Messages

[Going bananas will now be a little easier, if you want it to be.]

276

TalkBack / Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D Has Local Multiplayer, Easy Mode

« on: April 05, 2013, 09:09:35 PM »

Going bananas will now be a little easier, if you want it to be.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33767

New details on Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D have been revealed: an optional easy mode, and wireless local multiplayer.

Nintendo's official UK site confirms that local multiplayer, an option in the original Wii version, will be present. Also announced is the presence of an easy mode that provides three hearts of health (an increase over the two available normally), as well as new items that can save players from a fall, allow the mine carts and Rocket Barrels to take a second hit of damage, and the use of a DK Barrel at any time. DK Barrels provide the player with Diddy when traveling alone, or restore Donkey Kong's health if Diddy is already in tow.

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D stomps its way into stores and the 3DS eShop May 24.

[Shiro Games considering the possibilities.]

277

TalkBack / Evoland Could Come to a Nintendo Platform

« on: April 05, 2013, 06:57:59 PM »

Shiro Games considering the possibilities.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33764

Evoland may come to a Nintendo platform, according to a post on Destructoid.

Developer Shiro Games says they have talked to Nintendo about bringing the game to one of their systems. They said "It is quite a bit of work from a technology and UI standpoint" and also noted that they have already started work on their next game.

Evoland is currently available on PC and is coming to iOS. The game explores the evolution of adventure games.

[Two songs to be exact.]

278

TalkBack / Original Mega Man Composer Writing Music for Shovel Knight

« on: April 05, 2013, 03:22:16 PM »

Two songs to be exact.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33761

Mega Man and U.N. Squadron composer Manami Matsumae is writing two songs for Shovel Knight. The developer, Yacht Club Games, announced the collaboration through the game's Kickstarter page.

Yacht Club Games was able to bring on Matsumae for the 3DS/Wii U title after Koopa Soundworks reached out to them with the opportunity. 

Yacht Club Games is funding the game via Kickstarter. Shovel Knight is a retro styled 8 bit game that sees players fighting the Order of No Quarter. No release date has been announced, but you can check out Neal's preview of the game.

[The spiritual successor to Battle Beasts gets a game.]

279

TalkBack / Beast Saga: The Strongest Clash in the Colosseum Announced for 3DS

« on: April 04, 2013, 01:45:30 PM »

The spiritual successor to Battle Beasts gets a game.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33751

Beast Saga: The Strongest Clash in the Colosseum is coming to the 3DS in Japan this July.

Based on the anime and manga of the same name, Beast Saga is the spiritual successor to the 1980's Battle Beasts toys. So far two characters, Liogre and Big Serow, are confirmed to appear in the fighting /action title.

Beast Saga arrives in Japan on July 25. While the toys were released outside of Japan, there is no word on whether the game will make it overseas.

[No news on Cowardly Option.]

280

TalkBack / Rumor: Bravely Default: Flying Fairy Coming to the West

« on: April 04, 2013, 12:23:33 PM »

No news on Cowardly Option. 

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rumor/33750

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy may be coming to the west according to Siliconera.

Their report states that multiple trusted sources have said it is being localized for English speaking players. Bravely Default is a well received JRPG that released in October of last year in Japan.

Developed by Silicon Studio, best known for their Zelda-influenced title 3D Dot Game Heroes, the game is a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light.  Its battle system has players carefully manage their turns; risk them all for a chance to wipe out the enemy, or bide your time and store them for the chance of an even stronger attack. StreetPass is an important aspect of Bravely Default's design. Players can call upon StreetPassed friends for help in battle, and even populate and rebuild a village.

At this time, Square Enix has not officially announced a Western release so this remains a rumor.

[The mouse house wants it to license games instead.]

281

TalkBack / Disney Shuts Down LucasArts Internal Development

« on: April 03, 2013, 05:53:08 PM »

The mouse house wants it to license games instead. 

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33738

LucasArts will no  longer be internally developing games after changes made by its owner, The Walt Disney Company.

A statement released by Disney reveals LucasArts will not be developing games, and instead will be licensing them in order to work on "minimizing the company's risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games." This shift is also the cause of layoffs happening today at LucasArts.

Since Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm many changes have been made, along with this move, the TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars had also been cancelled earlier in the year.

