Club Nintendo 2013 Elite Rewards Announced

Nintendo of America has finally announced the 2013 Elite Rewards for Club Nintendo users in North America. The yearly Club Nintendo Elite’ rewards, include free copies of the original Super Smash Bros and the Majora’s Mask soundtrack CD. Depending on your Club Nintendo status you can choose one of the following Elite rewards by August 15th. Which gift will you claim?

• Platinum — Three-Poster Set
• Platinum — The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask Original Soundtrack CD
• Platinum or Gold — 2014 Club Nintendo Calendar
• Platinum or Gold — Super Smash Bros.
• Platinum or Gold — WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase
• Platinum or Gold — The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX
• Platinum or Gold — Super Mario Land
• Platinum or Gold — Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword

Club Nintendo Japan site hacked, customer data exposed

Ninetendo's member Web site has been breached and personal information of its customers in Japan may have been exposed, according to the company.

A report by The Japan Times on Saturday cited a statement by the game console and software maker which revealed about 15.46 million fradulent login attempts were launched against the site from June 9, 2013, through to Thursday last week. Of these, 23,926 were eventually successful, it said.

Data affected by the hacks included names, home addressses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of its 4 million Club Nintendo members in Japan, the company said.

Nintendo, however, did not confirm any misuse of the breached data. It had suspended the affected accounts and passwords used in the unauthorized access, and was contacting members whose data might have been illegally accessed and requesting that they changed their passwords.

The Club service is offered to registered Nintendo's customers who have purchased the company's consoles and software, allowing them to earn points which can be redeemed for rewards such as CDs.

This is not the first time the Japanese console maker has been breached. Last November, posts on user forum NeoGaf suggested its Wii U network had been breached just hours after its U.S. retail launch in 2011. In another incident, ahead of the expected debut of its next-generation Wii console, Ninetendo found itself the victim of Lulz Security.The company, though, said confidential information was not stolen.

Shin Megami Tensei IV: Unboxing Video

Shin Megami Tensei IV arrives on 3DS in North America on 16th July, something that'll surely be keenly celebrated by fans of the series. Not only is it likely to provide an epic RPG adventure, but there'll also be a mix of free and paid DLC available from launch day, too.

Perhaps the biggest bonus for early adopters is the rather generous pre-order incentive; anyone who secures a first-print copy before launch day will receive the Limited Edition Box Set. As a pre-order incentive it'd be unsurprising if expectations were low, yet it includes a gorgeous 176 page Strategy Guide — which looks to be packed with concept art, too — an eight track soundtrack CD and a collectable slipcase with artwork designed by Masuayuki Doi.

Atlus has now released an official unboxing video of what pre-order gamers can look forward to, which is also undoubtedly an effort to tempt others into taking the plunge. The coverage includes a mandatory sniff-test of that new box smell, while the point is made loud and clear that those that pick up the game shouldn't delay in registering it on Club Nintendo.

Fans Launch Facebook Campaign To See Zelda As Playable Character

Nintendo fans have been busy as of late, as not only have they launched a petition against region locking, but some have also banded together to see Princess Zelda as a playable character in future titles. The Facebook campaign – which now has over 3,000 likes and counting – is spreading the word as to why Zelda should be fully integrated as a playable character in the series.

There has already been rumblings that series fans would like to see Zelda as the star of the show, as one artist dabbled in fan-inspired concept art to show Zelda in a ‘Clockwork Empire’ as the lead, with Link dubbed as the Prince of the Kingdom. And during aninterview with Eiji Aonuma, when asked the question of featuring Zelda in her own game, Aonuma responded as such: “I guess if people have strong feelings about it then it’s something to consider.”

The Facebook campaign aptly named ‘Nintendo, please give Princess Zelda a stronger role’ is seeking to do just that, and if the likes keep pouring in, Aonuma may just listen and incorporate something into the new Zelda Wii U title. If you want to support and ‘like’ the page, you can do so here.

The Pokémon Company Reveals Another Pokémon X And Pokémon Y-Themed Nintendo 3DS LL

The Pokémon Company has revealed another Pokémon X and Pokémon Y-themed Nintendo 3DS LL. The limited edition hand-held console – shown in the picture above – is gold-colored, displays silhouettes of new Pokémon Xerneas, Yveltal, Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie, and it will be released alongside the other Pokémon X and Pokémon Y-themed Nintendo 3DS LL and Nintendo 3DS games Pokémon X and Pokémon Y on October 12th in Japan. There’s currently no word on whether either of the two designs will be released outside Japan, but we’ll keep you posted.

The Pokémon X And Pokémon Y-Themed Nintendo 3DS LL

Earlier this week, Nintendo announced its plans to release a Pokémon X and Pokémon Y-themed Nintendo 3DS LL in Japan. The company today revealed a picture of the limited edition hand-held console, which you can see above. The new design, emblazoned with artwork of Legendary Pokémon Xerneas and Yveltal, will go on sale in Japan on October 12th and will retail for 22,800 yen. Also releasing on that day are Nintendo 3DS games Pokémon X and Pokémon Y.