Capcom has taken part in an ongoing observation of Mega Man's 25th anniversary with statues, soundtrack releases, USB drives, and even anofficially promoted fan game. As we stretch into year two of the 25th anniversary celebration, Capcom is producing a Mega Man-themed case for 3DS and 3DS XL.

At first blush, outfitting a 3DS in Mega Man garb seems like a cruel tease, after the death of Mega Man Legends 3. But Capcom is releasing all of the NES Mega Mans on the handheld's Virtual Console (it's up to 4 now), making an NES-style Mega Man motif appropriate.

The case will be on sale at Comic-Con, as well as at Capcom's online store.

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/ca...mega-man-look/ ...

The 3DS story has been one fraught with ups and downs.
A high price, coupled with negative press reports, a poor launch line-up and confused advertising forced Nintendo to cut the console’s price just three months after launch.
The 3DS’ unique selling point – a 3D screen – quickly lost its novelty appeal. The popularity of smartphones was taking its toll. And the press was far from kind. The announcement of the Circle Pad Pro accessory (which added a second analogue stick) was greeted with derision from the media.
Yet now, over two years since that difficult debut, and 3DS is on a winning streak. From Super Mario 3D Land to Resident Evil Revelations, the console now has a diverse library of critically admired software. Sales have risen significantly, particularly in Nintendo’s Japanese homeland. And its release slate for 2013 is arguably its most impressive yet.
“3DS has really come into its own over the last two years,” says Nintendo UK marketing and PR director Shelly Pearce.
“Along with the strong software line up, the introduction of the Nintendo 3DS XL last year has really helped invigorate the market.
“The Nintendo eShop has also gone from strength-to-strength. Each week we add to the eShop exclusives which are being met with a really positive response by both media and gamers. PullBlox, VVVVV and Dillon’s Rolling Western are all great examples. It also means that people have access to titles at varying price points with games available from £1.79.”



One of the early issues faced by Nintendo was the perception that the 3DS was just another DS, only with a 3D screen. A misconception that Pearce says Nintendo ‘has worked hard to rectify’.
And that’s evident not just in its advertising, but its PR. Nintendo signed Aardman to create Shaun the Sheep short films for 3DS, the BFI were brought on board to encourage budding film makers to create movies using the 3DS, while The Saturdays were hired to promote the 3DS’ 3D camera. All activity to highlight that there’s a lot more to 3DS than a clever new screen.
It appears to be working, but 3DS has a lot of catching up to do if it wants to break from the shadow of its predecessor.
“DS is the largest selling games console in the UK ever so there was a lot to live up to,” says Pearce. “The DS has been on the market since 2005 whereas the 3DS is only two years in, so it’s comparatively young. Our aim is obviously to upgrade as many DS owners as possible and with our strongest ever software line-up and with games which appeal to all of our different audiences, this year really is the year of 3DS.”
It may sound like it, but ‘the year of 3DS’ is more than just marketing hot air designed to convince the trade the console has a decent year ahead. Just look at that release schedule.

Nintendo has dubbed 2013 ‘the year of Luigi’, what with the recent Luigi’s Mansion 2 and the upcoming Mario and Luigi RPG (plus Luigi DLC for New Super Mario Bros U on Wii U). But it’s also the year of Pokémon, and the year that marks the return of Brain Training, Animal Crossing and Donkey Kong.
Best of all for retail, most of these games are launching over spring and summer, two periods otherwise notable for a lack of games elsewhere.
“Summer is traditionally strong for handheld in-store and with the stellar line up in 2013 combined with an increasingly strong back catalogue, 3DS provides a strong in-store proposition,” says Pearce.
“We will see increased focus on key franchises in-store such as Mario, Pokémon and LEGO to further enable retail to capitalise on the buoyancy of the 3DS format throughout the year.”
3DS product manager Roger Langford adds: “We were really excited to kick off our ‘year of Luigi’ with the launch of Luigi’s Mansion 2 and we think this has set the tone for the rest of the year; it scored highly across the board and was positively received by fans.
“Fire Emblem: Awakening looks set to follow in Luigi’s footsteps with the game already getting 9s and 10s. Animal Crossing: New Leaf will be a key focus for us this June – both digital and physical sales in Japan have been incredible. And Pokémon X and Y is definitely going to be a highlight for us in the autumn.” Langford adds that we will see a lot of 3DS on TV this year alongside ‘significant’ online activity.
And sampling events and social media activity will play a big role for the platform holder this year. Meanwhile, Pearce hopes to keep attracting new demographics to the 3DS family, including women.


“Whether it’s Super Mario 3D Land, New Style Boutique, Luigi’s Mansion 2 or the forthcoming Animal Crossing: New Leaf, we’re really starting to build an appealing female proposition.” ...

