Reggie Fils-Aime Talks Zelda, the Future of Handhelds and Wii’s Big Holiday push

New York City-born Reggie Fils-Aime, president and COO of Nintendo of America, was in the neighborhood and stopped by the TIME offices to talk to us about Nintendo’s plan for the holiday season, which sounds promising as Nintendo bounces back after a disappointing financial forecast released last month, with strong sales for the Wii and the latest Zelda release.
How has The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword affected Wii sales?
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has had a tremendously positive impact on our Wii business. First, the game itself is spectacular. It’s getting perfect scores in the U.S., Europe and Japan. It’s a deep game. People are sayings it’s between 50 and 75 hours of gameplay.
As for its effect on our Wii business, Skyward Sword on its first day became the fastest selling Zelda game we’ve ever had. It launched last week. Our Wii business also had the benefit of Black Friday, but in total for the same week, we sold over 500,000 units of Wii.
Why do you think the game sold so many more copies than Twilight Princess, especially when you consider people might be holding off until Wii U comes out next year?
First, at this point in time there are more than 37 million units of Wii in the U.S., which is a huge install base to sell into. Twilight Princess was a launch title, a very effective launch title, but still a launch title. At this point in the Wii’s life cycle, you’ve got new consumers just looking to get into the franchise and they’re looking for that one great game to play or one great game to gift and Skyward Sword fits that bill.
The real benefit we have with Skyward Sword coming out now is that we have all these new consumers who are jumping into Wii, so now they can enjoy all of the other great games—Mario Kart Wii, Wii Sports, Wii Fit Plus—so for us strategically it was really important to release the game this holiday season.
Has Super Mario 3D Land had a similar effect on 3DS sales?
3DS has been having positive momentum since the digital content came onboard with the eShop, the launch of Ocarina of Time and obviously the price reduction. We’ve been able to fuel that fire with Pokemon: Rumble Blast and Star Fox. What Mario did was bring a whole new range of consumers into the 3DS franchise.
Has the 3DS passed the sales mark of the original DS?
It just did. In sales through this past Saturday—8 months—it has outsold the full 12 months of the original DS. During that 12 months time, the original DS sold 2.37 million and we just surpassed that this past Saturday, so we’ve got real good momentum going into the holidays

Nintendo wants to keep up Black Friday momentum

After a strong Black Friday showing, Nintendo now has to focus on maintaining the momentum for its products over the next five weeks of the crucial holiday season, the company's U.S. president told the Reuters Global Media Summit on Tuesday.

Reggie Fils-Aime, the president of Nintendo of America, said the company records 60 percent of its revenue during the holiday period, 10 percentage points above the industry norm.

"In the next five weeks, I need to sell a lot of Nintendo 3DS, Wii and software," he said.

Investors will be watching Nintendo's holiday sales performance more closely than ever because the company's stock price has been declining and it is forecasting its first annual net loss this year.

Fils-Aime said the company was on track to meet its holiday sales targets and blamed the soaring yen for the company's financial problems this year.

"Every dollar I send back to Japan is worth less, so for us as a business, what I need to do is to focus on selling more hardware, more software and drive revenue as best as I can because I can't impact the currency markets," he said.

Nintendo would like to keep up the pace of its Black Friday sales, when the largest retailers in the U.S. discounted video game products, using them as a loss leader to bring consumers into the stores. The majority of Nintendo's sales are in the U.S.

Wal-Mart sold a limited edition blue Wii console for $99.96 that sold out on Black Friday, for instance.

"Wal-Mart lost money on every Wii they sold. We did not lose money on it," Fils-Aime said, declining to comment on how much money the big-box retailer lost on the deal.

A Wal-Mart spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nintendo said it sold more than 500,000 Wii units on Black Friday, along with record sales of the 3DS and new games such as "Super Mario 3D Land" and "Zelda: Skyward Sword." Its new "MarioKart 7" game which comes out in December is expected to also sell well.

Microsoft said on Tuesday it sold 960,000 Xbox consoles during the week of Black Friday, its best week of sales ever.

WII U

Nintendo's next big product launch is the Wii U, the first home console to hit the market in years and the follow-up to its smash hit Wii console.

The new console, which features a touch-screen controller and high definition graphics, will come out sometime between April and December 2012.

Fils-Aime said Nintendo has learned a lot from the mistakes it made during the 3DS launch, which lacked strong first-party titles -- meaning games made by Nintendo -- at the start.

The initial price on the 3DS was also too high, something that Nintendo will be careful about this time around, he said.

"We had to go back and reduce the price of 3DS and we certainly don't want to go through that when we launch Wii U," Fils-Aime said.

