@bassoongoon Agreed. But in my social life (Southern California), it does seem that to everyone that their smartphone is their life. I'm glad you still utilize the "dumb" phone! It makes you smart! On the contrary, I feel that smartphones are making us more dumb as a society because we depend on it so much and tend to use our brains less. Anyhow, you're right on your comment. But for my social surrounding, the smartphone is a must unfortunately.

Let's see, there are five iPod touches, five iPhones, and four iPads that have been made from 2008-present that can access the App Store. So far, only the 3DS and 3DS XL are the only systems that can access the eShop and have only been around since 2011. Gaming aside, the iOS gadgets are far superior pieces of tech then the 3DS in many ways. Hence, they're more popular devices because they're common communication devices that can do gaming and some. So it's only natural that if an individual had a choice between a smartphone or 3DS, the smartphone is going to be the first choice as it is a daily necessity in today's society to communicate with the world. But if Japan should teach us anything, it is that Animal Crossing sales 3DSs. So it is possible that if one is bored of touch only gaming, and has the money, to look into a dedicative gaming device like a 3DS or Vita. Or a home console system. But in today's society, the phone comes first so it's almost not fair to compare.

@TheRealThanos Hear, hear!!! From: a gamer from '85! Never owned Pong though. Started out with the NES like many.

http://www.ign.com/blogs/dorknaco99/2011/09/09/how-the-3ds-has-surprisingly-become-my-favorite-system-of-all-time

The first blog I was inspired to write.

Proof that the 3DS has been my favorite system for the past 20 months and counting .

DKCR3D and TLOZ: Oracle of Seasons/Ages are my priorities this month

Please release these games outside of Japan soon!

I support this move so Nintendo can move away from the image of just being a system solely to play Nintendo games to the system of choice for every gaming experience; big or small.

@LAA said "Why buy a Wii U when you can play them all on a mobile?"

Bragging rights is the first thing I can think out of my head. If Nintendo can get critically acclaimed iOS titles to their systems, then they can say,"yes, we have that (iOS games), and we have this (Nintendo first party games) as well." Secondly, although you'd have the option of playing the same game on either a mobile or dedicative gaming system, wouldn't you want to play the version with the better controls?

I beg to differ. Yes, mobile phones as a gaming platform are becoming powerful every year. But they do differ from dedicative gaming platforms, whether portable or home console, because of UI. Phones are made with easy user interface: a touchscreen. While dedicative gaming devices cater to complex gaming with buttons as well as analog controls plus touchscreen. This is the way I see it.

I am determined to advance in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate!! I will take down the Royal Ludroth! (any suggestions? lol I've been stuck for over a week!)

Now even less of a reason to buy a Wii U.

Fluidity sounds very tempting.

Great read and interesting topic! I've thought about sound in video games for quite a while and I also came to the conclusion that if the music and sound are no good, then it becomes detrimental to the gaming experience as a whole. Since I never play Sony nor Microsoft gaming systems, I can't tell you how good/bad the sound quality in those games are. But since I am a Nintendo gamer, I can say with the upmost certainty that the sounds are top notch! If it weren't for the Mario Kart music, for example, I don't think I'd thoroughly enjoy the game and replay as often as I do. On the other hand, I have played a handful of original iOS titles prior to me owning a 3DS and the sound quality, to put it mildly, was stale in comparison. And many of the soundtracks would just keep looping the same track (as all games do) but with a noticeable skip. It's as if iTunes were playing in the background and someone kept pushing the rewind button to restart the track. Annoying! Again, great article!

This is a great story!

@MeWario I'd also be sad if Nintendo stopped doing stereoscopic 3D in the future.

Although I always play and enjoy my 3DS with the 3D turned up, I also have siblings that unfortunately can't stand the 3D for long periods of game play and just decide to keep it off. In this case, the person benefitting the most with a 3DS is the one with a clear vision and tolerance for long 3D play periods. Otherwise, it's just like a dual screen PSP.

Since Nintemdo does Surveys on almost all their software, they should have a good idea of how much people actually play with the 3D on vs. off (I'm very curious to know that number).

Currently have a 32GB (Class 4) with eight retail games, all the demoes offered on the eShop (US), Ambassador Games, all 3D Classics, DSi games (that are on the system's small memory), plus a lot of GB, GBC, Game Gear, and NES games. So far, I have over 103,000 blocks left. The SD card was about $22 US Dollars. Besides Virtual Console games and download only eShop games, the only retail games I see on the horizon that I'll download are Animal Crossing, Zelda(s), and Smash Bros. In other words, I think I'll be perfectly fine with my 32GB for the 3DS lifetime (fingers crossed).

It would be nice if Nintendo provided larger SD cards but I personally don't see it happening.

