Happy 40th Birthday Atari!

Today Atari tarns 40 years old. So Happy Birthday Atari!

Here's some Atari fun facts:

1. Atari is now owned by Hasbro Interactive, which was bought by Infogrames Entertainment a few years later, which than renamed Hasbro Interactive, Atari Interactive, and few more years after that, renamed the entire company (Infogrames Entertainment), Atari, SA.

2. Atari first released PONG as a upright arcade cabinet: 

How I think friend codes will work on the Wii U (you will like it)

Nintendo has confirmed that the Wii U will have "Simplified" Friend Codes (note: friend codes are generally considered a nuisance). Some think that means the Wii U will have FC's only a little better than the Wii's.  Others think it will be like the 3DS's FC's (if you own a 3DS you will know it's not bad). Others think the Wii U's FC's will be a little better than the 3DS's, and there are a few people (myself included) who think the Wii U's FC's will be something like this:

You have a friend whose name is (insert popular name here), and he that just got a Wii U.  You want to add him to your friend list, so you search for him on Miiverse, and there are multiple people with the same name (with Mii's that look almost the same). Thankfully he told you his Friend Code, so you press the "show Friend Code" button, and there he is.

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Here's what I think in non-story form: Friend Codes will exist so multiple people can have the same username (something not possible on Xbox Live and PSN). The Friend Codes give an easy way to tell people apart who have the same username as 100s of other people, but they are not necessary to know in order to add someone to your friend list, therefor making friend codes helpful not a nuisance. Though remember this is just a theory.

The Non Specific Action Figure Complete Saga

In the Nintendo Direct -- Pre E3 2012, Non Specific Action Figure was introduced in a promotional video for Nintendo’s Miiverse. He became very popular among Nintendo fans, so Nintendo had him appear in more videos throughout E3. Here is "The Non Specific Action Figure Complete Saga" with all the the official Non Specific Action Figure videos:

Of this post!

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Hours 0 and 1 Review

This is part of my Review-as-I-Play-It series, where I write a review for every two (or so) hours of a game I'm playing. You are reading my review for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Hours 0 to 1. I will also have a review of Super Paper Mario starting on Saturday.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is my second Zelda game (my first was Skyward Sword). 

Controls:

If this was the first motion control Zelda game I had played I would give it a 9/10 for controls, but since I  played Skyward Sword before this one, I'm spoiled, so I give it a 6/10. I won't go into details, but here's my main complaints: instead of being able to swing my Wiimote in the direction I want my sword to go in, I have to press a button while swinging my Wiimote (and the direction I swing in doesn't matter). My other main complaint is that it's such a pain to change the item you're using (like changing from a lantern to a slingshot). Though comparing the controls of a 2011 game that has MotionPlus to a 2006 Wii launch game -- that's a port of a GameCube game -- is not fair.

Warning Spoilers! Only Read If You Have Played The Game


What I think of the first 2 hours:

Some of the first 1.3 hours was sort of boring, like the fishing part -- I'm not a big fishing fan, plus it took me 20 minutes to actually catch a fish. It did, however, have it's fun parts, such as riding the horse to roundup the goat's, solving that one puzzle with the birds, and meeting the people in the village.

The next 0.7 hours was really fun for the end of the beginning of a game (may be funner then Skyward Sword's). My first enemy was a Deku Baba (one of those big, carnivorous plants) and I'm disappointed by the lack of strategy required to defeat them (Skyward Sword Deku plants were a lot harder to defeat). Than I was attacked by a skinny blue goblin (not sure what they're called? Where's Fi when you need her...) once again I was disappointed by the lack of strategy required to defeat them (MotionPlus makes all difference).

It was still really fun, though after saving the kid I had to roundup the goats again ("Link, are you okay, you were 00.01.45 seconds slower than usual"), after that I was criticized for overworking my horse (that's why I like loftwings -- you can't overwork them). Anyway, something happened and now I'm wolf, and now this annoying giggling creature is talking to me. ...And then I had to quit the game after this. Can't wait to see how the gameplay is as a wolf.  I give it a 9/10 for the first 2 hours.


Come back on Monday-Tuesday to see what I think of the next 2 to 4 hours, and come back tomorrow for my thoughts on the first 1 to 2 hours of Super Paper Mario.

Nintendo 3DS Software Showcase

Go to http://e3.nintendo.com/ (it's should be on now)

To see my opinion on Nintendo's E3 Press Conference as it happens go to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Technology-Hobbit/

I will also be updating this post as the new games, 3DS news, you name it, is revealed!!!

Update 6:06 PM:

It's on!!!

Update 6:07 PM:

It's not on...

