Zando

It's $5?? I'll wait for a sale. For $2 or would be a definite purchase but any more than that is insane for what it is.

Yo--you should discuss Fire N Ice, one of my favorite NES games. Fantastic puzzle game, 10/10.

@IpwnedU123 Have heard this news already. Lucky for folks with Gateway cards. Personally it doesn't help me, since I don't have a 3DS on an old firmware, never planned on wanting to pirate a free app.

Huh, looks really bad.

And Minecraft clones aren't illegal, Microsoft can't sue.

So, I guess add this to the list of little gems I should probably pick up. Maybe if it's on sale or I have some spare change. I love little bite sized games like this, but I love bigger games like Shantae and Shovel Knight better.

I'd like to play Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward! Or Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

Hope it comes to the US!

@ThomasBW84 Also, it's Sudomemo, not Sudamemo, just fyi. Thanks!!

@ThomasBW84 Thanks for the response, I really appreciate it. Maybe the Flipnote fans can raise some money for your airfare, haha. (We totally would though.) Anyway, sorry for ranting. You guys do a great job at NL, keep it up.

@ZenTurtle That is a pretty bad idea, since the crisp pixel drawings would look quite blurry when stretched out to the 3DS's resolution. But since the issues are with the online community, why not release it sans Gallery World?

Of course, at this point in time, these "issues" are nonexistent. But that would have been nice back in August of last year. It would have given Nintendo some motivation to get the online services ready.

@123akis It is completely disgraceful. I wish they would announce it as cancelled at this point. Own your shame. But no, it's like everybody has literally forgotten about it. I would argue that it is one of the most accessible animation tools in history.

Inchworm is definitely a cool program as well, but the lack of sound, and the inability to control on-device playback speed hurt its appeal quite a bit. Plus, it is terribly stretched out on 3DS systems. (my avatar was created in inchworm:)

@ThomasBW84 Damn it. I just spent 30 minutes no joke typing a comment, and then I lost it due to accidentally clicking something. Pretend these points are well-articulated because screw this.
-Miyamoto created these shorts in Flipnote Studio 3D to show to the external animation company.
-Flipnote Studio 3D was supposed to come out August 2013, that is past, and they have been acting like it never existed.
-Nintendo Life is at fault for not asking what happened to the app.
-If a Mario or Zelda game was released in Japan, then suddenly "delayed" and ignored everywhere else, Nintendo Life would cover that wouldn't they??
-Flipnote means SO MUCH to me and many others, due to its ease of use, community, and many other reasons.
-I am beyond angry about how it's been treated.
-Nintendo Life should do an article about Sudomemo.
-Sudomemo is a service run by a college student, which replaces Flipnote Hatena and can be accessed through the DSi Flipnote Studio. It has 2500 Facebook likes and over 10,000 users. Yes, over 10,000 people have connected their DSi's to this "new Hatena."
-Nintendo Life should do an article on Sudomemo.
-Really.
-Please.

Shawn Tay And The Pirate's Curse!! Character designs are so adorable.

I never understood that Miles Prower was a pun. Probably because when I was into Sonic in third grade, I thought it was Miles Prowler. Even after reading the article, it took me forever to get the pun. Miles Per Hour. Such a terrible name.

Tails, on the other hand, is a good name for the character.

Or you know, Arms. http://oi52.tinypic.com/npkpw7.jpg

Cool to hear good things about this. Maybe next time I have some spare change in my eShop account. (as if that will ever happen!)

Look at Jasmine and Ariel in Disney movies, and their bare midriffs. These are characters definitely aimed at kids, and you didn't have SJWs calling Disney misogynistic back then.

(Of course, they aren't quite as...jiggly...as Shantae.)

@CanisWolfred Another review said that character art is 3d-layered on the top screen, so I assume that's what they're referring to here. If you've used Colors! 3D...it's probably similar to that.

For some reason, it's the 2d games that make me wish i had a 3ds rather than a 2ds. SM3DL and Smash? I don't mind them in 2d at all. Shovel Knight and Shantae? I need the 3d pixels!!

Yeah, this game is sexy. But it's in a cute and charming way. It's in no way sexist, especially as Shantae was designed by Matt Bozon's wife. (Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/09/wayforward_fought_many_many_battles_to_keep_shantae_as_a_lead_character)

It's fair to admit this bothers some people, which is what the review did. It's not fair to say that the art style is "problematic," and did none of that. (Although it did call it "unnecessary," which is technically true.)

I don't think the sexualization should be ignored, but it shouldn't effect the score. That would be like giving a shooter a lower score because the violence isn't for kids.

I don't really have a problem with the mention of "da boobz" in this article, although it seems a little bit preachy. My problem is the review doesn't go in-depth about the gameplay, music, or replayability.

Nintendo Life has been the least "politically correct clickbait" of any games site I frequent. Even the article on the sexualization of Samus was thoughtful and reasonable. It's definitely not Polygon bad: "I like porn, but objectification of women in mah gaems is sexist. Other than that its perfect but I want to be a self-righteous censor, 7.5/10."

Hmm, maybe you get Dixie/Ridley/Chorus Kids/Mewtwo (believe!) for free if you connect both games, but they're a few dollars ($2-5?) each if you only have one.

I has hype for the Direct.

@liveswired They definitely are different types of games. Although I'd say Sypro is more similar to sm64 than it is to Crash Bandicoot.

Oh--but I have played Mario Kart 64, and Crash Team Racing is vastly superior to that. Fact.

"The system may have struggled to compete against Sony’s PlayStation, but it’s fair to say that it was completely unrivalled when it came to its quality 3D-platformer offerings."

WHOA WHOA WHOA. I'm real happy for you and Imma let you finish, but all 3 Crash Bandicoot platformers and all 3 Spyro games were the best 3d platformers of all time. Of all time. Spyro 2 is perfect.

I'm a Nintendo fan now, partially because that's where most of the good mascot platformers currently are, but Crash and Spyro were my childhood. </unpopular opinion for NL>

Disclaimer: Haven't played any 3D platformers for the 64. Best ones are Banjo-Kazooie, SM64, and the one in this article?

It does look very good, but I'll probably wait for reviews. Or at least finish Shovel Knight and GBC Shantae first.

@Capt_N I'm actually in favor of copyright reform with much shorter copyright terms, as was originally intended. This would increase the openness of culture, while allowing a reasonable period for the creator to profit. In the meantime, I support the virtual console where possible, but when games simply aren't available legitimately (short of tracking down a $200 cartridge and a NES) I feel downloading the rom is justified, if not legal.

@Kaze_Memaryu
Where to begin... There was quite a lot of good home brew for the DS. And developing games for flash carts isn't some "illusion." I've been saying for years that Nintendo should allow anyone to develop games for their systems. That would make flashcarts/hacking unnecessary.

although following what's happening with the Wii u, I would recommend that the homebrew generally be distributed through means other than the eShop. Spikey Walls and Meme Run should be free, lol.

@Specter_Twilight Not all games are available in the eShop, and especially not in every region. And great taste, DSTwo is best flashcart.

@Kaze_Memaryu "which is especially hypocritical when keeping in mind that Homebrew apps/games are developed on a PC, anyway"

What? Seriously, what? Nintendo uses computers to develop their games too. So I'm really not sure what point you're trying to make. Besides, the hack will not run 3DS ROMs. So if anybody ever does create a ROM loader, it will be on them, not smealum.

Saying smealum is responsible for somebody creating a rom loader would be like saying Nintendo is responsible for what people do with Swapnote. ...oh wait. Nintendo thinks they are. That explains a lot.

Ooh, comment section!

Why is making it run games from any region questionable in any way? It's circumventing an unethical means of boosting hardware sales by taking advantage of niche games who import.

As for emulators, I'mma say they're okay. You shouldn't have to pay for games as old as the NES or SNES. That's my personal opinion, but emulators themselves are legal any way you look at it.

Go smea go! Keep up the good work.

@HappyHappyist
Even if FS3D is for some reason a New 3DS exclusive, I wouldn't mind since it's finally being released. It wouldn't make a lick of sense but I'd take it.

Actually, it would make sense. What if FS3D hasn't come West, because Nintendo was hoping to encourage die-hard Flipnote fans to buy a second system? By making it a New 3DS exclusive, fans would still have to get another system!

What? I'm not crazy. -puts on tinfoil hat-

Dat Flipnote Frog on the home menu is the reason I want one of these. That's right, Flipnote Studio 3D is preinstalled on them. Hopefully this bodes well for the animation application coming West. There are clearly no more server issues if they're giving it to everyone with a New 3DS.

@Damo, considering you have Flipnote on your New 3DS, think we might see a review of the application? I think attention from the media could have a chance at reminding Nintendo that Western fans still want Flipnote Studio 3D. Fans are still writing and calling, but if NL reviewed FS3D, Nintendo might take the hint.

Help us, Nintendo Life. You're our only hope.

Release date! Release date! Release date!

Wait. $20? ...and I thought Risky's Revenge was pricy. Think about it, Shovel Knight was $15. This seems a bit steep! This had better be really good and decent length to make that worth it.

Well, I'm playing through the GBC Shantae now, since it was so cheap!

@ouroborous Release date get!

The themes are a good start, but there's a lot holding them back.

Firstly, the music. It's much louder and far less background-y than the ambiance of the default themes, as has been mentioned before.

Second, the folders look pretty bad in most of the themes. Do they really all HAVE to be all rounded? Then again, I use a Windows phone, so I'm used to nice tiles rather than rounded bubbly folders and icons.

Also, you know how the music stops playing when you select an icon on the Home Menu? Yeah, I hate that.

I picked the Hanafuda theme, it's the best-designed of the lot. The bottom screen isn't too loud, and neither is the music. The folders even look okay. But I am really kind of hate most of the Mario themes, as they look plain bad. The Zelda one seems okay I guess.

One last gripe: Shouldn't "no theme" be called SImple White?? It technically is a theme, it's just the default theme.

Anyway, Nintendo's themes look pretty bad so far, but I'm just hoping tons of developers are able put their own themes out there. Themes that are better-designed. Shantae and/or Cave Story anyone?

The Hanafuda theme is glorious! I would imagine the Mario and Zelda music is a bit too loud and upbeat for a home screen, but the Hanafuda music is catchy and relaxed. And it's very pretty.

Seriously, I love this idea, and hope a lot of developers get on board making themes.

@drewber2814 Your comment is baffling on so many levels. Who is this "we" or "society" you speak of? Anyway, CoD is rated M, so ESRB doesn't "let kids" play it.

@DarkKirby Lower age rating often equals higher sales when it comes to movies, anyway. But MPAA is even more corrupt and inconsistent than the ESRB, and large companies can basically lower the rating with more money.

It's not just a rumor.

This "alleged" ESRB leak was the same one that confirmed Duck Hunt, Bowser Jr, and Dr Mario. And it included several other trophies un-revealed at the time, that do match the ones in the game. Why you think there is any chance that the leaker forged a trophy to throw into the mix is beyond me.

I've nothing against healthy skepticism, but saying this is a rumor baffles me.

And meh, don't care about Fire Emblem, and if you're that bothered about one trophy being cut from the game, then your priorities are all out of wack!

I hope he puts it in the eShop at a very decent price, like $5 or less. Keep it low to compete with crap like Spikey Walls!

I've always liked the model used by the iOS version of Ghost Trick. Game is free and includes a few levels, then you can buy "chapter packs" or full game. Has this model been used on the Wii U?

I almost feel bad for how Sakurai treats competitive players. They care so much about his game, and he's just like "nope."

At the very least, this game has the best title of the lot!

In my opinion, Minecraft is its own genre, calling it "theft" or a knockoff misunderstands the nature of innovation. Unless you build on another's ideas, you can't make anything. See the YouTube documentary "Everything is a remix." I say let as many developers as possible make Mining/crafting style games, one is sure to emerge as the best, and there's no guarantee it will be Minecraft. Why let Mojang reign supreme just because they had the idea first? I wish these developers the best of luck.

Remember: The second game in any genre was likely considered a knockoff.

Minecraft is a pretty basic game, so clones aren't too hard to do well. But from an inexperienced developer, not too confident about this one. Good luck to them, though.

I have nothing against Minecraft clones. The game template is so simple that if other developers can offer a similar or better product, it's fair competition.

... How do you search for users in the 3DS version? When I tried to find users, I used the web version by typing Miiverse.nintendo.net/users/theirNNID. Couldn't find the user search button on 3DS.

I actually see a difference
And prefer the pixel-sprites as they have a little more personality. The shading has hard edges, rather than this airbrushed look.
Of course it's a nitpick as they're not that different, and the new ones do look cleaner.
I got the first two Phoenix Wright games for Christmas last year, so I'm a little annoyed that I hadn't heard of the trilogy remake at that point, or I would have waited. Which reminds me, I still need to finish the final mission of the second game!

All the same, Flipnote and various DSiWare made the DSi worth it to me. "But you could have just bought the DSiWare on the 3DS!" You're not listening, I mentioned Flipnote.

It'll probably be as compelling as all those DSi-"enhanced" games. You know, like Solatorobo, where the enhancement was...you could take a selfie to use as your save icon. Woooooo....

@dragon_warrior1 "stole" from "free" emulators.

Nintendo should release an easy-to-use SNES devkit for fans to use. That would really be something!

Of course, easier access to a 3DS devkit would be even better. For Wii U, they seem to be giving them to anyone who asks (cough spikey walls cough meme run).

Galaxy is already retro?

I'm weighing in because I have opinions.
Fan games are cool and I support them 100%. Copyright owners CAN legally shut them down, but there is no reason that they need to in most cases.

When I think fan games, I think Fighting is Magic, the MLP fighting game. Hasbro shut them down about a month before their first official release was ready. This after years of dedicated development. This move definitely made Hasbro look like the bad guys in this case, but the game was getting so big that it was being considered for EVO, the fighting game tournament. In this case, Hasbro kinda didn't have much of a choice. It was about their brand image. I'm sure they didn't want to shut down the project, but it was at the point where they had to support it or make it cease and desist, and they couldn't really endorse associating their characters with violence.

Of course, even though the public never got their hooves on the game (although some fans created a "finished" version later,) the developers themselves learned a lot from the development of the game. So much that they are currently making a new Fighting is Magic game starring various, non-Hasbro-owned cartoon quadrupeds including cows and llamas. Designed by MLP:FIM creator Lauren Faust, who reached out to them after their original project was shut down.

Fan games are cool. And can lead to even cooler things.

Despite Crash Bandicoot being an iconic and recognizable platforming mascot, Activision hasn't done squat with the property for something like five years. Fans have worked on several fan games since then, the most impressive (imo) being Crystal's Wrath. Development on the fan game has been slow (the whole thing was rebooted from the ground up at one point), but it is all that Crash fans have had.

That being said, calling this game Mother 4 does seem a little bold. I don't know much about the series, but maybe a different subtitle would be better for this fan game.

@xj0462 All he ever did was tease Ridley as a stage boss. Anything else is fans making stuff up, IMO. I have heard from enough sources (leaks) that there will be DLC for Ridley, Dixie, Metwo, and Chorus Men, that I would be surprised if it ended up being untrue. That being said, the current number of characters is overwhelming enough, I'll never be good with all 51 of them! More with custom specials.

@xj0462 yah any1 who doesn't put Ridley and mew to in smash isn't wrothy of ur time!!!