25,795 blocks for RE: Revalations! I have a class 4 32GB SD card that I purchased for about $22 if I recall correctly. I never knew how much I'd enjoy downloading over physical carts but so far have eight retail games and a handful of other downloads. I believe I still have over 103,000 blocks so I don't see myself running out of room on my SD card anytime soon.

This is awesome news! Makes me wish I had a dedicative group of hunters here in the US. As it is, I really don't know anyone who owns a 3DS in my immediate circle of friends let alone Monster Hunter. And I really do need the help now! I've been stuck on the same mission for days now! Anyhow, this is great news and sure to be a lot of fun! (jealous in a good way )

Do you get Club Nintendo coins for buying a refurbished system? I tried reading through the FAQs on Nintendo's website but could not find an answer. If so, I'm certain I'll purchase one. If not, no sale. I'll just have to save more for a new system

@ACK I know exactly how you feel! Long story short: broke circle pad from 3DS XL (while playing MK7), called Nintendo, they tried to charge me $120 for what they saw as "physical damage" plus two weeks without my system! I said no thanks, they reminded me of how if I personally messed around with the system that I would void the warranty. Still, I went ahead and repaired the darn thing myself.

I'm upset at: a. they wanted to charge me the $120 for the "physical damage" I caused while playing one of their games and b. the fact that they wanted to separate me from my system for such a long time. I even offered to drive the system to the repair center since I live in the L.A. area but they said they no longer do repairs in the US! I guess Nintendo repairs are not once what they were .

Cool interview and great story about how they started. I wonder how that "Mariachi Hero" game was like? I'm sure the developers meant no harm but they have to remember that the Mexican-American/Latinos/Hispanics/etc. are a huge consumer market in the US. So if the stereotype is more offensive than humorous, people will cry foul. Anyhow, I'll be looking forward to the release of this game; especially if the presentation is anything like Mighty Switch Force. (Hopefully at a good price too! Remember Gunman Clive?!)

I'd like to purchase but I hesitate because I'm not sure if I have enough room for another racer on my 3DS since I play Mario Kart 7 daily.

"While money is to be made with various business activities — such as reducing manufacturing costs — the bulk is naturally through sales of hardware and software, and what's intriguing is that Nintendo is putting a lot of its hopes in the 3DS camp, while being surprisingly modest — compared to previous projections that have been badly missed — in its expectations for Wii U."

Bittersweet. It's saddening that I love love love Nintendo so much but can't find a reason to want to purchase a Wii U. I think being a long time Nintendo fan can do that to you. I've been sold on the dual screen video gaming philosophy since the release of the DS in 2004 and welcomed the motion controls in 2006 with the Wii. The Wii U seems to be a culmination of all those philosophies with HD visuals. Personally, the problem I see is that the Wii U is being overshadowed by the 3DS. Although the Wii U has some strengths such as Miiverse and HD visuals, control wise, it's not that much different than a 3DS. Sure, you're playing on a smaller screen with no HD, but you can receive the same gaming experience that you would on a home console (i.e. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate) on the go. But what really puts the 3DS over the Wii U in my opinion: StreetPass (which I've been receiving more of on a daily basis ).Because of it, I never leave my house without my 3DS. It's with me at all times!

That is the reason for the bitter sweetness. I love Nintendo and it hurts me that I don't support the home console at this time; and the 3DS is mainly to blame

@Sonicfan11589 It is a shame.

@Suportedcofe I hope so.

I can totally see MK(8) being an HD version of MK7. They did it with Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed, and they're doing it with Smash Bros. If that's the case, as much as I love Mario Kart, I still don't think it will be enough to reel me in and buy a Wii U. One thing I'd love to see is if they finally made DLC for MK7: MK(8) tracks! And you're able to play on line against people that either have a Wii U and 3DS! Now that would be something.

True story. I'll be brief...

Lost my DSi in 2010. In 2011, when the 3DS eShop arrived, I called Nintendo to see if they could return my lost/stolen DSi Ware games to my 3DS and they explained that they couldn't do it. I was upset. In return, they offered me any physical first party game available at 50% discount. Instead of upset, I was not happy, but somewhat pleased. The End.

I'm with the "never played it on Wii" crowd so I'm definitely picking this one up!

