Here is the latest weekly update for you folks either on Nintendo 3Ds or Nintendo Wii. Click on the link to be forwarded to each titles profile page on Nintendo.com.

Nintendo eShop 
Blaster Master: Enemy Below - Using the strong weapons and high jumping power of his legendary battle vehicle, Jason must explore a subterranean region where a sinister life form resides. (For Nintendo 3DS™)

Nintendo eShop / Nintendo DSiWare™
Elite Forces: Unit 77 - Drive armored trucks and tanks, defuse mines, locate explosives and rescue hostages. Gather your forces into a crack squad or control a single game character based on the strategic requirements. (For Nintendo 3DS /Nintendo DSi™)

Check out more after the break.

WiiWare™
Carmen Sandiego Adventures in Math: The Lady Liberty Larceny - The Statue of Liberty has vanished! The Chief wants ACME’s best agent on the case. Carmen Sandiego is back, and only you can foil her V.I.L.E. plans. (For Wii™)

Also new this week:
•  WordJong Arcade (Nintendo eShop / Nintendo DSiWare)
•  Just SING! Christmas Vol. 3 (Nintendo eShop / Nintendo DSiWare)
•  Paint Splash (demo version) (WiiWare)

“What I really want to do is be in the forefront of game development once again myself,” explained Miyamoto.

He added, “Probably working on a smaller project with even younger developers. Or I might be interested in making something that I can make myself, by myself. Something really small.”

At 59 years old, Miyamoto has stood at the forefront of Nintendo for a long time. He feels the company’s in-house teams have learned enough from him to tackle further developments without his direct guidance.

“I’m saying this because I have a solid reaction from the existing teams. I was able to nurture the developers inside Nintendo who were able to create something like this or something like that.”

Miyamoto plans to start work on one of these smaller projects later next year.

As previously reported, the new Alan Wake is an downloadable Xbox Live effort, not retail-bound. Sounds like more an expansion pack type deal.

The full list of VGA “Game of the Year” nominees, which will be judged by select press outlets, include Batman: Arkham City, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Portal 2 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

After 6 months since stating that 3DS sales are off to a smooth start and roughly 3 months since the handheld received an early price cut Nintendo now has to admit it has a very real problem. The company has forecast its first annual loss since it began reporting finances in 1981. Specifically, Nintendo expects to suffer a loss of ¥20 billion ($264 million) for the year ending March 2012. It seems the Wii 2 could be make or break for the company which was once leaps ahead of Sony and Microsoft.

I talked with Miyamoto-san about how we should make The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo 64 system, and he asked, ‘How about making it so that Link will not show up?’,” said Yoshiaki Koizumi. “He wanted to make it a first-person game.”

“He wanted to make an FPS (first-person shooter),” Iwata added.

“Right. In the beginning, he had the image that you are at first walking around in first-person, and when an enemy appeared, the screen would switch, Link would appear, and the battle would unfold from a side perspective,” Koizumi added.

The development team eventually backpedaled on the decision, deeming the perspective not “interesting visually” for a Zelda title. Makes you wonder about all the crazy Miyamoto ideas that never saw the light of day.

Shigeru Miyamoto just got on stage to announce the release date for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D on the 3DS and release window for Skyward Sword on the Wii. Ocarina of Time 3D will be coming next week and Skyward Sword will hit store shelves this holiday season.

In addition, Miyamoto also announced that Links Awakening will be coming to the Virtual Console today. Four Swords will also be coming to DSi this September for the absolutely low price of free!

That’s right, we’ll be getting a new Duke title before Forever is released. Critical Mass promises “a total of seven different game-play modes, including two user activated modes, three difficulty settings, two player co-op, fifteen meat-grinding weapons, nine huge locations with over thirty exciting levels, nine monstrous bosses, and of course…BABES.”

Going forward, the company projects that it will sell through 16 million units throughout the next fiscal year, along with 62 million units of software titles. Despite the relatively healthy 3DS sales, an earnings report reveals that Nintendo’s net income dropped 66 percent to 77.6 billion yen for the year, attributing the decline to a Nintendo DS price drop and “appreciation of the yen.”

CEO Satoru Iwata has previously said that the company’s long-term goal is to eventually eclipse its current DS install base — which sits at around 146 million units — with the 3DS.

