N-Europe

News: Capcom Announces New Shooter for 3DS

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:41:51 +0100

A surprise announcement for 3DS; a spiritual spin-off to Lost Planet...

The latest edition of Famitsu (via Andriasang) has lifted the lid on a brand new game heading for Nintendo's handheld. Ex Troopers is described as an "action shooter" and will be released by Capcom for 3DS and PS3.

Ex Troopers has an curious relation - it is described as having "the same world view" as the company's third-person shooter Lost Planet. However, it doesn't sound like the game could look any more different to Capcom's gritty shooter, with it apparently taking on a distinctly anime visual style and a "school-themed story".

Ex Troopers is being worked on by Shintaro Kojima, who has significant experience as a producer on the Monster Hunter games.

We'll bring you more on the curious-sounding Ex Troopers as it hits.

News: Just Dance Confirmed for Wii U

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:08:00 +0100

Cos there ain't no party like a Wii U party...

An Ubisoft earnings release has outed the news that the publisher's ludicrously lucrative dancing franchise Just Dance is heading to Wii U.

The company actually expects sales of the franchise to drop this year, but confirms that it is looking ahead to expanding the series "on new platforms like Wii U".

It also looks set to continue working with Nintendo to promote the games in Japan. Nintendo of Japan took control of localising and publishing the first game on Wii, and made it a surprise success over Christmas. Nintendo is handing a similar localisation of Just Dance 3 in the region later this year.

No word on when Just Dance will come to Wii U, but expect it not too long after the system launches later this year.

News: Mario Party 9 Stays Top in Japan

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:40:15 +0100

Sales take a sluggish turn in post-Golden Week blues...

The latest Media Create charts are out, and they're in somewhat jarring contrast to the previous week. With the Golden Week period now over, sales across the board were not only down significantly, but seemed to yet again enter the traditional May low.

It of course didn't help that there was hardly anything new out. Starhawk on PS3 was the only charting new entry at number 4, which meant the latest in the leggy Mario Party series stayed at the top spot for the second week running.

Almost half of the top 20 was composed of 3DS games.

Here's the full software chart for the week of May 7th to May 13th.

No.	System	Title	Publisher
1	Wii	Mario Party 9 37,353 / (334,821)	Nintendo
2	3DS	Fire Emblem: Awakening 16,530 / (361,790)	Nintendo
3	PS3	Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City 14,553 / (319,505)	Capcom
4	PS3	Starhawk 12,873	Sony
5	3DS	Super Mario 3D Land 11,260 / (1,574,788)	Nintendo
6	3DS	Monster Hunter 3G 9,105 / (1,442,475)	Capcom
7	3DS	Mario Kart 7 9,045 / (1,704,350)	Nintendo
8	3DS	Kid Icarus: Uprising 7,636 / (269,519)	Nintendo
9	3DS	Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games 4,933 / (162,270)	Nintendo
10	PSP	Conception: Please Give Birth to My Child! 4,600 / (44,639)	Spike
11	Wii	Wii Sports Resort with Wii Remote Plus 4,416 / (939,971)	Nintendo
12	PSP	Pro Baseball Spirits 2012 4,041 / (132,450)	Konami
13	Wii	Wii Party 3,408 / (2,348,884)	Nintendo
14	PS3	Pro Baseball Spirits 2012 3,342 / (156,276)	Konami
15	3DS	Dynasty Warriors Vs. 3,231 / (27,423)	Koei Tecmo
16	3DS	Kingdom Hearts 3D -Dream Drop Distance 3,204 / (311,688)	Square-Enix
17	PSP	Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (BEST) 3,104 / (252,765)	Capcom
18	3DS	Harvest Moon: The Land of Origin 3,040 / (182,188)	Marvelous AQL
19	PSP	2nd Super Robot Wars Z: Saisei-hen 2,959 / (331,392)	Bandai Namco
20	NDS	Pok�mon + Nobunaga's Ambition 2,819 / (320,885)	Nintendo

If you're squeamish, it might be best to skip the hardware figures. Virtually everything took a huge drop from last week. 3DS stays top - almost by default - but with a figure notably lower than we've come to expect over these past months. Hardware figures will likely stay quite low until the likes of Capcom's high-budget Dragon's Dogma, and Mario Tennis Open and Dragon Quest Monsters for 3DS release towards the end of the month.

