Zelda Wii U
Nintendo has announced that between June 14 and June 19, 500 fans will be given the opportunity to play the new Zelda game on Wii U at Nintendo NY. Those interested will need to get involved in the Super-Fan Signup Day on June 11. The first 500 eligible people in line when Nintendo NY opens at 9 AM ET will receive a wristband that they can exchange for a ticket, granting them a chance to play the game during selected times during those days.
Fans will also be invited to watch gameplay from the new Zelda title on June 14 at 12 PM ET, which will be live-streamed from Nintendo’s E3 booth. At 3 PM ET, the first of 500 participants will begin sampling the game for the first time.
Moreover, between June 15 and June 19, Nintendo experts will be on hand to provide guided game-play demonstrations on the big screen. The company says that some fans may have the chance to participate in guided demonstrations. The Legend of Zelda trivia will be hosted as well giving fans a chance to win some prizes.
Here’s the full announcement by Nintendo regarding the Nintendo NY Zelda plans.
WHAT:
From June 14 through June 19, 500 Nintendo fans will be among the first people in the world to play The Legend of Zelda for the Wii U console at the Nintendo NY store. The 500 fans will be selected during a Super-Fan Signup Day, which will be held on Saturday, June 11. Only the first 500 eligible people in line when Nintendo NY opens at 9 a.m. ET will receive a wristband that they can exchange for a ticket, which guarantees them a spot to play the game during selected times June 14-19. (Fans can start lining up at 7 a.m. ET on June 11. Photo ID is required, and minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.)The six-day free event will begin at noon ET on June 14, when fans will be invited to watch gameplay of The Legend of Zelda live-streamed from Nintendo’s booth at this year’s E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles to the 15-foot gaming screen inside Nintendo NY. This will be the world’s first in-depth look at the game. Then at 3 p.m. ET, the first of 500 fans will begin sampling the game for the first time.
From June 15 to June 19, Nintendo experts will also be giving guided game-play demonstrations on the big screen for everyone to watch and enjoy. Several fans may even get the chance to participate in guided demonstrations. There will also beThe Legend of Zelda trivia for a chance for fans to win fun prizes.
WHO:
Hundreds of Nintendo fans, Nintendo representativesWHEN:
Super-Fan Signup Day
- June 11, 9 a.m. ET
Nintendo NY The Legend of Zelda experience
- June 14, noon-3 p.m. ET (Nintendo Treehouse: Live screening from E3)
- June 14, 3-8 p.m. ET (hands-on experience for fans with appointments)
- June 15-19, Nintendo NY store hours (hands-on experience for fans with appointments)
- June 15-19, Nintendo NY store hours (guided game-play presentations with Nintendo experts and trivia)
WHERE:
Nintendo NY
10 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10020VISUALS:
June 11
- Excited Nintendo fans waiting in line to receive the chance to play the newest game in The Legend of Zelda series for the first time.
June 14-19
- Fans, including some who may come dressed in different costumes inspired by the Zelda series, playing the new The Legend of Zelda game for the Wii U console.
- The Nintendo NY store decorated to celebrate The Legend of Zelda.
- Group demos hosted by Nintendo representatives showing fans the extensive The Legend of Zelda demo.
We have also got word that an email has been sent out to members of the press that makes mention of “two extended demos” that will be present at E3 and let them “step into the wilds of Hyrule and explore some of the grasslands, forests and mountains that they’ve been given mere glimpses of to date”. Media are also recommended to set aside 1-1.5 hours. That said, it seems we will get plenty of new footage from this new Zelda title at E3 2016.
Kirby: Planet Robobot
With the upcoming release of Kirby: Planet Robobot we got a new batch of content related to it during this week.
First, we have a new Nintendo Dream interview with Kirby: Planet Robobot director Shinya Kumazaki. In it, Kumazaki discussed topics like the story, characters, Robobot Armor, and abilities. He also talks about the game’s origins and reveals that Planet Robobot was originally intended to be more along the lines of “Kirby Triple Deluxe 2”. You can find a translated version of this interview over here, at Nintendo Everything.
Next, we have some concept art from the Japanese Kirby: Planet Robobot website. You can see some interesting shots of the different areas, including two that didn’t make it into the final game: Skeleton Kanno and Mustache Ohta. You can find them in the gallery below:
Finally, we have a new overview trailer and a couple commercials for the game, followed by several new pieces of footage from various press around the internet. You can find them below:
Pokémon GO
As an early user test for Pokémon GO recently began in the United States, The Pokémon Company and Niantic have revealed new details about the game.
You can find those below, followed by a big batch of new screenshots.
Pokémon GO will allow players to find and catch more than a hundred different Pokémon as they explore the world around them. When players approach a Pokémon in the wild, their phones will notify them and give them the opportunity to engage and catch the Pokémon using the phone’s touch screen to throw a Poké Ball. Poké Balls and other special items can be found at PokéStops, which are located at interesting places such as public art installations, historical markers, and monuments. During gameplay, Pokémon GO players will be encouraged to join one of three teams and engage in Gym battles with other teams. After joining a team, players will gain the ability to assign their Pokémon to Gyms. Like PokéStops, Gyms can be found at real locations in the world.
