Akira Saito, a key member of M2, has passed away at the age of 43. Saito is sadly no longer with us due to cancer.

Saito worked on a ton of games and projects at M2, including the SEGA 3D Classics, Virtual Console emulators for the SEGA Master System and Genesis/Mega Drive on Wii, and more. He was said to be a very talented programmer.

M2 president Naoki Horii said in a post on the company’s website, “He lived his life with video games.”

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Splatoon’s newest European Splatfest is now live, and it’s a big one. Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue are facing off in a major battle.

You’ll have until this time tomorrow to participate in the Splatfest. A little while after it ends, the worldwide results will be up, and we’ll have them on the site as soon as possible.

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Several new games out came out this week on the Wii U and 3DS eShops. If you’re interested in checking out what’s new in screenshot form, take a peak at the gallery below.

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System: Wii U (reviewed), 3DS
Release date: January 26, 2016
Developer: TT Games
Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

The LEGO video games have always been relatively simple yet fun romps through iconic universes like Batman, Harry Potter, and pretty much everything in between. Yet, while LEGO Marvel Avengers captures that same LEGO charm that the series is known for, it suffers from a number of bumps and hiccups that manage to hold it a little further back from its older siblings.

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MagnaStudios has shared an update on Nostalgia: Two Worlds – One Soul, the indie developer’s interactive adventure game for Wii U.

First, below are a couple of teasers:

And a heap of new screenshots:

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If you’d like to try out Nostalgia, you can download a PC demo here. A Kickstarter should also be going up sometime soon.

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GameStop has announced an exclusive pre-order bonus for Hyrule Warriors Legends. If you reserve the 3DS title – be it in-store or online – you’ll receive a character art book while supplies last.

Here’s a description of the book:

“Pre-purchase the Hyrule Warriors Legends game, and receive a special-edition, soft-cover, 16-page character art book exclusively at GameStop.* Learn more about key characters and view concept art for warriors and weapons, including the new hero Linkle and her mysterious compass – along with Toon Link, Tetra, and King Daphnes, who sailed across the Great Sea to save the world from evil!”

You can pre-order Hyrule Warriors Legends at GameStop here. Alternatively, if you’re an Amazon Prime or Best Buy GCU member, you can save 20 percent.

More: GameStop, Hyrule Warriors Legends, Koei Tecmo, Omega Force, pre-order, Team Ninja, top

This week’s Nintendo of Minute has gone live, which you can catch below. Today’s video is once again focused around Fire Emblem Fates. You can see two battles, each of which show some different maps and with characters from Birthright and Conquest.

There’s more coverage to check out from the Nintendo NY store reopening earlier today. Below, you’ll find a video with a bunch of interviews – Charles Martinet, architects who worked on the renovations, and more. You can also get a glimpse at the three exclusive Splatoon posters that are available this weekend.

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2020Venture’s sci-fi/horror first-person shooter Chasing Dead now has a release date in Europe. The game will arrive on March 3 for €29.99.

Here’s a trailer:

There’s no date yet for North America, but we’ll let you know when we hear something on that front.

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If you’d like to see what the reopened Nintendo NY store is like, watch the video below. The folks over at Nintendo World Report have recorded a full tour.

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