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6 CommentsNintendo 2DS gets another price cut
Not even a year after cutting the price to just under $100, the Nintendo 2DS is getting another price drop. Beginning May 20, Nintendo's entry-level handheld will be $79.99, the company announced this morning.
The new $79.99 offering will still include a download code for Mario Kart 7, as past SKUs have. The Nintendo 2DS debuted in October 2013 at $129.99 and its price dropped to $99.99 in August 2015. It's meant to be a lower-cost introduction to the 3DS line of games, and more usable for younger gamers.
The Nintendo 2DS handheld plays all of the 3DS and DS libraries, just without the 3D effect of its 3DS siblings. It's also a single "slate" as opposed to the unfolding clamshell of the 3DS lines. It still has two screens, a touch screen, and all the other controls of a 3DS.
The 2DS...
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8 CommentsTake a closer look at Pokémon Sun and Moon's new monsters
Five more Pokémon have joined the series' cast of 722, thanks to this morning's reveal of Pokémon Sun and Moon's starters and, more mysteriously, the legendaries on the boxes' covers. Stateside, we got a trailer that briefly showed off the fire, water and grass-types that trainers will have to choose from on Nov. 18, when the Nintendo 3DS games launch. (Japanese fans were treated to an even longer look at the Generation 7 Pokémon titles.)
Picking a starter Pokémon might be the most important decision a trainer makes in-game. But how does one choose? Helpfully, The Pokémon Company has since updated the games' website with deeper descriptions of the three newbies. With the increased information, we're here to help players start building their team of Pokémon so they can be ready when the...
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90 CommentsMeet Pokémon Sun and Moon's starters in new trailer before November's launch (update)
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will launch Nov. 18, The Pokémon Company confirmed. After series producer Junichi Masuda teased the news late last week, the studio debuted the trailer above — which also gives a first look at gameplay and its starter Pokémon through the official Pokémon YouTube channel.
The three starter Pokémon keep to the usual grass, fire and water-type trio. This time around, trainers will have a choice between Rowlet, a grass/flying-type owl, Litten, a fiery kitten and Popplio, a water-type seal.
Also seen in the video is a brief look at gameplay, along with the games' cover stars. While these Pokémon don't yet have names, it's not hard to imagine the lion- and bat-esque monsters being Sun and Moon's legendaries.
The Nintendo 3DS games, out this holiday season, were...
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3 CommentsFree update brings Super Mario to Minecraft: Wii U Edition
Minecraft: Wii U Edition is getting a free update on May 17 that brings various Super Mario-themed features into the game, Nintendo announced today.
The update precedes the on-disc release for the game, which will be June 17 for $29.99. The Super Mario Mash-Up Pack will be included on that version of the game, too. Minecraft: Wii U Edition has been a downloadable title only since its launch in December.
With the Super Mario Mash-Up pack, players will get 40 new skins that bring characters such as Luigi, Bowser, the Koopalings and more into Minecraft's pixelated style. A set of item textures and 15 pieces of Super Mario music will help players build their own Super Mario themed worlds, and one pre-made world is included with the update. Nintendo said the content draws on the entire...
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8 CommentsFirst Pokémon Sun and Moon info is coming next week
New information about Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will be revealed on May 10, producer Junichi Masuda confirmed. The reveal is planned for 8 a.m. PT., and Masuda's teasing that it's "big news to everyone in the world."
Several official Pokémon Twitter accounts retweeted Masuda's announcement, including the North American one. In a blog post, Masuda neglected to say whether the news would come in the form of a livestream and offered no further hints.
Regardless, it's the first time fans will learn more about Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon since they were announced for a worldwide holiday release. The Pokémon Company revealed the logos and release date for the Nintendo 3DS games in February, after a trademark application hinted that they were the next titles in the franchise.
In April,...
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6 CommentsSuper Punch-Out!! joins the 3DS Virtual Console's SNES library
Nintendo updated its Virtual Console selections today, with both New Nintendo 3DS and Wii U receiving notable additions. Super Punch-Out!! is up for download on the 3DS eShop, while Style Savvy is available on Wii U, Nintendo said in a press release.
Super Punch-Out!! is the latest SNES game to make it to the 3DS Virtual Console, and the first since mid-April. Unfortunately for owners of older 3DS hardware, SNES games are only playable on New Nintendo 3DS.
The 1994 SNES sequel to the secret-filled, NES favorite Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! is also available on the Wii U Virtual Console and has been since 2013.
Super Punch-Out!! aside, Wii U owners can also pick up Style Savvy for Nintendo DS today; that game comes to the console's Virtual Console while leaving Nintendo 3DS fans hoping...
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33 CommentsNintendo's E3 pre-show will be focused on The Legend of Zelda for Wii U
Nintendo will host its annual E3 pre-show conference on June 14 at 9 a.m. PT, the company announced today. But this year, instead of a news-filled Nintendo Direct, the presentation is dedicated solely to the next The Legend of Zelda game.
The E3 livestream, dubbed Nintendo Treehouse Live, will be a daylong demo of The Legend of Zelda on Wii U. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime will host, according to a press release. The livestream will be broadcast on Twitch, YouTube and Nintendo's own E3 website.
That's in keeping with a previous announcement that Nintendo's only playable game on the E3 show floor will be The Legend of Zelda on Wii U. Nintendo recently announced that it would show off its next gaming platform, codenamed NX, later this year instead of at E3.
The Legend...
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11 CommentsNintendo pulls indie hit from eShop after homebrew exploit detailed
VVVVVV, indie developer Terry Cavanagh's tough retro platformer, is no longer for sale on the Nintendo eShop. The 3DS game was recently removed after a hacker detailed an exploit that allows players to access homebrew software.
Trying to buy the digital download on the eShop leads to a dead end, despite the fact that Nintendo's website continues to list VVVVVV for purchase. Nintendo removed the game as soon as a day after the exploit was released, according to Wololo.net.
Cavanagh himself tweeted about the exploit devised for his game. "That's unexpected!" he wrote before linking to the instructions on how to install the hack. He later said in a tweet that the exploit was "not really a big deal because it's not a 'primary' exploit — as in you still need another game or something."
W...
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5 CommentsNintendo Humble Bundle expands with three more games
Nintendo's second Humble Bundle went live a week ago, and as is Humble Bundle's custom, the companies expanded the package today with three additional games: Nano Assault EX on Nintendo 3DS, and Swords and Soldiers 2 and Runbow on Wii U.
Any buyer who pays more than the average price — $9.74 as of this writing — will receive those titles in addition to the six games that the bundle launched with. This also applies to people who have already bought the bundle, as long as they paid more than the average at the time of purchase.
A representative for Humble Bundle told Polygon that the Humble Friends of Nintendo Bundle topped $1 million in revenue yesterday, May 2. The spokesperson said that the promotion has already surpassed Nintendo's first Humble Bundle, the Humble Nindie Bundle...
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6 CommentsTerraria surfaces on Wii U in June
The long-awaited Wii U version of Terraria, the side-scrolling sandbox adventure game from Re-Logic, will be released June 28 in North America, publisher 505 Games announced today.
Terraria will arrive on Wii U first in Europe, where it will be released June 24. That's more than a year after Re-Logic confirmed that Wii U and Nintendo 3DS versions were in the works. Terraria launched on 3DS in December 2015.
The Wii U version of Terraria will offer local split-screen co-op for four players, as well as online multiplayer action for eight players. And of course, players will be able to interact with the game world directly on the Wii U GamePad.
Terraria debuted in May 2011 on Windows PC, and is now available on a variety of console, mobile and handheld platforms. For more on Terraria,...
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77 CommentsNintendo won't sell NX at a loss, president says
Nintendo hasn't yet announced the price of its next console, codenamed the NX, but the company recently indicated that it does not intend to take a loss with each sale.
"We are not thinking of launching the hardware at a loss," said Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima during an investor meeting last week. "Selling at a loss at launch would not support the business."
Kimishima added that Nintendo is developing the NX hardware with that mission in mind, suggesting that the company is looking to keep costs down for the console's components and manufacturing process.
Historically, Nintendo priced its hardware to make a profit, even at launch. That's the opposite of the strategy employed by Sony and Microsoft, which usually take a loss on hardware sales and hope to make it up in...
News
7 CommentsSpecial Pokémon legendaries are up for download throughout May
This month, The Pokémon Company is holding three separate legendary Pokémon in-game download promotions, according to fansite Serebii. Over the course of May, players will have the chance to grab a rare form of Zygarde and special versions of Xerneas and Yveltal in their Nintendo 3DS games.
From now until May 8, dragon/ground-type Zygarde is available as a mystery gift download over Nintendo Network. The level 100 monster comes in its standard "50 percent forme," one of several transformations it can undergo. The other four "formes" Zygarde changes into were first revealed in September and will debut in the Pokémon XY & Z anime, something that's hinted at in the Pokémon's in-game bio.
From May 11 to May 17, a shiny Xerneas will be available to download. The following week, from May...
News
26 CommentsMighty No. 9 finally launches on June 21, creator says
Mighty No. 9 has a new launch date: June 21.
The "spiritual successor" to Mega Man has "gone gold," creator Keiji Inafune said, putting Mighty No. 9 on course to launch for Mac, Linux, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One on that date in North America and Asia. It will launch worldwide on those platforms on June 24. Deep Silver is publishing the game on consoles.
The versions for Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita will follow at a later date, Inafune said.
Inafune acknowledged it has been nearly three years since the project was initially and enthusiastically crowdfunded by thousands of Mega Man fans and apologized for the repeated delays to Mighty No. 9's launch.
"This is a project where everyone's passions were combined in order to create something very...
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15 CommentsInfinity Ward gets pumped up for tomorrow's big Call of Duty news with this video
Tomorrow is Call of Duty Day, at which time Activision and Infinity Ward will finally confirm Infinite Warfare as the 15th game in the series and the eighth developed by IW. That announcement is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. PT and it will be carried live over the series' official Twitch channel.
To get everyone ready for the big day, Infinity Ward put together this motivational video outlining their hopes and objectives for the game. (There aren't any teasers, Easter eggs, gameplay or other reveals for the new game.) Can they actually change the series in a way not seen since 2007's Modern Warfare? We'll find out in November.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare has not been officially named yet but a goof-up in the PlayStation Store last week outed the new title. Promo materials also point to a...
Culture
8 CommentsRe-animated Smash Bros. Melee intro is a delightful video for a Sunday afternoon
A team of 30 animators spent the better part of a year remaking the original Super Smash Bros. Melee opening, and here at last is their video. It's a virtuoso, shot-for-shot remake of the title sequence, all done with varying styles and motifs. It's wonderful.
Anyone with fond memories of this GameCube classic — goodness, the thing is 15 years old this December — will appreciate the stylish takes on such familiar scenes. For purposes of comparison, here is the original:
All of the animators are listed in a credit sequence at the end of the video at top. But they really deserve to be broken out by name, so here you go. The names are listed in the order of their appearance. Take a bow, folks.
Ryan Hobbs
Pat Paradis
Lisa Yin
Brian Blanchard
Scott Lewis
Adam Peerbaye
Y...
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14 CommentsSplatoon's Squid Sisters are the two newest amiibo
The newest amiibo are the Squid Sisters from Splatoon, Callie and Marie, and they hit stores July 8, Nintendo announced this morning.
The duo come in a $24.99 twin pack ($12.99 individually) and will unlock five new songs in Splatoon, accompanied by "squidtastic dance moves!" for the numbers. Also on July 8, Nintendo will launch new colors for the Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy and Inkling Squid amiibos. Those three will be available individually or in a $34.99 three-pack as well.
News
16 CommentsPokémon ports on 3DS Virtual Console a nostalgic success with 1.5M downloads
Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, Pokémon Green and Pokémon Yellow have been downloaded from Nintendo 3DS eShop over 1.5 million times worldwide, Nintendo said. In the company's fiscal year presentation, president Tatsumi Kimishima detailed how the Virtual Console re-releases have fared since their February launch.
The Game Boy games hit 3DS Virtual Console on Feb. 27, 20 years after their original release. Kimishima noted that while the figure reflects worldwide sales, North American Pokémon fans have been particularly zealous.
"More than half of these downloads came from the American market," he said, according to Nintendo's transcript from the financial briefing. "Since the start of the calendar year, Pokémon has been the subject of much attention in America, and sales are showing a...
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