News - 2013, Week 06

Sunday10th Feb 2013

Saturday9th Feb 2013

  • Review Mega Man 2 (3DS eShop / NES)

    Get Equipped With an All-Time Classic

    In 1987, Capcom released the original Mega Man. It was well-received by both gamers and critics, but it was not much of a financial success. Over the course of the next year, however, Mega Man 2 was developed as a labour of love by Keiji Inafune and his team, alongside other projects that were expected to be...

  • Ninterview Heather "Miss Gamer Girl" Cascioli

    Avid collector and beadcraft expert

    Our next Ninterview subject is someone who has found fame on Instagram under the name MissGamerGirl. Heather Cascioli - for that is her real name - has been a keen gamer all her life, and has amassed an impressive collection of vintage hardware. We sat down with her to talk about gaming, confounding stereotypes...

  • News Bayonetta 2 And The Wonderful 101 To Stay Wii U Exclusive

    Platinum Games says the two games will be sticking around

    There's been a lot of talk this week about Wii U exclusives that become multi-platform titles after a while. Team Ninja confirmed earlier in the week that Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, once a Wii U exclusive, would soon be available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Then a few days later Ubisoft...

Friday8th Feb 2013

Thursday7th Feb 2013

Friday8th Feb 2013

Thursday7th Feb 2013

  • Rumour Next Sonic Game Will Be Called Sonic Adventure 3

    Trilogy talk?

    Cast your mind back a few weeks and you'll recall that we reported on a rumour relating to the next Sonic the Hedgehog title. According to an inside source, the game is currently in development for a wide range of platforms - including the Wii U and 3DS - and is expected later this year. Another little rumour has surfaced recently...

  • Review Bloody Vampire (3DS eShop)

    Bloody fun

    Joining Witch's Cat in Agetec's recent duo of playfully spooky eShop releases, Bloody Vampire is a stylish, side-scrolling adventure in the Metroidvania vein. It tells the story of Latis, an exquisitely pigtailed half-vampire / half-human, who sets off to investigate the coming conflict between her two bloodlines with Cereza, her loyal...

Wednesday6th Feb 2013

  • Review Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth (Wii U)

    Hulk smash

    Let's face it – for the uninitiated, the fighting genre can be daunting. Millisecond-perfect timing and the memorisation of several-button-presses-long combos are often essential to win, and unfortunately not everybody has enough time to spend shining up their Shoryukens. Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth lowers the entry barrier to the...

Thursday7th Feb 2013

Wednesday6th Feb 2013

  • Review Super C (3DS eShop / NES)

    I think you’re a Contra

    Originally released as an arcade game titled Super Contra, Super C — or Probotector II — is the NES-ported sequel to the now infamously difficult action game Contra. With the continuing story of alien invaders, and most of the same gameplay elements, Super C shares many similarities with its predecessor, but that...

  • Hardware Classics Nintendo Game Boy

    Monochrome masterpiece

    The Nintendo DS may be the biggest selling handheld console of all time, but you could argue that this is only the case because of the vital groundwork laid down by the Game Boy. The original monochrome brick was pushed onto the market in 1989 in the wake of Nintendo's popular Game & Watch range, and would go on to sell...

  • News Here's What The Next Mario Kart Looks Like

    Just one catch - it's the arcade version

    Screenshots of the next entry in the popular Mario Kart series have hit the web - but before you get too excited about laying your eyes on the recently-announced Wii U sequel, we should point out that we're talking about Mario Kart: Arcade GP DX, developed by Namco Bandai. It's the third game in the coin-op...

  • News Amazon Lists The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker HD For $59.99

    Nintendo taking the full-price route?

    The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is an updated version of the GameCube classic, which may lead you to assume that Nintendo will follow the example set by HD remakes on other consoles and give the game a lower-than-usual retail price. Of course, that isn't how Nintendo works - recent 3DS remakes for The...

  • News Konami Explains Why Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate Is A 3DS Exclusive

    The 3D effect was the clincher

    Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate is now about a month away from hitting the shelves, and will be available exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS. The game's producer Dave Cox has been speaking about why the game is only on Nintendo's handheld and not on Sony's portable offering, the PlayStation Vita. In an...

  • News Super Mario Busters Ain't Afraid of no Ghost

    Use the ekto-thingy-majig

    YouTube is a home for many lovingly-crafted fan creations, whether real-life dramatisations, animations or someone sounding off in front of a camera about the latest big thing. Some of its gaming content is rather neat, with production values often going beyond humble origins; one example of this is the animated cartoon...

