There are two certainties when dealing with Nintendo: a) Princess Peach will get kidnapped again and b) their franchises will always make the jump to handheld. One Nintendo series has managed to escape the grasp of their portable empire, however: Pikmin.

Apparently, Nintendo has been keen on bringing its strategy series to handheld, with series creator Shigeru Miyamoto admitting that the company "experimented" with both DS and Game Boy Advance prototypes. However, "we really felt that the portable machine simply didn't have the capabilities to create the Pikmin gameplay in a way that we felt like it needed to be represented," Miyamoto said.

Read more: 3DS version wouldn't 'feel like Pikmin' either »

Sonic skepticism has become almost routine upon word of a new game announcement. The character platformer has had some decent hits, but on the whole his track record has encouraged what fans have dubbed the Sonic cycle. At risk of falling into that disappointing trap, what I saw so far of Sonic Lost World looks promising.

Read more: Sonic's new variety, control scheme »

The 3DS-exclusive sequel to A Link to the Past, now dubbed The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, is coming this November, IGN reports. That means you'll be able to turn into a painting and play through the first Zelda really made with 3D in mind. Given its holiday season release, we wouldn't be surprised to see a limited edition 3DS system bundle with this long-awaited sequel.

Watch: 'A Link Between Worlds' trailer »

Nintendo has no shortage of characters to choose from for its upcoming Smash Bros game for Wii U and 3DS. At E3, the company focused on the new characters being added to the fourth Smash Bros game: the hilarious Wii Fit Trainer, Capcom mascot Mega Man, and the Villager from Animal Crossing.

However, there are a number of other returning characters from previous games. By perusing all the screnshots and videos released thus far, here's who we've discovered:

See: All the characters in action »

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies is coming this fall, marking the triumphant return of the series' original lead character after a short detour. The game has gotten a major facelift and some renovations for its upgrade to the 3DS, but Capcom seems to be crafting an appropriate homecoming for its hero.

Read more: Detecting emotions for dummies »

Skylanders has come a long way from its origins as a bizarre Spyro spin-off. The game that integrated real-world collectibles and busted many a parent's wallet has spun its way into a full-blown money-making powerhouse for Activision. Even as Disney approaches a similar concept built around much more recognizable characters, a look at Skylanders Swap Force shows why the House of Mouse has a real fight on its white-gloved hands.

Read more: Combinations and upgrades »

At the end of their press-only gathering, Nintendo decided to hold a "one more thing" surprise. Promising more info on a long-awaited series, the audience held their breath as a screen from Wii Fit was shown.

Nintendo was trolling us, apparently. The camera zooms out, showing Mario and Link trying to follow along with the female trainer's instructions. And then: the surprise. Wii Fit Trainer will be the next character to join the Smash Bros roster.

Read more: 'Her moves are very fitness-based' »

Following today's E3 Nintendo Direct, the company released more info on which games will be playable at Best Buy as part of the "Experience" project. The included games are the newly announced Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and the already-known Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD.

Read more: Find your location »

Nintendo has given its sequel to A Link to the Past a proper title. In a new trailer, the new title "A Link Between Worlds" debuted. The trailer showed some new footage of the game in action, including some of the uses of the wall-flattening mechanic.

Watch: 'A Link Between Worlds' trailer »

The new Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS will launch in 2014, Nintendo announced today during its E3 presentation. And a new character has been introduced to the roster: Mega Man will be joining the fight.

The game was announced back in 2011, and is being developed by Namco Bandai. Smash Bros director Masahiro Sakurai said that the team didn't want to lose focus by adding non-Nintendo characters "willy nilly" to the game, so they must have given some thought to adding Capcom's Mega Man.

Watch: Super Smash Bros. in action

Skylanders Swap Force will launch on October 13, Activision announced today. In addition to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, and 3DS versions, Activision also confirmed it will be releasing PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions. Obviously those release dates aren't set, since we don't know when the consoles are releasing.

Read more: Figure pre-orders start today »

Disney has unveiled its next playset for Disney Infinity. With all the characters and franchises it could choose from, it has decided to promote its upcoming movie, The Lone Ranger. Coupled with Pirates of the Caribbean, that means Johnny Depp times two!

Read more: Hi Ho Silver ... and Scout, too »

More than most other series in Nintendo's library, Animal Crossing is iterative. Since its Gamecube debut, each installment has made very minor tweaks and improvements to the last, culminating (so far) in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. This one's twist on the familiar isn't quite enough to make the experience feel completely fresh, but the friendship simulator is still a welcoming place to while away some time.

Read more: My power-mad mayor »

Hot on the heels of yesterday's debut trailer for Sonic Lost World, Sega has released more details about the upcoming Nintendo exclusive. Those include tidbits about the gameplay basics, platform features, and yes for some reason, the story.

Read more: Parkour and exclusive 'color powers' »

It's time for the Sonic cycle to begin anew. Sega has released the first trailer for its upcoming Sonic Lost World, and it shows off yet a new direction for the company's mascot. This time, it appears the game is taking a Mario Galaxy-inspired route--fitting, considering the game is exclusive to Nintendo platforms.

Fans will probably breathe a sigh of relief that the initial trailer doesn't feature any of Sonic's furry friends. However, given the number of other cuddly critters in the video, perhaps it's best to simply assume that Sonic won't be on this adventure solo.

Watch: Sonic spins around the world »

After the recent delay announcement, you probably thought you'd have to wait until the dog days of summer to play the Ace Attorney HD Trilogy on your iOS device. But you just HOLD IT! right there, mister, because Capcom has doubled back on that announcement and now says the compilation is due next week instead.

Read more: $16.99 for the set »

Batman: Arkham Origins takes place early into the career of the caped crusader. According to developer WB Montreal, Origins will show off a "rawer, scarier Batman." So, of course they got the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog to play Batman this time around. (We're not kidding.)

Read more: The surprising voice actor behind the new Joker »

Game Gear emulation on 3DS earned high marks from us when it launched, but its output since launch has been notably low. So low, in fact, that the three initial launch titles are still the only ones available. Nintendo has plans to change that, with a veritable flood of Game Gear titles making their way to the 3DS Virtual Console.

Read more: Lots and lots of Sonic »

Although Nintendo won't have a bombastic E3 keynote presentation like its competitors, that doesn't mean the company is going to sit idly by during the show. Instead, the company announced plans to give fans the opportunity to participate in this year's activities. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime outlined a plan to let players try the company's E3 lineup without flying to Los Angeles.

Read more: E3 'for the people' »

Nintendo outlined a slew of release dates during today's Nintendo Direct, which focused on its release plans for the summer. You'll be able to play Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, and Game & Wario before autumn (technically) begins.

Read more: Wario and Zelda dated »

Updated with additional details from Sega.

Sega's next Sonic the Hedgehog game, Sonic Lost World, will be exclusive to Nintendo Wii U and 3DS. "The onetime rivalry between Mario and Sonic has grown into a friendship that has never been closer," Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said in the announcement.

According to Nintendo, this announcement demonstrates "the commitment we have to bringing great games to the Wii U platform." This comes a day after EA officially announced it was not developing games for Nintendo's latest home console.

Read more: Agreement covers 'next three titles' of Sonic franchise »

Fans that produce "Let's Play" style videos of Nintendo content will no longer be able to earn any ad revenue. The publisher has issued a "content ID match claim" on content that features audio or video of a certain length from its games. Offending videos will not be taken down from YouTube, but instead will feature advertising that will go directly to Nintendo--not the uploader.

YouTube user Zack Scott wrote an open letter on Facebook saying that "filing claims against LPers is backwards" and that because of Nintendo's actions, he can no longer play their games. "I won't because it jeopardizes my channel's copyright standing and the livelihood of all LPers," he added.

Read more: Nintendo defends policy »

Capcom has finally announced a US release of Ace Attorney 5. However, instead of giving the 3DS sequel such an easy-to-follow title, the US version will be called Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies--a title we think sounds better suited for the Layton crossover.

Dual Destinies begins like a thrilling season of 24, with the game's iconic court room destroyed. "It's down to Phoenix Wright and his team at the Wright Anything Agency to discover the cause of the destruction," Capcom describes. "Players will have to battle it out in court against Gaspen Payne, the younger brother of Winston Payne from previous Ace Attorney titles, as they defend the accused."

Read more: How AA5 adds 3D gameplay »

The Starship Damrey, part of Level-5's second round of bite-sized eShop games from noted Japanese developers, is coming on May 16. The text adventure from genre pioneers Kazuya Asano and Takemaru Akibo has you searching for clues in the far reaches of space.

Read more: Bugs vs Tanks, Friday Monsters still not dated »

A Link to the Past is getting a proper sequel on 3DS. However, one new feature felt a bit out of place for the franchise. In the 3DS adventure, Link can attach to walls and become a flat 2D painting. While the power was used to good effect in the dungeon's puzzle designs, it didn't feel like it belonged in a Zelda game.

Producer Eiji Aonuma would disagree, however, explaining that the ability actually comes from a previous Zelda game: Ocarina of Time.

Read more: Phantom Ganon inspiration »