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November 1st, 2006, 02:07 Posted By: wraggster
Birslip has posted a new version of his mini games collection for the DS:
Mini-games collection, in each game you must avoid letting your player get touched by any of the baddies. And they increase in both speed and numbers as the game goes on, so stay on your toes! The graphics are great, and look out for the tribute to the old arcade classics and home computer raves! Avoid, avoid again, scores! There is a Wifi mode for the online high scores 
30/10/2006 News: Wifi Update
I added a new item in wifi menu: your highscore for each level!
And, i fixed small bugs.
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November 1st, 2006, 02:11 Posted By: wraggster
JimmyL released this over a week ago and sad to say i missed it, heres a new version of his RTS game for the DS:
Time for another update. I made the switch to Ubuntu about a month ago, and it took me a while, but I've finally settled in and found all the apps I need to code with a bit of ease(it's hard to move away from msvc as an ide). But I don't want to turn this into a blog, so here's some game update news...
This is yet another bug fix release, a couple of people on the forums have now mentioned that the minimap "selected area" box wasn't showing up, something I don't quite understand was causing the box to be drawn offscreen, but I managed to get it working regardless. I also fixed another problem that creeped in when I updated libs, the random number generator I was using for setting up the world stopped working, causing all the grass tiles to look the same. So, changing to plain old rand fixed the problem.
I also played a wifi game with this version and it works great, so I've taken down the previous versions.
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November 1st, 2006, 02:14 Posted By: wraggster
JimmyL posted this news/release:
Brand new game!
Multiplayer!
No Rules!
Has... um... cards, chess and reversi...
...no chat support of any kind...
...if you play online, I hope you're in the same room...
...and trust your friends...
...never been tested with more than 2 players...
Fun for the whole family!
Seriously now, here's a game idea my friend Rob came up with years ago, and I thought would be fun to play on the ds. You get a table, it has stuff on it, you move the stuff around, your friends can join you and move the stuff as well. You can put stuff in your hand, your friends can't move that stuff. That's pretty much it. Play checkers with chess or reversi pieces! and more!
The game is not quite ready to be played online since there's no way to talk, and I don't have very high hopes that it will work with more than two players, but I've been having fun with it single player and two players on the same couch, so I figured I'd release it as is.
As with the other games I've written, to play online you need your ds's to be configured for wifi with one of the official Nintendo games, and to host, you need to have your router forward port 9999 to your ds(you can find your ds's ip in game).
Adding new games/items should be fairly painless(other than me drawing cards and chess pieces by hand...), so if there's anything you'd like to see added, let me know on the forums.
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November 1st, 2006, 02:17 Posted By: wraggster
News from Sektor
Small update to SpoutDS. It now clears VRAM, so you won't have left over sprites in the background when launching on certain flash cards.
This is a modified version of Birslip's DS port. Spout is a small, abstract shooting game from Japanese developer kuni. It plays somewhat like Finnish cavefliers, except you have to erode your surroundings with your ship's exhuast. It's great fun. It was originally written for a handheld LCD console, then ported to Windows/SDL, then to Unix/SDL and now to DS.
The goal is to get as high as you possibly can, without crashing or your time running out.
Controls: A/B/X/Y - shoot, accelerate, spout, start
left - turn left
right - turn right
start - pause
select - LCD swap
L - toggle top backlight
R - toggle bottom backlight
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November 1st, 2006, 02:21 Posted By: wraggster
New release from Lick, heres the full details:
What's new:
- ALL Supercard devices will now return to the sc menu. (SCLite users, please give feedback)
- GBAMP (with chishm's hack) will now return to _BOOT_MP.NDS.
- M3 devices will now return to the m3 menu. (M3CF and M3SD tested. If not working, try holding L. Please give feedback)
- EZ IV devices will return to the ez menu. (Note: it takes a few seconds before LoveLite is initialized. After that, it works though)
- EZ-Flash III and EZ-Flash II has potentially working code, but no one tested yet.
What's changed:
- The firmware is now tested before it writes the brightness. Also corrected the iQue offsets.. iQue users: Please make sure you have a -Flashed iQue- before trying this software. No tests have been done on iQue devices, because I don't have one. It should work as expected, but until people have tested it, I can't claim anything.
- The buttons were reacting too slow, now you shouldn't have any input-delays. In other words: smooth touching.
- Graphics glitches were found on some cards, also fixed.
What's about the beta?
I turned this into a beta, so that people hopefully will read the release notes. 
THIS SOFTWARE BRICKS YOUR DS (Disclaimer)
No, it doesn't. Yes, it bricked a few iQues (hopefully they were flashed) but the code is fixed. As you can read in the changes, the potentionally dangerous code now includes checking of the firmware before writing to it.
The release is tested on western ds'es, but make sure your firmware is flashed if you're the first person to test LoveLite on your type of hardware. (FlashMe users are 100% safe!)
To do
- Implement new device-detection code.
- Make the return feature work for even more deviceTypes.
Enjoy, and report all possible bugs so I can fix them in the next release!
Thanks,
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November 1st, 2006, 02:32 Posted By: wraggster
Just a few weeks ago Ubisoft revealed that the company had been working on a Star Wars game tailored for both the PlayStation Portable as well as the Nintendo DS. In that announcement, the company only had screens and details ready to go on the PSP rendition, leaving DS owners in the dark on what their version's going to end up becoming. Today, Ubisoft let us in on what's happening with the dual-screen portable version of Star Wars: Deadly Alliance shipping this December.
The game's in development at Ubisoft Morocco, the development team that worked on the Nintendo DS version of Peter Jackson's King Kong last year. In Star Wars: Deadly Alliance, players are thrust into an era between Star Wars Episode III and Episode IV, just before Princess Leia secured the plans for the Death Star. You're actually put into the role of Rianna Saren put to the task of securing those plans for the Princess and the Alliance.
The game's all action, running on the Nintendo DS in full 3D. Players will run through many familiar areas of the Star Wars universe, including such locations as Mustafar and Tatooine, as well as new locations on Despayre, Danuta, and Alderaan. Duke it out with the all-star cast including Boba Fett and Darth Vader.
The Nintendo DS version will have special touch-screen mini-games between the action, as well as a four player wireless multiplayer option. The current, official boxart indicates that the game might go online, though don't be surprised if it's a feature that gets the axe before the game's release.
Star Wars: Lethal Alliance ships to stores this December.
Screens Here
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November 1st, 2006, 03:07 Posted By: wraggster
New from SuccessHK
In Over The Hedge, you'll take an interactive adventure beyond the film. When a housing development intrudes on their woodland habitat and an opossum is kidnapped by an evil exterminator, three wise-cracking rodents and one reptile invade the 'burbs in a quest to rescue their friend. Battle the exterminator and his army of mind-controlled mammals, and save the forest (and your own hide) from the world's peskiest critter -- man. Gamers can play with a friend in the wireless mini-game with a single Over the Hedge NDS cartridge
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November 1st, 2006, 03:08 Posted By: wraggster
New from SuccessHK
Magical Vacation has you adventuring through outer space to rescue your teacher and classmates while exploring strange planets. The game is controlled fully by the stylus, and features up to 6 players via WiFi.
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November 1st, 2006, 03:10 Posted By: wraggster
New from SuccessHK
In Contact, you'll become a direct part of your role-playing. A Professor's damaged spaceship crash lands on a mysterious planet. He discovers that the power sources of his ship, known as Cells, have been scattered across the world. To retrieve them all, The Professor enlists a brave young man named Terry -- and a brave video game player known as you! The Professor and Terry will ask for your help during the course of the adventure, using the Nintendo DS to "contact" you along the way.
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November 1st, 2006, 17:52 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo of America has confirmed the titles due for the US launch window of its new Wii console, with 32 retail games due to arrive by the end of December.
The format holder has also unveiled its first 30 retro titles for the Virtual Console service, supporting favourites from platforms such as Super Nintendo and Mega Drive, also due before the end of the year.
The new Wii game list brings confirmation that titles like Metal Slug Anthology and Call of Duty 3 will join first party titles including The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Wii Sports, Wii Play and ExciteTruck.
Nintendo has previously said to expect around 15 titles on launch day.
Meanwhile, Virtual Console offerings will include Super Mario 64 (N64), F-Zero (SNES), Sonic the Hedgehog (Megadrive) and a raft of titles for both NES and TurboGrafx-16.
Virtual Console games will be sold for Wii Points - with NES games costing 500, SNES games 800 and N64 games 1000.
In Europe, 2000 Wii Points will cost around EUR 20 or GBP 14, Nintendo confirmed back in September.
What follows is the list of third-party Wii titles, and the Virtual Console games listed by console:
The Ant Bully
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Call of Duty 3
Cars
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
Elebits
Far Cry: Vengeance
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
GT Pro Series
Happy Feet
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
Madden NFL 07
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Metal Slug Anthology
Monster 4x4 World Circuit
Need for Speed Carbon
Open Season
Rampage: Total Destruction
Rapala Tournament Fishing
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Red Steel
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Super Swing Golf
Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions
Virtual Console:
NES
Baseball
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr.
Ice Hockey
The Legend of Zelda
Pinball
Soccer
Solomon's Key
Super Mario Bros.
Tennis
Urban Champion
Wario's Woods
Super NES
F-Zero
SimCity
Nintendo 64
Super Mario 64
Sega Megadrive
Altered Beast
Columns
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Ecco the Dolphin
Golden Axe
Gunstar Heroes
Sonic The Hedgehog
Space Harrier II
ToeJam and Earl
TurboGrafx-16
Bomberman '93
Bonk's Adventure
Dungeon Explorer
Super Star Soldier
Victory Run
The Wii will launch in America on November 19th priced USD $249.99 and in Europe on December 8th priced EUR 249 (GBP 179).
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November 1st, 2006, 17:52 Posted By: wraggster
Hudson Entertainment has announced plans to launch more than 40 retro games for the Wii's Virtual Console service during 2007, with prices starting at EUR 6.
The initial batch of titles due out in Europe and the US will include Bonk's Adventure, Super Star Soldier, Victory Run, Bomberman 93 and Dungeon Explorer - all of which will be available by the end of the year. Japanese Wii owners will also get the option to buy Adventure Island and Necromancer.
Each game will cost a minimum of 600 Wii points, or EUR 6 / USD 6 / YEN 600, and will be available via the Wii Shop Channel. Users can buy points either via the online shop or from retail stores.
Hudson said it plans to release more than 60 games for the Virtual Console in Japan over the next year, while the US and Europe will get a further 40 titles. That will include third-party games for the TurboGrafx-16 (known as the PC Engine in Japan).
The news follows Nintendo's announcement that 30 Virtual Console games will be released by the end of 2006, including favourites from platforms such as the SNES and Megadrive.
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November 1st, 2006, 17:53 Posted By: wraggster
Sega of America has unveiled the first batch of titles it plans to release for the Wii's Virtual Console, which will be priced at 800 Wii points per game.
The 2006 line-up includes Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Altered Beast, Golden Axe and Gunstar Heroes. Classic puzzler Columns will also be on offer, along with Ecco the Dolphin, Space Harrier II, Ristar and Toe Jam and Earl.
According to an official statement, the Virtual Console service will feature a "best of" selection of Sega games that will be updated with new content each month. Prices will start at 800 Wii points per title - the equivalent to USD 8.
That's the same starting price Nintendo has announced for SNES titles, although NES titles will cost from 500 Wii points. Hudson said its Virtual Console offerings will cost 600 points and up.
"Nintendo has offered a great gateway in bringing classic Sega titles to Wii console owners," said SOA's VP of marketing, Scott A. Steinberg.
"This is only the beginning though, as you can expect to see more announcements regarding other legendary titles from Sega's catalog coming to the Wii Shop Channel in the coming months."
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November 1st, 2006, 17:54 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo is looking to expand its market reach by launching its videogame business in Russia this year, according to a report on business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun.
Following in the footsteps of rival format-holders Microsoft and Sony, Nintendo hopes to establish a presence in the growing market as traditional US, Japanese and European regions begin to mature.
Considered a growing market, the inaugural Game Developers Conference Russia was held in St Petersburgh last month, attracting local development and publishing teams, as well as international attendees including Q Entertainment, Valve and Eidos.
Along with other areas such as the Nordic regions in Europe, publishers and developers are increasingly looking to new markets to expand their businesses, with Russia becoming the latest region to benefit from international attention.
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November 1st, 2006, 17:58 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo has announced that 27 Wii games will be released in Europe by the end of the year, with a further 31 retro titles available via the Virtual Console service.
The Wii will launch here on December 8 alongside first-party titles such as Wii Sports, which comes bundled with the console, Wii Play and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Electronic Arts's launch day games will be Madden NFL 07 and Need for Speed Carbon, while THQ is promising Cars, Barnyard and Spongebob Squarepants: Creature from the Krusty Krab.
From Activision there's Call of Duty 3, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, and Midway will offer Happy Feet and Rampage: Total Destruction. Sega will release just one launch day title - Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz - while from System 3 there's Gottlieb Pinball Classics and Super Fruit Fall.
Ubisoft is the most prolific supporter of the Wii at launch, with no less than eight titles slated for release - Blazing Angels, Far Cry Vengeance, GT Pro Series, Monster 4x4 World Circuit, Open Season, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Red Steel and Splinter Cell: Double Agent.
Later on in December, System 3 will release three more Wii titles - Impossible Mission, Leaderboard Golf and Tennis Masters. January will see WarioWare: Smooth Moves hit the shops, while Excite Truck will follow in February.
The Wii will retail for GBP 179 / EUR 249, and first-party games will cost between EUR 49 - 59 or GBP 34 - 39.
Nintendo has also confirmed that December will see the release of 31 games for the European version of the Wii's Virtual Console. NES titles already lined up include Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr., Mario Bros., Solomon's Key, The Legend of Zelda, Urban Champion and Wario's Woods, plus sports titles Baseball, Pinball, Soccer, Tennis and Ice Hockey.
SNES classics Donkey Kong Country, F-Zero and Sim City will also be on offer, along with N64 favourite Super Mario 64.
Sega's European VC line-up includes Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Columns and Gunstar Heroes, plus Ecco the Dolphin, Space Harrier II, Toe Jam and Earl, Ristar and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine.
Hudson is planning to release five Turbografx titles - Bonk's Adventure, Super Star Soldier, Victory Run, Bomberman '93 and Dungeon Explorer.
NES games will retail for 500 Wii Points (around EUR 5), while Turbografx titles will cost 600 points. SNES and Mega Drive games are priced at 800 points, and N64 titles are the most expensive at 1000 points.
The Virtual Console games are saved on the Wii's internal flash memory and added to the Channel menu so users can get easy access. Nintendo has pledged to add more titles to the catalogue in 2007 "and beyond, creating a constantly growing library of games".
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November 1st, 2006, 23:46 Posted By: wraggster
There's a bit of envy in the office this morning, as Nintendo of Japan revealed its Wii Virtual Console release list and pricing details - and Japanese gamers seem to be getting a much better deal than us.
For a start, Sega's Virtual Console titles will be retailing for 200 Wii Points (about 0.90 GBP) less than in this side of then world, at a much more attractive 600 points a piece (about 2.70 GBP).
More importantly though are the 19 (!) additional titles that will be launching in Japan before the end of the year, including Zelda: Link to the Past, Donkey Kong County and Street Fighter II. In fact, Japan currently has nine extra SNES games planned over us poor Europeans.
The full list of games planned for Japan this year is as follows (better get the tissues):
NES Games (500 Wii Points)
Legend of Kage
Gradius
Go-moku Narabe
Xevious
Ninja Jajamaru-kun
SNES Games (800 Wii Points)
R-Type III
Super Castlevania IV
Contra III
Street Fighter II
Donkey Kong Country
Super Mario World
Zelda: Link to the Past
Fire Emblem
Super Mario Picross
Mega Drive Games (600 Wii Points)
Shadow Dancer
TurboGrafx 16 Games (600 Wii Points)
Necromancer
New Adventure Island
Battle Lode Runner
Bomberman '94
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November 1st, 2006, 23:47 Posted By: wraggster
Via CVG
New gameplay footage shows four Wii newbies try Zelda for the first time
Four new videos have been posted on Wii.com that show Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess being played on Wii.
These are the latest of a number of videos to appear on the site which, apparently, show people's reactions during their first encounter with the Wii and its motion-sensing awesomeness.
The other videos were boring. But, in these ones, the camera swings round behind the player to show the TV screen, and you can see Link battling in what looks like Hyrule Field. You can hear the music and everything!
Get over to Wii.com NOW, or just click here to go straight to the videos.
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November 1st, 2006, 23:59 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime wants to share some good news and some bad news. The good news is that by the end of the year Nintendo expects to ship 4 million consoles. The bad news is, they still expect to sell out. From the article: "Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime hyped up the console launch, saying, 'Because of demand, we're urging shoppers not to get complacent. The level of demand we're seeing goes beyond the ordinary. Retailers are telling us a significant fraction of customers pre-ordering Wii are nontraditional gamers...' The company expects to ship 6 million Wii units globally by the end of March 2007, on par with Sony's worldwide shipment targets for PS3. Microsoft has sold 6 million Xbox 360 units to date since its launch in late November 2005, and hopes to sell 10 million by the end of the calendar year." So, fewer units than the analysts wanted. Still an impressive number.
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November 2nd, 2006, 00:11 Posted By: wraggster
And we thought Zelda: Twilight Princess was a tease - Super Smash Bros Brawl is still cruelly without a definite date for its arrival next year and developer and publisher Nintendo is still being as tight-lipped about its super smashing game as ever.
This pair of new screens doesn't really make the wait any easier: Link, Pikachu, Mario and, er, that bloke from Kid Icarus together at last! It's the kind of image that will haunt us until we finally get a hands-on with the title.
With its creator promising no gesture craziness that doesn't add to the fun - so you won't be swapping hammering buttons for furiously waggling Wii-motes - we're interested to see exactly how SSBB will make use of Wii.
Screens Here
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November 2nd, 2006, 00:13 Posted By: wraggster
While praising Wii's prospects as an industry disrupter, DFC Intelligence says Nintendo shouldn't hinge Wii's chances of success solely on its controller. Really? You mean to tell us that games will determine its success? Analyst David Cole also counsels the console to follow in the footsteps of its popular portable brother, the DS, that merely supplements gameplay with touch controls. Nintendo, we hope you're taking notes!
From the article: "So much emphasis has been put on the new control system that it often seems the controller is the platform. From DFC Intelligence's perspective it would probably not be a good thing for Nintendo if the Wii is defined mainly by its controller. The risk is that consumers have fun with the Wii controller for a few months, but the fad passes and they move back to their tried-and-true gameplay methods on a competing system."
In all seriousness, the report rightfully views the system as an "evolution" in console gaming rather than the promoted "revolution," because the latter implies a totally broken system that current industry growth contradicts. But to restate what Nintendo has said all along as its goal (heighten fun in games patterned after the DS)? That's like stealing your watch and telling you the time. So how about analyzing the more difficult execution process?
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November 2nd, 2006, 00:14 Posted By: wraggster
Now that we have the Virtual Console launch lists for the US, Europe, and Japan, it's time to compare and contrast how each region fared. To no one's surprise, Japan has every single game being released in the other regions and more, with the exception of Bomberman '93 (Japan owners get the "vastly disparate" 1994 edition).
Take note of the publishers found in the US and European regions: with the exception of Tecmo's Solomon's Keys for the NES, all games are first-party titles from Hudson, Nintendo, or Sega. International licensing troubles, perhaps?
Looking at the first-party titles, US and Europe are missing out on quite a few high-profile games: Super Mario Bros (NES), Super Mario World and Zelda: Link to the Past (SNES). In fact, the only Mario title coming to US / Europe at launch (Donkey Kong notwithstanding) is Mario Bros., otherwise known as that multiplayer minigame included in all the GBA Mario remakes.
We understand Nintendo giving the much-less-popular Fire Emblem to Japan only, but why delay Nintendo's flagship titles of the past? Does Nintendo think it's going to prove something by launching the Wii outside of Japan with as little of Mario's presence possible?
One more note: UK-based Rare's Donkey Kong Country is coming to Japan and Europe but is conspicuously absent from the US roster. With Microsoft being a US-based company and the new owners of Rare, the conspiracy theorist in us thinks there might be some funny going on. We've sent off a few questions to Nintendo and Rare and will let you know what we find out.
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November 2nd, 2006, 00:29 Posted By: wraggster
New DS Game release at Play Asia:
Konami is bringing the Winning Eleven series to the Nintendo DS™. Celebrated for its smooth, realistic gameplay, online play via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and detailed game modes, the Winning Eleven series has consistently been a favorite of soccer fans around the globe.
Price: US$ 39.90 (~21.19 GBP)
More Info --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1i4s.html
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November 2nd, 2006, 01:10 Posted By: wraggster
Cash-flush gamers who got up early this morning and perused the Wal-Mart Web site got lucky. For several hours today, the megaretailer's online store offered a so-called "Nintendo Wii Customer Choice's Bundle" which offered the next-gen console packed in with series of accoutrements for $533.56.
Normally, the basic Wii package costs $249.99. It includes the Wii console, "Wiimote controller," a Nunchuk attachment, Wiimote wrist strap, power cord, standard A/V cable, sensor bar, two AA batteries, and stands for the console and sensor bar.
The Nintendo Wii Customer Choice's Bundle comes with the aforementioned package plus 2,000 Will points--the non-cash equivalent of $20. It also comes with the choice of four games from the list below:
Ant Bully
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Barnyard
Call of Duty 3
Cars
Chicken Little: Ace in Action
Elebits
Excite Truck
Far Cry Vengeance
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Madden NFL 07
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Need for Speed Carbon
Open Season
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Red Steel
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Though Wii games have not been officially priced, most retailers list both first and third-party titles for the console as being $49.99 each. By that calculus, four games (4 x $49.99 = $199.96), a console package ($249.99), and 2,000 Wii points ($20) should come to $469.95 before sales tax. Throw in the extra Wiimote ($39.82 at Wal-Mart) and Nunchuck ($19.82 at Wal-Mart), and that means Wal-Mart is charging a not-so-mighty premium of $3.97 on each Nintendo Wii Customer Choice's Bundle. The mark-up didn't stop consumers from scooping up the offer, though--by early afternoon, the bundle was sold out.
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November 2nd, 2006, 01:14 Posted By: wraggster
Business Week examines the Wii as compared to Sony's PS3 from a non-gamer perspective. Though somewhat redundant, the piece offers good insight as to how the Wiimote came to fruition (once a cell phone?), favorable analyst predictions (Wii to initially outsell the PS3), and the amount of stealth used to mask Nintendo's motion-sensing mojo:
"Development of the Wii took place behind an absolute shroud of secrecy. When Sega finally got a sneak preview in early 2005, it immediately offered Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Monkey Ball for the Wii's launch [Note: Sega strongly supported the 'Cube] ... France's Ubisoft and a half-dozen other studios excitedly signed on, too. All were required to take extreme measures to prevent leaks."
The article goes on to say that Ubisoft even built new office walls to stay mum. Well that helps explain the extreme hush-hushness of the project. And the business mag concludes that despite Wii's chances, hard-core gamers will likely prefer a 360 or PS3. "But for the industry, Nintendo's machine could be a real game changer."
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November 2nd, 2006, 01:38 Posted By: wraggster
Via Spong
Here’s a statement we love to make every few years: if you are deeply committed to virtual handheld gardening and farming then rejoice today! Word just in from Nintendo is that the wonderful Harvest Moon DS launches across Europe in the first months of 2007.
While SPOnG awaits the first screens on the game, you can check out these screens from Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life from the GameCube version a couple of years ago.
Much like its GC father, Harvest Moon DS invites players to do as much or as little as they like to pass the time. Nintendo informs us that, “As well as working in fields and tending to their flocks, players can cultivate their own seed variants, hunt for hidden treasure or even fish in the river…The aim of Harvest Moon DS is to run a successful farm in Forget-Me-Not-Valley. To do this, players must plant seeds and harvest crops in the right season, as well as looking after animals like cows, chicken and sheep.”
Players get to interact with the animals in the game, petting and caring for them with the DS’s stylus: happier animals equal better quality milk, eggs and wool.
Darker forces are also at work, as the launch release continues, “The Witch Princess, upset by the Harvest Goddess, has used her magic to transport the Goddess and the Harvest Sprites to another world, where they have become trapped. The player must therefore work hard on the farm in order to release them. As the Sprites are freed, they can help on the player’s farm, watering crops and tending to the animals.”
The social aspect of the game is also an important feature. Players can build-up relationships with 25 characters in their town by chatting to them and giving presents. You can also marry one of the lusty local farm girls and raise a family, with the DS’s second screen allowing you to view sections of the town in real time, meaning you can keep track of the ‘girl of your dreams’, while working in the fields.
Let’s see what Jack Thompson and Keith Vaz have to say about this then shall we?
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November 2nd, 2006, 01:49 Posted By: wraggster
New at Success HK
What starts in the city is settled in the canyons as Need for Speed Carbon immerses you into the world's most dangerous and adrenaline-filled form of street racing. You and your crew must race in an all-out war for the city, risking everything to take over your rivals' neighborhoods one block at a time. As the police turn up the heat, the battle ultimately shifts to Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every perilous curve. Need for Speed Carbon delivers the next generation of customization giving you the power to design and tweak your crew's cars in every way using the ground-breaking new Autosculpt technology. Represent your car class, your crew, and your turf in Need for Speed Carbon, the next revolution in racing games.
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November 2nd, 2006, 01:53 Posted By: wraggster
New at Success HK
For the first time ever, players can create pets for their Sims to love, train, play with and take to the park. Create-a-Pet allows players to mix, match and create the perfect dog or cat for their Sim. Labradoodle? Shnoodle? Puggle? Choose breeds and customize your pets. Put your pets to work in a variety of different careers including Show Business, Security and Service. Hang out in Central Park, the community center where you can interact with other Sims while shopping for various pets accessories. Play "doc" as your run the town Pet Care Center! Gain status based on your Sims pet care skills, from performing examinations to healing, playing and training.
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November 2nd, 2006, 02:00 Posted By: wraggster
New at Success HK
More Description of GameBoy Advance / Micro Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City
Portable Video Game
* For Game Boy Advance
* The city is yours for the taking with Need for Speed Carbon.
* Race in a city filled with alternate driving paths, diverse racing modes, and hidden secrets.
* Build your crew and load a custom soundtrack
* Game Genre: Racing ;Game Sub-Genre: Auto Racing
* Published by Electronic Arts
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November 2nd, 2006, 02:05 Posted By: wraggster
Datels Homebrew Comp has been extended, heres whats the info:
Due to the excellent response to our NDS home brew competition, and the high standard of entries, we've decided to extend the deadline beyond the end of October. There's still time to get your entries in, but hurry - the competition must end soon...
More info
To celebrate the success of MAX Media Dock for the Nintendo DS, Datel is looking for the best home brew games around to offer as downloads or to possibly be bundled with future products. They don’t have to be new games – if you’ve already released a game onto the home brew scene, feel free to submit it for the competition. We’re not after exclusive publication rights either. If your game’s one of the lucky winners, you can still distribute it on the net and issue updated releases. In fact, if you’ve already written a game, entering the competition will be no effort at all!
But what’s in it for you? Easy – we’re giving away up to 50 bundles of Datel DS goodies, worth £100 each! And if that’s not enough, your game will also get a much increased distribution, with Datel’s seal of approval bringing it to the attention of professional DS coding teams who might – just might – be looking for new recruits.
To enter, just send a copy of your game with a few simple instructions to homebrewcompetition@datel.co.uk. If you’re one of the winners, we’ll get back to you after this date.
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November 2nd, 2006, 02:34 Posted By: wraggster
Infantile Paralyser have released a new version of the Image Viewer for the DS, heres whats new:
The bug that stopped while retrieving the folder was corrected.
A vertical mode and a horizontal mode can be chosen. (Added function icon)
In a single mode of the slide show, the right and left can be chosen.
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November 2nd, 2006, 02:36 Posted By: wraggster
Via DSfanboy
During the great catastrophe that occured in Illusia, many lost their life. The Mana Tree, a staple of the Mana series, has now become corrupt with its own power, causing countless monsters to roam the lands. Mana pillars have also erected across Illusia, tasking the player with raising the Sword of Mana and freeing the trapped Guardian Spirit within. This is the only way the Mana Tree and Illusia can return to peaceful state it enjoyed before the catastrophe.
IGN - 80%: "Hardcore gamers expecting to get a sequel to the popular Secret of Mana series from the days of the Super Nintendo are going to be let down purely based on the dungeon crawler design of the game. For fans of games like Blizzard's Diablo, or repeat gamers that enjoyed Sword of Mana despite its harsh criticism and apparent downsides, Children of Mana is a keeper. The action is solid, the amount of character customization is definitely robust, the amount of side quests and bonus missions to partake in will ensure players that the adventure isn't over too quickly, and the game is simply beautiful on an audio/visual level. As far as hack-n-slash RPGs go, Children of Mana is one of the best we've seen on a handheld, and for dungeon crawler addicts Square Enix has definitely hit the spot."
Gamepro - 80%: "Ultimately, Children of Mana is wonderfully rendered, but when compared to Secret of Mana's engaging narrative, Children of Mana's sparse and slow story falls short. The game is still fun, especially if you enjoy dungeon-crawling and strategically nuanced battles. Fans of the Mana series should check it out, but don't hold your expectations too high."
Games Radar - 60%: "It's a shame that combat in Children of Mana is so mindless. The ingredients are there to make this a really excellent action RPG. Unfortunately, it wasn't cooked for long enough and you're left with an action RPG with great RPG elements and trite action. There are lots of things this game does right, but ultimately it fails to live up to its potential."
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November 2nd, 2006, 02:37 Posted By: wraggster
Via DSFanboy
The official minisite for Yoshi's Island DS is up, and it is so very clickable! Make sure you slide your mouse pointer around, as there's music hidden in one of the flowers. Under "see more" by the DS, there's a very simple introduction to the game and the characters that's quite charming.
The bad news: the site content, while cute, is pretty thin for now, but they promise more is coming, so keep an eye out. The game hits stores November 13.
More Info
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November 2nd, 2006, 02:42 Posted By: wraggster
ttursas has again updated his homebrew game for the DS, heres whats new:
Ok, just released v0.1.1. Here's what's new:
* Made the planes faster, and easier to kill.
* The gravity works a bit differently now.
* Adjusted the way the plane moves.
* Made the sounds louder (master volume was at 50%).
* Made the camera move faster.
* When not accelerating, the plane slows down slower.
* When accelerating the frequency of the plane's motor becomes higher.
* Fixed a stupid bug in the RLE decompressor.
* All explosions that created holes in the background create now bigger holes.
* Added title screen.
* When the level is changed, bullets and planes are now reset.
* Added kill statistics.
* It's not possible to start a network match with just one logged player.
* Changing the server's IP address after connecting to an AP should work now.
* The hardware divider unit is now more often used.
* Added support for single layer 1024x512 and 512x1024 pixel levels, plus added two test levels.
* Adjusted the default settings to be more useful.
* Optimized bullet drawing.
* Mines got new graphics.
* Added 25-Oct-2006 dswifilib UDP bugfixes.
* Added preliminary plane selection screen.
Also, what's not on the list, is this new feature called "Wifi malfunction".  Currently multiplayer mode doesn't work at my machine. The game crashes after connecting to the server / server PC.
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November 2nd, 2006, 02:48 Posted By: wraggster
Alekmaul has posted some WIP news of his Arcade emulator for the DS:
Heres the crappy google translation
In this day fériée, small a news on MarcaDS 
This new version includes/understands a certain number of innovations like:
This new version includes updates like:
* Graphical engine is way faster (but I have to reprogram all games ><, 14 of them are already available)
* Sound in lots of game
* You can get back to the main-menu to play another game using L&R
* High-Scores are now saved
* Compatible with the latest linkers
* When will this be available ? Soon
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November 2nd, 2006, 17:11 Posted By: wraggster
A confident Nintendo has reaffirmed its commitment to the launch of the Wii, reiterating its promise of four million units for retail before the end of the year, as it expects unprecedented demand from consumers.
Bolstered by pre-orders and retailer feedback, the company aims to pull out all the stops to supply demand in a retail environment it expects to dominate this side of Christmas.
"Wii is for both experienced and uninitiated gamers, and it will be available for the masses," said Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime.
"Because of demand, we're urging shoppers not to get complacent. The level of demand we're seeing goes beyond the ordinary."
"Retailers are telling us a significant fraction of customers pre-ordering Wii are non-traditional gamers - people looking for a better way to play. And that's exactly what Wii is designed to provide," he added.
Clearly confident of its manufacturing capabilities and supply chain, the format-holder has promised to fill retail shelves with product with a launch strategy that can be deemed more efficient that its competitors.
Last year Microsoft struggled to supply retailers with enough units of the Xbox 360 leading to a shortage of hardware well into the new year.
And Sony's launch of the PlayStation 3 later this month has been hampered by poor manufacturing capabilities, with shipment targets missed and a delay to the release of the console in Europe.
Wii is due to launch on November 19th in the US, December 2nd in Japan and across Europe on December 8th.
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November 2nd, 2006, 17:19 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo is going crazy with the Twilight Princess videos. Yesterday it put four gameplay videos of Link fighting in a field on the official Wii website.
Now there are two new direct-feed videos on the same page, revealing the game's full title-screen sequence - which is strangely reminiscent of Ocarina of Time's intro sequence in places - and a huge trailer showing Wolf Link and many of his new powers.
Get yourself over to Wii.com right now and watch those damn videos. Then start counting down the seconds to its December 8 release.
http://uk.wii.com/software/01/
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November 2nd, 2006, 17:20 Posted By: wraggster
Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux has revealed how he would have loved to have developed for Nintendo's Wii. "[It is] something I would've loved to have got my teeth into," he said in an interview with CVG, part one of which is hitting these pages imminently.
When asked if under different circumstances he'd like to develop for Nintendo's console, Molyneux said: "I'd love to play around with it. You know, it's a pure design challenge and the biggest change you can make in a designer's life is changing the controller".
"Not thinking about 'oh we're not going to put this on the X button and that on the A button' but having to do a complete re-think is quite an exciting challenge and something I would've loved to have got my teeth into, yes."
Lionhead was recently bought out by Microsoft and is now developing Fable 2 for Xbox 360 and another undisclosed title that Molyneux also mentions in our interview.
You can checkout the first part right now, and look out for the second sometime tomorrow.
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November 2nd, 2006, 17:22 Posted By: wraggster
Star Fox Command, the latest in the long-running series of space shooters, will land in UK stores on DS on January 26.
Star Fox Command does away with the usual linear Star Fox-style shooting levels and replaces them with free-roaming action stages split up by a new strategy element.
Using the touchscreen, players draw paths on an overhead map screen for their Arwings (airships) to fly. Full 3D battles initiate when an Arwing comes into contact with an enemy unit or base, at which point you jump into the cockpit and fight to destroy the enemy.
Star Fox Command is one of many great titles due for release soon after Christmas, so make sure you save any money you get from Santa.
Screens Here
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November 2nd, 2006, 17:28 Posted By: wraggster
Mere weeks after World of Warcraft was made the subject of an entire episode of South Park, the outrageous cartoon returns to videogames again - this time featuring the Wii.
In the hilarious episode, Cartman is going berserk in anticipation of the Wii's US launch and, is the first scene, is pacing back and forth outside a Wii poster-covered games store.
Later in school, as Mr. Garrison teaches his rather explicit version of natural evolution, Cartman sits wide-eyed and shaking in sheer eagerness for the new Nintendo console, as he asks: "How long until Nintendo Wii comes out, now?" Then shouting "OH GOD" when Carl tells him it's still three weeks away. "How about now" he immediately asks.
His solution? To go into a state of suspended animation by freezing himself "like in the space movies". It's hilarious.
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November 2nd, 2006, 17:29 Posted By: wraggster
Codemasters will publish Rafa Nadal Tennis, a new tennis game on DS which will feature an interesting new touchscreen control system.
Players will use the stylus to move their athlete around the court, and swing for the ball by making swiping motions across the screen, with lobs, drop shots, power shots and other plays all performed this way.
This will apparently give you "unprecedented" levels of control over the angle and power of your shots. You will also be able to improve your player's attributes by winning tournaments to earn credits, which you spend in gaining higher skill levels. And it's got a four-player multiplayer option that will work with one cart, which is always nice.
We can't imagine exactly how the control system will perform, but it certainly sounds intriguing. We've not got long to wait, though - it's due out in December. Check out the first screens.
Screens Here
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November 2nd, 2006, 17:35 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo's moved quickly to reaffirm that Wii will output in 480p, after Official Nintendo Magazine suggested it would offer higher resolutions.
According to reports, the official mag wrote: "At the time of going to print, Wii games will output in 720i and 720p - 720i is your standard TV picture."
But it turns out this was a simple mistake, with Nintendo UK confirming this morning: "Wii will output in 480p".
Nintendo UK also recently said that it had every invention of releasing peripherals like the component cable - used to achieve the 480p resolution - at retail, despite suggestions that you'd have to buy the cables through online shops in the US.
The interest in Wii's high-resolution options is of course spurred on by Microsoft and Sony's battling over the higher end. Both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 generally offer games in 720p, with 1080p now possible for developers who want to go the extra mile (well, the extra 1,152,000 pixels, anyway).
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November 2nd, 2006, 17:45 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo this morning unveiled dual Wii launch parties for Los Angeles and New York City.
The new York event will take place at the Toys R Us in Times Square, while the LA event will happen at the GameStop in Universal CityWalk. Both midnight events will feature live music and entertainment, games, "special guests from Nintendo" and a countdown to the sale of the first Wii.
"Who'll be the first person to line up?" asks George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Will it be a Zelda fan in New York or a soccer mom in Los Angeles? We're going to make sure these events help everyone feed off one another's energy and enthusiasm."
"Toys "R" Us Times Square will be the first store in the United States where customers can both experience, and purchase Wii, Nintendo's new revolution in gaming," says Ron Boire, President, Toys "R" Us, U.S. "As a family oriented store, we are thrilled with the potential of the Wii system to bring parents and kids closer together. There is no better place to launch this truly innovative gaming console than The World's Greatest Toy Store."
"Just like our retail outlets, Wii has something for every kind of gamer," says Steve Morgan, President, GameStop Corp. "As the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, we're ready to kick off the celebration at midnight on Nov. 19th, and help show the world a new way to play."
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November 2nd, 2006, 18:04 Posted By: wraggster
Over in New York at the official Nintendo World Store they have some rather special and well a tad nasty looking DS Phats that will set you back $499
Screen Via Comments
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November 2nd, 2006, 18:12 Posted By: wraggster
Via BBC & Rebecca Morelle :
When I told my brother I was heading to Slough - he was rather jealous.
Not because he had a great desire to see the Brunel bus station, but because I was getting a preview of the Nintendo Wii.
"Why are they sending you - you don't 'do' videogames," he - a dedicated gamer - said over the phone.
"Ah young Daniel," I replied, "that's exactly the point."
The Wii, due out in Europe on 8 December, is being promoted as something any member of the family can pick up - a console that "will introduce new people to the world of videogames".
So, armed with virtually zero gaming knowledge, I headed to Nintendo's offices to see if the Wii could win over a videogame-phobe.
Good-looking
I was led into a special gaming room and set in front of a small box, a screen and given a remote that was hooked around my wrist.
Despite its silly name, the Wii looked good - the console was white and sleek, and, if I was judging purely on appearance, I wouldn't be averse to one sitting in my living room.
But the characters lurching around on the screen looked decidedly peculiar. The game, I was told by Nintendo's Amerie Bagnariol, my patient host, was WarioWare: Smooth Moves and would be a good introduction to the Wii handset.
Instead of pressing buttons or moving a joystick to direct what was going on onscreen, the Wii remote is controlled by physical movement - you can jab it, wave it, wiggle it or twist it about in the air.
Hula humiliation
So move about I did. The completely bizarre game, big in Japan according to Amerie, entailed carrying out mini-tasks, such as high-fiving a puppy, shredding some paper, bursting a balloon, all for reasons I couldn't quite fathom.
And as I stood in the room, holding the remote and desperately hula-hooping, I couldn't help thinking this was more like ritual humiliation than something supposed to be fun.
But still, even if I did look like an idiot, I was getting the hang of the remote - it was a bit weird to handle at first but straightforward enough.
One of the games involved hula-hooping
Wii Sports, which is free with the console, came next. Here, I had a go at tennis, 10-pin bowling and golf, miming the swoop of a tennis racket, hurl of a bowling ball and swipe of a club with the remote.
I was doing badly - more down to a lack of sporting ability than because they were hard to play - so I thought I would release my aggression with a spot of boxing.
For this, an additional control, called a "nunchuk", was attached to my left hand, allowing me to jab, hook, block and dodge, until my opponent gave me a hefty clunk to the head and my character fell to the floor.
So much for gaming being a sedentary activity - all of the jumping about was rather tiring.
Doctors and nurses
I also tried my hand at carrying out an operation in Trauma Centre, and gripped the remote like a steering wheel for another title called Excite Truck.
So far, so OK - but I still wasn't convinced gaming was for me.
And then I met Link, in the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
The launch date for the Wii in Europe is 8 December
Maybe it was the cute outfit he was wearing, or perhaps it was the fun of using the remote to swipe a sword or ping an arrow, or the fact that there was some kind of narrative to what was going on that made my videogame scepticism lift.
It was definitely the game that required the most skill - using the controller to direct an arrow into an enemy's head needed excellent hand-eye coordination - but, despite this, it was probably one that I'd invest the most time trying to get the hang of.
Converted?
So, has the Wii converted me to the word of gaming?
I'm not sure I am completely won over. Playing the games was fun, and I would like to have another go on Zelda, but I'm not sure I would spend £179 for a console of my own.
However, if my brother were to become a Wii-owner, the next time he suggested a game, rather than turning my nose up, I might just be tempted to pick up the remote...
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November 2nd, 2006, 18:30 Posted By: wraggster
New from SuccessHK
Battle a powerful dragon as you live the adventure of Disney's new cartoon hero! In American Dragon: Jake Long, Attack of the Dark Dragon you'll become the American Dragon from the hit Disney cartoon. Jake Long, an ordinary thirteen-year-old Chinese American boy living in New York City, but Jake also has a secret: He's the American Dragon. Jake is a descendant of a long line of drag
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November 2nd, 2006, 18:50 Posted By: wraggster
News from Lazyone:
It’s getting closer to the next release now that the statusbar has been finished and music is being worked on.
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November 2nd, 2006, 18:54 Posted By: wraggster
Onigiri posted this update:
For those who are wondering what the status is of the port, I'll quickly explain. Angband NDS is currently in the third round of closed play testing. I had intended to have a 4th round of closed testing before a public release.
However, I've been increasingly busy so I might do a public release within the next week or two.
Basically, the port seems to be very playable with no major gameplay issues (my highest level character was a level 19 human paladin). On a cart with SRAM, saving, loading, high scores all seem to work. The bottom screen will remain unused for the initial public release. I am working on ideas for uses of the bottom screen for later releases. For now, I am concentrating on completing GBA MP support (only saving and loading currently works) and removing the final few gameplay glitches.
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November 2nd, 2006, 19:05 Posted By: wraggster
Via IGN
Just a few weeks ago Ubisoft revealed that the company had been working on a Star Wars game tailored for both the PlayStation Portable as well as the Nintendo DS. In that announcement, the company only had screens and details ready to go on the PSP rendition, leaving DS owners in the dark on what their version's going to end up becoming. Today, Ubisoft let us in on what's happening with the dual-screen portable version of Star Wars: Deadly Alliance shipping this December.
The game's in development at Ubisoft Morocco, the development team that worked on the Nintendo DS version of Peter Jackson's King Kong last year. In Star Wars: Deadly Alliance, players are thrust into an era between Star Wars Episode III and Episode IV, just before Princess Leia secured the plans for the Death Star. You're actually put into the role of Rianna Saren put to the task of securing those plans for the Princess and the Alliance.
The game's all action, running on the Nintendo DS in full 3D. Players will run through many familiar areas of the Star Wars universe, including such locations as Mustafar and Tatooine, as well as new locations on Despayre, Danuta, and Alderaan. Duke it out with the all-star cast including Boba Fett and Darth Vader.
The Nintendo DS version will have special touch-screen mini-games between the action, as well as a four player wireless multiplayer option. The current, official boxart indicates that the game might go online, though don't be surprised if it's a feature that gets the axe before the game's release.
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November 2nd, 2006, 19:06 Posted By: wraggster
Via IGN
Anyway, while playing through the first two cases of the game, I realized that this is the old Capcom at work. The Capcom that would churn out sequel after sequel with little to nothing added. Nearly everything about Gyakuten Saiban 2 is the same compared to the first game. The graphics, the interface (for the most part), hell, even the packaging is nearly the same. Then again, that's exactly what I wanted. Save for the packaging, of course.
The latest remake for the DS is pretty much the same thing, as players assume the role of Phoenix Wright as he fights for truth and justice over the span of several cases, each containing several hours of play. The first case of the game is your simple introductory case, much like the first game had a tutorial case. Of course, it's done in a roundabout way; Phoenix is assaulted during a break and has to be held by the hand by everyone in court. Sure, it's totally corny and by god is it ever painful at times, but it gets the job in introducing newer players to how cases play out, but it would've been awesome if Capcom allowed those who had played the first game to skip it altogether. Fortunately things do get much better in the second and third cases.
A couple of new characters are introduced in the sequel. The first that you'll meet is Maya Fey's little cousin, Pearl, who will be vital in times of need, since she has the same channeling powers as her older cousin. The second new character is Franziska von Karma, who is the daughter of Manfred von Karma, the prosecutor during the Edgeworth trial in the first game. Due to her father's defeat, she's out to get revenge and desires to bury Phoenix Wright and tarnish his undefeated record while maintaining her own perfect score. New additions to the game actually make the investigating portion much more interesting. Psyche-locks are basically testimonies outside of the court, where Phoenix has to unlock whatever secrets a person may have. By using an item called the Magatama, he can see locks on topics that a person may not want to answer, so it's up to him to find evidence and clues to get what he wants. Your informants may have up to three or four Psyche-locks each, but it depends entirely on the secret they carry. Of course, if you make a mistake while grilling someone, you'll be penalized, which is why the "lifebar" has also been changed. In the first game, you had a set number of points but now you have an actual lifebar that depletes if you screw up. Of course, the worse you screw up, the larger penalty you'll receive. The lifebar is concurrent throughout the entire case, so if you have a really nasty fight in court, that will result in fewer chances while investigating. By unlocking Psyche-Locks, you can refill this meter, however. Finally, the last change is the ability to present profiles as evidence, which makes things a lot more interesting because you literally have double the amount of evidence to utilize, thus making cases more complex. The stories do get a little far-fetched, I admit, but if you're able to suspend your belief a little, they're quite entertaining.
