The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD and Zelda Wii U
Nintendo of Europe prepared a new Zelda: Twilight Princess HD trailer to highlight the game’s critical reception. Check it out below:
We also got another tweet by Malo on the official Japanese Zelda Twitter page, where it’s shown that Impaz was originally imagined as a man. Here it is:
“…It’s Malo. So the granny Impaz used to be a gramps…? A human’s life… is mysterious indeed…”
Last week’s issue of Famitsu contains an interview with the The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD staff. Series producer Eiji Aonuma, along with assistant director Tomomi Sano, participated in the discussion, and talked about topics like how the remake came to be, consideration of Wii Remote controls, the Twilight Cave and amiibo support, and even a bit about the current state of Zelda Wii U, among other things. You can find the answer to the Zelda Wii U question below, and the remainder of the interview over here, at Nintendo Everything.
When asked about how development is going on the new game by Famitsu, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma told the magazine:
“Busy. When we did Skyward Sword for the Wii, at the end stages of development, I was in charge of the characters’ dialogue and the in-game text. And, now as well, it’s like it was then. I had to work on text today, too. But, the game has really taken shape, and things have gotten easier. That means things are progressing well.”
“I think the base of our secret sauce has always been Ocarina of Time. But this time, the change in flavor will be like going from Japanese food to Western style food. Perhaps, players will be surprised. Please look forward to it, because I think we’ll be able to make ‘something new’ like Ocarina of Time was.”
Stack also published an interview with Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma and assistant director Tomomi Sano about Twilight Princess HD, last week. They commented on when the project began, challenges they had while remaking the game, why Tantalus was specifically chosen, and much more. You can find the interview on their site, over here.
Rumour: My Nintendo Picross – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Later this month, there’s an high chance that My Nintendo Picross – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will be launching on the 3DS. The game is once again developed in partnership with Jupiter.
This news comes from Twitter user @Cellenseres, who found My Nintendo Picross – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess sitting on Nintendo’s servers, which is similar to how Twilight Princess HD was leaked last year. This would be a reward for the My Nintendo service launching later this month. According to what was uncovered, it lists a tentative March 31 release date.
This leak also comes with the 3DS icon and main menu screenshot. There are options for standard “Picross”, “Mega Picross”, and “Micross”. Also included is a “How to Play” area, and icons for Miiverse and settings.
Hyrule Warriors Legends
Koei Tecmo will be pushing out an Hyrule Warriors Legends update in Japan later this month, on March 25. After applying the patch, the game will be increased to version 1.2.0.
Here’s what’s included:
– Ads the ability to purchase DLC
– Adds Zelda: Wind Waker Ganondorf costume obtainable by purchasing the season pass
– Fixes a glitch with skill rental, in which the counter would not decrease after using it
– Fixes a glitch which slows down the player after being hit by an enemy
– Adjusts enemy patterns for some of the giant bosses
– Bug fixes
Pokkén Tournament
Nintendo UK has continued their Pokkén Tournament Countdown Clash last week. Here’s battles 3 and 4:
A new video promoting the Pokkén Tournament Championship Series has now been posted online. The Pokkén Championship Series World Qualifiers will be held at the European Pokémon National Championships. UK National Championships will run on May 14 and May 15, while in Germany it will be held on May 21 and May 22, and Italy on June 11 and June 12. Here’s the video:
We also have a new video from Nintendo that shows the different trainers participating in the Pokkén Tournament Early Access Competition. The lineup includes Justin Wong, Eric “Esam” Lew, Reepal “RIP” Parbhoo, Will “DK Will” Walsh, Justin Flynn, Shaun “Fab” Swain, Nairoby Quezada, and “Tasty Steve” Scott.
Finally, we have a new Japanese promo for the game, followed by some online gameplay and a look at the Magikarp Festival stage (by shofu, PKSparkxx DatHottneSS, and GameXplain). You can watch them below:
https://youtu.be/H9h2FdEYXBU
Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
A new Pokémon distribution for Volcanion is set to begin in Japan next month, according to the latest issue of CoroCoro. Players can obtain Volcanion as the pre-booking ticket distribution for the new movie, Volcanion and The Ingenious Magearna.