Update 6:12 PM:

HA HA

Update 6:17 PM:

Castleviania

Update 6:24 PM:
Luigi's Manson

Update 6:27 PM:
Epic Mickey

Update 6:35 PM:
Paper Mario

Update 6:46 PM:
Scribblenauts Unlimited

Update 6:51 PM:
All 5 downloads that have been downloaded more then 1,000,000 times, are free

Update 7:00 PM:
New Super Mario Bros. 2 has true multipalyer.

Update 7:03 PM:
The END

Nintendo's E3 2012 Press Conference

The new Wii U GamePad

That was one of the best E3 press conference I have ever watched (9.8 out of 10).  There is no doubt about it Nintendo won E3, and Nintendo still has one more major press conference and one more minor press conference. My favorite part is at the beginning, when.... Well, you can see it for yourself: (For those who don't know, Miyamoto created Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, F-Zero, Pikmin, the Wii series, and more. He is considered to be one of the greatest video game developers in the world.)

In my opinion that right there is cooler than Microsoft's entire E3 Press Conference. The one thing that I didn't care for was the fact Satoru Iwata (the president of Nintendo) was not there... Right now it's hard to find a video (at the time I'm writing this) of the press conference, so here's what was revealed and more.

Wii U Games Shown:
Nintendo showed off 23 Wii U games and said that many more would be revealed later. (I have included "New" by every game that has never been announced before for the Wii U.)


Aliens: Colonial Marines
Assassin's Creed III
Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth
Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition (New, and exclusive to the Wii U)
Darksiders II
Just Dance 4
Lego City Undercover (Exclusive to the Wii U)
Mass Effect 3 (New)
New Super Mario Bros. U (Exclusive to the Wii U)
Ninja Gaiden 3
NintendoLand (New, and exclusive to the Wii U)
Pikmin 3 (Exclusive to the Wii U)
Rabbids Land
Rayman Legends
Scribblenauts Unlimited (New, and exclusive to the Wii U-3DS)
SiNG (New, and could be exclusive to the Wii U)
Sports Connection
Tank! Tank! Tank! (New, and exclusive to the Wii U-Arcade)
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (New)
Trine 2: Director's Cut (New)
Wii Fit U (New, and exclusive to the Wii U)
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013
ZombiU (Exclusive to the Wii U)

3DS Games Shown:

The 3DS will have its own press conference tomorrow, but they did show off these.

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Scribblenauts Unlimited
And a few more that I can't remember.

Ofter Stuff Raveled:
The Wii U will have Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube apps.
The Wii U will be available in both, black and white.

I suggest that you go to http://e3src.nintendo.com/wiiu/ for game trailers and a cool video that gives a virtual tour of the Wii U GamePad. Come back to my blog on the 8th for "Everything Wii Now (after E3 2012) Know About The Wii U."

Nintendo's E3 2012 Press Conference

Nintendo's E3 2012 Press Conference will start at 9:00 AM PDT, 12:00 PM EDT, 5:00 PM BST, and at Wednesday June 6 at 2:00am AEST. It will be Wii U-focused with a bit of 3DS news.

Where to watch: Nintendo All-Access at E3 2012, Facebook, YouTube.

To see my opinion on Nintendo's E3 Press Conference as it happens go to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Technology-Hobbit/  

I will also be updating this post as the new games, Wii U news, you name it, is revealed!!!

Update 8;20 am:

Nintendo has sent this notification to 3DS's:

Throughout the week, visit the Nintendo eShop for information revealed at E3 about upcoming games for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems. For a limited time, you can also download trailers for select Nintendo 3DS games.

- Nintendo

Update 9:00 am:
it's on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pikmin!!!!!


Pikmin are everywhere!!!

Rook Pikimin

23 games!!

Two gamepads!

New super mario bros. U

batman!

Scribblenauts Unlimited

Lots and Lots of games

Wii fit U

Sing

Mario, Mario, and more Mario!!!!!!!!!

Luigi Mansion: Dark Moon for 3DS

Lego City Story's

ZombiU

NintendoLand

Sony E3 2012 Press Conference

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzYIFEjuEc4&feature=relmfu&newstate=807353ebdb270417713492648bbe8bec

I think it was pretty good, I give it on a scale of 0/10, a 7 1/2.


See my opinion on Sony's E3 Press Conference: https://twitter.com/#!/TechologyHobbit

Ubisoft E3 2012 Press Conference

To see the press conference go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-ZQSEwOiGY&feature=relmfu

I think it was pretty good, I give it on a scale of 0/10, 7.

Hears the Wii U games they talked about:


Rabbids Land
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013
Sports Connection
Just Dance 4
Avengers: Battle for Earth
ZombiU (use-to be known as Killer Freaks from Outer Space)
Rayman Legends



https://twitter.com/#!/TechologyHobbit

Microsoft E3 2012 Press Conference

It was bad, so bad I give it on a scale of 0/10, 4.