(let's see now, I skipped on FE:A, purchased MH3U, LM2, and plan on buying this game along with AC:NL, and ALttP by the end of the year. Plus a couple of Virtual Console and eShop games...my wallet is not going to appreciate it)

I've come to the conclusion that US gamers don't know what the hell they want. US gamers are all hung up on perception. They care more about the system(s) they play on rather than the games themselves. Many believe the more powerful the system is, the better games they'll have. Although there are more possibilities with more power, it's the talent that developers bring that will ultimately determine the value of a game. Many are uninterested in the Wii U because they feel the hardware will be inferior to what is to come from Sony and Microsoft. Unless both of those companies really play their cards right in bringing triple AAA games right from the get go, they will also suffer the same fate the Wii U is feeling at the moment. It takes time as a developer to get acquainted with a new machine. That's why I feel by the time those other systems are out in stores, they will have very limited amount of quality games whereas the Wii U should be running full stride by then (hopefully at a more affordable price )

@Retro_on_theGo I second that!

@bezerker99 Awesome video! I had to stop at the 6:00 mark as it was revealing a lot of the dungeon secrets (that I'll like to solve on my own).

You can either love or hate Nintendo at this point for bringing a somewhat remake of a classic. But if you love ALttP style Zelda, then this game should be high on your radar scale. If you're tired of remakes, then just pass on and wait until the Wii U version releases. Personally, I can't wait!

"It stands alongside Gunman Clive as conclusive evidence that buttons will always be superior to touch-screen approximations..."

Very well said! This would be an automatic purchase for me if it weren't for the many games left to play. I'm still playing MH3U, and have yet to touch LM2 or HarmoKnight! I still may get this though. Just to compare and show proof that iOS games will always play better on a dedicative video game system! And on that note, I'll leave you with an Iwata quote from 2009:

"The Nintendo DS brand offers an experience that mobile phones—no matter how smart the phone—can't match."

I'll hold my judgement about the art style until I see actual video from my 3DS screen. But seriously, this is A Link to the Past style of gameplay we're talking about. My second favorite Zelda game behind Ocarina.

All I can say is that I'm a very happy 3DS owner

If you don't own a 3DS by now, you are totally missing out.

Wow! I never knew this game was so rare! I remember seeing it a looong time ago as a child in the 80's at a department store (Sears I believe). Awesome story!

MH3U. I am taking my sweet time with this game. I only have 32 hours under my belt so I've only scratched the surface

@Joshers744 said "Sometimes those old simple games are the hardest to put down."

According to my Activity Log app on my 3DS, I've spent more time playing Tetris than NSMB2, SM3DL, and KI:U to name a few. So, yeah, I guess those simple games are hard to put down; even after all these years.

Anyhow, I'd already read about Woz's skills in Tetris in other articles but never knew that he'd gifted GameBoys to world leaders. That was very generous of him.

@Erica_Hartmann I haven't left my 3DS since Monster Hunter came out

I read through most of the comments above and it's good to see that although there really isn't anything new this week, no one had nothing negative to say. This is great news because it's showing that there are a lot of good games out at the moment (at least in 3DS's case). I'm still playing Monster Hunter and I haven't touched Luigi's Mansion nor HarmoKnight. This is a good problem to have

Picked up Kirby's Pinball Land earlier today and managed to play one of the tables/levels so far. Not a bad little Pinball game for a quick play session.

From another perspective, I want to say Nintendo is playing it safe. The cost of a physical copy, the packaging, shipping, etc., cost more to the manufacturer compared to a digital download. And in a region where physical copies of game dissapear from the top 10 after a week since it's release, I would feel more secure sending limited copies as opposed to the extra copies of the game sitting in the shelves for months only to be sold at a small price from the discount bin. If anything, this is a good problem for Nintendo if they can act quickly. Perhaps this will be the last time we'll run into this sort of problem and Nintendo can manage to adequately supply the demands of the physical copies.

Side note: I want that all black 3DS XL packadged with MH3U! Sexy!

I find it funny that this game will be out in a couple of months and people are already anticipating the next game in the series that has yet to be announced (but will eventually).

3DS(XL/LL) - Miiverse + TV on = Wii U

I've said it many times, playing games on the Wii U is like playing a DS/3DS with modern graphics (minus the 3D). This is my reason for not making the purchase yet. Besides having some third party titles such as CoD, Batman, AC3, Zombie U, etc. that I've yet to play, the system itself has nothing to offer me in regards to new gaming experiences. Motion controls, Wii. Dual screens, DS. Modern graphics, 360/PS3/PC. Off TV play, Vita/3DS with TV on. You get the point. And besides, there are a number of great titles on the 3DS, more so than the Wii U at the moment.

So, although it may be a revolution for some, it's an evolution for others such as myself that have been following the Big N over the years. I'm not denying that it's a great system because it is. But with the gluttony of games nowadays on various platforms, it's hard for Nintendo to reach out to consumers to show the system's true value and potential.

I'll be playing Castlevania when I want to take a break from MH3U

Thanks for all the info! I was having issues at first with weapons and armor as I wasn't sure how to upgrade. I still don't think I have a full understanding of everything but at least I'll know where to go now for guidance.

