Most Recent: 3DS

Pokemon Sun/Moon will be released for the 3DS this holiday season

Posted on February 26, 2016 by John Scalzo

Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have teamed up to announce the next pair of Pokemon games, which will be available this holiday season. Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon are currently in development for the 3DS, and they’ll give players the option to experience the adventure in nine different languages (English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese)

“The Pokemon core series games are the center of the Pokemon universe and provide some of the most memorable Pokemon moments for our fans,” said J.C. Smith, Senior Director of Consumer Marketing at The Pokemon Company. “I can’t wait to see what fans think of the new adventures they’ll find in Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon.”

Not much else was revealed about Pokemon Sun/Moon today, but we do know the games will use the Pokemon Bank application to transfer previously captured Pokemon from Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue, Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Omega Ruby, Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, Pokemon X, and Pokemon Y into your copy of Pokemon Sun or Pokemon Moon

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Fire Emblem Fates becomes the fastest-selling game in the franchise in the US

Posted on February 25, 2016 by John Scalzo

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It took American audiences a long time to warm to the Fire Emblem franchise. But 13 years after making its North American debut with Fire Emblem on the Game Boy Advance, the series has grown into something of a low-key juggernaut for Nintendo.

The publisher’s winning streak continued with last week’s launch of Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright and Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest on the 3DS. According to Nintendo, both games combined to sell more than 300,000 copies over the weekend, which is a 500% increase over the first weekend sales of 2013’s Fire Emblem: Awakening.

“Both fans and critics are falling for Fire Emblem Fates, and the early sales numbers prove the game’s undeniable appeal,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “This strong momentum for Nintendo 3DS is only the beginning, as many more high-quality exclusive games are set to launch for the hand-held system over the next few months.”

In case you were curious, the beginner-friendly Birthright slightly outsold the more challenging Conquest, though Nintendo didn’t release exact sales numbers for either title.

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Nintendo Download: Pokemon Blue/Red/Yellow, Mega Man Legacy Collection, Return to PoPoLoCrois, more

Posted on February 25, 2016 by John Scalzo

It’s time to catch ’em all… again…

The Pokemon franchise is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and Nintendo will add the original trio of Game Boy games (Pokemon Blue, Pokemon Red, and Pokemon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition) to the 3DS eShop on Saturday, February 27. Players will even be able to battle their friends using the handheld’s wireless connection. And fans looking for another dose of Poke-mania should tune in to tomorrow’s Nintendo Direct presentation at 10:00 AM (Eastern Time) to learn more about the future of the franchise.

Another blast from the past is new to the 3DS eShop today as Capcom has added the Mega Man Legacy Collection to the download service. Players will be able to explore the first six Mega Man games, which were originally released on the NES from 1987 through 1994, as well as a brand new Challenge Mode. But if you’re looking for something new on your 3DS, Marvelous and XSEED have teamed up to bring together the RPG stylings of the PoPoLoCrois franchise with the farming simulation of the Story of Seasons franchise in Return to PoPoLoCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale, which will be available on March 1.

Finally, over on the Wii U eShop, 6180: The Moon is now available to download for Nintendo’s home console. The platformer previously appeared on the PC and Xbox One, but its minimalist aesthetic will surely find a lot of fans on the Wii U.

More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)

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New Releases: Far Cry Primal, PvZ Garden Warfare 2, Mega Man Legacy Collection, More

Posted on February 21, 2016 by John Scalzo

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A trip back to the Stone Age, anthropomorphic plants with guns, and a compilation of some of the greatest platformers ever sit atop this week’s new release roundup.

Publishers are easily swayed by trends and it’s not hard to slot many of the most popular shooters of the last 15 years into three well-defined eras. After Medal of Honor, everyone rushed to produce a shooter set during World World II. After Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the hardware and tactics of the modern military became the focus. And after Deus Ex: Human Revolution, many shooters have seen shifted to the “not-so-distant future.”

But Ubisoft wants to go back… even further back than the European Theater. And that’s why Far Cry: Primal (PS4, Xbox One) features a battle between warring tribes of Stone Age warriors. Trading machine guns and laser rifles for stone knives and spears, Far Cry: Primal also lets players train a prehistoric tiger to do their dirty work for them.

And on the subject of bizarre shooters, EA and PopCap Games are back this week with another entry in the Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare saga. Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox One) is a time-hopping trip that also adds back in the single-player modes that its predecessor was lacking.

Finally this week, Capcom brought together the first six Mega Man games for the retail release of the Mega Man Legacy Collection (3DS, PS4, Xbox One). If you didn’t play it last year, you should definitely stop putting it off.

A complete list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

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Let Nintendo help you decide which version of Fire Emblem Fates to buy with this chart

Posted on February 19, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Fire Emblem Fates is now available on store shelves and the 3DS eShop, but it’s understandable if you still haven’t decided between Birthright or Conquest.

The story in Fire Emblem Fates will veer off in widely different directions depending upon which half of the story you play. Selecting Birthright will align your character with the Hoshido and pit you against the corrupted King of Nohr beside a family of strangers. But if you pick Conquest, you’ll side with your adoptive homeland and struggle to change it from within.

I’m sure Nintendo would prefer it if you purchased both sides to the story, but the consolemaker is realistic enough to realize that most players will make a choice when confronted with Birthright and Conquest. They even produced this handy flowchart to ensure that players make the most informed decision possible:

Whichever path you choose, the other will always open to you as a downloadable expansion available through the 3DS eShop. And a third scenario, Revelation, will be released on March 10.

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Nintendo Download: Fire Emblem Fates, Project X Zone 2, Ninja Gaiden II, Ninja Gaiden III, more

Posted on February 18, 2016 by John Scalzo

It’s been a long time coming, but Nintendo’s epic strategy game, Fire Emblem Fates, will be available to download through the 3DS eShop beginning tomorrow. Fire Emblem Fates is all about choice and players will actually have to choose between two halves of the game… they can side with their family in Birthright or fight with their friends in Conquest. Regardless of which choice you make, players will have the chance to download the other scenario through the eShop, and a third scenario will even be available in March.

If you’re looking for a different kind of epic strategy game, Bandai Namco plans to release Project X Zone 2 through the 3DS eShop this week as well. Characters from games published by Bandai Namco, Capcom, Sega, and Nintendo will battle it out in a dimension-hopping game where the fate of the entire multiverse is at stake. No pressure.

Speaking of “no pressure,” three of the hardest games ever to grace the NES are now available to download through the Wii U eShop. In Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos and Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, Ryu Hayabusa completes his journey on the NES by challenging the Emperor of Darkness and a cybernetic army bent on taking over the world. Also available this week is Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones, the final NES adventure starring the Jimmy and Billy Lee.

More information on all of these games (as well as a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)

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Insert Quarter: The Legend of Zelda’s Most Interesting One-Off Items

Posted on February 15, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Insert Quarter is our showcase for some of the best and most interesting writing about video games on the Internet.

With more than a dozen games under his tunic, Link has accumulated quite the arsenal of one-off items and weapons. Sure, everyone loves the Ladder and the Whistle, but those appeared all the way back in the original Legend of Zelda. What have you done for me lately, Link?

Thankfully, the writers at The AV Club have put their “Inventory” skills to good use and cataloged all these weird and wacky inventions for future generations as part of “Zelda Week.” That’s such a great idea that I’ll even give them a pass after whiffing on the Ball And Chain (it appeared in Twilight Princess and Hyrule Warriors):

So much of The Legend Of Zelda’s identity hangs on that “legend” conceit. It’s a tale that’s always being retold, often with the same characters, locations, and plot points. That’s also why Link’s ever-growing collection of weapons and gadgetry tends to stay so similar from game to game. But when you look past the utilitarian adventuring necessities—your bombs and bows and boomerangs—the series is full of tools that have only ever made their way into a single Zelda game. Some are powerful items with deep ties to the stories in which they appear, and others are idiosyncratic novelties that have no place outside the ruined temples in which they’ve been hidden away. Whatever their role, some of these one-legend wonders are among the most memorable tools Link has ever used.

The full article is available for your perusal at The AV Club.

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New Releases: Street Fighter V, Fire Emblem Fates, Project X Zone 2, More

Posted on February 14, 2016 by John Scalzo

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This week’s new release report has “Made in Japan” written all over it.

After upgrading and enhancing Street Fighter IV nearly half-a-dozen times, Capcom is finally ready to move on to Street Fighter V this week. The PC and PS4 fighting game will include 16 characters, and the publisher plans to add new characters to the roster every few months as downloadable content. Fans have been waiting for this one for a while, but I’m very interested to see how the Street Fighter franchise will change without the promise of a “Super” or “Ultra” expansion in the future.

Nintendo brings back another long-awaited sequel this week with the release Fire Emblem Fates on the 3DS. To give players a choice in how the story proceeds, the massive game was actually split into two parts, Birthright and Conquest, so players lead a rebellion or smash it. A third path, pitting both sides against an even greater evil, will be available as a downloadable expansion later this Spring. A beautifully-rendered New 3DS XL: Fire Emblem Fates Edition can also be picked up on store shelves, but it won’t include a copy of either Fire Emblem Fates game.

Speaking of complex strategy games on the 3DS, Fire Emblem Fates will get some competition this week from Project X Zone 2, Monolith Soft’s ridiculous quad-company crossover. Beloved characters from games published by Capcom, Bandai Namco, Sega, and Nintendo are joining forces to battle a dimension-hopping foe.

Finally this week, Nintendo will re-release Bayonetta 2 in a single-disc version that drops the Bayonetta bonus disc. If you’ve been waiting to pick up one of the best action games the Wii U has to offer, now’s your chance.

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