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Tag: Nintendo

  • Were There Really This Many SNES Games?

    Were There Really This Many SNES Games?

    Back in January, YouTuber NicksplosionFX compiled every single NES game opening into a single video. As expected, it was nearly 3 hours long and featured 709 titles. You would think its successor – the SNES – would have fewer games, but you’d be wrong.

    NicksplosionFX is back with the openings for every single game released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It also includes every game that was exclusive to the Super Nintendo in Europe and the Super Famicom in Japan. The Super Nintendo saw 784 games released for it over its lengthy life cycle. The Super Famicom got even more with 1442 titles plus an additional 231 titles released via Nintendo’s Japan only Sattelaview service.

    As you might expect, the below video is incredibly long. Not only were there more games, but SNES games often had more intricate openings that lasted longer than your average NES game. For example, the very first game, and a personal favorite, – Super Baseball 2020 – has an opening that lasts nearly 30 seconds. Other games, like Final Fantasy VI and Donkey Kong Country, had similarly long openings.

    Now then, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go bust out my Super Nintendo and play some Donkey Kong Country 2.

    [h/t: Kotaku]
    Image via NicksplosionFX/YouTube

  • Here Are The GBA Games Coming To The Wii U In April

    Last month, Nintendo announced that Gameboy Advance games would finally be coming to the virtual console. Oddly enough, however, the games would be appearing on the Wii U instead of the 3DS. Despite that one odd decision, Nintendo has a great lineup of GBA classics that fans won’t want to ignore.

    Starting April 3, Nintendo will start releasing at least two GBA games on the Wii U each week. The titles currently planned represent some of the very best games from the GBA platform. For example, the first week will see the release of fan favorite – Advance Wars. Each game costs $6.99 to $7.99, supports off-TV play and save states, and features Miiverse functionality.

    Here’s the full list of GBA titles coming to Wii U next month:

    April 3:
    Advance Wars
    Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
    Metroid Fusion

    April 10:
    Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
    WarioWare, Inc: Mega Microgame$!

    April 17:
    F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
    Golden Sun

    April 24:
    Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3

    Outside of GBA games, Nintendo also announced that Super Mario Bros. 3 would finally hit both the Wii U and 3DS virtual consoles on April 17. The title, which made its North American debut in the classic film The Wizard, has been a requested virtual console title for quite some time now. Nintendo has finally answered the fans’ prayers and will be releasing it alongside GBA games that may steal its thunder.

    At this point, it seems that GBA games will only be available on the Wii U virtual console despite Nintendo giving away GBA games as part of the 3DS ambassador program. It could be part of a ploy to get people to buy a Wii U, but I find it hard to believe that consumers will spend $300 just to play some GBA games. Still, it’s a nice perk for Wii U owners, especially since they can now play Advance Wars without giving up an arm and a leg for a physical copy.

    Image via Nintendo/Business Wire

  • Mario Kart 8 Is Put Through Its Paces By The Pros

    Can you be a pro at Mario Kart? Well, you might be a pro among your friends for knowing the secret to avoiding a blue shell or knowing all shortcuts in Mario Kart: Double Dash. Is that really a pro though? Is there any way to really let the world know who the best Mario Kart players are? Probably not, but there are record holders.

    Nintendo UK recently had Sami Cetin and Leyla Hasso, UK record holders in Super Mario Kart, try out Mario Kart 8 for the first time to let us know what they think. While the game has drastically changed since Super Mario Kart, their experience and expertise give them the kind of insight necessary to judge Mario Kart 8 better than just about anybody else.

    So, what did they think? For starters, they both agree that it’s a beautiful game. Mario Kart 8 has been one of the prettiest upcoming Wii U games since it was first shown and those who play it reiterate the sentiment. They also note that Mario Kart 8 controls a little differently compared to the past games. Granted, they also note that this is par for the course. They feel that the different weight classes will allow for some experimentation, but have found that lighter characters like Yoshi outperform the heavies like Donkey Kong.

    As an added bonus, Nintendo had Sami Cetin share some tips on how to score some record breaking runs in Super Mario Kart. Those who want to pursue the competitive world of Super Mario Kart will want to listen to what the man says.

