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.
The Gold Mario Amiibo figurine has been very successful in terms of sales in America, where it is on sale as a Walmart exclusive. Nevertheless, it looks as though it is set to be just as popular in the UK, with third-parties regularly selling the figurines at £100 each on the popular auction site, EBAY.
The Gold Mario Amiibo figure may differ aesthetically from the standard Mario Amiibo figurine, but it functions in exactly the same way as its original counterpart. There was rumours of a Silver Mario Amiibo, but this has yet to be confirmed.
The latest edition toNintendo's 3DS familywas launched in the UK yesterday and Mini Gamers could not wait to get our hands on this impressive successor to the 3DS. However, are the New Nintendo 3DS and New 3DS XL consoles really as good as all the hype suggests? What exactly is so 'new' about them, and are they really worth the cash?
At first glance, the New 3DS looks pretty similar to the original 3DS console, but there are a surprising number of small aesthetic and functional changes, which we here at Mini Gamers HQ have decided to separate into three distinct categories called 'The Good'- all those changes that are a marked improvement on the old 3DS console, 'The Bad' - those things which are worse about the New 3DS than its predecessor, and 'The Indifferent', which are those additions or changes which don't really add or worsen anything from the previous model.
The Good:
The Volume Control:This has been moved from the bottom left-side of the console to the top left-side of the console, which is great for anyone who used to find that their fingers would sometimes accidentally push the volume slider on the original 3DS/3DS XL models when they were holding or moving the console.
The Sound:In addition to the change of position for the volume control slider, the speakers now seem louder and clearer than on the older 3DS models, and the volume can actually be set far lower than before in order to produce a good level of sound.
Faster Operating System:Thanks to a faster and improved Operating System than the original 3DS, loading screens now load up much more quickly than before, and menu screens and download times have become a lot faster too.
Larger screens and sharper 3D images: The 3D images on the New 3DS and New 3DS XL do seem a lot sharper and impressive than before. Furthermore, although this change will not be noticed by those gamers who have opted for the XL model of the New 3DS, (as both the new and the former and newer XL models have almost the same screen size,) there is a marked difference in screen size between the original standard 3DS and the standard New 3DS, as the diagram below shows:
Face-Tracking and Stable 3D Software:As anyone who has previously owned a 3DS or a 3DS XL will know, trying to watch 3D images without glasses is difficult. On previous 3DS models, images would often become blurry when viewed at a slightly 'off-centre' angle or if the console was not held at a specific distance, which would often cause headaches, dizzy spells or tired eyes if viewed for an extended period. Not anymore! The New 3DS comes with some nifty 'Face-Tracking' software, which actually helps users to keep the 3D images at an optimised distance and angle at all times.The effect is called 'Stable 3D' by Nintendo and it definitely lives up to it's name. Blurry images and broken 3D effects are now a thing of the past!
Price:Actually, at £149.99 for the standard New 3DS model and £179.99 for the larger XL model, the New 3DS isn't actually too expensive considering its enhanced features, but Mini Gamers was slightly surprised at the 'Bundle' price for the Special Edition Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask console. This console is an XL-sized console with a special limited edition cover design, (as shown below,) which currently retails for £224.99 in the UK. It comes with a special pre-loaded version of the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask game. However, Mini Gamers discovered that we could buy the standard New 3DS XL console and a separate copy of the game for almost £14 cheaper than the advertised bundle price, which does seem a bit unfair, even with its limited edition status!
The Bad:
The Name:Yes, it is terrible. Adding the prefix 'New' to the start of a product may have indeed worked for Apple with their New iPad, but it doesn't really work in the case of Nintendo's latest console. Try typing in "new 3DS" or "New 3DS XL" into any search engine and you will instantly see advertisements for brand new original3DS consoles, as well as the brand new New 3DS consoles, which actually look suspiciously similar to each other at first glance. So how has Nintendo made the difference between these consoles clear? Well, they haven't really, except to have 'Amiibo'-style sparks coming off of the word 'new' on the packaging. Not very helpful to a gamer who has never seen either 3DS consoles before.
