Nintendo has finally confirmed its plans for the Nintendo Network, a formal, branded service for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

Satoru Iwata quickly drew a contrast with his company's previous Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection program:

"Unlike Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which has been focused upon specific functionalities and concepts, we are aiming to establish a platform where various services available through the network for our consumers shall be connected via Nintendo Network service so that the company can make comprehensive proposals to consumers."

The publisher's plans are as follows:

• Personal Accounts for Wii U - Nintendo will now allow personalized accounts for its next home console, which will allow multiple users per system. Online profiles will no longer be system-based. "We will also be able to construct and offer the [personal account system] by combining a variety of different services and content," Iwata said.
• Digitally Distributed Packaged Software -Nintendo is exploring the idea of selling full retail games through the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. The company is not willing to say when this program will start, but it now has the full ability to do so. Iwata noted Nintendo would need to consider retailer relationships first. He also noted SD card space limitations would be another factor. "The significance of this business field will increase," said Iwata.
• Paid Downloadable Content - As we've heard previously, publishers will now be able to offer paid DLC for different games, starting with Square's Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, which will allow players to purchase new songs for the rhythm-based game. The title releases in Japan on February 16.

"As a software maker, Nintendo believes that its packaged software should be sold to our consumers in a form so that the consumers will know in advance that they can enjoy playing the software they purchased just as it is," Iwata said. "We believe that our consumers will be able to feel more secure if we offer our add-on content as an additional structure in which those who love the game will be able to enjoy it in a deeper way for a prolonged play time."

Iwata wrapped the Nintendo Network segment of his investor presentation with the following statement:

"Whether it's our first-party titles or third parties' titles, for a number of games, we will actively attempt to achieve compatibility so that our consumers can enjoy our online services that we will deploy under the name of the Nintendo Network."

Satoru Iwata also confirmed "NFC functionality" would be featured in the Wii U tablet device.

NFC, short for Near Field Communication, is a communication standard which allows for wireless distribution of information. Iwata described the uses of NFC to investors in this way:

"By installing this functionality, it will become possible to create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via noncontact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world. Adoption of this functionality will enable various other possibilities such as using it as a means of making micropayments."

Iwata vowed the company will be better prepared when it introduces the Wii U home console during the 2012 year-end shopping season for a strong comeback.

He declined to give details such as pricing or what the software games available at that time might be.

But he said the Wii U will come with a strong game lineup at the launch as well as secure and safe Internet services that will offer players individual accounts.

The Wii U will come with new ways of playing that will almost make the term "home console" obsolete, Iwata said. It will also offer mobile gaming.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD HIGHLIGHTS NEW DIGITAL CONTENT FOR NINTENDO SYSTEMS - JAN. 26, 2012

Jan. 26, 2012 - The Nintendo eShop is a cash-based service and features games, applications and videos in both 2D and 3D. Users can add money to their virtual wallets using a credit card or by purchasing a Nintendo 3DS Prepaid Card at a retail store and entering the code from the card.

This week's Nintendo Download includes the following featured content:

Mutant Mudds™ - Love pixels? Fond of platformers? Is there a special place in your heart for the 8-bit and 16-bit era? Want to have fun? Yes!?

Well, you’ve come to the right place, my friend. Mutant Mudds is a “12-bit” action platformer full of pixels and platforming fun!

Our hero, Max, may be just a 2D sprite, but he can leap into the third dimension by jetting between the background and the foreground playfields with his trusty jetpack in this unique dimensionally-woven experience.

Armed with a heavy-duty water cannon, Max has what he needs to vanquish his long-term nemesi: the Mutant Mudds. Max must blast and hover his way across the soiled landscape to seek out mysterious Water Sprites. Legend says collecting all of the mysterious Water Sprites will wash the filthy Mutant Mudds away for good!
(For Nintendo 3DS™)

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games™ (demo version) - The all-new games are heating up… Bigger and better than ever before!

Join Mario & Sonic in the world’s greatest sporting competition. With over 50 events on Nintendo 3DS to compete in, the Olympic Games have never been so much fun!

Original Olympic themed events will bring a whole new dimension to the Mario & Sonic universe, with the glasses-free 3D visuals and the unique control systems that offer plenty of new and exciting ways to compete for a coveted gold medal.

All this is sure to ignite even more fierce competition between friends & family in both single & multiplayer modes! This demo is now available on Nintendo eShop.
(For Nintendo 3DS)

Newton vs. The Horde - Uh Oh! The scientists are being attacked by a vicious horde of monsters.

Use physics to splat those nasty creatures before they get close. Squash them, skewer them, explode them and do whatever you can to help our scientist friends survive.

Complete almost thirty levels across 4 zones and then try and beat the special challenge in each.
(For the Wii™)

Lola's Alphabet Train - Learning the alphabet has never been more fun than in Lola's Alphabet Train – the most exciting educational kids' game! Designed for 3-7 year olds, The Alphabet Train is actually five exciting games in one.

