What you’re working with here is the same environment – that’s not the same as a re-issue of the game: don’t get it twisted. Instead we’ve got what would essentially be like jumping in on the Death Star with a new Star Wars game. It’s the same, but different.

Here you’re getting a new set of mechanics, a new way of looking a the environment, and in the end: a whole new game. This game will be a top-down adventure which Nintendo says will reinvigorate the 2D world. You will still be getting a full 3D experience, on the other hand, and the fun you’ve had with the Zelda franchise thus far will burst forth upon your fingertips with the greatness that is the future of this game.

This game will introduce your ability to turn Link into a drawing, too!

When you flip yourself into a drawing on the wall of a dungeon with this new game, you’ll be exploring the environment in a whole new way. While the bulk of this game does exist inside the top-down 2D way of looking at things, you’ll find that the height of objects throughout the game will be creating a whole new way of running around. Watch out for windows!

Have a peek at the brand new 3D video in your eShop on the 3DS and see a preview courtesy of Nintendo above as well!

[via MTV News]

Mario Party will be heading to the 3DS in the winter, which could mean late 2013 or early 2014. The game will include 81 new mini-games that will test your speed, concentration and luck, and the game will also take advantage of the 3DS’s various hardware features. Some of the mini-games use AR cards, amongst other unique things.

As for Mario and Luigi: Dream Team, the game will have you visiting an island for what was planned to be a relaxing vacation. However, Princess Peach is kidnapped (go figure) and is pulled into a fantasy dream world. The only way to make your way into the dream world is when Luigi sleeps on special pillows that have magical powers. Gamers will be able to start playing the game on August 11 in North America, July 12 in Europe, and July 18 in Japan.

The Yoshi’s Island sequel will feature some of the same art concepts and gameplay as featured in past installments, with Yoshi being tasked to protect Baby Mario by using deadly eggs on enemies, as well as ground stomps and other maneuvers that any Yoshi Island gamer will be familiar with. The official title of the game and its release date will be announced later in the future.

Donkey King Country Returns 3D will simply be a remake of the Wii game with the same name (only without the 3D). This time around, however, Nintendo added a new mode that features an adjusted game balance. This is because portable gamers tend to play in shorter sessions than home Wii console gamers, so the game is catered around that. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D will launch on May 24.

The game supports cooperative multiplayer modes and allows players to purchase additional content to expand their experience. Players can choose from five different favorite Pokémon characters including Pikachu, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott or Axew. Nintendo says that a lot of Pokémon in the game come from the Unova region made popular in Pokémon Black Version and the Pokémon White Version games.

In Gates to Infiniti there are over 20 distinct Mystery Dungeons that change every time they are entered. That means players can replay each dungeon and have a near-infinite number of adventuring possibilities. One of the key functions of the game is integrating the use of the built-in camera on the portable console.

Players are able to scan any circular object in their environment using the camera to unlock Magnagates. Those Magnagates unlock additional dungeons to explore. The multiple player mode supports up to three players when used in cooperative Companion Mode. Treasure and experience earned in multiplayer mode is carried over to the main single player game. A new download pack is also available right now adding new items to collect and new Pokémon to interact with.

[via Pokemon Mystery Dungeon]

The game is called Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon and promises to be a spooky adventure for Luigi fans. The game has a number of ghosts that need to be captured, puzzles to be solved, and haunted mansions to explore. The game kicks off Nintendo’s Year of Luigi that will see Mario’s younger brother celebrated with a number of new video games during 2013.

In Dark Moon, Luigi has to explore several unique mansions featuring colorful 3-D visuals. Each mansion has numerous ghosts that Luigi has to capture and challenging puzzles for players to solve. The game also features treasure for Luigi to collect.

Luigi will capture the ghosts using his Poltergust 5000 vacuum cleaner and new abilities unlocked during the game. Players can replay each mission to improve their score by collecting more treasure or losing less health. Nintendo says that almost every object in the rooms of the game mansions can be interacted with. The game will also support multiple player modes with up to four players using local wireless, download, or online play.

[via Luigi's Mansion]

On March 24, Nintendo will also be releasing Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, which it boasts as a game with a “deep and compelling story full of unexpected twists.” Gamers can choose to play as one of five different Pokemon through randomly generated Mystery Dungeons, where battles await and other pokemon can be recruited.

Says Nintendo, the Mystery Dungeons that are generated are “near infinite”, meaning players won’t be getting bored any time soon. In addition, entrances to new dungeons can be discovered via “everyday circular objects,” which the gamer will scan with the 3DS’s camera. It doesn’t specify what these everyday objects are, however. Only those with a 3DS will be able to play; it isn’t being offered on any other system.

The special edition 3DS will be available for $199.99 and will include a 4GB SD card. The Gates to Infinity game, meanwhile, will be priced at $34.99. Those who purchase both and register them will be given a download code for one of five free games: Super Mario 3D Land, Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone, Star Fox 64 3D, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, and Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive!

[via Nintendo]

Inventor Seijiro Tomita is a former Sony employee in possession of a patent related to technology for displaying 3D media without using 3D glasses, the main feature of Nintendo’s 3DS. According to Tomita, Nintendo used this tech with its gaming device, leading to the lawsuit. The proceedings took place at the U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

Not surprisingly, Nintendo contested the claim, with its defense attorney Scott Lindvall arguing that the company didn’t utilize “key aspects” of the inventor’s patent. A 2003 meeting cited by Tomita, which tooks place with Nintendo employees, was only one of many that the video game giant had with 3D technology vendors, according to Lindvall.

The jury ultimately sided with Tomita, however, awarding him substantial compensatory damages for the infringement. Such a verdict was praised by Tomita’s attorney Joe Diamante: “We are thankful to the jurors for their diligence and hard work. It has been a [sic] honor to represent Mr. Tomita and to protect his invention.”

[via Reuters]

Best Buy told Game Informer that it isn’t likely to receive the game until Wednesday, February 6, while GameStop said its shipments might not come in until Friday, February 8. Of course, it’s impossible to check with all GameStop and Best Buy stores, but the GameStop stores we called up they told us the same thing: no shipments until later this week. One GameStop employee said that the games may arrive by Wednesday, but Friday is probably the safer bet.

All of this, it seems, can be blamed on some kind of shipping error. We aren’t entirely sure what’s preventing these stores from receiving their copies of the game, but the problem is big enough that its retail release is now being pushed back a couple of days in some areas. In any case, there are probably still some stores receiving the game today, so if you’ve been hankering for some Fire Emblem action, call up the game stores around you and see if they’ve got it available.

There’s always the digital release too, with the game available right now through the 3DS eShop. It’s a shame to hear about these delays, as Fire Emblem: Awakening is being lauded as one of the best games on the 3DS. Did any of you manage to secure a copy of Fire Emblem: Awakening today, or are you hearing similar things from the store you pre-ordered it at?

Sakurai took to Twitter to tell fans that there may be more to see of both games come E3 time. Google Translate always appears to have a rough time translating from Japanese to English, but in his tweets, he tells fans that even though some games were given trailers during Tuesday’s Nintendo Direct stream, Smash Bros. fans will have to wait. That wait will apparently pay off, however, as Sakurai plans to show something “better” at E3.

It’s impossible to say for sure, but it certainly sounds like Sakurai wants trailers on display during E3 2013. Nintendo revealed that its new Mario and Mario Kart titles will have playable demos at E3, so if Sakurai can put together some Super Smash Bros. footage before the expo kicks off, then it should be an exciting show for Nintendo fans. It should be an exciting show for gaming fans in general for that matter, as it’s been rumored that we’ll see new consoles from Sony at Microsoft there.

In any case, we’ve known about these new Super Smash Bros. games for a while now, as they were announced around the same time that Nintendo revealed the Wii U. At that time next to nothing had been done on them, as Sakurai was busy putting the finishing touches on Kid Icarus: Uprising. Now that Uprising is on shelves (and has been since March 2012), it sounds like Sakurai has more time to devote to these incoming Smash Bros. games, so don’t be surprised to hear new details moving forward. Stay tuned.

[via Joystiq; via IGN]

There will be 20 characters in the initial batch of figures Disney produces for the game, and apparently each one will get its own Play Set. That equals out to a lot of money if one were to buy them all, and if Disney Infinity proves to be as popular as Skylanders, then we can see children endlessly asking their parents for each and every one. The starter pack, on the other hand, comes with three characters (Jack Sparrow, Sully, and Mr. Incredible) and the base game, which is why its price has settled dangerously close to $100.

Something worth pointing out is the fact that each character adds his or her (or its) own world to explore in-game, so there’s a significant amount of new content added with the addition of each character. Perhaps that’s why Disney has priced these Play Sets so much higher than the asking price for Activision’s Skylanders figures? It could be one reason, but then again, Disney has always charged a premium price for most items associated with its properties.

There will also be Power Disc bundles players can pick up for $4.99 each. These Power Discs can be used to power up your character in-game, granting them new abilities or items to use. With all of the extras Disney has introduced for this new game, we have a feeling the company won’t have a problem making a decent amount of cash from the title. That is, so long as Disney Infinity‘s popularity takes off when it releases in June. Stay tuned.