  • Rumour Scribblenauts Unlimited Was Recalled From European Retailers

    Nintendo asks stores to withdraw the game from stock

    Yesterday's bombshell news that Scribblenauts Unlimited has been delayed in Europe didn't exactly go down well with fans. The game has been available in North America since late last year, and with both the Wii U and 3DS in dire need of fresh titles, it's a real shame that we've got to wait a...

  • Rumour Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge Defecting To The 360 And PS3

    Exclusive no longer?

    Update: It's now been confirmed that this title will arrive on PS3 and Xbox 360, which will include 25 extra missions, more costumes and all Wii U version DLC. Original article Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge wasn't perfect, but it was special. A re-tooled edition of the PS3 and 360 original and exclusive to the shiny new Wii

  • News Ubisoft Studio Boss: People "Need to Experience" Wii U to Understand It

    "The depth of what you can do with that console is really hard to get across"

    With Wii U now settling into the home stretch of its "launch window", and with the recent sales figures and projections from Nintendo's financial results, there's plenty of discussion around the system's early days and its potential for the future. A theme that's been...

  • News U.S. Download Sales Increase, But Physical Games Drop in Popularity

    Downloads get closer to overtaking physical retail

    The times are definitely changing in the video game retail industry, as the latest NPD figures covering 2012 sales in the U.S. emerge. In general the results reflect the trends reported by Nintendo in its financial results, but the figures also show just how vital the download gaming market is...

  • News 3DS Software and Hardware Still Leading Japanese Charts

    Wii U momentum remains low

    It's that time again, when the Japanese chart results emerge and show us that Nintendo's homeland is still in love with the 3DS. It's been a period of sustained success for the handheld in the region, and in light of the Q3 financial report listing 29.84 million sales — as of 30th December — we can be pretty confident...

  • News Chotto Nintendo Direct Details New Promotion In Japan For Wii U Users

    The return of Iwata's floating head

    This morning Nintendo uploaded a very brief Nintendo Direct video, providing details of a promotion in Japan for Wii U users. Our host, President and CEO of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, outlined that those who register their retail and downloadable games on Club Nintendo have the chance to enter into a draw - the...

  • News More Jett Rocket II Details Hover Into View

    Full 3D at 60 fps

    Shin'en has divulged a few more details regarding its forthcoming 3DS eShop title, Jett Rocket II: The Wrath of Taikai. The game is set to feature both 2D and 3D gameplay, and will support 60 fps visuals - even with the 3DS' autostereoscopic effect switched on. Like the WiiWare prequel, the game will centre around "jump and run"...

  • News Mutant Mudds Deluxe Suffers A Delay

    It's now down for a Q2 release

    We've known about Renegade Kid's upcoming Wii U eShop title Mutant Mudds Deluxe for a while now. As you may have guessed, the fun little game is an enhanced version of the 3DS eShop title Mutant Mudds. The "Deluxe" version of the game features all of the levels and DLC from the 3DS version, and throws in 20 new...

Tuesday5th Feb 2013

  • News GPU Images Reveal Wii U Graphical Power

    If you're into that sort of thing

    Since before it even hit stores, much speculation has swirled over the graphical power of the Wii U, by which we mean how many polygons, shaders and effects it can push all at once. The launch window line-up includes exclusives that look gorgeous, others that have modest visuals, as well as ports and multi-platform...

  • Talking Point Wii U's Graphical Grunt is Laid Bare - Shall We Play Games Now?

    As with Wii, developer talent and creativity will be vital

    Today perhaps brings a little closure, for those inclined to allow such a thing, with details and analysis emerging of the Wii U's GPU. Since before its release Wii U has been scrutinised by some in terms of its graphical capabilities, and there are plenty of people who focus on that area...

  • News Legendary Pokémon Meloetta Distribution Date Announced

    This one's a real fighter

    Good news Pokémon fans! Starting 4th March, the mythical Pokémon Meloetta will be distributed by participating GameStop stores across North America for Pokémon Black & White and Pokémon Black & White 2, for a limited time only. Meloetta is the very first Pokémon able to change its Forme and type during a...

  • News Activision Announces Skylanders Swap Force For Wii U, Wii And 3DS

    Swap shop

    It seems our intuition was correct - we predicted yesterday that a new Skylanders release was in the offing, and Activision has dropped the bombshell by announcing Skylanders Swap Force, the next instalment in the million-selling series. It's coming to all major Nintendo platforms, too. As the name suggests, the focus of this new range is...

