Ultra Beasts were inspired by past Pokemon designs rejected by Game Freak’s Ken Sugimori
Posted on 1 day ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, General Nintendo, News | 0 comments
Illustrator Yusuke Omura, a character designer at Game Freak, has revealed some interesting origins for the Ultra Beasts in Pokemon.
These creatures were first introduced in Pokemon Sun and Moon. They weren’t the typical kind of Pokemon we were used to seeing as they stem from a different, known as the Ultra Space.
More: Game Freak, Pokemon Moon, Pokemon Sun
Nintendo maintenance schedule – February 1, 2026 – Wii U and 3DS session coming this month
Posted on 4 days ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, 3DS eShop, News, Wii U, Wii U eShop | 0 comments
Nintendo has released its maintenance schedule for the week of February 1, 2026:
As previously announced, a session is planned for Wii U and 3DS that’s happening later this month. Along with software downloads, the Nintendo eShop will be impacted.
Below is the full Nintendo maintenance schedule for the week of February 1, 2026:
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These Pokemon look better as 2D sprites and could use a 3D upgrade
Posted on 6 days ago by Ethan Gnau in 3DS, Features | 0 comments
At the time of writing, it’s been well over ten years since every single Pokemon received its first main series 3D model. As the first 3D game in the series, Pokemon X and Y fully converted every single one of its creatures to three dimensions, and some of them translated better than others. So today, we’re looking at Pokemon who looked better as 2D sprites, and how you could fix their 3D models to give them more personality and charm. In many cases, it’s actually the animations that need to be improved – the base 3D models are generally fine, with a few small exceptions here and there.
More: Game Freak, highlight, Pokemon, Pokemon X and Y, top
Nintendo maintenance schedule – January 25, 2026 – Wii U and 3DS impacted
Posted on 1 week ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, Mobile, News, Wii U | 0 comments
Nintendo has released its maintenance schedule for the week of January 25, 2026:
Right now two sessions are on the docket. The first is taking place later tonight, but the second won’t be happening until February.
Below is the full Nintendo maintenance schedule for the week of January 25, 2026:
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Shovel Knight: Ultimate Design Works revealed, pre-orders open
Posted on 1 month ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Switch, Wii U | 0 comments
Next year, the new Shovel Knight: Ultimate Design Works will be released. Udon Entertainment is preparing the book.
If you’re a Shovel Knight fan, this should be right up your alley. It features “the fun and original artwork behind this landmark title, and its many expansions and spin-off games”. It comes with key art, character concepts, enemy designs, sprite sheets, unused ideas, and more. There’s also creator commentary plus two exclusive interviews with the Yacht Club Games team.
More: Shovel Knight, Yacht Club Games
5 of the more festive Nintendo games you should revisit over the holidays
Posted on 1 month ago by Ethan Gnau in 3DS, Features, Switch, Switch 2, Wii U | 0 comments
If you celebrate Christmas, then you already know there’s nothing better than opening a brand-new video game on Christmas Day. Or getting a brand-new video game console in general! This year, a whole new generation of players will receive Nintendo Switch 2 systems as holiday gifts – or maybe some additional games or accessories for those who already have one. For me personally, many of my favorite video game memories are associated with Christmas in some way, and I’m sure the same is true for those of you who have celebrated the holidays in the past as well.
So today, we’re going over some Nintendo games that I associate with the holiday season, and aspects of each one that make them special. As a note, not all of these games are inherently festive, because surprisingly few Nintendo games make specific references to Christmas or the holidays. But if you have any holiday memories with a video game not listed here, feel free to share in the comments down below.
Nintendo maintenance schedule – November 23, 2025 – session planned, but only for 3DS
Posted on 2 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 0 comments
Nintendo has released its maintenance schedule for the week of November 23, 2025.
There is one session planned, but believe it or not, Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch are being left alone. Instead, 3DS will be seeing a bit of downtime.
Below is the full Nintendo maintenance schedule for the week of November 23, 2025:
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Every Pokemon generation gimmick ranked, from Z-Moves to Mega Evolution
Posted on 2 months ago by Ethan Gnau in 3DS, Features, Switch, Switch 2 | 0 comments
Since the release of Pokemon X and Y in 2013, new games in the series have had a battle “gimmick” of some sort to keep things fresh. It all started with Mega Evolution in X and Y, which was then expanded upon in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Then we got Z-Moves in Pokemon Sun and Moon, followed by Dynamax and Gigantamax in Pokemon Sword and Shield. Then we’ve got Terastallization in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and that’s where we’re at right now. We’re almost certain to see another new gimmick introduced in the tenth generation of Pokemon, which is getting closer and closer by the day given that Scarlet and Violet released three years ago already. So today, we’re taking a look at all of these battle gimmicks and ranking them from best to least best. None of the gimmicks are outright terrible – they’re all inspired and thematically appropriate for their regions, but some are certainly better than others.
Nintendo maintenance schedule – October 5, 2025 – Nintendo Network ID downtime
Posted on 4 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 0 comments
Nintendo has released its maintenance schedule for the week of October 5, 2025.
We don’t see this very often these days, but there’s some downtime involving Nintendo Network IDs. That actually means that only Wii U and 3DS will be affected. As of now, nothing official has been announced for Nintendo Switch.
Below is the full Nintendo maintenance schedule for the week of October 5, 2025:
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Dev behind Nintendo’s Elite Beat Agents toyed around with for new 3DS entry
Posted on 4 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 0 comments
Nintendo’s Elite Beat Agents series never left the DS, but fans might be interested to hear that the game’s developers tinkered around for a prototype on 3DS.
Elite Beat Agents is a bit of a niche franchise and hasn’t been seen for quite some time, so some Nintendo fans may not have heard about the IP previously. Essentially, it was a western version of iNiS’ rhythm game Osu Tatakae Ouendan.
