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Tag: Nintendo

  • Watch Dogs Delayed On Wii U, Coming To Other Platforms This Spring

    It wasn’t that long ago that we heard rumors of Ubisoft canceling Watch Dogs on the Wii U. The publisher denied the rumors and Nintendo fans could breathe easy once again. While it may not have been outright canceled, the publisher has now confirmed that Wii U owners are going to have to wait.

    During Ubisoft’s quarterly earnings report today, the publisher confirmed that Watch Dogs would be launching between April and June (i.e. Q1) of this year for PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. The Wii U version, while not canceled, has been delayed to later in the year “to focus the team’s resources where they could have the broadest possible benefit.”

    In other words, Ubisoft is taking developers off of the Wii U version to focus on the other versions of Watch Dogs. The publisher may have found itself spread a bit too thin on this one and decided to delay the least important version of the title to ensure the versions most likely to sell ship on time. It’s a tough pill to swallow for Nintendo fans, but it’s a compromise that will still see the game being released on the platform.

    Here’s the full statement from Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot:

    “Today we are specifying our targets for full-year 2013-14 and are confirming our target for non-IFRS operating income for 2014-15. Fiscal 2014-15 will see an exceptional games line-up, with the release of five major titles including Just Dance, The Crew and Watch Dogs, which is scheduled for release in the first fiscal quarter. Our line-up is also expected to reap the benefits of the return to growth in the console market and the increasingly significant impact of digital gaming.”

    So, there you have it. Watch Dogs is still coming this Spring, but the Wii U version will be a little late to the party. Considering how much development time has been spent on the game already, it shouldn’t be that long before the Wii U version is released after the other versions.

    [h/t: Game Informer]
    Image via Watch Dogs/YouTube

  • Bravely Default Is The Highlight Of This Week’s Nintendo Download

    Bravely Default is out on Friday and JRPG fans all over the nation are chomping at the bit to get it. If you don’t mind forfeiting the physical release, fans can grab it tonight at midnight as part of this week’s Nintendo Download.

    That’s right – the highlight of this week’s Nintendo Download is Bravely Default. The latest JRPG from Square Enix takes players back to the past with a game inspired by the likes of Final Fantasy V with a deep job system and revamped combat that makes players take advantage of the brave and default mechanics.

    If you prefer senseless violence over magic crystals, you might be more interested in Retro City Rampage DX. The 3DS version of last year’s indie game puts players into an 8-bit version of Grand Theft Auto full of references to classic video games from the 80s and 90s.

    For the kids, the Wii U and 3DS eShop will also be updated with The LEGO Movie Video Game. The game follows the events of the upcoming film in a game that plays very much like the previous LEGO video games that were based on other franchises.

    As for the virtual console, the only release this week is on the Wii U – Ninja Gaiden. The original NES game features 10 stages of hardcore platforming and combat that remains unbeatable for many players to this day.

    Here are the other titles hitting the Wii U and 3DS eShop in the coming week:

  • ONE PIECE: Romance Dawn (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  • Percy’s Predicament (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)

    • Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Here Are A Bunch Of Games Coming To The Wii U And 3DS In 2014

    Nintendo is in a bit of a pickle. The Wii U isn’t selling at all, and the 3DS’ explosive momentum might slow down in 2014. One of the major problems affecting both consoles are their lack of third party support and that doesn’t look to change this year.

    Despite not having the kind of third party support that Sony and Microsoft enjoy, Nintendo is getting plenty of indie support in 2014. In fact, Nintendo sent out a little notice today letting us know that both the Wii U and 3DS will see a large number of indie games this in the first half of the year.

    On the Wii U front, there are currently 13 games scheduled for release on the platform between now and Q2. Some of the games, like Unepic and Knytt Underground, are already out while other games like Ballpoint Universe and Nihilumbra will be out in March.

    As for the 3DS, the indie picks are little slimmer with only four games coming to the 3DS before May – Retro City Rampage DX, Siesta Fiesta, Moon Chronicles and Treasurenauts.

