3DS XL Circle Pad Pro Hits Japan in November

Nintendo has revealed that the XL Circle Pad Pro will come to Japan on November 15th. The supersized peripheral will be available for 1,500 yen (roughly equivalent to $19) and, like its smaller cousin before it, will add a second analog stick for use in 3DS games.

The accessory was originally confirmed in June and we got our first look during the Tokyo Game Show last month. It follows the original Circle Pad Pro, which launched alongside Resident Evil Revelations in the United States.

The Circle Pad Pro is currently compatible with Resident Evil Revelations and Metal Gear Solid 3D Snake Eater, among others. For now, the XL version has only been announced for Japan, but we’ve reached out to Nintendo about whether it will be headed West and will update this story with any comment we receive.

Until then, watch our impressions of the Circle Pad Pro XL in the video above, and read Nintendo global president Satoru Iwata’s thoughts on why the 3DS XL doesn’t have a second circle pad built in.

Source: Siliconera

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

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Paper Mario: Sticker Star - The Complicated World of Stickers

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Paper Mario’s transition to the Nintendo 3DS - his first ever foray into the realm of portables - is merely replicating the flat plumber’s console escapades. On the surface, the game’s basic aesthetic would seem to indicate that resemblance, with turn-based battles, time-based action prompts and a sharp 2D style (now in 3D!) that toys with the notions of a paper-based life. You might then think that applies to every aspect of the game - and yet you’d be wrong, despite the fact that this game does actually retain all the previously mentioned characteristics. Like so many Nintendo sequels, Paper Mario: Sticker Star keeps the core essence of its franchise safe while finding new avenues for innovation. In this case, that innovation comes through the battle system.

Playing this latest iteration of Paper Mario quickly proves that its turn-based mechanic is unlike anything the franchise has attempted before. Allies are gone, as is the weaponry that Mario used to employ. This time, your entire offensive capability is provided through stickers that are acquired during the exploration of stages or purchased with coins earned in battle. These stickers will still enable familiar attacks, like Mario’s jump or his trusty hammer, but then they’re gone. Your offense is now a finite resource that must be collected or earned. The fact that your weaponry is entirely disposable, and can now be collected at different strength levels, immediately changes the entire premise of Sticker Star. You must now measure the effectiveness of your offense, as foolishly wasting overpowered attacks will deprive you of that resource in the future.

Yet battles aren’t as simple as placing stickers into “move slots.” This isn’t an arbitrary substitute for selecting menu options. Developer Intelligent Systems actually introduces a great deal of complexity by boldly introducing significant restrictions - and enticing players to then step beyond those boundaries.

The restrictions are these - Mario must attack his opponents in a sequential, front-to-back order. The second in line can only be targeted directly once the first is defeated. Mario can also, by default, only make one attack per turn, despite the fact that he no longer has his friends to help him against what could be 4:1 odds.

What comes next is the clever part. The game takes what would be considered stifling limits and flips them into strategic elements. Sticker Star rewards you if you can pull off a “Perfect” battle, meaning you eliminate all of your foes before the start of your next turn. The financial rewards can be great, which pushes you to be less conservative with your stronger stickers. Yet just one attack, no matter how powerful, is unlikely to take our several enemies. Enter: The Battle Spinner.

Mario can activate the Spinner, which is basically a 3 category slot machine, to not only win substantial rewards but more moves (he’ll get 1 extra slot for a double match and 2 for a triple). Mario can even spend quite a bit of money to “rig” the Spinner, making this mini-game just a bit easier. And the goal here isn’t necessarily just to achieve that “Perfect” rank. Imagine a boss fight and the advantage of getting in as much offense at once becomes clear.

Whether or not the risks and rewards of Intelligent Systems’ new battle mechanics will continue to be entertaining throughout the entirety of this Paper Mario adventure remains to be seen. The game will need to challenge players to risk using the Battle Spinner, through a certain level of difficulty as well as increasing rewards.

And while the battle mechanics are by far and away the most curious, and recurring, element of Sticker Star, they are not at all the only changes being introduced. In a first for the ‘Paper’ series, Mario’s adventure is now positioned in a familiar world and level-based structure, with each stage then introducing various puzzles, battles and challenges. It actually feels right at home for a portable game, and it’s easy to see how a lengthy RPG would be more digestible in this form.

Stickers aren’t the only thing Mario can collect. There are ‘Scraps’ to find, which are pieces of the world that must be replaced through a ‘Paperize’ ability in order to keep moving. Likewise ‘Things’ - real world objects that exist within this paper-based land - can be tracked down and eventually converted into giant stickers (which, incidentally, take up a larger portion of your limited, grid-based inventory), which then will have a variety of effects.

Playing through just a couple opening stages of Sticker Star revealed all of these ideas, and it’s easy to get the sense that they are just the surface of what ought to be a lengthy RPG. We’ll be playing more Paper Mario in the very near future - so keep an eye on IGN for more details soon.

Rich is an Executive Editor of IGN.com and the leader of IGN's Nintendo team. He also watches over all things WWE, Resident Evil, Assassin's Creed and much more. Follow @RichIGN on Twitter, if you dare!

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Pushmo Sequel, Epic Mickey Demo Headed to eShop

Nintendo has announced a slew of new games headed to the 3DS eShop. In addition to newly-announced release dates for Virtual Console games and the biggest retail games becoming downloadable, Nintendo announced that Pushmo -- the eShop’s biggest hit -- will have a sequel called Crashmo.

Crashmo lets players use “a whole new kind of action-puzzle play,” with new gravity mechanics like floating blocks, doors and switches. Players will “push, pull and slide each puzzle’s colorful blocks in order to climb to the top,” but unsupported blocks will fall to the ground. Crashmo contains “enhanced puzzle-creation and sharing features” and will launch on November 22nd.

Beyond Crashmo, Nintendo also announced the following games for eShop:

• NightSky -- an action-puzzle game with “cerebral challenges that fill uniquely designed, picturesque worlds” where players “maneuver a sphere by using realistic physics to advance.” (October 25th)
• Fluidity: Spin Cycle -- use tilt controls to maneuver Eddy, a puddle of water, “through a maze-like, magical world” and switch from water to ice or a steam cloud to solve puzzles. (December 27th)
• Three games from Level-5 including Suda 51’s Liberation Maiden, Aero Porter by Yoot Saito and Crimson Shroud by Yasumi Matsuno (Holiday 2012)
• Tokyo Crash Mobs -- an action-puzzle game where players must survive “three chaotic weeks” as they “they take on anyone and anything that gets in their way.” (Early 2013)

Nintendo will also release two demos on the eShop for Style Savvy: Trendsetters, with the first launching today and the second available on November 1st. Players will be able to style clothes and make up, participate in fashion contests and more before the full game launches on October 22nd. The following game demos are also “coming soon” to the eShop:

• Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d You Steal Our Garbage?!!
• Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
• LEGO Lord of the Rings
• Moshi Monsters: Moshlings Theme Park
• Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

“The Nintendo eShop demonstrates Nintendo’s commitment to providing consumers with unique digital content through a combination of creativity and convenience,” said Nintendo of America executive vice president of sales & marketing Scott Moffitt. “The variety and quality of games coming this year is unmatched, from new entries in established franchises to original properties.”

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

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New Super Mario Bros. 2 DLC - To Buy or Not to Buy?

Today Nintendo released its first ever bit of paid DLC, in the form of three new Coin Rush packs for New Super Mario Bros. 2. They each feature new levels to rush through, and will run you $2.50 per pack ($7.50 for all three - yay for math!).

Interested? Skeptical? Confused? Then take a look at the guide below for everything you need to know to decide whether you want to throw a few extra bucks Mario’s way.

Who is Mario?

Really? Well, I guess if you really don’t know...

What is Coin Rush Mode?

Coin Rush mode is a feature of New Super Mario Bros. 2, where you’re challenged to collect as many coins as possible as you race through three randomly chosen levels. The catch is that you only have one life for all three levels - if you die, you have to start all over from the beginning. If you’re into bragging (and you know you are), you can activate StreetPass for Coin Rush mode, allowing you to share and receive Coin Rush Challenges from friends. Keep in mind that these DLC packs feature three levels in a specific order, rather than three random levels. You still only have one life though, so good luck with that.

Which DLC Pack is For Me?

If you’re looking for some extra levels to master in New Super 2, one or all of these packs are probably right up your alley. The three choices offer a range of options, so check out the details below to decide which one is right for you. Keep in mind that these new courses are only available in Coin Rush mode - you cannot play them in the main game. And you while you can use the funds from your eShop wallet to pay for them, you cannot purchase these packs through the eshop. To download these packs, go into your game, select Coin Rush mode, then click the Shop icon on the bottom of the page.

Gold Rush Pack

Difficulty: 1 out of 5 stars

Target: 30,000 coins

Price: $2.50

The Gold Rush Pack, as you might expect, is all about the coins. There’s not much challenge here, so it will likely bore anyone looking to really flex their jumping skills. But if you delight in nabbing as many coins as humanly possible, these levels present plenty of opportunity for that, with more coins for the taking than probably any level yet. Golden Flowers, Golden Mushrooms and Golden Loops are all over the place, so if you buy this pack, prepare to go for the gold.

Coin Challenge Pack A

Difficulty: 3 out of 5 stars

Target: 10,000 coins

Price: $2.50

This pack offers more of a challenge than the Gold Rush Pack, but still nothing too crazy. The levels here a bit larger, with more enemies and obstacles to get through. These courses are also more of a scramble for time. You'll need to grab as many clocks as possible to extend your time so you can grab more coins and make it to the end. The cool thing about this pack is that Nintendo will be tracking scores on the New Super Mario Bros. 2 website, so if you get it you'll be able to see how your coin count ranks against the rest of the world.

Nerve-Wrack Pack

Difficulty: 5 stars out of 5 stars (!!)

Target: 15,000 coins

Price: $2.50

This pack is deliciously merciless - definitely not for the faint of heart. Seasoned gamers will love the wicked challenges these levels offer, as each requires spot on platforming and forward thinking to even make it to the end (much less come close to the target coin count). Seriously, one mistake and it’s all over. Just make sure you don’t throw your 3DS in a Mario-fueled rage. You would regret it.

That’s it for the first set of DLC for New Super Mario Bros. 2. Do any of the new packs strike your fancy? Which, if any, do you plan on buying? Tell us all about it in the comments below! And if you can’t get enough New Super, remember that more DLC packs are on the way at the end of October and November.

Audrey Drake is an Associate Editor at IGN and a proud member of the IGN Nintendo team. She is also a lifelong gamer, a frequent banisher of evil and a wielder of various legendary blades. You can keep track of her wild adventures by following Aminka on IGN or @GameOnAminka on Twitter. Game on!

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Star Fox's GameCube Adventure

Let's focus on a failure. The recent avalanche of notable Nintendo anniversaries have almost all been cause for celebration, as Mario, Zelda and Metroid turned 25, Kirby hit 20 and the Big N's various home consoles all ticked off another half-decade apiece each in the past year or two. But today it's time to reflect on a milestone for a moment that should have us hanging our heads instead of jumping for joy – because today it's been 10 years since the Star Fox series took its first wrong turn.

Well, 10 years since this past Sunday, technically. Because September 23, 2002, was the day that Nintendo launched Star Fox Adventures.

Lost Planet

Late in the life cycle of the Nintendo 64, the developers at second-party Rare Ltd. were hard at work on an ambitious adventure. They'd already brought N64 fans a wealth of great 3D platformers like Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64. They'd produced incredible 3D shooters like GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark. They'd even merged both platformers and shooters into Jet Force Gemini, and given us the adults-only, uncensored antics of a foul-mouthed squirrel in Conker's Bad Fur Day.

Rare was flying high, releasing hit after hit. And Dinosaur Planet looked likely to best them all.

Dinosaur Planet was a work-in-progress meant to be Rare's answer to the 3D Zelda titles. It copied its focus on exploration and puzzle-solving from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, and even cloned signature aspects of those games' controls – like not allowing the hero to jump except when nearing a ledge. More than just rehashing what Nintendo's first-party developers had already achieved, though, Rare took new steps with DP's design – like automating the targeting of nearby enemies in combat, and introducing two different playable characters that gamers would have been able to dynamically swap between at will.

It all looked incredible. And followers of the Nintendo scene roughly 12 years ago, here on IGN and elsewhere, couldn't wait to get our hands on what looked like it was shaping up to be the N64's true epic swan song.

Unfortunately, Shigeru Miyamoto got his hands on it first.

A Tea Table Wrongly Toppled

Mr. Miyamoto has a reputation for being right. He's infamous for his ability to see a game in development, quickly assess what's working for it and what isn't, and redirect straying creative teams back onto the path to success for their projects. He's known for getting forceful about his opinions, too – "upending the tea table," other Nintendo employees have said. It sounds a little harsh, but it's an effective approach, since Mr. Miyamoto almost always gets it right.

He got this one wrong.

Nobody's perfect, and it's time to just admit that Miyamoto screwed up with Star Fox Adventures. What happened was a normal behind-the-scenes scene, as Nintendo's legendary designer was shown an in-development build of Rare's Dinosaur Planet. He offered his sage advice on how to improve this, how to enhance that – taking his normal role as a mentor presenting his insight.

But then he got fixated on the foxes. Rare's Dinosaur Planet was set on a planet full of dinosaurs, naturally, but for the game's two playable heroes – Sabre and Krystal – the developers had decided on using anthropomorphic foxes. They could have been humans, sure. They could have been any other kind of animal. But because they were foxes, Miyamoto stared at the screen and made a simple remark.

"He looks like Fox McCloud, doesn't he?"

A Hero's Lost Identity

It's hard to imagine how awkward it must be for designers working in Shigeru's shadow. Here is a man who always get his way – always. And his suggestions almost always make for better final products, which must just make it even more aggravating on the rare occasions when he sets his mind to something that might not be in a game's best interest.

Apparently no one did for Dinosaur Planet. Mr. Miyamoto's off-hand remark about the game's fox hero looking like his own Fox hero was enough to completely change the direction of the project, as Dinosaur Planet was fully converted into a Star Fox title.

The result was a mess of a game. Star Fox Adventures launched to fair acclaim – Matt Casamassina's IGN review even scored it a 9 out of 10 at the time – but, a decade later, it's much easier to see its flaws.

Fox McCloud just felt shoehorned in. You could tell it was a mismatch from the start, as Fox pilots his Arwing down to the planet's surface and promptly hops out to explore on foot. Then General Pepper forbids him from wielding his blaster, forcing him to take up a staff instead. Then he runs around fetch-questing items and spirits and magical who-knows-whats, all to ultimately save the life of a blue-furred she-fox he falls in love with at first sight.

Strike 1. Strike 2. Strike 3. All of those elements could have worked wonderfully if an original character had been kept as the game's hero, but instead they all felt contrived with Fox pressed into the role. They went against everything we knew about Fox from previous games – he was a pilot first and foremost, and never left his cockpit on a mission (only in the just-for-fun Star Fox 64 multiplayer mode). He was a loner with daddy issues, the type of character an in-game love interest was never meant for (the girls hit on Falco in Star Fox 64.) And he wouldn't have just left his blaster behind because Corneria's General asked him nicely too – he would have blasted everything in sight and sent Pepper the bill for his destructive services. (Again, as in Star Fox 64.)

In fact, that bit with General Pepper ordering Fox – an independent mercenary – not to wield his own weapon on a mission seems, in hindsight, a bit too eerily similar to Adam commanding Samus not to use her equipment in Metroid: Other M. Think about that connection for a bit.

The Downward Spiral

Star Fox Adventures' problems continued beyond the damage done to Fox McCloud as a character, as the conversion of Dinosaur Planet from a late-generation N64 masterpiece into a first-year GameCube position filler clearly took its toll in other ways too – the storyline was convoluted, and entire gameplay sequences were left unfinished in the final product. Remember General Scales, the game's main antagonist? The whole single-player quest builds up to one last decisive fight with the T-Rex-esque villain, but just as you're about to attack him, the game crazily shuts down.

Seriously – I thought my personal copy had glitched out when I came to that moment myself, 10 years ago. But no, it was actually deliberate. You get into the battle with Scales and start preparing for an epic fight, and then the combat sequence just abruptly ends – since a full fight was never actually finished in development, and the game has to scoot you on to the "real" final battle with a ridiculously nonsensical version of old Star Fox nemesis Andross instead.

What's worse, the poor decisions heaped upon Star Fox Adventures then rippled out to bring down the series' next installments, too. Nintendo next tossed the reigns of the franchise over to Namco for Star Fox Assault, which was weighed down by having to integrate characters like she-fox Krystal into the on-going series storyline and was crippled by poorly executed on-foot missions – neither of which would have been there if Dinosaur Planet had just remained as Dinosaur Planet. 2006's Star Fox Command brought the series' gameplay back to an earlier era and was more successful, but, again, Krystal had to be accounted for – her weird relationship with Fox ended up stealing way too much of the spotlight as the game went in the odd direction of presenting multiple different possible endings, most of them concerned with whether or not the two foxes ever got busy making babies.

It was all, and still is, ridiculous. And it's all Star Fox Adventures' fault.

Hope for the Future

Star Fox Adventures was the last game Rare ever developed as a Nintendo second-party – after its release, they were purchased by Microsoft. Some Nintendo fans minimized that loss, pointing out Adventures as evidence of the company's poor output – but that was mostly just self-protection, fans walling themselves off from the realization that the excellent artists who brought us Banjo-Kazooie, GoldenEye and Conker were forced to compromise their vision on what could have been their best Nintendo title ever.

But, at least from the perspective of the Star Fox franchise, things here 10 years later are once again flying right. Someone at Nintendo finally figured out that Adventures had been the point when the brand veered off, and the wise decision was made to reboot and redirect the series by revisiting its best game – Star Fox 64. 2011's Star Fox 64 3D remake for the 3DS was exactly what Star Fox needed, to get refocused on what made the series great in the first place – intense shooting action, in vehicles, with a team of chatty wingmen offering criticism, advice and pleas for help with no blue-furred love interests in sight.

With hope, Star Fox 64 3D will be used by Nintendo as a new starting point for Fox McCloud, and the past decade of missteps will be ignored by any future sequels that come along. Let's just hope whatever's next will be an original adventure this time around – not another unrelated work-in-progress ruined by having Fox shoehorned into it.

For those interested in more about the original version of Dinosaur Planet, click here to read IGN64's archived coverage of the game and watch this recently-released video playthrough of the title's first sequence:

Lucas M. Thomas recognizes that the graphics of Star Fox Adventures, including Fox's fur, were pretty good. (He disowns the rest of the game, though.) You can follow him on his IGN blog and Twitter.

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The Difficulty Discussing Wii U

For the past couple years, Nintendo has attempted to share its vision for Wii U. For many observers and fans, the publisher has struggled to articulate itself well, first in clarifying that this was an entirely new system, and then fully demonstrating its capabilities. Bit by bit, Nintendo's overall message has not only grown stronger, but become clearer, and while there's still much to explain, gamers now have a much better sense of why Nintendo is going down this two-screen path.

"With any new hardware from Nintendo that tends to be a significant innovation versus what's been done in the past, we have to learn how to best communicate that innovation to consumers," Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime told me at the recent Wii U preview/launch event. Earlier in the interview, Fils-Aime noted that the company wasn't even sure how to articulate the appeal of something like the 3DS's Street Pass. "It was really hard to put it into words, because it is so different and so novel. And yet when I talk to people, Street Pass is one of the things they love most. The quests, the surprise of finding a new Mii on your system."

Fils-Aime noted the entire process of describing a new system to consumers, particularly since Nintendo typically forges new, innovative paths, is a lengthy one that doesn't click into place all at once. "If you look at the early marketing activity for Nintendo DS, versus where we were six years later, it was very different," Fils-Aime noted. "We had to learn how to speak to the consumer in a way that they could understand about what was so fun about this two-screen experience. The same is true for Wii. As a marketing organization, we had to learn how to communicate the fun of a motion-controlled active play experience."

Nintendo's journey with the 3DS has also been well-documented. When the company first unveiled the new platform, its messaging heavily emphasized the glasses-free 3D feature of the system. Nintendo anticipated that aspect to gel with consumers, but that didn't turn out to be the case. The result is what you see today - more talk about games and more quiet releases of StreetPass-based content. The 3D is still there, Nintendo just doesn't mention it nearly as often as it used to.

In some ways, though the system hasn't even hit store shelves, the same is true for Wii U. "For the last year, we've had to learn how to communicate about Wii U," Fils-Aime said. Watching the company move from a GamePad-centric message to something more broad, incorporating discussions of TVii, asynchronous gameplay and Miiverse has truly been a revelation, but each iteration of that message, and each subsequent showing, seems to be refined. Clearly something is working - Wii U pre-orders are rapidly disappearing as retailers anticipate running out of hardware at launch.

Still, challenges remain. Though Fils-Aime told me online play is as common as air, and that Nintendo intended to “give you tons of that air,” the company has yet to truly shed light on that process, including the critical notion of Friend Codes – or whatever iteration of that concept will (or won’t) appear on Wii U.

And Nintendo recognizes some of those upcoming tasks already. “Miiverse has the same challenges. Our vision for this service is unlike anything that's ever been before it… People put it in, maybe, current terms of things that it's most analogous to, and it's not really what this is going to be. It's going to be a very rich, robust part of the experience,” Fils-Aime said, when I asked if current comparisons and assumptions about the service were appropriate to describe a service that hasn’t fully been articulated yet. “One of the things that we've found is that gamers want to talk about other gamers about the fun they have when they're playing games. And that's different from what you do on other social networks. We believe Miiverse will be a very compelling part of the Wii U proposition, just like Street Pass and the Street Pass Mii Plaza have become a very compelling part of the Nintendo 3DS proposition.”

And Nintendo’s job doesn’t simply end once Wii U arrives on store shelves. There’s plenty more to be said about the games coming to the system, and while we have a pretty good grasp of things like Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U or ZombiU, things get very murky beyond the initial five-month “launch window.” I asked Fils-Aime why his team has been avoiding that conversation, even though some consumers absolutely think long-term when it comes to evaluating whether a console is worth purchasing.

“This is a real double-edged sword, because there are other people who are complaining that [the launch window is too long],” Fils-Aime told me. “What we're trying to do is give the most complete picture of the games that are going to be available now, as well as over the next number of months. That's why we've focused on this launch window, through March 31.”

Yet knowing that some gamers wanted more information, Fils-Aime noted that that more unannounced Wii U games are in development, including some that will release “during the launch window that we haven’t announced yet.” Precisely when we’d learn more information about that software, and who is developing it, is unclear.

With less than two months until the system’s launch, Nintendo still has plenty to reveal about its new system. Just yesterday we learned Wii U will be region-locked, but we still need to learn more about system transfers, launch day software, online capabilities, Miiverse and plenty more. Nintendo may have clarified its vision, but Wii U is still a ways off from becoming a crystal clear product. Stay tuned to IGN as we learn more.

Rich is an Executive Editor of IGN.com and the leader of IGN's Nintendo team. He also watches over all things WWE, Resident Evil, Assassin's Creed and much more. Follow him on Twitter, if you dare!

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Wii U Will Be Region-Locked

Though it comes as little surprise, it appears as though Nintendo's Wii U console will be region locked. The latest issue of Famitsu reports that Nintendo plans to prevent its new console from playing software outside of specified territories. A direct quote as translated on Twitter: "What can be played on the Wii U is restricted by a region-lock feature; software not sold in the same region cannot be played."

This is hardly the first time Nintendo has applied this policy. Wii and the 3DS were locked, as were some models of the Nintendo DS. Earlier Nintendo hardware featured physical differences in carts as a means for region locking.

So... anyone planning to import a Japanese Wii U now? If Nintendo of America's strange localization timetables continue, we're not sure how long we'll be able to resist. Stay tuned to IGN for the latest details on Wii U as the system's launch approaches.

Rich is an Executive Editor of IGN.com and the leader of IGN's Nintendo team. He also watches over all things WWE, Resident Evil, Assassin's Creed and much more. Follow him on Twitter, if you dare!

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Wii U Announcements Discussed

Yesterday marked the long-awaited reveal of the Nintendo Wii U worldwide launch details and pricing news. While many of us here at IGN rushed out to pre-order the unique new console, others remained skeptical. I asked some of my friends around here to see what the consensus was, and -- as it turns out -- Nintendo's first foray into high definition graphics is a lot more polarizing at IGN than I thought it would be.

Mitch Dyer, Associate Editor says - Nintendo’s done little to win me over in the last six months. Everything about Wii U so far has been predictable. It’s hard for me to get excited about another Mario game, charming and entertaining as they always are, because they do very little to shake up the gameplay. Third-party stuff like ZombiU is interesting, but hardly alluring when Xbox 360, PS3, and PC have considerably more games I’m interested in.

This week's big press conference did two things: First, it convinced me the Wii U finally has substance; second, that I absolutely won’t be buying one. Oh, and theTekken characters look awesome in Mario costumes.

Colin Campbell, Features Editor says - It’s a fair price for a good product, and it’s got strong first-party support and okay third-party backing. I’m a family-man and I’ve completely bought into this idea of Wii U as a front-room box-of-fun, in much the same way as Wii was. I’ll be playing this with my kids, and so it’ll be a different model of fun than playing hardcore RPGs and shooters on Xbox 360 and PS3. I doubt I'll bother much with those Wii U games aimed at the hardcore gamer. Family fun is what Nintendo does best, and I’m impressed with the thought that has gone into serving the impulse to play with other people. If I was a single man, I’m not sure I’d be quite so convinced as of yet. Everything hinges on the controller and I’m still not sure that it offers enough to make this console worth buying, when new, more powerful consoles from Microsoft and Sony are likely around the corner. But Nintendo has a free holiday season with this new console, and my gut-feeling is that it will do very well.

Greg Miller, Executive Editor of IGN PlayStation says - Zombie U is a really cool survival game, The Wonderful 101 looks like this DC Comics fanboy's cup of tea, and Wii TVii's live sports integration seems interesting. All of that is cool, but not $300 cool. I'm letdown with this price point. Nintendo has been so guarded about Wii U information, but what has leaked out hasn't been the best buzz builder -- the machine is only slightly more powerful than the PS3 and 360, so when Sony and Microsoft's new consoles come out next year, this will already be an out of date system.

“

Wii U is cool, but not $300 cool.

When the Wii was announced, I was floored, hooked, and ready to pick my console up at its midnight launch. But as the years have gone by and I've seen my Wii age into a PS3 controller charger, I've lost my Nintendo faith. It's a great company with amazing exclusives, but it's not one that speaks to me. The Wii U is going to sell and Nintendo fans are going to love it, but I'll wait for the inevitable price drop and Mario Kart, Mario Golf, or Zelda.

Keza MacDonald, UK Games Editor - I wasn't totally sold on the Wii U when it was first announced,

“

HOLY S--T, BAYONETTA 2.

but since E3 this year I've been warming up to it. When you get your hands on the console and play around with the GamePad it just instantly makes sense. I was worried that Nintendo would overprice it, but $300/£250 seems very reasonable to me - it's cheap enough for me to want to buy one right now rather than save all my pennies for the next PlayStation/Xbox next year, which will almost definitely be way more expensive. The launch line-up could be better, but hey, it's launching with Mario. That hasn't happened in 16 years. Also: HOLY S--T, BAYONETTA 2! THAT was unexpected.

Nic Vargus, IGN Tech Editor says - Nintendo didn't dig into the nitty-gritty specs that I really wanted to geek out on, but maybe they didn't have to. The Wii U looks pretty powerful, at least until it has some next-gen competition. I'd like to pretend that the only thing that matters is Nintendo's first-party exclusives, but I still haven't dusted off my Wii to play Donkey Kong Country Returns, and I used to have dreams that I transformed into Diddy Kong. I'll probably still buy a Wii U, but that's just because I'm irresponsible with money.

Brian Altano, Executive Editor of News & Features says - I snuck out of work in the middle of helping coordinate our Nintendo Wii U news coverage to go pre-order a Nintendo Wii U -- along with Rayman: Legends, New Super Mario Bros., and Zombi U. So yeah, that was my reaction. Oh, and please don't tell my boss I ditched work, or that I might be ditching a lot more come November 18th. Hopefully he doesn't read this.

Charles Onyett, Executive Editor of IGN PC says - I think the price is fine. Apple charges $200 to $300 for a new phone with a payment plan pretty much on a yearly basis. Nintendo charging a little more for a full gaming console every six or so years is perfectly reasonable. While new consoles are always exciting, and I’ll probably wind up buying a Wii U somewhere in the launch window anyway strictly out of pure curiosity, I think its game lineup has issues. There are only a few real standout launch window games like ZombiU, New Super Mario Bros. U, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and Pikmin 3. Many of its launch titles have already been released or will be released on platforms millions of people already own.

The Wii U also doesn’t have the same kind of novelty the Wii did when it launched. Nintendo delivered a much more intriguing input device with the Wiimote. By comparison, it feels like the Wii U’s innovations are minor, and many of its dual-screen control mechanics are gimmicky. My opinion could very well change after I pick up a Wii U and get to play all the games over the course of a few months, but for now, beyond the simple fact that the Wii U’s launch -- at long last -- kicks off the next generation of consoles, there aren’t many reasons to get unreasonably excited.

Colin Moriarty, Editor, IGN PlayStation says - I have to be reminded every once in a while that one should never underestimate Nintendo. No matter how down-and-out they seem, no matter how completely irrelevant their hardware appears to be compared to Sony’s and Microsoft’s, and no matter how bitter and jaded the hardcore community seems towards them, they always pull a rabbit out of their hat. I have little doubt that the minds at Nintendo will perform a similar feat with the Wii U.

“

Nintendo simply isn’t the same company to me, and many others, anymore.

With that said, temper your expectations. Many of Wii U’s most appealing games will have already been out on other consoles by the time it launches. Its touch pad -- like the Wii’s controller -- is yet another gimmick, something Nintendo doesn’t even need with its strong library of legacy exclusives that will no doubt find their way in one form or another to the Wii U. And the casual gamer that made the Wii a rousing commercial success will not be back. Nintendo now has to cater again to the hardcore audience, and they lost some of that audience -- including me -- by refusing to give me much, making me long for the glory days of my youth, ranging from the NES and SNES to the N64 and the GameCube. Nintendo simply isn’t the same company to me, and many others, anymore.

Wii U is also too expensive. For a console that -- at best -- is marginally more powerful than this generation’s consoles, a $300 minimum price strikes me as strange. Then again, while the next Xbox and PlayStation will undoubtedly leave Wii U in the dust in terms of technology, it doesn’t really matter if the games are on Wii U. There are already some interesting titles announced and on the horizon, but I need to see more. Just like my wait-and-see approach with the 3DS (I finally acquired one this summer), I will be watching Wii U eagerly, waiting for a price drop and some compelling games for me -- the hardcore gamer -- before I drop my hard-earned dough.

Destin Legarie, Editor says - When I saw the Japanese announcement late last night about the Wii U pricing, I was skeptical.  I worried that it would be too high for the American market, and I was frustrated after hearing how much I would have to pay for a second controller.  When the Japan announcement came through it seemed that the console would set me back about $450 Day 1, which did not fly for my delicate American wallet.  Luckily that all changed this morning.

When I got to work that sour opinion vanished.  Not only did they hit that magical number of $299.99 for the American market (making us feel like we get a deal being one cent under $300) but they also revealed their exclusives. Rather huge exclusives, actually.  Bayonetta 2 being on the Wii U is a huge win for Nintendo and it came along with a list of great titles that will be out on launch day, or at least within the launch window.  The Ultimate Edition of Monster Hunter 3, New Super Mario U, and The Wonderful 101 are all games that have me ready to plop down my pre-order cash.

I do have one question for you though, Nintendo: why wasn’t THIS your E3 press conference?

Ryan McCaffrey, Executive Editor, IGN 360 says - Scoring Bayonetta 2 as a Wii U exclusive is a nice gesture to hardcore gamers on Nintendo’s part, and New Super Mario Bros. U looks excellent. But personally, nothing about the launch window -- be it price or software lineup -- is compelling me to buy Nintendo’s new console in 2012. I’m sure I’ll buy one eventually for the first-party games alone -- hell, I always do with Nintendo’s systems -- but I’m keeping my wallet closed for now. On a side note, Nintendo almost always does things in their own unique way, but it’s interesting that they’ve taken a page from Microsoft and the Xbox 360 launch by offering a “Premium” and a “Core” SKU. I do appreciate that they’ve given me a way to not have to buy Nintendoland whenever I do end up getting a Wii U.

Fran Mirabella III, Senior Director of Video: I’ve observed every Nintendo console launch since GameCube as part of this industry, and Wii U has, by far, felt like the one Nintendo was least prepared for. Until now. The E3 2012 showing was, let’s face it, completely off the rails. It goes down in the books as one of Nintendo’s worst press conferences. One of the major problems was that major playable software was scarcely highlighted, and the stuff you might be most interested in, you barely got to see (Super Mario Bros. Wii U, Rayman Legends, Pikmin 3, etc.). Today, it finally got a $299 price point, a release date, and a substantial amount of software. And, more importantly, I'm finally seeing more gameplay along with their GamePad integrations.

So am I actually excited? Yes. I’ve pre-ordered my deluxe bundle and am ready to get in line. What can I say, I’m a console launch junkie and there’s easily enough to keep me satisfied here. I’m excited to play Rayman Legends, Pikmin 3, and possibly some third-party games I’ve never had the chance to get to yet. But what is still missing is something that is often lacking from major console launches -- a Halo, an Uncharted... a Zelda. This isn’t surprising, but it is the nagging part of the Wii U launch currently. From Smash Bros. to a full-fledged 3D Mario, I just don’t know when that stuff is coming, and there’s no truly exclusive mega-franchise hitters here for core gamers. Most importantly, though, I haven’t seen many single-player GamePad integrations that really excite me. I love the idea of the GamePad for the whole family and things like TV browsing, but how is it going to change the next Metroid? That’s something we all still have to hold our breath a while longer for.

So what do you think? Agree with my co-workers? Despise them vehemently? It's OK, I feel the same way sometimes, and I have to spend all day with them. Sound off below and let me know what you think.

Brian Altano is IGN's Executive Editor of News & Features. Follow him on Twitter.

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Nintendo Announces Wii U Showcase Tour

Nintendo has announced it'll be touring the Wii U around the UK to give gamers a chance to get hands-on with the title.

The tour will kick off on September 27 and visit a range of shopping centres, gaming expos and events across the UK before drawing to a close on January 6.

With the console due to launch in the UK on November 30, there's plenty of time for you to try out the console and decide whether it's what you're looking for. A range of titles will be available to try, including New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendo Land and ZombiU.

Alongside this, there'll also be the chance to win prizes and try out upcoming Nintendo 3DS XL titles before they launch, including the latest Pokémon and Mario adventures.

The full list of tour dates is below:

• Eurogamer Expo, London: 27 – 30 September
• Braehead shopping centre, Glasgow: 11 – 14 October
• Play Expo, Manchester: 13 – 14
• Westfield, Derby: 18 – 21 October
• MCM Expo, London: 26 – 28 October
• Highcross Shopping Centre, Leicester: 1 – 4 November
• The Bullring, Birmingham: 8 – 11 November
• Westfield Stratford City, London: 15 – 18 November
• Metro Centre, Newcastle: 22 – 25 November
• Gadget Show Christmas, London: 30 November – 2 December
• Westfield, London: 6 – 9 December
• Centre: MK, Milton Keynes: 13 – 16 December
• Arndale centre, Manchester: 3 – 6 January

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

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Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 3DS Announced

Almost all of today's Nintendo news has been centered on the Wii U, but amidst the chaos of price and release date announcements for the new home console, one piece of interesting 3DS information came to light – the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series is coming back. Nintendo announced a 3DS sequel for the series via Japan's CoroCoro magazine, and its title translates roughly as "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Magnagate and the Infinite Labyrinth."

The CoroCoro issue went on to showcase images of the game which confirmed a 3D visual style and the presence of Unova region Pokemon. You can select Snivy, Oshawott, Tepig, Pikachu or Axew as your starter.

The "Magnagate" mentioned in the subtitle, meanwhile, refers to a type of portal in the game that teleports your Pokemon team into dungeons – you can create new Magnagates by using an included AR feature and scanning things. What things to scan? We don't know yet. Could be specialized QR codes, like Pokedex 3D. We'll have to wait and see.

Nintendo of America hasn't had anything to say about the game yet, but it's probably a safe bet that it will be localized for Western audiences. Most Pokemon titles are, and the Game Boy Advance and DS systems got a total of five Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games between them. So again, safe bet.

We'll go ahead and pencil it onto your TBA 2013 list, NOA.

Lucas M. Thomas is IGN Nintendo's wise old sage, having worked to cover the worlds of Mario, Link, Samus and all the rest of the Big N's creations for over six years here. You can follow him on Twitter.

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New Nintendo Land Attractions Announced

During this morning's Wii U Preview Event, Nintendo revealed a bit more information about its flagship launch title for the platform, Nintendo Land. We previously knew about eight of the 12 total "attractions" inside the package, but four remained a mystery. Now we know about two more.

"Mario Chase" is a refined, evolved version of the "Chase Mii" demo first showcased at E3 2011. Dressed as Mushroom Kingdom characters, four players will work together on the TV screen to chase down a fifth runner, who plays using the Wii U GamePad.

"Pikmin Adventure" will also be playable at the event later today, and Bill Trinen has described the game as an "action-based multiplayer attraction," with players having their Miis dressed up like Pikmin soldiers and working together to swarm enemies characters.

UPDATE! Here's a first look at new screens of the new attractions in action:

Mario Chase

Pikmin Adventure

Lucas M. Thomas is IGN Nintendo's wise old sage, having worked to cover the worlds of Mario, Link, Samus and all the rest of the Big N's creations for over six years here. You can follow him on Twitter.

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Get All The New Wii U Info Here

Nintendo revealed an absolute ton of information about the Wii U today, including launch details for every territory and new game details. Here's everything that happened during the Japanese, North American and European Nintendo Direct broadcasts, all in one place.

LAUNCH DATE AND PRICE

The Wii U will launch in North America on November 18th, Europe on November 30th and on the 8th December in Japan.

It comes in two models: Basic and Premium. Basic comes with 8GB of memory, the console, a gamepad, sensor bar, HDMI cable and AC adaptor in the US, and without a sensor bar in the EU. Premium comes with 32GB of memory, console, gamepad, charging cradle and stands for the console and gamepad, and Nintendo Land.

Premium also comes with a Nintendo Network Premium Subscription, which gives you discounts on Nintendo games bought online. According to Nintendo EU's press release, it is "a reward programme that grants points for digital purchases in Nintendo eShop. Valued at around 10% of the original Nintendo eShop price, this credit can be used against future purchases once you reach a minimum of 500 points."

The price in the US is $299 for the Basic and $349 for the Premium. Nintendo never announces prices for Europe due to previous issues with the EU, so it'll be up to retailers to decide. Early listings ranged from £210 to £320. Tesco currently has it at £249 for Basic and £299 for Premium.

THE GAMES

The launch day games in Europe have been confirmed as New Super Mario Bros U, Nintendo Land, FIFA 13, ZombiU, Rayman Legends, Mass Effect 3, and Call of Duty Black Ops 2. There's no definite list for the US, but we can assume it will be very similar.

The biggest surprise of the day was without a doubt Bayonetta 2 (yay!), which was announced as a Wii U exclusive. Wow. Platinum Games' other Wii U title, cute superhero-strategy mashup Project P-100, was retitled The Wonderful 101.

On the multiformat side, Activision and Nintendo finally confirmed Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 for Wii U. Activision is also bringing Skylanders Giants to the party. We'll be seeing Aliens: Colonial Marines in the "launch window" as well. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will have new, Wii U exclusive content - including Nintendo costumes and power-ups. An Ultimate edition of Monster Hunter 3 will be coming to Wii U as well as 3DS from Capcom. The full line-up of Nintendo Land mini-games is also now out in the open.

Nintendo released a list of over 50 launch window games in North America and Europe - that's games released between November and the end of March. You can read the full list right here.

IT BEGINS. Stay with IGN for everything on the Wii U in the run-up to launch.

UK Games Editor Keza MacDonald wasn't totally sold on the Wii U when it was announced, but has really warmed to it since this year's E3, and will now definitely be getting one. Follow her on Twitter here, or on IGN.

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Which Wii U Will You Buy on November 18th?

Today, Nintendo finally blew the lid off its launch date and pricing for Wii U. Unlike traditional Nintendo launches, this console will be available in multiple price points featuring a variety of different bonuses such as more memory options, charging stands and even a pack-in title in the form of Nintendo Land. So which interests you the most?

For reference...

Nintendo Wii U $299 Basic Set - Available in White on November 18th in the United States

The Basic set will have 8GB of memory and includes:

- the Wii u console

- a Wii U GamePad

- an HDMI cable

- a Wii U sensor bar

- an AC adapter

Nintendo Wii U $349 Deluxe Set - Available in Black on November 18th in the United States

The Deluxe set will have 32GB of internal memory and includes:

- everything in the Basic configuration,plus...

- a Wii U GamePad charging cradle

- a stand for both GamePads and the console itself

- plus a copy of Nintendo Land.

So which Wii U SKU interests you? Are you buying on day one, or waiting to see what the future holds? Let us know in the comments below.

Brian Altano is IGN's Executive Editor of News & Features. He's been excited for Nintendo console launches since he was five years old and tore open his first video game system, an NES on Christmas morning. Be sure to follow him on Twitter.

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Wii U Price, Release Date Announced

During its Wii U preview event in New York City today, Nintendo revealed the release date for Wii U. The system will be available on November 18th in North America in two configurations:

The Basic set will have 8GB of memory and includes the console, a GamePad, an HDMI cable, a sensor bar and an AC adapter. The basic set will be $299.99 in the United States.

The Deluxe set will have 32GB of internal memory and includes everything in the Basic configuration, plus a GamePad charging cradle, a stand for both GamePads and the console itself, plus a copy of Nintendo Land. The Deluxe set will be $349.99 in the United States.

In Europe, Wii U will be released on November 30th.

Earlier today, Nintendo also announced that Wii U will arrive on December 8th in Japan.

Nintendo previously declined to announce Wii U’s price and release date at E3, but rumors have pointed to both ever since. A rumor just last week suggested a November 11th release and three price points, while earlier rumors suggested a higher price of $435. Reports in August also suggested that Wii U is facing a “manufacturing nightmare” that could delay its international release.

Wii U is Nintendo’s sixth home console. Keep checking back to IGN for more news as it’s announced, plus hands-on impressions from New York.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

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Wii U Hits Japan December 8

Nintendo has announced the Wii U will launch in Japan on December 8 and will be available in two different models.

The premium set, which is black, will feature 32GB of flash memory. The basic set, which will be white, will feature 8GB of flash memory.

The Premium bundle will cost ¥31,500 and the basic set will cost ¥26,250. Based on the current exchange rate this is approximately US$405 and US$337. A standalone Wii U GamePad will set Japanese gamers back 13,440 yen (that's just over US$170). Prices in US dollars are provided for context; Japanese pricing may not necessarily reflect pricing in other territories.

The Basic set packs a white console, white Game Pad, an AC adapter and a HDMI cable. The Premium set includes a black console and a black Game Pad, an AC adapter, a HDMI cable, a Game Pad dock, a console stand and a two-year Nintendo Network Premium subscription that runs through to December 2014. Nintendo Network Premium offers 10 per cent off digital purchases.

The details were revealed via the first of two Japanese Nintendo Direct events.

US and European Nintendo events are slated to follow at the following times.

• 10:00 a.m. EDT
• 9:00 a.m. CDT
• 7:00 a.m. PDT
• 3:00 p.m. BST
• Midnight AEST

Nintendo of America will stream the event live on its Wii U Facebook page. European readers can catch the European Nintendo Direct here, and AU/NZ readers here.

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