3D Classics: TwinBee, Metroid II, Mario Party 2 available on Club Nintendo
Three digital downloads are available on Club Nintendo. Through January 6, 3D Classics: TwinBee, Metroid II: Return of Samus, and Mario Party 2 can be ordered from the site for 150 coins each. Last week’s addition, 1080 Snowboarding, is also up for 150 coins.
View order pages for each game here.
This week’s European Nintendo Downloads are as follows:
3DS download software
escapeVektor (Nnooo, €9.99 / £TBC)
Gunman Clive (Bertil Hörberg, €1.99 / £TBC)
3DS download software price reduction
Rising Board 3D (Odenis Studio, permanent reduction to €1.99 / £TBC)
3DS Virtual Console “Hero Sale”
Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, €3.99 / £TBC until 27th December)
Dr. Mario (Nintendo, €1.49 / £TBC until 27th December)
3DS Retail DLC
New Art Academy (Nintendo, €1.99 / £TBC per lesson) — Glass and Light, Expressionism
Wii U download software sale
Chasing Aurora (Broken Rules, €5.99 / £TBC until 3rd January 2013)
Little Inferno (Tomorrow Corporation, €9.99 / £TBC until 4th January)
DSiWare
Castle Conqueror – Heroes 2 (CIRCLE Entertainment, 500 Nintendo Points)
Cake Ninja XMAS (Cypronia, 500 Nintendo Points)
I’d probably be doing you all a disservice if I didn’t post the above video on the site. It’s amazingly funny!
Frontier Developments, known for the LostWinds games and Elite: Dangerous, has confirmed layoffs at the studio. Managing director David Walsh told Eurogamer that “the changing mix of skills requirements for our current and future projects”, which “remain healthy”.
Frontier let go of 14 of its 233 staffers last week. Positions affected include art, animation and audio.
Eurogamer reports that affected staff were informed about the layoffs last Friday at 6 PM. The news hit just eleven days before Christmas.
Walsh said the following in a statement:
“Frontier regretfully has given a total of 14 people (from a staff of 233) notice that their roles are redundant, across art (9), animation (3) and audio (2) disciplines. This is due to the changing mix of skills requirements for our current and future projects – it is not a reflection on the company’s prospects, which remain healthy. Once we took the decision to make the roles redundant, we felt it was better that the affected people knew ASAP so they can plan any further expenditure over the Christmas period accordingly and focus on their search for new roles as soon as possible. We have provided redundancy arrangements in excess of the minimum. We are actively recruiting to shift the balance of skills we have within the company to enable us to deliver the set of projects currently in development.”
Shigeru Miyamoto opened up on the origins of Pikmin in an interview with GamesMaster.
Miyamoto told the magazine that the game wasn’t born from a clear vision. With Pimin, there was “a very vague image” as to what the team hoped to create. Miyamoto added that the idea for Olimar came later on in development.
He said:
“There are a variety of different ways for us to create videogames. Sometimes from the very outset we have some clear-cut goals towards which we start working. On the other hand we have cases when we don’t have any kind of clear-cut image as to what kind of game it will eventually be but rather we have a very vague image of whatever we would like to establish or realise. In the case of Pikmin 1 our original idea was how it would be nice if we would be able to see a bunch of small creatures doing something. Something like, they are protecting their own village and at the same time they are trying to grow and expand that village. Later on we added the feature so that the player character will be there. But at the beginning I thought that it wouldn’t be interesting enough because in that original development mode the Pikmin were used as if [they were] weapons. To be utilised, to be shot by the player themselves.”
This week’s UK software sales are as follows:
Individual formats
1 1 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II XB360 ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
2 2 JUST DANCE 4 WII UBISOFT UBISOFT
3 3 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II PS3 ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
10 4 HITMAN ABSOLUTION XB360 SQUARE ENIX SQUARE ENIX EUROPE
5 5 HALO 4 XB360 MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
11 6 HITMAN ABSOLUTION PS3 SQUARE ENIX SQUARE ENIX EUROPE
6 7 FIFA 13 XB360 EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
4 8 FAR CRY 3 XB360 UBISOFT UBISOFT
7 9 ASSASSIN’S CREED III XB360 UBISOFT UBISOFT
8 10 FIFA 13 PS3 EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
13 11 WWE ’13 XB360 THQ THQ
9 12 FAR CRY 3 PS3 UBISOFT UBISOFT
12 13 ASSASSIN’S CREED III PS3 UBISOFT UBISOFT
14 14 NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED PS3 EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
16 15 NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED XB360 EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
18 16 LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS XB360 WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
21 17 THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM XB360 BETHESDA SOFTWORKS BETHESDA SOFTWORKS
15 18 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2013 PC SEGA SEGA
20 19 WWE ’13 PS3 THQ THQ
23 20 FORZA HORIZON XB360 MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
17 21 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 3DS NINTENDO NINTENDO
24 22 FORZA MOTORSPORT 4 XB360 MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
22 23 BOOK OF SPELLS PS3 SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
25 24 MOSHI MONSTERS: MOSHLINGS THEME PARK DS MIND CANDY MIND CANDY
19 25 SKYLANDERS GIANTS WII SKYLANDERS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
30 26 LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS PS3 WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
28 27 JUST DANCE DISNEY PARTY WII UBISOFT UBISOFT
29 28 MARIO KART 7 3DS NINTENDO NINTENDO
32 29 PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE MIRACLE MASK 3DS NINTENDO NINTENDO
26 30 SKYLANDERS GIANTS XB360 SKYLANDERS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
– 31 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS DECLASSIFIED VITA ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
35 32 SUPER MARIO 3D LAND 3DS NINTENDO NINTENDO
31 33 MEDAL OF HONOR: WARFIGHTER XB360 EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
– 34 LITTLEBIGPLANET KARTING PS3 SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
27 35 NINTENDO LAND WII U NINTENDO NINTENDO
– 36 MARIO & SONIC LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES WII SEGA SEGA
33 37 LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS WII WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
– 38 SONIC & ALL STARS RACING TRANSFORMED XB360 SEGA SEGA
37 39 DISHONORED XB360 BETHESDA SOFTWORKS BETHESDA SOFTWORKS
34 40 MEDAL OF HONOR: WARFIGHTER PS3 EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
All formats
1 1 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II TREYARCH ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
6 2 HITMAN ABSOLUTION IO INTERACTIVE SQUARE ENIX SQUARE ENIX EUROPE
3 3 FIFA 13 EA CANADA EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
4 4 JUST DANCE 4 UBISOFT (FRANCE) UBISOFT UBISOFT
2 5 FAR CRY 3 UBISOFT (MONTREAL) UBISOFT UBISOFT
5 6 ASSASSIN’S CREED III UBISOFT (MONTREAL) UBISOFT UBISOFT
7 7 HALO 4 343 INDUSTRIES MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
8 8 NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED CRITERION GAMES EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
9 9 LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRAVELLER’S TALES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
10 10 WWE ’13 YUKE’S THQ THQ
11 11 SKYLANDERS GIANTS TOYS FOR BOB SKYLANDERS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
15 12 THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM BETHESDA BETHESDA SOFTWORKS BETHESDA SOFTWORKS
14 13 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2013 SPORTS INTERACTIVE SEGA SEGA
16 14 SONIC & ALL STARS RACING TRANSFORMED SUMO DIGITAL SEGA SEGA
12 15 MOSHI MONSTERS: MOSHLINGS THEME PARK BLACK LANTERN MIND CANDY MIND CANDY
13 16 MEDAL OF HONOR: WARFIGHTER DANGER CLOSE EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
18 17 LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES TRAVELLER’S TALES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
23 18 FORZA HORIZON TURN 10/PLAYGROUND MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
17 19 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO
20 20 DISHONORED ARKANE STUDIOS BETHESDA SOFTWORKS BETHESDA SOFTWORKS
24 21 FORZA MOTORSPORT 4 TURN 10 STUDIOS MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
22 22 JUST DANCE DISNEY PARTY LAND HO! UBISOFT UBISOFT
21 23 BOOK OF SPELLS LONDON STUDIO SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
19 24 F1 2012 CODEMASTERS BIRMINGHAM CODEMASTERS CODEMASTERS
30 25 MARIO & SONIC LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES SEGA SEGA SEGA
34 26 DISNEY EPIC MICKEY 2: THE POWER OF TWO JUNCTION POINT STUDIOS DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
28 27 MARIO KART 7 RETRO STUDIOS / NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO
32 28 F1 RACE STARS CODEMASTERS BIRMINGHAM CODEMASTERS CODEMASTERS
25 29 RESIDENT EVIL 6 CAPCOM CAPCOM CAPCOM
27 30 BORDERLANDS 2 GEARBOX SOFTWARE 2K GAMES TAKE 2
33 31 PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE MIRACLE MASK LEVEL 5 NINTENDO NINTENDO
29 32 ANGRY BIRDS TRILOGY ROVIO ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
37 33 DEAD ISLAND GOTY EDITION TECHLAND DEEP SILVER KOCH MEDIA
– 34 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS DECLASSIFIED NIHILISTIC SOFTWARE ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
35 35 SUPER MARIO 3D LAND NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO
– 36 LITTLEBIGPLANET KARTING UNITED FRONT GAMES SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
– 37 FAMILY GUY: BACK TO THE MULTIVERSE HEAVY IRON STUDIOS ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
31 38 007 LEGENDS EUROCOM ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
26 39 NINTENDO LAND NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO
– 40 SONIC GENERATIONS DIMPS SEGA SEGA
Source: Chart-Track
Super Ubi Land could wind up on the Wii U eShop. Notion Games has said that it has been in touch with Nintendo and was invited to port the game. The developer could also bring future projects to the Wii U and/or 3DS.
At the moment, Notion Games is not in possession of a Wii U dev kit. It sounds like the team plans to raise money through some sort of fundraiser, but specific plans have not been shared.
