Tag Archives: news

Series Producer Takashi Tezuka Discusses Yoshi’s New Island

3DS, Nintendo, ,

yoshi new islandWe’ve had some surprises at this year’s E3 from Nintendo – namely Retro’s new Donkey Kong title as well as Nintendo’s decision not to show Zelda Wii U this year – but Yoshi’s New Island for the Nintendo 3DS has somehow taken a backseat amongst Nintendo’s other bigger and more well-known franchises. So, in an interview with IGN, Yoshi’s Island series producer Takashi Tezuka sat down to talk about why he’s developed the sequel and the ideas behind the unique graphics:

“It’s just been a long time since there’s been a Yoshi game, so I wanted to put another one out there,” Tezuka told IGN. “The first time you see Yoshi is in a Mario game. [I thought] it would have been ideal if there was a Yoshi game first, where you would get to know Yoshi, and then you could see him appear in a Mario game. That’s something I’ve thought about as I look back and reflect on the series. So that’s one reason I really want to put out another Yoshi game, so people will get to know Yoshi as a character again. This new 3DS game is a sequel, basically, to the first Yoshi’s Island. It takes place after that.

“When it comes to the graphics for Yoshi, one thing I’m conscious of is having that kind of handmade feel, a kind of handicraft feel. In the previous one, we had this hand-drawn style, but now we’re moving on to create something new, leaving that behind. There’s still a lot of hand-drawn stuff. Like with the yarn thing, it’s also more like something physical, with the weight of something hand-crafted. We’re trying to create more variations like that.”

Yoshi’s New Island comes with some great new aspects, like the ability to eat giant enemies, which then transform into giant eggs that Yoshi can hurtle across the screen to destroy obstacles in your path – make sure you check out the trailer to see all of the green dinosaur’s escapades. Yoshi’s New Island will be released sometime this holiday season.

Here’s The Trailer For Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z

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If there’s ever a time to punch, kick and storm your way through a horde of zombies ninja-style, now’s the time to get excited about it. A new trailer has been launched for Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z – an upcoming third-person combat spin-off title from the Ninja Gaiden franchise – and there’s a lot of emphasis on zombies, so you can pummel their matter across the screen.

Playing as the protagonist Yaiba – who was killed and then brought back to wondrous life to live as a cyborg – you must hunt down those pesky zombies as you simultaneously seek revenge for Ryu, your killer. Currently, platforms have yet to be confirmed but in the meantime you can check out Team Ninja’s website for more information.

Spin The Bottle To Reward Early Adopters With Unique Pricing Approach On Wii U

Nintendo, Wii U, , ,

spin the bottleBeing an early adopter of software can be a little frustrating at times – especially when a sale hits the Nintendo eShop – but Spin the Bottle developers are looking to reward those who support them by using a unique pricing approach. In an interview with KnapNok’s Creative Director Lau Korsgaard published on Nintendo Life, he speaks about the direction the Wii U party game will take:

“We are planning to use something different than other eShop games. We will release cheap-ish but increase the price of the game as we develop more content. If you buy early you will get all future updates for free. Our plan is to release two more updates in 2013 – each time raising the price a bit. We want reward the early adopters of the Wii U while still being able to earn money on the long run.”

Korsgaard says their strategy is inspired by indie PC games such as Minecraft, saying they will launch the title around €7/$9, and then add more content in each sequential update, while also warning early adopters that an update is on its way to encourage consumers to buy at a lower price. He later told Eurogamer that when he presented the sales strategy to Nintendo, they were originally confused:

“Originally when we presented the idea to Nintendo they were a bit puzzled.They do have some guidelines about how much you can reduce your price post launch, but nothing about raising the price, so I took that as a yes. Since then we have talked about it a few times and they are supportive of the strategy. Nintendo has been really flexible to work with in this sense. We have control of everything, and all they provide is good advice.”

Although there has been no official announcement for when Spin the Bottle will come to the Wii U, Korsgaard says a release date should be around early July. What do you think of this sales strategy and should it be adopted for more Wii U games? Let us know in the comments below.

Katsuhiro Harada Alive And Well, Will Be At E3

Nintendo, ,

katsuhiro haradaTurns out missing Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada just had a bit of the sniffles as he confirmed on Twitter earlier today. He’s a bit concerned his week off turned into a news fiasco though, but you can rest assured he’s still going to E3. And since we’re all a bit sceptical these days, Harada even posted a picture of himself as proof to his fans that he’s alive and well. You can see the Twitter message he posted below:

“I just finished up the master version, and I had a cold and a fever so I was home drinking tequila and getting some work done. Ono got a new car late last month so I took it for a test drive, and cleared some games I had piled up (Crysis 3, Bioshock, Metro) so I ignored calls from the office. I was busy. Then Grid 2 came out while work was piling up, people were treating me like I was missing or something. I’m fine, and back to work and I’ll be at E3, so don’t worry.”

Mutant Mudds Deluxe Releasing June 13 For North America

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The bugs have been squashed and the errors fixed, and now it’s finally time to officially unveil a release date for Mutant Mudds Deluxe. Renegade Kid co-founder and developer for Mutant Mudds, took to Twitter earlier today and announced the title was ready and raring to go for a June 13 launch on the Wii U for North America.