[Assassin's Creed is here to stay, unless you want it to leave.]

282

TalkBack / Assassin's Creed to Remain Annualized Series As Long As Players Want It 

« on: April 02, 2013, 11:37:40 AM »

Assassin's Creed is here to stay, unless you want it to leave.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33715

Yannis Mallat, the CEO of Ubisoft Montreal, talked about the future of the Assassin's Creed franchise in an interview with Eurogamer.

The frequency of use does not matter if the content is of sufficient quality, according to Mallat. He stated, "When you have quality content, the frequency of coming out with the game is not an issue at all." When it comes to the end of the series, Mallat says it is up to the growing fanbase: "The players will tell us. Right now there are more and more coming into the franchise, so I don't see that day."

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag will be released on Wii U on October 29 in North America and November 1 in Europe. 

[Run as fast as you can to download this patch.]

283

TalkBack / Runner2 Patch Now Available 

« on: April 01, 2013, 11:38:27 AM »

Run as fast as you can to download this patch. 

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33713

A patch for for Bit.Trip Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien is now available.

The patch is most notably a fix for a bug that causes Runner2 to lock up during play. It also includes other small fixes, including saving high scores to the leaderboards instead of most recent scores.

Bit.Trip Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien is available for download on the Wii U eShop for $14.99.

[The new Pokémon will also be shown on the Japanese TV program, Pokémon Smash.]

284

TalkBack / New Pokémon from X and Y to Be Revealed Next Saturday

« on: March 31, 2013, 05:07:46 PM »

The new Pokémon will also be shown on the Japanese TV program, Pokémon Smash. 

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33710

A new Pokémon from the upcoming games Pokémon X and Pokémon Y is being revealed next Saturday.

The official Pokémon Twitter announced that news about X and Y would be revealed next Saturday. The news will be a reveal of a new Pokémon, according to a post on Serebii. The reveal of a Pokémon was also announced on the Japanese TV show Pokémon smash.

The type and other information about the new Pokémon is not yet known.

[Is this game destined to become a cult classic?]

285

TalkBack / Cult County Preview

« on: March 28, 2013, 02:36:01 PM »

Is this game destined to become a cult classic?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/33681

Renegade Kid, developer of hit 3DS eShop titles such as Mutant Mudds, Bomb Monkey and ATV Wild Ride 3D, is back with a new first-person shooter in the survival-horror genre. First unveiled at PAX East with a poster and an atmospheric demo, details have begun to emerge.

Cult County takes place in west Texas. In a town engulfed by dust storms, players  take on the role of a person searching for a lost relative. While searching, the main character finds himself in a small town tied up with a cult. The town’s relationship to the cult will cause players to be unsure who to trust. Though not seen in the demo, the game will be in both outdoor and indoor environments.

Being a survival horror game, most weapons will be crude and ammo will be scarce. The game relies on an emphasis on tension and a general sense of unease. In order to maintain a cinematic experience, there will be no HUD on the top screen. Silent Hill 2 was cited as a inspiration for some of the development decisions in Cult County.

Unlike Renegade Kid’s other FPSs, Cult County is seeing an episodic release similar to Telltale’s The Walking Dead.  Each episode will end on a cliffhanger, and storylines will intertwine with each other between episodes and seasons. Initially, two seasons are planned with three episodes each. Episodes will be about four hours long and sold at a low price.

Cult County will use touch screen controls, similar to other DS shooters Dementium and Moon. It will also be Circle Pad Pro compatible allowing for dual stick controls. Currently there is no release date set for Cult County aside from early 2014. Renegade Kid aims to release the game simultaneously across North America and Europe.

[Movies and TV shows on Netflix can now be accessed through Nintendo TVii.]

286

TalkBack / Netflix Now on Nintendo TVii

« on: March 27, 2013, 07:27:57 PM »

Movies and TV shows on Netflix can now be accessed through Nintendo TVii.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33666

Netflix content is now accessible through Nintendo TVii.

Shows and movies on Netflix have always been viewable on the Netflix Wii U app, but with Nintendo TVii, you can search for content and be given the choice of how to view it. Netflix will now be a choice when applicable. 

Though Nintendo TVii is free, a subscription is required to view Netflix content.

[The company behind Guitar Hero and Rock Band is working on three new titles.]

