With the imminent release of the Nintendo 3DS (though since this article is posting late, it’s probably already out in Europe) I thought it’d be a good idea to go over all the games releasing alongside the new console. So in preparation for the launch of the Nintendo 3DS on March 25th in Europe, the 27th for North America and 31st for Australia, here are your launch titles. Given that the only game I’ve played on the console is the 3D version of Ocarina of Time (which isn’t even a launch game) I’ll try to keep my opinions away from the actual discussion of what’s coming out.

In terms of first party titles, Nintendo are releasing three launch games (or five if you want to count different versions of Nintendogs + cats, which you really shouldn’t). As well as the long awaited sequel to Nintendogs —the game that sold thousands of DS units whether you like it or not— Pilotwings is also finally being revisited, with Pilotwings Resort switching the setting to Wii Sports Resort’s Wuhu Island. Rounding out the trio is Steel Diver, an odd submarine simulator that started life as a tech demo for the original Nintendo DS. Steel Diver will only be a launch title in North America, so I’m predicting we might have another Excitebots on our hands, where Nintendo releases an incredibly niche title in the US only to never bring it anywhere else. That’s not to say that Steel Diver will sink, though, as previews of it so far have been fairly positive.

PAX East 3DS impressions

Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, Features | 0 comments

While at PAX East this past weekend, I had the opportunity to check out the 3DS and a few of the games Nintendo brought to the event. Below are my impressions of three games I got the chance to check out while in Boston. Be warned – the booths only allowed for ten minute demo sessions so the sections are going to be a bit small.

That One Show – Episode 8

Posted on 14 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in Features | 0 comments

Blam! Like I said, ToS takes a trip to the Mall of America for the Pokemon Black/White Mall Tour, I talk about the 3DS launch, and I get my Pokemon stolen all in the same week. Plus, it’s Friday!

NE Interview: Gamestaq CEO/co-founder Joseph Gindi

Posted on 14 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in Features, General Nintendo, News | 0 comments

CEO and Co-Founder of Gamestaq.com discusses the used game market, downloadable add-ons, and how pricing of secondhand titles is getting out of hand.

The used game market is slowly and slowly getting more and more out of hand. If you plan on selling a game to retail giant GameStop, for instance, chances are that you’ll get less than a fourth of full price for it. This is fairly ridiculous considering that GameStop sees no problem in taking what they paid five dollars for and reselling it to those same gamers who support them for three, four, or even five times that. Some may say that you can’t blame companies like GameStop for this, because it indeed takes two to tango, but the fact of the matter remains that many gamers just don’t have much a choice when it comes to selling their used games.

That, however, is about to change because of a company called GameStaq. Joseph Gindi is the CEO and co-founder of the company which offers gamers an alternative to places like GameStop, and it allows you to get upwards of 70 or 80% of retail price, as opposed to the usual 30 to 40%. I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Gindi, and I asked him a variety of questions on his company, his outlook, and the industry as a whole. Check it out after the break…

My life with Nintendo – Part 4

Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Features, Wii | 0 comments

Here we are at the end of the road. The last Nintendo system in my collection is the Wii. This time around, I bought many of the major titles released on the system. Metroid: Other M, Donkey Kong Country Returns, and the Super Mario Galaxy games are among the list of titles that I’ve added to my purchased.

I obtained a Wii in 2008, which was, as most of you know, a few years after the system had launched. At the time I only owned a few games. A lot of them were terrible, admittedly. But the highlights were Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Brawl, like Melee, was a massive time sink for me. I used to hold small tournaments and parties focusing on the game. Despite the fact that I greatly enjoyed the title, I personally believe that it still doesn’t compare to Melee, my favorite of the series.

March – What’s in store

Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, DS, Features, Wii | 0 comments

I hope you guys like playing your games on handhelds, because this month is full of games to play on the go. As well as a string of promising Nintendo DS games, March sees the release of the new Nintendo 3DS console, a portable powerhouse with more launch games than I have time to write about. So hopefully you weren’t looking forward to reading about those any time soon.

That One Show – Episode 7

Posted on 14 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in Features | 0 comments

Watch out for next week when ToS visits the Pokemon Black/White mall tour!

That One Show – Episode 6

Posted on 14 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in Features | 0 comments

It’s almost good. I swear, I’m close to how I want it. Just a few audio mixing issues this week.

Mario Sports Mix review

Posted on 14 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in Reviews, Wii | 0 comments

Game Info:

System: Nintendo Wii
Genre: Sports/Party
Players: 1-4
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Nintendo

He has appeared in over two hundred video games to date, has taken on professions
from doctor to professional boxing referee, and his combined sales total from all
his games is over 210 million units. He is, of course, the one and only Mario, and it
seems as though his talents never end. From defeating over-sized apes in the original
Donkey Kong to taking the gold trophy in intense cart races, he is a master of
everything that comes his way.

My life with Nintendo – Part 3

Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Features, GameCube | 0 comments

My story of how I got the GameCube is one of sadness. To begin, I was inside my local Toys R Us (back when they were cool) and was looking around the video game section. Anyone remember how they had you pay for the games in a separate section from the rest of the store? In any case, while I was there, I played a demo station of Soul Calibur 2. It was at that moment I wanted a GameCube.

I quickly returned home to formulate a plan to obtain the system, and, more importantly, Soul Calibur 2. I wanted the GameCube version for two reasons: 1: Most of my friends had that version. 2: Link was an exclusive character. So, sue me! It was also a good excuse to get the new Smash Bros. and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, which was like the Dreamcast game but with plenty of additional features.