Nintendo 5-Star

Resident Evil REVELAITONS

2012-01-27T19:03:00.000-08:00

Yay, another of Capcom's box art mistakes, and another game that will become a collector's item because of it. Who's got this pre-ordered?

Capcom has issues public apologies for the mistake and is fixing the next batch of copies.

Nintendo Network

2012-01-27T07:03:00.000-08:00

Nintendo's investors meeting just passed, and with it came a ton of statements from the big man Iwata himself. A lot of interesting things this time around: from the announcement that their next console, the Wii U, would be released towards the end of 2012, that the final product may not even be called the Wii U at all, lots of sales figures showing positive growth for 3DS, projected ~~earnings~~ losses for the past year, and this year's games to look forward to. A ton of games.

But by far the most interesting was the mention of Nintendo Network (top pic); Nintendo's own step into the online world which the other console makers have inhabited for years now. Typical of them to be late to the party, but better late than never!

The details Nintendo were willing to disclose about the new service are:

Free and paid DLC (downloadable content) for 3DS and Wii U games, the first of which will be Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, in which you can download extra songs online
Digital distribution of physical copies of games, much like what Sony was gunning for when it launched the PSPGo and subsequently ran both physical and digital in tandem
Personal accounts, so family members can share games
Games to make use of online networks, like in Mario Kart 7's Communities, which are usergroups that can be set up so everyone in it can race together easily.

I'm actually quite stoked about the idea of Nintendo finally offering downloadable content, so hopefully it comes at a reasonable price and will not seem like an attempt to rip anyone off like in cartridge-locked content that has to be paid for. Current DLC packs for most games, for me anyway (I'm a stingy bastard when it comes to digital downloads), are still too pricey. A costume pack in Marvel vs Capcom 3 for $5, which add virtually no functionality to the game? I'd pay that price for an extra character or two, but not extra aesthetics that go to waste because all your attention is focused on fighting instead of marveling the new threads. Nintendo's DLC better be worth the money, and storage problems need to be solved as well.

Even more so because of their plan to offer digital downloads. Everyone in Nintendo 5-Star is mixed on the issue; some view it as a blessing because digital downloads cost less to produce than physical copies, others don't think so because they're more inconvenient to share around and hard drive space is always limited, more so on a Nintendo console. If things go the way they should, Nintendo would end up with a tandem strategy of selling physical copies and digital downloads as well like Sony is doing, which is win-win for both sides of the argument. Personally I'll still stick to physical. Call me old-fashioned but it just feels more secure to me. Having a physical copy means the game is in your hands for good. A digital one runs the risk of being deleted at any time and you can't lend it to your friend or little brother or whatever who wants to try the game out. Legally speaking lending games to others is frowned upon but with Nintendo being so community-based and family friendly, will this strategy work?

Also for the Wii U, we are planning to introduce a personal account system compatible with Nintendo Network. With this, for example, the ease of using a video game system when the hardware is shared by multiple family members, which has been a challenge we needed to tackle, shall be improved, and we will also be able to construct and offer the system by combining a variety of different services and content. ~Satoru Iwata

Which is why the 3rd point excites me. Profiles for each family member so they can access the same games as you? It would work on the Wii U regardless as everyone uses one console anyway, but I really hope for something like this to be implemented on portables as well. Something that links a few 3DSes together and then digital games can be transferred freely to and fro between them, for family usage. It's exploitable, but that's the only way I can see digital downloads as being slightly more appealing, cause currently they seem like a legally bound, cold area of gaming to me. I'm sure the console makers can figure this one out, maybe extra security measures or something.

The problem now is as I mentioned above, other console makers have been in the online space for years and are more hands-on experienced in it, while Nintendo is just starting out. What does Nintendo have to make its own online offering relevant? What does Nintendo plan to do to entice those already accustomed to online networks on other consoles to support their own? What does Nintendo offer that its competition still doesn't? Nintendo being late to the party is fine, but if it's a party that no one has interest in joining then they are still in trouble in terms of online.

Not to say there's no hope though, we've always trusted Nintendo to pull off miraculous things when we least expect it (well, except for the bloody Friend Code system which is being phased out to much fanfare). No matter how they decide to improve from here on it's definitely going to look better than Nintendo's current online service. The only question is how much better. Good luck there!

Future Zelda Games We'd Hope To See.

2012-01-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

What's in store for the next Zelda?

A new Zelda game is always great news to cheer about. The time in between then...well, it's just speculations, rumors, and unfortunately a few hoaxes here and there. We can't say for certain what the next Zelda will be for certain, but we sure hope a future Zelda title will be along the lines of...

Wii U/3DS Four Swords: It's been over 6 years since a new Four Swords games has been released, which is quite odd when you think about it. With today's wireless tech you'd think the Wii would've been a great candidate for the game, but alas it never came to the system. And then came the rumors of the Wii U's screen pad controller, and we thought for 100% certainty that a four Swords would be announced for this new system. E3 came, no Four Swords. All we got was a port of the GBA Four Swords that was originally included with Link to the Past. Which isn't bad, but a Wii U-to-3DS Four Swords would be amazing. With the Wii U's best gen graphics, this could look like one of the best 2-D games ever made. If a Four Swords isn't announced next E3, you'll be sure to know that I'll be the one scratching his head.

8-bit Zelda: I'm putting on my "nostalgia glasses" for this one. Hey, if Mega Man can go 8-bit so can Zelda! Take me back to the glory days, Nintendo! I want to do everything that modern Zelda games do: ride Epona through a broad overworld, travel from dark to light worlds, and upgrade my weapons via RPG style! But, of course, if you don't want to, Nintendo that's alright with me... (you could always make an 8-bit Super Mario Bros. 4 instead. *hint, hint*)

Tetra's own adventure: In Wind Waker, Tetra was the sarcastic (but secretly nice) pirate, helping Link throughout his quest, and shocking players by being revealed as the direct bloodline of Zelda. But the rest of Tetra's backstory is a mystery. That's where a spin-off would come in: you'd play as Tetra the pirate as she forms her own group of sailors, and travels the seas looking for treasure. The game will explain more details about Tetra, give in def backstories about her crew, explain how she obtained the Triforce of Wisdom, and give a more clear link (pun not intended) of Ocarina of Time to the Wind Waker series. And how many modern games let you play as a pirate? We need more pirates!

A cross-over: Yes, I'm treading territory that will get me flamed, but there needs to be at least one cross-over! Mario and Zelda? Dynasty Warriors and Zelda? Final Fantasy Zelda? Marvel vs. Capcom vs. Zelda????

....Okay, maybe I'll let Nintendo decide what the next Zelda will be.

Dual Version Zelda games coming to the 3DS?

2012-01-16T08:01:00.000-08:00

Said to originate from the forum site 4Chan, the above image apparently hints of two dual version Zelda games in the making for the 3DS. Translated, their sub-titles are 'Fire Prophecy' and 'Ice Prophecy' respectively. Fake, or are these the next Zelda titles we can expect?

All I can say is, if it's legit, I have dibs on Fire Prophecy.

UPDATE: The games are confirmed to be fake. Oh, well.

What is the future of Nintendo Home Console Support?

2012-01-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

Are Wii U ready?

In an attempt to broaden an audience of a new fan base of paying gamers, it would seem logical to release a game on every system not only to benefit the gamers that don’t have the other systems, but also for the game developers themselves to gain more feedback to make even better games. So why on earth do the developers opt to the pick-and-choose option to releasing a game(s) on a select few systems rather than all of them, and shun a perfectly good fan base just because of fear that the potential buyers would be few and would rather buy the same game on HD supported systems? Yes, I’m talking about the third parties, and that system I was referring to is the Wii . 2011 was both a hit-and-miss for third party games on the system: on one hand we did get Rayman Origins out of nowhere, but on the other hand we could’ve gotten more for a system that’s on it’s last life. It’s times like these when the Wii’s hardware comes back to haunt it and the system not supporting HD graphics is a big turnoff for third party developers that want their games to look perfect. Wii’s first-party support this year is nothing to sneeze at though, and I have to hand it to Nintendo for handling yet another stellar year, and Skyward Swords delivered what it promised, but I just wish third parties did the same.

Here's a couple of examples of third-party ignorance: Capcom could have very well released Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on the Wii, but shunned it downed, and as if to point the middle finger at Nintendo gamers later released Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and made Pheonix Wright of the prior DS exclusive Ace Attorney series one of the playable characters. And most recently SEGA announced that they would not be releasing Sonic 4: Episode 2 on WiiWare because of updated graphics from the first episode (and at this point you know that whenever a developer comes up and says, “This game will have improved graphics…” you know it won’t be coming to the Wii). SEGA also didn’t release Sonic Generations on the Wii last year, but oddly released it on the 3DS instead. It was later made clear by the “In 3-D!” logo on the Xbox360/PS3 versions of the game that SEGA didn’t release the game on the Wii because it didn’t support 3-D. You can easily say: “But they gave us exclusives Tatsunoko vs. Capcom and Sonic Colors a few years back so stop whining!” but again I question why they would shun a new fan base and release the game on all systems except the Wii when they could’ve made more profit off of it. And they choose not to do it when 2011 looked like it was the last year of the Wii? Come on now!

This is what I originally feared for the Wii U: third party developers would look at the system, think they would have to use a gimmicky controllers whether they want to or not, and just doom the system with cash-in shovel ware and give other systems actual games just like how they treated the Wii (I‘m staring at you SoulCalibur Adventure). We’ve already lost Capcom, and other companies like Ubi-Soft have just used the Wii as a dart board to randomly shoot shovel ware at the system until the whole Wii game aisle at Best Buy is infested with garbage games shadowing good games like weeds choking on flowers, because Wii remote wagglin’ is so compulsory and necessary it must be in every game they make NO MATTER WHAT! (meanwhile, the Virtual Console controller stares on blankly)

But I got news for you: the Wii Isn’t done just yet, shovel ware is on all systems and we must accept it, and Crapcom was always Crapcom (just sayin‘). In it’s life time, the Wii has accomplished creating a whole new fan base of people that never have played games, gave us exclusives that you can’t play anywhere else, and made us feel young again with Virtual Console, but I still feel only 60% of the system has been really tapped and explored. Nonetheless, the Wii will not die in infamy and just be considered a “fad toy”. No, it’s legacy will live on forever - in a new form called the Wii U. Here’s to hoping that third parties will give the Wii U a chance; make us proud to be Nintendo gamers.

Pokemon + Nobunaga Crossover heading to DS next year.

2011-12-18T08:59:00.000-08:00

All I can say is,"huh"?

Once every blue moon a crossover comet streaks through the open sky, flailing it's multiple arms about screaming: "Hi there!" No, it's not just a hybrid of two delicious holy entities of Peanut Butter and chocolate, it's more than that. This unpredictable force breaks the mold of gaming, shattering the tried and true formula of making a franchise, release a sequel every year, try to improve them as time goes by not making them feel all the same, etc., but instead combines two incredible series and in the process creates a whole new different franchise all on it's own. Who would've thought that a Disney and Final Fantasy crossover would've worked as well as it did, spanning sequels, prequels, and spin-offs while created a new fanbase of gamers? Who would thought we'd see Marvel heroes/villains duke it out with Street Fighter characters, or Pheonix Wright and Professor Layton would be pointing fingers and yelling "Objection!" in a courtroom together?

I am proud to say that this tradition of crossovers is not over; a new crossover is in the making for the DS: Pokemon will team up with characters from the popular turn-based grand role-playing PC game Nobunaga Ambition. Players will command their team of Pokemon in turn-based battles in an ancient Japanese setting against other Warlords (who spark a mild resemblance to their main Pokemon) commanded by the main warlord of the game, Nobunaga, who is seen with his Zekrom. The game let's choose to be either male or female and your default Pokemon is none other than the versatile Eevee. So it's more or less the same Pokemon game we've grown to love with a slight Tactics twist. A trailer of the game is released and images of the game can be seen here.

The game is due for release in Japan sometime next Spring. No word on an America release, but knowing how well Pokemon games sell in America, it would be a shame for both the fans and Nintendo if it wasn't released in the West.

It's great to see two franchises like these unexpectedly clash, and if the game becomes popular enough to garner sequels, then color me excited.

3DS Ambassador GBA game list

2011-12-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

And it is......fricking amazing stuff.

