The scheduled Nintendo 3DS update is now live! I've been playing around with the Folders option and it's pretty cool, definitely great for organizing eShop and DSiWare titles. I'll be updating this post with new features as I discover them, or when a Nintendo Press Release is available.

• Create Folders by selecting a blank space and clicking Create Folder at the bottom of the touch screen. Folders can be renamed, but no option for color has been included.
• Nintendo eShop has an updated look which streamlines some functions.
• Patches for games don't seem to be available at the moment. Will check back on this tomorrow.

 I haven't noticed anything else at the moment, stick around for a complete set of details.

I had intentions of posting this over the weekend, but forgot about it amidst all the big Nintendo announcements. Square-Enix really hit one home with the cover design for this game, so I just had to share; even if it is more than a couple days late!

The next issue of Nintendo Power has revealed Nintendo's plans to bring New Play Control! Pikmin 2 to North America this year! This is great news for fans wanting to catch up with the series before Pikmin 3 comes to the Wii U. It's also a little surprising considering Nintendo practically abandoned the New Play Control! series years ago.

No release date has been mentioned as of yet!

Nintendo surprises fans by adding a special "Surprise Me Box" reward for 300 coins, but worth over 500. Fans get a choice between Yoshi, Mario, Goomba, Luigi, Toad, or Peach Surprise Me Boxes and will receive two Club Nintendo rewards worth over 500 coins; however, they seem to be out of stock at the moment.

They were being offered in limited quantities, and because of their unique potential, they sold out quickly. This is an awesome way for Nintendo to clear out some old Club Nintendo inventory. Keep checking the Club Nintendo website to see if this reward becomes available again.

Square-Enix offers up a neat preview video covering the multiplayer features found in Heroes of Ruin. While most if it offers up some pretty basic combat strategies, there is a cool tidbit hidden inside the video. Heroes of Ruin will allow you join up with people as you play, so the drop-in, drop-out aspect is fully functional, but you will also be able to talk to anyone you play with; this includes those not on your friend list.

Direct Link As most of you know, I love me a good platformer, so when I heard that Power of Illusion was going to be one, I got really excited. Watching this video only makes said excitement grow. This game looks great in motion and including the Paint and Thinner mechanics will make this even more interesting. Looking forward to more information on this one!

There will be a small system update coming to the Nintendo 3DS on April 25th and it's definitely an interesting one. Nintendo is adding the ability to create folders which will help organize your HOME menu! Should be a neat feature, I would probably use it a lot actually, how about you?

There will also be a new feature added that allows you to select certain software to update. For example, Mario Kart 7 will have an update available soon that will fix those shortcut exploits, which is great news for those that play online!

Mario fans will be excited to learn that New Super Mario Bros. 2 will be launching on the Nintendo 3DS this August! I'm excited to see that the Super Leaf has been included, especially because it will operate similar to Super Mario Bros. 3. What other power-ups does Nintendo have in mind for this game? Will Kuribo's Shoe finally make another appearance?

Nintendo has announced plans to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Kirby series with a special compilation disc for the Wii! No games have been announced for the compilation, but it should be similar to the previous Super Mario All Stars collection.

I would really like to see all the Game Boy games make the cut, perhaps colored versions of them? What Kirby games do you want to see make the compilation?

Nintendo of America took to Twitter today to tell everybody they have got a special announcement coming at 8:30 P.M. PST. Looks like we will be getting our Nintendo Direct news a little later tonight!

How would you like to have a special Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy stylus and sticker set? Well, you can get one if you pre-order Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy in North America! You will get the stylus pictured above plus a set of 17 character stickers featuring the likes of Cloud, Terra, etc.

Neat little incentive for those interested in getting the game when it launches a little later this year.

Operation Rainfall is taking the Pandora's Tower campaign up a notch. They just recently announced that they will be putting together promotional kits, which will include a PAL copy of the game, and then send them off to six publishers they feel would be best suited for the localization.

This is a fantastic project and they are reaching out to the fans for some help. You can head over to the official webpage for the pitch and donate a few dollars if you wish. They will be giving out tiered rewards (like Kickstarter) as well. If you decide to donate $5 to the project they will be giving out high quality wallpapers, but if you donate $10 they will spend a special custom case that will hold all three games, much like a DVD set.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD HIGHLIGHTS NEW DIGITAL CONTENT FOR NINTENDO SYSTEMS - APRIL 19, 2012

April 19, 2012
This week's Nintendo Download includes the following featured content:

Nintendo eShop  
3D Classics: Kid Icarus – Relive Pit's first adventure in 3D Classics: Kid Icarus as you venture from the depths of the underworld up to the heights of the sky palace. Play in 2D or 3D as you face down the evil goddess Medusa. (For Nintendo 3DS)

