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PSA: Final days to earn eShop credit in Wii U Deluxe promo
If you purchased a Wii U Deluxe (that's the black one with 32GB of onboard storage) at any point since the console's November 18, 2012 launch, you're eligible for Nintendo's Deluxe Digital promotion, which awards 10 percent of all digital purchases back to the buyer in the form of eShop credit. Unfortunately for anyone just hearing of the deal, that rebate is about to come to an end. "The deadline for earning points in the Deluxe Digital Promotion is December 31, 2014," reads an "Important News" bulletin at the promotion's website. "Only eligible purchases or eligible download codes used in Nintendo eShop for Wii U before December 31, 2014 will qualify for this promotion." Fortunately, Nintendo is not entirely shuttering the promotion at the end of the year. Anyone with sufficient points remaining in their Deluxe Digital account to earn eShop credit will be able to make the exchange until March 31, 2015. For more information, visit the Deluxe Digital home page. [Image: Nintendo]
Shovel Knight sells in spades, surpasses 300K units
Shovel Knight moved heaven and earth - mostly earth - to exceed 300,000 sales worldwide since launching back in June. Yacht Club's crowdfunded homage to 8-bit classics shifted 180,000 units in its first month, surpassing the dev's expectations. Shovel Knight's now close to double that figure following last month's belated launch on the European eShop. While six figures ain't to be sniffed at, it's not yet the seven Yacht Club was aiming for after its prolific launch and critical success. "Our new goal is the quest to 1 million sold," programmer David D'Angelo said in August, "to truly solidify Shovel Knight as a modern platinum classic! For all of you who had doubts that a Wii U game or a digital game on a Nintendo platform could sell, we hope these facts show that a good game on any system, marketed the right way, can sell."
Space shooters Ultratron, Titan Attacks flying to new platforms
Curve Digital will publish two of Puppy Games' arcade-style space shooters on new platforms: Ultratron and Titan Attacks. Ultratron will reach PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Wii U and Vita early next year, and features twin-stick "arena shooter action." As for the Space Invaders-like Titan Attacks, Curve will distribute the game on 3DS in early 2015 as well. Titan Attacks launched on PlayStation systems earlier this year. Ultratron arrived on Steam in March 2013 and is considered a "throwback" to Vid Kidz' 1982 arcade shooter, Robotron. The game features a "full upgrade system" and adaptive difficulty settings. Ultratron will be Cross-Buy-enabled on PlayStation systems, and is expected to launch in the same week on Wii U and Xbox One. Head past the break to check out a trailer of the game's PC version. [Image: Puppy Games]
New Nintendo eShop releases: Captain Toad - The First Adventure
This is your Captain speaking. There are other eShop games this week, like Virtual Console cats Lode Runner and Fire Emblem on Wii U, and Ultimate NES Remix on 3DS. For your own safety, I think it's high time you buckled up and got my game, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. I'm behind the wheel and that means you can be sure of a smooth landing, ohhhh yeahhh. Before I clear you for take off, just a few last things. For extra comfort, check out the full list of eShop releases below the break and the full list of discounted games here. Finally, if you'd like to see our in-flight range of scarves, be sure to request the new Wii U demo of Sonic Boom. This is your Captain and resident fun guy signing off, ready for adventure.
SteamWorld: Heist expands to consoles, PC platforms
Image & Form's turn-based strategy game SteamWorld Heist is coming to "all current platforms," studio CEO Brjann Sigurgeirsson revealed this week. SteamWorld: Heist is now scheduled for release on the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, and Xbox One, along with Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. Heist follows up on the studio's mining-themed action game SteamWorld: Dig, which was featured as one of last month's free PlayStation Plus releases. Image & Form is also considering a mobile release, though plans have not yet solidified. SteamWorld: Heist will premiere as a staggered release across all of its announced platforms starting in spring 2015. [Image: Image & Form]
Y2K: Paranormal elevator death, new RPG systems, no hipsters
Y2K stars Alex, a young man with thick-rimmed glasses, a full beard and a flannel shirt over a nerdy retro tee and jeans. He fights enemies with vinyl records. Need more hipster cred? Developer AckkStudios describes the plot of Y2K as follows: "When an erratically behaving elevator claims the life of a young woman, unemployed recent college graduate Alex Eggleston takes to a primitive 1990s message board to find answers about the death of this stranger. His quest for answers leads to more questions as his research points him to a mysterious van the internet has dubbed the 'Death Cab.'" Yes, Death Cab. Y2K may seem like a hipster paradise, but AckkStudios co-founder Brian Allanson tells Joystiq that Alex isn't a hipster – he's just a guy who knows what he likes. The same goes for the entire, real-life development team. "For the characters in the game: No, they don't view themselves as hipsters," Allanson says. "Alex is a little bit oblivious to the fact that he's so hip. He's just living his life with his interests. Personally, speaking for the team, we don't call ourselves hipsters. If someone called us that we'd accept that as a description because we are some young people making an indie game – and that's pretty hip, I guess. Although we're really nothing like the characters in Y2K."
PSA: Nintendo investigating Wii U error code issues
After reports rolled in yesterday about Super Smash Bros. and other Wii U games being met with error codes that resulted in a loss of system functionality, Nintendo acknowledged that it is investigating the problems. Error codes 160-0103 and 160-1710 "could affect the ability of the system to function properly" for a "small percentage of consumers playing Wii U," Nintendo of America told Joystiq. The reported issues varied from a loss of data to games on the system being unplayable entirely, issues that persisted within the data management menu on the Wii U for some. The error messages note that "there is a problem with the system memory." Nintendo encourages anyone experiencing the errors codes to call the Nintendo contact center at 1-800-255-3700 for help, until a solution is available. [Image: Nintendo]
Nintendo and Philips resolve 'virtual body' dispute
Nintendo and Philips resolved their patent disputes by signing a licensing agreement, the technology company announced. Per the agreement, both Nintendo and Philips will "cross-license portions of each company's patent portfolio." However, Philips did not disclose any other terms or financial details for the licensing agreement. Philips filed a complaint against Nintendo in May, alleging that the video game maker infringed on Philips' patent '379, "Virtual Body Control Device." Philips said it sent notice of the alleged infringement to Nintendo in December 2011, claiming a second instance of infringement in May for patent '231, "User Interface System Based on Pointing Device." In June, a UK court found that Nintendo's reasons for developing various devices and controllers for its Wii, Wii U and DS consoles with both motion-sensing tech and cameras in it to be "unconvincing." [Image: Nintendo]
Report: Super Smash Bros. Wii U error code bricking systems
A memory-corrupting error reportedly stemming from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is rendering some Wii U consoles unusuable, multiple sources claim. Users experiencing Error Code 160-0103 report a number of related issues, ranging from data deletion to unplayable games. In some cases, a related error message (160-1710) persists even in the Wii U's Data Management menu, requiring the console to be shipped to Nintendo for repair. "There is a problem with the system memory," the error message reads. "For help, make a note of the error code and visit support.nintendo.com." A specific cause has not been determined, but many users report experiencing the issue after turning the system off and back on again after a Super Smash Bros. for Wii U session. Issues related to Error Code 160-0103 were infrequently reported prior to the release of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and a reliable solution is not yet known. Joystiq has reached out to Nintendo regarding the error message, but has not received a response. [Update: A Reddit post clarifies that the problem is not exclusively caused by Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, citing previous user experiences with Hyrule Warriors, Mario Kart 8, and other Wii U games. Faulty flash memory chips are suspected to be at fault, though a consistent, proven cause remains unknown.] [Image: Trippy12345ify]
Double-cannon Samus Amiibo fetches $2,500 on eBay
A defective Samus Amiibo proved this week that double the firepower can translate into many more multiples the cash. After discovering the potentially one-of-its-kind figure with two arm cannons rather than the regular one, a lucky Best Buy customer turned his $13 purchase into a $2,500 golden ticket on eBay. Nintendo's Amiibo range launched last month, providing Wii U users with Skylanders-like toys that are compatible with games including Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 8. As GameSpot reports, Adam Truesdale was one of many customers who bought the Samus Amiibo, and he was all ready to rip into the case until a friend pointed out the defect.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker review - Locked and Toaded
Wii U Toad doesn't get the credit he deserves. He helpfully points you in the right direction whenever the princess is in another castle. His small size is an aerodynamic advantage when you plop him in a go-kart. And he was always willing to give you items in Super Mario 3D World, even after you thanked him with a fireball to the face. Now, Toad's distant relative, Captain Toad, has taken off on an adventure of his own. While Mario and company were off fighting Bowser in 3D World, Captain Toad starred in a series of unique puzzle levels that stood out thanks to their compact size and laid-back pacing. These levels made such a strong impression that they landed him a starring role in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, a fully fledged spin-off release for the Wii U. While I wondered if Captain Toad's limited capabilities and the small scale of his adventures could support a full retail release, Treasure Tracker emerges as a pleasant surprise. It fully explores its limited scope, and offers a satisfying quest in its own right.
Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire score Pokemon's biggest UK launch
In Brit-news, Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire out-debuted Pokemon X and Y by 17 percent, earning the series' biggest launch in UK charts history. The 3DS remakes hit 3 million sales in 3 days ahead of last week's launch in Britain, where they topped DS titles Black and White to capture the country's Poke-record. The two games landed in sixth and seventh in this week's charts, but combined they'd have charted in third. As for the rest of the top ten, it was a case of big-selling musical chairs at the summit and underwhelming debuts for exclusives. Starting at the top, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare took back the No. 1 spot from Grand Theft Auto 5, which fell to third with FIFA 15 up to second. Lower down, PS4 racer Driveclub rose to eighth with a massive 999 percent jump in sales on the back of Black Friday console promotions. November 28 wasn't as prolific a day for two big-profile launches, though. Super Smash Bros. only rose to 13th following the arrival of its Wii U version, while LittleBigPlanet 3 came in even lower in 18th.
Square Enix augments store with Cyber Monday sales
You may have survived Black Friday, but don't get cocky - America loves to shop, and a slew of online deals is about to invade the interwebs thanks to Cyber Monday. One such deal comes to us courtesy of Square Enix, which is cutting prices of items sold via its online store by 60 percent. There are more than 225 games, DLC packs and physical collectibles on sale, including games like Thief, Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, Drakengard 3, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Tomb Raider. The deals end Monday evening at 11:59 Pacific. [Image: Square Enix]
Smash Bros. sells over 490K on Wii U in three days
Super Smash Bros. is the fastest-selling Wii U game to launch in the United States, according to a press release issued by Nintendo today. The publisher says it sold more than 490,000 copies of the game from its launch on November 21 through November 23. The figure represents sales at retail as well as digital copies of the game. The sales data pairs well with the portable version of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, which reached over 3.22 million copies sold as of late October. Those that own copies of the game on both platforms will receive the Pokemon character Mewtwo as a playable fighter down the road, though Nintendo may also opt to offer the fighter as premium DLC as well. Nintendo also launched its line of NFC-capable figures on the same day as Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Amiibo, which can become pretty dastardly in the fighting game. The publisher did not offer any early sales data for Amiibo. [Image: Nintendo]
Marvel's Venom infects Zen Pinball games next month
Zen Studios announced a new table for its pinball games based on the popular villain from Marvel's Spider-Man universe, Venom. The table explores Venom's rivalry with Spider-Man as well as Carnage, the offspring of the dark Symbiote, hosted by the first of Venom's victims from the webbed superhero's comics, Eddie Brock. As with Zen Studios' other tables, the add-on will launch for multiple Zen Pinball and Pinball FX games on December 10 and December 11. It will cost $2.99 (€2.99/£2.49) for Zen Pinball 2 and Pinball FX 2 players on PS4, PS3, Vita, PC, Mac, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Wii U. Those playing Zen Pinball, Zen Pinball HD and Marvel Pinball on iOS and Android will need to pay $1.99 (€1.79/£1.49) to access the Venom table in those games. [Image: Zen Studios]
Joystiq Streams: Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker's wild ride on Wii U
Sick of living in the shadow of monarchs and plumbers, Toad and Toadette are striking out on their own. No more waiting in an angry turtle's castle just to tell you to look somewhere else for a princess! No more playing second fiddle in the platforming antics of Mario and his pals! Toadette and Toad seek only the thrill of the open road, the intoxicating rush of discovery. Their quest for independence and untold riches is irresistible, and so we must acquiesce: Today we stream Captain Toad:Treasure Tracker for Nintendo Wii U. Join us as we dive into a smattering of levels from Nintendo's new puzzler adventure for Wii U on Joystiq Streams. Spoiler alert: We will, in the course of the game, be solving puzzles, so if you'd rather not see the solutions, avert thine eyes! We'll begin the action on Joystiq.com/Twitch at 4:00PM EST. Dig our streams? Follow us on Twitch to catch them all. [Images: Nintendo]
Rayman Legends concept video showcases scrapped NFC features
While Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and its Amiibo army are currently dominating store shelves, Ubisoft's Rayman Legends was once slated to be the first Wii U game to offer figure-powered nearfield communication (NFC) features, Unseen 64 reports. The concept trailer above, intended for internal use within Ubisoft, shows players summoning new elements into levels by placing figures (including a Rabbid toy) on the Wii U gamepad. The footage features a prototype Wii U controller that hadn't finalized its NFC technology, so figures are placed on the gamepad's screen, rather than on the NFC badge present in the final version. Ubisoft eventually scrapped its plans for NFC support, and Rayman Legends figures never made it to retail. Unseen 64 additionally shows off concept art for levels that didn't make the cut for the final version of Rayman Legends, including a recently unearthed "Dracula's Castle" world. A concept video showcasing these levels is available here. [Video: Ubisoft / Liam Robertson]
Fox loses his head in Super Smash Bros. glitch video
Something strange is going on in the world of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U...in this one bugged copy of the game, anyway. Player Terrence Boykin has taken to Miiverse to post screenshots of misshapen Marios, Yoshis, and Zero Suit Samuses, but the newly-released video above is the real kicker. What's with King Dedede's face? And where did Fox's head go? What's happening here, and why? WHY!? [Video: Nintendo / Terrence Boykin]
Grand Theft Auto 5 becomes the UK's all-time bestseller
The new king of Britain is Grand Theft Auto 5, after it claimed the crown for the most units sold in the nation in the ever of ever. On the back of hitting PS4 and Xbox One, Rockstar's latest crime circus usurped the former rule of Call of Duty: Black Ops, according to data-bods Chart Track. While Chart Track didn't report specific sales figures, MCV claims GTA 5 was at "almost 4 million" units sold in the UK ahead of its arrival on the newest systems. As per other re-releases, GTA 5 offers enhanced graphics on PS4 and Xbox One. In its case, however, there's also the undoubted showpiece of the new first-person camera. "Rather than lowering the camera and shoving it in the chests of its three protagonists, GTA 5's first-person mode adds detailed animations that give the perspective a feeling more akin to simulation than a shooter," said Joystiq's Xav de Matos in our updated review. GTA 5 isn't the only rock star in this week's UK charts, so head below the break to see how well Far Cry 4 and Dragon Age: Inquisition did, and just how badly Sonic Boom flopped. You'll also find the UK top ten and, as ever, the minimally-beloved customary music video.
Walmart and Amazon list more Amiibo figures for December 14
We already knew that Amiibo figures for Captain Falcon, Diddy Kong, Little Mac, Luigi, Pit and Zelda would be worming their way into our hearts and onto our shelves sometime in December, but Amazon and Walmart seem to have narrowed that window down to a single day: December 14. When browsing Walmart's website, a release date of 12/14/2014 can be seen next to each of the aforementioned figures, ditto for Amazon. And it's not just online listings - the official Walmart Twitter account has also seemingly confirmed the date. "Yes, the release date for Captain Falcon Amiibo is set for December 14," the "Walmart Elves" tweeted to a prospective Amiibo purchaser after he inquired if the date was official. Of course, numbers on the internet and even Santa's helpers can be wrong from time to time, but it probably wouldn't hurt to stake out your spot in line if there's a particular figure you need to add to your collection. [Image: Nintendo]