[via Joystiq]

You’ll have your chance, but the cost of admission comes in at $200. That’s actually not a bad deal considering that buying a 3DS and Fire Emblem: Awakening will cost right around $210, but of course, this is a more valuable deal to those who don’t already own a 3DS. There’s one small issue with this package, though: the 3DS included in it isn’t of the XL variety, which is arguably the better 3DS model.

But no matter! Fire Emblem: Awakening should be a great game for tactical RPG fans (Fire Emblem installments of the past haven’t let us down, at least), and as far as limited edition handhelds go, this is one of the better looking ones. Relish it, North American gamers, because it isn’t every day one of these snazzy looking consoles makes it outside of Japan – in fact, we’re still disappointed that Nintendo’s awesome Charizard 3DS has remained Japan-only.

This Fire Emblem 3DS will be launching the same day as the game, February 4, 2013. We expect that Nintendo will offer it for at least a little while after launch, but considering how good it looks, you might want to pick one up sooner rather than later. At any rate, you could do a lot worse when shopping for a new handheld.

[via @NintendoAmerica]

Unfortunately, we’re not finding out anything new from these images, as they only feature the three new starters and the two new legendaries. Specifically speaking, we’re talking about fire starter Fennekin, grass starter Chespin, water starter Froakie, and legendaries Xerneas and Yveltal. We’ve known about these Pokemon since the game was announced last week, so in that respect, there isn’t much new to see here.

However, these are technically first official screenshots and art work released by Nintendo, which definitely counts for something. The company also revealed the height and weight of the two legendary Pokemon, so for those who care, we have that information. Xerneas comes in at 6’10 and 474.0 lbs, while its counterpart towers over it at 19 feet tall. Despite the massive difference in height, Yveltal is actually lighter than Xerneas, weighing in at just 447.5 lbs.

The news of Pokemon X and Y certainly has fans buzzing, but sadly those fans have quite a wait ahead of them. The games won’t be releasing until October 2013, so there are nine months left to wait before they arrive. The one good thing is that Nintendo will likely be releasing a whole slew of new details between now and then, so at least Pokemon fans have a lot to look forward to. Stay tuned.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity marks the series’ debut on the 3DS portable gaming device, and Nintendo promises that the new game will have “vibrantly detailed 3D graphics” and will come with more than 20 Mystery Dungeons that change every time they’re entered. The developer touts that “nearly limitless adventure awaits players”.

Furthermore, players can actually become Pokemon characters themselves. You can choose from five popular Pokémon, including Pikachu, Snivy, Oshawott, Tepig, or Axew. Then, you can journey your way through different dungeons, and battle and befriend other Pokémon characters, as well as collect different types of treasures.

The changing dungeons are the game’s top selling points, since they change their form every time a player enters, which means that items and treasure within a Mystery Dungeon will change location every time you re-enter it. Gamers will be able to purchase Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity at retail stores or on the Nintendo eShop.

If you’ve been a lifelong Mario fan, then this DLC is definitely for you. It takes levels from the old NES-era Mario games and remakes them for New Super Mario Bros. 2‘s Coin Rush mode. Officially dubbed the “Gold Classics Pack,” the DLC pack contains three courses inspired by levels in the original Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3. The first course in the pack brings together the first two levels of Super Mario Bros., while the second course will be familiar to those of us who played Super Mario Bros. 3 non-stop when we were kids. For the third course in the pack, we’re going back to Super Mario Bros. for a romp through Bowser’s castle, ending with a battle against the meanest Koopa the Mushroom Kingdom has ever seen.

Nintendo has already won major points by revisiting classic Mario level, but even better is the fact that this DLC will be free through January 31, 2013. Once February arrives, the DLC will cost $2.50, which really isn’t bad when you consider how much some publishers like to charge for DLC. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed the DLC in a new Nintendo Direct Mini stream, which also you tells you how to go about downloading the Gold Classics Pack. Check out the video below.

The DLC is available starting today, so have at it. At the very least, make sure you use SpotPass to nab the DLC before it becomes a paid download on February 1, 2013. What do you think of this latest DLC offering for New Super Mario Bros. 2 – is it nice to see classic levels re-imagined, or were you hoping for something different?

Super Mario 3D Land – which currently has a street price of around $36.99, or a few dollars less than Nintendo’s official estimates – puts the popular plumber inside a 3D platform world. Rather than coming on a separate cartridge, however, it will be preloaded into the 3DS itself.

Nintendo actually saw an uptick in 3DS sales in its most recent financial quarter, though that was down to the newer, larger 3DS XL than a surge of interest in the original model. Both feature the same glasses-free 3D system, which uses a special stereoscopic panel on the top display for what Nintendo argues is a more immersive gaming experience.

