3DS Launches

The Nintendo 3DS launched in Japan last week and caused sensation.  Lines in front of gaming stores were not short at all as people camped out since the night before the release date in eager await to get their hands on the next generation portable gaming console.  The system sold thousands, as much as 400,000 Nintendo 3DS systems were sold and there were still people who left empty handed.  Some retailers avoided the mess created by the long wait lines by having it so only people who had pre-ordered the system would get one.  Other retailers had mainly pre-orders as well but only ordered a few extras for those who hadn't pre-ordered.   When I say a few, I mean a few.  This means that some retailers only ordered as low as 4 extra systems for those who hadn't pre-ordered the 3DS. So if you were un lucky enough to be that fifth person, you weren't going to get a 3DS, at least not at that store.  The Nintendo 3DS basically flew off the shelves in Japan and the same will probably happen when it hits the rest of the world later this this month.  Europe will get their hands on the 3DS on March 25th while North America can get it on March 27th.  Some people have already imported a japanese version of the system but others will wait for the localization.  This system is going to be big.  The onle question now is, how will Sony's NGP do at it's launch compared to the 3DS launch?  Only time will tell.

Another Classic: Long awaited Sequel

Last week I covered the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time being revived on the new Nintendo 3DS.  This week, Kid Icarus takes the spot light.  This game was considered a great success that many people remember from the early nintendo days.  However, Kid Icarus had been long forgotten by game developers until recently when the star of the game, Pit, appeared in the nintendo brawler, Super Smash Bros Brawl.  Now, the creator of that very game is making a sequel to the original Kid Icarus for the 3DS.  This installment will be named, Kid Icarus: Uprising.  Many people eagerly await this new installment to see what it's all about.  Game reviewers have tried the demo at Nintendo conferences and have very good things to say about it.  The controls are somewhat difficult to get used to and may have your hand cramping a bit, but you'll be having too much fun to really care about that as one reviewer puts it. 
In this new installment, Pit flies through the air and runs through the clouds in order to save the planet from evil.  Of course the graphics, gameplay and story are dramatically different from what people remember from the original 8-bit game for the NES, but the experience should prove as exciting as any game.  Nintendo fans, Pit has arrived.  "The Fight is On!"

Rebirth of Old School Classics

The Nintendo 3DS will be released a week from today in Japan and a month from that date in the United States.  Nintendo fans eagerly await its arrival and have already set their pre-orderd at their local video game store.  The 3DS is such an exciting piece of hardware, not only for its 3D and its power but because it will be bringing Nintendo 64 Classics and favorites to the platform with all new features.  Among them are Starfox 64, Paper Mario and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.  The latter will be today's topic. 
Ocarina of time was Link's first adventure in a 3 dimensional platform.  When I say 3D, I don't mean the type the 3DS offers but that the character was able to move left, right, forward and backward.  This game was a great success among Nintendo fans.  The legend of Zelda was already a popular series, but the jump into 3D made it even better.  This game sold millions of copies world wide  and now it will be re-released on the 3DS.   It has been re-released before on the gamecube, an exact port of the original, and then again on the Nintendo Wii's virtual console.  The 3DS version however, has enhanced modified graphics, new touch screen features as well as the 3D effect that should prove to revive an old experience.  The question is, will Zelda fans be willing to pay full 3DS software price, $39.99, to play a game that they can just as easily download on the Wii Virtual console for just $10.00?  We will see when the game releases which unfirtunateky will not be as soon as the 3DS launches.  We will have to wait for this one and for Starfox as well.  In the meantime, 3DS owners can brawl it out with Super Street fighter 4: 3D Edition.

Will Nintendo and Capcom finally meet?

Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series and Capcom's V.S. series; these are two types of games that a great majority (if not all) gamers know and love.  Super Smash Brothers brings the varying worlds of Nintendo together on an all out brawl with each other. Link, from the Legend of Zelda meets Mario and Donkey Kong on the same stage to see who is king of brawlers.  This game first came out for the Nintendo 64 over a decade ago with a limited number of playable characters and stages but since then has gotten better with the Super Smash Bros. Melee on the GameCube and even further with Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii.  The Wii version made some gamer's dreams come true with the inclusion of Solid Snake form the Metal Gear games and also Sonic the Hedgehog which people had wanted to see face off with Mario for ages. However, some people were dissapointed to see that Capcom's iconic Megaman wasn't included in this installment.
Is this about to change however?  Capcom has its V.S. series where they have faced of against the Marvel comics super heroes and SNK characters as well among many others.  The characters included from the Capcom side of the versus series would do great facing off against Nintendo characters like in Smash Bros.  The question wether this was possible was brought up to the creator of Capcom who said that it was an interesting idea.  This somehow got out on the internet but was twisted around that made it seem like he was working on the game.  This is not so however and he has cleared this out now.  He had to go and apologize to the head if Nintendo.  This could start something though and all gamers who have been waiting for this face-off between Nintendo and Capcom characters in one game could see it coming soon, or not.  Only time can tell.  To see the video of the interview with Capcom from IGN.com click below.

More IGN Videos

Another Hand-held, Not a Rival?

Sony has announced that later this year it will be releasing their new portable gaming system codenamed NGP, short for next generation portable, in Japan.  This will be the successor to the prevoiusly popular Sony Playstation Portable, PSP. 
Not much has been said about the NGP however, there are only a few detailes that we currently know about it.  First, it will have a touch sensor built in and secondly that it will have dual analog thumb pads to simulate using a controller on a home console.  The last thing we know is that the NGP will not play UMD disks which is what's causing some fuss over in Japan.  The PSP has been very popular in Japan and the games that it plays are on the UMD disks that will no longer be compatible with the new NGP.  The NGP will use memory card cartridges similar to the Nintendo DS cartridges.  So what happens to that robust game library that PSP owners have collected over the PSP life span?  The developers over at Sony are looking into possible solution to that.  Perhaps having the games be downloadable on the Playstation network or just creating ports of some of the more popular PSP games for the NGP. 
Will the NGP be better than Nintendo's 3DS?  Many say that it will be better because the 3DS 3D gaming functionality is considered by many to just be a gimmick to attract buyers.  It may well be so, or might not but others also say that Nintendo has a greater advantage as it's being released much sooner than the NGP.  Currently Japan already had released the 3DS with the US being able to see it in their hands next month.  The NGP won't be released in Japan until the end of 2011 which means the US probably wont see it on their store shelves until 2012.  What does Sony have to say about this?  They want Nintendo to succeed because thay acknowledge that the 3DS and the NGP are directed at completely different audiences.  Also, both Sony and Nintendo probably realise that their true competition is in Apple.