Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, Images, News, Podcast Stories | 0 comments

I typically wouldn’t be posting this since Grasshopper Manufacturer’s past few games haven’t been on Nintendo systems, but there’s speculation that the first piece of art in the gallery above is referencing Shinobu from No More Heroes. And if there is somehow a new No More Heroes game, we all know that Suda51 promised it for the Wii U years ago. Again, all speculation at this point.

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Posted on 11 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in News, Podcast Stories, Wii U | 0 comments

Nintendo is really rolling out the “we’re-a-modern-company-too” artillery this week.

I say that partially in jest because we are very used to Nintendo being a somewhat “old-fashioned” tech company, but by and large the statement of mockery rings very true: With their updated support for HTML, CSS, and Java (all very “hip” development languages), the newly announced iOS-to-Wii U conversion tools, and this massive expansion of Miiverse, it almost feels as thought the Big N is, for better or worse, “getting with the times”. The latter of those three things is the newest announcement, and as of today we have a bunch of details on what they plan to do with Miiverse going forward. Here are the bulletpoints:

– Update will improve interactions with games, create a deeper integration with them
– Send and receive comments, follow users, view followers, etc all from within games
– Launch games at a specific point via Miiverse, such as New Super Mario Bros. U
– If a player tags a specific level in a Miiverse post (say, World 1-2), you could click the tag and start the game at that level to see what they’re talking about
– Miiverse could eventually be coupled with an online datastore, which would allow for “more advanced functions”
– User communities will become more widespread
– Limited access communities would have codes to join, and only those who own the game could join
– This would allow for tournament organization and hosting
– Potential to link “stage editors” to Miiverse, allowing users to direct an entire game from Miiverse (not sure what this implies)
– Nintendo is listening to developer requests on how to extend the Miiverse API to become more beneficial

Sounds like a heck of an improvement to me! Nintendo really seems to want to get back on top. And honestly, that’s sort of the unfortunate truth with the Big N: When they’re in trouble, they work a heck of a lot harder to get back on top. When they’re on top, the quality of their games and support tends to go down.

Via NWR

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Podcast Stories, Wii U | 0 comments

Yesterday, Kiyoshi Mizuki revealed an interesting Miivese feature during Nintendo’s Miiverse session at GDC 2013. The game will include the “Miiversketch” feature, a mode that requires players to quickly draw items on the GamePad from memory. Drawings will be added to a special Miiverse board once the designated time expires.

Nintendo demonstrated a couple of examples. In one instance, King Tut was drawn in a matter of 60 seconds. Other drawings involved a camel and a sloth.

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Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Podcast Stories, Wii U eShop | 0 comments

In the wake of THQ and Vigil Games’ closure, Nintendo will be pulling Darksiders II from the Wii U eShop on March 31. Those who have already purchased the game can re-download it at any time, but new consumers won’t be able to find Darksiders II on the store.

It’s unclear if/when Nintendo will remove Darksiders II from the North American eShop. The company may choose to take it down on Monday as well – just without prior notice.

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Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Podcast Stories, Wii U | 0 comments

GameStop CEO Paul Raines once again said that Wii U sales have been “disappointing” even though the console’s November launch “exceeded our expectations” during a post-earnings financial call today. Wii U sales have slowed since the start of 2013, according to Raines.

Two reasons were cited for the system’s poor performance. Raines first noted how Nintendo’s marketing has “not broken through the way that it needs to” and that consumers haven’t been able to fully grasp its features, such as the GamePad.

“We still have an education process we need to go through.”

Raines also pointed to the absence of big system-sellers on Wii U. While New Super Mario Bros. U was a compelling release from Nintendo, interesting titles have been missing in action over the past few months.

Raines said:

“We’re seeing the ramifications of that today.”

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Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Podcast Stories, Wii U eShop | 0 comments

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is seeing a $10 discount on the Wii U eShop. For the next few days, SEGA’s racer can be purchased for $29.99. The sale ends on March 31, so take advantage of the deal while you can!

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Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Podcast Stories, Wii U eShop | 0 comments

Having announced Toki Tori 2’s release date a couple of weeks ago, the only other piece of information left for Two Tribes to confirm is the game’s price. Today, the studio revealed that its Wii U eShop game will cost $14.99.

