Amazon.com Suspends 3DS Sales

Online retail giant Amazon.com has temporarily discontinued sales of the Black 3DS. When shoppers try to purchase the Cosmo Black 3DS from the US site they are presented with the message:

"While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it's described here."

The problem only applies for the Cosmo Black 3DS and Amazon.com, and not for Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.co.fr and Amazon.co.jp, who are all still continuing to sell it.

Today, Amazon.com have put out a statement on the problem:

"The reason why this is under a review :
The flip-screen is loose when its opened, please inform them that Nintendo has confirmed as long as the upper screen locks into place, the unit is within Nintendo’s design specification. Customers can call 1-800-255-3700."

So it appears the issue is with the build quality of the Black 3DS; whereby the screen doesn't lock in place properly - a notorious problem for every version of the DS so far - but one which is easily avoided by looking after the hardware. However, this issue seems to affect the new console on purchase, so it's a real problem for Nintendo. There have already been complaints about scratches caused by the two screens rubbing, but reports have confirmed that rubber ends which help to cushion the screens have being lengthened for newer 3DS models so hopefully this issue is already over.

I've noticed a bit of wobble in the screen, but nothing too disruptive to gameplay, and I haven't seen any scratches. However, the screen hinges do seem to have more give than the other DSs (especially the DSi), but I just put that down to a heavier 3D screen. Let's hope Amazon.com and Nintendo work this out soon.

Source: examiner.com

Are LulzSec and Anonymous going too far?

All of a sudden, hacking and DDos attacks online seem to be in our headlines every day, and it’s getting worse. Most recently we’ve seen Anonymous attacking political targets and corporations, and LulzSecurity attempting to gain gamers’ data. But now things are getting serious, even in the UK, as the Serious Organised Crime Agency website is killed off by DDos.

But why is this a problem? Well, that’s simple - whilst taking down websites is a mere inconvenience, accessing and potentially stealing people’s personal data isn’t. In fact, it’s a serious criminal offence and it’s making people concerned about their data. When we give a company information we expect them to protect it, and while it’s all well and good these hackers showing flaws in security, it’s quite something else to start taking that data for other purposes.

Not only is this blatant criminal act a breach of privacy, it also spreads the message that it is acceptable and not something that you can be caught for. It’s true, it’s difficult to catch those behind the attacks, but it isn’t impossible and perhaps this is why LulzSec, the most recent culprit who previously specialised in amusing - not serious - hacking and server-crashing have now gone for a government organisation. And what’s worse is that they claim to be attempting not only to bring down the SOCA website, but to be actually hacking into their systems where extremely sensitive data is stored.

Where once Anonymous aimed to conduct ideological attacks, LulzSec have gone too far. We expect Anonymous to go for the big guns, but LulzSec says it’s light hearted. No more. This is dangerous and it’s getting worse, and as it does the government must round up the culprits and make an example of them, then strengthen its online activities 100-fold. Indeed, China has been accused of stealing data several times now, and if the governments who are under constant attack don’t see the hackers as a big enough threat, cyber warfare is around the corner and clearly we are not ready for it.

via Bert Vimes' Comment

Nintendo E3 2011 Keynote

Last year Nintendo promised to bring a larger audience to gaming, and with that box ticked with the Wii and DS, this year they promise to bring a deeper and wider gaming experience to all gamers with the 3DS and their newly revealed home gaming device, the Nintendo WiiU.

Today's Nintendo conference kicked off in the Nokia Theatre with a montage of Zelda clips from past titles, accompanied by an orchestra playing familiar Zelda melodies and a not so familiar one, from the new Wii title, Skyward Sword. After the best bits of Zelda from the original to Ocarina Of Time 3D and Skyward Sword, Miyamoto comes into view with the logo for, of course, The Legend of Zelda's 25th anniversary. "Last year was the 25th anniversary of Mario, this year it's Zelda!" The ginning Miyamoto thanks the orchestra and confirms that will be Zelda games for each system this year. The first will be The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening; this will be the first Game Boy Color game to be available via the Nintendo eShop on 3DS. The best part? It will be available from TODAY! So this is perfect for anyone who wants a retro Zelda fix on their new handheld, I for one am pleased about this - it remains a timeless classic, and if you're new to Zelda, this will complement Ocarina Of Time 3D, which is out for 3DS next weekend, and go some way to showing you the origin of the series on portable systems. But DSi owners, do not despair! As these not the only Zelda releases this year. Miyamoto goes on to announce that The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure will be released for DSi download in September... FOR FREE! So not only great games, but free ones too!

