Nintendo is expanding the multimedia 
functions of the 3DS — and bringing a familiar face to the platform.
The company announced that it is working on a new Super Mario game for its latest handheld system, with the development team behind the successful Super Mario Galaxy titles leading the charge. Also, U.S. owners will be able to stream Netflix films to the device starting this summer.
Hollywood is coming to 
Nintendo.
The game giant announced Wednesday that U.S. owners of its upcoming 3DS console will be able to stream movies to the device via Netflix starting this summer. And users will also be able to watch 3D trailers for upcoming Hollywood features.
Panasonic finally saw the Jungle
for the trees.
The consumer electronics company has abandoned its plans to create a handheld gaming device – which was codenamed ‘Jungle’ – that would have focused on massively-multiplayer online games for the portable audience.
Panasonic is headed back 
to the city.
The consumer electronics giant has stopped development on its handheld gaming system that was code-named Jungle “due to changes in the market and in [the company’s] strategic direction”.
Nintendo’s latest handheld 
is a hit in its home country.
A big hit.
The Nintendo 3DS went on sale Saturday in Japan and has already virtually sold out throughout most the country, with more than 371,000 units reportedly purchased in the first two days. That puts the system on a faster sales track than the indomitable Nintendo DS, according to some calculations.
Sony has some mounting problems
in Europe.
Customs officials have been ordered to seize shipments of all PlayStation 3 shipments from the manufacturer and hold them in storage for at least 10 days. The orders come as LG has won a preliminary injunction against Sony in an ongoing patent dispute between the companies.
The first push by the Academy of Motion Picture 
Arts and Sciences to offer a multi-screen viewing experience may not have been perfect, but it proved to be a very solid first effort.
Oscar Backstage Pass offered a strong second screen experience for users that wanted a behind the scenes look at the Academy Awards, taking them into previously roped-off areas like the press room and giving them looks at the backstage happenings of the film industry’s biggest night.
If you’re a fan of NBA games looking for a precise 
simulation of the sport, NBA Elite 11 by EA SPORTS isn’t it. It is, however, a fine game for fans who simply want to have a fun experience that’s a step beyond an arcade-like basketball game. With easy-to-grasp controls and a smooth flowing animation system, it gets a lot right — even down to the television-like presentation. It’s a fun single-player game, but it’s a title that cries out for a multiplayer mode, something that NBA Elite 11 by EA SPORTS lacks. Of course, seeing that EA cancelled all other platform versions of this game, the fact that it’s available at all is a notable achievement.
While it might be a little jarring to hear Five Little Monkeys 
Jumping on the Bed presented as a story rather than a song, Oceanhouse Media (and author/illustrator Eileen Christelow) pull it off. Children will love seeing the song presented with quality artwork and the pages pan and zoom to help bring the story to life. The app also is a good learning tool, offering a variety of ways for users to experience it and utilizing picture/word association to help teach children (words zoom and are spoken when an item is touched onscreen). The story’s simplistic, and older kids might get bored quickly, but young children will be captivated.
The Oscars are getting high-tech
– and going multi-screen.
As Hollywood gears up for its biggest night, the countdown clock is ticking on the official app of the Academy Awards – Oscar Backstage Pass. Build in collaboration with ABC, the ambitious project (which works with the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad) hopes to serve as a second screen for viewers, giving them access to live camera feeds before, during and after the event.
Chris Morris: Journalist 