Another one of the Good Smile Company announcements from New York Comic Con 2024 involves a The Binding of Isaac figure that is a Nendoroid of the main character. It is the furthest along of all of the company’s announcements at the event, as a painted prototype appeared and there are multiple photos showing the extra parts included with it.

The multiple photos tied to a gif released alongside the reveal covered many of the parts Isaac will include. His face plates always show him crying, and it seems he will have ones that feature both his eyes open and closed. He’ll come with a standard body, as well as an additional one of him curled up in a fetal position on the floor. You can arm him with Mom’s Knife, which was a passive in the original game. He also comes with a Dead Cat passive item, which can be displayed alongside him.

Here’s the official announcement gif showing some of the different The Binding of Isaac Nendoroid poses that will be possible.

While there’s no pre-order open yet, we should see that happen soon. Not only did the painted prototype appear at NYCC 2024, but there are multiple photos of its accessories and extra parts.

Many of the other NYCC 2024 Good Smile Company reveals involved games. There will be a new World of Warcraft Nendoroid and Diablo 4 Pop Up Parade figure coming from the company.  

The Binding of Isaac original game is available on PCs. The remake showed up on the 3DS, PS4, PS5, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices. There’s no release window for The Binding of Isaac Nendoroid yet.

The post The Binding of Isaac Nendoroid Includes Tons of Tears appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo announced via its official Japanese X account that it has updated its guidelines for sharing content from its games on online platforms.

The guideline is available in multiple languages, including English. The original Japanese version has additional update date notes on the newly revised lines on the page, which has been regularly updated since its debut in late 2018. Nintendo made three new revisions to the guidelines on September 2, 2024.

The first revision added a new line to the official guidelines list. It shows Nintendo's right to object to any infringing content and blacklist the offender from sharing content from Nintendo games in the future. The Japanese page added that the company will even use legal measures to enforce its objections.

In the second revision, the company explained the types of shared content it allows and disallows. While Nintendo forbids republishing official trailers and game assets like music or cutscenes, it also discourages players from uploading simple gameplay recordings without any edits or commentaries. The Japanese page added an exception to content produced directly from the Nintendo Switch's Share button feature, which includes videos that can only run for up to 30 seconds.

The third and last revision in this guideline had Nintendo update the list of content that it will deem unlawful or inappropriate at the bottom of the page. Usages of unauthorized methods like third-party emulator software, cheats, and data mining are part of the list. The company also included malicious acts, such as making offensive remarks or griefing another player by impeding their game progress during a multiplayer session.

The Nintendo Game Content Guidelines for Online Video & Image Sharing Platforms appeared first on November 29, 2018, as it replaced the Nintendo Creators Program. The company newly updated the guidelines on September 2, 2024.

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Nintendo has stopped accepting official repairs for the Wii U in Japan. The company found out on July 3, 2024, that it had run out of spare parts to repair the legacy consoles. It has thus added the Wii U to the official list of consoles that already had their repairs completely discontinued.

The company made the confirmation via a follow-up tweet to the initial announcement in May 2023. The Japanese tweet is available to read right below:

Besides the Wii U, Nintendo is also gradually phasing out repairs for the 3DS family of consoles. The company has already stopped accepting repairs for the original 3DS and its LL/XL variant. In February 2024, it started the countdown for the spare parts for the New 3DS, its LL/XL variant, and 2DS to run out. Only the New 2DS LL/XL is still serviceable for the foreseeable future.

The cessation of official repairs for the Wii U in Japan marked a total closure to the saga of the Wii's direct successor. Nintendo launched the console first in the West in November 2012, with Japan following suit the month after in December 2012. The company stopped production of the console at the end of January 2017. It had also completely shut down all online functions of the console in April 2024, after previously closing the eShop in March 2023.

The post Wii U Repairs Are No Longer Available Formally in Japan appeared first on Siliconera.

