My guess is that the developers wanted it, and wanted it really badly, but that’s not normally how Nintendo works. They make the systems, they make their own really good first party games… ok, maybe some of them are really good… for their systems, and if third party developers can make good games they can sell them too. If developers are angling for cross platform Vita and 3DS development, a second stick is really a must for that to make sense, especially since the attachment and future version of the 3DS with both of these things built in also gets another shoulder button. There’s also the idea that the battery compartment will get bigger, allowing longer battery life.

Did Nintendo actually come to the realization that they needed better control options for this platform to avoid it sinking under the weight of re-releases of everything that was on the DS with no real innovation other than maybe passable 3D visuals? How would this ever matter to Nintendo, the masters of remanufacturing their very strong (and even not so strong) franchises onto each successive platform with success?

So is the idea of twin-stick parity for the 3DS bad news for Sony on the heels of a price cut? I doubt it. They’re still different enough animals hardware-wise, and the Vita isn’t going to succeed based on the hardware alone. It’s going to be the software that sells it, and we won’t know more about that until it lands stateside in 2012.

GAME> Goldeneye 007 (1997)
SYSTEM> N64
SOURCE> EGM #134, September 2000

Well that’s some nightmare fuel.

GAME> Starfox 64 (1997)
SYSTEM> N64
SOURCE> Nintendo Power #109, June 1998

Oh sure, this is doable. First, you have to have set up one schmuck to be winning, then have him kill two guys at once. That will break the game and let you play forever until somebody resets the N64. Why again? I can’t wait to see if this trick works on the 3DS version. Has anybody tested this on the Virtual Console?

Let’s sweat! Just Dance 2 has become the eighth Wii title to clear five million sold.

The October 2010 release is now part of an exclusive club, heretofore populated solely by Nintendo first-party titles. One can imagine smoking jacket Mario sitting by the fireplace in mid-conversation with Reggie, their private discussion interrupted when the door opens and the Ubisoft dancers stroll into the penthouse suite.

The other seven games to crest five million are Wii Play (13.04 million), Mario Kart Wii (10.64 million), New Super Mario Bros. Wii (8.36 million), Wii Fit (8.17 million), Wii Fit Plus (7.06 million), Wii Sports Resort (6.45 million), Super Smash Bros. Brawl (5.28 million). Quite a spread in the numbers, but that’s the Wii for you. There are all US totals, incidentally.

Just Dance 2 Becomes Eighth Wii Title to Sell More Than 5 Million Units

Just Dance® 2 from Ubisoft®, which plays exclusively on Nintendo’s Wii™ console, has sold more than 5 million units, according to the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. With this milestone, the Wii system now has eight 5-million sellers* in the U.S., twice as many as competing current-generation consoles combined.

In the month of July, seven of the top 10 and 15 of the top 25 best-selling software SKUs play on Nintendo platforms. Just Dance 2 sold more than 120,000 units to finish No. 3 for the month.

“By crossing the 5 million sales mark, Just Dance 2 joins one of the most exclusive clubs in the world of video games,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Nintendo systems have games for every type of player. We’re poised for a great holiday season, thanks to tremendous value across all our platforms and fan-favorite franchises delivering fun new surprises.”

During the next few months, Nintendo will release a huge selection of fan-favorite titles. This includes Star Fox 64™ 3D, Super Mario™ 3D Land and Mario Kart™ 7 for the Nintendo 3DS™ portable entertainment system, The Legend of Zelda™: Skyward Sword for Wii and Kirby™ Mass Attack for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems, which was the best-selling platform in July.

* The Wii titles to surpass 5 million units sold in the U.S. include: Wii Play™ (13.04 million), Mario Kart™ Wii (10.64 million), New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii (8.36 million), Wii Fit™ (8.17 million), Wii Fit™ Plus (7.06 million), Wii Sports Resort™ (6.45 million), Super Smash Bros.™ Brawl (5.28 million) and Just Dance 2 (5.09 million).