To complete the Zedla Anniversary line-up, Miyamoto reveals that The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword "is finally done" and will be released at Christmas for Wii. It addition Nintendo have made a special gold Wii RemotePlus as a promo to launch the game, Miyamoto says it will be "the most satisfying Zelda experience of any game in the series". If fans of the series still aren't completely Zelda'd-out, he then announces that Nintendo are hosting Zelda Symphony concerts worldwide to celebrate the 25th Anniversary and that Ocarina of Time OST CDs will be given to Club Nintendo members who register Ocarina of Time 3D early. So to recap, the FOUR Zelda swords wielded by Nintendo this year will be: Link's Awakening (3DS-VC), Ocarina Of Time 3D (3DS), Four Swords Adventure (DSi) and Skyward Sword (Wii). All in all, a fantastic haul! *Cue Zelda item-get tune*


Nintendo global president, Satoru Iwata now comes to stage. He discusses how playing games has changed over the years; "we've seen changes in who plays, where we play and how we play". He also admits that the Wii is more of a casual console, but also says that "mental boundaries still exist" between how game systems are defined. "What [Nintendo] haven't achieved yet is a game platform that is equally satisfying for all players... and that is what we intend to create with our new platform." He promises that the new system will be a "deeper and wider" gaming experience; deeper than "even the most passionate gamer has realised before" and a "wider range of games, wider even than Wii". Nintendo know how to build suspense, with the audience on tenterhooks, he announces that... we will find out a little later this morning.

The 3DS is reintroduced though a montage of established Nintendo franchises which are coming to 3DS; Mario Kart, Star Fox, Super Mario, Kid Icarus and... Luigi's Mansion 2! Then none other than, Nintendo America president, Reggie Fils-Aime appears and says "Look, we hear you. You want what you've always wanted, but you also want something new. You want comfortable and surprise" and "that's what we're aiming for with 3DS". Taking a closer look as these five big titles, we see that Mario Kart has some new features: hang-gliders, underwater racing, customisable karts and some familiar and not-so-familiar track - needless to say, this looks like a must buy, new features keep it fresh, but it's back to classic Mario Kart action! (And there's no sign of bikes by the way). It will be out for Christmas.

Next up is Star Fox 64 3D. It's going to be a remake of the classic 64 title. You can use the buttons or the motion-sensing controls to fly the Arwing and there will be four-way multiplayer. It can also record video to show your reactions, which is displayed as an icon next to your ship. I'm really looking forward to Star Fox, as although it doesn't have online mulitplayer, it looks great, and classic Lylat Wars gameplay in 3DS is an instant winner. "Do a barrel roll!". It's out September in the US.

Then onto Super Mario 3D, which seems to blend Super Mario 64 with Super Mario Galaxy in terms of looks and gameplay. It's the first 3D Super Mario game for a handheld. The trailer shows the Tanooki Suit and loads of traditional Mario platforming action. Again, I cannot wait, it's another must buy and will be out by year's end. The fourth game is Kid Icarus: Uprising. The trailer shows a muliplayer mode with up to six players, a three-on three battle where players choose their own weapons and angels. There will also be loads of augmented reality cards released which can also be used to conduct battles. It will be out later this year.

Finally, its Luigi's Mansion 2. "The first brother of video games is back" says Reggie. It works in the same way as the GameCube one, poor Luigi tiptoes around a haunted house hoovering up ghosts with the vacuum. Reggie is quick to point out that it is an entirely new game which will make "extraordinary use of 3D" and it will feature not one, but several new mansions. Luigi's Mansion is one that often divides fans, but I remember it as one of the GameCube greats; the gameplay is unique, the exaggerated spooks and reactions of Luigi are pretty funny; it's generally a fun game to play. There will more details on Luigi's Mansion 2 later this year.

Now so far Nintendo have only talked about first party titles. So to show they're about third party as much as anyone else - here comes a flood of 3DS titles in montage: Resident Evil Mercenaries, Ace Combat, Cave Story 3D, Resident Evil Revelations, Driver: Renegade, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, Pac Man & Galaga, Tekken 3D and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D. There is certainly not a lack of third party support for 3DS, these games add to the massive list of upcoming titles. I'd happily pick up any of them, but Tekken, Cave Story and Metal Gear stand out for me. (The latter two will be released later this year.)

