Sonic Wii's on 'Fire!

August 1st, 2006, 19:29 Posted By: wraggster

New shots but not a lot else from Sega's upcoming tilt-and-thunder Sonic title

Unless you've ever strapped a hedgehog to a catapult and hit 'go', you're probably still a little bit skeptical about this whole Sonic thing. Admittedly, you've had more than enough time to come to terms with the crazy blue one's unlikely eye-searing escapades - which is why you'll probably be more than a little miffed to see that Sega's decided to flip logic even further on its head and jam Sonic into an Arabian Nights-style setting for his forthcoming, tentatively titled, Wii adventure Sonic Wild Fire.

Still, from what we played at E3 (God rest its soul), Wild Fire's Wiimote-powered tilt-and-thunder mechanics make for some surprisingly hair-raising rip-and-run hijinx, although we're still a little unsure whether Sega will manage to stretch out its rather limited framework into a full game. On the plus side, Sonic Wild Fire was one of the prettiest Wii titles on display at the show and these new shots, courtesy of Sega, go some way to demonstrating that - even if you don't really get the full effect of the game's blistering speed.

Sonic Wild Fire is set to hit Nintendo's upcoming console sometime in 2007, just so you know.

Screens Here

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Star Fox Command In Stock Now On The DS - Classic Gameplay And Online Multi-Player

August 1st, 2006, 19:43 Posted By: wraggster

News from Lik Sang

Nintendo's Star Fox returned to its roots this week with an all new DS title. Developed by Q-Games, a company founded by Dylan Cuthbert who worked on the first Star Fox team, this new shooter is perfect if you didn't like the FPS gameplay of the two GameCube sequels. Locked onto aerial dog fights, the Japanese edition arrived early and is in stock now. The US port comes later on August 28th, but don't forget like all handhelds, the DS is region free so this game will work on every unit worldwide.

The first Star Fox (a.k.a Star Wing in Europe) was released in 1993 and brought 3D graphics to the SNES through a "Super FX Chip" and an extra math co-processor. Four years later Star Fox 64 (Lylat Wars in Europe) unleashed rumble packs on the videogames industry, then it was followed up by two GameCube sequels. Now the series has made its first appearance on a portable, and true to form, it works with the DS Rumble Pack.

Set after last year's Star Fox: Assault on the Cube, the planet Venom was revealed not to be as barren as first thought. Hiding in acidic oceans are a race known as Anglors, the leader of which intends to destroy the Lylat System. After previously splitting up, the Star Fox team re-unites here to fight over 30 missions, battling it out across vast oceans, flaming caves, deep space, dry deserts and more.

There's 15 characters to choose from including Fox, Falco, Krystal, Slippy, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Lucy, Amanda, Peppy and more. Each have their own ship and unique attributes like the type of Laser they have, how many enemies they can lock on to at once, the number of bombs they can carry, how powerful their shields are and how much boost they possess to pull off special moves. In a nice touch, each ship also features different graphics down on the touch screen.

Supporting up to four players online with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, or up to six players if you're all together locally, there's both co-op and competitive multi-player modes. Through single player and co-op choices, it's your mission to prevent any enemies slipping by you and attacking the mother ship. Adding some strategy to the mix, the map to each mission in shown on the touch screen, along with each of your team mates. Using your stylus you plot the route for each of them to follow, then let them fly. When a pilot encounters an enemy the game switches into combat mode.

Inside of a set space you'll need to shoot down a number of enemies before the timer runs out. Here the touch screen becomes a radar, and bombs for example benefit from letting you drag the icon onto the position it'll explode on. Your stylus also controls your ship, while the face buttons, or d-pad depending on whether you're left or right handed, fires weapons. Only one of you can take the same ships on at a time, so if there's two or more of you in the same area, you must decide who goes in for the battle. With each ship having unique abilities it's up to you to think about which person is best suited to handle the situation. Each pilot can also only go so far, but with power-ups you can increase this, or likewise in battle mode it'll lengthen the time you have to take out all the ships.

So once again Lylat needs you, but for the first time in almost 10 years you can save the day with old school air to air combat.

Screens and Movies at Link Above

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Action Replay DS (Datel)

August 1st, 2006, 19:51 Posted By: wraggster

New for DS Lite/DS from Datel:



Product Features

Action Replay for Nintendo DS & NDS Lite

Preloaded with loads of codes for the latest and greatest games
New codes downloaded seemlessly via USB cable (included)
Full 'touch-screen" control
Colorful high-resolution graphics

Description

Even the odds by arming yourself with infinite health, bullets and time. Unlock secret levels, characters and vehicles. Now YOU can become all-powerful and beat ANY game!

Action Replay is already loaded with totally unauthorized cheats for all the latest and greatest games, and you can easily update it with new codes using the included USB cable.

More info / buy here --> http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?pro...6&lsaid=219793

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Kimochi yosa Rensa Puzzle Trion Cube

August 1st, 2006, 19:55 Posted By: wraggster

New game for DS released:



This falling blocks game is produced by Hideo Yoshizawa of Pac Pix, Mr. Driller and Klonoa fame. In Trion Cube, five block types fall from the top of the screen. Your goal is to rotate the blocks, assembling them into 3x3 clumps, which then turn into coins. The game lets you hold off on removing the 3x3 formations that you've already created. By doing this, you can fill the screen with blocks and delete everything as part of a combo. You play as the captain of a penguin-shaped space ship. By performing combos, you make the ship speed towards a goal. Bandai Namco has created a cast of personable characters, each with her own space ship. The game includes a wireless battle mode. In this mode, the person to first make his ship reach the goal wins. You'll be able to play via download play, meaning only one copy of the game is required.



More info / buy here --> http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?pro...0&lsaid=219793

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Nintendo To Be the Hero of the Adventure Genre?

August 1st, 2006, 20:05 Posted By: wraggster

If you've spent the last few years playing old King's Quest VGA updates and longing for Space Quest and Day of the Tentacle, you'll be interested to know that the Adventure genre might be facing a resurgence - at Nintendo's hand. The adventure game was killed off by the console (poor controls and too much competition), and so it's ironic that Nintendo might be able to pull it from the grave. An article at About.com looks at how Nintendo could use its virtual console to make adventure games profitable again."

From the article:
"The reason that adventure games are disappearing is because they don't compete well with other genres. Trying to create an adventure game that meets the graphical standards of an audience taught to expect Elder Scrolls IV makes the whole endeavor far less appealing. However, building a product to compete with Geometry Wars might be more doable. Adventure games are not disappearing because no one is buying them; they're disappearing because people are buying other types of games far more often.

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Platform holders give first reaction to new format E3

August 1st, 2006, 20:16 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has become the first of the three platform holders to confirm involvement in next year's E3, with Microsoft and Sony yet to make a firm commitment to the reborn expo.

Speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz, Nintendo UK PR manager Rob Saunders said, "I can confirm that Nintendo will be involved in the E3 expo next year."

However, details of just how big a presence Nintendo intends to have at the newly-formed event have yet to be revealed.

Microsoft's stance is less clear, with a spokesperson from the company's UK office telling GI.biz, "We're supportive of the move ESA has taken. It's still early days, and we're not in a position to talk about what Microsoft will be doing in regards to next year's E3, but we'll be making an announcement nearer the time."

David Wilson, head of SCEE PR, was unwilling to offer any kind of commitment, stating, "We generally view E3 as a 'US' show. That isn't to devalue or deny its significance to us, it's just that because it's based in the US: SCEA 'own' it."

Wilson added that further comment would only be forthcoming once SCEA had confirmed its position.

The move to reformat E3 as a much smaller event was confirmed by ESA president Doug Lowenstein earlier today.

He confirmed that next year's show – which has held the games industry in its thrall for the past 12 years - will be retitled the E3 Media Festival for 2007, and is slated to take place in July as opposed to the traditional May timing.

However, as the cross-spectrum first reactions from the platform holders show, the impact to the entire industry of losing the event is still unclear. Greater clarity is expected towards the end of the week as the US arms of Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft all make their official comments regarding the move.

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Ubisoft and Midway suck up Wii

August 2nd, 2006, 15:11 Posted By: wraggster

Ubisoft's got a taste for Wii and it just can't get enough it seems. With the publisher already having announced both shoot-and-slash-'em-up Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids as launch exclusives for Nintendo's upcoming console, it seems that Ubisoft actually has a grand total of seven games in the works for Wii.

Ubisoft North America president Laurent Detoc revealed the number while speaking at the Ziff Davis Electronic Games Summit in Napa, according to reports on 1UP.com. Furthermore, Detoc couldn't help but gush in the face of the console, stating that he expected the machine to have a "large audience and market." He also revealed that despite his dwindling interest in the current crop of me-too games, Wii offered a fresh new experience: "The first time I picked up that sucker I couldn't stop playing it."

Meanwhile, at the same event, Midway President David Zucker revealed his company has six games in progress for Nintendo's console, with Mortal Kombat: Armageddon due in 2007.

Hopefully, we can expect to see more of both publishers' new games as Leipzig 2007 rolls around later this month when, it's rumoured, a whole bunch of previously unseen Wii titles will get their first airing.

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Mortal Kombat: Armageddon - FatalitWii!

August 2nd, 2006, 15:12 Posted By: wraggster

Midway has announced that it's set to bring the latest instalment in its long-running fighting series, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, to Nintendo's Wii in Q1 2007. With both Xbox and PS2 versions planned for release later this year, the news should be welcomed by Nintendo fans desperate for a slice of bloody brawling action - particularly as the series hasn't appeared on a Nintendo system since 2004's Mortal Kombat: Deception.

There's currently no word on how the game will utilise the console's unique Wiimote (if it does at all) but, interestingly, Ed Boon - co-creator of the Mortal Kombat series - told US mag Game Informer earlier this year that he didn't think fighters could be done on Nintendo's new system: "You know, I don't know how you could. One of the things about the Revolution controller is that you don't have immediate access to a whole bunch of buttons. It's like your holding a television remote and you have that directional pad and you have a big A button next to it.

Boon continued, "But there's not five or six buttons to give you all of these functions, so maybe they will compensate but tilting one way for blocking or another way for attack. But that is so dramatically different. So it will either be one of the biggest hits in the world or a big failure. I certainly hope it does well."

Presumably then, he's changed his mind. Either that or we're going to be watching a non-interactive slideshow of spine-ripping and limb-rending come Mortal Kombat: Armageddon's Wii release next year.

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Fresh Phoenix Wright 2 screens

August 2nd, 2006, 15:16 Posted By: wraggster

If you've not played Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney on DS yet, consider our verdict a life-sentence on your head for being way too slow on the uptake. For those not in the know, Phoenix Wright - or Gyakuten Saiban as it's known in Japan, where the franchise has been going for yonks - is Capcom's take on the point-and-click genre, mixed in with a dollop of lawyer simming.

Thankfully, the company saw fit to launch its first Phoenix Wright title for the DS (actually a remake of the very first GBA Gyakuten Saiban) in Europe last year, to much acclaim. As a reward for our slobbering praise, Capcom is primed and ready to bring its second DS entry, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All, to the West early 2007 and we've got a bunch of new shots from the game for your to examine and slap in your evidence bags.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All follows the path of Capcom's original DS iteration, this time providing a touch-screen makeover for part two of the GBA Gyakuten Saiban series. New editions for the DS sequel include the "Psyche-Lock" feature where you'll have to catch witnesses out with your rapier-like cunning to break down their mental barriers and find the truth. To compliment this, Phoenix Wright now has a health bar-style meter during court scenes, which depletes every time you fail to coerce information from your charges.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All is set to hit the US early next year with, hopefully, a European version to follow. Put it this way, if Nintendo Europe doesn't get its act together, there'll be more than an OBJECTION!!! - it'll be time for a couple of gavel blows to the face.

News and Screens at CVG

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EA outlines PS3 launch plans, talks Wii

August 2nd, 2006, 15:19 Posted By: wraggster

EA has said it expects to have four to five games out for PS3 between the console's launch and the end of the year, confirming at this stage three of the titles: Need for Speed Carbon; Madden NFL 07; and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07.

Discussing its launch games line-up for Sony's next-gen console - during a conference call held with media and analysts yesterday - the company also admitted, while fielding a question on Xbox 360 versus PS3 technical capabilities, that it's extremely unlikely that the initial wave of titles will do PS3's hardware justice.