Of course, most attention is on Nintendo’s Wii U at the moment, the company’s next-gen console which went on sale in the US over the past weekend. That, Nintendo hopes, will turn around the slump it has seen in home gaming, with Wii sales drooping over the past few quarters.

The Flame Red Nintendo 3DS bundle will go on sale this Friday, November 23, priced at $169.99.

That’s because only those who win a raffle will get the chance to buy one. Yes, we said “buy” there, as those who win the raffle won’t just be given one for free. The raffle will run from November 3 to November 26, and prospective entrants can either go to one of the Pokemon Center stores in Japan to enter or mail in their entry form.

Winners of the raffle will be notified on December 7, and then they’ll be able to purchase their Charizard-laden 3DS XL between December 15 and January 14. This special edition 3DS XL will cost ¥18,900, which is right around $237, and from what we can tell, there aren’t any games that come bundled with it. It’ll just be you, Charizard, and a 3DS XL that you may just want to leave in the packaging, considering how hard it was to get.

As far as Pokemon-themed handhelds go, this is one of the better ones, and there have been a lot of them throughout the years. The fact that its availability will be so limited in Japan means that there’s almost no chance of it ever becoming available in the US or Europe, which is definitely a bummer considering how nice it looks. Oh well – it looks like we’ll just have to settle for the Charizard posters plastered all over and the Charizard-themed bedspread that ushers us into the dream world every night.

[via Kotaku]

That’s not to say Nintendo can’t hit that goal, however. Hardware sales have been down lately, which seems to suggest that gamers are ready for a new console generation. The boredom with current generation consoles might be enough for Nintendo to muster up some sales, and we can’t forget that the holiday shopping season is quickly approaching.

Nintendo is also hoping to sell 24 million Wii U games in the same period, which – as Eurogamer points out – equals an attach rate of about four games per console. Of course, Nintendo is likely counting the pack-in games that come with Wii U Premium Bundles in that figure, so 24 million games sold by the time April 2013 rolls around might not be too lofty a goal. Still, Nintendo has a long way to go between now and then, and the company’s expectations for the rest of the fiscal year rely on how consumers react to the Wii U – a console that has received mixed attention so far.

It’s also worth pointing out that Nintendo is hoping for 17.5 million 3DS sales by the time the fiscal year comes to a close, which means it has about 12.5 million units to go before it hits that mark. A tall order to be sure, and considering that Nintendo just had to cut its profit forecast for the year due to slow 3DS sales, that might be a harder target to hit. In any case, we shall see if Nintendo can achieve its goals for the fiscal year soon enough!

Prior to this announcement, this 3DS XL was exclusive to Japan. There doesn’t appear to be a game that comes bundled with it, and pricing hasn’t been announced yet. A solid release date was also missing from Nintendo’s reveal, but the company does say that it’ll be available in Europe before the Sun sets on 2012.

Also unknown is whether or not this variant will make its way across the Atlantic to the US. Nintendo is notorious for launching variants of its handhelds and consoles that remain exclusive to Japan, so the fact that it’s launching in Europe is a good sign. Then again, if the US releases of Xenoblade and The Last Story are any indication, US consumers could be waiting a while, if they get it at all.

Don’t want to carry around a bright yellow 3DS XL that features Pikachu’s adorable little mug? Nintendo has you covered there too, as it will also be launching a special Mario Kart 7 bundle in Europe on November 17. The bundle features a white 3DS XL that comes with Mario Kart 7 pre-installed. Nintendo is keeping its mouth shut on pricing for this bundle as well, but we’ll keep an ear to ground for additional details. Stay tuned.

That’s because all three of these DLC packs add levels for Coin Rush mode, so if you purchase them, you’ll have a lot of coin collecting in your future. The first had been dubbed “Gold Mario Go! Go! Pack” and will add three new Coin Rush levels. This is the easiest of the three DLC packs, which all apparently vary in difficulty. It also has a total of 30,000 coins for you to collect, so even though this is easy, you’ll have a lot of work ahead of if you want to collect every single one of those coins.

The second, “Challenge the Record A Pack,” will post your top scores on Nintendo’s website, so we’re also seeing Nintendo experiment with the idea of leaderboards with this DLC offering. There are three time trial levels to conquer in this pack, though there isn’t any word on the difficulty or number of coins. The third and final pack is called “Survival Panic Pack,” and features three levels once again. As you may have already guessed, this is the most difficult of the three, so expect some frustration when it comes to completing the levels contained in it.

