Twitter user “NWPlayer123” has been data mining Super Mario Maker and has come across some interesting discoveries. Strangely, the game features art and images of beta elements in Splatoon. It seems as though the two titles run on similar builds, which is why Splatoon content was found within Super Mario Maker.
You can get a look at the various beta images above. We’re able to see things such as what seems to be a beta version of Splatoon’s Gas Mask, the original Suction Bomb, and more.
Nintendo has previously spoken about how a part of Super Mario Maker’s origins stemmed from wanting to create a new Mario Paint. This was a desire held by longtime developer Takashi Tezuka.
During the 30th anniversary Mario concert in Japan today, Tezuka reiterated that he wanted to create a Mario Paint title for Wii U. However, Shigeru Miyamoto pushed Tezuka to make “something grander”. That ultimately led to the creation of Super Mario Maker.
Earlier this year, EnjoyUp Games released Rock ‘N Racing Off Road on the Wii U eShop. The company is now bringing out “Rock ‘N Racing Off Road DX” in North America this week.
It’s unclear how Rock ‘N Racing Off Road DX differs from the original game. In any case, it will be available on September 17 for $7.99.
DeNA West CEO Shintaro Asako thinks that there’s a big opportunity for Nintendo’s upcoming mobile games to reach a huge number of people. In an interview with alistdaily, Asako expressed his belief that “at least 150 or 200 million people” will try out these offerings when they’re ready for launch.
Asako told the site:
“Hundreds of millions of people have bought Nintendo consoles. Those are people who decided to spend a minimum of $200 just to get access to Nintendo IP. That number is already twice as big as the Candy Crush total user base. Not only that, every single person buying Nintendo devices spends an average of about $100 per year on software. So I have no question that when Nintendo’s mobile games come out, at least 150 or 200 million people will try it. These people are super core Nintendo fans who used to spending $150 to $250 just to access the content. Let’s say only 10% end up playing, and then those users pay $3 a month, that’s still perhaps a $60 million dollar a month game.”
alistdaily also asked about the marketing strategy he thinks will be necessary for Nintendo’s mobile games. Regarding this, Asako said:
“We know Nintendo IP is powerful, but we need to let people know the game is coming out. From that perspective I think mass marketing makes sense for Nintendo games. Usually you have more on digital marketing and later on the mass marketing kicks in, because you don’t want to start mass marketing until you’ve evaluated LTV (long-term value), because otherwise you might be wasting money. When you have strong IP like Nintendo you can kind of predict what kind of installs you can get, so to reach the level of mass-marketing isn’t that much of a risk.”
Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX launched a few days ago in North America and Europe. For a look at the game, check out the video below.
Pixel Paint has been given a new update from Two Kernel Connection. The developer has been a bit quiet about the specifics, but the patch introduces upgrades, fixes, and new features. We do now that users now have the ability to upload your artwork online.
Two Kernel Connection has also indicated that a European and Japanese release for Pixel Paint is in the cards. However, no dates have been determined just yet.
Here was the official notice from Miiverse:
Another couple of Monster Hunter X trailers are in. Below, you’ll find full videos focusing on the Switch Axe and Charge Blade.
Yugo Hayashi, the director’s working on Star Fox Zero from Nintendo’s side, has weighed in one the game’s visual style.
Speaking with EDGE this month, Hayashi said:
“We decided to have two screens displaying 3D graphics at 60 frames per second. It was this and a few other factors, including it being the first time players will be using two screens like this on the Wii U, that led us to decide to base the graphical design on Lylat Wars. But I’m sure that seeing the Arwing, which everyone is so familiar with, transform naturally into a land-based Walker will be a fun and exciting new experience.”
This isn’t the first time someone involved with Star Fox Zero has commented on the game’s visuals. A few months ago, Shigeru Miyamoto said that they were made with a purpose. He additionally mentioned that games these days “look so realistic that they all look the same.”
Star Fox Zero was revealed during E3 2015 back in June. It’s due for release on November 20 around the world.
On Thursday, NPD issued its latest U.S. sales report. We now have some additional information pertaining to the August 2015 period.
Wii U hardware sales are estimated to be at roughly 43,000 units. Etrian Odyssey Untold 2: The Fafnir Knight, which launched in the states last month, sold under 13,000 copies.
Nintendo said officially on Thursday that over 7 million amiibo have been sold in the U.S. thus far. Additionally, 3DS has seen a 30 percent increase in 2015 thus far, and Splatoon has sold 600,000 copies.
Did you know that Super Mario Maker features a performance from Koji Kondo? If you enter the code 0913 into the game’s manual, you can see it for yourself! Alternately, you can watch the video below.