This is my first Monster Hunter experience. After a week of playing, all I can say is that it's not the coolest nor greatest game ever made. But it just has that certain something that keeps you coming back for more. I have Luigi's Mansion but can't seem to touch at this time since all of my gaming time is being dedicated to Monster Hunter. Now, off to hunt!

No time for games this weekend. I'll be busy hunting (MH3U).

For the NA eShop people:
Does anyone see the Nintendo Show 3D with host Jessie Cantrell? According to the show, today was the last episode . I don't know if it's an April Fools joke but I'm actually a little sad if the news is true. The show is generic and probably didn't inform me of anything I didn't already know. Still, it's fun and I have to admit that I'm a fan of the last part of the show where the host would say,"I've bet you've never seen this in 3D."

Does anyone else see the show?

Anyhow, if the news is true, I'm sad to see it go.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I guess I'd be mad as well if I had a Wii U and were looking forward to those games that were cancelled/delayed. I don't own a Wii U. I'm perfectly happy with my 3DS, so, thanks Nintendo!

Too many good games out now! No time for new games (or posting for that matter). I'll be back next week. Now, back to gaming

Edit: Nevermind. Just purchased HarmoKnight and Resident Evil (NOTE: Resident Evil requires 25,795 BLOCKS for DOWNLOAD!!)

First, congrats to Mr. Hörberg & company. Second, many good points made here.

Personally, I also see iOS and Android as a great platform for many games, but not all. Also, this game's success can be attributed to the developer for making a good game and taking a risk on the price. Also, gaming websites, such as this one, have assisted by reporting about the game and bringing it to our attention. Besides, this game has hardcore appeal written all over it. For as many sales and successes the iOS and Android games have had, many of the most sold games are the casual ones (Angry Birds). Casual players, there are many. Nintendo knows this. But also, those casual players are not willing to pay for games like the hardcore do. Hence, in a market where games are not plenty, but rather, in abundance, and the casual player's wallets rule, Gunman Clive had the odds stacked against it from the start. Input that hardcore game in a dedicative gaming platform (and have good press support), that is where the developers will find success.

@IAmNotWill That's what I thought. So of course Capcom would like to work with Wayforward. It'll be like rekindling the relationship for future projects because it seems that they haven't worked together in a long time! 2000 to be exact. When Shantae was released for GBC!

Anyhow, given Capcom's retro history and Wayforward's love for retro games, I only see good things happening when they work together .

A two year report about my favorite system of all time? I'll try to be as brief as possible...

At the end of the Gamecube/GBA era, there was talk of a third pillar system that would introduce players to a new era of gaming. That system ended up being the DS. With it's dual screen and touch screen controls, it was a triumphant to see gaming evolve to the next level. Some dismissed the system as a gimmick and for lack of power compared to the up and coming PSP. But after eight years and a 150 million + units sold, the DS would be anything but a gimmick as it introduced simplified controls that would welcome many new gamers. Then, the arrival of the Wii came and the world became a buzz. From '04-'07, Nintendo became the gaming innovators of a new generation. After, the iPhone came. A year later in mid '08, the app store was introduced to the world and many gamers, veterans and new, were in awe that a phone could reproduce such powerful graphics with such an easy interface. But most importantly, at such a discounted price. As a veteran gamer at the time, I was also a believer of the iOS and vowed to never buy a Nintendo portable again as I thought at the time that they were obsolete. At E3 in 2010, the introduction of the 3DS was made. When I read the news, I felt Nintendo was doomed since personally I saw the 3D of the system as a gimmick. Then, right after, they made the announcement that a remake of the greatest game would be made. That game: Ocarina of Time...in 3D! If it weren't for that game, I would never, ever thought of purchasing another Nintendo system. When the system released two years ago, I felt a guilty conscious inside of me since I would always buy Nintendo systems from day one. But not the 3DS. During E3 of 2011, Nintendo made announcements that the eShop was in business and that TLOZ: Link's Awakening was available! When I read the news, I ran to my local shop and finally purchased the system. Than more portable classics came. Then Ocarina!, Then, original shop titles. Then, my life was over. Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, and so on would take up all of my free time. A year and nine months later, I can't seem to get the 3DS out of my hands. I worry more about that machine then I do about my iPhone! As a gaming veteran since 1985, I've seen, played, read, or heard about every gaming machine imaginable. But now, in 2013, I can say with no hesitation that the 3DS is my favorite system of all time. I know that the same can't be said for every gamer, but this is the way I see things!

Nintendo 3DS; you rock!!! Happy 2nd Birthday and many, many more!!!

Revelations for download?! I hope they make it available in the NA eShop.