    To give you a taste of some of these upcoming games, Nintendo shared a few trailers today:

    Here’s a partial list of currently available and upcoming indie titles for the Wii U and 3DS:

    Here Are A Bunch Of Games Coming To The Wii U And 3DS In 2014

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Here’s A Closer Look At Bravely Default’s Collector’s Edition

    Nintendo has traditionally been a rather conservative company when it comes to collector’s editions. They would release the game and that’s all we ever got. That has started to change in recent years with the release of Collector’s Editions for Skyward Sword and The Wind Waker HD. Now the publisher is giving the same treatment to Square Enix’ latest 3DS RPG.

    Nintendo announced a while back that it would be releasing a Collector’s Edition for Bravely Default on the 3DS. The JRPG comes out on Friday and those who pre-ordered the Collector’s Edition are no doubt curious in regards to what the special box actually looks like. Well, be curious no more as the Nintendo Minute is here with an unboxing video for the Collector’s Edition.

    As was previously announced, Nintendo of America went cheap compared to its European brethren and aren’t offering a figurine with the U.S. Collector’s Edition. Instead, the U.S. version comes with the game, artbook, soundtrack CD and a deck of AR cards. Check it out below:

    Bravely Default will be out on February 7 exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS.

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • ‘Arkham Origins’ DLC Cancelled For Wii U

    Since the launch of the Wii U, arguably the biggest third-party series on the console has been the Batman: Arkham games. The console launched with a well-polished version of Arkham City packed with all the extra content already out for other platforms. Warner Bros. followed that up last year by launching Batman: Arkham Origins on the Wii U, though it now appears that sales were not what the publisher had hoped.

    Warner Bros. and Nintendo have announced that the release of further Arkham Origins DLC on the Wii U has been cancelled. According to an email obtained by GoNintendo, the planned campaign add-on DLC for Origins has been cancelled.

    Wii U owners who had purchased a season pass for Origins will have their entire purchase refunded. Refunds will show up in customer eShop accounts as a $20 credit.

    The DLC has not been cancelled for other consoles or PC. This implies that Warner Bros. determined the cost of porting the content to the Wii U to be higher than any potential sales on that console.

    This would stem from the low install base of the Wii U, as well as slow sales of third-party titles on the console. In Nintendo’s quarterly results this week the company revealed that fewer than 6 million Wii U consoles have been sold to date. That compares poorly to the over 4 million PlayStation 4 consoles that were sold during the final six weeks of 2013.

    The DLC cancellation is yet another blow to the Wii U’s third-party lineup. Publishers have recently been leaving the Wii U out of new game announcements or outright canceling their planned Wii U ports of next-gen games.

  • This Week’s Nintendo Download Finds A Link To The Past

    Nintendo may be going through a rough patch these days, but that doesn’t mean it can neglect its responsibilities. Not only is the company addressing its weaknesses, but it’s also releasing quality content on the virtual console again.

    Nintendo announced this morning that The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is now available on the Wii U virtual console. If you have only played last year’s A Link Between Worlds, you’ll want to check out the game that inspired the best 3DS game of 2013.

    As for the 3DS virtual console, players can now purchase the original Mario Bros. Note that this isn’t Super Mario Bros., but the original competitive/cooperative Mario Bros. that challenges two players to take on the roles of Mario and Luigi to collect coins and defeat enemies.

    If you’re looking for more content this week, you might want to check out the Wii U Super Indie Sale. Starting today at noon and lasting until February 20, you can buy one of five indie games and get the others for 60 percent off. If you already own one, the promotion will be available from the start. The games taking part in this promotion are Spin the Bottle: Bumpie’s Party, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, Mighty Switch Forces! Hyper Drive Edition, Toki Tori 2+ and BIT.TRIP Presents… Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien.

