Nintendo Direct Wrap Up: September 13th

On Thursday, Nintendo had their latest Nintendo Direct that was headlined by new Wii U information. If you missed it here is the video so you can watch it for yourself. From games to prices this Nintendo Direct delivered so much. Here is a recap that will not only save you an hour of your life, but may even give you a better understanding of everything that was shown.

Starting the presentation Nintendo told the fans that they would release two versions of the Wii U on November 18th, 2012. The two versions are supposed to make picking a console much easier for both your budget and how you will use your Wii U. The basic Wii U package comes with the console itself, 8GB of internal storage, a GamePad, HDMI and AC adapter cables, and a Wii U sensor bar. The deluxe package comes out with everything that you get in the basic version, a black finish, 32GB worth of memory, a copy of Nintendo Land, stands and charger for the GamePad as well as their premium Nintendo Network where you get 10% off digital purchases. The basic version will sell for $299.99 and the deluxe will come in at $349.99.

Something new that was shown off by Nintendo was Nintendo TVii. It is a service that they offer in the form of an application on the console that syncs up with your Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon, DVR, and even your TV provider to have all your shows and movies in one place. It has a nice clean UI that make it easy to use. When watching a show or film the game pad shows interesting screenshots and other information so you can share the highlights while watching. They also said that it would cost you nothing to have this feature or any other feature on the Nintendo Network, as they strive to provide consumers with the whole package.

They also showed off some cool games during the presentation. They announced that Bayonetta 2 will now be a Wii U exclusive, right now it is controversial since they never had it before and 360/PS3 users now do not get to enjoy the sequel on their existing console. Monster Hunter 3 will be coming for Wii U and 3DS in march. Activision is now showing strong support for the console just like Ubisoft did at E3 with titles like Skylanders Giants, 007 Legends, and the CoD Black Ops 2. They showed some gameplay of Nintendo Land, and the Metroid multiplayer Co-op + free for all modes look great, almost as if they could be full games. New Super Mario Bros U, now a confirmed launch title was shown off with Boost Rush where as you collect coins the screen scroll speeds up. Nintendo said that in their launch window (November to March) will have at least 50 games.

Are you going to adopt this console early at launch or wait for a price drop? Are you even going to purchase it or do you think that the console will crash and burn? Tell us all in the comments!

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Wii U Box Design Leaked

Since the Wii U was announced officially at E3 there has been a lot of speculation on all of the details. Price, release date, games at launch versus launch window, and a number of other details to decide whether people want to lay down their money or not. Recently we have gotten a number of sources such as Amazon, Target and other retailers putting up images for the games that are launching with the console. Below are the pictures of the game cases of these various titles as well as an alternative view of the case.

From what we can see, Nintendo appears to have adopted a blue case that will pop out to consumers on the shelf. I think this is good since earlier designs pointed to have the same case as the Wii but just adding in the "U". No word on dimensions but I think we could expect something similar to Wii cases, maybe slimmer judging by the pictures. Until Nintendo shows the game cases themselves I would take each new rumor with a grain of salt, but since these images were from multiple different retailers it gives this rumor good standing.

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Pokémon Black 2 White 2: The Shiny Situation

As many of you know the Black 2 and White 2 games have released in Japan, now we all get to see what these games entail.  We are bombarded by new changes that are both quite interesting or even revolting.  What we take away from the new additions will transfer over to new games, new generations and shape the way we view the series.

Something of interest are the nature of shiny Pokémon in these two new games.  These certain Pokémon have always been a rarity since their inclusion in Gen 2, a prestigious achievement for any player that caught one legitimately.

Now there are two items that will influence the amount of shinies people have.  The first item is the Shining Charm, directly influencing the the encounter rate of Shiny Pokémon.  While we don't know the mathematics behind the odd increase it is obviously safe to assume that this item will decrease the value of a shiny since there is the possibility of flooding the market with them.  The second one, while not directly ties to shinies will still help increase the rate at which people acquire such Pokémon.  This item is called the Round Charm and it increases the amount of eggs which the daycare man finds.  This coupled with the Musada method will no doubt help people get their favorite shiny.

Maybe I'm being to traditional in my thinking that shinies should be a large rarity but I'm not excited for the influx of people on the Wi-Fi trade service showing off their shinies asking for lvl 1 Zekroms.  Stay tuned for more news and opinions regarding these two games.

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Darksiders 2 Wii U Box art Leaked

Hello there folks, Atzunew here with some small news.  Recently Amazon Germany put up the following image up for pre order of Darksider 2.  It looks nice but the news comes from the fact that this is the first look at Wii U box art.  Overall the design looks very similar to the Wii's, something that I wish they changed up just like how they changed the box art style with the DS and 3DS boxes.

