This Week in Famitsu

WEEKLY FAMITSU #1191

Cover Story

I'm sure you recognize the costume Famitsu's mascot is wearing on the cover, which should give you a hint as to this week's cover story: Super Mario 3D Land! Mario's first appearance on the 3DS looks like it should be a blast when it arrives this November 13th in the States. Japan gets it just a touch early, on November 3^rd.

Unlike old-school Mario games, Super Mario 3D Land is forgoing the 2D route, with a game-play style that seems to resemble Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii more than anything. However, that does not mean that this new Mario is going to shun its roots. On the contrary, it seems to be paying more homage to it than many other recent titles by the inclusion of one very important, incredibly beloved, nostalgic power-up: the tanuki suit. That's right, the raccoon looking animal suit is back, albeit with some minor changes. The suit no longer seems to let you fly a ridiculously long time; instead, it appears to be more of a super-jump power-up than a flying ability. Also, you are not the only one who gets the benefits of the tanuki leaf: certain enemies can now receive the tanuki suit power-up as well. The goombas have tanuki tails now.... beware!

In addition to the tanuki suit, there are many stages that seem to be re-hashes of classic Mario levels, but don't let that concern you; there's plenty of new material too. New worlds, new enemies, and a new type of block called the 'propeller block' (which flies you up to new areas by means of the little propeller on its head) should keep this game exciting to even the most seasoned Mario aficionado. Beyond that, well, it's a new Super Mario Land game. We all know you're going to buy it, and it's going to be awesome. Now all we have to do is wait another month before we can rock our tanuki tails, and rock them we will.

Featured Game

Mario Kart 7 (3DS): With a planned release of December 1^st here in Japan, a scant month after Super Mario 3D Land, it's apparent that Nintendo is rolling out their big guns for this holiday season. While the basic premise of the Mario Kart series is bound to be the same (race against other Mario characters in crazy go-carts with crazy weapons), this iteration promises new courses, new carts, and new features to keep hardcore fans entertained. There's even a new character in the form of Metal Mario! Will there be others? Hmmm.... we can only wonder. Beyond the new character, however, the coolest thing about Mario Kart 7 is the ability to customize your cart. You can change the wheels, the body frame, and various other things. Speaking of your carts, did I mention they fly in this one? That's right, there's a pop-out propeller for underwater portions of the race, and a pop-out hang-glider for those super long jumps! Mario Kart 7 will also be playable online, much like Mario Kart DS. While Mario Kart is, and always will be, Mario Kart, that doesn't mean that this new version won't be just as fun as all the games that have come before it. Hopefully, with all the new additions, it'll even surpass its legacy.

Hardware Sales: Week of 9/12-9/18

• 3DS – 62,245 units
• PS3 – 37,477 units
• PSP – 24,106 units
• Wii – 15,146 units
• NDS – 3,187 units
• PS2 – 830 units
• 360 – 788 units

Top 5 Selling Games: Week of 9/12-9/18

• Dragon Quest 25^th Anniversary Collection: Nintendo and Super Nintendo Dragon Quest I, II, and III (Wii) – 264,760 units
• Tales of Xillia (PS3) – 55,323 units
• Resident Evil Revival Selection (PS3) – 24,238 units
• Wii Sports Resort (Wii) – 15,014 units
• Everyone's Rhythm Heaven (Wii) – 14,412 units

Top 5 Most Anticipated Games: Based on survey results from 9/15-9/21

• Final Fantasy: Type-O/Agito (PSP)
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3)
• Dragon Quest X Online (Wii)
• Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
• Monster Hunter 3/Tri G (3DS)

So, I have two things to apologize for. First, this week's Famitsu is unfortunately on the short side, as most of the articles were about stuff that we've covered before. The biggest chunk of the magazine was an in-depth wrap-up of this year's Tokyo Game Show, but as there was no new information, and many of the most promising games we've already featured in previous week's issues, we decided to leave it out. The second thing I have to apologize for is that I promised last week that this Famitsu would be released along with the new version of our website layout. I kinda lied. While this issue is late mostly due to hoping we could get the website up and running in time, it seems to not quite be ready yet. So, while I am also currently posting this on our new website as well, it's not quite ready for public consumption, so I'm posting this on this blog too, which will soon be the old blog.... hopefully. Good things come to those who wait, right? As soon as the new website is up, we'll be posting a notice here for it. We have lots of exciting content waiting for it, so look forward to it!

Submitted by: Sherrie Blackwell

San Diego Comic Con 2011 Game Coverage: Part 3

Whether you were a gamer in the early 80’s, or are just breaking into the scene now, you probably know one brand above all others. Arguably the most innovative video game hardware developer out there, with some of the most successful game franchises of all time, this company has earned its rank. Whether you consider their latest console, or their much anticipated follow-up, a work of genius or an inevitably passing trend, one thing is certain: you can never count them out, because they will never cease to astound. By now you must know that I am referring to the one, the only, Nintendo. Since they already revealed their next console to the world during E3, Nintendo’s San Diego Comic Con display had its focus elsewhere, in an area possibly in need of more immediate attention.

Nintendo came armed to the teeth with A-list games for the final part of 2011, ready to blow the doors off of any expectations attendees may have set in place for this year. Not only did Nintendo have a booth on the main exhibit floor, but right next door to the convention was an over 10,000 square foot gaming lounge. Even with its over 80 game stations, the game lounge was always packed; lines were excruciating but, at long last, the demonstrations were well worth it. Being the Nintendo fanboy that I am, I was second in line on the first day the lounge was open. I immediately ran to the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword demo (of which you can read my more in depth preview here), and began my lengthy day of taking in what should only be known as the Nintendo experience. 

The best demo on hand, without a doubt, was Super Mario 3D Land for the Nintendo 3DS. The game blends elements of Super Mario 64 and Mario Galaxy perfectly, and it even brings back nostalgic boss fights aboard Bowser’s Airships, against various members of his evil offspring… the Koopalings! Yes, you heard right, the Koopalings have returned yet again! As if that were not enough to tickle your Italian plumber-esque fancy, there’s more: the fabled Tanooki suit is back! The Tanooki suit was last seen in Super Mario Bros 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and was similar to the Raccoon leaf except it was a full body suit. The suit is dissimilar from past incarnations as it does not allow the player to fly so much as provide a brief hovering ability, which mostly aids in bounding across chasms due to the ability to more or less spot out a landing. It does still allow for a spin attack, but you won’t be the only one with this incredible power! Goombas throughout the level will also be wearing the stylish striped tail, and now have the same abilities as Mario when seen with the power up! This game far exceeded any expectations I had for it, and the 3D effect looks amazing to say the least. Super Mario 3D Land will be flying onto shelves in North America in early November, exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS.

Speaking of long awaited, Kid Icarus: Uprising was in full effect at this year’s convention. Although it is supposed to have a late 2011 release, rumor has it that Nintendo will have to push back the game’s release to early 2012 due to certain issues with the multiplayer. Coincidentally, this was the only mode not available in the demo I had the chance to play, but was made up for by the great story and stunning visuals. This game is fast paced, action packed and tons of fun! This game continues the epic story of Pit, the hero from past Kid Icarus games, in his battle against the evil Medusa. The game utilizes the touch screen as a primary form of camera control for air battles, and the analog slide pad for land battles. The game controls are smooth and easy to grasp, but this game will definitely offer up a challenge to even the most experienced gamer! Kid Icarus: Uprising will be a must have for any 3DS owner, and I suggest you keep your ear to the ground, because this is one you won’t want to miss. 

Mario Kart 7, which is actually the ninth game in the series, is a fun twist on a classic title. Offering numerous multiplayer options, massive amounts of replay value, and a great game that you can play for hours or jump on for a quick race around the track, this game is another home run for Nintendo’s line-up this year. The game will be familiar to enthusiasts from past Mario Kart games, but will offer a few fun additions to change up gameplay, and keep this game feeling fresh. The addition of both hang glider and propeller gadgets, for both air and under water racing respectively, will give players new challenges. Additional changes include Kart customization, which will undoubtedly switch up gameplay even more. Seemingly less item heavy than its Wii brother, Mario Kart 7 is more balanced and more dependent upon racing skill than sheer luck. This game will make the ability to race online with friends and competitors from around the world both portable and eye catching. Mario Kart 7 will release in early November, racing to stores just in time for the holiday season.

This concludes our coverage of Comic Con, part 3, with the highlights from Nintendo’s gaming lounge. Next time: Sony’s Uncharted 3 demo and other details from the convention! Thanks for reading!