  • News Pikmin 3 Will Allow For GamePad-Only Play

    Bloomin' marvellous

    Nintendo's latest Q&A session with investors certainly had a few things of interest that got people talking, most notably the possibility of an additional platform on top of the company's existing systems. In the very same Q&A session, Shigeru Miyamoto revealed more information about Pikmin 3, the upcoming flowery...

  • News Square Enix Laments "Increasingly Difficult" Console Market

    5.7 billion yen loss rocks Dragon Quest publisher

    Japanese publisher Square Enix has recorded a 5.7 billion yen loss for the nine months ending 31st December 2012. This comes despite the news that sales have risen to 102.7 billion yen. The firm has placed the blame on the tricky nature of the console market, stating that poor game sales were to...

  • News Paper Mario: Sticker Star Advert Gets Literal

    A big effort for 30 seconds

    So, there's a cool new advert for Paper Mario: Sticker Star running in North America, which some of you may have already seen. It works with the idea of representing gameplay with stop-motion animation, using paper and card for an authentic look that, to the game's credit, isn't actually a million miles away from in-game...

  • News Konami: Forget Everything You Know About Castlevania

    "You've got to drive the series forward" says producer Dave Cox

    With the release of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate looming on the horizon, Konami producer Dave Cox has given a little more insight into the game's storyline and how it fits within the twisted Castlevania canon. Speaking to GameSpot, Cox stressed that although it's part...

  • News This Gruesome Plague-Spreading Strategy Title Could Be Infecting The Wii U

    Team made up of former Media Molecule, Lionhead and Criterion developers is open to the idea

    Death Inc. is a strategy title with a difference - instead of fighting for the forces of good, you take on the role of the Grim Reaper as he seeks to spread the bubonic plague in 1660's England and enhance his own grisly reputation. The game is up on...

  • News LEGO City: Undercover Trailer Brings More Crazy

    Building some hype

    LEGO City: Undercover arrives in North America and Europe in March, so naturally more footage of GTA LEGO — as we've taken to calling it — has started to emerge. Previous videos have shown some zany and movie-based jokes, though the latest trailer focuses on more of the storyline and game footage. You can check it out, in all...

  • News Scribblenauts Unlimited Delayed In Europe

    "Changes need to be implemented before we launch across Europe"

    Nintendo has confirmed that Scribblenauts Unlimited has been hit by a delay in Europe. The Wii U and 3DS versions of the game were supposed to launch on February 8th. No details have been given about a new release date. Here's the official PR: We are sorry to announce that...

  • News Castlevania: Mirror of Fate Could Come To Home Consoles

    Nintendo exclusivity could mean a Wii U version in the future

    It's something of a bumper morning for Castlevania fans, as Konami producer Dave Cox has been giving interviews with several different sites regarding the forthcoming 3DS title Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate. Having already spilled the beans on the game's development and...

  • News Sniper Elite V2 Confirmed For Active Duty On Wii U

    Right between the eyes

    There's no smoke without fire, as they say. As we reported last week, World War II title Sniper Elite V2 has today been confirmed as coming to the Wii U later this year - Spring, to be precise. The game originally launched on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC last year, and is developed by UK-based Rebellion Developments. 505 Games...

  • Interview Two Tribes on the Toki Tori 2 Delay and Improvements

    "The game is much better on all fronts"

    Late last week developer Two Tribes published a blog post with some explanation for the delayed release of Toki Tori 2 on the Wii U eShop. We've followed up with one of the studio's key figures and the blog's author, Collin van Ginkel, to get a few more details. In the mini-interview below he reveals a little...

Monday4th Feb 2013

  • Review Zen Pinball 2 (Wii U eShop)

    Not always a zen experience

    Zen Pinball 2 is a title that's seen its Wii U eShop release delayed from an original December target, as a result of its free download/paid DLC model requiring extra attention for publication. While the actual pinball is polished, fun and generally first-class, the infrastructure behind it is the exact opposite. With 26...

  • News Nintendo Hints At An Additional Platform In The Future

    Because Wii U and 3DS are not enough

    Nintendo recently confirmed that it would be merging its handheld and console divisions into one single entity this month. The two departments have always run separately in the past, but Nintendo now feels the time is right to bring them together under one roof. With the two departments merged, Nintendo's...