Battling is essential to any Pokémon game, and Pokémon GO is no different. Players can battle using the Pokémon they’ve caught to gain control of a Gym. By using their own Pokémon’s attacks and dodging incoming attacks by swiping left and right on the screen, Pokémon GO players can defeat the defending Pokémon to reduce the Gym’s Prestige. Once the Gym’s Prestige reaches zero, the defending team loses control of the Gym, and the victor’s Pokémon can be assigned to defend the Gym. When a team has control of a Gym, team members can increase its Prestige and level by training their Pokémon with other defending Pokémon. As the Gym gets to a higher level, the defending team gains the ability to assign more Pokémon to defend it. They can also team up with friends and battle together at a rival Gym to take down stronger Gyms faster.
In Pokémon GO, players will interact with the world through their in-game Trainer avatar. The trainer’s appearance can be customized by choosing from a variety of different clothes and accessories to make their avatar stand out from the rest. The customized Trainer image will appear on the map as the player moves around, on their profile page, as well as in Gyms under their control.
A portable device called the Pokémon GO Plus will enable Pokémon GO players to enjoy the game even while they’re not looking at their smartphones. The device connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth and notifies the player about events in the game—such as the appearance of a Pokémon nearby—using an LED and vibration. In addition, players can catch Pokémon or perform other simple actions by pressing the button on the device.
Pokémon GO will be free to download on the App Store and Google Play. In-app purchases will be available for fans who would like to enhance their Pokémon GO experience. Players can purchase PokéCoins, the in-game currency of Pokémon GO. PokéCoins can be exchanged on the App Store and Google Play for power-ups and extra items.
Pokémon X & Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
For those of you who missed the GameStop distribution for Mew back in February, you may want to make sure you’re signed up for the Pokémon Trainer Club newsletter, because the Mythical Pokemon will be going out to subscribers next month.
You’ll be able to download Mew into Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire. So make sure you’re registered for the newsletter. In addition, codes for Mew will have to be redeemed by August 31.
Pokémon Red & Green
Nintendo has started posting a new series of Game Center CX videos to its Japanese YouTube page. These feature Pokémon Red & Green as Arino tries to catch all of the Pokémon available in those games before Pokémon Sun & Moon are released. You can watch volume 1 below:
Super Mario Maker
A new Event Course has now been added to Super Mario Maker.
Upon completing it twice, you can add two new Mystery Mushroom costumes to your collection based on the famous characters from Hello Kitty and My Melody.
You can find an overview of the course below, followed by a few videos of it and the costumes in question.
Sanrio characters Kitty and Melody find themselves in the world of Super Mario! At first it seems like a fun place, with cute blocks shaped like apples and flowers. But they’d better be careful, because there’s danger up ahead! Won’t you help them find their way safely to the goal?
Splatoon
Nintendo has announced that Splatoon will be receiving Sheldon’s Picks Vol. 2 on June 8 in Japan and June 7 in North America.
Nintendo also took a moment during the week to celebrate Splatoon’s one year anniversary with a new piece of artwork, which you can see below:
Moreover, Nintendo has announced it is planning on launching a new Splatoon Wii U bundle in Japan soon. Consumers will be able to pick up a package containing a white 32GB system, with a pre-installed copy of Splatoon, and the Squid Sisters amiibo on July 7. Pricing will be set at 39,960 yen.
Besides that, two new amiibo dioramas dedicated to Splatoon are also coming to Japan on July 7. Each one will be priced at 1,080 yen. The dioramas are based on a stage for the Squid Sisters and Kelp Dome. For the first one, there’s an area where you can place your 3DS or smartphone to help reenact the concert feel.
Finally, a new CD is making its way to Japan. “Splatoon Live in Makuhari” is slated for release on July 13 with a 2,500 yen price point. This features the concert the Squid Sisters performed at Makuhari Messe in celebration of Game Party Japan 2016, back in January. The CD also comes with two new songs not included in the “Splatune” soundtrack and voice files from the Squid Sisters. The two new songs are Tokimeki * Bomb Rush from Callie and Sumisoae no Yoru from Marie. The CD jacket was drawn by Seita Inoue, the art director for Splatoon.
Star Fox Zero, Star Fox Guard
During a recent live stream, Dylan Cuthbert, who worked on the original Star Fox along with a couple of other series entries, hosted a show on Star Fox Zero. GameXplain picked up on it and then posted a video recapping some interesting nuggets that were shared there. He speaks about the fan theory of Team Star Fox’s legs being amputated, and the rumour of him being married to Shigeru Miyamoto’s daughter, among other things. You can watch GameXplain’s summary below:
A new Star Fox Guard update is now available too, and you can now download version 20160525 to make adjustments to rank-calculation values and abilities of robots deployed in squads. Squad and replay data lifespan has also been extended as well.
Below you can find the full patch notes:
- Rank-Calculation Values Adjusted
- Rank-calculation values for all maps and all squad sizes have been adjusted.
- Abilities of Robots Deployed in Squads Adjusted.
