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Thanks to Arthur for the heads up!

@chrisneilltweet PS4, XboxOne, WiiU and PC / Mac / Linux

— Hover the Game (@Hover_the_Game) March 10, 2014

Intelligent Systems and Nintendo have been working together for quite some time. I'm sure you recognize the company for their quality work on titles in the Fire Emblem and Mario and Luigi series', but do you know anything else about them? If you're looking for a bit of a history lesson, check out the info below.

- Intelligent Systems was founded in December 1986 as the successor studio to a company known as Iwasaki Giken.
- The cooperation between Nintendo and Iwasaki Giken started with the development of Donkey Kong jr. in 1982
- Contrary to common believe, Intelligent Systems is not a Nintendo subsidiary. It's independent, but because of its strong connections to Nintendo, it can be referred to as a Nintendo studio. The case is comparable to other well known studios like HAL Laboratory or Next Level Games.
- In its early years, Intelligent Systems existed to help programming Nintendo games. Its first games were cooperations with Nintendo R&D1.
- Famicom Wars was not solely created by Intelligent Systems. Instead, it was designed by R&D1 and programmed by Intelligent Systems. After that, the team split up and R&D1 developed Super Mario Land, while Intelligent Systems started working on Fire Emblem. It was the first project where Intelligent Systems was deeply involved in designing the game.
- In the next years, Intelligent Systems developed many new games while continuing assisting on R&D1 games. The studio's output decreased for a few years during the N64 and Virtual Boy era.
- Intelligent Systems is best known as a game development studio, but it is more of an engineering company. It had developed many dev kits and dev tools for Nintendo. In fact, Intelligent Systems is Nintendo's most important source of dev kits.

