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Mario Kart 8 update adds Amiibo support
A downloadable Mario Kart 8 update, meant to steady the game for the initial volley of DLC cars and tracks, will also enable simple support for Nintendo's Amiibo lineup. A select number of characters from Nintendo's new toy army will unlock corresponding outfits for your Mii racer. Tapping the Kirby statue on the Wii U gamepad, for instance, will unlock a pink puffball-themed outfit for your Mario Kart Mii, complete with a helmet designed to resemble Kirby looking back at you, smiling in the face of a blue shell coming up. Mario Kart 8 will also have unlocks for Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Link, Captain Falcon, Samus, and Fox McCloud. The Amiibo update will happen alongside the November 13 release of Mario Kart 8's first DLC - a pack of 8 tracks, 4 vehicles and 3 new characters, including Link and Tanooki Mario. The Amiibo toys, meanwhile, are coming out alongside the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros. on November 21. For more on the Amiibo and how they work in Smash, check out my impressions here.
You probably won't outlive this 136-year Smash Bros. ban glitch
Harsh, Nintendo. We know ledge-camping is considered unsportsmanlike, but being banned from Super Smash Bros. for 3DS for 136 years, like some unfortunate Reddit users have experienced, seems a bit extreme. Okay, so the 136-year ban is actually a glitch and not a purposeful sentence, but it stinks all the same, especially since there is (as of right now at least) apparently no way to fix it. The glitch can be avoided however, since it seems to be happening only to players who quit online matches early or excessively target an individual in the game's four-player For Fun mode. So, don't be a bully, don't rage quit, or if you're really worried about this happening to you, just don't go online at all, basically. Reddit user "rstevoa" theorizes the glitch is caused by the game's code counting ban time too low, which would in turn cause the code to loop around to the highest number of seconds it can assign to a ban. Of course, that's just a theory - who knows what dark sorcery actually goes on at Nintendo? [Image: Nintendo]
Super Smash Bros. Amiibo figures are part trophy, part protégé
Nintendo is getting into the figurine game with a lineup called "amiibo" (disregard for capitalization included). Set to cooperate with several different games, most prominently this holiday's Wii U version of Super Smash Bros., the Amiibo statues capture the company's fanciful characters in a cute, tangible form. "Capturing" might be too strong a word, though, because it implies more fiction than there really is.
How Nintendo rolls in 8-player Super Smash Bros.
Moments before attendees grabbed the controllers at a Super Smash Bros. press event, held in a hotel in San Francisco on Thursday evening, Nintendo had a pristine setup (above) aimed at 8 connoisseurs of clash. The configuration - 1 Wii U, 8 wired special-edition GameCube controllers, a token Gamepad and two controller adapter hubs – illustrates just one of the many options you have to exceed the traditional fight between 4 players when the game comes to Wii U on November 21. Each of Nintendo's GameCube adapters supports 4 controllers – add in another adapter and you open the possibility of 8 active, wired players. The adapter itself plugs into 2 USB ports simultaneously, so you'll be taking up all 4 of the Wii U's ports (2 on the front and 2 on the back) if you try to mimic this setup. If you have external storage hooked up already, you can also lessen the load via a powered USB hub. The result, though, is a responsive Smash Bros. experience which serves the true challenge of 8-player mode: finding out where the hell you are in all that delirious chaos.
Thursday's Nintendo Direct is all about Wii U's Smash Bros.
Nintendo is hosting a new livestream event on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. EST (3:00 p.m. PST), and this one is focused on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The publisher says it will reveal "50 new things" for the game, which will launch on November 21. It's possible the latest announcements for the fighting game will include the level editor and board game mode mentioned in an Amazon listing late last week. Thursday's Nintendo Direct may also show off poses for trophies in the game, which Game Director Masahiro Sakurai noted in a Miiverse post over the weekend. We're nearly one month out from our review of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, which praised the fighter as "a game that every 3DS owner should play." [Image: Nintendo]
Strike a pose with trophies in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Say cheese, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U - you're getting a photo mode. According to a new post from Game Director Masahiro Sakurai on the Super Smash Bros. Miiverse, players of the console version of Nintendo's brawler will be able to pose the character trophies they've earned and take pictures in the game's Photo Studio mode. "Pic of the day. Zael from The Last Story grabs some Superspicy Curry from Master Hand. 'No...! You mustn't let that curry lure you in...!!'" Sakurai writes, describing the scene you see above. Photo Studio won't be the only difference between the 3DS and Wii U versions of Super Smash Bros. though; according to an Amazon listing, we can also expect a stage build mode and board game mode when the game launches on November 21. [Image: Nintendo]
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U features board game mode, says Amazon
Product details posted at Amazon today reveal new features and gameplay modes for the upcoming Wii U version of Nintendo's mascot brawler Super Smash Bros. Amazon's description reads: "Whether you're creating stages on the GamePad, competing in challenges crafted by Master Hand and Crazy Hand, or outwitting your opponents in a brand new board game mode, there's no doubt that the ultimate Smash Bros. game has arrived." The update suggests that Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will include a level-editing feature similar to the Stage Builder in 2008's Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The board game mode is another new addition, though further details regarding this feature are not yet known. Amazon's promised challenges featuring the Hand characters also coincide with a recent Miiverse teaser, and match up with hidden audio files discovered in the 3DS edition touting "Master Orders" and "Crazy Orders" modes. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U hits retail on November 21. [Video: Nintendo]
Super Smash Bros. Wii U Amiibo figures up for pre-order
Nintendo's Amiibo figures are now available to pre-order at various retailers. There are 18 total figures that players can pre-purchase through Target, GameStop, Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart, each tied to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Most of the figures are listed for release on November 21 as previously announced, the same day that Super Smash Bros. will launch for Nintendo's home console. Certain figures are paired with a December 31 launch date however, which may be a placeholder. Those figures are Zelda, Captain Falcon, Diddy Kong, Little Mac, Luigi and Pit, though release date listings may vary. Walmart is also offering a Super Smash Bros. bundle, which includes a copy of the Wii U game in addition to Link, Pikachu and Mario Amiibo figures for $100. The collectible Amiibo figures were revealed at E3 2014 in June, and given a price of $12.99 each two months later. Head past the break to see the full list of figures that are up for pre-order. [Image: Nintendo]
Tell us your secret characters, new Super Smash Bros. screens
Anyone hoping to avoid spoilers regarding the character roster for Super Smash Bros. should calmly exit the internet now. Nintendo has updated the official Super Smash Bros. website with a section dedicated to secret characters, and posted a slew of screenshots showing them in action on both the Wii U and 3DS versions. Abandon all hope, ye who proceed to the next paragraph: here there be spoilers. According to the updated page, it looks like we can expect to see some old favorites returning to smash it up and duke it out. Ness from EarthBound, Falco from the Star Fox series and Wario from ... uh, our nightmares(?) will appear in Super Smash Bros. when it comes to Wii U. You check out a gallery of the trio trading blows below. Of course, if you've picked up a copy of the excellent Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, these probably don't come as much of a surprise. Even if you haven't already unlocked them yourself, Japanese players began showing off the recently-announced fighters (and plenty others) last month. [Image: Nintendo]
Joystiq Weekly: The Cryptarch grows a heart, Alien: Isolation review, N64 turns 18 and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Between the Nintendo 64's birthday and the Pokemon TCG iPad app reminding us that our childhood card games no longer have to be played with expensive, holographic pieces of paper, we're teetering toward a slight meltdown. When did we swap out our trapper keepers for a stack of bills? Why did we have to give up Saturday morning cartoons, again? What do you mean there's more to save up for in life beyond booster packs and video games? Sorry, we'll do our best to get a grip. This week brought more than a halting reminder of time's unstoppable march, though! Bungie tweaked a few loot-related settings in Destiny, we reviewed Alien: Isolation, Skylanders Trap Team and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, and we explored the weirdest stages of the N64's now-adult life. Those stories and more are waiting for you after the break!
Joystiq Weekly: Sony financials, Destiny review, Minecraft sale and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. What would you do with $2.5 billion? Sure, Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson isn't pocketing the entire sum from Microsoft's acquisition of Mojang, but something tells us he'll uh, be okay for a few years. Unless you're keen on buying small nations and playing a real-world game of Risk, it's tough to imagine spending your share of a massive buyout like that. There was loads more to this week than business deals involving yacht-sized bags of money, though. There's hope for a playable taste of Final Fantasy 15 in 2015, reviews for Destiny, Hyrule Warriors, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, a full timeline of Minecraft's progress from day one and loads more, all awaiting you after the break!