Speaking of the cases, aside from the first one, they're a lot more difficult to figure out, and they actually require a level of intuition that wasn't present in the first title, even with the later cases. Starting with the second case, which is split up into five parts, the amount of twists and turns in the story is baffling, and it would've been boring as hell if the localization was trash. Thankfully, like the first title, the script has received a wonderful translation and contains a lot of humour and references that even some of the most hardcore might miss. The Zelda reference from the second case was especially awesome. The most disappointing thing about the port is the soundtrack, which isn't nearly as strong as it should be and at times it doesn't even fit the mood of the scene. During the tensest moments of a trial, the music should have a strong, dramatic tone to it, and overall the game fails to deliver.
Word on the street is that the U.S. version of the game is hitting stores sometime in January, so if you can stand the wait, do the right thing and support Capcom USA when the game is released in the US. Does it stand up to the original game? It certainly does, and the new features make things more entertaining. Just don't expect it to help you out with your law class anytime soon.
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November 2nd, 2006, 19:19 Posted By: wraggster
Imagine using the WiiMote as a Wand and by doing different movements to do different spells, could this be a killer idea for a Wii game.
Views on my thoughts ?
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November 3rd, 2006, 02:25 Posted By: wraggster
As part of its earnings announcement today, megapublisher Electronic Arts revealed the release window of two of its highest-profile games. Crysis, Crytek's hotly anticipated PC shooter, and Army of Two, the co-op actioner for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, will now both arrive after the end of EA's current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2007.
"We have made some adjustments to our SKU plan that will move a couple of titles into fiscal 2008, specifically Army of Two and Crisis," EA chief financial officer Warren Jenson told analysts during a postearnings conference call.
During the same call, Jenson also confirmed that several sequels to EA's most important franchises are in the works. "Yes, there's a Sims 3 in development and it's likely to be a fiscal '09 title," said Jenson, meaning the game would hit stores before April 2009. The executive also confirmed that the Sims franchises will also be coming to two next-generation platforms--the Wii and the PlayStation 3.
"There is a Sims title that is being specifically developed for the Wii platform," said Jenson. "The Sims II holiday edition on PS3" is also coming, said the executive, indicating the game will arrive either in the 2006 or 2007 holiday season.
Several other new titles were unveiled during the call. "There will be another Lord of the Rings [game]... There's a new SimCity game in the pipeline and the next-generation version of Black. Those things alone are all new, relative to fiscal '07," said Jenson. It was unclear whether Jenson meant the games would arrive before the end of EA's 2007 fiscal year, or were just new to the company's financial plan for the 12-month period.
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November 3rd, 2006, 02:27 Posted By: wraggster
Australians have known for a few months that a Wii console will set them back AU$399.95 ($309.72) when it comes out in the country on December 7, but other pricing details have so far been sketchy. Now, Nintendo has revealed exactly how much Aussie gamers will have to pay for a complete Wii fix.
Nintendo today confirmed Australian pricing for Wii accessories, Virtual Console games, and Wii points. While the AU$399.95 Wii console will come with one Remote and one Nunchuk controller, extra Remotes will set gamers back AU$69.95 ($54.18). Extra Nunchuks will cost AU$29.95 ($23.20), as will the Classic Controller. A Wii component video cable will go for AU$49.95 ($38.70).
As for Wii Points, the currency which will be used to purchase Virtual Console games for the Wii, Aussie gamers will have to pay AU$30 ($23.24) for 2,000 points (US gamers pay $20 for 2,000 Wii points). Virtual Console NES games will cost 500 Wii points, Super NES will go for 800, and N64 titles will be 1,000 points. Sega Mega Drive titles (known as Sega Genesis in the US) will cost 800 points. And while US gamers will have 30 Virtual Console titles to choose from in December, Australians will only have 26, consisting of 16 Nintendo games and 10 Sega titles.
Nintendo also revealed the pricing of its launch games. Twilight Princess will retail for $99.95 ($77.45), Wii Play will come bundled with a Wii Remote and retail for $79.95 ($61.95), and Wii Sports will be bundled as a pack-in with the Wii. In addition to its trio of first-party launch games, the company expects around 20 third-party titles to be available in Australia for the new console in December. The full list of confirmed games can be found below.
Nintendo
Wii Sports
Wii Play
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Ubisoft
Red Steel
Rayman: Raving Rabbids
Monster Truck 4x4: World Circuit
Open Season
GT Pro Series
Far Cry: Vengeance
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent
Activision
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
Call of Duty 3
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
THQ
Cars
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Barnyard
SpongeBob Squarepants: Creature From the Krusty Krab
EA
Madden NFL 07
Need for Speed Carbon
Virtual Console NES games
Baseball
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr.
Ice Hockey
Mario Bros
Pinball
Soccer
Solomon's Key
Tennis
The Legend of Zelda
Urban Champion
Wario's Woods
Virtual Console SNES games
Donkey Kong Country
F-Zero
SimCity
Virtual Console N64 game
Super Mario 64
Virtual Console Sega Mega Drive games
Sonic the Hedgehog
Altered Beast
Golden Axe
Columns
Gunstar Heroes
Ecco the Dolphin
Space Harrier II
Toe Jam & Earl
Ristar
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
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November 3rd, 2006, 02:34 Posted By: wraggster
Via Videogameblogger
In a total shocker of an announcement, Nintendo revealed they will be showing Mario Party 8 for Wii at the Nintendo World 2006 exhibit. Yes, I’m being sarcastic. Also shown will be some Virtual Console games, the Mii channel, and hopefully some new Wii channels as well.
But I’m glad Nintendo is finally doing a year-end Nintendo-only show again in Japan. I still have the exhibit booklet of Spaceworld 2001 where they first showed some levels of the GameCube’s Super Smash Bros DX (later called Melee). And guess what? Within the next 24 hours the first in-game level & character footage from Super Smash Bros Brawl will be shown in Nagoya, Japan! Rumor has it they might even show a new character. See the list of Wii games for show at the bottom.
I couldn’t make heads or tails out of the Nintendo DS exhibition list, but 1UP translated it and found they have revealed Picross DS, 100 Poems by 100 Poets: DS Shigureden, likely a software version of their art exhibit in Kyoto, and DS Bimoji Training, a Japanese calligraphy training tool. Also slipping onto this list is Bandai Namco’s Mojipittan DS, a fast-paced word puzzle game which has already seen success on the PlayStation 2, PSP and Game Boy Advance. See the list of DS games for show at the bottom.
Full list of Wii games for show:
1. Wii Sports (Nintendo)
2. Hajimete no Wii: Your First Step To Wii (Nintendo)
3. Odoru Made in Wario (Nintendo)
4. Zelda no Densetsu: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)
5. Pokemon Battle Revolution (Nintendo)
6. Excite Truck (Nintendo)
7. Wii Yawaraka Atama Juku (Nintendo)
8. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo)
9. Fire Emblem: Akatsuki no Megami (Nintendo)
10. Mario Strikers Charged (Nintendo)
11. Mario Party 8 (Nintendo)
12. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Nintendo)
13. Hajime no Ippo - The Fighting! Revolution (AQ Interactive)
14. Call of Duty 3 (Activision)
15. Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam (Activision)
16. Caduceus Z: 2-tsu no Chou Shittou [Trauma Center] (Atlus)
17. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (Activision)
18. GT Pro Series (MTO)
19. Need For Speed Carbon (EA) - Elebits (Konami)
20. Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors (Square Enix)
21. Necro-Nesia (Spike)
22. Bleach Wii: Hakujin Kirameku Rondo (Sega)
23. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Sega)
24. Sonic to Himitsu Ring (Sega)
25. Cooking Mama: Minna to Issho ni Oryouri Taikai! (Taito)
26. Densha de Go! Shinkansen: 06 Sanyou Shinkansen Hen (Taito)
27. Furu Furu Park (Taito)
28. Swing Golf Pangya (Tecmo)
29. Sudoku (Hudson)
30. Wing Island (Hudson)
31. Kororinpa (Hudson)
32. Bomberman Land Wii (Hudson)
33. Tsuri Master (Hudson)
34. SD Gundam: Scud Hammers (Bandai Namco)
35. Ennichi no Tatsujin (Bandai Namco)
36. Tamagotchi no Pika Pika Daito-ryo-! (Bandai Namco)
37. Dragon Ball Z Sparking! NEO (Bandai Namco)
38. One Piece Unlimited Adventure (Bandai Namco)
39. Crayon Shin-Chan: Saikyou Kazoku Kasukabe King Wii (Banpresto)
40. Bokujou Monogatari Wii (Marvelous)
41. The Dog Island (Yuke’s)
42. Monster 4X4: World Circuit (Ubisoft)
43. Rayman Rabbids Party (Ubisoft)
44. Red Steel (Ubisoft)
Full list of DS games for show:
1. Kirby: Calling On! Dorocche Gang [Squeak Squad] (Nintendo)
2. Common Sense Training for Adults (Nintendo)
3. Pokemon Diamond/Pearl (Pokemon/Nintendo)
4. Talking DS Cookbook! (Nintendo)
5. Tetris DS (Nintendo)
6. English Training (Nintendo)
7. More Brain Training (Nintendo)
8. Everybody’s Play Encyclopedia (Nintendo)
9. Big Brain Academy (Nintendo)
10. DS Rakubiki Jiten plus Kanji (Nintendo)
11. Adult Brain Training (Nintendo)
12. Nintendogs [Dalmatian and Friends] (Nintendo)
13. 100 Poems by 100 Famous Poets (Nintendo)
14. DS Prose Training [Calligraphy Training] (tentative name, Nintendo)
15. Wish Room: Angel’s Memory [Hotel Dusk] (Nintendo)
16. Phantom Wario: the Seven [Wario Land Thief?] (Nintendo)
17. 1000 Healthy Recipes DS Collection (Nintendo)
18. Jump Ultimate Stars (Nintendo)
19. Chibi-Robo! DS (tentative, Nintendo)
20. Picross DS (Nintendo)
21. Rhythm Tengoku (GBA, Nintendo)
22. Sekaiki no Meikyuu (Atlus)
23. SimCity DS (EA)
24. Phoenix Wright 4 (Capcom)
25. Meteor Rockman: Dragon/Pegasus/Leo (Capcom)
26. Atelier Lees: Ondore Alchemist (Gusto)
27. Castlevania: Gallery of the Labyrinth (Konami)
28. Powerful Pro Baseball Pocket (Konami)
29. Boktai: Django & Sabata (Konami)
30. DS Kageyama Method Computerized Repetition: Math (Shogakukan)
31. It’s a Wonderful World (Square Enix)
32. Chocobo and the Magical Picture Book (Square Enix)
33. Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker (Square Enix)
34. Gotouchi Kentei DS (Spike)
35. Bleach DS 2nd: Kokui Hirameku Requiem (Sega)
36. Fashionable Witches Love and Berry ~DS Collection~ (Sega)
37. Romance of the Three Kingdoms DS (Sega)
38. Mysterious Dungeon: Fuurai no Siren DS (Sega)
39. Naruto: Ninja Biographies (Takara/Tomy)
40. Puzzle Series Vol. 9: Sudoku 2 (Hudson)
41. Word Puzzle: Moji Pittan DS (Bandai-Namco)
42. Heisei Board of Education DS (Bandai-Namco)
43. Harvest Moon: Home Island (Marvelous)
44. Professor Layton and the Mysterious Village (Level 5)
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November 3rd, 2006, 02:34 Posted By: wraggster
Via Videogameblogger
In a total shocker of an announcement, Nintendo revealed they will be showing Mario Party 8 for Wii at the Nintendo World 2006 exhibit. Yes, I’m being sarcastic. Also shown will be some Virtual Console games, the Mii channel, and hopefully some new Wii channels as well.
But I’m glad Nintendo is finally doing a year-end Nintendo-only show again in Japan. I still have the exhibit booklet of Spaceworld 2001 where they first showed some levels of the GameCube’s Super Smash Bros DX (later called Melee). And guess what? Within the next 24 hours the first in-game level & character footage from Super Smash Bros Brawl will be shown in Nagoya, Japan! Rumor has it they might even show a new character. See the list of Wii games for show at the bottom.
I couldn’t make heads or tails out of the Nintendo DS exhibition list, but 1UP translated it and found they have revealed Picross DS, 100 Poems by 100 Poets: DS Shigureden, likely a software version of their art exhibit in Kyoto, and DS Bimoji Training, a Japanese calligraphy training tool. Also slipping onto this list is Bandai Namco’s Mojipittan DS, a fast-paced word puzzle game which has already seen success on the PlayStation 2, PSP and Game Boy Advance. See the list of DS games for show at the bottom.
Full list of Wii games for show:
1. Wii Sports (Nintendo)
2. Hajimete no Wii: Your First Step To Wii (Nintendo)
3. Odoru Made in Wario (Nintendo)
4. Zelda no Densetsu: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)
5. Pokemon Battle Revolution (Nintendo)
6. Excite Truck (Nintendo)
7. Wii Yawaraka Atama Juku (Nintendo)
8. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo)
9. Fire Emblem: Akatsuki no Megami (Nintendo)
10. Mario Strikers Charged (Nintendo)
11. Mario Party 8 (Nintendo)
12. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Nintendo)
13. Hajime no Ippo - The Fighting! Revolution (AQ Interactive)
14. Call of Duty 3 (Activision)
15. Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam (Activision)
16. Caduceus Z: 2-tsu no Chou Shittou [Trauma Center] (Atlus)
17. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (Activision)
18. GT Pro Series (MTO)
19. Need For Speed Carbon (EA) - Elebits (Konami)
20. Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors (Square Enix)
21. Necro-Nesia (Spike)
22. Bleach Wii: Hakujin Kirameku Rondo (Sega)
23. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Sega)
24. Sonic to Himitsu Ring (Sega)
25. Cooking Mama: Minna to Issho ni Oryouri Taikai! (Taito)
26. Densha de Go! Shinkansen: 06 Sanyou Shinkansen Hen (Taito)
27. Furu Furu Park (Taito)
28. Swing Golf Pangya (Tecmo)
29. Sudoku (Hudson)
30. Wing Island (Hudson)
31. Kororinpa (Hudson)
32. Bomberman Land Wii (Hudson)
33. Tsuri Master (Hudson)
34. SD Gundam: Scud Hammers (Bandai Namco)
35. Ennichi no Tatsujin (Bandai Namco)
36. Tamagotchi no Pika Pika Daito-ryo-! (Bandai Namco)
37. Dragon Ball Z Sparking! NEO (Bandai Namco)
38. One Piece Unlimited Adventure (Bandai Namco)
39. Crayon Shin-Chan: Saikyou Kazoku Kasukabe King Wii (Banpresto)
40. Bokujou Monogatari Wii (Marvelous)
41. The Dog Island (Yuke’s)
42. Monster 4X4: World Circuit (Ubisoft)
43. Rayman Rabbids Party (Ubisoft)
44. Red Steel (Ubisoft)
Full list of DS games for show:
1. Kirby: Calling On! Dorocche Gang [Squeak Squad] (Nintendo)
2. Common Sense Training for Adults (Nintendo)
3. Pokemon Diamond/Pearl (Pokemon/Nintendo)
4. Talking DS Cookbook! (Nintendo)
5. Tetris DS (Nintendo)
6. English Training (Nintendo)
7. More Brain Training (Nintendo)
8. Everybody’s Play Encyclopedia (Nintendo)
9. Big Brain Academy (Nintendo)
10. DS Rakubiki Jiten plus Kanji (Nintendo)
11. Adult Brain Training (Nintendo)
12. Nintendogs [Dalmatian and Friends] (Nintendo)
13. 100 Poems by 100 Famous Poets (Nintendo)
14. DS Prose Training [Calligraphy Training] (tentative name, Nintendo)
15. Wish Room: Angel’s Memory [Hotel Dusk] (Nintendo)
16. Phantom Wario: the Seven [Wario Land Thief?] (Nintendo)
17. 1000 Healthy Recipes DS Collection (Nintendo)
18. Jump Ultimate Stars (Nintendo)
19. Chibi-Robo! DS (tentative, Nintendo)
20. Picross DS (Nintendo)
21. Rhythm Tengoku (GBA, Nintendo)
22. Sekaiki no Meikyuu (Atlus)
23. SimCity DS (EA)
24. Phoenix Wright 4 (Capcom)
25. Meteor Rockman: Dragon/Pegasus/Leo (Capcom)
26. Atelier Lees: Ondore Alchemist (Gusto)
27. Castlevania: Gallery of the Labyrinth (Konami)
28. Powerful Pro Baseball Pocket (Konami)
29. Boktai: Django & Sabata (Konami)
30. DS Kageyama Method Computerized Repetition: Math (Shogakukan)
31. It’s a Wonderful World (Square Enix)
32. Chocobo and the Magical Picture Book (Square Enix)
33. Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker (Square Enix)
34. Gotouchi Kentei DS (Spike)
35. Bleach DS 2nd: Kokui Hirameku Requiem (Sega)
36. Fashionable Witches Love and Berry ~DS Collection~ (Sega)
37. Romance of the Three Kingdoms DS (Sega)
38. Mysterious Dungeon: Fuurai no Siren DS (Sega)
39. Naruto: Ninja Biographies (Takara/Tomy)
40. Puzzle Series Vol. 9: Sudoku 2 (Hudson)
41. Word Puzzle: Moji Pittan DS (Bandai-Namco)
42. Heisei Board of Education DS (Bandai-Namco)
43. Harvest Moon: Home Island (Marvelous)
44. Professor Layton and the Mysterious Village (Level 5)
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November 3rd, 2006, 02:44 Posted By: wraggster
Today Namco Bandai announced that the music puzzle game Gunpey DS has gone gold. In homage to the game's late, legendary creator Gunpei Yokoi, Q Entertainment has finished putting its updated spin on the title, a fast-paced puzzle game that flaunts sharp graphics and music-based gameplay. With a slew of playable characters, unlockable musical extras, multiplayer capabilities, and a plethora of original music, Gunpey is a portable puzzle game to watch this holiday season.
"While deceptively simple upon first glance, Gunpey offers hardcore gamers a true challenge and surprising depth as their skill level develops," said Naruo Uchida, VP of Localization at Namco Bandai. "Frenetic gameplay combines seamlessly with Q Entertainment's trademark visuals and music to create a truly unique, visceral puzzle gaming experience."
The game's original designer, Gunpei Yokoi, was on Nintendo's payroll for years and is the man behind the Game & Watch series, the Game Boy, and, unfortunately, the Virtual Boy. He also designed the WonderSwan handheld system, but was killed in a car crash before its release. Gunpey was his last game design.
Via IGN
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November 3rd, 2006, 07:34 Posted By: wraggster
New from Play Asia:
features
Gather evidence, talk to witnesses, and use items to further the investigation!
Four bizarre cases! Find a missing person, track down a stolen dream, and more!
Touch-screen, dual-screen puzzle-solving that takes full advantage of the Nintendo DS!
description
After her father unexpectedly passes away, Mackenzie inherits the family business: a renowned detective agency in a fantastic world of mystery and intrigue. With the aid of her investigative assistant Funghi and her faithful servant Cromwell, Mackenzie sets off to prove herself worthy of being called... the Touch Detective!
More Info -->http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1iwj.html
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November 3rd, 2006, 07:45 Posted By: wraggster
New from Play Asia:
Konductra challenges players to create and destroy lines with colored tiles to either earn points or attack an opponent. This unique, but elegant puzzle title offers four game modes, including Task, Score, VS. CPU, and VS. Human. In both versus modes, the objective is to beat the opponent by filling up the rival’s board as quickly as possible by destroying lines on the player’s own board and sending them to the opponent’s board. Gamers destroy lines by matching tiles and using the stylus to trace from like colored conductors running along the four edges of the screen.
The bottom touch screen is where the game is played. The top screen shows integral information about the game being played. The built-in tutorial, with speech, offers a helpful overview of game basics.
Price: US$ 39.90 (~21.12 GBP)
More Info --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1imc.html
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November 3rd, 2006, 07:47 Posted By: wraggster
New from Play Asia:
Scurge: Hive, features fast-paced action and survival in a massive single player adventure. Take control of Jenosa Arma, abandoned in a research facility that has been quarantined to suppress the spreading of an infection that could destroy all life. Collect power-ups to increase your strength and abilities as you overcome puzzles and obstacles and take on hoards of enemies intent on your destruction. There is nowhere to hide from the Scurge!
Explore a massive world consisting of over 350 levels ranging from indoor, outdoor, above and below ground settings. Engage over 50 enemies in fast paced real time combat.
Price: US$ 39.90 (~21.12 GBP)
More Info --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1f9p.html
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November 3rd, 2006, 16:52 Posted By: wraggster
A new trailer shown at the Nintendo World Tour in Japan has revealed that Fox McCloud, the lead character from the much loved Star Fox series, will appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, in development for Wii.
Fox isn't a new character to the Smash Bros. series, having already appeared in the N64 and GameCube editions, but his absence from the lengthy E3 trailer lead to suspicions that he might not be included.
The highly anticipated Nintendo all-star brawler is due for release in 2007. The latter half of the year, we're guessing.
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November 3rd, 2006, 16:53 Posted By: wraggster
Flicking through this mass of new Banana Blitz screenshots, you will see everything from tilt-platform levels in a variety of environments, various bosses to a wide selection of the 50 minigames in action.
It's all good stuff, and with all those great-looking mini games, Monkey Ball will hopefully provide four-player laughs long after the five games in Wii Sports get ultra boring. Monkey Ball fans will get their fix of ball-rolling action on December 8, alongside the launch of the Wii.
Massive amount of screens here
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November 3rd, 2006, 16:58 Posted By: wraggster
You could have spent the past two years glued to your PC monitor, reading every morsel of info ever written about the Wii but, as Nintendo is always keen to stress, this is one console that really has to be played.
That's why Nintendo will be showing off its new console at various venues around the UK in a tour that kicks off next Friday in Dublin. Check below for the full list of confirmed dates and locations, and be sure to get your nearest venue date in your diary.
Toys 4 Big Boys, Dublin - 10th-12th November
Good Food Show, London - 10th-12th November
Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent (A) - 16th-18th November
Buchanan Galleries, Glasgow - 16th-18th November
Bullring, Birmingham - 16th-18th November
Churchill Square, Brighton - 16th-18th November
Good Food Show, Birmingham NEC - 22nd-26th November
Lakeside, Essex - 23rd-25th November
UK Golf Show, Birmingham NEC - 24th-26th November
Meadowhall, Sheffield - 30th November-2nd December
Cribbs Causeway, Bristol - 30th November-2nd December
The Oracle, Reading - 30th November-2nd December
Clotheshow Live 2006, Birmingham NEC - 1st-6th December
Luton Airport (A) - 4th-10th December
Gatwick North (A) - 4th-10th December
Manchester Metropolitan University - 6th December
UCD, Dublin University - 6th December
Arndale Centre, Manchester - 7th-9th December
Mahon Point, Cork - 7th-10th December
Gatwick South (A) - 11th-17th December
Stansted Airport (A) - 11th-17th December
Centre MK, Milton Keynes (A) - 18th-24th December
Irn Bru Carnival, Glasgow SECC - 23rd December - 14th January
The Liberty, Romford - 2nd-7th January
White Rose, Leeds - 2nd-7th January
Castlecourt, Belfast - 2nd-7th January
Brent Cross Shopping Centre, London - 9th-14th January
The Gyle, Edinburgh - 9th-14th January
West Quay Centre, Southampton - 9th-14th January
Bristol University - 17th January
St David's Centre, Cardiff - 18th-21st January
Nottingham Trent University - 24th January
The Shires, Leicester - 25th-27th January
Sheffield Hallam University - 31st January
Glasgow University - 31st January
Trinity College Dublin - 31st January
Luton Airport (B) - 5th - 11th Feb
Gatwick South (B) - 5th-18th Feb
Xscape, Braehead - 17th-18th Feb
The Victoria Centre, Nottingham - 19th-25th Feb
Gatwick North (B) - 19th-25th Feb
Stansted Airport (B) - 19th Feb - 4th March
Xscape, Castleford Leeds - 24th-25th Feb
Centre MK, Milton Keynes (B) - 28th Feb - 3rd march
Braehead Shopping Centre, Glasgow - 5th-11th March
Crufts 2007, Birmingham NEC - 8th-11th March
Ideal Home Show, Earl's Court London - 9th March - 1st April
Quad Show, Birmingham NEC - 16th-18th March
Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent (B) - 16th-18th March
Vitality Show, London Olympia - 29th March - 1st April
Memorabilia Show, Birmingham NEC - 31st March - 1st April
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November 3rd, 2006, 17:11 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo of Europe marketing director Dawn Paine has told GamesIndustry.biz that the company is confident the Wii will be a sell-out success this Christmas.
Nintendo plans to launch its largest ever sampling campaign in the UK this month, with a two month tour set to run from November 10 until January 13.
The tour will visit more than 60 locations across the UK and Ireland, and Nintendo intends to give one million consumers the chance to try out the Wii by the time the console launches on December 8.
"To really understand how fantastic Wii is, you really need to get your hands on it and play it. It's that straightforward," Paine told GI.biz.
"It's such a departure from anything else. It's not just necessarily about the graphics - it is just much more about the gameplay and understanding how the interface works."
The tour will focus on key mainstream and family destinations, including shopping centres such as Bluewater, the Birmingham Bullring and Sheffield's Meadow Hall. Consumers will also be able to try out the Wii at events like the Good Food Show, the Ideal Home Exhibition and Glasgow's Irn Bru Carnival.
There are two ways consumers will be able to try out the Wii. Firstly, a series of modular sets have been created to look like fully furnished living rooms and bedrooms, into which people are free to walk and start playing. Nintendo will also supply a series of "busking units" which can easily be unloaded and moved around.
"From a sampling perspective, because the tour is going to be so broad, we're going to be in locations where we're engaging with different types of consumer," Paine explained, adding that retailers have so far been "thrilled" with what they've seen of Nintendo's marketing plans.
"If we're in a shopping mall where there are maybe ten different retailers, once people have played it and realised how great it is, then obviously it gives them an opportunity to pick up a sale on the day."
When asked if the Wii is likely to sell out this Christmas, Paine replied, "I'm absolutely sure it will," adding, "Pre-orders are looking very, very healthy."
The Wii will launch in the UK alongside more than 20 games - just three of which will be first party titles. But according to Paine, "Our point of view is not to get too parochial as to whether it's first or third party, because obviously we've got a plethora of third party games there as well. We believe we've got a really great line-up across both first and third party."
Nor is Nintendo concerned with competing against the Xbox 360 - the Wii's main rival for Christmas cash now that the European launch of PlayStation 3 has been delayed until March.
"We don't want to sound arrogant or complacent about this, but from our point of view, we're just such a different entity and experience from anything else in the marketplace that we don't really see anything else as competition," Paine said.
"Because our product has got such broad mainstream appeal, we're sure that we're going to sell through all of our Christmas stock. We know that retail are so enthused about Wii that we're pretty much going to be taking over retail at Christmas. We're just really confident that Wii's going to be the huge hit."
But what about next year, when Sony's new console is also on the shelves - is Wii likely to be the market leader come Christmas 2007?
"I believe so, yes," said Paine. "We're confident that Wii is going to take the UK market by storm, so when I get my crystal ball out, yes, that's what we would see happening next year."
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November 3rd, 2006, 17:17 Posted By: wraggster
It's not in 3D and you don't have to wave your arms around like an epileptic jellyfish just to shoot. And with two of our worst fears carefully sidestepped, we can show you these lovely new screens from Metal Slug Anthology on Wii.
That's right, those clever chaps at SNK have decided to include six different control systems for this package of classic Slugs so, while you can opt for the fully motion sensitive system, there is also a neat fusion of the modern and the retro that uses the Nunchuk for movement and only waves the wand to throw a grenade.
And while we can't wait to get our hands on this festival of 'The Slug', your eyes can at least dine out on the vast array of screens on the images tab culled from this much-loved shooter.
Screens Here
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November 3rd, 2006, 17:21 Posted By: wraggster
The kiosk hounds of NeoGAF snapped a handful of photos of the up and running Gamestop Wii display units, only to uncover a heretofore unknown (possible) option for Monster Games racer Excite Truck.
Appearing on the sound options menu, the SD Card option, seemingly inactive here, leads us to believe that the potential for reading MP3's from the memory card will at least be an option in one game.
Nintendo has made mention of MP3 playback previously, indicating that custom soundtracks would be available during Wii Photo Channel slideshows. This makes the muddin' hayseed within want to fire up some Mountain or Skynyrd... hell, any southern rock will do... and pick up Excite Truck at launch. Curse you and your attractive feature set, Excite Truck
More Info
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November 3rd, 2006, 17:22 Posted By: wraggster
The top slot on YouTube today was occupied by Link and crew in a new Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess trailer. It barely managed to pass the second place winner, which was the intro video from the same game. If you ask us, the intro video is a bit more spine tingling, especially with the "Press A + B" menu at the start screen, *drool*. This trailer has no sound effects, no lines, just a (somewhat cheesy) fanfare-tastic soundtrack and lots of video goodness from the game. Link's wolf transition looks a bit weak, but we're hoping it's just a trimmed down version in the vid.
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November 3rd, 2006, 17:39 Posted By: wraggster
New at SuccessHK
"Dragon up" in Disney s American Dragon: Jake Long, Rise of the Huntsclan! Help Jake stop the Huntsman and their allies from gathering items needed for a revival ritual that could empower them to destroy New York City in this fast-paced, action-adventure game! Encounter sub-human creatures at every turn on your quest to conquer the enemy and save the day.
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November 4th, 2006, 01:27 Posted By: wraggster
Via CVG:
The launch of the Wii console is little over a month away now, and although we've analysed every aspect of the innovative new console under the world's most powerful magnifying glass, it still conceals a few mysteries - particularly in the Virtual Console.
With the full list of launch-day Virtual Console games having been released earlier this week, we thought it the perfect time to focus on the retro download service and uncover some of those mysteries.
So we threw a barrage of questions at Nintendo and got back some interesting information - how the games are stored, how much they'll cost and more. Check it out below and, if you have any more questions of your own, throw them down in the comments section and we'll put them to Nintendo for answers.
Can games be stored on external media such as SD cards, and what happens if you run out of storage space?
Nintendo: Games that are downloaded can be stored either to the Wii's internal memory (512MB) or onto SD cards, which plug into the SD slot on the front of the Wii. In addition the console also stores a history of all of your downloads so that if you have to delete any VC games for any reason you could re-download them for free at a later date.
Will you be able to take your VC games to a mate's house, say, on an SD card?
Nintendo: No. All VC games will be locked to the console they are downloaded on so even if they are on an SD card they can't be used on other machines. You will have to take your Wii with you.
Does that mean that if your console breaks you lose your VC games forever?
Nintendo: No. Nintendo will offer support to help Wii owners with problems to recover their games.
GameCube games are played with GameCube pads. Can they be played with the Classic controller too, for those who don't actually have any GC pads?
Nintendo: Nintendo GameCube games can only be played using Nintendo GameCube controllers. The Classic Controller will not work on these games.
Can you specify which controllers it will be possible to use for each of the VC games types (NES, SNES, PC Engine, N64)?
Nintendo: All virtual console games can be played using the Classic Controller or Nintendo GameCube pads. The Wii Remote can also be turned on its side and used as a traditional controller to play NES games. However, a game will only be playable with the control mechanism it was designed for. So, for example, you will play NES games with the D-pad, not an analogue stick or motion-sensitive functionality.
When using a mixture of Wii and GameCube controllers, the Wii Remote or Classic Controller will take priority. So if you have two Classic Controllers plugged in they instantly become player one and two regardless of how many GameCube pads are inserted.
What about game manuals?
Nintendo: Each Virtual Console game downloaded will come with a digital instruction manual.
We are already aware that you won't be able to gain access to the Japanese or American VC in UK with a UK console. But if you import a US or Japanese Wii into UK, will that machine be capable of accessing the UK VC servers to download and play games made available to us Brits?
Nintendo: No. The European Virtual Console will be available only to European machines. If you import an American machine they would have to connect to the American service and use American Wii Points cards to buy content. Their warranty would also be void so this is not recommended.
Will there be a range of Wii Points cards available? How much will they cost?
Nintendo: At first, only 2000-point cards will be available. These will retail for £14.99.
Will you be able to buy VC Points via the internet through Wii using a credit card, like you can with Xbox 360's Marketplace?
Nintendo: Yes. Wii points can also be bought online via the Wii Shop using all major credit cards and will be credited to your account. A total of 10,000 points can be stored on your Wii account at any one time.
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November 4th, 2006, 01:40 Posted By: wraggster
Via Gamespot
Gamers asking themselves "How much is that Tamagotchi in the window?" will get their answers shortly. Namco Bandai today announced that the DS game Tamagotchi Connect: Corner Shop 2 has gone gold and will be in stores on November 14.
The game, which has already sold well in Japan, features more than 100 Tamagotchi and a dozen shops for players to look after. By providing stellar customer service to townsfolk, gamers will be awarded upgrades that can be applied to their storefronts. Various items can also be traded between Corner Shop 2 owners using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
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November 4th, 2006, 01:41 Posted By: wraggster
It's a golden era for Nintendo gaming as the company is preparing to launch its latest console, the Wii, in a few weeks. It's also quickly becoming a golden era for several of the system's games, as developers wrap up work on titles and send them off to factory for replication.
The second Wii game to be announced as going gold is Atari's Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, following Sega's Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz. Both games will be on shelves alongside the Wii on November 19 in North America.
The game features more than 120 playable characters, 16 destructible environments, and nine gameplay modes. Based on the Dragon Ball Z anime, the game lets players duke it out in both single- and multiplayer.
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November 4th, 2006, 01:54 Posted By: wraggster
"Please insert your Wii Startup Disc. This will set up your Wii console."
The mysterious Wii Startup Disc that was listed on the back of the Wii box has been summoned in public. While glancing over the Wii kiosk set up at the South Shore Mall Software Etc. in Bay Shore, NY, Paul Miller snapped a photograph, with the Wii console pleading (with the above message) for the Startup Disc. The request is written in only English, Spanish and French, implying that the disk is region-specific.
It may be a last-minute firmware update, but why not have the console download the update when it connects? After all, Wii is supposed to be connected 24 hours a day. Maybe Nintendo doesn't trust its customers, and the Startup Disc is a mandatory orientation film on how to properly handle the Wiimote (think LOST). Or it might just be a very lame game -- "insert the disc and win!" -- that boosts your self-esteem.
Let's say the Wii Startup Disc is a region-specific firmware update. If a US Wii owner could obtain a Japanese startup disc, could he or she enjoy a more expansive Virtual Console launch lineup?
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November 4th, 2006, 02:27 Posted By: wraggster
Infantile Paralyser have released a new version of the image viewer app for the Nintendo DS:
Some fatal bugs were corrected by the disk access and the file search.
A vertical mode and a horizontal mode can be chosen. (Added function icon)
In a single mode of the slide show, the right and left can be chosen.
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November 4th, 2006, 02:31 Posted By: wraggster
Zarxrax:
- Fixed lots of bugs
- Larger, easier to read font
- Cards can now contain much more text
- Supports more than one text file at a time (this is not very useful yet)
- Keeps track of how many cards you have answered correctly
Heres more info about this release.
The basic idea of the program is essentially the same as physical flash cards: you put a word on one side, and a definition or translation or whatever on the other. You look at one side, then see if you can guess the answer. Then you flip the card over and look at the answer, to see if you guessed correctly. The "right and wrong" buttons really don't do much of anything yet aside from advance to the next card, but eventually the program will keep track of the cards you mark correct and the ones you mark incorrect. This means that you could potentially put thousands of cards into the database, and you don't have to waste time going through the ones that you know well--the program will be able to focus on the ones that you have trouble with.
As for the drawing pad, I mainly included it for studying kanji. If and when this program gets the ability to display kanji characters as text, it will be useful to practice drawing them.
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November 4th, 2006, 02:34 Posted By: wraggster
New from Lick
libcartreset is a library that allows all ds homebrewers to add the return to gba flash cartridge-feature. Note that the library is still progressing and needs a lot of tests on as many devices as possible. Currently, all Supercard devices, all M3 devices, all EZ-Flash IV devices and the hacked GBAMP are supported.
Please report any bugs and all not working devices, so I can improve the library.
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November 4th, 2006, 02:37 Posted By: wraggster
Via Siliconera
If impersonation is a form of flattery Cooking Mama should be blushing. MTO takes the gameplay concepts of Cooking Mama and similar graphics to make Edamoto Naomi no Shiawase Kitchen. The game does have some differences like mini games where you go on quests to make meals and a design your own kitchen feature. Copycat or not fans of the cooking genre might want to give MTO’s game a look. Learning the 50+ meals and designing a kitchen of doom should tide them over until Cooking Mama: Cook Out in 2007.
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November 4th, 2006, 02:43 Posted By: wraggster
The Man of Steel is finally ready to battle Lex Luthor. Following a lengthy delay, EA's Superman Returns: The Videogame has gone gold for Xbox 360, PS2, Xbox, Nintendo DS and GBA.
Developed by Tiburon, makers of Madden, Superman Returns gives unprecedented control over DC Comics' greatest hero. Players can take flight with the Last Son of Krypton in more than 100 missions across Metropolis' 80 square miles. Expect to battle some of Superman's greatest foes, including Bizarro, Metallo and Mongul.
Suggested retail prices for Superman Returns range from $59.99 on the 360 to $39.99 on current-gen systems to $29.99 on handheld systems.
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November 4th, 2006, 17:36 Posted By: wraggster
All this week, and last week, Nintendo has been inviting game journalists up to their manse to have some extensive hands-on time with Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. At 1up Jeremy Parish has an extensive look at the game, with screenshots, impressions of the Wii control scheme, and a detailed look at the title's first few hours. From the article:
"The bulk of swordplay, however, is controlled by moving the entire Wii Remote. Contrary to common opinion, this doesn't entail making massive swiping motions. Although it's certainly possible to wield the remote like an actual sword, a simple flick of the wrist will cause Link to attack. How you move the controller also has no bearing on the kind of strike you make. By default, Link sweeps horizontally; for a vertical slice, you must first lock on to a target. And a swing executed while pressing forward on the analog stick results in a stabbing thrust."
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November 4th, 2006, 17:40 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo lifted what appears to be the first of at least one more embargo late last night on advanced industry previews of the highly anticipated Zelda: Twilight Princess for Wii. Rather than getting in the way of what's being said, let's cut to the chase:
GameDaily - "Twilight Princess may be the greatest Zelda ever ... Jaded critics will no doubt find lots to complain about, but don't listen to them. Twilight Princess is not only the Wii's quintessential killer app, but also one of the best adventure games to come along since Resident Evil 4."
Game|Life - "I was worried that the Wii version of the game would be rendered gimmicky and unsuitable for long-term play sessions. But now I've played it, and not only has every lingering speck of doubt been scrubbed clean, I was actually shocked at how well it worked."
Gamespot - "Twilight Princess' now-mandatory use of the Wii remote has been the subject of much 'love it/hate it' talk online, and we'll admit to mixed emotions ourselves after having played it the first times, but after spending a longer period with it, we have to say that we're still on the fence but leaning towards being cool with it--with some reservations."
1UP - "If Twilight Princess manages to uphold the level of quality seen in its opening hours for the entire duration of the adventure, it will unquestionably go down as one of the greats. Imagine Ocarina of Time, but polished and expanded and refined and generally perfected."
Kotaku - "The game is remarkably cinematic, but not in the cheesy Hollywood-wannabe way that so often traps the gaming industry ... Does Twilight Princess need to be on the Wii? Probably not. But the game is a little better for it."
Planet GameCube - "But ever since the announcement of the Wii version, there has been the debate over which version of Zelda is going to control better. My friends, the debate is over: Wii Zelda is the real deal."
IGN - "If Wii Sports is for the non-gamers, Twilight Princess is for the hardcore. After I spent 10 hours with the game, I barely managed to squeak by two temples, with the third so far off that I could scarcely imagine getting there, let alone approach the objective. (For the record, out of 30 or so journalists, nobody came close to the third temple.)"
GoNintendo - "I seriously cannot see myself playing the Cube version and enjoying it nearly as much. I know that it is the same core game...and I would enjoy the story just as much...but the physical connection of actually feeling like Link is absolutely priceless."
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November 4th, 2006, 19:32 Posted By: freemaan
I've released IRCDS 0.3b.
Now it supports blowfish and skins.
Check readme.txt inside the archive or visit my homepage for more info.
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November 4th, 2006, 20:33 Posted By: JKKDARK
Finally, after 3 mounths, there is a new version of the Game Boy Advance/Nintendo DS emulator for Windows.
Changelog:
nds/help: nds-bitmaps can be wrapped (that unlike gba-bitmaps) (thanks remi)
nds/video: emulates optional wrap-around (area overflow) for nds bitmap-modes
nds/video: emulates read-only 2d-engine-b ports as read-only (thanks remi)
nds/3d: texture transformation mode 1 supports negative m[8,9,12,13] values
nds/3d/boxtest: fast onscreen pre_check on any of all 8 coordinates of box
nds/3d/boxtest: fast offscreen pre_check on all 8 coordinates of whole-box
nds/3d/boxtest: fast offscreen pre_check on all 4 coordinates of box-face
video/speedup: faster bg drawing when special effects disabled (blend/bright)
reg/home: moved all users to usa, avoids paypal-german-language-service (remi)
reg/full: new parity and decrypt.jpg encryption by headless marching soldiers
reg/full: discontinued free nds-updates for older (than 12 months) gba-users
reg/full: registration tool auto-generates invoices for commercial users
reg/home: new file-ext .key (some servers now declare .bin as potential virus)
sync: forces machine_switch on retrace, forces to be 1st machine after retrace
gui/f1_key: HELP_FORCEFILE instead HELP_CONTENTS (preserves current chapter)
webpage: added donate buttons on gba,msx,cpc,nes,2k6,zx8,c64 freeware pages
email: new email address - please do NOT put it online - due to spam problems
nds/3d: bug-fixed GX "nop" command (to have 0 parameters, instead 1 parameter)
emu/help: described + emulated gba/nds7 dummy cp14-icebreaker (prefetch data)
nds/cpu: emulates cp15 ctrl bit15 (pre-v5 ldr/ldm/pop pc.bit0=thumb disabled)
cpu: emulates/ignores misaligned r15 in LDM [Rb],r15 (with optional warning)
nds/help: added some basic specs on DS Memory Timings (in DS Various chapter)
nds/3d: bugfixed texture transform (imul_op=64bit, instead imul_eax,op=32bit)
cpu: emulates empty rlist (load/store r15 on ARMv4, Rb=Rb+/-40h on ARMv4/v5)
cpu: emulates writeback-base-included-in-rlist (for all stm/ldm/v4/v5/tmb/arm)
cpu/help: added info on invalid rlist's for ARMv4/v5 THUMB/ARM LDM/STM opcodes
cpu: bugfixed arm9 q(d)add/sub (xor 7fffffffh instead 7ffffffh, one more f)
nds/sound: emulates sound output speaker routing and speaker stereo panning
nds/sound: emulates sound-hold (freezes output until hold=0 or next re-start)
nds/sound: optionally mono output, optionally disabled, on machine 1 only
nds/sound: allows "dumb loops" when reading non-irq-timed sound status regs
nds/sound/help: described hold flag (can't hold on restart, apparently bugged)
nds/sound/help: described the two different ch(a)+ch(b) addition outputs
nds/sound/help: described capture errors (both negative and overflow bugs)
nds/sound: emulates minmax clipping, fully emulates all sound capture errors
gba/sound: fixed small ch4 glitch (occured when only one stereo side was on)
gba/sound: bugfix: recurses channel 3 wave ram bank number/bank size changes
gba/sound: emulates minmax clipping, corrected channel-volume vs bias-volume
gba/nds/sound/help: rev-engineered Max Output Levels (psg/pcmfifo/bias/clip)
nds/sound: emulates capture (routing, adding, mixing, rounding, clipping, etc)
nds/sound: emulates sound loop+length and high accuracy frequency timings
nds/gba-slot/bugfix: memadr_sram (instead nnn=0Eh) (thanks Chow Kim Foong)
nds/sound/help: corrected sample frequency, explained length/loop registers
nds/sound: emulates channel volume, channel volume shift, master volume, bias
nds/sound: emulates pcm8, pcm16, adpcm, psg wave/duty, psg noise formats
nds/sound: emulates all write-only sound ports as such (reads as 00000000h)
nds/sound/no$fmw/emu: initializes bias=200h (as done by original firmware)
nds/sound: nds_sb_generate_sample invoked by NDS7 (not NDS9) as sound master
nds/bugfix: fixed arm9 halfmul opcodes (accidently exchanged opcode lsbs/msbs)
debug/disass: fixed smulxy opcode (showed up as "smmuxy" instead of "smulxy")
nds/sound/help: described SOUNDCNT bits 8-11 (final audio output selection) Download and Give Feedback Via Comments
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November 4th, 2006, 23:26 Posted By: wraggster
Heres an excerpt:
For fans of Japanese publisher Square Enix, the Nintendo DS has turned into a gaming haven for this holiday season. Starting with Rocket Slime just a month back, and continuing with the delightful hack-n-slash adventure Children of Mana just days ago, the company is looking to ensure that any gamer looking for a role-playing or adventure experience is right at home on the Nintendo DS. Of course as we all know, Rocket Slime and Children of Mana - though they are superb titles - are just the warm-up for the RPG adventure everyone's been waiting for this year: Final Fantasy III. We've had a chance to play through (and beyond) the opening hours of the game, and are happy to bring our full impressions of just how strong this blend of old and new is turning out on DS.
As with any conversation about the Final Fantasy universe, we first have to make sure everyone on the same page. Is FFIII the American FFIII, which is actually FFVI? Is it FFIII from Japan, or did we screw up and put III when it's really II, which is Japan IV? Confusing, huh? Final Fantasy III for Nintendo DS is a re-make of sorts from the Japanese III, a game that hasn't seen the light of day in America yet, and is now making a new debut for DS gamers in its current form. The game mixes traditional gameplay and the same overarching story as it did in Japan, now complete with superb 3D visuals and added side-quests for the hardcore crowd. What you'll find in FFIII for DS is a total mix of old and new, and though the game may look mainstream and familiar - at least as far as Final Fantasy games go - this game can be very difficult, and doesn't play by the rules that most gamers have adopted over the last few years.
Full Article
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November 4th, 2006, 23:27 Posted By: wraggster
My two favorite games from Nintendo World weren't on the Wii! That's right, the DS took the honors with two absolute charmers, Kaitou Wario and Chibi Robo.
