RUMOUR: GAMESTOP MANAGER SAYS SMASH BROS WII U WILL BE BUNDLED WITH ONE AMIIBO, LAUNCHING AROUND NOVEMBER 21ST

A GameStop manager has been in contact to say that he’s heard rumblings in the office that that every copy of Smash Bros for Wii U will come with a free Amiibo figure. He also says that he has been hearing that the street date for the Wii U version will be November 21st. He wishes to remain anonymous, so I can’t verify these claims. However it does sound fairly plausible. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for Nintendo to grace us with an official release date.

Altered Beast Level 1 boss gets a figure

SEGA RETROGAME SOFUBI COLLECTION Altered Beast Stage 1 Boss Aggar "August Pre-Order" to the three-dimensional character of our Sega masterpiece from GEEK LIFE (geek life) "Sega Retro Game Soft Vinyl Collection" will start! From "altered beast" first bullet one boss stage "Hugger"! Neck threw the attack at the time was plagued player is attached. Face twice fun to play than by replacement! ! Welcome to your doom Sculpted by: Masami Yamada Height approx 240mm © SEGA Size: Height approx 240mm Sculpted by: Masami Yamada Production: Made in Japan / MADE IN JAPAN

Releases in August and you can buy it here whenever it gets released.

SUPER SMASH BROS WII U WILL BE PLAYABLE WITH GAMECUBE CONTROLLERS

Nintendo of America has confirmed via Twitter that Super Smash Bros on the Wii U will be playable with the beloved Gamecube controller. Judging from the image provided it looks as though the Gamecube controller will plug into the Wii U using an extension block. Super Smash Bros Wii U is due for release this winter.

HYRULE WARRIORS COMING TO JAPAN ON AUGUST 14TH

The latest issue of Famitsu magazine has revealed that Hyrule Warriors will be coming to Japan on August 14th. The game based on The Legend of Zelda series and Tecmo Koei’s Warriors has yet to receive a western release date, but it’s likely to come this year.

AMAZON GERMANY IS GETTING A STEELBOOK EDITION OF MARIO KART 8

Amazon Germany has announced that they have begun stocking a special edition steelbook version of Mario Kart 8. The steelbook edition, which is exclusive to Amazon, retail for 10 Euros more than the standard edition. You can pre-order the Amazon edition now.

MARIO KART 8 LIMITED EDITION BUNDLE WITH BLUE SHELL EXCLUSIVE TO NINTENDO WORLD IN US

The race is on to score our #MK8 Limited Edition Bundle exclusive to #NintendoWorld! Pre-orders start now! pic.twitter.com/FpnvlDr1kK

NINTENDO TO SHOW WII U PROJECTS THAT CAN ONLY WORK WITH THE GAMEPAD AT E3

Nintendo has announced its plans to unveil projects that can only be made possible with the Wii U GamePad at E3 next month. During its financial results briefing today, the company reconfirmed that the touch-screen controller’s quick start menu function will be available to Wii U owners either before or during summer.

“At the Corporate Management Policy Briefing this January, I explained that the company would prioritize making and proposing Wii U software titles that can only be made possible with the Wii U GamePad,” said Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. “We are planning to disclose our progress on this at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in Los Angeles in June.

“I also mentioned at the Corporate Management Policy Briefing this January the quick start menu. The integration of this feature is almost complete, and this is how it will actually work on the Wii U system. We will deliver this update to Wii U owners when we update the Wii U hardware either before or during summer.”

NINTENDO REVEALS MARIO NFC FIGURINE FOR WII U AND 3DS

Nintendo showcased a Mario NFC figurine during its investor’s meeting today. The company is making character figurines that are code-named Nintendo Figurine Platform (NFP), which contain built-in NFC functionality and will be compatible with both Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, which is getting its own NFC reader/writer that will launch next year.

“To establish new and growing areas through the active utilization of character IP, it is important for Nintendo to take risks ourselves and come up with interesting ways to use our character IP,” said Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. “In other words, other than using character IP in Nintendo’s video game software, we need to start a new business that will someday become one of our core activities.

“We have decided to release character figurines with built-in NFC functionality that are compatible with video games starting from this year-end sales season. We are calling the figurines by their development codename, NFP, which comes from “NFC Featured Platform” and “Nintendo Figurine Platform.

“Nintendo has been developing an NFC reader/writer for the Nintendo 3DS family, as you can see on this slide, and we are planning to launch it in the first half of the next calendar year. This will make Nintendo 3DS compatible with the NFC reader/writer via infrared communication, and as a result, you will be able to read and write NFC data with the Nintendo 3DS device in the palm of your hand.

“That is to say, NFP is going to be compatible with Wii U software from this year-end, and compatible with both Wii U and Nintendo 3DS software from next year.”

MARIO KART 8 NEWS COMING TOMORROW FROM NINTENDO WORLD STORE

The Nintendo World Store has tweeted that it has some exclusive Mario Kart 8 information to share with fans sometime tomorrow. The tweet says that the announcement will “flip your world upside down” so it should hopefully be interesting..

Play Nintendo - Announcing Nintendo @ E3 2014

Nintendo has confirmed its E3 2014 plans via press release and will host a Digital Event under the name “Play Nintendo” on June 10. Last year, Nintendo hosted a Nintendo Direct to reveal upcoming software and hardware releases, and this year will continue that front but with a small reinvigorated twist.

The publisher will launch a series of new channels for the biggest gaming event of the year which will communicate directly to fans, media, analysts, investors and business partners. News will be unveiled in the special Digital Event, along with the Super Smash Bros. tournament – featuring in-depth game demos from the Nintendo booth, as well as an opportunity to play Super Smash Bros. for Wii U at Best Buy.

Nintendo of America’s president and COO Reggie Fils-Aime said the following in support of the Digital Event: “We demonstrated last year that we are never afraid to reinvent a proven tactic or to break completely new ground if we believe it will provide the best experience for our fans, followers and partners. So, whether you’re attending E3 in person or joining online, there’s an amazing lineup of games, experiences and events coming your way.”

At E3 2014, Nintendo will offer four unique experiences, all under the unifying banner of “Play Nintendo.” You can check out the details from the press release below.

Super Smash Bros. Invitational

• 2014 will see the arrival of not one, but two new Super Smash Bros. games: Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. To commemorate this occasion, Nintendo is inviting 16 highly skilled Super Smash Bros. players to the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles to compete in a Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tournament. Thousands of fans in the audience and countless more watching a live stream online will see new Super Smash Bros. characters clash with existing favorites in action for the first time. More important than declaring a winner, however, this event is a celebration of all things Super Smash Bros., and a great way for new and veteran fans to take part in a tribute to this legendary franchise. More information about the 16 invited participants in the tournament, the identity of the announcers, and how fans of the franchise can view the tournament in person and via webcast, will be communicated shortly.

Nintendo Digital Event

• Every year, Nintendo looks for the best way to show its games and share its news with fans, media and other key audiences. In 2013, Nintendo decided to forgo a traditional press conference and use a video – in that case a Nintendo Direct – to share its news from E3. The company is building on that approach at E3 2014 with the “Nintendo Digital Event,” a new kind of video program that will reveal and provide further detail about the gaming experiences on the way for Nintendo platforms in 2014 and beyond. The Nintendo Digital Event will air at 9 a.m. PT on Tuesday, June 10.

Nintendo Treehouse: Live @ E3

• This year, Nintendo will offer fans a deeper look at Nintendo’s biggest games of E3, with information directly from the source. The “Treehouse,” the Product Development department at Nintendo of America, will provide in-depth game demos live and unscripted from Nintendo’s booth. This new program will be live streamed during all hours of the E3 show. Fans can get settled in, open their browsers and experience the Nintendo games at E3 like never before.

Super Smash Bros. Smash Fest @ Best Buy

• In 2013, Nintendo broke new ground by expanding its E3 activities outside of the walls of the Los Angeles Convention Center and letting fans play some of the games being played on the show floor at participating Best Buy stores. The partnership between Nintendo and Best Buy continues in 2014 and will mark the first time around the world that fans have had the opportunity to get their hands on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Five Nintendo 3DS games receive permanent price cuts

Beginning April 22, Nintendo will permanently cut the price on five of its stand-out 3DS games. Super Mario 3D Land, New Super Mario Bros. 2, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Mario Kart 7 and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D will all be $29.99, a 25 percent drop.

