Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Podcast Stories | 5 Comments

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– A system update for Nintendo 3DS is now available and brings with it new features that enable Nintendo Network ID functionality, as well as the ability to browse and post on Miiverse.

The update will allow users to register a Nintendo Network ID to their Nintendo 3DS system. If they also have a Wii U system, they can use the same Nintendo Network ID to combine their Nintendo eShop balances and Wish Lists. A Nintendo Network ID is required to download free content, like game demos, from the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS.

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More: Miiverse, Nintendo Network ID, press release

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS eShop, News, Podcast Stories, Wii U eShop | 3 Comments

This week’s European Nintendo Downloads are as follows:

Wii U Retail

Wii Party U – €44.99 / £34.99
Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW! – €44.99 / £36.99

Wii U Download

RUSH – €1.99 / £1.79 through January 9; normally €3.99 / £3.59
Wii Fit U Quick Check – free
To launch Wii Fit U Quick Check, you must already have Wii Fit U save data. You do not need to download Wii Fit U Quick Check if you have the paid download version of Wii Fit U. If you have the retail version of Wii Fit U, Wii Fit U Quick Check lets you easily transfer Fit Meter data, do the Body Test, and check your graphs without using the Wii Fit U disc.

Wii U VC

Zelda: A Link to the Past – €7.99 / £5.49

3DS Retail

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW! – €34.99 / £28.49
Cocoto Alien Brick Breaker – €19.99 / £17.99
Girl’s Fashion Shoot – €29.99 / £29.99

3DS Download

3D Ecco the Dolphin – €4.49 / £4.09
3D Galaxy Force II – €4.99 / £4.49

3DS Demos

Nano Assault EX
AeternoBlade

3DS VC

Donkey Kong 3 – €4.99 / £4.49

Special Offers

Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns – €19.99 / £14.99 through January 9; usually normally €29.99 / £24.99
Snow Moto Racing 3D – €5.99/£5.39 through January 9; normally €7.99 / £7.19
Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale – €4.99 / £4.49 through January 2; usually €7.99 /£7.19
Bugs vs. Tanks – €4.99/£4.49 through January 2; normally €7.99 / £7.19
Crimson Shroud – €4.99/£4.49 through January 2; normally €7.99 / £7.19
Liberation Maiden – €4.99/£4.49 through January 2; normally €7.99 / £7.19
The Starship Damrey – €4.99/£4.49 through January 2; normally €7.99 / £7.19

Permanent Price Reduction

Nano Assault EX – €9.99 / £8.74; was €14.99 / £12.49

Source: Nintendo PR

More: Europe, Nintendo Download, top, Virtual Console

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Podcast Stories, Screenshots, Wii U | 12 Comments

Along with today’s screenshot, Sakurai passed along the following message on Miiverse:

Here’s a new Assist Trophy–the Skull Kid! I repeat, it’s an Assist Trophy, not a new fighter. The characters announced on the website are the fighters!

Thanks to wintereater for the tip.

More: Masahiro Sakurai, Miiverse, Super Smash Bros., top

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Podcast Stories | 4 Comments

Did you know that Nintendo’s head honcho is celebrating a birthday today? Yup: it’s now December 6 in Japan, which happens to be the day when president Satoru Iwata was born. Iwata is now 54 years-old.

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Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS eShop, News, Podcast Stories, Wii U eShop | 4 Comments

This week’s North American Nintendo Downloads are as follows:

3DS Retail

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 – $29.99

3DS Download

3D Sonic The Hedgehog – $5.99
3D Altered Beast – $5.99
Brilliant Hamsters! – $9.99

3DS VC

Donkey Kong 3 – $4.99

DSiWare

Hooked on Bass Fishing – $4.99 / 500 points

Wii U VC

The Legend of The Mystical Ninja – $7.99

eShop sale

Donkey Kong headlines the final week of this special offer on select games in the Nintendo eShop. Now through 9 a.m. PT on Dec. 12, get 30 percent off on Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. and Donkey Kong 3 for Wii U, as well as Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. and Game & Watch: Donkey Kong Jr. for Nintendo 3DS.

Source: Nintendo PR

More: Nintendo Download, top, Virtual Console

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Podcast Stories | 35 Comments

Back in the day, Rare was one of Nintendo’s top studios. The company really came into its own during the N64 era. Rare ended up creating Banjo-Kazooie, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, GoldenEye 007, and plenty of other prominent titles.

Perhaps it was due to Rare’s success that Nintendo was a bit jealous of the studio. Former staffer and Nyamyam co-founder Phil Tossell has said that “Nintendo were often quite envious of us.”

Tossell told RetroGamer this month, “I got the feeling they thought our games were technically and artistically superior to theirs.” He also spoke about a rumor in which Nintendo recreated all of the textures in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time after seeing what Rare had done with Banjo-Kazooie since Rare’s title “looked better”.

