Nintendo World Report Blog

A Love Letter to Portable Zelda Games

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:56:21 PDT

Ocarina of what? Never heard of it. Hey, have you played Link's Awakening?

I have a strange sordid history with the Zelda franchise. Growing up my brother was always the one who got to lay hands on those gold cartridges, and being about four years younger I was only really able to play them well after the fact. My time with console Zelda games is mostly comprised of me playing already completed save files and aimlessly killing enemies. In fact, to this day I’ve still completed a relatively small amount of Zelda games in the main series, and I only just got around to finishing Ocarina of Time when the 3DS remake came out. Some Nintendo fans may cry foul at this and demand that I hand over my Nintendo Fun Club Card, but this lack of experience with the main entries in the series has given me untold appreciation for the portable entries. Some of my favorite gaming memories are when I first laid eyes upon Link’s Awakening.

On Predictions, Introspection, and Group Psychology: The Fan in Fanatic

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:47:03 PDT

It's hard to write a good article about your feelings when you're not entirely sure what they are.

This article was originally about EA’s securing of the Star Wars license. I intended to explore their internal development teams and try to find obvious opportunities for them to best use the Star Wars license. It was a fluff piece. I thought that if I hit a single prediction I could celebrate it as if I were Nostradamus, and if I missed entirely I could forget it ever existed.

Shortly thereafter it morphed into an article on the chilling (or perhaps deeply frozen) relationship between EA and Nintendo. I wondered, "Would Disney allow EA to simply cut Nintendo’s home console out of the Star Wars pie? Would EA – could EA – continue with statements that simply dismiss any plans for the Wii U? Would their investors allow it?" (Answer: No) The entire exercise seemed like nothing more than empty speculation; I, just like the rest of the media, simply don’t have the information to answer these questions, and as such I was incapable of contributing anything meaningful to the existing discourse.

E3 2013: The Wii U Show

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:58:45 PDT

A neglected handheld does not make a happy Neal, but this Wii U thing could work.

"To view a new installment of Nintendo Direct, which will provide updates about future Wii U games, visit http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct on June 11 at 7 a.m. PT."

With that announcement, Nintendo confirmed to me that E3 2013 will be the Wii U show (part deux). We'll get our token 3DS mention, likely in the form of the recently announced Pokémon X/Y presentation, but for the purposes of what will physically be on the show floor, I expect Wii U, Wii U, and more Wii U.

Make the Legend of Zelda LEGO Set a Reality

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:51:36 PDT

Two Legend of Zelda LEGO sets are possibilities with your support.

Last year a fan-proposed Legend of Zelda LEGO set reached 10,000 supporters on the LEGO CUUSOO site, the level required for LEGO to officially review the idea. However, it was turned down for cost reasons (the Minifigure molds were too expensive).

Since then, multiple sets based on The Legend of Zelda have appeared, including two I want to share with you here. The first is based on The Wind Waker and has already received 1000 supporters.

NWR Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Community Night This Monday

Sun, 19 May 2013 20:28:05 PDT

Join the NWR Community this Monday, May 20, for a night of hunting.

The staff at Nintendo World Report are holding yet another Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Community Night this Monday, May 20.

As per usual, the hunt begins at 8 p.m. EST and 5 p.m. PST, so turn on your Wii U and have your best gear ready to team up with NWR staff to hunt some monsters. If all goes well, we plan to hold a MH3U Community Night starting at the same time every Monday night.

As always, the event will be coordinated through our chat room. You can also connect using a dedicated IRC client. Server: irc.browsingtheinternet.com Channel: #nwr

A Potential Implication of Sega Direct with Nagoshi

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:16:54 PDT

With Yakuza 1 & 2 HD hitting Wii U in Japan, could the rest of the franchise follow?

