GamerBlips - Latest Nintendo News Articles

Five Years of the Nintendo DS

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

November isn’t just a time for big games to launch. It’s traditionally a time when game consoles make their big splash in the States. With the exception of the PlayStation 2 and the PSP, every major game console of this decade has launched in November in the US. Can you believe that Nintendo DS launched a half-decade ago? I sure can’t. Alongside the console big boys, one of this decade’s most important gaming platforms came out in November. Like the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360, I’m taking a look at the history of the platform, and the prognosis for the coming year. Launch Date: November 21, 2004 Launch Price: $149.99 Significant Price Drops and Hardware Iterations Nintendo DS Lite (released June 11, 2006 for $129.99) revamped several features from the original DS hardware, including: Weight (21% lighter than launch model) Size (58% smaller than launch model) Extended Battery Life lasts up to five hours long than launch ...

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Super Mario Kart, Pilotwings, Smash Bros. Coming to Virtual Console

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:57:06 +0000

Kotaku is reporting that three of the most desired games for the Wii's Virtual Console are about to make an appearance. This Monday, expect to see Super Mario Kart (SNES) on the service for 800 points. The other two titles, Super Smash Bros. and Pilotwings, will be released on the Virtual Console "sometime this holiday season." Don't take my word for it, but I wouldn't be surprised if the former of the two came out on the Monday before Christmas. Is this beginning of a slew of most-requested games to be released on the Virtual Console? Many fans, including myself, feel that Earthbound is long overdue for an appearance. Maybe Nintendo is finally starting to pay attention to its fans.

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Nintendo Releasing Mario Kart On VC Next Week

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:39:00 +0000

If you believe that the original Super Mario Kart is still the best, then you're in luck. The classic racer will be available on Virtual Console next week, along with two other highly-requested games. GameSpot is reporting that Super Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros. and Pilotwings are all on their way to the service, which should be welcome news for fans who have been waiting for the games since launch. They will all be available for 800 Wii Points ($8). All three games are regarded as classics, with Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. having kicked off two of Nintendo's top franchises. Pilotwings, meanwhile, was a Super Nintendo launch title that served as a showpiece for the system's Mode-7 graphics.

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Wii | Super Mario Kart drifts onto Wii VC

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:59:26 +0000

Original Super Nintendo kart racer arrives this Monday; Pilotwings SNES and Super Smash Bros. N64 to follow this holiday season. Since the day the Wii launched, Nintendo's Virtual Console library of games has offered some of the company's all-time classics in downloadable form. Several of the service's more notable omissions will be addressed this holiday season, as Nintendo told GameSpot a trio of fondly remembered titles will soon arrive on the Wii Shop Channel. The original Super Mario Kart will give gamers a chance to re-examine the series' roots. Starting this Monday, the original Super Nintendo version of Super Mario Kart will be available as a Virtual Console title. Originally released in 1992, Super Mario Kart was the first installment in the long-running series, which has recently seen hits in the form of Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii. When it launches, Super Mario Kart will sell for 800 Wii points ($8). ...

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FFXIII Gets "T" Rating Long After Nintendo Tried Marketing Original to Adults

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:08:04 +0000

Following the announcement of a release date, The Examiner reports that Final Fantasy XIII now has a rating by the ESRB. And that rating is... T for Teen. Like you thought it would be anything else. The reason for the rating is Violence (natch), Mild Language (yippee), and Suggestive Themes-- hello. Examiner says that "While the rating shouldn't be a shock to anyone, the use of suggestive themes could be. With the game appearing to have a heavy atmosphere of love and caring, two women who link together to form a car, are surely some other sexual like surprises, the suggestive themes are likely to be minor sequences." On a related note, did you know that Nintendo once tried to market the original NES Final Fantasy toward adults?

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Most Annoying Nintendo Characters

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:04:15 +0000

These annoying bozos escaped the cutting room floor.

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Nintendo Goes Nationwide with Holiday Mall Experience

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:47:35 +0000

There are no doubt numerous games you would like to try out this holiday season. Of course, games aren't cheap, and in this economy, you can't just spend indiscriminately on unproven goods. Rentals are an option, but their prices these days are closer to a down-payment. And then there's piracy, but really, shame on you for even considering it. What to do, then? Well, Nintendo is providing its own answer in the form of the Nintendo Holiday Mall Experience, which can be found starting November 23rd in 35 malls across America. There, you'll get the chance to go hands-on with hits such as Wii Sports Resort and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, or see first-hand what this whole "Wii Fit Plus" thing is really all about. Other titles on hand will be Style Savvy, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, and-- once it's launched on December 7th-- The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Check out the full press release after the cut for further details, plus the most important part-- where to go to find it.

