Nintendo snuck some new details about Xenoblade Chronicles X into their 11.5.2014 Nintendo Direct. Monolith’s massive RPG will see the people of Earth fleeing the planet after a galactic war and crash-landing on an uncharted planet. From here, the player takes over scouring the planet and conducting research from the city of New Los Angeles. Quests will include collecting items, hunting monsters and taking on requests from the people of New Los Angeles. These quests will all influence humanity’s survival. In typical Xenoblade style, some will deepen bonds with friends and party members, while others will progress the story.

Satoru Iwata, president and CEO of Nintendo described the game as being massive, even bigger that Xenoblade Chronicles. He also showed off some of the gamepad features of the game, including a navigation system to research the planet in a stress free way. The game is due to release in 2015.

Are you excited for more Xenoblade? Let us know in the comments below!

When Nintendo revealed the plan to remake the original Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the 3DS, many people thought it was a dream come true – and when the game came out, it certainly was. Link and Epona in stereoscopic 3D for the first time? Framerates improved to 30FPS instead of the slow 20FPS of the original N64 release? Touchscreen inventory management? The Water Temple fixed? Needless to say, Ocarina of Time 3D was a game that quickly hit people’s top 10 lists.

Following the success of Ocarina 3D, Nintendo caused even more excitement by announcing that they were considering using the same engine to bring other classic Zelda titles to the 3DS with improved gameplay and the modern, stereoscopic 3D graphics. To most Nintendo fans, there was only one real choice to improve this way that would instantly cause all Zelda fans to worship Nintendo as their god: Majora’s Mask.

Well, hardened Zelda fans – start bowing to the altar of Nintendo. Announced during a Nintendo Direct earlier today, it’s official: The Legend of Zelda – Majora’s Mask is getting a 3DS remake, due for release in Spring 2015. The two-minute Trailer includes a variety of gameplay clips which, while revealing little in terms of the technological upgrades we can expect, give a good tease as to some of the events of the game – as well as acting as a great reminder for just how creepy Majora’s Mask really was. While I go and try to stop myself getting nightmares and remember why I never played the game back in the N64 era (actually, I never had an N64 so I couldn’t have anyway – sue me), those of you who are already salivating from reading the above can hit up the trailer below:

Nintendo has revealed the opening cinematic for the upcoming Smash Bros. Wii U. Its suitable epic, showing off the companies mascots duking it out in some pretty epic  battles. Give it a watch below! Smash Bros for Wii U comes out on November 21, 2014.

A new scan of CoroCoro Magazine has been released in Japan and it reveals four more Mega Evolutions for the upcoming Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby. The four Pokemon are Beedrill, Pidgeot, Latias and Latios, the last two having been teased before by people finding them lurking in the data files of Pokemon X & Y.

Mega Beedrill keeps the same typing of Bug/Poison and has become a lot more streamlined and less rounded with guards around the bases of his arm stingers. It will gain the ability of Adaptability which increases the damage of moves that match one of its types (so Bug and Poison types moves will hit harder).

Mega Pidgeot will also keep its typing the same, as Flying/Normal and gains a fairly colourful set of new feathers at the tip of its wings, tail and crest as well as crazy new eyes. It now has the ability No Guard that means its attacks always hit regardless of accuracy, but at the same time any attack that targets Mega Pidgeot will ALSO hit.

Mega Latias and Latios had already been rumoured given their discovery in the X and Y data files, but oddly the graphics seem to depict their Mega formes as being identical with purple replacing where each is red or blue. Both will be used during the new Flying mechanic that allows for Pokemon hunting in the clouds.

Halloween seems to be a holiday the team at Game Freak – rather like myself – really admires lately, given how many Ghosts and spooky happenings were slipped into Pokémon X and Y in reference to the game’s October worldwide launch – and now, Nintendo have unveiled a series of ghoulish gifts to make Halloween 2014 truly a treat.

Shiny Mega Gengar

The first of these was spoilered last month when it was revealed to be following the Diancie giveaway, but is worth a reminder anyway. Between October 15 and November 5, 2014 at participating GAME, GameStop and other stores, you’ll be able to pick up a special code card. Enter your code with the “GET WITH CODE” option in Mystery Gift and you’ll unlock a shiny Gengar to send to your Pokémon X or Pokémon Y game… but it gets better!

This Gengar arrives holding a Gengarite, the Mega Stone that allows it to become Mega Gengar during battle, bringing with it the usual Mega Pokémon stat boosts. With the Shadow Tag ability – preventing opponents from fleeing or switching while Mega Gengar remains in play – replacing the Gengar’s normal ability in Mega Form, Nintendo state this terror is “as ready for a fight as it is for a fright” – though while Nintendo also make a big deal of Shiny Mega Gengar’s new white colouration, even being the hardened Gengar fan I am, I find this very much something I could just as easily take or leave.

Super Size Pumpkaboo

If that wasn’t enough for you, how about a SECOND free Pokémon? That’s right! In another nod to Halloween, Pokémon X and Y also introduced two Kalos Pokémon based around pumpkins – Pumpkaboo and its evolution, Gourgeist. Like real pumpkins, the two Pokémon have a unique gimmick in X and Y in that they they can be caught in four different sizes, from Small to Super-size. Each size varies in rarity with the Super-Size version being the most difficult to catch – but now, for the month of October, you don’t even have to catch it to get one!

Throughout the whole month of October – that’s the 1st to the 31st – simply check Mystery Gift to collect a free Super Size Pumpkaboo to download to your copy of Pokémon X or Y. Unlike the Gengar, no code is needed – just choose the “Get via Internet” option to find the gift. The Pumpkaboo – which can be either male or female, selected randomly – will also come equipped with a Rocky Helmet, allowing it to cause recoil damage to any Pokémon that dares to attack it up close – and just to fit the Halloween theme a little more, Trick-or-Treat and Scary Face are just two of the moves it’ll know out of the box. All Pumpkaboo evolve via trade, so don’t forget to share your new pumpkin Pokémon with a friend (as long as you can trust them to give it back!) and that super-sized Pumpkaboo will become an even more super-sized Gourgeist!

As well as being a great Halloween gift, the super-size Pumpkaboo giveaway is also a clever advertisement. By having one, players are one step closer to participating in the next big treat:

Halloween Tournament!

As a special Halloween treat, the Pokémon Company is running a special online Tournament this month specifically for Ghost-type Pokémon. Between 16-24th October, players will be able to register theier Battle Box to compete in a global Trick-or-Treat Friendly, as long as their Battle Box contains Ghost-type Pokémon only. However, one of these Pokémon MUST be a Super Size Gourgeist to qualify – hence the giveaway above. Sneaky! Additionally, the Pokémon MUST have come from Pokémon X and Y – ones imported from Black/White or their sequels do not count – and Rotom or Giratina are also banned. Entries are limited to the first 50,000 participants, so make sure to register fast you want to get involved!

The tournament will take place from 9:00 a.m. Japan time on October 24 until 8:59 a.m. Japan time on October 27, with final rankings posted on the 31st and will use a Single Battle format. Complete at least one battle during the tournament and you’ll be entitled to a gift of 5 Rare Candies! Pokémon will be set to level 50 for this competition. Each battle will have a maximum length of 30 minutes. Players will have 60 seconds per turn, and 90 seconds to select which Pokémon they would like to use. They may battle 10 times a day; and “Juniors” – those born before 2000, which will be entered into a seperate division to other players – will not be able to battle from 11:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Japan Time.

Other Stuff

Finally, to promote the launch of the next Pokémon X & Y Trading Card Game expansion, Phantom Forces, the official site is offering a page of Spooky Stuff to download – such as backgrounds for your computer desktop, and pumpkin-carving templates to add some Pokémon fun to your Halloween party.