Finding Pokemon Conquest

Pokemon Conquest for Nintendo DS

Pokemon Conquest was officially released by Nintendo of America yesterday, June 18, 2012; finding a copy of the game though, was a challenge!

Although the release date was yesterday, when I went to my local GameStop to pickup my reserved pre-order, I was told that the game wasn't actually released until today, June 19th. We were really looking forward to getting this game, and I was sure I had the release date correct, because I subscribe to the official Nintendo twitter feed, and they send out a message saying that it was out. I looked it up again via Twitter on my cell phone just to make sure, and there the confirmation was in plain sight -- it was released on the 18th.

With this information, I went back into GameStop and appealed to the clerk, showing him the official release info from Nintendo, but he said his hands were tied because their system said the 19th, and they would get fined if they released the game earlier. I completely understood and figured as much, but told the clerk I regrettably had to ask for a refund so I could get the game elsewhere. Really a bummer because we looked forward to the bonus Pokemon that you were supposed to get as a Power Up Rewards member for pre-ordering the game, but again, we just had to have it yesterday!

Well, I took myself on over to Walmart to get the game, but they too said that although the release date said the 18th, they didn't have the items in stock, and that it was probably on the truck on their way to them. How Disappointing! I didn't have the time to another store to try and locate the game, so after all of that, we still didn't get the game on the 18th.

This morning I woke up determined to get the game. I called around to Walmart, Best Buy, ToysRUs, Target, GameStop etc. and FINALLY found the game at one particular Target about 45 minutes away from my home. I went there, got them game (which they said they had JUST received about 10 am) and was a happy camper.

I'm happy to have finally found the game, but it's got me wondering, why was it so hard to get on it's release date? If the official release date was yesterday, why did GameStop have the release date as today, and some other websites have the release date as late as the 28th? Did you have a problem locating Pokemon Conquest as well?

Animal Crossing School Subject Bookmarks

We are huge Animal Crossing fans in our household, so when school started, I thought it would be fun to make some bookmarks featuring Animal Crossing City Folk characters for my son to use with his subjects.  Just a little something to brighten an otherwise boring school day!

Animal Crossing School Subject Bookmarks

Princess Peach Reacts to Nintendo E3 Showing

Looks like Princess Peach had the same reactions to E3 that we did!

Animal Crossing 3DS Still a Work in Progress

It appears that the president of Nintendo America, Reggie Fils-Aime, has said that Animal Crossing 3DS is still very much in development. It's great to know that the game is still on the radar after it didn't make a showing at the Nintendo E3 conference this year, but to hear that it is still in development is a little perplexing, especially given that it is supposed to have a release date of the Fall in Japan. At this rate, it doesn't look like we will see a North American release of Animal Crossing 3DS this year, but we can still hope for a miracle!

The Original Scribblenaut - Jigglypuff

One of the original Scribblenauts -- Jigglypuff!

Animal Crossing Kart Racing

If you combined two of my favorite games -- Mario Kart and Animal Crossing -- you would have a game I would love to play -- Animal Crossing Kart Racing!

Animal Crossing Kart Racing

Tom Nook Means Business

I think this graphic by Animal Crossing fan "Killa Charlie" illustrates the importance of paying off your mortgage with Tom Nook as quickly as possible.

Source: weeklygeekshow.com via NintendoFanatic.com on Pinterest

Reactions to Nintendo's E3 2012 Showing

Nintendo's E3 2012 was held last week, and it was neat to see all of the games that are coming up for the Wii U, not to mention that the console itself looks pretty awesome. I loved the way that Miyamoto came up on the stage and introduced the new Pikmin 3 game, and look forward to playing it; with its rich graphics, it's sure to be a joyful gameplaying experience.

Also introduced was NintendoLand, a game with a theme-park feel that featured various attractions based on famous Nintendo franchises such as Donkey Kong, Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda, Luigi's Mansion, etc. In addition to the mini-game attractions that were demoed at E3, there are said to be another 10 Nintendo franchise themed attractions that you will be able to experience within NintendoLand. NintendoLand showcases the many ways that the new Wii U Gamepad controller can be utilized in gameplay, and as such, it would make a great game to include as a pack-in title with the new Wii U console at the system's launch.