Volcanion will be at level 70 and holds a Rage Candy Bar, while having the moves Steam Eruption, Overheat, Hydro Pump and Mist.
The distribution in question ends in Japan on July 15. However, it can be redeemed until September 30 through a serial code distributed with the movie ticket.
Other CoroCoro News
This month’s issue of CoroCoro also states that their Pokémon Sun & Moon coverage is going to start in next month’s issue. A teaser in the issue says special features for the two games will begin. It’s officially due out on April 15, though chances are that the magazine will leak a bit earlier than that, probably from around the 9th forward.
Another tease stemming from this month’s issue of CoroCoro concerns the Pokemon movies. Apparently, something they call “Pokémon Elections” are on the way. We’ll be seeing a special countdown on the official site, with more details planned for the next edition of CoroCoro. The magazine promises that it’ll be “huge”. Take the “huge” statement with a grain of salt though, because CoroCoro tends to hype up some things that might not be that “huge” sometimes.
Will be fun to see how my analysis and speculation article holds up against CoroCoro’s reveals…
Pokémon Comaster
The Pokémon Company recently posted a trailer for a new mobile game, currently translated as Pokémon CoMaster. The game is being codeveloped by HEROZ and is slated for a spring release in Japan. You can find the trailer below:
Pokémon 20th Anniversary
GamesMaster asked GameFreak’s Junichi Masuda how the studio appeals to both recent and old time Pokémon fans, now that the series is 20 years old, during an interview this month.
Here’s Masuda’s answer:
“Today you will see ’90s kids who played the first Pokémon games, who are now parents playing with their children. But some of the core gameplay elements simply appeal as much now as they did in 1996. The collectable elements of the game still appeal to people’s sense of achievement, and it’s great for strategic thinking.
“You have to make accurate judgements about what to change and what not to change. It is also about not making things too difficult. After two or three generations, games have a tendency to become more difficult. In recent titles, catching Pokémon by throwing PokéBalls is explained in-game, but we also make a point of trying to get into the heads of children who have picked up a Pokémon game for the very first time in order to better understand how the games feel to a first-time audience.”
The most recent episode of Nintendo Minute has also been released and this time around Kit and Krysta take a look at Pokémon Yellow on the 3DS Virtual Console while thinking about their memories with the games. Check it out below:
Star Fox Zero
Another Star Fox Zero interview with Shigeru Miyamoto has appeared online. This time around, it’s a discussion published by TIME. In it, Miyamoto talked about the change in approach (how the game is now like a movie instead of a TV series), appealing to new players, his approach to difficulty, some improvements that have been made, and building interest in dogfighting games. You can check out the interview over here.
More new gameplay footage is also available, which you can find below:
Splatoon
A new Splatoon update is now out bringing the game up to version 2.6.0.
Here’s the update notes in case you missed it, followed by a video showcasing the new changes (by Nintendome).
Stage Adjustments:
- Object placement in Regular Battle for the following stages will be changed to match that in Splat Zones.
- Arowana Mall
- Moray Towers
Matchmaking and Team Assignment Adjustments:
- Until now, team assignments in Ranked Battle were completely random, but some consideration will now be given to equipped weapons when assigning teams.
- Ranked Battle Matchmaking will be changed so that players of the following ranks are not matched together.
- S+ and S
- S and A+
- A- and B+
- B- and C+
- This change may be subject to further adjustment depending on changes to matchmaking times that occur as a result.
Changes to Rank Points:
- During Ranked Battles, when a team plays at a disadvantage due to unavoidable issues such as teammates being disconnected, and then loses, the winning team’s points will be decreased by an amount proportional to the time they benefited from the above conditions.
Gear Ability Adjustments:
- Adjustments have been made to the efficacy of certain Gear Abilities.
- More Info
Splatfest Changes:
- During Splatfests what was previously the Vibe Meter will now display your Splatfest Power.
