Wii U site chat happening now!

Got a Wii U and want to talk about your experience with it? Come in to the chat and lets chat?

Bry Sharland's NP Tribute

Artist Bry Sharland sent this piece of artwork to me the other day.  He is hoping to spread it around the internet as a means of honoring Nintendo Power before it closes up shop, and maybe even get his image published in one of the final issues.

Below you'll find a link to the full image along with Bry's heartfelt message to NP.  If you like Bry's work, share it with your friends, won't you?

"To The Honorable Staff of Nintendo Power,

I write this letter to you with a deep melancholy. I refused to believe the rumors that you were closing down. Then, cold confirmation that you wouldn’t be there for me after December. Anger took me, and tears fell whenever I remembered a crucial fact. The fact that you and your magazine have meant so much to me throughout my whole life. I was four when the first issue came out, and I had just played Zelda II for the first time. Though I could barely read, the bright pictures and maps in your magazine helped me make it through the mazes of Death Mountain and the mysteries of the secret town of Kasuto. I wanted to reach out; to help. Hold a subscription drive, write letters to NCL, get the help of Operation Rainfall and Starmen.net. I wanted to do something for you after all you’ve done for me.

The most exciting piece of mail I’ve received every month, to this day, has always been Nintendo Power. It brings me so much joy to see what’s on the cover and what’s getting reviewed. I should say it brings me that joy twice a month, as I’m always excited for taking the power polls, too. My friends and I still pull out old issues for help with retro games (of which I am a huge collector), like when we played through Young Merlin for laughs on my beloved Super Nintendo. I’m only missing a few issues in the entire run of the magazine.

In all the tough parts of my life, Nintendo, and Nintendo Power, were always there for me. When I didn’t think I could make it in 6th grade, and thought about ending it all, NP saved me with news of Super Mario 64 and Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. When my Dad said he was getting remarried and my life fell into despair, NP was there with previews of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and hope for the future. And as an adult, after wanting to give up after getting laid off multiple times as an art teacher, NP made me feel like a kid again with news of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Though sure, I check Nintendo blogs obsessively, you hold a special place in my heart. I don’t want endless bright screens of every little piece of news when I can have a beautiful printed magazine to pore over. Even when news and screenshots from Nintendo Power are posted online, I always to refuse to read those articles until I’ve received my issue and can read it myself, straight from the source. Honestly, I’m terribly depressed about a world without you. I proudly wear my Nintendo Power Player shirt (a replica, as my original fell apart from years of wear and tear.)

I’m including a painting I started working on in August as soon as I found out the news about the magazine ending. I poured my heart and soul into it. It’s the expression of all the feelings I’ve had, tempered with the sadness of losing you this December. It was really hard getting it done on time, as I work two jobs and often don’t have the time or energy after work. I pray that you will print it, and this letter, in one of your final issues. None of my letters as a kid made it into the magazine, but you were always kind enough to write back to me either way. Thank you for that. Thank you for everything.

Much love,

Bry Sharland"

Nintendo Direct Tomorrow

“Tune in to Nintendo.com tomorrow at 7AM PT for a new Nintendo Direct! We’ll be taking an in-depth look at several announced Nintendo 3DS games coming this holiday season, and there might even be a sneak peek at a few 2013 titles!”

Looks like there might be some interesting content discussed on a Nintendo Direct tomorrow.  Will you be tuning in?  Feel free to stop by the site's Chat if you're available!

 

Pure Nintendo Kickstarter

There is 5 days left in the kickstarter found here

As many know Nintendo Power is ending at the end of the year and there is a kickstarter found above.

Here is the levels for the kickstarter at this point in time.

$10 That will get you a P-wing logo sticker.
$20 That will get you a full year (6 issues) of Pure Nintendo Magazine.
$30 This is limited to 10 backers. 7 are taken so far. 3 are left.That will give you the $40 reward tier which is a full year for them and one of their friends.
$40 This will give you and a friend a full year of Pure Nintendo Magazine.
$50 You will get a shout out in the magazine a full year of the magazine and a Pure Nintendo polo.
$100 Limited to 50. 44 remaining. You get both a Pure Nintendo Hoodie and a Pure Nintendo T-Shirt along with a full year of Pure Nintendo Magazine.
$200 Limited to 50. 49 remaining. A Pure Nintendo hoodie and a Pure Nintendo polo and a full year of Pure Nintendo Magazine.
$300 Giving this amount you get a P-wing sticker,hoodie,polo,T-shirt, and a full year of Pure Nintendo Magazine.
$350 Finally for this amount you get a full page ad, a hoodie, and all the items from the $20 and $50 levels.

By the looks of things by their updates and posts this is having the backing of  Nintendo. They will be working with Nintendo closely to get exclusive content found no where else.They will also focus just as much as NP did on third party content maybe even more for the 3DS and WiiU. Also they mentioned that it will be different from their online site as far as content goes so.

At this point in time there is $11,251 of 20,000 of the goal met. So spread it around and donate if you can. Once again the link to the kickstarter can be found here. here

Japan Nintendo Direct for Animal Crossing 3DS.

Here is the details from the Nintendo Direct about Animal Crossing 3DS

Some characters might set up a tent and camp outside much like the first Animal Crossing game. These have been missing from the more recent AC games.

 Visit the recycle shop for various materials. This also has been missing since the first game.

 Help out your in-game friends with purchasing decisions. This is new.

Use your office (as mayor) to make decisions on putting things in town - you pick a location for construction to begin on the items you plan on adding - megaphone is a new item which lets you gather people -All of these are new and a great addition and I think most people have been wanting to run the town.

 Shoe store offers up boots/shoes for sale. This is new. Only thing that we could do with shoes was in City Folk and that was change the color of it in the city.

 Museum store allows you to make custom-made signs. This is new.It offers some changes to your accessories.

 Tom Nook can help you make design changes to your house. I am sirmising that you can change the overall look of it.

Capture and sell your own critters.That is old.

 Dr. Shrunk returns at the club - you can now have many more emotions. 20 in total. all of them will be saved.

Design/sell your own items, which can eventually change during the process - much larger selection of colors this time around when designing. The selling you items is new. And the much large palete of colors is welcome.

 View the homes of people you StreetPass. I believe you could see certain peoples houses if they got a really good HRA score in the city in City Folk but this is automatic.  Trade items with StreetPass as well - take picture via photobooth,bottom screen displays the picture you'll take.

Visit a massage parlor that helps to relax you and put you into a dream stage - ability to explore the town of someone else - early morning music is calm, dawn the music is more upbeat, afternoon is more pleasant-sounding music, nighttime the music has more base, late night music gets mysterious. This is basically the online mode I believe.

 KK Slider takes on the role of a DJ at the club, as well as his regular guitar gig.Expect a much greater number of KK songs this time around - explore a town alongside other people.

Travel via boat to an island and enjoy a song at the same time - grab items from the bottom of the sea - collect rare bugs as well - mini-games and various stores when you visit the island by boat - Tortimer is the host of mini-games and wears a tropical shirt - one mini-game has you trying to navigate a maze to collect a certain item.

Animal Crossing 3DS Bundle for Japan 11/8/ 2012.

Nintendo Direct Europe 10-4-2012.

There was a Europe Nintendo Direct the other day that covered these games.

Nintendo and collaborations
Paper Mario:Sticker Star.
Luigi's Mansion 2.
Fire Emblem 3DS.
Pokemon Black and White 2.
Pokemon Dream Radar.
Pokedex 3D Pro.
New Art Academy.
New Super Mario Bros 2.
New Style Boutique.
Fallblox.
Hana Samurai:Art of the Sword.
 Hydroventure:Spin Cycle.
Nano Assault EX.
TheDenpamen They Came by Wave.
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask.
Liberation Maiden
Aero Porter
Crimsonshroud

3rd party games
Devil Survivor Overclocked.
Virtues Last Reward.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Skylander Giants
Angry Birds Trilogy
Moshi Monsters Moshlings Theme Park
Roller Coaster Tycoon 3D
Fifa 13
PES 2013
Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed
Lego Lord of the Rings
Disney Epic Mickey Power of Illusion
Rabbids Rumble
Spy Hunter

Here is the video to the Europe Nintendo Direct from last night.

Japan Nintendo Direct for Animal Crossing 3DS

This Friday there will be a Nintendo Direct in Japan for Animal Crossing 3DS. For us over here in the US that will be at 7am EST/4am PST I will likely be up like I am now for it and in the chat. I am more of a night owl then a early riser. We shall see if there is a NA or Europe event announced for this announced soon or not.

Japan Animal Crossing 3DS Nintendo Direct

North American Nintendo Direct will be at 7:30am PST/10:30 am EST

Most likely will be shown is what was talked about at the Nintendo Direct Japan from a few days ago which was the New Super Mario Bros 2 DLC level packs.

I will be in the chat in the morning and see if I can find the livestream for it in the meantime and update this post with that link when I find it.

Most likely there isn't going to be a stream but Nintendo UK just uploaded this video.

 

Here is what happened at the NA Nintendo Direct.

 

Nintendo Direct tonight!

Just found about this. At 8pm PST there will be an Nintendo Direct. That one will be for the Japan one and after that one will be a NOA one will be shortly after that one. Either directly after that one or the next day.
Also the Nintendo Direct will cover the 3DS.

Trying to find where it is being streamed right now.

North American Launch Titles

This is going to be the North American Launch line up for those wondering.
There will be 23 of them.

• Nintendo Land
• New Super Mario Bros. U
• SiNG Party 
• Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
• ZombiU
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
• Skylanders Giants
• Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
• FIFA 13
• Scribblenauts Unlimited
• Transformers Prime
• Wipeout 3
• Tekken Tag Tournament 2
• Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed
• Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper
• Darksiders 2
• Assassin's Creed 3
• ESPN Sports Connection
• Just Dance 4
• Rabbids Land
• Your Shape 2013
• Game Party Champions
• Batman Arkham City: Armoured Edition.

Probably the ones I will get at Launch is Nintendo Land,New Super Mario Land U,Ninja Gaiden 3,ZombiU,Assassins Creed 3,Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed.

Anything you are looking forward to?

Site Chat in 30

I'm gonna be playing some Mario Kart 7 tonight.  You joining me??

Site Chat Tonight @ 8PM EST

Wednesday's Chat will happen at the usual 8PM EST start time.

Why not come on over and hang out with us?

Site chat right now!

Right now we will be having out site chat. We can talk about the Wii U event and all the activity it has caused in the video game community and also the upcoming games the Wii U will have.

See you in the chat.

Nintendo of Europe Wii U event

The Wii U will come in 2 versions. The basic will have the system. It will have 8 GB, White Wii U gamepad, 2 AC adaptors and a HDMI cable.

The premium pack will have a black console and gamepad. Everything else in the basic pack but it will have 32 GB of storage a Gamepad stand, console stand, charging cradle for gamepad, and a sensor bar and Nintendo Land. Also the Nintendo Network Premium will be accessable for premium pack owners. When you buy digital content you get points that can go towards more content.Also once you reach 500 points you can use points as credits. This will run till December 2014.
A Wii remote Plus Additional set will be at launch for those that don't have those accessories. In the pack is a Wii remote Plus, Nunchuck and a sensor bar.Also you can buy all the items seperately. The Wii U pro controller charges by USB and can be used wirelessly.Up to 4 Wii U Pro controllers can be used at the same time.

Backwards compatable with Wii software and you can transfer from Wii to Wii U both Wiiware and VC games.

Wii U can display 720p and 1080p format. 2GB of main memory or RAM. 1 GB for game and the 1 GB for system. 25 GB disk capacity. Read speed is 22.5 MB/sec max.

Gamepad has a Gyrosensor, Microphone,speakers, geomagnetic sensor, accelometer and LCD touch screen.

2 gamepads will be possible in the future but only one will be packed in for the console. When 2 game pad games are launched they will bundle them with the game.

November 30th it will launch in Europe. Check your local store for price info since they price them in Europe.

Nintendo Land will come out on November 30th.November 30th will also have New Super Mario Bros U,Rayman Legends November 30th,November 30th for ZombiU.

There will be a Black ZombiU Wii U bundle at launch as well.

Fifa 2013 was talked about. Also Mass Effect 3:Special Edition will have cut content from the end of the game and it will release on November 30th.

Wii U download games.Trine 2 Directors Cut it will have 4 players locally or via Nintendo Network.
Toki Tori 2 will have a level editor that uses the gamepad and it shows up on the TV screen.
Nano Assault Neo is Wii U exclusive.


Lego City Stories has many uses of the gamepad such as scanning for hidden criminals.The main character can go undercover and get different disquise There is 100 actions for each disquise.There is many ways to get across the city. Wall jumping, cars,helicopters. There will be a preorder bonus of the main character.

The Wonderful 101 previously P-1000.

 Also from Platinum Games Bayonetta 2.Published by Nintendo.


Finally there was a video shown of the games coming out this year in Europe.

Assassin Creed 3,Mass Effect 3:Special Edition,Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition, Scribblenauts Unlimited,Epic Mickey 2:The Power of Two,FIFA 13, Ninja Gaiden 3:Razors Edge,Batman:Arkham City Armoured Edition,Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed,Darksiders 2,NBA2K13.

Finally they announced Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. Here is the video.

It will be released March 2013 in Europe.

Nintendo of America's Wii U event.

For those that missed it here are all the details for the North American Wii U event.

Wii U will Launch in America on November 18th. It will have two SKUs. A basic form which will have these items. A Wii U console with one gamepad in white, AC adapter, HDMI cable and a sensor bar for $299.99.The basic system will have 8GB of internal storage.

For the Deluxe unit it will have everything that the basic unit has but will be black and it will have more storage memory and will have Nintendo Land bundled. The deluxe system will have 32 GB of Internal storage.Also for those that get the Deluxe system will be enrolled for when they buy any digital games you get back 10% of that as Nintendo Points so you can get a little bit back from every purchase you make and can put that towards future digital games.

Both versions of the system are backwards compatable with most games and accessories. Also Wii remote controllers and the Balance board.

After that they talked about Nintendo Land.
It will be a pack in for premium systems and also sold seperately. Here is all the games.The Legend of Zelda:Battle Quest,Pikmin Adventure,Metroid Blast,Mario Chase, Luigi's Ghost Mansion,Animal Crossing:Sweet Days,Yoshi's Fruit Cart, Octopus Dance, Donkey Kong's Crash Course, Takamaru's Ninja Castle, Captain Falcon's Twister Race and Balloon Trip Breeze.


Next they talked about New Super Mario Bros U. The game will have an interconnected map just like Super Mario World. It also has a Boost Rush mode where you can complete levels that speed up as you collect coins. It also has challenges which are things that experenced gamer can tackle like going through a level without touching the ground or beating a level real quick.It will release on November 18th.

Next they talked about Nintendo TVii. Which is basically a way for you to use the Wii U gamepad as a remote to go into lots of entertainment venues.TVs,sports, and movies. These are the services it offers. Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Video, Tivo. It will only be for North America and Canada.Here is a short video about it.

Next up was 2 games from Platinum games. First up was Bayonetta 2 and the second was The Wonderful 101 previously P-1000. Both are exclusive for the Wii U.

After that was what I am most excited about Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. This is basically Tri G but with online.Wii U version has online. It will have 2 versions.A Wii U version and a 3 DS version and they will interact with each other. March 2013 is the release date for North America.You can also share save data between the 3DS and Wii U versions. So you can play at home and then go and play on your 3DS and vise versa. Also both games back be played locally via wireless. Also more info will come from Capcom about the game in the coming days.

After that Activison talked about  Skylander Giants, Transformers Prime, and Call of Duty:Black Ops 2.

They also announced 50 Launch window games. The Launch window is from November 18th 2012 to March 31st 2013.

Nintendo.
Nintendo Land,New Super Mario Bros. U,Ninja Gaiden 3:Razors Edge,SiNG PARTY, Lego City:Undercover, Wii Fit U, Game and Wario, Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101.

505 Games.
Funky Barn

2KSports
NBA2K13

Activison
007 Legends
Call of Duty:Black Ops 2
Transformers Prime
Wipeout 3
Skylanders Giants
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing

Capcom
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

D3Publisher
Rise of the Guardians:The Video Game
Ben 10:Omniverse
Family Party:30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade

Disney Interactive
Disney Epic Mickey 2:The Power of Two

EA
Mass Effect 3
Madden NFL 13
EA Sports FIFA Soccer 13

Frozenbyte
Trine 2:Directors Cut

Gaijin Games
Runner 2:Future Legend of Rhythm Alien

Majesco
Zumba Fitness Core.

Maximum Games
Jett Tailfin

Namco Bandai America
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition
TANK! TANK! TANK!

Sega
Aliens:Colonial Marines
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Shin'en
Nano Assault Neo

Tecmo Koei America
Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper

THQ
Darksiders II
Wheel of Fortune
Jeopardy

Two Tribes
Toki Tori 2

Ubisoft
Assassins Creed 3
Just Dance 4
Marvel Avengers:Battle for Earth
Rabbids Land
Sports Connection
Your Shape:Fitness Evolved 2013
ZombiU
Rayman Legends

Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
Scribblenauts Unlimited
 Game Party Champions
Batman:Arkham City Armored Edition

After that the conference ended. So what are your thoughts on the Nintendo North America Conference? Plan on getting a Wii U at Launch?

Nintendo is having a Wii U event Tomorrow Morning

These places will be having the Nintendo Wii U event and at these times.

For the North American event it will take place at 7:00 am PST/10:00 am EST on this site. http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu

For the European event it will take place at 3pm UK time on this site. http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/news/nintendo_direct_47764.html

Finally there is going to be a Japan Wii U even that takes place a few hours before both of these. At 3 am EST on this site it will air. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wiiu/index.html

I will likely be in the chat during all of these and seeing what is happening and getting as much info as I can about the Wii U so if you can stop on by the chat.

Wednesday, Sept 12's Site Chat

Hey all,

The Site Chat for Wednesday September 9th will commence at the usual 8PM EST time.  I will unfortunately not be able to join because I will (fortunately) be at a concert I'm very excited to go!

So, have fun without me.  Maybe play Monster Hunter Tri with Maxi. =)

6PM Site Chat TONIGHT!

What's new? What's old?

Tell us all about it at tonight's Site Chat.  6PM EST!

Site Chat Tonight!

The Wednesday Site Chat will be held tonight at 8PM EST.  Why? Because it's Wednesday!

What have you been playing lately? Why not come by the chat at 8:00 and tell us all about it!

Negative World Podcast #36 - Super Powerwalk Running

Hey, gang.  As some of you know, I co-host the podcast over on NegativeWorld.org.  Below you'll find the links for the latest episode, Episode #36 - Super Powerwalk Running.  In this episode, Larry, Stephen, and myself discuss games we're playing, rumors and news, under and over appreciated Nintendo 64 games, and the essence of the Mario games.  Enjoy the show!

Subscribe to MP3 version
Subscribe to M4A version
Direct Download (MP3, right-click and save)
Direct Download (M4A, right-click and save)

Full list of episodes

Site Chat @ 6PM EST

Whaddya say? Site chat at the usual time?

See ya at 6PM EST.

Site Chat Tonight!

The usual Wednesday evening Site Chat will commence at the usual 8PM EST time.

Sadly, I will not be joining the chat until after midnight, if at all.  Some friends and I will be attending a minor league baseball game and some sort of festival deal.  But, try to have fun without me! =P

Site chat at 6pm EST

Well with the release of The Last story in America we can talk a bit about that int tonight's chat which starts in 30 mins. See you all in the chat tonight.

Site Chat in 15 Minutes

Wednesday's Site Chat will commence in just a few minutes.  Will you be there? I sure hope so!

Site Chat Tonight!

6PM EST is the time for a NinTemple.com site chat.  That is, if it's Sunday.

Is it Sunday?

IT IS!!!!!

See you there.

Site chat at 8pm EST tonight

Well today is the first of August and that means that there is two weeks till The Last Story comes out in the states and I guess we can talk about what we are playing leading up to the release of the game. 

We will see you in 2 hours from now in the site chat.

Game Night Wrap-Up and Video

Sunday's Game Night was a great success.  We played some Brawl as planned and one participant (TheWon) was kind enough to capture the footage and edit it into this sweet video.  Go check it out and give his youtube account some love!

LINK: TheWon's NinTemple Game Night Highlights

After Brawl, we even managed to sneak in some Monster Hunter Tri fun.  While playing with Maxi and Kathrine I even managed to meet my first HR 999 ever! It was pretty cool picking his brain about his many, many MH3 adventures.  So, "Tahquil," cheers to you, sir!

Site Chat and Smash Bros Tonight!!

Sup, Brawlers?

Tonight's Site Chat will be accompanied by a Super Smash Bros. Brawl Game Night starting at 6PM EST.  There are no brackets or anything, just playing for fun.  So as soon as enough interested people enter the room, feel free to start walloping each other!

PeeeeeKaaaaayyy StaaarrrStorrrrrmm!!!!

Site Chat and Mario Kart Wii TONIGHT!

Hey gang,

The usual Wednesday Site Chat will be accompanied by a Mario Kart Wii Game Night this evening starting at around 8PM EST.  There are no brackets or anything, just playing for fun.  So as soon as enough interested people enter the room, feel free to start racing!

I'll probably be a little late, but I'll make up for it with extra Blue Shells later ^_^

Upcoming Game Nights!

This is happening!  Since they finished so closely in the game voting we'll have a Game Night for the first and second runner-ups.

Wednesday, July 25th: Mario Kart Wii
Sunday, July 29th: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

We'll see you there!

Monster Hunter Tri Game night later tonight @ 6pm EST

Later today, as voted by you in the recent poll, we will be having our Monster Hunter Tri game night! We will be using the Greed 4, Gate 27 area for our hunts since it is out of the way. I will probably be in the chat an hour early before the hunts. I go by "Elipsia" in Tri now.

If you want you can leave your in-game name in the comments so we know you are here for the game night when you show up in game.

Site Chat in 40 Minutes!

Kermit voice: "Places, people! Places! It's almost time for site chat with your special guest, Maaaaatt! Yaaaaaay!"

All voices: "It's time to something something... it's time to light the lights... it's time to get things started on the Site Chat tonight!"

etc etc

Site chat in 40 mins, folks.  Be there!

VOTE!

Site Chat, Podcast, and Game Night

Whew! That's a lot!

1. Our Sunday Site Chat will commence at the same time it usually does, 6pm EST.  I'm 40+ hours into the masterpiece that is Xenoblade Chronicles.  So, we can discuss the first 40 hours of that game... but not a minute more!! (NO SPOILERS! I'm lookin' at you, Mongoose! ... jk... no idea if he even has the game.)

2. Part 2 of the 2-part E3 wrap-up episode from the Negative World Podcast is online for your enjoyment.

Direct MP3 Link | NW Forum Link (go here to subscribe!)

3. Only a few hours left to decide on our July Game Night! 19 votes so far! Will yours decide the outcome??

Tonight I'll post a new poll deciding WHEN to have the Game Night take place.

~~~

See you in the chat!

XSEED reveals North American release date for The Last Story

Earlier today, XSEED announced via twitter that August 14th will be the official  release date for The Last Story.  Many retailers had several July place holder dates but XSEED themselves hadn't given an official date until now.

The first batch of games being sent out will have the art book but if you preorder now you will also get a CD  included as well.

So far, the retailers XSEED has confirmed will have the CD are Amazon.com, EBGames Canada, and GameStop.  Any others and you will have to talk with the retailer themselves to find out.  If you already preordered from the above retailers you will get the CD and artbook when you pick up the game come August 14th.

Site Chat Tonight!

The regular Wednesday Site Chat will commence at 8PM EST.  But, you knew that, didn't you?

See ya there!

Club Nintendo and Game Night

So, like most people who reach Club Nintendo Platinum Status, I save up my Club Nintendo coins after hitting the 600 coin threshold and carry them over to the next year.  That means that after the Status values reset recently I am free to add my build up of coins.

I started adding about an hour ago and I have already reached Platinum Status for 2013 - and I still have one game left over to register!

This year, if the finances go well, I plan to pick up a Wii U and a 3DS XL.  I'm gonna have Platinum Status locked up for 2014 practically by the end of 2012! Crazy!

~~~

Also, quick reminder that there is less than a week to vote (to the right) on our upcoming Game Night.  So far it is a fierce battle, especially between MH3 and MKWii.

Vote and be heard!

Site chat happening now

Me and Matto are in the chat right now. Not much to to to talk about yet. Come on in!

New details for Monster Hunter 4

There was Capcom's Summer Jam the other day and with it came a trailer which is a few posts down but today there is some details for Monster Hunter 4.

• The game will not have water segments (water was one of MH3's big features)
• There will be some new elements surrounding Felynes. You'll once again be able to take two Felynes out with you on hunts.
• The game will have new weapons, but these are being kept secret for now. It will also have new armor designs.
• The game's story with the greatest number of NPCs in series history.
• Monsters will make use of the land formations.
• Under certain conditions, you'll be able to grab on to the monsters. (I'm not sure if this means you'll be able to ride the monsters or just latch on to them for attacking.)
• You'll be able to make use of hight differences in the stages to perform jump attacks.
• The game will have a free camera.
• Rather than a fixed base camp like past Monster Hunter games, your base camp will now move -- somewhat like a caravan.

 The magazine's information box lists the game as supporting 1 to 4 players, with support for local play (this may not necessarily mean no online play, although local play would be the norm for portable entries in the series). Ryozo Tsujimoto is listed as producer, with Kaname Fujioka listed as director.

This info will be in the upcoming Famitsu. 

Site chat later today at 6pm EST

Later tonight there will be site chat and fun will be had.   I will likely be in the chat then but may not chat much because today is the last day of Bronycon.

Negative World Podcast Episode 33

Cross promotion!!

http://www.negativeworld.org/boardreplies.php?id=8112&pagenumber=1

If you listen closely, you'll notice a one "NinSage" co-hosts this show.

New Monster Hunter 4 Trailer

Hey, NinTemplers.  Here's the latest trailer for Monster Hunter 4.  A vague Japanese release date of "2013" has been announced.  It still remains to be seen when us westerners will begin pouring our lives into the latest installment of white-knuckle loot collecting.

But, whenever it's coming, I can't wait!

3rd Person Talks with Gamestop Manager who Confirms a Reveal at the End of the Month

Well someone posted on Operation RainFall's Facebook page that at the end of the month that they will be having a big reveal for Pandora's Tower. 
Operation RainFall Facebook.

There hasn't been much on the Pandora's Tower front as far as confirmations goes lately but the end of the month is a week or so away so it couldn't hurt to wait it out.

Thanks for the heads up Evan.

Site Chat Tonight!

6pm EST.  See you there, gamers.

Nintendo Direct airing later today at 11pm EST

So it seems like Nintendo is doing another Nintendo Direct today. I think this is pretty cool.

It seems that the main focus of this Nintendo Direct will be Wii and 3DS according to NintendoEverything.

Nintendo Direct link Japan Nintendo direct

Also it seems that Nintendo of Europe is doing a Nintendo Direct as well.

European Nintendo Direct  This Nintendo Direct will take place a hour after Iwata's Japan Nintendo Direct. The European one will focus on the 3DS

Just updating this real quick. Just announced that NOA will have a Nintendo Direct tonight at 12 am EST and 9pm PST. It will focus on the 3DS,DS and Wii.

NOA Nintendo Direct

So to recap Japan's will be at 11pm EST/ 8pm PST and Europe's will be 1 hour later and so will NOA's.

Site Chat Tonight!

Tonight is Site Chat night.  Will you be there?

8pm EST.  Be there or be somewhere else.... just be yourself ^_^

Sunday's Site Chat / Happy Father's Day!

Tonight's chat will proceed at the usual 6pm EST time for anyone who is available to participate.  I will be in the midst of some family gatherings for Father's Day as I'm sure others will as well.  So, if you can't make it, no biggie.  If you show up late (as I might), that's cool too!

Here's a video game/Father's Day memory from NinSage (that's me!).

Around the time Zelda II came out, I was reading through an issue of Nintendo Power that talked about Zelda I.  I saw how awesome it was but I had never played it aside from 10 minutes at a friend's house.  So I decided then and there "I want Zelda II!"

My mom was not around that day, no idea why.  So I asked my dad if he would take me to the store and buy it for me.  My dad had never purchased a game for me before, and hasn't since! haha!  Anyway, he had some yard work to do so he said if I went with him to the store, helped him load up the supplies and then helped in the yard, we could also pick up Zelda II while we were out.

I agreed to that deal and it was just really rewarding to do a little work for my game and also have one of the few times my dad's life crossed over with my gaming life =)

Happy Father's Day everyone!

Sophia's Take on Nintendo's E3

by Sophia

Contributing Author

Now that E3 2012 has come to a close and with the dust now starting to settle, it is my intent to add perspective to the varying amount of negative emotions combined with a whole host of likely over reactive doomsday predictions for Nintendo and the Wii U. It appears the general consensus is that all three console developers had lackluster showings, but with the most venom directed towards Nintendo.




Coming into E3 we had a vast array of hopes and dream about what Nintendo would reveal in regards to Wii U, many of which did not come to fruition. As is the case with expectations, they have a tendency to go unfulfilled, especially when it comes to the highest of them. Nintendo, for better or for worse, decided to dedicate E3 to the near future, primarily the launch window of the Wii U, and the upcoming game lineup for 3DS. This has ruffled a few feathers because many wanted to see (myself included) post-launch games, which Nintendo did not touch upon. The focus of Nintendo remained on the launch of the Wii U and the games that will be released within that time frame.

If one can get past this disappointment, you can look with a more objective eye at what was shown at E3. For example, a game that many have wanted for years and have expressed their excitement for, was Pikmin 3, is now a Wii U launch game, but for whatever reason the excitement level for this anticipated sequel has dropped for people who once were disappointed by the game’s no-shows at previous E3s. Pikmin 3 appears to be shaping up nicely and should be a solid edition to the Wii U launch lineup. A few other positive unveilings were Rayman Legends, which apparently is an exclusive, ZombiU, and Lego City.

Before I approach the games themselves, I wish to discuss the features of the Wii U system itself. Prior to E3 many were concerned about the Wii U’s control pad, specifically whether more than one could be used. That fear was put to rest at E3, when Nintendo revealed that you can use two controllers at once. One area that appears to be up in the air is what the Wii U will have, out of box, in regards to storage space. It is not much of a stretch to assume that it will be flash based, and if I were a gambling woman I would be willing to bet it will be in the 4GB or the rumored, 8GB range. The irony is that solid state storage is the future, and Nintendo is just ahead of the curve. So once again I fail to see why, let’s say for arguments sake, 8 GB of storage is a problem, it is enough storage for more casual gamers, and if one wants to upgrade the memory they have two straightforward ways of doing so. One must remember that every extra added into a system will create cost that will likely be passed onto the customer, and 8GB sounds like a fair compromise without the bottlenecks the 512 MB of flash memory that the Wii had, but we shall see what Nintendo does in regards to included storage. At least Nintendo isn’t locking users into old technology like the PS3 and Xbox 360, which revolved around traditional hard drives that are more prone to failure. It truly depends on ones perspective!

I would cover Nintendo’s internet strategy, but there just is not enough known about it to give a fair analysis, positive or negative, so that will likely remain a concern until the system launches. Instead let us move onto what is likely people’s biggest concern and that is the graphical abilities of the console. It is here that I think Nintendo dropped the ball, not in regards to power but in regards to showcasing fresh looking games that take advantage of the system. Many of the titles we viewed were 3rd party ports, and beyond those we also received a glimpse of Rayman Legends in action, which is more reliant on artistic creativity rather than horsepower, ZombiU, which is still relatively unknown, and Nintendo’s more basic looking games like Nintendoland and Lego City. Even Pikmin 3 lacked graphical oomph (though it was still a great looking game). With all that said, if one were to sift through the rumors the system’s graphical abilities are a bump up from 360/PS3, it is just that we don’t know by how much or how well PS4/Xbox 3 ports will translate to the system. One thing that we must keep in mind though is visuals are starting to plateau and that we’ll likely see the most impact in things like AI, physics, and other “in the background” improvements rather then what we see directly with our eyes. Likely you won’t see drastic differences between multiplatform games when it comes to the images on your screen, and in general there won’t be near the gap we seen between Wii and PS3/360. But once again, all of this is based on theory; no one knows quite how things will go when Sony and MS release new consoles, even the detractors.

We must keep in mind though that with every bit of added horsepower, every jump in gigabytez of a flash drive, or increases in other features, you have additional costs that will either be passed onto the customer or eaten by the console maker ( something Nintendo cannot do too much of or they would go belly up fast). Nintendo, despite all of their success, is assets are vastly less then Sony or Microsoft, they just can't afford to take the enormous financial hits those companies can and have in the past console generation. Unless people want a $400-500 console from Nintendo sacrifices have to be made not only for the customer but for Nintendo’s financial stability as well. It truly is a balancing act for them.

One thing that is being overlooked about Wii U tech is that the Wii U GamePad is likely expensive to produce and is an impressive piece of tech. The pad is integral to the success of the Wii U since Nintendo cannot compete directly with MS or Sony, as historically proven with the GameCube and N64. They need to do their own thing and differentiate themselves or they'll get buried since they can't afford to compete with Sony/MS's competition to see who can take the most losses on each console sold. Either you accept that “Nintendo Difference” or you buy MS/Sony systems. For me, I enjoy Nintendo's own games too much to let it bother me, the Wii U is likely more powerful then the 360/PS3 and, while it won't be PS4/Xbox 3 powerful, at least I know Nintendo won't be either A) Pricing themselves out of a customer’s budget since they can't take major losses B) Taking major losses on each system sold and therefore putting themselves on the path to extinction.



To wrap up this analysis, I want to squash the doomsday predictors in regards to the Wii U launch lineup. One must realize that launch lineups seldom equate to success down the line, as shown by the PS3, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS. Even the 360 demonstrated this to an extent, at launch it really only had three unique games , Condemned, Kameo and Perfect Dark Zero. All there which were a mixed bag, especially Kameo and PD0. Nintendo for their launch window has Pikmin 3, a game that has been anticipated by fans for years now, Lego City, a Nintendo published title that appears to be more of an open world sandbox Lego game, NintendoLand which sounds like a fun title that I predict will be bundled with the system and has the chance to be the Wii Sports of Wii U, Rayman Legends, apparently an exclusive, and ZombiU which looks to bring us true survival horror, through the utilization of the Wii U GamePad, whereas other franchises seem to be shifting more towards action oriented games such as the mainline Resident Evil series and possibly Dead Space 3. Platinum Games is also creating an exclusive (Project P-100)and it appears we’ll be getting another WarioWare esque game as well. I don’t know about you, but that seems to be a solid lineup of exclusives for a system launch. Always keep in mind though, that no matter how Wii U does at launch, it will be how Nintendo continues to evolve the Wii U with new games that will truly define its success. Those predicting immediate failure are jumping the gun. Even if Wii U had a terrible launch lineup and/or a slow sales start, it would hardly be a predictor of its success as seen in more recently examples, such as the 3DS and even the PS3.

Did Nintendo demonstrate the importance of the Wii U GamePad? That appears to be up for debate and will likely starts to clear up only when people are able to try it outside of E3. So far from the impressions I’ve seen, NintendoLand’s games utilize it well even if they are more proof-of-concept like Wii Sports was, and supposedly in ZombiU it adds to the immersion and tension of a survival horror experience. We shall see, but it is hardly time to declare Wii U and its GamePad a failure. All I know is that while Nintendo’s focus at E3 may have disappointed some, it is hardly worthy of doom and gloom. We have what appears to be a promising launch lineup with likely a couple of gems, solid hardware, a fresh controller innovation that holds exciting possibilities for anyone open minded and not set in their ways, and above all else the promise of Nintendo’s own franchises for the future. Nintendo will never please everyone, all they can do is continue doing what they know, and hope that in time 3rd parties and more importantly, customers come around. What they cannot do is try to compete directly with Microsoft and Sony in the graphical arms race, or simply play copy cat in regards to games that are popular from with two competitors. Perhaps I am off base, but gaming has evolved beyond graphical abilities for me, and it is innovations like motion control, the Wii U GamePad, etc. that make gaming interaction exciting for me. Otherwise, I might as well switch to PC on a more permanent basis.

Site Chat Tonight!

It's Wednesday.  That means at 8pm EST the NinTemple Site Chat will begin!

A fair amount of new information has actually trickled out since E3 ended so there should be plenty to discuss.  See you there!

So Choice

by Esnel Pla

Contributing Author

There's no time video gamers think more about the future than during E3. During these four days we all hope, as a community, to be wowed by new experiences. While Lucasarts' Star Wars 1313 and Ubisoft's Watch Dogs gave us unexpected tastes at where a new generation of home consoles gaming may go, this year, all eyes were on Nintendo and their Wii U. Pikmin 3 was their introduction to the new world of tablet gaming and while the game was stated to have a variety of control methods, on the show floor, one was limited to using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.  The Wii U's GamePad was propped up before the player displaying a map.

While this disappointment to those at the show is indicative of Nintendo's overall missteps during E3, many cried foul. Many don't seem to be enthralled at the idea of using the Wii's original control scheme with its successor’s hardware. Personally, I'm elated. Short of plugging in a keyboard and mouse, the Wii U will always be capable of the ideal control method. Having more control options is always a good thing. Certain games have always been better with certain control methods. What's better than a d-pad for platformers? An arcade stick for fighters? A paddle for Breakout? And what did we use the Wii remote for?

After the Wii's waggle honeymoon, when the machine was flying off of store shelves and third-party shovelware were flying onto them, game design using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk hit its stride. Pointer controls were refined and shown to be the most intuitive way to aim something - second only to the keyboard and mouse. Red Steel 2, Goldeneye 007, and The Conduit all offered fast and natural controls and Resident Evil 4 and the Metroid Prime Trilogy showed that these controls could easily be adapted from the twin-stick layout. Not only could the Wii Remote be the perfect way to aim, it was an amazing way to control an army.

Pikmin on the GameCube was a delight. While the design behind Pikmin offered a new way to control real-time strategy with a conventional controller, on the Wii, Pikmin was a revelation. Through Nintendo's New Play Control! brand, the original game found a new home and one that it was better suited for. Olimar and his army were a dream to control with IR aiming and nunchuk movement. It was as impressive as stepping into Samus' Power Suit with the same tools.

While the GamePad is full of potential, and that potential was definitely on display with Ubisoft's ZombiU and NintendoLand, the Wii has taught gamers that certain control methods are better suited for certain games. A game like Rygar, another port, proved that conventional controls are often a benefit over shoehorned motion controls. Little King's Story, on the other hand, was only steps from perfection, not utilizing the uniqueness of the device it was made for.

I feared, before this E3, that the unique controls of the Wii would be forgotten. I was afraid we'd lose the amazing controls of Metroid Prime 3 and New Play Control! Pikmin, but now I'm glad we can play Pikmin 3 will the original Wii's controls.

As a Nintendo owner since the NES, I'm used to having plenty of pieces of plastic hanging around. Over those years, there have been plenty of useless novelties.   However, the Wii U is looking like no matter what kind of game you're playing the best possible control scheme will be an available option.  That realization seems to be going over a lot of people's heads, but personally, I'm very glad to see that going forward.

Brutally Honest

I'm not the only one who noticed that E3 2012 was not just filled with more shooters than normal, but was also just more brutal overall.  With each subsequent throat stab I got more and more turned off to this direction in gaming.  For the first time ever, my wife had to look away at various points during the week's conferences and her disgust peaked when she said "this makes me feel like I'm going to be sick" during the God of War: Ascension trailer.

For me, the low point was when a man begged for his life during the The Last of Us trailer, then got shotgunned in the face while a little girl looked on.



Then there's the Tomb Raider reboot that I might actually be interested in playing if it weren't so focused on being a woman-beating simulator.  I hope Abbie Heppe is paying attention to the ludicrous and unnecessary suffering Lara endures in what we've seen from the game so far.  Those clever kids over at Penny Arcade know I'm talkin' about...


In any case, I was very happy to see many others take objection to this trend.  Please frequent their sites and heap praise upon them:

• When Game Violence Becomes Vile by Nathan Grayson
• Was E3 2012 the grisliest games show ever? by Fred Dutton
• Why E3's Constant Stream of Identikit Brutality Saw Me Embarrassed by This Industry for the First Time by David Houghton

(Note: These are not the rants of parent groups who don't play games or outside news entities trying to rustle up another batch of scare tactics. They're people like us.)

Lastly, let me leave you with this video that I thought hilariously captured the sentiment I'm talking about ...

I think we can do better than this.  Your move, games industry.

Sunday's Site Chat

Howdy.

You may have noticed a new coat of paint around here.  How do you like it?  There are still some small, small kinds to work out, but, I'll get to the bottom of them soon.

Tonight will be our regularly scheduled Sunday Site Chat.  Remember, the Sunday ones begin as early as 6pm EST for anyone interested.  Sadly, Maxi is feeling sick this week so if he's able to join us at all, it will be late.

Also, just as a quick announcement that we have some new contributing writers working on some content so keep an eye out and give 'em a warm welcome when that time comes!

I should be in the Chat tonight no later than 7pm EST.  See you then!!

NinSage's E3 Wrap-Up!

Here are my reactions to Nintendo's week of E3 events.  I never hit the panic button, I frequently pulled the awesome lever, but I also flipped the disappointment switch.





My reaction was a mix of joy and disappointment.
GP's Bulborb's reaction was hunger.
Nintendo Direct

• Wii U Pro Controller - I kid you not, I have always wanted the twin sticks on a traditional controller to be above the d-pad/buttons.  I can't wait to get my hands on one of these.  I will probably trade in my CCPro just like I did when I traded in my CC for the CCP.
• Miiverse - I am extremely looking forward to this more social, yet actually practical, experience.  I love Miis when they are used properly (Find Mii, Puzzle Swap).  So, I'm really looking forward to this.  Plus! I felt that note leaving from Dark Souls was one of the best game concepts to come out of the 7th console generation.

Limited Edition Confirmed for The Last Story

Well XSEED has confirmed that there is a limited edition for The Last Story. All preorders that have been made and and others up to the launch of the game will have the bonus.

Here is  XSEED forum topic about this.

Here is the Nintemple Forum topic for the game.

As for where you can preorder The Last Story.

Amazon
Target
Walmart
Best Buy
Gamestop


For Brick and Mortar shops I am sure all of the above will work and these ones too.
Toys R Us.



Finally a trailer for the game.

E3 - Day 1 Reactions

So, day one of E3 2012 is in the books.  That means we've seen two of the three big conferences.  Microsoft and Sony presented today, leaving only Nintendo for tomorrow (Tuesday).  As is my usual, annual tradition, allow me to run down the highlights and lowlights from day one as I saw them.

Microsoft

• Halo 4 - A year after its announcement and, hey, it's still Halo.  When will folks acknowledge that other companies milk their franchises as much as, if not worse than, Nintendo does?
• Splinter Cell Blacklist - I love a good stealth game.  What I don't love is when that stealth game feels the need to become a quasi-action, cover-based shooter with ultra violence.
• Kinect/SmartGlass on Madden 13 - Calling the plays? um, I guess that's cool for the folks who are so in to Madden they know every play by name.  But what happens if your opponent yells out a crappy audible and then "hike"? hmmmm.  Drawing your own routes is nifty though.  Always felt that should be done more in football games.
• The Kinect can recognize Spanish.  A quién le importa?
• You can watch real sports and listen to music on your XBox .... just like on your computer! Except that one doesn't require a second subscription fee!
• Black Ops 2 - Now blacker and opier than ever!!

Ubisoft

• Watch_Dogs - Looks astounding.  If the protagonists are diverse in character and not just "tough guys" then I will definitely look in to getting this game one day.  Thank god someone (besides Nintendo) is looking to make games that are at least a little different.
• Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - I would absolutely get this game if it comes to a console I own.  The action looked fun and simple.  Did I mention fun?  Ya know... like how games should be!
• Need For Speed: Most Wanted - Yup.  I'm interested in this one too.  Why? The idea of the entire game essentially being a leaderboard against my friends.  That is perfect for a genre of this type.
• Rayman Legends - Wasn't crazy about the first one.  Not crazy about this one.  BUT! I know that everyone who isn't me loves these new Rayman games and the Wii U GamePad control looks like it will be really fun for two or more people!  Also, gotta give it up for the visuals.  Hand-drawn 2D is by far my favorite look. 

Sony

• Beyond - I really have a soft spot for low-action plot-driven games.  I'll be keeping my eye on this one!
• Sony All-Stars Battle Royale - Sony does what Ninten-already did.  Have they no shame?
• Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation - Honestly? I think it looks better than the flagship AC3.  But, consider I'm the source, that's not saying a whole lot.  The female protagonist looks cool though.
• Wonderbook - You wouldn't see anything if you look at the book itself.  The visuals are only on the TV.  So, why not just buy your child a video? Or, y'know, a game?  Also, I would love to see the firestorm if Nintendo tried to sell one of these things.  Yet, I'm sure mainstream gaming media has already begun forgetting it.  Meanwhile, the Nintendo vitality sensor still gets used as a punchline on a near-monthly basis.
• The Last of Us - Was there an Ellen Paige sale in the video game voice actress department?  Ah well, at least both her games look pretty darn good!  Though, from the team that brought you Uncharted, I gotta say, without even thinking, my first thought when I saw the protagonist was "oh, another Uncharted game."  That's not very creative character design, folks!

~~~~~

OK.  That's all for day one.  Overall? Meh.  Ubisoft had, by far, the best conference, so, what does that tell you?  Microsoft was apparently trying to top Nintendo 2008 for the most embarrassing E3 ever and Sony only showed one game we weren't aware of before the day began, not to mention the Wonderbook debacle.

The bar is pretty low, in my opinion.  Let's hope Iwata, Reggie and Shiggy can clear it with their new tablet-y goodness!  See you in 11 hours!!

Chat Open!

Hi all.  It's 11:30am EST and the E3 press conferences will be starting momentarily.

I'll be in and out of the Chat all day if anyone wants to join me and discuss any news!

I will also be posting feedback on Microsoft and Sony's conferences later today.  Let it begin!

Nintendo Direct at 3pm PST and 6pm EST on June 3rd

Well, this is surprising. Tomorrow there will be a Nintendo Direct before everyone's E3 conferences.

Here is where they will be having it:

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/nintendo_direct_pre_e3_2012/en/index.html
or http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo_direct
It begins at 3pm PST and 6pm EST.  For Europe that will be 23:00 GMT

It is later in the day so there is a better chance that people may be able to catch it live.  If you are able to, why not stop by the chat before then and discuss it with us while you watch?

Site Chat in 30

Wednesday's usual site chat will take place in 30 minutes.  It's the penultimate chat before E3, what will we discuss!?

See you there!

Site Chat Tonight!

The usual Wednesday Site Chat will take place at its usual time, 8PM EST.

I will be out of town attending a very prestigious dinner/conference.  However, there's a good chance I will be back in town by probably midnight or so.  Perhaps I will see you all then!

The Plot Thickens #4 - No More Heroes

WARNING: This one’s got more spoilers than a Ferrari convention!
WARNING: Some of the language and content of this article reflects the objectionable content of the game it analyzes. You’ve been warned, f*ckhead.

Here at The Plot Thickens, our crack staff (me) likes to take a look at the narrative elements in games that often go unnoticed or under-appreciated. Usually, we (still just me) try to accomplish this without the use of spoilers. After all, what’s the sense in showing how awesome the thing you just spoiled is?

But, this month, things are going to be a little different. This time around, I’m tackling No More Heroes, a game released way back in 2008 for Nintendo’s family friendly like white box of snuggles. I’ll be using massive spoilers, because, more than simply appreciating the game’s plot, I’ll try to actually make sense of the senselessness that resulted from Suda51 pressing his insanity onto a Wii optical disc. Plus, c'mon, you've had years to play it. Let’s do this!

Nintendo 3DS Game Card Case and site chat

I know one person in peticular was waiting for this on this site and it showed up on my twitter feed so I am sharing it.

The Nintendo 3DS Game Card case is back on Club Nintendo.

3DS Game Card case

Also the site chat will be at 8pm EST tonight.

Site Chat at 6PM EST

Hey, gang.  It's Sunday evening.  Time for a site chat!

What's on your mind? What have you been playing lately?

Tell us all about it in 68 minutes!

Calling NOA today about Pandora's Tower.

Well Operation Rainfall is going to make one final push at NOA for the release of Pandora's Tower. If you want the game and have the time today call up Nintendo. Here is some tips and rules.

Here are some tips.

1. Pick up your phone and dial 1-800-255-3700 (This is a Toll-Free number, meaning it’s a FREE call)
2. Navigate the menu system until you hear the option for “Customer Service”. (Press “0″ for Customer Service followed by “5″ for “Other Inquiries”)
3. Listen to the awesome Nintendo hold music
4. When the Customer Service Representative (CSR) answers the phone, briefly and politely let them know that you are interested in Pandora’s Tower being localized in America. You may also inform them that the title is published by Nintendo and already released in Europe and is available in English.
5. A sample script is: “Hello, my name is ______ and I am calling today because I would love to see Pandora’s Tower in America.”
6. Keep it simple and brief, and politely thank them for their time.

Some handy pointers.

• KEEP IT BRIEF. Nintendo CSRs are extremely busy, and handle both Customer Service AND Technical Support questions. By tying up the line, you are creating wait time for customers with legitimate needs.
• BE POLITE. It is not the CSR’s fault that the game is not in their system, nor do they (or their managers) have any say in the decision-making process. They will simply make a note that you called in and requested Pandora’s Tower.
• DO NOT MENTION “OPERATION RAINFALL”. This is not only confusing for the CSRs, who do not need to know who we are, but it also ties up the line, since you will then need to explain what OpRainfall is, when they don’t need to know, and frankly probably don’t care. Politely ask to see Pandora’s Tower released in America, and end the discussion.
• CUSTOMER SERVICE HOURS: 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM Pacific Time, 7 days per week.

 Some quick facts

• Pandora’s Tower was published by Nintendo in Japan, Europe, and Australia
• Pandora’s Tower launched on May 26, 2011 in Japan and April 13, 2012 in Europe
• Pandora’s Tower was developed by a studio called Ganbarion, and this is their first original property
• Pandora’s Tower is an Action/Adventure game with hack’n'slash and light RPG elements
• The protagonist’s name is Aeron (pronounced the same as Aaron or Erin)
• The damsel in distress is named Elena
• The game recieved a rating of CERO C (Japan) and PEGI 12 (Europe), which is the equivalent of a mid-Teen by ESRB standards
• Pandora’s Tower has already been localized for Western audiences and has already been translated into English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German.
• The Wii console is region locked, meaning that it is impossible to play games from another region, even if they are in your language, without making modifications to your console. This will also void your warranty.

 Okay I will be making my call right away and then getting the word out everywhere today.

Site chat will be later today at 6pm EST

Well E3 is about one month away, I believe, and well people are going to be pretty excited.  We have a topic about it here.  In the meantime, there is going to be a site chat later today. I may get another post up before then.  It depends on if I can get my thoughts organized.

See you in the site chat at 6pm EST.

What is Casual?

Pietriots did a great article the other day about the term Casual. It is actually easier then you might think. Here is the article: What is Casual.  It is actually very similar to parts of our mission statement. I just found that interesting.

Small rant about Nintendo's annual loss and other things.

I'd like to talk about Nintendo's annual loss today and the reaction to it that I have been hearing around the net.

I was going to put this up when I had some emotions going on the other day, but I figured it would just be best to wait out the storm a little bit.

After some reflection on it and some of the responses that I saw, I think I was just seeing the typical behavior from certain people and in some cases some people reverting back to old behavior on some forums. Surprisingly, I really only found negativity on two places while checking on many of the usual forums and sites. 
 Which I suppose is pretty good for the gaming community.

As for my own feelings on Nintendo's loss, I think that they will recover as they always do.  They do have lots of money in its war chest and they know how to make hardware that doesn't sell at a loss. So, they will be fine. 

I also saw a great article over at Pietriots about Xenoblade and an article and you should go over there and check it out as well.  My thoughts on that article are that they do make a lot of great points. The Game Informer guy does just build you up to knock you down. Grubbdog does a great job of countering them.

Site chat is going to be later today at 8pm EST

I am going to be busy here today and I am not sure when I will be in for the chat. I could be on time or I could be a little late but don't let that stop you from chatting it up tonight at 8pm EST.  I was informed of something last night and I wasn't given a definite answer on when it is going to be done today. So don't wait for me to show up.

I guess the big news in the past few days was that Nintendo announced that they will be having their E3 press conference on Tuesday June 5 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. PDT at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. There is also a Midnight Purple 3DS announced to be coming out on May 20th for $169.99.

So yeah see you in the chat most likely sooner or maybe later then usual when it happens at 8pm EST tonight.

Second Source Claims Pandora's Tower Coming to the US

Another NA GameStop manager is reminding Xenoblade/The Last Story customers about Pandora's Tower.  Here is the post, and the tweet.

What I find interesting about this is that Esnel is down in Florida and NinSage (who reported the story originally) is in New York, so it isn't isolated into one area of the country.  They also both talked to managers. Maybe enough time has passed since Xenoblade's release that checking again at your local Gamestop is warranted for this title?

Thanks goes to EsnelPla, who frequents our Chat as "Metroidvanian," for the tip!

Site chat Now

Sorry for the late post but I was busy. Chat is going to happen now.

Rayman Legends for Wii U confirmed!

This site  just put up a video of Rayman Legends. It basically goes over the game play and the features and such but the major thing is that things from the real world can affect the game world by placing it on the Wii U controller. This can affect the gameplay and the difficulty drastically I feel. I think this would please everyone. 

Site Chat Tonight

Hey all, NinSage here.  Wednesday's Site Chat will go off as usual, starting at 8PM EST.  However, I will be unable to attend for dissertation-related reasons.  Have fun without me and Maxi, feel free to update this post with any usual Site Chat announcements you may want to make.

Few small announcements

Well a few small things that were announced lately for North America.

There will be a Kirby 20th Anniversary retail disc for the Wii in North America.

Also, the New Play Control version of Pikmin 2 will finally be released in North America.

Hmm, my thoughts on this are that it's pretty great. This gives people like myself, or someone new to gaming, a chance to try out an entire series.  As far as I know this series has a really great ratio of good to bad titles.

Pikmin is a series that I haven't gotten into that much but I have played other, similar games and I enjoyed them so this is great.  In addition, people don't have to pay lots of money for the Gamecube version.

What are everyone's thoughts on these series and the lasting appeal of Kirby in general?

New Wallpapers

I've added my two most recent wallpaper creations to the Extras section.  The first is for Phantasy Star Zero, which I have been playing a lot lately with the folks over at PSO-world.com.  The second is for Resident Evil Revelations and features the game's protagonist, Jill Valentine.

Enjoy.

Let's enter NWR's KIU tournament!

Nintendo World Report is hosting a Kid Icarus Uprising tournament in the coming weeks.  You can check the link below for details as well as info on the fabulous prizes!  But, the gist of it is that they'll be playing Light vs. Dark battles which means everyone who wants to enter needs to form a team of three.

Let's form a NinTemple team!!  What two brave centurions want to join me for the sake of fun and prizes??

Sign up in the comments here or in the forums.  Let's do this, gang!

NWR LINK: http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/contest/29878

Site chat tonight at 6pm EST

Site chat will be later today and it should be interesting. So I guess we'll be talking about Nintendo Direct and what we have been playing, as well as anything else on your minds.

See you in the chat.

Nintendo Direct Site Chat

Well, I'm gonna hang out in the site chat in case anyone wants to meet up during the Nintendo Direct video that will begin in 12 minutes. I'm also hanging out in the IRC chat NWR set up for tonight. Will I get validation of my Pandora's Tower news? *fingers crossed* In the meantime, Amy is sitting next to me playing The Lion King on SNES. We were in a local game store and she played the Genesis version for a little bit and said "we should play our SNES copy when we get home!" So, we are! Or... she is at least... Anyway, see you in the chat!

Minor Site Updates

Finally got around to some small cosmetic tweaks to the Mission Statement and Extras sections, as well as updating the Mission Statement content a bit.  In addition, my first attempt at a Kid Icarus Uprising wallpaper has been added to the Extras.  This one has a "factions" theme to it ... which, I suppose means there are some minor spoilers.  You've been warned!  Also, I still can't find any "cut out" images of Thanatos or Pandora's final form.  So, those will be added when/if I ever find 'em!

Enjoy.

Site chat is going to be tonight at 8pm EST

So, a small update on my Wii.  It is sitting at a repair station at Nintendo being repaired.  It could be back to me within a week or so.  Scratch the above. They are done repairing it and they are sending it back now.  Maybe it will be back tomorrow or the next day.

As far as other things in the gaming community, did you guys hear that Pikmin 3 was announced for the Wii U? It will also be shown at this year's E3.  Well, see you in the chat!

Kid Icarus Uprising Events in the US

Well for those that want to try out the game or snatch up more AR cards Nintendo has set up more events around the country for you to do so.  Here is the link to the site.  Here it is 

The upcoming days are April 21st, April 28th and May 12th but only certain stores will be having the events on those dates so check the site for details.

New Club Nintendo Items for Aussies

So I was not aware of this but Club Nintendo in Australia recently announced their 4th anniversary gifts for the region. Here they are.


Golden Nunchuk
Stars: 3000
Go gold with Club Nintendo's exclusive "Gold" edition Nunchuk. A perfect companion for your Wii Remote.






Also there is this.



Nintendo 3DS Pouch : Mario Hat / Luigi Hat
Stars: 1300 each
A soft pouch for storing your Nintendo 3DS console in the iconic style of Mario's or Luigi's hat.
Also fits Nintendo DSi, Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo DS (does not fit Nintendo DSi XL).








I found these over here.
 http://www.nintendo.com.au/index.php?action=news&nid=1943&pageID=6



Any thoughts on what NOA will do for a Club Nintendo item for anniversary for North American's I think the site opened up for us in  December 2008 I want to say.

Site chat is at 6pm EST

I am putting this post up really early since I don't think I will have much time to do it later.

Basically, I got my shipping labels from Nintendo yesterday but I need to prep and send it off today before the chat.  So, if I am late to the chat that is why.  I want to make sure it is being sent off on Monday from UPS as I would like it back as soon as possible.

In any case, we can talk about Sage's experience with yesterday's Kid Icarus Uprising GameStop event as well as the Pandora's Tower connection between Operation Rainfall and this site.  I think we were one of the earlier supporters of the campaign.

Anything else is fine as well. See you there in the chat.

Pandora's Tower Month starts now

Man it has been a long time since I typed one of these up.

Okay you have heard the rumors and the possible truths and what not if you are a fan of this game that I have been putting posts about for the past few days and you want to try it out no matter if you believe the stuff or even if you do there is only so much very few can do.We will keep on digging on our end while everyone else can do their part as well. We will get involved as well.


The below is from here on Operation RainFalls facebook page.

Also for North American Members here. This is how long this is going to last as far as contacting NOA for the day


It's that time again! Although the majority of this month we will be attempting a radically different approach than we've used in the past, we want to kick off the European launch of Pandora's Tower with some good old fashioned asking Nintendo of America to release the game! We'll explain our real plans in a few days once the staff have everything organized, but make sure you get your phones and keyboards ready to contact NOA on Friday the 13th!

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU LIVE IN AMERICA:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Help us create OFFICIAL Wikis for the game on IGN

• http://www.ign.com/wikis/pandoras-tower

2. Call Nintendo of America Customer Service
Please use one of these numbers to reach NoA customer service:

• 1-800-633-3236 (General Office)
• 1-800-255-3700 (Customer Service)

3. EMAIL Nintendo of America
There are two methods to email Nintendo of America:

• Use their webform: NOA Web form
• Email them directly: NOA email

PLEASE NOTE: If you have already sent emails to Nintendo of America regarding Xenoblade, The Last Story, and/or Pandora's Tower, YOU MAY BE ON AN EMAIL BLACKLIST BY NINTENDO.
YOU WILL NEED TO SET UP AN ALTERNATE EMAIL ACCOUNT.
Doing so is very simple and only requires a few minutes of your time.
A few sites that provide free, web-based email services that you can use for this campaign are:
Gmail (by Google)
Yahoo Mail
Microsoft Live Mail
and more!

4. COMMENT & TWEET Nintendo of America
We will be focusing on TWO sites run by Nintendo of America

• Facebook - Nintendo's Facebook
• Twitter - Nintendo of America's Twitter

Full list of social media sites run by Nintendo of America:
http://oprainfall.freeforums.org/twitter-facebook-youtube-t154.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU LIVE IN EUROPE, OCEANIA, OR SOUTH AFRICA:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• BUY THE GAME!!

You can buy the Limited Edition from these retailers:

• Zavvi
• thehut
• NCSX
• Tesco
• Shop.to
• Amazon.co.uk

You can buy the Standard Edition from these retailers:

• GAME
• Gamestation
• Zavvi
• Shop.to

ALSO:

• Post unboxing videos and Let's Play videos and share them with us
• Post your own user reviews and leave comments on the reviews of others
• After spending one hour or more, go to the Nintendo Channel and rate the game
• Be sure to thank Nintendo of Europe by sending an email to customer-support@nintendo.co.uk or if you use Twitter, you can send a tweet to @NintendoUK and/or @NintendoEurope

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have fun, keep it clean, and stay classy, raindrops.



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I will be pretty busy with operation rainfall like I always am and I will be doing my part. I had a few ideas earlier today that I may run by the guys over at operation rainfall.

Okay till the morning.

Pandora's Tower Day 4:Music and Sound

First off I want to talk about who does the music for the game. Just their names and what they do for the game. I may get into them in a later post.
Yuichi Hirose does the Arrangement and Acoustics for the game.
 Takayuki Kobara does the Sound Composition,Arrangement, Music Direction,Acousitics for the game.
Finally Wataru Suzuki does the Music Direction.

These are from the Japan OST and they are really stunning.

This one is really sad and solemn and near the end it does slightly give a little hope to the player that you can pull through.

This one makes me feel that I am a small piece in a grand Tower in the world just looking to see what you can do to get up to the top of the Tower. 

This one gives me the feeling of unease and and that anything can go wrong. The creepy and unease someone feels when someone is watching you. 

I like how this one just hits you and never lets up. It is riveting and suspenseful and it gets your heart pumping!

 

Finally I will wrap up with the two main ones that I think most everyone are familar with. 

 

This is the song that Elena sings at the beginning of the game. It is very nice and beautiful and soothing. A very stark contrast to most music in the game. 

 

 

 The other song is the main theme for the game. 

These are just a small sample of the music in the game. There is 34 in the game. I will be focusing on the major developers for the game next because the rest of the stuff I have on my list kinda delve into spoiler territory.