Nintendo Shuts Down Fan-Made Zelda Movie

January 1st, 2010, 23:44 Posted By: wraggster

An independently filmed adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, called The Hero Of Time, has been taken offline by Nintendo as of the end of December. The film's producers write: 'We came to an agreement with Nintendo earlier this month to stop distributing the film... We understand Nintendo's right to protect its characters and trademarks and understand how in order to keep their property unspoiled by fan's interpretation of the franchise, Nintendo needs to protect itself — even from fan-works with good intentions.' Filming for the feature-length, non-profit film began in August 2004 and the movie was completed in 2008. It premiered in various theaters worldwide, including in New York and Los Angeles, and then became available online in the middle of December, before it was targeted by Nintendo's legal team. As both an avid Zelda fan and an appreciator of independent works, I was extremely disappointed in Nintendo's strong-arming of a noncommercial adaptation to the Game of the Year for 1999.

http://games.slashdot.org/story/10/0...de-Zelda-Movie

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24 in 1 Enhanced Sport Kit for Wii

January 1st, 2010, 23:48 Posted By: wraggster

New from Divineo China



You can now save money and get all the accessories you need for your Wii console with this 24 in 1 enhanced sport kit! 24 accessories includes all the must have for people caring for playing Wii Sport Resort!

Secure attachment enables full access to all buttons and directional control. The light weight plastic material assures that these accessories won’t be a heavy burden on your arms, allowing you to enjoy lengthier playing time without tiring as quickly. Precision built and balanced to emulate a realistic, fun and exciting experience! Support motion plus!

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Dolphin SVN 4771 - Gamecube and Wii Emulator for Windows

January 2nd, 2010, 00:53 Posted By: wraggster

News via emurussia

Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo Wii emulator for Windows has been updated. No changes info available yet.

http://www.dolphin-emu.com/

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Dolphin SVN 4771 - Gamecube and Wii Emulator for Windows

January 2nd, 2010, 00:53 Posted By: wraggster

News via emurussia

Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo Wii emulator for Windows has been updated. No changes info available yet.

http://www.dolphin-emu.com/

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Mednafen v0.8.D RC1

January 2nd, 2010, 00:55 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.aep-emu.de/PNphpBB2-file-...c-t-14298.html

Mednafen a multisystem-emulator has been updated. Mednafen emulates the following systems: Atari Lynx, Game Boy/Game Boy Color, GameBoy Advance, NES/Famicom, PC Engine (PC Engine CD), TurboGrafx 16 (TurboGrafx 16 CD), SuperGrafx, NeoGeo Pocket/NeoGeo Pocket Color, PC-FX and WonderSwan/WonderSwan Color.


Quote:
Changes since 0.8.C:

Lynx: Fixed a bug in the cart loader code that would cause a crash if the ROM bank size was larger than the actual data available in the
file(as is the case with some homebrew programs). Thanks to "Wookie" for the patch.

Build files were regenerated using autoconf 2.64 and aclocal 1.11(previously, they were generated with autoconf 2.61 and aclocal 1.10.1).

Fixed a crashing problem when entering an invalid menu choice("0") in the cheat interface. Thanks to
tsenart for reporting the bug.

GB: The GameBoy module now respects the "filesys.disablesavegz" setting in respect to saved
battery-backed RAM.

Added support for "lurkers" on the network play server. Previous versions of Mednafen don´t lack support for this per se, but there
would be cosmetic issues with status messages printed to the internal console.

SexyAL: Fixed a bug affecting the return value from RawCanWrite() in the ALSA driver. The returned value was typically too
small by a factor of 4. The effects of this bug included potential long periods of garbled sound
during netplay.

Fixed the return value from RawCanWrite() in the JACK driver. It was being clamped to a value
that was too small by a factor of 4; however, the clamp value was already excessively large in a way
that this bug would should have only been triggered if the "soundbufsize" setting was excessively large.
The effects of this bug would be similar to the ALSA RawCanWrite() bug.

The ALSA and OSS drivers will now try to set audio output to 2 channels if the source data only has 1 channel, and 16-bit signed if the
source data is 8-bit(automatic conversion is done). This is done to allow for lower period/fragment sizes, as, in ALSA´s internals at least,
the minimum period sizes are expressed in bytes, not sound frames.

The ALSA and OSS drivers will now try to set lower period/fragment sizes than previous versions of Mednafen did. With default settings, for
ALSA, the new period/fragment size is 50% of what it was before, and for OSS, 25%. Also, there´s a new setting to override
the SexyAL´s driver´s preferred period/fragment sizes, named "sound.period_time"(default value of 0: no override).
The period/fragment size is expressed in microseconds. If the new, lower fragment sizes cause problems, the setting can be changed to "2666"
to approximate the fragment size selection in previous versions of Mednafen when using ALSA output, and "5333" when using OSS output.

Added a workaround to the OSS driver for a bug in ALSA(and hence, ALSA´s in-kernel OSS emulation) that could cause the emulator to run far
too fast for a short period of time if a buffer underflow occurred.

The ALSA´s driver´s RawCanWrite() method now(finally) uses snd_pcm_avail_update() instead of snd_pcm_delay().
This should improve performance and frameskipping behavior when the ALSA output is not routed directly to a physical device, such as the case with
PulseAudio(though PulseAudio is still not recommended :b).

http://mednafen.sourceforge.net/

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3DMaze v 1.0

January 2nd, 2010, 01:15 Posted By: wraggster

3DMaze v 1.0 released by Michelinux

Get out of the 3D Maze!

Imagine having a 3D labyrinth in your hands... you can rotate it in any direction to get a red ball out of it.

Motion Plus is not mandatory but recommended.

If you get lost press 2.

Changelog
1.0
Dutch translation corrected
Spanish translation added
Motion tracking improved
Smooth transition when ball passes from one plane to another
Localized versons for languages that can't go into international version
Authomatically scale down font size if string doesn't fit the screen
Code cleanup
Changed menu text color to improve visibility

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/3DMaze

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Schism Tracker 20100101

January 2nd, 2010, 01:16 Posted By: wraggster

Schism Tracker 20100101 released by Storlek

Schism Tracker is an editor and player for tracked music (IT, XM, S3M, MOD, etc.), heavily based on the look and feel of the DOS program Impulse Tracker.

Change Log
20100101: Wii support added
Known Bugs
Saving over an existing file fails
No SD card insert/remove detection
USB disks are unsupported
Title scanning is very slow
The icon is boring

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Schism_Tracker

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Moonshell v2.09

January 2nd, 2010, 01:24 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...9d66fb2edfc40f

New update for the popular DS homebrew "Moonshell", Now in version 2.09. To recall" Moonshell "media player is necessary for the DS, developed by the team Moonlight.

http://home.att.ne.jp/blue/moonlight/

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PuzzleBoy v1.03

January 2nd, 2010, 01:25 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic.php?t=11096&f=19

maRk2512 offers version 1.03 of its adaptation of sokoban like "Kwirk, A-mazing Tater (Game Boy)"For the DS entitled"PuzzleBoy".

v1.03
FIXED: "In your intro screen you can press" A "multiple times Resulting in fading it out ... again." - Thanks to Mr. "Mr.Bug" Lucanius
FIXED: "Sometimes when you move away from your original spot start, you can not go back over that spot." - Thanks to Deathstryker
http://palib-dev.com/forum/index.php/topic,34.30.html

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Trogdor The Burninator v2.0

January 2nd, 2010, 01:27 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic.php?t=11101&f=27

I am sure that the name Trogdor tells you something! This dragon is entitled to his own homebrew Game Boy Advance, "Trogdor The Burninator"By Ruben Middel.

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PrisonBreak

January 2nd, 2010, 01:28 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic.php?t=11103&f=27

Discover "PrisonBreak"For the Game Boy Advance adventure / mini games on the theme of the series Prison Break.

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fb4nds : Facebook for DS

January 2nd, 2010, 01:30 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from Lino

Hello everybody,

here's my first homebrew, a simple facebook's client. It's is pre-pre-pre alpha . ...never

All suggestions are welcome.

http://spazioinwind.libero.it/linoma/fb4nds.htm

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DDragon SNK

January 2nd, 2010, 14:48 Posted By: wraggster

kmilloz posted a new release of his Beats of Rage Mod which should work on Wii, Dreamcast, Dingoo, PSP and GP2X:

Hi, with the launch of Openbor for Dingoo A-320, I made an update on my MOD, can now use the whip, attackbackward was improved ... for who played the first version, you'll like this ... compatible with the version 3.25xx.

Download over at Lavalit --> http://lavalit.com:8080/index.php?ac...mod;dl=item313

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Homebrew Card Manager 2.2 released

January 3rd, 2010, 18:22 Posted By: wraggster

Homebrew Card Manager 2.2 released by Hunterm

Homebrew Card Manager is a easy to use, n00b-friendly launcher for use with Homebrew-focused SD cards.

Notice: The .NET Framework 4.0 beta (the one that came Win7) is required to run this application!

Changelog
Version 2.2
replaced notepad++ with notepad2, it is more n00b friendly
added application manager cred to pbsds
updated credits

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Homebrew_Card_Manager

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Q1Rev Release 3

January 3rd, 2010, 18:23 Posted By: wraggster

Q1Rev Release 3 released by Izhido

A port of the original Quake engine to the Nintendo Wii, compiled using devkitPPC / libogc.

Release 3

The source code comes from Q1DS (an initial attempt to port the engine to the Nintendo DS), which, in turn, comes from the original winquake, one of the projects that can be obtained at ftp://ftp.idsoftware.com/idstuff/source/q1source.zip .

The engine is feature-complete, it plays the game at 30fps with no hiccups or any similar problems. It can also be used as a client for Internet-based gameplay, as a "unmodified" NetQuake client.

New features in this release:

Classic Controller can now be used to play; controls are similar to those in use by the Gamecube Controller.
Pressing [A] to aim is now optional; a Menu Option was provided for such effect.
Bug fixes in the way the Nunchuk controller was handled, causing problems when moving on water.
http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Q1Rev

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QWRev Release 2

January 3rd, 2010, 18:27 Posted By: wraggster

QWRev Release 2 released by Izhido

QWRev: A port of the client component of the original QuakeWorld engine to the Nintendo Wii, compiled using devkitPPC / libogc.

Release 2


The engine is a feature-complete implementation of the QuakeWorld 2.40 engine. Unlike Q1Rev, there are LOTS of servers around the world that are able to accept this engine as a client for netplay. Be aware, however, that some of them might need a modified version of the communications protocol. Experiment with as much servers as you want in order to get the desired results.

New features in this release:

Classic Controller can now be used to play; controls are similar to those in use by the Gamecube Controller.
Pressing [A] to aim is now optional; a Menu Option was provided for such effect.
Bug fixes in the way the Nunchuk controller was handled, causing problems when moving on water.
http://wiibrew.org/wiki/QWRev

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Q2Rev Release 2

January 3rd, 2010, 18:29 Posted By: wraggster

Q2Rev Release 2 released by Izhido

A port of the original id Tech 2 engine (Quake II) to the Nintendo Wii, compiled using devkitPPC / libogc.

Release 2

The engine is feature-complete, with sound & network play. For technical reasons, the Capture-The-Flag module is not included in this engine; you will need to play Q2CTFRev for that purpose.

New features in this release:

Classic Controller can now be used to play; controls are similar to those in use by the Gamecube Controller.
Pressing [A] to aim is now optional; a Menu Option was provided for such effect.

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Q2CTFRev Release 1

January 3rd, 2010, 18:30 Posted By: wraggster

Q2CTFRev Release 1 released by Izhido

Q2Rev: A port of the original id Tech 2 engine (Quake II) with ThreeWave's Capture-The-Flag module to the Nintendo Wii, compiled using devkitPPC / libogc.

Release 1

The engine is feature-complete, with sound & network play. It is mainly intended for network play; while it's possible to play the single-player game with this engine, it becomes somewhat slow doing so. Due to the shortage of keys in the original Wii Remote + Nunchuk configuration, it is recommended that you "bind RIGHTARROW use grapple" in order to use the aforementioned weapon.

All features included in Q2Rev, Release 2, have been included in this build.

Retrieved from "http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Q2CTFRev"

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Categorii v2.0 released

January 3rd, 2010, 18:32 Posted By: wraggster

Categorii v2.0 released by Yossi

Do you have too many apps listed in your HBC? Do you rarely play apps starting with "W" anymore because it takes too long to scroll all the way down to there? Have you ever installed an app but never played it because it got lost in the clutter? Your misery ends now. Introducing, Categorii!

Changelog
v2.0
Fixed embarrassing situation where categorii would rename apps and then fail on the second rename leaving you with NO folder named apps.
Removed 1/2 second pause off the end.
Deprecated config.xml in favor of keeping link information in meta.xml
Added colored text to indicate success or failure at a glance.
Added password capability.
Automatically converts from 1.0 style configuration, to new style. (You only need to replace the old boot.dol with the new boot.dol file)

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Categorii

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syscheck 1.4

January 3rd, 2010, 18:34 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.wii-addict.fr/forum/sysCheck-14-file499.html

syscheck is a homebrew develops by erikspyderThat as signcheck, to test your IOS and cIOS to search:
- Trucha Bug;
- Identify ES;
- Flash Access;
- Boot2 Access;
- USB 2.0 IOS Tree.

a file with the result will be created on the SD card.


QUOTE
What's new?

* Check for USB 2.0 IOS Tree;
* Display the current date and time in the report;
* Recompiled with the latest version of devkitPro;
* Code cleanup.

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DSx86 News - Dos Emulator for DS - Happy New Year!

January 3rd, 2010, 18:39 Posted By: wraggster

Pate has posted some more great WIP News about his Dos Emulator for DS:

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More mature Wii games from SEGA unlikely

January 4th, 2010, 20:22 Posted By: wraggster

SEGA is unlikely to follow up MadWorld and House of the Dead: Overkill with further mature Wii titles according to studio director Constantine Hantzopoulos following the poor performance of EA's Dead Space Extraction at retail.

Despite both SEGA titles meeting sales targets, Hantzopoulos indicated in an interview with the 1UP podcast the publisher is sceptical about releasing similar games in future.

"I have to say that it was a space that was open and we took a gamble on it," he said. "We did some research, it said there was an audience out there.

"I won't comment about Nintendo, they did champion The Conduit as a 'this is a Nintendo game.' And, you know, I think they did okay by us. At the end of the day, I just think that you're seeing kids are skewing much younger towards next-gen.

"We put out some pretty decent content. I mean, House of the Dead: Overkill and MadWorld are great Wii games. They're both doing okay and at the end of the day we'll make our numbers - that's good. Conduit's done quite well for us. It's been slow burn. That’s the other thing you find out about the Wii. It's not necessarily first three weeks like most titles. And DS. It's a longer burn, actually.

"But that begs the question, are we going to do more mature titles for the Wii?" Hantzopoulos continued. "And it’s like, probably not. Look at Dead Space. We were stunned. That was my litmus test. Basically, it's like, okay, you got EA, who can put all the marketing muscle behind this, an established franchise that scored quite well on 360 and PS3. They should be able to actually hit this out of the park, right? We get numbers, real numbers aside from NPD, and I'm like, 'Woah'."

According to NPD figures, Dead Space Extraction sold 9000 copies in the US between its release at the end of September and the end of the NPD's reporting period in October.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-sega-unlikely

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Ubisoft India marks nation’s first DS game

January 4th, 2010, 20:24 Posted By: wraggster

Ubisoft Pune finishes first full title, with the firm at concept stage for next
An upstart Ubisoft studio in the Indian city of Pune has become the nation’s first to fully develop a DS title.
Ubisoft Pune – situated in the state of Maharashtra – spent seven months developing the DS title 100 All Time Favorites.
The game, which in the UK is given the title Master All Classics, is a collection of timeless board and card games from around the world.
The studio was formed after Ubisoft purchased Gameloft’s Pune-based development studio back in 2008. When acquired, that studio had about 120 developers and testers, though Ubisoft Pune has far fewer in-house staff, with around 40 developers on-site.
The Pune office has acted as an outsource for various projects, including the XBLA and PSN title CellFactor: Psychokinetic Wars.

Now with its first full DS project completed, the studio's head David Blanchard spoke optimistically about the firm's future.
“Here in Pune, we are trying to go in two directions to consolidate ourselves in the online and handheld space,” he said.
"The creativity of Ubisoft Group goes into creating new IPs on consoles, deliver high quality games, and build multiple experiences around new IPs.”
A CV by one of the studio’s designers revealed that the group is currently in the concept stage of its second major project.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...-first-DS-game

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Broadmoor issues Wiis to inmates

January 4th, 2010, 20:27 Posted By: wraggster

Yorkshire Ripper using Nintendo console to keep fit whilst behind bars
High-security hospital Broadmoor – which is home to some of the UK’s most notorious killers – has issued 22 Nintendo Wiis to inmates in an effort to help keep them fit whilst they undergo treatment.
A source at Broadmoor claims that Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe has been spied playing the bowling game on Wii Sports.
The Sun’s original story prefers to focus on the fact that £5,000 of taxpayer’s money has been splashed on the equipment. The paper also claims that inmates already have access to PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
“When you think of their crimes and the misery they have caused, you have to ask if it's right for society to pay to entertain them,” a source affirmed.
“This cash could have been spent improving care in the wider NHS. In the meantime all we hear is laughter as patients play with their new toys.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/37003/Broa...iis-to-inmates

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The Nintendo Download: Nintendo's First Downloads Of 2010

January 4th, 2010, 20:49 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo ushers in the new year with seven new downloadable games for the Wii and DSi, including Final Fight 3, Hell's Kitchen Vs., and five titles you've likely never heard of.

Even Hell's Kitchen Vs. for DSiWare (800 DSi Points) is a stretch, as I can't imagine I am in the majority when it comes to crossover fans of downloadable DSi titles and Gordon Ramsay's reality cooking show. I also can't imagine the game being anything like the show, especially with that E for everyone rating. How will I know my risotto is shit?

Hell's Kitchen is joined by two puzzle games on DSiWare this week, Nintendo's missile-firing Trajectile (500 points) and Aksys's Animal Puzzle Adventure (500 points), which sees players leading animals to barns while avoiding cliffs and other pitfalls. Totilo informs me that Trajectile is actually developed by Q-Games of PixelJunk fame, and is "so far, very good."

This week's WiiWare titles are all new to me. Triangle Studios' Heron: Steam Machine (500 Wii Points) is a game about managing steam pressure in a rubber ducky factory. Then we've got Big Blue Bubble's Pub Darts (500 points), which is about throwing darts at a pub, go figure. Finally, Digital Leisure whips out Fast Draw Showdown (500 points), a gun-slinging game that has you trying to out-draw the fastest guns in the West, or die trying. Fast Draw Showdown uses actual actors as targets, so you know it's got to be a quality product!

Finally (pun semi-intended) we've got Final Fight 3 for the Super Nintendo on the Virtual Console (800 points), which is of course the North American version of Final Fight 6, unless I am getting my Final games mixed up again.

And so begins the third year of the Nintendo Download. Are we off to a good start, or are things just warming up?

Nintendo DSiWare

Trajectile
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Trajectile is a puzzle game that's as much about firepower as it is about brainpower, requiring you to line up your shot and launch a flurry of missiles at enemy targets. Three types of missiles are at your disposal, each one with its own characteristics - but all of them can bounce off walls on their path to smash, blast or drill through enemies and blocks. Along the way, you'll find item blocks just waiting to be destroyed so that you can obtain special power-ups ... and cause even more destruction. Be careful though, as missile type and position are predetermined and you get only a limited number of launches per stage. Complete multiple classes containing numerous individual stages, earning medals when you clear stages in fewer than the given number of turns. Are you ready to take aim at becoming a Trajectile master?

Animal Puzzle Adventure
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Animal Puzzle Adventure is a simple puzzle game where you have to lead various animals to their respective barns placed on the map, while avoiding pitfalls and cliffs and using the objects on the field to your advantage. There are 10 stages per level with a total of five levels, creating 50 stages in all. After clearing a stage, you unlock a piece of a photo. Once you clear all 10 stages in a level, the wallpaper for that level becomes unlocked and you can then view it in the gallery. With so many puzzles to unravel, you'll find yourself immersed in the puzzle-riffic world of Animal Puzzle Adventure.

Hell's Kitchen Vs.
Publisher: Ludia
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Hell's Kitchen Vs. is based on the U.S. TV phenomenon where world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay puts aspiring chefs through rigorous culinary tests. The game recreates the show's pressure-cooker atmosphere as two players battle head-to-head in an arcade-style kitchen challenge. Try to conquer your opponent in each time-management test, while taking the heat of Gordon Ramsay judging and rating your performance at every stage of the game.

WiiWare

Heron: Steam Machine
Publisher: Triangle Studios
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points™
Description: Heron: Steam Machine is a game about a factory where rubber duckies are being produced by a large steam engine. On this steam engine, there are four different gauges which you will have to watch carefully. By connecting the pipes, you will earn points and relieve some of the pressure, keeping the machine running just a little bit longer. If one of the gauges reaches its maximum, the machine will eventually blow up, and the game is over. If you were lucky enough to achieve a high score, make sure you enter your name in the list so other players can compete with you. In Multiplayer, you are able to cooperate with friends in maintaining the steam machine. When you play with two, three or four players, the screen is divided into sections with different background colors. Each player is able to solve his or her own part of the puzzle. Players are restricted to their own section of the screen, so you will have to work together to make the pipes fit properly. (Additional accessories are required for multiplayer play and are sold separately.)

Pub Darts
Publisher: Big Blue Bubble Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Alcohol Reference
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Pub Darts is a simple darts simulation which uses the Wii Remote™ controller's unique controls to mimic dart-throwing motion. The game is set in a local pub where the players will settle in to play some of their favorite dart games, including 501, Cricket, Around the Clock, Killers and Baseball. Controls function just like throwing a real dart. Players are able to create their own personal profiles, including selecting their avatar image from a collection of creative characters and the design they would like displayed on the dart flights.

Fast Draw Showdown
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Alcohol Reference, Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: When it comes to fast draw there're only two types of people: the quick ... and the dead! Now you have the chance to find out where you stand, or lie, as the case may be. You'll go up against the best quick draws in the business, including one of the world's fastest, Wes Flowers. Unholster your Wii Remote controller and show 'em who the fastest draw really is, in this live-action shooter. You can even take on a friend in multiplayer modes, and see which of you has the quickest draw. You'll need some serious speed and awesome accuracy to take on these gunslingers ... so get ready for some real fast draw action.

Virtual Console

Final Fight 3
Original platform: Super NES™
Publisher: Capcom USA
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Animated Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Following the defeat and subsequent disappearance of the Mad Gear Gang, a small group known only as "Skull Cross" is responsible for a new uprising of vandalism, terrorism and death. The government of Metro City is at a complete loss. Metro City's mayor, Mike Haggar, and Guy are prepared to take on the new gang, but before they can act, the door bursts open, revealing Lucia, Cody's old friend. "Metro City is under attack!" she shouts, "Skull Cross is loose, and they've got something up their sleeves." But before any of them can move, a mysterious man appears in the doorway. "My name is Dean," he says. "I know Skull Cross inside-and-out, and I hate them more than anything. I can help you, and you can help me. We must go!" All four fighters vow to bring Skull Cross down. It will be a tough assignment, and may even be their final fight!

http://kotaku.com/5439603/the-ninten...nloads-of-2010

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The Nintendo Download: Nintendo's First Downloads Of 2010

January 4th, 2010, 20:49 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo ushers in the new year with seven new downloadable games for the Wii and DSi, including Final Fight 3, Hell's Kitchen Vs., and five titles you've likely never heard of.

Even Hell's Kitchen Vs. for DSiWare (800 DSi Points) is a stretch, as I can't imagine I am in the majority when it comes to crossover fans of downloadable DSi titles and Gordon Ramsay's reality cooking show. I also can't imagine the game being anything like the show, especially with that E for everyone rating. How will I know my risotto is shit?

Hell's Kitchen is joined by two puzzle games on DSiWare this week, Nintendo's missile-firing Trajectile (500 points) and Aksys's Animal Puzzle Adventure (500 points), which sees players leading animals to barns while avoiding cliffs and other pitfalls. Totilo informs me that Trajectile is actually developed by Q-Games of PixelJunk fame, and is "so far, very good."

This week's WiiWare titles are all new to me. Triangle Studios' Heron: Steam Machine (500 Wii Points) is a game about managing steam pressure in a rubber ducky factory. Then we've got Big Blue Bubble's Pub Darts (500 points), which is about throwing darts at a pub, go figure. Finally, Digital Leisure whips out Fast Draw Showdown (500 points), a gun-slinging game that has you trying to out-draw the fastest guns in the West, or die trying. Fast Draw Showdown uses actual actors as targets, so you know it's got to be a quality product!

Finally (pun semi-intended) we've got Final Fight 3 for the Super Nintendo on the Virtual Console (800 points), which is of course the North American version of Final Fight 6, unless I am getting my Final games mixed up again.

And so begins the third year of the Nintendo Download. Are we off to a good start, or are things just warming up?

Nintendo DSiWare

Trajectile
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Trajectile is a puzzle game that's as much about firepower as it is about brainpower, requiring you to line up your shot and launch a flurry of missiles at enemy targets. Three types of missiles are at your disposal, each one with its own characteristics - but all of them can bounce off walls on their path to smash, blast or drill through enemies and blocks. Along the way, you'll find item blocks just waiting to be destroyed so that you can obtain special power-ups ... and cause even more destruction. Be careful though, as missile type and position are predetermined and you get only a limited number of launches per stage. Complete multiple classes containing numerous individual stages, earning medals when you clear stages in fewer than the given number of turns. Are you ready to take aim at becoming a Trajectile master?

Animal Puzzle Adventure
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Animal Puzzle Adventure is a simple puzzle game where you have to lead various animals to their respective barns placed on the map, while avoiding pitfalls and cliffs and using the objects on the field to your advantage. There are 10 stages per level with a total of five levels, creating 50 stages in all. After clearing a stage, you unlock a piece of a photo. Once you clear all 10 stages in a level, the wallpaper for that level becomes unlocked and you can then view it in the gallery. With so many puzzles to unravel, you'll find yourself immersed in the puzzle-riffic world of Animal Puzzle Adventure.

Hell's Kitchen Vs.
Publisher: Ludia
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Hell's Kitchen Vs. is based on the U.S. TV phenomenon where world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay puts aspiring chefs through rigorous culinary tests. The game recreates the show's pressure-cooker atmosphere as two players battle head-to-head in an arcade-style kitchen challenge. Try to conquer your opponent in each time-management test, while taking the heat of Gordon Ramsay judging and rating your performance at every stage of the game.

WiiWare

Heron: Steam Machine
Publisher: Triangle Studios
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points™
Description: Heron: Steam Machine is a game about a factory where rubber duckies are being produced by a large steam engine. On this steam engine, there are four different gauges which you will have to watch carefully. By connecting the pipes, you will earn points and relieve some of the pressure, keeping the machine running just a little bit longer. If one of the gauges reaches its maximum, the machine will eventually blow up, and the game is over. If you were lucky enough to achieve a high score, make sure you enter your name in the list so other players can compete with you. In Multiplayer, you are able to cooperate with friends in maintaining the steam machine. When you play with two, three or four players, the screen is divided into sections with different background colors. Each player is able to solve his or her own part of the puzzle. Players are restricted to their own section of the screen, so you will have to work together to make the pipes fit properly. (Additional accessories are required for multiplayer play and are sold separately.)

Pub Darts
Publisher: Big Blue Bubble Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Alcohol Reference
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Pub Darts is a simple darts simulation which uses the Wii Remote™ controller's unique controls to mimic dart-throwing motion. The game is set in a local pub where the players will settle in to play some of their favorite dart games, including 501, Cricket, Around the Clock, Killers and Baseball. Controls function just like throwing a real dart. Players are able to create their own personal profiles, including selecting their avatar image from a collection of creative characters and the design they would like displayed on the dart flights.

Fast Draw Showdown
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Alcohol Reference, Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: When it comes to fast draw there're only two types of people: the quick ... and the dead! Now you have the chance to find out where you stand, or lie, as the case may be. You'll go up against the best quick draws in the business, including one of the world's fastest, Wes Flowers. Unholster your Wii Remote controller and show 'em who the fastest draw really is, in this live-action shooter. You can even take on a friend in multiplayer modes, and see which of you has the quickest draw. You'll need some serious speed and awesome accuracy to take on these gunslingers ... so get ready for some real fast draw action.

Virtual Console

Final Fight 3
Original platform: Super NES™
Publisher: Capcom USA
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Animated Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Following the defeat and subsequent disappearance of the Mad Gear Gang, a small group known only as "Skull Cross" is responsible for a new uprising of vandalism, terrorism and death. The government of Metro City is at a complete loss. Metro City's mayor, Mike Haggar, and Guy are prepared to take on the new gang, but before they can act, the door bursts open, revealing Lucia, Cody's old friend. "Metro City is under attack!" she shouts, "Skull Cross is loose, and they've got something up their sleeves." But before any of them can move, a mysterious man appears in the doorway. "My name is Dean," he says. "I know Skull Cross inside-and-out, and I hate them more than anything. I can help you, and you can help me. We must go!" All four fighters vow to bring Skull Cross down. It will be a tough assignment, and may even be their final fight!

http://kotaku.com/5439603/the-ninten...nloads-of-2010

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NES RAM Replacement

January 5th, 2010, 00:20 Posted By: wraggster



[Spatula Tzar] Turned on her NES one day to find it no longer working. Off went the case and out came the oscilloscope. After probing around for a bit, she found that one of the RAM chips was very hot. She hot aired off the bad chip implementing an “Impenetrable Aluminum Heat Shield of Science” to protect the rest of the components. In the chip’s place she soldered a wide DIP socket for which the NES engineers had thoughtfully left a place. Then, using a 128Mbit SRAM SOIC, she soldered it to 0.100″ headers to fit in the socket. As the original chip was only 16Mbit, unused address lines are tied high or low. The console is now fully functional again. Also checkout the comments on Oldschool NES ‘repair’ how-to.

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/04/nes-ram-replacement/

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Hackmii news - 26c3 wrap up

January 5th, 2010, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster

News from Bushing

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ARCTool v0.1b released

January 5th, 2010, 00:44 Posted By: wraggster

ARCTool v0.1b released by tpw_rules

ARCTool is a Python script for extracting Yaz0, RARC, and U8 archives. These are used in many Nintendo games, and sometimes have the extension arc, hence the name.

Changelog
0.1b
Initial release

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/ARCTool

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Nintendo to distribute Monster Hunter Tri in Europe

January 5th, 2010, 21:59 Posted By: wraggster

A distribution deal has been struck between Capcom and Nintendo for the release of Monster Hunter Tri in the PAL territories due to happen later this year.

Under the terms of the deal Nintendo will be responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of the game throughout European and Australian territories.

"Nintendo has identified Monster Hunter Tri as a key title for the Wii platform in 2010," said Michael Pattison, senior director of marketing for Capcom Europe. "We are really excited about partnering with Nintendo to further develop this franchise."

"Monster Hunter has a huge and passionate following in Japan and we are looking forward to introducing the Monster Hunter Tri to a whole new audience in Europe as the series makes its first appearance on the Wii," added Laurent Fischer, Nintendo Europe's managing director of marketing and PR.

The game was previously slated for an early 2010 release, but its delay was announced - alongside delays for Lost Planet 2 and Super Street Fighter IV - earlier this week. Capcom has confirmed the game will now come out in April.

Released at the start of August in Japan, sales had reached over million copies there by the end of September making it one of the best-selling Wii titles to date.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-tri-in-europe

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40 million DS units sold in Europe

January 5th, 2010, 22:00 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has announced that the DS family of consoles has sold over 40 million units in Europe

The numbers come after last month's confirmation of 10 million sales in the UK alone, with Nintendo also adding that Wii sales have reached 20 million in the three year's since launch, making it the fastest-selling home console in the region.

According to Nintendo, 9.6 million Europeans have a copy of either Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus, and over five million copies of Wii Sports Resort have been sold since it launched in July last year.

The recently released New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which was released in November, has already sold over 2.5 million in Europe.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...sold-in-europe

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Nintendo estimates 3 million US Wii sales in December

January 5th, 2010, 22:01 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has announced that it expects the Wii platform to have sold an additional 3 million units in the US in December, ahead of official figures to be released by the NPD Group on January 14.

The platform holder, which has endured a tough time in 2009, ended the year strongly - it also announced that total US sales of Super Mario Bros Wii are almost at the 4 million mark.

And additionally the company expects the DS handheld to set another new calendar year record for hardware sales in the country.

The expectations were outlined by Nintendo president Saturo Iwata, and although it's not yet clear how that performance will shape up to Microsoft and Sony sales last month, it'll be welcome news in a year that had seen a general decline.

"The millions of people who bought Nintendo hardware during the holidays can look forward to enjoying great games on those systems now and in the future," added Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive VP of Sales & Marketing.

"The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for Nintendo DS, and Wii Fit Plus and New Super Mario Bros Wii are all currently providing Nintendo fans with amazing experiences and fun adventures for the whole family."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...es-in-december

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Left 4 Dead NES remake released (it's free)

January 5th, 2010, 22:29 Posted By: wraggster

Created by Eric Ruth Games, Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead is a great little NES-style "de-make" of Valve's Left 4 Dead. It's also been relesed on PC as a free download.

Eric Ruth (the sole developer behind the game) says, "Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead is a retro de-make of Valve's hit zombie killing masterpiece. Lovingly recreated in a fashion that would have been acceptable in 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, this de-make stands as the flagship title of the upcoming Pixel Force series from Eric Ruth Games.

"Go alone, or invite a friend for 2 player co-op against the zombie apocalypse in all 4 of the original game campaigns. Two difficulties and all four of the survivors make a glorious 8-bit appearence, complete with first and second tier weapons scattered along your path to escape. So, grab your controller of choice and kick back with an award-winning retro take on the end of the world with Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead."

ou can download Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead here --> http://www.ericruthgames.com/




http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS

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EA spreading NBA Jam onto Wii

January 5th, 2010, 23:26 Posted By: wraggster

Nineties arcade champion NBA Jam is reported to be returning to life exclusively on Wii.

EA will make the game, revealed an ESPN report, under the watchful eye Mark Turnell - the former Midway man responsible for the original NBA Jam. No other details are given. EA UK has offered "no comment" on the matter.

If true, this puts an end to speculation sparked by EA Sports community manager Alan Quinto, whose December Tweet said the company was gearing for a new game announcement.

NBA Jam was released in North American arcades in 1993 and proved such a hit that machines needed their money stomachs emptied daily. Apparently the original arcade flock generated around $1bn in quarters.

Jam's draw was larger-than-life, two-on-two basketball, where there were next to no rules and gravity defying slam-dunks. Score consistently and players would literally be "on fire", gaining permanent turbo-boosts and more.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ea...a-jam-onto-wii

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Parent: Nintendo DS Would Have Distracted Newton From Discovering Gravity

January 5th, 2010, 23:27 Posted By: wraggster

I just discovered a hullabaloo over at the Orange County Register's Mom Blog that began when blogger/mom Marla Jo Fisher explained why she keeps her household gaming free.

Part of the attraction for this story are the new ways Fisher demonizes games, which she thinks would hold her son back from growing up smart and fit.

This is kind of novel:

I truly believe that video games were created by Satan to turn otherwise normal children into his drooling, glassy-eyed stooges. After my son plays them at his friends' houses, he comes home irritable and testy for the rest of the day.

But this... this is new stuff:

Here's my question: When do kids ever think these days? When do they ever have brains free from electronics long enough to ponder the universe? To think of things that might someday lead them to a cure for cancer?

If Sir Isaac Newton had been playing a DS, I'm sure he never would have noticed the apple falling from the tree, so he never would have formulated the theory of gravity.

Fisher gets hit with gamer backlash in the comments section below her blog. That's not too surprising. More interesting is a dad named Kevin who writes about his kids' relationship with games.

Here's some from Kevin's comment:

My youngest son's case: he's 13 now, and loves his Xbox. The game he loves to play enables him create and design his own courses and let's others online use his course too. The menu system for this game is very complex, and develops analyical skills just to work through the whole thing. He is able to record his course runs and can "render" them and put them up on a forum for his buddies online to watch. He can do screen captures (get still pictures) of him playing. This has motivated him to learn Photoshop (totally on his own) so he can edit the photos and post them on his forum. He's now into creating videos of his games, creating title pages, splicing in pictures, adding video, adding music for other gamers to watch. I was amazed! I got him Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements (video editor) for christmas! He's 13!! He's certainly not the only kid out there doing this.

I'm not so interested in commenters here haranguing Marla Jo Fisher, but I am curious what parents believe their kids are getting out of playing games. A release? Development of skills? Entertainment?

http://kotaku.com/5440758/parent-nin...vering-gravity

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Modern Warfare On Wii Hooks Players, If Not Big Sales... Yet

January 5th, 2010, 23:28 Posted By: wraggster

Modern Warfare usually is discussed as a major franchise for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and is subject for debate on the PC. By at least one measure, it's significant on the Wii too.

Those who follow our monthly tally of Wii playing time (the so-called "measure of pleasure," as I've dubbed it) know that the average amount of time that Wii gamers spend playing 2008 Call of Duty: World At War is sky-high. At last count, gamers were averaging more than 51 hours with the game, which has sold more than a million copies, according to reporting I've done in the past. Only three games boast more hours per player: The similarly multiplayer-centric Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Guitar Hero III along with Animal Crossing: City Folk, a game designed to be played daily.

I was interested in seeing how this past November's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition, a remake of 2007's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare would fare. I'll get to sales figures a little lower, but let's look at something impressive first: its average playing time per player. As of December 1, the game had an average playing time of 17 hours, 22 minutes. As of January 1, that average is up to 24 hours, 55 minutes. People who play this game are keeping at it, likely due to its online play.

There's a caveat to the rising numbers for Call of Duty on the Wii. Because I'm only tracking average playing times, a game that is owned by five people who each play the game for 50 hours, will have an average playing time that exceeds a game that a million people have bought and played for 10 hours each. There's also the issue that these average playing times are tallied by the Nintendo Channel, a Nintendo service that only pulls the data of Wii gamers who download the channel, opt-in for data-sharing and re-visit the channel.

There's a way to account for those caveats, to at least have some context. As of January 1, the Reflex Edition was listed as having a cumulative 237,615 hours of play time among people sharing their data with Nintendo. World At War, as of December 1, had more than 7 million hours logged by users sharing their data. Compare those totals to The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess, which has 45 million hours tallied as of Jan. 1, and it's obvious that not that many Reflex Edition players are out there and/or sharing their data... yet.

A better comparison for the Reflex Edition might be New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which was also released in November. That game has an average playing time of 15 hours, far fewer hours than that of the Reflex Edition but more than 1.5 million hours of that Mario game have been played and logged by the Nintendo Channel, dwarfing those 237,615 hours for the Reflex Edition. On the other hand, we've got September 2009's WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010 which has a wonderful average playing time of 27 hours and 28 minutes, but across just a cumulative 90,066 hours played.

There's no starker contrast than with sales, of course. Nintendo announced today that New Super Mario Bros. sold three million copies in the U.S. through December. The NPD sales-tracking group, which has not released sales for December yet, told me today that, in its first month of release, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition sold 81,000 copies.

These Nintendo stats that we track measure the passion players have for the games they have, if not the popularity. Sales aren't the only stats that are interesting to look at.

Call of Duty games may not be the immediate blockbuster launches that they are on other platforms, but the playing time patterns here suggest that those who do have the game are as into the series as the most fervent fans on other platforms. World At War proved that on Wii. Reflex Edition seems set to do the same.

http://kotaku.com/5440722/modern-war...-big-sales-yet

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Majesco Brings 3D Movies To The Wii, Sort Of

January 5th, 2010, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster



Majesco puts players in the movies this Spring with Attack of the Movies 3D, a 3D shooter for the Wii that drops players into classic action movie environments armed with four sets of 3D glasses.

http://kotaku.com/5440512/majesco-br...he-wii-sort-of

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World of Nintendo, The Room

January 5th, 2010, 23:32 Posted By: wraggster



This Colorado collection of gaming goodness is Brett's. It's the Video Game Memorabilia Museum.

http://kotaku.com/5440382/world-of-n...-room/gallery/

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No Official Dolphin SVN Build 4775

January 6th, 2010, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...6d2477a91da03b

New version of the emulator only Wii and Nintendo GameCube (partially) known to date, "Dolphin unofficial Build 4775".

Requires compatible SS2 CPU (2GHz recommended) and a graphics card that supports Direct3D 9 and OpenGL 2.1.

http://www.dolphin-emu.com/news.php

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No Official Dolphin SVN Build 4775

January 6th, 2010, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...6d2477a91da03b

New version of the emulator only Wii and Nintendo GameCube (partially) known to date, "Dolphin unofficial Build 4775".

Requires compatible SS2 CPU (2GHz recommended) and a graphics card that supports Direct3D 9 and OpenGL 2.1.

http://www.dolphin-emu.com/news.php

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Sprite Combat v2.1

January 6th, 2010, 00:47 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...6d2477a91da03b

WinterAce offers version 2.1 of Sprite Combat, a Peter Feuille Scissors custom.


v2.1 -> Music! Yes, now we have sound effects!
Featuring a snick of the story mode!
The ROM name is now without the version number (saving)
Even better fading (now even the text and sprites fade in!)
"Press B to go back." added in many places to help users
Refined the code a bit
Fixed some places where the text was Placed irregularly

v2.0 -> Hoof! Major Updates here:
Added a Help Doc
Added a nice doc Credits
Fixed bug where the scores do not reset to 0
Records that keep track of your no. of wins and losses
SAVING! Yes, there is saving now!
Minor Bug fixes to the text
Score required to win reduced from 20 to 10
New Game Icon!
Removed the white background on request
Changed the font for better readability
"Opponent's Score:" - "Opponent" and "Your Score" - "You"

http://dsgamemaker.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=3131

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Super Star Shooter Wii v1.1.0

January 6th, 2010, 00:49 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...6d2477a91da03b

Ichiroh Satoh offers version 1.1.0 of its excellent Shoot Em Up "Super Star Shooter Wii.

What's new?

Ver1.1.0 fix and added features
Fix: Crash at the time of the start when connected GameCube controller.
Fix: SD card save support.
add: Supported 'GameCube Controller'.
add: Supported 'Classic Controller'.
add: Supported 'nunchuk'.
add: Game mode selection of title, 'Type-X' was added.

Special thanks to Anders Schlichtkrull and shadow1w2. Thank you for bug feedback!

http://www10.big.or.jp/~and/

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Lampe DS v1.4

January 6th, 2010, 00:52 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...6d2477a91da03b

aurel2108 realizes version 1.4 of its utility "Lamp DS", a flashlight for the DS.

Correction from v1:
- Added a backup of the config (active color mode and chug) when pressing Start

Fixed since v1.1:
- Check if the user to the latest version
- Added a mode teuf (changing color every two seconds)
- Press Select to enable or disable teuf

Fixed since v1.2:
- Added a small splash screen

Fixed since v1.3:
- Using images to tell if you have the latest version or not (and prettier)
- Improvement of variables to consume slightly less memory
- If pressed A after the splash screen: you do not check

http://microlua.xooit.fr/t444-Lampe.htm

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Manic Miner DS v1.0

January 6th, 2010, 00:55 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...6d2477a91da03b

In the series OLDIES, I'll talk about the latest homebrew of Uncle Alekmaul about a game that people under 20 years old should not know, I mean Manic Miner, a platform game revolutionary for its time, released in 1983 on ZX Spectrum by Matthew Smith. The following year my brother CPC 464

In the original version, our little hero Willy must traverse 20 levels. The version created by Alekmaul, allows for 20 levels and an additional unpublished end (note that the original did not end).

Manic Miner is part of his game which was brought on a lot of machine so it is official or not.
Portage Official: Commodore 64, Commodore 16, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Dragon 32/64, Commodore Amiga, Oric 1, Game Boy Advance, MSX, SAM Coupe, mobile phones.

Portage Unofficial: PC (Windows / DOS), Apple Macintosh, Atari ST, ZX81, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Acorn Archimedes, Orao, Z88, PMD 85, HP48, Microsoft Zune and Nintendo DS.

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Capcom: "Disappointment" over Resident Evil Wii sales

January 6th, 2010, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster

Sales of Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles on Wii have been a "disappointment", the director general of Capcom France has revealed.

According to Antoine Seux, sales of other mature games, such as MadWorld and Dead Rising, on the platform have also suffered as core gamers have "obviously moved on".

Speaking in an interview with Gamekult, Seux said that Darkside Chronicles had sold a disappointing 16,000 units by December 23 - lower than hoped.

The sales, he continued, pointed to a very clear problem with core gamers moving on from the Wii and its audience becoming a much broader one.

Resident Evil 4 on Wii worked well, he added, selling over 140,000 units. But as it was released in June 2007 the market "had nothing to do".

The situation has since "radically changed" he notes, with an oversupply of games in 2009. Core games are selling less and less on the Nintendo console, he suggested, with sales of MadWorld, Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop and The House of the Dead: Overkill all failing to make significant impact.

In contrast, games such as Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and New Super Mario Bros "work great", he added. But the Wii market is becoming complex.

Seux's comments echo those made earlier this week by SEGA studio director Constantine Hantzopoulos.

The poor performance of EA's Dead Space Extraction - a game with plenty of marketing muscle - "stunned" the company, said Hantzopoulos, who added that SEGA probably wouldn't release any more mature games onto the Wii.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...evil-wii-sales

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Iwata discusses motion sensing DS successor

January 6th, 2010, 23:32 Posted By: wraggster

Satoru Iwata has told a Japanese newspaper that the next generation of Nintendo handhelds will have to be able to read the movements of players.

Although the Nintendo president declined to comment on when the company's first post-DS handheld might be released, he said, in comments translated by Kotaku, that it would need "highly detailed graphics, and it will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing".

Nintendo is known to be exploring specific options for the hardware on its next, non-DS handheld, which would fit the graphics bill. Eurogamer's Digital Foundry reported on insider information and analysis late last year.

Today's Japanese newspaper piece also stated that the next Legend of Zelda game, briefly trailed at E3 last year and as-yet unnamed, will be released this year, although it did not specify whether it was referring to Japan or the whole world.

Consumers should also expect the release of the Vitality Sensor too, with a press conference this July followed by a release as soon as possible.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...g-ds-successor

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Iwata: "Wii has recovered from slowdown"

January 6th, 2010, 23:49 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata believes Wii has shaken off a shaky year and repositioned itself firmly as generation leader.

He spoke as the company internally estimated over 3m Wii sales across North America for December alone. That's up from 2.15m sales from the same month in 2008.

And that's impressive, considering Nintendo's depleted but nonetheless impressive Thanksgiving effort.

Iwata attributed the strong Christmas sales to two things: a stronger software lineup and price cut. New Super Mario Bros. Wii, released November, has already sold 4m copies.

"I think it's now safe to say the Wii has recovered from slowdown," Iwata told Reuters.

"But I'm not sure if it's prudent to use words like revival and recovery lightly before making absolutely certain we can maintain this momentum. So, I steer clear of such words today."

Iwata didn't announce specific figures for DS but said the handheld had likely broken 10m sales for 2009 in North America - a record for videogame hardware.

The Nintendo boss also praised the DS (and new arrival DSi) for not peaking after three years on the market, as is tradition, but selling strongest in its fifth (launched 2004 in the US) year on the shelf.

Yesterday Nintendo announced that the DS had sold 40 million units across Europe, which makes it the best-selling console ever. In home-console stakes - as in the ones under the telly - the Wii wins the prize, with 20m units shifted.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/iw...-from-slowdown

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Iwata talks about post-DS handheld

January 6th, 2010, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster

Satoru Iwata has told a Japanese newspaper that the next generation of Nintendo handhelds will have to be able to read the movements of players.

Although the Nintendo president declined to comment on when the company's first post-DS handheld might be released, he said, in comments translated by Kotaku, that it would need "highly detailed graphics, and it will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing".

Nintendo is known to be exploring specific options for the hardware on its next, non-DS handheld, which would fit the graphics bill. Eurogamer's Digital Foundry reported on insider information and analysis late last year.

Today's Japanese newspaper piece also stated that the next Legend of Zelda game, briefly trailed at E3 last year and as-yet unnamed, will be released this year, although it did not specify whether it was referring to Japan or the whole world.

We should also expect the Vitality Sensor too, apparently, for which there will be a press conference this July followed by a release as soon as possible.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/iw...st-ds-handheld

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Majesco reveals 3D shooter for Wii

January 6th, 2010, 23:52 Posted By: wraggster

Majesco has announced the world's first 3D shooter for Wii, known as Attack of the Movies 3D.

Developed by Panic Button, the game will be out this summer packaged with four pairs of 3D glasses - therefore four-player multiplayer should come as no surprise.

The idea is to plop you in the middle of classic-film-inspired sets that are alien-riddled, shark-riddled, robot-riddled, zombie-riddled and so on. Majesco's blurb promises you'll experience a "realism and dimensionality" that only cinemas have previously been able to provide.

You're also promised replayability as enemies will be unpredictable, paths branching, areas unique and environments "challenging" - a bit like the snow this morning.

There are no screenshots or video clips available at the moment.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ma...hooter-for-wii

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Sonic All-Stars Racing supports Miis

January 6th, 2010, 23:53 Posted By: wraggster

SEGA's just announced that Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing will allow Wii owners use their Miis as drivers.

Won't it be fun to see yourself next to the likes of Dr Eggman, Amigo and even Sonic himself?

You'll even be furnished with a Mii special power to stay competitive should you smash your face into the dashboard after a nasty crash.

We've uploaded a couple of Mii-related Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing screenshots to give a glimpse of what to expect.

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is due out this spring on DS, Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360. 360 Avatar support was recently announced, too.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/so...-supports-miis

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Next DS To Have HD Screen, Potentially 720p

January 6th, 2010, 23:57 Posted By: wraggster

Boy, that Satoru Iwata has been awfully mouthy recently. In addition to sounding off about the next DS having a motion sensor, he also told Asahi that it'll have a higher-resolution screen. A HIGH DEFINITION screen.

Upgrading the 256 x 192 DS, the next DS incarnation—after the DSi XL—will have a 1024 x 768 screen according to several sites, which is very close to a decent 720p res. Iwata also confirmed Nintendo is in talks with several networks for connected DS consoles, which is something he mentioned a few months back when he touched upon the likelihood of allowing ebooks to be downloaded over 3G

http://gizmodo.com/5441650/next-ds-t...tentially-720p

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Miyamoto Also Wanted Motion Control In A Nintendo DS

January 7th, 2010, 00:17 Posted By: wraggster

Earlier today, we reported that Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata told a Japanese newspaper that a motion sensor in the successor to the DS would be "necessary." That reminded me of something Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto told me in 2004.

Just days before the official start of the E3 gaming trade show that year, Nintendo's chief game designer provided me a private demonstration of the then unreleased Nintendo DS. He introduced me to the system's dual screens, touch screen and microphone. And he told me the feature that Nintendo omitted.

As I wrote in The New York Times back then:

To keep costs down, Mr. Miyamoto said, some features were left out of the DS. Maybe next time, he said, he will be able to include a tilt sensor for gyroscopic control. For now, he is focused on double screens.

Nintendo had experimented with tilt controls previously, including a motion sensor in the cartridge for the Game Boy's 2000 game Kirby Tilt 'N Tumble. In 2004 Nintendo would release Wario Ware Twisted, a Game Boy Advance game with a cartridge containing a rotation sensor.

Iwata told the Asahi Shinbun this week that a DS successor would need motion detection: "[It will have] highly detailed graphics, and it will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing."

Current Sony and Nintendo handhelds do not detect motion. The Apple iPhone does.

Just as some other long-discussed Nintendo projects such as Miis have come to fruition in recent years, now it seems that a motion-controlled Nintendo handheld may be upon us.

Kotaku has requested clarification on plans for a new motion-sensitive handheld and will update you if we find out more.

http://kotaku.com/5441793/miyamoto-a...-a-nintendo-ds

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Hold it! Phoenix Wright available on WiiWare this Monday

January 7th, 2010, 00:24 Posted By: wraggster

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is ready to head into the WiiWare courtroom this Monday, Capcom reveals. You'll be able to relive the classic lawyer-em-up for 1,000 Wii Points ($10), where your Hamilton will net you the first four episodes from the original GBA game -- Capcom says the final fifth episode will be available later as DLC for 100 Wii Points ($1).

And if you're scratching your noggin, wondering what the big deal is, feel free to check out some recent videos from the game.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/06/ho...e-this-monday/

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Memorex unveils line of Wii, Wii Fit, DSi gaming accessories at CES

January 7th, 2010, 00:25 Posted By: wraggster



We're not sure what the tagline will be – "Is it first-party? Or is it Memorex?" – but the storied consumer electronics company best known for its blank cassette tapes (remember those?) has been busy branching out, and a new series of video games accessories targeting Nintendo's various products is its latest endeavor.

The company has taken the opportunity at CES to unveil a Wii racing wheel, a Wii wireless sensor bar, some sleeves for everything from your Wiimote to your Wii Fit balance board, a charging kit for your Wiimotes, a rechargeable battery pack for Wii Fit, and some DSi goodies as well. Like most of these offerings, there isn't much you'll find exciting here. Check out the full specs in the press release after the break, or, if you're a visual learner, flip through the gallery for some eye candy.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/06/me...ccessories-at/

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UberNES 2010

January 7th, 2010, 00:49 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://emu-russia.net/en/

NES emulator has been updated recently. Changes:
- Added a "Player Profile" feature that displays all of the UberNES high scores and speed run times for players on the UberNES leaderboards;
- Added post-processing effects system, renderer can now apply various effects independently of the selected upscaler (i.e. hqx, NTSC);
- Added screen curvature/fishbowl post-processing effect:
-- Ray-traced rendering simulates curve of old CRT glass screens
-- Software-based implementation; works in GDI and DirectDraw
- Added "oversampler" post-processing effect:
-- "Native" NES output can be scaled to proper 4:3 aspect ratio
-- Can optionally crop edges of NES display to hide rendering artifacts
- Added scanline post-processing effect:
-- Variable-intensity scanlines can now be applied on top of NES display, regardless of selected upscaler;
-Render color depth can now be specified independent of desktop color depth;
- Added 16 and 32-bit color depth renderers for the GDI interface, which allows for much faster NTSC and HQX upscaling;
- Users can now fast-forward games they are playing.
- Redesigned NES database system, it is now much faster, easier, and more robust for users to create and re-scan their ROM collections;
- Improved performance and stability of NSF player;
- Emulation now consumes much less CPU;
- Improved joystick support.

http://www.ubernes.com/

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Nintendulator v0.975 Beta (2010/01/04)

January 7th, 2010, 00:51 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.aep-emu.de/PNphpBB2-file-...c-t-14343.html

The NES Emulator Nintendulator has been updated.


With rather inconvenient timing, information regarding the inner workings of MMC5 PCM sound were posted yesterday, 1 day after the release of Nintendulator 0.700. Support for this feature (though it is not known to be used by any games) has been added.

Additionally, limited support for NES 2.0 format ROM images has finally been added - for now, this consists solely of handling images with more than 4MB of PRG ROM and 2MB or more CHR ROM.

http://www.qmtpro.com/~nes/nintendulator/

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nemulator v2.1.1

January 7th, 2010, 00:52 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.aep-emu.de/PNphpBB2-file-...c-t-14345.html

An update of the NES emulator nemulator has been released.


Quote:
1/6/2010
nemulator 2.1.1

* Fixed a bug that, in some cases, prevented SRAM from being saved to disk.


1/5/2010
nemulator 2.1

* nemulator now includes a cycle-accurate emulation mode! This mode enables accurate emulation of games like Battletoads and Marble Madness and eliminates graphical glitches in many other games. The scanline-based (fast) mode is used in the menu, and the cycle-based (accurate) mode is used in-game. This is configurable in nemulator.ini.
* Added options to disable sprite limiting (to reduce flicker) and to mask the sides of the screen (to hide scrolling glitches). These are configurable globally and on a per-game basis; see nemulator.ini.
* Fixed bug that could cause random hangs on game selection.
* Improved audio resampling.

http://www.nemulator.com/

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Frodo Wii News - A peek at the new Frodo menus

January 7th, 2010, 01:26 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://simonkagstrom.livejournal.com/47506.html

I suppose I should post more here, but I seem to always have something else to do.

Over the vacations I've continued working on the Frodo/Wii project. The focus of the work has been on improving the GUI (the menu), which has been the most frequent improvement suggestion I've got. It's sad in some ways since the current menu is functional, but I guess I should know that it's very important how a program looks in addition to how it actually works.

So I'm trying to improve on that situation and also make the code better, and I'm slowly getting there. You can see some screenshots here:





So it's still ugly you say? Well, I've got good news for you - you can change that! The new GUI is themeable, and the blobs you see here are really just PNG images and can be changed to whatever you want them to display. The font is also replaceable and you can make the background just as nice as you want! In the images, you can also see some of the features: The disk browser will load an information page for each game (if it exists), the virtual keyboard now pops up on top of the underlying code and there is integrated help bubbles for every option (almost).

I'm also doing a total refactoring of the code, which is why this has taken so much time. The old code was ported from an old Mophun project and was written in C. The new code is all C++, much easier to extend on and is not that tightly integrated into Frodo. It's currently a bit over 4100 lines of code, most of which is taken up by the virtual keyboard and the joystick binding code.

Alas, there are still stuff to do before this is in releasable state:

Make Frodo use 16-bit graphics (or really, whatever is the default for the platform)

Use the SDL joystick support instead of hardcoding the Wii stuff

Make it possible to actually save screenshots for the game information you see above

Finish up various pieces of the menu which are still missing

Integrate the new menu and throw out the old stuff (I'm doing the development outside of Frodo now)

Fool someone into drawing nicer graphics for the menu :-)

Various network updates (message sending etc)


So all in all, the release is at least some weeks off. An additional problem is that I went and bought an Android phone, a Samsung Spica, which obviously will take some time from the Frodo stuff! So far I'm happy with it, it's quite a step forward compared to my old phone and it's really the first phone which I've felt any urge to use on the Internet.

It will be interesting to see if it will ever get an update to a newer Android release. I took a look at the kernel patches for it, and unfortunately it seems very much like a quick hack. Google does not give much incentive for phone makers to keep their products updated.

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Yahtzwii v2.1 released

January 7th, 2010, 01:30 Posted By: wraggster

Yahtzwii v2.1 released by chris

It's Yahtzee for the Wii

Changelog
v2.1 06/01/2010
Added German Language support.
Fixed minor bug where undoing your move would not display the totals correctly in certain circumstances.
Minor cosmetic changes.

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Yahtzwii

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Neko Project II 0.83 Beta 3

January 7th, 2010, 01:34 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.wii-addict.fr/forum/Neko-...-3-t17840.html

Rako updates its port of Neko Project II (directed by Yui) on the Wii. This homebrew is not to be confused with Neko Project II Wii 0.1B2.

This is a homebrew emulator NEC PC-9801 and initial needs a USB keyboard and mouse.

QUOTE
Beta Version 3
- Support USB
- Fixed some patch

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Wii QUASI88 0.6.3 beta 3

January 7th, 2010, 01:37 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.wii-addict.fr/forum/QUASI...-3-t17839.html

QUASI88 is an emulator of NEC PC-8801 developed by Rako.

QUOTE
Beta Version 3
- Added support for USB
- Fixed some patch

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Genesis Plus GX / Zero v1.3.2 +

January 7th, 2010, 01:39 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.wii-addict.fr/forum/Genes...32-t17838.html

Originally developed by eke-eke, PapermanZero took over the project to bring a lot of novelty in this famous Megadrive emulator.

QUOTE
What's new?

- Selection for the "Loading device" option in the system (SD, USB, DVD and user selection - to load the device automatically after starting the application)
- Right Font Alignment for the Game List
- New Menu Structure
- New Mapping Button (B is always returning to the previous menu;
add X Button (Classic and GameCube Controller) in the Game List for switching to the previous folder)
- Intro and Credits Screen added to the main menu
- Some code rewrite

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Under da sea…Winter coding competition

January 7th, 2010, 01:48 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://drunkencoders.com/2010/01/und...g-competition/

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Nyko Wand+ is a full Wii Motion Plus replacement, smashing through screens this March

January 7th, 2010, 23:20 Posted By: wraggster



Nyko has what it plans to be the world's first Wiimote replacement with the Motion Plus add-on built-in. Dubbed the Wand+, the controller will retail for $39.99 and should be on shelves by March. In addition to those fancy gryoscopes, the Wand+ has a matte rubberized back and rubberized buttons that are pretty comfortable to the touch, there's a built-in camera for acting as a "regular" Bluetooth mouse, and the whole assembly is much lighter than a Wiimote / Motion Plus combo. Perhaps we won't die of acute carpal tunnel after all. Check out some action video after the break.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/n...mashing-throu/

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Capcom backtracks on Wii negativity

January 7th, 2010, 23:32 Posted By: wraggster

Capcom has sent out a statement explaining it has not deserted Nintendo's Wii and is committed to a multi-platform - not just PS3 and Xbox 360 - future.

"Further to comments made in a recent article on French website Gamekult, Capcom would like to confirm its commitment as a multi-platform developer and publisher of interactive software," the statement read.

Yesterday, Capcom France leader Antoine Seux dismissed the Wii, claiming core gamers had turned their back on the console. "So for us at Capcom, the future is on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360," he said.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ca...wii-negativity

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What We Want From The Next Nintendo Handheld

January 8th, 2010, 01:16 Posted By: wraggster



Yesterday, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata made the first public mention of the company's plans for a successor to the wildly-popular DS handheld. So we know, vaguely, what Nintendo want from the console. That's fine. Here's what we want.

But first, some caveats! This isn't pure fantasy. We're not going to be asking for HD graphics with simulated surround sound speakers and a wholly digital shopfront. Those are things Nintendo just will not bring to the table, at least not over the next few years.

Instead, we're going to say what we want, but within the parameters of what we believe Nintendo, a company as conservative as it is successful, could actually deliver.

NOTE: The picture above is not intended as a true "concept", or mock-up. It's just a DSi XL, modified to give you an idea of where we're headed with all this.

GRAPHICS
Iwata says the next Nintendo handheld will have "highly detailed graphics". Now, this doesn't mean "high definition"; that would be far too costly and tech-savvy than Nintendo have shown themselves willing to be in recent years. And besides, on a small handheld screen, you're not going to notice (or care) whether something is really 720/1080p or not.

It just means "highly detailed", something the Nintendo DS was not. It was a Nintendo 64 on a smaller screen. Just like the Game Boy Advance was a Super Nintendo. And the Game Boy a NES. Put the dots together and it's not hard imagining the DS's successor having the graphical punch of, say, a GameCube. Or, for that matter, a Wii.

A GameCube in your hands? That's something we'd like to see.

CONTROLS
A big reason for the success of the DS was the accessibility of its touch-screen controls. Nintendo are also (usually) big on backwards-compatibility. So we'd say it's a lock that the next handheld will have some form of touch-screen interface.

But! We'd like to see some changes to the rest of the controls. Namely, the introduction of not just one thumbstick, but two. Sony had kind of the right idea including a nub on the PSP, but then blew it by only having one, meaning direct ports of not only PS2 games, but many successful PS2 control schemes, were out of the question. And the PSP has suffered from this ever since.

Including two thumbsticks might not be as aesthetically pleasing as Nintendo's Apple-copying designers may like, but sometimes you need to trade beauty for functionality. Plus, it would let Nintendo do what they're enjoying so far on the Wii, and that's re-release a ton of old GameCube games.

DISPLAY
It's 2010. Time to cut your ties with the 4:3 aspect ratio, Nintendo. Widescreen is the industry standard these days, so the DS's successor needs to stretch its screens out a little. Those screens also need to be of a slightly better quality, especially the "spongy" bottom screen, which on the DS sometimes looks a little washed out.

And yes, we said "screens", not screen. The two-screen gimmick worked well on the DS when developers made proper use of it, and with Nintendo on top of the world and in no need of further zany attempts at differentiation (as the dual-screen layout was thought of when first unveiled), we're fine with the company's next handheld again coming with two screens.

Though, if costs could be kept down, two touch screens would be nice...

APP STORE
We're only copying Apple's name for the thing so we're all on the same page. Nintendo have shown with the DSi that they're finally comfortable not only with downloading games directly to a handheld, but downloading non-gaming applications as well. Thing is, with these games and apps available only for the DSi and DSi XL - and not the more numerous DS Lite - it's more a niche service than a full-blown aspect of Nintendo's handheld strategy.

But on a new platform, they can step things up a little. Really integrate it, make it a cornerstone of the device. Applications, small games, retro re-releases, even communications (with Nintendo unwilling to make a phone, a Skype application could plug the gap), they could really go to town. The only limits would be that Nintendo would of course control the store (so it wouldn't be flooded with crap), and there's always a question of size...

STORAGE
Ah, a tricky one. Adding a considerable piece of onboard storage would drive the price of the device up, and Nintendo don't traditionally release pricey devices. But it's got to come with something. A continuation of the trend set with the DSi would be fine; a small amount of onboard storage (though 1GB would be nice instead of the DSi's paltry 256MB) built into the handheld, then the option of inserting an SD card for more space, or for transferring stuff off the internal memory.

Nintendo should also learn a lesson from the Wii's early problems, and support the running of applications and smaller games directly from an SD card.

MEDIA
Nintendo have traditionally shied away from multimedia convergence with their devices, but this is gradually giving way, particularly with the more recent editions of the DS, which can do things like play music.

This new device, then, needs to have some sort of media functionality. Though nothing fancy; a basic mp3 player, a basic movie player, and we're good to go. I should be able to insert an SD card with music or movies saved in a basic format (.wmv, .mov, .avi), and the handheld can play them. Same goes for photos, too.

In essence, then, what they've "trialled" with the DSi, only refreshed and improved for an all-new console.

MEDIUM
While the PSPgo has set a trend by going wholly digital, it's one we can't see Nintendo following just yet. Their #1 priority is accessibility, and since casual gamers aren't likely to be as comfortable making digital purchases as they are bringing a box home from a store, the next handheld's games should still come on a physical medium.

A cartridge similar to that used by the DS, only with a larger capacity (at least 4GB) would be fine, as it would provide the added bonus of making it backwards-compatible with the DS. It may not alleviate the rampant piracy issues currently afflicting the DS, but until the world becomes more comfortable with digital downloads, that's something Nintendo are just going to have to live with.

MOTION CONTROL
We've covered some possibilities on this already, but here's what we want: we want motion control with the precision of Wii MotionPlus, but used sparingly. This is a handheld device, used primarily while people are travelling or away from their homes. Games can't, and shouldn't, require people to go jumping around or waving them madly in the air. The odd tilt or lean would be fine.

Basically, learn from the Wii's mistakes: unless you're Nintendo, don't go motion-crazy for the sake of it.

One area motion control would be beneficial to Nintendo's new handheld is when you combine it with the App Store. Like, literally. If the new device has a touch-screen and motion sensing, developers could easily port the more successful iPhone games to Nintendo's handheld.

CONCLUSION
So, a quick run-down:

- GameCube-quality graphics
- Dual thumbsticks
- Improved Dual display (bonus: dual touch-screen)
- 1GB onboard storage space
- SD card compatibility
- Music & movie playback
- Advanced motion-sensing, equivalent to Wii MotionPlus
- Backwards compatible with the DS

And a few more things to finish off with:

- A free, integrated web browser
- NO MORE FRIEND CODES; a single user ID, like every other company uses, should suffice
- A telescopic stylus; the DS ones are too short for prolonged play
- Keep the microphone; some games use it well, while applications like Skype would find it just as useful
- A Mini-USB charger; when everything else you own is charged from mini-USB, using proprietary Nintendo chargers is stupid
- The camera on the DSi seems to be going down OK; if it's cheap, may as well stick it on the new handheld, let developers plan to actually release games that support it
- The systems and games must be region-free
- All that for $199 at launch would be just fine

So, there you have it! That's what we want from the new Nintendo handheld. It might not be fancy, it might not be terribly daring, but remember, this is Nintendo we're talking about. Now they've taken the plunge with dual-screens in the portable space and motion control at home, it'll be time for a little consolidation, which is why we see this device being to the DS what the Game Boy Advance was to the Game Boy: more of the same, just better.

http://kotaku.com/5442081/what-we-wa...tendo-handheld

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Motion Control on a New DS — How Might That Work?

January 8th, 2010, 01:17 Posted By: wraggster

An oblique reference to a DS successor helped turn Satoru Iwata's interview with Japan's leading newspaper into a full-on bombshell. Specifically, the Nintendo chief said such a device must be enabled for motion control. What could they be working on?

Motion control in a handheld is trickier proposition because, of course, you're manipulating the thing you're supposed to be watching. So offhand, an accelerometer seems like a no-brainer. And Shigeru Miyamoto himself referred to it as far back as 2004, before the original DS's debut.

An accelerometer would enable tilt-steering for a racing game, for example, plus shaking or waggle controls. It's not hard to imagine a game in which players tilt or flip their characters/vehicles/puzzle pieces back and forth across two screens.

But Iwata specifically told the Asahi Shimbun the device must have a sensor to "read the movements of people playing." Something like WarioWare: Snapped already uses the DSi's camera to recognize player motion independent of the device, through capturing a player's hand as a silhouette, for example. Maybe the DSi successor would improve that.

Finally, what will this thing be named? The DSe? The DS2? The DX? The Dii? Nintendo had some interesting working names for the DSi LL, maybe one of those could be recycled. The company would likely only break from the DS branding if it were a radically different device. Well, Iwata referred to successors of the handheld in dismissing speculation that Nintendo would not implement cellular functions or monthly service plans for connecting to a gaming service. And the DS is absolutely a proven winner. So something different sounds unlikely.

We've asked Nintendo for a clarification of their plans for a DS successor device, but haven't heard back yet. Until we hear something, let's put it to the mob: What can we expect to see? What DS franchises and hits can most benefit from motion controls? What does motion control on this platform offer that it doesn't on something like the iPhone - or even a console? We've got the rumor - let's start the speculation!

http://kotaku.com/5442055/motion-con...ight-that-work

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bsnes 0.059

January 8th, 2010, 02:12 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://emu-russia.net/en/

SNES emulator has been updated recently. Changes:
- fixed a bug in the save state manager that was allowing saves for unsupported special chips;
- added save state support for SuperFX games;
- added save state support for SA-1 games;
- the "Apply UPS" checkbox actually works now; allows bypassing of patching prior to ROM loading;
- ROM loader will display internal ROM title and header info for uncompressed files ending in ".sfc";
- added Shift JIS to UTF-8 conversion for internal ROM titles;
- "open-folder" concept now requires folders to end in ".sfc" to avoid false positives;
- shrunk all GUI buttons and right-aligned them, as some of them were ridiculously long before;
- rewrote settings and tools windows to be driven via tabs instead of lists; this saves a lot of screen space;
- rewrote input mapping system to use a tree view instead of the confusing combo box hierarchy; hopefully more people will find the user interface GUI hotkey remapping section now;
- added support to map modifiers as individual keys (eg you can map the shift key to the SNES select button);
- rewrote the cheat code editor, it behaves exactly like the state manager now; there are 128 pre-defined slots, and it is easy to clear any or all of them
the cheat file will auto erase itself upon exit if all codes and descriptions have been erased;
- fixed title bar game name ordering; was "bsnes v058 - Game Name", is now "Game Name - bsnes v059"'
- fixed a bug where pressing escape inside the main window's menus would cause the program to quit;
- Windows: worked around QTBUG-7188 to fix the multi-file archive loading dialog; it was not updating properly before;
- Linux: added full-API PulseAudio driver with synchronization and latency control [RedDwarf];
- Linux: fixed a crashing bug involving OpenGL and glXSwapIntervalEXT();
- Linux: X-Video driver texture now resizes dynamically to support > 1024x1024 for any future filters to use;
- Debugger: single-stepping instructions now updates all windows marked to "auto update";
- Debugger: fixed execute breakpoints, they were disassembling at the wrong offset;
- Debugger: S-CPU bus breakpoints now mirror WRAM $7e:0000-1fff to $00-3f|80-bf:0000-1fff;
- Debugger: fixed a rendering issue when stepping through hires games;
- Debugger: added property system; can now view internal register states of all S-CPU and S-PPU registers (S-SMP and S-DSP coming soon);
- Debugger: added CGRAM palette viewer;
- Debugger: added OAM sprite viewer (no graphical output yet);
- Debugger: added options window -- so far only to control output of memory / execution usage tables;
- Debugger: updated usage and memory export file names to start with the loaded cartridge name;
- Source: cleaned Utility class, split some of the functionality out to Cartridge class;
- Source: greatly simplified SNES::Cheat class, SNES::Cartridge class; etc.

http://byuu.org/

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Mupen64Plus v1.99.2 (Beta 2)

January 8th, 2010, 02:13 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.aep-emu.de/PNphpBB2-file-...c-t-14357.html

A second beta version of the Nintendo 64 emulator Mupen64Plus 2.0 is ready for testing. However, this time there is no source or binary package, but the source may be obtained as always from the public SVN access. Read more...


Quote:
January 6th, 2010: The second Beta build has been tagged 1.99.2. I´m not creating official source and binary packages of this tag, because it is primarily meant to be a Developer Preview for the new native Win32 build of Mupen64Plus. That´s right, Mupen64Plus can now be built, run, and debugged from within Visual Studio. Check out the official annoncement at emutalk.

Mupen64Plus v1.99.2 - January 6, 2010

doc: added tarball of emuwiki api documentation from 2010-01-06 for backup purposes

clean-up: removed almost all of the ifdef WIN32 statements

bugfix: stop spamming console with "Core: couldn´t open memory pack file ´...´ for reading" messages

bugfix: stop spamming console with "Core: couldn´t open eeprom file ´...´ for reading" messages

new feature: MSVC8 project file for mupen64plus-core, refactored code for VC8 compatibility

Makefile improvements:
throw error if OS/CPU not supported

use DESTDIR in install/uninstall paths

Allow user-specified CC/CXX/LD paths

makefile needs to install Core header files so that plugins can be built later

http://code.google.com/p/mupen64plus/

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Super Mario War Wii 1.3 released

January 8th, 2010, 02:20 Posted By: wraggster

Super Mario War Wii 1.3 released by Tantric

Super Mario War Wii is a port of Super Mario War to the Wii, using SDL Wii. It should be fully functional. To make this port possible, I've had to rewrite significant portions of SDL Wii, particularly a complete re-write of the file, video, and sound systems. However, I'm hoping this work will encourage other developers to port more SDL-based games and applications to the Wii.

1.3 - January 7, 2010
Fresh port of Super Mario War 1.8 beta 2. This requires you to replace ALL old files. Enjoy!

http://code.google.com/p/smw-wii/

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Super_Mario_War_Wii

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Touhou DS v0.9

January 8th, 2010, 02:27 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...d690702906c6bd

weeaboo has released a new version of "Touhou DS", a shoot Em Up Maniac shooter.

v0.9 2010-01-07

bugfixes:
- On-screen keyboard was broken.

improvements:
- Added support for writing scripts in LUA.
- Update to tools (new TextureConverter & repository creation tool).
- Improved collision system which lifts the maxsize=64x64 restriction and
gives a choice between line-segment and circle collision shapes.
- Added sixth stage + new playable character.
- Added the option to change starting lives.

http://www.weeaboo.nl/index.php?aid=30

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PuzzleBoy v1.04

January 8th, 2010, 02:31 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...d690702906c6bd

Minor update that fixes a level PuzzleBoy, adaptation of sokoban like "Kwirk, A-mazing Tater (Game Boy)" by maRk2512.

V1.04

FIXED: Level 74 was not solveable. Thanks to mman3i

http://palib-dev.com/forum/index.php/topic,34.75.html

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S8DS V0.6 - Master System and Game Gear Emulator for DS

January 8th, 2010, 02:33 Posted By: wraggster

FluBBa has released a new version of his Master System and Game Gear Emulator for DS:

Update of S8DS for the new year.

*Added option to turn off 3D display.
*Fixed color/saturation setting for SG/Coleco games.
*Fixed some bogus handling of the 3D display mode.
*Fixed "Perfect Sprites" mode, should now be used as default.
*Changed startup values for VDP regs 0,1 & 10, might break something.
*Changed sound renderer to be more correct.
*Removed PAL timing for GG.

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Nintendo still most eco-unfriendly electronics company - Greenpeace

January 8th, 2010, 14:29 Posted By: wraggster

Greenpeace has once again highlighted Nintendo as the most environmentally unfriendly of all its annually surveyed electronics companies.

This year's Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics study scored the company just 1.4 out of 10 for its chemical, e-waste and energy policies, the lowest of the 18 companies included.

The Japanese manufacturer scored zero on e-waste and on its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to a second year of increases, despite its pledge to cut them.

It did pick up some plus points for its chemical policies - for having PVC-free internal wiring in its consoles, banning phthalates and monitoring the use of other harmful chemicals.

The company has said it will eventually eliminate its use of PVC, however hasn't set a timeline for its phase-out.

Points were also gained for the low power Nintendo DSi AC adaptor and for disclosing CO2 emissions from its own operations, but they weren't enough to lift the company from last place, where it has remained for several years.

Microsoft fared little better in the guide, with a score of 2.4 points, which put it just one place above Nintendo at the bottom.

Of the three console makers, it was Sony that revealed itself as the most green, gaining one place to 7th in the chart with a score of 5.1.

Points were awarded for Sony's 17 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases from 2000-2008, with renewable energy now accounting for eight per cent of that purchased globally by the company, and it was also praised for its use of recycled plastics in its products.

Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba led the chart, while Apple was applauded for its rapid response to completely eliminating chemicals from its computer systems.

"It's time for a little less conversation and a lot more action on removing toxic chemicals," said Greenpeace campaigner Casey Harrell. "Apple, Sony Ericsson and Nokia are winning this game and HP is catching up, but the lack of action from other companies is ensuring that customers and the environment are still losing out."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...any-greenpeace

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New games on WiiWare, DSiWare and VC

January 8th, 2010, 16:55 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo's Friday WiiWare, Virtual Console and DSiWare update brings six new games to the table.

On WiiWare you can tear around hair-raising courses in Stunt Cars and relax with a baseball bat in Stop Stress: A Day of Fury.

Each of those costs 800 Wii Points (£5.60/€8).

On DSiWare you can learn how to paint with Art Academy: Second Semester, roll a ball around in Move your Brain - Rollaway Puzzle or push crates around in Sokomania.

In order, those cost 800 DSi Points (£7.20/€7), 500 DSi Points (£4.50/€5) and 200 DSi Points (£1.80/€2).

On Virtual Console you'll find Shadow Dance: The Secret of Shinobi. This is a pricey glimpse at yesteryear at 800 Wii Points (£5.60/€8), but cheap considering this was the first Shinobi game with an attack dog! Get real! That would kill your face!

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ne...are-vc-dsiware

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New games on WiiWare, DSiWare and VC

January 8th, 2010, 16:55 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo's Friday WiiWare, Virtual Console and DSiWare update brings six new games to the table.

On WiiWare you can tear around hair-raising courses in Stunt Cars and relax with a baseball bat in Stop Stress: A Day of Fury.

Each of those costs 800 Wii Points (£5.60/€8).

On DSiWare you can learn how to paint with Art Academy: Second Semester, roll a ball around in Move your Brain - Rollaway Puzzle or push crates around in Sokomania.

In order, those cost 800 DSi Points (£7.20/€7), 500 DSi Points (£4.50/€5) and 200 DSi Points (£1.80/€2).

On Virtual Console you'll find Shadow Dance: The Secret of Shinobi. This is a pricey glimpse at yesteryear at 800 Wii Points (£5.60/€8), but cheap considering this was the first Shinobi game with an attack dog! Get real! That would kill your face!

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ne...are-vc-dsiware

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Endless Ocean 2 dated for Europe

January 8th, 2010, 16:56 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo's revealed a 5th February release date for Wii game Endless Ocean 2.

As in EO, deep-sea diving is the catch of the day, although this time you can wade out of the depths to look at birds and things that look like jellyfish but aren't, probably.

The sequel also allows you to go diving with friends in multiplayer, where you can chat via Wii Speak and swap watery tales.

Missions in Endless Ocean 2 include tending to coral reefs, riding dolphins and hanging around with whales. You'll be plunging into icy Arctic waters, foraging through sunken wrecks in the Aegean Sea and exploring the riches of the Brazilian Amazon.

But life under water isn't all parrot fish and sea horses: there are dangerous predators down there, and you'll need your Pulsar gun at the ready to repel them when they strike.

Released in 2007, Endless Ocean stood apart from the shoal for being different, and it's encouraging to see Nintendo commissioning more from developer Akira.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/en...ted-for-europe

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SNES Glasses Case Offers 16-Bits of Optical Protection

January 8th, 2010, 17:01 Posted By: wraggster



C'mon, like you didn't see this one coming. 25 bucks here

http://gizmodo.com/5443361/snes-glas...cal-protection

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Engine Software develops DSi motion control technique, demos it on video

January 8th, 2010, 17:07 Posted By: wraggster



Meanwhile, in the Netherlands... Engine Software has developed a hitherto yet undisclosed method of motion sensitivity for the Nintendo DSi (which we're guessing utilizes the camera). That got your attention, right? Well, wait'll you get a load of this: the company has been kind enough to try the thing out on a game of Tilt -- on video. According to our friends at Joystiq, the company's currently working on a DSiWare title that incorporates the technique. See for yourself after the break.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/e...ique-demos-it/

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Stunt Cars pulls onto European WiiWare

January 8th, 2010, 23:02 Posted By: wraggster

Icon Games has released its WiiWare arcade racer Stunt Cars on the Nintendo console. Priced at 800 points, the game offers over the top racing in an excessive, fantasy setting.
Already out for aalomist a month in the US, Stunt Cars features 24 'wild' tracks, and offers players four different multiplayer game modes for up to four players. An extensive single player campaign is also included, offering Race, Time Trial, Championship and Time Challenge modes.
The game is compatible with the Wii Steering Wheel made famous by Mario Kart, and lets gamers choose from a sextet of individually tuned cars which promise to deliver a balanced gameplay experience. A dozen achievement awards are also included.

http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/296...ropean-WiiWare

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Sonic The Hedgehog Socks Will Keep Your Nintendo DS Warm

January 8th, 2010, 23:21 Posted By: wraggster



Mad Catz isn't forgetting the Nintendo DS accessory market as it shifts more of its focus to high end fight sticks, mice and non-gaming lifestyle keyboards. So if you need Sonic the Hedgehog socks, Mad Catz has you... covered.

http://kotaku.com/5443194/sonic-the-...ntendo-ds-warm

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Coin Battle To Determine Star New Super Mario Bros. Wii Player In Japan

January 8th, 2010, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo is preparing a nationwide New Super Mario Bros. Wii tournament in search of Japan’s number one Mario master. Contestants will play New Super Mario Bros. Wii in a series of coin battles.

You can enter solo or as a two player team. Either way, each coin battle has rounds with four players competing for coins. Not all of the stages are based on the Coin Battle mode in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. World 5-2 and World 4-5 where a Lakitu throws coins instead of Spinys are also on the course list.

Start practicing, if you live in Japan. Regional tournaments start next month leading up to a final battle in Tokyo in March.

http://www.siliconera.com/2010/01/08...ayer-in-japan/

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UltraHLE 2064 Unofficial ultra.ini update Ver:1.0.6.1

January 9th, 2010, 22:28 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.aep-emu.de/PNphpBB2-file-...c-t-14359.html

Game INI update of the N64 Emulator UltraHLE 2064!
Download Link - update ultra.ini


Quote:
Unofficial ultra.ini Version 1.0.6.1
Whats new in 1.0.6.1
--------------------
*Playable Games*
Lode Runner 3D (E)(J)(U)

*Intro works Games*
Excitebike 64 (E)(U)

Whats new in 1.0.6.0
--------------------
*Playable Games*
Bokujo Monogatari 2 (J) (V1.2)
Jikkyou G1 Stable (J) (V1.1)
Jikkyou J. League 1999 - Perfect Striker 2 (J) (V1.1)
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu - Basic Han 2001 (J) (V1.1)
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 5 (J) (V1.1)
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 6 (J) (V1.1)
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 6 (J) (V1.2)
Pro Mahjong Kiwame 64 (J) (V1.1)
Star Fox 64 (J) (V1.1)
Wave Race 64 (J) (V1.1)
WinBack - Covert Operations (J) (V1.1)

*Almost playable Games*
Mario Golf 64 (J) (V1.1)

*Intro works Games*
Super Real Mahjong VS (Arcade)

Whats new in 1.0.5.9
--------------------

*Playable Games*
Excitebike 64 (J)

*Intro works Games*
CyberTiger (E)
Gauntlet Legends (E)(J)(U)
International Superstar Soccer 2000 (E)(FI)
NBA Jam 99 (E)
Pokemon Puzzle League (E)(F)(U)

Added new dumped roms.
thanks Nekokabu!
uo_ultra_1.0.6.1.rar

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SpaceBubble 0.93 released

January 9th, 2010, 23:01 Posted By: wraggster

SpaceBubble 0.93 released by wplaat

SpaceBubble is a classic board puzzle game based bubble breaker. Select multiple bubbles with the same color and destroy them, the more you hit in one the higher score you will get. Created by wplaat (www.plaatsoft.nl). Special thanks to my family for their support during the development of this game.

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/SpaceBubble

08/01/2010 Version 0.93
- Improve main menu screen.
- Added 60Hz (640×480) TV Mode support.
- Increase local highscore list to maximum 100 entries.
- Store current game score in highscore area also when game is quited.
- Added extra help screen with WiiMote control information.
- Use GRRLIB v4.2.0 library as graphical engine.
- Use libogc v1.8.1 library as Wii interface engine.
- Build game with devkitPPC r19 compiler.

If anybody has a good idea how to improve this game, please post a comment

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Wii Web Server alpha v1.20 released

January 9th, 2010, 23:11 Posted By: wraggster

Wii Web Server alpha v1.20 released by Cboomf

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Wii_Web_Server

The web server for Wii has been updated once more, heres whats new;

Vast speed improvements (no more sleeping)

Compiled against libogc v1.8.1 and devkitppc r19 etc
Stability issues fixed
Restuctured faster code
Re-coded in c++
Various HTTP rfc compliance improvements

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They Just Don't Make Video Games Like They Used To

January 10th, 2010, 21:42 Posted By: wraggster



By way of Kotaku, we hear about Canadian blogger Rinry, who subjected eight NES cartridges to all manner of video game torture and hell. When the dust settled, seven of the cartridges still worked.

http://gizmodo.com/5444817/they-just...e-they-used-to

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Namco Files Patent for Wiimote Drumming Game

January 10th, 2010, 21:47 Posted By: wraggster

A pair of attachments would turn two Wiimotes into a set of sticks, presumably for an air-drumming game, according to a patent filed recently by Namco Bandai.

While the patent doesn't specifically reference the Wiimote, the drawings do look awful familiar, and so far it's the most notable example of a rectangular control with an accelerometer inside. A shock absorber inside the coverings helps protect the controllers while striking the attachment tips against a desk or a flat surface.

The sound made by the game depends on the angle at which the drumsticks strike the surface - tom, snare, cymbals and hi-hat are all referenced in the patent application.

While it doesn't look like a game changer for the rhythm genre, I do think incorporating an actual strike into the gameplay, as opposed to drumming against the air, is a good bet. But how much abuse these things can take is a good question. People playing the drums delicately don't have much fun. And then there's the whole finger-twirl thing. How are we gonna pull that off?

http://kotaku.com/5444846/namco-file...-game/gallery/

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What To Expect From Third-Parties On Wii In 2010

January 10th, 2010, 22:04 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.siliconera.com/2010/01/10...n-wii-in-2010/

Surprise, surprise: game publishers are still clueless about how to make games sell on the Wii. Whether they really fail to understand how to overcome this hurdle or deliberately turn a blind eye to their shortcomings is an argument that’s been ground to a fine paste, so I’ll refrain from instigating that particular debate again.

Instead, let’s take a look at this interesting quote from Gamasutra’s recent feature on third-party publisher reactions to abysmal sales of uninteresting games.

One thing’s for sure — the focus has changed. Stores like Target and Best Buy have reportedly told game publishers not to even bother approaching them with collections of mini games, which they will no longer pick up.

Now, hold on for just a second before you start to cheer for the retailers. Let’s try to understand the reality of the situation first. Keep in mind these are the same types of people that also refuse to stock copies of good games that we all love. They aren’t championing excellence; nor are they taking a stand against laziness. All said and done, it comes down to sales and how many of them you make in a given week or month. If crappy mini games were still selling, they’d be all over them.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, yes; this is still a good thing, regardless of the intentions behind the decision. Retailers refusing to accept mini game compilations probably means publishers will be forced to try something different in the following years. At least, the bigger publishers like EA, Ubisoft and Activision who can’t really afford to drop Wii support entirely. The question is, all things considered, are we going to see a rise in quality going forward due to this?

I’m inclined to say no. 2010 and 2011 have got to be scary years for third-party publishers that are faced with the reality of competing with a new Zelda and potentially Mario and Metroid launching this year and the next. One must also consider the Wii Vitality Sensor, which will probably be another runaway hit with long legs that carry it for years, if past efforts like Wii Sports and Wii Fit are any indicator. Unfortunately, most publishers just aren’t equipped to compete with Nintendo’s own games on the platform.

That begs the question, what will we see from third-party publishers over the next year or so? I’m going to venture a guess and say more ports. You’ll probably finally see Capcom port Resident Evil 5 to the system. Modern Warfare 2 from Activision is a shoo-in as well. What else does everyone expect to see? Fire away in comments.

http://www.siliconera.com/2010/01/10...n-wii-in-2010/

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Homebrew Browser v0.3.7

January 10th, 2010, 22:36 Posted By: wraggster

The Codemii Team have released a new version of Homebrew Browser for the Wii:

10 January 2010 (v0.3.7)

Compiled with DevKitPPC r19, libogc 1.8.1 and libfat 1.0.6
Allowed ratings and download count in repos
Expanded the size of the HBB updated applications display when starting up
Added homebrew sorter support (HBB will check for boot.dol.bak and boot.elf.bak files)
Disabled write test as some cards failed it
Fixed bug that crashed HBB at startup when settings had Use SD but no SD was inserted
Fixed bug that would freeze or crash HBB when accessing a repo
Fixed bug when GC controller was plugged in, it might go straight into the menu and then exit
The Homebrew Browser has been upgraded to v0.3.7 to mainly fix a couple of small bugs as well as finally compiling with the latest DevKitPPC, libogc and libfat, and adding homebrew sorter support.

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TowerDefense 0.91 released

January 10th, 2010, 22:43 Posted By: wraggster

TowerDefense 0.91 released by wplaat

TowerDefense is an classic 2D action game. Protect your base with all kind of defense systems and kill all the waves of enemies. If ten enemies reach the base the game is over. Good luck!

Created by wplaat (www.plaatsoft.nl). Special thanks to my family for their support during the development of this game.

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/TowerDefense

09/01/2010 Version 0.91

Graphical changes:
- Added 25 animated enemy sprites. Thanks Applicant!
- Added game setting screen.
- Added intro screen 3
- Improve winter theme sprites.
- Improve first help screen.
- Improve main menu screen.
- Lots of other small GUI changes.

Game play changes:
- Make game harder to play!
- Less start money.
- Enemy minimum / maximum speed depend on wave nr.
- Increase weapon prices.
- Increase maximum concurrent monsters in action.
- Decrease weapons effective range.
- Build game with devkitPPC r19 compiler.

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GuitarsOnFire 1.1 released

January 10th, 2010, 22:45 Posted By: wraggster

GuitarsOnFire 1.1 released by Daid

Guitars On Fire is a Guitar Hero clone, like Guitarfun and FretsOnFire. It uses Frets On Fire compatible songs, which can be found all over the internet. Lots are to be found at FretsOnFire fan forum Everything is released under GPL, which means the code is open for everyone to view and modify if they wish. It borrows graphics from both Guitarfun and FretsOnFire, and contains some new graphics. It does NOT use any of the FretsOnFire code, and only a little bit of the Guitarfun code. So it's a different game with a different feeling to it.

Changelog
Version 1.1
New Features:

Freestyle mode (Special thanks to WaxyPumpkin72 for the sound effects)
New difficulty/instrument selection menus
Online score list, see http://daid.mine.nu/guitarsonfire/
New results screen after playing a song
Much requested volume settings
Low battery warning icon during gameplay. And auto pause if a controller disconnects.
Restart option in pause menu
Samba share option (see readme.txt)
Bugfixes/changes:

Some audio fixes to make more songs playable
Many small things in the menus, larger texts, better fitting texts.
Loading is a bit faster now, and no longer speeds up at 90%.

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/GuitarsOnFire

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DSx86 News - Dos Emulator for DS - v0.02 Released!

January 10th, 2010, 22:58 Posted By: wraggster

Pate has released a new version of his DS Emulator for the DS, heres the release notes

Okay, I decided to release version 0.02 now that I have fixed the most annoying problems in 0.01. There is still a lot to do with the opcode support, and then the next big project is to add support for the EGA graphics mode. I also need to improve the current graphics mode support, as there seems to be problems with the palette handling, at least. Space Quest 4 is running but for some reason it thinks DSx86 has a monochrome display so it uses a greyscale palette, and Bad Blood is showing only a few of the colors, all other colors are black.

This version seems to be running Leisure Suit Larry 3 fine, I haven't had the save game corruption problem recently either. As you can see from the picture below, I've played it for long enough that I have over 500 points, so it will run at least that far without problems. I took the picture from the About page, as I thought it was funny to actually play and enjoy a game that is just a bit over 20 years old. :-) Also Solar Winds runs now with Sound Blaster digital sound effects enabled, as I added the ADPCM sample support.

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Snowbros DS v2.0

January 10th, 2010, 23:10 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...24abc4a1c8936c

Copper, already the author of numerous MAME emulators games for the DS offers version 2.0 of "Snowbros DS" which emulates Roma 6 sets to the game Snow Bros. - Nick & Tom. This new mount called NIFI can play 2 players on 2 DS, and yes nothing less!

Reminder: Put your roms in zip format. Preferably in a directory named / MAMERoms at the root of your linker.

V2.0: 10/01/2010
* Version NIFI
List of supported sets:
Snow Bros. - Nick & Tom (set 1)
Snow Bros. - Nick & Tom (set 2)
Snow Bros. - Nick & Tom (set 3)
Snow Bros. - Nick & Tom (set 4)
Snow Bros. - Nick & Tom (Dooyong license)
Snow Bros. - Nick & Tom (Japan)

http://www.dev-fr.org/index.php?topic=4518.new#new
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PuzzleBoy v1.05

January 10th, 2010, 23:14 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...24abc4a1c8936c

New update that fixes another level PuzzleBoy, adaptation of sokoban like "Kwirk, A-mazing Tater (Game Boy)" by maRk2512.

FIXED: Level 76 was not solveable. Again thanks to mman3i

http://palib-dev.com/forum/index.php/topic,34.75.html

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Moonshell 2.10 beta3

January 10th, 2010, 23:52 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://mobiles.gx-mod.com/modules/ne...p?storyid=9132

Moonlight puts the finishing touches on its media player, whose specificities have been defined for good. On this occasion, he seeks the help of people motivated to do the translation into various languages, and proposes a new beta version.

http://home.att.ne.jp/blue/moonlight/

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Knytt Stories beta1

January 10th, 2010, 23:55 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://mobiles.gx-mod.com/modules/ne...p?storyid=9133

Knytt Stories is a freeware platform game made by Nicklas 'Nifflas' Nygren (http://nifflas.ni2.se/). The game include several short levels ('stories'), and there are many new stories created by the community that anyone can play.
As a tribute to this great game, we are developing a (free) DS version of it - Knytt Stories DS.


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A Lenda de Zelda - A Lança Mágica do Moblin DS

January 11th, 2010, 11:05 Posted By: DesertDog



Romhackers.org and Zelda.com.br asked if I could create a Portuguese version of The Legend of Zelda: Molblin's Magic Spear DS, and with their translation, I did.

Code: Multiple:Option, Localization: The_Owl (zelda.com.br) / Revision: |N|NjA| (zelda.com.br), Sumomo (zelda.com.br), gamer_boy (Romhackers.org)

Download it from here: zelda_p_ds.rar (4MB)

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Nintendo: Wii is most energy efficient console of its generation

January 11th, 2010, 18:34 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has responded to a Greenpeace report published last week which named it as the most environmentally unfriendly electronics company in its annual survey.

The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics scored Nintendo just 1.4 out of 10 for its chemical, e-waste and energy policies. However Nintendo has argued that it takes environmental responsibilities seriously, and pointed out the Wii is more energy efficient than the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

"We would like to assure customers that we take our environmental responsibilities seriously and are rigorous in our commitment to comply with all relevant laws relating to environmental and product safety, including avoiding the use of dangerous substances in our manufacturing processes and ensuring the safe disposal and recycling of materials," Nintendo said in a statement made to Eurogamer.

"We consider the environmental impact of our products over their entire life cycle, from planning to disposal. In the planning phase, for example, we make every effort to design energy-efficient products and select materials for component parts and packaging materials with careful consideration for the environment. We also consider the importance of reducing environmental impact at end-of-life disposal by clearly indicating the materials used in each product to make recycling easier.

"We also work to eliminate harmful substances from our products right from the initial stages of material selection and have established strict environmental control standards, with our 340 production partners all co-operating with us in our efforts."

The Wii is "notably the most energy efficient [console] of its generation," said the company, adding that the DS design had been improved to minimise energy consumption.

Nintendo was marked down in the guide in part because of its failure to submit information on energy and e-waste policies to Greenpeace. In the areas where data wasn't supplied, the company was scored zero.

The environmental group has previously slammed Nintendo for not making these policies public.

Microsoft fared little better in the report and came out just one place ahead of Nintendo with a score of 2.4.

Of the three console manufacturers, Sony came out on top with a score of 5.1 and praise for its reduced greenhouse gases output and increased use of recycled plastics.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...its-generation

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US: Pokewalker bundle incoming

January 11th, 2010, 18:40 Posted By: wraggster

HeartGold and SoulSilver DS releases to get branded pedometer as part of the SKU
Ahead of the release of DS pair Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver in North America on March 14th, it has been revealed that both games will come bundled with a bonus accessory – the Pokewalker.
Kotaku reports that branded pedometer offers more than simply a step recorder – it can also be used to increase a player’s in-game currency and experience. It can also be used to trade items with other players.
The recent DS releases have proved enduring popular in Japan with sales of nearly 1.5m across their opening weekend in Japan. The pair have since gone on to sell in excess of 3m copies in the region.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/37091/US-P...undle-incoming

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Metroid Prime: Trilogy discontinued in UK

January 11th, 2010, 18:47 Posted By: wraggster

discontinued in the UK, which means shops are being given no more stock to sell.

Soon, the only place you'll find a copy is the second-hand market.

"Unfortunately, Metroid Prime Trilogy is no longer being shipped," Nintendo told Coffee with Games (via VG247). "Having said that, you may be able to find what you seek through the second-hand videogame market.

"When first introduced, it was announced that there would be limited availability. However, a reason for this was not announced."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/me...ontinued-in-uk

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The Nintendo Download: Something, Something, Ace Attorney

January 11th, 2010, 21:05 Posted By: wraggster

It must be tough for lesser-known games when the Nintendo Download contains a big-name title like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, but Chronos Twins DX, ShadowPlay, and the rest of this week's offerings put up a good fight.

Good fight or no, it'd be hard for any title to compete with a port of the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (1,000 Wii points), especially when it features new Wii remote gesture-based controls for presenting evidence and objecting. The only downside is the game only contains four of the five chapters of the original game, with the final chapter showing up in May for 100 points. If you find that objectionable, then there are plenty of other games to download this week.

Take Chronos Twins DX from EnjoyUp Games (1,000 points). It's a neat little mix of action, platforming, adventure, and puzzle gameplay, with the player controlling the game's hero, Nec, through two different space time continuums at the same time. Or how about Deep Fried Entertainment's ShadowPlay (800 points), which challenges players to transforming shadows into new objects in more than 100 puzzles? That sounds semi-intriguing, doesn't it?

And hey, there's always DSiWare, which gets Touch Solitaire (200 DSi points), Jazzy Billiards (500 points), and Word Searcher (500 points) today. Those all sound...swell.

See? There are plenty of games to play besides Ace Attorney this week, and that's not even counting the Virtual Console's addition of Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye (800 points), the mahjong game for the Sega Genesis!

So yeah, Phoenix Wright.

WiiWare™

Phoenix Wright™: Ace Attorney
Publisher: Capcom
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Meet Phoenix Wright, the rookie defense lawyer new to the scene with the wildest cross-examination skills in town. Take on four intriguing cases to reveal dramatic, stunning and even comical court proceedings. Use the Wii Remote controller to investigate the crime scenes, question witnesses and present shocking evidence.

Chronos Twins DX
Publisher: EnjoyUp Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Enter into the original world of Chronos Twins DX to live a fantastic adventure full of innovative ideas. Thanks to its Dual Gameplay game system, you'll be able to control Nec in two temporal scenarios at the same time. Chronos Twins DX mixes action, platforms, adventure and puzzles to challenge your intelligence and ability.

ShadowPlay
Publisher: Deep Fried Entertainment
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Alcohol Reference
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Welcome to ShadowPlay. Let your imagination run wild when light meets everyday objects to create fascinating shadows. Play and experiment, make a monster out of a pineapple, a dolphin out of a banana - the only limit is your imagination. ShadowPlay challenges players by transforming shadows into more than 100 exciting, unique puzzles. As more challenging puzzles are unlocked, players will have to find more creative ways to solve problems. You will never look at a slice of pizza the same way again! Winning a round will allow players to advance to the next level as well as score another item to use in the Free Play Mode, where you can unleash your imagination and create your own shadow art. Family and friends can also jump in to help tackle a puzzle at any time using Local Co-op Mode. ShadowPlay will provide tons of brain-racking fun for players of all ages. How do you ShadowPlay?

Nintendo DSiWare™

Touch Solitaire
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Touch Solitaire features two of the most popular versions of the world-famous card game - Spider and Klondike - with simple touch-screen controls and an easy-to-understand interface. In Spider, the aim is to arrange cards in piles of a single suit from King down to Ace, thereby removing the pile from play. When all cards are removed, you win the game. The goal of Klondike is to arrange cards from Ace to King in piles, one for each suit, on the four foundations. You win when all cards have been moved to the foundations. Various difficulty levels are available for Spider and Klondike, allowing beginners or experts to enjoy the game at their own pace.

Jazzy Billiards
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Challenge intelligent computers or even your friends to a traditional game of 9-ball while enjoying mind-soothing music with Jazzy Billiards. Take advantage of the intuitive stylus mechanic to aim and hit the cue ball with varying strength to sink the other balls. Defeat your opponents by being the first to sink the 9-ball. Jazzy Billiards' Stage Mode features nine different stages, each with an opponent of ascending difficulty. Find out how many computers you can defeat in a row with Challenge Mode, or challenge your friends to a game of 9-ball in Versus Mode.

Word Searcher
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: You'll need a sharp eye and a quick mind to complete these 100 themed word search puzzles. Word Searcher contains fun words from multiple categories including anatomy, world cities and U.S. presidents. Packed with a huge assortment of subjects to choose from, there's sure to be a puzzle anyone will enjoy. Help improve your vocabulary, memory and problem-solving skills with these challenging puzzles. Keep track of, and try to beat, your own play-through times again and again as words are scrambled every time you play. Get your thinking cap on and conquer all 100 today.

Virtual Console™

Shanghai® II: Dragon's Eye
Original platform: Genesis
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: The ancient pastime of mahjong solitaire is reinvented as an interactive video game where each tile you remove may be your last. Discover enchanting music, fun animation and exciting obstacles that are built in to this intriguing board game that will keep you engaged for hours. This classic title challenges you to clear the board by removing matching pairs of tiles. Play the traditional Shanghai® II or take the game to a new dimension with Dragon's Eye. Don't let the simple rules deceive you - the depth and intricacy of this challenge will become your new obsession very soon.

http://kotaku.com/5445332/the-ninten...g-ace-attorney

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Netflix CEO upbeat on chances of Nintendo console streaming

January 11th, 2010, 21:10 Posted By: wraggster

The eventuality of Netflix becoming available on a Nintendo console has left the world of "if" and seems headed for "when." According to Engadget, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings described chances of the company's movie streaming service "getting on Nintendo" as "excellent." Netflix has been singing the same song since last October, when PS3's Netflix streaming was announced. We've contacted Netflix and asked whether it would like to announce any firm commitments about its plans for the Wii.

If there is anything "iffy" about Netflix streaming for a Nintendo console, it revolves around whether the service will be available for the current Wii console, or any possibly far-fetched followups.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/11/ne...ole-streaming/

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My Fitness Coach 2 Workout and Nutrition

January 11th, 2010, 21:18 Posted By: wraggster

Newly released today:



features
Personal virtual trainer demonstrates moves, gives advice, and provides motivation
Access almost 80 exercises for losing weight, lowering your cholesterol, and getting ready for swimsuit season
Personalized goals let you chose length and frequency of program on a calendar
Customize your environment and pick your favorite type of workout music
Chart your progress with graphs over an extended period of time

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-3oq8.html

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bsnes 0.059.02

January 11th, 2010, 22:57 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://emu-russia.net/en/

WIP version of Super Nintendo emulator has been updated recently. Changes:
- added folder-up button to the file loading window;
- hid new-folder button except on path selection window;
- removed "Assign Modifiers as Keys" button; replaced with input.modifierEnable in the configuration file;
- fixed a Qt signal issue that was causing ROM loading to take an extra second or two longer than necessary;
- scale 5x setting will now maintain an exact multiple in both width and height for both NTSC and PAL modes;
- re-added group assignment and unassignment to the input settings window;
- re-wrote mouse capture code to be more intuitive, now uses buttons to set assignment;
- re-added input.allowInvalidInput check to stop up+down and left+right key combinations by default [Jonas Quinn];
- split "Tools Dialog" menu option into separate items for each tool (Cheat Editor, Cheat Finder, State Manager);
- added S-SMP and S-DSP property information readouts to the debugger.

http://byuu.org/

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Nintendulator v0.975 Beta (2010/01/09)

January 11th, 2010, 22:58 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.aep-emu.de/PNphpBB2-file-...c-t-14377.html

The NES Emulator Nintendulator has been updated.

As predicted, the process of converting the mapper DLL code from C to C++ introduced at least one bug, causing Namco 106 (iNES mapper 19) sound to break. The latest build includes mapper DLLs which fix this problem.

http://www.qmtpro.com/~nes/nintendulator/

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RedSquare 0.94 released

January 11th, 2010, 23:11 Posted By: wraggster

RedSquare 0.94 released by wplaat

RedSquare is an classic 2D action game. Click and hold the red square. Now, move it so that you neither touch the walls nor get hit by any of the blue blocks. If you make it to 31 seconds, you are doing brilliantly! Created by wplaat (www.plaatsoft.nl). Special thanks to my family for their support during the development of this game.

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/RedSquare

This evening RedSquare 0.94 is released by PlaatSoft. The following changes were made:

11/01/2010 Version 0.94
- Added improve score calculation.
- Added extra help screen.
- Improve webservice call to store high score.
- Added support for 60HZ (640×480) TV mode.
- Use libogc 1.8.1 library as Wii interface engine.
- Use GRRLIB v4.2.0 as graphical engine.
- Build game with devkitPPC r19 compiler.

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Wiikey Fusion Progress Update

January 11th, 2010, 23:14 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.eurasia.nu/modules.php?na...ticle&sid=2511

Wiikey Fusion, as many will know, has been the buzz of the Wii modding community for several months now. This revolutionary new way to mod a Wii to enable Homebrew etc to be played from SD card has caused a lot of excitement and anticipation. At the same time, a lot of people have emailed us to voice their frustration over how long its taking. When we first announced Wiikey Fusion back in September 2009, we did not think that it would take quite this long to launch. Initially, we had October 2009 as a preliminary launch date. However, introduction of a new protections in the form of a previously unused DI command (BCA read) in a recently released game forced us to reconsider the Wiikey Fusion architecture. While implementing BCA read emulation is quite straightforward there are several other Wii/Gamecube specific commands that potentially could be used in future protections.

As a result of what we discovered, we basically scrapped 4 months work and set about creating a brand new architecture which supports reading game-specific DI command handlers from games on DVD and SD card.

We're pleased to announce that this work is nearing completion, and that we're looking to begin shipments of Wiikey Fusion during January.

We'd like to thank everyone who gave us their support and trust from day one with this product. Without you, Wiikey Fusion would not have become a reality.

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Inside The Machine 2 - WIP

January 11th, 2010, 23:23 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...ced6098c273f46

Morukutsu already written several homebrew missed on Wii and DS, brings her new DS project, "Inside The Machine 2," after "Inside the Machine.

For the record, this game is the direct result of Inside the Machine. In it, you direct Dade, who goes in search of his friend went on trip for several months. Walking in his footsteps, he will discover that the world has become more and more strange after the arrival of an alien on the planet. The latter, using the Earth as a toy will completely disrupt the planet, making it increasingly mad day by day. In the footsteps of his friend, Dade will be loaded with a new goal: to combat the threat posed by this alien.

For the technical side is not too different from the first (always based on μLib). Apart from that I learned many things I should not fail to add to the game is always the same engine, but also improved (particles & co). And for collisions and jumps that made the first opus not very cool to play, everything is correct smiley. The levels are bigger and the game will obviously be longer.

In terms of progress, there remains much to do. I have a personal map editor that will allow me to create levels quickly.
So far no playable demo then, but there is a video Smiley.




http://www.dev-fr.org/index.php?topi...;topicseen#new

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iDeaS 1.0.3.3 - DS Emulator for Windows

January 11th, 2010, 23:27 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...ced6098c273f46

Lino and Actarus released a new version of the DS Emulator for Windows:

Hello everybody,

I am Actarus and I will release and I will write the new version of iDeaS.

Here's the changelog :

* Fixed some bugs in timers emualtion.
* Fixed a bug in alpha blending between OAM and layers.
* Fixed a bug closing the compressed files.
* Added some speedup at the emulation.
* Added new formats for the screenshots and fixed bug during the capture.

http://www.emucraze.com/ideas/index.php

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Dice Roller DS v1.1

January 11th, 2010, 23:31 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...ced6098c273f46

Wisen offers version 1.1 of "Dice Roller DS", dice simulator for the DS.

Changelog

Version 1.1
- New GUI (again!)
- Intuitive controls
- Detection Pen
- Added support, a standby mode and reset
- Now in English!

http://www.dev-fr.org/index.php?topic=4437.new#new

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OsoScript Ver0.02

January 11th, 2010, 23:35 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.ds-scene.net/?s=viewtopic&nid=8976

Tarosa has been working on a scripting language for the DS called OsoScript. If you can read Japanese then you might find the documentation useful on his new blog

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/tarosay/20100103/1262530014

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OpenBOR 3.0 Build 2637

January 12th, 2010, 21:09 Posted By: wraggster

The OpenBor Team have released a new version of the Beats of Rage Engine for the Wii and Dingoo,

Heres whats new:

Fixes:

Plombo: Biker support is finally fixed! Now you can play more mods correctly on Wii and Dingoo, including the original Beats of Rage.
Plombo: Fix for loading mods from the data folder under Linux.
Shin-NiL: Added Dingoo specific function to detect correct amount of free RAM.

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JMEBoy v1.5.2 & JSwingBoy v1.2.14

January 12th, 2010, 21:15 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.aep-emu.de/PNphpBB2-file-...c-t-14389.html

JMEBoy is a Game Boy emulator available for mobile phones using J2ME. JSwingBoy runs on PCs.


Quote:
Changes history - JMEBoy v1.5.2:

1.5.2 (based on HG rev. 418)
- fixed problem that timer in "Super Mario Land" cycles between 400 and 500 (bug ID 2924635)

1.5.1 (based on HG rev. 410)
- added Dutch translation provided by ikben0het@users.sourceforge.net
- fixed the problem that the new main menu could not be used on some Sony Ericsson phones (bug id 2880965)

1.5 (based on HG rev. 407)
- menu redesign
- updates to the French translation, provided by Philippe Infarnet (feufeu84@user.sourceforge.net)
- performance optimizations

Changes history - JSwingBoy v1.2.14:

1.2.14 (based on HG rev. 418)
- fixed problem that timer in "Super Mario Land" cycles between 400 and 500 (bug ID 2924635)

http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...roup_id=219240

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Eat or be Eaten 12/01/10

January 12th, 2010, 21:41 Posted By: wraggster

HVE has released a new version of his game for the DS:

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Scummvm For Nintendo64

January 12th, 2010, 21:45 Posted By: wraggster

The release of the Nintendo 64 Flashcart has meant a fresh restart for homebrew on the N64, heres a release posted at 64scener

It's no longer a secret, as of today ScummVM is officially available for the Nintendo64, ported by Hkz.

A prebuilt image with demo roms is available below.

Thanks to Hkz for the awesome release :-)

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Scummvm 64 Incl. Beneath A Steel Sky

January 12th, 2010, 21:51 Posted By: wraggster

ScummVM for N64 bundled with Beneath a Steel Sky, news again from N64 Scener

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Airscan v0.5 DS

January 12th, 2010, 22:22 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://mobiles.gx-mod.com/modules/ne...p?storyid=9137

Raphael updates its scanner developed for Nintendo DS Wifi Airscan baptized.

News / Corrections:
- Compiled with Palib
- Timeouts are better
- The code has been cleaned

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Wii's Metroid M arriving this year

January 13th, 2010, 18:07 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Update: Nintendo's told Eurogamer that no release date has been confirmed for Other M in Europe and the uK.

Nintendo's announced that Wii action game Metroid: Other M - a collaboration with Ninja Gaiden studio Team Ninja - will be released this year.

"The next highly anticipated offering in the Metroid franchise is Metroid: Other M, which will be available this year," the company told G4TV.

The statement came after Nintendo was spotted discontinuing the brilliant Metroid Prime: Trilogy, presumably to show fans there was something to look forward to.

Zelda fans are not so lucky, as Reggie Fils-Aime still refuses to pin down a date for the new Zelda game on Wii.

"Right now, it's still in development. But the key message that Mr. Miyamoto and Mr. Aonuma are telling us is that it really has to be perfect when it launches. That really is what the Zelda fan is expecting," said US boss Fils-Aime on the Nintendo Week show.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has been Link's only adventure on Wii to date, and that was a game originally designed for GameCube, with Wiimote controls tagged on.

At E3 2008, Nintendo overlord Satoru Iwata told the world that the Zelda and Mario teams were hard at work making new games. The Mario team was evidently busy with the now announced Super Mario Galaxy 2, which is due out this year.

But what the Zelda team is up to we're still waiting to hear. Shigeru Miyamoto said at E3 2009 that he "really wanted to announce a Zelda game for Wii", but explained that it was better for the team to focus on development rather than cobble together a demo for the show.

An E3 2010 reveal, then, is on the cards.

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PSA: Wii's Netflix sign-up page now available

January 13th, 2010, 18:22 Posted By: Shrygue

via Joystiq


Netflix's Wii disc sign-up page (remember, you need the disc to access the movie streaming service) is now live. All you need to do is sign in to your account and press the big blue button on the page. Yup, it's really that simple.

We're currently trying to find out from Netflix if the launch and service on the Wii will be relatively similar to that offered on the PS3 -- beyond requiring a disc. We're also trying to narrow down that "spring" release window, if possible.

Update: "Spring is as specific as we can get," a Netflix representative tells Joystiq. We've also been told, "The Wii will have the same titles as all Netflix ready devices and a similar, easy and fast disc-based experience as the PS3."


Sign up page here

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Reggie: New Zelda Wii Title Has To Be Perfect

January 13th, 2010, 18:37 Posted By: Shrygue

via IGN


Speaking on the Nintendo Weekly show (via Youtube), President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime stated the company will be taking its time with the upcoming Zelda title for Wii, and that it won't see a release until its perfect.

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Analyst predicts Netflix on Wii will have limited impact

January 13th, 2010, 21:08 Posted By: wraggster

Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter has said he doesn't expect the launch of Netflix on Wii, announced earlier today, to be as significant a move as it was on Xbox 360.

Despite a US installed base of close to 26 million, Pachter estimated that only a small percentage of users - fewer than 20 per cent - had connected their Wii to the internet. In contrast, he estimated around 75 per cent of 360s and 80 per cent of PS3s were used online.

As such it wasn't expected that Netflix activations would jump significantly when the service launched this spring. "We think that the Wii installed base will embrace the Netflix service only gradually," said the Wedbush report.

However, as the Xbox 360 installed base for the Netflix service approached saturation point, the addition of PS3, Wii and further electronics devices would enable Netflix to maintain its pace of new subscribers, it added.

To access the Netflix service through the Wii, users will need to insert a separate disc before watching a film - as will be required on the PS3 also. On the Xbox 360, users can simply access the service from the Dashboard - a feature which Pachter predicted has arisen from Microsoft's 360 exclusive arrangement with Netflix, which will run at least until the end of 2010.

In the wake of the Wii announcement, the guidance from Wedbush on Netflix shares was that they would underperform.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...limited-impact

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Next DS won't have motion sensor after all

January 13th, 2010, 21:19 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has denied that the next iteration of the DS will feature a motion sensor and more graphical power.

Company president Satoru Iwata was reported as making the claims last week. But according to Nintendo there's been a misunderstanding.

"Mr Iwata did not make any comments regarding the functions of Nintendo's future hardware systems," a representative told Kotaku. "The answer to the reporter's question was misinterpreted."

Kotaku stands by its original translation of the comments, which appeared in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. Nintendo says it was the paper's reporter who was responsible for the mix-up.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ne...nsor-after-all

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Nintendo trademarks Wii Relax in US

January 13th, 2010, 21:21 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has filed an application to trademark the name Wii Relax in the US.

The application covers a wide range of possible uses for the name - it could refer to all manner of software or peripherals. But there's plenty of speculation it could have something to do with the Vitality Sensor accessory, particularly since the patent mentions "parts and accessories of consumer videogame apparatus, including those with pulse-measuring functions".

Nintendo also trademarked the Wii Relax name in Europe last year. Hmm.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ni...ii-relax-in-us

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Only bad Wii games sell badly - Bloober

January 13th, 2010, 21:25 Posted By: wraggster

Capcom's "bitching" (and subsequent back-track) about poor sales of Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles was ill-aimed, WiiWare developer Bloober Team has told Eurogamer.

"With such a strong install base it's hard to believe that there's not enough people to appreciate mature, core content," said executive producer Marcin Kawa. "It's all about games and quality. I'm not surprised that another shooter on rails doesn't sell well. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that people expect something more than that..

"I bet No More Heroes 2 will do pretty good, as well as the new Metroid and Capcom's Monster Hunter. I hope that Last Flight will be successful and that's because we're making a game that was thought out as a Wii game.

"Instead of bitching," he added, "we'd rather create something that has value and doesn't feel like a third-rate port put together to make a quick buck."

Bloober's making Last Flight, a visually simple but striking action-horror game inspired by Golden Axe, although we've yet to see the similarities. Importantly, this is a WiiWare game aimed at a mature audience that Marcin Kawa is adamant exists on Wii, despite the public lethargy for critically acclaimed games like MadWorld and No More Heroes.

"Was it the right decision to develop a game on Wii? Should we make it less violent? Are we gonna sell enough copies to pay our bills? You know, typical questions, nothing unusual here," Kawa said. "And while we love and respect Capcom and Pachter, we wouldn't go that far and say that mature stuff doesn't sell or that it's the platform holder's fault.

"Our logic is far simpler: if the game doesn't sell, we did something wrong."

The first episode of Last Flight, of which there are four, will be released on WiiWare "really soon".

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/on...-badly-bloober