No.	Console	Week Sales	Last Week Sales	LTD Sales
1	Nintendo 3DS	46,425	91,868	5,955,835
2	PS3	12,996	23,478	8,168,121
3	PSP	12,247	20,033	19,101,822
4	Vita	6,340	10,583	697,098
5	Wii	6,073	15,789	12,375,411
6	PS2	1,212	1,611	21,796,803
7	Nintendo DS	1,206	1,911	32,845,952
8	Xbox 360	1,023	1,420	1,564,409

News: Pok�dex 3D Pro & Dream Radar Details

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:09:43 +0100

New details have emerged about the upcoming 3DS apps, Pok�mon Dream Radar and Pok�dex 3D Pro

Pok�mon Black and White 2 may be DS titles but Nintendo are keen to provide lots of extra content to 3DS owners in the form of downloadable apps from the Nintendo eShop. The two downloads are Pok�mon Dream Radar and Pok�dex 3D Pro

Dream Radar utilises the camera's, motion control and augmented reality aspects of the 3DS so that players can catch Pok�mon by scanning the room and shooting a beam. The app is set to feature rare and standard Pok�mon which you will be able to transfer to your copy of Black & White 2. It makes the dream of real life Pok�mon Snap seem ever more possible.

The second offering is an improvement over the original Pok�dex 3D. Pok�dex 3D Pro features information on more than 600 Pok�mon so now you can spin Pikachu around in whichever direction you please and... change the background.

Pok�dex 3D Pro boasts a "comprehensive set of sorting, comparison and ranking tools" whilst also featuring an AR mode. Users will have the ability to take pictures of their favourite Pok�mon in their surroundings, so now you'll be able to take shots of actual Pok�mon lurking in tall grass.

Pok�mon Black & White 2 will launch this June in Japan whilst Europe will have to wait until autumn.

News: FIFA 13 Coming to Wii, 3DS, Likely Wii U

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:59:05 +0100

The next FIFA title looks set to spread across three Nintendo platforms...

EA has confirmed (via ONM) that the next FIFA title will be landing on both Wii and 3DS this autumn. FIFA 13 is expected to be very much a refinement of the winning formula that gave last year's version critical and commercial success.

However, whilst the publisher has not explicitly announced it, Eurogamer has reported that FIFA 13 is also being developed for Wii U, adding only that it is being worked on by a different team to the main version.

EA lauded the Wii U controller last year with respect to how it could revolutionise sports games, so it will be no surprise to see the likes of FIFA and Madden feature prominently on the system.

Expect FIFA 13 to release, at least on Wii and 3DS, early this autumn.

News: Mario Kart 7 Patch

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:18:47 +0100

A new 3DS update is available which allows you to download a patch for Mario Kart 7.

For months now, people that have played Mario Kart 7 online may have noticed that certain racers utilise glitches to win matches, especially in Wuhu island tracks. Well you'll be glad to know that there is now a patch to keep these pesky racers at bay! Wuhu indeed.

To update your 3DS system, go onto the eShop where you will be notified that there is an update available. Once you have downloaded the System Update, hop back onto the eShop and install the Mario Kart 7 Update data. The icon for this should be in the bottom left corner on the front page of the eShop.

Gamers who haven't updated their 3DS and downloaded the Mario Kart 7 patch will not be able to partake in races so make sure you update as soon as possible - Especially those of you partaking in the Mario Kart League 2012!

News: This Week's Euro Downloads - 17/05/12

Mon, 14 May 2012 21:49:20 +0100

A free demo for Rayman Origins makes this week's update unignorable...

The 3DS version of Rayman Origins is finally coming, and in anticipation of its as-of-yet June 8th release date, Ubisoft is whacking a free demo of the game on the eShop this week.

The focus is actually almost wholly on the eShop, with another two games hitting the 3DS' online store. Bird Mania 3D sees Teyon's first venture outside of DSiWare and WiiWare. Meanwhile, Game Boy classic Kirby's Dream Land 2 is added to the handheld's Virtual Console.

Finally, there's a free WiiWare demo available for zany platformer 2 Fast 4 Gnomz.

Here are the full releases, set to hit this Thursday afternoon.

Kirby's Dream Land 2 (Nintendo) - 3DS Virtual Console - �3.60/�4
Kirby must solve the mystery behind the disappearance of rainbow bridges that link the islands of Dream Land. Travel through all seven isles while battling the minions of King Dedede, and team up with Kirby's friends Rick the Hamster, Kine the Fish and Coo the Owl.Make sure to make the most of Kirby�s pals� own unique abilities including their ability to amplify Kirby�s powers, too!

Bird Mania 3D (Teyon) - 3DS Download - �1.80/�2
Join Mojo as he follows his bird pals as they holiday in the exotic climes of Africa. Fly faster and faster, dash, soar, glide, and collect all bonuses. How far can you get in pursuit of a delightful vacation?

Rayman Origins (DEMO) (Ubisoft) - 3DS Download - FREE
When the Glade of Dreams is overrun by Darktoons, it is up to Rayman and his buddies Globox and the Teensies to save the day. Their challenge, restore peace to the Glade or witness their beloved home vanish like a bad dream�

2 Fast 4 Gnomz (DEMO) (QubicGames) - WiiWare - FREE
Four brave gnomes venture on a journey so epic, they don't even know where they're going. Join Bumb, Berzerk, Speedster and Uncle Time as they run, fly, bounce, glide and break their way through the magical lands of Gnomia to reach their mysterious destiny.

Retro: VC Weekly #201

Sun, 13 May 2012 17:47:43 +0100

Welcome to VC Weekly, N-Europe�s guide to the wonderful world of Nintendo�s download service. Written by Sam C Gittins.

Another game for each format this time around as the Wii gets an arcade classic while the 3DS gets a whole gallery of games in one neat package. Anyway enough from me and on with the games!

Available for download this week we have...

Super Hang-On
Game & Watch Gallery 2

Points: 900
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Released: 1987
System: Arcade

Most gamers will undoubtedly be familiar with Outrun which is quite possibly one of the best racing games Sega have made to date but if you asked the same players to name another racer made by the company from the same era then it's likely that Super Hang-On would be their next fondly remembered entry in the genre. You might be wondering why it took the company so long to re-release this classic on the Virtual Console and quite honestly so am I but rest assured that it's definitely been worth the wait as we don't just get the standard MegaDrive title but the far superior feeling arcade version complete with added � but purely optional � motion control.

Anyone who has ever played the arcade original should feel instantly at ease reliving this classic as minus the actual bike from the arcades it's the closest thing to playing in the arcade without actually being there, the game runs at a silky smooth 60Hz too so there are no worries about the feeling of speed being compromised at all. So after picking from your choice of four continents with Africa being a good starting point due to the short length of track while Europe proves to be a challenge for even the most hardened endurance racer; naturally you can tweak the options to make things as easy or hard as you like but don't expect to rip through the game easily as even on default settings it's suitably challenging if you're either not used to the game or indeed if its been a while since you last played in the arcade.

Pleasingly there are a few notable additions including the ability to add artificial scan lines, choose your desired screen size plus the motion control of course which does actually provide a decent alternative by getting the turning circle just right adding a new way to play which doesn't feel at all gimmicky. Of course if you prefer the feel of a 'real' controller in your hands then you can always opt for either the classic controller or even plug in a GameCube pad if you should feel the need, rest assured all bases are covered here so it's not the controls you'll be worried about but more the constant battle of getting to each check-point before the time runs out as is the games main driving force unlike in Outrun where you actually got to choose your path this is all about the racing which may seem a little shallow in comparison but it's all part of the appeal.

