Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata Dies From Cancer Aged 55

Nintendo has today confirmed the sad news that its CEO and much-respected videogame programmer has died at the age of 55 from cancer. Rumours of Mr. Iwata's failing health first began to circulate back in 2014 when he was advised by doctors not to travel to E3, Los Angeles premiere gaming conference. Nevertheless, he underwent surgery and returned to work after a brief respite.

During his time as CEO, which began in 2002, Satoru Iwata was credited with the launch of many of Nintendo's successful products, including most notably its DS, 3DS and Wii consoles. He had recently began to refocus Nintendo gaming away from the console market and towards the 'mobile gaming' market, which is expected to double Nintendo's expected profits by providing quality Nintendo titles to the growing market of smartphones and tablet devices. Earlier this year, Nintendo signed an exclusive deal with mobile gaming company, DeNA, who will be tasked with bringing Nintendo's vision of high-quality Nintendo mobile games to life.

The untimely death of Mr.Iwata has shocked many of the company's fans, who have taken to social media sites to voice their tributes to the man who brought some truly innovative and creative products to the gaming community. Even Nintendo's closest rival, Sony Playstation paid its respects in a simple tweet, which reads: "Thank you for everything, Mr. Iwata." [sourced from: http://kotaku.com/the-video-game-community-pays-tribute-to-satoru-iwata-1717397315].

With the loss of its treasured CEO, Nintendo faces a difficult time ahead in its search for new Leadership. One thing is certain, however, Satoru Iwata was a man of rare talent and vision. His leadership helped Nintendo to produce its popular line of easy-to-use, family-friendly consoles, which brought the joys of videogaming  to even wider audiences. He will be sadly missed by the gaming community and he has left some very big shoes for his successor to fill.

Lego Jurassic World Review [PS Vita and 3DS]

The creative geniuses at TT games have produced yet another game under their tried and tested LEGO format.  Universal's dinosaur extravaganza Jurassic World is the latest blockbuster movie to undergo a LEGO metamorphosis, and we have to say that the results are looking good!

The game encompasses storylines from all four films in the Jurassic Park series, from the park's humble beginnings under its original creator, John Hammond, to the bone-chomping action of the ferocious Indominus Rex, which actually means 'Untamable King' in Latin.

As well as the usual LEGO gameplay, including solving various puzzles and collecting several coloured studs etc, players can create their own custom dinosaurs from various body parts collected throughout the game's twenty levels, each divided over four story chapters.

 More than twenty species of standard dinosaur breeds and over one hundred human characters can also be unlocked during the course of the game.One quirky unlockable character is Mr. DNA (the chatty, animated DNA strand who we see guiding tourists in the first and fourth films) he can be used to provide in-game hints and tips once unlocked.

The main human characters also have their own special abilities, which can help at various points during the game. For example, Nick Van Owen, the wildlife photographer from Jurassic Park: Lost World (played by Vince Vaughn,) can now use the flash on his camera to temporarily daze and confuse the attacking dinosaurs!

As well as the Story Mode levels, the game also has two open world settings, Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna.  One of the most exciting features of the open-world gameplay is the ability to play as a rampaging dinosaur in certain areas. Furthermore, the game does feature a two-person Co-Op Mode, which means that your friends can also join in the fun.

LEGO Jurassic World also brings some interesting features such as a brand new Weather mechanic and a whole day and night cycle, which helps to vary the gameplay a little. Nevertheless, this game follows the tried and tested LEGO format that we are all familiar with pretty closely, and the new mechanics do not vastly add anything to the playable portions of the game.

Another aspect of the game is the various 'Chase' sequences, which involve rapidly pressing buttons in order to avoid being eaten by some large carnivorous dinosaur. Although these chases look visually impressive, the actual gameplay mechanics can make them seem a bit boring after a while.

Having Trouble viewing this trailer? CLICK HERE

In conclusion, this is a very good, funny, visually-beautiful addition to the LEGO games franchise. If you are already a fan of the LEGO games, then this title will fit very nicely into your collection and the gameplay will be very familiar to you.

If you are an adult gamer who has yet to experience a LEGO video game, you may find that LEGO Jurassic World is not the best title to start with as the chase sequences and fairly simple puzzles may become repetitive after a while.

Nevertheless, LEGO Jurassic World's simple mechanics help to make it an excellent game for children or adult casual gamers who are looking for something entertaining but uncomplicated to play. LEGO Jurassic World is a quirky game, packed with humour that should appeal to the whole family. Overall Mini Gamers rating: 7/10

Nintendo Direct Broadcast Brings Happy News To Fans Of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and a lot more besides...

If you are a big fan of Animal Crossing: New Leaf on the Nintendo 3DS/New 3DS or 2DS consoles, then you would have been delighted by the latest Nintendo Direct Broadcast, which aired yesterday. Nintendo have announced that they are planning to release a new spinoff interior design simulator, which is themed around the Animal Crossing series, called Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.

Have you have ever wanted to create the perfect home for your Animal Crossing: New Leaf  buddies?Well, this is your chance. Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer lets you design custom interiors for all the characters in the classic game. They tell you what kind of room they want, and you collect items of furniture, wallpapers and carpets that help to turn their dream homes into a reality.

