Super Smash Bros Demo Codes Available to Club Nintendo Members 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 Nintendo Treehouse 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.

Super Smash Bros Wins Most Wanted Consumer Award at Gamescom 2014!

It's official: Super Smash Bros for the Wii U and 3DS are the gaming community's most anticipated games of 2014. Both versions of the game have been awarded the prestigious 'Most Wanted Consumer Game' award at Gamescom 2014.

Voting opened on the 9th of August 2014 via the Gamescom Facebook page and the voting booths available live at the event itself, which kicked off on the 13th of August.

It's an impressive win for the games, especially as Gamescom is the biggest gaming expo event in Europe and attracts thousands of visitors every year. Super Smash Bros is set to debut on the 3DS in October, with its Wii U counterpart being released in December this year.

Super Smash Bros 3DS was also awarded the title of  'Best Mobile Game', whilst the Wii U version was nominated for 'Best Action Game' by the Gamescom  Judging panel. A full list of Gamescom  panel-voted awards along with the winners is available HERE.

The public and panel Gamescom  awards have already proven that Super Smash Bros 3DS is a hit with fans ahead of its release, which will no doubt be reflected in the sales figures when the game finally hits the shelves. Well done, Nintendo!

Game Of The Week: The Swapper [PS Vita]

The Swapper is a 2D side-scrolling sci-fi platform game, which was originally developed for PC, Linux and Mac operating systems, but which has been recently adapted for the PS Vita and PS3 by Curve Studios.

The game essentially explores the issue of human cloning. Players take on the role of a person stranded on a damaged space station from which they are desperately trying to escape. Players must explore the station and find orbs that are used to activate certain doors, allowing them to progress further into the game.

Players will be given a handheld cloning device early in the game. This eponymous device is called 'The Swapper', which has two main functions: firstly, using the device will allow the player  to create up to four simultaneous clones of the original playable character, and secondly, the device gives players the ability to swap control to any of these clones as long as they are within the original character's direct field of vision.

Clones will mirror the original character's movements exactly throughout the game unless they are blocked by the various coloured lights that can be found throughout the environment. Each coloured light has a different affect on the clones:

Blue Light - Prevents players from creating any new clones, but clones who were created before the blue light area can walk through the blue areas without any difficulty.

Red Light - This prevents clones from being able to jump, which can be especially tricky in certain sections of the game.

Purple Light - This light causes a combination of the red and blue light effects upon the clones. Thus, new clones cannot be created whilst in a purple area, and already created clones will be unable to jump whilst in the area of purple light as well. Successfully navigating the coloured lights and other environmental obstacles such as gravitational reversal is a player's primary concern within the game and it is not an easy task to achieve. 

As well as the lights, there are a number of puzzles which will have to be solved. Each puzzle is difficult enough to make players think, but not so brain-taxing that the game feels boring or impossible to complete.

The game does allow players to go back and forth between already explored areas of the game. This is useful as it does allow players the chance to solve all of the game's puzzles in whichever order they choose to do so, which means that they can apply the knowledge gained in latter portions of the game to any of the earlier puzzles that they have not yet completed.

In conclusion, the game has a visually atmospheric graphic style and a simple but pseudo-philosophical narrative, which will keep most players adequately entertained. The only disappointing factor about the game is that it does seem a little too short, but on the other hand, the game never seems to lag or get boring either.

The game is available to download now from the PS Store. If you are looking for a nice new sci-fi game that will not leave you badly out of pocket, then this may just be the game for you. Overall Mini Gamers rating: 8/10.

New Japanese Joystick Peripheral Unveiled For 3DS XL Consoles.

Nintendo's 3DS XL console has certainly been no stranger to peripheral enhancements, with the Circle Pad Pro launching just last year and the new Amiibo Peripheral expected to launch some time in 2015, but now Japanese gaming peripheral designers, Cyber Gadget, have announced their plans for a new joystick attachment for the console as well.

The joystick, which is known as the Cyber Arcade Stick, is designed to make it easier for 3DS XL users to play their favourite arcade-style games, without having to resort to some tricky D-pad controls. The joystick is expected to cost around 3,002 yen (approximately £17.24), and is set to launch throughout Japan on the 31st of October 2014.

Unfortunately, those of you who were hoping to get your hands on the Cyber Arcade Stick before the European release of the new Super Smash Bros game look set to be disappointed, as no Western release date has been announced at present. Watch this space!

New TMNT 'Movie Tie-in' Game Announced [3DS]

Activision have today announced that they are developing a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) game for the 3DS. The game, simply titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is set to tie into a new movie about the crime-fighting amphibians, which is reportedly due for release in cinemas in August 2014.

In the game, Shredder's Foot Clan Army have chosen to team up with mad genius, Baxter Stockman, whose own robotic mutants are terrorizing New York City, and only Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello can protect the innocent public from this devastating evil.

Players can choose to play as any of the four main characters. Each turtle has a unique fighting style and set of abilities, which means that the game has tons of replay value. Players can also swap between the characters. For example, Raphael uses brute strength, whereas Michelangelo has super speed instead,which can be handy when dealing with different aspects of the game. Unfortunately the game does not feature a co-op mode though, which is a bit of a shame.

The game has been developed by Magic Pockets, the developer behind the previous TMNT 3DS game, and this game promises to be just as fun and exciting as its predecessor. Players will start with low abilities, regardless of which character they choose to play first, but new abilities and power-ups will be acquired as players progress through each level in turn.

If you are a fan of the TMNT franchise, or if you want a new fast-paced, hack-and-slash type game to play, then this is likely to be the game you were looking for. Watch this space!

Love Is In The Air...Or Is It? How to make Miis Into Sweethearts Or Get Married In Tomodachi Life.

Mini Gamers has noticed that a few of you have been inquiring about how to get your Miis to fall in love and become sweethearts in Tomodachi Life.  Well, as in real life, the game contains an element of chance, so there is no sure-fire way to be certain that the two Miis you wish to match up will actually fall for each other, as it all depends on their compatibility and personality traits, but there are certain elements that will make it easier for your chosen Miis to get together:

• Friends first, Sweethearts later:

Having your two chosen Miis become friends and start hanging around together a lot, eventually leading to them becoming 'best friends,' will no doubt increase the relationship scores of your two chosen Miis, and may make one of them think about asking the other one out. 

When the relationship reaches a certain level, one of your chosen Miis will say something like: "I think [Mii name] likes me. What do you think?"  You can then encourage your Mii to pursue the desired relationship.

• Compatibility Rating: 

It might be worth checking your Miis compatibility rating before deciding to let them become a couple. The compatibility rating is based on things such as your Miis likes and dislikes and their individual personalities. 

Nevertheless, the compatibility rating is merely a guide, and it is possible to have Miis with low compatibility form relationships with each other over time, just as it is equally possible to have Miis with a high compatibility rating suddenly wish to break-up after being in a relationship for only a short time. It is part of the quirky nature that is Tomodachi Life, and there does not seem to be a specific rhyme or reason to it.

• Mii Matchmakers:

Other Miis on the island may also have a suggestion about who would make a good couple and may prompt you by saying something like: "I think [Person A] and [Person B] should get together, what should I do?"  

You should encourage the matchmaking Mii to get their suggested couple on some dates and see what happens. If the two Miis have compatible personalities, then cupid's arrow just might hit its intended target once they have both agreed to a date.

•  It's All Hearts And Orange Balloons:

A good way of telling whether a potential romance is about to blossom is to watch the various thought balloons that surround your Tomodachi Islanders. Hearts often mean that romance is close at hand, while orange thought balloons with the face of another Mii in it can mean that the Mii who thought it has romantic feelings for the person whose face is being displayed.

Failure To Prepare Is To Prepare To Fail etc.: 

Once your Mii has decided to ask another Mii out, you can choose to help them by selecting the manner in which the Mii asks out his/her chosen date (e.g. sing a song, give a present, etc), as well as the setting where the Miis should meet, and what clothing the Mii should wear in order to make a good impression on their intended sweetheart.

Again, there is no way of knowing whether the combination of all these elements will actually result in a successful romantic coupling, as this will all depend on whether the object of your Mii's affections has a compatible personality, and his or her individual likes or dislikes and general mood.

If the object of your Mii's affections also happens to have a high compatibility with another potential suitor on the island, then that rival Mii may well show up on your Mii's date and also declare their affections for your Mii's intended sweetheart. 

It will then be up to the Mii who is the object of those desires to make a choice between his or her available suitors, so even after planning the perfect date, your Mii may still find themselves being spurned by the one they love. Thus, (Tomodachi) life can sure seem unfair at times, can't it?

Proposing Marriage: 

Once your chosen Miis have become sweethearts, they may wish to marry. Oddly, the process of getting your Mii to propose to his or her sweetheart depends on a quirky little mini-game in which a series of Tomodachi Mii faces will appear to flash through your Mii's mind. Only one of these Miis will be your Mii's intended fiance(e). 

The object of the mini-game is to tap on the heart symbol every time your Mii's sweetheart is displayed, but you will have to be quick, as it will only be on screen for about one second before another face appears. 

If you correctly select your Mii's sweetheart three times in quick succession, then the proposal will be accepted and your Miis will be free to enjoy married bliss and unlock new portions of the game that can only be accessed by married characters. 

Don't worry if you fail the mini-game, there will always be another chance for your Mii to propose again, but it may not happen straightaway, so you will have to be patient.

In conclusion, the nature of Tomodachi Life means that the game is subject to a lot of random (and sometimes unwanted) gameplay. The player's role is much more voyeuristic than in other games of this type and thus although the player can guide their Miis in certain directions during the game, they ultimately are unable to force their Miis to do things that the Miis themselves do not want to do.

Thus in the case of romance within Tomodachi Life, it is a lot of luck, some compatibility and some player-led decisions that will make the chosen Miis fall in love, but hopefully the above steps will help you to know where to start when it comes to leading your chosen Mii down the rocky path to romance and all the chaos and drama that unfolds along with it. Good luck!

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.

Sparkle 2 Coming Soon To PS3 and PS Vita...

Yes, the award-winning match-3 game is back with new challenges, new game modes and over ninety different levels in the aptly titled Sparkle 2, which will be available for download from the PS Store soon.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Sparkle series, Sparkle 2 is an addictive indie game where players must score points by matching rows of orbs of the same colour. The gameplay is simple: Tap where you want to shoot an Orb. Match any three Orbs of the same colour to clear them and earn points. Make several matches in a row to earn special power-ups. Try to prevent your orbs from falling into the abyss as you search for amulets that will give you the ability to change the game rules and help you score even bigger matches.

Sparkle 2 is expected to take full advantage of the Vita's touchscreen capabilities and will feature HD graphics, which its predecessor sadly lacked. Little is known about the actual gameplay at present, but this interesting teaser trailer looks very promising:

(Having trouble viewing this trailer? CLICK HERE)

Sparkle 2 will be heading to the PS Vita and PS3 on the 21st of May 2014, with a PS4 version also debuting later in the year. If you like match-3 games but are still unsure whether the game will appeal to you, a free trial version will be available to download from the PS Store within the next few days. Watch this space!

Sony and the Great Disappearing Games Debacle... PSOne and PSP Classic Titles Added And Then Removed From The PS Vita.

Sony fans were delighted to discover that all of the classic PSP and PSOne titles were available for download on their PS Vita consoles on Tuesday the 22nd April 2014. These screens from PS Vita users on the NeoGAF forum show some of the games available:

However, it now appears as though the downloads may have been made available in error as they have all since been removed. According to the VG247.com website, it appears as though the games may have been added in error as Sony has now withdrawn all the classic titles. However, the website also claimed that: "some of the titles still work following their removal." [Sourced from: http://www.vg247.com/2014/04/24/sony-removes-recently-added-psone-psp-classic-games-from-vita-store/]


There has been no official explanation from Sony as to why the titles were available for download in the first place, but the most plausible explanation is that there was an error during one of Sony's many software emulation tests, which made the games available briefly, but this has yet to be confirmed.

HAVE YOUR SAY...

Were you lucky enough to get one of the classic games before Sony removed them from the PSN store? If so, why not leave us a comment in the comments box at the end of this post (or by clicking on the 'comments' link under this post in the Home page), and let us know. Mini Gamers is interested to know your thoughts and opinions on this issue.

Sony Sells Shares In Square Enix

Sony has announced that it will be selling all of its shares in the video game developer, Square Enix, who are best known for creating some of the classic RPG adventure series' such as Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and Dragon Age.

The shares will reportedly net Sony an approximate £891,525 million by the end of the fiscal year. This is the latest move by Sony to 'slim down' some of its financial burdens, which has resulted in the company reducing operating costs by closing a number of its retail stores, selling off buildings, cutting ties with some of its less profitable game studios, and reducing its workforce.The company is also reported to be selling its PC business and spinning off its struggling TV division.

These recent changes may seem a little troubling, especially as Sony has not given any particular reason as to why it has suddenly decided to sell its Square Enix shares. Nevertheless, video games is a rapidly changing and fast-paced industry and perhaps Sony is merely trying to claw back some profit from its less successful business assets. No one really knows for sure.

Nevertheless, Sony's latest home console, the PS4 has soared to the top of the home console charts, outselling Xbox One by 7 million units to 5 million units worldwide, which suggests that Sony's popularity is far from dwindling.

Sources:

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/180762-ps4-sales-pass-7-million-units-while-xbox-one-licks-its-wounds-and-plans-a-comeback

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2014/04/17/sony-sells-off-all-its-square-enix-shares/

Nintendo To End Its Video Service on the 3DS and Cease Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Services on Wii and DS...

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!

One To Watch: Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training [3DS]

It's finally here! The latest installment of Dr. Kawashima's hugely successful Brain 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's Concentration 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!

Sci-Fi Adventure Forma.8 Coming To PS Vita and PS4!

Forma.8 is a new action-adventure game from Italian indie game developers, Mixedbag. The plot for this game is a fairly simple one.

The game is set in the future, where a small space probe known as Forma.8 has been abandoned on a small alien planet with one important mission - find and recover a powerful energy source deep under the surface before it’s too late to save humanity.

However, things are not as simple as they first appear, and Forma.8 will have to face many battles (and boss battles) with some unforeseen hostile enemies before it can finally complete its mission. Nevertheless, this game is very innovative in that it is up to the players of the game to decide how and where the game unfolds next.

Forma.8 starts with no powers, no weapons, and no hints of what to do or where to go. There is no verbal communication in the game at all, instead everything is conveyed to the player with images, sounds, and the gameplay itself.

Players must explore the planet independently, collecting powers sometimes having to deal with alien hostiles along the way, and gradually unlock the rest of the story. Physics plays a big part in the game too; everything in the in-game world is physics based, with plants, ropes, liquids, enemies, rocks,etc., all interacting and reacting in a realistic way, which helps to add unexpected twists to the game.

The graphics of Forma.8 are also very unique, and consists mainly of hand-drawn vector lines, which have then been rendered in HD to create a very smooth-looking, slightly strange but beautiful environment.

Very little is known about Forma.8 at the moment as the game is still in development, but is expected to become available for download from the PS store by Spring 2014. If you want a space adventure with a difference, then this might just be the game you are looking for.

God Of War Collection Gets PS Vita Release Date...

Sony has announced a God Of War Collection for the PS Vita. The collection will feature both God Of War 1 and God Of War 2, and is expected to feature updated and improved graphics and new touchscreen capabilities.

For those of you who are still unfamiliar with the series, God Of War is an action-adventure, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. The use of a mixture of combat, platformer and puzzle elements, as well as an engaging and emotive plot, have helped to make the God Of War games extremely popular over the years.