    Mario Kart 8 is set to launch May 30 exclusively for the Wii U.

    Image via NintendoWiiUUK/YouTube

  • Wii U To Get Over 50 Unity Titles, Engine Support Might Come To 3DS

    Over the last few years, Unity has become one of the most prominent game engines in the industry thanks to its low cost and universal compatibility. Nintendo even gives away the engine to authorized Wii U developers to help get them started on creating indie content for the system. The handout apparently worked as Nintendo claims to have a lot of indie content coming to the system.

    Speaking to Siliconera, Nintendo said that it has over 50 Unity games coming to the Wii U in the future. Nine of those games were on display at GDC last week and another 17 have already been submitted for approval. The games already submitted for approval will be out in the next two months. In all, the Wii U will be getting 26 indie titles built using Unity in the coming months. That’s a lot of indie content for a system that so far hasn’t been doing so hot.

    One of the upcoming Wii U unity titles is Ballpoint Universe – a shmup featuring unique hand-drawn visuals. It was released on the PC last year, but it’s now being ported to the Wii U thanks to the console’s Unity support. It’s one of many examples of Unity helping to bring unique indie experiences to a console that’s starving for content:

    In the same interview, Nintendo told Siliconera that it’s also investigating whether or not it can bring Unity to the 3DS. The engine already supports mobile platforms, like iOS and Android, so 3DS support seems like a natural fit for those who want to bring mobile content to Nintendo’s handheld. It would also make it easier for developers to port existing titles to the platform. The 3DS isn’t exactly hurting for content in the same way the Wii U is, but it would certainly be nice to see a Nintendo Download with more than one or two 3DS games.

    Besides Unity, Nintendo is also developing a new series of tools called the Nintendo Web Framework. The tools will allow developers to build HTML5 games for the Wii U that can be played through the console’s Web browser. It’s probably not something you’ll see being used often, but it’s a nice alternative nonetheless.

    Image via Nintendo

  • Pokemon Battle Trozei Headlines This Week’s Nintendo Download

    Did you already catch ’em all in Pokemon X and Pokemon Y? Are you getting bored of your adventures in Pokemon’s version of France? If so, you might want to check out the latest Pokemon game hitting the Nintendo eShop this week.

    Nintendo announced that Pokemon Battle Trozei is hitting the Nintendo eShop today after being announced at the last Nintendo Direct. The puzzle game has players capturing over 700 Pokemon from the original 151 up to the new batch found in Pokemon X and Pokemon Y.

    The other big release this week is a demo for Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars. The demo will give you a short taste of the dungeon crawling RPG that tasks players with getting close to one of many female students at their academy and “giving birth” to a star baby that does battle for them in the dungeons. All progress in the demo carries over to the full game so those wanting to buy the full game will definitely want to check it out.

    As for Wii U releases, there’s only one virtual console game this week – Volleyball. As the name suggests, Volleyball is a sports title on the NES that focused solely on the sport it was mimicking. Considering the utter lack of volleyball games on modern consoles, fans of the sport may want to go give Nintendo’s old school effort a shot.

    Here are the other titles hitting the eShop today:

  • Hello Kitty Kruisers (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
  • Pure Chess (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
  • Pure Chess (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  • Yumi’s Odd Odyssey (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)

    • Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Nintendo Offers Free Trial Of Wii Sports Club

    Last year, Nintendo tried its hand at free trials with a month long Wii Fit U trial that gave players the opportunity to download the title and try it for free. Now it’s starting a similar promotion for its other fitness focused title.

    Nintendo announced this morning that Wii Sports Club will be free to download starting March 21 at 12 p.m. EST and will last until March 24 at 2:59 a.m. EST. The free trial will encompass all three games currently available in Wii Sports Club – Golf, Bowling and Tennis.

    To make this deal a little sweeter, Nintendo will be adding a new golf course to the game. The Resort Course from Wii Sports Resort will be a free addition that weekend so those trying out the game will get to play some new content right from the get go.

    During the free trial, players won’t have any limitations put on them. They can try out all the modes available as well as play online. In fact, Nintendo stresses the online play as one of the defining features of Wii Sports Club.

    Another defining feature of Wii Sports Club is its sort-of free-to-play model. For $1.99 per sport, players can buy access to a sport for one day. If they want to unlock that sport forever, they just need to pay $9.99.

    Oh, and those who have already downloaded Wii Sports Resort will be happy to know that the promotion applies to them as well. If you’re still on the fence, Nintendo hopes the free trial will push you over.

    Image via Nintendo/Business Wire

  • Mario Golf: World Tour Redefines Water Hazard

    Golf punishes players who hit balls into the water with a one stroke penalty. What happens then when the entire course is underwater? Mario Golf may have the answer.

    Nintendo released a new trailer for Mario Golf: World Tour today showing off the title’s new course – Cheep Cheep Lagoon. The entire course takes place underwater as players attempt to navigate a number of hazards inherent to deep sea golfing, such as Urchins and coral reefs.

    So, does Mario Golf: World Tour ever explain how they’re able to play underwater? Or how Daisy is able to breathe underwater without any kind of oxygen delivery apparatus? Do they even explain why golf plays exactly the same underwater as it does on land? Nope, and it doesn’t need to. It’s a Mario Golf game. It can do whatever it damn well pleases.

    Mario Golf: World Tour will be out in North America on May 2.

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Yoshi’s New Island Headlines This Week’s Nintendo Download

    Yoshi’s New Island Headlines This Week’s Nintendo Download

    For the past month, the Nintendo Download has been pretty barren. Even major releases would be accompanied by maybe one or two more games. That finally changes this week with the the release of a major 3DS title alongside numerous eShop titles.

    Nintendo announced that Yoshi’s New Island will be hitting the Nintendo eShop at midnight on March 14. The latest game in the Yoshi’s Island franchise was overseen by the creator of the original SNES game. It should be a familiar experience for fans of the original, but it also has some new features in the form of giant eggs and new transformations.

    If you prefer traditional Mario games to Yoshi, you’ll be right at home as Nintendo will be releasing Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels on the Wii U virtual console. The title was originally released as Super Mario Bros. 2 over in Japan, but was deemed too difficult for American audiences at the time of its release. It was later released on the Super Mario All-Stars compilation for SNES as The Lost Levels. This is the original NES version of the game so it doesn’t feature the updated sprites of the SNES release.

    As for 3DS virtual console releases, classic Namco shmup Galaga is finally available. The NES port is a near perfect recreation of the arcade classic. Instead of firing mindlessly killing everything on screen, Galaga challenges players with patterns that require timed presses of the fire button to clear every screen.

    Here are the other games hitting the Nintendo eShop this week:

  • Madagascar 3 & The Croods Prehistoric Party Combo Pack (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  • Bubble Pop World (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  • Cube Tactics (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  • Lola’s ABC Party (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)

    • Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Nintendo Wants You To Know That Its Indie Friendly

    The current generation of game consoles have forced change onto all three platform holders. One of the biggest changes is their approach to indie games. Whereas previous generations weren’t so kind, the current platforms welcome indies with open arms. The biggest turnaround in this regard came from Nintendo where it completely revamped its developer relations program to get indies on the Wii U.

    Continuing its commitment to indie games, Nintendo announced today that it will be at GDC this month showcasing all the indie content coming to the Wii U. Alongside the indie content, Nintendo will be showing how developers can build HTML5 games for Wii U using the Nintendo Web Framework. It will also try to attract developers through free Unity game engine licenses.

    “We want to demonstrate to developers how easy it is for them to bring their creative ideas to Nintendo systems,” said Steve Singer, vice president of Licensing at Nintendo of America. “Nintendo offers wide-ranging support for indie developers, whether they want to use NWF, Unity or their own proprietary code.”

    Nintendo will be showing off the following indie games at GDC:

  • Armillo by Fuzzy Wuzzy Games: This rolling platforming game stars a space armadillo and includes spherical worlds, moon stages, a parallel universe and hidden 2D levels. His little blue critter friends and his brother help him fight the invasion of the robotic Darkbots.
  • Ballpoint Universe: Infinite by Arachnid Games: This adventure seems taken right out of a student’s notebook. The entire game uses ballpoint pen drawings to create an imaginative world to explore.
  • Cubemen 2 by Nnooo: This fast-paced, action-packed, original 3D strategy game blends tower defense and real-time strategy genres into a fresh and exciting new experience that includes challenging strategy modes and customizable game settings.
  • Ittle Dew by Ludosity AB: Adventuress Ittle Dew and her sidekick, Tippsie, crash onto a strange island filled with loot and mysterious inhabitants. The game is loaded with adventure and features beautiful hand-drawn HD graphics.
  • Monkey Pirates by Henchmen Studio: Players control the boat of one of four captains and fight in multiple arenas based on four seaworthy environments. In those arenas players can find multiples bonuses to improve their weaponry or improve their ships while dealing with elements like icebergs, volcanoes, teleports, maelstroms and turrets.
  • Nihilumbra by BeautiFun Games: Born was created from the absolute nothingness: The Void. But somehow he separates himself from the black emptiness and appears in the world, where his long odyssey begins. He must learn how to use the colors around him to gain powerful abilities and transform the world.
  • Stick It to the Man by Zoink & Ripstone: Ray lives in a world where everything is made out of paper and stickers. An accident gives him awesome powers that let him read people’s minds and change the world around him by folding it, tearing it, pulling stickers off and sticking them elsewhere.
  • Teslagrad by Rain Games: This 2D game about exploration features a hand drawn art style, an open, steampunk-inspired world to explore and a wordless, story-driven plot. Magnetic forces are a central theme of the game, which includes 20 unique tracks of music.
  • Wooden Sen’SeY by Neko Entertainment: This 3D action-platformer is set in a unique “Japan Steam Rock” universe filled with humor. Players follow Goro, a village chief, as he seeks revenge through a variety of levels. Using old-school game play, he will defeat his enemies using his axes to slice, dice, squash and grapple.

    • If you’re expecting anything else from Nintendo at GDC, you should probably lose all hope now. The company will likely be focusing exclusively on indies at the event. We’ll have to wait until E3 to hear more about Nintendo in-house projects.

    Image via Nintendo

  • Yoshi’s New Island Trailer Reminds You That March Has A Nintendo Release

    March is shaping up to be a huge month for gamers. Titanfall and Dark Souls II came out today, and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD comes out next week. Nintendo might be feeling a little left out, but it has its own major release in March.

    In a new launch trailer for Yoshi’s New Island, Nintendo wants to remind you that the 3DS is still one of the best platform around. It doesn’t have Titanfall or Dark Souls II, but it has games for just about every kind of gamer. Yoshi’s New Island is for those who yearn for the good ol’ days of platformers where it was more about dexterity and skill instead of solving puzzles and being pretentious.

    Speaking of skill, Yoshi’s New Island looks like it will demand skill from players if they want it to. Like other recent platformers from Nintendo, getting through the game isn’t all that difficult. It becomes difficult when you try to get al the collectibles in a level, however, and that’s where Yoshi’s New Island shines.

    Oh, and here’s the TV spot Nintendo of America made for the game. It’s live-action and very weird:

    Yoshi’s New Island launches exclusively for the 3DS on March 14.

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Golf And Bloks Make Up This Week’s Nintendo Download

    The Nintendo Download has been lacking in new content for the past few months. Major releases offer minor relief, but Nintendo more often than not relies on unexciting virtual console releases to pad out its release schedule. That same padding continues this week.

    Nintendo announced today that the Wii U’s only virtual console release this week is NES Open Tournament Golf. While it may certainly appeal to fans of old-school sports games, the NES sports game library is not exactly what you’d call exciting – barring the excellent Tecmo Bowl.

    As for eShop releases, the Wii U is also getting Blok Drop U. The game is described as “a simple yet challenging physics-based puzzle game.” The goal is to “safely guide the red blok to rest on any of the normal platforms by tapping and destroying the grey bloks.”

    As for 3DS, the handheld is getting two new eShop releases alongside one virtual console release. Starting with the eShop, players can choose between The Mysterious Cities of Gold: Secret Paths or Vacation Advenure: Park Ranger. The first is an adventure game based on the French reboot of an 80s anime while the second is a simple lost and found-style game.