- The abilities of the following robots have been adjusted. Please note that these changes only apply to robots deployed in player-created squads. Robots appearing in the main missions and extra missions are not affected.
- Spec Upgrades:
- Snailblazer: Strength has been increased from 2 to 3.
- Drill Hi-Ho: Speed has been increased by approx. 35%.
- K.O.F. Unit: Speed has been increased by approx. 60%.
- B.O.O. Unit: Chaos Points cost decreased from 10 to 9.
- Spec Downgrades:
- Jumprella: Combat Points cost increased from 2 to 3.
- P.O.P. Unit: Speed of yellow form decreased by approx. 10%. Speed of red form decreased by approx. 20%.
- Squad Lifespan Extended.
- Previously, squads not accessed for 30 days were deleted from the server. This period has been extended to 60 days. This timer can be reset for a squad by updating that squad or accessing its records.
- Replay-Data Lifespan Extended.
- Previously, replay data not accessed for 20 days was deleted from the server. This period has been extended to 40 days. Please note that it is not currently possible to reset this timer.
Virtual Console
Below you can find trailers for some recently released Virtual Console titles for the Wii U eShop.
Mario Hoops 3-on-3 (Mario Slam Basketball) (Europe, DS)
Mario Kart DS (Japan, DS)
European eShop highlights for April 2016
Nintendo has recently released the usual monthly video showcasing a few of the European digital game highlights from April 2016. Check it out below:
Miitomo
Nintendo recently updated Miitomo with some new content. There’s new clothing to find via Miitomo Drop, plus a new “Everybody Answers” topic as well.
The new Miitomo Drop theme is “Drivin’ me crazy! Vehicle Vogue”. You can nab a bunch of racing-related gear, which is as follows:
– Lowrider layered tee
– Tire tread pants
– Auto-racing helmet (set)
– Auto-racing suit (set)
– Checkered flag shirt
– Checkered flag pants
– Checkered flag necktie
– Race car suit
– Car shoes
– Retro-car pin
– Pit crew headset (set)
– Pit crew suit (set)
With Everybody Answers, the new question is: “What type of personality are you most attracted to?” The event runs until June 3 at 4:59 PM PT / 7:59 PM PT. If you answer the question while it’s active, you’ll gain some Miitomo Platinum Points on My Nintendo.
Meanwhile, SurveyMonkey has taken a look at Miitomo’s staying power in the market.
SurveyMonkey compared Miitomo to Candy Crush Jelly Saga and Clash Royale, two titles from giant mobile developers, King and Supercell respectively. Miitomo stacks up favorably when it came to download performance, but the app “struggled to keep users interested”.
SurveyMonkey writes in its report:
In Miitomo’s case, this lower-than-peers engagement translates into higher churn. The game’s weekly churn more than 50% means that over half of the users of Miitomo on a given week won’t come back and play it again the following week. For some apps that don’t need frequent use this isnt a problem, but for games like Miitomo that are designed for frequent use, churn at this level foreshadows a quick decline.
Low engagement and high churn cause a steady decline in active users for Miitomo. When comparing to the other games it’s not necessarily the lower peak weekly-active users (WAU) that’s of concern, but the fact that Miitomo drops off much more rapidly. Clash Royale’s lowest value is just 22% from its peak, Candy Crush Jelly’s is 32% from its peak, but Miitomo WAU is 74% lower than its peak value in a much shorter timespan.
And here are the charts used by SurveyMonkey in its comparisons:
Nintendo partnering with CEO Gaming
Nintendo has announced a partnership with CEO2016 which will be taking place in about a month from now. It will heavily feature Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Nintendo posted the following on Twitter about the news:
We’re partnering with @CEOGaming on June 24-26 to bring you #SmashBros Melee & Smash Bros. for Wii U. For more info: https://t.co/yiuVxFZig0
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) 27 May 2016
Upcoming Nintendo related merchandise
Various types of Nintendo related items were announced or showcased during the week.
First, Akira Himekawa confirmed that the Twilight Princess manga will be released in English thanks to VIZ Media. It’s also worth pointing out that TOKYOPOP Deutschland will handle the German version.
You can verify the news on Akira Himekawa’s Facebook page:
Next, we have some information regarding various figures of Nintendo characters.
Good Smile’s previously-announced 1/7 scale PVC Link figure from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword now has a release date. It’ll be available in November for 15,800 yen.
You can take a good look at the figure in the video below:
Kotobukiya’s Red with Pikachu was on display at Mega Hobby Expo 2016 Spring, and some photos of the figure were shared. You can see them in the gallery below:
More Pokémon figures were also announced by Megahouse. The company is preparing figures based on Brock and Nurse Joy as well as Lucario and Mewtwo Variable Action Heroes. You can take a look at those below:
Furthermore, Jakks Pacific is continuing its support of Nintendo merchandise throughout 2016. Fans will be able to purchase new 2.5″ figures soon, and more are on the way. The image below gives us a look as to what’s in store.
Finally, a version of Uno with designs based on the Super Mario series has shown up on Amazon Japan recently. The cards are set to be released on June 18th, but there is no word of it coming out in other territories so far. Take a look at them below:
