Review: Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan (3DS)

These days I tend to stick to series that I know and love; Mario, Zelda, Pokemon... you know. It's not often I willingly dive head first into a completely new series that I know nothing about. But with Etrian Odyssey IV, I'm glad I did. At first glance, this game appears to be another standard RPG; beat monsters, level up, beat bigger monsters, rinse and repeat. However, there's so much more here that I think Etrian Odyssey IV deserves to be called one of the 3DS' top RPGs.

Despite being the sequel to Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City (which us Europeans sadly never had the luxury of playing), the story here seems pretty simple and RPG-like. There's a tree called Yggdrasil that lies beyond the city of Tharsis. The Count of Tharsis has sent out a challenge to all explorers: "Reach Yggdrasil and uncover the truth!". The group of explorers you assemble is among many who have accepted the challenge.

To start off you'll need to assemble a guild and create a party, which is simple enough to do (that said, I did spend a while messing around with all the customisation). You'll then be tasked to collect some ore from a dungeon by the Count of Tharsis. Here's where the gameplay begins. Thrown into a dungeon, your party will need to fend for themselves... and create a map of the place. This is where Etrian Odyssey IV really starts to make a name for itself.

Standard RPG adventures often task you with finding maps and after finding one you can find your way around the dungeon with ease. However, in Etrian Odyssey IV, it's you who will be creating the maps. Using the touch screen, you can layout walls and place landmarks to create your very own map of the area. On paper, this idea might sound tedious... but I assure you, it's quite the opposite. Okay, so you don't need to make a map... but most dungeons will require more than one trip, so a map will make your life a lot easier. Besides, in my opinion, this is one of the more fun and unique parts of the game and map making is a whole lot more interesting than it sounds.

So after you've collected the ore from that first dungeon, you'll be given an airship. Like your guild, this can be named whatever you like. I called mine the Skyblimp. Very original, I know. Anyway, using this airship, you can traverse larger areas, called lands (the first land is called Windy Plains... because they're plains... and they're windy. Hey, the game's almost as original as me!) in-game. These lands are essentially pretty large hub-type areas, which will be your access point to the many dungeons and mazes. And yes, you also get to map them. Hooray! These areas (along with the dungeons) are also home to bigger monsters, called F.O.Es. These are essentially really tough mini-bosses and you'd better avoid them at the beginning of your adventure, because they meant trouble! Luckily, they can be lured away using harvested food or just avoided altogether.

This food I mentioned can be harvested from a number of places on the Windy Plains; groups of animals will give you meat, crops will give you carrots and such; the large F.O.Es on the Windy Plains can be lured away using a certain food... which I won't give away because you can find out in-game. Etrian Odyssey IV has a large amount of things to do besides the main quest too. Selling specific enemy drops to the armoury unlocks new weapons/armour for sale; eg. selling three Grasseater Legs might unlock a sword (pretty sure it doesn't, just for your information).

Besides that, there are a number of side-quests to be under taken, such as using a key given to you by someone, go and open an old chest inside the dungeon. Even some of the dungeons are technically side-dungeons, since you don't have to go there... but it helps to do so to level up your team and reap quest rewards. Plus there's a nice StreetPass system in place; swapping guild cards with other players also swaps treasure maps, with which you can use to find hidden treasure throughout the world.

So that's enough about the gameplay. Etrian Odyssey IV's visuals are stunning. I was absolutely blown away as soon as I saw them... it's simply beautiful. The 3D is perfect as well, featuring some of the best 3DS graphics I'd only seen in first-party titles beforehand. It's musically very grand as well, you'll definitely be humming along to the tracks in no time at all.

In conclusion then, Etrian Odyssey IV is easily one of the best 3DS RPGs to date. It's graphically and musically sound (pun most definitely intended) and its gameplay feels very unique. The only problem I have with it is its difficulty; it's a very tough game. However, there's more than one difficulty setting which can be set at the start of the game, so if you're having trouble, try again! Luckily even on the hardest difficulty, you can save your maps, something I feel would be very annoying if it weren't in place. And so after playing just one Etrian Odyssey title for a relatively short time, all I can think it... I wish II and III were released in Europe. + Daniel Godfrey

9/10 - Possibly too challenging for some, but for those who enjoy a challenge, Etrian Odyssey IV is the freshest RPG experience you're likely to have for some time.

Review copy provided by NIS America

Review: Disney's Planes (DSi)


With the recent big blockbuster release of Disney Infinity on various platforms, there's one little title from Disney that appears to have gotten lost in all the excitement. That game is of course, Disney's Planes for Nintendo DS, you heard that right, not 3DS; not even 2DS; we're talking about the Nintendo DS here. Once we got past the fact that Disney were still making and producing titles for Nintendo's now defunct handheld, we dived right into the gameplay to take a closer look.

What we have here is essentially a movie tie-in game, that Disney are very well known for, with the style and design of a flight simulator. However, what's the best bit? Well, this game absolutely bleeds pixels, absolutely loads of them! We have to credit Disney here though, as they've essentially tried to squeeze a 3D flight simulator into Nintendo's now somewhat limited handheld. It was an ambitious attempt that does occasionally shine, but is unfortunately just too rough round the edges.

After a brief introduction, you'll be jumping into a classic Disney menu, with a variety of different options available. The most notable of these options being the story mode, which is most likely where you'll find the wealth of gameplay. Here you'll be tasked with a series of short challenges, with the tie-in of a classic Disney style storyline. Throughout the wealth of the story, you'll discover the addition of a few new planes, but none of them truly stand out on their own and there's not much chance of a "plane" appearing in the next Smash Bros.