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DS | The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Eiji Aonuma Interview

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:47:06 +0000

GameSpot UK interviews Nintendo's Eiji Aonuma about the latest Zelda adventure. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot " DS | The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Eiji Aonuma Interview " was posted by markwalton on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:47:06 -0800

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Banned PSN player takes aim at Microsoft, Nintendo

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:44:57 +0000

Gamer appeals tossing of case against Sony, files new suit against Microsoft over red ring failure, Nintendo for disabling homebrew channel.

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Zelda mystery: internet speculation 1 truth 0

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 +0000

Eiji Aonuma confirms the internet done good. Zelda mastermind Eiji Aonuma has told our colleagues over at Official Nintendo Magazine, that some of the internet speculation surrounding the Zelda Wii artwork released at E3 was spot on - but the Zelda overlord wouldn't confirm which bits the net had got right. Click here to read the full article

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News: Pokemon Rumble heads WiiWare update

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:47:00 +0000

Plus: World of Goo demo, Shootanto, more. Nintendo has announced the launch of Pokemon Rumble for WiiWare, available today for an eye-watering 1500 Wii Points (approximately £10.50 / 15). There's a demo version of that to try too, along with a demo of the totally and utterly lovely World of Goo, which came out earlier this year. They're all joined on the WiiWare shop by Shootanto: Evolutionary Mayhem (500 WP - £3.50 / 5), a third-person shooter that takes you through the stages of evolution. Read more... > >

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Random Video of the Day: Death Metal Bowser's Castle Theme

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:11:27 +0000

The folks at CollegeHumor.com suggest that "If you can't handle this, then you shouldn't be inside a kidnapper dinosaurs death castle." See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor. And of course, my first reaction near the end would be "what? But he doesn't get any points for killing him that way!" And my wife was thinking the same thing, more or less (along the lines of "why have fireballs if you're not going to use them?"). Now, I just have to wonder what a full Mario soundtrack in death metal would sound like. In any case, I do wish Nintendo would remix that theme sometime.

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Gamer Fails at Suing Sony, Goes After Microsoft and Nintendo Instead

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:35:56 +0000

One lawsuit-happy gamer by the name of Erik Estavillo didn't have much luck when he tried to sue Sony Computer Entertainment America for banning him from the PlayStation Network, so he has instead decided to try his luck against the industry's other two big platform holders. And at the same time, no less.

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Three Years of the Nintendo Wii

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:44:00 +0000

November isn’t just a time for big games to launch. It’s traditionally a time when game consoles make their big splash in the States. With the exception of the PlayStation 2 and the PSP, every major game console of this decade has launched in November in the US. Today’s the three year anniversary of Nintendo Wii’s launch. Over the next few days, many of us will be taking a look at each of the major consoles, their history up to now, and the prognosis for 2010. Just like the PS3 anniversary a few days ago , I pulled up a birthday horoscope for today: " You are a determined, sharp-witted person with strong desires and attainable ideals. You need to stand out, not in a flashy manner, but as an entirely unique individual. Others naturally admire you for your strength of character and backbone. Although you are a natural leader, you are also a humanitarian. At times quite self-absorbed and private, you are very much at ease in social settings as well. You need channels ...

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Aonuma on Wii Zelda Internet Speculation: "Some of It is Right"

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:06:35 +0000

Eiji Aonuma, overseer of many a game in The Legend of Zelda series, was recently making the rounds in the United Kingdom to promote his latest title, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. And during his time there, he did what any good employee of the company would-- he stopped by the Official Nintendo Magazine offices to give the staff some of their time to talk a little about what is going down. And perhaps the most interesting news to come out of the meeting regards the internet's speculation surrounding the upcoming Wii Zelda title, and can be best summed up in five little words: "some of it is right."

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History of Nintendo: The Game Boy Color

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:15:00 +0000

ONM remember the handheld granddaddy. Ah, the faithful old Game Boy Color, handheld forerunner to the GBA and great granddaddy of the all-conquering DS, DSi and now, the DS XL. Click here to read the full article

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New Zelda set for unveiling at E3 2010

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:47:41 +0000

Nintendo plan surprises

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Surprises Galore In New Wii Zelda News

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:54:13 +0000

Nintendo's Eiji Aonuma suggests there's plenty of surprises in store for the next Zelda...

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GameStop Reports Climb In Q3 Sales, Profits

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:13:00 +0000

Games including Madden NFL 10, Halo 3: ODST, and Batman: Arkham Asylum led Tex.-based retailer GameStop to post a rise in both sales and profits during fiscal Q3, despite lagging industry growth. Sales for the quarter ended October 31, 2009 rose 8.2 percent year-on-year to $1.83 billion, as 2K Sports' NBA 2K10 and Nintendo's Wii Sports Resort rounded out the top five-selling games for GameStop's quarter. New game sales were $769.4 million, reflecting growth of ...

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Miyamoto: "New SMB Wii the most challenging yet"

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:08:00 +0000

Nintendo's game guru outlines how SMB has more 'oomph'. Nintendo's gaming guru Shigeru Miyamoto believes that player will find New Super Mario Bros. Wii more challenging than the DS original. Click here to read the full article

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Analyst: Nintendo Likely To Launch On-Demand Wii Video Channel In U.S.

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:37:00 +0000

Nintendo's been experimenting with ad-supported streaming video content for Wii in Japan, and one analyst expects the company to try offering such a service to its U.S. userbase. The company's Wii-no-Ma service launched in Japan in May of this year, free to Wii users in the region thanks to advertising partnerships with firms like Dentsu. At an investor meeting, the company told analysts like Lazard Capital Markets' Colin Sebastian that the service has seen notable ...

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DS | Ace Attorney trio filing onto WiiWare

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:39:57 +0000

Capcom porting original Phoenix Wright court room drama to Nintendo's console beginning in January for $10; Justice for All in March, Trials and Tribulations in May. In June, Capcom said that Ace Attorneys Investigations: Miles Edgeworth would be available for the DS on February 16. With no other installments in Capcom's court room drama franchise announced, it would logically follow that Miles Edgeworth would be the next game released in the Ace Attorney franchise. However, those that made such an assumption would, in fact, be wrong. Will anyone object to a $1 add-on? Today, Capcom said that it will port the three original DS installments in the Ace Attorney franchise to Nintendo's downloadable game service, WiiWare. A pared down version of Phoenix Wright's initial 2005 outing will lead things off in January for 1,000 Wii points ($10). The game will include the first four cases found in the DS installment, with the fifth ...

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DS | Zelda 'surprise' planned for E3 2010

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:00:10 +0000

Nintendo producer Eiji Aonuma says developer has been "trying something new" with the structure of Link's upcoming Wii installment, due next year. Nintendo certainly brought Mario to the party at the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo , announcing such titles starring the portly plumber as Galaxy 2, Bowser's Inside Story, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. However, the publisher's other workhorse franchise, Zelda, went largely unnoticed, save for Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the DS, which had been announced several months prior at the 2009 Game Developers Conference . Hey, listen! However, Nintendo's creative mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto did drop some hints about the franchise during the show, saying a new console installment is "targeted" for 2010 . Today, producer Eiji Aonuma told the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine that the publisher should have a few details to share on the as-yet-unnamed Zelda game come E3 ...

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TrueGameHeadz' List of 15 Things That Happened Since the Last 2D Console Mario Game

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:55:29 +0000

It has been eighteen years since the last 2D console Mario title (19 if you're in Japan, 17 if you're in Europe), Super Mario World. And in that time, much has transpired in the video game industry, and at Nintendo itself. TrueGameHeadz has assembled an enlightening list of 15 such things which have changed in the intervening years, including how many Miyamoto games have been released, how many presidents Nintendo of America has had, and how much the revenue of the video game industry has grown. You can check out the full list here, and see how many of these things you remember as they once were.

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Miyamoto Reveals Temptation to Make Multiplayer Super Mario World, Super Guide as a P-Wing, and More

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:53:40 +0000

Though New Super Mario Bros. Wii is now available in North America and other parts of the world, it still has a couple of weeks to go before its big Japanese launch. And as a result, that means that Nintendo and their EAD General Manager Shigeru Miyamoto are still saying many things about the game to promote it. The latest batch comes from the new issue of Japan's Famitsu magazine, where the man behind the Mario talks about how the game's design came to be.