Nintendo also mentioned that this would be the first ever Animal Crossing game to come with Amiibo NFC supported content. However, instead of the Amiibo figurines that have been produced for Super Smash Bros. 4, (which have often been accused of being impractical and too bulky to use when carrying them around with the portable New 3DS console,) Nintendo have announced that Animal Crossing: Happy Home designer will use Amiibo cards instead, which work in the same way as the Amiibo figurines, but which are easier to store and collect. This obviously has a lot of scope for use with other future Nintendo titles as well. 

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is expected to be released in the USA and Europe some time in Autumn 2015. However, there was even more Animal Crossing news, as Nintendo also went on to talk about the new Animal Crossing DLC course which is now coming to Mario Kart 8 on the 23rd of April 2015.

As well as a course which looks to be every bit as cutesy and quirky as the original Animal Crossing game, including different seasons every time the characters race around the track, Nintendo will also add a free update that adds a 200cc speed class, which  means that players who have mastered the existing races get a brand new challenge.  The update also adds support for more Amiibo characters.

For those of you who are not fans of Animal Crossing, there were further announcements including (amongst others), a  trailer for for a new Fire Emblem game, which is due to be released in Europe in 2016, an announcement about a special Amiibo peripheral which will allow existing 3DS, 3DS XL, and 2DS consoles to use the Amiibo figurines, and an announcement about the fourth wave of collectible Amiibo figures, which can be expected over the next few months:

MAY 2015:

*Charizard
* Pac-Man
* Wario
*Jigglypuff
*Greninja
*Robin
*Lucina
*Ness

JULY 2015:

* Dark Pit
* Palutena

SEPTEMBER 2015:

* Zero Suit Samus
* Ganondorf
* Olimar
* Dr. Mario
* Bowser Jr.


Thus, it looks as though the next few months are going to be very interesting for Nintendo gamers.
The full Nintendo Direct Broadcast can be viewed below:

Having trouble viewing this trailer? CLICK HERE

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas: Christmas Wonderland 4 Preview [3DS]

Yes, it is that time of year again! Christmas is swiftly approaching, and the fourth edition of our favourite festive game has just appeared for download in the Nintendo 3DS eShop. For those of you who are not familiar with the Christmas Wonderland series on the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS, it is a series of Hidden Object games, all with a Christmassy theme.

In Christmas Wonderland 4, we again join Bill and Mary as they attend the Christmas parade, whilst Mrs. Claus, Santa and the elves try and get all the toys ready in time for the big day!

The game is very easy to play, but hard to master. Players must try to spot all of the items on the Christmas list at the top of the screen. Points are accumulated by finding the listed items as quickly as possible. This sounds easy, but there are many items to find and each one is intricately hidden in a beautiful festive scene. There is a handy Hint function for anyone who feels a bit lost, but players must wait for the hint meter to refill before it can be used again.

As well as the hidden object lists, players will have to solve a number of puzzle mini games in order to progress to the next level. These include tasks such as arranging a set of Santa heads in the correct order or helping Mrs. Claus to finish decorating the Christmas cake.

The game has some beautiful graphics, including some in 3D, but it has to be said that the 3D function of the game is extremely limited as most of the graphics are displayed solely on the bottom screen, which is a tad frustrating.

Nevertheless, if you are looking for a fun festive game to play in the run up to Christmas, then this title is just perfect for you.  Furthermore, at only £4.49, it is a bargain to download from the Nintendo eShop and will keep most casual gamers interested for quite a long time. Overall Mini Gamers rating: 7/10.

Why Today Is A Great Day For Nintendo Fans...

Yes, the 21st of November 2014 is a great day for Nintendo fans! Not only is Nintendo releasing its latest Pokemon title - Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire for the 3DS throughout North America and Japan today (European gamers will have to wait until the 28th of November 2014 for their version the game), but today officially marks the release of Nintendo's first wave of Amiibo figurines.

 The NFC Amiibo figures are expected to retail for around £10 each, and can allow users to add their favourite Nintendo characters to some of exciting Wii U, 3DS and New 3DS console games in the future. However, these figurines will be initially used in the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros. 4, which also debuts today!

Thus, whether you are a 3DS or Wii U gamer, there is definitely a lot to celebrate. Well done, Nintendo!

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3DS Remake Announced!

Nintendo has today announced that it will be again remastering one of its most popular Legend of Zelda titles for the 3DS handheld. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask  is the sixth game in the Legend of Zelda series and was released on the Nintendo 64 in the year 2000.

The gameplay of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D follows on from the events shown in The Ocarina of Time, which was itself remastered for the 3DS back in 2011. Thus, a lot of the gameplay mechanics from The Ocarina of Time are still in use, including the ocarina songs, the dungeon puzzles and Link's weapon-based combat, which will be instantly recognisable even to newer fans of The Legend of Zelda franchise.


The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is considered by many critics to be a darker tale than some of the other Zelda titles. The game works on a unique three-day cycle. In the main story, which takes place in Termina, which is an alternate version of the usual setting of Hyrule.

