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Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 26, 2013 in Videogames 
Nintendo’s “Year of Luigi” — celebrating 30 years of both the original Mario Bros. and Mario’s younger brother Luigi — was a great success. With Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, New Super Luigi U, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Luigi Bros. in Super Mario 3D World, Dr. Luigi on December 31, and tons of merchandise, I’m almost Luigi-ed out. Nendoroid finally revealed their Luigi Nendoroid, and it’s adorable. It won’t be available by the time 2013 ends, but I suppose Club Nintendo’s Luigi statue won’t be available either. It comes with a Goomba, Bullet Bill, warp pipe, dust cloud, 2 extra faces, and running legs. Plus, look at his big head! Read more…
Tags: Mario Brothers, Nendoroid, Nintendo, Toys
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 19, 2013 in Videogames 
Everyone’s excited for the next console installment of The Legend of Zelda, which is in development for Wii U. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD was a great holdover while the game is in production, but it seems that there will be at least one more console Zelda in the meantime before we get to that game. Nintendo has announced Hyrule Warriors, a collaboration with Tecmo Koei, that is basically Dynasty Warriors, but with Link fighting classic Zelda enemies. It looks a bit more fluid than the usual Dynasty Warriors games I’ve played, though it’s still clearly a similar game. The name is tentative right now, and I’d imagine a lot could change, but not too much: the game is due out sometime in 2014. If it takes most of the year to be released, does this mean that we won’t be seeing the next main Zelda installment for Wii U until 2015? Read more…
Tags: Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 19, 2013 in Videogames 
It seems Nintendo is taking inspiration from the fan-game Super Mario Crossover with their latest digital Wii U game. NES Remix offers short challenges based on classic NES games; it’s sort of like a longer, more expanded version of the retro segments of the WarioWare series. But besides regular challenges, they’re mixing it up with weird versions of the games, like Super Mario Bros. in silhouette, or playing as Link from The Legend of Zelda in the first level of Donkey Kong. It’s available now, right after it’s announcement, on the Wii U eShop. NES Remix will set you back $15, which seems a little steep for what is basically a series of creative ROM hacks, but knowing Nintendo, they probably put enough content in there to justify the cost. At least, I hope! Read more…
Tags: NES, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 3, 2013 in Videogames 
2013 is almost over, but it’s apparently not too late for one last celebration of “The Year of Luigi.” Not content with putting out a bunch of other limited edition 3DS XL systems this year, Nintendo has just released a Mario & Luigi 3DS XL. Besides a snazzy silver and gray color scheme, the case features the Mario Brothers. The system comes bundled with Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, which of course is pre-installed because Nintendo seems to have abandoned giving out cartridges that could be traded away. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Mario Brothers, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 28, 2013 in Videogames 
One of the major new feature of Super Mario 3D World (besides it being the first must-play Mario game since Super Mario Galaxy) is the Cat Suit, which provides lots of mobility and new abilities, as well as making whoever wears it completely adorable. Mega64 brainstormed and realized that if Cat Mario loves jumping around his candy-coated world, maybe real cats would too! Hence this video, in which cats prove that they are not going to play along with your Mario fantasies. Now if only Mega64 would put out more videos like they used to, because I can’t remember how long it’s been since their last one. Read more…
Tags: Mario Brothers, Mega64, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 26, 2013 in Videogames 
I’m still steaming because my Xbox One was broken out of the box (though my PS4 works great!), so let’s talk about what’s currently the best system out there: the Nintendo 3DS. Yes, what was once seen as a sign that Nintendo was doomed has made a major comeback over the last two years, with a library of must-play games that the PS4 and Xbox One won’t have for a year or two. (Let’s hope Nintendo can repeat that success with the Wii U, which is finally getting amazing games like Super Mario 3D World.) What’s that, you don’t have a 3DS yet? I wouldn’t admonish you if this were 2011, but it’s something you now need if you’re a gamer. Luckily for you, there are several Black Friday deals highlighted by Nintendo themselves in a recent press release. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 17, 2013 in Videogames 
Sure, the PS4 just came out, and yes, the Xbox One arrives next week. But you know what I’m really excited for? Forget all that next-gen junk! I’m ready for Super Mario 3D World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds! Both games arrive on November 22nd, and Zelda will also come with the gold 3DS system if you’re so inclined. This final launch trailer for the game shows off a little bit of everything: story, gameplay, and new features. It’s been getting rave reviews so far, proclaiming it one of the best Zelda games ever, so if you’ve been out of the Zelda loop for a bit, maybe now is a great time to jump back in! The trailer is embedded below. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Legend of Zelda, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 13, 2013 in Videogames 
For many gamers, the rest of the month won’t be about picking up the PS4 or Xbox One to play shiny next-gen games. No, they’ll be sticking with a top-down game with cartoony 3D models. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, a “direct” sequel to the seminal The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES), is out on November 22 in North America. Because blowing a 3DS game’s graphics on a big screen doesn’t look that great, Nintendo made a mostly-live-action TV ad to promote the game. It looks cool and reminds me of a time in the 90s when ads were mostly live-action skits that were sometimes tangentially related to the game itself. Now if only the game itself looked more like this or its concept art; I’ve heard buzz that the 3D effects are great, but that art style looks primitive and almost completely charmless. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Legend of Zelda, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 24, 2013 in Videogames 
For years now, people have been saying that Mario is old and predictable. While some of the New Super Mario Bros. sub-series games are well-made, it’s safe to say that they’re all unsurprising with what they do. But if you haven’t seen anything about it yet, watch the latest Japanese trailer for Super Mario 3D World, the Wii U sort-of sequel to the 3DS’s Super Mario 3D Land. It’s made by the same team that made Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel, two of the best Mario games in the last decade. The game marries the 3D Mario games with elements from the 2D games, and it looks fantastic. Plus, it has a ton of power-ups and items, offering many different gameplay mechanics. The whole thing just looks magical and fun in the way that only Nintendo can be. Hopefully it sells some Wii U units when it releases on November 22! Read more…
Tags: Mario Brothers, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 16, 2013 in Videogames 
One of the reasons I’ve held off on buying a 3DS XL is that the colors so far have disappointed me. The recent limited Pokemon X & Y designs look better, but I was holding out for another Zelda-styled model to match my 3DS and Wii U systems. With The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds being released soon, Nintendo has realized that a tie-in would be a good idea and has announced the sexy Zelda 3DS XL you see above. Unfortunately, it has only been announced for Europe so far. Nintendo has seen fit to give Europe some exclusives in recent years, so it’s possible that this system may never come to America, but I remain hopeful that it may pop up as a Black Friday deal. Those living in Europe can buy this limited system on November 22, alongside the release of A Link Between Worlds. (A digital copy of that game is included if you pick this one up.) Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Legend of Zelda, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 3, 2013 in Anime, Videogames 
Nintendo already announced that Charizard (and fellow Kanto starters Blastoise and Venusaur) would have new Mega Evolutions in Pokemon X & Y. But did you know that Charizard would get two Mega Evolutions? Like Mewtwo’s new Mega Evolutions, there will be a different item each in X & Y, with the one we saw before going by the name Mega Charizard Y. That new one up above is Mega Charizard X, which just debuted in Japan in Pokemon Origins, an anime special based on the original Pokemon games. Unlike the Fire/Flying Charizard, its type is (finally) Fire/Dragon. Even though it’s not a flying type, it seems that it gets the benefit of the doubt and can keep flying due to the fact that it starts the battle flying as regular Charizard. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 2, 2013 in Videogames 
During the latest Nintendo Direct, Nintendo revealed a new Kirby game coming to 3DS in 2014. The visuals look colorful and bright, and the core gameplay is typical Kirby. What’s most interesting about this installment is the two different levels of platforming. One track is closer to the camera, while the other is farther away in the background. Kirby can hop between the two, presumably to avoid obstacles or look for secrets. A few other games have done this, but not many, so it’s still novel. Plus, it seems like a good way to use the 3D capabilities of the system, which range from unnecessary visual enhancement (most 3DS games) to actual gameplay help (Super Mario 3D Land). Hopefully it’s more of the latter! Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Kirby, Nintendo, Nintendo Direct
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 20, 2013 in Videogames 
It’s a great loss for the video game industry: Hiroshi Yamauchi, the former president of Nintendo and the man who transformed it into the gaming giant it is today, has passed away at the age of 85. Taking a traditional card and toy company, Yamauchi spearheaded their efforts into the electronic games market, eventually making Nintendo into the premier force of video gaming and revitalizing the industry after the crash of 1983. His impact on the industry cannot be understated, and video gaming would not be where it is today without him. RIP.
Tags: Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 17, 2013 in Videogames 
Even if you don’t follow the franchise, you probably still associate Pokemon with the phrase “Gotta Catch ‘Em All!” It was a marketing concept that was used in the early days to communicate that you’d need to catch more than your favorites to be a Pokemon Master (and encourage you to buy more and more stuff). Now that there are 649 pokemon and more to come in this fall’s Pokemon X & Y, the idea of literally catching them all seems out of reach for all but the most dedicated pokemon players, hence why the famous phrase hasn’t really been used for years now. (The newer games also allow you to “win” by only catching the 150-200 pokemon in that game’s region.) But now “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” is back, and it’s offering prizes. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 12, 2013 in Videogames 
The latest CoroCoro magazine is out in Japan, and since it’s the last one before the worldwide launch of Pokemon X & Y, it’s got some more information. Perhaps the biggest news in this issue concerns Mewtwo, everyone’s favorite psychic pokemon from the first generation. We knew he was getting a Mega Evolution — a temporary evolution triggered in battle by holding a Mega Stone — but now it seems that he’ll have one of two. Depending on whether you’re playing X or Y, players will find Mewtwonite X or Mewtwonite Y. The previous Mega Evolution was apparently Mega Mewtwo Y, so this new one is Mega Mewtwo X. Maybe there will be other version-exclusive Mega Evolutions? The closest thing Pokemon has had to this in the past was the event legendary pokemon Deoxys, which had a different form exclusive to each Game Boy Advance game, though the forms were more changeable in later generations. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 9, 2013 in Videogames 
Capcom’s Monster Hunter is still a huge series in Japan. The latest in the series is Monster Hunter 4, and will be showing up on the 3DS on September 14th… in Japan. Hopefully we’ll see it arrive on western shores eventually, but for now you can just drool over their cross-promotion with Nintendo: Mario & Luigi costumes for the Felynes, and Link armor and weapons for your character. Now you can slay monsters with the Sacred Bow or Master Sword while your assistants run around with mustaches on. I’m sure it’s been a long desire of yours. The trailer is embedded below, or you can watch the full Monster Hunter Nintendo Direct here! Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Monster Hunter, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 5, 2013 in Videogames 
Nintendo released another Nintendo Direct, holding a rather self-congratulatory roundtable to discuss more information on Pokemon X & Y. First of all, it was revealed that you would get your starter pokemon from your friend, not a professor. The professor will actually offer you a choice soon after of one of the starter pokemon from Pokemon Red & Blue, meaning you’re basically getting two starters. Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle’s evolved forms also have new Mega Evolutions, a temporary battle state triggered by a Mega Stone and a trainer’s Mega Ring. Charizard’s looking pretty good! Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Nintendo Direct, Pokémon
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 29, 2013 in Videogames 
I’ll say one thing for Nintendo: you can’t ever safely predict what they’re going to do. Apparently they wanted to offer a cheaper version of the 3DS, targeting kids age 6 and under who shouldn’t be using the system’s 3D visuals but who may want to play the next Pokemon game. So they’ve created the 2DS, a system that plays 3DS (and DS) games with no option to turn on 3D. It’s coming out on October 12, the same day as Pokemon X & Y, for $129.99 in either red or blue. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 14, 2013 in Animation, Videogames 
