Nintendo 5-Star

Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 announced!

noreply@blogger.com (EggBeatr8) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 00:47:00 +0000

And they said it wouldn't happen. Tsk, Tsk.

Prepare to journey back to Unova, because the new iteration (or make that iterations) to Pokemon Black/White are announced for the Nintendo DS! Numbered remakes? Now that's an interesting first...for this series anyway. And it seems Zekrom and Reshirim have received surprising new make-overs. (Is that Kyurem armor???) The games are set for a Spring release in Japan, so don't expect these titles overseas until at least the third quarter, but expect many more surprises as we continue through 2012.

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Also, in other news, The Last Story is set for an American release! Can this year get any better?!

Event Pokemon Keldeo revealed!

noreply@blogger.com (EggBeatr8) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:38:00 +0000

My Little Pokemon.~

Keldeo, the Legendary Colt Pokemon, has been announced for Japan Pokemon events! Don't worry though, just check back in the Pokemon Global Trade Center a few weeks from now, and you may get yourself a fine Keldeo in exchange for a shiny Celebi! Who knows?

Wii, the best selling console worldwide to date + 3DS still selling fine

noreply@blogger.com (EggBeatr8) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:19:00 +0000

Bravo, my boy!

Recent figures of the three leading consoles show that the Wii has outsold both the Xbox360 and PS3 in total sales to date.

Official Figures:

Wii - 95 million
360 - 66 million
PS3 - 62 million

And the once predicted doomed 3DS is now soaring in sales. especially in Japan:

3DS: 84,789 (Last week: 80,960)
PlayStation 3: 22,924 (21,155)
PS Vita: 18,942 (15,219)
PSP: 16,008 (17,181)
Wii: 10,396 (10,173)
Xbox 360: 1235 (1588)
DSi XL: 1180 (1200)
DSi: 738 (822)
PlayStation 2: 713 (903)

Note that sales are subject to change in a flash, but it's great to see Nintendo's consoles doing great after all the predictions of gloom and doom.

Resident Evil REVELAITONS

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:03:00 +0000

Yay, another of Capcom's box art mistakes, and another game that will become a collector's item because of it. Who's got this pre-ordered?

Capcom has issues public apologies for the mistake and is fixing the next batch of copies.

Nintendo Network

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:03:00 +0000

Nintendo's investors meeting just passed, and with it came a ton of statements from the big man Iwata himself. A lot of interesting things this time around: from the announcement that their next console, the Wii U, would be released towards the end of 2012, that the final product may not even be called the Wii U at all, lots of sales figures showing positive growth for 3DS, projected ~~earnings~~ losses for the past year, and this year's games to look forward to. A ton of games.

But by far the most interesting was the mention of Nintendo Network (top pic); Nintendo's own step into the online world which the other console makers have inhabited for years now. Typical of them to be late to the party, but better late than never!

The details Nintendo were willing to disclose about the new service are:

Free and paid DLC (downloadable content) for 3DS and Wii U games, the first of which will be Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, in which you can download extra songs online
Digital distribution of physical copies of games, much like what Sony was gunning for when it launched the PSPGo and subsequently ran both physical and digital in tandem
Personal accounts, so family members can share games
Games to make use of online networks, like in Mario Kart 7's Communities, which are usergroups that can be set up so everyone in it can race together easily.

I'm actually quite stoked about the idea of Nintendo finally offering downloadable content, so hopefully it comes at a reasonable price and will not seem like an attempt to rip anyone off like in cartridge-locked content that has to be paid for. Current DLC packs for most games, for me anyway (I'm a stingy bastard when it comes to digital downloads), are still too pricey. A costume pack in Marvel vs Capcom 3 for $5, which add virtually no functionality to the game? I'd pay that price for an extra character or two, but not extra aesthetics that go to waste because all your attention is focused on fighting instead of marveling the new threads. Nintendo's DLC better be worth the money, and storage problems need to be solved as well.

Even more so because of their plan to offer digital downloads. Everyone in Nintendo 5-Star is mixed on the issue; some view it as a blessing because digital downloads cost less to produce than physical copies, others don't think so because they're more inconvenient to share around and hard drive space is always limited, more so on a Nintendo console. If things go the way they should, Nintendo would end up with a tandem strategy of selling physical copies and digital downloads as well like Sony is doing, which is win-win for both sides of the argument. Personally I'll still stick to physical. Call me old-fashioned but it just feels more secure to me. Having a physical copy means the game is in your hands for good. A digital one runs the risk of being deleted at any time and you can't lend it to your friend or little brother or whatever who wants to try the game out. Legally speaking lending games to others is frowned upon but with Nintendo being so community-based and family friendly, will this strategy work?

Also for the Wii U, we are planning to introduce a personal account system compatible with Nintendo Network. With this, for example, the ease of using a video game system when the hardware is shared by multiple family members, which has been a challenge we needed to tackle, shall be improved, and we will also be able to construct and offer the system by combining a variety of different services and content. ~Satoru Iwata

Which is why the 3rd point excites me. Profiles for each family member so they can access the same games as you? It would work on the Wii U regardless as everyone uses one console anyway, but I really hope for something like this to be implemented on portables as well. Something that links a few 3DSes together and then digital games can be transferred freely to and fro between them, for family usage. It's exploitable, but that's the only way I can see digital downloads as being slightly more appealing, cause currently they seem like a legally bound, cold area of gaming to me. I'm sure the console makers can figure this one out, maybe extra security measures or something.

The problem now is as I mentioned above, other console makers have been in the online space for years and are more hands-on experienced in it, while Nintendo is just starting out. What does Nintendo have to make its own online offering relevant? What does Nintendo plan to do to entice those already accustomed to online networks on other consoles to support their own? What does Nintendo offer that its competition still doesn't? Nintendo being late to the party is fine, but if it's a party that no one has interest in joining then they are still in trouble in terms of online.

Not to say there's no hope though, we've always trusted Nintendo to pull off miraculous things when we least expect it (well, except for the bloody Friend Code system which is being phased out to much fanfare). No matter how they decide to improve from here on it's definitely going to look better than Nintendo's current online service. The only question is how much better. Good luck there!

Future Zelda Games We'd Hope To See.

noreply@blogger.com (EggBeatr8) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:34:00 +0000

What's in store for the next Zelda?

A new Zelda game is always great news to cheer about. The time in between then...well, it's just speculations, rumors, and unfortunately a few hoaxes here and there. We can't say for certain what the next Zelda will be for certain, but we sure hope a future Zelda title will be along the lines of...

Wii U/3DS Four Swords: It's been over 6 years since a new Four Swords games has been released, which is quite odd when you think about it. With today's wireless tech you'd think the Wii would've been a great candidate for the game, but alas it never came to the system. And then came the rumors of the Wii U's screen pad controller, and we thought for 100% certainty that a four Swords would be announced for this new system. E3 came, no Four Swords. All we got was a port of the GBA Four Swords that was originally included with Link to the Past. Which isn't bad, but a Wii U-to-3DS Four Swords would be amazing. With the Wii U's best gen graphics, this could look like one of the best 2-D games ever made. If a Four Swords isn't announced next E3, you'll be sure to know that I'll be the one scratching his head.

8-bit Zelda: I'm putting on my "nostalgia glasses" for this one. Hey, if Mega Man can go 8-bit so can Zelda! Take me back to the glory days, Nintendo! I want to do everything that modern Zelda games do: ride Epona through a broad overworld, travel from dark to light worlds, and upgrade my weapons via RPG style! But, of course, if you don't want to, Nintendo that's alright with me... (you could always make an 8-bit Super Mario Bros. 4 instead. *hint, hint*)

Tetra's own adventure: In Wind Waker, Tetra was the sarcastic (but secretly nice) pirate, helping Link throughout his quest, and shocking players by being revealed as the direct bloodline of Zelda. But the rest of Tetra's backstory is a mystery. That's where a spin-off would come in: you'd play as Tetra the pirate as she forms her own group of sailors, and travels the seas looking for treasure. The game will explain more details about Tetra, give in def backstories about her crew, explain how she obtained the Triforce of Wisdom, and give a more clear link (pun not intended) of Ocarina of Time to the Wind Waker series. And how many modern games let you play as a pirate? We need more pirates!

A cross-over: Yes, I'm treading territory that will get me flamed, but there needs to be at least one cross-over! Mario and Zelda? Dynasty Warriors and Zelda? Final Fantasy Zelda? Marvel vs. Capcom vs. Zelda????

....Okay, maybe I'll let Nintendo decide what the next Zelda will be.

Dual Version Zelda games coming to the 3DS?

noreply@blogger.com (EggBeatr8) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:01:00 +0000

Said to originate from the forum site 4Chan, the above image apparently hints of two dual version Zelda games in the making for the 3DS. Translated, their sub-titles are 'Fire Prophecy' and 'Ice Prophecy' respectively. Fake, or are these the next Zelda titles we can expect?

All I can say is, if it's legit, I have dibs on Fire Prophecy.

UPDATE: The games are confirmed to be fake. Oh, well.

What is the future of Nintendo Home Console Support?

noreply@blogger.com (EggBeatr8) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:27:00 +0000

Are Wii U ready?

In an attempt to broaden an audience of a new fan base of paying gamers, it would seem logical to release a game on every system not only to benefit the gamers that don’t have the other systems, but also for the game developers themselves to gain more feedback to make even better games. So why on earth do the developers opt to the pick-and-choose option to releasing a game(s) on a select few systems rather than all of them, and shun a perfectly good fan base just because of fear that the potential buyers would be few and would rather buy the same game on HD supported systems? Yes, I’m talking about the third parties, and that system I was referring to is the Wii . 2011 was both a hit-and-miss for third party games on the system: on one hand we did get Rayman Origins out of nowhere, but on the other hand we could’ve gotten more for a system that’s on it’s last life. It’s times like these when the Wii’s hardware comes back to haunt it and the system not supporting HD graphics is a big turnoff for third party developers that want their games to look perfect. Wii’s first-party support this year is nothing to sneeze at though, and I have to hand it to Nintendo for handling yet another stellar year, and Skyward Swords delivered what it promised, but I just wish third parties did the same.

Here's a couple of examples of third-party ignorance: Capcom could have very well released Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on the Wii, but shunned it downed, and as if to point the middle finger at Nintendo gamers later released Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and made Pheonix Wright of the prior DS exclusive Ace Attorney series one of the playable characters. And most recently SEGA announced that they would not be releasing Sonic 4: Episode 2 on WiiWare because of updated graphics from the first episode (and at this point you know that whenever a developer comes up and says, “This game will have improved graphics…” you know it won’t be coming to the Wii). SEGA also didn’t release Sonic Generations on the Wii last year, but oddly released it on the 3DS instead. It was later made clear by the “In 3-D!” logo on the Xbox360/PS3 versions of the game that SEGA didn’t release the game on the Wii because it didn’t support 3-D. You can easily say: “But they gave us exclusives Tatsunoko vs. Capcom and Sonic Colors a few years back so stop whining!” but again I question why they would shun a new fan base and release the game on all systems except the Wii when they could’ve made more profit off of it. And they choose not to do it when 2011 looked like it was the last year of the Wii? Come on now!

This is what I originally feared for the Wii U: third party developers would look at the system, think they would have to use a gimmicky controllers whether they want to or not, and just doom the system with cash-in shovel ware and give other systems actual games just like how they treated the Wii (I‘m staring at you SoulCalibur Adventure). We’ve already lost Capcom, and other companies like Ubi-Soft have just used the Wii as a dart board to randomly shoot shovel ware at the system until the whole Wii game aisle at Best Buy is infested with garbage games shadowing good games like weeds choking on flowers, because Wii remote wagglin’ is so compulsory and necessary it must be in every game they make NO MATTER WHAT! (meanwhile, the Virtual Console controller stares on blankly)

But I got news for you: the Wii Isn’t done just yet, shovel ware is on all systems and we must accept it, and Crapcom was always Crapcom (just sayin‘). In it’s life time, the Wii has accomplished creating a whole new fan base of people that never have played games, gave us exclusives that you can’t play anywhere else, and made us feel young again with Virtual Console, but I still feel only 60% of the system has been really tapped and explored. Nonetheless, the Wii will not die in infamy and just be considered a “fad toy”. No, it’s legacy will live on forever - in a new form called the Wii U. Here’s to hoping that third parties will give the Wii U a chance; make us proud to be Nintendo gamers.

Pokemon + Nobunaga Crossover heading to DS next year.

noreply@blogger.com (EggBeatr8) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:59:00 +0000

All I can say is,"huh"?

Once every blue moon a crossover comet streaks through the open sky, flailing it's multiple arms about screaming: "Hi there!" No, it's not just a hybrid of two delicious holy entities of Peanut Butter and chocolate, it's more than that. This unpredictable force breaks the mold of gaming, shattering the tried and true formula of making a franchise, release a sequel every year, try to improve them as time goes by not making them feel all the same, etc., but instead combines two incredible series and in the process creates a whole new different franchise all on it's own. Who would've thought that a Disney and Final Fantasy crossover would've worked as well as it did, spanning sequels, prequels, and spin-offs while created a new fanbase of gamers? Who would thought we'd see Marvel heroes/villains duke it out with Street Fighter characters, or Pheonix Wright and Professor Layton would be pointing fingers and yelling "Objection!" in a courtroom together?