The  main antagonist,  the Skull Kid, (shown above) has stolen  a powerful ancient artifact known as Majora's Mask. Harnessing the dark energy of Majora's Mask, the Skull Kid causes the land's moon to slowly fall towards Termina, where it crashes after three days. Our hero, Link, has to travel back and forth through time in order to reset the beginning of the catastrophic three days in which the mask was stolen, and find a way to stop the moon from destroying the world.

As with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, this game has been rendered in stereoscopic 3D and the cutscenes look breathtakingly beautiful as a result. Furthermore, in Europe, the game is set to be packaged with some seriously rare goodies too, including a silver The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask pin badge, a double-sided poster and a special steelbook cover for the game, making it a must-buy for many true Zelda fans.

The game is set to make its 3DS debut some time in Spring 2015. As well as the hard copy of the game, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D will also be available as a Nintendo eShop download upon its release. If you wish to know more about the game, then the latest Nintendo Direct broadcast should help to answer your questions:

Having trouble viewing this video? CLICK HERE

2015 is fast-approaching and with big releases such as The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask and a brand new 3DS console on the way, it is already shaping up to be a great year for gaming. Keep checking in with the Mini Gamers blog for more exciting news and previews about this game over the coming months, but for now, watch this space!

Game of the Week: Disney Magical World [3DS]

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to live amongst some of your favourite Disney Characters? If so, then this game is absolutely perfect for you...

Disney Magical World is a new Life Simulation game, which allows players to explore the Disney universe in a new and exciting way. Players begin their adventure in Castleton, where they will settle in to their own room and be able to visit the local cafe. This is also where they will find the magical World Gates, which will allow them to journey to other worlds populated by over sixty best-loved Disney characters, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Donald Duck and many, many more.  

Players can create a new character for the game or use an existing Mii character. They can then choose how they play the game, from collecting and using different materials for furniture and wallpaper, to eating various snacks, Do favours for your new Disney friends by fetching their requested items, or going on special 'ghost-hunting' quests to collect stickers and open up new areas of the map to explore.

Having Trouble viewing this trailer? CLICK HERE

Disney Magical World has already launched in North America and Japan, and has so far been considered a successful addition to the Disney Videogame franchise, shipping more than 500,000 copies since March this year. [sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_Magical_World#Reception]

Disney Magical World is a fun interactive game which will appeal to old and young Disney enthusiasts alike. The customisation options and expansive game map make it very enjoyable. Furthermore, there is the chance to gain further bonus items via Spotpass, such as new outfits and furniture, and there are also items which can be purchased from the Nintendo eShop, including an entirely new world to explore!

Thus,  Disney Magical World is likely to keep gamers interested for quite a long time. This is a fantastic title, complete with some very good animated cutscenes and voice acting. Definitely one for the top of the Christmas List this year. Overall Mini Gamers rating: 8/10.

Disney Magical World is available to buy from the 24th October 2014.

Introducing Some VERY Weird But Wonderful Super Smash Bros. 4 Characters...

 Nintendo's Super Smash Bros is an incredibly long-running franchise, but for those gamers who are still unfamiliar with it, Super Smash Bros. is one of the leading crossover fighting games, which is known for its wacky cast, who are all well-established characters from other Nintendo games.

With the fourth edition of the franchise making its 3DS début today, Mini Gamers thought we would take the opportunity to introduce you to some of the more obscure character choices for this edition of the game, and let you know what precise 'Special moves' they each have to offer in battle.

1. The Wii Fit Trainer:

It would not be usual to find a fitness trainer locked in battle, but this trainer has some seriously enviable battle moves. Originally from Nintendo's popular Wii game, Wii Fit, this average-looking female comes with some seriously impressive special moves, which, as you'd expect, are all based around the idea of fitness and exercise:

Wii Fit Trainer: Special Moves

•  Sun Salutation: this attack is a powerful, savable projectile attack. 

•  Header: the Trainer pulls out a soccer ball and headbutts it at a downward angle. It remains on the battlefield for others to hit. 

• Super Hoop: a recovery move that entails the Trainer hula-hooping upwards. Applies damage to any opponents who are hit. 

•  Deep Breathing: this attack raises the power of the Trainer's other attacks. 

2. Villager:

These little guys and girls (two each for each gender) have travelled from the world of Animal Crossing. Villagers have some very cute attacks, including catching opponents in their bug net, etc. However, Villager's special moves are quite impressive.

Villager's Special Moves:

• Pocket: Villager can keep any projectile or weapon he collects during the game hidden in his pockets for later use. 

• Lloid Rocket: a move with involves launching the Gyroid, Lloid, sideways. The Villager can choose to ride on him, which increases its damage. 

• Balloon Trip:  Villager uses two balloons to fly. Villager will sustain some damage if the balloons are popped by opponents. This move does 4-7% damage. 

•  Timber: Villager plants, waters, and chops down a tree, which hits opponents as it falls, even bouncing off near edges to lower areas. However, the tree can be destroyed by other characters, and is a fairly slow move to use altogether - using the move once only advances through one of the four stages (plant, water, first chop, second chop), so having it actually deal damage takes four total usages in the same location. The axe can be swung during the chop stages regardless of distance from the tree, as long as that Villager's grown tree currently exists on the map.

The Mii Fighters can be split into three distinct catergories, depending on their chosen fighting style:

• Mii Brawler has more fist-driven special attacks.
• Mii Swordfighter has more sword-based moves.
•  Mii  Gunner uses guns.

The Miis all have various weapons and special moves at their disposal, depending on which type of Mii Fighter they are. Mii Fighters are entirely customisable - from their height and width, right down to their individual moves. Each Mii Fighter type has four special moves, and each special move has three options. This makes the Mii fighters one of the most unique class of fighters in the game. 

The fact that Mii Fighters can be a Mii of anyone that you can think of, also has the possibility of quite humorous match-ups. The Mii Fighters individual fighting styles can be seen in these following video:

Having trouble viewing this trailer? CLICK HERE

Mii Fighters can not be selected for the online multiplayer battles, but is available for local multiplayer battles against friends and family members. Female Mii Fighters can also wear skirts instead of trousers.

That concludes our introduction to some of the newcomers in Super Smash Bros 4. The 3DS version is definitely a great addition to the existing franchise, and it is likely to be a best-seller in the Christmas gaming market.

What do you think of the Super Smash Bros. newcomers? Who is your favourite? Please feel free leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts.

One To Watch: Fantasy Life [3DS]

Fantasy Life is a new 3DS game in which players can choose to play as not one - but twelve - distinctly different characters. The game has been brought to you by Level 5 inc. the team behind the hugely successful Professor Layton franchise, and it has all the makings of another massively popular game series. 

The game is set in the fictional world of Reveria. Players start out as by customising a generic Avatar. Players may alter the gender, body type, skin colour, hairstyle, face shape, eyes, and voice of their chosen character.

Once the new Avatar has been created, they will take on the role of an innocent young man or woman who has recently arrived in a brand new town. Players must choose a career path for their Avatar, (known as a 'life' within the game,) by which to earn their keep and pay off their new landlord, etc. Players must pick an initial life to start with from the twelve types listed below:

• Hunter
• Cook
• Miner
• Angler
• Alchemist
• Paladin
• Magician
• Woodcutter
• Tailor
• Mercenary
• Blacksmith
• Carpenter

This chosen 'life' will help you develop new skills, such as digging for fossils, precious metals and gemstones (Miner), or saw any logs that have been collected into snazzy new furniture and other items (Carpenter). However, the game's most interesting feature is that players can choose to swap between all twelve lives. Each new life is governed by a 'Life Leader', who will be instrumental in teaching the main character his or her new craft.

Once players have become reasonably proficient in their current life, they will be offered the opportunity to swap to a different life, whilst keeping any skills and materials that have been collected from their previous one.

For example, players who start out as a Miner in the game can collect rare metals and ores, and then they can swap to the Blacksmith life and learn to create weapons such as swords from the metal ore that they had collected as a miner, and then they can swap to the Mercenary life and use the swords they created to battle the town's most fearsome monsters, including a fire-breathing dragon! Thus, players can use the skills they gain from various lives to progress throughout the game.

The varied lives keep the gameplay interesting and engaging. When players are not busy slaying one of the local monsters, they must use their current life skill to help the various townsfolk with their problems, players can earn money and stars this way, which will gradually increase their skill levels.

There are three different types of currency in the game:

• Dosh - this is the main currency in the game and is used to buy and sell goods.

•  Bliss - is gained by swapping lives and visiting new areas of the game map. Bliss allows you to gain upgrades to weaponry and armour or allow you to get a pet for your home.

• Stars - These are awarded to the player and allow a character to advance in his or her current skill level.

Having trouble viewing this trailer? CLICK HERE

Fantasy Life has a regular day and night cycle, which helps keep things realistic. There is also a massive game map with several new environments to explore and new monsters to battle.

Furthermore, the game features both local and online multiplayer 'Co-op' modes, so players can choose to  battle the fearsome monsters that threaten Reveria's safety side by side with up to four friends at any one time. Even better, online multiplayer has its own chat feature that lets you send messages to other players as you explore the realm together.

However, the fun does not stop there, because players can also choose to expand the experience by purchasing special expansion packs, which can be downloaded directly from the Nintendo eShop. These expansion packs are set to retail at around £7.18 and will provide players with new areas to explore, extra costumes for character customisation, new materials, ranks and recipes, new pets, plus much, much more.

In conclusion, Fantasy Life is a very enjoyable game that will appeal to RPG fans of almost any age. The colourful, quirky graphics and gentle plot will almost certainly appeal to younger gamers, whilst the subtle intricacies of the gameplay coupled with the lure of expansion packs and an online multiplayer experience are likely to appeal to the more mature RPG fan too. Overall Mini Gamers rating: 8/10.

Fantasy Life is available to buy from all good video-game retailers now.

Hands-On With The Super Smash Bros 3DS Demo...

It is now only a few short weeks before Nintendo's popular Super Smash Bros series makes its debut on the 3DS, and as promised, Mini Gamers has taken some time to try out the Free Demo version of the game, which we downloaded from the Nintendo eShop. The Demo is a good taster of the kinds of things that fans of the series can expect to find in the full 3DS version of the game, which launches on the 3rd of October 2014:

 Firstly, the entire battle roster of 49 character types was displayed in the demo version, although only four of the characters were actually playable in the demo - Mega Man, Mario, [Animal Crossing] Villager and Link.

The three returning characters in this series (Mario, Mega Man and Link,) all play very similarly to how they did in Super Smash Bros: Brawl, whilst the strangest newbie in the bunch, Villager, has a fun arsenal of wacky weapons from the cutesy world of Animal Crossing, including: some exploding fireworks, tree growing and felling, and 'accidentally' dropped gardening implements, which have never been seen in the Super Smash Bros universe before, but which work delightfully well within the mechanics of the game. Villager does have an active 'Boxing Glove' attack, but is otherwise as sweet and passive as they usually are in Animal Crossing.

Nonetheless, Villager is still a hugely entertaining and agile competitor.There are actually four different types of Villager for gamers to choose from - two male and two female - who all look very distinct.

As well as a new roster of characters and attacks, there are several new high-power items like the Blue Shell (Mario Kart), Fireball (Super Mario Bros.), and Bees (Animal Crossing), which can assist our competitor in inflicting the biggest percentage of damage on the other competitors. Most of these items are instantly deadly, but they can be evaded if characters move out of the way quick enough.

The demo showcases one of the stages which will be available in the full game, the 'Battlefield' stage. Even though there is only one stage, players do have the option to play it in its standard configuration (which includes three platforms) or in its basic configuration which is completely flat.

The only drawback to the Super Smash Bros demo  is that it is limited to thirty tries before it expires,(unlike the special Club Nintendo version that was released last week, which is unlimited,) but with the launch of the full game only a few weeks away, it is the perfect bite-size taster to whet fans appetites before the real thing arrives. Mini Gamers rating: 10/10.

The Super Smash Bros 3DS demo is available to download for free from the Nintendo eShop right now. Alternatively, you can access the demo by scanning the following QR code into your 3DS:

Club Nintendo Members Left Disappointed By Lack Of Limited-Edition Merchandise...

This year's rewards for members of Nintendo's loyalty program, Club Nintendo, have been announced today, and those who accumulated enough virtual coins during the past year can select from a handful of free downloadable games.

However, unlike in years past, there are no special limited-edition items being offered to members, and the rewards are nothing that can't be easily purchased by non-Club Nintendo members, which has left some members feeling extremely disappointed.

To reach the Gold or Platinum status, you needed to earn a certain number of coins between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014. Coins are earned by registering game and console purchases on Club Nintendo, as well as completing surveys.

In the past, Club Nintendo members have been offered special merchandise such as calendars, soundtracks, carrying cases, commemorative pins, and posters, and even a real-life duplicate of Mario's red hat in 2009.

The full list of this year's rewards for Club Nintendo members follows below.

Platinum Status rewards:

•Game & Wario (Wii U)
•NES Remix (Wii U)
•EarthBound (Wii U)
•Dr. Luigi (Wii U)
•Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (3DS)
•Fluidity: Spin Cycle (3DS)
•Dillon's Rolling Western (3DS)
•Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move (3DS)

Platinum and Gold Status rewards:

•Ice Climber (Wii U)
•Kid Icarus (Wii U)
•Super Mario Bros. (Wii U)
•Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Wii U)
•Donkey Kong 3 (3DS)
•Wario Land II (3DS)
•Metroid (3DS)
•Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (3DS)

E3 2014: Nintendo Digital Event: Introducing Amiibo NFC Figurines...

Nintendo has exclusively unveiled its special range of Near-Field Communication Figurines, which are to be known as Amiibo. These special figurines work with the Wii U Gamepad in the same way the Skylanders figures interact with the 'Portal of Power'.

Touching any Amiibo figurine to the Wii U Gamepad will instantly bring your chosen character to life in your games. All Amiibo characters work with Wii U compatible games, so friends and family can add their Amiibo figures to your game and vice versa.

Better still, your Amiibo figure and its game data develops over time, so as your character progresses through a game, the Amiibo figure gains more experience and more skills which will help you to advance through the game.

The Amiibo figurine range will launch alongside the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros, which will be released in America in December 2014. Super Smash Bros. is not the only Wii U software that will have Amiibo compatibility, other 2014-2015 Wii U releases such as Yoshi's Woolly Adventure and Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, Mario Kart 8 and Mario Party 10 have also been cited as having Amiibo compatible features.

The figures announced so far include:

◦Mario
◦Peach
◦Samus
◦Yoshi
◦Kirby
◦Wii Fit Trainer
◦Link
◦Donkey Kong
◦Pikachu
◦Animal Crossing Villager

Now, you might well question why we at Mini Gamers HQ seem so excited about a gaming accessory that is only out on the Wii U? However, Nintendo have also announced that they are planning on bringing out a 3DS peripheral that will sync the 3DS handheld with its own range of Amiibo figures.

As you can see from the list above, there are already a lot of Amiibo figures in production, with more planned for the future. It is unclear yet how much the yet-unnamed 3DS peripheral is likely to cost, but Nintendo are apparently aiming to release it some time in 2015, so watch this space!

Sony and Nintendo's E3 Handheld Line-ups revealed...