Moving on to the Nintendo eShop. It launched yesterday and there are two free games to download right now. Pokedex 3D and 3D Classics: Excitebike, as well as three classic GameBoy games on Virtual Console. Pokedex 3D pretty much does what it says on the tin, you can collect new Pokemon and the AR functionality works well, but it feels limited, it feels more like a tease for the next big Pokemon game. Excitebike is simple but fun, it's basically a revamp of the retro game and works well in 3D. It's a good way of showing how 3D can be incorporated into older games to make them feel new and fresh. But again, however, it feels limited, probably because of the Wii VC and WiiWare releases - anyway, it's free so we can't complain. The three Virtual Console games work really well, it's fun to play these classic gems again, and by pressing Start and Select on load, the Game Boy boarder appears with the games in their original resolution, this makes it feel really nice and nostalgic. Most of all though, it's a good sign of great things to come. Reggie also announced that, later this year, demos for both downloadable and retail software will also become available on Nintendo eShop.


The moment that everyone has been waiting for arrives, the announcement of Nintendo's new console. It will be called the Wii U, which stands for You, Unique, Unifying and Utopian. The name will make sense after a while, like Wii did, according to Reggie. The new WiiU controller incorporates a 6.2 inch, 16:9 touch screen as well as two analogue circle pads, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons. It also has a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope, rumble, a front facing camera, microphone, stereo speakers and a sensor strip for remotes and stylus.

The video shows how it can instantly switch between playing a game on the TV to playing on the controller. So if someone wants to watch a TV program there is no need to stop playing, just switch and continue. The touch screen can be used on its own, we see someone drawing and a couple playing board games. The TV doesn't have to be on at all, Wii Fit is given as an example. Video chat is also shown as well as web browsing, video sharing as well as video chat. When used in conjunction with the TV, the possibilities of the controller become clear, it opens up "a new window into the video game world", it can be used as a tee in golfing games, a map and birds-eye view, an inventory, a gun scope for the new zapper, and to throw, toss, and catch objects. We also get some idea of the graphics with some amazing HD Zelda game-play. Iwata says new ways to use it are continually popping up, Miyamoto is excited by the possibilities and what can be done with the console, and he says third party developers will also be excited. Iwata then promises something big: Smash Bros for both WiiU and 3DS, and that they will work together in some way...


Reggie then introduces "eight different interactive experiences". The first shows off some incredible graphics, bird flies though a traditional Japanese setting, the tree blossoms, the water droplets sparkle, it all shows off what the WiiU can do in-game - it looks better than 360 and PS3. Reggie demonstrates a few more demos, all which show-off the capabilities of the console and how it's controller can be used, which includes a New Super Mario Bros. prototype, where you can play as your Mii, and a five-player Chase Mii demo. These all look great, and are certainly promising - I'm definitely looking forward to actual games next year.

Although Smash Bros is announced, Nintendo promised third-party support - so for the second time today, cue a montage of third-party games, this time for WiiU. First LEGO City Stories is revealed, it will be a WiiU and 3DS exclusive and looks like a LEGO GTA. Darksiders 2 is announced as a launch title. Tekken, Batman Arkham City, Assassin's Creed, Ghost Recon Online, DiRT, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Metro: Last Light, Ninja Gaiden 3, Madden and Battlefield. Various third parties discuss the strengths of the WiiU, including Warren Spector, Ken Levine and Peter Moore - EA CEO John Ricattelo, now on stage, calls it a "breakthrough in our relationship" and talks about how well Madden and Battlefield would work on the console and how Nintendo are now more open about online multiplayer, DLC and social networking.

This is very impressive third-party support, not something I thought I'd see from Nintendo. It also seems that their online features are set to drastically improve, in some ways this is necessary, as what it brings to Nintendo is invaluable - dedicated third parties, who bring with them, dedicated players. Perhaps now is a good point to reiterate Iwata's promise of a "wider and deeper" video game experience, it certainly seems that way with today's announcements. I do have one criticism of the WiiU however. The name. WiiU is not the best name, and besides being the butt of many Wii U-turn jokes, it simply doesn't feel fresh - Nintendo should have simply ditched the Wii name and gone with the Nintendo U. Which could mean Ultimate... or Unique, Unifying, Utopian or yoU as Nintendo wish. WiiU just sounds like a kid making a siren noise, or that thing Mentok The Mind Taker Does. WiiU-WiiU. Yes, Nintendo U would be better, but I'm sure we'll get used to WiiU eventually.

Anyhow, Reggie says this is just the "first pass", and that things will look better at launch. He finishes with the statement that when we think about Nintendo, we should think about four platforms - DS, Wii, 3DS and WiiU. Which is a good point, we mustn't forget that the other consoles still have a whole year of life ahead of them and there are still great games to come. And so ends Nintendo's conference, with the crowd rushing off to get hands-on with the new tech and the new games.

And so too, ends our coverage of E3 2011. We hope to bring you more news and details as they come of the games and consoles featured at E3 this year. Thanks for reading! And thanks for supporting Monochrome Screen during our launch period.