Most Recent: Wii U
Nintendo NX will launch in March 2017; Zelda Wii U delayed again to receive a simultaneous release on Wii U, NX
The Nintendo NX is coming… not as soon as some hoped, but much sooner than most of us expected. The consolemaker held their yearly financial briefing a few hours ago, and confirmed the NX will receive a global launch in March 2017.
The console, which is around 315 days away from release and described by Nintendo as “a brand-new concept,” is still a big mystery to fans. However, a Q&A session with executives did shed some more light on the NX’s future.
According to a post on Nintendo’s Twitter account, The Legend of Zelda Wii U will be delayed once again, so it can receive a simultaneous launch on the Wii U and NX. The additional development time was also granted to make “quality improvements” to the game.
Unfortunately, the NX is expected to skip this year’s E3 Expo, so it might be a while before we learn anything else about Nintendo’s “brand-new concept.”
Dear Diary: Friday at PAX East 2016 I Played…
The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center has opened the doors for PAX East once again. And once that overwhelming feeling went away, I managed to pay a visit to more than a few indie developers on Friday. So here’s a quick look at what I managed to play on the first day of PAX East 2016… (more…)
Nintendo Download: Star Fox Zero, Star Fox Guard, Mario Party DS, more
“We need your help, Star Fox!”
Team Star Fox is back and the galaxy’s greatest heroes make their Wii U debut this week in a pair of new games. Star Fox Zero, which was co-developed by Nintendo and Platinum, pits the quartet of pilots against Andross once again. Players will get to fly the familiar Arwing and rumble into battle with the Landmaster Tank, but they’ll also be able to get behind the controls of the Walker and the Gyrowing flight drone.
Also available to download tomorrow is Star Fox Guard, a tower defense game that asks players to scan video feeds from 12 different cameras to protect Grippy Toad’s factory.
Elsewhere on the Wii U eShop, Mario Party DS is now available to purchase through the system’s Virtual Console service. Mario and company will tangle with more than 70 minigames this time around in four game modes. And The Pinball Arcade is finally available to download on the Wii U. In the works since before the console’s launch, pinball fans will no doubt flip over this news.
Finally, Dreamals is like a “river crossing problem” come to life, and Blockara is a falling block puzzler where players have to build spells with the blocks. Both are now available to download for the Wii U.
More information on all of these games can be found after the break. And don’t forget to check out the Launch Trailer for Star Fox Zero that’s been embedded up top. (more…)
Nintendo announces a Special Edition for Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE
Atlus and Nintendo have been working on their “Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem” crossover for quite some time now, but the marriage between two of Japan’s biggest RPG franchises will finally walk down the aisle as Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE on June 24. To make this collaboration extra special, Nintendo announced today that the game will also be available in a Special Edition package.
Priced at $79.99, and available only through Amazon and GameStop, the Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE: Special Edition will include a nice batch of goodies:
Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE: Special Edition Contents
- Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE Game Disc
- 5×8 Color Artbook
- Six-Song Soundtrack CD
- Six Song Cards
- Sticker Sheet
- Download Codes For All Five DLC Packs
The DLC Packs, which will contain additional quests and costumes, will also be available on June 24. Players who don’t spring for the Special Edition will be able to purchase them through the Wii U eShop for $1.99 apiece.
Nintendo is bringing Kirby: Planet Robobot, Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE, Metroid Prime: Federation Force, more to PAX East 2016
Nintendo will showcase five upcoming games at this weekend’s PAX East convention… unfortunately, The Legend of Zelda Wii U didn’t make the cut. However, Star Fox Zero, which will also be available in stores on April 22, did.
Congoers will also have the chance to try out a few games making their playable debut including Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE (Wii U) and a trio of 3DS games. Fans of Nintendo’s handheld will be able to try Kirby: Planet Robobot, Monster Hunter Generations, and Metroid Prime: Federation Force on the show floor for the first time. And speaking of Metroid Prime: Federation Force, Nintendo also confirmed this morning that it’ll be released on August 19.
If you’re unfamiliar with any of the games in Nintendo’s PAX East 2016 lineup, more details are available after the break. (more…)
New Retail Releases: Star Fox Zero, Lichdom Battlemage, Zombie Vikings, More
Team Star Fox flies again with this week’s release of Star Fox Zero on the Wii U. In addition to piloting an Arwing, a Landmaster Tank, and two new vehicles (the Walker and the helicopter-like Gyrowing), players will also receive a copy of Star Fox Guard, a tower defense take on the series using the Wii U GamePad.
Also available on store shelves this week is Lichdom: Battlemage, a magical first-person game for the PS4 and Xbox One. Instead of firing shotguns and flinging grenades, players will employ elemental magic to take down their enemies and save the kingdom.
Speaking of saving the kingdom, Aksys will release Langrisser Re:Incarnation Tensei, a strategy RPG, for the 3DS. Players will use their tactical knowledge to explore three different branching story paths, leading to glorious victory or traitorous treason.
Finally this week, Rising Star Games will release Zombie Vikings, a multiplayer brawler, for the PS4.
We’ll be back throughout the week with a look at the newest additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Wii U eShop.
Rumor: The Pokemon Company is holding a “secret auction” for the rights to a live-action movie
Hold on to your Pokeballs, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, The Pokemon Company is currently holding a “top-secret auction” for the rights to create a live-action film based on the beloved game series.
As of now, the bidders are said to include Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, and Legendary Entertainment, with a source saying that Legendary, which will release Warcraft this Summer, is the current frontrunner. However, Warner Bros. is also heavily involved in the competition as they released the animated Pokemon: The First Movie way back in 1999.
All three companies declined The Hollywood Reporter’s request for comment, but I’m sure we can all guess what Pikachu would have to say about this news.
Shovel Knight has sold over one million copies; Specter Knight and King Knight expansions will be finished by the end of the year
Yacht Club Games is in a rather celebratory mood this morning as they’ve announced that Shovel Knight has now sold more than one million copies. According to a blog post on their official site, the current number is actually over 1.2 million copies, with 200,000 sales coming from the game’s recently released retail edition.
For statistics nerds, this blog post is a treasure trove of information including a sales breakdown for each platform, region, and retailer, as well as sections for Steam User Stats, the Plague of Shadows expansion, and the Amiibo figure.
And speaking of expansions, Yacht Club has pledged that development work on the Specter Knight and King Knight expansions will be completed by the end of the year. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll launch by the end of the year, but they’re much closer to release than they were yesterday.
The developers at Yacht Club condensed a lot of this information into a great infographic, which you can find right here.