Feb. 1 to 7 Nintendo News Roundup

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

As the release date for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD approaches, the Japanese Twitter page for the series has continued their promotion of the game during the week with even more tweets.

You can find their contents compiled below:

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” …It’s Malo. The Hyrule Castle where Princess Zelda also lives in… Even when I look up I couldn’t see the top. …However, if it’s this spacious wouldn’t there be excess rooms? If it had a cheap rent, I’d like to open a Malo Mart at Hyrule Castle sometime…”

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“…It’s Malo. These are now the divine Light Spirits… In the past, they had head of a beast, and body of a human… It’s a rare sight to be able to see these spirits in their growth period…”

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“…It’s Malo. This is the ‘Auntie’ who would teleport you instantly in and out of dungeons… I can’t unsee her as an alien… Originally she should’ve looked a bit more like human… but what happened here…”

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“…It’s Malo. The information about the world I live in and the new features added this time have come… You can also look thoroughly at Wolf Link’s amiibo, so I guess I shall go [see it] after closing up my shop…

…It’s Malo. The stamps that can be used in Miiverse are sleeping inside dungeons and all over the field… There are also Hyrule alphabet stamps, so please do find them…

…It’s Malo. So with the GamePad screen, you can freely shift the items, huh… It can also be changed to showing maps that also show the destination point, so the screen at your hand will be of much help in both fields and dungeons…”

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“…It’s Malo. It’s the amiibo brought by the bearded pops (Aonuma). It’s rare [to see] an amiibo that’s jutting out from its pedestal… The pedestal also has a Triforce mark drawn on it… Speaking of which that pops comes to my store quite often… Hey you’re not busy, are you? Go back to your work.”

We also got a new trailer for the game and some videos from the Japanese website that showcase some of the new features in Twilight Princess HD. Check them out:

Here’s an overview of the new features Nintendo recently announced:

4th February, 2016 – Zelda fans new and old alike can look forward to several updates and improvements when The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD launches on Wii U on 4th March. High definition visuals give classic scenes like Link riding Epona across the Eldin Bridge and Wolf Link howling at the moon a stunning new look, while other additions affect how the game plays, including new gameplay updates and Hero Mode.

By using the Wii U GamePad, players can now easily manage their inventory, access the map and quickly transform into a wolf via the touch screen, all without pausing the game. Players will also be able to use the GamePad to access Miiverse and can even play the game off-TV. Miiverse posts can be decorated with dozens of new Twilight Princess-related Miiverse stamps, hidden away throughout Hyrule.

The addition of a new item, the Ghost Lantern, will aid Link in the Poe Soul retrieving quest. When Link holds the Ghost Lantern it will helpfully glow when it detects a Poe in the area. Similarly, the number of Tears of Light that need to be collected by Link at various points in his adventure has been reduced from 16 to 12, making these collection tasks easier. Furthermore, if Link finds Rupees in a treasure chest while his wallet is already full, Rupees will no longer be returned to that chest. Players are also less likely to reach the limit of their wallets, as these have been modified to hold more Rupees.

Zelda veterans or brave new players who desire an added challenge can opt to play in Hero Mode right from the start. A testing new way to play through the main adventure, in Hero Mode Link will take double the normal damage and there are no health-replenishing hearts to be found. In a final layer of challenge the game world is also mirrored, so dungeon layouts will be reversed. For those in search of the ultimate challenge, tapping the Ganondorf amiibo on the Wii U GamePad when in Hero Mode will cause Link to take a staggering four times the normal damage until the play session ends.

Further tweaks and updates to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD await discovery by keen-eyed fans as they play through the adventure.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD will be available at launch on 4th March as a Limited Edition bundle including the Wolf Link amiibo and an audio CD with a selection of the game’s official soundtrack. At the same time, fans can also purchase the game on its own.

With a number of gameplay updates, HD visuals and the addition of Hero Mode, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD provides an updated take on the revered adventure that should appeal to fans new and old alike.

It is also worth mentioning that the game itself is 4509MB (4.5GB), and it’s actually already up for pre-load on the Japanese eShop. There are 3 save slots available for each user, weighing in at 256KB per file.

Zelda: Twilight Princess HD will not only work with the Wii U GamePad, including off-TV play, but also the Wii U Pro Controller.

Below, you can find another batch of screenshots and various gameplay footage and comparisons.

