Today is NiGHTS' 16th birthday too, so great timing for the announcement. Love you @SEGA.

Wow, that NiGHTS digital rerelease is finally happening.

Marvel Super Heroes coming to PSN. Infinity!

Scan this

Fancy a free app for your 3DS? Of course you do.

Scan the QR code below and you can download the Mario and Sonic at the London Olympics 2012 Virtual Card Album for free. The app lets you collect themed cards based on Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games via SpotPass, StreetPass, connecting to Nintendo Zone hotspots or by spending Play Coins. You can also trade cards with other players using the 3DS console's infra red function. There are 73 cards to collect in total with different rarity values, but you get five to start your collection.

The application is only available until 9th September.

If you're in the UK and have a 3DS, scan the QR code below following these instructions:

• Hold L or R on the 3DS Home Menu to bring up the camera.
• Tap the chequerboard option — this opens up the QR reader.
• Align the frame with the QR code and it will offer you a link.
• Press A.

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Let us know what you make of this latest eShop freebie.

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Literally rolling up my sleeve’s for this week’s Nintendo Download. It’s massive!

8-bit summer starts

Nintendo of America kicks off its 8-bit Summer campaign this week with new 3DS Virtual Console games, plus there's a new Wii Virtual Console game and some eShop games too.

3DS Virtual Console

The Legend of Zelda (NES, Nintendo, $4.99, 49 blocks) — This game surely needs no introduction. See where it all started for Link and co. with this 8-bit classic. Not sure it's for you? Read our The Legend of Zelda review for more.

NES Open Tournament Golf (NES, Nintendo, $4.99, 64 blocks) — 3DS already has plenty of golf games available but this old-school title wants to show it still has what it takes to rule the links with an iron. Find out if it does with our upcoming review.

eShop

Akari by Nikoli (HAMSTER, $4.99, 292 blocks) — The latest in a long line of puzzle games from master Nikoli, we'll have a review soon (which should also explain what the heck an akari is in the first place.)

Family Tennis 3D (Arc System Works, $6.99, 501 blocks) — A 3D companion to Family Tennis on WiiWare, this tennis title aims to have players of all skill levels enjoying themselves right away. We'll fire a review your way soon.

Virtual Console

2020 Super Baseball (Neo Geo, D4 Enterprise, 900pts) — Here's a surprise addition to the Wii VC, a futuristic baseball sim from way back in 1991. It's not the most famous of Neo Geo titles but we'll see if it's worth a look in our upcoming review.

3DS Weekend Sale

Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword ($4.99 this weekend only, normally $6.99) — From 9 am Pacific time Friday to 9pm Pacific on Sunday you can grab this very good swordfighting game for $4.99 instead of $6.99. Read our Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword review to see if it's for you.

DSiWare

3, 2, 1... Words Up! (EnjoyUp!, 200pts, 49 blocks) — With a title that combines numbers, letters and punctuation so expertly we can't wait to see what developer EnjoyUp! did with the gameplay. Review coming soon.

Topoloco (Abstraction Games, 500pts, 86 blocks) — Are you crazy for maps? Then this game is for you! A topography game is a new one on us; let's see if it's on course for greatness in our upcoming review.

3DS Demo

Heroes of Ruin — Online multiplayer with Square Enix's upcoming action adventure. Get a feel for the title with the free demo then read our Heroes of Ruin review to see if the full game is worth your money.

WiiWare

Let's Create! Pottery (Infinite Dreams, 500pts) — We've already had Let's Create! Pottery on DSiWare but this WiiWare instalment means you can share the clay-throwing action with the whole family on the big screen. We'll sculpt a review for you soon.

It's been a long time since we had a Nintendo Download as packed as that. What will you buy this week? As always, let us know in our Facebook poll.

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Look on in envy

3DS is already available in Rose Pink and Aqua Blue in the West, but Nintendo has put together two new colours for Taiwan and Hong Kong: Cerulean Blue and Shimmer Pink.

The two vibrant colours are very similar to the light blue and pink DSi consoles we saw a few years back. Feel free to ogle them but don't get too carried away: these colours are currently only for Taiwan and Hong Kong, and launch on 28th September alongside the 3DS XL in white and blue.

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Start saving your rings

UDON Entertainment has revealed a huge History of Sonic hardback book for launch in North America this September.

It's the same book as Pix'n Love Publishing announced for Europe, though it doesn't look like North America will get the cool embossed gold foil cover. The book itself spans nearly 300 pages and has been produced in conjunction with SEGA Japan, with developer interviews, concept art and more.

The asking price for this slice of hedgehog history? A mere $49.99 when it hits in September. Or pre-order it from Amazon for $31.81.

One of gaming’s classic characters gets his first-ever art book retrospective in a massive new tome from UDON!

In-stores this September, from UDON and Diamond Distribution

TORONTO: Celebrating more than 20 years as the official mascot of video game giant SEGA®, Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the most recognizable video game characters in the world! With over 70 million games sold, hundreds of episodes of his TV series, countless licensed tie-ins, and a comic book series that’s been running non-stop since 1993, FANS KNOW SONIC, and now UDON has teamed up with Pix’n Love Publishing to bring fans the ultimate guide to SEGA’s spiky blue speedster— The History of Sonic the Hedgehog!

The History of Sonic the Hedgehog is a hefty 300-page hardcover book debuting this fall, featuring everything you thought you knew… and much more… about the famous “blue blur!” The book has been a true labour of love for the crew at Pix’n Love Publishing, who partnered with SEGA of Japan to produce the original French edition earlier this year! The new UDON Edition of The History of Sonic the Hedgehog features all the same great content, but with a complete English translation for North American fans!

The History of Sonic the Hedgehog covers every 2D and 3D Sonic game in detail, ensuring that every generation of Sonic fan will find a lot to love! The book also details every spin-off game, every crossover, and even rare cameo appearances by Sonic across the gaming universe! Whether you’re looking for a detailed history, character profiles, promotional art, game packages, or even rare concept art, you’ll find it in The History of Sonic the Hedgehog!

The History of Sonic the Hedgehog is the book that fans of this series have been waiting for, and whether you’re an avid gamer, a Sonic comic reader, or just have fond memories of this series, you’ll want a copy on your shelf!

Key Features:

• Beautiful 300-page hardcover collection in a unique “widescreen” format.
• Sonic’s longevity and popularity is rarely matched in video games! He’s appeared on more than 15 video game systems and in more than 100 games, including the recent fan-favorite Sonic Generations for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft!
• The Sonic the Hedgehog video game series’ covered in this volume have sold more than 70 million units!
• The Sonic the Hedgehog comic line from Archie has been running non-stop since 1993, with over 300 comics released! Sonic has also appeared in manga, novels, picture books and even colouring books, but this is his first-ever art book appearance!

Click here to pre-order The History of Sonic the Hedgehog through Amazon.

The History of Sonic the Hedgehog

Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 300, Colour
Size: 9.25? wide X 8.5? long
Price (U.S.): $49.99
ISBN: 1-926778-56-1
ISBN 13: 978-1-926778-56-3
In-stores September 2012.

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At last

Popular message-swapper Nintendo Letter Box got an update today that lets you write and draw with coloured ink.

European 3DS owners can simply scan the QR code below to go straight to the update, which adds five coloured inks to the free application: red, blue, green, purple and orange. Black remains an option too.

To scan the QR code below:

• Hold L or R on the 3DS Home Menu to bring up the camera.
• Tap the chequerboard option — this opens up the QR reader.
• Align the frame with the QR code and it will offer you a link.
• Press A.

North American users can simply visit the eShop to be prompted to update.

To select the new colours tap left or right on the D-Pad. Note that you can only use one coloured ink per letter, so you can't draw multi-coloured masterpieces.

This update is now available around the world.

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Lick of paint

WayForward's eShop favourite Mighty Switch Force! is getting revamped for the Wii U's download store.

Mighty Switch Force! HD is currently on course to launch alongside Wii U later this year, with all-new graphics akin to the hand-drawn style of Wii title A Boy and His Blob. It'll also include all the extra content recently released for the 3DS version, and if time permits there'll be new content too.

Would you go for some Mighty Switch Force! on Wii U or do you prefer your switching to be a little more portable?

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