Plastic breach
Readers of a nervous disposition, turn away now — the following images of Nintendo DS testing may prove disturbing. Nintendo has published its 2012 Corporate Social Responsibility report, which contains several images of portable console torture. The report shows off some of the vigorous tests that Nintendo hardware goes through...
Super Smash Boss
If you're worried that Namco Bandai's involvement in the next Super Smash Bros. will mean an influx of Tekken characters, fear not. Tekken series director Katsuhiro Harada says that usual Smash main man Masahiro Sakurai remains in control of design. Harada assured Dusty Cartridge that he is focused on Tekken — including upcoming...
I told you I was freaky
If the mere idea of creating hilarious beasts doesn't entice you to try Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive!, maybe this launch trailer will help. The expanded retail version of the 3DS eShop game is arriving alongside 3DS XL on 28th July in Europe. Just like the download-only original, you'll be able to play at Dr...
Not a surprise
As you may recall, Nintendo announced its first annual loss in 30 years in April, as the company faced the music for problems with the 3DS launch and a declining Wii. It's just announced its results for the first quarter of this current financial year and, as anticipated, it's a loss. In the three months that ended 30th June this...
Gold digger
The latest edition of Iwata Asks is out now, and it focuses on 3DS's next goldmine: New Super Mario Bros. 2. This time Nintendo global president Satoru Iwata is joined by director Yusuke Amano, art director Masaaki Ishikawa and, arriving fashionably late, EAD general manager Takashi Tezuka. Apparently Mario's latest adventure is so...
Is it persuasive enough?
This week we’ve been given a glimpse of Nintendo’s plans for retail download pricing and incentives, both for Japan and North America. It all begins with New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Demon Training in Japan on 28th July, with North America and Europe joining in with Mario’s title on 19th and 17th August respectively...
Gotta compose 'em all
The Pokémon franchise has always been home to some quality music, but one fan has taken it to another level. Over the last couple of years Braxton "Skotein" Burks has been putting together orchestral versions of some of the series' best loved tunes to super effect. Burks is currently working with Joypad Records to release a...
Let's get quizzical
Nintendo is encouraging Wii owners to party smartly with Quiz Party. It's out in the UK on 27th July and is hosted by none other than television quiz show legend Roy Walker of Catchphrase fame. Say what you see! Using just one Wii Remote, an unlimited number of competitors can take part and answer questions about history,...
Marketing leader
Nintendo has appointed Shelly Pearce as its UK marketing director. The role was vacated earlier this year when Dawn Paine left to become marketing vice president at Universal Pictures. Pearce joined Nintendo 14 years ago in 1998, and has been the head of European PR since 2002. Senior managers James Honeywell, Ben Taylor and Jo...
So you know what that means
Fans of numbers and colouring in boxes, rejoice: it looks like Picross E is finally leaving Japan. The Australian Classification Board has rated the eShop game, which says to us it'll come to PAL regions in the coming months or, if we're really lucky, weeks. The last we heard of the Jupiter-developed puzzle game was...
It's raining coins
New power-ups and freshly minted enemies make their appearances in this New Super Mario Bros. 2 trailer, straight from Nintendo. A gold Boo, gold Bullet and Banzai Bills and more all appear to dole out cash, helping you to your target of one million gold coins. The Mini and Mega Mushrooms return, and now we can finally answer...
That's right. Plants.
3DS will get its best video series since Threediots at the end of this month when Nintendo and Atlantic Productions release a 90-second clip from Kingdom of Plants 3D. The time-lapse video was filmed over the course of a year and gives a "revealing and fascinating new look at plant life", apparently. You can check it out for...
Nintendo warps into trendy East London
Nintendo continues to find ways of expanding the reach of 3DS to new audiences with events such as this month’s UK photo competition Another Dimension, which saw a group of photography enthusiasts get to grips with 3D picture-taking using the system in organised field trips hosted by a wide range of...
Tasty Panini
Panini and Nintendo want to fuel your thirst for all things Pit with a big collection of collectible cards for Kid Icarus: Uprising. UK fans can pick up a Starter Pack, including a binder and three card packs, for £5.99. Individual packs of cards will set you back £1.50 each. With 404 cards to collect it's probably best not to do the...
Mario and more
Nintendo will once again show off new games and hardware at Comic-Con International in San Diego this weekend. From 12th to 15th July attendees can try the new 3DS XL and upcoming titles like New Super Mario Bros. 2, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow — Mirror of Fate. There'll be no Wii U presence there,...
Look around you
Wii U's ability to output different scenes to television and controller is something truly special, but many of the games we've seen have been content to use the GamePad's extra screen to provide an alternative take on the main display, or an inventory, or a map. Wii U Panorama View is a startling look at the possibilities of the...
Skip to the beat
Nearly five months after it hit North America, Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise lands in Europe today. The European release lets you choose between the English and Japanese soundtracks, a feature exclusive to Europe, but is otherwise unchanged from its North American release. If you're interested in some Wii-based rhythm, check out...
Pirates beware
Most will agree that, when it came to online functionality and security, Wii and DS were both below par. Hacking and modding on both systems appears to have been widespread, which not only led to issues with some online games but, most importantly for Nintendo, cost the company money due to the extensive number of pirated games on...
Post-Holiday slump
When it comes to sales in Japan, 3DS has been the undisputed number one for a number of months, finishing top of the hardware charts and often out-selling all other consoles combined. The story elsewhere, however, isn't as rosy, and while we're probably not looking at poor sales of the level that prompted a significant price-drop...
Microsoft doesn't seem to agree
An obsession that has plagued video gaming since its earliest days is power, whether it was the 'BIT' wars of the 1990s or the current-day complexities of graphics processors. Wii has been a staggering success that has faded away in its twilight years, arguably because its lack of power has deprived it of many big...