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In addition to everything above, a new bi-weekly Twilight Princess manga will be published via Shogakukan’s manga app Manga One starting on February 8. They would’ve liked to announce the title during last year’s tease in July, but there were many states of affairs, which is why they could only announce it last week.

That’s not the only Zelda manga news however, as the ten volumes of The Legend of Zelda manga from Mushi Comics will be brought back in a compilation volume called “Perfect Edition”. It will also have parts not included in the original tankobon books from 17 years ago, will consist of 5 volumes and will be published throughout this year, beginning with the Complete Version of Ocarina of Time, out on March 10.

While on the topic of Zelda games, Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma recently commented on GamesMaster,  how feedback from the fans is greatly valued.

He said that:

“We’re constantly thinking about how to make it unique compared to other games, both in general as well as to others in the Zelda series. Of course, the response of fans is most important and something we care very much about, which is why recently we have been showing early previews at events like E3. We’re looking to see that there are no problems with the directions we’re taking, and are reflecting the reactions we do get into subsequent development.”

Later in the interview, Aonuma talked about how the Zelda teams always try to make the games feel like they are free of meaning, because he finds the idea of putting ideologies in games “kind of scary”.

Aonuma stated:

“I haven’t and won’t be trying to put any message or meaning into the games. (If someone else were to make a Zelda game though, of course it might be different.) Occasionally I receive messages from fans telling me how playing Zelda games has changed their lives. While of course this makes me incredibly happy to hear, I feel a great sense of responsibility as well, so part of me feels that developers putting their own ideologies in games is kind of scary.”

Hyrule Warriors Legends

We also got another trailer for Hyrule Warriors Legends this week, followed by some footage from the game too. You can find them below:

https://youtu.be/l4JmP0_mlBY

Pokémon 20th Anniversary

The celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Pokémon series continues with more announcements this week.

On February 27th, the specific day of the series’ 20th anniversary, several activities are planned at an event at the Nintendo NY store.

Here’s the overview:

Visit participating stores on Pokémon Day for special Pokémon events. Head to Toys“R”Us to receive special foil cards featuring Pikachu and Magikarp from the new Pokémon TCG: Generations expansion, as well as a Pokémon activity book and a poster of the original 151 Pokémon, while supplies last. Toys“R”Us will also have an exclusive Generations-themed binder available for purchase to store your new cards.

As part of the Pokémon 20th celebration, GameStop stores are offering a Mythical Pokémon poster with purchase of any Pokémon product while supplies last. An exclusive Mew plush is also available for purchase.

All Pokémon fans are invited to Nintendo NY located at Rockefeller Center in New York City on February 27 for a Pokémon 20th celebration. We’ll have fun activities planned for attendees.

Many more details about Pokémon Day on February 27 are on the way. Keep checking Pokemon.com for more information as we get closer to the big day. And remember to visit Pokemon.com/20 for more Pokémon 20th fun!

A couple of videos have also been recently released featuring The Pokémon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara and Game Freak’s Junichi Masuda, in which they discuss their involvement with the series’ history and expressed their wishes to see it grow even more. Check them out below:

Moreover, an official trailer promoting the Mew distribution for Pokemon Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, X and Y has been recently launched. Give it a look below:

Finally, the first piece of concept art for the upcoming Red figurine was shown at Wonder Festival in Japan, and it looks like the series’ legendary trainer won’t be coming alone since the piece of artwork also features his Pikachu. Check it out below:

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Pokkén Tournament

The Pokémon Company recently published an official tutorial video in Japanese for the Wii U version of Pokkén Tournament, which explains some of the game’s basic controls via a fight between Pikachu and Lucario. You can watch it below:

https://youtu.be/Z81Bgyl_T-s

It has also been confirmed via Nintendo’s official website that all amiibo can be used in Pokkén Tournament to unlock in-game items.

Detective Pikachu: Birth of a New Duo

Detective Pikachu: Birth of a New Duo has now been out in Japan for a few days, so footage from the game is available online. You can take a look at the first couple hours of the game in the video below:

Moreover, from the ending of the game, it seems like this might not be the last title we will see in this series, but if you want to know more about that and don’t care about viewing the ending scene, please click the spoiler button below:

Show me the spoiler

Detective Pikachu ends with a scene where Mewtwo flies towards the screen, followed by a “To be continued…”, implying this won’t be the last game in this series and that it might be episodic instead. That may also explain why we hadn’t heard about it for so long, in other words, there might be more “episodes” already in production. If you would like to see the ending scene, check out the video below:

Pokémon GO

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Pokemon GO will be showcased during a dedicated session at the Game Developer’s Conference next month, titled “Catch ‘Em All: Pokemon GO and Real World Gaming” and hosted by John Hanke, CEO of Niantic.