Pseudo three-dimensional graphics are the order of the day here as the game does a pretty convincing job of creating the illusion utilising tricks such as having two-tone tarmac along with environments that tie-in with this placing an odd few copy-pasted trees here and there, it's all surprisingly effective when you're driving a high-speeds. You get a choice of music before each race much like in Outrun so it should come of no surprise that the selection is similar which is definitely a good thing, the accompanying sound effects are also of particularly high quality when you consider the age of the title which all adds up to that important extra layer of immersion.

If you've never played Super Hang-On then you surely owe it to yourself to do so now if you have any kind of love for Sega arcade games as while it may not be in the same league as Outrun it's still a very respectable racer in it's own right. For those who have already lost countless hours to this classic in the arcades the new motion control option is surely enough to lure you back onto your 'bike' one more time.

Verdict : The best version of this brilliant blast from the past.

Price: GB �3.60, EU �4
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Released: 1998
System: GameBoy Color

Just about every self-respecting Nintendo fan has heard of the Game & Watch which was perhaps one of the company's greatest inventions before the GameBoy came along as these pocket-sized LCD units which housed one self-contained game were amazing for their time but naturally as technology moves on we constantly expect more from our portable games so naturally when the GameBoy did eventually come along it should come as no surprise that a Game & Watch collection was released. Naturally it did very well as it contained five of the simple games in both remade and original forms but when the second title came out the GameBoy Color was released so of course a splash of colour has now been added to some of your favourite titles bringing them to life in entirely new ways.

There are six games included despite only five being advertised because being that these are all based on getting a high-score you need to play well enough in the five main games to accumulate enough stars to unlock the sixth, it's a clever mechanics which encourages the player to try each game and hopefully strive to improve each time. Included in the initial five are Chef, Donkey Kong, Helmet, Parachute and Vermin each of which offers a distinctly different challenge for the player whether they play in classic mode which faithfully recreates the colourless originals or in remade mode which features many Mario characters taking on the roles of the originally quite neutral Game & Watch silhouettes which have since become somewhat iconic in their own right.

Chef sees you flipping food in a hot pan while trying not to drop it on the floor, Donkey Kong has you make your way through a small stage avoiding obstacles while removing a part from DK's platform when you reach the top resulting in him eventually falling, Helmet merely asks you to enter a door when prompted while avoiding falling garbage, in Parachute it's your task to catch people in a boat after they've jumped out of a plane ensuring they don't fall into the deadly waters and Vermin simply requires you to whack moles as they pop out of holes.

An excellent level of presentation has been applied throughout as the menus are easy to navigate, animation on both the classic and modern games is top-notch with some fantastic use of colour alongside some rather clever backgrounds within the other sections of the game. Music is naturally of a high-standard so you get a remix of the classic Game & Watch Gallery theme with a tune for each of the Modern versions which really help to enhance the overall themes, of course if you prefer the constant 'bleeps' of the original games then these are still present as they haven't been altered at all; there's also a rather fantastic Music Room where you can listen to all of the games tunes as D.J Mario while watching Luigi, Peach and Toad rock out on their respective instruments.

For those that fondly remember either the standalone LCD games or this from its first outing then you'll almost certainly want to invest in this again as the suspend save feature is easily worth the asking price but even if you're unfamiliar with Game & Watches then I'd still recommend picking this up as it's both a fascinating insight into Nintendo's history and an excellent well-rounded package of pure high-score beating fun.

Verdict : If high-score's your draw then this is a great compilation of games.

That's it for another installment of VC Weekly which will return again soon. So until then, enjoy the rest of the week and Game On!

