Last Night, Nintendo revealed several new details about its forthcoming console, the Nintendo Switch. Not the least of which being the launch date, price, and some of the games that will be available at launch. Start saving up now, because the console will be hitting store on March 3 for $299. If you wanna see all the details, check it out below.
[Read the rest of this entry…]

This past Thursday, Nintendo held it’s first Nintendo direct since the passing of former president Satoru Iwata. Though his absence was felt, there are a lot of new and exciting developments that came from the big N. If you don’t wanna watch teh full video, you can check out some of the high points after the jump.

[Read the rest of this entry…]

It’s not often that Mario’s brother gets the spotlight. The most notable times he was the primary playable character was Luigi’s Mansion, and it’s upcoming sequel. However, the Gamecube cult classic wasn’t the first time Luigi was the star of the show. Nope, that honor belongs to this clunkfest, although many would rather forget about it. Yeah, it has an educational value, but it’s repetitive action and boring gameplay will put kids to sleep.
[Read the rest of this entry…]

Want to see what Wii U and do for you? Nintendo showed Mario. And Luigi. And Batman. And Mass Effect. If you’re a Nintendo loyalist, you’re about to see what you’ve been missing.

These are all of the trailers and demo videos without Nintendo’s presenters and executives.

Another more 3DS focused press event will be held tomorrow.

The idea and practical applications of marriage barely come up in video games. Sure, there’s not much of a place for it in Angry Birds, and it theoretically might be the ultimate goal of dating sims. But what about games where you’re playing as a character or interact with NPCs who just ARE married? Sean and Vinnk (gamers who are, apparently miraculously, each respectively married with children) explore the reasons why games might actually shy away from the trapping of matrimony, and how the few games that do use it (Fable, The Sims, Alan Wake) want to milk it for emotional impact. But how "emotionally impacted" might an 8 year-old gamer feel about such subject matter — and is that right there the reason it’s a subject few developers dare to tread? And when is Mario just going to marry Princess Peach already! How many more times does she need to get kidnapped by Bowser for him to get the hint??

[Read the rest of this entry…]

Gamasutra reports that Hirokazu Yasuhara has joined Nintendo, working at the Nintendo Of America headquarters in Redmond, WA. He joins as a designer with NST, who are credited with creating the Mario VS Donkey Kong series.

Why is this news? Yasuhara is credited as a co-creator of Sonic The Hedgehog, working with Yuji Naka at Sonic Team and at Sega through 1997. During that time, Sega produced games that challenged and overtook Nintendo in many regards. He also worked with Namco-Bandai on Pac-Man Party on Wii and 3DS. With his new position at NST he will inevitably work with Mario. Hirokazu Yasuhara will become the first game designer to be credited on games featuring the three biggest names in video games: Sonic, Pac-Man, and Mario.

If this is not an impressive enough feat, he also has level design credits with Naughty Dog working on the Jak & Daxter series on PS2 and all three Uncharted games on PS3.

Game Developer magazine published a great interview with Yasuhara in 2008 you can read here.

Super Mario 3D Land was released for the 3DS yesterday. After months of lacklustre titles, this one looks to be the first original title for the system worthy of owning. I’ve put in a solid evening of gameplay and progressed through roughly half the game, and I’d like to share my first impressions.

Immediately the game is reminiscent of Nintendo era Super Mario Bros. games. While Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy all had a some of features reminiscent of older games, this game has many more. While other more recent games feel like they take place in their own new worlds, this game at times feels like you’re in a 3D version of Super Mario Bros. 3. The Tanooki suit makes a welcome return, as well the old classics like the fire flower and a new suit, the Boomerang Bro. suit, which while new is itself a throwback to characters from old games.

Keep reading for more thoughts.
[Read the rest of this entry…]

Super Mario is the long forgotten entry in the Super Mario franchise, yet at the same time, it’s one of the most enjoyable. This Game Boy launch title was the first portable Mario game since the Game & Watch era, and it was developed by Gunpei Yokoi (rather than creator Shigeru Miyamoto), who was basically the brains behind Nintendo’s entire direction ever since they decided to make video games. While it contained the same platforming action from the NES, although it added in a few twists of its own. As the mustachoed plumber, you’re out to save Princess Daisy (not Peach/Toadstool), and the rest of Sarasland (not the Mushroom Kingdon) from the evil Tatanga (not Bowser). Like in SMB, you collect mushrooms to grow bigger, and flowers to shoot fire. However, in some levels, you pilot a vehicle. Also, the levels have more variation in thier backgrounds. One level features an Egyptian motif. While the world itself may have forgotten about SML, it’s sequel is best known for introducing Wario to the franchise. SML is slated to be one of the first games to be released on the 3Ds download service, so I advise you to check it out.