Nintendo's Upcoming Wii U Console Features Controller With 6.2-Inch Screen
Posted on June 7, 2011 @ 8:10 PM EDT by: Hairball
At the E3 Expo, Nintendo introduced a new paradigm for video games and home entertainment: Wii U™, a new console that includes a controller with a 6.2-inch screen. Adding a second screen to the living room creates a multitude of new video game experiences while offering families a variety of options to customize their entertainment.
Previously, video games played on a home console have been confined to the TV and offered identical viewpoints to each player in a multiplayer environment. Furthermore, watching TV and playing console games have been completely separate experiences. The new controller removes these boundaries, creating a more dynamic and fluid gaming and entertainment experience. Visitors to the E3 Expo will see firsthand the type of gaming experiences made possible by Wii U and the new controller such as:
In single-player games:
The new controller can display information on its screen that does not appear on the TV.
The information and viewpoint can also change in the new controller based on the orientation of its gyroscope.
In multiplayer games:
The player using the new controller can have a different experience than those looking at the TV. This will offer a wide variety of competitive and cooperative opportunities.
In addition to the 6.2-inch screen, the new controller also features an accelerometer and a gyroscope, a rumble feature, an inward-facing camera, a microphone and speakers. Adding these features to the Classic Controller™ button scheme – two analog Circle Pads, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons – will enable a breadth of game-play experiences while appealing to both casual and dedicated video game players.
Wii U combines motion-sensing game play with the ability to support full HD graphics. Each Wii U console will be partnered with a new controller and can also use up to four additional Wii Remote™ or Wii Remote Plus controllers. The system is also backward compatible and can play all Wii games and use all Wii accessories. The Wii console has sold more than 86 million units globally and greatly expanded the overall audience for video games. Wii U aims to expand that audience even further. Developers worldwide are already working on new games and experiences for the console.
"Wii U redefines the structure of home entertainment by fundamentally changing how the TV, the game console and the Internet function and interact together," said Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. "The experience enabled by Wii U and the new controller takes players deeper into their games, while reaching out wider than ever before to be inviting to all kinds of gamers."
Nintendo 3DS™, which lets users see 3D images without the need for special glasses, launched in the United States on March 27 and continues to evolve. Owners will find that their Nintendo 3DS experience is different every time they pick up the system, thanks to new content and updates delivered by Nintendo, by third parties and exchanged between users.
A new system update is now available for the Nintendo 3DS system. Users who connect to a wireless broadband Internet connection and install the system update will instantly gain access to the Nintendo eShop, which contains a variety of games and applications for download using a cash-based system.
Users can browse original 3D software, 3D Classics (select classic video games re-mastered in 3D), classic Game Boy™ and Game Boy Color games, and more than 350 games and applications currently offered for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service. Visitors can also see videos and screen shots for games, plus see how other players rank games.
The system update also provides Nintendo 3DS owners access to free items, including an Internet browser that can show 3D images on sites specifically designed to show 3D images, a download of a re-mastered 3D version of the NES™ classic Excitebike™ game (free until July 7) and Pokédex™ 3D, which lets users discover and view more than 150 Pokémon™ from the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version games in visually engaging 3D.
Nintendo also announced a huge lineup of upcoming new and fan-favorite franchise games, many of which are playable on the E3 Expo show floor in booth 4922.
Nintendo 3DS: Super Mario™, Luigi's Mansion™ 2, Mario Kart™, Kid Icarus™: Uprising, The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, Star Fox 64™ 3D, Animal Crossing™, Paper Mario™, Picture Lives!, and The Rolling Western™.
Wii: The Legend of Zelda™: Skyward Sword, Kirby™ Wii, Wii Play™: Motion, Mystery Case Files™: The Malgrave Incident™, Mario Party™ 9, Rhythm Heaven™ and Fortune Street™.
Nintendo DS™: Kirby™ Mass Attack, Professor Layton and the Last Specter™, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker™ 2 and Super Fossil Fighters™.
Nintendo kicked off its E3 Expo Presentation by announcing a number of initiatives to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. A re-mastered 3D version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches for Nintendo 3DS on June 19, while Wii owners will see the arrival of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in the 2011 holiday season. Additionally, Nintendo announced a tour of orchestral concerts featuring music from the beloved franchise. Additional commemorative activities will be announced at a later date.
For the duration of the E3 Expo, Nintendo will provide fans with exclusive videos and Nintendo content on the Nintendo Network. People can visit http://e3.nintendo.com to watch developer interviews, get all the information about new games and see coverage coming directly from the show floor. The same exclusive content also will be streamed through the Nintendo® Channel to Wii owners who have a broadband Internet connection.
For more information about Nintendo, visit http://www.nintendo.com or http://www.facebook.com/nintendo.
Nintendo 3DS Changes the Way You View Portable Entertainment
Posted on March 21, 2011 @ 12:00 AM EDT by: Hairball
Nintendo introduces portable entertainment in 3D – without the need for special glasses. The Nintendo 3DS™ system goes on sale in the United States on March 27 at a suggested retail price of $249.99. It comes with a collection of pre-installed games and fun features, with more on the way.
"Nintendo 3DS can play 3D video games and take 3D pictures, but that's just the tip of the iceberg," said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "The 3D display is amazing in its own right, but just as compelling are the new forms of game play it delivers, and the groundbreaking ways it will connect players to new content … and each other."
To celebrate the arrival of the system, Nintendo is holding a midnight launch event starting at 9 p.m. Eastern time on March 26 at the Best Buy store in Union Square in New York City. The event will feature hands-on Nintendo 3DS demos with food, music and giveaways (while supplies last), all leading up to a countdown to midnight, when the Nintendo 3DS system goes on sale. For those who can't make it to New York, additional midnight launch events will be held at several Best Buy stores throughout the country. Fans can visit http://www.bestbuy.com/3DS for more information. Nintendo is also installing more than 6,000 kiosks at retailers across the country over the next couple of months to let people demo the new Nintendo 3DS system.
Nintendo 3DS has 18 games available on launch day, with more than 30 total available by early June. Nintendo-published games available March 27 include:
Pilotwings Resort™, a high-flying aerial adventure that lets you soar over a tropical island in a plane, on a hang glider or with a rocket belt. You can take on more than 30 challenging missions, or go sightseeing and snap pictures in the game.
nintendogs™ + cats, which lets you train and interact with your very own puppy and kitten. They react to your voice and will even welcome you with a lick of the face as you lean in. There are three different versions of the software, each featuring a different starting breed: Toy Poodle, Golden Retriever or French Bulldog. In each version, players can eventually unlock all 27 different breeds to enjoy.
Steel Diver™, an action-packed and immersive 3D submarine combat adventure. Take command of your sub to control its speed, depth and pitch, and use both the touch-screen and motion-sensitive controls to navigate through lush undersea environments and fire torpedoes at enemy ships and obstacles.
Nintendo's third-party publishing partners are rolling out their biggest names for launch day. Games ready for March 27 include Super Street Fighter® IV 3D Edition from CAPCOM, The Sims™ 3 from EA, Madden NFL Football from EA SPORTS, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D from Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., LEGO® Star Wars® III: The Clone Wars™ from LucasArts™, RIDGE RACER® 3D from NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., Super Monkey Ball™ 3D from SEGA, BUST-A-MOVE UNIVERSE™ from Square-Enix, Inc., SAMURAI WARRIORS®: Chronicles from TECMO KOEI AMERICA Corp., plus Asphalt™ 3D, Combat of Giants™: Dinosaurs 3D, Rayman® 3D and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon® Shadow Wars from UBISOFT.
Meanwhile, Nintendo is working on Nintendo 3DS games from its top franchises, including The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, Star Fox™ 64 3D, Kid Icarus™: Uprising and new installments in the Super Mario™, Mario Kart™, Animal Crossing™ and Paper Mario™ series. The system is also ready to play nearly every single Nintendo DS™ game with its original 2D graphics. Nintendo DS games that required the use of the Game Boy™ Advance slot are not compatible with the Nintendo 3DS system.
Nintendo 3DS features two screens. The top screen displays 3D images without the need for special glasses. The bottom screen is touch-sensitive. It also has three cameras. One inner camera points at you, while two exterior cameras let you take pictures of your friends and family in 3D or 2D. It weighs approximately 8 ounces and is available in Cosmo Black or Aqua Blue.
Built-in games and applications include Mii Maker™, which uses facial recognition technology to create a Mii™ character that looks just like you; Face Raiders™, which requires you to shoot at comical depictions of your own face as well as others around you; AR Games™, which superimpose graphics and animations on the real world using the included AR Cards; and Nintendo 3DS Sound, which lets you listen to MP3 or AAC music files, or make your own recordings and play with them using fun filters. The StreetPass™ feature lets some of your games and applications wirelessly swap small bits of game data as you pass other Nintendo 3DS users throughout the day, if you choose. SpotPass™, on the other hand, lets the Nintendo 3DS system detect wireless hotspots or wireless LAN access points and allows users to obtain information and game data when the system is in Sleep Mode. Free software and videos will also become available with future system updates.
Soon Nintendo will roll out a series of additional features for Nintendo 3DS, including an Internet browser, an online store called Nintendo eShop, the ability to access 3D Hollywood movie trailers, automatic and free access to more than 10,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots nationwide and the ability to stream Netflix movies (Netflix unlimited membership required).
For a comprehensive look at all the hardware specs and features of Nintendo 3DS, visit http://press.nintendo.com/nintendo3ds.
Remember that the Nintendo 3DS system features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo3ds.com.
Source: Nintendo Press Release
Super Mario Galaxy 2 Offers More Fun than One Planet Can Handle
Posted on May 25, 2010 @ 1:41 PM EDT by: Hairball
One of the most beloved video game characters on Earth is ready to embark on a spectacular new mission. Available exclusively for Nintendo's top-selling console, the game Super Mario Galaxy™ 2 sends players on a remarkable interstellar adventure designed to please fans and series newcomers alike.
Like the original Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2 lets players take control of Mario™ as he travels to a host of imaginative planets, collecting Power Stars and striving to rescue Princess Peach™ from the malevolent Bowser™. This new installment enhances the action with an array of new power-ups, gravity-defying levels and inventive game options. For the first time in this series, players can hop on the back of Mario's pal Yoshi™, who aids him on his quest in select stages. Also, players now can choose to play as Mario or later in the game in select stages as his brother, Luigi™.
"Super Mario Galaxy 2 brings so many fun new elements to the franchise," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Our developers have created entire new worlds filled with great characters, inventive power-ups and that distinctive Mario charm."
New power-ups in Super Mario Galaxy 2 include Cloud Mario and Rock Mario, which enable Mario to create temporary cloud platforms or smash through obstacles as a boulder. With the Spin Drill, he can tunnel from one side of a planet to another. Items such as the new Dash Pepper and Blimp Fruit give Yoshi the power to move around in unusual ways, like running up vertical walls or floating to new heights. Yoshi can also use his tongue to grab enemies and items, or to swing across dangerous chasms. In addition to Power Stars, players can collect Comet Medals that unlock even more challenging levels.
For friends who enjoy gaming together and have an additional Wii Remote™ controller, Super Mario Galaxy 2 offers the Co-Star mode that was introduced in the original Super Mario Galaxy, but with even more ways to interact. This mode allows two players to team up and cooperate as they zoom from planet to planet, where the second player controls a Luma that can defeat enemies, grab coins and pick up Starbits. Super Mario Galaxy 2 also features in-game guides that illustrate how to perform certain moves and clear tricky levels, lending players of any experience level a helping hand as they progress through the game.
For more information about Super Mario Galaxy 2, visit www.supermariogalaxy.com.
Source: Nintendo Press Release
Nintendo Brings Multiplayer Excitement to the Mushroom Kingdom with New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Posted on November 19, 2009 @ 11:36 PM EST by: Hairball
From fans who grew up playing the NES™ console to gamers with a passion for the Wii™ console, generations of Americans have enjoyed the imaginative fun of Nintendo's Super Mario Bros.™ video game series. Now the launch of New Super Mario Bros. Wii heralds the first time in the history of the series that up to four players can compete at the same time, either cooperatively or competitively.
Packed with beloved characters and remarkable new features, New Super Mario Bros. Wii takes the classic side-scrolling adventure of the Super Mario Bros. series and gives it a manic multiplayer boost. Featuring free-form multiplayer action, players can save their companions from danger or literally toss them right into it. While controlling Mario™, Luigi™ or one of two playable Toad™ characters, players can jump in and join a friend's Story Mode game at the start of any level. The game also features two dedicated multiplayer modes, Coin Battle mode and Free For All mode, that let players easily select their favorite stages and compete across a variety of objectives. Each copy of New Super Mario Bros. Wii comes in a red case with a foil-stamped cover.
Among the new features in New Super Mario Bros. Wii is Mario's ability to transform into Penguin Mario, which allows him to toss snowballs and slide on his belly at breakneck speed. Players also can hop onto a Yoshi™ character and use his tongue to eat enemies, items and fireballs. The game also makes use of the Wii console's unique motion controls, allowing players to tilt the Wii Remote™ controller to control seesaw platforms or shake it to send Mario skyward in his new Propeller Suit.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii introduces a new feature called Super Guide that offers players optional game-play tips if they are having trouble getting past particular parts of the game. Super Guide lets players watch as a computer-controlled Luigi character makes his way through any stage that the player finds difficult. At any time in the video, the player can take control of Luigi and complete the stage at his or her own pace.
"As the holiday season draws near, it feels especially appropriate to offer consumers a new Mario adventure that they can enjoy together with family and friends, for the first time in the series' illustrious history," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "New Super Mario Bros. Wii has something special for everyone, and lets players of all abilities explore the imaginative world of the Mushroom Kingdom like never before."
Since the series' debut in North America on the NES in 1986, more than 222 million Super Mario Bros. games have been sold worldwide. Mario remains one of the most recognizable characters in the entertainment world, and stands as a symbol of fun worldwide.
Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.
For more information about New Super Mario Bros. Wii, visit www.mariobroswii.com.
Source: Nintendo Press Release
Wii at $199.99 Beginning Sept. 27
Posted on September 23, 2009 @ 10:38 PM EDT by: Hairball
Beginning Sunday, Sept. 27, the world's most popular home video game system gets even more appealing. On that day, Nintendo's suggested retail price for its record-setting Wii™ drops by $50 to $199.99. The new $199.99 Wii price point delivers the full iconic Wii gaming experience, including the motion-sensing Wii Remote™ controller, Nunchuk™ controller and Wii Sports™ software, and furthers Nintendo's mission to expand the gaming universe by making video games accessible to more and more consumers.
Wii ownership also opens an avenue for players to the industry's most diverse and unique collection of home console games. Key upcoming releases include Wii Fit™ Plus, launching on Oct. 4, and the first truly multiplayer Mario™ title ever, New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii.
Both new and veteran players in America can jump into this new Mario action when it arrives on Nov. 15.
And beginning Oct. 2, consumers in select cities will have a new, convenient way to decide which Nintendo adventure to tackle next. On that day, a novel series of sampling events called "World of Nintendo" kicks off in Long Beach, Calif.
"Wii has reached more video game players than any game system before because it attracts everyone—both men and women, and people of all ages," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Our research shows there are 50 million Americans thinking about becoming gamers, and this more affordable price point and our vast array of new software mean many of them can now make the leap and find experiences that appeal to them, whatever their tastes or level of gaming experience."
The inherent social nature of Wii is fully demonstrated in a groundbreaking way with New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the first Mario game ever to allow four players to take part in the action at the same time. That same dynamic is propelling the enthusiastic response for Wii Sports Resort™, while the release of Wii Fit Plus includes everything you love about Wii Fit™, along with new multiplayer elements and the ability to customize workouts to fit individual needs.
See below for full details on the World of Nintendo events that are scheduled to take place in Long Beach, Philadelphia and New York throughout the month of October.
Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.
For more information about New Super Mario Bros. Wii, visit www.MarioBrosWii.com.
Source: Nintendo