Masahiro Sakurai has revealed on his X account that he has finished recording the final episode for his YouTube channel "Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games." However, it will still take quite some time until this episode comes out, as Sakurai still has other regular episodes coming beforehand.

Sakurai's plan to end the video series has been known for quite a while. He first announced it in early January 2024. 2024 will thus be the final year for him to publish new episodes on the channel.

The original Japanese tweet is available to view right below:

And our translation of this tweet is as follows:

I have finished recording the final episode for the channel.
I think it will still take a while until it's published, so until then, please enjoy the regular episodes...

Masahiro Sakurai

Masahiro Sakurai established the YouTube channel in late August 2022. He has since published new episodes simultaneously in Japanese and English. As of June 2024, the channel has a combined total of almost 1.18 million subscribers, with around 580,000 from the English channel and almost 600,000 from the Japanese channel.

The channel has also received acclaim from the gaming industry. In August 2023, Sakurai received two awards at the CEDEC Awards 2023 for running the YouTube channel. The awards in question were the Game Design award and the Visual Arts award.

The "Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games" YouTube channel is available in Japanese and English languages, and its final episode will appear sometime in 2024.

The post Masahiro Sakurai Recorded His Final YouTube Channel Episode appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo announced that as of April 8, 2024, it will no longer support online services for the 3DS or the Wii U. This will include online co-op or multiplayer, internet rankings, and data distribution.

You will still be able to play offline games, and Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter will still be available as well. Nintendo does note that support for Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter may end in the future though. StreetPass will be available too, because it uses local communication between 3DS systems. However, you won’t be able to use SpotPass. Finally, it will be possible to download update date, as well as redownload games and DLC you own from the eShop.

Nintendo has been phasing out both the 3DS and the Wii U for a while now. The eShop for both consoles closed down in March 2023. Nintendo also announced that it would close down online services for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U back in October 2023. This is not a surprise considering how old these consoles are. The 3DS first came out in 2011 and the Wii U launched in 2012.

You will no longer be able to access online services on the 3DS or the Wii U after April 8, 2024. However, you will still be able to access StreetPass, as well as download games and DLC you previously purchased.

The post Reminder: Online Services For 3DS and Wii U Will End in April 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo joined the list of Japanese companies that offer support following the Noto earthquake. It revealed on its Japanese corporate account on X that it is donating 50 million yen (~$341,380) to the Japanese Red Cross. In addition, the company also announced that it will offer free repairs of its products belonging to people who reside in the affected area, regardless of their warranty status for six months since the earthquake occurred on the 2024 New Year's Day.

All Nintendo Switch models released to date are eligible. Most units in the 3DS and 2DS families, except the original 3DS [CTR-001] and 3DS LL (XL) [SPR-001] models, are also available for repairs. And even though Nintendo is on the verge of running out of Wii U spare parts, the legacy console is still eligible as the company has yet to add it to the list of completely discontinued platforms as of mid-January 2024.

Many other Japanese companies related to gaming and other subcultures have also donated money for relief following the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred on January 1, 2024. Square Enix, Capcom, and Cover of Hololive fame are some of the companies that have done so. The Pokemon Company, which is affiliated with Nintendo, had also donated 50 million yen on its own.

Nintendo will offer free repairs for its products with available spare parts affected by the Noto earthquake that arrive at its service centers by July 1, 2024.

The post Nintendo Offers Free Repairs to Users Affected by the Noto Earthquake appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo will put yet another nail in the coffins of the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U as it announced online play and other functions that use online communications will end in April 2024. According to the official website, this includes online multiplayer modes, internet rankings, and data distribution. More information on a specific date will come out closer to the shutdown.

The only online service that will be available after April 2024 will be Pokemon Bank. However, Nintendo warned that it may also end Pokemon Bank support sometime in the future. It also stated that there’s a chance it will end online functionality earlier than April 2024 if difficulties crop up between then and now. As a side note, you’ll still be able to use StreetPass (since it’s local communication) and access the Nintendo eShop to download purchased software and DLC.