There isn’t any word on western release dates yet, but all three DLC packs will be available in Japan on October 2. Each will cost 200 yen, which is right around $2.50, so Nintendo is keeping the price low with these DLC packs. Keep it tuned here to SlashGear for more information, as we’ll update you once Nintendo starts talking release dates for the US and Europe!

[via Nintendo]

Today, the company announced that everyone who purchases the latest Pokemon installments between October 7 and November 12 will be awarded with opportunity to download that particularly scary-looking Pokemon you see pictured above. Its name is Genesect, and it’s a legendary bug and steel type Pokemon. Introduced prior to the release of the original Black and White, Genesect is the final Pokemon listed in both the Unova and National Pokedex. Aside from this upcoming event, there hasn’t been any legitimate way for players in the US to nab one, but that’s all set to change with the release of Black and White 2.

In order to get a Genesect of your own, all you need to do is purchase a copy of Black 2 or White 2 during the dates mentioned above. Once you’ve done that, connect to the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection, and in no time at all, Genesect will be on the way to your game cart. Genesect comes with an exclusive move, Techno Blast, that isn’t used by any other Pokemon, and has the ability to “adjust its power levels based on the foe it’s battling.” Nintendo isn’t entirely clear on what it means by that, so it looks like there are still some surprises in store when it comes to Genesect.

Nintendo held a similar promotion for early purchasers of the original Black and White, handing out the legendary psychic and fire type Pokemon Victini. There’s no word on what level this promotional Genesect is, but the Victini that early Black and White buyers received was level 15, so it seems safe to assume that Genesect will come at a similarly low level. Is anyone out there planning to pick up Pokemon Black and White 2? Let us know what you think of this giveaway!

If you’ve had your hand on the pulse of the Nintendo video game review universe, you know that New Super Mario Bros 2 is a massive chore in collecting coins. You collect so many coins by the end of the game that you’ll never, ever want to play a Mario game again. This advertisement informs us that these Cruz sisters have nothing better to do with their lives than compete against one another in a coin-collecting contest where the penalty for losing is heading to a market dressed as Mario or Luigi to pick up some mushrooms.

If you’re able to sit through the entire advertisement spot, you’ll get the bonus of seeing Penelope Cruz asking for mushrooms from a vendor on the street in what we must assume is supposed to be Italy. After over a minute of the two sisters playing the game with awesomely drab comments like “come on Mario, let’s go”, and “get the coins, get the coins, run, run run”, you get the reprieve of the Mario outfit.

Then it all gets ruined again by the camera dwelling on Penelope too long as she makes some uncomfortable hand gestures and mumbles. The whole thing feels like an unfinished product as Nintendo appears to struggle with a simple concept with well-known brand names. One star isn’t quite enough to entice when the execution on the video ad spot isn’t cut to completion – that’s for certain.

Luckily for us, that’s going to change when the Wii U arrives later this year. Nintendo has announced plans to implement a unified account system with the Wii U, which will finally allow for data recovery if your console is ever stolen. There is a catch though – David Marshall, a Nintendo customer support agent, says that the company will require a “valid police report” before the data recovery process can begin.

Despite the police report requirement, this is still a step in the right direction. Nintendo knows that it has to fully embrace online gaming and all of the frustrations that come with it if it wants the Wii U to compete with the next Xbox and PlayStation, so it’s good to see that the big N is making it a bit easier for users to recover their downloadable games and apps should their console ever turns up missing. We’re sure there will be a number of users who are annoyed by having to send Nintendo a police report, but hey, it’s better than not having any access to your downloadable games at all.

[via GamesBeat]

So for example, if you add $20 to your account to spend on digital downloads, you can spend $10 of that on Wii U content and $10 on 3DS content. Currently, there is no such connection between the 3DS and the Wii. Nintendo World Online quoted Marshall as saying, “A unified account system will be implemented later this year with the launch of the Wii U. Eventually this same account system will be made compatible with Nintendo 3DS systems.”

“At this time we have no additional details to offer and nothing to indicate how or if this will work outside the United States and Canada. In the meantime, if the system has a problem, taking it to an Authorized Service Center will maintain the Nintendo eShop account. If the system is stolen, we can transfer the account to a new system once we are provided with a valid police report.” It sounds like it will be a similar setup to what Sony has done with the Playstation Network (PSN). Users create one universal PSN ID, and then can access their content and personal settings whether they’re on their PSP, PS3, Playstation Vita, or a computer.

[via Nintendo World Report]

It was confirmed at E3 2011 that Nintendo was working on a new Super Smash Bros game – an announcement that surprised no one. It was later clarified that the company has designs for both a 3DS game and a Wii U game to expand the franchise. Today’s announcement came from none other than Super Smash Bros director Masahiro Sakurai, who gained a cult following before the launch of Super Smash Bros Brawl because of his constant teases and updates.