    Speaking of promotions, the Wii Fit U free trial ends tomorrow. Make sure you download the game by tomorrow to try it out for a month. If you sync it with the $20 Fit Meter, you can keep the game forever. The game will revert to its regular price of $30 on February 1.

    Here are all the other games coming to the eShop next week:

  • Castle Clout 3DS (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  • ARC STYLE: Solitaire (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  • Touch Battle Tank 3D 2 (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)

    • Image via NinEverything/YouTube

  • Nintendo Details Wii U Strategy For 2014 And Beyond

    It’s been said time and time again over the past few months – the Wii U is not doing well at all. In its Q3 financial results, Nintendo revealed that it had only sold 2.41 million Wii U units in the past nine months. In comparison, the PS4 alone sold over 4 million units in its first two months. Investors and gamers alike are concerned about the future of Nintendo and the company addressed those concerns Wednesday night at a business strategy meeting.

    The Wall Street Journal reports that Nintendo President Satoru Iwata initially put fears of the company abandoning hardware to rest by stating that Nintendo would still continue its business of developing hardware and software for it. That being said, he notes that it needs to adapt its traditional console business to take advantage of new technologies, like smart devices.

    Before getting to that, however, Iwata finally admitted that the Wii U has an image problem. Most consumers think the Wii U Gamepad is an accessory for the original Wii and not an entirely new console. To fix that, he says that Nintendo is currently developing a number of titles that make extensive use of the Gamepad’s capabilities, including NFC. These titles will be shown off at E3 this year.

    With Nintendo refocusing its efforts on its own hardware, where do smart devices fit into this? Well, the company isn’t going to be releasing games on mobile devices. Instead, Iwata wants to “make connections with customers” through mobile devices that drive them to Nintendo hardware. He didn’t exactly elaborate on what that meant, but it most likely means they will be using apps to advertise their platforms.

    Interestingly enough, Iwata said Nintendo would be less strict about licensing their characters to third parties going forward in an attempt to widen their appeal. Gamers can look at this as a sign of more collaborations that birthed games like Metroid: Other M or Hyrule Warriors, but others may see it as a sign that films may be on the horizon.

    At the end of the meeting, Iwata revealed that Nintendo will be actively getting into what he called the quality of life market. He cited the growing market for wearables and said that Nintendo wants to try its luck with a non-wearable health tracker. He didn’t go into details, but said the device would be unveiled later this year.

    As you can imagine, Nintendo’s emergency business meeting wasn’t full of announcements. It was more about trying to calm the fears of investors to prevent their share price from tanking. That being said, the company did manage to announce two bits of news relevant to gamers. The first is that Mario Kart 8 will be out in May and the second is that Nintendo DS games will be coming to the Wii U virtual console.

    Nintendo should be holding a new Nintendo Direct soon so we’ll hopefully learn more about the actual games coming from the company in 2014.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Check Out Some Fresh Bravely Default Gameplay

    After a year of waiting, Nintendo will finally be releasing Bravely Default on the 3DS in North America in a little under two weeks. Reviewers already have early copies and are confirming that it’s one of the best JRPGs to ever hit the platform. Those of us without early access still have to wait for a few more days, but Nintendo has one more trailer to hold us over.

    This afternoon, Nintendo shared an almost two minute long gameplay trailer for Bravely Default that shows off the battle mechanics players will discover. As you might already know, Bravely Default is your standard turn-based RPG. The twist it applies to turn-based battles – brave and default – is where things get interesting.

    During battles, all four party members may choose to either default or brave. By defaulting, the character will enter the defend position and save their turn. You can default up to three turns and unleash all three of those turns at once for massive damage. By choosing to brave, you may use a future turn at the expense of being left vulnerable to attack the next turn.

    Besides boasting a rather innovative battle system, the game also deviates from the norm by offering a slew of customization options. Battles can me made easier and less frequent as well. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even make battles more frequent.

    Oh, and before you go, check out the TV ad for Bravely Default. As far as I can tell, this is the first JRPG that has been advertised on television since Dragon Quest IX:

    Bravely Default will launch on February 7 exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS and its stereoscopically blind cousin.

