Handheld Nintendo Blog

People who can remember Donkey Kong on the SNES have probably grown up with the gaming revolution and this game probably holds many different memories for many different people.  The general aim was to jump the barrels being tossed at you by some huge ape.

Donkey Kong Country was the first incarnation of this timeless classic which was unleashed in the mid nineties.  It was arguably ahead of its time in the gaming world with both the visual aspect of the game and the controls.  The main consoles that reviled each other in those days were the Nintendo, (from the original NES to be followed by the Super Nintendo (SNES)),   Sega, who had the master system and then Mega Drive and also the PC gamers.  Donkey Kong helped Nintendo conquer this revelry.

From the early stages of dodging the barrel throwing ape, Donkey Kong evolved into a game that meant completing various stages to recover the haul of bananas that had been stolen.  The player had a number of lives which could be added to by collecting all the bananas from each level and being awarded one life per 100 bananas.  This is the same process later seen with the hugely popular Nintendo game series, Mario where coins are the bananas replacement.  Nintendo also bought in another dimension by allowing players to choose between 2 characters.  The original Donkey Kong or his younger brother, Diddy Kong.

The overall success of this game was wide and helped make Nintendo into the main console gaming giant you see today with various incarnations of this game appearing throughout the years.

You can find classic Nintendo games for the NES in our  online store, just check out the link below.

Original NES Games - store page

After browsing YouTube I came accross some Nintendo commercials which made me search some more.  Eventually I spent about an hour browsing all the different ads.  Its fun looking back at the old school stuff and what used to be top of the game.  This prompted me to write this post and to include a couple of the videos for others to enjoy.

Nintendo Filmd in Hong Kong

Original NES Ad

Nintendo Power Glove (I didn't even know this bad boy exsited.

Virtual Boy Ad

Japanese Mario Basketball for DS

 

You can find old classic NES games in our store, just click the link below to be taken there.

Original NES games - store page

The Nintendo DS range is the most popular handheld gaming console currently on the market, and there’s about to be a new version.  The Nintendo DSi XL.  As the name suggests it’s a Nintendo DSi but bigger.  In this post we will take a look at what the fuss is all about and throw down the facts.

First off when is it being released?  The answer is March 5th 2010.  The DSI XL will bring gamers a new touch pen, improved battery life on previous models and a 4.2 inch screen.  This is a 1inch increase on the previous screen size which will help improve gaming visibility making it clearer and larger.  The downside is that the previous Nintendo DSi will be smaller and lighter, making it more portable.

Colour options available are Red Wine, White, Black and Dark Brown.  If you ask me it’s a strange selection but obviously Nintendo don’t think so.  Whichever one you opt for they all come with three dsi-ware games preloaded.  These are Kiyou Akira Rakuhiku Language Easier, A Bit of Brain Training: Science, and A Bit of Brain Training: Arts.

Pre-order yours now, direct from amazon

Nintendos4u has been busy creating this free mini guide for all you gamers out there.  The Super Mario Wii cheat guide will give you plenty of inside information to help you get the most out of the game.  To take advantage of this new guide you just need to submit your details into the box located on the top right of this page.  It is 100% free.

After submitting your details you will be able to confirm them with the email we send you immediately after hitting the button.  Then another email containing the download link will be sent.

If you don't yet own a Nintendo Wii then you really should check out our Wii Bundle store page.  It contains some of the cheapest prices on the web.

For cheap Wii games then go straight to our Wii games store page.

The Wii console was first known under the code name Revolution up until April 27th, 2006 which was then announced at the annual E3 as the Wii.  Many people actually call it Nintendo Wii but this is not technically its name.  It is just called Wii and is the first Nintendo console to marketed outside of Japan and that doesn’t show the companies name as a trademark.

The name Wii is said to represent the Letter “w” in upper case with two people standing next to it which are represented by the two lower case letter “i”.  The majority of people say the Wii’s with the “s” on the end when they talk about the plural but Nintendo has stated that this should be said as either Wii systems or Wii consoles.

“Wii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii”

Even though Nintendo have justified why the name Wii was choosen, some game developers and people from the press have slated them, saying that the original name Revolution would have been better.

“Revolution as a name is not ideal; it's long, and in some cultures, it's hard to pronounce. So we wanted something that was short, to the point, easy to pronounce, and distinctive. That's how 'Wii,' as a console name, was created.”

If you are looking for a cheap Wii Console then you best place to look is our store page, here we have some of the best prices on the web.  Check out the link below to take you straight there.

Cheap Nintendo Wii Systems - Store Page

With the ever growing popularity of the Wii more and more accessories are being made for it.  The Wii console is one of the most popular home entertainment consoles of all time, even if you don’t own one, I’m willing to bet you have definitely played on.  Here we will take a look at some of the Wii accessories available on the market starting off with the basics and progressing through.

The Wii Remote

A piece of kit that has revolutionised the gaming platform.  Wireless controllers were already on the market before this one came along but I think it is the Wii remote and the newer Motion Plus that will be remembered for being wireless.  Available in the classic white colour or the limited edition black.

Wii Steering Wheel

The steering wheel, used to play Mario Kart and other similar games is a sleek piece of technology, at first glance.  I’m not saying it’s not but they have cleverly integrated the use of the Wii remote into the back which is what does the hard work.  The actual wheel is just for show.  That means they haven’t had to design an entire new outfit, they just built on what they had, and this trend is set to follow in their other accessories.  Available in a small range of different colours.

The Golf Club

Made by “Exspect” this is another neat looking tool used to play the virtual golf games.  Plug the Wii remote into the golf club model and away you go.

The Balance Board

Designed for the Wii Fit system, this has made the history books for sure.  With this sensitive board you can keep fit and play a variety of sports all in your own living room. 
Gun

This reminds me of the good old Nintendo days when the original Duck hunt was around.  Do you remember the brightly coloured orange gun, a true classic.  This version, again just uses the wii remote as a bases and converts it into a gun.

Nunchucks

Never seen before, Nunchucks for a games console.  Not too much to say about this Nintendo accessory apart from they look wicked.

There are various other accessories available of both original Nintendo accessories and third party made accessories.  The Wii seems limitless to what it is capable of and the future is sure to bring further accessory firsts to the gaming world.

Many people have a problem with their Wii console at some point in their gaming career.  It is quite likely you will, if you are a keen player who, like others, plays for days on end.  It’s not uncommon to get minor issues and most of which are easily solved it’s just knowing how to fix them, that’s the real problem.  People make a living from doing these kinds of repairs and many gamers don’t have a choice but to cough up the cash and get it fixed.  It’s either that or throw out your Wii!

As popular as the gaming market is, there is no guide that comes with your console when you buy it that lists all the common hardware and software issues that arise from time to time and that you can solve at home.  They have left this to be exploited by people who make a living by over charging.

The Wii is currently the most popular console sold in the home and sales are going steady which indicate they will be for the foreseeable future.  You will receive a warranty if you purchase the console from new which means you can send the console off to be repaired by Nintendo.  The obvious down fall of this is the time it takes.  It is however, in my opinion worth the wait.  At the end of the day, Nintendo made the machine and they know it inside out, so it makes sense for them to do the fixing and you know they are doing a proper job.  Its when your warranty has expired or you bought the console second hand and therefore don’t have one, is when the cash starts to be spent getting it repaired.

Fact has it that 90% of the problems that occur with a Wii console can be fixed by the novice, it’s just being told and show how.  As the Wii is one of the most common consoles out there guide are available on the web for this type of situation and at Nintendos4u we can recommend a few that will do just what you need.  A good repair guide will inform you of the tools, if any, that you need, and then walk you through the repair step by step, from start to finish.  This should be laid out in an easy to follow manor that a child can follow to avoid any issues.

Currently the top guide on the market is the Wii Fix Guide.  It covers everything you need to know and has many satisfied customers.  To find out more information click here

The sensor bar is discreet and most gamers don't even notice it after they have setup their console, unsless a problem arises.  You need the sensor bar to send information from the console to the wii remote and back again.  It should be setup in a good location that enables the signal to travel to its destination without any obsitcles getting in its way to disort the it.

The sensor operates using two constant beans of infrared light to talk t the Wii remotes.  When you move the Wii remote whilst playing, the light beams are made too move on the sensor which in turn tells the Wii to move the graphics on screen so it gives to illusion you are moving the object in play.

Some people experience the cursor on screen jumping around when they have not moved the Wii remote in the coresponding action.  This could be because the sensor is picking up another source of infrared light, or because heat is interfearing with the beams.  If you are having trouble then make sure the sensor is only picking up the remote and nothing else in the room.  Also ensure it isn't getting to hot.

Cool Tricks:

Since your WiiMote "sees" infrared light, you can use it to view infrared signals! Go into your sensor setup again, point your TV remote at the WiiMote and change channels, you should see your screen displaying the infrared signals.

Move your Sensor bar where it can't be seen, take two candles, place them 8 inches apart in front of your TV, now use them to play your Wii!

Cheap Wii Bundles are available using the link.

I have just been reading about starting a Nintendo game collection, but just the original games.  It's a bit of different view from the kind of things I normally talk about and thought it would be fun to share the details, in case any of you wanted to do this.

Many people have fond memories of the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) from when they were children so it's not surprising that avid game collectors exist.  I myself used to waste days at a time glued to the screen, thrashing my controller around.  Starting your collection off may be a little difficult as not many people sell the original games any more.  Probably the best way to get going is on eBay, log on and buy an original NES console as these are normally bundled with all the games the owner has because he will have no use for them now.  I've seen them go with up to 30 games and the price is minimal, like £50-£80 which isn't bad to get you started.  Something to keep in mind about eBay is when you are searching, the people listing it may of spelt it incorrectly which means the game wont appear in the results.  Try searching for common mis-spellings.  This used to be a very good money spinning trick on eBay but as with most things they have caught on and have made it hard for the lister to make such mistakes.  They do still exist though so it is worth checking.

When you have got your base stock you simply need to build on it one at a time.  Car boot sales can be a gold mine on occasions, but many visits wont turn up any.  These type of places will have small price tags, 20p, 30p and probably 50p at most.  carry your stock list with you as you don't want to waste money buying doubles, unless you plan on making a little business of selling them on, which may not be a bad idea.  We'll touch a bit more on this later.

Bulk buying will help to bring the price down.  This generally applies to game store which are going out of business.  You may be able to pick them up at cost price.  An important point to make is to not feel pressured into buying.  I experienced a situation in a second hand shop once where the man saw I was keen to buy some old records and started pushing me to buy, telling me others had been in and where interested and they are worth xx amount.  You need to keep your cool, its your money and your decision.  Try and think sensibly and value the game on your own with out taking into account what the seller is telling.  As time goes on you will become very good at pricing accuratley.

Another tip is to carry a your own made list of rare games.  It will probably take some time to build up but it will become an invaluable tool to have.  Do your research and find out what is rare and th different price tags you should expect.  Google is a very good research tool.  A good place to start is by finding out how many copies of the game were produced.  Take 1990 Nintendo World Championships: Gold Edition for example.  How much do you think this is worth?  Would you be shocked if I said $15'000 - $21'000 dollars?  I'm not joking, there where only 26 copies made and where the prize in a Nintendo gaming competition.  Yes it's extrememly rare you will find one, but you need to know just incase you do.  imagine finding one of these in your local second hand shop!

Going back to to what I said earlier about buying and selling your duplicate games.  It's not hard nowadays to make websites and it can be cheaply done.  A good idea might be to list any duplicate games on your website.  Make a shopping cart section so people can buy direct from your site.  Over time you will most likely find that you can build up a very nice home based buisness and people will start contacting you to sell their own games.  This would be a good way to find rare games, having people contact you as you become more known and getting first refusel.

I hope this has given you some idea as to what can be achieved from collecting these great items.  Don't forget you can check our store page for original Nintendo games.

The Nintendo is up with the big boys when it comes to the gaming market and the Wii is the most popular home gaming system today.  The latest to roll off the Nintendo production line was the limited edition black Wii which was released in time for Christmas.  The sleek looking console sold well.

Many people want to know if they can Play Nintendo Games Online.  The classic games are far easier to come by and available to play.  Just searching Google will bring up plenty of options for you to browse.  There are web sites online which mean you can play the games without having to download software, simply play the games inside your browser using your keyboard.  The website www.nintendo8.com/toplist/more has a list of 100 games which can be played there and then.  You do have to be careful you don’t end up wasting days on this site.  It’s great.

Another option you have is to download a Nintendo emulator.  Although this is not the same as playing online it does mean you can play the games for free on your own PC.  To get an emulator and games follow the simple steps below.

1. First you will need to download an emulator.  Visit www.rom-world.com/emulators.php to find an emulator.

2. After downloading an emulator you need to install it by double clicking the file you downloaded and following  the on screen steps.

3. Now you have you emulator downloaded you will have to get some games, known as roms.  These are downloaded free of charge to your desktop and then you open the emulator, and from inside the console navigate to the rom you wish to load up.  So it’s best to store you games in a separate file on the desktop which you can find easily.  Some sites charge to download roms but there is no need you can find plenty of free ones on the web.  We will use the same website to get most games but if there’s a game you want that is not on the site then just Google it.  Type free “game name” rom and you should find one.

So….Goto www.rom-world.com and on the left is the navigation panel. Half way down is the list of roms by name of console, so select Nintendo or Super Nintendo depending on what you want. Then the next page will give you a list of games.  Just browse to the one want or search by the alphabet up the top.  Simple.

These emulators mean you can play Super Nintendo games online, Nintendo games, or if you are an Atari fan you can get these also.

Remember we have Cheap Nintendo Wii Games for sale in our online store.