“The project has just gotten started. Bear in mind that not only are we developing two titles simultaneously, but we announced the project before we even started actual development, so I’m afraid we will likely have to keep you waiting for quite a while,” said Sakurai. Although the Namco partnership was unveiled, no announcements about playable characters were made.

[via Gamasutra]

Kids like my young cousin Nolan are apt to play the Nintendo 3DS – and the 3DS XL I’m sure, because they’re in the car, on the bus, or in-between places quite often without being behind the wheel. Being a passenger in a vehicle for hours at a time during your normal weekday (or weekend, for that matter) lends itself easily to the idea that you’d love to be playing a video game in that span of time.

Above: Nintendo reveals the Nintendo 3DS XL as well as a grab bag of new games for both the 3DS and LX.

The Nintendo 3DS XL has a power button, X A B Y buttons, directional pad, 3D switch, home/start/select buttons, and a single circle pad. This is what Nintendo calls simplified. A child could understand this interface, and combined with the operating system’s user interface appearing as a bunch of gigantic and simple buttons, it’s clear that the segment of users Nintendo is aiming at here is very young adults.

Some of the games that have been revealed for this system thus far, Pokemon Black/White and New Super Mario Bros 2, for example, show that Nintendo certainly does have a taste for its own super-successful lines of young adult-aimed games. Games such as Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, on the other hand, speak to an older audience. LEGO Lord of the Rings and Scribblenauts Unlimited have been introduced for the platform as well, on the other hand, this once again lending to the idea that the age target for this system (the XL, just as it is with the 3DS) is truly right down in the child segment.

The new games include New Super Mario Bros. 2, which is a side scrolling game set to launch August 19. We have already talked a bit about Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate. Nintendo says that game is set to launch this fall. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon is an action-oriented game with haunted mansions for Luigi to explore set to launch this holiday season.

Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion is a new game combining classic Disney characters where Mickey interacts with the game world using paint and paint thinner. No estimated launch date is offered for this game. Paper Mario: Sticker Star will launch this holiday season and it is a classic role-playing game where Mario uses stickers to win battles and solve puzzles. Scribblenauts Unlimited will be coming to the 3DS at an unspecified time and is a puzzle game. The final game is Kingdom Hearts 3D set to launch in July 31 with a demo version coming soon to the Nintendo eShop. Nintendo also mentioned a few third-party video games coming this year including Transformers Prime, Rabbids Rumble, Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, and Heroes of Ruin.

Square Enix revealed that customers who pre-order the title will receive three promotional augmented reality cards “while supplies last.” According to the company, “Using these cards will allow players to unlock rare Dream Eaters and a 360 viewing stand that allows players to take a closer look at their Dream Eaters from all angles.” The company further explained that “One wild AR card will randomly unlock one of the three rare Dream Eaters: Ursa Circus, Sudo Neku or Meowjesty.”

“The second AR card unlocks R&R Seal Dream Eater, and the last AR card unlocks the 360 viewing stand.” Kingdom Hearts has gained a lot of attention because of its intoxicating mix of classic, innocent Disney characters and intense combat and dark overtones. Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance will be released in the US on July 31.

[via CVG]

It’s not the end of the world: Nintendo say that users will still be able to download clips through its own service, the Nintendo Video Channel. Clips will still be occasionally offered for free, although it’s probably something Nintendo should have exploited more in order to showcase the capabilities of glasses-less 3D. Games can look good on the display, but movies and videos would have made for a compelling argument if they were demoed more.

Nintendo also announced that it’s planning to cancel production of the Aqua Blue 3DS. It was one of the first colors to be made available for the 3DS at launch, including black. Nintendo didn’t say exactly when production will cease, only that it will end “shortly”. The company recently introduced a new purple version in America, which joins the black, red, and pink versions.

[via Kotaku/Polygon]

The change will also allow for more flexibility in how games are priced. Retailers will be able to discount downloads for one-off promotions or longer-term campaigns; Nintendo will merely sell on software to retailers at wholesale prices, and the retailers themselves will be able to decide what mark-up to apply so as to remain competitive.

As for the Wii U hardware itself, Iwata confirmed that we can expect details at E3 2012 in early June. “We will showcase the final format, and discuss the details and the software lineup for this year at E3 2012″ he said on the financial call, but warned that the current plan to release the Wii U to the market near the end of the year meant some information would be held back. “As we did for previous platforms that were launched in the year-end sales season,” he explained, “we will announce the launch date and price in each market sometime after E3.”