Those who purchase Toki Tori 2 at launch will receive a 10% discount. You’ll be paying $13.50 instead of $15, basically.

Here’s the full rundown of prices for each territory without the discount:

• 14.99 EUR (Europe)
• 14.99 USD (USA)
• 12.99 GBP (United Kingdom)
• 19.99 CHF (Switzerland)
• 120 NOK (Norway)
• 125 SEK (Sweden)
• 112 DDK (Denmark)
• 60 PLN (Poland)
• 600 RUB (Russia)
• 19.99 AUD (Australia)
• 23.99 NZD (New Zealand)
• 14.99 CAD (Canada)
• 195 MXN (Mexico)
• 30 BRL (Brazil)
• 375 CZK (Czech Republic)
• 180 AZR (South Africa)

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Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Podcast Stories, Wii U | 0 comments

What started out as a simple question ended up turning into a complicated answer.

You may remember how at Nintendo’s E3 2011 press conference, EA CEO John Riccitiello – now gone from the company – essentially promised Battlefield for the Wii U. He teased: “Imagine a shooter, like Battlefield, with jaw-dropping graphics and smooth character animations of the Frostbite engine, brought to you on a Nintendo system with that breakthrough controller.” Now along with Battlefield 3, Wii U won’t be getting Battlefield 4.

So what exactly is preventing a Wii U port? DICE was approached by Eurogamer in search of some answers.

You can read up on the company’s reasoning below, which also includes a confirmation that the game’s Frostbite engine currently isn’t supported on Wii U.

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Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Podcast Stories, Wii U | 0 comments

LEGO City: Undercover was developed by TT Fusion, but Nintendo certainly played a role in the game’s development. Of course, the Big N did publish the title, though the company typically hasn’t been too involved with titles created by outside studios.

The amount of Nintendo staff who worked on LEGO City: Undercover may surprise you. Producer Masakazu Miyazaki, co-producer Azusa Tajima, executive producer and Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, and countless others contributed to the Wii U release.

You can find a complete listing of Nintendo staff who worked on LEGO City below.

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Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Podcast Stories, Wii U | 0 comments

A few hours ago, Nintendo held a session at GDC to show off its new Nintendo Web Framework for the first time. Polygon was at the event and has a write-up of the proceedings. We’ve posted a summary of the report below.

– Nintendo first showed Wii Street U
– This is one of the first apps built from the Nintendo Web Framework
– Nintendo Web Framework uses WebKit as a core
– Compatible with existing apps
– Framework can help make apps that run on the GamePad, TV, or both
– Can also be used to port games made using web technology much faster than it would take to port over a game by actually coding it for the Wii U specifically
– Gunman Clive isn’t a Nintendo Web Framework game, but it’s an example of how a game available on other platforms can benefit from being on a Nintendo system and having access to more precise control methods
– Nintendo senior software engineer Ryan Lynd took over the presentation to show off some of the specific steps in the Nintendo Web Framework process
– Simple video-on-demand app was first demonstrated
– This shows the software’s ability to make changes, refresh, and see them reflected on the GamePad or TV screen instantly — the same way a web developer would work on a web app
– Sketch Ball: simple platformer made entirely in Javascript and ported to Wii U with the Nintendo Web Framework
– Lynd showed off the ability to quickly create new stages using HTML backgrounds as well as the option to use the GamePad’s camera and accelerometer
– Sketch Battle will be included in the Nintendo Web Framework SDK as a demo for developers to mess around with and learn from
– Nintendo Web Framework’s codename was Bamboo
– Name was chosen since the plant grows quickly over a short span of time
– In an effort to live up to that name, Nintendo is pursuing some aggressive developer-friendly policies with Nintendo Web Framework
– Devs can obtain the Framework SDK for free after signing an agreement
– Only necessary to purchase a dev kit
– Nintendo will not require concept approval so that developers can choose their own price and release date for apps
– Will also allow for use of freemium models in apps developed in the Nintendo Web Framework
– Nintendo also has plans for Unity game engine support on the Wii U
– More Unity Wii U details this week

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