From the sounds of this press release, Nintendo’s unstoppable Pokémon franchise shows no sign of slowing down. Man, Nintendo is so doomed. Maybe they should just make a sequel to Doom since they know the subject so well. Iwata can only dab his tears away with fistfuls of money as he watches the entire company go down in flames! Click through for the full press release.
- Not quite sold on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s upcoming 3DS remake? David Young, Nintendo of America’s Associate Public Relations Manager, has announced that the 3DS remake will include Master Quest. Until now, the only way we’ve been able to play Master Quest, a re-worked version of OOT with more challenging puzzles and enemies, is through the Wind Waker pre-orer bonus disc, The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition. I’d like to see a brand new dungeon included before I indulge, but the inclusion of this Zelda rarity sure doesn’t hurt. (Nintendo World Report)
- Not to be outdone by Mario’s 25th anniversary, Iwata has confirmed that Zelda will be getting “something” in 2011 to celebrate its own quarter century of gaming greatness. Perhaps a Wii compilation a la Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition is waiting in the wings, but since Nintendo has already given us the Zelda Collector’s Edition, I would hope any such new celebratory collection would include other discontinued Zelda games that weren’t included in the first set, such as A Link To The Past or some of the handheld titles (Oracle of Seasons/Ages and Link’s Awakening DX, anyone?). (Aussie-Nintendo)
- Nintendo is lauding the launch of Pokemon Black and White with a spectacular event at Rockefeller Center. The event will offer game-play kiosks, Liberty Pass downloads, free t-shirts, and The Presidents Of The United States of America performing an all new song, Can’t Stop (Catchin’ ‘Em All), written specifically in honor of Pokemon Black and White. Wow. Anyone in New York going to check out the Pokemon bonanza? (Business Wire)
- There was a lot of speculation about how Nintendo would advertise the 3DS. Would they use paper ads with 3D glasses enclosed? How about playable in-store demos? Turns out they are instead relying on “douchebag” reactions to the 3D technology, to use Destructoid’s terminology. After watching the ads, it’s hard to disagree that the ads have a bit of an over-emoting douchey feel, but given the average consumer’s tendency to formulate an opinion based on others’ reactions and reviews, it may not be the worst strategy Nintendo has ever had. (Destructoid)
- If Okamiden isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps either Pokémon Black or White can tide you over before the imminent release of the 3DS. Both versions in the fifth iteration of the series will be released to North America on March 6, 2011. And now, with a limited time offer, if you pre-order from Amazon you can receive two special bonuses: a Liberty Pass to obtain the mythical Victini (not available through normal play) and a $10 Amazon promotional credit. Hit the link to check out the offer! (Amazon)
- The 3DS has been officially released today in Japan, going on sale for 25,000 yen ($300 USD). According to NPR, “Nintendo expects to sell 4 million of the 3DS machines through the end of March — 1.5 million in Japan and the rest overseas.” Analysts raved that the release of the 3DS heralded the introduction of “the first mass-market 3-D device.” But perhaps most promising of all are the starry-eyed endorsements of the customers themselves. “The images seem to pop out. There is a sense of a world spreading beyond. I can’t wait to play it.” (NPR)
- Sony has cut the price of the PSP from $169.99 to $129.99 — the same price as the Nintendo DS. This price slash has been interpreted by Forbes as a strategic effort to take attention away from the impending release of the $249.99 3DS. Sony has their work cut out for them, as Forbes notes that “Since launching the device in 2005, Sony says it has sold more than 23 million units in North America and 67.8 million worldwide. But the various models of Nintendo DS have far outperformed them, with more than 145 million units sold worldwide.” (Forbes)
- The upcoming risque Wii game “We Dare”, which looks like an awkward electronic version of spin-the-bottle in that it’s another thinly disguised excuse for people to make out under the pretense of playing a game, is being decried by parents as inappropriate, largely in part to the 12+ rating it has apparently received. “No wonder we have problems in society with unsafe sex and under-age sex when kids can get hold of games like this,” said one parent. With all due respect, kids can “get hold of” lots of things they’re not supposed to if you’re not paying attention. The incredibly complex and terrifying solution is probably to just not buy the game for kids that are too young to have their own income. Going out on a limb here. (DailyMail)
With Pokémon Black/White coming in just a few short weeks,  I we all have some hard questions to ask ourselves. Do I go to the midnight launch?  Should I buy the strategy guide? Will I be able to catch ‘em all? However, none of these questions are as important as the one we all must answer when we get to the front of the line at our local Gamestop: Black or White?
Pokemon Black and White will be released on March 6th in North America. Is it too late to hope that it’ll have some 3DS exclusive features?
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