    The single 3DS virtual console release this week is Adventure Island II. The classic platformer has Master Higgins traversing eight islands to save Tina – the sister of Princess Leilani.

    Next week’s Nintendo Download should be a bit more exciting as Yoshi’s New Island launches on the 3DS.

    Image via nesguide/YouTube

  • Iwata: Nintendo Isn’t Changing Anytime Soon

    Iwata: Nintendo Isn’t Changing Anytime Soon

    Nintendo didn’t have a stellar 2013. The Wii U continues to be a disaster and the 3DS can only do so much to offset those losses. In the face of these challenges, shareholders have called on Nintendo to forsake its own hardware in favor of making games for mobile devices. While Nintendo has repeatedly said this would never happen, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has had to address the calls to make mobile games once again.

    In an open letter to shareholders and investors, Iwata says in no uncertain terms that the future of Nintendo will rely upon its tried and true “development concept of hardware and software integration.” In other words, Nintendo will keep on making its own hardware because its software can only shine when it has control of its hardware as well.

    Furthermore, Iwata reiterates that Nintendo will be pursuing a new quality of life initiative that will see its gaming hardware and software attempt to “improve people’s QOL in enjoyable ways.” Besides games, it will also attempt to establish a new business focused on health:

    With a platform business that improves people’s QOL in enjoyable ways, we will attempt to establish a new business area apart from our dedicated video game business. We have set “health” as the theme for our first step and we will try to use our strength as an entertainment company to create unique approaches that expand this business. Through our new endeavors with the QOL-improving platform, we strive to further promote our existing strategy of expanding our user base, create an environment in which more people are conscious about their health and in turn expand Nintendo’s overall user base.

    At the end of his letter, Iwata says that Nintendo has always been focused on innovation since its start as a playing card company in the late 19th century. Through the years, it has revamped its business to capitalize on the next big thing – sometimes before anybody else knows it’s the next big thing (e.g. Wii and DS). With its newfound focus on QOL initiatives, Nintendo believes that it will be able to surprise everyone again with an innovative product that will improve our lives, and its fortunes.

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Nintendo Announces Yoshi-Themed Nintendo 3DS XL

    With the Year of Luigi wrapping up on March 18, Nintendo needs a new mascot character to lead the way in 2014. While any one character may not get a year just devoted to them this year, Yoshi is getting some love right at the start of 2014 in celebration of his latest game.

    Nintendo announced this morning that it will be releasing a special edition Yoshi-themed 3DS XL. The console sports a lime green color and a graphic of Yoshi leading an egg. Of course, this is all to celebrate the launch of Yoshi’s New Island on the 3DS XL.

    Launching on March 14, Yoshi’s New Island can be considered the first real sequel to Yoshi’s Island on the SNES as it’s being worked on by the creator of the original game. In it, Yoshi must transport Baby Mario through numerous levels to reunite him with Baby Luigi. The levels feature the same egg making, egg throwing gameplay of the original alongside some new transformations, including a jackhammer and submarine.

    The Yoshi-themed 3DS XL will launch on March 14 for $199.99 Unfortunately, it will not include a copy of the game. That will be available separately for $39.99. In short, the Yoshi-themed 3DS is for collectors, new owners who like the color or those who really want to pretend that 2014 really is the year of Yoshi.

    Image via Nintendo/Business Wire

  • Professor Layton Finds His Way Into The Nintendo Download

    For the past few weeks, the Nintendo Download has been a bit on the skimpy side. That’s not going to change this week as Nintendo only has one major 3DS release and some virtual console titles.

    The only major release this week is Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy on February 28. This is the final Layton game in the 3DS trilogy and wraps up the story that began with Professor Layton and the The Last Specter. Here’s the official synopsis provided by Nintendo:

    The Professor Layton series couples brilliant puzzle games with a fascinating story to create a riveting formula that has provided great entertainment for mystery fans and puzzle-solving gurus alike. In Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, journey across the globe aboard the airship Bostonius while solving mind-bending brainteasers themed to their environments. Can you help Professor Layton and his assistants solve the greatest puzzle mankind has ever faced and uncover the mystery surrounding the ancient Azran civilization?

