MARIO KART FANS, START YOUR ENGINES

Nov 30, 2011 / News

With the ability to drive underwater and glide through the air to find new shortcuts, all new kart customisation options, online play, brand new and enhanced retro courses and fun new race modes, Mario Kart 7 for Nintendo 3DS offers something for every racing fan when it launches in Australia and New Zealand on 3rd December 2011.

Mario Kart 7 gives you the chance to make the Mario Kart experience your own, in a customised kart made to your specifications. Players can race on land, underwater or through the air using new abilities which have been introduced especially for Mario Kart 7. The gliders automatically deploy when you launch off a ramp, allowing you to fly through the air or the new ability to drive through water, giving you new ways to overtake your rivals no matter what the terrain.

Nintendo is also introducing four new characters to the Mario Kart roster. Play as Metal Mario, first seen in Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64), Lakitu, Honey Queen, the queen who ruled over the bees in the Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) series, and Wiggler, Mario's iconic caterpillar-like enemy. In true Mario Kart tradition you can also choose to race as one of your favourite Mario characters, with popular characters making a special comeback in Mario Kart 7, including Rosalina, Daisy and Mario's rival Wario. In addition to these well-known characters, players can use their own personal Mii character as their racer. This large choice allows you to choose your favourite character and tweak your kart to create a tailor-made racing experience.

Mario Kart fans will enjoy mastering the 16 new courses, including Piranha Plant Pipeway, Wario's Galleon, Koopa City and Wuhu Mountain Loop, a rally course where you can race along an 'A to B' route, rather than the traditional three-lap route. Mario Kart 7 also includes some retro courses that fans will recognise, such as Mushroom Gorge from the Wii version and Luigi's Mansion from the Nintendo DS version. Fans can look forward to mastering 32 courses, made up of 16 new and 16 remastered retro courses returning in Mario Kart 7, including shortcuts and features that utilise the new abilities to glide through the air and drive underwater.

Players can also unlock parts for their karts by collecting coins during their races. Each customisable part gives you a competitive edge when racing in the different environments. Build your kart from a combination of frame, wheels and - for the first time - glider. A selection of frames such as Growlster,

Pipe Frame, Tiny Tug, Cact-X and Barrel Train can be added to a selection of wheels such as Slim, Slick, Wooden or Mushroom wheels to gain an edge over the varying terrains on the courses.

Mario Kart 7 brings together racers worldwide; simply connect wirelessly -locally or over the Internet-, to race against friends and Mario Kart fans from across the globe. You can even construct your own Communities and define your racing mode and items, so you can play your way against your friends.

The StreetPass functionality of the Nintendo 3DS system allows you to exchange data from your game with other players, including: player profiles that show VS Rating, win and loss records and the number of coins you've collected throughout the game. With SpotPass(TM) enabled you can receive a variety of ghost data to race against, even allowing for a full eight player race between you and the ghost data. All of this data will be available to players via the Mario Kart Channel within the game, for all StreetPass and SpotPass users.

Other new features you can look forward to include the Lucky Seven item, a brand new power-up that grants the driver a ring of seven different items: the Green Shell, Red Shell, Dash Mushroom, Banana, Bob-omb, Super Star and Blooper. With this power-up you now have seven different items at your disposal, and you have control over which to use. Other new items available for the first time in Mario Kart 7 include the Fire Flower that allows you to throw balls of blazing fire at your challengers and the Super Leaf, which makes the fan favourite Tanooki Tail appear on the back of your kart to knock other drivers and items out of the way.

 

Early December sees new features for Nintendo 3DS

Nov 29, 2011 / News

Capture 3D Video, enjoy new StreetPass Mii Plaza fun, and more, with the upcoming system update! 

There's a system update coming soon for the Nintendo 3DS system which will enable all kinds of great functionality - and we can now reveal that it will be available in Australia and New Zealand by December 8th 2011.

Here's the lowdown on some of the additions to be enabled by this upcoming system update:

• Record video in 3D - capture up to 10 minutes of 3D video, or even make your own stop-motion animations.
• New ways to play using StreetPass Mii Plaza - with new panels for Puzzle Swap and whole new areas in StreetPass Quest!
• The ability to perform a complete system transfer, including downloaded software, between two Nintendo 3DS systems.

We'll have more to announce very soon, so watch this space for updates! Want to be ready right off the mark? Click here for more information on performing system updates.

 

Melbourne celebrates the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Super Mario 3D Land

Nov 24, 2011 / News

The Nintendo Experience was abuzz with excitement as over 300 fans joined Mario in attendance at the launch of two of the most anticipated titles of the year - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on Wii and Super Mario 3D Land on Nintendo 3DS. Mario and Zelda cupcakes were the star of the menu, and fans relished in the chance to sample both games one last time before release, all the while enjoying the epic sounds of the The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD, that comes bundled with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (for a limited time only). The Mushroom Kingdom and the mystical land of Skyloft was only a click away as attendees starred in their own souvenir photos.

 The crowd gathers in anticipation

Mario takes some time out with....Mario

Link and Zelda share a happy moment

Mario and Luigi prepare to be transported to the Mushroom Kingdom

There were Links, Zeldas, Marios, Luigis and a host of other fantastic costumes out in force as the dress up competition took centre stage. Congratulations to both Kate and Tori who impressed the crowd with their intricate Zelda and Malon costumes. With hand painted dress detail and even a clay fired custom Bowser brooch, both girls narrowly beat out the others when it came to the vote and were rewarded with their very own Flame Red Nintendo 3DS each.

The Zelda crew is dressed to impress

Clan Mario aren't about to let the Zelda crew steal the show

Zelda and Malon celebrate a win in the cosplay competition

Nintendo Australia would like to thank everyone that came along on the night and we look forward to seeing you all next time. Stay tuned for details regarding the Mario Kart 7 launch event to be held on Saturday 3 December, 9am -2pm at The Nintendo Experience, Swanston St.  

For now, enjoy The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Super Mario 3D Land

 

Nintendo announces Limited Edition The Legend of Zelda 25th Nintendo 3DS

Nov 15, 2011 / News

 

ADVENTURE IN THE DESERT AWAITS LINK IN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD FOR WII

Nov 8, 2011 / News

Nintendo has revealed more details about the captivating areas, items and game play in the massive The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword game, launching exclusively for the Wii system on Nov 24. This week, Link journeys through the Lanayru Desert, where he must find his way through the puzzles in the Lanayru Mining Facility, sail across a sea of sand and discover new items to add to his collection. Newly revealed game elements include the following:

• Lanayru Desert and the Lanayru Mining Facility: In this vast area, surrounded in all directions by sand, Link must search for the Lanayru Mining Facility. As strange a place as this is, Link will encounter characters both new and familiar, such as Gorons. Inside the Lanayru Mining Facility, Link will follow the path of mine carts through this expansive area, experiencing new puzzles and challenges. He must also face the dungeon boss Moldera, a fearsome giant scorpion.
• Sand Ship: Late in his quest, Link returns to a different area of the Lanayru Desert as he sails across a sea of sand in search of a hidden ship.
• New Items: In the desert, Link will receive two new items - the Claw Shots and the Gust Jar. The Claw Shots allow players to grapple and pull themselves toward otherwise unreachable areas. The Gust Jar can blow a burst of air to stun enemies or clear paths through piles of sand. Players will find the Gust Jar essential to solving the puzzles in the Lanayru Mining Facility.

Nintendo will continue to regularly provide fans with select details and information about the game prior to its Nov 24 launch. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be available as a standalone game or as part of a limited-edition bundle that also includes a gold-colored Wii Remote Plus controller. Additionally, every copy in the initial production runs of the game will come packaged with a special music CD containing orchestral arrangements of select songs that were performed at The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert.

For more information about the game, visit the official The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword website