PURENINTENDO.

COM

ISSUE #4 FEB 2012

magazine

A Closer Look at the Wii U Controller

The History of Heart Containers

PAGE4

& on with the Wii U Hands

at CES
PAGE5

& Mudds Review Mutant

PAGE12

Wii U Preview we Check out everything

know about the Wii U so far including what games would benefit most from the new controller.

PAGE 8

WELCOME/CONTENTS

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WELCOME/ CONTENTS FEB 2012

4 5 6
The History of Heart Containers Hands on with the Wii U at CES Character Profile: Fox McCloud

A look at the history of Heart Containers

7 8 12 14

What NFC could mean for Nintendo A Closer Look at the Wii U Controller Mutant Mudds Review Mario Kart 7 Review

Wii U Preview we Check out everything

know about the Wii U so far including what games would benefit most from the new controller.

15 16 18

PAGE 8

Upcoming Games (Wii/3DS) Lets Talk: Wii U Specs Top News of the past month

12

Mutant Mudds Review

MESSAGE FROM

THE EDITOR
EDITOR: James Higginbotham EMAIL: james@purenintendo.com Welcome to our fourth and probably our biggest issue of Pure Nintendo magazine. Because of the holidays we decided to skip the January issue of the magazine and move onto the February issue. As you can tell we spent the time revamping the magazine to make it better. We are always looking for ways to make Pure Nintendo magazine better for everyone to enjoy. With that said if you have any comments or concerns, feel free to contact us at magazine@purenintendo.com. We want to make Pure Nintendo magazine more than a one-way conversation. We want to hear your voice as well. If you want to express yourself in words, art, pictures, etc, feel free to send what you have to the email address above. We will freely put it in the magazine. Also, please keep sending in your questions to fill out our staff questions section. You can ask anything about Nintendo, the site or the magazine, and questions directed at the stuff. These questions will be answered and posted in the next

WEBSITE: purenintendo.com

As you can tell we spent the time revamping the magazine to make it better. We are always looking for ways to make Pure Nintendo magazine better for everyone to enjoy.
issue of Pure Nintendo magazine. Most of us here on the staff have spent some time with the Wii U or in discussion with developers about the Wii U. It is still very unclear exactly what Nintendo will do with their next home system. All we can do is take the information we have and come up with a hypothesis for the system. We thought now was a good time to dedicate a whole issue to all things Wii U. I personally think we will hear more about the Wii U during the Game Developers Conference in early March. If I am right you can crown me genius later. I really hope you enjoy the new design of the magazine and find it informative about the Wii U.

magazine contact
Published by Pure Nintendo - purenintendo.com

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magazine team
HEAD EDITOR: James Higginbotham e. james@purenintendo.com EDITOR IN CHIEF: Justin Sharp e. justin@purenintendo.com LAYOUT EDITOR: Ben Stitzer e. ben@purenintendo.com

distribution
Pure Nintendo magazine is published on a monthly basis. ISSUU.COM/PURENINTENDO SCRIBD.COM/PURENINTENDO

writers
Katelyn Sharp e. katie@purenintendo.com Eli Courey e. eli@purenintendo.com Kevin Klein e. kevin@purenintendo.com Ben Stitzer e. ben@purenintendo.com

HISTORY OF HEART CONTAINERS

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HISTORY OF HEART CONTAINERS

REPORTER: Katelyn Sharp EMAIL: katie@purenintendo.com BLOG: purenintendo.com In The Legend of Zelda series, the main character, Link has a set of hearts, symbolizing his health. This is a recurring theme in all the Zelda games, excluding The Adventure of Link where his health is symbolized by a life bar. Depending on the game Link must find either Pieces of Heart or a full Heart Container to increase his maximum health. Heart Containers in most games are gained by defeating a major boss. In the majority of the games Link can collect Pieces of Heart to create a full Heart Container. This concept was first introduced in A Link to the Past, and has since been a recurring theme in the following games, except for Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, which only have full Heart Containers. Pieces of Heart are scattered throughout the world, and can be won in a mini game, found in treasure chests, or given as a thanks for helping someone. Traditionally one only had to collect four Pieces of Heart to make a full Heart Container, but in Twilight Prin cess you must find five pieces of heart, and so far is the only game that requires five. Although heart pieces are collected in fifths, Link still loses health in minimums of fourths. The amount of heart pieces in a game depends primarily on how many Heart Containers there are, and the number of Heart Containers are usually determined by how many dungeons or bosses there are in the game. Majoras Mask holds the record for the most Pieces of Heart, fiftytwo. The majority of the games finish with link gaining a total of twenty hearts. The only games to have in-game guides that help players find Pieces of Heart, are The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. This is a recent theme in the Zelda series and has been a very beneficial add-on.

Chart of Heart Containers and Heart Pieces

Game Start with Obtained from bosses Found in Over World Formed by Pieces of Heart Pieces of Heart Total 16 8 LoZ 3 8 AoL 4 ALttP 3 10 LA 3 8 OoT 3 8 MM 3 4 OoS 3 9 OoA 3 8 FS 6 TWW 3 6 FSA 4 TMC 3 5 TP 3 8 PH 3 7 ST 3 5 SS 6 6

13

11

11

24 20

12 14

36 20

52 20

12 14

12 14 6

44 20 4

44 20

45 20 16 1

24 2

HANDS ON WITH THE WII U AT CES

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HANDS ON WITH THE WII U AT CES

REPORTER: Mike McClung EMAIL: mike@purenintendo.com BLOG: www.purenintendo.com Editors Note: Mike McClung, our CES correspondent, is a gadget geek and works as a workstation support coordinator at the university I attended. Mike has many years working and dealing with technology CES 2012 is over. Sad, I know. As at each CES, some amazing new technology was introduced. And while Nintendo did not have an official presence at CES, they were in Vegas, and Pure Nintendo was invited to get another look at the Wii U. This was my first hands on with Nintendos new game console, and I was, well giddy as I waited in the hallway of the Las Vegas Hilton. Im not ashamed to admit it. And the Wii U did not disappoint. Lets start with the new tablet controller. First, the tablet controller is light. No official specs on its weight have been released, but in the short time I had with it, it never made me feel it would be a problem holding it up for extended periods of time. The tablet is also very well designed ergonomically. It just fits. My thumbs fell right into place for the traditional A/B/X/Y buttons and the control pad, and my index fingers fell naturally on top of the L/R buttons. Some have voiced concerns about comfort over the long term. Though I used the tablet controller only for a few minutes, I never got the impression it would be a problem for extended periods. I guess only time will tell. Gameplay using the tablet was challenging at first. However, I was able to quickly get used to the combination of buttons and gyroscope and represented Pure Nintendo quite well, if I do say so myselfwhich I do. In a demo game called Battle Mii, the Nintendo reps I was playing with narrowly beat me 4-3. The point here is that any new controller takes some getting used to. The tablet controller is no exception. However, Nintendo has made the learning curve much easier by combining new options with the familiar options Nintendo fans should be used to. As for the screen on the controller, image quality on the 6.2 resistive touch screen is good, but I felt a little more contrast would be helpful. Theres still plenty of time to sort that out before its released. No specifics have been given concerning processor speed in the console, but game play was fluid and HD rendering was flawless on the demo Zelda HD game segment we were shown. Im sure it will be a major leap forward in processing power over the Wii. Im truly excited about the Wii U. Nintendo has added a whole new dimension to game play with its tablet controller. As game developers utilize the unique capabilities of the Wii U, Im guessing some amazing games will be released. I can hardly wait! If Nintendo can come through on a fourth quarter release date, I think I know what to get myself ask my wife to get me for Christmas this year!