"This Christmas, it's going to be difficult to harness the full power of the PS3 on first generation software versus what will be second generation 360 games, so they're going to be more alike than different, is our opinion at this time," an EA exec commented.

They continued: "As those machines develop over time [...] there's a lot of horsepower inside the PS3 that we'll be able to unlock over years two, three, and four that we're very excited about."

EA additionally took the opportunity to touch on Wii and DS during the conference call, revealing plans to boost focus on both machines. "We're definitely going after those platforms", the publisher revealed, "...we have ramped up [game] production for the Wii and DS Lite". It added: "In terms of relative investment on the Wii and the DS, we are moving resources against those platforms to increase SKU count."

The publisher went on to say, however, that it only expects to have a couple of titles out for Wii's launch period - Need for Speed Carbon and Madden NFL 07 - and a total of five released by the end of the company's fiscal year - March 2007. It's possible that EA's Wii games will retail at $49.99 in the US (apparently, Nintendo has indicated that first-party Wii games will not retail for more than this amount over the pond), but that remains to be confirmed.

Reportedly, EA didn't have an awful lot to say about Xbox 360 during the conference call, chairman and CEO Larry Probst simply stating, "We're pleased to be the leading publisher on the Xbox 360".

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New screens make Contact

August 2nd, 2006, 15:20 Posted By: wraggster

Despite being dry-humped by a rotund, acne-clad American youth at the time (at least, we think that's what he was trying to do - either that or he was desperate for some sort of affection and was trying to steal a reverse cuddle), Contact - the forthcoming Suda 51/Grasshopper Manufacturer DS RPG - was one of our surprise highlights of this year's E3.

Offering up a slightly bonkers tale of a marooned scientist and the boy he enlists to save his bacon, Contact is visually impressive if nothing else. Featuring an isometric pixellated viewpoint of the professor's lab on the top screen and lush hand-painted-style enviroments on the bottom for your adventuring needs, the game's graphics are one of many unique traits Contact shows.

The game has some beautifully implemented touch-screen controls, providing easy access to your combat system, inventory and other novelties such as the peel-off-and-plonk-on sticker power upgrades. And there's a huge array of foods, weapons and ability-defining costume changes and a wealth of other stuff - including Nintendo Wi-fi Connect support - that's sure to please DS fans in need of some decent RPG goodness.

Contact is currently going through the lengthy translation process and is set for release in the West this September. While we wait, you can check out these brand new screens from the game - expect some full Contact impressions in the near future.

News and Screens at CVG

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Nintendo wants to know: Is Tingle your thingle?

August 2nd, 2006, 15:23 Posted By: wraggster

Personally, we've always been largely indifferent to Nintendo's camp men-boy-fairy-wannabe Tingle, first seen in the N64's Zelda: Majora's Mask. It seems though, not everyone's quite so neutral when it comes to the poor guy - with internet messageboards filled with people who either want to take Tingle home, dress him in a bow and hug him till his eyeballs squeeze out or, at the other end of the scale, beat him to death with a spade, kick his unmoving carcass, incinerate the remains then finish with a heartless, cackly jig of disdain on the ashes.

Now, with the news that Nintendo is poised to unleash the rather beautiful, if utterly, utterly insane DS action RPG Fresh Tingle's Rose Colored Rupee Land in Japan, it seems that Nintendo of America is canvassing the masses to see whether a Western release would send fans into orgasmic euphoria, or have them storming the HQ with pitchforks and flaming torches.

Advertisement:Over on its official website, Nintendo's whacked up a Tingle survey with questions ranging from 'Which of these best describes your view of Tingle' to 'If Tingle made an appearance in the upcoming title The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for GCN and Wii, how would you feel?'. Tingle lovers and haters alike can make their case, presumably affecting the game's chances of seeing the light of day over here.

Sadly, it looks like our North American cousins are the only ones worthy of an opinion as the survey is technically closed to everyone else. Of course, in no way would we condone signing up with a fake name and fake US address in order to convince Nintendo that its beautiful, off-the-wall adventure deserves a Western release. Although, it's not like we'd ever know if you did, eh?

Tingle Survey

Via CVG

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$49.99 tag for Wii games?

August 2nd, 2006, 15:31 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has identified $49.99 as the potential price point for its first-party Wii titles, according to Electronic Arts executives.

That would put games like Super Mario Galaxy on store shelves for $10 less than their first-party Xbox 360 equivalents.

Clarification of the comments was not immediately available, but a Nintendo UK spokesperson pointed out that the company had made similar remarks at E3, stating that next-gen Nintendo pricing would be "broadly in line" with current-gen price tags.

That's consistent, at face value, with EA's comments this week, and may even be the source of them.

Beyond that, EA's enthusiasm for Wii continues unabated. After revealing the company had "ramped up production" for Wii and DS Lite, senior executives told investors that they planned to ship Madden and Need For Speed: Carbon during the console's launch period later this year, to be joined by several more before the end of March 2007.

Elsewhere the company was relatively downbeat on PlayStation 3. While it speculated that it would be able to unlock "a lot of horsepower... in years two, three and four", it played down differences between PS3 and Xbox 360 games and suggested that it would be difficult for Sony to meet its aggressive target of six million units shipped by the end of March.

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Atsumare! Power Pro Kun no DS Koushien

August 2nd, 2006, 15:33 Posted By: wraggster

New commercial game for DS released:



Latest installment in the Power Pro Kun, Konami's very popular SD baseball simulation. This time around the game revolves around the management and training of a baseball team. The ultimate goal being to lead them to the legendary Koushien Stadium. 6 modes of play are available such as Captain mode, Coach mode and a Wi-Fi mode.

More info / buy here --> http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?pro...7&lsaid=219793

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Wii software pricing will be "broadly in line" with current-gen - Nintendo

August 2nd, 2006, 15:38 Posted By: wraggster

A spokesperson for Nintendo UK has confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that the price of software for the next-gen Wii console will be "broadly in line" with the cost of current-gen games.

The confirmation follows a suggestion by Electronic Arts that Nintendo's first-party titles will go on sale for US$49.99. That would put games like Super Mario Galaxy on store shelves for US$10 less than their first-party Xbox 360 equivalents.

Clarification of the comments was not immediately available, but a Nintendo UK spokesperson pointed out that the company made similar remarks at E3.

Indeed, as early as March, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told CNN Money: "I cannot imagine any first party title could be priced for more than $50."

However, Iwata added that Nintendo will have no control over how other publishers price their Wii games.

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Card-arcade hybrid headed to the DS

August 2nd, 2006, 15:41 Posted By: wraggster

Sega is developing a Nintendo DS version of its trading-card-based strategy title Sangokushi Taisen, according to Japanese magazine G Pimo.

Though physical cards will not be used, the game will try to capture the feeling of moving cards around on the screen with the touch pen, and it seems the game will be played with the DS flipped on its side, a la Brain Age. New to the DS version will be an original story mode that lets the user play a campaign as one of the three factions--the Gi, Go, or Shoku. The Wi-Fi capabilities of the DS will also be used to support online matchups between players anywhere in Japan.

According to G Pimo, the DS game will be based on Sangokushi Taisen 2--the sequel hitting arcades in May--and include a bonus card that can be used in the arcades.

Sega's arcade game Sangokushi Taisen--not to be confused with Koei's Sangokushi--has been in Japanese arcades since March 2005. In this fantasy strategy game, players assemble decks of trading cards and bring them to the arcade. The cards actually act as a controller for the game; players place their cards on a horizontal screen on the console and move them around to give their armies orders.

The game has attracted about 500,000 registered users and sold more than 100 million trading cards.

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Mario vs. Donkey Kong for Gameboy Advance™ at US$ 12.90 only - offer valid for 1 week

August 2nd, 2006, 15:49 Posted By: wraggster

News from Play Asia:

Weekly Special: Mario vs. Donkey Kong for Gameboy Advance™ at US$ 12.90 only - offer valid for 1 week

From the publisher: After years of apparent good will, Mario and Donkey Kong are at it again -- this time on Game Boy Advance! Donkey Kong has stolen all the Mini-Mario toys from the Mario Toy Co., and now it's up to Mario to hunt down his long-time nemesis and retrieve the pilfered goods. He'll have to race through confounding levels, finding keys and releasing Mini Marios, before time runs out. Along the way he'll master new moves in order to scale the puzzling heights of six action-packed worlds!

Mario vs. Donkey Kong for Gameboy Advance™ is now available at US$ 12.90 only.

More info --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...9-en-84-n.html

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NDSL 17in1 Value Pack

August 2nd, 2006, 15:56 Posted By: wraggster

New for Nintendo DS from SuccessHK



Product Features of Nintendo DS NDSL 17in1 Value Pack

Accessories Kit 17in1, contain almost all you need for your NDSL
Extremely inexpensive. The perfect accessories pack for NDSL at this moment
The Protective Carrying Case can keep your NDSL from dust and scratch
Car charger can power your NDSL on the go

More Description of Nintendo DS NDSL 17in1 Value Pack

Take this Power Pack and upgrade your NDS Lite to the ultimate gaming system on the go

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Hori Compact Pouch DS Lite

August 2nd, 2006, 15:57 Posted By: wraggster

New for Nintendo DS from SuccessHK




Product Features of Nintendo DS Hori Compact Pouch DS Lite

Protect your NDS Lite and accessories against damage
Includes 3 little pocket inside the pouch for storing game carts
Made of shock absorbing material
Officially licensed by Nintendo, and produced by Hori Japan with the Nintendo DS brand on the front
5 colors available: Black, Grey, Blue, Pink, Light Blue

More Description of Nintendo DS Hori Compact Pouch DS Lite

Officially licensed and branded protective carry case, stylistically designed to keep your DS Lite and accessories protected from minor bumps, drops or scratches. A strap that is attached to the back of the pouch can belinked to your belt or any other clothing article that has a loop on it.

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Hori Multi Pouch DS Lite

August 2nd, 2006, 15:58 Posted By: wraggster

New for Nintendo DS from SuccessHK



Product Features of Nintendo DS Hori Multi Pouch DS Lite

Protect your NDS Lite and accessories against damage
Made of shock absorbing material
Includes storage pockets for 2 NDS games, stylus and cables.
Officially licensed by Nintendo, and produced by Hori Japan with the Nintendo DS brand on the front
5 colors available: Black, Blue, Pink, Grey, Light Blue

More Description of Nintendo DS Hori Multi Pouch DS Lite

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

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Barnyard US ver.

August 2nd, 2006, 16:00 Posted By: wraggster

New for GBA/GBMicro from SuccessHK



Barnyard brings the animal world to life on your GBA! Players will start off as the 'new cow on the block,' form alliances with fellow animals, taking on challenges and sporting competitions, protecting the farm from coyote invaders, and doing lots of goofing off on the side. Players will be able to explore a fully interactive world and prove that they have what it takes to be the biggest party animal of all.

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Veggie Tales: Larry Boy And The Bad Apple US ver.

August 2nd, 2006, 16:01 Posted By: wraggster

New for GBA/GBMicro from SuccessHK




VeggieTales LarryBoy and the Bad Apple is a platforming / puzzle adventure game for the Nintendo GBA. Inspired by the upcoming feature length DVD, this game centers around the themes of temptation and moderation. Players will take control of LarryBoy, the caped cucumber crusader, and try to stop the evil Bad Apple from tempting several citizens of Bumblyburg. In order to do this, players will take on a series of time based platforming missions located in a variety of wild areas around the city

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MiniVMac - Macintosh Emu for Nintendo DS Version 2 Released

August 2nd, 2006, 16:15 Posted By: wraggster

Lazyone has posted a new release of his Macintosh emulator for the Nintendo DS:

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Visual Boy Advance Updated

August 2nd, 2006, 16:21 Posted By: wraggster

Spacy has released a new build of the best GBA emulator for windows, heres whats new:

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NDS: Mario Hoops 3-on-3 Review

August 2nd, 2006, 16:24 Posted By: wraggster

WhiteX of Emulation 64 has posted a review of the Nintendo DS game Mario Hoops:

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Erin 2 Series Flash carts coming to DS

August 2nd, 2006, 16:34 Posted By: wraggster

A new range of Flash carts is coming to the DS, heres the specs/info:

1. Compatible with all NDS/NDS Lite version;
2. Support Win98/Win2000/WinXP
3. Support Memory from upto 1GB
4. 100% comatible all NDS games.test the NDS games
all pass!
5. buldin cell battery,saving game directly to it
6. 1 year warranty.

