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'Mario Kart 8' adds 'Animal Crossing' DLC earlier than expected
The next round of downloadable content for Mario Kart 8, a pack featuring tracks and items from the Animal Crossing series, will hit the Wii U on April 23rd, Nintendo announced today. The DLC pack was originally scheduled to launch in May. Hooray! Also heading to Mario Kart 8 on April 23rd is a free update that adds a 200cc speed class, meaning players who have mastered the existing races get a brand new challenge. That's bananas! The update also adds support for more amiibo, Nintendo's Skylanders-style action figures.
'Xenoblade Chronicles 3D' starts its new 3DS chapter on April 10th
Xenoblade Chronicles, the Japanese role-playing game that launched to great success on the Wii in 2010, is on its way to Nintendo's latest handheld hardware, the new 3DS, on April 10th. Nintendo announced the date during today's Nintendo Direct live stream. Also in the Xenoblade series, Xenoblade Chronicles X is due out for the Wii U in 2015.
'Fatal Frame' and its photo-based horror hits Wii U this year
It isn't a Pokemon Snap sequel, but Nintendo just announced a new Fatal Frame for the Wii U. The camera-based survival horror title hits sometime this year, and, well, that's about all we know for now. Is it a port of the game that was slated for last year in Japan? We aren't sure just yet. But, that'll almost positively change come E3 in June.
'Yoshi's Wooly World' snuggles up to a fall release window
Yoshi's Wooly World races to the Wii U in the fall, Nintendo announced during its live-streamed presentation today. A set of amiibo figures made out of yarn will launch with the game, even though that level of cuteness shouldn't be legal. Yoshi's Wooly World is an adventure game with a two-player co-op mode and an emphasis on exploration and using adorable, yarn-based abilities. It comes from the team behind Kirby's Epic Yarn, another fluffy Nintendo platformer. Nintendo revealed Yoshi's Wooly World in January 2013 -- so we hope no one has been holding their breath.
'Amiibo Greatest Bits' offers the best of Nintendo's past
You know that Amiibo collection of yours? It's about to get a bit more useful. Nintendo's just announced Amiibo Greatest Bits, a series of bite-sized chunks from the company's gaming history that're unlocked via tapping your collectible figures to the Wii U gamepad. As for a release date, Nintendo's Satoru Iwata says it'll be a free download this spring. Each toy contains a random level (basically a demo) and, like Forrest Gump's mom said they're like a box of chocolates and you'll never know what you're going to get.
'Splatoon,' Nintendo's quirky Wii U shooter, launches May 29th
Splatoon, the rapid-fire, multiplayer paintball game for Wii U, launches on May 29, Nintendo revealed today. We got our hands on the game at E3 last year and found it to be simply joyous.
'Mario Maker' level-design game launches in September
Mario Maker is due out for the Wii U in September, Nintendo announced today during its live stream. Mario Maker allows players to design their own Mario levels, featuring styles from across the series' storied history.
Nintendo is making two new versions of its 3DS portable console, arriving in Japan this October
Nintendo releases recorded video presentations, known as "Nintendo Direct," pretty often. Usually they're focused on games, or they highlight an upcoming season's game releases. This morning, however, Nintendo revealed two new versions of its wildly successful 3DS portable game console. And just like the Mario series, Nintendo's not pulling any punches when it comes to naming conventions: the new 3DS is simply called "New" 3DS. And yes, there's a "New" version of the larger 3DS XL, too. As seen above, the smaller "New" 3DS has Super Nintendo-themed buttons on the right side. Just above those buttons is a new, tiny analog stick. Bizarrely, Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata compared the new analog stick to the GameCube controller's yellow C-stick (which was rarely used in GameCube games).
Open-world 'Zelda' game heading to Wii U in 2015
Last year, Zelda tastemaker Eiji Aonuma told us that he wanted to give players more freedom. "I want them to be able to explore more." Back then, he was talking about A Link Between Worlds; today Nintendo is talking about the franchise's first game designed natively for the Wii U. Taking the screen during Nintendo's Digital Event at E3, Aonuma showed a deep, lush landscape and pointed to the horizon. "You can even reach those mountains in the distance if you walk far enough." It's the first truly open-world Zelda game.
