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Miyamoto: Retro could handle a Zelda game, smartphones aren't competition
The full transcript of Wired's interview with Shigeru Miyamoto -- in which the industry legend triggered some panic over his future -- has been posted. Surprisingly, that pseudo-retirement news isn't even the juiciest angle; Miyamoto also discussed the company's troubled recent past, as well as its potentially Miyamoto-less future. He explained that Nintendo's goals this generation have focused on "the expanding of the gaming population," a task which would seemingly put them at odds with the ever-increasing smartphone market. Miyamoto posits that his company isn't "directly competing" with phones; rather, both might just have increased the size of the gaming market, and "expanded the definition of videogames" themselves. In the more recent past (last week, in fact), Nintendo launched the Retro-developed Mario Kart 7 for 3DS, a project which Miyamoto said succeeded due to its multicultural development approach. "We were able to join forces in order to realize a variety of different courses, a variety of different tastes," he explained. "I think that's one reason how it worked out well between a Japanese development team and a Western development team." It seems Retro has earned the games industry maven's trust, as Miyamoto added, "As you know, we have already collaborated with Retro for the Metroid Prime series in the past. And I think when we talk about any other franchise, Zelda might be a possible franchise for that collaboration." We think we speak for everyone when we shout in support of this idea while doing fist pumps into the air. Check out the full interview for more on the future of Zelda, the 3DS, the Wii U and the other pies Miyamoto's got his fingers in.
Mario Kart 7 sells 420K its first week in Japan, Iwata says game did even better internationally
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata recently held a state of the union with Japanese newspaper Nikkei (via Andriasang) for the company's performance in its home country. Mario Kart 7, which launched on December 1, has done quite well. In its first week on retail shelves, the game sold a whopping 420,000 copies, almost double the first-week performance sales of Mario Kart DS back in 2005. And, according to Iwata, the game did even better abroad, though we kinda already knew that. Despite suffering through a lackluster launch, Nintendo's latest handheld is set to reach the three million sold mark two weeks faster than the original DS did, Iwata said. Thanks, price cut! He expects the 3DS to hit four million before its one year anniversary on February 26.
GameStop giving away real Mario kart to a PowerUp Rewards member
And here we thought Nintendo commissioned the real-life Mario Kart kart just so its existence could tease us perpetually. The real reason is so some lucky person out there can own this thing; a GameStop patron to be exact. The kart will be given to a select PowerUp Rewards member. Eligible members simply need to purchase or trade something in during the month of December to be entered into the drawing, either in-store or online. Good luck, because nothing really ties the living room together like a giant, life-sized Mario Kart prop. ... What? You would put it in the garage? Psh.
CoD: Modern Warfare 3 not moving, Mario Kart 7 debuts strong on UK chart
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, with a slight sales gain of 2 percent, remains king of the hill for a fourth week in a row on Chart-Track's UK sales chart. Stalwart chart champion FIFA 12 pushed past Assassin's Creed: Revelations into second, but remained 55,000 units behind Modern Warfare 3. The big mover and shaker last week was Just Dance 3, up 54 percent, electric-sliding from eighth into fourth. Skyrim and Saints Row: The Third couldn't help but shout and inspire mayhem regarding this situation while sitting in fifth and sixth place, respectively. Mario Kart 7 was the only top 40 debut on the charts last week, driving up to an eighth place finish. Mamma mia! Here we go again. There were two titles that entered the top 40 in their second week. ABBA: You Can Dance (part of the Just Dance franchise) saw a 252 percent jump in sales into 30th place. Zumba Fitness 2, the sister succubi of a formerly unstoppable chart demon, is up 97 percent and creeps into the 34th spot. Check out the UK top ten after the break.
Mario Kart 7 review: An exercise in fun/frustration
Mario Kart 7 is, as its predecessors always have been, an exceedingly hateful game. Three laps' worth of perfect corner negotiation, aggressive drafting and creating enough sparks to manufacture a small sun can be overturned instantly, sometimes in sight of the finish line. Who am I kidding? It is always in sight of the finish line, and it's always Toad, an innocuous-looking bastard who's caused me to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory more times than I could ever hope to count. (Estimated guess, though: A hundred billion.) Frustrating though they may be, those turnabouts are how the franchise skirts around recurring poxes of the racing genre. Last place racers get far more potent weaponry than the pace cars -- not rubber-banding in the traditional sense, but the result's the same. Mario Kart 7's changes and additions are few in number, but they're rich in the refinement of that concept. More than ever, it's a game about getting screwed over without getting too angry about it, a pair of goals it achieves with panache. %Gallery-135959%
Retro took Mario Kart 7 from 'emergency' to 2011 launch
In the latest Iwata Asks column, not yet translated into English by Nintendo, the CEO discusses development of December's high-profile 3DS release, Mario Kart 7, with not only recent series developer Nintendo EAD but also Austin-based Retro Studios. "But Retro Studios only worked on the Donkey Kong Country Returns level," you whimper. While that was true as of last E3, Hideki Konno, Manager and Producer at EAD Software Development Group No.1, tells Iwata that since several production designers were working to get Nintendogs + Cats ready for the 3DS launch, as well as other Nintendo projects, there was "an act of emergency" to get Mario Kart 7 finished by the end of the year. Retro was brought in to help on some courses, notably the aforementioned DKC-themed level, and to work on the game's 16 classic courses, while EAD ostensibly worked on the 16 new tracks. With the 3DS still recovering from a rough launch, plagued by pricing concerns and a paucity of premium software, we'd say it was a smart move to ensure Mario Kart 7 would find its way onto shelves this year.
Nintendo and West Coast Customs bring Mario Karts to life
Normally, Mario's Kart is just a bit of virtual video game magic, confined to a world where turtle shells fly and banana peels litter racetracks. But Nintendo has joined forces with auto shop West Coast Customs to produce two real life Mario Karts, currently on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Both Mario's main ride, above, and Luigi's Bumble V kart were made, and both are equipped with front-wheel drive, 18-inch wheels in the back, and a propeller add-on for traveling through water. Unfortunately, that propeller doesn't really work underwater (so says the press release), but the karts really do move. Their construction will be spotlighted in an upcoming episode of West Coast Customs' reality TV show. You can see more shots of the karts over on the company's site (including one of Reggie Fils-Aime himself driving).
Mario Kart 7's impressive commitment to community
When it comes to Mario Kart, you can always count on two things. The first: an overabundance of "Nintendo Fairness," wherein race-leaders endure firestorms of powerful item attacks, while lagging competitors are showered with said items -- and brandish them with reckless abandon. This inexorably results in an embattled first-place spot, and guarantees even the least-competent players a decent shot at claiming a last-second lead. The 3D-powered Mario Kart 7 thankfully dials this down a bit from the artificial-fairness excess last seen in Mario Kart Wii, but damn, is it ever annoying. I've learned to live with this, though.%Gallery-135959%
Mario Kart 7 Steering Wheel for Nintendo 3DS should help you drift past Toadie
It's no secret that Mario Kart 7 is due out in December, but it now appears that a certain 3DS-compatible steering wheel from Hori will be too. (Stoked?) According to Andriasang, Amazon's Japanese site listed the peripheral sans photos, pricing it at a cool ¥1,280 (about $17). Not long after that the blog snagged a few press shots of said unit, which looks like a odd blend of the iPhone-oriented Helix grip and Nintendo's own Wii Wheel. The attachment is said to feature tweaked shoulder triggers and Nintendo's Official Seal of Approval, but won't score you extra SlidePad functionality. You'll find a shot of the back past the break and more details at the links below.
Here's the Mario Kart 7 steering wheel for 3DS
Oh, you're still worried about the unfortunate form factor of the Nintendo 3DS slide pad peripheral? That's old hat -- Andriasang recently uncovered an attachment which further turns the once sleek handheld into an unpocketable monstrosity: The Hori Mario Kart 7 steering wheel. The attachment, which carries the official Nintendo seal and will cost ¥1,280 ($17), snaps onto the back of the handheld to give players who use the game's tilt-to-steer functionality a greater sense of ... realism? We guess? All we know is that it better come with a fanny pack to carry around its unwieldy frame, and then some sort of invisibility cloak to protect the wearer from being savagely beaten by everyone who sees them.
Club Nintendo 'Dot Mario Cushion' is another reason to envy Japan
We get it. Everybody deserves to come home from a long day at the office and embrace a loved one, whether it be an actual human being, a pet or just a really awesome pillow. In this case, it's all pillow. Get it? Get it?! Ahem, sorry -- Nintendo's latest Club Nintendo Platinum goodie for Japan (yeah, we're upset, too) has us all aflutter with excitement. It's the very awesome Mario pillow you see above, available as one of three different freebies for Platinum members. The other two freebies up for grabs are two table calendars or two different soundtracks, from a total of five, though we know eligible members would never go against the pillow. Because that'd just be insane.
Mario Kart 7's online and StreetPass features detailed
Mario Kart 7 will have wireless connectivity features that use both broadband internet and the 3DS's own "StreetPass" connection, Nintendo announced today. As noted at E3, you'll be able to race online or off, with 8-player online retaining a 60 FPS framerate. You can set up "communities" that allow you to create groups of people to race against, setting up various criteria for inclusion in the "community" and racing settings. You'll be able to collect data from other players by passing by them, using StreetPass. You'll pick up win/loss records, coin data, and more, including "ghost" data of other players' races, which you can then race against. You'll also have the option to install a Mario Kart Channel to your 3DS, to act as a hub for downloaded Mario Kart 7 stuff. Nintendo also announced a couple new playable characters: Lakitu and Metal Mario. In other news, Nintendo is apparently running out of ideas for Mario Kart characters.
Nintendo holding conference on Friday about 3DS firmware, Mario Kart 7
Nintendo is springing another press event on us, this Friday, October 21 at 8PM (7AM EDT). The pre-recorded presentation will be streamed online, and will focus on the upcoming November firmware update for 3DS, along with details about Mario Kart 7's wireless functions (probably referring to online play). Those two things alone don't seem like much for a press conference, so either this thing will be mercifully brief or there will be some surprises. There might be more to this firmware update than video recording. Maybe. [Thanks, Dali!]
Retro Studios helped to craft Donkey Kong course for Mario Kart 7
When Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that Donkey Kong Country Returns dev Retro Studios was collaborating with Nintendo on Mario Kart 7, he stopped himself there. "But wait," we wondered at the time, "What does that mean?" As it turns out, it means that the Texas-based dev house helped to develop the game's Donkey Kong Country Returns-themed level. I played through the level this morning during a preview event at Nintendo of America's upper Manhattan offices, and can back up its Donkey Kong-ness. There were rotund wooden barrels with "DK" in capital letters on the side, some bats, plenty of palm trees -- what you'd expect to see in a level based around Mr. Kong. Unfortunately, it's unclear whether MK7 will feature other levels that were co-developed by teams outside of Nintendo, as company reps told me it's not something they're speaking about just yet, but we're hopeful for more when Mario Kart 7 launches on December 4.%Gallery-129866%
Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, and more dated
Not content with the mini-flood of 3DS news out of last night's Nintendo 3DS Conference? Nintendo of America has some exciting news tailored to American tastes, including release dates for its two biggest upcoming 2011 releases. Super Mario 3D Land will travel into America (and into your screen, thanks to the 3D effect) on November 13; it'll be followed by automotive adventure Mario Kart 7 on December 4, which now has a gyro-controlled first-person mode. You know, for the real feeling of being atop a tiny go-kart driving into a banana peel. Check out a trailer after the break. Additionally, the Wii's Mario/Dragon Quest board game, Fortune Street, is teaching us Slime economics on December 5, and the DS Fossil Fighters sequel is coming November 14. What we won't see this year is Paper Mario for 3DS -- that, along with Luigi's Mansion 2, is slated for 2012.%Gallery-133429%
Nintendo to release Flame Red 3DS console next month, sunglasses not included
Better dust off your finest pair of shades, because this Flame Red Nintendo 3DS is on its way to the States. The console, which launched earlier this summer in Japan as the Red Flare, will hit stores next month (alongside the new Star Fox 64 3D game), joining a 3DS lineup that already features Cosmo Black and Aqua Blue. The company will also be releasing two new games this winter -- Super Mario 3D Land in November and Mario Kart 7 in December -- in the hopes of rectifying its disappointing Q2 earnings report with a strong holiday campaign. Only time will tell whether or not it has any effect on Nintendo's bottom line, but if you're interested in adding a touch of Santa-like cheer to your yuletide gaming season, you can grab a Flame Red console on September 9th, for $170. Find more information in the full PR, after the break.
Current 3DS owners eligible for free games
Nintendo is looking to reward early adopters of 3DS, or at least incur a last-minute sales burst before $80 (that's over 30 percent!) comes off the system, bringing it down to $170 on August 12. Those who own a 3DS and connect to the Nintendo eShop before 11:59PM EST on August 11 will be automatically enrolled into the "Nintendo 3DS Ambassador" program. 3DS ambassadorial duties mostly involve playing a bunch of free games. The status grants you access to 10 free NES Virtual Console games on September 1 before their general release (these include The Legend of Zelda, Balloon Fight and Ice Climber), along with 10 more Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games by the end of 2011. The GBA games -- like Yoshi's Island, Super Mario Advance 3, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames and Mario vs. Donkey Kong -- will not be available to anyone else. Is all that enough to ameliorate early buyer's remorse? Nintendo claims that it has sold more than 830,000 3DS systems in the US since it debuted in late March, and that it will keep momentum up with several big holiday releases. In the category of games available to everyone: Kid Icarus: Uprising in the holidays, Super Mario Land 3D in November, followed in December by Mario Kart 7.
Nintendo's Comic-Con lounge stocked with Mario, Zelda, Rhythm Heaven, and more
To keep you from ever having to look at an actual comic at Comic-Con, another game company has announced its lineup of playable demos. You'll be able to play a great deal of Nintendo's recent and upcoming 3DS lineup, most of its Wii lineup ... and Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 on DS. Nintendo will have both a normal booth at Comic-Con, #5135, and a "Nintendo Gaming Lounge" at the adjacent Marriott Marquis & Marina hotel. This "Gaming Lounge" will feature playable demos of Super Mario, Kid Icarus Uprising, Mario Kart, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D, Shinobi, and more 3DS games. In addition, you'll be able to try The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Rhythm Heaven, Fortune Street, and more on Wii. Bring your DS and/or 3DS when you go. From 4-6 pm on July 21, Nintendo will host a Pokémon Black/White meetup. The Lounge will also have a giant Pokédex 3D AR marker of Reshiram for you to take commemorative pictures with, and a "gallery" of oversized AR Cards. There will even be downloadable maps for Dragon Quest IX!
Nintendo's 'goal' for Mario Kart 3D: eight-player online
Mario Kart 3D has more improvements in store than just hanggliders bolted to the backs of all the cars. It currently features eight-player local wireless racing, and, if everything goes as planned, it'll feature eight-player online as well. Joystiq asked Mario Kart 3D producer Hideki Konno if the kart racer would feature online play, and he responded "Of course!" Though the current online configuration isn't quite set, "our goal right now is to have the same number of players for both local wireless and multiplayer over wi-fi." The bottleneck at the moment is making sure the game can handle smooth 60FPS frame rate with eight players in both online and offline, 2D and 3D.
Mario Kart 3DS preview: By land, by sea, by air
The highlight moment of my time with Mario Kart 3DS didn't involve blue sparks, bananas or any sort of weaponized carapace; though, naturally, all of those elements make a reappearance in the colorful racer. The key moment was the first time I hit a rather innocuous-looking ramp and, once airborne, produced a hang glider from my vehicle's undercarriage. It wasn't a particularly surprising moment -- your car's new utilities were revealed in the trailer showed during Nintendo's E3 press conference -- but it was certainly an interesting one. The new aerial and underwater portions of each track aren't just fresh new obstacles for you to dodge using the series' tried-and-true system of drifting, boosting and item-firing. They represent challenges for you to navigate using entirely new methods of control. %Gallery-125669%