F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
Mario Kart Super Circuit
Mario vs Donkey Kong
Metroid Fusion
Wario Land 4
WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgame$

Depending on what you liked on the old GBA, these are some of the highest, most top quality Nintendo first party titles on the system and to be honest a lot of them haven't aged much at all! Yoshi's Island is top-notch, Zelda: Minish Cap is great, Kirby and the Amazing Mirror holds a special place in my heart, Wario Land 4 and WarioWare....oh em gee.

Although free for ambassadors, these are the kinds of games people would snap up in a heartbeat anyway even if they had to pay for them. Let's see a release to everyone else, Nintendo!

2012 Nintendo game release dates

2011-12-16T05:49:00.000-08:00

And finally we get concrete dates on some of the other talked about games last year that couldn't make it before the end of this year, those that aren't named Zelda or Mario Kart or 3D Land. And some of them have really been sitting in TBA for a long, long time now *glares at Kid Icarus Uprising*

It's been in the 3DS hot seat since the console's revealing at E3 2010 but never made it to launch or anywhere near that. No idea why, but it's now slated for March 23 2012, according to Nintendo.

Remember this thing? I just posted about it right below this, and it's going to US as well, but not with Monster Hunter 3G in tow. Rather, it'll be released together with Resident Evil Revelations on February 7 2012. The catch? 3DS' very own frankenstick will only be sold in GameStop, much like the cautious limited US release for Xenoblade Chronicles. I don't understand why Nintendo are giving GameStop the exclusive treatment, it's just limiting sales.

The adorable Rhythm Heaven Wii which made a decent wave in Japan some months ago gets a new title, Rhythm Heaven Fever, and a box art bursting with color! It's coming on February 13, one week after RE Revelations.

No it's not a Mario bowling game, this is Mario Party 9, and it gets a 2012 release date on March 11. That's a goodd way to fill up the release schedule pre-E3 2012....maybe. I do dig some Mario Party though; been itching for something better than the mediocre MP8.

Okay so this may not be on every Wii gamer's wishlist but it's definitely something worth noting anyway since Pokepark 2, right from the first revealed screenshot, already looks ten times more polished than the first game and features at the very least more replayable minigames and battle games. Instead of Beyond the World, the US subtitle is Wonders Beyond, and it's coming on February 27, 2012.

Other release dates to look out for:

Tales of the Abyss for 3DS, February 14
Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games for 3DS, also February 14
Tekken 3D Prime Edition for 3DS on February 2012
Metal Gear Solid 3D on Q1 2012

And some other things including downloadable eShop and VC games are coming out too. Good ones at that; a Jett Rocket sequel on 3DS, VVVVV and Kirby's Block Ball among other things.

We've yet to hear from the other 3DS big titles like Luigi's Mansion 2 and Paper Mario, but time will tell.

In support of 3DS Circle Pad

2011-12-07T06:04:00.000-08:00

Brought over from my other blog at Gamespot.com. I said I'd make a Circle Pad Pro post, so here it is!

Now, like anyone else I experienced the same backlash when I first found out and saw the Circle Pad Pro Nintendo was planning to release for 3DS. It looked ugly, it looked big, it looked uneccessary and my biggest issue with it was it had to use an AAA battery! Now what kind of half-hearted attempt is this? Knowing Nintendo this will probably be in the next hardware revision so why should I bother?

Except, you don't have to bother if you didn't need the 2nd analog in the first place, and if you wanted one, you don't have to wait for the hardware revision if you already own a 3DS, because after looking at it for a few weeks the Circle Pad Pro kind of settled on my mind and it wasn't so bad after all.

Now it's not in my power to change your opinion of what you think of the Circle Pad attachment, but I can at least dispel some of the unreasonable and unfounded attacks on it. A lot of retarded comments are made simply by looking at the accessory for one second then think 'It's crap' right away and act like they're being forced to pay $20 for it. Terrible attitude, guys. Especially if you don't take five minutes of your life to actually go find out more about it.

My counters to stupid comments?

1. Objects on the Internet look larger than they actually are

By far the greatest complaint was that the Circle Pad was too large. It's a valid complaint but not when 90% of people exaggerate the comment as if it was over 9000 metres/cubic miles/light years long. Get your ass back down to earth and actually LOOK at a real 3DS if you haven't. It's not THAT huge.

Now, I did a little measuring of my own based on a 3DS I saw from a store, and I'm going to use a picture for scale. The handheld itself is roughly 13.5 centimetres wide, about the same as the width of a DSi. That's already smaller than what most people would make the console out to be if they haven't yet seen a real one.

I brought this official picture to Photoshop and again did some measuring. To the right of the 3DS, the Circle Pad attachment adds around 2.7 cm to the width, and on the left no longer than 0.5 cm. Let's make that 3cm, shall we? So the total width of your 3DS with Circle Pad attached is now 16.5 centimetres. If you have a DSi, put 2 rulers on its side and add that extra width. Smaller than you thought right? I absolutely do not believe your palms cannot grip that extra 3 cm.

As for thickness?

(picture above taken at Tokyo Game Show 2011)

It resembles a Gamecube controller, only slightly less thick, though at this angle it's hard for me to judge it by scaling like I did with the first picture. This same size argument can be used for the Wii U controller as well, though that's a story for another day. It's also not as big as you might think.

Here's a few more pics for comparison. See how a human hand can still envelop the entire console and accessory comfortably?

2. It is not a prosthetic arm or leg to the 3DS

Aside from the obvious size issue the other thing I keep hearing is 'I can't bring this outside!' or 'how is this supposed to fit in my pocket?'. Newsflash: It's NOT supposed to fit in your pocket. It only compromises portablility if you actually USE it. So go ahead, buy it, place the 3DS on top of it. But when you bring your 3DS out of the house, you can take the 3DS away from the Slide Pad Pro, you retards. People are acting as if the attachment is permanently FUSED to the 3DS the moment you use it. You don't have to take it outside if you find it difficult to. Oh but what if the game I play supports the use of the Circle Pad Pro? That's my next point.

3. It is completely optional

Note, I said 'support'. 'Support' meaning the game can be played with the Circle Pad Pro as an ENHANCEMENT to the experience and your controls, but plays PERFECTLY WELL even without the accessory. This is one of the biggest misunderstandings of the circle pad, that every game that 'supports' it can't be played without it. Monster Hunter 3G proved it pretty well; you can use the D-Pad to control the camera in the absence of the Circle Pad Pro, or you can even assign camera controls to the touch screen! That's what the DS line handhelds were made for anyway!

Same case goes for the rest of the supported games; they can ALL be played without the Circle Pad Pro. There, you just saved 20 bucks on an accessory you weren't planning to buy but still want to be able to play, say, Metal Gear Solid without the thing being force-fed into your mouth. You're not being ripped off, the extra circle pad is an OPTION, not a NECESSITY. I can't stress this enough, can I?

This does not disprove that there will be a hardware revision with the 2nd analog and extra shoulder buttons put on the 3DS (i.e. Wiimote Plus), but if you already own a 3DS anyway you can choose whether to get it or not, it won't detract from your playing experience.

4. It's more than just a circle pad

This one's minor, but also applies to the same people who don't hunt for info long enough (apparently 5 minutes is too long for some attention spans...) but it's not just the circle pad that the accessory adds, it's three shoulder buttons. Three. So many possibilities in extra control mapping and people miss looking at it because all they see is the front view. Though like I said before all this stuff can be integrated onto the touch screen.

---

When it comes right down to it, there are still genuine drawbacks to the Circle Pad Pro, and it still indicates a lack of foresight by Nintendo (unless you want to think that this will remain optional throughout the 3DS' lifespan), but it's definitely not the size, nor the controller support, that people should be complaining about. Do at least some basic research before making yourself look stupid.

Xenoblade, are thou standing before me?

2011-12-03T06:42:00.001-08:00

It’s official. Xenoblade is finally coming to North America via Gamestop exclusive! Surprised? I can’t blame you. With Nintendo’s response to Project Rainfall with a frequent "We never say 'never,' but we can confirm that there are no plans to bring these three games to the Americas at this time. Thanks so much for your passion, and for being such great fans!" chances of this game getting an American release just became dimmer and dimmer as the months went by. And considering Nintendo’s history of not bringing new IP titles overseas (Fatal Frame 4, Mother 3, Freshly Picked Tingle’s Rosy RupeeLand), it seemed uneventful that we would ever see Xenoblade. So it was a big slap in the face when this title was announced for Europe and soon Australia along with Pandora’s Tower and The Last Story; two other Japan exclusives. Not bashing Nintendo or anything, but that was a pretty dumb move.

But it’s finally coming. You can now pre-order the game on Gamestop. This is really happening!

This is not a time to hesitate; we need to show Nintendo that there ARE gamers like us that will buy these kinds of games. If you are the kind of gamer that is sick of seeing games like Mother 3 not being localized then you must act. Nintendo is not going to localize games that don’t sell: YOU have the power. Buying this game will say: “Yes Nintendo, we still support you! We are still your core gamers!” Make this a reality! AND If you don’t want new IP’s to become dust in the wind like the sadly underappreciated titles Drill Dozer, Chibi Robo, and Elite Beat Agents, which never became full series, then like I said before: you must be ready! We may never get a chance like this again, so we mustn’t fail. Spread the word. Tell every gamer. The final year of the Wii will not be in vain!

It’s coming. Can you believe it? And it’s all thanks to an unlikely source. Here’s to you Gamestop; I never thought I’d see the day that you’d do something that made me want to come to your store.

Will Zelda Wii U be a Skyrim-like experience?

2011-11-23T05:23:00.000-08:00

This month two fantastic games were released: The Legend of Zelda Skyward Swords and The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim. Both are similar and different in their own right: Both are set in a fantasy world filled with secrets, but while Skyrim takes a realistic approach to graphics, Skyward Swords is Cel-shaded and colorful; and while Skyrim asks for a more mature crowd, Zelda appeals to a broad crowd of gamers, and etc. Though Zelda can’t quite compare to Skyrim’s enormous nonlinear world - or can it? Could the next big console Zelda game be just as or even more nonlinear than Skyrim? With the Wii U I think it could be a possibility.

"Dang, should've brought my horse..."

Try not to soil your pants while imagining this: Hyrule - bigger than ever. Imagine the first time you ever played The Legend of Zelda on the NES and amplify that experience by 11. Imagine riding Epona, it’s mane flowing gently through the breeze, riding through an never ending Hyrule field filled with so many secrets you wouldn’t mind riding a bit longer to find each one! Never ending freedom. Who says you can’t do whatever you want? Want to go the 5th dungeon before going to the first? Yep, you can do that! Want to get the flute item before venturing out anywhere else important? Go right ahead! Want to study more about Hyrule? Go to the local castle Hyrule library and read full length books to your hearts content. Don’t like reading? Then get out there and explore! Travel by boat, travel by horse, and even travel by bird - the sky is NOT the limit! There’s no limitations! It would be the most satisfying Zelda experience ever crafted.

And all of this can be done. It’s just a matter of if or how it will be done. I know Nintendo is not one to borrow inspiration, but wouldn’t this bet the next logical step in the series? This will be the first time Zelda will appear in HD, sure, but graphics isn’t everything: we need something to knock our socks off. We’ve been pretty spoiled by the fantastic treatment the console Zelda has been getting now, so anything less at this point would be disappointing. And I think Nintendo feels the same way.

And the Wii U is the perfect opportunity to try a full nonlinear Zelda. Having the Wii U tablet as a map guide will ensure that this adventure would never get too confusing and you’ll know exactly where you are at all times (call it the Navigator). It will also double as a handy item storage device to quickly switch items on the fly. There’s just so much potential for making a quintessential Zelda game here.

"Eat steel, Dodongo!"

But I could be wrong, and the next Zelda game could turn out to be vastly different game than I imagined. Though could the next Zelda game be so nonlinear and vast that it could make Skyrim look barren in comparison. Probably not. But whatever the Zelda team has planned I’m sure it exceed all our expectations.

What Kirby's Return to Drealand could have been

2011-10-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

These two were from an untranslated Iwata Asks interview on Kirby's Return to Dreamland and its protracted 7 year development cycle. Post-Gamecube era, it seems two diffeent visual styles were considered for the Wii version but were dropped for normal 3D graphics on a 2D plane.

