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Red and Charmander meet in Pokemon Origins trailer
Few bonds are stronger than that of a trainer and his Pokemon. Pokemon Origins, a four-episode anime series, retells the story bound in Pokemon Red and follows the titular boy Red that preceded Pikachu and his trainer, Ash Ketchum. The first episode premieres on November 15 on Pokemon TV.
New Nintendo eShop releases: Etrian Odyssey Untold, Rune Factory 4, Donkey Kong 3
It's a good week for 3DS-wielding RPG fans, with both Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl (which we rather enjoyed) and Rune Factory 4 arriving on the eShop on October 1. If that's not enough for you, Shin Megami Tensei 4 is on sale staring next week for $39.99, $10 off the usual price. The sale runs from October 1 until on October 14 at 9am PT. The Wii U, meanwhile, picks up the Virtual Console release of Donkey Kong 3 (or, as any gamer over thirty knows it, "that weird one with the bug spray"). That's the only new release on the Wii U eShop this week, though there will also be a sale on the excellent Runner 2 starting next week. From October 1 through October 7 (9am PT), it will be 33 percent off its usual price of $14.99.
Now Playing: September 23-29, 2013
Kick it this week with FIFA 14... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
New Nintendo eShop releases: Wind Waker HD, Scribblenauts Unmasked, Super Mario Bros.
It's kind of a big week for Nintendo's eShop. The obvious headline is that The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD will arrive on September 20 at midnight. Perhaps even bigger than that is the fact that Wind Waker HD won't be available at retail until October 4. This could be the beginning of a new trend with Nintendo games, as the company has announced a similar staggered release for Wii Fit U. Meanwhile, he Wii U Virtual Console gets another heavy hitter in the form of Super Mario Bros. The 3DS Virtual Console also gets some love with the classic puzzler, Solomon's Key. Next week on September 24, both the 3DS and Wii U pick up Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure. You know, the one with DC Comics characters in it. Beyond new releases, there are a few sales going on. Both the 3DS and Wii U versions of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate are 50 percent off until September 22 at 9am PT, putting them at $19.99 and $29.99, respectively. You can also grab Chasing Aurora, from Secrets of Raetikon developer Broken Rules, for $4.99 until October 1 at 9am PT.
Now Playing: September 16-22, 2013
Cause some mayhem this week with Grand Theft Auto V... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Video Games Live: Level 3 rocks its goal on Kickstarter
The Kickstarter campaign to fund the third studio album for Tommy Tallarico's Video Games Live is a success. The pledge drive has surpassed its goal of $250,000 today, within its final 24 hours of the pledge drive. Video Games Live is a confluence of video game music and live spectacle, usually a touring live concert series where musicians cover select tracks from video game soundtracks while gameplay is projected on a massive screen. There are currently two Video Games Live albums, each available on iTunes. The target release date for this third studio album is February 18, 2014. Some planned compositions already outed include pieces from Street Fighter 2, the Monkey Island series, Skyrim, Journey, Shadow of the Colossus, Beyond Good and Evil, Tetris, Silent Hill 2, World of Warcraft and Diablo 3.
New Nintendo eShop releases: Wonderful 101, Tecmo Bowl
Are you ready for some footbaaaaaaaall? That's what you'll get on the 3DS this week, thanks to the Virtual Console release of the nigh mythical Tecmo Bowl. The Wii U, meanwhile, picks up the often overlooked – but still great – The Legend of Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link. We also have a few sales going on: Toki Tori 2+ (Wii U) is $8.99 until 9am PT on September 19, Super Little Acorns 3D Turbo (3DS) is $3.99 until 9am PT on October 2, and Bike Rider DX is $2.99 until 9am PT on October 10. Finally, next week sees the Wii U eShop release of The Wonderful 101 (which we rather enjoyed), while the 3DS will get a demo of Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl.
Report: G4 spared an Esquire Network makeover
NBC Universal has announced video games cable channel G4 will no longer be converted into the Esquire Network. An exclusive report on The Hollywood Reporter calls out NBC Universal's Style channel as the unlucky recipient of an Esquire makeover, which will see the now female-focused channel shifting its focus toward mature men. As a result of this news, G4 will continue to operate as-is for the foreseeable future. The announcement to convert G4 into the Esquire Network came in February, when NBC Universal called out an April 22 re-branding. A week prior to that planned launch, NBC Universal pushed back the launch of the Esquire Network to an unspecified date.
Catch a shiny Palkia Pokémon at GameStop
From September 9 until September 29, Pokéfans can visit their local GameStop to pick up a special shiny version of the legendary Pokémon Palkia. This marks the second leg of a promotion in which GameStop is offering gratis shiny, legendary Pokémon to build hype for the October 12 release of Pokémon X and Y. During August GameStop offered players a shiny Dialga, while October will see the store handing out shiny Giratinas. To earn your new shiny Palkia, you must show up at a GameStop location with either a Nintendo 3DS or DS, and a copy of Pokémon Black, White, Black 2 or White 2. GameStop reminds players to ensure that their game has fewer than 11 Wonder Cards collected, as the Palkia transfer will require at least one free Wonder Card slot.
Now Playing: September 9-15, 2013
Gather a team and save the world this week with The Wonderful 101... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
New Nintendo eShop releases: Chronicles of Mystara, Giana Sisters, Breath of Fire 2
Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara, which bundles both of Capcom's arcade classics, finally makes its way to the Wii U this week. Also heading to the Wii U are Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams and Breath of Fire 2 (another Capcom oldie). Meanwhile, the 3DS picks up the eShop releases of Sonic Generations and Boulder Dash XL 3D. The 3DS also gets an interesting Virtual Console release in the rare Famicom shooter Recca, which was created for a competition in 1992. Physical copies are apparently tough to find, with current prices on eBay topping $500. Since we're on the subject, the Sega Saturn version of Dungeons & Dragons is pretty rare as well.
Now Playing: September 2-8, 2013
Jump into some wild platforming action this week with Rayman Legends... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Seen@PAX Prime: Nintendo 2DS in 3D
Nintendo had a few of its recently announced 2DS systems at one of its play lounges at PAX Prime in Seattle. Naturally, we cradled the system in our hands, then took a few photos of it, one with our Nintendo 3DS. Check out our 3D photo of the 2DS after the break.
Nintendo 2DS out Oct. 12 for $130, plays all 3DS, DS games
The Nintendo 2DS is a new handheld in the DS family due out on October 12 for $130, in red and blue. As its name suggests, the 2DS plays all 3DS and DS games, but in 2D. It's a solid piece of hardware, no hinges, with dual screens the same size as 3DS screens, one circle pad, a camera, a single speaker and standard DS face buttons. Nintendo calls the 2DS "an entry-level dedicated portable gaming system." Nintendo describes the 2DS as follows: "The system features a distinctive fixed, slate-type form factor .... Nintendo 2DS maintains many of the same hardware features as Nintendo 3DS: dual screens, game-play controls and touch-screen features. The system also has backward compatibility with the existing library of more than 2,000 Nintendo DS games, as well as access to wireless connectivity features like multiplayer online game play, fun Nintendo Video content and great digitally delivered games in the Nintendo eShop." No, this is not a joke. For a better look at the size of the 2DS, check out this screencap of a young boy holding it in one hand (and smudging the screen). Optional carrying cases, also in red and blue, are due out at launch for $13. October 12 also marks the release of Pokemon X and Y.
Level-5: Layton series sells 15 million, Ni No Kuni 1.4 million
Level-5 sales numbers suggest there's a big pile of cashola sitting beneath that big top hat of Layton's. The Japanese studio shifted 15 million units of the prof's puzzler series alone, along with 1.4 million PS3 and Japan-only DS copies of the glorious Ghibli RPG Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. As Siliconera reports, company CEO Akihiro Hino revealed the figures at a press conference yesterday, and that the company's success is not limited to those franchises. Soccer RPG series Inazuma Eleven scores 6.5 million sales, while the dream-team-developed Guild games on 3DS, including Crimson Shroud, Liberation Maiden, and Attack of the Friday Monsters, are up to 400,000 downloads combined. At the same conference Level-5 announced Layton 7, a new spinoff for the prof's series that's coming to iOS Android, and 3DS. Layton 7 is the series' second game on mobiles, the first being whodunit Layton Brothers: Mystery Room, unearthing a million downloads.
Now Playing: August 26 - September 1, 2013
Hit the ground running and lead your team to glory this week with Madden NFL 25... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Portal goes portable with homebrew DS game Aperture Science
Ever wish Portal was a little more portable? Well wish no longer - GBATemp forum-goers Smealum and Lobo are crafting Aperture Science, a homebrew Portal game that can be played on a Nintendo DS. You can download a playable build right off Smealum's website now, but keep in mind that Aperture Science isn't complete, and the game requires a flash cart to play it. The game's story centers on Doug Rattman, the Aperture scientist responsible for the infamous "The cake is a lie" scribbling, as well as the man who saved main protagonist Chell from death between the events of Portal and Portal 2. There's also a level editor, should you be feeling creative.
Now Playing: August 19-25, 2013
Lead a nation and fend off aliens this week with Saints Row IV... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Now Playing: August 12-18, 2013
It's pogo a-go-go this week in DuckTales Remastered. Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Nintendo launches refurbished 3DS XL consoles, 3DS SD cards
Nintendo of America now offers officially refurbished 3DS XL consoles and 3DS SD cards – the refurbished 3DS XLs are $170 each, while the 3DS memory cards are $13. Nintendo has been primping and polishing DSi XL and 3DS handhelds for resale since April. Currently on the market is the Aqua Blue and Midnight Purple 3DS for $120, Midnight Blue DSi XL for $100, Blue/Black and Red/Black 3DS XL for $170, and the Red/Black 3DS XL with a 16GB memory card for $180. Authentic Nintendo Refurbished Products come with a one-year warranty and while they may have cosmetic blemishes, they are fully functional and meet Nintendo's "VERY high" standards, the company says.
