Recently in Nintendo 3DS Category

The new trailer for the long-awaited "Kid Icarus: Uprising" shows what could be a very fun game that lets players fight a bunch of monsters while somehow manages to include at least one robot-like device in a world that's inspired by Greek mythology.

It also features some of the cheesiest writing in gaming history. At first I wondered if the writing was just bad, then I realized it was intentionally bad.

Or maybe this is just Nintendo's way of tying to convince people to stop asking for voice acting in Zelda games.

Here are just a few lines:

• "I don't want to be an eggplant again."
• "If he deep fries you, keep your distance. One bite, and you'll be finished."
• "It was bad enough when the dark forces were contained in the underworld."
• "Get ready for a display of raw angel power."
  

(H/t Kotaku)

Sonic Generations is an amazing gut punch to the malaise that the Blue Bomber's career has been in lately. Not quite a knockout blow, but longtime fans might not care as they race through two decades of Hedgehog history.

Tech-Out conducted a highly unscientific poll of its team of contributors to name 2011's best game, and "Batman: Arkham City" took the top prize.




Current and former staffers for The Sun and Inland Valley Daily Bulletin newspapers comprised the majority of our panel. We don't get to cover games full time (I spend most of my days as a business reporter), but we like games and like to share our opinions on which titles are worth playing . As for Arkham City, here's what contributor Reggie Carolipio, who also reviewed the title, had to say:

Arkham Asylum resurrected the Dark Knight's career in gaming in much the same way that Christopher Nolan's Batman resurrected his onscreen legend, and Arkham City delivered even more high-flying crimebusting and street-level beat downs than its predecessor. Squeeze in a who's who of bad guys ranging from the Penguin to Two-Face, a host of storied side missions, the Riddler, and Arkham City isn't so much of a sequel as it is a new chapter in the Caped Crusader's career.

We liked other games, too. The runners up are after the jump.

As promised, Nintendo has released 10 free Game Boy Advance games as downloadable releases for "Ambassadors," AKA the 3DS early adopters who bought the handheld before this past summer's price drop

As of now, the games are only available for people who attained Ambassador status by linking their 3DS to the Internet before the price drop took effect. Ambassador status does not carry diplomatic immunity, but it does allow access to the following GBA games:

• F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
• Mario Kart: Super Circuit
• Wario Land 4
• Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
• Metroid Fusion
• Wario Ware Inc.: Mega Microgames
• KIrby & The Amazing Mirror
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong
• Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

To get the games, players can access the eShop from their 3DS, go to "Settings/Other" and access "Your Downloads." The games appear as being available for "Redownload" on a list of any other titles a player has downloaded.

The releases follow an earlier batch of ten NES games,which included Super Mario Bros., Metroid, the Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link.

Star Fox 64 3D is a decent remake that like Nintendo's remake of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, offers cleaner graphics and few tweaked controls to a popular Nintendo 64 title.

In the case of Star Fox 64, the new Nintendo 3DS version features gyroscopic controls that let players control their star fighter by moving their 3DS handheld itself instead of using traditional controls. Otherwise, the game is basically the same as the original version, and ace pilot Star Fox is still teamed up with a rabbit, falcon and toad who fly at his side in an interplanetary war.

And yes, Slippy Toad will still advise Fox to "do a barrel roll." The Internet is eternally grateful for that line.

Mario Kart 7 may not be the most essential release of the year, but it's a fun diversion that carries on the ridiculous traditions of the Mario Kart franchise to the Nintendo 3DS handheld.

For anyone who has somehow avoided the first six games in the Mario Kart franchise, the game places characters in the role of Super Mario characters (I like Donkey Kong) who race against each other in absurdly cute vehicles on silly tracks inspired by levels in various Mario games as well as other Nintendo games.

And, of course, everybody cheats. Mario Kart has always combined cuteness with anarchy, as competition means attacking your opponents with turtle shells, fireballs, ink-shooting squids and more weapons. The arsenal still includes the notorious blue shell, an advanced Mario Kart weapon that targets and hits whoever is in first place. Is it fair? Of course not, but what is?

Super Mario 3D Land is a terrific platformer that mixes moments of insane difficulty with a player-friendly approach and brilliant visuals that perhaps more than any title so far, make a case for 3D visuals as an essential component of gameplay.

How so? Acrophobia, to put it simply. Running and jumping to ridiculous heights has always been at the core of Mario games, and the Nintendo 3DS' stereoscopic visuals make it easy to imagine what it would be like to ascend - and perhaps fall - hundreds of feet. The handheld's visual capabilities also make enemies, fireballs and even boomerangs as if appear as if they are capable of flying towards and almost out of the screen itself.

But as nice as the graphics are, Super Mario 3D Land - and any other game - needs to be fun to play to avoid failure. Thankfully, Nintendo delivered a classic Mario experience that relies on the traditional running and jumping exploits of vintage Super Mario Bros. while adding a series of zany and zanier surprises to keep things interesting.