Nintendo Direct: Pre E3 2012

Very cool!!! I also think this is cool:

Add caption

Everything Wii Know About the Wii U

It's been more than 1 year and 3 months since Project Cafe rumors started appearing on the internet, and now the Wii U's second E3 is approaching fast, so let's look back at what we know about Nintendo's sixth home video game console.

Release date: By Christmas 2012

Price: MORE THAN $250


Processor: A custom-designed IBM POWER7 processor (same processor found in the Watson supercomputer, and if it's good enough for Watson, it should be good enough for you).

Supported Resolution's: 480i, 480p, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p (and possibly 2560x1600)

Graphics Processing Unit: A custom-designed Radeon HD similar to the Radeon R700 architecture (3 years newer than the Xbox 360 & PS3's architecture).

Media (Discs): The Wii U will use a disc format developed by Panasonic based on China Blue High-definition Disc, but with the ability to handle more layers.  It has capacities up to 75 GB, (the Xbox 360's disc format has capacities up to 8.7 GB, and the PS3's disc format has capacities up to 100 GB). The Wii U is also backward compatible with Wii Optical Discs.

Storage: Internal flash memory, supports SD cards and USB hard drives to increase hard drive space.

Supported Controllers: Wii U controller (see below), Wii MotionPlus/Wii Remote Plus, Classic Controller Pro, Wii Balance Board.

Backward Compatibility: All Wii games and peripherals are backward compatible with the Wii U.

Other: 4 USB 2.0 Ports (2 at front of console, 2 at rear), HDMI 1.4 port (interesting fact: HDMI 1.4 supports 3D images), Sensor Bar power port.

The Controller

Dimensions: 5.3 inches high x 0.9 inches deep

Screen: A 6.2 inch 16:9 resistive touchscreen with a resolution of 854×480 (could be higher when the final-form is shown at E3). (Note: Some people say that since it's a resistive touchscreen it can't support multi-touch, but that is not true. Resistive touchscreens can support multi-touch and still be a lot more accurate than the touchscreen you can find on a iPad.)

Buttons: It has 12 buttons, A/B/X/Y face buttons, ZL/ZR bumper buttons, L/R trigger buttons, and Select, Start, Home, and Power, buttons.

Sticks & D-Pad's: Two Circle Pads (like those on the 3DS) and one D-pad, or if the leaked photo is real, then two Analog sticks and one D-pad.

Motion Control: It has a 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope, like the 3DS.

Battery: A rechargeable battery pack.

Wireless: Bluetooth and NFC (Near field communication chip, not Nintendo Fried Chicken, see Rayman Legends concept trailer below).

Other: Rumble, a 3.5mm Headphone jack, a Volume Slider, a microphone, a front-facing camera, built-in speakers, and a IR sensor strip (for Wii Remotes).

Online Services

The Wii U will use the newly announced Nintendo Network, we currently don't know much about the Wii U's Nintendo Network features (we don't know that much about the 3DS's Nintendo Network features either), but here's the little we know:

Nintendo Network Features: User Accounts, the ability to buy and download full retail games, online gameplay, Videocalls, Virtual Console (in a interview, Nintendo's Amber McCollum said that GameCube games would be available for download on the Wii U's Virtual Console, in addition to the games you can already buy on the Wii's Virtual Console), DLC (paid downloadable content), downloadable-only software, game patches, and Wii U-3DS connectivity.

The Games


Hear are the few games that have been confirmed to be in development for the Wii U (expect this list to double or even quadruple after Nintendo's E3 press conference).

Retail Games (remember most retail games will also be available for download): 
Aliens: Colonial Marines                                                 Untitled F1/Formula One
Assassin's Creed III                                                          FIFA 13
Avengers: Battle For Earth                                              Killer Freaks from Outer Space
Batman: Arkham City                                                      Injustice: gods Among Us 
Untitled Battlefield                                                          Lego City Stories
Ben 10: Omniverse                                                          NBA 2K13 (launch window)
Darksiders II (Launch Title)                                            Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
Untitled Dirt                                                                    Rabbids Rumble
Project CARS                                                                  Project Nova
Pikmin 3                                                                          Rayman Legends
Dragon Quest X: The Five Awakening Races Online      Untitled Super Mario game 
Untitled Super Smash Bros. sequel                                 Untitled Tekken 
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online                                  Untitled The Legend of Zelda


Download-Only Software:
1001 Spikes                                                                    Marvel Pinball
Cloudberry Kingdom (launch window)                           Toki Tori 2
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs

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Wii U Q&A

Have any questions about the Wii U?  Ask away in comments.

See other editions of Wii U Q&A:
Wii U Q&A: The Wii U to support 2560x1600 resolution?

