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Nintendo DS News is a News and downloads site for All Nintendo Handhelds and Consoles including the Gameboy, NES, N64, Snes, Gamecube, Wii, WiiU, NDS, 3DS, GBA and Snes, We have all the latest emulators, hack, homebrew, commercial games and all the downloads on this site, the latest homebrew and releases, Part of the
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November 21st, 2006, 19:31 Posted By: wraggster
This Thanksgiving Comedy Central is giving away 48 hourly prize packages that include a Wii and TomTom GPS.
For a chance to Winn you just need to watch Comedy Central from 11 a.m. Thursday to 11 p.m. Sunday and write down the codes every hour. Then you need to enter them into the site and maybe win something.
You will also be entered to win the grand prize: a tricked-out 06 Toyota Scion xB with a built in customized Wii and TomTom GPS, a Wii, a copy of Excite Truck and $5,000 cash.
Fortunately, you don't need to watch all 48-hours, though the more you watch, the more codes you get and the better your chance at winning.
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November 21st, 2006, 19:26 Posted By: wraggster
If you're not getting all your gaming news from Glamour magazine—and really, why aren't you— then you could've missed this big spread on the new console. Between articles on "why the wrong man can be so right for you," comes word that the Wii is fem-friendly. Here are five reasons why:
1. Because isn't about time we had something he wants, but can't get his hands on?
2. Price per play it's cheaper than a swanky gym membership
3. Price per laugh it's better than a night out on the town
4. It's one more reason for the girls to come round and the boys to go out
5. Forget a designer sofa, this is the only home accessory a girl needs
There are also tips on hosting your own Wii party complete with cupcakes and cocktails. Heh.
Screens via Comments
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November 21st, 2006, 19:23 Posted By: wraggster
Via Kotaku
These are not meant to be, in anyway, complete reviews of the games, just quick impressions for each. I grade games from A to F. There is no A+ or F-. As a baseline for 360 owners, I just gave Gears of War an A-.
PS3
Blast Factor (C+): Retro shooter with an interesting twist, but not enough to be original.
Cash Gun Chaos (C): Fun little title, probably not worth $10, but still worth playing.
Dark Kingdom (D+): Role-Playing game with sub-par next-gen graphics and crappy controls.
Genji: Days of the Blade (C+): Button masher with impressive graphics and camera issues.
Gundam Crossfire (B): Fun, quasi-technical mech fighter with a steep learning curve and insane difficulty.
Madden 07: (C+): Madden 07, just with a tad better graphics and mostly useless motion controls.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance (B-): Addictive slug-fest with amazing character choices.
NBA 07 (B+): Fast-paced, graphically impressive baller.
Need for Speed Carbon (C): Unimpressive graphics, generic racing.
Resistance: Fall of Man: (A-) Addictive, though not entirely original shooter with decent single player campaign and amazing online play.
Ridge Racer 7 (B-): Amazing arcade racer with intuitive controls and impressive graphics.
Tony Hawk's Project 8: (C-): Annoying controls, more of the same.
Wii
Excite Truck (B): Fun in short bursts, but not deep enough to be a mainstay.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (C-): Annoying, derivative crap with a new control mechanism.
The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess (B): Another Zelda adventure with a few neat twists and interesting controls.
Trauma Center: Second Opinion (B): Nice port of the DS title, though a little too similar to the portable version of the game to be worthwhile for those who have played it.
Wii Sports (B-): One step above mini-games, fun, but more toy than game.
I'll make sure to add quickie grades as I play through more games.
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November 21st, 2006, 19:20 Posted By: wraggster
Newsnight in the UK a current affairs TV program have covered the releases of the Wii and PS3.
Check out the Video on youtube -->
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November 21st, 2006, 17:40 Posted By: wraggster
Gamasutra reports on comments by Nintendo's Reggie-Fils Aime, who is claiming the company will have sold 1 Million Wii consoles by December 1st.From the article:
"Nintendo's previously stated plans called for the company to ship approximately 4 million consoles globally before the end of 2006. It is not clear whether the new figures stated by Fils-Aime are still in line with these numbers, since no estimate for Japanese or European sales were given. Sony's plans call for 1 million consoles sales in the U.S. by the end of March, 2007. When interviewed by Reuters, Fils-Aime also commented on the potential lifespan of the Wii, suggesting that a four, five or even six year lifespan was 'just about right.'"
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November 21st, 2006, 17:39 Posted By: wraggster
To help others it might be a good time to say which Wii game impresses you most and why ?
Any answers via comments
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November 21st, 2006, 17:30 Posted By: wraggster
Via Engadget
Wiimotes are becoming finely guided missiles, or so the internets would have us believe. The second set of destroyed TV pics comes direct from Michaela, who tells us that her seven year old girl was also playing Wii Sports bowling when her wrist strap broke as well, sending the controller rocketing toward the TV at a glass-cracking lawsuit-inducing pace. Now, we find the Wii Sports bowling thing to be an interesting coincidence, but it seems a little peculiar that a seven year old could produce enough force rolling that ball to tear her strap apart. We're not saying this is the first in what could be a long line of TV-grubbing copycats, but we think the time is officially upon Nintendo to step in before a few hundred thousand straps recalled turns into a few million -- and countless more televisions get themselves busted up royal.
Screenshot Via Comments
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November 21st, 2006, 17:17 Posted By: wraggster
The joys of having a Wii on launch has come to a sudden, disturbing end for a few gamers in the US, who've reported an online update fed to their console through the WiiConnect 24 service has killed their new console.
According to IGN, faulty consoles affected by the update display an error code indicating the nature of problem, with the most fatal codes being 110213 and 32002.
Users who experience problems can either contact Nintendo to get a replacement console sent to them or, if their Wii already contains data they wish to keep, they have to send their console to Nintendo for repair.
But it could be almost two weeks before a working unit is returned to them, in which time said gamer, who may well have queued up for many hours in sheer anticipation of getting their Wii, could turn homicidal and hit the streets to batter people with their temporarily useless Wii Remotes.
Lets hope Nintendo sort this out right away
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November 21st, 2006, 17:04 Posted By: wraggster
Barnyard is a quirky adventure game based on the film from Nickelodion, in which players take control of a new cow in town, and must complete various challenges and mini games as they develop relationships with the other animals.
Unlike the usual run-of-the-mill movie licence for toddlers, Barnyard features an interesting time mechanic that, at days and nights pass, it's environments and gameplay will apparently be effected.
It's not got the words 'Twilight' or 'Steel' in the title, so it probably won't be at the top of any Christmas lists, but it looks like one of the better movie licences that'll go on sale on the Wii launch day - December 8.
Screens Via Comments
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November 21st, 2006, 13:50 Posted By: Dee-Lite
Nintendo may have sold in excess of a million Wii consoles on launch day, Next-Gen (note NOT nexgen) estimates:
Nintendo Wii got off to a flyer yesterday with major retailers reporting sell-outs. Although Nintendo has not released official figures, day one sell-through should be at well over a million. This would significantly up the current figure noted by NexGen Wars, which at the time of writing stands at just below 700.000. You may ask yourself how that site comes up with those figures. I asked the owner about how he gathers the figures and this is what he mailed back:
There is no special secret to getting these. It basically just takes time and research to estimate the numbers as closely as possible.
What I have done is gotten charts of monthly sales for the past few years, and figured out certain trends. Then I have gotten past sales data and estimated the pace at which the consoles will sell. After I have the estimate and the counter running, I just watch out for anny official announcements, and adjust anything accordingly.
The site has been up since early July, and I haven't had to adjust the sales for the Xbox 360 since then. So far my estimation method has been pretty much right on. Now for the new consoles it is a little harder since there is no previous sales data to go off of. What I do for these is research how many they are expecting to have on launch and by the end of the year. For the launch counter I get it to around the number expected, and then I slow it down to pace it so that it will reach a good estimate for the end of the year, and as usual I will adjust anything if any official word comes in.
No, the numbers aren't perfect, but so far it seems to have been a very good estimate.
I myself am confident that NexGen Wars is as reliable a source as it gets, in the absence of official figures. In this case, I do believe the Next-Gen estimate, though, and would not be surprised if NexGen adjusted their numbers accordingly.
Nintendo refused to comment on this story. In fact, the company has not released any shipment and sales figures concerning the US launch - and they told me that they do not know when that data will be made available.
So the counters some of you have in your signatures are around 300'000 out compared to more likely figuers 
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November 21st, 2006, 13:02 Posted By: Darksaviour69
With six titles breaking the one million sales mark
Nintendo has revealed that the DS has sold over seven million units across Europe, with six titles breaking the one million units sales mark.
Pet simulation Nintendogs has sold over four million units in Europe, while Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training and Animal Crossing: Wild World have both racked up one million sales apiece.
Nintendo's mascot continues to appeal, with Super Mario 64, Mario Kart DS and New Super Mario Bros. all enjoying sales of over 1.5 million units in the region.
"We are delighted by the success of the Nintendo DS and DS Lite and especially pleased to see that we have exceeded the one million mark with games that appeal to both non-gamers and traditional gamers," said Laurent Fischer, Nintendo's Euro marketing director.
"Nintendo is proud of its role in expanding the gaming market and we hope to continue this success with the launch of the Wii in Europe this December," he added.
Gamesindustry.com
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November 21st, 2006, 07:47 Posted By: wraggster
New Wii Game released and probably the biggest Wii game of the year from SuccessHK:
Link, a young man raised as a wrangler in a small, rural village, is ordered by the mayor to attend the Hyrule Summit. He sets off, oblivious to the dark fate that has descended upon the kingdom. When he enters the Twilight Realm that has covered Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and is captured. A mysterious figure named Midna helps him break free, and with the aid of her magic, they set off to free the land from the shadows. Link must explore the vast land of Hyrule and uncover the mystery behind its plunge into darkness.
For Nintendo's long-awaited Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the designers have split the game into two versions -- one for GameCube, and one specially designed to make use of the Wii utilizing the powers of the Wii controller for all-new ways of exploring Hyrule.
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November 21st, 2006, 06:13 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via cbgames
Nintendo’s Wii console launch kicked off with a midnight store opening at New York’s Toys “R” Us in Times Square on Boardwalk and Universal Citywalk’s Gamespot. No reports of gun violence, robberies, drive-by shootings, or hi-tech hijackings of deliveries have been attached to Nintendo’s new console. Definitely good news for the Big ‘N’.
A marketing director for Nintendo, Dawn Paine, commented that “The success of the Wii launch in the US this weekend was phenomenal and is very encouraging. Hundreds of people queued up to purchase a Wii and fans weren't disappointed by the atmosphere at New York’s Times Square Toys “R” Us and Universal Citywalk’s Gamestop.
With just over 3 weeks until launch, we are very excited about Wii arriving in the UK and look forward to a really successful launch. Whether you're a non gamer or an avid gamer, Wii looks set to be top of all the Christmas lists this year, following in the footsteps of Nintendo DS as a groundbreaking market leader.”
I bet there’s a lot of people shaking in their boots over there at Sony. Everything bad that could have happened for a console leading up to its launch, happened to the PS3: Hardware shortages, numerous reports of malfunctions, over-heating, and software glitches. Not to mention the criminal acts of robbery surrounding the release of the PS3 in both Japan and the United States. Nintendo was the nice one out of the big three, and here’s hoping they continue to have a successful launch.
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November 21st, 2006, 06:11 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via usatoday
There's a reason "Legend" accompanies the title.
Nintendo's favorite hero, Link, kicks off the Wii launch with Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, another heroic adventure that cements the franchise as one of gaming's best.
Zelda returns with the same nail-biting action and brain-teasing dungeons. And new gameplay elements and the Wii's innovative controls immerse you deeper than any previous Zelda title.
The story begins with Link working as a farm hand. After friends from his village are kidnapped., Link is sucked into a dark realm and transformed into a wolf. There, he meets Princess Zelda, who details Hyrule's descent into eternal twilight. Link then sets off to destroy this new evil and pull Hyrule back into the light. The story starts off slow, but turns quite intense as you progress.
Visually, Zelda is enchanting. Graphics don't offer next-gen horsepower, but landscapes and dungeons still look stunning. The sound package is equally fantastic, especially with the Wii remote. Hearing the clangs of swords from the remote or arrows leaving your hand enliven the action. The game's music is powerful, adding to the epic nature of your adventure.
The pacing is superb, providing enough time to learn new skills yet not dragging the storyline too slowly. You'll master basic weapons from your sword to a slingshot before upgrading to items like boomerangs and bows and arrows.
Once you adjust to the Wii controls, Zelda is easy to pick up. The left nunchuk is used for movement and targeting. The remote controls weapons, items and your map. Whipping the remote left to right executes sword slashes, while a quick twirl of the nunchuk unleashes a powerful spin attack. Swordplay is decent, but occasionally borders on repetitive.
Fortunately, the gameplay elements keep Zelda engaging. Link can only enter areas blanketed in twilight as a wolf, including a new set of actions. Using your senses uncovers hidden areas and items, or dig into the ground to burrow under homes. You'll also receive the help of Midna, a shady character tasked by Princess Zelda to assist you. Mostly, Midna offers clues on conquering the game's puzzles, as well as warping between lands and reaching difficult areas.
What are especially impressive are the tasks you attempt outside the action. With a fling back and forth, the remote becomes a rod for Link's fishing tasks. In an attempt to access one of Zelda's early dungeons, Link must sumo wrestle a tribe leader to advance. Even as a wolf, you learn how to howl to access secret items. The action is almost too easy, but it's forgotten when you learn so many different things.
In many ways, Twilight Princess is textbook Zelda. Dungeons are as challenging as ever, heightening the levels of danger and action. Yet the inclusion of a new control scheme and subtle changes to gameplay keep Zelda as fresh a franchise as its debut 20 years ago.
If you're fortunate enough to secure a Wii, Twilight Princess is a must-own title.
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November 21st, 2006, 04:29 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via gamersmark
love the Mario series. Each game that comes out gracing that name, or any of his counterparts, usually leaves me with new experiences that were full worth the price of admission. When I bought Yoshi’s Island DS, I expected it to provide me with a new, irreplaceable feeling that I would cherish for a lifetime. I guess that was too much to expect from developer Artoon. Yes, it looks like Nintendo stumbled on the game based on one of the most popular entries to the Mario universe.
"do not call this a sequel because at no time does it feel like one."
I do not call this a sequel because at no time does it feel like one. If you never played the original Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island SNES game, this game will be for you. For the rest of us, you’ll wonder why Artoon made the storyline a continuation but made the gameplay take a step back. The controls are functional at best. I was perplexed though, because the game doesn’t utilize all four face buttons the DS provides. Instead, the programmers made 3 buttons do 4 actions total, meaning one button must hold two duties. Rather than let that remaining button control Yoshi directly, it assists the player by moving the camera up and down when held. This option is helpful to an extent, but why not have it also scroll left and right? The button would then be operational enough to be enjoyable. It seems the only reason Artoon did this is to combat another big flaw: the game filling in pixels between the screens.
The gap that the game fills in between the top and bottom screens hinders gameplay quite a bit. This leads to frustrating moments where you are attempting to get an item, or even take down an enemy, only to have the camera automatically scroll up and hide the moving object. If developers wanted to challenge the player, they should have made the game harder instead of frustrating to play. A system should be a gateway for a game; instead this game is hindered by the Nintendo DS’s specifications. The fallout continues into the sound, where I am left wondering if coins were always this annoying to collect.
The sound that follows after you obtain some items is equivalent to a person running their nails on a chalkboard. The sound stands out not only because of that but also because every song in the game sounds almost the same, with small variations based on level theme. When I selected the overworld view, I was expecting to be greeted with the well-known Yoshi’s Island cheery theme. That jumpy, upbeat, and colorful track has been replaced with a cold, mechanical, and dull death song. The track is out of place, especially when compared to the excellent job the artists did with the game.
"this game is either broken or under-developed."
The artwork in the game fits perfectly in the Mario world, contrary to the rest of the features. Yoshi really stands out in his world, and I feel that the graphical art used not only fit the game, but evolved from the original. The characters are given a fresh coat of paint, and are full of new surprises that come in the form of gameplay. The babies play decently enough. I’m not sure if their actions are limited because they are babies, or because the developers didn’t want to bother expanding each character’s personality. While each baby is indeed unique, none seems deep enough for the characters they are representing. They seem like one-trick ponies that are constantly switched out. This doesn’t provide deeper gameplay; it only gives the player more frustrating memories.
There is one aspect that earns this game some points. The minigames are fun and addictive; more so than the main game. I found myself more interested about how far I could flutter than how far I had to go to unlock Wario (not far, by the way). It’s a shame that multiplayer was removed, because I can see where this could have given the game some wings. As it stands though, this game is either broken or under-developed.
"You see, this what mediocre developers do: make mediocre games."
Nintendo, I can forgive you for outsourcing indirect Mario titles. Those do not screw with the Mario timeline in any way, and provide fans a chance to see their favorite characters in a new light. However, what you have done by giving Artoon access to the Yoshi’s Island series is uncalled for. There are many plot holes, incorrect ideas (Baby DK lives on Yoshi’s Island? Baby Mario WASN’T raised in Brooklyn?!), and terrible features in the game that I am really not that surprised about. You see, this what mediocre developers do: make mediocre games.
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November 21st, 2006, 02:35 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via business week
Our partners over at Next Generation shut themselves away to play with the Wii. Here's their take on the much-talked-about console
First things first. When you heft the remote controller’s measured weight in your dominant hand and point it at your screen for the first time, it works almost flawlessly out of the box, without calibration. And once you get through the customary name and date set up and click on your first Wii Channels option, it’s amazing how intuitive the whole thing is. What was once an outlandishly wacky concept becomes an obvious one in a second, and you can’t help but wonder why it wasn’t thought of earlier.
The Mii Channel is the first place you should visit. Creating a Mii personal avatar is a charming activity, and while the options to create your character are sparse it’s humorous to try to rig the system’s limited option into a caricature of your face. When you’re done, you’re given the option of transferring your Mii to your remote, and doing so is creates a real sense of ownership of that controller.
Bringing the console online is the next step in the process, and it is by far the most painful of all the options. It’s not that it’s difficult – it’s almost identical to bringing a DS online, right down to the layout of the interface – but once you do the system will automatically update. Twice. Each of these updates feels like an eternity, though it doesn’t seem like these waits will be particularly frequent after launch. Once you’re online you’ll be asked if you want to link this system to your account at Nintendo’s website. Do so, and it will automatically configure everything.
Online Options
There’s not a great deal to do online yet. The News and Weather Channels are still inactive, though they’re largely redundant features in markets outside of Japan. The Virtual Console Store is likewise fairly barren – there’s a killer app in Super Mario 64, available off the Nintendo 64 for the first time, but most of the other titles worth playing have been packaged and repackaged multiple times since their original release – the original Legend of Zelda, for example. Still, it provides a solid proof of concept.
You can enter a credit card number or the number off a prepaid card to acquire some Wii points, in a convenient exchange rate of one penny per point. From there, selecting a game is a matter of simple clicks, and a short wait while the game downloads – you can’t do anything during this time except play with the load bar, entertainingly retooled as an interactive running Mario. When he collects all the coins your game is ready to play. Nintendo has thought about this experience in its entirety.
The Virtual Console works well. Every download comes with a digital game manual, and the emulation seems beyond reproach. The classic controller used for most of these games is a great piece of hardware – it’s a fully featured, comfortable first party control for less than $20 – though its odd placement of the Z button (tiny, and placed in duplicate between the bumpers and the remote connection cable) made some Super Mario 64 moves much more difficult. It’s hardly a big deal, though.
Backwards compatibility
The GameCube backwards compatibility is likewise perfect, at least in the time we spent with it. In fact, once you put the game in and select the game from the Disc Channel, all additional Wii functionality is disabled, and the system becomes for all intents and purposes just a GameCube. So it’s a nice second life for a console that didn’t get nearly as good as it deserves, and that its library can piggyback on its much more marketable progeny system is a very sweet boon.
Of course it’s necessary to mention the pack-in game, Wii Sports, as it’s presence in every Wii box makes it a major part of the experience. The verdict is that it’s definitely fun, though a little bit light on content and mechanic complexity. Which makes it the perfect system introduction, actually – watching your friend’s Mii avatars compete in a series of athletic events in a delight, and as you swing way too dramatically in Baseball or take unnecessary lead-in steps during Bowling your head can’t help but swim with ideas, where the very best minds in our industry could possibly take this setup. It’s also a great party game, with every event in it having at least some charm – though Baseball becomes rather repetitive and Boxing has some issues with control reaction. It’s worth spending time with, so it’s good that we’re all getting it.
As for the rest of the games, well, they’re launch games (except for the re-appropriated swansong Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess). But the thing about them is, much like the Nintendo DS’s launch games, even when they weren’t great they still felt important. They felt like they were paving the way for something better. The much greater breadth of the Wii’s launch lineup shoulders this burden as well, so don’t be surprised if the third game in your collection (after Wii Sports and Zelda) is charming, yet awkward.
The Wii has had a great launch. It’s inexpensive and easy to acquire, has a solid lineup of genuinely fun games, and even has a killer app. Its network services work well out of the box, its added-value features feel genuinely valuable, and even though the graphics are blurry and low-resolution, it still feels like an elegant, high-tech Japanese machine. There’s plenty to do with it now, but the real reason it feels like its worth the asking cost is the eventual, innovative brilliance this hardware setup can’t help but spawn.
In the meantime, come for the Zelda and catch up with the GameCube games you missed. There’s plenty of time to watch this system stretch its long, long legs.
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November 21st, 2006, 01:02 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via shacknews
t should be noted that as of 24 hours ago, I was not a football fan. I didn't watch it, I didn't play it during high school, I can't make the damn ball spiral when I throw it, and I sure as heck didn't waste my time with any football video games. However, when it was announced way-back-when that EA would be tweaking their newest Madden (the 2007 edition) for Nintendo's then-forthcoming Wii console, I got intrigued. I still maintained an intense disinterest in hiking a ball during a backyard game of pigskin, but using the "Wiimote"? Yeah, okay; I wanted to try that.
Turns out a good thing I did. Madden 07 for the Wii has officially sparked my interest in football--if only in the realm of video games, and certainly only in the context of playing on the Wii. The reason: EA really put some time into this one; a good thing, considered many gamers probably thought they'd simply tack some features on and toss the game out the door. Oddly enough, it almost feels as if EA actually did do this, but instead of a rushed feel, the Wii-specific features feel like they've been a part of the popular NFL franchise for years.
The main aspect of Madden on the Wii I anticipated the most was feeling like an all-star quarterback, so it seems overly obvious that I was first and foremost interested in how I'd have to throw the ball. To a degree, it works exactly how one might predict: you find an open receiver on the screen, and you swing the Wii remote after you've been hiked the ball. However, the game requires a bit more precision than that; before you swing the controller, you press a corresponding button on the remote (e.g., A, d-pad Up, d-pad left, et cetera) and then swing the remote to perform an awe-inspiring pass. You don't have to aim in the direction of the receiver, because you've already selected him; just swing the remote.
At first I was disappointed that I didn't simply have to swing the controller in the direction of a receiver; if a guy was open in the upper-left corner of the screen, I should just be able to swing the remote in that direction, right? Yeah, that would've been perhaps a bit more intuitive, but I think EA foresaw the potential for a large margin of error, and with passing making or breaking a football game, they wanted to make sure a bit more precise control was needed. This doesn't detract from the game play, however. You still feel more involved than if you were just tapping a button to throw, and that's what the Wii controller is all about, of course.
Everything else requiring remote and/or nunchuk motion functionality feels just as intuitive. You kick the ball by first aiming the target arrow with the analog stick, then press A, then after dipping the controller down, you pull it back up. Not too hard, however, or your kick will be too wild and high. It'll take a few tries to get used to kicking, as you tend to whip the controller up harder than you really need to at first, thus making your kick go absolutely insane. It's a nice idea, though, and definitely ups the immersion factor.
You tackle simply by running into the guy via the stick, but if you push forward with both controller peripherals, you can slam into the sap ever harder. Juke by flicking your nunchuk wrist left or right; stiff arm by pushing the Wii remote wrist left or right. Smart mapping by EA, as the sprint button is set to Z, so you don't have to hold a button on one controller piece while flailing about with another, which would have felt more than a little awkward. There are other nice additions too, such as the ability to rally the hometown crowd as the quarter back by raising the two controller pieces in the air.
Overall, I'm having a lot of fun with Madden. I still have no desire to run around tossing a ball, but on the Wii, I had a lot of fun with a football game for the first time. This one warrants a look if you're a football fan, or even a regular gamer looking for a fun party game.
check out screens and all of duty 3 impressions here
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November 20th, 2006, 23:47 Posted By: gunntims0103
If you're overwhelmed by all the coverage of the Nintendo Wii and need to figure out just what the hell the fuss is all about, let us lay down the important info for you. This week, as it marks the official kickoff of the holiday spending orgy, er, shopping season, I'll be highlighting a hot holiday gadget every afternoon and spelling out just what you need to know about it when you see it on your kid's Christmas list. First up, the Wii.
What it is: The new gaming console from Nintendo.
Why it's cool: The controller, affectionately dubbed the Wiimote, is motion sensing. That means you can control the action on the screen by waving your arms around like a crazy person. Because the console is made by Nintendo, look for familiar names such as Mario and Zelda to be headed its way. Furthermore, you can buy older games from past systems via the Virtual Console.
How much it costs: The list price is $250, but you'll probably want to get an extra Wiimote for it, which will cost you an extra $60 if you get it with the Nunchuck attachment (a joystick you hold in your other hand), and the games are $50 each as well, so a complete setup will set you back $400-$500, depending on how many games you get. If you can't find a Wii in your area, which is very possible due to the high demand, you'll probably pay $350-$400 on eBay for one. But be persistent! New shipments of the Wii are headed to stores all the time, so you should be able to get one if you put some effort in.
I realize that many of us still havent purchased a Wii. How many of us wii be purchasing or getting a wii for the holidays?
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November 20th, 2006, 23:43 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via kotaku
The hopefully non-prophetically named Singe did a little bit of research on Wii power consumption since the thing is on 24/7. Turns out that Nintendo's nifty new console isn't just light on power use, it's super light.
Wii:
- In Standby Mode: 10w
- Idle @ Wii menu: 17w
- Running a Wii Game (Test with Zelda / Trauma Center) in 480i: 17w
37" Sharp Aquos LCD TV:
- In Standby Mode: 40w
- Turned on: 180w
XBox 360:
- In Standby Mode: 2w
- Idle @ Dashboard: ~140w
- Running a Game: ~160w
- Playing a DVD: ~110w
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November 20th, 2006, 23:34 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via slate
I'll admit it—I was in love with the Nintendo Wii long before we'd ever met. And then, a few seconds after I touched those strange, new motion-sensing controllers, months of giddy anticipation vanished. I've played and won 14-hour-long Halo tournaments. I was a bird-slaughtering Duck Hunt master back when Times Square still had arcades. But the Wii, which is being marketed as the ideal system for newbies, made me feel like an incompetent novice. I don't blame myself. The ugly truth is that the Wii's already-legendary motion-detection system doesn't work very well.
Everything about the console is designed to welcome casual gamers, from that unfortunate name to the remote-shaped controller (aka the Wii Remote) that translates movement into in-game action. Internal gyroscopes and accelerometers detect tilt, rotation, and acceleration as you pantomime steering a car or slashing a sword. The wireless controller also acts as a pointer, using an optical sensor and a TV-mounted sensor bar to let you sweep crosshairs or a cursor across the screen. For complex games you can use an additional controller, which doesn't work as a pointer but can sense motion and has a traditional thumbstick. This device is called a nunchuk, since that's kind of what it looks like when you connect the two wireless controllers with a cord. But if you think you'll be able to whip them around like Bruce Lee, you're in for the first of many disappointments.
Nintendo wants you to believe that the Wii will tear kids off the couch and get them swinging virtual tennis rackets. There's also the suggestion that its intuitive game play could eliminate the steep learning curve that tends to repel both "casual gamers" and people who've never held a joystick before. When Time ran the first hands-on preview of the Wii, they included a photo of an ecstatic grandpa standing on his couch, controllers in hand.
I like to hear from user's about what they think about this. Do you believe that the wii motion detection doesnt work very well, when its suppose to be user friendly but is confusing even the most experienced gamers?
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