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Nintendo Posts Third Quarter Results, Wii U Still Doing Poorly

    The Wii U isn’t doing so well. Nintendo warned investors that would be the case earlier this month when it released its sales forecast for the fiscal year. While Nintendo’s fiscal year isn’t over until March 31, its Q3 results give us a pretty good idea of where the Wii U and 3DS will be come then.

    Nintendo released its Q3 financial results this morning and there wasn’t many surprises. The Wii U continues to do poorly with only 2.41 million units sold in the past three quarters. As for 3DS, the handheld managed to do much better with 11.65 million units sold in the last three quarters. Despite the disappointing Wii U sales, Nintendo managed to pull ahead in Q3 with an operating profit of $21.7 billion yen ($210 million).

    As for software sales, Nintendo reports that it sold 57.25 million 3DS software units in the first nine months of the fiscal year. Some of the heavy hitters this year included Pokemon X/Y which sold 11.61 million units and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds which sold 2.18 million units.

    Wii U software sales were not as impressive, but Nintendo managed to sell 15.96 million software units in the first nine months of this fiscal year. While it didn’t provide exact sales, it states that The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Wii Party U and Super Mario 3D World all managed to sell over a million units.

    For its legacy systems, Nintendo reports that the original Nintendo DS line saw 0.11 million hardware units and 8.63 software units sold in the first nine months of this year. The Wii had it a bit better with 1.07 million hardware and 23.27 million software units sold.

    While Nintendo may have squeaked by with a small profit in the third quarter, it’s fiscal year results aren’t looking quite as bright. The company expects to post an operating loss of $35 billion yen ($339 million) for the fiscal year ending March 31. This will be its third consecutive annual operating loss.

    So, what does Nintendo plan to do about all of this? Nobody knows quite yet, but Nintendo plans on holding a shareholders conference tonight at 8 p.m. to discuss its plans for the future. Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has already taken a 50 percent pay cut to offset the Wii U losses, but is expected to announce a new direction for the company at tonight’s meeting. Rumors are stating that Nintendo will be releasing mini-games and demos on smartphones to bring people to its own hardware and games, but the company has since denied that report. As for what will actually be announced – who knows?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Yoshi’s New Island Gameplay Revealed In Latest Trailer

    When it comes to the Super Nintendo, most Mario fans would agree that Super Mario World is the best Mario game on the platform. While technically not a Mario game, some fans would argue that Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island is the superior game thanks to its vibrant visuals and innovative gameplay. Well, those fans are finally getting a second chance to prove Yoshi’s greatness in March with Yoshi’s New Island.

    In the latest trailer for Yoshi’s New Island, Nintendo invites us to have “a shell of a time” because Yoshi lays eggs. Also, puns are fun, especially when it lets Nintendo retain its kid-friendly image while alluding to a mild profanity.

    As for the game itself, it looks like a new Yoshi’s Island game. Players will have to navigate Yoshi through platforming challenges while protecting Baby Mario who’s riding on his back. Yoshi’s transformation ability is also back with the trailer showing the dinosaur transforming into a mine cart and helicopter.

    Yoshi’s New Island will be available March 14 for the Nintendo 3DS and 2DS.

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Here’s A Look At The Story Of Bravely Default

    Almost every RPG in the 80s and early 90s started with four young warriors banding together to defend the world from evil. While there have been some alterations to this basic setup, the classic JRPG story still borrows heavily from the kind of themes more at home in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. That’s what makes JRPGs so timeless, familiar and arguably boring.

    In Square Enix’ latest 3DS RPG, Bravely Default, it’s treading the same story found in the first Final Fantasy with four heroes going on a quest to save the world. This classic scenario may not have changed, but JRPGs don’t need it to. The JRPG figured out a long time ago that it’s the characters and their relationships that truly matter and Bravely Default seems to be embracing this wholeheartedly.

