Fantasy, Fishing, and Sudoku for Download Monday [ Nintendo ]
WiiWare
Water Warfare
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E10 (Everyone 10 and Older) - Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Water Warfare is a comical first-person shooter that uses water guns to battle and soak opponents. A map with a particular theme - Playground, Beach, Plaza or Nature Park - is generated automatically when the game begins, so you can think up new strategies each time you engage. Game modes include Single Player Missions, CPU Match and 2-Player Split Screen. On top of that, players with broadband Internet access can use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to battle with up to eight players from around the world, or participate in Ranking Mode.
Reel Fishing Challenge
Publisher: Natsume, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Reel Fishing Challenge offers a fun and challenging experience for novice fishers and master anglers alike. Put your skills to the test and discover new types of fish in the challenging mission mode, or relax and enjoy the game at your own pace in free play mode. No matter which mode you play, the game's beautiful graphics and natural setting bring the fishing experience to life. Choose from a variety of lures to attract and hook the game's numerous fish. Each fish looks and moves like the real thing - it's the closest you can get to real-life fishing without putting on your waders.
Silver Star Reversi
Publisher: Agetec, Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Silver Star Reversi has two modes: 1-Player mode allows you to play a match against the computer opponent, and 2-Player mode allows you to play against another person. In 1-Player mode, you can choose from five different computer opponents, turn the background music on or off, adjust sound effects and access in-game help features. During each match, you can also redo your last move, save the game at any point, or resign from the game. After a match has ended, you can review each move and resume the match from any point you choose.
Virtual Console
Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa
Original platform: SEGA MASTER SYSTEM
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Ten years have elapsed since Opa-Opa restored peace to the Fantasy Zone. Now history is repeating itself, and the planets that make up the Fantasy Zone once again find themselves attacked by the mastermind of the Nenon planet forces. This mastermind is secretly constructing a huge fortress in the Fantasy Zone and aims to put an end to their ambitious plans. Just as he did 10 years ago, Opa-Opa must do battle to save the Fantasy Zone.
Nintendo DSiWare
SUDOKU MASTER
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: SUDOKU MASTER offers 150 unique puzzles that beginners and experts alike will enjoy. A handful of tutorials will help you learn the rules and controls as you go, and handy features like Write Mode and Temp Numbers make Sudoku pleasantly user-friendly. Feeling confident? Then try your hand at Title Mode to work your way up from Rookie to Sudoku Master. All puzzles were created by Sudoku veteran NIKOLI Co., Ltd., and tips from Sudoku godfather Maki Kaji are offered between games.
Drill Sergeant Mindstrong
Publisher: XSEED Games
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10 (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Language, Mild Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Line up and get ready to use your mind. Drill Sergeant Mindstrong is a party game that allows up to four people to play at once. Players become boot-camp trainees under the tough Drill Sergeant Mindstrong, going through mind-boggling, mind-training games. The rules are simple, but concentration and quick thinking are key. Become the top boot of your class and earn promotions based on your efforts. This game is best played with friends and family.
NEVES Plus
Publisher:YUKES Company of America
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description:Try your hand at the newest puzzle craze to come out of Japan, NEVES Plus! Enhanced for WiiWare, NEVES Plus not only retains all the simple, mind-bending tangram-based game play from the original Nintendo DS version, but also includes new multiplayer modes wrapped up in an Egyptian theme. This time, you and up to three others can work together to move, rotate and flip the seven Lucky stones into each of the 500-plus silhouette puzzles. You can also challenge one another in new multiplayer modes such as Versus, Speed, Lucky Number and Party Mode. Whether you play every mode by yourself or with friends, NEVES Plus is set to charm you with harder-than-they-look silhouette puzzles.
Family Mini Golf
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Daddy, Mommy, Sarah and Billy are back for some mini-golf action. Play through multiple golf courses that contain obstacles ranging from bumpers to speed ramps to fans and more. Up to eight players can play together using a single Wii Remote controller. You can download new courses to expand your fun-filled mini-golf experience, creating even more complex and difficult challenges to overcome. Can you conquer all the courses and become the mini-golf champion?
Nintendo DSiWare
Art Style: BOXLIFE
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Climb the corporate ladder in the world of BOXLIFE using your wits and... paper? Use the Nintendo DSi stylus to cut and then manipulate the paper into a box shape. Be careful-if you're not efficient with your cuts, you'll waste paper and be penalized. R&D mode teaches you new patterns and challenges you to complete various ranks, while FACTORY mode gives you the chance to earn money by making as many boxes as possible from an endless sheet of paper. Success in each mode brings its own reward: Clear ranks to earn a promotion, change your character's appearance, and use your earnings to acquire new items for your character's miniature garden. With this game's stylish graphics and catchy sounds, thinking inside the box isn't such a bad thing.
Virtual Console
SimEarth: The Living Planet
Original platform: TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Violent References
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: An entire planet becomes your laboratory in this large-scale simulation game. Players help foster new life and promote its evolution into life forms of higher intelligence. Guide civilization along the path of evolution until it can achieve Exodus, the ultimate goal of settling on another planet. The basic challenge of the game is to maintain a comfortable environment for the life forms by adjusting atmospheric and geological parameters. Small organisms called Prokaryote and Trichordate will grow and evolve into a multitude of life forms. Making a drastic change is a recipe for disaster. The key to success is making small adjustments and watching how the life forms react. SimEarth also includes planets with environments different from Earth, such as Mars and Venus. Try your hand at terraforming these planets with harsh conditions and creating a world where life can thrive.
Mario, Toasters, Catching, and Rainbows for Download [ Nintendo ]
WiiWare
Eduardo the Samurai Toaster Publisher: Semnat Studios Players: 1-4 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Cartoon Violence Price: 800 Wii Points Description: Fight your way through 13 diverse locations on your own or with up to three friends in this frenetic and stylish side-scrolling action game. Play as Eduardo and his fellow toaster buddies as you fire an assortment of pastries at all kinds of dastardly food products. Hop onto laser-mounted scooters and fly across the screen in rocket packs, and learn to cooperate with your teammates or simply annoy each other in an awesomely fun way by throwing each other around the screen. The choice is up to you.
RAINBOW ISLANDS: TOWERING ADVENTURE! Publisher: TAITO Players: 1-2 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief Price: 800 Wii Points Description: In Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!, players control the rainbow-magic-wielding Bubby or Bobby as they climb the seven seamless areas of a tower reaching the heavens while defeating enemies with their rainbow powers. Bosses controlled by the scientific genius Dr. Crescent await players at the end of every area. Race through every area within the allotted time to meet the rainbow-colored Holly's Comet. There are three game modes: Story mode, which tells the tale of Holly's Comet; Challenge mode, where players attempt to climb as high as they can; and Time Attack, where players select an area and see how fast they can climb it. Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is an exhilarating action game where you use rainbows to climb into the heavens.
Let's CATCH Publisher: SEGA Players: 1-4 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief, Mild Suggestive Themes Price: 1,000 Wii Points Description: Play catch with friends in multiplayer party games and compete for high scores using your Mii character and others. Choose from six different single and multiplayer modes such as Speed Catch, which tests your ability to catch a fastball, and Bomb Catch, an elimination party game for up to four players. Select from a variety of characters or use your Mii character to play other favorite catch games. Unlock special features when you own both Let's TAP and Let's CATCH.
Nintendo DSiWare
Mario Calculator Publisher: Nintendo Players: 1 ESRB Rating: N/A Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points Description: Mario and Luigi take a break from their normal adventures to dedicate their heroic talents to working with numbers. Mario Calculator features the full functionality of a traditional calculator, including a Memory key and the ability to display up to 13 digits, and adds a layer of atmosphere reminiscent of the original Super Mario Bros. Use the Unit Converter to turn one unit of measure into another (such as length, weight, volume, age and others), or track the history of calculations you've performed with ease. Listen to the Mario-related sounds and watch the coins fly as calculations are performed. Now, back to adding up those high scores...
Mario Clock Publisher: Nintendo Players: 1 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points Description: Turn back time and enjoy a bit of classic game play based on the original Super Mario Bros. with Mario Clock. Help Mario and Luigi collect more coins than ever (POW block anyone?) while they run through a variety of stages. Gather enough coins and you'll be treated to another scene bound to bring back fond memories for many. Mario Clock includes both analog and digital clocks that use the system's internal clock or allow you to offset the time however you like. Program up to three alarms (with snooze functionality for those that need it) and assign them a Mario-related sound or use one created in the Nintendo DSi Sound application. You'll find yourself thinking "Just a few more coins..." in no time!
Virtual Console
Space Harrier Original platform: Virtual Console Arcade Publisher: SEGA Players: 1 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Animated Violence Price: 800 Wii Points Description: "Welcome to the Fantasy Zone. Get ready!" This is the greeting given to you as you start Space Harrier, but you don't have much time to take this advice. Even as the words are being spoken, your Harrier warrior is already charging into battle. Toting a huge laser gun under his arm, the Space Harrier can either run along the checkerboard ground or freely fly through the sky. Either way, he's always heading forward into the hostile 3-D world. As you progress, hordes of strange creatures and robots fly toward you. Fast reflexes are required to dodge their incoming fire. Environmental hazards can be a problem, too. Take care not to run into any trees or stone structures. If you need a bit of a morale boost, just defeat a boss, and the narrator will remind you that "you're doing great!"
The Nintendo DS franchise continued its strong sales and placed No. 1 across all platforms for May, according to the NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. U.S. consumers purchased nearly 390,000 Nintendo DSi systems and nearly 244,000 Nintendo DS systems in May, for a combined total of more than 633,000 hand-helds. Total Nintendo DS franchise sales are at more than 31 million in the United States.
Nintendo's Wii console also hit a major milestone in May. With more than 289,000 unit sales in May, U.S. Wii sales crossed the 20 million mark after just 31 months on the market, reinforcing its position as the fastest-selling console in history.
Six games published for Nintendo platforms finished in the top 10 best-sellers of May in the United States. These include Wii Fit at No. 2 with nearly 353,000 sold, EA Sports Active at No. 3 with nearly 346,000 sold, Pokémon Platinum Version at No. 6 with nearly 169,000 sold, Mario Kart Wii at No. 7 with more than 158,000 sold Punch-Out!! at No. 8 with nearly 157,000 sold and Wii Play at No. 10 with more than 109,000 sold.
Eric Jones
-- Posted on Saturday, June 13 2009 16:23 PM [Top]
Nintendo Ending User-Generated Brawl Content [ Smash Bros Dojo ]
From the Super Smash Bros. Dojo:
As of June 30th, 2009, the current service that accepts user-generated snapshots, stage designs, and replay data will no longer be available. Please note, however, that we will continue to distribute such data after that date.
No reason was given for the sudden change, but there it is.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong Headlines Download Monday [ Nintendo ]
Nintendo DSiWare
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Thanks to the runaway success of Super Mini Mario World, Mario and Pauline have expanded their toy-filled theme park and invited everyone to the opening celebration – everyone, that is, except Donkey Kong, who was too late to get in. Donkey Kong decides to crash the party and kidnaps Pauline along the way. Can Mario and his Mini Marios rescue Pauline from Donkey Kong’s clutches yet again? Make sure to explore the Construction Zone, where you’ll find all the tools needed to make your own original levels. You can then share your masterpieces or download levels created by others, via a local wireless connection or with broadband Internet access and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
WiiWare
Swords & Soldiers
Publisher: Ronimo Games
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10 (Everyone 10 and Older) – Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Rewrite history as you take control of the brutal Vikings, the devious Aztecs or the crafty Chinese in their global quest to win the favor of the Gods. Swords & Soldiers is a side-scrolling strategy game that lets you control an entire army and wield devastating magical abilities. Demolish your enemy’s castle at the end of these two-dimensional battlefields and lead your troops to victory. Featuring hours of single-player campaign game play and challenging skirmishes, the game also offers frantic local multiplayer matches that let you take the fight to your friends. If that still isn’t enough for you, there are several unlockable challenge modes that will test your abilities even further.
Fish’em All!
Publisher: Abylight
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Here’s an arcade game with real coin-op flavor. Jack and Walter are two old fishermen in a fantasy world. They’ve found places where crazy fish leap out of the water all day long – perfect for fishing. It’s a shame the other strange creatures aren’t going to make things easy. In this surreal action game, you’ll experience the excitement of the great arcade classics on your Wii console. Hold on tight to your controller and fish ’em all, featuring nine colorful scenarios, three game modes (Arcade, Challenge and Fishtris) and one- or two-player action.
Virtual Console
Genghis Khan II: Clan of the Gray Wolf
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: KOEI
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10 (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: In Genghis Khan II: Clan of the Gray Wolf, unite the scattered Mongol tribes under your banner and conquer the world as Genghis Khan. Choose from two riveting scenarios: Mongolia and all of Eurasia. It’s up to you to take your fledgling empire from humble beginnings on the Mongolian plateau and expand your borders across the land. As your rivals look enviously upon your domain, you must struggle to weather the assaults of your opponents and carve out a living for your people. Engage in diplomacy to forge alliances and organize your troops to defend the prosperity of your empire. If you can manage to spread the borders of your empire to the corners of the world, all will pay homage to your might.
Announced at E3 2009, Flipnote Studio is a DSiWare title allowing players to create their own flipbook-style animations, and share them with friends. They can also be shared online and downloaded through Nintendo Wi-Fi.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again Assets [ Nintendo ]
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is making a long-awaited return with a new DSiWare installment, Minis March Again. Now, players can create their own levels, and once again command Mario against that dastardly monkey against whom he's been fighting against for the past 25 years. Seriously, I think it's time to give it a rest.
Need for Speed Nitro brings high-octane arcade racing to the Wii with over-the-top action, real cars, and insane stunts. With a unique grafitti tagging system, you can make the world yours and overtake your rivals. The game features a unique visual style and plenty of action. Check out the screens below.
Continuing the popular Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series, The Crystal Bearers is an action RPG set in a world where magic is a forgotten art, and a new race of Crystal Bearers are scorned by the world. Now, a young Crystal Bearer named Layle must save the world from a forgotten evil.
The game is set for a 2010 release. Check out some new screens, art, and a new trailer below.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Screens and Trailer [ Square Enix ]
Set for release on September 26th, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days details the events between Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts 2, telling the story of Roxas' joining of Organization XIII. The game features four-player co-op with the ability to play as your favorite Organization member, and introduces the fourteeth member, a mysterious girl named Xion.
Concept Art of New Legend of Zelda For Wii Revealed [ Nintendo ]
Because Nintendo loves us so much (or maybe they just wanted to prevent the inevitable leaks, who knows), the company has released in VERY high-res the first concept art of the brand-new Legend of Zelda game being made for the Wii. This is our first look at a new, grown-up Link (sans sword, surprisingly enough), and a new female character. Now that our appetite is whetted, the question becomes...when will we see the game in action? Miyamoto stated he'd like to show it at the NEXT E3, so I guess we'll see you in 2010! For now, check out the stunning artwork below.
Use Logic to Unlock the Images in the Puzzles
Picross 3D is based on the worldwide popular Picross DS puzzle game. Picross 3D moves the action into three dimensions and blends the logical challenge of a number-based puzzle with the excitement of discovering the hidden images within.
FEATURES:
• Players start with a solid block of cubes marked with numbers on the end of each row. The numbers represent
the number of blocks that will remain in that row. If the number five is marked on the end of a row of six blocks,
for example, one of those blocks must be eliminated. But which one? Players must deduce the answer based
on the numbers marked on other rows.
• Players tap a hammer to eliminate blocks they think don’t belong or use a paintbrush to mark ones they think
should stay.
• Once all the appropriate blocks have been chipped away, a fun object will be revealed. There are more than
350 objects to discover in the game.
• Picross 3D lets players create their own customized puzzles. Players can either share their creations with other
Picross 3D players via a local wireless connection or use their broadband Internet connection and Nintendo
Wi-Fi Connection to submit their puzzles into a monthly contest. Winners will have their puzzles featured in free
weekly downloads available to all Picross 3D players.
• If multiple people want to play Picross 3D, game owners can also send a sample puzzle to others via DS
Download Play without the need of a second game card.
Put Some Style in Your Stylus Style Savvy combines creativity and fashion with a collection of trendy clothes, chic accessories and stylish shoes. As the owner of a clothing boutique, you must purchase inventory, monitor the store’s funds and try to please a constant stream of customers who look to you for the best fashions.
FEATURES: • You can stock your store with items from 16 different in-game designer labels, each with its own distinct style and price point. Style Savvy includes more than 10,000 items and a range of customers with a variety of styles and personalities. • Every day customers who walk through the door of your shop tell you their shopping budget and the kind of clothing they want. If you make them look good, they’ll be back – or they might even stick around and spend more. • Once you build up some cash, then it’s time for you to go shopping to stock your store. You can expand your inventory or start getting ready for seasonal changes, which are timed to the calendar of the Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi system. • You can make a local wireless connection with up to three of your friends to host a fashion runway contest to see who has the best eye for fashion. • If two players have Style Savvy game cards, they can connect their Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi systems locally to visit each other’s stores. Players who have broadband wireless Internet access can connect to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and walk around other players’ stores and browse their best wares. Players can find their favorite coordinates, download them and wear them. • You can customize the look of your character with different head shapes, eyes and lips. Or you can modify your look by changing your hair color, getting a new hair style or adding makeup.
Red Steel 2 is the highly anticipated Nintendo Wii exclusive title that will bring players the best sword & gun fighting experience ever on console.
Designed for the Wii MotionPlus, Red Steel 2 features unparalleled control. Players will pick up the Wii Remote and swing it freely as the sword
on-screen follows their precise movement – and even measures the strength of their swing.
Red Steel 2 is a first-person-action-game where players become a lone swordsman who finds himself in an edgy city in the middle of a desert armed with only a sword and gun.
Key Features
BE THE SWORDSMAN
You are a lonesome fighter, a man of few words with a shaded past full of mystery. One day, you come back to town, to find the members of your clan murdered.
Your only duty now is to discover the truth about this slaughter and take revenge. You’ll have to defeat the wicked plans of the Warlord who has slaughtered your friends and taken control of the city.
Face various, and increasingly stronger, enemies and defeat challenging bosses in epic and intense fights.
IMMERSIVE EDGY WESTERN SETTING
Caldera, is a remote mixed metropolis in the middle of the American desert, where Eastern culture and Western culture has been smashed together into a hodge-podge jumble; rice bowl restaurants, gas stations, Japanese shops, and American steakhouses all compete on the same block.
Visit various locations through the city, each with a distinctive style. You will discover the game’s immersive background and environment as you make your way through the adventure.
EXCLUSIVELY DESIGNED FOR THE WII MOTION PLUS
The Wii MotionPlus provides 1:1 recognition where the sword movements are precisely replicated within the game. Slashing the villains the way you want!
The Wii MotionPlus measures the power of your swing. The harder you swing the Wii Remote, the harder the sword swings in the game!
In addition, the Wii MotionPlus provides a more precise input, which results in increased aiming accuracy with the Wii Remote.
Finally, the combined features via the Wii MotionPlus make the game accessible. However, a wide range of difficulty levels gives players the opportunity to take on a more challenging experience – making Red Steel 2 the core title featuring the Wii Motion Plus.
CLOSE COMBAT SYSTEM
The first-person-view puts you in the middle of the action and immediately making you feel like a powerful swords-master and gunslinger.
Fight up to six enemies simultaneously and feel the power and freedom to use your sword or your gun at any time.
The dynamic controls also allow you to master numerous combos with your sword and your gun ranging from triggering several finishing kills on your enemies, parrying your enemies attacks as well as deflecting bullets with your sword!
Ubisoft brings the Wii more Rabbid love, this time sans Rayman. Help the Rabbids build a pile of junk to the moon by collecting random stuff from all over the place. Check out the images to get an idea.
Overview: After a full-scale alien attack on Washington D.C., suspicions arise as to the involvement of the U.S. government. Armed with sci-fi gadgets including a unique All Seeing Eye device and high-powered weapons, players will battle aliens, rouge agents and other enemy forces as a former secret service agent codenamed “Mr. Ford.”
Built exclusively for Wii, The Conduit pushes the boundaries of the platform from incredible award-winning graphics to robust controls that are customizable on-the-fly. This action-packed, first-person shooter from the creators at High Voltage Software also supports the Wii Speak peripheral.
Join the ranks of the Secret Service as Agent Ford and dive into an award-winning conspiracy-laden shooter unlike any other. Armed with fully customizable controls and an arsenal of sci-fi gadgets and high-powered weapons, unravel the mysterious events happening around Washington D.C. Battle against aliens, rouge agents and enemy forces in an intense single-player story or challenge your friends in up-to-12-person multiplayer games. In the world of The Conduit, the truth that may not be what it seems…
Features: ·Conspiracy-driven Action – Dive into an engaging story set in modern day Washington D.C. involving secret agents, invading aliens, and centuries-old government cover-up conspiracies. ·Wii specific Controls – Robust calibration and controls customization built from the ground up for the Wii allow you to tailor the game to your preferred style. ·Intense Online Multiplayer – Up to 12 players can join up online to battle in a variety of multiplayer modes. ·Ruthless Enemies – Vast numbers of incredibly realistic AI enemies react to player’s moves by taking cover and utilizing elements in the environment to their advantage. ·Highly Detailed Visuals – The award winning graphics feature dynamic environment mapping, interactive water with real-time reflection and four-stage texture composition that includes gloss, diffuse and bump-mapping. ·Award Winning Development – IGN Best Shooter Game of E3 2008 (Wii), IGN Best Graphics Technology of E3 2008 (Wii), IGN Best Overall Wii Game of E3 2008, and GameTrailers.com Best Wii Game of E3 2008. ·Peripherals – Supports Nintendo’s new Wii Speak peripheral during multiplayer matches.
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Assets [ Nintendo ]
Brief Game Description:
The story follows Harry Mason, who wakes up after a car accident to find that his daughter Cheryl is missing. Harry will wander the snowy streets of Silent Hill searching for answers of her disappearance, but when the world freezes over, he will need to escape the lumbering demons that haunt his steps. Harry will need to navigate both worlds to discover the truth; not just about his missing daughter, but also the type of person he actually is.
Silent Hill's debut on the Nintendo Wii makes the fear more real than ever before. Players will be drawn into the mysterious town using the Wii Remote as a flashlight and a cellphone as they search for clues. Choices they make will shape Harry Mason, as well as the people he meets and the places he visits. The enemies evolve as well, taking the form of the player's deepest fears. Silent Hill promises to be more terrifying than ever, bringing the fear to Wii, PS2, and PSP.
Key Features:
•A re-imagining of the original Silent Hill that turns everything you thought you knew on its head.
•The game watches you and adapts to your actions to create a unique experience to each player and intensify their fears.
•Implementation of a cell phone as the user interface, which acts as a story telling device, map, puzzle helper, and camera that provides seamless flow with no interruption in gameplay.
•New nightmare sequence focus on escape and evasion rather than direct confrontation.
•Silent Hill: Shattered Memories will feature an all-new soundtrack by acclaimed series composer Akira Yamaoka.
Built from the ground up and developed exclusively for the Nintendo Wii, Dead Space Extraction is a prequel that reveals the events leading up to Isaac Clarke’s mission on the USG Ishimura in Visceral Games’ award-winning Dead Space. Dead Space Extraction marries the innovative motion controls of the Wii Remote with a frenetic first person perspective to create a new action-packed horror experience.
Dead Space Extraction tells the story of a handful of space colonists desperately struggling to escape from a horrific infection on the Aegis VII mining colony deep in the furthest regions of space. The game introduces a new heroine, Lexine to the fiction and as the crew fall victim to a mysterious contagion aboard the ship, it becomes clear that protecting her may be their only hope for survival. Dead Space Extraction introduces all new characters, weapons, enemies, puzzles and co-operative multiplayer gameplay.
In every shadow, behind every corner, terror hides- so you can’t. Take on the struggle by yourself or with a friend to blast apart oncoming Necromorphs, solve innovative puzzles, and get to safety. Immerse yourself in the action like never before in the most cinematic horror experience on the Wii. The end will be set in motion in Fall 2009.
Key Features
·An amazing story – Follow the lives of several different Aegis VII colony members as they fight off the Necromorph invasion and learn why Lexine is the key to their survival, all from a first person cinematic perspective that makes you feel like you’re really there.
·Setting and atmosphere – Play through an engrossing, interactive horror movie experience that pushes the boundaries of story-telling in a game. State-of-the art graphics and effects, panic-inducing sound, and a thrilling and scary pace will throw you headfirst into the terror which Dead Space is known for.
·New Gameplay Scenarios, Weapons, Abilities, and Enemies – Extraction offers first person dismemberment combat, epic boss fights, new weapons, enemies and puzzles while bringing back old favorites such as TK and stasis to create a unique gameplay experience.
·Cinematic Camera – Extraction uses a unique form of immersion with a cinematic first person shaky cam experience, making the game just as enjoyable to watch as it is to play.
·Co-op Optimized Gameplay – Team up with a friend to protect Lexine and fend off the Necromorphs on the USG Ishimura and the Aegis VII. Players can jump in and out of Extraction to play the Co-op mode --it’s as easy as just pushing a button on the Wii Remote
Today we move on to the third party portion of Nintendo's E3 press kit. First up, Capcom's Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, sequel to Umbrella Chronicles. Check it out.
Nintendo’s Newest Five-Sided Hero Beneath Starfy’s glamorous exterior pulses the heart of a true hero. He can handle anything anyone throws at him. Swift ocean currents, bottomless pits and hordes of enemies might be daunting for a lesser hero, but not Starfy, Nintendo’s newest platforming sensation.
FEATURES: • Starfy has been a hero in Japan for years, and The Legendary Starfy marks his North American debut. • Players must guide Starfy through a variety of lush environments to the end of each stage by swimming, jumping and bouncing – all while defeating comical enemies and big bosses. No two stages are alike. Each one has its own mazes, puzzles and challenges to keep Starfy on his toes. • Starfy’s main ability is the Star Spin, an attack that propels him into his enemies with great force. It also lets him burst through walls and barriers, or power through strong currents. As the adventure continues, Starfy learns new skills, such as the Shooting Star attack, which lets him shoot into the ground like a meteor, and Air Jump, which gives him increased jumping abilities. • One of Starfy’s key powers is his ability to transform into four different, powerful forms. Each one grants him special powers to help him overcome the obstacles he encounters throughout the game: Monstar, a dragon that pits fire; Starpedo, an Arctic seal with acrobatic abilities; Starfright, a spooky specter; and Roostar, a super-squawking chicken that lays sonic eggs. • Players can link with friends over a local wireless connection and face off in a variety of mini-games that involve fishing (Fishing Derby), racing (Depth Chargers), tracing shapes in the sand (Sand Tracer) and even cooking (Dumpling Master). • Players can connect with friends through a local wireless connection to play through a selection of the game’s stages as Starfy and his sister, Starly.
Take Command of the Greek Squad Glory of Heracles features the eponymous Greek hero in a pick-up-and-play role-playing game that has a rich storyline in a Greek motif and a deep battle system. The story begins when Heracles washes up on a beach with amnesia. Players must journey far and wide to figure out Heracles’ story and unravel the mysterious pasts of the other main characters in this new adventure. The game uses ancient Greece as its backdrop, and players can visit cities like Sparta and Athens on their travels.
FEATURES: • Players travel the countryside to meet new characters, collect helpful items and gain experience. • Strategy is key during battle, but once the fighting is over, players can gather the spoils of war. Some items might be rusty and in need of polishing at a shop in town, while others might require a blacksmith to forge them into something even more powerful. • Players will be treated to animated cut scenes on the screens of their Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi systems. • Players can opt to use the stylus or control pad and buttons to control movement in the game, while the touch screen is required to complete optional challenges used to power up spells or skills during battle.
Finding, Cleaning, Collecting and Fighting Dinosaurs
Fossil Fighters blends the timeless human fascination with dinosaurs with the fun of building a collection. The game lets players build a collection of more than 100 fantastical dinosaurs known as “vivosaurs.” This new game incorporates elements of discovery, tactics and strategy as players try to get the best vivosaurs on their teams to battle it out on the field.
FEATURES:
• Players dig for fossils and use the touch screen of the Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi system to hammer, chip, drill and brush away the bits of rock around the fossil. When their efforts result in the buildup of dust, players blow into the Nintendo DS microphone to blow the dust away.
• The game rates players on how well they handle the fossils during the cleaning process. The more carefully and completely a player cleans a fossil, the more powerful the vivosaur will be in battle. Vivosaurs can also gain more power through battles.
• Players must collect various parts of each vivosaur. The head must be found first to bring a vivosaur to life while the body, arms and legs can be added to increase its power on the battlefield and imbue it with special powers.
• The game features an engrossing role-playing storyline and vast environments for players to explore.
• Players can connect wirelessly with friends to battle or trade their fossils.
Here comes the long-awaited sequel to two of the best-received GBA RPGs ever released, Golden Sun DS. Check out images and video below. No fact sheet, sorry.
Become a Pokémon and Save the World!
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky is the newest installment in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon video game series. The game expands on the fun found in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness. Players become a Pokémon and team up with a partner Pokémon. Together the two set out on an adventure of exploration and discovery, ultimately saving the world from destruction. With additional Pokémon to become, new “Special Episodes” and enhanced communication features, this is a grand adventure with a moving story and stunning finale. This game is a great starting point for players to enter the world of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon and for returning players to discover even more secrets.
FEATURES:
• Become a Pokémon and experience the world in a whole different way. Enter into a spectacular adventure to save the Pokémon world.
• Uncover new chapters in the immersive Pokémon Mystery Dungeon storyline by playing new Special Episodes.
• Play as one of 19 different Pokémon (including five additional starter Pokémon). Find out which one you will become. Interact with more than 490 Pokémon as you explore.
• Trade items with your friends via a local wireless connection. Also, you can trade with Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness and see what happens.
• Send a demo dungeon to your friend’s Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi system via a local wireless connection.
• With a wireless broadband Internet connection, access special Missions or rescue fallen friends over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
A New Mystery is Afoot
Puzzle master Professor Layton and his apprentice, Luke, have stumbled upon another mystery. It’s up to them to navigate their way through numerous puzzles to determine who – or what – caused the death of Professor Layton’s mentor, Dr. Schrader. Was it the mysterious Elysian Box, rumored to kill all who open it? Professor Layton and Luke find a clue that begins their adventure: a train ticket for the Molentary Express.
FEATURES:
• Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box features a riveting new mystery and more than 150 new brain teasers, riddles and logic puzzles to challenge and delight players.
• Beyond the puzzles found in the game, players with a broadband Internet connection who connect their Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection will get access to downloadable bonus puzzles. A new puzzle will be available each week for 33 weeks after the game launches.
• The new game includes a significantly greater amount of voice work and animated movie scenes compared to the original.
Mario & Luigi Show Their Intestinal Fortitude
In his evil plot to take over the Mushroom Kingdom, Fawful tricks Bowser into eating a magic mushroom. The mushroom causes Bowser to begin inhaling everything around him, including Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach! Do the Mario Bros. have the guts to rescue Peach and escape?
FEATURES:
• Players are in control of two separate storylines. One features Bowser and his efforts to stop an arch-villain from taking over his castle. Meanwhile, inside Bowser, the microbe-sized Mario & Luigi must muscle their way through challenges and keep their nerve if they want to find a way out. They take action to control Bowser from the inside – but without his knowledge.
• Players can switch between storylines at will. What happens inside Bowser affects what he’s doing on the outside. Sometimes Mario & Luigi must solve puzzles and challenges behind the scenes to help Bowser overcome various obstacles and advance the plot.
• Players must make well-timed button presses to enhance their performance during battles and challenges. In some battles, Bowser grows so large that players must turn their Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi system sideways, blow into the microphone or tap on the touch screen with the stylus to keep up with the action.
• The game features the same hilarious dialogue that has been the hallmark of the Mario & Luigi series.
All Aboard for an Amazing New Adventure The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks sets hero Link on a daring new adventure. The game provides players with a new story, more puzzles and even a new mode of transportation. In this game, Link voyages by train, which offers up new possibilities for problem-solving. The game has the same look and feel established in the hit Nintendo DS game The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.
FEATURES: • Link has a valuable new companion. While navigating dungeons, he’s accompanied by a Phantom, a hulking suit of armor that responds to his commands. Players can tap the Phantom to take command of him, then draw a line on the touch screen to direct him where to go. The stout Phantom can walk through fire or lava, be used as a platform to carry Link above dangers, or even run interference to block Link from harm. • When Link conducts the train, players enjoy a satisfying combination of action and real-time puzzle solving as they determine which track to take and how to best manipulate their speed. When on the train, Link must plot the best route to the end of the line around ever-moving obstacles. While en route, Link might need to fire an onboard cannon at enemies who attack the train or sound the whistle to scare animals off the tracks. • Link uses a variety of new items and weapons, including the Whirlwind, which players activate by blowing into the microphone of the Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi system. • As with The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, players can draw notes on the in-game maps using the stylus on the touch screen.
As if Nintendo couldn't have been more awesome at this year's E3, they just dropped another bombshell. A new Legend of Zelda is indeed being made for the Wii, as confirmed at a roundtable conference being held by the one and only Shigeru Miyamoto. Apparently, Miyamoto wants this game to be compatible with MotionPlus for Link's swordplay and archery (similar to Wii Sports Resort), and a concept image was shown for the latest iteration of Link, in IGN's words, "More grown up than ever before". Hopefully we'll get our hands on this image soon, but for now, stay tuned for more as it breaks.
Today at Nintendo's E3 press conference, Satoru Iwata revealed the Wii Vitality Sensor, which will allow for games that sense the player's heart rate. Iwata promised relaxation-based games to start, but it'd be interesting to see what developers could do with this technology in the future. Iwata did say it was early in production, so we'll have to see how things go in the future.
Introducing a New Spherical Smash-Hit Hero Span Smasher combines the hands-on fun of tennis with the nonstop action and instant gratification of pinball. Smasher (name not final) is a floating ball with a lot of personality. When his island paradise is threatened, Smasher springs into action. He bounces around and smashes into barriers, aided by the motions of players and their Wii Remote controllers. Players use just one hand to swat him toward the objects they want him to smash, and he does the rest.
FEATURES: • Players who finish each section with three coins will receive a pearl. With three pearls, players can move on to the boss stage of that particular level. • During the game, Smasher and his friend take on different abilities and characteristics that change the way they look and act to keep the challenge fresh. For instance, they might become huge, split into multiple balls or turn to metal. • The scenery of the game scrolls to present Smasher with new obstacles and rewards. Players must angle their swings to help Smasher bust through barriers or collect keys to unlock the next segment of the game. • Smasher can hang back at the edge of the screen to power up for an even bigger burst of energy. But if he remains motionless too long, he might get eaten by the multi-headed dragon that pursues him. • Span Smasher is used with the new Wii MotionPlus accessory, which adds even greater precision to players’ swings.
Warriors, Attack! Line Attack Heroes is a fast-paced, melee action game that requires quick thinking and smart strategy. Players command a line of fierce warriors who launch an attack with a flick of the Wii Remote controller.
FEATURES: • Players are on a quest to discover the missing pieces of a dragon statue. Along the way they encounter a variety of enemies who have different attack techniques. • When enemies are conquered, they become a part of the main character’s attack line and impart their abilities to him. • Players must use different attack strategies to conquer the various bosses. For example, one attack sends the line of warriors spinning toward enemies in “crack the whip” fashion while another shoots them all forward in a straight line. Line Attack Heroes requires players to think fast and strategize when choosing their heroes and assigning their formations. • Up to four players can compete or cooperate in multiplayer mode. • The brilliantly detailed and colorful design of the game showcases a number of interesting stages, including a kabuki theater and a magical land filled with giant toys.
The World is Your Oyster
Endless Ocean 2 builds on the ocean experience first introduced with Endless Ocean. While the last game emphasized relaxation, this one is designed with more adventure in mind. Divers might find themselves escaping from or calming down attacking sharks, exploring shipwrecks or finding treasure. Endless Ocean 2 also has more creatures and improved graphics designed to fully immerse players in an ocean environment that they can freely explore at their own pace.
FEATURES:
• Players dive into oceans all around the world to discover the fish, mammals and various sea creatures unique to each region while learning about their habits and behaviors. By selling salvageable items for money, players can decorate their own personal reefs to draw fish near or decorate their aquariums for their human guests.
• The ocean is teeming with life. Hundreds of real-life species are there to be discovered, from seahorses to giant whales.
• Are the local fish sick or agitated? Players can view their health status and then use a tranquilizer-like tool to zap the ones in need of rehab with healing energy.
• The game also includes a storyline that players can follow as they choose. The plot involves Oceana, a woman who investigates the “Dragon’s Song,” which her father, a prominent ocean explorer, was searching for just before his death.
• While at Nine Ball Island, players can become friends with a dolphin and teach it some new tricks. When on a dive, players can even bring along the dolphin, which players can hold onto for extra fast swimming.
• For the first time in the series, friends who have broadband Internet access can connect and dive with one another via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, while using the Wii Speak microphone to converse.
Resurrection of a Classic
Players engage in nonstop shooter action as they’re propelled through this run-and-gun style game. Isa and Kachi are being hunted. They go on the run and on the defensive, shooting everything in sight. Sin and Punishment 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the Japanese Nintendo 64 cult-classic shooter. It brings a frantic arcade sensibility to a post-apocalyptic world. Fans who can’t wait for the sequel can replay the original game by downloading it from the Virtual Console section of the Wii Shop Channel.
FEATURES:
• Players can run on foot or take to the skies with a jetpack or hovering skateboard-like device to dodge enemy attacks or get a better lock on their targets.
• Players can fire at targets in the distance or switch to sword attacks for close-range targets.
• The Wii Remote controller’s pointing ability is used to aim weapons, while the Nunchuk controller is used for positioning and maneuvering.
• Numerous settings include beautifully rendered cityscapes and dramatic underwater tunnels, all populated by fierce enemies.
• It’s all about the multiplier. The better a player’s skills, the more points are earned, and the bigger the bonus.
Players will want to play the game again and again to beat their personal best on each level. The better the performance, the bigger the multiplier and the higher the final score.
A New Standard in Game Control Wii Sports Resort is an immersive, expansive active-play game that includes a dozen fun resort-themed activities. It maintains the wide-ranging appeal that attracted millions to the original Wii Sports. Wii Sports Resort is easy to pick up and play, but comes coupled with deeper levels of play that are sure to challenge even the most experienced gamers. Wii Sports Resort whisks players away to a resort that’s full of action, while introducing an unprecedented experience in physical reality. Wii Sports Resort comes bundled with a Wii MotionPlus accessory to provide players the most realistic, immersive experience possible – the slightest tilt, turn and twist of the Wii Remote controller is recognized. From the moment players skydive onto Wuhu Island, they’re presented with a huge selection of fun activities that everyone can play.
FEATURES: • Wuhu Island has so many things to do, there’s never a dull moment. A dozen activities await visitors: Archery, Frisbee, Basketball, Cycling, Canoeing, Power Cruising, Table Tennis, Air Sports, Bowling, Swordplay, Golf and Wakeboarding. • The activities use the precision controls of the Wii MotionPlus accessory to help players come much closer to the physical reality of engaging in the actual sports. Every real-world action, whether it’s a perfect drive on the fairway or a slice off the course, is meant to be faithfully replicated. • Each activity has multiple fun challenges designed to keep visitors coming back for more. Basketball players might compete in a three-point shootout or jump into a three-on-three pickup game. Archery enthusiasts must aim for the bull’s-eye across ever-increasing distances and obstacles. • Different activities use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers in different ways. For example, players hold the Wii Remote like a paddle in Canoeing, while in Cycling they use both arms to “pedal” with the two controllers. The Wii MotionPlus accessory picks up every nuance of motion and translates it onto the TV screen. • Depending on the activity, players can compete solo or against other players. Some activities even let players team up to work cooperatively.
New Fitness and New Fun Wii Fit attracted millions of new players to the world of video games. Now Wii Fit Plus offers a range of new features and enhancements to help players reinvigorate their workouts, along with exercises and balance games designed to keep them fun. Players will find a new dimension to the Wii Fit experience as they easily set their own customized workout routines or choose 20-, 30- or 40-minute workouts based on how much time they have available. Users will also be able to choose from specialized workout routines that focus on an individual’s personal fitness goals or certain target areas. And with the addition of activities like Skateboarding and Rhythm Kung Fu, players will be using the Wii Balance Board accessory in a variety of new and fun ways.
FEATURES: • Workouts combine the original Wii Fit activities and selections from 15 new balance games and six new strength training and yoga activities. • Users can input the amount of time they want to spend on their workouts or select an area for personal improvement, and Wii Fit Plus will suggest a number of diverse activities for them. • For the first time, users can mix and match which strength and yoga activities they prefer on a given day. The seamless exercise flows make it easier than ever for users to maintain their daily workout routines. • Users might be asked to run an obstacle course across a series of platforms, zoom across a beach on a Segway x2 Personal Transporter or flap their arms to help their hilarious chicken-suited characters aim for targets. • The range of games and customization options will make players want to play every day. They’ll be having so much fun that their workouts will seem to fly by in no time at all. • Players also can see estimates of calories burned and can even activate a feature that lets them weigh their dogs or cats. • Wii Fit Plus comes packaged with the Wii Balance Board accessory. For people who already own Wii Fit, the Wii Fit Plus disc will be available for purchase separately.
A Classic Mario Adventure that Everyone Can Enjoy – at the Same Time
Developers at Nintendo have dreamed of creating a simultaneous multiplayer Super Mario Bros. game for decades. The Wii console finally makes that dream come true for everyone this holiday season. Now players can navigate the side-scrolling worlds alone as before or invite up to three others to join them at the same time on the same level at any point in the game for competitive and cooperative multiplayer fun. With the multiplayer mode, the newest installment of the most popular video game franchise is designed to bring yet another type of family entertainment into living rooms and engage groups of friends in fast-paced Super Mario Bros. fun.
FEATURES: • New Super Mario Bros. Wii offers a combination of cooperation and competition. Players can pick each other up to save them from danger or toss them into it. • Mario, Luigi and two Toads are all playable characters, while many others from the Mushroom Kingdom make appearances throughout the game. Players can even ride different Yoshi characters and use their tongues to swallow enemies – or their fellow players. • In some areas, players use the motion abilities of the Wii Remote controller. The first player to reach a seesaw might make it tilt to help his or her character reach a higher platform – and then tilt it incorrectly just to mess with other players. • New items include the propeller suit, which will shoot players high into the sky with just a shake of the Wii Remote and Mario’s new ability to transform into Penguin Mario. • At the end of each stage during the simultaneous multiplayer mode, players are ranked based on their score, the coins collected and the number of enemies defeated.
Yup, Team Ninja is going to tackle the next Metroid, called Metroid Other M (we don't know what that means either). Combining first person, third person, 2D, and 3D, as well as the never-before heard voice of Samus, not to mention jaw-dropping visuals, Metroid Other M...well, just look.