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Wii U Videos

_______________________________________________________________________________

This article is part of my "14 days of E3" celebration, also see:  The Seven Most Common anti-Nintendo Myths, Why I Think People Should Stop Criticizing 'New Super Mario Bros. Mii', and I Can Prove Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt that the Wii U Will Be More Powerful than the Xbox 360 and PS3

Did I forget anything? See a typo? Please comment.

I Can Prove Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt that the Wii U Will Be More Powerful than the Xbox 360 and PS3

This article is part of my "14 days of E3" celebration.

Currently I think it's safe to say around 75% of all media and gamers think the Wii U will be weaker than the Xbox 360 and PS3.  People tend to listen to negative news (most likely rumors with anonymous sources) such as Wii U less powerful than PS3, Xbox 360, developers say, and Wii U’s Total Bill of Materials Estimated at $180. At first when researching for this article I figured I was going to fight rumors with rumors, but thankfully I didn't need to. Here's proof (in my opinion) beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Wii U will be more powerful than the Xbox 360 and PS3.


At E3 2011 Brian Martel form Gearbox said:

"Right now we're still finding out what kind of final tech specs the Wii U is going to have.  But we like the system a lot; we think it's going to be a really cool stop-gap in between this generation and the next generation. We think it's really smart of Nintendo, and the fact that as a platform it's a lot more capable for hardcore first-person shooter-style gaming – for us that's fantastic.  We've got the [Aliens: Colonial Marines] engine running on the Wii U, and as far as the console goes, you're going to see textures at a resolution that you haven't seen on [the current] generation."

Source: IGN

In July 2011 Mike Capps from EPIC said this about the Wii U:

"At the launch event at E3, some of the products that you saw running on Wii U were based on Unreal Engine technology. So that kind of gives you an idea of where we are in that space. You can certainly use our engine on that platform – it's a natural fit from a technology perspective, It opens up some doors that weren't open before on current generation consoles because it is going to be a powerful box."

Source: Industry Gamers

In March, 2012 Gearbox President Randy Pitchford said this about the Wii U: 

"The Wii U version has so much more to offer ... no other platform can do what the Wii U can do {note by TechnoHobbit: He's either referencing the controller, the power, or both}. If you love [Xbox] 360 games, you are not used to being in a world where you have this new interface. But once you get used to that, you imagine the possibilities; there are some opportunities that are just not possible on any platform that does not have that device."

 

Source: The Verge

In March, 2012 Mark Rein from EPIC said this about the Wii U:

"I like the Wii U. I think E3 will be a big eye-opener for people. I played Batman: Arkham City on the Wii U and they are doing some really cool stuff with the controller. Do you remember the Zelda demo they had on it? Would you not buy a Wii U just to play that? Of course you would. That's what Nintendo is all about. Their hardware is the software delivery service for their great content. That Zelda demo was gorgeous and we can do even more than that with Unreal Engine 3. I think it will do great."

Source: IGN

This is the Zelda demo he was talking about, and if the Wii U is powerful enough to have better graphics than this...

. . . it's basically guaranteed that the Wii U will be more powerful than the Xbox 360 and PS3

In March, 2012 Han Randhawa (art director for Darksiders 2) said this about the Wii U:

"There is not much I can really talk about right now, but I think that the Wii U is a pretty powerful machine, which obviously means more resources, and means you can do a lot more. So the Wii U team is doing very well, we've been working with Nintendo and I think it's going to be a very exciting version of Darksiders but we want to keep the overall theme relatively consistent."

 

Source: YouTube

In April 2012 Gearbox President Randy Pitchford said this about the Wii U:

"Nintendo still has a lot to announce with their platform, and it's not up to us to go ahead of them. I think it's a great platform and I'm really excited about it, particularly with this game, there's a lot of exciting opportunities like, 'Wow, my motion tracker is there, and I can move it like this!' There's just so much cool stuff. There's a lot that we can do with that screen. It's a really cool system -- it's pretty powerful. I want to be careful, because I don't want to risk any sensitive information that Nintendo's not ready to share yet, but in our experience it's a great system. I think it's a really nice bridge to the next generation. I think people will be surprised. I don't know off the top of my head how many of the specs they've released, so I want to be very careful not to jump the gun, but we're very pleased with the hardware. And even since they gave us our first alpha kit, our very first 'pre-prototype' development hardware that they kind of let us play around with, they've done so many things to make the platform better. So it's getting better for us as developers."

Source: Joystiq

In April 4 2012 Brian Martel form Gearbox said:

“The machine itself will be one of the best looking versions of the game [sic]… because they’ve got more RAM than some of the other things [platforms]“, says Martel. “They’re late in the cycle so they’ve got this really great processor.”

