The Gameboy Advance port of the NES classic Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Advance 4, launched with support for Nintendo’s eReader peripheral. You may not remember what the eReader was, particularly if you lived in Europe at the time, but it let you scan coded cards, and unlock new levels and items inside games- like a very early concept of DLC or Amiibos (or both).

These eReader levels are usually the first thing to get an axe whenever the game is re-released- mostly because they aren’t accessible without an eReader, and it would be a lot of trouble to make them unlockable in another way. But in the Japanese Virtual Console release of Super Mario Bros. Advance 4, these levels will in fact be available- they will be made accessible without the eReader, though the exact specifics are not yet known.

Also what is unknown for now is whether Super Mario Advance 4 will be launching for Virtual Console in the west at all, and if it does, whether those extra levels will be included. But we’ll keep you posted.

Fans of Nintendo’s Mother (or as it is known as in the west, Earthbound) series of RPGs are probably the most and longest suffering fans of anything in video games. The entire series has been on thin ice in the west since its conception, with the release of the very first game on the NES having been cancelled after it was fully translated at the last moment (it only just became available in the west for the first time last Sunday), the second game having never made it to Europe (the first time it was widely available was when it was released worldwide on the Wii U Virtual Console), and the third game, Mother 3 on the GBA, never having been released in the west at all.

Mother 3 has become sort of a holy grail of gaming- the same kind of status is accorded to it as is to The Last Guardian or Half Life 3. This E3, we came closer to the official announcement of Mother 3 in the west than we ever have been, when Nintendo announced and released the first game in the franchise to the west for the first time ever- leaving only Mother 3 as the game that hasn’t seen a release in the west.

In an interview with Kotaku, Nintendo of America head Reggie Fils-Aime strongly hinted that Mother 3 might happen in the west. “I think this is an example that demonstrates we’re constantly listening. We’re hearing what the fans say. And we thought it was great to bring back the very first Mother, Earthbound Beginnings here in the market. It’s been out for sale and doing quite well in the eShop. Again, we’ll never say never, but there’s nothing to announce right now,” Fil-Aime said. “The Mother/Earthbound series is quite niche. And so for us it’s constantly thinking about the investment and then return for a game like that. There is quite a bit of localization to be done and we just need to make sure that volumetrically there’s enough volume to offset that investment,” he continued, confirming that the success of Earthbound on the Wii U Virtual Console is what prompted Nintendo to localize and release Earthbound Beginnings.

Whether or not Mother 3 ever releases in the west is something that is yet to be seen, but at least now it is evident that the discussion is not yet off the table. To many fans, that will probably be enough for a while now.

Last year in January, Iwata announced that games from Nintendo’s classic 16 bit handheld, Gameboy Advance, would be coming to the Wii U Virtual Console; earlier this year, he promised that they would be made available by the end of April (in his own words- finally). Now, Nintendo seem to be living up to their word, as they just announced that the GBA Virtual Console will launch on Wii U on April 3rd.

The first game that the GBA Virtual Console is launching with is the classic turn based strategy game Advance Wars by Intelligent Systems. The game was met with incredible critical acclaim back when it first released, and it went on to spawn three sequels, one for the GBA, two for the DS, with another one for the 3DS widely rumored.

The GBA library should provide Nintendo a wealth of classics to mine that have hitherto been untouched- from Advance Wars to Fire Emblem, Zelda to Metroid, Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire, Pokemon, Mario and Luigi, F-Zero, Mario Kart, to the surprisingly strong western third party support the system got.

The Wii U is also slated to receive Virtual Console support for the Nintendo DS sometime soon. Stay tuned for more coverage.

But somehow it defied expectations. And instead of being a single title, a one off, it spawned its own series. A massive series, Square Enix’s third major pillar. And as time went by, it grew its own rabid fanbase. And, in typical Square fashion, it began to lose sight of what it was that had made it so great to begin with, instead engaging in increasingly flashy cinematics and a story that no one could keep track off unless they followed online Wikis and played games available across at least six different platforms.

But there was a time when it was simple. Charming. Addictive. Deep. Fresh. Innocent. Incredible. This is the story of that time, revisited.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX includes the original PS2 classic that kickstarted the franchise, the PlayStation 2 remake of the GameBoy Advance spin off that proved to be such an interesting diversion, as well as a semi interactive retelling of the story of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, which represented an important part in the increasingly more complicated series mythos. Unlike most HD collections, this one isn’t just a simple paint job- it’s a loving homage to the series, and a tribute to the fans.

"The bad camera system, for example (why they just did not use the camera from Kingdom Hearts 2, I don't know), or the simple fact that the battle system tends to lose steam and depth as the game nears its conclusion are problems still prevalent here."

Take, for instance, the first game. The version included in this package is not the same version that was released overseas, but instead, the much lauded ‘Final Mix,’ that we never got to see anywhere outside of Japan. The Final Mix is an enhanced version of the original game, just different enough to feel fresh (especially after all this time), but just familiar enough to feel like a welcome, faithful remake. It’s mostly very subtle changes, the kinds you’ll be familiar with only if you actually remember the original game all that well- but then, those are exactly the kind of people this will freshen things up for.

Of course, the problem with this being the old PS2 game is that it also inherits most of the PS2 version’s problems (which were also, it seems, in the Final Mix). The bad camera system, for example (why they just did not use the camera from Kingdom Hearts 2, I don’t know), or the simple fact that the battle system tends to lose steam and depth as the game nears its conclusion are problems still prevalent here. That has not changed, because the game is still largely the same, in spite of a few changes.

The changes, however, are only very minor, as mentioned above, and mostly they are very minor dialog variations, or an item having changed its placement, new weapons, or some enemies showing up where they didn’t use too. The actual gameplay remains untouched. For the series faithful, this is great, but after a decade’s worth of refinements to the formula, it’s a bit hard to go back to the first game’s relatively raw take on the Kingdom Hearts formula. Especially after last year’s Kingdom Hearts 3D moved the series’ trademark gameplay forward in such a fluid, free form direction.

"Kingdom Hearts Final Mix may be the best overall game in the package, but the most stunning improvement is Chain of Memories. The Gameboy Advance game had a card based battle system, one that many people professed to love, but one that I admittedly did not care much for."

What this means, however, is that the game is every bit as charming as you remember. Protagonist Sora and friends traverse through various Disney worlds and Disney themed worlds, meet a multitude of characters, battle a lot of enemies using a battle system that was a revelation for its time, and complete quests. They also engage in the simplest plotline in the series, back before Kingdom Hearts began to take itself seriously enough to where it was a detriment.

Kingdom Hearts Final Mix may be the best overall game in the package, but the most stunning improvement is Chain of Memories. The Gameboy Advance game had a card based battle system, one that many people professed to love, but one that I admittedly did not care much for. The PS2 version was similar; that all stays the same in this version (and if you liked it then, you will like it now; if you hated it then, this isn’t converting you). What does change, however, is the game’s graphics. The GBA game got a fresh coat of paint when it came to the PS2. Now, the paintjob had got another paintjob, and Chain of Memories, using what look like the same, touched up and redone assets used in Final Mix, has never looked better. Its story is sweetly simple too- contrived, yes, but it’s a JRPG- but very sweet, very simple.

The last major portion of this package is 358/2 Days, the DS game. That game is not available in this package (presumably because upscaling it to HD to make it look consistent with the other two would be more trouble than it’s worth). However, all the CG and cutscenes from that game that told the story are here, touched up and in full HD. It can take a while to get through, and honestly, all but the most ardent and attentive of fans will soon lose track of the story, but it’s still a worthwhile addition to the package.

"All three of these games, then, come together and create a love letter of sorts to series fans- the first chapter of the story retold lovingly, for the initiated and the newcomers."

All three of these games, then, come together and create a love letter of sorts to series fans- the first chapter of the story retold lovingly, for the initiated and the newcomers. It’s an almost shockingly respectful, and yet progressive, treatment of an old property, one that most modern companies, and certainly not Square Enix, rarely manage.

But they’ve done it this time, and the result is brilliant. It’s a revisiting of one of the most charming, unique, fresh experiences at the time of its release, with the lens of ten years’ worth of hindsight. Soon after Kingdom Hearts, the sequels and spin offs would muddle the series beyond belief. But this, this package is the story of a time when the series was simple. Charming. Addictive. Deep. Fresh. Innocent. Incredible. This is the story that time, revisited.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 3.

Square Enix’s remastering (although this being one of the more ambitious remastering efforts actually puts it closer to a re-imagining than anything else) of the first chapter of the Kingdom Hearts franchise- this includes the classic PlayStation 2 title that kicked the franchise off, along with Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories (the PS2 port of the Gameboy Advance entry in the series), and other extensive special material, including all the movies from 358/2 Days (the Nintendo DS entry in the saga), artwork, and soundtrack, that effectively recapitulates the entire first part of the story so far, hits the PlayStation 3 today. What you see above is the launch trailer.

Did any of you ever play the original game? Because that trailer tugs at the heartstrings like almost nothing else can. It almost makes the wait for Kingdom Hearts 3 that much more unbearable.

Say what you will about Square Enix, but man, between this and their upcoming Final Fantasy X|X-2 remasters, they seem to do their classic titles justice.

Stay tuned to GamingBolt, because our full review of the remastered classic goes live in a few hours.

Rayman 3 Hoodlum Havoc released on the original Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Windows PC in 2003 and was the third title in the million-selling platforming series by visionary game designer and creator of Beyond Good & Evil – Michel Ancel.

The 3DS Ambassadors program should be familiar to anybody who has been following news of Nintendo’s unprecedented massive price slash for its latest handheld, the Nintendo 3DS. As part of a strategy to ensure that Nintendo does not lose fan trust, and that early adopters do not regret buying the 3DS at the high price of $249, Nintendo announced thgat they would give away 20 games, 10 NES and 10 GBA, free to anybody who buys the 3DS before August 11 at its originasl retail price, and registers the 3DS online at Nintendo’s eShop.

Five of the ten GBA games and five of the NES ones had so far been revealed, which included big names such as Mario Kart Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion and Yoshi’s Island for the GBA, and The Legend of Zelda, Kid Icarus and Super Mario Bros. for the NES. Now, two more games in the Ambassadors porgram have been revealed, both on the GBA.

As CVG reports, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, the GBA remake of the seminal platformer will be made available to the 3DS Ambassadors. This is alongside news that the classic GBA Kirby game, Kirby and the Magic Mirror will also be made available. As before, the GBA games will not be made available to the general public, and will be available exclusively to early adopters.

The games being offered are good. Maybe Nintendo can also try and offer Golden Sun, or Fire Emblem, or Advance Wars. That would make me very happy indeed.

Or they could just give us Minish Cap and Zelda. I’ll probably never play a 3DS game on my system ever again, if that happens though, since Pokemon and Zelda suck away my life.

Nintendo had previously announced plans to re-release old NES and GBA titles on the Nintendo eShop. This will be happening by the end of the year, but not quite as expected. Nintendo have no plans to release the games for cash, but will allow Japanese and North American customers to download a few games in exchange for participating in Nintendo’s Ambassador Program: Essentially, anyone who connects or has connected their 3DS to the eShop before 11th August becomes a 3DS Ambassador and thus becomes eligible for 20 free games from the eShop (or at least that’s what Nintendo Life say).

Ambassador program participants can receive the following games for free:

Game Boy Advance (10 titles total)

– Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3

– Mario Kart: Super Circuit

– Metroid Fusion

– Wario Ware Inc.

– Mario vs. Donkey Kong

– +5 unannounced games

Nintendo / Famicom (10 titles total)

– Super Mario Bros.

– Donkey Kong Jr.

– Balloon Fight

– Ice Climbers

– The Legend of Zelda

– +5 unannounced games

The ambassador program kicks off on September 1 when the NES games are available. The Game Boy Advance titles will be distributed by the end of this year.

At E3 it was announced that the, often unsung, Zelda multi-player game ‘Four Swords’ would be heading to DSiWare for free later this year. Alas, Zelda nuts may be sad to hear this will be a port of the original GBA version of the game which was included as a bonus feature on the GBA port of ‘Link To The Past’, as opposed to the more polished and much bigger Gamecube version of the game. Still, can’t complain if its free right?

Thanks to CVG for the info.

In the Nintendo Conference 2010 that was recently held in Japan, where Nintendo announced the price and release date of their upcoming handheld system, they also announced that the 3DS will feature a virtual console similar to that of the Wii, where players will be able to play GB, GBA and ‘other classic’ titles- and they will all be playable in full 3D.

More info will come later.