Category Archives: games

Train2game News SDKBOX launches Amazon IAP

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SDKBOX today launched Amazon In-App Purchasing (IAP) within its revolutionary live game operations platform. Starting today, Cocos developers will be able to enable frictionless Amazon payment options such as in-game currency, expansion packs, upgrades, and more for purchase within apps.

Kai Zhao, Head of Operations for SDKBOX, said: “We are continuing to expand our platform leadership with seamless access to key services such as Amazon’s In-App Purchasing API. Cocos developers will be able to enable fast, easy purchasing to increase engagement and monetization within their apps.”

SDKBOX supports industry-leading services for mobile game production and operations, including analytics, user acquisition, monetization, advertising, compliance and more. A recent 2.0 update brought new capabilities including receipt verification for in-app purchases, live ops controls, cloud-based game configuration management and more.

With the addition of Amazon IAP to the SDKBOX platform, Cocos developers can enable simple, secure, and trusted 1-click purchase experiences, resulting in increased engagement and conversion rates for purchases within apps.

Over 700,000 registered developers leverage the award-winning Cocos2d-x open-source game engine, which currently features over 50,000 published titles to date, including some of the world’s top grossing games like Clash of Kings, Puzzle & Dragons, Monster Strike, Fantasy Westward Journey Mobile, Big Fish Casino, The Legend of Mir 2, and The King of Fighters’ 98. SDKBOX is dedicated to enabling simple and easy to integrate services, like Amazon IAP, for Cocos developers worldwide.

For more information on Amazon IAP for SDKBOX, please visit www.sdkbox.com

Train2game News Insomnia Ireland

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Multiplay, organiser of the UK’s largest gaming festival, Insomnia, and a subsidiary of GAME Digital plc (“GAME Digital”), the UK’s leading video gaming specialist, is pleased to announce that tickets are available now to purchase for the very first in a series of Insomnia Gaming Ireland events taking place at INEC Killarney, 10-13 June.

Available now on Ticketmaster, Day tickets for Insomnia Gaming Ireland will start from €12 to €24 and €99 for the Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) LAN Hall. Also available are package deals which includes tickets and accommodation, these can be purchased through the venue. To not miss out on the Insomnia experience, all tickets can be purchased at https://insomniagamingfestival.com/ireland.

Visitors to Insomnia Gaming Ireland will be able to play a host of games, enjoy numerous activities and entertainment inside the INEC. Areas include the Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) LAN Hall; open for 72 hours, hosting 250 people playing multiplayer games with and against each other in a fun and social environment. The Exhibition Hall contains a variety of feature zones and games for all ages.  These include a Minecraft Zone, Over 18s area and the Main Stage, where Special Guests will be playing the latest games as well as Panel Talks and Q&A sessions. Special Guests will include ChooChoosGaming, AshDubh, NettyPlays, AmyLee, InTheLittlewood and MiniMuka.

BYOC ticket holders will be able to delve into the eSports scene with popular competitive tournaments occurring throughout the event such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rocket League, League of Legends and Hearthstone. Daily console tournaments will be taking place, as well as the BYOC LAN Hall hosting tournaments of its own.

“With an even busier year of Insomnia events, we‘re delighted to bring the Insomnia brand to Irish gamers,” says Craig Fletcher, Founder and CEO of Multiplay. He continued “Insomnia already reaches tens of thousands of gamers in the UK and we can’t wait to witness Irish gamers’ passion for all things gaming for the first time. The Irish gaming community is one we’ve looked to tap into for a while and we are excited to be able to offer the Insomnia experience in the region.”

Insomnia Ireland will take place at INEC Killarney, 10-13 June, 2016. For more information, please visit https://insomniagamingfestival.com/ireland

Train2game News Joystick App

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Coming soon to iOS and Android, Joystick is an incredible new app set to revolutionise the way gamers can consume news in the future!

Joystick is the World’s First one-stop destination where they can watch all live gaming tournaments across Youtube, Twitch & Azubu.

Joystick will also allow users to create a bespoke personalised news feeds in which they can follow their favourite pro-gamers across all social media and keep up with all different types of gaming news plus watch entertaining game shows.

The Joystick GUI is slick, intuitive and a bespoke news feed can be created in seconds. The user will select their choice of platform, genre and topic before being presented with their personally crafted news feed.

