Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 announced!

 And they said it wouldn't happen. Tsk, Tsk.

Prepare to journey back to Unova, because the new iteration (or make that iterations) to Pokemon Black/White are announced for the Nintendo DS! Numbered remakes? Now that's an interesting first...for this series anyway. And it seems Zekrom and Reshiram have received surprising new make-overs. (Is that Kyurem armor???) The games are set for a Spring release in Japan, so don't expect these titles overseas until at least the third quarter, but expect many more surprises as we continue through 2012.

EDIT: Those aren't Reshiram and Zekrom; they're both new Formes for Kyurem, the 3rd legendary and it seems that it's fused with the both of them. The correct release date for B/W2 in Japan is June 2, 2012, and we should be set for a whole new story as well! That's right, no more minor story modifications in a 3rd version! Wonder what happens?

Also, the game is for the Nintendo DS, with 3DS-exclusive features.

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Also, in other news, The Last Story is set for an American release! Can this year get any better?!

Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 announced!

Pokemon + Nobunaga Crossover heading to DS next year.

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.

Pokemon + Nobunaga Crossover heading to DS next year.

E3 2011 Showfloor- Nintendo DS

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 DS

Atsumete! Kirby boxart and release date

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.

Atsumete! Kirby boxart and release date

More Atsumete! Kirby scans

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

Source: GoNintendo

More Atsumete! Kirby scans

Atsumete! Kirby Famitsu scan!

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.

Atsumete! Kirby Famitsu scan!

New DS KIrby gets Japanese name

...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.

New DS KIrby gets Japanese name

More Pokemon Typing DS screens

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?

More Pokemon Typing DS screens

3DS games on WarioWare DIY

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

3DS games on WarioWare DIY

Battle and Get! Pokemon Typing DS gameplay videos

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.

Battle and Get! Pokemon Typing DS gameplay videos

Pokemon B/W edges back into Japanese top ten sales

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.

Pokemon B/W edges back into Japanese top ten sales

5 things I really like about Pokemon Black/White

I've talked about all the things in the latest Pokemon versions that grinds my gears, now I'll be taking things in a more positive light, cause it's because of these 5 things below that keep me occupied from the beginning to the end, and it's because of some of these that made me so excited for 5th gen in the first place. Oh, did I mention this is one of the most well-executed Pokemon games ever made? If you don't consider the 'third version' games, of course. Those are always better than the first two, no questions asked.

5 things I really like about Pokemon Black/White

5 things I didn't like about Pokemon Black/White

Pokemon Black and White, to me, are some of the most exciting and fresh Pokemon games in recent years. It gets everything right in the main story mode right up until you beat the Champion (which is a very long way off), from the complete walling-off of all 493 old Pokemon, to the more dynamic battle scenes, to the changes in the metagame, and good villain design, for once. Ugly Pokemon? I don't think so- aside from one or two duds I actually love the entire roster in Gen 5. Never have I been so excited to train them all as I do now. On the surface, and to most players, this is the definition of a perfect Pokemon game.

If you're the type to delve very deep however, you might find more than one thing to nitpick on in Pokemon B/W, which will almost always be rectified by the 'third game'. A few elements which I didn't like in the game:

5 things I didn't like about Pokemon Black/White

Battle and Get! Pokemon Typing DS dated

Written by pikaby

This handy image from Nintendo World Report mentions the release date of the new Pokemon take on Typing of the Dead (okay, maybe that wasn't such a good comparison) that teaches kids how to use a keyboard and make Pokemon fans spaz over.

April 2011 in Japan!

Battle and Get! Pokemon Typing DS dated

Pokemon Black/White US Release date official!

Written by pikaby


No more fake Gamestop dates, the official release date for Pokemon Black and White in the US is March 6 2010!

The official site revealed a handful of names in English, the same set seen on the Japanese site at this point.

Professor Araragi: Professor Juniper
Hiun City: Castelia City
Chillarmy: Minccino
Gigaith: Gigalith
Munna: Munna
Hihidaruma: Darmanitan
Meguroc: Sandile
Mamepato: Pidove
Shimama: Blitzle
Gear: Klink
Encourage ability: Sheer Force
Overconfidence ability: Moxie
Pigeon Heart ability: Big Pecks

Professor's name and Hiun City checks out, those are fine. Minccino is a better name than the romanized abomination Chillarmy (thank god this isn;t the real name), but not as good as Chiramii. Gigaiasu is fine, Munna stays exactly the same, Darmanitan is going to take some getting used to...Sandile and Pidove are excellent names, Blitzle is about average....and what's wrong with keeping the name Gear? Klink sounds like the name of one of King K.Rool's minions.

The three ability names are fine, particularly Big Pecks, which moderator toadster101 pointed out as a pun to 'Big Pecs' (remember, the Japanese equivalent is Pigeon Breast), which is pure win. Bring B/W on!

Pokemon Black/White US Release date official!

The Global Trade Station: A Modern-Day Idiot Farm

Written by Pokefreak

We've all seen them. That one Pokemon we dream of having for our team. We can't get them anywhere, no matter how hard we try. So as we turn to the GTS, we find hoardes of that Pokemon. Our dream is about to come true. And... that guy who might give it to you wants a Lv.100 Rampardos for that Lv.24 Ivysaur you want.

The Global Trade Station: A Modern-Day Idiot Farm

Christmas Pokemon Update: US Names, Dream World and more!

Written by pikaby

There's been a ton of B/W Pokemon news over the past few days, but I've been busy to talk about them all so I'm going for it in one fell swoop today, on Christmas Day. The biggest of these are, of course, new US names for three Gen 5 Pokemon!

Christmas Pokemon Update: US Names, Dream World and more!

Best DS anti-piracy measure ever

Written by pikaby

We all know DS game piracy is rampant, and it's a very serious issue to tackle. Ubisoft took a less-than-serious approach to this for once.

Within DS games are anti-piracy codes that will activate itself the moment the game is played in ROM form. Most publishers deliberately use these to make the bootleg copies unplayable- Zelda: Spirit Tracks had missing train controls, making progress beyond the first town impossible. Pokemon games freeze even before you begin, and if it does begin, prevent you from earning EXP, freeze at random intervals, and disable online. Other examples include game-wide graphical glitches (Megaman X Collection) and feature disabling.

Best DS anti-piracy measure ever

Pokemon Gen 5 Starter US names revealed

Written by pikaby

The US names for our Gen 5 Pokemon starters are now out on the official Pokemon US website. I'll let the screenshot do the talking:

Tsutaaja, the grass snake, is named Snivy.
Pokabu, the fire pig, is Tepig.
Mijumaru, the sea otter, is Oshawott.

Isshu, the region where Pokemon Black/White takes place, is named Unova.

Then the two legendary mascot Pokemon, Reshiram and Zekrom, keep their names, as expected, and they are the Vast White Pokemon and the Deep Black Pokemon, with the abilities Turboblaze and Teravolt.

Snivy is plain and simple, a combination of the words 'snake' and 'ivy'. In fact it was so simple that some Pokefans have actually predicted this name long before it was revealed. At least it's not Smugleaf...There is an interesting bit about Tsutaj- I mean, Snivy's name, which I found on Urban Dictionary. 'snivy' is an adjective also meaning horny or randy maybe even reckless at times when thinking about sex. Okaaaaay.....It's not a bad name though. Moving on to the next one.

Tepig, Pokabu's new name, is also a combination of two words, 'tepid' and obviously 'pig'. Tepid meaning lukewarm, or low level of enthusiasm. The word is played well, but it certainly could have been better (being of a neutral/slightly negative connotation). No more sexual innuendo though.

Oshawott is tougher to crack. It could be a mixture of three different words, 'ocean', 'water' and 'otter'. I swear it's this close to matching the fan name of 'Wotter' (imagine how ridiculous that would sound if that were real). And just like 'Miju' is a corruption of 'mizu' (water in Japanese), 'Osha' could be a corrupted form of 'ocean'. The name also sounds oddly Canadian. Does the water starter come from Oshawa, Canada? Anyway, it's a brilliant name. I like it more the more I say it. Oshawott!

Unova, could mean UNited States OV America (silly, but makes sense. I'd lol if this was the real inspiration) or based off the Latin words meaning 'one new', or the Italian derivative of 'new' too. Wonder why they didn't keep the name Isshu though- this makes Gen 5 the first generation with a region name difference between the JP and US versions.

Overall, it's fine, it's not the end of the Pokemon world as we know it. The new names didn't make me puke. Sure, I was taken aback for the first ten seconds, but the names are comfortable and easy to get used too, even if Oshawott still sounds a little weird. Looking forward to know more!

Pokemon Gen 5 Starter US names revealed

Scribblenauts FINALLY gets a Japanese release

Written by pikaby

And we thought we were the disadvantaged regions who always get good games later than the Japanese do. Scribblenauts is a rare reversal in fortunes.

It's the original Scribblenauts released ages ago in English, and finally ported to Japan and reincarnated as 'Hirameki Puzzle: Maxwell no Fushigi na Note'. Being in Japanese, we can expect a crazy overhaul of the dictionary and probably some special Japanese objects/stages added in. The logo is also made a tad more charming than the old English Scribblenauts. Are the developers planning to cute up the entire game? Maybe not, but a guy can dream.

Hopefully they can do something about the original's bad touch-screen control instead of porting the whole mess over when Super Scribblenauts already rectified the problem months in advance. It will be out in Japan by the end of January.

Scribblenauts FINALLY gets a Japanese release