The Nintendo 3DS first came out in 2010 and the Wii U came out in late 2012. The 3DS was massively popular (with Nintendo reporting over 75.77 million lifetime sales in 2020). Nintendo closed down the eShops for the 3DS and the Wii U in March 2023. While both the 3DS and the Wii U had its time in the sun, and with the Switch starting to head out as well, Nintendo seems like it’s preparing to take the next step towards the future.

Nintendo will close down online functionality for the 3DS and Wii U sometime in April 2024.

The post Nintendo Will Discontinue 3DS and Wii U Online Functions in 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix announced that service for Dragon Quest X Online on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U will end on March 20, 2024. However, more support is coming for the MMO. A new version 7.0 expansion is coming. The expansion is titled Dragon Quest X Online: The Door to the Future and the Sleeping Girl, and more information about it will appear after the plot of version 6.0 wraps up. The expansion is set to release in 2024.

Square Enix decided to terminate services for both the 3DS and Wii U versions of the game due to difficulties in continuing to support them. Additionally, Nintendo discontinued the hardware for both platforms, and other online services for both platforms have ceased service as well. It will regularly provide new information, and update the schedule until end of service for both the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U versions of Dragon Quest X Online.

Dragon Quest X Online originally launched on 2012 for the Wii. The game later launched for the Wii U on March 30, 2013. The 3DS version followed that on September 4, 2014, and it runs using cloud technology. Online service for the Wii version ended back in 2017.

Dragon Quest X Online is available only in Japan for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Windows PC, and mobile devices. Service for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U versions will end on March 20, 2024. The new Dragon Quest X Online expansion updating the game to 7.0 will appear on 2024.

The post Dragon Quest X Online 3DS & Wii U Service Ends, New Expansion Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.

The ongoing maintenance for the Wii U versions of Mario Kart 8 and the original Splatoon will end on August 3, 2023. This will allow players to access online multiplayer once again. Nintendo previously paused network features for the games in March 2023 in order to fix a vulnerability found in the online systems.

Before resuming online play, Wii U owners will need to download an update for each game after the maintenance ends. While Nintendo said the vulnerability is fixed, if more issues arise it may discontinue online support for both Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon on the Wii U at short notice. If that happens, offline play will remain available as usual.

While the Wii U version experienced issues, the fifth wave of DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch appeared on July 12, 2023. This new content included new courses and characters like Petey Piranha and Wiggler.

Meanwhile Splatoon 3 is active on the Switch. Nintendo announced that the game's August Splatfest would be fought over Fame, Money and Love.

Maintenance for online services in Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon is scheduled to end on August 3, 2023. Players will have to download updates for their games before resuming online play. While the Wii U eShop ended service in March, 2023, those who have physical copies or the games registered to their accounts will still be able to re-download and update them.

The post Splatoon and Mario Kart 8 Wii U Maintenance Finally Ending appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo Japan announced that it will no longer repair Wii U systems or peripherals as soon as it runs out of its current inventory of parts. This is because that the warranty for the repair parts expired. Nintendo stated via its Japanese website that while this may be a hassle for its customers, it hopes that they will understand.

The Wii U first came out on December 8, 2012 and sold over 13.56 million units throughout its lifetime. This makes it the worst-selling Nintendo console since 2005. In comparison, here are the numbers for other consoles that came out (using information from March 2023);

• 3DS: 75.94 million units
• DS: 154.02 million units
• Switch: 125.62 million units
• Wii: 101.63 million units

This information is from the Japanese Nintendo site so it likely only takes into account data from Japan.

Nintendo warns customers that those who are thinking about sending in their Wii U and accessories for repairs should do so fast. It will shut down the repair service but only after it runs out of existing parts. You can also contact Nintendo Support to inquire in their inventory. However, it only accepts questions in Japanese.