I am proud to say that this tradition of crossovers is not over; a new crossover is in the making for the DS: Pokemon will team up with characters from the popular turn-based grand role-playing PC game Nobunaga Ambition. Players will command their team of Pokemon in turn-based battles in an ancient Japanese setting against other Warlords (who spark a mild resemblance to their main Pokemon) commanded by the main warlord of the game, Nobunaga, who is seen with his Zekrom. The game let's choose to be either male or female and your default Pokemon is none other than the versatile Eevee. So it's more or less the same Pokemon game we've grown to love with a slight Tactics twist. A trailer of the game is released and images of the game can be seen here.

The game is due for release in Japan sometime next Spring. No word on an America release, but knowing how well Pokemon games sell in America, it would be a shame for both the fans and Nintendo if it wasn't released in the West.

It's great to see two franchises like these unexpectedly clash, and if the game becomes popular enough to garner sequels, then color me excited.

3DS Ambassador GBA game list

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:54:00 +0000

And it is......fricking amazing stuff.

F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
Mario Kart Super Circuit
Mario vs Donkey Kong
Metroid Fusion
Wario Land 4
WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgame$

Depending on what you liked on the old GBA, these are some of the highest, most top quality Nintendo first party titles on the system and to be honest a lot of them haven't aged much at all! Yoshi's Island is top-notch, Zelda: Minish Cap is great, Kirby and the Amazing Mirror holds a special place in my heart, Wario Land 4 and WarioWare....oh em gee.

Although free for ambassadors, these are the kinds of games people would snap up in a heartbeat anyway even if they had to pay for them. Let's see a release to everyone else, Nintendo!

2012 Nintendo game release dates

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:49:00 +0000

And finally we get concrete dates on some of the other talked about games last year that couldn't make it before the end of this year, those that aren't named Zelda or Mario Kart or 3D Land. And some of them have really been sitting in TBA for a long, long time now *glares at Kid Icarus Uprising*

It's been in the 3DS hot seat since the console's revealing at E3 2010 but never made it to launch or anywhere near that. No idea why, but it's now slated for March 23 2012, according to Nintendo.

Remember this thing? I just posted about it right below this, and it's going to US as well, but not with Monster Hunter 3G in tow. Rather, it'll be released together with Resident Evil Revelations on February 7 2012. The catch? 3DS' very own frankenstick will only be sold in GameStop, much like the cautious limited US release for Xenoblade Chronicles. I don't understand why Nintendo are giving GameStop the exclusive treatment, it's just limiting sales.

The adorable Rhythm Heaven Wii which made a decent wave in Japan some months ago gets a new title, Rhythm Heaven Fever, and a box art bursting with color! It's coming on February 13, one week after RE Revelations.

No it's not a Mario bowling game, this is Mario Party 9, and it gets a 2012 release date on March 11. That's a goodd way to fill up the release schedule pre-E3 2012....maybe. I do dig some Mario Party though; been itching for something better than the mediocre MP8.

Okay so this may not be on every Wii gamer's wishlist but it's definitely something worth noting anyway since Pokepark 2, right from the first revealed screenshot, already looks ten times more polished than the first game and features at the very least more replayable minigames and battle games. Instead of Beyond the World, the US subtitle is Wonders Beyond, and it's coming on February 27, 2012.

Other release dates to look out for:

Tales of the Abyss for 3DS, February 14
Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games for 3DS, also February 14
Tekken 3D Prime Edition for 3DS on February 2012
Metal Gear Solid 3D on Q1 2012

And some other things including downloadable eShop and VC games are coming out too. Good ones at that; a Jett Rocket sequel on 3DS, VVVVV and Kirby's Block Ball among other things.

We've yet to hear from the other 3DS big titles like Luigi's Mansion 2 and Paper Mario, but time will tell.

In support of 3DS Circle Pad

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:04:00 +0000

Brought over from my other blog at Gamespot.com. I said I'd make a Circle Pad Pro post, so here it is!

Now, like anyone else I experienced the same backlash when I first found out and saw the Circle Pad Pro Nintendo was planning to release for 3DS. It looked ugly, it looked big, it looked uneccessary and my biggest issue with it was it had to use an AAA battery! Now what kind of half-hearted attempt is this? Knowing Nintendo this will probably be in the next hardware revision so why should I bother?

Except, you don't have to bother if you didn't need the 2nd analog in the first place, and if you wanted one, you don't have to wait for the hardware revision if you already own a 3DS, because after looking at it for a few weeks the Circle Pad Pro kind of settled on my mind and it wasn't so bad after all.

Now it's not in my power to change your opinion of what you think of the Circle Pad attachment, but I can at least dispel some of the unreasonable and unfounded attacks on it. A lot of retarded comments are made simply by looking at the accessory for one second then think 'It's crap' right away and act like they're being forced to pay $20 for it. Terrible attitude, guys. Especially if you don't take five minutes of your life to actually go find out more about it.

My counters to stupid comments?

1. Objects on the Internet look larger than they actually are

By far the greatest complaint was that the Circle Pad was too large. It's a valid complaint but not when 90% of people exaggerate the comment as if it was over 9000 metres/cubic miles/light years long. Get your ass back down to earth and actually LOOK at a real 3DS if you haven't. It's not THAT huge.

Now, I did a little measuring of my own based on a 3DS I saw from a store, and I'm going to use a picture for scale. The handheld itself is roughly 13.5 centimetres wide, about the same as the width of a DSi. That's already smaller than what most people would make the console out to be if they haven't yet seen a real one.

I brought this official picture to Photoshop and again did some measuring. To the right of the 3DS, the Circle Pad attachment adds around 2.7 cm to the width, and on the left no longer than 0.5 cm. Let's make that 3cm, shall we? So the total width of your 3DS with Circle Pad attached is now 16.5 centimetres. If you have a DSi, put 2 rulers on its side and add that extra width. Smaller than you thought right? I absolutely do not believe your palms cannot grip that extra 3 cm.

As for thickness?

(picture above taken at Tokyo Game Show 2011)

It resembles a Gamecube controller, only slightly less thick, though at this angle it's hard for me to judge it by scaling like I did with the first picture. This same size argument can be used for the Wii U controller as well, though that's a story for another day. It's also not as big as you might think.

Here's a few more pics for comparison. See how a human hand can still envelop the entire console and accessory comfortably?

2. It is not a prosthetic arm or leg to the 3DS

Aside from the obvious size issue the other thing I keep hearing is 'I can't bring this outside!' or 'how is this supposed to fit in my pocket?'. Newsflash: It's NOT supposed to fit in your pocket. It only compromises portablility if you actually USE it. So go ahead, buy it, place the 3DS on top of it. But when you bring your 3DS out of the house, you can take the 3DS away from the Slide Pad Pro, you retards. People are acting as if the attachment is permanently FUSED to the 3DS the moment you use it. You don't have to take it outside if you find it difficult to. Oh but what if the game I play supports the use of the Circle Pad Pro? That's my next point.

3. It is completely optional

Note, I said 'support'. 'Support' meaning the game can be played with the Circle Pad Pro as an ENHANCEMENT to the experience and your controls, but plays PERFECTLY WELL even without the accessory. This is one of the biggest misunderstandings of the circle pad, that every game that 'supports' it can't be played without it. Monster Hunter 3G proved it pretty well; you can use the D-Pad to control the camera in the absence of the Circle Pad Pro, or you can even assign camera controls to the touch screen! That's what the DS line handhelds were made for anyway!

Same case goes for the rest of the supported games; they can ALL be played without the Circle Pad Pro. There, you just saved 20 bucks on an accessory you weren't planning to buy but still want to be able to play, say, Metal Gear Solid without the thing being force-fed into your mouth. You're not being ripped off, the extra circle pad is an OPTION, not a NECESSITY. I can't stress this enough, can I?

This does not disprove that there will be a hardware revision with the 2nd analog and extra shoulder buttons put on the 3DS (i.e. Wiimote Plus), but if you already own a 3DS anyway you can choose whether to get it or not, it won't detract from your playing experience.

4. It's more than just a circle pad

This one's minor, but also applies to the same people who don't hunt for info long enough (apparently 5 minutes is too long for some attention spans...) but it's not just the circle pad that the accessory adds, it's three shoulder buttons. Three. So many possibilities in extra control mapping and people miss looking at it because all they see is the front view. Though like I said before all this stuff can be integrated onto the touch screen.

---

When it comes right down to it, there are still genuine drawbacks to the Circle Pad Pro, and it still indicates a lack of foresight by Nintendo (unless you want to think that this will remain optional throughout the 3DS' lifespan), but it's definitely not the size, nor the controller support, that people should be complaining about. Do at least some basic research before making yourself look stupid.

Xenoblade, are thou standing before me?

noreply@blogger.com (EggBeatr8) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:42:00 +0000

It’s official. Xenoblade is finally coming to North America via Gamestop exclusive! Surprised? I can’t blame you. With Nintendo’s response to Project Rainfall with a frequent "We never say 'never,' but we can confirm that there are no plans to bring these three games to the Americas at this time. Thanks so much for your passion, and for being such great fans!" chances of this game getting an American release just became dimmer and dimmer as the months went by. And considering Nintendo’s history of not bringing new IP titles overseas (Fatal Frame 4, Mother 3, Freshly Picked Tingle’s Rosy RupeeLand), it seemed uneventful that we would ever see Xenoblade. So it was a big slap in the face when this title was announced for Europe and soon Australia along with Pandora’s Tower and The Last Story; two other Japan exclusives. Not bashing Nintendo or anything, but that was a pretty dumb move.

But it’s finally coming. You can now pre-order the game on Gamestop. This is really happening!

This is not a time to hesitate; we need to show Nintendo that there ARE gamers like us that will buy these kinds of games. If you are the kind of gamer that is sick of seeing games like Mother 3 not being localized then you must act. Nintendo is not going to localize games that don’t sell: YOU have the power. Buying this game will say: “Yes Nintendo, we still support you! We are still your core gamers!” Make this a reality! AND If you don’t want new IP’s to become dust in the wind like the sadly underappreciated titles Drill Dozer, Chibi Robo, and Elite Beat Agents, which never became full series, then like I said before: you must be ready! We may never get a chance like this again, so we mustn’t fail. Spread the word. Tell every gamer. The final year of the Wii will not be in vain!

It’s coming. Can you believe it? And it’s all thanks to an unlikely source. Here’s to you Gamestop; I never thought I’d see the day that you’d do something that made me want to come to your store.

Will Zelda Wii U be a Skyrim-like experience?

noreply@blogger.com (EggBeatr8) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:23:00 +0000

This month two fantastic games were released: The Legend of Zelda Skyward Swords and The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim. Both are similar and different in their own right: Both are set in a fantasy world filled with secrets, but while Skyrim takes a realistic approach to graphics, Skyward Swords is Cel-shaded and colorful; and while Skyrim asks for a more mature crowd, Zelda appeals to a broad crowd of gamers, and etc. Though Zelda can’t quite compare to Skyrim’s enormous nonlinear world - or can it? Could the next big console Zelda game be just as or even more nonlinear than Skyrim? With the Wii U I think it could be a possibility.

"Dang, should've brought my horse..."

Try not to soil your pants while imagining this: Hyrule - bigger than ever. Imagine the first time you ever played The Legend of Zelda on the NES and amplify that experience by 11. Imagine riding Epona, it’s mane flowing gently through the breeze, riding through an never ending Hyrule field filled with so many secrets you wouldn’t mind riding a bit longer to find each one! Never ending freedom. Who says you can’t do whatever you want? Want to go the 5th dungeon before going to the first? Yep, you can do that! Want to get the flute item before venturing out anywhere else important? Go right ahead! Want to study more about Hyrule? Go to the local castle Hyrule library and read full length books to your hearts content. Don’t like reading? Then get out there and explore! Travel by boat, travel by horse, and even travel by bird - the sky is NOT the limit! There’s no limitations! It would be the most satisfying Zelda experience ever crafted.

And all of this can be done. It’s just a matter of if or how it will be done. I know Nintendo is not one to borrow inspiration, but wouldn’t this bet the next logical step in the series? This will be the first time Zelda will appear in HD, sure, but graphics isn’t everything: we need something to knock our socks off. We’ve been pretty spoiled by the fantastic treatment the console Zelda has been getting now, so anything less at this point would be disappointing. And I think Nintendo feels the same way.

And the Wii U is the perfect opportunity to try a full nonlinear Zelda. Having the Wii U tablet as a map guide will ensure that this adventure would never get too confusing and you’ll know exactly where you are at all times (call it the Navigator). It will also double as a handy item storage device to quickly switch items on the fly. There’s just so much potential for making a quintessential Zelda game here.

"Eat steel, Dodongo!"

But I could be wrong, and the next Zelda game could turn out to be vastly different game than I imagined. Though could the next Zelda game be so nonlinear and vast that it could make Skyrim look barren in comparison. Probably not. But whatever the Zelda team has planned I’m sure it exceed all our expectations.

What Kirby's Return to Drealand could have been

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:36:00 +0000

These two were from an untranslated Iwata Asks interview on Kirby's Return to Dreamland and its protracted 7 year development cycle. Post-Gamecube era, it seems two diffeent visual styles were considered for the Wii version but were dropped for normal 3D graphics on a 2D plane.

....when it could have been a whole lot more stylish. I don't care much for the second style, which is isometric but would look quite bland in actual play if not done right.

But the first one.....GOD. It's a Kirby version of the amazingly good cel-shaded style of Wario Land Shake It. Everything looks so adorable in that style....I'd really kill someone just to get my version of the game with those semi-anime graphics with fluid animation. Dang.

Monster Hunter Tri G + Slide Pad

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:36:00 +0000

Okay, I know I haven't been covering enough of the combination of these two so I'm going to do them in one go very briefly.

If you've played Monster Hunter Tri on Wii before and enjoyed it while playing offline, you're going to enjoy this even more! A 3DS port is on the way and was announced at Tokyo Game Show this year together with Monster Hunter 4, also on 3DS. It contains all the monsters you've fought in Tri plus recolored versions who are stronger, AND most of the monsters ans new areas introduced in the PSP version, Portable 3rd.....AAAND brand-new monsters, of which one of them (Brachidios) is the cover boy, replacing the sea dragon Lagiacrus. (Brachi is on the top left of the next scan)

Here's the trailer.

Oh, and there will be no online for Tri G, unlike its Wii big brother. Before you guys start bringing pitchforks to Capcom (again), remember that Monster Hunter was never big on online to begin with. None of the PS2 nor the PSP games have online play of any sort despite having the capability to do so. Tri was the first one, and we were lucky to even get it; Japanese had to pay a subscription fee of 1000 Wii Points for 3 months of online.

And then there's the 2nd Slide Pad, which I rather like despite all the hatred everyone's been pouring over it since TGS due to the added bulk and asymmetrical design it gives the 3DS. I'll talk about why I don't hate it in a later entry.

Anyway, six titles have been confirmed to use the thing, which has not just an analog stick, but also three extra shoulder buttons, one on the left and two on the right, which is great for added functionality. At least six games are confirmed compatible with it (and Luigi's Mansion 2 being rumored to support it due to this scan of the Monster Hunter Tri G bundle and a green 3DS with Slide Pad and Luigi's Mansion 2 being on the screen). It uses one AAA battery.

One thing I cannot emphasize enough about it, and to be honest still not enough people know this, is that every game that supports this accessory can also be played perfectly fine without it. It is NOT COMPULSORY.

Okay

Kirby's Return to Dreamland footage!

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:09:00 +0000

There's been more than ten videos of note ever since our last post on the game. Aw let's just post a whole lot of these shall we?

Opening scene of the game showing the spaceship crash and Kirby volunteering his help, with that happy smile of his as always.

Video of most, if not all the Copy Abilities in the game

Some multiplayer footage

Some more gameplay, with a boss battle!

Makes some lines! Tetris Axis has been released on the the 3DS!

noreply@blogger.com (Nintendo 5-Star) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 02:11:00 +0000

As of October, 02, 2011.Tetris Axis has beenreleased for the 3DS. Now you may be thinking, "Another Tetris remake!?"But this version of Tetris comes packed with 20 modes and online multi-player,all for 30$! I haven't gotten the game, but I will be getting it eventually. Ipersonally would advise for gamers who plan on getting this game, to get it soon.It’s unknown if this game will suffer the same fate as in Tetris DS for the DS,when regarding limited copies.

Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney TGS trailer

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:57:00 +0000

Watch for the most epic moment in the history of the two series right at the end! No actual puzzle-solving gameplay yet (Level-5 wasn't at TGS so the Layton half wasn't shown, this trailer leans more to Phoenix Wright), but we'll see them again at Level-5 World next month.

OBJECTION!

Nintendo 5-Star 2011 SummerCon final report

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 09:42:00 +0000

Yep I know. Long overdue because of the blog hiatus, but let's put this out for posterity's sake before I move back into making blog posts.
Although some events failed to take off, like johnny's N5S Adventures which came to an abrupt stop after team members were stalled dead cold by an army of goblins, and DG's Chronologica which never went anywhere, there were a handful of great activities.

The Posting Contest this year is more organized and tame this year, focusing more on the Garden of Sinners and less spam outside of it, and most discussion topics on the Gaming boards remained on-topic though there is obviously increased activity. A new record of an amazing 969 posts during the one week contest was set by johnny139, decimating the previous gold medal holder TheFreakyManga's record by nearly double.

The Video Game Survivor by toadster101 started quite late this year for collection of participants, and managed to scrounge up 16 to start and is still ongoing. It is now at its 7th week and going pretty strong. Rumble Writers by Crossburn saw very few participants, but those that did join put out a lot of good entries. The User War Meme Edition II by CRAZ1ah saw its best year yet, with a large majority of the 15 participants remaining active for the most part of the game, and up to an amazing 9 actions in a single day! For the first time the war ended within 50 days, a speed that has not been reached before. The Game Quiz had 5 participants this year, same as the last year with a few new twists including the bonus questions.

Unexpected surprises included johnny139's N5S Fanfest, where everyone had to download an N64 emulator and a ROM of Paper Mario to play from start to finish, and complete objectives set by johnny himself to gain points. Everyone involved managed to pass the minimum limit to complete the game and it was a rousing success. The other event that wasn't in the initial calendar is EggBeatr8's 'What is this I don't even' Game, which runs for 5 weeks starting in mid-August and is still on right now!

About 25 members including mods received access to Prize Room 1's free gifts, the highest in any SummerCon ever. Overall, it's going to be hard trying to top this year's event, and the only way I can see this being taken to even greater heights is if we had a lot more active members. Hope we can reach that target by June next year!

First update in a while

noreply@blogger.com (Nintendo 5-Star) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 16:27:00 +0000

toadster101 here, letting you guys know that the Nintendo 5 Star Blog has been experiencing downtime recently. Don't worry, however, we're indeed back on track, and promise weekly updates for those of you who follow us. Here's a recap of some important information we may have missed:

- Mario Kart 7 (3DS) and Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) have been given release dates of December 4th and November 13th, respectively.
- Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS) will not be coming out until 2012, according to Sakurai, the game's director.
- A special edition of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) - which includes a golden Wii-remote and bonus CD - has been given a November release date.
- There exists a third party peripheral for the 3DS that emulates a second circle pad. No further information has been revealed.
- New games in the Fire Emblem and Mario Tennis series have been announced for 3DS.
- Kirby's Return to Dreamland (Wii) and Pokemon Rumble Blast (3DS) are scheduled to be released this fall.
- Pokepark 2 (Wii) has been announced, with no release date available.

Xenoblade and The Last Story coming to US?

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:39:00 +0000

http://oprainfall.blogspot.com/2011/07/source-ntsc-xenoblade-done-last-story.html

Sent to Operation Rainfall's website from an 'inside source at Nintendo' is the rumor that both Xenoblade and The Last Story have been fully localized and will be ready for testing within a month's time from now. Is this all too good to be true? Could it be just Nintendo withholding information tightly like they usually do?

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:18:00 +0000

Oh, so this was our 3DS Final Fantasy game? A spinoff that isn't even an RPG? Does look cute though.

From Andriasang

"Square Enix has a new Final Fantasy game on the way for 3DS, but it's not quite the RPG we're used to. The new game is titled Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. Yes, this is that Final Fantasy themed rhythm game we've all been waiting for.

Revealed in this week's Jump, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is a "Theater Rhythm Action" game. The game has field scenes set in dungeons and towns, and battle scenes that resemble the side-view battles of older Final Fantasy games. However, everything is played like a rhythm game, where you tap the screen in accordance with prompts.

Needless to say, the game's music is pulled from past Final Fantasy games. Characters, including the likes of Lightning and Cloud, are also in the game, only they're shown in cute "chibi" style form.

There seems to be somewhat of a story to the game. Jump says that the classic Final Fantasy characters are fighting to return light to the crystal.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is currently without a final release date."

A save file that cannot be deleted?

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:46:00 +0000

This would be the first of its kind Ive ever heard of. Resident Evil: THe Mercenaries for 3DS has an invincible save file which cannot be deleted on the part of the player. There's no delete option on the game. It's not a glitch, nor was it a mistake that the delete button was omitted, but it's something crazier than that- the mechanic was intended by Capcom. The controversy has been going on for since the game was released, and many have expressed their disenchantment.

Yep, unless your internal cartridge battery runs dry, you won't be able to start a brand new game. Thanks, Capcom. This is just what we wanted, a save file that doesn't selfdestruct so we won't have to undergo the frustration of beginning an erased game. That's going to be soooo useful when you trade the game in and someone else buys the game and finds out he can't play it because it's already been completed for him.

Capcom's reason? A statement from them on June 30 says:

In Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, all mission progress is saved directly to the Nintendo 3DS cartridge, where it cannot be reset. The nature of the game invites high levels of replayability, encouraging fans to improve mission scores. The save mechanic ensures that both original and unlocked game content will be available to all users. Secondhand game sales were not a factor in this development decision…”

“There was no intention of lessening the experience of the game. Essentially, RE Mercs was treated like an arcade fighting game. You unlock characters, levels, etc and they just stay unlocked as they would in an arcade machine. There was no hidden motive to prevent buying used copies. It’s not some secret form of DRM. It’s simply the way we designed the save system to work with the arcade type of gameplay.

Capcom has owned up to it and promised there won't be anymore weird and stupid save systems like this one again.

Even Gamestop cares for Operation Rainfall

noreply@blogger.com (pikaby) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:49:00 +0000

From GoNintendo, multiple posters a Gamestop manager put up on his store in support of localizing great Wii games. Support the cause!