Report: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U to be released November 21
A photo of a pre-order card for the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros., supposedly from retail store Fred Meyer, has allegedly pegged the date that Nintendo's brawler will arrive in North America as November 21. Twitter user BluesDriveBuster shared the photo last evening, accompanied by text reading, "Official Smash WiiU release." It should be noted however, that this is not an official release date, at least not one formally announced by Nintendo; we've yet to hear such a date from the big N itself. Even the pre-order card states that the release date supposedly printed on the label is subject to change. Still, considering that Nintendo hasn't yet backed off of its previously-announced "winter 2014" release window and that November 21 is a Friday - a day of the week which Nintendo is fond of releasing major games on - there's enough substance here to make this supposed leak at least somewhat believable. Not enough that you should take it at face value of course, but enough that it's worth acknowledging. [Image: BluesDriveBuster]
Nintendo streaming Super Smash Bros. for 3DS today, US demo imminent
Nintendo is hosting an official stream showcasing gameplay from its 3DS mascot brawler Super Smash Bros. starting at 1 p.m. PST today, giving an early look at the finished product prior to its North American launch on October 3. Super Smash Bros. hits store shelves in Japan this week, and a number of fan streams have already revealed its full roster. Nintendo is also offering weekly eShop sales highlighting games that feature its Smash Bros. stars. Nintendo is also launching a demo version of Super Smash Bros. in North America today for Club Nintendo Platinum members. Eligible players will receive an e-mail with download instructions once the trial is available. All 3DS owners will get access to the demo on September 19. [Image: Nintendo]
Super Smash Bros. supports new 3DS C-stick, not Circle Pad Pro
The portable version of Super Smash Bros. will not support the Circle Pad Pro accessory for 3DS, according to a support page on Nintendo of Japan's website, as translated by NeoGAF. With the recent announcement of a new 3DS and 3DS XL, the upcoming entry in the Super Smash Bros. series will reportedly favor the new devices' use of extra shoulder buttons and C-stick as opposed to the accessory that added a second circle pad and shoulder buttons to existing 3DS systems. This implies that players using a traditional 3DS or 3DS XL will be locked to using controls specific to those consoles without the extra buttons and joystick. The game will launch prior to the new hardware; Super Smash Bros. for 3DS is due out September 13 in Japan and October 3 in North America. The revised systems, which will be region-locked, will launch October 11 in Japan and won't make the calendar year in the west. The other version of the game for Wii U will arrive this holiday season. We've reached out to Nintendo to confirm the 3DS version's lack of support for the Circle Pad Pro and will update as we learn more. [Image: Nintendo]
Rumor: Wal-mart flier features Smash Bros. 3DS XL
Americans might not have to glare jealously across the Atlantic when Nintendo of Europe releases a special 3DS XL bundle alongside Super Smash Bros.: A supposed scan of a Wal-Mart flier has been posted to NeoGAF (not shown above, click through to see), which features Europe's red Smash 3DS XL beside a blue counterpart. With no mention of an included Smash download like the European bundle, the flier prices both red and blue versions at $199.96 and features a "Get it First!" logo that dates the hardware for September 19. If you're particular about your special edition handhelds, the Japanese Smash 3DS XL swaps the series' name for a larger, lighter Smash Ball logo. Regardless of your 3DS XL preference, even if the special edition reaches the States, you'd still need to decide whether you're holding off for the new, Xenoblade-compatible 3DS and 3DS XL models. [Image: NeoGAF/Wal-Mart]
Joystiq Weekly: Amazon buys Twitch, Madden 15 review, Early Access feature and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. PAX Prime 2014 is already underway, but as fun as joining a swarm of people buzzing around video game displays can be, you don't even have to leave the house to get this weekend's highlights. Well, unless your house is a black hole for Internet and phone reception ... The point is, Joystiq is on the front lines of PAX Prime, ignoring sensible limitations to bring you a slew of news and previews. With this morning's proof that survival in numbers is a relative concept in Don't Starve Together and a reminder that thinking every MOBA is interchangeable is a mistake when it comes to Gigantic, the good stuff is already underway. There's always yesterday's reveal of Xbox One and PS4 versions of Saints Row 4 too, as well as a new, standalone expansion called Saints Row: Gat out of Hell. Stick with us until PAX Prime's conclusion on Monday, September 1, and in return we'll tell you all about the show's highlights without subjecting you to the dreaded PAX Pox. For now though, we've got a full recap of this week's news, reviews and features. Amazon's surprise acquisition of Twitch, Nintendo's new 3DS models, reviews of Madden NFL 15 and The Walking Dead's season finale, an examination of what makes Early Access such a valuable space to developers ... it's all arranged neat and orderly-like for you after the break!
