News: Let The Yoshi QR Code Hunt Begin

Ahead of Mario Tennis Open's UK release next week, Nintendo are launching a nationwide hunt for QR codes in the UK. These codes will unlock special playable Yoshi's characters in Mario Tennis Open.

The hunt kicks off on 25th and 26th of May, where you will find special Black Yoshis in selected ASDA stores across the UK. More codes will appear in different places over the coming weeks, including white, blue and red Yoshi codes...

YOSHI CHASE RAMPS UP MARIO TENNIS OPEN LAUNCH

Track down the playable Yoshis by finding the Mario Tennis Open QR codes

18th May - In an exciting Nintendo 3DS exclusive, a massive Yoshi hunt will soon become available ahead of the upcoming Mario Tennis Open launch on 25th May. The hunt, entitled The Yoshi Chase, will involve tracking down a series of different-coloured Yoshis, playable in Mario Tennis Open, through corresponding QR codes released over the coming weeks through various channels. The Black Yoshi will be the first to be released but there are many more in the pipeline so keep your eyes peeled.

Each Yoshi QR code will be released in a variety of different ways and at different times, so you will have to stay alert to find them – the Black Yoshi will be distributed first exclusively through 30 Asda stores on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th May, between the hours of 9.30AM and 5.30PM. White, Blue and Red Yoshi will follow at a later date. These characters can only be activated with the QR code held by in-store sampling teams, so be sure to come down with your Nintendo 3DS so you don’t miss out.

Mario Tennis Open is packed full of Mario-themed arcade tennis action. Choose from singles or doubles matches, single player and multiplayer modes and a variety of special games such as Super Mario Tennis, Ring Shot and Galaxy Rally. With easy to pick up and play gameplay and a range of modes to suite your mood, you will be serving up a storm before you know it.

As well as the ability to customize your character with new rackets, clothing and trainers, there is also a choice of 11 different court surfaces which affect the angle, speed and bounce of the ball, with each one set in a familiar location from the Mario series. In addition, you can easily select from a range of classic tennis shots such as Topspin, Slice or Drop Shot to take down your opponent via the Touch Screen on your Nintendo 3DS.

Mario Tennis Open also makes full use of the online capabilities of Nintendo 3DS by allowing you to play against random opponents and friends on the Nintendo Network as well as playing over local wireless connections. Depending on your performance in Open Matches played over the Nintendo Network, you could get added to the leaderboard and see yourself rise to the top. Online matches will see you paired against opponents with similar strengths and weaknesses to you; defeat them to rise up the rankings!

Black Yoshi will be available at the following Asda stores: Minworth Supercentre, Tamworth Supercentre, Patchway Supercentre, Cardiff Supercentre, Queensferry Supercentre, Ellesmere Port Supercentre, Coventry Supercentre, Derby Supercentre, Hessle Great Bridge Supercentre, Govan Livingston Supercentre (SOL), Huyton Supercentre, Pudsey Supercentre, Eastlands Supercentre, Trafford Park Supercentre, Gravesend, Milton Keynes Supercentre, Gateshead, West Bridgford, Havant Supercentre (SOL), Dagenham, Cortonwood Living, Haydon Supercentre (SOL), Eastleigh Supercentre, Eastgate Supercentre, Lower Earley, Watford Supercentre, Wigan Supercentre, Leicester Fosse Park.

For more information, please refer to http://www.nintendo.co.uk/ and follow NintendoUK on Twitter.

Mario Tennis Open arrives on 3DS on the 25th May 2012, we'll have a review of the much awaited sporting game along soon...

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

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News: Catch Two New Pokemon Games on 3DS E-Shop

Along with the upcoming sequel to Pokemon Black and White 2, another two new Pokemon apps have been announced to be coming to the 3DS E-Shop. Pokemon Dream Radar and Pokedex 3D Pro look like two great additions to the 3DS E-Shop.

Pokémon Dream Radar lets players use several different features of the Nintendo 3DS system, including the Nintendo 3DS camera, motion control and augmented-reality technology, to catch Pokémon by moving the Nintendo 3DS to discover hidden Pokémon. Players can catch the Pokémon by moving the Nintendo 3DS to aim and shoot beams at them. Caught Pokémon from Pokémon Dream Radar can be transferred into Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2, helping players build their roster of Pokémon. Pokémon Dream Radar also includes some hard-to-get Pokémon, giving players even more incentive to catch them for their game. Pokémon Dream Radar will be available exclusively for purchase via download from the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS.

Pokédex 3D Pro is a fully enhanced and upgraded version of the original Pokédex 3D application. It includes detailed information about the more than 600 Pokémon featured in the history of the Pokémon video game series. Pokédex 3D Pro also includes in-depth sorting, comparison and ranking tools, as well as comprehensive details on what abilities each Pokémon can learn and how it evolves. Additionally, the application includes extensive augmented-reality capabilities, including the ability to take photos of Pokémon in the real world. With Pokédex 3D Pro, all known Pokémon are unlocked from the start, allowing players to access a wealth of information that will be useful as they play through Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2. Pokédex 3D Pro will be available exclusively for purchase via download from the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS.

Pokemon Dream Radar and Pokedex 3D Pro are both expected to land in Europe and North America this Autumn. Hopefully we'll find out some more details at E3 this year...

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

News: Nintendo E-Shop Downloads (17/05/12)

The 3DS E-Shop and Wii Shop Channel has got two demos and a Kirby game this week, here are this weeks downloads...

Kirby's Dream Land 2 (3DS VC) - £3.60 - Nintendo - A true classic sequel to the original Kirby's Dream Land on Gameboy. A must have for all Kirby fans!

Bird Mania 3D (3DSWare) - £1.80 - Teyon - The first budget 3DSWare title. Quite a challenge provided by Teyon for a small price. Find out more in our upcoming review...

Rayman Origins (3DS Demo) - Free - Ubisoft - Rayman Origins was an awesome platform game that only compares to the likes of Mario. You can get a small portion of this amazing platform game for free! Check out our review to see how awesome it is!

2 Fast 4 Gnomz (WiiWare Demo) - Free - QubicGames - Enjoy flinging Gnomes? They may be a little fast, but 2 Fast 4 Gnomz is the game for you. We'll fling a review your way soon.

That's everything this week, the games are available on the Wii Shop Channel and 3DS E-Shop this Thursday. Will you be downloading anything?

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

Feature: 3DSWare Download Favourites

The 3DS E-Shop has been credited for it's range of quality titles on a small budget. Some of the titles that make up this excellent range are 3DSWare titles. 3DSWare games are new and fresh titles in 3D, available only to download on the 3DS E-Shop. We've put together 5 of our favourite 3DSWare games...

Colors! 3D
This recently released 3D painting application has a brilliant range of tools. It's great if you fancy being the next Picasso or Van Gogh. We reckon that Colors! 3D is one of the best and easiest ways of creating 3D Art Work. If you fancy a DSiWare alternative, check out Inchworm Animation.

Mutant Mudds
Mutant Mudds screams retro platform shooter! The ability to flip between dimensions adds, well, an extra dimension to the game! Underneath, Mutant Mudds is just a simple platformer game, where you shoot gooey monster things. Mutant Mudds isn't available in Europe yet, but you can still check out our review.

Dillon's Rolling Western
3DSWare is all about original content, Dillon's Rolling Western is 100% original. It feels like the 3DS was designed for Dillon's Rolling Western. The game sees you placing turrets to defend villagers at night. Dillon's Rolling Western is brilliant and Dillon is a new found Nintendo hero!

VVVVVV
VVVVVV was only released in Europe this week, along while after it's North American release. It was more than worth the wait though, as VVVVVV is truly an excellent retro inspired platformer. VVVVVV has a unique flipping gimmick that allows the game's propagandist to flip from the level's roof onto the floor at any time. We'll have our review along soon...

Pullblox
Intelligent Systems have created an awesome little guy, in the form of Mallo. Mallo travels the land, pulling boxes to reach the top of puzzles to rescue his little friends. Intelligent Systems have truly displayed what puzzle games are all about. They have revolutionized a very tired and old genre, and freshened up the download scene. To find out more about Pullblox, check out our review.

There you have it, our 3DSWare Download Favourites. We recommend you check them all out, they're all great games in their own right. We also want to know, What are you're favourite 3DSWare games? Let us know in the comments below...

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

Discussion: Your Wii U Name Change Ideas

After the 3DS' identity crisis, Nintendo are very concerned that people will mistake the Wii U for the Wii, much like the 3DS was mistaken for the DS. It is quite possible that Nintendo will announce the new name for their new Home Console at this year's E3 Conference. We've put together our name change ideas, and we also wan't to hear yours...

Nintendo 7
Nintendo 7 sounds new and fresh, it's numerical system sounds very appealing to 'experienced' gamers. Although, we wouldn't like Nintendo to get stuck on a system where they name every console after a number!

Super Wii
Maybe this one sounds a little too much like the Wii, but it does sound cool! It's like NES and SNES, Wii and Super Wii. There never appeared to be too much confusion between them two.

M.A.R.I.O
Genius! A Nintendo console named after Nintendo's own Mascot! Nintendo could announce a complete re-design of their new console aswell! Mario Red! Maybe one day...

The Super Iwata Entertainment System
This would be a little vein of Satoru Iwata, but it would be funny! I can't imagine Nintendo would receive alot of credit for naming a console after their president, but we'd love to see it!

Now it's time for you to get involved, we want you to send us your new Wii U name ideas. You can leave your ideas in the comments section below. You could leave your new names on our Google Plus page, or you could even send us a quick tweet. Alternatively, you could drop us an e-mail via our contact form. We look forward to hearing your ideas...

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

News: Nintendo E-Shop Downloads (10/05/12)

Here are your European Downloads for WiiWare and 3DS E-Shop this week...

Sonic Labyrinth (3DS VC) - £4.50 - SEGA - The not so brilliant, Sonic 3D adventure makes it's return. Dis-colored graphics, choppy frame rate! What more could you want from a game? Not exactly Sonic's greatest hour!

VVVVVV (3DSWare) - £7.20 - Nicalis - Nearly six months after it's North American release, VVVVVV finally reaches European shores. But it's quality more than compensates, look out for our upcoming review.

Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Wii VC) - 900 points - SEGA - Wonder Boy sure has aged, but the gameplay is still playable. Check it out if you've completed every other platformer.

Monster World IV (Wii VC) - 900 points - SEGA - And, yet another Virtual Console download from SEGA this week! But the quality of this one is much better! A great side-scrolling RPG all round!

Curling Super Championship - 500 points - Cypronia - Fortunately, this one won't see you curling your DS across an Ice Rink. But it will give you some Championship Curling fun!

And that's your lot! Look out for the downloads arriving on the 3DS E-Shop and Wii Shop channel on Thursday. Anything for you this week?

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

Interview: Ludosity (Alien Chaos 3D)

Ludosity are bringing their latest 3D Side Scrolling Shooter to the 3DS E-Shop. We caught up with them to get the low down about their latest game...

Nintendo Fans Online: Hello Ludosity, Could you briefly introduce yourselves to our readers?

Ludosity: Ludosity is a small but diverse game studio from Sweden. We've made a ton of games by now – “Bob Came In Pieces” which is on Steam being the biggest released game so far. We've also made a lot of smaller titles across Xbox Live Indiegames, Flash, etc. We always have a number of titles in the pipeline, and even more ideas bubbling, wanting to become games! We have very high energy levels here, lots of creativity.

NFO: Alien Chaos is your upcoming 3DS E-Shop Game. Could you briefly explain what the game is about for our readers?

Ludosity: Alien Chaos is a game about the downsides of our consumer society, and taking responsibility for ones actions. Just kidding, it's about blowing stuff up. But you do have clean up the mess you leave - all the spent ammo and debris from exploded robots will have to be recycled to make new ammo. If you don't clean, you will run out, so there's a constant battle between mayhem and resources.

NFO: Is Alien Chaos a direct successor to Mama and Son Clean House on Xbox Live?

Ludosity: It is, yes. There was a name-change due to publisher concerns, but the games share fundamental gameplay. However for the 3DS version, we fused the role of the mother into the main character. Also we added a ton of new content, such as new weapons, enemies, bosses, and a proper story-line. 

NFO: Why did you choose to bring your latest game to 3DS E-Shop? Have you always been big Nintendo Fans?

Ludosity: We jumped on the chance to develop for the Nintendo 3DS because we love it and it was a dream come true working on a Nintendo machine that wasn't even out when we started. All of us are Nintendo fans, and it doesn't get much better than that!

NFO: Humour is a very prominent theme in Alien Chaos 3D? Has this always been something that you wanted in the game?

Ludosity: Yes, humour is very important. And we could never make a serious game about shooting and killing. We could perhaps make a serious game about, say, love or friendship, but a serious game about destruction and death? Come on. Seriously, I can't help but laugh when I see game after game with giant macho men prancing around killing stuff to save the world, being 100% serious. They just look hilarious to me.

NFO: How has the 3DS and it's features helped you improve Alien Chaos 3D? Has the 3DS version brought anything new to the game?

Ludosity: We use the stereoscopic 3D of course for added visual bang, but the coolest feature of the 3DS, to me, is StreetPass. And we put it to very good use in Alien Chaos! There are 10 extra Challenge Levels where you go for high-score to get a star. All the friends you StreetPass with will be automatically challenged, and you compete with each other for the stars. We play it all the time ourselves here at the office, it's great fun!

NFO: Will we see Alien Chaos 3D being released any time soon? Or is the game still in development?

Ludosity: The game is done, and is on its way out now! No set date yet, but it shouldn't be long.

NFO: Do you have any ideas for the upcoming Wii U lined up? Are you interested in developing for it?

Ludosity: We're extremely interested in the Wii U, and have of course a number of ideas for it. We can't disclose anything today though.

NFO: Thanks alot Ludosity, we can't wait to see more of Alien Chaos 3D and we look forward to speaking to you again in the future...

Alien Chaos 3D is coming soon to the 3DS E-Shop, we'll have review along soon...

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

Feature: Nintendo E3 2012 Predictions

E3 2012 is edging ever nearer, Nintendo's show this year is set to be one of their biggest yet. We've put together our predictions of what will be taking place on the stage and in Nintendo's Booth...

Super Mario 2 3DS
It's almost certain that we will see more of Super Mario 2 for 3DS, the game was recently announced to be making it's big return on the Nintendo 3DS. E3 2012 has to tell us more about the new game, currently details are few and far between...

Wii U Name Change
Nintendo are showing increasing concern about the Wii U's name, this is all because of what happened with the 3DS. People thought the 3DS was just another DS so they didn't purchase it. Nintendo obviously believe this will happen yet again with the Wii U. So I'd imagine, Nintendo will showcase a brand new name for their upcoming Home console.

Kirby's 20th Anniversary
Look at how Zelda's 25th Anniversary was celebrated at E3 last year, if Kirby's 20th Anniversary is only slightly like that this year, then it's going to be big! Nintendo will probably showcase a whole host of Kirby related goodness, along with Kirby's upcoming compilation for Wii!

Long Awaited 3DS Titles
There are some 3DS titles that we have been waiting ages for! We're talking about you Animal Crossing 3D and Luigi's Mansion 2. We should hopefully see some near finalised versions of these games along with some information about their release dates etc...

Super Smash Bros. 3DS and Wii U
We haven't really had much information about the next Super Smash Bros game, other than we know that it is coming. We'd like to see a very early trailer of the game at this year's E3 conference! Plus, we'd love to discover that it is going to be a Wii U launch game...

New Donkey Kong Game
It's a long shot, but we haven't had a new Donkey Kong Game in a long while. It would be great to see the next Donkey Kong Country title coming to Wii U at launch!

QR Goodies
Nintendo will probably have QR Codes dotted everywhere. Their booth will be full of codes to scan and users can receive exclusive Miis, Puzzles etc... Nintendo may even flash some codes up during their conference for users to get exclusive content...

Download Games
Nintendo will reveal a second wave of Download Titles for 3DS E-Shop and Wii U App Store. Loads of new content and downloadable games. Maybe even some free goodies aswell!

Pikmin 3
E3 2012 will reveal loads more about the new Pikmin Game. Miyamoto will come on stage dressed as a Pikmin and demonstrate the new game on Wii U...

Nintendo's E3 Conference takes place on Tuesday 5th June, we'll have live text coverage of the event via our Twitter page. The live coverage will also be available right here! You'll be able to chat along live with us during the event via Twitter (Using the hashtag - #NFOE3).


What are your E3 2012 predictions? What would you like to see on the stage this year? Let us know in the comments below...

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

News: Kid Icarus Uprising Event Coming This Saturday

After a successful event in London last week, The Kid Icarus: Uprising Battle Squad are coming to HMV Reading Oracle on Saturday 5th May 2012 between 12:00 and 16:00...

Players will be able to take on the Battle Squad challenge and win some awesome prizes, including a Nintendo 3DS console. You'll get an exclusive poster just for taking part, and a special AR card if you beat the pro! Plus, there will be many other challenges throughout the day!

The event will be a great opportunity to Streetpass with other fans. So make sure you get down there with your 3DS this Saturday!

Other Event Dates:

hmv Reading Oracle – Saturday 5^th May

hmv Birmingham Bullring – Saturday 12^th May

hmv Brighton Churchill – Saturday 19^th May

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

News: Step Into THE CUBE on 3DS and Wii Soon

The official game of ITV's smash hit TV show, THE CUBE is coming to Nintendo Wii and 3DS. THE CUBE game will feature many of the TV show's challenges and will have you playing for (not so real) cash!

THE CUBE will be released on 5th October 2012 and the game will be coming to 3DS, Wii and Playstation 3. THE CUBE will be developed exclusively by FUNBOX, a UK based development team.

We can't wait to see more of the new game. But 'Do you have what it takes to beat THE CUBE?'.

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

News: Nintendo's E3 2012 Conference Schedule

Ahead of this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, Nintendo have revealed the time and date of their conference...

The conference kicks off at 5pm UK time (9am PDT) on Tuesday 5th June. We're sure to find out a whole lot more about the upcoming Wii U, along with a load of new info about upcoming games! We'll be tweeting along live, as the event happens...

You'll be able to read all of our live updates right here! Plus, we're inviting you to join us as we tweet along live! Just tweet using the hashtag (#NFOE3). And catch up with all the updates on out Twitter Page.

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

Competition: Win a Copy of Inchworm Animation for 3DS!

Inchworm Animation is the current killer app for DS and 3DS, and the game was recently released on DSiWare. To celebrate, we've got two copies of the game to give away! Just answer the question...

To be in with a chance of winning, read our Inchworm Animation Review and answer the following question:

What score did we award Inchworm Animation in our review?

1. 3.5
2. 4.0
3. 4.5

Read our review carefully, to find the answer. This competition is open to UK residents only, and participants must own a European Nintendo 3DS console. The competition download codes DO NOT WORK ON DSI, DS LITE OR DS. The codes can only be used on 3DS consoles! Before participating, please read the terms and conditions below, very carefully. Good Luck!

Fill out my online form.

Terms and Conditions

Competition winners will be randomly picked from the entrants. Competition closes 08/05/12 (unless otherwise stated to be extended). If your prize game code does not work, for whatever reason, we are not prepared to provide a replacement and will not be held liable. Only UK residents are permitted to enter. The prize is only compatible with the Nintendo 3DS and Not DSi, DS Lite or Nintendo DS. If the game does not work with your system, we will not be held liable. Entrants under the age of 16 years, more seek adult permission before entering. The prize is not exchangeable for a cash alternative. No employees of NFO UK Group may enter this competition...

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

News: Nintendo E-Shop Downloads (03/05/12)

Here are your European Nintendo Downloads for WiiWare, Virtual Console and 3DS E-Shop this week...

Super Hang On (Wii VC) - 900 points - SEGA - The first Virtual Console Arcade game in a long while. SEGA's brilliant arcade racer is a shot of racing fun from the past!

Game & Watch Gallery 2 (3DS VC) - £3.60 - Nintendo - The second compilation of LCD era Nintendo games. We'll have a bleeping review along soon...

Cat Frenzy (DSiWare) - 200 points - Teyon - Teyon says that you can't have a puzzle game without kittens and cute pups. We beg to differ, but maybe it's your thing...


That's this weeks downloads, look out for them this Thursday! Are you getting anything this week?

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

Review: Inchworm Animation (DSiWare)

When Flipnote Studio arrived on DSiWare back in 2009, it brought something unique to the service! It gave creativity a new home on the Nintendo DSi and allowed anyone to get animating. Now in 2012, three years after the release of Flipnote Studio, Inchworm Animation hopes to expand on Flipnote's success...

Inchworm Animation is an utterly brilliant piece of animation software, it offers everything that is needed to create the next Pixar Production. Inchworm Animation provides everything that Flipnote studio left us wanting, and allows room for some mean animations to be created.

Inchworm Animation provides such a vast array of tools and features, we doubt that you'll ever be able to implement them into one animation. With so many features, Inchworm Animation could easily become confusing and tricky to use, but the excellent and intuitive interface makes animating a complete breeze!

The developers of Inchworm Animation are themselves, primarily animators and designers. You get a real sense that the developers have implemented every feature that they themselves would use.

We absolutely love Inchworm's stop motion feature, allowing you to create short stop motion films from pictures taken with your Nintendo DSi Camera. This is a great feature for anyone not quite up to drawing out their creations. Plus it's a feature available nowhere else on the DSi.

Inchworm Animation has a very heavy emphasis on online sharing. The game allows you to save your animations to an SD card, and upload them to the Inchworm Animation website. It would have been great to have seen built-in connectivity to upload the animations straight to the website, but in an interview with ourselves, the developers explained why we didn't see this happen.

In conclusion, Inchworm Animation is a completely amazing Animation Package and provides everything that we didn't get with Flipnote Studio. We also sat the developers of this game down, and gave them a good grilling. Look out for our upcoming competition, to win a copy of the game!

4.0 /5 - A Great Animation Package!

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

News: Wii Dead? It's Selling More Than PS Vita

The Playstation Vita is a console at it's prime, a new born. Whilst the Wii is getting old now! It's in it's twilight years. But it appears Nintendo's nearly dead Home Console is still outselling the latest Handheld console on the Market!

This was truly astonishing news to come out of Iwata's Investor meeting. The Playstation Vita is also being beaten by both Nintendo's 3DS and PSP in Europe. For a console with a lot of hype, The Playstation Vita really isn't doing to well!

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

News: Wii U Will Have Download Games From Day One

Learning from another of the 3DS' mistakes, Nintendo have announced that Download Games will be available at Launch on the upcoming Wii U... 


Iwata assured Investors that the Wii U will feature a Download Store on launch day! We don't yet know what software will be available on this download store, but we understand that it will be there for users to enjoy.

We're hoping for a whole host of 'Wii-Uware' games, along with previous WiiWare and Wii VC titles, although we don't know if full retail games will be available from launch!

What do you want from the Wii U Download Store? Let us know in the comments below...

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

News: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy UK Release Date is Here!

A lot of excitement is building up about the upcoming Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy for Nintendo 3DS. The new game has now been given a UK release date, but it's still a little while away...

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy will be arriving on UK shelves from July 6th 2012. Furthermore, early adopters of the game will receive special themed stylus when pre-ordering the game from Amazon.co.uk.

Will you be buying Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy for Nintendo 3DS? Do you think that the release date is a little far away? Let us know in the comments below...

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

Interview: Flat Black Films (Inchworm Animation)

Nearly a year after it was released in North America, Flat Black Films are finally bringing Inchworm Animation to DSiWare in Europe. We caught up with them to give them a good grilling about their latest game...

Nintendo Fans Online: Hello Flat Black Films, could you briefly introduce yourselves to our readers?

FBF: My name is Bob Sabiston, Flat Black Films is the animation company I started after college in 1994.  We animated the movies "Waking Life" and "A Scanner Darkly", as well as a bunch of short films.  I am a graphics programmer.  Inchworm Animation is the realization of a dream of mine -- to bring an animation system to a handheld device.

NFO: Inchworm Animation is your latest DSiWare game. Could you briefly explain what the game is about for our readers?

FBF: It is basically the kind of paint and animation program I wanted for myself to carry around. It's got nice antialised brushes that can change width as you draw.  It's got good photo-capture tools for stop-motion and time-lapse.  It has layers, a pattern editor, shapes -- most of the things people expect in a paint system.

The animation is arranged so that each layer can be a still or have its own animation loop.  You can hold each frame for a designated amount of time.  The device has a limited amount of memory, so instead of a set maximum number of frames, the animation is uncompressed on the fly.  That means that if your animation is simple, it can last very long, with many frames.  If it's very complicated with lots of patterns and shading, then you will have less time available.

NFO: You are primarily animators and designers. Is the purpose of Inchworm Animation to spread your love of animating to everyone?


FBF: Yes, you might say that!  It would be cool if some kids got interested in animation because of Inchworm.  I know that sometimes artists can get as obsessed with a painting or animation as other people do with an intense game.  It gives those people another reason to carry the device around with them.

From what people upload to the site, it seems that most people are really getting into the stop-motion tools.  For the European release, I added a video-onionskin feature to the stop-motion, so that as you line up your next frame, you can see a ghost image of the one that you previously recorded.

NFO: Of all the devices out there, why did you choose a Nintendo console? Have you always loved Nintendo and was Nintendo DS the only option?


FBF: Yes, I have always loved Nintendo -- especially Zelda.  I would buy a Nintendo console just to play the newest Zelda.  Skyward Sword was awesome.

I started Inchworm way back in 2006, when the DS was really the only handheld device around.  The two screens and stylus really seemed well-adapted to animation.  So I wrote to Nintendo and asked to become a registered developer.  

Since then, of course, iPhones and iPads have come along, and the 3DS, but this was such a long process that I really just had to finish up on the DS, where it started.  To be honest, I am not a fan of drawing with my finger, so I am reluctant to develop any kind of art program for the iOS devices yet.  I know you can buy an iPad stylus but it is still kind of a half-baked solution -- they don't have sharp tips.

NFO: It's taken over a year for Inchworm Animation to arrive in Europe! Is there a specific reason why the European release date is significantly later than the North American one?


FBF: Man, I didn't plan for it to take so long.  Immediately after the US launch last year, I started getting people to translate the manual into the four other languages required for Europe.  That was really the only thing I thought had to be done.  But once I submitted it last fall, it turns out that much of the translations had to be re-done by a professional QA company familiar with Nintendo terminology.  Then we just had another long string of submissions and rejections.  Seven times I sent it in, only to have it returned with a handful of minor technical issues they had found.  

Inchworm is a very unusual title for a gaming device, so I don't know if that complicated the process.  We used a professional QA company to do testing, but I think even they might not have known how to test it completely.  On a comparatively little device, Inchworm's trying to do a lot.  And I take most of the blame for not hiring more people to just endlessly use it and test it for bugs.  This has been a very small operation, mostly just myself and a website guy.

NFO: Inchworm Animation costs only 500 Nintendo Points in North America. But when the game came to Europe, the price was increased to 800 points. Is there any specific reasoning behind this price increase?


FBF: I'm sorry about that.  I did initially submit it for 500 points, but they told me that Nintendo was going to take a much larger percentage than they did in the US version.  Apparently this is because of the download size of the game (we use the maximum size because it is used as storage space for user's animation).  Hopefully it will not deter people from buying it.  I feel that for artists or people interested in this sort of thing it is well worth the money.


Update: Bob, from Flat Black Films recently contacted us to let us know that the European price has been dropped to 500 points, like the North American Version! This is after a lot of upset amongst fans!


NFO: Flipnote Studio is Nintendo's own Animation Package for DSiWare. Is Inchworm Animation in a way, a spiritual desendent to Flipnote Studio?


FBF: Well, like I say, I started Inchworm way back in 2006, long before Flipnote was around. So who knows, it might even be the other way around.  But they are closely related either way.  Flipnote has its strengths, like sound and the built in web-connectivity.  Inchworm excels in the quality of artwork possible and the depth of tools.  I hope that people who like Flipnote will want to try Inchworm as well.

NFO: Inchworm Animation has a very heavy emphasis on Online sharing via the game's website. Was this a feature you wished to implement from the word go?


FBF: Yes.  Originally web connectivity was built into the game.  But Nintendo would not permit us to include it.  However, they fortunately did allow us to export to the SD card -- so I am happy with that solution.  Hopefully people will take the time to upload their work to the site (www.inchwormanimation.com) so that people can see what is being done with Inchworm.


NFO: Why did you decide to release Inchworm Animation on the DSi in it's later years? Would the 3DS not have been a more suitable home?


FBF: Well, like I said, this all started six years ago -- there wasn't even a DSi then!  By the time the 3DS came out, I was too far along w/ the DSi version to stop.

I would love to put it on the 3DS. I actually developed a much larger version of the game, with a timeline, hierarchical layers and keyframe controls -- things that would make animating w/ the 3D layers simpler. 

Sadly, though, Nintendo actually rejected us as a 3DS developer.  I don't know if our organization isn't big enough, or if I just caused them too many headaches, or what.  They told me they couldn't even tell me the reason we were rejected. Unless they change their mind, this will probably be the only version.

NFO: Do you have any ideas for Wii U lined up? Have you recieved your development kit yet?


FBF: Honestly, since they rejected us as 3DS developers I haven't even tried to become a Wii U developer.  

Inchworm has actually been pretty successful in US.  Maybe if it does well in Europe, they will reconsider and give us a chance.  I'd like to see a 3DS or Wii U version out there.  I really care a lot about animation tools and think I could develop something pretty special for those devices.

NFO: Thanks alot Black Hat Films, we can't wait to see more of your games and look forward to speaking to you again in the future...


Inchworm Animation is available right now on the North American E-Shop and DSi Shop, and the game will be available from Thursday in Europe! You can check out Inchworm Animation's website here and we'll have a review along very soon...

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

News: Nintendo E-Shop Downloads (26/04/12)

Here are your European Nintendo downloads for WiiWare, Virtual Console and 3DS E-Shop this week...

Block Factory (3DSWare) - £3.60 - Enjoy Gaming - Block factory is a new puzzle game, unsurprisingly set in a Factory! Whilst it is a little plain, Block Factory is great for it's price.

Inchworm Animation (DSiWare) - 800 points - Over a year after Inchworm Animation arrived in North America, European gamers finally get some Animation making magic. Look out for our review and developer interview very soon...

2 Fast 4 Gnomz (WiiWare) - 500 points - Qubic Games - Qubic's Gnome Flinging fun arrives on Nintendo's WiiWare. But is it 2 Fast for you?

That's this weeks Nintendo downloads, look out for them this Thursday! Will you be downloading anything this week?

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More

News: Nintendo News Roundup (21/04/12)

Well, today has been quite a day for Nintendo News! We've decided to fuse all of today's news from Nintendo Direct and other places into one big article...

Satoru Iwata has today announced that the new 2D Mario game for 3DS, is in fact a remake of Super Mario Bros 2. The game is set to be available in Japan this August, but as of yet, no more details have emerged.

In other news, the much awaited Kindom Hearts 3D has now been given a European release date. The game flies into Europe on 20th July this year, as Satoru Shibata announced at Nintendo of Europe's Nintendo Direct Conference.

Another game out this July is Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise, which hit North America by storm this February and now the game is blasting into Europe on 6th July...

Kid Icarus Uprising AR Cards aren't the easiest of things to acquire in Europe. Now however, UK Trading Card manufacturer Panini will be distributing the card's in stores across the UK.

Another 3DS System Update is on it's way! The new update arrives 25th April, and includes a nifty little folder system to organize your Apps and Games! The update also brings with it a fix for many major glitches.

Animal Crossing 3DS will fall in Japan this fall with a brand new name. Animal Crossing 3DS is now known as Animal Crossing Tobidase as the release date draws nearer...

Pokedex 3D will be removed from the E-Shop and is to be replaced by a follow up that comes with a pretty hefty price tag (£11.50). Plus a new Faice Raiders style app named Pokemon AR Searcher is on it's way!

And finally, Kirby's 20th Anniversary is nearly upon us! And to celebrate, Nintendo are bringing some Kirby Favorites together in one big nostalgic adventure on Wii! None of the game's have been announced, but we're hoping for some of the good ones...

Well that's quite a bulk of news and proves we've got alot to look forward to in the next year! What are your thoughts on today's news? 

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About Josh M-J
Two years ago, Josh set out on his very own Legend of Zelda, on a quest to take over the internet and spread his Nintendo filled knowledge. Ignorant to the outside world of Sony and Microsoft, Josh is the Editor of Nintendo Fans Online.

Read More