New Zelda, Yoshi’s Island, and Mario Party announced for 3DS

By Jason Leavey  37 days ago | Leave a comment

NintendoDirectAlthough always informative, this morning’s Nintendo Direct brought along more new game announcements than I think anyone was prepared to handle.

Nintendo announced that a new Yoshi’s Island title is coming to Nintendo 3DS, along with a new entry in the Mario Party series. Additionally, a brand new game in The Legend of Zelda series taking place in the world of A Link to the Past is coming this year.

Nintendo also delighted long-time fans by announcing that Earthbound will arrive this year on the Wii U Virtual Console. The Virtual Console officially goes live next week, the day after the Wii U’s big software update, which is said to significantly reduce load times, while also adding nifty features like downloading software updates while the console sleeps.

Definitely a huge amount of news coming just months before E3. What do you guys think? Keep an eye out on Nintendo’s official Facebook page, where new trailers are said to be posted throughout the day. Below the break is the full press release of news.

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A tourist’s guide to Animal Crossing New Leaf

By Jason Leavey  46 days ago | Leave a comment

Nintendo has released a brand new trailer for the upcoming release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, coming to North America this summer.

The relaxing trailer gives players a look at the overall theme of the series, shown in the view of a tourist. The video encourages folks to stop on by, while enjoying the great outdoor activities of pond fishing, fossil digging, or butterfly catching. There’s also shopping, dancing, and swimming to take part in, while meeting great new friends along the way.

Watch the trailer above to see if you’ll be making a reservation for New Leaf when it hits Nintendo 3DS on June 9.

 

Colorful 3DS XL charging docks added to Club Nintendo in Japan

By Jason Leavey  55 days ago | 2 Comments

3DS XL Charging Dock

The rewards featured on Club Nintendo aren’t always the most intriguing items — I can’t exactly say I was floored by the colored Wii Remote wrist straps. The newest reward addition however is both awesome, and practical.

The Club Nintendo service in Japan just added the Nintendo 3DS XL charging dock to its rewards section, available in an array of exclusive colors. The colorful charging dock makes it easier to plop your handheld down in a rush, without fiddling with the cable and charging port each time. The original Nintendo 3DS came bundled with the bite-size dock, but XL owners were left in the dust.

Japanese club members can pick theirs up for just 200 coins. Let’s hope we get these in the states as soon as possible.

Source: Nintendo Everything

DuckTales Remastered announced, coming this summer!

By Jason Leavey  63 days ago | 1 Comment

DuckTales

Life is like a hurricane, but that hasn’t stopped the greatest news ever from happening this afternoon. During Capcom’s panel at PAX East today, the company announced a brand new entry in their critically acclaimed DuckTales video game saga would be released for download this summer.

Developed by the incredible team at WayForward (a boy and his blob, Mighty Switch Force, Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d You Steal Our Garbage? to name a few), DuckTales Remastered will be loosely based on the 1989 original NES title, with new HD hand-drawn animations, a new level, and voice-work by the same talent as the original Disney cartoon — I seriously can’t believe any of this is happening, but it is, and I’m in duck heaven. The game will mark the third title in the series — the first two titles both released for the original Nintendo Entertainment System.

The game is set to release this summer for the Wii U eShop, XBLA, and PSN for $15. Take a look at the game’s debut trailer below the break — it’ll give you goosebumps!

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Nintendo Download: March 21, 2013

By Jason Leavey  64 days ago | Leave a comment

Luigi's Mansion Dark MoonThis week’s Nintendo Download features a solid lineup of downloadable games that are also found at your local retail store, as well a few digital exclusives.

The clear shining star this week is Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, which will finally see a release on Sunday. Based on the positive reviews scattered across the net, I think it’s safe to say the extra long development time was worth the wait.

Also available for the Nintendo 3DS eShop is Pokédex Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, 50 Classic Games 3D, and Lola’s Math Train. For the Wii U eShop comes Zen Pinball 2, while The Path of the Warrior: Art of Fighting 3 arrives for Wii’s Virtual Console.

For the bargain shopper, Nintendo also announced a temporary sale on Mutant Mudds for $5.99, while the Pokédex 3D Pro app drops to $9.99, both available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop.

Anything look appealing to you guys? I’d love a digital copy of Luigi’s Mansion 2, but my copy is scheduled to arrive in my mailbox this weekend. Stupid physical media.

Nintendo Download – March 14, 2013

By Jason Leavey  71 days ago | Leave a comment

It happened, guys! The Wii U software drought is nearing an end, as the console’s eShop prepares for some quality content with this week’s Nintendo Download. This week’s retail releases will also arrive as digital downloads, with the release of LEGO City Undercover, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (also for Nintendo 3DS), and Need for Speed: Most Wanted U. There’s also the upcoming Wii U Virtual Console release of Punch Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream, available starting March 20 for a limited time cost of just 30 cents. I don’t know about you, but I find playing Virtual Console games on the GamePad has been a dream.