Okay, considering how much actual animation there is, “animated” might be a bit strong. But this fan video from Dave Rapoza takes the SNES classic Super Metroid and puts it into a lightly-animated vignette. There’s some interesting grit to the drawings — actual grit, not the modern “dark = gritty” use of the word — that reminds me of Magical Game Time, while the direction suggests an alternate timeline where Samurai Jack‘s Genndy Tartakovsky helmed a Super Metroid cartoon in the mid-90s with his signature style. Rapoza says the drawings were all done in Photoshop and assembled in an editor, which explains the minimal animation. But take a look, and appreciate the great sense of atmosphere! Read more…
Tags: fan videos, Metroid, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 30, 2013 in Videogames 
Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina are pokemon that control time, space, and antimatter, which is pretty powerful, as far as pokemon go. These were the box mascots for Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, the fourth generation of Pokemon games, and haven’t really been available outside of those games barring a special event in HeartGold and SoulSilver that not many players could access. Since they’re difficult to get in the current fifth generation and we’re on the edge of a sixth generation (Pokemon X & Y release on October 12), Nintendo will be giving them out free over the next few months. Even better, these are rare “shiny” versions, which means they have an alternate color scheme that is astoundingly rare to find without hacking! Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Nintendo DS, Pokémon
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 29, 2013 in Videogames 
I’ve been very excited for Hideki Kamiya’s upcoming Wii U game, The Wonderful 101 (even more so than for Pikmin, but don’t tell anyone I said that). Perhaps it’s the slight dash of Viewtifulness pervading the whole experience along with the action. This new gameplay trailer also gives a look at how much variety there will be in the game – I like the look of the various robot enemies you’ll be facing. Check out the full video below to get a better idea of how it’ll all play out. The Wonderful 101 will arrive September 15th in the US. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Wii U, wonderful 101
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 19, 2013 in Uncategorized 
What a ridiculous amount of begging and pleading that has gone on over the last few years. Fans have been clamoring for Earthbound on Virtual Console and each time Nintendo would come back with a canned response. Now, after all this time, fans have finally gotten their wish: Earthbound is available on the Wii U Virtual Console, right now. VC purchases don’t move across devices though, so don’t expect to be playing this on your 3DS or Wii. It’s $10, and comes with the original players guide that you can use on the gamepad. Now that we’ve overcome this hurdle, what about Mother 3? Read more…
Tags: Earthbound, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 26, 2013 in Fandom, Videogames 
I love vintage travel posters. I also love Pokemon. So how would it look if vintage travel posters tried to entice travelers into visiting locations in Kanto, the region of Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow? Something like this, I’d imagine. A storefront called Little Pixel Posters has designed such posters, and I want to decorate a room with some of these. It’s a shame you can’t actually visit, but with the way vintage travel posters inspire the imagination for a given city or country, this is the next best thing. Well, besides playing the games and exploring the region virtually. That’s always good too. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 18, 2013 in Fandom, Videogames 
Announcing new characters in a Super Smash Bros. game is a strange mix of excitement, nostalgia, and a touch of self-mockery. 2008’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl had a very successful website called the Super Smash Bros. Dojo that gave out daily updates on the game, and some of those updates echoed through gaming communities — “Diddy Kong confirmed for Brawl” or “Sonic confirmed for Brawl.” When Nintendo announced some new characters for the upcoming Wii U/3DS entry, they started a new style of character announcements that many fans have already adopted for their favorite or joke characters. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Super Smash Bros., Wii U
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