The beginning of the Japanese Nintendo Direct on May 17 was quite a surprise. It began with the good old “Seeeeegaaaaaaa” voice as it started out unexpectedly labeled as “Sega Direct,” with the special guest Toshihiro Nagoshi, a Sega CCO. Nagoshi may be best known as the producer of the Super Monkey Ball series, but in Japan he has been the icon and the producer of the Yakuza franchise (Note that real Yakuza executives don’t dress themselves like him; rather they always wear dark suits like Iwata, or a better example may be Yamauchi, nicknamed “Kumicho” (Yakuza Boss) by Japanese gamers). On top of a few other Sega titles, what occupied the majority of the “Sega Direct” segment was Yakuza 1 & 2 HD for Wii U. They showed a new trailer and did a short “Iwata Asks” style interview for several minutes.

FEEDBACK: What would you guys like to see from Backlogg With CurtDogg?

Sat, 18 May 2013 12:42:57 PDT

Curt wants your suggestions!

Hey guys, I've been doing the Backlogg With CurtDogg stream for a few months here on NWR, and I feel like it's time to take some suggestions from the readers and viewers.

Is there anything you guys want me to do to improve the streams? Would you want me to move it to different times or days? Any specific game you want streamed? Just leave me a comment, and I'll address your concerns!

Note: Due to my current living situation, streaming between 4pm and 9pm PDT isn't currently convenient for me.

LIVE STREAM: Watch the Staff Play Games Live Today From 1PM - 5PM EST

Sat, 18 May 2013 06:19:08 PDT

Some of our staff have joined together to play games for you to watch.

The NWR staff is once again meeting up for some great gaming action. The staff will play a wide variety of titles throughout the entire live stream. Tune in at 1 PM EST (10 AM PST) for the live stream. Details on where you will be able to access it will follow soon.

Some of the game we may play include:
- Nintendo Land
- Super Ghouls'n Ghosts
- Injustice

If there is anything you would like to see us play, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We will surely try our best to accommodate any viewer requests.

NWR Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Community Night This Thursday

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:43:51 PDT

Join the NWR staff this Thursday, May 16, for a night of hunting.

Nintendo World Report is holding yet another Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Community Night, Thursday, May 16.

The hunt begins at 8 p.m. EST and 5 p.m. PST, so turn on your Wii U and have your best gear ready to team up with NWR staff to hunt some monsters.

The event will be coordinated through our chat room. You can also connect using a dedicated IRC client. Server: irc.browsingtheinternet.com Channel: #nwr

Server Information:

World: 07 Novices A
Lobby 7

Staff Information:

LIVE STREAM: Backlogg With CurtDogg Tonight at 9:30pm PDT!

Fri, 10 May 2013 17:47:38 PDT

Curt's ready to take on the world in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

Hey everyone, Curtis (aka "CurtDogg") here, and I'm gonna be taking over the official Nintendo World Report Twitch channel every Monday and Friday night, at 9:30 p.m. Pacific Time. I'll not only be streaming/commenting on the various games in my backlogg, but I'll also be interacting with all you lovely readers out there, both in the chat and on Skype. I feel like these streams would also be a good opprotunity for me to get to know fans of the the site, and vice-versa.

Just Being Mii: You're Doing It Wrong: Gaming Without a Backlog

Fri, 10 May 2013 09:47:42 PDT

Explore the fascinating world of game jumping.

Backlogs are a popular discussion topic among the gaming community. Leading up to the launch of the Wii U, Nintendo World Report staffers posted their Wii backlogs in an attempt to motivate themselves to complete some of the games that they owned but had not played. I wasn’t writing for NWR at that time, so I wasn’t included in on the fun. Regardless, I would have had nothing to share. Why? I’m a game jumper.

Not to be confused with game jumping as described in the movie Wreck-It-Ralph, I jump from playing one game to another. Just for reference, I will often play five different games for short periods of time in a single day, as opposed to playing one game at a time to completion. By doing this, I do not have a backlog. With my collection of over 40 3DS games, you would expect most of them to be unplayed. That is not the case for me. Sure, it takes me longer to finish some games, but it also allows me to enjoy more games.

LIVE STREAM: Backlogg With CurtDogg Tonight at 9:00pm PDT!

Thu, 09 May 2013 16:43:34 PDT

Thursday Night? More like Thursday FRIGHT!

Hey everyone, Curtis (aka "CurtDogg") here, and I'm gonna be taking over the official Nintendo World Report Twitch channel every Monday and Friday night, at 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time. I'll not only be streaming/commenting on the various games in my backlogg, but I'll also be interacting with all you lovely readers out there, both in the chat and on Skype. I feel like these streams would also be a good opprotunity for me to get to know fans of the the site, and vice-versa.

Will Nintendo's Wii U Software Showcase at E3 Send 3DS to the Background Again?

Wed, 08 May 2013 07:18:26 PDT

Nintendo's pre-E3 event will be focused on Wii U. What does that mean for the 3DS?

As you all likely know by now, Nintendo isn't having a traditional big E3 press conference. It's the end of an era and a great step forward into a (Nintendo) direct world. I'm bummed by that, but as long as we get the same caliber of announcements, I don't see it as the end of the world. I was, however, very dismayed to see the invite come in for their press conference replacement. It's clearly labeled as a "Wii U Software Showcase." That's very worrisome as it seems to reduce the importance of the 3DS.

LIVE STREAM: Backlogg With CurtDogg Tonight at 9:30pm PDT!

Mon, 06 May 2013 20:09:18 PDT

What a horrible night to stream a game...

NWR Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Community Night Tonight

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:25:37 PDT

Join the hunt with NWR staff in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.

Nintendo World Report is holding a Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Community Night, Monday, May 6.

The hunt begins at 10 p.m. EST and 7 p.m. PST, so turn on your Wii U and have your best gear ready to team up with NWR staff to hunt some monsters.

The event will be coordinated through our chat room. You can also connect using a dedicated IRC client. Server: irc.browsingtheinternet.com Channel: #nwr

Server Information:

World: 07 Novices A
Lobby 7

Staff Information:

LIVE STREAM: Backlogg With CurtDogg Tonight at 9:30 p.m. PDT!

Fri, 03 May 2013 18:55:39 PDT

The penultimate Monster Hunter stream for a while!

LIVE STREAM: Backlogg With CurtDogg Tonight at 9:30 p.m. PDT!

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:21:32 PDT

Late-night post for a late-night stream!

LIVE STREAM: Backlogg With CurtDogg Tonight at 9:30 p.m. PDT!

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:49:42 PDT

Hunting Monsters in Monster Hunter!

Why the E3 Snub Is What We Should All Want

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:26:40 PDT

Taking the Direct approach is nothing but good news.

It wasn't long ago that E3's fat, sore-ridden, bloated body washed up on shore gasping for air. "Good riddance," the enthusiast press yelled, "nothing but a bunch of hooey anyways!" Gamers echoed those statements. "Such an immature event," they wrote on their forum of choice, "it was nothing but a chance for publishers to wave their cash around, tell us what to care about."

Sadly, E3 was able to muster the strength to push itself back into the ocean as if nothing had happened at all.

No Conference? No Problem!

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:50:04 PDT

Why Nintendo not having a large press conference is not that bad.

As many now know, Nintendo will be foregoing their usual large E3 press conference and instead focusing on smaller events and probably some Nintendo Directs. This has made some fans annoyed or worried about Nintendo's E3 showing this year.

I do not really care that much about Nintendo having the large live stage presentation. In my view, we will still be receiving all of the same information, and possibly even gain more detailed demonstrations and impressions than usual.

This change seems to have come in part due to the success of the Nintendo Direct video presentations that Nintendo has been doing for awhile now. When Nintendo drops a direct, the industry press pays attention, Nintendo can control the message more concisely and even give people more gameplay footage than what a usual E3 conference may be able to afford.

No Super Bowl for Nintendo Fans This Year

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 23:21:00 PDT

The biggest event of the year for Nintendo fans will, likely, not be the same.

There has been a lot of Nintendo news over the last 24 hours. Just check the site. Iwata will be the new CEO of Nintendo of America, Miiverse can now be accessed through web browsers, and multiple Nintendo games have been given release windows. Oh yeah, Nintendo also won’t be holding a “large-scale” E3 presentation.

WHAT?!

When I first read that my heart sank. You see, I am headed to E3 this year and I only own Nintendo hardware. Could Nintendo be serious?

Fortunately, there will be something. Nintendo has announced there will be two smaller events focusing on software for America. One will be for distributors and one for western media. What about the rest of the world, as E3 is an international event? I don’t know.

The Surreality of Miiverse on the Web

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:02:57 PDT

A real attempt at a social network by Nintendo? Say what?

Even though it was promised, I was very surprised to see Nintendo opening up Miiverse, making it accessible via web browser. It is not like them to do something so…obvious. Could it be? Is Nintendo making a serious stab at a real social network, tailored to gamers? Are they finally starting to follow through on their years of insisting that they are serious about online social gaming?

Well, no, at least not yet. Although the browser version of Miiverse allows you to explore all of the same communities that you can access through the standard Wii U interface, you cannot directly post. So far you can only comment on others’ posts, and even then you are limited to text. No using your Wacom tablet to create masterpiece drawings to upload to Miiverse as of now. There is also no way to directly message your friends. The whole thing feels very light on functionality.

Hyrule Historia: A Timeline for the Trash

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:01:44 PDT

A look at one of the biggest letdowns in an otherwise-fantastic book.

When Hyrule Historia first released in Japan, I was highly skeptical of the official Zelda timeline it presented, but I managed to keep an open mind. I can’t read Japanese and decided to wait for a translated version that would, hopefully, explain specific confusing events in greater detail. Well, after having time to read the English translation of the book, cover to cover, I still feel the official Zelda timeline has two major flaws.

The Flaws

The first flaw that should be on everyone’s mind is the new Hero is Defeated timeline that supposedly takes place at the end of Ocarina of Time. Before Hyrule Historia was released, most Zelda fans were fully accepting of the fact that the end of Ocarina of Time split the timeline into two braches, the Adult Era and Child Eras. These can be seen in the book, and their branches make total sense. However, the third Hero is Defeated branch never takes place in any game and therefore is clearly nothing more than a terrible, completely unnecessary fabrication.

One More Shot

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:09:13 PDT

J.P. sees the new Zelda announcement as a reason to go back and give a classic another chance.

It’s no secret to anyone who has frequented this site for a while that I kind of hate The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Calling it hate is really exaggerating – I really only shit on it the way I do because it’s fun to annoy the rest of the people on staff and in the forums. Really, I just don’t like it, despite trying.

It’s a weird feeling when you don’t like a game that virtually everyone else calls one of the greatest of all time. You sometimes feel like there’s something wrong with you and that you’re the only one who can’t see why it’s great. I played through most of A Link to the Past on the Game Boy Advance and just couldn’t get into it, and then I tried again when the game hit the Wii Virtual Console, but I still didn’t really take to it.

Circle Pad Pro XL Photos

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:26:50 PDT

The frankenstick got even bigger!

If you were ever curious about how large the Nintendo 3DS XL is with its Circle Pad Pro XL attachment, then check out our images below. We have also taken some snaps of the original 3DS to compare it to.

Behold the giant.

We all thought the original was large..

Weighing My DS Backlog Options

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:58:44 PDT

What should I pick? 999, Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, Dragon Quest VI, Radiant Historia, or The World Ends With You.

We're at a lull in video games this year, and my current backlog is almost caught up (I still need to finish Miracle Mask). That means, I've got a few weeks before Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. I might be able to attack a game on my fabled DS backlog that has been nearly untouched since last summer.

The contestants?