Here’s a description of the event:

“Over the last three years, Niantic, Inc. has been defining the genre of Real World gaming, using smartphones and tablets to connect the digital world to the physical world. Niantic’s newest game, Pokemon GO, ups the challenge of real world gaming design, taking a beloved franchise and setting its hundreds of brightly-colored monsters loose across the globe, adding a new Bluetooth wearable device created by Nintendo to the mix. Join Niantic founder and CEO John Hanke as he discusses how the company has developed a unique vision for delivering a mobile Pokemon experience that gets would-be trainers into the outdoors.”

GDC’s website also states that those who attend the session “will get a first-hand, in-depth look at how players are interacting and exploring the world with one another through Pokemon GO, the collaborative approach to design and development for the game and the next evolution of augmented reality and real-world mobile gameplay experiences.”

No specific date for the Catch ‘Em All: Pokemon GO and Real World Gaming session has been announced yet, but GDC 2016 takes place between March 14 and March 18.

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon

Another week, brings another funny Play Nintendo video dedicated to Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon called “It’s Your Store Now!”. Check it out below:

Fire Emblem Fates

As the North American release date of Fire Emblem Fates approaches, Nintendo has released two new trailers for the game. The first shows off the DLC for the game, while the second is more of exposition video explaining the basic concepts of the game. You can find the below:

This week’s episode of Nintendo Minute also features Kit and Krysta unboxing and showcasing the contents of the Special Edition of Fire Emblem Fates and the New 3DS XL dedicated to the title. Give it a look:

Moreover, during the week it was confirmed that, unlike Awakening, Fire Emblem Fates won’t include the Japanese voices of the characters, at least in the North American version.

It was also revealed by Polygon that the skinship feature remains in the game, together with its Live 2D animations, however you simply can not rub your character’s faces like in the Japanese version, as you can see in the video below.

Finally, you can find several gameplay videos below, showcasing a bit of the different routes and features in the game.

Genei Ibun Roku #FE

The Genei Ibun Roku soundtrack, called Vocal Collection, will be released in Japan on February 10th. It contains a total of 18 tracks and includes all of the songs sung by the characters in-game. Check out a trailer for it below, which also gives an overview of the characters:

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS

The final round of DLC for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS is now out. Bayonetta and Corrin, along with the latest Mii Fighter outfits, can be purchased on the eShop, and the 1.1.4. updated is also out. The update weighs in at 1153MB for the Wii U version, while the 3DS version takes up 3538 blocks of space (442MB).

You can also find a new batch of screenshots from the game in the gallery below:

Splatoon

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A poster for a non-existent mini-game, pictured above, has recently been found by players on Ancho-V Games, Splatoon’s final map.

Since most mini-games are unlocked via amiibo, most are speculating that this might provide us with further evidence that more figures are indeed on the way, as suggested by last week’s rumours.

Super Mario Maker

Super Mario Maker has added another Event Course to its line-up called “Paranormal Research”, where players can unlock the Professor E. Gadd costume upon completion.

Here’s the official course description and costume trailer, plus some footage:

“Professor E. Gadd works tirelessly day and night on his studies of spooky spirits.

‘I fear there may be a new breed of ghost lurking somewhere in this old mansion! Hurry and investigate! You’ll have to wait for yourself what haunted secrets await!’”

Nintendo also added four other courses to the Event Course section, coming from Tokaigi 2016, a Japanese gaming event. They’re tougher levels, so you may have some difficulty completing them all. Here’s some screenshots:

Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash

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Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash finally launched in Japan at the end of January, so Famitsu magazine spoke with a few of the developers who worked on the game to celebrate the release. This includes director Shugo Takahashi and producer Hiroyuki Takahashi from Camelot as well as Nintendo producer Toshiharu Izuno. Nintendo Everything has a complete translation of the interview in question, which can be found here. The staff touches on various topics such as approaching HD development for the first time, how new characters were selected, amiibo integration and online play.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Nintendo has released more commercials and screenshots to promote the release of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Japan. Check them out below:

Mario Party Mysterious Challenge World

Capcom recently revealed it’s developing a new Mario Party game for arcades titled Mario Party Fushigi no Challenge World (translated: Mario Party Mysterious Challenge World).