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Nintendo Showing Vitality Sensor, Compatible Games at E3 2010

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:52:00 +0000

No doubt the biggest what-the-hell moment of E3 2009 was the reveal of Nintendo's Wii Vitality Sensor, a device that will read a players pulse to... well, we're still not sure, because Nintendo didn't give many details. And now it appears it'll be exactly one year later when those details will finally be filled in: Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said they plan to show off the device at E3 next year, along with the first compatible games. "We will show off the Vitality Sensor with software [at the show]," Fils-Aime succinctly said to Kotaku. "I'm not going to give you any more hints beyond that." This seems to suggest their original intention to release the device "not too late in the next year," according to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata back in August, is probably no longer the case. E3 2010 is scheduled to take place June 15-17 next year, so we have exactly that much time between now and then to ...

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Media: 17 New Super Street Fighter IV Screens and 3 Videos

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:29:22 +0000

Fans of Street Fighter IV are in luck today, as we've added 17 new screenshots to our galleries. Better still, we have new gameplay footage and Capcom's own Community Manager and Special Advisor to SFIV, Seth Killian, demonstrates what each of these new challengers can do. First up, Thunder Hawk and Juri square off in what GameTrailers colorfully describes as "ghetto-land gameplay:" Video Games | Super Street Fighter IV | Juri vs T. Hawk GameplayXBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii Hmm, I think Juri actually got the worse end of that one. Next up, we see how she fares against the Jamaican sensation, Dee Jay.

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The Sports Authority and Nintendo Unite to Say "We Know Fit, We Know Fun"

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:04:09 +0000

A most unexpected union took place yesterday when sporting good retailer The Sports Authority announced that it was partnering with Nintendo to sell the Wii and its games and accessories in its 465 stores, spread across 45 states. In addition, it is creating a "We know fit. We know fun." experience to better acquaint its customers with the Wii. "The retail concept at Sports Authority stores will feature a special Wii interactive fitness experience and knowledgeable fitness trainers allowing customers to try Wii and Wii Fit Plus before they buy," said a press release.

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Next Legend Of Zelda To Have "New Structure," But Nintendo Keeping Quiet

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:39:00 +0000

New Super Mario Bros. Wii may have stuck to a traditional formula, but there's increasing evidence from Nintendo that Link's next adventure will be something fairly new. In addition to firming up support for MotionPlus, designer Eiji Aonuma told Official Nintendo Magazine the "structure" for has changed. "It is something we used to talk about with Mr [Shigeru] Miyamoto, and he and I agree that if we are following the same structure again and again, we might not be able to give long time Zelda fans a fresh surprise," he said. "So we have been trying something new in terms of the structure of the Wii version of the new Zelda game this time." There are a couple of Zelda constants: exploring Hyrule Field, saving Princess Zelda, the presence of Ganon somewhere in the plot and rescuing the Tri-Force. Any bets on what Nintendo's ditching? Source: Official Nintendo Magazine

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Metroid Prime May Come Back to DS

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:34:00 +0000

The Metroid Prime series isn't dead yet, according to an Official Nintendo Magazine interview with Metroid head Kensuke Tanabe. "We are always planning to make new games in the Metroid Prime series," he said. "Depending on the timing and the situation, we cannot deny the possibility of realizing it on the DS or DSi." While it's far from a commitment to a new DS game akin to Metroid Prime Hunters it is at least an indication that they have sequels in mind and aren't ruling anything out. This isn't the first time Tanabe has pointed to Hunters as an inspiration for the future of the series. A few months ago he mentioned interest in multiplayer for Prime, an oft-requested feature that only appeared in the DS iteration so far. Whether the future of the series keeps its multiplayer on the DS or moves it to the Wii, we at least know that Metroid: Other M isn't taking over completely for Samus' future.

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Media: New LoZ: Spirit Tracks Commercial; NoE Planning Extensive Advertising

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:02:05 +0000

GoNintendo has managed to get its hands on the first North American commercial for The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, which will be available on Monday, December 7th (though it would surprise me little if Nintendo had a launch event the day before at the Nintendo World store). Here is what to expect to see a bit of before Christmas comes: I kind of like it... it reminds me of some older Zelda ads. The familiar theme playing at the end is a nice touch. Meanwhile, in Europe, Nintendo is planning to release a variety of trailers in order to reach the widest audience possible.

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Retailer Sports Authority To Sell Wii, Fitness Software

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:20:00 +0000

Sporting goods retailer Sports Authority has announced a retail partnership to begin selling Nintendo products, with a focus on Wii and its fitness software, beginning in Spring 2010. The retailer, which operates 450 stores in the U.S., will establish designated areas in-store to showcase products like Wii Fit Plus, and will kick off the partnership with the support of television fitness trainer Jillian Michaels -- who has her own fitness game, in Majesco-published Jillian Michaels' ...