Tossell’s comments came about when asked if Nintendo ever shared code with Rare considering the Big N had a large stake in the company. He said:

No, we never had the Zelda engine or any code they did! We did see an early version of Zelda and that was a big influence on Dinosaur Planet, though. Nintendo were often quite envious of us. I got the feeling they thought our games were technically and artistically superior to theirs. Miyamoto would visit regularly and I heard a rumor they redid all of the textures on Zelda after they’d seen our work on Banjo-Kazooie because our game looked better!

Thanks to joclo for the tip.

More: Phil Tossell, Rare, top

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS eShop, DSiWare, News, Podcast Stories, Wii U eShop | 1 Comment

This week’s European Nintendo Downloads are as follows:

Wii U Retail

Scribblenauts Unlimited – €49.99 / £39.99

Wii U DLC

Pikmin 3 AOC All-New Mission Stages 12-15 x2 – €4.99 / £4.49

A pack of additional stages for Pikmin 3 Mission mode. Four stages each for “Collect Treasure!” and “Battle Enemies!” with four completely new maps, from a sandy beach to a strange factory. Additional stages can be played in the order of your choice.

3DS Retail

Bravely Default – €44.99 / £39.99
Scribblenauts Unlimited – €39.99 / £34.99
Monster High 13 Wishes – €29.99 / £24.99
Disney Frozen: Olaf’s Quest – €29.99 / £24.99

3DS Download

YouTube – free
3D Altered Beast – €4.99 / £4.49
3D Sonic The Hedgehog – €4.99 / £4.49
Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey – €4.99 / £4.49

3DS VC

Double Dragon – €4.99 / £4.49

3DS DLC

Bravely Default SP Drink – €0.99 / £0.89 (€0.50 / £0.50 for the first purchase)
Bravely Second is a powerful system in Bravely Default that enables the player to freeze time during a battle. Attacks during Bravely Second use Sleep Points that can be accrued when players leave their Nintendo 3DS in Sleep Mode, or through purchasing an SP Drink from Nintendo eShop, which allows the player to recover 3 Sleep Points immediately after the Drink has been used.

DSiWare

Hooked on Bass Fishing – €4.99 / £4.49 / 500 points

Special Offers

Luxor – €5.99 / £5.39 until Dec. 19 (regularly €11.99 / £10.79)
Secret Mysteries in London – €5.99 / £5.39 until Dec. 19 (regularly €11.99 / £10.79)
Jewel Quest 4 Heritage – €5.99 / £5.39 until Dec. 19 (regularly €11.99 / £10.79)
4 Elements – €5.99 / £5.39 until Dec. 19 (regularly €11.99 / £10.79)

Permanent Price Reduction

Fun! Fun! Minigolf Touch! – €2.99 / £2.50 (was €4.99 / £4.49)

Source: Nintendo PR

More: Europe, Nintendo Download, top

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Podcast Stories, Wii U | 9 Comments

Forbes has put up a new interview with Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. Wii U’s competition and third-party support were discussed, as was the issue of people not understanding the system is a new console – which Reggie believes has been addressed.

You can find Reggie’s full comments below. Forbes’ full piece can be found here.

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More: interview, Reggie Fils-Aime, top

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Podcast Stories, Wii U | 8 Comments

Prima’s Zelda Box Set comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by series producer Eiji Aonuma. On the certificate, Aonuma included a brief message for aficionados of the franchise.

Aonuma primarily thanked fans for their dedication. He additionally sneaked in a few words about the next Zelda game – most certainly Zelda Wii U – in which he expresses his “desire to create a unique experience that is beyond your expectations.”

Aonuma’s note in full reads:

It has been 25 years since The Legend of Zelda was introduced to the world, and it is still going strong. This was made possible by the fans who love the series. In the next installment, it is my desire to create a unique experience that is beyond your expectations. We are privileged to have your unwavering support.

More: Eiji Aonuma, The Legend of Zelda, top, Zelda Box Set

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Podcast Stories, Wii U | 5 Comments

The amount of work Masahiro Sakurai puts into the new Smash Bros. games is kind of unbelievable. One of his tasks has him inputting a ton of different parameters, which under normal circumstances, would be a job for multiple staffers – not just one employee.

Sakurai wrote in his weekly Famitsu column this week:

“With the previous Smash Bros. games, I would input all the fighter specs and attack hitboxes, and with the new games I’m doing something very similar. If I were to hand over the work to someone else, it would be a full-time, multi-person designated workload.”

Why would Sakurai take on such an involved task by himself? For one thing, he’s working with a new team. Collaborating with Namco Bandai does have its advantages though, as he says the company has created development tools that are more advanced and allow for more immediate trial and error.

Sakurai also says working alone is “faster and more accurate”.

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More: Famitsu, interview, Masahiro Sakurai, Super Smash Bros., top