June2012
News 3DS XL Footage and Hands-On Impressions Hit the Web
Positives to tempt us all
It's been less than a week since we first clapped eyes on 3DS XL, and there have been doubts for some about the potential positives of the system. From a technical perspective one concern has been the graphical fidelity of the original resolution on a bigger screen, alongside general curiosity about how the system feels to...
Talking Point 3DS XL - Why Now?
The timing is both predictable and strange
The upcoming release of 3DS XL, the sizeable update to the original model, is hardly a surprise. Nintendo has constantly iterated its handhelds in an effort to attract more consumers and, to put it bluntly, make a lot of money: we can’t even argue that the XL is arriving earlier than expected, as the gap...
News Major Retailers List 3DS XL at £179.99
Updated prices - GameStop undercuts rivals
Updated article This morning GameStop.co.uk has entered into the price-war by undercutting its rivals, below. GameStop.co.uk — £169.97 Original article After Friday's announcement of 3DS XL, European gamers faced the standard wait to see how the device would be priced by major retailers. The...
News Reggie Fils-Aime: Fanbase Demands Are 'Insatiable'
Don't worry, he still loves you
Reggie Fils-Aime was a busy man during E3, leading Nintendo's main press conference and persistently spreading the word about Wii U and 3DS. As is expected, a lot of what was said was towing the company line, but in a more relaxed exchange with Kotaku, the Nintendo of America boss shared his views on the expectation...
News Official 3DS XL Japanese Website Launches
No blue in Nintendo's homeland
Now that the new 3DS XL has been announced, Nintendo has wasted little time in launching an official website in Japan. Interestingly, Japan has red + black and silver + black models, like Europe and North America, but doesn't have the blue + black version, opting instead for an all-white console. The all-white version...
News 3DS XL UK Prices Will be Decided by Retailers
Expect prices 'ASAP'
One of the interesting announcements in the 3DS XL reveal today was a price-point of $199 in the U.S., a fairly good price considering that the original model cost $250 in March 2011. Nintendo did have to learn a cruel lesson that the original launch price wouldn't sell enough units, prompting a major reduction just months after...
News Freakyforms Deluxe Announced for Europe
Arrives 28th July
Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! was one of Nintendo's earliest releases on the 3DS eShop, and during today's European Nintendo Direct broadcast Satoru Shibata confirmed that a full retail title in the series, Freakyforms Deluxe, will arrive on 28th July: the same day that the 3DS XL/LL hits. The retail title will offer a lot...
Feature The Future of GameCube on Wii U
Including the 'Cube
When Wii U is released, you'll be able to play games from each of Nintendo's home consoles thanks to a mixture of backwards compatibility and the Virtual Console. With one exception. No, not Virtual Boy. Currently GameCube has no place on Nintendo's first high definition console, that we know of: only games on systems up to...
Feature The Potential of Wii U and Amazon
More than a games console
Nintendo has been busy with Wii U promotion in recent weeks, with E3 at the core of a number of interviews and reveals about the system and what it will offer on the day it hits stores. Satoru Iwata has spoken about the console and its GamePad controller becoming the centre of the family living room. An image of four family...
News Mario Kart 7 Goes on the Road with Big Time Rush
Mario on tour
Nintendo of America has certainly shown a willingness to team up with others to spread awareness of the major 3DS game releases, taking Mario Tennis Open on a tour with the USTA for example. More 3DS systems are preparing to hit the road in the latest partnership, with Mario Kart 7 joining Nickelodeon’s Big Time Summer Tour. This...
News Miyamoto: Nintendo Focused on Fun, Not Competition
Worried about reliance on guns in gaming
Shigeru Miyamoto's reputation and prominence in the gaming industry means that his opinion is sought on a large number of issues, not always those specific to Nintendo itself. As the recognisable face for Mario and the company, he often reflects the opinions and ideology shared by his colleagues, so it's not...
News New Super Mario Bros. U is 'Accessible and Intuitive'
Keeps the 'building blocks' of the series
The extended unveiling of New Super Mario Bros. U at E3 this year prompted a number of reactions from viewers. In our office there were comments that it looked exceptionally pretty, graphics-wise, but also that it looked extremely similar to its 'New' series predecessors on DS and Wii. Whether that's...