Nintendo eShop
Pyramids (demo version) – Pyramids is a puzzle-platform game in which an explorer tries to get out of the pyramids with his loot. A variety of dangerous traps and monsters will put your dexterity and ingenuity to the test. This free demo is now available on Nintendo eShop. (For Nintendo 3DS)

Nintendo Video
 Dinosaur Office Season 2 Premiere (available April 20) – Need your fix of Cretaceous-period office destruction? Tune in to Nintendo Video this week for the premiere of Dinosaur Office Season 2! (For Nintendo 3DS)

Also new this week:
• I Must Run! (Nintendo eShop / Nintendo DSiWare) 

To view this week's Nintendo Download in its full graphical version, please visit: http://www.news2know.net/nintendo/downloadFy76rlZH.php.

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Not many Nintendo DS games get announced these days, but I consider it big news when one is announced. This is the case with today's announcement of Thundercats for the Nintendo DS. Thundercats is a sidescroller based on the new cartoon series. Thundercats fans will be able to get their hands on the game August 2012.

Just as I'm about to call it a day, Kotaku gets a confirmation from Nintendo that Pikmin 3 for the Wii U will be shown off at E3 2012! I'm sure this will make a lot of Pikmin fans extremely happy.

I'm not particularly excited, but personal opinions aside, I'm willing to give the series another shot. I'm hoping Pikmin 3 will be the game that gets me into Pikmin games.

I've been a little weary about posting this rumor, but it seems that Eurogamer has had an actual confirmation from Nintendo. Nintendo will apparently be debuting a brand new Super Mario Bros. game for the Wii U at this year's E3 2012 event! I'm hoping that it will be a launch title, but we'll likely have to wait until E3 2012 to get that information!

Remember you will be able to get all the Nintendo news from E3 2012 if you stick around this part of the Internet.

Paul Mercs Concerts announced Canadian tour dates for its Video Games Live show earlier today. This will be a brand new show featuring music from Zelda, Skyrim, Diablo III and more. You can check out the press release after the jump which gives more details on the tour including dates and venues. 

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I've shied away from sharing content from sites such as Dorkly and other similar content in recent months, but this was too good not to share. If you've ever wanted a Zelda musical you'll be happy to hear that YouTube user mitchellmoffit has created one for Zelda fans! This is a very enjoyable video with tons of Zelda references and songs. Hope you like!

Shin'en announced this morning that they are bringing Art of Balance TOUCH! to the Nintendo eShop. Art of Balance was previously released on the WiiWare service, as was Fun! Fun! Minigolf, so it would appear that this game will receive similar treatment. Expect this game to come out during Q2 of 2012.


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Grab your stylus and build a balanced stack in this physics-based puzzler!

Puzzle games must be addictive. This was our top priority during the development of the game. That's why we designed 200 levels that not only challenge your skills but also your imagination. With its perfect touch controls 'Art of Balance TOUCH!' is easy to pick up and hard to put away.

Seeking a real challenge? Then try out the new endurance mode and drive your score ever higher.

Art of Balance TOUCH! brings the ultimate 'just one more puzzle' experience to your Nintendo 3DS.
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I've posted the trailer the WiiWare version after the jump to give you an idea of what to expect with Art of Balance TOUCH!.
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Play Nintendo has just crossed 100,000 page views! It took a year and 3.5 months to reach this milestone and couldn't have been done without you! I will be releasing a Top 10 list in just a little bit to celebrate!

Thank you to those that have bookmarked the blog, subscribed to the RSS feed, my affiliates, and anyone else who has visited Play Nintendo!

-Rob Park"o"

The fine folks over at Operation Rainfall have begun a month long campaign centered around Pandora's Tower. This campaign isn't necessarily designed to get an announcement out of Nintendo, but rather to demonstrate the fans' interest in the game.

Hit the jump to check out the full press release from Operation Rainfall. You can find information on selected mass contact days and other events that will happen throughout the month.

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REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This week’s Nintendo Download includes the following featured content:

• Nintendo eShop
  • Ketzal’s Corridors – The evil god Koruptal has brought chaos and destruction to the spirit world, and it’s up to you to put things right. Use speed, skill and lightning-fast reflexes in this engaging, action-packed puzzle game. (For Nintendo 3DS)
• Nintendo Video
  • “Underneath the Sycamore” by Death Cab For Cutie (available April 14 at 9 a.m. PT) – With an old-time comic book feel, this unique 3D music video is set to an incredible song and follows a tragic investigation. (For Nintendo 3DS)

Also new this week:

• Anne’s Doll Studio: Tokyo Collection (Nintendo eShop / Nintendo DSiWare)

To view this week’s Nintendo Download in its full graphical version, please visit: http://www.news2know.net/nintendo/downloadMs5qUt9c.php

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Hey Play Nintendo readers! Thursday was the last time that I posted something, so I thought I'd drop in some random thoughts. Primarily, I've been spending a lot of time with Xenoblade Chronicles. So much time that it has been exhausting. Xenoblade Chronicles is a HUGE game; taking time to explore the world, complete quests, and dive into the story can really take a lot out of a person. However, if I could sum up m experience (so far that is) in one word, that word would be: wondrous.

I won't give up too many of my thoughts - those will be saved for the review - today, but what I will say is that the world of Xenoblade Chronicles is one of the best I've ever experienced in a video game. There is a humongous world to explore, but for me, the wonder comes in the design and not the size. When I realized that the world is actually part of a once living being, well, I should say when I really realized it, my breath was kind of taken away. Yes, I knew that the game would take place on two beings before starting the game, but experiencing it first hand is just surreal.


Every single environment is gorgeous and not lacking of history. Whenever I learned about the history in a given area, for some reason, I got the feeling that some serious shit went down here in the past, and now I'm retreading those same steps. I feel so strongly about the design of this world that I'm willing to say that it makes Skyward Sword look lazy in comparison. For those who haven't read my Skyward Sword review, I gushed about Skyloft, but think that Xenoblade Chronicles establishes its setting much better.

I've got a ton more to say about Xenoblade Chronicles, which I'm saving for the review, so let's get to the other random thought on my mind.



I'm always on the lookout to buy video games at a good price and I just recently acquired a game for a ridiculously low price, at EB Games. No, I'm not talking about Metroid: Other M (which I'm hoping to get back to after Xenoblade Chronicles) that I got for 10 bucks new. Nor am I talking about the mint condition Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes that I got there for 10 bucks. In what I think is the best score ever, I picked up Splinter Cell on the GameCube for $0.99; I nearly shit myself on the spot. OK, so it might not be the best deal ever, but for a dollar and some change, I got to add a complete Splinter Cell to my slowly growing collection. Come to think of it, I got Splinter Cell Conviction there for 4 bucks as well.

Just thought I'd share some of this with you in between a slow news weekend. There are some interview quotes and rumors floating around, but for a decent amount of time I've been about quality news, so as always I've neglected to post that stuff. Besides a post from last week that could quite possibly end up being bad judgement on my part - hey, I'm human! - I think I've done a good job of establishing the bar for quality around here. On that note, I'm hoping to get another auction up this week to get the remaining funds for a REAL website, something I've wanted from the start. I can be a bit ambitious sometimes, but my intentions are true, so I'll have to keep you posted on how that goes.

For now, take care, play fair.

-Lamester Parko

 I'm now finished with this live blog, it was a neat experiment and you can still read it if you'd like!


Join me as I live blog through my playthrough of Xenoblade Chronicles! I will be online for approximately four hours to get things started! Chat with me if you can, or just read a few lines when you have time! I just hope this is a fun little event! Cheers!  

 

Looks like there will be a variety of Special Games to play when Mario Tennis Open smashes its way onto our Nintendo 3DS handhelds next month. The classic Ring Shot will be back, but we will also be getting some new, intriguing games. Super Mario Tennis combines the original Super Mario Bros with Mario Tennis to create quite the unique experience. Galaxy Rally combines elements of the Super Mario Galaxy games with Mario Tennis.

In addition to the special games, Nintendo adds more replay value with the in-game shop. Earn coins then use them in the in-game shop to purchase new gear to customize your Mii characters. This is definitely shaping up to be an awesome addition to the Mario Tennis family.

Three of the biggest Square-Enix Nintendo 3DS games have finally been given official release dates. First up is the Action RPG, Heroes of Ruin, which is slated for a release on June 26, 2012. Gamers will be able to take part in online play, real-time chat with the 3DS microphone, and experience seamless drop-in and drop-out multiplayer.

Final Fantasy fans looking forward to the quirky rhythm game, Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, will be able to pick it up at retailers on July 3rd, 2012. In addition to their July lineup will be the highly anticipated Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Fans can expect to pick up the latest Disney crossover on July 31st, 2012.

Square-Enix Fans will have a very busy month of July from the look of things!

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NINTENDO DOWNLOAD HIGHLIGHTS NEW DIGITAL CONTENT FOR NINTENDO SYSTEMS - APRIL 5, 2012 April 5, 2012 This week's Nintendo Download includes the following featured content: Nintendo eShop   Colors! 3D - Colors! 3D is a simple yet robust painting application that combines ease of use and powerful painting tools. Tailored for touch-screen devices, it caters to everyone from serious artists to aimless doodlers. (For Nintendo 3DS) Nintendo Video World Exclusive Premiere "The Rifle's Spiral" by The Shins (available April 6) - The band's jaw-dropping new video for "The Rifle's Spiral" was directed by Jamie Caliri. Don't miss his stop-motion animation masterpiece off the band's new album, Port of Morrow. (For Nintendo 3DS) WiiWare TNT Racers - TNT Racers is a fun multiplayer game that combines fast-as-lightning racing action with new features. TNT stands for Tracks N Tricks - cool tracks and snappy gadgets lead to one powerful adrenaline kick. (For Wii) Nintendo eShop   Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Two and Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion - Tune in to Nintendo Show 3D for an exclusive interview with Warren Spector, creator of the Disney Epic Mickey franchise. (For Nintendo 3DS) Also new this week:  Penguin Patrol (Nintendo eShop / Nintendo DSiWare)  To view this week's Nintendo Download in its full graphical version, please visit: http://www.news2know.net/nintendo/downloadVcd8z6R2.php.

 Direct Link 
I love the art in this game; so simple, yet amazing. I haven't followed any of the Japanese coverage for the game, so I'm excited to play this game. Should be an interesting June for Nintendo fans.

Starting tomorrow, I will have one post on the main site dedicated to bringing my Xenoblade Chronicles playthrough to you live. I will blog about the game during the game's plot, quests, battles, and anytime there is something cool to report.

Said post will be full of spoilers, so please take that into consideration if you're checking it out; I'm not holding back on anything either, so tread lightly if you haven't played the game yet.

I will be doing a straight forward, blind playthrough of the game; I've never watched any videos (besides trailers), or read any guides, hopefully, I will provide a fresh view of the game. I plan to play in four hour increments and expect the story to take anywhere from 40 to 60 hours. I will mark the hours on the live blog, as well as number the increments.

I will still post the biggest and best Nintendo news updates in between, but I will be stuck to this game like glue for the majority of the weekend. I plan to write a Xenoblade Chronicles review only after I have completed the game, so there's no telling when that will be ready.

If you could share this live blog with others, that would be fantastic! I think it will make for an interesting read and will provide some content during an unusually quiet pre-E3 season.

Nintendo surprised me this morning with a press release stating that odd  Pokemon crossover, Pokemon + Nobunaga's Ambition, would be coming to North America on June 18th, 2012 under the title: Pokemon Conquest.

Pokemon Conquest is developed by Tecmo Koei and will be coming to the Nintendo DS. The adventure takes place during the Japanese feudal era in a world called Ransei where a young warlord is linked with a Pokemon. They must gather allies to protect the kingdom in turn-based skirmishes. There will be over 200 Pokemon in the game as well as warriors and warlords inspired by that particular era. Choosing the right Pokemon to inflict the maximum amount of damage is still important, though now there will be six-on-six strategic battles that will have changing conditions on each turn.

If there was ever an interesting Nintendo DS game, this would be it. Too bad it's coming late in the life of the handheld. Will you be picking up this game in June?

Last week was the final week for counting Xenoblade Chronicles pre-orders and the final number is in! VGChartz is reporting that Xenoblade Chronicles has accumulated a total of 187,091 pre-orders making it the fifth most pre-ordered game in North America. That's a fantastic number for this game and shows that gamers want to prove a point to Nintendo.

Note: VGChartz numbers may not be 100% correct, take these numbers with a grain of salt for now.

I got a phone call on Sunday from EB Games that said I could pick up my copy of Xenoblade Chronicles on April 5th; one day earlier than the official release date. This is of course because of the Good Friday holiday that will be observed. Maybe I will be able to get my review out one day earlier!

I'm posting this today because I just received an e-mail from Nintendo of Canada with a small press release to inform you of the early release date. Here is the full press release:

Nintendo News: An epic battle of man versus machine comes to Canada early with the April 5 launch of Xenoblade Chronicles!

Xenoblade Chronicles™, the new, highly-anticipated role-playing adventure for the Nintendo Wii™ console, is arriving on Canadian store shelves this Thursday, April 5^th  at 2pm ET– the day before the U.S. launch!

Xenoblade Chronicles follows the story of Shulk, a weapons researcher who must wield the ancient Monado blade against the mechanical menace of invading Mechon robots. Players can customize their characters with a variety of weapons and armour, in addition to earning character upgrades through experience. Adventurous players are also free to shift their focus from the main story and seek out other challenges and side quests.

Xenoblade Chronicles has already launched in Japan and Europe, and has received unanimously positive reviews, including several perfect scores. For more information, visit http://xenobladechronicles.nintendo.com

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Three new titles have been added to Nintendo's Featured Games reward section over at Club Nintendo. Looks like there's a better selection this month with two Wii titles and a DSiWare game. If you have some points to spare, there may be something to find here this month.

You, Me, and the Cubes - WiiWare - 200 Coins
Excitebike: World Rally - WiiWare - 200 Coins
Metal Torrent - DSiWare - 150 Coins