    During the last Nintendo Direct, Nintendo unveiled the latest trailer for the title that focuses on Layton’s assistant Emmy Altava:

    On the virtual console, NES classic Renegade is the only release this week. The beat-em-up will be available on both the Wii U and 3DS virtual consoles. Here’s some gameplay footage courtesy of NESGuide:

    The other two releases this week are Tappingo for the 3DS eShop and My Farm for the Wii U eShop.

    We can only hope that next week’s Nintendo Download will have a bit more meat on it, but that’s not looking likely.

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Nintendo Shutting Down Wii, DS Online Services In May

    The Wii and DS were the first Nintendo consoles to offer online play through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The service wasn’t exactly the best and it was more frustrating than anything what with players having to enter separate friend codes for each game. If you managed to get past all that, you might have found that titles like Mario Kart Wii actually offered a pretty good online experience. Now it’s all coming to an end.

    Nintendo announced today that it’s shutting down Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection services on both the Wii and DS. In other words, the online portions of every Wii and DS game will be going offline in May. Online play won’t be the only thing affected as games that offered downloadable content, like the Professor Layton series, will also be going offline.

    It’s explicitly noted that services like the Wii Shop Channel and the Nintendo DSi shop will remain online past May. After all, shutting down the virtual console on the Wii would anger quite a few people as the Wii U’s virtual console doesn’t have nearly as many titles on it yet. It goes without saying, but the Wii U and 3DS online services will remain unaffected as well.

    Here’s a full list of all the first-party Nintendo titles that will be going offline in May:

    Nintendo DS
    100 Classic Books
    Animal Crossing: Wild World
    Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
    Clubhouse Games
    Custom Robo Arena
    Diddy Kong Racing DS
    Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
    Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2
    Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
    Fossil Fighters: Champions
    Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
    Mario Kart DS
    Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
    Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem
    Metroid Prime Hunters
    Personal Trainer: Walking
    Picross 3D
    Picross DS
    Planet Puzzle League
    Pokémon Black Version
    Pokémon Black Version 2
    Pokémon Diamond Version
    Pokémon HeartGold Version
    Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness
    Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
    Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time
    Pokémon Pearl Version
    Pokémon Platinum Version
    Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs
    Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
    Pokémon SoulSilver Version
    Pokémon White Version
    Pokémon White Version 2
    Professor Layton and the Curious Village
    Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
    Professor Layton and the Last Specter
    Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
    Star Fox Command
    Style Savvy
    Tenchu: Dark Secret
    Tetris DS
    WarioWare DIY

    Nintendo DSiWare
    Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
    Metal Torrent
    Number Battle

    Wii
    Animal Crossing: City Life
    Battalion Wars 2
    Endless Ocean
    Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep
    Excitebots: Trick Racing
    Fortune Street
    Mario Kart Wii
    Mario Sports Mix
    Mario Strikers Charged
    Pokémon Battle Revolution
    Samurai Warriors 3
    Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
    Super Smash Brothers Brawl
    Wii Music

    WiiWare
    Dr. Mario Online RX
    Excitebike: World Rally
    LONPOS
    Maboshi’s Arcade
    My Pokémon Ranch
    ThruSpace
    WarioWare DIY

    All of the above games will go dark on May 20. That gives players a little under two months to get in a last few games before it’s gone forever. If it’s anything like the shut down of the original Xbox Live, we might just hear legends of a few brave souls who continued playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl online long after the shut down date. Well, that is Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection’s spotty service doesn’t kick them off first.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Now Pokemon Is Getting The Virtual Reality Treatment

    There seems to be a new trend of porting older games to the Oculus Rift to see if traditional gameplay can be adapted to virtual reality. We first saw it last week with one developer’s efforts to port the original Legend of Zelda to the Rift, and now somebody has done the same with Pokemon.

    Pokemon 3D is a first-person Pokemon title inspired by Pokemon Gold and Silver alongside more modern titles like Minecraft. It’s perfectly playable as is, but one YouTuber saw fit to see how first-person Pokemon would work in a virtual reality environment.

