You may of noticed on all sites bar the DS site that the horrid iframes are now history and that the news looks a whole lot nicer with yellow icons that match the forum, all the sites are now PHP sites which means we can easily update links with just one change of a file. We have 4 new sites to be announced this week for our network so keep your eyes peeled
Bronto has updated his Mail proggy for the Nintendo DS:
Heres whats new:
New version 0.37
new features:
- access point select screen (Press Start while it tries to connect to one of the default access points); may not work perfectly yet
- pop3 code improved
- smpth authorization fixed
- compose message improved
- keep alive packets sent for all screens (except dialogs)
known bugs:
- sometimes messages are displayed incorrectly or duplicated, crashes while downloading mail. most important issue at the moment caused by a bug in dswifi
- keyboard causes freeze when used too quick (palib)
- bad error handling in mail send
- config file writing not supported on some flashcards like SCSD
- keep alive packets send for all screens (except dialogs)
Note to those who can't connect to their access point:
please try wifi_lib_test (get here). If it can't connect, your AP is not supported by dswifi yet
Hi, I just finished my first NDS project : Quick & Dirty Save Manager for Supercard
As its name says, it's a save manager for Supercard (SD&CF, maybe M3 as well) ^^
you can:
-create multiple save for a game (up to 9)
-change the current save for a game
-create a new empty save for a game
-copy the current save to a new one
-erase a save
it's a little slow, but it's due to the write function of the FAT lib which is slow (or if you know a way to write on sd/cf faster, let me know)
It was made in 3 days, so do a backup of your saves before trying...
let me know if you find bugs.
I've released the alpha version of this NDS dice thrower, for role playing games like D&D.
It includes a calculator too (float support still to be implemented), just to calc your exp and things like that :P.
Its done with PAlib, and theres lot of features I plan to add in a future, like random name generator, miniature table simulation, better dice.. etc
The DS Lua Team have released a new version of the DS Lua Player, heres whats new:
Everything but the kitchen sink release! This release is based on alot of the user feed back I've gotten. Major features are the file io support and mod music support!
File input/output support through Lua's default io methods. Now you can save those high scores directly to flash cards (the ones supported by Chishm's driver).
Added functions to retrieve system information, such as user name/birthday/current time/favorite color..etc.
All trignometry functions in the math libraries are now using degrees instead radiants, i.e. math.cos(0)=1, math.cos(90)~=0. My apologies if you are using them currently.
Lua files are highlighted in green now. The file selector also tries to remember the previous location between script runs.
Same as the previous releases, version 0.5 comes in CF and GBFS flavor.
To go along with SgStair's newly released WiFi Lib, let's start off the NDS WiFi Games right!
NDSHB.com is having a WiFi Game Coding Competition..
NDSHB.com WiFi Game Coding Competition!!
- 1st place prize is an XBOX 360!
- 2nd place prize is a Palm Z22!
- 3rd place prize is a GBA MP + 512MB Compact Flash card!
- Misc. prizes to be awarded. (PM me if you'd like to donate any)
- Offical rules to be announced soon!
- ndshb.com available for server side connections, details will be in the rules.
- Competition ends June 30th, 2006.
- WiFi App Devers - If there is a lack of Game entries, Apps may be included. See official rules (coming soon) for details.
Buena Vista Games appears to be expanding its portfolio beyond licensed fare with mainstream appeal. While the publisher is known for putting out games like The Chronicles of Narnia and Desperate Hosuewives, last week it announced four new games from niche developer Q Entertainment, including a sequel to the acclaimed PlayStation Portable puzzler Lumines.
Today, Buena Vista Games continues to explore the world beyond licensing tie-ins with the announcement that it will publish a Nintendo DS game based on a new intellectual property. Spectrobes will be an anime-inspired action role-playing game, and Buena Vista Games has tapped Jupiter Corporation to develop it. Jupiter's previous games include Mario's Picross and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.
As interplanetary patrol officers Rallen and Jeena, players will use the DS touch screen to excavate nearly 500 fossilized creatures called spectrobes. Once freed from their fossil prisons, the spectrobes can be trained and evolved for real-time battles against the Krawl, a dangerous force that could destroy the galaxy if left unchecked.
Buena Vista Games has not yet announced a release date for Spectrobes.
During a recent podcast, 1UP noted that Nintendo would announce the official price and release date for the DS Lite this Thursday, May 4. The announcement will include the relevant data for the North American launch and will likely reveal a price and date for Europe as well. The DS Lite debuted in Japan this past March for 16,800 yen (just under $150), but due to demand, some distributors pushed the price to 23,300 yen (roughly $200). Current rumors speculate a June release in North America with a $199.99 price tag.
The original Nintendo DS model is now on sale for as low as $119.99. Would you be willing to fork over an additional $80 to go Lite?
Ficedula has released SylphIRC which is an n IRC client for the DS.
Heres the info
Things that work:
-Connects via DS WFC preferences (only...)
-Connect to specified server
-Join/part channels
-Send messages to channels (kind of required...)
-Change nick
-Track users in channels (joins, parts, nick changes, ...)
-CTCP ACTIONs (/me)
-Quit (...)
-Onscreen keyboard for entry
Things that probably don't work:
-Privmsg to other users: you may be able to reply but they have to initiate the conversation
We're not usually ones to post every sceenshot and video clip of upcoming games, but being that the New Super Mario Bros. on Nintendo DS is highly anticipated, we thought we'd point you in the right direction. Follow the link for the second new trailer featuring some fresh Mario tricks. It is believed that the game will launch in a just over two weeks on May 15. Giddy up!
A listing on Japanese website Rakuten has revealed that Hudson Soft has finally re-confirmed that the new version of Bomberman is set to release this year, complete with online Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection compatibility. Hopefully more details on Bomberman Land will be shown at this year's E3 in May.
Mighty Max has again updated his RTS Project for the Nintendo DS, heres whats new:
[01.05.2006]
+ new events: MAP_COMPLETE, PARTY_UNITS_KILLED, PARTY_BILDINGS_DESTROYED
* it is possible to build building now
* fixed an issue preventing a unit beeing able to build itself
+ added the building placement
Moonshell is a multimedia player for the Nintendo DS. It can play wav, mp3, ogg, display text files, display jpg, bmp and play video.
1.2 Finalbeta
changes since moonshell 1.1:
NDSLiteDefaultBrightness (4=AutoDetect) item was added to [System] section of global.ini.
StartupSound (2=Auto start) item was added to [Boot] section of global.ini.
MicroDrive was supported with GBAMP. (There is MicroDrive for which compatibility is not suitable. )
The clock plug-in was supported with MSPV30. The clock is displayed without turning off the backlight.
MID/RCP plug-in was corrected a little. (There are no changes in the sound font and midrcp.ini. )
WhenPanelClose (1=PowerOff) item was added to [System] section of global.ini.
TopScreenFlip (0 = Normal, 1=180 rotation, 2=Vertical flip, 3=Horizonal flip) item was added to [System] section of global.ini.
The close button was mounted.
ImageControlTimeOutSec item was added to [System] section of global.ini. for full screen image.
The bug that the DPG reproduction becomes heavy was corrected. (libnds-20060410 back to libnds-20060201)
The DPG decoder was sped up a little.
Dithering (3=Heavy) item was added to [DPGPlugin] section of global.ini.
AdaptiveDelayControl (0=Movement priority 1=Synchronous priority.) item was added to [DPGPlugin] section of global.ini.
Scroll method of the image redraw was sped up.
EDIT:
finalbeta 2 is out now too.
The bug to which The MID/RCP plug-in did not liberate the file steering wheel was corrected.
Because a private function had remained entering, it returned.
The readme.txt of an english and finnish version was bundled. (Thank you Xtreme!)
The readme.txt of an spanish version was bundled. (Thank you JuSJo!)
Dragonminded has updated his Organizer for the DS, heres whats new:
- Added sanity check to filenames.
- Fixed slight cursor issue with todo screen.
- Fixed delete button not working on todo screen.
- Fixed inconsistencies in file creation/saving on todo/scribble screens. - Hopefully this fixes the SC SD errors for some.
- Added wav playback to browser.
- Added mod/s3m/xm/it playback to browser.
- Added mp3 playback to browser.
- Added slideshow controls to picture viewer.
- Changed picture viewer to detect images too small to view.
- Disabled write command on M3SD to stop corruption.
Heres whats new in this latest release of the Editor:
View/Edit "9th" neighbor info (part of NPC migration)
Force Monkeys (or other NPCs) to migrate from your town to other towns over WiFi (sending town must have Action Replay, receiving town does not)
View NPC relationships with you and visiting players. Edit "nicknames" (what the NPC calls you)
Limited Bedroom editing (can place up to 4 furniture items at 4 "bed" positions in top room)
Fixed "fill out catalog" feature (safer, reports number of catalog items)
Slightly improved Japanese UI translation
It's decided, I will release the first beta of the game this Saturday 06 with the test level it has. Well, here are the changes I made the last days:
-Code optimized (13 "for(..)" are in only 1 now)
-Added Skill: CHANGE WEAPON (R and L)
-Added Skill: DASH (DOWN + A)
-Added Skill: RUN (Y)
-Added: (on code): Skills function, makes easier to add skills now
-Fixed (on code): Hero can use different weapons now
-Fixed: Smoke effect fixed
-Fixed: some tiny bugs I have already forgotten.
When a newcomer comes to the Nintendo DS scene he or she sees so many different flash carts but which is the best Flash Cart for the Nintendo DS both in terms of easyness of use and compatability and Price.
Ill be interested to see what is the members choice.
For me its the Supercard/Passkey Combo but whats your choice and why ?
US politicians have gained a new champion in their battle against the sale of violent videogames to minors, as New York Attorney General and Governor hopeful Eliot Spitzer voices his support of governmental regulations.
Spitzer asserts that political intervention, in addition to educational reform, is a necessary measure to protect children from negative or harmful media influences, stating: "Parents and schools need the government's help in curbing irresponsible behaviour by corporations that market harmful products to our kids."
Advocating a "uniform ratings system" that would be maintained and controlled by the government, Spitzer also supported recent legislative efforts introduced by California, Michigan, Illinois and, most recently, Oklahoma, although he admits the failure of almost all of those efforts on constitutional grounds and hopes to change that for his state.
He went on to largely dismiss the current ESRB self regulatory system, labelling it as ineffective and largely ignored, despite evidence to the contrary submitted by several industry trade bodies.
"The Entertainment Software Rating Board does have a rating system that warns consumers of content unsuitable for children, but it's often ignored," Spitzer stated. "Laws protecting underage kids from harmful products are nothing new - laws preventing kids from buying cigarettes serve as just one example. But currently, nothing under New York State law prohibits a fourteen-year old from walking into a video store and buying a game labelled Adult Only."
The industry was quick to return fire on the comments, Video Software Dealers Association president Bo Anderson issuing a statement which maintains that Spitzer's comments are based on a misunderstanding of the effectiveness of current ESRB ratings, commenting: "the latest findings of the Federal Trade Commission on the ability of minors to purchase Mature-rated video games shows a substantial increase in self-regulation, particularly by major retailers."
The VSDA provided figures showing a 362 per cent increase in the enforcement of store policies restricting the sale of M-rated games since the original FTC shopping survey in 2000, almost doubling between 2003 and the most recent study. The turn-down rate in national retail chains where the vast majority of games are purchased is currently 65 per cent, and much effort is going into improving that figure on a daily basis.
"The best outcome for parents and their kids would be for Attorney General Spitzer to add his name to the effort to remind parents about the game ratings system and assist and empower them in making informed choices for their children," Anderson concluded.
Adding comment to the debate, ESA president Doug Lowenstein, who remains actively involved in supporting industry self-regulation and opposes the various stringent legislative proposals introduced in recent months, stated: "A uniform rating system is a good idea in principle. But there are practical problems involved with applying the same standards to fundamentally different media that make realization of this ideal immensely challenging. By imposing a 'one size fits all' formula on these widely divergent entertainment mediums, a universal ratings system could actually create confusion, not simplicity."
New edition of the World famous DVD Mag from Famitsu:
Famitsu Wave DVD is Famitsu’s monthly magazine coming as a printed high gloss magazine and a fully featured DVD. Famitsu Wave DVD Includes the latest trailers, exclusive videos, reviews, how-to’s and fun stuff. Covers all videogame systems.
Weekly Special: Namco's Nintendo DS™ RPG compilation Xenosaga I-II at US$ 19.90 only - offer valid for 1 week
Xenosaga I-II combines the storylines of the first and second PlayStation2™ episodes in one game.
The battle system is similar to the one found in Episode I, with a change that your AP meter now goes up to a maximum of 6 levels. New characters and new skills have been implemented. Instead of combination attacks as present in the PS2™ versions, you can now perform Personal Formations, in which the formation of your battle party affects your surroundings.
The game features animted movies and voices as cut scenes. Stylus supports has been added to play dungeon mini games.
The script for Xenosaga I-II has been written by Yuichiro Takeda, who also worked on the Xenosaga cartoon. Character designs (which are different from the two PS2™ titles) are by Hiroshi Takeuchi. Kousuke Yamashita, of Nobunaga's Ambition fame has been responsible for the music.
The DCEmu Homebrew Network tonight adds a new site to the Homebrew scenes we cover and the new site is of the Handheld Console the Gizmondo, which you may or may not know is a 400mhz console but didnt do very well commercially despite some great features.
Well recently the Homebrew scene for the Gizmondo has flourished and already they have Snes,Nes,GBA and many more emulators and games.
I am the programmer of blubb.
The first lobby-version is already released !
Port mapping isn't necessary anymore, although the communication in "direct-connect"-mode is more stable, if at least one player forwards ports 9999 & 10000.
Features of the Lobby-Version :
- Server sided save games
- Lobby Chat
- (Zoomed out) message history (L/R to go back/forth, SELECT to switch zoom mode)
- Invite players
- STILL MANY BUGS
SNK Playmore is throwing its hat into the Nintendo ring, as the publisher today announced that it would begin supporting both the Wii and the Nintendo DS. Previously, the only Nintendo system to see SNK Playmore development was the Game Boy Advance, which played host to Metal Slug Advance and is set to receive a port of the original arcade Metal Slug.
For its first Wii project, SNK Playmore is preparing Metal Slug Anthology. Not to be confused with the recently announce Metal Slug Collection on the PSP, Metal Slug Anthology is being billed as "a full arcade collection." Presumably, that would include the relatively new Metal Slug 6 (the only arcade Metal Slug game missing from the PSP collection). However, SNK Playmore is promising that these won't be straight ports, as the company's president Ben Herman said in a statement that "the Wii controller will be used in a new and unique way that enhances the gameplay."
SNK Playmore also announced its intention to support the DS in America today. Herman also said in the statement that the company would enter the market with SNK vs. Capcom Card Fighters DS.
Mic has updated the best Nintendo DS Emulator for Windows:
Heres whats new:
CPU: Fixed a bug in the division SWI
GPU: Fixed some tile flipping bugs
GPU: Optimized rendering of extended palette BGs a bit
GPU: Disabled rendering of OBJ windows
MMU: The FAT is now writeable
INP: The keyboard layout can now be configured in dualis.ini
GUI: Improved the texture viewer
FAT write operations are fairly restricted at this point, see the README section on GBAMP emulation for more details.
Here is my first homebrew game for the Nintendo DS. It is a simulator of the Game&Watch Oil Panic.
What's new :
o Switched off "sprites" are slightly visible, like on the original LCD display (thanks Shito).
o Game A and Game B are two distinct difficulty settings. Game B was the single level of version 0.1. Game A is obviously easier.
- How to play
The scene takes place in a gas station, as an oil leak from a pipe on the third floor is causing confusion. Move Station Helper left and right to catch the leaks in his bucket. Helper's bucket holds three drops. Move Helper out to veranda to pour the oil into the Boss's oil drum on the second floor. Be careful not to drop oil on the waiting customers.
- Screens
Upper screen is a zoom-up of the third floor of the gas station where Helper is. All three floors of the gas station appear on lower screen.
Download and Give Feedback Via Comments
I whipped together a sample Server List browser. It allows you to query for game servers, and to add/remove game servers from the list. It's pretty basic at the moment, but should be enough for a simple ip address exchange. I'm feel like I'm rushing this out because I'm late for work... but I think I got it all in a clean package for download, if not I'll fix it tonight.
The source code for all the operations is included, so feel free to add it to your wifi enabled games, and to use my server to store hosted game ip addresses. You'll just need to change the 3 instances of "TestGame" to your own game name.
EA has stormed back into the top of the charts this week with next-gen sales of FIFA World Cup Germany 2006, Miss Croft stepping down to enjoy the footie after three weeks at the top.
As anticipation for the World Cup increases, managerial wannabes are setting their sights on virtual victory, driving Sega's Football Manager 2006 up four places from seven to three in the all formats chart.
DS owners are still taking care of their furry friends, as Animal Crossing: Wild World maintains a healthy chart position, dropping just one place into fourth, while Vivendi's slightly soggy Ice Age 2: The Meltdown drips down from second to fifth this week.
Crime is still paying dividends for EA, with The Godfather slipping just one place into sixth, followed closely by a strong debut for NCsoft's latest MMO expansion, Guild Wars Factions, in at number seven.
At the lower end of the top ten, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion enjoys a small boost this week, up two places from ten to eight, FIFA Street 2 concedes five places to nestle in at nine, and Relentless Software live up to their name as Buzz: The Big Quiz refuses to leave the top ten, clinging on in tenth place.
Three new entries this week make it into the top forty, but only just. Rogue Trooper marches in at thirty-eight for Eidos, followed by two new DS titles, Tetris DS and Trauma Center: Under the Knife to complete the lower ranks of the all-formats chart run.
It's going to be slim pickings on new releases this week, as the industry awaits a slew of new announcements and next-gen titles to be shown at the E3 expo. That said, Nintendo ought to do well with DS title Metroid Prime: Hunters, and Ubisoft are hoping to recreate the phenomenal console success of Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, as the game hits stores on PC at the end of the week.
Nintendo is looking to getting things moving for owners of the company's DS handheld. As of today, owners of the dual-screened handheld who purchase Metroid Prime Hunters will get a rumbling throw-in--the DS Rumble Pak.
Previously, the Rumble Pak was available with another DS Metroid game, Metroid Pinball. Gamers can also buy the accessory directly from Nintendo's Web site for $9.99. Currently, only a handful of DS games supports the Rumble Pak.
A statement from Nintendo doesn't specifically say where gamers can purchase the Hunters/Rumble Pak bundle, only saying that it is available at "select retailers" while supplies last. Requests to Nintendo for a more detailed list went unanswered as of press time.
It would seem Wired Magazine is obsessed with the topic of sex in videogames. Why this is the case is anyone’s guess? SPOnG suspects that it is because it is mainly written by elderly American liberals (read: hippies) who previously - somewhat mistakenly - thought that sex was the path to all human liberation.
Anyways, in the wake of last year's ridiculous Grand Theft Auto/Hot Coffee debacle, and what with E3 being sex-free this year (well, scantily-clad booth-babe free at least) we thought it was time to give a bit of our fractured, ADD-addled attention to the subject of sex and how it is handled by videogame designers and marketers. Sex, as any male human with a pulse will tell you, is something that we think of a lot. So it makes sense that some games will incorporate it in one way or another: some potentially good, some cringeworthily bad.
Wired spoke to Brenda Brathwaite, lead designer on Playboy: The Mansion, and a vociferous campaigner for sex in videogames. Brathwaite leads the sex task force at the International Game Developers Association (yes, there is such a group!) and gives talks at numerous conferences. Many refer to her simply as 'The Sex in Games Lady'. Braithwaite has just penned a book, simply titled ‘Sex in Video Games’ (out later this year) and is set to chair the first Sex in Games Conference in June.
Without further ado, here is an edited extract of the most interesting bits from the Wired interview:
<blockquote>Wired News: So what's it like to be the sex in games lady?
Brenda Brathwaite: I am the sex in games lady -- how'd that happen? I'm very passionate about it, I love it, and it's also very weird. Somebody has got to speak about adult content.... It's a real industry and I'm ever aware that saying something tasteless could immediately send it 10 years back.
I believe it's not fair to be forced to have a Disneyesque palette for your games. If somebody said to an artist you couldn't have any nudes in a museum, you have to take them all down because kids might see them, then artists would be in an uproar. If that happened to the movie industry? Actors would walk. Everybody would. But when that specter is raised in games it doesn't make the news.
It's also kind of personal -- things happen that you'd never expect. I regularly get people coming up to me who have a particular fetish and want to know where they can find a game for it. I never expected that people would tell me about their sex experiences. But when we moved -- I have an overwhelming amount of research material, porno games, etc. -- the movers assumed it was my husband's. When they found out it was mine, the look on their faces was worth everything.
WN: Why have a Sex in Videogames Conference?
Brathwaite: Because it's never happened. This is the stuff I sit in my office and wonder about. Every one of the panels was put together because I'd like an answer. One is on the moral issues we face in these type of games -- and the ethics when people can be anything they want. It's also an opportunity for people interested in networking, and for people interested in investing, hoping to meet with developers. There's so much as an industry that we need to discuss in depth.
WN: How does the industry respond to you?
Brathwaite: I'm out there saying that games aren't just for kids, they're for the average 29-year-old male -- and he has a healthy sex drive. So far it's all been supportive. People might be thinking, "What's she doing?" But they haven't said it.
There are many companies and individuals working on adult content and afraid of being blackballed. Yet we're seeing more mature themes integrated into regular games. People don't have to like sexual content, and not every game should line up and have it. But don't tell me or any other developer we can't have it. It's about censorship.
WN: Do you have any games that you'd like to mention?
Brathwaite: Second Life is just the granddaddy of them all. It's really incredibly supportive of all the cultures that have arisen in it. Everything from people hooking up and going on dates, to Furrys, BDSM, emergent family structures, emergent sex businesses -- if you can think of it, it's there. LoveChess: Age of Egypt (NSFW) changes the way you think about chess strategy. When you take a square, basically, the pieces mate. You end up thinking, "How do I engineer that without losing the game?" Naughty America is a massively multiplayer online erotic game that will be really cool to see (when it's released).
WN: What do you see for the future of sex in video games?
Brathwaite: Probably in the not-too-distant future there will be games that could improve peoples' sex lives, therapy for couples. Sex is completely normal and natural. Humans have sex drive and interest and it's not an abnormal thing.</blockquote>
Ficedula has updated SylphIRC which is an IRC client for the DS.
Whats New
- Recompiled with (definitely!) latest libnds, may or may not help touchscreen calibration
-Fix crashing when Quit message received
-Add notifications for users joining/leaving channels
-Ability to read config from CF card (anything supported by Chism's library)
Warios' upcoming title has made it into a recent Gamestop circular. The game, titled Wario the Thief, supposedly will feature Wi-Fi compatibility. Not much is known about the title besides the fact that it stars Wario and is a side-scrolling platformer, but we assume Wario will be attempting to steal something and, at one point, will drive a large pink cadillac.
This could change, however. Do we all remember the original debacle of Resident Evil: Deadly Silence featuring the Wi-Fi logo? Considering that, and the gameplay that doesn't seem very Wi-Fi-friendly, maybe we shouldn't put too much stock in this lone snapshot?
Mighty Max has again updated his RTS Project for the Nintendo DS, heres whats new:
[02.05.2006]
+ added TERRAIN command to map for adding a single terrain image
* fixed the (hopefully) last crash situation on dying units
+ created basic menu
* fixed several problems on restarting a map
* fixed several memleaks on a map cycle
- restart of a map still hangs
+ added first network code (init & find AP)
Nintendo of America has just confirmed that its super sleek and ultra sexy DS Lite will finally launch over in the good old US of A next month for the very reasonable price of 129 USD.
Exciting news indeed, although we'd prefer details from Nintendo regarding a European launch date, to be honest. Unfortunately for our colonial cousins, the Lite will launch with just one colour - the iPod-like Polar White (Crystal White in Japan), with ne'er a whiff of either the Enamel Navy and Ice Blue versions available in the East.
Whether US supplies of the DS Lite will be bountiful come launch remains to be seen however - particularly given the shortages in Japan caused by unprecedented demand for the little white beast since its debut earlier this year.
While we wait for Nintendo to spill final details on the handheld's european launch, there's some solace from the company's new euro marketing bod Laurent Fischer, who confirmed to Nintendo's official site that the Lite would hit these shores "this summer". In the meantime, why not check out our recent hands-on with the redesigned handheld to see what's in store for those lucky Yanks this June.
Vivendi's announced Crash Boom Bang! for Nintendo DS, featuring 40 mini-games that take advantage of the DS' unique features.
Crash Boom Bang (we're going to dispense with the ! for now if that's okay) also includes a touch-screen communication feature so that you can communicate with and bet against wireless opponents.
The whole thing's being done up as a party game by Japanese developer Dimps, and sees Crash and his pals facing off against Cortex and the like on a worldwide race involving an ancient lost city and some other... di-dum di-dum... save the world!
Crash Boom Bang! is due out in October on DS, and if it's not at E3 we'll eat our nacho hat.
