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Here Are the Nintendo 3DS’s Biggest Mistakes
It was a great day when the Nintendo 3DS went on sale in Japan on February 26. It was also a great day when it launched in North America the following month. Shame the rest of the 3DS’s timeline hasn’t been so great. It’s been awful. Here is a list of Nintendo’s 3DS blunders (so…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 8, 2011 -
The Man Behind Zelda Has Never Finished the First Zelda
If you’ve ever wondered why recent Zelda games have been a little easier than they used to be, consider the man in charge of the series, Eiji Aonuma. Who has never finished the first Zelda “I’ve never actually finished it,” Aonuma told Game Informer. “I almost feel like there’s still no game more difficult than…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 8, 2011 -
CultureTotal Recall
When Nintendo Wanted to Bring Gambling Into American Homes
In 1988, Nintendo released a modem for its Famicom system in Japan. A crude device, it didn’t allow for online play; just some downloadable stuff and access to basic news and information services. The device was never released in the United States, but it wasn’t for want of trying. Indeed, Nintendo figured at the time…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 8, 2011 -
Nintendo Officially Confirms, Comments on 3DS Circle Pad Add-on
So… about that newly revealed, clunky-looking Nintendo 3DS attachment… thing, Nintendo tells Kotaku “We can confirm that Nintendo plans to release the Circle Pad attachment, but Nintendo’s regional subsidiaries will make further announcements about its availability at a later date.”
By Michael McWhertor Published September 7, 2011 -
What If Super Smash Bros. Had Fatalities? Poor Link Finds Out…
In some bizarre alternate universe, Ed Boon, not Masahiro Sakurai, lead development on Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii, devising the grisliest of hedgehog-on-dinosaur fatalities. Fortunately, that’s not the case. Because I never wanted to see Link die like this. Dorkly explores the “What If…?” scenario of Mortal Kombat style executions in the family…
By Michael McWhertor Published September 7, 2011 -
There’s More To Learn about Nintendo’s Ugly 3DS Add-on
It’s dubbed the “3DS Kakuchou Slide Pad” or “3DS Expansion Slide Pad”. It’s real. And it’s truly an ugly product—the ugliest since the original Nintendo DS. The lackluster looks are a shame because the 3DS is so pretty. There’s more than looks to this, though. The 3DS Expansion Slide Pad is less a simple add-on…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 7, 2011 -
This Isn’t the First Time Nintendo Has Stacked Something on Top of Something Else
The 3DS’s new second thumbstick is, to be blunt, horrific. It’s an ugly, quick fix to a problem that should have been identified during the handheld’s design phase, not six months after. It is, however, not the first time Nintendo has done this. Indeed, you could say if there’s one thing Nintendo does better than…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 7, 2011 -
If Charles Darwin Had Studied Pokémon…
Artist Michael Casteel has reimagined the Pokédex as something you would have found in the tattered diary of a 19th-century British man with a Pith helmet and a magnificent beard. He calls it his “Pokémon Field Guide”, and alongside the hand-drawn illustrations are rough notes detailing the first encounters between the bumbling Professor Baobab and…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 7, 2011 -
Nintendo 3DS Circle Pad Add-on is Real, Here’s Your First Horrifying Look
Wait a second. That crazy insane rumor that the struggling Nintendo 3DS would be getting a second analog slider might actually be true? If you believe early reports from the latest issue of Japanese video game mag Famitsu, well, yeah. According to still unconfirmed reports from the mag, which typically leaks all over the internet…
By Michael McWhertor Published September 6, 2011 -
Dragon Quest X Needs the Internet And Extra Money, Too
Dragon Quest IX was the deal of the century. It had something like seventy hours of single player gameplay, checking off two things that Japanese gamers love: meaty RPGs and playing solo. DQX is a different beast. An official Square Enix FAQ regarding the game noted that while DQX can be played alone, it can…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 6, 2011 -
This Is the Arcade, Totally Re-Invented
In the past decade, retro game bars have popped up across Japan. Part of the appeal is that these water holes have game consoles you can play while getting shitfaced. There are other places where you can game with maids or talk with game voice actors who serve you alcohol. But what about a place…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 6, 2011 -
Some Hate It, Some Love It. Here’s a Look at Dragon Quest X.
Years in development, and here it finally is, Dragon Quest X. It’s an online game. It’s for the Wii and Wii U. This is what it looks like. Dragon Quest VIII was dazzling. For 2004 and 2005, it was truly a beautiful game. DQVIII was a leap forward, it was a fresh take on an…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 5, 2011 -
Mario Veering Around Seattle. What, Is He Drunk?
Some dude named Mike S. decided to take a video showing how a traffic-free Seattle commute looked. And added some Mario Kart You see Mario veer around the freeway, as if he’s had a few too many. Then he drives on a ramp. And then he merges again on the freeway. Mario Kart is kind…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2011 -
CultureTotal Recall
Let’s Go Shopping For Video Games! (In the 1980’s and 1990’s)
Ah, paper catalogues. They still make them, but they’re not what they used to be. What are now glossy prints highlighting only a select few items from a store used to be informational tomes, full of almost everything you could ever want. And we all wanted video games, right? These catalogues, mostly from US retailer…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 2, 2011 -
Watch Your Friends Watching You Beat Them at Starfox 64 3D
Nintendo has uploaded a new trailer video from Starfox 64 3D, which highlights what battle mode will look like in the game. Of course, the video is only in 2D here, but it already looks so damn pretty that I’ll take it. Like so many other Nintendo games before it, Starfox will let you battle…
By Jen Schiller Published September 1, 2011 -
Is This a Clue for New Nintendo Hardware?
Before the Tokyo Game Show, Nintendo is holding a press conference. Previously, it was revealed that 3DS-related event was called the “Nintendo Conference”. That’s not the whole story. The event is actually called “Nintendo 3DS Shinseihin Happyoukai” (ニンテンドー3DS 新製品発表会). “Shinseihin” (新製品) means “new product” or even “new product line”, while “happyoukai” (発表会) is a more…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 1, 2011 -
The 3DS Has a Multiplayer Secret
Yesterday, ten free NES Virtual Console games were dispensed to 3DS owners who had purchased the hardware before the price cut. And it looks like those gamers won’t be playing their VC games alone. Pointed out by Kotaku reader Siegling, it appears you can switch from one player to two player controls, which would appear…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 1, 2011 -
The Five Boroughs of the Mushroom Kingdom
New York isn’t like other cities. It’s confined to a limited space, has clearly-defined areas and a multitude of rich and varied cultures. So saying it’s like a video game world isn’t drawing too long a bow. Neither is drawing the city in the style of Super Mario World, as Jesse Eisemann has done here.…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 1, 2011 -
CultureTotal RecallWhat Makes the Mother Series so Great?
They may not be chart-toppers – indeed, the third game has never even been officially released in the West – but the Mother/Earthbound series of role-playing games are some of the most revered and cherished of all Nintendo games (at least among certain cliques). There’s a very good reason why this is. And it has…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 1, 2011 -
Under No Circumstances Should You Use This Dirty Password on Metroid for Nintendo 3DS
Wait! Before you fire up that 3DS Ambassador copy of NES classic Metroid on your Nintendo 3DS—you know those games are available for download already, right 3DS owners?—do not put in the following password. It’ll crash your 3DS! The password I am referring to, of course, that you should never, ever put into your copy…
By Michael McWhertor Published August 31, 2011