Within a variety of other modes, there's also Challenge, Racing and Balloon Popping mode. These can all be fun in their own right, but are prominently let down by the well, somewhat sloppy controls. It can be slightly improved with the use of the 3DS' Circle Pad, but turning corners is still too tricky and the controls just don't feel anywhere near tight enough.

As aforementioned, Planes' graphical features are ambitious, but it's just a shame that they're let down by the DS' hardware limitations, which is again acceptable due to the age of the console. Still, Planes remains bright and colourful, and will be infinitely appealing to the younger audience. Likewise is the music, which may not flow perfectly, but younger games are very unlikely to notice.

In conclusion, Disney Planes for Nintendo DS is an ambitious attempt at utilizing a tired console by Disney. However, you'd be much better off opting for the Wii U or 3DS versions of the game, otherwise, the DS version may still be appealing to the younger audience, but you should probably look at saving your pennies instead. + Josh Moorcroft-Jones

6/10 - We're not going to slate Disney's Planes for what it is, but movie tie-ins always face the risk of becoming a bit of a sore spot. This coupled with the fact that the game is available on a dying console, Planes is far from a necessary purchase.

Review copy provided by Disney Interactive Studios

News: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies Demo Available Now


The defence certainly is ready, Your Honour! During today's Nintendo Direct, a demo for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies was announced. It is available for download from the 3DS eShop right now in both Europe and North America.

So if you're a fan of the Ace Attorney series and can't wait until the 24th to get your fix of courtroom drama, hurry up and download that demo! Head over to our forums right now to discuss all things Ace Attorney.

News: Bravely Default Europe Headed on 6th December


In this afternoon's Nintendo Direct, Nintendo of Europe confirmed that the much anticipated release of Bravely Default would take place on 6th December in Europe. Which is coincidentally, the same day as Scribblenauts: Unlimited launches.

Selected retailers will be offering a limited edition art-book with pre-orders of the title. Are you anticipating the release of this game?

News: Nintendo Announce Additional Pikmin 3 DLC


Within the depth of all of today's Nintendo Direct excitement, Nintendo announced that additional DLC or Mission Mode stages would be coming to Pikmin 3 on Nintendo Wii U. The first of which is available for free in North America and Europe right now.

The free DLC will come packaged with a new update for the game, there will also be a series of paid DLC coming to the game, with the first of which also available right now. Does that give you good enough reason to pull out this one again?

News: Exciting New Trailer for Super Mario 3D World Bounds Into View


Nintendo hyped up excitement for Super Mario 3D World with a brand new and pretty impressive new trailer for Super Mario 3D World, during today's Nintendo Direct presentation.

The trailer showcased a variety of exciting new features, but we're probably best just letting you see for yourself. Let us know what you think below...

News: New Kirby Title Spins on to 3DS Next Year


We received more news on many already announced titles at today's Nintendo Direct presentation, but a new Kirby game for 3DS was a fresh face on the scene. We know little about the title as of yet, and it's set to launch in Europe and North America in 2014, according to Nintendo.

If you want to see more, Nintendo have released an official trailer for the title. Are you excited to see a new Kirby title bounding into view?

News: Scribblenauts Unlimited Launches in Europe on 6th December


In today's Nintendo Direct presentation, Scribblenauts: Unlimited was finally given a European release date, over a year after it released in North America and other platforms, the title will finally be available on European Wii U consoles from 6th December 2013.

The game will feature as part of Nintendo's Chirstmas line-up in a bid to flog the Wii U to a wider audience. Has this title lost it's appeal to you in the wait or are you still as eager as ever to get your hands on it?

News: Sonic Will Make an Appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS


As a growing sign of Nintendo's partnership with SEGA, it has been confirmed during today's Nintendo Direct, that SEGA mascot Sonic will make an appearance in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. game for Nintendo Wii U and 3DS, as a playable character.

Were you hoping to play as Sonic in the upcoming game? Do you think he can give Mario a run for his money? Well he is technically faster...

News: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Pushed Back to 2014 Release


During today's Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo confirmed what many fans feared would happen and the release date for the much anticipated Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was pushed back to early 2014, it was due for release late this year.

The title is now expected to be released in February 2014 in North America and a European release date isn't yet confirmed. Nintendo have claimed that they need to make some improvements to the title before it is ready to be released. Are you deeply disappointed or can you wait it out?

News: Nintendo eShop Downloads (3/10/13)


It's the last Monday of September, and we're well into the third quarter of the year already. There's a couple of big releases this week, but not a whole lot else... either way, let's dive right in and take a look at this week's Nintendo eShop downloads!

European Downloads

Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure (3DS Retail Download) - £39.99 - SEGA

Game Festival 1 (3DS Retail Download) - £19.99 - Bigben Interactive

Witch & Hero (3DS eShop Demo) - Free - CIRCLE Entertainment

Heavy Fire: Special Operations 3D (3DS Temporary Offer) - £3.59 until 17th October

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (Wii U Retail Download) - £49.99 - Available from 4th October - Nintendo

Just Dance 2014 (Wii U Retail Download) - £34.99 - Available from 1st October - Ubisoft

Wii Karaoke U by JOYSOUND (Wii U eShop Download) - 1 hour ticket: £1.79, 24 hour ticket: £4.49, 30 day ticket: £13.49 - Available from 4th October - Nintendo