Nintendo Offering New 3DS Holiday Bundle for $169.99

Nintendo plans on launching an all new NIntendo 3DS holiday bundle on December 4th.
In an attempt to grab some of the spotlight, the new holiday bundle features a pink Nintendo 3DS portable system and either the nintendogs + cats: French Bulldog and New Friends or nintendogs + cats: Toy Poodle and New Friends software.  The limited-edition bundles will be available for $169.99, the same price as the standard NIntendo 3DS system.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 Won’t Feature A Two Player Mode

Reports filtered through yesterday that Luigi’s Mansion 2 would include a two player cooperative mode but it turns out this isn’t the case. Nintendo has confirmed that this was simply an error and that the game is single-player only. Disappointing news as the game would be even better paired up with a buddy online.

Mario Kart 7: Depth Trailer

Nintendo has uploaded two new gameplay trailers for Mario Kart 7 which show off a host of loveable characters as well as some familiar locations. Don’t forget Mario Kart 7 is out December 2nd in Europe and December 4th in the United States.

Free Nintendo 3DS with Nokia Lumia 800

With Christmas just around the corner, there are some truly great Nokia smartphone deals to be had during the festive shopping season. Nokia Lumia 800 along with a free Nintendo 3DS handheld games console.

To take home the great 3D-screened Nintendo 3DS with your gorgeous Nokia Windows Phone, all you have to do is sign up to buy the Nokia Lumia 800 on a 24-month contract with Orange. As well as the Nokia handset and Nintendo games console, you can enjoy 900 minutes of calls, unlimited texts and a whopping 1GB of web data per month, all for a monthly fee of just £41.
Letting you take home both Nokia’s stylish Windows Phone and Nintendo’s market-leading handheld console for a truly great price, you could either keep both great gadgets for yourself or be giving this Christmas and enjoy all that the Nokia Lumia 800 has to offer, while giving the 3DS to the kids on the big day.
To pick-up this great deal and get the Nokia Lumia 800 and Nintendo 3DS with Orange now, just visit e2Save and Mobiles4Everyone and sign up before stock runs out.

The November Nintendo 3DS Firmware Update With 3D Video Recording Has Been Delayed

Nintendo had been promising a 3DS update before the end of November but has now pushed it back to December 8, reports Slashgear. The company cites delays in the "final stages of internal testing" as the reason for the delay. Once it finally drops, the firmware update will bring 3D video recording capabilities to the device and allow for communication between 3DS units.

The update is aimed at generating new 3DS customers. The glasses-free 3D ability hasn't made the device a must-have, so Nintendo is eager to expand the 3DS' capabilities.

Official Mario Kart 7 UK Website Launched

The wait for Mario Kart 7 is nearly over as it will be hitting European shops this Friday so Nintendo have finally unleashed the official Mario Kart 7 site which features loads of information and footage from the game.

The site shows what new and old characters you will be playing as and has footage for each level out of 6 of the 8 cups available in the game.

Information about how to play against local and internet friends is available as well as a description of what to expect from the 'community' aspect of Mario Kart 7 which all sounds very interesting indeed.

Click here to go to the website. Are you excited for Mario Kart 7

Mario Kart 7 : Gameplay Online (vue cockpit)

Here it is four minutes of footage a French gamer has revealed exactly what we should expect from the interface and options when the game launches December 2nd in Europe and December 4th in North America..

Nintendo 3DS Cyber Monday 2011 Deals!

The Nintendo Flame Red 3DS w/ S Mario 3D Land w/ Bonus Case offered as part of Walmart's Cyber Week specials and is currently available.  This bundle comes with a bonus 3DS case and is still in stock as of this writing.  GameStop.com is offering a bonus $20 GameStop.com credit on both the 3DS Mario Bundle and 3DS Zelda Bundle for $199.99.  This offer goes live on Cyber Monday.
Nintendo 3DS Cyber Monday video game and accessory deals can be had at Amazon as part of their currently live Amazon Cyber Monday Deals Week.  The sale have over 300 video games and accessories discounted.  The selection is great, but get browsing before it thins out.  Nintendo 3DS highlights include Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, and Pro Evolution Soccer for $14.99 (50% off).  In addition, several Nintendo 3DS games are slashed to $9.99 including Super Monkey Ball 3D, Combat of Giant Dinosaurs, Asphalt 3D, and Bust-a-move Universe.

Wii - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Hyrule Room Time Lapse Video

Nintendo of America decided to create an authentic Zelda style room in Redwood City. The company enlisted the help of production company Iam8bit and you can see the stunning results in the video embedded.

