Johnny Kung Fu Coming to the Nintendo eShop Soon

Direct Link

Johnny Kung Fu is an interesting beat-em-up title coming soon to the Nintendo eShop. It will combine old school aesthetics and gameplay elements with newer ones as well. I'm really interested in seeing how the Game and Watch type levels play, as well as how the combo system works. This has potential to be a cool little eShop game. No release date has been announced yet, but I'll be sure to keep my eyes posted on this one.

Shifting World Trailer (Nintendo 3DS)

Direct Link

I've played flash games very similar to Shifting World, in fact, upon a little research I found out that this is an extension of the popular flash game Shift. Developed by Armor Games and Fishing Cactus, Shifting World allows you to shift between the black and white environment which creates new platforms that allow you to advance. It looks like the formula will be improved for its retail release on the Nintendo 3DS including new gameplay element that allows you to switch from 2D to 3D.

Play Nintendo's Interview with Operation Rainfall

We are now just a week out from the release of Xenoblade Chronicles in North America and the excitement is beginning to rise! I reached out to the folks at Operation Rainfall to conduct an interview about Xenoblade Chronicles, and their campaign efforts. They graciously agreed to answer a few questions for the Play Nintendo readers, so without further ado, on to the interview! 

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Before we get started I’d like to congratulate you on the success of Operation Rainfall and the fantastic new website. Nintendo fans have been able to effectively voice their opinions through your campaigns and an amazing new community has grown as well, thank you for all your hard work!

  

Play Nintendo: Most Nintendo fans have heard of Operation Rainfall and may have even participated in the campaigns, but there still could be a small few that are new to your efforts. For those few, could you tell us a bit about Operation Rainfall?

Ryan Tyner: Thank you for all the kind words!

On June 23rd, 2011 the marketing manager of Nintendo France, stated that Nintendo of Europe wanted to show Xenoblade Chronicles at E3, but that “Nintendo of America wouldn't let them because they didn't want to show products they aren't planning to sell.” 

That was when a group of gamers, wanting these three games, grouped together and formed Operation Rainfall with the purpose of letting Nintendo of America know there is an audience for these games.

The goal of Operation Rainfall was to get the three titles of Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower localized in the Americas. We would do this by having the thousands of our campaign followers email, mail, post on Nintendo’s Facebook wall, send Nintendo of America Tweets, and even call Nintendo of America, with the purpose of telling Nintendo of America they wanted the three games.

PN: Operation Rainfall, in my opinion, has held the best organized campaigns in recent times and it could be argued that this influenced Nintendo’s decision to bring Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story to North America. Could you tell us about any challenges you may have encountered while organizing these campaigns?

RT: Well I think the biggest challenge was doing all the work for the campaign. People might be surprised just how much work goes into a campaign. You have to create, plan, and organize the campaign in order for it to be successful. You have to find ways to attract more people to your social media sites which involves providing up-to-date information on all the games. We have a website, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google +, Blog, and Youtube channel that all need to be run as well. There is so much work and not very many people doing it. Most of the time the work fell on just three people, the current leaders of the campaign, and it took a toll on us all because we would spend most of our free time working on the campaign. Of course, two of the games we were campaigning for are now coming, so it was worth it in the end.

The Last Story

PN: Now that both games are coming to North America, Nintendo will be paying very close attention to the sales of both games. Nintendo has also chosen to release Xenoblade Chronicles exclusively through GameStop and on their own website. What are your thoughts on Nintendo’s choice for the distribution of Xenoblade Chronicles? 

RT: We’re just happy we’re getting Xenoblade honestly. We would have loved a full release like Europe had, or even a release by a localization publisher like XSEED, but in the end, we are getting the game and that is all that matters. Same thing for The Last Story.

Xenoblade Chronicles

PN: What piece of information would you give to those that haven’t pre-ordered Xenoblade Chronicles, or those on the fence about the game?

RT: I have played Xenoblade Chronicles, and let me tell you, it’s an incredible game. There is just so much you can do (or not do if you so choose) that I spent 145 hours on my first play through. It’s really not like any game you have played before. I felt it took all the best things about the RPG genre and mixed it altogether in one incredible experience. Oh and the characters are fantastic. There is not a single character that you will not like or choose not to add to your party. 

Xenoblade Chronicles

PN: Moving forward, Operation Rainfall will begin campaigning for the release of Pandora’s Tower. Could you share some of those plans with us?

RT: Beginning April 13^th, which marks the day that Pandora’s Tower is released in Europe, we will begin what we are calling “Pandora’s Tower month”. For an entire month, we will be posting news, articles, reviews, videos, and everything else we can find on Pandora’s Tower, to get people hyped up about the game. We don’t have a schedule quite yet, but we also have plans during the month to have our followers contact NoA and XSEED and let them know there are a lot of people that want the game released in the Americas.

Pandora's Tower

PN: It’s possible that Operation Rainfall will begin campaigns to localize other games outside the big three. I know that fans have been asking if there are plans to target other games for localization, but I’m going to ask something a little different. Are there any games that Operation Rainfall isn’t interested in creating a campaign for?

RT: We’re not really interested in campaigning for games that were either not well received in Japan, or did not sell well; Earth Seeker is an example. We would love it if Earth Seeker was localized, but we can’t exactly tell a company to localize a game that could potentially lose them money. Also, we’re not really interested in past games that were never localized. We want to focus on games that have either not been released in Japan as of yet, or that have just recently been released. So, sorry people, this means no Captain Rainbow or Disaster Day of Crisis.