287

TalkBack / Harmonix is Working on Three New Games

« on: March 27, 2013, 04:22:15 PM »

The company behind Guitar Hero and Rock Band is working on three new titles. 

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33664

Harmonix, the company best known for music games like the Rock Band series, is working on three new games.

Brad Feld, the managing director of The Foundry Group and new member of the Harmonix Board of Directors, confirmed that three new titles are in development at the company. No other details are known about these games, although one of them is thought to be a real-time combat game.

No release dates or systems have been announced at this point.

[Here comes an eShop game, hopping down the eShop trail, hippity hoppity new game on its way.]

288

TalkBack / Kung Fu Rabbit Kicking Its Way Onto Wii U

« on: March 27, 2013, 04:07:56 PM »

Here comes an eShop game, hopping down the eShop trail, hippity hoppity new game on its way.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33661

Kung Fu Rabbit has been announced as a Wii U eShop game.

Originally released on iOS and Android devices, Kung Fu Rabbit is a 2D platformer following a rabbit on a mission to rescue his disciples, who have been bunny-napped by Universal Evil. 

Neko Entertainment, who also recently brought Puddle to the eShop, is publishing the Wii U port. They say that there are a total of 80 levels across Normal and Hard mode, and 15 items to customize the player's rabbit.

Though there is no specific release date, Kung Fu Rabbit is scheduled to come out in mid-April.

[Nintendo is creating a HTML5 friendly development environment.]

289

TalkBack / Nintendo Web Framework Revealed For Wii U Development

« on: March 27, 2013, 01:48:37 PM »

Nintendo is creating a HTML5 friendly development environment.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33655

Nintendo Web Framework is being revealed at the Game Developer's Conference (GDC) this week.

Nintendo is holding a panel today about Wii U development with Nintendo Web Framework at the "Nintendo Wii U Application Development with HTML and JavaScript" panel. 

Nintendo Web Framework allows development using HTML 5, Javascript, and CSS. It supports Javascript extensions along with Wii Remotes and the Wii U GamePad. The goal of Nintendo Web Framework is to create far faster development cycles on the Wii U for games and applications. 

290

TalkBack / Re: Christmas Wonderland 2 Review Mini

« on: March 27, 2013, 10:55:58 AM »

Because there was a unused review code.    Don't blame me I just take what I can get to write.

[More like slushy snow/dirt mix land]

291

TalkBack / Christmas Wonderland 2 Review Mini

« on: March 26, 2013, 04:43:47 PM »

More like slushy snow/dirt mix land

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewmini/33642

There are not many Christmas games out there, and the ones that are available are quite pedestrian. Christmas Wonderland 2, the sequel to the DSiWare title Christmas Wonderland does not buck that trend.

This is a search and find game, but some of the things you are given to search for are too easy to find, while others are much more difficult. If you wait a few seconds, the game will share with you one of the item’s hiding places. Each image is large; to accomplish anything you have to zoom in. The pictures are mostly static, but sometimes have moving elements. Even on the moving elements, the animations are quite jarring. The touch screen is not always responsive to input, which can be confusing since some items you think are part of the game are not and vice versa. Bonus items like candy canes can be found to add to your overall score, though the scoreboard only shows three names and cannot be shared locally or online. There are also small mini-games but they seem to be just a way to mask load times.

The music is somewhat reminiscent of Christmas music but it becomes repetitive after the first few minutes of playing. There is little story to the game besides random characters instructing you to “find stuff.” The few characters in the game are absolutely awful to look at. My favorite of these monstrosities is a little girl with a grown man’s face. Christmas Wonderland 2 is a simple search and find game that manages to do multiple things wrong.  It may have Christmas cheer but it won’t keep anyone playing throughout the year, or really any stretch of time at all.

[The makers of Antipole come out of their shell.]

292

TalkBack / Turtle Tale Announced for Nintendo 3DS

« on: March 25, 2013, 05:00:43 PM »

The makers of Antipole come out of their shell.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33630

Turtle Tale, a new Nintendo 3DS eShop title from Saturnine Games has been revealed.

Saturnine Games, the developer behind the DSiWare game Antipole, are developing Turtle Tale. The game is a 2D platformer inspired by classic games of the genre that were found on the NES and SNES. 

