3D Mario and Mario Kart will also be there! Nintendo of America’s Twitterannounced todaythat the next Nintendo Direct, which will take place before E3 starts, will discuss the newSmash Bros., a 3DMariogame, and the nextMario Kart. Are you really excited yet? I’m really excited. I hope they arrange something along the lines of theSmash Bros.Dojoto tease us with new information regardSmash Bros.I can still vividly remember the day when they announced Sonic as a playable character alongside the delay in the game’s release....

Pictured: Nintendo’s legal counsel Over the years, many people have sued Nintendo for a whole host of reasons. They’ve been sued overthe Wii‘s motion technology (andwon the same case againin appeals court), theclocksin the DSi and 3DS, the Wii’s motion technology (again), the3DS’glasses-free 3D, and evenDonkey Kong’sname. Most of the time, these motions are just patent trolls looking for a quick buck. This is one of those times. RecogniCorp, a company with a name that evokes the bad guys from mid-period Stallone vehicles, sued Nintendo over the technology behind the Mii....

htoL#NiQ Along withCriminal Girls: Invite OnlyandThe Awakened Fate Ultimatum, NIS America has also announced it is localizing “moody puzzle action game”htoL#NiQ: The Firefly Diary. “In this atmospheric title, you’ll use the Vita’s touchscreen and rear touch pad to navigate a young girl through dangerous ruins. Two fairies – one operating in light, and the other in shadow – must work in tandem to uncover this girl’s memories and save her from the darkest of fates....

State still on the hook for 38 Studios loan Last month, Kyle called Rhode Islandersostrichesfor wanting the state to simply not pay the $90 million owed to investors who purchased bonds used to fund Curt Schilling’s now-defunct development house, 38 Studios (Kingdoms of Amalur). Incidentally, 38 percent said the state should pay the debt. Coincidence? According toProvidence Journal, state lawmakers begrudgingly approved a starting, $2.5 million payment. They also budgeted 50 grand for “a robust” study on the financial and “reputational impacts” of, again, simply defaulting on the loan....

The other week, we talked about howinFAMOUSwould not be shipping with an English voice option in certain European territories, something that was met with disdain by the largely English-speaking European gamers who didn’t want inferior localized voices in the PS3 exclusive. Well, it would seem that SCEE has listened to the outcries, and hasdeveloped a patchto include an English voice option. This is sure to come as very welcome news to a number of European gamers, many of whom speak English perfectly (better than most English people, in fact) and prefer to have the authentic voiceovers instead of some guy named Hans who doesn’t know what he’s talking about....

Majestic Map Pack adds three maps 343 Industries released a new video officially unveiling the new Majestic Map Pack content forHalo 4.The three new maps are more focused on the smaller scale, offering for some nice close quarters combat action. The second map pack will be out February 25, and go for 800 MSP. Or you can get theSeason Passto save $5 on all three planned DLC offerings. Rising superstar games journalistAlex Rubensattended a recent event for the new map pack content and you can get a closer look at each map in the videos below....

Feeling hot, hot, hot… Look, I don’t know where the year goes either, but we are, once again, preparing for one of the most exciting and most fun weeks of the entire gaming year — Yes, Summer Games Done Quick (SGDQ) will be upon us once again in a little over a month’s time, as some of the fastest fingers in the world take on a cavalcade of new and old titles, and all in aid of a very worthy cause....

Looks Sol-Deace-ent Retro-Bit has announced that they’re bringing the rather obscure titles –Sol-DeaceandEl Viento– back to the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive this year. Pre-orders are now open. Sol-Deacewas originally released exclusively in Japan in 1990 on the Sharp X68000 asSol-Feace. It would then receive a port to the Sega CD worldwide and the Genesis in North America. I have no idea why the Sega CD version is calledSol-Feaceand the Genesis version is known asSol-Deace....

Better than Sonic Boom on Wii U I guess It’s no secret to anyone thatSonic Boom: Rise of Lyricon the Wii U was not well received by critics or players. From buggy execution to slow and meandering gameplay,Sonic Boomin many ways exemplified what many long time fans have feared the series becoming. Thankfully,Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice‘s E3 demo reassured me that it’s a far cry from comparable to the series last console outing....

While not in the upper echelon of fighting games such asStreet FighterandMarvel vs. Capcom, theSoulCaliburseries has enjoyed a loyal following and mass popularity in its ten-plus-year history. With the fifth (proper) installment coming out in a little over a week, Namco Bandai is releasing the originalSoulCaliburon iOS. And while it’s disappointing that this tale of souls and swords is only single-player, it’s still a damn good fighter and every bit as fun as you remember....

Nintendo of America is apparently to blame SteamWorld Digis hitting the Wii Uon August 28th, and if you happen to live in the EU, AUS, or NZ regions, you’ll get a 25% off discount for owning the 3DS version. But wait — why isn’t this cross-buy discount available in North America too? According to the developer, “NOA (Nintendo of America) does not have this mechanism in place yet, so a cross-buy like this isn’t available to our American customers....

No More Heroes Forever? [Art viathe Two Best Friends playseries] It wasabout five years ago now thatNo More Heroescreator Suda51announced his intention to developNo More Heroes 3for the console that would later be known as the Wii U. Announcements like this are part of why I take all video game related announcements with an unnaturally large, disgustingly flavorful grain of salt. The recently unearthed details about thefailed development ofProject H.A.M.M.E.R. is just example how the best laid plans of mice and game developers often go astray....

You can turn off the damage numbers! Following its E3 showing, BioWare has released an extended look atAnthem. While there are still plenty of unknowns about the “social co-op action-RPG,” today’s video is a great primer if you’re coming in fresh. If you just want to bounce around and aren’t averse to reading bullet points, I’ve gone ahead and broken out some highlights and other stray observations from the footage....