First off, Famitsu revealed that the game, set in a futuristic Tokyo in the year 2031, is due for release, unsurprisingly, in 2012. The more unexpected reveal, however, is that the game will also see a release on PSP and PS Vita as well. A new reveal then also went on to deliver some first story and character details as well.

The game’s story actually starts only a few years into the future as a giant hole, accompanied by an explosion, appears in the skies above Central Tokyo and destroys the whole city. Jumping 18 years into the future after this event, Tokyo has now rebuilt itself into a much more futuristic city complete with holographic signs and a 2000 meter tall power source building known as the “Space Elevator”.

According to the magazine, the following character names and descriptions have been revealed as well:

Fushimi Hina

A rebellious announcer with a television station, her dream is to become a news caster. In the hopes of getting a scoop, she’s pursuing the truth behind a terrorist known as Dokuro no Kaijin (maybe… Mysterious Kaijin?).

Fukase Yuri

A third year high school student, Fukase is a childhood friend of Mikoto, the girl from the original Time Travelers teaser video. He’s good at both sports and studies, but doesn’t speak much or reveal his feelings.

Kamiya Soma

An elite cop. His wife and child are being held hostage, and he’s being forced to take part in terrorist acts.

Shindo Kyugo

He was once said to be a genius, but now he cons people of their money saying that he’s developing a time machine.

Ressentiment

A real life hero who does his patrol work while cosplaying. His true identity is a 30 year old who has yet to grow up. He’s been jobless since dropping out of college, survives on an allowance sent to him by his father, and was recently dumped by his girlfriend of five years.

While no specific gameplay or story details were revealed beyond that, the game will be playable at Level-5 World this week so we’ll likely get a bunch of new info very soon. Either way, this game looks extremely interesting and is shaping up to be a possible must-have portable title. What are your thoughts so far?

This screenshot is from the WiiWare original. Here's hoping the 3DS sequel will look just as vibrant and polished!

For those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Rocket’s work, he is a daring little spaceman with an abundance of nifty tricks up his sleeves, who in the original Jett Rocket (released on WiiWare last summer) sought to save planet Yoroppa  from the foul machinations of the Power Plant Posse.

This, in other words, involved a sweet sweet shedload of 3D platforming, featuring various gadgets and vehicles to aid Jett on his quest. The game was well-received, and the idea of a stereoscopic sequel has certainly piqued the interest of many.

If you’re still unsure what to expect, here’s the WiiWare trailer:

All good stuff! Yet unfortunately, we’ve precious little to share regarding the eShop sequel Shin’en are working on. We only know it’s in development, and that this is a good thing which pleases us.

Nonetheless, Nintendo World Report suggests that the developers are taking on feedback from the first game to refine the second. Additionally, Shin’en Multimedia themselves hope to be able to reveal further information at the end of October.

Colour us intrigued! If the sequel’s anywhere near as graphically bold and fun as the WiiWare predecessor we’ve seen here, the eShop might just be in for a real treat.

Nonetheless, if you’re an RPG fan in Europe there’s news to be had. We’ve had our eye on Tales Of The Abyss for a while now, and previous coverage has confirmed that, despite an unfortunate slip into 2012 for the game’s American release, Europe is still on track to receive it this year. It seems confirmation has finally arrived, perhaps tying into the big announcement the developers were said to be making; Tales Of The Abyss has been confirmed to release on 25th November for Europe.

Jeuxpo.com offer the newly-confirmed release date, which Nintendo3DSblog.com shows to be a slight alteration from Europe’s original release date of 10th November. With some game developers displaying concern at the packed November videogame schedule as is, we can only hope Tales Of The Abyss doesn’t suffer too! Otherwise there’d be all sorts of spiky-haired anime sullenness.

But wait, there’s more!

Heroes Of Ruin is the intriguingly many-feature-having 3DS dungeon-delving RPG game, and one we’ve certainly been keeping an eye on. Unfortunately, this game was never destined to be in our sticky paws this year anyway, yet there’s now suggestions it could be even further into the murky recesses of 2012 than first thought.

Italian site Gamesource.it are reporting that Heroes Of Ruin has slipped beyond Spring 2012 into the cusp of summer. They’re suggesting we shouldn’t expect the game any sooner than June 2012, though any concrete details seem thin on the ground at present.

However, at least Tales hasn’t been shunted away into the new year (not for Europe, at least), plus it means you’ve got fifteen more days than previously thought to scoop together your currency for that particular title among the mayhem of November’s videogame release schedule.

What’s on your November shopping list?

UPDATE: Special thanks to reader Travis for pointing out the Valentine’s Day US release date for Tales Of The Abyss, something also confirmed by the likes of Joystiq. It’s strange how the US has to wait longer than Europe for a JRPG when it’s usually the other way around, but at least Namco-Bandai are localising it at all!

Cave Story 3D looks gorgeous, but can it stand up to Super Mario 3D Land?

However, while this means a massive increase in revenue for Nintendo, it can be little short of a sales barrier for 3rd party developers. NIS America, in particular, seems to be feeling the heat with their upcoming release of Cave Story 3D. An early 3DS supporter, NIS America’s 3D rendition of the classic Cave Story was originally meant to launch last summer, but was eventually moved to the upcoming holiday season due to poor console sales. However, thanks to the timely—or untimely—Mario release dates, NIS America now fears that their game will get overshadowed by the larger Nintendo titles, as is evident in a recent interview with the company’s president, Haru Akenaga:

I’m really worried about sales for Cave Story…. Actually, we could have released the title in the summer of this year, but the market was not great then. Almost all of the retailers did not want to carry 3DS titles that were not AAA titles. That’s why we postponed the release of Cave Story until the market conditions improved. Now there are many big titles coming and that should be better for 3DS. I hope Cave Story will have reorders and always have a spot on store shelves.

While Cave Story sold well on DSiWare and WiiWare, could the upgraded 3D version fall before the almighty Mario? Should NIS America have taken a chance earlier on? Or were they wise in holding it back until this holiday season?

Using their new StreetPass tool, called “PassID”, gamers sign up at http://passid.ca and create their own StreetPass profile, which allows them to enter in their friend code, photo, name, a brief bio and select contact information (it also supports Twitter and Facebook). The website then creates a brief, personalized URL which gamers share as their greeting message when they StreetPass someone.

Here is the full press release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 9, 2011) — StreetPass Network, an organization connecting Nintendo 3DS gamers across the world, and Vulpe Creative, a web design agency, today unveiled a new tool that builds more meaningful connections between gamers.

This tool, PassID, enables Nintendo 3DS gamers to improve their StreetPass encounters by opting to share a name, photo, Friend Code, brief bio and select contact information. Gamers who create an account at the PassID website (http://passid.ca/) can input the data they wish to share and then create a personalized, short URL that represents their public “badge.” The URL is then shared as the greeting message that Mii characters offer in StreetPass Mii Plaza, effectively giving each Mii a robust ID badge.

“We’re very excited to share this new tool with Nintendo 3DS gamers and further enhance the StreetPass experience,” said Joshua Lynsen, founder of StreetPass Network. “Like the identification badges you see at conventions, PassID allows people to share the info they want to share with friendly audiences. It’s our hope that PassID will build more meaningful and lasting connections between Nintendo 3DS gamers.”

Timothy Garcia, creative director at Vulpe Creative, said PassID exemplifies his agency’s mission to create useful and gorgeous things on the internet. PassID, which has been in development since May, is one of the agency’s first projects.

“You can use PassID badges to brag about your gaming accomplishments or proudly display your affiliation with your local StreetPass group,” he said. “We expect PassID will become even more popular and useful following this holiday season, so we strongly recommend that you register your username of choice today!”

To join PassID, go to http://passid.ca. For more information about the functionality and privacy policy of PassID, please visit http://passid.ca/faq and http://passid.ca/privacy. Technical support for PassID is available on Twitter at @MyPassID.

For more information about StreetPass Network, and to find a StreetPass group near you, please visit http://streetpassnetwork.com.

PassID is certainly a cool idea and definitely helps fill a void in the current amount of options Nintendo offers out of the box. Only time will tell if this idea catches on in any kind of wide scale, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

New York Comic-con is this weekend, and for the first time ever it will be a four day event. While the first day will be mostly press events and panels, the rest of the weekend promises plenty of surprises for the geek-world at large. As always, Nintendo will be on hand with plenty of games to play (and I’m sure a few streetpass opportunities for us, too).

Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 will be playable at the Nintendo booth (#1538), but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The big N is also hosting special events for Pokémon Rumble Blast and Professor Layton and the Last Specter. Both games are releasing later this month.

On Friday beginning at 8p.m., Professor Layton fans are in for a treat, as Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva will be screened exclusively for convention ticket holders. In addition to the film, guests will get to meet the characters, take part in trivia contests, and get their hands on The Last Specter, in case they don’t want to wait at the Nintendo booth. The screening and other frivolity will take place in hall 1B01.

On Saturday, from 10 a.m 6 p.m. Nintendo will also be hosting the Pokémon Gaming Lounge at Stage37, 508 West 37th Street. Even if you don’t have a ticket to the convention, the lounge will be free and open to everyone. This is a repeat of Nintendo’s lounge at San Diego, which was also off-site from the con and open to everyone! The lounge promises an expanded look at Rumble with plenty of extra interactive experiences you won’t get at the con. Activities will include a Pokémon photo booth, an opportunity to scan over-sized AR Markers for the Pokédex, and plenty of Pokémon giveaways. Even Pikachu promises to make a celebrity appearance.

 If you stick to the booth, there will be a handful of games to play including this summer’s smash hit (to no one’s surprise), Ocarina of Time 3D and the newly released Starfox 3D. The rest of the playable 3DS games include Tetris: Axis, Shinobi, and Sonic Generations.  There will also be a few DS games to play, including Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2. If you will be at the con, don’t forget to poke around at other booths as well, as certain third party developers will bring their upcoming 3DS titles as well, including SquareEnix.

When you go to conventions, what’s your favorite video game promotion?

Source: PSPWorld.com

11th – LEGO  Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (2 Votes)

10th – Spider-Man: Edge of Time (4 votes)

9th – Tetris Axis (6 votes)

9th – Need for Speed: The Run (6 votes)

9th – Dr. Lautrec & the Forgotten Knights (6 votes)

6th – Rayman Origins (12 votes)

5th – Cave Story 3D (18 votes)

4th – Sonic Generations (40 votes)

3rd – Pokemon Rumble Blast (57 votes)

Although it’s by no means a typical Pokemon game, Rumble Blast has an interesting look and hundreds of monsters to collect. Using wind-up toys in place of normal pocket monsters, the game gives players the ability to fight and acquire all five generations of Pokemon. It’s not surprising that one of the best selling franchises of all time made the top three, though it is interesting that SEGA’s blue blur got so close. Rumble Blast is the first Pokemon game to grace the 3DS (Pokedex 3D is more of an application) and it’s sure to sell well, but let’s hope a classic Pokemon adventure is in the works.

2nd – Super Mario 3D Land (536 votes)

I think we all knew that Mario would take the top two spots, but in the end it looks like 3D Land was just shy of of being top dog. Featuring vast 3D environments, loads of new and old power ups and the return of some classic Mario gameplay elements, 3D Land will most likely be the best selling adventure game on the 3DS this year. Every Mario adventure has expanded on the whacky universe of the Mushroom Kingdom and all who inhabit it, 3D Land is no different. With its deep visuals and an old-school feel, it’s no wonder it’s near the top of the list.

1st – Mario Kart 7 (560 Votes)

Beating out Super Mario 3D Land by only 24 votes is the most wanted end of the year title – Mario Kart 7. Quite possibly the best known racing series of all time, Mario Kart has been around since the Super Nintendo and has grown substantially over the years. Mario Kart 7 may be the most radically changed version of Mario Kart to date. The game has so many new items, tracks, karts and drivers that it’ll make your head spin. Kart customization, gliding, underwater driving, and first-person gyro controls have all been added to this wonderful little racer. Could Mario Kart 7 be the best Mario Kart to date? It just might be.

So there you have it, the top eleven end of the year games as voted by 3DS Buzz readers. Were they wrong? Is Super Mario 3D Land going to blow Mario Kart 7 out of the water? Was a game you were anticipating overlooked completely? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Yet with the game releasing in just a few short weeks, ahead of the mad scramble of titles that’ll be vying for your attention before the year’s out, does this second attempt at bringing Sims to 3DS offer a better experience? Or are we barking mad to even think of it?

…Sorry. Poochy puns. Had to be done.

Nutritionists will tell you, the best option for a healthy, balanced breakfast is a live kitten.

The likes of IGN and GamesRadar have been plumbing the depths of the latest Sims 3 outing, and whilst we already knew much of the game’s content, further details on the gameplay have emerged.

Over 40 breeds of dog and 20 breeds of cat are available, and if that isn’t enough you can tweak and fiddle with the pet creator to produce your own outlandish and freaky creations. Pets also have Lifetime Wishes, being the secretly ambitious critters they are. Surprisingly, there’s apparently even an option to have your Sim Pet want to WooHoo with as many other critters as possible!

If you don’t follow The Sims slang, WooHoo is basically… um… yeah. Ask your parents.

A terrifying miniature green crop circle surely foretold of an imminent invasion by tiny, angry aliens. Maybe.

It seems stylus control is ousted in favour of a cursor controlled by the Circle Pad. The bottom screen, as screenshots indicate, shows the various gubbins like moods, relationships and wishes to be fulfilled. Presumably among the recesses of such menus are the Karma powers the console versions of The Sims 3 tend to favour.

Once again, we’re reminded that the 3DS exclusively allows you to start a household in your simulated town housing animals only, meaning you needn’t even be a human being if you don’t want to. A perfect excuse to harass those pesky bipeds who’ve been lauding it over you for all these years, we shouldn’t wonder.

Fundamentally, and perhaps unfortunately, The Sims 3 Pets doesn’t seem set to break the formula too much. It’s simply what went before with animals in… and a little more effort on the graphical front.

Nonetheless, for a portable blend of Sims and animal magic, it could find an audience. The Sims always sells well, so this game is certainly never going to be a total cat-astrophe.

Okay, we promise to stop now.

Mario Kart 7 – The Tanooki Tail

Not too long ago, 3DS Buzz published an article about the confirmed items of Mario Kart 7. One of the most interesting additions to the item line up was an adorable tanooki leaf (see above). No one knew exactly what would happen when the tanooki leaf was acquired, though some speculated it would increase your gliding power. This is still a possibility, but we now know at least one effect of this retro power-up.

That’s right, your kart can now sprout a majestic tanooki tail! By the looks of it, the tail can be used to wallop other karts as you drive past. Mario Kart will never be the same…and that’s a good thing.

Super Mario 3D Land – Boomerang Bombardment

The Boomerang Bros have been around since Super Mario Bros 3 hit Japanese shelves in 1988. They’ve been featured in almost every Mario adventure since, from Paper Mario to Super Mario Galaxy. Rumor had it that the boomerang suit would be available in the upcoming Super Mario 3D Land, but nothing had been confirmed…until today. Nintendo has released some new artwork for 3D Land, including a sleek looking boomerang suit.

With some blue booties and a rather large boomerang, Mario looks ready to take on any and all Mushroom Kingdom baddie. It will be interesting to see how the suit plays out in a 3D environment. Will the boomerang have an arching path like the one in the Zelda series or will it fly straight ahead? I guess we’ll find out on November 13, if not sooner.

The theme here seems to be reviving items originating from Super Mario Bros 3. Could Kuribo’s Shoe show up in one of these spectacular Mario titles? I hope so. I really do.

Click on the red titles for more info on each story.

All Rise… and Get Knocked Down Again – We got a release date as well as a new trailer for BlazBlue Continuum Shift 2 at the start of this week, which is great news for all the fighter fans!

Intelligent Puzzling – Intelligent Systems are planning to bring a title to the eShop… in Japan. Fingers crossed for a western release – we certainly need some 3DSWare.

An Exciting Revelation – We also got a release date for Resident Evil Revelations – and it’s pretty good. You’ll be able to go mad with various weaponry from February.

Not Forgotten – Dr. Lautrec was pushed back again to December this week, and will be out just after Mario Kart. Very sensible, Konami…

At The Movies – We heard on Wednesday that Nintendo have now brought in Dreamworks to provide some much needed fresh content for Nintendo Video, including a Monsters vs. Aliens short.

Even More Movies… – This week was great for Super Mario 3D Land fans, because we got an incredible four trailers! You can see them here, here and here. It’s getting closer to November…

Walk and Talk – We’ve just about recovered from the slide-pad peripheral, but Nintendo seems to want to keep us on out toes. We discovered this week that there would be an officially approved headset peripheral coming for the 3DS – a hint at things to come?

So, a pretty heavy week – which story was your favourite?

Whatever your thoughts on voice chat in videogames, it seems the 3DS is getting in on the headset action.

Look! I think it's happy to see you!

Yes! Trusty site Gimme Gimme Games have spotted this delectable doo-hickey gracing the pages of UK-centric media specialist Play.com. There’s no word yet on a release in the Americas, nor the rest of Europe or the lovely Down Under™ however. Nonetheless, at the time of writing the release date for the UK is suggested to be 4th November.

Which happens to be your humble writer’s birthday. Hint-hint.

Just kidding, just kidding. Either way, £24.99 appears to be the RRP, though Play are, at the time of writing, offering it for £17.99 instead. Jolly decent of them, that. Yet at the same time, this peripheral’s quiet presence from seemingly nowhere is food for thought.

Designed by PowerA and featuring a detachable mic, the whole shebang folds down tidily into a package somewhat resembling a folded down form of audio apparatus. It’s also an Official Nintendo Licensed Product, which means the Big N themselves have given it the nod, and charmingly the product description over at Play suggests that the ‘detachable mic boom’ is ideal for ‘game chat and video conferencing’.

Video conferencing! Of course! Gracious, the times we’ve seen frayed executives in suits shamble hurriedly onto the bus, hunched over their 3DSes and shouting “Damn it Jennifer, tell Fairbanks we want that deal by tomorrow or we’re going to lose our contract with the Chinese!” or something.

Okay. Maybe not. But it’s sort of intriguing, isn’t it? Is this another Wii Speak? Or does this show Nintendo are planning for their own (or more likely, third party) games to support the sort of multicultural verbal abu– um, fostering of far-reaching friendships that videogame voice chat provides?

Thicken, the plot does.

Remember King of Pirates, the Keiji Inafune game I told you about yesterday? Of course you do, how could you forget a pirate game – one with a perfectly positioned penguin protagonist, no less? Well, it has been brought to my attention by taking a look at Edge that there is now a trailer to feast your eyes on. You probably already guessed that from the title of this news post – and the fact that it’s right there, above this paragraph.

This trailer can also be found at the Marvelous AQL website for the game, which – brilliantly – has an English language version! The site includes a message from Inafune himself, which reveals that the Japanese name for the game is not Kai-oh as first though, but KAIO. Yes, that’s KAIO in CAPITAL LETTERS, which presumable means you have to SHOUT VERY LOUDLY whenever you talk about it.

"Where's my acne? X marks the spot. I've lost my writing apparatus, where's my pengone? I can't walk properly, waddle I do? I only use public transport at beak times." God, I'm so sorry...

Inafune promises a “truly exciting gaming experience” and, according to the translation, he wants KAIO (ow, my ears) to ‘visualise’ “human appeal”. Yes, despite the game being full of anthropomorphic animals. He goes on to amusingly ask us all to “please watch the teaser trailer over and over and wait for KAIO patiently” before finishing off with a bold yet promising statement:

“I will not disappoint you.”

Shortly after making this announcement, Namco-Bandai went all but completely silent on the subject, revealing only that the Tales of the Abyss port would not make it to North America before the end of 2011 (it is still on track to hit this year in Europe, however). Well, it seems now that Namco-Bandai are finally ready to make an announcement concerning both games, one that many are speculating will finally reveal the official release dates for both games; this announcement is expected sometime within the next couple of weeks.

Both games are highly anticipated, and while Tales of the Abyss may have seen light outside of Japan before on the PS2, it is certainly one of the most highly rated of the series, and is expected to be met with much fanfare in auto-stereoscopic 3D. Are you excited to hopefully hear definitively when you can get your hands on this must-have 3DS RPG?

Source

Well, how about one more video? Only this time it’s technically not a trailer, nor is it officially endorsed by Nintendo.

Created by a fellow Kotaku journalist, this fan-made video compiles all 75 of Nintendo’s newly revealed screenshots for Super Mario Land. Clicking through 75 screenshots is a pain even for the most dedicated fanboy, so this slideshow (set to the tune of a disco beat…odd, but catchy) definitely keeps everyone’s mouse fingers happy. Give it a look and bask in all the portable glory that you’ll have to wait another month to experience firsthand.

Super Mario 3D Land will be hitting North America on November 13th and Europe on November 18th.

If you haven’t experienced this game yet on PC, you may be interested to know that developer Nicalis has announced that VVVVVV will be heading to the 3DS. The 3DS version will make its first public showing in Indiecade at Culver City, California, and can be played by the public.

The port will also feature full 3D integration as well as a realtime map that takes advantage of the 3DS’ dual screens. Currently no release date has been set, but considering that the build available in Indiecade will be “near complete”, it shouldn’t be that far off.

We’ve got switch-based gameplay (which should be immediately familiar to anyone who played Super Mario Galaxy 2), new levels (including a retro recreation of the original World 1-1), and even a look at Gyro Sensor functionality (which is a neat mechanic, but still presently conflicts with the 3D effect when used together).

The 2nd trailer reminds everyone to “pre-order now!”. After watching these vids, that just might be sound advice. Super Mario 3D Land might just end up being the best 3DS game yet (or the first “must have” one, depending on who you ask). 

This is Grand Knights History running on the PSP. Could DMFD feature a similar aesthetic? We can certainly hope!

According to producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto, DMFD has been in development for even longer than Grand Knights History, and development is reportedly coming along quite nicely. Having switched development platforms to the Nintendo 3DS, currently they are working on the network features, which Hashimoto had this to say about them:

‘The online is going to be amazing, but we can’t announce anything else right now, though.”

Unfortunately, Dragon Marked for Death isn’t at the point where they are ready to announce any specifics of show off any gameplay screens or footage, but it certainly does sound promising. The online potential is also something exciting to look forward to, as the 3DS thus far is still lacking an online killer-app.

Leave your thoughts on this new development below.

Source

The first one is a brief story setup, including what will no doubt be considered an “official” explanation for the origins of the Tanooki Suit; After a mysterious wind blows away all the feathers from the Tanooki tree, Mario and friends are shocked (no, really) to find out that Bowser is behind this, and has abducted Princess Peach to boot.

The rest of the videos show off several gameplay elements, including a tutorial on how to jump on enemies’ heads to defeat them. You laugh now, but there was a time when we all had to learn the basics. We also get a glimpse of Tanooki Awesomeness, as the classic suit has been given a stronger tail attack in addition to a powered-up mode that makes Mario invincible. 

Truly a gift from Nintendo! But what about those of us currently without 3DS or DSi-owning adventuring companions? The game is a multiplayer affair, and was always designed to be one. The Anniversary Edition we now own has had a singleplayer mode added, so clearly Nintendo and development team Grezzo know this is a potential issue.

Link's first foray into multiplayer gaming is fraught with mischief and mayhem.

Four Swords and its excellent spiritual GameCube/GameBoy Advance successor Four Swords Adventures was a big departure for Nintendo’s singleplayer-focused Zelda series. Yet it was effortlessly proven that having up to four Links on your screen at once was a rip-roaring good time.

Those with no choice but to play Four Swords in singleplayer on DSi and 3DS, then, could feel like they’re missing the party. Yet, to Grezzo and Nintendo’s credit, the singleplayer element of the game functions fantastically.

"Winter, Spring, Summer or Faaaaall, all you gotta do is caaaall, and I'll be there, yes I will... you got a frieeeend!"

As most of you are no doubt aware, the game will assign you an extra Link so as to simulate multiplayer play. With two Hylian heroes at your disposal, the co-op elements of the game are a cinch. Your partner in crime will automatically leap in to help hoist rocks, start fires and generally follow you around making himself as useful as can be.

The game plays well alone, and is full of Zelda puzzly goodness and ingenuity. Yet however welcome the singleplayer mode may be, it never quite disguises you’re still muddling through a multiplayer game.

Switching between Links can be a little fiddly, particularly in boss battles. Throwing an AI Link into a pit is a cold experience compared to the wicked joy that comes from flinging a Link controlled by a real human being into the abyss. There’s no competition over Rupees when they appear. And most jarringly, the end of each level shows a scoring system in which both Links inevitably win anyway.

So perhaps it’s the competition rather than the co-operation you’ll miss most in the singleplayer mode. It’s an excellent game, perfectly tuned for portable pick-up-and-play, yet it’s undoubtedly the multiplayer that does, and always will, shine brightest.

What do you think? Have you blasted all the way through your free Four Swords alone? Do you join forces with friends for mayhem and madness? Or do you perhaps prefer the singleplayer mode and its focused play, without the distraction of stopping your friends running off with the loot?

This news comes from Andriasang. Again. Capcom veteran Keiji Inafune, who left the company last year, has finally announced that he’s working on a ‘proper’ game after declaring his involvement in various social (ugh) titles. That game is Kai-oh, or King of Pirates in English; a 3DS pirate themed game where you play as, presumably, a pirate. Who happens to be a penguin. This news will no doubt delight our very own Tony White (ooh, I made a rhyme!), who has previously proven that he knows a little more about Nintendo pirates than is perhaps healthy.

The game is being developed by Inafune’s new company Intercept, in collaboration with Marvelous AQL. The latter is a newly formed monster that resulted from squishing together Marvelous Entertainment, AQ Interactive, and Liveware. Kai-oh was announced during a press conference waffling on about this merger. Speaking to 4Gamer (warning: no English!), Inafune says (according to Andriasang’s translation) that he’s confident the 3DS userbase will increase, and he wanted to make something just as good as a Nintendo game. He also revealed a few game details.

"I'm here feather gold! This sword is sharp, so beak-areful! I've got a peg egg! I'm in it to wing it!" I could go on but don't worry, I won't.

There will be two types of combat; ship to ship and person to person. There are to be 300 characters and… well, that’s about all the details he was prepared to give away. He did however reveal that he plans the game to be the first in a trilogy, and that the story may be too long even for three games. It will span hundreds of years, and the pirate penguin protagonist will go on to have kids (!).

Inafune also acknowledged that, given his Capcom heritage, fans may have been expecting – and wanting – something with zombies and blood; and teases that he has more projects in the works.

Looks pretty cool, doesn’t it? Although the Monster Hunter series is a massively big deal in Japan, it’s struggled to succeed elsewhere – meaning it’s unclear how likely it is this bundle will make it to (for example) the UK, US and Australia. The only way to secure one will be a walletbusting import. Although Monster Hunter 3G will be the first game to use the… you know…, it isn’t (bizarrely) included in the Special Pack bundle. Capcom will however bundle the game with the… you know… in an optional game and… you know… bundle. Come to think about it, wasn’t white a pretty stupid choice for the Monster Hunter 3DS when the… you know… is currently available only in black?

No details have been released at time of writing regarding a worldwide release, but I’d be very surprised if this wasn’t available in all territories within the next six months or less. It won’t cost any more (or less) than current colours in case you were wondering, and will follow hot on the heels of the ‘Misty Pink’ that will be unleashed upon the feminine portion of Japan on October 20^th.

Nonetheless, those of you readying your watering cans for Harvest Moon: A Tale Of Two Towns‘s 3DS debut will be pleased to discover there’s a new Harvest Moon game to follow.

Look! It says... something!

Can we get a ‘hoe yeah’? Of course not, because that’s a terrible pun. The popular Japanese videogame publication Famitsu’s coverage of this new farming delight has been, as ever, diligently analysed by the likes of Andriasang and GoNintendo. Additionally, the Japanese website for the game is now live, which is ideal if you’d like to see some screenshots or possibly enjoy a Japanese woman carrying an entire house.

Yes, really. Couple that with Robin Williams spontaneously losing his beard and it’s becoming something of a surreal week.

Doesn't it look clucking lovely? ...Sorry.

The game’s title is unclear at present (and likely to change for a Western release anyway). Andriasang translate it literally as Harvest Moon: First Earth (as in soil, not planet), whilst GoNintendo have opted for Harvest Moon: The Land’s Origins.

Big on the agenda in this edition of the series will be customisation. This starts with you designing your home and farm, right down to customising the interior of your homestead. Additionally, your player character is also said to be customisable, with various skintones, eyes, hairstyles and clothing. You can apparently even head to the salon to spiff up your ‘do if you’re so inclined.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a Harvest Moon game were you not somewhat creepily bribing the citizenry whilst screaming “Love me! EAT OF MY TURNIPS AND LOVE ME!” at the screen. Or is that just us?

Either way, the point is, marriage candidates are set to return in a big way. With details of this game teasingly thin on the ground, we know only so far of one bachelorette; a coquettish waitress lady.

"My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard."

Set to hit Japan in early 2012, the game’s looking like an intriguing twist on a tried and tested formula. Western release? Unknown. Judging by the sedentary pace of these games and the localisation thereof, however, we’d be lucky to see it before Winter 2027 or something.

The fourth Cooking Mama title is coming out in November, and unlike some handheld titles for kids, this game looks like it will be great for all ages (just like its predecessors.) A new batch of assets came out today showing that the Cooking games keep getting better–new actions will probably mean new challenges, and perhaps even whole new modes. Maybe, like in Dinner with Friends, we will get more characters, or maybe the newest title will integrate world cooking, like the Wii title. Dare to dream–maybe we’ll even see some integration of the eShop!

In the past, each Cooking game has proved its worth, adding more than just a new batch of recipes to Mama’s ‘to-do’ list, and it looks like 4 will be no exception. The Cooking games may not be the most challenging title on the block, but they sure rank among the most fun.

What’s your favorite ‘title for kids’?

Find all the new screenshots in our Cooking Mama 4 Gallery

Finally! I'm part of the Nintendo empire!

Via Nintendo’s press release:

DreamWorks Animation will provide two new Halloween-themed animated shorts that will premiere on the Nintendo Video service this month. For a limited time, the videos will be available exclusively on Nintendo 3DS. The first video is available starting today and features characters from the studio’s 2009 release Monsters vs. Aliens. Another video featuring the three little German pigs from the Shrek franchise will appear later this month.

In addition, 3net, a joint venture of Discovery Communications, Sony and IMAX, will provide short-form video content from the 3net network’s original series on an ongoing basis including Bullproof, the story of four bull riders; Feeding Time, an up-close look at adorable animals such as pandas, penguins, lemurs and otters; and Building the Brand, a series that explores the creation of some of the world’s most iconic products.

The Blue Man Group series of videos culminates this month with the sixth and final video, “The Remote,” which showcases Blue Man Group’s signature blend of humor, infectious music and theatrical flair. The videos will reappear occasionally on Nintendo Video on a rerun basis.

Those of you in North America will find, as of now, the new Monsters vs. Aliens Halloween short in your Nintendo Video application. It’s also interesting to see the Blue Man Group’s involvement, and more intriguing still, 3net, which of course includes Sony, Nintendo’s direct competitor in the handheld market (though from a different branch of Sony’s empire).

So what do you think of Nintendo’s new direction it’s taking for it’s 3D video content? Is it a step above College Humor and OK Go, or do you prefer the content you were already receiving? Perhaps a mix of it all? Sound off in the comments below.