Final Fight (Wii U Virtual Console) - £5.49 - Capcom

Final Fight 2 (Wii U Virtual Console) - £5.49 - Capcom

Final Fight 3 (Wii U Virtual Console) - £5.49 - Capcom

North American Downloads

Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure (3DS Retail Download) - $19.99 - SEGA

Picross e3 (3DS eShop Download) - $5.99 - Jupiter Corporation

Family Bowling 3D (3DS eShop Download) - $4.99 - Arc System Works

Happy Circus (3DS eShop Download) - $3.99 - Moving Player

Halloween: Trick or Treat 2 (3DS eShop Download) - $7.99 - Microvalue

Witch & Hero (3DS eShop Demo) - Free - CIRCLE Entertainment

Jewel Quest 5 - The Sleeping Star (DSiWare) - 800 Points - Tulip Games

Just Dance 2014 (Wii U Retail Download) - $TBA - Available from 8th October - Ubisoft

TNT Racers - Nitro Machines Edition (Wii U eShop Download) - $7.99 - keen games

Final Fight (Wii U Virtual Console) - $7.99 - Capcom

Final Fight 2 (Wii U Virtual Console) - $7.99 - Capcom

Final Fight 3 (Wii U Virtual Console) - $7.99 - Capcom

Little Inferno (Wii U Temporary Offer) - $7.49 until 9th October - Tomorrow Corporation

News: Wii U and 3DS Themed Nintendo Direct Airing Tomorrow


Nintendo have today confirmed that another Wii U and 3DS themed Nintendo Direct presentation will be aired tomorrow. The presentation is set to focus on the release of upcoming titles for Nintendo systems. The broadcast will take place at 7AM PDT / 10AM ET / 3PM UK time. Here's the official press release from Nintendo:
30th September 2013 – Nintendo today announced a new edition of Nintendo Direct. The broadcast, hosted by Nintendo President Satoru Iwata and Nintendo of Europe President Satoru Shibata, will provide updates on previously announced software coming to Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in the remainder of 2013.
The new Nintendo Direct will be streamed from the Nintendo Direct website on 1st October at 3pm BST.
It's currently an exciting time for Nintendo releases, with many more titles on the way. Pokemon X and Y's release is imminent, and this show will likely lead to some more information. There's also the upcoming Wii U and 3DS updates to take into consideration, which could lead to some major improvements there.

You can watch the show over on the Nintendo Direct website, and we'll bring you all the gossip when it's finished. Otherwise, what are you hopeful to see tomorrow, or won't you be tuning in?

News: Coverage from National StreetPass Day (Manchester)



National StreetPass day took place yesterday, and what a day it was, at least in Manchester that is! Events were taking place up and down the country with varying degrees of publicity, but it was the Manchester one that I attended and so glad I did.

I arrived shortly before they set up their grassy green flooring, their Animal Crossing inspired flower pots, their giant archway and of course, several demo stands with 3DS' to play. The organizers were engaging and friendly and really helped to sell the idea of StreetPass to public with great effect. I noticed them grabbing members of the public who were completely oblivious to even the 3DS never mind StreetPass. Also there were 3DS owners who had not used the StreetPass feature before now learning for the first time.

Mario Kart races took place all day from 09:30 to 18:00 with the winners of every race claiming a nice real-world trophy to take away. There were plenty of other prizes too including lanyards, key-rings, plushies, posters, bags and hats! All in all it was a great event for if you were just passing through, or there for the long haul. Lets hope that National StreetPass day becomes a regular event.

Review: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (Wii U)


Upon seeing the initial footage of the new HD Zelda game for Wii U, I was very scared of the direction that the beloved series would follow. The dark and very serious nature of that game is far from the Zelda that I know and love. Having being introduced to the series back with the original Wind Waker on the Gamecube, you can probably imagine my excitement following a HD remake of possibly my favourite game of all time. The truth is, I'm a bit of a select Zelda fan, infact, I only truly enjoy Nintendo's cell-shaded adventures, you know; Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks.

For that very reason, I entered the HD remake of Wind Waker with a mind of love and affection and what did I get back? Buckets full of memories and happiness. Not only does The Wind Waker HD represent amazing build quality and stunning visuals, but also floods of memories and a chance to re-experience one of the best games ever made.

There's not a single dull moment here and you'll understand that from the very offset, as you quite literally "set sail" on a vibrant and colourful adventure. The Wind Waker HD is simple to a degree that things aren't overwhelming, however nor are they too basic or child like. It's that lovely blend that Nintendo captured perfectly in the first Wind Waker and clearly tried so much to keep in this HD remake. It's going to be difficult not to structure the whole review around the gorgeous visuals here, and the truth is; we could! However, Wind Waker HD just has so much more to offer.

Straying away from the game's impressive graphical features, the premise here is pretty simple. You'll join Link on yet another adventure, but this time to travel across the Great Sea in an epic quest to save his beloved little sister. It's a pretty gripping tale and uses the sea as a huge focal element for the entirety of the game. You'll go about this epic adventure by travelling to various new lands in the hope of the land's gorgeous characters can help you out in some way.

Charm and character will continue to remain extremely prominent throughout your adventure, with every new land promising some pretty inventive landscape and character ideas. Not to forget that you'll also be taking on a variety of extremely inventive puzzles throughout your adventure.

The main focus throughout Wind Waker HD however, is the Great Sea. Which you'll set sail on with your trusty boat. Sailing the great sea feels absolutely fantastic, and it's great to see that Nintendo have drastically improved the speed aspect of sailing, since the original game. If you're familiar with the prospect behind Phantom Hourglass and it's sailing ideas, you'll feel right at home here.