In an effort not to leave Mario fans out in the cold at the Wii U system release and this holiday season, Nintendo also showcased three new Mario games and one Luigi game that will be available by year's end: the Midas-touched Super Mario Bros. 2 for the 3DS, Super Mario Bros U for the new Wii U console, Paper Mario: Sticker Star for the 3DS, and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon for the 3DS. I'm personally excited about all of these games, and have all but the Super Mario Bros U already pre-ordered (that one wasn't available when I pre-ordered the other games, but is definitely going on my pre-order list soon).

One title I (and many others apparently!) was looking forward to hearing about at E3 was the Animal Crossing: Jump Out game for the Nintendo 3DS. This game was first announced at E3 2010 and since then, Nintendo has teased us with videos showcasing the many new features, opportunities and gameplay that are available with this newly minted version of a Nintendo beloved franchise. Although we did say Animal Crossing gameplay demoed in the form of a mini-game in the Animal Crossing Sweet Day portion of NintendoLand for the Wii U, there was not one demo, screenshot, updated trailer, or release date for the Animal Crossing 3DS game. This was highly disappointing, as we have heard that our Japanese friends will be getting the game released to them in the Fall of this year. Us Animal Crossing fans assumed that we were going to at least get a few more gameplay videos and a release date window for the game at E3, but to not get an ounce of information is quite unfathomable. Hopefully Nintendo has heard our collective cries for more info on this game, and will be forthcoming with additional gameplay footage and release date info soon. We're counting on you, Nintendo!

In addition to the games mentioned above, there were actually quite a few games mentioned at E3 2012 that will be released at the time of the launch of the Wii U; here's a listing of the launch title lineup:

Pikmin 3
New Super Mario Bros. U
Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Darksiders 2
Mass Effect 3
TANK! TANK! TANK!
Tekken Tag Tournment 2
Trine 2: Director’s Cut
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge
Aliens Colonial Marines
Wii Fit U
Sing!
LEGO City: Undercover
Just Dance 4
ZombiU
The Avengers: Battle for Earth
Assassin’s Creed III
Rayman Legends
Rabbids Land
YourShape: Fitness Evolved 2013

Looks like there's something for everyone!

All in all, the E3 conference was a success, and Nintendo definitely had the best showing of any of the gaming giants that showcased their wares at E3. We're sure to hear more about the Wii U, 3DS and their associated games in the next few months leading up to their holiday release -- looking forward to hearing every bit of it!

Kid Icarus Uprising AR Card Scans - 61 Cards!

If you didn't have a chance to make it to any of the Kid Icarus Uprising events to collect the special AR cards, never fear! I have created a video of the AR cards we were able to get from attending the Kid Icarus Best Buy and GameStop events, as well as ones we got from Club Nintendo and the Kid Icarus Uprising Prima Guide. We have 61 in all!

I created this video so that you guys could get good scans of the cards, so there's no fluff like music or commentary, but I hope you guys still enjoy it and find the video useful. Happy viewing and scanning!

Oh, and by the way, if you find the video useful, please like and subscribe to my videos on YouTube -- I'd appreciate it!  :)

Animal Crossing June DLC - Creepy Coffin

On June 1st, our peeps in Animal Crossing City Folk received a Creepy Coffin gift from Nintendo via Pete the mailman. I suppose you could put this with the Spooky Decor, but really, where is it really appropriate to store a coffin (with a skeleton in it mind you!) other than a funeral home, morgue or cemetery! I might've expected this for October, but seems a little strange to get it in June. Not complaining though, we didn't have it yet! :-)

At any rate, Lou, one of the characters in one of our Animal Crossing towns tries to figure out why he got this peculiar gift. Watch the video below to see if he finds out.

Club Nintendo Mario Kart 7 Tournament

This one's for all you racing fans!

In the Nintendo Update for May 31, 2012, Nintendo announced that there will be a Club Nintendo Mario Kart 7 Tournament competition starting on June 11th. The top 3 scoring players in the tournament will have their screen names featured on the Nintendo Facebook page, as well as the Club Nintendo page at club.nintendo.com.

To enter the tournament, visit http://club.nintendo.com on June 11th to get the Mario Kart 7 Community code.   The contest runs until June 29th at 5 pm EST.  Good luck and happy racing!