SEGA Sammy senior executive officer Toru Nakahara, who has also acted as a producer on the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, has provided some insight into the backstory and why the company decided to pursue films for the franchise.

In an interview with Pia, Nakahara said that even though Sonic has been a popular video game character in Japan, due to many factors including SEGA withdrawing from hardware department after the Dreamcast, there were times when Sonic was unable to flourish.

More: interview, movie, SEGA, Sonic the Hedgehog, Toru Nakahara

Super Mario Bros. animated movie getting figures from Jakks Pacific

Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments

According to listings on Amazon, Jakks Pacific is working on a number of figures based on the Super Mario Bros. animated movie.

Products have been spotted for most of the main characters – Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and Toad. It’s unclear if there’ll be more, but that’s what Amazon has listed for now.

Ed Sheeran song “Celestial” to be featured in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments

The Pokemon Company has announced a partnership with music superstar Ed Sheeran, and the two sides have teamed up with a new song, “Celestial”. This will appear in Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet.

The “Celestial” video, which was directed by the award-winning Yuichi Kodama, is inspired by Ed’s childhood fascination with the franchise. It features some of his favorite Pokemon such as Pikachu, Squirtle, Machamp, Snorlax, and more. The video follows a typical day in Ed’s life with a Pokemon twist and has a unique ‘sketch’ themed art direction from Yu Nagaba, whose style is reminiscent of the doodles that Ed drew of his Pokemon as a child.

More: Game Freak, Pokemon Scarlet, Pokemon Violet

Nintendo game tester says they were reprimanded and eventually fired after asking leadership about unions

Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments

Back in April, we heard that a NLRB complaint was filed after an unnamed worker claimed that Nintendo and global hiring firm Aston Carter violated their legally protected right to unionize. Axios now has more information.

The complaint was filed on behalf of Mackenzie Clifton, a veteran Nintendo game tester. Clifton claims Nintendo and Aston Carter had them fired in February because they asked Nintendo management a question about unions.

Discussing our Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hopes impressions, Detective Pikachu 2, and more | Nintendo Everything Refresh Ep. 026

Posted on 2 years ago by Nicholas Serpa in General Nintendo, Podcast, Switch | 0 comments

Mario’s next flagship release is just a few weeks away, and we were lucky to have an opportunity to go hands-on with Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope at a recent preview event! Join your hosts Nick, Nicolas and Dennis as they dive deep into what to look forward to in this upcoming intergalactic adventure. Then stay tuned for chitchat about the long-awaited Detective Pikachu sequel, Logitech’s new cloud-streaming handheld, and more!

More: highlight, top

First 4 Figures reveals new King Dedede statues

Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments

First 4 Figures has revealed a pair of new King Dedede statues as part of its Kirby line.

Two variants are planned. Fans can either pick up the regular version or masked version, and both have “standard” and “exclusive” versions. The exclusive edition contains a gold plated coin.

Below is some additional information about the statues:

More: First 4 Figures, Kirby

Samus Aran Metroid Dread figma release date set for October 2023, new photos, pre-orders open

Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments

Good Smile has provided an update on its Samus Aran Metroid Dread figma with a final release date, new photos, and pre-orders.

The figure was first announced in February of this year, but was only shown with a concept image. Today, Good Smile announced that the Samus Aran Metroid Dread figma will be available in October 2023.

More: figma, Metroid Dread

E3 2023 dates announced

Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments

E3 2023 was previously said to be returning for 2023 after skipping its annual show this year, and the final dates have now been announced.

The expo will be back at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) for a four-day expo between Tuesday, June 13 and Friday, June 16, 2023. Separate industry and consumer days and spaces are planned. E3 also says it “will support and uplift partnered digital events taking place starting June 11 and running throughout the show.”

More: E3 2023, top

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hopes receiving new figurines

Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Switch | 0 comments

As part of the UbiCollectible line, a couple of new figurines will be released for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. Currently it appears that there are plans for two: Rabbid Mario and Rabbid Peach.

Both measure 10 cm / 4″ and come with a unique code that unlocks an in-game weapon skin. For the Rabbid Mario figurine, it’s said that it shows the character “equipped with his massive gauntlets The Dukes, ready to plunge into battle against any enemy at a moment’s notice”. As for Rabbid Peach, she wielding her well-known Triple-Troll.

More: Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Ubisoft

[Let’s Talk] What do you want to see from the Mario movie trailer?

Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, Let's Talk | 0 comments

It’s been a long time coming, but in just a couple of weeks, we’ll finally be getting a first glimpse at the Super Mario Bros. animated movie. We’ve known about the film for years, but Nintendo and Illumination have yet to share any sort of look at the film. That changes in early October though, as it’s been confirmed that the first teaser trailer will debut at New York Comic Con.

You could make the case that Nintendo has a lot riding on this film. As fans know, the company really hasn’t explored the movie space. After the 1993 live-action Mario film which was derided, Nintendo wasn’t too interested in exploring movies.

With the animated Mario movie trailer coming in very soon, what do you hope that the teaser will show? What do you personally expect from the video? Do you have any hopes and dreams for the movie overall? Let us know in the comments.