Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata Dies From Cancer Aged 55

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

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

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

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

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!

Why Making Gaming Accessible To Disabled Can Really Have a "Special Effect"...

 As most of you would agree, Gaming can be a really enjoyable pastime, but for people with severe physical disabilities - especially children and teenagers - gaming can also provide a window to social interactions with peers, an engaging activity that can aid motor and balance skills, and a sense of achievement that they may not be able to attain in other areas of their lives.

According to current figures by the website Accessibility, approximately 7% of the population suffers from a severe physical disability such as full or partial paralysis of the limbs and body, and another 5% from a mild physical handicap, including (amongst others) Repetitive Strain Injuries, which restrict the mobility of the arms or wrists and make movement painful.

Nevertheless, for gamers who have physical disability, gaming can often come with extra challenges such as difficult controllers, or games which need fast reactions or good balance and physicality in order for players to win.

Nintendo's Wii console has been both praised and criticised for its benefits and disadvantages to the disabled gamer. On the plus side, the Wii titles like Wii Sports emphasise things like good posture, balance and movement, which can be beneficial to people with brain injuries or impairments such as Cerebral Palsy.

Nevertheless, the overall high degree of physicality, and fast reactions needed for many Wii games has also been proven to be isolating to disabled players, especially when playing against able-bodied competitors.  A recent letter to the Kotaku website from a Muscular Dystrophy sufferer highlighted the problems that can be faced by gamers with a limited range of motion, including the amount of physicality required to move the Wii-mote successfully.

Microsoft's Xbox Kinect has similarly been both praised and criticised for its controller-less style of gaming, which on the one hand removes the barrier of difficult controllers for people with limited hand or finger movements, but on the other, seems incapable of registering movement from players who are in a stationary position in wheelchairs because of the need to track movement with the sensor in many of the games.

However, there are a few specialist companies out there who are looking to improve life for disabled video gaming fans, through specially adapted controllers, motion-tracking headsets and one-switch/one-handed controllers and remotes.

One company in particular who are endeavoured to making gaming a pastime that can be accessible to everybody is Special Effect, who provide special equipment to youngsters so that they can enjoy gaming just as much as their able-bodied counterparts.

Special Effect founder, Dr. Mick Donegan, claims that gaming can be an important part of the recovery and treatment process for youngsters with disabilities. He says: "If a child can't play we should be as worried as if they can't sleep or eat." [sourced from: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-11-08-something-special-editorial]

However, just because there are companies out there who are trying to aide disabled gamers does not negate the responsibility of games' companies themselves to create software and hardware which can be truly universal, and which can come with adaptable options, so that it can be used by people regardless of their abilities or limitations, only then will gaming be considered to be a truly equal entertainment platform.

Nintendo 3DS: Flying High With Pilotwings Resort

Pilotwings Resort is a three-dimensional flying simulation game for the Nintendo 3DS. Players have a choice of three vehicles - Hang Glider, Sea Plane and Rocket Belt and several different missions to take part in.

Players can start of as Novices and can take part in basic flying missions such as flying through a set of rings, taking part in DogFights or landing in the centre of a specific Landing Pad.  Points are given for speed, accuracy of flying or landing and fuel efficiency. Players must amass a certain amount of points in order to pass that level.

The best thing about Pilotwings Resort is the ability to use your own Miis from the Mii maker. You can also use Miis that have been gained via QR Codes as well. The cartoon-style graphics of the game will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has played Wii Sports Resort on the Nintendo Wii.

The missions get gradually more difficult as players progress through the game. There are five mission classes, which range from Novice to Platinum.  Players can also choose to fly in Free Mode instead, which is a good way to get used to the controls of each aircraft in turn.

 This game is fantastic. The 3D graphics really enhance the flying experience. There are a few easy tutorial in the Novice level to help players get familiar with the in-game controls more quickly. If you have ever dreamt of soaring amongst the clouds, or if you just want a friendly, simple little game to enjoy in your freetime, then this is the perfect game for you. Overall rating: 10/10.

James Bond 007: GoldenEye (DS/DSi)

James Bond gets set for another round of espionage in 007: GoldenEye (DS). Rather than being a simple port of the earlier Wii version, this game has been specifically produced by videogames' company n-space, who are also responsible for bringing three high-quality Call of Duty games onto the DS.  It also features an updated Bond as played by actor Daniel Craig.

The game itself is essentially a first-person shooter, but it does put a lot of emphasis on stealth during each of the in-game Bond missions,which helps to recreate the feeling of being an international super-spy. This game uses the D-pad as its the primary controller for Bond's movements and the shoulder buttons  (left and right buttons) are used for firing weapons. The stylus is used for focusing the camera so that Bond can examine his surroundings and look up, down, left and right.

Nevertheless, a stylus-based control system has also been included in the game for those who prefer to use it. This control system is quicker than the D-pad controls, but may not be as accurate overall. At the end of the day, the control system you choose will of course depend upon which one you find the most comfortable, but it is still nice to have the choice.

n-space's own 3D engine has been used to recreate the look of the main characters. As a result, the graphics are top-quality, which is still somewhat of a rarity on the DS consoles these days. The designers have also kept much of the original voice work from the main console versions, allowing Daniel Craig and Dame Judi Dench to play Bond and M respectively.

Furthermore, the game boasts an impressive AI system, which means that enemies will anticipate your attacks and will even think twice before entering a room where Bond is hiding. This makes the game missions very challenging to complete.

However, the same AI is also the main source of frustration with this game. Despite Bond's array of weapons, the control systems (both stylus and D-pad) sometimes seem to fail when Bond is aiming at enemies, whilst the AI enemies seem to be so sharp on the weaponry that Bond may as well just be standing there with a white flag in his hand as opposed to a gun.

The game features a strong multiplayer mode for up to six players  in several different modes using a variety of modifications, some of which will be recognisable from the original Wii version whilst others are exclusive to the DS.

Furthermore, the single player mode offers new content after the original story has been completed, including unlockable time trials, bonus missions and unlock cheats, which greatly increases the game's replay value.

This is a great game overall, but the difficult controls can lead to frustration when facing various enemies. Nevertheless, this is an excellent attempt to bring a high-quality Bond game to the DS and is likely to appeal to most First-Person Shooter fans and Bond enthusiasts alike. Overall rating: 7/10.