More details as we get them, screen via comments

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DS Supply Still Struggling

August 2nd, 2006, 16:36 Posted By: wraggster

Sales of the Nintendo DS Lite have continued expanding at a rapid pace, with supply of the game consoles likely soon to fall short of demand despite Nintendo increasing production, according to sources at Taiwan-based Hakuyu, the sales agent for Nintendo in Taiwan.

To meet the rapid influx of orders coming the US and Europe, Nintendo managed to ramp up its shipments of the DS Lite to 2.2 million units in June, up from a monthly average of 700,000 units it shipped in the previous three months, the sources noted.

Overall, Nintendo has sold 4.15 million DS Lite units in the past four months since the console was launched in early March, said the sources.

In the Taiwan market, sales of the DS Lite reached 16,000 units in one month since Hakuyu began to sell the console at the end of June, the sources added.

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tftpds v2.3

August 2nd, 2006, 16:39 Posted By: wraggster

tftpds by Larssten is a Nintendo DS application that recieves a file over the wireless network and programs your Flash Advance Pro flash cart inserted in the GBA slot. It can then boot .ds.gba and .gba-files. It can also read/write sram.

Heres whats new:

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The Ugliest DS is

August 2nd, 2006, 16:42 Posted By: wraggster

We have a real nomination for the ugliest DS out there, check via the comments for the Screenshot.

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Wii gets Ready 2 Rumble

August 2nd, 2006, 16:44 Posted By: wraggster

Midway seems to have nothing but love for Wii, lately -- the rumors about their games for Nintendo just keep rolling in. Thanks to the translators (read: people who dig on Babelfish) at Nintendo Wii News, we've learned that Midway wants to bring the boxing game to Wii for a little motion sensor-pounding action. From Jeux France:

According to our information, Ready 2 Rumble 3 would be under development exclusively on Wii for the account of a large American editor. Very inspired by the capacities of the console, the developers should be useful of both pads (Nunchaku and remote control) for mimer of the virtual fists.

Once we stopped laughing at "mimer of the fists," we realized this game could give us a really good excuse for accidentally punching friends in the face. Does that come in a preorder?

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Timesplitters devs think Wii is underpowered?

August 2nd, 2006, 16:45 Posted By: wraggster

Free Radical Design, which was formed from key members that left Rare after working on Goldeneye 007, has a new title in development for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 known as Haze. In the FAQ at their website, when asked if there will be a Wii version of the game, the company states "There are currently no plans for a Wii version of Haze. Sadly, the cutting-edge technology we're using requires more power than the Wii has available. If we could, we would." This got us to the thinkin' over here at Wii Fanboy.

Would this be the case for titles in the future that are being developed on all platforms? Think about Ubisoft's Raving Rabbids, which Michel Ancel has stated during a preview that it is primarily being developed for the Wii, followed by ports to the PS3 and Xbox 360. How would it work the other way? Sure, we know that Call of Duty 3 is another title that will be present on all consoles, but is the game being built on Xbox 360 or PS3 architecture, then ported to the Wii? Is this the wall that Free Radical has hit?

The comment brings up some questions, sure, but we doubt that a company who could give us one of the greatest console FPS games ever made could be so disinterested in such an innovative console. Hopefully, the next time we discuss Free Radical, it'll be in regards to their newest project on the platform.

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No Place To Hide Update

August 2nd, 2006, 17:00 Posted By: wraggster

Birslip has updated his Mini Game collection for the Nintendo DS, heres whats new:

30/07/2006 : Wifi is working good now.

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NDSMail News Update

August 2nd, 2006, 17:02 Posted By: wraggster

Bronto posted this news:

I'm quite busy with university at the moment, so progress is very slow..

However, it seems that the (seemingly)random crashes are caused by the keep-alive ping to the access point.
I'll hopefully be able to release a new version within the next few days, with keep alive as an option and using the latest version of the dswifi lib.

Also, I would like to thank Rich for his kind donation

More info --> http://blog.bronto-online.de/

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Command and Conquer Clone for DS Project News

August 2nd, 2006, 17:03 Posted By: wraggster

Heres the latest news:

Just thought I'd post a quick screen showing where things stand. Both screens are in use, and you can see the debug log at the bottom part of the debug menu. The bottom screen shows a 10x10 (C&C tile) map that's been loaded in. It's a quick test map so doesn't really look like anything. The coloured tiles along the right side are just left overs from showing the current palette.

The tiles are being loaded in from a single 'tiles.wad' file now - which may speed up loading times but will require some slightly more complex tools. No doubt the file formats will evolve further in time. Anyway a lot of the file system and debug code is largely done now. The next step will be in supporting scrolling on the map, and actually getting a map that's worth looking at After that I'll have to crack the memory limitations so we can have C&C maps in their full glory

More info --> http://cncds_project.livejournal.com/

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Dii - DS intelligent interface

August 2nd, 2006, 17:05 Posted By: wraggster

Licklick posted this news:

That’s going to be the name. I hope you like it, if you don’t, at least spread the word so I get publicity anyway. ~Har ~har!!

I am beginning work on the PC server (as Dii will communicate through the PC to get its resources). I’m using C#.NET (2.0) for the server so it will have a nice interface. On the DS side, I have put down the different functionalities I want in Dii and I sorted them into categories. Most of the information pulled from the internet will go through the PC server to minimize the garbage that has to be sent to the DS. This means that Dii will require the PC to be on. However, not for all features. I will probably write a direct internet access module, but that’s not really important right now.
What is important, is the Send File function of the PC server. What I hate is to plug the miniSD card in and out just to test files. The Send File function will allow me to download a file from PC to DS. This way, I’m going to make homebrew life easier. I hope it will work. Got my fingers crossed.

So.. Back to work. - Oh and comments are really appreciated. If I do anything foolish, don’t wait a second to awaken my idealistic mind.

More info --> http://licklick.wordpress.com/

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NetHack for the Nintendo DS 01/08/06 Released

August 2nd, 2006, 17:11 Posted By: wraggster

wosret has released a new version of Nethack for the Nintendo DS:

Heres whats new:

The arrow keys and buttons work without num_pad set.
ASCII graphics mode is now available. Press F5 to switch between tiles and ASCII graphics.
F6 now switches the fonts on the top screen if the game does not detect a DS Lite correctly.
Some bugs with the bitmap-loading function have been fixed.
The cursor is no longer drawn incorrectly on certain sizes of tiles.

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DSLinux Update

August 2nd, 2006, 17:12 Posted By: wraggster

PepsiMan posted this news:

SSH update

stsp has fixed the crash in our ssh client.

Now you can connect to your more powerful computers securely.

More info --> http://www.dslinux.org/blogs/pepsiman/?p=68

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DevkitPro installer updated

August 2nd, 2006, 17:13 Posted By: wraggster

Wintermute posted this news:

The devkitPro Updater now includes dswifi as a component. You can download the new version manually from devkitPro Updater 1.3.5 or simply run your current updater.

More info --> http://www.devkitpro.org/

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Mk4-mini

August 2nd, 2006, 23:19 Posted By: wraggster

New from Divineo USA



MK4-mini specifications:

- Same size as an original NDS cartridge.
- Supports any version of NDS and NDS LITE from all regions.
- EEPROM Save. Built-in 2M EEPROM save chip
- Auto Sleep Mode (Close the nds case and open it in anytime without interuption)
- Work with any flash card
- 100% supports R-S-A secure arithmetic.

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DS Fastest Selling Japanese Console

August 2nd, 2006, 23:28 Posted By: wraggster

Gamasutra reports that the DS is officially the fastest selling console in Japan. The console has taken just ten months to sell 20 Million units. From the article:
"As noted in the report translated by consumer website GameSpot, the Nintendo DS has been credited with reversing the shrinking Japanese games market, with Nintendo DS software and hardware dominating sales charts for at least the last twelve months. With a population of around 128 million, these latest results show that nearly 8 percent of Japanese consumers now own the console."

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Excite Truck Controls For Wii

August 3rd, 2006, 00:06 Posted By: wraggster

Want to see the controls for the Excite truck game, ?check out the screen via comments

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Mario Kart teaser site?! Or not....

August 3rd, 2006, 00:08 Posted By: wraggster

An observant -- and hopeful -- Mario Kart fan tipped us off to the most exciting news of the day: a possible teaser site for a new game! With bated breath, we loaded the site. The cool, crisp image of Mario brought a collective sigh fluttering from our lips. Yes, friends, readers ... we wanted to eat Mario, we wanted that game so badly. We could taste him.

But a quick check of the registered owner of the site dashed all our hopes into a tiny pile of shattered dreams salted with the tears of disappointment. Looks like someone grabbed a domain early, just to beat the rush. Sigh. It's-a not Mario.

more info

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"Leaked" Wii Specs prove to be fake

August 3rd, 2006, 09:30 Posted By: motz

A gaming site named MaxConsole had previously claimed that they exclusively somehow obtained the specs of Nintendos new upcoming console, the Nintendo Wii. But, after some quick research, these are proven to be someones idea of a joke.

MaxConsole reported the following specs:

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Midway on Wii Rampage

August 3rd, 2006, 20:13 Posted By: wraggster

Midway is bringing a version of current-gen (or should that be old-gen now?) videogame Rampage: Total Destruction to Nintendo Wii, it's been revealed.

According to IGN, the version will be Wii-enhanced - that's graphical improvements and, presumably, this also means it'll make use of the console's unique controller in some capacity). It'll include many known names from the Rampage beast stable along with 10 new monsters for 40-odd beasty line-up.

In addition, it's said the characters in Wii Total Destruction boast unique super moves and combo attacks. Furthermore, the title features seven cities, with London, Chicago and Hong Kong being named so far. Environments will, obviously, be destructible.

Rampage: Total Destruction will release at the end of the year.

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New Super Mario Bros. DS Lite Carrying Pouch

August 3rd, 2006, 20:37 Posted By: wraggster

New accessory for the Nintendo DS:



Product Features

Mario-themed pouch for your NDS Lite

Front pouch stores up to four NDS game cards

Back zipped pouch stores GBA games & extra stylus

More info --> http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?pro...5&lsaid=219793

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Ubisoft reveals seven Wii launch titles, including Far Cry

August 3rd, 2006, 20:56 Posted By: wraggster

Yesterday Ubisoft announced it would be bringing seven titles for the Nintendo Wii. Today the company revealed seven of those games, and promised to have all of those available within the console's launch window.

Including the already-announced Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids, Ubisoft is giving Wii fans five more games:
Far Cry
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII, a military dog fight sim
Monster 4x4 World Circuit, a truck racer
Open Season, an adventure game based on the upcoming CG film by Sony Pictures Animation
GT Pro Series, a new racing IP
Seven titles for a launch window, especially the ever-popular Far Cry, is an impressive number for any developer -- even more so for a third-party developer on a Nintendo console. Ubisoft has also noted that it has many more titles in development for the Wii. Are Nintendo's third-party woes coming to an end?

IGN is also running an interview with Ubisoft's North American president Laurent Detoc who says, "We made a bet by starting development for the Wii earlier than others and we intend to maintain our advance on the platform. You can see it as a double-down move. We don't have a crystal ball but we think the Wii is going to be a huge success right away and we want to be the number-one independent publisher for Wii in 2006." Hear that EA? You've got some catching up to do.

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Nintendo's first-party edge

August 3rd, 2006, 20:58 Posted By: wraggster

The Street analyzes Nintendo's fifth generation home console, the Wii, as compared to Microsoft and Sony's offering. In addition, the article explores the success of the company's first-party games, especially for the DS. Tero Kuittinen writes:

"DS is a game console that has become a mainstream success basically on the back of the software sold by the console provider. In Japan, Nintendo has sold more than 21 million units of DS games -- the second-biggest DS software supplier has moved only 2 million units. Usually, console vendors have to grovel for the support of third-party game developers in order to gain strong sales of their game consoles, but Nintendo has the ability to sell 50 million units of its portable consoles on the back of its own game development. That's an edge no company can match."