CHARACTER PROFILE FOX MCCLOUD

006

CHARACTER PROFILE

FOX MCCLOUD
REPORTER: Katelyn Sharp EMAIL: katie@purenintendo.com BLOG: purenintendo.com

ABOUT FOX
Fox McCloud is one of the core Nintendo characters and the chief protagonist of the Star Fox series. He was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and designed by Takaya Imamura. As his name implies, he is a red fox and a starship pilot. In each game the player controls Fox, either on the ground or in his Arwing. He is the leader of the Star Fox team, and is joined by his wingmates Peppy, Slippy, and Falco on various missions. The names Star Wolf, Star Sheep, Star Fox, Star Sparrow and Star Hawk were all considered before Miyamoto finally settled on having a fox as the main character. This came Miyamoto after visited Fushimi Inari-taisha in Kyoto, the head shrine of Inari, a Japanese spirit associated with foxes. Inari is portrayed as being able to fly, and its shrines, particularly the one in Kyoto, are surrounded by red arches, giving Miyamoto the idea of a fox that could fly through arches. Foxs face was modeled after Inaris, and always wears a red scarf around his neck, like the statue, with the exception of his design from Star Fox: Assault (shown above). The first game Fox appeared in was Star Fox for the SNES and his last appearance was in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii.

Star Fox for Wii U? Check out our Wii U

Preview to see if the long wait for the next Star Fox might finally be over.

PAGE 8

legendary arwing

DID YOU KNOW?

In Star Fox 64, if you play the game at a certain difficulty, Fox will wear a pair of sunglasses. Due to trademark issues over the name Star Fox in PAL region territories, Star Fox and Star Fox 64 were released as Star Wing and Lylat Wars.

ARWING EASTER EGG

The Arwing is an easter egg in The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time but can only be accessed by a Gameshark code. It appears in Kokiri forest as an enemy who can be defeated by Link with either a boomerang, fairy bow, or fairy slingshot. Once defeated, it falls to the ground and explodes and its blast may inadvertently kill Link--as if Link didnt have enough to worry about in Hyrule.

WHAT NFC COULD MEAN FOR THE WII

007

Image courtesy of
STMicroelectronics

WHAT NFC COULD MEAN FOR THE WII U

REPORTER: James Higginbotham EMAIL: james@purenintendo.com BLOG: purenintendo.com Lets take a look how the Wii U can use this technology. Lets start with the obvious; this technology can use their U-pad to quickly purchase digital content for the Wii U. A quick swipe of the U-Pad, near the console, could easily download anything the heart desires. Even more impressive, this technology can be used to fully integrate your home. Technically, if this technology is used the right way, users will be able to connect multiple NFC devices to each other and share information. A cell phone could communicate with the Wii U, share pictures or music, etc. More likely, players could share information stored on their personal U-pads with each others; save data, Miis, pictures, etc. Nintendo did something like this with the ability to save Miis to a Wii-mote, but didnt fully market the feature. Let us take the hypothesis a little further. What if Nintendo adds the NFC technology to the 3DS? This could promote better communication between the Wii U and the 3DS itself. The 3DS could also be used to make payments at stores or interact with other NFC devices. There are a ton of things Nintendo could do with the NFC. Probably things we have never thought about. Up to this time the NFC technology has been mainly used for electronic payments for mobile phones. It will be interesting to see what Nintendo actually does with the service. Earlier this year Nintendo announced they are looking into NFC technology for the Wii U and possibly more. If you are like me you may know more about the National Football Conference than the Near Field Communication (NFC). Let us take some time and learn what NFC technology could mean for Nintendo and the Wii U. To put it simply, NFC uses radio waves to link communications/ electronic devices together. Users can remotely (possibly in the cloud) save credit card information for quick purchases. According to a European site that specializes in NFC technology, NFC can be used in a variety of ways. Paying by mobile devices like cell phones (or Wii U) Credit card integration into a mobile device Electronic money integrating with prepaid cards Electronic ticketing for transport usage Personal electronic document Download of data from kiosks such as railway time tables Flight and hotel booking Music and photo downloads from camera, cell phones, multimedia readers P2P (peer to peer) Connections for an easy information transmission between wireless devices

FEATURE WII U PREVIEW

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THE WII U TABLET, IS THE MOST UNIQUE AND EXCITING CONTROLLER YET FOR ANY CONSOLE
JUSTIN SHARP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

FEATURE WII U PREVIEW

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Feature > Wii U Preview

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE WII U CONTROLLER

REPORTER: Justin Sharp EMAIL: justin@purenintendo.com BLOG: purenintendo.com

GET AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE WII U TABLET AND SEE WHAT GAMES COULD BEST USE IT
Its been almost 9 months since the wii u was first shown. You would think everything wouldve been revealed about the Wii U in that time, but here we are, 8 months since E3 2011 with just a few new details since then. In our in-depth look at the Wii U Controller, we discuss many games/genres that could best use the Wii U tablet. We also give some details on the controller itself including known specifications and high-res images of the controller.

