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.

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. 

Game of the Week: Super Mario 3D Land [3DS]

The Super Mario Bros franchise has FINALLY been given its first outing on the Nintendo 3DS. The game mixes 2D side-scrolling action, which is traditionally associated with Platformers, with new autostereoscopic 3D environments.

Although the 3D effects don't particularly aide the overall plot, the use of the 3DS gyroscope and the increased depth perception does mean that there is more of the environment to explore, and players may just find some Star Coins, (or Star Medals as they are now known,) hidden in some very unlikely places. There are three Star Medals to collect per level.

The way that the game switches with ease from 2D to 3D and vice versa really helps to keep players on their toes and is a truly refreshing way to play.

Power-ups also help to keep the game interesting. This time however, most of the minor traditional power-ups have been dropped, and only a few essential power-ups remain. The main power-ups in Super Mario 3D Land are as follows:

Super Leaf/Tanooki Suit - Turns Mario into a Tanuki type creature (Tanooki) and grants him the ability to float, fly and administer special spinning kicks etc.

The Boomerang Suit -  Gives Mario the ability to throw Boomerangs at his enemies and it can also be used to pick up Coins, Star Medals or other Power-Ups.

? Box Helmet - This item will only be found in the latter levels of the game. Although it will be disguised as an ordinary Question (?) Block, it will attach itself to Mario's body when hit and it will earn players some extra coins as Mario walks around the environments wearing it.

Poison Mushroom - This item can only be gained once you have completed the regular game and have accessed the Special Worlds portion of the game. This item will result in Mario characters losing a life if they touch it, so it is best avoided, but this mushroom can be destroyed by a fireball.

 This is a really fun game to play and can be quite challenging at times. One slight disappointment was that there are only two types of Boss fights: Aerial Fights against Boom Boom or Castle-based attacks against Bowser. Both of which are easy to overcome after a little bit of practise.

This brings us to the final criticism of Super Mario 3D Land, which is that the overall game seemed incredibly short and it would definitely not take Mario veterans longer than a day or two at most to complete the game's standard levels.

Nevertheless, it is a superb game which really does appear to have been made for use with 3D. In fact, had this game been released earlier, it would have probably single-handedly raised 3DS sales by about two-thirds. Truly a game worth owning. Overall Rating: 10/10.

Super Mario Heading To Nintendo 3DS For Christmas...2012.

*THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED!!!*

To read the new release date details, please CLICK HERE

2012 - The year of  Mario?

Mini Gamers was conducting the usual trawl through the 'New Releases' and 'Coming Soon' sections of various online retailers, looking for items which might be of interest to our readers, when we spotted that the highly-anticipated 3DS game, Super Mario 3D had now been given a release date on the Play.com website.

However, our initial joy soon turned to disapointment when we realised that the date provided was actually for the 2nd of December next year (2012).

Furthermore, the original Nintendo 3DS release calendar cited the potential North-American release date for the game as 'Holiday 2011', but it seems as though this may now also be delayed until sometime next year.

It is unclear whether MarioKart 3D, which it was also hoped would make a 2011 debut will now also be given a 2012 release date, but we can reveal that two other Mario-related 3DS titles - Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and Luigi's Mansion 2 are both scheduled for release on the 3DS console next year, making 2012 the year of Mario 3D.

Nevertheless, the news of a 2012 release is likely to be a huge source of disappointment to both Mario and 3DS fans alike. The 3DS has failed to reach estimated sales figures over the last few months, which has now resulted in a swift price-drop by Nintendo.

One of the main reasons that the 3DS is thought to be unpopular outside of Japan is the lack of many big name 3DS titles, including MarioKart 3D and Super Mario 3D, amongst others.

Thus, it could be argued that by delaying Super Mario 3D until the end of next year, Nintendo have only served to worsen the overall perception of the 3DS as an expensive but short-lived product in the current gaming market.

In fact, the only good thing about Super Mario 3D being released in the UK in December 2012, is that it will give gamers plenty of time to save up money to buy the game. That's if the Nintendo 3DS is still in circulation by that date, of course...



New 3DS Games Announced: Kid Icarus: Uprising, Mario Kart 3D, StarFox 64 3D, and Super Mario 3D, Luigi's Mansion 2 and Lego City Stories all confirmed for 2011/2012...

Nintendo were extremely busy at this year's E3 conference, as well as unveiling their new portable Wii U controller, the company also gave details of several new 3DS titles, which would debut over the next two years.

First on the list was the highly-anticipated Mario Kart 3D, which, according to the CEO of Nintendo America,  Reggie Fils-Amie, would be a "tricked-out version,[which] you haven't driven before..."

A new feature exclusive Mario Kart 3D, is how characters now interact with each other while driving. Characters now not only turn their heads when another racer is nearby, but they also have the choice to 'make faces'  as well, such as glaring at their opponents.

The accompanying E3 Trailer showed Mario and friends racing around never-before-seen tracks. It also showed hand-glider races, and even included some underwater race environments too, which of course will all be viewed in full-3D when the game debuts later this year.

The trailer also gave hints of the various customisable options that would be included in the new game, such as bigger 4X4 tyres, new sticker and logo designs and various different vehicles to drive.

This game is sure to be a big hit for Mario fans when it gets released in the UK. If you can't wait until then, you can watch the trailer for yourself by clicking HERE.

Mario isn't alone in making his 3DS debut either. Mario's brother, Luigi, is also set to star in his own 3D RPG adventure - Luigi's Mansion 2.

Nintendo were keen to point out that this game is NOT merely a port of the original Gamecube version, but has been especially created from scratch for use on the 3DS console.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the original game, Luigi must collect poltergeists from a haunted mansion with the help of an adapted vacuum cleaner called the 'Poltergust'.

Some of the new 3DS features will also include a strobe function in which Luigi's torch can be used to stun ghosts before they are sucked up with the Poltergust. There will also be multiple mansions this time around, which will host different kinds of ghosts, each of which must be captured using different methods to unlock new areas and treasure chests.

The Poltergust has also been upgraded for the 3DS. As well as sucking up various spectres, it can now be used to reveal secret passages, clean up piles of treasure or simply just collect coins.

It sounds like a very fun little game, but it could be a while before fans in the UK actually get to enjoy Luigi's Mansion 2  for themselves, as the game is not expected to reach UK stores until 2012.

 If you would like more information, you can watch the E3 trailer of the game by clicking HERE.

One of the 3DS games announced for release in 2011 however, is Star Fox 64 3D. For those of you who have never heard of this game before, Star Fox 64 3D is a platform shooter game. Players must take control of the central character, Fox McCloud, as he fights against various enemies.

  The game, which was originally released for the Nintendo 64 console in 1993, has once again been given a total revamp for use with the 3DS. This time around, players can choose to make use of the 3DS' gyroscopic sensors if they wish - tilting the console up and down, left and right in order to fly the special Arwing aircraft.

Furthermore, a group-play multiplayer option will be enhanced by the use of the 3DS cameras, which can record the player's reactions as they play, which can then be transmitted to the rest of the group.

The enhanced gyroscopic features and 3D graphics should help to make Star Fox 64 3D a really enjoyable Flight-Simulation experience as well as a general Platform Shooter.

 

The game is set to debut in North America on the 11th of September 2011 and is expected to be released in the rest of Europe soon after. The Star Fox 64 3D trailer can be viewed by clicking HERE.

Another long-awaited 3DS game to be given a 2011 release date time-frame is Kid Icarus: Uprising. Players take the role of Pit, an angelic hero with the ability to fly between worlds and fight evil forces. In Kid Icarus: Uprising, Pit must defeat a reborn Medusa as she seeks to destroy mankind.

According to Nintendo, Kid Icarus: Uprising will make full use of the 3DS system including the Augmented Reality features, although it is unclear exactly how this might work at present. The game also features many multiplayer options including "Three-On-Three Multiplayer action"
[Reggie Fils-Aime, CEO of Nintendo America).

Kid Icarus: Uprising is scheduled to be released in America at the latter part of 2011. No other details about the game have been released at this time. If you want to see the E3 trailer for yourself, please click HERE.

Two surprise announcements from the Nintendo Conference at E3 included a 3DS version of the ever-popular Super Smash Bros Brawl 3D, which will apparently debut alongside the 'Wii U' version in 2012. Apparently, amongst other new additions to the series, there will be an appearance by the PS3 Infamous character, Cole Macgrath. However, that is all we know about the 3DS version for now.

The other surprise announcement was that another 'Wii U' title would also be getting the 3DS treatment some time next year. Lego City Stories is an open-world adventure game developed by the brains at Travellers Tales. No further details about the game have been released yet.

All of the games showcased at this this year's E3 conference were amazing. Mini Gamers looks forward to bringing you more news about these 3DS games as it develops.