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  • Mario Kart 8 Hits Shelves, Hailed Best In The Series

    The much-anticipated Mario Kart 8 hit stores yesterday, and it’s already seeing tons of high praise. The latest installment, which is only available on the Wii U, includes 32 racetracks (16 new, 16 repurposed classics), 30 different drivers, and 26 vehicles to choose from. This 8th version of the game most definitely expands the Mario Kart universe, including new items and an anti-gravity feature, but doesn’t stray far from its roots.

    “Ever since the launch of the original Super Mario Kart on the Super NES more than 20 years ago, the words ‘Mario Kart’ have represented the gold standard for unpredictable and competitive racing fun,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo’s vice president of Sales & Marketing.

    “[Mario Kart 8] isn’t a great evolution from 1992’s “Super Mario Kart,” but Nintendo has never been a company that tried to fix things that aren’t broken,” adds Yahoo! Finance.

    Perhaps the most notable aspect of Mario Kart 8 are its stunning high definition graphics. “It’s the first iteration in the series where we feel like the game is living up to its full potential. The HD quality will likely even have PS4 and Xbox One gamers gawping,” says The Inquirer. “You’ll see sparks fly off tires as you drift around corners, the grimace on your opponent’s face as you bash them with a red shell, and even water drying on the camera lens as you reemerge from the watery depths of Dolphin Shoals.”

    The game also upped its difficulty in Grand Prix mode, making the computer challengers in its 150cc cup much more difficult to beat. There’s also a neat new “Mario Kart TV” feature, which highlights the best moments from each race. Players can edit, rewind, and slow down their highlight reels, and even share them on their Miiverse channel.

    In addition to the classic red shells and bananas, players can also find the long-range boomerang, which can be thrown and used to attack three times, and the piranha plant, which attaches to the player’s cart and bites other players that come too close. Nintendo also brought coins back to Mario Kart, which help increase your top speed.

    Mario Kart retails at $59.99, but there’s also a Wii U bundle available, that includes the console, a Mario Wii Wheel, and the game for $329.99.

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘Mario Kart 8’ Informational Video Released

    ‘Mario Kart 8’ Informational Video Released

    Mario fans only have one more month to wait until Mario Kart 8 hits the stores, and to get them even more pumped, Nintendo released a Nintendo Direct video.

    The video covers some exciting news, including word of a Mario Kart 8 Wii U bundle, new characters and items, a free downloadable game offer for Wii U owners who buy Mario Kart 8 and more.

    “Everyone loves Mario Kart,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “It’s a franchise that brings people together for fun at a family gathering, a frenzied race against friends or just an afternoon break at the office. The numerous new features of Mario Kart 8 make this the most ambitious version yet, and one that will have players of all skill levels racing for the checkered flag.”

    The exclusive Mario Kart 8 bundle will include a Wii U Deluxe Set System, a red Mario Wii wheel accessory, a red Mario Wii Remote Plus controller and the Mario Kart 8 game.

    The video also stated that those who buy the game and register with Club Nintendo before July 31 will receive a Nintendo eShop download code for an addition Wii U game. Players can choose from New Super Mario Bros. U, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Walker 3, Pikmin 3 and Wii Party U.

    Mario Kart 8 will also feature a few new players, including Pink Gold Peach, Metal Mario, Baby Rosalina and other baby characters.

    A few new items have also been added to each player’s arsenal, such as the Blue Spiny Shell, Super Horn and the Crazy 8.

    Mario Kart 8 in now available for pre-order at major retailers in North America, and will be available for purchase May 30.

    Image via YouTube

  • NES Remix 2 Gets New Mode Inspired By Nintendo World Championships

    NES Remix 2 Gets New Mode Inspired By Nintendo World Championships

    One of the rarest Nintendo games of all time is the Nintendo World Championships cartridge handed out to the winners of the competition in 1990. The cartridge contained levels from Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer and Tetris and would track the scores from all three games over the course of 6 minutes and 21 seconds. While it’s all but impossible to obtain one of these cartridges today, you can experience the same kind of gameplay in the upcoming NES Remix 2.

    Nintendo announced this morning that it’s adding a new mode to NES Remix 2 that’s based loosely on the Nintendo World Championships. The company is quick to note, however, that the new mode will feature three new games and a new multiplier scoring system.

    Super Mario Bros. remains as one of the three games in Championship Mode, but is now joined by Super Mario Bros. 3 and Dr. Mario. Players will take on a series of three successive score-based challenges in these games to achieve a cumulative total score. Scores can be posted to Miiverse, so players can compete with friends and others who also have the game. The first NES Remix game is required to experience Championship Mode in NES Remix 2.

    We can only hope Nintendo hosts an actual competition again and the winners get golden Mario statues.

    NES Remix 2 isn’t all about the competition though. If you want to take things slow, you can also do that. The game features short challenges from a new assortment of NES titles, such as Kid Icarus, Metroid and Kirby’s Adventure.

    NES Remix 2 launches exclusively on the Wii U eShop on April 25.

    Image via Nintendo/Business Wire

  • New Super Smash Bros. To Appeal To Core And Casual Fans Alike

    Super Smash Bros. is an interesting beast. It has to appeal to its core fanbase that plays it like a fighter while still appealing to those who play it like a party game. Super Smash Bros. Melee heavily appealed to the former while Super Smash Bros. Brawl heavily appealed to the latter. With the latest game, Nintendo is working to appeal to fans of both.

    In a Nintendo Direct solely focused on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, game director Masuhiro Sakurai revealed all new details about the upcoming game. Over the course of 39 minutes, he talked about online multiplayer, stages, differences between the 3DS and Wii U versions of the game, character rosters and more. He even revealed the launch windows for both titles.

    Arguably, the most important news for Super Smash Bros. is its launch date and Sakurai came out with that information first. He revealed that Nintendo will not be releasing both versions at the same time. Instead, the 3DS version will be out in Summer while the Wii U version launches this Winter.

    Next up, Sakurai touched upon the online multiplayer portion of the game. In the previous game, players of all types were ushered into anonymous brawls with one another. In the new Smash Bros., players will now be able to choose between two lobbies – For Fun and For Glory. For Fun lobbies will allow players to play on all stages (sans Final Destination), all items are turned on and only wins are recorded. The For Glory lobby is the exact opposite, all items are turned off and the only playable stage is Final Destination. To prevent stagnation, almost every stage in the game has a Final Destination form so players will have the same flat platform to play on, but without having to see the same background every time.

    Speaking of stages, Sakurai reiterated that stages will not be the same across both platforms. The 3DS version will have stages inspired by Nintendo’s handheld titles while the Wii U version will have stages inspired by Nintendo’s home console titles. Some stages from past games have returned as well, including Halberd and Jungle Japes.

    Since the 3DS version of the game will out first, Sakurai thought it would be pertinent to reveal a game mode exclusive to that version. It’s called Smash Run and it gives players five minutes to make their way through a labyrinth of enemies while gathering powerups. At the end of those five minutes, four players will be thrust into a battle with all the powerups they collected during the exploration portion of the game. It’s very similar to the City Trial game mode in Kirby’s Air Ride for the Nintendo Gamecube.

    As for new characters, Sakurai started off by saying that there will no longer be characters that change forms mid-fight. This is meant to help players focus on one moveset instead of having to adapt to a brand new one midfight. Instead, those transformations are now their own characters. For example, Zero Suit Samus and Shiek are now their own characters with their own unique movesets that aren’t beholden to Samus or Zelda respectively. Since there’s no longer mid-battle transformations, Sakurai also revealed that Charizard is now a standalone character. It can also mega evolve into the black and blue Mega Charizard X.

    Speaking of Pokemon, the only completely brand new character revealed in this latest Nintendo Direct is Greninja. The ninja frog Pokemon will use his attacks from the games, but with a distinctly ninja-like flair. For example, he throws water covered shurikens and can use substitution magic to dodge incoming attacks.

    There was a lot more information in the Nintendo Direct, including Assist Trophies, that aren’t covered here. To learn more about the upcoming Super Smash Bros., be sure to watch the Nintendo Direct below:

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Game Boy Advance Games Come To Wii U In This Week’s Nintendo Download

    Nintendo promised and it delivered. Game Boy Advance games are finally on the virtual console. The only downside is that the games are only available on the Wii U. It makes much more sense to have them on the 3DS, but we gotta take what we can get.

    Speaking of Game Boy Advance games, this week sees the release of three classics – Metroid Fusion, Advance Wars and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. All three games are considered some of the very best the Game Boy Advance had to offer. One in particular – Advance Wars – is a classic that’s hard to find these days. With its arrival on the virtual console, a whole new generation of gamers can experience the classic turn-based strategy series for the first time.

    All three of this week’s Game Boy Advance games will cost $7.99 and feature off-TV play on the GamePad. In fact, it would probably be advisable to do so as GBA games probably don’t look so great blown up on a giant screen.

    While the Wii U is getting some GBA games, the 3DS is getting some love in the form of a new free-to-play title – Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball. Nintendo announced this one a while back and is notable for allowing players to haggle with the in-game character to reduce the cost of mini-games. Now if only other free-to-play games would let us lower the price of in-game goods.

    Sega is also releasing Super Monkey Ball 3D on the 3DS eShop. The title features the familiar tilting puzzle-platformer action the series is known for alongside a new sidescrolling melee combat mode and a kart racing mini-game.

    Here are all the other games hitting the Wii U and 3DS eShop this week:

    Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate – Deluxe Edition (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
    Evofish (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
    Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
    Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)

    Image via Nintendo

  • Mario Kart 8 To Feature New Items, New Courses And Live Music

    Mario Kart isn’t exactly what gamers would call a revolutionary series. Each game in the franchise knows what it is and doesn’t deviate far from that. The last truly innovative Mario Kart was Double Dash on the Gamecube, and it looks like Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U will be following in its footsteps. No, unfortunately the tag team kart racing isn’t back, but the game will be introducing a ton of new stuff.

    Nintendo unleashed the floodgates this morning with a veritable treasure trove of Mario Kart 8 information including information on new items, new tracks and even new music. The major addition in Mario Kart 8 is what Nintendo is calling the “Spin Boost.” When the anti-gravity mode is activated, players can bump into other racers or certain items on the track to get a speed boost. Nintendo says the new feature “fundamentally redefines the way that players compete.”

    Alongside all the returning items, Mario Kart 8 will also feature two new items – the Piranha Plant and the Boomerang Flower. The Piranha Plant attaches to the front of the player’s kart and eats other players, banana peels and incoming turtle shells. Even better, the player will get a small speed boost each time the Piranha Plant eats something. The second item – the Boomerang Flower – can be used to stun racers. It can be used up to three times, can be thrown ahead or behind the player and can even be thrown in an arc to stun multiple racers at once.

    As for courses, Mario Kart 8 will continue Mario Kart’s tradition of including brand new courses alongside old courses from previous entries in the series. This time around, Nintendo says Mario Kart 8 will feature 16 brand new courses and 16 remixed courses. The remixed courses will remain similar to the tracks they’re based on, but will feature new areas where players can use anti-gravity karts.

    In what may be the most exciting news, Nintendo says that some tracks in the game will feature live recorded music. It’s a first for Mario Kart and continues Nintendo’s move towards including more live recorded music in their games. Mario Kart has always had excellent music, and I can’t wait to hear what the composers can do this time around with a live band.

    Finally, Nintendo says that Mario Kart 8 will support numerous control schemes. As always, the Wii U Gamepad is the default option, but you can also use the Wii U Pro Controller, the Wii Wheel or the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Unfortunately, there’s no support for the Wii Classic Controller.

    To top off all the news hitting today, Nintendo also released a new trailer. Check it out:

    There’s also a new Nintendo Minute out with a more detailed look at some of the new courses in Mario Kart 8:

    Mario Kart 8 will be out May 30 exclusively on Wii U.

    Image via Nintendo/YouTube

  • Sonic Dons Link’s Green Hat And Tunic In Lost World DLC

    Last year, Nintendo announced that Sonic Lost World would be getting two free Nintendo-themed DLC packs. The first was based on Yoshi’s Island and the second was teased to be based on The Legend of Zelda. Now it’s official – The Legend of Zelda Zone is the next piece of DLC headed to Sonic Lost World.

    IGN reports today that The Legend of Zelda Zone in Sonic Lost World will be a bit different from the Yoshi’s Island DLC. For starters, it won’t be as linear as the previous DLC. Sonic will be able to explore an open Hyrule Field and even dive into a dungeon full of enemies, heart containers and other secrets. Sonic even looks different as he’ll be wearing Link’s trademark green hat and tunic throughout the level.

    Of course, Sonic won’t be the only in the level wearing the green hat and tunic. Link from Skyward Sword will appear every now and then on his red Loftwing. This does present some weird discrepancies, however, as the Hyrule Castle is from Twilight Princess and the enemy models are pulled from Ocarina of Time. It’s probably best not to think about such things though and just enjoy the fanservice.

    If you want to learn more about the new crossover, here’s a 5 minute developer commentary with footage from the DLC:

    The Legend of Zelda Zone comes to Sonic Lost World tomorrow, March 27, and it’s completely free.

    Image via IGN

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Here’s A Behind The Scenes Look At Sonic Boom

    Sega surprised everyone earlier this month when it announced a reboot of Sonic called Sonic Boom. The new game ties into a new CG-animated TV series and toy line that will be produced by Sega’s Western branch. While details on the actual game are still scarce, a new video gives us a look at how the project came together.

    First things first – it’s obvious that the team working on Sonic Boom have a deep love and respect for the character of Sonic. For many of them, the original Sonic games were an inspiration when they began to work in the industry. They bring that same love to this project and want to make an action/adventure game that seemingly pulls from older Sonic games like Sonic Adventure 2 as well as Naughty Dog games like Jak and Daxter.

    As for the cartoon, the team reveals that they’re writing a consistent narrative that will build upon previous episodes. In other words, Sonic Boom will be more like Sonic SatAM and less like Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

    Oh, and those worried over Sonic Boom’s direction need not be concerned. Sonic Team reaffirms in the video above that they will continue making modern Sonic games in the vein of Sonic Lost World alongside the Sonic Boom franchise. We can only hope that their next title is more like Sonic Generations instead of the generally awful Lost World.

    Image via SegaAmerica/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