This could just be a very nice mock-up but it would be quite a bit to do given the quality of it, as well as the official "Licenced by Nintendo" symbol, something they can't legally put on mock-ups.

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Nintendo 3DS XL and More Shown off on Nintendo Direct

Last night was surely a late one for many Nintendo fans, with a new Nintendo Direct streaming live at midnight eastern time. It was full of great information and videos. And while much of it has been seen before there were some 'surprises' including of course, the Nintendo 3DS XL:

Nintendo 3DS XL

90% larger screen than original 3DS
Updated form factor (rounded)
Better battery life
Will launch in red and blue colors
Bundled with a 4GB SD card
MSRP of $199.99, releasing August 19th

The 4GB SD card (compared to the 3DS' 2GB will allow Nintendo to push downloading full games from the eShop even more, starting with New Super Mario Bros. 2 on the eShop August 19th, the same day as the 3DS XL's launch.

Pics

Nintendo also showed off a long line-up of games coming to the 3DS before the year is over, including:

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Skylander Giants
Adventure Time
Lego The lord of the Rings
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Kingdom Hearts has a demo available right now in the eShop, so be sure to check it out!

Some other games were given new details including release dates:

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (3DS)

Will be coming to North America November 1st
Downloadable puzzles available every day for a year (FREE)

Super Smash Bros. 3D

Will be a partnered effort between Nintendo and Namco Bandai, including Sakurai
Started development after the completion of Kid Icarus: Uprising

Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition (Wii)

6 classic Kirby games
Includes soundtrack and collectible book

New Super Mario Bros 2

Releasing August 19th
Coin rush mode: 1 life, compete with friends over StreetPass
Full local co-op though enitre game
Many new items to get you more coins!

Fire Emblem

Coming in 2013

Nintendo will also begin to move into more DLC, including paid add-on content. Coin rush stages will be available for purchase for NSMB2 and Fire Emblem will also have paid DLC available.

Also announced were what 3DS users are to expect as to specific features while playing the DS games Pokemon Black 2/White 2. Players who have bought the upcoming eShop game Pokemon Dream Radar will be able to transfer their caught Pokemon to Black/White 2. Also to look forward to are many new and reduced price Virtual Console games coming to the eShop, starting today with Super Mario Land for $2.99.

Finally, in Japan the Nintedo Direct also seems to have shown off the latest Animal crossing game coming to the 3DS. You can check out that footage here, and the entire North Amierca Nintendo Direct below:

What was your favorite announcement? What did I miss? Let us know in the comments below!

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Nintendo Direct June 21st Live Blog

AnythingGeek's very first live blog is below. We will follow the Nintendo Direct event as it is streamed live at 12AM EST, while taking your comments! Expect more info on the future of the Wii, DS, and 3DS.

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Nintendo Direct Tonight: Wii U Release Date, New Zelda Remake?

Today we got word of a new Nintendo Direct conference coming soon to our monitors. This conference will start at 12:00 AM EST, quite late considering past Nintendo Directs. If you want to know when it will be on for you, use the following time zone converter to find out.

No word on what the conference will pertain to but I hope it is either the Wii U's Price and release date or information on the rumored Zelda remakes of Majora's Mask or Link to the Past. We will have a round-up of the announcement right after it concludes so be sure to check out our coverage. To watch live head over to the Nintendo Direct website tonight.

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Pokémon Black 2 White 2: Early Copies Give New Info

Hey there folks, Atzunew back on the track of BW2 news. Recently some lucky ducks got their copies of Black/White 2 early. These users from the Japanese forum 2ch have been busily posting new information. Obviously there are spoilers so don't look if you're saving your surprise for the release. However, here are some of the highlights that we thought were interesting.

• The rival’s default name is Hugh/Hue/Hyuu (ヒュウ), the female player is named Mei (メイ) by default, the male character’s default name is Kyouhei.
• Video below shows off the player getting their starter Pokémon in a cool CG cut-scene.
• Repel can now be used again without going into the menu. After one runs out, it asks you “Repel’s effect ran out. Use another one? Y/N?”.
• The World Tournament is based in Driftveil City where the Cold Storage used to be.
• Iris is now the champion, no longer a mere gym leader. Drayden is now the Opelucid City gym leader for both versions.
• After clearing the game, you will be given a Key. This key allows for changing the game’s mode between Normal Mode (standard levels), Assist Mode (Trainers’ level will go down), and Challenge Mode (levels will go up). The Key also allows for the changing of Black City to White Forest and vice versa.

