N-Europe

News: Mario Parties to Number 2 in Japan

Wed, 02 May 2012 19:54:10 +0100

The latest Mario Party game is kept off the top by the latest Resident Evil romp...

The latest Media Create charts are in, and it looks like a healthy week for Capcom's leading franchise.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City has confounded its critical panning to top the chart with a hefty figure, beating out the latest in the always-bankable Mario Party series. Mario Party 9 could only manage number two, with a debut week's sales somewhat below its predecessor, which managed close to 300,000 units.

The only other notable new game on a Nintendo system was Koei's Dynasty Warrior Vs., which limped along with a fairly dreadful total. Conversely, Fire Emblem: Awakening stays strong and is still set to become of the best-selling games in the series, with future weeks' performances now depending on how quickly Nintendo can re-stock the game in stores.

Here's the full software chart for the week of April 23rd to April 29th.

No.	System	Title	Publisher
1	PS3	Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City 252,525	Capcom
2	Wii	Mario Party 9 152,883	Nintendo
3	3DS	Fire Emblem: Awakening 60,313 / (302,913)	Nintendo
4	PSV	Ciel Nosurge: Ushinawareta Hoshi e Sasagu Uta 33,324	Gust
5	PSP	Conception: Please Give Birth to My Child! 29,846	Spike Chunsoft
6	PSP	Steins;Gate: Hiyoku Renri no Darling 24,849	5pb.
7	PS3	The Idolmaster: Gravure For You! Vol.7 17,314	Bandai Namco
8	360	Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City 16,285	Capcom
9	3DS	Super Mario 3D Land 15,696 /(1,534,999)	Nintendo
10	3DS	Dynasty Warriors Vs. 15,578	Koei Tecmo
11	3DS	Monster Hunter 3G 13,578 / (1,416,873)	Capcom
12	PSP	Even in a Game, Listen to Me Girls. I Am Your Father! 13,241	Bandai Namco
13	PSP	Ao no Exorcist: Genkoku no Labyrinth 11,939	Bandai Namco
14	3DS	Mario Kart 7 11,666 / (1,672,424)	Nintendo
15	3DS	Kid Icarus: Uprising 11,537 / (243,095)	Nintendo
16	3DS	Kingdom Hearts 3D -Dream Drop Distance 9,284 / (298,953)	Square-Enix
17	PSP	2nd Super Robot Wars Z: Saisei-hen 8,484 / (321,886)	Bandai Namco
18	PSP	Pro Baseball Spirits 2012 6,647 / (118,566)	Konami
19	PS3	Pro Baseball Spirits 2012 6,323 / (146,081)	Konami
20	Wii	Wii Sports Resort with Wii Remote Plus 6,239 / (925,498)	Nintendo

On any other week, you'd fancy a Mario Party-powered Wii to outsell Vita, but it looks as though actually having a new game out has pushed Sony's handheld to new heights. At the top of the chart, 3DS keeps a fair bit of momentum, and it will be interesting to see whether the Golden Week effect can keep it high next week.

No.	Console	Week Sales	Last Week Sales	LTD Sales
1	Nintendo 3DS	74.282	84.760	5.817.541
2	PSP	22.457	11.779	19.069.564
3	PS3	21.114	16.390	8.131.646
4	Vita	12.299	8.206	680.176
5	Wii	9.200	7.025	12.353.549
6	Nintendo DS	1.612	1.276	32.842.836
7	PS2	1.395	1.172	21.793.980
8	Xbox 360	1.327	1.282	1.561.967

News: Nintendo E3 Conference Date Confirmed

Tue, 01 May 2012 22:41:02 +0100

Nintendo will be last of the big three to hold its press conference...

The date and time of Nintendo's pre-E3 press conference has been confirmed.

The company will hold its conference on the morning of Tuesday 5th June. As is tradition, it will commence at 9am local time, which is 5pm in the UK (6pm CET).

The conference is scheduled to last an hour, and Nintendo is expected to reveal the final format of its Wii U system, as well as software line-up for it and 3DS.

As ever, N-Europe will bring you all the news over E3 as it breaks.

News: 'Richer' Western 3DS Games at E3

Tue, 01 May 2012 20:24:09 +0100

Iwata says western companies are yet to show their hand on 3DS...

More American and European third parties will be backing 3DS, bucking the trend of western publishers generally avoiding handheld systems, according to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata.

Iwata had previously said that publishers would increase their support for the system following its price drop last year, but admitted that Japanese studios were ahead of the curve in preparing 3DS versions of their big franchises. Any notion that western third parties would not support 3DS will disappear come E3, Iwata said recently to investors.

"[T]here may appear to be fewer commitments from the U.S. and the European software publishers than those of their Japanese counterparts. This is due to the different timing (between Japan and overseas) when they noticed that the Nintendo 3DS would surely expand widely into their markets and, thus, the different timing when they started the actual development of the Nintendo 3DS software. You will also notice a change in this situation when a richer Nintendo 3DS software lineup in the overseas markets is announced around the time of the E3 show."

The CEO said that this, combined with the "continuous" support from Japanese publishers, leaves him optimistic for the health of the 3DS platform.

E3 commences in Los Angeles on the week of June 4th.

News: La-Mulana for WiiWare Cancelled

Tue, 01 May 2012 19:19:34 +0100

Indie-publisher calls it quits on the platformer after two years of limbo...

Nicalis has announced that it is easing efforts to publish the cult indie platformer La-Mulana on WiiWare in North America and Europe.

The studio, which is renowned for championing cult, indie games on Nintendo's download services, allured to the game - which had already been released on WiiWare in Japan - as being in an unfinished state for "over two years" and thus unable to get past Nintendo's approval process.

Nicalis seemed to lay the blame squarely at Japanese studio Nigoro, who developed the WiiWare version, stating "Nintendo has the right and duty to cite compliance issues. It's the responsibility of the developer to fix the outstanding issues." However, the company also encouraged players to support Nigoro by buying the PC version of La-Mulana.

Nicalis currently has several projects due for release on Nintendo platforms. VVVVVV is close to releasing on the European eShop, with NightSky also in the pipeline. A DSiWare version of Ikachan - from the developer of Cave Story - is also being worked on. Cave Story+ is also coming to the 3DS eShop.

News: This Week's Euro Downloads - 03/05/12

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 23:49:20 +0100

Another bout of Game & Watch hits the eShop this week...

Nintendo of Europe has announced which games are heading to the eShop and Shop Channel this week, with another collection of Game & Watch games leading the pack.

Game & Watch Gallery 2, all the way from the late 90's, comes to the 3DS eShop for a low price of �4.

The Wii Shop Channel also continues its run of good form with the arcade version of Sega's motorcycle racer Super Hang-On.

Here are the full releases for this Thursday.

Game & Watch Gallery 2 (Nintendo) - 3DS Virtual Console - �3.60/�4
Five blasts from the past with a modern twist. Game & Watch Gallery 2 is a collection of five classic handheld games featuring Parachute, Helmet, Chef, Vermin and the original classic Donkey Kong.

Cat Frenzy (Teyon) - eShop/DSiWare - �1.80/�2/200 Points
Nothing makes a puzzle game better than cute and furry kittens. Slide and match different kinds of kittens to set them free from a well in over 100 levels full of puzzles and purrs.

Super Hang-On (Sega) - Wii Virtual Console - 900 Points
Gear up for the ultimate test of speed in Super Hang-On! Tour through 48 challenging tracks set across four continents and enjoy the rush of true arcade gameplay as you blaze through checkpoints in a race to beat the clock and your competitors.

News: Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Transformed

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:53:53 +0100

Sonic undergoes a transformation but this one doesn't involve a growth spurt and dramatic weight loss.

The blue hedgehog is back and has rounded up some of his iconic friends after the success of the original Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing

This sequel doesn't just present us with a new range of tracks but also a whole new gameplay mechanic. In this title you won't simply race along in a car as your vehicle will constantly transform depending on the terrain.

CVG recently spoke to the game's producer, Joe Neate, who discussed the core aspects of the title.

"The key thing for the game is that vehicles can transform, so you can not only race on land but on water and in the air too. There can be up to three surfaces per track, meaning you can have cars racing alongside boats during certain sections, for example."

This title features characters (and possibly courses) from classic SEGA titles such as Crazy Taxi and Super Monkey Ball.

The previous Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing was released on DS and Wii but this new version is currently only set for 3DS. There has been no official word on whether the game will end up on Wii or Wii U but stay tuned for more as it breaks.

News: Project CARS Wii U Details

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:25:17 +0100

The sumptuous-looking indie racer gets its Wii U version detailed...

Regular readers might already be aware of Project CARS. The ultra-hardcore racing simulator from the developers of Need For Speed: Shift is still notable for its seemingly lavish production values being funded entirely by the gaming community, who also invest time in the actual development of the game.

Slightly Mad Studios has said from the start that it hopes to bring Project CARS to consoles, including Nintendo's next generation system, and it looks like a Wii U version is still on-track, going from an official document on the game.

The document dedicates a page specifically detailing how the Wii U version will use Nintendo's unique controller. The developer is utilising the controller's touchscreen, gyro, and front-facing camera. Here's the info straight from the horse's mouth:

Screen as primary view - I.e., allowing you to transfer play of the game between the TV and on-the-go around the house.
Screen as secondary view - Switch between rear-view mirror, overhead map, telemetry.
Primary input method - Drive by tilting the controller, on-screen buttons replicate the buttons/switches on a real wheel (push to toggle on/off or flip up/down).
Secondary input method - Manage decisions in the pits (swiping through tire choices, setting fuel amount).
Camera - personalise your profile, pose for the podium.
Menu navigation method - Flick photos from your gallery to the TV, private chat with team-mates.

Project CARS is due for completion some time in 2013.

News: Iwata Hints at Christmas Wii U Launch

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:03:09 +0100

Nintendo president increasingly talks of the "year-end sales season"...

Nintendo may be looking towards a Wii U release close to Christmas, as the company increasingly talks about the system's launch in a "holiday" context.

Having had a fairly substantial reveal at last year's E3, some might have expected a Wii U launch not too far into the second half of 2012. However, those hoping for a surprise launch in or not-long-after summer may have to give up hope, with Satoru Iwata today telling investors to expect the system to release at the end of the year.

"I believe that you are most interested in the details of the Wii U. Since the Wii U will be launched in Japan, the U.S., Europe and Australia in the year-end sales season... as we did for previous platforms that were launched in the year-end sales season, we will announce the launch date and price in each market sometime after E3."

Wii launched in North America in November 2006, having had its launch details confirmed in the September of that year. This is the first time Iwata has specifically spoken of Wii U "launching in" the holiday season, rather than merely being on shelves then, so we might be looking at a familiar launch plan for the Wii successor.

Iwata also reiterated that the "final format" of Wii U and its software line-up would be revealed at E3 in June.

News: NSMB2 To Be Offered Digitally

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:04:24 +0100

The 3DS sequel will be the first retail game to be offered as a digital download...

Among Nintendo's comprehensive plans for their venture into the world of digital distribution was some news that was quite big in itself. New Super Mario Bros. 2 has been confirmed to be the first full 'packaged' game to sold digitally on the eShop.

To make things clear again, you'll still be able to buy the game in physical cartridge form as usual. But if you want to download the game straight onto your 3DS instead, that will be option on the eShop. You'll need to have enough space on your SD card to do that though.

You'll also be able to buy a download code from retailers if you want a digital version of the game, but do not have a compatible credit or debit card.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata also revealed that the upcoming 3DS iteration of the Dr Kawashima's Training franchise - tentatively codenamed Devil Training - will also be offered in both physical and digital formats.

Not only that, but Iwata confirmed that this digital distribution system would be present from day one on Wii U.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 launches worldwide this August.

News: Nintendo Lays Out Digital Distribution Plan

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:58:16 +0100

Want to know the future of buying Nintendo games? Read on...

Nintendo has used its full-year earnings call to provide the first real details of how it will properly enter the world of digital distribution.

Here's the headline news: digital download of 'packaged' games (games you'd normally buy from a retailer) is coming this year. But the more subtle news is Nintendo's plan to roll out DD (digital distribution) whilst holding the hands of retailers.

For the select games that will be available digitally, you'll also be able to buy physical copies in stores like normal - this is nothing unexpected. However, Nintendo's roadmap for DD also involves third party retailers. That's because you'll also be able to buy the digital version of games from retailers if you so choose. Sound confusing? Bear with us.

Normally when buying a game digitally, you just enter your payment details on the relevant e-store (in this case Nintendo's eShop) and download your game instantly. This conventional method will be present for 3DS and Wii U. However, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata noted that there is a psychological barrier for some consumers when it comes to purchasing games in this way. For this reason, retailers will be able to issue 16-digit download codes to you if you want to pay for a game at the till, or via a retailer's website. This download code can then be redeemed for the game on Nintendo's eShop.

Interestingly, Nintendo has said that retailers will be able to decide for themselves how they price the digital versions of games.

So the future will be one in which you'll have three choices. You can buy and download a game straight from Nintendo's eShop; you'll be able to buy a download code from a third-party retailer in a more conventional way; or you'll be able to buy a physical copy of a game just as you always have done.

When can we expect this system to initiate? It will start with the arrival of New Super Mario Bros. 2 on 3DS, which will be the first title to be offered in both physical and digital formats.

It sounds like a fascinating and ambitious plan to embrace the digital age whilst giving retailers a pro-active role. To read more about the business thinking behind it, be sure to give Iwata's riveting investors address a read.

News: New Prizes Confirmed for Kid Icarus Event

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:26:08 +0100

Win 3DS systems and copies of Kid Icarus: Uprising when you fight the Battle Squad!

Nintendo announced a series of Kid Icarus: Uprising multiplayer events taking place in HMV stores around the UK a few days ago and now if you attend you could win even more prizes!

Previously if you attended any of the events you would be given a limited edition poster and winners would bag themselves some AR cards which they could scan in-game. You could also be in with a chance of winning a �50 HMV voucher if you took part in their Twitter competition.

Now though, as well as all of that swag, you could also bag yourself one of 10 3DS systems and 10 copies of Kid Icarus: Uprising.

So what are you waiting for? The Underworld Army are attacking HMV! Get yourself down to HMV Oxford Street tomorrow between 12.00pm to 16.00pm!

News: Rayman Legends Wii U Trailer Leaked

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:16:15 +0100

Title appears to use extensive NFC use, as well as sport some incredible graphics...

A trailer for a brand new Wii U game has leaked onto the web, and unsurprisingly it comes from Ubisoft.

The game is titled Rayman Legends, and appears to be a sequel to the well-received, stylised 2D platformer Rayman Origins. The trailer details "Wii U exclusive content", suggesting that the game will hit other consoles too.

The Wii U content appears to equate to extensive use of NFC technology. In a similar way to Activision's Skylanders, players can interact with the game world by placing figurines on the controller screen. Figures of Ubisoft's Rabbids creatures and Ezio from Assassin's Creed look to be on-board with this feature.

Online multiplayer and 'social gaming' aspects are also included.

The YouTube stream of the trailer keeps getting removed by Ubisoft, but there's a hopefully-stable stream provided by GameKult which we've embedded below.

News: Dragon Quest X Japanese Release Date

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:26:52 +0100

Dragon Quest is coming to the Wii this August in Japan. Head inside for more information about the online aspects of the game and a brand new trailer...

Square-Enix have confirmed that the new instalment in the highly popular Dragon Quest series will be heading to Wii on August 2nd. This title see's the series take a leap into the online world, allowing players to interact with one another and complete quests together.

The title is set to brace both the Wii and Wii U but no release date has been given for the Wii U version so far. There has also been no confirmation as to when the title will hit Europe though Square-Enix have announced how much it will cost to play online.

Gamers will be given 20 days of free play time but beyond that it will cost 1,000 yen (around �7.60) to play the game for 30 days. You'll be able to pay for online play using either a credit card or a pre-paid Wii Points card. It's not been stated whether or not European gamers will have to pay to play the title online but keep your fingers crossed as Japanese gamers also had to pay to enjoy Monster Hunter Tri over the web whereas us Europeans had ourselves some Wii Speak, monster slaying action for free.

The game will be available on its own or bundled with a 16GB memory card which is necessary in order to play with your friends over the other side of the globe. Prices of the standalone game and bundle have yet to be announced.

It has also been confirmed that this beast of a game will come on two discs. Keep your eyes firmly glued to these pages as we'll bring you more news as it breaks.

News: More Million-Sellers for 3DS

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:38:35 +0100

Nintendo updates its million-sellers list to include five first-party 3DS titles...

It's not all doom and gloom in the land of Nintendo. Alongside its full-year earnings, the company once again updated its best-seller list.

A total of five 3DS games have now passed the sales milestone on the young handheld.

Super Mario 3D Land, released in November, leads the charge, with the portly plumber's karting antics just behind.

Remake The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D also performed strongly, as did the combined efforts of Nintendogs + cats, which saw three versions launch alongside the system last year. Finally, the power of Pok�mon sees Rumble Blast sneak onto the list.

Here are the full worldwide sales as of March 31st 2012.

Super Mario 3D Land - 5.84m
Mario Kart 7 - 5.24m
Nintendogs + cats - 2.70m
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D - 2.61m
Pok�mon Rumble Blast - 1.08m

News: Nintendo Posts �328m Loss

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:05:50 +0100

Nintendo no longer resides in a Rosy Rupeeland.

Nintendo has made a net loss of just over 43 billion yen (�328m), this marks the first time Nintendo has posted an annual loss in the history of the company.

In Boom Street terms not only would you have lost the game but you'd also have to hand back all of your Mii outfits and consider breaking the disc in half. But what exactly caused all of this?

It seems the loss was caused by a mixture of a not so successful 3DS launch, declining Wii sales and problems outside of Nintendo. Nintendo stated that the 3DS wasn't selling as well as they'd have hoped at first which is a large factor but another core reason was the 3DS and Wii price cuts. In order to keep the Wii on the map and to boost the 3DS into the masses, Nintendo had to cut the prices of both products. Yet it seems Nintendo isn't completely to blame as 27 billion yen (�211m) was lost due to the exchange rate alone.

Nintendo assure us that it's not all doom and gloom, every cloud has a silver (or indeed, Pit and Palutena) lining.

In their hefty report Nintendo states that they plan to push the Nintendo Network on Wii U and 3DS as well as releasing digital versions of packaged games. Nintendo also reassured people that the 3DS hardware will once again start making a profit around about September of this year.

To try and steer attention away from the huge hole in their wallets, Nintendo are keen to point out that they have sold an impressive 151 million DS systems, 95 million Wiis and over 17 million 3DS systems. As a comparison, total sales of the GameCube stand at 21 million.

News: Nintendo Distributing Heroes of Ruin

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:29:28 +0100

The 3DS-exclusive multiplayer-fest gets its chances in Europe boosted by a deal between Nintendo and Square-Enix...

Nintendo of Europe has announced today that it will be handling the distribution for yet another third party game throughout the region. This time it's Square-Enix's 3DS-exclusive dungeon-crawler Heroes of Ruin.

As part of the deal between the two publishers, Nintendo will be responsible for the sales, marketing, and distribution of the game, while Square-Enix remains the technical publisher.

Heroes of Ruin pushes the connectivity aspect of 3DS to new ground, offering a comprehensive online co-op mode that lets up to four players drop in or out at will. The game also boasts a massive in-game store that simulates a sort of 'living economy' fuelled by real-world StreetPass connections.

New challenges are also offered to the player free of charge every single day.

There remains some confusion over the stocking situation of the game in the UK. GAME originally seemed to advertise the game as an exclusive, but Nintendo has since stated that it's still in discussions with several UK retailers on the game.

News: Fire Emblem Slaughters the Competition

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:10:55 +0100

Latest entry on 3DS outsells the rest of the top-20 combined...

The latest Japanese charts are out, and it was the week for Fire Emblem to burn brightly as the latest entry on 3DS put in a barnstorming debut week.

Fire Emblem: Awakening enjoyed a renewed popularity for the franchise to earn the highest opening week a game in the series since 1994. It also managed the not-insignificant feat of outselling the rest of the top-20 combined.

Agatsuma's over-the-top 3DS RPG Code of Princess managed a respectable total to plant its stake at the number 2 spot, but this was very much Fire Emblem's week.

Here's the full Media Create software chart.

No.	System	Title	Publisher
1	3DS	Fire Emblem: Awakening 242.600	Nintendo
2	3DS	Code of Princess 19.554	Agatsuma Entertainment
3	3DS	Super Mario 3D Land 14.491 / (1.519.303)	Nintendo
4	PSP	2nd Super Robot Wars Z: Saisei-hen 13.560 / (313.402)	Bandai Namco
5	3DS	Monster Hunter 3G 13.069 / (1.403.296)	Capcom
6	3DS	Kingdom Hearts 3D -Dream Drop Distance 12.881 / (289.668)	Square-Enix
7	3DS	Kid Icarus: Uprising 10.915 / (231.558)	Nintendo
8	3DS	Mario Kart 7 10.892 / (1.660.759)	Nintendo
9	3DS	Cho-ricchi! Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisecchi 8.453	Bandai Namco
10	NDS	Detective Conan: Prelude from the Past 8.312	Bandai Namco
11	PS3	Pro Baseball Spirits 2012 7.954 / (139.758)	Konami
12	PSP	Pro Baseball Spirits 2012 7.833 / (111.919)	Konami
13	NDS	Pok�mon + Nobunaga's Ambition 6.976 / (302.950)	Nintendo
14	3DS	Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games 6.104 / (137.326)	Nintendo
15	Wii	Wii Sports Resort with Wii Remote Plus 4.567 / (919.259)	Nintendo
16	PSP	Seinaru Kana: Orichalcum no Na no Motoni 4.406	CyberFront
17	PS3	The Lord of the Rings: War in the North 4.199	Warner Entertainment Japan
18	PSP	Detective Conan: Prelude from the Past 4.037	Bandai Namco
19	Wii	Mario Kart Wii 3.967 / (3.550.906)	Nintendo
20	PSP	Miyako: Awayuki no Utage 3.824	Idea Factory

With the popularity of Fire Emblem combined with a new hardware bundle for the game, 3DS figures got another shot in the arm to take it well clear of any other system. Sony's Vita continues its seemingly endless decline, and with Mario Party 9 on Wii just around the corner in the region, things might just get even more embarrassing for the handheld before long.

No.	Console	Week Sales	Last Week Sales	LTD Sales
1	Nintendo 3DS	84.760	63.796	5.743.259
2	PS3	16.390	17.765	8.110.532
3	PSP	11.779	13.166	19.047.107
4	Vita	8.206	8.250	667.877
5	Wii	7.025	6.837	12.344.349
6	Xbox 360	1.282	1.373	1.560.640
7	Nintendo DS	1.276	1.433	32.841.224
8	PS2	1.172	1.212	21.792.585

News: 3DS System Update Introduces Nintendo Zone

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:43:54 +0100

The 3DS system update is now ready to be installed and introduces European gamers to Nintendo Zone.

The latest 3DS system update is now available and will introduce a number of new features. The new update will allow users to create folders and install patches (at a later date) whilst also boasting an improved eShop and the introduction of Nintendo Zone for European users.

The new look eShop features two rows of icons and a search bar at the top of the page. The second row shows general icons such as 'Demos', 'Virtual Console' and 'DSi Ware' whereas the top row displays new additions to the store.

Nintendo Zone is a new service from Nintendo that is now available in Europe. By using one of approximately 25,000 Hotspots you will be able to access trailers of games in 2D and 3D, product information, 2D and 3D screenshots, 3DS demos and free video clips.

To help you find your nearest Hotspot, Nintendo has released a handy Hotspot finder tool. When you are near a Hotspot the Nintendo Zone icon will blink to notify you that you are within reach of a compatible Hotspot area.

To start enjoying these features you can update your 3DS by opening the Nintendo eShop. Alternatively, open 'System Settings' from the Home Menu, select 'Other Settings' and scroll the page right to select 'System Update'.

News: HMV to Offer Kid Icarus Multiplayer Action

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:00:52 +0100

Nintendo Team up with HMV and urge you to compete against the highly trained Kid Icarus: Uprising Battle Squad in-store for a chance to take away exclusive prizes.

Hey Pit stain! Nintendo announced today a series of Kid Icarus: Uprising multiplayer events taking place in HMV stores around the UK, giving fans the chance to battle it out against the expert Kid Icarus: Uprising Battle Squad!

If you think you have what it takes to blast the Battle Squad into the next dimension then get fusing your weapons and practicing online as the events start from this Saturday.

Everyone who takes part will earn a limited edition Kid Icarus: Uprising poster. If a player defeats the Squad and wins a battle, they will be able to take home a set of AR Cards to boost their collection.

Nintendo is also launching a free prize draw via Twitter: all fans need to do is have their photo taken with the Squad in HMV and tweet it on the same day to @KidIcarusUK using the hashtag #KidIcarusBattleSquad to be in with a chance of winning one of six �50 HMV vouchers. 3DS owners are encouraged to head down to the events and take their handheld to StreetPass with other fans.

All photos from the events will be uploaded onto the Nintendo 3DS Facebook page and for all the latest news about Kid Icarus: Uprising and the Battle Squad follow @KidIcarusUK.

The Kid Icarus: Uprising Battle Squad dates and locations:

HMV Oxford Circus - Saturday 28th April

HMV Reading Oracle - Saturday 5th May

HMV Birmingham Bullring - Saturday 12th May

HMV Brighton Churchill - Saturday 19th May

Rumour: Rayman Origins Sequel

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:32:45 +0100

Not had enough limbless action? According to a 'leaked Ubisoft survey', another Rayman adventure is on the way! Screenshots inside...

Rayman Origins released on Wii in November last year and if an apparent 'leaked survey' is anything to go by we could be enjoying even more Rayman action sooner than we think.

The survey in question was discovered by Kotaku readers and apparently featured the screenshots shown on this page. The new instalment is said to be based in a completely different setting yet still features the "beautiful 2D graphics" and gameplay elements of the original.

The survey stated, �The sequel to Rayman Origins will feature brand new settings: legendary worlds filled with castles, vampires, ghosts, Greek Gods, or dragons".

Video content was shown but it appears to have only been a slideshow of artwork from the game.

This news may come as a surprise to some gamers as whilst Rayman Origins was very highly rated for its fantastic gameplay and beautiful visuals, it wasn't as commercially successful as Ubisoft had hoped. Despite this, Ubisoft did reveal that the game has been profitable and that they think it "has the capacity to become a long-term seller for the company."

The 3DS version of Rayman Origins is set to release in Europe on June 8th.