This week on the Aeropodcast, Fourhman, Haygood and Stephen discuss what might have been behind the recent decision from Nintendo to cut the price of the 3DS by $80.  Did they feel the pressure of the Vita shipping at the end of the year at the same price, or could it have been due to slow sales for the device after four months.  Or is it the pains of having to compete against the likes of the Android and iPhone devices that are selling us games for a $1.00 a pop.  We look at all of those avenues, as well as answering a question from Harshy about whether it is wiser to buy a 3DS now and get all the free games Nintendo is offering, or just wait for the price cut to get it.

The podcast was mixed, by Stephen “Guaranteed Low Prices” Munn, and features “Droid Girl”, performed by Lazyitis.

Download the podcast from here or subscribe to the podcast using one of the services below. Also make sure to review us on iTunes and now, the Zune Marketplace. If you have not yet, make sure to visit our Facebook Fan Page.

GAME> The Legend of Zelda – Twilight Princess (2006)
SYSTEM> Nintendo Wii, GameCube
SOURCE> The Legend of Zelda – Twilight Princess Trading Cards, 2007

This is actually a mostly-useful tip. Another card I have suggests “find another Clawshot to create a Double Clawshot,” which is not especially useful.

200 Club points can net you a Giant Mii AR Card… with the ? box on one side and Mario on the other. This is an upsized version of the cards packed with every 3DS, for use in the AR Cards app. The Giant Card is approximately 28.5″ tall by 18.25″ wide, allowing you to generate life-size pics of Mario and your Miis. Plus you could set up an AR target shoot or fishing game that encompasses your entire living room. Nintendo warns that the Giant Card arrives folded (quelle horreur!) but the single fold will not affect photography.

Donkey Kong is the latest star of a poster set; three posters for 400 points. And for the Metroid: Other M fan who has everything, 10 points gets you a downloadable screensaver. Unfortunately, this last item will constantly remind you about Metroid: Other M. Frowny.

Check them all out at your Club Nintendo page.

Nintendo has hinted around at this several times over the course of the 3DS gestation period: short form 3D video clips. We’ve already seen a handful of 3D game ads, and a single 3D movie trailer, but next week the service will launch with “short 3D videos from the worlds of music, comedy, animation and Hollywood.” Cited names include CollegeHumor, Blue Man Group, and OK Go.

Kotaku posted about a curious Nintendo Video preview clip, which was available on the eShop only briefly. The video was a snarky, text-heavy announcement of the service that struck me as completely not like anything Nintendo has ever done. And not in a good “they’re branching out” kind of way. More like a “who let the intern who’s a big Adult Swim fan produce a video” way.

The clip has since been pulled (you can still see it in Kotaku’s post), but it makes a big deal about how the Nintendo Video clips will vanish. Which is a fantastically strange methodology for a video service: guarantee at the onset that the provided clips will be pulled at some indeterminate point in the future. It’s not any different from how Nintendo handles the Wii’s Nintendo Channel, except that they’re trying to position the 3DS video service as more focused on entertainment than advertising.

July 27, you can download the Nintendo Video app and start seeing for yourself. Without the need for special glasses.

New 3D Video Service on Nintendo 3DS Delivers One-of-a-Kind Content

Nintendo Video Service Showcases Exclusive 3D Animation and Videos from OK Go, Jason DeRulo, Foster the People, CollegeHumor and Blue Man Group

NOTE: Multimedia available here

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Nintendo 3DS™ owners now have a ticket to free, exclusive 3D video content. The new Nintendo Video™ service automatically delivers short 3D videos from the worlds of music, comedy, animation and Hollywood, and the 3D content can be watched without the need for special glasses. On July 27, OK Go will launch a new music video and will debut the 3D version exclusively on Nintendo Video.

“Nintendo 3DS is a unique platform for creativity,” said Tony Elison, Nintendo of America’s senior director and general manager of Network Business. “OK Go and all our partners are helping us make Nintendo Video a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.”

In the coming weeks, Nintendo Video will feature exclusive 3D videos from Jason DeRulo, Foster the People, CollegeHumor and the world-renowned Blue Man Group, plus extreme sports and action videos, animation from various independent studios and 3D trailers for upcoming Hollywood movies. Specific content may vary across countries in the Americas.

To access Nintendo Video, Nintendo 3DS owners need to connect to a broadband wireless Internet service and visit the Nintendo eShop, where they can download the Nintendo Video application. Once Nintendo 3DS owners download the application, the video lineup will automatically update whenever users are within range of a wireless hotspot and have their SpotPass™ feature enabled, even if the system is in Sleep Mode.

Nintendo Video is just one of the many features of Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo’s newest hand-held system. Nintendo 3DS lets users experience 3D games, take 3D pictures and watch 3D videos without the need for special glasses. Nintendo 3DS offers users a completely new way to play and keeps people connected – to their friends, to their games, to their world. The Nintendo 3DS system builds on Nintendo’s legacy of creating unique experiences for the masses.

Naturally, this new version will include the critters from the latest generation of pokegames, Pokemon Black/White. I recall speculating that Nintendo would offer paid DLC for the original Rumble to add the newest monsters to the roster. Obviously I was wrong.

The press release sets October 24 as the release date, but does not offer a definite mention of price or format. Under the name Super Pokemon Scramble, the game gets a retail release in Japan next week (Source: Kotaku).

I spent some good times in the original Rumble… it was an arcadey take on Pokemon battles, kind of with a Robotron feel, and tons of unlockables. One expects that tradition to continue, EXCEPT IN 3-D. And StreetPass support, which gives me something to look forward to during next year’s E3.

Pokémon Rumble Blast for Nintendo 3DS Set to Launch Oct. 24

First Pokémon Game for Hand-Held Nintendo 3DS System Includes Fast-Paced Battles, Social Play Features and More Than 600 Pokémon

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Starting this fall, Pokémon™ fans will be able to experience the franchise’s battle-based action and adventure in a whole new dimension. Nintendo of America has announced an Oct. 24 launch date for Pokémon™ Rumble Blast, the first Pokémon game created exclusively for the hand-held Nintendo 3DS™ system. An action-packed Pokémon adventure in 3D without the need for special glasses, the game lets players battle against waves of opposing wind-up Toy Pokémon, connect and play with friends, and collect more than 600 Toy Pokémon.

As players advance through each stage in Pokémon Rumble Blast, their Toy Pokémon will face dozens of Toy Pokémon at once, creating fast and furious real-time battles. Players must also face off against giant Boss Pokémon, whose massive size and strength offer special challenges. Certain defeated Toy Pokémon can be added to the player’s team, and players may also collect special Toy Pokémon, each with its own unique stats and abilities. Players can collect more than 600 Toy Pokémon in all, including those from the recently released Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version games. Players can quickly and easily switch between the various Toy Pokémon they collect throughout the game.

Pokémon Rumble Blast offers two ways for players to wirelessly connect with each other. Using a local wireless connection, they can enjoy a cooperative play mode that allows them to battle through levels together and more easily befriend defeated Toy Pokémon. Using the Nintendo 3DS StreetPass™ feature, they can challenge the Toy Pokémon of players they pass in their daily travels and view other players’ Mii™ characters in the game.

“Pokémon Rumble Blast delivers instant Pokémon gratification,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “The controls are intuitive and simple enough for anyone to pick up and play, while new battle modes, more than 600 Toy Pokémon and social play opportunities offer deep experiences for longtime fans.”

Remember that Nintendo 3DS features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.

For more information about Pokémon Rumble Blast, visit http://www.pokemon.com/rumbleblast.

GAME> Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)
SYSTEM> GameCube
SOURCE> Super Smash Bros. Melee Official Nintendo Power Player’s Guide, 2001

This just reminds me of the guys from Melee that did not make the cut for Brawl. I WANT MEWTWO BACK FOR SMASH 4! More unlocks after the jump.