    As expected, it’s really weird. The text is small, the controls are iffy and the battles are a far cry from what series fans are used to. With all that said, it’s still really cool to see a franchise like Pokemon being adapted to virtual reality. While Nintendo won’t be supporting headsets anytime soon, Oculus Rift developers will no doubt keep exploring the potential in ideas like this.

    If you have an Oculus Rift and want to give Pokemon 3D a try, you can download it here. You’ll also need to download VorpX to make the game work with the Rift.

    For more Oculus Rift fun, check out a few of the other demos we’ve covered, including a guillotine simulator and a roller coaster.

    [h/t: Kotaku]
    Image via Vaecon/YouTube

  • Buy A Nintendo 3DS And A Game, Get Pokemon X/Y For Free

    Nintendo regularly offers deals and promotions, but they aren’t exactly what you’d call satisfactory. While Sony is busy chopping 75 percent or more off the retail price of some games, Nintendo is okay with just lopping 20 percent off. With its latest promotion, it’s at least giving away a free game; but you’ll have to spend some serious cash to get it.

    Nintendo announced this week that it’s offering a free copy of Pokemon X or Pokemon Y to anybody who purchases a Nintendo 3DS and one of the following games: Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, Animal: Crossing New Leaf, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins or Yoshi’s New Island. To redeem your free game, you’ll have to register both the console and one of the above games on Club Nintendo.

    While it’s a little on the expensive side, it’s a decent deal for those who were already looking to get a 3DS and a copy of Pokemon X or Y. While you could just buy the 3DS and a copy of the game, you could get one of the other games for much cheaper as most of the above titles have been out for a bit longer. Some of the better titles include Super Mario 3D Land and Animal Crossing: New Leaf. If you’re just getting into the world of 3DS gaming, the above titles are an excellent place to start.

    Oh, and if you were wondering, the promotion is available to those who purchase any of the available 3DS models, including the Nintendo 2DS.

    Image via Pokemon/YouTube

  • Here’s One Last Look At Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

    Here’s One Last Look At Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

    Tomorrow’s the day – Rambo The Videogame Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze finally arrives on store shelves. After being delayed past its original release in December, the Retro Studios developed sequel to Donkey Kong Country Returns finally, well, returns to deliver another helping of pitch-perfect platforming and delightful music.

    While Nintendo hasn’t been shy about sharing trailers for the game, it’s always fun to see actual non-scripted gameplay. To fulfill this desire, the Nintendo Minute crew has uploaded 8 minutes of gameplay as they share their favorite levels from the game.

    I’ll warn you now – those wanting to be completely surprised by everything Tropical Freeze has to offer will want to avoid this video. While spoilers in the traditional sense don’t exactly apply to platformers, those who delight in the curveballs these kind of games throw at them will want to be kept in the dark until they play it themselves.

    Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze will be out February 21 exclusively on Wii U.

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Donkey Kong And Weapon Shops Make Up This Week’s Nintendo Download

    The Nintendo eShop has been updated yet again, and surprise – there’s not a lot here. What is there, however, is pretty good as a few major first party and third party releases are finally hitting the Wii U and 3DS.

    Nintendo announced today that Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze will be out on the eShop tomorrow alongside the game’s retail release. We’ve already said all that can be said about it. If you need a refresher, however, just know that it’s classic Donkey Kong Country gameplay complete with music from series composer David Wise. The game will unlock at midnight tonight for those who prefer to buy the game digitally through the eShop.

    For Nintendo 3DS, the final game in Level 5’s Guild 01 series has finally been localized – Weapon Shop De Omasse. The game puts players in the role of a blacksmith’s apprentice as they run a shop that sells weapons to the adventurers you find in JRPGs. The game’s script was written by comedian Yoshiyuki Hirai so fans of Japanese comedy will definitely want to check it out.

    In other Level 5 news, Nintendo has posted the first three episodes of the Inazuma Eleven anime series to coincide with the game’s release on the eShop last week. If you’re new to Inazuma Eleven, think of it as a Japanese version of The Big Green.

