Most Recent: Wii U

Insert Quarter: What Does the Return of Nintendo’s Red Logo Mean?

Posted on April 9, 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.

During the Wii’s heyday, Nintendo dropped the iconic red coloring from their logo and switched to a sleek silver shade. Combined with the smooth white of the Wii chassis, the rebranding gave Nintendo an air of cool that is typically reserved for the design-obsessed Apple. But after a while, many fans began to feel that draining the color out of the logo drained some of the fun out of Nintendo.

Nintendo Enthusiast’s A.K. Rahming is one of those fans and he argues that Nintendo’s red resurrection might be a signal that the company is getting ready to bring back that fun-loving spirit with the upcoming launch of the NX:

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Nintendo is known for dropping major surprises, but the company’s latest surprise has a lot of folks in the gaming community quite pleased. Nintendo of America has recently done a full re-branding of their logo back to the classic red and white. The whole company transformed to the minimalist gray-white color scheme with the dawn of the Wii and DS era, and this branding went on to continue for the current Wii U and 3DS era (albeit with a little hint of color provided from the logos of both systems).

The full article is available for your perusal at Nintendo Enthusiast.

Posted in 3DS, DS, Insert Quarter, Retro, Wii, Wii U |

Nintendo Download: Game & Watch Gallery 4, Super Robo Mouse, Epic Dumpster Bear, more

Posted on April 7, 2016 by John Scalzo

Fans of weird and wacky games will likely find something of interest in the quintet of new titles that’s now available to download through the Nintendo eShop…

First up is Game & Watch Gallery 4, a minigame collection that attempts to recreate several of Nintendo’s Game & Watch handheld devices. Originally released for the Game Boy Advance in 2002, Game & Watch Gallery 4 is now available to download for the Wii U. It includes both the original minigames, as well as “Modern” versions starring Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and others.

Also available for the Wii U this week is Super Robo Mouse, an overhead game where you navigate a robotic mouse through a maze; Epic Dumpster Bear, a platformer where you control a “dumpster bear” who is very angry about humans messing with his forest; and Mojikara: A Clever Emoji Match Game, a puzzler about matching emojis.

Owners of the 3DS handheld will be able to download a single new game this week, Doll Fashion Atelier. It’s a dollmaker game where players can choose from five different doll types (Pretty, Gothic, Victorian, Princess, or Antique) and customize them to their heart’s content.

More information about all of these slightly-left-of-center games can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U |

Tumblestone will be playable at PAX East 2016 and it’ll be released this Summer

Posted on April 6, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Tumblestone is a massive match-3 puzzler from The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild that continues to get more massive with each passing day. Set to launch this Summer, Tumblestone will include a 40-hour Story Mode, an endless Arcade Mode, and over 1,000 completely unique Quests. The game will also be playable at this year’s PAX East convention, which kicks off April 22, in the Indie Megabooth area.

Naturally, such a massive game will launch on a truly massive number of platforms. Tumblestone will be released for the PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One, and the PC (Windows, Mac, and Linux) through Steam. It’ll also be available for mobile devices (Android, iOS, and Windows) and microconsoles like the Amazon Fire TV and the Ouya. A Facebook app is also in the works.

And with a little prodding, I’m sure we could get The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild to develop a version of Tumblestone for your toaster.

Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Watch every Fatality from all ten Mortal Kombat games right here

Posted on April 5, 2016 by John Scalzo

What are you doing for the next two hours? Wait, don’t answer that yet. First, I want to draw your attention to the video embedded above, which features a replay of every Fatality ever performed in a Mortal Kombat game.

Compiled by YouTube user IZUNIY, the video includes hundreds of blood-soaked finishers, like Sub-Zero’s controversial “Spine Rip” from 1992’s Mortal Kombat, from the very beginning. From there, we jump through the many sequels, and all the Stage Fatalities, Animalities, Friendships, and Brutalities that were added to the franchise over the years. The compilation even includes the much gorier Fatalities from the four newest kombatants from the Mortal Kombat XL re-release.

So I ask again, what are you doing for the next two hours?

Posted in News, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, Retro, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , ,

Best Buds vs Bad Guys throws your favorite side-scrolling shooters into a blender

Posted on April 3, 2016 by John Scalzo

Best Buds vs Bad Guys is an upcoming side-scrolling shooter that references the greats of the genre including Contra, Ghosts N Goblins, and Mega Man. Set to be released for the PC this Spring, the game is in the works at Super Icon under the supervision of a father-and-son development team… oh, and the son is ten years old.

The trailer embedded above gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect from Best Buds vs Bad Guys. Retro-styled 16-bit graphics propel the story forward as players fight back against hundreds of different enemy types with a wide variety of wild weapons. Super Icon’s official website has even more screenshots of the action, including a quick look at a level built entirely out of Legos.

Best Buds vs Bad Guys will also be released for the PS4, Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One sometime this year.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One |

Nintendo Download: Lovely Planet, Mario Super Sluggers, Pokken Tournament demo, more

Posted on March 31, 2016 by John Scalzo

After launching Miitomo, the Nintendo Account service, and the My Nintendo rewards program, this week’s Nintendo Download is a bit on the slim side. But 3DS and Wii U owners will be able to browse a completely revamped Nintendo eShop through Nintendo.com starting this week, so I guess that’s something.

Leading things off this week is Lovely Planet, a speedrunning first person shooter for the Wii U that takes place in a colorful world that bears a slight resemblence to the Katamari Damacy franchise. Developed by QuickTequila, Lovely Planet may look cute and cuddly, but it’s said to include a “brutal” interior that players may be surprised to discover.

Also available this week, just in time for Opening Day, is Mario Super Sluggers. Originally released for the Wii back in 2008, Wii U owners will be able to download it now and play the grand old game with Mario and all his friends.

Finally this week, Wii U owners who haven’t tried Pokken Tournament yet can grab a downloadable demo of the game from the Wii U eShop.

A few other games were added to the Nintendo eShop this week and a complete look at all of them can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U |

Here are the finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016

Posted on March 29, 2016 by John Scalzo

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The Strong Museum has announced the finalists competing for a spot in the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016.

The Legend of Zelda, Minecraft, The Oregon Trail, Pokemon Red and Blue, The Sims, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Space Invaders were all nominated last year, but ultimately weren’t selected by the Hall of Fame’s international committee. They’ll get another shot in 2016, alongside Elite, Final Fantasy, John Madden Football, Nurburgring, Sid Meier’s Civilization, Street Figher II, and Tomb Raider.

Any and all of these titles would be worthy of enshrinement in the World Video Game Hall of Fame, but only a handful of titles will make the final cut when the inductees are announced on May 5 at 10:30 AM (Eastern Time).

If you’re unfamiliar with any of these classic games, a quick rundown of all 15 titles (provided by The Strong) is available after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, Retro, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , ,

Nintendo Download: Hyrule Warriors Legends, SNES Classics on 3DS, Shantae: Risky’s Revenge, more

Posted on March 24, 2016 by John Scalzo

It’s time to check in with some classic characters in this week’s Nintendo Download.

After 30 years and more than a dozen games, the cast of characters from the Legend of Zelda franchise has reached massive proportions… and nearly all of them make an appearance in the 3DS re-release of Hyrule Warriors. Now known as Hyrule Warriors Legends, the portable game introduces several new characters (including Linkle, Link’s female counterpart) and a new level based on The Wind Waker. It’ll be available through the 3DS eShop beginning tomorrow.

Elsewhere on the 3DS eShop, a trio of Super NES classics are now available to download for the New 3DS. Donkey Kong Country is one of the most visually impressive side-scrollers of the 90s; Super Mario Kart started the whole kart racing genre; and EarthBound is a great RPG that’s even more beloved today.

If you’re looking for a new game for your Wii U, have no fear, more classic characters are here. Yoshi’s Nintendo 64 adventure, Yoshi’s Story, is now available through the Wii U eShop. As is, Shantae: Risky’s Revenge Director’s Cut, WayForward’s hair-raising side-scroller.

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

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U | Tagged ,