The Joystick trailer is available to watch: https://youtu.be/4ej77ZESa-4

Joystick You’re In Control…

Train2game News GAME Stores raise big money for SpecialEffect

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Marathon month at GAME smashes records in aid of GameBlast16

GAME today announces their partnership with SpecialEffect is going from strength to strength on the back of raising a record-breaking £37,000 for SpecialEffect’s GameBlast16. Thousands of UK gamers took to consoles throughout the month of February to support the charity, which enables anyone, whatever their physical disability, to enjoy video games and leisure technology.

With hundreds of GAME stores around the UK joining in the fun, a series of epic gaming challenges and competitions were on offer for gamers of all levels during February, including events like the Street Fighter V GAME OFF, GAME Loves and Drawlanders.

Culminating on 27th February, GAME HQ hosted a 24 hour livestream with over 70,000 tuning in to watch guests including Wheelchair Basketball European gold-medallist Mark Fosbrook, Microsoft’s Graeme Boyd, Lauran Carter from Lionhead and comedian John Robertson.

Gamers also had the chance to get their hands on exclusive gaming gear donated by GAME through SpecialEffect eBay auctions. Up for grabs were fifty life-size Vault Boys courtesy of Bethesda and signed gaming items. Microsoft also donated two exclusive custom-made Titanfall and Gears of War Xbox one consoles, in addition to a very rare Fable Legends Xbox One console donated by Lionhead Studio and previously unavailable to the public. The console fetched over £3,000 at auction.

GAME will continue to work closely with SpecialEffect going forward. Customers can get involved from today by donating in all 319 stores or even trading in old games and donating their value to SpecialEffect. Over the next 12 months, GAME will also be running various fundraising events in stores and is now working with SpecialEffect in ensuring they have all the latest gaming equipment and games.

Fred Prego, Marketing Director at GAME said:

“We are overwhelmed by the incredible response from our GAME community to GameBlast16. Their involvement has helped us support SpecialEffect in not only making GameBlast16 a fun and successful event, but also in helping us to raise five times more than we did last year which will contribute to the fantastic work that the charity does all year round.

“With most of our staff being dedicated gamers, we recognise the responsibility we have to help make gaming a hobby that is accessible to everyone. We are committed to continuing our support of SpecialEffect and there are exciting plans in place to work together over the year, so watch this space.

Train2game News Train2Game students creating own Game Jam

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Free Game Jam organised by Train2Game students, for Train2Game students will take place 27th May. Train2Game also helping to create and support the event.

Students looking to improve their skills and network have created their own game jam. Train2Game is helping the initiative with advice and publicising the event on its channels. The game jam will be remote, with participants getting involved over the web from any location.

Participants can create their own teams or sign up via the Team Speak channel and form teams on the group. Those taking part can suggest a theme that will then be selected at the beginning of the event. Judges for the competition will be made of students past and present. All entries will be visible on the forum, where students can vote on their favourite.

Students can use their entries to gain experience and for use in their portfolios. They will also find a network of friends that could become professional contacts in the future. Train2Game is also offering a gaming laptop to the winning team.

Train2Game student and head of Game Marmalade, Slinks said: ‘I decided to do a Game Jam because I was egged on by my fellow students, late at night in my Teamspeak channel. There is a slightly selfish element to putting this event on as well, as I’m also looking out for my future. If I can’t get a new future in game art, I might be able to get a new future in online event organisation. It’s another string to my bow.’

‘Obviously everyone in the Teamspeak channel is interested and I’ve got a team together. But I think this is going to be a slow burner. People are only just learning more about the event as the post I put up this evening has much more information, answers many more questions and gives a better structure for the event. Once people have read and digested the post, I’m hoping it’ll kick things off.’

‘There are many benefits for students such as, learning to work as a team, experience working to a deadline, improving communication skills, discovering your strengths and weaknesses, learning to work under pressure, problem solving, learning how you cope with stress, the sense of achievement when you complete the project, new friendships, new teams, a potential studio, the possibilities are endless. But by forging some strong alliances through events like this now, we give ourselves the best opportunity to be successful in the future as this is how studios are formed.’

‘Not only will you have examples of your own work to show prospective employers, you’ll also have an example or that work in action. Being involved in a team project also demonstrates you are capable of being a team player and possess some of the qualities listed above. So I believe getting involved in Game Marmalade with be good for a student’s portfolio’s and their C.V.’