There is only three days to go before one of the biggest events in the gaming calendar gets underway in Los Angeles, and already the rumors have been circulating.

E3 2014  (AKA The Electronic Entertainment Expo), promises an exciting line-up of games and news of future releases for almost every games console in existence, so what does this mean for the Nintendo 3DS and Sony's PS Vita  handheld gaming devices?

As well as the usual E3 conference, which this year takes place at 6pm on Monday the 9th June 2014 Pacific Time (or a very early 2 a.m. BST on Tuesday 10th June 2014 for UK fans who wish to watch the live-stream of the event),  Sony has also decided that it will show a total of seventy different games in its gaming booths, including several PS Vita titles such as:

(click on each link for more information about the game or trailers)

•Big Fest 

•Disgaea 4: A Promise revisited 

•Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed

•CounterSpy 

•Freedom Wars

•Gravity Crash Ultra

•Gunship X

•Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

•Hyper Light Drifter 

•Invizimals: The Alliance

•Legend of Raven

•MechRunner

•Metrico 

•MLB 14 The Show

•Murasaki Baby

•One Way Trip

•PS Vita Pets

•PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate

•Race the Sun

•Rogue Legacy 

•Super Exploding Zoo

•Switch Galaxy Ultra

•To Leave 

Meanwhile, Nintendo has opted for the second year in a row to not participate in an official E3 Press conference. Instead, they have chosen to stream their own special Nintendo Direct broadcast at 9pm on Tuesday the 10th June 2014 Pacific Time (that's 5 p.m. BST for UK fans).

As well as their various announcements for the Wii and Wii U, Nintendo are also expected to reveal a few new 3DS titles, including an as yet unnamed Starfox 64 adventure and Project S.T.E.A.M (Strike Team Eliminating the Alien Menace).

Furthermore, Nintendo have already announced that the presentation will reveal a brand new NFP (AKA Nintendo Figurine Platform/NFC Featured Platform) range of toys. For those of you who have never heard of NFP, these are special figurines that have Near Field Communication built into them, which allow them to interact within virtual games in the same way that Skylanders or Disney Infinity figurines do.

This year's E3 is shaping up to be quite exciting. If you wish to watch the Press Conferences for yourself, both the Playstation.blog and official Nintendo websites will be streaming the relevant conferences live as they happen in Los Angeles.

Alternatively, PS4 owners may wish to watch the Sony Conference on the PS4's UStream app, or those of you with Youtube accounts will be able to gain access to the Ustream website by clicking the link in the E3 trailer video. Please note, that an age restriction does apply to the Ustream site and viewers will be required to give their birthday details before being allowed to view any of the live footage. Lastly, GameSpot will be offering its readers the chance to watch all the E3 conferences live, so there really is no excuse to miss out on the action.

Just a little reminder for UK fans:

The Nintendo broadcast won't be taking place at E3, but will be streamed live from the Nintendo HUB (on the Nintendo website) at 5 p.m. on Tuesday the 10th June 2014, British Standard Time.

Meanwhile, Sony's Press conference will be streamed live on any of the various channels listed above at 2 a.m. (early morning) on Tuesday the 10th June 2014.

HAVE YOUR SAY...

Which shows/announcements are you most looking forward to at this year's E3 conference?

If you have any comments, suggestions or wishlists for the E3 conference, then why not leave a comment in the box below? Mini Gamers loves to hear from you.

New Pokemon X and Y Online Battles Announced!

According to information published today by Nintendo, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y fans can now participate in seven new International online competitions.

Players will have the opportunity to earn Championship Points toward a possible invitation to the 2014 Pokémon World Championships by participating in the 2014 International Challenge May or June tournaments.


The worldwide tournament series allows new and experienced Pokémon competitors to battle others online. Here’s the upcoming Pokémon X and Y  Online Competitions schedule:

• May 16–18: 2014 International Challenge May. [Registration Closed]
• June 6–8: Think Fast Competition: Single Battle.
• Late June: 2014 International Challenge June.
• July: Eevee Friendly Match [Name TBD].
• July: All Star Battle [Name TBD].
• August: Think Fast Competition: Double Battle.
• Fall: Fairy-type Cup [Name TBD].
• Fall: Halloween Party [Name TBD].

The Think Fast Competition:  This will be one ten minute Single Battle, with a 30-second preview of the opponent’s Pokémon and just fifteen seconds to choose a move each turn. Only the fastest thinkers will win!

In August, the Think Fast Competition: Double Battle means that players will be forced to go into battle without seeing a preview of their opponent’s Pokémon team, and each player can have only one Pokémon in reserve, a total of three Pokémon per side in each battle.

Eevee Friendly Match: [Name TBC]. Only Eevee and its evolved forms of Pokémon  can participate in this battle.

The Rotation Battle format: adds a new component to the competition.

 International Challenge June : Put your battling skills to the test. The 2014 International Challenge June is open to all Pokémon X and Pokémon Y players around the world.

The July All-Star Battle [Name TBD] will use the Double Battle format where up to two Legendary and Mythical Pokémon can be included on a team.

The Fairy-type Cup [Name TBC] occurs in this Winter, and it’s a competition where entry will be limited to Fairy-type Pokémon. The battle format is still yet to be confirmed.

the Halloween Party [Name TBD]  will take place this October and will feature a special Single Battle competition for Ghost-type Pokémon only. Every contestant’s Battle Box must include Gourgeist.

 Pokémon UK National Championships are set to take place between May 24th and May 25th 2014, in Manchester.

Registration deadlines for the Think Fast Competition: Single Battle and the 2014 International Challenge June are coming up quickly, so you will need to register in order to get a possible invitation to the 2014 Pokémon World Championships, which take place August 16–17 in Washington, DC.

Pokemon Art Academy Spin-Off WILL Get UK Release...

Nintendo have announced that a special Pokemon edition of Art Academy will be released for the 3DS in Japan,  North America and Europe throughout 2014.

The game was originally thought of as a Japanese exclusive, (given the popularity of the Pokemon franchise in Japan) but UK fans can now look forward to drawing their favourite Pokemon characters when the game debuts in Europe on the 4th July 2014.

According to the game's specifications, players can take part in forty step-by-step art lessons, which will teach them to paint and draw many different Pokemon, including: Picachu, Oshawott, Charizard, Torchic, Fletchling and Fennekin, amongst others.

As with the other Art Academy games, lessons will gradually increase in skill and difficulty, allowing players the chance to really see their progress. Players will start out by sketching the basic Pokemon cartoon shapes, but will later be taught to add depth, colour, shading and perspective to their drawings.

This special Pokemon edition of Art Academy will also allow players to take pictures using the 3DS camera and use them as a reference when creating their art in the Free Paint mode, which lets players draw their own Pokemon characters from scratch or allows them to use provided images of over 100 Pokemon as reference.

Furthermore, all of the artwork created in the Free Paint mode can be uploaded via the Miiverse application of the 3DS to be shared with other players around the world. A new Japanese trailer shows some of the techniques that will be explored during the game:

(Having trouble viewing this trailer? CLICK HERE)

We here at Mini Gamers HQ are very excited about the prospect of a new Art Academy game and we look forward to bringing you all a full review of the game when it launches in July.

Nintendo stands firm over 'No Gay Couples' Tomodachi Life Policy...

Nintendo of America has announced that its  Tomodachi Life 3DS game will NOT be altered to allow same-sex couples to fall in love or get married when the game is released in America and Europe in June. The announcement comes after it was revealed in a Kotaku article last month that the Japanese game had originally contained a 'glitch' that allowed same-sex couples to exist within the game. This was part of a software bug which, as well as allowing same-sex relationships, also allowed Tomodachi Mii characters to be assigned to various already-married Mii households within the game.

Nintendo quickly created a patch code to correct the glitch, which then made it impossible to assign new Mii characters to married households, and furthermore, made it impossible for same-sex characters fall in love, get married or have children. Same-sex couples were never part of the original game as gay marriage is still illegal in Japan.

As the Western release of the game is based on the original Japanese codes, players in America and Europe will also be denied the chance to create same-sex couples, which has angered Nintendo fans who argue that as the game is supposed to be a realistic representation of their own social group of friends and family, they should have the right to choose to have same-sex couples within the game.

Tye Marini,a gay 23-year old Nintendo fan from Arizona, had launched a campaign urging Nintendo to allow same-sex relationships. The Social Media "Miiquality" campaign had been fighting to get Nintendo to change their mind about the marriage equality in Tomodachi Life, as he argued that fans who chose to create same-sex couples within the game would never be able to experience much of the exclusive content that becomes unlocked after characters have fallen in love.

Nintendo has responded to its angry fans by claiming that:  "Nintendo never intended to make any form of social commentary with the launch of 'Tomodachi Life', the relationship options in the game represent a playful alternate world rather than a real-life simulation. We hope that all of our fans will see that 'Tomodachi Life' was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game, and that we were absolutely not trying to provide social commentary." [sourced from: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/07/nintendo-miiquality-campaign-gay-tomodachi-life]

Nevertheless, whether the game was intended to provide a social commentary or not, as a game which has marketed itself on allowing players to recreate Mii avatars of their own family and friends and have them interact together in a realistic way, it seems rather remiss of Nintendo not to allow western same-sex couples the chance to interact together in the game when they normally would fall in love and get married etc., in real life.

However, it can also be argued that other Life Simulation games have also suffered from these kinds of prejudices in the past, including the ever-popular The Sims  franchise, who (although choosing to feature same-sex couples and marriage,) did not feature any physically-disabled Sims , which upset some players who argued that they could not create a realistic avatar of themselves within the game.

In this enlightened age when equal rights is considered to be a very important issue, it is disappointing to  see Nintendo not taking the feelings and wishes of its fans into account. If we are going to have games which feature real-life simulations, then don't the producers owe it to the fans who play the games to make them as prejudice-free and true to real life as possible?

HAVE YOUR SAY...

Is it right for the needs and wishes of different social groups to be omitted from the video games which claim to represent real-life demographics? 

What are the difficulties in trying to change or modify games to feature various marginalised sections of the community?  

Should same-sex couples be given equal rights in Tomodachi Life?

If you have something to say about this issue and wish to share it with other readers, then why not leave Mini Gamers a comment and let us know? We love to hear from you.

Mario Golf: World Tour [3DS] - Hands-on preview!

Join Mario as he competes in his very own golfing world tour! Choose to play as one of several characters from the Mario universe, including Princess Peach, Yoshi, Bowser, Luigi and many more. There are thirteen standard characters and a further four characters will be unlocked throughout the game.

The game starts with an interesting tutorial, which teaches the player all about how to correctly power their shot, alter camera angles and switch between auto shot and manual swing, which all becomes very useful as you progress through the game.

There are also several different courses to choose from including:

• The Forest Course
• The Seaside Course
• Yoshi Lake
• Cheep-Cheep Lagoon
• Bowser's Castle
• DK Island
• Wiggler Park

All the courses come with their own colourful environment and different challenges to overcome. For example, Yoshi Lake golf course contains many pools of water, which are difficult to avoid, making it a more difficult course than The Forest Course, which is one of the more realistic type of golf courses in the game.

As with normal golf, the main objective is to get the golf ball onto the Green in the minimum amount of shots. Mario Golf: World Tour allows players to choose whether they play the course using manual swing, or auto shot. Having the auto shot function is great for beginners as it means that the impact timing is preset for them so they only have to work on setting enough power for their shot. Here at Mini Gamers, we found the auto shot to be preferable on some of the more awkward terrains.

Players also have a limited number of Power Shots. Power shots are very useful for when players wish to make the ball travel over long distances. The exact number of power shots available per course will increase over time.

Coins will also be awarded at the end of each game. The higher the player's overall performance, the higher the rewards they will reap. Coins can be used later to purchase upgraded balls, clubs and clothing.

As well as playing a round of golf, more experienced players can attempt several golfing challenges. For example, in the Ring Shot challenge, players must aim to hit the ball through a series of metal rings littered about on the golf course. In order to succeed, the player must hit the ball through every ring without fail. A successful challenge will result in unlockable bonuses and/or coins.

(Having trouble viewing this trailer? CLICK HERE)

In conclusion, Mario Golf: World Tour is a fun game that will excite Mario fans of all ages. The game is quite similar to other golfing games on the market in terms of its overall format, but the colourful graphics, wacky character animations and inventive challenges make it very appealing to avid sports gamers as well. 

The game comes out on the 2nd of May 2014. If you are still unsure whether the game would actually appeal to you, then the demo version is available to try now from the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Overall Mini Gamers rating: 8/10.

Tomodachi Life: Your Questions Answered....

Following the surprise announcement from Nintendo Direct, that another Japanese import, Tomodachi Life would receive its European release on the 6th of June 2014, we have been wondering exactly what this quirky game would entail. This is what Mini Gamers has managed to find out so far:

• Like Animal Crossing, this game is played in real-time, making it very realistic in some ways.

• Unlike other life simulation games to date, you do not directly interact with the in-game world as a playable character. You can put your own Mii into the game, but this Mii will function separately from you as the player. Instead, a players role is more like an external figure. It is your job to watch over the island residents, help them make some pretty life-changing decisions like how to tell their sweetheart that they want to marry them, etc., Take care of basic needs such as getting residents to take a bath or have some food, change their clothes etc, and much, much more!

• Miis will sometimes ask you directly to play a selection of mini-games with them.

• It is possible to create Miis of real-life celebrity figures by taking a photo of their face (from a poster, the TV or a magazine) and converting it with the 3DS Mii-Maker.

• Miis can get married. Married Miis are eligible to move into some exclusive apartments on Chin Island. Married Miis can also have a number of children each. The Japanese reports of the game have listed this number as limited to only three children per couple, but this has yet to be confimed. There have even been some rumours of some baby-related mini-games, 

• The Island can hold up to a maximum of 100 Mii residents. This includes all children born to married Miis on the Island.

• Children born in the game are given the choice of moving into their own apartments once they are fully grown, or they can be sent on a special trip via the 3DS' Streetpass function, where they can visit Tomodachi Islands on other 3DS systems. Any children sent on a trip will send postcards to their parents and will periodically return to visit them at various times.

• Players can alter the words that the Miis in Tamodachi Life speak to each other, suggest ways of responding to situations and even rewrite the words to the song lyrics that each Mii sings. 

• Players can enter the dreams of any Mii on Chin Island - there truly are some weird ones too!

• The screenshots and the Nintendo Direct trailer also showed cats and dogs, so it would seem as though pets will also be available in the game, but this has yet to be confirmed.

• The game will not feature a multiplayer online mode. Tomodachi Life plays very much like a single player game. Nevertheless, the game will come with social media integration possibilities, so you can take pictures of your Mii and upload it to Facebook to share with friends etc.

It would seem as though there is a lot to do and discover in this game. The subtitled Japanese trailer does seem to show the various marriage and child-rearing elements of the game in much more detail:

(Having trouble viewing this trailer? CLICK HERE)

Tomodachi Life seems a little hard to define at the moment, but it contains so many varied elements that its humour and quirky style is bound to make it very popular amongst the gaming community. The 6th of June 2014 cannot come soon enough!