Source: Nintendo-Gamer

In April 2012 , Chris Faylor, from Gearbox Software & Matt Powers form Sega said this about the Wii U version of Aliens: Colonial Marines:

Powers initially referred to the game as “the Wii U port” and Faylor rushed back over to scold him, telling us: “I hate that word. The Wii U version is not a port. Remove it from your vocabulary.”
After that rather tense exchange, we tried to get Powers to talk more about how the Wii U controller would come into play. With the Community Manager standing over his shoulder, he would only say that “there are interesting things you can do with the Wii U controller” and “for an Aliens game, you can probably guess what some of those things are.”

Source: Warpzoned

In May, 2012 Brian Burleson form Gearbox said:

"The Wii U is a powerful, powerful machine and it can do a lot of cool new things. And so the game itself, moving it over to work on the Wii U was not much of a chore. Now the interesting thing is finding out all the cool ways you can use the controller to do new stuff with it. You can imagine all the cool things we can do, with this franchise and having a thing with you, right?"

And the Wii U version of Aliens will "be better" than the PS3 and Xbox 360 version in terms of visuals, he confirmed. Why? Because of "more modern tech".

Source: Eurogamer

In May, 2012 Jeremy Greiner form Vigil Games said this about the Wii U:


If I didn’t have a strict gag order on me, I’d love to talk about all the great features that we have, but what I can tell you is that it’s a next generation platform, and you should keep your eyes open.

We’ll obviously be using the unique controller that it has to its utmost potential, but speaking to specific features or tech effects… well, that’s in Nintendo’s playground right now. And I know that they have plans for E3.

Source: Vooks

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Is this proof enough for you that the Wii U will be more powerful than the Xbox 360 and PS3?

Nintendo Teases (First-Party?) Wii U Lunch Games

Nintendo posted this on there Wii U Facebook page:

Guess what the initial game releases will be for Nintendo’s new home console, Wii U? Soon we’ll scratch off to reveal the names! 

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▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒.

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What do you think the games are?

Why I Think People Should Stop Criticizing 'New Super Mario Bros. Mii'

Stop criticizing this game

This article is part of my "14 days of E3" celebration.

Some Nintendo fans (and even some New Super Mario Bros. fans) are criticizing 'New Super Mario Bros. Mii' because the "tech demo" at last year's E3 was not up to their standards. Their forgetting that the "tech demo" was probably thrown together in just a week or two. Maybe the game wasn't even in development yet, and if it was the developers have had a whole year to work on the game, it could be entirely different. We know nothing  about this game besides that it is based on that "tech demo," so stop criticizing it.

The Seven Most Common anti-Nintendo Myths

Today I will be looking at the 7 most common anti-Nintendo myths, as part of my "14 Days of E3" celebration.

"The Wii doesn't even have 10 really great games"

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Super Mario Galaxy, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Mario Kart Wii, Xenoblade Chronicles, Super Paper Mario, Wii Sports Resort, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Epic Mickey, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Punch-Out!!, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and Sonic Colors.   That's a list of 16 really great games that are exclusive to the Wii (Sonic Colors was also on the DS), and if you don't want to play any of those games, then you must be one of those gamers who think the "Mature" rating means the game is mature.

"Nintendo hasn't produced a new IP in at least 3 generations of consoles"

That's another easy anti-Nintendo myth to destroy.  Below is a list of all the Nintendo IP's (an IP is basically a franchise) that came out in the "Fifth generation (Nintendo 64)," "Sixth generation (GBA and GameCube)," and "Seventh generation (DS and Wii)," plus I included the "Eighth generation (3DS)" because I didn't include the Game Boy Color in the fifth generation. Since there is a dispute about what a new IP is (some people think a spin-off of another game is an IP, while others think it does not count as a IP), I have included a (!) symbol by every game that there is no dispute about whether it is an IP or not.
 
Nintendo 64:
1080° (!)
Mario Party
Paper Mario
Sin and Punishment (!)
Mario Tennis
Animal Crossing (!)
Super Smash Bros. (!)

Nintendo GameCube:                                         Game Boy Advance:
Luigi's Mansion                                                     Golden Sun (!)
Pikmin (!)                                                              Drill Dozer (!)
Super Mario Strikers                                              Rhythm Heaven (!)
Kirby Air Ride


Nintendo DS:                                                     Wii:
Nintendogs (!)                                                      Wii (game series)
Brain Age (!)                                                        Endless Ocean (!)
Super Princess Peach                                            FlingSmash (!)
New Super Mario Bros.                                         Xenoblade Chronicles (!)
Master of Illusion (!)                                              Fluidity (!)
Style Savvy (!)                                                      ThruSpace (!)
Art Academy (!)



Nintendo 3DS:
Steel Diver (!)
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Pushmo (!)
Sakura Samurai (!)
Dillon's Rolling Western (!)


"New IP's yes, but good IP's, absolutely not."

Super Smash Bros., Pushmo, Luigi's Mansion, Xenoblade, Pikmin, Kid Icarus, Paper Mario, and Sakura Samurai aren't good games?

"What 'great' new IP's does the Wii, 3DS and DS have? And don't give me games I can buy on my iPhone."

Wii: Xenoblade Chronicles, Endless Ocean.  3DS: Pushmo, Sakura Samurai, Kid Icarus, Steel Diver.  DS: New Super Mario Bros.


"It's just rehash after rehash, sequel after sequel, re-release after re-release."

According to www.thefreedictionary.com, rehash means: "old material that is slightly reworked and used again; 'merely a dull rehash of his first novel'" or "present or use over, with no or few changes." If you ever played any two Mario, Zelda, or any Nintendo franchise you would know that they are not rehashes. If you would like to know how a rehash looks, play any two Call of Duty games.

"Sequel after sequel" -- yes, that is true, but are sequels bad? And Call of Duty, Halo, and even Uncharted and LittleBigPlanet are used more then all Nintendo IP's from year to year.

"Re-release after re-release" -- if you are talking about "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time," they only re-released it four times, and if you are talking about the "Virtual Console," then I guess you don't like old games.




"I seem to remember about 1000 other better games produced by Microsoft and Sony."

Um, I don't think Microsoft and Sony combined have made 1000 games, while Nintendo has made very close to 1000 games if not more.


"All the 3DS has is Nintendo 64 ports"


Okay, to be far I haven't seen this anti-Nintendo myth for 7 months, but 7 months ago the 3DS only had two Nintendo 64 ports, and it still has only two Nintendo 64 ports.
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Come back on the 25th for "Why I Think People Should Stop Criticizing 'New Super Mario Bros. Mii'" part 2 of my "14 Days of E3."

New Nintendo 3DS Firmware Update Out Now!!

A Nintendo 3DS Firmware update is out now!! According to gregory-weagle the updates in this firmware update are "It's the usual blocking of flash carts, improve system performance stuff. However; the only thing of note is that you can update stuff without entering your PIN number." (if anyone knows anything else new in this update please tell me in the comments), it's firmware version number is 4.1.0-8U .  It won't let you go to the Nintendo eShop in less you update the firmware.

Rumor: New Amazon Kindle Will Have Built in Light and Will be Launched in July

According to Reuters, an unnamed source told them that the next Kindle will have a built-in light, eliminate the need for buying a separate light, though there is a trade-off: the front-lit screen will consume more power making the battery run out more quickly. Amazon will not be the first to have a front-lit screen since Barnes & Noble's started shipping its $139 "Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight" at the end of April. Reuters' source also said that Amazon plans to launch a new Kindle Fire later this year in the holiday season.

True or False 

Though I do think the next Kindle will have a front-lit screen (if Nook has one, Kindle will have one), I think this unnamed-source is fake because Kindles usually come out closer to the holiday season.  (I'm often skeptical of unnamed sources.)

Rayman Legends (Wii U) Concept Trailer

This Rayman Legends concept trailer for the Wii U is about a week old, but still cool.

Nintendo's 2012 E3 Press Conference Confirmed and Dated

Nintendo's 2012 E3 Press Conference is going to be on Tuesday June 5, 2012, 9:00 am PT.

I personally think it's going to be awesome.

Nintendo 3DS and Wii U are Getting Downloadable Retail Software, and the Wii U Will Have a Very Rich Launch Line-Up

Nintendo announced today that New Super Mario Bros. 2 (for 3DS) when released in August will be available not only at retail but also for download on the Nintendo 3DS e-shop (two of my predictions are confirmed in this announcement) and that most first-party games released after August will be available to download (including Wii U launch titles). The president of Nintendo Satoru Iwata also said that the Wii U will have a very rich launch line-up.

As I predicted there was no talk of a Wii U name change or 3DS Lite. Regarding whether or not my prediction that they were going to reveal some E3 Plans was true (there is still no E3 press conference date set, by the way), it depends on your interpretation of this quote from Satoru Iwata:

I believe that you are most interested in the details of the Wii U. Since the Wii U will be launched in Japan, the U.S., Europe and Australia in the year-end sales season… Therefore, we still have some time before the launch and I cannot say anything about the release date, price or the launch titles here. Regarding the Wii U, just as we have been saying until now… We will showcase the final format, and discuss the details and the software lineup for this year at E3 2012, which will be held in Los Angeles in the United States in June this year. Also, in the week after the E3 show, we would like to organize an opportunity where we can showcase the same to the Japanese wholesalers and financial analysts who cannot attend the E3 show. The people in our appropriate sections will let you know as soon as we have settled on further details. Please also be advised that, as we did for previous platforms that were launched in the year-end sales season, we will announce the launch date and price in each market sometime after E3.

Some people think this quote means that Nintendo will not announce the price (in the US or anywhere) of the Wii U until after  E3, while other people think this quote means that Nintendo will announce the price in the US, but not for the rest of the world until after E3.

Nintendo Posts $530 Million Loss (don't worry Nintendo's not going to die)

Today Nintendo posted a $530 million loss (that's $274.57 million less than the expected $804.57 million loss) for the 2011-2012 financial year. Most sites are blaming poor hardware sales (or Apple) because at the beginning of the fiscal year, Nintendo expected to sell 16 million Nintendo 3DS consoles (they sold 13.53 million Nintendo 3DS units), 13 million Wii's (they sold 9.84 million Wii units), and 11 million Nintendo DS's (they sold  5 million  Nintendo DS units).  Though the main reason why Nintendo is losing money is because the Yen is doing really good, making it so that when Nintendo converts the USD into Yen they only get so much.

Here are some articles explaining why Nintendo is not in any trouble:

Nintendo’s Closure 60 Years Away by Tynan Muddle on aussie-gamer.com
In Defence of Nintendo by Tynan Muddle on aussie-gamer.com

(Yes, I know both of the articles are by the same person on the same site. Aussie-gamer is one of few sites that has a fair view of Nintendo.)

Nintendo also told some of their plans for the 2012-2013 financial year:

"For the "Nintendo 3DS," its hardware has been sold below cost because of its significant price cut in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012. However, Nintendo expects to cease selling it below cost by the middle of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013. As for the "Nintendo 3DS" software, a totally new side-scrolling action "Super Mario" in 2D called "New Super Mario Bros. 2" will be released this August, and the latest version of the popular franchise for this handheld device, "Animal Crossing," is scheduled to be launched this fall in Japan. The newest title in the "Brain Age" series, with which people can brush up their "working memory" (a brain function of processing or utilizing the incoming information with information kept in the brain) and "concentration power" at the same time, will be released by this summer in Japan. Moreover, Nintendo will attempt to maintain the popularity of evergreen titles such as "SUPER MARIO 3D LAND" and "Mario Kart 7," and release compelling products one after another, in order to further expand the sales of the "Nintendo 3DS." Also, Nintendo will roll out the "Nintendo 3DS" in Asia in due course.
Nintendo will release the "Wii U," the successor of the "Wii," mainly in Japan, the United States and Europe at the end of this calendar year, and propose a new play style of home entertainment with its unique controller embedding a 6.2 inch touch screen.

Nintendo continues to pursue its "Gaming Population Expansion" goal based on the idea of putting smiles on many people's faces by offering brand-new entertainment that anyone can enjoy, regardless of age, gender, or gaming experience.
Nintendo strives to spread the "Nintendo 3DS" released last year, will endeavor to spread the "Wii U" to be released at the end of this calendar year, and will keep on offering not only Nintendo-developed new games but games and services making use of the capabilities of those systems by collaborating with software publishers while positively promoting potential evergreen software titles.
Moreover, Nintendo will push forward with "Nintendo Network," which is the network service for the "Nintendo 3DS" and the "Wii U," and offer game experiences, which enable users to compete and interact with others all over the world, and provide add-on content by utilizing its network functions.
Furthermore, for the purposes of adapting to the changes in the environment surrounding the video game market and creating new business opportunities, Nintendo is envisioning the digital distribution of packaged software and is aiming at expanding the digital business.
In the challenging and competitive video game industry, which consistently requires new and innovative products, Nintendo will continue striving to expand its offerings of compelling products and services by capitalizing on being a platform holder with powerful in-house software development teams.

Some of Nintendo executives will be discussing more of the company's plans for the 2012-2013 financial year and beyond in an investor's presentation the morning of April 27 in Japan (or tomorrow afternoon PST). I'm hopeful that that's when my predictions for what Nintendo will announce will come true.

Nintendo 3DS Firmware Update is Now Live

The Nintendo 3DS firmware update is now live in the USA, Australia and possibly everywhere. The most noticeable updates are that you can now create folders, the internet browser is a lot faster, and the e-shop is redone.

Nintendo's Financial Year Ends Tomorrow: Will They Announce New Wii U and 3DS Information

Tomorrow is going to be the end of the financial year for Nintendo, so they will have an investor's conference tomorrow.  They are most likely to announce million dollar losses, but they will also probably announce new Wii U and 3DS information.

Last financial quarter Nintendo announced the Nintendo Network, New Super Mario Bros. 2 (though it wasn't known as New Super Mario Bros. 2 until the Nintendo Direct webcast on April 20th) and that the Wii U controller will have a NFC chip. So it makes sense that Nintendo will announce new 3DS and Wii U information tomorrow at their investor's conference. I will present some things Nintendo could announce tomorrow.

Some E3 Plans

This is almost a given. Microsoft and Sony have already announced when their E3 press conferences will be (Microsoft: June 4 10am Pacific and Sony: June 4 6pm Pacific), and E3 is only 42 days away so why not announce their E3 press conference tomorrow.

A New Game or Two (or at least some new information about a game already announced)

Once again this is almost a given.  Last time they announced New Super Mario Bros. 2 so why not announce at least a downloadable game, and if not a new game, then at least some new information about a game already announced like Luigi's Mansion 2 or Pikmin 3.

New Nintendo Network Information

New information on downloadable retail games? Personal accounts for Wii U? Who knows.

 Wii U Name Change

Honestly I don't think Nintendo will change the Wii U's name, and who would want it to be changed (lots of people).  Not only does the Wii U symbolize a console for "We" (ordinary gamers) and "You" (hardcore gamers), it also sounds like a police car. . . Wiiiiiiiiuuuuuuuuu Wiiiiiiiiiiiuuuuuuuuu (Microsoft and Sony are on the run form Nintendo).

3DS Lite

I don't think this will happen (Nintendo wants people to focus on the Wii U), but in my opinion it's the most likely time for Nintendo to announce a 3DS Lite this year.

Come back tomorrow for the official announcements.

Nintendo Direct: 20th Anniversary Special Kirby Game For Wii and New Super Mairo Bros. 2 For 3DS

20th anniversary of Kirby

Today Nintendo announced on it Nintendo Direct webcast that for the 20th anniversary of Kirby they will be releasing a special game disc featuring some Kirby games, later this year for the Wii. Also New Super Mario Bros. 2 will be launching in August for the 3DS.  A system update for the 3DS will be available on April 25th.

Nintendo Direct Announced for Japan, Europe, Australia, and North America

Nintendo will have a Nintendo Direct webcast in Japan at 11:00 Japanese time,  Europe at 1pm CET, Australia at around 9:00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time, and they just announced on their facebook page that North America will have a webcast at around 8:30 PM PST.

Nintendo Confirms HD Super Mario Game for the Wii U

Earlier today in an interview Shigeru Miyamoto gave to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Miyamoto implied that a new Super Mario Bros. for the Wii U would be shown at E3 in June.  Later Nintendo issued a statement confirming Miyamoto’s claims saying, “In a recent interview, Mr. Miyamoto confirmed that a new Super Mario Bros. game for the Wii U system will be shown at this year’s E3 Expo. We’ll have more to announce about our plans for the E3 Expo at a later date.”

It appears that this E3 could be one of the best E3s ever for Nintendo fans.

Wii U Q&A: Ask Your Questions

The Wii U Q&A column is where you ask questions and I answer your questions to the best of my ability.  You have from now until Friday the 27th at 11:59pm to ask any question about anything to do with the Wii U, and I will post my answer on Sunday the 28th from 1pm to 2pm. Ask away in comments (sorry for taking so long to post another edition of the Wii U Q&A column.)

Nintendo of Korea Will be Having a Nintendo Direct Conference at 4:00 AM PST April 14th

Nintendo of Korea will be having a Nintendo Direct Conference at 4:00 AM PST April 14th.

Rumor: The Wii U Will Have $180 of Parts and Cost No less Than $300 Retail Price

According to the Canadian website Forget The Box, "sources closely involved with manufacturing and distributing Nintendo products" revealed to them the Wii U will have $130 of parts and the controller will have $50 of parts (a grand total of $180 of parts for both the Wii U and the controller) and will cost no less than $300 retail price.

Once again most of the media is acting like this is confirmed and (since they believe it's confirmed) that Nintendo is greedy for making the retail price $120 more than what they are paying for parts. They're forgetting that there's also the manufacturing cost, the accessories included with the Wii U (power cords, charging cradle for the controller, manuals, etc.), packaging, and transportation to the store.  All that should add an extra $20-$30 to Nintendo's cost. Then the store probably gets about $50 of the profits, so in the end Nintendo only profits approximately $45 per Wii U sold.

I think this rumor is fake and that the Wii U will have a retail price of $350.  I think it will cost $280 all together (including the console and controller parts, the manufacturing cost, the accessories, packaging, transportation to the store) to make.  As a side note, to all the people who care a lot about graphics, $280 is enough for Nintendo to make a console as good at playing graphically intensive games as a $600 gaming computer is.  That's because they get all the parts inexpensively, and the Wii U has one main purpose: to play games.  If you also include that the store gets approximately $50 of the profits, Nintendo still gets approximately $20 per Wii U sold. Remember that's just my theory; it won't be until E3 in June before we can know for sure.