Accompanying you on your great adventure is a fantastic selection of melodies and delights to the ear. It's typical Zelda, and we love it. The producers here have done yet another fantastic job when it comes to capturing Wind Waker's essence through the magic of sound.

It would be wrong to let this review go by without pointing out, how the HD remake has changed since the original Gamecube release. The Wii U Gamepad certainly offers a great aide to the Gameplay, allowing you to control all your weapons and tools, aswell as saving the game without tinkering around with fiddly pop-up menu screen. Whilst the option of the Gamepad is the most innovative, Nintendo have also chucked in the ability to use the Wii U Pro Controller, which is personally my play style of choice, because of it's natural feel, and besides, menus are easily accessible here anyway.

There's also the Miiverse functionality that Nintendo have pushed in, allowing you to share elements of your adventure with other players over Miiverse, this is done through bottles which can be purchased at various points throughout the game. Whilst it's a nice little idea, it doesn't serve a huge amount of purpose, and won't really change the game. It would have been nice for Nintendo to have extended in terms of content with the remake, but Wind Waker is already pretty rich in that department, so it's no huge issue.

In conclusion, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is an adventure not to be missed, it expands on how graphically impressive the original was. In my personal opinion, the best Zelda game ever made, just got even better. In recent times, I've found myself losing faith in the direction the series is heading, but Wind Waker HD is just about as definitive as the series gets. Whether you were fortunate enough to enjoy the original or not, many of Wind Waker's values are still extremely prominent. + Josh Moorcroft-Jones

10/10 - If The Wind Waker HD doesn't have the power to really shift some Wii U consoles, I have little faith in what actually will. The opportunity to experience my personal favourite Zelda game of all time, is one that's certainly not to be missed.

Review copy provided by Nintendo

Feature: Games We're Playing This Weekend (27/9/13)


The weekend, a time to catch up with those treasured musicals; The Sound of Music, Mary... wait a minute here! We don't intend to waist a single moment of our weekend with trashy musicals, it's time to jump right in and play with some real entertainment. Let's take a delve into the games we're playing this weekend.

Josh Moorcroft-Jones - Usually by this point in the week, I've thought long and hard about what I'll be playing when the week ends. However, the truth be told, I haven't had much chance to plan it out yet. With this in mind, there is a few games that I intend. One of those games will most likely be The Wind Waker HD, which I've been battling through since some time last week. It's fantastic to play one of my favourite games of all time again in full fantastical High Definition. You can be sure to expect me review very soon.

Other than that, I will be jumping into a little more Disney Infinity and I'll be expanding my universe in the Toybox mode in particular. Other than that, it will be over to my 3DS for a spot of Mario Tennis Open, which arrived today. I never had chance to pick this one up when it was released, so I got a great deal on it online and I can't wait to play it. Whilst I'm on the 3DS, I should really catch up with my villagers on Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

Daniel Godfrey - Well I'll start this weekend off by playing some Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I'm so close to that 100% completion, needing just two more stickers. I can do this! Maybe! I'll also be playing Metroid Prime Trilogy... and as with the first time I played this, I'm really slow at the game. Still, it's a lot of fun; well worth it if just for Prime and Prime 2's updated control schemes.

Apart from that, I'll definitely be playing Inazuma Eleven 3, as I ready myself for that all important review. Can't wait to get back into some more football-RPG action! I'll also be putting some more hours into Harvest Moon: A New Beginning, to try and advance past the beginning of the game. Supposedly great things come to those who wait... or play, in this case. And of course, since my 3DS will already be in my hands, I might play some Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Maybe.

Scott Everly - This weekend I hope to be able to get some time in on two titles that I have enjoyed thus far and see if I can make more progress.  I am working my way through Twilight Princess and am in the middle of the Death Mountain dungeon.  So far I am really enjoying the game.  I know Wind Waker is out, but the artwork really turned me off.  I'm just not impressed with HD cartoons.  I'm sure I will get it at some point, but only if I hear really good things.

The other title I've been playing with is Toki Tori 2.  I picked it up on the recent sale and I'm having a lot of fun with it.  It certainly can't be accused of hand holding and instruction is next to non-existent.  I have learned that I apparently become a genius moments after I post the screenshot and ask for help on Miiverse.  More than once I was stuck at a puzzle for hours and finally broke down to ask for a hint, no sooner had I asked then I get an idea of something I hadn't tried and......TA DA!    Josh's post reminds me I need to check in with my village on City Folk.  I'm sure I've got some weeding and watering to do.

Bryan King - I've been absolutely hooked on the eShop demo for Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl on 3DS.  I'm by no means a follower of this franchise, but if the demo is any indication, I've definitely been missing out.  It's got everything I love in my RPG's, and it has an amazing art style about it.  I may not have been able to secure a review copy to share my thoughts on the final product, but you can bet that I'm going to make every attempt to grab this when it launches early next month.  Especially because my party in the demo version can be transferred over.  That's a demo done right folks.

Aside from that, I've been pouring time into Star Wars Pinball for the 3DS, and I'm currently penning the review for it as we speak.  I've never quite been one for pinball, but I am most definitely one for Star Wars, so that was more than enough reason for me to give it a shot.  Especially once I found out that Zen Studios created a Boba Fett-inspired table.

Again:  Boba Fett pinball table.  'Nuff said.