The game will be played by up to six players using touch panels. It will be unveiled on February 19th at the Japan Amusement Expo in Chiba, and is currently slated to release in the summer. Features will include a variety of playable Mario characters, board games, mini games and boss fights.

You can find a couple gameplay videos below:

Virtual Console Trailers

Below you can find two trailers for upcoming Virtual Console titles in Japan.

Pokémon Red, Green, Blue and Yellow (Japan, Game Boy)

Kirby Canvas Curse (Japan, DS)

New Nintendo figures announced

Good Smile Company and Max Factory have recently announced several new Nintendo related figures for their Nendoroid and Figma lines at Wonder Festival.

On the Nendoroid side, we have figures for Elise (Fire Emblem Fates), Mega Man X, Meta Knight (Kirby series) and Zelda (Wind Waker HD).

Joining these are also new Nendoroids based on Red and Blue from Pokémon Red, Blue, Green and Yellow. Both Nendoroids will be sold in a special bundle for 7,500 yen, and each comes with two face parts and two feet parts. Blue has six different arm parts while Red has five. A Mew figure is also included, and you can change around its parts as well. Other accessories like Pokéballs and a backpack are also in the package. The Pokémon Nendoroids are due out on July 9, with reservations opening on the same day. Production will be limited, and they’ll only be available at Japanese Pokémon Centers and Amazon Japan.

On the Figma side of things, we have two Link figures, based on his Twilight Princess HD and Skyward Sword incarnations, and two Samus figures, based on her Metroid: Other M and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption looks.

You can find some screenshots and artwork for all of these in the gallery below:

New details from Kimishima’s Q3 Financial Results Briefing Presentation

Nintendo recently reported its financial results for the third quarter of the financial year, ending December 31, and held an Investors Meeting directed by their president, Tatsumi Kimishima, to discuss the company’s results and future plans. I rounded up or quoted most of the relevant information below, but you can find and read those documents in full by yourself over here and here if you so desire.

I also updated the site’s Release Calendar with the new and updated release dates shown in the Supplementary Information pdf.

General sales details:

– Sales are down 3.9% for the Apr-Dec 2015 period year on year, however, operating profit is up 34.4%.
– Last quarter (Oct-Dec 2015), Nintendo’s sales reached $1.83 billion (down from $2.2 billion year-on-year).
– Operating profit went up to $278mn from $262mn.
– Lifetime Wii U hardware sales: 12.60 million.
– Lifetime Wii U software sales: 79.30 million.
– Lifetime 3DS hardware sales: 57.94 million.
– Lifetime 3DS software sales: 264.53 million.
– 3.06 million Wii U systems sold during the first 3 quarters of 2016.
– 5.88 million 3DS systems sold during the first 3 quarters of 2016.

Updated sales numbers for million-seller titles:

Wii U

Mario Kart 8 – 7.24 million
New Super Mario Bros. U – 5.08 million
Nintendo Land – 5.02 million
Super Mario 3D World – 4.63 million
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U – 4.61 million
Splatoon – 4.06 million
Super Mario Maker – 3.34 million
New Super Luigi U – 2.42 million
Zelda: The Wind Waker HD – 1.69 million
Mario Party 10 – 1.65 million

3DS

Pokemon X/Y – 14.46 million
Mario Kart 7 – 13.03 million
Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire – 11.46 million
Super Mario 3D Land – 10.63 million
New Super Mario Bros. 2 – 10.04 million
Animal Crossing: New Leaf – 9.86 million
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS – 7.92 million
Tomodachi Life – 4.89 million
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon – 4.75 million
nintendogs + cats – 3.96 million

Financial report details:

During the nine month period ended December 31, 2015, for Nintendo 3DS, “New  Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL,” both of which launched during the previous period as the newest members of the Nintendo 3DS family, made up the bulk of the Nintendo 3DS hardware sales. As for the Nintendo 3DS software, Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer became a hit by selling 2.93 million units globally, while in overseas markets, popular titles such as Pokémon Omega Ruby/Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS which were released during the previous fiscal year showed steady sales. In the Japanese market, titles such as Rhythm Tengoku (Japanese title) and Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright/Conquest gained popularity. In addition, some third-party titles sold over a million units as well. As a result, the global sales of the Nintendo 3DS hardware and software were 5.88 million and 38.87 million units respectively.
With respect to Wii U, Splatoon sold 4.06 million units and Super Mario Maker sold 3.34 million units, making both titles blockbusters that vitalized the Wii U platform. In addition, Yoshi’s Woolly World, which was released during this period, and evergreen titles released in the previous period such as Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U showed steady sales. The global sales of the Wii U hardware and software reached 3.06 million and 22.62 million units respectively.
For amiibo, the figure-type and the card-type sold approximately 20.50 million units and approximately 21.50 million units, respectively, and the platform showed strong performance globally without losing momentum. Furthermore, sales of additional download content for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U increased and total download sales reached 30.5 billion yen.
As a result, net sales were 425.6 billion yen (of which overseas sales were 308.9 billion yen or 72.6% of the total sales) and operating income was 42.4 billion yen. Ordinary income was 55.2 billion yen and profit attributable to owners of parent was 40.5 billion yen.
For Nintendo 3DS, we will globally release a special edition hardware pre-installed with Pokémon title(s) from the original Pokémon series on February 27 which marks the 20th year since the original Pokémon series release. Furthermore, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and key titles from third-party publishers are scheduled for release.
For Wii U, we will strive to maintain the attention level of Splatoon and Super Mario Maker, which are continuing to show steady sales, while introducing new titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD.
Meanwhile, for amiibo, we will continue to expand the product lineup in order to maintain momentum. At the same time, we will aim to further expand sales by offering new gaming experiences with the use of amiibo. In addition, the first application for smart devices, Miitomo, is scheduled for release.
There is no revision to the consolidated financial forecast for this fiscal year, announced on May 7, 2015.
Tatsumi Kimishima’s Presentation

Most importantly, you should read president Kimishima’s presentation, over here, for more interesting details on the topics discussed in the summary above, including:

– 3DS hardware and software sales, including a look at the Nintendo Selects initiative and expading the female and children consumer market;
– Wii U hardware and software sales, including the success of Splatoon and Super Mario Maker;
– Amiibo sales, most popular figures and future plans;
– Download sales;
– My Nintendo features and launch plans;
– Miitomo app explanation and breakdown, “Miifoto” feature, launch plans and mobile app payments;

Other minimal new details from Kimishima’s presentation and other reports:

– The company is “looking” at virtual reality, but no concrete details were provided.
– When asked by The Wall Street Journal reporter Takashi Mochizuki if there’s interest in VR, Kimishima again said yes, and added that as the head of a game firm, no one can say “not interested”. However, Kimishima added that more time and effort are needed to assess technology.
– There are no changes in the roll out of mobile apps.
– Kimishima said: “The second game won’t be another communication app, and we plan to adopt one of our characters that fans are very familiar with”.
Dr. Sekan Toto also mentioned that the third app might use “top IP” as well.
– We now have confirmation that Japan is also involved with the Universal x Nintendo partnership, meaning Universal Studios Osaka should be involved.
– Kimishima said that the company will provide an update on NX “not too late in the course of this year”.
– Analysts expect Nintendo NX to be unveiled in spring, with a possible release in October or November.
– “Nintendo’s NX and smartphone games will be a test case for the videogame industry’s trend of trying to merge smart-device games and console-based games”, said Junko Yamamura, an analyst at Nomura Securities.
– Kimishima shared a small update on the company’s quality of life initiative stating that the device, intended to measure sleep quality, was originally planned for March, but was moved to April or beyond due to development lagging behind.
– He said: “It hasn’t reached a level where it can be sold as a Nintendo product. If it could be released, we’d release it. If it’s not we need to consider further how to deal with it.”

Nintendo of America and Europe on Miitomo and My Nintendo launch plans

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After Nintendo’s financial results briefing had ended, Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe issued their own press releases confirming launch details for Miitomo, and a bit on My Nintendo.

Here’s what the company had to share (NoA version):

Spark One-of-a-Kind Conversations with Friends; App Launches in March Alongside My Nintendo Rewards Program

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 3, 2016 – Nintendo’s first app made exclusively for smart devices, Miitomo, will launch in North America in March for both iOS and Android phones and tablets. Today, Nintendo outlined the steps that fans can take to be among the first to get in on the social fun.

Starting Feb. 17, people will be able to pre-register for Miitomo by signing up for the new Nintendo Account service using their existing email, social media accounts or current Nintendo Network IDs. People who pre-register will be among the first to be notified about the availability of Miitomo when it launches in March. Nintendo will offer a special Miitomo bonus to anyone who signs up for a Nintendo Account between Feb. 17 and launch. Miitomo is a social experience that uses Nintendo’s Mii characters, which first debuted on the Wii console, to engage friends in a lighthearted and welcoming environment. Users can spark fun conversations and learn more about each other by answering questions such as “What song has been stuck in your head lately?”, “Do you believe in aliens?”, or even “If you saw a nose hair sticking out of your friend’s nose, what would you do?” Users can also easily take and share photos featuring their Mii with the Miifoto feature. Nintendo’s new My Nintendo rewards program will launch alongside Miitomo in March, and will be able to connect with the app.

“Miitomo is a uniquely entertaining mobile experience that only Nintendo can deliver,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “Featuring Mii characters, users will be able to interact with their friends in an entirely new way that transforms communication into a form of play.”

Launching alongside Miitomo in March, My Nintendo aims to become much more than a traditional rewards program. It is a more comprehensive service that rewards users for interacting with Nintendo products and services in a variety of ways. Miitomo users with a Nintendo Account will be able to take advantage of My Nintendo to enhance their experience.

Including Miitomo, Nintendo plans to release approximately five smart device applications by the end of March 2017. More information about Miitomo, Nintendo Account and My Nintendo will be available on http://www.nintendo.com in the coming weeks.

You can also find the European version over here.

Happy Price Selection

happy-price-selection

After recently re-releasing some select 3DS titles for a discount price under the “Nintendo Selects” label in Europe, which sold quite well, Nintendo revealed after the financial results briefing they would be launching the “Happy Price Selection” initiative in Japan. This is comprised of select games that will be re-printed and sold at a discount price, more specifically 2,916 Yen, starting on Marc 17th. “Happy Price Selection” will curiously also include some third party titles, unlike “Nintendo Selects” in Europe, which only included games developed and published by Nintendo themselves.

Here’s a list of the included titles:

  • Animal Crossing: New Leaf
  • Tomodachi Life
  • Luigi Mansion 2
  • Nintendogs+cats: Toy Poodle & New Friends
  • Nintendogs+cats: French Bulldog & New Friends
  • Nintendogs+cats: Shiba Inu & New Friends
  • Dora Eigo: Nobita to Yousei no Fushigi Collection
  • Sumikko Guraahi, Kuma Tomo
  • Gotouchi Tetsudou
  • Taiko no Tatsujin: Chibi Dragon to Fushigina Orb
  • Harvest Moon: A New Beginning

Rumour: Mother 3 being localized

Some rumours showed up on the internet during the week, indicating that Nintendo might be working on a localization of Mother 3, to celebrate the release of the title in Japan 10 years ago.

This all started when Emily Rogers, who is known for sharing Nintendo rumors and occasional insight into the company, made some tweets like the one below:

“One last thing before I vanish: Don’t be surprised if Nintendo celebrates a game’s 10th anniversary this year…Just some food for thought.”

She then proceeded to back away stating:

“Media jumping the gun over a tweet. All I was said was: Mother 3’s 10th anniversary is coming, it would be cool if Nintendo acknowledged it.”

However, Liam Robertson then came forward claiming this to be true:

“What I had heard about Mother 3 ( rumour) was that it was in the final stages of localisation at Nintendo of Europe a little while back.”

“I was asked to keep quiet, and then Emily decided to let the cat out of the bag herself
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ hopefully this clears some confusion.”

Although several news outlets naturally proceeded to report the story, Eurogamer claimed to have some insider information, as Tom Phillips, who wrote the article, says he also has knowledge of a Mother 3 localization via separate sources. The game is supposedly being released on the Wii U Virtual Console to celebrate Mother 3’s 10th anniversary in Japan.

As always, keep in mind these are just rumours…

Rumour: PS4 developer looking for NX dev kit to port their game

SuperMetaldave64 recently claimed that he got some insider information, stating that a developer who isn’t a key Nintendo partner and is developing a PS4 game is currently looking into getting their hands on an NX dev kit so they can port said title to Nintendo’s upcoming console. If you would like to hear a better explanation with a bit more detail, check out his video below: