Nintendo Announces Two New DS Lite Black Friday Bundles [ Nintendo ]
The day after Thanksgiving might be known to holiday shoppers as "Black Friday," but this year Nintendo is rewarding eager consumers with two brilliant splashes of color. On Nov. 28, Nintendo will release a duo of limited-edition Nintendo DS bundles, each pairing a Nintendo DS game title with a hand-held system in a bold new color. The Mario Red Nintendo DS bundle includes a red system emblazoned with a familiar M for Mario, and a copy of New Super Mario Bros. The Ice Blue Nintendo DS comes with a custom carrying case and the popular Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day. Each bundle sells at an MSRP of $149.99.
Expected to rank high on holiday wish lists among first-time gamers and veteran players alike, the Mario Red and Ice Blue systems are the latest additions to Nintendo's rich palette of distinctive Nintendo DS colors. As people across the nation make their way to malls and retailers for pre-holiday sales and events, shoppers are encouraged to act fast if they want to get their hands on these limited-edition bundles.
A new software title for Nintendo DS turns the world's best-selling portable video game system into an interactive cooking coach, complete with tasty recipes and video demos. Personal Trainer: Cooking for Nintendo DS contains more than 240 dishes from dozens of countries around the world. The DS Chef, a friendly electronic cooking instructor, walks users through each step to make sure every dish comes out perfect and delicious.
Personal Trainer: Cooking even includes videos of various cooking techniques, such as how to properly julienne vegetables. The touch screen interface helps budding chefs check ingredients on an electronic shopping list they can take to the grocery store. It also lets them search recipes based on ingredients, number of calories or cooking time. When a user's hands are too covered in the business of cooking to use the touch screen, the voice-recognition feature comes in handy: Just tell the DS Chef to move on to the next step or repeat the last one.
Personal Trainer: Cooking also builds on the social aspect of food as well. Roommates can try out recipes together, or parents can involve their children in preparing dishes for the family. With a tap, users can even scale the quantity of their recipes based on the number of guests they expect.
Users can customize their favorite recipes. For instance, if a user thinks a recipe tastes better with a pinch of oregano, he or she can jot that note directly onto the recipe using the Nintendo DS stylus and touch screen, and it'll be saved for the next time the dish is prepared.
Eric Jones
-- Posted on Monday, November 24 2008 12:18 PM [Top]
Nintendo Helps Consumers Make Their Wish Lists [ Nintendo ]
If you want people to know what gifts you want for the holidays, you need to speak up. And who better to help you speak up about your love for Nintendo DS games than iconic Nintendo video game character Mario himself?
Starting today, people can visit mariowishlist.varitalk.com and check off the Nintendo DS items they hope to receive for the holidays. After users provide some other fun information, your friend, relative or special someone will receive a voice mail or e-mail with a personalized message from Mario about what Nintendo DS gifts you hope to receive.
To provide even more shopping support, Nintendo's holiday Web site is there to help both gift-givers and gift-getters streamline their shopping lists, by offering information about Nintendo DS systems and games. To check it out, go to Nintendo Giftcenter. If you're the one doing the shopping, you can browse through the holiday Web site based on the type of gifts enjoyed by the person you're shopping for, such as the Mario fan, the music groupie or the puzzle fanatic.
But let's say you're the one doing the receiving. The holiday Web site will help you build a wish list and send it as a hint to your loved ones in an e-card with special holiday designs. This feature will be available through the end of December.
Eric Jones
-- Posted on Monday, November 24 2008 12:14 PM [Top]
Boingz (RealArcade, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Stretch, flex and flick your way to freedom. A truly mind-bending experience, Boingz introduces you to cute, colorful, stretchable friends lost in an alien world, searching for the magical gates that will take them home. Boingz springs to life with 30 levels of puzzle-platforming fun. The Boingz are bendy little critters that can be pulled, stretched and flicked from place to place like rubber bands. It's a team effort, as all the Boingz will have to work together to unwind the game's puzzles. What's more, many of the Boingz have fallen into a deep slumber, and you'll have to lead the stronger Boingz to find and wake up their sleepy friends. Explore surreal landscapes, sail through the air like a trapeze artist, walk along the seafloor, and collect the Twinklies to power up your elastic-powered flights.
Sudoku Challenge! (Digital Leisure Inc., 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Now's your chance to play the brain-busting puzzle game taking the world by storm. With over 100 million Sudoku puzzles, you'll never see the same puzzle twice in Sudoku Challenge! You can select the classic nine-by-nine Sudoku game boards as well as Grand Sudoku, which challenges you to complete five intersecting Sudoku boards simultaneously. Just a beginner? Don't worry-with three difficulty options, even a novice player can complete a Sudoku with ease. But if you're a seasoned pro, challenge yourself in Expert mode and test your true skills. It's time to get your thinking cap on and see how many Sudoku puzzles you can conquer.
Virtual Console
Boogerman: A Pick and Flick Adventure (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, 800 Wii Points): In this top pick from the Sega Genesis, play as Boogerman, the heroic alter ego of Snotty Ragsdale. While investigating Professor Stinkbaum's lab, Boogerman stumbles upon a strange machine that opens a portal to another dimension. Boogerman has a nose for adventure, but has he met his match in this sticky situation? Journey through dangerous worlds while battling wicked enemies like Fly Boy and Deodor Ant. Deal them a blow with Boogerman's super abilities: pick and flick with deadly precision, belch, and use his deadly signature stomp.
Eric Jones
-- Posted on Monday, November 24 2008 12:02 PM [Top]
Square Enix Infects DS With Blood of Bahamut [ Square Enix ]
Of all of the companies supporting the Nintendo DS, perhaps none has been a bigger boon moreso than Square Enix. The previously PlayStation-only developer has turned to the DS as practically its primary platform, with a great number of remakes, spin-offs, and original titles being made for the system. Now the comapny looks to be working on the most ambitious game ever created for Nintendo's handheld, with the unveiling of Blood of Bahamut. This action RPG combines 2D sprites with 3D backgrounds and enemies on an enormous scale, as players work to protect their city built on the back of a giant dragon from the invaders that stand against it. The game will feature 4 player co-op and 130 missions in both story and free-play modes. Make sure you check out the stunning first trailer below.
Video:
Eric Jones
-- Posted on Wednesday, November 19 2008 0:32 AM [Top]
Strong Bad Returns For Another WiiWare/VC Monday [ Nintendo ]
WiiWare
Strong Bad Episode 4: Dangeresque 3 (Telltale Games, 1 player, Rated E10 for Everyone 10 and Older – Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Move over, generically buff action heroes. Strong Bad is here to show you how it's done in his hand-crafted cinematic masterpiece, Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective. You play Dangeresque, a dirty cop in pursuit of a little action and several big sacks of cash. Can our hero stay alive long enough to defeat his arch-nemesis, save the world and get the girl? Looks like he's gonna have to jump.
Target Toss Pro: Bags (Incredible Technologies, 1-16 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Target Toss Pro: Bags is a new video game based on beanbag toss, the nation's hottest backyard and tailgate sensation. Bags – or Cornhole, as it's called in some parts of the country – originated in the Midwest in the 1960s and has since become a staple at outdoor social events from coast to coast. Similar to horseshoes, Bags is a deceptively simple yet extremely competitive game where players try to toss beanbags into a hole in a slightly raised platform or "box" for points. Whether at a tailgate party or a summer barbecue, the game has become a social focal point, and the unmistakable thud of bags hitting the box is now a universal party soundtrack.
Virtual Console
SPACE INVADERS: The Original Game (Super NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Experience one of gaming's iconic franchises in this perfect rendition of the arcade classic. Take aim at the field of invaders relentlessly marching toward you. Move quickly but carefully, using the barriers for protection as you avoid missiles fired by the aliens and try to destroy all of them before they reach the bottom of the screen. Further enhance the nostalgia by choosing from several modes that simulate different versions of the arcade game (such as upright cabinet or black-and-white). Or if you want to prove your superior skills to a friend, try the new VS mode and see who can stop the alien menace the quickest. All in all, it's pure gaming at its best, now with no quarters required.
FORGOTTEN WORLDS (SEGA GENESIS, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): FORGOTTEN WORLDS is a one- or two-player side-scrolling shooter made by CAPCOM. It was one of the first games to incorporate 360-degree aiming and shooting. This SEGA GENESIS version provides the same impact and intensity of the classic arcade game. In the 29th century, without warning, warships broke through the sky, loaded with fiendish aliens. They rained down fire, bombs, missiles and napalm, leaving the land barren and inhospitable. Humanity was enslaved and Earth became known as the Forgotten World. In a hidden place, a group of brave humans raised two male children in secret. They brought up the young men as warriors, training them for battle. The two warriors emerged as armed machines of might, strength and super power – the Nameless Ones. Fight the hateful invaders as the powerful Nameless Ones. Collect Zenny to upgrade your weapons and satellite, and free the planet.
Eric Jones
-- Posted on Monday, November 17 2008 11:51 AM [Top]
We just received an email from Atlus, officially announcing their new DS-exclusive RPG My World, My Way. It's interesting to say the least. Check it out below, as well as a trailer via YouTube.
“Attention, please! I am sick of RPGs with gender-confused boy heroes with their spikey hair and ginormous swords living out an absurd ultimate fantasy. Is having your village burn down all you really need to be a champion? And a scar on your face is supposed to make you… What, dark and brooding? Try uncoordinated.
“My name is Elise, and I can change things. No, seriously. When I travel, I expect things around me to go my way. If they don’t, I can make them!
“In My World, My Way, I can change the landscape when it doesn’t suit me, make monsters give me more money, and always take the first turn in battle. I can also make enemies go away if I don’t feel like fighting, shut down their magic abilities, and even make quests solve themselves. Sure, other RPGs let you explore lands and fight monsters, but how many of them let you change the world around you?
“If those walking, talking manchild clichés can leave their farms and their tiny villages - saying tearful goodbyes to their uncles or surrogate parents - and save the universe in the course of a few hours, I’m sure a resourceful girl like me will have the world wrapped around my finger in no time.”
Video:
Eric Jones
-- Posted on Friday, November 14 2008 3:28 AM [Top]
Wii and Nintendo DS topped the U.S. sales charts and combined to sell more than 1.29 million units in October. Nintendo sold 803,210 Wii consoles and 491,176 Nintendo DS systems in October, according to the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. These figures bring the lifetime U.S. sales for Wii to more than 13.35 million and Nintendo DS to more than 23.02 million, extending their leads as the best-selling hardware of this generation.
Nintendo's total hardware unit sales represent a 25.7 percent increase over October 2007. They also account for 59.3 percent of the industry's total hardware unit sales.
Wii Fit, the game that combines fun and fitness, sold nearly half a million copies in the United States in October, six months after it launched. The lifetime U.S. sales for Wii Fit now total more than 2.83 million.
Three games made for Nintendo systems placed in the top five best-selling games of the month, including Wii Fit at No. 2 with 487,234 copies sold, Mario Kart Wii at No. 4 with 289,869 copies sold and Wii Play at No. 5 with 281,844 copies sold.
As an aside, it should be noted that the Wii's big October release, Wii Music, sold a dismal 81,000 copies in its first month of release. We'd say that this might send a message to Nintendo in regards to their support of casual gamers, but I doubt they'd be able to hear it over all the money they're making.
Eric Jones
-- Posted on Friday, November 14 2008 2:12 AM [Top]
Do you find there are too few hours in the day to run a household, hold down a job and fit in a workout? Or, are you just getting bored of the same old fitness routine? EA SPORTS, today announced the development of EA SPORTS Active, an innovative new customizable and personalized fitness product that will get you motivated to move in the comfort of your home. EA SPORTS Active will launch exclusively for the Wii worldwide next spring.
Developed in collaboration with fitness experts, including Bob Greene - renowned exercise physiologist, author and Oprah's personal trainer - EA SPORTS Active is perfect for the whole family, though designed specifically for women seeking a simple, fun and cost-effective way to achieve a healthy lifestyle. The product will be the first in a new line of EA SPORTS fitness and sports performance products in development to improve the well-being of people of all ages.
EA SPORTS Active features a wide variety of interactive activities combined into a circuit that target both the upper and lower body as well as cardio, and supports two players to allow family or friends to get fit together. EA SPORTS Active provides a new level of motivation with on-screen, real-time feedback on your workout such as calories burned, while also allowing you to adjust intensity levels. EA SPORTS Active ships with two specially-designed leg straps that hold the Wii's Nunchuk controller to track lower body movements, as well as a resistance band to support a number of upper body strength training exercises.
EA SPORTS Active features a "30 Day Challenge," a fitness road map for players to reach their fitness goals with the guidance of a virtual trainer. The Challenge provides a new, 20-minute workout every time a player exercises, including clear instruction, feedback on technique and positive encouragement throughout the workout. Each circuit will feel different and increase in intensity as fitness levels improve to help you work up a sweat and work toward your fitness goals. Users can also create their own custom workouts that vary in activity, duration and intensity, and the Wii Balance Board will add functionality to many exercises.
EA SPORTS Active is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver and has an MSRP of $59.99. It has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
Eric Jones
-- Posted on Thursday, November 13 2008 23:10 PM [Top]
DRAGON QUEST V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Scenario & Game Design: Yuji Horii
Character Design: Akira Toriyama
Music Composer: Koichi Sugiyama
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Developer: ArtePiazza
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: RPG
ESRB: E10 (Everyone 10 and older)
Ship Date: February 17, 2009
Never before released in North America, this entry in the Zenithia Trilogy follows a journey that transcends three generations. Travel alongside your father on his quest to see the world, grow to set forth on a journey of your own and face life-altering decisions as you continue your family’s legacy. DRAGON QUEST V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride makes its way to Nintendo DS on February 17, 2009.
VALKYRIE PROFILE: Covenant of the Plume
Developer: tri-Ace Inc.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: RPG
ESRB: Not Yet Rated
Ship Date: March 17, 2009
Destiny by sinner sought. Tragedy by power wrought. The origins of a cult classic are revealed in VALKYRIE PROFILE: Covenant of the Plume, the third entry in the critically acclaimed VALKYRIE PROFILE series. Development studio tri-Ace returns to craft a gameplay experience that boasts a captivating storyline with ties to Norse mythology and a familiar yet refreshing battle system enhanced with deeper strategic elements. VALKYRIE PROFILE: Covenant of the Plume marks the debut of the series on Nintendo DS with its arrival on March 17, 2009.
Eric Jones
-- Posted on Wednesday, November 12 2008 23:57 PM [Top]
Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia Launches [ Nintendo ]
The new Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia action-adventure game for Nintendo DS launches today and lets players capture Pokémon in a fun, new way: by circling them on the touch screen with a "Capture Styler." Capturing a Pokémon allows players to use its abilities to overcome various obstacles and challenges they face along the way. As the game progresses the stylus-controlled Capture Styler is upgraded with new abilities.
In Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, players take on the role of a Pokémon Ranger, who works to help people, Pokémon and nature. Along the way, players meet and capture all kinds of different Pokémon who can help them overcome various challenges, such as fighting wildfires, rescuing people or delivering important packages. Different Pokémon have different powers that can help players as they progress through the game.
Players get to travel through a larger land, go on more Missions and experience more adventures than in the original Pokémon Ranger game. The game is set in Almia, a new region that has locations such as oceans, forests and deserts not found in the original game. Players can start the game as a boy or girl Ranger, and add up to 17 Partner Pokémon (special Pokémon that remain with the Ranger even after their powers are used) to their team as the game progresses. Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia features Pokémon from the Pokémon Diamond version and Pokémon Pearl version games (each sold separately).
Eric Jones
-- Posted on Tuesday, November 11 2008 1:56 AM [Top]
Brain Challenge (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Just like your body, your brain needs to be exercised to stay in shape. Boost your brain and relieve stress through various minigames in a personal session to get a detailed evaluation. Challenge your friends' brains in delirious party games to see who is the smartest. Test your brain's abilities in Visual, Memory, Logic, Math and Focus minigames. Compare yourself with friends by challenging their brains in three multiplayer modes. Develop your resistance to stressful situations that could happen in real life. Use a customized Mii character to create personal sessions. Choose your favorite personal coach. Track your overall performance with detailed statistics and graphs. The special Kid Test and Senior Test modes will gather everyone around the game.
Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam (Virtual Toys, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Animated Blood, Comic Mischief, 1,000 Wii Points): Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam is a frenetically active cooking game in which you must serve food to your customers as quickly as possible. This could be a simple task, but the customers aren't very patient, and you'll find a multitude of annoying insects that make the noble mission of satisfying your small gourmets' stomachs much more difficult. In the game's Career Mode, your goal is to become the best chef in the city. To do so, you have to prove your worth by cooking in four fantastic restaurants: the Hot Dog, Hamburger, Pizza and Mexican Restaurant. Enjoy playing Yummy Yummy with your family, serving delicious food to the most surprising characters: vampires, ninjas, extraterrestrials and mafia thugs. Put on your chef's hat, sharpen your knives and turn up the heat.
Virtual Console
Mega Man 3 (NES, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): In the year 200X, the notorious Dr. Wily, now reformed and working for the forces of good, works hand-in-hand with Dr. Light to build a new type of peacekeeping robot. When a new set of eight Robot Masters escapes the lab to wreak havoc on the world at large, only Mega Man can save the day. This time, Mega Man must rely on his new slide move and canine companion Rush to conquer the stages and vanquish evil. A new character, Proto Man, adds to the mystery and appeal of this seminal title in the famous action-game series.
The new in-game voice chat function for Animal Crossing: City Folk will be ready to go as soon as the game launches on Nov. 16, using the Wii Speak accessory. A separate Wii Speak Channel that people can use to chat independent of Animal Crossing: City Folk will be available in December.
The new voice chat function makes use of the new Wii Speak accessory, a microphone that sits on top of the television and allows entire rooms of people to communicate with one another. Only users who have traded Friend Codes can connect with one another using Wii Speak. The accessory is sold separately at an MSRP of $29.99 and will also be available as a bundle with Animal Crossing: City Folk at select retailers at an MSRP of $69.99. The Wii Speak accessory comes with a code that lets users download the Wii Speak Channel from the Wii Shop Channel at no charge.
The Wii Speak Channel will allow friends and family members to chat with one another, whether they live across town or across the globe. When users are chatting with the Wii Speak Channel, they can see each other's Mii characters representing them on the television screen.
On an editorial note, good job, Nintendo, on patting yourselves on the back for implementing a weak, uninspired version of a standard current-gen feature. Hurrah.
Can't Buy Me Love, But You Can Buy The Beatles [ MTV Games ]
The Beatles’ extraordinary music and phenomenal legacy is set to rock across the universe in the form of a video game through an exclusive partnership between Apple Corps Ltd., Harmonix and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks.
This partnership marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Harrisongs Ltd, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, has agreed to present The Beatles music in an interactive video game format. Published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band®, the game will be an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles. The game was creatively conceived with input from Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, and enjoys their full blessing. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles innovative LOVE project, will provide his expertise and serve as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project
Eric Jones
-- Posted on Tuesday, November 4 2008 0:51 AM [Top]
ALIEN CRUSH RETURNS (Hudson Entertainment, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone – Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): ALIEN CRUSH RETURNS is the ultimate incarnation of the popular TurboGrafx pinball classic, Alien Crush. Boasting innovative game and control features, this is one Wii experience that you don’t want to miss. With all the ball-blazing simplicity and flipper action thrills of standard pinball, ALIEN CRUSH RETURNS has all the visual and digital elements that you’ve come to expect in a video game, including grotesque, eye-stunning playfields as well as unique Action Ball gimmicks that redefine the fun and excitement of pinball. You can even nudge the machine with your Wii Remote controller. What’s more, you can connect via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to enjoy a variety of features such as four-player head-to-head action, high score competitions and Extra Stage downloads.
Home Sweet Home (Big Blue Bubble Inc., 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Picture this scene... You move into your new home, and every room is perfect. Every room, except one. Here is the blank canvas for your vision, but you lack the know-how. Who do you call? The Home Sweet Home team! Home Sweet Home will give you the chance to unleash your hidden talents as an interior designer. You choose the furniture, patterns and colors to create a masterpiece that will blow your client away. With simple controls, a fun graphical style and an easy-to-use interface, Home Sweet Home allows you to nurture your creative side. Remember, a house is not a home until it is a Home Sweet Home.
Virtual Console
Space Harrier (Sega Master System, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): Space Harrier was originally released in the arcade in the 1980s, developed by AM2, which also developed OutRun and Afterburner. Space Harrier is widely recognizable by many arcade fans due to its distinctive, colorful art design and its fast-paced action. The SEGA Master System version is considered a solid port of the arcade game, containing 18 levels of intense fun. As the “Space Harrier,” you must fight your way through “The Land of Dragons” and defeat the bosses at the end of each level to restore peace to the land. Are you prepared? Get ready!
Eric Jones
-- Posted on Monday, November 3 2008 10:54 AM [Top]
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Nintendo Announces Two New DS Lite Black Friday Bundles [ 