PN: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

RT: Just that we hope all of your readers plan to buy these games when they are released here. The campaign will mean nothing if the games are released and they sell poorly. It would show that we were wrong and that they were right in not wanting to release them here in the first place. So buy the games!

Also, we just recently started a website that not only brings coverage about our three games, but also brings coverage on other games coming out of Japan as well as other niche genre games that need a bit of attention. So check it out! http://www.operationrainfall.com

Thank you for taking time to conduct this interview, it’s going to be an extremely exciting week for Nintendo fans! I know I’m personally stoked about sinking my teeth into Xenoblade Chronicles. I look forward to hearing more about Operation Rainfall in the future and wish you all the best!

RT: Thank you! 

Ryan Tyner, Co-leader of Operation Rainfall

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I'd like to thank Ryan Tyner of Operation Rainfall for taking the time to answer a few of my questions. I'd also like to say that if you're looking for more information on Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, or Pandora's Tower then you should definitely check out the Operation Rainfall Website as well as the official websites for each game. You can also follow Operation Rainfall on Twitter (and Facebook) to stay up to date on their current and future efforts.

Rhythm Thief and the Emperor's Treasure Release Date and Box Art

I know I haven't reported it yet, but Sega has confirmed the release date for Rhythm Thief and the Emperor's Treasure, so here is the scoop. Rhythm Thief and the Emperor's Treasure will be released on July 10, 2012 according to the official Sega website. Is this a game that you're looking forward to playing?

Source

Nintendo Download for March 29, 2012

Nintendo Download Highlights New Digital Content for Nintendo Systems

 

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This week’s Nintendo Download includes the following featured content:

• Nintendo eShop
  • ARC STYLE: Soccer 3D – Enjoy fast-paced matches with the simple controls of this casual soccer game. You can customize your teams’ names and uniforms, or even use a photo of your own face. (For Nintendo 3DS^™)
• Nintendo Video^™
  • World Premiere “Skyscrapers” by OK Go (available at 9 a.m. PST) – OK Go hit Nintendo Video once again this week with their latest display of 3D mastery. Don’t miss the world premiere of the band's newest video “Skyscrapers” on Nintendo Video! (For Nintendo 3DS)
• Nintendo eShop
  • Mutant Mudds^™ (demo version) – Armed with a heavy-duty water cannon, Max must vanquish his nemeses, the Mutant Mudds, by blasting and hovering his way across the soiled landscape to seek out mysterious Water Sprites. This free demo is now available on Nintendo eShop. (For Nintendo 3DS)

Also new this week:

• 90’s Pool (Nintendo eShop / Nintendo DSiWare)
• 2 Fast 4 Gnomz (demo version) (WiiWare^™) 

To view this week’s Nintendo Download in its full graphical version, please visit: http://www.news2know.net/nintendo/downloadm3942HHa.php

Source: Nintendo PR

First ever #SlamfestSaturday to take place March 31, 2012

What exactly is #SlamfestSaturday? Well, SlamfestSaturdays will be events that feature some kind of battle, race, or game of some new Nintendo 3DS/Wii/Wii U titles. The first event will feature a  Kid Icarus: Uprising Free-for-All battle that will last between 30-60 minutes. I'm also aiming for an afternoon game somewhere between 4 P.M. EST and 7 P.M. EST, whatever works best for you!

I am going to participate, as well as one other person from my Twitter account, so I hope to get four more people. That's why I'm posting here! If you're interested, leave a message below, or on the Play Nintendo Twitter account with the hashtag #SlamfestSaturday . I will need to exchange Nintendo 3DS friend codes with you to make sure you can play in the game as well.

Nintendo 3DS News: Unchained Blades Announcement Trailer

Unchained Blades has been confirmed for North America localization and will be brought over by XSeed Games. There isn't a confirmation on the format in the trailer, but Nintendo Power has it listed as a Nintendo eShop download.

 Direct Link

New Xenoblade Chronicles Trailer

We are just under a week away from the release of Xenoblade Chronicles and to celebrate Nintendo has posted a trailer. It's one of those showy offy review trailers that brags about how good the game is; but from what I hear this game is that good.
Enjoy the trailer!
Direct Link

Reggie Invades on the 1 Year Anniversary of the Nintendo 3DS!

First of all, I'd like to wish Nintendo 3DS owners a Happy Anniversary, why? Well, today marks the 1 year anniversary of the handheld's release in North America! To think, just a short year ago on March 27th, 2011, Nintendo added another piece of hardware to its already impressive line of handhelds.

For those of you who have put your Nintendo 3DS in sleep you would of noticed a neat little surprise waiting for you inside the StreetPass Mii Plaza. For those that haven't done that yet, you will be excited to learn that a Reggie Fils-Aime Mii has invaded your Nintendo 3DS! Not only do you get his Mii, but you will also receive a puzzle piece of your choice in Puzzle Swap. To add to the fun, Reggie can also be used as a warrior in Find Mii; he happens to be a Level 5 character coming from the homeland of Nintendo!

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion is a Sequel to Sega Genesis Classic Castle of Illusion

Nintendo Power has shed a little more light on Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion for the Nintendo 3DS and the reveal is somewhat surprising. Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion will be a sequel to the popular Sgea Genesis classic Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse. It will be a sidescrolling platformer with hand-drawn sprites and scrolling parallax backgrounds, both of which were popular during the release of Castle of Illusion. Mickey will also be able to use his brush powers from Epic Mickey to create platforms, canons, etc.; all of which are traced using the stylus.