Andrew Crossland - This weekend I will be playing Inazuma Eleven 3 in an attempt to get a decent team ready for the National StreetPass Day. I will be playing Mario Kart 7 and Luigi's Mansion 2 at the event itself in attempt to win me some cool goodies. In my downtime I have been recently trying to get all S ranks on Gamecube game Battalion Wars to which I have nearly succeeded, so I'm hoping to have that done by the end of the weekend. And finally for something different I like to watch TV shows in the background whilst I play something on my Wii U Gamepad that doesn't require too much attention. This weekend it will be Virtual console games Mario's Super Picross and Kirby's Dream Course.

Well, there we have your lot for this week! It's an exciting bunch of gaming goodness ahead. What about you? What will you be playing this week?

Feature: The History of Nintendo and Gambling Games


With current generation Nintendo platforms, we don't see Gambling games so prominent anymore. However, back in the 1980s and 90s, Nintendo were extremely keen to bring Gambling to the forefront of the video games industry and unleashed a wave of gambling themed games. Nintendo wanted to bring Gambling into homes across the country and world, exactly why, nobody will ever know.

In the early days of the NES, Nintendo's approach to Gambling within video games was pretty primitive, making it only really for people who already enjoyed the activity. This was prominently conveyed through games like Blackjack and Solitaire, both produced by American Video. These were simply just gambling games, that were pretty dull in comparison to latter offerings.

However, improvements were made when Nintendo jumped on the scene and acquired the help of HAL Laboratory, most commonly known for the Kirby games and others. Vegas Dream was published by HAL and Nintendo in 1990 and became a big success of the era, it bought Gambling themed games to a brand new audience and added a sense of glamour to an otherwise dull area of the video games industry. Following Vegas Dream's success, Virgin Interactive and Sofel soon followed suit with Casino Kid and Caeser's Palace.

A good few years later, and the NES era came to an end and the era of the SNES was entered. Both Virgin and Nintendo continued to run as front-runners in the Gambling sector of Video Games. Super Ceaser's Palace expanded on the original, making it alot more user friendly and again attracting more gamers to the risk-free prospect of gambling within video games.

Understanding the success of other games, Nintendo were soon quick to jump on the bandwagon and develop a casino game of their very own, Vegas Stakes was to be born. Stakes soon found it's place in history as a much loved gambling title and even years later, found it's way onto both the Wii and more recently, the Wii U Virtual Console. The title offered the ability for players to tour different casinos, and take part in a variety of different activities, including; Roulette, Blackjack and Poker.

Virtual gambling has move a very long way since the days when Nintendo kickstarted the tradition. With Nintendo having taken a major step back, the ability to player Poker online and on mobile has become more prominent. There's much easier ways to play the likes of Texas Holdem and even Bovada now offers online Poker on mobile. It's a part of the video games industry that has been extremely successful, but it's easy to forget that Nintendo started the trend off.

News: Tesco Shunts Nintendo from Supermarket Shelves


Tesco has recently downsized its shelf space for Nintendo games. In most Tesco supermarkets the Nintendo section has been designated a small section on the XBOX 360's shelf, with the banner above stating "XBOX 360 Plus Nintendo Top 5."

This move by Tesco follows ASDA's removal of Wii U games altogether. More and more customers are beginning to make game purchases at supermarkets due to their convenience and low prices so with the lack of a prominent Nintendo choice, supermarket shoppers may lean towards other consoles.

However, the difference between Tesco's move and the one that ASDA made is that in ASDA, the Nintendo 3DS still occupies a healthy shelf space and with the Nintendo 3DS still selling well it seems an odd choice for Tesco to cut it out almost completely.

Source: Go Nintendo

News: Toon Link Confirmed For Super Smash Bros.

With The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD's release date drawing ever closer, fans have been speculating whether Toon Link, who found fame in the original Gamecube version of The Wind Waker, will once again feature as a playable character in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. games for the 3DS and Wii U.

Today it has been announced via the official Super Smash Bros. site (you can check out Toon Link's page right here) that Toon Link will indeed be returning to once again face off against Mario, Samus and the rest of the Super Smash Bros. crew.

From the select few screenshots on the site, it's hard to tell if Toon Link will return with a familiar set of moves, or if he'll have a new arsenal with which to defeat his foes. Either way, are you glad Link's cartoon-y counterpart is returning for a second Smash Bros. game? Or would you rather him have stayed in Brawl? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, or come along to talk all things Smash Bros. in our forums!

Feature: 1000 Articles and Counting...


It's pretty hard to believe that this article will be the 1000th post published (if you don't believe us, count them) on Nintendo Feed and coincidentally, the month of September marks our 4th Anniversary. What better cause for celebration can you get? To celebrate this momentous occasion, we've taken the time to put together some of  the best moments from the history of Nintendo Feed.

Nintendo Fans Online evolves into Nintendo Feed - For those of you who've been with us for more than 8 months (looking at you Daniel Godfrey) you'll remember the major re-branding we underwent back in January 2013. Before then, we were know as Nintendo Fans Online - yeah we know, right? Nintendo Feed does sound alot more catchy! You can remember that big moment over at our official announcement.

Nintendo Feed launches our very own Forum - Back in July 2013, the Nintendo Feed community was continuing to grow in it's numbers and we needed somewhere to house you lovely lot! So it was only natural for us to put together our very own community hub and our our forums were born. If you want to jump right into the discussion, why not head over there right now?

The History of Luigi (our most popular article) - If you head here regularly, you'll probably notice that Daniel's article "The History of Luigi" continues to hold a spot at the top of the page. It actually remains as our most popular article on the site, seems like there's alot of love for Luigi amongst Nintendo Feed readers. If you haven't already, you can have a sneaky read of the article right here.

