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Nintendo 2DS drops to $80 on May 20th
The 2DS is getting yet another price cut on May 20th. Less than a year after Nintendo brought it down to $100, from $130 originally, the company revealed today that its handheld console will now cost $80. That puts the 2DS in impulse-buy territory, so long as you're willing to live without the three-dimensional effect found on the flagship 3DS. It does come with a digital copy of Mario Kart 7, though, which is about a $20 value on its own.
In a world of smartphones, Nintendo's 3DS reaches five years old
Nintendo's (not quite) first steps into 3D were shaky. Some of us complained that the 3D effect hurt our eyes, while others found the battery life on the first-generation 3DS just awful. (It was.) However, with bigger (and some flatter) iterations along the way, the handheld has started to hit a groove. Five years since it hit stores in the US, there's now a strong stable of quality games, and the company is bringing back some older SNES hits , as long as you've got the newer hardware.
'Kirby' returns to your hands in June with 'Planet Robobot'
Everyone's favorite spherical pink vacuum cleaner is back in Kirby: Planet Robobot for 3DS. It uses a 2.5D perspective where you can jump between different depth planes in the sidescroller. What's more, when you suck up an enemy you'll gain access to a version of their specific abilities, including one that has you donning a robot suit. Amiibo support is planned as well, with each of Nintendo's plastic figurines granting Kirby with a different ability. Tapping Mario onto your 3DS will grant Kirby a fire ability, while Link unlocks a sword, for example. Nintendo's Bill Trinen says that each amiibo will unlock something different of some sort.
Should Pokémon move to consoles?
Today marks the 20th Anniversary of Pokémon's Japanese debut. To celebrate, Nintendo announced the next generation (VII, for those keeping count) of the RPG, Sun and Moon, and the reaction from Engadget's staff has been mixed. Let's start things off with the trailer, just because it's great: Now, while the Pokémon fans among us will obviously all play the game, some were and are hoping for more from the series. Two, in particular, have spent the past 48 hours arguing over one question: should Pokémon move beyond Nintendo's handhelds and onto the company's fully fledged console?
World's first 'gamer hotel' opens in Amsterdam
The first hotel dedicated to serving gamers has opened for business in Amsterdam. The Arcade Hotel, as it is named, is located in the city's De Pijp area. Each of its 36 rooms include gratis consoles and games. Guests can also use loaner handhelds for multiplayer adventures in the hotel bar -- there's even a comic book library that you can peruse. And for those who actually do leave their rooms, the hotel also offers a fleet of borrowable bikes (because that's how real Amsterdamians get around).
Game Boy Macro mod breathes new life into your Nintendo DS
Your Nintendo DS is no longer the hottest handheld on the block, but that doesn't mean it has to sit in the closet gathering dust. Modder Anthony Thomas recently started up Game Boy Macro, a service that turns the DS into a giant Game Boy Advance player -- as the name suggests, it's basically a Game Boy Micro writ large. You lose the second screen (and thus native DS games), but the result is arguably much cooler. You can even specify custom case colors if you're eager to recreate the look of your old Game & Watch.
Sony doesn't see a market for a PlayStation Vita sequel
You may be jonesing for a follow-up to the PlayStation Vita, but Sony isn't so sure that it's a wise idea. The company's Shuhei Yoshida told those at a recent developer session that the "climate is not healthy" for a Vita sequel. Simply put, he believes that smartphones have dampened enthusiasm for gaming handhelds. Why get a dedicated device and buy games when you can play free games on the device you already have? He hopes that the culture of portable gaming will live on, but he doesn't currently see Sony fostering that culture with new hardware.
Nintendo's smaller New 3DS comes to the US on September 25th
When Nintendo decided to release only the New 3DS XL in the US this winter rather than its smaller New 3DS sibling, it left many scratching their heads. Why would Nintendo deprive American gamers of a smaller, more travel-friendly handheld? Well, it's making amends for that mistake very shortly. Nintendo has revealed that it's bringing the New 3DS to the US on September 25th as part of a $220 Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer bundle. So long as you like having the game's charming art plastered all over your handheld, you too can have a more portable option. The NFC Reader (needed to load up on Amiibo figurines and card) will also arrive that day for $20.
Nintendo includes same-sex marriages in 'Fire Emblem Fates'
Nintendo has a rocky past when it comes to same-sex relationships in its games, but the upcoming Fire Emblem Fates for its 3DS handheld should change that. There are a few different options to choose from, as Polygon reports. If you want to play as a male character who can marry a male party member, you should grab the Conquest edition of Fates. And if you want to be a female warrior who weds another lady, then the Birthright edition is the one for you. There's also a third downloadable storyline that'll let you do both. The marriages don't come easy from the sounds of it, either: you need to bond with your partner in battle before you can tie the knot.
Pocket ghost detector may be as hard to find as its targets (update: details)
Let's get this out of the way: ghost detection is based on junk science. It's trying to prove something that's unprovable almost by definition, using theories that have little connection to the real world. But if you are going to chase phantoms, you might as well have the best technology at your disposal, right? GhostArk certainly thinks so. It's developing a pocketable ghost detector that supposedly has everything you need to track down supernatural beings, including an electromagnetic field meter, high-sensitivity microphones, radio frequency sweeping and sensors for both atmospheric pressure and temperature. Think of it as an audio recorder on steroids -- you can even add white noise to "bolster the spirits' strength." It's a clever concept, even if none of its findings would stand up under academic scrutiny.
Nintendo 3DS review (2014): a good reason to give 3D another shot
Nintendo's original 3D handheld launched in 2011 and three years is a seriously long time in tech -- especially for Nintendo. Fortunately, it's been a hit -- over 44 million units sold so far -- following a tradition of handheld console leadership that started way back with the original Game Boy. (And if you've seen Nintendo's recent depressing earnings reports, you know that handhelds are why Mario is still able to even make ends meet.) So here's not one, but two hardware refreshes. Yep, two models, one bigger than the other (sound familiar?), both of which arrive with new buttons, a second (gasp!) analog stick and some new 3D screen assistance that means I now willingly switch on the 3D effect while playing games. Whoa. For now, it's launched in Japan and parts of Asia, and it's also coming soon to Australia and New Zealand. I'd bet the cost of a new 3DS that it'll make its way to the rest of the world at some point; it's just a matter of when. This is the New 3DS and New 3DS LL, and if you already have an older model, you'll probably want to consider an upgrade.
Let this shape-shifting baton escort you around town
Don't you hate it when you have to constantly check your phone for map navigation, thus not able to fully enjoy the scenery while travelling? Rather than just switching to audio navigation (which can get annoying after a while), NTT Docomo believes tactile feedback is another possible solution, as demonstrated by its Yubi Navi ("Yubi" meaning finger in Japanese) concept at CEATEC. As you can see in the above GIF image, this simple handheld device can gently twist left and right to give turn directions to your thumb. But there's more: When paired with another Yubi Navi, the two users can simulate the feeling of holding hands by squeezing their own devices, as the lower part of the stick can push a bump up against the palm.
Nintendo's latest 3DS XL edition plays on your nostalgic side
Nintendo regularly draws on its long history in video gaming to get you buying games and consoles, but it may have just topped itself with its latest 3DS XL variants. On top of two models meant to honor the launches of Persona Q and Super Smash Bros., the company has unveiled an NES Edition that plasters the classic NES gamepad on top of a gray back. It's not as good-looking as the similarly-themed Game Boy Advance SP from years ago, but let's not kid ourselves -- this is still going to evoke many fond memories of playing Metroid in the family den. Not fair, Nintendo. If you're feeling all warm and fuzzy just by looking at the photo, you can buy the NES Edition at GameStop on October 10th for $200.
Watch Sony PS4 streams on your Vita with upcoming app
If you're a fan of PlayStation 4 game livestreaming, Sony's about to have a PS Vita app for that. At a prelude to the Tokyo Game Show (TGS), it announced updates that will let you view live PS4 game action directly from a PS Vita. There are also themes coming to the PS4 and PS Vita around the same time -- Sony showed off one for Vita that centered around the popular (and insane) Dangan Ronpa shooter. PS4 users will also be able to customize the console dashboard with animated themes, as revealed in a demo that featured PlayStation Japan characters Toro and Kuro (see the image after the break). It also revealed a pink-backed PS Vita with a white front arriving in Japan on November 13th for 18,980 yen (around $182). There's no specific dates for the new themes and the PS4 game streaming app, but Joystiq pointed out a translated tweet saying it'll arrive sometime in October.
Backscatter X-ray gun will help police hunt contraband
Though "strip-search" backscatter X-ray machines were pulled from US airports for privacy reasons, the tech has found a new home in the MINI Z portable scanner. Made by American Science and Engineering (AS&E), it displays see-through images on a Windows tablet PC from low-intensity backscatter X-rays that don't penetrate deeply into organic tissue. The company said it took seven years of research to shrink the X-ray tubes enough to create a handheld device that uses only 10 watts of power (see a simulation here or the video below). Scanning an object several times will even increase the detail. Backscatter X-rays don't penetrate deep into organic tissue, so the MINI Z is (theoretically) safe for operators and bystanders -- but it's not designed to scan humans anyway. Instead, the US military plans to put it to use searching for guns, explosives, drugs and organic materials. Its portable nature also makes it ideal for scanning vehicles, drug labs and hand baggage, to name a few scenarios -- so don't be surprised to see it at a customs checkpoint or concert near you. [Image credit: AS&E]
Someone is making a handheld Steam game system
Every Steam Machine shown so far has amounted to a small desktop PC. But what if you want to take that gaming experience on the road? Well, you might get your wish -- meet Steamboy, a handheld take on Valve's platform. On the outside, it's pretty much what you'd expect; it looks like an Steam Controller prototype (including the signature touchpads) with a 5-inch display slotted in between. Its creator (Steamboy Machine) isn't giving out many other details right now, but it tells The Escapist that the device's quad-core processor (likely either an Intel Atom or AMD A4) and 4GB of RAM "won't be as powerful" as other Steam Machines. That's not surprising given the size, however, and it should play the "majority" of titles. There are also promises of 3G mobile data and 32GB of built-in storage.
Is this NVIDIA's next Shield handheld console?
A while back, NVIDIA's CEO gave us a not-so-subtle hint that the next Shield handheld was close to release. The picture above goes a long way to backing that up. It's from an official FCC filing for a Shield-shaped game controller called the "P2570." It's impossible to be certain with these things, and NVIDIA hasn't so far responded to our queries, but the model number does sound like a hardware refresh, since the the existing Android console is the "P2450." That said, the physical changes seem subtle, with the Shield's stubby bumper buttons apparently lengthened slightly, perhaps to make them more twitch-friendly, and with the manufacturing joints and screws moved to different positions. A side-by-side comparison between the two models (shown below) also suggests the new version may be slightly more slender, and therefore hopefully lighter too, given the 580-gram (1.27-pound) heft of the original.
Watch Nintendo execs vie for the love of Princess Zelda in its latest game
Nintendo's had some success with approximating the mundanity of real life in the past, but its latest attempt looks like it'll amp up the crazy rather dramatically. In Tomodachi Life you import a collection of Miis (Nintendo's avatar system) and watch as they interact with each other on an island. We know what you're thinking, but trust us, it's the opposite of boring. For example, one scene from its recent unveiling involves Nintendo's senior product marketing manager Bill Trinen professing his love for Samus Aran on a beach when a shirtless, musclebound president Reggie Fils-Aime runs down the shore to do the same. And then, CEO Satoru Iwata emerges from the water and joins in on the action. Yes, really.
Nvidia Shield slashed to $199 for April, getting remote game streaming
Nvidia's Android-based handheld game system, Shield, will receive a temporary price drop for April, cutting the system by $50 to $199 for the month. The price cut is accompanied by new features arriving in a software update for the system next week, including a new user interface for the Shield's button-mapping feature. The addition lets players use the Shield's physical buttons for touch-based games on the Google Play store. The hardware company will also add a beta version of its away-from-home game streaming support feature. Players will be able to remotely play PC games on their Shield, waking up and logging in to locked PCs while on the go. Additionally, the update will add bluetooth keyboard and mouse support for those that want to hook their Shields up to a TV to play on a bigger screen. Lastly, the Nvidia Shield will receive the latest version of the Android operating system, nicknamed KitKat (version 4.4.2). Nvidia also recently revealed that Valve's popular first-person puzzler Portal will receive a full PC port on Android with full Shield support. [Image: Nvidia]
Portal to find a companion in Android-based handheld, Nvidia Shield [Update]
Popular first-person puzzle-shooter Portal is coming to Nvidia's Android-based handheld system, Shield. Nvidia is handling the adaptation, said to be a full port of the PC version of the game, with the blessing of Valve. The Nvidia Shield launched in late July 2013 and our review of the system deemed it an "expensive novelty." Nvidia upped the system's PC streaming functions to 1080p and added button-mapping options in December. While it is unclear whether Portal will make its way to the Google Play store for use on more Android devices, all signs point to its exclusivity on the Nvidia Shield. We've contacted Nvidia to clarify that point, and will update as we learn more. Update: Nvidia informed Joystiq that Portal is a "native Android game," and will be sold on the Google Play store for use on other Android devices. [Image: Valve]
