Cipher

Well, Nintendo seems to be doing well... >_<

@Nintendanforth I doubt it, since there'd be absolutely no sales from April 1 onwards, and the sales surge over the next two weeks wouldn't level that out.

@James I could understand it being somehow related to the end of the fiscal year if a contract was involved and said as much, but I can't understand how that would only affect certain games. The Sonic games being removed make no sense - Sonic 3's staying up as is Sonic 2 on MS. I can't see it being anything other than something specific to the games being removed.

Clearly this has to be SEGA's decision, but I can't see any reason why they would have to remove these games. I'm very confused and concerned by this. Is there some content in these games which SEGA doesn't own? Are they moving these games to another platform on exclusive terms?

I'm very surprised at the somewhat disappointing reviews this is getting (in my opinion). I'm having a lot of fun with it and I honestly thought it'd be better received.

So the VC games because... presumably Irem's license has expired? And I assume Military Madness is being removed because of something to do with Hudson. Shame.

Still, this is the risk digital distribution carries, at least we're being told.

Good to see NES games on Nintendo eShop but I had hoped they'd cost £3.50, same as on the Wii Shop Channel. Not that it's much of a bother since I'm an Ambassador, but the price does surprise me a little.

I adore The Last Story's steelbook, I actually use it instead of the game box. The steelbook for Pandora's Tower possibly looks even nicer.

@SkywardLink98 Just to point out, if you have a DSi, DSi XL or 3DS, you can actually use WPA/WPA2 internet connections to connect DSi-enhanced games (such as Black and White, and undoubtedly Black 2 and White 2) to the internet.

To those complaining that these aren't on the 3DS - "yeah, let's make direct sequels to Black and White, we've never done that before! Even better, let's make them for 3DS so that Black and White owners might have to buy new hardware just to play the sequels!"

I don't think so. Yes, other series may have sequels which jump platforms, but this has never been done before in the Pokémon series, so it's important that Black and White players can definitely play Black 2 and White 2. For all we know, it could be vital.

@Mr_Gurgles Yeah, because a Nintendo DS game is really going to have 3D graphics and StreetPass functionality.

Despite being left-handed and the controls being a worry, I do want to give this game a go. It'd be nice if a demo were available (I don't know if we'll ever get demos for Nintendo 3DS Download Software but I'd like to think so), but even so, it's only £9, it's worth a try.

I don't doubt that some third-party developers will go on to have phenomenal sales figures for high-profile 3DS software, but at the same time I think Nintendo has to put their all into the system too. You can argue all you want that Nintendo should release fewer titles for the handheld in an attempt to coerce third-party developers into releasing bigger and better titles, but unfortunately any attempt on Nintendo's part to do this is always going to be read and reported as "Nintendo abandons 3DS". For any Nintendo platform to survive, Nintendo has to get behind it 100%.

That said, I can see Nintendo releasing slightly fewer 3DS titles from 2013 onwards in order to focus more on Wii U, so third-party devs will get more major releases shining through from then on, I expect.

@longtimegamer NOA still hasn't confirmed the final list so there may still be some more titles coming today, or there might not be. They're just being lazy so-and-sos today.

Can't wait for this. It looks spectacular.

There must be some sort of problems with Available Updates. All those update flags in Titles You've Downloaded should appear in that section. That's the assumption I'm going on, anyway, and I'm also going on the assumption that this'll be fixed in a future firmware update.

I noticed all ten NES games received updates last week, so now it seems they were presumably in preparation for the full versions. Good to know they're coming.

@JarvanZheitk I don't think that's ever been confirmed. Nikkei's original report said it'd use paid DLC but didn't go into specifics, and I don't think Nintendo's even confirmed it'll use paid DLC at all. I wouldn't worry, though: judging by The Sacred Stones I don't see how a free-roaming map could be "added" to the game. It's pretty integral.

I'm almost disappointed in myself for not being a Sony fan right now, the new website looks amazing.

I really, really want that game card case. I have done ever since it was added to Club Nintendo in Japan, so hopefully it'll come to our Stars Cataogue next.

I recall them saying at E3 they weren't calling it a home console, but I can't remember the name they banded around... all I see in the E3 press releases is "Wii U console". Meh.

@master344 This isn't crap. It's a perfectly good game. It just has its flaws.

I agree with the review, my main issues were with the graphics and the difficulty level. It's an enjoyable game and one definitely worth picking up if you want a challenge, but it's a hell of a challenge, so be prepared.

@Lord_Ghirahim Oh, no, two more days, how horrifying.

Maybe I'm getting my hopes up, but maybe this shows Nintendo of America is coming round to the idea of starting to publish Fatal Frame titles in North America? Granted, this is a spinoff and it's probably been picked because of its AR functionality, but still...

@V8_Ninja Put "The" on the front and ignore "Developers'". TIGA.

I think Nintendo's in a bit of a corner now and they have to respond somehow, even if it's only to clarify their position, but again I ask - does this only apply to WiiWare? I'm sure I've seen third-party sales figures for download software before, possibly for Nintendo DSiWare. We know Nintendo's improved their standards considerably for eShop so I'd be surprised if this policy still stood for 3DS Download Software.