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Ace Attorney trio filing onto WiiWare

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:39:57 +0000

Capcom porting original Phoenix Wright court room drama to Nintendo's console beginning in January for $10; Justice for All in March, Trials and Tribulations in May.

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Nintendo Promises Zelda Surprises at E3 2010

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:07:30 +0000

The main director of the past few Zelda games has told Official Nintendo Magazine to expect surprises from a changed Zelda on Wii at E3 2010.

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Zelda 'surprise' planned for E3 2010

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:10 +0000

Nintendo producer Eiji Aonuma says developer has been "trying something new" with the structure of Link's upcoming Wii installment, due next year.

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60% of Brits have suffered a broken 360

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:28:58 +0000

Around 60 per cent of Xbox 360 owners in the UK have experienced a console breakdown, CNET UK reported yesterday. These figures from CNET’s reliability survey also reveal the Playstation 3 has suffered a casualty rate of 16 per cent while the Nintendo Wii is happily chugging along at a healthy 6 per cent. CNET also published figures for repeat failures, with a whopping 32 per cent reporting a second breakdown and 19 per cent suffering through it yet again. To be fair, reports of defective consoles have fallen in recent years following some considerable hardware revisions. It’s worth noting that the survey was self-selecting, meaning it’s likely people only felt the need to take part if they had experienced one or more breakdowns themselves. Despite this, the story will come as little surprise to many 360 owners after the situation escalated a few years back, prompting Microsoft to start running a 3 year warranty to deal with the infamous Red Ring of Death. We’ve ...

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Aonuma hopeful for Zelda E3 "surprises"

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Zelda head confirms 'new structure' for Wii entry. Nintendo's Eiji Aonuma has said he's hopeful he can share some of his Zelda Wii "surprises" at the next E3 expo in June, 2010. Click here to read the full article

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Review: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:56:58 +0000

Who says Nintendo doesn't make 'em like it used to?

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Shigeru Miyamoto Discusses New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:49:00 +0000

With New Super Mario Bros. Wii safely in stores and winning applause worldwide, Nintendo creative mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto sat down with Famitsu magazine this week to discuss some of the story behind the game's design. According to Miyamoto, NSMB Wii (which he serves as general producer on) was the most closely he's been involved with a game for a while. "It's been a nostalgic time for me," he said. "I've been getting into the game and making the sort of fine-tuning adjustments that I made with Super Mario World and Mario 3 ." The way he puts it, the fact NSMB Wii exists at all is a testament to Nintendo's willingness to take risks. "It was a courageous choice for the developers," Miyamoto said. "We went with a very orthodox Mario despite the capabilities of modern game systems. With this game, though, our only really overall goal was multiplayer. I figured that as long as multi-play was fun, then simpler ...

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News: Wii Vitality Sensor games for E3 2010

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:41:00 +0000

Fils-Aime pumped about showing more. An update on the Wii Vitality Sensor and a first look at its software applications are already part of Nintendo's plans for E3 2010, according to a new interview with Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. Although he offered no more details about the Vitality Sensor, which reads biometric data from a person's finger, the relatively frank interview on Kotaku did offer some insight into Nintendo's other future plans. Fils-Aime admitted that the company's policy of only starting heavy marketing on new games a few weeks prior to their release has not proven as successful for less mainstream titles. Read more... > >

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Nintendo reaffirms Wii Vitality Sensor date

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:18:00 +0000

Bizarre peripheral still coming in 2010, says Dunaway. Scary Nintendo marketing lady, Cammie Dunaway has reaffirmed that the bizarre Wii Vitality Sensor will launch next year. Click here to read the full article

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Critical Reception: Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:12:00 +0000

This week's edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a multiplayer platformer that reviews describe as "a game that offers something for every kind of gamer, without compromise." New Super Mario Bros. Wii currently earns a score of 87 out of 100 at Metacritic.com. 1UP.com's Jeremy Parish gives the game a grade of A+. "New Super Mario Bros. Wii is precisely the game that, back in 1991, I ...

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Famitsu Confirms No More Heroes for PS3 and 360

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:34:22 +0000

Since the original's release on Wii back in 2008, No More Heroes creator Suda 51 has been adamant that the series would remain in Nintendo's hands, despite plenty of rumors to the contrary. However, it appears that the rumors are true, as the latest issue of Famitsu has revealed that Marvelous Interactive is remaking the original game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game, No More Heroes: Eiyuutachi no Rakuen (Heroes' Paradise), will feature improved graphics over the Wii original, plus a new "Very Sweet" mode featuring all the female characters in scantily clad outfits. It's also not too far from release, hitting stores in Japan on February 25.