Players must take on the role of Kratos - a Spartan Warrior and Demigod, who has been forced to serve the Greek god, Ares, in order to save his own life, but this action later leads to the murder of his wife and child, which then sees Kratos turn on the gods of Olympus as he seeks vengeance against those who have wronged him.

A trailer of God Of War Collection can be viewed below. If you are having trouble viewing the trailer on your device, then please CLICK HERE:

 God Of War Collection will be released on the 8th of May 2014. It will feature the first two games of the series on a single game cartridge. It will also mark the debut of the God Of War series on the PS Vita. If you have never played a God Of War game, but the idea of battling against the Greek gods appeals to you, then this may be the perfect time to go ahead and introduce yourself to the series.

Iwata Refutes Rumors Of A Management Shake-Up At Nintendo...

President of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, has today refuted claims that recent financial losses at the company had resulted in calls for his resignation.

Nintendo suffered significant losses in its overall game and hardware sales last year. Early this morning, Nintendo reported that it is revising its annual forecast. The company now expects a net loss of £205 millon at the end of its official fiscal year in March 2014. That’s contrary to its previous financial forecast, which wrongly predicted Nintendo would bring in a net profit of around £587 million.

The loss has been mainly attributed to the poor sales of Nintendo's latest home console, the Wii U, which has consistently failed to attract a high level of consumers since it was first released in November 2012. Nintendo shares have also fallen slightly in the wake of this news.

Despite the dismal fiscal forecast, Sotaru Iwata has flatly denied that there is any truth in a potential 'management shake-up' or in the fact that he himself had been forced to resign over the issue. Speaking to reporters recently, Iwata said: "There will be no major management shake-up in the short term," [sourced from: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-01-17-satoru-iwata-downplays-resignation-talk] 

Sotaru Iwata has also apologized to Nintendo Shareholders recently at a special conference held to discuss the financial crisis. He said: "The most important thing is to reinvigorate Nintendo's business as quickly as possible... I will not resign, but stay in office to carry that through." [sourced from: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-17-nintendo-slashes-wii-u-forecast-from-9m-to-2-8m.]

However, even if Iwata's job appears to be safe for now, Nintendo are still going to have to work especially hard if they are to recover from the disappointing losses. Whether they can indeed turn things around is by no means clear. All we know at the moment is that Nintendo's future is clearly hanging in the balance.

HAVE YOUR SAY...

What do you think of the news that Nintendo has experienced its third loss in three years?

Do you think that Satoru Iwata should resign as President of Nintendo?

If you have any thoughts relating to the article above and wish to share them with us, then please feel free to leave us a comment and let us know. 

Upcoming Handheld Titles for 2014 - PART TWO: PS Vita 2014 Releases..

Hello! Welcome to the second of our Mini Gamers posts about the exciting new handheld games that we can expect to see throughout the coming year. Last time we had a look at the some of the best new 3DS titles on offer in 2014, and today we examine some of the best titles that Sony will be offering us on their PS Vita console in 2014. Indeed, we have unearthed a few surprises...

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z is the first Dragon Ball Z game in over two years. It will launch on January 28th 2014 for PS3 and as a digital download for PS Vita. The game will feature battle and co-op missions. It also allows players to create their own team of up to four players, and it will be the first game of its kind to feature Online Multiplayer.

Characters can now be heavily customized via 'unlockable cards', and players can team up any of the characters that they wish from those available. Players can also alter their battle style by changing Regulations in the online team battle settings.

This game also delves deeper into the historical backstory of Dragon Ball Z. If you were a fan of the original game or indeed a fan of the TV series, then this is definitely a worthy new title for your collection.

Danganronpa:

Trigger Happy Havoc

Essentially, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a murder mystery game. Exclusive to the PS Vita, the game plays like an interactive novel. Gameplay is similar in style to the Ace Attorney series, revolving around investigating different areas of the main location, and finding contradictions in witness accounts, but this time, the main action takes place in a High School where one of the students has been murdered.

The game has several different elements that can be enjoyed. For example, Class Trials allow players to discuss who they think the culprit is with the other 'classmates.' Class Trials consist of  four main styles of gameplay: Nonstop Debate, Epiphany Anagram, Machinegun Talk Battle and Climax Logic. The most common of these is the Nonstop Debate, where characters will automatically discuss their thoughts on the case, with potential 'weak points' highlighted in yellow.  In order to break the debate, the player must find a lie or contradiction from the displayed weak points and shoot it with a  special 'truth' bullet, which contains evidence that a statement is false.

If you like murder mysteries, then Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is likely to provide you with hours of engrossing entertainment. The game is scheduled for European and North American release on the 11th of February 2014, with a follow-up title Danganronpa: Another Episode being released later on in the year.

Toukiden: The Age of Demons

Toukiden is a third-person monster hunting game. Groups of up to four players (Via wi-fi or Online Multiplayer) or a single player with three other Non-Playable Characters fight together against various monsters during quests. 

 Players can customize their choice of weapons, armor and skills. Special abilities can be obtained through special 'souls' known as mitama, which can be collected during the progress of the game. These mitama can level up by gaining experience from battles, or by paying a certain sum of haku, which is the in-game currency.

At first glance, Toukiden: Age of Demons could be mistaken for a copy of Monster Hunter, but the games emphasis on co-op play gives it a great advantage. The game was released in Japan last year and it became the second single biggest-selling game in the country in 2013. 

If you fancy a bit of monster-slaying with your mates, then you should not have too long to wait as Toukiden: Age of Demons is expected to be released on the 11th February 2014.

Playstation Vita Pets

At first, Playstation Vita Pets could be mistaken for being an ordinary pet simulation game but we have to say, that this game does offer a lot more than the usual care, feed, wash, train and play format of most simulation games currently on the market to date.

Players can choose from one of four different breeds of puppy, each with his or her own personality. This is where the game immediately makes its own distinction from other games in the same genre, because your puppy can actually talk to you and share its thoughts.

It sounds mad - and it is! it is also strangely appealing as rather than having to guess at what your puppy is thinking, they can simply tell you. Players will of course be expected to complete the standard 'care' tasks of looking after their pet, cleaning it up and playing with it, but the game then goes one stage further, and adds an almost action-adventure element to the game.

Players and their chosen puppy can explore outside environments where you can work together to find clues and hidden objects that can help uncover the secrets of the mysterious Castlewood Island. There has also been hints of some special Augmented Reality elements, but no further details have emerged about this yet.

This sounds like a fun and original concept of a well-loved gaming genre, and Mini Gamers cannot wait to see how the game develops in the next few months. No specific release date has been announced yet, but the game is definitely expected to be released before the end of 2014.  A Youtube trailer showing the game's major elements can be viewed below:

So, that marks the end of our special look at some of the best PS Vita games on offer in 2014. Be sure to keep checking in with the Mini Gamers blogsite for more new releases. We look forward to bringing you all the updated information on these games as it occurs.

Upcoming Handheld Titles for 2014 - PART ONE: Nintendo 3DS 2014 Releases...

It's 2014, and as always, a New Year always brings the promise of new games on the horizon. We here at Mini Gamers HQ have rounded up the best selection of handheld games which have all been scheduled for release in the coming year. In the first of two posts, we examine the best 2014 game releases for the 3DS, so which one will you be likely to spend your money on? Let's find out...

Kirby: Triple Deluxe

With an intended release date of Spring 2014, Kirby: Triple Deluxe will mark the series' debut on the 3DS handheld system. The game will keep a lot of the mechanics from the original Kirby titles, including Kirby's use of Copy Abilities, but new moves have also been added, including a new ability called Hypernova, which can be unlocked by touching a special kind of bean. The Hypernova ability strengthens Kirby's usual inhaling powers, allowing him to move heavy objects such as trees much more easily, or even grab large projectiles and hurl them back at enemies.

Several new mechanics, such as Star Boxes, which teleport Kirby to other boxes if he steps on them, and Glass Walls that rid Kirby of all his current collected abilities when he walks through them, are also introduced in this game. 

Kirby: Triple Deluxe also takes advantage of the 3DS' gyroscopic sensor and tilt controls during certain sections of the game. This game is most similar to the Wii title, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and indeed a lot of the copy abilities from that particular game do make an awesome return here.

 Kirby: Triple Deluxe has already been released in Japan, and although there is no definite European release date at this time, the game is certainly scheduled to reach European shores within the next three to five months. Kirby fans definitely have a lot to look forward to!

Mario Golf: World Tour

Originally scheduled for release in 2013, it has been a long wait for fans of the Mario sport titles. Nevertheless, we can now reveal that Mario Golf: World Tour has now been scheduled for release some time in 2014. 

No specific release dates or gameplay information have been provided as yet, but some of the main game features have been announced, including online leaderboards and Online Multiplayer functionality, as well as the ability for users to create their own tournaments, which will feature many beloved characters from the Mario universe. 

Professor Layton VS. Phoenix Wright

It has taken almost two years, but the 3DS cross-franchise title, Professor Layton VS. Phoenix Wright has finally been given a European release date. The game features characters from the hugely successful Professor Layton series pit their wits against that ace Attorney of law, Phoenix Wright.

The game is expected to include many of the classic gameplay elements from both franchises, and centres around a young girl who is accused of being a witch and put on trial. The game is also split into two kinds of gameplay elements - Adventure and Witch Trial - which intersperse throughout the main storyline. 

In the adventure elements, players can explore the main environments, solve puzzles and hunt for specific clues. Hint coins can be used to unlock solutions to puzzles and Picarats will be awarded for correct answers, with more Picarats being awarded for more difficult puzzles, which will instantly be familiar to fans of the Professor Layton games.

In the witch-trial elements, players will be expected to take on the role of Phoenix Wright as he cross-examines witnesses in order to defend his client. Whilst cross-examining a witness, the player can press them for more details, which can sometimes yield new information. 

The player's main task is to look for contradictions in the witness statements and present the evidence that contradicts their statement. If the player presents the wrong evidence at the wrong time, the player will lose a strike, with the game ending if the player loses all of their strikes, which again, will already be familiar to fans of the Ace Attorney series of games.

This game will also feature voice-overs and animated cutscenes, which is a brand new element for Phoenix Wright. 

There is certainly a lot on offer to fans of either franchise, and Mini Gamers predicts that this will be one of the top 3DS games in 2014. Professor Layton VS. Phoenix Wright is expected to be released in Europe on the 28th March 2014 - be sure to put that date in your diary!

Yoshi's New Island

Very little has been heard from that lovable little dinosaur, Yoshi, since Yoshi's Island was originally released on the Nintendo DS back in 2006.  Yoshi’s New Island is a 3DS sequel to the Super Nintendo title Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, and takes place in an entirely new location, Egg Island.

In this new chapter in the series, Baby Luigi has been whisked away once again, leaving it up to the Yoshi clan to keep Baby Mario out of harm’s way and embark on a mission to help reunite the two brothers.

Yoshi's New Island is expected to be released in Europe on the 14th of March 2014. There are also rumors that certain pre-orders for the UK release of the game may be accompanied by a dinosaur egg-themed storage box, but this has yet to be confirmed by retailers.

Super Smash Bros. 

For those of you who are yet unfamiliar with this series, Super Smash Bros,. is a competitive fighting game in which up to four players from various Nintendo games fight against each other. Players use a variety of attacks to damage their opponent, increasing their damage percentage which makes them easier to knock out of the playing field. 

Very little has been announced about the 3DS version of Super Smash Bros., to date. However, this title will mark the first ever portable version of the popular Nintendo fighting franchise and the game is expected to be released some time in 2014. Please keep checking in with the Mini Gamers blogsite for more news on the game's development as it occurs.

So, there you have it - some of the 3DS titles to keep watch for in 2014.  Join us next time when Mini Gamers will be looking at some of the best upcoming PS Vita titles.

Which 2014 3DS game are YOU most looking forward to? 

Why not leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts.