Posts Tagged ‘video game’
Jun12
Mario cafes open in Japan this summer
2015 at 02:00 pm by admin | Comments Off
Video game company Nintendo’s mascot Mario, one of the most popular characters in the world, will soon be celebrating his 30th anniversary, and Nintendo is planning on celebrating it in a big way with the launch of several limited-time cafes across Japan later this month! In a collaboration with Tower Records, Nintendo will open these cafes, titled “Super Mario Bros x Tower Records Cafe”, in Shibuya, Omotesandou, and Ebisu. Each of these cafes will serve customers a selection of limited-edition Mario-themed foods and refreshments, along with one of 8 complimentary collectables with each purchase.
On top of a shared menu, each location will have its own unique themed dish, urging fans to visit all three locations for the full experience. the Shibuya location will offer a Blooper Squid Ink Pasta, while the Ebisu location will serve a spicy Koopa Taco Rice. Finally, the Omotesandou cafe will host a Super Star-shaped omelet rice dish! Each cafe will only be open for a limited time, with the Shibuya cafe opening from June 23rd to July 1st, and the Omotesandou and Ebisu locations opening from June 22nd to July 5th.
May07
Nintendo announces partnership with Universal parks
2015 at 12:47 pm by admin | Comments Off
In a first for the classic video game company, Nintendo has announced that a partnership has been arranged with Universal Parks & Resort to bring Nintendo characters to Universal’s theme parks around the world! Working together with the international resort division of Universal, Nintendo plans to create a large assortment of themed rides, attractions, and other events featuring iconic Nintendo characters like Mario, Link, Kirby, and more to the parks. These attractions, which will come to Universal’s parks in Hollywood, Florida, Japan, and Singapore, along with Universal’s future locations in Russia and China, are currently in the planning stages, and both companies have decided to create dedicated divisions to the partnership. This announcement comes as the latest move by NIntendo to market its characters as more than just video game icons, which includes a variety of toy releases and their recent hot-selling Amiibo collectors’ figures. More details are sure to be revealed as the partnership moves forward, so fans can be sure to see some of their favorite video game characters at Universal soon!
Sep24
Nintendo celebrates 125th anniversary
2014 at 11:56 am by admin | Comments Off
Nintendo has become one of the most popular household names in video gaming, with numerous popular franchises like Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Pokemon, Metroid, and more releasing over the past couple of decades. The international gaming company has now reached a new milestone as it celebrates its 125th anniversary this week! This marks the original creation of the Nintendo Koppai company, which was created in September 1889 as a playing card company. Producing popular Hanafuda cards for several decades, Nintendo began expanding its brand name into several other business ventures in 1956, before working on toy development with the Ultra Hand in 1966 and laser gun toys in 1973.
The company came into the emerging video game industry around the same time, creating light gun arcade games like Wild Gunman along with home consoles like the Color TV-Game in 1977. Nintendo hit the international spotlight with the release of the Donkey Kong arcade system in 1981, featuring Jumpman as the protagonist, whom would eventually be renamed as Mario. After producing several Game and Watch handheld games through the late 1970s and early 1980s, Nintendo launched the Family Computer, or Famicom for short, in 1983, introducing video gaming to households with games like Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and other gaming franchises. The Famicom was renamed to the Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES, when it was released overseas, and the company has remained one of the largest names in video gaming to this day. The company has since revived and reinvented the video game industry several times over, with consoles like the Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Wii, and 3DS continuing to take risks and find new ways to entertain and inspire players worldwide.
As Nintendo celebrates its 125th anniversary this week, video game enthusiasts and Nintendo fans have a lot to look forward to from the company. With games like Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros, Pokemon, and the new upcoming Legend of Zelda game in 2015, as well as the New 3DS handheld console releasing in Japan and NA later this year, Nintendo shows no signs of slowing down even after a decade of business. Let’s see where the next 125 years takes Nintendo and video gaming in general!
Sep22
Video game museum finds home in Texas
2014 at 02:41 pm by admin | Comments Off
The Videogame History Museum has been one of the most well-received booths at conventions and events that it has visited over the past couple of years, featuring a wide collection of classic video gaming memorabilia, tidbits, consoles that began over 25 years ago. Now, after traveling across the United States for over three years, the Videogame History Museum will finally have its first static home in Frisco, Texas!
Located 25 miles from the Dallas / Fort Worth area, the Videogame History Museum will be hosted in the Frisco Discovery Center, and will focus on not only preserving games for future generations of gamers and fans to enjoy, the non-profit museum also wants to focus on educating visitors about the history of the videogame industry. The exhibit also hopes to one day host workshops to teach students the mechanics and science behind the construction of video games and arcade machines. The exhibit, while still in development stages, is currently slated to open up this coming April.
Aug26
Nintendo announces new Pokémon arcade game
2014 at 12:11 pm by admin | Comments Off
Fan of the Pokémon franchise has a lot to be excited for, with the upcoming Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire remake games releasing in October as well as the recent Pikachu swarm in Yokohama, Japan. Today, in a special video presentation, Nintendo and the Pokémon Company have announced a brand-new addition to the Pokémon franchise with the new video game, Pokkén Tournament!
Pokkén Tournament comes as the result of a collaboration between Nintendo and Bandai Namco Games, known for their work with the Soul Calibur and Tekken fighting game franchises. Like these two popular franchises, Pokkén Tournament will be a fighting game, and will be the first of its kind in the Pokémon franchise. The teaser video, which was shown earlier today, showcased a brief battle between the Pokemon Lucario and Machamp, and showed off gameplay elements and combat mechanics that will be featured in the full game.
Pokkén Tournament will debut in Japanese arcades in 2015, with no known information on a stateside release or a port to consoles, though a US release is likely to happen in the future. More information on this brand-new Pokémon game is sure to come in the coming months, so stay tuned!
Jul31
Final Fantasy restaurant opens in Tokyo
2014 at 01:12 pm by admin | Comments Off
Ever since Final Fantasy XIV’s relaunch in 2013 as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, the massively-multiplayer online entry into the classic Final Fantasy franchise has been receiving praise from players all over the world for its immersive world and cooperative gameplay. In commemoration of the anniversary of the game’s launch coming up in August 2014, Square-Enix has opened a brand-new café in Akihabara, Tokyo based on the hit franchise!
The café, called the Eorzea Café, was designed after a location in Final Fantasy XIV titled Carline Canopy, and has been constructed entirely with the mood and theme of the videogame in mind. These elements include giant stained glass windows, dark wood furniture and counters, and even life-sized statues of Moogles, floating bat-like mascots from the Final Fantasy series!
On top of serving unique food and drinks based on Final Fantasy XIV, like the Bahamut Giga Flare Curry or the Weight of the Land Titan Burger, the café features replicas of weapons from the game, and even has a series of computers set up so that customers can play the game while enjoying their food! In commemoration of the grand opening of the café, game director Naoki Yoshida was present at the event, meeting fans and serving lucky customers their orders.
Final Fantasy, which began in 1987 with the release of the original NES classic RPG, has since become a worldwide phenomenon, spanning countless sequels, spinoffs, remakes, anime adaptations, and more. Each game has its own standalone storyline, with no real connection between any of the numbered releases, allowing each game to start off with a new and interesting story. Fans of the franchise have since come to love the games’ soundtracks, characters, and unique plot lines alongside with the classic Final Fantasy turn-based battle gameplay.
Jul30
Aliens take over SDCC
2014 at 12:28 pm by admin | Comments Off
It’s been 35 years since Ridley Scott’s iconic sci-fi horror film, Alien released in theaters in 1979, shocking audiences worldwide with its stunning special effects and monster design. In order to celebrate the momentous occasion, the Alien franchise had a huge showing at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, showing off new and upcoming figures as well as other exclusive Alien exhibits.
One of the most prominent Alien displays at SDCC was the Alien: Isolation booth, allowing visitors to check out the newest upcoming video game based on the hit franchise. Focusing on stealth and the feeling of being hunted by the signature xenomorph alien, the booth features a recreation of a massive alien egg pod that players entered in order to try out the demo in solitude. The exhibit even featured a hand-painted mural of the xenomorph, created by artist Maxx242! Alien: Isolation releases on PC, Playstation 3 and 4, and Xbox One and 360 on October 7th.