Nintendo reveals first Amiibo figures and prices, but no release date
Nintendo revealed an initial line up of Amiibo toys on Thursday. The near-field communication-equipped action figures compatible with Nintendo Wii U and 3DS games like Super Smash Bros. will cost $12.99 each when they launch, but Nintendo has yet to announce an official release date for the line beyond 2014. The first wave includes 12 figures, among them many that were initially unveiled at E3 2014. Metroid's Samus, The Legend of Zelda's Link, Kirby, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, Pikachu, the Animal Crossing boy villager, and Super Mario Bros.' Mario, Princess Peach, and Yoshi populate the line. There are also figures of Marth from the Fire Emblem series and the Wii Fit trainer. Some figures shown in prototype form at E3 2014, including Princess Zelda and Kid Icarus, are not included in the first wave. While Nintendo still hasn't confirmed a release date for its Amiibo, it did announce additional games that will support the figures, including Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Yoshi's Wooly World, Mario Party 10, and Mario Kart 8. Show full PR text SUPER SMASH BROS., AMIIBO, POKÉMON AND NEW HARDWARE BUNDLES STAR IN NINTENDO'S HOLIDAY LINEUP Pre-Orders for First 12 amiibo Figures Kick off Nintendo's Holiday Season REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 29, 2014 – Nintendo has prepared a massive lineup of new games and products for the 2014 holiday season. The lineup includes new entries from some of the biggest franchises in gaming, new hardware bundles for Wii U and Nintendo 2DS, and new amiibo interactive figures featuring some of the most iconic characters in the world of video games. The holiday shopping season begins today for Nintendo fans, as the first 12 amiibo interactive figures become available for pre-order at a suggested retail price of just $12.99 each. The first dozen characters available for pre-order at select retailers are Mario, Peach, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Pikachu, Kirby, Fox, Marth, Villager and Wii Fit Trainer, with more on the way in the future. "Nintendo's holiday offerings demonstrate a combination of fun franchises and great value," said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "With Wii U and Nintendo 2DS hardware bundles, classic names like Super Smash Bros., Bayonetta and Pokémon, new IP like Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and amiibo, everyone will find something to love about Nintendo this holiday season. Whether people are shopping for themselves or they're prepping their gift lists, Nintendo has them covered." Interactive amiibo Figures: Nintendo's foray into the toys-to-life category starts today, with the first 12 amiibo figures available to pre-order from select retailers. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, which launches this holiday season, will be the first game with full integration of amiibo functionality. Other games that will support amiibo include Mario Kart 8, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Mario Party 10 and Yoshi's Woolly World, with more to come. More details on amiibo functionality with the various games and a launch date will be revealed shortly.
Gamescom Awards evolve, favor 2K's monstrous game
The votes are in, and the winner of the Gamescom 2014 Awards is ... *drumroll* Oh, you saw the headline and figured out the pun already? Well, you're right; it's Evolve, the 4v1 monster-on-human huntfest from Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock Studios. The game took home not only the award for "Best of Gamescom," but also the awards for "Best Console Game Microsoft Xbox," "Best PC Game," "Best Action Game" and "Best Online Multiplayer Game." Other highlights include Super Smash Bros. taking home the "Best Mobile Game" award for its 3DS iteration, while its console counterpart took home the "Most Wanted Consumer Award," a title that premiered at this year's ceremony. LittleBigPlanet 3 also won multiple awards, specifically the "Best Social / Casual / Online Game" award and the "Best Family Game" award. We're relatively sure that Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call won the award for "Best Simulation Game" due to its simulation of music, but we can pretend it won because it simulates being an adorable JRPG character singing along to catchy tunes, too. Check out the full list of winners after the break.
Super Smash Bros raises its 'Special Flag,' waves in Meta Knight
Among the growing list of playable characters in Super Smash Bros. is Meta Knight, the Kirby character that first enrolled in the series' battles in 2008's Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Director Masahiro Sakurai revealed the character's inclusion in a recent Miiverse post, adding that the developer "didn't forget the Battleship Halberd either," Meta Knight's ship. Sakurai also noted that Meta Knight's "up special" move, Shuttle Loop, has been changed for the upcoming Smash Bros. "The glide is gone, and the attack slashes opponents twice while spinning in a large loop," he wrote. Sakurai also discussed the new Special Flag item in the game in a separate update. Should players raise the flag above their heads without interruption long enough, they'll receive an addition KO count in time matches or an extra stock in stock matches, which can make all the difference in those game modes. As a result, Sakurai expects that players will fight for the flag once it appears, similar to series' Smash Ball. He also detailed the 3DS version's single player offerings today, which will receive a special 3DS XL bundle once Super Smash Bros. launches on October 3 before the Wii U version hits this winter. [Image: Nintendo]
Ba-Ding! Game Boy stage joins the Super Smash Bros. 3DS fight
Super Smash Bros. on the 3DS will feature a stage inspired by Nintendo's famous handheld, the Game Boy - AKA that "old DS" where you have to actually press buttons. Game director Masahiro Sakurai posted a picture of the stage to Miiverse earlier this week, noting that, "If you turn on the 3D effect, it really looks like there's a Game Boy inside the screen." It's hard to tell exactly how the stage will function, but if we were to make a guess, we'd say it might behave similar to Flat Zone from Super Smash Bros. Melee. In that level - which is inspired by Game & Watch devices - players would have to battle one another as backgrounds changed to various Game & Watch games. Similar to the newly-unveiled Game Boy stage, Flat Zone featured walls around the stage designed to look like the edges of a handheld device. Hopefully the experience doesn't get too authentic, or we'll find ourselves unable to play unless we have a bright light shining on our 3DS systems. Guess we'll find out on October 3. [Image: Nintendo]