Electronic Arts today announced its next generation of game titles for the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) taking place in Los Angeles May 10-12, 2006. EA's line up of EA SPORTSTM and EATM branded games for the Xbox 360TM video game system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PSPTM (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, Nintendo WiiTM, Nintendo DSTM, PC and mobile phones will be showcased in EA's booth #1000 in the South Hall. With a renewed focus on original and wholly-owned intellectual property EA will unveil an array of titles and the technology that drives gameplay innovation.
Shown exclusively behind closed doors, EA is presenting its recently announced next generation console action title out of EA Montréal, ARMY OF TWOTM; Will Wright's original PC work in progress, SporeTM; and the newest PC iteration in the acclaimed Command & ConquerTM series, Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium WarsTM.
The EA SPORTS line up will go behind closed doors in the EA SPORTS Lab highlighting the technology that fuels the gameplay innovations for the '07 lineup. Madden NFL 07 will be playable on the PlayStation 3 console, Xbox 360, PSP system, Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii.
EA is leading the industry with a new generation of games on a new generation of platforms, said Paul Lee President of EA Studios. We're pushing the technology to provide more innovation in our EA branded games and authentic athletic performance in our EA SPORTS games. We're also leading the resurgence of PC gaming with groundbreaking titles like Battlefield 2142, Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars, Crytek Studio's Crysis and of course Will Wright's new game, SPORE.
EA is demonstrating a ground-breaking level of quality and innovation at E3 this year, said Frank Gibeau, EA Executive Vice President and General Manger of North American Publishing. Games like ARMY OF TWO and NBA LIVE 07 are going to unleash the power of new consoles like PlayStation3 and Xbox 360. Madden NFL 07 makes great use of the new controller on Nintendo's Wii system.
E3 is a showcase for EA's portfolio of globally recognized entertainment, said Executive Vice President and General Manager of International Publishing, Gerhard Florin. Titles like FIFA Football, Lord of the Rings: The Battle For Middle-earth II and the Battlefield franchise are among the most popular games in the world.
EA SPORTS branded E3 line-up
Along with playable demos that showcase deep new offerings of Madden NFL 07, EA will feature tech demonstrations of NBA LIVE, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR and FIFA Football behind closed doors in the EA SPORTS Lab. These demos will illustrate the new tools and development philosophy that drives gameplay and feature innovation in EA SPORTS games on next generation consoles. Highlighting the EA SPORTS Lab will be never-before-seen technology that delivers authentic athletic performance— the athletic movements, awareness, look and emotional intensity that bring characters to life in EA SPORTS games. The Lab will also feature a demonstration of ESPN content integrated in upcoming EA SPORTS games, including ESPN ticker and ESPN SportsCenter Radio updates.
Madden NFL 07 - With the exclusive video game license of the NFL and its players, Madden NFL 07 continues to be the #1 football franchise in history with more than 51 million copies sold. In its 17th installment, you control the running game like never before. For the first time ever, step up as the lead blocker to create a hole, and then take control of the tailback and smash through, overpower, or slash away from would-be tacklers as you fight for every yard. Innovative rushing controls give you a game-breaking ground attack featuring all-new jukes, cutbacks, and the distinct running styles of your favorite backs. Developed by EA Tiburon, Madden NFL 07 will launch in August on the Xbox 360, Xbox® videogame system from Microsoft, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCubeTM, PSP system, PC, Nintendo DS and Game Boy® Advance. Madden NFL 07 is also in development on the PlayStation 3 console and Nintendo Wii.
NASCAR® 07* (Working title) - Take risks, be rewarded, and become a champion with NASCAR® 07* on the PSP system. With all-new Adrenaline Moments, use your skill and instinct during the most intense situations and control the outcome by avoiding disastrous wrecks and flying debris. Maintain your focus on dangerous conditions ahead with the new RaceBreaker feature, which guides you through every treacherous moment of the race. With all-new speed blurring, realistic spark and smoke effects, and camera shakes, get your adrenaline pumping and experience the all-out drama and intensity of 190-mph racing with NASCAR 07.
EA Branded E3 Lineup
The EA game line up is as diverse as the audience games reach today. Gamers will have all-new experiences on award-winning franchises or discover completely new franchises; EA titles will demonstrate that next generation has arrived on the console, PC and handheld devices.
ARMY OF TWOTM - You're not alone soldier, not anymore. At E3, EA unveils details of the action title that has been kept top secret for the past year. Developed at EA's boutique production house in Montréal, Canada, the new, original game will redefine strategic TWO man cooperative play when it launches on the PlayStation 3 console and Xbox 360 in 2007. ARMY OF TWO will throw gamers into hot spots ripped from current day headlines where they will utilise unique TWO man strategies and tactics while seamlessly transitioning between playing with intelligent Partner AI (PAI) and a live player. When one man is not enough, it will take an army of two to fight through war, political turmoil and a conspiracy so vast it threatens the entire world.
Battlefield 2142TM - The year is 2142, and the dawn of a new Ice age has thrown the world into a panic. The soil not covered by ice can only feed a fraction of the Earth's population. The math is simple and brutal: Some will live, most will die. In Battlefield 2142, players choose to fight for one of two military superpowers in an epic battle for survival. Armed with a devastating arsenal of hi-tech weaponry, including assault rifles, cloaking devices, EMP grenades and sentry guns, players can level the playing field against massive Battle Walkers that control the ground and futuristic aircraft that rule the skies. Massive online* battles for up to 64 players drop gamers on the front lines as part of a formal squad, or behind the scenes in Commander Mode to direct the strategic assaults of their team-mates. Battlefield 2142 also introduces an all-new game type for the first time in franchise history: Titan mode, which challenges gamers to control the battlefield and destroy their opponent's Titan - a massive flying warship - while defending their own. Battlefield 2142 is developed by Digital Illusions/DICE Sweden and is slated to ship for PC in Winter 2006.
SPORE – SPORE takes players on an epic journey from the origin and evolution of life through the development of civilization and eventually into the outer reaches of space. Create a creature, then control every dimension of its evolution from pond scum to galactic god. Experience multiple styles of gameplay as your creature advances through different stages of development. Fight for survival in the wild, develop a sprawling metropolis, trade and war against rival civilizations and explore the outer reaches of the galaxy. Every aspect of the universe from creatures to vehicles, buildings to plants, are created by the player and automatically shared with other players, providing a limitless number of worlds to explore and play. Create, control and explore your universe with SPORE. SPORE is under development for the PC by legendary game designer, Will Wright.
CrysisTM – Crysis is all-new first person shooter from Crytek, the award-winning developers of the critically-acclaimed hit Far Cry. Powered by the revolutionary CryEngineTM2, Crysis delivers next-generation PC technology, graphics and gameplay. Set in 2019 after a colossal asteroid crashes to Earth, Crysis begins amidst a tense military standoff between the North Korean and United States governments for control of the impact zone. Amid rising tensions, the asteroid suddenly bursts open revealing a massive alien ship, which begins freezing vast portions of the island and altering the global weather system. The invasion of Earth has begun. Crysis features an epic three-act story of alien invasion where players are able to customise their armor and weapons in real time to confront an ever-changing enemy and a harsh, dynamic environment. Advanced enemy AI employs realistic military tactics, forcing gamers to actively outsmart their opponents rather than simply reacting to them. Crysis is slated to ship for the PC in Winter 2006.
Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium WarsTM – The genre defining Command & Conquer series is back! The epic struggle between the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and The Brotherhood of NOD continues...and the third Tiberium WarTM is about to begin. Welcome back, Commander. Command & Conquer, the groundbreaking series that put the Real-time Strategy (RTS) genre on the map, is returning in full force with Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars. This highly-anticipated next chapter takes the popular series back to its roots in the Tiberium universe and features the fast, fluid gameplay that Command & Conquer is known for and a gripping story that will redefine storytelling in RTS games. Experience a revolution in RTS gaming with a breakthrough single player campaign that rewards you for your gameplay style. Add layers of strategy to your gaming experience by building mobile bases, wielding the power of terrifying Ion Storms on the battlefield, or customising your armies by combining units. Battle it out online with native voice-over IP, integrated clan support, and new spectator modes that let you play RTS games like a sport. Windows PC, 2007.
The Lord of the RingsTM, The Battle for Middle-earthTM II for the Xbox 360 – Now command the epic battles of Middle-earth from your living room couch! Take control of huge armies and venture into the heart of Middle-earth to live the battles seen in the blockbuster New Line Cinema films and classic J.R.R. Tolkien literary fiction—all in spectacular high-definition. The game boasts a new, intuitive console-specific control scheme that allows novice players to enjoy the game's signature Real-time Strategy gameplay while giving expert players the flexibility needed to engage in a deeply complex strategy experience. Directly control hundreds of units in an attempt to defeat enemy armies, conquer new lands, and seal the fate of Middle-earth. As the first game in The Lord of the RingsTM series to be playable over Xbox LIVETM*, add to the intensity of the experience and challenge friends online* to engage in action-packed real-time battles. Summer 2006.
SUPERMAN RETURNSTM: THE VIDEOGAME challenges players to master Superman's unrivaled powers to save Metropolis. Based on 60 years of DC Comics and the upcoming motion picture, SUPERMAN RETURNSTM: THE VIDEOGAME creates the ultimate open-world super hero experience. As the Man of SteelTM, you'll hone your unworldly super powers such as Flight, X-Ray Vision and Freeze Breath to fight villains that only SupermanTM can defeat. SUPERMAN RETURNS: THE VIDEOGAME will be available on Xbox 360, the Playstation 2 console, Xbox, the PSP system, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance.
Def Jam® Fight For NYTM: The Takeover – Experience the ultimate hip hop fighting game anywhere you go. Master over 180 new fighting moves and 50 new dirty moves in order to win fights and rise among the ranks of your crew. Create your own fighter and battle through over 40 of the hottest artists and celebrities in Hip Hop including Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, Method Man, Redman, Snoop Dogg, and Xzibit. With a new story, new moves, new venues, and head to head wireless gameplay, Def Jam Fight For NY: The Takeover is the summer's must have title for the PSP system.
EA MOBILE E3 GAME LINE UP
EA Mobile is the leader in wireless entertainment with a slate of games that demonstrate a commitment to quality, innovation and value. The dynamic roster offers something for every mobile phone user – puzzle, sports and cutting-edge action. At E3, EA will debut of Orcs & ElvesTM, id Software's first original intellectual property since Quake®, created exclusively for mobile phones by Fountainhead Entertainment. The line up also boasts an impressive slate of EA SPORTS games including 2006 FIFA World CupTM, EA SPORTSTM Fight Night Round 3, Madden NFL 07, NBA LIVE 07, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 07 and an enhanced version of the popular puzzle game Tetris®.
Bafio has updated his homebrew WiFi chat app for the DS.
Heres whats new:
NEW - UPDATED to the new wifi lib, WEP and DHCP are now in!
The source code of both the server and client is now available here. The code is actually quite ugly, it has been a testbed for me to learn and some things are not done properly.
Among the others there are 2 things that would need fixing right now:
1) Make the receiving of messages independent from the draw loop, I was thinking using a timer, so that messages can be received also when into the menues
2) Fix concurent send and receive of messages, one possibility would be using two different ports. Also, a better method for ACK would be nice. Relative changes would be needed in the server as well.
TCP could me much easyer to use for this, but this would require a complete redesign of the protocol.
I really appriciate contributions to the project (if well tested first).
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports today that Nintendo has upped its April shipping estimates for DS Lite. The company had originally expected to ship 700,000 units throughout Japan during the month, but has now updated this figure to 800,000.
Being that it's now May, we're not sure why Nintendo is unable to give a specific number. But, seeing as how the system continues to sell over 150,000 units a week and is still hard to find at retail, we're inclined to believe this report.
With increased DS Lite supplies in Japan, a US release for the slimline model shouldn't be far off. Expect to hear details on the system's US release at E3.
This came up in #dswifi, so I feel obligated to now post it somewhere more public so people have a good feedback path.
At present, the list of known issues for the dswifi library is In my checklist on the wiki [wiki.akkit.org]
If you find a bug that’s not on the known issues list, or want to request a feature that isn’t on the list, please do report it! I don’t really mind you reporting issues that already are listed, but it is a bit counterproductive. About reporting issues, you can bug me on IRC, send an email, or alternately Add it to the talk page for my checklist on the wiki [wiki.akkit.org] - I’m partial to the wiki option cause wikis are cool (and mine doubly so :P)
Anyway, don’t feel like you lack the ability to strike back about features missing or being incorrectly implemented, do bug me about it
I’ve ported the simple simulation I did for class to the DS. I wanted to try my hand at emulating a 3D world on a 2D plane. I simply used pixel scaling logic to do this. I actually discovered that my vectors were wrong when I turned in the homework. Since I could finally see, and therefore care, about what was going on, I could see that the Prey always went straight towards the Hunter rather than away. (there is some randomness to this angle btw)
Although neither device has a true VoIP option yet, UK tech site T3 is reporting that "a source close to...Vonage" (i.e. a friend of a friend of a friend) has confirmed that the VoIP provider is developing WiFi calling solutions for both the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS. We've known for awhile that both systems were capable of implementing the ol' VoIP, but other than a random blog musing we reported on last year, this is the first indication we've seen of a major player making moves in this direction. Even for a rumor, the details here are pretty thin, such as how Vonage plans to actually implement VoIP in the disparate devices -- the possibilities include a firmware update for the PSP, and either DSpeak-like software or an Opera-like cartridge for the DS -- or even a hint of when we can expect to see any products come to market. As you might expect, Vonage itself declined to comment on the matter when contacted by T3.
SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. today announced their title lineup to be featured at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2006. SEGA will feature a broad variety of titles developed for next-generation consoles including the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the Wii™ system from Nintendo. In addition, SEGA continues its strong support of PC, current consoles and handheld platforms including the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, and the PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) system. SEGA's booth will be located in South Hall, #946, Los Angeles Convention Center.
SEGA will feature several key titles in its E3 2006 lineup. Sonic celebrates his 15th anniversary by blazing his way onto the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles with his first adventure set in the human world in Sonic the Hedgehog. Featuring interactive 3D environments and a large cast of returning and new characters, get ready for the reinvention of Sonic The Hedgehog, in his most intense, high velocity escapade to date. Full Auto 2: Battlelines is the next generation of combat-racing, exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3. Players must use explosive weapons, high-speed vehicles and skillful demolition of the environment to defeat their opponents and claim the city in high-tempo single-player and multiplayer modes. Virtua Tennis 3 is the return of the Virtua Tennis series with enhanced photo-realistic graphics and advanced player animations that perfectly match the behavior and mannerisms of individual professional athletes. The game will also feature a brand new host of popular mini-games characteristic of the franchise. Medieval II: Total War is the latest game in the award-winning and critically acclaimed Total War series. Medieval II: Total War is the highly anticipated follow-up to 2005's Strategy Game of the Year – Rome: Total War. Coming to the PC, Medieval II is a visually stunning game that spans four and half centuries of the most turbulent and bloody era of Western history, encompassing the golden age of chivalry, the Crusades, the proliferation of gunpowder, the rise of professional armies, the Renaissance and the discovery of America.
"SEGA's mission is to be a premier publisher of a diverse array of great games for the next-generation systems," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. "Our 2006 E3 line-up is but a glimpse of the great products in store from SEGA."
SEGA continues to fully support handheld and current-generation users with quality titles including Sonic Rivals (PSP), Yakuza (PS2), and Phantasy Star Universe (PS2, PC, Xbox 360).
SEGA's lineup of entertainment games to be featured at E3 includes, but is not limited to, the titles listed below. SEGA continues its Road to E3 new title announcements up to the first day of E3. For screenshots and artwork visit the official SEGA E3 Web Site at: www.sega.com/e3.
Chromehounds (Xbox 360) - Release: Summer 2006
Chromehounds brings squad-based multiplayer mech combat exclusively to the Xbox 360 for the first time ever. The war of the future has begun with three superpower nations fighting for world domination. Commanding fully customizable giant metal war machines called "Hounds", players must manage their tower of heavy artillery through giant war zones while engaging in cooperative squad-based tactics, and fighting intense battles against other real-time players via Xbox Live.
The Club (Working title, PS3, 360) - Release: Summer 2007
The Club is a loosely organized and highly illegal underground entity. The Club is a meeting ground for those seeking the ultimate in vicarious thrills, and those who want to watch them. Players have been entered into the arena and must fight for survival against the odds. Set in a variety of unusual and evocative locations scattered across the globe, players will yield high-powered weaponry in a bid to earn their escape. The first task is to survive, but players must kill according to specific rules - quickly, relentlessly and with style. Kill or be killed, stand still and it's death!
Full Auto 2: Battlelines (PS3) - Release: November 2006
Full Auto 2: Battlelines is the next generation of combat-racing, exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3. The sequel to the award-winning Full Auto, Full Auto 2: Battlelines puts high-speed vehicles outfitted with weapons and armor into fully realized and fully destructible urban street environments. Strategically use destruction to win races as well as leave massive devastation in your wake. Players can destroy the environment to dynamically change track conditions to block competitors, open new paths, or crush opponents with falling debris caused by well-timed missiles. Full Auto 2: Battlelines also introduces a new Arena Mode featuring team play and six different levels, each specifically designed for a unique type of multiplayer car combat.
Medieval II: Total War (PC) - Release: November 2006
Medieval II: Total War is the latest game in the award-winning and critically acclaimed Total War series. A follow-up to 2005's Strategy Game of the Year – Rome: Total War – Medieval II: Total War is a visually stunning game that spans four and half centuries of the most turbulent and bloody era of Western history, encompassing the golden age of chivalry, the Crusades, the proliferation of gunpowder, the rise of professional armies, the Renaissance and the discovery of America.
Phantasy Star Universe (PS2, Xbox 360, PC) – Release: Fall 2006
Phantasy Star Universe gives players the best of both worlds by offering the depth of single player adventure and the thrill of online cooperative gameplay. Played offline, Phantasy Star Universe joins real-time action gameplay with rich character customization and an enormous solar system to create a fast paced and emotionally engaging RPG experience. Played online, the title gives players an opportunity to travel with a squad of other adventurers, enter urban sprawls teeming with hundreds of players, and build their avatars into powerful warriors. A rich and exciting universe awaits!
SEGA RALLY REVO (PS3, Xbox 360) – Release: Spring 2007
With revolutionary dynamically deformable terrain, proprietary next-generation graphics, bone-jarringly realistic physics, and competitive bumper-to-bumper racing, SEGA RALLY REVO will set a new benchmark in its genre with a high-tempo driving experience that's every racing fan's driving fantasy.
Sonic Rivals (PSP) – Release: Fall 2006
Sonic Rivals is a head-to-head competition between Sonic and his top rivals, where the gloves are off and winner takes all! Built from the ground-up, the engine allows gamers to rip through tracks in some high-spirited single player and wireless multiplayer action against friends as Sonic returns in a whole new racing-platformer with classic 2D gameplay in true 3D environments for gamers on the go.
Sonic The Hedgehog (PS3, Xbox 360) – Release: Fall 2006
Sonic celebrates his 15th anniversary by blazing his way onto the next-generation consoles, with his first adventure set in the human world! Featuring interactive 3D environments and a large cast of returning and new characters, get ready for the reinvention of Sonic The Hedgehog, in his most intense, high velocity escapade to date!
Super Monkey Ball Adventure (PS2, GC, PSP) – Release: July 2006
Join AiAi and friends in a new game to bring harmony to the Monkey Ball Universe kingdoms in Super Monkey Ball Adventure. This is the first Super Monkey Ball title that offers a narrative-driven adventure in a dynamic world in which puzzles and quests are spread throughout. Classic Super Monkey Ball gameplay is bolstered by a chant system that grants new abilities to the Monkey Ball in addition to brand new multiplayer Party Games and puzzle levels built into the story line.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz (Wii) – Release: Fall 2006
AiAi and all his friends have rolled their way onto Nintendo's new console, with a wide range of new puzzle levels and numerous exciting Party Games specifically designed to exploit the innovative Wii controller. For the first time in the Super Monkey Ball universe players will be able to jump using an upward flick motion with the Wii Controller. In addition, scores of Party Games – such as Whack-a-Mole or ring toss – have been creatively designed to take advantage of the Nintendo Wii controller.
Virtua Tennis 3 (PS3) – Release: Spring 2007
With Virtua Tennis 3, the series returns with enhanced photo-realistic graphics and advanced player animations that perfectly match the behavior and mannerisms of individual professional players. Next-generation systems allow gamers to see the most detailed expressions on the faces of their selected players as they battle to win heated tournaments around the world. In addition to the popular mini-games from previous titles used to sharpen players' skills, there will be a whole host of brand new mini-games to keep players in top form.
World Pool Championship 2007 (PS2, PSP) – Release: September 2006
In World Pool Championship 2007, gamers will experience the most complete and authentic billiards game by either creating their own pool player or playing as one of the world's top pros in 20 officially licensed pool tournaments including the Mosconi Cup, World Cup, and U.S. Open. In Golden Cue mode, players test their versatility by challenging other pro-players to games of eight and nine-ball, and other cuesports within the same tournament. Pool sharks can also show their true skills in the World Trickshot Championship, where players can pull off their favorite crowd-pleasers from a vast selection of trickshots.
Yakuza (PS2) – Release: September 2006
In a society where respect and honor holds great importance, there is an even higher regard for these traits within one organization most feared by all: the Yakuza. Step into the shoes of the Yakuza and experience the underside of Tokyo, where the city streets and illicit haunts of the city's nightlife district are authentically re-created; cinematic CG movies tell a gripping story, and memorable characters deliver a rich adventure full of beautiful but deadly fighting.
Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR), one of the world's most recognized brands, today announced the complete line-up of video games the Company will showcase during Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the video game industry's largest trade show and exhibition in Los Angeles, May 10-12. The Company's titles range in genres and are from some of the world's best-known franchises including Dragon Ball Z®, Test Drive® Unlimited, Alone in the Dark, and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®. The Company is charging forward with a robust line-up of next-generation console and handheld games with a focus on innovative and compelling gameplay.
"As the Atari brand has withstood the test of time, so does the appeal of many of our games and franchises," said Atari, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Bruno Bonnell. "We continue to reach and surpass milestones, such as the ten- millionth mark of Dragon Ball Z game sales, and redefining genres we originated, such as Alone in the Dark's horror survival and Test Drive Unlimited's Massively Open Online Racing (M.O.O.R.TM). Atari continues to move forward and seek out groundbreaking, imaginative and entertaining properties like the underground based, street smart HOT PXL. Evident as part of our E3 line-up, these and other games are all part of the Company's evolution and continued focus on gameplay."
Following is the list of Atari's products that will be showcased at E3 this year. The Atari booth is located at Petree Hall #4003:
Alone in the Dark (Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows platform)
The original Alone in the Dark is the video game that launched horror survival gaming and set the standard within the genre. The next-generation of Alone in the Dark returns with a heart-stopping survival experience realized through the use of state-of-the-art real-time physics and unprecedented environmental interaction. Delivering an exhilarating action-orientated experience within a highly detailed, open environment, Alone in the Dark is set to take the lead for innovation and excellence within the genre. Alone in the Dark is in development by Eden Games, the second largest game development studio in France and a wholly owned subsidiary of Infogrames Entertainment SA.
Arthur and the Minimoys (PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSPTM (PlayStation®Portable) system, Nintendo DSTM, Game Boy® Advance and Windows)
Directly inspired by world famous film director and writer Luc Besson's upcoming animated film of the same name, the Arthur and the Minimoys* game will follow the film's storyline and feature eye-popping graphics and technical innovations. The game allows players to relive the fantastic adventure of young Arthur and his two pals, princess Selenia and her brother Betameche, in their mission to save the Minimoys' world from destruction. Set to time with The Weinstein Company theatrical release of the movie in North America, Arthur and the Minimoys game is currently in development by Lyon-and Paris-based Etranges Libellules, creator of several successful animated games, including Asterix XXL and Kirikou. The Nintendo DS game is being developed by Dreamon, and the Nintendo Game Boy Advance version by Mystic.
BattleZone (PSP system)
BattleZone is the modern update to the 1980 classic arcade game. Set in futuristic international military environments, BattleZone puts players in control of highly maneuverable hover tanks, challenging them in close combat scenarios against their rivals with relentless onslaughts of quick, action- oriented battles. BattleZone for the PSP system is being developed by Paradigm Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of Infogrames Entertainment SA.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®: TacticsTM (PSP system)
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®: TacticsTM is the first time the highly-coveted D&D® license has ever graced a next-generation portable system. D&D®: Tactics* authentically utilizes the D&D 3.5 rule-set created by Wizards of the Coast and allows players to take a party of six adventurers into a wide variety of dangerous environments to experience deep and exciting turn-based action. In development by Kuju Entertainment, D&D: Tactics will take full advantage of the PSP system's wireless capability and offer gamers a multiplayer mode.
Dragon Ball Z®: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (PlayStation®2 and Nintendo Wii)
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is the sequel to Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, the top-selling DBZ game of 2005. Combining action, fighting and light role-playing game (RPG) elements, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 will send players into a rich story mode that spans the entire Dragon Ball®, DBZ, and Dragon Ball GT® series. The game takes the acrobatic and intense 3D flying and fighting dynamic made popular in last year's hit to a whole new level with over 100 playable characters, 15 vast and vibrant 3D destructible environments, and nine different game modes, including intense single and multiplayer battles. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is being developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. / Spike.
