3DS XL receives a price cut on Nintendo UK store

Game Athen: Nintendo UK has kicked off a hardware price cut on the popular 3DS XL.



The UK doesn’t do RRPs, but when the official Nintendo Store cuts prices other retailers usually aren’t far behind – especially not in the middle of Black Friday price wars.

Visit the Nintendo Store to take advantage of some great prices on 3DS XL bundles, including:

3DS XL Silver (Black Interior) with free case – £99.99 (44% off)
3DS XL Silver/Black with Pokemon Alpha Sapphire Pack – £129.99 (35% off)
3DS XL White with Mario Kart 7 – £99.99 (44% off)
3DS XL Red/Black with Pokémon Y – £109.98 (48% off)
Yoshi Special Edition Bundle – £119.99 (40% off)
3DS XL Pink with Animal Crossing: New Leaf and CD – £119.99 (40% off)

But there are loads more to pick from. Nintendo’s throwing a pretty huge 3DS and Wii U eShop Black Friday sale, too.

Source: vg247

They finally gave Ganondorf a trident in Hyrule Warriors Legends

Game Athen: The Legend of Zelda fans have to admit that their big bad is pretty buff.

The latest Hyrule Warriors Legends gameplay trailer shows off Ganondorf in action. He’s pretty damn impressive.



Hyrule Warriors Legends is a 3DS re-release with new content and characters – including a female version of Link called Linkle. It’s due on March 25.

Source: vg247

'Outlook NOT Good' for Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth on Vita, Wii U and New 3DS

Game Athen: The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth may not make it to three target platforms.



The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth is an expansion to Nicalis and Edmund McMillen’s fancy re-release, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth.

in other news, evaluating Afterbirth for Wii U, new 3DS and PS Vita. Not running at a performance level I'm happy with. Outlook NOT good

— Tyrone Rodriguez (@tyronerodriguez) November 20, 2015

among other things, consider that Afterbirth has over 100 weapon combinations, Rebirth had much less. Those stacks add up

— Tyrone Rodriguez (@tyronerodriguez) November 20, 2015

Released on October 30, the add-on has gone down pretty well with fans on Steam (apart from a ruckus over whether bugs were part of an AR game or not). The DLC is also on the way to PS4 and Xbox One, but other systems are looking pretty chancy at the moment, according to Nicalis producer Tyrone Rodriguez.

Source: vg247

Shovel Knight expansion Plague of Shadows is just one week away

Game Athen: Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows has been graced with a release date: September 17.



The totally free expansion casts players in the role of Plague Knight for a whole new campaign – but also adds a ton of new features including alchemy and the long awaited Challenge Mode.

You need to have finished the core story of Shovel Knight to start up Plague of Shadows, but Yacht Club Games has promised to provide a code that’ll drop you right down at the start of the new content if you’ve changed platforms or lost your save file somehow.

Plague Knight plays a little differently to Shovel Knight, but Yacht Club has provided a stack of information on the new character to help you come to grips with our new masked friend.

Shovel Knight is available on 3DS, Linux, Mac, PC, PlayStation 3, PS4, Vita, Wii U and Xbox One. A physical version will release next month.

Source: vg247

Monster Hunter Stories Will Bring Its Own Brand of Turn-Based Battling to 3DS

Game Athen: Capcom has opened the official website for Monster Hunter Stories, its 2016-due 3DS turn-based RPG based on the Monster Hunter hunting game series.




Get the first details on the game’s story, characters, setting, battle system, and more below.

■ Story

Our story begins in Rider Village, where our hero has competed a trial to become a Rider and is awarded the Kizuna Stone from the village leader. Together with his partner Nabiru, with whom he overcame the trial, they decide to set out for the world beyond the village.

But beyond, a looming shadow is approaching. The people are beginning to notice a serious change in their daily lives and environment. Those entrusted with their roles as Riders and Hunters will be put to the test. The key lies within the hidden power of the Kizuna Stone. A truth concerning an ancient legend.

