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Konami pulls some Metal Gear Solid games from digital stores
The publisher is trying to renew licenses for archival footage in 'MGS2' and 'MGS3.'
Take a look back at Engadget's favorite Nintendo 3DS games
On the Nintendo 3DS's tenth birthday, Engadget editors look back on their favorite games for the handheld system.
The Nintendo 3DS's best feature was the under-appreciated StreetPass
The 3DS may have tried to appeal with its 3D graphics, but it was the StreetPass feature that made many players love it.
What made Nintendo fans love the 3DS?
As we approach Nintendo's 130th anniversary next month, we're taking some time to look back on the company's devices that preceded the Switch, and we're starting with its immediate predecessor, the 3DS. In Engadget's review of the original version back in 2011, Tim Stevens praised the device for its comfortable Circle Pad, compelling 3D effects and creative augmented reality. However, battery life was underwhelming, DS games were slow to load and the d-pad was located in an uncomfortable position. While we didn't score products back then, there are over ninety user reviews averaging 76. Not bad, but not great. Here's what users liked, loved and had no use for.
What did the Nintendo 3DS mean to you?
With this week's announcement of Nintendo's new Switch Lite console, we've been thinking about the handheld that preceded it: The Nintendo 3DS, a successor to the wildly popular DS that took the dual screen and added the ability to display games in 3D -- without glasses. When Engadget reviewed the first model of the 3DS, it hit big with its satisfying clamshell design, circle pad thumb slider and 320 x 240 touchscreen. Reviewer Tim Stevens found the 3D gameplay a bit finicky but a nice enhancement to the graphics quality in titles like Ridge Racer 3 and Face Raiders.
How 'Puyo Puyo Tetris' tricked me into liking puzzle games
When Larry Kasanoff said he was turning the world's most iconic puzzle game into a trilogy of science fiction movies, I was speechless. After a disaster like Pixels, how could anybody look at Tetris and think there was a narrative to tell? The game may be a classic, but the narrative potential of organizing falling bricks into horizontal lines seemed weak to me. Then I played Puyo Puyo Tetris. Kasanoff's sci-fi epic still sounds terrible, but somehow it pulls off the impossible: It builds an entertaining narrative from an abstract puzzle game.
Twitch will host a 24-hour Pokémon marathon this Saturday
Pokémon is celebrating its 20th birthday with a massive global bash this weekend and has declared February 27th "Pokémon Day." Fans on the East Coast can join in the festivities at Nintendo New York in Rockefeller Center while West Coast gamers will want to check out the Pokémon pop-up shop at JapanLA in Los Angeles. If you don't live on the coasts, don't despair. Twitch is hosting a 24-hour non-stop Pokémon marathon as well.
Next for Nintendo: Zelda reboots, fresh Splatoon gear and more
Nintendo announced a slew of upcoming titles and their release dates -- as well as new content for existing franchises -- during the company's Nintendo Direct livestream on Thursday. Gird your loins and prepare for Zelda reboots, fancy new Splatoon arenas, and so. many. amiibo sets.
Shovel Knight's DLC hits consoles and PC on September 17th
Yacht Club Games, developers of the uber-popular platformer, Shovel Knight, has revealed that the game's DLC will be available starting September 17th. Dubbed Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows, the DLC will offer a number of new gameplay styles including Adventure and Challenge Modes. The game is currently available on PC, Wii U, 3DS, PlayStation 3, PS4, PS Vita, and Xbox One. The DLC will be available as digital downloads on all these consoles. A physical disc version including both the original game and the DLC will be ready in October.
Tell us how you really feel about the New 3DS and 3DS XL
With E3 starting next week, we're going to hear plenty of news from companies like Microsoft, Sony and yes, Nintendo. The company's Digital Event on June 16th promises new games for the handheld 3DS, making this a great time to upgrade to a New 3DS or 3DS XL. The latest 3DS offers improved 3D capabilities, built-in NFC support for your Amiibo figures and even a new C stick and ZL and ZR buttons for more control options. Nintendo has also said that some future games will only work on a new 3DS, making an upgrade necessary if you want to play some of the latest titles. While we certainly enjoyed the New 3DS' added features in our review, we'd like to know how it actually worked out for our readers. If you've picked up a New 3DS or 3DS XL since its release, let us know how you've been enjoying it by writing a review on its product page. We'll do a roundup of the best user reviews to find out if this upgrade is worth your hard-earned scratch.