This is just a taste of the amount of content within Black & White 2. Continue to follow our coverage of these games to find out more of what to expect when it releases to Japan June 23rd and to us in North America this fall.

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Nintendo Brings E3 Early with Nintendo Direct

Just as I'm writing this, Nintendo has now finished streaming a new Nintendo Direct show on their official website. This stream focuses on three major parts of their upcoming console even before their E3 press conference scheduled for this Tuesday. These include the Wii U Gamepad, the Miiverse online network, and the Wii U Pro controller.

Wii U GamePad
As was previously known, the Wii U controller has undergone many changes since the original prototype was shown off. It will now use traditional joysticks instead of the Nintendo 3DS Circle Pads, and has been redesigned to be as comfortable as possible. It has now also been officially named the "Wii U GamePad".

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata also pointed out some the the already known features of the controller: a motion sensor and gyro sensor, and also pointed out the small rectangle on the bottom-left of the controller that is the NFC reader/writer. Also discussed was the ability to play games on the Wii U controller while the TV is doing something else.

Miiverse
The Miiverse seems to be a major part, if not the only part, of the online system that will be accessed by the Nintendo Wii U. It is a social network for your Miis where you can interact with other Miis on your console, your friends, and other Miis that are playing the same games as you.

Some features of the Miiverse online network include a social network where you can send an receive messages and drawings (using the controller's touch screen), as well as video chat with your friends and the ability to share screenshots from games. The Miiverse social network will at first only be available from the Wii U console but is said to come to the 3DS, PC, and any web enabled mobile device such as the iPhone.

Wii U Pro Controller
Another thing that I think surprised many people was the short tease of the upcoming Wii U Pro Controller. As a console that is intended to step into the 'hardcore' market as much as possible, a controller like this is a necessity to those who don't see themselves playing the latest Call of Duty games with a giant tablet in their laps.

Some of us at AnythingGeek.net worry about the possible comfort issues that may arise with this pro controller. Jake from the site points out that the left side of the controller is similar to Xbox while the right side is like the PS3 controller reversed. This layout could make it more difficult to use the joysticks. Another complaint from some is the small size of the centre buttons and the inclusion of a power button. One may ask why it is necessary to have a home button and a power button when you could simply hold it down to turn the controller on and off. I however am excited to try out this controller just as much as the tablet alternative.

Stay tuned for our E3 coverage next week, where we will see much more from Nintendo and all the other major game companies. Expect to see more to do with the games coming at the launch as well as possibly a more in depth look at the hardware. If you want to check out the original Nintendo Direct video, head over here. Until next time, Together Wii U.

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Pokemon Black & White 2 Soundtrack coming July 25th

You read the title correctly, on July 25th there will be a new Pokemon soundtrack released in Japan, about a month after the game's expected release date of June 23rd. The price of this soundtrack will cost you 2,625 yen which is about $34 USD. This complete collection comes with 173 songs from Black and White 2, and unreleased songs from Pokemon Emerald and Platinum. These songs are also digitally remastered. If you buy the luxuary edition, no word on price, but it comes with a full color 24 page book. There will be 4 discs in this collection.

24 page full color booklet with luxury! Full documentation and the development of "Pokemon Black 2 White 2" Remarks combined music and liner notes by Game Freak sound team, to play back story of the game! Essential items if game fans!

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6 Million 3DS units Sold in Japan

Well the failure system the 3DS is doing better then what people thought when it first came out. It so far has sold 6 million in Japan and globally it has sold over 13.35 million units. Since the 3DS launched it has brought in 17.1 million sales. Currently though Nintendo is not making a profit on 3DS's sold, not until the end of September of 2012 they say. For more Nintendo and other news check back to AnythingGeek.net!

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Get Yourself A Yoshi Costume Now!

In Mario Tennis Open, Club Nintendo members now have unique early access to this promotional content.  Early this week on Club Nintendo, users we greeted by a banner that lets players get access to this free content.  This content will come to everyone soon enough but why not sign up for Club Nintendo and get some cool stuff? This content is easy to get and is really a nice vanity item for your game.

You can get this content in four easy steps: Firstly, log in to your Club Nintendo account, then turn on your 3DS with the game in. When you get to the file select screen press up on the d-pad and start to enter camera mode, and finally get your costume.  Also, because we are nice guys, here is the QR code you need to scan. Just click to enlarge if you have to and enjoy your new outfit.  I haven't tried out this costume for its stats but they look decent enough so far. The Nintendo site seems to show two other releases, so that is something to look forward to in the future.

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Pokémon Black 2 White 2: Animated Promo

Yesterday we saw the release of the following trailer that showed off some of what we can expect from the upcoming Black 2 & White 2 games regarding the return of some of the characters we know and love from Black and White. Also below is a rough translation of what is being said.