If you've got games, consoles, and peripherals gathering dust and cluttering up your minimalist entertainment center, today is the today to convert them to credit.

Gamestop has been the de factor black hole for trade-ins for longer than any of us can remember, but in recent years other retailers have jumped in to the fray. The paltry sums the big GS offers for your hard-earned discs have been a frequent lament, and while it's actually very possible to make a killing from Gamestop, the process isn't so transparent, and that's a PSA for another day.

The Amazon deal we're bringing to you today is dead simple. Trade in $20 or more worth of "games, consoles, and accessories," and get a bonus $20 credit. That is a serious deal. Games like the 360 version of Tomb Raider will net you $54 in credit after the bonus is applied, and some titles will actually cross the $60 event horizon. Yes, you'll make money on a game you paid full price for.

Shipping to Amazon is as low impact as possible, and FREE. What you will have to concern yourself with is that obviously, only new-ish titles are going to bring the big bucks. If you're sending in a legacy library, you may have to really stack them up to hit the $20 mark, as anyone who has ever traded at Gamestop knows.

We saved the best but most intensive part of the deal for last. If you're a fast player or the game in question is short, you can buy from Amazon, play, and sell back before the 27th, making money in the process. Naturally, having a Prime account would make this a lot more feasible by making the initial shipping to you faster.

Example: Buy Bioshock: Infinite for $50 with free shipping, play, ship by the 27th, get $56 (up to 36 +20) credit.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.htm...cId=1001102761 ...

The Nintendo 3DS XL improved on the original in a wide variety of ways, including better ergonomics and playability. The chunkier body and bigger screen was key in helping to coax the console out of the shadow of its predecessor, and we were full of praise when we reviewed it. But the experience of living with a device is so different from reviewing it, that we'd like to ask you what, if Nintendo was asking, would you have changed?

http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/21/hwyc-3ds-xl/ ...

3DS owners are offered the chance to grab a game download from the eShop for free.
Starting tomorrow (April 23^rd) players who register three games from a select list will receive a code with which that can choose another title to download absolutely free.
The games included in the promotion are:
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (3DS version)
Luigi's Mansion 2
Fire Emblem: Awakening
LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
The deal is retroactive, too, meaning those who already own qualifying titles will be granted a free code.
Once requested the download code will remain valid until July 31^st, with game registrations having to be complete by June 30^th.
More details can be found on the official website.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ninte...motion/0114474
...

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There's no beating Nintendo on the Japanese charts
The Nintendo 3DS XL and its little brother the 3DS have maintained their hold on the Japanese hardware charts, while Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is number one in the software race.

1. 3DS XL - 28,139 (Last week - 34,180)
2. 3DS - 18,584 (22,684)
3. PlayStation Vita - 14,112 (19,328)
4. PlayStation 3 - 14,039 (16,807)
5. Wii U - 9,984 (14,783)
6. PSP - 7,566 (8,876)
7. Wii - 1,383 (1,718)
8. Xbox 360 - 492 (536)

On the software charts there was a new entry in the top 5, as Card Fight!! Vanguard Ride to Victory!! made it to number 2 with 44,538 sales.

1. [3DS] Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon - 56,562 (Lifetime sales - 515,975)
2. [3DS] Card Fight!! Vanguard Ride to Victory!! - 44,538 (New entry)
3. [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf - 36,709 (3,062,077)
4. [PS3] One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 - 12,799 (370,758)
5. [PS3] Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2013 - 8,059 (149,725)

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...n-top-in-japan
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Nintendo continues to please its committed fans with a host of IP revivals for its 3DS handheld.
Leading the line is The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 2, which is set in the same game world as the 1992 SNES original. In it Link will be able to “become a drawing and move within walls”.
There’s more for Zelda fans, too – Virtual Console releases are planned for The Legend of Zelda series for Virtual Console: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. These two Capcom developed titles were first released on Game Boy Colour way back in 2001.
They were also some of the first to offer interconnectability, as playing one unlocks content on the other. These features will be retained in the re-releases.
The Mario Party series will make its 3DS bow this winter, offering 81 minigames. Also on the way is a third release in the Yoshi’s Island series and a European release for Square Enix RPG Bravely Default.
Digital 3DS title Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros will hit the 3DS eShop on July 12^th while Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D arrives on May 24^th. Before that, May 9^th will see the release of Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move.
Remember that leaked Animal Crossing: New Leaf 3DS hardware SKU? Yes, it is indeed coming to the UK and will be available from June 14^th.
There is also news for Wii U owners. A system update released next week will finally bring the Virtual Console to the system, although perhaps the biggest surprise is a long-awaited digital release for EarthBound, which will hit VC later this year.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/zelda...ements/0114238 ...