Episode 36: Made From Concentration

The disembodied head of Dr. Kawashima has returned to Nintendo handhelds and he’s more devilish than ever. In this episode of the Random Nintendo Podcast, we train our brains with impressions of Brain Age: Concentration Training, as well as share our thoughts on Wii U puzzler Puddle and the gorgeous Hyrule Historia book. We also discuss the Wii U’s struggle with third-party support, highlighting issues raised by the delay of Rayman Legends and by cryptic comments from big-name publishers like Electronic Arts and Ubisoft. Plus, we break down Nintendo’s latest financial report and how the company plans to keep sales strong in the future. With so much covered in this episode, all that Concentration Training comes in handy! Have you had a chance to try the new Brain Age or Puddle? Feel free to let us know what you think of either game, or any of the news discussed in this episode, in the comments below. If you haven’t already done so, make sure to also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and follow us on Twitter @RandomNintendo for the latest on upcoming episodes and Extra articles. Below, we have included links to all the news and games discussed in this episode. Each link is timestamped so you can easily jump to the sections of the podcast you are most interested in. Enjoy! News [0:01 – 0:31] Nintendo cuts sales targets for Wii U, 3DS consoles (GamesIndustry International) [0:01 – 0:31] Third Quarter Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ending March 2013 (Nintendo Investor Relations) [0:01 – 0:31] Corporate Management Policy Briefing / Third Quarter Financial Results Briefing Q&A (Nintendo Investor Relations) [0:09] Prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse with the New ZombiU Deluxe Set (Nintendo.com) [0:32] Rayman Legends coming to PS3 and Xbox 360, launching with delayed Wii U version in September (Polygon) [0:41] Ubisoft promises Wii U-exclusive Rayman Legends demo after fans vent anger at delay (Eurogamer.net) [0:44] Ubisoft Discusses Next-Gen, Exclusivity, Wii U Support (IGN) [0:47] Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge coming to PS3, Xbox 360 (GameSpot) [0:51] Confirmed: The Walking Dead Survival Instinct isn’t coming to Wii U in Australia (Vooks) [0:53] EA CEO says Wii U isn’t next-gen, but pledges support for future consoles (The Verge) [0:58] RUMOR – Devs down on Wii U at DICE, say projects being cancelled (GoNintendo) [1:00] Castlevania: Mirror of Fate HD already exists (Gematsu) [1:02] Oliver and Spike: Dimension Jumpers coming to Wii U (GoNintendo) [1:06] Skylanders Swap Force assembles this fall, developed by Vicarious Visions (Joystiq) [1:12] Sniper Elite V2 Coming to Wii U (IGN) [1:15] XSEED Publishing Rune Factory 4 In North America (Nintendo Life) [1:17] Mario Kart Returns To Arcades With Gliders And Double Dash Co-op Mode (Siliconera) [1:47] The Legend of Zelda is a New York Times Bestseller. No, Really. (Kotaku) Games (and a book) [1:30] Brain Age: Concentration Training (Official Site) [1:42] Puddle (Official Facebook Page) [0:13] Pikmin 3 (Nintendo.com Game Page) [0:32] Rayman Legends (Official Site) [0:47] Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge (Official Site) [0:51] The Walking Dead Survival Instinct (Official Site) [1:00] Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate (Official Site) [1:02] Oliver and Spike: Dimension Jumpers (Official Site) [1:06] Skylanders Swap Force (Official Site) [1:12] Sniper Elite V2 (Official Site) [1:15] Rune Factory 4 (Official Site) [1:17] Mario Kart Arcade GP DX (Giant Bomb Game Page) [1:47] Hyrule Historia (Official DarkHorse.com Page)