■ Characters

Protagonist (Male or Female)

Born and raised in Rider Village, our hero is a bright and curious young boy (or girl) full of vigor. He (or she) longs to become a Rider and travel the world beyond the village.



Nabiru

A unique Felyne who travels together with the hero.



Senpai Rider

A kind-hearted and hot-blooded Rider. He gives various advice to the hero in his goal to become a Rider.



Childhood Friend (Girl)

A bright and lively girl curious and full of vigor, who pulls along the protagonist and friends.



Childhood Friend (Boy)

He is kind and mature, and like the protagonist he also aims to become a Rider.



Village Mayor

Elder of the Dragon Tribe who kindly watches over the hero and village people. He’s a mischievous old man and a fan of puns.



Felyne and Melynx

Lynian monsters that can understand human speech and have a connection with humans.


■ World



Hunter Village – A seaside town where Hunters reside. There are various buildings and markets, as well as a Hunter Guild ran by a Guild Master.
Starter Field – A plain landscape abundant with nature, some ancient ruins are also visible. There is a rugged valley as well, and large scale monsters lieing in wait in the center.
Other Locations – There are a variety of stages including hot arid sandy places, deep wooded forests, and icy caverns.

■ Battle System



Battles are turn-based. You’ll fight using “Power,” “Technique,” and “Speed” command options.

Monsters have habits so if you pay attention and read their movements, you can tell what will be advantageous in battle.

“Otomon,” friendly monsters that Riders can deepen their bonds with, have their own minds and will act at their own will. If the condition calls for it, the Rider and monster can perform a cooperation attack.



A Rider’s attack changes based on the equipped weapon. Large swords have the “Nagiharai” special skill, one-handed swords have the “Shield Bash” special skill, and so on.

Once riders build a good enough bond with their monsters, they an use the “Ride On” technique to dramatically increase their ability. Using the Kizuna Stone, you’ll be able to use stronger “Bond Techniques,” which includes different techniques depending on the monster.

■ Otomon Eggs

You can find monster eggs on the field and bring them back to the village to raise them. What kind of monsters will hatch depends on the location you find them.



■ Interview Tidbits

The following are tidbits from the interview in this week’s Weekly Famitsu:

Since there are a lot of players that have an interest in the world of Monster Hunter, we were looking into a game in the the RPG genre that takes advantage of the setting for about five or six years. Actual development started two years ago.
There are a lot of people who love monsters, so for this game we put the spotlight on monsters.
I want players of all ages to play this game. We made the visuals and world setting as familiar as possible, and we’re aware the story is not too serious.
The “Power,” “Technique,” and “Speed” command-based battles are not only games of luck. For example, the Velociprey likes to speed, etc. There are different habits for each monster. By continuously getting into battle, you’ll learn their habits.
The hero can have a party with multiple monsters. In a battle, he can fight together with one of them. It’s also possible to change which monster you are partnered with in battle.
The hero participates in battle but largely in a support role. The core attacks are dished out by the Otomon.
Otomon have their own particular abilities, and there are cases when you can go places you normally can’t by making use of them.
New areas previously not seen in the series will be depicted in this game.
Riders form bonds with monsters, while Hunters hunt monsters. From the perspective of these opposing groups, the game will depict a deep story about the world of Monster Hunter.

Source: gematsu

Nintendo 3DS The smaller new system is coming to the US

The smaller New Nintendo 3DS system – previously only available in Japan, Europe, and Australia – is coming to the U.S as part of a bundle.



The bundle will include the game, two customisable cover plates, and an Animal Crossing Amiibo card. This pack will retail for $220, and will coincide with the launch of the new Animal Crossing spin-off.

“More than 15 million systems in the Nintendo 3DS family have been sold in the U.S. alone,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s Executive VP of Sales and Marketing. “These new models offer additional fun ways to experience some of the great upcoming Nintendo 3DS games launching in the next few months.”

The new Nintendo 3DS XL was first released in the US on February 13 of this year. The system comes with extra shoulder buttons, a second analogue nub, improved 3D visuals, and just enough extra processing power to ensure that a handful of games going forward will be exclusive to the new systems.

Thanks, ign