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Next 'Layton' game is coming to Android and iOS before 3DS
Last we knew, the new Professor Layton game's differences from prior releases were relegated to its protagonist and the absence of its original puzzle designer. Now word is out that Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire's Conspiracy will arrive on Android and iOS this July 20th, ahead of its stateside debut on Nintendo's 3DS handheld. According to publisher/developer Level 5 (spotted by Kotaku), the only way to play on 3DS at launch will be with an imported version and a Japanese console. Domestically, a localized version will release at some point after the mobile versions.
Nintendo still has a stack of 3DS games in the pipeline
Nintendo Switch titles ARMS and Splatoon 2 headlined today's Nintendo Direct presentation, but they weren't the only games with news to reveal. The studio has a solid lineup of games coming to the 3DS this year.
Federal appeals court upholds Nintendo's win in 3DS patent battle
Just months after the Nintendo 3DS launched in 2011, it faced patent infringement allegations. Tomita Technologies was accusing Nintendo's new handheld of using its glasses-free 3D display technology without paying royalties. Like most patent lawsuits, it dragged on for years -- first awarding a victory to Tomita before handing the win to Nintendo in appeals. Now, a higher court has confirmed Nintendo's victory. On Friday, the Federal Circuit court ruled that the Nintendo 3DS does not infringe Tomita's patent.
Nintendo wins a key case against a 3DS modchip seller
Nintendo is no stranger to cracking down on companies that sell tools enabling pirated games on its consoles. However, its latest victory might be more important than most. The company has won a copyright case in Canada that accused Go Cyber Shopping (GCS) and its founder, Jeramie King, of illegally selling 3DS flashcarts, modchips and other piracy-oriented tools. While Nintendo would likely be happy enough with that triumph, it notes that this is the first case "of its kind" to test the Canadian Copyright Act's anti-circumvention measures -- think of it as a rough parallel to aspects of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in the US.
Pokémon Company caught almost 6,000 'Sun' and 'Moon' cheaters
Cheating in online games is awful because it creates an uneven playing field against those who do play by the rules and those who do not. The Pokémon Company (TPC) noticed some irregularities in Pokémon Sun and Moon online matches and has laid the law down for 5,954 folks using modified save files, according to a translated post from the Company.
You can now transfer your old Pokémon to 'Sun' and 'Moon'
In a move sure to please long-time Pokémon fans, players can now transfer old Pocket Monsters to the latest games in the series, Pokémon Sun and Moon. Updating Pokémon Bank (Nintendo's subscription-based Pokémon cloud-storage service) gamers are now able to easily send their favourite 'mon from X and Y straight to Sun and Moon. For the uninitiated, this service offers a cloud storage box that can store up to 3000 different Pokémon online. You can even transfer 'mon to different generations of Pokémon games -- all for just $4.99 a year. In a bid to lure in fans of the original games, this update also allows one-way Pokédex transfers from 3DS versions of Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow via the included Poké Transporter app. With gamers previously unable to move monsters from their Game Boy games into the DS era, this means that fans of the original 150 can finally get to see their untouched old-school teams in 3D. As the series battles have changed dramatically over the years, once transferred, older Pokémon will gain new hidden stats that help keep them competitive. For players who still have previous generations of Pokédexes to relocate, Nintendo has provided the handy transfer guide below.
The Nintendo 3DS is here to stay (for now)
With the Switch fast approaching, you might think Nintendo is ready to give up on the 3DS. Not so. The company has a small, but significant stack of games planned for the handheld in 2017, and it wants you to know about them. In a press release today, the company highlighted Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, which comes out on February 3rd, Mario Sports Superstars -- which now has a release date, March 24th -- and Pikmin, a side-scroller spin-off featuring Captain Olimar and his color-coded friends. A (rather fantastic) Pikachu-themed new 3DS XL is also coming to America for $199.99 on February 24th, following its release in Japan late last year.
The Pokémon constant: Someone will always beat it with Magikarp
Worthless. Pathetic. Horribly Weak. Virtually useless. This is how Pokémon games' in-game encyclopaedias describe Magikarp, a hapless fish-creature that is widely regarded as the "worst" monster in the game series' ever-growing list of fighting creatures. It only has three attacks, and one of them literally does nothing. So, naturally, someone beat Pokémon Sun And Moon using nothing but the worthless flounder. Because why not?
Nintendo offers rare discounts on 3DS and Wii U games
Nintendo isn't known for running many sales on its games (you're more likely to see sales on devices), but it's making a big exception this year. It just kicked off a Cyber Deals eShop sale that offers large discounts on 3DS and Wii U titles -- and these are frequently titles you'd want to play. On the 3DS, you'll see price cuts on big titles like Hyrule Warriors Legends (down to $28), Fire Emblem Awakening ($20) and Monster Hunter Generations ($23). Head over to the Wii U side and you can pick up Twilight Princess HD ($35), Super Mario Galaxy 2 ($10) and Darksiders II ($10). Indie games like Super Meat Boy and Terraria are also on sale, and numerous Lego games (including Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens) are discounted across platforms.
A 'Pokémon' glitch could corrupt your 'Sun' and 'Moon' saves (update)
Enjoying Pokémon Sun and/or Moon? You aren't alone. But as a heads up, for now, it looks like you shouldn't save in the post-game Battle Tree location or pretty much any Pokémon Center in the game, according to Polygon. Folks online are saying that doing so can corrupt your save file, and that means all the work you've done to evolve Litten into an Incineroar will be for naught. We've reached out to The Pokémon Company about a fix for this and will update this post should more information arrive. In the meantime, you'll just have to break the habit of saving after you've healed your party members at a Pokémon Center.
A full 'Pokémon' game could come to Nintendo's Switch
It sounds like a version of Pokémon Sun and Moon could be headed to Nintendo's upcoming Switch console. It'd be akin to Red and Blue's sibling Yellow or Pearl and Diamond's Platinum, according to Eurogamer's sources. Currently the code name is Stars. Now, for a bit of unpacking. Both Yellow and Pearl were similar to their generational predecessors, but offered new features like different legendary-class pocket monsters or starting with the adorable Pikachu at your side.
Nintendo will sell the New 3DS for $100 on Black Friday
You no longer have to pick a 2DS if you want a Nintendo handheld for $100 or less. The company is releasing special black and white Mushroom Kingdom editions of the New 3DS for $100 ($140 Canadian) starting on Black Friday, November 25th. These lower-cost models should be available at many North American game retailers, too. You won't get any games out of the box, alas, but you might be willing to forgive that when you'll have extra money to spend. Assuming you're interested in the first place, there's just one main dilemma: do you go for the low price, portability and large game library of the New 3DS right now, or save up for the larger, pricier but more powerful Switch when it arrives next year? [Thanks, Kristy]
Nintendo reveals 'Miitopia' and 'Animal Crossing' expansion
Animal Crossing fans starting to get burnt out by the repetitive tasks in New Leaf -- hey, it's been years since it came out -- would love Nintendo's announcement. At the latest Nintendo Direct presentation, the gaming giant has announced a free software update for the old favorite that adds amiibo support and expands its world. If you have any of the 16 previously released Animal Crossing amiibos, scanning them invites the characters into your village, but not in the way you're familiar with. They come with their own RVs and stay in the brand new RV Campground overseen by a new character named Harvey.
Nintendo loses less money, but Switch can't come fast enough
Nintendo's latest financial report is more dour reading for console gaming. While the company saw sales of 74.8 billion yen ($718.86 million), up since last quarter, it has to contend with an operating loss of 813 million yen ($7.8 million) over the last three months. Well, at least it's a smaller loss than the last quarter. It sold 1,770,000 3DSes and 349,000 Wii U home consoles. In fact, Nintendo almost doubled the number of 3DS consoles it sold compared to Q1. 3DS software sales -- and this is before the launch of a highly anticipated new Pokemon title -- was a highlight, with over 10 million games sold. Pokemon Omega and Alpha and Kirby Planet Robot both sold over a million copies, respectively. On the Wii U, Nintendo sold just 3.6 million titles; a decrease for the a console that simply hasn't caught your imagination.
Nintendo Switch won't play Wii U discs and 3DS cartridges
Nintendo might have crushed some fans' dreams with its Famitsu interview. The company told the popular Japanese gaming magazine that its upcoming hybrid console won't be able to play Wii U discs or 3DS cartridges. It's unclear if the Switch won't be able to run digital games either, but if you were hoping to play your favorite 3DS titles on a 50-inch screen just for the heck of it, you may want to temper your expectations.
'Super Mario Maker' for the 3DS only plays in 2D
If you were hoping that the handheld version of Super Mario Maker played in three dimensions, take a seat. Polygon has stumbled across the GameStop listing for the 3DS edition, the box for which comes with a prominent caveat that it only plays in two dimensions. It's not that much of a surprise, given how few 3DS titles really harness stereoscopy in a meaningful way -- even Pokémon X and Y mostly saved it for battles. Not to mention, of course, that Super Mario Maker is the most two-dimensional of games, and certainly won't need any extra depth. If you can't wait to try your hand at becoming the next Miyamoto (spoiler: it's hard), then it'll set you back $39.99 on December 2nd.
Nintendo made a special 3DS XL for Pokémon Sun and Moon
You probably already have a Nintendo 3DS if you're waiting for the new Pokémon to drop. But if you're always on the lookout for special editions to add to your growing collection, you can get a Pokémon Sun and Moon-flavored New Nintendo 3DS XL on October 28th (or November 18th in the UK). This one's definitely for those who want something much simpler than the colorful bundle released for the franchise's 20th anniversary. It's just a black console with minimalistic illustrations of Sun's and Moon's legendaries, Solgaleo and Lunala.
New 'Shovel Knight' expansion haunts the chapel next spring
One of the best throwback games in recent memory is definitely Shovel Knight from developer Yacht Club Games. Last September (it's been that long?), the team dropped the free "Plague of Shadows" expansion for all platforms. This year, we have word of when the next add-on will release. "Specter of Torment" will come out sometime next spring, according to a tweet from Yacht Club. Not much else is known at the moment, but the team did offer a huge update back in June all about new protagonist Specter Knight -- wall climb! Dash slash!
Nintendo finally increases the 3DS StreetPass limit to 100
The ability to share information via StreetPass with other players has always been a fun reason to carry your 3DS everywhere. But you can only capture up to 10 users' Miis at a time, and going through them is a time-consuming pain. On this morning's Nintendo Direct the company announced a new "Quick Plaza" to make the process a lot smoother, as well as a new premium feature that can increase your number of potential encounters to 100.
The next 'Pikmin' game is a Nintendo 3DS side-scroller
It's been well over a year since Shigeru Miyamoto teased us with the possibility of a Pikmin 4, and during today's Nintendo Direct stream, the company announced... something else. The company closed out its 2017 line-up with a new, unnamed Pikmin adventure for 3DS. Okay, it's not the full sequel we were hoping for, but it looks pretty darn cute.
