While news continues to circulate around the possibility of Kingdom Hearts III for new consoles, Square Enix is busy promoting another title in the series, the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance for Nintendo 3DS.  Though not the "epic" sequel that many gamers will be hoping for, it will nevertheless be a great new game for the handheld, featuring another wonderful adventure that combines the universes of Square and Disney almost seamlessly.  And we've got some great new details on the game, via a video interview.

Kart racers are usually a dime a dozen, especially back in the old days, when it seemed like every gaming company wanted to make its own version to capitalize on the popularity of the Mario Kart games.  But Sega did it quite effectively several months back with Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing, a smorgasbord of racing goodness stemming multiple characters and tracks inspired by various Sega classics, including the House of the Dead, Samba de Amigo and more.  The formula worked extremely well for both the company and players, so it should be no surprise that the long-rumored sequel was finally announced today.

Mario has some new games heading to Nintendo 3DS and Kirby is celebrating his 20th birthday. Nintendo will launch New Super Mario Bros. 2, a new side-scrolling Mario adventure for Nintendo 3DS, this summer. Later in the year, Nintendo will mark the 20th anniversary of the Kirby game series with a special compilation game disc for the Wii system. Other content on the way includes a system update for Nintendo 3DS, re-runs of the popular Kid Icarus anime videos as well as the May 20 launch of Mario Tennis Open.

Dolby Laboratories and Royal Philips Electronics unveiled Dolby 3D, a 3D HD format and suite of technologies designed to deliver full HD 3D content to 3D-enabled devices, including glasses-free displays. Dolby 3D is being demonstrated at the NAB Show (April 16–19, 2012). The two companies have undertaken the joint project to improve the 3D viewing experience on displays of all sizes, including smartphones, tablets, PCs, and televisions. Dolby 3D is a complete system designed to work throughout the chain to deliver clear glasses-free 3D content that operates over existing distribution systems. This will enable content to be created for Nintendo 3DS and the growing number of 3D smartphones.

When Epic Mickey came out for the Nintendo Wii a couple of years ago, it introduced an interesting alternative style for the legendary Walt Disney character, one with a vivid new world for him to explore and compelling new gameplay elements that let him change the world.  And though not everyone was crazy about the game being exclusive to Nintendo’s console, he certainly shook things up, opening the door for a hit franchise.  Now, in 2012, it’ll reach its fullest potential, with Epic Mickey 2 set to hit various systems, including Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.  But that’s not all – it’s coming to the 3DS as well, and is set to be better than you could ever expect.

SAN FRANCISCO – “Where does he get those wonderful toys?” That’s a quote from The Joker that gamers will actually be hearing for the first time ever in a LEGO videogame. TT Games is adding voices to its LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes game this summer. It’s one of many new features that the game will introduce this summer when it ships across all platforms.

TRANSFORMERS fans won’t have to wait for a fourth film from Michael Bay to get in on the action. In fact, they won’t even have to wait until the new TRANSFORMERS: Fall of Cybertron game from High Moon Studios. Activision is bringing the ultimate TRANSFORMERS video game experience to kids of all ages with the TRANSFORMERS PRIME video game.  Based on the hit animated television show produced by Hasbro Studios and currently airing on The Hub television network in the U.S., the game lets fans play as their favorite AUTOBOT characters and embark on an action-packed adventure to save the earth from the evil MEGATRON and his new secret weapon. 

SAN FRANCISCO – Nintendo had a strong showing at the Game Developers Conference (GDC 2012). The game maker abandoned Wii U for Nintendo 3DS and featured some brand new games. On display and playable was Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir, Mario Tennis and Kid Icarus: Uprising.

People could argue for hours on end about which Metal Gear Solid game was the best.  Some would say that the original PS One release can’t be beat; others feel that Peace Walker was a significant move forward for the series; and some will even swear up and down about Sons of Liberty rocking hard, even with the odd inclusion of a nude Raiden.  However, most of the consensus believes that Snake Eater, the third chapter in the series, is truly significant, if only because it takes place in a different time, telling the story from a new point of view.  And if you somehow missed this story, you have another chance to catch it, this time on the Nintendo 3DS with Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater.

Penny Arcade continues to expand. With PAX East coming up in April in Boston and PAX Prime set for later this year in Seattle, the comics are now helping educate consumers about game ratings. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has unveiled a new PSA campaign featuring artwork designed by the creators of the hugely popular video game webcomic Penny Arcade. The three-part national print and online campaign features caricatures based upon real parents and gamers, each of whom conveys a unique perspective about the ESRB ratings and tools like rating summaries and the ESRB mobile app. These ads will start appearing this spring in parent-focused and game enthusiast media outlets nationwide and can be viewed here.

When I played Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D for Nintendo 3DS last year, I saw some great potential out of the game, save problems and all.  But it still felt a little short-handed to me, as if Capcom was holding back for something better – in this case, Resident Evil Revelations.  And this problem has happened more than once, and is likely to happen again when next month’s Operation Raccoon City is dwarfed by Resident Evil 6 later this year.  But that’s later on.  For now, I humbly suggest you enjoy Revelations, because it’s the Resident Evil experience that the 3DS needs.