Should be interesting to see if Nintendo can continue to translate first-party strength into solid hardware sales for Wii like it has done with the DS

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Masses of New Commercial GBA Games

August 3rd, 2006, 21:04 Posted By: wraggster

Tons of New GBA games at SuccessHK:

Heres the list of new (new in stock too) games:

Hello Kitty Happy Party Pals US ver.
Winnie the Pooh's Rumbly Tumbly Adventure US ver.
Monopoly US ver.
Mario Golf Advance Tour US ver.
Sonic Advance 3 US ver.
Megaman Zero 4 US ver.
Yu-Gi-Oh Double Pack US ver.
Sonic Advance & Sonic Pinball Party Combo Pack US ver.
Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II US ver.
Zoids: Legacy US ver.

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Worldwide DS Games Sales Top Games

August 3rd, 2006, 21:32 Posted By: wraggster

Want to know what are the best DS games brought worldwide, well here they are (estimated but close to the real number)

Nintendogs - 7.37 million
Animal Crossing: Wild World - 4.66 million
Mario Kart DS - 4.64 million
New Super Mario Bros - 3.84 million
Super Mario 64 DS - 3.76 million
Brain Training - 3.69 million
Brain Training 2 - 3.11 million
Wario Ware Touched - 1.97 million
Brain Flex - 1.58 million
Tamogotchi Connection: Corner Shop - 1.27 million
Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time - 1.22 million
Tetris DS - 1.19 million
English Training - 1.14 million

The variety of games there shows you that as a console the DS is very special and a real revolution as far as handhelds go.

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DSMIDI Demo V.1

August 3rd, 2006, 21:39 Posted By: wraggster

The Rain has released DSMidi for the Nintendo DS, here the release info:

The demo uses the DS's touch screen to control MIDI CC's 1 and 2 from the X and Y axis.. much like touch controllers like the Korg Kaoss Pad.

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He is also working on dSTAR Sequencer, heres the info on that project:

I have been hard at work the past couple of weeks creating a MIDI sequencer that uses my MIDI library and hardware hack for the Nintendo DS.

The dSTAR Sequencer will be an x0x like sequencer with drawable bar graph sequence lines. Here's a screen shot of the current unfinished beta version.

More info at his homepage

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Puerto Rico DS Updated Release

August 3rd, 2006, 21:44 Posted By: wraggster

A new release of the board game for the Nintendo DS by johanb123, heres the details:

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ArcoMage

August 3rd, 2006, 22:00 Posted By: wraggster

Bodom-Child has released what has to be one of the very best looking DS Games ive seen, heres a translation from French to English of the release info:

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EA kicks off FIFA 07

August 4th, 2006, 14:59 Posted By: wraggster

EA has lifted the cover off FIFA 07 this morning, the inevitable next instalment in its long-running football videogame series.

Following the FIFA World Cup title, it's back to the grit of league play and FIFA 07 boasts 27 leagues from 20 nations, with 510-plus teams accurately represented. Naturally, we're promised a number of improvements over the last game, EA telling us to expect the likes of enhanced passing and positioning, new AI for added realism and new shooting mechanics.

In addition, the publisher is making a big deal about EA Sports Interactive Leagues (covering the F.A. Premier League, Bundesliga, French League, Mexican 1st Division), an online mode - not featuring in all versions of the game, note - that's new to the series that "enables you to pit your club against supporters of your real-world opponents."

Play your games according to the real-world schedule", EA further explains about Interactive Leagues. "When they play, you play. Track your team's progress as the aggregate results determine your club's position in the league table. Now you actually take to the pitch for the glory of your club."

Plus, FIFA fans can look forward to an improved and enhanced Manager Mode that allows you to create your own club and an eight-player social football frenzy in the FIFA 07 Lounge. Erm, yay.

To date, we only have official word on PC, Xbox, PS2 and GameCube versions of FIFA 07, which are due for release in September 2006. Keep eyes peeled for an in-depth preview of EA's latest appearing on these pages later today and don your managerial sheepskin to ponder where the next-gen version might be...

Screens Here

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Ubisoft aims to be top third-party for Wii

August 4th, 2006, 15:11 Posted By: wraggster

Ubisoft has demonstrated its confidence in Nintendo Wii with the promise of seven titles at launch.

Ubisoft had previously announced Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids for Wii, and this week followed it up with talk of Far Cry, Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII, Monster 4x4 World Circuit, Open Season and GT Pro Series.

A disputed French version of the publisher's press announcement also made reference to a Prince of Persia Wii title, although that release was soon retracted and reworded to reference other, unnamed games also in development.

Speaking to IGN, North American Ubisoft president, Laurent Detoc, said the depth of the publisher's Wii line-up was down to starting development earlier than its rivals. "We don't have a crystal ball but we think the Wii is going to be a huge success right away and we want to be the number-one independent publisher for Wii in 2006," he said.

According to Detoc, Far Cry will include elements of Xbox title Far Cry Instincts Evolution, in addition to a new storyline, levels, characters and equipment. First-person shooting control will be handled by the Wii remote, as will piloting of vehicles like cars, trucks and boats. In Blazing Angels, he said, the left and right hands would perform separate roles.

New title Monster 4x4 is a arcade driving title with an emphasis on stunts, while GT Pro Series is another racing game "inspired by a Japanese game that was never released here". Ubisoft's attempts to get into driving recently have included the acquisition of Atari's Driver series and the signing of Xbox 360 title Import Tuner Challenge from Genki in Japan.

Ubisoft promised more details on each of its seven announced titles soon.

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Prince of Persia leaps onto Wii?

August 4th, 2006, 15:14 Posted By: wraggster

Source: What appears to be a Ubisoft press release posted on French site Jeuxpo.com.

The official story: US Ubisoft reps directed inquires to the company's French representatives, who had not returned GameSpot's requests for comment (and were likely asleep, given the transatlantic time difference) as of press time. Attempts to contact Jeuxpo.com editors were also unsuccessful.

What we heard: Earlier today, a press release from Ubisoft went out to herald the company's commitment to releasing seven launch titles on the Nintendo Wii. However, it appears that not everyone received the same release.

French site Jeuxpo.com has posted a version of the press release en francais that mentions that a Prince of Persia game will be released for the Wii in March 2007. The Jeuxpo release is identical to the one on Ubisoft's official French-language Web site, with the exception of the Prince of Persia line in question. Instead of stating that the Prince of Persia franchise will appear on the Wii, it merely says that Ubisoft has other, unnamed games in development for the system. That's basically the same line used in the English-language release as well.

So what happened? The more paranoid theory is that Jeuxpo decided to fabricate mention of a Prince of Persia Wii game and slipped it into a Ubisoft press release. The other is that the information actually came from Ubi in an early draft of the release, which was revised at the last minute before hitting newswires.

Of the two, the latter scenario seems more plausible. Game-news outlets often get information under embargo about news that game companies will announce soon. The site agrees not to publish the news early so it can get the information and arrange to have its coverage ready to go when said embargo breaks. Sometimes the information is delivered in the form of press releases that aren't quite final and wind up being revised before the news is actually released. So it appears that Ubisoft released--and then retracted--the version of the announcement on Jeuxpo's site, or Jeuxpo had access to a copy that never was approved for release.

However, even if the news did come from Ubisoft, that doesn't necessarily mean it's accurate. The announcement and release date could have been omitted because the game's development status is in limbo. It seems unlikely that the existence of the game itself would be inaccurate, but its release date could very well be up in the air at the moment, enough so that the publisher wouldn't want to commit to a March launch.

Bogus or not bogus?: Though Jeuxpo's not a major game-news outlet, it seems unlikely that it would forge a press release, so this appears to be not bogus.

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Activision talks 360, PS3, and Wii development

August 4th, 2006, 15:20 Posted By: wraggster

After posting an $18 million dollar net loss today, Activision spoke via conference call on development for all three next-gen platforms: "[360 to PS3 porting] has always been a core focus and strategy and ours... we're encouraged. We are starting to port elements from the 360 to the PlayStation 3, and also from current-gen platforms into Nintendo Wii." We're guessing that by using the word "encouraged," porting or development for PS3's Cell processor is either moving along nicely or it's a pain. And it sounds like Wii is a glorified GameCube in terms of tech specs. But wait, there's more!

Gamasutra writes: "A follow-up comment noted that, of the three next-gen platforms, there are '...many more similarities between 360 and the PS3, and we are getting the benefits over all 3 platforms in art and animation investment', implying, perhaps, that more complexity in terms of polygon counts and animation blending is available on the Wii than current-gen machines."

So let me get this straight: Wii is a super-glorified art and animation investment?

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Supercard DS Lite News

August 4th, 2006, 15:24 Posted By: wraggster

Linkers4u.com have posted this news about the new much slimmer Supercard DS LIte:

First batch of SuperCard Lite has been sold out. Next batch of SuperCard Lite will arrive within this week. Part of the pre-orders have been shipped. We will ship the remaining pre-orders immediately once we receive the SuperCard Lite.

Heres more info about the Supercard DS Lite:



Price is $43

Product Features

Use MicroSD Flash
Compatible to SuperKey, SuperPass, Max media Launcher...etc.
Higher Speed than SuperCard MiniSD and SuperCard SD version
Fits into NDSL gba slot PERFECTLY

More Description
SuperCard Lite (MicroSD) is Specially designed for NDS Lite Consoles. For backuping files it uses MicroSD card. It allows you to run a variety of software, Play Game, Watch movie, E-book, Music and Photo albums. Super Card is easy to operate. Just use the bundled software to convert NDS games/HomeBrews and copy them to MicroSD card. Then, you are ready to enjoy the games. *SuperCard Lite is designed for NDSL consoles only.* *SuperCard Lite must be work with PassMe device in order to play NDS games/HomeBrews, e.g. SuperKey, Max Media Launcher...etc.*

Buy at Linkers4u.com

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Do the Japanese Care About Final Fantasy III DS?

August 4th, 2006, 15:32 Posted By: wraggster

Via Spong

According to reports from our friends in the Japanese press, retailers in the RPG-obsessed land of Japan have begun taking pre-orders for Final Fantasy III, the somewhat anticipated series filler for the Nintendo DS. And amazingly, with a month before the game hits store-shelves, a massive 450,000 customers have paid upfront for their chance to kill things in a turn-based fashion.

It would seem that interest in a Famicom remake (albeit the only game in the series never to see a proper global release) outstrips demand across the board in Japanese game retail right now, a telling indicator of the power of the Lite-revived DS and hard-wired addiction consumers have to all things Square.

It was not explained how many pre-orders were linked to sales of these little beauties. Though given that in real-terms, a Lite costs as much as a slice of pizza in Japan, we can only assume it's a lot.

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Third-Parties Flocking to Wii. Hints at Low PS3 Ship

August 4th, 2006, 15:37 Posted By: wraggster

It looks as though investor-pressure is seeing publishers back away from PlayStation 3 software during the early phases of the machine's launch, preferring instead to back Nintendo's Wii, the latest home console from the Game Boy-famed games giant.

Publishers are all turning in financial reports, no doubt slightly optimistic Q1 offerings with egged projections to investors, that show loss after loss after loss. The highest-profile to date has been that of Electronic Arts, which filed a loss of $81m causing analysts to remove confidence in its stock, a situation almost mirrored in the Activision camp late last month in spite of the company scraping a slight profit.

It is becoming an open secret that publishers are shying away from the compounded risk associated with supporting two 'traditional' next-gen launch platforms within 12 months, namely that of the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. Microsoft remained quiet on its anticipated shipping figures, allowing analysts to make their own predictions, predictions that proved way off the mark.

And because of this lack of information, no doubt encouraged by a Microsoft third-party relations team which has come in for hefty criticism from every supporting publisher (albeit in guarded public words and in off the record mutterings) there was simply too much launch software for the Xbox 360. Publishers readied offerings for a non-existent audience. Those able to buy hardware, opted only for the safest game purchases and everything else was left on the shelf.

It is looking likely that third-parties are shying away from day-one PlayStation 3 support, preferring to back Nintendo's 'new-gen' Wii offering. See, for example, recent comments from Atari CEO Bruno Bonnell suggesting the embattled French company will risk nothing on PlayStation 3 shipping figures, stating in a recent interview, "...we're lacking information about the PS3 at this stage, because we have basically a rough release date and a high retail price point."

Bonnell highlights the potential shift towards Wii development, believed to be an emerging practice amongst a number of major third-party publishers, explaining that Atari is "...accelerating some of the Wii titles, because with the technology being so close to the GameCube, we are able to effectively convert teams faster than on PS3."