Your kids start with a "drag and drop" letter game and qualify for the more challenging "form a word" game: as their skills improve, the game gets more challenging, so they’ll keep coming back to master the next stage and learn that reading is great.
(For Nintendo DSi or 3DS)

Flipper 2: Flush the Goldfish - A little boy has been kidnapped by an evil monster, there is no time to waste!

Flush has to act quickly and rescue his best friend and owner. Luckily Flush has a super secret robot suit... that will make things easier!

Features
• Single button gameplay
• Great old-skool pixel art and fantastic animations
• Includes random level mode
• Includes Level Editor
(For Nintendo DSi or 3DS)

To view this week's Nintendo Download in its full graphical version, please visit: http://www.news2know.net/nintendo/downloadw4Yq21e6.php.

In addition to video games available at retail stores, Nintendo also offers a variety of content that people can download directly to their systems. Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS™ system, to the Nintendo DSi™ Shop for the Nintendo DSi system and to the Wii™ Shop Channel for the Wii console at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Thursdays.

The Wii Shop Channel offers games and applications and uses Wii Points™, which can be purchased via the Wii Shop Channel. The Nintendo DSi Shop offers games and applications and uses Nintendo DSi Points™, which can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Wii Points Card™ and Nintendo DSi Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one card must be redeemed in either the Wii Shop Channel or the Nintendo DSi Shop, respectively. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage some of the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wii, http://www.nintendo.com/3ds or http://www.nintendo.com/ds/systems/dsi.

Nintendo has released an all new teaser trailer for the upcoming Wii game, Mario Party™ 9. We have it here for you below.. Mario Party™ 9 is set for a March 11, 2012 street date and has an ESRB rating of E (Everyone): Mild Cartoon Violence.

Grab your friends and family and captain the crew to victory!

The party is back and bigger than ever in the Mario Party™ 9 game for Wii™, featuring all-new ways to play! For the first time in the franchise, boss battles crash the party and challenge players to compete to defeat a common enemy. In addition, players now travel across stages together in a vehicle towards a common goal - overcoming obstacles, battling bosses, and collecting Mini Stars stolen by Bowser™ and his minions. Featuring 80 new minigames, adventurous new stages, and all-new ways to play that blend cooperative and competitive action for up to four players*, Mario Party 9 is the perfect way to get the party started.

FEATURES:

For the first time in the Mario Party franchise, each stage culminates in a Boss Battle. Collectively, players must combine their strength to defeat classic foes such as Bowser™ and King Boo while still playing competitively to boost their own individual scores.

In another first for the series, players ride across stages together in special vehicles. Players take turns as Captain of the vehicle by hitting Dice Blocks to move the party forward, hoping to land on lucky spaces. The vehicles also help to streamline game play and keep everyone involved in the action.

Unique Captain Events on each stage give players a new way to change the shape of the game.

In Mario Party 9, each themed stage has a clear destination point but with multiple paths along the way, so no two games will play the same. From Toad Road to Boo’s Horror Castle, players will encounter a wide variety of familiar Mario™ franchise elements in new environments that can be enjoyed solo or with friends.

Includes 80 outrageous new minigames that find players making pizzas, escaping haunted mansions, and racing snowmobiles.

No time to play through an entire stage? New minigame modes let players enjoy the action in smaller chunks of time. They can hone their skills at any minigame in Free Play mode or try the Extras mode that includes Goomba Bowling and the puzzle-based Castle Clearout.

Every time they play, players can earn Party Points that are used to unlock special items and features.

* Additional accessories are required for multiplayer game play and are sold separately.
**Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. Actual price may vary.

NEW STORY AND SINGLE-PLAYER MODE DETAILS REVEALED FOR KID ICARUS: UPRISING

Jan. 19, 2012

Nintendo has revealed new details about the storyline and single-player game play in Kid Icarus™: Uprising, which will launch exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS™ system on March 23. More than 25 years after the launch of the original Kid Icarus game for NES™, Kid Icarus: Uprising brings the action and adventure of this beloved series to new heights.

Introduction: The game's story begins with the return of the dark goddess Medusa and her Underworld Army. With the help of Palutena, goddess of light and guardian of the human race, the heroic angel Pit must combat the forces of darkness as he battles Medusa and her minions by air and by land.

Fiend's Cauldron: The Fiend's Cauldron is an incredible new system that allows players to customize their play experience by adjusting the intensity level. Intensity ranges from 0.0 – 9.0 for each individual Chapter. As the intensity increases, players will be able to earn more Hearts and more powerful weapon drops from defeated enemies. Hearts also can be used to purchase new weapons. The standard intensity setting is 2.0, but players can precisely adjust it by increments of 0.1. In order to increase the intensity, players must bet by placing an increasing number of Hearts into the Fiend's Cauldron. If the player is defeated during the Chapter, some Hearts will be lost and the intensity will be lowered.

Weapons: A wide variety of collectible weapons offers an extraordinary amount of replay value. With nine different categories of weapons, ranging from Bows to Claws, players can learn the unique characteristics of each weapon and determine which is best suited for each battle and their style of play.

Vehicles: During certain parts of his adventure, Pit will have access to special vehicles such as the Exo Tank. Pit can use the tank's powerful drift ability to boost over jumps or defeat enemies with the tank's ramming horn.

Stand: Kid Icarus: Uprising uses a control scheme designed to fit the game's unique blend of flight, shooting and melee combat, and offers tremendous precision and depth for dedicated players. The left hand uses the Circle Pad while the right hand uses the stylus. Every copy of the game will come with a free stand that holds the Nintendo 3DS at an angle above any flat surface, providing players with a new kind of gaming experience.

Circle Pad Pro: Kid Icarus: Uprising is compatible with the Circle Pad Pro accessory, offering an alternate control scheme for left-handed players. With the Circle Pad Pro, players hold the stylus in their left hand and use the Circle Pad with their right hand.

Additionally, consumers who pre-order at select retailers will receive a bonus download code for the 3D Classics: Kid Icarus™ game, a re-mastered 3D version of the NES original. The download code will be

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD HIGHLIGHTS NEW DIGITAL CONTENT FOR NINTENDO SYSTEMS - JAN. 19, 2011

Jan. 19, 2012 - The Wii Shop Channel offers games and applications and uses Wii Points™, which can be purchased via the Wii Shop Channel. The Nintendo DSi Shop offers games and applications and uses Nintendo DSi Points™, which can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Wii Points Card™ and Nintendo DSi Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one card must be redeemed in either the Wii Shop Channel or the Nintendo DSi Shop, respectively. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

This week's Nintendo Download includes the following featured content:

Lock'N Chase - This classic arcade game invites you to play as a thief who's trying to score big by collecting his weight in gold.

Duck in and out of alleys while scooping up coins along the way.
(For Nintendo 3DS™)

Resident Evil® Revelations (demo version) - An abandoned cruise ship holds the secret to a global bio-terrorism conspiracy in Resident Evil Revelations.

Resident Evil Revelations introduces a brand new storyline, locations and characters to the series, including playable characters and BSAA members Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield and Keith Lumley with their partners Parker Luciani, Jessica Sherawat and Quint Cetcham.

Jill Valentine and BSAA partner Parker Luciani have been sent to search for Chris Redfield, whose last known GPS data positions him as being onboard a supposedly abandoned cruise ship. Danger hides around every corner as they explore the confined space of the ship and face a menacing new enemy and virus; the T-Abyss.

In a brand new mode for the series, Raid Mode will offer players a different kind of experience separate to the main campaign story in either solo or co-op play. Compete in a variety of missions to defeat enemies and level up your character and gain more powerful weapons. Earn points for the enemies you attack and select from a range of upgrades to improve your weapon’s performance.

A demo version is now available in the Nintendo eShop.
(For Nintendo 3DS)

Stonekeep: Bones of the Ancestors - The legend of Stonekeep requires a new hero: you.

Stonekeep. The legendary city was once ruined by a dark god’s magick, but saved by your ancestors.

Explore dungeons, watch out for deadly traps, fight monsters with a variety of weapons or control dangerous magicks. The choice is yours.

But all is not lost. There are allies within the halls of Stonekeep. Choose one to help lead you to victory.

Explore creepy dungeons, defeat monsters and take their loot in this fantasy RPG.
(For Wii™)

Gaia's Moon - Something strange is causing changes to the balance of energy in Gaia that is necessary to prolong life. To discover the cause, you must play the role of Atreyu and his magical cane Milo, whose help you will need to be able to fly. But be very careful! The whole planet has gone mad and out of control, and existential chaos may ensue.

The mechanics are simple: With a single button you provide the necessary energy to the cane “Milo”, flying Atreyu through the sky of Gaia.

Use your skills to discover who is behind this and return harmony to the Gaia system. There is no point limit; get the highest score in the ranking. You will also be able to challenge a friend in two-player mode, sharing the same Nintendo DSi or Nintendo 3DS!
(For Nintendo 3DS / Nintendo DSi™)

Anne's Doll Studio: Gothic Collection - Dress-up a stylish doll, selecting from a wide range of Gothic style dresses and accessories.

Use the Sylus to choose hair styles, hair accessories, dresses, jackets and shoes, mixing and matching items to create hundreds of beautiful outfit combinations. Once your doll is complete you can choose from various backgrounds and boarder designs to create a stunning picture with your doll center-stage. Alternatively set your doll against a background of your choice by taking your own picture using the Nintendo DSi Camera.

You can further decorate and your doll by adding stars and other pretty effects or by drawing freehand.

Your completed doll pictures can be saved to the SD Card and traded with friends, used on social networks as your avatar picture or printed out using a computer.
(For Nintendo 3DS / Nintendo DSi™)

In addition to video games available at retail stores, Nintendo also offers a variety of content that people can download directly to their systems. Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS™ system, to the Nintendo DSi™ Shop for the Nintendo DSi system and to the Wii™ Shop Channel for the Wii console at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Thursdays.

The Nintendo eShop is a cash-based service and features games, applications and videos in both 2D and 3D. Users can add money to their virtual wallets using a credit card or by purchasing a Nintendo 3DS Prepaid Card at a retail store and entering the code from the card.

Remember that Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage some of the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wii, http://www.nintendo.com/3ds or http://www.nintendo.com/ds/systems/dsi.