HOT PXL (PSP system)
HOT PXL*, the ingenious and hip new title, brings fast and furious bite-size gaming to the masses. HOT PXL comprises more than 200 deviously crafted mini-games based on a unique and original story premise that draws inspiration from street culture and the digital lifestyle -- whether it's blasting through an old-school style video game, busting tricks on a skateboard or a BMX, stage-diving at a concert, or just trying to cross a busy digital street. The game's web site, www.hotpxl.com, will serve as an integral part of the experience and the community. HOT PXL is being developed by zSlide.
Neverwinter NightsTM 2 (Windows)
Neverwinter NightsTM 2 is the sequel to the best-selling and genre-defining role-playing game (RPG) set in the popular Dungeons & Dragons® Forgotten RealmsTM universe created by Wizards of the Coast. The game's story picks up years after a war waged between Luskan and Neverwinter. The peace that was restored is at risk as tension mounts between the mighty city-states. Unnoticed, a greater danger stalks the City of Skilled Hands. Unbeknownst to the denizens of the North, deep in the Mere of Dead Men, dark forces from across the Realms have been rallied under the banner of a legendary evil. If left unchallenged, all of the North is doomed to fall under its power. Even in this darkest hour, hope remains. A mysterious relic is borne to Neverwinter in the hands of a lone hero so that its secrets may be unlocked -- secrets that carry the fate of all the North. So begins an epic tale of shattered alliances, noble acts and dark deeds to be told across the Realms for generations to come. Neverwinter Nights 2, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, will include a new and improved robust toolset that allows for the ultimate adventure creation and for the story of Neverwinter to continue.
Super DBZ® (PlayStation®2)
Super DBZ® is a new highly intense DBZ® fighting experience unlike any other Dragon Ball Z game. Featuring an all-new and more complex DBZ fighting system with unique fighting combos for all 18 characters, Super DBZ promises fans and gamers explosive on-screen environmental damage. Super DBZ is in development by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. / Crafts & Meister, and including the creators of the acclaimed Street Fighter II arcade game.
Test Drive® Unlimited (Xbox 360 and Windows)
Packed with the world's most luxurious vehicles, more than one thousand miles of open Hawaiian roads, a challenging single player game and a host of online options, Test Drive Unlimited is M.O.O.R.TM: Massively Open Online Racing - the ultimate online automotive gaming experience. The action in Test Drive Unlimited takes place on the open roads spanning the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Boasting huge online content, racers around the world can challenge others to join them in the virtual paradise of the game's persistent online racing world. Players will engage in online challenges, and build communities by creating or joining exclusive members clubs to talk, trade cars, and race with other like-minded and similarly-skilled drivers in one of the most comprehensive online racing experiences to date. Test Drive Unlimited is in development by Eden Games.
THQ's joined the growing list of publishers to announce its line-up for E3 - and there's a lot to consider in virtually every category.
Of the next-gen systems, Xbox 360 is best represented - with Saints Row, MotoGP '06 and GTR lining up exclusively, while a hatful of multiformat titles touch on Microsoft's new turf, including Frontlines: Fuel of War (also PS3/PC), The Sopranos (also PS2), WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2007 (also PS3/PS2/PSP).
THQ's PC line-up is also quite strong. Apart from the aforementioned Frontlines, there's Supreme Commander, Company of Heroes, Titan Quest and Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War - Dark Crusade.
Elsewhere, we'll have a chance to see Destroy All Humans! 2 (PS2/Xbox), Juiced: Eliminator (PSP), and a variety of other titles including Monster House (PS2/Cube/GBA/DS), Avatar: The Last Airbender (all formats except PS3/X360) and THQ's Bratz, Alex Rider, Barnyard, (Pixar) Cars and SpongeBob SquarePants game, several of which will be appearing on Nintendo Wii as well as all the usual formats.
ComfortStylus is a bender. No, British readers, I don't mean that ComfortStylus is gay, I am saying it is flexible at mercy. Designed to be used with PDAs or any other touchscreen appliance, the ComfortStylus gets brilliant, when used for gaming purposes, either with the Nintendo DS or with the recent DS Lite. Especially since the latter is no longer including that little thumbthing on the top of the lanyard strap. The whole point of having a flexible Stylus is that you can attach it around your thumb or another finger. After spending a couple of minutes customizing the perfect position (so that you can press all buttons as well as the touchscreen with optimal ease), it truly enhances gameplay, especially in situations during which seconds matter or in a game like Metroid Prime Hunters. No more stylus grabbing at the last minute, no more stylus dropping in the middle of a crucial battle. Changing hands (literally) for US$ 7.95 only, the ComfortStylus is a bargain. Lik Sang recommends it to all serious NDS gamers out there.
Please note that the ComfortStylus is made out of very resistant material, so that it will last for an extremely long time if you are reasonably cautious when playing around with it. Still, naturally, if you really try your best efforts to break it, chances are you will eventually succeed. It required the IGN Gear crew quite a bit of energy to make that happen though: check out the IGN review of the ComfortStylus.
While about replacement styluses for Nintendo DS, third-party manufacturers are now offering their traditional 2-Stylus Packs in a wide range of colors. There are enough variations to match with any Nintendo DS flavor that has been released to date. All 2-Packs retail for US$ 3.95, bulk discounts are available for quantity orders. All of these sticks are designed for the original standard model of the Nintendo DS and fit with the size of the stylusholder in this model only. They do not fit with the new stylusholder in the Nintendo DS Lite, but we have received word from the maker that DS Lite models were in the works and should be available in the next couple of weeks.
One noodle doesn't make a spaghetti dish. Non-authentic Italian sayings aside, Nintendo sure had all their ravioli together when revisiting one of the greatest 2D platformers that ever brought Jump'n Run bliss to gamers: Super Mario Bros. More than 20 years after its initial release, the series returns in all its glory to the Nintendo DS: revamped, reimagined and visually all-new: as Princess Peach got snatched away by Bowser and Mushroom Kingdom's equivalent of Mini-Me, Bowser Jr., only the Mario Bros. can rescue the royal cutie from her evil captors. Run, jump and stomp your way through diverse, bubble-gum-colored environments and challenges extreme, visiting new worlds, using new power-ups and sporting new moves! Grab a Mega Mushroom and grow to incredible proportions or smash through your enemies in a blue Koopa shell. Wireless Multiplayer and Touch Screen goodies (e.g. a huge number of minigames) inclusive. It's the first new 2D Mario platformer since Super Mario World has arrived, and boy, we are so ready for its upcoming release on May 15.
Preorders for New Super Mario Bros. on NDS are welcome for only US$ 44.90 (shipped!). The good thing is that, thanks to the region-free capability of the Nintendo DS, New Super Mario Bros. will work on any NDS system, wherever you might have originally bought it. That holds true for all Nintendo DS games. Importing couldn't be easier.
New Worlds to explore...
Valentine's day romance sure was ruined, as Princess Peach needs a rescue once more. Beautiful 2D backdrops await, as you platform through raging volcanoes, to tropical islands and over snowcapped peaks. The Mushroom Kingdom never was dressed up prettier. There are eight all-new worlds in New Super Mario Bros., each filled with extra levels, hidden paths and secrets galore. While it's possible to complete the game without visiting every world, you'll be faced with tracking down many alternate exits to get to see every nook and cranny in this adorable title. Developers at Nintendo have kept with the look and play of the original Super Mario Bros., with hidden coin rooms down in specific green pipes for example. Visually, 3D characters (which mean much smoother animation) are put in front of the 2D environments. Here, the lively scenery really plays out: moving and tilting platforms, swinging ropes etc. All has a very coherent brilliance to it, a perfect blend of traditional level design with an up-to-date graphical overhaul
Still waiting for the E³ 2006 and you don't know the exact time which is left? Then download this kewl(and useless) Luascript(for DSLua) which shows you the time left to the E³ 2006: http://www.openftp.eu/openFTP/STUFF/e3-countdown.lua
P.S. Works only on real Hardware, with DSLua v0.5(and above) and with the right NDS time settings.
I know this isnt news or really even psp related.
But I think a lot of people are missing out on just how great #dcemu chat really is
Its really simple to find us here on irc too.
You can either get an irc client and join us on Efnet at #dcemu
or use our java irc client which is here http://psp-news.dcemu.co.uk/irc/irc.htm
So come and join us, chat, or just shoot the breeze, you'll find us here 24/7
Those in the UK will have known that we have had 2 red hot days of Sun which has kicked off my Hay Fever plus by 9pm at night has wiped me out (i usually go to sleep at 2.30am) and so we maybe behind a little on News, but have no fear within a few hours we will be back up to speed
Just in case people were wondering why the news wasnt as fast as it normally is
A new episode of the GamesIndustry.biz Podcast has been released today, featuring news and analysis of the week's top headlines, Nintendo UK boss David Yarnton discussing the Wii, and a look at what's coming up next week at E3.
The podcast can be listened to on your PC or on any portable music player.
You can get the podcast either using our RSS feed - which will automatically update you when we post new episodes - or by directly downloading the MP3 file. iTunes users can subscribe from within iTunes by selecting the "Subscribe to Podcast..." option under the "Advanced" menu, and pasting in our RSS address: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/podcast/gipodcast.xml
CDV Software, a longtime purveyor of PC-based military strategy sims, is starting to think outside of the desktop box--the publisher has announced it is preparing Panzer Tactics DS for the Nintendo DS. The publisher of such games as Codename: Panzers - Phase Two and Blitzkrieg 2 will be bringing the turn-based strategy game to Nintendo's portable later this year.
Built on hexagon-based maps, the game's campaign mode will take players through a series of 30 historically based missions from actual World War II battles. The missions get tougher throughout the three different campaigns, but so do the player's troops. Troops that survive emerge as experienced veterans, and players can also gain access to new types of units along the way.
Panzer Tactics DS will take advantage of the system's hardware, giving players the option to control the game with the D pad and buttons or with the touch screen. It will also make use of the system's wireless capabilities for multiplayer matches accommodating up to four players.
The game is being developed by Sproing, whose past credits include Iron Soldier 3, Beyond Normandy: Assignment Berlin, and the downloadable AIDS prevention game Catch the Sperm 2. CDV expects to release the game in the fourth quarter of the year.
Remember when North America got everything before Australia? Sure, sometimes Japan would get things before North America did, sometimes Europe would get things before North America did, but we could always comfort ourselves knowing that we would always get it before Australia (and, by extension, their neighbors in New Zealand with the adorable accents).
Nintendo has announced that the DS Lite will be released in Australia and New Zealand on June 1st, a full ten days before it hits American shores. Though they'll get their systems sooner, they'll also pay a premium for it. The DS Lite will retail in Australia for $199.95 AUD, $20 more than their DS Phat, and about $153 US, $20 more than our light. You've won this battle Oceania, but you haven't won the war!
Just to let you all know, I pretty much finalized my second Game of Life port on the DS. It's a work of art and fun as hell in my opinion. Please check the screenshots, read the instructions, explore the possibilities and give me some feedback! Any comment please!
*Fixed: Better defaults. Final Menu. Please change the color sliders to start the journey.
More info at his site and Download Via The Comments
Ficedula has again updated the IRC app for the DS, heres whats new:
-Fixed PING/VERSION CTCPs
-Added ability to control keyboard/enter text using D-pad/A (scroll message windows with X/B now instead)
-Press SELECT to flip screens
-Scrolling text boxes (eg. list of nicks in channels)
-Fix QUIT messages
-Clip textboxes properly when text is too long
Now it’s true, i’ve managed to connect MSN with my DS, and it works perfectly !
SSL (secured) connection (yeah, SSL on DS )
Contacts list
Status
Messages (not fully working)
I’ve just a problem about message that are forked in multiples packets, but it won’t take long to fix.
Ndsim is progressing !
Edit 11pm: It appears that Dswifi TCP isn’t “stable” enough to handle correctly SSL connection. After a few tests with big contactlists, it also appears that some data sent by the server isn’t received by the DS (sgstair says that his TCP lost data when some buffers are fulls). Perhaps I’m going to have to wait the next release of Dswifi in order to get MSN correctly working, I don’t know, I’m going to do more testings
This is barebones stripped template to show you exactly what you need to change to add mod support to any project. It sounds like it uses the best possible MOD processor. Very good quality, all effects supported (i believe). It’s also VERY VERY easy to use thanks to LiraNuna. Furthermore, it doesn’t affect arm9 performance AT ALL, arm7 completely handles it, besides saying Play, Stop, etc.
Grep for ModDemoAdded for the important (and sometimes out of the way) lines that were added.
Quite possibly one of those "purple monkey dishwasher" instances, supposedly Sir Miyamoto commented to a journalist of the French variety that a new title would be debuted for the DS at the company's E3 press conference. This mystery title, if the post linked is to be believed, will be very similar to once-hot, now-not franchise Starfox.
Everyone is already going wild on the internet speculating that it is none other than the infamous Starfox 2, a game that was supposedly in finished beta form, yet never released due to the age of the hardware. Sir Shig's comment, which is supposedly this, when translated mentions nothing about this, so believe what you will.
Are you the kind of person who likes to purchase figurines of popular characters in some of gamings most highly-regarded franchises? Well, this post is for you! First 4 Figures recently acquired a three-year license to create statued representations of some of the more popular characters in the Metroid universe, namely from the Metroid Prime series of games. The statues will be "approximately 9 to 12 inches tall and will retail for $85 to $120 for single statues and $200 for high end VS dioramas." The breakdown on which statues are planned to be available at the time of this post is as follows:
For those of you out there who enjoy taking the easy road, Xploder has just announced the release of their newest product the Nintendo DS Xploder Gamesaves. The product doesn't just limit you to cheating, however, as it offers a fully-functional game save management system that is controlled through their PC application and an included USB cable that hooks into your DS. So now you can archive game saves safely to your PC and delete saves you no longer need. There is also a built in RSS Feed to update you on the latest uploaded game saves online.
Bronto has updated his Mail app for the Nintendo DS:
Heres whats new:
- Shape recognition from palib added
- some bug fixes for incorrectly displayed mails
- added debug message to config file write. please check if it is complete
Coming up: SSL and RSS. I'm also working with someone on another cool feature..stay tuned!
Moonshell is a multimedia player for the Nintendo DS. It can play wav, mp3, ogg, display text files, display jpg, bmp and play video.
Whats new:
Renewed Setup.exe.
MoonShell is possible to start from the M3 menu with A button. It referred 'Pepsiman-M3powerloader.zip'.
Fixed MS-Windows30Like skin. (Thank you Xtreme!)
readme(english).txt updated.
readme(finnish).txt updated.
readme(german).txt (fixed & saved to Unicode)
readme(russian).txt (saved to Unicode)
readme(spanish).txt (saved to Unicode)
readme(swedish).txt (saved to Unicode)
Here's mine (one per console):
Red Steel (Wii)
Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
Lego Star Wars II (DS)
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Gamecube)
I'm also looking forward to:
Sadness (Wii)
Super Smash Bros (Wii)
Numerous Virtual Console (Wii)
Tales of Tempest (DS)(nearly made it into most wanted)
Agentq has released a new version of ScummVM for the Nintendo DS, heres whats new:
Changes in this version:
New games supported: Beneath a Steel Sky, Flight of the Amazon Queen, Gobliiins, and Simon the Sorcerer 1/2
Added support for Supercard SD and M3 SD.
Added new DS Options menu (hit select to use it).
Added touchscreen offset options.
Added new touchscreen reading code from libnds.
Fixed screen size issues in FM-TOWNS games.
Moved to the latest ScummVM codebase from their SVN repository.
Made on-screen keyboard work anywhere in the game.
Fixed build issues to use the ScummVM makefiles.
Fixed Sam & Max memory issues.
Fixed Loom CD audio problems.
Well a massively busy week or so is coming with E3 around the corner, please feel free to submit as much news as possible
Message to Coders
I do have a request for fans of Homebrew worldwide and from different languages, ive noticed on several none english forums that there are new games, demos etc but translation software is pretty much useless so any coders who would like more exposure then please post in our Submit News Forum and we will move it to the site where the news is applicable.
Also to all coders on any platform please use the forums to upload your releases, those free uploaders like Rapidshare and Megaupload etc are rubbish plus you get feedback with your release.
We are the only Network of sites where Coders can post news directly once we make them Coder Rank, we will mirror your release but we are here to be used as promotion for your release
DCEMU LOGO Needed
The New DCEmu Network site at http://www.dcemu.co.uk will be getting a redesign very soon but for now its in need of a new logo for the site.
The name for the site is
DCEmu - The Home of Homebrew
Size of logo isnt too much of a worry but the actual size in kb does need to be fairly low (under 80kb)
if anyones bored then please have a go
DCEmu T-Shirt Design
Theres been some discussion for a long while about having a DCEmu T-Shirt and i suppose a T-Shirt with the same logo as the main site would be a great idea. so if any of you are bored again please have a go.
DCEmu Podcast/Magazine Site
Theres been discussion in IRC about a Podcast site for DCEmu, who is up for it ?, if theres a demand then we will sort out a sub domain for you and get the idea going. Let Me know.
Got an Idea for a Site or Need Hosting
With the Vbulletin Forum we use we have near on 50,000 members at this time and the forum can be used as a news feed for any site, the site doesnt have to be Homebrew related as long as its not illegal :P, i personally would like to see say a Harry Potter dcemu site or sites on consoles/pc/laptops etc etc.
Interesting ideas are always welcome.
Ok thats all for my rant, back to less boring stuff now
IGN have posted the first worldwide review of New Super Mario Bros for the Nintendo DS:
Heres an excerpt:
Damn, does it feel good to go back to Mario's roots. Don't get me wrong - Super Mario 64 was an important and integral step for Nintendo's plumber hero to take, what with the company essentially being the trailblazer in the world of 3D platforming. But in moving forward, rising expectations pretty much dictated that Nintendo shouldn't look back, so the classic sidescrolling formula was simply relegated to "classic" status, only returning in retro repeats of existing games on current systems and, occasionally, as spin-off franchises for other Nintendo characters. An official Super Mario game would have to be something special for it to exist on a current Nintendo system, which is why the release of New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS is so significant: it absolutely is something special. This game marks a brilliant return to Mario's side-scrolling environments, with a look, feel, and play that feels unbelievably classic, with new elements that do a fantastic job advancing the design.
The Conclusion
9.0 Presentation
The only letdown is that the extras are recycled mini-games from Super Mario 64 DS. Outside of that, this game is ridiculously well designed. 9.0 Graphics
Really slick hybrid 2D/3D engine enables level designers to pull off some awesome effects and gameplay elements, stuff that just weren't possible back in the 2D days. 9.0 Sound
Classic Mario soundtrack with the enhancement of Mario vocals to begin and cap off each level.
10 Gameplay
Absolutely brilliant platforming action that takes what Nintendo's built an empire on, and adding so much more to it. It's not a tremendous challenge, but the game is fun as hell from start to end. 9.0 Lasting Appeal
If you just want to blow through the game from first castle to final battle, it's over in just a few hours. But there's so much more, including hidden levels and single cart multiplayer challenges. 9.5
Incredible OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)
Ficedula has again updated the IRC app for the DS, heres whats new:
-Fixed Shift/Capslock hanging program
-Clear VRAM on load, may solve M3 graphics corruption
-Add Kick command/button
-Specify default nickname & channel in config file
-Set message window on top screen explicitly
-New text input method: flip screens & touch words to put them in buffer
SNK's E3 booth will include four new titles when the show launches next week. The games will all be released in Q3 2006 and will span the Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. Metal Slug Anthology will be SNK's first Wii game, King of Fighters 2006 is an all-new PS2 3D fighter, while handheld titles SNK vs Capcom Card Fighters DS and Metal Slug complete the line-up.
King of Fighters 2006 is a PS2 exclusive at the show, and will be a 3D fighter based on the long-running series. It is set to feature characters from The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact as well as hidden characters. SNK also promises that The King of Fighters anime series will be included as a free gift with the game at retail.
Metal Slug Anthology will be released on both the Wii and the PSP and will combine six Metal Slug titles from the arcade version in addition to as-yet unnamed bonus content. The games confirmed for the package include Metal Slug , Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug X, Metal Slug 3, Metal Slug 4, and Metal Slug 5.
SNK vs Capcom Card Fighters DS is the first new game in the card battling series since 2000, and will feature characters from both SNK and Capcom games. Finally, Metal Slug is a port of the classic arcade 2D action game that will launch on the Game Boy Advance.
Majesco's E3 line-up has been revealed ahead of next week's show, and showcases an exclusive focus on handheld platforms. The 2006 show includes four new titles previewed across Sony PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS.
Guilty Gear Judgement will launch on the PSP and combines two games into one package. The arcade fighting game Guilty Gear X2 #Reload will be accompanied by a brand new side scrolling game.
On the Nintendo DS, MechAssault: Phantom War will be a third-person shooter based on the Xbox series and will offer 20 types of vehicles, including Mechs, Tanks, Turret and BattleArmor. Monster Bomber is an arcade game where you fling different coloured balls on the Touch Screen to hit rapidly descending, multi-coloured monsters on the top screen.
Cooking Mama, which is the third DS game in the line-up, is a more novel title. It features 76 different recipes, and you use the touch screen to chop, slice, pan fry, knead, grate, mash and peel ingredients. You can then share your recipes and saved games wirelessly with other DS owners.
Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) today confirmed that the company is currently in development on three launch titles for both the PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and WiiTM (formerly code named Revolution) platforms. The company has been working closely with both Sony Computer Entertainment America and Nintendo on the development of "Call of Duty® 3" and "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance," which will be released on both next-generation systems, as well as on the Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Activision also is developing two completely different games based on the Tony Hawk franchise -- "Tony Hawk's Project 8TM" for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and "Tony Hawk's Downhill JamTM" for the Nintendo's new Wii system. In fiscal 2007, the company will release 10 games for the three next-generation platforms, including the titles listed above, as well as "X-Men: The Official Game" for the Xbox 360.
Additionally, at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Activision will unveil a sneak peak from its highly anticipated "Spider-Man 3TM" video game that demonstrates the in-game model of the renowned Super Hero and the power of next-generation technology. Activision's Windows PC lineup is led by id Software's "Enemy TerritoryTM: QUAKE Wars," the highly-anticipated online team-based first-person action game.
These announcements underscore Activision's commitment to being a leader on all of the next-generation gaming systems. The company established an early leadership position on the Xbox 360 and, according to the NPD Group, has the #1 Xbox 360 game with "Call of Duty® 2." Activision's next-generation slate is anchored by well-established, recognizable brands that the company owns or controls.
Activision also announced its game lineup for the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo, taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from May 10-12, 2006. The company's slate showcases games for both next-and current-generation consoles and Windows PC platforms.
"Activision will showcase a diverse and well-rounded game slate at this year's E3 convention," said Mike Griffith, President and CEO, Activision Publishing, Inc. "We expect that our well-established brands and multi-platform development strategy should continue to provide us with an advantage in the new console era. The next-generation console systems feature significant visual and audio enhancements that will continue making video games more accessible to audiences worldwide."
Next-Generation Launch Titles:
Activision's PlayStation 3 system launch lineup will take advantage of the hardware's multi-core processing to deliver smoother, faster gaming experiences that will closely resemble feature film quality values. The company's launch games for Nintendo's Wii system will fully utilize the Wii's revolutionary freehand-style controller by offering more immersive gameplay.