Nintendo Wii U's spring update, Panorama View arrive next week
Nintendo's Wii U game console is getting its promised spring update next week, said company president Satoru Iwata in a Luigi-filled video presentation this morning. The update is said to launch software dramatically faster than before, as Nintendo demonstrated in a video last month. Iwata also said the update adds continuable downloads while the console is off, and that Virtual Console won't arrive until the following week -- should you wish to directly launch into the Wii menu, you'll be able to hold down the B button as the console is starting up. That said, if you wanna play those VC games directly from the Wii U menu, you'll need to re-buy them for $1 apiece for NES games and $1.50 for SNES games. A variety of games were shown off as available at the Virtual Console's launch, including classics like Super Mario World and Punch-Out! Apparently GameBoy Advance and Nintendo 64 games are planned for inclusion on the VC in the coming months, but no definitive date was given. He also said Panorama View will arrive next week for free, and it sounds like it'll be a separate download from the software update.
Google Maps with Street View arrives on Nintendo Wii U in Japan, free for a limited time
True to Iwata-san's word, Google Maps with Street View is indeed making its way to the Nintendo Wii U this month. Word of the mapping service's impending arrival first came this past December, but at the time, no mention was made of availability outside of a vague January 2013 launch. As we learned later however, it was pushed back another month but Wii Street U Powered by Google is live in Japan, and will be free through the end of May. After that, there will be a fee for access to the service's Panorama View-like feature, which leverages the GamePad for 360-degree perspectives. Of course, you can also peruse both plain and Street View maps from the TV, but that kind of diminishes the gimmicky point of the second screen controller. (Also, you could just use a laptop, tablet or phone for Google Maps -- just sayin'.) There's no word on US release plans or potential pricing, but it's worth noting the TVii app that's free here carries a nominal 100 yen charge in Japan. Hit the source link for an interview with the team behind bringing the app to the console.
Nintendo 3DS to get Recochoku music streaming and download service in Japan, launches in December
Today's early Nintendo Direct broadcast didn't have much in the way of new hardware pricing or surprises, but it did reveal a new music service for 3DS users in Japan. The handheld will soon be able to stream, download and play music from Recochoku, a mobile-centric site that specializes in ringtones and track downloads. Users should be able to take their pick from over 1 million titles, priced at around 250 yen. Any songs bought on your 3DS can also be transferred to your (compatible) keitai of choice.
Nintendo announces $199 3DS XL with 4.88-inch top screen, available August 19th
Folks holding their breath for a "3DS Lite" might want to exhale -- Nintendo has decided to go a different route. Company head honcho Satoru Iwata revealed the 3DS LL this evening on Nintendo Direct, featuring a 4.88-inch and 4.18-inch top and bottom screens, respectively. The new hardware adds over an inch to the current 3DS' display, and ships with a 4GB SD card, to boot. The oversized handheld doesn't adopt the Circle Pad Pro's second analog input, however, retaining just a single thumbpad on the console's port side. Japanese gamers will be able to pick up a 3DS LL in white, as well as in two-tone red / black or silver / white on July 28th for ¥18,900 (about $235). In the US, of course, the handheld will be rebranded as the 3DS XL, just like its predecessor's supersized variant, hitting Yankee shores (in red and blue, no less) on August 19th for $200. %Gallery-158888%
PSA: Nintendo 3DS firmware update now live in North America
If your 3DS' home screen is looking a little too cluttered, then today's your lucky day. Nintendo is rolling out the firmware update that adds folders to your folder. (You've gotta fold the console closed, geddit?) The only other change evident so far is a redesigned eShop interface that makes better use of the screen's real estate, but pssh, who cares? It's all about the folders for us.
3DS firmware update promises folders, less cluttered home screens on April 25th
Are all those ambassador games crowding your 3DS' home screen? Sit tight, Nintendo's got a fix. During the outfit's Nintendo Direct conference livestream, head honcho Satoru Iwata announced that folder organization is coming to the 3DS. Fastidiously organized gamers can expect the firmware update to land on April 25th, bringing with it the joy of creating directories, stuffing them with up to 60 items and ascribing them fitting names. Iwata also detailed a handful of upcoming titles, including New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Tobidase Doubutsu no Mori (or, "Leap out Animal Crossing") for the 3DS and a Kirby compilation for the Wii. Follow the source link below for a full playback of Iwata's spiel, or check out Joystiq's coverage of the event for more details.