Infendo Post - Super Smash Bros. Direct coming April 8th

I've been back to writing for Infendo for a while now. Usually, I'll post a news story to Infendo, then post about the same thing here, but with extra, more personal thoughts alongside. Today, however, I'm just gonna hand you the Infendo article on a platter:

A Nintendo Direct focusing on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS is on its way: on April 8, at 3:00pm PT, prepare for some news on the two highly anticipated installments in the beloved franchise.

This is definitely something to get excited about. I mean, like the Pokemon X and Y Direct and the Wonderful 101 Direct that came before, this is an entire Nintendo Direct dedicated to just two games. Two games that are arguably more anticipated by fans than Pokemon or The Wonderful 101. According to the official Nintendo Direct site, the Smash Bros. special will reveal new details about the two games. And if tradition holds, the broadcast will be around 20 minutes long. A lot can be revealed in 20 minutes. What are you hoping for out of the upcoming Direct?

Thanks for the tip, MikeIsaPoet.

Check out the article on Infendo right here. 

April GBA releases on Wii U bring retro joy

April is set to be packed with GameBoy Advance releases...for the Wii U virtual console. We've known about GBA games heading to Wii U for a while, but now we have some solid games, release dates, and prices. They are as follows:

April 3
Advance Wars ($7.99)
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga ($7.99)
Metroid Fusion ($7.99)

April 10
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror ($6.99)
Warioware, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! ($6.99)

April 17
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity ($6.99)
Golden Sun ($7.99)

April 24
Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island ($7.99)

If you still have an Ambassador 3DS system, you likely already own many of these games (Metroid Fusion, Kirby, Warioware, F-Zero, and Yoshi's Island, to be exact), but there are a couple to keep your eyes on: Advance Wars is a great turn-based strategy game (supposedly: I never played it, but I would love to), Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is one of the best RPGs to grace the GBA, and Golden Sun (which I have played) is a beautiful throwback to SNES RPGs.

Considering used GBA games go anywhere from $10 to $20, the pricing on these games is not half bad. What are your thoughts?

Nintendo Wishlist Vol. 1 - Simian Dreams

Welcome to the first edition of Nintendo Wishlist!

As big a Nintendo fan as I am, I still wish for certain things from the company, particularly at this controversial time. This is not your typical wishlist: most wishlists are filled with things that are already available and desired by the wishlist's creator. This is a wishlist of things I wish Nintendo would do, games I wish it would announce, and so on.

In my first Nintendo Wishlist, I feel I'm asking for a few things that should be well within Nintendo's ability to deliver. Let's take a look, shall we:

• Donkey Kong Country 1, 2, and 3 announced, and then released as soon as possible, for the Wii U virtual console

When I transferred data from my Wii to my Wii U, I had to redownload all of my numerous virtual console and WiiWare games. It wasn't too much of a hassle: virtual console games in particular took very little time to redownload. However, probably a week later, I went to play Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, only to find that it wasn't there. I thought maybe I missed it as I went through the list of games to redownload. Regrettably, that was not the case. The Donkey Kong Country games are no longer available on the Wii Shop Channel. Therefore, the games (which I did pay for, Nintendo, thank you very much) are no longer available for me to play.

Releasing the Donkey Kong Country games on the Wii U eShop would allow me to purchase them at a discount ($1.50) and make them playable in GamePad-only mode. It might also just make me want to forgive Nintendo for this grievous error. But the likelihood of that happening dwindles by the day. This will probably be a sore spot in my relationship with Nintendo for the rest of my life. 

Pokemon Battle Trozei - A Miiverse journey

I haven't always played puzzle games, but when I finally delved into the genre (I thank Pushmo and Tetris) I loved it.

I have always played Pokemon games, so it stands to reason that I would enjoy the recently released eShop title Pokemon Battle Trozei for Nintendo 3DS. In the touch-based game, the player must line up 3 or more of the same Pokemon head on the bottom screen to clear them. Matching 4, then 3, of the same head unleashes a "Trozei Chance," during which matching just 2 or more Pokemon heads will suffice, so as the heads above fall down to the playing field, the player can rapidly make matches to pull off major combos that may just lead to clearing the whole Trozei box. The type of Pokemon the player matches first will be the type of attack unleashed on wild Pokemon, and the objective is to catch, or Trozei, the Pokemon in each stage by depleting their health to zero. The wild Pokemon can attack back, however, so the player must also keep an eye on his/her health bar, displayed on the sides of the bottom screen.

As you can see, there is a lot to Pokemon Battle Trozei. And as I've mentioned before, it was very difficult for me to get the hang of it. With time and practice, however, I have come to really enjoy the game. It wasn't an easy road to walk, though:

Initially, I was very discouraged. A C-rank on the first level?!

If I did any better on attempt 2, there would be "NEW!" signs next to my scores.

I finally got a B-rank on level 1! I was still not enjoying the game much, however...

As you can see, the health bar on both sides of the screen is hugely depleted.

I commented on the same Miiverse post. My first A-rank!

The next level...

The tips really did help me a lot!

I finally learned how to apply support Pokemon to a level, but I still had a hard time surpassing my old level 1 record...

Pokemon Battle Trozei is out now on the Nintendo 3DS eShop

On February 13, 2014, Nintendo surprised us with the announcement of a sequel to 2006's DS title Pokemon Trozei. The new game would release for the Nintendo 3DS with the title Pokemon Battle Trozei.

Well, the game has arrived, and you can now download the E-rated title from the Nintendo 3DS eShop for $7.99. I've put a little bit of time into the game, and my thoughts are mixed. I never played the original, so I had a lot to learn about the fast-paced puzzle gameplay when I began. As I mentioned on Miiverse, I'm having a difficult time grasping the gameplay. I played the first stage 3 times over, only achieving a mediocre B-rank (for the first stage, that's probably pretty sorry) by the end.

I'm not an expert on the puzzle genre, by any means, but I do expect games in the genre to be simple to learn (but with depth) and really addictive. Pokemon Battle Trozei has a simple enough concept: use the touch screen to match 3 or more Pokemon heads to attack and capture (or "Trozei") wild Pokemon. However, performing advanced techniques and setting up combos has me at a complete loss. When you clear a line of Pokemon, the rest start falling down to fill in the spaces, and more lines may match up. This is how combos work, but I can't predict them, and they happen so quick, my brain can't keep up with the madness.

So the addictive quality I look for in puzzle games is not apparent in Battle Trozei. However, I do plan on giving the game a few more chances...just in small chunks, maybe once a day, as it's rather maddening to play a video game I can't fully understand.

Are you gnome enough? A review of 2 Fast 4 Gnomz (Nintendo eShop)

Watch the trailer here!

The kingdom of Gnomia needs a hero! A hero who can find a princess and collect as many socks as possible on the way!

Such is the very basic storyline of upcoming Nintendo 3DS download 2 Fast 4 Gnomz, an action platformer from developer QubicGames. Or perhaps a more apt description of the game would be running platformer. For those of you who've played WiiWare title Bit.Trip Runner, 2 Fast 4 Gnomz is very much in the same high-speed vein.

In 2 Fast 4 Gnomz, you'll traverse more than four worlds with several platforming levels apiece. Because our intrepid gnome is in constant motion throughout each level, it's up to you to use a slew of abilities to avoid obstacles. These abilities include jumping, gliding, crushing stuff, and more. An impressive array of environmental elements will put your all of your skills to the test, and when the challenge gets steep, finding the right flow can feel very rewarding.

Speaking of challenge, the game's difficulty curve hits a pretty good balance. Each world introduces you to a new ability, giving you ample opportunity to get a feel for it in the first level or two. By the time you've reached the final level, however, you've been challenged with not only the newest skill, but all of the previous skills as well. Thankfully, frequent checkpoints keep the game from being overly frustrating.

The graphical style of 2 Fast 4 Gnomz is appropriately cartoony, if a bit generic. I was glad of the visual variety amongst the four main worlds, which are based upon the four seasons. It's just unfortunate that they don't add anything gameplay-wise, like ice in the winter levels or piles of leaves in the autumn levels.Though I'm not a huge fan of stereoscopic 3-D in general, the game pulls it off well. Like I mentioned above, the story is minimalistic, but fairly entertaining. The game certainly has a strange charm to it, which I like.

If there's anything I would add to 2 Fast 4 Gnomz, it would be, well, more game! I enjoyed what the game had to offer, but I found myself wanting more. For example, there are no boss battles to speak of. And I had the entire thing beat in less than a few short hours. For $4.99, I would expect a little more bang for my buck. But if you're itching for a reflex-driven, running platformer, 2 Fast 4 Gnomz might be just the game you've been craving. It arrives for North American gamers on November 1st.

Win a free copy of 2 Fast 4 Gnomz before the public release date!

If you like free games, you may just be interested in a sweepstakes hosted by developer QubicGames. Enter for a chance to win an advance copy of the company's running platform game 2 Fast 4 Gnomz, which hits North American eShops on November 1st. Also up for grabs is a special T-shirt for 3 of the 10 winners. The winners will be contacted this Monday, October 29 at 12:00 GMT +1, which is about 7:00 AM Pacific time.

For more details on the contest, including how to enter, click here to go to the official QubicGames website and scroll down to the first post on the home page. Good luck!

Don't forget about Mario Kart 7 tonight!

Once again I thought I would let you all know about the official Mario Kart 7 community for the Nintendo Lifeline:

Community Code: 52-0850-7322-2037

The community is set to 150 cc with mushrooms only. Community nights are Saturdays with two "shifts": one at 7:00 PM US-Eastern and the other at 9:00 PM US-Eastern. See you on the race track! 

How 'bout a Mario Kart 7 community?

I would like to start a Mario Kart 7 community associated with this blog:

Community Code: 52-0850-7322-2037

We'll have community nights on Saturdays with two "shifts". The first will begin at 7:00 PM US-Eastern, and the second at 9:00 PM US-Eastern. Make it to whichever you can, and I'll be there for both. Hope to see you there!

Metroid II: Return of Samus and the way to bring a franchise to the handheld realm

It was many months ago when it occurred to me that the missing link in my Metroid journey could possibly come to the Nintendo 3DS in the form of a virtual console release. The game, of course, is Metroid II: Return of Samus. I would have discussed this one a lot earlier if I had been given the chance. It's not like I could wait for it, so I went from Metroid to Super Metroid.

So here we have Metroid II: Return of Samus, released for GameBoy in 1991 and for Nintendo 3DS virtual console in 2011. Not all game franchises have such a smooth transition to a handheld as this one. And I think Metroid II serves as a great example of how that transition should be made. Simplifying the original so the gameplay remains the highlight, making the objective easy to remember, and maybe adding something the original didn't have to make it worth playing. Metroid II only had one problem: save points were far and few between, and that can be the undoing of a handheld experience. However, the virtual console remedies this problem in one fell swoop.

I look forward to playing some more Metroid in the near future!

Why Pushmo is the eShop title everyone needs: A Review

I'm not a puzzle game aficionado on any scale, but the clever concept that the puzzler Pushmo delivers seems really unique to me. Unique, but simple and surprisingly addictive. It goes like this: the player pushes and pulls sequences of blocks in order to create a pathway to the goal, be that a staircase of some kind or a level platform that extends far enough to reach it. Mix in a pinch of platforming, and Pushmo already has great potential.

Fortunately, that potential is met. Hundreds of puzzles at varying difficulty levels will keep even the most sharp-witted player busy for hours. The ability to actually create and share Pushmo puzzles through the use of QR codes maxes out the game's replay value.

And get this: Pushmo ends up offering up a lot of challenge, so I'm invested in the experience; however, the frustration is somehow left out in the process. In fact, I find the gameplay to be both soothing and stimulating. Can you hear the Hallelujah chorus?!

Like I said, I'm no puzzle game expert, so it's a testament to Pushmo's simplicity, accessibility, and addicting nature that I'm giving it a full recommendation. It belongs to any decent Nintendo 3DS collection.

How Mutant Mudds joins the ranks of great eShop titles: A Review

I'm going to start with a bold statement indeed: Mutant Mudds could not have been accomplished properly on any non-3D platform. There, I said it. It really is wondrous to behold in sweet 3D. You may have already guessed by now that I'm starting this review by going over Mutant Mudds' presentation. As you can hopefully see from the image on this post, Mutant Mudds presents an old-school, pixely graphical style. It just happens to work like a charm, especially with the 3D turned on. The added depth of 3D actually adds to and places even more emphasis on the 2D glory of the thing. In short, these graphics are colorful, appropriate, and not overdone. Lovely!

The gameplay in Mutant Mudds is equally impressive. As I mentioned in my first impressions post, you the player will take control of a young boy with a small set of skills: these are thankfully limited to jumping, hovering for a limited time, and firing what I imagine to be a pretty intense squirt gun in 40 levels of platforming action. This simplicity is reminiscent of video games past, when controllers themselves were limited. It is a refreshing approach in a gaming world in which 10+ button functions need to be memorized in order to play anything.

Level design in Mutant Mudds is pretty stinkin' good, but I think it could have been better. I mentioned above that the 3D effect in this game really lends itself to the 2D graphics, but now I would like to rave over the use of 3D in the levels themselves. Our intrepid hero can utilize special jump pads that actually propel him into different layers of 3D depth. This is undoubtedly the coolest use of 3D I've yet encountered. That's the "pretty stinkin' good" part of Mutant Mudds' level design. What I meant by "could have been better" is that there isn't a lot of variation within the levels. Also, I really lament the lack of checkpoints in the levels as well. Checkpoints would have lessened the pain of dying many, many times over in one level (which began to feel like the blow of a blunt blade after a while) while still keeping the challenge intact.

So it might not be the best game for the easily-frustrated (like me, I regret to say), but Mutant Mudds has earned a place amongst the best the Nintendo eShop has to offer. Are you planning on picking this one up?

Mutant Mudds: First Impressions

A little game called Mutant Mudds is the eShop game of the week. I spent a good portion of the morning playing it, so let's dig into my first impressions!

Mutant Mudds is a seemingly simple platformer that actually offers more depth than meets the eye. I mean that quite literally in at least one way: the levels feature 3 layers of 3-D depth that the player will find himself changing amongst throughout the game. This turns into a brilliant way to show off the Nintendo 3DS system's stereoscopic 3-D. It's a great-looking game.

The gameplay is pretty slick as well. Our character can jump and hover for a few short moments, as well as wield a simple gun to take out the game's primary enemies: mud blobs. The game starts out relatively easy, but soon the difficulty ramps up, providing a very satisfying challenge.

If there's one problem I can already identify in this game, it's a very minor one: sometimes the screen doesn't show enough to prevent the player from getting a cheap hit to the face or taking a few blind jumps once in a while. As far as I can tell, however, this doesn't take much fun away from the game at all. It's just a blast to play.

Expect a full review soon!

Why Mario Kart 7 is my favorite Nintendo 3DS game: A Review

Have you played a Mario Kart game before? Good! Then you already know everything there is to know about Mario Kart 7 gameplay and controls, and you can skip this next paragraph:

I gather you don't know much about Mario Kart 7, because you are now reading this paragraph. Well, here's the idea: the player takes to the race track as one of the many familiar (or unfamiliar) characters from the Mario universe on a kart (hence the title of the game). These aren't ordinary race tracks, however. Based upon locales from the Mario universe, they vary in zaniness about as much as the colorful cast does. With the madness of item use added to the mix, any Mario Kart experience is destined to be quite a fun time.

So what does Mario Kart 7 add to the tried-and-true formula? I'll give you the list from least to greatest: first, there are propellers that allow the karts to take the race underwater. It's a great feeling, but doesn't add a whole ton gameplay-wise. Second, gliders that allow certain periods of flight within races are activated at every blue jump pad. This adds a little bit of strategy and fun. Finally, MK 7 introduces a few online features that are new to the series. These are what I really want to emphasize. You've got your basic online races with players from around the globe. You've got the usual friend-to-friend mode. Then you've got the online communities. Setting up community nights with friends is a snap. Even more fun is the potential for joining racers from larger interest groups like blogs. You may already know that I'm talking specifically about the Infendo Mario Kart 7 community. This makes for virtually endless replay value.

But none of this would matter if Mario Kart 7 didn't play well. And, if you ask me, it plays better than any other racing game or even Mario Kart game out there. Infuriating blue shell encounters aside, this game nails gameplay and control. I simply can't get enough of it. Get a Nintendo 3DS, get connected to the internet, and get this game. 'Nuff said.

Join Infendo's official Mario Kart 7 community!

I realize my readership isn't stinkin' huge, and I don't expect you guys to all have a Nintendo 3DS and a copy of Mario Kart 7. So instead of creating a Mario Kart 7 community for the Nintendo Lifeline, I'm inviting everyone (who can) to join the Infendo community, because it was a little more logical to do it that way:

Community Code: 20-1691-6700-3942

Can't wait to see you there! Oh, and we're having a community night this Saturday, December 17 starting at 7:00 p.m. US-Eastern time. Be sure to find out when that is in your timezone!

Bite size bits from the Nintendo eShop

Game: Pokedex 3D
Price: Free
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Short Review: A must-have for Pokemon fans, especially considering it's free. Contains a surprising amount of info on each Pokemon, such as descriptions, moves, and evolutions. Not all Pokemon are available from the beginning, so it's fun to collect.

Game: Mario Calculator
Price: $1.99
Platform: Nintendo DSiware
Short Review: Most handheld gadgets come with a built-in calculator, but the Nintendo 3DS does not. If calculators are your thing, this may be a worthwhile transaction for you at a slim $1.99. Also, the unit conversion function is an unexpected treat.

Game: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
Price: $5.99
Platform: Virtual Console-GameBoy Color
Short Review: Surprisingly fun for a handheld adventure game. A good buy for any Zelda fan. Not a Zelda fan? You'd be wise to stay away.

Why 3D Classics: Excitebike makes me giddy: A Review

You'll never guess how I found out how to play this game! Go on! Guess!

Okay, okay, I'll just tell you. I found a tattered old manual for the original Excitebike in my basement. I thought it was funny.

Anyway, on with this review! First, let me explain just what "3D Classics" means. 3D Classics: Excitebike is the first in a hopefully lengthy library of old video games given the 3D treatment. The original gameplay and graphics remain intact, but now 3D depth has been added. And for a 27-year-old game, Excitebike holds up pretty well. The original was released for the NES in 1984. It was a side-scrolling racer that put players' reflexes to the test with jumps to land and obstacles to avoid. In order to excel at this game, several techniques should be mastered: landing jumps squarely, doing wheelies over certain obstacles, and using turbo effectively, to name a few.

This complex gameplay lends itself to Excitebike's longevity. Trying to pull everything together in order to get the fastest times is a stimulating challenge. Oh, and the 3D visuals aren't too shabby either. I'm dying to see which classic video game gets the 3D treatment next.

Oh, the possibilities...

Last night I spent some time at a friend's house, watching a movie. Afterward, we decided to relax and watch YouTube videos on the TV screen. I noticed that it was a pain to navigate the on-screen keyboard in order to search for videos. I got my Nintendo 3DS out to fill in the gaps, and that's when it hit me: a strong desire to control what was happening on the TV screen with my 3DS. The typing would be a lot more efficient if I could just use this little touch screen in my hands. Using my 3DS to watch videos in the eShop brought another interesting thought to my attention: "I wish I could show this game trailer to everyone in the room by, I don't know, flicking it onto the TV screen maybe?"

So what if the Wii U controller isn't as revolutionary as the Wii Remote! It's still got enormous potential pertaining to the way we control our entertainment. I feel like the Nintendo 3DS doesn't live up to Nintendo's claim that it would extend beyond video games in terms of entertainment. But with enough online capabilities, Wii U could rise above and become the easiest way to get all your entertainment in one package. Something to think about! Have a great two days!

Two days, too much to cover...but I'll try

Update: Here are the links to a handful of new trailers Nintendo has released at E3:
Paper Mario
Mario Kart
Animal Crossing
Super Mario
Ocarina of Time 3D

I'll get straight to it today: starting with the brand-new eShop for Nintendo 3DS. With this important system update, Nintendo offered 3DS users everywhere two free downloads. The first is 3D Classics: Excite Bike. The original NES title remains untouched except for the addition of 3D depth. And it just so happens that a cool 3D trick comes into play: as the player moves the 3D depth slider, the whole background image shifts along with the depth itself.

The second piece of free Nintendo goodness is the Pokedex 3D. Users will start out with a limited amount of Pokemon data, but more can be obtained through SpotPass and by other means. Pokemon can be viewed in full 3D and can also be placed in the real world through augmented reality. Also included is comprehensive info on each acquired Pokemon: types, stats, and moves are just a few examples of what players can expect.

As if that didn't take up enough space, those little tidbits are nothing compared to the flood of new details revealed from Nintendo's E3 media conference, which took place Tuesday morning. Here goes:

2011 is The Legend of Zelda 25th anniversary. Fans can expect a host of celebratory events to take place throughout the year, starting with the ability to download The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console service. That'll be seven bucks, please! Next, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D will be released on the 19th of this month. Club Nintendo members will be treated to a complimentary copy of the game's official soundtrack for registering their game...offer valid while supplies last, people! The long-awaited Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will finally be released for Wii this holiday season. A special promotion will see fans with super-awesome gold Wii-motes with the Zelda crest on the front.

New trailers are available for the following Nintendo 3DS games: Mario Kart, Super Mario, Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Paper Mario, and more. In fact, 3D versions of said trailers can be downloaded for free on the Nintendo 3DS system. They all look amazing, by the way! The current Nintendo 3DS drought will be remedied by year's end, no doubt about it.

Readers, if you've made it this far, you're in for a treat, because Nintendo has pulled back the veil on their next home console. Rumors that the controller would have a built-in, 6-inch touch screen were, indeed, true (see the image on this post). The official name of the console is (drumroll, please)...Wii U! If Wii was able to capture the non-gamer market, then Wii U will capture the hardcore market. All thanks to a highly versatile controller and HD graphics capabilities. Non-gamer market, worry not: Wii U is backwards compatible with Wii games and accessories. In fact, Wii-motes will continue to be at the forefront of control with Wii U. The intention is that four Wii-motes and one touch screen controller can be used at one time. It's a new system, but incorporates the ol' Wii overtly, yet...subtly. Expect more details to emerge before the system's 2012 release. 

It's all happening in June

Release of eShop
When I first acquired my Nintendo 3DS, I found that it had an internet browser. Curious, I tapped it. All I got was a message that said internet access would be available in a future update. I'm certainly not the only one who was a little disappointed. In fact, one of the greatest qualms critics had about the system was that it seemed incomplete without all the online features that were promised. Well, the wait is over on the evening of June 6, when internet access and a myriad of other features will appear through the most anticipated update to the Nintendo 3DS system yet. The eShop will be a channel through which WiiWare-esque games can be obtained. It will also include a Virtual Console that will make GameBoy and GameBoy Color games available in all their original glory.

E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo)
E3 is easily the biggest event of the year for gaming fans. Nintendo will kick off E3 on the morning of June 7 with a live media presentation, which will be available here. Afterwards, Nintendo fans can look forward to daily updates. These are sure to include new game trailers, first impressions, and special Nintendo presentations. As always, Nintendo is sure to reveal new, highly-exciting details about the games and systems the company has been working on. Project Cafe, anyone?

Game Release: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Hardcore Zelda fans such as myself have already marked June 19 on their Club Nintendo calenders as the day Ocarina of Time 3D is released. This game promises to be more than just a remake with updated graphics and controls, the inclusion of the Master Quest, and a brand-new Boss Challenge mode.

It's a great time to be a Nintendo fan, so don't forget to keep your eyes open. I predict that every last Nintendo fan alive will be cheering about something over the coming month.