Pokemon Black & White 2 Animated Promo by IamDGK
N: “You path to capture pokemon, what kind shall it be?”
Rival: “Alright! Let’s go get our pokemon!”
Black2: “Yeah!”
Black2?: “You are…?”
Belle: “Uwa! Thank goodness you came!”
Belle: “Tada~! Inside here are the pokemon that will become your partners!”
Achroma: “So that’s what Plasma said. That people and pokemon should be separated. I, however, do not think so.”
Kamitsure: “Welcome to the stage. Between my precious pokemon and yours… which will shine stronger? So from now, let’s start!”
Plasma: “Ufufufu, I’ll applaud you for getting here. But, I think we’re in no need for your company.”
Rival: “I’ll say this now. I’m gonna rage from now on!!”
Cheren: “Tch, these guys are real trouble makers.”
Rival: “From here, lend me your strength.”
Black2: “OK!”
Plasma: “Habunake, Bite!”
Black2: “Windie, [i have no idea sorry]”
Rival: “Daikenki, ice beam!”
Black2: “Wait up! Lucario, Aura Sphere!”
Trinity: “What way will you reach your goal?”
Black2: “Tch…”

This promo was really well made, I only wish that the regular anime could be as good. The character redesigns are really well done including Elesa's and Cheren's new designs. The return of Team Plasma and the Shadow Triad are very nice and it would seem that they have a newer mission statement now with a more villainous feel to them. This just gets us even more excited for the latest installment in the Pokémon franchise. Hopefully it will deliver an engaging experience that is on par with the first Black and White in regards to plot - possibly even more so.

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Pikmin 2 and Mario Power Tennis Joining Nintendo Selects

Some news from Nintendo today shows off some of the company's plans for the Wii console. The big N has announced that on June 10th North American customers will be able to purchase the previously available Pikmin 2 and Mario Power Tennis Wii games at the price of $19.99. All this is is a re-packaging in a new box with "Nintendo Selects" branding, but if you have not played these games yet it would be a good time to add them to your collection.

In other Nintendo news the company has also announced that they will be slashing the prices of best sellers, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Donkey Kong Country Returns. These games will be available for a modest price of $29.99. Again if you have not picked up these games in particular then it would be wise to take advantage of this price change. Don't complain about there not being any good Wii games!

Some other games already in the Nintendo Selects line up include Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Strikers Charged, Punch-Out!! and Super Paper Mario along with other quality first-party games. Jake on the site has previously got some of these Nintendo Selects games through a Wal-Mart Canada sale. This sale will last until the 30th of May and you can pick up these games for only $14.83 each! Hopefully all these games will last us until the launch of the Wii U.

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Pokémon Black 2 White 2: More CoroCoro Info

Today more leaked images of the latest CoroCoro have been released.  These photos confirm some of rumors of yesterday's post that came from the source. This game keeps getting better and  better with all the new content involved as well as how old content is returning to make this game even better.

Here is a main section that has to deal with the upcoming game. We see better pictures of the Kami Trio's new formes, now dubbed as their "Sacred Beast Formes". Personally I prefer these 3 to their current formes since they all are similar without being nearly the exact same. Each of these changes their stats but keeps their typing. It also shows the new professor that appears in AR Searcher, she is named Burnett, which sadly doesn't seem to continue the tradition of naming Pokémon professors after trees.

Next we have returning characters from Black and White with refreshing new looks. Bianca is continuing to help out Juniper and Cheren now has his own gym, which he specializes in normal types. Alder now is in a position where he helps out your character in their journey early on, nothing on N yet but he seems to still be missing. Also there will be a Pokémon World Tournament which is being held by Cynthia in which gym leaders, elite four members and others seem to participate in.  These will include the likes of Blue (Green), Misty, Volkner and Steven Stone. There is also some more minor mention of Homika, Brycen and PokéWood.

Finally there is some info about the Meloetta promotion, a TCG card set as well as mentions of the anime.  This page below announces a sixth set in the BW series, this set is headlined by Black Kyurem EX and White Kyurem EX. In regards to the anime Ash's adventures in Unova will continue with Best Wishes Series 2 on June 21st. It will have plots regarding returning Pokémon, Meloetta, Team Rocket featuring Giovanni, and the return of Cynthia and Dawn. Hopefully we will also get plots regarding the tournament and get to see Misty as well as many more make a come back. This Meloetta will be level 15 when received, it will have the moves Quick Attack, Confusion and Round as well as holding a PP Up.

More information will come as it appears within translations of the text. You can catch more news all the time at AnythingGeek.net.

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