A number of exclusive and upcoming Alien toys were also shown off at the event, featuring characters and designs from a number of beloved movies. Super7 helped celebrate the anniversary in a big way by releasing a number of Alien exclusives at the event. These include the 4.5″ vinyl Alien figure, which features clear dome as well as retro Kenner-style Alien packaging, as well as the new Deep Space Mystery Alien Egg blind box, which included a limited edition Alien ReAction Figure inside. The most anticipated release, though, was the Alien Egg Chamber play set created in collaboration with Funko. This play set, marketed in classic retro packaging and details, recreates the classic scene from the movie, and includes a detailed backdrop and display stand for all of Funko’s Alien ReAction figures.
Some of the most popular upcoming releases were shown off by NECA and Hot Toys, both of which showed off brand-new figures and statues of Alien protagonist Ellen Ripley. Featuring both her design from the original Alien movie as well as the sequel, Aliens, these new Ripley figures will be the first ever to feature an accurate depiction of her movie likeness, played by Sigourney Weaver. Hot Toys even showed off a to-scale figure of the infamous Power Loader from Aliens to go alongside this exciting release!
Not one to be outdone, NECA showed off its brand-new upcoming Alien Queen figure to fans for the first time at SDCC. The figure, which will be one of the largest Alien figures ever released, stands at 15″ tall and over 30″ long, and will feature over 30 points of articulation throughout its body, including movable jaw, arms, an even an entirely articulated tail. This figure is set to release in October, and preorders are currently open for this giant collectible.
With lots to celebrate and lots to talk about at this year’s SDCC, stay tuned for more news and pictures from the event!
Jul17
Nintendo at SDCC 2014
2014 at 12:23 pm by admin | Comments Off
With San Diego Comic-Con 2014 shaping up to be an awesome experience for visitors and fans across the world, Nintendo has decided to step up their game at the show this year, setting up their largest presence ever in the history of the event! Hoping to make the event a fun and engaging time for fans, Nintendo plans to bring some their biggest upcoming games and recent releases to the show, letting visitors get hands-on gameplay!
Opting out of having just a booth at Comic-Con, Nintendo’s events will be hosted at the Nintendo Gaming Lounge at the first floor of the Marriott Marquis & Marina hotel, and will leave the event open for all visitors to attend and participate; even fans who don’t have a Comic-Con badge can enter and join in the festivities! Having several booths set up for both Nintendo 3DS and Wii U consoles, the event promises to show off a variety of anticipated titles, such as Super Smash Bros., Bayonetta 2, Hyrule Warriors, Mario Kart 8, and more! The event will also get a first-hand look at Nintendo’s new Amiibo collectable figures, which will be able to interface with both 3DS and Wii U games in order to customize your gaming experience.
Several unique events will also take place at the Nintendo Gaming Lounge throughout the event, most notably the Nintendo Challenge Live, which will let gamers compete in intense streamed tournaments in several games from July 25th to the 26th! These include a local 32-player Mario Kart 8 tournament, and will let racers across the world face off against the winners of the tournament through online play after the tournament. The 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. will also receive its first ever tournament, inviting any fans on a first-come, first-serve basis to enter and play the highly anticipated title. As Super Smash Bros. does not release in the United States until October 3rd, this will be a great opportunity for fans to get their hands on the game before its stateside release.
Finally, Nintendo has announced that visitors will be able to enter an exclusive screening of the recent animated film based on Platinum Games’ Bayonetta series! Titled “Bayonetta: Bloody Fate”, this 90-minute animated film originally released in November 2013, and retold the story of the original Bayonetta videogame. The film will screen on Friday, July 25th, and will require a Comic-Con badge to enter.
On top of all these events, Nintendo will still have a dedicated booth within the Convention Center, so visitors should definitely make time to check out both their booth as well as the Nintendo Gaming Lounge!
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