"Call of Duty 3," the follow-up to the #1 next-generation game, delivers the intensity of being closer than ever to the fury of combat during the battle for the Liberation of Paris, the most harrowing campaign of WWII, known as The Normandy Breakout. Through a seamless narrative, "Call of Duty 3" delivers the rush of unrelenting battle and breathtaking action of the Allied offensive that changed the fate of the world. (PlayStation 3 system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii, Xbox, PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)
"Marvel: Ultimate Alliance" is an all-new action/RPG that features over 140 Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains and the largest roster of comic book characters ever seen in a video game. Players get to create their Super Hero team from over 20 playable characters, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Blade and Captain America, and through their actions determine the fate of both planet Earth and the Marvel Universe, which is revealed in one of several epilogues. (PlayStation 3 system, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PSPTM (PlayStation® Portable) system, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Windows PC; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)
Designed and built exclusively for Nintendo's next-generation and handheld systems, "Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam" delivers a totally innovative and unique skateboard experience focused on head-to-head racing. The game allows players to feel the breakneck speed of downhill competition as they tear up the world's steepest terrains while performing tricks and outmaneuvering opponents in such locations as San Francisco, Machu Picchu and Hong Kong. Taking on the role of Tony Hawk or one of nine characters, players compete in time-based challenges in one of three gameplay modes, including race, trick and slalom. (Wii, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)
Reengineered from the ground up for the PlayStation 3 system and Microsoft's Xbox 360, "Tony Hawk's Project 8" immerses players in the definitive skateboarding experience using ultra-realistic graphics, enhanced physics and extremely responsive controls that simulate the feeling of skating with every trick and bail. The game challenges players to experience the intensity and pressure of skating against some of the world's top pros in true to life competitions as they aim to become the #1 skater. (PlayStation 3 system, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PSP system; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)
Powerhouse E3 Lineup:
Set to redefine online action gaming, id Software's "Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars" is the ultimate team- and objective-based multiplayer experience. Developed by Splash Damage and executive produced by id Software, the first person strategic action game is set within the epic "QUAKE®" universe in the year 2065 and pits the Allied troops of the Global Defense Force (GDF) against a new Axis of Evil -- the barbaric and technologically advanced Strogg. Built on id Software's new MegaTextureTM rendering technology and featuring strategic team play, persistent character promotions and the universe's most powerful weapons and vehicles, "Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars" transports players to the frontlines of an epic new war for Earth. (Windows PC; not yet rated by the ESRB)
Building on "The MoviesTM'" critically acclaimed gameplay, "The Movies: Stunts & EffectsTM Expansion Pack" ups the ante on movie production with the addition of stuntmen, death-defying stunts and new stunt double characters; a new particle effects engine that lets players enhance their scenes with incredible visual effects, including fireball explosions, shattering glass, smoke and steam; an all-new "Freecam Mode" that allows players to adjust the camera location, angle, field of view and path to create truly unique movies; and the addition of new miniature sets that let players create dramatic sweeping angles. (Windows PC; summer; Rated "T" (Teen -- Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Tobacco Violence) by the ESRB)
Based on DreamWorks Animation's upcoming film, "Over the HedgeTM" takes players on an all-new adventure beyond the movie as they assume the roles of RJ the raccoon, Verne the turtle, Hammy the squirrel and Stella the skunk and turn a suburban neighborhood loaded with dangerous obstacles and traps into their personal playground. (PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and the PC have been rated E10+; Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS have been rated E by the ESRB; available on North American retail shelves May 9)
"X-Men: The Official Game" catapults players into an original storyline that serves as a prelude to Twentieth Century Fox and Marvel Studios' upcoming film, "X-Men: The Last Stand," and allows them to command the distinct powers of Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Iceman as they face off against formidable enemies, battle through massive environments and embark on an epic quest to save mutant-kind. (Rated "T" (Teen -- violence) for Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and PC by the ESRB; Rated "E-10+" (Everyone 10 and older -- fantasy violence) for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance) by the ESRB; available on North American retail shelves May 16)
Building on last year's #1 poker title and the #1 brand in poker, "World Series of Poker®: Tournament of Champions" takes a story-based approach, putting players on the Pro Circuit as a new pro and protege of Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. Players test their skills at the premier Circuit Events in hopes of qualifying for the winner-take-all, invitation-only Tournament of Champions at the Rio Resort in Las Vegas. Along the way, they face-off against more top pros than ever before, including Joseph Hachem, the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion, and Jennifer Tilly, the Academy Award-nominated actress and World Series of Poker bracelet holder, among others in hopes of bringing home the Tournament of Champions trophy. (Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PC, PSP system; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)
New Online Content:
Further expanding the experience of the #1 title for the Xbox 360, Activision will release four all new "Call of Duty 2" Xbox 360 multiplayer maps at E3 that unleash a blistering barrage of battle for gamers. The four maps will be available via Xbox Live® online game network. The Bonus Pack features two maps set in Germany and will be released for free, while the Skirmish Pack contains two additional maps set in Russia and France and will be sold for 400 Microsoft PointsTM through Xbox Live® Marketplace.
Video taped comments from Activision's CEO, Robert Kotick, concerning E3, the PlayStation 3 system, Nintendo Wii and the future of digital entertainment, are available at www.thenewsmarket.com/activision. Media can preview and request broadcast-standard video digitally or by tape at no cost from this site.
Vivendi Games ("VG") today announced its product line-up for the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Among the company's highly anticipated titles to be shown during E3 is Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft®: The Burning CrusadeTM, the expansion pack to the world's most popular massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG). Sierra Entertainment will also highlight exciting new titles, including ScarfaceTM The World Is Yours, which will be shown in a theatre that recreates the infamous mansion balcony shoot-out from the iconic film starring Al Pacino; EragonTM, based on the best-selling novel and upcoming feature film from 20th Century Fox, Eragon. Fox and Vivendi Games will be previewing exclusive footage from the movie and presenting the game in the Eragon Theater. Sierra will also debut F.E.A.R. TM 360, the critically acclaimed 2005 PC title being released on Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, as well as several other exciting Sierra titles.
"Vivendi Games has emerged as a leader in top quality interactive entertainment with the number one position in the MMORPG market, and leading positions in PC and console. We are thrilled to present a spectacular E3 roster of original properties and entertainment licenses, which reflect the creativity and innovation that are cornerstones of our work," said Bruce Hack, CEO of Vivendi Games.
Other major E3 releases from Sierra Entertainment include TimeshiftTM for Xbox 360, PC titles World in ConflictTM, CaesarTM IV, and F.E.A.R. Extraction Point, the expansion pack to F.E.A.R., and PSPTM (PlayStation® Portable) system titles 50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition and Miami ViceTM The Game. VG's new Sierra Online division will highlight FreeStyleTM Street Basketball, currently one of the most popular games in Korea, and Vivendi Games Mobile will showcase new mobile titles.
Listed below is additional information for the titles on display at Vivendi Games' E3 booth #1224, located in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (Expansion Pack)
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade takes up where World of Warcraft left off, with the races of the Horde and the Alliance continuing to rebuild their lives among the shattered lands of Azeroth. Amid the fragile peace that exists between the factions come rumors that the Burning Legion's age-old war against Azeroth – the so-called Burning Crusade – has been rekindled and threatens to consume the world in another firestorm of war and strife. Additional news, including details on the highly anticipated beta-test and expected release dates for each region, will be announced in the coming months.
Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Scarface: The World Is Yours
Scarface: The World Is Yours is an open-world action game that puts players in the epic role of Tony Montana. Featuring an unprecedented all-star Hollywood cast and an original script penned by renowned writer David McKenna, the creator of American History X and Blow, Scarface: The World Is Yours will bring Tony Montana to life in an authentic Scarface experience. Developed by Radical Entertainment. Expected Release: Autumn 2006; Platform: PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PC
Eragon
Based on the worldwide literary phenomenon and the 2006 20th Century Fox film starring Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons, Academy Award nominee John Malkovich, Djimon Hounsou, Robert Carlyle, Ed Speleers and Sienna Guillory, Eragon immerses the player in a magical world of dragon riders, destiny and adventure. Gamers will engage in intense battles with an unparalleled combo and magic-based combat system. Developed by Stormfront Studios and Amaze Entertainment. Expected Release: Autumn 2006; Platforms: PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360, Xbox, NGC, GBA, DS, PC
World in Conflict
World in Conflict represents the next-generation of strategy games, with completely destructible 3D battlefields, aggressive team-based multiplayer action and a focus on fast, hard-hitting battles. The game presents a chillingly authentic Cold War scenario created by noted author and Cold War authority Larry Bond. Developed by Massive Entertainment. Expected Release: Spring 2007; Platform: PC
F.E.A.R. 360
The best shooter of 2005 comes to the Xbox 360 with brand new single player and multiplayer content. F.E.A.R. is a paranormal action thriller presented entirely in first person. It is an unprecedented adrenaline rush of close quarters combat seamlessly melded with the spine-tingling, shocking intensity of the unknown. Developed by Day One Studios. Expected Release: Q4 2006; Platform: Xbox 360
F.E.A.R. Extraction Point (Expansion Pack)
In the expansion pack for the critically acclaimed F.E.A.R. Extraction Point kicks off where the original title ended – with a bang. The First Encounter Assault Recon Team (F.E.A.R.) returns to battle the now free Alma and her deadly minions across a desolated city. Developed by TimeGate Studios. Expected Release: Oct. 2006; Platform: PC
Timeshift
Timeshift is a futuristic FPS that is all about controlling time. Using the Quantum Suit, players have the ability to slow, stop and reverse the flow of time for short periods to solve problems and take out enemies while remaining completely unaffected. Developed by Sabre Interactive. Expected Release: September 2006; Platform: Xbox 360, PC
Caesar IV
Caesar IV advances, refines and updates the city-building gameplay pioneered by the Caesar franchise, while remaining true to its predecessor's proud legacy. In Caesar IV, players take on the role of an aspiring provincial governor. Developed by Tilted Mill. Expected Release: Sept 2006; Platform: PC
50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition
The gritty urban action game starring multi-platinum recording artist 50 Cent is now portable. 50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition is the ultimate fusion of music, gaming and video entertainment, offering more than a boxed-set of 50 Cent music, an exclusive G Unit documentary, 15 music videos and all new action-packed gameplay. Developed by High Voltage Software. Expected Release: August 2006; Platform: PSPTM (PlayStation®Portable) system
Miami Vice The Game
Inspired by the upcoming summer film from Universal Pictures, Miami Vice The Game puts players deep undercover as narcotics officers Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs in the decadent world of present-day Miami. Developed by Rebellion Studios. Expected Release: July 2006; Platform: Platform: PSPTM (PlayStation®Portable) system
Sierra Online
FreeStyle Street Basketball
Freestyle is a fast-paced online basketball game where players meet on virtual courts to challenge each other in a dynamic pick-up game environment, featuring cutting-edge music, fashions and gravity defying basketball moves. Developed by JC Entertainment Corp. Expected Release will be announced.
Vivendi Games Mobile
Vivendi Games Mobile builds off of the company's current base of popular games sold by 70 mobile network operators across 40 countries, including the hugely successful Crash Bandicoot® franchise which has generated more than 1.5 million downloads to date.
Mobile games exhibited on the show floor include:
After Dark®: Flying ToasterTM: Expected Release: Q2 2006
Navy ChallengeTM: Expected Release: Q2 2006
Black Hawk Down®: Team Sabre: Expected Release: Q3 2006
Buena Vista Games (BVG) today pulled the wraps off its lineup for this week's Entertainment Electronic Expo, calling it the "largest and most diverse" collection of games the Disney interactive entertainment division has ever shown at E3.
While many of the titles have been recently announced and promoted by the developer (four new puzzle games, the Desperate Housewives game), there are still a few surprises. The biggest title on the list, Turok, was confirmed to be underway a year ago, but hasn't been heard from since September, and even then it wasn't known what platforms would host the game. Now BVG has confirmed the story-driven first-person shooter is in development for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and set for a 2007 release.
The PS3 and Xbox 360 aren't the only next-gen consoles receiving attention from BVG. The publisher is also prepping a pair of games that will have versions appear on the Nintendo Wii as well. Disney's Meet the Robinsons and Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action will both appear on the Wii in addition to other current consoles. The full list of the company's announced lineup for the show follows below.
Game--Systems--Release Date
Turok--Xbox 360, PlayStation 3--2007
Lumines Plus--PlayStation 2--Fall 2006
Disney’s Meet The Robinsons--Wii, PS2, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance--2007
Disney’s Chicken Little: Ace in Action--Wii, PS2,DS--Fall 2006
Disney’s Kim Possible: What’s the Switch?--PS2--Fall 2006
Desperate Housewives: The Game--PC--Fall 2006
Spectrobes--DS--TBA
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest--PSP, DS, GBA--June 27, 2006
Lumines II--PSP--Fall 2006
Every Extend Extra--PSP--Fall 2006
Meteos: Disney Edition--DS--Fall 2006
Disney’s American Dragon: Jake Long, Attack of the Dark Dragon--DS--TBA
Disney’s Kim Possible: Global Gemini--DS--TBA
Hannah Montana--DS--TBA
That’s So Raven: Psychic on the Scene--DS--TBA
Disney’s The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure--DS--TBA
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Tipton Trouble--DS--TBA
The Cheetah Girls--GBA--TBA
Phil of the Future--GBA--TBA
W.I.T.C.H.--GBA--TBA
Buena Vista Games also has a pair of games being published by other companies and showcased in their booths. Cars, based on the Pixar film of the same name, will be shown in THQ's booth while Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow will be published by Bethesda Softworks
As of now, the New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS is doing well with the critics. At the time of writing, the game held a 93% average review score.
IGN 95% - "Before New Super Mario Bros. entered my life, Yoshi's Island was, to me, the greatest platformer ever created. That title may now have to go to New Super Mario Bros."
GameDaily 90% - "On paper, New Super Mario Bros. is the kind of game that makes hardcore Nintendo fans get on their knees and weep in sheer joy over the eighty new levels of new 2D Mario action. If you're not already in that camp, New Super Mario Bros. is the kind of game to take you there."
GameBrink 91% - "In the end New Super Mario Bros. is a very fun and worthy if not short addition to the stellar Super Mario Bros. series. While it lasts, it's some of the best platforming to date and features what I consider to be the best Nintendo DS graphics to date."
Mario's latest installment launches on May 15.
With Golden Nugget Casino DS you'll have one of the most complete gambling experiences possible. With classic games like Blackjack, Craps and Roulette, plus Slots and Video Poker, you can brush up on your game or start from scratch and quickly learn all you need to know before that trip to Vegas.
According to a new AP-AOL Games poll, 40 percent of American adults play games on a computer or a console. Men, younger adults and minorities were most likely to play those games.
Among those who describe themselves as gamers, 45 percent play over the Internet. And more than a third of online gamers spent more than $200 last year on gaming, compared with nearly a quarter of those who don't play games online.
Online gamers also spent more time playing those games.
Forty-two percent of online gamers said they spent at least four hours playing games during an average week, compared with 26 percent of those who don't play online. About one in six online gamers play more than 10 hours a week.
The survey results come as Sony Corp., Nintendo Co. and Microsoft Corp. prepare to push their new consoles this week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. All three are hoping to make broad online features such as multiplayer games, video conferencing and downloadable content a core element of the video game experience.
Casual games like board or card games were the most popular, followed by strategy games, action sports, adventure, first-person shooters and simulations, the poll found. Casual, strategy and role-playing games were most popular among online gamers.
Author Dean Takahashi has claimed in his new book, The Xbox 360 Uncloaked, that half of Microsoft's Xbox 360 hardware team has moved onto a portable hardware project - designed to compete with Nintendo's DS and Sony's PSP - since the launch of the next gen machine.
Takahashi claims the team was split in two following the launch, leaving the other half to work solely on reduced production costs of Xbox 360.
According to the writer, the portable is planned to be released halfway into Xbox 360's lifespan, a strategy to assuage the crippling costs of moving through hardware cycles. Sony, obviously, has employed a similar approach with PS2 and PSP.
A Microsoft gaming handheld has been long-rumoured, the latest occurrence adding fuel to this particular fire being the release of a movie for the company's Origami project. A promotional video for the handheld PC showed Halo 2 running on its screen.
Square Enix have shown no lack of Nintendo love in a pre E3 press conference. Minutes after announcing Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers for Wii, Square unveiled Crystal Chronicles: Rings of Fate for Nintendo DS.
Both games are expected to work together with wi-fi elements between Wii and DS.
Siliconera, like many other sites (including this one, now) is taking note of a particularly juicy rumor currently scurrying about in the air vents of the internet. It states that Nintendo has picked up the ridiculously frantic and exuberant music-and-rhythm game, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! for a North American release. For the uninformed and importing depraved, it depicts the adventures of a motley group of cheerleaders parading about and encouraging people to succeed as they go about performing mundane tasks in their lives. Naturally, the game's concept and original name has passed through the butchering translation machine to produce Elite Agent Force.
Divineo UK have posted News that they have the DS Media Player in stock but in short supply, heres some info about the DS Media Player:
MAX Media Player turns your Nintendo DS into a powerful home entertainment device, with movie playback, music on the move and a convenient picture viewer.
At the heart of MAX Media Player for DS is Datel’s exclusive MAX Media Player. Just insert the cartridge into your DS’s game slot, and boot up our fully featured browser. From here, you can play your MP3 audio tracks, watch videos and view your JPEGs on your DS’s screen.
MAX Media Player for DS comes supplied with a 4GB hard drive unit, which you plug into your DS’sGBA cartridge slot. It draws its power directly from the DS – no additional batteries are needed. And 4GB is a lot of storage space. Enough, in fact, for up to ten full-length movies. Or over a thousand music tracks. Or thousands of digital pictures.
First of all, you connect your MAX Media Player HDD unit to your PC with the USB cable supplied. Open the Media Manager PC application (also supplied), and use it to transfer your media to the 4GB hard drive. It’s easy – the PC application even converts movies to a format your MAX Media Player can understand, and resizes your digital images so they fit perfectly on the DS screen. Now you can kill time on that long journey by watching movies on the move or listening to your favourite sounds. You can take your digital holiday snaps round your granny’s or down the pub without printing them out too!
Success HK have posted this new Comercial DS Game:
From the 2006 DreamWorks Animation film Over The Hedge comes this new action/adventure from Activision. Gamers assume the role of characters including RJ the raccoon, Verne the turtle, Hammy the squirrel and Stella the skunk, and explore a suburban neighborhood filled with traps and other various obstacles.
Dynastab posted several updates of his Homebrew for the DS, heres what he posted:
I've added new updates to my site. Just some little hacks, at least one or two of which someone might find useful (thats the goal.)
MandelBrot Cube, a laZmike Cube Demo Hack. Pretty nifty if just showing how to modify texture memory real time and use transparency in 3d. Source included.
Life Cube, a laZmike Cube Demo Hack. Flood fill of color cycling life exploding in perfect 3 dimensional symmetry about each face is a sight to be seen imo. Binary included.
Sub Pixel Font Class, a Sylfurd SPFD hack. I've moved Sylfurd's Sub Pixel font renderer into a more easily useable class. Should be useful to someone! Source included.
DynaStabs Template. I've created my own template that should come useful when I start new projects in the future. It's easier to remove includes and lines of code than copy headers, edit make files, and such each time for the same basic functions. Source included.
Please leave a comment, good or bad. Also looking for advice on stopping tearing with massive amounts of texture updates. bLaStY's glTexImage2D hack?
I thought I might mention that I’ve put some thought into the new DSTunnel protocol, and have written up some basic documentation on how I want the protocol to work, what kind of messages will be present, and how the system should behave. When I get some time I’ll be properly putting this into code, and hopefully getting a bug-free implementation going this time - some of the premises of the protocol have changed since last attempt, this one will act as a cross between a true p2p udp network and a server-client network, based on configuration and network ability… it will determine whether a p2p or client/server system is more effective based on connection speeds and lag times, and configure the network in an attempt to create the best performance for an arbitrary group of peers.
Additionally, since I know a bit more about what I’m up against now, I’ve designed some mechanisms in the protocol that will make managing some aspects of timing a lot easier… no idea if they’ll work as well as I hope, but they should at least work better than last attempt (which uh, really screwed a lot of timing stuff up) - Also I’ve designed the interface between the transport protocol and the hardware interface to be a lot more streamlined, and I will probably introduce a simple plugin system so people can write their own custom servers easily.
My good friend MrMr[iCE] has made a web-based editor for Lox which I’ve been tweaking. Also, WinterMute (of devkitPro fame) has made an editor for use on the NDS. It will save to any device (I hope) that uses Chishm’s FAT libraries (GBAMP, MK2/MK3, SC SD/CF, etc).
When using IRC clients in DSLinux, the bottom few lines of the screen are corrupted when the chat is scrolled up.
I’ve looked into this problem, and it is a bug in the framebuffer console code - when scrolling the screen upwards in SCROLL_PAN_REDRAW mode with a limited scroll region set up, the wrong part of the screen is copied to the bottom few lines.
Having discovered this, the fix is quite simple.
This bug is present in the latest Linux kernel too, so I’ll be sending this fix upstream.
For 18 months, hundreds of thousands of new players have joined together to disrupt the portable video game market. They proudly identify themselves as owners of Nintendo DS™, Nintendo’s remarkable hand-held system that continues to overturn traditional thinking. As the movement grows and becomes stronger, developers worldwide have taken notice. Both new and traditional players will be well-served in 2006, as more than 100 new games of all kinds hit the market for Nintendo DS.
On June 11, Nintendo DS itself gets a makeover when Nintendo introduces the lighter, brighter Nintendo DS™ Lite in the Americas. The redesigned system features a more compact size and screens with four adjustable brightness levels. The Polar White system will sell as low as $129.99 at retailers nationwide.
“We remain committed to going where others can’t – or won’t,” says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications, during Nintendo’s annual media briefing in Los Angeles prior to the start of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) video game trade show. “By grouping our innovative DS games together under the umbrella term ‘Touch Generations,’ new players will easily be able to identify games designed for them.”
To date, Nintendo DS has sold through more than 16 million units worldwide. Nintendo DS demonstrates that marrying improvements to the interface with amazing software results in a dramatic shift in the way that both game makers and the public think of video games. With new ways to play and new categories of software, the success of Nintendo DS is setting the stage for Wii™.
More than 100 games will be available for Nintendo DS this year alone from publishers worldwide. Some of the biggest fan favorites will come from Nintendo:
New Super Mario Bros.®, a new 2-D Super Mario game that anyone can enjoy.
The Legend of Zelda®: Phantom Hourglass builds on the cel-shaded fun of The Legend of Zelda®: The Wind Waker™ with touch-screen controls and wireless competition.
Chibi-Robo™: Park Patrol sends everyone’s favorite robotic helper on a new mission in the great outdoors.
Elite Beat Agents™ brings the cult import hit Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! to the Americas.
DK™: King of Swing DS sends Donkey Kong® on a swinging new adventure.
Hotel Dusk: Room 215™ turns Nintendo DS into a film noir mystery.
Pokémon® Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team for the first time lets users play as a Pokémon, speaking and interacting with other characters in a world populated only by Pokémon.
Gamers also can anticipate creative new Nintendo DS games featuring Star Fox®, Wario™ and Kirby™, as well as a wild adventure set on Yoshi’s Island®.
From the start, Nintendo DS challenged convention, and consumers responded en masse. Nintendogs™ taught people that they could communicate with simulated puppies – and with one another. Mario Kart® DS, Animal Crossing™: Wild World and Metroid® Prime Hunters have attracted millions of people around the world to play via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. Brain Age™: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day demonstrated that gamers could no longer be defined by age, while both Brain Age and Animal Crossing have expanded the video game market to female customers. The next wave of Nintendo DS games stands ready to capitalize on these triumphs.
The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems, and upcoming Wii™ console. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 2 billion video games and more than 360 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario™, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.
Nintendo has given itself a hearty pat on the back in recognition of its success with the DS handheld, quoting sales of 16 million units and claiming that it's shifted "millions" more than Sony's PSP.
During the company's pre-E3 press conference, which naturally focused heavily on the new Wii console, Nintendo was keen to reaffirm its strategy of introducing 'disruptive technology' - suggesting that the Nintendo DS is was the first true realisation of the company's vision, and a perfect example of getting things right.
Nintendo's senior VP, marketing and corporate communications, George Harrison took to the stage, and took a pop at Sony by stating that since the DS launch 18 months ago, "true gamers have bought into true hardware disruption and software disruption." He added: "It's a different approach to portable play."
"The DS launched at the end of 2004, and it did very well," Harrison continued. "Then the PSP arrived and some of you questioned whether we were up to the challenge. Once the early adopters had cleared away, it was clear that it was all about the games, as it always is," he concluded.
Just to prove the point, Harrison detailed figures for Nintendogs, citing 6 million sales worldwide in 13 months, before mentioning that the DS Wi-Fi service has reached 1.3 million users and provided over 40 million gameplay sessions since its launch.
With the Western launch of the brain training games, Nintendo hopes to duplicate the 5 million sales success it achieved in Japan, and early signs are apparently very good. The company is also preparing to launch the new DS Lite in a few weeks in North America, which it believes will be even more popular than the original handheld.
Looking ahead, Nintendo is confident that the best has yet to come, detailing a number of high profile titles including a new Mario game, Final Fantasy III and the DS exclusive Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass, before stating that there will be more than a hundred new games for the system by the end of the year.
Nintendo DS owners can look forward to a handful of potential blockbuster first party titles over the coming year, with the Japanese company revealing the likes of Diddy Kong Racing, Yoshi's Island 2 and Starfox during the latter stages of its pre-E3 conference this morning, with more on Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, recently shown during GDC.
We caught a quick glimpse of an updated DS version of Diddy Kong Racing, Rare's fondly remembered N64-era Mario Kart clone. Using roughly identical-looking mechanics as Mario Kart DS (and clean, impressive 3D visuals), this looks like being another obvious big-hitter for the legion of karting fans, particularly if it includes the same Wi-Fi functionality.
Also shown off briefly was an updated version of Final Fantasy III, sprucing up the gameplay and graphics of the ageing RPG classics in ways that should give Square-Enix lovers palpitations.
Zelda, meanwhile, will "pick up from where Wind Waker left off," and using the same cute cel-shaded visual style that caused such a stir a few years back. The brief gameplay footage showed touch control battles, with players loosing off cannons on board their ship, and a scaled-down isometric viewpoint for the main dungeon exploration.
But that's not all - also announced (but not given any airtime) were the likes of Mario Vs DK: March of the Minis, Yoshi's Island 2, Starfox DS, DK King of Swing DS, Mario Hoops 3 on 3, Touch Generations, Hotel Dusk: Room 215, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team (available as Red Rescue Team on GBA), Elite Beat Agents (the Western take on Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!), and Chibi Robo: Park Patrol.