Nintendo’s financial performance was worse than expected, with the company confirming it had – for the first time in its history – seen an overall loss of 37.3bn yen ($459.54m). 2013 performance is tipped to be better, however, with Nintendo blaming below-cost subsidies of the 3DS as a key reason for the poor results.

However, the firm maintains that its drastic discounting was vital in order to clinch a solid user-base for the 3DS, without which the glasses-free 3D handheld may not have made it onto the radar of games developers. Still, analysts and investors continue to demand that Nintendo consider broadening its digital horizons and opening at least some of its catalog up to third-party mobile platforms, such as the iPhone.

[via VG247]

This was spurred by a huge glitch in Mario Kart 7, in which there is one track that allows players to exploit a flaw in the track design and end up treating it as an enormous shortcut. This glitch is leading to a lot of unfair competitions in the game’s online multiplayer races, but because there was no way to release an online patch, fans just had to grin and bear it.

Thanks to this new update, though, if a problem like this ever arises again, it will be much easier for Nintendo to fix it. As part of the firmware update, that Mario Kart 7 glitch will automatically be patched to all systems that download the update. The other part of the firmware update lets users create a file structure within their system that gives them the ability to put up to 60 apps/games into individual folders, clearing the clutter from the main menu screen and making it easier to organize for users who have a lot of content.

[via Attack of the Fanboy]

The video games included titles like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Cart 7. Nintendo plans to sell a bunch of 3DS consoles this year as well building on the massive game library with titles like Resident Evil Revelations from CAPCOM, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games published by SEGA, TEKKEN 3D Prime Edition from NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., METAL GEAR SOLID Snake Eater 3D from Konami Digital Entertainment and the upcoming Kid Icarus: Uprising and Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir from Nintendo.

Nintendo sold 2.3 million Nintendo DS consoles the first 12 months it was available compared to 4.5 million 3DS consoles. In the first year, 58 DS software titles were launched and over 100 3DS titles launched the first year. Nintendo says that it sold 5 million pieces of DS software the first year compared over 9 million 3DS titles sold. Total sales in hardware, software, and accessories for the first 12 months for the original DS was $540 million compared to $1.2 billion for the 3DS.

“As many of you know, NFC is the acronym for Near Field Communication, which is a set of standards to establish radio communication in close proximity. The NFC I’m referring to here is the noncontact NFC standard that is compatible with FeliCa and MIFARE, and is expected to be widely used around the world in the near future … By installing this functionality, it will become possible to create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via noncontact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world. Adoption of this functionality will enable various other possibilities such as using it as a means of making micropayments” Iwata Satoru, President and CEO, Nintendo

“Nintendo Network” is the company’s strategy to push “competitions and communication among users, as well as the sales of digital content” to users of both the Wii U and the 3DS. An enhancement to the existing Nintendo WiFi Connection system used on the handheld, the new service should give Nintendo the opportunity to push more digital download and other promotional information to owners.

“Also for the Wii U, we are planning to introduce a personal account system compatible with Nintendo Network. With this, for example, the ease of using a video game system when the hardware is shared by multiple family members, which has been a challenge we needed to tackle, shall be improved, and we will also be able to construct and offer the system by combining a variety of different services and content” Iwata Satoru

Those digital downloads will come from the new Wii U app store, using the existing infrastructure set up for the 3DS’ eShop, though Nintendo says it won’t necessarily be launched at exactly the same time as the console itself. There’ll also be “in-app purchase” style add-on functionality made available for game publishers, allowing them to offer extra content, gameplay and other elements for download to those who have bought a title.

Nintendo is obviously cautious about eating into packaged software sales, and so add-on content will only be used for just that: augmenting core gameplay “as an additional structure in which those who love the game will be able to enjoy it in a deeper way for a prolonged play time.” Store-bought titles will need to be fully functional as-is, however.

The game will support the 3DS Circle Pad Pro accessory, and it is set in the jungles of the 60s. Naturally, the graphics are tweaked from the PS2 version with 3D jungles and settings. The game is also made to take advantage of the split screen format. The inventory that Snake carries is now on the bottom screen, below the action for easy access.

The game makes stealth a key need for completing missions. To support that need for stealth the game allows the user to use a camouflage photography system. The player can take photos of things in their environment and use them to make camo clothing for Snake in the game. How well the camo will work will depend on how well it blends with the game environment. The game is set to launch on February 21 in the US and March 8 in the UK.

Those of you hoping to download the rest of the Game Boy Advance library of utterly classic games such as the Pikachu edition of Pokemon will have to wait, as no such ability is being announced as being in the works. Those of you in the Ambassador program, the full list of releases, just incase you forgot, are as such: WarioWare, Inc: Mega Microgames, Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Wario Land 4, Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Metroid Fusion, F-Zero Maximum Velocity, and Mario Kart: Super Circuit. Get your weirdo game on!