999 - I bought this game last year around when Virtue's Last Reward came out. I think I opened it, but that's it.
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin - Got it cheap earlier in the year. Enjoyed the first DS game and the GBA games. The only localized version of the series I haven't played.
Dragon Quest VI - I loved Dragon Quest IV and V, but after getting this game on a Target clearance rack, I've never plunked down the time to play it.
Radiant Historia - The only game from this list I've put notable time into. It was a victim of the pre-3DS launch and my NWR duties. I was halfway through it, but intended to replay it from the beginning since it has been two years.
The World Ends With You - I borrowed this from a friend for a weekend and really disliked it back when it came out. However, some NWR staffers convinced me I should give it another try. My untouched copy has said otherwise.

Go vote in the forums and persuade me to play one of these five games in the beginning of May.

LIVE STREAM: Backlogg With CurtDogg Tonight at 9:30pm PDT! (Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate)

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:03:33 PDT

Hunting monsters live on Twitch!

Call from EU: One Year with Satoru Shibata

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:20:40 PDT

We discuss one very classy man, who also happens to be NoE's president.

Exactly one year ago, Europe finally got its first dedicated Nintendo Direct presentation. Nintendo Direct was already a brilliant endeavor in Japan and America, where direct news feeds became available starting in October 2011. We were curious what approach Europe would take, as NoE had some time to study the other side of things. We got excited as the presentation drew closer, and learned Satoru Shibata would host it. Reactions were mixed, but most people simply didn't even know him.

To be completely fair, we didn't know much about our Nintendo president at that time. We knew he joined Nintendo's European division in August 2000, when Shigeru Ota left the president seat and named Shibata as his successor. Before that, he worked at NAL (Australia), where he was responsible for all the Nintendo products in the Oceania area. He appeared at events occasionally as well, with the Nintendo 3DS event in Amsterdam as the biggest example. I have seen him a few times in person, at the Zelda 25th Anniversary Concert in London and at Gamescom 2011, but haven’t had the courage to go up and say hi.

My Thoughts on the Latest 3DS Nintendo Direct

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 16:31:19 PDT

I'm still in shock.

Last Wednesday’s Nintendo Direct was nothing short of spectacular. I’ve had a few days to let the news sink in and I figured I’d share a brief thought on each piece of news that was delivered.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team - I’m a big fan of the series and I’m really looking forward to playing through this one. I don’t know why North America is getting it later than the rest of the world. NOA just doesn’t seem to want to release games in July most of the time.

Special Luigi 3DS XL Hardware - This new hardware unit looks beautiful. I really hope Nintendo of America brings this one overseas. If you’re interested in this unit, I wouldn’t worry about North America missing it yet. NOA seems to announce special 3DS hardware units closer to launch. Since this unit coincides with Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, I’d bet we will hear more about it sometime in July.

The Direct Approach: Nintendo's Newfangled Method of Communication

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 04:28:24 PDT

So secretive for so many years, Nintendo is finally starting to open up to its fans through the Direct broadcasts.

Video game hype is fun. Sure, it's an illogical cycle of feverish excitement that probably does the games in question no favours in terms of expectations, but nevertheless, it's fun to get hyped up about something, discuss it endlessly with like-minded people, and wonder just how it might capture your imagination.

With regard to Nintendo's history, hype cycles were most prevalent on the Nintendo 64, a system that was, on the one hand, famous for several groundbreaking, genre-defining titles, while on the other hand, infamous for droughts and high-profile delays.

LIVE STREAM: Backlogg With CurtDogg Tonight at 9:30 p.m. PDT!

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:02:57 PDT

Special Wednesday Edition, featuring more Monster Hunter 3!

Yoshi's Island 3 Looks Incredible and I Think HAL Is Making It

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:55:45 PDT

Alex comments on the only Yoshi game coming out worthy of the phrase "epic."

Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. I know I got angry at Yoshi's Epic Kirby Epic Yarn, but Nintendo more than redeemed itself with an honest-to-goodness, legitimate Yoshi's Island game. With this and Zelda 3DS within the span of 40 minutes, I really have to wonder why they didn't hold these games for E3 and what they have that can top this.