Submitted by: Corey Hall (Employee)

The things we've gamed with

There's no doubt that video game companies want to use new technology to improve gaming experience in new and exciting ways. Some ideas show promise, such as Sony's upcoming virtual reality headset, while others do little more than raise eyebrows, like the Wii Vitality that was announced at E3 2009. The video game industry's definitely no stranger to seeing new ideas popping up here and there. Below are just a few of the more unusual devices ever conceived within the developers' labs.

Sega Activator:

So you think that Nintendo was first to step foot into the interactive gaming frontier? It turns out that way before people were waggling their Wiimotes, Sega delved into the realm of motion controlling with the Sega Activator for the Genesis. The idea centered around snapping eight panels together in an octagonal ring on the floor, stand in the middle and use body motion to control your character on screen. The only exercise gamers reported getting was with the frustration of trying to get the unresponsive controls to work. Side effects include sore limbs, headaches, vomiting, dizziness, flailing around like an idiot and the urge to smash the Activator’s panels over the nearest biological life form. Consult your psychiatrist before use.

Nintendo Power Glove:

The Nintendo Power Glove is by far one of the strangest accessories the Big N has ever cooked up. Released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, slip the Power Glove onto your hand and program the code for the game you're playing on its control panel. Then, once you place the sensors on your TV and you’re ready to rock 'n roll on all your favorite games from Punch Out! to Legend of Zelda! All you have to do then is punch the air, squeeze your hand, wave or flick your fingers to direct your character on screen, and no, scratching yourself with the Power Glove does not grant invincibility. Problem was that the controls responded as well as a deaf man at a heavy metal concert. As antagonist Lucas Barton boasted in the 1989 movie, The Wizard, “I love the Power Glove. It’s so bad!” Yeah, it’s bad alright.

Atari Jaguar controller:

When it comes to your standard gaming controller, you have your Playstation 3 one, the Xbox 360 one, the Nintendo Wii one...and then you have the Atari Jaguar controller. Yes, this sleek, aerodynamic controller comes in a square design that’s so big, you could fit your Pepsi on the useless multi-numbered keypad. The controller certainly didn’t help sell more Jaguar systems, and one could speculate it as one of the reasons why it got tossed into gaming oblivion. Definitely one of Atari’s biggest fails since E.T. on the Atari 2600.

Glucoboy:

It turns out that Nintendo had concerns about their gamers’ health way before Wii Fit hit U.S. shores. Enter Glucoboy, a child blood glucose meter originally designed to attach to the Gameboy Advance. All you need to do is prick your finger and you’ll receive a highly accurate blood glucose reading in about 10 seconds. That’s not all: the Glucoboy comes with two full video games, a mini-arcade and the ability to have your test results converted into Glucose Reward Points (GRPs), which can be used to unlock games or used as in-game currency. Considering the new health direction Nintendo is going one is left wondering when the Wii MRI will hit store shelves.

Konami Laser Scope:

If you happen to own an NES and feel like playing Duck Hunt but think that wielding the Nintendo Zapper is for chumps, check out Konami’s Laser Scope. This optical targeting plastic gray headset allows you to blast away your onscreen enemies by screaming “Fire!” into the mouthpiece. “Plus, with Laser Scope all of the awesome game sound goes right to your own ears. Not your Mom’s or Dad’s.” As if repeatedly spurting loud sounds into the mouthpiece is going to annoy them much less than the sounds of aliens exploding on the TV screen. Even though this piece of NES hardware reportedly worked well, it's doubtful that many would want to be caught with one strapped around their head.

So how about you? What are some of the oddest gaming accessories that you’ve had the chance to come across in your gaming experience?

Hackers grow bolder and the victim list grows longer

If there's one thing the PSN hack showed, it's that even large gaming companies like Sony are susceptible to cyberattacks. Now, Nintendo, Epic Games, Square Enix, Bethesda and Codemasters can join the club of hacking victims.

Nintendo reported that one of its U.S. web servers was hacked earlier this month, prompting the Big N to send notices to its customers to change their passwords and usernames to prevent their personal information from being stolen. While Nintendo said that no financial or third party data was lost, it's clear that after this attack, Sony was just the beginning.

