Nintendo News Bits
It’s about that time to wrap up another year of gaming – and tear up the gaming goodness! Whichever platform you get your gaming fix from, 2016 delivers many new options. Now is the time to grab some great video game system bundles, amazing breakout VR experiences, bleeding-eye graphic FPSes, and geek-out on gaming goodies. Keep it bookmarked here as game deals (hello, Black Friday!), last minute new game releases, special video game bundles and gaming goods will be updated in the weeks ahead.
Obviously this isn’t the end-all video game list – just a few biggies that are available now for your gaming appetite (ahem, if you can find the elusive NES 8-bit revival). Have any suggestions for the holiday gaming list? Send an email to alexis@gamingbits.com for possible inclusion in this GamingBits 2016 Holiday Video Game Gift Guide!
Make sure to follow @GamingBits on Twitter for the latest holiday video game and Black Friday deals as they happen during the week of November 21, 2016.
Select from the following video game lists:
Game & Geek Toys | Retro gaming
PlayStation 4 (PS4) | Xbox One | Wii U | 3DS | Virtual Reality (VR)
Game & Geek Toys
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Geek Fuel What’s in the box?!?! A gaming and sci-fi bundle of goodies! Geek Fuel is the ultimate inner-geek care package, which you can delight in giving (or receiving) all year long. Geek Fuel packs a meticulous box of themed goodies that include items such as t-shirts, mugs, pins, and even video game download codes – at least a $50 value in a box! See these pictures for an example of the awesome items packed into a month’s delivery box. It’s the surprise gift that gives all year long, one which any fan of sci-fi, fantasy, comics and/or gaming will surely love! Thanks to Geek Fuel for the samples pictured here and the heads up on the awesomeness. |
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More gaming toys and goods recommended:
![]() Nintendo Pokemon GO Plus Bluetooth Bracelet |
![]() Funko POP Games: |
![]() PDP Donkey Kong Display |
![]() Mega Bloks Destiny |
![]() Portal 2 Sentry Turret – |
![]() Kirby’s Dream Land Nosechara |
Retro gaming
![]() Nintendo Entertainment System: |
![]() Nintendo NES Controller |
![]() Pac-Man Connect and Play |
![]() Sega Genesis Classic Game |
![]() Atari Flashback 7 Classic |
![]() Art of Atari |
PlayStation 4 (PS4)
PS4 hardware:
![]() Sony PlayStation 4 Pro – 1TB |
![]() PlayStation VR Launch Bundle |
PS4 games:
![]() Battlefield 1 |
![]() Dishonored 2 |
![]() Doom |
![]() Overwatch |
![]() Ratchet & Clank |
![]() Rise of the Tomb Raider: |
![]() The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – |
![]() Titanfall 2 |
![]() Tom Clancy’s The Division |
![]() Uncharted 4 |
(For PlayStation VR (PSVR) games, check the VR category below). |
Recommended upcoming PS4 games:
![]() Final Fantasy XV |
![]() The Last Guardian |
Xbox One
Xbox One hardware:
![]() Xbox One S 2TB Console – |
![]() Xbox One S 1TB Console – |
Xbox One games:
![]() Battlefield 1 |
![]() Dishonored 2 |
![]() Doom |
![]() Forza Horizon 3 |
![]() Gears of War 4 |
![]() Ori and the Blind Forest: |
![]() Overwatch |
![]() The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – |
![]() Titanfall 2 |
![]() Tom Clancy’s The Division |
Recommended upcoming Xbox One games:
![]() Dead Rising 4 |
![]() Final Fantasy XV |
Wii U
Wii U hardware:
![]() Nintendo Wii U 32GB |
Wii U games:
![]() Paper Mario: Color Splash |
![]() Pokken Tournament |
![]() The Legend of Zelda: |
Nintendo 3DS
3DS hardware:
![]() Nintendo New 3DS XL |
![]() Nintendo 3DS Black Friday deal |
3DS games:
![]() Azure Striker Gunvolt: |
![]() Kirby: Planet Robobot |
![]() Pokémon Sun |
![]() Pokémon Moon |
Recommended upcoming 3DS games:
![]() Super Mario Maker |
Virtual Reality (VR)
![]() HTC VIVE – Virtual Reality System Some of today’s best VR gaming experiences are to be found on the HTC Vive. Room-scale motion tracking, included motion controllers and a headset with an external camera create an out-of-the-box virtual reality experience like no other today. Backed by a growing Steam game library and Viveport VR software, there is no shortage of what to virtually experience. |
Steam Store VR recomendations: – The Lab – Job Simulator – FATED: The SIlent Oath – SoundStage – Tilt Brush(and checkout ReVive for using Oculus Rift games with the HTC Vive.) |
![]() PlayStation VR Launch Bundle |
![]() Batman: Arkham VR – PlayStation 4 |
Long overdue, Nintendo finally dips into the iOS and Android smartphone market for Nintendo fans. Nintendo launches it’s first smartphone app Miitomo on March 31st. The iconic character is you, your Mii, to engage with other Mii players in social activities. Much like Nintendo’s Wii U and 3DS platforms, your Mii can be built from scratch using options, a camera, or importing using a QR code. So what happens next?
