Jimmy Fallon kicks off post-E3 video game week

Fallon

Fans of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon are well aware of the talk show host’s passion for gaming. Fallon routinely showcases the newest in games and hardware on his NBC talk show.

This week, Fallon’s “Video Game Week” returns with an impressive lineup, featuring games that also appeared on the show floor at last week’s E3; titles like Watch Dogs, Game & Wario, and Super Mario 3D World to name a few. He’ll also show off titles from Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

To round out the game fest, musical guests for the week include performances by Zedd with special guest Foxes, Chvurches, and my personal favorites, Anamanaguchi.

For a look at this week’s schedule, click below the break. Will you be tuning in?

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Nintendo 3DS wins May as top-selling platform, thanks to Donkey Kong

Nintendo 3DS XL

Hot off the heels of their well-received E3 showcase, Nintendo has even more good news to embrace. Today, the house of Mario proudly announced that their Nintendo 3DS handheld sold more units than any other platform during the month of May, according to data from NPD Group.

The company has two of its newest titles to thank, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D and Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, ranking respectfully as the second and third highest selling games across all platforms — I picked up both myself. Of course, that impossibly hard to find limited edition Pikachu 3DS XL probably helped sales as well.

What’s even more impressive is that overall software sales of the Nintendo 3DS are up 60% from the previous year, clear proof that the handheld is just getting started. With games like Mario Party 3DS, Mario Golf: World Tour, Pokemon X, Pokmeon Y, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds headed our way, we can expect big sales to linger for quite some time.

To read Nintendo’s full press release, continue reading below the break.

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Cloudberry Kingdom: A perfect platformer conquers E3

Growing up, I never went out of my way to collect all the coins in Super Mario Bros., or made it a point to stomp on Goombas. For me, the joy of a sidescrolling platformer was to haul ass, making it from the starting point to the finish line as quickly as possible. There’s a sense of pride one feels after dodging a swarm of Bullet Bills, sliding under a ring of fire, and successfully clearing Bowser’s castle. After playing Cloudberry Kingdom, it’s clear I wasn’t the only one with that mindset.

CBKThe basic object of Cloudberry Kingdom is to speedrun to the exit as fast as possible, leaving every man for themselves. The levels are very short, the gameplay is fast, and the obstacles are plentiful, so you’ll need to carefully navigate to the end-point, avoiding spikes, fire, lasers, and of course, wide-open death pits.

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E3 2013: Xbox One vs. PS4 — Have you decided?

Xbox

There was something different in the air at this year’s E3, aside from the usual waves of day-old Axe deodorant. Mud went flying between Microsoft and Sony, each trying to 1-up each other in an attempt to compete for the bigger install-base when their respective consoles, the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4, launch this holiday.

Monday morning, Microsoft left behind the TV and Fantasy Football talk to present their lineup of heavy-hitters, games including Dead Rising 3, Ryse: Son of Rome, Below, Titanfall, and Forza Motorsport 5. The company also confirmed a $499 MSRP holiday 2013 release, with the new mandatory Kinect One audio/video sensor included.

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Later that night, Sony took the spotlight, as fans were eager to learn more about the new PS4 console, and to finally see the hardware design. With a sleek and modern build and familiar controller design of the DualShock 4, Sony confirmed the console will launch this holiday for $399. The newest PlayStation Camera (replacing the under-utilized PS Eye from the previous generation) would not be included with the console, sold at $59 — the console price also does not include Sony’s PS Move motion controller. Exclusive PS4 games will include Killzone: Shadow Fall, The Order: 1886, Infamous: Second Son, and Knack.

I spent a good amount of time checking out the new hardware at the expo, and a few of the new games slated to debut with these next-gen platforms. I think each console will find a spot in the marketplace, though Microsoft needs to really sell just how great HDMI-pass through is, instead of beating the dead horse that is “SPORTS-SPORTS-SPORTS!” The graphics are stunning, though I’m still skeptical the mainstream casual gamer will be able to tell a stark difference between the current and the next-gen consoles. One thing is for sure, however: The Xbox One controller and DualShock 4 controller are both remarkably better than the previous generation. They don’t stray too far from their former iterations, but both feature tighter analog control, better button feel, and no squishy triggers. The DualShock 4 is comfortable and light in weight, while the Xbox One controller features vastly improved directional pads.

The next-gen market has become so split, where fanboys pledge their allegiance to their favorite consoles before they’ve even played a single game, and I totally get that. For the rest out there, it will come down to the software exclusives, and the extra features associated with each console. If you’re on the fence about which way to go, or you would like a side-by-side refresher course, take a look at this extensive chart below the break. Created by Deviantart user Yamamoto114, the chart gives a detailed look at differences and similarities between the Xbox One and PS4. Then sound off in the comments and let us know which way you’re going to go come this holiday.

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E3 2013: Bayonetta 2 trailer

Bayonetta 2 finally gets a true trailer! Check out the first look at her newest game, her newest abilities, as well as her newest haircut!

E3 2013: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds trailer

Link’s upcoming portable adventure on the Nintendo 3DS takes place after the events of the SNES title A Link to the Past, which explains the game’s newly revealed name A Link Between Worlds.

Check out the game’s new E3 trailer above!

E3 2013: Super Smash Bros. trailer

Nintendo has finally given us a first look at the brand new Super Smash Bros. games for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, confirming new characters, new stages, and more! We’re certainly looking forward to additional details from Nintendo, but for now, this seems like it’s more than enough to get the fans excited!

E3 2013: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD – first trailer

This morning’s Nintendo Direct gave us a first real trailer for the upcoming HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. With updated graphics, and new features, the game is slated to release this September.

E3 2013: Super Mario 3D World trailer

Check out Nintendo’s reveal trailer for Super Mario 3D World for the Wii U! While I personally might have preferred an orchestrated, Galaxy-style soundtrack, this game seems to follow in the footsteps of Super Mario 3D Land, which can’t possibly be a bad idea. What do you think?

E3 2013: Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze

DK is back, along with Diddy Kong, in a brand new adventure for Wii U. The duo will also be joined by Dixie Kong!

Check out the new debut trailer for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, due this November.