    Here are the other games hitting the eShop this week:

  • Ice Hockey (Nintendo eShop on Wii U Virtual Console)
  • Kung Fu Rabbit (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  • Quell Reflect (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  • Sky Kid (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console)

    • Image via Nintendo

  • Nintendo Direct Offers Details On Upcoming Games

    For the first Nintendo Direct of the year, fans had high hopes. After all, the Nintendo Direct that kicked off 2013 was full of surprises and new game announcements. That was unfortunately not the case this time around, but there was still plenty of goodness for the Nintendo fan.

    Starting off, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed that Little Mac from Punch-Out!! would be joining the roster of Super Smash Bros. He was originally an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii so it gives hope that other assist trophies from Brawl may make the transition to full character in the latest game.

    In additional Wii U news, it was revealed that Mario Kart 8 will feature all of Boswer’s Koopalings as playable characters. That’s right – Iggy, Larry, Lemmy, Ludwig, Morton, Roy and Wendy will all be playable when the game launches on May 30.

    Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze received a new trailer ahead of its launch on February 21.

    Bayonetta 2 was shown once again in a new trailer that focused on a new character, new abilities and new bosses. The game is scheduled to launch sometime later this year.

    In a move that’s somewhat confusing, Nintendo announced that Gameboy Advance titles will be coming to the Wii U virtual console instead of the 3DS virtual console. Even if the platform is a little weird, we’re still getting great games like Metroid Fusion, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 when the service launches.

    Finally, Monolith Soft’s X was shown off for a second time revealing that it’s battle system will be pretty much like the one found in Xenoblade Chronicles.

    Moving onto the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo showed off some new gameplay for Yoshi’s New Island. In the latest installment, Yoshi can now create giant eggs or even metal eggs to traverse underwater environments. The game will be out on March 14.

    After being announced early last year, Mario Golf: World Tour is finally almost upon us. This time, Nintendo showed off the single player campaign mode called Castle Club. In this mode, you play as your Mii as you take on Mario characters in various tournaments. The game will be out on May 2.

    Another 3DS game that was announced last year – Kirby: Triple Deluxe – is almost upon us as well. In the new trailer, it’s shown that Kirby can perform four actions for every ability he copies. In that way, it’s almost like the game plays like a single player Super Smash Bros. It will be out on May 2.

    Giving hope to Monster Hunter fans in the U.S., Nintendo confirmed that Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate will launch exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS in early 2015.

    As for the Wii U and 3DS eShops, Nintendo announced a number of titles for both, including NES Remix 2, Inazuma Eleven, Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball, Weapon Shop de Omasse and more. The most interesting among the group is Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball as it’s a free to download game that features mini-games that must be bought for $4 each. You can haggle in-game, however, to reduce the cost of those games.

    If you want to see everything that yesterday’s Nintendo Direct had to offer, you can watch it in its entirety below:

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Super C Headlines This Week’s Nintendo Download

    There’s a new Nintendo Direct this afternoon at 5 p.m. that has the Nintendo faithful all excited. Is Nintendo going to announce a new game? Are we going to hear anything about X or Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem? Whatever happened to Yarn Yoshi? All these questions and more will probably not see an answer, but at least you can finally play some Super C on your Wii to take your mind off things.

    That’s right, folks – Super C, sequel to NES classic Contra, is now on the Wii U virtual console. In it, players take on the role of either Mad Dog or Scorpion as they run and gun their way through multiple levels of alien hell.

    Unfortunately, Super C is the only major eShop release today. Sure, there are some new levels being added to Spin the Bottle: Bumpy’s Party on Wii U for Valentine’s Day, but that’s about it. With this disappointing update, Nintendo had better have something worthwhile during this evening’s Nintendo Direct.

    While’s there not much in the way of new content, you can grab three games from Rising Star Games at a reduced price until March 13. Those three games – Beyblade Evolution, Jewel Master: Cradle of Rome 2 and Girl’s Fashion Shoot – are great picks for children who own a 3DS or 2DS.

    Here are the other eShop releases this week:

  • Spot the Differences! (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  • AeternoBlade (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)

    • Image via yazars/YouTube