01./00. [PS3] Dark Souls II (From Software) {2014.03.13} (¥7.800) - 255.197 / NEW <90,19%> 02./02. [3DS] Yo-kai Watch (Level 5) {2013.07.11} (¥4.800) - 37.247 / 569.720 (+3%)
03./03. [3DS] Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru to Ruka no Fushigi na Fushigi na Kagi # (Square Enix) {2014.02.06} (¥5.490) - 18.728 / 737.593 (-40%)
04./01. [PSV] Soul Sacrifice Δ (Sony Computer Entertainment) {2014.03.06} (¥4.980) - 17.357 / 66.143 (-64%)
05./04. [3DS] Harvest Moon: Linking The New World (Marvelous AQL) {2014.02.27} (¥5.040) - 15.883 / 176.180 (-46%)
06./06. [3DS] Fossil Fighters: Infinite Gear (Nintendo) {2014.02.27} (¥4.800) - 13.362 / 93.900 (-40%)
07./09. [3DS] Kirby Triple Deluxe (Nintendo) {2014.01.11} (¥4.800) - 12.225 / 501.835 (-13%)
08./10. [3DS] Pokemon X / Y # (Pokemon Co.) {2013.10.12} (¥4.800) - 10.106 / 3.994.938 (-6%)
09./07. [PS3] Yakuza: Ishin! (Sega) {2014.02.22} (¥8.600) - 10.034 / 222.147 (-49%)
10./14. [PS3] Grand Theft Auto V (Take-Two Interactive Japan) {2013.10.10} (¥7.770) - 7.910 / 736.810 (+8%)
11./11. [3DS] Puzzle & Dragons Z (GungHo Online Entertainment) {2013.12.12} (¥4.400) - 7.755 / 1.407.075 (-26%)
12./12. [PS4] Battlefield 4 (Electronic Arts) {2014.02.22} (¥7.665) - 7.539 / 55.286 (-23%)
13./05. [PS3] Ar Nosurge: Umareizuru Hoshi e Inoru Uta # (Gust) {2014.03.06} (¥7.140) - 6.751 / 33.787 (-75%)
14./00. [360] Dark Souls II (From Software) {2014.03.13} (¥7.800) - 5.950 / NEW
15./13. [PS4] Yakuza: Ishin! (Sega) {2014.02.22} (¥8.600) - 5.451 / 119.722 (-41%)
16./21. [3DS] Monster Hunter 4 # (Capcom) {2013.09.14} (¥5.990) - 5.132 / 3.239.571
17./15. [WIU] Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo) {2014.02.13} (¥5.985) - 5.117 / 72.401 (-29%)
18./23. [3DS] Doraemon: Shin Nobita no Daimakyou - Peko to 5-nin no Tankentai (FuRyu) {2014.03.06} (¥5.229) - 4.813 / 9.665 (-1%)
19./22. [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf # (Nintendo) {2012.11.08} (¥4.800) - 4.759 / 3.692.937
20./17. [PS3] Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. Full Boost # (Bandai Namco Games) {2014.01.30} (¥7.980) - 4.395 / 338.323 (-25%)
21./24. [WIU] Super Mario 3D World (Nintendo) {2013.11.21} (¥5.985)
22./08. [PS4] Knack # (Sony Computer Entertainment) {2014.02.22} (¥5.145)
23./16. [PSV] Deception IV: Blood Ties # (Koei Tecmo) {2014.02.27} (¥6.090)
24./20. [PS4] Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (Square Enix) {2014.02.22} (¥4.800)
25./30. [3DS] Attack on Titan: The Last Wings of Mankind (Spike Chunsoft) {2013.12.05} (¥6.090)
26./19. [3DS] Kuroko's Basketball: Miracle Victory (Bandai Namco Games) {2014.02.20} (¥5.980)
27./25. [3DS] Puyo Puyo Tetris (Sega) {2014.02.06} (¥5.229)
28./26. [PS4] Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (Ubisoft) {2014.02.22} (¥8.820)
29./18. [PS3] Deception IV: Blood Ties # (Koei Tecmo) {2014.02.27} (¥7.140)
30./28. [PS4] Dynasty Warriors 8 with Xtreme Legends (Koei Tecmo) {2014.02.22} (¥8.190)
31./35. [3DS] Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo) {2011.12.01} (¥4.800)
32./38. [3DS] Friend Collection: New Life # (Nintendo) {2013.04.18} (¥4.800)
33./27. [PS4] Killzone: Shadow Fall (Sony Computer Entertainment) {2014.02.22} (¥7.245)
34./39. [PS3] Battlefield 4 (Electronic Arts) {2013.11.07} (¥7.665)
35./31. [3DS] Battle For Money Sentouchuu: Densetsu no Shinobi no Survival Battle! (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.10.17} (¥4.980)
36./34. [PSV] Terraria (Spike Chunsoft) {2014.02.06} (¥2.980)
37./36. [3DS] The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds # (Nintendo) {2013.12.26} (¥4.800)
38./37. [PS4] FIFA 14 (Electronic Arts) {2014.02.22} (¥7.665)
39./42. [3DS] New Super Mario Bros. 2 # (Nintendo) {2012.07.28} (¥4.800)
40./45. [3DS] Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai 2 # (Sega) {2013.11.28} (¥6.279)
41./44. [3DS] Aikatsu! Futari no My Princess (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.11.21} (¥5.480)
42./29. [PS4] Call of Duty: Ghosts - Dubbed Edition (Square Enix) {2014.02.22} (¥7.980)
43./41. [PS3] Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (Square Enix) {2013.12.26} (¥7.140)
44./49. [3DS] Disney Magic World # (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.08.01} (¥5.480)
45./00. [PSV] Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster: Twin Pack # (Square Enix) {2013.12.26} (¥7.140)
46./00. [PS3] World Soccer Winning Eleven 2014 (Konami) {2013.11.14} (¥7.980)
47./32. [PSV] Valhalla Knights 3: Gold (Marvelous AQL) {2014.02.27} (¥5.229)
48./00. [PSV] God Eater 2 # (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.11.14} (¥5.980)
49./00. [PSV] Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds - Limited Edition (5pb.) {2014.03.13} (¥5.040)
50./00. [3DS] One Piece: Unlimited World Red # (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.11.21} (¥5.980)

Dungeon of the Endless, the drunkenly conceived roguelike by Endless Space's Amplitude Studios, still has some features to add before its final release. The game has been available through Steam's Early Access program since December, but the studio still plans to add four-player co-op before the game's final release.

The team also told us at GDC they expect to add a "visual log" of game events and characters that derives its inspiration from card collections. Think of a binder full of baseball, Marvel or football cards, but it's of the game.

The Amplitude team had nothing to announce about the game coming to tablets, but it's painfully clear from the coy looks when we asked the question and the game's design that such a transition is highly plausible. The team has "honestly no idea" when the game will have its official launch. [Image: Amplitude]

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Virtual reality headsets abounded at last week's Game Developer's Conference. Between the new Oculus Rift and Sony's Project Morpheus we got some amazingly 'Shoppable pictures of Kotaku editors wearing VR headsets. You know what to do. Read more...

It's almost time for the massive invasion of Tamriel by the combined forces of PC and Mac massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers. Zenimax has revealed the dates and times servers are opening up for the early access and official launch of The Elder Scrolls Online. Read more...

Welcome to Kotaku's Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon.Read more...

Sunday is the time for kicking back and watching YouTube videos, so grab yourself a mimosa or other Sunday-brunch-appropriate food and see what you missed this week in the world of game videos.Read more...

Sundays are for watching roller derby and wondering why someone designed a sport that was like NASCAR but with people instead of cars. Sundays are for reviewing the best (mostly) games related writing from (mostly) the past week.

• Critical Proximity was a conference about games criticism which took place the Sunday before GDC. Alan Williamson from Five Out Of Ten Magazine produced a video for the event on an important subject: why magazines are better than these newfangled webpages. It’s a romantic, cheerful call to arms for maintaining, and more importantly pushing, the old format further. I tend to agree, and continue to idly consider doing something about it. But probably I’ll just eat another packet of crisps and order some of Alan’s work online.

… [visit site to read more]

Alpha players beware - your stuff is getting wiped.

Afraid of spiders? You probably cannot handle day 10 of IGN's Dark Souls 2 diary then...

Indie game Let There Be Life presents players with a challenge the exact opposite of what they may be used to; instead of killing or defeating an enemy, Let There Be Life wants you to focus on growing a beautiful tree while nurturing the flora growing beneath its branches. Appropriate for the first weekend of spring, no?

Created by husband-and-wife team Backward pieS as part of the 2013 Get Into Games Challenge presented by Edge Online, Let There Be Life is a puzzle game of sorts, though you won't find any colored tiles or gems to swap here. Instead, players need to attach branches to their tree in a way that still allows enough sunlight to reach the flowers below. If the flowers lose their sunlight, they die, and players must rebuild their tree.

Mushrooms, on the other hand, act just the opposite: they need shade in order to grow, and once they reach maximum size, they can be used to heal any dying flowers. Woodpeckers and butterflies also dot the game screen as cosmetic upgrades meant to give your tree a better sense of life.

You can calm your mind and start creating your own happy trees for $7.99 when you purchase the game from the Backward pieS website. [Image: Backward pieS]

Virtual reality! Immersive gaming experiences! Laurence Fishburne jokes!

We finally took the covers off Project Morpheus this week, throwing our hat into the emerging world of Virtual Reality. This baby’s still a prototype, but it’s showing immense promise so far.

That’s not all we got this week, either. Long-awaited superhuman adventure inFAMOUS Second Son is out now on PS4 (make sure you check out the Paper Trail missions… super cool), and gamers are all over it. Careful with those Twitch streams though — spoilers abound!

Oh, and let’s not forget Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Final Fantasy X | X2 HD Remaster, and Vlambeer’s new arcade dogfighting sim Luftrausers, either. What a wild week it’s been… and I haven’t even mentioned GDC 2014!

Other highlights: Share enhancements and HDCP off coming to PS4 in an upcoming update, PS Vita is getting a gaggle of new apps, and we got a closer look at the upcoming supernatural thriller Murdered: Soul Suspect.

Quick aside: I worked pretty hard behind the scenes on this piece highlighting our on-site music studio and the incredible work they did on the Second Son soundtrack. I’m really proud of the final product — shouts out to all the folks who helped make it happen.

What are you playing?

• I’m playing: inFAMOUS Second Son, Luftrausers, Dark Souls II
• I’m watching: Second Son and Dark Souls Twitch streams
• I’m listening to: The Strokes, the inFAMOUS Second Son soundtrack

This Week’s Top 10 Posts Introducing Project Morpheus Upcoming PS4 Update to Add SHARE Enhancements and HDCP Off Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD Remaster Out Today on PS3, PS Vita Dragon Fin Soup Coming to PS4, PS3, & PS Vita Road to The Show: The Evolution Continues in MLB 14 The Show Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes Out Today New PS Vita Apps: Hulu Plus, Redbox Instant, Crunchyroll, More inFAMOUS Second Son: Ruthless vs. Heroic Gameplay GDC: New Tools and Middleware Coming to PS4 MLB 14 The Show, NBA 2K14 Bundled in PlayStation Sports Pack Vol. 1

This Week’s PlayStation Store Update

This Week’s PlayStation Plus Update

PlayStation Blogcast 113

Most-Watched Video of the Week

All balance adjustments and big fixes should be implemented by the end of the weekend.

Time for another podcast, boys and girls! It's a 3-person team this time around, so things are kept calm and on-track. Well, as on-track as the show usually is. We hope you enjoy what we've put together for you!



Download the show here

For some reason, the embed isn't working.

Direct link here

Information on the 3DS version of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has come out, and now we've learned that High Voltage Software will be developing.

Coming from the Circle website...



Thanks to Connor for the heads up!

Konami has dived head-first into the mobile gaming waters with Chain of Souls, an iOS game that blends elements of the puzzle and card battle genres. Using the touchscreen, players must link together three or more runes of the same color to form a chain and attack their opponent; the more runes you link, the more damaging the attack.

Simple, right? That's where Chain of Souls' cards come into play.

Should you manage to form three or more chains, you can play a card. These cards have a variety of effects, such as reducing the damage you take or increasing the damage you deal. Your cards can also have relationships with other cards in your deck, which can boost their power even further.

The game is free to play, and available now via iTunes. [Image: Konami]

While Titanfall's online service has been pretty stable - barring some launch day hiccups - that doesn't mean that Respawn is done with tweaking the game experience. A server update has been applied to the game that fixes a handful of issues, as well as re-balances some of the gameplay.

For example, Cluster Missiles now do less damage against Evac Dropships, which is good news for anyone who loses more than a handful of games (see: us once, and us again) and needs to hitch a ride out of the game's hectic warzones. You can check out the full list of fixes and tweaks after the break. [Image: EA]

The torch has been passed — I am now officially the person to complain to if your Kotaku 'Shop Contest entry doesn't make the cut. Curogon's winning entry describes exactly how I feel right now. Thirteen additional lucky finalists follow. Read more...

Considering Carbine Studios was founded by 17 members of the World of Warcraft development team, I can forgive the re-use of the terms "Arenas" and "Battlegrounds". It's the combat that matters, and WildStar's isn't very much like WoW at all. Read more...

Fuel Industries' planned excavation and documentation of a New Mexico landfill which would, in theory, unearth a burial of E.T. cartridges for the Atari 2600, has been put on hold. The Almagordo Daily News reports that the New Mexico Environment Department has rejected Fuel Industries' waste excavation proposal, saying that it was too "generic" as well as lacking in site-specific details.

Those details aren't just bureaucratic red tape, either. According to the Daily News, the NMED called for further testing of the Almagordo landfill in 2004, when studies showed increased chemical levels at the site. Twenty-two "compounds of concern" were noted at the time. Imagine cracking open the soil of a landfill to hunt down a video game graveyard only to have noxious fumes and chemicals poison you, like you'd opened up a pharoah's tomb and suffered the mummy's curse.

It's unclear how the delay will impact the development of Fuel Industries' documentary, which was planned to air on Xbox this year. The NMED stated that their findings were sent to Fuel Industries on February 27, but as of March 17, they had not seen a revised proposal. [Image: Atari]

Asphalt 8 is the first iOS game with embedded Twitch streaming . It's almost more exciting than actually playing Gameloft's free-to-play racer. I've been watching this guy for a bit. He's about to be very confused. Read more...

IT. IS. OVER. Done. Slain. Dead. Six feet under. Sleeping with the daises. Pushing up fishes. We gathered one last time for a reflection on this year’s whimsical game dev summer camp, its most important moments, and where the gaming industry is headed as a whole. Part one’s guests include Papers Please creator Lucas Pope, Depression Quest creator Zoe Quinn, and Boon Hill dev Matt Ritter. Part two, meanwhile, brings in such luminaries and champion toe fighters as Gone Home writerly brain man Steve Gaynor, Kotaku features editor Kirk Hamilton, resident Vlambeer madman JW Nijman, Action Henk‘s Kitty Calis, and RPS god heroes Cara Ellison and Hayden Dingman. The end result? A loud, exuberant, exhausted goddamn disaster. Beaming agreements, screaming arguments, and confusing argreements. Also lots of people walking into our room randomly.

Among many other things, we talked everyone’s favorite GDC moments, diversity in the gaming industry, the virtual reality fuuuuuuuture’s growing pains, my Lost Levels talk, and what happens after you release a game like Papers Please or Depression Quest. Settle in with some popcorn and a hideous, burbling soda and tune in below.

… [visit site to read more]