The first Nintendo Feed Podcast goes live - It's very hard to believe that there was once a month when you didn't have over an hours worth of our ramblings to listen to. That's right, since May 2013 we've been talking all things Nintendo in our popular Nintendo podcast. In fact, our September episode was released today, why not go and have a listen?

Renegade Kid exclusively announce Mutant Mudds 2 to Nintendo Feed - Mutant Mudds has become something of a cult hit on the 3DS and Wii U eShop. That's why it was pretty fantastic news when Renegade Kid's Jools Watsham exclusively confirmed Mutant Mudds 2 to Nintendo Feed on Twitter. The news then went viral across the internet, being reported on Eurogamer, VG247, Joystiq, Nintendo Life and many others. Plus, Nintendo Feed as at the very heart of the news!

You go wild for Staff Thoughts - You've been going wild recently for a new variety of feature articles on Nintendo Feed and that's Staff Thoughts. In these articles we discuss the hottest and latest happenings in the world of Nintendo. Upon being published, these articles soon fire up over at N4G - you can catch up and read the latest Staff Thoughts here.

We present our top games of 2012 - 2012 was certainly a big year for top games and we celebrated in style by nominating our top games of the year. Nominations were put forward by the Nintendo Feed team and you, the readers! Some of the victors included: Nintendo Land, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Pokemon Black and White 2 and Mutant Mudds.

It's Nintendo Feed Staff vs. Readers in our Mario Kart Community Race Night - Summer 2013 played host to our big Mario Kart 7 Community Race night and it was a huge success! Many of you our readers turned up to take on many members of the Nintendo Feed team. We'll of course be hosting another big event very soon, so be sure to keep an eye out on the site and follow us on the Twittersphere.

Nintendo Feed celebrates the launch of Animal Crossing: New Leaf with AC Month - June was an extremely exciting month for not just us but everyone, as it saw the launch of Animal Crossing: New Leaf. We of course had to celebrate this momentous release in some way or another, so naturally we had to theme the whole month of June around the legendary series. Josh managed to nab his copy of the game back in May, as the month was flag-shipped with his review. If you haven't already, be sure to have a catch up with all the interesting articles.

The dawn of the Friday Feature - Fridays are just great, aren't they? We thought that we'd use each Friday to treat you with a special feature, compiled by the Nintendo Feed team. So each Friday sees the release of a Games We're Playing This Weekend article or a look at our favourite posts on the Miiverse.

It's been a momentous past 4 years and every single article has been great fun to write! We'd like to take this moment to thank every single one of you for your support over this past 4 years, it wouldn't have been possible without you. Here's to another 1000 articles...

Nintendo Feed Podcast: September 2013


Well, it looks like it's that time of the month again! Yep, you guessed it - it's time for another Nintendo Feed Podcast. Are you as excited as we are? If you love Nintendo then you'll love us, well we mean you'll love the Podcast of course.

In this month's Podcast, the Nintendo Feed team build up the hype around The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD aswell as digesting all the 2DS news and of course honouring the amazing legend that was Hiroshi Yamauchi.


Huge thanks to Kevin MacLeod for the music used throughout.

Hooked on the prospect already? Fantastic news! You can download the Podcast in tidy MP3 format, right here. Plus you can give us a subscribe and take a listen over on Apple's iTunes. Or you can give the Podcast's feed a subscribe directly.

Enjoy the show!

News: Nintendo eShop Downloads (26/9/13)


So apparently people still play Football games, yes we know right? Well, this week is being dubbed as the week of "football downloads" for the 3DS eShop. Let's take a look at this week's 3DS and Wii U eShop downloads.

European Downloads

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Wii U Virtual Console) - £3.49 - Nintendo

Gradius (Wii U Virtual Console) - £3.49 - Konami

Happy Circus (3DS Download Software) - £2.69 - Moving Player

Milon's Secret Castle (3DS Virtual Console) - £3.59 - Nintendo

Inazuma Eleven 3 (3DS Retail Download) - £29.99 - Nintendo

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers (3DS Retail Download) - NIS America - £34.99

FIFA 14 (3DS Retail Download) - £39.99 - Electronic Arts

Jewel Master Cradle of Rome 2 (3DS Retail Download) - £17.99 - Rising Star Games

Jewel Master Cradle of Egypt 2 3D (3DS Retail Download) - £17.99 - Rising Star Games

Around the World with Hello Kitty and Friends (3DS Retail Download) - £29.99 - Bergsala Lightweight

North American Downloads

Donkey Kong 3 (Wii U Virtual Console) - $4.99 - Nintendo

Carps & Dragons (3DS Download Software) - $4.99 - Abylight

Family Table Tennis 3D (3DS Download Software) - $4.99 - Arc System Works

Mystery Murders: The Sleeping Palace (3DS Download Software) - $7.99 - Microvalue

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl (3DS Retail Download) - $39.99 - Atlus

Rune Factory 4 (3DS Retail Download) - $39.99 - XSEED

Let's Ride: Best in Breed (3DS Retail Download) - $TBC - TREVA Entertainment

Paws & Claws: Pampered Pets Resort 3D (3DS Retail Download) - $TBC - TREVA Entertainment

Astro (DSiWare) - $TBC - Enjoy Gaming

News: Nintendo Launches Inazuma Eleven Website


Nintendo has today launched its Inazuma Eleven 3 website ready for it's release on 27th September. On the website you can explore the different story elements, gameplay and characters. The website also briefly touches upon the 2 different versions (Lightning Bolt and Bomb Blast). A unique feature of the website is in the searching of "hidden" footballs of which there are 4! Once found you are given codes to enter in-game to unlock exclusive content.

