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Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 12, 2014 in Animation, Videogames 
Here’s an odd place for Nintendo to show up: the Tokyo International Film Festival! According to Variety, Mario and Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto will be at the festival to debut an animated film from Nintendo, titled “Pikmin Short Films.” The movie is a compilation of three shorts: “The Night Juicer,” “Treasures in a Bottle,” and “Occupational Hazards.” Miyamoto produced the films, although there is no word on who directed it. The film’s debut will be accompanied by Nobuo Kawakami, a producer-trainer at Studio Ghibli and the chairman of Dwango, a telecom and media company in Japan (and owners of popular streaming site Nico Nico Douga). The festival begins October 25th. Hopefully we’ll hear how Nintendo will release the film around then. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Pikmin, Shigeru Miyamoto
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 11, 2014 in Videogames 
Hoo boy, this is already getting confusing. Nintendo is putting out an upgraded 3DS with more power called the New 3DS and New 3DS XL. But since that’s not being released outside of Japan until 2015, any new 3DS models are going to cause confusion. Take some limited edition 3DS XLs announced for release at Gamestop. There are limited run models featuring designs from Super Smash Bros. (September 19), NES (October 10), and Persona Q (no date, but likely November 25, the day of the game’s release). But while these are all awesome, new designs, they are not the “New 3DS XL,” so anyone buying these new models should be aware that the hardware will be outdated sometime in the first half of 2015. The designs are still worth getting, but it’s a weird time to release them. Also, that NES model could have a better design on the shell than just the controller. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, NES, New 3DS, Nintendo, Persona 4, Super Smash Bros.
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 10, 2014 in Videogames 
Both Europe and Japan have the option to buy a limited edition version of Hyrule Warriors that comes with the blue scarf Link wears in-game. But so far, it seemed like North America wouldn’t have that option and would have to go scarf-less. Nintendo of America has offered some good news via Twitter, but it’s unlikely to make very many people happy. There will be a Limited Edition for the US when the game launches on September 26, but it will only be sold in very limited quantities at the Nintendo World Store in New York City. And due to high demand, you can’t preorder it. Read more…
Tags: Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 30, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo surprised everyone (sort of… well, not really) by revealing two new iterations of their 3DS handhelds yesterday, titled simply New 3DS and New 3DS LL. Almost identical to the existing systems, except with improved 3D capabilities, a faster processor for speedier menus and downloads, ZL and ZR buttons, NFC support for Amiibos, and a new right-side nub for emulating that dual-joystick style you all love so much. While the LL (called the XL in the US) stays mostly the same, the New 3DS opts for a matte styling this time, taking its design cues from the LL. The smaller version also features exchangeable cover-plates so you can customize your system however you’d like! They arrive October 11th in Japan and sometime in 2015 for US and Europe. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, New 3DS, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 28, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo has been slowly releasing more DLC in its games, which would normally be reason to be concerned about getting nickel and dimed. Opinions were split on the three free Mercedes cars (well, karts) that just got released in Mario Kart 8; while getting more content for free was a good thing, the sponsorship had many wary. But the latest Mario Kart 8 DLC announcement should put concerns to rest. There will be two upcoming DLC packs, one in November 2014 and one in May 2015. Each pack will come with three new characters (including Link from Zelda and the Villager & Isabelle from Animal Crossing), eight new courses, and four new vehicles. The courses will be partially based on other Nintendo games like Excitebike, F-Zero, and more. As a bonus, if both packs are purchased, you’ll get eight color variations for both Yoshi and Shy Guy — and you can use them right now if you preorder the packs on Nintendo’s eShop. Read more…