I first sampled Wario's latest DS outing, his first side-scroller for the system. Kaitou Wario puts you in control of Mario's rival as you solve puzzles and collect treasure chests.
This isn't strictly a platformer. You move Wario left and right and make him jump and duck all with the D-pad. Lefties can opt to use the A, B, X and Y buttons for this functionality. Everything else is done with the stylus. You open treasure chests by tapping on-screen icons. You attack enemies and perform special skills by pointing at your intended target.
To get through a stage, you have to make use of Wario's transformation abilities. The demo included, in addition to the standard Thief Wario, Space Wario, Graffiti Wario and Dinosaur Wario. You change into these new forms by drawing a shape around your character. Dinosaur Wario is a caret, Thief Wario is a check, Space Wario is a circle, and so-forth.
All Warios have different abilities. Thief Wario moves and jumps faster than the other Warios and he attacks by directly charging at enemies. Space Wario shoots lasers and has floaty jumps. Graffiti Wario can draw doors and crates, with the player being responsible for actually drawing the shape in the desired location. Dinosaur Wario breathes fire.
Progressing through the demo stage required full use of the various Warios. Space Wario's lasers were used to blast platforms down from the ceiling and to take out pesky birds who didn't appear to be too fond of Wario. Graffiti Wario's drawing abilities were used to create new platforms in order to leap over tall obstacles.
On top of the side-scrolling segments, Kaito Wario includes mini games, which you must clear in order to get the contents of treasure boxes. I was able to find just two in the demo, a simple picture puzzle game and a more action-oriented game where you tap with the stylus in order to exterminate incoming cockroaches.
The Nintendo World demo left me wanting to get cozy with the clever stages Nintendo will undoubtedly come up with for the final version. The wait will be long, sadly, as Kaitou Wario isn't expected to hit Japan until February of 2007.
Via IGN
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November 4th, 2006, 23:28 Posted By: wraggster
One of the most charming GameCube titles is set to make a revival on the DS. Nintendo World was home to a playable demo of Chibi-Robo Park Patrol for the DS.
The demo starts off with Chibi in his little house. The house is set up basically the same as in the GameCube version, with an outlet for recharging the tiny robot's batteries and a depository for the "happies" that you collect by making other living creatures happy.
This time around, or in the Nintendo World demo at least, Chibi's house is in a park rather than in a house. My first job, according to the Nintendo rep who was guiding me (in English... what is it with Nintendo's Japanese reps and their English proficiency?) was to go around making the flowers in the area happy. This was simple enough. To make the flowers happy, you have to first water them using a water pump. You then have to play some music for them using Chibi's radio. The flowers dance along with Chibi for a few seconds, then release the cherished happies.
The stylus changes the feel of the game somewhat. While you control Chibi directly with the D-pad, you use the stylus to select items via icons on the left side of the bottom screen, and interact with the items in various ways. To pump water, you slide the pump up and down. To play music, you spin a turntable. The flowers react differently depending on the speed of the resulting music, so it's important that you not play the music too quickly.
After recharging Chibi, I decided to explore a bit further. The park has, in the distance, a road with moving traffic, and, further away, a gas station. I was able to get to the road, and it looked like I could cross to the gas station, although I was worried that being hit by a car would lead to Chibi's death and a return to the back of the line for me. Instead of crossing, I doubled back and crossed a river into a forest. Crossing a river isn't the best idea for Chibi, who doesn't get along well with water, but I was able to make it across with plenty of energy left.
There, I came upon: vehicles! The demo had a bicycle and buggy, both featuring completely unique control schemes. The bicycle is steered with left and right on the D-pad. You pedal by rotating an on-screen pedal with the stylus, and can change speed accordingly.
The buggy has the opposite control scheme. In order to use the buggy, you have to first plug Chibi into its outlet. Chibi's energy then drains as you move. To accelerate and break, you press up and down. The L button gives you a speedy boost. Steering is done via the stylus, by rotating a steering wheel.
Controlling the vehicles is just as fun as controlling Chibi himself. Chibi Robo also looks great on the DS, even with full 3D visuals. All this will hopefully lead to an adventure to rival the GameCube original.
Via IGN
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November 5th, 2006, 10:17 Posted By: wraggster
A Wal-Mart employee sent Joystiq what they say is the Wal-Mart playbook for the Wii and PS3 launch. Saying they received the info from the "Wal-Mart Wire" and even printed out the information to send us proof. Sadly, the tipsters email address didn't work when we went to double check the info; however, after NeoGaf's Wal-Mart ad find, we'll run with what we've got, but emphasize that it is still a rumor.
Wii:
Software and accessories are not street dated, stores can put those out upon receipt
Price is $249.24 (75 cents cheaper and matches NeoGaf poster price)
11/16, Wii product will arrive direct to Wal-Mart stores. Same day, the accessories for Wii will be set out
11/18, at 10PM, tickets will be passed out for midnight sales
Start selling Wii on 11/19 at 12:01AM
Our tipster said he had 50 Wii tickets, but the actual amount of units arriving is unknown.
PS3:
Software and accessories are not street dated, stores can put those out upon receipt
11/9, PS3 peripherals will start shipping to stores
11/11, PS3 interactives (kiosks) will be in final install stages at stores
11/14, PS3 software will start to ship
11/16, PS3 arrives in stores
At 10PM or earlier on 11/18 [sic] (we are guessing he meant to write 11/16) employees will pass out tickets for midnight sales. There are 50 tickets for PS3, but actual units arriving is unknown.
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November 5th, 2006, 11:51 Posted By: jojotjuh
Supercard has updated their software to 2.57 and firmware to 1.7!
changes:
Firmware v1.7:
# Game list changed, the newest game will be displayed at the first position.
# The main menu of CF, SD, Mini SD, Micro SD versions have been changed as SuperCard Rumble series.
Software V2.57:
# The I/O system of NDS games has been redesigned, it's fast than before, increase the NDS games compatibility.
# Added NEW DMA(fast reading option), increase the speed of reading flash memory card, increase the NDS games compatibility.
# Fixed the Rumble Series can not run IQUE games, Fix NDS games 0472, 0286 balck screen bug.
# NDS game 0252 need high speed flash memory card, so SD, MiniSD version sometimes will halt in the game, but CF, MicroSD, Rumble Series seldem halt in this game.
Important: To who download the v2.57 and V1.7 yesterday
We updated the v2.57 and Firmware V1.7 yesterday, but there are some bugs,
# GBA can not list the files, or NDS can not list the files at GBA mode.
# The save file is not compatible with old save file.
If you are the user update the v2.57 & V1.7 yesterday, please download it again, we fix the two bugs today. If you are a GBA user, and there is no file in the list when update, please delete the "scfont.fon" at the root of flash memory card.
software:
setupnew is for CF
setupmicrosd is fro supercard lite
setuprumble is for the rumble carts
setupsd is for the SD cart
edit: i just installed it and the firmware has anice new skind too 
its very cool!!!
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November 5th, 2006, 23:23 Posted By: wraggster
News from DS-X
Finally !! .. Yes we do appreciate the anxiousness and anticipation of all our users. Rightfully this release was due in a few days from now. However due to considerable pressure from many of our respected customers we thought it only fair to whip up a beta updater tool, so at the very least those with access to a win32 machine could update their devices. We do read our forums and support, and we do monitor closely all that is said, hence our reaction today. Please understand that we would have much preferred to release only one fully implemented update tool that is cross platform and complete. The update tool released today is a temporary solution and will be substituted in the coming days with our final version which will be cross platform.
DS-Xtreme V1.0.2 change log
+Support for "Direct" format textures in UI engine
+Recognition of id3v2 tags in mp3/ogg
+Now supports supercard save files
+Added a "getOSVersion" function, for use in the skin to report the true OS version.
*Corrected virtual eeprom bank mapping
*Fixed a problem with some MP3s crashing
*MBR and partition parsing now correctly handled, should fix some filesystem issues, especially for OSX users
*Some minor changes to libfat auto-integration, should fix problems with ndsmail, etc
-OS now powers off LCDs when suspended
-Minor optimizations in raw device access
Legend:
+Addition
*Bugfix
-Change
Download DS-Xtreme Beta Update Tool for Windows & Download Skin for v1.0.2 . (just drag the skin folder to your DS-Xtreme after the update) Via the Comments
Buy DS-Xtreme at Divineo China / UK / USA
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November 6th, 2006, 02:33 Posted By: wraggster
Via Palib
Talstus released his first DS homebrew. It's a simple clone of the Mario Bomb game, which I'm pretty sure every has already played tons of times... You have to put each bomb on the corresponding color zone... If not, you loose 1 life...
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November 6th, 2006, 16:59 Posted By: wraggster
The eighth instalment of the Mario Party series will be coming to Wii next year, with a whole list of multiplayer mini games that take full advantage of the Wii's motion-sensitive powers.
Unveiled at the Nintendo World 2006 tour, a playable demo of the game revealed many of the games characters (Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Wario, Daisy, Waluigi, Toad, Boo, Toadette, Birdo and Dry Bones), as well as some of the new mini games.
With the Wii being designed for multiplayer gaming, it should be the perfect platform for the party series, and might even give it the refresher it needs. Hell, we might even play it.
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November 6th, 2006, 17:04 Posted By: wraggster
Even though Rayman Raving Rabbids is hitting just about every console known to man this Christmas, it's good to see some wavy Wii-specific gameplay to separate it from the usual suspects.
These 10 new screens give some indication of how the Wii version will differ from its brethren thanks to Wii-mote support. From the motion-sensitive slapping of innocent-looking bunnies to drawing the outlines of various dishes for a greedy rabbit to devour, it's clear Ubisoft is keen to take full advantage of the potential of Nintendo's new controller.
Screens Via Comments
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November 6th, 2006, 17:17 Posted By: wraggster
THQ CEO Brian Farrell has predicted healthy sales for the Nintendo Wii, confirming plans to release additional games for the console next year.
Speaking in a conference call following the release of THQ's Q2 results, Farrell said the Wii is likely "to reach a multi-million installed base quickly", adding that the company plans to " launch an increased number of Wii skus in fiscal 2008".
Other executives speaking during the call said there is "a great opportunity" to produce titles exclusively for Wii - saying "it's just a matter of economics" when it comes to considering the value of doing so.
THQ was more cautious when the conversation turned to Sony's new console, with Farrell stating, "We've chosen to release our titles on PS3 as its installed base grows in calendar 2007."
Executives also observed that "the download opportunities don't really kick in until the second half of 2007" and that "Sony is continuing to refine their online and download models". One exec predicted that download revenues won't offer a "meaningful opportunity" until "mid next year".
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November 6th, 2006, 19:25 Posted By: wraggster
Despite the desperate pleas from RPG lovers in the west, it would seem the highly regarded, Japan-only Mother 3 is not likely to ever be released outside of Japan, after a statement made by a member of Nintendo of America's Treehouse localisation team.
Mother 3, the third game in the Mother series is a hugely popular RPG in Japan, developed by HAL Laboratories for the GBA, and released in April this year. Fans of the previous game on the Super NES, Mother 2 (released in the US as Earthbound) had hoped to see a western release of the portable sequel.
But comments from an NOA localisation manager, Nate Bihldorf, in a recent interview with Planet GameCube, makes a western release seem unlikely. "I'm not working on Mother 3. I don't have all the writers under me, so there may be other people in discussions going on with it, but I wouldn't look forward to it in the immediate future" says Bihldorf.
So it might still happen, but not any time soon it seems. And being as the GBA is slowly giving way to the might of the DS, the more time passes the bleaker the possibility, we reckon.
We also suspect that Bihldorf's efforts to console heartbroken gamers by suggesting they get their "Ness fix" by playing Smash Bros. will not go down too well.
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November 6th, 2006, 19:40 Posted By: wraggster
GamePro is reporting that George Harrison, Senior VP at Nintendo, says they're looking forward to offering "downloadable content, such as additional levels" with Zelda: Twilight Princess.
However, there are no current plans to offer a "post-release online component" and it doesn't look like there is anything in the works. According to Harrison, "I haven't heard of anything yet. I think everyone is still busy trying to make sure the game gets out correctly."
Now, all we can hope is that Zelda doesn't become the Wii's Oblivion ... or [fill in EA game here] with dubious downloadable content.
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November 6th, 2006, 19:45 Posted By: wraggster
New Commercial DS Game released:
Price: US$ 39.90 (~21.19 GBP)
features
US version of the Japanese hot "Ouendan"
Contains new songs
As the music plays, players tap the screen, trace rhythmic patterns and keep the beat as the story unfolds on the top screen.
Every scene is accompanied by rump-shaking tunes, but players have to keep the Elite Beat Agents grooving. The worse players do, the worse the story might end up.
Rhythm games have come and gone, but no one has ever seen anything like the Elite Beat Agents. Whether they’re helping a lost dog find its way home or helping a babysitter charm a hunky football player, no crisis is too weird.
description
In a jam? Well, all these guys DO is jam! Prepare to rock as these beat masters use their groovy moves to save the day.
The public knows of government agencies like the FBI and CIA, but little is known of this super-secret agency. Code-named “Elite Beat Agents,” these men in black are heroes’ heroes and the coolest group of guys this world has ever known. Of course, according to official records, they do not exist.
Their leader, an ex-CIA agent named Commander Kahn, scans the world for cries of help. When he finds one, he dispatches the agents, who assist their targets by performing a song and dance. The hypnotic nature of their rocking revives the targets with “Groovy” energy that boosts their willpower and helps them overcome their obstacles.
Every stage is presented in a storyline fashion. All stages share similar basic elements and game flow: The player gets introduced to the target’s problem in a comical intro. Commander Kahn dispatches the agents to the scene. The agents arrive in a special “Beat Transport” that is tailor-made for the situation. The song starts as the agents and player meet the target. By tapping and tracing patterns that appear on-screen, players play along with the song’s rhythm. The animated story changes depending on how well the player performs. After each section, the player gets judged. Depending on the Elite-o-meter’s judgment, the story will go well or poorly. If the player makes it though the whole song, he or she will be judged on the whole thing and get one of three endings.
More Info / Buy here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1iwn.html
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November 6th, 2006, 20:42 Posted By: wraggster
Paco_777 has released a new version of Comic Book DS, heres whats new:
Comic Book DS is a program making it possible to read your Comic Books on your Nintendo DS.
It can be also used as a photo viewer.
1.3 (05/11/2006):
New DS: Progressive zoom feature. Image can be zoomed in and out using some buttons or the on-screen scrollbar.
New DS: A lock icon is added. When locked, the icons remains on the screen.
New DS: Closelit support. When the DS is closed, screens are switched off and energy is saved.
New DS: Smoother animation for transitions.
New DS: Key configuration changed, mainly for left handed landscape mode. Two buttons are also dedicated to the zoom feature (they were previously used for page change).
BugFix PC: The pictods icon is back.
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November 6th, 2006, 20:43 Posted By: wraggster
JimmyL posted this news/release:
Here's an update to the game, I still haven't tested with more than two players, but I did add scribble chat, a crossword style game and a game selection screen. .
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November 6th, 2006, 21:17 Posted By: Dee-Lite
In the new UK Christmas "Ultimate Gift Guide" catalogue Argos states on page 179
"Nintendo Wii Launching Late November 2006"
Seems they haven't got a clue eh?
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November 6th, 2006, 21:39 Posted By: Dee-Lite
Today I recieved a pack from GAME, on the front it says
"Important Information inside! Wii"
So what could it be?
On page one it says...
"Hooray your preorder was successful!!
You will get your hands on a Nintendo Wii at Launch!*
*please remember you MUST bring your preorder receipt into store on launch day as proof of deposit."
It then states...
"Exclusively for you
Make sure you come into store on 10th November to pick up your Wii preorder pack which is loaded with the latest info on the amazing Wii console and all the incredible new games you'll soon be playing."
Finally on Page 3 it states...
"Introducing
your exclusive Wii gift card
Start using this card NOW to save up for your Wii & games
Put a small amount on the card regularly to spread to cost of your Wii
Trade in your old games and put their value on the gift card"
Interesting. I wonder what's in the Wii preorder pack??
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November 6th, 2006, 21:45 Posted By: wraggster
The Hive has released a new Public Beta Version of his Spectrum emulator for the Nintendo DS, heres the interesting part he has posted a puzzle for you to solve to get the password to the Zipfile.
Heres his puzzle:
The screenshots below represent a smattering of Speccy nostalgia from my youth. Infact, they are probably all jointly responsible for the ultimate demise of my Speccys membrane keyboard, and certainly a few occasions of bloodshot eyes.
But, do any of you lot remember them? And more importantly, can you identify them from the screenies?
The first character from each game will form a 15 character password that you will NEED to UNRAR DSpec 0.2a (when it's released later this evening).
But please, once you know the password don't post it here Should be easy for most, but we'll see.
BTW - the password is not a word or sentence - it's meaningless, so you won't be able to fill in the blanks if you only know some of the games. Mwah ha ha ha ha haaa
-HiVE
Awesome fun for Spectrum fans and a new emulator to try for those who can solve it
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November 6th, 2006, 21:54 Posted By: wraggster
Noddybox has released a new Sinclair ZX81 for the Nintendo DS, heres the release information from the site:
If you'd have told me 25 years ago that I'd be playing 3D Monster Maze on the bus on a device powered by batteries, I'd have said you were mad...
DS81 is a basic emulation of the Sinclair ZX81. It currently doesn't support loading of external files, but includes a few games to try out. Note that I did not write these games, or own the copyright to them. They are included in good faith (as far as I know the authors do not mind this work being distributed), and if any of them want their work removing I'll gladly oblige:
ZX81 ROM © 1981 Nine Tiles Networks Ltd
City Patrol © 1982 Don Priestley
Sabotage © 1982 Don Priestley
3D Monster Maze © 1983 Malcom E. Evans
When you run DS81, following a splash screen, you'll be presented with a ZX81 display on the top screen and a soft keyboard on which you can type. If you click on the bottom part of the touch screen you'll be presented with a menu where you can choose a tape, reset the ZX81 and set the sticky state of the shift key on or off.
Once you have selected a tape, simply type LOAD "" on the ZX81 to load it! All the included games map the joypad and buttons to sensible settings for each specific game.
Heres whats new in this release:
DS81, the ZX81 emulator the Nintendo DS has been updated so that it supports the loading of external files on some devices.
Fantastic News for the Old retro fans
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November 6th, 2006, 23:08 Posted By: wraggster
In the aftermath of the Lik Sang Closing scandal and now Play Asia also stopping PS3 Preorders/selling to Europe there must be hundreds of us who had preorders cancelled.
I had my Wii preorder cancelled and im now unsure if i should get a US or UK Wii.
Have any of you preordered with anyone else since the cancellation ?
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November 7th, 2006, 18:56 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo exec David Yarnton has dismissed suggestions that the company took a risk with the DS, observing that the company has taken a 75 per cent share of the UK's handheld market in the past two weeks.
"One of the things people are saying is that it's a bit risky, the things that we've done. A bit risky when we launched Nintendo DS as a handheld console, where it's got voice recognition and touch screen, two screens, all these things. Well, it wasn't a risk; if we did nothing, that was the risk," Yarnton said.
"We had the market to ourselves, and then when another company came along and decided they wanted to get into our swimming pool, a lot of people thought hey, that's going to be a real problem," he went on.
"For 2004 in handheld sales, which included our Game Boy and Nintendo DS, we had sales of about a million units. We then looked for 2005 as our opposition were coming in at increasing our business by 50 per cent."
According to Yarnton, "A lot of people said, you know, that's crazy because the market's just not big enough - there's someone else coming in."
But, he said, Nintendo did achieve that 50 per cent - and, "Looking at this year, we'll get another 30 per cent increase of Nintendo DS. In fact, at the moment we're running ahead of that schedule."
Yarnton observed that 1.7 million DS units have now been sold in the UK, adding that week by week, Game Boy and DS sales give Nintendo a 75 per cent share of the handheld market. By the end of 2006, the company expects to have sold around 2.7 million DS units.
His comments came at an event held in London last night to promote GAME's operations in Spain. The retailer doubled the size of its Spanish business last year, adding around 50 new stores, and plans to add a similar number again over the coming year.
Via Gamesindustry
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November 7th, 2006, 18:57 Posted By: wraggster
Buena Vista Games has made a bold statement of support for Nintendo's hardware, opening a new studio dedicated to projects for the Wii and DS systems.
Based in Salt Lake City, the small team will focus on developing games based on Disney characters and franchises, as well as creating new IP.
"This studio will be one of our centres of creative excellence and it gives us the ability to fully capitalise on our properties and expand our market share on Nintendo platforms," said Graham Hopper, general manager of BVG.
Ex-Rainbow Studios boss Scott Novis will take on the role of vice president of Fall Line Studio.
He commented: "BVG has an excellent management team, a can-do corporate culture and a treasure trove of great intellectual properties that make it exciting for us to start something new."
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November 7th, 2006, 18:59 Posted By: wraggster
Buena Vista Games has formed Fall Line Studio, a new development studio based in Salt Lake City which is to concentrate on creating games for Nintendo platforms.
No specific games have been mentioned in connection with the studio as yet, but it has been said that Fall Line's focus "is to develop games based on Disney's characters, television shows and entertainment franchises as well as creating new intellectual property for the Nintendo DS and Wii game systems."
Fall Line Studio will operate as a sister studio to Buena Vista Games' Avalanche Software studio.
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November 7th, 2006, 19:07 Posted By: wraggster
EA's movie tie-in Superman Returns is nearly upon as after being delayed for a bit of extra tweaking. Versions of the game are out on GBA, DS, Xbox, Xbox 360 and PS2, the Xbox 360 and DS versions leading the charge on November 24 and the rest following in December.
Screenshots Here
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November 7th, 2006, 19:10 Posted By: wraggster
Article from CVG
Wii Play is a family-orientated multiplayer game package, in a similar vein to Wii Sports, comprising of nine different games that hope to have you, your little sister and your good old gran flailing your arms around like nutters when the Wii is released.
It's not much to look at - like Wii Sports it uses a basic graphical style, with the user-created Mii characters and simple environments. And this simplicity is in accordance with the games pick-up-and-play gameplay which, on the most part, is as instinctive as breathing.
But that's not to say that some games don't have layers of depth and challenge that will keep more seasoned gamers busy, trying to set high scores or crack every challenge and earn every gold medal.
We were lucky enough to play a near-final version of the game and gave each of the nine games a fair bashing in single- and multiplayer modes. So here's a run through each game and exactly how you play them.
Shooting Range
This is the duck-hunt style shooting game that was originally shown as a tech demo at the first playable showing of the Wii. The premise of the game couldn't be simpler - using the Wii Remote almost like a gun, you shoot targets that appear on screen to earn points.
The targets start off easy, with slow-moving balloons floating up the screen. Then you move on to circle targets that appear and disappear quickly, before having to shoot clay discs out of the sky. Then you'll have six Mii characters at the bottom of the screen and you have to shoot down UFO ships before they kidnap your little people.
That's when the action gets really hectic but you've got infinite ammo and there's no need to reload so you can go berserk with the trigger without a worry. It's great in two-player, as you both scramble to shoot the most targets within the time limit.
Find Mii
This is a Where's Wally style game that throws a bunch of Miis on the screen and tasks you with a search and find mission, using the Wii Remote as a pointer.
The game might ask you to find one or more identical Miis within the crowd, or it might ask you to find the Mii which you have created on your Wii console. It gets even more brain-busting when the asks you which Mii from a select group is your favourite. Then a few rounds later it will ask you to identify your chosen favourite in a group of dozens of Miis, which tests your memory as well as you observation skills.
Table Tennis
One of the simplest games in the package, Table Tennis simply has you moving your Wii Remote left or right to hit the ball back to your opponent.
You don't have to press a button to hit the ball - the game strikes for you - but you can put direction on the ball by moving the bat left or right as you strike the ball.
In single-player, your only task is to rack up a 100-hit rally with the computer, who will lose the game on your 100th strike of the ball. That gets you a medal. This game is really about multiplayer, where two players go head-to head with fast rallies.
Pose Mii
This is a tricky but addictive game that has you moving your floating Mii around the screen with the Remote, positioning him in bubbles to make the bubbles disappear before they reach the bottom of the screen.
The catch is that the bubbles have little drawings in them that show what pose your Mii must be in to make it disappear. So as well as moving your Mii around the screen, you also have to press the A or B button to get your Mii into the right pose, and twist your Remote to rotate your Mii into the right position to fit the sketch on the bubble. It's super tough, but hugely addictive.
Laser Hockey
Laser Hockey is straightforward - it's virtual air hockey where you use the Wii Remote's pointer to control your paddle, and hit the puck into the goal on the opposite side. There really is nothing else to it, but again, this is best played in two player.
Billiards
Absolute genius. Billiards uses the Wii Remote to fantastically replicate the cue. First you line up your shot by aiming your on-screen cursor off the white ball, holding Z and moving the Remote left and right.
Once you're satisfied with the angels (all done via a first-person view), you point at where on the white ball you want to hit, hold Z to lock your shot in place, then draw the remote back and thrust it forward to take the shot.
There's no power bars needed because the controller reads the speed at which you pushed it forward with the utmost accuracy, and the game replicates that on screen to satisfying effect. It's a shame there's no snooker and pool options, but this is surely a taste of what future pool games will be capable of on Wii.
Fishing
This simple game - which interestingly looks like it was made of paper - sets you the seemingly simple task of hooking fish out of a small pond.
Tracking your every move, the Wii Remote acts as your rod as you dip your hook into the water and wait for the fish to take a bite (which is indicated by the rumble force in the Remote) before yanking your rod backwards to catch a fish.
But stick it in two-player mode and a game of patience becomes a game of razor-sharp reactions as you race to catch the most fish.
Charge
Your little Wii rides on a cow, which you steer by tilting the Wii Remote left and right like a steering wheel (Excite Truck-style). Your aim is to bash into scarecrows and other enemies on the course, while jumping over hurdles by flicking the Remote upwards.
This relatively basic game comes to life in split-screen multiplayer, where you another player barge each other around the course as you scramble to hit the targets.
Tanks
Our favourite game of them all. It's top-down, single-screen battle game reminiscent of the tank battles in Combat on the Atari 2600, for those of you old enough to remember that.
You control your little tank by pushing the analogue stick on the Nunchuk in any direction, while aiming your cannon with the Wii Remote's pointer. Shoot cannons with the B trigger or drop a proximity mine that explodes when approached.
You get points for taking out computer-controlled tanks which pack various weapons, from slow and easy-to-avoid cannons to fast and devastating rocket launchers. In two-player, it's a race to destroy the most tanks in each level. Fantastic fun.
Wii Play is, despite its simplicity, bound to be hours of fun in multiplayer and for £40, it comes packed with a Wii Remote (worth £30). So it's only £10! Bargain.
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November 7th, 2006, 19:29 Posted By: wraggster
Zi Corp has announced that it has licensed its predictive text input technology (eZiText) to Nintendo for Wii.
The agreement expands upon a similar agreement in October 2005, which enlisted similar technology to utilise on the Nintendo DS, and will probably make sending SMS messages via the Wii as easy as a mobile phone.
"Nintendo is a worldwide leader in video game systems and has a reputation for bringing innovative technology to the market," said Milos Djokovic, President and CEO, Zi Corporation.
"By embedding eZiText in Wii, Nintendo is empowering its customer with a more user friendly method for text input."
"This announcement heralds the future use of eZiText outside of conventional mobile usage," continued Djokovic.
"The global gaming industry has become a worldwide phenomenon and is becoming an important new avenue for the distribution of our products. As such, we will continue to progressively pursue new gaming customers."
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November 7th, 2006, 21:06 Posted By: wraggster
New DS game released at SuccessHK
In Tom and Jerry Tales, Tom has gone mouse-catching crazy! With the family out for the day, he has stolen Jerry's special cheese stash and set traps all over the house to finally catch Jerry. Help poor Jerry run through mouse holes, destroying the house through encounters with Tom and recovering all of his precious cheese along the way. Avoid sneaky traps, zoom through obstacles and create endless confusion to wreak havoc on the house -- and get Tom kicked out of the house, once and for all!
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November 7th, 2006, 21:09 Posted By: wraggster
New DS game released at SuccessHK
Touch Detective is a unique mystery adventure as you become a private eye in a strange new world. When Mackenzie's father unexpectedly passed away, she inherits the family business: a renowned detective agency. In a world world populated by mechanized butlers and walking skeletons, mysteries are very different. With the aid of cheerful mushroom-man Funghi and robotic servant Cromwell, Mackenzie sets off to prove herself worthy of being called... the Touch Detective!
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November 7th, 2006, 21:23 Posted By: wraggster
Lick has released a new app that scans for Wifi in time it will become a fully fledged app to setup your Wifi on the DS.
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November 7th, 2006, 21:26 Posted By: wraggster
News from the official site:
I have to come back and talk about the floating elements; fortunately, this time it's to say that they're practically done, and that I'm moving on to other aspects of the program. I've prepared the user interface, both graphically and codewise; remember that I had already started the integration of libsmgl (an html library) with the document engine, etc.
There's been a lot of talk about the possibility of using the built-in memory available on some cards. For now I'm going to try to avoid using it. It's possible that it gets to a point where I may consider it conveniant, but I'd rather keep it accessible, even if it was more limited (not loading images, making them 2 colors, or any other valid option).
More info --> http://okiwi.blogspot.com/
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November 7th, 2006, 21:28 Posted By: wraggster
ttursas has again updated his homebrew game for the DS, heres whats new:
* Removed TCP code from dswifilib, and changed the two framehdr[] arrays that were
allocated from stack to be larger and allocated from heap apparently fixing the network
play as it works again. Also rewrote memcpy() and strncpy() so that no libg is needed
for them by dswifilib.
* Bullets don't collide with planes that are exploding.
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November 7th, 2006, 21:59 Posted By: wraggster
Christophe Andreani has released new Maps for his excellent Map for DS App for the Nintendo DS, heres some info:
AMAP4DS (A map for DS) is a simple, easy to use and fast map viewer. It is first designed for metro and bus maps. It is not distributed alone but always with a specific map. You can find free several maps downloads below. Due to DS technical limitations it is not possible, for now, to load your own maps into AMAP4DS. If you need a map you can't find here, please, send me an email: christophe@andreani.net , I may add it in a near future :-)
Hello,
Here are some new map releases for AMAP4DS v3.0:
- AMAP4DS-Berlin-SU-Bahn
- AMAP4DS-Berlin-Tram
- AMAP4DS-Paris-Bus
- AMAP4DS-Paris-Streets
- AMAP4DS-Roma-Metro
The "AMAP4DS-Paris-Streets" map is very large, so it has been cut in 4 quarters: North-West, North-East, South-East and South-West. It's not a perfect system (because you need to reboot your DS to go from a quarter to another) but I hope it can help some people who are looking for the streets around a metro station for instance...
Christ
Homepage to download: http://www.andreani.net/ds/
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November 8th, 2006, 00:03 Posted By: Dee-Lite
Ok so a follow on from my Wii letter thread.
By now most of you should have the Wii Limited Edition Card through the post.
Put money on the card to save towards your Wii's
But whats the point when you can just lift the money from your bank on the day?
Well today I went and took this card and put £200 on it
He put the money on the Wii card. Then he asked me for my GAME Reward card. He then put £200 worth of points on my reward card
Here's how the points system works:
£10 = 100 points
so
£100 = 1000 points
1000 points = £2.50 GAME credit
So the guy put 2000 points on my reward card giving me £5 instantly!
Nice huh? But it doesn't end there, because GAME are giving double points on Wii release day. It means you get double points for everythin you spend along with the console on the day
so I am planning on spending £300 roughly
lets look at the total money back I will get although GAME have still not advertised bundles yet, so I don't know what I will get for my money
So
£300 = 3000 points = £7.50
multiplied by 2 =
6000 points = £15
plus initial £5 for putting £200 on Wii Limited Edition Card
Total money back for £300 spend = £20
Good for a Wii points card, a carry bag or even a nunchuck attachment!
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November 8th, 2006, 01:39 Posted By: wraggster
How badly do US gamers want a Wii? GameStop is thinking "very." Last night, the retailer and its subsidiary EB Games sent out a mass e-mail saying that, starting late on Thursday, gamers will be able to order the Wii from the two companies' online stores, GameStop.com and EBgames.com, in the form of an expensive bundle.
"This Thursday evening (CST), November 9, your opportunity to get in on the excitement arrives when the Wii Bundle becomes available for purchase online at GameStop.com," read the e-mail. "You'll get the best games, accessories, and more in one convenient package delivered right to your door--all for under $699 plus tax and handling." (Emphasis added.)
By itself, the Wii costs only $250 and comes with the Wiimote and Nunchuk controller, power and AV cords, sensor bar, stands, and Wii Sports. Given the GameStop Wii bundle's steep price, one would wonder what assortment of add-ons and games are worth around an extra $449. Apparently, the customer-service reps at GameStop are also wondering. "We don't know what the bundle contains," a rep told GameSpot. "We also don't know when they go on sale. We won't know until Thursday."
Catch number two is that there will only be a single Wii bundle to (not) choose from, unlike the Xbox 360 bundle assortment GameStop offered last year. "I can confirm there is only one bundle with the same games and accessories," said the same rep. "And no, we don't know what they are either."
Last but not least are a series of caveats all too familiar to console-launch veterans. "Quantities are extremely limited and there will be a limit of 1 Wii bundle per household, limited to US delivery only," read GameStop's e-mail. "Ordering a bundle does not guarantee shipment at launch and orders will be shipped on a first-come, first-serve basis. The bundle will be removed from the site as soon as we have reached our expected quota." The Wii launches in the US on November 19.
Gamers put off by the bundle's high price will only have one next-gen alternative on GameStop.com--the Xbox 360. "There are currently no [set] plans for a new PlayStation 3 pre-order program," the GameStop rep said. [UPDATE] A recording on the GameStop help line said that there was simply "no new information" available, implying the PS3 preorder plans were not currently available to the public. The company had offered a very limited number of unbundled PS3 and Wii preorders on a first-come-first-served basis at its retail outlets on the morning of October 10, all of which sold out within minutes. Confirmed preorders of Sony's console, which launches in the US on November 17, are currently fetching upwards of $1,500 on eBay.
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November 8th, 2006, 01:48 Posted By: wraggster
Via BBC
The eagerly anticipated Nintendo Wii will be launched on 19 November in the US and we want you to be part of the BBC News website's launch coverage.
With its unorthodox controller and innovative launch titles the console promises entertainment for gamers and non-gamers alike.
It is also cheaper than both Microsoft's Xbox 360 and the long awaited Sony PlayStation 3.
But the Nintendo system does not pack the same raw processing power as either of these machines, nor does it offer high definition graphics.
So, is the Wii the console underdog? Is the controller just a novelty? Will the white box pack enough fun to win the hearts, minds and wallets of gamers?
We are looking for US gamers and non-gamers who will have a Wii on launch day to help us to answer these questions.
We are particularly interested in hearing from families who have perhaps never owned a console but have been tempted to splash out on a Wii.
As part of our launch coverage, we are asking readers to write a series of short pieces for the site about:
why you decided to buy a Nintendo Wii
how you feel as the launch-hour nears
and, once you've finally got hold of your console, whether playing it lives up to your expectations.
If you fit the criteria and want to be part of our coverage, send 150 words on why gaming is so important to you, and why you are excited about the Nintendo Wii launch.
Details to the link above
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November 8th, 2006, 01:49 Posted By: wraggster
The ESRB has approved and rated another pile of Nintendo's Virtual Console throwbacks, including:
Duck Hunt (E)
Hogan's Alley (E)
Kid Icarus (E)
Kirby's Adventure (E)
PilotWings (E)
Pro Wrestling (E)
Punch-Out (E)
Wild Gunman (E)
With Duck Hunt, Hogan's Alley, and Wild Gunman making appearances, the Zapper can't be far behind. Think the E3 prototype fits the bill?
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November 8th, 2006, 01:56 Posted By: wraggster
Somewhere in an unassuming side street in central London there is a house stacked full to the brim with Nintendo Wiis. The house has become known as The Wii House. SPOnG was offered a visit to the hidden location; this is our story…
Nintendo has fully kitted out this palace of pleasure in the style of a typical family home*, in order for members of Her Majesty’s Gaming Media to finally get their hands on review versions of Wii games in a relaxed, homely environment.
So SPOnG spent a good part of yesterday snooping around The Wii House with our trusty snapper, Stuart, in tow, who took the pictures you can see right here.
Full Article at Spong
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November 8th, 2006, 02:04 Posted By: wraggster
Via DSfanboy
When it comes to Nintendo's bounty hunters, it's all about the ladies. But the long-awaited, oft-delayed Scurge: Hive is no Metroid knockoff, despite similarites in heroines (and in weapons of choice). In Scurge: Hive, you take on the role of Jenosa Arma as she investigates a distress signal from a lab. Unfortunately for the intrepid Jenosa, the lab and everything around it is infected with the Scurge, a dangerous alien plague that spreads parasitically, infecting a host and taking it over. Before she can escape, she is infected and must go through a rigorous decontamination process while battling the alien menace and a wide array of monsters. But Jenosa is up to the task, difficult as it may sound. When you're a bounty huntress, that's just all in a day's work.
Overall, the game has seen solid reviews praising the pacing and story, but decrying the repetitive aspect of gameplay. No matter how interesting the story, in the end, it does come down to: kill enemies, get to sickbay. But then again, what game can't be boiled down to the sum of its parts?
Interestingly, the DS version has seen more negative criticism than the GBA -- the touch screen is barely used (it serves as a map screen) and the graphics seem to have suffered in the transition to the updated system (it was originally designed as a GBA title).
GameZone - 80%: One part action, one part RPG. One part Metroid, one part Zelda, one part reminiscent of the PSone era. Technically this is a GBA title, and unfortunately does not take advantage of everything the DS has to offer. But that doesn't prevent the game from blasting through. Scurge: Hive dives into the world of isometric action/RPGs, delivering an experience of intelligent puzzles, thrilling action, and monumental entertainment.
IGN - 70%: Scurge is one of the nicest looking games I've ever seen on the GBA. The Nintendo DS version however doesn't just suffer from having GBA graphics, but they actually seem to be worse. A lot of the neat mist effects, and the enemy animations are either gone or not near as polished as the GBA version. Don't get me wrong, Scurge is still a nice looking game on either handheld. Jenosa looks great, and is beautifully animated. Even her absurdly long ponytail looks great on either system. Scurge is a wonderful game to look at, but the DS version should have at least been on par with the GBA.
1UP - 70%: Even with these problems, though, Scurge: Hive is an entertaining adventure that boasts impressive production values, especially given its origins in a tiny development house. Its greatest failing is that it stands uneasily on the line between arcade-action and console-adventure. If you don't mind something that mashes two genres together without necessarily perfecting either, though, it's like having a lost chunk of 1993 in your pocket.
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November 8th, 2006, 02:07 Posted By: wraggster
Via IGN
If you found yourself disappointed when Level 5's first DS game had a professor's name attached to it, you weren't alone. The DS could use an epic with the scale of Dragon Quest VIII, Rogue Galaxy or the upcoming White Knight Story, after all, and who better to deliver it than the maker of those three titles.
We're not sure if it will end up being an adventure to rival those three, but Level 5's Professor Layton and the Mysterious Town looks like another quality DS title in its own right. We sampled an early build at the Nintendo World event in Nagoya this past weekend.
The focus of this game is on solving puzzles, so we'll start there. The game presents its puzzles in a straightforward way. The top screen usually lists a problem with text, with the bottom screen allowing you to solve the problem directly with the stylus. Here are a few examples that we saw at the event:
1. Given three flasks, measure out an exact amount of water ala Die Hard with a Vengeance.
2. Given a set of 10 coins in a triangle formation, flip the triangle over by moving just three coins.
3. Given a map with the letters A, B, C and D appearing twice each, connect A to A, B to B, C to C and D to D without any intersections between the lines.
We didn't have trouble solving the few puzzles that we sampled, although we did notice a few people chicken out and flee from the waiting line to play the game. If you do end up having trouble (and we presume there will be tougher problems in the full game), you can always ask for a hint, assuming you've built up enough hint points.
Different from the billion other puzzle and quiz based DS games, Layton has an adventure mode, with lots of text boxes and catchy character and background art. You move between the puzzles by selecting locations on a town map. In the demo version, the map indicated that we had 10 out of 11 puzzles remaining to be cleared.
There probably won't be any random battles or interstellar travel in Professor Layton, but intriguing puzzles and gorgeous art could make this another DS pick-up. We'll let you know how everything comes together when the game sees Japanese release next year. A US version has yet to be announced.
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November 8th, 2006, 20:56 Posted By: wraggster
Nanostray 2 is looking real slick, and we've got the first shots to prove it
We're big fans of scrolling shoot-'em-ups, and although Nanostray on DS wasn't perfect, it's hard-as-nails bullet-dodging action was good enough to keep up hooked for a while.
Now the sequel is nearly here, and developer Shin'en has released this first batch of screenshots to show off just how nice it's looking. The good news is it seems the dev's got rid of the touch-screen operated weapon selection, which didn't work so well in the first game.
And it's looking like a top shooter to us. Giant, grab boss of death? Check. Fat lasers and nice explosions? Check. Vertically and horizontally scrolling levels? Yup. It even seems to improve on the already impressive backdrops of the original too.
With "exciting" Wi-Fi internet functions promised, (including a World Ranking system that can be accessed through the official website), we're looking forward to seeing what Nanostray 2 has up it's sleeve.
The game is still without a publisher or release date, but more info is due in coming weeks.
Screens & news at CVG
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November 8th, 2006, 21:04 Posted By: wraggster
Eagle eyed web-spotters have noticed an update to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board website in America, perhaps unmasking the first post-release batch of Virtual Console titles for that territory.
Duck Hunt, Hogan's Alley, Kid Icarus, Kirby's Adventure, PilotWings, Pro Wrestling, Punch-Out and Wild Gunman all make the list of most recent Nintendo Wii ratings, but none has featured on the US Virtual Console line-up so far.
Nintendo has previously said it aims to release Virtual Console titles at the rate of about ten new additions each month, although it's come to light recently that its line-ups for individual regions will differ.
For example, the European line-up boasts SNES title Donkey Kong Country in addition to F-Zero and Sim City, whereas the US list does not, and the Japanese SNES line-up is altogether more expansive.
Virtual Console titles will need be purchased using Wii Points, for which you'll pay EUR 20 / GBP 14 for 2000. NES games will cost 500, SNES 800, N64 1000, Megadrive 800 and TurboGrafx-16 600 points.
Nintendo Wii launches in Europe on 8th December.
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November 8th, 2006, 21:10 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo has a lengthy tradition of playing its cards close to the vest, so it's not surprising that some of the company's fans may be expecting the console maker to have one last megaton bomb to drop on the gaming world in advance of the Wii launch. However, those holding their breath in anticipation of a world-rocking revelation surrounding the Wii can exhale, as Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime told GameSpot sister site News.com in a video interview that the publisher has nothing left to hide.
Fils-Aime told News.com that everything that would come packed with the Wii was finalized, and that the few areas that hadn't been detailed (the company's Virtual Console content, packaged software) weren't actually finalized yet.
When asked if Nintendo was planning any last-minute surprises, Fils-Aime said, "No, no wonderful secret announcement. At least not one that I'm aware of, so then it would really be a secret."
Fils-Aime also responded to the Wii's appearance last week on the animated show South Park. Despite the frequently controversial and adult tone of the show, Fils-Aime expressed no reservations about the traditionally family-friendly Nintendo brand being featured in an episode.
"Obviously we love it," Fils-Aime said. "It's not something that they approached us for permission, though we were aware that they were working on it. It's fantastic to be in popular culture in that way."
The conclusion to last week's Wii-centric South Park episode is expected to air tonight on Comedy Central.
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November 8th, 2006, 21:15 Posted By: gotmilk0112
via www.gamestop.com:
This Thursday evening (CST), November 9, your opportunity to get in on the excitement arrives when our online-only Wii Bundle pre-order becomes available. You'll get the best games, accessories and more in one convenient package delivered right to your door. Supplies extremely limited.
The Nintendo Wii bundle includes the following items:
Nintendo Wii Console (includes 1 remote controller, 1 nunchuck, cables, sensor bar, console stand, and Wii Sports game)
Wii Memory SD 1GB
Additional Wii Remote Controller
6 Games:
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Red Steel
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz
Madden NFL 2007
12 Month Product Replacement Plan
Game Informer Gift Subscription
$694.88 plus tax and handling
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November 8th, 2006, 21:22 Posted By: wraggster
Think after E3 Nintendo just sailed through the summer, chilling out, maxing and relaxing by the pool? No. Nintendo worked. And here's proof. Reader Matthew sent along this comparison for us to compare. Besides the obvious addition of people, notice how Nintendo ditched the company logo in favor of "WiiSports."
Screen Via Comments
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November 8th, 2006, 21:30 Posted By: wraggster
Popular Science awarded the Nintendo Wii as "Best of What's New" in the category of home entertainment edging out a Samsung Blu-ray player, a Logitech MP3 player, some speakers, an LCD display, and a color-calibration device to name a few. From the article:
"Remember when videogames were fun? When the controllers had only a couple buttons and you didn't have to spend an hour learning the seven-step finger dance for "walk?" Nintendo does, so it took a step back, looked at its superpowered competitors, and took a totally different path with its new console ... Photo-real or not, [Wii] games will draw you in."
Who needs mass advertising when publicity and word of mouth is this positive? But if Nintendo isn't mass advertising...
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November 8th, 2006, 22:02 Posted By: wraggster
New DS Game released:
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam takes the old Tony Hawk formula and puts it into a downhill racing game, with very mixed results.
More info at SuccessHK
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November 8th, 2006, 22:32 Posted By: wraggster
Via thatkidrob
I recently went to the Sneaker Pimps convention down in Miami and i came across what seemed to me the most interesting shoe I've ever seen. This shoe is actually a NES Mattel Version molded into a shoe. I happened to speak to the maker of this shoe and he told me that it actually plays the games!!!! He said its the only known video game shoe ever made.
Screens Via Comments
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November 8th, 2006, 22:35 Posted By: wraggster
News from the DS-xtreme Website with news about their DS Flashcart.
We have been inundated with mails and calls from resellers and consumers enquiring about stock. Since the launch of the DS-Xtreme we have been overwhelmed by the response and subsequent demand for our product. We would like to assure all of you that we are producing around the clock to meet demand. In the next few days we expect to have all back orders cleared and ample stock to cover future orders. Thank you for your support!!!