The website is very much geared towards newcomers of the game which is most likely due to the fact that this is the first of its series to appear on the 3DS even though the Japanese games were on the Nintendo DS. The UK received the first 2 games on their correct format, but due the Nintendo DS all but drying up now, it seems a wise choice to port the game to the 3DS. Adding little more than 3D visuals and some new screens, the game appears to look identical to the Japanese DS games, with the same graphics. This may seem like a cheap money making scheme to some, but to others, they are thankful that the UK are getting the game at all.

Inazuma Eleven has so far struggled to take off in the UK, but it is kept afloat by its success in other European countries such as France and Spain where it is much more popular. And with Inazuma Eleven being a huge hit in Japan we can expect many more games to follow.

Source: Nintendo UK

News: Nintendo Feed Seeking Talented News Reporters


Nintendo Feed aims to provide our readers with all the latest Nintendo news in a speedy manner every single day of the week. You may often wonder who brings you that, and it’s our news team busy working behind the scenes. Now the opportunity has arisen for two budding journalists to join our dedicated news team, and you could be one of them!

As one of our news reporters, you’ll be joining the rest of the team and will need to have a good understanding of the English Language, along with the ability to use a diverse range of vocabulary. We’re looking for writers who are comfortable in writing about 3-5 news articles daily and follow a similar style and length to current news articles on the site.

News reporters must be able to source big news stories about Nintendo from across the internet. They must then work with other news reporters to cover them.

If you’re interested in the position, please send the Editor an email on josh@nintendofeed.com and include within your email some reasons why you’d like to join our team, along with three sample news articles about recent Nintendo news. The articles must follow a similar theme and style as the current news articles on our site.

Successful candidates will then be given a three month trial period for the Editorial Team to gain an idea if the position is for them.

As a member of our team, you’ll also be gaining the opportunity to grab a head start in the Video Games industry and also take part in our monthly Podcast and weekly staff features. What are you waiting for? It’s time to apply…

More details are available at Video Games Journalism Jobs.

Feature: Miiverse Favourites (20/9/13)

The Miiverse is a fantastic place where the blissfully talented can share their beautiful works of art, it's also where the likes of us, the far from talented can gaze in awe. Yes, it's that time of the week again, it's time to take a look at this week's Miiverse Favourites as chosen by the Nintendo Feed team.



Jesterfish (Art Academy: SketchPad Community)

Seriously though? How do people manage to even do this on the Wii U's gamepad? I'd put it down to one thing, sorcery. We should really just glaring at this sketch's beauty, but it will never make us less jealous.



Membranophonist (Art Academy: SketchPad Community)

We're quite partial to a bit of Dr Mario here at Nintendo Feed, we may even go as far to say that it's an addiction. Hey Nintendo! That reminds us, where are our 3DS and Wii U versions? Hey? Answer us that one! We're craving that music man.



EMPTY6PACK (Art Academy: SketchPad Community)

Even a few months after the game's release, it's still nice to see Pikmin 3 love running strong. You'll probably notice these lovely little guys popping up week after week in your Miiverse favourites, but it's probably because we love them so much.



Membranophonist (Art Academy: SketchPad Community)

Yes, we hear your cries now. We know that we shouldn't love Sonic because we're Nintendo fans. Still, it's very hard not to with the upcoming release of the epic Sonic Lost Worlds for Wii U and 3DS. Is Sonic the new Mario right now?



Jonootz (Art Academy: SketchPad Community)

Here at Nintendo Feed, not a day goes by when Josh doesn't argue the point that Phantom Hourglass is the best Zelda game out there. Whilst that view's not met with much appreciation, he can take consolation in this beautifully crafted Sketch of Linebeck.

Well, there we have it. Our Miiverse Favourites for this week have been well and truly laid down on the table. Have you been trawling the Miiverse lately? If you've seen anything that you love, feel free to leave it below and we may even feature it next time.

News: Former President of Nintendo, Hiroshi Yamauchi Dies


Nintendo have announced very recently that their former President, Hiroshi Yamauchi has passed away at the age of 85 years old. In 1949, Yamauchi became the 3rd President of the then Trading Card company, Nintendo. He then continued to lead Nintendo into the '70s and was an influencial role in the creation of arcade hit, Donkey Kong.

Nintendo then went on to become one of the most iconic companies in the world, pioneering a brand new industry in electronic video games. Yamauchi has always remained one of the front-runners in this operating and held the role of Nintendo's president up intil 2002, when he assumed a role as the Chair of Directors. He remains one of the company's biggest share holders.

Satoru Iwata issued this brief statement:
We will continue to treasure the values Yamauchi taught us - that what makes you unique lies at the core of entertainment. And we at Nintendo will continue to change the company flexibly to adapt to the times, as Yamauchi did, to carry on his spirit.
Hiroshi Yamauchi brought about great change to the video games industry and the world as a whole. He formed the company that we all know and love from very little. Nintendo Feed would like to offer our thoughts and prayers to Yamauchi's family at this very difficult time.

News: Wii U to Receive Wii Sports Club with Online Play


Annoyed that the Wii U never got a fun filled sports title? Well cheer up! In the Wii Fit U Direct Nintendo announced that beginning November 7th the Wii U eShop will be getting a series of titles in the Wii Sports Club! Wii Sports Club will bring back all the classic games but in full HD glory and with Wii Plus Motion capability. This is very good news for those that were wanting the games on their Wii U. The games will be rolled out gradually in waves.

