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Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Zelda: OoT 3D and Starfox 64 3D now available on EU 3DS eShop [Update: NA too!]
Four more 3DS games will now be available as digitally distributed titles, at least if you live in Europe. Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and Starfox 64 3D should all be available on the European 3DS eShop momentarily, Nintendo announced during today's Nintendo Direct presentation.Update: All four of these games will also be available on the North American eShop on Thursday, October 18, which is two weeks from today. The convenience of not having to go to a store will run you a smooth $40.
New 3DS colors & bundles in Japan, eShop gets digital re-releases
Nintendo announced three new 3DS XL bundles for Japan, with two special case designs for New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Animal Crossing 3DS. The company also announced the upcoming arrival of eight previously released 3DS games on the Japanese eShop.In an initial Nintendo Direct broadcast, Nintendo showcased 3DS XL bundles for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, NSMB 2, and Animal Crossing 3DS. The Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate bundle comes with an all-black 3DS XL, and launches in Japan on November 1. The NSMB 2 bundle, pictured above, comes with a very flash red design, dotted with light red images from the Mario universe. The Animal Crossing 3DS design is similar, but with polka dot images against a white background, a bit 'Tutti Frutti' if you ask us. The Animal Crossing 3DS bundle arrives in Japan on November 8, with the NSMB 2 one a week after. All three bundles come with digital copies of the game.That brings us nicely onto the second Nintendo Direct broadcast, which announced eight digital versions of previously released 3DS games for the eShop. Those games don't include the three in the 3DS XL bundles above (cunning, Mr Nintendo), but they do include Ocarina of Time 3D, Pilotwings Resort, Star Fox 64 3D, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Mario Tennis Open, Hana to Ikimorio Rittai Zukan (click if you're curious), and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The octet hit the Japanese eShop on November 1.%Gallery-167394%
Star Fox 64 3D miniatures do the tiniest, most adorable barrel rolls
You know that shrink ray you've been working on in your attic, Rick Moranis style? Well, rather than a boring old shrunken human, how would you like to be a shrunken Fox McCloud? An upcoming series of miniatures, set to debut in Japan only for now, could let you finally live out that dream. A new line of Star Fox 64 3D and Steel Diver figurines will be available starting this May, Siliconera reports. They're modeled after the Arwing, Landmaster tank and Blue Marine sub -- in the case of the Steel Diver figurines, it's a bunch of subs. Did you honestly expect something else? It's a submarine game, folks. The figures will apparently cost 300 yen each ($3.90) when they hit store shelves, so start saving up your Japanese coins!
PSA: Do a (Google-enabled) Barrel Roll!
The thing about barrel rolls is you must do them, but sometimes your environment doesn't permit it. Maybe you're in a meeting or maybe you're locked up in a jail cell -- hey, we're not here to judge. Well, if the cops didn't end up taking your smart phone or, more oddly, your laptop, you can do a barrel roll right now. All you have to do is load up google and type in "do a barrel roll," sit back and enjoy the ride. And if you're looking for some more Google Easter Eggs, here's a few.
Deja Review: Star Fox 64 3D
We're of the firm opinion that your time is too precious, too valuable to be spent reading a full review for a game that was already reviewed many, many years ago. What's the point of applying a score to a game that's old enough to be enrolled in the sixth grade? That's why we invented Deja Review: A quick look at the new features and relative agelessness of remade, revived and re-released games. If you've spent any time with the Nintendo 3DS -- especially if that time was spent with the handheld's aeronautical launch title, Pilotwings Resort -- you're probably aware that flying games are right in this handheld's wheelhouse. Moving forward through the sky as objects and other pilots move towards, around and behind you looks invariably dope with the 3D slider turned on; this law is no less incontrovertible in the system's latest first-party remake: Star Fox 64 3D. But games can't live on dopeness alone -- they need meat on their bones as well. Star Fox has no lack of content, but if you owned the Nintendo 64 original and thoroughly explored its brief and branching campaign back in 1997, you've probably seen that content plenty of times before. Much like Ocarina of Time 3D before it, Star Fox 64 3D is banking on a single bulletpoint to earn your purchase: You've never seen that content quite like this.%Gallery-128694%
3DS goes Flame Red in North America September 9
We can't be as cynical about Nintendo trying to boost hardware sales, just by releasing a new color, when the company's already taken such drastic measures with the 3DS. But it is releasing a new color too. On September 9, concurrent with Star Fox 64, Nintendo will release the "Flame Red" 3DS system in North America. It will, of course, be sold at the new $169.99 price point alongside the existing "Aqua Blue" and "Cosmo Black" systems. This color variant was originally released on July 14 in Japan, as the "Flare Red" system. Regardless of the name, we think you get the idea. It's a 3DS and it's red. Nintendo's press release also teases another eight Ubisoft 3DS releases by the end of the calendar year. That list includes possible standouts like Driver: Renegade, and, according to GameStop's upcoming games list, standard Ubifare like a 3DS version of Imagine: Fashion Designer.%Gallery-130332%
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.
Star Fox 64 3D preview: Something old, something new
Remember how fun Star Fox 64 was? And remember how fun the multiplayer was, with the tanks and the Arwings? If you were looking for a more portable version of that multiplayer experience ... well, you won't find it in Star Fox 64 3D. Oddly enough, the original multiplayer mode has been scrapped in favor of something different. There are three different multiplayer modes: Survival, Score Attack and Time Attack. Survival is an elimination-based mode, while the latter two task players with scoring the most points overall in a match and in a set amount of time, respectively. Each of these game types modify the formula slightly, but overall the goal is the same: shoot everyone else and don't get shot yourself. It's basic stuff. %Gallery-128694%
Star Fox 64 3D does a barrel roll to retail on September 9
Forgoing its usual Sunday release strategy, Nintendo has announced that Star Fox 64 3D will launch in North America on a Friday -- September 9, to be exact. That's only a week before the annual family trip to Canada for the Vintage Wings air show! Your family traditions aside, Star Fox 64 3D adds improved graphics, gyroscopic controls and an overhauled multiplayer experience to the N64 classic. Oh, and it's on the 3DS, so you know what that entails. You'll be able to read our preview of the multiplayer mode soon. %Gallery-128694%
Star Fox 3DS case is environmentally friendly in a neat way
Nintendo has found a neat way to make its perforated, environmentally-conscious 3DS packaging into something wonderful. Siliconera snagged an image of Star Fox 64 3D's case, which slips tiny avatars of the game's key players in each hole, Brady Bunch-style.
Iwata Asks how Miyamoto learned English
Beyond founding Q-Games and helping to father the PixelJunk series, Dylan Cuthbert has done some other extraordinary things in his years working in the game industry. He recounts some of those adventures in a recent Iwata Asks column, woefully exclusive to Japanese readers for now, but thankfully summarized by Andriasang. But why is Cuthbert appearing in an Iwata Asks ... you ask? Because he helped create several of Nintendo's major Star Fox titles, of course (including the original), and he's heading up development of Star Fox 64 3D as director. Cuthbert actually didn't work on the Nintendo 64 title, as he had left Nintendo and was busy working on Blasto for Sony's PlayStation at the time. Also detailed in the piece is an interesting fact about how Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto learned how to speak English. When Cuthbert began working at Nintendo, he had only a rudimentary grasp on the Japanese language -- after initially impressing staff during a visit when he was 18 to show off a 3D Game Boy engine, he was hired on, regardless of language skills. Miyamoto had an equally unimpressive grasp on English at the time, and it seems that the two worked together to help each other out. Miyamoto is said to have had a particularly hard time in by of with prepositions. We feel your pain.
Star Fox sings 'Space Oddity' in 3D, puppet-style
If you fondly recall long nights barrel-rolling across the galaxy with Fox and his crew on your N64, this video is for you. If you've ever listened to David Bowie's "Space Oddity" in the angsty privacy of your room, this video is for you. If you ever saw a puppet show at one of your local libraries, this video is for you. If you've never done any of those things, your childhood must have sucked. Geek-gag geniuses brentalfloss and Underbelly threw together a stellar Star Fox-remake of Bowie's "Space Oddity" using hand puppets, paper spaceships and what appears to be a small amount of Fox porn. We think they nailed the entire video in these five words: "Hey Falco, you're a douche," but we could just be projecting.
3DS release schedule outs new eShop games, upcoming dates
We were just casually browsing Nintendo's E3 press site, like you do, when we happened upon upcoming schedules for 3DS, DS, and Wii. And there's a bunch of stuff on here that we, and probably you, hadn't heard about yet! Like, in case you missed it, the September 11 release date for Star Fox 64 3D., and an August 23 date for Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked. According to this schedule, Ubisoft's got James Noir on the way August 30, Imagine Babyz 3D (imagine babies! In 3D!) October 25, a 3DS version of Michael Jackson: The Experience and a 3DS NCIS game the same day, and ... a 3DS version of Rayman: Origins on March 13, 2012!? The eShop section of the schedule names some upcoming Game Gear Virtual Console titles from Sega, all scheduled for "Summer." The games include Columns, Dragon Crystal, Shinobi, Sonic Drift 2, and Sonic Triple Trouble. Check the list out after the break. Keep in mind that some of these listings will undoubtedly change in the future, or might be inaccurate now, as they were reported by Nintendo and not these games' actual publishers.
Nintendo bringing 'Red Flare' 3DS, new Wii package to Japan this summer
Now that we're all sitting on summer's doorstep, Nintendo has decided to add a little heat to its 3DS lineup, with a new 'Red Flare' handheld, coming to Japan next month. Offering a sanguine alternative to the Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black variants, this little fireball will retail for ¥25,000 (about $312) when it hits Japanese stores on July 14th -- just in time for the release of Star Fox 64 3D. The company is also planning to unleash a new Wii bundle on June 23rd, which will package two Wii Remote Plus controllers (one in black or white, one in blue) with Wii Sports Resort software, for ¥20,000 (around $250). No word yet on whether these offers will be coming Westward anytime soon, but you can find more information in the translated press release, after the break.
Star Fox 64 3D flying into retail this September
Fox McCloud and co. are heading back into retail stores this September, Nintendo announced this morning, with Starfox 64 3D. It was also revealed that the 3DS camera will snap your picture and replace the tiny box of your player character in the lower part of the screen, meaning you'll be the one uttering unintelligible sayings to friends rather than Slippy and others. Doobadoombabup, we say! The game also features tilt controls, as previously revealed, which we'll be sure to get our hands-on with this week.%Gallery-125673%
Star Fox 64 3D multiplayer is local-only, supports Download Play
A few more details about the upcoming Star Fox 64 3D for Nintendo 3DS have emerged from a Japanese retailer, specifically about the game's multiplayer mode. Unfortunately, it won't be playable online, but there will be local four-player versus battles and the game will use Download Play so your friends won't need their own cartridges. (Those cheapskates!) The retailer also says that players will be able to take photos of themselves that will show up above ships in-game, similar to the functionality used in Ridge Racer 3D. Star Fox 64 3D is still set for a July 14 release in Japan. No date has been announced for its North American arrival.
Star Fox 64 3D will use 3DS gyroscope to fly the Arwing
According to the notes of a financial results briefing presented today by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, the upcoming remake of Star Fox 64 for the 3DS will make use of the console's gyroscope, allowing players to tilt the handheld to control Fox's Arwing as it explores 3D space. It sounds neat, but there's one big drawback: tilting the 3DS while playing totally kills the 3D effect. We didn't get to use the gyro controls when we played the game last year at E3 but, of course, back then the official features weren't yet announced. Star Fox 64 3D is due out in Japan on July 14, so soon after that we'll be able to see just how precisely we can fly by tilting the 3DS around. Spoiler: there will no doubt be barrel rolls involved.
Star Fox 64 3D barrel rolls out in Japan July 14
It's looking to be a fairly delightful summer for folks waiting on pins and needles for renovated versions of Nintendo 64 classics on the 3DS. Just one day after announcing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's June 19 release date, Nintendo's uploaded a Japanese launch date for Star Fox 64 3D to the game's official site: The bestial flight combat simulator is scheduled to hit Japanese store shelves July 14. We've got our fingers crossed that Star Fox's journey to North America will be as speedy as Ocarina of Time's (which is coming out in Japan just three days before releasing in the U.S.). Is that wishful thinking? Perhaps. But hey, if we've gotta wish on something, we may as well wish upon a Star! Fox.
The Fantastic Mr. Star Fox is exactly what you think it is
If you've seen The Fantastic Mr. Fox, then you're probably going to find this College Humor video entertaining -- if not, well, there isn't much we can say. Have you ever wanted to see Star Fox play a banjo? It's totally in there.
3DS 'launch window' to include more than 30 games leading up to E3
Did you hear? It's got a built-in pedometer! The 3DS measures your steps as you walk -- right there in your pocket! Even better: You can pull the thing out whenever and snap all kinds of pics -- the thing's got three cameras! And get this: It also pipes out music, browses the internet and even plays games. True, you've already got a pile of old DS games (and now defunct DS devices) that you could be playing on your new pedometer, but more than 30 three-DEE titles are expected to be released during the 3DS "launch window" (which begins March 27 and promptly closes on June 7 with the start of E3). We've listed 24 of the apparent launch-window releases after the break (though Nintendo's being coy about exact dates), including Nintendo's own Nintendogs + cats and Pilotwings Resort, plus a hearty helping of third-party support; with notable newcomers, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked (previously unannounced outside of Japan) and Crush 3D, a possible port of the 2007 PSP platforming puzzler from Sega. Don't look at the date ambiguity in dismay -- see it as an opportunity! Beginning in late March, you can walk to and from GameStop in anticipation of a new batch of games each Tuesday for ten whole weeks, and the 3DS will count your steps -- each and every one of them! And just imagine how many Street Passes you're going to rack up?