Lulz Security, responsible for the recent “minor” Senate.gov leak, resulting in the exposure of a large list of the site's root directory and file names, recently snuck into Bethesda Softwork's backdoor. LulzSec, boasted on their twitter account that they broke into Bethesda's website, grabbed more than 200,000 Brink user info and told the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim publisher to “fix your junk”. LulzSec hasn't released its stolen info and no financial data was lost. Still, Bethesda, like Nintendo, encouraged all it's customers to change their usernames and reset passwords.

Next up: Epic Games, yep the Gears of War developer's website and forums got hit, too. Although, the attack was not as serious as the PSN hack. The hackers, which weren't identified, responsible could only obtain email addresses, passwords, but no info linked to any financial data. Epic reported no further damage to itself or its customers.

The same can't be said about the DiRT3 creators, Codemasters, which got hit by twice in a month. On June 3, hackers pillaged the publisher's website and made off with lots of user data, including members names, screen names, user names, Xbox Live Gamertags and IP addressees to name a few. Fortunately, Codemaster uses an external payment provider, so no financial data was reported lost. Still, the company doesn't completely dismiss the fact that this information could still have been compromised.

Cybercriminals are getting so confident that they even targeted Square Enix, one of the most highly respected and award-winning company responsible for developing the Final Fantasy series and publishing the upcoming Tomb Raider. It's suspected that Anonymous is involved in nabbing 25,000 customer emails and 350 resumes of people who have applied for jobs at the company's Canadian office.

With all these attacks, it's questionable if any gaming developers will remain hack-free. It's really a question of “who's next?”

The adventure that is E3!

I am sure that all of our friends at Level Up Video Games have already read all the major announcements, some of which were leaked even before the show began. So I am not going to cover these stories. There are tons of blogs you can read with all the opinions you need. What I want to share with you is the experience of being at E3.

This morning I awoke in my comfortable bed and realized that the excitement of the Electronic Entertainment Expo was over and I was back to reality. Every year for the last 5 years I have been attending E3, the biggest and best video game expo in the world. This year was no different. I packed my things on Monday and headed off for Los Angeles with my son who has worked at Level Up Video Games for the last 3 years and was finally able to attend the conference with me. We had a great time.

E3 is held at the Convention Center in the heart of downtown LA every year, across from the Staples Center home of the LA Lakers. High rises everywhere. A city where Mercedes, Porshe and Ferrari are as common as Honda on these traffic packed streets . The convention center, surrounding buildings and streets are draped with advertisement banners, some 50plus feet tall, advertising the biggest titles of the year. It truly is a spectacle to see. Downtown LA is like one big advertising mecca, there are ads on everything.

First off, when you arrive at the LA Convention Center there are always some rather large outdoor exhibits set up from various companies along the sidewalk entrances. Last year was Virgin Gaming a subsidiary of Virgin Records. This year it was NOS Energy, Saints Row and Walmart Gaming centers among the largest on the streets. Passer-bys can enjoy these displays as they are outside and not in the convention center. From NOS we had some insanely awesome car displays and DJ booth tented off with comfortable seating and free energy drinks (of which I had my share). Across the street was the Saints Row exhibit, where purple clad bikini babes were offering VIP car washes and giving away purple Saints Row T-shirts which read "I love Rim Jobs", I kid you not, I got mine. I felt sorry for the bikini babes because it was actually overcast and a bit cold in the morning and these poor women were out washing cars in practically nothing.

Moving on, aside from the hilarious and ingenious costumed characters and gorgeous models you see handing out fliers for their various companies wares, there are also the badge holder pick up tents lined up along the sides of the main entrances. As we made our way to the tents to gain access to the main facilities, one can't help but notice all the media. Camera-men and microphones are everywhere, thousands of people from all over the world speaking every language you can think of and dressed in all forms of attire from suits, to sweats, all with one thing in common, their affiliation to this immense industry of gaming.

After being fitted with your logo ridden badge from all the companies who paid to have their names adorned on the I.D. Badges, you are off to the front doors, but not before being handed numerous more fliers, and mini swag from the dozens of independents and other representatives lining the walkways.

The Los Angeles Convention Center is enormous with over 900,000 square feet of space. This place is huge and floor space comes at a high-premium for the exhibitors. Each exhibitor spends anywhere from several thousand to over a million dollars to display their products and services. From the structures, to the lighting, video and audio components, these displays are grand beyond anything I have ever seen before.

Upon entering the lobby you are overwhelmed by the shear size of the foyer. Displays from Sprint to Lord of the Rings are speckled across the main lobby. More swag, bags to carry the swag and more advertising fliers and goodies are passed out like candy on Halloween. Each booth more amazing then the next, and you haven't even entered the exhibit floors yet. There are escalators ahead and to both sides. The South Hall is the primary exhibit area where the big wigs like Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are housed. Then there is the West Hall with companies like Bethesda, THQ and Activision amongst hundreds of other company exhibits.

On Day 1 the main exhibit halls are not open to all attendees until 12:00pm. So you can meander around the lobbies and hallways but you don't gain access to the main exhibit halls till then. The lines start to build at the hall entrances about 11:00am and the anticipation is ripe in the air until the clock strikes noon.

Let me elaborate here, there are essentially 4 types of badge ID's for E3. The most common being the Exhibits Only badge which is issued to attendees who work in the business as retailers or wholesalers but don't have any exhibit at the conference. The second type of badge is an Exhibitor badge, this is for staff that actually have an exhibit on-site. Third, is a Media badge, which is for all the news and blog attendees who have special access to certain conferences and other areas that are restricted to standard Exhibit Only or Exhibitor pass holders. In order to qualify for a media pass you need to work for a reputable print or online media company with no less than 8,000 subscribers a month. Lastly, is VIP badges which is pretty much the highest caliber of access. These are reserved for the biggest executives, main sponsors and special celebrity guests only. These guys have access to pretty much everything.

This year we were lucky and got hooked up with Exhibitor ID badges which meant we were let in early to the main halls prior to the noon kick-off, which gave us a little while to look around before the crowds filled the halls.

Upon entering the main halls you are overwhelmed. Lights, sounds and video overtake your senses, you catch your breath and decide which way to turn, which exhibit to see first. Decisions are made and let the games begin. There is no time to waste as lines are formed and chaos ensues. We started with Duke Nukem Forever. We got in line and entered their demo room, where we were greeted by the staff, assigned a seat and handed our choice of a beer or Redbull, upon which the demo was introduced and our first multi-player experience began. After a 10 minute match we were escorted out and corralled over to Duke's throne to have our picture taken with 2 incredibly hot Duke babes. And then on to the next, display. These displays range from a hundred square feet to several thousand square feet. My advice, after attending all these years is to wear comfortable shoes. You do a lot of walking. There are demo systems everywhere showing off all the hottest games to come for all your favorite consoles. Many of which you can just walk up and start playing, others which you must endure long-lines, kind of like being at an amusement park.

But all this fun is not the sole purpose of E3, in fact the real purpose of E3 is all business. Offices and meeting rooms are all around and business is being conducted on tight schedules. So while many attendees are there just playing games and trying out cool new peripherals and accessories, thousands of close-door meetings and deals are being ironed out.

As a store owner I am there to find new products and distributors to connect with, which for my son was not very exciting. But that's what it's really about when I attend this conference.

Being at E3 is definitely a memorable experience but the reality is that when you are reading about it on the internet or watching it on TV you really get to see more than you can ever see while you are there. There is just so much going on at once and with hundreds of thousands of square feet to cover, it is impossible to catch everything.

We walk for miles and get to see some amazing displays but in the end it is really impossible to keep up with it all. So just like all of you I do my reading on line to keep up with all the major announcements.

Don't get me wrong it is truly awesome to see and I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to go but now you get a better picture of how big this event really is.

New product announcements, getting to see up close and experience the games and technology first hand is an honor, but it really is hard to see it all, and in the end you're just happy you got to see what you did and wish there was more time (or a clone of you) to catch a glimpse of something you missed, but there's always next year!

Submitted By: Jerry Abreu

E3 2011

E3 2011 is in full swing with tons of announcements, trailers and demos from the industry's leading game developers, and Level Up is in the thick of it!

Microsoft looking to explore new possibilities of interactive hardcore gaming with Kinect and Xbox Live; Sony making a comeback from the recent PSN outage with a lineup of hit games and a new handheld system, the Playstation Vita; Nintendo look to satisfy both hardcore and casual gamers to push interactive gaming further with its console, the Wii U coming in 2012; not to mention lots of anticipated titles from third party developers, there's a lot to look forward to in the world of gaming.

Stay tuned for more info from our guys on the floor coming soon!