I'm personally more excited for this game over Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two because I'm just a huge fan of retro gaming. That being said, how do you feel about Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion knowing now that it will be a retro inspired sidescrolling platformer?

Source

Mutant Mudds Demo Coming to North America This Coming Thursday!

Jools Watsham has revealed that the Mutant Mudds demo will hit the Nintendo eShop Thursday, March 29th as part of next week's Nintendo Download! I've said it before, but I'll say it a thousand more times; if you're a retro fan, or a platforming fan, Mutant Mudds is a MUST buy! If you haven't purchased this game yet, please give the demo a shot, this is one of the greatest video games ever!

Source

3D Classics Kid Icarus can be bought at Gamestop!

Never got a copy when you pre-ordered Kid Icarus: Uprising? Well, no fear, Gamestop will be selling 3D Classics Kid Icarus download codes! Looks like they are sold out online, but it's worth checking in with your local retail store to see if they have them in stock. They are being sold for $5.99 which is the going price for 3D Classics games.

Check out the Gamestop listing for 3D Classics Kid Icarus

Play Nintendo's Interview with Goodbye Galaxy Games

I recently had the opportunity to conduct an e-mail interview with Hugo Smits of Goodbye Galaxy Games! You may be familiar with some of his DSiWare games; these games being Flipper and its sequel Flush the Goldfish. I contacted Mr. Smits after the release of the Ace Mathician trailer to see if I could find out a bit more about the game. Hope you enjoy this interview!

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Hi Hugo! I wanted to thank you for taking time out of your schedule to answer a few questions about Ace Mathician. I just recently ran into the trailer for the game and must say, it is a very intriguing concept. I knew I just had to hit you up for an interview, and here we are!

Play Nintendo:  Ace Mathician is your latest DSiWare Game. Can you briefly explain what Ace Mathician is about for our readers?

Goodbye Galaxy Games: It’s a puzzle platform game where you can change the levels to your advantage by using math!

Most people don’t like math in school.. so why like it now ? well first off, there’s no wrong answers in this game! Anything you can come up with will have an effect on the world.

If you can’t find the right solution, you can make up with your mad Mario skills by jumping and running!

On the bottom screen you will see 4 buttons/symbols. Those are the symbols you can use to create a formula with. You can only use a symbol once in a formula. Because of this, you will have some freedom in creating your own thing, but at the same time the scope stays limited. This means you can also guess the formula quite easy.

And of course you can reset the formula and try again as much as you like!

One of many possible solutions to obtain the fruit!

PN: Could you tell us a bit about how you came up with the idea for Ace Mathician?

GGG: I was trying to figure out why I liked math so much! I hated it in school, REALLY hated it. So how come I enjoy it now so much in game programming ?

I think it’s because game programming makes things visual! Also, there isn’t really a wrong answer. Everything I enter in will have an effect (maybe not the effect I wanted).

And I saw how this was similar to art class. I mean, if the teacher asked you to draw what you did over the weekend.. everybody could do that!  Sure, not everybody had the talent to become a artist at Disney or something.. but they could draw. It was impossible to do that assignment wrong!

And that’s what I tried to do in Ace Mathician. Every formula you can enter will have an effect! And the math will be visible! On top of that, you can use your oldskool super Mario platform skills by running and jumping. So if you can’t place a platform in the right position to cover a pit, jump over the pit!

PN: Using Math as one of the main gameplay mechanics is a bold choice, but was it the first choice when you started developing this game?

GGG: Yes, I want to make math a fun thing to do. It works really good in this game, it’s almost impossible to get yourself stuck.

At the bottom of the screen you have 4 buttons/symbols you can use those symbols to create a formula with. You can only use each symbol once per formula. So you have some freedom in creating the formula, but the scope stays limited enough that even really casual players don’t get lost!

PN: This is a unique, fun and intelligent application of Math in video games, but how do you think it will be received by gamers?

GGG: Everybody is interested [in the] concept, not everybody likes the concept. Most gamers don’t like math! But in this game it’s really different. There’s no wrong answer, anything you can come up with will work!

And you can always make up with your platform skills!

Puzzles will become more complex as you progress in Ace Mathician

PN: Will the game be solely controlled with the stylus?

GGG: No, you enter the math formula at the bottom with your stylus. The platforming part is with the buttons and d-pad.

PN: Apart from the mathematic functions, are there any other gameplay mechanics that we can expect?

GGG: There’s a lot of platforming involved. And there are quite some cool puzzles to solve with the math. Especially in the later levels when the monkey enemies get introduced.

PN: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

GGG: I would really like to thank all the gamers that have bought my games and supported me! It really means a lot to me. I work day and night in a small dark room to complete these titles, but it’s all worth it once I see other people play my games!

If you would like to learn more about my games for DSi-Ware or for 3DS-Ware you can follow me here:

http://goodbyegalaxygames.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/HugoSmits 

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I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Hugo once again for providing us a little insight on his new DSiWare game Ace Mathician! You should also check out the official Ace Mathician website to learn even more about the game.

Darksiders 2 Confirmed to be a Wii U Launch Title!