First Impressions Project P-100
Crowd sourcing
Tucked away at E3, shielded from the glare of the main presentation for reasons unknown, was Project P-100. It's an all-new superhero action IP by well-lauded developer Platinum Games, due to be published by Nintendo in Wii U's launch window. It's also bonkers. One Mr Hideki Kamiya is at the helm as director, famous for a track...
Talking Point Wii U Bundles Need to Suit Us All
One size does not fit all
After the fun and games of Wii U noise over E3, now we probably have to wait until the next Nintendo Direct broadcast for another hit. We learned a great deal about Wii U at E3, with game reveals and system demonstrations giving a broader idea of what the console will offer. Much was left to our imagination, however, such...
News Nintendo Continues Software Dominance in Japan
But struggles in UK
Today brings mixed news on software sales for Nintendo, though perhaps it's a positive in the market that brings the big N the most success. In Japan, Andriasang has translated results published by Enterbrain and Famitsu that show Nintendo as the biggest selling software publisher for May. Covering the period for 30th April to...
News Wii U Will be a 'Great Value Proposition'
No details yet
One message that Nintendo has been keen to emphasise is that Wii U will avoid the launch day mistakes that hit 3DS, promising that plenty of content will be available from the beginning. There's little doubt that a relatively high price and the lack of a 'killer app' hurt the handheld, so Nintendo faces a task to avoid either of these...
Round Table Let's Talk About a Year of the 3DS eShop
Filling up those SD cards
This week we've celebrated one year of the 3DS eShop, with our own top ten eShop games and a retrospective on a year of the platform. To round off the week a few members of the team discuss the eShop's first year and consider the positives so far, and where it can improve. Joining features editor Thomas Whitehead are...
First Impressions Game & Wario
No Ware out
Wario's first Wii U appearance isn't quite what we've come to expect from the garlic-munching gold grabber. Instead of a platformer or a new entry in the micro game-fuelled WarioWare series, Game & Wario is a collection of more fleshed out mini games that shows off what Nintendo's new home console can do with a single GamePad. Game...
News 3DS Enjoys Sales Increase in U.S. Chart
Better than May 2011
Today saw the monthly NPD data release, which provides sales details for gaming software and hardware in the U.S. The results for May didn't feature any Nintendo titles in the software top ten, possibly due to a fairly heavy-hitting month of releases on other platforms. There was some positive news for Nintendo, as 3DS was the...
Talking Point Are E3 Conferences a Dying Breed?
E3 is changing
9am PDT, Tuesday, E3 week. For Nintendo fans, this time and date is akin to New Year's Day, ringing in the next big batch of games Nintendo has to offer and beginning a week-long celebration of all things gaming. Nintendo’s E3 press conference has created some magical moments over the years, from the reveal of The Legend of Zelda:...
Extra floretstrial
For years Nintendo has been tending to a new entry in the Pikmin series, experimenting with different control methods and systems both handheld and home console. After starting life on Wii, Pikmin 3 was eventually transferred to Wii U due to the benefits of high definition and the GamePad's touch screen. The little plant-alien-bug...
News Satoru Iwata Acknowledges Possibility of Free-To-Play Games
Only for different, more suitable concepts
While many of us watched Nintendo's formal presentations at E3, as would be expected of a trade event there were low-key meetings and Q&A sessions as well. An analyst Q&A has been published by Nintendo, where Satoru Iwata was grilled on a range of topics such as Wii U hardware, costs and bundles,...
Feature One Year of the 3DS eShop
Happy birthday!
You might not have noticed with a little thing called E3 going on, but last week the Nintendo 3DS eShop turned one year old. Though the service started slowly, not even making it to the system's launch, it has morphed over the course of the last 12 months to become the decent digital portal that DSiWare and WiiWare should always have...
News Kirby's 20th Anniversary Special Collection Doesn't Suck
Even if Kirby has to
A little under two months ago we brought you the happy news that Nintendo is planning a 20th Anniversary Kirby compilation for Wii, ensuring that fans of the pink one will have a chance to celebrate the landmark with a collection of classic games and other goodies. Courtesy of Andriasang we now know what will be included in the...
News Reggie Fils-Aime Plays it Cool Over Wii U GamePad Battery
Does share good news on Miiverse moderation
As those who follow the company know, Nintendo doesn't enthusiastically reveal the detailed technical specifications of its consoles and handhelds, beyond basics. One issue on that front that came out of E3 was the Wii U GamePad's battery life — a feature that dominated the early days of 3DS — and in...
























