Pokémon Shuffle Released February 18, 2015

It looks like Nintendo is trying to make their way into the free-to-play gaming market with the release of Pokémon Shuffle on the Nintendo 3DS.

First announced last month, Pokémon Shuffle is a puzzle game which looks very similar to the Pokémon Battle series.  The objective, like with all Pokémon games before it, is to be the very best like no one ever was, and to catch ’em all while doing it.  The only difference is that in Pokémon Shuffle you are not on a time limit, you are scored based upon how few moves you make completing each puzzle.

Pokémon Shuffle is out now on the Nintendo eShop free of charge.  The game takes up just shy of 700 blocks of space.

Playstation 4 Software Update 2.04 Released February 18, 2015

Yesterday, Sony quietly released Software Update 2.04 for the Playstation 4 and it caused numerous headaches for Playstation 4 owners worldwide.  Many players found themselves greeted with error messages while downloading the update, or were unable to download the update at all.

As far as I can tell, the error messages users have been getting have been due to Playstation Network issues.  Sony’s PSN service was having issues worldwide throughout the day yesterday, and those network issues could have been the culprit behind all of the software update problems that users have been getting.  Hopefully those problems have now been worked out, as I tried to download the Software Update just a few minutes earlier from the Playstation Network and thankfully had no problems.

No specific patch notes were included with the Software Update, but Sony says that includes unspecific stability updates.  I have noticed a slight performance improvement navigating through my Playstation 4’s games and apps, but I have not tried to run any games on it just yet.

Software Update 2.04 is required to sign your Playstation 4 onto the PlayStation Network.

Major Update to Upload Studio Released On Xbox One February 17, 2015

Xbox One owners have always been able to use Upload Studio to edit clips they’ve recorded off their Xbox One’s internal DVR, but it wasn’t without its limitations. The editor was unable to produce clips greater than 5 minutes in length and transition options were extremely limited.

Yesterday, Microsoft released a major update to the Upload Studio app, enhancing the editor in tons of great ways. Take a look!

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD Japanese Launch Trailer February 16, 2015

The Japanese launch of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is upon us and to celebrate the game’s eastern release, Square Enix have released this launch trailer for the game.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is a remastered port of Final Fantasy Type-0, a game that was only released on the PSP in Japan. It is a part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series, which includes other titles like games in the Final Fantasy XIII series and the highly anticipated upcoming title Final Fantasy XV, which was formerly known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Fans of the THEATRYHTM franchise might also recognize songs from Type-0 are included in the 3DS sequel.

Just be aware that this is the Japanese launch trailer and because of that it does sport a Japanese voice over. Square Enix has assured fans that the game will launch with an option to choose either the Japanese or English language to play. That should keep both Subs and Dubs enthusiasts happy.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is comin March 17th, 2015 to the Xbox One and PS4. Anyone who picks up a copy of the game’s Day 1 Edition or Collector’s Edition will be guaranteed access to the Final Fantasy XV demo on the same platform.

Until Dawn Valentine’s Day Trailer February 16, 2015

I’ve been looking forward to playing the PS4 title Until Dawn since it was first announced several years ago. One platform and one control scheme change later, the game has never looked better.

This weekend, Sony decided to release a brand new trailer for the game What better game to show off on Valentine’s Day then a horror title?

Isn’t it romantic?

Until Dawn is coming exclusively to the Playstation 4.

Flipnote Studio 3D FINALLY Released on Club Nintendo February 13, 2015

Club Nintendo may be closing up shop in a few months but Nintendo is going to be closing it out with a Big Bang. Since the previous Flipnote Studio DS application had its service discontinued a very long time ago, Flipnote users all over the world have been anticipating the release of Flipnote Studio 3D on the Nintendo 3DS. They no longer have to wait.

Flipnote Studio 3D download codes are now being offered for free to all Club Nintendo members and you can get one right now if you qualify. To get a code for the application, simply log into your Club Nintendo account and select Flipnote Studio 3D from your To Do list. You will not need to spend any coins to obtain a download code.

Flipnote Studio 3D is out now and requires a Nintendo 2DS or 3DS system. The program takes up about 64 blocks of space on a SD card.

“The Sprint” Halo 5 Guardians Multiplayer Documentary February 12, 2015

Just before the release of the Halo 5 Guardians multiplayer beta, 343 Industries produced a six episode documentary series about the difficult process preparing the beta for release, called “The Sprint” and released it exclusively on the Halo Channel. However the Halo Channel is only compatible with the Xbox One and Windows 8, and not everyone online could watch it.

Now, the entire series is up on YouTube and you can watch it right now! If you have ever been curious what goes into developing, testing and releasing a game it is totally worth a watch.

Halo 5 Guardians is coming later this year exclusively on the Xbox One.

You Can Transfer Data to the New 3DS XL from an Older 3DS February 12, 2015

The New Nintendo 3DS XL is getting released tomorrow and many current 3DS owners are seeing it as a logical upgrade. Players who have only used physical versions of 3DS games and kept all of their save games on retail game cards, are probably not concerned about losing any data when they upgrade their device. But you don’t need to buy all your 3DS games at retail anymore. Not only can many 3DS retail titles be downloaded digitally, a lot of great downloadable exclusive titles, including several short term exclusives have been released on 3DS systems. I’m happy to say you don’t have to worry if you have a large digital 3DS library and you want to upgrade to the New Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo has you covered.

Here’s an official Nintendo video on how to perform a system transfer between two Nintendo 3DS systems. To perform a system transfer you will need two 3DS handhelds, a USB adapter capable of compatible with SD and MicroSD cards, a size 0 screwdriver and wireless internet access.

If you’re like me and you’ve upgraded the memory capacity of your 3DS, I recommend buying a MicroSD card with equal to superior storage space than the card you are currently using. The New Nintendo 3DS XL only comes with a 4GB MicroSD card.

Nintendo Announces StreetPass Weekend Starting Tomorrow February 12, 2015

An awesome feature of the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld devices is the ability to swap Miis from other 3DS players wirelessly when two units come in close proximity. The Miis can then be used to assist you in several games. However, it can be difficult for many to find other 3DS players consistently, and without StreetPasses, some games were far more difficult to complete. To remedy this, Nintendo installed StreetPass hotspots in tons of participating businesses, like McDonalds, Starbucks and Best Buy locations. Each hotspot offers 3DS units free WiFi internet access without the need to set up anything and the StreetPass tags of the last six 3DS owners to use the hotspot.

In previous holidays, Nintendo mixed things up and moved Miis all over the world. For a single weekend, you could download Miis from all across your region to your 3DS just by visiting a Nintendo Zone location. This weekend Nintendo is doing it again. In honor of Valentine’s Day weekend, starting tomorrow all Nintendo StreetPass hotspots will be mixing Miis up, and you can expect to get as many as six StreetPass tags from all over the region on your Nintendo handheld. Don’t forget, you earn special 3DS awards for having a diverse StreetPass library of Miis!

StreetPass Weekend will be taking place February 13th-15th, 2015.