SPOnG would predict that right now, third-party publishing strategists are recommending if not demanding a significant shift in resources away from PlayStation 3 development and towards the more cost-effective Nintendo platform. As we have seen, the Xbox 360 has seen losses of its own, with THQ killing (dare we say whacking?) The Sopranos for the Microsoft platform and Vivendi following suit, canning a planned 360 version of Scarface.

Although Nintendo fans may see this as only good news, come Wii launch they may well find themselves bitterly disappointed as publishers cram shelves with gimmicky rushed software claiming to make use of the Wii's unique interface, but in actually offering little more than filler gameplay within heartless software releases.

Let's not forget that early DS software from third-parties was almost universally appalling, with titles from Activision and Electronic Arts, flagged as works of genius by Nintendo of America at the time, representing little more than beefed up GBA code with pointless use of the touch-screen thrown in very much for its own sake.

Indeed, although the Wii may be sapping development resources away from the PlayStation 3, it might be taking only it's dead wood with adopters of the Nintendo platform looking set to be dazzled by huge shiny pile of what might largely be sub-standard crap. To kick off with, of course, the Nintendo first-party games, Zelda, WarioWare, Metroid, will float the machine with some of the best games available anywhere, though what to expect from third-parties is anyone's guess. SPOnG has seen glimmers of what we can expect from some corners, with Sega's Super Monkey Ball for Wii one of several titles worthy of a punt.

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Freedom Wings US ver.

August 4th, 2006, 15:44 Posted By: wraggster

New Preorder from SuccessHK



Freedom Wings takes you into the wild blue skies, for an incredible set of missions in the early days of aviation! In the South Sea islands, aircraft were the ideal choice for transportation. But there were always pilots who sought to prey on aircraft, and these air pirates turned the skies into a war zone. The world's top pilots got together and started the Air Patrol Association (A.P.A.) hoping to make the skies safe once again. You are now an A.P.A. member -- your job is to find and shoot down the pirates, to secure the open sky.

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Tony Hawk Downhill Jam gameplay video

August 4th, 2006, 15:57 Posted By: wraggster

Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam has been somewhat of a mystery since it was first announced, so this video really helps give us an idea on what to expect with the titles. Half chock-full of intense menu selection screens, half chock-full of gameplay, the game looks to keep the overall spirit of the Tony Hawk franchise, albeit in a form catering more towards jammin' down some gnarly hills as opposed to tearing it up at Love Park.

Check out the Video

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Slurp this -- free Wii from 7-Eleven

August 4th, 2006, 15:59 Posted By: wraggster

In what has to be the coolest promotion of the year, 7-Eleven is offering 711people (of course) a chance at a free Wii starting in November. Distressed because there's no 7-Eleven in your neighborhood? Not to fret, fanboys and girls -- the official rules include a backup plan for those of us denied the pleasure of a Purple S'Creme. Until the Wii becomes available as a prize in November, there are other goodies to tide you over, like iPod Shuffles (that look like they can double as a pregnancy test stick in a pinch) and portable DVD players.

More info

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Raving Rabbid scans and article

August 4th, 2006, 16:00 Posted By: wraggster

Some scans from what we're assuming is the latest issue of Nintendo Power have hit the net and there is a rather lengthy, screen-filled article centered around Rayman and these "raving rabbids" we keep hearing so much about. In the article, it's confirmed that the game plays more like a collection of minigames huddled around one central platforming theme, as opposed to a game that is nothing but platforming. Ancel feels that taking this approach allows him to maximize the different uses of the Wiimote.

The article also begins to mention what we are assuming is some ability to share trial times and records online, but the page continuing that paragraph seems to be missing from the spread.

more info

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Spore to hit the Wii?

August 4th, 2006, 16:01 Posted By: wraggster

While a lot of people are actively wondering where EA's sprawling Spore won't turn up, we can tell you where it is likely to appear: on the Wii!

Color us unsurprised that Will Wright wants to turn Spore into a franchise powerhouse; we all know what happened with The Sims. With the evolutionary sim, however, Wright intends to focus on the differences of each platform, and he's pointing specifcally to the Wii. Or should that be with the Wii ... mote?

In comments this week, Wright let two very telling details drop. First, he lauded the Wii in its creative potential, mentioning specifically the controller (of course). He went on the decry the lack of a mouse for consoles, pointing out that this was something of a limiting factor when dealing with games for both the PC and consoles. The Wiimote, however, can point and click with the best of them. We're betting that we'll be getting ready to guide our own species next year on the Wii.

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WMB Client Updated For DS Lite Usage

August 4th, 2006, 16:54 Posted By: wraggster

BigRedPimp posted this news:

It seems that the WMB client a lot of us use for sending our homebrew to our DS systems doesn’t quite work for the new DS Lite. The reason for this happens to be the 2nd range of MAC addresses (00:16:56 rather than 00:09:BF) that Nintendo has is being used on the Lite. The new version supports both ranges so now you can send to both DS systems.

More info and download here --> http://dsdev.bigredpimp.com/archives/49

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DSWiFi WIP News

August 4th, 2006, 16:55 Posted By: wraggster

sgstair posted this news:

I’ve decided instead of doing the 802.11 rewrite now, I’ll make another release version before I start on the version that will become 0.5. A few things are prompting me to do this, primarily because I’m engaged in figuring out how to use nintendo’s usb stick, and can have that functionality as well as the “finding hidden APs” in the near future rather than making everyone wait a lot longer. Also (thanks to BigRedPimp) I should be able to deliver compatibility for the AOSS access point records stored in the DS’s firmware. So, just to let you all know I’m not scrapping my entire 802.11 stack and starting from scratch *just yet*

More Info --> http://blog.akkit.org/2006/08/03/ver...-the-pipeline/

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Touch Me (I'm Famous) 0.1 Source Code

August 4th, 2006, 16:56 Posted By: wraggster

beyond DS posted this news:

Here is the source code of Touch me (I'm famous) v0.1. The library PAlib is required for compilation.

More info --> http://beyondds.free.fr/index.php?20...urce-touch-me-
i-m-famous-01

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New DBZ RPG coming to DS in December?

August 4th, 2006, 16:58 Posted By: wraggster

Via DSfanboy

a Japanese scan shows that a new Dragonball Z RPG title is headed to the DS this December. This estimated release date is obviously for the Japanese gaming world and does not apply to us lowly gamers outside of the Mecca of gaming that the nation is, so we'll have to wait a tad bit longer.

No other information can be taken from the scan, other than the knowledge that someone apparently did not enjoy the figurines, choosing to angrily place a giant X across a majority of the scan. The magazine in which this scan comes from is also a mystery at this time.

Scan Via Comments

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Microsoft and Nintendo keep up with Sony, get sued for controller patents

August 5th, 2006, 00:18 Posted By: wraggster

These days you're hardly participating in the electronic gaming industry if nobody is accusing you of stealing from their supa' secret stash of controller design patents. Microsoft and Nintendo have been lagging behind Sony lately, but the pair of them just got a nice big lawsuit which should have their respective controller design teams grinning with pride. The suit comes courtesy of Anascape Ltd, a Texas firm that is accusing Microsoft and Nintendo of breaching a whole slew of patents. The offenses include patents for "Variable Conductance Sensor," "Game Controller with Analog Pressure Sensor," "Variable Conductance Sensor with Elastomeric Dome Cap," "Remote Controller with Analog Button," "Image Controller with Sheet Connected Sensors," "Game Control with Analog Pressure Sensor," "Variable Sensor with Tactile Feedback," "Analog Controls Housed with Electronic Displays," "Variable Conductance Sensor" (again), "Remote Controller with Analog Pressure Sensor," "Analog Sensor with Snap Through Tactile Feedback," and "3D Controller with Vibration." Yeah, we have no idea what most of those are all about, but with this many patents floating around, this lawsuit is shaping into a nice bit of summer fun.

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Star Trek writer signs on for Bethesda games

August 5th, 2006, 00:25 Posted By: wraggster

News via Gamespot

When publishers working on a licensed game want to provide a bit of authenticity to the final product, from time to time they'll attach one of the license's original creators to the project. Atari picked up frequent Forgotten Realms author RA Salvatore to contribute the story for its game set in that fantasy universe, Demon Stone. For 24: The Game, Sony Europe based the story on a script from one of the TV series' screenwriters.

Bethesda Softworks is taking a similar approach for its upcoming Star Trek games, Legacy and Tactical Assault. The developer of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion announced today that it has secured the talents of Dorothy "DC" Fontana to help write the scripts for the two games.

Fontana has deep roots in the Trek universe, having provided stories for the original TV series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Animated Adventures, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and even the unofficial fan-made spin-off Star Trek: New Voyages. The rest of her career is dotted with work for other sci-fi TV series, including The Six Million Dollar Man, Logan's Run, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Babylon 5, and Earth: Final Conflict.

Fontana's familiarity with the Trek mythos should come in handy particularly with Star Trek: Legacy, as the PC and Xbox 360 game is set across every era of the Trek TV shows, from the prequel series Enterprise up through Voyager. As for the game itself, it will have players assuming the role of a Starfleet admiral charged with commanding a task force of Enterprise-esque starships through large- and small-scale battles.

On the other hand, the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS game Star Trek: Tactical Assault will be set exclusively in the original-series setting. Focusing on real-time ship combat, Tactical Assault's single-player campaign will let players assume the role of a Starfleet or Klingon commander, and its Fontana-penned story will have branching paths and multiple outcomes.

Both games are set for release by the end of the year.

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Neoflash Summer Coding Comp Entries Can Be submitted now

August 5th, 2006, 02:10 Posted By: wraggster

Neoflash who are giving a Nintendo Wii away as a top prize in their Summer Coding competition have today announced that from now until the 20th August 2006 they are allowing submissions of entries to their coding comps for PSP and Nintendo DS, so if your a coder of virtually anything nows the time to get your coding fingers ready and get entering, the Nintendo Wii prize would make me learn coding if i wasnt already so damn busy.

More Info

The DCEmu Network will of course provide full news coverage of all the submissions to the competition as they arrive.

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Homebrewed Zelda DS Demo

August 5th, 2006, 10:27 Posted By: lupidan

Ok, I think it's about time to release a demo. So here it is

I have released this demo for the Z3, a Zelda-themed games for PC expo. They asked me if I could release a demo for it, I was really happy and accepted. For more info about this Z3, visit www.zfgc.com



Video:









Known bugs
-> Extrange problems with Backgrounds [I have no explanation for it]
-> Entering Tutorial level lots of times will cause errors with background .MOD music, it will be likely because the MOD is not compatible with NDS Hardware
-> When enemies start their destroy animation they can hurt Link, I'll fix it soon

there must be more, it's just I don't remember

The demo is composed of:
-> Start screen, two languages [Spanish - English] and three Link colours, you can change them in Options
-> Choose level screen
-> A tutorial so you can learn how to play the game
-> Three stages for the "Wind element world" and the boss (I plan to add more stages)
-> Background music wich can cause problems with the game (very extrange if it happens)

Well, have fun

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EWIN2 Multi Media Adaptor for NDSL (micro-SD ver.)

August 5th, 2006, 16:05 Posted By: wraggster

New from Linkers 4u.com

New flash cart for the DS released, heres the info:



Product Features

Compatible with all NDS/NDS Lite version
Support up to 1GB SD card
Compatible all NDS games
Designed for NDSL consoles

More Description

EWIN2 Multi Media Adaptor for NDSL (micro-SD) is a miniature mobile NDS/NDSL file Manager and Backup device. For backuping files it uses micro-SD card. It allows you to run a variety of software/Homebrew. All version of EWIN2 support NDSL consoles. EWIN2 is easy to operate. Just use the bundled software to convert NDS games and copy them to micro-SD card. Then, you are ready to enjoy the games.

Price is USD 40.00

Anyone tried one ?

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EWIN 2 Multi Media Adaptor for NDS/NDSL (SD ver.)

August 5th, 2006, 16:09 Posted By: wraggster

New from Linkers 4u.com



Product Features

Compatible with all NDS/NDS Lite version
Support up to 1GB SD card
Compatible all NDS games

More Description

EWIN2 Multi Media Adaptor for NDS/NDSL (SD version) is a miniature mobile NDS/NDSL file Manager and Backup device. For backuping files it uses SD card. It allows you to run a variety of software/Homebrew. All version of EWIN2 support NDS/NDSL consoles. EWIN2 is easy to operate. Just use the bundled software to convert NDS games and copy them to SD card. Then, you are ready to enjoy the games.

Price = USD 35.00

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EWIN 2 Multi Media Adaptor for NDS/NDSL (mini-SD ver.)

August 5th, 2006, 16:13 Posted By: wraggster

New from Linkers 4u.com



Product Features

Compatible with all NDS/NDS Lite version
Support up to 1GB SD card
Compatible all NDS games
Fits into NDS console Perfectly

More Description
EWIN2 Multi Media Adaptor for NDS/NDSL (mini-SD) is a miniature mobile NDS/NDSL file Manager and Backup device. For backuping files it uses mini-SD card. It allows you to run a variety of software/Homebrew. All version of EWIN2 support NDS/NDSL consoles. EWIN2 is easy to operate. Just use the bundled software to convert NDS games and copy them to mini-SD card. Then, you are ready to enjoy the games.

Price = USD 37.00

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No$gba v2.3

August 5th, 2006, 16:29 Posted By: wraggster

The Nocash GBA emulator which also has partial DS Emulation for Windows has seen a new update but theres far too much to post here (100s of lines :P), so ill let you find out for yourself

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ReinMoon v0.5 beta

August 5th, 2006, 16:43 Posted By: wraggster

Thanks to Guyfawkes for the news:

The DS save file manager by Moonlight has been updated with a beta release. This version has the following changes:
Devices working
Movie Player CF, M3 perfect CF and M3 perfect SD (SlimSD/MiniSD/NewM3SD), SuperCard CF, SuperCard SD, Max Media CF, SuperCard MicroSD and Ewin2 MicroSD
Devices not working
EZ-Flash 4 MiniSD and MagicKey2/3, etc...

Version 0.5 2006/08/04
The bug which fails in entry of Type3 flash memory was corrected.
The disk driver for SuperCard/MicroSD it tested added.
The disk driver for Ewin2/MicroSD it tested added.

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DS Organize v2.2 Preview 2

August 5th, 2006, 16:50 Posted By: wraggster

DragonMinded has released a new version of his DS Organizer app.

Heres whats new:

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DSRobot first PCB board

August 5th, 2006, 16:55 Posted By: wraggster

Want to control a robot with your DS then this is for you, heres the info from the homepage:

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7-11 contest divulges Wii price at $299?

August 5th, 2006, 16:57 Posted By: wraggster

News via gamespot

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Luigi's Mansion sequel coming to Wii?

August 5th, 2006, 17:00 Posted By: wraggster

A forum poster over at Neo GAF has dropped some tidbits from the EGM Rumor Mill to the inter wubs stating that a sequel to the GameCube launch title Luigi's Mansion is in the works for the Wii. Now, should this be true, we're sure that the game will feature even more sucking than the first installment, with a back pack so big that it can be seen from space, which coincidentally is where we predict Luigi's next adventure to be.

In fact, Luigi wanted to go to space first, but you know that show-off brother of his just had to beat him to the punch. It's tough living in the portly plumber's shadow (seriously, Mario could stand to lose a few pounds and Luigi's lactose intolerance means he needs sunlight so he can produce precious vitamin D). All fat jokes aside, this is a no-brainer. With the Wiimote, Luigi's Mansion 2: Electric Boogaloo (working title) can be free to traverse into the first-person realm. That's right, you read it here first: the next game to bear the Luigi's Mansion name will be in the first-person view and will have the thin, mustached man capturing space ghosts...and possibly fighting Jason.

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Scanned Listing of Wii Games

August 5th, 2006, 17:02 Posted By: wraggster

Someone has scanned the listing of Wii games over at EB, prices seem a bit steep though.

Screen via comments

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No Space World This Year

August 5th, 2006, 17:03 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo tells AMN that no Space World 2006 is planned. And some news about Super Mario Galaxy inside.

Speaking to AMN Wii this weekend, Nintendo of America Public Relations Manager Matt Atwood confirmed that there are no plans to hold a Space World event this year, despite Internet speculation that the event might return to ring in the launch of Wii.

Atwood also told AMN that while Nintendo has not officially announced its launch lineup for Wii, on the subject of having Super Mario Galaxy at launch, he said “Anything is possible.”

More information on Wii’s launch date and general launch information is expected sometime during September. We’ll keep you updated.

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QBX Update

August 5th, 2006, 17:12 Posted By: wraggster

Didou has posted a new release of his game for the Nintendo DS, heres a discription:

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Final Fantasy III Screenshots Galore

August 5th, 2006, 17:14 Posted By: wraggster

Gamespot has posted a massive amount of screenshots of the Final Fantasy game for the Nintendo DS, Check them out HERE

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Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime Preview

August 5th, 2006, 17:16 Posted By: wraggster

Heres an excerpt:

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Chocobo Set For DS

August 5th, 2006, 17:17 Posted By: wraggster

News from IGN

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Star Fox Command DS Review

August 5th, 2006, 17:20 Posted By: wraggster

Heres an excerpt:

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Panzer Tactics Screens

August 5th, 2006, 17:22 Posted By: wraggster

Gamespot have a ton of screens for the World War 2 game Panzer Tactics, check them out HERE

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DS and Wii - Nintendos Dream Team

August 5th, 2006, 17:25 Posted By: wraggster

Good article over at MSN Money, heres an excerpt:

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Command and Conquer Clone for DS Project News

August 5th, 2006, 17:27 Posted By: wraggster

Another update of the C&C Clone for the DS,:

The last work I did was with the file system - it seems the fseek function is broken in the current FAT library, so I coded a very slow alternative until it's fixed. This means the map loading and tile loading code is now working fine, but is pretty slow. Next I'm going to work on the GUI, so the game has a front end. I've written too many games now where I've added the GUI and gameflow at the end of the project and found it a real pain in the ass. This time I'm going to add it very soon, so I can enter and exit maps, change options etc. and debug the game faster. Without any directory listing in the file system though I'll have to hand-code the list of maps available, or list them in a text file. Whatever, I'm rambling, it's not important right now

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SpeccyDS WIP News

August 6th, 2006, 01:10 Posted By: wraggster

CraigT has posted this news about his Spectrum emulator for the Nintendo DS:

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Rumor: New Strikers Wii Bound

August 6th, 2006, 10:36 Posted By: wraggster

Sources close to Nintendo of Europe tell IGN that the company is underway with a sequel to the hit GameCube sports title Super Mario Strikers. Furthermore, insiders allege that the title could be unveiled later this month at the Games Convention 2006 in Leipzig, Germany.


Super Mario Strikers, developed by Next Level Games, marries the sport of soccer with Nintendo's classic Mushroom Kingdom universe. The result is a soccer outing that is arcade-fast and overrun with special pick-ups that enhance the experience. Strikers features a cast of characters that includes Mario, Donkey Kong, Peach, Luigi and Bowser, among others. IGN rated the GameCube project a 7.6 and noted that while its multiplayer mode was very enjoyable, its single-player component lacked depth.
Since its release in the states last December, Super Mario Strikers has sold more than 500,000 copies, effectively making it a sleeper hit and likewise a prime candidate for a Wii sequel.

No details about the Wii version are yet available, but as with most Wii titles, it is very likely to take advantage of Nintendo's unique new controller in some fashion.

Rumors out of France allege that Nintendo may show off as many as five never-before-seen Wii games at GC 2006. The Big N has scheduled a press conference called "Wii prove our promise" for the day prior to the exhibition.

IGN contacted Nintendo of America for comment, but the subsidiary was unable to respond in time for publish.

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Barnyard US ver.

August 6th, 2006, 10:47 Posted By: wraggster

New from SuccessHK



Welcome to the yard where the vibrant world of Nickelodeon's Barnyard movie will come to life. Gamers of all ages will be entertained by this brand new barnyard adventure. Players will start off as the 'new cow on the block,' form alliances with fellow animals, taking on challenges and sporting competitions, protecting the farm from coyote invaders, and doing lots of goofing off on the side. Players will be able to explore a fully interactive, 3D world and prove that they have what it takes to be the biggest party animal of all.

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Super Monkey Ball Adventure US ver.

August 6th, 2006, 10:50 Posted By: wraggster

New from SuccessHK



An adventure spin-off for the monkey-rolling franchise. Players will discover that in Super Monkey Ball Adventure their monkey balls now have a whole host of new abilities, including sticking to walls, hovering and the ability to become invisible. Super Monkey Ball Adventure also contains 50 new puzzle levels and six new party games to challenge gamers of all ages. Players can select Aiai, Meemee, Gongon, or Baby to adventure their way through five different Monkey Ball Kingdoms to complete quests by solving puzzles and ultimately uniting the feuding Monkey Kingdoms and defeat the Naysayers who have sucked all the joy from the Monkey Ball world.

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Virtual Console Games to Be Bundled

August 6th, 2006, 11:25 Posted By: wraggster

This is a rumour but a sweet one, apparently Nintendo are to bundle Virtual Console games with the release of Wii, meaning say you buy the console with the launch title you will get the added bonus of some retro games too.

A smart move by Nintendo, more news as we get it.

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Gyro-sensor accessory for Nintendo DS?

August 6th, 2006, 11:30 Posted By: wraggster

News via Nintendo Gossip

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New DS Lite Cracks Appearing ?

August 6th, 2006, 11:41 Posted By: wraggster

Several people have reported that they are having morer crack issues with the DS Lite, check out the screen via comments

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Command and Conquer Clone for DS Project News

August 6th, 2006, 22:56 Posted By: wraggster

More news from the exciting Command and Conquer clone project for DS:

For the graphic I've written a cool little convertor that let's you take any BMP in explorer and convert it into a 15bit version ready for my game. For previous games I actually made my conversion tools work in the right-click options list in Explorer and I think I'll do the same here

I've not forgotten the sweet little graphic that big_metal_x made for me, but without the net at home I wasn't able to download it! (I'm at work right now). I will take this home later to use This is a 256 colour graphic however, and I can now support full 15bit colour in the main menu.. so maybe the kind and generous big_metal_x would like to make a new one too??



More info --> http://cncds_project.livejournal.com/

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NetHack for the Nintendo DS 05/08/06 Released

August 6th, 2006, 23:02 Posted By: wraggster

wosret has released a new version of Nethack for the Nintendo DS:

Heres whats new:

Keys are now highlighted even when Shift, Ctrl, Alt, or Caps Lock is active.
The keyboard display now changes when Shift or Caps Lock is active.
There are no longer graphical glitches at the edges of the screen when the tile width or height is not a factor of 256 or 168.

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Nintendo DS Flash Carts Shop Guide

August 7th, 2006, 00:38 Posted By: wraggster

Console News have released a guide that details 10 of the worlds best shops for Nintendo DS Flash Carts.

The full listing on what each site sells is there to see without having to search.

Check out the Nintendo DS Flashcart Shop Guide

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Nintendo DS Lite Review

August 7th, 2006, 03:00 Posted By: wraggster



I finally got around to doing a review of my DS Lite, check it out HERE --> http://www.dcemu.co.uk/nintendo-dslite-review.php

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Why I’ve gone back to DS Fat

August 7th, 2006, 07:14 Posted By: wraggster

Article via Pockketgamer

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Gamecube Reliquary 2

August 7th, 2006, 07:30 Posted By: wraggster

~Cmr8286 posted this:

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Gekko GameCube Emu - Status Update

August 7th, 2006, 07:33 Posted By: wraggster

Let's play guess the framerate :-)

Please don't bombard us too much yet with questions, the emu is still in early stages. Creds go to myself (of course), Aprentice, Lightning, and Thakis. Feel free to check out #Gekko on Efnet IRC.

~ShizZy

Screenshot Via Comments

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WAVERACE DS 3D - announcement and technology demo.

August 7th, 2006, 07:42 Posted By: wraggster

omaremad posted this news/release:

Hello, this started as apc application for some shader code i wanted to test... but now i used the same technology and ported it to the ds.

In the demo you have 100% 3d waves with fluid physics both on the water and on the camera( camera bounces on water using the height of the verties and their normals)

the waves can be of inifinte complexity
the demo shows 25*25 grid (each square has two tris so its pushing 1250 verts leaving about 800 for the rest of the game)

the demo runs at 14 fps, the waves run on fixed point but some uneeded byte shifts can be taken out, the speed decrease is exponential since its a grid so smaller / less dense grids can run at 60fps

skybox looks pretty nice and free from wobbling and alising, seams etc... because its not 3D

its a 2D Exrot BG blended with the 3D layer

the small mesh in the demo show a early version of a blender mesh exporter which exports:

-vertex colours (whoohooo baked radiosity instead of memory eating lightmaps)
-uv coords
-vertex coords
-normals

this is very early and i hope i might get some assembler experts to help


DPAD= move
Touch screen= look
Tap i say tap the start button for waves , long presses make huge waves which can be disorientating
ok teh demo:

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GC: Save state on a real console

August 7th, 2006, 12:28 Posted By: newgen64

This is probably not "News" so feel free to move/erase this post, move it to GC section or whatever. But I feel it's so BIG and nobody mentions it, probably because GC is pretty much dead!

Cobra 2.0 W.I.P. BIOS was released some time ago for Gamecube & Viper owners. Now I'm totally against piracy. But for the first time since 10 years or so, it's possible to create "state saves" anywhere in a game and to restore them at will on REAL hardware. Yes, the same kind of state save we could use on emus.

I've personally tested it and while it's not yet rock solid I am totally amazed by how good and convenient it is. Now I say WTF ? Why now ? How is it possible, is it easy to do ? If it's easy why doesn't it exist on XBOX or PSP ? If it's not that easy how could they do it on GC ? Could we expect this kind of feature on other systems?

I know this kind of feature existed on old 8-bit computers, but well... as you probably understood, i'm just amazed and feel like it's a small revolution

Video of this feature in action:

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Tony Hawk hits the half-pipe in new Wii trailer

August 7th, 2006, 16:28 Posted By: wraggster

Activision has released a new trailer for Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, demonstrating exactly how the Wii version of the game will work with Nintendo's motion-sensing controller.

Downhill Jam is a bit of a departure from the more traditional Tony Hawk's games, shifting the action away from the skatepark and over to the steep city streets for some head-to-head (wait for it...) downhill racing. As you can see from the vid, you can use the Wii controller to manoeuvre your skater much like a steering wheel, while at the same time flicking the pad around to perform the Hawkster's famous moves and tricks.

You can try out the new Wii-powered Tony Hawk for yourself when it grinds into the shops later this year.

Trailer Here

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[Wii] New Wii titles to be revealed at Games Convention 2006?

August 7th, 2006, 16:52 Posted By: wraggster

Interweb speculation is mounting that Nintendo is planning to unveil several new Wii games at this month's Leipzig Games Convention, with a sequel to Mario Smash Football being mentioned as the most likely candidate for a debut Wii appearance.

After the success of the original Mario Smash Football, it would come as no great surprise that Nintendo would want to deliver a follow-up.

Other murmurings suggest that Nintendo's NES platformer, Kid Icarus, is also scheduled for a dusting off. The appearance of the game's hero, Pit, in the E3 Super Smash Bros Brawl trailer has fuelled rumours that a Wii version of Kid Icarus is in the pipeline.

As expected, Nintendo is keeping tight-lipped, with our calls regrettably bearing no fruits of confirmation. Hopefully, all will be revealed when we attend the Nintendo press conference at the show.

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Japanese TV trailer of Fox McCloud's Command

August 7th, 2006, 20:50 Posted By: wraggster

If you've been wondering how you're going to control an Arwing with the stylus in the upcoming DS title, Star Fox Command, this Japanese TV advert - which you can see by clicking the movies tab above - should clear a few things up for you.

Fox McCloud's debut on the Nintendo handheld is a flight-based combat game set in free-flying 3D arenas. It uses the DS touch screen to partly control the ships of McCloud and his interstellar band of mammal chums as they battle invaders to protect the Lylat system.

To boost forward players must double tap the top part of the screen, a double tap of the bottom part of the screen applies airbrakes and barrel rolls are executed by scribbling left and right. Firing is controlled by the d-pad and the shoulder button.

It's a similar combination of d-pad and touch-screen interface that was used in Metroid Prime: Hunters. It may take some getting used to, but Star Fox Command looks like it will reward gamers with some truly explosive action.

Trailer at Gamesradar

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Star Fox Command DS Video Review

August 7th, 2006, 20:56 Posted By: wraggster

Joshua Zimmerman has posted a 9 Minute video review of the new Starfox game for the DS, watch it here -->

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Final Fantasy 4th World Cup won by Italy

August 7th, 2006, 21:06 Posted By: wraggster

New GBA Homebrew release:

Federico Severi posted this:

To celebrate the victory of Italy at the Germany FIFA World Cup 2006, i've coded this funny gba demo Also it shows what Materazzi said to Zidane. Of course it's not offensive vs French people. I have french friends that laughed to see this way to waste time http://digilander.iol.it/tipika/zidane.htm

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Jespa3D Engine ver1.368

August 7th, 2006, 21:08 Posted By: wraggster

New GBA Homebrew release:

Release of a 3D Engine by Jespa:

Features
- semi 3D Map based on 2D map subdivided in convex sectors.
- Render based on raycasting.
- AntiAliasing via MipMaping.
- Render slices whitout mapping.
- Render 2D Objects with animation.
- Maps ceil & floor.
- Aritmetic Point Math 16.16 & 16.8.
- Variables heights ceil & floor for any sector.
- 30 percent coded in assembler.
- Portals textured by a transparent image (texture type sprite).
- Enverionment mapping.
- Flat Z shading.
- Light functions.
- Collision management for wall, floor & ceil.

Download Here

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Vulkanon V1.0

August 7th, 2006, 21:09 Posted By: wraggster

New GBA Homebrew release:

Takayama Fumihiko posted this:

Vulkanon is a new bullet hell shmups for GBA. A marvelous barrage that challenges the limit of GBA attacks you. Please enjoy to destroy the barrage by overwhelming power shot.

http://gba.pqrs.org/vulkanon/

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DSLink - DS Cart Sized Flashcart With microSD Support!

August 7th, 2006, 21:31 Posted By: wraggster

Well details have been forwarded to me tonight of a new DS Flashcart thats the same size has a normal DS Game, so that means no bootcart etc.

No more details as of yet but screens Via Comments

know any more info then let us know

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lo.mp3

August 8th, 2006, 00:13 Posted By: wraggster

Birslip has posted an entry for the Neoflash Summer Coding Comp. Heres the release info:

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Touch Touch Revolution

August 8th, 2006, 00:28 Posted By: wraggster

mastertop101 has posted an entry for the Neoflash Summer Coding Comp. Heres the release info:

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G6 Lite 4gbit *english*

August 8th, 2006, 07:42 Posted By: wraggster

The UK Modchip and Flash cart seller Mr Modchips is now selling the G6 LITE 4GBIT *ENGLISH* for £59.99 heres the details:

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Prince of Persia slashes up Wii

August 8th, 2006, 17:39 Posted By: wraggster

The Prince of Persia is one of Ubisoft's most iconic series, delighting gamers with its winning mix of visceral sword-swinging gameplay and acrobatic antics, straight out of the Tales of A Thousand and One Nights.

No surprise to find the series heading Wii-ward, then, as a Ubisoft spokesperson told IGN only today: "I can confirm that a game based on the popular Prince of Persia franchise is one of many titles Ubisoft has in development for Nintendo's Wii. At this time we cannot provide an official date for the game or any additional information about it."

So details are stealthier than the Prince himself, but rubbing our magical lamp of speculation, we'd hope a new Prince title would accompany a Wii launch later in the year and that the Ubi Wii development team (probably Ubi France) will find some innovative uses for the Wii-mote, possibly involving plenty of involved swordfighting/slashing along the lines of Red Steel. You can unleash your own frenzy of speculation in the comments field below, but chalk one iconic series up for Nintendo as its next-gen challenger continues to gather momentum.

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DS spins an irresistible Web

August 8th, 2006, 17:43 Posted By: wraggster

News via CVG

Nintendo DS owners will soon be able to take full advantage of those free Wi-Fi hotspots thoughtfully provided by the Japanese company: Nintendo will launch an Internet browser for the machine, designed by Opera Software, across Europe on October 6.

As if the DS wasn't already enough of a polymath, purchasers of the Nintendo DS Browser (which, Nintendo says, will cost around 30 GBP) will be able to surf the Web, read and send emails and indulge in live chat. It can hook up to home and public Wi-Fi when out of range of one of Nintendo's free hot-spots.

It sounds as though the DS Browser has been cleverly designed to minimise the machine's limitations in comparison with PCs which have keyboard and mouse - and it includes an onscreen virtual keyboard and support for handwriting recognition.

And it even makes use of both screens - in Overview mode, it will show a complete website on one screen and highlighted areas on the other, while in Fit-to-Width mode, websites will be scaled to fit inside both screens, eliminating the need for scrolling. The DS Browser will be available as a cartridge, designed to fit into the GBA slot; there will also be a slimmer, more aesthetically pleasing version designed not to ruin the DS Lite's sleek lines. And there's more good news: it will come with a memory expansion pack, in a bid to minimise loading times for multimedia-heavy sites.

Come October 6, PSP owners will no longer have any excuse to argue that their machines can do stuff which is beyond the capabilities of the DS. Indeed, anyone who has tried to use the PSP's (shockingly unfriendly) Web browser would never dream of trying to establish bragging rights.

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Jissen Pachinko Hisshouhou! Hokuto no Ken SE DS

August 8th, 2006, 18:08 Posted By: wraggster

New commercial DS Game released:



A pachislot simulator based on the very popular anime series Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star).

More info / buy here--> http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?pro...5&lsaid=219793

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A special collector's edition of the classic board game Monopoly has been created tha

August 8th, 2006, 18:16 Posted By: wraggster

A special collector's edition of the classic board game Monopoly has been created that stars the finest heroes and villains from various Nintendo games.

Mario, Luigi, Link and Kirby all appear on the board, with the two moustachioed brothers taking up the prized Park Lane and Mayfair squares. Even the pieces you guide around the board have been Nintendoed, with Mario's cap, Link's iron boots, Donkey Kong's barrel, a Hylian shield and a Koopa shell all having been recreated in pewter.

The board game is currently available on this US website for $35.95 (about £19).

Screenshot Via Comments

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Brothers of Reinvention

August 8th, 2006, 18:19 Posted By: wraggster

Via Washingtonpost

So what is it about Mario?

The portly plumber who's out to save Mushroom Kingdom and maybe get a kiss from the princess is still hopping, jumping, stomping his way from the original "Super Mario Bros." (released in 1985) to the latest "New Super Mario Bros." (released in May). He's still the friendly Everyman, still in the same red-and-blue overalls, still sporting the same mustached, rosy-cheeked, aw-shucks look.

And he's the most popular game character among 9-to-12-year-olds, says the NPD Group, which tracks game sales in the United States.

"Mario never gets old, kind of like James Bond," says Michael Pachter, a game analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities. "And who doesn't think James Bond is cool?"

Twenty-five years after his debut, Mario is the angelic, lovable, all-too-recognizable face of the best-selling video game franchise ever, racking up sales of nearly $2.3 billion in the United States -- and that's only since 1995, as far back as NPD data go. There are currently more than 50 Mario-related games in the market. And the best ones attract tweens who are old enough to appreciate the games' complexity and beauty -- pipes that lead to secret mazes! Mushrooms that double your size! -- but young enough to want to have pure, easy, harmless fun. Who wouldn't want to break a brick by bopping it with your head?

It also doesn't hurt that many parents of these tweens, head-boppers themselves, have grown up playing Mario.

It's all Mario, all Nintendo, all the time at the Palamore residence in Arlington, where it's not entirely clear who's the biggest Mario fan.

Is it 8-year-old Matthew, who proudly declares, "I have Mario's voice," and spontaneously says " Mamma mia! "? Or Curtis, 10, who goes on and on about "Super Mario Sunshine"? Or 12-year-old Chris, who can't decide which of the family's eight Mario games is his favorite?

Or is it Brad -- the boys' 30-year-old dad, a minister at the Arlington Church of Christ -- who jokingly introduces himself as "Luigi" and has very fond memories of a five-day binge of pizza and "Super Mario Bros." on his Nintendo Entertainment System when he was 10?

"The thing about Mario is, you can play it with your kids," says Brad Palamore, a self-described "Nintendo dad." "You don't have to worry about what they're seeing on the screen because as a kid yourself, you've seen what goes on in a Mario game."

Mario is the creation of the legendary Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, also the man behind Donkey Kong. In the early 1980s, Mario was known as Jumpman, Donkey Kong's nemesis in an arcade game. But when Jumpman proved to be as popular as Kong, he transformed into Mario, the middle-aged plumber with a heart of gold. He's Tony Soprano but gentler, Tony Danza but cuter, Mickey Mouse but Italian by way of Japan, with a posse that includes Luigi, Yoshi, Princess Peach, et al. (It's been reported that the name is a homage to Mario Regale, the former landlord of Nintendo's warehouse in Redmond, Wash.) He's starred in "Super Mario Brothers," his very own live-action 1993 movie, and has appeared on "The Simpsons," playing an Italian tourist. He's the omnipresent mascot of Nintendo, which this fall will release Wii, its new game console, and if all goes well, a new game called "Super Mario Galaxy" with it.

"It's Mario's games that have made him so universally famous. 'Super Mario Bros. 3' is still my all-time favorite video game today. It's got such inventiveness -- not too simple, not too frustrating," says Dan Hsu, editor of Electronic Gaming Monthly. "Mario's games are consistently good. That's why the man is where he's at today."

There's a Mario game in practically every flavor and genre -- sports ("Mario Tennis: Power Tour"), racing ("Mario Kart: Double Dash!!"), adventure ("Mario Party 7") -- and like "The Sims," the hugely successful PC franchise, Mario has proven to be girl-friendly too.

The game world, like other entertainment media, is an industry built on brand loyalty -- there are "Legend of Zelda" people, "Final Fantasy" people, "Madden NFL" people, "Halo" people, "Grand Theft Auto" people and the folks who sweat and swear and live by "World of Warcraft." Then there are Mario people like Michael Koyfman. Five years ago, at age 12, Koyfman started his own Web site, the Super Mario Fan Club ( http://www.smfc.us/ ). The club has 239 members.

Koyfman, 17, who will be a senior at John A. Rowland High School in Los Angeles County in the fall, says he got hooked on Mario 10 years ago and still takes the time each day to play one of his 30 Mario games -- "Mario Kart DS" and "Super Smash Bros. Melee" are his favs -- save Mushroom Kingdom and kiss the princess.

"I guess I should be getting tired of the games now, but I'm not."

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Portable Gamecube rumor returns briefly

August 8th, 2006, 18:21 Posted By: wraggster

For several minutes, in fact. Earlier today, IGN's Matt Casamassina posted an article that served to round up several wily Wii rumors, including the usual price ($229) and launch date (2 Nov. or 12 Nov.) suspects. More interesting, however, was the indication given by mysterious sources that IBM was in the process of shrinking and slowing down the Wii's Broadway chip for a "future Nintendo handheld -- presumably one that plays Gamecube discs."

Before the rumor managed to fully set in and plunge the masses into unyielding seizures of delight, the article was promptly pulled from the site and replaced by a decidedly unhelpful update. "At the request of our sources, who do not wish to go to jail this week, we have temporarily removed the Wii rumors piece that was posted earlier." Apparently, the oppressive and joyless Nintendo police were none too pleased with people blabbering about portable Gamecubes to IGN. When the article reappeared, all mention of it had been removed, spirited away to some great rumor recycle bin (send our love to the holographic projector).

Perhaps that's all there is to this story -- there is no portable Gamecube and the article's editing serves no purpose other than to make it more accurate. Of course, when an article is admittedly based entirely on whispered secrets and industry murmurings, why yank it just to edit out one rumor in particular? Or could it be another high-larious prank devised by Matt's IGN pals? Time will tell, though we'd rather it be an impatient and stocky time attending the Leipzig Games Convention.

Screen Via Comments

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Wii to tango with Latin America in December, price is high

August 8th, 2006, 18:25 Posted By: wraggster

During a recent games convention in São Paulo, Brazil , a representative of Lamatel (Nintendo's Latin American distributor) announced that Wii will be released in Brazil during the first week of December to the tune of 1,400–1,500 Brazilian reais (roughly $640–$690). Ouch! That smarts more than a hot Brazilian wax! Not that we ... I mean ... it was just a team bonding experience ... it's not like ... oh, never mind.

But seriously, at that rate, who's buying? Just import. Of course, you may want to add some games to that overseas order. So far, only Twilight Princess is confirmed for launch in Brazil.

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Capcom's Gameboy Advance™ platform action game RockMan Zero 2 at US$9.90

August 8th, 2006, 18:27 Posted By: wraggster

News from Play Asia:

Weekly Special: Capcom's Gameboy Advance™ platform action game RockMan Zero 2 at US$ 9.90 only - offer valid for 1 week

RockMan fans rejoice! The blaster-slingin' blue bomber is back on the GBA™ in RockMan Zero 2.

Recent RockMan 2-D action games have proven to be top-notch 2D side-scrollers, and have also earned a reputation for being incredibly challenging. RockMan Zero 2 lives up to its legacy in both categories--it's a beautifully-designed game packed with intense, fiendishly-challenging gameplay.

The story of RockMan Zero 2 centers on the cyborg Zero's continuing attempt to battle the anti-reploid organization Neo Arcadia. A year has passed since the last adventure, and Zero searches for Ciel and the resistance fighters. Little does Zero know that he's about to be a pawn in an elaborate scheme to cause turmoil between reploids and humans.

Capcom's Gameboy Advance™ platform action game RockMan Zero 2 (aka. Mega Man Zero 2) is now available at discounted US$ 9.90 only.

More info

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Wii Launch Gossip Explosion!

August 8th, 2006, 18:34 Posted By: wraggster

And for once, it looks like it's all true. Breaking news in the US, all of which was pulled after being made public earlier today, posits definite launch dates, price and further launch details on Nintendo's Wii, without doubt the most secretive emerging console in videogaming's short history.

Price has been set at $229, somewhat higher than many had hoped and a price no doubt inflated by Nintendo on the back of Sony's $600 PlayStation 3 demand. A cynical, if totally expected, move from Nintendo which we predict will be turning a profit on every hardware unit from day one on sale.

Two launch dates (territory unspecified) were offered - November 2 and November 12. It appears third-parties are working to two different sets of Nintendo-issued guidelines. At time of going to press, we have no idea which is the most recently issued.

Two colour options will be available day one, black and white. Other colours will follow during phase two of launch, probably after four months of general Wii release.

According to IGN, an outlet that had published the mass leak only to pull it, presumably at Nintendo's request: "Nintendo has allegedly bumped production of Wii hardware to 5.5 million units by the end of the year, a significant upgrade to previous numbers. The jump is purportedly based on the positive reaction to Wii from press and industry analysts at E3 2006.

The same report also stated that: "IBM may be working on a revised Broadway chip with a lower clock speed for a future Nintendo hand-held -- presumably one that plays GameCube discs." SPOnG has had a handle on Nintendo's push towards a portable GameCube player for well over a year now. We are more than pleased such a device is seemingly nearing an official announcement.

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Puzzle Series Vol. 4 Kakuro Jap ver

August 8th, 2006, 18:42 Posted By: wraggster

New from SuccessHK



Kakuro is a is a puzzle game involving number and inspired by a game know as Cross Sums in the West.

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Honeycomb Beat Jap ver.

August 8th, 2006, 18:44 Posted By: wraggster

New from SuccessHK



Turn over the pannels and arrange them in the same color! By beating the pannels with the touch pen, the pannels around the pannel you beat turn over. In "Puzzle Mode", there are two hundred stages included, luckily without timelimit. Also, you can enjoy "Trial Mode" that you erase as many pannels as possible that keep coming up.

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Madden NFL 07 US ver.

August 8th, 2006, 18:46 Posted By: wraggster

New from SuccessHK



The 2007 edition of EA's unstoppable football franchise. 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. Between the tackles or in the open field, run to daylight with Madden NFL 07.
This Nintendo DS version features Touch Pad buttons to navigate through the game with simple finger taps. You can also draw on-screen hot routes and use voice recognition to call audibles. New higher-res graphics bring out every detail - sleek wide receivers and bulky lineman, realistic stadium day-night lighting, and game-altering weather effects.

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Star Fox Command US ver.

August 8th, 2006, 18:47 Posted By: wraggster

New preorder from SuccessHK



The DS gets its own unique Arwing shooter, this time with touch-control flight mechanics unique to the DS. Lylat needs help. Players hop into their Arwing fighter and fight through a unique branching storyline of missions, all rendered in 3D. Star Fox DS brings a whole new strategic element to the series with a commander's view of the mission. Using the touch screen, players can draw the routes they and their teammates will take, then battle the enemies they encounter as they take over bases and strategically advance across the map. Players can also blow their friends out of the sky as they dogfight with up to eight players over a local wireless connection or take on up to four players from around the world on Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

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Hello Kitty Happy Party Pals US ver.

August 8th, 2006, 18:54 Posted By: wraggster

New from SuccessHK



Hello Kitty is throwing a party and she needs your help! Explore her world to pick out the perfect outfit, music and more. It's up to you and Hello Kitty to plan the perfect party! Features: Explore Hello Kitty's favourite places and meet with all of her friends Play 10+ fun party games with Hello Kitty Send fun notes to Hello Kitty's friends to invite them to your great party

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Scooby Doo Movie Dual Pack US ver.

August 8th, 2006, 18:55 Posted By: wraggster

New from SuccessHK



Scooby-Doo the Movie
In Scooby-Doo the Movie, players explore exotic locations inspired by the movie, searching for clues to complete missions and ultimately, solve Spooky Island's big mystery. Inspired by actual movie stills and artwork, the game features rendered environments and familiar characters in action/adventure gameplay.

Scooby-Doo 2
Players have to assist the Mystery, Inc. team in recovering a collection of monster masks they had collected from their previous adventures. It seems one of the masks has transformed into a pterodactyl ghost, and the recalcitrant beastie has made away with all of the other masks. Bad Pterry!

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Madden NFL 07 US ver.

August 8th, 2006, 18:57 Posted By: wraggster

New from SuccessHK



The 2007 edition of EA's unstoppable football franchise. New to the GBA version this year is the addition of more Game Boy Advance-exclusive mini-games; offense and defense skills games, punting and running skills games, and more. Also, stay up to date with all the off-season moves with new team rosters, uniforms, and logos for the 2006 NFL season.

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DS Doom Released

August 8th, 2006, 19:16 Posted By: wraggster



The classic game Doom has appeared on the Nintendo DS, heres all the release news:

The coders behind the release are TheChuckster and WinterMute

Heres a

Controls are simple.
Use the directional pad for movement
Hold the X button to sprint
The Y button toggles through your weapon inventory.

The A button fires.

The B button is the "use" key for opening doors, etc.
The R and L buttons allow you to strafe.
The Start button brings up the main menu.
The Select button chooses options in the menus.
Wifi connection
To play online using wifi, you're going to want to have a PC with port 5030 opened/forwarded. Run prboom_server.exe with the number of players specified using the -N command line parameter. There are other parameters for such things as maps and coop; check out the prboom_server documentation. The server waits until the given number of players connect and then the game begins.

Now that you have the server running, you will want to set up the DSes. Make sure that WFC data is set in firmware on the DSes. Next, edit the prboom.cfg file on the card and change the server "nameort" line under misc. You are ready to start. Launch dsdoom.nds and choose the network game option in the initial menu.

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments, Excellent Release for the DS Scene

Special thanks to RyanB for emailing me the news

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Chocobo Gets a Website

August 8th, 2006, 19:48 Posted By: wraggster

News via IGN

Following up on last week's surprise unveiling of Chocobo's new DS outing comes a teaser website for the game.

The first thing you'll probably notice is that there isn't really anything at the site at this point, except for a pair of Chocobo eyes that follow your mouse around. You may also notice that by clicking around here and there, you can make Chocobo feathers fall from the top to the bottom of the screen. And, if you have your speakers on, you'll likely notice the bubble Chocobo theme song in the background.

If you read Japanese, you'll notice one more thing. A tiny message bubble on the right side of the screen promises the site's full opening in September. This suggest a Tokyo Game Show presence for this latest Final Fantasy spinoff.

More Info