Turtle Tale follows a turtle with a water gun on a mission to protect his tropical island. No release date has been announced.

[The German Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body approves.]

293

TalkBack / Time Based 18+ Restriction Removed From European eShops

« on: March 21, 2013, 06:53:58 PM »

The German Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body approves.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33614

The restriction that only allowed 18+ games to be viewed and downloaded on the Nintendo eShop between 11:00 PM and 3:00 AM has been removed.

Previously, even if you were of the proper age, 18+ games were only viewable and purchasable at certain hours. This was because of a German law on the sale of games online, and as Nintendo of Europe's servers are based in Germany those restrictions were enforced.

The change comes after an analysis of Nintendo's Parental Control system by the German Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body. The parental controls have been deemed to be of a very high quality offering a remarkable level of protection. It was also noted that the system has proved itself in practice. 

Games like Zombi U and other 18+ titles can be purchased by adults anytime.

[Don't you know about the bird? Well everybody knows that the bird is the word!]

294

TalkBack / Toki Tori 2 Dated for April 4

« on: March 21, 2013, 01:36:43 PM »

Don't you know about the bird? Well everybody knows that the bird is the word!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33615

Toki Tori 2 is set to release on the Wii U eShop on April 4.

Previously slated for a March release, Toki Tori 2 was delayed after a bug that crashed the game was found, which required Two Tribez to fix and re-submit to Nintendo.

The sequel to the Game Boy Color and WiiWare title, Toki Tori 2 has players control the titular bird through a puzzle platforming adventure.

[Monorail racing through Epcot would be fun, right?]

295

TalkBack / Just Being Mii: The Infinite Possibilities of Disney Infinity

« on: March 19, 2013, 02:42:16 PM »

Monorail racing through Epcot would be fun, right? 

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blog/33599

Welcome to Just Being Mii, my new, hopefully ongoing blog series on my thoughts on the world of Nintendo. For my first entry, I will be writing about all of the possible franchises that I want to come to Disney Infinity. Enjoy!

I won’t claim I’m Nintendo World Report’s only mega Disney fan. Sure, I listen to Epcot music on my iPod, point out every object that remotely looks like Mickey Mouse, and saw John Carter, but I know there are other fans on this site, so I won’t self-appoint any title.

Disney Infinity was recently delayed in order to better compete with Skylanders Swapforce. While waiting, I thought it would be cool to share which Disney franchises I want to come to Infinity. With the existence of so much great Disney content, there is a lot to choose from, but here are a few of my top picks.

Tron:

Nintendo. A digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of games as they moved through the systems. What did they look like? Goombas? Waddle Dees? Was information carried by Pikmin?

With that Nintendo-ized quote from Tron Legacy, I propose the world of Tron come to Disney Infinity. Tron is a world inspired by games. With Lightcycles, Recognizers, and Identity Discs, there would be a lot to mess around with in Toybox mode. It would also give an opportunity to tell some cool non-canonical stories, with characters from both movies and the TV series (which ended sadly, by the way).

Disney’s Animal Kingdom:

The Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort is the newest of the four Florida parks, though it will be almost fifteen years old. The Animal Kingdom Park is all about exploration, which would lend well to Disney Infinity. The Playset could be all about your character’s (presumably Mickey, since there are no Animal Kingdom-specific characters) quest to discover the Yeti on Mount Everest. Lots of cool stuff could be brought from the Animal Kingdom into Toybox Mode, including majestic animals (e.g. lions), dinosaurs, and safari vehicles.

Star Wars:

As big a fan I am of Disney, I am just as fascinated with Star Wars. I love everything Star Wars, from Episode I-VI and The Clone Wars series to the books, comic books, and everything else. After I had calmed down after hearing Disney had purchased Lucasfilm and was doing the sequel trilogy, I started thinking about Star Wars coming to Disney Infinity. It would work great. Instead of taking place in one big area, like Cars’ Radiator Springs, there could be multiple planets to visit and Open Space to travel through. There are so many possibilities with this that “Star Wars Infinity” could very well be its own game. Wouldn’t that just be awesome?

So those are some of my hopes for Disney things coming to Disney Infinity.  Will any of them come to fruition? Probably not.

[Plus some old standbys, you know Nintendo Land and the like.]

