This fall, Nintendo will be releasing two more pieces of Pokémon-related software onto the Nintendo 3DS eShop, in celebration of the upcoming Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2. Both of these were announced for Japan previously, in the latest installment of Nintendo Direct; this is the first time they are confirmed to arrive in North America.

The first of these is the Pokédex 3D Pro, an upgraded version of the original Pokédex 3D currently available on the eShop. Pro includes information on all of the 600+ Pokémon currently known, detailing the moves they learn, their special abilities, how they evolve and more. Unlike the current Pokédex, all Pokémon will be available upon purchase. The software also comes with some AR-related features, including the ability to take pictures with Pokémon inserted into the real world.

Pokémon Dream Radar will have players searching out hidden Pokémon in the real world. Using the AR functionality of the 3DS, players will move the system around, searching for Pokémon and capturing them by firing laser beams at them. Pokémon captured in Dream Radar can be transferred to Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2, and will include some rare, hard-to-find creatures.

New screenshots of Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2 were also released with this announcement.

I’m tempted to get the Pokédex 3D Pro, since having that kind of information on hand is useful; it depends on if I’ll be getting Black 2 or White 2, and how much the Pro costs.

Senior Citizen
This sweet senior citizen is as cute as a button… but she’s a little unaware of what’s going on! Toss a dish to hear a shrill of confusion before she turns around.

Web Mascot
Oh, don’t you just love these big giant animals roaming through Webicon? This guy can’t eat let alone see with his mask on!  Use a groove powered toss to unmask him!

Trouble Student
In every class there is a class clown who’s unstoppable! Watch out for the green wads of goo this kid tosses.

Riot Shield Cop
This guy is tricky! Always on-guard with his shield seems impossible to serve him. He’s going to get hungry eventually so serve him while his shield is down.

Big Foot
Nobody has a bigger appetite than Big Foot!  He will devour anything in his sight. Make sure to give him a large heap of food to keep him from roaring.

Square Enix has announced that Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] will receive a Mark of Mastery Edition, a first for the Kingdom Hearts series in the US. The oversized magnetic box will contain:

Game
Set of 5 AR cards
Set of 12 art cards
Nintendo 3DS case

This package will be available for $54.99 on July 31st.

I wonder how limited this edition will be.

Nintendo has officially released the latest firmware for Nintendo 3DS. The big change in version 4.1.0-8U is the fact that Mario Kart 7 has been patched for online play.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This update fixes the following courses:

Wuhu Loop
Maka Wuhu
Bowser Castle 1

Those updating their systems and games will need to perform the firmware update, then head to the Nintendo eShop to download the Mario Kart 7 Update Ver. 1.1 to be able to play the game online from here on out.  Watch the video above for full details.

Cartoon Network Enterprises and D3Publisher have announced that Ben 10: Omniverse will be heading to Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo DS in the fall.  The game will be based on the new animated series of the same name.

From D3Publisher:

In Ben: 10 Omniverse, players will be immersed in exciting action-brawler gameplay featuring the new art style inspired from the show.  Gamers will have the power to switch forms and battle as one of 13 playable alien heroes, including never-before-seen aliens like Bloxx and Gravattack, as they work with either Ben or Rook to defeat the evil plans of a fierce villain, intent on destroying the world.

Both the Wii U and Wii versions of the game will feature two-player co-op mode with one player controlling Ben, while the other controls Rook.

Vicious Cycle Studios is handling the Wii U and Wii versions of the game, while the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS versions is being made by 1st Playable Productions.

No, not the board game, but the movie vaguely based on the popular board game from Hasbro is available at retailers today.

For those wanting to know what the Nintendo versions of the game entails, Activision says:

In the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and DS versions, players are in control of a wide variety of naval units, including Cruisers, Submarines, and Patrol Boats in exciting turn-based combat with a team of specialized commanders.  With different play modes to choose from, including Story and quick-battle Skirmish, players will unlock new maps, units, and leaders to turn the tide of battle.

The game is rated T for Teen and is $39.99 for Wii, $29.99 for Nintendo 3DS, and $24.99 for Nintendo DS.

Whether you’re playing a handheld Pokémon RPG or the Trading Card Game, Nintendo is giving players access to a new, powerful Pokémon, Darkrai. A new TCG expansion, Black & White – Dark Explorers, is now available in retail stores nationwide, including normal and Ultra Darkrai-EX cards. Additionally, players of Pokemon Black & White can get their hands on a level 50 Darkrai through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection if they access it before June 10. More information can be found at this website, which also contains a “special showing” of the newest Pokémon feature film, Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai.

If I could find my copy of Pokémon Black, I’d probably be doing this.

For those not wanting to pay outrageous used prices for a copy of Pikmin 2 will no longer have to. That’s because Nintendo has announced that Pikmin 2 and Mario Power Tennis will be the newest addition to the Nintendo Selects (Wii). The two will be available beginning June 10th for $19.99. Currently the Nintendo Selects lineup consists of Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Strikers Charged, Punch-Out!!, Super Paper Mario, Wii Sports, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing: City Folk and Mario Super Sluggers.

Also announced was a permanent price drop for two other Wii games, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Donkey Kong Country Returns. Each will now be available for $29.99.

Hardware

360 – 236,000
Other numbers unavailable.

Software

1. Prototype 2 – less than 236,000
2. Kinect Star Wars
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
4. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13
5. NBA 2K12
6. The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings
7. Mario Party 9
8. Mass Effect 3
9. Just Dance 3
10. MLB 12: The show

^Bolded items indicate Nintendo exclusives.

As a piece of additional information, Kid Icarus: Uprising sold about 83,000 copies, making it one of the top 10 SKUs of the month, just not one of the top 10 games. Since Xenoblade Chronicles was a Gamestop exclusive, no sales information was made available.

Sales are seriously down this month; the entire industry is down 32%, and software sales are down a whopping 42% compared to April 2011. There were very few new IPs, with Prototype 2 being the only big new release, and much of the Easter sales this year probably occurred in March. I’m not sure if this will be a longer-standing recession within the games industry, or if this inevitably happens closer to the end of a console generation. The excitement does feel a little less there.

We devote most of the podcast to talking about the Wii U Speculation article published last week.

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The running time of this podcast is 66:32. *There are a few instances of swearing, you have been warned!*

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