STAR FOX WII U? YES, PLEASE

The Wii U is one of the most intriguing systems Nintendo has created and its controller, the Wii U tablet, is the most unique and exciting controller yet for any console. Another calendar year is upon us and that means its officially the year of the Wii U. The year where Nintendo reveals the launch lineup, price point, and release date for their successor to the Wii. There are a lot of unknowns about the Wii U currently, but the Wii Us tablet controller already gives us a good glimpse at what Nintendo might be developing for it. The Wii U tablet has a lot of interesting applications for gaming and opens Nintendo and other developers up to a world of possibilities. Not only can Nintendo still leverage the precision of the Wii Remote/nunchuk

of games. The tablet allows for so many forms of interaction whether its in the form of the built in gyroscopes, touch screen, microphone, or the near-field communication (NFC) capability. Rather than wait to see what Nintendo and other developers might be working on, I decided to develop a list of games that could really take advantage of this new controller. One of the first examples that came to mind was Star Fox. The gameplay of Star Fox seems perfectly suited for the tablet controller in a number of ways. Not only could you easily pilot your Arwing using the built-in motion controls, but you could also use the touch screen to manage your team mates, select different weapon/missile types, or even see your progress in the current level. Nintendo could also develop a new cockpit view where you could rotate the controller around you to see asteroids exploding and enemies flying by your window. In cockpit mode, you could use the 2 circle pads for controls while using the motion control to pan 360 degrees in each level. Multiplayer could also be

for games on the Wii U, it can now use the new tablet for all new types

Continued on Page 10

FEATURE WII U PREVIEW

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camera Circle Pad (L) Circle Pad (R)

+ Control Pad

gyroscope

Speaker (L)

Touch screen

accelerometer

Microphone

Speaker (R)

Controller
- 6.2-inch 16:9 screen - Resistive touch screen with stylus - Rechargeable battery - Dimensions 5.3 inches high 0.9 inches deep 9.0 inches long

Control Input
- 2 analog Circle Pads - Select button Start button - Home button - D-Pad - A/B/X/Y buttons - L/R buttons - ZL/ZR buttons

Controller Hardware
- Accelerometer - Gyroscope - Rumble feature - Front-facing camera - Microphone - Stereo speakers - Sensor strip

NFC
From Nintendo: By installing this functionality, it will become possible to create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via noncontact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world. Adoption of this functionality will enable various other possibilities such as using it as a means of making micropayments. another team of Pikmin building a bridge. The tablet could also be used for controlling Olimars ship as he travels between various planets. And since multiple Wii U tablets might be hard to have on the same console, online co-op using the built-in microphone could make multiplayer a lot of fun. Another franchise that would be perfect for the Wii U setup is the Professor Layton series. If youve never played a Layton game on the DS, you need to

STAR FOX WII U COULD BE A GREAT SHOWCASE OF THE WII US CAPABILITIES

JUSTIN SHARP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

really fun with a co-pilot who could control a turret with the tablet while you fly using the Wii remote/nunchuk. With the amazing control, high definition graphics, and immersion the Wii U controller tablet provides, Star Fox Wii U could be a great showcase of the Wii Us capabilities. Moving on to another Nintendo franchise we havent seen in awhile, Pikmin could be tailor-made for the Wii U in a number ways.

