New Wii Games @Divineo China

January 1st, 2007, 11:14 Posted By: wraggster

Divineo China have posted they have a load of new Jap and USA Wii games for those that have those versions of the Wii Console.

Dragon Ball Z Sparking! NEO JAP $ 64.00
Splinter Cell: Double Agent USA $ 58.00
Need for Speed Carbon JAP $ 55.00
Pokemon Battle Revolution JAP $ 50.00
Bleach: Wii Shiraha Kirameku Rinbukyoku JAP $ 64.00
Formula One Championship Edition JAP $ 55.00

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Moonshell v1.6 Final Beta - Multimedia Application for Nintendo DS

January 1st, 2007, 11:26 Posted By: wraggster

MoonShell is a multimedia player for Nintendo DS (Lite) consoles. It has support for DPG video files, MP3/NSF audio files and viewing JPG/Jpeg/BMP/PNG (non progressive) files, it also has support for TXT textfiles. MoonShell supports dualscreens and it has full support for the touch screen. MoonShell has plug-in system that allows to add any compatible plug-in just by copying the plug-in files to the appropriate folder. MoonShell also comes with several kind of useful plug-ins.

Heres whats new:

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New wrist straps in the mail slowly ariving

January 1st, 2007, 11:37 Posted By: wraggster

via wiin

Nintendo gives a 3 language safety warning
For those that have ordered replacement wrist straps, shipments have started to arrive across America in the mail.

Well packed in nice bubble wrap, and identical to the original straps, except the cord that attaches to the remote is thicker and stiffer. Other than that as pictures have suggested earlier I can assure you that the rest of the strap is unchanged.

The straps also come packed with yet another warning from Nintendo! And not just any well packed warnings but in three languages no less; Stressing how to ensure an “enjoyable and safe play experience.”

I really do suggest putting this warning away in a safe place it will become a piece of Nintendo memorabilia and when you look back through gaming history you can say- “I was there when people broke their televisions in the name of Gaming”

The new three language safety warning on how to play safe is as follows:

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NEO2 Menu v1.3 [12-31-2006] !

January 1st, 2007, 13:51 Posted By: wraggster

Those of you have a Neo2 Flashcart will love this, a new software update from Neoflash:

Merry X'mas and happy new year! Here is a small gift from NEOTEAM
before 2007! Hope you like it.


NEO2 Menu v1.3 [12-31-2006]

New in this version:
* Supports NDS homebrew
* "X Button to Backup ROM" message
* Many small crash fixes (Magical Vacation 5, Monster House, etc.)
* Corrupt graphics fixes (Harry Potter, Monster Bomber, etc.)
* Many non-booting games fixed (Shrek, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, etc.)
* Many saves fixed (Final Fantasy III, etc.)
* Many "exit game" bugs fixed (Star Fox, Bust-A-Move, etc.)
* New Super Mario mini games fixed
* Supports the official *.SRL file format
* Added FAT warning function, it'll report an error if it detects
file system fragmentation, then please re-format your SD/TF


About homebrew:
Homebrew ROMs can only read files and directories from SD if they are
designed for it. That's why you see some with different builds for
"SC CF" and "SC SD", for example. There's nothing restricting homebrew
from using the SD file system. Chishm's NDS FAT lib should support
Neo2 SD well enough.


About file system fragmentation:
Also keep in mind that fragmented file systems are still not supported.
A fragmented ROM WILL have problems running. You can check for file
fragmentation using the "analyze" button in Windows XP's defrag tool.
If it warns of fragmentation, do not defragment. It is much faster to
erase all files or format the card, then copy everything you want back to it.
Rule of thumb: if you have to delete a file, you should delete them all.


About random crash:
The reason is because some MK4-mini burn with a wrong code during produce,
please check your MK4-mini version mark above the golden finger, if you
can see your MK4-mini is "MAGICKEY4-Mini VE1" or "MAGICKEY4-Mini VL2"
version and with PURPLE PCB color, then mean your MK4-mini MAYBE have
problem, and notice please:
[1] Except these 2 version, all other version working fine without any
random crash matter;
[2] Not all of these 2 version will crash, just SOME of them;
[3] If your MK4-mini have random crash matter and it's in these 2 version,
you can send back to the shop and ask for replacement.

download: http://www.neoflash.com/forum/index....ic,3600.0.html

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Neo2 Manager V1.6

January 1st, 2007, 13:53 Posted By: wraggster

Another new release from Neoflash for Neo 2 users:

Neo2 Manager V1.6
1. Fix one save lib bug,support Golden Sun serial multi-point save,thanks bruceg
2. Add the background upgrade checking function, can check the new version automatica.
3. Start to support NEO3-SD/MiniSD/TF serial,can use this driver to burn the NEO2/3 menu.


download: http://www.neoflash.com/forum/index....ic,3603.0.html

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Wii Hack Video Proved Fake

January 1st, 2007, 22:54 Posted By: wraggster

pimmysays who says he posted the Wii Hack Video on has posted this:

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New Neoflash Carts

January 1st, 2007, 23:27 Posted By: wraggster

Dr Neo has posted piccies of a new MK4 Mini and a Neo3 flash cart, the Neo 3 is the Mini SD version of the Neo 2 flash cart. The MK4 Mini looks just like a normal bootcart but it could be NeoFlashs first Slot 1 cart?

Check out the screens here --> http://www.neoflash.com/forum/index....ic,3605.0.html

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Moonshell v1.6 Final Beta 2 - Multimedia Application for Nintendo DS

January 2nd, 2007, 00:42 Posted By: wraggster

MoonShell is a multimedia player for Nintendo DS (Lite) consoles. It has support for DPG video files, MP3/NSF audio files and viewing JPG/Jpeg/BMP/PNG (non progressive) files, it also has support for TXT textfiles. MoonShell supports dualscreens and it has full support for the touch screen. MoonShell has plug-in system that allows to add any compatible plug-in just by copying the plug-in files to the appropriate folder. MoonShell also comes with several kind of useful plug-ins.

Heres whats new:

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NEO2 Ultra 1.0 BETA v1215 for NEO2 GBA

January 2nd, 2007, 00:54 Posted By: wraggster

Dr Neo and the Neoflash team are really busy these days, heres yet another release from them:

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Virtual Game Maker DS v0.90 r1

January 2nd, 2007, 01:28 Posted By: wraggster

Globoeil has updated his Virtual Game Maker DS app for the Nintendo DS

Heres whats new:

Updates in v.0.90 rev1:
==================
-New function in FORK: KEY ? Pressed/Released (for short instruction)
bug fixes:

-Errors with pages; some pages will never be shown.
-When an event is played more than 1 time, it will execute from the 2nd instruction.
-"Event starting condition" sometimes was set to " ", and can't be changed (in VGMDS)
(This bug is still present, sory, but now you can fix it easily).
-ELSE instruction is not effective.
(Now broken; not grave you only have to put an "ENDIF" and a "IF" instruction to make a "manual" else....
-A '2' or other number appears sometimes in the screen.
-Other minor bugs (about hero movement)

And some little improvments in VGXDS.


Coming soon:
============
Stylus precision correction
-Full objects system (you can find, buy, sell or let them...)
Change chipset
In-game interface (pause menu)
Objects & equipment effects in-game
Sell, and Buy instructions for equipment.objects
Full debug (just to remove the pink bug)
SD support
RPG battle system

Download Here --> http://perso.orange.fr/Globoeil/VGMDS/VGMDS.htm

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Super NES goodness hits VC

January 3rd, 2007, 02:38 Posted By: wraggster

The last Friday of 2006 saw Nintendo release a new selection of games on its Virtual Console and, at long last, there are some decent Super NES games in there.

Super Castlevania IV is the obvious highlight of the selection, giving veteran fans of the series an excuse to look back in admiration at one of the best episodes so far, and anyone new to the series a fantastic adventure to get on with until Portrait of Ruin arrives on DS.

Sim City is the other Super NES treat, which accompanies the Turbografix version of R-Type, and the not-so-appealing Baseball and Ice Hockey originally on NES. Unfortunately there's still no sign of Super Probotector, which was promised on a previously released schedule from Nintendo.

Toe Jam & Earl and Space Harrier II (Megadrive), Donkey Kong Jr., Tennis and Soccer (NES), and Military Madness (Turbografix) also made it to the Christmas party on December 22.

US gamers got Toe Jam and Earl, R-Type, Super Castlevania IV, and Street Fighter II (SNES) on Christmas day, with Urban Champion and Baseball making for a disappointing start to 2007 yesterday.

Less second-rate NES games, more quality Super NES games please Nintendo.

via cvg

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Rumor: Radiant Silvergun 3 for 360, Nights for Wii

January 3rd, 2007, 03:15 Posted By: wraggster

via insertcredit

Some time ago, september specifically, people caught wind of a project called 'RS 3' for the 360, from Radiant Silvergun's developer Treasure. Well, browsing G-rev's Xbox 360 release schedule, right there at the bottom you'll see it clearly spelled out. "Radiant Silvergun 3 - Treasure." No date, no link, no specifics, so it's all down to believing them. But I'm sure we all want to! They also claim Nights is coming to Wii, so...I guess we'll just see. The problem with these lists is that things are put up as 'new boxing game,' and then when that turns out to be Hajimete no Ippo for Wii, the old entry isn't taken down. So that's the grain of salt you should take this with, but I'm optimistic.

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Sean Hannity Loves the Wii

January 3rd, 2007, 03:17 Posted By: wraggster

via kotaku

I listen to a lot of talk radio when I am in the car ever since my iPod was stolen, and on my way home from work my local station broadcasts god-loving conservative Sean Hannity. On today's show a caller asked him if he had gotten all the toys he wanted for Christmas. Hannity claimed that during the first day of his vacation his son broke his leg skiing, so they spent the rest of the time inside playing the PS3 and the Wii. Note this was the last time he mentioned the PS3.

He continued, saying (paraphrasing here) that every parent needs to get a Wii to play with their children, adding that it was probably the best game they've ever made. He went on to praise all aspects of Wii Sports, especially the boxing.

So even conservative talk show hosts, historically harsh on the video game issue (Bill O'Reily and Michael Savage in particular, though I think Savage is less conservative and more bats**t insane), can't resist the sweet siren song of Wii Sports. Now all we need to do is get Shock J. Tampon to bowl a few rounds and we can take over the world.

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Hudson talks Dungeon Explorer VC delay

January 3rd, 2007, 03:23 Posted By: wraggster

via joystiq

Hudson's Dungeon Explorer missed its target launch date yesterday, leaving Urban Champion (NES) and Baseball (NES) to represent Wii Virtual Console's New Years releases. The muff doesn't sit well with TurboGrafx-16 fans who have already suffered through two Hudson VC blunders: a broken Military Madness and a pricey R-Type.

Speaking on Dungeon Explorer's tardiness, Hudson's John Master Lee cited "funky things" (bugs) appearing during last-minute tests. Lee wisely avoided suggesting a new release date, saying only that an update on the game's condition would be "coming soon."

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Control your Windows computer from your Wii!! Mouse and keyboard.

January 3rd, 2007, 03:58 Posted By: wraggster

via nicholas761

Control your Windows computer from your Wii!! Mouse and keyboard.
-----------
PART 1-
Setting Up Your Computer:
Only do these steps on your computer!!!

1. Go to http://logmein.com/ on your computer.
2. Create a free account.
3. Follow the steps.
4. Now, log in on their site.
5. Click on MY COMPUTERS.
6. Click ADD A COMPUTER
7. Follow the steps for adding a computer.
8. Name it whatever.
9. Make a secure access code(password) for your computer.
10. It will install the LogMeIn Desktop Software, if not already.
11. Once your computer is set up, RESTART YOUR COMPUTER!!
12. Now, go to http://logmein.com/ and log in.
13. Go to "My Computers"
14. Click on your computer name.
15. It'll say: Connecting....
16. Enter your access code(password) and log in.
17. Click on "Preferences".
18. Go to REMOTE CONTROL settings.
19. Set the the Default Remote Control from Active-X to HTML.
20. You may want to adjust a few other settings.
21. Click APPLY.
22. Click DISCONNECT.
23. Look in your system tray to the right of the taskbar. Does it have the LogMeIn icon in it? If it does, go to step 24. If it's not there, try steps 4-22 again.
24. To enable the keyboard for the Wii, click START->All Programs->
Accessories->Accessibility->On Screen Keyboard

NOTE: You must do step 24 each time you want to connect fo ra keyboard,
but you only have to do the other steps ONCE.


PART 2-
Connecting with your Wii:
You must do this every time you want to connect on your Wii.

1. Make sure your computer is on and LogMeIn is in your system tray.
2. Go to the Internet Channel Trial Version.
3. Go to the "type a web address" screen.
4. Type: logmein.com
* Save this site as a favorite for fast access.
5. Log in.
6. Go to My Computers.
7. Click on your computer name.
8. Let it connect to it. Be patient, this may take a little while.
9. Type in your access code.
10. Wait...
11. Click GO on Remote Control.
12. It might say that you are connecting with the same computer to this computer and it'll show a picture that won't happen on your Wii. Click
Connect Anyway.
This might be because your Wii connects through your router(or USB Connector) to access the Internet, and your computer has the same IP.
13. It'll load your computer screen!!!!!!!!!

Click on something with A. Double-Clicking WORKS!!! You'll notice the page will refresh when clicking. The Wii can only get one state of your computer at a time, so you will need to click the refresh icon to see something happening or what you are typing. Luckily, you don't have to click that SMALL refresh button, you can click anywhere to refresh.

This will work, as I tested it multiple times!! You can even Print documents at your computer!!!!!

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How to Make the Wiimote Work in Flash

January 3rd, 2007, 04:00 Posted By: wraggster

via quasimondo

As you might know by now the Nintendo Wii is now able to run Flash 7 files. Unfortunately the Flash player that comes with the current beta is a somewhat stripped down version - and especially one very important feature is missing from the native functions: the ability to use the keys of the Wiimote controller. But as it turns out the controller keys are made available to Javascript. So Aral Balkan has already tried a lot of methods in order to pass the key information from Javascript into Flash - but it looks like that all the classic approaches either do not work at all or they come with too much delay in order to be usable in games.

Well - I think that I have found yet another a method that works pretty okay. Especially the reaction time feels good to me - the only downside is an optical glitch which I still hope to get rid of. Check the demo here - ideally on a Wii: http://www.quasimondo.com/flashhwiimote.php
BTW - you will not see anything on Firefox since I just use the OBJECT tag to embed the swf - I also tried to use SWFObject first for embedding, but somehow when using it the Wii scroll arrow started appearing above the Flash file - so it looks like the layer got a bit higher than the desired 500 pixels.

Now how does this work? Since all direct Javascript to Flash communication is either impossible or too slow I'm using an indirect method: I use the Stage.onResize event of one Flash file as a trigger and communication device. When a keypress is received by the Opera browser I scale the layer which contains a sender swf to a width that is equal to the detected key code. This triggers a resize event inside the sender swf which reads out its new width and sends that number via LocalConnection to the main swf. There it is processed by a Wiimote class which can then be similary used like a Key object.

Some things to be noted:
- in order to get the full 800 x 500 size for the main Flash file I put the sender swf and the receiver swf into two absolute positioned layers. Unfortunately the Opera browser uses the Wiimote's navigation keys also for navigating inside the html page and thus interferes with the flash file by highlighting the object with the keyboard focus with a black outline. And it looks like the browser does not respect the z-index of the layers here so the outline of the supposedly hidden sender swf gets visible. I have not yet found a way how to at least tint the outline in a less visible color or hide it completely via CSS - maybe someone else finds a solution for that.

- The Wii browser includes a very nasty feature: Flash files that are not inside the visible screen area or are on a hidden layer do not work at all - they get deactivated. Which means it's not possible to simply put the sender swf on an invisible layer.

- When you point the Wiimote to the screen and the mouse pointer gets visible the behaviour of the page changes: keypresses are not registered anymore and only the "A" button gets directed to the flash file, but in a very slow and unpredictable way. So if you want reliable control do not point the mouse to the screen. In games it would probably be a good idea to trigger a pause when the mouse appears.

- I don't know if that is a problem with the LocalConnection or with the browser's internal key detection, but it looks like sometimes some key events get lost which means that a keyDown event is detected, but the keyUp for the same key doesn't fire. Of course that's not ideal.

You can download the example files and the Wiimote class here: FlashWiiMote_v10.zip

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Wiimote Speaker Script!!!

January 3rd, 2007, 04:04 Posted By: wraggster

Carl Kenner posted a new script for Glovepie that uses the Wiimote Speaker.

Heres the details:

Wiimote Speaker Script!!! Second attempt.
Should work in any version of GlovePIE that isn't super old.

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Wii Weather: Pretty, but Almost Useless

January 3rd, 2007, 04:07 Posted By: wraggster

via mattIGN

If you want to know what the weather was like eight hours ago in your city, Nintendo's Wii Forecast Channel is amazing. But if you want up-to-date information on the weather, you're in trouble. I don't know if it's Nintendo's issue or if it's a shortcoming of the data provider, weathernews, but whatever the case, the Wii Forecast Channel is rarely, if ever adequately up-to-date.

I hope someone gets their act together because if the data was current, Wii Forecast would be a great little extra. I actually check it out daily for a quick snapshot of the weather around the world. The Globe function is amazingly well done, but again, it's discouraging to look at the world map and see that it's sunny in Los Angeles but somehow the moon is out only a few miles away in Redondo Beach.

Nintendo, if you're going to do this stuff, make sure it works. Whether that means ensuring WiiConnect24 is more timely or going with a different provider, do it. Otherwise, don't bother at all.

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WiiCR - Media Player (of sorts) for the Nintendo Wii Version 0.2.9.1

January 3rd, 2007, 04:12 Posted By: wraggster

A new release of WiiCR has happenned today, heres the info and whats new:

WiiCR is a media player solution for the Nintendo Wii. It acts as a streaming media server and is capable of transcoding nearly any video file to a suitable flv for an embedded flash player. It allows browsing of the remote filesystem to view: videos (avi/xvid/divx/mpeg/wmv/etc), text files, jpg's and play mp3s.

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Ninty makes other folks rich, too

January 3rd, 2007, 04:14 Posted By: wraggster

via wiifanboy

Here's an interesting little factoid: the Wii is driving the Asian import/export market to record highs, and those are just the legal imports. No, we don't mean the act of one guy selling another guy a console, but rather the market surrounded the creation and transportation of our favorite new console. Nintendo had a big part in the record-setting month of November, when toy imports from China (where they build Wiis, as well as everything else ever) to Japan came in at a little over 200 million big ones (¥25.3billion). Apparently, the Wii was responsible for a good 40% of that amount -- nearly half! That's a huge effect, and according to Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shinbun, "No other video game console has had such a big effect on imports."

Well, take that, analysts. You may continue to sing the imminent victory of the PS3, but the Wii drives global commerce. We hear it also serves as a volunteer firefighter on off days. Now if only you could find one ....

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Ubisofts Upcoming Wii Titles

January 3rd, 2007, 04:18 Posted By: wraggster

Via Revogamer comes the list of Ubisofts releases for the Wii this March

March 1
Cosmic Family
March 22
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
March 29
Prince of Persia: Rival Swords
Driver Parallel Lines
Brothers in Arms D-Day
Blazing Angels
Spelling Spree

Brothers in Arms interests me

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CAG's Five Most Under Appreciated DS Games of 2006

January 3rd, 2007, 04:34 Posted By: wraggster

via cag

As someone who owns way too many DS games, it’s easy to see a few great games that the vast majority of people pass on for one reason or another. While several games, such as Elite Beat Agents, Brain Age and Cooking Mama, have benefited from being on the receiving end of positive reactions across the Internet, just as many games are passed on to fade from gamers’ collective consciousness.

This article is designed to illuminate five of the best, yet forgotten DS titles of 2006 that were lost in the shuffle of the biggest year for the biggest handheld in the world.

The Five Most Under Appreciated DS Games of 2006 (and the Cheap Ass Way to Get Them)

As a quick note, these were the five most under-loved games on Cheap Ass Gamer, not across the entire internet. That's why Contact and Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime will not appear on the main list as they've been pretty highly buzzed all year on CAG despite selling far below what we thought they should. Without further delay, here’s my list of the five most under appreciated Nintendo DS games of 2006 in no particular order:

1. Scurge: Hive
- Half Metroid, half Secret of Mana, all fun. While Scurge: Hive suffers from being almost identical to the GBA version of the game, the gameplay and story are both solid. Scurge: Hive pits you in the role of the intergalactic female bounty hunter Jenosa Arma. You suit up to fight a mutant virus ravaging a space colony, and yes, you're infected with it too. So plot-wise, this is a near total rip off of Metroid (particularly Fusion).

Why is this worth playing then? While the frosting on this cake is the same as Metroid, the cake of this game is as different as angel food and pineapple upside down cake. Because Jenosa is infected, she must constantly find purification stations to suppress the disease. If your infection reaches 100%, your health rapidly begins to decrease. The game is a constant battle between exploring the spaceship while searching for purification stations.

While the gimmick of the game is neat, Scurge: Hive would suck if the gameplay isn't as fun as it is. Playing sort of like the exploration part of Sigma Star Saga, Scurge: Hive has you exploring the world in an action RPG with your blaster and various gadgets. Furthermore, the game adds in a ton of strategy as you're given the option to change the type of energy your gun fires out. Unlike Metroid though, if you shoot an enemy with the wrong type of energy, it powers them up. This adds a huge amount of strategy to the game especially when you consider you're constantly having to find purification stations for your infections.

Scurge: Hive clocks in at around 12 hours, but multiple difficulty levels, hidden costumes and an unlockable boss rush mode lengthens the game quite a bit. Scurge: Hive can be found used currently at EB/GS for $19.99. It's an early candidate for Spring clearances as it hasn't sold that many copies.

2. Break Em' All
- Attention collectors. Break 'Em All is destined to be the next Monopoly, Battleship, Yahtzee, Boggle (currently the rarest DS game in case you're wondering). At only $20, it's a steal at the moment. Like most "rare" games, you'll probably want to pick up a copy to sell and a copy to play though because this is such a quality title.

Break 'Em All is arguably the best Breakout/Arkanoid port we've ever seen outside of the arcade. The DS control scheme allows for pinpoint controls that were never really pulled off all that well on a d-pad. Furthermore, Break 'Em All allows you to drag your stylus on any part of the screen if for some reason you don't enjoy playing on the bottom of the screen.

Break 'Em All offers a ton of replay value too. Tokoton Mode offers 50 well designed standard levels or over 3,000,000 (yes, three million) randomly generated levels of block and ball play. There's also a quest mode that adds in boss battles to the mix. Furthermore, Break 'Em All uses a neat Gradius like power up system to differentiate it from every other ball and paddle game.

Break 'Em All is a ton of fun for you and your friends. With 2-8 player single-card play, and a summer release date, I find it utterly shocking that this game never found an audience. Regardless, it's $20 right now, less if you can find it used or with a Gamer's Gift Card in Best Buy. Even if it doesn't become a huge collector's item, Break 'Em All is a ton of classic gameplay at a value price.

3. Magnetica - Of course, one of the games I choose has to be out of stock at all major retailers. Magnetica, better known in the United States as Zuma (which Popcap Games ripped off friends, not the other way around), is a puzzle game where you fling different colored marbles with your stylus at a constantly tightening string. Get three in a row and the marbles pop, combos get chained, and your score goes up. Simple, right? Well not exactly. Magnetica tosses in a variety of obstacles to try and slow you down. Between wind, black holes, magnetic walls, smoke screens, and a variety of other impediments, Magnetica is one of the most challenging puzzle games on the DS.

Magnetica (Actionloop in Europe) is easily one of the best experiences to be had with the Nintendo DS all year. The game features 99 levels of difficulty in challenge mode and 60 different and varied missions. The game also features single and multi-card competitive play that incorporates slots as a way to randomly select what hazards you’ll be sending over to your opponent (or help you’ll be giving to yourself).

Out of all of the games on this list, Magnetica is probably the most available. Being both a game published by Nintendo and part of the Touch Generations line, your local brick and mortar stores will have this in stock. Furthermore, both Best Buy and Circuit City have run sales in the past on both the entire Touch Generations line and Magnetica by itself. While Magnetica is still exceptionally high at EB Games and Gamestop ($24.99 at the writing of this article), it is a good candidate to be put on clearance in the near future. Your best bet to buy it now is through Gamefly for a mere $13.99. Don’t pass up on this puzzler that is just as addictive as it is challenging.

4. Lost Magic
- Arguably the hardest game on the Nintendo DS is also one of the most overlooked of 2006. Lost Magic is an Ubi Soft/Taito effort that sets out to make you feel like a wizard. Unlike every game on this list, Lost Magic was not a hit in the United States for a few very obvious reasons. This strategy RPG was exceptionally difficult seeing as your character died almost instantly from taking a few hits. Furthermore, your character’s offensive abilities were limited by the fact that he could only use magic to strike back at an enemy, magic that could only be cast by drawing exceptionally complex symbols that make Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow look like kindergarten finger painting. Also, each level had a relatively challenging time limit attached to it. Beyond that, the story is as traditional a story for a fantasy RPG this side of Japan.

So why is this game worth anyone’s time then? Well, first and foremost is the excellent online play. Lost Magic lets you take your team of monsters and magic to duel others in some of the most intensely entertaining gameplay on any system. Spells have to be drawn precisely or they lose power. Mixed with the typical intensity of online play over playing against the computer, Lost Magic becomes an incredibly nerve racking experience. The game also features 2 player wireless-card play and downloadable “demo” play so a friend can try this game out.

With over 400 spells to master and hundreds of creatures to capture and train, Lost Magic is an exceptionally satisfying game if you are willing to put the time and effort into. Not unlike a World of Warcraft or Everquest, it’s quite a frustrating game to enter into at first. Thankfully, the payoff of high level Lost Magic player vs player play is as good as any game I’ve seen in 2006. Lost Magic is essentially the opposite of 90% of the games we’ve seen on the DS. It is not a quick hop in, hop out style game. Lost Magic requires time, effort and above all, sound strategy to master.

Lost Magic is another game destined for clearance in the very near future. Already down to $13.99 on Gamefly, it’s a ton of game for not a lot of cash. While certainly not for everyone, Lost Magic is well worth the money if you’re willing to put some time into the game’s substantial learning curve.

5. Bomberman Land Touch!
- It’s official. Cheap Ass Gamer is filled with people who don’t like video games. Why else would Bomberman Land Touch not be mentioned by a single soul despite being the premier multiplayer experience on the system? The Hudson Soft title takes Bomberman in the mini game direction for the single player experience and tosses Bomberman online for a more traditional, 4-player throw down.

The mini games in Bomberman Land Touch are all stylus controlled and all bomb based. These games range from the simplistic (running bombs back and forth by scratching the stylus up and down) to the substantial (bomb bowling). Overall the collection of over three dozen mini games holds up well. Considering Hudson Soft developed the Mario Party games, this comes as no surprise. While the story is completely forgettable, the mini games more then make up for this little snafu.

Bomberman Land Touch is probably the game that’ll be the most expensive for the longest. While it’s not a particularly popular title at the moment, it’s still only a couple of months old. Furthermore, it bears both the Nintendo Wi-Fi logo and the Atlus logo meaning that we could see this title at the relatively high $34.99 price tag for some time. Thankfully, the game is worth every penny. With both a compelling collection of mini games and an improved variety in the eight player single-card wireless play, Bomberman Land Touch has a huge amount of value to offer gamers.

The Rest

There are a few other overlooked games of 2006 that deserve to be mentioned despite seeing buzzed about on the CAG Forums. Most of these can be found in the recent Toys R Us clearance or in the CAG Trading Forums. Also, feel free to buy these games through Amazon to help support Cheap Ass Gamer.

Age of Empires DS
- Age of Empires offers an excellent turn based strategy conversion of the popular PC title. Just make sure your name is longer then three characters if you play this to avoid the fatal game erasing glitch.

Contact
- Take one part Earthbound and one part Monkey Island, mix in an exceptionally different combat system, add a dash of Wi-Fi and item collection and half bake it for gaming goodness. Contact is one of the most hilarious and bizarre games of 2006 that unfortunately was overlooked by everyone besides the most hardcore of gamers.

Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime
- The madcap tank battles are only matched by the game’s rock solid controls. Get into the Dragon Quest IX mood early with this fantastic action-adventure game.

Mega Man ZX
- Mega Man ZX is the best Mega Man game since the first Mega Man Battle Network. While it still has some flaws (most noticeably a very poor map system), ZX is a huge step in the right direction that is worth a look from current and former fans of the Blue Bomber alike.

The Rub Rabbits
- While the sequel to the DS launch title Feel the Magic: XX/XY commits the sin of rehashing a few of the mini games of the original, The Rub Rabbits offers enough zaniness to please fans. Furthermore, the 2-4 player single-card download play is sure to please everyone.

Hopefully you’ll consider picking up a few of these titles as each of them offers something quite different from the bigger releases of 2006. There were a lot of great games that got lost in the shuffle between New Super Mario Brothers, Yoshi’s Island DS, Final Fantasy III, Brain Age, Metroid Prime: Hunters, Clubhouse Games, Tetris DS, Elite Beat Agents, and tons of other titles. Take a second look at what came out this year for the Nintendo DS. You’re bound to find something that you forgot about or never knew about in the first place that in the simplest terms of the word, “rocks”.

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Unemployment can turn a good ninja into a drama queen

January 3rd, 2007, 04:35 Posted By: wraggster

via dsfanboy

It seems like just yesterday that we were first talking about Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja, a roflcoptery title if ever there was one, and now it's mere weeks away from a February release. It's crazy how time flies, especially when we're busy being fanatical for our favorite handheld.

Just to get you into the campy ninja spirit, there's a video of poor Izuna after the jump. Please, for the love, give this girl a job. Everyone deserves to feel like they have a purpose in life, and we have a soft spot for funny-colored hair. Not to mention we do love a game that doesn't employ the stylus unnecessarily, and apparently, Izuna is stylus-free. We're in! Now go watch the video. -->

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2007: the year of the DS (again)

January 3rd, 2007, 04:37 Posted By: wraggster

via dsfanboy

2006 was a banner year for gamers, particularly DS gamers. We've got it all: a rainbow of system colors, an incredible library of games, and powerful studios clamoring for a piece of the action. Our favorite handheld consistently rocked out, thundering over the competition -- all the competition -- for the entire year. The DS avalanche of awesome can't possibly continue at this rate ... and yet, when we look at the forthcoming year and the incredible parade of titles set for the year, it seems that the DS will, in fact, continue to dominate global gaming.

And we're totally okay with that. Just so you know.

If you're still scrambling to finish some of the titles from the latter half of 2006, play harder -- no matter who you are or what you like, you're sure to find at least ten games this year that are must-haves, and that's just among the games we know about right now. What's worse (or is that way, way better?) is that most of them are slated for the next few months. So run through Portrait of Ruin and put aside the hard rockin' Elite Beat Agents (your fingers will thank you for the break), and check after the jump for a few of the games that will drain your free time in 2007.


Phoenix Wright: Justice for All

If you didn't already import the Japanese version of everyone's favorite attorney, then this month provides what will certainly be one of the most talked about games of the year. The import reviews have already promised a stellar send-up and we can't wait to get the cross-examination going.

Look for more zany characters in the second installment of the growing franchise, and though the caseload may be lighter, we hear each one is far more in depth. This is a great way to kick off a new year of gaming.


Hotel Dusk: Room 215

And speaking of adventure games, Hotel Dusk may not be getting as much attention as some other titles, but that doesn't mean it isn't worthy. Hotel Dusk, the spiritual successor to Trace Memory, is the story of Kyle Hyde, a cop-turned-salesman, whose search for a friend takes him to the mysterious hotel that serves as the center of the story. Details on the retro action -- the story takes place in the twilight of 1979 -- are as sketchy as the art style, but from the haunting trailers to the snippets we've seen, this one looks every inch a winner.


Wario: Master of Disguise

Action platformers have been a little touch and go on the DS, with even some of the most popular series, like Kirby, receiving mixed reviews for their handheld offerings. Wario, however, seems about to slink into the spotlight with a solid game that will prove why anything with Mario's darker shadow is worth playing until you can't play any more. If nothing else, the bizarre mix of puzzles, minigames, and action -- which incorporate both the controls and the touch screen -- will provide enough variety to please almost any gamer, and Wario himself will be his good ol' devilish anti-hero self. Wario: Master of Disguise is likely to end up one of the most fun and most well crafted games we'll see this year.



Pokemon Diamond & Pearl

There's really only two words we have to offer up here: five million. Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl have already sold more than five million copies, and that in less than three months. Pokemon is going to own April like April's never been owned before, and the WiFi battles may bring in a legion of all new Pokemasters. For those who've just gotta catch 'em all, the two titles offer up more than one hundred new monsters, and there were several other small changes when the franchise moved to the DS. Anyone care to start laying bets on how many copies of Diamond and Pearl will sell worldwide by the end of 2007? We're not sure we can count that high.


Line Rider

Which one of these is not like the others? Surely the answer is Line Rider, which is not exactly making an appearance here because it's a game we'll all own by this time next year. However, it is representative of a recent surge to bring popular web-based flash games to the portable DS. Done right, this new deluge could be big on the DS, as it's definitely a matter of two addictive tastes that could go great together. The innovative Line Rider could be really excellent on the DS, as its gameplay is well-suited to the stylus treatment. But only if the price is right, and we hope the right people are listening when we say that. Done well, this trend of ports could be very exciting on the DS, but we'll have to wait and see. And don't worry, dear reader -- we'll let you know what we see as soon as we see it.


Sim City DS

Speaking of movements ... we're all about porting PC strategy games to the DS. If there's anything the stylus is built for, it's managing cities as they march across a barren landscape, spreading a little light industrial love as they go. And Sim City DS certainly looks like it's going to be done well, though we can't exactly say that EA always bats a thousand. We do have high hopes, mainly because we could probably lose ourselves in a DS version of Sim City for days. For now, though, we'll have to be satisfied with playing it on the Virtual Console.



Dragon Quest IX: Defenders of the Sky

It's unknown if we'll see this title outside of Japan in 2007, but look for the gaming world to be turned on its head when the world's most popular RPG series heads to the DS as an exclusive. If anything can cement the handheld's image as the industry's leader, it's the rubber stamp of approval that is Dragon Quest, and the certain knowledge of hundreds of thousands of copies rushing off shelves the very minute they go on sale. The announcement of DS exclusivity was one of the biggest news moments of 2006, but the release will rock 2007.


The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

You know we had to save the best for last. Between this game, Dragon Quest IX, and the dual Final Fantasy titles headed our way, 2007 is shaping up to be the year of the DS RPG. Phantom Hourglass stands to offer the only thing the DS is lacking, and that's an entry in the formidable Zelda franchise. What took you guys so long? Whatever it was, it's continually delayed this title, but we should see it sometime before 2008. We've got our fingers crossed that the latest promise of October will hold. Until then, you can pass the time with a twenty-minute video. We hear if you move your hands back and forth a little, it's almost as good as the real thing. Will the look and feel that didn't quite make us love Link on the 'Cube work on the DS? We can't say for certain, but we've got faith.

This certainly isn't the list of all lists, as there are several games we didn't talk about, like the pair of hard-hitting Final Fantasy titles headed to the DS, or the action-packed fun of Lunar Knights. We just wanted to highlight a few games that are sure to be standouts this year. The excitement is already creeping in, and that's refreshing, since we've had such a dismal release schedule throughout the holidays.

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The 10 Most Anticipated DS Releases for 2007

January 3rd, 2007, 04:43 Posted By: wraggster

via pocketgamer comes their top 10 most anticipated releases for 2007

10.) Panzer Tactics from Sproing
9.) Ubisoft's Rayman Raving Rabbids
8.) Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings from Square Enix
7.) Jupiter Corporation's Spectrobes
6.) Sim City DS from EA
5.) Rare's Diddy Kong Racing DS
4.) Pokemon Pearl/Diamond from Gamefreak
3.) Kojima Productions' Lunar Knights
2.) Wario: Master of Disguise
1.) Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Er wheres Theme Park

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DSudoku

January 3rd, 2007, 04:46 Posted By: wraggster

New Sodoku release for Nintendo DS by CrescentMoon

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SpeccyDS News

January 3rd, 2007, 04:54 Posted By: wraggster

CraigT spilled some info on a future version of the Spectrum emu for the DS:

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Today's hottest game video: Wii roundtable

January 3rd, 2007, 12:37 Posted By: wraggster

via joystiq

Today's most-watched GameTrailers video is part three of the site's Bonus Round look at the Wii. These roundtable sequences -- albeit without the table -- feature musician Tommy Tallarico, analyst Michael Pachter, and game producer Peter Wanat sharing their opinions on the Wii.

The industry personalities are worth a listen, although we're most anticipating to the fourth -- and final -- episode; it's billed as their thoughts on the long-term prospects of the Wii.

Video Here --> http://www.gametrailers.com/bonusround.php

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N-Card 8G for NDS/NDSL Released - New Slot 1 Flash Cart

January 3rd, 2007, 12:45 Posted By: wraggster

Bloody hell these Slot 1 Flash carts are coming out the Wood work at a fast rate now, heres a new one from Linkers 4 U.com:



Product Features

Original DS Cart Size: Insert into DS Slot 1 without any stick out.
Supports Clean Rom Directly
Boot from DS slot 1 directly: No more FlashMe/PassMe is needed!
Multi-games Support.
Supports NDS and NDSL consoles

More Description
The N-Card is a revolutionary storage, homebrew and media player flash cart compatible with all DS Lite and original DS consoles.
The N-Card does NOT require the use of a passme, external memory, the same size as an ordinary DS cart.
Its plug and play in its finest hour, the DS writer like a GBA cartridge can be very easy to write game into N-Card's built-in memory, it connects to your PC like a U-drive, simply open "My Computer" then copy'n paste the DS rom into the drive and you are ready to play.

What's inside the box

N-Card (x1)
N-Card Writer (x1)
USB Cable (x1)

The N-Card 8G is retailing for USD 46.45 and is available now to buy from Linkers4u.com

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Catz

January 3rd, 2007, 12:48 Posted By: wraggster

Newly released for Nintendo DS:



features
Have fun caring for adorable kittens! Your faithful feline loves hearing her name and being petted.
Earn coinz and use them to dress up your kitten with cute accessories. Take cute pictures and share them with with your friends via wireless DS mutli-card play.
Cat-sit for your neighbors, and you'll earn kitty cardz that expand your knowledge of our feline friends!

description
Because there's no such thing as too much cute!

Your local animal Adoption Center has many kittens in need of a loving home. Once you take a kitten home, keep her/him happy and healthy with good food and fun toys.

You’ll be able to earn extra Kitty Coinz by helping out your neighbors Haley and Brandon with their kittens. Use Coinz to dress up your kitten and buy greatstuff for your home!

More info /buy here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1skv.html

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Dogz

January 3rd, 2007, 12:50 Posted By: wraggster

Similiar to the Carz release comes the Dogz release for Nintendo DS



More info /buy here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1sku.html

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Star Wars: Lethal Alliance

January 3rd, 2007, 12:52 Posted By: wraggster

Awesome new Star Wars game released for Nintendo DS:



description
In the years between Episodes III and IV, Princess Leia proposes a dangerous quest to secure the future of the Rebel Alliance. As the deadly duo of a Twi'lek named Rianna Saren and her security droid, Zeeo, you must infiltrate Imperial-controlled planets, fight legions of evil fiends, and return with the plans for the most destructive weapon in the galaxy - the Death Star.

Battle through the galaxy as a legendary mercenary team, steal the enemy's deadliest secret, and triumph over evil in this untold Star Wars® epic adventure.

More Info --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1skw.html

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iDeaS v1.0.0.9

January 3rd, 2007, 13:02 Posted By: wraggster

iDeaS the Nintendo DS Emulator for Windows has been updated to v1.0.0.9

Heres whats new:

Fixed a bug in texture management.

Added a debug dialog.

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

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Wii Sports Boxing - How High Can The Skill Level Go?

January 3rd, 2007, 13:12 Posted By: wraggster

via photics

If you own a Wii, odds are you've played Wii Sports. My favorite game is Wii Boxing. I love the dual weilding action. The wiimote feels very responsive. Wii Sports Boxing is one of my favorite fighting games - of all time. While experiencing this nirvana of video gaming, I found myself getting back to my gaming roots. Just how high of a score can I get? What happens when my rank hits the top of the chart?

To hit pro, you need 1000 points. Since that mark looked about halfway up the chart, I figured that 2000 was the highest one could get. Yet, something interesting happened in the 1500-1600 zone. I fought the trainer. After that, the challengers simply repeated. That's when things started to get weird. I lost rank for winning. Yes, that's right. I lost points in a match that I won. The ranking of your challengers doesn't increase much past 1600. When you hit the 1700+ level, the system works against you. Hmmm, it doesn't seem like the game wants me to hit 2,000. I quickly learned that it's not enough to win the match. I couldn't get knocked down either. Since I was keeping on my feet, I was able to fight my way to the 1800 zone. I notice that the ranking dot was nearing the edge of the chart. There wasn't enough room on the chart for 2000 points. Did I reach the end? Is 1800 the max? No... not by long shot. The line keeps going...

2,458 is the best I've gotten so far.

The dot is off the charts.

Even with knocking out my opponant in the first round, I'm getting less and less per win. In the last bout, the bonus was only 28 points. That's way down from the 75 point bonus in the earlier matches. With the deteriorating rewards, what's the absolute max? I don't know, but I sure do enjoy trying to find out.. One thing is for sure, the scoring can go a lot higher than 2000. It looks like the line graph could keep going to touch the top of my TV.

Here's some fighting advice to help you increase your rank...
Don't let yourself get knocked down. (Duh!) If I get knocked down, I simply reset the match.
Try to knock down your opponent quickly.
Fight strategically! Don't just swing the controllers around like a madman. Missing a punch can open you up for a beating. Look for opening in your opponent's defense. Dodging works best. When you successfully dodge a punch, that's your cue to counter-attack.
Land combos. I like to dodge, then hit 'em with a right / left combo. The more devastating your combos, the less likely the computer controlled character will recover. Listen for that ping sound. That's how you know you're doing it right.
The AI doesn't get much harder past the 1600 raking. Try to create an attack pattern that works, as it should work every time.
I noticed that Wii Sports is less of a workout now that I understand how the game plays. Instead of swinging at the air with full force, I simply do quick thrusts. The game is still lots of fun. I'll be trying to beat my top score.

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Snapshot: Shibuya Scramble Crossing Wii Ad

January 3rd, 2007, 13:15 Posted By: wraggster

via tokyomango

Before this giant Wii advertisement (and the Starbucks underneath) was here, there used to be a little ice cream shop called Dairy Queen, where they made cherry candy-covered soft serve. I used to go there all the time. It's the same Dairy Queen as the one in the US, but the cherry tastes sweeter and the vanilla ice cream is more velvety.

Check out the Worlds biggest Wii Ad Via Comments

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MoonShell Ver1.6 finalbeta3

January 3rd, 2007, 13:21 Posted By: wraggster

MoonShell is a multimedia player for Nintendo DS (Lite) consoles. It has support for DPG video files, MP3/NSF audio files and viewing JPG/Jpeg/BMP/PNG (non progressive) files, it also has support for TXT textfiles. MoonShell supports dualscreens and it has full support for the touch screen. MoonShell has plug-in system that allows to add any compatible plug-in just by copying the plug-in files to the appropriate folder. MoonShell also comes with several kind of useful plug-ins.

Heres whats new:

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Quake DS News

January 3rd, 2007, 13:34 Posted By: wraggster

Simon Hall posted some more news of his port of Quake to the DS:

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Nintendo working on MMO?

January 3rd, 2007, 20:44 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo is developing an unknown number of games with Korean developer Nexon, best known for its free-to-play massively-multiplayer online title, Maple Story, according to Korean news site JoongAng Daily.

The potential of Wii's online gameplay is still unclear, with Nintendo yet to release the required service details to developers for use in new games - the first Wii online titles are not expected for months. But Nexon's MMO background could suggest Nintendo is finally making a push into online gaming with Wii.

Nexon has already revealed that it is working on a DS version of Maple Story but the cartoonified, anime-style visuals would suit both handheld and console. And the characters could easily be exchanged for Mii-like designs, as with The Sims Wii and, according to rumours, Animal Crossing Wii. Watch this space.

via gameradar

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Torched "Gulf War" Game Boy Still Works

January 3rd, 2007, 21:36 Posted By: wraggster



Via Gizmodo

This original Game Boy got itself into some deep shit in the first Gulf War, yet somehow still manages to function. There's no better way to prove that you're a hardcore Nintendo fanboy than by staying in your flaming barracks because you only need a few more lines to get a high score.

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Legend of the Dragon Announced for Wii

January 3rd, 2007, 22:02 Posted By: wraggster

via kotaku

Game Factory today confirmed that they are working on a 3D fighter for the Wii based on the JETIX cartoon Legend of the Dragon.

"We are thrilled to be publishing for the WiiTM," said Henrik Mathiasen, Game Factory's President. "While the Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 next-gen consoles have really captured the imagination of the more mature gamer, at Game Factory we're really excited about the potential impact WiiTM will have on the children's market, as this is obviously our forte."
The game will let you choose between one of 19 characters, all of which wear magical wristbands that allow them to transform. The game also includes a real-time spell-casting system that is suppose to lend an RPG element to the fighter.

The whole thing is being done with cel-shading, so I'm at least marginally interested.

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Wii in Your Panties

January 3rd, 2007, 22:24 Posted By: wraggster

via kotaku

Yeah, tipster Maxwell is right when he says we've probably seen a great deal of people playing Wii videos since the system launched, but nothing quite like this girl. No real nudity involved mind you, but probably not all that safe for work anyway.

I don't know if this is going to become a big trend, but I am almost positive we need to push in that direction if we as a society are going to survive. The girl could be a bit more attractive, and honestly I could probably have filled out the bra better, but we're all gamers here and are used to taking what we can get. Let the "I can get any girl I want" comments begin!

Video Here

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Animal Crossing Wii Hinted At

January 3rd, 2007, 22:57 Posted By: wraggster

via kotaku

I'm the type of guy who likes to sit through movie credits, ignoring the desperate pleas of whomever I am with as I scan for names, funny bits, and important messages about cutesy cartoon animal video games. I would have been in luck after watching the Japanese Animal Crossing movie.

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PAL VC Gimp Test

January 3rd, 2007, 23:13 Posted By: wraggster

via kotaku

PAL Virtual Console games are gimped, and Kotakuite Lloyd, from the UK, is upset. Taking the law into his own hands, he sent a tersely worded letter to Nintendo UK complaining about the state of affairs, and received this vague response:

Dear Customer, thank you for your e-mail.

It is only Sega games and F-Zero that have not been converted. As far as I am aware all the others are OK.

Kind regards,

Your Nintendo Team

That's surprising, as aside from a couple of Hudson titles the only reports we'd heard were that all PAL games had been castrated. The champagne is on hold for now, though, because "As far as I am aware" doesn't exactly qualify as confirmation in my books.

Any PAL Kotakuites out there who have dabbled in the Virtual Console (specifically Nintendo titles), let us know which games are letterboxed and slow, and which are getting the full-screen, full-speed NTSC action. It'd be nice for someone to have a complete record of this

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DS doubles as tour guide

January 3rd, 2007, 23:43 Posted By: wraggster

via joystiq

NeoGAF forum member Reno has recorded the latest instance of Nintendo's DS used to guide patrons through an art exhibit. In this case, an M.C. Escher show at Shibuya's Bunkamura entertainment complex featured customized DS Lites, complete with floor maps and guided audio tours. Many of the works were reproduced on the touch screen, and the stylus could be used to enlarge certain areas of the image, allowing users to examine the Escher pieces in greater detail.

More Info

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WiiCR Version 0.2.9.2b Released

January 4th, 2007, 00:07 Posted By: wraggster

A new release of WiiCR has happenned today, heres the info and whats new:

WiiCR is a media player solution for the Nintendo Wii. It acts as a streaming media server and is capable of transcoding nearly any video file to a suitable flv for an embedded flash player. It allows browsing of the remote filesystem to view: videos (avi/xvid/divx/mpeg/wmv/etc), text files, jpg's and play mp3s.

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New Sonic trailer, chock full of rings

January 4th, 2007, 00:11 Posted By: wraggster

via wiifanboy

There's a new trailer for Sonic and the Secret Rings tucked away on Sega's American site, and though this may strike you as a surprise, it's filled with Sonic himself speedily racing through levels and -- wait for it -- collecting rings. Bombshell, right?

Okay, so not really. But it's a fast-paced little bit of blurry blue action and definitely worth a watch. And maybe it's just because this particular blogger has been grinding it out with the Wii's Downhill Jam and similarly speedy fun, but this really looks like it could be a blast. We know the pantheon of Sonic titles are a bone that gamers like to gnaw in friendly brawls arguments, so we gotta ask: how's this one strike you?

And we apologize, but there's no embedded video, so you'll have to head over to Sega's site for the trailer. While we hate to do that to you, we can at least promise that this one is child-free.

Trailer Here

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A little Wii music

January 4th, 2007, 00:13 Posted By: wraggster

via wiifanboy

Who needs dongles when you have an entire series of tubes at your fingers? Finetune, a social streaming service, has created a Wii-friendly interface complete with big search boxes that can easily be seen from across the room. A few clicks and we were happily streaming tunage in the living room. It took nearly as long just to load the internet channel as it did to get in and start listening. We do, however, crave some sort of "Wiiboard," because this onscreen typing is about as much fun as tearing off our fingernails and eating them.

Also, we're a little disturbed when Disturbed rolls in as some of the "best rock" of 2006. Perhaps we need to finetune our definitions a little more ... and all apologies to Disturbed fans. We got much better mileage out of entering tags on the "radio" side and rocked out for a while to the Wii. Check it out if you're so inclined.

More Info

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GlovePIE 0.29 - speaker, auto-pair, classic, tray icon, etc.

January 4th, 2007, 00:18 Posted By: wraggster

Carl Kenner has released a new version of his GlovePie Input Emulator which basically supports a lot of different Hardware and enables you to use say a WiiMote Controller as a Gaming Controller on your PC

What's new in version 0.29
==========================
* Minimize to System Tray button
* Recent Files menu
* OutputToFile( ) function to write values to output.txt
* Division by zero no longer crashes compiler
* Automatically connect Wiimotes when you press 1+2
(bluesoleil only, you need to do it manually with other stacks)
Hold Power button to disconnect Wiimote.
* Wiimote speaker supported (single notes only, no wave files)
* Classic Controller support fixed and tested
* Wiimote.SmoothPitch and Wiimote.SmoothRoll now calculate angles
without seperating out the acceleration, for smooth (but
inaccurate) angles when your hand wobbles.
* "Press X" now works without brackets
* "100Hz" now works without space
* Numbers allowed after dot, "Wiimote.1" works like "Wiimote.One"
* Infinity and NaN are now valid numbers.
* Other compiler improvements
* Improved documentation
* More scripts! Play old Zelda, Mario, or Metroid games with the
exact same controls as the modern Wii game.

Let me know how well it works or doesn't work.
Heres more details:

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Touch Detective 2 on the way?

January 4th, 2007, 00:21 Posted By: wraggster

via dsfanboy

We can't decide if this is surprising or not, but from the new page at the Success site, it looks like Mackenzie will be back (with her funny-shaped pal) for another round of quirky mysteries. Considering the mixed reviews, we can't say we expected another Touch Detective game immediately, but hey! What fun would it be if the industry didn't offer up a few surprises here and there, amirite?

For now, we'll hope that they focus on the things they got right with the first installment -- like the humor, art style, and characters -- and work a little on the opaque mysteries that were, at times, somewhat like pounding one's face with a sledgehammer.

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Naruto Comes to DS

January 4th, 2007, 00:24 Posted By: wraggster

via IGN

Naruto is making the transition to the DS. Today, Tomy and D3Publisher of America announced that Naruto: Ninja Council 3 would debut on Nintendo DS this spring. The previous Ninja Council games were available on GBA.

Based on episodes of Viz's anime series, Naruto: Ninja Council 3 features more than 40 missions and 20 playable characters. Supporting four-player multiplayer and several game modes (Timed Mode, Scroll Collection Mode and Head-to-Head Versus Mode), Naruto challenges gamers to use strategy in their attacks. The interchangeable attack system allows players to combine attacks to increase success in combat.

"The new interchangeable attack system and the ability to choose from over 20 playable characters are a first in hand-held Naruto games," said Careen Yapp, Vice President of Licensing and Business Development, D3PA. "We feel very strongly that this game will appeal to both the fans of Naruto and DS gamers that enjoy action games."

Look for Naruto: Ninja Council 3 sometime this spring.

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Mario Kart goodness hits Japan

January 4th, 2007, 13:16 Posted By: wraggster

via cvg

Nintendo has revealed the Virtual Console games to be made available in Japan this month, spurring much jealousy amongst PAL Wii gamers.

Link is back for more Wii action, with Zelda II: The Adventures of Link (NES/Famicom) making its way onto the Wii Shop, along with cult-classic Kid Icarus, Ice Climber and Ikki, all for the NES.

And after what seems like an eternity of eager waiting (one month) the N64 section of the Virtual Console is finally getting its second game in the form of Mario Kart 64 - one of the N64's best multiplayer games.

Megadrive gets two games: Bonanza Bros. and Gain Ground, and the Turbografix games once again turn up in force, with Alien Crush, Moto Roader, R-Type II and Soldier Blade all on the way.

Disappointingly, only one Super NES game is listed, according to gaminghorizon.com; Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu - and as that never got a western release we have no hope of seeing that in our Wii Shop down the line.

The Japanese VC games tend to vary quite significantly to that of the US and UK, but could be viewed as a rough forecast for what Nintendo has planned for us in coming weeks. That said, we're going to be campaigning outside Nintendo Europe's offices until they bring Mario Kart 64 our way. Give it to us now!

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Real monkey plays Monkey Ball!

January 4th, 2007, 13:29 Posted By: wraggster

As far as publicity stunts go, this is probably the most literal we can think of: get a monkey to play a game about monkeys. Look! He's even wearing a promotional T-shirt.

It's not clear if this is supposed to prove that Wii games are so accessible even animals can play them or that the Wii-mote is monkey compatible, but what we do know is this little fella was shipped into London's Wii house (used to demo games to the media) for a photoshoot, yesterday.

We're assuming Nintendo is using this opportunity to point out just how well Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz did over the Christmas holiday period (in the top five best-selling launch titles). Although, if it was us, we'd have been a bit disappointed the monkey didn't smile a bit more. Or maybe throw the Wii-mote through a TV screen.

News and Screens at Gamesradar

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MAH-JONG FIGHT CLUB Wi-Fi Jap version

January 4th, 2007, 13:38 Posted By: wraggster

New from SuccessHK



More Details at link above

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Chocobo Jap version

January 4th, 2007, 13:40 Posted By: wraggster

New from SuccessHK



More details at link above

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World Soccer Winning Eleven DS Asian version

January 4th, 2007, 13:43 Posted By: wraggster

New from SuccessHK



Awesome footie game for the DS and at 13 dollars or 6 pounds depending on where u come from.

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Dragon Quest Monsters - Joker

January 4th, 2007, 13:49 Posted By: wraggster

New from SuccessHK



More details at link above

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Naruto Shinobi Retsuden Jap version

January 4th, 2007, 13:51 Posted By: wraggster

New from SuccessHK



More details at link above.

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Shash`s DeSmuMe WIP News (DS Emulator for Windows)

January 4th, 2007, 13:55 Posted By: wraggster

News from Shash

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Lemmings DS Upgrade v3.1

January 4th, 2007, 14:07 Posted By: wraggster

via Lemproject

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Forever Blue Details

January 4th, 2007, 14:09 Posted By: wraggster

via ign

Ever since Nintendo first showed off footage of its mysterious Wii title Forever Blue, we've all been curious about the title's premise. Early videos showed scuba divers swimming deep underneath the sea and interacting with a variety of fish, some deadlier than others.

Sources tell IGN Wii that the game is being developed out of Japan by Arika. A little research on our part revealed that Arika is no stranger to underwater-based videogames. In fact, the studio released Everblue and Everblue 2 for PlayStation 2 in 2001 and 2002 respectively. Both games look very similar to Forever Blue for Wii. Indeed, we'd be willing to wager that the upcoming Wii title is very likely a direct sequel, if not an enhanced port.

Arika's official website features a brief description of the titles, which can be found right here.

IGN reviewed a copy of Everblue 2 on PS2 three years ago. The title scored a 5.7 and was described as an underwater action game with RPG elements. Apparently the effort presents a realistic and sometimes-beautiful scuba diving experience, but comes up short on story and character progression. Here is a description of the PS2 games from our sister site:

"Explore the Magic of Deep-Sea Diving. Follow heroes Leo and Zucco as they explore the truth behind tales of the Caribbean's Bermuda Triangle and Coral Reef inthis expansive underwater role-playing adventure. Uncover the sea's mysteries, as you freely explore sunken treasure ships, play with dolphins and other underwater sea life, wander the great Coral Sea and avoid shark attacks."

Nintendo has not officially confirmed that Wii's Forever Blue is related, but considering Arika's history, we don't see how it couldn't be.

It's worth noting that Arika has worked on other projects, including everything from Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha for PlayStation to Mega Man Network Transmission for GameCube.

More information as it becomes available.

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Ubisoft's New Wii Games

January 4th, 2007, 14:11 Posted By: wraggster

via ign

Ubisoft's Spanish subsidiary has put out a release that announces, among others, a handful of new Wii projects.

The first is Brothers in Arms: D Day, the most solid confirmation yet that Ubi is readying a version of the hit first-person shooter franchise for Nintendo's new console. Last year, an allegedly leaked document listed Brothers in Arms as a game underway from Wii. Ubisoft denied the document's validity, but every other title featured on the list was eventually announced or released. The game's name suggests that this is might be a Wii version of the recently released PSP series entry, a "Best of BIA" game with new and remixed content from all of Brothers in Arms (assumedly with improved visuals to match the Wii.) In an interview with IGN, the developer of the series, Gearbox Software, also said that it was working on a Wii project. Insiders claim that Gearbox was at one point experimenting with Unreal Engine 3 and attempting to create a dumbed-down version that would run on Wii. Unfortunately, we have been unable to confirm the accuracy of that rumors.

The second title is called Spelling Spree and, as the name suggests, it is very likely a project focused on spelling and vocabulary challenges. Gamers might be quick to discount such a product, but if Ubisoft can put a Brain Age style spin on the presentation, Spelling Spree could be a surprise hit.

The third game, Cosmic Family, is a port of the PC franchise of the same name. Very little is known about the project, except that it is geared toward younger players. A brief description, courtesy Amazon's UK website: "Meet the Cosmic Family - Mr and Mrs Cosmic, their two small children, big sister, the scatty cat, the playful dog, and monsters of every shape, size and color. Early learning, humor and music for 4-7 year olds and their parents."

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Wario Ware and Wii Play in Motion

January 4th, 2007, 14:13 Posted By: wraggster

via IGN

By the end of the month Nintendo will have released WarioWare: Smooth Moves to the masses in America. But the Japanese have already been playing the game for some time. We imported the overseas version and have posted high-resolution 480p / 16:9 videos below. Simply click on the following link:

Click here for WarioWare movies

In addition, we imported the oveseas version of Wii Play, which is like a mini-game version of Wii Sports. But don't take our word for it because we've also posted 480p / 16:9 movies of this one. Click below for the goodness.

Click here for Wii Play movies

And tune in this week and next for expanded coverage on both games.

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End of the Shadows Sourcecode released

January 4th, 2007, 14:16 Posted By: wraggster

The highly promising DS RPG End of Shadows has seen a sourcecode release, this game looks like a throwback to Zelda 3 on the Snes, Lets hope for a binary release soon.

http://www.developperstune.com/Edemptia/news.php

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Défi noël - FPS Game for DS

January 4th, 2007, 14:22 Posted By: wraggster

Smealum has released Défi noël a XMAS Themed FPS game for the Nintendo DS.

Check out the Screenshot and Download Via Comments

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Chameleon Shot v1.0

January 4th, 2007, 14:28 Posted By: wraggster

Sensei has updated his Virtua Cop style game for the Nintendo DS, heres the translated details:

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Gnirfleo - another DS internet Browser! News

January 4th, 2007, 14:32 Posted By: wraggster

Gnirfleo posted this news:

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Gekko Emulator Status Update 1/3/07

January 4th, 2007, 17:43 Posted By: JKKDARK

More news about the GameCube emulator for PC.

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GamePro's most anticipated console games for 2007

January 5th, 2007, 08:51 Posted By: wraggster

Heres the summarised List:

360: Lost Planet, Crackdown, Medal of Honor: Airborne, Assassin's Creed, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, BioShock
PS3: MotorStorm, Formula One Championship Edition, Assassin's Creed, Burnout 5, Alone in the Dark, Heavenly Sword, Warhawk, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Wii: Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, WarioWare: Smooth Moves, Wii Play, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

What games are you jonesing to play this year?

via joystiq

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Final College Fantasy

January 5th, 2007, 08:58 Posted By: wraggster

via joystiq

His name is Mark Leung. And he's often bored at Massachusetts' Babson College. So he picked up a camera and began to craft a meticulously detailed parody of Final Fantasy; what he calls "College Saga." Here is Mark's introduction:

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Super Mario Bros. on UK VC

January 5th, 2007, 10:45 Posted By: wraggster

Like the belt buckles of a Hawaiian marathon-runner who's been denied water for a week, Europe's Virtual Console line-up found a couple of notches it couldn't previously reach overnight.

Clearly visible at the summit of the New Additions page are NES classic Super Mario Bros., which will set you back 500 Wii points, alongside the TurboGrafx-16's Motoroader (which I must confess I've never played) at 600 points.

What's that in real currency? Well, Wii points vary in price depending on how many you buy, but cards sold in the shops give you 2000 for GBP 14.99, with smaller and larger increments sold for vaguely fitting totals directly through the Wii Shop.

As for the games, NES titles uniformly go for 500 points, TurboGrafx seems to vary between 600 and 800, while Super Nintendo and Megadrive reach 800 and Nintendo 64 titles - of which there's only one around here so far, Super Mario 64 - go for 1000.

via eurogamer

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US Wii sales beat 1.2m estimate - analyst

January 5th, 2007, 10:47 Posted By: wraggster

The Nintendo Wii has likely sold over 1.2 million units in the US, beating previous estimates by analyst Lazard Capital.

Sony's rival PlayStation 3 will have sold around 700,000 units in 2006, while the company predicts that Microsoft's Xbox 360 will have reached 4.5 million consoles in North America, by December 30th.

"Our checks indicate that Nintendo's Wii console continues to sell well, while Sony's PS3 supplies improved somewhat towards the end of the holiday period," said Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital.

The firm also said it expects that US software sales will have increased by five per cent in December, compared to last year, "driven by incremental sales for next-generation software and ongoing solid PS2 and DS game sales."

The analyst also offered a list of best-selling titles, including four of GameStop's top five sellers for Christmas - Guitar Hero 2, WWE Smackdown Vs RAW 2007, Gears of War and Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess.

Finally, Sebastian predicted three publisher's performance in December, expecting THQ to see sales up by 20 per cent, EA to suffer a dip of 10 per cent and Activision's results to remain equal to the 2005 period.

via gamesindustry

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Acess MSN and More Via CommunicationTube© - chat web messenger client

January 5th, 2007, 11:15 Posted By: wraggster

Wii users using Opera can check their favourite Messenger services via the site Connection Tube, heres some info:

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New Wii Bundle Coming Soon

January 5th, 2007, 11:18 Posted By: wraggster



The pic above is of the new Wii Bundle coming on the 17th of jan from Gamestop, heres whats featured:

Nintendo Wii system (system, remote controller, nunchuck, stand, sensor and Wii Sports)
Wii 1 Gigabyte Memory Card
1 additional Wii Remote Controller
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Red Steel
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz
Madden NFL 2007
1 Year Product Replacement Plan

Not too shabby but youll pay $679 for it

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Wii like to (Mario) party

January 5th, 2007, 11:20 Posted By: wraggster

This short video from the upcoming Mario Party 8 should be just enough to whet your appetite for some silly multiplayer action. This is one game we're definitely planning on checking out -- but how about you? Where's the latest Mario Party fall on your list of must-haves?

If nothing else, it certainly falls in with the Wii philosophy about playing games together! Check the video out here -->

via wiifanboy

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Kojima doesn't care about HD, likes Wii

January 5th, 2007, 11:23 Posted By: wraggster

via wifanboy



Taken from a recent issue of Gamepro magazine, Metal Gear guy Hideo Kojima said the following things when asked about HD gaming and the possibility of working with the Wii. Given the past (Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes), we think the possibility of a Kojima project, whether it be Metal Gear related or not, is good.

What kind of project would you like to see from Kojima on the Wii? Maybe a port of Metal Gear: Portable Ops or perhaps a brand new IP?

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Tingle's RPG Heading to Europe

January 5th, 2007, 11:27 Posted By: wraggster

via cubed

Cubed³ has been exclusively told that Freshly Picked Tingle's Rose-Coloured Rupees for the Nintendo DS will be heading to Europe in 2007. The quirky RPG has already sold over 200,000 units in Japan and rated 33/40 in Famitsu.

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Arthur and the Invisibles gameplay trailer

January 5th, 2007, 11:29 Posted By: wraggster

via dsfanboy

A small trailer for Arthur and the Invisibles has hit the internet, showing some of the puzzle-solving and bug-riding adventure guaranteed to those who decide to take part in the adventure.

Trailer Here --> http://gametrailers.com/player.php?id=15977

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Stock trader sim imported, reviewed

January 5th, 2007, 11:30 Posted By: wraggster

via dsfanboy

The folks at GameBrink got their hands on a copy of Kabushiki Baibai Torenakabutore, a stock trader sim, but not the one we mentioned before. And the verdict is? Solid offering from Hideo Kojima (is there any other kind?), but not exactly import friendly unless you read Japanese.

What's interesting about this game is that it relies on five years of real data from the Tokyo Stock Exchange, so the trends are realistic. They're not playing when they call this one a sim, are they? Further, all your favorite gaming companies are represented, like Nintendo and Konami. The lessons are real as well; a complete trading newb can apparently pick this up, play the game, and walk away knowing some real information about how the market works. Should a sim be so realistic? Maybe not always, but stock trading is apparently pretty addicting, so here it seems to work well.

Since there are multiple companies busily forging stock trader games, perhaps we'll see a release outside Japan for one of these ... and now we're hoping for this one, since we've gotten a look at it!

More info

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Stream Digital Media on Your Wii

January 5th, 2007, 11:34 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo's Wii recently entered into the wild world of the Internet with the addition of the Opera Web Browser to the Wii Channels Menu, and it seems like the world is taking notice. Orb Networks announced that it is offering Wii support for its MyCasting service which allows users to stream any form of digital media from their home PCs onto other electronic devices. Orb's free software lets users enjoy all digital media stored on their home PC on any other networked device, a category which now includes the Wii.

"What Nintendo did -- offering Internet connectivity on its game console was so simple and easy -- yet it tears a big hole into the walled content garden erected by gaming manufacturers," said Joe Costello of Orb Networks. "Consumers want the freedom to surf the Web while sitting on their sofas but that really just scratches the surface of what is available. People can get any digital content on their home PC, be it videos, music, TV, photos, whatever they want, and watch it on their TV screen without limitations or additional fees, which is what Orb promises and the Wii helps deliver. Nintendo opened the door for millions of gamers to see the power of what the Internet can offer in terms of media freedom, choices and access: other gaming manufacturers should follow suit, and the content providers and programmers should notice."

In order to make use of Orb, Wii owners must first download the free software to their home PCs, and set up a MyCast account. They must also have the Opera Browser downloaded to their Wiis, something that can be done through the Wii Shop Channel. Finally, users must go onto the Wii Internet Channel and head to mycast.orb.com in order to login and access all of the digital media stored on their computer. This includes music, photos, video, TV, and other documents. This media can then be played on users' televisions through the Wii.

via IGN

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NiGHTS Sequel Wii-bound?

January 5th, 2007, 11:35 Posted By: wraggster

via ign

Rumors have been running rampant yet again about the possibility of a NiGHTS Into Dreams sequel on the Wii. This time around, the rumors come direct from the website of Japanese development studio, G.rev, who recently posted a release list of upcoming Wii games. Buried somewhere towards the bottom of the list was NiGHTS, although no other details were provided.

Overeager fanboys must note that this is not even close to an official confirmation of the existence of the game. Most of the titles on the list are games that are barely more than rumors now anyway, including a whole slew of games that don't even have titles yet. We contacted SEGA regarding the rumor, but they declined to comment, except to state that no plans for such an announcement are in the pipeline.

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Super Mario Bros. on Aussie Wiis

January 5th, 2007, 11:36 Posted By: wraggster

via ign

Okay, so it landed a couple of weeks late when compared with the US release, and sure, it's a fairly steep 500 points. But we're talking about the venerable Super Mario Bros. It's an NES staple that helped plant the Mario franchise in the minds of gamers everywhere.

It's an identical port of the NES version of the game, too, so those hoping for the graphically tweaked SNES All Stars version, or the added extras of the Game Boy Color rendition will be a little disappointed.

Of course, for the completist gamer who simply must own this 20 year-old game in absolutely every way, shape and form it is made available in, step right up. Meanwhile, we're still hanging out for the Virtual Console floodgates to open and the titles waiting in the eaves to spill forth, like so much 'golden era' goodness. As it stands, however, we must unfortunately continue to endure the ongoing trickle for the foreseeable future.

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DSFret - Learn the guitar fretboard

January 5th, 2007, 11:43 Posted By: wraggster

News /release from Spag

Hi!

So as I started to learn guitar a while ago but still didn't know the notes on the fretboard, I thought I could make some paper cards to revise them in the train.
But why bother with paper when I always have my DS with me? So I made this small app!

It allows you to revise every fret one after the other, in a random order if you wish. And you can choose between International (A, B, C, ...) and Latin (Do, Re, Mi) output.



It's ugly and it's my first app in C ever, so I guess it could be improved, but it works. The stylus is still buggy (I don't know how I can do the same action just ONCE with "PA_SpriteTouched") so I recommend you use the pad for now.

Maybe someone else than me can have a use for it!

Download and Give feedback Via Comments

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Spikeball

January 5th, 2007, 11:47 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from Griever308

Hey there, ive got a little gba pong type game i made a little while ago using vham and hellib. I hope you find it somewhat amusing.

More Info --> http://www.gbadev.org/demos.php?showinfo=1342

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Halo DS was "fully playable"

January 5th, 2007, 12:28 Posted By: wraggster

What must be the game that defined the Xbox and now the Xbox360 was playable on the Nintendo DS according to a newpost over at CVG

Come on Microsoft, bring the the great FPS to the DS

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NDS: M3 DS simply and R4DS review

January 5th, 2007, 13:40 Posted By: scorpei

I've released my review of the M3 and R4 DS. Read it here.

Heres an excerpt

I'm also hosting the FAT lib for the M3 (just got it from the M3 team). If you have questions or comments; My Blog.

Yours,
Scorpei

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Cool gameplay in new Dragon Quest Wii Trailer

January 5th, 2007, 23:45 Posted By: wraggster

The official Japanese Dragon Quest Swords website has been updated with a brand new trailer for fans of the slime-filled series to drool over.

Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors on Wii lets you use the Wii Remote like a sword, battling enemies with slashing motions, as can be seen in the in-game footage within the trailer.

The swordplay looks pretty cool but little else is known about the game. Square Enix says that Dragon Quest Swords "is being developed with every aspect of the unique Wii hardware in mind", so we're hoping there'll be a lot more clever use of the control than just simple sword slashing.

Dragon Quest has been a massive hit in Japan for years, and with fantastic titles like DQ Heroes: Rocket Slime on DS and DQ: The Journey of the Cursed King being well received in the west, the series looks set for global stardom.

Dragon Quest Swords is headed for Japan later this year, while US and UK release dates are yet be announced.

via cvg

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Tingle DS minces to UK

January 5th, 2007, 23:49 Posted By: wraggster

The bizarre Zelda spin-off starring Nintendo's campest ever character, Tingle, is making its way to UK, Nintendo has confirmed.

The game, in which players control Tingle in an RPG-adventure hunt for Rupees, has been fittingly renamed 'Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland' for us westerners.

Mock it as we might, Tingle's adventure is actually a fairly neat game, with a peculiarly unique charm, laugh-out-loud humour and some of the most screwed up characters we've ever seen in a game.

Despite the English language version being near complete, Nintendo has yet to set a release date for UK but, rest assured, we're on its case about it.

via cvg

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Sin and Punishment coming to VC

January 5th, 2007, 23:51 Posted By: wraggster

via cvg

Treasure president Masato Maegawa has confirmed that Sin and Punishment, a classic shooter that has gained legendary status among hardcore N64 fans, is on the way to the Virtual Console on Wii.

In an interview with 1up.com, Maegawa said Treasure is "planning to put it out on VC at some point, but it's probably going to be a while still. It's really up to Nintendo in terms of how they want to stagger things out - they could probably put 1,000 games on there tomorrow if they wanted, but obviously they don't want to do that."

So it's a way off it seems - probably not due to come until Nintendo has exhausted most of the rubbish NES games it seems to be putting on it at the moment - but that's great news for all the hardcore fans that were hoping to see it here.

The critical question for UK fans is: will Nintendo/Treasure make the game available on the UK Virtual Console even though it never originally got a UK release? We've thrown that very question at Treasure and will report the response the moment we get one.

Maegawa also commented on his enthusiasm for Wii, saying, "We love the Wii and want to work on it in the future, but right now we've got our hands full with the 360 and DS."

"It's just a matter of freeing up people in order to create a team to work on it. But absolutely, in the future, we'll make a Wii game. We've already been in discussions with Nintendo about it. We're just brainstorming right now, but I am already certain we'll be able to do something really unique with it."

If we could place a pre-order on the 'Wii game by Treasure', we would. Right now.

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Wii Sports Pack offers trio of Wiimote extensions

January 5th, 2007, 23:58 Posted By: wraggster

via engadget



In what's likely to go down as the most heavily accessorized (and harmful) controller ever, Nintendo's Wiimote sure is garnering a lot of attention from accessory makers. Sure, those Wii Gloves may keep butterfinger disasters from ever occurring, but they really don't give you any sort of competitive advantage when throwing down in Wii Sports. While we knew JoyTech was planning its own barrage of controller add-ons, it looks like Brando is offering up a sweet trio of Wiimote extensions to presumably improve your Wii Sports play. For just $22, you'll get a tennis racket, golf grip, and a baseball bat, which could arguably pull double duty as a sword in Red Steel. Of course, you'll still need to pick up that foam donut separately (or bundled in with another game) for the ultimate Excite Truck experience, but hey, you gotta start somewhere.

More info at Brando

I personally cant till a Lightsabre addon comes out

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Grey Markets Compared - PS3 vs. Wii

January 6th, 2007, 00:12 Posted By: wraggster

via /.

Kotaku has a follow-up feature to their earlier look at the declining PS3 market on EBay. Post author Michael Fahey has now gone back and looked at Ebay sales, comparing the PS3 and the Wii. Unlike the sharp dips and spikes the PS3 market has suffered, the price seems to be fairly constant for the Wii console. From the article:

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Nintendo responds to Game Boy accident

January 6th, 2007, 00:17 Posted By: wraggster

via gibiz



Nintendo of Europe has issued a statement regarding the accidental death of a young boy killed on holiday while charging his Game Boy.

"Nintendo wishes to offer its sincere condolences to the family of Connor O'Keefe," reads the statement.

"Details of the accident are currently unclear so we are unable to make any further comment at this stage," it added.

O'Keefe was killed last Saturday after unplugging the Game Boy in his hotel room in Thailand.

Police Lt. Colonel Sopol Borirok said the incident was an accident, adding: "No blame has been attached."

The story has been picked up by a number of UK newspapers, including the The Sun, The Mail and The Mirror, which splashed the story across the front page with the headline 'Killed by Game Boy.'

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New developer OneNine Studios to focus on handhelds

January 6th, 2007, 00:19 Posted By: wraggster

via gibiz

Industry veterans from Activision and Vicarious Visions have formed new a development team, OneNine Studios.

Also including employees from Gameloft, Digital Eclipse and Kush Games, the firm is currently focused on handheld and mobile development.

The developer already has a deal in place to create a mobile game with GoPets, the company behind the online gaming and social networking community, which boast over 500,000 registered users.

"OneNine is dedicated to making great games for both casual and hardcore markets, on all possible platforms," reads a company statement.

"We are looking to expand into DS and PSP development, as well as games for the web/downloadable and Xbox Live Arcade markets."

"With the extensive talent we have assembled, we are fast becoming a leader in these and other emerging handheld and casual game markets," stated the company.

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SuperCard DS (Slot 1) microSD for NDS/NDSL

January 6th, 2007, 00:43 Posted By: wraggster



Linkers4u.com have today announced they are taking preorders for the SuperCard DS (Slot 1) microSD for NDS/NDSL Flash Cart which is the first Slot 1 cart from the Supercard Team.

For those who dont know what a Slot 1 cart is well its basically a Normal DS Game cart that you the user can put games, emulators and more on.

Heres the full details from Linkers4u.com

Product Features

100% clean rom support
Original DS Cart Size: Insert into DS Slot 1 without any stick out.
Boot from DS slot 1 directly: No more FlashMe/PassMe is needed!
Supports NDS and NDSL consoles
Supports microSD card up to 4Gbyte

More Description
The SuperCard Team has been in the scene for a long time, and they have been working on developing new features in the past three years. With simple but practical functions, the SuperCard has gained great popularity in the gamer world. After a long period of research and development, the SuperCard Team has finally come up with a slot-1 solution, the SUPERCARD DS. Boosting many advanced features, and being easy to use, makes this ONE card that's a must have for any DS gamer.