Agree that the image does look more like a clever Photoshop creation to me, but I can't deny that the logo design is great and the concept/idea is pretty exciting. If Nintendo ever did something like this with Zelda again, I'd be first in line for both games.

A proper patching system is in place on Nintendo 3DS and has been used before now, but like JayArr says it sounds to me as though they're talking about the actual retail version of the game. A patch released through the system is still a possibility.

@paul6891 No firm release date but it's definitely coming in March.

Well, if they don't like it, there are plenty of other platforms out there for indie developers. Policy is policy, and whether you like it or not, you stick to it.

Does this policy in particular apply to WiiWare or Wii exclusively, or does it encompass all of Nintendo's online services?

To be honest, this all sounds great, but if Wii U doesn't utilise Nintendo eShop then Nintendo will really have missed a trick. Nintendo eShop would be a fantastic cross-platform service and there's no reason it couldn't provide 'apps' on Wii U. What was the point of giving eShop a non-specific name if it wasn't going to be cross-platform? They might as well have called it Nintendo 3DS Shop or something like.

Not that I want it to be anything like the App Store or the Android Market, mind you. It should be a purely gaming storefront if Nintendo really wants to make Wii U a proper hardcore console, which, from what I've seen of it so far, they do.

Colour me worried. I'm hoping we'll see it released digitally on Wii U, but other than that, can't say I'm positive about it coming to Nintendo platforms now.

@Tate24 It updates every week on Thursday at 2pm. Don't expect it any time before then because it won't happen.

That said, Nintendo eShop's being a little on the slow side today, it seems.

This is supposed to be coming to Europe in Q4, right? If the summer launch schedule is still correct, anyway. So in theory we could well get this next week too.

Incredible game. Very happy to see this happening.

I just did something in a happy place.

In theory, it could still be added in a future system update, but even if it isn't its inclusion in Mario Kart 7 (and hopefully future titles too) is certainly a good thing.

@BulbasaurusRex Good point, I forgot about all the Global Link promotions. They've been excellent thus far as well.

@fpssoviet Yep, even if you got Victini first time around there's nothing stopping you from getting this one as well.

Also, finally another Black/White distribution. They're a bit thin on the ground outside Japan, I'm sure this is only the second.

That's fine, it's only a week. It's still coming, so I don't get why people are so angry, but there you go.

@smashbrawler331 That's nothing, they only got Skyward Sword on the 23rd. Poor souls.

Thought it was £4.50? Either way, great to see more original content coming to 3DS via eShop.

Definite purchase for me.

@weirdproq Tyre with a Y is British English.

I need this game in my life. I don't have a freaking clue why, but I do.

@Dodger THIS. Some people are never, ever happy.

@Sir_Dragoon They already said in another interview the next Zelda 3DS game wouldn't be Majora's Mask 3D because, while they're still considering the idea, they didn't want to release two Zelda remakes one after the other. The next Zelda 3DS game will be a new game.

There won't be any size limitations for Wii U download software, so I do hope they consider the possibility of releasing the title for the next platform.

(I should say, since there aren't any size limitations for Nintendo 3DS download software, I assume there won't be any on Wii U either.)

Good to hear it can be enjoyable - I have enough trouble with regular Mahjong so I'll probably pass unless I can find it cheap. Still, nice review.

@marc_max Demo versions, at the end of the day, are about marketing. Look at it from a business perspective: by limiting the number of times someone can play a demo, if that person is playing it so much that it's going to expire, that's a pretty huge incentive to actually buy the game. In that sense, it works out for the consumer as well. Win-win. Not to mention the fact that adding such a limit is completely optional and some developers might choose not to impose a limit at all.

These upgrades aren't the be-all and end-all for Nintendo eShop, either: if it wasn't likely enough that it would be making the move to Wii U before, now we know it's coming to the web, I'd say that's even likelier. This is a big online platform for Nintendo and it's one of my favourite online stores, personally. I think it's fantastic so far and it's only going to get better, I think.

I always thought, if you don't know after playing through a demo two or three times that you want to buy the game, you're probably not going to buy it. Playing through a demo countless times just because you don't want to buy the game is a little bit lazy - and kind of insulting to the developers.

And I highly doubt Iwata makes decisions like this. There are whole teams dedicated to Nintendo eShop and other online platforms. Iwata's the president: he's the leader, it doesn't mean he makes every single decision.

I think limiting the number of times you can play a demo is a good idea. If you really do think of it more as a trial version, this is fairly commonplace already: trial software on computers usually expire after 30 days anyway, or limit basic features. To me, this makes sense.

I like the idea of being able to browse Nintendo eShop away from the 3DS as well, especially if you're away from your system and still want to buy something.

I want a portable version very much! It's good to hear 3D is used well too. I'm glad to hear it doesn't deviate too much - Pokémon Rumble probably gave me the most fun I've had playing Pokémon in a long time so I can't wait to get my hands on this. Great review.