Here are the details on how Miitomo engages players, from Nintendo:
“Miitomo creates conversations and turns discussions into a form of play by prompting users to answer all kinds of fun questions. How would you define your fashion style? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? If you were given ten grand to spend in one day, what would you do? The answers get shared among friends, sparking interesting conversations – part of the fun is discovering unexpected facts about your friends. When users hear how their friends responded to questions, they can give answers a “heart” or a written or picture comment.”
There is a little mini-game to be played inside called Miitomo Drop. Player engagement in Japan has been huge, where Miitomo has been “downloaded more than 1 million times in its first three days of availability, while achieving the #1 most downloaded free app status in both the App Store and Google Play storefronts,” said Nintendo.
Players can preregister here at the official website to be notified when Miitomo is available and also receive some perks for its new My Nintendo program. It sounds similar to the discontinued Nintendo Club program. Nintendo says, “Both Platinum and Gold Points can be redeemed for rewards like games, download content, in-app items and eShop discount coupons.”
For more information, visit Miitomo.com.
A fitting day to celebrate Mario would be March 10th, or MAR10, as hinted by Nintendo. “Celebrated by Mario fans each year, the 10th of March is a special day to remember his impact on pop culture,” said Nintendo, “thanks to how the day on the calendar resembles the beloved character’s name.” Such an iconic character of the video game world, Mario deserves his day. What were your first recollections of Mario? Mine was in his hammer-smashing, barrel-dodging action arcade game, Donkey Kong.
Some of Mario’s highlights, from Nintendo:
- Mario had a big milestone in 2015! He celebrated 30 years since he leaped his way into people’s hearts in 1985’s Super Mario Bros.
- Nintendo launched Super Mario Maker, a game that lets fans create and share their own Super Mario Bros. levels. So far, 6.2 million levels have been created by fans!
- Facebook’s engineers celebrated Mario by creating their very own Super Mario Maker levels for fans to play.
- A special 30th Anniversary Mario amiibo was released in a classic 8-bit design. The limited-edition figure was a tribute to the original Super Mario Bros. game that launched for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985.
- Mario hit the courts with the launch of Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for Wii U. In the game, fans play as Mario and friends in intense tennis competitions.
- For the first time, Mario teamed up with his paper version, Paper Mario, in the colorful action RPG Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam for Nintendo 3DS.
- With the help of his voice actor, Charles Martinet, Mario celebrated the grand opening of the Nintendo NY store in Rockefeller Plaza.
Don’t forget to wish your friends a Happy MAR10 Day next Thursday! Check out more here on Nintendo.com.
Hold on to your coins! Beginning March 11th, Nintendo will be offering many its signature Wii U and 3DS games at a lower $19.99 price. If you’ve missed out on a few of Mario’s or Zelda’s adventures, now is a great time to catch up and enjoy them.
Here are the Wii U, 3DS (and even some Wii classics) that Nintendo drops the MSRP on:
Super Mario 3D World
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Pikmin 3
NES Remix Pack
Yoshi’s New Island
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
Mario Party: Island Tour
Wii games:
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Super Mario All-Stars
Sweet time and excuse to get your Nintendo gaming fix! See more details on Nintendo Selects games from Nintendo here.
Gamers will have plenty to be excited about over the next few months as the 2015 holiday season is upon us. Prepare for the release of long anticipated games and sweet video game hardware bundles. To help guide you with your game gifts (or wishes!), here is a list of some of the hottest video games and killer video game bundles to round out 2015.
Keep this page bookmarked as game titles, bundles and gaming goods will be updated over the coming weeks and months. Do you have any suggestions for the 2015 holiday gaming list? Email alexis@gamingbits.com for consideration on the GamingBits 2015 Holiday Video Game Gift Guide!