The Wii U is the "official launch platform" for this indie physics-based open-world flight game.

Indie game Chasing Aurora is coming to the Wii U, according to developer Broken Rules, and is even treating Nintendo's upcoming console as the "official launch platform" for the game. Due to see release later this year, Chasing Aurora is a game based around the idea of flight, giving players a 2D open-world environment set in the Alps. It features physics-based flight and air combat.

Gamers can stream the conference on their 3DS.

Yesterday's Nintendo Direct event is streamable in its entirety on the eShop in Japan. The Japanese version runs a little bit shorter than the English language version (about a minute shorter), possibly due to the lack of explanation of the kanji for dokusō (meaning “creating something unique”) and the fact that President Satoru Iwata speaks Japanese faster than he does English.

The cover may be Castlevania, but there's plenty of room for Skylanders.

The June issue of Nintendo Power features several new details concerning Skylanders: Giants.

The sequel includes 16 new characters, eight Giants and eight standard Skylanders. In addition, there are eight LightCore Skylanders (which light up, and have unique powers); four are first-generation Skylanders,... Read more...

Get ready to beat your friends up on your 3DS.

Today Atlus announced they will be releasing Code of Princess, an "action RPG brawler" for Nintendo 3DS this fall in North America.

Hearkening back to classic beat'em ups like Streets of Rage, Code of Princess allows gamers to battle with or against each other in both local and online multiplayer modes. They can also level their characters RPG-style, while using high-action elements such as the ability to chain attacks together.

A simplified version of the home screen will also be at players' finger tips.

During today's Nintendo Direct event, Satoru Iwata spent some time discussing the features of the Wii U home screen.

It appears the main home menu view, which includes all the Mii characters and game application tiles, is not the only view players have to navigate the system menu. A simplified Wii-style menu showing games and other in-built apps will be displayed on the screen of the Wii U GamePad.

The Nintendo Direct stream casually featured a Black Wii U.

Wii U may come in black along with the customary white. 

In the background of the Nintendo Direct video was a black Wii U system, as well as a black Wii U GamePad. Up until this point, Nintendo has not shown the Wii U in any color except white. 

While this does not confirm what colors will be available when the system launches, it does raise the prospect that the hardware will come in both black and white.

A quick shot of a New Super Mario Bros. title on the Wii U GamePad gives away the unannounced feature.

The Wii U appears to have some kind of built-in achievement system as part of the Miiverse. 

A video shown during the pre-E3 Nintendo Direct conference was designed to show off how the Miiverse social networking features could be integrated into in-game content. The example video, from a New Super Mario Bros. game, included a gold bar with the text that read "Cleared in under 100 seconds." 

Nintendo's social network is coming to the 3DS, mobile devices, and PCs, but a little later.

Nintendo's recently announced Miiverse functionality will also be coming to the 3DS, future Nintendo platforms, and web-connected mobile devices and PCs. However, when he announced these plans at the recent Pre-E3 2012 Nintendo Direct event, Iwata said that this would not happen at "launch."

Please... Read more...

Nintendo shows us the unique features of the Wii U web browser.

Details about the Wii U Internet browser were revealed today during the latest Nintendo Direct event. 

Using the Wii U GamePad, players can input text, browse the web, and share what they are browsing with others who are watching the television. An example of this sharing was shown, with a video being flicked from the GamePad to the television screen for everyone in the room to view.

The Wii U's menu will be rife with player-connecting features, and games will benefit from Nintendo's newly revealed social network features.

Nintendo's recently revealed "Miiverse" (referred to as "Mii Wara Wara" in early development, a Japanese term that describes the noise a crowd makes) social network functionality will connect players in and out of games in new ways, on both the Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS. It was a major feature of their recent Pre-E3 2012 Nintendo Direct live-stream announcement.

Now with clickable thumb sticks, an NFC reader/writer, and universal TV remote.

Today's Nintendo Direct stream event started off by showcasing the new controller, the Wii U GamePad, named in honor of the original NES controller.

The GamePad now eschews circle pads in favor of clickable thumb sticks, and offsets the directional pad and face buttons for maximum comfort. The back has been redesigned to rest more comfortably in a user's hands.

Stay tuned to @NintendoAmerica for thoughts from the top dog.

Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata will be tweeting during E3 on the official Nintendo of America Twitter account, @NintendoAmerica. All of Iwata's tweets will include the Twitter hashtag #IwataSays.

Mr. Iwata has already started tweeting, with the first tweet reading "Miiverse will be a network service where Miis from around the world can meet and connect #NintendoDirect http://twitpic.com/9sjpca"

An updated traditional controller is coming to the Wii U. 

Nintendo is releasing the Wii U Pro Controller for the Wii U.

The controller is lighter, and intended to be more attractive to gamers seeking a traditional gaming experience. Along with a standard button layout, the controller also offers click-enabled analog sticks.

The wireless controller also appears to contain a mini-USB charge plug. The Wii U will support up to four controllers.

Video chat is a go guys!

During the Nintendo Direct conference, Nintendo played a demonstration video showing some interactive features unique to the system.

The first is a game FAQ message board function that allows the player to ask questions about certain sections of a game. The second major feature is a built-in video chat function, which uses the Wii U GamePad's built-in camera to allow friend-to-friend video communication.

That won't stop third-parties from using CryEngine.

Crytek, developer of Far Cry and the Crysis series, is not currently developing for Wii U. The news comes from an interview with Golem.de, a German website. The statement, loosely translated, states that there will be games that run on Wii U using CryEngine, but they will be licensed. The interview also notes that Crytek are not developing for PlayStation Vita.

The developer claims that Nintendo has listened to their feedback on the upcoming console.

Aliens: Colonial Marines developer Gearbox Software continued to praise the Wii U in an interview from Nintendo Gamer's June 2012 issue. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford and art director Brian Cozzens held off naming technical specifications, but stated their excitement for the Wii U's capabilities in no small number of positive terms.

Does wireless play suit your fancy? Well, it's about to.

More features and details regarding Pokémon Black and White 2 have been revealed, via a promotional pamphlet posted on a Japanese blog.

First, something called Fes Mission was detailed, allowing the player to experience various wireless missions in the same fashion as the EntraLink ones in Pokémon... Read more...

Job listings tease at social media on next-generation consoles and "a magic fridge full of endless treats."

Recently posted job listings indicate various companies, including Google and Time Warner, seek to develop social media applications for next-generation consoles.

Google Inc. posted a job listing seeking a "Game Console Software Engineer" to develop YouTube for next-generation game consoles. The... Read more...

Well, this looks pretty neat.

PokéWood, the new movie-making feature in Pokémon Black and White 2, was featured in the latest episode of the Pokemon Smash variety television show.

During the episode, it was revealed that there are numerous PokéWood scenarios to select when in the new game mode. Specific moves can be used once a script is selected to affect the outcome, and specific Pokémon can be rented for the PokéWood scenarios.

And they said we had to wait until Tuesday for the important news!

Pokémon Black and White 2 have a new trailer recently aired on Japanese variety show Pokémon Smash that officially reveals, among other things, the return of antagonist Ghetsis as well as N.

In the trailer, N and his Zekrom are shown facing off against Ghetsis and Kyurem, with the male protagonist... Read more...