In total, 100 new DS games are promised, but Nintendo wasn't giving much away in terms of release dates, except to say that they're all coming "this year" according to the accompanying press release. In all, a pretty busy time in prospect for DS owners, and plenty of big names to look forward to among a clutch of innovative unknowns.
Nintendo has announced the full list of first-party handheld titles that will be shown at E3. The list features a heavy DS bias, with only one Game Boy Advance game on the list in the form of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team, but the company has treated us to a few brand-new product announcements that we've detailed below. More information should be available at the show itself, but here's what we know about the new games so far.
Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol is an adventure follow-up to the previous Chibi-Robo game. The story follows Chibi-Robo as he ventures into the great outdoors, where the flowers have been transformed by evil monsters. The character can use buggies, cars, and boats across lawns and ponds. He is also equipped with a squirter to fend off enemies, and dances to give life back to the park flowers. No release date has been given for the game as yet.
Clubhouse Games is a card, board, and clubhouse game collection that includes checkers, darts and poker. The game can be played by up to eight people from one game card over wireless game sharing, and will feature a Pictochat-like interface for communicating with friends. The game will also feature bowling, backgammon, bridge and billiards, and forms part of Nintendo's Touch Generations library, which is intended for nongamers.
Custom Robo Arena is an action role-playing game set in a sci-fi landscape, where players fight toward the Custom Robo championship. You will be able to upgrade your Robo with unique parts and create a unique warrior that can be taken online over Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. There's also multiplayer with multicard play and DS download play. The DS touch screen is used to customize the robot as well as clean it up after battle.
Diddy Kong Racing DS was also announced by Nintendo today, although the company didn't offer any more information prior to the show. We'll have to see if the company chooses to show it at the show when it opens on Wednesday.
DK: King of Swing DS is an action game starring Donkey Kong. A sequel to the GBA game, King of Swing DS sees Donkey Kong swinging and climbing across levels that make full use of the console's dual screens. Adventure mode will feature Diddy Kong as a subcharacter, and there will also be new moves, items, and minigames available. There is also a four-player mode that will make use of multicart and DS download play, and will offer the choice of Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, or Funky Kong.
DS Air is the working title for a new flight simulator from Nintendo. The aim will be to take elite strike fighters and hunt down a mad dictator, and it will be a realistic sim with customizable fighters and weapons. Locations include land, sea, and air, and DS Air will feature a co-op mode that can be played over Nintendo Wi-Fi.
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is an intriguing new graphic adventure game that places you in Los Angeles in 1979. As Kyle Hide, an ex-cop turned salesman, you must investigate the mysterious room of the title and solve the mystery of Room 215. Holding the DS console like a book, you use the touch screen to grill characters, search for clues, and solve puzzles.
Kirby is a provisional title, but Nintendo has announced that it is a new action game in which Kirby's copy abilities have been massively boosted. You can use the stylus to mix and match copy abilities, so that you can burn trees with fire ability or freeze water with the ice ability. The title also has subgames that can be played locally by up to four players, both via multicard and DS download play.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, due for release in Q4 2006, sees gaming favorite Link tackle a new adventure. This time, he's washed ashore a mysterious island and must find the way back to his companions with the aid of a fairy. The game will be played almost entirely using the stylus--not just when controlling Link, but also when solving puzzles and making notes on the map. There's also a two-player wireless minigame available, involving a race against time to collect Force Gems.
Magical Vacation (working title) is a game that tasks players with the rescue of their teacher and classmates from the Will O' Wisp magical academy. As players progress through the game, they will fight monsters to earn experience points and buy new weapons, gaining levels and power as they go. As well as the solo game, players can team up with up to five friends wirelessly to take on enemies in a special "Amigo" dungeon. The game will be controlled almost exclusively with the stylus and features turn-based combat that accommodates melee and ranged attacks.
Mario Hoops 3-on-3 is due for release on September 11 and, as you'd expect, sees Mario enter the world of basketball. Each team will contain three figures from the Mario universe, although it's only possible for four human players to play simultaneously, so expect some NPCs to make up the numbers.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis is an action-puzzle sequel to be released on September 25 that puts the player in control of Mario toys in a bid to save Pauline--one of the franchise's early characters, not seen for decades. In addition to playing through the normal game solo, players can create their own maps and send them across the world via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, as well as downloading those that others have created.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team, slated for a September 18 release, turns the player into a Pokémon character for the first time. The land is being ravaged by numerous natural disasters, and you must team up with a partner Pokémon to rescue others in trouble and save the day. Most of the game is set in dungeon environments, and players will employ various strategies to progress. No multiplayer element to the game has been announced yet but is available for the GameBoy Advance under the title Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team.
Starfox DS is a 3D space-based shooter due for release on August 28 and has the player jumping aboard an Arwing fighter and blasting through a branching set of missions. Players can also dogfight with their friends, or play cooperatively--either with seven other players using the local wireless functionality, or with three others across the world on the global Wi-Fi Connection. In co-op mode there's an added strategic element that will see the team commander drawing on the map the route the group should take through the level.
Sudoku Gridmaster will be released on June 26 and feature more than 400 of the popular number puzzles. There are four difficulty settings and plenty of in-game tips to enable the player to become an expert, with all of the puzzles hand-picked by the experts at Nikoli, the original creators of sudoku. As you solve puzzles you'll win stars that will let you unlock new challenges.
Tenchu: Dark Secret is the latest instalment in the stealth-action franchise and will be released on August 21. You play a ninja assassin assigned to protect a princess across more than 40 single-player missions, using a mixture of sneaking skills and fighting techniques. Players can also challenge a friend to wireless one-on-one combat and buy, sell, and trade items across the global Wi-Fi connection.
The full list of Nintendo DS titles announced by Nintendo is included below, with release dates where possible.
Big Brain Academy - June 5, 2006
Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol - June 5, 2006
Children of Mana - Q4 2006
Clubhouse Games - Q4 2006
Custom Robo Arena - Q4 2006
Diddy Kong Racing DS - TBA
DK: King of Swing DS - TBA
DS Air - TBA
Elite Beat Agents - Q4 2006
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 - Q4 2006
Kirby - TBA
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - Q4 2006
Magical Vacation (working title) - Q4 2006
Magnetica - June 5, 2006
Mario Hoops 3-on-3 - September 11, 2006
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis - September 25, 2006
New Super Mario Bros. - May 15, 2006
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team - September 18, 2006
Pokémon Ranger - TBA
Star Fox DS - August 28, 2006
Sudoku Gridmaster - June 26, 2006
Tenchu: Dark Secret - August 21, 2006
Yoshi's Island 2 - Q4 2006
The existence of Star Fox DS was revealed at Nintendo's E3 press conference earlier today and our tractor beam has successfully pulled in the first shots and details about the game.
Still a working title and pencilled in for release on 28 August in the US, Star Fox DS promises to introduce a new element of strategy to the space shooter by giving players a commander's view of the 3D rendered missions, as Fox McCloud and friends battle to protect the Lylat system.
The touch screen will be used to chart interstellar routes before engaging enemies, capturing bases and progressing across the map.
Up to eight players will be able to blast each other into tiny bits of space debris over a local wireless connection or up to four players can lock lasers after hooking up using the Nintendo WiFi Connection service.
Capcom's Nintendo DS crime-y, puzzle-solving-y, lawyer-y and courtroom drama-y game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is getting a sequel.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All, as the new DS game is called, finds defense attorney Wright tackling four new cases littered with fresh characters. As with the first game, you'll be navigating the game interface via the touchscreen, collecting evidence, cross-examining key witnesses to the crimes, analysing testimonies and ultimately attempting to serve justice.
In addition, Justice for All has new gameplay features, including Psyche-Lock and a new life bar that represents Phoenix's status in court. Elaborating on Psyche-Lock, Capcom has explained that "some witnesses may be keeping the truth under tight lock and key (aka the "Psyche-Lock" state), so in order to break them down, successfully open up their Psyche-Locks with a series of correct questions or catch them on their inconsistent testimony," and has this to say about the new life bar:
"...by presenting incorrect evidence or following misguided attempts to break Psyche-Locks, Phoenix's life bar will go down; the only way to regain this stat is to successfully open a witness's Psyche-Lock".
So far, Capcom has only announced Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All for North America, where it'll release in early 2007. We'll be sure to keep hitting Capcom on the head with a gavel and demanding a release for Europe.
It's hard to tell what was the main highlight of Konami's E3 conference, held earlier today in Los Angeles - there was a wide range of games on show, and arguably a little something for everyone.
For many gamers, of course, the best moment will have been when Hideo Kojima took to the stage to reveal new DS and PSP titles, plus a little bit more of Metal Gear Solid 4.
But of course, MGS isn't Konami's only classic series - let's not forget Silent Hill, which is coming to PSP for the first time. The new game, which is titled Silent Hill: Origins, sees you playing as a truck driver called Travis who finds himself lost in everyone's favourite spooky little town. It's a prequel to the original Silent Hill, so you'll get to find out all about the town's past - and you'll also meet characters from games further along in the series.
If you'd rather rock out on a dance mat than defend yourself against a vast army of faceless homicidal mutants determined to ensure that the last thing you see is their bloodied limbs crushing your pathetic skull into a sticky mess of bone, hair and mucus, great news - Dance Dance Revolution is coming to Xbox 360!
Titled DDR Universe, it'll feature exclusive songs and you'll be able to download extra tracks via the Xbox Live Marketplace. In addition, the original Xbox will get DDR Ultramix 4, which will feature 65 new songs, enhanced versions of the modes featured in previous games and multiplayer action for up to four players.
Konami also showed off previously announced and offensively titled Wii game Elebits. It's a whole new franchise, don't you know, which appears to have been inspired by the likes of Pikmin and playground games such as hide and seek. We're looking forward to seeing more of this one on the show floor.
For movie fans there's Hellboy, which is in development at Krome Studios (best known for doing the King Arthur game and the Ty the Tazmanian Tiger series). It'll appear on Xbox 360, PS3 and PSP, and is being developed with a little help from Mike Mignola, the man who created the comic book. It's out next year, most likely in conjunction with the movie sequel, which sees Hellboy and chums attempting to bring down a rebellious army of mythical creatures who want to rule the world.
Castlevania veteran Koji Igarashi was on hand to present new DS title Portrait of Ruin, which is set to take the series beyond the castle walls. It's set during World War II, and environments shown included a city, a rural landscape and a big old desert - some of which appeared to be in 3D. Along with the main character, you'll be able to control a sidekick who can help you overcome obstacles and pull off combo attacks.
Death Jr. is also coming to DS, in the form of Death Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom. There's also a new PSP game on the way, titled Death Jr.: Root of Evil. And finally, we have Brooktown High: Senior Year - a dating sim for PSP. It's down for a US release, perhaps surprisingly, but there's no word on whether it'll make it to Europe.
We'll be bringing you more on all of Konami's most exciting new titles, which may or may not include Brooktown High: Senior Year, in the next few days.
The Opera browser for Nintendo DS is a version of the Opera browser for logging onto the internet with the WiFi-enabled Nintendo DS. Using the DS card, you can connect to a network via a HotSpot or wireless router, and begin browsing on two screens. With an on-screen keypad and stylus, users can easily navigate the Web from their Nintendo DS with PDA-like functionality. The two screens are used for multifunction purposes — both can show one web page together, or one can show a zoomed-in view of the page, and when typing, the bottom screen shows the text being entered while the top shows the webpage you are on.
Konami today unveiled Pro Evolution Soccer 2006 for Nintendo DS and we've been playing it non stop.
The biggest surprise is that it actually beats Pro Evolution Soccer on PSP hands down, offering smoother play and killer visuals. Konami producer Shingo 'Seabass' Takatsuka previously apologised for the lacklustre PSP debut but has clearly made amends on DS.
DS exclusive elements include the ability to adjust formation settings mid match with the stylus. The lower screen also acts as a radar and shows player stats. Player animation looks spot on and the only minor disappointment is the lack of 3D replays. Wi-fi play works brilliantly and Nintendo fans finally have a football game worth shouting about. Expect Pro Evolution Soccer 2006 to arrive in September.
We thought that the thick triple-raspberry iced bun we had at lunch was sweet, then we smacked eyes on Yoshi's Island 2 and that really made us feel like we'd overdone the saccharine. Bucket, please.
This ultra-cutesy platformer features Baby Mario, Baby Peach and Baby Donkey Kong, as they investigate missing kids and a mysterious hovering islands. Super-colourful, platforming fun across two screens - it's out at the end of the year.
Check out the awesome screenshots Via Comments
Sweep away the recent tirade of movie punch-ups (Freddy Vs. Jason? Pfffrt), sparring off fat plumbers against a giant ape is where it's at. Continuing an age-old rivalry that started almost since the dawn of pixels, Nintendo has announced Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2 for DS.
Fully named Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2: March Of The Minis, this action puzzler is a sequel to the GBA game of a similar name. It's a bit different though - here you'll control the Mini Marios rather than big Mario himself, using the stylus to guide them through danger-infested courses.
The game also comes complete with a map editor, with creations trade-able via wi-fi, and features original Donkey Kong-kidnapped star, Pauline. It's set to release on September 25, 2006.
Awesome Screens Via the Comments
While everyone's focus was firmly on the unveiling of the Wii and its games at this year's Nintendo media event here at E3, the company still managed to unleash a torrent of information on brand new games heading to its DS handheld over the coming months and further. Surprisingly, despite the quality on show, Nintendo didn't do much in the way of trumpeting their arrival, so it's entirely possibly you missed some of the gems buried in all that Wii hyperbole.
For your procrastinating pleasure, we've selected the very cream of the crop in our DS round-up below - you'll find all the information we currently know about these new games, alongside all the screens Nintendo has made available so far. Without further ado, let's get rolling!
Eschewing the Sanderson household found in the brilliant GameCube game, this follow-up sees the diminuitive chore-bot taking to the great outdoors. Apparently, playground equipment is mysteriously vanishing and evil monsters have transformed the local flora into something unsavoury. It's up to you to restore the park to its former glory.
Apparently, you'll be able to ride buggies, cars and boats across lawns and ponds this time around, as well as using your squirter to vanquish foes, dance around to reinvigorate the plant life and build playground equipment to cheer everyone up.
Clubhouse Games
Release: Q4 2006
Type: Card, Board and Leisure games
Players: 1-8 (via Wi-fi Connection, DS Download Play or Multi-Card Play)
Developer: Agenda
This looks like one of those non-gamer games Nintendo's been churning out lately. Apparently, there's over 20 classic board, card and party games at your disposal - including checkers, darts, poker, bowling, backgammon, bridge and billiards. There's multiplayer functionality for up to eight players via online or DS to DS and it features a PictoChat-style conversation interface. Probably won't be top of your list, this one, but we thought we'd share anyway.
Custom Robo Arena
Release: Q4 2006
Type: Action RPG
Players: 1-2 (via DS Download Play, DS Multi Card Play and Wi-fi Connection)
Developer: Noise
Custom Robo comes to DS with Wi-fi Connection support! You'll explore a sci-fi universe in your bid to win the Custom Robo champonship, acquiring new parts and weapons for your Robos on your way. Nintendo says there are literally millions of possible part combinations available and you'll use the touchscreen to customise your charges. There's one-to-one multiplayer available too, either online or via DS LAN.
Diddy Kong Racing DS
Release: TBA
Type: Racing
Players: TBA
Developer: TBA
A bit of a mystery this one, thanks to a lack of official fact sheet. Although it's clearly based on the excellent Rare-developed N64 game, it's unclear if this is a simple port or a brand new racer featuring the most annoying monkey in the world. Either way, it looks like we can expect multiplayer action, including Mario Kart-style online racing.
DK: King of Swing DS
Release: TBA
Type: Action
Players: 1-4 (via DS LAN and Download Play)
Developer: Paon
By the sounds of it, this one's pretty much the same as King of Swing on the GBA - this time though, the pole swinging action is spread across both screens, meaning you'll have more play area to monkey around in. Apparently, there's a new sub-character, new moves, items and mini-games and you can go head-to-head with your mates in 1-4 player challenges via DS Download Play and DS LAN. Characters here, if you're interested, are Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong and Funky Kong.
DS Air
Release: TBA
Type: Flight Simulation
Players: 1-4 (via DS LAN and Wi-fi Connection TBC)
Developer: Nintendo
Hell's Bells! It's a realistic flight sim for DS developed by Nintendo, this one. It says you play a team of elite strike fighters here, and it's your job to bring down a mad dictator intent on taking over the world. You can customise your fighters with state of the art weapons, dogfight over land and sea and play co-operatively via DS LAN and online.
Okay, brace yourselves here. It's Ouenden, but not as you know it. It seems the absolutely amazing rhythm action title has undergone a complete overhaul for western audiences. The team of ninja cheerleaders from the Japanese version has been turned into secret-agent types (called Kahn, Derek, Morris and J, tentatively) and it looks like all the original situations, artwork and music has been redone as well. We can't say we much like the stuff we've seen - but as least the addictive underlying gameplay has been left in tact. Nintendo says you'll be able to assist a lost dog in finding his way home and help a babysitter charm her hunky football playing friend - we'd rather make pots and save the world from giant rats but hey.
The second DS from Cing, the team behind Another Code sees players taking on the roll of Kyle Hyde, an ex-cop turned salesman trying to track down a missing friend in 1979 Los Angeles. Apparently, you'll find yourself led to an old hotel with a strange room where wishes are granted - presumably the Room 215 of the title, eh? Holding the DS like a book, you'll use the touchscreen to question characters, search for clues and solve puzzle. We loved the old-skool charms of Another Code, so we're hoping for good things with this one.
Kirby
Release: TBA
Type: Action
Players: 1-4 (via DS LAN and Download Play)
Developer: HAL
Kirby's back on DS and this time you're looking for a strawberry shortcake thief, of all things. The pink one's floating, jumping and battling action is back, but his copying abilities have been massively upped - you'll be able to mix and match copy abilities using the stylus to drag them together on the touchscreen and these will all have an effect on your environments as well as your enemies. Trees and grass can be burned with the Fire ability and the Ice ability freezes water - there's probably a bunch more, but Nintendo isn't telling right now. Finally, there's also a sub-game mode where you'll be able to battle up to four friends.
Magical Vacation
Release: Q4 2006
Type: RPG
Players: 1 in single-player mode, 1-6 in multiplayer dungeons
Developer: Brownie Brown
We heard about this one ages ago back on the GBA and wondered where it had gone. It seems developer Brownie Brown has been fashioning its RPG into a new DS game where you'll explore strange planets in your hunt for your teacher at Will O' Wisp magical academy. Apparently, the stylus is used to control everything, including combat, conversation and outfitting allies. There's also a special dungeon to explore with up to five friends wirelessly, where unending challenges and incredible awards are yours for the taking.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Release: September 25
Type: Action Puzzle
Players: TBA
Developer: NST
It's the sequel to the engaging GBA puzzler, but this time there's a twist. Instead of hunting for Mini Marios, you'll be guiding them around stages and obstables using the stylus - which sounds a bit Pikmin-y to us. Interestingly, although ultimately probably not integral to the gameplay, Pauline - the original damsel in distress from Donkey Kong - is back, giving Peach a well-deserved break from all that kidnapping malarky.
Nintendo says you'll be able to create your own maps using the level editor and share them via the Wi-fi Connection service. There's also a player-ranking system in the works too. Super.
Star Fox DS
Release: August 21
Type: Sci-Fi Space Shooter
Players: 1-8 (via DS LAN and Download Play), 1-4 (via Wi-fi Connection)
Developer: Q-Games/Nintendo
Hooray! Star Fox is back! Hopefully too, this will lay the horrible memories of Rare's Star Fox Adventures and Namco's Star Fox Assault to rest forever. From what we've seen, it looks at least on par as the brilliant N64 version visually and Nintendo's promising new strategic elements with a commander's view of missions. You can use the touchscreen to draw the routes you and your teammates take, then battle through enemies, storm bases and advance through the map. There's also a promised multiplayer component using both LAN play and Nintendo's online service.
Tenchu: Dark Secret
Release: August 21
Type: Stealth Action
Players: 1-2 (via Wi-fi Connection and DS LAN)
Developer: From Software
You're a ninja assassin and you've got to protect the princess! You'll stalk enemies, sword fight, plant explosive traps in the shrubbery and use your formidable arsenal to overcome the odds. There're more than 40 single-player missions and you can build your own weapons and items. What's more, there's LAN-based multiplayer missions across three modes and you'll be able to buy, sell and trade items via the Nintendo Connection service.
Yoshi's Island 2
Release: Q4 2006
Type: Platformer
Players: TBA
Developer: Nintendo
Well, this one took us by complete surprise. It's the sequel to one of the finest platformers ever made and it's coming to a DS near you at the end of this year. This time around you'll get to play as Baby Mario, Baby Donkey Kong and Baby Peach - each giving your Yoshi special abilities. The platform action will be spread across both screens - a bit like Sonic Rush - and it's looking lovely.
There's just a couple of weeks to wait until Chibi-Robo arrives on European GameCubes - and as you'll know if you read our review, it's well worth looking forward to.
So hooray for the news that the houseproud robot will also be getting an outing on the Nintendo DS. Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol will see our hero leaving the family home and exploring his surroundings, specifically the local park.
It seems that playground equipment has been mysteriously disappearing of late, and evil monsters have been mucking about with all the flowers. Only Chibi can save the day and make the park worth visiting once again.
He'll get to ride buggies, cars and boats, racing round the park's lawns and cruising across the ponds. When Chibi dances, plants will come back to life and playground equipment will reappear, and if he has any trouble from those pesky monsters he can simply use his squirter to see them off.
Nintendo has yet to announce a release date for Chibi-Robo DS, but the GameCube version will be in the shops on May 26th.
Some info about the Final Fantasy III Game for the DS:
The only FINAL FANTASY® that was never localized—the third installment of the original series—will finally reach North American shores!
Lauded as “legendary” by the Japanese fan base, Final Fantasy III has been reborn, incorporating the latest in portable gaming technology. Using the features of the Nintendo DS to their fullest, Final Fantasy III features graphics that have been reworked and remodeled in 3D, while maintaining the mythical FINAL FANTASY look and feel.
Now is your chance to complete the circle. The Legend of FINAL FANTASY III is reborn.
STORY
The Gulgan thus prophesied:
This earthquake is only the beginning.
The great tremors that swallowed the crystals, the light of our world, only to spawn monsters from the depths of the scarred land, are nothing but harbingers of what is yet to come.
Something is coming...fathomless, ominous, and full of sorrow...
But hope is not yet lost.
Four souls will be blessed with the light, and so it shall begin...
A chance encounter with a sentient crystal changes Luneth’s life forever.
Luneth must leave the peaceful village of Ur behind, and seek three others who share his destiny. Together,
the four young adventurers set out on a dangerous journey to banish the darkness that threatens their world.
FEATURES
The missing link in the evolution of FINAL FANTASY is unveiled—North American gamers experience a legend reborn. A dynamic job-changing system brings a nearly infinite number of party variations. The Touch Screen interface takes full advantage of the DS capabilities—explore dungeons, dispatch foes and cast spells by using the stylus. A complete visual overhaul breathes new life into a classic—colorful 3D graphics bring FINAL FANTASY III into the new millennium.
If you spend a good deal of your time watching classic Dracula movies or, uh, the Weather Channel, you would no doubt be interested in Hideo Kojima's new DS game, Lunar Knights. Featuring loads of snarling vampires and weather effects, Gamespot notes that the game follows the adventures of two warriors looking to spill the blood of some blood-suckers. The stylus is used for plenty of actions in the game, just as you'd expect, but the interesting part comes in with the use of the DS' top screen. As your characters traverse the bottom screen, the weather above them (so to speak) will change and affect their abilities to successfully fend off the vampires plaguing the planet. If the thought of umbrella-wielding heroes slaying in the rain doesn't appeal to you, you are most likely dead inside.
Mighty Max has again updated his RTS Project for the Nintendo DS, heres whats new:
[09.05.2006]
* added unit-routing (yet releatively cpu intense)
* fixed another mem leak (24Bytes per Frame)
+ added a debug mem output (bytes allocated for user/bytes in chunks allocated for malloc)
[06.05.2006]
* resource producing units
* fixed a bug placing buildings with id bit0 = unset
* modified gameTimer to allow it to be fastened/slowed-down at any time
+ added resource commands to .maps (STARTMONEY, ONEVENT GIVEMONEY)
To follow on from what Nintendo are calling their Next Gen console we have today changed the name of our former "The Revolution" site to Nintendo Wii News.
As you would expect it has masses of the latest news and screenshots from E3. Some great news items if you havent followed it lately.
A world of transformations awaits as Capcom today announced Mega Man® ZX for the Nintendo DSTM, an original new action game that joins the Mega Man universe. A dynamic Biometal system plays the central role, offering players the ability to transform into different Model types, each with their own unique abilities and advantages. Utilizing new Models presents a variety of gameplay experiences, allowing players access to different powers and the ability to expand the game field, opening new and hidden areas for exploration. In addition, there is an option to play as either a male character or, for the first time ever in the Mega Man series, a female main character. Capcom plans to release Mega Man ZX across North America in Q3 2006.
In Mega Man ZX, hundreds of years have passed since the battles between humans and Reploids (robots). After fierce wars between the two sides, peace was finally restored and the two groups were able to establish various cooperative nations within the “Inner” area of the universe. However, danger zones remained in the undeveloped “Outer” section where independently evolved robots called “Mavericks” began wreaking havoc. A group called the Serpent Company scours the Outer universe to provide energy created from otherwise unattainable items to the Inner population and also serves to protect these peaceful nations from Maverick attacks over the years. On an excursion to the Outer region, they discover relics of ancient technologies in the ruins. These relics, called Biometals, are living, conscious materials, with records of information and weapon data from history housed within.
Players assume the role of either a human male character named Vent or his female counterpart, Aile, who are employees of the Girouette Express, a courier service that takes jobs transporting anything to anywhere. On a job accompanying their boss, Girouette, to transport a package containing Model X and Model Z Biometals, they are attacked by a mysterious group of Mavericks who seeks to take the material for themselves. During the scuffle, the Model X Biometal is absorbed into the main character, causing a transformation into Model X form while the Model Z Biometal fuses with Girouette. Facing innumerable enemies, Girouette lends his newfound power to his employee and the two substances combine to form Model ZX. With powerful abilities at their disposal, they must discover who the menacing enemies are and what they are ultimately after.
In Mega Man ZX, players traverse an open map structure as they face various foes in order to acquire Biometals. The crystallized Biometal data collects at the weak points of bosses, so only by defeating them will players acquire the necessary substances to transform into different Models. The specific powers of each type will help access previously inaccessible areas and progress through the game. Each Model type offers distinct abilities including the ability to break walls, burn enemies with fire, dash through water and more.
Mega Man ZX includes the following features:
Two playable characters – play as either a male character named Vent, or as a female named Aile
This is the first time ever in the Mega Man series where a female is the main playable character
Vent is bigger and more powerful while Aile is smaller and more agile
Each character has their own specific cut scenes
Biometal is the key – in order to gain the best transformation possible, strategically attack bosses without damaging its Biometals, otherwise its effects may become downgraded and must be repaired to regain its full potential
Transformations offer a range of different abilities
In human form, speak with townspeople and perform basic movements like walking and jumping
Model X form, drawing upon the Biometal data of Mega Man X, features a long range buster shot, basic actions, dashing and wall kicks
Model ZX form also includes the abilities of Model Z’s Z-Saber for short range attacks in addition to the Model X abilities
Biometal allows transformation into additional Model X types with distinct abilities – Model HX, Model LX and more
Expanding environment – unlock additional areas of the map by using different Model X forms’ powers
Real time info system – engages both screens of the DS system
Not only do different Model X types offer powerful abilities for players as they battle on the top screen’s “real world,” they can also trigger helpful Cyber Elves that display useful information on the bottom “Biometal screen” counterpart utilizing special abilities of Biometals
While the main action happens on top, beneficial data ranging from an enemy’s weak point, locations of hidden items and more are displayed on the bottom
The type of data displayed is different with each Model type
Overdrive invoke system – utilizing the Biometal Gauge, power up for a limited time to unleash devastating attacks; however once depleted, players revert to human form
Regenerating bosses – based on certain conditions, a boss that had been defeated will reappear again, allowing multiple opportunities to gain items from the repeated battles
Missions and Quests– progress the story by completing main missions while optional quests scattered throughout the map offer valuable information and items
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment. Founded in 1983, the company has created world renowned franchises including Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Mega Man, Breath of Fire, Devil May Cry and the Onimusha series. Headquartered in Osaka, Japan, the company maintains operations in the U.S., United Kingdom, Germany, Tokyo and Hong Kong. More information about Capcom and its products can be found on the company’s web site at www.capcom.com.
not sure how we missed this one! .. great app , supports all that good stuff now as well ..
Well here is possibly the last version of Win2DS. Finally has the the new WiFi features (WEP and DHCP all that), so you won't need to have all your WFC data fully filled out, or manually connect each time, or turn off WEP to keep the government from stealing your packets. There was a bit of a delay because I tried to add TCP support, but it is a pain in my ass and slow anyway. I will give this release a little time for bug reports and such, then I will probably release the source, because I think I'm done with this project.
v0.5a:
-Fixed screen corruption on M3.
-Tweaked the way the keyboard works for hopefully more compatibility.
v0.5:
-Complete overhaul of the GUI. Now makes full use of the touchscreen and has a Windows-like interface.
-Uses the new WiFi 0.3 lib. WEP, DHCP, automatic settings, and all that fun stuff should work now.
-Added GamePad Mode.
-Maybe some other stuff I don't know it's been a while!
Rare has officially confirmed its involvement in the development of Diddy Kong Racing on Nintendo DS, marking the first - but not necessarily the last - collaboration with its former partner since the studio was bought by Microsoft.
Arguably producing some of their best work with Nintendo, there was serious and justifiable doubt as to whether or not the two companies would work together again after Microsoft coughed up $375 million for Rare - but it's all turned out all right.
In a post on the company website, Rare revealed: "Yes, Diddy Kong Racing is our first official DS project."
Apparently it's "based on the N64 classic but improved and expanded in ways that only the DS allows," and will feature remodelled and retextured tracks. You can also expect a new mode called TT's Wish Races which that lets you design and race around your own custom-built course.
There's also a bunch of new characters to play with, customisable vehicles, new weapons and gameplay modes, plus eight-player single and multi-card Wi-Fi play. Oh, and touch-screen and microphone functionality - and Rare says that's only the half of it.
No release date for the title has been set yet, but check back for more details soon.
After sitting down with Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for a few minutes, we feel the verdict is still out. Granted, we didn't get to sail Wind Waker style with the stylus, and were kicked off early, so take criticism with a grain of salt. The game feels like a traditional top-down Zelda title only you direct Link with a stylus rather than a directional pad. We cruised around a mini dungeon for a bit and could see right away that the game has potential with touch controls.
1-on-1 Battle Mode versus another E3 attendee was a good time. One player guides Link to collect and safely return Triforces to base, while the other controls three "baddies" that try to stop Link from doing so. Though it felt like a rehash from gaming's past, it was fun to play. More to come.
X-Men: The Official Game lets you become a part of the action in the X-Men universe. Become five of the X-Men and obliterate enemies using a combination of stealth and melee fighting, in action and time-based missions.
May 11, 2006 - Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development's general manager, Takahashi Tezuka, recently chatted with IGN about Wii and its online functionality. The EAD leader confirmed once and for all that Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection on Wii would be an extension of the DS service and would not feature a standard interface like Xbox Live. And, uh, yes, get ready to enter those friend codes again.
IGN Wii: What is your plan for the Wi-Fi Connection and how might it compare to Xbox Live?
Takahashi Tezuka: Well, the Wii Wi-Fi Connection works the same as the Nintendo DS one. It's the three qualities that we emphasize. It's easy, safe and free.
IGN Wii: Will it have a central interface a la Live that all games will interact with, or will it be different on a game-by-game basis?
Tezuka: It'll be just like the DS so the interface will depend on the software.
IGN Wii: Will Wi-Fi Connection on Wii also use a Friends Code system?
Tezuka: Yes.
Fantastic News for both DS and Wii fans Free Online Play too
YoungMX has released a new version of DSOrganize the origizer applicaion for the Nintendo DS
Whats New:
* Changed color on INI/LNG syntax hilighting.
* Added htm/html as an editable type, complete with syntax hilighting.
* Rudimentary homebrew database, not very reliable due to early version of tcp, and not finished yet.
* Enabled 'sleep' mode when lid is closed for power saving.
* Touch area is bigger now for L/R/Start on screen.
* Possibly fixed the issue with browser crashing.
* Fixed random feature in music playback to never choose the same song twice.
* Added ogg playback.
* Added Id31.1 to mp3 playback.
* Added double click mode in browser.
* Added code from moonshell to boot sccf/scsd, this might or might not work.
* Changed sound code to anti-alias sound, the method moonshell uses to make sound cleaner.
Download and Give Feedback Via Comments
You can set up the feeds you want to read in the settings / feed settings menu. NDSMail also looks for a file called ndsmail.fed in the flash card's root directory. ndsmail.fed is a text file, each line contains the URL (full URL with http://) to a RSS or ATOM feed.
To download the feeds, press on the button in the main screen to switch to mode, then press Receive.
Please note that I did not disable the New/Reply buttons in feed mode yet, pressing them will give unpredictable results.
I added 2 feeds as defaults so you can test it right away.
Bug where settings file got corrupted should be fixed (can't test it)
Shows status while connecting to access point
Some mail display bugs fixed
Many more things I can't remember
Note that most bugs with incomplete/corrupted messages are because of a bug in dswifi which will be fixed soon.
The Second tutorial is up and features 2 scripts: the first is to export multiple selected meshes with the same texture map applied and the second will export a separate function for each selected mesh.
Some people were asking about exporting custom models, so here's a starting point. The next one will include exporting the ST texture coordinates.
Globoeil: has updated His Game Maker, heres whats new:
Updates in v.0.28:
===================
-Scrolling works!! (But with a graphical bug that I will fix in a next version)
-Added a third BG; over the 2 first. You can now do beautiful maps!
-All the BG elements have changed
-Added water(just graphics, not animated)
-Corrected bugs
-Now you can choose width and height of your map (in elements) when creating new map
-Corrected a display bug when adding element with the Stylus
-increased compression of maps
-Increased max size of maps by 33% (512*384>>>512*512 like in RM2K!)
-increased saving/loading speed of maps
-Added security in VGMDS for disk access
-Now all element are configured "blockers" by default.
Design escpecially for NDS with high clarity materials to protect your game screen from dirt and scratches. The double layered design protects your game screen from dust and grime.
Unou no Tatsujin Ganbare Trainer combines the mini games of Namco's Gun Bullet (Point Blank) arcade series with the brain training of Namco's Unou no Tatsujin (Right Brain Master) series. The game includes over forty mini games from Gun Bullet, with the focus primarily on using the touch pen to shoot targets. The brain training takes place in Brain Massage mode, where you go through a series of four tests and have your concentration, reaction, accuracy and judgment levels reported on a graph. The game also includes an arcade mode and a mode for two player competitive play.
Bronto has again updated his Mail app for the Nintendo DS:
Heres whats new:
- correctly converts some tags like line breaks, so mail/feed display is a lot nicer.
- file writing probably did not work at all in 0.40
- better error handling / access point reconnect
- default settings in nds file, so users without filesystem support can hex-edit their settings
For those who are waiting for SSL, it will not happen before the release of a new version of dswifi.
As always, I'm working on cool new features, stay tuned
If you find any feeds that do not work with NDSMail or just feeds you would like to share, please post them in comments.
More WIP News from ETK of his Megaman Clone for the DS:
have changed some things on the game and on the event editor, here are the changes in the game:
-Added background music
-Changed map gfx
-Fixed compatibility between MegaETk and the event editor
-Fixed dash bug that makes you fall sometimes in the small pits
-Fixed more things maybe, but I allways forgot (o.O)7
Event editor changes:
-Fixed compatibility between event editor and megaetk
-Fixed a lot of bugs (which I don't remember now)
-Added option to add items
-Changed size of some text boxes
-Improved "data.mee" that event editor creates to save all the data (level folders etc...)
-Now it can read the "level1.c" files (the array data) and renders it! Now I don't have to put the monsters on the tool each time I want to edit it :P
What a bloody busy week of newsposting, what with E3 etc but anyway heres a question that will surely get some response.
Does Piracy Hinder Consoles ?
Apart from the Dreamcast which piracy really did a number on that console, does piracy destroy a console or help it.
If you look at the big consoles of the last 10 years or so, im talking GBA, Xbox, PSone and PS2 all of them had modchips and flash carts etc and they dominated over the consoles that didnt at that time.
Yes piracy kills software sales and we do not condone it in anyway at all but for hardware sales does it actually help sales.
Thoughts on this? - (No Flaming just good discussion wanted)
Im sure you have noticed that theres some weirdness on the news on our sites and in the forums, well Martin (our server admin) is upgrading to a newer version of Vbulletin, once its all done we should have some great new features for the Network.
Mighty Max has again updated his RTS Project for the Nintendo DS, heres whats new:
[13.05.2006]
+ Added crash debuginfo, which prints out the registers content at crash situation (not including not terminated loops)
+ added (partitial) debuginfo on R+L+A+B keypress, showing the current SVC-mode location. (for detecting not terminating loops)
[12.05.2006]
* speeded up the no-route-to-target recognizing
* fixed units using the wrong animation. Units allways faced the target, now they face the next steps location
[11.05.2006]
* updated some of the ingame gfx with the rendered versions
* reduced the stack-load of .lst parsing functions
* speeded the routing function a bit
* fixed a routing crash
* fixed a rout-failure when target or startpoint is marked as non-passable
* buildings are not selected in multiselectings anymore
The news and goings on at E3 have been majorly interesting and it seems that there was one clear winner in the soon to be battle of the next gens,
Sony delivered an overpriced and reduced spec console that has 2 versions one with less features and lets be fair Joe public doesnt want to mess around with different versions of hardware, going down the Xbox 360 road on that score wasnt a wise move, as for the Xbox 360 itdidnt really grab my attention at E3 so that brings us to Nintendos funilly named Wii console, a console with many great games coming for it and the virtual console, which will massively please emulation fans. The thought of a lightsaber game/controller really grabs my attention.
The latest Mario Game is now here to buy, heres the info:
The first new 2-D Mario platformer since Super Mario World has arrived. Boasting incredible 3-D graphics to accompany classic 2-D game play, this fast-paced adventure will have Mario fans cheering as they make their way over fields, under water, through castles and into the air. New and familiar enemies are everywhere, not to mention mind-blowing challenges made possible by the dual screens of the Nintendo DS. Not only that, but players can link wirelessly with a friend to play as Mario and Luigi in multiplayer mode.
The first new 2-D Mario platformer since Super Mario World has arrived. Boasting incredible 3-D graphics to accompany classic 2-D game play, this fast-paced adventure will have Mario fans cheering as they make their way over fields, under water, through castles and into the air. New and familiar enemies are everywhere, not to mention mind-blowing challenges made possible by the dual screens of the Nintendo DS. Not only that, but players can link wirelessly with a friend to play as Mario and Luigi in multiplayer mode.
The Review Itself
This has to be one of the most wanted games in years and it doesnt let you down, graphically its perfect for what it needs to be, its not photo realistic but then again this is Mario and the Cartoony graphics work great here.
The 2D platform action with some 3D Visuals takes the best from all the other 2D Mario games and with spruced up graphics and some fantastic new ideas and ways to try and get the princess back, you will be impressed.
The Gameplay is perfect, you start off on easy levels by the time you get to World 5 things are really hotting up, the learning curve will please all and introduce a lot of new gamers to the wonders of platform gaming at its best.
The Music in the game reminds me of the first time the Super Nes version was played with those great stereo sounds, yes you have heard most of the tunes before but dont we all love the Mario tunes.
This game has all you can expect from a Mario game with lots of hidden surprises and new ideas used too transform Mario, seeing the plumber is supersize mode then into mini mode and later wearing a shell on his back ae just 3 of the games new surprises.
The storyline isnt much different from other Mario games but when your dealing with games this good we will let them off.
Comments
Another Major Triple AAA title for the Nintendo DS, the best Platform game for any system for years and especially since Yoshis Island, a must buy.
changes (google translate!!!!)
M3 teaching, the ~~~~. (In the habit which you do not contact by your [wagamama] [tsu] temporary. The plug there is no I. moonshell121p3.zip Version 1.21+3 MSPV40β was installed. External memory (32MByteDRAM of SuperCard built-in) it is the test of cash. It tried to use MSPV40 with BMP/PNG/JPG/PSD plug in. (Presently other than SC the same operation is) dynamic font package compilation performance was added to Setup.exe until recently.
US assemblyman Leyland Yee's controversial California games bill could fail under legal challenge from the ESA, as the judge issues a "strict scrutiny" ruling before considering his final judgment.
According to a report on the Bay City News website, Judge Ronald Whyte told attorneys for both parties that the proposed legislation had to be considered under a legal standard known as "strict scrutiny," which grants the broadest protection of free speech rights and could well result in another legal victory for the interactive entertainment industry.
Katherine Fallow, an atttorney for the videogames industry commented: "When strict scrutiny is applied, a law is rarely if ever upheld."
The California bill - which is publicly backed by Governer Arnold Schwarzenegger - was initially slapped with a temporary injunction that prevented its implementation into law at the start of the year. The industry trade bodies the ESA and IEMA instigated the legal challenge on grounds of constitutionality, having already established a precedent with similar failed bills in Michigan, Illinois and numerous other US states.
Whilst the final ruling on the California bill has yet to be made, the application of strict scrutiny is a damning move for the state, and is likely to throw the case in favour of the industry - which has been championing the success of its existing self-regulatory videgomaes rating system, the ESRB - once again. A final ruling on the case is expected to be announced by Judge Whyte in the near future.
Nintendo has announced that more than 3 million copies of DS title Animal Crossing: Wild World have been shipped around the globe.
It's proved so popular, in fact, that a big screen adaptation is now on the way. Japanese director Jouji Shimura will take the helm for the animated movie, which is set to hit cinemas over there in December.
There's no word on a European release date yet, but we'll keep you posted.
Pro-G has some new details on the handheld versions of LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. DS owners will have bragging rights with wireless 2-player co-op mode and 4-player versus mode, as well as customized touch screen controls.
PSP gamers also have the co-op mode, in addition to a timed challenge mode that features unlockable characters from the first game. Unlockables are cool, but this is sure to introduce some continuity problems in the storyline. Then again, keeping track of all the Star Wars timelines ain't like dusting crops, boy! There, I said it.
All eight versions of LEGO Star Wars II are scheduled for a September 12 release date.
zzo38computer has released DS Basic, heres the info:
You can run BASIC on Nintendo DS. This program is based on a program called Integer Tiny Basic, I ported it to Nintendo DS and changed a bunch of stuff. You cannot edit programs on DS yet, but you can copy program to CF card and run.
Some things about DS BASIC:
You can press START is short for typing "RUN".
If you press SELECT it will list the .BAS files on the card to load.
There are no string variables, only numbers.
You can not do complex IF statements (as in A=0 OR B=3), but you can do something like IF A*(B-3)=0. Commands or editing (SAVE, NEW, LIST, etc.) don't work yet, but I hope to add them in next weekend.
Mighty Max has again updated his RTS Project for the Nintendo DS, heres whats new:
[15.05.2006]
* each building unit can now only invest in one build at a given time.
* if a routing fails after the way was blocked just infront of the unit, the unit ai waits 1sec till retry
[14.05.2006]
* fixed exception stack
* fixed crash when IRQ appears walking through a sorted tree (Increased stacksize)
Screenshot, Download and Give Feedback Via Comments
First off i would like to say a massive thanks to Martin64 for hosting and also being the main reason why the forums and sites run so smooth, one of the best hosts you can get.
We have now upgraded to a newer version of vbulletin with new features galore and better security.
The stats and news feeds look much better and now the latest threads have reply and view numbers for those who love statistics.
We also now have a Members World Map which shows where our members come from in any place of the world, a very cool addition
The next big news is a new feature thats coming to all Network sites and thats a feature where on each site you will see your avatar and any private messages and if you have new ones etc, a damn cool addition to the sites especially if you are a member.
its being beta tested on the PSP News Site in the right hand column at the bottom, once we get the bugs sorted then it will go live.
Now onto the new DCEmu Arcade, a new addition to the forums and network, heres the list of games at this moment in time:
Still standing strong at number one this week, EA's latest FIFA update, World Cup Germany 2006, is very pleased to see you, your wallet and make your way to the till humanoid drone, our marketing machine has infiltrated your brain, you are powerless to resist.
Sat like a bloated, rotund wench on a park bench at number two, Lara still grips firmly onto the threads of her illustrious heyday, refusing to shift or move. Meanwhile, at three, there's a sizeable kick up the arse for Championship Manager 2006, rising from the murky depths of number ten.
MULTI-FORMAT TOP 20
1 FIFA WORLD CUP GERMANY 2006
2 TOMB RAIDER: LEGEND CRYSTAL
3 CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER 2006
4 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 5
5 THE GODFATHER
6 TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON: ADV WARFIGHTER
7 ANIMAL CROSSING: WILD WORLD
8 THE SIMS 2
9 FIFA STREET 2
10 ICE AGE 2: THE MELTDOWN
11 METROID PRIME: HUNTERS
12 THE ELDER SCROLLS IV: OBLIVION
13 BUZZ! THE BIG QUIZ
14 THE MATRIX: PATH OF NEO
15 THE SIMS 2: FAMILY FUN STUFF
16FOOTBALL MANAGER 2006
17 KING KONG: OFFICIAL GAME OF THE MOVIE
18 POKEMON LINK!
19 FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 3
20 MONSTER HUNTER: FREEDOM
Hi! This is my second attempt at a program for the DS, a small MSN messenger, so I'm looking for testers...
It doesn't have many functions, since I'm not sure how much the wifi library can handle, but at least you can -theoretically- connect and chat. The program uses GBFS, I think some cards can't handle that...
The wifi config is taken from the firmware, so make sure you have it available. L acts as a quick backspace, left and right to change tabs, Start to connect/disconnect. Your password is shown -since the keyboard seems to be quite buggy- so be warned :]
I'm not sure whether this will work at all, since I've only checked it on my DS, but anyway...
Agentq has released a new version of ScummVM for the Nintendo DS:
Changes in this version:
Added MP3 compressed speech support (although it can cause the games to slow down)
Fixed save path bug
Improved touchscreen accuracy
Fixed GBA flashcart reading bug
Fixed some graphical glitches
Fixed Loom save bug
Fixed another Loom audio bug
Please note, if you use an SD card, you risk data corruption, as the drivers are not fully stable. Please back up the contents of your SD card before you play.
According to the report, the recently redesigned DS Lite took an impressive 60.19 percent of April hardware sales, amounting to 690,000 units and the Nintendo DS made up 12.01 percent of the hardware market share, and 138,000 units. The slimmer and lighter version of the Nintendo DS went on sale in Japan on March 2, 2006 for ¥16,800 ($140). The handhelds' closest competitor was Sony's PSP, which amounted to 11.34 percent of the hardware market (130,000 units).
The best-selling conventional console was the PlayStation 2, with 112,045 units (9.77 percent), the Xbox 360 struggling to break 10,000 units, and the GameCube down at 4,500 units. Interestingly, Nintendo's other portable handhelds, Game Boy Advance SP, Game Boy Micro, and Game Boy Advance, took 2.69 percent, 2.63 percent, and .02 percent of the hardware market respectively, around 61,000 units.
ETk has posted this update about his Megamon clone for the DS, heres whats new:
This is bug it is made of lazyness and stupidity
I have continued the event editor ^^ changes:
-Able to have multiple levels and save them all in his own '.c' file
-Fixed scroll bug which makes impossible to add monsters/items in some locations
-Fixed "setup" code, it now asks one folder to save the data.. (not like before that it was asking the same folder 500 times and need to press Update button another 500 times)
-Fixed the textbox of current tile selected. It was displaying the wrong tile number
And what about the game? changes:
-Added shoot sound
-Added laser sound
-Now the monsters that appears in the screen are deleted (if they are far away from the hero (~256px aka screen width))
Maybe I have fixed another bug, but you know... I allways forgot ^^
Btw, I have turned back on the old gfx, looks like ppl prefers it.
I create a new version of my 2d engine.
I have add a wifi function.
demo : http://delfare.pizz.biz/moteur_combat_wifi.zip
run serveur_combat.exe
run moteur_combat_wifi.nds
add the ip adress that you have with serveur_combat.exe
play
you must be 2 player
Have you guys ever heard of this game called Maplestory? Apparently, clever as they are, developers Wizet have you in NO WAY acquiring syrup to generously cover shortstacks of buttermilk pancakes so that you may fill your body and soul with their warm, fluffy substance. As much of a crime as that is, their focus, which is a 2D side-scrolling MMORPG, isn't too disappointing in contrast according to some. Actually, if the grapevine is to be believed, it's a downright enjoyable experience more so than consuming pancakes (crazy, I know). If you're curious, you could just download it and find out for yourself or have a gander at the rather robust Wiki for some more information.
I'd just like to announce my new site is up and running great on the DCemu network.
Survival Horror HQ is your ultimate stop for all your survival horror gaming needs. Check for up-to-date news on franchises such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill, as well as the newly announced horror games for the next generation.
The Nintendo DS is continuing to prove hugely popular with Japanese consumers, accounting for more than 70 per cent of sales - while the Xbox 360 is struggling to break the 1 per cent barrier.
According to data provider Media Create, 138,000 Nintendo DS units and 690,000 DS Lites were sold during the month of April - accounting for 12.01 per cent and 60.19 per cent of sales respectively. Total DS sales rose by 206 per cent compared to figures for April 2005, which can be at least partly attributed to the launch of the DS Lite on March 2nd.
The PSP was the next best-selling piece of hardware last month, with just over 130,000 units sold and an 11.34 per cent share of the market. The PS2 is still going strong for a console at the end of its life cycle - 112,000 units were sold, making for a 9.77 per cent market share.
In fact, the PS2 far outsold Microsoft's next-gen console, which launched in Japan last December. The Xbox 360 is also trailing behind the GBA SP and the Game Boy Micro (both of which have market shares of around 2.6 per cent) - 10,701 units were sold in April, accounting for just 0.93 per cent of hardware sales.
The original Xbox, which has never been able to secure a foothold in Japan, is also continuing to fair poorly. It lagged behind the GameCube (0.4 per cent) and GBA (0.02 per cent) with just 121 units sold last month and a 0.01 per cent market share.
As for software sales, Konami topped the charts with Winning Eleven 10 for PS2 (460,500 copies sold), followed by DS title Animal Crossing: Wild World (317,000). Other DS games appearing in the top ten include Brain Training, Tetris and Pokémon Ranger, but GBA game Mother 3 was the third best-selling game of the month.
Lik Sang have done a fantastic handson of the New SuperMario Bros game with screenshots galore and indepth coverage of the game in full, heres a snippett:
Some would say it's been 20 years in the making: New Super Mario Bros., proudly shown during Nintendo's Media Briefing for this year's E3, sure is a highlight of the series that gamers worldwide are welcoming back with a current release on Nintendo DS. A true classic returns, based on the ingenious gameplay of the original title of yesteryear, in an all-new form: 80 levels of platforming goodness await. There are eight new worlds to explore, while on a quest to save lovely Princess Peach once more (Bowser Jr. beware!), which will take players through Plains, Desert, Tropical Island, Forest, Ice, Mountains, Sky and Bowser's Lair. On top of that, fresh moves and power ups are at your disposal, making it easier to kick some Goomba butt and navigate the diverse environments. In order to round out this ultimate trip to Mushroom Kingdom, lots of mini games got included, as well as wireless multiplayer modes. It's colorful, stuffed with merry Nintendo tunes and more fun that you could shake a Fire Flower at: New Super Mario Bros. is out now!
With its comfortable, over-the-ear design and snazzy hi-tech look, Communicator Headset for DS works with both the original Nintendo DS and the new DS Lite. It’s fully WiFi-compatible too, whether using Nintendo’s device or Datel’s own WiFi MAX.
Communicator Headset works with any DS game with voice control. With a microphone positioned near your mouth and an earpiece for crystal-clear sound, you need never shout into the console’s built-in mic or struggle to hear your in-game sounds again.
Communicator Headset is also ideal for online DS games which allow voice communication. Nintendo’s Metroid Prime: Hunters lets you chat to your online opponents in the virtual lobby before and after the game. It’s so much easier and convenient with the Communicator Headset to cut out background noise.
With more and more Nintendo DS games making use of the device’s in-built mic, and for those inevitable occasions where listening to the in-game sounds is the only option, Headset Communicator is the ideal choice.
Homebrew Fans already know this but it seems the mainstream have caught on at last, heres the newspost from Gamespot:
GP32/2x Distribution Ltd has announced that the GP2X is now available in the UK. It is the successor to the GP32 handheld, which sold over 32,000 units. The console features a 240MHz processor, 64MB of RAM and 64MB of on-board NAND flash memory. It will retail for £124.99 in the UK.
The GP2X can run games, music and movies, read e-books and store photos. The distributors claim that the handheld offers "higher quality audio and video playback" than the Sony PSP and it can also be connected directly to a TV set.
There are over 500 games available for the console--most as free downloads through the official website and developers are encouraged to work with the open-source system. There are also 10 commercial games in development.
"We have been astonished by the kind messages and feedback from the early GP2X userbase. The speed at which games and software has been released is amazing. Now it is time that the UK public get to see what a powerful and flexible machine the GP2X is," explained Craig Rothwell, director of GP32/2x Distribution Ltd.
As most who visit DCEmu s Network of sites know, i have actively supported and spammed about the GP2X since before it was released in Korea last year, for homebrew fans like me its great to have consoles that embrace homebrew than try to wreck it for us, remember to visit our very own GP2X Emulation News Site where we have all the very latest news and downloads for the GP2X, back to normal service now
News from the Blog of this Nintendo DS Emu for Windows:
While working on fixing some things in Dualis I decided to try to add some CompactFlash emulation capability to DeSmuME. After some code massaging I got file reading working, as can be seen in the screenshot below from the CF version of DSLua. I have supplied the code to the people responsible for DeSmuME so this functionality should be available in future versions.
OK, here is a short update of what I'm working on at the moment. SSL is on high priority now. I'm currently trying to figure out how to extract and decode the server public key from the server certificate. If anyone knows about this stuff, please contact me.
I'm not doing much bugfixiing for NDSMail at the moment, as I'm waiting for new version of sgstair's wifi lib & chishm's fat lib. I think that especially the recv bug causes a lot of crashes.
If you are a beginning programmer and you want to program a game with Wifi, you probably do not know how you to start out. Or if you quite simply do not desire to plunge into complicated network code, I've created a small library to make it simpler to do.
The library's functions create interfaces like Berkley sockets (functions with dswifi or under Linux), and also corrects small a bug in the current version of dswifi (in gethostbyname).
For instace, it incorporates two modules: TCP and HTTP. The TCP module makes it possible to communicate via TCP with a server or to simply create a TCP server on the DS. The HTTP module (not yet completed, nor documented, but usable: referer to the examples) creates a very simpe HTTP request (GET) in order to connect to a web page.
Tembargo updated the game for the DS, heres whats new:
- New name Temby! Towers and design.
- Posting score and level. And to increase speed according to time and the points of the score.
- Pressing left or right lets one change the horizontal location
- "T" block functional (the first line of game erases), one uses the option with the button ' R'.
- Test of music by DJ Costello.
I know that I've waited, I've begged, and I've drooled at the thought of this app ever being made. I don't know if any of you have wanted an Internet Radio Client as much as I have... but here we are. The first working release of Dissonance.
I would appreciate it if someone with a fully compatible router can test Dissonance for me. I would also appreciate if word did not spread off of this board for a day or two, until I can get some testing done (so keep it SECRET. I will notify the usual authorities when I get some testing data). On my router, it works for a few minutes, then locks up solid during a recv. I am wondering if it's my router, or something more sinister. So please, give me a hand.
Thanks sgstair for the library that makes all this possible.
After getting hold of our Japanese DS Lites two months ago, we can't imagine ever going back to the plastic monstrosity that is the original Nintendo DS. Most of the time we're so fixated with the DS Lite's luscious sheen, that we forget most inhabitants of good old Blighty are still deprived of this sexy white (and navy) handheld.
We've long pegged a late June launch for the DS Lite over here in the UK and Europe, with our own sources - and wider developments - suggesting that the DS will likely debut in the latter weeks of that month.
Further credence to this theory has arrived courtesy of French website Puissance Nintendo, who are pointing to June 23 launch in Europe. Furthermore, the website claims that, as in the US, the European Lite will initially only be available Crystal White, at a handsome price of 150 EUR (about 101.63 GBP - although don't expect that price tag in stores, obviously).
Advertisement:Puissance Nintendo also offers a selection of DS Lite 'lifestyle' posters for the European marketing campaign - dotted around this page for your entertainment and hilarity.
While this date and info are by no means official information, they certainly add a deal of weight to our own theories - as does the fact that New Super Mario Bros. (an ideal launch companion, wouldn't you say?) comes out a week after that supposed June 23 date.
Further more, big June/July releases Brain Training and Big Brain Academy both have DS Lites proudly displayed on their boxes, suggesting that the redesigned handheld will be released sometime around this educational pair.
When we picked up the phone and gave Nintendo a call, it was unavailable for comment. So, for now, we'll just have to do some of that old wait-and-see until the company deigns it time to reveal all.
In celebration of the recent release of Metroid Prime Hunters on DS, Nintendo has announced that it will be holding a nationwide tournament, seeking out Britain's best bounty hunter in HMVs across the country.
Known as the 'Hunt Is On Tournament', the event is set to take place on May 20 at HMV stores in Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and Manchester. All four stores will be linked via the magic of video so you can stare down your opponents and make them do a little poop in fear. It's a common tactic that, distracting your enemies with their own fetid pants.
Anyway, winners of the tournament will win an all-expenses paid trip to Seattle to meet the makers of the game, while runners-up will recieve HMV vouchers which, presumably, Nintendo is hoping you'll spend on its own products. Or a DVD of Debbie does Donkey Kong.
Advertisement:It says here that the tournament will run thusly: 11am to 1pm with practice, 1pm to 4pm for local heats and 4pm onwards marks the grand final. If you fancy a bit of interga-blastic tete-a-tete, then get yourselves down to HMVs at Birmingham High Street, Edinburgh Princes Street, London Oxford Street and Manchester Market Street on May 20. We'll be there!
Atari's planning to release a compilation of Hasbro board games on a DS cart this June.
"Monopoly, Boggle, Yahtzee, Battleship" is very much what the title suggests - touch-screen enabled versions of each of the games mentioned, complete with Wi-Fi capabilities for multiplayer.
There are no further details, but Atari has released some screenshots, which suggest a mix of 2d and 3d graphics and are at least as interesting as this news item.
Game Brink is hosting the official Final Fantasy III trailer, a remake of the original FF III on the DS. The entire 2-minute trailer consists of approximately 10 seconds of total gameplay footage. The majority of the trailer is pre-rendered CG and self-promoting hype. here's how the trailer breaks down:
0:00 to 0:36 -- Fluff text, decreeing this game as "The only Final Fantasy that never reached Western shores."
00:37 to 00:45 -- hand-drawn artwork from the game.
00:46 to 1:19 -- Some beautiful CG work of the main characters riding Chocobos alongside a rising airship.
1:20 to 1:31 -- Actual gameplay footage.
1:31 to 1:37 -- More CG, including our heros facing off against a giant Cerberus-style beast.
1:38 to 2:00 -- More fluff text: "Complete the Fantasy."
To be fair, the CG video was impressive and what we see of the gameplay we like. Final Fantasy III is due out late this year.
This has been on my mind for a while and im very interested to see where a poll and observations will take us, Simple question, shold we stick to Homebrew and Emulation on the systems we cover and leave the commercial gaming (unless its damn interesting) to others like IGN etc.
Ok this could be a very interesting thread, let us know by replying
Hot off the presses this one as highly secret sources have just revealed to CVG that a DS Lite launch announcement is imminent.
Unfortunately our furtive tipsters say we'll have to wait until Monday for full disclosure, but they seem certain Nintendo is finally set to confirm a UK and European release next week, when we'll have both the day and a confirmed price for the super sexy revamped handheld.
You may remember yesterday's story when we explained why we heavily tipped a late June launch for the DS Lite over here in the UK and Europe, with our own sources - and wider developments - including the release of Super Mario Bros. DS, making the latter weeks of June most likely.
Advertisement:Well now it seems Nintendo is almost ready to come clean and so we'll give you our final prediction of a June 23 launch with the DS initially only being in available Crystal White, at the rather attractive price of 150 EUR or about 101.63 GBP - say round it down to 99 Quid for cash, governor.
Tune back in on Monday when all the DS goodness is finally unveiled.
The latest numbers are in from Japan and everyone's favorite handheld received another week of near-stroke due to excessive heat from so much time spent in the spotlight. Software on the system also flew off the shelves. Without further ado, here are your numbers for 5/01/06 - 5/7/06:
Ive started this on the PSP site but ill explain more, im starting for each site on the network a Links exchange where basically if your site covers the same scene as the site u want to swap links with then we add links to the sites on either the left or right hand columns.
Its a great way for us to get new visitors and for other sites to get noticed too, nationality of sites doesnt bother me as a lot of the best sites in the world are non english .
We wont ever link to warez sites, sites that allow iso downloading etc but decent sites that support whatever scene they are in are most welcome, all we ask is that for a link on our sites is for the same on yours in a similiar place.
The Homebrew community is about all of us working for the one goal and with that in mind its great to share the visitors.
if u submit your site then tell us what site it is and we will do the rest, (eventually but i do in the end)
Hi all one by one im redoing the sites but from today on you will notice the Personal Info area at the top which will show your avatar (if your a member) and also if you have new private messages etc.
We have also gone back to a shtml site which makes things much easier for me.
MAX Media Dock is an amazing new storage device for your DS and DS Lite console.
MAX Media Dock allows you to store and access content saved on any Compact Flash card, releasing the potential of your DS as a full media playback device!
MAX Media Dock is compatible with readily available Compact Flash cards which offer some of the best value flash memory around. Cards up to 8GB can simply be snapped into the MAX Media Dock providing access to huge storage potential on your DS.
MAX Media Dock includes the Max Media Player/Dock DS cartridge which allows you to navigate and run content stored on your MAX Media Dock’s Compact Flash card though an intuitive, stylus controlled browser interface.
To get all that content onto your MAX Media Dock use the built in High Speed USB 2.0 port to connect the Media Dock to your PC. Windows will automatically recognise your card allowing you to quickly and easily Drag and Drop content onto it.
With MAX Media Dock you will also be able to enjoy numerous games and applications developed by talented programmers in the DS’s thriving ‘Homebrew’ community as well as watch high quality video and listen to MP3s!
MAX Media Dock is also available with 1GB and 2GB Compact Flash cards included, see alternative items.
MAX Media Dock is perfect for Movies, Music, Games, Home Brew and more!
Hello people. I've been recently working on a Tales of Dagur save editor/cheat tool called DarkMagic. Now, DarkMagic has reached a point where it can actually be useful, so I thought about publicly releasing it now. Thanks to LiraNuna for releasing Tales of Dagur's source code ^_^. I will also release source code for DarkMagic soon.
It looks like Nintendo left the classic 1Up trick in the New Super Mario Bros. game. To get unlimited lives just go to world 2-4 and near the end you will see a turtle walking down the steps. Jump down on him, but don't kick the shell. Next, get on the step below the turtle shell, push up against the step and then jump straight up without touching the D-pad. You;ll start to bounce on the shell and the 1Ups will start to just roll in.
Mighty Max has again updated his RTS Project for the Nintendo DS, heres whats new:
[21.05.2006]
* fixed a tree sorting bug introduced with the 20.05.06 version
* modified guilayer->Close() to actually remove the layer from the gui (mem save)
* fixed GE_TIMER not passing GUI on event
* fixed: wrong stack & link register shown on crashdbg
[20.05.2006]
* speeded unit enumerating functions and reduced stackload
+ added first gui implementation for menu's
* ip settings are no longer hardcoded
+ ip settings are now loaded from & saved to "net.conf"
[19.05.2006]
* fixed darkenscanline did randomly (wrong flag-check) not modify the first pixel
[18.05.2006]
+ new map option VIEWPORT=(x,y) to set the starting viewport
+ added internal volume control for soundstreams (for upcoming options menu)
+ added internal volume modifier for all effects (max effect volume)
+ added custom gametimers (in preparation for time caused events)
+ new map option MAPNAME= to name a map (will be shown in multiplayer or saves)
+ started to work on the hosting list
[17.05.2006]
* fixed all compile warnings (no more compiling spam )
* fixed a long searched error in the sorted tree. (possible invalid return of GetBrother())
+ added more test functions to multiplayer test. (atm IP & Such are hardcoded according to my test environment)
[16.05.2006]
* fixed timing issues with streamed sound/increased the rinbuffer size
* added more failure checks to streaming, new control functions (Stop,IsPlaying)
* fixed a mode wrong wifi mode while scanning for APs
* if the game finishes, the current sound stream is stopped (it endlessly looped the last cache before)
+ The multiplayer test should now be able to associate to any not wep-protected AP
Moonlight has released a new version of his all singing all dancing app/shell for the Nintendo DS which has so many features you need to try it out, heres whats new:
Version 1.3 FinalBeta
ImageControlTimeOutSec item was deleted to [System] section of global.ini.
[ImagePlugin] section was added of global.ini.
MSPV40 was built in. An external memory of GBA cart (M3/SC) is used as cache.
MSPV40 was used by the BMP/PNG/JPG/PSD plug-in.
The dynamic font package function for creation was added of Setup.exe.
Function to extract all storage files was added of Setup.exe.
A thumbnail function was added.
[Thumbnail] section was added of global.ini.
The double screen option is unstable. Please think that it is not possible to use it basically.
[HiddenItem] section was added of global.ini.
ETk posted this wip news about his megaman clone for the DS:
Uhm.. next level finally added. Had to update the event editor and game again.
Game Changes:
-Added teleport.
-Fixed palette bugs when change level.
-Event code optimized.
Event editor changes:
-Added option to edit level name and path
-Added Teleport type events
-Can save automatically the event data now
-Changed pointer
-Changed colours, location, etc..
-Fixed some minor bugs
SylphAMP is a Winamp-to-NDS interface; install it in WinAmp as an output plugin and all the audio is streamed to a DS on the local network rather than sent to the speakers.
See the readme for instructions on how to use. Bear in mind this is an early alpha-style release with possibly the most horrific UI in existance. And it isn't very functional either. But if you want to stream MP3s and so on from WinAmp to your DS, it just about manages that most of the time
Nintendo has announced that the DS Lite, the redesigned version of its multi-million selling dual screen handheld, will launch in Europe on June 23rd, priced at GBP 99.99.
The original DS has already proved hugely popular with consumers around the globe, with 16 million units sold so far. The new model is around 60g lighter and two thirds of the size of the original, and features four screen brightness settings. It will be available in Europe in a choice of two colours - white or black.
Nintendo has lined up a healthy selection of software titles to coincide with the launch of the DS Lite. Brain Training, the mind exercising game which has taken Japan by storm, will launch here on June 9th. A new edition of Nintendogs - subtitled Dalmatian & Friends - will hit the shops a week later, followed by New Super Mario Bros. on June 30th.
July 7th will see the arrival of music maker Electroplankton and Big Brain Academy, a more lighthearted version of Brain Training.
The Minnesota House of Representatives has passed a new bill which proposes a USD 25 civil penalty for minors who knowingly buy or rent Mature or Adult Only ESRB-rated videogames.
Taking note of the recent failed legislative proposals in other US states, Republican representative Jeff Johnson's bill would not impose fines on retailers and merchants, but simply requires videogames outlets to clearly display ESRB ratings signs and information - which is something the majority of stores already comply with under the industry's self regulatory system.
Johnson, who is running for Attorney General, told Minnesota Public Radio: "We were trying to pass the narrowest bill possible just to try something different from a constitutional challenge standpoint," but admits that he fully expects the ESA to challenge the proposal and already foresees the potential legal obstacles in attempting to secure the bill's implementation into law.
"There are two potential constitutional problems," Johnson stated. "One is that we are using the ESRB ratings. I can see a court saying you can't use private industry to create the law, but there's no way around that because everything else anyone has tried has been unsuccessful."
Johnson's second issue is one which has overshadowed each of the videogames legislation proposals, regardless of their constitutional validity, in that "so far no court has found a strong enough link" between violent or graphic videogames and youth violence or aggressive, anti-social behaviour.
The Minnesota bill will become law on August 1st if it is signed by the Governor and withstands any legal challenge in the interim. Whilst the attempt to penalise consumers for infractions of ESRB ratings is an unusual step to take, it is at the very least a move towards working with the industry regulated videogames ratings rather than simply overruling or replacing them.
That said, the constitutional foundations and the evidentiary basis for political intervention in the sale or rental of videogames in the US remain arguably unsound and it is highly likely that another court ruling will see the bill overturned.
We learnt it the hard way - the tube isn't the ideal place to train your Nintendog. After several dirty looks and a series of unpleasant exchanges, we never took Nintendogs on the train again.
We're obviously not going anywhere near the tube with it then, but that doesn't mean you can't train your virtual doggies in public when Dalmatians & Friends waddles into the shops on June 16. Officially announced today, the new editon of Nintendogs will have six of the most popular mutts from previous versions available, including - wait for it - Dalmatian.
So not strictly a new release, Dalmatians & Friends is more of a remix of previous Nintendog flavours. But with Nintendogs sales now surpassing six million worldwide and 2.5 million in Europe, we're sure there are plenty of people willing to give up their cash regardless.
Nintendogs: Dalmatians & Friends is out on June 16. We're off to make a, ahem, secret pre-order.
Looks like we've got some bad news for those in our audience anticipating a DS Lite in black -- looks like Apple isn't the only one making the dark version of their portable a little more inaccessible than its white counterpart. So far as we know we're still slated for that June 11 launch of the "Polar White" DS Lite in the states, but unless they're gonna surprise us with some additional colors it looks like Europe will be getting black first come June 23rd. And don't be fooled by Nintendo's press shots above, we don't think there's a muddy gray / brown shade en route as well, just black and white due Europe for about £99 or €149.99 ($185 or $191, depending on your region).
MAX Media Player turns your Nintendo DS into a powerful home entertainment device, with movie playback, music on the move and a convenient picture viewer.
At the heart of MAX Media Player for DS is Datel’s exclusive MAX Media Player. Just insert the cartridge into your DS’s game slot, and boot up our fully featured browser. From here, you can play your MP3 audio tracks, watch videos and view your JPEGs on your DS’s screen.
MAX Media Player for DS comes supplied with a 4GB hard drive unit, which you plug into your DS’sGBA cartridge slot. It draws its power directly from the DS – no additional batteries are needed. And 4GB is a lot of storage space. Enough, in fact, for up to ten full-length movies. Or over a thousand music tracks. Or thousands of digital pictures.
First of all, you connect your MAX Media Player HDD unit to your PC with the USB cable supplied. Open the Media Manager PC application (also supplied), and use it to transfer your media to the 4GB hard drive. It’s easy – the PC application even converts movies to a format your MAX Media Player can understand, and resizes your digital images so they fit perfectly on the DS screen. Now you can kill time on that long journey by watching movies on the move or listening to your favourite sounds. You can take your digital holiday snaps round your granny’s or down the pub without printing them out too!
Moonlight has released a new version of his all singing all dancing app/shell for the Nintendo DS which has so many features you need to try it out, heres whats new:
Version 1.3 FinalBeta 3
- External memory driver's M3 built-in memory can use 28MByte (about 4250x3400 pixel).
- The bug to which the Jpeg plug-in did not decode 8bit mono image was corrected.
ETK again posts an update about his Megaman clone for the Nintendo DS:
More changes!
-Hero can shoot in all 360º
-Shoot angle can be changed with stylus (the hero aims where you want)
-Changed hero animation while walking
-Changed hero gfx while jumping
-Changed the door gfx
-Added FadeIn and FadeOut effect when level starts
-Added a smoke effect when hero dashes
-Added 'AutoRun' button
-Now you can shoot with L button (for when you use the stylus)
-Changed: Jump while using dash (will make you jump far)
Work is progressing on the dswifi library, you can see the progress as it is being made here, on my SgstairChecklist wiki page.
It’s not ready for a full release at the moment, but there’s even better news:
Now, thanks to some help from WntrMute, I’ve reorganized the dswifi library to make building easier and have added it as a module to the devkitpro sourceforge CVS server (see file listing here).
Keep in mind that this certainly isn’t the best option for everyone, but for those of you who are sufficiently capable this will put you at the cutting edge of dswifi library development, which can only be a good thing with the ndshb.com DS wifi game coding competition coming to close in about a month and a half. Having the latest wifi codebase could give your app the edge it so desperately needs! :P
In all seriousness though… Feel free to download and compile the libraries, it’s an utterly painless process if you can get CVS to cooperate, the new build system dumps 4 output files (libdswifi7.a, libdswifi9.a, libdswifi7d.a, and libdswifi9.a - arm7 and arm9 release and debug versions respectively) into [root]/lib, and the include files you need are in [root]/include. [NOTE! the old lib used “libdswifi7r.a” and “libdswifi9r.a” for the release versions - the ‘r’ has been dropped for the new version.]
If you find bugs…. let me qualify: if you find bugs that are not explicitly listed in my checklist, please feel free to bug me about them. Please do try very hard to explicitly define the bug though, generally “recv doesn’t work” isn’t nearly as helpful as “I noticed that recv fails in xxxx circumstance and tried a bundle of other things but it worked ok for them” - in other words just don’t be extraordinarily vague.
If there are known bugs that are hindering your progress, you may also bug me about them, I’ve got a rough set of priorities in my mind about what order to tackle the bugs in but if you have something you need to have working correctly, I can usually adapt my workflow to fix it more quickly.
As always, bug me via email, leave a comment here or on the wiki, or stop by on the IRC channel - #dswifi on EFnet
Have fun, and good luck with your (hopefully wifi related :P) projects.
I have ported mathomatic to DSLinux. This is a great tool that can help you with most math problems. I hope it works well on all builds, because it is a bit memory hungry. I had to trim some defaults down to make it work. I have tested it on DSMEM and .nds.”
I finally found a way to add write support for Supercard SD so you can save your settings. This was the first time I could actually test the save settings feature, and I found out it is very bugged. I already fixed this, but it I want to work on newsfeed support before releasing a new version. This will also contain the latest version of dswifi.
Hardcore gamers the world over invested in Flash Carts for their GBA handhelds, running home brew games or programs shared among users or downloaded from the internet. With a Flash Cart and an emulator, for example, you could play games for older machines such as the Mega Drive/Genesis or the Sinclair ZX Spectrum on your handheld. It was your ticket to a whole new world of home brew software and emulation gaming. Then came the Nintendo DS. It’s fully backwards-compatible with the GBA, but you could only use a Flash Cart in GBA mode. There was no easy way of accessing DS programs on your Flash Cart. Until now?
MAX Media Launcher for the Nintendo DS and DS Lite is the perfect solution for accessing DS media from any GBA flash storage device. Simply snap in the Max Media Launcher cartridge, and that's it! Media, freeware, executables and other files stored on your flash card can be launched. The Flash Cart revolutionised the GBA home brew scene, and with MAX Media Launcher, it will do for the DS too.
MAX Media Launcher is compatible with most types of flash cards including M3 and NEO.
Naruto, Sasuke and other Ninjas of the Konohana clan return in Tomy's action packed Naruto: Saikyo Ninja Daikesshu sequel for Nintendo DS™. The fourth installment in total and the second one on Nintendo DS™ promises to be bigger and better than any of the previous ones. The game features a total of more than 30 characters from the anime, new moves (such as an Air Attack, Throw Action, Rising Attack and Super Jump), a new Chakra control system, new missions and up to 4 player game play.
Tomy's Nintendo DS™ action game Naruto: Saikyo Ninja Daikesshu is now available at discounted US$ 24.90 only.
Working very closely with Peter Jackson and Wingnut Films, Ubisoft has created a game reflecting the visual interpretation, character dynamics and dramatic narrative of Jackson's epic take on the classic King Kong story. In this epic adventure [loosely based on the gameplay of the console version, with all-new levels and play elements], you will experience the fateful legend of Kong from the perspective of both man and beast. Survive Skull Island as unwitting hero Jack Driscoll in first-person shooting action, and unleash the staggering power of the 25-foot-tall King Kong in third-person action sequences.
Simple DS Series Vol. 8 The Kanshiki Kan is a port of PlayStation 2 Simple Series vol. 70: The Kanshiki Kan. This game has you solve a number of mysteries by heading to the crime scene and collecting evidence and fingerprints which are then handed off to an expert for analysis. Your job is to manage evidence and string together a correct picture of the crime; go off on the wrong path and your superiors will grow angry and take you off the case.
Like last year's game, Ultimate Spider-Man approaches the action in a very Viewtiful Joe-inspired design. The characters, objects, and environments all utilize the Nintendo DS system's 3D capabilities complete with a free-flowing, almost dynamic camera to follow the action. But the gameplay itself is strictly restricted to a 2D plane instead of the exploration heavy design of the upcoming console versions. But it's a decision that works for the unique nature of the Nintendo DS hardware. The Nintendo DS version is a completely unique experience, and what's more the development team have worked in some really great dual screen and touchscreen elements into the mix.
Based on Anno Moyoco's Sugar Sugar Rune manga, this Nintendo DS edition features Vanilla and Chocolat who have to pass an exam in order to become full witches.
A unique touch-oriented puzzle game, the basic idea behind Touch Panic is that you're trying to arrange panels to create an uninterrupted path for a rolling "panic" ball. The pieces of the board consist of curved and straights lines, which must be connected in order to make a clean path. You can tap a panel to make it slide or rotate into a more suitable position. Tapping the panic ball makes it dash forward. The game also gives you access to 50 special moves, called "tricks," which you must unlock by collecting Touch Balls in the main mode of play.
Divineo USA have posted the sale of the M3 Adapter SD version. standalone., heres the details:
M3 Adapter is made for those who want to download freeware games, movies and music from a PC to a GBA(SP) and/or Nintendo DS. You can use your PC and normal Compact Flash Card Reader to transfer and convert you movie & music files to the Compact Flash Cards. Then, insert M3 Adapter with CF/SD Card into GBA(SP) or Nintendo DS, and the files will be available after boot up of the console.
Its features are just the same as any other MP3 Player on the market but also playing games and movies instead of playing music only.
One of the coolest features of an M3 Adapter is that you can directly run third party software on it – that includes emulators of the video game system.
- Supercard SD Write support
- Settings-stuff fixed
- Improved feed support (now even displays most HTML feeds)
- uses the latest version of dswifi
- misc. bugfixes
It won't be long now. In just a little more than two week's time, Nintendo will launch the long-awaited redesign for the Nintendo DS system. The DS Lite is coming, with its brighter screen and smaller, tighter design, and Nintendo has released to retailers the box art for the next generation Touch Screen system.
The DS Lite will launch in one color: Polar White, a very iPod-like hue. The system will release on June 11th for 129.99, the same price as the current generation Nintendo DS.
After my release the other day, I was extremely tired. I had been working on Dissonance for about a week with 16 hour days, and I really felt in need of a break. So I've been spending all my time since then playing all the Half-Life that I could. I played through Half-Life, Half-Life: Opposing Force, and Half-Life: Blue Shift in preparation for Half-Life 2: Episode One. But I've quenched that need for the time being, so I can concentrate on Dissonance again. I've built a new binary of Dissonance against sgstair's cvs release... so it might fix some obscure bug. However, I don't notice much difference myself, and so my source has not been updated.
Anyways, due to the discussion going on on the dswifi forum, I can say that the next release will likely have two key features. Higher volume, (or adjustable pre-amp), and support for some sort of playlist. Right now, I am thinking about just appending an M3U or something to the end of the ROM, and calling it a day for now. But the grand plan is to support the shoutcast directory. It's just a lot of work getting there.
JimmyL has updated his awesome looking RTS game for the Nintendo DS, heres the info:
Time for another update, this time with online play! I've spent some time the last few days fixing various sync bugs in my code, and this is the first version with which I've managed to play a complete network game without any noticable problems, so I figured I'd take my chances and release it before I did find something. I included a fairly bare bones lobby, you can host and join games, but you won't know who you're playing against unless you recognise the other persons ip address. The game's currently limited to 1 on 1.
Taking a cue from blubb, you'll need to forward port 9999(UDP only) if you want to be a server, otherwise you'll get listed in the server list but no one will be able to join.
You'll also need your ds firmware configured to connect to your router using Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, or some other wifi enabled game.
Download and Give Feedback Via the Comments
Dustin has released the first version of his Collection of mini games, heres the info:
Collection is an assortment of mini games that I am producing. At the moment there are only 4 but I hope to get more up quickly. Ideally after I get 20 or so of these games together I might make some sort of adventure mode where games are unlocked as you go along but we'll see. Also I'm working to emplement FAT saving of highscores as highscores are kinda the point of the game. If anyone has a suggestion for a game or wants to help by making a highscore style mini game in PAlib (I don't know how to do regular NDSlib yet unfortunatly) feel free to send it in to nitsud at gmail dot com.
If you haven’t seen it already, check out the latest bed-bound Japanese advert for Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros, played on a 'can’t-make-them-fast-enough' DS Lite.
You will see the lovely Nanako Matsushima, the well known Japanese actress and model (if anything, you probably know her for her role in the splendid horror film Ringu) reach a stage of ‘heightened pleasure’ through playing with the Big Fella on her little DS Lite. Jumping around on her bed on her knees, screaming with joy. As all girls do, in secret.
Before you check out the ad by clicking right here, also bear in mind that a rough English translation of the above commercial goes like this: “Ah, something came, something came, something came. Ahh. Jump! Jump! Jump! A big one appeared. Huge. Waaaaaah. Yippie! What's this? What's this? I'm so happy! Wow, sooo strong. Oh, it's over. *laughs* "
To dear homebrew developers and dear M3/SC/EZ4/G6/MK/MML and other hardware developers.
MoonShell is free.
Remodeling and uploading to the public are free.
Partial use of the source file is possible, too.
(Attention!! The GPL library is not permitted to be recycled partially.)
The G6 exclusive use and the EZ4 exclusive use, etc. are also possible.
Permission is unnecessary. The report mail to me is also unnecessary.
Advice.
MoonShell (and plug-ins) was made by using devkitPror17 and libnds-20060201.
The subutility was made by using Delphi7.
The DPG decoding slows if libnds-20060410 is used. This is not recommended.
A new device can be easily added by processing the following. (We wish sincerely to express our gratitude for Chishm. )
gba_nds_fat_2006-02-09_unicode_M3SD_ReadAlignDetect/disc_io.c/c and io_xxxx.c/h
I do not understand excluding Japanese. really!
It is my personal hope.
MoonShell uses the GPL library.
However, I do not compel the source files making public.
I do not complain even if the remodeled source file is not made public.
However, I am interested in the source file.
Especially, the CF/SD access library of 'G6 and EZ4' is convinced that there is demand for the great number of people.
It is felt that it is useful also for the homebrew applications other than MoonShell.
However, I do not compel it. It acts freely without permission and I do not care.
What's new in version 1.04:
In this version, the below problems in the previous version 1.03 were fixed:
(1) The DHCP performance has been improved.
(2) The problem in which the wireless communication slowed down between DS units using the same USB connector has been fixed.
There was no more room at the top of Nintendo of America's corporate ladder, so the company just added some rungs. The US arm of the Japanese game giant announced today that company president Tatsumi Kimishima has received a promotion to the new roles of CEO and chairman of the board.
Before coming to Nintendo, Kimishima spent 27 years with Sanwa Bank of Japan, where he served in several management-related jobs. After leaving Sanwa, he served as chief financial officer of The Pokemon Company in 2000 and president of Pokemon USA in 2001 before becoming president of Nintendo of America in 2002.
Taking over the roles of president and chief operating officer is Reggie Fils-Aime, who has led audiences through the past several E3 press conferences as executive vice president of sales and marketing. He achieved celebrity status among Nintendo fans for his speech at E3 2004, when he declared, "My name is Reggie. I'm about kickin' ass, I'm about takin' names, and we're about makin' games."
Fils-Aime joined NOA in December 2003, after working in high-level positions at VH1, Procter & Gamble, and Pizza Hut. As the company prepares for the fourth-quarter launch of its Wii console, Fils-Aime will juggle duties between his former role in sales and marketing and his new position overseeing NOA's daily operations.
A third promotion announced today sees senior vice president of business development Mike Fukuda bumped up to executive vice president of business development. Of the three executives promoted, he has the longest tenure with Nintendo, having been with the company for 12 years. In his new role, he will oversee the creation of games and hardware tailored to Nintendo's North American audience.
Now I posted V2.0
Now you can edit and run program on Nintendo DS, and some things are fixed and some new commands. (You have to type NEW before typing in a new program, though.)
If you find any bugs or anything else, tell me. Also tell me if is good
SuccessHK have posted the release of this Commercial DS Game:
Latest release in the popular war game series Daisenryaku. This issue features new maps and weapons and the usual Nintendo DS features. The DS version will have greatly simplified systems to make the game suitable for beginners, for example the hexagon units in the battle field are changed to squares. You can use the stylus to control the game, and press the SELECT button to swap the top and bottom screens to issue commands to the troops and plan your strategies.
Ficedula has released a new version of SylphAMP - this can be installed on Winamp as an output plug-in and will send the audio to your DS
Heres whats New
-Hopefully improved sync a bit
-Lowered lag between PC/DS
-Less garbage playing when pausing/stopping song
-Display playlist on DS
-Very basic UI
-Support entering any IP as server to connect to
In theory you could connect to your home PC via the internet. In practice I haven't tried this (and until NTL upgrade my broadband next month, I won't have enough upload). You'd need to forward port 9883 from the router to the PC running Winamp; it also needs an absolute minimum of 350Kbit upstream from the PC to the DS to work, preferably a bit more.
Once I implement options on the PC side to downsample the audio either to 22KHz and/or mono, it'll be more usable on lower speed connections.
What started as a guy simply trying to rescue his whiny girlfriend from an angry ape 26 years ago has since grown into one of the most recognizable faces in video gaming: Mario. GameDaily explores the different types of Mario games over the years, from Jump Man to Mario Kart, to the new Wii title, Super Mario Galaxy." From the article: "Mario Bros. was released in a combination cart with the shooting game Duck Hunt, and gamers ate it up aplenty. (It was so popular, in fact, that the game was released for the Game Boy Color and remains one of its highest sellers to date.) Super Mario Bros. 2 would arrive years later and would take a drastic turn in gameplay, as it was actually based on a Japanese game called Doki Doki Panic and not the "true" sequel that was released in Japan only (at the time- it would resurface in the SNES release Super Mario All Stars). It was a hit, and would see a release alongside the launch of the Game Boy Advance years later under the name Super Mario Advance
When Nintendo named the first DS installment of its 3D space-based shooter series as Star Fox DS earlier this month, it appeared the company was tapping into the same well of creativity that produced titles for Tetris DS, Super Mario 64 DS, and Mario Kart DS. Now it appears that the Star Fox DS moniker was only temporary, as Nintendo's Web site now lists the game as Star Fox Command.
Star Fox Command puts players through a branching set of missions in the familiar Arwing fighter. There's also multiplayer co-op and competitive game modes for up to four players on the Wi-Fi Connection, or eight players locally. Co-op mode will also allow a player designated as team leader to plot out a course through the level using the system's touch screen.
Star Fox Command is set for release August 28, according to the Web site. Nintendo reps were not immediately available to confirm the new name.
The Legend of Zelda series has won numerous awards in its near two-decade run, but one magazine is calling out the game's hero, the boyish elf Link, as a perfect 10. The June issue of Out, a magazine focusing on gay and lesbian culture, named the green-leotard-wearing hero as the Hottest Video Game Character in its "What's Hot Now" section for his role in the upcoming GameCube and Wii release, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
From the mag: "When darkness enshrouds the land, Nintendo's sexy farm-boy-turned-wolf sets out to save the day in this upcoming game. His weapons: a sword, a bow, arrows, and kick-ass grooming skills."
This isn't the first time Link has been associated with gay culture--he was the inspiration for Xandir P. Wifflebottom, the homosexual video game character in Comedy Central's Drawn Together.
Gay characters have largely been passed over by game designers, with many leading men and ladies being the prototypical alpha male or buxom sexpot. The Sims, Fable, and a few others allow same-sex marriages, but most games fail to even broach the issue.
Many of you have already heard of these cheap DS design rip-offs. And they are everywhere, but this one has got to be my favorite, I mean it’s like they are not even trying. This is the “COMPACT G” being modeled by the lovely Misako. And boy does this thing look fun. Let’s get a closer look.
Datel have updated their Max Media Player for the DS, heres whats new:
Version 1.01 released!
The first upgrade to MAX Media Player has been released. Version 1.01 features a sleak built in MP3 player.
- Built in MP3 player with player controls, loop, shuffle. Just double tap an MP3 to launch
- Power-saving 'Auto Screen Off' after 5 seconds of inactivity
- Improved support for M3, NEO, SuperFlash
How To Use This Updated Version
-Unzip the zipped folder, extracting the 'bootme.nds' file to your desktop.
- Connect your Media Player's hard drive or Media Dock to your PC and drag bootme.nds into the root of your device.
- Plug the hard drive or Media Dock back into your DS and boot MAX Media Player. The software will automatically load!
Whilst first day sales are now somewhat something of the past, NEW Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS appears to be a welcomed exception. According to a Japanese blog, the game has already sold a massive 480,000 units from just ONE DAY on sale (released on 25th May in Japan). This automatically places it above the previous fastest selling DS title, Brain Training 2, which sold 414,556 over its first four days on sale.
Now, considering retailers originally asked Nintendo for between 1.2 and 1.3 million units of the game, and the fact that Nintendo has officially shipped 800,000 units for the whole first week, it looks like NEW Super Mario Bros. will become the fastest million seller on the DS, dispelling all thoughts of the non-game craze taking sales away from true gaming titles. But until next Wednesday / Thursday, when Media Create releases its official sales information, we will not know the extent of the game's sales. Although starting at 480,000 on day one, it could easily tap out at 650,000 for the whole week.
stsp writes: “The cvs repository has been moved from sourceforge to a small independent ISP in Berlin. This means we can now include cryptographic software in dslinux without restriction. The first program that uses cryptography and is officially included in dslinux is the dropbear ssh suite. I comitted it into CVS yesterday, it should show up in the builds soon. Both the client and server are available, as well as a key converting tool for compatibility with openssh keys. Check the dropbear documentation for details. Note that the server is run from inetd. We still have to make /etc/inetd.conf writable so the server can be used.
Thanks to john again for doing the initial port of dropbear.”
JimmyL has added a chatroom to discuss his RTS game for the DS:
I added a chat room here to, hopefully, help people coordinate games. I guess I could eventually add something along these lines into the game itself, I just really don't feel like it
ETk has posted some new news about his MegaETK game/ Megaman clone:
Now it's the time to add new monsters, weapons, items and levels :P.
Changes:
-New monster
-New weapons for the monsters
-Added some frames to weapons to avoid rotation code
-Added new item: Shot +1
-Added code to do multiple shots (the new item function)
-Fixed a rotation bug which makes the sprite rotate even if it's deleted.
-Fixed shoots 'start xy'. They now appear at the correct pixel
-Fixed shoot angle
-Improved collision between sprites
DragonMinded has updated his Organiser app for the DS
Fixes made to the current version (1.9 Final):
Changed INI keynames to bold black, items to blue, like html syntax hilighting.
Made browser take off .sc for .sc.nds files on top screen.
Fixed text overflowing bug in browser display top screen.
Fixed text overflow bug and shortening bug in todo, address and scribble applications.
Fixed edit calendar date bug.
Fixed the crashes when turning the screen off or on.
Fixed graphics corruption when lid was down and songs changed.
Fixed cursor glitch on all text input fields with only one line where cursor dropped down.
Changed new/rename file screen to be three lines instead of one, for long files.
Fixed memory bug in calculator.
Fixed keys being rather nonresponsive under mp3/ogg playback.
Added confirm delete option to scribble pad, todo, and addressbook.
Added text/html viewer, with up to 10 bookmarks per file.
Fixed potential cursor disappearing bug on the browser screen.
Fixed html viewer so if HTML tag is not found, that it still allows for rendering.
The handwriting recognition is not nearly 100% done. Also, the app currently only works when the DSOrganize directory is on the root of the card. I will be fixing this as time goes on, but for now it stays like this. I will be adding a jump to date option soon.
Okay, I got bored and decided to release DarkMagic's sources, so here they are. I've coded DarkMagic with Dev-C++. Dev-C++ uses GCC to compile so DarkMagic should be compilable on any OS that has GCC.
Divineo UK now have the DS Media Launcher for sale at their store, heres the details:
MAX Media Launcher for the Nintendo DS and DS Lite is the perfect solution for accessing DS media from any GBA flash storage device. Simply snap in the Max Media Launcher cartridge, and that's it! Media, freeware, executables and other files stored on your flash card can be launched. The Flash Cart revolutionised the GBA home brew scene, and with MAX Media Launcher, it will do for the DS too.
MAX Media Launcher is compatible with most types of flash cards including M3 and NEO.
It seems there are some problems with the new Supercard MiniSD. Apparently it is not 100 % compatible with Chishm's FAT lib, or at least the modifications I made to it in order to add write support for the Supercard SD. Perhaps some more SC MiniSD users can report their experiences, and if other homebrew apps work.
ETk has posted another update of his Megaman clone WIP news:
New map tiles and tool!
Changes:
-Optimized and improved Collision system
-Added a small bar for the weapon power ups
-Added an effect to the arm when you shoot
-Other minor updates
Protect your NDS Lite and accessories against damage
Officially licensed by Nintendo, and produced by Hori Japan with the Nintendo DS brand on the front
Shock absorbing material
Includes storage pockets for 2 NDS games, sylus and cables.
Description
Officially licensed and branded protective carry case, stylistically designed to keep your DS Lite and accessories protected from minor bumps, drops or scratches. Includes storage pockets for 2 NDS games, sylus and cables.
New Nintendo themed toy thing in many different flavours:
Product Features
Re-arrange the pins to create many different sprites from Nintendo's The Legend Of Zelda.
Officially licensed by Nintendo
Description
From Nintendo's 1986 hit, The Ledged Of Zelda comes this Dot Pin Set. Packed with various colored pins and two pin boards you can create one of many different classic sprite style designs.
Moonshell the great Nintendo DS Media app that does everything from display pictures to play movies and music has once again been updated.
Heres whats new:
- bug was long time. The problem that the character on a right edge of the text plug-in is lacked was corrected. (Thanks HyperHacker)
- EZ-Flash4 was supported. (Thanks EZ4 Team)
- Because it had forgotten to delete RTC24Hour of [System], it deleted. (Thanks Xtreme)
The DS lite version of the Rumble Pak is now available in Japan’s Nintendo Online Store. Japanese DS gamers can now enjoy some smooth rumbling without having to deal with the original Rumble Pak sticking out 1cm from their DS lite.
Back when the DS lite was announced in January, the Rumble Pak was already rumored to see a redesign exclusive for the new, smaller portable, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it in American stores by next month. Future titles to support the DS Rumble Pak are Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Star Fox DS and Magnetica.
After showing you the lowdown of the game through 22 minutes of videofootage, the latest issue of Nintendo Power has revealed some new details about Link's new double screen adventure- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.
The first Nintendo DS Zelda game was originally planned to be a Four Swords game, but now that Eiji Aonuma has the chance to revive The Wind Waker, he choose this path. Phantom Hourglass will set the tone for all future DS Zelda games.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass will see the return of Bow and Arrow, Hookshot and some sort of musical instrument, alongside the items we have already seen.
It is not likely Ganondorf will return in Phantom Hourglass. However, before his defeat in The Wind Waker, his evil influence spread across the Great Sea.
The King of Red Lions will not see a return in Phantom Hourglass.
There is one master dungeon you need to complete in the game. You can only progress so far though, so to proceed you need to work your way through other dungeons.
The Darknut-like enemies we have seen in the multiplayer mode is a new type of enemy, called the "Chaser". These enemies will chase you through the entire dungeon, but by using certain pots, Link can get immune for certain moments.
Though Eiji Aonuma did not want to give any details on this yet, he confirmed that the microphone will be used in Phantom Hourglass.
This amazing first-person battle game uses wireless technology to connect up to four players simultaneously. Each player gets a Metroid® suit of a different color, and then tries to destroy the three opponents. Touch the stylus to the bottom screen to rotate the camera, aim and fire, or to transform into a Morph Ball. The game features the same artwork, sound, graphics, architecture and ambience found in the huge hit Metroid® Prime.
OK this is really aimed at Coders but the GP2X people are having a coding competition where the top prize is $5000, now most likely you dont own a GP2X but that sort of prize is fantastic, submissions have to be games or applications, (most likely so they can sell afterwards)
The Chuckster has updated his Drum Machine app for the Nintendo DS, heres whats new etc:
Now that I'm starting to get a bit more time, I released a major update. A TR-808 sample set has been added which adds a lot of new sounds to the drum machine. I added a 909 GUI with touch screen support using the image headspin gave me at the DS Dev forums. The drum machine can now load Wave files along with Raw files, but it can't handle arbitrary sample sets yet. Half-volume and full-volume drums are supported, too, in order to have accents.
I'm going to have to release this for media devices only, though, because at this point, providing another binary with all of the samples hard coded into one ROM would make the source code a nightmare. After all, I designed it from the ground up to support some sort of file system. Also, I made the code much more modular and object-oriented in order to make room for more of the planned features. I fixed up the documentation a bit to explain the new things, and I made up a new the demo song with a four to the floor beat, an 808 solo, and part of the Amen Break by the Winstons.
Update - Nobody could run the GBAMP version, so I made a version that works on everything with the samples hard coded into the binary. Check the download links above. It even works in Dualis with sound.
Recently I started re-writing my WonderSwan emulator WonDerS for the DS, to use the DS’s HW instead of some crappy framebuffer renderer. I only implemented 4bit tiles for the moment, but the results are amazing! more then 120% speed boost! Here are some screenshots to tease you .
I’ve re-implemented the Conway’s Game of Life yet again. This time its much faster, but not yet as trippy as the last version (which you can see in my blog archives). It’s incredibly addicting for me.
The rules to the game are simple, but amazing patters can emerge.
Notes: Touchscreen while zoomed/scrolled is not working properly, if someone has advice on coordinates for a zoomed and scrolled view, let me know.
Today whilst i was off work i managed to get my Interview site sorted and now its the newest site to join the DCEmu Network, the Interview Site has 40 interviews on of people from the Homebrew scenes and soon ill be interviewing the best of todays coders
Next up we have a rather different site for the network one that all Staff and all coders can use to post a rant or offtopic news etc (as long as its not too offensive pretty much anything goes. we shall pick the best off topic threads from the off topic forum to stick on the site.
The Ninja DS site has been updated with new pics and specs of their new flash cart for the Nintendo DS, heres the specs
- STICKY VERSION - COMING SOON...
- TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS .. STICKY and U SHAPE
- NO ORIGINAL CART NEEDED
- NO GBA FLASHCART NEEDED
- NO NEEDED FLASH NDS OR INCLUDED .DAT FILE IN SD
- COMPATIBLE WITH ANY GBAFLASHCART,NF,SCARD,M3,ETC..
- SUPPORTS OLD/NEW NDS & NDS LITE
- 4-5 MBYTES/Second SD CARD TRANSFER SPEED (Depending SDCard)
- 2MBYTES FLASHROM - 1Mbyte Available for HomeBrew Flashing
- FRIENDLY & EASY MENU
- HOMEBREW/BACKUP PLAYER & DEVELOPMENT TOOL
- LIBRARIES FOR DEVELOPERS AVAILABLE
- SD CARD MP3 PLAYER
- WIFI FILES TRANSFER UTIL
- "YES" YOUR NDS STILL IS A PORTABLE CONSOLE
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