GRAB A MARIO HAT WHEN YOU PRE-ORDER MARIO GOLF 3DS IN THE UK

Nintendo UK is offering fans the chance to grab an iconic Mario hat when they purchase the latest entry in the Mario Golf franchise. The pre-order bundle is only available on the UK Nintendo Store and retails for £34.99. Will you be pre-ordering?

TOON LINK NENDOROID FIGURE AVAILABLE IN JAPAN THIS AUGUST

Zelda series in Japan will be ready to take on the Great Sea as soon as Toon Link’s Nendoroid figure hits virtual shelves this summer. The Good Smile Company has released a few pictures of Toon Link from the Wind Waker HD – which you can see in the gallery below – and can now be pre-ordered via their online store for 4,000 yen (equal to around $40 / £24).

Toon Link reaches 10cm in height and comes packaged with the Hero’s sword, shield and a beautiful heart container. Nendoroid figures are usually synonymous with a variety of facial expressions, and Toon Link is no different – serious, courageous, smiling and nervous expressions will accompany the figure, along with a special spin attack add-on attachment.

Unfortunately, the cutesy-pie figure is only due for an August release in Japan, but he’s much more affordable at  AmiAmi.

FIRST 4 FIGURES REVEALS NEW PRINCESS ZELDA STATUE, AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

First 4 Figures has revealed the Princess Zelda statue as part of the fifth figure in the Twilight Princess Master Arts collection. The limited edition Princess Zelda statue is to quarter scale and stands at 17 inches in height, with the base included. First 4 Figures has managed to capture her elegance and beauty with a stunning hand-painted design and a high-quality polystone cast.

Limited to only 2,500 pieces worldwide, Princess Zelda is now available to pre-order for $349.99 – with an initial $10 deposit. First 4 Figures is expected to ship the regal figure during the last quarter of 2014. All purchases will be delivered in full colour packaging, with a numbered base and an authenticity card. If you just can’t get enough of Princess Zelda’s allure, you can find a host of images at First 4 Figures website, here.

HERE’S THE NORTH AMERICAN NINTENDO ESHOP DOWNLOADS THIS WEEK

Nintendo of America has announced exactly which games Nintendo fans can download on the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U this week. There’s a number of titles, but the biggest has to be the release of Dr Mario on the Wii U eShop. The Sonic Lost World Zelda based free DLC is also available. Here’s what you can download.

• Dr Mario – Wii U eShop
• Clu Clu Land – 3DS eShop
• Sonic Lost World Zelda DLC – Wii U eShop
• My Style Studio: Hair Salon (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
• Skater Cat (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• I am an Air Traffic Controller Airport Hero Hawaii (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS) – Full and Demo Versions
• Cube Tactics (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• I am in the movie (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS / DSiWare on Nintendo DSi)

SUPER MARIO BROS 3 COMING TO NORTH AMERICA IN WII U’S VIRTUAL CONSOLE GBA LINE-UP

Nintendo of America has revealed Super Mario Bros. 3 will be available on the Wii U’s Virtual Console next month. As part of the Game Boy Advance games line-up, North American Wii U owners will finally be able to get their hands on the much-loved classic NES title. Super Mario Bros. 3 can be purchased for $4.99 on Wii U or 3DS when it releases on April 17.

Earlier today, Nintendo of Europe detailed the virtual console line-up with a snazzy trailer. All dates for Europe and North America are the same, but here’s a list of those all important price points.

April 3

• Advance Wars - Wii U, $7.99
• Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga - Wii U, $7.99
• Metroid Fusion - Wii U, $7.99

April 10

• Kirby & The Amazing Mirror - Wii U, $6.99
• WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! - Wii U, $6.99

April 17

• Super Mario Bros. 3 - Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, $4.99
• F-Zero: Maximum Velocity - Wii U, $6.99
• Golden Sun - Wii U, $7.99

April 24

• Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 - Wii U, $7.99

Nintendo Download: 27th February (North America)

Professor Layton, Renegade, Tappingo and farming

The time has come, North America, for details of the goodies that'll be available to download on the eShop stores this week. The latest Professor Layton title makes it's arrival on the 3DS, along with some other VC classics and downloadable delights. Without further ado, let's get to it.

Wii U eShop

My Farm (BiP Media, $TBC) — BiP Media's My Farm series has certainly had a consistent run on the DSi and 3DS online stores, and now steps into the home console market with Wii U. Find out more in our My Farm review.

Wii U Virtual Console

Renegade (Arc System Works, $4.99) — We may think games are violent today, but they weren't exactly hugs with teddy bears in the NES era. The beat'em up genre was rather popular, though this is perhaps one of the weakest of the best known button mashers of the 8-bit era. We'll brawl with it once again, but in the meantime you can see what we thought in our Wii Virtual Console Renegade review.

Wii U eShop Temporary Discounts

Knytt Underground (Ripstone, $6.50 until 3rd March, normally $12.99)

3DS retail

Professor Layton & the Azran Legacy (Nintendo, $TBC) — Available from 28th Feb, this is said to be the last adventure in the series starring the tea-drinking Professor of Archaeology, and if it is a finale then it's a fitting one. Incorporating the simplicity of the DS titles with some 3DS flourishes, this earned 9/10 in our Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy review.

3DS eShop

Tappingo (Goodbye Galaxy Games, $2.99) — This is the studio's 3DS eShop début after its role providing some of the best experiences on DSiWare. A puzzler that has a hint of Picross in its approach, it nevertheless promises a neat twist in the formula and over 100 levels and a time attack mode. We'll figure it out for our review.

NINTENDO ENDING WI-FI CONNECTION SERVICE FOR DS AND WII MAY 20TH

Nintendo has confirmed that certain online functionality, including online play, matchmaking and leaderboards for many Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi games, will no longer be accessible. The service will be closing on 20th May 2014 worldwide.

The service’s retirement will affect 20 Nintendo published Wii games and Wii Ware titles, including Animal Crossing: Let’s Go to the City, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii and Pokémon Battle Revolution. More than 40 Nintendo published DS and DSi software titles will also be affected, such as Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, Pokémon Platinum Version, Professor Layton and the Curious Village and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. The full list of titles are available on the official Nintendo of Australia website

Yoshi’s New Island Nintendo 3DS XL Bundle Spotted

Nintendo is preparing to announce a spotted green Yoshi Nintendo 3DS XL which comes with a copy of Yoshi’s New Island, according to a product page by online retailer Base. The bundle, which comes with a copy of Yoshi’s New Island pre-installed, is set to retail for $199.99 in North America and is due to be released on March 14th, the same day as the game is released.

Turns out the image is a mockup. However, IGN says that a Yoshi’s New Island bundle is certainly on its way

Get ‘The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords’ free on the Nintendo 3DS eShop

• Share on Tumblr

As a result of a prestigious award for the title, Nintendo is offering The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition for free to 3DS owners, but only for a limited time.

Update: It appears that only those in North America can access this free download.

After winning GameStop’s 2013 game of the year, Nintendo decided to celebrate with giving away free copies of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition to all 3DS owners with Internet access.

According to Nintendo, the way to download The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition is fairly simple: “Just go to Nintendo eShop on your Nintendo 3DS or 2DS fromThursday, Jan 30, at 9am (PST) until Sunday, Feb 2, at 11:59pm (PST) to download the gamefor free!”

Nintendo has gone to great lengths to give away this game in the past, including releasing a cheeky commercial where Robin Williams plays it with his daughter Zelda.

WII U DELUXE LIMITED EDITION WITH ZELDA WW, WONDERFUL 101, NINJA GAIDEN FOR $270

NewEgg are selling the Limited Edition Zelda Wii U 32GB Deluxe system with The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, The Wonderful 101, and Ninja Gaiden for $270 via eBay. It’s one of the best Wii U deals around at the moment, so if you’re looking to pick up the system then you certainly can’t go wrong at this price.

GRAB THE MARIO & LUIGI DREAM TEAM NINTENDO 3DS XL BUNDLE FOR $179.88 ON AMAZON

You can now get the Silver Nintendo 3DS XL Mario & Luigi Dream Team bundle for $178.88 on Amazon.com. The product is sold through National Sale LLC and is meant to retail for $199.99. Mario & Luigi Dream Team comes pre-installed on the system