“Breaking News! Mutant Mudds Deluxe Available on June 13 in Wii U eShop in North America.” – Jools Watsham

Watsham assures European fans, though, that a release date is still in the works, and that it shouldn’t be too far away. Meanwhile, you can check out the brand new trailer above to see what all the 12-bit fuss is about.

Zumba Fitness World Party Set To Shimmy And Shake On Wii U This Fall

Wii, Wii U, ,

In 2011, Zumba Fitness created such a storm on the Wii that it topped the all formats chart for ten consecutive weeks and became the best-selling game of the year. This fall, Zumba Fitness World Party is set to recreate dance history all over again by showing you how to shimmy and shake on the Wii and Wii U.

Although Majesco’s teaser trailer doesn’t show much, you can expect there to be over 40 high-energy routines to gut-bust your way through to a slimmer, toner figure. You’ll be able to dance your way to Brazil, Hawaii and many other places all from the comfort of your living room. And the sweat-inducing fun doesn’t just stop there, you can bring your friends over to join the party to ‘get jiggy’ with over 30 different dance styles, designed to burn those calories pronto. If you always wanted to get a top-notch six-pack, Zumba Fitness World Party will be available on Wii U, Wii, Xbox One and Xbox 360 this October.

Miiverse Browser Update Allows You To Post Messages And Follow People

Nintendo, Wii U, , ,

Miiverse_logoSpotted by NeoGaf user Astroid2, Wii U owners can now post messages to Miiverse via their PC, as well as follow people from the web app. Last month, Nintendo announced Miiverse would be coming to browsers, smartphones and other devices but the beta version would not allow users to produce posts or utilise any other features from the Wii U.

Now it appears you can make new posts direct from your PC, as detailed in the image here. Not only that but the web app will also allow you to view your friends/following lists, update your profile details and edit general Miiverse settings. According to another NeoGaf user, you will be able to view any Miiverse post despite not owning a Nintendo Network ID – just using the URL will allow you to open the post. And, if that wasn’t enough, the restriction between making new posts has seen a reduction to three minutes from the initial five minutes. You can access Miiverse through your browser at  miiverse.nintendo.net to check out the new features.

Capcom UK Pulls Resident Evil Revelations Event After Cruel Woolwich Attack

PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360, ,

woolwich attackCapcom UK has decided to cancel its Resident Evil Revelations event in light of the tragic attack in Woolwich, London. Yesterday, a British soldier was reportedly hacked to death by two men shouting islamic statements in the streets of South London, in which the government is treating to be a terrorist attack. One of the men was filmed – still holding the knives in which he carried out the attack – and claimed that he killed the man because British soldiers kill Muslims every day.

Due to the attack, Capcom UK’s event – which was to see a 16ft by 32ft swimming pool filled with a specially concocted blood dye combined with human torso floats – will no longer be going ahead this weekend on May 25 and 26 at London’s Jupiter Wharf. A Capcom UK spokesperson had the following to say this morning:

“In light of yesterday’s sad events we’re cancelling our Revelations pool event. Thank you for your understanding.”

Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, please keep your comments in respect of the tragic occurrence. Thankyou.

North American Retailer Target Selling Wii U Basic For $240

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wii_u_console_whiteSpotted on a North American retailer website is the lowest selling price currently seen for the Wii U basic set. Target is offering the basic set for a cheap as chips sale price of $239.99, which is $60 lower than its current recommended retail price at $299.99. The news comes just after a rumour was unveiled detailing that the Wii U only sold 38,000 units last month. And with the drop at UK retailers Asda and Amazon last month, could we be seeing a new price for the Wii U across North America in due time?

Denis Dyack Responds To Accusations Affecting Shadow Of The Eternals Development

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Kickstarter-led project Shadow of the Eternals has been on the crowdfunding market for two weeks, but with 29 days to go and only $80,000 of its $1,350,000 goal met, Denis Dyack has chosen to produce a video response – which you can see above – saying why he thinks the project isn’t amassing the expected success.

In a half-hour video, Dyack responds to a variety of topics but chooses to focus his attention on the Kotaku article published last year, which expresses how X-Men Destiny’s development suffered at the hands of Eternal Darkness 2. Dyack admits that because of the negativity surrounding the previous projects he’s worked on – such as the accusations of embezzlement and his harsh exterior with prior staff – it has, ultimately, affected the crowdfunding project for Precursor Games’ Shadow of the Eternals. He says:

“When I first saw this article, I believed that because there was not a single credible source where nothing could be verified that anyone would actually believe this. I knew what they were saying in accusations about me embezzling money from Activision and being terrible to people were not true, but from my perspective, now that I look at it, I probably should have came out sooner but I underestimated the advance of technology on the internet. Every time [the article] was linked it got this incremental shred of credibility.

“I’ve got to do something about this, because it’s affecting me, it’s affecting my colleagues at Precursor Games, and it’s affecting the community that wants to see this game get made.”

Dyack believes that the Kotaku article and its claims were entirely false, so Silicon Knights decided not to comment lest it render the article as a ‘credible source’. Dyack continues to delve deeper into the root of the problem throughout the video commenting on his relationship with Nintendo, the privilege of working with Iwata and Miyamoto, as well as apologising for the outcome of X-Men Destiny.

Given that Precursor’s CEO Paul Caporicci responded to fans questions in a recent blog post and backed his fellow colleague, do you agree with Dyack and do you think the crowdfunding of Shadow of the Eternals is being hindered? Let us know in the comments below.