‘People can help by getting their own teams together and registering them with me as soon as possible. Also if there are any students out there who would like to be involved but can’t make the event, I’m looking for judges so I need to hear from these people as soon as possible as well.’

‘People can sign up with me by sending all the details of their team and a theme to me and I’m holding regular meets in my channel every Friday. People can come to the channel on any other evening as well, I try to be in there most evening around 7pm but people pop in and out at all hours so apart from Friday it’s a case of drop by and see who’s about.’

A spokesman for Train2Game added, ‘This initiative demonstrates a key part of developing students into team players for the modern games industry. Train2Game will be offering a magnificent gamers laptop as the top prize for this Game Jam.’

Email event organiser: slinky.dink68@outlook.com

Find out more about the event on the Train2Game forum: http://forum.train2game.com/showthread.php/22512-Game-Marmalade-A-Game-Jam-by-students-for-students-May-Bank-Holiday

For more information contact: mark@train2game.com

Train2Game, bringing City & Guilds to the Games Industry

Read the Train2Game blog at www.train2game-news.co.uk Train2Game is a proud supporter of www.gamatier.com

Train2game News Iron Maiden Legacy of the Beast Founders Packs

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Nodding Frog, Roadhouse Interactive and 50cc Games are pleased to announce that the  Founders Packs for their  Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast  mobile game are now available direct from  www.ironmaidenlegacy.com/founders 

Founders Packs and Collector’s Editions are relatively commonplace in PC and console gaming circles, but something new in mobile gaming. In keeping with the spirit of innovation prevalent throughout Iron Maiden’s career, Legacy of the Beast Founders Packs will offer fans and players limited edition collectibles, exclusive insider access to game-design forums, rare in-game Eddies and boatloads of ‘Ferryman’s Gold’ (in-game currency) to commemorate the launch of the game.

“There are tons of Maiden fans at Roadhouse, and rock, metal and punk is a big part of our studio culture with lots of the team wearing band shirts at any given time. We decided to create some exclusive apparel to celebrate the launch of the game and show off the many iterations of Eddie that appear in it. It’s been fantastic to see the band’s fan base show their support for the project online, engaging with our social channels and sharing their views on what we’re up to. Alongside the T-shirts, Hoodies, and other cool swag, we’ve created a new opportunity for fans, gamers, and newcomers alike to have an even greater role in the creation and direction of the game with the Founders Forum” says James Hursthouse, CEO, Roadhouse Interactive. 

Llexi Leon, Creative Director, Phantom Music Management, added “With the Founders campaign we’re offering exclusive access, awesome in-game items, and some killer custom-designed Iron Maiden gear. As a video games Collector’s Edition addict I’ve been particularly thrilled to curate this range, and we’re all excited to be pioneering this approach in the mobile space. We’ve combined items you might expect like T-shirts and Hoodies with totally new offerings, such as exclusive character art cells, a gorgeous giclee on canvas print, and a beautiful digital art book.”

“We’re offering incredible value in every pack, working with our partners at Global Merchandise and Dark Ink Art to ensure the same top quality products our fans expect, but at an unprecedented discount to celebrate this amazing game and the expansion of the Iron Maiden universe. Our friends at Onkyo have even provided a limited number of the remarkable hand-wired Japanese made Ed-Ph0n3s as part of our top tier Eternity pack, a jaw dropping collection that’s limited to 666 units on a first come first serve basis.”

All those who order a Founders Pack will get to participate in online discussions with the development team, be granted access to exclusive community forum content, and have the opportunity to vote on the direction of the game and proposed content.

Seven packs have been created, five of them themed to in-game iterations of the band’s iconic mascot, Eddie, in a variety of character classes. The Packs range from the digital only Part of the Legacy Pack, right up to the strictly limited Eternity Pack that contains all the character class Eddie T-Shirts and art cells from previous tiers, a pair of extremely limited items including an archival quality print on canvas and a premium embroidered hoodie, topped off with a set of Onkyo’s Maiden Audio Ed-Ph0n3s, representing amazing value across the board.

Priced in Canadian Dollars and shipping worldwide, the packs are available for a limited time only and will be dispatched throughout June / July 2016, to coincide with the game’s global launch.

At the time of going to press, the in-game digital add-on packs will be an option only applicable for Android users.

Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast, is an action-packed, free-to-play epic mobile RPG steeped in Iron Maiden mythology, and launches on both iOS and Android platforms in June 2016. “Maiden Vancouver, Played Everywhere!”

Train2game News ESL Streaming

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The world’s largest esports company, ESL, is happy to announce that it will be bringing its core content to multiple global streaming platforms.

Starting with the Intel® Extreme Masters World Championship in Katowice from March 4-6, the broadcast of ESL’s content will be available on Twitch, Azubu, Hitbox and Yahoo streaming platforms.

ESL’s events have consistently broken viewership records, among them the record for the highest number of concurrent viewers on a single channel, when 1.3 million people tuned in for the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competition during ESL One Cologne 2015.

Welcoming three new additions to our streaming channels will enable ESL to open up its world class esports competition content to a larger and broader audience worldwide, maximizing the reach and growing the global audience. The company continues to deliver the most legendary esports moments across multiple games and platforms, further growing its offering by expanding to new regions and adding new games to its Leagues and events.

“The most important aspect to keep in mind when creating an esports broadcast is the audience,” said Nik Adams, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Business Development at ESL. “Expanding our distribution channels was done with this very audience in mind. Now viewers all across the world have greater flexibility in choosing how to consume ESL content – a first step with many more to follow.”

All competition can also be followed through IEM’s central broadcasting hub over at live.intelextrememasters.com, which also features streams in multiple languages.

Train2game News eSports Industry Awards

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MBN Events, industry leaders in the provision of high profile sporting lunches and dinners have teamed up with games industry powerhouse NewBay Media, owner of MCV and Develop, to launch the eSports Industry Awards, a brand new ceremony that recognises all of those who have contributed to the sector’s incredible growth across the globe over the past 12 months.

The event will take place on November 21 at The Brewery, London and will be hosted by BBC Radio 1’s gaming expert, Julia Hardy and Jason Bradbury from Channel 5’s The Gadget Show, in order to acknowledge and reward outstanding achievement from the world of eSports, with awards presented across 18 categories including: Team of the Year; Game of the Year; eSports Journalist of the Year and Best Live Event. All of the individual categories can be found here www.esportsindustryawards.com .

Nominations for the eSports Industry Awards 2016 open today, with the final short-list announced on Friday April 8. An international judging panel consisting of respected professionals from a cross section of the eSports industry including ex-players, media and broadcasters will then determine the overall winners in each of the categories.

“I’m really honoured to be invited to help co-host the first ever UK awards dedicated solely to eSports. It reflects just how huge the eSports world is and how quickly it is growing that we can now have a whole awards ceremony dedicated to the people who have strived tirelessly to get it where it is,” stated Julia Hardy, who added “eSports are well and truly here to stay and I’m looking forward to congratulating the winners and the nominees on the night for all their hard work in such a passionate part of gaming.”

The eSports Industry Awards 2016 has already received the backing of Gfinity, who will bring their expertise in streaming live events, as official broadcast partner. Confirmation of further high profile partnerships are expected in the coming weeks.

CEO of Gfinity, Neville Upton commented: “Gfinity is delighted to be the broadcast partner and helping to raise the profile of esports within the UK while recognising the achievements of people throughout the industry.”

www.esportsindustryawards.com

Train2game News MG Games looking for new team members

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Student Games Developers looking for applications to grow studio
Michael McGurk from Northern Ireland seeks new members to join his team, which has released three titles and has another on the way.

This student team is rapidly releasing titles, which are great for portfolios and they could make the next big hit.

The team is looking for new members to expand MG Games and release more titles. It’s looking for an artist and someone to help them build titles in Construct. It’s a two man team at the moment and Michael’s father is the third voluntary member.

The team has released three games already, working on its next bigger one, which is why they need additional support. MG Games plans to expand to make larger games in the future, the next release is coming in two months’ time, with support from new team members.

Michael is a Train2Game student and enjoying the course. He’s balanced creating games alongside his studies. The team likes working on its own titles as means it can deliver the game it wants to, retaining control of what they produce and their production timeline. The benefits for new joiners will be experience and work for portfolio content, and who knows in the future.

Michael is based in Northern Ireland but happy for team members from anywhere in the world.

Michael McGurk, Student Train2Game and head of MG Games, ‘My experience with Train2Game has most definitely been worthwhile and I have enjoyed every minute of it. It has helped me bring my ideas to life and put them into games. Games are my passion and without Train2game I would not have the knowledge I do have in game making. To have created and put my first game out there live, watch the number of plays grow is an indescribable feeling.’

‘I am currently on module D4 lesson 4. The course is slowly coming along, I say slowly because I am taking my time doing the course as I am currently making my fourth game. Its a larger game compared to the other arcade games I have made on the side and is taking a bit of time to do.’

‘I work from home I started MG games so I could build my own gaming company and make my own games I have started MG Games off from scratch. I want to further the company and I would like to give others a chance to use and combine their game ideas and bring them to life.

Currently on the team is myself as the games designer and my dad helps me out with the the art work and the animations. Currently we are making games for browser and mobile devices. Small games such as arcade etc. But in the near future I would like to make bigger games with storylines.’

‘As MG Games expands, I would like to start making bigger and better games with every team member having a say in the games we make. I would like MG games to become a known company, with a large team who is willing to work as a team and express their ideas openly. I would like to have an official studio where all the works will take place as a professional company.’

‘I have worked on four games that are now live on mg-games.itch.io if you would like to take a look and I two more games are in the works. One of which is a larger game and has so far taken me almost seven months to get as far as I have within the game. I’m hoping for this game to go live within the next month or two.’

‘The benefits of working on our own games are that we get to see our games ideas come to life and when the games are done we have the joy of saying we made that. Also we can spend as much time as we want in the making of the games and we are not under any pressure in having the games done for a certain time. No pressure means no mistakes.’

‘I am looking for new members to join MG Games as I said its really only me and more team members will result in better games more games ideas and more fun in making the games and it will help MG Games grow as a company. I would like someone who can do the art work for the games and someone that could work with me building them on construct.’

‘I would like commitment, flexibility and members that are here for the games and the fun of making them and not just for money. The new team members will gain the experience from working in a team, games that they can use on their portfolios and there game ideas being heard and brought to life.’

‘I would like the applicants to show examples of their work, note their strongest and weakest points in game making and what area do they mainly specialise in. I would also like their contact details and to tell me a bit about themselves, why they are applying and what is it that has them interested in this field of work.’

‘If anyone is interested they can email me at mggames0@hotmail.com or messages me over our Facebook page which you can find at this link https://www.facebook.com/MG.Games1/?ref=hl‘

For more information contact mark@train2game.com
Train2Game, bringing City & Guilds to the Games Industry

Train2Game is a proud supporter of  www.gamatier.com

Train2Game News March 2016 Nintendo Direct

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In a new Nintendo Direct video, Nintendo revealed new games on the way for its Wii U and Nintendo 3DS systems, as well as additional details about previously announced titles. From new games in the Kirby and  Paper Mario franchises to a companion game for Star Fox Zero, this is one video that can’t be missed.

To view the Nintendo Direct video in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct. Some of the highlights revealed in the video include:

Wii U
·  Star Fox Zero: Fox McCloud returns in an action-packed new adventure. Multiple paths branch out to give players plenty of places to explore, and each route gives them a completely different experience, with each battle posing its own set of unique challenges. Players will notice their skills get better and better over time, as they become top-notch pilots. In two-player mode, one player can fly the Arwing while the other player aims and shoots. The game launches April 22. The packaged version comes with a  Star Fox Guard game disc at a suggested retail price of $59.99 while the digital version of the game can be purchased by itself from Nintendo eShop for $49.99.

·  Star Fox Guard: Players set up 12 cameras to find and defeat enemies who are attacking the mining site of Slippy Toad’s uncle, Grippy Toad. The game includes about 100 stages, but players can also create their own stages by editing the placement of enemies and uploading their levels online. The only way to get the physical version of  Star Fox Guard is by purchasing the packaged version of  Star Fox Zero. The game can also be purchased by itself from Nintendo eShop for $14.99. Customers that purchase the digital version of either  Star Fox Zero or  Star Fox Guard will receive a $4.99 Nintendo eShop discount toward the other game.

·  Paper Mario: Color Splash: Prism Island is being drained of its color and it’s up to Paper Mario to stop it! Use Paper Mario’s paint hammer to splash paint on anything it hits and bring the color back to the island in this new action-adventure game. The game will launch later in 2016.

·  Super Mario Maker: More than 6.2 million courses from players around the world are available for others to play, and now a free March 9 update will add a Super Expert mode to the 100-Mario Challenge. The mode is unlocked after players clear Expert mode. Super Expert Mode dishes out six extremely tough courses. Additionally, 12 new Mystery Mushroom costumes have been added to 100 Mario Challenge. The update also provides level creators with even more tools:
· Shake a P Switch to turn it into a key. Shake a Door to turn it into a Key Door. Creators can make enemies hold keys, meaning players can’t advance without defeating mandatory bosses.
· Shake a Coin to turn it into a Pink Coin. Players must collect them all to make a key appear.
· Shake a Thwomp to turn it into a massive Skewer column from  Super Mario World.
· Additionally, the  Super Mario Maker Bookmark site will see additions such as ranking categories for world records and the number of first clears on courses, inspiring new ways to experience the main game.

·  Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games: The Wii U version of the game launches on June 24 and includes two events new to the series: Rugby Sevens and Rhythmic Gymnastics Clubs. Every event in the game takes place in locales modeled after the actual venues in Rio.

·  Splatoon: The hit multiplayer game is getting more updates. An update on March 8 balances some gear abilities to improve some of the lesser-used ones and make them more appealing. Additional tweaks to matchmaking, Ranked Battles and Splatfests aim to improve the overall user experience. Another update arrives in two waves, with the first coming in April. It will adjust some existing weapons and add new weapon set recommendations as “Sheldon’s Picks.”

·Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE: Slay monsters—and slay like a pop star—all at the same time, in this brand-new RPG from acclaimed developer Atlus. A sinister force from another dimension has invaded modern-day Tokyo, resulting in a fantastical barrage of style, fashion, music and, of course, danger. So play to your strengths in high-energy turn-based battles, then fuse items to craft powerful weapons and crush your foes. Around every corner you’ll find fan-service—including  Fire Emblem references—original songs by Japanese entertainment giant Avex, dungeons themed after the entertainment industry and eye-catching music performances. The one-of-a-kind game launches June 24.

·  LOST REAVERS: BANDAI NAMCO’s latest free-to-play online co-op action game asks players to team up with other adventurers online to fight zombies and solve puzzles as they search for valuable treasure. As players complete missions, characters will level up, unlock additional skills and increase their in-game funds to acquire new weapons. An open beta version is launching April 14 with the full version coming to Wii U on April 28.

Nintendo 3DS
·  Kirby: Planet Robobot: Invaders have mechanized Dream Land. To restore his home to its original form, Kirby must use their technology against them with the new Robobot Armor. The Robobot Armor can even destroy a variety of obstacles in his way. The Team Kirby Clash mode lets up to four players join forces to battle against powerful bosses. Players select one of four roles, and participate in a co-op quest to defeat a boss while supporting their team. Completing a quest earns experience points to level-up and grow more powerful. The game is compatible with a large variety of amiibo figures, and some give Kirby character-specific abilities. A new series of Kirby amiibo figures that includes Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight and Waddle Dee gives Kirby attributes specific to each character. Tapping the Kirby figure is the only way to get the UFO ability. The game and new amiibo figures launch June 10.

·  Metroid Prime: Federation Force: This next chapter in the  Metroid Prime series is a first-person adventure fused with puzzle solving, focused on shooting and co-op gameplay. Players take on missions that tell the story of the battle between the Galactic Federation’s elite Federation Force unit and the Space Pirates. Each player must select and carry specific sub-weapons based on their preferred roles, then proceed to complete each mission. The game will launch in late spring.

·  Rhythm Heaven Megamix: The game offers more than 100 rhythm games, 30 of which are new to the series. An additional 70 have been selected from previous games in the series, including the original Game Boy Advance title, which was never released in North America. The game launches later this year.

·  Monster Hunter Generations: The newest installment in the popular  Monster Hunter action RPG series from Capcom is making its way to the West. The game will feature a special collaboration armor set based on Marth from the  Fire Emblem series. Anyone who plays  Monster Hunter Generations on Nintendo 3DS with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate save data present on it will receive bonus content in the new game. As a special promotion,  Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is being offered at a special price of $19.99 in Nintendo eShop for 48 hours, starting today at 3 p.m. PT. The game will launch this summer.