Now we must ask why there aren’t a heck of a lot more games out there transported forward into the world of the most fabulous handheld for Nintendo – why guys, why? What this virtual world of games needs is an injection of pure Game Boy Color, some Game Boy Advance to be sure, and maybe even a little bit of the ol’ Game Boy original if I may be so bold. Why not get some Solomon’s Club up in here? Rock and roll party puzzle games!

The museum has traditionally offered audio guides to people that visit the museum if needed. The 3DS rollout is part of a plan to step up digital device use at the museum. Nintendo is providing the museum with 5,000 of the consoles as part of a partnership with the museum. Each of the little consoles will be loaded with various itineraries that will cater to specific groups and desires.

There will be a kid’s itinerary and hundreds of different recorded commentaries in seven languages on the art and other works on display at the museum. Nintendo developed the content for the museum with the Louvre in editorial control. I am sure that Nintendo is hoping the deal with the popular and heavily toured museum will raise the notoriety of the 3DS.

[via AFP]

In Japan, the GBA games for the program are available to download right now according to a Tweet. To find the games you need to check download history apparently. With the announcement of the games only coming yesterday, it’s impressive to see some of them available right now.

Apparently, only the GBA titles announced are up for download. I hope that we will see those NES games launch soon. We still have no word on when the games will be available in the US. If you download, the games let us know how well they play on the 3DS.

[via Twitter]

Today Nintendo has announced a bunch of new games that will be added to the Ambassador program in Japan and Europe. There is no word on whether the US will see the same games, presumably we will. The new program has a bunch of titles from the NES, including Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, NES Open Tournament Golf, Donkey Kong Jr., Balloon Fight, Ice Climber, Mario & Yoshi, Wrecking Crew, and Metroid.

A bunch of titles for the Game Boy Advance are in the mix too with the following titles. F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi’s Island, Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Metroid Fusion, Wario Land 4, and WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames. I think that Nintendo has made up for the price cut pretty well to those that purchased at normal price. What do you think?

[via Nintendoscene]

The update has some cool new updates inside with new puzzle panels and a follow up for the StreetPass Quest game called Street Pass Quest 2. Other updates include some Mii Plaza tweaks so you get messages for achieving things in Mii Plaza. This includes things like meeting 100 Miis and those from other countries. There is also a music player for hearing tunes in the Plaza.

The StreetPass map will show you where all the Miis you meet are located. The update also added 20 pieces per Puzzle Panel with four pink parts that can only be collected in StreetPass and can’t be purchased. The update also adds video recording to the mic for up to ten-minute videos. The eShop can be linked to a Club Nintendo Membership and you can transfer content between 3DS systems now as well.

[via Official Nintendo Magazine]

Two of the new games launched close to Black Friday time were Super Mario 3D Land and the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for Wii. The 3DS Super Mario Land 3D game sold very well with more than 500,000 copies movie since it launched. That makes it the fastest selling portable Mario game in history.

Skyward Sword sold even better for the Wii with 535,000 copies sold since November 20 making it the fastest selling Zelda game ever. Nintendo also notes that last week 3DS sales tripled up to 325%. Nintendo also notes that the increase in 3DS sales means that in eight months the gaming firm has been able to match the first year sales of the Nintendo DS. Surprisingly the Wii also had its best Black Friday ever with more than 500,000 units sold during Black Friday and pre-Black Friday sales.

[via USA Today]

You’ll either be choosing to grab a box with nintndogs + cats: French Bulldog and New Friends, or nintendogs + cats: Toy Poodle and New Friends. Goodness gracious that’s a long name for a video game. You’ll be much better off picking up one of these for your feminine chile than picking up a real puppy, and of course you’ve always got the excuse for picking up a video game system in “it’ll improve hand-eye coordination.” And what better way to do it than with 3D?

There’s also a couple other Nintendo holiday-offered packs including a Nintendo DSi XL system in Metallic Rose or Midnight Blue boxed up with Mario vs Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! for $169.99, and a Wii remote in Zelda gold with a CD with Zelda music and the game Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for $69.99. It appears that Nintendo is making an effort to bundle up for the holidays, one way or another. Stay warm!

The second bundle is a Cosmo black console that has the Hyrule emblem on the top in gold. The bundle comes with the Ocarina of time 3D video game, which is the latest in the Legend of Zelda series. Each of the bundles will be offered for $199.99 in the US.

Nintendo will also have displays set up in malls in some areas. The displays will be in one of two dozen different malls around the country and Nintendo will have the 3DS and the most popular games for the holidays on display from November 21 to December 18.