purenintendo.com

Issue 1

Where will the

go from here? InterviewConference RecapJools Watsham, Renegade Kid

MagazineWhere Will the 3DS Go?D e c e m b e r, 2 0 0 8 - I s s u e 2

Editorial

InterviewJustin Sharp &James HigginbotHamIt is interesting how things can change in just a years time. When the 3DS was first announced at E3 2010, the excitement could be felt radiating across the show floor. Fast forward to E3 2011 and after the 3DS launch, that excitement died down to a little roar over a few handfuls of games. What went wrong for the 3DS? What should Nintendo do next? Over the last few months, I feel Nintendo has done everything they can to set the 3DS up for success this holiday season. When Nintendo announced the original price of $250, I did feel it was a little much. I believe the price point was a reaction to Nintendos success with the Wii, DS and peoples reactions coming out of E3 about Nintendos new handheld. Nintendo may have become a little full of themselves and over estimated their customers willingness to pay a high price for their system. Nintendo did a smart thing by lowering the price to $170, even though I think $200 would have been fair and $170 came across as a slight panic move. The price drop was the first thing Nintendo needed to do to insure the 3DS was a success this holiday season. The second step to success for Nintendo is to bring back the Japanese crowd. Handheld systems sell a lot better in Japan than they do anywhere else. Nintendos Japanese conference did just that. One of the announcements was the pink 3DS that is supposed to appeal to the female crowd. Out of all the women who play video games, the ratio in Japan is higher than anywhere else. Nintendo then appeased pretty much every Japanese person with Love Plus and/or the big announcements of Monster Hunter games. Everyone at Pure Nintendo was excited when Monster Hunter 3G and 4 were shown off at the event, but we may be part of the minority outside of Japan. Monster Hunter Wii didnt necessarily do too badly in other parts of the world, but in Japan, Monster Hunter is a HUGE deal! Monster Hunter alone can sell millions of 3DS systems. Nintendo knew this and for that reason it was a priority for Nintendo to work with Capcom to produce a new Monster Hunter game. The third and final thing Nintendo could do to help the 3DS is to do what they do best, make great games. The 3DS software line-up for the rest of this year, and beyond, is something worth paying attention to. Some major titles that will sell systems world wide will be out this year. I am talking about titles like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. Just take a look at New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Mario Kart Wii, which sit nicely on the top 5 selling Wii games in North America. People love their Mario games. Nintendo also has some major titles for

News

Mini-Preview

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Letter from Where will the 3DS go? (continued) the EditorGreetings and welcome to the first issue of Pure Nintendo Magazine. I hope you are enjoying it so far. Pure Nintendo magazine has been started to complement purenintendo.com. Pure Nintendo magazine will offer our readers more insight into the gaming industry with impressions, in-depth analysis, opinions and game developer interviews that will offer a different perspective. Seeing that Pure Nintendo magazine is a monthly addition, checking purenintendo.com for the most up-to-date Nintendo news is recommended. Pure Nintendo magazine will take that news and analyze what the news means for Nintendo and us, the gamers. We also want the magazine to be interactive with our readers. We urge all of you to communicate with us, by sending in your questions, letters to the Editors, and artwork, which can all be displayed in this magazine. This magazine is part of a bigger Pure Nintendo community and we urge your support and interaction. I really hope everyone enjoys the first issue of Pure Nintendo magazine. There was a lot of work and man-hours put into it. Thank you for everyones help. Feel free to contact us at magazine@purenintendo.com The Pure Nintendo magazine will be released on the first Monday of every month. Stay tuned for other digital platforms like iPad, iPhone, and Android apps. -James Higginbotham Head Editor

Besides the drastic step of releasing a new 3DS, which I think is coming, Nintendo has done everything they need to set the 3DS up for success. Now it is up to the consumers to see if they can save the faith of the 3DS. As long as Nintendo keeps doing what they do best and not try to be something they are not, or do too much, I am sure the 3DS will do fine from here on out. -James Higginbotham Head Editor

Ben Stitzer

The Nintendo 3DS, despite having a slower start than Nintendo expected, has a lot going for it headed into the busy Holiday 2011 season. The fortunes of the 3DS have really changed over the last couple months with the announcement of new software and a significant price drop. With the price dropping by almost 40%, those who might have been on the fence about a 3DS purchase, now have much more incentive to buy. Also, with the announcement of Monster Hunter 3G and Monster Hunter 4 in Japan and the release dates of Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7, the system has huge momentum going into the Holiday. So where does Nintendo take the 3DS from here? With key first-party games still on the horizon, I think Nintendo needs to continue to bolster its third-party relationships for the platform. Getting an exclusive portable version of Monster Hunter 3 is a great example and also lining up Monster Hunter 4 is an incredible get for Nintendo. More of that needs to happen in the next 6-9 months for the 3DS. Nintendo needs to also work really hard both internally and with third-parties to keep a steady pace of AAA games releasing month to month. Nintendo has done a great job with this on the DS over the last few years. There are so many great games on the DS right now. Its hard for anyone (myself included) to keep up---and thats a good thing. There are still DS games on my wish list that I need to play. It keeps interest strong in the later years of a handhelds life and it also guarantees early adopters have a huge selection of great games to look forward to every month. The 3DS has not yet had the steady stream of games for some people to rush out and buy. With the announcements at their 3DS press conference, and Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land releasing before the Holidays; Nintendo is taking a big step in bolstering the 3DS lineup for current and future owners of the system. The sky is the limit with the 3DS and developers have just scratched the surface of what the system can do. If you look at the history of the DS, you can see just how far it has come since its original iteration was released in November 2004. Developers back then didnt quite know how to take advantage of the system and, just like the DS, 3DS developers have taken some time to get used to the systems features. Nintendo has clearly set the 3DS up for success by dropping the price to $170, by having key first-party games like Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land available before Christmas and by working with third-party developers to make sure their 3DS games succeed. -Justin Sharp Owner

Pure Nintendo Magazine StaffOwner Justin Sharp Head Editor James Higginbotham Designer Editor Benjamin Taylor Copy Editor Eli Courey Content Manager James Higginbotham Art work Justin Sharp Editor Kevin Klein

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Nintendo Press event ReactionsAt first I thought the Nintendo press conference on September 12th was a little underwhelming. I honestly expected something little more. Looking back at the press conference, now I believe Nintendo did everything right to bring back the Japanese 3DS consumers. The event was a Japanese investor meeting, not a E3 like event. Games like Love Plus and Monster Hunter will do very well in japan and should sell units. I did find it extremly strange that Nintendo had no mention of the 3DS attachement. Is Nintendo ashamed of it? - James Higginbotham, Head Editor On September 13 Nintendo had a massive task to do, prove to the world that the Nintendo 3ds was a handheld worth buying and that they were invest in their product. And on September 13, Nintendo did just that with guns blazing. From the start Nintendo brought out Skyward Sword and it only got better from there. The announcements of a Mario Tennis, Fire Emblem, and the huge Monster Hunter 4 reveal were just what gamers wanted. This conference showed new gameplay and details on all ready announced games such as Mario Kart, Luigis Mansion, Super Mario Land Land, and so much more. There was so much information packed into this event. If there was anyone doubting the 3ds prior to this event (just about everyone), Nintendo put those doubts to rest. I think gamers ask or expect unrealistic expectations from these types of events. Yet, Nintendo proved that they are well prepared and invested for the future of the 3ds, and the future looks bright my friends. I believe that after the DS Nintendo assumed the 3ds would be money in the bag. After a rough first few months Nintendo decided to get aggressive. With the drastic price cut and this 3ds event, Nintendo is going on the offensive and proving why you should own their products, and I couldnt be happier. - Kevin Klein,

Upcoming ReleasesJust Dance 3 (Oct. 7) Skylanders Spyros Adventure (Oct 16) Zumba Fitness 2 (Nov. 15) Super Mario Land 3D (Nov. 13) Fossil Fighter Champions (Nov. 14) Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nov. 20) Mario Kart 7 (Dec. 4)

Editor

The Tokyo Game Show usually isnt the venue for Nintendo to feature a lot of games but this year Nintendo brought a ton of announcements for the Wii and 3DS. I stayed awake as I usually do for the week of TGS and especially Monday night for Nintendos 3DS Press Conference.

-Continued on Page 7

Artwork

Justin Sharp Design

Have Your Artwork HEREearly next year like, Luigis Mansion, Kid Icarus Uprising and Mario Tennis. has done everything they need to set the 3DS up for success. Now it is up to the consumers to see if they can save the faith of the 3DS. As long as Nintendo keeps doing what they do best and

Justin Sharp Design.

Justin Sharp Design

Besides the drastic step of releasing a new 3DS, which I think is coming, Nintendo

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What Netflix could do to rule the worldJames HigginbothamHead editorNetflix has quickly become one of the top consumers of Internet usage in North Americaaswellasoneoftheleadingcompanies that actually still use the USPS. I have been a Netflix subscriber for nearly 2 yearsnowandIhaveenjoyedevery single minute of it. At first I was a strong DVD user, but now that I have 5 Netflix capable devices,myfocushasswitchedtostreaming,exceptforthelastthreeseasonofDexter on Blu-ray. A couple of weeks ago Netflix announced price changes for their streaming and DVD rentals. The change for DVD and streaming combination only changed by about $5, but many Netflix users felt the company was screwing them with a 50% price increase. I personally feel the price is still reasonable, but the price jump was drastic enough that I will be dropping my DVD service, once I finish catching up on Dexter. (Starting season 5) I am sure I will not be the only one switching their plans to streaming only when the price change takes place, for current members, on September 1st. Even with Netflixs domination of the streaming world, I believe there are three things Netflix could do take themselves to world domination. More up-to-date streaming content Netflix should try to provide their members with more up-to-date content for their streaming service. I am not just talking the obvious of adding newer movies to the streaming. I understand the copyright issues and cost of doing that. As Netflix members know, most movies are old or B-movies. Not a lot of big blockbuster movies hit the Netflix stream until months or years after they hit the DVD market. There is the occasional big hit movie, like Toy Story 3, which did hit the Netflix stream pretty near the DVD release. What I am more focused on now is more up-to-date television shows. Everyone I know who uses Netflix streaming has one thing in common, they watch a lot of Television shows. Netflix is pretty good with keeping their TV catalog up-to-date by at least a season or two; the office is now two season behind but Futurama has their last season ready to watch. Most of us live extremely busy lives but still have a few shows we are interested in watchday content for users with commercial ads, but making sure to keep ads away from all the other content. Netflix could have a special section that offers the prior weeks episodes, of popular TV shows, supported by ads. If Netflix really wants to take the world of streaming over, they should be thinking about offering a one stop streaming experience. Single DVD rentals For those of us who want just the streaming service but one a month rent a movie, Netflix should allow cheap one-movie rentals. I have recently discovered the joy of Redbox and the Blockbuster kiosks. They are nice for more recent movies, but what if I am looking for a older movie that is not offered in those kiosks or Netflix streaming? Where I live, most of the Blockbuster stores closed down leaving my full attention on Netflix and the movie kiosks. If I need a movie that these places cannot offer me, what am I supposed to do? One solution is for Netflix to offer a single rental service. The service would be similar to Redbox in the sense you rent one movie out at a time for a small price. You can choose one movie you would like, Netflix would mail it to you for a price of $2 or $3, and then you send it back. If you want to rent another DVD it will be the same charge again.

ing, but not enough time in the day. After missing a show, where do people normaly turn to catch up, Hulu. My routine for the morning is to wake up, start my coffee, do a little work catching up on the news I missed while I was dreaming of Unicorns, then eat breakfast and drink my coffee while I enjoy something on Hulu, mostly the nights before Daily Show. Would it not be nice to just head over to Netflix for your next day streaming needs instead? Plus watching it through your Wii or other Netflix device on the TV is a plus. I understand that it would be hard for Netflix to strike a deal with companies to provide next day content, but I may have a solution and you are not going to like it. Lets take a look at how Hulu makes their money. While Netflix gains most of their money by charging people monthly fees, Hulu uses ads to generate profit, Hulu Plus aside. Ok stay with me here, why not offer next

Downloadable Content I wish I could take credit for this idea, but I cannot. As you probably can tell, Netflix streaming is only available throughwell streaming. All Netflix devices must have some type of connection to view your favorite Gilmore Girls episode. Do not lie, I know some of you watch that show. Lets take Netflix on the 3DS for example. Once you lose all Internet connection, like when flying on a plane, you lose all access to Netflix and your favorite showlets use Sex in the City. (Hey, I do not judge) Would it not be nice to have the ability to save a few episodes of Sex and the City to enjoy as you fly across the country? Netflix could offer the ability to buffer a few episodes, or a movie, to your SD card to be able to watch at a later date. Like the iTunes service, after a few hours/days the video disappears.

Even with the pricing changes, Netflix will still be the dominant force they have been for the last two years. My ideas for changes are not a must, just something a Netflix fan would like to see happen. I am all for Netflix taking over the world and dominating streaming. Besides a few price changes, I had no complaints about my Netflix service.

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Interview

InterviewwithJoolsWatsham,CEOofRenegadeKidPN: Why did you get into the video game industry?JW: Its my Dads fault really. He brought a ZX Spectrum home one day, when I was about 8

years old, and I was hooked on games ever since. What was great about the computers released in the UK , such as ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Atari ST, and Amiga, is that you could actually make your own games by programming or using game making software. ShootEm-Up Construction Kit (SEUCK) was one game that I really enjoyed messing with on the Commodore 64 and Amiga when I was about 13. It was an editor that enabled you to make sprites and backgrounds and set up the rules for your game.

PN: How did you get into the game industry?JW: There is a pivotal moment in my life where I was presented with a choice. At the age of 17

I stumbled across EMAP Images in Farringdon, London. I was taking a stroll on my lunch-break

from college. EMAP Images was a large magazine publisher in England, and I had one of their video game magazines on me at the time - as you do! The choice I had was and found the editor of the magazine was named Ciaran Brennan. To cut a long story short, I got a job as Trainee Staff Writer. I know it wasnt due to my writing skills. I starting out as a pixel artist at The Sales Curve.

to walk into this imposing marble-clad building and ask for a job, or walk by. It didnt take me very long to decide. I looked at the contents page of my magazine, The One, was cheap and enthusiastic! This position put me in contact with many game developers, which eventually led to me jumping over to the development side of the industry,

PN: What are some of your favorite video game memories growing up and now?JW: When I got my own computer, the Spectrum +, was a special moment for me. My Dad already had one, and now I had my own. I felt pretty fancy! As far as games, I spent many hours playing Jet Set Willy on the Spectrum. Fast forward a few years, Ill never forget the moment I first saw Super Mario World on the SNES. It looked like nothing else I had ever seen. Up to that point I had been exposed mainly to computer games. Super Mario World single-handedly brought me over to the console side awesome hardware that I take on the go.

of gaming. In more recent years, platforms such as the GBA SP was a favorite system of mine, which has since been eclipsed by the DS Lite and now the 3DS in terms of

PN: Were did the name Renegade Kid come from?JW: I have always been fond of names that combine two opposing themes, so the words renegade and kid were a fun combination of tough and edgy with young and Before Renegade Kid, we were going with Troubled Kid, which is cool - but perhaps a little too edgy. :)

playful. Gregg Hargrove and I went through a lot of different name ideas, always checking to see if the .com was available before falling too much in love with the name.

PN: How do you think Nintendo is handling the 3DS? Is the criticism fair?JW: I think it seems pretty obvious that the 3DS was released too early. Im sure Nintendo had their reasons for releasing the 3DS when they did, but the fact that there was a serious lack of decent games to buy after the initial titles were released was a huge misstep. If the 3DS was released now-ish, with a price tag of $189.99, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, and a fully functioning eShop in place it would be more attractive to casual players and gamers alike. However, I think Nintendo have handled the situation extremely well. Dropping the price to $169.99 was a bold move that was needed. The launch price of $249.99 was way too expensive, and the fact that Nintendo addressed this issue so quickly and with such a reduction in price is impressive. Sure, it may have a short-term negative effect on some people, but in the long run it is a catch up. Other than that, the system has sold well, it is great, and I love it! It will be a huge success. brilliant move. Is the criticism fair? No, I dont think it is. The only thing that Nintendo could have done better was delay the release of the 3DS to allow for the games to

PN: What games are you playing right now, besides your own?JW: Star Fox 64 3D.

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Reviews

James HigginbothamHead editorThose of you who read my Captain America: Super Solder Wii review may remember I was underwhelmed by the gameplay itself. I just did not feel like I wasplayingastheCaptain.Ialsoreceived the DS version, which I kept making excuses for not reviewing. How could a DS movie game be better than the Wii version? How could I feel more like the Captain in the DS? For me, when playing a super hero game I would like to feel like I am that hero.Thegamehastocapturethefeeling of what it may

Captain America: Super Soldier DSbe like to be that said super hero. For me Captain America: Super Solider DS did just that. Unlike the Wii version, the DS version Captain felt smooth, powerful, and well, captain like. The DS version, which is a scrolling platformer, captures the essence of the Captain, the Captains moves are slick andwell wonderful. By pressing theY button, Captain performs many different attack moves; kicking, punching,shieldslamming.Whilepressing the A button the Captain can toss the shield whatever direction the circle pad is pulled. (In my case the circle pad) The B button sends the Captain up in the air, which gives him the ability to toss the shield at enemies, or come flying in with a roundhouse kick to the face.That is the bigdifferencebetweentheDSandthe Wii version of Captain America. The Wii version fighting was slower and the use of the shield was limited, or at least not as well used as I hoped. The DS version Captain fighting style was fast paced and had options. You are surrounded by 5 enemies,What do you do?!You could toss the shield in the direction of two enemies knocking them down, punch the guy in the face in the other direction and watch your shield come back and hit Captain America can also use his new found DS skills to help get around the environment. The Captain can use his speed to jump over great distances, while at the same time throwing his shield at unsuspecting enemies below. The Captain also has the ability to wall run and jump to find his way around different environments. Everything in the DS version of Captain America felt more Captain like, even the audio. I find myself, while writing this review, letting the music in Captain America play while it gives me a sense of power and accomplishment. The audio score is one of the best I have heard in a DS games sinse Dementium 2. Even the voiceacting,whichisobviouslymorelimited than the Wii version, comes across more natural than even the Wii version. There are a lot of similarities bePure Nintendo Oct. 2011 6 those two enemies again who were just getting up. Do a back flip over some more enemies and hit one in the back of the headwiththeshield.Thenuseyourshield to block a missile back at other enemies then throw the shield to take out the last surviving, but probably scared to death, enemy. tween the DS and the other Captain America games. Most of the game the Captain finds himself fighting against the Red Skull and teaming up with foes who enjoys having the Captain play games in-order to receive information. There are a few shield and life upgrades that can be found that helps make the game a little easier. There is also the occasional soldier that needs saving that really does no good for youbut hey you are the Captain so you have to good do things. I have to apologize to SEGA and Marvel for not believing in the DS version of Captain America: Super Soldier. I have had a chance to play most of the DS version of Captain America, and I have to say it is my favorite. It is the only version that I truly feel like.Captain America.

Mini-Preview

Upcoming 3DS titlesMario Kart 7: Release date December 7th. Another great installment the very popular Mario Kart series. Offers new Characters, modes and 8-player online play. What else would you want in a new Mario Kart game?

- 3DS reactions continued from page 3. This year was particularly interesting because the whole conference was streamed live in its entirety. There were already some rumors about new game announcements and even a showcase of the dual analog attachment for Monster Hunter, but Nintendo, as usual, decided to show what they wanted. The conference started on a great note by having Shigeru Miyamoto walk out on stage to show off Skyward Sword to the Japanese media. This marked the first time since E3 that the game had been shown off at such a large event. Miyamoto showed a new trailer for the game as well as over 4 minutes of gameplay showcasing tons of new locations/items. The game looks incredible and Nintendo wasnt done yet. Next on the stage was Satoru Iwata to show off what everybody came to see---the next big games on the Nintendo 3DS. Most of the games I had already seen at E3 with a few notable exceptions. Mario Tennis was announced for the first time and looks to use the 3DS gyro capabilities nicely. Nintendo/Capcom also announced Monster Hunter 3G (portable Monster Hunter 3/Tri) and also surprised everyone with a Monster Hunter 4 trailer. The gameplay for Monster Hunter 4 looks to add a significant amount of depth to fighting in the game. My initial reaction to the Monster Hunter announcements was that of excitement, but Im still wondering if theyll have a release outside of Japan. In any case, both Monster Hunter games are huge titles to help Nintendo boost sales in Japan. The rest of the conference was a huge success for Nintendo. Not only did they show off notable first party games like Super Mario 3D Land and Luigis Mansion 2, they also showcased a lot of 3rd party games and even had Capcom speak prominently during their press conference. Its exciting to see Nintendo emphasizing 3rd party developer relationships as it moves forward with the 3DS.

Sonic Generations: Release date TBD. Play as both classic and new Sonic through new and old stages. This could be the best Sonic game in years.

Pokemon Rumble Blast: Release date October 24th. Pokemon Rumble Blast is very similar to its predeccosor but you play as toys of Team Rocket children. Battle your toys verses againsty opposing toys and try to collect alll 600 toy Pokemon.

Skylanders Spyros Adventure: Release Date Oct. 16th. Play as your favorite dragon and friends in this side platformer experience. Use the 3DS version to build up the stats of your character and transfer it to the Wii version. Skylanders was the surprise game of E3 2011.

-Justin Sharp Owner

Super Mario Land 3D: Release date Nov. 13th. Take Nintendos biggest icon on his next journey on the Nintendo 3DS. Mario Land offers amazing 2D and 3D playing while offering eye popping 3D visuals. Trust us when we say the 3D affects are amazing.

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