Nintendo
Buy a Wii, get a Mario game and the wrong soundtrack
Nintendo doesn’t sell the Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack to North American Club Nintendo fans (or iTunes patrons or pretty much anyone in the States), but–as of last Sunday–they’re happy to give it away to casual late Wii buyers. And it’s not even paired with the game it belongs with! Perhaps NOA is hoping Joe and Wanda Casual will listen to the CD, fall in love with t...
Professor Layton and the Last Specter review: The weakest game in the series is still a blast to play
This puzzle adventure had some pretty big shoes to fill, yet I’d hoped Professor Layton and the Last Specter would somehow top the excellence of last year’s Layton game, Unwound Future. That didn’t happen. What I experienced was 15 hours of great puzzles (with more content available for extended play), charming atmosphere and top-notch production values. The only thing missing wa...
Kirby 3D? Swapnote? Which recent Nintendo announcement are you most excited about?
The end of the week saw a lot of tidbits flooding out of Nintendo regarding Mariokart, new eShop games and the upcoming 3DS firmware update. What did you think? Which ones–if any–got you smiling? In case you missed any of the details, here’s a quick rundown of the highlights:
Video game consoles numbered among “extinct gadgets” in 10 years
In addition to stand alone GPS, recordable optical discs, e-readers, low-end digital cameras, and DVD players, Yahoo Shopping predicts video game consoles will also be extinct by 2020. Popular video game systems such as the Wii, PlayStation and Xbox may still be in homes next decade, but they will look much different. Rather than buy a separate console, Enderle expects that consumers will instead ...
If you had 24 hours to call the shots at Nintendo, what would you do?
Imagine: suddenly you’re in charge at Nintendo. You’ve got just 24 hours to order any course of action, and the deal is, once you’ve ordered it, the company will do its best to carry out your wishes for the next year, no matter the cost or consequences. Here’s what I’d do, right now:
More portable developers defecting from Nintendo
Here’s another sign that developers are doubting the 3DS’s future as a mobile gaming device: Long-time Nintendo second party developer Level-5 has announced they’ll start porting and/or shifting development to iOS devices. Ouch. Could this be one last hooray?
My original DS is ready for another round
Thirteen months ago, I posted an article praising my old fat blue DS and its incredible durability; I never felt a need to buy another portable until 3DS arrived. I was certain, at the time, that the then-new Professor Layton and the Unwound Future would be the last game I played on Ol’ Blue before I put the venerable, aging handheld out to pasture. Over a year later, Ol’ Fat Blue stil...
Which OTHER games are you looking forward to in 2011?
Most of us are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Zelda and Mario (on foot and kart) as the Holidays approach. Are any less-discussed 2011 games on your radar? I have a very short list, all on DS or 3DS, and all but one come with a big IF…. Professor Layton and the Last Specter (Oct. 17) — This one’s an instant buy for me. Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights (Dec. 6) —...
One of DS’s most beloved franchises just hit iPhone. Can Nintendo recapture the casual gaming market? Should they even try?
Scribblenauts Remix, a “best of” blend of DS’s two well-reviewed Scribblenauts releases (plus some new levels), just hit the App Store for $4.99. And it’s awesome–one of the strongest titles in the iOS library. This is no lazy port of the DS series, but a full-featured entry in the Scribblenauts line, looking sharper than ever and playing brilliantly. So, why bring this up? Beca...
Nintendo, would you please advertise the 3DS? For real this time?
Hey, The Lion King’s 3D re-release topped the box-office charts over the weekend! (Go Simba!)Â Wouldn’t that have been the perfect opportunity for Nintendo to stick pre-movie ads for a certain little handheld game machine? Then again, at this point, wouldn’t anyplace be a great spot for some 3DS advertising?
Regarding the recent news about Vita’s battery…
Hmmm. Three to five hours…and that’s with online capabilities disabled. Sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it? I wonder how Sony fans are adapting to the news. I’d like to send them all a card: “Misery loves company, guys. Welcome aboard the S.S. Recharge.”
“The 3D Machine” invades Nintendo Video
One thing I wasn’t expecting from my 3DS was its ability to morph into a little portable film festival with truly outstanding entries. Do not miss this week’s Nintendo Video debut of “The 3D Machine” from Rotterdam’s Ka-Ching Cartoons. Not only is this the best film to hit the service so far, but it actually has (drum roll) a reason to be in 3D: the plot involves a cr...