Nintendo gives in to 'free' with new iPhone, Android Pokemon game

An official, free Pokémon app (created by Nintendo) is coming to iPhones and Android phones this summer, Kotaku reports. Read that sentence again, and if you know anything about Nintendo, you'll know that this is huge.

In essence, this will be the first Pokemon game (and perhaps the first Nintendo property) to release on a competitor's platform. The is roughly translated from Japanese as "Pokémon Say Tap? BW," and it will rely heavily on music in a Pokémon timing game.

And did we mention that the game will be free. As in, cost no money and probably have to rely on either advertisements or micro-transactions to be profitable?

Wait, didn't Nintendo president Satoru Iwata just finish denouncing free as a bad move for Nintendo (but social is okay)--so much so that he proverbially hammered the final nail in the coffin in saying, "There are great examples of advertising and doing the micro-transactions, and several companies who have come up with that kind of system. But on the other hand, if you ask me, is this the system that can be sustained for the long time?" Why yes, yes he did say that.

Pokemon Say Tap

[Source and Image Credit: Kotaku Japan]

Are you going to download the Pokémon game for your mobile phone when it launches this summer? Do you think Nintendo has already shifted its opinion, and what else would you like to see from the company on mobile, etc?

PETA wags the finger at Nintendo for Mario's taste in furry power-ups

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, has chosen a peculiar target for its next pro-animal campaign. You all likely know him quite well: Super Mario. The organization has created a highly suggestive Flash game that essentially calls developer Nintendo out for what it claims is a message that says it's OK to skin animals and wear them as suits.

You could also say this for Mario's less popular Frog Suit, but that just wouldn't have the same sting as "Mario Kills Tanooki." That's the title of the game, which throws players behind the controls of--literally--a skinned tanuki. You can probably already guess the game's objective: Capture Mario ... who happens to be flying away with your fur coat. So much for subtleties.

"Tanooki may be just a 'suit' in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur," the PETA game's website reads. "By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it's OK to wear fur."

The timing of Mario Kills Tanooki is spot on, as Nintendo just released Super Mario 3D Land in which the plumber's famous Tanooki Suit is a prominent feature. Frankly, we've never seen a more menacing Mario than within PETA's interactive call to arms in defense of the tanuki. Now, you gotta' wonder how the organization would feel about this guy.

[Via Kotaku]

Have you played the Mario Kills Tanooki game? Do you think Mario's famous Tanooki Suit might send the wrong message to Nintendo fans?

Want to taste the FarmVille crops you harvest? Take a trip to Turkey

FarmVille Restaurant
Oh, how the tables have turned, Zynga. It looks like some industrious folks in Göreme (a small town in the historical Cappadocia region of Turkey) cooked up the brilliant idea of opening their own FarmVille restaurant. There's only one small problem: We're sure Zynga is flattered, but we doubt these super fans have the clearance for such a fine establishment.

Kotaku's Stephen Totilo found the restaurant while on travels through the visibly gorgeous country, and took a few snapshots. The "FarmVille Cafe & Restaurant" even uses the official FarmVille logo and dishes inspired by the game like Shepherd Salad and FarmVille Salad, and more general items like Tuna Fish Salad and Chicken Salad.

There are certainly more dishes available, but these are all we can point up. I guess Turkey has some seriously devoted FarmVille fans ... and even more savvy entrepreneurs. If you want a taste of FarmVille, you better book a flight now--knowing Zynga, this probably won't last much longer. (Sorry, Turkish dudes.)