- Initial Splatfest Power level depends upon your current Ranked Battle rank.
- Splatfest Power level will change depending on wins or losses during Splatfest Battles.
- The player with the highest Splatfest Power on the winning team will receive a slightly larger boost to their Splatfest Power than their teammates after the match.
- Until now, Splatfest matchmaking favored grouping players with similar play styles. Players will now be more likely to play with those of similar Splatfest Power level.
- The higher a team’s average Splatfest Power level, the more Splatfest Points they will earn after winning.
Nintendo UK has also shared a new series of Splatoon video entitled “Top Tip”. You can find the 5 videos below:
Splatfest number 12 has also been announced for both Europe and North America.
The European Splatfest has been announced for next weekend, on March 19. For this new event, players are asked if they’d prefer to have a jet pack or an hoverboard. The Splatfest will begin at 7 PM in Europe / 6 PM in the UK.
The North American Splatfest will be held on the same day, but the theme is different in the states, with players being asked if they’d rather build a snowman or a sand castle. The Splatfest will begin at 12 AM ET / March 18 at 9 PM PT.
Super Mario Maker
The latest patch for Super Mario Maker has now been released. It updates the game to version 1.40. and requires 361MB of free space. It adds in skewers, keys, pink coins, Super Expert Mode in 100-Mario Challenge upon clearing Expert mode, and ranking categories for world records and the number of first clears on courses on the Super Mario Maker Bookmark site.
Nintendo also uploaded a new trailer showcasing some of these updated features. After it, you can also find a GameXplain video below covering the additions in depth.
A new costume for Mary O. (Mashiko in Japan) can also be obtained now thanks to the addition of a new event course named “Mary O.’s Lunch Break”.
You can find an overview of the level, a trailer for the costume and some gameplay from the event course, right below.
“Mary O., the friendly guide from the Super Mario Maker manual, finally makes her in-game debut!
‘It’s my lunch break, so I’m heading out for a quick bite to eat. Out of the office, across the street, up some… vines?! Maybe this won’t be so quick after all…’”
Several other new costumes were added with this recent update. Some of these were actually added to the “Normal” and “Expert” modes in 100 Mario Challenge, while others can be obtained in the new “Super Expert” difficulty.
The new costumes include characters like Tetra, Nabbit, Balloon Fighter, Volleyball Player, Baby Mario, Donbe, Hikari, Ayumi Tachibana, Bubbles, Diskun, Mallo and Iris Archwell. Check them out in the screenshot and video below:
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Nintendo of Europe recently sent out a new press release which features some new information about characters, modes and events in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Check it out below while reviewing some previous details:
8th March, 2016 – Mario, Sonic and a host of other fan-favourite characters go for gold in dozens of exciting sporting events in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, arriving on Nintendo 3DS family systems across Europe on 8th April. Set in Rio de Janeiro, host city of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, the latest instalment of the series features 14 Olympic disciplines, as well as 14 special Plus events that put a unique Mario and Sonic twist on the athletic action.
On top of classic events including archery and swimming, new experiences await in this supercharged collection. Golf will make an appearance at the Olympic Games for the first time in 112 years, and players can swing with the stylus and shoot for the cup exclusively in the Nintendo 3DS version. If competitors are up for another challenge, they can try their hand at 14 Plus events, which put a special spin on classic disciplines: dive through and ride on waves caused by a Thwomp to set the fastest time in 100m Freestyle Swimming Plus, or use power-ups to reach the finish line even faster in the 100m Plus event.
Whatever mode you play, a host of new and familiar faces from both the Mario and the Sonic series will greet you in Rio. Next to favourites such as Yoshi and Amy, 20 new characters will join the fun – including Rosalina and Rouge – for a total cast of 40 playable competitors.
Aspiring athletes who dream of seeing themselves atop the podium can also go solo and play as their Mii in Road to Rio mode, arriving in Brazil ready to take on the sporting elite and discover the on-going rivalry between two gyms, led by Mario and Sonic respectively. It’s up to the player to decide which team to join, with unique story events unfolding along the way; completing the story will reward you with a Mario or Sonic Mii outfit, depending on whose side you chose.
Becoming the very best will require focused training, so players can get to grips with each event by practising at the local ginásios before taking on more difficult challenges. Next to a tough training regime, players can equip all kinds of useful sports gear, from golf clubs to full character outfits, to boost their abilities. If players dress their Mii in a Mario outfit and tap the Mario amiibo*, or wear the Sonic outfit and tap the Sonic amiibo, that outfit’s abilities will receive a short-term boost – perfect for getting an additional competitive edge when it really matters**.
Once certain of their skills, players can challenge family and friends in multiplayer mode to determine who the real champion is. With Download Play, up to four players can face off against each other with just one copy of the game between them***, or see how they stack up against faraway players in global leaderboards. Another new feature, the Pocket Marathon, counts the steps players take with their Nintendo 3DS system, unlocking rewards on the way to the finish line that help increase the abilities of Mii characters.
For more information about training up Mii characters, the events on offer and much more, visit the new Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games website.
With official Olympic Games disciplines and special events from the worlds of Mario and Sonic, over 40 playable characters plus the ability to play as your Mii, and local multiplayer for up to four players with only one copy of the game between them, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will offer Olympic-sized fun for everyone when it comes to Nintendo 3DS family systems on 8th April!
The North American Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games website is now live too, and you can access it over here.
Finally, Nintendo has shared a new commercial for the 3DS version of the game, which you can find below:
https://youtu.be/jWk3xOUra2g
Mario Kart TV website closing down
Nintendo has announced that it will be closing down the Mario Kart TV website early next month. This change is taking place at the following days and times:
– 11 PM PT (April 4)
– 2 AM ET (April 5)
– 7 AM in the UK (April 5)
– 8 AM in Europe (April 5)
The Mario Kart TV site has the following message regarding its upcoming closure:
“The Mario Kart TV website, which lets you watch highlight videos posted from Mario Kart 8, will be closing down as of 11:00 PM PT on Monday, April 4th 2016. We are very thankful to the many people who have used this website since it launched in 2014.
Even after the website shuts down, it will still be possible to watch Mario Kart TV and upload highlights from within Mario Kart 8 itself.
Highlight videos uploaded to YouTube from the game will not be deleted after the website shuts down.”
Nintendo did not go into detail about the reason for the end of the Mario Kart TV site.
Metroid Prime: Federation Force
We got another Metroid Prime: Federation Force gameplay video during the week, courtesy of GameXplain. Check it out below:
Fire Emblem Fates
Nintendo continues its developer series about Fire Emblem Fates this week, with a second episode called “A Tale of Two Families: Conquest”. You can find it below:
Nintendo UK also uploaded a video explaining the details around the European version of the Special Edition game and New 3DS XL. Check it out below:
Finally, the soundtrack for Fire Emblem Fates will be available for purchase in Japan on April 27th. For 6800 Yen, you’ll get a total of 134 tracks on 7 CDs and a DVD which contains all of the game’s cutscenes and tracks from the DLC and amiibo stages.
Nintendo Selects
Nintendo recently announced that several Wii U games will be added to the Nintendo Selects lineup in Europe on April 15th. Each game will cost €24,99 / £19.99, both in stores and on the Nintendo eShop. The ucoming games are:
– New Super Mario Bros. U & New Super Luigi U (bundle pack; the standard version of New Super Mario Bros. U will be removed from the eShop on April 15th)
– Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
– Wii Party U
– The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
– Lego City Undercover
You can find the box arts and full announcement below:
10th March 2016 – If you want to discover a game you may have missed the first time around, the Nintendo Selects range and its wide variety of gaming experiences is the ideal place to start. There are already over 25 classic titles available to enjoy as part of the range, including The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and Star Fox 64 3D for Nintendo 3DS family systems, as well as Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mario Kart Wii and Wii Sports Resort for Wii*. On 15th April, the Nintendo Selects range will grow even stronger with the addition of six Wii U titles representing some of the console’s most popular games, having sold a combined total of over 4 million units across Europe to date**.