The price is a decent USD 42.58 (around 21 Pounds) and on preorder now but in stock on the 13th of january according to Linkers4u.com

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Pokemon's Fake Christmas Booze For Children

January 6th, 2007, 00:59 Posted By: wraggster

via kotaku

The extent to which Pokemon is branded in Japan and abroad never ceases to amaze. Neither does the extent to which my family buys that Pokemon branded crap! Here's a bottle of "Shan Meri—," short for "champagne" and "merry." During the holidays, adults in Japan like to knock back bottles of champagne. And not to make the kids feel left out, alcohol-free soda pop that is packaged in beer, wine, champagne-type bottles.

Screen Via Comments

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WiFi MAX for Nintendo DS / Nintendo Wii

January 6th, 2007, 01:10 Posted By: wraggster

New Preorder at Play Asia



features
Download new content and Virtual Arcade material on your Wii.
Internet gaming through any internet-enabled PC.
No cables necessary – make a wireless connection.
Five times faster than standard WiFi.
Suppled with software CD and WiFi dongle, and also a USB cable and stand for optimal positioning.
Compatible with all Wii and NDS internet-enabled games.

description
Take your consoles online – wirelessly…

So you have a Nintendo Wii or an NDS (original or Lite). If you’re lucky, you have both! You also have a broadband internet connection for your PC. But you don’t have a wireless network. What’s the easiest, cheapest way to take your consoles online and compete with gamers from all over the world? Simple – WiFi MAX for Nintendo Wii and DS/DS Lite!

WiFi MAX is your ticket to the exciting world of online gaming, and it couldn't be simpler to use. Just plug your USB WiFi dongle into your internet-enabled PC to create a Wireless Access Point. You can then connect to the internet and play online-enabled multiplayer games with DS and Wii gamers from all over the world. Just the thing if you don't have a wireless router! Best of all, WiFi MAX supports up to five ‘local' DS gamers at a time, so you and your mates can all play online at once with no loss of speed!

Don’t forget, there’s more to the Nintendo Wii’s online service than playing games. You can also download additional material such as new levels, skins, artwork and even retro games! That’s right – Nintendo is gradually making its back-catalogue classics for old Nintendo machines such as the NES, SNES and N64 available to Wii owners through the Virtual Arcade service. And with WiFi MAX, you can download them through your broadband internet connection! Just think what you’ll be missing out on if you don’t take your Wii online…

As WiFi MAX operates on the Wireless G standard, it's five times faster than an ordinary WiFi connection, and if you use our USB cable and dongle stand (supplied), you can position your dongle to maximise WiFi range. If you have other WiFi-enabled devices capable of using the internet, such as laptops or PDAs, you can take them online with WiFi MAX too. It's the ultimate device for internet surfing without a WiFi router!

Preorder at Play Asia

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WiFi MAX for Nintendo DS / Nintendo Wii

January 6th, 2007, 01:10 Posted By: wraggster

New Preorder at Play Asia



features
Download new content and Virtual Arcade material on your Wii.
Internet gaming through any internet-enabled PC.
No cables necessary – make a wireless connection.
Five times faster than standard WiFi.
Suppled with software CD and WiFi dongle, and also a USB cable and stand for optimal positioning.
Compatible with all Wii and NDS internet-enabled games.

description
Take your consoles online – wirelessly…

So you have a Nintendo Wii or an NDS (original or Lite). If you’re lucky, you have both! You also have a broadband internet connection for your PC. But you don’t have a wireless network. What’s the easiest, cheapest way to take your consoles online and compete with gamers from all over the world? Simple – WiFi MAX for Nintendo Wii and DS/DS Lite!

WiFi MAX is your ticket to the exciting world of online gaming, and it couldn't be simpler to use. Just plug your USB WiFi dongle into your internet-enabled PC to create a Wireless Access Point. You can then connect to the internet and play online-enabled multiplayer games with DS and Wii gamers from all over the world. Just the thing if you don't have a wireless router! Best of all, WiFi MAX supports up to five ‘local' DS gamers at a time, so you and your mates can all play online at once with no loss of speed!

Don’t forget, there’s more to the Nintendo Wii’s online service than playing games. You can also download additional material such as new levels, skins, artwork and even retro games! That’s right – Nintendo is gradually making its back-catalogue classics for old Nintendo machines such as the NES, SNES and N64 available to Wii owners through the Virtual Arcade service. And with WiFi MAX, you can download them through your broadband internet connection! Just think what you’ll be missing out on if you don’t take your Wii online…

As WiFi MAX operates on the Wireless G standard, it's five times faster than an ordinary WiFi connection, and if you use our USB cable and dongle stand (supplied), you can position your dongle to maximise WiFi range. If you have other WiFi-enabled devices capable of using the internet, such as laptops or PDAs, you can take them online with WiFi MAX too. It's the ultimate device for internet surfing without a WiFi router!

Preorder at Play Asia

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RMX Automation v1.4

January 6th, 2007, 01:27 Posted By: wraggster

New release from Darkain:

RMX Automation (for windows) is a modular interface for user input and output devices, applications, etc. Starting with version 1.4 (20070101), RMX Automation includes a plugin for the Wii Remote.

Download at link above

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WiiSticks Beta 0.1

January 6th, 2007, 01:34 Posted By: wraggster

Walaber has posted on his website a rather cool new project for the Nintendo Wii

Heres the info:

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NitroTracker for DS v0.3 -Now With Midi

January 6th, 2007, 01:39 Posted By: wraggster

Tob has released a new version of his excellent DS App called Nitrotracker now at v0.3, heres the details:

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DarwiinRemote WIP News

January 6th, 2007, 01:45 Posted By: wraggster

Hiroaki has posted some WIP news of his DarwiinRemote application.

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Four Little Warriors demo

January 6th, 2007, 01:51 Posted By: wraggster

via 4LW

It all started with a big thunderstorm. The floor below your feet faded away, a giant hole appeared. Without any chance to help yourself you fell into it. Everything around you got dark.

After a while, you awake and find yourself in a strange area. It's a completely different world, probably far away from home. It's a place lost in time, a place with different rules.

Suddenly you see a strange glowing in the darkness. After getting closer you spot a sword sealed in a stone. The Sword of Time. This blade is the only way to travel in time. It is the only chance to ever get back home again. But while hurrying towards it, you make a frightening discovery.
You are not the only one...

Download the new version with Wiimote support HERE

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Televisions, beware -- here comes Wii darts

January 6th, 2007, 01:53 Posted By: wraggster

via wiifanboy

Before people started crying because they'd tossed their Wiimotes into their televisions, darts on the Wii almost seemed viable. Now it just seems like a whole series of accidents waiting to happen, and yet it looks like someone's going to do it anyway. While this one definitely comes from the rumor patrol at NeoGAF, it seems pro dart player Raymond van Barneveld knows something we don't about an amorphous Nintendo dart game. Hmm. A true sucessor to Wii Sports, perhaps? We'll wait to toss the confetti (or our Wiimotes), but it's an interesting rumor.

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First Look: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

January 6th, 2007, 01:56 Posted By: wraggster

via gamepro

We just got back from a marathon gaming session, and Metroid was one of the most interesting titles that we played at Nintendo's super-secret, invite-only gaming session.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Definitely stole the the show. The graphics looked amazing -- better than Halo 2 on the Xbox without a doubt -- and the levels showed off sparkling details, proving the Wii is far more powerful than the Gamecube. Out of all the games we played, the Wii controller seemed most at home with Metroid.

You don't fire with your index finger, but with your thumb (using the A button). This sounds a little goofy, but in practice it worked very, very well. You could press the directional pad to fire rockets or enter your scanning mode, and the trigger (aka the B button) handled jumps very nicely. Samus has a few new moves that take advantage of the motion-sensitive controller. By locking onto a target and thrusting the left nunchuku forward, Samus could launch a grappling beam. The beam is similar to Half-Life 2's Gravity Gun, but was mostly used to push rubble out of the way, open grates, or in a nice touch, yank shields from enemy hands. The other major Wii functionality was that some control panels needed to be lifted, rotated, and pushed back into slots -- these movements were all handled on the Wii controller.

Aiming with the point-and-shoot controller felt very nice, though it took a few minutes to become truly comfortable. The experience was much like playing a PC first-person shooter, especially since the nunchucku analog stick controlled movement We found that standing roughly four feet from the TV provided the best motion, and the cursor stayed smooth and steady -- no shakiness! The frame rate was also smooth and consistent, even when the screen got crowded with special effects.

Metroid was probably the best Wii game on display. Wii can't wait to play more!

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WiiCR - Media Player (of sorts) for the Nintendo Wii 0.2.9.3 Released

January 6th, 2007, 01:58 Posted By: wraggster

A new release of WiiCR has happenned today, heres the info and whats new:

WiiCR is a media player solution for the Nintendo Wii. It acts as a streaming media server and is capable of transcoding nearly any video file to a suitable flv for an embedded flash player. It allows browsing of the remote filesystem to view: videos (avi/xvid/divx/mpeg/wmv/etc), text files, jpg's and play mp3s.

0.2.9.3 Released
vob support added
prev and next buttons for image viewing
using aurions updated (yes again) flv player + his new vidplay.tpl
changing of videsegments supported.
Ocean theme 1.3 Released
Big changes to vidplay.tpl
New splash page (Will only display once per day)
Updated config.tpl

Download Here --> http://downloads.sourceforge.net/wmc/

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Nintendo’s Wii Play - What is this Game Coming to the US Wii on 2/12/07

January 6th, 2007, 02:01 Posted By: wraggster

via wiitod

Wii play for the Nintendo Wii is a collection of 9 mini games that is to be released on 2/12/07. There are a few highlights to this game and I believe it will sell very well amoungst the growing popular titles. The kicker with this mini game collection is that it costs the regular $50, but it includes a $40 Wii-mote for free. You are really getting a $40 dollar wii-mote with a $10 game and with a total of 9 mini games, that makes it just over $1 per game, a screaming deal. Most Wii owners will be picking up extra Wii-motes for the future release of Mario Party 8 anyways, so this is a huge benefit.

Another great feature with this title is that Nintendo has incorporated your fashionable, customized Mii characters as players in the mini-games. I know my kids love making Mii characters and being able to play them in something other than Wii sports is going to be very cool. Also, the games in the collection will be both single player and two player games.

The mini-games to be included in the package are:

A shooting Range (from the images i have seen this game looks similar to Duck Hunt)
Table Tennis
Laser Hockey
Billiards
Fishing
Charge (this has to be the cow racing game as shown in the recent edition of Nintendo Power)
Tanks
Find Mii (I would assume that this is like Where’s Waldo, but for your Mii Character)
Pose Mii

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Nyko® Unveils New Line Of Nintendo Wii Peripherals

January 6th, 2007, 02:07 Posted By: wraggster

Nyko Technologies®, a premier peripherals manufacturer, announced today their product lineup for the Nintendo Wii. With a host of brand-new options for battery charging, wireless gaming, and high-quality video, Nyko aims to stand at the forefront of the Wii accessory market. Nyko’s products for the Nintendo Wii will debut at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nyko’s Charge Station for Wii enables gamers to simultaneously charge two Wii remotes, maintaining a steady supply of power with two additional rechargeable NiMH batteries. The charging dock allows the user to easily keep 2 Wii-Remotes charged at all times by plugging into any wall outlet. The dock has convenient and easy to read LED indicator lights, as well as a 6 foot power cord that allows the unit to be conveniently placed in even the most crowded entertainment areas. For those active gaming sessions, the Charge Station for Wii also includes two rubberized battery covers to make sure even the most energetic gamer keeps a grip on the Wii-Remote. The Charge Station for the Nintendo Wii will has a suggested retail price of $29.99.

For the ultimate in convenience and performance, Nyko’s Wireless Sensor Bar provides a neat, obstacle-free gaming environment. With the Wireless Sensor Bar, Wii gamers can play up to 25 feet away from their television with no wires or cords. The Wireless Sensor Bar can be placed anywhere the consumer wishes, making it ideal for wall-mounted televisions and projectors. The product features up to 30 hours of battery life on four AA batteries (included), and also includes an optional built-in battery saving function which emits an audible alarm when the Wireless Sensor Bar has been left idle for a user-determined amount of time. The Wireless Sensor Bar for the Nintendo Wii will has a suggested retail price of $19.99.

To meet the needs of consumers demanding the best in visual performance from their Nintendo Wii, Nyko is proud to offer the HD-Link for Wii. The HD-Link provides a crystal clear image at a resolution of up to 480p. The cable also includes high-quality audio cables, providing realistic immersive sound. The HD-Link is 8 feet long to accommodate any entertainments setup and is shielded to provide interference-free performance. The HD-Link for the Nintendo Wii has a suggested retail price of $19.99.

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PotatorDS R1

January 6th, 2007, 02:27 Posted By: wraggster

PotatorDS is a new Watara Supervision Emulator for the Nintendo DS:

-Added Sound
-Added Options menu
-Updated to Minimal Lib 0.C
-Added NDS Port (very slow)
NOTE: DS support is minimal at the moment and will only boot a rom named test.sv in the folder sv in the root of your cf/sd card

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Gekko Video Plugin Update 2

January 6th, 2007, 02:33 Posted By: wraggster

Gamecube Emulator for Windows WIP News update from Shizzy

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Metareview (the mags) - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice For All

January 6th, 2007, 02:44 Posted By: wraggster

via dsfanboy

It may still be a good week plus away, but many of the magazine reviews for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice For All are finally beginning to surface and, given our incredible love of all things involving Phoenix, we thought it appropriate to do something a bit different for a metareview on the game.

See, we're going to count up what the magazines have to say first and as the game gets closer to release and websites begin to chime in (we realize a lot have reviewed the Japanese import, but that doesn't count), we'll go ahead and do another metareview for those.

Game Informer - 80%: "What it lacks in advance graphics and interface, JFA more than makes up for in charm and intrigue." [Jan 2007, p.115]
GamePro - 80%: "Still, Justice For All demonstrates enough of the plucky spirit that made the first game so memorable." [Feb. 2007, p.82]
Nintendo Power - 90%: "The verdict is in: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All is another superb graphic-text adventure from the folks at Capcom."

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DS Motion Card Released

January 6th, 2007, 02:46 Posted By: wraggster

The DS Motion Card has been released, heres some info:

The DS Motion Card is a revolutionary motion sensor for the DS and DS Lite handheld gaming systems. It contains a 3-axis accelerometer and a single-axis gyroscope, and plugs into the DS card slot to enable full motion sensing on the DS and the DS lite.

It is the first tri-axis accelerometer that can be used for homebrew DS development, and the first and only accelerometer/gyroscope combination available for handheld gaming.

More details etc here --> http://ndsmotion.com/

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Moonshell v1.6 Beta 4 - Multimedia Application for Nintendo DS

January 6th, 2007, 02:57 Posted By: wraggster

MoonShell is a multimedia player for Nintendo DS (Lite) consoles. It has support for DPG video files, MP3/NSF audio files and viewing JPG/Jpeg/BMP/PNG (non progressive) files, it also has support for TXT textfiles. MoonShell supports dualscreens and it has full support for the touch screen. MoonShell has plug-in system that allows to add any compatible plug-in just by copying the plug-in files to the appropriate folder. MoonShell also comes with several kind of useful plug-ins.

Heres whats new:

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DSFret 0.2 - Learn the guitar/bass fretboard

January 6th, 2007, 03:01 Posted By: wraggster

Updated release from Spag

-As suggested, I've added bass fretboards. You can now switch between guitar / bass 4 / bass 5 / bass 6. Default is guitar.
-You can now use the stylus on every button (touch a card to display its notes).
-Changed UI to make it a bit less ugly.



It's ugly and it's my first app in C ever, so I guess it could be improved, but it works. The stylus is still buggy (I don't know how I can do the same action just ONCE with "PA_SpriteTouched") so I recommend you use the pad for now.

Maybe someone else than me can have a use for it!

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R4DS V1.05 Kernal Release

January 6th, 2007, 03:06 Posted By: wraggster

The R4DS Slot 1 Flash Cart has had a new Kernal release, heres whats new:

Download Here

More Info about the flash Cart

- Same size as an original DS cart
- Built-in PassMe
- Using Micro SD card (Trans Flash) as storage. Cheap & multiple use for cards
- Boot clean dump images
- Very simple to use: drag and drop files to the micro SD card
- No drivers required
- Standard FAT system support
- Supports different speed of micro SD card even the low speed SD card. Runs games without any lag or slow down
- Upgradable Firmware ( OS / Bios / Kernel )
- Touch screen control & robust skinning support
- No battery needed, back up the save file directly into the micro SD card: Never lose your saved games
- Auto detect the save type & automatically generate saver file
- Homebrew support , IO lib available on launch
- Watch movie directly, listen to MP3 & read TXT on the DS via the use of Moonshell
- Supports WiFi, DS rumble pack & DS browser .

Buy at Divineo USA

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Lemmings DS v3.2 Released

January 6th, 2007, 03:16 Posted By: wraggster

via Lemproject

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Voltron Set for DS

January 6th, 2007, 03:29 Posted By: wraggster

via ign

Someone has at last decided to make a game based off the best cartoon ever (excluding cartoons with the words Transformers or Mighty Orbots in the title, of course). The five lions of the first Voltron television series will be making their way to not one, but two screens, as featured characters in Super Robot Taisen W, the upcoming DS entry in Banpresto's unending strategy series.

Hyakujuu-Ou Golion, as the lion-based Voltron series is known in Japan, is just one of the series planned for inclusion in the game. Joining it will be shows like Nadesico, Majinkaizer, and lots and lots of Gundam. A total of 18 series will make the cut this time around.

Like Voltron, a numer of the series are making their portable Super Robot Taisen debut with this title. You'll also get a first look on a portable game system at Yuusha Ou GaoGaiGar, Gundam Seed Astray and Detonator Orgun.

Sadly, Super Robot Taisen W won't have voice, so we won't be able to hear Keith, Lance, Pidge, Hunk and Sven (based off the screenshots that we've seen, Sven seems to pilot the blue lion in the game, instead of Princess Allura). Of course, this isn't a big deal for us, since the voices would've been in Japanese anyway.

The "W" in the game's title is in reference both to the DS's two screens (the Japanese associate "W" with "Double") and to the fact that the game's scenario is split into two parts. Banpresto played similar tricks with the scenarios for the Alpha Gaiden and R entries in the series, only this time, the second scenario will follow the first after only a slight time gap.

Super Robot Taisen W is set for Japanese release on March 1st. Does the Voltron connection guarantee a US release? Hells no! But, thankfully, DS software is region free, so interested parties will be able to import.

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Nintendo Wii G-pak Console Organizer Case

January 6th, 2007, 12:35 Posted By: wraggster

Neat accessory for the Nintendo Wii Released at Amazon USA

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Ohhhh Canada, you could win a giant Link

January 6th, 2007, 19:32 Posted By: wraggster

via joystiq

People of Canada, you can win a giant life-sized link to roam the plains of Saskatchewan ... or just have it sit in your room, staring at you with those deep blue eyes. Nintendo of Canada is having a contest between now and Jan. 31, the grand prize is a "limited edition life-size collectible statue of the character Link from the Legend of Zelda." Approx. value is $500 CDN ($425 USD). Three second prize winners get a Link "statuette."

Here's a weak part for the grand winner: "Delivery charges are the sole responsibility of each winner." So, not only do you have to win Link, but you've got to ship his "life-size" self. No details on Link's height or weight. We wish there was a bigger photo to show, but that's all we've got. Beware the pointy ears though, you'll poke your eye out.

More Info

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Wii Play - Cow Run

January 6th, 2007, 19:35 Posted By: wraggster

Via joystiq

Leave it to the Japanese to come up with a game featuring banjo music, a picturesque American countryside, and a bizarre cow running and smashing everything in site. As lame as this game might sound on paper, it actually looks like addictive Katamari-inspired fun. When's the last time you drove a cow around with Wii-mote? Probably never, and that's far too long a time to go without.

Check out the rootin' tootin' footage after the jump, and then look to score a ride of your own when Cow Run comes out for the Wii. No word yet if it includes cow tipping, but there's a game unto itself right there just waiting to be made.

video Here -->

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Mii mug shots infiltrate corporate websites

January 6th, 2007, 19:38 Posted By: wraggster

via joystiq



While sauntering the internet the other day for work I stumbled upon a marketing company's website. After clicking on the executive profile page to get a better feel for who was involved, I quickly noticed the use of Mii avatars representing the management team. I've never been one for real-estate-esque mug shots on business sites, so these were somewhat refreshing, especially considering the fact that I'm a gamer. And I bet you they even used Joystiq's snazzy Mii creator for the goods. Anyone else seen Mii mug shots in the wild?

more info

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Animal Crossing Headed to Wii - New Info

January 6th, 2007, 19:49 Posted By: wraggster

via wiicafe

A brief chat with a local Nintendo rep led me to some interesting new facts - most notably that Nintendo is hard at work on Animal Crossing for the Wii (no surprise there, but it's good to know it's coming). I didn't get too many details from the guy, but what I can tell you is that it will most definitely be online enabled, just as its DS counterpart was and GameCube counterpart should have been. As far as classic games that were included in the original, no official decision has been made yet as to if they'll be the Wii version. The coolest little bit of info was the fact that the game will actually connect into your Forecast channel so that the game's weather will actually reflect what's going on outside. No release date was specified, but the rep I talked to expected that we should be getting it at some point this year.

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Wii PC Scripts

January 6th, 2007, 19:55 Posted By: wraggster

New scripts via the Wii Scripts site

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Probably not coming to the US: Figure Skating DS

January 6th, 2007, 21:03 Posted By: wraggster

via dsfanboy

Yep, this one's probably not for us, but it's so cute that we couldn't resist. If a DS skating game did see an English language release, it's the sort of thing we might play in the closet, so that no one knows our secret dark obsession with landing that perfect double axel. Also, if it wasn't quite so tee-hee pretty ... it's a little too glittery for our taste, but the concept is solid. Winter sports tend to make for fun gaming forays.

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International Karate DS

January 6th, 2007, 21:06 Posted By: wraggster

Mr Sid has released a new game for the DS thats a clone of the old International Karate game that was out on the 8Bits.

Video Here-->

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Image Viewer v0.6

January 6th, 2007, 21:17 Posted By: wraggster

Infantile Paralysiser have posted a new release of his image viewer for the Nintendo DS:

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Wii Wireless Nunchuck

January 6th, 2007, 22:35 Posted By: wraggster

via verdicts

An unconfirmed source has revealed that Nintendo are currently working on a wireless version of their Nunchuck attachment for the Wii remote.

This comes after many complaints from gamers who feel that the dangling wire which links the two devices, simply distracts from gameplay, especially in games which require significant movement of the arms, such as Wii Boxing or Call of Duty 3.

The Wii Nunchuck gets it's name from the martial arts weapon, the ''Nunchuckas'' because of the similarities in design; a chain/wire connects two heavier objects at either end. The wireless Nunchuck attachment will possibly undergo a name-change to make sense.

There's no reason for Nintendo not to make future wireless devices for the Wiimote - a wireless reciever would plug into the remote in place of any wires linking the two. Communications between Wiimote and Console would be as normal. The downside to this is the added drain on batteries, though with Nintendo's track record with their previous wireless technologies, we're sure they will leap this hurdle.

Nintendo were unable to comment at the time of press.

Although no official announcements have been made, we will certainly be following this story closely and hope to hear from Nintendo soon regarding the matter.

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New Adult Wii Game Coming Soon

January 7th, 2007, 18:52 Posted By: wraggster

Via Nibris

A new horror game called Sadness is being developed and its for over 21 year olds:

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'Elebits' allows the Wii to really shine

January 7th, 2007, 18:55 Posted By: wraggster

Heres an excerpt of the review:

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Robosapien Dance Machine Controlled by Wiimote

January 7th, 2007, 18:58 Posted By: wraggster

via robodance

The next version of Robodance will have support for the Nintendo Wii Remote control! I already have it working and I will release this version as soon as I test it fully and streamline a few things. You can see a sneak preview of it being demonstrated fully in this YouTube video

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Halo DS: It's a hoax, kids

January 7th, 2007, 19:09 Posted By: wraggster

via haloinformer

So, for the past couple days, the web has been abuzz about Halo for DS. According to Matt Casamassina at IGN, Halo was once being ported to the DS. (You can read his blog entry here) Not entirely unbelievable, as Microsoft isn't competing in the handheld market, and a few other Microsoft properties have come to Nintendo handhelds. (A few Rareware games for the GBA come immediately to mind.) However, I'm calling BS on this one.

1) Post date. January 4th? 1/4? Turn it around and it not-so-suprisingly becomes 4/1, or April 1st. Not exactly proof, but for a story this unbelievable, well...

2) If this was actually in development, and IGN editors had copies of this to play, you can bet they would have not had second thoughts about breaking this story. It would have been (quite literally) one of the biggest stories of the year. The fact that it has only now come to be mentioned, after its supposed 'cancellation,' and on a editors blog no less, gives it away even more.

However, are we to rule it out as a simple prank, or a test? I've actually never paid attention to Matt at IGN before, so I'm not sure how the guy acts on IGN, but I wouldn't be suprised if it was a publicity test to see how much people actually want to see Halo on DS.

In fact, I wouldn't be suprised if there actually were talks to put Halo on DS. But an actual playable preview release, but no major story or preview on IGN? A massive scoop, but they don't post anything about it. Especially considering how publishers don't send preview code for games that are cancelled. I'm calling bull. Especially considering Matt posted a fake mock-up. Certainly, you'd think there would be at least one camera in IGN's offices.

Oh, by the way folks, Matt is on vacation. Hrm. Havn't we seen this before?


Update: Just wanted to point a few things out that I didn't emphasize on enough. Perhaps I should have put the entire thing in bold, but people don't read, apparently.

- Nowhere does it state MS will never put it on DS, nor does it state they are against putting anything on DS. In fact, read the first sentence of the second-to-last paragraph up there. Or the second portion of the first paragraph.
- Matt has apparently had other editors post pranks on his account before. In fact, I think I also pointed that out above.
- Of course it is speculation.
- The focus of the article isn't "Matt is a lying *insert insult here*" but rather why it is a safe bet this playable code never existed. Had there been any sort of hands-on play of this game, it would have been all-over IGN. And had the game been cancelled before it was supposedly played, it wouldn't have been played because PR reps don't mail out previewable code for cancelled games. I don't know how much more bluntly I can state that.

Dumbasses, I swear.