·  Disney Art Academy: Discover your inner artist to capture the stunning visuals of over 80 Disney and Pixar characters. With advice and lessons inspired by Disney art and Pixar animations, learn to use a bundle of different drawing tools to create Elsa and Olaf from Disney  Frozen, characters from Disney  Inside Out, Mickey Mouse and more! Even share your creations with your friends!  Disney Art Academy launches May 13.

·  Hyrule Warriors Legends: The game launches March 25, at which point players can buy a season pass to get access to four DLC packs and a bonus costume for Ganondorf. These packs will also be available for purchase individually in Nintendo eShop during the next few months. A transfer code will allow purchasers who also own  Hyrule Warriors for Wii U to use Ganondorf’s Trident weapon and play as the five new characters from  Hyrule Warriors Legends in the Wii U game. Medli from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker  will be available as a free download when the first DLC pack is released.

·  Bravely Second: End Layer: A free demo of the game hits Nintendo eShop on March 10. Best Buy Gamers Club Unlocked members will receive a unique 16-digit code to access the demo early on March 7. Playing the demo will earn play bonuses that players can transfer into the full version of the game when it launches on April 15.

·  Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past: Travel to the past to save the present in this classic  Dragon Quest adventure that has been completely remade from the ground up for Nintendo 3DS. The world has been rebuilt, the characters have new 3D models and the story has been completely re-localized. Even customize your party with over 30 classes and rank up in turn-based battles to learn new spells and abilities. The game launches later in 2016.

·  Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation: This third path in the story reveals many secrets not available in the  Birthright or  Conquest versions. On March 10, players can purchase  Revelation for $19.99. Once purchased, a third option will appear at the Branch of Fate moment of the game: “Refuse to Choose a Side.” Today two new maps (Museum Melee and Ghostly Gold) are being released for purchase in the Dragon’s Gate in-game DLC shop, with Royal Royale launching on March 17. After March 17, additional maps will be released on a weekly basis through April 21.

Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
·  Virtual Console Update: Super NES games are coming to New Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL systems. At the conclusion of today’s Nintendo Direct, Super Mario World,  F-Zero and  Pilotwings will be available, mirroring the original Super NES launch lineup. On March 24,  Donkey Kong Country,  Super Mario Kart and  EarthBound will join the lineup. And on April 14, watch for  The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past,  Super Metroid and  Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Quest. The New Nintendo 3DS hardware enables Perfect Pixel Mode in these versions, which gives players the option to display the games in their original resolution. Find a full listing of Virtual Console titles at  Nintendo.com.

·  Azure Striker Gunvolt 2: Gunvolt’s rival Copen joins the fray as a playable character. Players can dash into enemies to lock on to them, then unleash a devastating homing shot. Copen can also copy the abilities of all seven new boss characters and use them as his own. The game launches this summer. In the meantime, the original  Azure Striker Gunvolt game is available for $9.99, now through June 1.

·  Pocket Card Jockey: Solitaire meets horse racing – really! Game Freak’s new mashup puts players in the saddle as a jockey who must complete a fast-paced, simplified version of solitaire to propel the horse through intense races. It’s all about leveling up the horse through strategic positioning and placement on the track. Over time, players can win trophies for high-ranking races to secure sponsors. The game launches in May.

amiibo
·  Mini Mario and Friends amiibo Challenge: This free game can be found in Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Tap an amiibo figure on the Wii U GamePad controller or New Nintendo 3DS system (or to a Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL or Nintendo 2DS system using the Nintendo 3DS NFC Reader/Writer accessory) to guide one of 11 minis across more than 60 levels. Players can tap any compatible amiibo figure. Or, by tapping specific amiibo figures, players can guide minis that have exclusive level sets or their own unique abilities, like mini Mario’s wall jump or mini Yoshi, who can eat enemies. Starting March 25, the game will be available at select retailers as a bonus download code with the purchase of any Nintendo amiibo figure. It will also be available to download for free from Nintendo eShop on April 28.

·  Isabelle amiibo Figure: In June, Isabelle will be available separate from the  Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival bundle, in her winter outfit. A new Isabelle figure featuring her summer outfit is also coming. Both figures launch on June 10.

·  amiibo Cards: Series 4 of the  Animal Crossing amiibo cards launch on June 10.

Remember that Wii U and Nintendo 3DS feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu or http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.