....when it could have been a whole lot more stylish. I don't care much for the second style, which is isometric but would look quite bland in actual play if not done right.

But the first one.....GOD. It's a Kirby version of the amazingly good cel-shaded style of Wario Land Shake It. Everything looks so adorable in that style....I'd really kill someone just to get my version of the game with those semi-anime graphics with fluid animation. Dang.

Monster Hunter Tri G + Slide Pad

2011-10-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I haven't been covering enough of the combination of these two so I'm going to do them in one go very briefly.

If you've played Monster Hunter Tri on Wii before and enjoyed it while playing offline, you're going to enjoy this even more! A 3DS port is on the way and was announced at Tokyo Game Show this year together with Monster Hunter 4, also on 3DS. It contains all the monsters you've fought in Tri plus recolored versions who are stronger, AND most of the monsters ans new areas introduced in the PSP version, Portable 3rd.....AAAND brand-new monsters, of which one of them (Brachidios) is the cover boy, replacing the sea dragon Lagiacrus. (Brachi is on the top left of the next scan)

Here's the trailer.

Oh, and there will be no online for Tri G, unlike its Wii big brother. Before you guys start bringing pitchforks to Capcom (again), remember that Monster Hunter was never big on online to begin with. None of the PS2 nor the PSP games have online play of any sort despite having the capability to do so. Tri was the first one, and we were lucky to even get it; Japanese had to pay a subscription fee of 1000 Wii Points for 3 months of online.

And then there's the 2nd Slide Pad, which I rather like despite all the hatred everyone's been pouring over it since TGS due to the added bulk and asymmetrical design it gives the 3DS. I'll talk about why I don't hate it in a later entry.

Anyway, six titles have been confirmed to use the thing, which has not just an analog stick, but also three extra shoulder buttons, one on the left and two on the right, which is great for added functionality. At least six games are confirmed compatible with it (and Luigi's Mansion 2 being rumored to support it due to this scan of the Monster Hunter Tri G bundle and a green 3DS with Slide Pad and Luigi's Mansion 2 being on the screen). It uses one AAA battery.

One thing I cannot emphasize enough about it, and to be honest still not enough people know this, is that every game that supports this accessory can also be played perfectly fine without it. It is NOT COMPULSORY.

Okay

Kirby's Return to Dreamland footage!

2011-10-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

There's been more than ten videos of note ever since our last post on the game. Aw let's just post a whole lot of these shall we?

Opening scene of the game showing the spaceship crash and Kirby volunteering his help, with that happy smile of his as always.

Video of most, if not all the Copy Abilities in the game

Some multiplayer footage

Some more gameplay, with a boss battle!

Makes some lines! Tetris Axis has been released on the the 3DS!

2011-10-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

As of October, 02, 2011.Tetris Axis has beenreleased for the 3DS. Now you may be thinking, "Another Tetris remake!?"But this version of Tetris comes packed with 20 modes and online multi-player,all for 30$! I haven't gotten the game, but I will be getting it eventually. Ipersonally would advise for gamers who plan on getting this game, to get it soon.It’s unknown if this game will suffer the same fate as in Tetris DS for the DS,when regarding limited copies.

Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney TGS trailer

2011-09-21T07:57:00.001-07:00

Watch for the most epic moment in the history of the two series right at the end! No actual puzzle-solving gameplay yet (Level-5 wasn't at TGS so the Layton half wasn't shown, this trailer leans more to Phoenix Wright), but we'll see them again at Level-5 World next month.

OBJECTION!

Nintendo 5-Star 2011 SummerCon final report

2011-09-19T02:42:00.001-07:00

Yep I know. Long overdue because of the blog hiatus, but let's put this out for posterity's sake before I move back into making blog posts.
Although some events failed to take off, like johnny's N5S Adventures which came to an abrupt stop after team members were stalled dead cold by an army of goblins, and DG's Chronologica which never went anywhere, there were a handful of great activities.

The Posting Contest this year is more organized and tame this year, focusing more on the Garden of Sinners and less spam outside of it, and most discussion topics on the Gaming boards remained on-topic though there is obviously increased activity. A new record of an amazing 969 posts during the one week contest was set by johnny139, decimating the previous gold medal holder TheFreakyManga's record by nearly double.

The Video Game Survivor by toadster101 started quite late this year for collection of participants, and managed to scrounge up 16 to start and is still ongoing. It is now at its 7th week and going pretty strong. Rumble Writers by Crossburn saw very few participants, but those that did join put out a lot of good entries. The User War Meme Edition II by CRAZ1ah saw its best year yet, with a large majority of the 15 participants remaining active for the most part of the game, and up to an amazing 9 actions in a single day! For the first time the war ended within 50 days, a speed that has not been reached before. The Game Quiz had 5 participants this year, same as the last year with a few new twists including the bonus questions.

Unexpected surprises included johnny139's N5S Fanfest, where everyone had to download an N64 emulator and a ROM of Paper Mario to play from start to finish, and complete objectives set by johnny himself to gain points. Everyone involved managed to pass the minimum limit to complete the game and it was a rousing success. The other event that wasn't in the initial calendar is EggBeatr8's 'What is this I don't even' Game, which runs for 5 weeks starting in mid-August and is still on right now!

About 25 members including mods received access to Prize Room 1's free gifts, the highest in any SummerCon ever. Overall, it's going to be hard trying to top this year's event, and the only way I can see this being taken to even greater heights is if we had a lot more active members. Hope we can reach that target by June next year!

First update in a while

2011-09-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

toadster101 here, letting you guys know that the Nintendo 5 Star Blog has been experiencing downtime recently. Don't worry, however, we're indeed back on track, and promise weekly updates for those of you who follow us. Here's a recap of some important information we may have missed:

- Mario Kart 7 (3DS) and Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) have been given release dates of December 4th and November 13th, respectively.
- Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS) will not be coming out until 2012, according to Sakurai, the game's director.
- A special edition of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) - which includes a golden Wii-remote and bonus CD - has been given a November release date.
- There exists a third party peripheral for the 3DS that emulates a second circle pad. No further information has been revealed.
- New games in the Fire Emblem and Mario Tennis series have been announced for 3DS.
- Kirby's Return to Dreamland (Wii) and Pokemon Rumble Blast (3DS) are scheduled to be released this fall.
- Pokepark 2 (Wii) has been announced, with no release date available.

Xenoblade and The Last Story coming to US?

2011-07-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

http://oprainfall.blogspot.com/2011/07/source-ntsc-xenoblade-done-last-story.html

Sent to Operation Rainfall's website from an 'inside source at Nintendo' is the rumor that both Xenoblade and The Last Story have been fully localized and will be ready for testing within a month's time from now. Is this all too good to be true? Could it be just Nintendo withholding information tightly like they usually do?

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

2011-07-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

Oh, so this was our 3DS Final Fantasy game? A spinoff that isn't even an RPG? Does look cute though.

From Andriasang

"Square Enix has a new Final Fantasy game on the way for 3DS, but it's not quite the RPG we're used to. The new game is titled Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. Yes, this is that Final Fantasy themed rhythm game we've all been waiting for.

Revealed in this week's Jump, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is a "Theater Rhythm Action" game. The game has field scenes set in dungeons and towns, and battle scenes that resemble the side-view battles of older Final Fantasy games. However, everything is played like a rhythm game, where you tap the screen in accordance with prompts.

Needless to say, the game's music is pulled from past Final Fantasy games. Characters, including the likes of Lightning and Cloud, are also in the game, only they're shown in cute "chibi" style form.

There seems to be somewhat of a story to the game. Jump says that the classic Final Fantasy characters are fighting to return light to the crystal.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is currently without a final release date."

A save file that cannot be deleted?

2011-07-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

This would be the first of its kind Ive ever heard of. Resident Evil: THe Mercenaries for 3DS has an invincible save file which cannot be deleted on the part of the player. There's no delete option on the game. It's not a glitch, nor was it a mistake that the delete button was omitted, but it's something crazier than that- the mechanic was intended by Capcom. The controversy has been going on for since the game was released, and many have expressed their disenchantment.

Yep, unless your internal cartridge battery runs dry, you won't be able to start a brand new game. Thanks, Capcom. This is just what we wanted, a save file that doesn't selfdestruct so we won't have to undergo the frustration of beginning an erased game. That's going to be soooo useful when you trade the game in and someone else buys the game and finds out he can't play it because it's already been completed for him.

Capcom's reason? A statement from them on June 30 says:

In Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, all mission progress is saved directly to the Nintendo 3DS cartridge, where it cannot be reset. The nature of the game invites high levels of replayability, encouraging fans to improve mission scores. The save mechanic ensures that both original and unlocked game content will be available to all users. Secondhand game sales were not a factor in this development decision…”

“There was no intention of lessening the experience of the game. Essentially, RE Mercs was treated like an arcade fighting game. You unlock characters, levels, etc and they just stay unlocked as they would in an arcade machine. There was no hidden motive to prevent buying used copies. It’s not some secret form of DRM. It’s simply the way we designed the save system to work with the arcade type of gameplay.

Capcom has owned up to it and promised there won't be anymore weird and stupid save systems like this one again.

Even Gamestop cares for Operation Rainfall

2011-07-01T08:49:00.001-07:00

From GoNintendo, multiple posters a Gamestop manager put up on his store in support of localizing great Wii games. Support the cause!

Operation Rainfall denied!

2011-06-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

A week ago, a massive operation was started by North American Nintendo fans, clamoring for the localization of Xenoblade, The Last Story and Pandora's Tower, all of which have been released in Japan and Xenoblade going to Europe. Pre-orders were placed on Amazon for an imaginary copy of Xenoblade (called Monado in US), and Nintendo's Facebook page, email inboxes, and Youtube profile were plastered with comments by eager Nintendo fans. Of course that sort of thing would gain attention. and this was Nintendo's reply to everyone's enthusiasm.

It's not a resounding 'no', but we're all pretty sure those three games will never be localized anyway. Which doesn't make any sense- effort has already been made to translate Xenoblade into English and they're not releasing it for US Wiis? What's keeping them from doing so? All three are quality games, why keep your fans from being able to play it? Region locking your consoles only adds fuel to the fire. Oh, but Skyward Sword and Kirby are coming out? Not enough Nintendo, considering the timeframe between now and the release of the Wii U, not nearly enough. Mario Party 9 and Wii Play Motion? Which serious gamers are going to buy those jokes for games now, five years after the initial hype?

Now the same people are mass-posting comments of protest all over Nintendo's Facebook, and a lot of threatened boycott. Way to treat your loyal fanbase, Nintendo. You were never great at listening to the gamers' voices but this is just unacceptable. My faith in humanity has dropped.

Sakurai: Why Smash Bros 4 is dual-platform

2011-06-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

'Project Sora had intended to make a 3DS Smash Bros. once it had finished up a game on the system and had gotten used to the hardware's feature set. With the advent of the Wii U, though, we had a choice to make. Iwata asked us if wanted to make the next Smash Bros. on the Wii U or 3DS, and my thought was that we had to go on both platforms.

If we went solely for the Wii U, the HD graphics would really bump up the visual effects, but then we'd be stuck in another arms race. If we made this game another extension over previous one, we'd have to cut out the new things we could possibly do on the 3DS hardware and compete with ourselves again over the size of the character roster and the amount of gameplay we can put it. It wouldn't be a fruitful competition, but doing something completely new would be difficult for many reasons, not least of which that the gamers may not be satisfied with it. That's why we decided to think about ways to link the personal connection one has with his portable system to the gather-around-and-play aspect of console systems.'

From GoNintendo.

What could be done on the 3DS that can't be done on Wii U other than 3D graphics? If anything it should be the other way around since 3DS carts have much less storage.

Kirby TV Channel

2011-06-23T06:19:00.000-07:00

With all the fuss surrounding the Netflix services and TV channels coming to 3DS (in Japan, at least), it was really a nice surprise when this new channel was released for Europe. The Kirby TV Channel is exactly what it is, a channel for streaming episodes of the Kirby anime, dubbed in English. Episodes will be available only on certain days, so if you're a fan of the show, you might not wanna miss them.

No word on a US release yet. The Kirby anime was pretty good however, and should be brought over to other regions to enjoy!

Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D glitch

2011-06-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

A glitch in the first dungeon, where you get a heart container and urn the 3D slider on at that moment. The game will freak out and split into two different outputs., giving you two hearts, two Links, and mirrored dungeon walls (oddly the text box isn't affected).

Wait I always thought the 3D effect was a hardware thing and doesn't affect what's in the actual games.

Wii sales collapse after Wii U announcement

2011-06-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

The moment Nintendo's brand new shining star was revealed to the world, Japan dropped whatever remained of Wii sales like a bowling ball, bringing it down to just under 7500 units last week and ranking it 4th overall in hardware sales.

Depending on how you see it this could be a good or bad thing. People in Japan must be getting excited for the new tech and are putting the old console down to save up for it- the backwards compatibility is helping to accelerate the process. Or you might say the market for Wii is saturated, which has been the case for the whole of last year already.

How Kirby got his name

2011-06-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

From GoNintendo, in an interview between GameInformer and Miyamoto:

Yes, it is a fact that I met John Kirby and got to know him when he was defending us during the lawsuit against Universal. And it is a fact that the Kirby name was partially chosen in connection to him, but it wasn’t named after him. Instead, we had a list of names that we were looking at and Kirby was one of the names on the list. As we were going through the list and narrowing down the selections we saw that Kirby was there and we thought John Kirby’s name is Kirby, and started thinking that if those two had a connection that would be kind of funny.
The other element to the naming is that the character is very cute. Kirby is this soft and fluffy character and he’s very cute. In Japan, for cute characters they use very soft names with soft sounds in them. I thought the name Kirby had these harsh sounds to it, and I thought the
juxtaposition of this cute character with this harsh-sounding name was very funny.

Harsh sounding name? Maybe I must be pronouncing it wrong.

Super Pokemon Scramble screenshots and trailer

2011-06-17T06:46:00.000-07:00

This is from the official site's main page. If you view it there and mouse over this picture you can see it move too. Nice 3D effect! Release date confirmed too- Scramble will be out in Japan for 3DS on July 28th this year!

Official trailer for the game. Not the most exciting one though, I expected a lot more flash from a game like this. Shows Battle Royale, some sort of showdown between two groups of toys, and a boss battle with Zekrom. Same deal as WiiWare then.

Gen 5 Pokemon aren't the the only species to be on Super Pokemon Scramble- it would be otherwise limited and boring. Shown here is a Lumineon.

The charge battle! Looks like rapid button pressing.

Miis are now official. They're the owners of the Pokemon toys you control.

Boss battle with Zekrom, equally as chibified as everyone else.

Battle Royale, the Smash Bros.-like main attraction of the game where you're dumped into a closed arena and beat the crap out of everything till a clear winner is announced.

Legendary Wars and Plants vs. Zombies Updates

2011-06-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

Hello there all, DG is here again to talk about two popular mobile games which have both just received huge updates.

I'll only touch on Legendary Wars for a second, because I'm going to give this game the spotlight in my next article. Suffice to say, this game is pretty great. It's just received a huge update, but my app store is behaving rather oddly so I can't comment on it beyond how great it sounds. If you're a mobile gamer, I recommend you look into this title.

(This is a PC screenshot, but you get the idea!)

The other game to recently receive a noteworthy update is Plants vs. Zombies. Yes, everyone knows about this game, but this is worth talking about, and here's why. On your iPod or iPhone is THE way to play this game. For one thing, it is much cheaper than it is on the PC, only $3 compared to $20, and that deal is as good as it sounds because the recent update added basically everything the PC version has that the mobile version didn't. The recent update introduced the last feature supported by the PC version and not the mobile version, which is the Zen Garden, a passive minigame where you take care of plants and get money for it. The update also added a lot of fun new minigames, which you must purchase from Crazy Dave's shop. Did I mention Dave's shop has two new pages of things to buy, one each for new minigames and the zen garden? It does. These, along with a bunch of new achievements, give PvZ a lot of new replay value, so if you haven't got it yet, you have absolutely no reason to wait any longer, and if you already have PvZ, a lot of new gameplay is available to you.

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword offscreen footage

2011-06-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, the trailer looked really jaggy to me, but I'm really pleasantly surprised at how vibrant and fluid the game looks in motion. Definitely a far cry from the deathly black and brown Twilight Princess, for the better.

Kirby Wii- gameplay videos

2011-06-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

This game gets cuter and cuter the more I see of it! From these two you can catch some co-op gameplay and a few of the stages in more detail. New abilities too- like the Monster Flame ability very early into the second video. Very, very nice.

Super Pokemon Scramble boxart

2011-06-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

By far, one of the best boxarts for a Pokemon game I have ever seen. Look at everything so big-headed and cute...aww. Doesn't have a release date yet, and the only things we know are from the two pre-release screenshots below, and that the gameplay is the same as the WiiWare version. WWell with this box we know it's a retail 3DS game, and that it has lots of battle modes and supports SpotPass.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online Wii U gameplay

2011-06-12T06:06:00.001-07:00

Note that this is a very, very early indication of what Wii U can do, and that we're still over a year away from release. Things could change drastically by then!

New moderator!

2011-06-12T05:56:00.000-07:00

http://z6.invisionfree.com/N5S/index.php?showtopic=3199

TheFreakyManga, one of our most active members since last year, has been promoted to be part of our N5 team! You can always count on him to lighten the mood in any forum topic. He won't be joining the blog team for the time being but that's a story for later.Click on the link to go congratulate him!

Super Pokemon Scramble

2011-06-09T07:52:00.000-07:00

Is this the 'new Pokemon game'? Either way this is a Gen 5 sequel to the spinoff title on WiiWare, Pokemon Rumble. 2 pre-release screenshots above- not even CoroCoro has featured the game yet! (by which time there will be a lot more details).

Also, there's going to be Miis in the game. Miis fit almost anywhere, don't they?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 coming to Wii?

2011-06-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

Found on a display at E3, image from GoNintendo.com.

Well this is weird. Modern Warfare has never been on Wii before. There's a lot of story to cover, and the graphics will definitely be scaled down anyway, so why? Not that I'm complaining.

Fiery Red 3DS and gold Wiimote Plus

2011-06-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

New colors for our Nintendo hardware!

The Fiery Red 3DS will join the blue and black 3DS on July 14th of this year. And no, it's not a limited edition color nor a Mario 25th anniversary gift- it's a permanent addition to the lineup.

The gold Wiimote Plus, emblazoned with the Skyward Sword logo we've actually heard of during the early parts of Nintendo's E3 press conference. From observation alone it's possible that this could be bundled together with Skyward Sword when it is released come year-end.

E3 2011 Showfloor- Nintendo Wii U

2011-06-08T03:22:00.000-07:00

The announcement trailer for Wii U, seen in the press conference, complete with motion control and screen interactivity tricks. It's hard to explain, just watch the trailer and you'll understand better how the controller's screen works with the TV. The games being played are Nintendo's own tech demos and not actual games.

The controller has symmetrical four-button setup and dual analog sticks. Not nubs, real sticks. It has speakers like the Wiimote, a gyrosensor, and an in-built camera. Rechargeable batteries are used in favor of AAs. The detailed console specs are still unknown, only a general overview was given. However we do already know Nintendo is going hi-definition with this one, supporting full 1080p output...finally! I'm not a graphics whore, but having the option is nice. And it also means 3rd parties will develop games for it without complaining about graphical limitations!

There were tech demos and a few minigames on show to allow people to get to grips with the new controller and see what games would look like, which Reggie called the 'Wii U experiences' in the press conference. The graphics demos were also here and could be interacted with, meaning they are not pre-rendered cutscenes but represent what gameplay footage would look like on Wii U, which is amazing.

Graphic Demo 1 (bird and trees)
Graphic Demo 2 (Zelda HD)
Chase Mii (to show usage of controller screen as a second screen, much like DS)
New Super Mario Bros. Mii (to show basic button controls, controller duplicating as TV screen)
Shield Pose (to show how the controller's screen matches up with the TV)
Battle Mii (to show controller's gyrosensor and controlling two things at once)
Measure Up (to show controller's pressure-sensitive touchscreen)

List of announced Wii U 3rd party games (in the order they appear in the trailer below). The footage shown are of the PS3/X360 versions (ironically) of the games and do not represent Wii U graphics.

Other announced titles from the roundtable or through statements:
Pikmin
Smash Bros 4 (together with 3DS version)

Expect to see Wii U sometime in late 2012 after Wii has exhausted its last legs.

E3 2011 Showfloor- Nintendo 3DS

2011-06-08T02:43:00.000-07:00

Nintendo's latest handheld, finally getting a strong showing with new footage and gameplay of most of last year's announced titles that haven't already been released. No new games were actually announced save for Luigi's Mansion 2, but Nintendo already have enough on their plate as it stands.

Metal Gear Solid 3DS. Thank god no one forgot about it, though it doesn't look like it'll be released anytime soon. Watch for bonus Yoshi!

Hey, didn't know Paper Mario got a trailer as well. Finally shows some real gameplay, though the paper effect is less impressive than that of Super Paper Mario on Wii...but who am I to compare a handheld to a console?

Mario Kart 3DS with added things like customizable karts, underwater stages and gliders. For some reason a lot of classic tracks are shown here. Veterans of Mario Kart Wii and DS should pick them out easily.

Animal Crossing 3DS, which again, everyone thought was a no-show at E3, also has a new trailer. Aside from being generally better-looking than Wild World, you can now hang furniture on walls (saving space in the process), and swim in the water. Looks like the exact same gameplay to me, though there probably are even more things we don't know about AC3DS yet.

One more trailer for Kid Icarus: Uprising. Hopefully this is close to launch, being the very first 3DS game to be shown and all

Super Mario 3DS' first gameplay trailer, which looks bright and colorful. Whether it achieves Galaxy-like success and imaginative level is another issue, but enjoy the footage! Also, return of the Tanooki Suit!

E3 surprise Luigi's Mansion 2, a follow-up to the Gamecube original all the way back in 2001.

E3 2011 Showfloor- Nintendo DS

2011-06-08T02:00:00.000-07:00

The handheld cousin to Wii, and the more successful of the two, both in sales and in reception by gamers, is also reaching the end of its run thanks to its successor, 3DS. But hey, all DS games can be played on the new handheld, right? No reason to worry.

Just 2 games of note were shown. Noticeably absent is any mention of a US translation of Japanese Level-5 RPG game Ninokuni. Hopefully in Level-5's own event sometime later.

Atsumete! Kirby gets a trailer! Or, I should call it by its US name now, Kirby Mass Attack. Logo is eerily similar to Kirby Wii, like they couldn't hire a better designer for this. It's fine and all, but why are the sound effects and music so primitive, like they came straight out of a GBA game? Oh well, we'll have to make do.

The other game that got people peeved because it wasn't highlighted at the press conference. Professor Layton and the Last Specter was released in Japan last year, and although it doesn't have a concrete release date yet, we'll probably be seeing this by the end of 2011

There was a third game. Remember the Zelda 25th anniversary announcement? Zelda Four Swords is coming to DSiWare. Unfortunately no footage of that exists yet.

E3 2011 Showfloor- Nintendo Wii

2011-06-08T01:48:00.000-07:00

Ah, to finally reach the end of Wii's life cycle. The past five years haven't been easy. Although hailed as a revolution in gaming at first, it was and still is treated like a baby's toy by most people wanting better graphics and more mature games. Didn't stop Wii from being the top of the pack this generation in terms of sales, but at this point in the Wii's life, you can see where their worries stem from.

This year, the showfloor had six Wii games worth looking at, all from Nintendo (the rest being your typical shovelware). Kirby Wii which you can see in the post below this, Zelda: Skyward Sword, Rhythm Heaven, and unrevealed at the press conference but was on showfloor, Mario Party 9. Also present at the show were Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics and of course, Wii Play: Motion.

Gameplay is identical to the Rhythm Heaven released for DS and GBA (Japan only), with an art style reminiscent of Wario Ware Smooth Moves from all the way back at launch day.

Seeing Kirby Wii in action finally made me so happy I could almost cry. How long has it been since the last proper Kirby console game? (and no, Epic Yarn doesn't count even though it's awesome in its own way) Though I'm not fond of the logo- I really hope this isn't the final name...

Flying on islands in the sky? Final frontier for Zelda in terms of transportation- at first there were horses, then there were boats, and now Link rides on birds! Land, sea, sky! Looks like a long way down if you let go. I'm glad they ditched Twilight Princess' dark graphics for something with more vibrant color, which just adds to the excitement.

And yet again another Mario Party game. We never get tired of this stuff, don't we? It's up to its ninth game, for chrissakes

Mario and Sonic, with a lavish opening cutscene like the one from four years ago. There are screenshots if you're willing to hunt them down- or I might just bring them over here in a bit! There's also a 3DS version.

Wii Play Motion, showcasing six different minigames out of the 12 available. Where's the ice-cream game? I wanna see that.

Nintendo E3 2011 conference/Wii U- My thoughts

2011-06-08T00:51:00.000-07:00

This is actually my first time catching a live stream of an E3 conference. Traditionally I'd leave everything till later because the conferences start at exactly midnight where I live! This makes it, under normal circumstances, impossible for me to watch, as this means sacrificing my beauty sleep, which I really like, by the way. This year however...lots of free time, I'm on holiday, I don't have to wake up early the next day, what's stopping me? All the Wii2 rumors were driving me absolutely nuts, from the extended 3rd party support, to the HD graphics, to the queer new controller with a screen on it. And then there were 3DS games to see. And then the final batch of good 1st-party Wii/DS games. My body was ready.

After the Nintendo conference ended, I went back to bed with a bittersweet feeling.

To be honest, it was good, there was a new console. But I wasn't blown away.

The show started with a massive Zelda 25th Anniversary presentation, then went on to 3DS games with a special surprise in the form of Luigi's Mansion 2, then revealed Project Cafe's real name as Wii U, and then talked about the new controller and how it worked, and the massive 3rd parties pledging to develop games for it.

Notice something missing? Yep. There were no games on the press conference. All the 3DS games in the conference save one were leftovers from last year, and it appears none of them are even close to being finished for this year. Paper Mario 3DS is also noticeably absent from E3. No concrete release dates for Mario Kart, Skyward Sword, not even Kid Icarus. When the Wii U rolled around, all Nintendo were willing to talk about was the controller and the graphics. No games were on show save for a few mediocre tech demos. You'd expect it to be announced together with at least one first-party Nintendo title, but no. Nothing for us to get excited about.

The technology behind the console itself, in my opinion, is impressive, but there were no real games to show that technology off to the masses. The 3rd party games, though all well and good, were not playable and again, can't show what the Wii U is capable of yet. Everyone also left the stage without so much as a whisper about Pikmin 3, which supposedly had been worked on for two years. And then what? Nothing! No screenshots, no trailers, not even talked about! At the very least, there was confirmation of the existence of a dual-console Smash Bros. between 3DS and Wii U, but until actual gamplay footage is shown, it's all talk and no walk. Oh yeah, but they do have one more game to announce for Wii U....wait for it....a nondescript Lego game in partnership with Traveller's Tales. I seriously fell off my seat laughing. I waited an hour for this?

That pang of disappointment I felt when there were no surprise announcements coming from Nintendo (or any of the three big hardware makers to be honest) lasted for a few minutes. I'm sure everyone else must have reacted the same way the moment the conference ended but then I got into thinking- hey, at least there was a console. If you don't already know, there was a Wii U console, but poor presentation made sure it stood hidden in the background while the controller gets all the love, to the point where I actually thought it was an extra peripheral to the current Wii.

Really, Reggie has lost his ability to impress this year. Not because of the content of the presentation, but because he wasn't being as lively as he usually is. The Wii U logo just popped out on the screen with no fanfare or glitz while Reggie continued to drivel on without a hint of excitement or tone in his voice, and for the first few seconds no one was sure whether it was a new console or not. By the time everyone realized it was Project Cafe, the climax period had passed and people weren't as excited anymore. Really, if they could put together an entire orchestra performance for Zelda, surely they could afford to give the new console a bigger entry to get people hyped up. They made a grand entrance for the 3DS last year, why not Wii U?

Hearing the name really makes you think it's somehow related to the Wii we all know, but the added 'u' made it an entirely different beast with far better capabilities than what the regular Wii could ever dream of. We were all expecting a fresh new name without the Wii brand- but think of this. Nintendo's aim with this console cycle was to attract both hardcore and casual gamers alike. With the new graphical power (the graphics demo was impressive) and hopefully strong 3rd party support they could pull one group in, and with the new control method and the establishment of the Wii brand in the last 5 years they could very easily pull in the other. Sure Wii has gone down the drain in just a short year's time, but families with money to spare would probably pick one up seeing as they had fun before with the Wii and remember how good it was (for them, not us). The one problem with the casual group would probably be that people would assume this new console is identical to the old Wii. Nintendo are going to have to market the hell out of Wii U, and give it a competitive price so the casuals will keep coming back for more. The console looking almost identical to the current Wii isn't helping.

The controller (above) looks squarish and unwieldy, with a large screen in the middle. Based on the size of the hands relative to the console I'd say it's about the size of an iPad, if not smaller. I won't judge how comfortable it is to hold the thing because I really can't see for myself yet, but there are grooves on the back of the controller along with shoulder buttons which should help. Hopefully it isn't heavy. It's definitely very fascinating to see how it works- the interaction between the screen on the controller and the TV screen is unique and can surprisingly be used in many flexible ways. The part where you can transfer what's on the TV directly to the controller is naff to me however, I don't watch shows and game at the same time. I'll be waiting to see more real uses of this, no tech demos for me! It's rechargeable, meaning no more fiddling with AA batteries, which is nice.

Other important features of Wii U remain under wraps for now. To what extent are the graphics stronger than that of current gen competitors, if at all? How is online coming along? Will there still be friend codes? (unlikely, as 3DS has phased them out by a lot) Hard drive or flash memory? Transferring Wiiware games to Wii U? New apps and bite-sized download games? We don't even know what the menu screen looks like. Hey, late 2012 is a long way to go, and we'll definitely find out more along the way. With such a long time, it's only natural that Nintendo won't have any games to show (though I'd realy appreciate if they did) and you know how secretive Nintendo likes to be, sometimes to their own detriment. They were never good at timing their release of information.

I was skeptical of Wii U and the controller at first (mainly due to poor presentation), but I find myself growing a little more and more intrigued by the minute.

Things took a turn for the better once I had my mind sorted out the next day.

I woke up the next morning (today) and found game trailers from games on the Nintendo show floor. I saw Mario Party 9, Kid Icarus, Rhythm Heaven Wii, Wii Play: Motion, Layton 4, Animal Crossing 3DS and not one, but two different Kirby games, one for Wii and one for DS, most of which were completely unannounced at the press conference. I smiled. For the first time since last night, I smiled. Especially at the Kirby games- you all know what a big Kirby fanboy I am, and seeing the pink blob get so much attention for once is heartwarming. Why this stuff wasn't given more emphasis in the press conference I will never know, but this is what I came for. This is what E3 is about- not just hardware talk and having to hear Nintendo's game-making philosophy for the billionth time- it's all about the software, the games which I can already be looking forward to on consoles I already own. And though it isn't much, at least it leaves me satisfied that I can have at least 4 to 5 Wii/DS games to get, and a bunch of 3DS games which are apparently being dated for 'Holiday 2011'. Overall verdict- it won't top Nintendo at E3 2007 and 2010, but it's definitely a lot better than Nintendo at their worst (E3 2008 ).

Nintendo reveals new titles at E3 2011!

2011-06-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

Wii:

- Kirby Wii (Trailer here)
- Mario Party 9 (Trailer here)

3DS:

- Luigi's Mansion 2 (Trailer here)
- Super Mario 3D (Trailer here)
- Mario Kart 3D (Trailer here)

Nintendo didn't confirm any specific games for their newly announced Wii U console, but Iwata insisted that Super Smash bros. is indeed in development for it, as well as the 3DS.

Wii U

2011-06-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

So, WII U has been announced at E3 today, and it looks awesome! The game demos looked great, and you can have up to 5 controller (1 WII U controller the rest WII motion plus). There are 2 analog sliders and a 6.2 inch touch screen! If someone comes in and wants to watch some TV while your playing the WII U, then just pick up your WII 2 controller and carry on playing with high resolution screen with ZR and ZL triggers (weird names!).
Here are the announced games:
Darksiders 2
Batman: Arkham City
"Tekken"
Assassin's Creed
Lego City Stories
Ghost Recon Online
DiRT
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Metro: Last Light
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razer's Edge
Here is an image of the controller:

E3 Live

2011-06-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Wizzer10 and I are doing a live chat for E3 with all of the big news. Go to Nottoolikely.co.uk for the live chat, and other news and reviews on games.

Pokedex 3D Japanese trailer

2011-06-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

It's known by a different name there, but it's the exact same thing.

Final Project Cafe rumor sheet

2011-06-07T05:31:00.000-07:00

Not for 3DS, so don't expect the below post to talk about any new 3DS games. It's only a few hours to the conference anyway. From someone by the name of 'Round Cactus'. who apparently leaked the 3DS specs and was accurate to boot. Whether you want to believe him or not is up to you.

-Skyward Sword remains on Wii?
-New console to be called 'Nintendo Current'?
-Mario, Kirby, Pikmin and Smash Bros?
-Lots, and I mean lots of 3rd party support?

Click image below. We'll match up Round Cactus' predictions with the real deal in a few hours' time.

Bowser's Galaxy Generator on piano

2011-06-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

The epic final boss stage music for Super Mario Galaxy 2, on piano. Beautiful.

Shiny Hydreigon and Golurk events

2011-06-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

Pokemon movies have come a long way- so much so that now there's even two versions of the same movie! Reshiram and Zekrom, the Gen 5 legendaries, are getting the same movie reskinned with different locales, Pokemon and slightly different story (the only constant being Victini). To commemorate the launching, owners of Japanese Pokemon Black/White will be getting a shiny Pokemon corresponding to the Pokemon that appears in their respective movies! Black, which has Reshiram, will be getting a shiny Hydreigon, which appears in the Reshiram version of the movie, while White gets a shiny Golurk (which is also white, by the way).

Both will be downloadable in McDonalds for a month from June 17 to July 17. Wait, so we can't get them? Ah, but fret not- importers will be able to get them through Wi-Fi Mystery Gift for another two months after that!

Nintendo servers hacked with no side effects

2011-06-06T07:13:00.000-07:00

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/06/05/nintendo-servers-hacked.aspx

It was a hacking attempt by a group called LulzSecurity. Looks like they apparently wanted to help Nintendo by spotting a loophole and telling them to fix it. "We're not targeting Nintendo. We like the N64 too much - we sincerely hope Nintendo plugs the gap. This is just for lulz.

Nintendo's pre-E3 site

2011-06-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

And here we go. Tomorrow the world will know another year's worth of Nintendo games and consoles to drool over. Given how awesome E3 was last year, and the gaming drought this year, and 3DS not getting any good games at launch, and rumblings of Project Cafe...to address these things would be nothing short of an avalanche of news.

This is the link to the Japanese E3 site.

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/e3_2011/index.html

And in English.

http://e3.nintendo.com/

June 7th, 9 am PDT. Be there!

Multiple trailers for 3DSWare and Virtual Console

2011-06-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

Beofre I get to that though, the US and European 3DS eShop will only feature one original title from the beginning, that is Pokedex 3D (unless you want to count the limited time freebie Excitebike 3D, which is basically the old NES game updated with 3D frippery). The remaining three are Virtual Console games, Super Mario Land, Alleyway and Tennis. These are Game Boy games that can either be viewed in black-and-white, or the original display of gray/green for nostalgic purposes. And of course, no 3D graphics here!

Hey, I remember this game. Good times.

Excitebike. Just like the NES game, but with 3D! Shame we can't see it from here.

Oh god, this thing. Where the ? boxes and coins are tiny small and the Goombas are little walking triangles with no faces on them. Still, classic.

3D Xevious, only for Japan eShop at launch. No word on a US release yet.

Talk about Zelda 25th anniversary at E3 confirmed

2011-06-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Masahiro Sakurai (well that's an unlikely figure to talk about Zelda if I've ever seen one) who used his Twitter account to show his E3 badge to his followers. See the lanyard? There's definitely going to be some Zelda buzz going on next week!

Oh Sakurai, you and your obsession with cats...

New Zelda game at E3?

2011-06-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

The director and designer of Zelda, Eiji Aonuma, said on a television program in France with the news about a 25th anniversary Zelda game! And what's more it may be on Project Cafe, but its too soon to tell. There will be more news at E3 as said by Eiji Aonuma, I think it may just be a game like Mario All Stars 25th Anniversary, but hey, its another Zelda game! To watch E3 live click here (this is the Nintendo coverage of E3), and wait and see if there really is another amazing, breath taking, Zelda game on the way!

Kid Icarus Uprising gameplay video

2011-06-02T07:04:00.001-07:00

Nintendo eShop and 3DS Internet Browser, finally coming out

2011-06-02T06:17:00.000-07:00

After not showing up at launch, then delayed again from its initial release on May 1, the much-awaited worldwide update for all 3DSes is finally coming out on June 7 in Japan (which would be the night of June 6 in the US) and the update includes the grand opening of the Nintendo eShop, which has two components- 3DSWare and a handheld Virtual Console for GB and GBC games.

From the get-go, Japan gets six games on Virtual Console:
-Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge
-Kirby's Dream Land
-Baseball
-Avenging Spirit
-Downtown Special: Its Kunio's Period Piece Assemble Everyone! (a popular old character in Japan who has starred in a wide variety of genres)
-Super Mario Land

And three on 3DSWare:
-Mystery P.I.
-Breakout 3D
-3D Classics: Xevious

The lineup for US' 3DS Virtual Console has not yet been revealed, but we already know one 3DSWare game that will be out at launch- the free application Pokedex 3D.

Excitebike 3D will be given out free in a short promotion period from the time of the update until July 31 in Japan and July 7 in the US. No one knows yet how much each game costs yet, but we'll see at launch day, shall we?

Other things the update brings to the table are also sorely needed things- the ability to transfer DSiWare, music and photos from a DSi/XL to 3DS, but this is of course a one-way move/copy between systems. DSiWare is deleted from DSi after the transfer. No one has clarified yet on whether backing up the games in an SD Card will preserve the DSi copy of the game. Also, the Nintendo 3DS web browser! Hopefully better than DSi's browser, which was admittedly, complete garbage. Doesn't support Flash, which is a bummer, but really, any web browser is better than DSi's at this point, so I'm not complaining.

Japan gets the best Nintendo Points cards

2011-06-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

Before, all the Nintendo Points cards used to be all in sterile white. Now it appears Nintendo are taking a page from cellphone prepaid cards with designs on them and are finally making cards that aren't boring to look at! 1000 point cards feature retro Mario, 8-bit game characters of the Famicom/NES, and a really adorable picture of Kirby on a Warp Star, which is entirely new art. A Zelda-themed card is worth 2000 points. The points are of course, compatible with Wii, DS and 3DS.

Well these are cards I'd definitely be keeping long after I've redeemed the points on them!

Pokedex 3D

2011-06-01T03:22:00.000-07:00

A new Pokemon game has been announced but you won't be finding it in any shops, but on the 3DS' eStore (When the update comes). The game will be based on Unova region Pokemon (Black and White) and will take full advantage of SpotPass, StreetPass (you can trade your Pokemon) and Augmented Reality.

When you first start playing the game, you start off with 16 Pokemon, to unlock more you scan QR codes and get them via SpotPass (3 a day) or trading. The AR feature will allow you to place your Pokemon in the real world, like the pre-packaged AR cards, and take pictures in 3D (the outer 3D camera)! I'll certainly be getting this freebie when its available (not long now!).

Some screenshots from Pokebeach.com. Basic info like the Pokedex entries from both versions are given, together with type, breeding group (yes!), detailed moves lists, and others. Shame about the stats information being so basic- it would have been awesome to have their exact numbers to make team planning a whole lot easier. Not to mention the other competitive bits like EV values, Dream World abilities and egg moves, but hey, it's free.

See the adorable 3D Pokemon? ALL of them can be placed in photos! Even if you've already memorized the entire Unova Dex to its last detail, this feature makes the whole app worth it.

Bit.Trip Saga

2011-05-31T06:31:00.000-07:00

This is box-art for the upcoming Bit.Trip Saga coming to the 3DS, the saga was originally on Wii Ware. The first game (Bit.Trip beat) was a huge hit, leading to further sucess with the other 5 games. The original developer (Gaijin Games) is allowing Aksys games to publish the Saga. If your unfamiliar with the games its a 6 part, pixelated series with a wide range of game types, the 3DS game is said to be coming out sometime in summer this year.

My top 5 levels in Kirby's Epic Yarn

2011-05-31T00:55:00.000-07:00

Forget for a moment that I'm talking about a 6-month-old Kirby game which although hugely popular, has already been completed by everyone who owns it. It's just me- the slowest and most anti-completionist gamer ever. Despite having the game for five months (and loving every minute of it) I've never looked into every hidden post-boss stage so I could at least have something new to look forward to every time I boot up the game. I cleared the last stage just a few days ago so I can finally put together a list of my favorites, like I did before with Mario Galaxy 2.

Obligatory spoiler warning if you haven't completed the game, though I really doubt anyone reading this would be playing the game slower than I do.

Aside from a few repetitive stages involving the racing car and the Kirby-bot, the vast majority are really unique and memorable, and I've had a lot of trouble just picking five!

5. Evergreen Lift

The final secret stage in Snow Land. Anyone who's been given this game as a Christmas present and blasted through the first four worlds in one sitting should find this stage perfectly suited to the holiday mood- the entire stage is one giant Christmas tree! You start at the base of the tree and pull on a ball of yarn attached to a star to raise the platform like an elevator, hence the name.

Although your ascent is filled with annoying enemies that throw snowballs at you and freeze you solid, the rest of the stage is literally bursting at the seams with Christmas vibe. The music used is the same one in the first stage of Snow Land, a perfectly-suited jingly tune, there are lights and baubles all over in the background, the beads are appropriately colored in white and red/white and green like Christmas decorations, and then you find out that in the grand scheme of things, the ultimate purpose of the lift platform isn't just to get you to the finish line, but also to bring the yarn star to the top of the tree! Very creative- you don't see many Christmas stages in platform games executed this well.

4. Outer Rings

This isn't the first time Kirby's been in a shoot-em-up situation in his games, but this is the first time where it isn't just restricted to a boss fight, but an entire stage's worth! If getting a taste of Rocket Kirby in Stellar Way, another stage in Space Land, wasn't enough, then you'll absolutely love this. Scrolling vertically upwards and filled with waves and lines of enemies it's a really fluffy version of all those classic arcade plane shooters we used to play. And really fun to boot too! You're going to want to shoot as many of the enemy waves as possible, no, not because destroying them all will give you weapon upgrades, but they reveal hidden stashes of beads and treasures. All ending with another fight with a space variant of Kracko. Lovely!

3. Fossil Reef

The epitome of a perfect water level (now if only other games could do it without the yarn style...not that I'm complaining!). Playing as a dolphin is great fun as you don't have to swim at the speed of a sea snail all the time and you actually have viable attacking power. But then they added in what makes water levels so fun for me- floating globes of water in mid-air! Don't ask me why, but I just find it dreamy and imaginative to move from one body of floating water to another and all the while the center of gravity is changing as you move through each one. It's slowly becoming a new trend- I've already seen four different Nintendo platform games with this stage gimmick.

The entire stage has you using Kirby's dolphin form to navigate through a large woolly cave and fly through the air with the help of floating water. And the accompanying music, which is brought over from the deep sea stage, is as epic in scale as the massive size of the cave you're in.

2. Frosty Wheel

Too bad, it's not a giant icy ferris wheel!

Frosty Wheel is the most quiet stage in the entire game, thanks to the calming music. Outside of the nostalgic Dream Land remixes, this is the best new track in the game for me. Though I could spend hours swooning over the music, that's not what I came here to talk about mainly. Kirby transforms into a car whenever he runs in every other stage, but not this one, instead turning into the cutest little sled you'll ever see. Unlike the car, the sled makes no noise at all and is a lot more difficult to control because of the slippery surface. The stage is full of cliffs and makes good use of your new form by giving you lots of slopes and ramps to jump and ski on. You can even skate over the water.

Frosty wheels (ahem) dot the entire stage as sparkly ferris-wheel platforms that spin when you step on them. They make a somewhat annoying jingle noise when ever you land on them. It wouldn't be a problem if the music wasn't so peaceful, but that's a big part why this stage is so high up on the list in the first place!

1. Whispy's Forest

At first, the revolutionary new look for Kirby. Then, no copy powers. Kirby is in brand new territory and we all had to get used to his new moves and the place he's landed himself in. Then came the moment when the Yarn World was all stitched back together again and then...Dream Land!

Sakurai said it best when he said that hearing this familiar theme song (an upbeat piano/melodica remix of the famous Green Greens tune) and getting to this stage made it feel like the player has 'returned to home'. While still remaining true to the new game mechanics, this and all subsequent stages in Dream Land re-introduces us to the little things we knew so well in Kirby games of old- the doors, the star and bomb blocks, the secret rooms, and the familiar looking landscape. Whispy Woods is the boss of this stage, but unlike in previous games, you're felling him with the almighty Kirby-bot this time! Nostalgia literally bled out of my eyes and nose when I first came here, and seeing the Dream Land I knew in an all new fashion is still my most favorite moment ever.

Nintendo 5-Star SummerCon 2011

2011-05-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

Slow news week eh? Don't expect the pace to pick up yet, at least not until next week when E3 hits on June 7. Nintendo's conference in on the very first day too, so stay tuned!

The gaming industry isn't the only place where a giant party is about to take place- over at Nintendo 5-Star we have our own annual throwdown lasting three months. Site veterans should know our SummerCon event, and it's returning bigger and better than ever! Sequels to old N5 favorites like the Video Game Survivor and the unmissable N5S Posting Contest, and all new fun activities await you!

Happening in our forum, starting June 1. If you haven't signed up yet, just click the big banner to get there and get started!

Phoenix Wright: The Movie

2011-05-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

Image from Capcom-Unity

And no you're not hearing things, this is for real. Finger-pointing has made its way from in-game sprites to friggin live-action! Fans of Phoenix Wright can probably guess what the story will revolve around- lots of evidence collecting, courtroom battles, over-the-top prosecutors and witnesses and of course, the iconic 'Objection!'

Hiroki Narimiya stars as Phoenix Wright, Takumi Saito takes the role of Miles Edgeworth, his rival, and Maya Fey, Phoenix's assistant by Mirei Kiritani. The movie is set to air on Spring 2012 in Japan.

Here's hoping it captures the essence of the game series well, because that is indeed a very difficult thing to achieve in a live-action movie!

My small collection of Shiny Pokemon

2011-05-27T03:40:00.000-07:00

Brought over from my other blog at Gamespot.

A hacker would be able to come up with this number of shinies, and easily ten times more, in just an instant. I've never even caught one shiny Pokemon with my own hands or tried to breed one before (cross-breeding Pokemon of different regions apparently gives you a higher probability of getting a shiny- look up the Masuda Method if you don't know), but I've had a few people hack a few for me, and traded for the rest over Wi-Fi.

If I didn't say anything you'd all just call me a dirty cheater and just using the shinies to show off, but I'm not that kind of person, if I really wanted to hack a Pokemon I wouldn't stop at just the shiny, I'd do stats, nature, ability and EVs, which I don't. This also means that if you guys find me in battle and I have a shiny on my team, it's just for the sake of aesthetics, and it doesn't have any tactical advantage over the regular colored Pokemon. To me, a shiny Pokemon shows how much of a fan of a particular species of Pokemon you are and you're willing to go out of your way (very, very far out) to go find and get it, whether it belongs to you or not. It's not about getting the bragging rights.

Although I just said that the shiny Pokemon I usually want to find are those of my favorite Pokemon, I don't turn down other shinies either- they're damn rare to begin with and that's the usual purpose of wanting to collect them. The ones I requested to be hacked are the Pokemon which I love the most, you'll see in a bit, and the remaining ones of other Pokemon I have are gotten online off Wi-Fi trades and GTS.

Finding one on GTS is no easy business either. Although finding a shiny on GTS is actually simpler than it looks, most of them want illegal and absurd Pokemon in return, like a Reshiram below level 9 or any other evolved Pokemon below level 9, which are untradeable even if you do own them. I tried hacking one myself (a level 1 Boldore in exchange for a shiny Shaymin on GTS) just to try it out and it didn't work. It won't let me beam Boldore to the other end. And the ones that do involve legit Pokemon are usually traded over in ten seconds before you have the chance to. If you don't have the Pokemon the other party wants on hand and you want to disconnect so you can go get it, forget it, it'll be gone by the time you come back online. I was lucky enough to grab a few

I keep all my shiny Pokemon in a box behind where my legendaries are (picture on top)

Ignore the two Pokemon on the bottom right, the rest are shinies. Of those few I have, these are hacked by my own request: Togekiss, Chikorita, Cherrim, Jumpluff, Jirachi, Manaphy, Phione, Celebi and the other hacked one form online is Registeel. The rest of them are most probably legit. Hey, why don't I just pick a few out of these to say something about them?

We all know where this one comes from. The easiest shiny to catch. Ever. This red Gyarados comes from my JP Soul Silver, nothing really special about it. I haven't even trained it yet! I know some people who do that because Gyarados is supposed to be a really strong Pokemon....unless you factor in competitive play.

My beloved Togekiss, which I had my cousin hack and trade to me. It has a Timid nature and Serene Grace...not hacked, I swear! He set all wild Pokemon to shiny Togekiss on his game and I handled the rest, catching Togekiss after Togekiss till I found the one with the nature and ability I wanted. Then I EVed the thing manually. See? Just hacking for aesthetics. Oh yeah it's also caught in a Cherish Ball. That part was again hacked for looks. I really cherish Togekiss~

Tepig and Archen shinies, gotten off GTS. And the best part is, I didn't ask for either of them! All I did was put up Oshawott and Tirtouga for trade on GTS, requesting for these two so I could train them, and I got shinies in return! Someone must be feeling generous~ I don't think they were hacked either- although the levels may not show like they're legit, I got both of them at Lv1, meaning they were bred from eggs (Masuda Method). The only reason why they're higher was because I left them at the Daycare to breed regular-colored versions.

This Budew here was given to me by a good friend of mine over at Nintendo 5-Star, Asiankid. If you're reading this, just know that I've been taking really good care of it and traded it over from Soul Silver to White and it's still in my collection! This Budew is totally legit, Asiankid found this in a patch of grass and caught it- the lucky fellow. He nicknamed it Totoru. It brings back memories

Cherubi, Pikachu and Rayquaza (look at that black!), all of my lucky trades from GTS (not the only ones though, Regirock and Gible are also from GTS). I ran into Ray by accident but I was intending to search for Cherubi and Pikachu. Cherubi comes from Sinnoh where the breeding level is 5 instead of 1, so it's still possibly legit by Masuda Method. Pikachu, probably hacked, unless you guys can think of places where there are wild Pikachu at around Lv10 to 15 in Gen 3/4. Rayquaza comes from Hoenn and is at Level 70, caught in a Master Ball. Might be hacked, but remember what Ray's level was in Ruby/Sapphire, and if you reset and restarted the game a billion times just to get the shiny, you wouldn't want to catch it in anything other than a Master Ball, right? Don't want it to accidentally faint after so much effort.

An Azurill shiny named WDrop I got back in Gen 4 GTS. Honestly I really don't know about this one despite owning it for so long- but it doesn't matter because I love Azurills- they're adorable. Aw, don't look so sad, you're still being loved by me~

And finally, the shiny Manaphy I had my cousin hack for me together with my other favorite Pokemon. I already own quite a few other Manaphy- as many as I have Pokemon Ranger games, probably more, so I was looking like hell for a shiny version, and even though getting it hacked lacks the sense of achievement I get when I find it online for a steal, it's something I keep to this day. Not much difference in the color though- it's a lighter shade of Manaphy blue.

So, I'll be continuing to expand my collection of my favorite Pokemon in shiny version. Wish me luck! Or, do anyone of you have a shiny Reuniclus to spare?

Best Ocarina of Time preorder bonus ever

2011-05-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

A real ocarina?! With two sheets of music to play with it? And it's exclusive to Australia too. Ocarina of Time fans will change continents (or just raid eBay for the things) come launch day.

Japanese weekly sales: 16 to 22 May

2011-05-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

From GoNintendo (view full list there)

01. / 00. [PSP] Akiba's Trip (Acquire) {2011.05.19} - 58.150 / NEW
02. / 00. [3DS] Dead or Alive: Dimensions (Koei Tecmo) {2011.05.19} - 23.078 / NEW
03. / 01. [NDS] Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 - Professional (Square Enix) {2011.03.31} - 19.290 / 494.793 (-7%)
04. / 00. [PSP] Gungnir: Mayari no Gunshin to Eiyuu Sensou (Atlus Co.) {2011.05.19} - 16.355 / NEW
05. / 05. [PSP] Patapon 3 (SCE) {2011.04.28} - 11.458 / 95.341 (-12%)
06. / 00. [PS3] Portal 2 (Electronic Arts) {2011.05.19} - 8.942 / NEW
07. / 06. [PSP] Pro Baseball Spirits 2011 (Konami) {2011.04.14} - 8.032 / 160.066 (-21%)
08. / 11. [WII] Wii Party (Nintendo) {2010.07.08} - 5.043 / 1.891.324 (+8%)
09. / 14. [NDS] Pokemon Black / White (Pokemon Co.) {2010.09.18} - 4.767 / 5.181.982 (+9%)
10. / 03. [3DS] Steel Diver (Nintendo) {2011.05.12} - 4.583 / 21.991 (-74%)

Significant:

Dead or Alive Dimensions debuts at no.2
Pokemon B/W reenters top ten for the umpteenth time, but is ahead of Monster Hunter Portable 3rd for the first time since MHP3 was launched (which is in 13th this week)
Wii Party reenters top ten
Steel Diver isn't doing so hot

Why Sonic Generations isn't coming to Wii

2011-05-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it was at one point, but then Sega made the really shallow excuse people have been using ever since the Wii came out, like a student whose dog eats his homework every night.

'ZOMG NO HD GRAFIX LOLOLOL'

I don't know about you, but I have been quite pissed at Sega ever since every other console got it and Wii got the shaft, left with nothing but goddamn Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Sure I don't play Sonic games much, but losing a potentially good 3rd party title for this superficial and lame excuse really irks me.

Then there's this, which Sega mentioned in an interview.

'The primary goal for the console versions of Generations was re-imagining the series' classic zones in vivid, high-definition graphics. The Wii hardware wasn't a good fit for that concept, so we abandoned development on that, and decided that for our Nintendo audience, we would make a fresh start with a N3DS version of Generations.'

Okay, why 3DS and not Project Cafe, if they're looking for HD graphics? I'm baffled. Also, remember when they re-envisioned the classic zones in HD before on X360? Didn't turn out too well either eh?

Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D new trailer

2011-05-25T07:57:00.001-07:00

Old-timers should be able to recognize where this is, right? And a whole lot souped up it is too.

Unova Top 10 most Popular Pokemon in Japan

2011-05-24T08:01:00.001-07:00

http://pokemonblackandwhite.net/?p=4808

Chandelure, Whimsicott, Reshiram, Reuniclus, Hydreigon, Serperior, Snivy, Ohsawott, Joltik and Lilligant make the top ten. Check the full list on the link above. It's a Nintendo Dream survey.

Tympole and Stunfisk have become Japanese forum memes by the way, that probably explains why they're on the list. Lots of cute Pokemon in the top 30. A lot of my own favorites are in there too! Whimsicott, Reuniclus, Oshawott and Lilligant, congrats~

Pokemon Battrio V

2011-05-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

That scan we saw a month ago claiming that a new Pokemon game was coming? And all the rumors that followed afterward, including the most absurd one of a 3DS version of Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. It's now revealed to be just a new version of the Japan-only Pokemon arcade game, Pokemon Battrio (with added Gen 5 Pokemon), which none of us will ever get to play, so.....

Atsumete! Kirby boxart and release date

2011-05-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

Cutest boxart ever? Cutest boxart ever. Let's hope the US box won't turn all ten Kirbys into angry faces *shudders*

Release date is August 4 2011 in Japan, apparently delayed from a first release date of July 7. Oh well, just one extra month won't kill. Still no extra footage of the game since the first bit we saw back in December last year.

Wii Play Motion first trailer

2011-05-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

What to say about this collection of minigames this time...Even though it's probably the last thing you'll ever want to see, remember where this game stems from- a million seller tech demo with tons of room for improvement, made by Nintendo and not by Wii shovelware king Ubisoft. And it still features Miis! Better looking ones at that- almost every aspect of the original Wii Play has been graphically enhanced (well, enhanced by Wii standards anyway), which is most apparent in some of the returning favorites like the shooting game and a new variant of Pose Mii. And all the games use Motion+ too. WPM is the original game's long-awaited answer to the highly acclaimed Wii Sports Resort.

You know, I'd actually dig some more Find Mii. I love that game.

Guess I do owe this blog some favors eh?

2011-05-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

It's been a month since I've really posted anything on Nintendo 5-Star blog and to be honest I feel kinda guilty for leaving it alone after less than a year, but you know how bad real life duties and responsibilities can get. The only place that has been really happening in N5S are the forums, as anyone who's joined can tell you.

It's also the beginning (and end) of a slow news month, so probably I can pick up the pace sometime in June after E3 is over and the news starts pouring in. Hopefully we get to see some killer 3DS games and some word on Project Cafe.

As for N5S itself, well, the annual SummerCon event is beginning at our forums and this year it's going to be big, so join in and have some fun online when you're not being anywhere else! Also, I'll replace the buttons on the side with links to news stories that aren't obsolete (although the Pokemon button will remain relevant until the end of time).

Enjoy N5S, cause I'm coming back for now~

pikaby

Leaked Project Cafe footage?

2011-05-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

Apparently a covert shooting of a developer presentation of Project Cafe, the 'console' being visible on the bottom of the video. It's like a compilation of nearly every leaked source we've seen over the past month, from the screens on the controller to the admittedly ugly plastic router like console. True?

Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery E.P. Review

2011-05-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

Hello there! I'm DG, and this is the first of what I hope will be a long series of articles to help you navigate the cluttered mobile game marketplace. While you can download a lot of shovelware for $0.99 a pop, I'll be directing you to the best games that are out there, as well as when they go on sale. We'll kick off the series with a review of one of my favorite new iPod/Phone/Pad games, called Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP, or the so much easier to remember S:S&S EP.

If ever I needed to make an argument for games as a form of artwork, alongside such recognized mediums as painting and writing, this humble game would be one of the ones I would point to. The game features beautifully stylized 8-bit graphics which give the game a fresh and unorthodox appearance. The characters appear somewhat simple, which adds to the subtle mysterious atmosphere of the game.

The game boasts its music as a major selling point, and rightfully so, as the creative and catchy BGM and sound effects are just as important as the game's visuals both in gameplay, and if you want to get the most out of the game's story and environment. Which you will, because the music is awesome.

Speaking of story, Sword and Sorcery has a very enticing and minimalist one. You are greeted by an unidentified man in a suit before beginning the game, an ominous start. You then take on the role of the wondering Scythian, a warrior monk on a grave quest that remains undisclosed to the player. You are given next to no backstory, so the exploration is up to you. By wandering through the strange and ominous woods, and befriending a household of locals, you will become more familiar with the characters' situations.

You will spend the majority of your time in Sword and Sworcer doing point and click style puzzles. Unfortunately, while Sword and Sworcery excels in the art department, it lacks somewhat in gameplay. You will spend a fair bit of time wandering the woods wondering what you are supposed to do next, and the puzzles tend to be arcane at best. Breaking up your puzzling and exploring adventures is the occasional combat, which would be a simple timing minigame if it was not executed so elegantly. When an enemy approaches you, you tilt your device 90 degrees to initiate combat, which, while no big deal on a phone, is a bit irritating on an iPad depending on the type of case you're using. By watching your enemy and blocking and striking at the correct times, you slay the mysterious beasts that haunt the local wilderness. The combat is not repetetive because it is not overused, and so is always a welcome twist in the pacing of your traveling.

The other main downside to the game is that even though its on a mobile device, this isn't really the kind of game you can pick up and play for a minute on the bus. The gameplay is slow paced, and you really need to be in an environment, preferably with headphones, where you can see, hear and appreciate the subtlety of the game.

Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP is a rare gem of a game and a beautifully crafted artistic experience that I highly recommend.

Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP
Apple App store
$2.99

Wii Play Motion screenshots

2011-04-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

Lots more here!

Rumored Project Cafe E3 revealing

2011-04-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

All the games, ALL THE GAMES! It's too hard to believe (Mario Kart and another Zelda even when the 3DS ones aren't even out?), but this has got to be everyone's dream launch list. I'm not too fond of Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty, but their presence on this list speaks volumes of how much Nintendo have already done right this time. If this turns out to be true that is. What do you think?

Pokemon RPG too. Hopefully it has DS/3DS connectivity.

Nintendo:
- Pikmin 3 (playable, launch title)
- Pokemon RPG (video, launch or near launch title)
- Super Mario Bros title (playable)
- Star Fox (playable)
- Smash Bros 4 (playable)
- Mario Kart (video)
- Zelda (tech demo)
- Metroid (tech demo)
- New IP (video)

Rockstar Games:
- Red Dead Redemption 2 (video)
- Grand Theft Auto “New Title” (video)

Ubisoft:
- Rayman Legends (playable)
- Red Steel 3 (playable)
- New IP (video)

SquareEnix:
- Final Fantasy XV

Capcom:
- Resident Evil (video)
- Megaman (video)
- Monster Hunter (video)

EA:
- NBA ’13 (video)
- NFL ’13 (video)
- NHL ’13 (video)

Activision:
- Modern Warfare 3 (video)

Konami:
- Metal Gear title (video)
- Winning Eleven (video)

Namco:
- Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (playable)
- Soul Calibur 5 (video)
- Pacman Rebirth (video)

Wii successor in 2012! It's official!

2011-04-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

From Kotaku, a letter from Nintendo:

Playable at E3 too! Anyone up for another Nintendo console stampede? I remember five years ago with the Wii....things are starting to get exciting once more.

Project Cafe console mock-up

2011-04-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

Looks all plasticky and stuff. I don;t know what to make of this but it matches another mock-up from a leaked source which looks like this

Project Cafe controller mock-up

2011-04-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yeah there's been a lot of rubbish and imaginative controllers floating around for the past few days, but this particular one intrigued me in saying that it was very close to what the real controller would look like. What?

Ooh pretty. D-pad and four button setup that isn't 3DS protracted, and gosh, that screen. Hope it won't be unwieldy- it's not comfortable holding a large rectangle thing while you control an on-screen game. The screen is claimed to be around 800x500 px.

Megaman Legends 3 first gameplay

2011-04-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Make what you will of it, it's a hyped Megaman game that's been rumored and anticipated for ages and finally we get to see some of it. And it's on 3DS!

New Pokemon game to be announced in May?

2011-04-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

That's apparently what's being said from Pokebeach and the many other gaming blogs but I just don't see where in this shot does it say that there's a new Pokemon game. The title on top says 'latest news' but doesn't say pertaining to what. There's a bit of Pokemon Typing: Battle and Get and a bit of Kirby. What in the world...?

If there is going to be a new Pokemon game, it's definitely not going to be a Pokemon Grey, the launch window is too short. Wii Pokemon game? New Pokepark? 3DS Pokemon game?

More Atsumete! Kirby scans

2011-04-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

Same game, same introduction covered on different magazines, but you gotta love the adorable pink blob.

Source: GoNintendo

Wii successor and 3DS rumors

2011-04-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

A storm is brewing over at Nintendo. What could be going on in there? The suspense builds as we head into E3...Coming from this site. Look at all that stuff. Nintendo is trying desperately to top last year's excellent E3 showing, as if it wasn't already good enough!

Most 3rd party giants have already gotten dev kits for Project Cafe. Square Enix, Capcom, Sega, Konami, Activision, Rockstar/Take Two, Electronic Arts, Namco and Ubisoft. We should be expecting games that have never been on a Nintendo console before....ooh, my blood is boiling. If GTA5 was any indication...oh wait, I didn't mention that before right? Yep, rumor mill says Grand Theft Auto 5 is heading to Project Cafe.

In addition to 3DS Starfox 64, there's also going to be a Wii2 Starfox. Storage issues have apparently all been solved, and WiiWare is being revamped....ye gods! Has Nintendo finally listened to our pleas?

Nintendo wants Zelda: Skyward Sword to be released on the same time as Wii2...AHAHAHAHA TWILIGHT PRINCESS SYNDROME oh wait, the guy in charge of rumors says that there's a very, very high chance it'll stay a Wii exclusive. But 2012 is a long time to wait for the Zelda game that was announced a year ago....dammit.

And Retro Studios is working on a non-Metroid Wii2 game too.

The more I read from this article, the more excited I get....Try me if you don't believe. There are things on that site you would swear are too good to be true, yet want them to be. Us at N5S will be keeping a close eye out for this year's E3!

Atsumete! Kirby Famitsu scan!

2011-04-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

Click to view full scan. Source: Kirby's Rainbow Resort

It's Kirby and the Amazing Mirror all over again. Kirby split up into many different bodies by an evil villain- we've all heard this one before. This time instead of four, we now have ten of the little pink critters to manage! The game takes place on the bottom screen with the top one showing just your scores and menus and stuff. And you don't just control one Kirby while the remaining 9 are handled by uber-dumb AI- you can take control of all ten at the same time and handle problems, enemies and puzzles in a group, using the touch screen!

No Copy Abilities though- looks like Kirby's plunging into another new territory of gameplay. Release date? Not announced at the moment, but the scan says Atsumete! Kirby should be out within this year.

Wii successor rumors

2011-04-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Is Nintendo's new console waiting in the wings? Rumors from multiple sources, all grouped together by GoNintendo, suggests that the console is complete, has been shown to game devs, and will be shown at E3 this year to blow some global socks off.

Among the things rumored to be on the new Wii is a controller that has a touch-screen on it. You can let your imagination run wild- the possibilities you have with a controller like this is endless, if it exists. It also has backwards compatibility with Wii, that we all expect. It's also supposedly more powerful than XBox 360 and PS3, and uses Blu-ray format discs (there goes piracy), although it sounds unlikely as Blu-rays are made by Sony...We'll probably have to see it to believe it.
---
"Nintendo's plans sound unreal. Publishers are already planning launch titles and it's all very exciting. The hardware is even more powerful than current HD consoles and backwards compatible with Wii. The controller will be all-new and has a HD screen on it."
--- (source: GoNintendo)

New DS KIrby gets Japanese name

2011-04-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

...but no solid release date yet. It's called 'Atsumete! Kirby' or literally, 'Gather! Kirby', referencing this game's gimmick of having a large bunch of Kirbys to work with at a single time. Kirby looks slightly different from the exact same sprite style that was used through GBA, Squeak Squad and Super Star Ultra. Wonder how you use the Kirby army...and whether or not you still have Copy Abilities because so far I'm seeing none of them here.

Pokemon Global Link opens today!

2011-04-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

After the Japanese tsunami and what seemed like absolutely ages, many delays later Pokemon Global Link is now open to everyone in the entire world! The rest of the world don't get the current promos and stuff Japan already has though- we have to wait.

The page is here- choose your language, get your Pokemon Trainer Club account up (yep, no more Japan-only Daisuki Club!) and your Game Sync ID and you can begin!

http://www.pokemon-gl.com/

Other than a translation, the Dream World is identical to the Japanese one. Strange that I could get in on day one...I expected a larger crowd. Must be the time zone difference.

Wii Play: Motion!

2011-04-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Surprise announcement from Nintendo today! No one had ever seen this box before and suddenly out it comes- a Wii Play 2! Like Wii Sports Resort was to the original, this Wii Play adds Motion Plus support to the (apparently) 12 games available on it, which is by the way also the same number of games found in WSR.

Comes out June 13 this year, and like Wii Play, is bundled with a Wiimote. Wiimote Plus this time, probably all the oversupply from the Flingsmash bundles that didn't sell.

Vanillite and Golurk

2011-04-10T06:36:00.000-07:00

What Vanillite's ice-head looks lik underneath all that cream and Golurk freaking flies like a rocket! Exactly like I imagined him too.

For translation and more details, visit PokeBeach!

What if the Mii Channel music had lyrics?

2011-04-08T07:34:00.001-07:00

Brentalfloss is awesome.

More Pokemon Typing DS screens

2011-04-05T07:49:00.000-07:00

From Dengeki Online

Over 400 Pokemon and more than 60 stages? Wow, I really didn't expect that many. And they have typing minigames too for those not familiar with the keyboard (like me. Even with Mario Teaches Typing I could never type fast without looking down at the letters on the keys)

...crap. Boss battles use special keys that require holding the Shift button?

3DS games on WarioWare DIY

2011-04-05T07:39:00.001-07:00

And again I sigh at my own crap and wonder how people come up with this stuff.

I'd hit that

2011-04-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

From GoNintendo

Battle and Get! Pokemon Typing DS gameplay videos

2011-04-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

I'm surprised by how good it actually looks! I wouldn't hold out for an English release sooo....imports ahoy. Don't know why but stuff like this amuses me for some reason. Even though I can tell that the game is aimed at kids and is thus going to be excessively easy, I can't help but like the whole thing. It's an infinitely sweeter version of Typing of the Dead.

Normal gameplay

Gameplay with bonus Pokemon

They even have boss battles? Didn't think they could find a way to pull that off.

Pokemon B/W edges back into Japanese top ten sales

2011-04-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

01. / 00. [PSP] Final Fantasy IV: Complete Collection (Square Enix) {2011.03.24} - 104.173 / NEW
02. / 01. [PS3] Dynasty Warriors 7 (Koei Tecmo) {2011.03.10} - 36.548 / 357.113 (-46%)
03. / 00. [3DS] Gundam: The 3D Battle (Bandai Namco) {2011.03.24} - 23.500 / NEW
04. / 02. [PSP] Dissidia: 012 (Duodecim) Final Fantasy (Square Enix) {2011.03.03} - 21.741 / 403.912 (-30%)
05. / 05. [PSP] Monster Hunter Freedom 3 (Capcom) {2010.12.01} - 16.444 / 4.401.653 (+11%)
06. / 03. [3DS] Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle (Level 5) {2011.02.26} - 16.294 / 242.649 (-12%)
07. / 04. [PSP] Phantasy Star Portable 2: Infinity (Sega) {2011.02.24} - 14.403 / 300.418 (-11%)
08. / 06. [3DS] Nintendogs + Cats: French Bulldog / Shiba / Toy Poodle & New Friends (Nintendo) {2011.02.26} - 13.219 / 160.742 (-10%)
09. / 07. [PSP] SD Gundam G Generation: World (Bandai Namco) {2011.02.24} - 10.160 / 283.802 (-29%)
10. / 11. [NDS] Pokemon Black / White (Pokemon Co.) {2010.09.18} - 10.025 / 5.127.678 (+16%)

Amidst some 3DS games, some other random new games and of course, the ever-present competition in Monster Hunter Freedom 3 and Dissidia Duodecim, Pokemon B/W suddenly pops out from sub-15th position back to 10th, for some reason. No other games worth buying at the moment?

Well, I guess half of Japan have other more pressing things to worry about than games.

More Pokemon goods

2011-03-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

Both of these are from Kotaku. A pair of Nike sneakers with Pikachu colored over them (someone's custom job) and Pokemon boxed milk for kids. With a Pokemon sticker! Why does Pokemon food entice me so?

3DS ousells every other Nintendo portable on day 1

2011-03-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

From GoNintendo.

"Nintendo worked hard to get as much product as possible to retailers on day one to meet demand, and we will continue with these efforts moving forward." - Nintendo statement

According to the site, Nintendo has said that 3DS sold more than any other Nintendo portable system on its first day in the US. More than the GBA. More than original Game Boy. Now that's a feat you don't see everyday!

Needs more sales numbers though.

Mario theme in Pilotwings Resort

2011-03-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

Remember this from Wii Sports Resort? It's the same house too.

Going to school in Japan would be so awesome...

2011-03-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

Imagine being surrounded by Pokemon no matter what you're doing. Heaven.