Here’s Some Up Close And Personal Photos Of the Gorgeous Zelda Nintendo 3DS

 lucky owner of the new limited edition Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Nintendo 3DS has posted some high-resolution screens of the console for all us to stare at in envy. The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Nintendo 3DS is available to purchase now in Europe and in the United States and comes bundled with Ocarina of Time 3D.

Nintendo Want The Next Zelda To Be Completed In A Three Year Time Span

During the latest Iwata Asks segment Nintendo president Satoru Iwata asked Aonuma-san and Fujibayashi-san whether it would be possible to complete the next Zelda game in a three-year time span rather than the five years it’s taken them with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Aonuma
I really don’t know what to do! (laughs) For the next one, if we will build on the methods we established this time, we might end up getting into a rut.
Fujibayashi
That’s difficult. I’m thinking about the next game, too, and I feel like the hurdle is really high.
Aonuma
But there is a lot left that we didn’t do this time.
Iwata
You have limited time and people, so there’s bound to be something left over. But five years is a long time. (laughs) Can’t you do it in three years next time?
Aonuma
Sorry! You’re right! (laughs wryly)
Fujibayashi
Sorry, I’ll think of something that can happen in three years!

Mario Kart 7 - Launch Trailer us (3DS)

Nintendo of America has uploaded the Mario Kart 7 launch trailer which shows off a host of classic Mario Kart characters, tracks and customisable karts. Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo 3DS is out December 2nd in Europe and December 4th in the United States.

Netflix 'Just for Kids' hits Wii

The 'Just for Kids' section makes it safe for young ones to browse the list of shows on offer on the currently US-only service without stumbling across The Exorcist or Nightmare on Elm Street and traumatising themselves into their teen years.
The family-friendly offerings are broken down in sub-genres such as Superheroes, Princesses, Dinosaurs and the like.
Wii is the first games machine to get the 'Just for Kids' offering, and although Netflix doesn't specifically mention its release on any specific other console, it says it will be adding to feature to other devices "over the next year".

Metal Gear Solid 3DS Finally Gets A Release Date

Konami has finally dated Metal Gear Solid: The Snake Eater 3D during a press event commemorating the upcoming release of Metal Gear Solid HD Edition. Metal Gear Solid: The Snake Eater 3D will be released in Japan on March 8th.

NINTENDO ADDS SAKURA SAMURAI: ART OF THE SWORD TO AN IMPRESSIVE DOWNLOADABLE LINEUP

new game is headed to the Nintendo 3DS™ system, and it won't be available in stores. Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword™ lets players travel to ancient Japan and guide a young warrior as he battles waves of enemy soldiers to save a princess. He must identify the enemy's attack move, dodge it by a hair and counter-attack with his own mystical Sakura Sword to win the battle. The game launches in January.

Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword is just one of many high-quality, Nintendo-published downloadable games that can be found in the Nintendo eShop.

On Nov. 24, Nintendo will release the original 2D version of Metroid™ II: Return of Samus™. This Game Boy™ classic has intergalactic bounty hunter Samus™ Aran battling Space Pirates as she seeks to destroy Metroids on SR388. The game lays the foundation for the smash hit Super Metroid™.

Control Demonstration - The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword

BitBlock have posted a video showcasing just how accurate the controls are in The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword.

Big Pokemon Surprise Coming At Next Month’s Jump Fiesta Event

The latest issue of Jump reveals that there will be a ‘big Pokémon surprise’ at next month’s Jump Fiesta event. Jump Festa will be held on December 17th and 18th at Makuhari Messe in Japan. Any guesses as to what the Pokémon surprise will be?

Reggie Fils-Aime Talks Wii U

Reggie Fils-Aime believes that Wii U will disrupt the market in a similar way to Wii and Nintendo DS. Reggie wouldn’t go into specifics, but he did state that Nintendo will be taking advantage of the Wii U’s second screen and the all-round connectivity the console offers.

“The Wii U has to deliver a differentiated experience that can only be brought to bear through the use of these two screens. If all we do is a beautiful game in HD, it’s been done before. We have to take advantage of the second screen, we need to take advantage of the connectivity that the system will offer and, if we do that, we believe that we will yet again disrupt the market the same way we with DS and Wii.”

The first look at the life-size Mario Karts

Nintendo announced earlier today that it had teamed up with West Coast Customs to create two life-size Mario Karts. There’s the classic Mario Standard kart which comes with a hand-glider attached and also the Luigi Bumble V kart which looks like a bumblebee and also has a propeller to help it glide through water. Here’s a few snazzy photos.

Resident Evil Revelations Online Mode Is Locked Until You Complete The Game, Single Player Is Ten Hours

During a Nintendo retailer briefing event today Resident Evil: Revelations producer Masachika Kawata told attendees that Raid Mode which supports online co-op play and gives you access to characters like Jessica and Obrian won’t be unlocked until you complete the main game. Kawata also revealed that the game’s single player mode is roughly ten hours long.

