Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: 3DS
Nintendo will release handheld-only New 3DS on November 25 for $99
The New 3DS is dropping below $100 for the first time as Nintendo has announced it’ll slash the price of its high-end handheld beginning on November 25. Available for $99.99 in Mushroom Kingdom Black or Mushroom Kingdom White, the new handhelds will feature characters and items from the Super Mario Bros. series.
“Nintendo has some of the best gifts for the holiday season,” said the appropriately-named Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Whether you’re looking for games for the whole family, or a cool new system at a great value, Nintendo has you covered.”
The current New 3DS bundle is priced at $149.99 and includes a pre-loaded copy of Super Mario 3D Land. Unfortunately, this new New 3DS won’t come packaged with a game.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Black Friday 2016
New Retail Releases: PlayStation 4 Pro, NES Classic Edition, Dishonored 2, More
Are you in the market for a new console this week… well good news, you’ve got three new options to choose from.
Sony is kicking things off with the launch of the PS4 Pro, their hyper-powered new PS4 that promises to deliver “resolutions up to 4K, HDR imaging technology, and faster, more stable frame rates.” For games to get the most out of the PS4 Pro, they’ll need a special “Enhancement” patch, and so far, the patches for 39 games will be ready this week, with more to come by the end of the year.
While Sony’s PS4 Pro is the biggest and beefiest new console launch this week, the smallest might possibly be even larger (metaphorically speaking). The NES Classic Edition shrinks Nintendo’s beloved NES console down into an HDMI-powered nostalgia machine that’s packed with 30 of the greatest games of all time. If you just want to relive your childhood, or maybe introduce a new generation of kids to games like Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, and Final Fantasy, then you should hunt down an NES Classic Edition this week.
Last, but not least, the Retro-Bit Generations will stuff more than 90 games into its retro-styled chassis including a huge number of 8-bit and 16-bit classics from Capcom, Data East, Jaleco, and Irem.
If you’re looking for new games, you’ll also find a handful of new titles on store shelves this week, including Dishonored 2 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Players will be able to control both Corvo and Emily Kaldwin as they attempt to once again return Emily to her rightful place on the throne.
Finally this week, a pair of new PlayStation VR titles will be available for the PS4… Robinson: The Journey, an exploration adventure, and Eagle Flight, a flight simulation.
A complete look at this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Nintendo Download: Mario Party Star Rush, Mario Hoops 3-On-3, DK Jungle Beat, more
The spotlight is on Nintendo’s old workhorses, Mario and Donkey Kong, in this week’s Nintendo Download.
Mario, and all his Mushroom Kingdom pals, will have a starring role in Mario Party: Star Rush, which will be availale to download through the 3DS eShop beginning tomorrow. In a first for the long-running series, each players will be able to roll the dice and take their turn at the same time.
Jumping over to the Wii U, Mario fans are also able to download Mario Hoops 3-On-3 today. Originally released for the DS in 2006, Mario Hoops 3-On-3 was developed by Square Enix and includes cameos from your favorite Final Fantasy characters. Also available to download on the Wii U today is Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, a bongo-banging rhythm game that was originally released for the Wii in 2005.
More information about all three of these games (and the rest of this week’s new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Mario Party: Star Rush
Dragon Quest VIII will be released for the 3DS on January 20
Nintendo and Square Enix have announced that Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King will released for the 3DS on January 20, 2017. The epic RPG was originally released for the PS2 back in 2005, but the handheld re-release will add two new playable characters, more side quests, new story content, and a new alternative ending:
The story begins when a jester, Dhoulmagus, comes to Castle Trodain and steals the King’s sceptre. He then uses its power to turn his majesty into a troll, the Princess into a horse and the castle inhabitants into plants. The only one left unscathed from this attack is a castle guard who escaped the curse and must now step up to save the kingdom he’s sworn to protect. Only by traveling the lands, recruiting allies and following the trail of destruction that Dhoulmagus leaves in his wake will The Hero be able to retrieve the sceptre in order to restore Trodain back to its former glory.
For players who do most of their 3DS gaming on the go, this new version of Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King will also add a Quick Save function and a Speed Up mode for battles.
To go along with the release date news, Nintendo and Square Enix also released a new trailer for the game, and it’s been embedded above.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Nintendo Switch is not a replacement for 3DS; Also “can’t say no” to possibility of VR support in the future
Nintendo’s Tatsumi Kimishima recently sat down with Bloomberg to talk about his first year as company president after the untimely death of Satoru Iwata, as well as what the future may hold for the 3DS, Switch, and virtual reality.
When discussing the Switch, Kimishima said that it wasn’t designed as a successor to the Wii U or the 3DS, instead referring to the hybrid console as a “new experience.” He also promised that the 3DS will continue “in its own form” because of growing sales:
Bloomberg: Will you discontinue the 3DS?
Kimishima: Thanks to our software, the 3DS hardware is still growing. So that business still has momentum. And certainly rather than being cannibalized by the Switch, we think the 3DS can continue in its own form.
Nintendo made similar comments back when the DS first launched (calling it a “third pillar”) and said it shouldn’t be looked at as a replacement for the Game Boy line. However, that’s exactly what happened, so Kimishima is possibly being diplomatic about the future of the 3DS.
The President was also rather diplomatic about Nintendo’s attitudes towards virtual reality, refusing to confirm that they have a Switch-compatible headset in the works, while also admitting that he can’t say it could never happen:
Bloomberg: Will Switch have VR capabilities? Are you developing VR that will connect to Switch?
Kimishima: If you asked as if this might be possible in the future, certainly we can’t say no. In terms of how it can be used for gaming, it’s something we must consider. It depends on the system specifications.
The Nintendo Switch will be released in March 2017, and Nintendo will fully unveil the console during a special presentation on January 12.
New Retail Releases: CoD Infinite Warfare, Mario Party Star Rush, SteamWorld Collection, More
After the Battlefield franchise brought the fight all the way back to World War I, Activision decided to take the Call of Duty series even further into the future with this week’s release of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Developer Infinity Ward has fully embraced the science fiction genre this time around with lasers, robots, space battles, and a whole lot more.
This pivot to the future shouldn’t be that surprising as the Call of Duty franchise first broke through in a big way with the release of 2007’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. PS4 and Xbox One owners will get a chance to relive that seminal entry in the entry if they purchase Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare – Legacy Edition, which includes access to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered.
A different kind of war will take place this week in Mario Party: Star Rush for the 3DS. Nintendo’s series of Mario-themed board games has always provided plenty of multiplayer shenanigans, and Star Rush will likely be no different.
Finally this week, a handful of games that were previously only available as digital downloads will be released in special retail version this week. Image & Form will package together SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Heist in SteamWorld Collection for the PS4 and Wii U. 13AM Games will release a Runbow: Deluxe Edition for the Wii U. And Bandai Nacmo will bring Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 + Arcade Game Series to the Xbox One.
The full list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Mario Kart 8 sells 8 million copies as Nintendo updates their best-selling Wii U and 3DS titles
Nintendo fans are absolutely giddy with excitement about the company’s upcoming Switch console, but we shouldn’t forget about the Wii U and 3DS. Earlier this week, the consolemaker updated investors on their best-selling titles for the Wii U and 3DS, as of September 30, 2016.
As the biggest-selling Nintendo-published game on the Wii U, Mario Kart 8 recently tallied total sales of eight million copies. The game’s success was measured using worldwide numbers for retail sales and digital downloads. While Mario Kart 8 is far and away the most popular game for the Wii U, Splatoon’s sales (4.57 million copies) are pretty impressive for a new franchise. Here’s the full top ten:
Best-Selling Nintendo-Published Games on the Wii U
- 1. Mario Kart 8 — 8 Million
- 2. New Super Mario Bros. U — 5.45 Million
- 3. Super Mario 3D World — 5.19 Million
- 4. Nintendo Land — 5.13 Million
- 5. Super Smash Bros. For Wii U — 4.99 Million
- 6. Splatoon — 4.57 Million
- 7. Super Mario Maker — 3.73 Million
- 8. New Super Luigi U — 2.74 Million
- 9. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD — 1.98 Million
- 10. Mario Party 10 — 1.94 Million
Over on the 3DS, Pokemon X/Y proved that the RPG franchise is still first in the minds of Nintendo fans, with total sales of 15.64 million copies. Once again measured using worldwide numbers for retail sales and digital downloads, it finished slightly ahead of Mario Kart 7, which almost lapped its console-based big brother with total sales of nearly 14 million copies. Here’s the full top ten:
Best-Selling Nintendo-Published Games on the 3DS
- 1. Pokemon X/Y — 15.64 Million
- 2. Mario Kart 7 — 13.94 Million
- 3. Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire — 13.18 Million
- 4. Super Mario 3D Land — 10.98 Million
- 5. New Super Mario Bros. 2 — 10.6 Million
- 6. Animal Crossing: New Leaf — 10.34 Million
- 7. Super Smash Bros. For 3DS — 8.35 Million
- 8. Tomodachi Life — 5.3 Million
- 9. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon — 5.03 Million
- 10. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D — 4.52 Million
The Wii U has struggled on store shelves since it was released in late 2012. The console currently has an install base of just 13.36 million, which is just a shade over 10% of the Wii’s final sales total. Meanwhile, the 3DS can claim an install base of 61.57 million, which is impressive, but still a far cry from the record-breaking sales of 154.02 million units for the DS.
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 8, Mario Party 10, New Super Luigi U, New Super Mario Bros. 2, New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendo Land, Pokemon X/Y, Pokemon: Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby, Splatoon, Super Mario 3D Land, Super Mario 3D World, Super Mario Maker, Super Smash Bros. For 3DS, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Tomodachi Life
Nintendo Download: Just Dance 2017, Corpse Party, Lost In Shadow, more
Nintendo is planning a spooky dance party for this week’s Nintendo Download.
Kicking things into high gear is the Wii U release of Just Dance 2017 from Ubisoft. Now available to download through the Wii U eShop, Just Dance 2017 will include more than 40 new tracks to test your dancing skills featuring musicians like Justin Bieber, DNCE, and Britney Spears.
Also available to download this week on the Wii U eShop is Lost In Shadow, a moody puzzle platformer from Hudson Soft. Originally released for the Wii in 2011, Lost In Shadow asks players to help a young boy find his missing shadow.
Finally this week, things get a little scary on the 3DS eShop with the launch of Corpse Party. Corpse Party was originally released for the PSP in 2011, and this remake from XSEED adds four additional chapters, redrawn high-resolution character sprites, and new musical arrangements to the adventure game.
More information on all of these games (and the rest of this week’s new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Corpse Party, Just Dance 2017, Lost In Shadow