Already Pikmin in HD would be a great way to show off the visual capability of the Wii U,

Think of the possibilities of being able to call Pikmin around you by touching/holding on

but I think the gameplay is where the tablet controller could shine.

the controller and then touching a different part of the screen to manage

FEATURE WII U PREVIEW

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check them out. They are a series of adventure games that focus on solving puzzles to make it through the storyline. All the puzzles utilize the touch screen of the DS to move objects around, write down facts, and traverse

really make the experience even more immersive. Mario Kart is another franchise that could use the tablet in a number of ways. The most natural use is definitely using the tablet controller as the steering wheel

customizing your town in a future Animal Crossing game. These are just a few key examples of games or genres that I think would work best with the new Wii U controller. Other franchises like Zelda and Metroid may

way to control Samus ship or use as a visor. In any of these cases, I do think Nintendo will show off a number of different types of games that will have extremely unique and fun ways of using the

the environment. Since the Wii U tablet supports stylus-based input, it seems like a Layton game could be a great match for puzzle solving and more. Think of going into a town square in a Layton Wii U game and having to look for clues in a sea of people while rotating the controller around you. It could

and the touch screen to customize your kart. But what about the ability to create your own tracks in Mario Kart using the touch screen? You could drag and drop predefined sections of track and easily place them using the stylus. Map editing could also work for Super Smash Bros. and even for

be better off using the Wii remote/ nunchuk since it better mirrors a sword/shield and arm cannon. Thats not to say a Zelda or Metroid game couldnt work with the new controller. A new Four Swords Adventure game would be perfect for the Wii U controller, and the tablet could be a great

Wii Us tablet. Weve still only scratched the surface on the possibilities and I believe Nintendo will once again be able to revolutionize how we play games for the next 5 years.

EDITORIALFEATURE

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MUTANT MUDDS REVIEW

REPORTER: James Higginbotham EMAIL: james@purenintendo.com BLOG: purenintendo.com

MUTANT MUDDS IS A MOST OWN ESHOP GAME

After Nintendo dropped the ball with their digital content on the Wii and the DS. Nintendo seems to be making up for it with the 3DS eShop. Mutant Mudds is just another installment in a fast growing, great, eShop catalog. Darn you Renegade Kid! was a phrase that could easily be heard as I fell to my death while playing their new eShop game, Mutant Mudds. This is Renegade Kids first attempt with 3D and the eShop channel, and I have to say they have done a great job. In Mutant Mudds you play as Max who finds himself thrust into saving his world from an invasion of mud creatures. Armed with a water powered pistol and jetpack, Max takes on 40 levels to collect hidden water sprites, which he needs to get rid of the mud creatures. Mutant Mudds is everything you would want from a classic 8-bit platformer, difficulty and all. There is no running and gunning but strategic timing moves and jumps. You will find yourself going back to your trial and error years that so many games these days are missing. Well that platform is a little farther than I thought. Oops, did not know that would be there. That was just evil having that there. What really separates Mudds 3D visuals from other 3D games has really nothing to do with the 3D itself but the design of the game. Each level is designed in three layers. The starting middle layer, the far back layer, and the up-front layer. During the game Max finds his way around, these three different layers, by using warp pads that send him forward or back. With the 3D this adds a cool aspect to the game, which has you peering through two layers to view Max on the back layer. In each level there are hidden doors that take Max to bonus levels. Let me warn you these areas are usually designed in darker colors, which I am guessing is to represent how difficult these bonus levels are...

EDITORIALFEATURE

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very difficult if you didnt catch my drift. With the addition of these secret areas, there are a 100 diamonds to collect in each level and two water sprites; one at the end of the normal level and one found at the end of the bonus stage. This adds a lot of replay value to the game by trying to collect everything that needs to be collected. I have been playing Renegade Kid games for a couple of years now and one of the things that has always impressed me has to do with the music and sound effects of their games. Seeing as Mutant Mudds is an homage to all things 8-bit, Renegade Kid did not skip out on the sounds of the game. Troupe Gammage was chosen to create the music for Mutant Mudds and I would like to take this time and congratulate him on a job well done. I was curious and scanned a few scores that other sites have given Mutant Mudds. All of them have been very positive so far. I did realize they seem to shy away from giving it a perfect score. Mutant Mudds has an amazing musical score, great level design, perfect controls and a great price.

What more could you ask for in an eShop game? Yes, there are a lot of great eShop games out there but none of them can be said are better than Mutant Mudds. For this reason I have to give Mutant Mudds a score I have never given out. 10/10 Pros: Great Level design, Sound design, Nice difficulty level, great nastalgic fun Cons: None

Mutant Mudds gets a score of

10/10
MUTANT MUDDS HAS AN AMAZING MUSICAL SCORE, GREAT LEVEL DESIGN, AND PERFECT CONTROLS
JAMES HIGGINBOTHAM HEAD EDITOR

SHOPPINGPRODUCT

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GAME

REVIEW
MARIO KART 7

MARIO KART IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER

as well as anyone would like. The ability to set up rooms for your friends and others to join is a great addition. There is only one major complaint about Mario Kart 7. MK7 really needs the ability to let players create and share custom made tracks. Just imagine taking Rainbow Road, mixing in some ice, or what ever crazy thing you want, and upsetting your friends with your evil creation. If you are a Mario Kart fan and have not purchased MK7 yetare you truly a fan? Mario Kart 7 is a must own for any 3DS owner or Mario Kart fan.

I love Mario Kart gameson consoles. For some reason I never really enjoyed playing Mario Kart on any Nintendo handheld system. That all changed with Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS. Mario Kart 7 could possibly be the best Mario Kart game ever. The 3D effects are amazing; the new levels are some of the best we have seen in a while. In fact, a part of me would rather see all new levels instead of rehashed old ones. One of the best parts of MK7, which actually had me a little worried about the pacing of the races, was the addition of the kites. Nintendo has done a great job merging this ability into the races. What is a Mario Kart game with out multiplayer racing? Online racing for Mario Kart 7 works

3DS Mario Kart 7

Mario Kart 7 is the best handheld Mario Kart and possibly the best Mario Kart game ever.

9.5/10

UPCOMINGRELEASES

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UPCOMING RELEASES
Upcoming games for Wii/3DS

Wii Rhythm Heaven Fever

Rhythm Heaven is a unique rhythm game that is easy to play but hard to master. Just click buttons to the beat of music but you better have your rhythm on. PLAYERS: 1-2 PRICE: $29.99 RELEASE DATE: Feb 13, 2012

3DS Tales of the Abyss

Tales of Abyss 3DS is the 3D remake of the highly popular 2005 entry of Namcos Tales Series. After being kidnapped for over 7 years, Luke returns home with no memories of his time gone. PLAYERS: 1 PRICE: $39.99 RELEASE DATE: Feb 14, 2012

3DS Shin Megami 3DS Mario & Tensei: Devil Sur- Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic vivor 2 Games Shin Megami Tensei: Devil
Survivor 2 brings back features from the first game such as the Devil Auction, but also includes new features such as the Enishi System. PLAYERS: 1 PRICE: $29.99 RELEASE DATE: Feb 14, 2012 Your favorite characters are back to compete against each other in a variety of competitions. Challenge your friends with the 3DS local play mode. PLAYERS: 1-4 (Local wireless) PRICE: $39.99 RELEASE DATE: Feb 14, 2012

3DS Tekken 3D: Prime Edition

Only the second Tekken game to be released on a Nintendo platform since 2002 with Tekken Advance. The game boasts a steady 60 fps, even with the 3D on. PLAYERS: 1-2 (Local, Online) PRICE: $39.99 RELEASE DATE: Feb 14, 2012

3DS Metal Gear Wii PokePark Solid Snake Eat- 2: Wonders Beer 3D yond
The highly anticipated, and teased, Metal Gear Solid game on the 3DS. Later this week you should be able to download the demo for this game. PLAYERS: 1 PRICE: $39.99 RELEASE DATE: Feb 21, 2012 Up to four players can choose Pikachu, Snivy, Tepig or Oshawott to interact, play tag and battle together in the PokePark. PLAYERS: 1-4 PRICE: $49.99 RELEASE DATE: Feb 27, 2012

Wii Mario Party 9

The highly popular Mario Party series makes its 9th appearance on a Nintendo system. Play as a variety of Nintendo characters as you battle it out with a game of wits, reactions, and luck. PLAYERS: 1-4 PRICE: $49.99 RELEASE DATE: Mar 11, 2012

EDITORIALFEATURE

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Super Mario Bros. Mii

Wii U controller and Super Mario Bros. Mii, one of the many concepts shown off by Nintendo at E3 2011.

LETS BE HONEST. NO ONE KNOWS HOW POWERFUL THE WII U WILL BE, BESIDES NINTENDO
JAMES HIGGINBOTHAM HEAD EDITOR

EDITORIALFEATURE

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LETS TALK
REPORTER: James Higginbotham EMAIL: james@purenintendo.com After Nintendos announcement of the Wii U back on June 5th 2011, there was a flurry of speculation and rumors concerning the device. Nintendo did a misfortune by keeping 99% of the details about the Wii U private. With the lack of information, many misconceptions have developed concerning the Wii U. In this issue of Pure Nintendo magazine, we are hoping to clear some of those misconceptions up and gaze into what the Wii U will really be. In this introduction I want to be clear that no one knows, besides Nintendo, the exact details of the Wii U. Everything inside this magazine is what has been gleamed or the little details that have been announced.

WII U SPECS
BLOG: purenintendo.com

Welcome to our first Lets Talk feature

what we would like to see from the hardware, and when we give them feedback we can see that theyre definitely listening to it and making changes. The hardware is still constantly changing. With the decision Nintendo made, with the Wii, by sticking with lower end graphics has caused Nintendo to play a little catch up. Sony and Microsoft already went through the growing points of switching to HD. I am sure both companies made mistakes with their system developments that they wish could be changed. Nintendo is taking this, come from behind opportunity, to work with developers, who have already gone HD, to see what they need to include in their system. Nintendo wouldnt be doing all this R&D to just match the power of the current systems. I am sure they are spending the time to feel out where developers want to go, with their games, in the future. This is why we are seeing so many different development kits out there. Yes, some of the rumors about the Wii U specs are just that, rumors, but some of them are true ideas from developers. I could bet on my life that the Wii U development kit has changed dramatically over the past six months. I want to excuse all the Wii U power talk from last year. It really was way too early for us to know exactly pinpoint the power of the Wii U. Most of the talk surfacing this year has the Wii U more powerful than these current systems. But the question remainshow much more?

Power/Specs
When Nintendo first announced they were doing a HD system, rumors started to fly about the strength of that said system. Lets be honest. No one knows how powerful the Wii U will be, besides Nintendo. This can be backed up by the fact that no one game developer can agree on the specs and power of the development kit. Over the last few months we have heard, less powerful than the 360, as powerful as the PS3, a little more powerful than the PS3, all the way to 5 times more powerful than the 360. I think Team Ninja summed up the Wii U the best. Its very easy to develop for. Were finding it very similar to develop for Wii U as for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Theyve asked us

What do we know about the Wii U and Nintendos Approach?

Nintendo is taking this, come from behind opportunity, to work with developers, who have already gone HD, to see what they need to include in their system. Nintendo wouldnt be doing all this R&D to just match the power of the current systems.

See for yourself >

TOPNEWS

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TOP NEWS OF THE PAST MONTH

January 31, 2012

Wii U will not play DVDs or Blu Ray

purenintendo
featured news
January 31, 2012

During an interview, Nintendos Cindy Gordon announced the Wii U would not play Blu Ray movies of DVDs. January 31, 2012

Team Ninja: Wii U development similar to 360/ PS3, hardware changing constantly
Its very easy to develop for. Were finding it very similar to develop for Wii U as for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Theyve asked us what we would like to see from the hardware, and when we give them feedback we can see that theyre definitely listening to it and making changes. The hardware is still constantly changing. The Wii Us touch control is just like the DSs. We released a Ninja Gaiden game, Dragon Sword, on DS, so we want to introduce some elements from that into the Wii U version. Were thinking about all sorts of things. Right now, our Wii U development is focused just on Ninja Gaiden, but were definitely keeping other platforms in mind for DOA5. MORE INFORMATION: www.purenintendo.com

Iwata Talks Wii U

During a recent interview with posted on the Nintendo Japan site, Iwata announced the Wii U would be using NFC technology for possible in game purchases. Mentions how quickly the digital market place is growing. With that Iwata sees the need to let 3rd party developers do in-game micro transactions. FEBRUARY 5TH 2012

NINTENDO WORKING ON STAR FOX FOR THE WII U?

This is strictly a rumor at this point, but as we pointed out in our indepth Wii U article, Star Fox would be perfect for the Wii U.

February 10th. February 1, 2012

Nintendo is creating a new Mario game for the 3DS

January 31, 2012

Pink 3DS coming to North America on Feb 10th

The once bundled Nintendogs system will now be coming to NA with its own stand-alone system. Consumers will be able to purchase the Pink 3DS, by itself, on

Iwata made this interesting statement while providing investors Nintendos financial report: Although there is no logo here, we are planning to release a totally new sidescrolling action Super Mario in 2D as a key title for the Nintendo 3DS in the next fiscal year.

February 3, 2012

New Wii U game confirmed

The second official Wii U title announced, Project C.A.R.S., promises to deliver a true driving experience.

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February 4, 2012

NTT working with Nintendo on speech recognition

- The machine can also be used to communicate - Can convert voice to text - Saves data to the cloud

Chapter, some Hearts will be lost and the intensity will be lowered. Weapons: A wide variety of collectible weapons offers an extraordinary amount of replay value. With nine different categories of weapons, ranging from Bows to Claws, players can learn the unique characteristics of each weapon and determine which is best suited for each battle and their style of play. Vehicles: During certain parts of his adventure, Pit will have access to special vehicles such as the Exo Tank. Pit can use the tanks powerful drift ability to boost over jumps or defeat enemies with the tanks ramming horn. Stand: Kid Icarus: Uprising uses a control scheme designed to fit the games unique blend of flight, shooting and melee combat, and offers tremendous precision and depth for dedicated players. The left hand uses the Circle Pad while the right hand uses the stylus. Every copy of the game will come with a free stand that holds the Nintendo 3DS at an angle above any flat surface, providing players with a new kind of gaming experience. Circle Pad Pro: Kid Icarus: Uprising is compatible with the Circle Pad Pro accessory, offering an alternate control scheme for lefthanded players. With the Circle Pad Pro, players hold the stylus in their left hand and use the Circle Pad with their right hand. http://kidicarusuprising.nintendo. com

featured rumor

FEBRUARY 11TH 2012

RUMOR: RETRO WORKING ON THE NEXT SKYWARD SWORD FOR THE WII U
Now this is a great rumor. A recent job posting has Retro looking for many new FX artists, specifically for 3D environments. The Japanese post does go on to mention something about Skyward Sword and the Wii U, but once again it is a translation.

February 4, 2012

New Story and Single-Player Mode Details Revealed for Kid Icarus: Uprising
Introduction: The games story begins with the return of the dark goddess Medusa and her Underworld Army. With the help of Palutena, goddess of light and guardian of the human race, the heroic angel Pit must combat the forces of darkness as he battles Medusa and her minions by air and by land. Fiends Cauldron: The Fiends Cauldron is an incredible new system that allows players to customize their play experience by adjusting the intensity level. Intensity ranges from 0.0 9.0 for each individual Chapter. As the intensity increases, players will be able to earn more Hearts and more powerful weapon drops from defeated enemies. Hearts also can be used to purchase new weapons. The standard intensity setting is 2.0, but players can precisely adjust it by increments of 0.1. In order to increase the intensity, players must bet by placing an increasing number of Hearts into the Fiends Cauldron. If the player is defeated during the

landers is seeing a sequel for all major platforms including the Wii and 3DS. Current portal peripherals and figurines will be forwardcompatible with Skylanders Giants.

February 8, 2012

Rumor: Epic Mickey 2 to feature Wii U Capabilities

Rumors are going around that Junction Point is looking into Wii U features for Epic Mickey 2 which could work very well with the Wii U tablet controller.

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Skylanders Giants Announced

The extremely successful Sky-

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