Starting November 7, we will have full access to Tennis and Bowling. Baseball, boxing and golf are all slated to be heading to the Wii U eShop in the months following November. Each title is available on a free trial basis for a period of 24 hours. After that players will have two options. They can either pay for a Daily Pass priced at $1.99 or they can outright purchase the game permanently for $9.99.

The Club part of the upgraded Wii Sports is an interesting new feature. The Clubs are grouped based on states or regions. Players join the Club that is in their respective geographical locale. Once joining a club players gain the ability to chat during live matches, play with other members of their Club, and go head to head in Club matches to increase the rank of their respective Clubs.

Wii Sports Club looks to be widening the broad avenue Nintendo already provides to online interaction. The Clubs are a fantastic addition and can only enhance the already solid experience of Wii Sports. Will you be picking up the tennis and bowling? Do you think this will entice more people to purchase a Wii U? Are you ready to have a no holds barred throw down with Clubs across the world? Let us know below or head on over to our forums to discuss in greater detail!

News: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies Release Date Announced


The official Capcom UK Twitter account has announced the release date for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies. The game will be available on the eShop on the 24th October in both Europe and North America. You can see the original Tweet below.
 More information can be found right here. So what are your thoughts on this? Is it earlier than you expected, or would you rather have the game right now? Let us know in the comments, or over in our forums.

News: StreetPass West Midlands Sees the Light of Day


It's always nice to see new StreetPass groups popping up and the latest of these such groups, is StreetPass West Midlands, catering for 3DS fans in and around the Birmingham area. The group are currently busy planning their first meet-up.

You can follow all the updates over at their Twitter page, or alternatively you can join their Facebook group to chat with other members. For more information, you can contact Thomas Wakelin and we'll bring you more updates regarding their meet-ups soon. Stay tuned!

News: Nintendo UK Announce National StreetPass Day


Nintendo 3DS StreetPass groups are continuing to pop up throughout the UK, so it only seems a wise decision that Nintendo UK should jump on the bandwagon and host one big event of their own. Multiple StreetPass events are planned to take place on Saturday 28th September.

Two big meet-ups will be taking place at London Waterloo Station and Manchester Piccadilly, making for pretty easy access by train. There'll be plenty of opportunities to grab those all important StreetPass hits and also meet some of your favourite Nintendo characters. Meanwhile, there'll also be plenty of freebies up for grabs over in the StreetPass day booth at Eurogamer.

Will you be heading down to any of the events?

News: Nintendo eShop Downloads (19/9/13)

It's Monday again, so you all know what that means, right? It's time to have a look at this week's Nintendo eShop downloads. We've got a couple of much anticipated titles this week, like Harvest Moon: A New Beginning, so let's take a look at what's coming this Thursday!

European Downloads

Harvest Moon: A New Beginning (3DS Retail Download) - £29.99 - Zen United

Super Street Fighter IV 3D (3DS Retail Download) - £17.99 - Capcom

Star Wars Pinball (3DS Download Software) - £6.29 - Zen Studios

AiRace Speed (3DS Download Software) - £4.49 - Qubic Games

Rage of the Gladiator (3DS Download Software) - £6.29 - Gamelion Studios

Mutant Mudds (3DS Temporary Offer) - £5.39 until 3rd October - Renegade Kid

Super Little Acorns 3D Turbo (3DS Temporary Offer) - £2.49 until 3rd October - Pixel Toys

Bike Rider DX (3DS Permenant Price Cut) - £1.99 - Spicysoft

Game Party Champions (Wii U Retail Download) - £19.99 - Warner Bros.

Mega Man X (Wii U Virtual Console) - £5.49 - Capcom

Chasing Aurora (Wii U Temporary Offer) - £4.19 until 3rd October - Broken Rules

Kung Fu Rabbit (Wii U Temporary Offer) - £2.24 until 3rd October - Neko Entertainment

North American Downloads

Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure (3DS Retail Download) - $39.99 - Warner Bros. - Available from 24th September

FIFA 14 (3DS Retail Download) - $39.99 - EA

Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi (3DS Retail Download) - $34.99 - Aksys Games

Shifting World (3DS Retail Download) - £7.99 - Aksys Games

Star Wars Pinball (3DS Download Software) - $6.99 - Zen Studios

AiRace Speed (3DS Download Software) - $4.99 - QubicGames

Rage of the Gladiator (3DS Download Software) - $6.99 - Gamelion Studios

Mahjong 3D - Essentials (3DS Download Software) - $2.99 - TREVA Entertainment GmbH

Solomon's Key (3DS Virtual Console) - $3.99 - Tecmo Koei

Tales to Enjoy! The Ugly Duckling (DSiWare) - 300 Points - Enjoy Gaming

Tales to Enjoy! Three Little Pigs (DSiWare) - 300 Points - Enjoy Gaming

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (3DS Temporary Offer) - $19.99 until 22nd September - Capcom

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (Wii U Retail Download) - $49.99 - Nintendo - Available from 20th September

Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure (Wii U Retail Download) - $59.99 - WB Games - Available from 24th September

Super Mario Bros. (Wii U Virtual Console) - $4.99 - Nintendo

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U Temporary Offer) - $29.99 until 22nd September - Capcom

Chasing Aurora (Wii U Temporary Offer) - $4.99 until 3rd October - Broken Rules
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