Nintendo 3DS Continues To Outsell Every Other Console In Japanese Charts

The Nintendo 3DS continued to dominate the Japanese hardware sales charts last week, outselling every other console in the charts combined.

For the week ended November 13, data from tracking firm Media Create, and as reported by NeoGAF, shows that the Nintendo handheld dropped more than 40,000 sales week-over-week, down to 103,962 in total.

However, it still far outsold Sony's PSP and PlayStation 3 consoles, which dropped around 4,000 sales each to 23,472 units and 22,919 units sold respectively.

Sales of nearly every console were down, with only the Nintendo Wii maintaining sales figures from the previous week.

Below are the full sales rankings from Media Create for the week ended November 13, 2011. (The second chart lumps together sales of all models in a given line of hardware.)

LW	TW	Platform	Weekly Sales	Last Week
1	1	3DS	103,962	145,271
2	2	PSP	23,472	27,952
3	3	PS3	22,919	26,966
4	4	Wii	11,782	11,725
5	5	DS	2,680	3,131
6	6	360	1,531	1,699
7	7	PS2	1,294	1,457

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LW	TW	Platform	Weekly Sales	Last Week
1	1	3DS	103,962	145,271
2	2	PSP	23,472	27,952
3	3	PS3	22,919	26,966
4	4	Wii	11,782	11,725
5	5	DSi LL	1,751	2,041
6	6	360	1,531	1,699
7	7	PS2	1,294	1,457
8	8	DSi	909	1,057
9	9	DS Lite	20	33

LW	TW	Platform	Weekly Sales	Last Week
1	1	3DS	103,962	145,271
2	2	PSP	23,472	27,952
3	3	PS3	22,919	26,966
4	4	Wii	11,782	11,725
5	5	DS	2,680	3,131
6	6	360	1,531	1,699
7	7	PS2	1,294	1,457

Reggie talks about paid DLC

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has told AOL’s Games Blog that the Kyoto based company isn’t interested in dishing out downloadable content for first party content as they want consumers to feel like they’ve purchased a full game. Nintendo may add additional downloadable content after launch, but only when it makes sense to for the company to do so and not necessarily for a charge.

“We’re interested in it to the extent that it makes sense to the consumer.”
“I’ve had this conversation with a number of our key developers, and their mentality is, ‘Reggie, when we sell a game, we want the consumer to feel that they’ve had a complete experience.’
“Now, in addition, if we want to make other things available, great, and we’ll look at that. But we’re unwilling to sell a piece of a game upfront and, if you will, force a consumer to buy more later.
“That’s what they don’t want to do, and I completely agree. I think the consumer wants to get, for their money, a complete experience, and then we have opportunities to provide more on top of that.”

Nintendo Announces Life-Sized Mario Karts!

Nintendo has announced that it has teamed up with West Coast Customs to create two life-sized Mario Kart vehicles: the classic Mario Standard kart, complete with glider attachment for soaring through the air, and the Luigi Bumble V kart, which resembles a bumblebee and features a rear propeller for underwater navigation.
These unique electric vehicles were unveiled today at the LA Auto Show, where they will be on display Nov. 18-27 in the lobby of the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Visitors attending the show will be able to take photos of the karts, sample the Mario Kart 7 game before its December 4th launch and participate in multiplayer game play.

PETA Mario Kills Tanooki Flash Game

Crazy PETA Is Anti Super Mario 3D Land, Starts Online Campaign

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has launched a campaign against Super Mario 3D Land because they believe the Tanooki Suit endorses animal cruelty. The PETA website states the following:

When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary to defeat his enemy — even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers.
Tanooki may be just a “suit” in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it’s OK to wear fur.They’ve also launched a website with a Flash game parodying Mario, but with a bloodier theme. You can click here to play the game,

Shigeru Miyamoto Plays Games For Ten Hours A Day

Legendary games designer Shigeru Miyamoto has told Weekly Play News that he spends up to ten hours a day playing games during a typical day at Nintendo head quarters. Miyamoto usually has as up to seven games on the go at once even though he usually focuses on three games a year.

Nintendo 3DS set to beat DS first-year sales

This week its appearing quite possible that regardless of doubts in its success and the whole price slashsituation, the Nintendo 3DS may well surpass its DS predecessor’s first year sales. It is important to note first of all that even though the price cut didn’t make everyone on the streets happy, sales did rise significantly. Sales started to soar come August of this year, and now according to the NPD Group the system has passed the 1.65 million units sold mark in the USA putting the device right on track to beat out the original in the same span.

[Trailer] The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Skyloft Overview

Nintendo has uploaded a couple of trailers for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The new trailers provide an overview of Skyloft as well as a glimpse at the bird riding sections. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is coming out November 18th in Europe and November 20th in North America!

Limited Edition Zelda Nintendo 3DS Heading To North America

An early Black Friday advert from Gamestop shows that the limited edition Zelda themed Nintendo 3DS which comes bundled with Ocarina of Time 3D will be heading to North America. The advert also shows that North America will be getting a Flame Red Nintendo 3DS which comes bundled with the fantastic Super Mario 3D Land.

Ninja Gaiden 3 Will Be A Launch Title For Wii U

Tecmo Koei the publisher behind Team Ninja’s ultra violent Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge has announced that the game will be a launch title for the Wii U. Ninja Gaiden 3 is due for release February 4th for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Mario Kart 7: Characters Trailer (No audio)

Nintendo has released a new trailer for Mario Kart 7 which shows off a whole host of characters that will feature in the game. Everyone’s there from Mario to Wriggler. Sadly there’s no audio in the video but it’s well worth a watch. Mario Kart 7 is released December 2nd in Europe and December 4th in North America.

Alfred and Nintendo Team Up to Present Super MarioTM Series Sheet Music Collections for Piano and Guitar

After decades of anticipation, Alfred Music Publishing is proud to release officially licensed collectible sheet music companion folios to the iconic Super MarioTM video game series by Nintendo®, in editions arranged for Easy Piano, Intermediate-Advanced Piano Solos, and Solo Guitar.
Super MarioTM Series feature 34 arrangements of the most instantly recognizable melodies beloved by generations of gamers around the globe. From Koji Kondo's iconic "Super Mario Bros.™ Ground Background Music" to the New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii™ themes, the iconic pieces in the book series represent two and a half decades of Nintendo® video game favorites.
The Easy Piano arrangements are simplified to make them enjoyable for novice piano players, whereas the Intermediate-Advanced Piano Solos book features note-for-note transcriptions for solo piano performance. The Solo Guitar performance book is arranged in easy guitar keys at the easy-intermediate level, with full notation and TAB. All pieces in the series are suitable for recitals, concerts, and solo performances.
To view the official Super MarioTM Series trailer, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUuL7TSc3n0&feature=player_embedded.
Adding to the fun, graphics from the corresponding games grace each page of the sheet music. Whether to impress friends or performing for audiences of all ages, Super MarioTM Series sheet music folios provide authentic transcriptions to the legendary video game for the first time ever—a perfect gift for fans of video game series and musicians.
Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros.™ is one of the best-selling video games of all time, with more than 40 million copies sold worldwide, and ported to almost every one of game publisher’s major gaming consoles. The game’s theme, by world renowned video game composer Koji Kondo, is arguably the most identifiable tune in the world and considered a representation for video game music in general.

Nintendo Talk Zelda Wii U And Claim They Couldn’t Go Back To Standard Button Control

The Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has talked at length with Games Radar about the Zelda series and Nintendo’s plans for the franchise on Wii U. Whilst he wouldn’t give away much information regarding what the team are planning for Zelda Wii U Aonuma did state that the team are doubtful that they could go back to button only controls.

GR: So do you think you’ll continue to use motion control in the future? Will you ever go back to traditional controls?
EA: I don’t think we could go back to button control, especially after creating something that’s as natural to use as the interface that we have with the Wii Remote Plus in Skyward Sword. I think Nintendo will continue to have that focus on motion control and we’ll see that continue to evolve. And the hardware as well, in a way that will let people control things very naturally just using their own motions.
GR: Looking forward, can you say anything about the Wii U Zelda project?
EA: What can I say…? It’s a difficult question (laughs). We’re just getting started on it even as we speak, so I’m just worried that if I let something slip that’s off that mark…
The feedback that I’ve been getting from a lot of people on Skyward Sword is that they like the game very much, so of course I think probably the most important thing that we’re focusing on right now is how do we take those elements that people seem to really love about Skyward Sword, and really bring that and connect that to what we do with Zelda on the Wii U while still continuing to evolve the game.
GR: Is there any particular feature of the Wii U hardware that you’re excited to work with?
EA: Obviously, it’s the new controller that’s got the screen built into it, and in particular we’re looking at how we can combine that new controller with something like motion control, and perhaps use the new controller in such a way that it becomes a new item that you’re able to use to make the game feel fresh and new.

Nintendo Talks Mario Kart For Wii U

Mario Kart producer Hideki Konno has told Nintendo Power that he wishes to create a new Mario Kart title for Wii U which takes full advantage of the consoles unique capabilities. Konno wouldn’t be drawn into what he has planned other than saying it was a secret.

