Keeping Nintendo in the family, little sister draws characters from Mario!

Have I ever mentioned that I have 8 siblings? Yes, it's true. 4 brothers and 4 sisters. I have one younger sister named Ivy, and she drew this picture just for me!

Pretty good for a ten-year-old! Even better when you consider that she's a ten-year-old in my family. Artists we are not! "It didn't take me that long," Ivy says. "It only took me like 20 minutes. I was going to make a notebook full of Mario characters. I did Peach, then I did the other ones. I wish I put 'Nintendo Characters' at the top instead of 'Mario Characters'."

Have any thoughts? Share them in a comment!

Nintendo Direct 6.21.2012: Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS

To view the latest Nintendo Direct, click here.

Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS is the topic of today's Nintendo Direct 6.21.2012 post. There is not yet a whole lot of info on the games, but any info at all is noteworthy. The best and most reassuring bit is the return of Masahiro Sakurai as director. This we have known for some time, but it's important when you've come to expect so much greatness from a series!

In other news, Namco Bandai Studios has put together an all-star team for the development of SSB Wii U/3DS. If you would like, you can read all about it right here, where you will find messages from both Sakurai and Namco Bandai's Masaya Kobayashi.

With so little to go on, right now it's just guessing and speculation with the highly anticipated Wii U/3DS iterations of the beloved Super Smash Bros. series. Fans have found it particularly fun in the past to guess which Nintendo characters will snag a coveted spot in the game's roster. With Kid Icarus: Uprising still fresh on my mind, I'm inclined to hope Magnus will make the cut.

Any thoughts on what has been mentioned today? Let your voice be heard in a comment!

Other Nintendo Direct 6.21.2012 Posts

• Nintendo 3DS XL Introduced 
• Kingdom Hearts 3D (Dream Drop Distance) 

Nintendo Direct 6.21.2012: Kingdom Hearts 3D (Dream Drop Distance)

To watch the latest Nintendo Direct, click here.

In continuation of our discussion about the latest Nintendo Direct, today I'll be talking about Kingdom Hearts 3D (Dream Drop Distance). The game will be out for N3DS on July 31 of this year.

KH3D is set to have a few special features that I'm looking forward to. First of all, the game will have some sort of StreetPass functionality. I'm guessing "Dream Eaters" will have something to do with that, though I don't exactly know what those are. "Dream Eaters" also play a part in an AR feature that the game will have. Whatever they are, "Dream Eaters" must be useful to the gameplay somehow.

Speaking of AR, a special collector's set called the "Mark of Mastery Edition" will come with a few cards. It'll also include12 cards detailing the history of the series and a Kingdom Hearts protective 3DS case.

On top of all that, Kingdom Hearts 3D will also support the Circle Pad Pro, if that's your cup of tea.

In addition, a demo of KH3D is currently available in the eShop. After playing it, I can tell you the game shows a lot of promise. I particularly enjoyed the combat, which includes a couple of things the series hasn't seen before that give the whole system a lot of depth. But I won't spoil it for you. Download the demo and see for yourself what's in store!

What are your thoughts on Kingdom Hearts 3D? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

Other Nintendo Direct 6.21.2012 Posts

• Nintendo 3DS XL Introduced 
• Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS

Nintendo Direct 6.21.2012: Nintendo 3DS XL Introduced

To watch the latest Nintendo Direct, click here.

Hey guys, Holly here. Before I get into today's topic, I want to let you all know that the blog will continue, and with my class being over, I'll be getting back into my old posting rhythm.

And what better way to celebrate my return than by discussing the latest edition of Nintendo Direct! Nintendo delivered a 20-minute long video this time around, and it contained no shortage of great news. In fact, it had so many things for us to talk about, I'm going to take it piece by piece, day by day.

The video began with the announcement of a Nintendo 3DS redesign, dubbed the Nintendo 3DS XL. The new model will boast screens that are 90% larger than those of the original Nintendo 3DS, improved battery life, and an "updated form factor." The release of the Nintendo 3DS XL is set for August 19th of this year, coinciding with the release of New Super Mario Bros. 2, which I'll talk about in a future post. The 3DS XL will sell for a suggested retail price of $199.99.

Though I would love to have a Nintendo 3DS XL of my own come August 19th, it is a very unlikely prospect. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the likelihood is 0%. But I do believe I'm allowed to say that I think the redesign looks pretty snazzy. One thing that has always bothered me about the original 3DS is the surface area surrounding the upper screen: it's about as reflective as your average mirror, which can be an irritation. The 3DS XL clearly solves this problem, among others.

Is anyone planning on getting a 3DS XL of their own? Or are you like me and planning to pass? Feel free to let us know in a comment.

Other Nintendo Direct 6.21.2012 Posts

• Kingdom Hearts 3D (Dream Drop Distance) 
• Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS 

Keep 'em coming!

You'll also have to get used to my crazy pictures
that look like this!

Hi everyone! I just wanted to say that I will still be posting on the blog. Even though our fearless leader, a Miss Holly, won't be able to, I am ready to give our readers a little light reading. I am guessing most of you have realized the complete difference between the two writing styles of Holly and I; she actually posts about really cool, informative stuff, and, well, I'm more of a ranter...BUT now that Holly is, er, more occupied, I will try to do more of that stuff.

Who am I kidding? I can't do that! My opinion gets to much in the way and BAM there goes another ranting post!

I guess what I'm trying to say is for all you hardcore gamers out there you shall be awaiting the day Holly will continue to post things. As for all of those who aren't so intense...well you'll have an easier time "surviving" with my posts. Hope you all have a nice Summer!

Leave a comment on how you feel about this development...I'd love to know!