    In the latest story trailer for Bravely Default, we’re given a brief introduction to the four characters players will become intimately familiar with over the course of the game. These characters belong to classic archetypes, including a priestess, a traitor, a survivor and a playboy. While it’s certainly not revolutionary, it’s comforting to know that the classic JRPG is still alive and well.

    Bravely Default will be out on February 7 exclusively for the 3DS.

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Were There Really This Many NES Games?

    Following the video game crash of 1983, Nintendo came onto the scene with the NES in 1985. Everybody wanted a piece of it and publishers began putting out hundreds upon hundreds of games for the console. By the end of the system’s life in 1994, there were 709 titles with an additional 113 unlicensed titles released for the NES.

    So, why bring this up all of a sudden? YouTuber NicksplosionFX has created an almost 3 hour video that collects the title screens of every NES game ever produced. In other words, you can see all 709 title screens in the video below.

    Some things to note before going into this: The games are presented in alphabetical order. The video also preserves the entire title screen which means some titles, like the notorious Action 52, will take a couple of seconds to get through.

    If anything, Press Start is an interesting look at the history of title screens. You may never think much of them as you mash Start or A trying to get to the game, but the title screen has always been there for us. It coddled us when we got a game over and sometimes even mocked us.

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

  • Nintendo May Be Already Working On Next-Gen Hardware [Rumor]

    Late last week, Nintendo admitted that the Wii U is a flop. Unless the company can turn it around, it looks like the company will have another Gamecube on its hands for the next few years. While the company is actively investigating methods to turn things around, one rumor out today says that the company may already be working on a successor to the Wii U and 3DS.

    Nintendo News reports that one of its “very reputable sources” has the inside scoop on what Nintendo is cooking up at its Kyoto HQ. The rumor states that the next hardware cycle out of Nintendo will be a home console/handheld combo going by the codename “Fusion.” The name implies that the two will work together with the handheld acting as a controller for the home console.

    What makes this rumor less believable is that the source has provided preliminary specs for what is called the Fusion DS and the Fusion Terminal. As you can probably guess, the Fusion DS is the handheld while the Fusion Terminal is the home console unit. What’s interesting is that both consoles are backwards compatible with 3DS games while the Fusion Terminal is backwards compatible with Wii U games. The Fusion Terminal would also support up to four Wii U gamepads.

    So, what is the likelihood that these rumors are true? Not very likely. While it’s safe to assume that Nintendo is already exploring new hardware, it’s hard to believe that the company would already have an outline of what hardware it wanted to use down to the CPU and GPU.

    The only possible evidence that this may more than just wishful thinking is that Nintendo updated its Nintendofusion.com domain registration last year. While the original Nintendofusion.com was used to promote Nintendo of America’s Fusion Tour, the concert tour has not run since 2006. Why would Nintendo hold onto the domain then? The most likely scenario is that Nintendo refreshes its domains every year like any other company would. It’s unlikely that Nintendo is already prepping a decade-old domain for the launch of new hardware five years from now.

    While the above rumors are likely false, it’s still interesting to think about. Fans, analysts and others are already speculating on what the future holds for Nintendo. The Fusion concept is just one of many ideas that are being tossed around in the wake of Nintendo’s misfortunes.

    Image via Rodriguezjr/YouTube

  • Nintendo Isn’t Going To Pull A Sega Anytime Soon

    It’s safe to say at this point that the Wii U is a flop. Unless Nintendo can figure something out in 2014, it may even end up doing worse than the Gamecube. The company acknowledged this last week when it updated its financial forecast for FY 2013 by decreasing the number of Wii U units it was expecting to sell by more than 70 percent.

    As you would expect, the Wii U’s performance has some Nintendo fans concerned that the game maker is finally going to throw in the towel. After all, Sega did the same thing after the Dreamcast suffered a similar fate after launching in 1999. Despite calls from investors and analysts to abandon the hardware market and focus exclusively on software, Nintendo is going to fight it out.

