Nielsen is continuing its annual tradition of providing a look at the most anticipated games of the holiday season. The company’s results are based on games scheduled between October and the end of the year.

On Wii U, Paper Mario: Color Splash is ranked highly, which makes sense as there’s not much else to look forward to. Pokemon Sun/Moon, Mario Party: Star Rush, and Disney Magical World 2 are the anticipated 3DS titles.

As for how Nielsen collects its data, the company says:

“Nielsen Game Rank represents the overall anticipation level among gamers on each platform, based on a combination of several key measures (including awareness, purchase interest, consumer rating and others). The percent value shown reflects how strong the overall anticipation level is for the title, relative to the pre-release anticipation levels of all previous titles that released on the platform(s). Values shown for multi-platform titles are averages of the values from each release platform. Titles included are those being released between Oct. 1, 2016 – Dec. 31, 2016, that have a Game Rank of 75% or higher. Data was collected by surveying 6,000 gamers age 7 to 54 between Aug. 21, 2016 – Sept. 24, 2016.”

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Update: Along with today’s news, Bandai Namco confirmed that a download code for Mighty Action X will be included with all copies. This is set in the world of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid.

Bandai Namco has prepared a new five-minute trailer for its Japanese game All Kamen Rider: Rider Revolution. Give it a look below.

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Niantic is giving Pokemon GO players a sneak peek of a new feature on the way. Sometime soon, functionality will be introduced “which grants a catch bonus when you earn medals based on catching certain types of Pokemon”.

With bonuses, you’ll have a better chance of capturing Pokemon with a related type. As one example, catching Fire-type Pokemon will be easier as you reach a higher tier for the Kindler Medal. Tiers can be increased by catching many Pokemon of the same type.

Here’s the full explanation and some screenshots of the upcoming feature:

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We’ve been wondering when Corpse Party would be releasing in the west ever since the localization announcement in April. XSEED originally targeted a summer launch window in North America, but the season passed by without any news.

The most recent date we heard was October 4 from various retailers. Well, Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and GameFly have updated their listings again, and now point to October 25.

The good news? That may be final. For one thing, Corpse Party is now actually listed on the eShop, and carries an October 25 release date. We also heard a couple of weeks ago that the game had appeared on the European eShop with a similar date.

Hopefully XSEED will come forward with an official date soon. Marvelous also has to officially confirm Corpse Party for Europe, as the only “announcement” we have to go by is the eShop listing.

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On Wii U, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 is this week’s Virtual Console game. And on 3DS, we’ll be getting Mega Man X2.

Nintendo’s website provides the following description:

Fresh from defeating Sigma and his Mavericks, Mega Man X tracks down the remaining rogue Reploids to an abandoned factory where they are continuing their rebellion. While Mega Man X is kept busy by eight all-new Mavericks, a new threat plots to resurrect a secret weapon that is all too familiar!

Now, guide Mega Man X through eight stages in his search to destroy the remaining Mavericks, gain their powers, and uncover the secret entity guiding them all. Also, pilot powerful new vehicles like the mobile attack cycle, and with help from the good Dr. Light, discover incredible new abilities hidden in capsules buried throughout the world. Only then will X will be ready to face his destiny as a Maverick Hunter!

Mega Man X2 will cost $7.99.

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Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis is arriving on the North American Wii U Virtual Console this week, according to an official Nintendo listing. The game is set to release as of tomorrow.

Here’s an overview from Nintendo’s website:

“It’s opening day of the new Super Mini Mario World theme park, and DK has kidnapped the guest of honor, Pauline. It’s up to you and an army of freshly assembled Mini Mario toys to rescue her! Guide your Mini Marios through over 80 perilous stages while looking out for mini-minions.”

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis will cost $9.99.

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The team behind Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is in somewhat of a tough position with the Wii U version. It’s well-known that the Wii U is on its way out, and by the time the game is ready in 2018, many Nintendo gamers will likely have moved on to NX.

Bloodstained creator Koji Igarashi touched on the situation with IGN, telling the site that “it’s a very complicated problem.” He all but said that it may not make as much sense to continue with Wii U, since “certain pieces of hardware become irrelevant” through the passage of time. If they need to re-address potentially abandoning Wii U, it sounds like the team would need to talk with its backers about how to proceed. Assuming the support is there, “we’ll be able to do things that are maybe more interesting.” An NX port, perhaps?

Igarashi’s full comments on the Wii U version of Bloodstained:

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More: 505 Games, Armature Studio, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Inti Creates

System: Wii U
Release date: October 7, 2016
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher Nintendo

To a certain degree, Paper Mario might just be the most popular spin-off series that the overall Mario franchise has spawned. What Paper Mario lacks in number of titles, it more than compensates with its fleshed out and devastatingly charismatic worlds – for the most part. Home to some of Nintendo fans’ favorite titles, it’s no understatement to say this collection of games might just be one of the best the big N continues to put out, which is why it so confusing they haven’t been treating it that way. With a more than all over the place prequel on 3DS, Color Splash brings this series back to the home console, and hopes to right the wrongs Sticker Star caused. Now, despite looking, feeling, and sounding just like Sticker Star 2, rest easy, because Paper Mario: Color Splash is anything but.

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Kemco has put out a number of RPGs on the 3DS eShop, and that won’t be ending anytime soon. A new listing on Nintendo’s website shows that Unlucky Mage will be available in North America this fall (and probably around the same time in Europe).

Unlucky Mage is a turn-based RPG developed by Exe Create. We’ve included a more in-depth explanation below along with some screenshots.

From loner to savior of a nation?

The various powers across the Adamantia continent have long fought one with another in an effort to gain supreme control over the vast regions of land- each ruler and monarch thinking of none but themselves and leeching mercilessly off the labor of those citizens within their borders…

But that all begins to change when an untrusting young mage named Jasper, living isolated from society, finds himself involved in a chain of events that is sure to go down in history as the greatest story ever told!

With a plot full of twists and turns, Unlucky Mage will have gamers on their toes trying to outsmart foes using formations and tactics in this unique turn-based RPG! Now get ready to sally forth with Jasper as he goes from zero to hero in this comical adventure that is sure to delight fans of fantasy RPGs everywhere!

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Technology expert Katie Linendoll stopped by Today a few hours ago to show off some products that will be arriving in time for the holiday season. The Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition was on display, and saw its first TV appearance. We’ve posted the full segment below.

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