Incoming update will let you use Nintendo Network ID and Miiverse on the 3DS
Without a doubt, today's a good day for 3DS owners. Along with announcing the imminent arrival of the YouTube app on its handheld console, Nintendo has let it be known that users will soon also have access to Miiverse as well as be able to use their Network ID for eShop purchases. This is a pretty big deal if you happen to own both a Wii U and 3DS, as you'll be able to spend your funds across each system -- essentially, there will be a main account balance that's tied to your Nintendo Network ID. The system update capable of making these features possible isn't ready quite yet, but Nintendo did say it will be available at some point in the month of December.
Nintendo bringing YouTube to 3DS later this month, Wii U version to get refreshed
Sony's PlayStation 4 has surely taken over today's headlines, but that's not stopping Nintendo from making some news of its own. The company today announced that a YouTube application is coming to the 3DS at long last, giving users a chance to search, browse and watch videos right from the handheld system. What's more, Nintendo also said the Wii U's YouTube app will be getting overhauled in the coming weeks, complete with GamePad-focused search features and a variety of user interface enhancements. YouTube for the Nintendo 3DS is expected to arrive in North America and Europe by the end of this month -- in the meantime, you can keep watching those Francis rants on one of many other devices.
Now you can watch Miley Cyrus ruin SNL on your Nintendo 3DS with Hulu Plus
Care to see a former Disney star shuck her wholesome image through the wonders of improv (and sheer tops) from the comfort of your 3DS or 2DS? Today, that questionable privilege is entirely possible, as Nintendo's made Hulu Plus available for download from the eShop, along with a one-week free trial lure for new subs. A subscription to the streaming service's $7.99/mo premium tier will let gamers enjoy the same level of access they'd get elsewhere -- which just means Hulu Plus on a wider selection of screens, not ad-free primetime content. That said, "commercial-free kids programming" does exist on the service, which is where you'll want to direct the kiddos that form the bulk of the 3DS' user base. Alternatively, you can also fire up past episodes of SNL to shatter any illusions they (and you) may have of wholesome, tweener idols. Go ahead... we're silently judging you anyway.
gdgt's best deals for September 25th: Monoprice 27-inch Monitor, TRENDnet Wireless N USB Adapter
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our friends at sister site gdgt track price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's top deals include a pair of devices that could improve your home office setup. A slim 27-inch Monoprice monitor makes your work almost pretty to look at, while a TRENDnet USB WiFi Adapter lets you move away from your modem. Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
Atari founder Nolan Bushnell is betting on iOS, Android to win mobile gaming battle against Nintendo
Nintendo is in a strange place right now. With its home console sales waning, the company has been leaning on the success of the 3DS handheld in order to keep it in the black. But as iOS and Android devices gain power and prominence, Atari founder Nolan Bushnell is betting on the big N to lose the war. Speaking with the BBC, the 70-year-old Bushnell explains that dedicated handheld gaming systems just don't seem to make much sense any longer. "I don't think handheld game-only devices make sense anymore, not when you have an iPod or an Android microtablet. When it comes to the console market, I think the market is truncating," he explains. Of course, this is also the same man who went (jokingly) digging in the desert for discarded copies of the abysmal Atari 2600 version of E.T, so maybe we should take his opinion with a small grain of salt. I've written at length about the risk mobile platforms like iOS pose to gaming as a whole, and while I don't believe console or PC gamers have much to worry about, it's fairly clear at this point that portable systems like the 3DS are going to have to step up their game in order to remain relevant. Still, the battle isn't an easy win for iOS either, and the lack of physical control input is a definite hurdle that will need to be overcome before a victor can truly be declared.
How smartphones mean 'game over' for consoles, portable game systems
If there's one Wall Street analyst who consistently makes sense when it comes to computing and mobility, it's Asymco's Horace Dediu. On a regular basis, Dediu charts the sales and shipping information released by consumer electronics companies like Apple and is able to spot trends that spell either good fortunes or a bleak future for the firms in question. Today's target was the gaming console companies, with Dediu's analysis showing how mobile devices -- specifically smartphones and tablets -- spell doom for sales of gaming consoles. Didiu's numbers take a look at data from just two of the big three -- Nintendo and Sony -- as Microsoft does not provide sales information for Xbox. That confetti-like chart at the top of this post shows the bad news for Nintendo. Not only are sales of the latest console (Wii U) tanking, but the two portable gaming units -- 3DS and 3DS XL -- are also showing a precipitous dive towards irrelevance. Add in Sony's numbers (above) and the picture is the same -- for consoles and portable gaming devices, the peak year in sales was in 2008, five years ago. What's the difference? The huge influx of smartphones and tablets, all very capable gaming devices on their own. Dediu sums it up perfectly in his final paragraph: The implications are that Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are beyond the point of no return in this industry. Gaming, as a business, cannot be sustained as a platform independent of a general purpose computer. Like other "applications" that used to have systems built around them conforming to their needs, the dedicated-purpose solutions came to be absorbed into the general-purpose platforms. And the modern general purpose computer is the smartphone.
gdgt's best deals for July 22: Nintendo 3DS, RCA HDTV
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our sister site gdgt tracks price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's hottest deals include Nintendo's 3DS at one of the lowest prices we've seen, as well as a hot deal on a 32-inch RCA HDTV. Want the latest deals delivered to your inbox? Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
gdgt's best deals for July 15: Samsung 24-inch 1080p HDTV, ASUS Nexus 7
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our sister site gdgt tracks price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's hottest deals include a dirt-cheap, dorm-ready 24-inch Samsung HDTV and a low price on an ASUS Nexus 7. It's also worth noting that the Kindle Fire HD, which we've featured before, has hit a new low at $159.99 at Best Buy, where it's available for in-store purchase only. Want the latest deals delivered to your inbox? Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
May NPD: 3DS steals top console spot
The Nintendo 3DS finally edged out the Xbox 360 in May 2013 as the best selling console across hardware and portables, according to the NPD's monthly report on the retail sector. In what the NPD claims was a slow month overall, the 3DS landed three different games on the top 10 (including Donkey Kong Country Returns at number three, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon at number five, and Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes at number 10), and saw a sixty percent growth in software sales overall since last May. 3DS hardware sales were only even year-over-year, but that was enough to finally supplant the Xbox 360 as the top-selling platform. The other consoles didn't fare quite so well, with Injustice: Gods Among Us keeping the top spot for video game sales. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 jumped back up into the number two spot, and Battlefield 3 reappeared at number nine. Metro: Last Light had a relatively successful showing in the number six spot, while Trion's Defiance MMO fell right off the list, after starting off at number five in April. Accessories saw a six-percent drop to $115.3 million, according to the NPD, with most of that money coming from Skylanders.
Resident Evil: Revelations review: Any port in a storm
The 3DS is no graphical slouch. Aside from the glasses-free 3D feature, the system can kick out some impressive scenery, and it did so with last year's Resident Evil Revelations, a well-made little horror shooter in a series that's been looking for a lifeboat lately. After launching Resident Evil 6 fewer than six months ago, Capcom seems to think HD platforms need even more Resident Evil love, and so this week Revelations hits Xbox 360, PS3, Windows PCs, and the Wii U. Playing it in enhanced form on an HD console, however, feels just a little goofy. The textures do look excellent, but the game's models are clearly made for a more lightweight graphics engine, which means you get characters with hair frozen in place and enemies with just a few animations to use over and over again. Revelations was made for a handheld machine, and its designers cut corners that the other platforms would have let them curve around more gracefully. But Revelations' saving grace is that it's a Resident Evil game, and it's a good Resident Evil game at that. For that reason, fans of the series who missed out the first time around will probably appreciate the chance to see it for themselves.%Gallery-188861%