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Nintendo Working on Metroid Prime Hunters Sequel?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:32:42 +0000

The Metroid Prime trilogy may have been completed, but it looks like the hunt may be just beginning. In an interview with Official Nintendo Magazine UK, Nintendo's main man of Metroid Kensuke Tanabe confirmed that the company is working on new Prime games, and that "depending on the timing and the situation, we cannot deny the possibility of realising it on DS or DSi." Of course, the Metroid Prime series also saw a multiplayer-focused edition hit the DS with Metroid Prime Hunters, so a new installment of that could certainly be in the works. Still, I think there's a different DS Metroid game that we'd all rather see.

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Super Smash Bros. Brawl Passes 100m Hours Played... Maybe?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:09:49 +0000

I'm not sure what to think on this one. According to Coffee with Games, who provided the above image, Super Smash Bros. Brawl's data on the Nintendo Channel shows that it has surpassed 100,000,000 hours played. Strangely enough, however, the screen I have on the Nintendo Channel right now does not match this; it only shows 11,305,457 hours played. Perhaps there is a separate Nintendo Channel for Canada, and this is merely a reflection of hours played north of the border? We'll contact Nintendo and try to find out.

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Reggie Fils-Aime on New SMB Wii, Zelda, Red Steel 2, First Party Sales, Third Parties, and Vitality Sensor

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:33:41 +0000

When Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime speaks, he usually has plenty to say, and his recent talk with Kotaku's Stephen Totilo is no exception. Their discussion tackled a number of topics, from his desire to see New Super Mario Bros. Wii presented with online options to keeping quiet about The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, from third-parties not releasing their top titles from other platforms on the Wii to Nintendo's own first-party shortcomings, and from disappointment that Red Steel 2 was pushed back to when we can expect to see more about the Wii Vitality Sensor.

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Metroid Prime Series Isn't Over, DS Version Teased As Real Possibility

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:30:00 +0000

Nintendo and Team Ninja's Metroid: The Other M is expected to be our next adventure with Samus Aran, but does this indicate a brand-new direction for the franchise? Retro Studios is responsible for bringing Metroid into the third dimension with the Metroid Prime series, but it seemed Metroid Prime was done after after Metroid Prime 3: Corruption , with both Retro and Samus moving on. ...or not. "We are always planning to make new games in the Metroid Prim e series," said Metroid Prime producer Kensuke Tanabe to the Official Nintendo Magazine in the UK. "Depending on the timing and the situation, we cannot deny the possibility of realising it on DS or DSi." After Metroid Prime: Hunters , though, I'm not so sure I'd like to see it appear on DS. Source: Official Nintendo Magazine

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Tradewest Founder Leland Cook Passes Away

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:23:04 +0000

Leland P. Cook Jr., who founded Ikari Warriors and Battletoads distributor Tradewest with his son Byron, died of a prolonged illness earlier this month at the age of 75. The Corsicana Daily Sun reported that Cook, a life-long Texan, and his son founded Tradewest in 1995. The label got its start licensing and marketing coin-operated video games. The company was an early licensee of Nintendo, distributing NES games including Double Dragon and Battletoads. Cook also ...

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Assassin's Creed II DS review is in

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:23:00 +0000

A not-so-good verdict from Official Nintendo Magazine. You've probably already stuck your eyes on our glowing Assassin's Creed II review, but what of its Nintendo DS brother, Assassin's Creed II: Discovery? Click here to read the full article

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Next Wii to have more than just HD, New Console "Far into the Future"

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:19:24 +0000

It's clear that not only video games, but the entertainment industry in general, is transitioning into an HD exclusive era. With both the PS3 and 360 capable of taking advantage of the benefits that come from high-definition, Nintendo has remained reluctant to go along with this tech-focused trend. Why haven't we seen an HD Wii yet? What is holding Nintendo back? Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime answers these questions quite simply. "The way we at Nintendo do things is, you know, when we will move to a new generation, it's because there are some fundamental things the [current] console cannot do. What that says is that simply the addition of HD capability will not be the next step for us. There will be more to it. There will be additional capability. There will be additional elements, and, given that, it is far into the future," Fils-Aime told Kotaku. New capabilities? Additional elements? Sounds like typical Nintendo to me. It should be clear by now that Nintendo works against the grain of ...

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