the boundaries of gender, race and - as the video below proves - age. Yup, the world-famous React YouTube channel has taken a group of old people, parked them in front of a Wii U playing a copy of Nintendo's famous racing title and shoved...
Monday2nd Mar 2015
News Mario Kart 8 DLC Still Set for May as Online eShop Purchases are Offered in Japan
Mario Kart.tv now linking to an eShop portal
Nintendo's taken notable strides in recent times with its online services and the eShop, particularly in the area of improving convenience for those buying download games when away from their console. In North America it's now possible to buy a decent collection of games via the company's official website...
Friday20th Feb 2015
News This Mario Kart 8 RC Toy Pretends to go Into Anti-Gravity Mode
Yes please
Well known US retailer JAKKS is currently promoting a variety of Nintendo toys, and last week we highlighted an articulated Link toy that's on the way. Another upcoming toy has popped up online, and is perhaps a cut above the rest - in both cool-factor and price. As you can see in the images above and below it's a remote controlled Mario...
Thursday19th Feb 2015
News Nintendo Will Replenish amiibo Supplies in Australia & New Zealand Over the Coming Months
Some figurines will be sourced from other regions
The sheer demand for Nintendo’s amiibo figurines has been unprecedented since they were released in stores late last year. Being able to provide an array of unique gaming experiences across multiple titles including Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Mario Kart 8, and Hyrule Warriors, the 29 currently...
Friday6th Feb 2015
News Nintendo Picks Up Three Gongs at the D.I.C.E. Awards
A double for Super Smash Bros.
Nintendo's excellent releases in 2014 earned it - and partners releasing exclusives such as Bayonetta 2 - a host of notable nominations and awards. The big N's representation at the recent D.I.C.E. awards was certainly less prominent than in some other major ceremonies of the past few months, with no nominations in key...
Thursday29th Jan 2015
News Week Three of the eShop Throwback Sale Goes Live in North America
Metroid Prime Trilogy, Mario Kart 8, Mario Golf: World Tour and more
In a move poised to please Metroid fans and ruin bidding wars for some, Nintendo has graciously released the Metroid Prime Trilogy on the Wii U eShop. Spearheading the third week of the North American "Throwback Sale," the beloved trilogy is available for a whopping 50% off its...
Monday19th Jan 2015
News Wii U Games, Likely in Hardware Bundles, Enjoy Mini-Revival in UK Charts
Nintendo Land joins Mario Kart 8 with upward momentum
The UK charts haven't often brought good cheer for Nintendo in the past year, though the latest results do bring a chink of light, if not a full blown revolution worthy of celebration. We're seeing upward momentum for one surprising game in particular, which suggests that the past seven days saw...
Monday12th Jan 2015
The captain and Toadette cling on in 40th place
In the coming days and weeks we'll learn a lot more about Nintendo's sales and performance over the Holiday period, and while there's optimism in some territories the UK charts continue to suggest that the company is struggling in the country. Whether the UK market will be highlighted as a problem area...
Weirdness Totaka's Song Appears to Have Been Found in Mario Kart 8
Listen carefully
Kazumi Totaka is one of Nintendo's most experienced and talented composers and sound directors, yet that's probably not the reason that many recognise his name. He's better know for Totaka's Song, a simple melody that has been hidden within a whole load of Nintendo games. The first appearance seems to have been in X on Game Boy,...
Tuesday16th Dec 2014
YouTube celeb Rosanna Pansino is understandably starstruck
If you're a YouTube fan that enjoys rather friendly and accessible baking videos, there's a pretty good chance that you know about Rosanna Pansino — she has nearly three million subscribers and we previously covered a Cooking Mama 5 video of hers. Pansino has now posted a Nintendo-themed...
Monday15th Dec 2014
Video We Go Hands On With Some 2nd Wave amiibo Figures
Tiny Falcon Punches
The world is going amiibo-mad at the moment, and in this wave of hysteria, some retailers are releasing the 2nd wave of figurines a week earlier than originally planned here in the UK. We picked up three of the new wave and because we're so nice, we've made this little video to show you what we think of them. You're welcome. [...
News Sorry to Disappoint, But That 'New' GamePad Mario Kart 8 Commercial is Pretty Old
Just wonky effects, we'd wager
Over the past weekend we saw some chatter around a potential 'new' GamePad in a Mario Kart 8 commercial posted on the Japanese YouTube account; we clicked on over and were disappointed. The focus was on a GamePad shot that showed a controller that appeared thinner but blurry, but we realised this was actually a retread...
Thursday11th Dec 2014
News Mario Kart 8 Starting Grid T-Shirt Accelerates Onto Club Nintendo
A pricey option for PAL racers
Club Nintendo may still insist on the completion of particularly annoying surveys, but it's still a useful means to pick up some goodies. While the North American version focuses on download games and occasional extras, the PAL equivalents serve up a range of merchandise, with fairly regular additions in recent times...
Wednesday10th Dec 2014
News Nintendo Maintains Its Vague Rhetoric on amiibo Stock Concerns
Some details would be nice
It's telling that, as Disney Infinity and Skylander toys pack shelves, Nintendo's amiibo figure range is often thin on the ground, with some models being particularly hard to find. It's a credit to Nintendo's new product that it's selling in such numbers and creating terrific demand, while at the same time there's obvious...