Sam Gittins
sam.gittins@n-europe.com

News: Avengers Title Announced for Wii U

Thu, 10 May 2012 22:07:10 +0100

Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth is almost a Wii U exclusive...

Ubisoft has rather unexpectedly confirmed a brand new game for Wii U. Perhaps capitalising on the success of the Hollywood movie, the publisher has pre-empted E3 and announced Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth.

Developed by Ubisoft Quebec (Assassin's Creed: Revelations), Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth is being developed for the surprising platform combination of Wii U and Kinect for Xbox 360.

Fairly little is known about the game so far, but Ubisoft's press release seems to emphasise motion control-based combat, centring around Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America and Thor. We're eager to see just how this is realised on Wii U.

The game is to get a full reveal at next month's E3 convention. For now, there's a fairly bare-bones teaser site.

News: Indie Platformer Confirmed for Wii U

Thu, 10 May 2012 21:54:33 +0100

Hardcore platformer Cloudberry Kingdom courtesy of Pwnee Studios bolsters Wii U's online store...

Indie developer Pwnee Studios has confirmed that its ultra-hard platformer baby Cloudberry Kingdom will be coming to Nintendo's next generation system.

In a sign that suggests indie studios are warming to the platform, Pwnee has currently announced the game for Steam and Wii U. Cloudberry Kingdom is a cutesy, colourful, ultra-difficult platformer partially funded by Kickstarter donations.

Check out the trailer below.

As it stands, the game is due to release on Wii U this December, three months after it gets a run out on Steam.

Cloudberry Kingdom joins Two Tribes's Toki Tori 2 and Gaijin's Runner 2 as indie ventures set to hit Wii U's online store.

News: Nintendo Dominates Golden Week

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:45:19 +0100

Wii and 3DS accounts for almost the entire top 10 in the latest Japanese charts...

The latest Media Create charts are out, and this week represents something of a bumper one for sales. It was Golden Week - the name given to the succession of public holidays at the start of May - and as such there were a few big winners as more people flocked to the stores.

As is almost tradition, it was Nintendo who benefited most, with 3DS and Wii dominating the sharp end of the chart. After making a debut at number two, Mario Party 9 has a sterling second week to claim the top spot.

Fire Emblem: Awakening on 3DS banks another hefty figure, but continued stock constraints is likely hampering its performance. Kid Icarus: Uprising just won't drop out of the top 10, continuing to settle among the holy trinity of Mario Kart, Super Mario and Monster Hunter, which all enjoy a bump in sales.

Here's the full software chart for April 30th to May 6th.

No.	System	Title	Publisher
1	Wii	Mario Party 9 144,585 / (297,468)	Nintendo
2	PS3	Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City 52,428 / (304,953)	Capcom
3	3DS	Fire Emblem: Awakening 42,347 / (345,260)	Nintendo
4	3DS	Super Mario 3D Land 28,528 / (1,563,527)	Nintendo
5	3DS	Mario Kart 7 22,881 / (1,695,305)	Nintendo
6	3DS	Kid Icarus: Uprising 18,788 / (261,883)	Nintendo
7	3DS	Monster Hunter 3G 16,496 / (1,433,370)	Capcom
8	3DS	Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games 13,810 / (157,337)	Nintendo
9	PSP	Conception: Please Give Birth to My Child! 10,193 / (40,039)	Spike
10	Wii	Wii Sports Resort with Wii Remote Plus 10,058 / (935,555)	Nintendo
11	PSP	Pro Baseball Spirits 2012 9,843 / (128,409)	Konami
12	3DS	Kingdom Hearts 3D -Dream Drop Distance 9,532 / (308,484)	Square-Enix
13	NDS	Pok�mon + Nobunaga's Ambition 9,069 / (318,067)	Nintendo
14	3DS	Dynasty Warriors Vs. 8,614 / (24,192)	Koei Tecmo
15	Wii	Wii Party 8,503 / (2,345,476)	Nintendo
16	PS3	Pro Baseball Spirits 2012 6,853 / (152,934)	Konami
17	Wii	Mario Kart Wii 6,783 / (3,561,199)	Nintendo
18	PSP	2nd Super Robot Wars Z: Saisei-hen 6,546 / )328,432)	Bandai Namco
19	3DS	Harvest Moon: The Land of Origin 6,408 / (179,148)	Marvelous AQL
20	Wii	Go Vacation 6,002 / (271,087)	Bandai Namco

A couple of bundles combined with Golden Week set up Wii to take the scalp of Vita this week. Sony's under-performing handheld actually saw a drop compared to last week, as it falls back to languish around the ten thousand mark yet again. 3DS bounces back up, and we can expect it to pass the six million mark within the next couple of weeks.

No.	Console	Week Sales	Last Week Sales	LTD Sales
1	Nintendo 3DS	91,868	74.282	5,909,410
2	PS3	23,478	21.114	8,155,125
3	PSP	20,033	22.457	19,089,575
4	Wii	15,789	9.200	12,369,338
5	Vita	10,583	12.299	690,758
6	Nintendo DS	1,911	1.612	32,844,746
7	PS2	1,611	1.395	21,795,591
8	Xbox 360	1,420	1.327	1,563,386

News: Project Zero 2 'Feels New'

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:53:15 +0100

Project Zero 2 Wii is a remake of an old PlayStation game but Keisuke Kikuchi feels the new aspects of the title make it feel like a fresh experience.

It might be a remake but Project Zero 2 Wii feels like a completely fresh experience thanks to its new graphics, modes and controls. Speaking during the latest Iwata Asks, producer of the remake, Keisuke Kikuchi, stated that it's basically a new game.

"I feel that to all intents and purposes, it's a new game! The objective viewpoint that Nintendo brought to the project meant that we ended up reworking a lot of different elements of the game from first principles.

We've made significant changes to the battle system, and we have added new episodes and several endings. We've also brought the graphics up to date, and packed it full of features that put it right at the cutting edge of horror games."

One of the new aspects of the game is a 'Haunted House mode' which is great for parties and frightful evenings with your friends as it contains all the thrills of the actual game but from an on-rails perspective. By using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk you can move forward and look around environments to unearth the frightful beings around every corner.

"As the name suggests, it's a mode which is ideal for a quick, no-frills game, and is great for playing with friends and family who prefer to avoid the really scary stuff. There are a number of different courses in which scary events take place, basically at random."

Project Zero 2 Wii is set to release in Europe on June 29th.

Media: Heroes of Ruin Gameplay Trailer

Tue, 08 May 2012 21:29:19 +0100

Check out some more gameplay snippets from n-Space's ambitious 3DS adventure...

While western publisher's still flip-flop over supporting 3DS, UK-based studio n-Space will probably enjoy having its fantasy dungeon-crawler in the spotlight.

Heroes of Ruin arrives on 3DS sporting drop-in/drop-out online co-op complete with voice chat. One of its main draws is the humongous wealth of items and weapons to collect, with StreetPass being utilised to trade and further diversify your inventory. There are also new challenges made available daily.

The new gameplay trailer comes courtesy of NintenDaan.

Heroes of Ruin, published by Square-Enix, is to be distributed by Nintendo in Europe on June 15th.

News: This Week's Euro Downloads - 10/05/12

Tue, 08 May 2012 21:03:12 +0100

VVVVVV finally heads to Europe in this week's update...

The week's downloads for Europe have been revealed, with another varied spread across all three of Nintendo's platforms.

Retro-styled and ultra-difficult platformer VVVVVV finally gets its release on the European eShop courtesy of Nicalis. The indie publisher will next be looking to publish NightSky and Cave Story+ on the platform.

Meanwhile on Wii, there's a certain theme with not one but two Wonder Boy titles hitting Virtual Console. The arcade version of the second game, Wonder Boy in Monster Land, gets a release at 900 Points. The sixth and final game in the series, Monster World IV, also gets a European release for the first time ever at the same price tag.

Here is full press release for this Thursday's downloads.

VVVVVV (Nicalis) - 3DS Download - �7.20/�8
Help Captain Viridian flip to find five crew members, 20 hard-to-reach Trinkets and save a dimension on the brink of destruction. Instead of jumping, control the direction of gravity by inverting your gravity and allowing Captain Viridian to flip between the floors and ceilings of the environments.

Curling Super Championship (Cypronia) - eShop/DSiWare - �4.50/�5/500 Points
Challenge your friends in this world famous sport that includes real-time physics, colourful 3D graphics and multiplayer (Hotseat or wireless play) for an authentic gaming experience.

Monster World IV (Sega) - Wii Virtual Console - 900 Points
For the first time outside of Japan, experience the final chapter in the classic Monster World series! As Asha, a young adventurer, set forth into Monster World and defeat evil alongside your amorphous pet Pepe and magical Genie in order to save the troubled Elemental Spirits!

Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Sega) - Wii Virtual Console - 900 Points
The kingdom has been thrown into chaos by a ferocious fire breathing dragon and his monstrous henchmen whose aim is to create their own Monster Land. As Wonder Boy, set out on an incredible journey across different environments and dungeons, collect powerful weapons and spells and rid the land of evil!

Rumour: Wii U Launch Titles Leaked?

Mon, 07 May 2012 15:46:56 +0100

Images have recently emerged showing a list of Wii U launch titles which are from Blockbuster UK's internal database...

Images emerged earlier today showing the launch line-up for Wii U and they are apparently leaked from Blockbuster UK's internal database. The list shows both confirmed and unconfirmed Wii U titles including Pikmin, Batman: Arkham City and new Rabbids titles.

Here's the full list of Wii U launch titles:

- Aliens: Colonial Marines
- Assassin's Creed
- Batman: Arkham City
- Darksiders II
- Dirt 3
- Formula 1 All Stars
- Game Party
- Ghost Recon Online
- Just Dance 4
- Killer Freaks from Outer Space
- Marvel Super Heroes
- Metro: Last Light
- Monsters Party
- New Super Mario Brothers Wii
- Ninja Gaiden 3
- Pikmin
- Rabbids Party Land
- Raving Rabbids
- Rayman Legends
- Shield Pose
- Splinter Cell 5
- Sports Connection
- Tekken
- Your Shape 2013
- Zombie

Keep in mind that this list hasn't been confirmed or denied by Nintendo so take it with a pinch of salt (if you have any left after these endless Wii U rumours). Also keep in mind that this is a list of launch titles that doesn't include Super Monkey Ball or Riiiiidge Racer... dubious indeed.

GameTrailers� editor in chief, Shane Setterfield, recently spoke about the Wii U launch line-up and stated that it would surprise some people.

�I will say one thing that I can say without getting in any trouble is that the launch lineup for the Wii U is going to surprise some people. It�s going to be pretty damn good.�

What do you think? Are you impressed if this is the actual launch line-up or are you hoping for something better? Nintendo are set to reveal more information at E3 this June, so stay tuned for all the latest as it breaks.

News: Patent Shows Off Wii U 'Zapper'

Fri, 04 May 2012 20:30:29 +0100

New patents show off more of potential Wii U peripherals...

Recently emerged patents (via Engadget) have shown Nintendo pressing on with some of the ideas thrown around at the Wii U controller unveiling last year.

The key patent is one for a 'Zapper' peripheral tailor-made for the tablet-like Wii U controller. Such an accessory was teased in a video at E3 last year, but the official patent shows off how a released product might look.

Nintendo has confirmed it will show off the 'final form' of Wii U at E3 on June 5th.

News: Mario Parties to Number 2 in Japan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News: Nintendo E3 Conference Date Confirmed

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

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

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

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

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

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

News: 'Richer' Western 3DS Games at E3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News: La-Mulana for WiiWare Cancelled

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

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

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

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

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

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