Vigil Games have confirmed that Darksiders 2 will be a Wii U Launch title when chatting with Game Informer. They also told Game Informer that the Wii U controller will help enhance the core game. It is very exciting to see Darksiders 2 come to the Wii U and so far it is the only Wii U Launch Title, according to the developer at least.

Source

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion Confirmed for the Nintendo 3DS

Another Epic Mickey game has been confirmed and this time it's a Nintendo 3DS game! Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion will also be a sequel to the wildly popular Epic Mickey and act as a companion game to Epic Mickey 2 on the Wii. Not a lot is known, but the details will be in the April issue of Nintendo Power! Are you getting excited Epic Mickey fans? Guess those Epic Mickey 3DS rumors were true!

Source

No 3D Classics Kid Icarus for Canadians

 I was kind of expecting to get a 3D Classics Kid Icarus code when pre-ordering Kid Icarus: Uprising, but to my disappointment, I didn't get one. I've also had Canadians on Twitter confirm this as well. We did get a nifty package of 5 AR Cards from EB Games/GameStop though.

Kid Icarus: Uprising is out Today! Enjoy this Sweet Launch Trailer

Direct Link

To celebrate the release of Kid Icarus: Uprising, Nintendo has uploaded this sweet launch trailer. On another note, I will have my copy of Kid Icarus: Uprising a little later when my pre-order gets here.

Epic Mickey 2 Video Preview

Direct Link

There's a ton more gameplay footage here including some gameplay from the sidescrolling levels. Looks like Gamesradar was playing the X-Box 360 version, but the Wii version shouldn't be much different. It was confirmed that the Wii version will be the main version of the game as well.

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two Official Debut Trailer

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Disney's Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two - Exclusive Debut Trailer, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Direct Link

Looks pretty neat, but the trailer is more of a teaser than anything else. There is a bit of gameplay footage here, but not enough to get excited about yet. The game looks familiar, and there's a small bit of Oswald thrown in here, plus the graphics look more refined; overall a nice debut trailer for Epic Mickey 2.

First Gameplay Footage of Epic Mickey 2: The Power of 2

Direct Link

Much like yesterday's big reveal of Epic Mickey 2, Associated Press has the first gameplay footage from Epic Mickey 2. From what I can see, Epic Mickey 2 is going to be very familiar, however, familiar isn't always bad. If Junction Point delivers on the camera issue, I'd be more than willing to take another romp through Wasteland.

I'd also like to see more variety in the gameplay, backtracking and collecting were a big part of the last game and that I didn't enjoy. Having Oswald seems to be pretty neat, yet we haven't seen a whole lot yet, but I'm expecting a ton of co-operative objectives. Gametrailers TV will have the first official trailer tonight, so expect that to go up a bit later.

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two Now Available for Pre-Order + Plus Box Art!

Amazon has a pre-order listing for Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two along with some nifty box art. I usually don't take artwork from Amazon, but multiple sites are posting the official X-Box 360 box art and it is the same, so why not? Take into consideration that this may not be the final box art. That being said, you can head over to Amazon now to pre-order a copy for $44.99 and remember, Amazon has to stick to that price!

Pre-Order Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two at Amazon.com

Square-Enix Announces Theatrhythm Final Fantasy for North America

Were you concerned that this title might not make it to our shores? Well, no need to worry any longer as Square-Enix has just announced that Theatrhythm Final Fantasy will be launching in North America sometime during Summer 2012.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is a quirky music rhythm game that will be bringing more than 70 tracks spanning the 25 year long series. Music will be taken from key events that happened in the series, the fantastic field themes, as well as important battles. This game features an adorable chibi-esque design that not only focuses on music, but also includes some RPG elements as well. Among adventuring and battling villains from the series with your stylus you can also expect the following:

• Revisit their most cherished memories from each FINAL FANTASY title
• Strive to achieve the highest ranks in the challenge mode
• Collect and share "dark notes," a random music sheet that is riddled with hidden loot within the Chaos Shrine
• Seek out crystal shards to unlock hidden characters 

Here is a trailer of the Japanese version to give you a better idea of the game:

Direct Link

Source: Square-Enix Press Release

Rare Hudson Wii Demo Discs up for Auction!

I have put these two rare Hudson Demo Discs (Help Wanted and Marble Saga Kororinpa w/beanie) up for auction to raise some cash for Play Nintendo. This cash will go towards hosting Play Nintendo independently and no longer on the free Blogger service. If you could pass this auction around the Internet, I would greatly appreciate it!

Have a peek at the auction here!

Nintendo Download for March 22, 2012

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD HIGHLIGHTS NEW DIGITAL CONTENT FOR NINTENDO SYSTEMS - MAR. 22, 2012

March 22, 2012
This week's Nintendo Download includes the following featured content:

Nintendo eShop
Zombie Slayer Diox™ - Zombie Slayer Diox is a rhythm-action game with a side-scrolling twist. Don the jeans and leather boots of a samurai guitarist living in a future time when zombies have taken over most of the world. (For Nintendo 3DS™)

Ace Mathician Trailer (Nintendo DSiWare/Nintendo eShop)

Direct Link

Visit the official Ace Mathician Website

Colors 3D Coming to North America in Early April

Colors 3D! has just passed Nintendo's submission requirements and will be available on the Nintendo eShop on April 5th in North America.

Source

Ketzal's Corridors Trailer

Direct Link

Ketzal's Corridors was announced earlier this month, but I didn't post any screenshots, or trailers for the game. Nintendo has uploaded this trailer for the game, so I thought I should get it up to give you an idea of what to expect with this game. I have no plans to review this game, but if there is a demand for one then I may.

Press Release: Kid Icarus: Uprising For Nintendo 3DS Offers Soaring Handheld Adventure

KID ICARUS: UPRISING FOR NINTENDO 3DS OFFERS SOARING HAND-HELD ADVENTURE

The Creator of Super Smash Bros. Delivers an Action-Packed Portable Game with Airborne and Land-Based Battles, Wireless Multiplayer Modes, Augmented-Reality Features and Stunning 3D Visuals

VANCOUVER, B.C., Mar. 21, 2012 – Nintendo 3DS users are in for an unforgettable adventure when Kid Icarus: Uprising launches across North America on March 23. With immersive 3D graphics and boundless action that up to six players can enjoy together, the game makes extraordinary use of the portable Nintendo 3DS system's unique wireless capabilities and augmented-reality features. It also marks the return of a fan-favourite Nintendo character, the heroic angel Pit, who made his debut in the original Kid Icarus game for the NES console. From the mind of Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai, Kid Icarus: Uprising invites experienced and new gamers alike to discover the fun of this timeless franchise as they embark on an epic journey with Pit by air and on land.

In Kid Icarus: Uprising, Pit must defend himself against the dark goddess Medusa and her malevolent Underworld Army. With help from Palutena, goddess of light and guardian of the human race, he battles enemies in the air and on the ground as each chapter is divided into Air Battle and Land Battle stages. Players can enhance the action with a nearly unlimited arsenal of collectible weapons, from Bows to Cannons to Claws, each with its own unique characteristics and play style. Players can also fuse weapons together, resulting in a single weapon that combines certain characteristics of the original two.

Disney Announces Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two for the Wii

Associated Press has confirmed that a sequel for Epic Mickey will indeed coming to the Wii console, as well as the X-Box 360 and PlayStation 3. Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two will include full voice acting, as well as the first ever voice for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Voice acting will be extremely important in Epic Mickey 2 as the game is slated to be a musical with characters breaking into song throughout the game.

Epic Mickey 2 will also feature a focus on drop-in/drop-out co-operative play with Oswald the Rabbit being playable in addition to Mickey. Mickey will be bringing back the beloved Paint and Thinner gameplay while Oswald will carry around a remote control that can manipulate electricity; utilizing both characters will be essential to in completing objectives. If a second player isn't around to control Oswald, he will become computer controlled as he is essential to the gameplay experience.

The adventure will return to Wasteland with Mickey and Oswald revisiting some areas from the first game, however, earthquakes and other disasters will change the appearance of these areas. In addition to returning areas, Warren Spector says that new areas will also be included. In addition to returning areas, your good or mischievous choices will directly affect what happens throughout the game; an example would be the type of songs and music that will occur during your experience.

Lastly, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two will feature a largely improved camera system; this was a common complaint with the original.

Source

Konami Announces Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition for WiiWare

Konami has just announced that the newest Frogger game will be coming to the WiiWare service this spring! Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition will include the classic run-and-dodge gameplay we know all too well and some interesting new modes such as Battle Roale, Tile Capture and Freak Out! There is also a competitive four playermode that can be played with friends, or against the computer! In addition to these gameplay elements, Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition can be skinned with a retro 8-bit style, the new HYPER ARCADE neon style, or to look like Castlevania or Contra.

No specific date has been set, nor is their a price point, but if you need a Frogger fix then this sounds like your game.

Source: Konami PR

Parko's Early Reviews: Super Mario Land eBay Review

Even though Play Nintendo only got its start a little over a year ago, I've been reviewing games off and on for about four years. I was on my eBay account and dug up this Super Mario Land review I did back in 2008. I thought it would be a cool idea to dig up old reviews and share them with you guys. I will start this off with my early review for Super Mario Land! This was the first time I reviewed the game, but certainly not the last.

Story (3/5): Princess Daisy of Sarasaland has been captured, and it's up to Mario to save her. The story itself is fairly simple, but instead of the Mushroom Kingdom, it takes place in a completely different land. Princess Peach is nowhere to be found, and neither is Bowser, but that's not always a bad thing.

Game Play (5/5): Not much to say about the way the game plays other than awesome. It's a tried and true formula that works especially well for the Super Mario series. In Super Mario Land, however, you get to ride in a submarine and an airplane. This is a break from the traditonal 2D platforming and is much better than it sounds.

There are four worlds with three levels each, and they play like levels from the console versions of Super Mario Bros. Running, jumping on Goombas, Koopas, and avoiding other obstacles in true platforming action.

Controls (4/5): Controls are very simple, D-Pad moves Mario, press A to jump, and hold B to run. The only reason the controls don't get a 5/5 is that jumping isn't as tight as I would like it to be. This can cause some deaths if you're not being real careful.

 

Graphics (4/5): Graphics are what you would expect from an early Game Boy game, but that it isn't bad. You can easily tell what you can and can't jump on and enemies are all different and unique. Graphics are obviously nothing compared to today's standards, but that doesn't matter if your playing Game Boy.

Sound (5/5): The sound is excellent. Great music that you will likely get stuck in your head for hours on end.

Overall (4/5): If you collect Super Mario games, then this is one you need to have. E-bay is a great place to find this game for a reasonable price, and is sure to make any Mario fan very happy.

So, was this an interesting read? I have others that I could dig up for games like No More Heroes, Elebits the Adventure of Kai and Zero and a few others that escape me at the moment. These take me back to a time when I was just doing reviews for myself, sounds odd, but I guess I was just experimenting and seeing if this was something I'd like to continue doing. Here we are four years later and I do reviews for Play Nintendo readers and the internet as a whole on a consistent basis. I like how this turned out.

GameStop Selling Nintendo eShop Games

Zack over at Nintendo Gamer Thoughts discovered that GameStop is selling Nintendo eShop title Pushmo over at the U.S. website. It's being sold for $6.99, which matches the Nintendo eShop price and can presumably be accessed through download code.

There is only one other 3DS game available as DLC at GameStop and that's Virtual Console title Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.

Club Nintendo Wishes you a Happy St. Patrick's Day with new Luigi Reward!

First of all, Happy St. Patrick's day to you all! Secondly, Nintendo has uploaded a new reward to celebrate the brother in green. If you head over to Club Nintendo you will find this nifty Nintendo 3DS Pouch: Luigi Edition for 450 coins. A little on the high end, but this is bound to be a hot item today and it's Luigi related, so that's awesome.

Head over to Club Nintendo to claim your Luigi Hat 3DS Pouch

Rayman Origins on the 3DS Delayed

Looks like it's official, Ubisoft has confirmed that the Nintendo 3DS version of Rayman Origins is indeed delayed until June. This delay will be happening worldwide with no reason provided at the moment.

Source

Transformers Prime Video Game Announced Exclusively for Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS

Direct Link

Activision has announced that Transformers Prime The Game (based on the Transformers Prime TV show) will be coming exclusively to Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS later in the year. Not a lot of info was given in the press release, but gamers can expect to play as their favourite Transformers such as Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Arcee, Autobot Ratchet, Bulkhead and more. It will also feature brawler like combat gameplay and driving sequences for those times when you need to transform.

Sounds neat, but ultimately, we need more info. Sounds like it could be a beat-em-up type game, which I'm always fond of, even If I do personally suck at them.

Source: Activision PR

Small Update

I will also try in-text ads to help generate revenue for the site/Wii U. These in-text links will be green to easily differentiate them from my regular links. They are also different than the ads you sometimes see from Project Wonderful. They will pay a small amount to me for every time they are clicked, which is similar to normal PPC banner ads.

This is in addition to the two ad spaces I have up on Project Wonderful's ad auction site. Just a heads up! Hopefully, I will have everything solidified soon!

Thanks for hanging in there with me

- Robert Park"o"

Nintendo Download for March 15, 2012 (Game Gear Day)

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD HIGHLIGHTS NEW DIGITAL CONTENT FOR NINTENDO SYSTEMS - MAR. 15, 2012

Mar. 15, 2012
This week's Nintendo Download includes the following featured content:

Nintendo eShop Sonic the Hedgehog™: Triple Trouble – Race to retrieve Chaos Emeralds that have been scattered across the planet Mobius. Loop, blast and super-spin-dash through six zones, five bonus rounds and a wild 3D stage. (For Nintendo 3DS™)

Shinobi™ – An evil force emanating from Neo City has captured your fellow students, and only you can save them. Attack with your powerful katana as you battle for their freedom. (For Nintendo 3DS)

Dragon Crystal™ – Pass through 30 worlds in search of the Magic Goblet. Blaze a trail through the treacherous labyrinths of four magic kingdoms, collecting weapons, armor, magic books, potions, rods and rings as you go. (For Nintendo 3DS)

Nintendo Video™Kid Icarus™ 3D Anime – Nintendo is partnering with renowned Japanese animation studios to celebrate the Kid Icarus franchise and bring their latest creations exclusively to Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Video. The first anime series, Thanatos Rising, comes from Production I.G. Look for videos from Shaft, Inc. and Studio 4°C, coming soon! (For Nintendo 3DS)

Also new this week:
• Pirates Assault (Nintendo eShop / Nintendo DSiWare™)
• Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa's Revenge™ (Virtual Console™ for Wii™)

To view this week's Nintendo Download in its full graphical version, please visit:http://www.news2know.net/nintendo/download1xDvN47y.php.

 Source: Nintendo Press Release

Mutant Mudds Demo Coming to the Nintendo eShop

 

Jools Watsham confirmed that a Mutant Mudds demo would be coming to the Nintendo eShop soon. It will feature four levels (1-1/2-1/3-1/4-1) and one of the hidden V-Land/G-Land levels as well. I'm glad that a demo is coming and I'm confident that if you're on the fence, this demo will convince you to buy the game. If not I'll eat mud.

OK, maybe not, but you can check out my Mutant Mudds review to see why it's platforming perfection.

Club Nintendo Members can Get Three FREE Kid Icarus: Uprising AR Idol Cards Now!

If you're a Club Nintendo member then you should head over to this webpage to claim your free pack of Kid Icarus: Uprising AR Idol Cards. Looks like this is a limited prize, so you should head over to Club Nintendo now to make sure you get your pack, plus they are absolutely free, you just need to be a Club Nintendo member.

The following cards come in this three card pack:

• Great Reaper
• Drill Arm
• Palutena (Rare)

Claim your free Kid Icarus: Uprising AR Idol Cards

Kid Icarus: Uprising Metroid and Komayto Trailer

Hey everyone! There hasn't been a whole lot on the news front as of late, you know besides rumors, but it is that time of year when rumors begin to spread faster than the real stuff. I wasn't going to post this trailer initially, but I think it will be a neat one to fill the gap.

Direct Link

This trailer just shows the connection between Metroids and the Komayto enemy from Kid Icarus. They are indeed related and is considered a cameo; Komayto comes from the word Kometoroido which means Metroid Child in Japanese. There's a neat little fact!

Angry Birds and Angry Birds Space Slated for Nintendo 3DS Release Sometime Soon

Rovio has confirmed to Joystiq that they will be bringing the Angry Birds franchise to the Nintendo 3DS sometime soon. This announcement comes on the heels of the debut of Angry Birds Space, which will also make its way to the Nintendo 3DS. Check out a trailer for that game below:

Source

Super Mario Galaxy Reaches Wii Sales Milestone

Super Mario Galaxy has surpassed Five Million in sales on the Wii console, which makes it the ninth title to do so since 2006! At its current $19.99 price point there is no excuse to not have this in your collection. It's a game that I believe will stand the test of time and be considered a classic ten years from now, if it isn't already a classic now!





Here is a complete list of the five million sellers on the Wii:

1. Wii Play (13.06 million)
2. Mario Kart Wii (11.3 million)
3. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (8.86 million)
4. Wii Fit (8.18 million)
5. Wii Fit Plus (7.32 million)
6. Wii Sports Resort (6.45 million)
7. Just Dance 2 (5.61 million)
8. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (5.43 million)
9. Super Mario Galaxy (5.04 million)

Source: Nintendo PR

Crush 3D Is Available Now Exclusively at Gamestop with Budget Pricing

To clear up the confusion, Sega has sent around an e-mail notifying the press that Crush 3D is available exclusively at Gamestop today! It seems to have been delayed only by a couple of days. It is also available for a budget price of $19.99 and from what I experienced during the demo, this is definitely a steal of a deal.

Here is a link to the Gamestop listing, or you could check with your local Gamestop to see if they have this in stock.

Source: Sega PR E-mail

Newest Kid Icarus: Uprising Trailer

CAUTION: There is content here that can be considered spoiler-ish

Direct Link

I thought I was excited for this game before, but this trailer just manages to take my excitement to another level. Kid Icarus: Uprising looks like it will offer a great story complete with voice acting, some awesome gameplay and the humor we expect from the series. 

I really hope this game sells well, so that it won't take Nintendo another 21 years to make a Kid Icarus game. I have my pre-order fully paid, so expect a review (currently planned for March 25th) for this game shortly after its release.

Nintendo Download for March 8, 2012

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD HIGHLIGHTS NEW DIGITAL CONTENT FOR NINTENDO SYSTEMS - MAR. 8, 2012

March 8, 2012
This week's Nintendo Download includes the following featured content:

Nintendo eShop
• Fun! Fun! Minigolf TOUCH! – Play minigolf with your Mii™ character and master new cups and trick-shot challenges in beautiful environments. The perfect touch-screen controls make for a fun and rewarding putting experience. (For Nintendo 3DS™)

Nintendo eShop and Nintendo DSiWare™
• Zuma's Revenge™ – An irresistible force has taken our fearless frog to a newly evolved world of Zuma ruled by evil tiki bosses. Fire stone spheres to destroy the deadly stream of balls in this ball-blasting challenge. (For Nintendo 3DS / Nintendo DSi™)

Nintendo eShop
• Punch-Out!!™ Featuring Mr. Dream – Play as young boxer Little Mac and battle the big guys of the World Video Boxing Association. Take them on one by one, from Glass Joe all the way to the WVBA Champion himself. (For Nintendo 3DS)

Also new this week:
• The King of Fighters '97™ (Virtual Console™ for Wii™)

To view this week's Nintendo Download in its full graphical version, please visit:
http://www.news2know.net/nintendo/downloadK32u61Hf.php

Source: Nintendo Download

Wii U News: Havok and Nintendo Agree to provide Wii U Developers Havok Physics and Havok Animation Technology

Assassin's Creed III for the Wii U isn't the only news coming out of GDC '12 for Nintendo's new console. Havok announced this morning that they have entered into an agreement with Nintendo that would allow Wii U developers use of their Havok Physics and Havok Animation technologies. This is a worldwide license, so developers from all over can use these technologies.

Source

Crush 3D Release Delayed

Looks like Crush 3D has been delayed, however, release dates are conflicting. It was supposed to come out yesterday, but Nintendo lists it at next Tuesday, March 13th (so does Gamestop), while Sega themselves list it at this Friday, March 9th.

Check with your local retailers on these dates to see if they have the game. I can confirm that my local EB Games didn't have the game yesterday when I bought Resident Evil: Revelations, but then again they rarely have games in on time.

Looking for an opinion on Crush 3D? Check out our Crush 3D Demo Impressions.

Mutant Mudds Developer, Renegade Kid, Teases New Nintendo eShop Game

My love for Mutant Mudds is no secret, I gave it a glowing review and interviewed Jools Watsham, so you can imagine my interest in this new teaser from Renegade Kid.

There isn't much to go by at the moment, but a teaser image seems to suggest a puzzle type game; plus it has a monkey, so I'm practically sold already. Hopefully, we learn more about Bomb Monkey in the coming months, maybe at E3? Regardless, it's great to see developers really giving it a go with the Nintendo eShop as things have been on quite a roll lately.

Check out the Teaser Site Here

Nintendo Announces New Nintendo eShop Titles and Game Gear Games coming this Month!

Nintendo has announced a bunch of titles coming soon to the eShop and that we will get Game Gear games this month! I'm going to start this off by listing the Game Gear games; we will be getting Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble, Shinobi, and Dragon Crystal on March 15th.

Some titles have been confirmed for this week's Nintendo Download as well, including the following titles: Punch Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream for the 3DS Virtual Console and Fun! Fun! Minigolf TOUCH! for on the Nintendo eShop.

Other upcoming Nintendo eShop titles include an Aztec-themed action puzzle game called Ketzal's Corridors, Zombie Slayer Diox (March 22) which is a rhythm-action game featuring a samurai guitarist who must use music to defeat Zombies, Arc Style Soccer!! 3D which is a customizable soccer game that lets gamers use photos of their own face and Colors! 3D which allows users to create 3D drawings and sketches. Nintendo also announced that a demo version of Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure from Sega that will be available on April 19.

Source

Press Release: Nintendo 3DS Sells 4.5 Million Units in Its First Year in the U.S.

Platform Sells Nearly Twice as Many Units as Nintendo DS Sold in its First Year

 

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The era of glasses-free 3D gaming is turning one this month as Nintendo 3DS prepares to celebrate its first birthday. On March 27, 2011, video games and portable entertainment jumped into a new dimension in the U.S. and that story got richer throughout the year with record-breaking software titles such as Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 and entertainment options such as Netflix, Nintendo Video and the ability to record 3D movies. The platform enters its second year with a massive lineup of games, including the recently launched 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 3DS closes its first year with a lengthy list of accomplishments but we’re still just scratching the surface,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “With a massive lineup of first- and third-party games and more on the way, a budding library of entertainment options and an engaged and growing installed base, Nintendo 3DS has an incredibly bright future. We’re just getting started but this platform is built for the long haul.”

Wii U News: Assassin's Creed III Confirmed for the Wii U

Ubisoft has revealed in a press release that Assassin's Creed III is definitely in development for Nintendo's Wii U console. An Assassin's Creed game was confirmed to be in development for the Wii U console at last year's E3, but now it looks like Assassin's Creed III will be that game.

A release date has been set for October 31, 2012, but the details are vague on when it will come to the Wii U. Here is the reveal trailer for Assassin's Creed III:

Direct Link

Assassin's Creeed III is set during the American Revolution in 18th Century North America. Players will control new a Assassin to the series, Ratohnhaké:ton, a Native American who also happens to have English heritage. Our new hero will adopt the name Connor and become the voice of justice in the ancient war between Assassins and Templars.


Assassin's Creed III will be powered by Ubisoft's new game engine, Ubisoft-AnvilNext.

Three More Virtual Console Games Removed as Turbografx-16 Takes a Hit

I never had the pleasure of owning a Turbografx-16 as a kid, but I did know somebody on my street that owned the console, so I didn't miss out entirely. I was extremely happy to see Nintendo add Turbografx-16 support to the Virtual Console and knew I had to try some of those games. I tried Bonk's Adventure, loved it and wondered when more Turbografx-16 games would be released.

Fast forward to today and I'm wondering, which Turbografx-16 games will be removed next? Bloody Wolf, Drop Off (I know right) and Silent Debuggers have all bit the virtual dust. This isn't the first time games have mysteriously disappeared without reason. Remember when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles disappeared last month?

I hope this isn't a continuing trend, but it looks like it may just be.

Source

Kid Icarus: Uprising has a Different Pre-Order Bonus at EB Games(Gamestop) in Canada

I have already pre-ordered my copy of Kid Icarus: Uprising, but I was curious about the 3D Classics: Kid Icarus pre-order bonus, so over I went to the EB Games website. To my surprise, I found that Canadians will be getting an exclusive set of 5 Kid Icarus: Uprising AR Cards.

This is a pretty neat bonus to receive, but whether or not we will get 3D Classics: Kid Icarus at the moment is unknown. Is it greedy to still want the 3D version of Kid Icarus?

Play Nintendo Blog Ads Note

Play Nintendo 1.0: Vintage Play Nintendo Logo

(Important) You will likely see me arrange things quite a bit. Hang in there with me!

You may have noticed that certain banners have appeared offering advertising space. I mentioned this in a blog post from last weekend (check that out here) and will now run a month long trial for these ad spaces. I'm curious to see if this campaign will work, if it does I can certainly add other features I've always wanted.

Here is a rundown of things you should know:

What can you expect?

Well, besides a few banner ads, Play Nintendo will operate as per normal. I tried to place them in spots that wouldn't hamper the content, but still retaining a good spot for potential advertisers. We're not asking anything of you other than enjoying the blog as you do now!


How this will make Play Nintendo Better

If this is successful, here are the ways it will make Play Nintendo better:

I will be able to move Play Nintendo to better hosting. Blogger is fine and all, but I can add functionality that Blogger doesn't support.

I will be able to afford more video games to review. My main objective in selling these ads is to raise some cash for a Wii U later in the year.

Is this a long term thing?

Possibly, only if it can help me provide better content for you guys. I have been devoting most of my time to this blog and love the journey I'm on. I have come to learn that I'm not on this journey alone; I have made several fantastic affiliate connections all with a common goal of providing great video game related content.
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That's it, I like to fully disclose everything with you guys as there would be no Play Nintendo without you. Thanks for reading, have a great Sunday.

-Robert Park"o"