296

TalkBack / Nintendo Bringing Multiple Upcoming Titles to PAX East

« on: March 19, 2013, 12:48:25 PM »

Plus some old standbys, you know Nintendo Land and the like. 

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33598

Nintendo is bringing multiple titles to its booth at PAX East this year.

Though some have already been released, Wii U games appearing are:

Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, LEGO® City Undercover, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Need for Speed Most Wanted U, Wii Street U, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Nintendo Land. 

3DS games to be shown are:

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, Animal Crossing: New Leaf  (guided demonstration), LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, HarmoKnight, Kersploosh!, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate, and Fire Emblem Awakening.

Nintendo will be located at booth 448 during PAX East which lasts from March 22-24.

[You get it? Luigi, green, Saint Patrick's Day?]

297

TalkBack / Club Nintendo Holds Luigi's 72 Hour Sale

« on: March 17, 2013, 11:10:35 PM »

You get it? Luigi, green, Saint Patrick's Day?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33582

Club Nintendo is holding a sale in North America on select items until March 19 11:59 PST.

Items being sold in the Luigi's 72 Hour Sale are:

-Reversible Pouches

-Mario & Luigi Greeting Cards

-Wii Remote Holders

-Wii Remote Wrist Strap Set

-Stylus & Game Card Case (Animal Crossing)

Club Nintendo also has been updated with a green decor for the sale. 

[Want to hang out with Lightning McQueen and Jack Sparrow? Have patience.]

298

TalkBack / Disney Infinity Delayed Until Late August

« on: March 14, 2013, 12:21:08 PM »

Want to hang out with Lightning McQueen and Jack Sparrow? Have patience.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33566

Disney Infinity has been delayed to a late August release.

Originally scheduled in June, Disney Infinity will now be released August 18 in North America, and August 20 overseas. According to John Pleasants, the co-president of Disney Interactive, Disney Infinity was ready for June but was delayed because, "It gives us a little more time to add bells and whistles and make sure it really sings and pops." The delay is also attributed to retailers requesting for a release date closer to the upcoming holiday season. The date still puts the game ahead of the upcoming Skylanders Swap Force, a title that Infinity has drawn comparisons to.

Disney Infinity takes advantage of RFID technology to bring Disney characters to life in the game. Players can explore the open world Toy Box mode where anything goes and all characters can be used, or play through a story in a unique Disney world in Play Set.

[Jury awards inventor $30.2 million in compensatory damages.]

299

TalkBack / Nintendo Found Liable in 3DS Patent Lawsuit

« on: March 14, 2013, 01:31:46 AM »

Jury awards inventor $30.2 million in compensatory damages. 

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33550

A United States federal jury found that Nintendo infringed on a patent on a glasses-free 3D display.

Seijiro Tomita, the patent owner of glasses-free 3D display and former longtime Sony Corp. employee, was rewarded $30.2 million by the jury. Tomita had sued Nintendo of America back in 2011.

Scott Lindvall, one of Nintendo's attorneys says that the 3DS uses no key elements of Tomita's patent. A meeting Tomita had with Nintendo in 2003 was cited in his case, though Lindvall says they met with many companies. The patent has been held in the US since 2008.

At this time, Nintendo has no comment.

[Is a Pikmin movie right around the corner? Probably not.]

300

TalkBack / Pikmin Animated Shorts Coming to the 3DS

« on: March 13, 2013, 05:41:12 PM »

Is a Pikmin movie right around the corner? Probably not. 

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33548

Pikmin animated shorts are coming to the 3DS.

Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Pikmin and Mario, is working in conjuction with an outside animation studio to produce CG Pikmin cartoons. Interest was tested in a dedicated Pikmin series when Nintendo worked with Japanese movie theater chain Toho Cinemas on a segment shown before a film. 

There are multiple shorts in production but we know the details of only one. It begins with Olimar blending what looks to be red Pikmin. Olimar then walks on over to some scared Pikmin, wielding a knife. The Pikmin begin to back away, then bump into the carrots he was actually blending.

Miyamoto considers this a pet project to expand on the personality of his creation, but noted that the films will not take away from his work on games. The shorts are expected to come to the 3DS before the launch of Pikmin 3. They may be delivered through the Nintendo Video application, and if successful, Miyamoto suggests Nintendo may sell them.