New DS Lite systems have been discontinued and stores will no longer be replenished on this product. Once your store sells through its current stock of these units, please remove any corresponding DS Lite (Crimson, Black, and Metallic Rose) display boxes from the sales floor and discard.

Well, you can’t deny the DS Lite had a good run, securing a spot in industry history as the top-selling portable ever. It’s only logical to assume that as the 3DS gains more steam, the DSi will be next on the chopping block, too.

Thanks, GoNintendo.

“Our view of the ‘Game Boy experience’ is that it’s a great babysitting tool, something young kids do on airplanes, but no self-respecting twenty-something is going to be sitting on an airplane with one of those. He’s too old for that, ” stated Tretton.

In a similar tone, he also lashed out at competing console platforms, saying the 360 and Wii are “starting to run of steam.” In the Wii’s case, he points to a lack of an internal hard drive as a glaring omission.

“I mean, you’ve gotta be kidding me. Why would I buy a gaming system without a hard drive in it? How does this thing scale? Motion gaming is cute, but if I can only wave my arms six inches, how does this really feel like I’m doing true accurate motion gaming?”

Admittedly, Tretton does have a point, at least when it comes to the PS3. Hardware-wise, it has the edge. By including an HDD and Blu-ray disc drive standard in all units, Sony’s forward-thinking stance paid off — even if it did come with a sticker-shock-inducing price initially. But bashing Nintendo for their supposed ‘kiddie’ image? That’s a tired jab.

“We’d like to increase this even further with the 3DS,” said Iwata, referencing the DS install base. He added, “We’re making software that is packed with the kinds of surprises and enjoyment that the 3DS can deliver.”

“We’re at a period where it will be difficult to keep the value of our content if we are unable to offer experiences that can’t be had on Smartphones.”

Thanks, Andriasang.

Not one to squander, Acekard says it plans to release a patch file that brings 3DS compatibility to all AK2i units “after a full test.” It’s pertinent to note, however, that the cart is restricted to DS mode. 3DS mode remains out of reach, at least for the time being. Still, with partial access to the system, hackers (and unfortunately, pirates) already have a leg up on Nintendo.

First, we are in Nintendo country. Second, the feeling I have with 3DS is the same as when the Dreamcast came out – as a developer, I mean, these machines are so exciting.

We’re fascinated by it at Capcom, and diving into the innards at the moment, but you know there’s just so much more there to unlock; it’s got more to give.

It’s an odd comparison, given the stigma that surrounds the Dreamcast’s short-lived history. Still, the Dreamcast era was hardly a period of doom and gloom for publishers, it just came at Sega’s expense.

“So, in the interests of adopting new technology for the Super Mario Bros. tradition, I am now making a new Super Mario Bros. game for the Nintendo 3DS system,” he said. “I want to show everyone as soon as possible what the new Super Mario Bros. will be like on the Nintendo 3DS.”

While Miyamoto refrained from sparing any concrete details on the new title, he did note that “it’s important to always use the most advanced technology for Mario in order to create something no one has ever seen before.” Expect a heavy foucs on 3D, then.

Famitsu has published details earlier this week which suggest the use the dreaded friend code system on the Nintendo 3DS. Adriasang gave us the scoop on the article which reveals the use of friend codes in the launch-title Super Street Fighter IV 3D. It is unclear however if these friend codes will be system-wide or change with each game.

Super Street Fighter IV 3D Online Play Detailed [Adriasang]

It’s important that you be able to supply software with no pause. With the DS and Wii, following the titles that were released at launch, the momentum dropped when there was a gap in software releases. We’re making plans so that this type of thing won’t happen.

That’s resounding news for early adopters. The 3DS launches next month in Japan, with a stateside debut planned for March.

On the DS, Nintendo touts it as “the nation’s best-selling video game system of all time.”  That 47 million figure includes all hardware refreshes to date — from the chunky DS fat all the way to the supersized DSi XL. As for the Wii, it enjoyed its third consecutive year of shifting more than 7 million units in the U.S. alone, which Nintendo proclaims is “a feat never before accomplished in the history of video games by a home console.”

It’ll be interesting to see how the 3DS fares at its rumored $250-300 price point when it debuts stateside this March —  only a mere two months away. Expect launch details to drop later this month.

Interestingly, this unit boasts 96MB of RAM, which is a fair bit more than the 64MB IGN’s source claimed. The included battery pack is rated at 1300 mAh, up from the stock 1200 mAh battery on Sony’s PSP-3000. Beyond that, the aesthetics appear to mimic what was shown at E3 2010.

The factory bandit went as far to film a video of turning the unit on with a Super Mario DS cart inserted, which can be seen after the break.

Nintendo 3DS China Leak [imgur, via 3DSBlog]

With the 3DS’ February debut in Japan inching ever so closer, it seems like an opportune time for Nintendo to dish out details on pricing and a North American release date. Last we heard, Nintendo is aiming for a March launch stateside.

Nintendo 3DS preview event scheduled for January [Joystiq]

Subtitled ‘Realms of Revelation,’ this debut marks a localization-first, as the original SNES outing never made it outside of Japan. Not counting unofficial fan translations and ROM hacks, of course. As with most DQ titles, the plot revolves around a central conflict, with players setting out on a quest that spans multiple words ravaged by the nefarious Murdaw.

“Millions of players around the world have discovered the timeless fun of Dragon Quest,” said Marc Franklin, Nintendo of America’s director of Public Relations. “The arrival of Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation in North America will give fans unique access to a classic game in the series for the first time, offering new ways to explore and enjoy the DRAGON QUEST universe.”

The delightful platforming romp, which sees players vying to restore a sense of color and vibrancy to a dull monochromatic world under threat from the evil Ink Corp, is due out on February 22 across DS, Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360.

For your viewing pleasure, a selection of direct-feed shots from the Wii edition can be seen after the break.

Moving 1.37 million units, Xbox 360 sales rose by an incredible 68 percent over last November, much of which is attributed to the launch of Kinect. Microsoft’s hands-free motion camera dominated the accessory channel, shifting 1 million in just 10 days.

The PS3 suffered a 25 percent drop, shifting a pale 530,000 units in comparison.

Meanwhile, on the software side of the spectrum, Black Ops accounted for a whopping 25 percent of all sales. Throughout November, it shifted a staggering 8.4 million units, setting a new record for launch sales. Furthermore, NPD reports that it is the 7th best-selling game of all time, life-to-date.

“November sales represent the best November on record in terms of new physical retail sales. It bests November 2008 by roughly $30 million, and that time frame was at the height of the music/dance genre sales,” said NPD analyst Anita Frazier.

“All categories were up over last year with the exception of portable hardware and software.”

“The 360 platform accounted for over 40% of total industry sales driven by the successful launch of Microsoft’s Kinect. Xbox 360 accessories accounted for 60% of that categories’ dollar sales this month.”

We’ll update with exact hardware figures as they become available.

Hardware Sales

Nintendo DS: 1.5 million
Xbox 360: 1.37 million
Wii: 1.27 million
PS3: 530k

Top 10 – Software

**Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, Wii, PC, NDS) 1 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
**Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (360, PS3) 2 UBISOFT
Just Dance 2 (Wii) 3 UBISOFT
Madden NFL 11 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP) 4 ELECTRONIC ARTS
**Fable III (360) 5 MICROSOFT
Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii) 6 NINTENDO
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (PS3, 360, Wii, PC) 7 ELECTRONIC ARTS
**Gran Turismo 5 (PS3) 8 SONY
NBA 2K11 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP,PC) 9 TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
**Wii Fit Plus (Wii) 10 NINTENDO

**(includes CE, GOTY editions, bundles, etc. but not those bundled with hardware)

Both are shaping up as impressive contenders in the graphics department, certainly among the finest we’ve seen on Nintendo’s next-gen handheld thus far. March, or February for the early birds that plan on importing, can’t come soon enough.

Don’t take our word for it, see for yourself after the break.

Resident Evil Revelations

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries

In a Gametrailers ‘Pach Attack’ segment, he labels the PSP2 as ‘dead on arrival.’ Further, he feels Apple’s growing dominance with the iPod Touch will continue to gnaw at Nintendo’s marketshare, pointing to lower software prices as a key momentum driver among budget-conscious parents.

Here’s the full quote:

We’re way approaching saturation on the handheld market. We’re starting to see DS hardware sales crack, I think the ambiguity of the iPod Touch is cutting into the handheld market, I think the PSP is dead on arrival and I think the PSP2 is going to be dead on arrival.

It looks to me like young kids are just as happy playing with an iPod Touch or a Nano. You know, the Touch is cool, it plays games, plays music, they’re going to put a camera in it and you’re going to get all sorts of cool stuff.

The 3DS will prolong the handheld market for the game manufacturers, but ultimately, I think handhelds are in trouble. I really think as the iPod Touch gets more and more powerful, you’re going to see a lot of free games over there.

What’s the difference if you play Tetris on an iPod Touch or on a DS? Well, you pay a buck on the iPod Touch, you pay $20 on the DS. Parents prefer $1 or free software, I think the iPod Touch is going to sell really, really well. So, after the 3DS has had its little rush I think the handhelds will continue to decline.

What’s your take on Pachter’s predictions? Is the traditional handheld market on its way out?

Nintendo attributed the brisk sales to its strong software lineup as well as the recent introduction of more timed bundles, which further bolstered consumer interest.

“For the past several years, consumers have decided that Nintendo defined both top value and all-inclusive entertainment, and that sentiment continues again at the start of this shopping season,” noted NoA president Reggie Fils-Aime.

Professor Ryuta Kawashima revealed in his new book, “Farewell Brain Games”, that Nintendo is currently developing a new entry into the Brain Age series after a brief hiatus after the second title. The reason for the hiatus was attributed to Nintendo wanting to wait until they could make something with a “special idea”.

Rumors are currently spinning around the title being a 3DS title which should take care of that “special idea” criteria. The title was slated for a 2010 launch, but with the end of the year upcoming and the 3DS launch moved until early next year we probably won’t see it until sometime next year.

Professor Kawashima Says New Brain Age in Development [Andriasang]

A press release issued by the Consumer Electronics Association today has revealed an unlikely exhibitor for CES 2011: Nintendo. What makes the Big N’s appearance so significant is that it hasn’t showed up at the Las Vegas-based event in 16 years.

Major gaming exhibitors include: AMD, HP, Intel, Lenovo, LevelUp, Logitech, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nokia, Sony and more.

Looks like more 3DS info at CES 2011 is a given. Taking Nintendo’s history into account, this comes as a bit of a surprise, but it’s a move that makes perfect sense.

CES 2011 kicks off January 6-9, 2011.

While conceding that “costs vary based on game content,” Marvelous told investors in a Q&A session that it has pegged the general cost of developing a 3DS title at around 50 million and 150 million yen ($600,000 – $1.8 million).

Comparatively, the reported average for a DS title in Japan fell between 4.4 million and 43.9 million yen ($53,000 – $527,000) last year. Clearly, the bar for entry is notably higher over the DS. Keep in mind that as Marvelous tends to focus on low to mid-budget efforts, we reckon that the likes of top-tier devs like Capcom are at the far end of that estimate – if not spending significantly more.

Are the days of shelling out $30-40 for a portable title numbered? With a rise in development expenditures, logic assumes that ROI could be maintained through higher software costs – something Nintendo remains mum on.

Available “while supplies last,” the new shades are scheduled to hit retail on November 26. Priced at $149.99 each, both bundles include a copy of Mario Party DS.

Update: Activision has released a statement, in which it squares blame on Blur for not finding a “commercial audience.” The publisher is exploring several strategic moves, including “a potential sale of the business.” Look past the break for more.

Over the past three years since our purchase of Bizarre Creations, the fundamentals of the racing genre have changed significantly. Although we made a substantial investment in creating a new IP, Blur, it did not find a commercial audience. Bizarre is a very talented team of developers, however, because of the broader economic factors impacting the market, we are exploring our options regarding the future of the studio, including a potential sale of the business.

Activision has placed UK-based outfit Bizarre Creations on the chopping block, according to a report from industry trade site Develop. Sources close to the studio say that around 200 jobs have been axed.

While Activision has yet to confirm the closure, the news is spreading across Twitter like wildfire. A statement is likely imminent. Under the stewardship of Microsoft, Bizarre churned out hits like Project Gotham Racing and Geometry Wars.

Activision bought out the studio in 2007, tasking it with the creation of Blur and James Bond 007: Blood Stone, the latter of which received little to no media attention in lieu of Goldeneye 007′s Wii re-imaging.

de Blob’s premise revolves around bringing color and vibrance to once-bustling locales of a dull monochromatic world under siege by the evil Ink Corp. If the gameplay clip below is any indication, it’s one to keep an eye on, especially if you fancy lighthearted platformers. The transition to HD really makes the visuals pop.

The record-shattering feat marks the second year in a row that Activision’s Call of Duty franchise has broke launch records across all forms of entertainment.

“There has never been another entertainment franchise that has set opening day records for two consecutive years and we are on track to outperform last year’s five-day global sales record of $550 million,” said Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick.

What’s looming on the horizon? In response to increased demand, Kotick says the company is committed to supporting fans “with new content and features on a more frequent and regular basis.” More DLC, anyone?

In a statement released today, a Viacom spokesperson said the company is in talks with “several potential buyers.” On severing its ties with the rhythm-based music genre, Viacom noted that its exit stems from a company-wide strategy of focusing on high-performing properties, a category Rock Band evidently no longer falls under.

Has the music genre hit its peak? Perhaps. Regardless, Viacom obviously isn’t willing to take any further gambles after Rock Band 3′s sluggish debut.

While it’s unclear as to which companies are scoping out Harmonix, EA and Activision are solid bets.

Backed by 3D depth camera effects, the 3DS iteration will bring with it a “comprehensive handheld experience.” Gameplay modes promised include authentic 11-on-11 football, fast-paced 5-on-5 action and Season Mode.

In addition to being able to draw your own plays on the touch screen, the title sports three types of play calling — GameFlow, Classic, and Arcade — each of which tailor the experience towards varying levels of skill.

As the initial tally rolls in, McKenzie expects that Black Ops will register as “the biggest launch” that this industry has ever seen.

I think it’s a loyal fanbase for the franchise and [Activision has] done a great job of really getting out in front of it and really making this an event. I’m convinced it’ll be the biggest launch that we’ve ever had, that the industry has ever seen.

Bold words, yet not entirely unexpected either. The mammoth lineups at retailers across the globe during last night’s midnight launch serve as an inkling that he may be right.

Interview: GameStop Expecting Black Ops Launch Numbers To Beat MW2′s [Gamasutra]

Fresh out of the box, it’s evident the game has a lot going for it. Boasting smooth visuals and gameplay rife with tension, the high-impact feel that traditionally encompasses Call of Duty efforts is immediately noticeable. When it comes to locales, Black Ops takes a slight twist as its war-ridden campaign unfolds over an often overlooked era — at least in video games — the Cold War.

To start, you step into the shoes of Alex Mason, a Studies and Observations Group (SOG) member, who endures extreme torture and interrogation. Through this, he is forced to relive and revisit his past military operations, all of which have a seemingly simple end-goal — find and dispose of ‘Dragovich,’ the leader of the Russian forces.

While in true Call of Duty fashion you step into more shoes than your own, the core plot remains focused on Alex throughout, who travels across the world in his search, ending up in some fairly scenic locales such as Cuba, Laos, Russia and even a brief stint in the Vietnam War. While the ‘hunt down a specific enemy’ approach might sound like an all-too familiar staple of the Call of Duty series, it is executed in such a brilliant way that it feels quite fresh and innovative.

Story and action elements go hand in hand throughout in Black Ops, so much so that it hits a perfect balance. Nothing feels stilted or forced, there is never too much dialogue, and the voices of Gary Oldman and Sam Worthington are perfectly suited to the game. Even the musical overtones in the background blend in with the scenes. The only criticism over the entire single player experience is the at times awkward vehicle controls.

While most games even in this day and age thrive on their single player aspect, a very large portion of the community are aching for only one thing — multiplayer. Here, Treyarch deliver on every front imaginable, offering a wealth of maps, weapons, and customization options that truly set it apart and in front of anything that came before.

Fans of the series might be happy to note that instead of having to skip a map, players now vote for which map they would like to play – something that feels like it should have been added a long time ago. Each map is extremely varied, playing to many strengths and weaknesses… from the small, visually vibrant Nuketown, to the thick lush jungle of…well… Jungle.

Black Ops is no slouch on the personalization front either. Players can dabble with face paint and tune up weaponry to their liking. You can truly make your weapon your own; with the ability to etch your clan tag into it as well as emblems, camo, and even your optional red dot sight can be changed at whim. Tier 1 perks affect your outward appearance, adding a deeper meaning than just choosing the one that suits your play style.

Perks have made a radical shift from that of previous games, with there no longer being anything that gives the player extra health or increasing the damage one can dish out. There are plenty of new surprises too – with many of the pro perks adding interesting results (such as hacker, allowing you to sabotage enemy equipment). Finally, many of the perks have changed tiers, making the choice of what goes in what tier even more difficult to make.

Prestiging (where you start from level 1 with no unlocks, after reaching the max level) has in the past been only a trivial affair, gaining you extra class unlocks. This has changed in Black Ops, to the point where there are actual in game perks outside of extra classes to sweeten the deal. There are also 15 of them, although with a level cap of 50 players might find they reach the final prestige faster than in previous games… but the benefits are completely worth it.

Black Ops feels great, with a lot of new features that have been added to smooth out issues that were present in previous games. Quick-scoping (the ability to kill a person without fully transitioning into the scope) has been nixed, as has the invulnerability enemies would have when going prone or transitioning into Last Stand. A new ‘dive prone’ move has been added, allowing moving players a prone option that doesn’t seem stilted.

With a new Call of Duty comes change, and one of the changes that have been made are the addition of CP or CoD Points. While players still gain XP to level up in the traditional sense, levelling up by itself does not unlock new weapons and equipment, instead these need to be purchased using CoD Points, which are gained by the completion of challenges, levelling up, and also gambled in two new ways, Wager Matches and Contracts.

Outside of the core multiplayer component comes Combat Training, a way for players who are perhaps not very comfortable with their multiplayer talents to practice against AI opponents. This mode is great for beginners and veterans alike, allowing for the practice of new guns, tactics, and strategies against fairly realistic opponents.

Yet one of the most anticipated parts of the game is Zombie Mode, a Left 4 Dead-esque cooperative mini-game that sets up to four players against larger and increasingly deadly hordes of zombies. The best part about it is the fact that in certain zombie-laden maps, like the Pentagon, you can go rambo as world leaders like JFK or Fidel Castro. It’s a bizarre, yet awesome addition.

Black Ops is truly a daunting masterpiece, lovingly crafted with such fine attention to detail that it’s evident developer Treyarch, responsible for Call of Duty 3 and World at War, went to remarkable heights to appease fans. From an ‘on the edge of your seats’ main story, to frantic paced cooperative Zombie mode, and a competitive multiplayer aspect that has offered the deepest, most customizable experience yet, it hardly comes as a surprise that publisher Activision is touting it as the “biggest entertainment launch” of this year.

Like
- A story that feels epic straight from the moment you start
- Multiplayer customizability at its finest
- Every game can do with Zombies; this one does so with world leaders.

Dislike
- Vehicle controls feel a little strange and unfamiliar at times.

The latest crop of Black Friday ads to hit the net, this time courtesy of Sears, have revealed plans to introduce a pair of bold new DSi colors: a limited edition Mario Party DSi, decked in your choice of green or red. Both are priced at $149.99 each, backed by a $20 award card incentive.

While Nintendo has yet to make an official announcement, we’d expect one soon-ish.

Other notable deals in the ad: a PSP-3000 Entertainment Pack that includes a copy of LittleBigPlanet for $129.99. Not bad at all.

Speaking at the London Games Conference per a GameSpot report, Cousens reckons that in the next two to five years, titles like Battlefield: Pay4Free will win consumers over to the point of second-guessing whether to invest in new console platforms.

He attributes that mindset to a wealth of integration possibilities that only an open platform – like the PC – can provide, referencing EA’s goal to “grab the TV screen away from the console manufacturers.”

Cousens further noted that consoles do have a chance at surviving the transition if platform holders embrace openness, especially in the case of online services such as PSN and Xbox Live, the latter of which has been under heavy fire from devs over restrictions in the past.

Scheduled to hit iTunes and “other major digital media retailers,” the 30-track offering features music of film composer Sean Murray, marking his second collaboration with developer Treyarch following the release of Call of Duty: World at War. Fans can pick up the entire shebang for $11.99 or $.99 per track.

Of course, with the 3DS looming on the horizon, it’s not surprising to see the DS hardware sales falter for the first time since… forever.

As a result, net sales took a steep decline, to 363.2 billion yen from 548.1 billion yen the previous year. Wii sales attributed to the decline, albeit not as sharply. Nintendo shifted 4.97 million Wii units, compared to 2009′s 5.75 million.

For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011, the company is projecting unit sales of 4 million and 15 million for 3DS hardware and software, respectively. That gives Nintendo a sales window of about one month. It’s hardly a lofty goal when you factor in how many DS owners out there are anxiously awaiting to make the transition, we reckon.