The line-up is set to include a wide variety of titles, including classic platforming action:
New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U: In New Super Mario Bros. U, Mario, Luigi and Toad are joined by a new character – you! Run, leap and stomp through a 2D side-scrolling Mario adventure, and play as your Mii in extra modes like Challenge and Coin Battle. Explore a giant world map full of brand new courses, and experience ways to play that are only possible on Wii U. Then, in New Super Luigi U, leap into 82 challenging new courses as Luigi, but be quick, as you only have a short time to clear each one! This pack is available for the first time across Europe as a separate purchase from the Mario & Luigi Premium Pack Wii U hardware bundle.***
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze: The invading Snowmads have locked Donkey Kong Island in a deep freeze, and it’s up to the Kongs to thaw things out! On your own or with a friend, swim, swing and spring through six brand new islands packed with hazards, hidden collectibles, and unforgettable boss encounters.
The new additions to the Nintendo Selects range also includes a multiplayer experience only the Wii U can offer:
Wii Party U: Get together for a party game that uses the best features of the Wii U GamePad and your Wii Remote controllers, featuring 80 quirky minigames that players of all ages and skill levels can enjoy. Experience closely fought battles as you and a friend grab opposite ends of the GamePad in GamePad Party minigames, then gather around your TV with your GamePad and Wii Remote controllers for frantic mayhem in TV Party mode****.
And for players who prefer to go alone, there are two absorbing solo adventures to experience:
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD: Link appeared in 1080p for the very first time in this high-definition remaster of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, originally released for Nintendo GameCube. Set sail across the Great Sea, as Link’s quest to save his sister takes him on an unforgettable journey to save the land from Ganondorf.
LEGO® CITY Undercover: As legendary detective Chase McCain, you’ll go undercover on the trail of escaped criminal Rex Fury. Disguise yourself in different costumes and use their abilities to solve puzzles, collect over 100 vehicles, and free-run across an open-world city – all in the name of police work!
Wii U owners can look forward to another way to experience some classic exclusive games when these six titles join the Nintendo Selects range across Europe on 15th April. These titles will also be made available for €24,99 / £19.99 (incl. VAT) on Nintendo eShop on the same day
Amiibo
Nintendo recently updated the Japanese Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer with images of every Animal Crossing wave 4 amiibo cards. We also got a glimpse at the card album for the same set thanks to Nintendo of Europe. Check them out below:
Furthermore, MyGamingBoulevard posted a new video showcasing a close look at the Roy and Ryu amiibo, both of which are releasing very soon. You can find it below:
Finally, @moldyclay recently released version 8 of his fan made amiibo compatibility chart, which should be useful to all of you amiibo collectors out there, so give it a look over here.
Virtual Console
A Nintendo representative recently explained to Game Informer why SNES games only run on the New 3DS:
“As previously announced, New Nintendo 3DS has an improved CPU, which enables Super NES games to run on the system with quality results. The Super NES games also include Perfect-Pixel mode, which allows players to see their games in their original TV resolution and aspect resolution.”
Seems like the improved CPU is what allows the games to run on the New model.
In other news, some fans have been digging within the files of the Super Mario World SNES release on New 3DS to see what other games might be coming up next. Coincidentally, a decent-sized list of game titles was found which reveals some previously unknown games coming to the Virtual Console. Given the names, this obviously looks like most will be for Japan. Normmatt compiled the following list:
Super Marioworld
Super Mario World
Super Picross 1
Mario no Super Picross
Zeldanodensetsu
Zelda no Densetsu
Simcity
Sim City
Super Donkey Kong 1
Super Donkey Kong 1
Shvc Fireemblem 0
Fire Emblem
f-zero
F-Zero
ﾊﾟﾈﾙ ﾃﾞ ﾎﾟﾝ 0
Paneru de Pon
Pilotwings
Pilotwings
Sutte Hakkun Np 1
Sutte Hakkun
Fireemblem4 1
Fire Emblem 2
Picross Np Vol.1 1
Picross NP Vol1
Kirby Bowl 0
Kirby Bowl
Street Fighter 2
Street Fighter II
ﾃﾞﾝｾﾂﾉｵｳｶﾞﾊﾞﾄﾙ
Ogre Battle
Akumajo Dracula
Akumajo Dracula
Seikendensetsu 2 !
Seiken Densetsu 2
Sfx Dragonballz2 0
Dragon Ball Z 2
Goemon 4 0
Ganbare Goemon 4
Kamaitachi No Yoru
Kamaitachi no Yoru
R-type 3 0
R-Type III
Final Fight
Final Fight
Torneconodaibouken
Torneko no Dai Bouken
Gradius 3
Gradius III
Populous
Populous
Otogirisou
Otogirisou
Herakles 3
Herakles III
Digital Devil Story
Shin Megami Tensei
Actraiser
Actraiser
Hu Super Bomberman 3 1
Super Bomberman 3
Super Mario Kart 1
Super Mario Kart
Supermario Collection
Super Mario Collection
Super Metroid 0
Super Metroid
Mother-2 1
Mother 2
Super Punch-out!!
Super Punch-Out!!
Super Donkey Kong 2 1
Super Donkey Kong 2
Super Donkey Kong 3 1
Super Donkey Kong 3
ﾍｲｾｲ ｼﾝｵﾆｶﾞｼﾏ ｾﾞﾝﾍﾟﾝ1
Heisei Sin Onigasima Zen
ﾍｲｾｲ ｼﾝｵﾆｶﾞｼﾏ ｺｳﾍﾝ 1
Heisei Sin Onigasima Kou
Gk-wrecking Crew 1
Wrecking Crew 98
Mini4ku Lets&go Wgp2 1
Mini Yonku Let’s & Go!! 2
Kirby No Kira Kizzu 0
Kirby no Kirakira Kids
Power Soukoban 0
Power Soukoban
Picross Np Vol.2 1
Picross NP Vol2
Picross Np Vol.3 1
Picross NP Vol3
Picross Np Vol.4 1
Picross NP Vol4
ﾊｼﾞﾏﾘﾉ ﾓﾘ 1
HAJIMARI NO MORI
ﾃﾞｱ･ﾗﾝｸﾞﾘｯｻｰ 0
Der Langrisser
ｼｮﾀﾞｲ ﾈｯｹﾂ ｺｳﾊ ｸﾆｵｸﾝ
Nekketsu Kouha Kunio Kun
ﾄﾚｼﾞｬｰﾊﾝﾀｰg 0
Treasure Hunter G
ﾏｰｳﾞｪﾗｽ
Marvelous
ﾍﾗｸﾚｽ4 ｶﾐｶﾞﾐｶﾗﾉｵｸﾘﾓﾉ 0
Hercules IV
ｽｰﾊﾟｰﾜｷﾞｬﾝﾗﾝﾄﾞ
Super Wagyan Land
Final Fantasy 5 !
Final Fantasy 5
Final Fantasy 6 1
Final Fantasy 6
Clock Tower Sfx 1
Clock Tower Sfx
Dragonquest 1･2
Dragon Quest 1+2
Dragonquest3 1
Dragon Quest 3
ｸﾆｵｸﾝﾉ ﾄﾞｯｼﾞﾎﾞ-ﾙ 0
Kunio Kun No Dodgeball
M A J I N T E N S E I
Majintensei
ﾏ ｼﾞﾝ ﾃ ﾝ ｾ ｲ 2 1
Majintensei2
ﾂｷｺﾓﾘ 1
Tsukikomori
ｷｭｳﾔｸ･ﾒｶﾞﾐﾃﾝｾｲ
Kyuuyaku Megamitensei
This last week also saw the release of three Super Mario Advance GBA games (1, 2 and 4) on the Wii U Virtual Console, of which you can find the respective trailers below:
MiiTomo
Miitomo will launch in Japan on March 17, according to Nintendo. Pre-registration will close at 12:00 Japan time. A specific start time (in actual hours) has not been determined yet though. Once it’s live, there will be notifications on the Nintendo Twitter account and also to the pre-registered email addresses.
It’s still unclear when other regions will be receiving the app, even though it should be sometime this month.
You can find some new artwork below which appears to have been unearthed from the app’s website. The full set is from a folder named “tutorial”, indicating that they might be used as a means to introduce players to the app system. It also looks like it will be possible to spend My Nintendo points on different clothing and accessories.
February 2016 NPD Report
NPD Group has released a listing of the top ten best-selling games in the U.S. for the month of February 2016. The results can be found below.
1. Far Cry: Primal (PS4, Xbox One)
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops III (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)
3. Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3, PC)
4. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm (PS4, Xbox One)
5. NBA 2K16 (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3)
6. Lego Marvel Avengers (360, Xbox One, PS4, Wii U, PS3, 3DS, Vita)
7. Street Fighter V (PS4)
8. Minecraft (360, Xbox One, PS4, PS3)
9. Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright (3DS)
10. Fallout 4 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
As you can see Fire Emblem Fates placed 9th, but it’s important to note that the placement on the chart is only based on Birthright’s sales, which outsold Conquest. If you count Conquest and the Special Edition, Fates would have been closer to the top.
NPD analyst Liam Callahan stated:
“If sales for Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright, Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest, and the special edition for Fire Emblem Fates were combined, this title would have ranked third for new physical software sales. The combined first month sales of Fire Emblem Fates would more than triple the first month sales of the next-highest game within the franchise, Fire Emblem: Awakening.”
We also know that the game sold close to 400,000 copies between Birthright and Conquest in February, with digital sales included.
NPD leaker creamsugar states the games sold a combined 315,000 units – less than Nintendo’s amount because eShop sales aren’t accounted for in this case. Birthright sold the most with 44% (roughly 138,600 units), followed by Conquest at 41% (roughly 129,150 units) and the special edition at 15% (roughly 47,250 units).
Project X Zone 2 sold 18,000 copies in the United States last month, not counting any eShop sales.
However, note that Fire Emblem Fates and Project X Zone 2 did not have a full month of sales yet, since they launched during the middle of February and NPD’s February reporting period ended on February 27.
Nintendo later issued a response to the latest NPD sales report, where they discussed the success of Fire Emblem Fates and the Virtual Console re-releases of Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow. Here’s what Nintendo had to say:
“February was a fantastic month for Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright and Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest, the newest entries in the critically acclaimed strategy RPG series from Nintendo. The games took two top-10 spots on the best-sellers list from the NPD Group, which tracks U.S. video game sales. In little more than a week, the two versions of Fire Emblem Fates totaled nearly 400,000 combined units sold, including physical and digital versions. This far outpaces 2013’s Fire Emblem Awakening game, the series’ previous record-holder in the United States, and is a testament to both the longstanding popularity and rapidly growing fan base of the franchise.
Momentum should continue with today’s release of Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation, a digital-only third version of the game available for purchase to anyone who owns either Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright or Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest. Fans have weekly DLC to look forward to purchasing, as well.
February also saw the digital debut of the 2D Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Yellow games in Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. The games instantly shot to the top of the charts, and together, combined to break the first-week Nintendo eShop sales record previously held by Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
With classic graphics and timeless gameplay, these versions of the original Pokémon adventure are proving to be a popular way for fans to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series.”
Nintendo patent for handheld device with infrared camera/distance sensor
Since September 2014, Nintendo has been filing patent applications in Japan for a handheld device with an infrared camera/distance sensor, which are now being published in the west as well.
The first patent is about how objects/user’s hand get detected, whereas the other ones are more about the concept surrounding the device. The third is also similar to the second patent, but emphasizes how gestures and distance can trigger vibration and sound output. Infrared camera and distance sensor, gesture recognition, and distance measuring are all a part of the technologies covered by the patents. One example even includes a projector and GPS receiver.
You can find more details on the NeoGAF thread dedicated to it, over here, and some concept art of these patents below.
