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'Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night' delayed until 2019
Things were looking rosy for the upcoming release of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night -- the game had even gotten as far as a private beta demo. But, citing similar reasons to its previous delay, the team at ArtPlay has announced it'll be held back again, this time until somewhere in 2019.
'Just Dance 2019' is heading to the Wii like it's 2009
Ubisoft's E3 press conference kicked off with a marching band, crazy costumes and a dancing panda and yet somehow that wasn't even the most bizarre thing about the company's announcement of Just Dance 2019. While the latest installment of the motion-capture dancing series will be released on all the usual suspects -- PS4, Xbox One and Switch -- Ubisoft's also giving fans of older systems something new to play on the Xbox 360, Wii U and yes, even the Wii.
Nintendo’s Switch is a moneymaking hit and the future looks good
The last time Nintendo opened its books, we learned that the Switch had already sold more in nine months than the Wii U had in its entire lifetime. But it's only natural that after a spike in interest over the holiday period, things would start to slow down. And that's exactly what we're seeing today in Nintendo's latest earnings, marking the end of its financial year. Over the past three months, Nintendo has shifted 2.93 million Switch consoles. That's nowhere near the 7.23 million figure for the three months prior, but it still pushes total sales up to a tasty 17.79 million.
What we're playing: 'Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze'
This month, Reviews Editor Jamie Rigg discovers one of Nintendo's many slept-on classics. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze came out back in 2014, but because the Wii U wasn't the most popular console around, it didn't exactly sell like hotcakes. Four years on, Nintendo has a hit console on its hands and is rereleasing Tropical Freeze for the Switch.
Nintendo Switch sales have surpassed the Wii U
In the weeks following the Nintendo Switch's launch, it became clear that the portable-handheld hybrid would do better than its ill-fated predecessor. What's surprising, however, is just how quickly the system has surpassed the Wii U. Nintendo had a stellar holiday quarter, shifting 7.23 million Switch consoles and bringing lifetime sales to 14.86 million. The Wii U, for comparison, sold 13.56 million total — a paltry sum in comparison to the Wii's 101.63 million units. The question is whether Nintendo can maintain the Switch's hot streak; there isn't much beyond Bayonetta, Kirby and the cardboard-folding Labo for 2018 at the moment.
Nintendo has already sold over 10 million Switches
That didn't take long: Nintendo has already sold over 10 million of its hybrid home/portable console, the Switch. If you're keeping track at home, that's roughly one million consoles sold every month since March. By comparison, Sony's PlayStation 4 took around ten months to hit that number back in 2014. "This December in Japan we are planning to ship more units than ever before so that even more consumers can purchase and enjoy Nintendo Switch," Nintendo said in a press release.
Tonight's 'Zelda' DLC gives you a motorcycle
The next add-on pack for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild takes the champions from the base game (Gerudo, Goron, Rito and Zora) adds a slew of new challenges. And best of all, it's available incredibly soon. More than just additional shrines, the pack brings in new costumes for the Hero of Time and his trusty steed, and it pulls the King of Hyrule and Princess Zelda into the mix too. "The Champions Ballad" will be released tonight on Switch and Wii U and should give you some extra bits to play through as you're scouring Hyrule. Oh, right, and as Link you'll get to tool around the overworld on a motorcycle. There isn't a lot more you could ask for, really.
'Super Mario Odyssey' is selling even faster than 'Zelda'
The Nintendo Switch has been a massive hit since its launch in March, selling more than seven million units worldwide so far, putting it on track to beat Wii U lifetime sales in just a year. But these aren't the only numbers Nintendo gets to flaunt. According to its financial briefing released today, the company estimates sales of Super Mario Odyssey have exceeded two million units in just three days. In other words, since it hit the shelves, the game has sold at a rate of 463 copies a minute (or eight per second).
Nintendo expects Switch will beat Wii U lifetime sales in a year
Nintendo has announced it's sold a further 2.93 million Switch consoles over the latest quarter, reaching just shy of 8 million units total. After another strong quarter, the company is now aiming to sell 14 million units by the time the Switch turns one year old -- up from 10 million it aimed for previously. It's also increased its forecast for the full year, from $6.59 billion to $8.44 billion. If Nintendo hits its targets, that would mean the Switch could best its predecessor, the Wii U, in a single year. The older console only reached 13.56 million sales over the entirety of its five-year lifetime -- it wasn't a hit for the games maker.
Nintendo's Switch now supports your old GameCube controllers
Nintendo's latest Switch update is apparently a treasure trove of secrets. In addition to secretly slipping in support for USB headphones, the gaming titan has also bundled in the ability to support GameCube controllers. Yup, you can dig up your old console and use your old friend to play new games... and maybe even old ones, too, if the rumors about a GameCube virtual console ever becomes a reality. Unfortunately, the compatibility isn't that straightforward -- you'll also need to have the USB adapter Nintendo released for the Wii U sometime ago. It adds GameCube controller support to the Wii U, though it only works if you're playing Super Smash Bros.
Nintendo will close its Wii Shop Channel in 2019
A month after Nintendo launched the Wii in November 2006, the company introduced the Wii Shop Channel, a marketplace for downloading apps to the system. Over a decade and two console generations later, Nintendo is shutting it down...eventually. Today, the company gave notice that users won't be able to add points to their Wii Shop accounts after March 26th, 2018, and won't be able to purchase on the channel beyond January 31st, 2019.
Nintendo is killing the Miiverse in Japan
The Wii U will go down in history as one of Nintendo's least successful consoles. It had one great idea, however: Miiverse. A system-wide message board that players could post drawings, messages and screenshots to. Better yet, some titles displayed Miiverse posts as friendly advice (New Super Mario Bros. U) or expressive speech bubbles (Splatoon) directly inside the game. Now, of course, Nintendo is focused on the Switch, so it's killing the Miiverse in Japan. On November 8th, at 3pm local time, it will no longer be available on either the Wii U or 3DS family of consoles.
Nintendo continues to flourish with strong Switch sales
With the Switch riding high and the beleaguered Wii U all but retired, Nintendo's accounts are looking a little brighter than usual. The Japanese console maker posted some strong financial earnings today for the three-month period ending on June 30th, with 64.73 billion yen ($578 million) in gross profit and, with the usual operating expenses deducted, 16.21 billion yen ($145 million) in operating profit. That's in stark contrast to a year ago, when Nintendo posted a pretty dismal 30.5 billion yen ($272 million) in operating profit and lost 5.13 billion yen ($46 million) overall.
The new 'Zelda' DLC is all about exploration and survival
The Nintendo Switch is a neat little console -- but its debut was almost overshadowed by its flagship launch game: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game was lauded as a long overdue evolution on the Zelda formula, and it deserved the praise, too -- it's an objectively excellent adventure game that brings the classic Nintendo franchise into the modern era. Still, fans were worried Nintendo would stumble when it came to the game's DLC packs. Rest easy, Hylian hero, Breath of the Wild's first DLC drop is light, but actually pretty good. Mostly because it focuses on what made the game great in the first place: survival, exploration and problem solving.
Nintendo is releasing amiibo for a 'Legend of Zelda' add-on
Nintendo doesn't just want you to download add-on content for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: It wants you to snap up more figurines too. The gaming giant has unveiled four amiibo designed with the DLC (most notably The Champion's Ballad) in mind. Each represents a champion from one of Hyrule's races: Mipha (from the zora), Daruk (goron), Revali (rito) and Urbosa (gerudo). Nintendo hasn't said when they'll arrive or what they'll unlock, but it's safe to say they'll be available in time to use with the DLC packs arriving this year.
Nintendo Switch could outsell the Wii U in its first year
Nintendo's profits are up. It's claimed an operating profit of $1.6 billion (178 billion yen) for the last quarter, which, while around the same level as the last earnings report, is almost a billion dollars more than the same quarter in 2016, when it made just $701 million. It's Nintendo's first financial results after its Switch console went on sale, and since March 3rd, it's sold 2.74 million units. The company believes sales will stay strong, forecasting 10 million more Switch consoles sold by this time next year. That prediction, shy of 13 million, would put it toe to toe with the total sales of its predecessor, the Wii U, over its entire lifetime. (The Wii U did manage to sell over 3 million units in its first six weeks back in 2012, but that was also during holiday season. Sales, however, didn't quite keep at that pace in the following months.)
'Breath of the NES' is a retro 'Zelda' fan project destined to die
While you wait for something else to play on your Switch (might I suggest looking into TumbleSeed?), you could kill some time with Breath of the NES. As the name suggests, the fan-project was inspired by Nintendo's 8-bit Breath of the Wild prototype that the company divulged during a GDC panel earlier this year. This isn't a straight facsimile though. Developer WinterDrake has added modern lighting and shadows (the fireflies are particularly impressive), while keeping gameplay mostly familiar.
'Breath of the Wild' creators explain how they bucked tradition
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild isn't just the series' best game in years, it's also unlike any title in the series -- it's an open-world experience where you're free to find your own solutions to challenges. But just how did Nintendo manage to pull off such a radical change in direction? Don't worry -- it's happy to explain. The Game Developers Conference has posted a talk from Nintendo's Hidemaro Fujibayashi, Satoru Takizawa and Takuhiro Dota that describes how the Breath of the Wild team broke from the highly linear experiences of past Zelda games. It's a textbook example of how to make a good open-world game regardless of the genre.
'Zelda: Breath of the Wild' has a $20 DLC season pass
If you thought Nintendo's next Zelda game didn't look expansive enough, then you might be intrigued / already sold on a $20 season pass that will go on sale March 3rd. Producer Eiji Aonuma took to YouTube to explain how Hyrule will benefit from the first main series expansion content pack. (Games like Triforce Heroes have seen extra content after launch.) Penned for two release dates, one in the summer and one in Winter 2017, you can expect extra chests and clothing for Breath of the Wild right from the start. Pack One will add a new Cave of Trials and hard difficulty setting, as well as an intriguing "additional map feature." Pack Two will add not only a new original story, but also a new dungeon and "additional challenges" -- whatever they'll be. The extra DLC sounds far meatier than just some new skins and level packs.
Quirky Wii U game 'Project Giant Robot' has been cancelled
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be the last Nintendo-made game for the Wii U after all. If you were holding onto hope that the quirky Project Giant Robot would still grace the system, it was in vain. As Polygon reports, the build-your-own battle-bot demo has been scrapped and won't see the light of day. A representative said that the decision was made "after considering our overall product and development strategy."