    The Wall Street Journal reports that Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata held a press conference on Friday to address the company’s future plans in light of its FY 2013 predictions. Those plans do not include making games for mobile devices. Iwata stated that it wasn’t “that simple” and that poor Wii U sales “doesn’t mean [Nintendo] should put Mario on smartphones.”

    Despite his resistance to putting Nintendo properties on mobile devices, Iwata is not entirely against using said mobile devices. In fact, he said that the company is now looking into using mobile devices as a way to draw people into their hardware/software ecosystem. As an example, he points to the success of Puzzles & Dragons on the 3DS – a port of the popular mobile title that at times pulled in over $3.5 million a day last year. While the 3DS port would never have the 13 million players that its mobile sibling has, it still sold a respectable 1 million units in Japan alone. What makes that particular feat extraordinary is that the mobile game is free-to-play yet it spurred players to spend $40 to purchase a version of the game for the 3DS.

    It’s phenomena like this that has Nintendo convinced that it can stay in the hardware market. As long as the company utilizes mobile devices effectively to draw in the modern consumer, it can still make the hardware that it needs for its software to shine.

    Nintendo has already taken steps towards this kind of marketing by releasing a mobile Web app version of Miiverse. The social network is easily one of the best features on the Wii U and 3DS, and letting users get a taste of it on mobile devices might draw them into the Wii U/3DS ecosystem where Miiverse truly shines.

    Looking to the future, Nintendo could take a cue from developers like Ubisoft who are building companion mobile apps for their console games. Players quickly find that the Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag companion app is an indispensable resource once they start to use it alongside the main game. If Nintendo were to release such an app for one of their core titles, it could lead to better engagement with players. Hell, Nintendo could just release a Pokewalker app for Pokemon X/Y and rake in the dough with IAPs.

    Whatever Nintendo decides to do, it’s going to be surprising. Whether that’s a good or bad thing remains to be seen, but the company has pulled miracles out of nowhere before.

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • The Wii U Didn’t Do So Well In 2013

    In 2012, Nintendo launched the Wii U to a lot of excitement and stellar day one sales. After that, things went downhill fast. The company has tried to turn it around in 2013 with bundles and price drops, but it looks like it still wasn’t enough.

    In its financial forecast for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2014, Nintendo says that it had hoped to sell 9 million Wii U units by March 31. Its forecast has now been drastically lowered to 2.8 million. If this turns out to be the case Nintendo will have sold 6.25 million Wii U units since its launch in late 2012.

    Despite the Wii U not doing so hot, things are looking a lot better for the 3DS. That being said, Nintendo expects its handheld to not do as well as initially thought. It originally expected to sell 18 million units, but that number has now been decreased to 13.5 million units. The handheld is still seeing success in Japan, but sales have slumped in the North American and European markets.

    The marked down forecasts for both the Wii U and 3DS have Nintendo slashing its expected annual revenue to $5.7 billion from an expected $8.8 billion. It also expected to make $527.2 million in profits, but that’s also been readjusted to $239.6 million in losses.

    So, what does this all mean? Is Nintendo doomed? The company itself is fine as it’s sitting on a fat stack of cash left over from its Wii days. The real question now is whether or not Nintendo sticks with the Wii U, moves on to another hardware platform or just abandons the hardware market altogether. There are legitimate arguments to be had in support of all three, but it looks Nintendo is sticking with the Wii U for now.

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

  • These Are The Jobs Of Bravely Default

    After high school or college, the first thing you’re told is to “get a job.” That’s easier said than done for a lot of people these days. If only you could hit a button and suddenly find yourself proficient in the dark arts or the art of throwing a ninja star into a dragon’s face. Well, it’s not the real world but such a scenario is possible in Square Enix’ upcoming Bravely Default.

    Nintendo shared a new trailer today detailing the job system that players will find in Bravely Default. Like Final Fantasy: The Four Heroes of Light before it, Bravely Default will require players to master various job classes and become proficient in the skills they teach.

