No need for alarm, Nintendo’s next console is most likely not called the Nintendo Zii, and hasn’t been trademarked as such. SiliconEra, which loves to dig up this stuff, found a Nintendo trademark for “Zii” in Japan, and speculated that this was perhaps the name for a high-definition Nintendo Wii, noting that three years is a bit late for something as simple as name protection. But after doing some digging, Engadget found that this is likely just a renewal of a trademark request from 2006. Also, trademarks from Nintendo were found for Bii, Cii, Oii and Yii. Why the Big N didn’t go the extra mile and trademark Xii, Uii, Iii and Nii is beyond me, and my Mii.

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Nintendo Power pulled the lid off Mega Man 10, and, well, it looks like every other Mega Man you remember from childhood. Purists won’t like some of the features Capcom has lined up for this WiiWare release, such as the ability to select other characters (Protoman is mentioned, and a third character is being kept secret for now) and a story that requires Mega Man to assemble a vaccine-making device that cures robots of Robotenza. It’s not said whether Dr. Wily is involved, but come on.

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From the department of wise decisions (and, technically, Famitsu) comes word that the Phoenix Wright series will come to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Good call. The entirety of the Nintendo DS series is spent tapping on a touch screen, so this well-received wacky lawyer drama will be a perfect fit on Apple’s devices. Only the first game, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, is planned for release on the iPhone, but the sequels and spin-offs (there are four of them) could follow. There’s no word yet on pricing or actual release dates. This is great news for iPhone gamers, but it spells trouble for Nintendo.

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How was Mario created? It’s common knowledge that his hat-and-moustache appearance were due to graphical limitations that made it hard to otherwise distinguish facial features. But what was at the root of Mario’s origins? Why was the character, originally dubbed Jumpman, created to begin with? Money.

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Unsurprisingly, reviews of New Super Mario Bros. Wii are generally favorable. This is, of course, a new Mario game with a lot of the same old 2D platforming that put Nintendo’s iconic Italian plumber on the map. But what about the game’s multiplayer, which allows you to bring three other players in on the action? Nintendo has hyped this feature as innovative, some might call it a gimmick, but it’s certainly the freshest thing New Super Mario Bros. Wii has going for it. So how’d the multiplayer fare? Impressions from around the Web after the jump.

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Congratulations, Game Boy, you’re not only pushing 20 years old, you’re also now a legend among toys, having been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. Here’s what the Strong Museum of Play had to say about the induction: “No video-game platform did more to put gamers on the go than this invention. And go they did – bringing their gaming experience to school, to summer camp, and to the back seat of the family automobile.” Strong also notes that the Game Boy pioneered handheld multiplayer long before ad-hoc wireless and Wi-Fi were the standard, and hit the big time with Super Mario Land (the sequel was particularly excellent) and Tetris, which came packed in with the device.

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You can cool those “printing money” and “we’re rich as f—” jokes now, as Nintendo is coming to terms with a stagnating Wii. Speaking to analysts and investors, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said the “Wii has stalled,” according to a translation by Andria Sang. “We were unable to continually release strong software, and let the nice mood cool.” Another report from Sankei Shimbun quotes Iwata as saying, “We were unable to show a new game to become ‘the next thing.’” For the six-month period ending September 30, the company’s profits dropped for the first time in four years. The Nintendo DS continues to do well, at least from what I’ve seen in North America, but overall Wii sales dropped 43 percent from last year, causing Nintendo to lower its sales forecasts.

Still, Iwata is optimistic, saying that price cuts will boost sales, even if they don’t reach the levels of last year. Indeed, it ultimately comes down to the software, and no matter what Nintendo comes up with, I think it’ll be hard for the company to match the hysteria of Wii Fit, Wii Sports, Mario Kart Wii and Super Mario Galaxy. New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which is due in North America on November 15, will help, but Nintendo really needs bigger long-term plans to get its groove back. [via Andria Sang]

Why, it was only a couple days ago that Nintendo was dismissing reports of a new DSi handheld as “speculation,” but now the gaming giant is ‘fessing up, announcing the DSi LL, which will be called the DSi XL in Europe and the United States. The biggest change will be its screen size, going from 3.25 inches in the existing DSi to 4.2-inches in the XL. There’s also a bigger stylus and pre-installed, yet unspecified DSiWare software. Earlier reports said the handheld would be geared towards elderly users or gamers with poor eyesight. Sounds about right, because there’s no missing that sweet burgundy hue. Japan gets the LL on November 21 for roughly $220, while Europe and the United States must wait until early next year, with no price given. [via Kotaku]

Nintendo reportedly continues to tinker with the Nintendo DS, this time boosting the portable gaming device’s screen size to 4 inches, according to a report in Nikkei Shimbun. But unless your getting old and your eyesight is fading, don’t get hot and bothered if you already picked up a Nintendo DSi earlier this year; the upgrade Nintendo is rumored to be making is essentially catered to elderly users, likely looking to keep their noggins finely tuned with a daily round of Brain Age. For the rest of us, the existing dual 3.25-inch displays should be adequate, and maybe preferable, considering you couldn’t really improve resolution without shrinking images right back down again. [via Wired]