Skyward Sword Replacement Posters!? What gives?

Around the Christmas Season, Club Nintendo offered a three-poster series for the 25th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda (which is now sold out/on back-order if you already ordered one). Two of those posters featured artwork for the newest Zelda, Skyward Sword, while the third featured one of Nintendo's official artworks for the 25th Anniversary. Well this last afternoon I got this email from Nintendo, which said:

Dear Club Nintendo Member,

As you may have noticed, 1 of the posters in the Legend of Zelda 25th
Anniversary Poster Set that we sent to you contained a minor flaw.
On The Legend of Zelda™: Skyward Sword poster, there is a design flaw
on the outline of the loft wing, to the right of the sword.

We apologize for the mistake and will be shipping a replacement poster
to you the first week of February.  You can expect to receive a
confirmation email when the package is shipped.

Again, we apologize for this error and we hope that you enjoy your
new poster.

Thanks again for your membership and loyalty.

Sincerely,

Club Nintendo

At first I said to myself: "There's an error on the poster?" "This can't be right!" "How bad is it?" "I could've sworn the poster looked perfectly..."

"Oh."

I couldn't even see this outline error until I got up close, and after 15 minutes of screwing with my camera's settings, got the shot you see up here. So if you already have the poster, you'll be getting a new one in a couple of weeks. If your posters are still on back-order, I'm guessing they won't ship them with this error. Honestly, it doesn't mean much of a difference for me, because anyone who isn't specifically looking for it would have to climb up on my bed to see it, and even then they might not. I have 20/15 vision and I couldn't notice it until I got close. And hey, I get a free poster, and who knows, this error could be worth money down the road! (honestly, probably gonna be worth $25 in 30 years when the dollar is super-inflated) Anycase, just another incident to cite that shows that Nintendo really cares about their customers, even to the point of nit-pickiness that only two people would ever even make a passing thought of otherwise.

And Now the 3DS News: All-New Mario Sidescroller, Resident Evil: Revelations now $40

Now I can finally finish up all the news for today. At the same investors meeting that announced Nintendo Network and NFC tech in the Wii U tablet controller, Satoru Iwata announced that a new Super Mario 2D sidescroller is being developed for the 3DS that will release in its next fiscal year (which starts this April, and ends in March 2013). Not much else has been revealed, not even a tentative title or logo.

A while back, Capcom announced that Resident Evil: Revelations (or, as its spine art suggests, Revelaitions) would cost $50 at retail, ten whole dollars over the norm for the 3DS. At the time they basically said that it was so awesome it had to cost more. But now they realized that awesomeness (or the real reason, filling up the full four gigabytes of the 3DS cartridge) is no excuse for raising the price. Capcom also suggests that if you pre-ordered the game with the original price to contact the store and ask for your money back.

You no longer have to pay $50 bucks for this (and its typo!)

In all seriousness, I played the demo, and the reviews look like that if you own a 3DS and are old enough/have parental permission, you should get it. The prospect of a new 2D Mario game is also very awesome.

Alrighty then, I finally covered all of today's big Nintendo news. Being in school kinda puts this little blog as a secondary thing, but thank you everyone who reads this blog, I really appreciate it!

More Wii U News: "Final Format" at E3 2012, Tablet Controller has "NFC" Technology

Along with the full announcement of Nintendo Network, we also got some news about both the Wii U and 3DS today. First I'll talk about the Wii U. In the same investor's meeting that announced Nintendo Network, Satoru Iwata said the "final format" of the Wii U would be revealed at this year's E3. This could mean the design of the controller/console, the specs of the console's power, or both. Either way, something new about the Wii U will be revealed this June at the E3 conference.

The other part of news about the Wii U is that its tablet controller will have "Near Field Communication" (NFC) technology. It's a short-range communication protocol for mobile devices. In Japan it has widespread use in smartphones, and in the United States it is becoming prevalent. NFC can be placed on many things, as Iwata also described:

"By installing this functionality, it will become possible to create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via noncontact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world. Adoption of this functionality will enable various other possibilities such as using it as a means of making micropayments."

This would mean no more typing in numbers to get virtual cash for the latest downloadable game, as the prepaid cards would have a NFC chip in them, or you could even have your credit card info saved on your smart phone. All you would need to do with both is just put it close to the Wii U's controller.

Some awesome capabilities have come to this crazy controller

This news is definitely exciting. The idea of NFC cards and figures would definitely mean more games like last year's Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure, and I'm guessing that we will see Pokémon cards with NFC chips in them. But the possibilities of micropayments will definitely set the Wii U apart. There's a little more news today, but I have to go help with my class's taco dinner at a basketball game, so don't expect the 3DS news until 9 pm Pacific at the earliest.

Nintendo Network Comfirmed

And I though yesterday's batch of news was big! Less than an hour since I woke up, and we have gotten several pretty big Revelaitions (yes I spelled that they way I wanted to). First is that we finally know what this whole Nintendo Network thing is about. Is it a re-branding of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection like Nintendo Europe said, or is it about DLC like it has been speculated to be? The answer is both. Along with paid DLC for 3DS and Wii U, Nintendo announced that Wii U can have multiple online accounts on one console, similar to Xbox Live and  PlayStation Network's way of doing things, and a real kicker. The 3DS and Wii U will have the capability to download full retail games, and it sounds like Nintendo can start whenever they please, but they haven't announced when yet. An issue that was brought up in the announcement (which was an investor's meeting) is the capacity of SD cards to hold the games, especially on 3DS, with games like Resident Evil: Revelations taking up four gigabytes (the current 3DS cartridge capacity).

Nintendo Network is shaping up to be a serious contender to Xbox Live and PSN

This is pretty big news, which will bring Nintendo up to par with Microsoft and Sony in terms of online offerings. There's some other big news today, but me having to get to school means that I'll have to make another post this afternoon. I'll get it to you guys a soon as possible!

Wii U News!!!!

I said yesterday I wouldn't obsess over the Wii U's specs since they just aren't confirmed yet, but today brings some solid news about Nintendo's new console. Today Reuters has reported that Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has reconfirmed that the Wii U will release by the end of next year worldwide. He specifically mentioned United States, Europe, Australia, and his homeland of Japan. 

This can be in your own hands before Christmas, or Dec. 21, when we all die (just like when we did in Y2K).

Next, a NeoGAF post that translated a interview by 3DJuegos with Yoshinori Ono (who worked on Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition on 3DS and is currently working on the crossover Street Fighter X Tekken) has revealed that the Wii U we saw at last year's E3 is only a small picture of what it can really do.

"What we saw last E3 is not a reflection of everything this console is able to offer. We have been trying the development kits and some of its new characteristics will improve its possibilities. It isn't something like Kinect or similar accessories, it's something different.

I can't tell you more about it because, if I do, Nintendo will send assassins to finish me! *laughs* But let’s say that Wii U will be a console with so many and unique possibilities that it will be difficult to show them in the box they are going to sell it or to be published by magazines and other mediums."

This is, to put it lightly, very exciting news. We won't be able to know what he knows until next E3 at the earliest, or even not until we get that tablet controller in our selfish paws.

Last for today is a rumor that by the end of the year, we won't be knowing the Wii U as the Wii U. CVG has gotten reports from their sources that Nintendo might re-brand the Wii U into something different, so that mainly people won't get it confused as a new Wii accessory or something. This seemed to be an issue with the 3DS, with many thinking that it was another DS upgrade like the DSi. Other people think the name Wii U is just stupid. I personally think that keeping the Wii name helps with brand recognition, but maybe Wii U should be changed into something like "Wii 2" or "Super Wii" that gets the "new console" idea across. Hmm... maybe "Wii Revolution" sounds better. But, whatever. This is just a rumor, so don't get your hopes up too high.

Could this name go the way of Ultra 64, Dolphin, Nitro, Revolution, and Project Cafe?

Japanese eShop gets Punch-Out!!

Instead of speculating about the Wii U's specs like most others are doing today (because I just don't think it matters until Nintendo flat-out tells us, I mean, all I know or care is that it shares a chip with IBM's Watson, who absolutely destroyed some Jeopardy champions on national television), I'm gonna report on some solid news, which is that Japan will be getting the NES game Punch Out!! (though probably not with Mike Tyson) re-released on the 3DS eShop, though not as a 3D Classic, but as a normal Virtual Console title (like what the 3DS Ambassadors got). This isn't the first NES VC game Japan has got on the 3DS mass-released, but the third (after Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda), though the others have been given to Ambassadors worldwide.

You'll get to re-experience this old classic yet again

Pricing for the title is 500 Yen, which is over $6, but equivalent to the Wii VC pricing, so more than likely it'll be $5 (or, for those who really are picky, $4.99) when it gets released to North America. I've haven't gotten to play any of the Punch Out!! titles, but since it'll be available on the 3DS, I might consider getting it when I got some spare credit on my eShop account.

Rayman Origins on 3DS now on March 20

Here's a little quickie. It seems that Ubisoft has pushed back the release date of Rayman Origins on the 3DS to now be March 20 in North America (March 17 in Europe). That means 3DS owners will have to wait another month to get in on the 2D Rayman action.

You're going to have to wait a month longer for this

More 3DS News: "Nintendo Network" is the same as Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Soulcaliber V on 3DS?

We've got some more 3DS news today for you. First up is My Nintendo News has reported that Nintendo Europe has responded to a reader's email about the "Nintendo Network" that has shown up on the cover of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, specifically its relationship to the existing Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Nintendo Europe's response is as follows:

Thank you for your email.
Nintendo WFC (Wi-Fi Connection) and Nintendo Network are one and the same. This is not to be confused with any other network or connection as our servers are integrated to one another.
We hope this information helps you out.
Kind regards,
The Nintendo Team

It seems like "Nintendo Network" could be a rebranding of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

 So far, games with online capabilities on the 3DS have not been given the Nintendo WFC branding, even Nintendo's own Mario Kart 7. Considering Nintendo's online offerings up to now have been pretty sub-par, a rebranding could be to their benefit to shed the negative image that Nintendo WFC may have brought them. Considering how robust the 3DS's online services have become, and with the Wii U on the way, a new name for their online service is a smart move for Nintendo.

Next is a very interesting rumor. The folks over at Nintendo Life have been told by a "retail insider" that a pre-order listing for a 3DS version of the game Soul Calibur V has appeared on the listings of "a major high street chain".

Could this be a reality?

Keep in mind this is a rumor, though it is very interesting. This would be the first numbered entry of the Soul Calibur series on a Nintendo console since Soul Calibur II for the GameCube (with Link being a guest character for the console), though the Wii got the spinoff Soul Calibur Legends in 2007. I myself just bought a copy of Soul Calibur II for the GameCube recently, and it is a very fun game to play. A Soul Calibur entry for the 3DS can add to its growing library of fighting games, which would be welcome.

3DS News: Rayman Origins release date, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy to get DLC through "Nintendo Network"

A little bit of notable 3DS has come up today. First is the release date for the 3DS version of Rayman Origins. It was released last year for the Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3, but now North American 3DS owners can play it on February 20, and those in Europe get it earlier on the 16th. This is the second Rayman game for the 3DS, after last year's Rayman 3D (really a port of the Dreamcast version of Rayman 2).

Now 3DS owners can get on the Rayman Origins action

Next is the Square Enix title Theatrhythm Final Fantasy getting downloadable-content support. This wouldn't have been significant if its box art hadn't revealed the name "Nintendo Network".

Nintendo has yet to comment on this "Nintendo Network"

Some have speculated that the "Nintendo Network" would be the 3DS's DLC service, similar to the "Nintendo Wi-fi Pay & Play" for Wii. The rhythm-based game will be the first 3DS game with support for DLC when it comes out on Feb. 16, about a month before Fire Emblem for the 3DS comes out, which is Nintendo's first foray into DLC.

It's probably safe to say that this Nintendo Network deal is about DLC, but it itsn't completely confirmed. Like I said in my last post about Nintendo getting into other ways people like to play video games, DLC is definitely a way to do it, and it can elongate the time on which people play a single game.

Sorry for nothing new yesterday, there wasn't any news worth mentioning, and I was kinda busy dealing with that huge storm hitting the Pacific Northwest. It's the most snow I've seen in years, especially in the desert area we live in (yes, the PNW has a desert).

3DS Game Demos Coming to eShop in North America

Nintendo has just recently reported that it will start distributing demos of retail games through the 3DS's eShop. Japan has had this for about a month, and Europe is getting it at the same time. Both Europe and North America will get the demo for Resident Evil: Revelations, which has been highly anticipated, tomorrow (Jan. 19). Europe will also get Cooking Mama 4: Cooking Magic on the same day. North America will get Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games on Jan. 26. Other announced titles for NA are Rayman Origins and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D.

You can get your Resident Evil fix earlier than expected

It's great that the 3DS is getting demos of retail games. It shows that Nintendo is really starting to get what alternative ways people want to game with, and one of those ways is with demos.

New Maximum Nintendo Design!

I decided that the design I first used for Maximum Nintendo wasn't right for me, so I conjured up a new one that I think will do just fine. As for news, there's nothing new related to Nintendo I've seen today, but who knows what will happen in the next few hours. I'll keep you guys posted!

State of Nintendo 2012

Maximum Nintendo would like to present its first special post: State of Nintendo 2012. Here I'll outline what we know we know will happen in the world of Nintendo (focusing mainly on North America), and I shall bring my own unique look at it. Who needs the old and boring State of the Union address, with its confusing speech about politics, when you can have the State of Nintendo, which is way more interesting (and comes out a week earlier!).

If Mario was president, I would expect bans on turtles and increased usage of mushrooms among the public.

2012 brings first the end of one home console, but the birth of another: the Wii has its last year, and the Wii U should be coming out by the end of the year. Notable releases for the Wii include Mario Party 9, PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond, Rhythm Heaven Fever, and the long-awaited North American release of Xenoblade Chronicles. These releases range from February to April, which doesn't give much for the rest of the year. Considering the release of Xenoblade of North America, which has been petitioned for by Operation Rainfall, a campaign for the North American releases of the Wii JRPGs The Last Story, Pandora's Tower, and of course Xenoblade Chronicles. Considering these circumstances, many (including myself) believe Nintendo of America is going to release the Operation Rainfall games in 2012 to have something new on the shelves and to give the Wii a good send-off. Xenoblade Chronicles is only going to be available at Gamestop and EB Games, as well as Nintendo's online store. Nintendo's console transition years usually have been pretty weak, but this lineup of games will keep you busy.

A classmate told me, "The Wii is dying". I said, "Yes, but Nintendo is sure gave it a hell of a send-off." (Was referring  to Skyward Sword)

Next on the chopping block is the 3DS. It will start its second year in March, but not before high-profile releases like Resident Evil Revelations, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, and Kid Icarus: Uprising (with its 3DS stand) hit stores. The Circle Pad Pro will also come out in North America, with all three of the aforementioned titles supporting it (Kid Icarus uses it only for left-handed players, though). Other titles set for a 2012 launch include Tekken 3D Prime Edition, the first time the Tekken series has been on a Nintendo console since the Game Boy Advance, Crush 3D, a remake of the PSP platformer by Sega, and Luigi's Mansion 2, the sequel to the GameCube launch title. Games that aren't quite confirmed for 2012, but are rumored to be, are games like Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, and the new entries in the Animal Crossing and Paper Mario series. Internet-based services on the 3DS, like the eShop and Nintendo Video, are starting to gain momentum. The 3DS has beaten its predecessor's first year sales record, even with competition from smartphones. With games like those  mentioned above (especially with all the 3rd Party support), I think the 3DS will sell big numbers for the next few years, especially after they release a full-fledged Pokémon installment. 

I was a day-one adopter of the 3DS, and I still like to see the look on people's faces when I show them the 3D.

Next is the Wii U. The interesting thing is, which is uncharacteristic for Nintendo, very few 1st party games have been announced for it. The biggest games are Batman: Arkham City, Darksiders II, Pikmin 3, Ninja Gaiden III, Tekken, Ghost Recon Online, and a new Super Smash Bros. that will interact with a 3DS version. The main draws for the Wii U is its superior capabilities (Nintendo claims it to have 50% more power than the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) and its curious tablet-like controller. It is basically a 6-inch tablet with the buttons from a Classic Controller on it, and it can either replace the television or act as a second screen. Currently, it has slide pads like the 3DS instead of actual analog sticks. But all the previous Wii controllers and their respective accessories are compatible (and from the tech demos shown, will be required in some games). This backwards compatibility will be a great selling point because of the masses of Wii owners, and will be able to effectively compete against the Xbox Kinect and PlayStation Move. My only complaint is the slide pads. The slide pad on the 3DS is fine since it's a portable system that closes, but the Wii U controller can use actual analog sticks with no problem (look at the PlayStation Vita). Otherwise I think the Wii U will be successful.

4 player games? Screw that. How about 5 player?

Finally is the DS. Since the 3DS has proven itself as a powerhouse, the regular DS is pretty much done. The only thing worthwhile in 2012 is Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 and maybe the release of some later Japanese titles like Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth 2, which isn't confirmed. Not much else is happening with the old-school DS, so I would recommend upgrading to the 3DS as soon as you can if you haven't already.

The DS did what the PSP wanted to do: kill the Game Boy (it did). Oh, and sell astronomical numbers.

2012 is looking like a good year for Nintendo fans. The Zelda Symphony concert tour is underway, and Nintendo has some big lineups for its new consoles.Who knows what kind of things Nintendo and 3rd Party publishers will announce? All I can say is that I really look forward to it!

Kid Icarus: Uprising Comes with 3DS Stand.

Following shortly after the news of Kid Icarus: Uprising having Circle Pad Pro support (only for lefties, though) Masahiro Sakurai has put up pictures on his Twitter account of a stand for the 3DS that will come with Uprising.

Apparently playing Uprising has been uncomfortable for some people

If playing Kid Icarus is that uncomfortable that Nintendo needs to release a stand for it, Sakurai probably should reconsider how the controls work. Games shouldn't be uncomfortable to play.

New Games Available as Rewards at Club Nintendo

At the end of last year, Club Nintendo offered downloadable games for the 3DS and Wii as rewards, and now they have a second batch. Here are the games:

Wii

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (150 Coins)

Dr. Mario Online (100 Coins)

3DS

Kirby's Dream Land (100 Coins)

Dr. Mario Express (150 Coins)

These are some great games, so if you have some extra coins to spend, what better prize than a game? Now finally I can end my shame of never playing Majora's Mask... after I get Skyward Sword done.

Lefties Rejoice! Kid Icarus: Uprising gets the Circle Pad Pro

According to Official Nintendo Magazine, Kid Icarus: Uprising is getting Circle Pad Pro support, but only for use by left-handed players. Masahiro Sakurai has said that "The way we are using the Circle Pad Pro in the game is to provide support for left-handed gamers," and elaborated, "We've made it possible to use the right Circle Pad in place of the left one."

Kid Icarus: Uprising is the first Nintendo-made game to support the Circle Pad Pro

While most of us (including me) would have liked using the second circle pad for camera control, Sakurai says that he "didn't know the specs of the Circle Pad Pro, or what it looked like, until Monster Hunter 3G was announced, so we weren't able to do anything big with it in the time we had. Even if we had known about it from the start, I don't know whether we would have used both Circle Pads in that way." He said that he likes having the touch controls over the dual-analog setup, saying using both Circle Pads "would end up being just the same as controls on other platforms." 


Considering that Uprising uses a single-button setup, I guess using the touch screen only for aiming is an alright choice. But in the age of dual-analog games, I think at least having the option for either control scheme would be appreciated by many gamers. Games like Resident Evil Revelations and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D are going to use the now-standard setup, but at this point I think Uprising doesn't need anymore delays.

Zelda Facebook Contest/Photo Mosaic

I guess there was some news today after all! Nintendo has a Facebook contest where people give their "pledge" to the Legend of Zelda. You are then given the option to upload a picture of yourself for a mosaic that will be displayed at the Nintendo World Store in New York City, but everybody will get a chance to win "a life-size replica of Link's sword and shield", which I'm assuming is going to be the Master Sword and Hylian Shield. The contest ends either when they get 25,000 pledges or April 1, whichever comes first. I would recommend to get your pledge in as soon as possible! 

Hopefully if you win this isn't the way Nintendo plans to deliver your prize

My School Report on Nintendo

Since nothing really notable has come up about Nintendo today, I think I'm gonna post a report I did for Nintendo for my English class, which is due Friday. It's in the MLA (Modern Language Association) format, so there's citations and stuff.

Here's the link. I would appreciate feedback for it. Later I think I might start writing up something cool and interesting just for the blog.

3DS Breaks All-Time Japanese Sales Record

The 3DS has sold more units in December than any console has in a month in Japan since Enterbrain started tracking sales in 1997. It sold an absolutely enormous 1,492,931 units from November 28 to December 25. Also notable is that the 3DS has been in first place in the Japanese market since the price drop in August.

This is interesting news. Back in March most people were saying the 3DS couldn't make it or was doomed to mediocre sales. Now it's broken sales records. I think one of the reasons for this is Monster Hunter 3G. Monster Hunter put the PSP in the top spot in Japan last generation, and those were only spinoffs. Not only did the 3DS get a port of a numbered entry in the series, it's gonna get Monster Hunter 4. This will ensure sales in its homeland, for sure.

1st Post

Hey there, Nintendo fans! The name's MetaMoss, but you can call me Meta. This here blog is Maximum Nintendo, where you can find news, reviews, and exclusive commentary by yours truly on everything Nintendo! Feel free to give feedback and constructive criticism (as in, tell me why you don't like something instead of just, "this sucks") at any time.

Here's a picture of Link's weird expression when he talks to Zelda around the middle of Skyward Sword (I'm gonna use it as a test picture):

It's kinda creepy, especially when he blinks

Anyways, I hope to start regular updates tomorrow. Don't expect to see anything until around 6 pm Pacific time, though.