    Every player will start out as a freelancer. From there, players will be able assign a variety of jobs to each of their four characters. The usual jobs, like Knight, White Mage and Thief, are here, but the game also features some unique jobs like Merchant – which allows the player to attack with money – and Spell Fencer – which allows the player to add elemental effects to weapons.

    Bravely Default will launch on February 7 exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS.

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Nintendo Announces 3DS Game Launch Dates

    The Nintendo 3DS is the console to beat this hardware generation as the handheld is continuing to see strong sales thanks to a never ending deluge of quality game releases. It helped Nintendo rake in the dough last year, and it sees 2014 as an equally exciting year for 3DS owners.

    Nintendo announced today that it has four 3DS games in the pipeline for the first four months of the year. Three are titles that we already knew were coming, but Nintendo also announced a surprise title for the North American markets.

    The first major 3DS game release in 2014 will be Bravely Default on February 7. The Square Enix-made RPG has already been out in Japan for quite some time, but North American fans will finally get to experience what’s considered the first proper Final Fantasy-like title in a while.

    Up next is the highly anticipated Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy. It’s the final installment in the second Layton trilogy and fans won’t want to miss it when it launches on February 28.

    In March, Nintendo will release only one game, but it’s a good one – Yoshi’s New Island. This new Yoshi title is overseen by Takashi Tezuka – the creative director on the original Yoshi’s Island. It will launch on March 14.

    Finally, Nintendo announced a surprise title for the North American markets – Disney Magical World. The title was known as Disney Magic Castle when it launched in Japan last year. The game puts players in the shoes of their Mii as they explore Disney World and interact with Disney characters.

    Here’s the Japanese trailer for the title:

    Of course, it wouldn’t be a Nintendo press release if the company didn’t too its own horn in some way. It says that the 3DS performed super well on both the software and hardware fronts in 2013 with lifetime sales of the Nintendo 3DS reaching 11.5 million in the U.S. alone. All those 3DS owners bought a lot of games as Nintendo notes software sales reached 16 million – an increase of 45 percent over 2012.

    Nintendo’s Scott Moffitt says the company isn’t slowing down in 2014 and that “the best days of Nintendo 3DS are still to come.” If you’re a fan of the handheld, it looks like Nintendo will be taking care of you this year. Now if only Nintendo could keep up the same pace on Wii U releases, but that’s looking more and more unlikely.

    Image via Nintendo/Business Wire

  • Dr. Luigi Trailer Proves His PhD Is Just As Good As Mario’s

    For over two decades now, Mario has been a practicing physician thanks to the popular Dr. Mario series. Over the years, Mario has waved his doctorate over Luigi’s head as a sign of his superiority. After years of medical school, Luigi has emerged with his own doctorate to finally show his brother that he’s just as good at busting viruses.

    Dr. Luigi, the first Dr. Mario game to star the younger of the Mario siblings, is hitting the eShop this week. To coincide with the launch, Nintendo has released a new trailer that shows off some of the gameplay players can expect from the latest game in the franchise.

    With Dr. Luigi, Nintendo could have just slapped Luigi into a Dr. Mario clone and called it a day. That would be boring though, and Nintendo instead decided to shake things up a bit by changing how the game is played. Instead of having to match viruses with like-colored two-tone pills, Dr. Luigi features L-shaped pills that forces players to rethink their puzzle strategies.

    Check it out:

    Dr. Luigi is available on the Wii U eShop today for $14.99.

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Bravely Default Demo Headlines This Week’s Nintendo Download

    During the last Nintendo Direct of 2012, Nintendo announced that it would be releasing a demo for the much anticipated Bravely Default. Now, that wouldn’t be much cause for celebration except that the demo features an exclusive side quest that’s not in the full game. The demo was promised to us at the beginning of the year, and that promise has been fulfilled.

    Nintendo announced that the Bravely Default demo will be available on the 3DS eShop starting today. The demo features a small snippet of the gameplay that players can expect from the full game when it launches on February 7 in North America.

    As for other releases, Nintendo has chosen to highlight some of last week’s releases in light of the eShop downtime that kept many players from being able to download games on the day after Christmas. Those games include Dr. Luigi, Mario Tennis on the 3DS virtual console and Super Punch-Out!! on the Wii U virtual console.

    In new virtual console releases, the Wii U will be getting Mega Man X2 today. The sequel to the original SNES classic features more of the classic gameplay that players have come to expect from the Mega Man X franchise.

    Here are the other games hitting the Nintendo eShop today:

  • CastleStorm (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
  • Bird Mania Christmas 3D (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  • Cubit The Hardcore Platformer Robot (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  • EDGE (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)

    • Image via Nintendo

  • Wii Fit U Heads To Retail On January 10

    Wii Fit U Heads To Retail On January 10

    In early November, Nintendo released Wii Fit U on the Nintendo eShop with a 30 day free trial for those who already owned a Wii balance board. To make the deal even sweeter, anybody who purchased a Wii Fit U Fit Meter for $20 would be able to upgrade the trial to the full game and keep it forever. For those who aren’t into the digital marketplace, Nintendo has a retail package coming your way soon.

    Nintendo announced today that Wii Fit U will finally hit retail shelves on January 10 in two SKUs. The first will include the game, a Fit Meter and a balance board for $90. For those who already have a balance board, you’ll be able to pick up the game and a Fit Meter for $50. The one month free trial will remain available until January 31.

    “Wii Fit U makes fitness fun. It’s as simple as that,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Wii Fit U is a great option for busy moms and families who want to stay active in the comfort of their own homes – which is perfect during the cold winter months.”

    To help promote Wii Fit U’s North American launch, Nintendo has partnered with celebrity trainer Kathy Kaehler to promote the game through what Nintendo calls the Wii Fit U Challenge. In essence, the campaign will emphasize the health benefits of Wii Fit U and encourage users to train their bodies using Wii Fit U throughout the year.

    “As a mom of three kids, I know how difficult it can sometimes be to find time to go to the gym,” Kaehler said. “The exercises in Wii Fit U are designed to accommodate busy schedules and can be accomplished throughout the day. Plus, it’s a fun activity for the entire family.”

    If you want to stay fit using video games and don’t have a Wii U, there is another option. Xbox Fitness is a new subscription service that hit the Xbox One in late 2013 that uses the Kinect camera and a variety of trainers to help users stay fit. There’s no comparable service yet available on the PS4, but that will likely change in the coming year.

    Image via Nintendo/Business Wire

  • Wii U Gamepad Hacked To Work On A PC

    The second screen experience isn’t just for home consoles anymore. For the past few years, Nvidia has been pushing a second screen experience on the PC with support for tablets and its own Shield handheld device. Now some intrepid hackers have taken one of the very best second screen accessories and brought it to the PC.

    At the recent Chaos Communications Congress that took place in Germany, two men presented a live demo of a Wii U Gamepad working on a PC. The two were able to reverse engineer the Wi-Fi signal the Wii U Gamepad uses to communicate with the Wii U and make it communicate with a PC instead. This allows them to build applications for the PC that use the Wii U gamepad as a method of input.

    As you might expect, using a Wii U gamepad on the PC has more applications than just for gaming. That doesn’t gaming wasn’t a part of it though. The two men fired up a Gamecube emulator and played the original Gamecube version of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker using just the Wii U Gamepad. It’s certainly a pretty big deal, but this current hack is only for the engineers and code junkies among us. Consumers hoping to connect their Wii U Gamepad to a PC will have to wait.

    You can watch the full 56 minute presentation below:

    If you want to see the slides in more detail, you can see them here. If you want to mess around with some Wii U/PC applications yourself, you can check out the open source documentation here.

    [h/t: Engadget]
    Image via Stan Lawnmower/YouTube