Nintendo of Japan will no longer accept Wii U or Wii U peripherals sent in for repairs when it runs out of its current stock of parts. It's unclear when that will be since it depends on how many people still want to fix their Wii U or peripherals.

The post Nintendo Japan Will No Longer Repair Wii U After Parts Run Out appeared first on Siliconera.

We've gotten to spend quite a bit of time with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomnow that it's been around for a week. Granted, given it is a game that could take dozens or hundreds of hours to really master, we might not be sure how we feel about it. Not to mention so many other past installments have offered us all sorts of adventures over the year. So this week, we decided it might be a good idea for us all to share what we like best about some of our favorite The Legend of Zelda games.

One of the greatest things about the The Legend of Zelda series is that there is a game for everyone in it. For me, it also happens to be the first one I ever played as a kid. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a fantastic game, whether you play the original Game Boy version, the Game Boy Color port, or the 2019 Switch remake. There is no wrong way of experiencing one of Link's most interesting adventures. To top it all of, the soundtrack of Link's Awakening is one of the most beautiful ones I've ever heard in a video game. — Daniel

I'd say The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is probably the game I liked best. There are so many silly elements, and it all feels so lighthearted. There can be a lot of darkness in Hyrule, but tempering that with a cap that lets me turn super teeny and see the world from a whole new perspective is pretty great. -- Jenni

I always enjoy The Legend of Zelda games, but there’s only one that has truly stuck with me on a deeper level. The series rarely does much for me narrative-wise, but Majora’s Mask is a huge exception to this. It’s basically a horror game in disguise, with its Groundhog Day premise and angry moon hanging in the sky. The stories of everyone in Clock Town and the surrounding areas of Termina are so simple yet so heart-wrenching. There’s something deeply troubled about that world that makes me desperately want to be its hero. Plus the Song of Healing is one of the best music pieces in the entire series. - Leigh

Before, I would have said one of the Oracle games. Oracle of Ages was the first The Legend of Zelda game I ever played and completed! And I loved it to death. But after the years, there's one game that has grown on me in ways I almost didn't expect, and that's The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. With an incredible cast of characters and a gorgeous score, this more low fantasy version of Hyrule embodies the dusk the game itself references within its very title. It's moody, dark, but not without a glimmer of hope lingering on the horizon. Even to this day I'd love for Nintendo make something of a sequel for it, just to see Midna one more time. (Also the Ganondorf design and fight in Twilight Princess is unparalleled.) -- Kazuma

While I have yet to meet a The Legend of Zelda game I don't like, the one I always go back to is Majora's Mask. The darker, more somber tone to quite literally every aspect is both a nice change of pace and incredibly well done. It puts an emphasis on exploring the world and completing side quests that's great for making you want to play more as well as for replay value. And frankly, I'm a big fan of the three-day cycle. It gives the game a sense of urgency while adding to the darker themes. Plus the Fierce Deity is unbelievably cool and I will probably cry like a baby if it's ever brought back. -- Adam

The post Which The Legend of Zelda Game Do You Like Best? appeared first on Siliconera.

One of the Dragon Quest X Online weapons designed by Bleach manga artist Tite Kubo will return to the game. The one-handed sword Spalt Edge is one of the three collaboration weapons designed by Kubo released in 2015 for DQX Online, and it will make a reappearance soon. [Thanks, ryokutya2089!]

The weapons were originally available through download codes included in the August 2015 issue of the V Jump magazine, as well as the DQX Online third anniversary fan book. The other two Spalt weapons are the two/handed Spalt Blade and the Spalt Claws knuckle weapon.

The Spalt weapons were originally made available as part of several collaboration events in 2015. The Spalt Blade appeared in Dragon Quest X Online on July 2015, while the Spalt Edge appeared on August, and the Spalt Claws on October of the same year.

Bleach author Tite Kubo also collaborated by drawing an illustration for the Dragon Quest X Online third anniversary fan book, depicting three members of the Ogre species wielding the Spalt weapons.

Dragon Quest X Online is available only in Japan for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Windows PC, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and mobile devices. The game originally launched on 2012 for the Wii, but online service for the Wii version terminated on 2017. Meanwhile, Dragon Quest X Offline released for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC in Japan on September 15, 2022, and the game will receive an expansion in May 2023.

The post Dragon Quest X Online Sword Designed by Bleach Artist Returns appeared first on Siliconera.

With The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom here, there’s no better time to talk about what is surely one of the most polarizing aspects of both it and Breath of the Wild: weapon durability. Some love it, others hate it, and maybe like three people are indifferent about it. Everyone’s got an opinion on the feature one way or another, and I will proudly say that I am firmly in the “love it” camp. In fact, I’m even looking forward to its inclusion in Tears of the Kingdom, especially with some of the changes shown off.

To be clear, I absolutely do not believe the durability system is perfect. I find that most, if not all, weapons break far too quickly and would love the damage warning to be given with more time before the actual breakage. There have been many times I’ve destroyed two, three, or even over four weapons in the process of beating a single enemy, who then only drops one new one. Of course, that’s to be expected when fighting certain foes, but against enemies like Bokoblins, it’s nothing if not irksome. So why do I think so highly of a system that I have several problems with, including some at the fundamental level? Because I wholeheartedly believe that the game and its themes benefit greatly from the inclusion of the durability system.

Exploration is incentivized

As The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is such a huge open-world game, exploring is a major aspect. Players are actively encouraged to do whatever they want whenever and however they want to do it. Naturally, this means that you can and should traverse the map. By making weapons breakable, they become yet another item that needs to be collected, which further encourages that exploration. You need weapons to get by in the game, and you need to explore to get weapons. Thus you are encouraged to travel the world to aid in your progression. A big part of all open-world games is going around discovering new things, and that is especially true for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, so giving players even more reason to do so by making weapons breakable adds to the enjoyment.

[caption id="attachment_962647" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]

Concepts are built on

The entire premise of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is that Hyrule is destroyed. Ganon has all but won and the once-mighty kingdom is in ruins. Even the Guardians and Divine Beasts became tools for evil. The concepts of impermanence and destruction are prominent in the game, and weapons also following the trend of not lasting forever is just another (admittedly small) reminder of those concepts.

There's no shortage of weapons

A major criticism of weapon durability in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the constant need to find new weapons since they break so easily. It’s very fair since weapons certainly don’t take long to be destroyed, but it’s not like getting new ones is all that tough. Sure, maybe you won’t get another two-handed sword with 55 power anytime soon, but things like tree branches, soup ladles, and pot lids can fill the gap until you find a proper replacement. Breath of the Wild thrives on improvisation, and using whatever you can get your hands on is just another part of that.

[caption id="attachment_962648" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]

In short, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s weapon durability system builds on many of the things the game sets out to accomplish. It gives players more reason to explore the massive open world, serves as a constant reminder of some of the game’s themes, and isn’t overly difficult to work with thanks to the abundance and variance of weapons. There’s room for improvement, but I think the game is far better off with it than it would be without it. I’m very excited for it to return in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and can’t wait to really feel the modifications made to it.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available on the Switch and Wii U, and Tears of the Kingdom is available on the Switch.

The post Breath of the Wild’s Durability System Is a Benefit, Not a Drawback appeared first on Siliconera.

Pretty much everyone i stalking about The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in 2023. After all, it’s a follow-up to a critically acclaimed installment and one of the biggest releases this year. But someone might also wonder if it is really the best The Legend of Zelda game to play at the moment, especially if someone is new to the series and it would be their first one. It’s going to be big and intimidating! Since I’ve been playing entries in the series since the NES, I figured suggesting different sorts of installments could help people pin down the right one to pick up and play.

I want to play the newest The Legend of Zelda game first: Tears of the Kingdom

I figured let’s start this out with an easy one. If you don’t care about history, gameplay, or style of gameplay and just want the newest game, go with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It’s the newest possible entry and you can find it on the Nintendo Switch.

However, since it is a sequel, I’d say you really might want to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild first if you can.

I want to play what may be all-time best The Legend of Zelda game first: A Link to the Past

While the original NES The Legend of Zelda titles lay an incredible foundation, A Link to the Past is perhaps one of the best games ever made. The artistry, game design, dungeons, and premise are all pretty much perfect. It appeared on the SNES, GBA (with Four Swords), 3DS, Wii, and Wii U via Virtual Console, and Nintendo Switch Online.

I want to play one of the all-time greatest 3D The Legend of Zelda games first: The Ocarina of Time

The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time is a formative game. It isn’t just a wonderful The Legend of Zelda title. Both it and A Link to the Past should basically be mandatory playing for anyone who wants to really understand action games with a real sense of adventure. The storyline is great, the dungeons are fantastic, the time travel mechanic is wonderful, and it’s a delight. You can find it on the N64, GameCube, Wii and Wii U via Virtual Console, Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, and 3DS.

[caption id="attachment_962574" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

I want to play a bright and colorful The Legend of Zelda game first: The Wind Waker

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is one of the brightest and most vibrant versions of Hyrule people will get to explore. It’s one of the cel-shaded entries, and it also sets itself apart with its sea-faring ways. You can find it on the GameCube and Wii U.

I want to play a more unconventional The Legend of Zelda games first: Majora’s Mask

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is weird in many wonderful ways. It’s a direct follow-up to The Ocarina of Time. It relies upon masks for different abilities and progression. It’s incredibly dark, as we see a moon about to crush everything. Plus there’s a time loop that involves repeating days until you can get everything done to save the day. It’s good! You can find it on the N64, GameCube, Wii and Wii U via Virtual Console, Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, and 3DS.

I want to play a darker The Legend of Zelda game first: The Twilight Princess

While it isn’t an open-world game, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a huge game with fantastic dungeons, the glorious gremlin-like assistant Midna, and a version of Link that can transforms into a wolf. It’s a darker title in many ways, both in terms of appearance and knowing Twilight infested Hyrule. It’s definitely worth someone’s time. You can find it on the GameCube, Wii, and Wii U.

I want to play a multiplayer The Legend of Zelda game first: Four Swords Adventures

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures is so much fun! You can get together and form a group of four people who all control a “Link” to solve puzzles and progress through the adventure. It’s a wonderful GameCube game. Though also, if you can’t find it, then Four Swords on the GBA (via The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past) or The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition on the DSi or 3DS if you have it is also a lot of fun.

The post Which The Legend of Zelda Game Is a Good Place to Start? appeared first on Siliconera.

As part of the various Splatfest events in the Splatoon series, Nintendo releases official art. So for Splatoon, we’d see the Squid Sisters Callie and Maries engaged in activities for the festival, and so on. Now Nintendo’s Japanese branch released a virtual gallery online that shows the imagery created for all three games’ special events.

The official site doesn’t show the winners for the Splatoon, Splatoon 2, and Splatoon 3 Splatfest events, only the art. Each one shows what the question was for that one, as well as what the two sides were. In the case of situations where there were different topics, there are buttons that you can click to see the different options. For example, the July 2017 Splatoon 2 Splatfest was Rock vs Pop in Japan and Cake vs Ice Cream in North America, Europe, and Oceania. So if you scroll to that event in the virtual gallery, it initially shows Pearl and Marina with the Rock vs Pop art, and clicking the button for other regions shows the Off the Hook members with cake and ice cream.

The gallery also covers art from special collaborations as well. For example, there is the image for the May 2018 Sanrio Splatfests. The Deep Cut The Legend of Zelda Splatfest imagery showed up as well.

Splatoon is available on the Nintendo Wii U, while Splatoon 2 and 3 are on the Switch.

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