“I can’t get into specifics, but I do want to create a new and enjoyable Mario Kart that uses the unique functions of the Wii U. Anything beyond that I have to keep secret. Please bear with me for now.”

Nintendo Wii U: Brand New Assassins Creed Game Coming In 2012

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has confirmed to investors that the company is hard at work creating a brand new Assassins Creed game which is due out in 2012. We already know that Ubisoft are working on an Assassins Creed title for the Wii U so Assassins Creed 3 or whatever its official name is will most likely be the one we get.

“I have the pleasure to announce today that there will be another full-fledged Assassin’s Creed title next year. It will be another major release and we will be communicating more about it in the coming months.”

First Ever Video Game Controlled Toy Pet, Activision's Wappy Dog, Out Now For Nintendo DS

"Wappy Dog is groundbreaking," said David Oxford, Activision Publishing. "With the arrival of Wappy, the idea that videogames are a separate experience from toys is forever changed. Now, we have a future ahead which brings together the virtual and physical world, in a fun-filled and family friendly pet pastime."
Players raise Wappy through five distinct age phases, from playful puppy to full-grown pooch; the dog's voice, songs, and behavior all change to match its maturation level. Each pet provides a personal, customizable experience including stickers that come bundled free with the game and the ability to choose digital accessories and color options. Unlike real dogs, Wappy's needs and thoughts never have to be a mystery — the game will translate more than 350 dynamic barked responses!
A highly portable pet, kids on the move can enter "Travel Mode," allowing them to care for Wappy's needs only with their Nintendo DS. Additionally, in-game toys, grooming, and environments provide even more ways to interact with the pup when not spending time with Wappy at home.  When they return, switching back to the default "Home Mode" will automatically sync up the physical toy with all growth Wappy made while they were away. In "Home Mode", Wappy will react by cheering, crying, or wagging its tail based on the player's performance in competitive, cooperative, and supportive virtual mini-games. Across both modes, the player can nurture, train, and play with Wappy, which will affect development of mood, skills, and even personality.
Wappy Dog is available now on Nintendo DS™ for $49.99. This game is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB. For more information, please visit http://www.wappydog.com/.
About Sega Toys Co., Ltd.

NINTENDO'S 2012 CONCERT SERIES FOR THE LEGEND OF ZELDA WILL KICK OFF IN DALLAS

REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 8, 2011 - Video game fans in the Lone Star State will soon be able to experience Nintendo's musical tribute to The Legend of Zelda™ video game series. On Jan. 10, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra will perform orchestral arrangements of music from the game's 25-year history accompanied by video content from the games themselves. This new concert series will go on tour across the United States in 2012 as The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. Tickets for the Dallas performance are now available direct from the Dallas Symphony and range in price from $19 to $115. Through Nov. 30, tickets are available to Club Nintendo™ members at a 15 percent discount.

Nintendo has teamed up with Jason Michael Paul Productions, Inc. to provide video game fans with the ultimate musical experience for The Legend of Zelda. The highlight of this new musical program is a full four-movement symphony that will guide fans through a musical retelling of key chapters from The Legend of Zelda franchise. The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concerts will be conducted by Irish-born conductor Eimear Noone, and the multimedia show will pair iconic music and gorgeous visuals from classic Zelda titles, including the newest game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii™ console.

Nintendo Confirms Limited Edition Zelda 3DS Release Date

Nintendo UK has confirmed via a press release that The Legend of Zelda 25th anniversary Nintendo 3DS console will be arriving in Europe on the 25th of November – just in time for Christmas. Nintendo of America has yet to reveal whether they’re selling the gorgeous bundle, hopefully they will announce something soon.

Moshling Zoo is Now Available for Nintendo DS

Moshi Monsters™: Moshling Zoo extends the popularity of the online world's Moshlings ("pets of pet monsters"), including brand new Moshlings and locations plus an intuitive format in which to interact with their favorite characters. Along the way, there are 52 Moshlings to collect from the common to the rare and even the elusive 'ultra-rare.' Children can also play new mini-games and educational style puzzles or even win awards and trophies to take back to their zoo!
Available while supplies last, a 'Limited Edition' copy of the game comes packaged with 1,000 free Rox (the in-game currency of MoshiMonsters.com) and an official trading card pack from Topps. These 'Limited Edition' copies of the game are available exclusively at Toys'R'Us.
"Throughout Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo's development cycle we've been astounded by the passion of the fans of Moshi Monsters, and how quickly the property is growing," said David Oxford, Activision Publishing. "Activision has embraced the spirit of what made Moshi Monsters so appealing to over 50 millions kids across the world. We can't wait to see how our fans respond to a fresh Moshi experience on Nintendo DS™!" said Michael Acton Smith, CEO Mind Candy (Moshi Monsters parent company).
Moshi Monsters™: Moshling Zoois available now for Nintendo DS™ at $29.99. This game has been rated E for Everyone by the ESRB. For more information please visit http://www.mindcandy.com/ or http://www.activision.com/.

Mario And Luigi Nintendo 3DS Sleeves/Pockets

Japanese gaming site Inside Games has uncovered these adorable Super Mario 3D Land themed pockets for your Nintendo 3DS. Style conscious gamers can select either a Mario or a Luigi themed Super Mario 3D Land holder for their Nintendo 3DS console. Not too sure how much they cost but they look fantastic.

Nintendo of America - Nintendo eShop Cards Now Available

The Nintendo eShop Cards are here!

Available in two denominations: $15 and $30, the cards come with attractive Zelda designs.

You can purchase Nintendo eShop Cards from the following retail ebgames.

Classic Super Mario T-Shirt are out in Club Nintendo

Just out in US is Classic Super Mario T-Shirt Club Nintendo also in club nintendo is Super Mario Shoelaces (2 sets) The shoelaces are 300 coins and T-shirt go from small to Extra Large are 550 coins

Mario Himself Talks About The Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo has hired Mario to give consumers an overview of the Nintendo 3DS console. Mario talks about the Nintendo 3DS and its features for a whole five minutes.

New Jaws: Ultimate Predator Screenshots

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Nintendo patent turns Wii remote into touchpad

The controller for Nintendo's new console, the Wii U, combines a touchscreen with buttons and analogue sticks to create an interface that's a cross between a tablet and more traditional gaming systems. Players will also be able to use their old Wii remotes, but a recently published patent application suggests these may also be getting an upgrade with the addition of a touchpad.
Current Wii remotes contain an infrared (IR) sensor that detects the position of an IR beam mounted on your television - that's what lets you point and click at objects on the screen. Nintendo's patent describes a touchpad add-on that slips over the existing remote and uses the IR sensor in a similar way.
Players touch the pad with an IR stylus, the light of which is reflected off a half-mirror angled towards the IR sensor, which detects the stylus' position. The half-mirror means the Wii remote can also be used normally, as TV-mounted IR beam will still get through to the sensor. The patent also suggests that the touchpad could also be illuminated when pressed by a player's finger, eliminating the need for a stylus.

Nintendo Preparing Brand New Zelda Adventure For Nintendo 3DS, Majora’s Mask Remake Still Possible

Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has told Portuguese site My Games that the company is hard at work creating a brand new Zelda title for the Nintendo 3DS.

“We are already preparing a new game, a game in the series for the Nintendo 3DS, but don’t think that it is a direct sequel to the Zelda titles released on DS. We are talking about a new game, but it takes much of what has been done on previous consoles.”

Eiji Aonuma was also quizzed about the much-requested Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask remake and stated that it’s something Nintendo has been thinking long and hard about.

“It’s something I’m asked about often and I assure you that it is something I’ve spoken to Miyamoto about. But recently we released The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D as a remake. We are considering the idea, but it didn’t seem right to launch a remake one after another, so the next Zelda game on 3DS will be original.”

NINTENDO MALL PROGRAM PUTS SOME ZIP IN FAMILY SHOPPING TRIPS

Nintendo will be at two dozen malls from Nov. 21 to Dec. 18, prime time for holiday video game sampling. Shoppers will be able to spend time checking out all the coolest games for the Nintendo 3DS™, Wii™ and the Nintendo DS™ family of systems. In advance of the mall program, 10 select malls will also get a special preview of the upcoming epic game for the Wii console, The Legend of Zelda™: Skyward Sword, which will make a 10-day appearance from Nov. 11 to Nov. 20.

"Nintendo has something for everyone on your holiday gift list," said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Shoppers can stop by to test-drive games, meet Nintendo characters or just to take a break from their gift hunting and have some fun."

On weekends visitors also may have a chance to interact with various Nintendo characters like Mario™, Luigi™, Donkey Kong™, Kirby™ and Pikachu™.

Nintendo 3DS games available to play at the mall program include Super Mario 3D Land™, Mario Kart™ 7, The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, Pokémon™ Rumble Blast, Star Fox 64™ 3D, Tetris® Axis, nintendogs™ + cats, Skylanders Spyro's Adventure™ from Activision Publishing Inc. (also available for Wii) and Super Street Fighter® IV 3D Edition from CAPCOM.

Wii games available to play at the mall program include The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Kirby's Return to Dream Land™, Mario Kart™ Wii, New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii, Super Smash Bros.™ Brawl, Donkey Kong Country™ Returns, Wii Play™: Motion, Wii Sports Resort™, Just Dance® 3 from Ubisoft and Zumba® Fitness 2 from Majesco Entertainment.

Games for the Nintendo DS family of systems available to play at the mall program include Kirby™ Mass Attack, Fossil Fighters: Champions™, Professor Layton and the Last Specter™ and Bejeweled™ 3 from PopCap.

The complete list of malls on the Nov. 21-Dec. 18 program is as follows. Malls marked with an asterisk will also participate in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword preview program Nov. 11-20. The complete list can also be found at http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew.

Annapolis in Annapolis, Md.
Barton Creek Square in Austin, Texas
Castleton Square in Indianapolis
*Chandler Fashion Center in Chandler, Ariz.
Danbury Fair in Danbury, Conn.
*Dolphin Mall in Miami
*Eden Prairie Center in Eden Prairie, Minn.
Fox Valley in Aurora, Ill.
Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J.
Houston Galleria in Houston
King of Prussia in King of Prussia, Pa.
Natick Mall in Natick, Mass.
Perimeter Mall in Atlanta
*San Francisco Centre in San Francisco
*Southcenter in Seattle
*SouthPark in Strongsville, Ohio
*The Parks at Arlington in Arlington, Texas
*Topanga in Canoga Park, Calif.
*Twelve Oaks in Novi, Mich.
Tyrone Square Mall in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Valley Fair in Santa Clara, Calif.
Washington Square in Portland, Ore.
Wolfchase Galleria in Memphis, Tenn.
*Woodbridge Center in Woodbridge, N.J.

Remember that Wii and Nintendo 3DS feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://wii.com or http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.

The Hidden Now Available

Majesco Entertainment announced today that The Hidden, an augmented reality (AR) ghost hunting adventure for the portable Nintendo 3DS™ system, is available now. Developed by 1st Playable Productions, The Hidden turns your handheld device into a portal to the astral plane and allows you to investigate real-world environments with the Nintendo 3DS camera in order to search, capture and destroy supernatural entities as a paranormal investigator.

"The new genre of augmented reality is an exciting direction for video games because it combines the real and virtual worlds in an unprecedented way," said Jesse Sutton, CEO, Majesco Entertainment. "The Hidden is all about bridging worlds which conceptually is a great fit for the ghost hunting theme. Gamers everywhere will get a thrill out of discovering what's truly hidden in some of their favorite real-world spots."

Experience the world of augmented reality like never before as you utilize the Nintendo 3DS camera to help you scan, detect and hunt ghosts. As a member of the elite squad known as the Ghostly Entity Investigation and Strike Team (G.E.I.S.T.), you must work with your team to destroy evil spirits and neutralize mysterious outbreaks that pose threats to all mankind. To find every ghost in the game, players must also bring their Nintendo 3DS with them to new locations and investigate the world around them in twelve exhilarating missions.

Orchestrated Zelda Theme Medley on Nintendo Video

Nintendo have added. A behind the scenes recording of Zelda 25th Annivesary Orchestra performing the Zelda Theme Medley in 3D.

This is just one of the eight performances that comes on the CD included with early copies of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

There's also a new promotional video from Sky 3D, showcasing the one of its new shows, Flying Monsters 3D. David Attenborough narrates, exploring the ancient world of the pterosaur, a flying monster that ruled the skies 200 millions years ago.

New Screenshots And Trailer For Nano Assault 3DS

Nano Assault is ready to storm its way onto the Nintendo 3DS on November 22, 2011 and looks to duplicate the success first achieved by Nanostray on the DS. With Nano Assault, Majesco looks to take their microscopic shooter idea into a whole new level of immersion with better graphics and addition of 3D graphics.

Are you ready to get your Innerspace on and save humanity? You better hope so! Majesco Entertainment released some brand-new screenshots for its upcoming Shin’En-developed shump title Nano Assault today that really show off what was hailed as one of the best-looking 3DS games this year at E3

Nano Assault tasks players to stop the deadly Nanostray virus from spreading and contaminating all of human civilization. Blast your way through 32 twisted cell stages and dark worlds with rugged landscapes that adjust in difficulty based on your skill level. Prepare to battle and defeat extreme nemeses including the Black Nucleus, Hyper Blobs and Spore Plants using powerful beams, energetic bombs and other unlockable and devastating assault weapons.

There’s been a shortage of high quality games on the Nintendo 3DS and I hope to see more games of Nano Assault’s calibur make their way onto the system. Check out the brand new Nano Assault 3DS trailer and screenshots below.