After the massive success of Switch, which is expected to sell 10 million units, Nintendo has announced their new handheld portable gaming console called Nintendo 2DS XL, which is scheduled to launch in North America in July 28. The new Nintendo 2DS XL is lighter, sporting a clamshell design and sits between the Nintendo 2DS and Nintendo 3DSXL hand-held systems. It packs the same power as the New Nintendo 3DS XL including the same large screen (4.88-inch for the non-3D top screen / 4.18-inch for the touchscreen on the bottom), the C-Stick/ZL/ZR buttons, extra processing power and built-in NFC support for amiibo cards and figures, but as the name suggests, the visuals will be displayed in 2D only.
Even though, the console lacks 3DS's stereoscopic capabilities, it can still play the massive library of Nintendo 3DS, new Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS games in 2D. Nintendo says more games are on the way, including two, that will be available on the same day as Nintendo 2DS XL will hit the market - Hey! PIKMIN and Miitopia. The Nintendo 2DS XL is priced at $149.99 (Rs. 9,500) and will be available in black/turqoise color. It will also release in Japan on July 13 for 14,980 yen, and get an optional Orange/White color variant. Nintendo also plans to launch the New 2DS XL in Europe during July. Source | Via
Nintendo has already confirmed that Super Mario Run would be coming to Android devices in March. Now the company has revealed the exact date of the release and announced that Super Mario Run will be making its way to Android devices on March 23. To refresh your memory, Super Mario Run is an endless runner game that can be played with just one hand. In the game you have to guide Mario through levels to rescue princess Peach from the villain, Bowser's clutches. It includes three game modes ― World Tour, Toad Rally and Kingdom Builder. The game first released on iOS last December, and clocked a record 40 million downloads in just 4 days of its release. Same as its rival platform iOS, Super Mario Run for Android will be free to download. But you will get access to only the first three levels, and to unlock additional level, you have to make an in-app purchase of $9.99 or Rs. 620.
Soon after releasing Super Mario Run to iOS devices (December 15), Ninetendo begun pre-registration of the game for Android devices on Google Play Store. Now Nintendo has announced that Super Mario Run will be coming to Android devices in March, without revealing an exact date of availability. For those unaware, Super Mario Run is an endless runner game that can be played with just one hand to guide Mario through the levels to rescue the princess Peach from Bowser’s clutches. It includes three game modes ― World Tour, Toad Rally and Kingdom Builder. Similar to the iOS version, Super Mario Run for Android will be free to download, but gamers will get access to only the first three levels. To unlock additional levels, they have to make an in-app purchase of $9.99 or Rs. 620. If you're waiting for the game, you can pre-register on the Play Store to get a notification, when it goes live. Source
Nintendo introduced its next-gen console called Switch last year, without revealing the specs, price and availability details. Now the company has unveiled all the details. The Nintendo Switch will release on March 3 in the U.S for $299.99 (Rs. 25,000) and in Japan for 29,980 yen. The package includes the console , dock, Joy-Cons, Joy-Con wrist straps, Joy-Con grip, HDMI cable and an AC Adapter. The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console with modular parts ― the console, dock, two separate ― controllers and is designed to be played outdoors or indoors. The console itself is a tablet with detachable controllers on either sides. You can use the console as a standalone device to play games or place it on a dock to connect it to a TV and make use of the detachable controller as your gamepad. The gamepad is called Joy-Con and has built-in IR motion sensors, force
feedback and a HD Rumble system to stimulate the feel of individual ice
cubes falling into a glass, or the sensation of water being poured.
Joy-Con comes in Gray, Neon Blue and Neon Red colors.
The tablet sports a 6.2-inch HD (1280 x 720 pixels) touch display and has custom Tegra processor 32GB internal storage and supports microSDXC card. It also has WiFi 802.11ac support to connect to internet and you can link up to eight Switch consoles together to play anywhere or play online with other Nintendo Switch gamers. Nintendo did not reveal the battery capacity, but saved it will last up to six hours depending on graphical demands and usage conditions.
Switch games comes on a cartridge called GameCards.You will also be able to buy digital versions of the games from Nintendo eShop from the Switch Control or from Nintendo site. Some of the games include ― Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (coming on March 3rd), Super Mario Odyssey, a new Mario adventure (coming for the 2017 holiday season), Splatoon 2 (coming this summer) multiplayer paint-splattering shooter game, 1, 2, Switch, a package of multiplayer motion-control mini-games (that will launch on March 3) and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, an updated version of the Wii U game (Coming in April). Via
Nintendo on Thursday officially announced the next generation of their console dubbed Switch. It has a modular approach and comes with four parts: a tablet like device, a Dock, a pair of detachable controllers called Joy Con, and a grip accessory to place Joy Con. The tablet-like device rests in a Dock that connects the system to the TV and lets you play in the comfort of your living room with standard console controller. The Dock can also charge the tablet. Alternatively, you can remove it from the dock and use it as a portable gaming tablet by attaching a pair of Joy Con controller on either sides to play on the go. Joy-Con are a pair of small wireless detachable controller with an analog stick and four buttons. It can also be detached from the tablet, and be used in games by one player (in each hand) or as an individual controller for multiple players. The Joy Con controllers can also be fitted to the grip accessory and used as a standalone gaming controller to play games when the tablet is placed in the Dock and connected to TV.
Nintendo also released a promotional video on YouTube to show the Switch in action. In one of the clip two people are playing Mario Kart, each holding one of Joy-Con controllers. There's also a clip that show the Switch is propped up by a kickstand, and a person is playing games holding one half of the controller in each hand.
Another clip shows a person inserting tiny game cartridges into a slot on the side of the tablet. According to report the cartridges looks similar to those used in other portable Nintendo gaming consoles. Moreover, we can see a total of six games in the promotional videos including The Legend of Zelda, The Elder Scrolls V:Skyrim, Mario kart, Splatoon, a NBA game and a new Super Mario game. The Switch will be powered by a custom version of NVIDIA's Tegra processor. This was confirmed by NVIDIA in a separate blog post. Nintendo says that it is working with 48 developers including developmentcompanies like EA, Bethesda, Capcom, Activision, and Ubisoft as well as middleware and game engine companies like Unity and Havok to release a number of titles. The Nintendo Switch will launch in March 2017. The pricing is yet to be revealed. Source | Via 1 | 2
Nintendo's first mobile app, Miitomo is coming to Android and iOS on March 17 in Japan. The pre-registration are already open and will close on March 16 and you can register here.
Miitomo is the first of a series of mobile apps (total 5) from Nintendo developed in partnership with Tokyo-based mobile developer DeNA.
If you're expecting Miitomo to be a Nintendo arcade-like game, you will be disappointed as it's more of a chat app with moving avatars that communicates with other users in real time. You can create Mii avatar by using the front camera and customizing it to 'chat about stuff'. The app is free to download, but will include in-app purchases.
Besides Japan, Nintendo also plans to release Miitomo in the U.S, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately India is not on the list of planned release.
Nintendo announced it plans to develop smartphones game in March. Now the Japanese video game maker has announced its first smartphone game called "Miitomo".
In the game players will have to create their own Mii avatar in the app after which players will answer a variety of
questions — the answers of which will be communicated to the user's
circle of friends within the app. The game will also feature in-app purchases. Nintendo's popular characters will also feature in the game in the near future.
Nintendo developed the game in collabaration with DeNA. Nintendo will control the games’ design, while DeNA will focus on operation of the games.
The game will be released by March 2016, and will be the first out of five smartphone apps that Nintendo plans to release before 2017. The game was initially set to release before the end of this year. The reason for delay is so that, Nintendo has more
lead time to fully promote and explain Miitomo. Nintendo will start promoting the game after the year-end
holiday season.
Nintendo also announced a new service called Nintendo Account. It will connect its consoles with PCs and smartphones. Users will be able to transfer data through a cloud based service.
Japanese game company Nintendo has announced a partnership with DeNA to make new games for the mobile platform featuring Nintendo characters.
The companies will design and develop new games specifically for mobiles and tablets rather than porting the existing games from Nintendo consoles so as to "ensure the quality of game experience that consumers expect". But the games will feature Nintendo's characters such as Mario, Zelda, Link, or Yoshi.
DeNA said "To ensure the quality of game experience that consumers expect from
this alliance of Nintendo and DeNA, only new original games optimized
for smart device functionality will be created, rather than porting
games created specifically for the Wii U home console or the Nintendo
3DS portable system,"
Both companies also outlined their plans to develop a cross-platform membership service that runs across smartphones, tablets, PCs, and Nintendo's own devices. This membership service will be similar to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. The service will launch in fall this year. Meanwhile, Nintendo will continue working on its consoles. The company announced that it is working on a new console codenamed NX. More information on the new game platform will be announced next year.