 
You can buy this latest new flashcart for the Nintendo DS from Divineo Spain, Divineo Germany, Divineo USA, Divineo China, Divineo UK
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November 8th, 2006, 22:37 Posted By: wraggster
Via DSfanboy
The localized version of Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! has finally hit our shores and, as Elite Beat Agents, the player is charged with maintaining the super-cool, dressed-in-black stylings of the crew as they bust the most elite beats and kick it to save those in need. Apparently, if the critics are to be believed, in its overhaul from Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! to Elite Beat Agents, they lost a little something, however reviews generally say the game is worth owning.
Gamespot - 89%: "Though there isn't much competition, Elite Beat Agents is easily the best rhythm game available for the Nintendo DS, and for that matter, it's easily one of the most randomly addictive experiences on the platform. The idea of just tapping circles in time with music while dudes in suits dance doesn't sound like much on paper, but the insane presentational components and enjoyable challenge the game puts forth do a lot to bring the whole experience together into something extremely playable. Those without a penchant for the unabashedly bizarre might find Elite Beat Agents to be a bit too much, but just about anyone else with a DS would do well to try this one out."
IGN - 95%: "Westerners who've played the original Osu! Tatake! Oendan! might end up a little disappointed that the Nintendo of America version might lack the kitschy Japanese flavor with its bandana-adorned personal cheerleaders and incomprehensible J-pop tunes accomodating the quirky, lost-in-translation stories. But even with new characters, popular Western tunes, and plots that actually make sense, Elite Beat Agents retains the awesome, addictive gameplay core. And let's be honest: the Elite Beat Agents are too cool for school and could kick those pansy bathrobe-wearing cheerleaders' asses any day of the week."
1UP - 90%: "Import-geek protestations notwithstanding, Elite Beat Agents is here, and it deserves to be in every DS owner's library. Very few games can truly claim to be for all players of all ages, and this is one of them. With a delirious mix of slapstick humor, comic storytelling, infectious music, and tons of replayability, Elite Beat Agents is one of the best music-oriented games to date and stands among the cream of the DS's impressive library. Don't miss it."
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November 8th, 2006, 22:39 Posted By: wraggster
Via Dsfanboy
With less than a week until Final Fantasy III releases to US gamers, our excitement cannot get any higher. We're serious, we already broke one of our excite-o-meters just trying to measure our excitement.
Video Here
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November 8th, 2006, 22:46 Posted By: wraggster
Smealum has released an awesome looking Doom Type game for the Nintendo DS, heres the full translated info:
Presentation:
Ben then it is simple, I launched out in the creation of a FPS… Technically, it is already quite advanced, even if it misses things enormously and that it is buggé enough (aaaaaah, the collisions….) the bases are there (for example, the collisions are not brilliant but functional: one cannot completely in no case to cross a wall, it is already that ).
[B] Attention, I did not find an emulator which makes turn the play at 100% (finally, free at least, it is possible that the paying version of no$gba makes it turn…). For example: DSmume does not post that the weapon and the sky, but not the 3D. Dualis, it is the opposite, which 3D (but well at least), but not the weapon nor sky…
Screen Ci below was carried out besides by me even via a software of edition of images; it badly does not miss things compared to the last version… (the true play is better )
History:
8/11/2006: First version “general public” (of the younger versions were distributed on IRC, but the project was not enough “mature” “to be announced” openly).
How to play:
Ca, it is rather traditional:
- D-PAD or ABXY to move (front, back, strafe left and right)
- Stylet to aim
- R or L to draw and open/close doors
Other information:
Note that although certain places resemble doors, it is not, they are téléporteurs, it is for that which you will move without same having to press on R if you return inside
Also, if you are really made shit, you can publish the level via a hexadecimal editor (is not this step Refix? ). Indeed, the level is not “hardware coded”: it is contained in a file txt which is inclu in the Romanian one at the compile time. Thanks to that, an editor of level will be very simple to make. To tell the truth, I made the maps play under notepad
Sounds Great, Download and Give Feedback Via Comments
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November 9th, 2006, 13:43 Posted By: Sektor
REminiscence is a rewrite of the engine used in the game Flashback from Delphine Software. REminiscence was coded by Gregory Montoir.
This Nintendo DS port was made by Sektor and uses code from GPF's REminiscence DS port.
v0.2 libfat version- Sound effects are now working (thanks to an updated ndsSDL - http://gpf.dcemu.co.uk/ndsSDL.shtml)
- Music plays but not very well
- Added Lick's libcartreset to allow returning to M3/SD/GBAMP menu without powering off the DS
- Resources and music are read from /data/flashback/data/ on a compatible media device
- Saves are stored at /data/flashback/
Todo (I have no plans but I would like this done eventually):- Improve music playback quality
- Sleep when lid is closed
- Add cheats and level select
- Speed up cut scenes and fix cut scene glitches
You will need the data files from the PC DOS version of the game. Copy the Flashback files to X:\data\flashback\data\ , replace X: with the drive letter of your DS media device.
To hear music, you need the mod.* files from the Amiga version. They should be named like mod.flashback-introb , without a .mod extension.
It should work on M3CF (tested), GBAMP and Supercard. Backup anything important before using any homebrew that writes to your media device. I haven't had any file corruption but I haven't tested every device and backups are always a good idea.
This version won't work on MMD or G6. It should be playable on DS-X but OS v1.0.2 has a problem with the writing code of libfat that stops Flashback from saving correctly (you will fall through the ground and weird things like that).
DS controls:
----------------------------------------------
d-pad move Conrad
A draw/holster gun
B talk / use / run / shoot
X use the current inventory object
Y display the inventory / skip movies
L display the options
R toggles fast mode
- Sektor
- www.GTAMP.com/DS
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November 9th, 2006, 22:11 Posted By: wraggster
The Wii launch is just weeks away, and many who pre-ordered are begining to receive those dreaded emails confirming that they joined the queue a little too late, and they won't get a Wii on launch.
Many Play.com customers have already recieved the bad news: "Dear Customer, due to a European shortage of the Nintendo Wii Consoles, we regret to inform you that Play.com will be unable to supply your pre-ordered Nintendo Wii at launch."
It goes on to say: "We are guaranteed more stock before Christmas, but Nintendo have informed us, along with all other official Nintendo retailers, that the console will not be freely available until next year."
Obviously, this is causing quite a stir so CVG contacted Nintendo to get its take on the situation this Christmas. "In Europe Nintendo is maximising all its resources to ensure that there is a good quantity of stock available in Europe at launch and a regular supply of Wii consoles coming into the market from launch through 2007.
"However due to the phenomenal pace of pre-orders over recent weeks, it is likely that demand will outstrip supply at launch." This is bad news for all those that joined the pre-order party late in the day.
It's not necessarily too late yet, however, because CVG has heard of a few cases where eager beavers here in UK have found electrical stores such as Comet or Dixons to have very few pre-orders placed. Granted, they'll probably only get a small number of units at launch, but it's worth a try if you're one of, say, four in the queue, don't you think?
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November 9th, 2006, 22:14 Posted By: wraggster
Elebits was originally touted as a Wii launch game over in the US, but it will miss the November 19 launch date, reports IGN.
The game, which has players using the Wii Remote like a wand to search through domestic environments for energy-giving creatures, is now expected to be released on either December 12 or 18, apparently depending on a pending Nintendo approval process.
We're not due to see the game here in UK until after Christmas anyway, with a European release currently set as Q1 2007, which is a tad vague.
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November 9th, 2006, 22:15 Posted By: wraggster
The Rumble Pak was one of the N64's many great innovations, accentuating in-game crashes, bumps and explosions by shaking the controller.
But when N64 games arrive on the Virtual Console retro downloads system on Wii, they'll lack forcefeedback support, Nintendo has confirmed to CVG in a Q&A regarding the Virtual Console.
This might be due to the lack of a rumble feature in the Classic Controller, which will be the primary controller for playing Virtual Console games on Wii. But with the option to play VC games with a GameCube controller, which does feature a rumble motor, we had hoped that games would retain their pad-shaking features.
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November 9th, 2006, 22:22 Posted By: wraggster
News from Divineo USA
The new low cost M3 Adapters Pro are on the way here. It have less compatibility with GBA software, but offer great support for DS.
More Info
The M3 Lite is the answer of M3 team to the Nintendo DS Lite. It is a full blown M3 adapter that will perfectly fit into your Nintendo DS Lite GBA cartrige slot without sticking out, and with all the functions of the M3 Adapter. It is using Micro SD card and comes with 3 cases (Black, White and Ice Blue) for perfect integration in the design of your Nintendo DS Lite.
Does not include a Passkey or Passcard.
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November 9th, 2006, 22:32 Posted By: wraggster
Speaking at the Montréal Games Summit, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has said that more and more developers are turning their attentions to the Wii - and away from rival consoles.
"We've had a tremendous amount of third party support as we've prepared for the launch. The shift that's been reported in developer focus from those other consoles to Wii truly is happening," Fils-Aime told the audience.
"And Mr Iwata, the entire senior team in Japan, my leadership team in the States - we recognise the tremendous contribution that you have made to the launch of Wii."
Fils-Aime went on to defend Nintendo's decision to bundle the new console with the Wii Sports game, saying, "We talk to business men, we talk to analysts, and they say, 'Why did you do this? You could have easily boosted your bottom line by selling this title.'
"And we say, it would have been off our strategy to sell it - we had to make it available to all of those consumers that'll buy the hardware to have a great first experience."
Fils-Aime believes the arrival of the Wii will herald fundamental shift for games, just as Super Mario 64's 3D graphics did in a previous console cycle. "We believe with the next home console a similar change can happen; and it'll happen week after next, with the launch of Wii," he said, adding, "We don't believe you can expand the market by using a traditional multi-button masher of a controller."
Earlier in his speech, Fils-Aime discussed the success of the Nintendo DS with reference to its performance in the Canadian market. "Looking at monthly sales this year, up until May, we were running about neck and neck with our competition," he observed.
"But since the launch of DS Lite, sales have soared. During [the last six month] period, the advantage in unit sales is about two and a half to one, and DS is the top selling platform so far this year in Canada by a wide margin."
According to Fils-Aime, Nintendo believes it has a mission to "change the central dynamic of this industry", which over the last few years "was becoming consumed by intesifying the game experience along a very narrow path".
"We believe that narrow path was alienating a lot of potential consumers during that time. Almost all publishers and manufacturers were chasing the same class of player; a group that many believe had a seemingly limitless desire for more of the same," he continued.
"We opted for disruption - not ignoring these core players, but looking beyond them; looking for a way to expand the market audience to include new types of players."
The Nintendo Wii will go on sale in North America on November 19, with the European launch to follow on December 8.
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November 9th, 2006, 22:48 Posted By: wraggster
In September, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) gave ratings for unannounced Wii versions of a number of classic Sega games that were assumed to be part of the company's Virtual Console downloadable game service.
Those assumptions were proven correct last week as Nintendo and Sega both confirmed the same slate of Sega titles would be among the 30 downloadable Virtual Console games available by the end of 2006. And while the games have now been officially announced, they were pulled at some point from the ESRB Web site and have yet to be reposted.
The ESRB might have done it again, as the company's Web site today lists an assortment of unconfirmed games for the Nintendo Wii, all of which bear names familiar to longtime gamers. A scan of the ESRB Web site's ratings database culled the following unannounced titles, some of which have previously been hinted at:
Punch-Out
Pro Wrestling
Kirby's Adventure
Kid Icarus
Hogan's Alley
Wild Gunman
Duck Hunt
PilotWings
All of the games received a rating of E for Everyone. It's worth noting that while these games would be plausible Virtual Console candidates, GameStop has been accepting preorders for Wii versions of Duck Hunt and PilotWings for months, both with a $49.99 price tag that would be more suited to a new installment in each series, rather than a straight retro release. A Wii game strongly reminescent of Duck Hunt was also shown in an E3 tech demo meant to feature the Wiimote's light gun-like capabilities. A Wii version of Kid Icarus has also been rumored for several months.
A Nintendo representative had not returned GameSpot's request for comment as of press time.
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November 9th, 2006, 22:53 Posted By: wraggster
It turns out that Taito have gone for the more traditional peripheral route for their upcoming bullet train simulation epic on the Wii.
Being a moderate connoisseur of console peripherals, that does look awfully similar to the PlayStation 2 controller for Densha de Go! Shinkansen: Sanyō Shinkansen Hen though.
The game will be released february of next year for the princely sum of 6090 yen. For those that live near or in Osaka, you can fondly caress this controller at the Games Japan Festa opening in the next few days.
Screen Via Comments
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November 9th, 2006, 22:57 Posted By: wraggster
A recent issue of UK's Prima magazine featured a disturbing Nintendo advertorial (i.e. an advertisement pretending to be an article) pitching Wii to the non-gamer type. This thing is so misleading, we'll just note the worst and wallow in our discomfort elsewhere:
The feigned article vies to help individuals get fit while playing Wii. Umm, go work out or ride one of these...
"Turn off the TV and get active in your own home with the revolutionary Wii." Umm, keep that TV on so you can use the console...
The article suggests not to sit your children in front of a TV, but in front of the Wii instead. Umm, still not getting it...
They make the Wii sound like a happy weight loss social center filled with rainbows and sugar plums rather than the video game console it is. And BOOOO creepy Wii advertorial image. Hooray, gaming grandpa!
More info
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November 9th, 2006, 23:08 Posted By: wraggster
The rock and rollocking success of Red Octane’s Guitar Hero game seems to have inspired the guys at Plato studio over in Japan to try to recreate the rock and roll experience for Nintendo’s handheld.
Plato, the team behind the hugely successful English language teaching software for DS, is developing the handheld guitar game, called Hiite Utaeru DS Guitar M-06.
According to reports on 1UP, “The game allows anyone to strum out a few pleasant sounds, while proper guitar players can also feel at home with the ability to control the sound like a real guitar. 120 chords are built in, with three plucking variations of each. These are navigated with the d-pad, while the pen is brushed across the touch screen to strum.”
Plato claims to have demonstrated the game to professional guitarists who have reacted favourably, particularly liking the fact that the DS guitar-simulator could be carried around in a pocket.
Hiite Utaeru DS Guitar M-06 goes on sale in Japan at the end of December.
SPOnG will be looking to get more information on this intriguing little title, along with details of any plans for a US/European release in 2007.
Via Spong
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November 9th, 2006, 23:11 Posted By: wraggster
Reports are emerging today that demand for Nintendo’s Wii is going to far outstrip supply this coming Christmas season. Well, there’s a surprise. Not!
Play.com has already been shamefully guilty of cancelling pre-orders, with many receiving the following email in recent days:
"Dear Customer, due to a European shortage of the Nintendo Wii Consoles, we regret to inform you that Play.com will be unable to supply your pre-ordered Nintendo Wii at launch. We are guaranteed more stock before Christmas, but Nintendo have informed us, along with all other official Nintendo retailers, that the console will not be freely available until next year."
If you are busting for a Wii this December and haven’t yet pre-ordered, then it looks like you’d better get ready for some camping out in the cold. On that note, SPOnG is already hearing stories of PS3 queues forming outside Best Buys in California – NINE days before launch.
We’ll be trying to interview some of these crazy fools, who clearly have no lives or work or families to worry about, in the coming days.
SPOnG’s also hearing on the grapevine that N64 VC games will NOT feature force feedback (as per the classic Rumble Pak) as they will make use of the Wii’s Classic Controller, which has no rumble motor. More from Nintendo on this anon.
In more positive Wii news, SPOnG told you earlier this week about a bunch of confirmed Virtual Console titles for early 2007 as confirmed on the ESRB ratings website. A bunch more Nintendo classics have now been added to that list, which are:
• Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (Super NES; rated E for Everyone)
• Kirby's Super Star (Super NES; rated E for Everyone)
• Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64; rated E for Everyone)
• Starfox 64 (Nintendo 64; rated E for Everyone)
• Super Metroid (Super NES; rated E for Everyone)
• Kirby's Dream Land 3 (Super NES; rated E for Everyone)
• The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64; rated E for Everyone)
• Excitebike (NES; rated E for Everyone)
• Ice Climber (NES; rated E for Everyone)
• Dr. Mario (NES; rated E for Everyone)
• Mario Brothers (NES; rated E for Everyone)
• Ice Hockey (NES; rated E for Everyone)
• Soccer (NES; rated E for Everyone)
Impressive stuff we're sure you agree. To be fair, many if not most of the above were already known about or at least assumed/rumoured to be heading the way of the Virtual Console. But it’s still great news to see the above list and know that we’ll be playing most of those games again early in the New Year.
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November 9th, 2006, 23:35 Posted By: wraggster
New Nintendo DS accessory at SuccessHK:
Product Features of Nintendo DS Theme Interchangeable Crystal Case
Made of high transparent and crystal bright polycarbonate
Keeps your console from scratches
Precision access to jacks, ports and switches
10 bonus fantastic interchangeable game theme graphics
Available colors: Clear Blue / Clear / Clear Pink
More Description of Nintendo DS Theme Interchangeable Crystal Case
The Theme Interchangeable Crystal Case provides a stylish but strong protection to your DS Lite. The fitting design allows every function being easily accessed. The included game theme graphics let you change the style of your console once you feel boring with it.
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November 10th, 2006, 00:10 Posted By: wraggster
Shash posted this news about his Progress on the DS Emulator for windows:
I'm really busy with stuff not related to emulation right now, so not much progress has been done. I've only done some work towards making 3D processing faster, but least than a 5% improvement was achieved :P
I've really been thinking about when I should release, and I narrowed it down to one option: I'll release when either Super Mario DS or Metroid Prime look right, that means fixing compressed textures or fixing the generated texture coordinates. I'll probably make other speed fixes, but compatibility comes first.
No interesting stuff today neither shots, but it's late and I'm too tired :P
More Info
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November 10th, 2006, 00:29 Posted By: wraggster
Infantile Paralysiser have posted a new release of his image viewer for the Nintendo DS:
' Improving, it made the pictur.e quality of the CustomJpeg format default setting. (The IPK file which was made with Ver0.3test3 there is no compatibility)
The bug which with specific resolution has difference in preview size and full size was corrected.?'
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November 10th, 2006, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster
LiraNuna posted this news:
Thanks to AlexFili for letting me know the sources for Tales of Dagur did not work on the latest devkitPro.
Therefor I have released a fixed version of the source.
For the interested ones, here is a list of what is fixed:
ARM7’s makefile is changed to produce binaries in Thumb mode to reduce the code size to fit the 64k limit.
The ToD engine had a bug enabling effects before switching to a level. This caused the level handler to crash when loading the first map.
More Info --> http://liranuna.drunkencoders.com/tod-sources-fixed/
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November 10th, 2006, 00:35 Posted By: wraggster
Via Just Pause
While skimming through Volume 210 of Nintendo Power, I came across a few lines I would have missed otherwise. I havn’t seen this anywhere on the web, and would have missed out otherwise. For all Animal Crossing: Wild World owners, that are able to go on Wi-Fi this is a heads up to be sure to go online durring the days of Pre-Wii November 17th through Wii Phase Nov 24th. Do reconfirm that is Nov 17th-24th 2006. The item is relating and in honor of the Twilight Princess launch and comes with a letter and a very rare gift.
"SHHH . IT’S A SECRET"
Nov 17-24th 2006
Listen carefully NP faithful. To commeroate the launch of The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess for Wii on Nov 19th, Nintendo will be giving away a very speical, very rare gift in Animal Crossing: Wild World. Be sure to connect to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection during the week of Nov 17th-24th to recive a letter from Nintendo (which will show up in your mailbox near your home) and collect the attached item-you don’t want to miss this one."-Nintendo Power
Well I broke the secret...sorry Nintendo Power. Mark the day on your calender as will I, and I will be sure to remind you on Nov 16th to log in for the following day.
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November 10th, 2006, 00:36 Posted By: wraggster
Does your brain need some hot puzzle action? Not to fret! Agetec has the answer, though you'll just have to wait until next February to get down with the puzzles. The publisher's latest, the Brain Buster Puzzle Pak is set to bring five different games to the DS: Sudoku, Kakuro, Light Up, Nurikabe, and Slitherlink (aka Fences), all of which were created in conjunction with popular Japanese puzzle mag Nikoli.
Via DS Fanboy
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November 10th, 2006, 00:45 Posted By: wraggster
ttursas has again updated his homebrew game for the DS, heres whats new:
What's new in v0.1.3:
* Integrated libfat and libcartreset (press SELECT+ START to reset to GBA slot).
* The player plane doesn't zoom with the layers, when changing layers.
* Added machine gun sound.
* Machine gun bullets are now gray.
* The planes are now positioned nicer in the plane selection menu screen.
* The plane selection menu screen shows the plane stats (not yet in use, though).
* Animated the mines.
* You cannot change the level or the plane model when a network game is on.
* When changing the level, the plane model selection remains.
* If you get "CANNOT CONNECT" from dswifilib, it's possible to try again.
* Kill statistics are now saved on the server side.
* The player can scroll through these statistics on the PLAY STATISTICS menu
page, if there is a connection to the server.
* Redrew the test levels KUUSIKKO and AARRELAIVA.
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November 10th, 2006, 00:50 Posted By: Dee-Lite
I just found this video on Youtube
It features an australian game critic playing on a Wii in what appears to be a retail store.
Im pretty certain it's not Nintendo World, so could this be what we are all getting in our stores as demo machines?
Judge for yourselves
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November 10th, 2006, 00:55 Posted By: wraggster
The Hive has released a new Public Beta Version of his Spectrum emulator for the Nintendo DS,
What's new?
-----------
+ Fixed for M3, probably MP, and Supercard 1.70 also.
+ New theme.
+ Couple of other fixes.
G6 is next.
Heres his puzzle:
Another puzzle and this time the password is in caps and its the first letter from the 9 screens via comments
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November 10th, 2006, 01:02 Posted By: wraggster
Via Jayenkai:
Currently titled "JNKPlat : Dungeon Escape", but should really be something like "Dungeon Scram" or something like that.. But Dungeon Scram sounds a bit of a naff title, compared to Dungeon Escape..
Technically, there's 12 levels in here, but level 12 isn't done, and level 4 is the same as level 2... just the other half of it!
No titlescreen yet. And once you hit Level 12, you might as well just quit, and have done with it. Unless you really like the balloons.
Controls
DPad to move
B to hold
Y to Jump Left and A to Jump Right.. Sounds odd, but you'll get to grips with it fairly quickly!
The game is meant to be "More Puzzle than Platform", but it's kind of evolved to become more actiony than previous JNKPlat games I've created.
Hope you enjoy it.. Plenty more to come... And if I can figure out that stupid file system stuff, I'll add a level editor, too
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November 10th, 2006, 01:06 Posted By: wraggster
New from Mollusk:
A new graphist has come to help me out… I’m known worldwide for my horrible graphics skills…
Well, here comes Nhut ! I showed him the vital stuff to update, and he started out with Carre Rouge. A few minutes later, he had some screenshots to show me, and not much time after that the final version ^^
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November 10th, 2006, 09:10 Posted By: kcajblue
The V30 GM and Loader have been released.
M3 Website
Linfox Domain (Faster Download Speeds)
What is new in V30
M3 Game Manager V30 + loader V30
=================================
0580-42,0595-42,0602,0643,0649,0650,0659,0661 "fast mode" are supported.
0604,0621,0635,0639 the graphic at the bottom screen will be displayed properly.
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November 10th, 2006, 16:47 Posted By: wraggster
The Nintendo Wii was the topic of a hilarious episode of South Park last week, which saw Cartman, desperate to get a Wii, freezing himself in an attempt to pass the time until launch as quickly as possible.
But instead of waking up on the day of launch as he had planned, he instead remained frozen for 500 years, and is revived by the advanced future civilisation of earth, when the Wii is nothing but forgotten blip in human history.
The episode ended on a cliff hanger, and now the second part to the story has been aired, featuring an even more bizarre storyline. Does Cartman ever get his hands on the Wii? Some kind fellow has uploaded both episodes to Dailymotion.com, so check them out. Be quick though, they have a tendency to disappear after a short while.
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November 10th, 2006, 16:48 Posted By: wraggster
Majesco has revealed that the newly titled Bust-A-Move Bash! will come to Wii with a multiplayer mode for up to eight players.
What's interesting is how on earth this will work. At the moment we know it only to be possible to connect four Wii Remotes to the console at any time. Could it be that the game will use some sort of Wireless Wii multitap?
Our only other guess is that it could use a combination of Wii Remotes and extension controllers like the Nunchuk or classic controller, with players having to sit in pairs to share controllers. It may even use GameCube pads.
Majesco was not available for comment at present, but we'll chase down the details.
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November 10th, 2006, 22:17 Posted By: wraggster
Last week, GameSpot was brought a new bundle of joy in the form of Sony's PlayStation 3. The stork has arrived again, this time bearing Nintendo's Wii. Though the console isn't making its worldwide debut until November 19, On the Spot is giving gamers an advanced peek at what to expect from the anticipated console.
On schedule to be demonstrated are all three Nintendo first-party launch titles--Excite Truck, Wii Sports, and a little game subtitled Twilight Princess. Electronic Arts and Sega are also expected to provide some games for show.
Like last week's PlayStation 3 unveiling, GameSpot editors will be popping in and out of the studio, trying their hand (and arms) at the Wii and its motion-sensitive controller. Those watching the video live are also invited to submit questions via e-mail or through the video player's question submission form.
On the Spot's hands-on with the Wii is expected to run until 4 p.m., when GameSpot Tournament TV begins airing the Fatal Face-Off Mortal Kombat Armageddon competition.
Live Video Here
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November 10th, 2006, 22:28 Posted By: wraggster
Massive GBA Release today and its a US Version (english):
Price: US$ 39.90 (~21.14 GBP)
features
New Jobs: Gladiator, Oracle, Necromancer, and Cannoneer
An all-new dungeon
Expanded monster bestiary
Improved graphics
Music player and remixed soundtrack
description
FINAL FANTASY V, the relatively obscure classic known mostly for its sophisticated and in-depth job system, will soon be re-released for American fans to enjoy, with new challenges, new dungeons, and plenty of other exciting additions designed to please both hardcore and first time players alike.
FINAL FANTASY V Advance begins in the Wind Shrine, where the King of Tycoon has come to investigate an irregularity in the winds. He’s just in time to see the magical wind crystal shatter, which stops the wind everywhere in the world. The king’s daughter, Princess Lenna, who followed him to the Wind Shrine, finds a mysterious old man, Galuf, lying unconscious next to a meteor. Lenna, Galuf, the explorer Bartz, and the pirate Faris are drawn together by fate to find out the mystery behind not only Galuf’s meteor, but the elemental crystals and the evil plot of the man known as Exdeath.
More Info / buy here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1mm7.html
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November 10th, 2006, 22:55 Posted By: wraggster
New version of the DS Emulator for windows:
- Corrected bug in the 3D
- Corrected a bug in the menu
- Added the function Open and Execute
- Improved the speed of execution (of 2 fps)
- Reduced the key rom
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November 10th, 2006, 22:57 Posted By: wraggster
Via IGN
Unless you have mighty muscles like IGN editor Craig Harris, you can't take your favorite pinball machine with you when traveling. Thanks to Ignition Entertainment, you can still enjoy the thrill of pinball in the far more portable Nintendo DS. Flipper Critters is described as a pinball adventure game. Developed by Zen Studios, Flipper Critters blends traditional pinball gameplay with an adventurous story.
Gamers journey from a majestic castle all the way to the moon in a quest to assist Bull, a bovine with a cold. Though Flipper Critters is, at its core, a pinball game, it features a three-dimensional world. This isn't your standard pinball title.
"Flipper Critters is a unique adventure, combining classic RPG-like story elements with a pinball game interface," said Paul Robinson, President of Ignition Entertainment. "The entire family will enjoy playing together on the go with their Nintendo DS, immersing themselves into the cute critter world while enjoying arcade-style pinball action."
Flipper Critters ships in spring 2007.
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November 10th, 2006, 23:03 Posted By: wraggster
Infantile Paralysiser have posted a new release of his image viewer for the Nintendo DS:
' The scroll speed-up was done in double screen mode of the slide show.
A small bug of the slide show was mended.
EZ4 was supported. (Thank you for Ko-tei)
A long file name was made to be scrolled when the IPK file was selected.
The reduction rate (37%/50%/62%/75%/87%/100%/125%/150%/175%/200%) was added, and the icon was added.
The custom jpeg format was added for small file size. (It is compatible with an old IPK file.)
A small bug was corrected.
The user interface was changed a little.
'
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November 10th, 2006, 23:08 Posted By: wraggster
News/release from Mollusk:
Zi is tetris-like game, which is actually closer to meteos… You can move the blocks around like in meteos. Once you have a set of 3 or more blocks, you can remove them by clicking on the set, kind of like in a JawBreaker game…
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November 11th, 2006, 16:37 Posted By: wraggster
Rumours that Nintendo Wii launch title ExciteTruck allows for custom soundtracks have turned out to be true, with US review copies revealing the option.
All you have to do is insert is put some MP3 files onto an SD Card and then pop the card into the Wii's SD slot before you start up the game.
Then, before a race begins, press the plus-sign on the Wii remote and you're taken to the Sound Options screen, where you can select SD Card and then browse through the first 100 songs stored on the card.
It's possible to choose a specific song, to randomise all shown songs, or, if you can't be bothered, to highlight "Default" to listen to the game's built-in music.
The news that some Wii games will incorporate custom soundtrack options is quite pleasing, and follows on from the practice instigated by Microsoft with Xbox.
We'll let you know if we find out about any others.
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November 11th, 2006, 17:03 Posted By: wraggster
New preorder for Wii from SuccessHK
Price:USD 48.74
Call of Duty 3 continues the series of World War II shooters, this time focusing on the battle for the liberation of Paris - known as the Normandy Breakout.
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November 11th, 2006, 17:30 Posted By: wraggster
Via IGN
IGN's final retail Wii system arrived at the office this morning, and we have been delving into the beauty of this mysterious new console ever since. After booting up the system and entering our system settings, we were shocked to discover that although we could see the different Wii channels, we could not access those that needed an Internet connection without an initial upgrade.
It seems that the Wii needs this upgrade in order to be able to connect to the Weather, News or Shop Channels. Unfortunately, when we tried to run this upgrade, we were treated to an error screen informing us that our Wii was unable to connect to the network. It seems that, prior to launch, the Wii will not have access to any of the channels or applications that require the user to connect to Nintendo's network. That's bad news for those of you out there intent on getting a Wii before November 19.
This revelation came as a shock and a disappointment to many at IGN, as it would have been nice to download some classic games for the Virtual Console. We will keep you posted on any later developments.
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November 11th, 2006, 21:30 Posted By: wraggster
OMalone is the first abalone game playable on Nintendo DS. Heres whats new:
First I would like to thank my new designer "FA", and all the testers.
So you can now download the first beta version of omalone 2.0 which integrates the wifi mode.
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November 11th, 2006, 22:01 Posted By: wraggster
Gerard Posted this news:
Hi,
I will speak about a spanish project. It isn't a homebrew or aplication, ... It's only a magazine. But a special magazine. That will be free and on-line. When we finish, you will be allow to download it.
The Magazine it's called DsceneMagazine and it will be write in spanish. But Comments sections and others could be in other lenguages.
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November 11th, 2006, 22:06 Posted By: wraggster
Mr Sid has released a new pseudo-emulator that runs the GEOS operating system for the Commodore 64. its name is geosDS:
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November 11th, 2006, 22:10 Posted By: wraggster
Infantile Paralysiser have posted a new release of his image viewer for the Nintendo DS:
There was a bug in an old version.
I am sorry, please update this.
Heres what was new from the last main release
' The scroll speed-up was done in double screen mode of the slide show.
A small bug of the slide show was mended.
EZ4 was supported. (Thank you for Ko-tei)
A long file name was made to be scrolled when the IPK file was selected.
The reduction rate (37%/50%/62%/75%/87%/100%/125%/150%/175%/200%) was added, and the icon was added.
The custom jpeg format was added for small file size. (It is compatible with an old IPK file.)
A small bug was corrected.
The user interface was changed a little.'
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November 11th, 2006, 22:12 Posted By: wraggster
CraigT posted some new WIP news of his Spectrum emu for DS:
Thanks to the two games submitted by Charlie as not working (wheres the rest of you, eh? ), i’ve made a lot progress in fixing bugs in the CPU core… Critical Mass was particulary useful. Thanks for your help. Charlie!
As a result, the following games now seem to work perfectly… Arkanoid, Bubble Bobble, Critical Mass, MegaBucks (yay!) and Zynaps. The AI in Chaos is fixed, but there is still the odd graphical glitch. Starquake still seems to crash, which is a shame.
The bug fixes have also sorted out the flashing graphics in a few games, such as Spike in Transylvania. Now i’ve just got to track down that Starquake bug…
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November 11th, 2006, 22:15 Posted By: wraggster
News/release from EO
Hi, I'm Eo.
This is my first work on NDS, it is a reader for EDICT dictionnary format (Roman based alphabet languages/Japanese).
Even though there are already commercial japanese dictionnaries for DS (latest versions with shape recognition are quite impressive), I started to implement this reader for EDICT to have access to the dictionnary of the word processor I use on my PC: jwpce. There are a couple of projects in progress around using the same dict format and I really look forward to them for it seems that they will be far more finalized than mine...
It is now still a proof of concept for testing Edict file access and displaying kanjis. The interface is a bit "rudimentary"... I'm trying to find a good way to display the characters and give access to functions. To keep the distribution small (less than 1MB with 7Zip) and save on memory I had to do some sacrifices on CPU so it is not yet really responsive too.
Any suggestions or bug report are welcome.
If you have time, you learn Japanese and you are looking for open source tools go have a look at Jim Breen's Japanese Page (EDICT homepage): http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/j_edict.html
Eo
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November 12th, 2006, 11:00 Posted By: wraggster
Via DSfanboy
Just when you thought the Nintendogs franchise had gone as far as it could go, here comes one of the most clever uses of the license yet -- trainable toy dogs based on breeds from the games. There are two types; the simpler Trick Trainer Pups come with a magnetic bone that can be used to guide them through tricks. The more elaborate, aptly-named Interactive Play puppies do just that -- they interact by wagging their tails when they're stroked, howling when you howl, and some will even snarl and growl during a game of tug-of-war. Toss in a slipper-chewing feature and it's almost like having a real dog!
The plushy pups debuted last week in the UK from retailer Tomy and through Amazon UK for 9.99 (about $20 USD) for the Trick Trainers and 24.99 for for the Interactive Play Pups.
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November 12th, 2006, 12:23 Posted By: jojotjuh
from the supercard site:
"Recently, there are some customers downgrade the SuperCard Lite version firmware v1.7 to v1.63. Even I don't know why they downgrade it, but they found out that the SuperCard Lite crash.
Here list below are the steps: How to upgrade to V1.7 again.
# 1. Format a MicroSD card.
# 2. Copy the firmware V1.7 file on it. Don't copy any other files.
# 3. Insert the MicroSD card and SuperCard Lite.
# 4. Open the DS power switch, don't care about the screen and wait 5 seconds.
# 5. press "A" button. You will find out that you can upgrade to V1.7 "
so, dont downgrade peopes, will give you problems!!!
source
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November 12th, 2006, 13:51 Posted By: Dee-Lite
While browsing youtube I came accross this video. It features 2m 36secs of Link in his wolf form
Enjoy!
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November 12th, 2006, 20:15 Posted By: wraggster
Since all four of us can't play Zelda at the same time, we passed the Wii-less hours by poring over the 69 page "systems and settings" manual that came with the Wii (not to be confused with the 105-page, trilingual "system setup" manual that's also included). Here are some of the odd and/or interesting things we noticed.
"Up to 100 Miis can stay in your Mii Plaza." (pg. 11)
"The Photo Channel can display a maximum of approximately 1,000 photos. If your SD card has more than 1,000 photos, remove the card from the Wii console and remove or reorganize your photos in your camera, cell phone or computer." (pg. 15)
"You can not save or overwrite photos or videos on the SD card." (pg. 20)
"Any of the options in Fun! mode [doodles, etc. -Ed.] can be applied to individual frames of a video." (pg. 21)
The photo channel supports JPGs of up to 8192x8192 resolution and QuickTime files of up to 848x480. (pg. 22)
MP3 audio is listed under supported formats. After quite a bit of searching, we figured out how this feature works, but we didn't like what we found (more later.)
"NOTE: Your use of the Wii Shop Channel is subject to your acceptance of the Wii Users Agreement, the Wii Privacy Policy and the Wii Code of Conduct. Copies of the most updated versions of these agreements may be found at support.nintendo.com. [not yet - Ed.]" (pg. 24)
"NOTE: Some Virtual Console games can only be played with a Classic Controller. (sold separately) [this seems to contradict previous confirmation that Gamecube controllers would work on all Virtual Console games -Ed.]" (pg. 25)
"Software downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel is licensed to you, not sold" (pg. 25)
"NOTE: The calendar displays dates from January 2000 to December 2035." (pg. 31)
"NOTE: You will not be able to send photos from your Wii console to the PC/cell phone user." (pg. 36)
"NOTE: The Wii console uses a 24 hour clock. For example, 1:00 pm is displayed as 13:00 pm" (pg. 42)
The parental control features "does NOT control access to Nintendo GameCube games" (pg. 46)
"If you use the messaging features of the Wii console, you need to understand that Nintendo may monitor your use and share certain information (i) as required by law, (ii) where necessary to protect the company, its customers or its employees, (iii) as necessary to provide the services. [Big Brother is watching -Ed.]" (pg. 47)
"NOTE: The initial recommended distance for using the Wii Remote Pointer is 3 to 8 feet from the sensor bar ... Also note that the influence of direct sunlight and various light sources can make the Pointer operation less optimal. [Oh really... -Ed.]" (pg. 50)
By formatting the Wii Shop Channel from the Wii's system menu, you clear all "records of your transactions and rights to download software." (pg. 61)
"NOTE: You should format your Wii Shop Channel data first, then your Wii System Memory, prior to selling or otherwise transferring your Wii console to any third party." (pg. 61)
"NOTE: Adjusting the speaker and Rumble settings will affect all Wii remotes currently connected to the Wii console. [I hope everyone likes the same settings. -Ed.]" (pg. 63)
Via Joystiq
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November 12th, 2006, 20:17 Posted By: wraggster
If you've been paying attention to every bit of Wii news and trivia over the past months, you might know all of the following facts about Nintendo's newest system. For those of you not so in the know, here are some factoids we picked up on while tinkering this weekend.
It doesn't play CDs, but it plays AVIs off your digital camera's SD card.
The flaps that protect the Gamecube controllers and memory card slots are removable.
Wii Sports includes training and workout modes.
You can let one remote control all four players in Wii Sports: Tennis.
It takes five pieces of heart to make a heart container in Zelda: Twilight Princess
The box includes two clear plastic holders: one for the sensor bar and another that acts as a stabilizer for the thick, gray console stand
When used as a pointer, the Wii detects how far the remote is from the sensor bar.
The system keeps track of your cumulative play time for all games, and logs it on your Wii's daily message board.
The standard A/V cables that have worked on every Nintendo system since the SNES do not work on the Wii (the system-side input is different)
The system doubles as a great whiteboard.
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November 12th, 2006, 20:28 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo’s launch has been helped by the fact that it called the handheld market so well. DS didn’t convince nearly as many observers at its launch, as Wii has. And yet it has left PSP behind. We ask about Sony’s troubles, and about the delay of PS3 in Europe. What does that mean for Nintendo?
“It means that I’m going to have a great holiday,” says Fils-Aime. “It means that, with our strategy, we are going to have a fantastic holiday on Wii as well as on DS. Are my competitors making some mistakes? Yes they are. But I‘ll tell you this: Sony is a formidable company and I respect them and I don’t take them lightly. We have to do what we need to do, let them do what they’re going to do. If they continue to make mistakes that’s their problem not mine. We are focused on making sure that we are going to be successful.
More Info
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November 12th, 2006, 20:33 Posted By: wraggster
WFCStatus by KevinC is a status viewer for Nintendo's WiFi connection.
Heres whats new:
- Added 3 games (incl. Harvest Moon and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: Spirit Caller)
- Added more gameinfo on stats tab
- Added graph options (bars, AA, smooth, fill)
- Added option to enter nickname (for showing up in Now Online)
- Added better notification of loading errors (now online, top 10)
- Updated a few games (box art and info)
- Removed use of registry: FC's and settings are saved to file now
- Changed custom graph tab and some contextmenu's
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November 12th, 2006, 21:42 Posted By: wraggster
Those of you who are Gamecube Owners will have heard of FreeLoader and if you havent heres a reminder:
Launch and play imported GameCube™ games from any region
No need to modify your console – keeps your warranty intact
Add loads of new titles to your GameCube™ collection, including games that may never be released in your region
Play US and Japanese games on a PAL GameCube™
Play PAL games on a US or Japanese GameCube™
Fast and easy to use
Hopefully this will work perfect on the Wii next week at the release but also will we see a Freeloader for Wii from Datel, fingers crossed eh
Im sure we all want to play games from a different region.
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November 13th, 2006, 01:06 Posted By: wraggster
ttursas has again updated his homebrew game for the DS, heres whats new:
What's new in v0.1.4:
* Added texture manager for the plane textures, and now you can mix different planes
in network play.
* When changing planes while PAUSE is on, the plane is now correclty centered.
* Increased collision accuracy for the bullets (not for machine gun bullets, they are
handled simpler).
* Brought the two level layers closer to each other, and made the zooming less
aggressive.
* Background destroying wasn't distributed correctly between the players.
* The layer base color affects the planes, bullets and particles correclty.
* The front layer became darker after changing the layers for the first time.
* The player can choose the plane he wants to follow in the network play.
* Changed the network play logic a little. Now the client doesn't disconnect from the
server after the player has died. Disconnecting must be done manually.
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November 13th, 2006, 20:14 Posted By: wraggster
After all the rumours, intrigue and speculation, the mystery of the Wii console is finally coming to an end as the manual is exposed, uncovering some of the last few details about the hardware.
One of the most interesting points highlighted in the manual, which was acquired by Joystiq, is the fact that certain virtual console games will only be compatible with the Classic Controller, which contradicts earlier word from Nintendo that seemed to suggest the GameCube controller to be fully compatible with all VC software.
Also on the topic of the Virtual Console is a formatting option, which clears all records of the Virtual Console games purchased on that console - to be used before flogging the console.
Good news for young ones - the Wii parental control features don't restrict use of GameCube games. So, all you need to do is get your dozy parent to THINK it does, then get your Resi 4 action in when they're not around.
The Fun! Mode, an option that allows you to draw and edit images, also allows you to play around with individual frames of a video stored on your SD card.
Wii Remote configuration, like speaker and rumble settings, will affect all remotes connected to the console. And the manual also confirms that the optimum distance range for the player to be from the sensor bar is between three to eight feet, as suggested by CVG earlier.
The Wii will be out in the US this Sunday November 19, while us Brits will unfortunately be a waiting a further three weeks for our consoles, which go on sale on December 8.
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November 13th, 2006, 20:16 Posted By: wraggster
The Wii version of Marvel Ultimate Alliance will feature a cool gesture system that has you mimicking the moves of your heroes to activate their super powers, and this trailer shows how it works.
Playable by up to four players, MUA will let you control one of dozens of heroes, each with their own powers and the movement gestures to activate them.
You'll be making throwing motions to lob Captain America's shield, reaching into the air to use Storm's electric power or thrusting your hands forward to use Human Torch's flame-throwing attack.
The game will be available on the Wii launch, December 8.
Video Here
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November 13th, 2006, 20:20 Posted By: wraggster
Not long now. December 8 (or November 19, if you're getting a US one) is Wii launch day. We've already booked the day off work and are counting down the days.
Earlier today Nintendo sent over some images for its official Wii peripherals.
Check out the Classic controller, a few leads and Nunchuk and Remote boxes HERE.
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November 13th, 2006, 20:27 Posted By: wraggster
Pierre-Paul Trépanier, marketing director for Nintendo Canada, has told GamesIndustry.biz he believes it's unfair to "force" new technologies such as HD-DVD and Blu-Ray on gamers.
Speaking in an interview at the Montréal International Games Summit last week, Trépanier said he's not concerned that Blu-Ray will help shift PlayStation 3 units - despite the fact that PS2 sales were boosted by the console's DVD playback feature.
"When I'm buying a gaming system, I'm focused on the games; I want to play games, and I think that's the primary reason why someone would buy a gaming system," said Trépanier.
"I think forcing a decision on consumers would certainly not be part of Nintendo's strategy, because we want to get more people into gaming and we want to make it affordable. Forcing people to adopt a technology and a model that's proprietary and still not established is unfair to gamers."
It was recently revealed that Nintendo plans to ship a new version of the Wii with a DVD playback feature in Japan next year. According to Trépanier, the decision as to whether the new model will make it to the North America and Europe "is not made yet".
"There needs to be some internal meetings and discussions about that," he said.
"What we do know is in North America penetration of DVD players is very close to 100 per cent, and that very few consumers - a very niche market - would ever be interested in paying extra for DVD functionality."
The Nintendo Wii will launch in North America on 19th November, with a European launch to follow on 8th December.
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November 13th, 2006, 20:47 Posted By: wraggster
After updating you with the list of games due to appear on Wii's Virtual Console last week, we've stumbled upon a bevy of shots from Golden Axe, Ecco the Dolphin, Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast, Space Harrier II and more of Wii's retro catalogue.
Of course, they look identical to the past-gen originals, but if you can't be cheered up on a grey Monday with some brightly coloured classic Sega shots, then there's no help for you. Point your eyes down for the image burst.
Screens at Gamesradar
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November 13th, 2006, 20:55 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo Co., loser of the last video- game console war, said it will spend more than $200 million to market its new Wii in a bid to wrest sales away from Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360.
The advertising campaign is the biggest ever for Kyoto-based Nintendo, which begins selling Wii in the U.S. on Nov. 19., two days after Sony releases the PlayStation. Television ads beginning tomorrow will focus on Wii's ease of use and library of family- friendly games.
Nintendo and Sony are fighting to increase their share of the $20 billion worldwide video-game market. Microsoft has a head start this round after releasing its Xbox last year. Nintendo's campaign positions it in contrast to PlayStation 3, which Sony introduced Nov. 11 in Japan stressing the machine's advanced graphics and Blu-ray DVD drive that plays movies as well as games.
``Eighteen months ago most people did not expect Nintendo to be competitive in this next generation of consoles,'' said John Broady, an analyst at GameSpot.com, a unit of Cnet Networks Entertainment that tracks video-game sales.
Nintendo and Microsoft are getting some help from Tokyo-based Sony's difficulties. Sony in September said it would delay the PlayStation 3's debut in Europe until March because of parts shortages for the Blu-ray drive that have slowed production.
In Tokyo, demand for the new PlayStation outstripped supply store because Sony limited initial deliveries in Japan to 100,000. The company last month cut the machine's price to 49,980 yen ($425) from 59,800 yen after complaints from gamers.
Price Difference
At $250, the Wii also will appeal to price-conscious buyers. Sony's PlayStation 3 is aimed at serious game players, selling for $500 to $600. Xbox sells for $300 to $400.
Nintendo probably will sell about 1.5 million Wii consoles in the U.S. through the end of this year, according to Jeetil Patel, an analyst at Deutsche Bank Securities in San Francisco. He forecasts about 500,000 U.S. sales of PlayStation 3. Microsoft probably will sell 2.28 million Xbox 360s in November and December, he said.
Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft has sold more than 6 million Xbox's since its launch and estimates that will climb to 10 million by June 30.
``They're severely constrained,'' Van Baker, an analyst at market researcher Gartner Inc., said in an interview. ``The chance of getting a PS3 this holiday is pretty much non-existent.''
Targeting Adults
About 80 percent of advertising for Wii will target adults in an attempt to expand the video-game market beyond children and teens that have been Nintendo's traditional market, said George Harrison, the company's senior vice president for marketing. Nintendo will spend the $200 million during the next 12 months.
Nintendo adopted the strategy after its GameCube console lost the competition with Sony's PlayStation 2 five years ago.
Both companies plan rollouts for their new consoles that include midnight sales parties at retailers in cities including New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The advertising campaign is Nintendo's most expensive, costing about 20 percent more than the rollout of GameCube in 2001, Harrison said. Nintendo came out the loser in the battle between GameCube and PlayStation 2, an experience that convinced the company to avoid trying to challenge Sony and Microsoft for the hard-core audience in the current console war, Harrison said.
GameCube
By the end of this year, Nintendo will have sold about 11.7 million GameCubes in the U.S., compared with 35.6 million units of PlayStation 2, according to Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles. Pachter anticipates Nintendo will sell about 2 million Wii consoles by year end.
``GameCube didn't meet out expectations,'' Harrison said in an interview. ``There were lessons in there for us that led us to the Wii. The first lesson was that just trying to be like the others in the marketplace wasn't the answer.''
Pachter estimates Sony will sell about 1.5 million PlayStation 3s.
Television ads, which begin running Wednesday, will include a two-minute ``documentary'' that features grandparents and parents playing with their children.
The television ads will be the first broad-based advertising Nintendo has done. The company started pushing the console over the summer with a campaign that included parties in which consumers were asked to invite friends to their homes to play the console.
Among those asked was Bill Weatherford, who invited relatives to play in his home in Tonganoxie, Kansas. Weatherford, who had purchased an Xbox 360 weeks earlier, said he probably will buy a Wii to play with his wife and 3-year-old son.
``It had a lot more family friendly games, sports games that actually had some physical activities,'' Weatherford said in an interview. ``I just felt like you were more involved, doing more together.''
Wii features a wireless controller that enables players to control a game by waving their hands. The controller can be used as a baseball bat, tennis racquet or sword for action games.
Via Bloomberg
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November 13th, 2006, 21:00 Posted By: wraggster
Via Joystiq
A couple weeks back, the UK's Edge Magazine revealed the Wii would be getting a DVD-enhanced variant in Japan, sometime in 2007. Today, Gamasutra reports "California technology company Sonic Solutions have announced that Nintendo has chosen to use the company's software to allow a 'future version' of the Wii console to play DVD movies."
Interesting. With a DVD drive already built into every Wii, it seemed logical that a software solution was all that was needed to implement DVD playback on the Wii. Ostensibly, the reason for Nintendo's decision to not include DVD playback was the format's onerous licensing fees relative to the already high market penetration DVD players currently enjoy. Instead of releasing a "future version" of the console to the Japanese market exclusively, why not sell the DVD playback software via the console's online store to recoup the licensing fees?
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November 13th, 2006, 21:04 Posted By: wraggster
Heres the list of Wii Games in full for the release of the system this week:
- The Ant Bully
- Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Barnyard
- Call of Duty 3
- Cars
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
- Excite Truck
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
- GT Pro Series
- Happy Feet
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Madden NFL 07
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
- Metal Slug Anthology
- Monster 4x4: World Circuit
- Need for Speed Carbon
- Open Season
- Rampage: Total Destruction
- Rapala Tournament Fishing!
- Rayman: Raving Rabbids
- Red Steel
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab
- Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent
- Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
- Trauma Center: Second Opinion
- World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions
What games excite you most ?
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November 13th, 2006, 21:12 Posted By: wraggster
Massive New gaming release for the Nintendo DS:
features
aka. Yoshi's Island 2
description
Return to the colorful wilds of Yoshi’s Island in a new platforming adventure for Nintendo DS.
A mysterious floating island has suddenly appeared over peaceful Yoshi’s Island. Soon after its arrival, a gaggle of kids vanishes from the island school. Thankfully, Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Baby Donkey Kong and Baby Wario manage to avoid being kidnapped. Now, Yoshi and the four young superstars must set out on a wild and colorful quest to rescue the kids and investigate the ominous island hovering overhead. Thanks to the power of Nintendo DS, all of the lush vistas and perilous paths of Yoshi's Island span two screens.
The Yoshis populating this wild and mysterious island take turns transporting the babies. Each baby gives Yoshi access to unique powers while they cling to his back: Baby Mario gives Yoshi speed; Baby DK gives him strength and the ability to climb vines; with her umbrella, Baby Peach gives him the ability to float high, and Baby Wario gives him magnetism (perfect for grabbing grown-up Wario's favorite things: coins!).
More info / buy here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1d83.html
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November 13th, 2006, 21:15 Posted By: wraggster
Another killer DS commercial release, heres the details:
features
Touch Screen controls! Story Mode and Attraction Mode take full advantage of the Touch Screen and stylus.
Colorful Cast of Characters! Besides everybody’s favorite, the classic Bomberman, there are tons of interesting characters to interact with.
Up to 8-Player Wireless Single-Card Play! Attraction Mode and the Battle Mode both support multiplayer action with only one Game Card required!
Incredible longevity! A 15-hour Story Mode, 36 stages in the Attraction Mode, and 20 stages in the Battle Mode.
description
Bomberman™ Land Touch! is a family-friendly action-adventure packed with explosive excitement! In the Story Mode, explore Bomber Island while solving unique puzzles, chatting with rival characters, and engaging in 36 different one-to-four-player “attractions” with action, racing, sports, and other themes. In Attraction Mode, enjoy any of the attractions you’ve unlocked in the Story Mode. In the Battle Mode, play classic multiplayer Bomberman with two to eight players via Wireless Single-Card or Multi-Card Play, or two to four players via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
More Info / buy here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1mlb.html
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November 13th, 2006, 21:22 Posted By: wraggster
Another big release for the DS:
As the latest and most advanced game based on the popular Digimon brand, Digimon World DS has been exclusively developed for Nintendo DS thus fully taking advantage of the hand held platform’s versatile functionalities. In the game, you will assume a role of Digimon tamer and embark on an exciting journey to discover, tame, raise, train and command over 230 unique Digimons. Unlike many of the character collection driven games in the past, the true fun of Digimon World DS begins when collection is completed. You will be able to build Digi-Farms to raise, evolve and communicate with your Digimons. You will also be able to exchange Digimons, engage in online battles and together create rare kinds of Digimon with your friends via Wi-Fi and local DS wireless connection. This is the evolution of Digimon games.
More info / buy here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1mlc.html
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November 13th, 2006, 21:24 Posted By: wraggster
New GBA Game release:
features
Daily Puzzle: 365 days worth of new puzzles for year round entertainment!
Featuring 3 new types of tiles: Hurdle, Solid, and Joker Tiles for challenging new game play!
Create up to 100 new puzzles and challenge your friends! ·All new color feature allows tiles to come to life!
description
As a new and improved tile-flipping puzzler, Polarium Advance, for the Game Boy® Advance, offers all new features that sharpen the brain and accelerate reflexes. Fans of Polarium Advance’s predecessor, Polarium DS, will notice you can now use the control pad to move the cursor and also switch to new color schemes…no more black and white! In addition, Polarium Advance has improved playability by utilizing the action buttons and control pad as opposed to only using a stylus! So easy, you can play with only one hand… perfect for gamers on the go! Polarium Advance also features a totally new variety of tiles, making it one of the trickiest, skill-filled, puzzle games of all time!
More info / buy here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1mm8.html
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November 13th, 2006, 23:05 Posted By: wraggster
In 2005, when Nintendo unveiled its next-generation gaming console, the company revealed that the project's internal code name was "Revolution." Now that it's set to hit U.S stores on Nov. 19, the box will sell, oddly, as the Wii--pronounced "we." But Revolution remains a better fit.
To compete with Sony'sPS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo has re-invented videogaming, making it more social, more intuitive and surprisingly physically engaging. The Wii is indeed revolutionary, and it's potentially the device that will make videogaming as widely enjoyed as board or card games.
The feature that sets the Wii apart from both its competitors and its ancestors is the Wii remote, the device's control pad. Instead of a bulky, button-studded joystick, Nintendo has produced a slim wand that looks like a television remote control. It's connected to the console wirelessly, and more important, it's equipped with an innovative motion sensor that detects movement and rotation in three dimensions.
Full Article at Forbes
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November 13th, 2006, 23:46 Posted By: wraggster
Heres the full list of new releases in the USA this week:
DS releases:
Asphalt: Urban GT 2
Bionicle Heroes
Bomberman Land: Touch!
Brain Boost: Beta Wave
Brain Boost: Gamma Wave
Charlotte's Web
Digimon World DS
Eragon
Final Fantasy III
Gunpey
Happy Feet
Monster Bomber
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Spider-Man: Battle for New York
Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 2
Tomb Raider: Legend
Totally Spies! 2: Undercover
Yoshi's Island 2
GBA releases:
Bionicle Heroes
Charlotte's Web
Eragon
F-24: Stealth Fighter
Happy Feet
March of the Penguins
Polarium Advanced
Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis
Spider-Man: Battle for New York
Super Robot Taisen 2
Tomb Raider: Legend
Tonka on the Job
Totally Spies! 2: Undercover
Yggdra Union
All can be brought at Amazon.Com
Via dsfanboy
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November 13th, 2006, 23:47 Posted By: wraggster
Via DSfanboy
We loves us some Final Fantasy. Character customization, turn-based battles and emotional conflicts are the kinds of things that make our mouth water. So perhaps you could call Final Fantasy III a delicious steak dinner. Or, if it's more your thing, a large slice of chocolate cake. We've never had this steak dinner before, nor have we gobbled down this slice of chocolate cake (accompanied by a cup of milk, natch). And, if the critics are to be believed, this steak dinner is very delicious.
1UP - 80%: "Hardcore RPG players may enjoy it more than modern Final Fantasy titles, thanks to its emphasis on skill development and combat. Casual players may find themselves surprised by how addictive simple level-grinding and monster-slaying can be. There's a certain satisfaction in seeing your juiced-up Monk land 28 hits in a single round, and FFIII delivers that thrill in spades -- and there's enough challenge to make it a necessity rather than overkill. The result is one of the best portable RPGs to date, and a fine example of how to remake a classic."
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 78%: "The game's addictive job system makes plowing through the fun battles worthwhile." [Dec. 2006, p.152]
Those numbers aren't too shabby. Are these better or worse than the review scores you anticipated? Also, note that we will update the post when more current reviews are posted online as the only other available outlets reviewed Japanese import copies.
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November 13th, 2006, 23:54 Posted By: wraggster
Octobinz has posted a new WIP Release called Lirha of his End of the Shadows RPG for the Nintendo DS.
Collision map is not ended.
About MMO, a big part of the server is almost done (but still job to do) and looks like a nice 3-tiers small compressed packets server.
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November 14th, 2006, 00:02 Posted By: wraggster
Mollusk and Daydream posted this news/release:
Here comes the first official release of Ciruclar Defense, the latest homebrew I finished with DayDream… The graphics he provided are great (as always ^^). I won’t detail the gameplay, as it’s in the star wars-like intro, so you’ll just have to read that…
Be aware that I haven’t been able to find a decent emulator to play this game : DeSmuME is slow and doesn’t have sprite rotations, No$GBA is even slower on this one, and stylus got really buggy, so you can’t actually use the different colors ^^ But the DS plays it perfectly, so that’s the way to go…
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November 14th, 2006, 02:21 Posted By: wraggster
New from SuccessHK
Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses is the story of Barbie as Genevieve, 1 of 12 sisters who live happily with their father the king. Concerned that the high-spirited, independent princesses need more structure to become proper princesses, the king invites his cousin, the Dutchess Rowena to move into the castle. Rather than help, Rowina forbids the sisters from singing and dancing and squelches their individuality. The princesses discover a magical enchanted world and escape the tyranny of Rowena. But when Genevieve learns that their father's life is in danger, the sisters must unite to save the king and their kingdom.
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November 14th, 2006, 07:35 Posted By: wraggster
A new Major gaming release for the Nintendo DS comes in the shape of this news from SuccessHK
Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin brings back the award winning action exploration gameplay that has held fans captive for 2 decades! Take control of two heroes, Jonathan Morris, a vampire killer and his close friend Charlotte Orlean, a girl with tremendous magical ability. Amidst the chaos of World War II, two mysterious sisters emerge working to resurrect Dracula and David and Charlotte are all that stand in their way.
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November 14th, 2006, 21:28 Posted By: wraggster
Call of Duty 3 on the Wii may lack the grunt of the 360 version in the graphics department, but it adds to the game with some of the coolest motion-controlled scenarios we've seen on Wii, and you can see them all in this trailer.
As well as the pointer-style control for the shooting sections, you will be turning the controller like a wheel to steer a car, using the controller as an oar to row a boat, pushing the controllers forward to wrestle with enemies and various other clever applications.
If you're looking forward to getting stuck into CoD3, you'll be pleased to know that the sequel is already in the pipeline, and new rumours are beginning to surface. According to Amped IGO, a source close to CoD4 developers Infinity Ward has revealed that the game will abandon the WWII setting, instead being based in a modern setting.
The game is also rumoured to have a new, more detailed damage detection system that will be accurate enough to shoot off an opponent's ear. Sounds nice. The anonymous source also claims the multiplayer will allow for 54 players, and that it will appear on the PC as well as consoles, although nothing has been confirmed.
Call of Duty 3 is a December 8 launch game on Wii. Look out for the review next week.
Trailer Here
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November 14th, 2006, 21:32 Posted By: wraggster
Via CVG
Mobiles.co.uk is tempting customers with what must be one of the best free promotional gifts we've ever seen for a mobile phone - a free Wii.
We had a good look at their website and even called them up for a quick chat on the hunt for that crucial catch, but there doesn't seem to be one.
You sign up for one of a selected range of contract tariffs and when the Wii comes out, you get one.
Of course, you can't then cancel your phone contract; you have to keep the phone and pay the monthly charges for a set term, but that's hardly a catch when they cost around £20 to £30 per month - which is what we're all paying for our phones now.
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November 14th, 2006, 22:05 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo is throwing money at the marketing of its Wii console, promising another 10 billion Yen (EUR 66 million) for promotions in a bid to convince Japanese consumers of its place in the next-generation gaming market.
The company is expected to spend 68 billion Yen in total this year, according to a report on the Financial Times website.
The marketing campaign will incorporate ten different television ads, retail-specific demonstration booths and Wii Experience shows for consumers, to be held at conference halls throughout the country.
Nintendo has made a big noise about its attempts to attract the entire family unit to gaming via the Wii, and is promising 400,000 consoles for the Japanese launch on December 2nd. In contrast, it's main rival in the region, Sony, launched the PlayStation 3 last weekend and sold out of its 88,400 units.
The firm has also put a marketing campaign in place for North America, including demonstrations in the home via a year long Wii Ambassador Program, kiosks on shopping malls across the region and partnerships with retailer 7-Eleven and Comedy Central.
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November 14th, 2006, 22:14 Posted By: wraggster
As unfortunate as it sounds to hardcore gamers, the next-gen war may not ultimately be decided by software or hardware, but marketing. Nintendo has prepared for such an instance, announcing that it will spend nearly $200 million promoting the console over the next year, the most expensive campaign ever initiated by the company.
Part of that multimillion dollar budget will be on display tonight, as the first Wii ad hits North American televisions. The 30-second spot, set to air during ABC's celebrity hoedown Dancing With the Stars, is the first of four ads in a series dubbed "Wii would like to play."
The ads depict a pair of Japanese men who show off the capabilities of the console to households across the US. The spots were directed by Stephen Gaghan, the Oscar-award-winning scribe of Traffic and director of Syriana.
All four ads will be aired sequentially during MTV's Sucker Free on November 15. The Wii launches in North America on November 19.
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November 14th, 2006, 22:23 Posted By: wraggster
After confusion arose yesterday from news that some Virtual Console games "can only be played with a Classic controller", according to Wii's instruction manual, Nintendo has explained the situation, as it currently stands, to GamesRadar.
GameCube pads will be the only way to control GameCube games, which can be played as normal with your existing game discs. You must also use GameCube memory cards, and cannot save to Wii's internal memory or SD memory card.
GameCube pads can also be used to play any NES, SNES and N64 titles downloaded from Wii's Virtual Console, although N64 games will not feature rumble capability.
The Wii-mote can be used as a controller for all NES and PC Engine/Turbografx games on Virtual Console. Finally - and obviously - all games on Nintendo's Virtual Console will be playable with Nintendo's Classic controller.
A sliver of good news is that multiplayer games can be mix-and-match. A NES game could be played by one person with a Wii-mote, one with a GameCube pad and a third gamer using a Classic controller, for instance; or a SNES game with two people using the Classic controller and two more using GameCube pads.
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November 14th, 2006, 22:35 Posted By: wraggster
Puns aside, one of the more adult orientated Wii games set for iminent release is that of Spike's Necro-Nesia. It's a survival horror game set on an island filled with abnormally large wildlife. The player has lost their girlfriend to the chitinous fangs o' doom and has to use a mixture of torchlight and a machete to make their way through the sinister horde.
It's fair to say that the screenshots fill me with horror but not in the way the developers probably intended (plus gameplay impressions elsewhere haven't been great). On a partial upside the official site does hold host to a rather nice animated comic.
The game is released in Japan on the 2nd December for 7,140 yen.
More Info
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November 14th, 2006, 22:38 Posted By: wraggster
The original Yoshi's Island has attained G.O.A.T. status. True, not everyone agrees that it's the single-greatest 2D platformer ever, but SNES's Yoshi's Island certainly ranks among the best. Now, more than a decade later, Nintendo has finally published a true sequel (we don't count N64's Yoshi's Story). But with Artoon (responsible for GBA's ill-received Yoshi Topsy Turvy) sharing development duties, there's been some doubt about Yoshi's Island DS's ability to escape the shadow of its heralded predecessor.
GameSpot (91/100) - "It's hard to top a masterpiece, but that's just what Nintendo and Artoon have done with Yoshi's Island DS."
IGN (80/100) - "Perhaps the designers stuck too close to the established design in this new game, since it really ruins a lot of the surprises if you've already played through the original ... [Yoshi's Island DS] runs into the problem of not doing enough to make it its own game."
EGM (68/100) - "I'd never choose this over the sublime original."
Current overall average: 83/100 (6 reviews)
Via Joystiq
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November 14th, 2006, 22:40 Posted By: wraggster
$175 for a t-shirt? Really? We suppose being deemed worthy for high fashion is a cultural milestone, but a grotesquely overpriced t-shirt seems to clash with Nintendo's thrifty image. Given the shirt's cost in relationship to Wii's asking price, Dolce & Gabbana's forthcoming PlayStation 3 tee should only set you back $420.
Screen of the Tshirt via Comments
via joystiq
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November 14th, 2006, 22:43 Posted By: wraggster
Last Friday, Nintendo's new $250 videogame console arrived and in spite of being an admitted non-gamer, I was giddy with anticipation. I actually caught myself dancing a little jig. That evening, my wife and I were in the family room with another couple. My friend Chris and I got to work, connecting the Wii (pronounced "we" not "why") to a 42-inch Philips LCD TV, while the womenfolk looked on with politely condescending curiosity.
Wii Sports, a collection of cartoonish tennis, baseball, bowling, golf and boxing scenarios, comes with the system. I had presumed that it was merely an elaborate demonstration of the Wii Remote, which responds to natural motions rather than arcane button combinations. I discovered quickly that it might be the greatest videogame ever made.
Chris and I cleared a decent amount of space between the couch and the TV-the need for playing room cannot be overstated. We selected Tennis for two players. The TV's wide screen split into two frames, one for each side of the court. I tossed the ball in the air with a tap of a button, then swung my arm. A perfect serve. Chris returned the serve with a flick of his wrist, then I swung again. Early clumsiness fast became aggressive, aerobic, precise gesticulation. You develop a forehand, a backhand, even an overhead smash, just like on the real courts, and you work up a sweat doing it. Each time the virtual racquet hits the ball, it delivers an unbelievably satisfying "thok."
Looking on, my wife couldn't remember the last time she saw something as silly as two dudes jumping around, waving their arms and strutting like Agassi at a Grand Slam. But since the controls were so simple, she wasn't allowed to refuse when we told her it was her turn. Before long, she was channeling Steffi with her own fancy net work. I had my revenge.
The following night we hosted a dinner party. Though it was conceived without an inkling that the Wii would be in our midst, it became the official activity of the night. We designed hilarious avatars for each partygoer, so they could play games using a cartoon mini-self, or Mii. By selecting and adjusting face shapes, eyes, noses and hairstyles, you can build accurate caricatures, but beware of false friends who make your nose two sizes too big, or attach a sinister handlebar mustache to your otherwise handsome mug.
Everyone sampled all five Wii Sports. Tennis is still my favorite, but my wife got into the more cerebral Golf, achieving victories on the Wii what she was unable to deliver during her high-school golf-team years. Bowling probably came in third place, though Baseball and Boxing found fans. By the end of the weekend, the little machine had hooked ten people of very different temperaments and interests. Only one among us, Chris, was a bonafide gaming guy, and his years of button mashing didn't give him an unnatural advantage over anyone else. Excited as I was about my own attraction to the Wii, I was stunned by its universal appeal.
My zeal is directed mainly at Wii Sports. The Wii Channels network for weather, shopping and even surfing the Web, had not yet launched, and other games, such as Legend of Zelda title and Excite Truck, looked okay but didn't hook me. My hope is that Nintendo continues to develop games like Wii Sports—it's easy to dream up Wii versions of other activities, from fishing to snowmobiling.
Although the pull of the Wii is strong, I should point out a few issues that you should know. For starters, although the basic Wii system costs $250 and comes with Wii Sports, you absolutely have to buy a second Wii Remote ($40), along with its Nunchuk joystick attachment ($20).
Also, widescreen HDTVs are much better for split-screen two-person gaming, though paradoxically the Wii's video is only standard definition. For Wii Sports, this doesn't matter much, but it's a shame that Zelda and other visual titles don't get the high-definition treatment they deserve.
Finally, all this physical activity has a downside. As thrilled as I am that I now can play videogames in lieu of other aerobic exercise, I am sore. It may be the good soreness of muscles in need of a long-overdue workout, yet I fear that some people might get real tennis elbow from Wii's virtual Tennis, or even tear a rotator cuff when pitching in Wii's Baseball.
I encourage you to go out and get one, even if you're also planning to buy Microsoft's Xbox 360 or Sony's PlayStation 3. Just be careful, because Wii is physical.
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November 14th, 2006, 23:10 Posted By: wraggster
News from Play Asia:
Weekly Special: Star Fox DS (aka. Star Fox Command) for Nintendo DS™ at US$ 19.90 only - offer valid for 1 week
From the publisher: Star Fox returns to its roots with a blistering space shooter on Nintendo DS. In this latest installment of the franchise, Fox and his crew have disbanded after saving the Lylat system more times than you can shake a stick. But, from the depths of the planet, Venom, the Anglar have launched a full assault on Corneria and the outer sectors.
Now, Fox McCloud, must reunite his old friends, and defeat the Anglar emperor's plans for total domination.
Star Fox Command features intuitive piloting using the stylus pen. Simply drag the stylus in the direction you want to fly your Arwing. It may take a little getting used to at first, but once you get the hang of it, blasting enemy squadrons and pulling high-G turns, is pretty exciting.
Star Fox DS (aka. Star Fox Command outside of Japan) is now available at discounted US$ 19.90 only.
Game features:
Lylat needs help. Players hop into their Arwing fighter and fight through a unique branching storyline of missions, all rendered in gorgeous 3-D.
Star Fox Command 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 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.
As usually, this weekly special is valid for exactly 1 week (if not sold out earlier) and this time limited to a maximum purchase of 2 units per customer. As a small restriction, please also notice that you cannot use any further discount coupons along with this special offer.
More Info --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...9-en-84-n.html
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November 14th, 2006, 23:47 Posted By: wraggster
JimmyL posted this news/release:
One new game, one updated game and one bug fix.
I threw in the board and enough pieces for a game of Go. This is only a "beginner" 9x9 board, since the game is sprite based and I only have room for 128 sprites.
I also updated the deck of cards with some oversized poker chips(I'll have to redraw them), and added a shuffle button that won't reset the chips. That table is a bit of a mess, with the chips seperated into four equal 'stacks'... so you'll probably have to push them aside when starting a game. I'll clean it up when I make smaller chips.
And finally, I fixed a client side crash bug that occured when a client was moving an object around as the host changed the game type.
.
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November 14th, 2006, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster
Infantile Paralysiser have posted a new release of his image viewer for the Nintendo DS:
'When the START button is pushed in the IPK file selection mode, the slide show is begun directly.
The folder of the same name as IPK is performed in the slide show. (retrieval order example.ipk->example/*.mp3->example.mp3->imgview.mp3->NoBGM)
The BGM setting page was added to the slide show setting screen.
When M3/EZ4 is used, two screen (open wide) mode can be used. Added toggle icon.
The single screen crossing fade effect was added in the slide show.
'
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November 15th, 2006, 00:03 Posted By: wraggster
Via DSfanboy
How does Naruto rate such incredible graphics? Yeah, we know, loads of people read, watch, and love Naruto, and that's fine; we support a love of ninja goodness in all things. But licensed games are just supposed to be there for our entertainment. Oh, we don't mean the gameplay. They're supposed to be, y'know, bad. It's a rule. But you know how those mischievous teenage ninjas can be. They don't like rules. They like violence and hey! So do we. So it's convenient that this game is going to be all about kicking ass.
The original video at Jeux France is definitely higher quality, but a version popped up on YouTube (just some color fading, not losing a lot) that we've embedded after the jump. Watch it here, watch it there, watch it anywhere -- just don't miss it.
Video Here --> http://youtube.com/watch?v=xA9HrhxBCD0
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November 15th, 2006, 00:15 Posted By: wraggster
Smealum has updated his awesome looking Doom Type game for the Nintendo DS, heres the full translated info:
14/11/2006: Still small a update… It adds some corrections, as the rotation of the enemies (who before “rotationaient” around their left higher corner (for top)….now they rotationnent well around their medium ) and ESPECIALLY, it is now possible to kill the enemies with pump rifle!
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November 15th, 2006, 03:13 Posted By: gotmilk0112
it was on "Dancing with the stars" commercial break around 8:46 PM
note: you might have to turn up your volume. :thumbup:
i was having troubl with the format so heres a link to download it:
its only 3mb so dont worry
AND you also might have to right-click the download link that says Host-A.net and click save as cuz the mirror didnt work for me for some reason 
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November 15th, 2006, 15:38 Posted By: Darksaviour69
Nintendo will offer (over) four times as many machines as Sony when it launches its Wii console in Japan on 2 December.
The Japanese video game maker said it will ship almost 400,000 units of its Wii console, compared to 100,000 (actually closer it 90,000) for Sony's PlayStation 3.
However Nintendo has not said how many consoles it will make available in the US where the Wii debuts on 19 November.
The launch of the Wii will see the big games makers Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo going head to head.
The Wii, the Xbox 360 and the PS3 will compete for attention on the shelves this Christmas.
bbc news
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November 15th, 2006, 20:18 Posted By: wraggster
New from Divineo China
Easy to set up, this wifi headphone includes a microphone for high quality voice communication on Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite. The ear piece is fully adjustable for high comfort.
- Easy set-up
- High sensitivity wi-fi voice communication
- Designed for NDS and NDS Lite games
- Earphone includes soft cotton for user protection
- Microphone can be bent to fit perfectly
- Ear holder can be adjusted to be used on left or right ear
- High speed stereo or mono sound signal transmission
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November 15th, 2006, 20:21 Posted By: wraggster
New from Divineo China
This ultra complete accessories pack for Nintendo DS Lite provides you all you will need to enhance your NDS Lite gaming experience!
It features accessories for protection, power, control, carrying, sound and cleaning!
Pack contains:
- 2 * Guard Mask
- 1 * Car lighter power adapter
- 1 *USB power charge cable
- 3 * Stereo ear phones
- 12 * game card case
- 4 * touch pen (plastic, aluminum and copper)
- 1 * wrist wrap
- 4 * 3-layers silicon soft protective seal for upper and lower screen with soft paper card and cleaning cloth
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November 15th, 2006, 20:23 Posted By: wraggster
New from Divineo China
The Crystal Protect Box for Nintendo DS Lite offers real strong protection with a hard transparent case. Available in multiple colors, it is also a stylish case that perfectly fits your NDS Lite design to keep dimension low while offering shock protection.
- Super hard transparent storage box
- Clever compact size design
- Protects against scratches and shock
- Made with high resistance silicon material
- Available in 5 colors: Ice Blue, Noble Pink, Pearl White, Enamel Navy, Charcoal Black
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November 15th, 2006, 20:55 Posted By: wraggster
This trailer of Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis, a GBA version of the spiny mascot's original outing, shows the 15-year-old Sega game to be as good as ever - just hit the movies tab to see it for yourself.
You'll be taken on a supersonic trip through the entire first act of the Green Hill zone, complete with Buzz bombers, Crabmeats, Motobugs and Newtrons - the classic enemies developer Sonic Team abandoned all too quickly in later games of the franchise.
The beautiful stylised graphics look thankfully untouched, although some of the sound effects seem different, especially when Sonic releases a Flicky from its robot shell. The spin dash attack (which wasn't introduced until later Sonic games) is also evident, although you can switch it off if you want to stay true to Sonic's first outing.
News and Trailer at Gamesradar
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November 15th, 2006, 21:02 Posted By: wraggster
Next-Gen reports that shares of Nintendo are fetching 26,770 yen ($227) a piece which is an all-time high for Mario Inc. The company can pretty much thank their DS portable that continues to sell extremely well, success that the market views as an indication of Wii's selling potential.
Will the console meet mass expectations? The countdown clock is ticking.
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November 15th, 2006, 22:26 Posted By: wraggster
New preorder from SuccessHK
Product Features of Nintendo Wii Wii AV Cable
High quality cable included
Stereo sound
Suitable for most video devices
More Description of Nintendo Wii Wii AV Cable
Improved standard graphics
S-Video and composite video cable
Stereo sound
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November 15th, 2006, 22:28 Posted By: wraggster
New preorder from SuccessHK
Product Features of Nintendo Wii Wii Component Cable
High quality cable included
High definition games
Resolution Upgrade
Multiple HD modes: 480p, 576p, 720p, 1080i
Superior picture quality
More Description of Nintendo Wii Wii Component Cable
Play Wii games in High Definition on your HDTV.
High resolution graphics
Ideal for HDTV
Stereo sound
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November 15th, 2006, 23:58 Posted By: wraggster
via DSfanboy
As the next puzzler from Q? Entertainment, many looked to Gunpey DS to repeat the success of Lumines and Meteos. Once again, Q? Entertainment combine music with an incredible visual style to create a unique gaming experience. That experience, however, doesn't seem to be all that well-received by critics, as most of the reviews in now are pretty low. Any readers pick this game up and wish to comment?
1UP - 85%: "If you're looking for a more full-featured game, with greater variety -- and don't mind the cartoony milieu of Gunpey DS -- then you will find this version not only a superior value, but a superior game."
Games Radar - 70%: "Disappointment about the lack of groundbreaking invention aside, Gunpey is a fun and intellectually interesting workout for your brain. If you're sick of falling blocks, or just need some new challenge to wrap the grey matter around, give it a go."
Nintendo Power - 65%: "It's easy to achieve proficiency in the game, and so difficult to fail, you may find that your skill and your interest in the game plateau quickly." [Dec. 2006, p.106]
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November 16th, 2006, 00:00 Posted By: wraggster
Via Siliconera
Scientific journal, National Geographic’s sub division National Geographic Ventures, is teaming up with Destination Software to make games based on National Geographic’s films. One game is based on the March of the Penguins movie and it is coming out later this month for the DS and Game Boy Advance. Not exactly exciting news, but the “Sea Monsters” Wii game sounds interesting. It is based on a film of the same name premiering in 2007. Since the film is about aquatic and extinct monsters what kind of gameplay can we expect from a Sea Monsters game? Fishing for Astraspis? Or better yet maybe we will get to play as a Plesiasaur and use the Wii remote to mimic swimming motions. Sea Monsters also comes out for the DS and Playstation 2, but it’s doubtful those games will have virtual swimming controls.
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November 16th, 2006, 00:02 Posted By: wraggster
Via DSfanboy
Turns out that Japan will be getting a special edition of Gyakuten Saiban 4, which is Phoenix Wright 4 to us English-speaking people. The special edition pack-in is an encyclopedia cartridge that reviews all of Phoenix's previous cases. It also contains all of the background music so you can listen at your leisure. Of course, our desire for such an extra is nonexistent as we haven't played any of the games beyond the first, but we have a feeling the Japanese will eat this up.
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November 16th, 2006, 00:05 Posted By: wraggster
Via Nextgen
Final Fantasy house Square Enix has revised its fiscal first half forecasts upward thanks to a tax adjustment and the CGI movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children.
According to a company statement, the Tokyo-based game company said that it expects 3.3 billion yen ($27.9 million) in consolidated net income for the six-month period ended September 30, 2006. The revision represents a 32 percent increase from the previous forecast. Sales forecasts were up marginally half a percent to 75.9 billion yen ($642.9 million).
The increase in net income forecasts was due to "an adjustment in the amount of deferred income taxes associated with consolidated accounting," while higher than expected licensing income for Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children drove up net sales expectations.
This most recent revision follows another adjustment Square Enix had made in recent weeks. In late October, the company decreased its net income expectations down nearly 17 percent and its net sales up 11 percent from the prior forecast.
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November 16th, 2006, 00:07 Posted By: wraggster
sgstair posted this news:
Hi everyone, it’s been a while, but here are my priorities in the homebrew realm for the immediate future. I’m going to disappoint some of you, sorry - but this is how it has to be.
The DSWifi project is going to be discontinued for the time being, until sometime next year. I’m not going to go into more detail on why, but I will not be continuing to work on it for now. I would like to turn it over to an individual or group of people if anyone would like to maintain it - if you’d like to do this, get in contact with me (on IRC, or leave a comment, or send an email…)
I will be starting a new project to reverse engineer the Wii’s wireless hardware, and build a new library based on it. This is expected to start around the start of december, and run a few months (who knows how long it will take)
The DSTunnel project is currently inactive, but I will make an attempt to revive it later this year, I would like to first complete the Wii wifi library, and I may actually build DSTunnel directly for the wii, or at least as one of the supported platforms.
I have 2 undisclosed DS projects that I will be working on… you’ll just have to wait and see what they are
Beyond all that, I have a few other general purpose libraries (besides the 802.11 and TCP/IP libs) that I’m going to start on at some arbitrary time (FAT lib, crypto lib, and some others) and a few emulator projects I want to work on.
So, that’s what my schedule looks like for the next several months - I now await your kind comments and harsh criticism
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November 16th, 2006, 00:25 Posted By: wraggster
Via IGN
Square Enix announced today that the much-anticipated RPG remake Final Fantasy III has shipped to retailers across North America. Previously released only in Japan for the Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System in America), Final Fantasy III is finally hitting U.S. shores exclusively for the Nintendo DS.
"Until now, FINAL FANTASY III has seen no remakes or appearances on other platforms since its original release on the Nintendo Entertainment System in April 1990," said Hiromichi Tanaka, Director and Executive Producer for FINAL FANTASY III. "Due to the game's age, a direct port might seem a bit dated, but now FINAL FANTASY III has been made anew on the sensational Nintendo DS platform, including new graphics in 3D, rebalanced jobs, and brand-new characterization for the four young heroes, who are now more dynamic than ever. As the only game in the FINAL FANTASY series that had not previously been localized, we are very pleased to finally bring FINAL FANTASY III across the ocean to players in North America. We hope that not only FINAL FANTASY fans, but a wide variety of players in North America enjoy the new FINAL FANTASY III."
Final Fantasy III for the Nintendo DS makes extensive use of the system's unique capabilities. Players can use the stylus to explore dungeons, dispatch foes, and cast spells intuitively. Furthermore, gamers can take advantage of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to access the Mognet and communicate with other players as well as NPCs in an effort to uncover hidden dungeons, quests, and items.
FINAL FANTASY III is rated E 10+ (Everyone 10+) by the ESRB and will be available at North American retailers for a suggested price of $39.99.
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November 16th, 2006, 00:26 Posted By: wraggster
The fastest selling DS game of all time in Japan was once New Super Mario Bros. And then, Pokemon Diamond & Pearl saw release. According to a recent update on one of our favorite retailer blogs, it took just 46 days for the highly anticipated DS (dual SKU) RPG to reach the 3,000,000 mark, beating out the previous record holder, Mario.
Pokemon is the third DS game to reach triple platinum status in Japan, joining Mario and Animal Crossing. In contrast, the PlayStation 2 has seen just one game reach the coveted sales mark.
But Pokemon isn't the only thing that's selling on the DS. Nintendo's Common Sense Training game recently passed the 400,000 mark. Kirby, which was just released last week, has already topped the 200,000 mark.
Nintendo plans on shipping 1.5 million DS Lite units in December alone to Japan, according to this retailer. That probably won't be enough.
Via IGN
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November 16th, 2006, 17:19 Posted By: wraggster
These new screens will give you a good idea of just how huge the courses in Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam really are.
Although they're admittedly not the most detailed graphics we've ever seen on Wii, the geometry of these courses is pretty cool, especially considering you can skate and grind on almost everything you see, including rooftops and overhead rails - as also shown in these screens. One shot shows a player having leaped so high off a ramp that you can see the whole level in the background.
There's some two-player action in there too, with the final game set to include a number of multiplayer gameplay scenarios aside from the usual race mode.
Screens Here
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November 16th, 2006, 17:31 Posted By: wraggster
The Wii will hit stores in America this Sunday, along with 20 titles for gamers to get stuck into.
We've had the list of games due for release before Christmas for some time, but Nintendo has now confirmed which of those will land on day one, and they are:
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Wii Sports (Packaged with every Wii)
EXCITE TRUCK
Call of Duty 3
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Madden NFL '07
Rampage: Total Destruction
Happy Feet
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Cars
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Creature from the Krusty Krab
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
GT Pro Series
Monster 4X4 World Circuit
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Red Steel
The following games will become available in the US in the five weeks following this weekend's launch:
Rapala Tournament Fishing
World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions
Chicken Little: Ace in Action
Need for Speed: Carbon
Elebits
Konami; The Ant Bully
Metal Slug Anthology
Super Swing Golf
Barnyard
Far Cry: Vengeance
Open Season
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
Nintendo will also make a total of 30 retro games available for download though the Virtual Console feature on Wii, giving early adopters plenty to be getting on with. Perplexed as to which games to get this Christmas?
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November 16th, 2006, 18:20 Posted By: wraggster
Via Gamesindustry
Nintendo has declined to confirm whether a new version of the Wii with DVD playback feature will go on sale outside of Japan - despite a "worldwide agreement" with tech provider Sonic.
Plans to launch the new model were first announced last month, with Nintendo suggesting it was unlikely the machine would make it to the US and Europe.
But earlier this week, digital media software company Sonic Solution confirmed that its CinePlayer CE DVD Navigator will be included in the new Wii, which is due to arrive "in the latter half of 2007".
Now a Sonic spokesperson has told GamesIndustry.biz that it has signed a "worldwide agreement" with Nintendo, stating, "In terms of the specific details of the relationship, Sonic provides an SDK, which Nintendo users to incorporate DVD playback into their system.
"As the enabler of technology in Wii, Sonic does not define the implementation. Sonic provided Nintendo with its DVD playback SDK, which will be integrated by them to their specifications."
A spokesperson for Nintendo UK said, "We have previously confirmed that an enhanced version of Wii capable of playing DVD's would launch at some point in the future in Japan.
"This release simply confirms Sonic as the partner in that venture and that the new version of Wii will come to market in the second half of 2007. It does not confirm where it will launch. We are simply not making any further region specific announcements at this time."
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November 16th, 2006, 18:24 Posted By: wraggster
Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto has revealed that Nintendo initially intended its next-gen console to go on sale for under US $100 - but certain features pushed up the price.
Speaking in an interview with Business Week Miyamoto said, "Originally, I wanted a machine that would cost $100. My idea was to spend nothing on the console technology so all the money could be spent on improving the interface and software.
"If we hadn't used NAND flash memory and other pricey parts, we might have succeeded," he added.
At first Nintendo "didn't think it was possible to build a powerful machine for less than 50,000 Yen" (330 Euro), and there were concerns about power consumption, cooling systems and boot-up time.
In the end, "We had to compromise on graphics and give up on a powerful chip," Miyamoto conceded.
"Many of our employees initially wanted high-definition graphics. But they agreed with us that graphics wouldn't matter if the games weren't fun to play." However, Miyamoto observed, the Wii is "much faster" than the GameCube.
He explained that much of the thinking behind the Wii came from trying to imagine what would convince mothers to buy a console for their kids - "We talked about basic concepts and goals, not about the technical specifications of the console.
"Our goal was to come up with a machine that moms would want - easy to use, quick to start up, not a huge energy drain, and quiet while it was running," Miyamoto said.
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November 16th, 2006, 18:35 Posted By: wraggster
This new trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess illustrates how Wii's motion-sensitive controller is used during Link's latest outing - hit the movies tab to see the gameplay demo. And if you fancy reading more about how the motion-sensitive method works out, check our recent preview.
Set to launch alongside Wii when it touches down on 8 December, Twilight Princess will be an interesting prospect for any long-term pad users, although for new gamers it might offer an accessible way into Zelda's magically charming world. We'll have a review up soon enough, so keep your eyes peeled for the verdict
News and New trailer at Gamesradar
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November 16th, 2006, 18:36 Posted By: wraggster
This fresh batch of images from Wii-bound Sonic adventure, Sonic and the Secret Rings, gives us more views of the spiky one's towering dinosaur enemies, and hints at the sort of high-speed platforming we'll be racing through when the game's released next spring.
With a spiny T-Rex-like beast lunging over Sonic's path and a stampede of newly spotted Triceratops-ish dinos hurtling after him, we're guessing that Secret Rings will see us outrunning, dodging and hiding from these extinction-defying giants - possibly in chase sequences like the Killer Whale sprint in Sonic Adventure.
Also, with Sonic atop a drifting log in some of the images, expect more Sonic Adventure comparisons. Both Adventure games featured some brillo snowboarding moments (or streetboarding in SA2's case) so we're looking forward to some log-mounted rapid riding from Sonic and the Secret Rings.
Screens Here
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November 16th, 2006, 18:37 Posted By: wraggster
As Nintendo never fails to inform us, Wii is a console aimed at hunting down non-gamers. This Wario Ware: Smooth Moves video shows little of the game but plenty of the big N's mindset, featuring, as it does, a trio - nay, a gaggle - of young ladies getting to grips with Wii's controller. Much giggling results. Hit the movies tab above to watch the demo.
Sure, it's no different from Microsoft or Sony's achingly Zeitgeist-hunting promo imagery featuring over-styled models fumbling with new technology. But Nintendo is deadly serious about embracing the non-gaming masses - hopefully Ninty's target market will respond. After all, Wii is about fun for both the hardcore and the casual gamer.
Movie Here
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November 16th, 2006, 22:26 Posted By: wraggster
While there's always the chance you'll be bludgeoned or shot up while holding down the fort for your chance to snag a Playstation 3, those who take the (presumably) easier route and grab a Nintendo Wii may be buying an accident waiting to happen. Those oh-so-cautious execs over at Wally World have already passed on their chance to install Wii demo kiosks due to "safety concerns," and even those testing it out in GameStop will be keenly watched. In preparation for Wiiday, 1UP has sacrificed some of its own men and women to ensure that all that pent-up excitement (not to mention the effects of sleep deprivation) doesn't lead to a Wiinjury. Although the big N fully expects everyone grasping a Wiimote to buckle up (to their wrist) first, we all know that's not likely to happen -- so you should probably take precautions to avoid getting butterfingers, tennis elbow, entangled, strangled, cancer (saywha?), and a whole host of other potential wounds. While you're brushing up on those Wii reviews, make sure you hit the read link to see just how dangerous that cutesy controller can be.
More Info
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November 16th, 2006, 23:15 Posted By: wraggster
One of the core ideas behind serious games is using digital entertainment to convey ideas and values. In the following article, I take a look at how Nintendo portrays its most famous female character in the recently released portable title, Super Princess Peach.
In Mario’s universe, Princess Peach - formerly known as Princess Toadstool in Western countries until 1996 - has always played the damsel in distress role. Until now, all she did was wait until Mario showed up and rescued her. Arguably, that is not a very active role but, to be fair to Nintendo, that is pretty much what princesses do in traditional fairy tales. In 2005, Nintendo launched Super Princess Peach, a Nintendo DS game where, for the first time, Peach was the protagonist. Rather than been rescued, it was now her turn to rescue Mario and Luigi who were being held prisoners by the evil Bowser.
I first heard of the game through Ian Bogost, who was shocked at what he called “Nintendo’s most politically incorrect game ever.” The reason behind this claim was that Peach’s superpowers are not physical, such as what is commonly found with male characters in the Mario universe. Instead, Peach fights with an unconventional weapon: her emotions. That sounded too weird to be true, so I ran to the nearest store and bought myself a copy.
The player can use different kind of emotional attacks: rage, crying and happiness (along with a sort of neutral emotion called “Calm” which replenishes her energy bar). Each emotion is represented on the interface through a heart that can be activated on the console’s touchable screen. Many game critics noticed the sexism of portraying a female character in this particular way. Ryan Davis, argued on his GameSpot review of the game that it had “some weird sexist undercurrents in the game design”. Similarly, Bryn Williams wondered at GameSpy: “Is Nintendo trying to say that females are all ‘emo’?”
Full Article
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November 16th, 2006, 23:22 Posted By: wraggster
New press release:
Nintendo's new Wii(TM) video game system not only changes how people play games, but redefines how they interact with both the system and their televisions. With the Wii Menu, Nintendo offers a gateway to new experiences through a collection of
interactive channels people can use to customize their gaming and entertainment options.
The Wii Menu serves as the main portal to the different functions of Wii, and is designed to evolve throughout the life of the system. Some functions can be used right out of the box and more will roll out during the next few weeks and into next year, with content continually changing over time. Wii goes on sale in the Americas Nov. 19 at an MSRP of $249.99. "The diversity of the Wii Menu has something for both gamers and non-gamers," says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "The
options exist to help introduce current non-players to Wii and help us bring gaming to the masses."
On launch day, players who want to play a Wii game or a Nintendo GameCube(TM) game simply pop in the disc, aim their motion-sensitive Wii
Remote(TM) at the Wii Menu and click on the Disc Channel to start the game. it's that simple. But some of the real fun with the Wii Menu comes with
customization. The Mii(TM) Channel lets users create caricatures of themselves (or anyone else) that can be used first in Wii Sports(TM), a
collection of five sports games packed in with the Wii system. Up to 10 Mii characters can be stored in a single Wii Remote, and players can carry them
to a friend's house and populate multiple Wii systems. Using the Photo Channel, users can explore their creative talents by developing a slide show or showing off their best shots in an easy, fun
way. With an SD memory card from a digital camera, users can display their photos on their televisions and perform basic editing and manipulation.
The Wii Shop Channel serves as Wii's online storefront, where visitors can redeem Wii Points(TM) to download games or other items. Users need a high-speed Internet connection to access the Wii Shop Channel and choose from at least 12 classic Virtual Console(TM) games that will be ready to
play on launch day. Some of the games a player can download include: Donkey Kong(R) (NES(R)), based on the arcade game of the same name; SimCity(R)
(SNES(TM)), where players get to build a city from the ground up, being responsible for each decision they make; Super Mario 64(R), the first-ever
true 3-D game, which changed the face of gaming forever; Sonic the Hedgehog(R) (Genesis(R)), the fastest blue hedgehog on Earth whips through
hair-raising loop-de-loops and into dizzying dives; and Bomberman(R) '93 (TurboGrafx16(TM)), the exciting, powered-up version that followed the
original Bomberman(R). More Virtual Console games will become available weekly every Monday
following launch and by year's end, gamers will be able to pick from a library of 30 or more classic games from the Nintendo Entertainment
System(R), Super NES(R), Nintendo(R) 64, Sega Genesis(TM) and TurboGrafx16 consoles. Users buy Wii Points at retail or with a credit card in the Wii
Shop Channel and redeem their Wii Points to download the classic games. NES games start at 500 Wii Points, Super NES games start at 800 Wii Points and Nintendo 64 games start at 1,000 Wii Points. Sega Genesis games start at 800 Wii Points and TurboGrafx16 games start at 600 Wii Points.
The Wii Shop Channel is also where users will go to download the Opera browser that will let them surf the Internet from the comfort of their couches on Wii's Internet Channel. More information about the availability of the browser will be released in the coming weeks. On Dec. 20, Nintendo will roll out the Forecast Channel. Users will be able to access free local weather information, which is continually
updated. Users can access worldwide weather information by browsing a 3-D globe. Weather information will be supplied by Weathernews. A high-speed Internet connection is required to access the Forecast Channel. Then on Jan. 27, the Wii Menu News Channel will make headlines with the latest news from around the world provided by the Associated Press. A high-speed Internet connection is also needed to access the News Channel. For more information about Wii and the Wii Menu, visit Wii.com. The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment,
Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo DS(TM), Game Boy(R) Advance and Nintendo GameCube(TM) systems, and upcoming Wii(TM) system. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.2 billion video games and more than 387 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario(TM), DonkeyKong(R), Metroid(R), Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at http://www.nintendo.com.
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November 16th, 2006, 23:57 Posted By: wraggster
Updated release from shadowghost21:
This is the .02 version of LegocadDS. It has a few tweaks and a gui overhaul. I really need people who download this file to help me improve the quality of the product you are reciving. I have been working on graphics for way to long and would like to start coding some save/load features So please submit comments suggestions and what not I need the input so that I can make the program all it can be. Now noward to your download.
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November 17th, 2006, 00:04 Posted By: wraggster
Noddybox has posted a new release of his great ZX81 emulator for the Nintendo DS:
Well, that will teach me to try and squeeze out a release when busy at work (alright, with Splinter Cell). More importantly it will teach me not to use Sinclair BASIC to test my keyboard routines. Grab your slab of 8-bit monochrome loveliness (now with free working keyboard) from the DS81 page.
More Info
If you'd have told me 25 years ago that I'd be playing 3D Monster Maze on the bus on a device powered by batteries, I'd have said you were mad...
DS81 is a basic emulation of the Sinclair ZX81. It only supports text modes games (basically anything that uses the bog-standard ZX81 display file for the technically minded), so hi-res games will not work. This is being worked on.
It includes a few games to try out. Note that I did not write these games, or own the copyright to them. They are included in good faith (as far as I know the authors do not mind this work being distributed), and if any of them want their work removing I'll gladly oblige:
ZX81 ROM © 1981 Nine Tiles Networks Ltd
Mazogs © 1981 Don Priestley
City Patrol © 1982 Don Priestley
Sabotage © 1982 Don Priestley
3D Monster Maze © 1983 Malcom E. Evans
DS81 also supports the loading of external files from a FAT formatted device. To do this the internal FAT routines of libnds are used, so if you're device isn't supported then I'm afraid you're stuck with the built-in games. Don't worry, you're not alone -- I wrote the damn thing and can't use external files on my flash device!
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November 17th, 2006, 00:08 Posted By: wraggster
News/release from PSYM
My first DS game. Very simple, very boring ... but it's near enough finished, so I thought I may as well post it.
I've only tested on Dualis and hardware (using M3). Dualis works but randomization doesn't seed, so it's very easy Also transparency is broken on the menu, but nothing major. Oh, and it plays open book style, so on an emulator you'll have to tilt your head Hardware everything is ok.
Options doesn't do anything, timer and turn counter don't work. I don't plan to fix these things as I'm now into my flickr project.
Comments, questions to:
flickr [dot] nds [at] gmail [dot] com
Cheers,
Psym
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November 17th, 2006, 06:15 Posted By: Kramer
Nintendo announced today in a press release that many of the Wii's online functions would not be available when the system launches in North America on Sunday. The release reveals the forecast channel will debut on Dec. 20, while the news channel (with content from the Associated Press) will debut Jan. 27 of next year. The release also suggested that the Wii's Opera browser would not be available for download immediately, saying "more information about the availability of the browser will be released in the coming weeks."
Nintendo did confirm that 12 Virtual Console games would be available on launch day, including Donkey Kong, SimCity, Super Mario 64, Sonic the Hedgehog and Bomberman '93. The release also confirmed that new VC content would be released every Monday and established pricing for Genesis and Turbo-Grafx games at 800 points ($8) and 600 points ($6) respectively.
Of course what is perhaps the key online feature for a game console -- actual online game play -- still won't be available until next year, making a lot of this moot from a certain perspective. Still, this delay in more basic online functionality makes us wonder how well Nintendo's online strategy will be able to go from a practical standing start to keeping up with the big boys.
Source: Joystiq
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November 17th, 2006, 16:50 Posted By: wraggster
The Nintendo MP3 Player is a small GBA cart-sized gadget that will allow you to listen to MP3 files stored on an SD memory card through your DS or GBA - much like the Play-Yan previously released in Japan.
For £20, you get the MP3 player which slots into the GBA, or the GBA port on your DS, with easy-to-use menus and song information displayed on the portable screen.
But beware that it doesn't come with an SD memory card - you'll need to buy one of those separately. You'll also need a way of copying your tunes onto the SD card, so if your PC or Mac doesn't take SD cards, you'll need a card reader, too.
Also bound to detract some of the excitement away from the MP3 player is that fact that it launches on the same day as the Wii, when no-one will care about anything other than getting Zelda home for a 40-hour bashing. It'll be like the quiet little boy in the corner, longing for attention.
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November 17th, 2006, 17:23 Posted By: wraggster
Some guy is selling one of the 26 "holy grails" of NES games, the 1990 Nintendo World Championships golden cart. It still works (apparently), is still fun (presumably), and is one of only 26 ever handed out. Where are the others? In a glass case, taking pride of place in the office of some shady underworld figure?
I like to think so.
Yeah, it's nice, and definitely rare, but is it really worth $15,000? You can get 60 Wiis for that. Or...one PS3.
More Info
Via Kotaku
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November 17th, 2006, 17:37 Posted By: wraggster
Massive New DS Release for today:
News from Play Asia:
The only Final Fantasy that was never ported to any other platform—the third installment of the original series—finally appears on Nintendo DS™! Lauded as "legendary" by the Japanese fan base, Final Fantasy III has been reborn, incorporating the latest in portable gaming technology. Using the features of the Nintendo DS™ to their fullest, Final Fantasy III features graphics that have been reworked and remodeled in 3D, while maintaining the mythical Final Fantasy look and feel.
A chance encounter with a sentient crystal propels Luneth from his peaceful village of Ur in search of three others who share his destiny. Together, the four youthful adventurers must vanquish the darkness that threatens to engulf the world.
Published by Nintendo in the US and developed by Square-Enix, Final Fantasy III for Nintendo DS™ is shipping today as US release version at US$ 39.90 only. Today's shipment covers around 75% of all preorders. We are expecting more supply to arrive during next week to clear all remaining orders as well as ship new orders.
Also in stock today is BradyGames' Final Fantasy III Official Strategy Guide. The English language guide book contains a complete walkthrough of the entire game, detailed area maps and much more on 176 pages. Available now at US$ 18.90 only.
Last but not least, also make sure to check out the Final Fantasy III Original Soundtrack [CD+DVD] (in stock at US$ 23.90) and the Final Fantasy III Square-Enix Characters toy release (on preorder at US$ 6.90 per randomly shipped figure).
Game features:
Dynamic job-changing system ensures a virtually infinite variety of team variations
Great use of DS touch screen! Explore dungeons, cast spells and battle enemies with the stylus
A classic reborn! Dramatic overhaul with 3D graphics brings this classic to brilliant life for today's demanding gamer
Support for Nintendo Wi-Fi play!
More info / buy here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...9-en-84-n.html
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November 18th, 2006, 00:24 Posted By: wraggster
Gamasutra's semi-regular feature taking the pulse of folks in the game industry turns its attention this week to the PS3 and Wii launches. From the comments submitted to the site, it seems that many industry vets are generally more excited about the Wii than with Sony's offering. From the article: "'Definitely a Wii (already pwii-ordered). The price point of the PS3 and the lack of enticing launch titles makes me as interested in a PS3 as I am interested in getting a root canal.' - Ryan Conlon, Gearbox Software. 'I am buying a Wii because Sony is too arrogant, from their dev tools to the price point.' - Ed O'Tey, Electronic Arts. 'Wii - pre-ordered. I applaud the attempt to expand and explore game interaction with the Wii. I will not be purchasing a ps3.' - Jim Perkins, EA Canada"
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November 18th, 2006, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster
On eve's eve of the super ginormous Nintendo Wii launch, SanDisk has unveiled special edition Wii SD cards. What makes these cards better than traditional blue SanDisk SD cards? Well, for one, they are white! Just like the Wii! Secondly, they say on the card 'For Wii'! That's it, same shit, new box and higher price. It will be available in 512MB, 1GB and 2GB sizes with prices beginning at $35. I like to call it fanboyploitation.
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November 18th, 2006, 00:33 Posted By: wraggster
OK, so you know how you swing the Wii remote like a tennis racquet or a golf club in Wii Sports? Wouldn't that be a little easier if the remote actually looked like a tennis racquet or golf club? No? Not even a little? Well too bad, Joytech is releasing a set of cheap-looking plastic Wii remote attachments to fulfill such a purpose anyway.
In addition to the sports pack pictured above, Joytech also plans on releasing a rounded controller grip for the remote (perfect for playing NES Virtual Console games), a set of silicon gloves to protect the remote and nunchuck and, most exciting of all, a rechargeable battery pack and docking station to keep your remotes nice and energized. No price has been set for the units, which are due in stores this winter.
Screen Via Comments
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November 18th, 2006, 00:36 Posted By: wraggster
After recommending a "wait and see" approach to buying a PS3, CNN/Money's Chris Morris says the Wii is "a heck of a lot of fun." The game columnist likens the PS3 and 360 to powerful and flashy Lamborghinis whilst comparing the Wii to a peppy Mini Cooper; not going to win any speed races, but handles like butta. He believes, as many, that Nintendo's "gutsy decision" to go against the grain may very well pay off in terms of a boost to its market share.
From the review:"One important note: Graphics aren't great on Wii games. In fact, they're generally on par with current generation systems, but Nintendo's betting that won't be a factor. If anything comes back to haunt them as we move later into this cycle in the industry, it will be graphical quality. For now, though, the innovative controls more than make up for the difference."
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November 18th, 2006, 00:37 Posted By: wraggster
Reuters reports on cheaper (or traditional) $50 game prices for Wii reconfirming what Nintendo's been preaching regarding a desired increase in publisher returns. From the article: "The cheaper price may mask fatter profits for developers. Consumers buy Wii titles for 17 percent less than next-generation console games, but publishers say development costs for Wii are only half as much -- or less. THQ Inc. Chief Executive Brian Farrell said that investment in a next-generation video game can run roughly $12 million to $20 million, while a title for the Wii could be in the $5 million to $8 million range."
Assuming motion controls reach critical mass combined with said fatty profits, this is sure to foster more third-party support than Nintendo previously had with the GameCube, no?
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November 18th, 2006, 00:39 Posted By: wraggster
New for DS released:
features
76 recipes
Use the stylus to chop, slice, pan fry, knead, grate, mash, peel and more
Share recipes with as many as four other players
Wirelessly send a saved game to a friend
description
In Cooking Mama, you take the role of a chef who must take orders and prepare food on time. Fortunately, you have an friendly guide in Mama! Use the stylus to cut vegetables and meat, then cook them on the stove to perfection. The touch screen also comes into play as you shake the skillet for an omelet, dip tempura in oil, form dumplings, knead pizza dough and more. Blow into the mic to cool food!
More Info /buy here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1iwd.html
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November 18th, 2006, 01:00 Posted By: wraggster
New from SuccessHK
Product Features of Nintendo DS NDS Lite Screen Protector
High Light Transmission Rate
Durable and Anti-scratching material
Easy installation
For Both DS Lite Screens
More Description of Nintendo DS NDS Lite Screen Protector
This screen protector provides a good protection to both the screens of your DS Lite. It is made of high lighttransmission rate, durable and anti-scratching material.
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November 18th, 2006, 01:04 Posted By: wraggster
Twilight Princess is something you rarely see: a 60-hour adventure in which every moment is memorable. But then, maybe that's no surprise -- it represents the full resources and effort of the world's most powerful first-party developer, and thanks to all those delays, it's even enjoyed an extra year of polish and refinement. The question to ask therefore isn't "Is it any good?" but rather "Just how good is it?"
The answer? Truly fantastic. It's not a reinvention of the genre like Ocarina was -- but it's much better, because it takes all its predecessors' raw ideas, perfects them, and creates an experience that's at once new and familiar. It's rare to find a launch game that truly justifies the purchase of a new console, but this is precisely that.
More Info
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November 18th, 2006, 01:07 Posted By: wraggster
News from Cory1492It is with much sadness that I bump down the post below this. It was a tough choice and I have put it off for a few days now.
This is what I had originally hoped to have ready to open the blog with, something else besides putting up this blog that I was working on in my spare time while my father was sleeping here at home.
EZ4 can now write from homebrew!
Though I spent quite alot of time on trying things with the code set out by EZ’s people, I was not the one who fixed it (though the fixed code did require a small modification to the write function). It’s still missing a few proper checks, and when my other microSD finally arrives from BambooGaming I will see what I can do to straighten everything else out.
The fixed FAT driver was actually found in Infantile Paralysiser’s Image Viewer Version 0.4. I am still not sure who the credit should go to for the fix, but my thanks goes out to whomever did all that testing and isolated the problem.
Some sample code (copies a file “test.bin” to “test.cpy”) with a working version of Chishm’s FAT lib:
EZ4FATDemo-Nov-11-2006.zip
And a couple things I compiled to test it’s works out:
REIN_16_EZ4.zip (SATA’s REIN V16)
rein_16_EZ4mod_src.zip
DSO-EZ4.zip
More information and a couple of other apps rebuilt by jrobot for EZ4 can be found in this thread over at the unofficial English EZ forum.
Edit:/ just did a rebuild of picodriveDS 1.5 and current work version (1.6b - Nov 13 2006). Here it is with source modification included.
picodriveds_15_16b_ez4only.zip
More info at link above
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November 18th, 2006, 01:10 Posted By: wraggster
Via dsfanboy
After seeing this new DS commercial pop up on YouTube, the idea of taking the DS along to the salon seems like a good one. Playing while commuting is obvious, but the salon's a new one on this blogger. Sitting there while Mary Sunshine chitchats about Dancing with the Stars is ... boring doesn't even begin to cover it. Where do you whip out your DS to numb the pain? Apparently the people in this print ad (to the right) take their DS Lites along to orgies.
Can any of our British pals give us the details on this ad? Is it seen often, or is it just one of those rare events saved for particular shows whose viewers already own a DS (or two) anyway?
Video Here
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November 18th, 2006, 01:11 Posted By: wraggster
Via DSfanboy
It's been awhile since Ms. Croft has graced a Nintendo system and, according to the latest reviews of Tomb Raider Legend on the DS, it's for good reason. This port of an otherwise enjoyable title is apparently lacking some TLC, resulting in one unenjoyable time. That's a shame, we were hoping this would be more fun than it seems ...
Nintendo Power - 45%: "In the future, hopefully Eidos's commitment to rejuvenating the series will carry over to the handheld installments, but this uninspired port feels like it belongs to the crumbling franchise of a few years ago rather than the new and improved Legend." [Dec. 2006, p.105]
Games Radar - 50%: "Despite all of the frustration, however, Tomb Raider on DS can still be great fun at times - as long as you've got super-human patience and are prepared to squint a lot."
Pocket Gamer UK - 40%: "Indeed, so much of what was an otherwise quality adventure has been lost in the transition, this is more like a book of the film where half of the pages have been torn out. Avoid."
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November 18th, 2006, 02:30 Posted By: wraggster
New from SuccessHK
Price:USD 48.74
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance lets you create a four-member strike force of Marvel Super Heroes. If you had to assemble a team of the best heroes, who would you pick? Choose wisely, because this is an alliance for the ages -- the team you create will face incredible evils, from the most exotic locations on Earth to the neighboring solar systems. Partner, battle and interact with more than 140 characters from the entire Marvel Universe, in a multi-mission quest with an innovative combat system. Command the largest roster of Super Heroes ever, as you determine the fate of a universe. Compete or cooperate online - coverge in battle against legendary villains, and Switch between cooperative and competitive mode to partner or challenge 3 other players
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November 18th, 2006, 02:41 Posted By: wraggster
New from SuccessHK
For those who dont know what a Nintendo Wii ism heres more info:
Product Features of Nintendo Wii Nintendo Wii US version
Supports 12cm Wii Disc & 8cm GameCube Disc
Supports NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, TurboGrafix16 games
Wireless controller
2 SD card expansion slots
More Description of Nintendo Wii Nintendo Wii US version
The cool look: The new console boasts high-quality materials and a smart, compact design, approximately the size of three standard DVD cases stacked together.
Backward compatibility: The new console plays all games from the current Nintendo GameCube generation.
The secret weapon: The console also will have downloadable access to 20 years of fan-favorite titles originally released for Nintendo64 the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and even the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
The specs: The system boasts 512 megabytes of internal flash memory, wireless controllers, two USB 2.0 ports and built-in Wi-Fi access. A worldwide network of Nintendo players can gather to compete in a comfortable, inviting environment. Revolution's technological heart, a processing chip developed with IBM and code-named "Broadway," and a graphics chip set from ATI code-named 'Hollywood', will deliver game experiences not previously possible.
The stars: Introduction of a number of new franchise properties will add to the world's richest stable of stars, including Mario, Zelda, Super Smash Bros. Metroid.
Wireless freedom: A number of Wi-Fi-enabled launch titles are in development that will employ Nintendo's newly announced wireless gaming service, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
What version of the Wii will you buy, given the choice ?
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November 18th, 2006, 13:06 Posted By: JKKDARK
via Myth Games
SEGA of America, Inc. today released new information on the first round of titles from its SEGA Genesis library available via download on Wii's Virtual Console Shop Channel on November 19th. Prices will start at 800 Wii Points to download the SEGA Genesis titles. Wii Points can be purchased online or at retail at an MSRP of $20 for 2,000 points.
Spanning all the popular genres, the titles available at launch include SEGA Genesis classics such as Sonic The Hedgehog, Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Columns, Ecco the Dolphin, Gunstar Heroes, Space Harrier II, Toe Jam & Earl, Ristar and Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine.
2006 Title Line Up
Sonic The Hedgehog - (1991/© SEGA) - Rocket Sonic, the fastest blue hedgehog on earth, through hair-raising loop-de-loops and dizzying dives past bubbling lava, waterfalls and on as you gather up Rings and stop Dr. “Ivo” Robotnik’s schemes for world domination!
Altered Beast- (1989/© SEGA) - When Zeus, the legendary Greek God, brings you back to life, you set forth on a mission to rescue his daughter Athena from the underworld. Along the way, collect the Spirit Balls dropped by enemies to increase your strength and transform into a variety of mythical creatures with powerful attacks.
Golden Axe - (1988/© SEGA) - Three mighty heroes have a score to settle with the evil Death Adder in this classic action game. As a powerful fighter, a female amazon, or a mighty dwarf, you’ll fight through Adder’s henchman with weapon and magic attacks or ride the fearsome, fire-breathing beasts to your advantage.
Columns - (1990/© SEGA) - Test your hand at the ancient Phoenician game of Columns. Multi-colored gems drop from the top of the screen into a pit and it is up to you to quickly arrange the order of the jewels as they fall into lines of three or more. If your gems pile up and reach the top, the game is over.
Ecco the Dolphin - (1993/© SEGA) - Help Ecco the dolphin find his missing friends by exploring his vast ocean world. You must surface for air and keep an eye out for enemies as you search the depths. Ecco’s unique sonar ability will give you helpful information from other sea creatures.
Gunstar Heroes - (1993/© SEGA) - The Gunstar 9 planet was peaceful for many years until the vicious dictator, Colonel Red, kidnapped the Gunstar twins' older brother and used mind control to make him his slave. You’ll face many different enemies and bosses as you battle to stop the dictator from unleashing “Golden Silver the Destructor” with apocalyptic consequences!
Space Harrier II - (1988/© SEGA) - Fantasyland has been taken over by destructive forces and a call for help comes from deep in the universe Space Harrier is quick on the scene armed with his laser to defeat wave after wave of destructive forces through twelve thrilling stages, with a dangerous boss waiting at the end of each round.
Toe Jam and Earl - (1992/© ToeJam&Earl Productions,Inc. © SEGA) - Toe Jam and Earl are two fun-loving aliens who accidentally crash on earth when their spaceship collides with a meteorite! They must find 10 pieces of the spaceship so they can get back home to Planet Funkotron, but not all levels have the pieces. Once you find a piece of the ship, you’ll receive a hint as well.
Ristar - (1995/© SEGA) - Greedy, an evil space pirate, has corrupted the kings of Valdi System’s seven planets and enslaved the people who live there. The plea for a hero is answered by Ristar who uses his amazing extendable arms and courage to save Valdi from Greedy.
Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine - (1993/© SEGA) - Dr. Robotnik is stamping out music and fun in Mobius with his giant, robotizing Mean Bean Steaming Machine. Before he turns all the citizens of Beanville into robots, you must save the day by gathering up beans in matching colors and defeating Robotnik’s guards!
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November 18th, 2006, 14:15 Posted By: wraggster
Music man XOC, also known as Jason Cox, responsible for arguably the best video game cover album of ALL TIME, has made the penultimate sacrifice. Okay, not even close. But he did turn his original NES—the one he's had since age ten!—into a functioning guitar.
Now if it still also worked as a functioning Nintendo Entertainment System, that'd be something. Something impossible.
Screens Via Comments
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November 18th, 2006, 14:20 Posted By: wraggster
Via Gamedaily
A Revolution or just a controlled uprising? With the Wii's launch there's an incredible amount of hype for the system, but is Nintendo's new console really going to take the game industry by storm? Not from our perspective. Read on for five reasons why Wii won't rock you...
Before we get started, let's make sure we're clear on what this editorial is not about. We're not arguing that the Wii will be a wash for the Big N; to the contrary, we expect Nintendo to profit greatly from the system. In fact, the Wii will likely buck the trend of Nintendo consoles selling fewer units than their predecessors.
However, what this editorial is about is dispelling the notion that the Wii will mark Nintendo's return to the top of the home console world. Nintendo is trying to reach the great, untapped masses with their system, similar to what they've started to achieve with the DS. However, we believe that the system will ultimately end up in third place in terms of global market share, echoing the sentiment of numerous analysts.
Here are five reasons why we believe the Wii won't rock you:
Not Enough Games
One of the main factors that decided the PSOne/N64 war was Nintendo's lack of software support from third parties (Square famously went over to Sony's camp in the early stages). This past generation, third-party support was better for the GameCube, at least at first. However, that support waned over time, slowing the supply of new titles to a trickle and creating a dearth of GameCube exclusive titles.
For this generation, the Wii has a cautious amount of support from third-parties. While some major publishers (like Ubisoft) are jumping in with both feet forward, providing extensive support and new franchises like Red Steel, many others (like Electronic Arts) are giving a much more measured and calculated response with a handful of offerings from established franchises, such as Madden, Harry Potter and The Sims. Looking over the Wii titles, there's a definite pattern with established franchises and licensed children's titles. With the PS3 eventually getting titles such as Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy XIII and Xbox 360 getting heavy hitters like Blue Dragon and Mass Effect, Nintendo needs more third-party star power to compete down the road.
[ "It's not necessarily cool or 'hardcore' to say that graphics matter, but it's still a fact: graphics matter." ]
It's also worth noting that some key franchises are missing from the launch lineup. While the Wii will launch with a new Zelda title (it's amazing what happens when you keep delaying a game from the previous generation), the Wii marks the second straight console release by Nintendo without a new Mario game in the launch lineup. Perhaps more importantly, however, is the lack of Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Holiday 2006. Super Smash Bros. Melee is the best selling GameCube title ever, with over 6 million copies sold worldwide, and SSBM was available for the GameCube's first Christmas. Excite Truck surely isn't a proper substitute for Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
While Nintendo will have a lineup of titles for its virtual console, it is unknown whether this can be a major selling factor for the system. Besides, Sony will have similar offerings for their part and Microsoft already has plenty of Xbox Live Arcade titles. All three systems also feature varying degrees of backwards compatibility, but if anyone has the marked advantage in that are it would be Sony, with the PS3's support of the PSOne and PS2's huge game libraries.
Graphics Really Do Matter
What defines "good graphics" is admittedly subjective and the level of visual quality expected by today's consumer is equally hard to gauge. However, when dealing with the next generation of consoles, a good percentage of consumers will look for something that "wows" them—sorry, Mr. Iwata, but we just haven't had the urge to say "wow." Many consumers want to have a console with graphics that will not only impress them, but also their friends and family. They want their new console to be a centerpiece for their home theater system. When looking for a showcase system like this, consumers aren't likely to pick up the Wii.
Now, Wii games certainly don't look bad; in fact, by current-gen standards they look quite decent. However, when compared to the top 360 and PS3 titles, especially on an HDTV, the Wii is blown out of the water. Games like Gears of War and Heavenly Sword absolutely pop and the Wii just doesn't have the CPU and GPU power to match that.
The Wii's relative lack of power will no doubt turn off some developers. While Nintendo would like to emphasize their motion sensitive controller (and we'll be getting to that in a minute) not all developers are looking to make games with a different input method. Many are going to be looking for more triangle-pushing ability to make their 3D models and environments more detailed and more processing power to make physics effects more realistic.
It's not necessarily cool or "hardcore" to say that graphics matter, but it's still a fact: graphics matter.
And some developers will also be looking to the internal hardware for better audio support (another category in which the PS3 and 360 trump the Wii "soundly"). Some (like Factor 5) have already expressed their disappointment in the Wii for this reason. "When I heard what was going on at Nintendo, I cringed," Factor 5 President Julian Eggebrecht told EGM. "It's audio is relatively mediocre. It's essentially GameCube 1.5."
Wii Remote Not the Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
Easily the most talked about feature of the Wii and perhaps the most talked about feature of any next-gen console is the motion sensitive controller. The Wii Remote (or Wii-mote, if you prefer) and the Nunchaku made waves before anyone outside of Nintendo actually had a chance to touch them. Nintendo's tag team then shook up E3 in a good way, creating huge lines for Nintendo's cordoned off Wii section (the exit of which was incidentally guarded by the scariest looking bouncer this side of Sunset Blvd).
So the Wii has been riding high on a wave of hype, and it's not totally undeserved... but it should be dialed down a bit. Speaking for GameDaily BIZ's experience with the controller, it's not exactly the revolutionary experience Nintendo might like you to think it is. Some titles (like Trauma Center and Red Steel) feel like a natural fit for the controller's set up, because your in game avatar mirrors what you are doing in real life: moving your hands and arms about. Others (such as Monkey Ball) feel as though they could have been done with traditional analog stick controls. Complacent control schemes will no doubt tempt many developers who, instead of using the motion sensing controllers in a unique way, merely port the game over to the Wii and modify the game's control to use motion sensing and call it a day. This is especially true with mutliplatform titles not built specifically for the Wii. You can have the greatest controller setup in the world, but if nobody uses that technology in a creative way, then it's all for naught.
Additionally, sometimes using the motion sensitive controller is awkward to the player and doubly so to observers. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkachi 2 is a prime example of this, with punching and "Kamehameha wave" motions required to make your character fight. While this may be the thing YouTube 15-minute celebrities are made of, it's hard to imagine it catching on long-term with the prime 18 - 34 male demographic.
While the fundamental design of the Wii's controller is to supposedly simplify modern controllers, the Nunchuck accessory adds a wrinkle: two-handed control. Chewing gum while walking and patting your head while rubbing your belly might vex a lot of people, and so might simultaneous controller motion requirements. The degree of ambidexterity required may make the Wii just as unapproachable to a non-gamer as a PS3 or Xbox 360.
Home Console Market Isn't Nintendo's To Lose
When Nintendo announced the DS, many perceived it as a big risk. While it was certainly a departure for the company, Nintendo was so overwhelmingly dominant in the portable market that that odds were in its favor from the start. Indeed, the system received good third-party support and the DS has been embraced by millions of fans around the world.
Now, the Wii is releasing, but instead of following the phenomenally successful Game Boy Advance, it has to follow the GameCube. While Nintendo's current-gen system certainly has its fans, it was probably Nintendo's least successful home console in a fiscal sense to date. The GCN sold fewer units than the Xbox (with practically zero market penetration for the Xbox in Japan) and the system took a distant third place to the PS2 with less than 15 percent market share.
The point is that established support really does carry weight in console wars, and portable system success does not ensure home console sales. Despite Nintendo's attempt to drum up interest from traditional "non-gamers" the fact remains that the people most interested in the next-gen consoles are current-gen gamers. And with a survey showing loyalty among the mass of PS2 owners significantly higher than the Xbox or GCN, it may prove difficult to cut into the established mind share.
Price Advantage Won't Last
The Wii will be the cheapest of the three next-gen consoles on the market this holiday. It's perhaps $50 more expensive than most people hoped for, but $250 still has an edge over $299/$399 for the 360 and $499/$599 for the PS3. Console prices, however, never stay static for long in a competitive marketplace.
Microsoft is probably already prepared to usher in a price drop for its system; the cost of the PS3 probably made them decide to wait in dropping the price. And while the PS3 is expensive right now, Sony is working very hard to streamline manufacturing and bring the cost of components down so that they can eventually slash the price tag as well. It's the nature of electronics to decrease in cost as economies of scale and abundance take effect.
With the Wii, there's less distance for the price to fall. While tactics like removing the bundled game might help the cost come down in a more precipitous fashion, hundred dollar price drops (which are likely with the PS3 the next two holiday seasons) aren't going to happen. The simple fact remains that the price difference between the Wii and the 360/PS3 will shrink over time, unless Nintendo is willing to continue cutting the price of the system when it reaches $100. And will consumers really balk at the difference between a $99 Wii and a $199 or $249 PS3?
Final Thoughts
When a new console comes out, it's very easy to get caught up in the hype. We feel that Nintendo has done a great job in perking up the ears of many Nintendo fans and general hardcore gamers. However, even though the Wii may have energized Nintendo's fan base like no system that's come out since the SNES, GameDaily BIZ does not foresee this excitement being replicated in the mainstream, at least not over the long term.
Nintendo fans should take heart, though. While unlikely to light the whole world on fire, the Wii's success will likely keep Nintendo making home consoles for now and into the forseeable future. And perhaps most importantly, have fun with your Wii if you manage to get one during this hectic launch; if it does that much for you, then you've already come out ahead.
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November 18th, 2006, 14:28 Posted By: wraggster
New from SuccessHK
Price:USD 30.97 - £16.00
In Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 2, shop owners must keep their Tamagotchi partners happy by earning "Gotchi points" through performing mini-game tasks for the customers. Gotchi points can be used to clothe, feed, and care for your Tamagotchi partners. As more points are collected, new types of shops for players to open will become unlocked. Shops not seen in the original such as the Bowling Alley and Sushi Bar will be available, as well as upgrades to old favorites like the Concert Hall where players can sing along to the music with the DS?microphone.
In "Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 2", catering to the needs of your customers will be essential in keeping the Tamagotchi happy. The five different happiness levels will determine the dialogue that occurs between the player and their Tamagotchi partner, and nobody likes a grumpy Tamagotchi.
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November 18th, 2006, 14:32 Posted By: wraggster
Whats the easiest way to wind up PS3 Fanboys, well some bloke has dressed up as a wiimote and paraded up and down the lines of people camping for a PS3, hilarious.
Screen Via Comments
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November 18th, 2006, 14:47 Posted By: wraggster
Shash has posted more of his WIP from the DeSmuMe - DS Emulator for Windows:
I fixed quite a large amount of bugs, but the 2 most important ones, would be the ones from topic: texture coordinate generation and flickering.
The first one is quite simple, as most PC hardware, the DS supports texture coordinate generation. This is used, for example, if you want to have a pool with water, the water being a texture mapped plane, and want it to seem to wave: instead of having a large amount of geometry, just generate the texture coordinates varying to get the visual effect of waving. I had made an implemention long ago, but I always found samples which rendered wrong, and then when I fixed one of them, another was broken. The bug was rather stupid: as openGL and DS texcoord generation doesn't map 1:1, I just pre-transformed them, and then sent them to openGL. The problem, was that I was not resetting the texture matrix, and as a such, at last they got pre-transformed by me, and then transformed by openGL. Stupid bug of the year, for sure.
Flickering was a damn annoying bug, which I never got enough motivation to fix, it "just" involved retrieving the openGL framebuffer, then copying it to BG0, and send it to the layering pipeline that desmume uses. Sounds simple, in fact it's simple to implement, but the code is ugly, probably slower than it should be, and, by the fact it has to be transformed from 24bit to 16bit, it looks a bit uglier (as in the DS, :P)
More Info
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November 18th, 2006, 15:20 Posted By: wraggster
ttursas has again updated his homebrew game for the DS, heres whats new:
What's new in v0.1.5:
* Added random variation to particle rotations.
* Optimized collision checks.
* Optimized bullet and particle managers.
* The planes can now collide with each other.
* Changing the levels cleared the network match player list.
* Added support for static particle emitters.
* You'll recieve damage for being near an exploding plane.
* Added third plane.
* The server doesn't send updates to clients that have disconnected from a match.
* The server autopings the clients once a second, and if a client fails to respond in three
seconds, it's declared dead.
Download and Give feedback Via Comments
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November 18th, 2006, 15:38 Posted By: wraggster
Christ posted this news:
Hello,
After some good works, and thanks to some critics, I've released a new version of AMAP4DS: AMAP4DS v3.1
The main change between v3.0 and v3.1 is the ability to display AMAP4DS logo, map name, author name and website name on your DS menu linker.
Before, using several maps on your DS was not easy because all the AMAP4DS maps had the same name (with some DS linkers, like DS-Extrem). Now, Each map will have his own name
This is a minor update, but so useful that I've decided to update ALL the existing maps available. So, if you used AMAP4DS v1 or v2, you can now download the v3.1 version of your favourite map...
For those who make their own maps, AMAP4DS-Open-Source has been updated to v3.1 too.
Christ
Homepage: http://www.andreani.net/ds/
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November 18th, 2006, 16:43 Posted By: wraggster
Our friends at Play Asia have posted on their site all the Wii accessories and Console packs, the prices for those who want an overseas Wii will disapoint but then after the PS3 release last weekend at least they arent that high.
$599 for a US Wii with Zelda is one price, (too much for me)
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November 18th, 2006, 16:52 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via pc world
Members of Nintendo's huge, vocal fan base have been salivating in anticipation of the Wii for some time. But the curious and appreciative onlookers that I've noticed during my recent testing of a retail unit suggest that the Wii's appeal may well extend beyond the Nintendo faithful. The Wii seems poised to make console gaming more social, immersive, and--most importantly--fun than it has ever been.
Nintendo has announced that more than 1 million units of the $250 Wii will be available when the model makes its official U.S. debut on Sunday. So your odds of getting your hands on a Wii in the near future are better than your odds of snagging a PS3. Cryogenically freezing yourself to avoid the wait, as one of the characters in South Park did recently, won't be necessary.
Below is a video of the Nintendo Wii in action. To view it, you'll need to have the Adobe Flash Player plug-in installed.
Out of the Box
The Wii is the most compact of the next-generation consoles. It weighs just 2.7 pounds and measures 8.5 inches long by 6 inches wide by less than 2 inches thick. It has clean, sharp lines and an Apple-like glossy white finish, though we'll undoubtedly see units in black and possibly other colors at some point.
Like the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, The Wii can be oriented horizontally or vertically, thanks to its angled plastic stand. Once you've positioned it, your next step is to plug in the power supply (which is about the size a laptop brick), and connect the bundled composite audio/video cables to your television. To output content at the Wii's maximum 480p resolution in 16:9 wide-screen format, you'll have to purchase the optional component cable separately.
Next you must set up the included controllers: a Wii Remote and a Nunchuk--a joystick-style controller that connects to the remote for additional game control. I first hooked up the supplied sensor bar to the console and placed it just under the display of my TV. The sensor bar allows the console to communicate wirelessly (via Bluetooth) with up to four Wii Remotes at a time. The Wii Remote works for games within a radius of about 30 feet and functions as a cursor-type pointing device within about 15 feet. In my testing, the on-screen pointer jittered slightly when I tried to use it from farther away.
The final setup steps are to place two AA batteries into the Wii Remote, rearrange your furniture as necessary to clear plenty of space in front of the TV (to avoid any "Wiinjury"), and fire up the console.
Our colleagues over at GamePro have scanned in the Wii's manual, and it's worth a look to get an even more complete idea of the Wii's setup routine and overall features.
PC World also has a detailed account of a test drive of the PlayStation 3; and a review comparing the PS3 and the Wii.
The Wii Menu and Online Features
The first time I powered up the Wii, I had to create a gamer ID, which the system uses to save your games and also to identify you online. After creating my log-in and entering the date and time, I was presented with the Wii Menu. This interface, which uses a television/channel metaphor, is where you access the Wii's mostly free online features.
The first thing I wanted to do was jump online. I was particularly interested in the "sleepless" WiiConnect24 service that lets the console automatically download information, even when it's on standby.
The Wii includes a built-in 802.11b/g wireless network adapter, but you can also go online by using extra-cost options such as a LAN adaptor or a Wi-Fi USB adaptor that shares a PC's Internet connection. I tested the integrated Wi-Fi, and setup was a snap. The Wii scanned for and found my wireless ADSL router, and it let me type in the network's WEP key via an on-screen keyboard. I found that I could select letters and move around the Wii Menu using the Wii remote in the same way that I'd use a computer mouse. The remote even vibrated subtly in my hand as I hovered over menu options. Tactile feedback: great!
Unfortunately, since Nintendo's servers won't be up and running until the Wii launches, my online experience was limited. But the Wii will link to a lot of online elements after launch:
Wii Shop Channel (and Virtual Game Console): Nintendo's online store will eventually offer various extras to download, but the most notable one at launch is the Virtual Console, which will allow gamers to download and play games from past consoles such as the Nintendo 64, NES, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and TurboGrafx16. Nintendo will offer 12 classic console games at launch, including Donkey Kong (NES), SimCity (SNES), Super Mario 64, Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis), and Bomberman '93 (TurboGrafx16). Some 30 virtual console games should be available for download by year's end, according to Nintendo. The online shop will operate on a payment system called Wii Points. You'll be able to purchase Wii Points at retail outlets or with a credit card online. They'll be available in blocks of 2000 for $20 a block (which means that 1 Wii point is worth a penny, and 100 are worth a dollar). The retro NES games will start at 500 Wii points, TurboGrafx16 titles at 600 Wii Points, SNES and Sega Genesis games at 800 Wii Points, and N64 classics at about 1000 Wii Points.
Internet Channel: A customized version of the Opera Web browser (with Flash support) will be available for the Wii, Nintendo says. We can't tell whether it'll be ready for download at launch, nor how much it will cost, but Nintendo has confirmed that you'll have to surrender Wii Points to obtain it.
Forecast Channel: On this channel you'll be able to browse a 3D globe to obtain weather forecasts that are automatically updated each day.
News Channel: This channel will automatically display the latest news from around the world. The Associated Press will supply the headlines, Nintendo says.
Wii Message Board: Here you can post messages on a calendar for other Wii players in your house, exchange messages with Wii users around the world, and gather information about the latest game updates.
Photo Channel: The Wii's photo management and sharing options are far deeper than those of the PlayStation 3. You can use this channel to access digital photos via the Wii's SD card slot or a mobile phone. And besides just viewing the images, you'll be able to zoom in; create slide shows, a photo gallery or photo puzzles; draw on images; adjust colors in various artistic ways; and send your creations to other Wii users.
Mii Channel: This channel invites you to create customized caricature avatars for yourself; use them in a variety of Wii games; and save them to the Wii Remote for use later--even at a friend's house. You can store up to ten Mii characters on a single Wii Remote.
Disc Channel: Clicking here starts a Wii game disc that you've inserted.
Those Controllers
Wii controllers are designed to be perfectly usable whether you're left- or right-handed.
For games, the Wii Remote has a plus pad (D-pad), a large A button, an underside B trigger, and buttons labeled 1 and 2. The main surface has other buttons as well: power up, minus and plus (for escaping game menus, and the like) and a home button (for switching back to the Wii Menu and checking controller battery life).
The Wii Remote also contains a control for adjusting force feedback, a built-in speaker, a wrist strap (in case the remote flies out of your hand), and four blue LED lights that indicate which player/controller number you've been assigned. An expansion port on the remote lets you connect the Nunchuk and other optional controllers. The supplied Nunchuk controller is used in conjunction with the Wii Remote and provides an analog thumb stick, and two front trigger buttons labeled C and Z. A second Wii Remote costs $40, and a second Nunchuk costs $20.
Another option is a classic-style controller (which Nintendo has priced at $20) for non-motion-sensing titles such as fast-paced fighting games. At E3 last spring, I took photos of the classic controller and Nintendo's concept "Zapper," a gunlike shell for the Wii Remote.
As time goes by, you can expect independent vendors to offer a multitude of plastic shells to slide your Wii Remote into--all of them promising to improve your gaming experience. One product already on sale is UbiSoft's $20 Wii Steering Wheel. Web rumors suggest that Electronic Arts may be working on a way to let you strap the Wii Remote to your foot in order to play its FIFA soccer game. Another rumor has it that the Nintendo DS handheld's touch screen will be able to act as a controller for Wii games.
Nintendo has experimented with different controllers in the past. Anyone remember the Power Glove or Virtual Boy? This time however, the company's efforts seem to have produced a winner.
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November 18th, 2006, 18:35 Posted By: djkus
I pre ordered my Wii from game Uk www.game.co.uk a few months ago... I was getting worried i had not heard anything.
I just received this email from them!
Dear Customer,
As we are sure you're aware the Nintendo Wii is launched on December 8th and will be the must-have games machine this Christmas.
Congratulations! The good news is that you were one of the first customers to have ordered a Wii from GAME.co.uk and we are happy to inform you that we are expecting to receive enough units of Wii from Nintendo, to fulfil your hardware order for launch!
Looks like Ill have to take a sickie on December 8th!!
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November 18th, 2006, 21:27 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via 4 color rebellion
There is always that group of people that has to tinker with every gadget they get. People have been able to hack every game system out there today. How many of you have a flashed DS or have been affected by some hacker while playing an online DS game? Anyways, it seems that the Wii homebrew scene has already been started. A Nintendo geek has started a project named Wiili for his final year in college, aimed at bringing Linux to the Wii.
He seems to be making this piece of software into a free live DVD based on Mandriva. What this means is that basically you put a DVD into your drive and it temporarily loads the OS. Once you turn the computer off, the Wii acts like it has never been touched by the disc. Well that is basically how it should work in theory(think of it like a game or the Opera DS browser). Anyways the author is unable at the time to verify that the this will actually work, but he conjectures that since it is based closely on the Gamecube hardware, it shouldn’t take too much for it to work on the Wii. It seems like a pretty nifty little thing to play with the Wii. He aims to have the following features available on Wiili.
Surf the Internet (using the control as a mouse pointer)
Wii Media Extender, Stream moves, music, etc, from a PC to a TV using WiiLi and the Nintendo Wii in the middle. Think Apple iTV for free.
Write a document with a regular USB keyboard and print it with any USB printer.
Email and chat with your friends.
Use an external USB storage device to backup and play your movies, games, mp3’s, etc…
Play old classic games using the MAME console emulator.
Develop your own programs and games.
Control WiiLi from your PC using the WiFi connection.
Use Willi and the Wii as a Network Attached Storage (NAS) by connecting it to an external USB HD.
Anything you could possibly do with a regular computer.
Wow, what a list, this sounds like more of a computer than our revolutionary game console. If this software ever gets out, this could be described as no other word other than awesome. But then again that is a big “if”. The Wii isn’t out yet and these are some pretty bold claims about what the software should be able to do. Also, how legal would this actually be? The author plans to make this Open Source, which means that anyone would have the access to the code of the software. Shouldn’t this be a property of Nintendo? Isn’t there something that would prevent this developer from releasing the code to Nintendo hardware? Right now, I’m a bit skeptical at the prospect of being able to develop and release such a piece of software. The project seems really new and not too much documentation seems to be available on the site put up. However, I am rooting for this developer, for this could change the way everyone uses the Wii. Besides, someone will probably be able to hack the Wii someday, right?
it will be interesting to see how this develops as this could mean homebrew on the wii
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November 18th, 2006, 22:14 Posted By: gunntims0103
Here's a video on youtube showing the various uses of the wii in commercial form. Its funny and it shows the functionality of the wii with different games. There are just so many activities and different uses through each game. It also tries to depict how the wii is used by all.
Check it out via
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November 18th, 2006, 22:39 Posted By: gunntims0103
review via 1up
heres the anticipated ff3 game review
Remakes and rehashes are more or less a given these days -- if you make a good game, you can rest assured that 10 years down the line, someone will dump it onto a collection at worst, totally recreate it at best. Ah, if only we could force publishers to maintain a level of quality on par with Final Fantasy III for the DS. Then all these trips to the retro-gaming well would feel less like crass opportunism and more like enshrinement of the classics.
FFIII is no mere pile of throwaway shovelware; it's a total re-creation of an 8-bit game, largely faithful to the source material but thoughtfully retooled in places to play better. And look better, too -- this is easily the best-looking 3D you've ever seen on the DS. It probably helps that the director of the original game, who clearly wanted the new version to be the definitive version of his baby, supervised the DS remake. And for the most part, his efforts have paid off.
FFIII, of course, has never made it to the U.S. before. (The game most Americans know as "Final Fantasy III" was actually Final Fantasy VI, which will be making its way to the Game Boy Advance in due time.) Aside from brave importers and certain emulation aficionados, American gamers will find this remake to be, in effect, a brand-new Final Fantasy title.
It is, however, a decidedly early Final Fantasy title, even with its pretty 3D graphics and soaring remixed soundtrack. Back in the day, the even-numbered FF installments were daring experiments in storytelling and character development, while the odd-numbered chapters emphasized combat and skill-building. FFIII falls very much into that mold, which means that certain elements may seem somewhat dated for those weaned on the post-FFVII games. Combat is turn-based, the plot is almost an afterthought, there are no extravagant FMVs during the course of the game, magic skills are strictly regimented. And mid-dungeon save points? Not a chance.
This is an RPG for dedicated RPG enthusiasts. Many gamers will give up after being annihilated by random encounters in an out-of-the-way corner of the second village; others will despair at being wiped out by powerful bosses after 30 minutes of dungeon exploration and no opportunity to save. Even those who make it to the end may be put off by the enormity (and difficulty) of the final dungeon, where more than a dozen insanely powerful bosses highlight constant encounters with random enemies that are nearly as tough. There's not much story to reveal; the four party members have been given names, backgrounds, and inklings of personality, but there's not much more to the whole thing than a steady march to the final boss.
FFIII's real carrot-and-stick device is the Job system, which players may recognize from such games as Final Fantasy V and Tactics. In effect, characters can be freely reassigned a different character class at any time; these range from the basics (Warrior, Monk, White Mage) to more esoteric roles (Geomancer, Scholar, Evoker). This is the Job system's primordial form, lacking the mix-and-match options of the later games and rewarding consistency rather than experimentation. The more you use a job, the more powerful it becomes -- but even by the end of the game, you probably won't have maxed out a single one. Additionally, there's a penalty for swapping jobs; moving into a new job halves most of your stats for a few battles. The system has been tweaked and improved over the version that appeared in the original game, but it still feels limiting at times.
Maybe FFIII's greatest disadvantage is really just a matter of timing: It's bringing up the tail end of this fall's Final Fantasy blitz, which means it arrives within two weeks of FFXII and FFV Advance -- both of which, unfortunately for FFIII, are better games, with far more depth in story and gameplay alike. It feel particularly limp coming so soon after FFV, which essentially perfected the Job system while sporting a significantly more developed plot.
But it's important to appreciate FFIII for what it is -- a slice of history and a missing piece of a blockbuster series. Hardcore RPG players may enjoy it more than modern Final Fantasy titles, thanks to its emphasis on skill development and combat. Casual players may find themselves surprised by how addictive simple level-grinding and monster-slaying can be. There's a certain satisfaction in seeing your juiced-up Monk land 28 hits in a single round, and FFIII delivers that thrill in spades -- and there's enough challenge to make it a necessity rather than overkill. The result is one of the best portable RPGs to date, and a fine example of how to remake a classic.
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November 18th, 2006, 22:43 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo has been pitching multiplayer games heavily on Wii, and several early reviewers suggest buying at least one additional controller set to truly enjoy the console. If valid, maybe prospective console buyers need worry more about controller shortages than any Nintendo predicted console shortages. Probably not, but it would seem with the added focus on multiplayer games, Wii could go down as selling the most additional controllers at launch. So for those considering a Wii purchase this weekend, how many Wii controllers (both Nunchucks and Wiimotes) do you intend to purchase?
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November 18th, 2006, 22:48 Posted By: wraggster
Foolish Nintendo and the bloody none region free Wii means that any true gamer has a real hard decision to make, that decision is to buy either a US, Japanese or Europearn Wii.
Which one will you Buy and Why ?
Me im paying for a US one and i hope to get it at a fairly decent price. Reason why, well in the long run ill save money on the cheaper games from the USA.
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November 18th, 2006, 22:51 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo Co. is launching its Wii game console on Sunday, accompanied by a swell of buzz about its unusual motion-sensing controller.
While many Americans got their first taste of console gaming on Nintendo's products in the early 90s, it's now the underdog, trying to catch up to Sony Corp.'s PlayStation franchise.
Sony on Friday launched the PlayStation 3, a technical tour-de-force that costs between $500 and $600.
Nintendo's strategy is radically different. Its console costs $250 and doesn't boast the computing muscle of the PlayStation, but comes with a controller that the company says will revolutionize game play.
The Associated Press sat down with Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime for some questions on the eve of the launch.
AP: How will the Wii compete with the PlayStation 3?
Fils-Aime: I don't think the question is so much how are we going to compete with them, as how are they going to compete with our strategy: our strategy of going to the mass audience; our strategy of having a fantastic price point right from the start; our strategy of including a great pack-in game called "Wii Sports;" our strategy of having a wide range of support from all of our licensees. That really spells a successful approach for us.
AP: What makes the Wii special?
Fils-Aime: What makes the Wii so special is obviously the Wii Remote: the ability to play tennis with a flick of the wrist, to play baseball like you do it on the ball field. That allows the consumer to get more in the game by having a totally different type of interface, plus it allows game developers to create all new different types of games.
AP: Could you give some examples of these new games?
Fils-Aime: We have everything from a game like "Trauma Center," from Atlas, where you're the doctor, and you're using the precision of the Wii Remote to stitch up a patient and take shards of glass out of their arm — things of that nature. The new way to play "Madden Football," a brand new "Madden," where you act like the quarterback, where you hike the ball, pass. All of that allows for totally unique game play. ... That type of experience is why we think the consumer is so excited.
AP: Why does Nintendo have a lot more units available at launch than Sony?
Fils-Aime: I guess the question is why 'Why do they have so few?' We have properly executed our manufacturing and distribution system. We are going to have 4 million units worldwide by December 31, we're going to have 6 million units by March 31. We're starting, on launch day here in the Americas, with anywhere between five to ten times the volume that Sony had their first day, and we feel very good about that. Even with all that supply, though, we will run out of stock.
AP: Why is the price much lower than the PlayStation?
Fils-Aime: We specifically worked to create a value right from the start and so we made some very tough choices. Tough choices about not including a DVD player at the start, tough choices about not including high-definition capability at the start. That's because we wanted a mass-market price, and we believe the market will validate those decisions, come launch day on this Sunday.
AP: Why are you launching the Wii first here in the U.S., and only later in Japan, the opposite of what Sony is doing?
Fils-Aime: Well, the holiday time period really starts much earlier here in the Americas with our Thanksgiving coming next week, so it was imperative that we be in marketplace to support that holiday. It's not as important in Japan, where the holiday selling season doesn't kick off until early December, and then obviously we made the strategic decision to launch in Europe this year, and that's very important to us.
AP: You've announced a DVD-playing Wii for Japan. Is that something that's going to come to the United States?
Fils-Aime: The interesting thing is we've announced the capability to have a DVD-playing Wii. We haven't made specific announcements regarding timing or location. In terms of here in the Americas, the fact is that more than half of consumers here in the United States have more than two DVD players in the household, so we don't think the DVD-playing capability is something that's important, but it may be important in Japan or parts of Europe.
AP: I've noticed when trying out the Wii that the remote seemed to be fooled by lights in the background, and other reviewers have noted problems with sunlight. Is that something to take seriously?
Fils-Aime: In terms of the remote, we've done a tremendous amount of testing for the sensor bar as well as the remote itself, and any light sensitivity is very modest. We in our instruction manuals give the consumer information on how to really optimize for wherever they place it in the house. And we're confident that with that information the consumer will be just fine. It includes information on how to calibrate the Wii Remote so that any light interference is minimal.
AP: How long will it be till the next console?
Fils-Aime: For Nintendo? I mean, quite frankly, let us enjoy the launch of this one
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November 18th, 2006, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster
Spinal has posted a Beta of his game SensitiveDS, he says its not really in a playable state but you can try it out nonetheless.
Download and Give feedback Via Comments
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November 19th, 2006, 00:16 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via shiny shiny
Now, I know we can sometimes be a suspicious of companies who think all they have to do to sell to girls is to create a gadget that's a) pink and b) covered in Swarovski crystals (or "bling" as they like to call it), but even I have to admit that the people who "blinged" the DS Lite did a pretty good job. Lookit!
There are over 1,200 crystals on each limited edition console, all in varying shades of - what else? - pink, and you'll find them at the Multipazz boutique in Central London, where they're selling for £360. I'm deducting a few points for the fact that this design was apparently inspired by Paris Hilton, but other than that, good job done.
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November 19th, 2006, 00:21 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via shacknews
Some have wondered whether Wii's backwards compatibility supports the Game Boy to GameCube link cable. We tested the connectivity functionality in Square Enix's Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles and determined that, yes, it does. There did not appear to be any problems, and it should work in any connectivity-compatible game.
Yes, you can fit up to four Wavebirds on a Wii. Though the Wii's GameCube port plate looks different than GameCube's, the dimensions between the ports are the same, so anything that plugs into the Cube controller ports will plug into the Wii. Note that you will only be able to play GameCube games with an actual GameCube controller, so if you're planning on ditching your Cube when you pick up a Wii, keep at least one controller around. Accessories that plug into the memory card slots, such as Odama's microphone, also work. The Game Boy Player, however, will not, since that is specifically designed for the Cube's form factor.
If you keep a lot of GameCube peripherals plugged into the system, you may want to remove the hinged flaps that cover up that section of the machine. The Wii is actually designed for those to be easily removable. If you keep the system lying horizontally rather than vertically, you will be required to remove those if you want it to remain flat while the flaps are open.
GameCube games run in whatever output settings they originally supported, so if they supported widescreen on GameCube, they will support widescreen on Wii; if they didn't, they won't. Simple as that.
Heat and sound emissions
The Wii is very quiet. When it is not reading from a disc, any sound it makes is almost imperceptible unless you're right up there listening to it. When it is reading from a disc, there's a standard light operational whirring, but it is very minor. As far as heat, there is surprisingly little even during gameplay. You can feel some warmth around the back of the machine but it too is very minor.
SD card and flash memory functionality
Several questions were asked regarding what can be saved to SD cards. Unfortunately, many answers to these questions are not yet known. According to the manual, you can put game save data and Virtual Console games on your SD cards, and we already know that SD cards are used to to view pictures and movies, listen to MP3s, and load custom soundtracks into games (currently, only Excite Truck supports this). However, with the online network not going live until launch, we have not been able to test putting Virtual Console games on SD cards, and the system currently only seems to support saving games to the system's internal memory. Since the manual indicates greater SD card functionality, those options may be coming in the system's first update, coming at launch. This should eliminate the problem of running out of space on the internal 512MB of memory (although, to be honest, that should be plenty for a lot of people considering how small legacy games are). Nintendo has stated that though Virtual Console games can be stored on SD cards, they will be tied to the console on which they were purchased.
As far as saving GameCube games to the internal memory or to SD cards, this does not appear to be possible. The system actually goes into a separate backwards compability mode to run GameCube games, so it does not have access to SD card and flash memory. Those options may potentially be added in a software update at some point in the future, but that is speculative.
Nintendo DS connectivity
Though Nintendo has promised extensive connectivity between Nintendo DS and Wii, there does not currently seem to be any way to broadcast a wi-fi signal from a Wii to a DS that allows the DS to go online. That particular funtion is also not something Nintendo has ever specifically mentioned, so while it may be coming, we have no indication as such. What is more likely, and has indeed been stated as an idea on Nintendo's part, would be things like downloading demos and other content to a DS from a Wii system. Obviously, specific games will also have their own connectivity features; in the upcoming online Pokemon game for Wii, you are able to battle using Pokemon transferred from the Diamond and Pearl versions of the game on DS.
The end
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November 19th, 2006, 00:28 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via 411mania
Find out just what he had to say inside.
In an interview Greg Johnson, co-creator of the cult-classic Sega Genesis game Toe Jam & Earl confirmed he was developing an exclusive DS game, saying:
"I can probably say it's a game for the Nintendo DS and it involves very emotionally expressive AI stuff. It's really targeted at non-gamers, and like ToeJam & Earl it's quirky and kind of off-the-wall. I have a little development studio - just eight of us - in Point Richmond called HumaNature Studios and I work with a great bunch. It's been worth the wait to do this."
411 Mania Games will bring you more news on this as-yet untitled game as it develops.
Source: Gamasutra
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November 19th, 2006, 01:50 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via mercurynews
EASE OF PLAY FOR NOVICE GAMERS VALIDATES NINTENDO'S CLAIMS
By Mike Antonucci
Mercury News
Nintendo's Wii will be out in stores tomorrow.
NINTENDO
Nintendo's Wii will be out in stores tomorrow.
* Nintendo Wii: The games
Nintendo's heralded new game machine, the Wii, must pass one test above all others:
It has to prove that its much-vaunted ease of use makes it possible for anyone -- absolutely anyone -- to play video games.
The Wii (pronounced ``we'') goes on sale Sunday and features a one-hand, motion-sensing controller. Swinging and gesturing with it is all that's required to play some games.
There also will be plenty of complex games that use the controller in sophisticated ways. But the essence of the Wii is its ability to appeal to novices as well as veteran gamers.
And by novices, we mean totally raw newbies. Handing the Wii controller to someone who regards it as alien technology is the experiment of the moment for Wii reviewers. That's what I did almost immediately after Nintendo provided a Wii I could hook up at home.
I used a family member as my test subject. Any further identification would be cruel, although I have to note that I considered the person to represent an enormous challenge for the Wii. I thought this person might be so far out on the non-gamer end of the population that no controller -- no matter how magical -- would be able to compensate for a lack of, er, aptitude.
I was wrong.
My tester -- who was an exceptionally good sport about agreeing to this experience -- was able to immediately play a full game of tennis. We're talking about the Wii Sports brand of tennis, which boils down to just swinging the controller with the motions of a racket. You need a sense of timing, but the game is extremely forgiving of poor physical coordination. Getting a serve in is all but automatic.
And that's to the Wii's credit. Because the fun was ample, even though the game was anything but sophisticated or realistic.
Based on my own sampling of the tennis game -- and, no brag, I'm reasonably coordinated -- it takes some effort and ingenuity to win consistently. The game is ideal for casual family competition (which means buying extra controllers for the multi-player modes), but the computer controlled opponents are definitely not pushovers in the single-player mode.
Other newbie-inviting sports games include baseball, bowling and golf. They come with the console, no additional purchase required.
As for other launch games, which do require shelling out additional bucks, the two most prominent are Nintendo's ``The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess,'' an adventure fantasy, and Activision's ``Call of Duty 3,'' a World War II shooter. Also highly anticipated: Ubisoft's ``Red Steel,'' which uses the controller as a sword.
``Zelda'' requires an enormous commitment of time I didn't have right now. But based on many factors, including the ``Zelda'' series pedigree, it's almost certainly a four-star game. I don't yet have the Wii version of ``Call of Duty 3'' or ``Red Steel.''
Two games were available that I could sample extensively:
• ``Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz'' (Sega, available at launch). This features monkeys inside balls, which you roll through twisting, sloping courses. I'm simplifying, but trust me, for many adults and children this will be a sensational party game, in part because of the directional waving you have to do with the controller.
Unfortunately, the game highlights how retro -- and not in a good way -- the Wii's graphics can be. Fair warning: I've never played any curving-spinning-undulating ``Monkey Ball'' game without getting dizzy and almost nauseated within five minutes.
• ``Excite Truck'' (Nintendo, available at launch). Although this game has elicited months of raves in preview sessions, it's still surprising how good it is. Playing it at length creates a near addiction.
It's the kind of arcade-style racing game that makes crashing part of the strategy, as well as going airborne at nutty speeds. You hold the controller in a horizontal position with two hands -- a steering bar instead of a steering wheel.
That works so well that it instantly raises a question that probably will become famously repeated among Wii owners: Why didn't anyone do this with a game controller before now?
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November 19th, 2006, 02:15 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via playfuls
Even before the actual launch of Nintendo's console in the US (morning is almost here), several Wii games could already be acquired this week in North American shops. In just a few hours, their number will reach 20, and they will be joined by another 13 by the end of this year, plus 30 classic Virtual Console games for the Wii, in the likes of Mario or Zelda. Clearly a richer collection than the one offered by Sony, but only in terms of quantity. The quality of the Wii launch line-up, on the other hand, looks more diluted than the PS3 one, as it includes plenty of shaky titles based on cinema and TV licenses.
Like we did in our previous story with the PlayStation 3 games, we'll jump right to the point:
Wii launch games:
- Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Call of Duty 3
- Cars: The Videogame
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
- Excite Truck
- GT Pro Series
- Happy Feet
- Madden NFL 07
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
- Monster 4X4 World Circuit
- Rampage: Total Destruction
- Rayman Raving Rabbids
- Red Steel
- SpongeBob SquarePants: The Creature from the Krusty Krab
- Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
- Trauma Center: Second Opinion
- Wii Sports (inclus cu fiecare consolă Wii)
By Christmas, the list will strenghten with titles such as Elebits, Far Cry: Vengeance, Need for Speed Carbon and Splinter Cell Double Agent, and like I said some other sub-par games. Midway and THQ are the main culprints for poluting these lists with all sorts of junk, while Ubisoft remains the third-party publisher with the most solid games catalogue for this launch.
In the future, however, things could easily change, because Namco-Bandai recently announced that they will support the next-gen consoles with 10 PS3 / Xbox 360 games, and 30 Wii games! Some of them are listed on GoNintendo, but the vast majority are still shrouded in mystery.
For those of you taking a keen interest in classic games, most of these have already been known for some time: Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Super Mario 64, Sonic the Hedgehog, Golden Axe any many more. A more complete list can be found on CVG. And speaking of which, the Wii manual (actually Joystiq) warns us that some Virtaul Console games can only be played using a classic controller, which is sold separately for the Wii console (even though Nintendo previously annouced that all retro games will be playable with a GameCube controller).
And that's about it, for now, about the Wii games. But there's still plenty left to say about the new Wii and PlayStation 3 consoles... *yawn* maybe tomorrow... *yawn* or the day after tomorrow.
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November 19th, 2006, 02:19 Posted By: gunntims0103
The Wii Channel has officially launched. I just loaded up a meek 2,000 points onto my Wii and purchased Donkey Kong for my Wii. This video gives you a quick overview of the channel and the process of finding and downloading a game. Kinda cool stuff, though getting into the Channel takes a bit too long. I suspect it's that initial connection that's slowing down the process.
This means that the wii channel has officailly launched view a youtube video via kotaku
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November 19th, 2006, 05:09 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via today.reuter
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - More than 1,500 die-hard Nintendo fans, some of whom camped out overnight, eagerly awaited the Sunday release of the company's Wii video game console, the latest entrant in the $30 billion global game market.
At the Times Square Toys "R" Us in New York, where a midnight(0500 GMT) launch party was planned, a line of approximately 1,000 gamers snaked around the block on Saturday.
More than 500 enthusiasts gathered for the West Coast release at the GameStop store at Hollywood's Universal City Walk.
Game Console Wars
Photo
The video game industry's own clash of the titans reboots this week with the midnight launch of Sony's PlayStation 3 and Sunday's debut of Nintendo's Wii.
Full coverage
"We have enough product to satisfy the demand that's anticipated," Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime told Reuters.
Instead of trying to steal hard-core gamers from Microsoft and Sony, which have already released the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles, Nintendo hopes to expand the traditionally male video game audience by luring new players.
Nintendo priced the Wii at $250, compared with the $600 premium PS3 and the $400 top-end Xbox 360.
The Kyoto-based Nintendo Co. Ltd., which created video game characters Super Mario and Donkey Kong, has hooked girls and seniors with its "Nintendogs" pet training games and its "Brain Age" cognitive fitness title for its hand-held DS machine that is a break-out hit.
The device offers touch-screen and voice recognition capabilities that allow users to "pet" and speak commands to their dog or to write and speak answers to brain teasers.
Nintendo has taken a similar approach with the Wii.
'MAKES YOU FEEL IN THE GAME'
The console's computing power is dwarfed by the Xbox 360 and the PS3. And the Wii does not offer the lifelike, high-definition graphics its bigger rivals boast.
Still, the Wii has captivated cynical gamers with its one-handed, motion-sensitive controller that lets users simulate fishing, playing tennis or shooting a bow and arrow.
Game Console Wars
Photo
The video game industry's own clash of the titans reboots this week with the midnight launch of Sony's PlayStation 3 and Sunday's debut of Nintendo's Wii.
Full coverage
"That's what makes you feel in the game," said Sergio Gonzalez, 18, who along with friends Anton Stockton and Tulgat Vandandorj, has been at the front of the Wii line at a Los Angeles Best Buy since Friday afternoon.
Gonzalez and his buddies say they will not flip their Wiis on Internet auction site eBay.com -- where people are selling reserved Wiis at an average price of $605, according to eBay Market Research.
Waiting in line in Times Square, 17-year-old Xavier Herrera had the same plan: "I'm playing it tonight."
People who got their hands on the PS3 early also sold the system on eBay, reeling in more than four times its retail price.
Nintendo expects to ship 4 million Wii consoles globally by December 31, double the number of PS3s expected by year end.
Nintendo's last console, the GameCube, sold 21 million units globally to land in third place, behind Sony's PlayStation 2 and Microsoft's Xbox. The company sold 11 million GameCubes in the United States and intends to double that number with the Wii.
Video game analyst David Cole, president of DFC Intelligence, said Nintendo is offering a one-two punch at launch with its games "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" and "Wii Sports."
"I'm a 'Zelda' fan. I have to get 'Zelda'," said Isaiah Johnson, 29, first in line at Times Square.
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November 19th, 2006, 05:11 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via c/net
LOS ANGELES--While the previous few days have been filled with headlines trumpeting the thousands of dollars some people have seemingly been willing to pay for PlayStation 3s on eBay, the same mania doesn't seem to be extending to the Nintendo Wii.
The Wii--which retails for $250--launches tonight across North America. And on eBay, one can buy the rights to one of the pre-ordered consoles for roughly $500.
Now, that's double the retail cost. Which, extrapolated to the PS3's top-end $600 price tag equates to $1,200. And in fact, PS3s are now selling on eBay for just a little bit more than that.
But pure numbers show that the buzz--at least in terms of what people are forking over to get their hands on one of the consoles now--is still in the PS3 column.
On the other hand, that could well be because Nintendo hasn't been predicting the kind of supply shortages that Sony did. Thus, it shouldn't be too difficult to find a Wii in the coming weeks. The PS3? Not so easy.
Anyway, this likely means that the folks lining up across this great land to buy a Wii might actually be keeping their Wiis. Unlike the PS3 queuers, who said, en masse, that their newly-bought booty was going straight up for sale.
Ah, supply and demand.
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November 19th, 2006, 05:16 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via gizmodo
We're here in either one of the best or one of the worst places on the planet, depending on your perspective—Times Square in NYC. The Wii launch party is set to start in about 3 hours, and by my estimation there are at least 1,000 people lined up. Word on the line is that there are 5,000 Wiis inside the store waiting to be snatched up, so there should be a lot less violence and bloodshed come midnight compared to what we saw earlier this week with the PS3 frenzy. Check
back for more reports from this agoraphobics nightmare throughout the
evening.
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November 19th, 2006, 05:22 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via engadget
We realize there are still only a select few of you who actually have Wiis at this very moment (although those on the Eastern seaboard will have theirs in just a few short hours). But you might like to know that our Wii finally got its system update (huzzah) and is able to access the Wii store. The points are valued at a cent per, so 1,000 Wii points will set you back $10 US. Which is also what N64 games cost; SNES games will run $8, while NES and Genesis games run $5. Click on for a tour of the store!
view a full spectrum of images of the wii shop channel featuring downloads, applications, and features via engadget
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November 19th, 2006, 05:30 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via gamespy
check out this sleek looking controller
How does the cool-looking new controller perform on those oldies-but-goodies?
I managed to get my hands on one of the brand new Wii Classic Controllers today, so I thought I'd share my initial impressions here along with some super hi-res photos of the device itself. The Classic Controller is expressly designed to work with the Virtual Console games which are purchased via the Wii Shop channel. The CC connects to a Wii remote in the same what that a Nunchuck controller does, which I was surprised to see. I had initially assumed it would plug straight into the console in one of the GameCube ports, but this makes much more sense.
The unit itself feels nice and robust, but is fairly lightweight. The dual analog sticks are a little bit to close together for my own personal tastes, but both are covered in a good grippy rubber cover, making manipulation of the sticks nice and simple. The d-pad doesn't feel stiff at all and actually is very reminiscent of the old SNES d-pad -- this is a good thing. The X, Y, A, and B buttons are a decent size and seem to have a nice amount of travel in them.
There's the plus and minus buttons in the middle along with the home button to access the Wii's main menu. The former also double as the select and start buttons for the classic games. On the top of the controller are the L and R shoulder buttons which again feel quite similar to those of the SNES. Also on top are two smaller ZL and ZR buttons, and slap-bang in the middle is a small release switch which appears to open and close a clasp on the back of the joypad. I'm not too sure what clips in there, but I guess we'll find out in due course!
I have very briefly taken the controller for a spin with my newly downloaded copy of the N64's Super Mario 64. Aside from the game looking awesome (just how I remember it) the controller displayed no signs of compatibility issues, and it worked like a charm. I'm confident that other games (I'm off to grab the SNES' F-Zero now) should work in a similarly pleasing manner.
The Wii Classic Controller looks to be a great addition to the Wii's link of first-party peripherals. You'll be able to check it out for yourselves when the item hits the stores tomorrow along with everything you've been waiting for. It's gonna cost you $20, but I reckon it's well worth the investment. Here's to some great classic gaming!
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November 19th, 2006, 05:34 Posted By: gunntims0103
Turns out that first update for the Wii did a couple of things. It changed the boot-up screen, tinkered slightly with a couple of menus and added the ability to manage the data on your SD card. In particular, you can now transfer game saves and virtual console games to and from an SD card as advertised.
check out this video through youtube via kotaku
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November 19th, 2006, 17:30 Posted By: Dee-Lite
Now that the revolution has begun, there's no doubt that many of you Wii owners have been dying to create the ultimate Wii Mii character.
So I ask everyone to post up a photo your Mii for us all to see! Also what is your Mii's name and who is it supposed to look like?
In fact, anything to do with Mii's should be posted here, i.e. what is Mii mingle mode? Have you populated Mii on your Wii yet?
I'm surely many people, like myself, are eager to see a lot more of the Mii features.
As i'm from UK, sadly I can't create my Mii yet so Wii owners have bragging rights for the next few weeks!!
Who's up first? Its over to you now...
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November 19th, 2006, 19:13 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via gamespot
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif.--At the stroke of midnight on the west coast, the launch of the next console generation came and went, as the Nintendo Wii debuted to a crowd of eager fans, many of whom had begun to line up on Friday morning in anticipation. The first Wii sale came as the conclusion of a day-long celebration held at the EB Games retail store in the Universal Studios theme park, just outside of Los Angeles.
Along the way, gamers and passers-by were treated to live music from a deejay, acrobatic performances, loads of Wii-branded schwag and, of course, Wii and Nintendo DS game demos galore. One of the more interesting demos on hand were specially modified Segway scooters outfitted with high definition monitors, periodically winding their way through the crowd and literally bring the games to the people.
As the final hours ticked off, the line, which only hours earlier had featured only a few hundred people had grown dramatically, roughly doubling in size and curling up and over a walkway on the opposite side of the Citywalk shopping area. Late in the day, store employees handed out wristbands to those in line, guaranteeing a Wii for everyone with a wristband. Even after the bands ran out however, folks were still taking their chances and lining up, hoping to get lucky and snag a console.
On hand for the festivities at the launch was Nintendo of America senior vice president of marketing George Harrison, who briefly stepped behind the counter at the EB Games store to help sell the first Wii console. When asked about how production has gone for the first-batch of Wii consoles, Harrison was upbeat, saying the company is still on target to have four million units available worldwide by the end of the year. "It's the first time we've actually launched in all territories at the same time. [In the past] Europe was usually a few months later, but Europe is also launching as well." Harrison went on to say that he expects Nintendo to have shipped two million units in the United States alone by the end of December or early January.
One of the Nintendo fans in the very back of the line was Cynthia Hocker of La Crescenta, Calif., who also happened to be the very last person to receive a wristband, guaranteeing a Wii for her 15-year-old son, who will likely be more excited than most to receive it. "It was a Chrismas present," said Hocker, "but he's going to have heart surgery in three weeks and I'm going to give it to him after the heart surgery so he can play it while he's laying down."
Back in the front of the line, the Mario-hat- and red-suspender-clad Jonathan Mann, who, in front of a throng of camera-toting journalists and Nintendo staffers, proudly walked to the counter just after midnight to purchase the first Wii of the night. Holding the console above his head for all the media to see, Mann was enthusiastic about his purchase, no matter how long it took him to finally get it. "I'm really excited. You have no idea how excited I am. Seriously. I've been waiting for this since 1991."
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November 19th, 2006, 19:16 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via gizmodo
Despite the cold weather, Nintendo fans lined up outside the Nintendo Store in Rockefeller Plaza Saturday night in hopes of getting their hands on a Nintendo Wii. The party wasn't as big as the official launch in Times Square (and nowhere near as big as Sony's event), but die-hard Nintendo fans like Anthony (shown above dressed as Link) camped outside the store in hopes of snagging one of the first consoles to hit the States.
Hit the jump for a look at other Nintendo characters waiting in line.
Pat (far right) secured the number one spot by arriving at the store Thursday night. He, Mario, and friends assured me they wouldn't sell their Wiis on eBay.
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November 19th, 2006, 19:20 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via computerandvideogames
19-Nov-2006 Wii has landed in the US! CVG brings you the low-down on the hardware and the launch games
The waiting is finally over - for the US anyway. We brits still have three more painful weeks of waiting to endure, but today is the day that gamers all over the US will finally get their hands on the Wii.
If you've been avidly hunting for every scrap of news on the Wii for the past agonising year of excitement and anticipation, there's probably nothing you don't already know about the Wii - except for what it's like to hold it on your hands.
We've put together these impressions to paint you a clear picture of what the hardware is like, how well it functions and, for your purchase-listing convenience, a quick run-through all 20 launch games on sale in the US right now. If you're thinking about getting the Wii, or are already on the pre-order list, this is all you need to know.
In the box
First thing's first, this is exactly what's packed into those lush white Wii boxes:
* Wii Console
* One Wii Remote (and two batteries)
* One Nunchuk expansion controller
* Sensor Bar
* Composite Cable (red, white and yellow connectors)
* Power cable
* Wii Sports (sadly not in its own DVD case)
* Huge wad of user manuals
The Hardware
The Wii is small. That's the first thing that hits you when you remove the packaging and see its tiny frame. You may have heard Nintendo's approximation of the Wii being roughly the size of three DVD cases, but you don't realise how small that is until you sit it next your TV.
It's shiny white casing oozes style, and because it's such a bright white it's not as prone to glaring fingerprinting. We also noted how solid the console feels - it's small but feels weighty enough to give it that 'crammed with technology' feel, if you know what we mean.
Hooking the console up is a fairly ordinary process, the only extra task being to connect and position the Wii's all-important Sensor Bar. The cable connecting it to the Wii is several feet long, so no worries there.
The Sensor, as said before, can go above or below your TV screen, but really should be as central as possible. If your TV is on a large, flat surface you can dump the Sensor on the surface just in front of the screen. But we find placing it on top of the TV, and maybe securing it with a small, unnoticeable strip of double-sided sticky tape helps secure it nicely.
Once set up, you tap the little power button and on comes that slick blue light around the CD bay. That's when you'll another one of the Wii's significant attributes - it's absolutely silent. If the room is completely without sound, you might just hear the soft purr of the tiny fan in the back of the machine - with your ear pressed against the machine.
In fact, the most noise the console makes is the smooth buzz of the front-loading disc drive sucking in a game disc - although not at all an unpleasant sound. The 360 disc drive has a painful 'clunk' as it comes to a complete close, but there's no such discomfort with the Wii.
Inserting and ejecting discs is as smooth as you could ever hope. You barely need to insert the disc before the machine detects it and springs into action, gently taking it from your hands and slotting it into place, ready for play.
Hit the eject button and a few seconds later the disc slowly slides out, stopping with the central hole just outside the drive, so you can take hold of your precious games by the outside edge and middle without fingerprinting the data surface. It accepts the the smaller GameCube discs with equal ease - you insert the disc roughly near the centre of the drive and it'll do the rest.
Slam the batteries into the Remote and you're almost ready to go. First you have to get the wireless Remote to talk with your Wii, which you do by hitting both sychro buttons - one under the small flap on the front of the Wii and the other under the battery cover of the back of the Remote itself. It only takes a second or two, you're ready to go (you can read a detailed analysis of the look and feel of the Wii Remote here). Then it's onto the games.
The games
There are 20 games available right now in the US, and here's a quick run-down of what they're all about.
Wii Sports: The packaged Wii Sports is the perfect game to both show off the Wii's abilities, and help you become accustom to them. It features simple motion-controlled recreations of five popular sports: boxing, bowling, tennis, golf and baseball. Basic in both gameplay and graphical detail, but great, simple, family-friendly fun.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: After four years of development, Twilight Princess finally arrives and it has been worth the wait. Twilight's new realistic look, epic story, and enormous size are the factors that have fans deeming it the true sequel to the legendary Ocarina of Time. And those who are lucky enough to have finished it already say it's even better. Read our review NOW!
Red Steel: The first-person action game everyone's dying to get their hands on, Red Steel uses the Wii Remote to put a gun and a katana sword in your hands - literally. Shoot with the Remote like a gun or swing it like a sword as you battle a powerful Yakuza organisation in an attempt to save your kidnapped fiancé. Get our full verdict here.
Excite Truck: Nintendo swaps bikes for trucks in the latest of it's 'Excite' series. Tilting the Wii Remote like a wheel to steer your truck, Excite Truck has you rallying around courses at ridiculous F-Zero-like speeds, leaping off ramps and flying hundreds of feet through the air. This is sadly not due out in UK until February 2007.
Call of Duty 3: The latest episode in what is widely considered to be the best WWII series ever, Call of Duty 3 on Wii takes full advantage of the motion-sensing controller, having you point at the screen to shoot your gun, wave the controller to fight, steer it to drive jeeps and much, much more. Look out for the full review on CVG this week.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz: We're massive fans of the Monkey Ball series and couldn't wait to get our hands on the new Wii game, which uses the tilt-sensing capabilities of the Wii Remote to let you tilt the stages with your own hand. And with 50 motion-controlled mini games squeezed into the package too, this is one game we're definitely adding to our Wii collection.
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam: Putting a spin on the traditional Tony Hawk's formula, Downhill Jam sees you grinding and tricking your way through a series of downhill race courses. It also has one of the most interesting control systems, using the Wii Remote like a steering wheel to direct your skater, while the D-pad and buttons perform tricks.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance: Over 100 Marvel characters appear in this dungeon-crawling-style brawler. As you fight your way through reams of enemies, you earn stat points that allow you to boost your selected team of heroes, and teach them new moves. With the Wii Remote, you have to perform a dramatic range of motion gestures to activate special powers.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2: The Dragon Ball Z fighting games are some of the fastest and most chaotic open-environment fighting games we've ever played, and the sequel comes with more characters, bigger battle environments (they're huge) and, on the Wii, new special moves that are activated by movement.
Trauma Center: Second Opinion: The fantastic surgery sim on DS gets a Wii makeover, using the pointer functionality of the Wii Remote to near perfection. You play as a doctor in a hospital and perform a number of mostly totally unrealistic operations in a strict time limit. It may sound dull but it's one of the most challenging and tense games we've ever played. And great fun.
Madden NFL '07: We Brits don't really care about Madden games, but the Americans can never get enough of it, so getting the latest in the long-running series on Wii for launch is great news for the console. Interestingly, the Wii version has players flicking the Remote in the direction they want to pass the ball. That's cool, but we still don't get the rules.
Rampage: Total Destruction: The old arcade classic is back and looking... mostly the same, actually. Yes, the graphics have been made 3D (yet, still looks shockingly dated) the gameplay sticks to its original 2D format, giving players control of a giant beast and letting them loose to tear down a city and take on the army. It's mindless gaming for the destructive little boy in you.
Happy Feet: The little dancing penguins of the motion picture tap-dance their way into the world of videogames in an adventure that features a range of different gameplay. You will use the Wii Remote to make the penguins swim through water levels, race down icy slopes on their bellies, and dance in rhythm-action stages. One for the kids, no doubt.
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy: Based on the Network Cartoon of the same name, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy is a battle adventure game that has you waving the Wii Remote to fight your way through hordes of enemies with a selection of 15 playable characters. Another game for the young ones, this is also one of few Wii games that is playable with a GameCube pad.
Avatar: The Last Airbender: While we won't admit to having watched and liked the Nickelodion cartoon, Avatar is... *ahem* a pretty cool series featuring a monk-like boy named Aang who, with the elite power to control wind, is the only hope the world has against an evil empire. Your standard 3D adventure, with four playable characters, big bosses and puzzle-filled levels.
Cars: Picking up from where the film left off, the game gives you control of the starring racer, Lightning McQueen, as he races his way toward his ambition of winning the new prestigious Piston Cup. You are free to roam a huge virtual recreation of their home town, Radiator Springs, and many other locations from the film, competing in races with other talking vehicles.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab: The hilarious underwater sponge stars in this action adventure. Essentially a conversion of the GameCube game, each of its many gameplay scenarios will have you using the Wii Remote in various ways to control the action. Sounds like it could be fun although, to be honest, from what we've played it's actually not so good.
GT Pro Series: This is a straight port of the 2003-released Japan-only GameCube game (called GT Cube), with the same cars, tracks and graphics. The only change here is that it uses the Wii Remote like a steering wheel to guide the cars around the courses. We're not believers, but Ubisoft is packaging the game with a free steering wheel controller attachment to temp to you in.
Monster 4X4 World Circuit: Also from Ubisoft, this truck racer is not as fast or extreme as Excite Truck, but does feature a Mario Kart-style weapons system that has you blowing up opposing truck with items picked up on course. It also has an interesting stunt system; move the controller in circular motions as you launch off ramps to flip and spin your truck.
Rayman Raving Rabbids: Instead of your usual 3D platforming adventure, this time Rayman stars in a mini game-based adventure featuring more than 30 different gameplay styles. You complete a wide range of comedy challenges, including cow-throwing, flying and plunger-gun shooting levels as you try to defeat the evil race of Rabbids.
The UK launch
December 8 is the big day for Europe. We'll be bringing you detailed coverage on the Wii in the run up to the launch, reviews of the biggest games, competitions and much more. CVG have got it covered.
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November 19th, 2006, 19:24 Posted By: gunntims0103
Latest Zelda title available for both Nintendo Wii and GameCube in North America
November 19, 2006
Today, Nintendo released the latest title in the hit Zelda series of games: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The new Zelda title returns to the beloved style of Ocarina of Time with new gameplay and artistic features. The game is available for both the Nitnendo Wii and the Nintendo GameCube consoles.
Twilight Princess is a much-anticipated title for Zelda fans, since it's the first fully 3D Zelda title since the Nintendo 64. The previous GameCube game in the series used a cartoon-like, cell-shaded animation method that left some gamers longing for the epic feel of Ocarina of Time.
The Wii version of the game makes use of that system's improved graphics, as well as the controller style of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to add more involved gameplay.
Zelda arrives on store shelves today alongside the newly-released Nintendo Wii. Most gamers waiting in line to buy a Wii in various locations commented that Twilight Princess would be the first game they play on the new system.
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November 19th, 2006, 19:45 Posted By: wraggster
From what we understand, your chances of snagging a Wii last night or today are, statistically speaking, a helluva lot better than getting your hands on a PlayStation 3. Not that demand doesn't outstrip supply on both. So did you get one? How do you like it? If not, that's cool, no shame in the game if you tried. But we want you to tell us about it. What happened? Did you get bum-rushed and smack into a pole like that one guy? Good luck out there everybody
As i live in the UK im hoping that my over priced Wii from SuccessHK arrvies this week - wraggster
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November 19th, 2006, 19:53 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has defended the company's hardcore credentials, arguing that it will continue to make "big epic games" despite its desire to expand into new markets.
Nintendo Wii goes on sale in the USA today, 19th November, with demand expected to be as high as it was for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and while Nintendo has repeatedly made it clear that it does aim to satisfy "core gamers", the success of the DS has led some to worry that it's focusing too heavily on the other two areas it's specified as important - re-igniting interest in disillusioned gamers and attracting new players.
Not so says Fils-Aime, who responded to such a question from GameSpot by saying, "The answer to that is Zelda, right?"
"For the passionate fan who wants something a bit more challenging, a deep story, 70 hours of gameplay, it's Zelda. It's all there, it's nine dungeons long, it is an immense area - that alone should stop all of the worries as to whether Nintendo will continue to make big, epic games. We absolutely will," he said.
"We're also going to do other things to bring that NES or SNES fan who now has three kids, a job, doesn't have time to play games; we're going to bring him Link to the Past that he enjoyed back in those days and has a great opportunity to play again on the Virtual Console.
"We want it all, quite frankly. So when we talk about bringing gaming back to the masses it is both for this core fan, which we will continue to have great content for, and this new expanded gamer who either hasn't played in 20 years or hasn't played at all," he concluded.
Fils-Aime also revealed that he expects Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3 and Super Smash Bros. Brawl to launch in 2007 ("Based on what I know today, the answer is yes"), with Nintendo's Wii Play package of mini-games to arrive in the first few months of next year too.
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November 19th, 2006, 20:15 Posted By: wraggster
from Gamespot:
Already on the Virtual Console, users can purchase Wii Points and download games from older systems. NES games cost 500 Wii Points ($5), Super NES and Sega Genesis games are 800 Wii Points ($8), and Nintendo 64 games are 1,000 Wii Points ($10). There weren't any TurboGrafx-16 games on the service at press time, but Nintendo has said pricing for those will start at 600 Wii Points ($6).
While the games are expected to be faithful re-creations of the originals instead of the type of revamped or rearranged arcade classics that have been sold on the Xbox 360's Marketplace, GameSpot editors found at least one new trick had been added. After quitting a session of Sonic the Hedgehog back to the Wii channel menu, and then loading the game back up, the editors found that the Wii had automatically saved the editors' place in the game, and resumed play right where it had left off. Also, while downloading games, users are shown a Mario-themed progress bar that shows the mascot plumber or his brother Luigi running across the screen, hitting coin blocks and collecting coins off the ground.
Mario serves as the download progress bar.
Nintendo announced last month that the following titles would be available on the Virtual Console by the end of the year.
NES
Mario Bros.
The Legend of Zelda
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr.
Ice Hockey
Pinball
Soccer
Tennis
Urban Champion
Wario's Woods
Baseball
Solomon's Key
A dozen titles dating back to the '80s are already available.
SNES
F-Zero
SimCity
Nintendo 64
Super Mario 64
Sega Genesis
Sonic the Hedgehog
Altered Beast
Golden Axe
Columns
Ecco the Dolphin
Gunstar Heroes
Space Harrier II
Toe Jam & Earl
Ristar
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
TurboGrafx-16
Bonk's Adventure
Super Star Soldier
Victory Run
Bomberman '93
Dungeon Explorer
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November 19th, 2006, 20:34 Posted By: wraggster
Interesting article from Joystiq
Pure conjecture, but bear with us:
The Wii is inexpensive to manufacture. Super inexpensive, even.
The Wii is architected for very low power consumption
The Wii is tiny. It's the smallest of the consoles, and box space is taken up by the optical disc drive, connectors for controllers, memory, video cables, and other stuff that'd be completely uneccessary in a mobile device
Motion-sensing capabilities can be embedded in the device housing itself
Of all three new consoles, the Wii is certainly closest to portability. Home modders like Ben Heckendorn will likely create a portable (but chunky) Wii without too much difficulty. Could a portable version of the device be far away?
We're not suggesting the hypothetical Wiiboy will be released in time for this Consumermas, but 2008-2009 doesn't seem like a stretch, does it?
Call to action: let's got a hot mockup up in here. Though the Wii is a GameCube at heart, it certainly doesn't look like one; it's time for photoshop pros to whip up some Wiiboy mockups.
Gamecube Portable Mockup via Comments
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November 19th, 2006, 20:48 Posted By: wraggster
Those crazy fools at Smashmywii have done exactly that, they smashed a lovely new Nintendo Wii to bits.
Screens Via Comments
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November 19th, 2006, 21:07 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via ign
now that the wii's out there seems to be so many concept art going around. From things like a portable gamecube to a docking port for the wii remote. This is no different. A concept of a gun, where the wii remote is placed in the front. This would work very will and give a combat/shooter feel to the wii. The wii makes you feel like your in the game. Even better with this concept.
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November 19th, 2006, 21:08 Posted By: wraggster
CraigT posted a new version of his Spectrum emu for DS:
Heres whats new:
Fixed ARM7/ARM9 synchronisation to prevent sound corruption.
Altered ADD IX,SP and ADD IY,SP instructions to fix crash in Bubble Bobble.
Altered ROM protection to fix crashes in Megabucks and others.
Altered HALT instruction to fix crashes in Chaos, Critical Mass and others.
Corrected S flag behaviour in BIT instructions to fix Sabre Wulf.
Added button support to the file browser. Files can now be selected using the d-pad and A buttons.
Added auto scrolling to the file browser. Display can now be scrolled by holding down the buttons.
Filenames are now displayed in the correct case in the file browser.
Added .Z80 loading support.
Added .Z80 saving support.
Implemented REIN fat library to increase hardware compatibility.
The following games which did not work in the previous version are now working:
Arkanoid
Asterix and the Magic Cauldron
Bubble Bobble
Chaos (Some graphical corruption remains)
Critical Mass
MegaBucks
Sabre Wulf (Fixed rhino behaviour)
Uridium
Zynaps
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November 19th, 2006, 21:10 Posted By: wraggster
Alekmaul has posted some news of his Arcade emulator for the Nintendo DS, here via translation (crappy google) is the news:
Again small news of MarcaDS which arrives soon at 100 emulated Games (^^ yes yes). Green Beret and his clones (thus Mr. Goemon) are now playable and at the same speed when arcade (it is a pity because I could make the play faster ). Scramble is now also playable… I thus attack the clones of this last (thus galaxian and frogger) in order to arrive at 100 plays and I release this version 3.0… thus… the next week I think! For information, go on the page of MarcaDS, small video (at the foot of the page) of Green Beret on V30 is available
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November 19th, 2006, 21:13 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via next gen wars
"The next generation of gaming is upon us, and the console wars has begun. NexGen Wars.com has spent countless hours researching sales facts from dozens of sources to track the sales of the consoles and monitor the next generation of console wars between the Microsoft Xbox 360, the Sony Playstation 3, and the Nintendo Wii."
My first question would be how on earth are these stats updated so quickly (refresh page to view updated counts) and second.. WHO WILL WIN?
Wii is outselling PS3 already? It's been half a day!
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November 19th, 2006, 21:25 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo of America put out a list of new game releases for the first quarter of next year on the Wii, DS, and GameBoy Advance. No word yet if Wii Play will include a Wii remote controller like it does in Europe and Japan when the Wii launches there on December 2nd & 8th.
Wii release dates are on:
January 15th, 2007: WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Wii Play;
March 5th, 2007: Mario Party 8.
DS releases arrive on:
January 22nd, 2007: Hotel Dusk: Room 215;
February 5th, 2007: Diddy Kong Racing DS;
March 5th, 2007: Wario: Master of Disguise;
March 19th, 2007: Custom Robo Arena.
One GameBoy Advance release on:
February 5th, 2007: Final Fantasy VI Advance.
Via Videogamesblogger
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November 19th, 2006, 21:25 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo of America put out a list of new game releases for the first quarter of next year on the Wii, DS, and GameBoy Advance. No word yet if Wii Play will include a Wii remote controller like it does in Europe and Japan when the Wii launches there on December 2nd & 8th.
Wii release dates are on:
January 15th, 2007: WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Wii Play;
March 5th, 2007: Mario Party 8.
DS releases arrive on:
January 22nd, 2007: Hotel Dusk: Room 215;
February 5th, 2007: Diddy Kong Racing DS;
March 5th, 2007: Wario: Master of Disguise;
March 19th, 2007: Custom Robo Arena.
One GameBoy Advance release on:
February 5th, 2007: Final Fantasy VI Advance.
Via Videogamesblogger
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November 19th, 2006, 21:29 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via playfuls
In the battle of giants, the outsider seems to be the Wiiner. Unlike Sony this year or Microsoft last year, Nintendo is delighting its fans from the beginning with plenty of enticing titles and a stockpile of Wiis.
Nintendo has recently been considered sort of an outsider after Sony and Microsoft entered its gaming turf and conquered it. From the leader’s position, Nintendo slowly slide to an unsatisfying third place and few analysts would give Nintendo a chance to win back its place a year ago, when MS launched the Xbox 360.
But one should never underestimate the power of… the Wii. Nor should one forget the proverbial imagination of Nintendo’s president, Mr. Satoru Iwata. He is responsible for all recent successes in the company’s the gaming and marketing field, including the calm, but not quiet, launch of the Wii console.
He first “directed” the worldwide hit of the Nintendo DS portable console. Compared to Sony’s PSP, the Nintendo DS now surpasses its more complex rival by a factor of five to one, at least in Japan (the third most important gaming market in the world). Now, it seems that the Wii console is again in front of its Sony counterpart, with a sufficient provision at launch, a serious and intelligent marketing campaign behind it and, as a consequence, a lot of interest from fans.
Shortages for PlayStation 3 in the US (only 400,000 consoles launched two days ago, but that is just official numbers…) have stirred up masses and violence eventually burst among customers waiting in line.
Unlike Sony, who invested a lot of money in a PR campaign that has eventually proven disastrous, Nintendo preferred to invest more in the production circuit, in order not to repeat Sony’s announced failure. So they are now boasting with more than 2 million consoles ready to find their owners at this week’s debut for Wii, with another 2 million standing by, just in time for the Christmas shopping season.
Pre-orders for Wii have been stellar, a reason for Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime to urge fans to stay in line, despite the impressive reserve of gaming gadgets.
"Wii is for both experienced and uninitiated gamers, and it will be available for the masses. Because of demand, we're urging shoppers not to get complacent. The level of demand we're seeing goes beyond the ordinary."
"Retailers are telling us a significant fraction of customers pre-ordering Wii are non-traditional gamers - people looking for a better way to play. And that's exactly what Wii is designed to provide," he added.
Reggie Fils-Aime’s advice was taken seriously by both hardcore fans and occasional gamers, some of which have camped several days and nights in front of retailers like Toys “R” Us.
At the Times Square Toys "R" Us store in New York, more than 1,000 people crowded in hope of getting a Wii signed by Nintendo’s boss, while more than 900 enthusiasts gathered for the West Coast release at the GameStop store at Hollywood's Universal City Walk.
Fans’ interest is justified by at least two factors: the price and the fun. Of course, there could be more but these two are dominating, since for Wii you’d only have to pay $279 and the games are also cheaper than for Xbox 360 or PS3. The fun is also “different” from what Wii’s rivals provide: Nintendo’s console has a new, revolutionary controller (btw, Wii’s previous name was Revolution), allowing you to play and even merge with the game’s action.
The Japanese gaming giant also added an impressive number of 65 new titles to the launch list, all built exclusively for Wii by some of the world’s best known gaming studios. Moreover, other 30 “oldies, but goodies” will soon be included in the software pack that will accompany the gadget at its launch.
Among the new titles will be "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess," "Madden NFL '07," "Need for Speed: Carbon," "Call of Duty 3," "Marvel Ultimate Alliance," "Rampage: Total Destruction," "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Creature from Krusty Krab," "Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam," "Red Steel" and many others.
Wii is due to launch on November 19th in the US, December 2nd in Japan and across Europe on December 8th.
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November 19th, 2006, 21:31 Posted By: wraggster
WFCStatus by KevinC is a status viewer for Nintendo's WiFi connection.
Heres whats new:
Added homebrew support! (OMalone 2.0)
Added now online option for OMalone 2.0
Added option to restart when changing timers
Added delay for some update buttons (5 sec)
Updated info in tray tooltip
Removed games timer
Fixed bug in tray menu
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November 19th, 2006, 21:50 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via kotaku
Only two emails have made their way into Kotaku central so far of dead Wii.
In the first report, the reader says that the system worked sporadically for an hour and then he started getting disc read errors. Now his Wii read games about five percent of the time.
The second reader's Wii went belly-up in the middle of his network set-up.
After the long hard months of waiting for my wii, was able to get one at target this morning. I get home, set it up, power it on and go through the initial setup. I decide to configure the online settings next, click the first connection profile, and it shuts off. Dead. I try reseating everything, but it's dead. Trying to call nintendo service, but all lines are busy, they won't even let you wait for an operator. Called Target, but of course they don't have any more.
At least that last story has a happy ending. The tipster wrote back a few hours later to say he was able to get through to Nintendo and they are sending him both a new Wii and a free power supply. I assume an extra. Both should be there in three to four days.
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November 19th, 2006, 21:54 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via kotaku
Nintendo held their Los Angeles based midnight launch at Universal Citywalk, which, on a Saturday night, is already filled to near capacity. Add an extra thousand gamers and you get a maddening crowd.
After $20 worth of "preferred" parking, we made the journey through the thick soup of teenagers and families to the far end of the strip. Basking in the tacky neon glow illuminating everything around us, I finally see the sign: EBgames! I'd never been so thrilled to see one.
After witnessing what looked like a surprisingly short (and sparse) line, we learned that the line had been split up into segments, wrapping around the Hard Rock Cafe and far beyond. With gamers stacked several hundred deep, I knew there was no way I'd sneak my way into nabbing a last minute Wii for myself.
The line had started to form early Friday for Saturday night's Wii launch. Staying cool in nothing but red overalls, Jonathan Mann was first in line. He was going to have his Wii handed to him by Nitnendo's very own George Harrison at 12:01.
To keep the Wii faithful entertained while waiting in line—despite the fact the virtually everyone was armed with a DS or DS lite—Nintendo had off-road Segways with widescreen monitors cruising through the crowd.
For line gawkers and passersby, about a dozen Wii demo stations (as well as a handful of DS kiosks) were installed. Gamers lined up to play Excite Truck, Wii Sports, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Red Steel. Hundreds of onlookers got their first exposure to the Wii that night and the buzz seemed positive.
The night kicked off with an interview with Nintendo's George Harrison, who was as excited about the Wii launch as a Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications is allowed to get. In addition to thrilling executive interviews, the crowd was also kept entertained by DJ Rap and the acrobatic group Antigravity. (We were kept entertained by the Rum Runners and Pink Sunsets from the Hard Rock.)
As midnight approached, dozens of Wii retail boxes were pulled from the stock room and stacked on the now empty EBgames register countertops. Following a rousing DJ Rap lead countdown, Mr. Mann entered the store at 12:01 AM.
After picking up his Wii, he read his Nintendo themed poem (seriously) to the gathered media. The first Wii owner exited, booty held aloft, and the patient crowd was allowed entrance. Media were quickly booted out to give the staff some breathing room.
Having engaged in midnight launches myself, I knew that the last person in line wouldn't receive his or her Wii until very, very late that night.
Sleepy from our night of heavy Mexican food, overly sweet adult beverages, we headed back to the lot. Sans pre-order and spot in line, we then set off to find our own Wii. Will we find one?
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November 19th, 2006, 21:58 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via kotaku
My friend Mike in New Haven, Conn. is a gamer. Not a hardcore gamer, but he's definitely done his share of gaming and console buying over the years. he loves his DS, but since the arrival of his 7 month old son, Paul, he doesn't have time for midnight launch madness or waiting around in the cold all night for the newest console. He was, however, very interested in getting a Wii. Since he had Paul last night, he decided to wait until this morning to see if he could actually acquire one. So, He made his way to the local target around 8am.
Upon arriving, he was greeted with the scene that is so familiar at this point, a huge line of people. There were about 60 people in line and as he walked up, he was informed that there were only 60 Wiis and that they had just given out all the claim tickets. It looked like it was going to be a day of running around with an infant trying to find his system. A daunting task, certainly. So, imagine his surprise when a gentleman approached him as he was leaving.
I had just gotten the car door open for Paul when this guy approached. I have to admit I was a bit dubious of his motives but the whole line was standing there watching. He said he had an extra ticket, and I was thinking he wanted to make money off of me and I said, "You're serious? Do you want something for this?" He just said no, that he saw me with the baby and he had an extra he was going to sell on eBay.
He had camped out with his sister since 11 pm to buy a Wii for his 8 y/o son for Christmas. He had never even heard of the Wii until two days ago. He said he was going to buy his son a PSP, but then the boy said he wanted a Wii instead. Then he walks to his car to get the extra ticket and comes back and hands me the ticket and I take my place next to him in line, feeling a little odd about cutting, but thrilled because I had my Wii!
It's so nice to hear stories of things like this happening with the Nintendo launch. It really gives one hope for the future.
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November 19th, 2006, 22:03 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via news8austin
Analysts say going up against industry behemoth Sony is a gutsy move. But days after the chaotic launch of PlayStation 3, Nintendo has released its new Wii video game system, drawing crowds of its own. And so far, Wii's debut has gone smoothly.
About 1,000 people gathered at Nintendo's Time Square store waiting for the Wii's midnight release. More than 500 waited outside a video game store in Los Angeles.
PlayStation's advanced technology makes it an industry force, but Nintendo took a different direction with Wii.
To make it affordable, Nintendo left out high-definition graphics and DVD capabilities. Instead, the Wii's highlight is an innovative motion-sensitive controller that's aimed at changing the way people play games.
Wii's $250 price tag is less than half that of the PlayStation 3.
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November 19th, 2006, 22:08 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via chron
NEW YORK — Nintendo Co.'s entry into the game console wars, the Wii, went on sale Sunday, and quickly sold out in many stores despite stocks that far surpassed those of the rival PlayStation 3, which went on sale two days earlier.
Spot checks at area stores turned up only one, the Toys R Us in Times Square, with Wiis in stock. The store hosted a midnight launch event that drew a crowd of more than a thousand people for the sale of the very first Wii.
The first buyer, Isaiah Triforce Johnson, had been waiting outside the store for more than a week. He wore a Nintendo Power Glove, a wearable controller that came out in 1989, while shaking hands with Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. Johnson said he had legally changed his name to include a reference to Nintendo's "Zelda" series of games.
The launch apparently went smoothly, a contrast to the launch PlayStation 3 release, which forced police to disperse rowdy crowds at some stores around the country.
Sony had about 400,000 PlayStation 3s in North American stores on Friday. Nintendo has said it would have "five to ten" times as many Wiis available at launch, and will have shipped 4 million units by the end of the year.
The Wii costs $250, including one game, half of what the cheaper PlayStation 3 model costs. The most common PlayStation 3 model costs $600, with no included game.
On the eBay auction site, Wiis were selling Sunday for twice the store price, indicating that supplies are still tight. The PlayStation 3, meanwhile, was selling for around $1,500, already down about $1,000 from Friday.
Launching right after the much-vaunted and technically sophisticated PlayStation 3 is a brave move for Nintendo, which lost the top spot in the market to Sony Corp. in the mid-90s. More recently, Microsoft Corp. has waded into the market as well.
The Wii takes a different tack than the competition, forgoing the high-definition graphics that Sony has spent billions to develop for the PlayStation 3.
Instead, Nintendo aims to draw gamers and non-gamers alike with intuitive game play. The Wii comes with a motion-sensitive controller that the gamer waves around in the air, using it as a tennis racket, golf club, steering wheel, gun or sword depending on the game.
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November 19th, 2006, 23:25 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via spong
Today in the US, Nintendo launched the Wii console, not that you'd know it watching the news. In contrast to the lead-story coverage generated by last week's PlayStation 3 launch, mainstream news has largely ignored the Nintendo release.
Although the machine is a sell-out in most areas of the US, Nintendo lost vital publicity that it had hoped would hit its target of lapsed and non-gamers. These consumers, typically disinterested in gaming, simply heard that a new PlayStation had arrived and everyone seemed desperate to buy one. They have probably missed the fact that a Nintendo machine has also been launched, a machine they might very much want to play or at the very least investigate.
Calls to branches of Target, Best Buy and Wal-Mart today painted a picture of quiet and orderly satisfaction. Although actual allocation figures are well-guarded, it appears that regional Wal-Mart stores received 20 units, Target and Best Buy had around 60 available per outlet. In contrast to the PS3 launch, queuing began hours, rather than days, before stores opened.
Only Wii's New York launch event gathered a healthy amount of publicity, including mentions in the mainstream media's entertainment and tech pages. The coverage Sony enjoyed is not present, even though more machines reached more users.
In-store pre-orders for Wii sold out in minutes of going on sale. Follow-up pre-orders were available online only and comprised $700 bundles, and also sold out within minutes. Online actions saw pre-orders sell for around $1,000 in some cases and as far as anyone could see, the Wii was almost as hot at the PS3. However, allocations for both machines went in opposite directions, and the laws of supply and demand came into play.
The fact stands that more people have had a Wii today bought PlayStation 3 on Friday. More people have one hooked up to their SD televisions playing a greater library of games, some of which are actually very good. So what happened?
Despite its a $600 price tag, limited supplies of PlayStation 3 resulted in pre-orders selling at thousands of dollars over the RRP on auction sites. The US was initially expecting over 400,000 consoles to hit retail, but this figure diminished and by mid-week, it was largely accepted that only 250,000 units would be available at launch. This drove people onto the streets and by Thursday night, retail outlets across the country were besieged by little shantytowns comprising an estimated 70% scalpers and 30% gamers.
Compared to the last big camp out for the Xbox 360, more was at stake with the PlayStation 3 launch. It is a console that promises more than any other, it commands a higher retail price than any other, it is in desperately short supply and promises to be for many weeks.
PS3 also represents the best overnight investment ever in a games machine, with people netting thousands of dollars within hours of launch. Transactions were taking place in car parks, with scalpers seeing big returns for a working week out in the cold. There were sporadic shootings, stampedes and fights around the country, although SPOnG witnessed a standard trouble-free launch here. It was enough to drive blanket media coverage of the PlayStation 3 in almost every single news outlet coast-to-coast. Starting on Tuesday and building to a crescendo on Friday evening, anyone picking up a newspaper, turning on the television or tuning in their car radios was well aware that the PlayStation 3 was such a hot item. The result: Non-gamers and lapsed gamers became aware that everyone wanted a PlayStation 3. That's quite a seed to plant...
Stay tuned for some on-the-spot coverage of Nintendo's New York launch soon on SPOnG and be sure to let us know how you feel things went right and wrong in the US over what has been an amazing weekend for gaming.
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November 19th, 2006, 23:32 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via engadget
We've had our Wii kicking around the office for a little while now, but we had to hold off on answering your many questions about it until last night when they rolled out their launch update. Trust us, it definitely changed some answers, so let's get to the FAQ. Oh, and thanks for the questions. Feel free to leave your followups in the comments.
1. How loud is the Wii?
We'd say of the next gen consoles, the order of loudness goes: Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360. Though that's not necessarily fair since the Wii and the PS3 are both pretty much completely silent from more than a foot away. To put it in perspective, the only console we can tell whether it was left on is the Xbox.
2. Can you connect and play media from a USB hard drive?
Our USB drive turns on when we plug it in -- it's obviously USB -- but nothing happens. Right now there's no support for USB storage, including playback of photos, music, or movies, nor saving channels or games to the device. Bummer.
3. Is it possible to attach an external keyboard, mouse, etc. to the USB ports on the back of the Wii?
Yeah, you can attach them, but they don't actually do anything. Kind of a bummer, too, since using that on-screen keyboard of theirs is kind of a pain -- we often aim off our letter when pressing the A button to type.
4. Does the Wii upconvert non-Wii games?
If you've got the component cables you can "upscale" old games to 480p / EDTV. Not that it's going to look any better, but the display doesn't change back 480i or anything.
5. Which audio / video / image formats work with the Wii?
The manual states it works only with JPEG images, MP3 audio, and motion JPEG movies. We found it worked with all of the above, and unfortunately nothing but. We tested pretty much everything, including BMP, GIF, TIF, PSD, and PNG images; OGG, AAC, AAC lossless, WMA, WMA lossless, MP3, FLAC, AIF, and WAV audio; and XviD, WMA, H.264, and every other variety of movie could think of to throw at it.
6. When you insert an SD card into Wii with photos and videos on, do they need to be converted to display/save onto Wii?
Nope, but it does only read JPEG, MP3, and motion JPEG (MOV) files.
7. What are the load times for the games?
Nothing at all unusual for a disc-based console. Considering it's loading less data than the PS3 or Xbox 360, we might've liked to see those load times shaved down a bit. But it's nothing unreasonable, and doesn't clock into the minutes territory.
8. Is the sensor bar setup tough (does it require a level or anything like that)?
Not at all. Just rest it on top of or below your TV. If it keeps falling off (like ours did) you can use the double-sided tape on the bottom and stick it into place.
9. How does the Wii work on a smaller TV?
Very well; we hooked it up to the smallest TV we could possibly find, a 13-incher, and even put the sensor bar way off to the side and it worked beautifully.
10. Is it hard to aim on the smaller TV?
Not at all! It's like playing any games on a smaller screen: you're never going to be able to pick up the same level of detail and accuracy as on a larger display, but it still works great.
11. How decent is the callibration for the Wii?
Very decent, and extremely easy. In fact, there's no calibration at all, just put the sensor bar on or below your TV, set the option for its location, and you're off.
12. Is the sensor bar really that distracting?
Huh? Not really, it's pretty benign; we didn't even notice it. You might pay more attention to it if it's mounted on a wall (if you're using a projector), but it's very low profile and unobtrusive.
13. What happens if you put a disc in upside down?
Nothing in the channel page; in the Disc channel, however, you get a simple cannot read disc error message. Our discs came out fine and unscratched.
14. In the unboxing video, what were those "decals" plastic things?
That's actually a sensor bar stand and a clear Wii stand (in case you didn't want to use the larger plastic variety in box).
15. How long do the Wii batteries last? Are they rechargeable? Nunchuck change the battery life much?
They just take AA batteries, so your mileage may vary. They're not rechargeable out of the box, and the nunchuck feeds off the Wiimote's power. We've been playing for a week or more now on the stock batteries with no problems, but who knows if they'll die today, tomorrow, or two months from now.
16. What does the Sync button do?
It allows you to sync wireless peripherals (Wiimote, etc.) to your system, like an Xbox 360. Nothing more or less.
17. Is the Wii controller REALLY Bluetooth-compliant, or is it simply RF? What happens if you try to pair it with a Bluetooth 2.0EDR capable PC?
It is indeed! And unlike the PS3, since it has that sync button you can make it go into discoverable mode. We tried and found the Wiimote, but we were unable to pair with the device. For those curious, its Bluetooth device name was Nintendo RVL-CNT-01 -- different from its official model number RVL-003.
18. Was there a "Wii Startup Disk" included in the box?
Nope! It works right out of box -- for us. We actually got an email this morning from reader Mitch, who says: "I got a Wii this morning. Waited 32 hours in a 24-hour Wal-Mart to do it, but I did it. I get it home, set it up, and it asks me for a setup disc. But there wasn't a setup disc in the box. [As with ours. -Ed.] When I called Nintendo, they said it was something they'd been contacted about on a small number of units, and are shipping new ones for free to those who call in. Like me." Ouch, that sucks!
19. How long are the standard composite AV cables? Component cables? Sensor bar cable?
Composite: 94-inches
Component: 94-inches
Sensor bar: 138-inches
Wii to power brick: 38-inches
Power brick to wall: 62-inches (power cable length total: 100-inches)
20. Does the Wii's sensor bar limit you from what kind of TV you can hook it up to? For example, a 60" projection TV that sits on a pedastal -- can you put the sensor bar above the TV or does it have to go below? How about for setups where the gamer does not sit directly in front of the TV but perhaps off to the side?
Not as far as we know, no. You don't have to be dead on with your TV (of course it helps), but you do have to be within a reasonable angle of it. We'd estimate it was about a 145-155 degree angle on both sides that you could play within -- more than enough for getting four people going on the system. It is IR though, so if there are any obstructions the Wiimote won't cursor properly (although the motion control will still work).
21. How steep is the learning curve on the Wii? Is it worth the time investment to learn a new way of gaming?
Not very steep, most of the motions and gestures come naturally. Which is kind of the point -- they wanted to make gaming less about button combos on a 20-button controller, and more about natural, intuitive movements that people of all ages can understand and play with.
22. Is the blue light always on during gameplay?
Nope, only when loading games into the drive.
23. Are there any screws outside of the Wii allowing you to open the unit?
The screws are all well concealed, but no doubt about it, the Wii can be opened one way or another.
24. Does the sensor bar not function properly when it is exposed to sunlight from outside or from many reports, when somebody points a laser pointer on it?
We can't possibly imagine why anyone would be shining a laser pointer at the Wii sensor bar. But since you asked, we did just that and saw absolutely no problems with cursor movement. As you might imagine, we've also had no problem playing in a well lit room.
25. Does cursor speed change when playing in a totally dark vs a well lit room?
No, not that we can tell. Although the Wii does have a cursor sensitivity setting in options
26. Does the Wii support WPA?
Yes! The Wii supports WEP, WPA-PSK (TKIP), WPA-PSK (AES), and WPA2-PSK (AES). Pretty surprising!
27. How do the graphics of the games for the Wii compare to that of the previous generation consoles?
Previous generation consoles? Well, it's better than the GameCube! Just not by as much as we'd have liked. Compared to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 it's kind of pathetic. But if you're a GameCuber and haven't really dabbled with Microsoft's and Sony's latest offerings, you'll probably be happy.
28. Can you use Wii game save slots for GC games?
We don't see why not! We didn't see any messages in the system that would lead us to believe we couldn't save our games to SD or internal memory, but we couldn't confirm for sure. Why? Good question. Our copy of Wind Waker started ok, but it wouldn't even let us get to the main menu without a classic controller. We really wished they'd have prompted us to plug one in (like the way it prompts you to plug in a nunchuck for some games) before we had to shut down the looping Zelda title and restart the system.
29. When you save Wii game save data, do you get a choice of saving it to the internal memory or SD card, or can game save data only be saved to the internal memory?
You can save your game data and even downloaded games to your inserted SD card. The files are stored in \private\wii\title\FAKE and RSPE folders as either content.bin (ours was 2.7MB) or data.bin (80-200KB) files. We weren't really able to do anything with those files, although it stands to reason you could back those up (or hack them to pieces).
30. Does the sensor bar have to be in the exact center of the display, or can it still be accurate if its a little bit off.
Not at all. We put ours completely off to the side and it was still totally accurate. We have a feeling when you've got a bunch of people around you'll want to try to keep it centered, but you definitely don't have to bust out the measuring tape during the install.
31. Does Excite Truck indeed support custom soundtracks off of the SD card?
Yep, and it worked perfectly -- as long as they're MP3s! You can play in order, or set to shuffle.
32. Does Wii support SDHC cards? MMC?
Actually, MMC didn't work! We can't 100% confirm it won't take SDHC cards, but given the fact that we're seeing 2GB Wii cards -- and not 4GB+ cards -- we're assuming that SDHC isn't supported right now.
33. Are the battery contacts coiled springs, or bent metal?
They're spring-engaged bent metal, actually. Some of the nicest battery contacts we've ever seen in a came console, to be honest.
34. After playing with the Wii for a few days, do you feel that your interest in the Wii will last? Or is it a gimmick?
We'll save that for a full review, but basically that's up to the game developers. If they can make the games feel right with the motion sensing and continue to come up with new, interesting ways of using it, then no, not gimmicky at all. But if all these games are just going to be use your Wiimote to aim an onscreen cursor like the new Mario and Zelda, that might get old after a while. Still, for now it's all very fresh and fun.
35. What input does the power brick take, just 120v, or right up to 40v? Also how many watts?
Our adapter reads 120V only, not 120-240v; it's rated at 53 watts, and 3.7 amps.
36. Is the Wii multi region?
It stands to reason that because of the power supply, you probably won't be able to (easily) import your Wii. Even still, Wiis are supposedly quite certainly region-locked. Sorry, gamers!
37. How do you put the mini Gamecube discs into the slot-loader?
Like so!
38. Does the Wii have HD capabilities?
If you define HD as being 720p or higher, then no. The best we could do was get ours going with extended def, 480p.
39. Can you turn it on and off remotely with the controller like you can with the Xbox 360?
Yep, absolutely!
40. Can I put DVDs in the Wii?
You can, but it won't read them. Watch out for a DVD-reading Wii next year.
41. Do I have to sync the Wiimote every time I want to play?
No way! But you do have to sync it if you bring your Wiimote to a pal's house. Also, your Mii can be saved to your Wiimote, so when you play at a friend's place you don't have to do anything weird to transport it.
42. Is the Wii's sound similar to some GameCube games in the sense that they are MIDIs on steroids (think: Metroid Prime)?
No, for the most part our Wii audio experience has been pretty good. Excite Truck has real, honest to goodness lame rock music. The sound coming out of the Wiimote, however, is another story entirely. It's pretty awful. We're not sure if that's due to Bluetooth bandwidth restrictions or a really awful speaker, but man does it remind us of a Game Boy trying to make real audio sound effects.
43. Is there a hard switch to turn off the WiFi on the Wii?
Nope, not that we can tell.
44. How does the Wii's browser do on the ACID2 test? Have you seen any problems with page rendering?
Sorry, as we wrote last night, the Wii browser isn't available yet. However, since it's Opera based, and Opera performs well on the ACID2 test, it stands to reason that it will render it properly.
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November 19th, 2006, 23:37 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via arnnet
Nintendo's Wii console will do more to challenge Microsoft's Xbox 360 this holiday shopping season than the long-awaited PlayStation 3 from Sony Computer Entertainment, according to analysts.
U.S. customers got their hands on Sony's PlayStation 3 on Friday, but the console is suffering from a lack of supply as well as a hefty US$599 price tag for the 60G-byte model. Sony also offers a US$499 version with a smaller hard drive. However, the US$299 Nintendo Wii, though not targeted at hard-core gamers like the Xbox and PlayStation 3, will give Microsoft's early-to-market Xbox 360 a run for its money.
The Wii will reach customers in the U.S. on Sunday. Microsoft released the Xbox 360 last November for the 2005 holiday shopping season with a US$399 or US$299 price tag, depending on which version is purchased.
"Nintendo has done a great job with the Wii," said David Mercer, a vice president with U.K. research firm Strategy Analytics. "The price point will be very tempting even for consumers that many have not even thought of buying a console. As a general holiday present, Nintendo will do well."
Matt Rosoff, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft in Kirkland, Washington, agreed that the Wii will be a successful holiday seller. "But people will still be buying a lot of Xbox 360s this year," he said. "There are more games for them, and they are significantly less expensive than the PlayStation 3. And they're available. They're in a really good spot."
That's good news for Microsoft, which has a lot to prove with the Xbox 360 before the end of the year. The company has projected it will sell 10 million consoles by 2007. By the end of September, Microsoft said it sold 6 million worldwide, which means it must sell 4 million in the last three months of the year.
In addition to introducing new Xbox titles for the holiday season to bolster 2006 sales, Microsoft also released an external HD-DVD drive for the console and will begin allowing users to download movies to their Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live online marketplace on Nov. 22.
Holiday competition from the Wii aside, Microsoft should try to take advantage of the PlayStation 3's two main weaknesses this holiday season -- lack of availability and cost -- to prove it can stick it out against the PlayStation 3 over the long haul, Mercer suggested.
"There's a lot of loyalty to the PlayStation brand," he said. "People who want the [PlayStation 3] but can't get ahold of one are the people Microsoft should be targeting."
Even though Sony will be lucky to sell 1.5 million of its projected 2 million PlayStation 3 consoles this holiday season, the Sony console should outlast its competition over the long haul, Mercer added.
"In the long term, there's no question the PS3 is a superior system," he said. "It's designed to be going strong in five or 10 year's time. We just don't see the Xbox 360 having that kind of sustainability."
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November 20th, 2006, 00:17 Posted By: Dee-Lite
Source http://www.nintendogal.com/
While by now we've all heard about the various options for gaming on the Wii including GameCube games, Virtual Console games, or Wii games themselves, a fourth method for play on Nintendo's brand new console is gaining some attention.
WiiCade, project of artist/designer David Stubbs, Aaron Worrall, and John Eysman, is a brand new website launching alongside the Wii itself on Sunday, November 19. The site will feature Flash games which have been designed specifically to be played on the Wii via the Opera web browser. Additionally, by accessing the site via PC, users can design and upload their own Flash applications to the site -- in a fashion similar to Newgrounds -- to be enjoyed by other Wii users worldwide.
The site will offer 15 games on launch day, two of which are exclusive titles that make unique use of the Wii remote. The games will be vector-based, so they will scale well on any television while providing smooth visuals.
No information is yet available on how much -- if any -- money the site will charge to play. It is also unclear how the site's plans will be affected if the Opera browser is unavailable on launch day, as some reports have recently suggested.
The site can be accessed at www.wiicade.com, although there is only a "coming soon" splash page up at the moment.
Nothing gets techies salivating over a console like homebrew, and WiiCade should help the Wii develop a community around user-designed software and win its way into more homes. It'll also encourage more use of the Opera browser. Seems a great idea, and I'll definitely be checking it out when I get my Wii set up.
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November 20th, 2006, 00:31 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via popular science
While a few zany folks preferred to mindlessly operate on a PlayStation 3 without any tact whatsoever, the steady-handed folks over at Popular Science went by the books when they gingerly took apart Nintendo's latest. But alas, not everyone is so gentle (or considerate) when it comes to enjoying new toys, and the folks over at SmashMyWii shaved a few minutes off their uncasing time by going at it with a large foreign object instead of a minuscule screwdriver. We're reserving comment on which method we prefer most, but we do applaud both the tender care and rage expressed in each unique scenario. Nevertheless, snagging a Wii should've been slightly (and slightly we stress) easier than dodging bullets or quitting your job in order to (hopefully) get a PS3, but we're sure there's still quite a few of us sitting home empty handed -- so if you're craving an inside look at the Wii which you don't yet have (or don't want to dissect yourself), be sure to hit the read link for some well-captured Wii pr0n, and peek after the break for the painfully humorous slaughtering.
as you can see over at popular science there have been conducting wii-otopcy as they call it.
disection of wii screens via comment
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November 20th, 2006, 01:54 Posted By: wraggster
I have received Confirmation that Freeloader the Import Game enabler for the Gamecube is working on the Nintendo Wii.
Heres what FreeLoader is:
Launch and play imported GameCube™ games from any region
No need to modify your console – keeps your warranty intact
Add loads of new titles to your GameCube™ collection, including games that may never be released in your region
Play US and Japanese games on a PAL GameCube™
Play PAL games on a US or Japanese GameCube™
Fast and easy to use
Those of you who own the Freeloader and a Wii, please post your Compatability reports
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November 20th, 2006, 02:02 Posted By: gunntims0103
Nintendo's latest toy is cheaper, smaller, and less fancy than its competitors, but it hasn't stopped diehard 'gamers' from lining up just to get their hands on the new Wii.
Even Though analist say that the Wii graphically, internally, and playably is behind in the next gen consol race. Buyer's still seem to be buying it.
The wii at the moment in sale's are ahead of the ps3. Some could say this is because of the lack of ps3's that have been released, but even if the ps3 would have released enough for demand. Would the wii be ahead?
At the moment the nintendo wii seems to be holding strong, It will be interesting to see how this unfolds in the future weeks to come.
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November 20th, 2006, 02:31 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Amie revealed that the heretofore Euro- and Japan-only bundle Wii Play will, in fact, get a North American release. Speaking with GameSpot staffers in New York today, Fils-Amie said the decision had been made to bring the nine-game collection and controller pack to US gamers sometime next year. The title brings a collection of entry level titles to the mass market console--included in the mix are table tennis, hockey, fishing, and billiards games. No price was mentioned.
Via Gamespot
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November 20th, 2006, 02:44 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via Laist
After hearing that a big event celebrating the launch of the new Nintendo system, the Wii was taking place at Citywalk, we made a B-line for the Wii-line and got to sitting. The long night in line at one of our least favorite places in Los Angeles, Universal CityWalk, Wii finally have our console in hand and now Wii have yet another thing to eat up any free time Wii might come across. All our feelings on the situation could be summed up with this sign a couple of the revelers had posted on the window of the store
That's enough for the Wii-tarded Wii jokes, at least for this Wiikend
Spending the evening in line with hundreds of people that most would refer to as nerds or outcasts is an Eye opening experience to say the least. The line stretched from the front of the EB games near the Hard Rock Cafe all the way to the top of the Curious George Parking lot. While inside the store we heard the manager talking to a customer and he said, and I quote "I can't tell you exactly how many systems we have, but it is a four digit number." Feeling confident about our chances of getting our Wii on, we sat and watched the festivities, which included guys on spring loaded stilts, and models throwing around t-shirts and other Nintendo merch, what either of those things had to do with Videogames, I'm not sure, but the guys on the Segways with plasma TVs attached to play the new console were pretty cool.
We did, however, have a couple issues with the wait in line. The first was the complete lack of Wi-Fi. The only place with any sort of Wireless Fidelity was the worst, in our opinion, bowling alley in the world, Jillian's and it seems they were sharing a 56k connection, so it wasn't worth it. The second issue was when a friend of ours returned to the line after retrieving burgers, the security assumed that he was trying to jump in line and kicked him out of Citywalk. He had good humor about the situation and spent the rest of the evening sleeping and getting ready to get his Wii at Target, we on the other hand had our final straw with CityWalk. The only saving grace of the entire mall is the Gibson Amphitheater, but even that's not enough to get us to return to that overpriced and overhyped area of LA.
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November 20th, 2006, 03:39 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via kotaku
Remember when we posted that art of the Wii box showing that it was going to come with a startup disc?
If you have a Wii, you probably have noticed there isn't such a thing in the box. That's because Nintendo managed to pre-load that software on the console before they started shipping. Well almost every. At least one reader emailed us to let us know his won't work because it wants a start-up disc. Which means he's going to have to return it.
Here's Nintendo's wording on the whole startup disc dealio.
The boxes in question (the ones that referenced a startup disc) are early-production boxes that were being used for display purposes only. The final Wii product boxes will not have any disc other than the free copy of Wii Sports, and the final packaging will not contain a reference to the startup disc.
So there you go, one mystery solved.
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November 20th, 2006, 07:41 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via nintendorevolution
Wii is outpacing PS3 2-1
Wii vs. PS3 by the numbersWii is outselling PS3 by more than a two to one margin, according to unconfirmed calculations.
According to the website NexGen Wars, as of 11:38 PM EST, Wii has sold a whopping 607,004 consoles compared to PS3, which has sold 255,172 units to date.
Is this accurate? We have no earthly idea, so don't go betting the farm on it. Here's what the website has to say:
The next generation of gaming is upon us, and the console wars has begun. NexGen Wars.com has spent countless hours researching sales facts from dozens of sources to track the worldwide sales of the consoles and monitor the next generation of console wars between the Microsoft Xbox 360, the Sony Playstation 3, and the Nintendo Wii. Remember, these numbers are only estimates, but they are constantly monitored and upated to assure the closest estimates possible for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Wii.
It'll take a wee bit of time to catch up to Xbox 360, who has sold 7,080,863 bad boys to date.
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November 20th, 2006, 08:33 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via theinquirer
THE WEEKEND launch of the Nintendo Wii has resulted in a sell out despite the fact that most shops had tons more to flog than Sony's PS3 launch two days earlier.
According to Associated Press, most Wii queues formed up in the morning before the shops opened. There was little of the hysteria that marked the introduction of the PS3.
However, there were enough punters in the queues to sell all Wii stocks. Nintendo said that it expected to flog four million units by the end of the year, but is not saying how many it cleared over the weekend.
find more info here
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November 20th, 2006, 11:06 Posted By: Kramer
Here's evidence of what can go wrong when Nintendo's revolutionary controller becomes a projectile.
Nintendo's Wii prides itself on providing a radical new way to play games, but experiencing it properly may come at a hefty price for some.
After only 24 hours of release in the US, over-the-top motions have resulted in much pain for some gamers, with many reporting Wii-motes having hit ceiling fans, and other closeby objects. The worst case, though, comes from one unlucky consumer, whose Wii-mote was sent flying towards an expensive television, cracking the screen on impact.
Be warned: Sweaty hands + faulty Wiimote wrist strap = broken ass TV.
Source: SomethingAwful
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November 20th, 2006, 18:49 Posted By: wraggster
Via Engadget
While so far Sony's PS3 launch seems to have gone off relatively error-free (we're talking hardware here, crime still doesn't pay, kids), Microsoft's 360 was notoriously plagued by errors at launch, and it doesn't look like the Wii is going to escape unscathed either. Reports have been coming in on the official Nintendo forums that after the initial firmware/software update that is downloaded during your first attempt to use WiiConnect24, some users are experiencing a "110213" error code, which bars them from using WiiConnect24 completely. Some people are conjecturing that the update is frying a necessary component to connect to the service, possibly being caused by corrupt downloads due to the incredible demand on the update servers currently. Whatever the cause, Nintendo phone support is apparently calling this a "fatal error," and replacing the units for free, including pre-paid shipping labels to make the process as smooth as can be -- of course, "smooth as can be" is little solace to launch day junkies who are halfway through Zelda already and will have to start over on a fresh box.
Any Wii News Fans Suffer this problem ?
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November 20th, 2006, 18:58 Posted By: wraggster
Via eurogamer
While the PS3 launch may have made headlines due to stock shortages and lengthy queues, the situation couldn’t have seemed more different for the launch of the Nintendo Wii in Canada just two days later.
Thanks to healthy supplies, the Wii didn’t get much more than a cursory reference in the mainstream press - with most news reports giving it only a brief mention as PS3's competitor for the title of "this Christmas’s hottest toy".
However, on the streets the situation seemed entirely different, with the queues observed by GamesIndustry.biz at stores in downtown Toronto equalling those for PlayStation 3.
Priced at CAN $279.99 (Euro 190) including the Wii Sports pack-in - which is actually marginally cheaper than the suggested retail price in the US - the system was sold out in most stores before they'd even opened, to the surprise of many consumers who arrived to queue early in the morning, expecting low demand.
At Best Buy, a large crowd had gathered by 7am on Sunday. The Toronto Star reported that many of those in the local area who bought a PlayStation 3 were reselling the console to pay off the cost of a Wii, but GamesIndustry.biz did not find anyone in the queue with that story to tell. Nor did we find a single person planning to sell their new Nintendo console.
At the head of the queue was a high school student who said, "We’ve been asking people as they come up if they’re keeping it, and only a very, very small percentage of people have said they’re eBaying it. Almost everyone is keeping it. It’s quite a difference."
The student said he'd been waiting "two years, ever since E3 2004" for the Wii, though his wait outside Best Buy began at 3pm on Saturday afternoon. "Everybody in the line-up has had a fantastic time; everybody has had so much fun," he said. "Honestly, this entire night has been an incredible experience for many of us."
When asked what it was about the Wii that he liked so much, the student replied, "The system, Zelda, absolutely everything about it... I just absolutely adore Nintendo."
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November 20th, 2006, 19:04 Posted By: wraggster
Via eurogamer
Nintendo of Canada exec Pierre-Paul Trépanier has told our sister site GamesIndustry.biz that the company is already raking in the cash following yesterday's launch of the Wii.
"We make a profit on the system itself," Trépanier said. "Unlike our competitors, we don’t have ulterior motives; we’re not in it to sell HD TVs, or to become the operating system in the living room or anything like that.
"We’re in the gaming business, and we have to make money from everything we sell - and we are making money from day one on the Wii."
According to Trépanier, Nintendo is still on track to meet shipment targets for the Wii - and he confirmed that North America will get the lion's share.
"We have 4 million units ready to go, which is something our competitors have struggled with... Historically a bit more than half of our worldwide shipment would go to North America, I think that’s probably a good estimate."
But despite the healthy stock supply, Trépanier conceded, the Wii is still likely to sell out this Christmas: "We do estimate there will be supply issues within the first few weeks."
However, he continued, "We’re receiving a constant supply. Every week there is a flow of product to the marketplace. The extremely complex and sophisticated supply system ensures that product will be delivered quickly to the stores that need it.
"We have a good supply management system that evaluates fairly well the demand and pull from each individual store depending on its size, class, location, seasonality and things like that," Trépanier explained.
"We’re not putting fixed numbers for stores; we really assign quantities based on historical pull."
Trépanier went on to defend Nintendo's decision to launch the Wii just two days after PlayStation 3, stating, "The timing is great as it’s pre-Thanksgiving, which is a very important commercial consideration in the United States, and it’s great for the holidays.
"And the great news is the feedback we’re getting from media and consumers and all of our research is that the Nintendo Wii really is the pretty girl at the party this year."
Trépanier's comments came at a Wii launch event held at the Ontario Place theme park. Members of the press, public and games industry were all invited to attend, and the response was positive despite long queues to play the most highly anticipated titles (with Ubisoft's Red Steel proving particularly popular).
Trépanier declined to put a figure on the number of Wii units shipped to Canada, but did say that the territory represents "about ten per cent" of the North American market. Analysts have estimated that as many as 200,000 consoles were available in Canada at launch.
"Canada is more important than its actual market size," Trépanier said.
"Not only is Canada 10 per cent of North America, which is significant, but the Canadian subsidiary of Nintendo is widely regarded as one of the best subsidiaries in the world on a whole bunch of measures including profit per employee and market share."
The Nintendo Wii will launch in Japan on December 2, six days ahead of the European release.
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November 20th, 2006, 19:07 Posted By: wraggster
NoA president Reggie Fils-Aime has revealed he expects the company to sell one million Wii consoles to North American consumers within the next two to three weeks.
Speaking to Reuters, Fils-Aime predicted that Nintendo will hit the target by early December, and go on to sell another million Wii units by the second week of January. He said that a life span of between four and six years for the console would be "just about right".
Fils-Aime also took the opportunity to echo comments made by other Nintendo execs regarding the profit potential of the Wii, compared to other consoles such as the PS3, which apparently cost more to produce than to buy.
"We think that's in part why the industry has become so insular - very expensive machines, machines that arguably do more than you need them to do," Fils-Aime said.
"We designed [Wii] from the get-go to be profitable, so it will be past this weekend and throughout its entire life. Because we're a gaming company, we have to be profitable in the gaming business. It's not like our competitors who can make profit in operating systems or TVs to offset their losses on the gaming side."
Nintendo recently announced that a DVD playback-enabled version of the Wii will hit Japanese shelves next year - but following the latest comments from Fils-Aime, it's looking increasingly unlikely that the new model will get a North American release.
"We took a pause to say, 'We're not going to do high definition. We're not going to include a DVD because consumers already have two or three different DVD playback machines in their household," Fils-Aime said. "We wanted to bring it back to a core gaming machine."
via Gamesindustry
Should Nintendo have stuck in a DVD Playback ?
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November 20th, 2006, 19:15 Posted By: wraggster
via gamesradar
Nintendo plans to update Wii's Virtual Console game list with a brand new title every Monday in the US, aiming to bring more than 30 games to the service before the end of the year, alongside the 12 retro games available at launch.
It'll certainly make Monday mornings a lot more bearable, and we'd be surprised if Nintendo didn't have a similarly regular update plan for Europe, although the big N was unavailable at the time of writing to confirm this, or to suggest which day we might get our new gaming treats.
In addition, this shot that some helpful gamer has posted on photo-sharing site flickr reveals that Wii's Virtual Console has a very handy Suspend Point feature, enabling you to freeze the game at any point and return to the Wii Home menu, then pop back whenever you please.
Unfortunately, though, it's not clear if you can play normal Wii games or do other memory-intensive actions without losing your Suspend Point. We'll have to delve into Wii's instruction manual and find out in December.
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