  • News Monolith Soft's 3DS Title Makes an Intriguing Appearance

    Courtesy of a job advert on Facebook

    Monolith Soft is, for JRPG fans at least, a name at the top of many Wii U hype lists. The impressive trailer for X, as it's codenamed, reminded many of the sheer scale and epic adventure in Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii, but with greater resources to exploit on the system. This praise won't be news to eager...

  • Nintendo Direct Animal Crossing Developers Reply To Fan Feedback

    Read our translation of events right here

    Because of the overwhelming response to the Animal Crossing: New Leaf in Japan, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata and some of the game's staff decided to have a another special Animal Crossing Nintendo Direct to share some of the comments they've received about the game. We start with game producer Eguchi...

  • News Fire Emblem: Awakening Cut Down By Shipping Delay

    That eShop version is looking very attractive right now

    Fire Emblem: Awakening recently launched in North America, and if you've already consulted our review, you'll be aware that it really is a game that all 3DS owners should own. Sadly, it would appear that a manufacturer shipping delay is preventing many people from actually acquiring the game...

  • Feature Wii U Blockbusters - What to Play While You Wait

    If in doubt, go retro

    The start of a new Nintendo generation is always cause for excitement for many, with the promise of new entries in the company’s greatest franchises often enough to convince many to buy the system on day one. But with Wii U, Nintendo kept very quiet about its big franchises, and when the system arrived we had little idea of...

  • Review Ice Climber (3DS eShop / NES)

    Cold Mountain

    What makes a video game a classic? Is it enjoyable gameplay that never feels old? Is it an engaging storyline that draws players into its universe? Or is it simply the inclusion of some characters and stages in the latest Super Smash Bros. title? Ice Climber is the latest “classic” NES game to hit the 3DS Virtual Console, but if it...

  • Nintendo Download 7th February 2013 (Europe)

    North Star action, fire fighting, Sonic transforming, something a bit Mega and more

    Update: Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2 on the Wii U eShop has now been officially added to this week's set of downloadable delights. It's a dreary Monday morning, but we at least have some Nintendo Download news to keep Europeans happy. There's a range of...

  • Review Witch's Cat (3DS eShop)

    Tabby Laby

    Not many puzzle games are lucky enough to boast spin-offs, let alone side-stories - and though you wouldn't guess it from the title, that's exactly what Agetec has conjured up in Witch's Cat: a side-story in the ongoing Rabi Laby series. This eShop entry picks up where Rabi Laby 2 left off on DSiWare, but where the previous games' puzzles...

  • News Ackkstudios Working On Earthbound-Inspired Wii U RPG

    Project Y2K is the next project from Two Brothers developer

    Two Brothers developer Ackkstudios has revealed a few details regarding its next project, currently known as Project Y2K. The game is a 3D RPG for the Wii U — presumably the eShop. The title comes from the fact that the game is set at the conclusion of the year 1999. Talking on NeoGAF,...

  • Rumour Skylanders 3 On The Cards in New York?

    Big announcement incoming?

    After a rather impressive outing with Skylanders Giants on the Wii U, not to mention pretty solid version on the 3DS, Nintendo owners would do well to turn their eyes towards the next iteration of Activision’s profitable family game. You see, Activision has used the New York Toy Fair to announce each Skylanders game,...

  • News Nintendo Set For Yearly High In Download Sales

    The 3DS eShop is delivering the goods

    Nintendo's recent Q&A with investors, following the third quarter financial results, has now been officially translated and published in English. Comments such as those about potential additional platforms will raise some eyebrows, but further details have revealed some less surprising news, though...

  • News Castlevania Is Stalking Onto The 3DS Virtual Console Soon

    Just in time for Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate

    Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate is due to hit 3DS consoles this March, but it won't be the only chance for fans to get their fill of Dracula-slaying action - the original NES classic has recently been given an ESRB rating for the Nintendo 3DS, which means a Virtual Console download is in...

  • News Rockstar Has "Nothing New" To Report On Grand Theft Auto V Wii U

    Rumours still persist

    Recently Rockstar announced that it would unfortunately be delaying its hotly anticipated title Grand Theft Auto V from a spring release to fall. This led people to believe that the studio had possibly done so to accommodate the development of a Wii U and PC version of the game. According to a tweet from GameSpot, Rockstar has...

  • News Put Your Questions To The Producer Of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

    Answers will come in a special video in March

    Do you have any burning questions you'd like to put to the developers behind the forthcoming beast-slaying epic Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate? If the answer is yes then today's your lucky day - Nintendo UK is inviting fans to put their queries to producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, and the best questions will be...