Other notable releases this week include a demo of the rhythm game HarmoKnight for the Nintendo 3DS eShop, and Mega Man 3 for the 3DS eShop Virtual Console — both worth acquiring immediately. For a full list of the new releases for the week, continue reading below the break.

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Nintendo Download – March 7, 2013

By Jason Leavey  78 days ago | 1 Comment

Owners of Nintendo’s various platforms are always excited for the weekly digital download releases. Sadly for Wii U owners, this week only brings a few entries for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii consoles, with no love directed towards the next-gen home console. The biggest new entry is the recently announced eShop title Kersploosh!

Players will navigate a fallen pebble through a water well riddled with challenging obstacles that you’ll have to avoid to reach the end-point. Gameplay-wise, you may notice the similarities between Kersploosh! and Fox McCloud’s final battle against Andross in StarFox64, flying your Arwing through an obstacle filled tunnel. Or not. Whatever. Don’t judge me for always wanting to compare newer games to one of my favorite classic N64 titles.

Kersploosh! is available now for $2.99. For a full list of this week’s new digital releases, continue reading below the break.

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Here’s how you can use your Wii U GamePad on your PC

By Jason Leavey  108 days ago | Leave a comment

I’m pretty sure my jaw dropped way back when I first figured out I could use gaming console controllers on my PC. The idea blew my mind. Years later, it appears the sleek and alluring Wii U GamePad has that same ability.

Chris Manning, friend of The Tanooki, figured out exactly how to configure the GamePad to run as a PC controller. Since it’s not a standard bluetooth connection, setting it up is not as simple as you may expect, as shown in the above demonstration video. Once mapped to perfection, the benefits naturally include running emulators of old school games — take that, delayed Virtual Console! At this point, it doesn’t appear that the GamePad will mirror your PC’s video output, but it’s still early in the process.

For a look at how to get your GamePad PC-ready, take a look at Manning’s instructions below. Great work, Chris!

YouTube

 

New Mario Kart, Yarn Yoshi, Wind Waker HD and more headed to Wii U

By Jason Leavey  121 days ago | 2 Comments

WindWakerHD

This morning’s Nintendo Direct was a no-nonsense thirty-five minute video detailing a ton of upcoming previously unannounced new games and features for the Wii U console. Without wasting any more time, let’s get to business.

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata briefly discussed a couple new titles in development, including a 3D Super Mario game, plus a new installment of Mario Kart — both to be playable at this year’s E3. Also in development is a brand new Legend of Zelda adventure. A huge surprise was that a second Zelda game is in development, in the form of an HD recreation of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The GameCube game is getting the full HD treatment, and based on the newly released screenshots, it’s turning out to be breathtaking. Iwata stated that the development team is working on tweaks and improvements other than just the visuals, to really improve and enrich the overall experience. Get excited, guys.

Another surprise was the announcement of Yarn Yoshi, a brand new Yoshi adventure developed by the team behind Wii’s Kirby’s Epic Yarn. The game keeps that same great fabric-heavy look while adding beautiful detail thanks to the console’s beefier specs. I’m extremely excited about this adorable new title, though I sort of wish Yoshi was his traditional dino self. But I’m not complaining. I mean, it’s a new Yoshi game!

Iwata mentioned some other big changes coming to the Wii U, including the reveal of the Virtual Console for eShop, plus mentioned two major Wii U OS software updates planned for this spring and summer. The updates will add new features in Miiverse, plus are said to really improve the overall quickness of app-switching and other processes.

This was by far the biggest Nintendo Direct in terms of announcing new content we’ve received. Nintendo delivered the goods on every level, and as a lifelong fan, I have to say how thrilled I am of what’s to come for Wii U. For a full list — and trust me, it’s worth reading — of all the new announcements, continue reading below the break.

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Attention! New Wii U announcements imminent

By Jason Leavey  122 days ago | Leave a comment

NintendoDirect

A brand-spanking new Nintendo Direct has been announced via the company’s official Twitter, set to air Wednesday morning. Starting at 9am EST, Nintendo will talk solely about Wii U, discussing new software and enhancements to services with the home console. Given the lukewarm press surrounding the console over the last few months, I’m expecting big things from tomorrow.

Separate videos are planned for North America, Europe, and Japan, and while it’s assumed some of the region specific details may differ, the general announcements will likely be the same. Will it be another Yoshi’s Island sequel? A new StarFox? A tease of a new Donkey Kong Country? Either way, I’m really hoping for something from Retro Studios. I’m dying to know what the’ve been working on.

Tune into Nintendo’s official site tomorrow morning to see what new announcements the company has in store. Any theories?

Nintendo Direct