Standard SD Card now replaced with a Micro SD card:Another potential downside to Nintendo's New 3DS console is that it can no longer take the standard SD cards, which is a pain when using the 'Data Transfer' function between an old 3DS and the New 3DS console. Previously, if one wanted to move saved data between 3DS systems, they would simply launch the 'Data Transfer' tool, wait for files to transfer from one system to another, and then swap the SD cards. Simple! However, the change to a Micro SD card means that this simple transfer is no longer possible. Nintendo have now offered 3 alternative ways to transfer saved data onto the New 3DS console, but one involves having to copy your saved data to a PC first, another involves the laborious task of re-downloading all of your games one-by-one from the online NintendoeShop, or a 'wireless transfer' that can take several hours to complete.
No Charger:As with the original 3DS, Nintendo have deemed the New 3DS charging adapter to be an 'optional' extra. This won't make a lot of difference to previous owners of the Nintendo DS, as its adapter will work with any 3DS or New 3DS system, but gamers who have never owned a Nintendo DS or 3DS system before, will now be forced to pay an extortionate £6.99 on top of the cost of the console for a charging adapter in order to charge the battery on their New 3DS system.
Battery: Despite hopes that a faster processor would help to improve the battery life of the New 3DS console, a side-by-side comparison with the original 3DS actually showed that the battery life was slightly shorter on the new system by just under an hour.
Cartridge Slot and Power Button: The game cartridge slot is now situated at the bottom of the New 3DS. It looks odd and out of place there and it feels quite tricky to swap cartridges with it in this position. The power button's position on the New 3DS console has also been changed to the front edge of the console. Again, it is in an odd place and it doesn't feel as natural and easy to use as it did on the original 3DS.
The Indifferent:
C-Stick:The New 3DS now comes with an extra analog stick in the form of a small, round, grey C-Stick (shown above). This button is very useful in certain games like Super Smash Bros. 4, where certain attack moves are handled specifically by the C-stick, but in other games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, it becomes barely noticeable at times.
Extra Shoulder Buttons: As with the C-stick, the two small extra shoulder buttons on the back of the console, don't seem to do very much at present, as none of the software we tried with the console even required them. However, there is nothing to say that their function won't be important in future 3DS titles, of course.
Amiibo Support:One great feature of the New 3DS console is that it now enables 3DS users to interact with its NFC toy range, called Amiibo. However, whilst these toys are an interesting way to unlock special content in certain 3DS titles such as Super Smash Bros. 4, or Mario Kart 8, there are very few 3DS titles currently available to support the use of Amiibo. If you already use them with your Wii U console however, the same toys will now be compatible with the New 3DS system, it's just that it would be nicer to see a wider range of compatible software than currently exists at present. However, this could again be developed in the future.
The Verdict: Is the New 3DS Worth Buying?
It could be argued that the New 3DS console is actually an improved version of the original 3DS with all the extra buttons and functions that fans have been asking for. If you have not tried a 3DS console, then the New 3DS is definitely a great purchase with lots to offer its gamers.
If you are the proud owner of an original 3DS or 3DS XL console, then the New 3DS does offer many enhanced features as mentioned above, but with very few 3DS software titles currently optimised for the special New 3DS functions such as: Amiibo compatibility, or the C-stick and extra shoulder button controls, it may be worth waiting a little longer before you trade in your old 3DS. Overall Mini Gamers rating: 8/10.
In a continuation from our 1st of January post about an exclusive early UK release for Nintendo's New 3DS console, reports are now emerging that some of the special limited-edition New 3DS consoles that have been offered to selected Club Nintendo members are today being sold on the auction site EBAY for almost four times their recommended retail price.
According to an article on Eurogamer earlier today, over fifty New 3DS consoles have now been listed for sale, with the 'Buy It Now' prices reaching as much as £400 in most cases, which is a massive markup on the bundle's original £179.99 price tag. Furthermore, many of these consoles have yet to be shipped to their intended original owners by Nintendo.
Whilst Nintendo's exclusive invitation was a very clever idea, the New 3DS consoles were supposed to be sent to loyal Nintendo fans only, but today it seems as though loyalty counts for nothing when there is a quick profit to be made. Nevertheless, with the New 3DS reaching its official release dates in Japan and Australia, it is likely to be only a matter of time before these models end up for sale on the UK site as well.
For non Club Nintendo members in the UK, the choice is clear: either fork out for a massively overpriced limited edition version of the New 3DS console, or wait for confirmation of a release date for the official one.
Nevertheless, with no official release date confirmed in the UK, fans of the handheld console are in for a long wait and Mini Gamers cannot help but wonder how many of them will succumb to the idea of an early look at what promises to be a great addition to the existing 3DS range, even if it means paying a lot extra for the privilege...
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 3DSthroughout 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!
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 theNintendo 64in 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 towardsTermina, 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:
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!
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, whichallows 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.
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 Worldis available to buy from the 24th October 2014.
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.
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 Fighterthey 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:
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.
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.
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 Gamersrating: 8/10.
Fantasy Life is available to buy from all good video-game retailers now.
Nintendo of America began distributing special demo codes for Super Smash Bros for the Nintendo 3DS to eligible Club Nintendo members. At first, umembers believed they would be getting one free code, but they in fact were treated to four separate codes.
Each code, once registered on the Nintendo 3DS eShop, allowed official Club Nintendo members to download a playable demo version of the portable 3D fighting game weeks ahead of its official release.
Although these codes were issued free of charge to all Club Nintendo members, some of the codes have already found there way onto the popular auction site, EBAY, where they have been sold for up to $25, (around £15,) which seems a ludicrous amount to pay for a free demo, but which serves to show the popularity of the Super Smash Bros series.
If you are desperate to try the demo, then you should definitely mark the 19th of September 2014 as an important date in your diary, as that is when the demo version becomes available for all other Nintendo users on the Nintendo 3DS eshop. Best of all, it is completely FREE to download as well!
The demo release date was announced during today's eight-hour long NintendoTreehouse livestream, which will feature gameplay from six games including Super Smash Bros. The demo will feature some popular character's from the Nintendo universe, including: Mario, Link, Pikachu, Animal Crossing Villager and Mega Man along with the 'Battlefield' stage.
Super Smash Bros is set to debut on the Nintendo 3DS on the 3rd of October 2014, and is scheduled for release on the Wii U some time in December 2014. Remember to check back with Mini Gamers after the 19th of September for our review of the playable demo.
A UK retail price for Nintendo's first wave of Amiibo NFC figurines, has been announced today! Nintendo's official online store lists the figures for £10.99 each, which makes than an average of three to four pounds more expensive than the first wave of Skylanders figures when they were first released. There are currently twelve figurines available for pre-order, including Mario, Yoshi and Donkey Kong, but no actual release date for the figurines has been given yet.
The interactive figures can be used to save stats and other data from various compatible games.Super Smash Brosfor the Wii U and 3DS will be he first game to make use of them. Keep checking in with Mini Gamers for more news about the Amiibo figurines as it occurs!
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)
Nintendo have today issued a further apology to ts fans following the mass outcry about the lack of same-sex couples in their upcoming life simulation game, Tomodachi Life, which is scheduled to be released in America and Europe on the 6th of June 2014.
Nintendo had previously defended its position about the lack of same-sex marriage within the game by claiming that the game was "Not a social commentary" on gay marriage. Today however, Nintendo sought to clarify their position via a message posted on the Nintendo website. The full message can be read below:
We are committed to fun and entertainment for everyone 2014-05-09
We apologize for disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to change this game’s design, and such a significant development change can’t be accomplished with a post-ship patch. At Nintendo, dedication has always meant going beyond the games to promote a sense of community, and to share a spirit of fun and joy. We are committed to advancing our longtime company values of fun and entertainment for everyone. We pledge that if we create a next installment in the Tomodachi series, we will strive to design a game-play experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players.
Tomodachi Life'sexclusion of same-sex couples (however unwitting that exclusion might be) has angered many fans and attracted the attention of Gay and Lesbian Rights groups such asGLAAD. A Spokesperson for GLAAD recently criticised Nintendo: "In purposefully limiting players' relationship options, Nintendo is not only sending a hurtful message to many of its fans and consumers by excluding them, but also setting itself way behind the times," [Sourced from: http://venturebeat.com/2014/05/08/glaad-to-nintendo-lack-of-gay-characters-in-new-life-sim-is-hurtful-and-behind-the-times/]
It is yet unclear whether the lack of same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life will definitely have an adverse effect on sales when it is released in Europe next month, but it is a shame that Nintendo did not consider this issue before choosing to release the game to a Western audience. Let's all hope video games producers can learn a lesson from Nintendo's mistake and make games without such inequality in the future.
Nintendo of America has announced that its Tomodachi Life3DS 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.
Nintendo has today revealed an exciting new Life Simulation game, Tomadachi Life (Tomodachi is the Japanese word for 'friend'), which will be releasedfor the Nintendo 3DS on the 6th June 2014. The game allows players to create Miis of almost anyone they can think of and bring them to life in their own virtual world.
The game takes place on Chin island, a special place inhabited by variousMiis, which the player can import from their 3DS Mii Maker or via the 3DS QR code reader. Miis can also be created by using the 3DS camera or the in-game creation tools.
Once created, these little avatars can be given their own voice and then players can set about creating a unique personality based on some slider inputs. The game is open-ended and almost anything can happen as new Miis interact together to form their own virtual communities.
Miis can perform various actions, such as eating, trying on different outfits and doing many leisurely activities such as going to the beach or dining at a restaurant, etc. As more Miis are introduced into the game, different interactions will become available and new events will occur. Miis can develop new skills and experience social developments such as friendship, romance, and rivalry, as well as take part in some bizarre musical numbers.
If you are curious about how all these elements work together, then the latest Nintendo Direct broadcast seeks to answer your questions:
Tomodachi Life cleverly blends together many core elements from other Life Simulation games. If you have enjoyed games such as The Sims 3, Enchanted Folk or Animal Crossing, then this may be the perfect addition to your collection. Mini Gamers looks forward to bringing you further news about the game as it develops.
Nintendo has announced through their official Japanese website that after nearly an entire decade of offering unique downloadable content for various Nintendo games, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, will be coming to an end. This means the end of online functionality for over sixty Wii and Nintendo DS titles.
The service is expected to end on the 20th May 2014, and includes online applications such as: online play, matchmaking and leaderboards for many Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi games such as Animal Crossing: Wild World, 100 Classic Books, Mario Kart DS, and Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass to name but a few. A full list of the affected titles for both Wii and DS can be found here.
Nintendo have stressed that not all online services will be affected and that applications such as The Wii's Internet Channel, Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, Nintendo DS Browser, Nintendo DSi Browser, Nintendo DSi Shop and YouTube will be completely unchanged.
There was further bad news for fans of the Nintendo Video Service on the 3DS. The application which allows users to watch and download free 3D film trailers, animated shorts, SKY 3D trailers and various 3D videos will also cease its services on the 31st March 2014. Purchased and downloaded 3D videos from the Nintendo eShop will be unaffected by the cessation of this service.
No reason has so far been given for why these services have been discontinued, but we can all hope that these changes may hail the arrival of some newer and more exciting services from Nintendo in the near future. Fingers crossed!
It's finally here! The latest installment of Dr. Kawashima's hugely successfulBrain Training franchise is set to arrive on the 3DS in the UK for the very first time. Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? was first announced back in 2012, but despite several rumours that the game would be scheduled for European release on the 8th March 2013, it failed to appear - until now.
The game, (which is also known as Dr. Kawashima'sConcentration Training outside of Europe,) offers another difficult set of mental agility challenges for players to complete, but whereas previous titles in this series have tended to focus more broadly on logic, mathematics comprehension, perception and long-term memory recall, each of the exercises in Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? have something to do with concentration and training the player's working (short-term) memory to stay focused whilst facing various distractions.
So, what exactly has the game got to offer fans of the series? Well, Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? offers a total of thirty daily exercises and minigames, including eighteen exercises which have never appeared in the previous Brain Training games. Furthermore, many of the featured core exercises can be uniquely tailored for brain training enthusiasts of all abilities.
For example, Devilish Calculations challenges players to recall the answer to a previous mathematical problem while paying attention to the next one in line. The questions come thick and fast and it will take all of a player's concentration skills to successfully remember all of the required information without making any mistakes.
Meanwhile, Devilish Mice, challenges players to simultaneously track the path of some mice while they are being chased by cats. It sounds simple but it's a lot harder than it might first appear.
However, this is where the game usefully adapts itself to the player's performance and understanding. If players struggle during the exercise and seem to perform badly, then the game dynamically adjusts the difficulty based on the player's real-time results. By offering a difficult challenge from the start and shifting the difficulty to match the player's individual performance, Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? constantly pushes players to attain new high scores, helping them to stay alert, engaged and to use their short-term memory to its fullest.
As well as putting themselves to the test with the daily challenges on offer,players can also build up their concentration skills via the Training Supplements mode, which seeks to further train the brain using other exercises from those that are completed during the daily challenges. Players who are feeling confident in their short-term memory capabilities may also wish to complete the difficult Concentration Challenge
Furthermore, Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? has now made it even easier for players to compete against friends and family by using multiple save slots to keep different profiles on a single Game Cartridge.
Like many other 3DS games, Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? will now use the 3DS' StreetPass to trade data with other users of the game and allows players the chance to compete against one another to attain the best brain training challenge scores.
The actual UK release date for the game is yet to be confirmed, but with more screenshots and a newly-designed European boxshot cover design slowly emerging on the Internet, it would seem that Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training days are far from over.
The following video presentation from Nintendo Direct (originally filmed in December 2012)helps to give an idea of the gameplay and challenges that players can expect to see during the game. If you are having trouble viewing the video on your device, please CLICK HERE.
As with the previous games in the series, Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? has a nice 'adult' feel to it, whilst still remaining entertaining and accessible enough to appeal to slightly younger gamers as well, making it a very good family game.
If you enjoyed the previous Brain Training games but are looking for a new challenge, or if you just feel that your short-term memory could do with a work-out, then this is definitely the perfect game for you. Overall rating: 9/10.
Keep checking in with the Mini Gamers blogsite for more release date and gameplay information on this game as it arrives!
Nintendo has announced that it will be releasing its latest dual-screen console on October the 12th 2013. The 2DS is supposed to be a new take on the 3DS model, which allows users to take advantage of the latest 3DS titles, without actually having to play them in 3D.
The introduction of a 2D model of the 3DS is a strange one. For a start, the 3DS already comes equipped with a 3D depth-slider, which allows users to lower and turn off the 3D effect if they so wish, which makes the notion of a 2D console rather obsolete.
Nevertheless, one of the advantages of this latest addition to the Nintendo dual-screen range, is that it will come with a lower price tag than its predecessor. Nintendo claims that the 2DS will come with a recommended retail price of £109.99 when it is released in the UK, at least £50 cheaper than the current 3DS prices. Nintendo also claim that the 2DS will be fully backwards compatible with older Nintendo DS titles as well, meaning that gamers will get more value for their money.
Although the 2DS is an exact replica of the 3DS in terms of its gaming functionality, the outer design of the new console is very different. For the first time, the 2DS will not have the clam-like feature that has been prevalent in the other DS consoles. Nintendo have removed the hinge between the upper and lower screens, and have instead opted for a block design which is very reminiscent of one of the earlier Nintendo Gameboy consoles.
A further advantage of the 2DS is that it may also help to quell the fears of those who claim to experience bad side-effects from viewing the 3D images on the 3DS console, or those with eyesight problems that prohibit them from enjoying auto-stereoscopic 3D, at last giving those affected another way of enjoying the latest gaming titles.
Nevertheless, despite having a few basic advantages, the 2DS console does seem rather retrograde. Mini Gamers is doubtful whether the ability to display 3D images in a 2D format is the USP that most gamers will be looking for when deciding what console to put at the top of their list this Christmas. The question remains: Is 2D now the new 3D?
HAVE YOUR SAY...
What do YOU think about the new 2DS console?
Had you decided against a 3DS console, and if so, has the 2DS inspired you to try the latest 3DS titles in a 2D format?
Whatever your opinion on Nintendo's latest console, why not share it with us by commenting in our Comments Box below. We'd love to here from you.
Still undecided about the 2DS? Watch the latest trailerhere.
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