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November 2nd, 2011, 01:21 Posted By: wraggster
It was never Nintendo's intention that the Wii and DS be tagged as consoles primarily for casual gamers, the platform holder has explained.CEO Satoru Iwata admitted to investors last week that it had failed to adequately inform customers that there was much more to both systems.When asked about Nintendo's current market strategy Iwata explained that it still aimed to pursue "gaming population expansion", but added that releasing games for "casual or light users" isn't the only way to go about it."There was a misunderstanding that Nintendo was dedicated to such games at some stage of the lifespans of the Wii and the Nintendo DS," he said."We have made efforts to develop video games that are in tune with various consumer tastes; however, we have not been able to gain adequate consumer understanding regarding our intentions, while in the common perception there are no or few core users playing Nintendo platforms, which is not the case."He went on to insist that Nintendo plans to develop games that "can be accepted by a wide variety of consumers, irrespective of age, gender or past gaming experience.""As it is natural that Nintendo alone cannot provide every kind of software, we would like to achieve our goal in cooperation with various developers."Elsewhere in the presentation, Iwata revealed that the pressures of maintaining four separate platforms at once means that it has had to outsource titles that it might normally have developed itself."The time always comes when we must prepare for the next platform. When that time comes, rather than trying to do everything by ourselves, we must try to narrow down what we really have to do inside the company and think of how we can best collaborate with people from other companies."For example, the teams led by Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis & Development Division have already been cooperating with external developers in order to create titles which would have been developed internally at Nintendo in the past."Now that we realise there may be times when we need to take care of four platforms at once, we are initiating these new challenges, and I believe that such a fixed notion as, 'we have to do everything by ourselves,' has faded inside the company to a large degree."
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...casual-console
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November 2nd, 2011, 01:46 Posted By: wraggster
In a recent Q&A following a semi-annual investor's meeting, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata laid out the company's plans for its slow-starting handheld, the 3DS. "We came to the conclusion that we needed to make that bold investment," Iwata explained, "instead of focusing just on this term's profitability, so that we would be able to make the Nintendo 3DS an important foundation for Nintendo for years to come." He added that the company expects the system's profitability to improve dramatically during the fiscal year ending March 2013.
Iwata mentioned that, falling in line with this strategy, unspecified 3DS games were delayed from the holiday release window to prevent being overlooked due to overcrowding. The only major first-party 3DS titles scheduled for the rest of the year are Super Mario 3D Land (November 13) and Mario Kart 7(December 4).
He also discussed the company's plans to expand the eShop with an "add-on" marketplace for individual games, and the ability to access the store using PCs and Smartphones. You can read more about this initiative in our post from last week, though it lacks Iwata's almost comically tardy discovery of social networking platforms. He's kind of like your grandpa who just discovered Facebook, likes everything you post, and leaves embarrassing comments on all your pictures in all-caps.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/01/iw...-of-short-ter/
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November 3rd, 2011, 00:29 Posted By: wraggster
Codemasters will release a 3DS version of successful racer F1 2011 on November 25th in the UK and Europe.
It’s the first time a Formula One game has been available in 3D.
This new version includes most of the features found in the console versions, such as all of the official teams, drivers and circuits – including the brand new Indian Grand Prix track that was raced on for the first time last weekend.
It will also offer a portable-only Challenge Mode designed for bite-sized on-the-move gaming.
A PlayStation Vita version of the title is currently in production.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/f1-20...release/087104
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November 4th, 2011, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster
Japanese Super Mario 3D Land carts have started dropping into 3DS slots, and early reports from the country indicate that the game comes packed with brand new firmware for the system. What does the firmware update do, you wonder? Apparently, it makes the portable's friends list a bit more functional -- a button will now allow you to join a friend's game in progress. It seems that the update isn't an early release of the upcoming November one, which brings a variety of features.
The firmware update also adds a modification to the console's ability to play flashcarts, a notorious game piracy culprit on portable consoles. Like most game-based firmware updates, the cart requires the update before allowing the user to access Super Mario 3D Land, so, uh, resistance is kinda futile. It's unclear whether the same firmware update will be present on US and EU carts when the game ships in the coming weeks, but we've asked Nintendo for clarification and will update the story if we hear back.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/03/su...-3ds-firmware/
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November 4th, 2011, 00:43 Posted By: wraggster
 It's a "kid" oriented week for Nintendo downloadables. If you've been waiting for more Balloon Fight since downloading the NES game -- and of course you have -- Balloon Kid for Game Boy brings you an adventure expanded from that NES game, with new abilities and obstacles. You'll be delighted as long as you don't realize that Japan got the Game Boy Color version ... whoops!
While you have the 3DS open, you can also enjoy a "Main Theme Medley" from the recent Zelda concert on Nintendo Video.
On DSiWare, 1950s Lawn Mower Kids is a game about guiding three of the title characters to perform their gardening duties among UFOs, dogs, and other obstacles.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/03/ni...wn-mower-kids/
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November 4th, 2011, 00:44 Posted By: wraggster
 The 3DS has been out since March, and the eShop has been running since June. So it's pretty noteworthy that Nintendo's first original game for the service will be released in November.
The kid-friendly Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! is designed to allow players to build the weird-ass creature of their dreams, and then use said weirdo in an adventure, exploring its new environment, finding food, collecting coins for new items, and even gaining the ability to redraw stuff in the environment.
It'll hit the North American 3DS eShop November 10, for $6.99.
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November 4th, 2011, 00:46 Posted By: wraggster
Portable brawler Tekken 3D Prime Edition launches on 3DS in the UK on 17th February, according to the game's BBFC listing.A spokesperson for Namco Bandai declined to comment, saying only that an official announcement is due soon.The first Tekken title on a Nintendo platform since Tekken Advance on the GBA in 2001 will include over 40 characters, a 3D version of the Tekken: Blood Vengeance movie and will run at 60fps, even with 3D turned on.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...e-date-spotted
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November 4th, 2011, 00:47 Posted By: wraggster
One of the year’s bestselling games will get a sequel in just a few weeks.
505 Games has confirmed with MCV that it has officially signed up the rights to Zumba Fitness 2 for Wii. The game will debut on November 25th. A Kinect version will arrive in Q1 2012.
This year Zumba Fitness was UK All Formats No.1 ten times. It has been the No.1 best-selling Wii game for 26 weeks, and is on the verge of tipping past the 1m sales barrier in the UK.
Select retailers have already been pre-briefed about the new game, and “there is massive excitement amongst retail about the prospect of a second version,” according to 505 Games’ GM for UK and Export Ralph Pitt-Stanley.
The game is licensed from the popular Zumba fitness dance craze which has 10m class participants every week.
Zumba has stood out in a sea of dance games that rushed to market after Ubisoft’s Just Dance and its spin-offs took off.
“Zumba Fitness differs to other games on the market,” added Pitt-Stanley. “It isn’t just a dance game, it is a fun interactive, social exercise experience that fuses contagious Latin and international rhythms together. It is this fun element that resonates with the consumer and the key reason for its success.”
505 Games teased details about the sequel with a high-profile ad during last weekend’s X Factor.
“Having gained extensive insight into our target audience, X Factor was a prime show to talk about the success of the original game and highlight the release date for Zumba 2,” said Pitt-Stanley. “We will launch Zumba 2 with a highly targeted campaign to get the message out there for the festive period.”
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/zumba...s-month/087116
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November 5th, 2011, 00:40 Posted By: wraggster
 Last week's news was tragic for Nintendo: Profits for its fiscal first half weredeeply in the red to the tune of $926 million.
A near $1-billion six-month loss is potentially catastrophic for most companies, but for a game company like Nintendo the profits typically come at the end of the fiscal year, the period ending in March, which includes the heavy holiday buying season. First and second quarter losses are not unheard of; they're even expected. What isn't expected, at least for Nintendo, is a potential loss for the entire fiscal year, which is what Nintendo is facing this year, projecting revenues $264 million in the red for the first time since the company began reporting profits in 1981.
To get some perspective on what this means for Nintendo and, perhaps, the game industry, I spoke with two men who have been following recent events intently, and Nintendo as a whole for most of its existence: Kyle Orland, News Editor at Gamasutra, founder of Super Mario Bros. HQ and self-confessed "Nintendo fanboy," and Bill Harris, industry analyst and blogger at Dubious Quality.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/04/ex...e-post-losses/
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November 5th, 2011, 00:42 Posted By: wraggster
 Yesterday, we found out that the Japanese version of Super Mario 3D Landpacked a mandatory 3DS firmware update, which enhanced security (of course) but also streamlined the friends list, adding a new "Join Game" option.
Today, upon the arrival of our US review copy, we discovered that the same firmware update is loaded on that version, as well, and offers the same amenities. You can see the "Join Game" button at the top of the screenshot above. It's faded out because the game I had running at the time doesn't have multiplayer.
There's more 3DS updating to come, as a more comprehensive update is due this month to add video recording features, along with updated StreetPass games, DLC functionality, and other eShop improvements.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/04/us...rmware-update/
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November 5th, 2011, 00:53 Posted By: wraggster
UPDATE: We've tweaked our headline slightly following word from Eurogamer's Portugese site that the original MyGames interview was mis-transcribed.Eurogamer.pt sat in on the very same interview, which it recorded to tape, and confirmed that, while Aonuma's comments on a Majora's Mask port are correctly reported, he was speaking hypothetically when discussing the 3DS title and made no reference to development having started on the game.For a word-for-word transcription of what was actually said in the Q&A, see Eurogamer.pt's coverage.ORIGINAL STORY: A new Zelda game is currently in the works for 3DS, series custodian Eiji Aonuma has revealed.Speaking with Portugese site MyGames, as translated by Nintendo Everything, Aonuma explained that it will be an original title and not directly linked to Link's DS outings Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks."We are already preparing a new game, a game in the series for the Nintendo 3DS, but don't think that it is a direct sequel to the Zelda titles released on DS," he explained."We are talking about a new game, but it takes much of what has been done on previous handhelds."Perhaps a portable sequel to the Wii's impending Skyward Sword, in the same way that Phantom Hourglass on DS followed GameCube adventure The Wind Waker? Place your bets.Aonuma added that a handheld port of N64 classic Majora's Mask in the style of Ocarina of Time 3D hasn't been ruled out either, though the new game will come first."It's something I'm asked about often and I assure you that it is something I've spoken to Miyamoto about," he said."But recently we released The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D as a remake. We are considering the idea, but it didn't seem right to launch a remake one after another, so the next Zelda game on 3DS will be original."It's a good time to be a Zelda fan. The superlative Ocarina of Time remake launched earlier this year, followed by a complimentary download of GBA curio Four Swords in September, while Wii epic Skyward Sword swoops in later this month.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...e-in-the-works
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November 5th, 2011, 00:55 Posted By: wraggster
 A Nintendo patent shows that Nintendo is, or was, considering the graft of Wii U-like features onto the regular old Wiimote. The company applied for a patent for a device that adds a touch panel to the Wiimote, using an infrared LED and mirrors to feed info about the position of your finger into the Wiimote's IR sensor. The patent describes using it as a mouse pointer or a drawing interface. You know, touch panel stuff.
The tech doesn't exactly emulate the WiiPad, as the touch panel is just for controls, and isn't a screen. It's unclear whether this is something Nintendo is planning for the future -- for enhancing Wiimotes for use on Wii U -- or if it's just an idea someone cooked up.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/04/ni...ad-attachment/
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November 6th, 2011, 00:42 Posted By: wraggster
libext2fs v1.0.3 released by Dimok
libext2fs-wii is a port of the libext2fs driver to the Nintendo GameCube/Wii, modeled on the libntfs interface.
Features
EXT2/EXT3/EXT4 file systems support
Full read/write, files of any size can be created, modified, renamed, moved, or deleted.
Compression, read/write support for compressed files
Symbolic link and directory junction walking
Journaling system
http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Libext2fs
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November 6th, 2011, 00:48 Posted By: wraggster
I have finished my translation patch for Deep Dungeon IV for the Famicom/NES. This is an all-new translation featuring expanded text and menus. It should be complete and bug-free. Translation and editing by odino and snark, and a little further by me.
Definitely worth a play. This one features a non-linear structure. It is also much less dependent on RNG luck than the prior games. And thus it is perhaps easier than the others.
So, now this only leaves III as the last untranslated Deep Dungeon. Still plan to finish that one, too. Don’t know when though. That game is kind of unbalanced and has a couple dumb things in it (like characters randomly fumbling, and thus de-equipping, their weapons). :P
RHDN Project Page
Relevant Link: (http://kingmike.emuxhaven.net)
http://www.romhacking.net/forum/inde...pic,13481.html
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November 6th, 2011, 23:35 Posted By: wraggster
Yellow Wood Goblin gives us again a new version of its excellent alternative kernel Wood only compatible with some linkers.
Some fixes were made to make it compatible some new games, we also learn that the developer has changed devkitARM version for r36. Wood R4 v1.39 v1.39 R4iDSN Wood Wood RPG v1.39 Official website: http:// gbatemp.net/topic/312526-wood-firmwares-v139 /
http://mobiles.gx-mod.com/modules/ne...p?storyid=9719
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November 6th, 2011, 23:36 Posted By: wraggster
A few days ago Alekmaul we delivered the first draft of the port of the game Rick Dangerous II on DS.
It is now back with a new version brings some corrections.
New / fixed:
- Fixed an issue of transparency in the Level 2
- Remove ConsoleIn, unnecessary final
- Remove the library maxmod, unnecessary final Rick Dangerous II v1.1 Official website: http://www .portabledev.com/pages/ds/jeuxdev.-perso/rickdangerous2.php
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November 6th, 2011, 23:38 Posted By: wraggster
Today we learn via different website that Nintendo is currently broadcasts a new update for his youngest daughter, the 3DS.
At the moment France did not seem affected, but knowing Nintendo it will not be long!
According to different returns, many linkers do not work on consoles that have been updated to 2.2.0.4 which Acekard2i example. linkers manufacturers have not said their last word and you can see that the patch Lite R4i for RTS to counter the new update is already available on the web! Nintendo continues its war against the linkers but as we all know is far from over.
http://mobiles.gx-mod.com/modules/ne...p?storyid=9721
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November 6th, 2011, 23:41 Posted By: wraggster
Finally a bit of novelty on the latest Nintendo portable! CollosalPokemon , to whom we can say a big thank you, we offer a NES emulator for the Web browser of 3DS. He first sought an NES emulator in Java-script and then optimize it on 3DS. His choice was JSNES Ben Firshman. This is currently only a "proof of concept", do not attempt to run it at full speed.
You do not need a linker or change your console to enjoy it, it works now on all the 3DS. To use it is simple, just sign in with your 3DS and to go on the next page: n3des.byethost6.com
http://mobiles.gx-mod.com/modules/ne...p?storyid=9722
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November 7th, 2011, 00:26 Posted By: wraggster
FluBBa has released a new version of NitroGrafx, his PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 emulator for Nintendo DS. This brings the release up to version 0.6. Very nicely done FluBBa! Check out the changes below and download.
QUOTE: Change Log 11/06/11Fixed graphics rendering and optimised everything to better handle CD-ROM emulation. R-Type, Gradius, Parodius, Street Fighter II and lots of more games are now very playable graphics wise.
•Support for all 2048 tiles.
•Support for 1024 wide tilemaps.
•Support for 320 pixel wide screenmode.
•Better caching of tiles/sprites, less flickering
•Optimised everything
http://ndsretro.com/
via http://gbatemp.net/t312946-nitrografx-v0-6
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November 7th, 2011, 00:27 Posted By: wraggster
via http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.ph...f3446b2502d720
Hello fellow DS dev'rs:
I'm doing a free, open-source operating system for the Nintendo DS. This has been brewing for a few months, and is starting to get ready. Currently FeOS supports loading relocatable code (which includes support for shared libraries), basic console I/O (thanks to libnds' functions), ARM7 code loading support (!!!) and a native libnds-based DS video API.
As usual, it's available through GitHub. Pre-built packages (including the FeOS SDK) will be available soon.
I've also currently ported Lua to FeOS (pictured below), and since there is shared library support, Lua extensions (plugins) are also supported.
Here are some screenshots:
[Images not permitted - Click here to view it]
[Images not permitted - Click here to view it]
Enjoy, and have fun hacking!
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November 7th, 2011, 00:30 Posted By: wraggster
via http://dsx86.patrickaalto.com/DSblog.html
First off, if you have downloaded my ds2_firmware sources before yesterday, those still had a problem. I found and fixed the problem yesterday, so please download them again (or, if you have already made changes to them, read on for my description of what the problem was).
I was aware that my ported ds2_firmware sources did not produce a fully working firmware for DS2SDK 1.2 already when I released them. However, the firmware compiled from my ported sources misbehaved similarly to the firmware built from the original sources released by SuperCard. Thus, my port was OK, the problem seemed to be in the original sources, which is why I decided to release my port at that time. After that I then started to make my port work properly, by comparing the disassembly of the working ds2_firmware.dat (dated April 30th, 2010 with a size of 415 744 bytes, released in the /tools directory of the SDK 1.2 package) to a dump of the arm9.elf file built from the SuperCard sources.
The first difference I found was that the working ds2_firmware.dat had the while (CARD_CR2&CARD_BUSY); delay loops still in place, even though the sources released by SuperCard had all of those commented out. Those are in the beginning of practically all the routines in the iointerface.cpp source file. I uncommented those, but that did still not fix the problem. That did however point out that the source code released by SuperCard is actually not the same source code that they have used when building the ds2_firmware.dat themselves!
It took me considerably longer to find the next difference, which then turned out to be the actual problem in the sources. The original sources have a routine that waits until the MIPS side has sent a certain number of bytes to the ARM9 side using the card fifo:
int waitfifo_full_len(int len)
{
u32 temp;
delay_times_0 = fifo_over_time ;
while(1)
{
temp=cardcommand_r4_nowait(nds_fifo_cmd_read_state ,0,0);
if (((temp>>nds_fifo_read_full_bit)&1) ==1)
{
break;
}
else if (((temp>>nds_fifo_len_bit)&nds_fifo_len_mask) >=len)
{
break;
}
if (delay_times_0 == 0)
{
return 1;
}
}
return 0;
}
I used iDeaS to debug and disassemble the original ds2_firmware.dat. A disassembly of this routine begins at logical address 0x02002590, and the disassembled routine looks like the following:
A dump from the ELF file of the ARM9 code created from the SuperCard sources instead looks like this:
020019c8 <_Z17waitfifo_full_leni>:
20019c8: e92d4038 push {r3, r4, r5, lr}
20019cc: e59f4058 ldr r4, [pc, #88] ; 2001a2c <_Z17waitfifo_full_leni+0x64>
20019d0: e3a03014 mov r3, #20
20019d4: e1a05000 mov r5, r0
20019d8: e5843000 str r3, [r4]
20019dc: ea000004 b 20019f4 <_Z17waitfifo_full_leni+0x2c>
20019e0: e1530005 cmp r3, r5
20019e4: 2a00000c bcs 2001a1c <_Z17waitfifo_full_leni+0x54>
20019e8: e5943000 ldr r3, [r4]
20019ec: e3530000 cmp r3, #0
20019f0: 0a00000b beq 2001a24 <_Z17waitfifo_full_leni+0x5c>
20019f4: e3a01000 mov r1, #0
20019f8: e1a02001 mov r2, r1
20019fc: e3a000e0 mov r0, #224 ; 0xe0
2001a00: ebffff63 bl 2001794 <_Z21cardcommand_r4_nowaithjj>
2001a04: e59f3024 ldr r3, [pc, #36] ; 2001a30 <_Z17waitfifo_full_leni+0x68>
2001a08: e1a029a0 lsr r2, r0, #19
2001a0c: e2100002 ands r0, r0, #2
2001a10: e0023003 and r3, r2, r3
2001a14: 0afffff1 beq 20019e0 <_Z17waitfifo_full_leni+0x18>
2001a18: e3a00000 mov r0, #0
2001a1c: e8bd4038 pop {r3, r4, r5, lr}
2001a20: e12fff1e bx lr
2001a24: e3a00001 mov r0, #1
2001a28: eafffffb b 2001a1c <_Z17waitfifo_full_leni+0x54>
2001a2c: 02063b28 .word 0x02063b28
2001a30: 000003fe .word 0x000003fe
The sources have obviously been compiled with a different GCC version, but the most peculiar difference is that the code tests the cardcommand_r4_nowait() function ("bl 0x0200242C" in the working version and "bl 2001794" in the compiled version) return value (in register r0) for bit 1 in the working version (using tst opcode), but for bit 2 (using ands opcode) in the compiled version!
I checked whether the cardcommand_r4_nowait works differently in the two versions, in case that would explain the different bit, but it seemed to be similar. So, I next looked at where the nds_fifo_read_full_bit comes from, and found out that it is defined in game_define.h like this:
#define cpu_write_Full_bit 1
#define nds_fifo_read_full_bit cpu_write_Full_bit
So, the check for ((temp>>nds_fifo_read_full_bit)&1) ==1 results in ((temp>>1)&1) ==1 which is the same as (temp & 2). So the compiled version is correct as far as the sources are considered, but it is very strange that the original ds2_firmware.dat tests a different bit! I decided to check what happens if I simply change the code to test for the same bit as the original ds2_firmware.dat (in this routine and also in the waitfifo_empty() routine, which had a similar but opposite difference). And, curiously, after this change the new ds2_firmware.dat began to work correctly! So, the ds2_firmware.zip source code package I have on my download page does now have this change in the iointerface.cpp source file, and I also decided to get rid of the game_define.h file completely and defined the few needed values at the top of the iointerface.cpp itself. This made the source code package somewhat smaller and clearer.
DS2x86 enhancement work
After I got the ds2_firmware to work correctly, I began looking into enhancing DS2x86 to take advantage of the new possibilities. The first thing I wanted to do was to have the lower screen (the virtual keyboard) updated on the ARM side, so that I did not need to send the whole screen image (256x192 pixels at 16-bit color!) every time a simple config text or HDD "led" changes. After some experimenting I managed to have the ARM side show the virtual keyboard. I commented out all the lower screen sending routines from my DS2x86 sources, so at first I could not see any config strings any more. I then looked into how the commands (like ds2_setSwap()) work, and noticed that they are actually quite simple. All commands are sent as a 512-byte block, with the first 60 bytes containing info of up to 20 different commands that can be sent simultaneously, and the remaining bytes being a free data area for the commands to use.
I quickly implemented a new IS_SHOW_CONFIG command, with the data containing all the strings that need to be shown on the lower screen. The MIPS side builds and sends the command, and when the ARM side receives this command it parses the strings from the command data and displays them on the lower screen config areas. This seems to work fine as long as I don't attempt to send another command immediately before or after this new additional command. So, I still need to look more closely into how the commands interact with the screen and audio sending and such. Perhaps I need to change the I/O interface to always send a combined command, and then have my routines simply append their commands to this master command structure.
I haven't yet looked into how to send more data from the ARM side to the MIPS side. I would like to move the whole keyboard/touchpad handling to the ARM side, so that the MIPS side would just receive the x86-style key scancodes to put into the keyboard buffer. But, in any case, it looks like enhancing the I/O layer with additional commands is pretty simple, so I should not have any major problems moving the AdLib emulation to the ARM7, for example. Of course I might still run into some problems with that, but at the moment it looks quite doable.
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November 7th, 2011, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.ds-scene.net/?s=viewtopic&nid=11341
A hacking tool to view, convert and edit NDS game files, similar to other programs out there like CrystalTile. It's written in C# with NET Framework 3.5, so you'll need 3.5 installed to run it. All the code is Open Source hosted on Google.
Changelog
*** Improved Hexadecimal editor -> Now using Be.HexEditor (by Bernhard Elbl)
*** Read BMD0 files and show the textures (if any)
** New games supported: GYAKUKEN, DBK ULTIMATE, MAPLESTORYDS, NINOKUNI, SUBARASHIKI, BLOODBAHAMUT, RUNFACTORY3, SF FEATHER
** Improved Font plugin
- Fixed problem with rotated Font and char codes
- Change info map char (PMAC section)
- Fixed problems saving new fonts
- Add new chars
** Fixed problem reading NCER files
** Added new method to set the transparency color.
** Added method to create NSCR files of NCGR subimages
** Added button Pack (instead of using controls from button "View")
** Improved perfomance reading ROMs
** Supported SRL files (wifi download files)
* Fixed problems in SDAT plugin
* Added support for PMCP section in NCLR
* Improved zoom function
* Improved support for Mono 2.10
* Fixed minor bugs
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November 7th, 2011, 00:46 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.emucr.com/
GameBoy Online (2011/11/05) is released. GameBoy Online is a Game Boy and GameBoy Color emulator written in Javascript. It strives to be efficient and try to have a perfect compatibility. Currently the execution speed is not optimal even on browsers. For example on Chrome, which is nevertheless deemed to run Javascript faster on a PC running Windows 7 64-bit version with a double heart 2 CPUs at 2.2 GHz, games run at normal speed but almost skipping some frames.
The sound production is still experimental and rather poor quality. The video portion is by HTML5 or by creating images with BMP string URI. State backups are implemented using the object window.localStorage and are serialized / deserialized JSON. Ditto for backup SRAM.
GameBoy Online Changelog:
- Re-adding back requestAnimationFrameSupport. Q&A this for regressions.
- Specifying the v-blank event to the canvas rather than the whole document, for webkit internal rendering optimization.
- Optimized the software option of canvas scaling.
- XAudioJS update.
- oops
- Heh, I got a file mixed up from another repo
- XAudioJS update
https://github.com/grantgalitz/GameBoy-Online
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November 7th, 2011, 00:48 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.emucr.com/
Snes9x TestBuild 20111101 is released. Snes9x is a portable, freeware Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) emulator. It basically allows you to play most games designed for the SNES and Super Famicom Nintendo game systems on your PC or Workstation; which includes some real gems that were only ever released in Japan.
Snes9x is the result of well over three years worth of part-time hacking, coding, recoding, debugging, divorce, etc. (just kidding about the divorce bit). Snes9x is coded in C++, with three assembler CPU emulation cores on the i386 Linux and Windows ports.
http://download.sessionclan.de/overf...9x/testbuilds/
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November 7th, 2011, 00:49 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.emucr.com/
Fceux SVN r2340 is released. FCEUX is a cross platform, NTSC and PAL Famicom/NES emulator that is an evolution of the original FCE Ultra emulator. Over time FCE Ultra had separated into many separate branches. The concept behind FCEUX is to merge elements from FCE Ultra, FCEU rerecording, FCEUXD, FCEUXDSP, and FCEU-mm into a single branch of FCEU. As the X implies, it is an all-encompassing FCEU emulator that gives the best of all worlds for the general player, the ROM-hacking community, and the Tool-Assisted Speedrun Community.
Fceux SVN changelog:
r2339
gtk: added frameskip option; made label case consistent
r2340
gtk: added ifdefs for newly added frameskip gui
http://fceultra.svn.sourceforge.net/
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November 7th, 2011, 00:51 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.emucr.com/
DeSmuME SVN r4120 is released. DeSmuME is an open source Nintendo DS(NDS) emulator for Linux, Mac OS and Windows. DeSmuME supports save states, the ability to increase the size of the screen and it supports filters to improve image quality. DeSmuME also supports microphone use on Windows and Linux ports, as well as direct video and audio recording. The emulator also features a built-in movie recorder.
DeSmuME SVN Changelog:
r4120
dsi tsc work
http://sourceforge.net/projects/desmume
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November 7th, 2011, 21:26 Posted By: wraggster
This patent from Nintendo envisions how it could bring a touch interface to its Wiimotes through an (admittedly unwieldy-looking) controller extension. While the Wii U already looks set to bring touchscreen fun to all things big-screened and Nintendo-themed, this concept offers up touch functionality to existing Wiis through an infrared LED that picks up the location of your finger and transmits it periscope-style to the IR sensor on the Wiimote. If the screen remains untouched, the controller acts as normal -- or as normal as it can with that extra hardware heft.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/07/n...looks-like-pl/
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November 7th, 2011, 22:16 Posted By: wraggster
The Legend of Zelda, one of the games industry's most acclaimed video games, is 25 years old, and MCV has put together a special edition magazine to celebrate.
MCV subscribers received their copies of Zelda MCV today, but if you're not a subscriber don't fret, because you can read the 24-page magazine online or download it via the MCV iPad app.
The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary magazine features everything you have come to expect from your typical edition of MCV – news, features, interviews, previews and off the record – but with a Zelda twist.
The special publication features interviews with Nintendo's Roger Langford, the actress and 'real life' Princess Zelda, Zelda Williams. Plus we find out what the games industry's favourite Zelda moments are.
That's as well as images from the 25th Anniversary Zelda concert, a full Zelda timeline and an extensive look at next week's Skyward Sword.
You can read the magazine online in your browser by clicking here.
Alternatively, download the MCV iPad app to read on your tablet. The app can be found here.
You can also download a PDF of the magazine – click here to get it.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/celeb...ith-mcv/087186
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November 7th, 2011, 22:27 Posted By: wraggster
London, October 2011. Thousands are crowded into the Hammersmith Apollo, one of the city's most famous theatrical venues, to hear a concert of music commemorating the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. It's an emotional night. Host Zelda Williams recalls how much the series she was named after meant to her growing up, and her voice audibly cracks at the memory. As Koji Kondo plays a delicate piano solo of Grandma's Theme from The Wind Waker, grown men can be seen dabbing their eyes. Kondo rises from his seat and the audience stands, too, applauding wildly, a number of them clad in the familiar green tunic, tights and pointed hat of their hero.How did this simple fairytale fantasy inspire such passion, such devotion?******** Let's not forget Link's handheld highlights, either: Link's Awakening took the hero out of Hyrule for the first time…
Kyoto, 1986. Buoyed by the success of Super Mario Bros. a year earlier, game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka are putting the finishing touches to their latest creation, The Legend of Zelda. It is designed to be Mario's polar opposite: a slow-paced adventure with multiple routes open to the player. Despite complaints that such an approach will prove confusing to players, Miyamoto bullishly reinforces his decision by removing the sword from the player's inventory at the outset. The reason: he wants players to communicate, to share ideas on how to beat the game. Even from the start, The Legend of Zelda was designed to be a game that people would talk about.The first seeds of its development were sown in the mind of a young Miyamoto as he explored local forests and caves as a boy, "stumbling on amazing things". It wasn't just the great outdoors that provided rich creative material: childhood memories of being lost in the labyrinth of shoji doors and tatami floors of his family home were the inspiration for Zelda's dungeons.But it was Tezuka who tied Miyamoto's ideas together with the original Zelda story. It was and is a guilelessly traditionalist fairy tale, a love letter to traditional fantasy yarn-spinning. And while later Zeldas have piled on complexities and subtleties, at its core the series has always been about a young boy saving a princess - and, by extension, the world - from the forces of evil. It's a different Link each time, but the story remains the same, and there's a comforting familiarity to the routine. In a medium full of conflicted protagonists, Link remains a steadfast, stoic constant; a selfless hero in a selfish world.********If the original set up the template, it was A Link to the Past that mastered it, introducing a number of elements that are now Zelda tradition - the dual-world mechanic, the hookshot, the Master Sword, the spin-attack, the hidden heart container pieces that rewarded thorough exploration of this expanded Hyrule.As a worldly-unwise teenager without access to a SNES (consoles weren't allowed in our house because they had no higher purpose than playing games; at least with an Amiga my parents could pretend it would be used for schoolwork) this was my formative Zelda experience, and it was mostly a passive one. I enviously watched my friend stab chickens, smash vases and swipe grass for rupees, snaffling the occasional few minutes here and there during toilet and tea breaks for my pad-hogging host. It was enough to make the likes of Sensible Soccer and Alien Breed feel frivolous and unsatisfying when home-time came. Needless to say, for two glorious weeks in October 1992, I spent much more time at my friend's house than my own.********If A Link to the Past proved Nintendo's mastery of two dimensions, Ocarina proved it was equally comfortable in the brave new era of 3D. Many games have sold better than Ocarina, but few are so fondly remembered. Again, the boundaries of Hyrule were widened; again, Nintendo wasn't afraid to let go of the player's hand and allow them to get lost. …while Minish Cap shrunk him down to a size where even ChuChus dwarfed the Hero of Time.
Perhaps more than any other Zelda, it captured what Miyamoto had been aiming for since the series' inception - that sense of discovery, of wonder. Stepping out onto Hyrule Field for the first time felt as much a rite of passage for a generation of gamers as for the character they were controlling. Back in the Hammersmith Apollo, the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra launches into a stirring rendition of its famous theme, and thousands of attendees feel a brief shiver beginning at the nape of their neck.Majora's Mask (Zelda's favourite Zelda, as our adorably nervy host informs us) was a race against time in more ways than one. The rush to create a new Zelda from what began as Ocarina's Master Quest was mirrored in the game's three-day system, and we were rewarded with a more intimate, personal Zelda than before, one that some would say has aged better than its more celebrated predecessor. The setup brought Link's altruistic side to the fore, with a number of memorable character-led quests - like reuniting star-crossed lovers Anju and Kafei - that established this key theme of helping others that had always been a part of Zelda, but perhaps never quite so obviously prevalent.The frequency of its human interactions also threw Link's status as a silent protagonist into sharper relief. We all refer to him as Link, but he's an extension of ourselves: not for nothing does Nintendo allow us to name the hero as the adventure begins. He may not a character we can necessarily empathise with - though his own setbacks echo life's little impediments - but more an idealised version of ourselves, the kind of guy we all secretly want to be. Arguably more than any other Zelda to date, it's the characters that Link reacts to - and how they react to him - that defines him as a character.********The undulations of The Great Sea midway through The Wind Waker Symphonic Movement stir fond recollections of the first Zelda I played from start to finish. They say your first Zelda is the best one, and, eight years on, it remains for me the series highpoint. Ironically, it arrived at a painful time in my life, as a botched operation left me housebound for two weeks, for what turned out to be a fortuitous fortnight of ocean adventures; of swaggering Moblins and statuette sidequests, of Triforce hunts and cel-shaded curlicues. It remains one of the most beautiful games ever made, and early forum rage surrounding its bold visual direction now seems rather foolish. 'Hello, I am Eiji Aonuma. Do you know me?' - the rapturous response to the question from attendees of the 25th Anniversary concert would suggest so.
Yet such vitriol speaks volumes about Zelda fandom. It's astonishing that an expansive and popular series can feel so personal to so many, yet the stinging criticisms that emerged when the first Wind Waker footage was unveiled were borne from a burning passion for the series. How dare Nintendo do that to our game!But think about it: Zelda isn't really for us. Each new Link represents a new generation, a fresh hero for a fresh audience of wannabe heroes. There's a reason for Zelda's rituals and routines; it's a legend passed down, a story told through generations.As the strings swell on the Twilight Princess version of the Kakariko Village theme, underneath the multi-layered arrangement you can hear that same familiar melody from A Link to the Past, the same MIDI notes Koji Kondo composed all those years ago. The music is just another part of the ritual, as the nostalgic laughter that greets orchestral takes on that four-note fanfare and that eight-note jingle proves.With Aonuma a little too preoccupied with toppling Ocarina - a quest to slay his own personal Ganon, you could say - Twilight Princess perhaps represents the most tentative step forward for a home console Zelda. It's a little too in thrall to its predecessors; a Chinese Whispers retelling of Ocarina. But to a generation of players it is a majestic coming-of-age tale, a story of good triumphing over evil, of a green-garbed hero with a sword, a shield, a horse and the dozens of hours of memories that exploring his kingdom has left them with. Your first Zelda is the best one, remember?******** Jason Michael Paul and Jeron Moore, self-confessed Zelda fans and producers of the PLAY! video game concert series, collaborated with Nintendo for the concerts, which took five months to prepare.
Four days after the concert, I attend the 25th anniversary celebrations in GameCity. A snaking queue waits outside a huge tent for a brief early play of the newest Zelda, Skyward Sword. Inside, a group engages in play swordfights, each clash of wooden blades soundtracked by Link's familiar cries. A girl dressed as Malon poses for a photograph; a woman paints Tingle on a Hylian shield; a young man carries a huge piece of card bearing a hand-drawn 8-bit Link sprite on his back.There's a happy, convivial atmosphere that says much about the real culture of Zelda. The knitted Etsy hats and gloves, the cardboard swords and shields and the Triforce tattoos are just part of it; it's evident in the virtues the games have taught their players: patience, kindness, generosity. The free Zelda Zine handed out to 200 attendees, and featuring contributions from well-known artists and journalists as well as fans, epitomises the spirit of Zelda.A mother tells me her seven-year-old won't be at school on 18th November: another Hero of Time passing the Triforce of Courage to a new Link. Later this month I'll be doing the same as I play Skyward Sword with my own son. Perhaps, in 25 years time, he'll attend a commemorative concert for Zelda's 50th anniversary. Perhaps he'll hear the plucked harp strings heralding the introduction of the main theme and feel that same shiver beginning at the nape of his neck. Perhaps I'll be there beside him, sharing in the joyous escapism this legendary series has brought to generations of gamers.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ourney-article
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November 7th, 2011, 22:29 Posted By: wraggster
Creature creation oddity Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! headlines this week's Nintendo eShop update.Freakyforms allows players to design their own Spore-like critter and unleash them on a platforming world of your own design. Gamers can also swap monsters via StreetPass and share them online via QR code.It's an original Nintendo-created downloadable game for the 3DS - sadly still a rare occurrence for the handheld, but one which Nintendo is working to improve.Freakyforms is the beginning of the company's push to improve original content available on the device, with the already-revealed Nimble Sakura Warrior and cowboy armadillo game Dillon's Rolling Western also on the way.Also this week: ancient Game Boy pool simulator Side Pocket turns up on Virtual Console while virtual fish tank The Aquarium of Luck arrives for DSiWare.Nintendo eShop update - 10/11/11 - Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! (3DS) - £5.50, €6
- Side Pocket (3DS Virtual Console) - £2.50, €3
- The Aquarium of Luck (DSiWare) - £4.50 or 500 DSi Points
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...pdate-10-11-11
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November 8th, 2011, 23:21 Posted By: wraggster
Sure, it may not have one of those coveted right circle pads, but this Zelda-branded Nintendo 3DS is just dripping in Hyrule awesomeness. The limited edition portable console will be released in Europe to mark the 25th anniversary of Link, Zelda and the rest of the Hyrule crew. The 3DS has a Hyrule emblem and gold-colored decorations on its lid and comes bundled with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. It'll hit European shops on the 25th of this month, so start saving up those silver rupees. Press info after the break.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/08/t...nd-of-hyrules/
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November 8th, 2011, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster
Yves Guillemot claims that the Wii still represents almost half of Ubisoft's total business.
Speaking to Gamasutra, Ubisoft's CEO explained that the console's falling sales didn't necessarily mean that some third-party companies aren't making money.
"Today, the Wii still is 45 percent of our business," he said. "Just Dance, all those casual games, are selling extremely well."
Guillemot also reinforced the company's support for the Wii U, which he believes will take the Wii to "another level" of success through both its tablet controller and higher technical specs.
"Now to [what audience] will it be addressed? We don't exactly know yet. But the potential of the machine, and the tablet [controller], I think is a good way to improve the potential gameplay."
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata recently confirmed that the final version of the Wii U will be showcased at E3 2012.
"As we learned a bitter lesson with the launch of the Nintendo 3DS, we are trying to take every possible measure so that the Wii U will have a successful launch," he said in an investor presentation following the company's disappointing half-year financial results.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...f-our-business
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November 8th, 2011, 23:35 Posted By: wraggster
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has told us that, while the global price cut gave the 3DS price cut "a big boost," its chance of success ultimately depends on the availability, and quality, of software.
Speaking to us at last week's Montreal International Game Summit, Guillemot - whose company had five 3DS games on shelves on the day the system was released in March - said: "I think it's a question of coming with enough games [more] than the price. For sure the price was too high and it was a big boost when they changed it, it really was a good idea.
"Now we will see. When you look at the DS everybody was saying: "This machine is never going to sell," and after a year it took off rapidly. For sure there are competitors - iPhone and all the other machines - but it will depend eventually on software. If the software is good, it should do well."
Guillemot was more positive about Wii U's prospects. "I think it's a great machine," he said. "What it brings, again, is ease of play. The new players that have came [to gaming] in the last eight years came because it was easy to play. Some came with the stylus, from Nintendo, some with the Wii remote, then the touchscreen then Microsoft with [Kinect].
"I think we will see with the Wii U another step where it's easy to play, to access, and it's really well adapted to socialisation. There are lots of possibilities linked to the machine."
Ubisoft was among the first publishers to express their support for Wii U, revealing its "revolutionary" FPS Killer Freaks From Outer Space just days after the console was announced at E3 in June.
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/ubisoft...ames-not-price
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November 8th, 2011, 23:45 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo engineers are working hard to upgrade Wii U so that it can simultaneously support two tablet controllers, sister site Develop understands.
Nintendo and development partners had previously indicated that only one tablet controller could work with the system, due to technical limitations.
But Develop’s source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, explained that multi-tablet support is one of three remaining variables for the next-gen console. The other two are RAM capacity and processor speed.
The person said Nintendo appears to be on the cusp of solving the technical conundrum of a single Wii U device supporting two tablet controllers. The source added that there was no indication, and very little chance, that four tablet controllers would ever be supported.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/wii-u...ter-all/087218
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November 9th, 2011, 00:17 Posted By: wraggster
The "Project Intouch" tablet seen in a leaked Ubisoft video is now an official Ubisoft product. The Drawsome Tablet will be released on Wii (only in the US, for some reason) on December 6, packed with two games.
Drawsome Artist is your basic drawing program, with the addition of both art tutorials and Smurfs. It features SD card saving for easy sharing of your creations. Drawsome Sketch Quest has up to four players draw missing parts of the environment to "help a variety of cute animals race through their world."
As for the tablet itself, it includes a 6.5x5-inch drawing surface and a wireless stylus -- the competing uDraw is wired. Speaking of the competition, how irritated do you think Ubisoft was that THQ already took the "uDraw" name?
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/08/ub...on-december-6/
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November 9th, 2011, 01:16 Posted By: wraggster
Japan doesn't appear to be bowled over by PlayStation Vita and Wii U.Just 10 per cent of 1083 people surveyed do want to buy either machine, according to goo Research data reported by IndustryGamers.Alarmingly, more than half the participants weren't at all interested in either PlayStation Vita or Wii U.A third don't want to buy Wii U or Vita, but at least have some interest in them.The survey was conducted in October and consisted of a roughly equal male-female split, and of participants spread relatively evenly across five age brackets: teen, twenties, thirties, forties and fifties.Just under two thirds of participants had a games console. Most owned DS (62 per cent), followed by PS2 (53 per cent), PSP (34 per cent), PS3 (28 per cent) and Wii (6 per cent).Wii U apathy could be attributed to the device carrying an 'after April 2012' release date, which probably means Christmas 2012 at best. Plus, there are still a lot of questions unanswered about the device.But the indifference to PlayStation Vita is worrying. The handheld launches in Japan on 17th December - under six weeks away. And if any region could be expected to be excited about PS Vita, it should be Japan - Sony's most lucrative PSP market.Has the lack of a true Vita Monster Hunter game, besides the adapted PSP game Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, hurt Vita's early Japanese chances?
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-in-wii-u-vita
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November 9th, 2011, 01:19 Posted By: wraggster
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot is optimistic about Nintendo's upcoming Wii U console, revealing that the company has plans to support it with both "casual" and "high-end" games.But Ubisoft is unsure whether the Wii U will end up appealing more to a casual or core gamers."Now to [what audience] will it be addressed? We don't exactly know yet," Guillemot toldGamasutra.While casual series such as Just Dance remain evergreen on Wii, Guillemot explained the Wii U will also see high-end multiplatform titles with extra tablet controls for Nintendo's machine."We are big believers in the Wii U, on two subjects," he said. "One is for high-end games, where we'll be able to do a game for the Wii U, but also for other [high-definition] machines, but also with specific use of [Wii U's] tablet. Two, is we like the Wii U for all the [potential of] casual games."The company is confident of repeating the sales success it had with Wii software, which still makes up 45 per cent of Ubisoft's business, Guillemot said."We are supporting the machine because we believe Nintendo is going to push it to another level. We think [Wii U] will be successful."
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ii-u-potential
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November 9th, 2011, 23:27 Posted By: wraggster
If you miss the unbridled delight of messing around in Mario Paint, then the days of waiting for a modern solution may be over, thanks to Ubisoft's new Drawsome tablet for Wii. Unless, of course, you already picked up the THQ uDraw last year. On paper, it doesn't appear to be too dissimilar from THQ's offering -- you get a 6.5 x 5-inch drawing area and a stylus (unwired this time). Younger players can use the transparency layer to hold pictures of the teen-idol of choice for tracing -- masterpieces can then be transferred to an SD card. You'll also get two games: Drawsome Artist (where you can learn how to doodle Smurfs) and Sketch Quest, a four-player platformer where you build bridges to help the characters complete quests. No word on pricing (we don't expect it to cost more than the $70 uDraw) but it'll arrive in stores on December 6th, just in time for holiday shoppers to snatch them from the shelves. Catch the tablet in action after the break.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/09/u...art-lessons-p/
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November 9th, 2011, 23:46 Posted By: wraggster
If you look closely, you’ll see that Pikachu isn’t sporting a pair of funky throwing stars, but is actually suspended between there. Our furry friend is just putting a happy face on this carpet roving robot called the Carpet Monkey V5. It’s been in the works for years, and this is just one more stop in the prototyping process as the development of version 6 is already under way.
The project is a testament to what can be accomplished using all of the design tools at your disposal. The motive mechanism was conceived as a cross between the qualities of legs and the ease of using wheels. Each of the appendages are covered with strategically placed points meant to grab onto carpet, and allow the ‘wheel’ to grip objects as the machine vaults over them. You can see that each has a spring mechanism to further facilitate gripping with each turn of the axle. This seems to go far beyond what usually comes out of hobby robotics, and we think that’s a great thing!
After the break there’s a video showing how all the parts of these grippers are assembled. See the bot cruising around the room at about 3 minutes in.
http://hackaday.com/2011/11/09/pikac...lly-on-carpet/
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November 9th, 2011, 23:54 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo is hard at work on adding support for multiple controllers to Wii U, according to reports.
Sources close to Develop claim that supporting two of the Wii Utablet-style controllers is one of three things Nintendo is working on as it moves towards finalising the new console's specs ahead of its launch next year. RAM and processor speed are said to be the other concerns.
Shortly after company president Satoru Iwata unveiled Wii U at E3in June, Shigeru Miyamoto admitted that Nintendo's desire to release the system at a palatable price point meant that compromises may have to be made on the device's capabilities.
It was then claimed that the controller would only be available with the console, and not sold separately, with multiplayer games requiring the use of Wii remotes, with which Wii U is backwards compatible.
"Nintendo now know they absolutely need to support two tablets," the source said. "At E3 they didn't commit to this, but they know how important it is to make it technically feasible to support two screens.
"Even if that affects framerate, as a developer and player, I don't care. It needs to work. Developers will design appropriate games for this. If you're building a quiz game, you're not going to give a shit about the framerate."
Nintendo intends to show off the final version of Wii U at next year's E3.
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/report-...-wii-u-support
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November 9th, 2011, 23:57 Posted By: wraggster
The 3DS was the best-selling system in Japan last month, with 304,000 units sold, but its continuing lack of quality to software was reflected in software sales of 122,000 - just 40 per cent of the hardware figure.
Sony's PSP topped the software charts with combined sales of almost 1.3 million, due in no small part to last week's number one,Final Fantasy Type-0. Square Enix's PSP exclusive sold 503,000 copies during the month, according to Enterbrain data passed along by Andriasang.
3DS has now been the best-selling hardware for five consecutive months, but its games are a rare sight in the Japanese all-formats top ten. Nintendo is hoping for a strong end to the year after itshighly disappointing financial results, its hopes pinned on the release in Japan of Super Mario 3D Land last week.
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/japan-3...ftware-two-one
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November 10th, 2011, 00:10 Posted By: wraggster
For the early portions of Super Mario 3D Land, I was under the dual misconceptions that I didn't like it very much, and I wasn't doing the review. Both of those assumptions proved false after I found myself playing through about half the game in a single, nonstop session. It became clear that I liked it much more than I thought I did -- and I had inadvertently gotten well ahead of our assigned reviewer during my Mario fugue state, hence the duty shifted to me.
I also spent that first half of the game thinking this was the easiest Mario platformer I'd ever played. That turned out not to be the case at all.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/su...d-land-review/
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November 10th, 2011, 01:05 Posted By: wraggster
After the stunning Ocarina of Time 3D, you may be hoping for Nintendo to release Majora's Mask rezzed-up on 3DS, but the platform holder has other far more exiting ideas in mind.
 Speaking with GamesRadar recently, Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma revealed that there have been talks within Nintendo on the possibility remaking a 2D Zelda game in full 3D.A Link to the Past - one of the best games in the series - immediately springs to our minds and, it seems, the minds of Nintendo internally too.
"Well actually, even Mr. Miyamoto himself has been talking recently about going back to the 2D Zelda games," Aonuma told GR. "In particular, the ones that were designed with multiple levels to the world like A Link to the Past, and taking those 2D graphics and recreating them in 3D so that you could get a sense for the depth of those worlds," he added.
"That's something that might be interesting to do, so I would say there might be a possibility of something like that in the future."
Nintendo, just do it and take all our monies.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...he-past-in-3d/
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November 11th, 2011, 00:38 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo Of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has admitted that the 3DS has struggled due to its lack of quality software and the belated arrival of the eShop download store, and said that the company has learned valuable lessons ahead of the Wii U's launch next year.
Speaking to Brazilian website UOL Jogos, Fils-Aime said: "The launch of 3DS was very interesting: it caused a great impression at E3 in 2010, had excellent pre-orders and sold more in the first week of release than any other handheld. So, we had many successes with the 3DS.
"But in terms of lessons learned, we need to ensure we have a strong lineup of games when we release hardware - especially titles from Nintendo. Looking back, maybe we did not have the best lineup of games on 3DS. It is also important that the digital resources are available right away. With 3DS, these came after.
"And that's why sales were not so good, which forced us to make some drastic decisions and reduce the price. Since we did it...our sales have been very good. And we have high expectations for the 3DS this Christmas."
Fils-Aime's comments chime with those of Yves Guillemot, who told us last week that games, not price, remain the most important factor in 3DS's recovery. Nintendo is pinning its hopes on a strong end to the year, and the first signs of a strong Q4 software lineup bearing fruit came from Japan yesterday. Super Mario 3D Land sold almost 350,000 copies in its first week on sale, with hardware sales more than doubling week on week.
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/fils-ai...oftware-lineup
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November 11th, 2011, 01:26 Posted By: wraggster
 If you missed the recent Zelda concerts because of their unfortunate non-Texan location, take heart (containers) because Nintendo is kicking off its touring series of symphonies next year in Dallas on January 10.
Tickets are available directly through the Dallas Symphony, with a 15% discount available through Club Nintendo. To get that code, just sign into Club Nintendo and look for the special offer on the front page.
This is only the first concert in the tour; Nintendo will hold more performances for the "The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses" concert throughout 2012, with dates and locations to be announced. You'll have plenty of time to buy something nice to wear. It's the symphony, after all.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/ze...as-january-10/
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November 11th, 2011, 01:31 Posted By: wraggster
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge will launch alongside the Wii U some time next year, publisher Tecmo Koei has announced.The news comes out of documentation released with the publisher's quarterly financial report released today, as reported by Andriasang.There's still no word on whether the Wii U version will differ in any meaningful way from the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 version of the game, due for release on 4th February.A few sales figures were also included in the earnings report - 3DS scrapper Dead or Alive Dimensions has shifted 310,000 units worldwide since launch, while button masher Dynasty Warriors 7 Xtreme Legends sold 160,000 in Japan.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...u-launch-title
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November 11th, 2011, 01:45 Posted By: wraggster
Gamesbrief analyst Nicholas Lovell believes dedicated handhelds are doomed and that PlayStation Home is the games sector’s ‘unsung hero’ in an entertaining and at times controversial speech at London Games Conference.
In his talk he attempted to persuade the audience which company’s were going to survive the digital transition (or heroes) and which ones wouldn’t (zeros).
He persuaded 82 per cent of attendees that handheld consoles are doomed. He believes dedicated handhelds cannot compete smartphones, and that it only takes a small number of users to stop buying dedicated portables to kill the sector.
“If you are about to launch PlayStation Vita, that’s quite scary,” he said.
But he wasn’t totally down on PlayStation, and believes free-to-play games on PS Home makes it a potential goldmine for the platform holder.
But the audience was not convinced, with 59 per cent of attendees believe Home won’t survive the transition.
“Right now it is unloved and frankly laughed at,” said Lovell. “They’ve just launched a free-to-play FPS in Home. It will be big for the Free-to-play market.”
Lovell also believes Zynga is a zero. He says the company needs to drastically improve its ‘cynical marketing’, where it keeps moving customers to other games until they start spending money. It was an argument that convinced the gaming audience.
Other zeros named by Lovell included subscription MMOs, which he believes is just too risky unless you can match Warcraft numbers. “I don’t think we will see anymore subscription MMOs after The Old Republic,” he said.
He also believes THQ is a zero. He says the big is getting bigger and doesn’t see THQ as having the right brands to compete with the bug guns.
In terms of heroes, Lovell named Gaikai’s business mode ‘better than OnLive’s’ and called Amazon a hero because of Kindle, which 95 per cent of the audience agreed with.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/handh...-doomed/087276
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November 11th, 2011, 23:33 Posted By: wraggster
During a panel at the London Games Conference yesterday David DeMartini, senior VP of global E-commerce at EA, said Nintendo could recover from a miserable year which has left it forecasting itsfirst annual loss in over 30 years.
Asked if Nintendo should pull out of the hardware market altogether, he said: "Lots of us here have been in a similar situation. Lots of people have had that experience and pulled themselves out before. It would be premature to rule anyone out: even Apple was down for a while.
"There are an awful lot of smart people at Nintendo with a tonne of experience on hardware. That story may yet to be told."
DeMartini's position isn't that surprising - after all, his employer washit with a loss of $340 million (£212 million) in the three months to September 30, and has been loss-making in eight of the last 12 fiscal quarters - but his tone was markedly different to the others on the panel.
PopCap's David Bishop said Nintendo should have quit the hardware race "about 18 months ago"; GOG.com's Guillaume Rambourg agreed. But one of the biggest laughs of the night was reserved for John Clark, UK MD of Sega.
"On November 18," he said, "Mario And Sonic At The London Olympics will be released for the Wii and we hope to have a fantastic Christmas."
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/lgc-201...do-can-recover
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November 12th, 2011, 01:17 Posted By: wraggster
With Zelda’s next epic chapter due in shops next Friday (November 18th), the producer of Skyward Sword has hinted at an exciting new 3D future for the series.
And furthermore, none other than Mario and Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto is fronting the project.
“Mr. Miyamoto himself has been talking recently about going back to the 2D Zelda games," Eiji Aonuma told GamesRadar. "In particular the ones that were designed with multiple levels to the world like A Link to the Past, and taking those 2D graphics and recreating them in 3D so that you could get a sense for the depth of those worlds.
“That's something that might be interesting to do, so I would say there might be a possibility of something like that in the future."
One thing that might work against the plan, however, is Nintendo’s emerging strategy of avoiding the use of 3D in its 3DS marketing. What that means for the use of the tech in future Nintendo releases remains to be seen.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/miyam...s-in-3d/087302
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November 12th, 2011, 01:23 Posted By: wraggster
Tecmo Koei says Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge will be a launch title for Nintendo’s upcoming Wii U console next year.
The publisher made the announcement at an earnings presentation yesterday, where it said it will actively support new games platforms, as well as current consoles, handhelds, smartphones and PC.
It also expects Dynasty Warriors Next and Ninja Gaiden to arrive on PlayStation Vita around the handheld’s launch, reportsAndriasang.
Tecmo Koei recently posted net profit of YEN 412m and sales of YEN 13.6bn for its six-month midterm results. Plus, it revealed that 3DS’ Dead or Alive Dimensions has sold 310,000 copies worldwide, while Dynasty Warriors 7 Xtreme Legends on PS3 has sold 160,000 units to date in Japan.
Ninja Gaiden 3 will also be released on Xbox 360 and PS3 in Q1 2012 (pictured).
The Wii U is expected to launch sometime next year. Ninja Gaiden will join Killer Freaks which Ubisoft has confirmed as a launch title.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ninja...h-title/087298
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November 13th, 2011, 00:08 Posted By: wraggster
First 3DS sales were great, then notsomuch, and now things seem to be evening out somewhere around "normal." According to numbers released by Nintendo, the fledgling handheld is poised to break the original DS' first year sales numbers -- closing out its 8th month with 1.65 million units sold, or roughly 69 percent of its predecessor's 2.37 million first year sales. Noting that half of the old DS' year one sales were made during the holiday season, Nintendo is confident the 3DS will surpass its predecessor's numbers before hitting the one year mark. We'll let you make your own predictions -- Nintendo's press release is after the break, if you want to compare notes.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/12/3...-killing-blow/
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November 13th, 2011, 00:40 Posted By: wraggster
 Apparently 3DS sales aren't so bad. Or, more accurately, 3DS sales are not great, but DS sales were also pretty bad at first. It's all relative. The company said today that the 3DS is "poised" to sell more 3DS systems in its first year than the DS did. The 3DS system is over 1.65 million units sold in the US, and the DS sold 2.37 million in its first year, "with approximately 50 percent of those sales occurring in the holiday time frame."
It's worth remembering that the DS was pretty bad in that first year, and didn't become a sales sensation until early 2006 with the introduction of the DS Lite. So that's not the most impressive milestone. In fact, we would hope a 3DS with both a (good!) Mario game and Mario Kart will be able to outsell a system that had neither.
Nintendo reported "more than 250,000" 3DS systems sold in the US in October, along with "nearly 180,000" DS units and "nearly 250,000" Wiis. Of course, all those numbers, along with every other game system's sales numbers, will go up significantly in the next two months. We'll have more NPD information this evening.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/11/ni...r-sales-in-us/
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November 13th, 2011, 21:12 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.scummvm.org/news/20111111/
It has been over 10 years. We are here thanks to the work of 131 developers. 49,124 commits were made just to the ScummVM tree and those turned into a massive 1,085,714 lines of code (excluding comments) and of course over 7.6 million downloads from the main site alone. I would say those were a great ten years.
The outcome is ScummVM 1.4.0 which we are releasing today, 11/11/11 11:11:11.11.
More games are supported: Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos <SMALL>(based on the same engine as Kyrandia)</SMALL>, the kids' game Blue's Birthday Adventure, and the science fiction game Ringworld: Revenge of the Patriarch. On top of that, practically all supported Sierra SCI games now have their Amiga versions working. Our musically inclined users will notice PC speaker support in Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, CMS support in Loom, The Secret of Monkey Island and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, fixed MIDI in the DOS versions of the Elvira series, and even sound in Winnie the Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood!
As always, there are many more new features; you can find the full list in our release notes and the release itself on our downloads page.
Enjoy!
1.4.0 Release binaries
For a list of changes since the previous version, read the release notes.
1.4.0 is also apt-get'able from Debian unstable (sid).
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November 13th, 2011, 21:41 Posted By: wraggster
via http://gbatemp.net/t313171-desert-bus-v1-04
Are you ready for excitement?! Are you ready for high-speed non-stop action?! If your answer is "NO", then Desert Bus is just the game for you. In this mini-game remake from a 1995 unreleased Sega CD game called Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors, you get behind the wheel of a bus and try to endure all the fun of a 360 mile, 8 hour road-trip from Tucson to Las Vegas without resting. The game plays in real-time, there is no pause, and you can't go any faster than 45mph. Also, the bus veers slightly so there's no leaving the steering wheel unattended. If it sounds boring, that's because it was supposed to be a comical answer to violent video games of the time. For more information about this Wii homebrew, check out the author's project page linked below.
QUOTE: Change Log 11/06/11•added the original title music
•fixed some very old Z order rendering issues
•better handling for overscan
•remove default wiimote power button callback
•behind the scenes improvements
http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Desert_Bus
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November 13th, 2011, 21:42 Posted By: wraggster
via http://gbatemp.net/t313219-level-editor
GBAtemp member Schmendrick has released Level Editor, a new user-friendly tiled map level editor that allows you to build your own courses right from your DS. See below for a list of current features, and be sure to join the on-going discussion to get all the details about this homebrew project.
QUOTE: Current Features 11/06/11•Easy-to-use level editor with stylus controls
•Simple but efficient UI
•Generic level data format to be used in any game engine
•Show or hide grid, tile IDs or complete layers
•Level saving/loading to/from sd
•Up to 5 layers (last layer reserved for collision map data)
•Dynamic layer resizing (when possible, resizing will keep your level data in place)
•Customizable Parallax layer scrolling
•Built-in customizable playtest featuring Mario
http://temp.dennisvanzwieten.com/LevelEditor.rar
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November 13th, 2011, 21:44 Posted By: wraggster
via http://gbatemp.net/t313367-holy-hell-final-version
genecyst has completed work on Holy Hell for the GBA, and released the FINAL version. Holy Hell is a puzzle game (Mr driller, Magical Drop) with a shmup attitude. The goal of the game is to reach the end of every level trying to chain more blocks of the same color together. You guide a little ship powered with four different colored weapons. Every weapon can destroy only blocks of its same color, so you must switch between them to blow up everything.
QUOTE: Release Notes 11/10/11Hi guys here's the FINAL version of HOLY HELL GBA. It probably still contains some bugs but i think it's time to stop with this project.
Thanks a lot to all gbadev community for helping me in these years.
http://holyhellgba.blogspot.com/2011...-download.html
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November 13th, 2011, 21:48 Posted By: wraggster
via http://emu-russia.net/en/
NES emulator for Windows Vista/7 has been updated. Changes:
- Added quick access menu feature to ease navigation of large collections. Press Select, or up at top of menu, to activate.
- More accurate color palette (based on Bisqwit's work).
- Improved IRQ timing (fixes Mickey's Adventures in Numberland glitches)
- Improved handling of sprite memory reads (fixes Super Cars glitches)
- Fixed bug that could cause nemulator to hang when selecting a game
- Enter and escape keys now work for menu navigation and entering/exiting games
- Added support for the following mappers:
15 - 100-in-1 Contra Function 16
16 - Dragon Ball Z (J)
18 - The Lord of King (J), Magic John (J), Pizza Pop! (J)
41 - Caltron 6-in-1
42 - Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa (J) (Mario Baby - FDS Conversion)
44 - Super Cool Boy 4-in-1, Super Big 7-in-1
47 - Super Spike V'Ball + Nintendo World Cup
70 - Family Trainer - Manhattan Police (J), Ge Ge Ge no Kitarou 2 (J), Kamen Rider Club (J)
72 - Pinball Quest (J), Moero!! Juudou Warriors (J), Moero!! Pro Tennis (J)
73 - Salamander (J)
76 - Digital Devil Monogatari (J)
77 - Napoleon Senki (J)
82 - SD Keiji - Blader (J)
85 - VRC7 Lagrange Point (J), Tiny Toon Adventures 2 (J)
86 - Moero!! Pro Yakyuu (Red) (J), Moero!! Pro Yakyuu (Black) (J)
89 - Tenka no Goikenban - Mito Koumon (J)
92 - Moero!! Pro Soccer (J), Moero!! Pro Yakuu '88 - Ketteiban (J)
95 - Dragon Buster (J)
97 - Kaiketsu Yanchamaru (J)
105 - Nintendo World Championships
113 - Rad Racket, Papillon.
News source: http://nemulator.com
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November 14th, 2011, 16:36 Posted By: wraggster
Is Nintendo's Zelda-branded 3DS making its way to the US? It certainly seems to be, based on the above GameStop ad. Spotted by one of our eagle-eyed tipsters, this leaked Black Friday promo offers the gold-and-black, Hyrule-emblazoned console as part of a bundle deal that also features The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. This can all be yours, apparently, for the price of $200 (or as little as $100, if you're willing to part with one of your older consoles). Nintendo has yet to issue an official word on Zelda's stateside arrival, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we hear more.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/z...-us-gamestops/
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November 14th, 2011, 16:42 Posted By: wraggster
[Oliver] had an old NES controller laying around, and without any other use for it, he decided to repurpose it as a portable storage device.
He gutted most of the controller, removing the plastic standoffs, leaving the D-pad and remaining buttons intact. He crammed a 32 GB flash drive inside, along with the guts from an SD card reader. Using a Dremel he cut several openings into the controller, one for the flash drive and SD card reader’s USB ports, as well as for the SD card itself. When the physical modifications were finished, he installed a small Linux distro on the flash drive, which can be run by any PC that supports booting from USB.
While some might argue, we think it’s a neat way to reuse an old gaming peripheral that he might have otherwise thrown out. The portable OS is something that would certainly come in handy, though we can’t wait until the Raspberry Pi is finished – it would be awesome to have a complete computer packed in there too.
http://hackaday.com/2011/11/13/nes-c...r-portable-os/
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November 14th, 2011, 16:54 Posted By: wraggster
The Nintendo 3DS had a tough start to life, but the handheld’s story has barely begun with its biggest blockbusters still to come. MCV looks at why the much talked about handheld should have a very merry Christmas...
SUPER MARIO HAS ARRIVED
One of the biggest criticisms of 3DS so far has been the lack of big, system-shifting blockbusters. And when it comes to major console sellers, you don’t get much bigger than Mario.
Not content with a promising new platformer – Super Mario 3D Land – there’s the seventh entry in the ludicrously successful Mario Kart series. The previous game on Wii has sold an incredible 27m units worldwide as of April, the last handheld title – Mario Kart DS – has shifted 21m games. It’s quite a big deal.
There’s more Mario due next year. Paper Mario, Mario Tennis and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games are scheduled for release. But the two to watch are out this year, with 3D Land due on November 18th and Mario Kart 7 set for December 2nd.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
3DS’ original £200 price point was a touch high – particularly for a device without a killer app. Nintendo recognised this and took drastic action in August, knocking a third off the trade price (taking the retail price down to around £150).
THIRD-PARTY SUPPORT
3DS has an impressive third party release slate. From Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D to Resident Evil: Revelations, there’s plenty of blockbusters on the horizon. The biggest – for the Japanese market at least – is Capcom’s double helping of Monster Hunter titles. This franchise has made PSP the hottest games machine in Japan, and is a huge coup for Nintendo.
GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS
Female gamers make up a sizeable chunk of Nintendo’s DS install base and the platform holder hopes to convert them with a number of new titles aimed at girls (to go alongside Nintendogs + Cats) and the launch of a ‘Ice White’ and ‘Coral Pink’ 3DS – you know, because girls like pink.
NINTENDO IS WILLING TO ADAPT
Sure, it looks bulky, but the 3DS second circle pad attachment (which can be used for Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, Metal Gear Solid, Ace Combat and more) is just one example of how Nintendo is prepared to update and iterate on its product. And not just in the physical space either. The company is working on new modes for its popular Street Pass and eShop.
AND THERE'S POKEMON
Spin-off title Super Pokémon Rumble is due in December, and you can guarantee The Pokémon Company are hard at work on a full 3DS RPG.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/opini...ng-xmas/087334
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November 15th, 2011, 00:22 Posted By: wraggster
The Virtual Console version of Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers will offer online multiplayer over Nintendo’s network.
It’s a surprise addition to the game, but certainly a welcome one – particularly when you consider how unwilling many publishers have been to rework any of the elements in their back-catalogue digital re-releases.
Capcom has confirmed that this will be implemented not only in the Japanese version but also in the American and European releases too.
Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers was originally released on the Sega Mega Drive and is arguably the most complete console version of SSFII.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/onlin...console/087325
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November 15th, 2011, 00:50 Posted By: wraggster
PETA, the People for the Ethnic Treatment of Animals, has launched an attack on Mario for his use of the Tanooki Suit.
The organisation damns Mario for apparently encouraging the wearing of 'fur' for super powers.
"When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary to defeat his enemy-even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers," says the PETA site.
"Tanooki may be just a 'suit' in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it's OK to wear fur," it goes on to claim.
Even more hilarious, the page contains a Flash game that lets players take control of a skinless tanuki who chases Mario as blood drips from his Tanooki suit to retrieve his stolen fur.
It's called 'Super Tanooki Skin 2D', and we finished it. This is gory stuff. And actually rather funny.
We're all for animal rights, but it's ironic that the most comical depictions of dead animals in a video game should come from the site aimed at discouraging such things.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...f-tanooki-fur/
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November 15th, 2011, 13:18 Posted By: wraggster
OpenBOR is a continuation of the Beats Of Rage 2D game engine, which was originally
created by the wonderful folks over at http://www.senileteam.com.
This release is for the Dreamcast, PSP, Wii, Wiz, GP2x and Dingoo:
Heres whats new;
r3591 | utunnels | 2011-11-13 08:52:34 -0500 (Sun, 13 Nov 2011) | 2 lines
Changed paths:
M /engine/openbor.c
Force all player characters to be selectable when load a saved game.
This is a temporary fix until allowselect list can be saved.
http://lavalit.com:8080/OpenBOR/download.php
Download via comments
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November 15th, 2011, 13:26 Posted By: wraggster
via http://emu-russia.net/en/
CaH4e3 updated his site with the following message:
- BugTris (Kor)(Unl)[!]. Thanks to all people involved and provided today carts for dumping. Especially for this one - simple but funny tetris clone from Korea. Even being so simple and having so horrible music, this game have it's small feature. Main goal of this game is not to destroy all the tiles, but find and destroy bugs, sitting in the tiles. So, that's because this game called "BugTris".
- 4-in-1 (FK23C8026) [p1][!], 4-in-1 (FK23C8045) [p1][!], 4-in-1 (FK23C8056)[p1][!], 4-in-1 (FK23C8079) [p1][!], 110-in-1 [p1][!], 1997 Super HIK 4-in-1 (JY-052) [p1][!]. Now goes multigame madness. First 4 carts are from specific series of multigame carst with graphical menu based on FK23C boards, one of this series I was dumped a long time ago. Now there are only 5 from at least 100 carts is dumped, and i'd like to find more of these, so if you own some, let me know. 
Next, dumped by request a good version of 110-in-1 well known multigame cart. Unfortunately, all GoodNES versions of this cart are bad dumped, each 256Kb block of data contais there only first 128Kb of data repeated twice, so it works sometimes, but not completely correct. Now you can play full good dumped version.
The last one multigame cart dump based on mapper 90 board, thus this is first multy on normal 90 mapper, I fixed mapper code to correct emulation, but now huge 45-in-1 cart isn't working, it need assiging separate mapper based on 90, but with huge data bank support.
4-in-1 (FK23C8026) [p1][!]
4-in-1 (FK23C8045) [p1][!]
4-in-1 (FK23C8056) [p1][!]
4-in-1 (FK23C8079) [p1][!]
110-in-1 [p1][!]
1997 Super HIK 4-in-1 (JY-052) [p1][!]
News source: http://cah4e3.shedevr.org.ru
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November 15th, 2011, 13:28 Posted By: wraggster
via http://emu-russia.net/en/
Super Nintendo emulator has been updated recently. Changes:
- added preliminary Game Boy Color emulation;
- NES: added MMC6, VRC1, VRC2, VRC3 emulation;
- NES: fixed MMC5 banking and added split-screen support [Cydrak];
- NES: pass all of blargg's ppu_vbl_nmi tests, pass more sprite tests;
- NES: palette is now generated algorithmically [Bisqwit];
- SNES: fixed SA-1 IRQ regression caused by code refactoring;
- Game Boy: rewrote audio channel mixing code; sound output is greatly improved as a result;
- Game Boy: uses DMG boot ROM instead of SGB boot ROM;
- Game Boy: fixed potential bug when loading save states;
- phoenix: fixed ListView focus issue [X-Fi6];
- phoenix: fixed dialog message parsing [X-Fi6];
- ui: video output is truly 24-bit now; SNES luma=0 edge case emulated;
- ui: audio frequency, latency, resampler are now user configurable;
- ui: gamma ramp is dynamically adjustable;
- ui: all filters ported to 24-bit mode (speed hit to HQ2x);
- ui: added turbo button mappings for all generic controllers;
- ui: fixed audio volume on unmute via menu [Ver Greeneyes];
- ui: shrink window option does nothing when no cartridge is loaded;
- ui: re-added compositor disable, driver verification from v082.
File: Download
News source: http://byuu.org
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November 15th, 2011, 13:29 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://dsx86.patrickaalto.com/DSblog.html
For the past week I have mostly been just studying the DSTwo SDK sources. I have not made much changes to DS2x86 yet, but I have been thinking of ways to improve the data transfer, and I have also been cleaning up the interface code that transfers the data between the MIPS side and the ARM side. I think I now have a rudimentary understanding of how the system works, so I can finally start changing it. The problem with these changes is that they will make DS2x86 not run properly for quite a long time, as I need to change a lot of the core functionality.
I plan to make several major changes to the data transfer interface, with the most notable changes being the following:- The lower screen keyboard handling moved completely to the ARM side. This will make the resulting file smaller, as I only need to use a 4bpp (16-color) version of the keyboard image instead of the 16bpp version that DS2x86 currently uses. Also, changing any config texts required me to send the whole 256x192x2 byte image from MIPS to ARM. This is already mostly working, except the HDD led functionality is still missing, and I still need to completely redo the debug screen handling (and the BSOD system). I also plan to add the keyboard key color change when you press a key (as in DSx86), as I can now handle that similarly to DSx86.
- I also plan to transfer the top screen data directly from the x86 emulated data (which can be in various formats depending on the graphics mode, anything between 1bpp and 8bpp). Until now I have had to convert and copy this data into the 256x192 16bpp buffer that the DSTwo SDK can then send to the ARM side. All of this converting and copying has taken time from the CPU emulation. The actual transfer uses DMA, so it should not take much time away from the CPU emulation any more. I have just today began experimenting with this, by sending the 32KB text mode data (from x86 address B800:0000) to the ARM side, and having the ARM side then convert and write this data to the actual ARM VRAM using the 6x8 font. This seems to work in principle, I am just having some palette-related problems with that currently. Of course I would not absolutely need to copy more than 80x25 (or even only 42x25 if I really wanted to minimize the transfer size) characters in text mode, but even the 32KB is much less than the 256x192x2 = 96KB that the original method required. And, if I were to use code to select the amount of data to be sent on the MIPS side, I would lose some of the speed of simply letting the DMA system send the whole 32KB memory area.
- The next big change is that I would like to do is to let the ARM side command the screen copying. The original DSTwo SDK method is such that the MIPS side commands everything, the ARM side just waits for commands and then executes them. I would prefer the ARM side to use the VBlank interrupt to make the MIPS side start sending the screen data, so that I could keep the data sending synced to the actual VBlank interval. Until now I have used a timer on the MIPS side that tries to emulate the VBlank interval, but using the actual VBlank interval would make more sense. This change would switch the MIPS/ARM master/slave relationship upside down, so I'm not sure how much work this would mean and if it would work in practice.
- After the screen handling is done, I need to look into the audio handling. AdLib emulation should be simple as it is not so timing critical and sends very little data, but the SoundBlaster digitized DMA audio is more difficult. It needs two-way data transfer, as the emulated DMA registers on the MIPS side should be updated as the data buffer gets played on the ARM7, so this is something that I still need to spend some time thinking about. I have some ideas, but I need to first see about how I can get the video side working before I can then start working on the audio system.
All in all, a lot of work still remains before DS2x86 will take better advantage of the new SDK possibilities. No new versions for several weeks yet, possibly not even this year. But, I hope the next version will then have some noticeable improvements over the current version.
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November 15th, 2011, 13:34 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.aep-emu.de/
The NES emulator puNES for Linux and Windows (SDL) has been updated.
Quote:
Changelog:
0.42
Added a popping sound reducer for games (like Castelvania II, Batman, Ninja Gaiden 3) that have a drum imitation that causing a large jump in the output level for a short period of time through the register $4011 (thx to Eugene.s for the report and Tepples for the help).
Added "Overscan" option in the video menu that reduce the visible scanline from 240 to 224 by cutting the first and the last 8 scanlines. This setting is specific for the rom in use. If you change it, will be remembered when you open them again. If you set to "Default", puNES will always use the setting checked in "Default value" menu.
0.41 (bugfix release)
In the previous release I have fixed many bugs but it is also true that others have been added, such as an annoying disturbance of sound that, under certain circumstances, could afflict the windows version. Fixed.
0.40
I´have rewritten from scratch the input system and now are supported 2 players, joysticks, it´s possible redefine the button of the control pad and also I can implement the emulation of other input devices much more easily.
Fixed various bugs .
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November 15th, 2011, 13:36 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.aep-emu.de/
The 1964 derivate 1964mod has been updated.
Danke an Morku für die News.
Quote:
1964mod v1.4.6(Final) Release
Core Changes & Fixes - Standardized naming from 1964 to 1964mod for future source release
- update ´About" box text and English.lgm
- update copyright text etc
- update ini keynames etc
- update the following with new name: 1964modCore.ini, 1964mod.cht
- Re-write the handling of MusyX ucode passed from 1964mod Audio
- filter out MusyX "false positives" not detected correctly using old method:
Pokemon Stadium 2, Star Fox(U), South Park Rally, BassMaster2000, Power Rangers
- Re-write part of VIInterrupt
- refactor screen update refresh codes to reduce frame swap delay:
Star Wars - Shadow of Empire, Hexen, Perfect Dark, GoldenEye, DK64, Top Gear - OverDrive
- fix certain missing frame by detecting framebuffer read/write by CPU:
DK64, Hexen, Starcraft, Superman
- must use Zilmar Audio for the following games:
Fighting Force 64
- Fix case 4 in r4300i_ldl
- Ensure flashram handle is closed successfully before it is null
- fix closing empty flashram handle for non-related savetype
- Skip reading of newly created flashram savefile content to RDRAM
- Convert CPU instruction temp function variable(32bit store value) into a static variable
- Fix lighting regression from an earlier change
- Bypass R4300 instruction - return from exception:
Re-Volt (fix hang before in-game)
South Park - Chef´s Lu Shack (fix hang before in-game)
- Fix fullscreen switching bug(cannot go fullscreen & browser hang when game is closed) for the following games:
South Park Rally, Super Smash Brothers
Plugin Changes & Fixes
1964mod Audio: - Re-write the MusyX ucode detection that pass to the emu core
- fix missing audio for MusyX loadstate
- fix random lost of audio for MusyX games during in-game e.g. Tarzan
- fix 1964mod Audio regression for BassMasters2000 & Power Rangers
- games detected as MusyX e.g.
Gauntlet Legends, Hydro Thunder, Resident Evil 2, Rush 2049, Tarzan, TWINE
Fighting Force 64, NBA Showtime - NBA on NBC (currently not working with 1964mod Audio)
- Re-write audio fillbuffer selection algorithm and refactor related portion of fillbuffer codes
- Fix audio bug that breaks game loadstate audio when AI_LEN_REG=0 do a return
- Fix wrong audio syncspeed startup status when its last shutdown status is 0
- Fix 1964mod Audio interrupt check bug that break the following non-MusyX games:
Turok - Rage War (fix missing sound)
Turok - Dinosaur Hunter (fix 1st level hang & now running at max VI/s)
Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil (fix slow speed & now running at max VI/s)
MyGlide64: - Fix ugly lines in games e.g. Mace, MegaMan, Tetrisphere, NewTetris, Bomberman Hero, ArmyMen Air Combat
- Fix Body Harvest horizontal line across the sky when viewed upwards
- Fix MIA, Starcraft64 and Command&Conquer truncated sprites when resolution doesn´t match aspect ratio(ini)
- Fix Mahjong Master where in-game cursor is behind its keyboard letter (ini)
- Fix Midway Greatest Arcade invisible text (ini)
- Fix MIA Hamm Soccer 64 missing framebuffer effect frame (ini)
- Fix Mystical Ninja Goemon transparent text box frame (ini)
- Fix Super Robot Spirits truncated fillrect when resolution doesn´t match aspect ratio(ini)
- Fix Super Robot Taisen(J) ugly vertical line cut text & missing transition effect(ini)
- Fix Mario Golf64 black fade-out after the 9th hole scene transition(ini)
- Fix Doraemon 3 clipping bug(green chair) in intro video cutscene(ini)
- Games playable with "Read Every Frame" (F6 hotkey) set as default (ini)
Banjoo-Kazooie - sound is still good
Body Harvest - game menu is slow but in-game is full speed, good sound
Mario Golf - sound is still good
MarioKart - sound is still good
Ridge Racer - game menu is slow but in-game is playable, sound is still good
- Incorporate official Glide64 fixes till r259 to MyGlide64
1964mod(ini): - Fix AeroFighter Assault distorted hanger texture and white smoke in boss intro portrait(ini)
Other Changes & Fixes - Fix plugin menu option "not grayed" when plugin is not found / loaded by load plugin function
- Fix load RSP plugin bug even if it is available
- make Zilmar RSP.dll as default RSP plugin
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November 15th, 2011, 13:44 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.emucr.com/
DeSmuME SVN r4127 is released. DeSmuME is an open source Nintendo DS(NDS) emulator for Linux, Mac OS and Windows. DeSmuME supports save states, the ability to increase the size of the screen and it supports filters to improve image quality. DeSmuME also supports microphone use on Windows and Linux ports, as well as direct video and audio recording. The emulator also features a built-in movie recorder.
DeSmuME SVN Changelog:
r4127
someone decides to check for null before deleting. someone else thinks its an error to do that. removing them to make ticket #3413784 go away.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/desmume
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November 15th, 2011, 13:50 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.emucr.com/
GameBoy Online (2011/11/10) is released. GameBoy Online is a Game Boy and GameBoy Color emulator written in Javascript. It strives to be efficient and try to have a perfect compatibility. Currently the execution speed is not optimal even on browsers. For example on Chrome, which is nevertheless deemed to run Javascript faster on a PC running Windows 7 64-bit version with a double heart 2 CPUs at 2.2 GHz, games run at normal speed but almost skipping some frames.
The sound production is still experimental and rather poor quality. The video portion is by HTML5 or by creating images with BMP string URI. State backups are implemented using the object window.localStorage and are serialized / deserialized JSON. Ditto for backup SRAM.
https://github.com/grantgalitz/GameBoy-Online
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November 15th, 2011, 13:54 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.emucr.com/
My Nes v4 Beta is released. My Nes is a portable open source NES/FAMICOM emulator written in C#. it cannot emulate 100%, it still a primitive one and needs a lot of work. however it has been tested and support over 200 games, 100 playable perfectly.
My Nes v4 Beta Changelog:
* Added option in browser for each folder that allows to show files in sub folders and to let the user choose wether to list sub folders in the list.
* Added ability to use NES DATABASE xml files for rom information, detecting right tv format for game and for mappers emulation.
* Video modes removed, only Direct3D is supported now. No need for them since My Nes renders pixel accurate now.
* Added option to display/hide the first 8 scanline in NTSC format in Direct3D.
* Added state stream for state save/load files.
* General emulation code optimization.
* Added ppu sprites evulation.
* Added support for ppu emphasis and monochrome effects.
* Added ppu internal ntsc palette generator.
* Fixed ppu frame timings.
* Fixed ppu odd frames.
* Fixed nmi timing and supression.
* Fixed four-screen.
* Fixed mapper # 58 and 65.
* Minor bugs fixed.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/mynes/
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November 16th, 2011, 01:08 Posted By: wraggster
Electronic Arts is helping Nintendo in development of the Wii Uonline service, according to reports, and is bidding to make its Origin service a key part of the upcoming console's online offering.
According to an EA intern, speaking to WiiUGo, the console's online service will offer voice and video chat, leaderboards and friends lists. Nintendo has previously said its approach to Wii U online will be "much more flexible," which the source claims is a deliberate attempt to differentiate the service from Xbox Live.
"Many publishers are happy with Xbox Live's features, but they aren't happy with how strict Microsoft's guidelines are," said the source. "Nintendo went with an open, flexible approach to online because when it asked developers and publishers what they wanted in an online service, that was the number one thing they asked for."
The prospect of EA powering Wii U online apparently appeals to Nintendo, too, with the source claiming the company sees it "as an opportunity to rebuild relationships with western gamers because they feel that only a massive western company such as EA understands what is needed to make an online service attractive to western gamers."
Valve is also apparently bidding to make Steam a core component of Wii U online, but the source says EA is "aggressively persuading Nintendo to go Origin-exclusive so they can gain a competitive advantage over Steam."
All of which is to be taken with quite the pinch of salt, of course, but it would go some way to explain Peter Moore's enthusiasm for the console. In August he said EA was "relieved...that they have made a huge commitment [to online] that they have presented to us."
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/report-...r-wii-u-online
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November 16th, 2011, 01:22 Posted By: wraggster
In 1987 Nintendo introduced European gamers to The Legend of Zelda.
The title was unique in the way that it combined action, adventure, exploration and even a basic levelling up system.
It also introduced gamers to the boy hero Link, the evil king Ganon, the princess Zelda and the land of Hyrule – characters and worlds that would define the series for 25 years.
From here on out the series would grow and grow in popularity, often changing in tone and graphical style. Each game received critical acclaim – even the black sheep of the Zelda family, the underrated Zelda II.
There was a few hiatus on the way. It was almost five years between the second Zelda and the third one. Likewise, Ocarina of Time arrived following another five-year gap for the series.
Outside of the main franchise, the Zelda series has spawned a number of spin-off titles – although nothing like Mario. These include 2007 Wii budget game Link’s Crossbow Training, and a DS title starring the irritation Wind Waker and Majora’s Mask oddity Tingle.
There was also a trilogy of games released for the Phillips CDi. These games were terrible, and although officially licensed, were created with next to no input from Nintendo. Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon and Zelda's Adventure are not counted as part of the official Zelda series.
Below, as part of our week long celebration of The Legend of Zelda, we run through the main games in The Legend of Zelda series.
1987 –
The Lege nd of Zelda
The ground breaking NES original introduced gamers to the boy hero Link in his bid to find the Triforce, defeat the evil Ganon and save Princess Zelda. Fans can get hold of a copy quite easily over the Wii Virtual Console.
1988 -
Ze lda II: The Adventure of Link
One year later the first sequel arrived, with Link on the hunt for the Triforce of Courage. The game included side-scrolling gameplay, and as a result is often seen as the black sheep of the Zelda series. It is also available over the Wii Virtual Console.
1992 -
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The iconic SNES title returned to the first game’s top-down view, and featured two worlds – light and dark. It is also available to download via the Wii Virtual Console.
1993 –
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Heralded as one of the greatest portable games ever, Nintendo managed to squeeze the Zelda formula onto a Game Boy cartridge. Link must wake the Wind Fish to escape Koholint Island. A colour version of the game, featuring a new dungeon, was released in the UK in 1998. It can be downloaded via the Nintendo eShop.
1998 –
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Widely accepted as the greatest game ever, Ocarina of Time rendered Link in 3D for his N64 debut. It’s been re-released a few times and can be downloaded via the Wii Virtual Console.
2000 –
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Ocarina of Time’s sequel was a darker and more intimate affair, with a moon on a collision course with the land of Termina. It is available to download now via the Wii Virtual Console.
2001 –
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons & Oracle of Ages
These two Capcom-developed Zelda games for Game Boy Color could be played in any order, but then linked together for the final, ultimate showdown.
2003 –
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
This acclaimed GameCube game boasted beautiful cel-shaded visuals. In the adventure Link took to the seas to save his sister, and discovered the lost kingdom of Hyrule in the process.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past & Four Swords
Four Swords was the first ever multiplayer Zelda game and was introduced a part of the remake of A Link To The Past on Game Boy Advance.
2004 –
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Finally Zelda fans could find out how Link got his iconic green hat. Our hero shrinks down to miniature size in a game that acted as a prequel to the
two Four Swords games.
2005 –
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
Four Swords’ sequel was a GameCube release. Up to four players could use the Game Boy Advance as a controller and a second screen to defeat Shadow Link and the real villain, Ganon
2006 –
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Link discovered his inner beast and hero in this adventure. The GameCube and Wii title featured a more mature visual style. It is available now on Wii as part of Nintendo’s Selects range.
2007 –
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Wind Waker’s 3D?cel-shaded visuals returned for Zelda’s DS debut. Using intuitive touch screen controls, players had to travel the Great Sea to save Link’s friend Tetra.
2009 –
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
When Zelda’s body is taken, leaving just her spirit behind, Link must team up with the princess in this sequel to Phantom Hourglass, which swaps boats for steam trains.
2011 –
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
The 1998 classic is back on Nintendo 3DS. Fans and newcomers can rediscover the epic adventure in remarkable 3D, with improved visuals and the addition of the Master Quest.
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords: Anniversary Edition
This game is an updated version of the original Four Swords.
It is available to download for free via the Nintendo eShop for both DSi and 3DS until February 20th.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
The biggest Zelda game ever will include Wii MotionPlus controls when it is released on November 18th. It acts as a prequel to Ocarina of Time and boasts fully orchestrated music
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/featu...he-ages/087343
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November 16th, 2011, 01:26 Posted By: wraggster
When it comes to Mario Kart, you can always count on two things. The first: an overabundance of "Nintendo Fairness," wherein race-leaders endure firestorms of powerful item attacks, while lagging competitors are showered with said items -- and brandish them with reckless abandon. This inexorably results in an embattled first-place spot, and guarantees even the least-competent players a decent shot at claiming a last-second lead.
The 3D-powered Mario Kart 7 thankfully dials this down a bit from the artificial-fairness excess last seen in Mario Kart Wii, but damn, is it ever annoying. I've learned to live with this, though.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/15/ma...-to-community/
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November 16th, 2011, 01:30 Posted By: wraggster
"Racing fans start your engines, because Nintendo is releasing the ultimate Mario Kart Wii bundle this year," Nintendo's press release reads. Of course this bundle – featuring a black Wii, black Wii Wheel, and a copy of Mario Kart Wii – looks an awful lot like the existing Mario Kart Wii bundle. So what makes this bundle "the ultimate" one? Simple. It's got the "newly-configured" Wii console, of course!
"This new Wii bundle not only offers great value to fans, but introduces a Wii console with a slightly altered configuration, which now stands horizontally, rather than vertically." For those of you just joining us, this new configuration doesn't just limit your console feng shui options; the new console is no longer compatible with GameCube games or accessories. This announcement is UK only for now, but just like the New Super Mario Bros. Wii bundle that introduced the new configuration last month, it looks like Nintendo is systematically gutting GameCube support from its Wii lineup.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/14/ma...in-time-for-t/
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November 16th, 2011, 01:38 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo has responded to animal rights group PETA's attack on Super Mario 3D Land, saying the Italian plumber's animal-based transformations are "lighthearted and whimsical".Yesterday PETA launched its Mario Kills Tanooki campaign, claiming the Nintendo mascot's famed Tanooki suit power-up sends out a message that it's okay to wear real animal fur."When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary to defeat his enemy - even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers," reads a post on its website."Tanooki may be just a 'suit' in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it's OK to wear fur."PETA even launched its own Flash-based platformer called Super Tanooki Skin 2D, in which you play as a skinless raccoon trying to chase down Mario and retrieve its hide.Now Nintendo has had its say."Mario often takes the appearance of certain animals and objects in his games," a spokesperson told Eurogamer."These have included a frog, a penguin, a balloon and even a metallic version of himself. These lighthearted and whimsical transformations give Mario different abilities and make his games fun to play."The different forms that Mario takes make no statement beyond the games themselves."
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-pro-fur-claim
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November 16th, 2011, 01:45 Posted By: wraggster
The Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword is the first Zelda game that anyone can enjoy - even five-year-olds.
 That's according to Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma, who made the claim in the latest Iwata Asks discussion on the official Nintenso site.Skyward Sword is the first adventure in the Zelda timeline and Aonuma said: "Everyone is starting from zero. It's the first Legend of Zelda game for everyone.
"For one thing, it begins with how to use Wii MotionPlus as a tool. And once you become accustomed to this tool, you can experience the mysterious sense of it matching the movement of your body."
Skyward Sword director Hidemaro Fujibayashi agreed, adding: "Speaking as the director, we paid constant attention this time to making the game playable even for five-year-olds or nine-year-olds.
"We tried to make something that would not have a setting enjoyable only by fans or something only the creators would be happy with. And more than anything, this time you can have sword fights with Wii."
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-old-nintendo/
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November 16th, 2011, 23:27 Posted By: wraggster
The latest Legend of Zelda title has been award 40/40 by Japanese gaming bible Famitsu.
Skyward Sword is the 16th game to achieve this score in the magazine's history, and the first 2011 title to do so, according toAndriasang.
It is also the third entry in the series to receive the perfect 40/40 from Famitsu, following Ocarina of Time back in 1998 and The Wind Waker in 2002.
Under Famitsu's review system, four journalists reviewed the game individually, each giving it the maximum score of 10/10.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is released for Wii this Friday. You read more about the game and the 25-year-old series in our Zelda Week features.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/skywa...famitsu/087374
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November 16th, 2011, 23:32 Posted By: wraggster
Look, we like seeing an organization desperately flailing in an ill-fated attempt at relevance as much as the next site, but this time PETA has gone too far. The organization has created Mario Kills Tanooki, a 2D platformer that has a skinned tanuki (or raccoon dog, if you prefer) trying to retrieve its outer layer from a flying, blood-spattered Mario.
Taking a swipe at the world's favorite plumber is pretty low, but it's worse in this case because PETA is blatantly lying. As everyone knows from reading the Nintendo Comics System (specifically the "Tanooki Suits Me" story from theSuper Mario Bros. line) the Tanooki suit was hand-crafted by a tailor namedTanooki rather than any animal the material was lifted from.
Mario's not an animal abuser, PETA. He's a furry. And for the record, when you manage to make even NMA look sane, you know something's wrong.
For the record, yes, this is a grab for attention and we're making it rain eyeballs. But this is Mario we're talking about. We'd hope that when we'reinevitably targeted by a crazy group, you'd leap to our defense too.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/16/pe...nge-the-facts/
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November 17th, 2011, 00:06 Posted By: wraggster
If you dress up as Link and are one of the first hundred waiting outside Game on Oxford Street, London on Friday, you'll get a free copy of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.The offer goes live from 9am on 18th November. There is a how to dress up as Link tutorialon the internet, as expected. Make sure you get the ears right.Game has set up a purpose built medieval forest glen at Game on Oxford Street and the Gamestation stores in Prospect Centre, Hull and Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, for fans to play Skyward Sword.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ard-sword-free
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November 17th, 2011, 00:09 Posted By: wraggster
Cult classic action platformer Strider is coming to the European Virtual Console, according to Nintendo Life.It is the Mega Drive version, which launched in 1990 following the arcade version's Japanese release a year earlier.Side-scroller Strider was one of Capcom's earliest hit games, pre-dating Street Fighter 2. It was praised for its detailed visuals and groundbreaking gameplay. Series star Strider Hiryū is a sci-fi ninja who takes down an evil fictional future Soviet Socialist Republic.The Strider announcement follows news that fellow Capcom classic, Super Street Fighter 2, is coming to the Wii download service, but both games are apparently published by Sega.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...irtual-console
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November 17th, 2011, 00:10 Posted By: wraggster
3D Classics Kirby's Adventure launches on the Nintendo eShop tomorrow.It is a re-mastered version of the classic NES adventure game with 3D visuals for 3DS and costs £5.40 / €6.Elsewhere, this week's eShop update brings us Bugs'N'Balls for 3DS and DSi. The aim is to throw balls from your side of the table to your opponent's side while dodging balls they throw at you. On 3DS it is £1.80 / €2 and from the DSi Shop it is 200 Nintendo DSi Points.And finally, Jam City Rollergirls, from Frozen Codebase, hits WiiWare for 500 Wii Points.Away from games, Nintendo has made available two 3D clips to download for the 3DS from the Nintendo Video channel: The Legend of Zelda Main Theme Medley, which was performed as part of The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony CD recordings, and Ballad of the Goddess from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword game.The Great Fairy's Fountain Theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past will be available soon.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...nintendo-eshop
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November 18th, 2011, 11:33 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo Of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has explained the company's reluctance to sell paid DLC for its games.
Speaking to AOL's games blog, Fils-Aime explained that Nintendodevelopers were wary of selling additional content because they want to give consumers the "complete experience" on day one.
"We're interested in [DLC] to the extent that it makes sense to the consumer," he said. "And it's interesting: I've had this conversation with a number of our key developers, and their mentality is: 'Reggie, when we sell a game, we want the consumer to feel that they've had a complete experience".
"Now, in addition, if we want to make other things available, great, and we'll look at that. But what we're unwilling to [do is] sell a piece of game upfront and, if you will, force a consumer to buy more later. That's what they don't want to do, and I completely agree.
"I think the consumer wants to get, for their money, a complete experience, and then we have opportunities to provide more on top of that."
Fils-Aime's comments are enlightening, and do much to explain why3DS did not have DLC mechanisms in place on the day it launched. A system update, due this month in Japan and in the UK in December, will set that right, but it appears Nintendo's belated action has been motivated by thirdparties.
Developers and publishers think of DLC in a markedly different way. Earlier this week Gears Of War 3 developer Rod Fergusson emphasised DLC's importance in combating the second-hand trade, telling Game Informer magazine: "It's not about, 'Oh, we had this map left over'...it's keeping the disc in the tray. In a used game culture that you have to actively fight against, I think DLC is one of the ways that you do that."
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/fils-ai...-wary-paid-dlc
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November 18th, 2011, 11:47 Posted By: wraggster
Normally, Mario's Kart is just a bit of virtual video game magic, confined to a world where turtle shells fly and banana peels litter racetracks. But Nintendo has joined forces with auto shop West Coast Customs to produce two real life Mario Karts, currently on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Both Mario's main ride, above, and Luigi's Bumble V kart were made, and both are equipped with front-wheel drive, 18-inch wheels in the back, and a propeller addon for traveling through water.
Unfortunately, that propeller doesn't really work underwater (so says the press release after the break), but the karts really do move. And their construction will be spotlighted in an upcoming episode of West Coast Customs' reality TV show. You can see more shots of the karts over on the company's site(including one of Reggie Fils-Aime himself driving), and the machines themselves are on display this week in Los Angeles.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/17/ni...karts-to-life/
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November 18th, 2011, 11:48 Posted By: wraggster
The Professor Layton titles traditionally take their sweet time heading across the continent from Japan to the EU, and the series' first 3DS entry, calledProfessor Layton and the Mask of Miracle in Japan, is no exception. It arrived in the land of the Rising Sun last February, and hasn't been released in Europe or North America yet. But it looks like one of those releases is planned: The end of a trailer forProfessor Layton and the Spectre's Call in Europe teases that players should "get ready for an all-new Layton next year."
Presumably, that's the 3DS title (though the name usually changes on the trip over), and that tease means we'll see it out sometime in 2012. We haven't seen quite as much confirmation on a North American release, but since the last title hit Europe this week and North America last month, 2012 is a good bet for us 'mericans as well. After all, it's not like Level-5 doesn't want to release it here, it's just that translation can take time.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/17/pr...ope-next-year/
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November 18th, 2011, 11:50 Posted By: wraggster
 Whenever a new Wii game comes out, players set to work opening up the PC-based Dolphin emulator, upscale the graphics to HD resolution, and take screenshots for us to drool over -- like the Skyward Sword images posted on the software's forum.
The normally soft, watercolor-y backgrounds look a little strange in HD -- we can't decide if it's more of the intended effect, or just oddly blurry. But there's no such conflict when it comes to the characters -- they look amazing. We're just going to cross our fingers for upscaling functionality when the Wii U comes along.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/17/th...-to-emulation/
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November 19th, 2011, 00:00 Posted By: wraggster
There have been more than a few third-party responses to the Nintendo 3DS' notably short battery life, from grips to clips, to full-on battery replacements. Despite their best efforts, these products still fall short of making the fledgling handheld international flight-ready, leaving globetrotting gamers with idle thumbs. Can't we do better? Nyko thinks so, and promises to triple the battery life of a standard 3DS with its latest accessory, the Nyko Power Grip. Other products have boasted double, but three times the play time? Now we're interested. We gave the Grip a run for its money -- read on if you want to know if it is worth yours.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/18/n...r-grip-review/
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November 19th, 2011, 00:01 Posted By: wraggster
Finally, the wait is over — for European fans, anyway. After months (well, over a year) of delays, the latest adventure of Link is finally out. Reviews for the game are consistently favorable. Famitsu magazine has given it aperfect score. IGN says it's 'the greatest Zelda game ever created,' and even the best game for the Wii. Of course, some of you may have already known this, given that it has already been hacked to run on an emulator (and yes, it looks even better in HD). I would love to hear the opinions of you Europeans who've played it. Is it as good as they say?"(Skyward Sword doesn't come out in the U.S. until Sunday, and not until next week for Japan and Australia.) While still complimentary, Giant Bomb's review goes into a bit more depth on the game's shortcomings.
http://games.slashdot.org/story/11/1...-skyward-sword
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November 19th, 2011, 00:05 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has confirmed that the next 3DS system update will allow for paid DLC.
"In terms of what the next system update will allow, it will allow developers to sell add-on content, and whether that's for a physical game or a digitally released game," he told AOL Games.
"In terms of how it will work, it's up to the developer whether they want to make it to buy new levels, new items - all of that is up to their imagination. Essentially, what we're doing is creating the framework for those transactions to happen."
The update for the handheld is due next month. Previously Nintendo has offered DLC for DS titles, but those have all been free.
"I've had this conversation with a number of our key developers, and their mentality is, 'Reggie, when we sell a game, we want the consumer to feel that they've had a complete experience,'" he added.
"Now, in addition, if we want to make other things available, great, and we'll look at that. But we're unwilling to sell a piece of a game upfront and, if you will, force a consumer to buy more later. I think the consumer wants to get, for their money, a complete experience, and then we have opportunities to provide more on top of that."
Following its financial results late last month, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata promised "new genres of software" to attract more gamers to the company.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-gets-paid-dlc
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November 19th, 2011, 00:19 Posted By: wraggster
Nordic Games has confirmed that total lifetime sales to date for its We Sing series have now hit one million units worldwide.
The number was revealed at last night’s London bash which was attended by X-Factor’s Kitty Brucknell.
“Whilst these figures may not be in the same league as Modern Warfare 3, we’re nonetheless extremely proud of them,” Nordic Games’ sales and marketing director Nik Blower stated.
“The original We Sing was the first entry into the Wii karaoke market, and we’ve made that market our own, despite tough competition. These are exciting times for the series – we’ve recently branched out into Dance, and continue to look at fresh opportunities. There’s no doubt that this first million milestone will not be our last.
“2012 will prove to be another year of We Sing growth. Despite the perception the market is in decline, We Sing’s audience remains healthy and loyal, and we’ll soon be announcing exciting new developments for the series. For now, we’d like to raise a glass to our fans and thank them for their support.”
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/we-si...million/087437
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November 19th, 2011, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster
 Three days ago marked the Xbox's tenth anniversary -- which means today is the GameCube's tenth. Those two systems are emblematic of the rift between "core" and "casual" gaming that formed seemingly around them -- nobody really thought there was a difference in previous generations, but the contrast between the Mountain Dew-green, imposing Xbox and the family-friendly, lunchbox-shaped, honestly adorable GameCube underscored the growing divide.
Just as we did with the Xbox, we're celebrating the GameCube today with a look at ten of its exclusive titles. More of these led to sequels and ports elsewhere, but in almost every case, there was some aspect of the game that never "clicked" away from the GameCube. Oh, and we're not listing the obvious ones. Yes, we all liked Smash Bros. and Zelda. Where's the fun in bringing those up again?
After the break, find an utterly arbitrary list of GameCube games we liked. But first, we have to begin properly: .
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/18/th...n-the-obvious/
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November 20th, 2011, 21:37 Posted By: wraggster
Games for THQ's uDraw tablet will take advantage of the enhanced features of Nintendo's upcoming Wii U console, THQ has revealed to Eurogamer.Andy Hodgson, THQ's global VP for uDraw, played down suggestions that the Wii U's tablet would usurp uDraw. Instead, he says, the two can "co-exist together". The Wii U is back compatible with Wii software, and presumably this is how uDraw games would be played on Nintendo's new machine."We have some amazing brands and software built for uDraw," Hodgson said. "Some of those we'll be able to continue to support on uDraw and in addition add to Wii U that will add extra functionality, tailor-made for Wii U. So it's possible for them to co-exist together."There are "lots of possibilities" for what this extra functionality could include, Hodgson said, confirming the uDraw team had already "spent some time with the Wii U and seen everything it has to offer"."The screen in there, the camera, the ability for co-op play with extra players using Wii Remotes, there's lots of possibilities.""We feel we've really got a good start on Wii U."Andy Hodgson, global VP, uDraw
"We feel we've really got a good start on Wii U," Hodgson added, explaining that THQ had a "natural headstart" on utilising the Wii U tablet's tech having already developed for the similar uDraw platform.Was Hodgson worried the Wii U would make uDraw redundant? "No, because Wii will remain our focus... We see Wii U as yet another audience we're able to look at. I guess it'll come down to product life-cycles as to how long we support Wii for.""We're committed to [Wii] but we also have PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 tablets which offer us two new audiences there again."After 1.7 million units sold of the Wii uDraw, THQ announced versions for PS3 and Xbox 360 earlier this year that arrive on shop shelves today."Next year we will be expanding with titles that could be considered more 'core'."
Rebuilt "from the ground up", the PS3 and 360 versions don't require a controller to be placed in them to work, as the Wii version does. Wireless and motion control functions are instead built in, with an improved touch control pad and HD display.New software is on the way too, with tie-ins for kid-friendly franchises such as Marvel Super Heroes Squad, Kung Fu Panda, Penguins of Madagascar. "Many" more titles are on the way 2012, including an as-yet unannounced Disney game.Hodgson said that 2012 will also see the uDraw games roster expanding into a slighter older age-group. "Next year we will be expanding with titles that could be considered more 'core' or more interesting for the teen market." Dawn of War 3? "Ha, maybe not that core..."Earlier this month Ubisoft announced Drawsome, a Wii tablet peripheral with similar functionality to uDraw that will launch in the US on 6th December. But THQ aren't worried about the competition. "I haven't seen much marketing from them," Hodgson said, adding that with 1.7 sold and a worldwide availability on multiple platforms, it would be a "pretty easy decision for consumers to see who's behind this technology".Does he believe Ubisoft copied the uDraw? "I can't really comment on that," Hodgson replied.With Drawsome and Wii U on the market, 2012 will be a far more crowded market for uDraw. But Wii U could open up new possibilities for THQ's tablet too.THQ's Darksiders 2 is a Wii U launch title, but with uDraw available Xbox 360 and PS3, would it be possible for the THQ to recreate the same tablet functions for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game? "That's a really interesting idea and I can't comment on that," Hodgson concluded. "I might actually have a chat with my colleagues on the Darksiders team to have a look at that..."
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ce-udraw-games
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November 20th, 2011, 21:41 Posted By: wraggster
The Pokémon Company may be gearing up to make yet another teased announcement at a Manga/anime expo in Japan next month.
 The latest issue of Japan's Jump magazine has confirmed that next month's Jump Fest will be the first to feature the Pokémon series, and that there will be surprises in store.According to Andriasang, the mag teases: "Pokémon makes first appearance at JF!! Surprising information on the show floor?" before going on to say that a "big surprise" awaits at the Pokémon booth.
A Pokémon announcement has been rumoured/teased on numerous occasions in recent months, with the latest rumour sparked by a newly-registered web domain suggesting Nintendo could be preparing to announce a new 'Pokémon Grey' title - thought to be the 'Pokémon Yellow'-style third version of the Pokémon Black/White Version games.
Jump Festa takes place on December 17 and 18 in Japan.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...po-next-month/
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November 20th, 2011, 21:43 Posted By: wraggster
One thing the DS did really well was cater to a massive range of gamers from the hardcore teen to the curious grandma.
 3DS has so far focused on the core crowd this year, but Nintendo America boss Reggie Fils-Aime says the new handheld will broaden its horizons in 2012.Well, our two big holiday titles for this year will certainly broaden the audience. Everyone loves Mario, [and] everyone loves to play Mario Kart," he said.
"As we look to next year, Mario & Sonic at the London Olympic Games is coming out on 3DS early next year--that's gonna' continue to broaden. But my expectation is that, come E3, I think we'll be showcasing a range of different titles that, for a more casual consumer, they'll see reasons to jump on board with the Nintendo 3DS."
He later hinted: "In terms of other genres, absolutely we will continue to push the envelope with new, unique, differentiated experiences that you can only get on the Nintendo 3DS and that widen the consumer demographic."
"So, will there be content to appeal to consumers 50 plus the way Brain Age did? Absolutely. Will there be content that's going to appeal to women the way we are able to do with the DS? Absolutely. I can't go into the details of what exactly those titles will be, but stay tuned. There is information that we'll be sharing prior to E3, plus a lot of information at E3 as well."
Fils-Aime has also confirmed that the upcoming 3DS update due this month will add the ability for developers to sell DLC on the handheld.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-coming-at-e3/
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November 21st, 2011, 00:05 Posted By: wraggster
Three years ago, a group of fans, under the name of TWEWYTeam released a Spanish translation for The World Ends With You, for the Nintendo DS. It successfully adapted all the texts and a 90% of the graphics into Spanish.
But that translation had something special: It was the first time in Spain that someone romhacked a dubbing into a game. At that point, only the FMVs were dubbed.
Now, three years later, some of the members of TWEWYTeam, along with plenty of new people and with over sixteen voice actors, released The World Ends With You Versión en Castellano (Spanish Edition) 2.0.
This new version changes quite a lot of the texts, improving many of the lines of the game; adds all the missing graphics that were left untranslated before; but the best part is that now the in game lines are completely dubbed with professional quality, thanks to some of the perpetrators of the Time Crisis dub project.
As usual, pictures won’t show the quality of the work, so here’s a sample of the lines of each character.
RHDN Project Page
Relevant Link: (http://tiovictor.romh...ackhispano.org/?p=580)
http://www.romhacking.net/forum/inde...pic,13548.html
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November 21st, 2011, 00:22 Posted By: wraggster
via http://mobiles.gx-mod.com/modules/ne...p?storyid=9724
Update FlashcartHelper developed by ron975 , a member of GBAtemp forums. As a reminder this is a windows utility to help users find and download linkers to the right updates for their products, it is a software similar to ModMii but just for DS.
New / fixed:
-Added the update for 3DS 2.2-04 DSTWO
-Added check to prevent FlashcartHelper to start if it is in a system folder. FlashcartHelper v0.8.2 NDS Official site: http://gbatemp. net
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November 21st, 2011, 00:30 Posted By: wraggster
OpenBOR is a continuation of the Beats Of Rage 2D game engine, which was originally
created by the wonderful folks over at http://www.senileteam.com.
This release is for the Dreamcast, PSP, Wii, Wiz, GP2x and Dingoo:
Heres whats new;
r3596 | utunnels | 2011-11-19 10:23:28 -0500 (Sat, 19 Nov 2011) | 4 lines
Changed paths:
M /engine/openborscript.c
Add candamage, hostile and projectilehit to getentityproperty.
Allow interger value for the three in changeentityproperty, by having the highest bit set. This makes property copying easier.
For example, changeentityproperty(self, "hostile", openborconstant("TYPE_ENEMY")+openborconstant("TYP E_NPC")+0x80000000);
http://lavalit.com:8080/OpenBOR/download.php
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November 21st, 2011, 00:38 Posted By: wraggster
via http://gbatemp.net/t313893-postloader-3-43-1
postLoader3, made by GBAtemp member stfour, has been updated to version 3.43.1. This Wii application's purpose is to be used in conjunction with Priiloader as an alternative to the Homebrew Channel and/or system menu, and also supports launching Wiiware/VC titles from real or emulated NAND. See the change log below for what's new, and join the on-going discussion for the latest (off-site) download and more information about this homebrew project's progress.
QUOTE: Change Log 11/18/11•Corrected a crash caused by "strange" diconfig.bin (thx cippazza)
•Corrected a typo error (thx zfa)
•Added n2oswitch.dol in ploader folder. This file must be present in sd:/ploader/ folder to enable neek2o nand autoswitch feature
NOTES (neek2o ONLY):
postloader support automatically 4 different nands. nands can be selected for any game. Press (B) on the game cover
/nands/pl_eu for euro pal nand
/nands/pl_us for usa nand
/nands/pl_jp for japan nand
/nands/pl_kr for korean nand
IMPORTANT: priiloader 0.4 (and only 0.4) must be present on the nand. There is no need to configure it.
If the region is different from default, postloader install as "installed file" in priiloader on the selected nand n2oswitch.dol that will run the disc, and on return to menu (or power off/on) will restore old settings
Even if the four roms can be used for any purpose, I suggest to leave them light, without any additional channel to keep high switching speed
Known issues/todo (in sparse order)
•TODO: Interactive change of "default" neek2o nand
•TODO: Adding patching options to uneek games
•TODO: priibooter gui
•TODO: multy splash screen support
•TODO: new ICON !!!!
•TODO: patch uid.sys under neek
•TODO: more theme options
•TODO: runtime theme switch
•ISSUE: if a channel png is corrupted, postloader may crash
http://gbatemp.net/topic/299384-post...st__p__3980666
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November 21st, 2011, 00:40 Posted By: wraggster
via http://dsx86.patrickaalto.com/DSblog.html
Sverx has again been working on improving the screen scaling algorithms for DSx86. This time he figured out a smart new way to take advantage of the NDS hardware scaling and blending features in the Jitter mode. The new and improved Jitter mode in this version is just as fast as the plain Scale mode (as it is handled completely in hardware), but it also produces a result that is very close to the software-based Smooth scaling algorithm (in all the low-resolution modes)! Big thanks again to Sverx for his ingenious new scaling method!
DS2x86 progress
I have not made huge progress with DS2x86 during the past week, as I have been busy with some work-related things, including a business trip. I have however managed to get the text mode screen handling moved from the MIPS side to the ARM side. The strange palette problem I mentioned in the previous blog post was actually not related to palette handling, instead, I found an interesting feature in the FPGA code that the original DSTwo graphics transfer code uses. When sending the video data (with command 0xC1), the MIPS side code in the cmd_line_interrupt() routine in game.c module has the following code:
case 0xc1://VIDEO 512*n
isc1cmd = cmd_buf[7] & (( 1 << enable_fix_video_bit) | ( 1 << enable_fix_video_rgb_bit));
case 0xc2://AUDIO 512*n
//*(fpgaport*)write_addr_cmp_addr = (0x400-0x380) ;
SET_ADDR_GROUP(GPIO_ADDR_GROUP1);
*(fpgaport*)(cpld_base_addr + cpld_base_step) = (0x400-0x380) ; //(0x400-0x300) ;
SET_ADDR_DEFT();
*(fpgaport*)cpld_ctr_addr = (1<<fpga_mode_bit) | (1<<fifo_clear_bit) | isc1cmd;
*(fpgaport*)cpld_ctr_addr = (1<<fpga_mode_bit) | isc1cmd;
In the routine MP4_init_module() at the end of the same source file, where the transfer buffers and commands are prepared, is the following code:
buf_st_temp.nds_cmd=(((1 <<enable_fix_video_bit ) |(1 <<enable_fix_video_rgb_bit ))<<24) | (buf_video_up_0<<16) | (VIDEO_UP <<8) | 0xc1;
buf_st_temp.type= 0;
pmain_buf->buf_st_list[buf_video_up_0] = buf_st_temp;
The transfer system on the NDS side sends the highest byte of the nds_cmd field of the buffer struct as the cmd_buf[7] content when requesting the video data, and thus the command 0xC1 always has those enable_fix_video_bit and enable_fix_video_rgb_bit bits set. My understanding is that when those bits are set, the FPGA code always turns on the highest bit of every 16-bit halfword in the transfer buffer (while sending it via FIFO to the NDS side). This creates 16-bit ARGB values with the alpha bit set on-the-fly for the 16-bit color values that the DSTwo SDK normally uses. But, when sending graphics data in some other format, you need to NOT set those bits on! In my case when sending the text mode data (which on the x86 is formatted as an 8-bit character followed by an 8-bit attribute byte), the attribute byte always had the highest bit set, which caused the background color to use the light colors. This caused the DOS background to be gray when it should have been black, so I first thought I had a problem with the palette. As I don't plan to send any 16-bit color values in DS2x86, I simply commented out those two bits, thus forcing the MIPS side to always send the graphics data as-is.
Currently I am working on the CGA graphics mode data transfer. This is rather similar to the text mode (on the MIPS side), it can simply send 32KB from the emulated x86 segment address 0xB800. The NDS side just needs to handle the received data differently. After I get this working, the next mode will be the MCGA graphics mode. In that mode I need to send 64KB from the x86 segment address 0xA000, plus additional 512 bytes (or 768 bytes if I move the 24-bit palette -> 16-bit palette conversion to the NDS side) for the palette.
The remaining graphics modes (EGA and Mode-X modes) are somewhat more difficult, as sending the whole graphics memory area would be 256KB, which is more data than I want (or probably even can) send per frame. I think I need to limit the data to be sent to 256x192 (or 320x200) bytes, but as that won't be enough for the high-resolution modes like 640x480 16-color VGA mode, I still need to figure out a smarter way to handle this. Only after these changes I can then start working on the audio stuff.
http://dsx86.patrickaalto.com/DSdown.html
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November 21st, 2011, 00:44 Posted By: wraggster
The Gamecube and Wii Emulator for Windows has been updated, heres whats new:
Changelog for 3.0-202
Gameini database update for auto modellista, Happy Feet, Alone In The Dark, DeadSpace, MADWORLD, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Mayhem, FIFA 2003, Mission: Impossible Operation Surma, Def Jam Fight For NY, FIFA Soccer 2004, THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2 AND 3 RETURN, LEGO Star Wars The Complete Saga, Rayman Origins, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword. Fixes issue 4953.
http://www.dolphin-emulator.com/download.html
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November 21st, 2011, 19:31 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo is developing its first wave of 3DS games specifically targeted for the casual customer, an executive at the company has said.
The new range of games, expected to be announced at E3 in June next year, is hoped will broaden the 3DS’s customer base and revive sales. If successful, it could pave the way for other developers to build content to an established casual market.
“My expectation is that, come E3, I think we'll be showcasing a range of different titles that, for a more casual consumer, they'll see reasons to jump on board with the Nintendo 3DS,” Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime told AOL.
"So, will there be content to appeal to consumers 50 plus the way Brain Age did? Absolutely. Will there be content that's going to appeal to women the way we are able to do with the DS? Absolutely.
“I can't go into the details of what exactly those titles will be, but stay tuned,” he added.
“There is information that we'll be sharing prior to E3, plus a lot of information at E3 as well.”
Nintendo globally launched the 3DS in March this year. The company has sold about 6.7 million units since.
An unexpected sluggish sales run had prompted Nintendo to dramatically sink the retail price of the hardware, in some cases by as much as £80.
Nintendo went on to post a half-year loss of £578 million for the six months ending September 30th. Company president Satoru Iwata made a frank apology to investors for the poor financials.
The company is expecting to post a full year loss for the first time in 30 years.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...l-market-by-E3
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November 21st, 2011, 22:32 Posted By: wraggster
Via http://www.aep-emu.de/
A new version of DSP Emulator has been released.
DSP emulates ZX SPECTRUM +3, ZX Spectrum 128, ZX Spectrum 48, Arcade, Amstrad CPC 464, NES and Game Boy.
Quote:
20/11 - New WIP version released!!! Windows binary and source available.
Added Hu6280 CPU, fixed some video issues in ´Mysterious Stone´ and ´Jr. Pacman´ and added Deco 16 Hardware, wich include ´Robocop´, ´Baddudes´ and ´Hippodrome´.
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November 21st, 2011, 22:33 Posted By: wraggster
Via http://www.aep-emu.de/
Madrigal has released two new simulators:
- Las Vegas (Bandai, LCD Game Digital) S4/2.02 (Standard 4, complete rewrite + manual added) + source code
- Donkey Kong (Nintendo, Multi Screen) S4/1.07 (Standard 4, major bug-fixes)
Quote:
November 21st, 2011
Two releases in a row today. While I was (very!) busy making the "complete rewrite" of a previously released simulator - that´s Bandai´s classic Las Vegas, I got reports of bugs and mistakes in the Donkey Kong (Multi screen) simulator.
I worked a lot on both games: Donkey Kong is now fixed and is extremely true-to-original. Las Vegas is extremely accurate too, with realistic graphics, sounds, gameplay, and is also 100% compatible with arcade cabinet controllers.
Thanks go to Roberto Mayrhofer for beta-testing the Donkey Kong simulator, and to good old friend Jaro Gielens of Electronic Plastic for providing me scans from Las Vegas manual!
New games are:
- Las Vegas (Bandai, LCD Game Digital) S4/2.02 (Standard 4, complete rewrite + manual added) + source code
- Donkey Kong (Nintendo, Multi Screen) S4/1.07 (Standard 4, major bug-fixes)
The games, the source code and the newly released "MADrigal CD Collection" version 57.3 are available for free download on the download page.
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November 21st, 2011, 22:36 Posted By: wraggster
Via http://www.aep-emu.de/
A new version of the 3Dfx Glide wrapper nGlide has been released.
Quote:
nGlide is a freeware Glide wrapper for Windows and DOS games. It allows you to play 3Dfx games on modern GeForce/Radeon graphics cards. Some of them are Diablo 2, Need for Speed 2-5, Carmageddon 2, Tomb Raider, Turok. All three API versions are supported, Glide 2.1 (glide.dll), Glide 2.4 (glide2x.dll) and Glide 3.0 (glide3x.dll). Glide wrapper also supports high resolution modes.
nGlide 0.98 changelog:
Glide2: - added support for Archimedean Dynasty (with DOSBox + Gulikoza patch)
- added support for Deathtrap Dungeon
- added support for Formula 1
- added support for Gunmetal
- added support for MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat
- added support for Pandemonium
- added support for Pył (with DOSBox + Gulikoza patch)
- added support for Severance: Blade of Darkness
- fixed Hardcore 4x4 freeze
- fixed Lands of Lore 2: Guardians of Destiny (with DOSBox + Gulikoza patch) special effects
- fixed Lands of Lore 3 transparency issues
- fixed POD Gold shadows
- fixed V-Rally pause menu
Miscellaneous: - added support for Glide 2.1.1 library (glide.dll)
- 3x faster texture palettes handling
Glide wrapper download
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November 21st, 2011, 22:45 Posted By: wraggster
Via Nintendomax comes awesome news of a game that was an unreleased commercial game from Rare
Now this sort of releases makes all homebrewers and fans very happy, heres the details from rare:
Our next release is Battletoads GBA, going to guess it was the last build ever made. The game doesn't have much content either. We've got Jens back to give us a briefing on this project:Quote content originally posted by: Jens I joined the project when the designer and the artist were already busy with preproduction. I think management (which included the Battletoads creators and artists) was mostly concerned with the concept art for the toads, because it was going to be used for a possible Xbox version as well. Our artist created many variations of them, from typical space marine/knight armour to the heavy metal/S&M leather gear of the original games. It was difficult, because the original creators had sometimes conflicting ideas, but they eventually settled on the casual look used in the final build.
The game design was even more difficult. Half of management suggested to just remake the NES version with fancy graphics, the other half said we can do whatever we want - except that real innovation will have to wait for the Xbox version.
I think we agreed on the team that the ultra-hard NES version would be difficult to sell nowadays, and many sections look very dated by now. We looked at all the other Battletoads games and I think we even had the arcade board running. We wanted to keep many of the features that people remembered positively of the games, while trying to focus the gameplay on some consistent mechanics to avoid frustration. I'm personally not very happy about the tiny sprites in the GBA version, because with the small screen size and the thin character you hardly see any detail. No idea if that was the final approved design. Most of the animations and renders were just done to have something moving on screen, and were far from final. Near the end we showed it to a group who were responsible for publishing and marketing, and we were initially told that they liked it but wanted some changes. Then the meeting to tell us about those changes was delayed over and over until we were finally told that the game was cancelled. Most levels were just blocked out with placeholder art and empty enemy locations, so that more of the engine could be implemented.
The Mode-7 bit was actually reusing DKP graphics but with a completely different engine. My plan for the racing sections was to use a road system like "Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge III" with hills and tunnels, and using the scaling hardware for fancy texturing effects. I didn't get very far, though. Maybe I'll implement that sometime just to see how it would've looked like.
Overall it was a big relief for me when it was cancelled. Developing on GameBoy while Rare was still owned by Nintendo was hard enough and I often felt like a second class citizen. Getting any resources to make a good GameBoy title would've been even harder as a 3rd party developer for a competing platform. I was a bit disappointed that the designer and team lead was made redundant instead of being moved onto an Xbox project, but in hindsight he probably got the best deal.
http://www.rarewarecentral.com/battletoads-gba
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November 21st, 2011, 22:51 Posted By: wraggster
Via Nintendomax comes awesome news of a game that was an unreleased commercial game from RareToday we've got quite an interesting one, it's Diddy Kong Pilot. I bought this cartridge from a fellow collector about 3-4 months ago, back then I didn't know it was unreleased nor much beta, I just wanted to obtain some items from Rare. I'm not sure how far it is in development though.
I decided to contact a couple of former employee's I know and hear what they could say about the development cycle of the game. The information is quite interesting as well.
I want to thank both Paul and Jens for sharing the information to go alongside this page. I will update this page throughout the week with screenshots, pictures of the cartridge, etc.
Quote content originally posted by: Jens
The original design brief was a mix between racing and adventure sections, a bit like pilot wings with the flying sections from diddy kong racing. A key feature was going to be the tilt control. You were meant to hold the GBA like a steering wheel, and management was quite keen on doing something like that FMV shooter Iridion 3D that was released on GBA.
We found quite early on that the concept was highly inappropriate for the hardware, and that the tilt control didn't work even remotely as well as management imagined.
It was originally going to use Mario characters as well as DKC characters. 2-3 month in we had a prototype, and while we on the team saw nothing but problems management always insisted that it was going well. Sigh.
Around the time of the Spaceworld version we got feedback from Nintendo which pretty much covered my concerns: Tilt is not working well, a racing game with planes is pointless if you don't have a 3D world, the GBA's LCD is not well suited in situations where the GBA is not held perfectly in line with a light source, etc. Instead of doing the sensible thing of cancelling the game, or allowing us to drop tilt and make a game more in line with the hardware capabilities we got scheduled to get it finished by October. To do that we still needed multiplayer, finish off racing and implement dozens of adventure levels that would all require individual programming. Additionally we had several people from management micro-managing us into different directions, disregarding any hardware or cartridge space limitations.
Around October the first designer and the artists were taken off the team. The artists were merged into the Sabrewulf and Grunty's Revenge teams, the designer was made redundant. The other programmer and me joined the team led by Martin Wakeley, and we continued under his lead. All the adventure elements were dropped, and only the racing sections remained. Additionally we eventually removed the tilt control.
Martin was a lot more senior than the first designer, and was able to deflect a lot of the bullshit and micromanagement. We got most of the game implemented by about May-June the next year. Unfortunately this was when management started to spend most of their time on the sale of Rare to various publishers. Nintendo had a version of the game, but because of all the work involved with the sale of Rare, and with other projects they were involved with, we didn't get a response from them for a long time. They ultimately decided against publishing it.
Around the time when we had to sign new contracts with Microsoft I confronted Chris Stamper about the game and its future, and I was eventually allowed to start a new game (Battletoads GBA) while DKP was waiting for Nintendo's decision.
Martin left Rare around October that year, and shortly after that DKP was shelved. A few months later it was restarted by another team as Banjo Pilot, who went through a total rewrite and a voxel version until they finally took my last version and changed the sprites into Banjo. I hope that helps.
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November 21st, 2011, 23:02 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic...d52114d0acaeb1
Jacob JDL offers the demo of " Dexter's Labyrinth ", like Boulder Dash for the Nintendo DS.
OKAY, so Its Been Almost a year and I have not updated anything. I've been busy Completely, purpose Recently I've Picked up on stuff. - All the Levels are designed. - I've updated the music / sounds Where They're more of a Higher Quality. - Added ending screen. The only thing left to do Is To program the Actual gameplay elements (and then Some Levels redesign if needed).
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November 21st, 2011, 23:06 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.emucr.com/
Fceux SVN r2350 is released. FCEUX is a cross platform, NTSC and PAL Famicom/NES emulator that is an evolution of the original FCE Ultra emulator. Over time FCE Ultra had separated into many separate branches. The concept behind FCEUX is to merge elements from FCE Ultra, FCEU rerecording, FCEUXD, FCEUXDSP, and FCEU-mm into a single branch of FCEU. As the X implies, it is an all-encompassing FCEU emulator that gives the best of all worlds for the general player, the ROM-hacking community, and the Tool-Assisted Speedrun Community.
Fceux SVN changelog:
r2350
* multitrack recording
* "Superimpose" checkbox (3 states)
* Config->Use 1P keys for all single recordings
* Config->Combine consecutive Recordings
http://fceultra.svn.sourceforge.net/
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November 21st, 2011, 23:08 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.emucr.com/
GameBoy Online (2011/11/19) is released. GameBoy Online is a Game Boy and GameBoy Color emulator written in Javascript. It strives to be efficient and try to have a perfect compatibility. Currently the execution speed is not optimal even on browsers. For example on Chrome, which is nevertheless deemed to run Javascript faster on a PC running Windows 7 64-bit version with a double heart 2 CPUs at 2.2 GHz, games run at normal speed but almost skipping some frames.
The sound production is still experimental and rather poor quality. The video portion is by HTML5 or by creating images with BMP string URI. State backups are implemented using the object window.localStorage and are serialized / deserialized JSON. Ditto for backup SRAM.
GameBoy Online Changelog:
- XAudioJS update
https://github.com/grantgalitz/GameBoy-Online
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November 21st, 2011, 23:14 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.emucr.com/
Mupen64Plus 20111017 is released. Mupen64Plus is a N64 emulator and plugins for Linux, Mac OSX, and FreeBSD. Mupen64Plus is a plugin-based N64 emulator for Linux which is capable of accurately playing many games. Included are four MIPS R4300 CPU emulators, with dynamic recompilers for 32-bit x86 and 64-bit amd64 systems, and necessary plugins for audio, graphical rendering (RDP), signal co-processor (RSP), and input. There are 3 OpenGL video plugins included: glN64, RiceVideoLinux, and Glide64.
Mupen64Plus Features:
* Dynamic recompilers for 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (amd64) machines
* 3 OpenGL video plugins: glN64, RiceVideoLinux, Glide64
* Hi-resolution texture support in Rice Video
* LIRC Infrared remote control support
* Rumble Pak support
* Graphical R4300 debugger
* Cheat system with gameshark code support
* Speed adjustment with smooth sound output
* GTK2-based GUI
* Qt4-based GUI
* Command-line options for integration into other systems
* Installation support for multi-user systems
Mupen64Plus 20111017 Changelog:
bugfix issue 468: dlopen problem with OGLFT; the static class object is not initialized when the shared lib is loaded under OSX, so change the api to do it explicitly
http://code.google.com/p/mupen64plus/
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November 21st, 2011, 23:16 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.emucr.com/
Project64k v0.33 is released. Project64k is a version of the Project64 emulator that supports multiplayer games using the Kaillera network.
Project64k v0.33 Changelog:
In this release I've simplified things some more. Now you have Project64 Auto-loader which auto sets all directories and settings so you can go ahead and refresh rom list and start netplay.
Also the new NetPlay client has a new font that supports the broken characters as seen in the older one.
http://pj64k.blogspot.com/
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November 22nd, 2011, 00:05 Posted By: wraggster
On the surface, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening may appear to be an offbeat side-story to the main series. An oddball tale originally released on the Game Boy, it sheds some of the Zelda series' staples and fills the gaps with its own hallucinogenic story that includes more than a few left-field references to the world of Mario.But I didn't know any of that when I first played Link's Awakening. It was my first Zelda and, years before Ocarina of Time defined the series' possibilities for vast 3D worlds, the game's comparatively modest 2D island map offered up an entire continent to me. I would explore every nook and cranny.Link's Awakening launched in the era before mass internet when, for me, games lasted months, gameplay secrets took days to discover and strategies were passed between me and my friends by word of mouth alone.I was helped, quite considerably, by a friend of mine who'd completed the game already. Day after day we'd meet in the playground (I was eight at the time, should you be getting any funny ideas) and he'd guide me through the next section or tell me how to get that one last chest on the dungeon map I hadn't yet claimed as my own.Some elements remain typical of the series. The game's eight dungeons, for example, are standard Zelda fare, each room holding its own ingenious riddle to solve - and later exploits, such as the pillar-demolishing Eagle's Tower puzzle, can still be infuriating on subsequent play-throughs. You can steal items from the Mabe Village shop, but doing so will cause players to be re-named 'THIEF' for the rest of the game (colour images from the DX edition).
But other aspects of the game are markedly different. The setting is away from Hyrule for the first time, and series villain Ganon sits the entire game out. The Master Sword is missing and Zelda is also absent, bar a mention in one initial line of dialogue.While every Zelda game, even the few true sequels, can be played perfectly well as its own adventure, Link's Awakening's story is undoubtedly a standalone episode within the overall saga. The game ditches the standard Princess-getting-kidnapped plot, with Link's Awakening's darker tale proving the series strong enough to exist without such a simple story mechanic.The quest begins with Link sailing alone across a dark and stormy sea, our hero illuminated only by flashes in the lightning-cracked sky above. Shipwrecked, Link washes ashore on Koholint Island, waking in the care of the game's love interest, Marin. But Koholint Island, players quickly discover, is no normal tropical getaway.Guided throughout the game by a mysterious owl character, Link is told he cannot hope to leave Koholint while a creature named the Wind Fish is sleeping. As the game progresses, players discover that the whole island exists only as a dream, a world concocted by the Wind Fish that has been invaded by nightmare monsters Link must defeat in order to leave.His final task is to wake the Wind Fish, but in doing so Koholint Island and all of its inhabitants will cease to be. As mid-game plot twists go, it's an eye-opener. Complete Link's Awakening without dying and Marin will briefly appear.
Throughout the quest, Link is tasked with collecting an orchestra of eight Wind Fish-waking instruments (making it more of a chamber orchestra, really), each recovered after felling one of the game's eight dungeon bosses. You'll have the majority under your belt before the above bombshell is broken to you. Finding out your mini monochrome (until the Game Boy Color remake) world of adventure will be taken away from you when you complete the game leaves a lasting impression as, by this point, players will know the doomed island and its peculiar residents well.Like most Zelda games, it doesn't take long to fall in love with the characters who surround you, each with their own offbeat personality and quirky mannerisms. There's rocking chair-bound old man Ulrira who suffers from shyness in person, but is a reliable source of help when called from one of the island's telephone booths, or loner letter-writer Mr Write who, as part of the game's extensive trading sequence, you help find love with a goat named Christine.Christine, incidentally, tricks Write by sending him a picture of "herself" that actually depicts the Mushroom Kingdom's own Princess Peach. It's one of the countless references to Nintendo's other main series found in Link's Awakening. The aforementioned trading sequence begins when players win a Yoshi doll in a claw-grabbing mini-game; Piranha Plants, Boos and Kirby-like enemies appear in Koholint's dungeons, while a section of the game has you walking a Chain Chomp named Bow-wow.Mr Write is a parody of SimCity's Dr. Wright (a character in turn based on that series' famed creator, Will Wright), while frog-loving nobleman Richard is borrowed from forgotten Japanese Game Boy title, For the Frog the Bell Tolls. Players can craft bomb arrows by equipping the two items separately and hitting the two buttons at the same time.
Meanwhile, some underground sections of the game place Link in Goomba-filled side-scrolling caves reminiscent of the Mario series' underworld levels, which echo with a similar thumping bit-tune bass line.These not-so subtle nods make some sort of sense however, explained away in any questioning player's mind by Link's Awakening's dreamlike setting. They serve as a constant reminder that the world around them is far from real.But the game excels in more than plot-twists and eyebrow-raising references. With the regular cast resting, Link's Awakening sees players get acquainted with the characters of Marin and her father Tarin (predecessors in design to the more famous Malon and Talon found in Ocarina of Time, just as Link's guiding owl is clearly an inspiration for Kaepora Gaebora).Marin is a central figure in Link's Awakening and her relationship with the player is one of the game's highlights. The pair develop a touching closeness that is reminiscent of how Link and Illia interacted in Twilight Princess, but sustained throughout far more of the game's storyline. Marin is always there to visit and, in one of the game's standout moments, briefly accompanies Link on his journey. The photographs included in the Game Boy Color's DX version are a delight to find, although some can be missed entirely.
Here, Marin's character is expanded on in one of the game's only cut-scenes. The tale she tells of her life is achingly sad; of growing up on the island and wanting, like Link, to leave, to be free to soar away from Koholint's shores like one of the island's many seagulls.So when it comes to leaving this vivid land full of character and characters, it is not without sadness the deed is done. As Link plays his collected array of instruments, as the Wind Fish finally wakes and Link's surroundings begin to disappear around him, Nintendo shows you the places and people that you're leaving behind. The kids throwing ball outside of the Mabe Village Library, the spot on the beach where you first picked up your sword, and finally, Marin.More than most games, it was a world I didn't want to leave and where the finality of the ending brought about a feeling of loss. Of course, you could turn it back on again to return to a previous save point, but it was never the same.Despite its bizarre-sounding story and change of setting, Link's Awakening is far from an offbeat handheld spin-off. Its story, heart and humour cements it as one of the series' finest offerings and sets the stage for the games to come. It's the first time you're allowed to fish in a Zelda game, the first time you're sent on a trading quest, and the first time you'll learn songs to play on an ocarina. As my own introduction to the series, Link's Awakening was a great place to start.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...kening-article
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November 22nd, 2011, 00:45 Posted By: wraggster
 You've seen Nintendo's new 3DS bundles in a few Black Friday ads already, but the company made it official today, detailing the two special holiday packages it plans to release on Thanksgiving Day -- and giving us another opportunity to stare at that Zeldasystem.
The Cosmo Black bundle contains a special Cosmo Black 3DS decorated with Zelda imagery, along with a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. The Flame Red bundle contains a plain old Flame Red 3DS with Super Mario 3D Land.
Both are priced at $199.99, but you'll be able to find them cheaper at certainretailers.
http://www.amazon.com/New-Future-Rel...d_i=2622269011
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November 22nd, 2011, 00:53 Posted By: wraggster
Appealing to those of us who prefer not to risk physical harm in order to secure some sweet deals, Toys R Us has announced its plans for Cyber Monday (AKA the Monday following Black Friday) and the ensuing "Cyber Week." For starters, the retailer will actually begin its online discounts beginning on Sunday, November 27 at 6pm Eastern.
There are only a handful of gaming deals, though they are fairly substantial. First up for grabs, a free game, controller or headset ($59.99 or less) with the purchase of a $300 4GB Xbox 360 Kinect bundle. Also, Toys R Us will offer a "buy one, get one 60 percent off" discount on "hundreds of video game titles," though the press release doesn't specifywhich titles are included. Finally, starting on Monday at 8am Eastern, those who pick up the $200 3DS Mario bundle will get a free Skylanders starter pack (normally $70).
http://www.toysrus.com/family/index....oryId=12348517
As the "cyber" implies, these deals will only be available through ToysRUs.com, though store pick up is available on certain items. Shipping is also free on orders over $49.
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November 23rd, 2011, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster
 Japan will know The Joy of playing Metal Gear Solid 3 again on March 8: that's when the wait for Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D comes to The End. The date was announced at a press event last night and posted to the official Japanesewebsite today, leaving us to feel only The Pain of jealousy.
Of course, given our experience with the 3DS port at E3, it's quite possible that playing the game would only cause The Fury and The Sorrow. The 3DS Circle Pad Pro, which is compatible with Snake Eater 3D, should at least help allay some of The Fear we have about the controls.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/me...japan-march-8/
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November 23rd, 2011, 00:34 Posted By: wraggster
 It's rare for Nintendo to give us advance notice of downloadable games, but the company has done so for some new 3DS eShop content. Metroid II: Return of Samus will arrive on the eShop in both North America and Europe this Thursday.
Nintendo also announced a North American release of Nimble Sakura Samurai(above), the Punch-Out!!-resembling eShop action game shown off last month in its Nintendo Direct presentation. The American version will be called Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword, and is due in January. Nintendo also reminded us of the December release of puzzler Pushmo.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/me...ng-in-january/
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November 23rd, 2011, 00:36 Posted By: wraggster
All 32 Mario Kart 7 courses have been named ahead of its release next month.As is customary, half of the tracks are brand new and half are returning fan favourites.This time round you get two SNES tracks, one from the GBA version, three from Mario Kart 64, two from the GameCube era, four from the DS and four from the Wii.Here's the full list, as revealed by IGN.Mushroom Cup - Toad Circuit
- Daisy Hills
- Cheep Cheep Lagoon
- Shy Guy Bazaar
Flower Cup - Wuhu Loop
- Mario Circuit
- Music Park
- Rock Rock Mountain
Star Cup - Piranha Plant Slide
- Wario Shipyard
- Neo Bowser City
- Maka Wuhu
Special Cup - DK Jungle
- Rosalina's Ice World
- Bowser's Castle
- Rainbow Road
Shell Cup - Luigi Raceway (N64)
- Bowser Castle 1 (GBA)
- Mushroom Gorge (Wii)
- Luigi's Mansion (DS)
Banana Cup - Koopa Beach (N64)
- Mario Circuit 2 (SNES)
- Coconut Mall (Wii)
- Waluigi Pinball (DS)
Leaf Cup - Kalimari Desert (N64)
- DK Pass (DS)
- Daisy Cruiser (GCN)
- Maple Treeway (Wii)
Lightning Cup - Koopa Cape (Wii)
- Dino Dino Jungle (GCN)
- Airship Fortress (DS)
- Rainbow Road (SNES)
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-list-revealed
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November 23rd, 2011, 01:01 Posted By: wraggster
Japan's respected Famitsu magazine has slapped a 37/40 score on the end of its Mario Kart 7 review.
 The magazine, which has each of its four reviewers individually score games out of 10, ended up with the verdicts 10/9/9/9."The game's made so you're always able to stage a comeback, making it approachable and enjoyable for anyone," noted one reviewer (translation via 1Up).
"Competing for time is also exciting, and there's more than enough room for hardcore play here. The Community feature makes netplay a lot more accessible than before, and finding opponents via Street Pass is also impressive. It's really exciting to think how the community's going to unfold," they said.
Another reviewer noted: "There are a lot of changes here, but play it and it's definitely still Mario Kart," for those worried about the series going off on a tangent.
"That goes to show how complete a game it's become. It's accessible enough that even new players can enjoy it, and when you get into it, you really get into it," they said.
Other reviews of note in the issue were The King of Fighters XIII score of 34/40 (8/9/8/9), Tekken Hybrid's 33/40 (9/8/8/8) and Assassin's Creed: Revelations' 37/40 (10/10/9/8).
Mario Kart 7 out on December 2 in UK and two days later in US. Check out recent gameplay footage here.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...40-in-famitsu/
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November 23rd, 2011, 01:05 Posted By: wraggster
If the Netflix application on your Nintendo Wii is used exclusively for the Spongebobbening of adolescent family members (or yourself, we suppose), you'll want to keep an eye on its new content channel: Just for Kids. The section features films, television shows and franchise filters specifically geared for the 12-and-under crowd, a seemingly timed bulletpoint addition for the holiday sales season.
Take heed of the section's name, however -- that "Just for Kids" denotation isn't just a suggestion, it's federal law. You don't want to be thrown in the slammer because you couldn't resist the siren song of Phineas and Ferb, do you?
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/ne...-added-to-wii/
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November 23rd, 2011, 01:11 Posted By: wraggster
Mario Kart 7's vehicle customisation features made it into the finished game despite getting a lukewarm reaction from Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto, according a new Famitsu interview.As translated by 1Up, Miyamoto explained that he thought the ability to tinker with your kart deviated from the "core fun" of the series."I was actually pretty well against some of the customisation features of the game," he explained."It can be fun to win money for racing and use it to buy parts and such, but I didn't think that had much to do with the core fun of the series."However, Miyamoto allowed the feature into the final build on the condition that the rest of the game was top notch."The idea for that [feature] came from the studio staff, though, and my final response was 'If you can build this customisation on top of a solid control and gameplay foundation, then go ahead.'"Elsewhere in the interview, Miyamoto revealed that there was no intent for the game to be a huge leap forward for the franchise. As he sees it, the basic Mario Kart gameplay is already near-perfect, so it was just a case of making a bigger, better version for 3DS."Sometimes people yelled at me to look at things more closely, but like I said, the core of Mario Kart is pretty solid at this point and I think it's safe to have it evolve in a pretty staid and traditional manner," he said."The basic message here is 'Mario Kart has been powered up for the Nintendo 3DS,' and I think the online upgrades in particular are pretty neat. A lot of time was spent on how to get all the individual components working together - Wi-Fi and Street Pass, local and Internet play."Finally he revealed the thinking behind the game's rather unambitious title."Coming up with the title was actually a lot of trouble for us, but it is the seventh game, and so it just sort of came down to what felt best. Besides, seven is supposed to be a lucky number, isn't it?"Take a look at our recent Mario Kart 7 preview for more on the game, which is due out on 2nd December.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...sation-options
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November 23rd, 2011, 23:43 Posted By: wraggster
It's official: Black Friday has transcended both space and time. No longer bound to the Hipparchian constraints of the 24-hour day, the Mother of all Sales has now given birth to an entire generation of equally stygian offspring, oozing her mercantile tentacles into nearly every crevice of our American existence. Case in point: Target's pre-Black Friday sale. It's a sale in honor of a sale that's in honor of a holiday -- the Apollo to Thanksgiving's Jupiter, if you will. It's also where you can grab a Nintendo 3DSfor just $145, as noted in this ad that we came across yesterday. So loosen those purse strings and clench your fists, because the Supra Sale draws nigh.
http://www.target.com/c/electronics-...oles/-/N-5xfnp
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November 24th, 2011, 00:00 Posted By: wraggster
It takes a strong willed fellow to stand up to the mighty Shigeru Miyamoto, but that’s exactly what happened in the development of 3DS racer Mario Kart 7.
"The way the gliders fly isn't particularly faithful to real life, but I think it feels pretty good in action," he told Famitsu, as translated by 1UP. "I was actually pretty well against some of the customization features of the game, though.
“It can be fun to win money for racing and use it to buy parts and such, but I didn't think that had much to do with the core fun of the series. The idea for that came from the studio staff, though, and my final response was 'If you can build this customization on top of a solid control and gameplay foundation, then go ahead'.
"Sometimes people yelled at me to look at things more closely but like I said, the core of Mario Kart is pretty solid by this point and I think it's safe to have it evolve in a pretty staid and traditional manner.”
Miyamoto also revealed the reason behind the decision to adopt a number system in the game’s title, ditching the subtitles used in every previous iteration.
"Coming up with the title was actually a lot of trouble for us," he admitted. "But it is the seventh game, and so it just sort of came down to what felt best. Besides, 7 is supposed to be a lucky number, isn't it?"
Mario Kart 7 is out in the UK on December 2nd.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/miyam...changes/087562
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November 24th, 2011, 00:12 Posted By: wraggster
Releasing Wii epic Zelda: Skyward Sword last Christmas might have been more convenient for the company's bottom line, but making sure the game was perfect came first, according to Nintendo's top brass.Speaking in the latest Iwata Asks session on Nintendo's official site, CEO Satoru Iwata explained that sometimes it's important to do what's best for a product rather than for the short term concerns of the company itself, or an individual within it."When [developers] end up going with what's most convenient for them, they've got their priorities mixed up. And that's dangerous," he explained."That's why, even when there are extenuating circumstances, and other interests in play, you need to be able to reconcile them. It's not good to think only about your conveniences."Miyamoto added that it might have been possible to release Skyward Sword this time last year - as originally mooted - but it would been the wrong thing to do."If we'd only been thinking about what was most convenient for the company when we made this new game The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, we probably would have put a half-finished product on sale last Christmas by saying that we have managed to make it on time just because it was the order from the company."He explained that the development team had used the first half of the ensuing year to finish the core game and the second half to fine-tune it."Because the game we were making was so huge, we needed to work that hard on it. Otherwise it would have felt like a waste. We spent so much time making a really good game and it came out so well that it would have been a waste not to make sure that it was really polished."You came up with so many interesting elements while you were making it, and you spent a long time at the end making sure that those elements were included in the game," added Iwata. "That's what made it so dense."Happily, it seems the game was well worth the wait - it picked up a perfect 10/10 in Eurogamer's Skyward Sword review.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...christmas-2010
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November 24th, 2011, 00:40 Posted By: wraggster
When you slap a copy of Super Mario 3D Land into your 3DS it prompts you to perform a system update with firmware contained on the cart.
Among other less exciting things, this update added an option to the friends list menu to 'Join Game' - an option that will prove to be massively useful in future online-enabled 3DS games (which, ironically, Super Mario 3D Land is not).
As you might expect, it works rather like Xbox Live's 'Join Session in Progress' option, allowing you to transition straight from the system menu into a friend's online gaming activities.
 The first game to make use of the option will be Mario Kart 7, out next month, and below is the first look at the 'Join Game' function in use.It's not exactly explosions, aliens robots and zombies. But hey, if you're a 3DS with high hopes for its online future, this is kind of a big deal.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ure-in-action/
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November 25th, 2011, 00:00 Posted By: wraggster
Following years of sliding viewing figures, WWE is on the comeback trail, says THQ.
The firm says WWE’s new family focus and returning superstars, such as The Rock, have helped attract new and old fans. And it comes just in time for THQ, as the publisher prepares to reboot its tie-in series, which it says had become ‘stale'.
“WWE is on the way back up,” said THQ’s lead games designer Bryan Williams. “In the summer CM Punk shook the wrestling world up with his incendiary speech. He got ESPN talking, and GQ Magazine interviewed him. With The Rock coming back, he is going to help kick-start an upward tick in WWE ratings.
“The WWE is full steam ahead. It has gone from PG-13 to just PG. And is now more family friendly.”WWE ‘12 is due on Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii on November 25th, and sees the game ditch the ‘Smackdown vs Raw’ moniker.
Williams added: “It was perfect timing to give the brand a facelift. It was getting a little stale. We want to put the focus back on gameplay.”
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/thq-f...-wwe-12/087648
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November 25th, 2011, 00:17 Posted By: wraggster
OC ReMix revisits the grand history of Zelda with a new tribute and remix album, "25YEARLEGEND." The project draws together 18 experienced indie musicians, including the producer of Minecraft's tunes to spelunk by. It's available as a free download here.
Even though Zelda's music has been remixed umpteen times in successive games, this buoyant compilation surprises with a few creative interpretations, and a good selection of the most sacred songs. We've placed two of our favorites after the break.
If you listen to the whole album, keep an ear out for a cameo by .
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/24/in...tribute-album/
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November 25th, 2011, 00:21 Posted By: wraggster
 Since the 3DS's launch, many gamers and reviewers have complained about the lack of titles that use the handheld's stereoscopic 3D features in a meaningful way capable of affecting or improving gameplay -- new experiences unavailable elsewhere, something to justify early adopters' expensive purchases.
Some unaccommodating people would act as if 3DS games failing to meet this standard aren't worth their attention. The gimmick of an image that really looks like a dog's tongue is coming out of the screen to lick their face is not enough, not if the novelty ends there. "These puppy kisses mean nothing to me," they will sneer. "Take him away and drown this contemptible creature in a river."
If there's a title that will please those demanding more depth to 3DS releases, as well as those puppy drowners, it's Super Mario 3D Land. This platforming masterpiece is the Avatar of 3DS games, proof that 3D in this medium isn't crap when it's thoughtfully planned and executed, evidence that it's worth the (potential) literal headaches because you just might see something you've never seen before.
Super Mario 3D Land's camera movement and positioning work in concert with the stereoscopic effect to help you gauge distances when leaping across platforms, create tension as spiked balls and other hazards chase you, and even trick you into believing that the cardboard cutouts you spotted with the binoculars earlier are bona fide 1UPs.
The game has Bullet Bills booming toward you, the brothers Mario skydiving away from you, Princess Peach postcards that pop with surprises, etc. And that Bowser boss fight at the end? Are you kidding me? I am shaking you right now to convey that this is neither the time nor the topic for two friends to be kidding each other. Real talk, that 8-8 set-piece played like something designed by Merlin himself, a glorious gift touched by the wisest of wizards.
Back to the Avatar comparison, the concern now is whether upcoming games will continue the system's 3D momentum, or if this is a unique release, a grand experience that won't see a repeat anytime soon. Will Mario Kart 7, Luigi's Mansion 2, or Kid Icarus: Uprising bolster this idea that stereoscopy in games is a perceptible advantage? Is there any hope for third-party developers ever creating a magnificent, polished game undoubtedly improved by 3D?
I believe more quality gameplay-enhancing 3D attempts are coming next year -- from Nintendo at least, and from a handful of other studios later down the line. But I'm also of the opinion that new ways of playing games in the third dimension are the least exciting aspect about Nintendo's handheld.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/24/ed...f-the-3d-land/
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November 25th, 2011, 00:22 Posted By: wraggster
The Metroid series is so littered with prequels and sequels that it's hard to tell where exactly Metroid II: Return of Samus sits in the story. It definitely takes place after the original Metroid, if that helps. The adventure sees the intergalactic bounty hunter head to the Metroid home world, SR388; her only mission to eradicate every last one of those energy-sapping creatures. The GameBoy classic is out today on the 3DS eShop.
Also up for grabs on both the eShop and DSiWare is the tower defense(ish) titleCome On! Heroes, while WiiWare gets the fishing title Big Bass Arcade.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/24/ni...turn-of-samus/
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November 25th, 2011, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster
In the latest Iwata Asks column, not yet translated into English by Nintendo, the CEO discusses development of December's high-profile 3DS release, Mario Kart 7, with not only recent series developer Nintendo EAD but also Austin-based Retro Studios.
"But Retro Studios only worked on the Donkey Kong Country Returns level," you whimper. While that was true as of last E3, Hideki Konno, Manager and Producer at EAD Software Development Group No.1, tells Iwata that since several production designers were working to get Nintendogs + Cats ready for the 3DS launch, as well as other Nintendo projects, there was "an act of emergency" to get Mario Kart 7 finished by the end of the year.
Retro was brought in to help on some courses, notably the aforementioned DKC-themed level, and to work on the game's 16 classic courses, while EAD ostensibly worked on the 16 new tracks. With the 3DS still recovering from a rough launch, plagued by pricing concerns and a paucity of premium software, we'd say it was a smart move to ensure Mario Kart 7 would find its way onto shelves this year.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/25/re...o-2011-launch/
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November 27th, 2011, 21:31 Posted By: wraggster
The Queen of Bondo is back again, this time with an adorably small NES portable, the HandyNES.
When last saw [lovablechevy], she had just finished up her build of a Nintenduo, a build that stuffed an NES and SNES into a single box. The Nintenduo was such a clean build it would be a crime to let her talents go to waste, so [Lovablechevy] finished up one of the smallest NES portables we’ve seen.
The build is based on a top-loading NES with a 3.5″ screen. [rekarp]‘s NES2 composite mod was used to get the NES and screen working together. Two LiIon batteries provide 3 hours of play time (with a low battery indicator, natch).
[lovablechevy] also included an AV out so she can connect her HandyNES to a larger CRT screen. Like our old Sega Nomad, this allows for a little two-player action – player one using the HandyNES and player two using an extra controller. Support for the Zapper was also included after modding the Zapper connection to a USB port.
Check out the video walkthrough after the break. To prove that her build isn’t a clone, [lovablechevy] also include a video of herself playing Battletoads past the point where the clones crash. Excellent work from the Queen of Bondo.
http://hackaday.com/2011/11/27/adora...-portable-nes/
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November 27th, 2011, 21:42 Posted By: wraggster
Mario Kart 7 isn't even out in Japan yet but gameplay videos are already gushing out and we've grabbed one showing off the game's battle courses.
There are six in total; three retro courses (GBA Battle Course 1, N64 Big Doughnut and DS Palm Shore) and three new ones (Honeybee Hive, Sherbet Rink and Wuhu Town).
The game's out in Japan on December 1, followed by Europe on Dec 2 and US on Dec 4.
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November 27th, 2011, 23:45 Posted By: wraggster
UAE is a famous Amiga emulator ported to the Wii. UAE Wii can be found on googlecode at uae-wii.googlecode.com, and is based on the source code of E-UAE. It allows you to play Stunt car racer, Turrican, Midwinter and the other good old Amiga games on your Wii. The port uses SDL Wii.
Changelog
Version 7
Fixed Hardfile and virtual filesystem support
Added virtual keyboard
Added several menu options (immediate blits, collision level, real CPU speed, scanlines, ntsc and sound)
Menu reorganization
Other small improvements
http://uae-wii.googlecode.com/files/...i-7-bin.tar.gz
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November 28th, 2011, 00:27 Posted By: wraggster
v0.56 of the SNES menu has been released!
A youtube video showing some of the improvements:
New in this version:- Faster SD loading (at least if your core FW is 2.4 or later). The transfer speed has been increased about 15-20% (I get around 160-170 kB/s with my SanDisk cards).
- Added support for 48 Mbit ExHiROM games when loading from SD.
- Added some SRAM type detection for HiROM games when loading from SD.
- Fixed some bugs in the region fixing code.
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Click here for more information & download links
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November 28th, 2011, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster
Super Mario 3D Land is the fastest selling portable Mario game ever in the US, Nintendo has announced.The company's US chief Reggie Fils-Aime told USA Today that Mario's latest romp has sold in excess of 500,000 copies in the US since its 11th November launch.The game's release has also given 3DS hardware a shot in the arm. Sales of the system were up an impressive 49 per cent during 3D Land's launch week. However, last week sales shot up an enormous 325 per cent compared to the seven days prior to the game's launch, fueled by the US's Black Friday shopping bonanza."What this has been able to do is drive our Nintendo 3DS business in only eight months to surpass the full first year volume of the original DS and we still have the bulk of the holiday to go," commented Fils-Aime, "and we still have the launch of Mario Kart 7 to continue driving our full-year sales."The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword got off to a great start in North America too, selling 535,000 copies since its 20th November launch. That makes it the country's fastest-selling Zelda game ever.Link's latest adventure seems to be faring much better across the pond. It debuted at number seven in the UK charts last week, falling to 19th in its second week.Fils-Aime added that the Wii had its best Black Friday ever, shifting 500,000 units in the US over the weekend."We know that Black Friday and that entire week is a key selling week and it is important for products like ours to have a jump in momentum and we were fortunate to see that," said Fils-Aime."For us, it really was driven by unique and powerful software and what gives us confidence is that we still have more software to launch in the balance of this holiday period."
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ble-mario-ever
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November 28th, 2011, 23:55 Posted By: wraggster
Zen Studios' well-received pinball series Zen Pinball fires onto the 3DS eShop this Thursday.Versions of Zen Pinball are already available for PS3 and iPhone. Xbox 360 alter ego Pinball FX has been out since 2007.Zen Pinball arrives on 3DS priced £4.50 and comes with four tables borrowed from existing Zen Pinball incarnations: Earth Defence, Shaman, Excalibur and Eldorado.Local hot seat multiplayer, online leaderboards and plenty of unlockables are available.Players are ranked based on their Pro Score - a sum of your highest entry on each table - and Team Score, which adds in your friend's scores too.Elsewhere, Game Boy Pac-Man clone Lock 'n' Chase is this week's 3DS Virtual Console launch, while RTS series Castle Conqueror assaults Nintendo's DSiWare service with its latest incarnation, Revolution.There's also arcade garden ornament fighter Gnomz for WiiWare and a Blackjack game for DSiWare.This week's full listing lies below. - Zen Pinball 3D (3DS) - £4.50/€5
- Lock 'N Chase (3DS Virtual Console) - £2.70/€3
- Castle Conqueror Revolution (DSiWare) - £4.50/€5
- 21: Blackjack (DSiWare) - £1.80/€2
- Gnomz (WiiWare) - 500 Wii Points (£3.50)
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...p-release-date
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November 29th, 2011, 00:03 Posted By: wraggster
The Wii and Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, as well as Super Mario 3D Land, each sold over 500 thousand units in US on Black Friday.
 Skyward Sword has sold 535,000 units since November 20, which makes it the fastest-selling Zelda title ever.And Nintendo America boss Reggie Fils-Aime has confirmed to USA Today (thanks Industry Gamers) that Super Mario 3D Land has become the fastest-selling portable Mario game in Nintendo history with over 500k sales since its November 11 launch.
3DS sales were also triple that of the week November 6 - prior to Mario 3D Land's launch.
"What this has been able to do is drive our Nintendo 3DS business in only eight months to surpass the full first year volume of the original DS and we still have the bulk of the holiday to go," said Fils-Aime, confirming Nintendo's recent forecasts for first-year 3DS sales to surpass its predecessor's.
"And we still have the launch of Mario Kart 7 (out Dec 4) to continue driving our full-year sales on Nintendo 3DS," he added.
"We know that Black Friday and that entire week is a key selling week, and it is important for products like ours to have a jump in momentum, and we were fortunate to see that," continued Fils-Aime.
"For us, it really was driven by unique and powerful software and what gives us confidence is that we still have more software to launch in the balance of this holiday period."
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-black-friday/
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November 30th, 2011, 00:33 Posted By: wraggster
November is just about over and 3DS users are still without that firmware update announced last month. They needn't worry, though, because Nintendo says it's on the way. In a statement posted to its site yesterday, the company confirmed that the refresh "is in the final stages of internal testing," and that it will be released by December 8th -- not the end of November, as previously indicated. When it finally hits, users will be able to record 3D video, access new StreetPass games, and transfer data across their 3DS systems. These all sound like good things, but they'll only come to those who wait.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/29/3...endo-confirms/
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November 30th, 2011, 00:46 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo's 3DS has outstripped the first-year sales figure of its 3DS predecessor.
Nintendo Of America president Reggie Fils-Aime told USA Today that the boost to 3DS sales following the release of Super Mario 3D Land - which has sold half a million units in the to become thefastest-selling Mario handheld game of all time - and the recentglobal price drop had seen 3DS sales surge past those of its predecessor.
"What this has been able to do is drive our Nintendo 3DS business in only eight months to surpass the full first-year volume of the original DS, and we still have the bulk of the holiday to go," he said. "And we still have the launch of Mario Kart 7 to continue driving full-year sales of Nintendo 3DS."
By the end of October, 1.65 million 3DS units had been sold in the United States. DS sold 2.37 million units in its first 12 months on shelves, meaning 720,000 3DS systems have been sold in the US so far this month. The lion's share of those followed Super Mario 3D Land's release on November 13; last week's sales were up 325 per cent on the first week of the month.
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/3ds-bea...r-one-ds-sales
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November 30th, 2011, 01:11 Posted By: wraggster
 Open the latest issue of Nintendo Power and you'll find yourself looking at four pages of heaven. Rhythm Heaven, specifically. The magazine drops the news we've been waiting for: an official release window for the Wii iteration of Nintendo and Tsunku's musical minigame series, titled Rhythm Heaven Fever. It's set for February 2012.
The article introduces several of the vibrantly cartoonish, inexplicable activities in which you'll engage, including seesaw inspection, tambourine practice with a monkey instructor, and protecting your date from an onslaught of soccer balls.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/29/rh...a-in-february/
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November 30th, 2011, 01:56 Posted By: wraggster
Mario Kart 7 is, as its predecessors always have been, an exceedingly hateful game. Three laps' worth of perfect corner negotiation, aggressive drafting and creating enough sparks to manufacture a small sun can be overturned instantly, sometimes in sight of the finish line. Who am I kidding? It is always in sight of the finish line, and it's always Toad, an innocuous-looking bastard who's caused me to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory more times than I could ever hope to count. (Estimated guess, though: A hundred billion.)
Frustrating though they may be, those turnabouts are how the franchise skirts around recurring poxes of the racing genre. Last place racers get far more potent weaponry than the pace cars -- not rubber-banding in the traditional sense, but the result's the same. Mario Kart 7's changes and additions are few in number, but they're rich in the refinement of that concept. More than ever, it's a game about getting screwed over without getting too angry about it, a pair of goals it achieves with panache.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/29/mario-kart-7-review/
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November 30th, 2011, 02:04 Posted By: wraggster
An officially licensed Mario Kart 7 steering wheel spotted last month for release in Japan will be available to buy in the UK next month, Nintendo has confirmed.Created by peripherals manufacturer Hori, the wheel has Nintendo's official stamp of approval.There's no word on how much it will cost here, although in Japan it was priced at 1280 yen (about £10.50).The wheel attachment fits snugly around the 3DS, allowing players extra grip for the game's tilt-sensing gyroscopic controls.Mario Kart 7's arm-swerving control method is optional and sees gameplay transferred into first-person view. It's a control pad-free alternative similar to the Wii Wheel add-on for Mario Kart Wii.Simon Parkin rated the game 8/10 in Eurogamer's Mario Kart 7 review.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...nfirmed-for-uk
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November 30th, 2011, 23:40 Posted By: wraggster
Circle Pad Pro, the attachment which adds a second analogue pad and set of shoulder buttons to Nintendo's 3DS, will be released in Europe on January 27.
The add-on, revealed alongside Monster Hunter 3G in September and set to launch in Japan next month, will be available either on its own or bundled with Resident Evil: Revelations, which is released on the same day.
The upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, Ace Combat 3D Cross Rumble, Dynasty Warriors Vs, and Kingdom Hearts 3D will also be compatible with the attachment.
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/3ds-cir...leased-january
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November 30th, 2011, 23:53 Posted By: wraggster
For those of us who can’t be bothered to dig out or N64 whenever we want to playOcarina of Time or our NES whenever we get the urge to play Battletoads, emulators are a godsend. There is a problem, though. A keyboard doesn’t provide the right experience as a the classic NES ‘brick’ or the N64 tritopus controllers. Enter theFuntendo, a breakout box that converts all your well-loved controllers to USB.
The Funtendo uses the Gadget Gangster Propeller Platform with a terminal block module. Putting together the electronics is fairly easy; just strip the ends of the controllers and screw them down to the terminal blocks. N64, NES and Wii Classic Controllers are supported by the Funtendo. Going for the Classic Controller over a Super Nintendo controller reduces the complexity of the build. The Classic Controller can play SNES games and uses an I2C bus, making it easier to wire.
For interfacing the controllers to the computer, the Parallax Propeller Tool, Parallax serial terminal, and PPJoy convert button mashing into readable buttons for the emulator. The build may take more time than pulling an NES out of the attic, but even with a large project box it takes up much less space.
http://hackaday.com/2011/11/30/funte...llers-to-a-pc/
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December 1st, 2011, 00:15 Posted By: wraggster
 The monsters of Resident Evil: Revelations will arrive in Europe on January 27, and they'll bring another monster along with them: the 3DS-enlarging Circle Pad Pro. Nintendo UK announced today that the 3DS attachment will be bundled with a "special limited edition" package of Capcom's horror game.Revelations will also be sold separately.
This is the first official announcement of a release date for the peripheral outside of Japan. Capcom USA has shown the game to US press with the attachment, indicating future availability in North America. Capcom USA also said there were no plans for a Circle Pad Pro/Revelations bundle here.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/30/re...pro-in-europe/
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