First off, it looks to be one baby Nintendo character, no Artoon (they're defunct), and a beautiful new art style that continues the clay and pastel look of the original games. With Shy Guys, egg throwing, and collectibles, the best part about this game is that the joyous spirit of the original (one of my favorite games ever!) remains all too intact. But the question remains: Who is developing it?

Nintendo Direct 4.17.2013 Megaton Round-Up

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:22:32 PDT

Did you miss the Nintendo Direct? We've got all the announcements right here.

Wow. Now that was a pretty awesome Nintendo Direct presentation, at least for 3DS owners. Let's recap, shall we?

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team kicked off proceedings, with an announced release date of August 11 for North America, July 12 in Europe, and July 18 in Japan. We also got some light story details, with Peach being kidnapped and taken into Luigi's dreams. That sounds creepy and "Inception"-like, but it seems to be an oddly natural progression from Bowser's Inside Story.

LIVE STREAM: Backlogg With CurtDogg Tonight at 9:30pm PDT!

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:53:54 PDT

Monster Hunter tonight on Twitch!

What Could Be at This Week's Nintendo Direct?

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:08:41 PDT

With a Nintendo Direct in less than 48 hours, it's time to speculate until the event starts.

While I can't hide my disappointment that this upcoming Nintendo Direct is focused on the 3DS and not the Wii U, which needs hype and games way more than the bustling 3DS does, I'm still jazzed for whatever tricks Nintendo might be hiding up its sleeve. As part of my attempt to have measured expectations, here are my predictions for this week's Nintendo Direct.

3DS Retail Releases

As far as I'm concerned, this is Animal Crossing: New Leaf's show. We'll get more detail on the game, including an added focus on the newly added SpotPass features that compensate for the limited North American and European StreetPass possibilities.
Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins will likely get some screen time as well. This game is less than a week away from release and we still haven't seen that much of it.
Expect a little elaboration as to what exactly is being added to Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. We know about the easy mode and some added content, but it's still very loosely defined.
The next 3DS game I'd expect to come out is Mario Golf: World Tour, likely in July or August. I would imagine this game gets some more detail, and possibly a release date.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team was revealed at the February 3DS-focused Direct, but I wouldn't be shocked to see this game get nothing more than a mention of a late summer release, meaning the next Mario RPG is probably due out in late August or early September.
Any other surprises? I wouldn't be shocked if we get something of a surprise announcement for a game coming either this summer, or late in the year. Maybe we'll get a tease of a big E3 3DS game (Zelda on 3DS?), but more likely, we'll hear about some third-party games getting localized. Level-5's Fantasy Life and Square Enix's Bravely Default could both be marching towards North America and Europe this summer.

3DS eShop Games

A Pirate I Was Meant to Be, Nevermore

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:26:58 PDT

Will Guybrush Threepwood ever sail the seas again? Also, pirate puns!

For me, the biggest shock and disappointment to come from the news of Disney's purchase and subsequent capsizing of LucasArts was not the cancellation of any Star Wars titles in the making. In fact, almost all the talk about the company that you'll hear circling the internet (including next week's podcast discussion) will be entirely focused on the future of Star Wars video games, and that's not fair.

LucasArts made plenty of games without the Star Wars branding on them over the years. They took the point and click adventure genre to defining levels of excellence with their games such as Sam & Max Hit the Road, Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle, and one of my personal favourite video game series ever, Monkey Island.

Call from EU: A First 2013 Reflection

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:28:32 PDT

We look back at the first quarter of 2013 and look ahead at what is right around the... oh.

The first three months of 2013 were more or less stagnant for Europeans, with the constant hope for something great around the corner. January started off well enough with the release of Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge. It may not have been the best title, but I found it pretty much worth my time and money. The gameplay seemed smoother around the edges than the original, and it had a lot going for it. Tokyo Crash Mobs was also quite good, though once again nothing too amazing. The game’s presentation and Actionloop-style gameplay were strong, but its lack of options soon made me forget about it. SiNG Party was the final game of January, and ended the month on a down note. I am a big fan of karaoke, but found the title didn't have any longevity. Maybe I was spoiled by the excellent Wii Joysound Karaoke U, but the experience felt extremely limited.

Buried in Treasure

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 07:24:40 PDT

Along with other things, Luigi's mansions are haunted by money.

At a certain point in Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, if you look up, you can see a stack of crisp bills perched on the gnarled branch of a tree. The green clump is perfectly uniform, and piled high enough to rival the branch’s thickness.

Like any of the other stationary mansion objects, the tree’s branch is something made available for you to poke, prod, rustle through, and peer into as you investigate the ghostly goings-on. Sometimes you stumble across a mischievous ghost haunting the drawer of a dusty bureau or crooked-legged hallway end table, and that’s its own sort of reward. But what shakes out is often just money, and quite a lot of it; the most timid of Luigi’s jostles can send gobs of cartoon currency blasting out like so much expensive confetti. Coins and bills, gems and pearls and heavy bricks of gold: they’re crammed in the mansion from the rafters to the floorboards, and all gobbled up with ease by the little red vacuum.

LIVE STREAM: Backlogg With CurtDogg Tonight at 9:30 p.m. PDT!

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:16:12 PDT

No More Heroes 2 tonight on Twitch!

The Continual Delay of Nintendo's Wii U Games: Woe is Pikmin

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:25:37 PDT

Sorry folks. Only in your dreams will Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, Wii Fit U, and Game & Wario all make it out before the end of June.

I have a lot of bouts of optimism. Just a few weeks ago, I argued that Nintendo could still announce Game & Wario as a late April release in North America. I mean, it's out in Japan. Daan even reviewed it!

Sometimes, I make truly crazy proposals, like this one where I thought Nintendo of America would deliver on their September promise of releasing Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, and Wii Fit U by the end of March 2013. That, as we know, did not happen. As of January, Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, Wii Fit U, and Game & Wario are slated for a release before the end of June, which, if you're keeping score, is less than three months away.

The Nintendo Month Ahead: April 2013

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:29:37 PDT

Pickings are slim, but still, some quality games are on the way.

April is traditionally one of the slower release times of the year in video games. It comes right after the end of the fiscal year in March, which means that companies usually try to push games out before April so the sales show up in the prior year's earnings (explains why we had like 10 games in a week period at the end of March!). Unlike the idiom about March coming in like a lion and out like a lamb, it's more like the month goes out like a lion and April is the lamb in the world of video games. Still, let's check out what games are on the way. Note: All dates are North American.

LIVE STREAM: Backlogg With CurtDogg Tonight at 9:30 p.m. PDT!

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:19:43 PDT

Super Mario Galaxy 2's green star hunt comes to a close! Plus Skype calls!

Hey everyone, Curtis (aka "CurtDogg") here, and I'm one of the latest Staff Writers here on the site. Not only will I be contributing news and reviews, but I will also be taking over the official Nintendo World Report Twitch channel every Monday and Friday night, at 9:30 p.m. Pacific Time. I'll not only be streaming/commenting on the various games in my backlogg, but I'll also be interacting with all you lovely readers out there. I feel like these streams would also be a good opprotunity for me to get to know fans of the the site, and vice-versa.

Gazing Back at Q1 2013

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:22:17 PDT

If you don't have a 3DS, you are missing out on awesome.

Looking back on the first three months of 2013, the 3DS was out in full force. I mean, just look at the sheer number of quality releases. We gave 9.5s to Fire Emblem Awakening and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, in addition to 9s to Etrian Odyssey IV: Legend of the Titan, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and HarmoKnight. That's five excellent games by our standards, not even mentioning the positive reviews garnered by Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate, Nano Assault EX, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, and Brain Age: Concentration Training, and ATV Wild Ride 3D, Ikachan, Gunman Clive, and Tokyo Crash Mobs.

A StarTropics Alternate History Lesson

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:54:59 PDT

Man, I miss the StarTropics games...

Being of the slightly younger generation, I don't remember getting many brand new NES games. There is one that I clearly remember getting, though. That game? Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II. A toy outlet store had about 15 sealed copies of the game at a deep discount around 1996, and I happily purchased one. Having loved the original game, I was stoked for the sequel.

While, honestly, I think the second game takes a number of steps back (I much prefer the grid-based structure of the dungeons in the original), the time-traveling sequel was still a great follow-up. Instead of being limited to just C Island, Mike Jones, the teen southpaw from Seattle, took the Oxford Wonder World book and tracked down series villain Zoda throughout time.

LIVE STREAM: Backlogg With CurtDogg Tonight at 9:30 p.m. PDT!

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:02:20 PDT

No foolin' around with the green stars tonight!

Embracing the Digital Future on the 3DS

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:05:55 PDT

How many full games have you downloaded digitally on 3DS and Wii U?

I realized something today. I haven't changed the cartridge in my 3DS since the end of February when I got Etrian Odyssey IV. Part of that is because, well, I freaking love Etrian Odyssey IV (read my review in the latest issue of Nintendo Force for more details, or check out Patrick's on Nintendo World Report because we share a lot of the same affection). The other part is that I've become a digital-purchasing fiend on my 3DS.

LIVE STREAM: Backlogg With CurtDogg Tonight at 9:30 p.m. PDT!

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:27:53 PDT

Green Star hunting in Mario Galaxy 2, and more!

Is Legend of the River King Worth Checking Out?

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:52:12 PDT

Discovering new experiences on Virtual Console is awesome, usually.

One of my favorite things about the Virtual Console is when a game I was always curious about comes out and takes me by surprise. It's even better when it's something that no one else really knew about before because it gives you that nice sense of group discovery. That led to me finally playing games like Gunstar Heroes and Gargoyle's Quest, and discovering really random stuff like Tumble Pop and Fortified Zone. Sure, I'll always buy the classics like a sucker every time they're available. It's a miracle I didn't cave and buy Mega Man 3 when it hit 3DS Virtual Console earlier this month.

Port or Not, I'm Excited for Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 07:54:24 PDT

A great game is still a great game, even if it's a two-year-old port.

Every so often, I have a weird sensation where my feelings are the opposite of a lot of people I know and talk to. The last time it happened with games that I can think of was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. Before the 3DS release, I hadn't played the game in a decade. I was stoked for the re-release, especially since it was on a portable and featured graphical enhancements. I'm a sucker for playing games I love with a new sheen or on a new style of platform.

That makes it weird that I'm honestly really excited for Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. I played the original, got more than halfway through it, but something just didn't totally click for me. As dumb as it sounds, the waggle did hurt the experience for me. And it came out at the time when the Wii stopped being the center of my entertainment experience (which was still four years later than when it stopped being the center for most people). It's because of feeling that sensation that I understand why Nintendo might want to re-release that game, which still sold a whole lot, to a new audience on an active platform. Despite owning the game, I am a part of that audience. I played a few hours of it, but I didn't complete. Donkey Kong Country Returns didn't envelop me like a lot of other games have.

Castlevania: Lords of Subspace - Emissary of Fate

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:00:45 PDT

How mashing together a series' design elements can produce single-player Smash Bros.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate launched on 3DS earlier this month to one of the most sharply mixed receptions yet seen on the platform, with critical responses ranging from "a monotonous, ugly attempt to reinvent Castlevania" (1UP.com) to "it might be the best action game we’ve ever played on a handheld" (Official Nintendo Magazine UK).

Now, disagreements in matters of opinion hardly qualify as puzzles to be solved, but I found it interesting to note the differences in how each writer contextualised Mirror of Fate’s game design in their reviews. The Castlevania touchstones used for these critiques often varied, ranging from the NES original to the seminal "Metroidvania" Symphony of the Night, plus of course MercurySteam’s reboot of the series, Lords of Shadow. As these examples straddle a number of genres as well as decades worth of game design evolution, this fact said as much to me about the convoluted nature of Mirror of Fate’s intentions as it did about the different perspectives of the game’s reviewers.