Tags: Mario Kart, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 27, 2014 in Videogames 
The last weird Pokémon crossover we saw was Pokémon Conquest, which mixed the ever-popular critter collector with Nobunaga’s Ambition, a strategy RPG set in feudal Japan. It’s about time for another unexpected mash-up, and this time it’s Pokkén Tournament, a fighting game made by Namco Bandai and overseen by Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada and Soulcalibur producer Masaaki Hoshino. The debut trailer showed Machamp and Lucario (both fighting-type pokémon) fighting each other, with Lucario evolving into Mega Lucario at the end. The announcement confirms hints and leaks from last year’s Tokyo Game Show. Read more…
Tags: Namco Bandai, Nintendo, Pokémon, Tekken
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 17, 2014 in Videogames 
When American Nintendo fans heard they were getting Club Nintendo way back in 2008, we had good reason to be excited. The customer loyalty program offered Japanese players tons of rare Nintendo collectibles that could only be earned by spending coins gained with every Nintendo purchase. But while some interesting products were announced, it never lived up to its promise. Over time, the focus became less on physical items and more on downloadable games. It’s not that the games were bad, but it seemed pointless to spend the equivalent of $200 worth of coins on a digital download you could buy yourself for $5-10; physical items were actually worth it, but they’ve become deemphasized, culminating in this year’s elite prize. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 15, 2014 in Videogames 
Masahiro Sakurai has said we’re nearing the end of new character announcements for Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U (or at least new characters they feel like announcing that aren’t a surprise unlockable). The latest trailer adds two more Fire Emblem characters from Fire Emblem Awakening, joining previous fighters Marth and Ike. For the first time, you’ll be able to play as Robin (the main character) and choose whether the character is male or female, just like in the game. Lucina is also joining the fray. Meanwhile, Captain Falcon will be a returning character, having appeared in every previous Smash Bros. game. It’s all looking good, but I wouldn’t mind even more new character announcements by the time the game is out! Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Super Smash Bros., Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 12, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo promised one more big 3DS announcement at E3, and it’s Code Name: STEAM. It’s an original IP with elements from comic books, steampunk, Abraham Lincoln, aliens, and more. Hitoshi Yagami (Fire Emblem, Xenoblade Chronicles) is working with Intelligent Systems (Fire Emblem, Advance Wars) to make a turn-based strategy game with action elements from shooters for movement and attacking. As expected from such a mix of influences, the game’s concept is pretty wild too. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, steampunk
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 11, 2014 in Videogames 
Bandai Namco is co-developing Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U, so many were wondering whether or not any Namco characters would appear in the game. With Mario, Sonic, and Mega Man all in the game, it only made sense for Pac-Man to enter the fray, and luckily he was just confirmed. While he mostly retains his modern 3D look, it seems that for some attacks he’ll transform back into a 2D form to munch things up. He also can attack with ghosts, pellets, Galaga, Dig Dug, and other old school summons. The video also confirms the return of Mr. Game & Watch, as it is humorously pointed out that both characters originated in 1980, while Mario and Donkey Kong debuted in 1981’s Donkey Kong. Read more…
Tags: Namco Bandai, Nintendo, Pac-Man, Super Smash Bros.
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 10, 2014 in Videogames 
While Microsoft and Sony had solid press conferences yesterday, Nintendo’s E3 Digital Event on the first day of E3 was much more impressive to me because it captured the self-awareness mixed with new hype of E3s past. Robot Chicken produced the opening (and various interstitial skits) in which Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Amie definitely ate a fire flower and lit a press member on fire. Then, Reggie and Nintendo of Japan CEO Satoru Iwata began fighting each other. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, E3 2014, Nintendo, Nintendo Direct, Wii U
Posted by Ben Huber on May 24, 2014 in Videogames 
Hey! There’s a new 2DS color! I was wondering when we’d get one of those, and I suppose the upcoming release of Tomodachi Life is a perfect time for that. The new color is Sea Green, which seems like an alright name. What happened to “teal,” though? This is a bit lighter than your average teal, and with that white contrast, it looks very… beach-y! This 2DS and Tomodachi Life release June 6th, but no word on if there will be a bundle. I was honestly hoping they’d bring the mint green 3DS XL (that they paired with Tomodachi Life in Japan) over to us, but alas, it is not to be. It’ll retail for $129.99. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Tomodachi Life
Posted by Ben Huber on May 19, 2014 in Videogames 
Yup, the online services for the Wii and Nintendo DS are finally shutting down on May 20th. Perhaps “finally” is the wrong word, though. All games that used online play on the DS and Wii will no longer be able to, and you’ll be stuck with whatever offline modes are available. Granted, not many Wii and DS games were online-only anyway, so there’s no huge loss, but it is still interesting to see Nintendo shut down their first online service. You can visit their website for a full list of games affected, but yes, this means no more Smash Bros. Brawl online. Not that it was any good… Read more…
Tags: Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on May 8, 2014 in Videogames 
After dropping a few hints in Pokemon X & Y and years of fans speculation, Nintendo has announced that they are remaking Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire for 3DS, due out this November. It fits rather perfectly: X & Y just came out last fall, so it will have been a year since the newest main game release; meanwhile, Nintendo has already remade Pokemon Red & Blue (as Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen on GBA) and Pokemon Gold & Silver (as Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver on DS), the first two generations of Pokemon games, so Ruby & Sapphire are the only pre-DS games left to remake. The new remakes will be called Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire. In a nice touch, the temporary box art has red or blue bands at the top and bottom, which is reminiscent of the Japanese box art for the original games. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 30, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo ducked out of the E3 conference game last year, declining to host a big conference at the event in favor of a longer digital broadcast of Nintendo Direct, a series of mini-conferences with smaller, spread out announcements released throughout the year. This year seems to be the same, with Nintendo planning to air a Nintendo Digital Event — why not Nintendo Direct? — on Tuesday, June 10, 2014 at 9AM PT. Furthermore, there will be online coverage throughout the show from Nintendo Treehouse, the legendary localization department that’s worked on some of Nintendo’s best games. But that’s not all that Nintendo has planned. Read more…
Tags: E3 2014, Nintendo, Nintendo Direct, Super Smash Bros.
Posted by Ben Huber on Apr 11, 2014 in Videogames 
Holy crap: this is the weirdest and craziest Nintendo Direct I’ve ever seen: Bill Trinen hosts a news show announcing Tomodachi Collection is coming to America and Europe as Tomodachi Life, but then it gets bizarre. Reggie and Iwata battle Bill for Samus’ hand, Aonuma dates Princess Zelda, and to top it all off, there’s a musical number at the end. It’s really insane. The game itself looks like the right combination of Animal Crossing and Miis in an island-life sim. Throw in some dating, eating, and a collection of eccentric minigames, and you’re starting to get close to the essence of Tomodachi Life. Check out the Nintendo Direct below! Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Nintendo Direct, Tomodachi Life
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 9, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo just held a Nintendo Direct on the upcoming Super Smash Bros. game for 3DS and Wii U, and boy, did they really spill the beans. Director Masahiro Sakurai light-heartedly hosted a 40 minute presentation that led off with the long-anticipated release date for the two games. While exact dates were not given, we finally know that the 3DS version would release in Summer 2014, while the Wii U version won’t be out until Winter 2014. Still, that’s earlier than I expected it to be finished, so that’s a good sign. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Super Smash Bros., Wii U
Posted by Ben Huber on Apr 5, 2014 in Videogames 
It’s been a little quiet on the Smash Bros. front. Masahiro Sakurai, the game’s director, has been uploading daily screenshots of the game, but they don’t often reveal much. Today however, they revealed Isabelle, the popular secretary from Animal Crossing, would be in the game as an Assist Trophy (an item that will release a character into the stage who will aid the player). I’m sure many fans were hoping she’d be a playable character, but this is the next best thing. In addition, they announced a Nintendo Direct focused exclusively on Smash Bros. would happen on April 8th, 6pm ET (3pm PT). I imagine we’ll get a bunch of news then. Will we finally see Captain Falcon?! Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Nintendo Direct, Super Smash Bros.
Posted by Ben Huber on Mar 31, 2014 in Videogames 
Animal Cross: New Leaf has been one of the most successful games on the Nintendo 3DS. Many chalk it up to the fact that people just like games that are slower-paced and allow you to customize everything, but Nintendo recently revealed the truth behind it at GDC: diversity. Half of the development team was made up of women, an anomaly in the game development industry. Aya Kyogoku, the woman in charge of directing New Leaf, said that it opens “you up to hearing a greater variety of ideas and sharing a greater diversity of ideas.” The full Wired interview with the team is incredibly fascinating, so I highly advise you check it out. Read more…
Tags: Animal Crossing, Nintendo
Posted by Ben Huber on Mar 15, 2014 in Videogames 
This is something a bit off the beaten path: an aluminum NES. Yes, that’s right. Analogue Interactive, the company that made that NeoGeo MVS arcade system into a walnut-clad console, is making another system, and this time it’s an NES, called the Analogue Nt. The system is made from a solid block of aluminum, so it resembles an Apple product more than an Nintendo one. It boasts four controller ports, slots for both Japanese and US cartridges, and can output via RGB, component, S-video, or composite. Analogue claims there is no emulation going on, so one wonders how this is all possible (perhaps they reverse-engineered everything). Price and a release date are unknown, but will be revealed by the end of the month. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 25, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
Audiences were very receptive to The Social Network and Moneyball, so it makes sense to make more films that dramatize how companies operate. In that spirit, Seth Rogen and frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg will be writing and directing Console Wars, a dramatization of how Sega challenged Nintendo’s industry dominance with the help of Tom Kalinske. (Scott Rudin will produce.) With console wars still raging today, this will be a good way for today’s kids to get some perspective on what a real console war was like. But for everyone else, they’re in for a treat, because the story of Sega’s rise to power with the Genesis is actually interesting. I’ll admit that I don’t think Rogen is that funny, but he seems like a great guy who is talented, and he seems to work well with Goldberg, so it’ll be worth looking forward to whatever is done with this. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Sega
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 13, 2014 in Videogames 
One of the many reasons I love Nintendo games is their attention to detail. It’s not enough for Nintendo that things just work properly; they want to put little bonuses in there too. GameXplain created a YouTube video highlighting the idle animation for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the new Wii U game that is just about to come out. (Idle animations are what game characters do if you don’t move them for a while.) Not only do three of the four playable characters have two idle animations, not only do they have additional tweaks depending on which characters are paired up with DK, but Donkey Kong has an amazingly detailed idle animation. One of his animations involves him pulling out his 3DS and playing for five seconds. That would be cool enough, but if you listen closely, you can hear him playing one of four real 3DS games, including Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, his previous game. That’s the kind of attention to detail that more developers need to implement. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Donkey Kong, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 12, 2014 in Anime, Videogames 
Pokemon X & Y have been out for a few months, and the only free pokemon giveaway was a Torchic with a special evolutionary item. That means it’s about time for Nintendo to start giving out event legendaries — rare pokemon you can’t get through normal play, like the famous Mew. CoroCoro magazine reveals that the first event legendary is Diancie, a rock/fairy type pokemon that will star in the 17th (!) Pokemon movie, Cocoon of Destruction & Diancie. Nintendo hasn’t revealed how it’s giving it out yet, but hopefully players will be able to just connect their 3DS to the internet for the download, instead of having to go to Gamestop, the movie, or some other event like cavemen did. Diancie confirms a leak (spoilers!) from a few months back about pokemon hidden in the game’s code, so perhaps all those other pokemon will be made available in the next year or two. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 11, 2014 in Videogames 
Yoshi is finally back! Nintendo has announced that Yoshi’s New Island will come out in the US on March 14th. Thankfully that’s not too far away. The game is a new addition to the Yoshi’s Island series featuring Yoshi once again rescuing baby Mario. The art style attempts to recreate the classic original’s visuals, but I’m not sure it’s quite there. It still looks alright, but I feel that one more pass might’ve made it pop a bit more. I love the idea of soft, painted graphics though. It’ll be available in stores and digital download via the eShop. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, yoshi
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