Mario, Yoshi Return for Super Mario Galaxy 2 [ Nintendo ]
That's right, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is coming to your Wii, and it's looking to be just as good as the original, if not better. With new and returning powerups (screw attacks, bee suits) and old friends, including the triumphant return of Yoshi! Check out the screens and trailer below!
Lists up Upcoming Nintendo System Releases [ Nintendo ]
Lots of stuff for us to do tonight, we've got press kits up the wazoo to give you guys, but for now let's settle for this, a couple lists of upcoming Nintendo releases, for Wii and DS. Check them out in PDF format below (requires Adobe Acrobat).
E3 2009: Nintendo Event Press Release [ Nintendo ]
For decades, Nintendo has endeavored to provide the most creative and immersive experiences in the world of video games and to lead the industry in new directions. At its media briefing in advance of the E3 Expo, the video game industry’s premier trade show, Nintendo announced products for social entertainment that stretch far beyond the current notion of what a video game can be, all while continuing to provide avid gaming fans with the challenges and thrills they desire.
A summary of Nintendo’s major announcements:
Wii
* Wii MotionPlus: Nintendo’s Wii MotionPlus accessory offers motion-controlled precision when combined with specially designed games. When connected to the Wii Remote™ controller, it delivers on Nintendo’s promise to provide even more immersive physical reality in its games. The device senses subtle motion and can locate where and how players hold the Wii Remote controller in 3-D space. It pushes active gaming to new levels of immersion and a new standard of control. Wii MotionPlus will complement a host of third-party games launching in the next few weeks.
* Wii Sports Resort: Nintendo showcased the versatility of the Wii MotionPlus accessory in demos of some of the activities included in Wii Sports Resort, an immersive, expansive active-play game. Wii Sports Resort includes a dozen fun resort-themed activities that maintain the wide-ranging appeal that attracted millions to the original Wii Sports. Wii Sports Resort is easy to pick up and play, but comes coupled with deeper levels of play that are sure to challenge even the most experienced gamers with precise controls. The Wii MotionPlus accessory will help players come much closer to the physical reality of engaging in the actual sports. The Wii MotionPlus accessory launches June 8 at a suggested retail price of $19.99, and comes bundled with Wii Sports Resort on July 26 at a suggested retail price of $49.99.
* Wii Fit Plus: Wii Fit attracted millions of new players to the world of video games, and now Wii Fit Plus offers a range of new features and enhancements, along with exercises and balance games designed to keep workouts fun. Players will find an additional dimension to the Wii Fit experience as they easily set their own customized daily workout routines or choose 20-, 30- or 40-minute workouts based on how much time they have available. Users will also be able to choose from specialized workout routines that help players strive toward specific objectives, like toning tummies, tightening arms or even reducing stress. Workouts combine the original Wii Fit activities and selections from 15 new balance games and six new strength training and yoga activities. Wii Fit Plus will come packed with the Wii Balance Board accessory, and also will be sold separately as software for people who already have a Wii Balance Board at home. Both will be available in fall 2009.
* New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Developers at Nintendo have dreamed of creating a simultaneous multiplayer Super Mario Bros. game for decades. The Wii console finally makes that dream come true for everyone this holiday season. Now players can navigate the side-scrolling worlds alone as before or invite up to three others to join them at the same time on the same level at any point in the game for competitive and cooperative multiplayer fun in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. With the multiplayer mode, the newest installment of the most popular video game franchise is designed to bring yet another type of family entertainment into living rooms and engage groups of friends in fast-paced Super Mario Bros. fun.
* Super Mario Galaxy 2: This upcoming adventure for the Wii console marks the first time a second 3-D Mario game has arrived in the same console generation. In the game, Mario rides his trusty dinosaur companion, Yoshi, to new stars and the fantastic worlds found there. This 3-D platforming adventure provides longtime video game fans with a fresh round of out-of-this-world challenges in the style introduced in the critically acclaimed original. The game is planned for 2010.
* Metroid: Other M: Nintendo showcased a trailer for a new installment in its acclaimed Metroid franchise for the Wii console. Metroid: Other M marks an unprecedented collaboration with world-renowned developers Team Ninja, and provides fans with high-energy, action-packed game play as it delves deeper into the back story of famed deep-space bounty hunter Samus Aran. This game is scheduled for release in 2010.
* Wii Vitality Sensor: Nintendo’s newest groundbreaking product, the Wii Vitality Sensor, expands the appeal of video games. It will initially sense the user’s pulse and a number of other signals being transmitted by their bodies, and will then provide information to the users about the body’s inner world.
Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi
* Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!: This game marks the third installment of this franchise and, more importantly, the first Nintendo DSiWare™ game to let players design levels from the ground up. Mario will need to dodge obstacles to confront his longtime nemesis Donkey Kong, but this time the players will have full control over where to set traps, enemies and a host of power-ups in the construction zone. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! will be available in the Nintendo DSi Shop beginning Monday, June 8, for 800 Nintendo DSi Points.
* Integrating Photos with Facebook: For its Nintendo DSi system, Nintendo announced the ability for users to upload pictures taken with the system’s built-in camera and interactive lenses directly to Facebook. Using Facebook Connect, the integration will be available this summer with a Nintendo DSi system update, making it even easier for people to personalize and share their photos with friends and family on Facebook.
* Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story: Nintendo revealed Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, a new chapter to the popular role-playing franchise that places players into the belly of the beast – literally. Players will get to enjoy trademark hilarious dialogue in the fall of 2009 as they juggle two concurrent storylines. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is playable on the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems.
* Golden Sun DS: After going dark six years ago, 2010 will see a new dawn. Golden Sun DS updates the popular portable Golden Sun role-playing series with an impressive graphical style. This installment follows the story of the previous heroes’ descendants and immerses players into the magic of its adventure by pushing the boundaries of intuitive touch-screen controls. Golden Sun DS is playable on the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems.
* WarioWare D.I.Y.: This game, which puts the concept of user-generated content on center stage, allows players to design their own micro-games from scratch. Every element, such as the characters, the environment, the actions and even the purpose of the micro-game itself, is controlled entirely by the player. Players will then be able to share their completed micro-games with other WarioWare D.I.Y. owners. The latest game in the WarioWare™ series is playable on the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems.
Nintendo E3 2009 Press Event Liveblog [ Wii Café ]
Nintendo kicks things off with a fun little video of people enjoying and playing the Wii and DSi..again. I guess keep with what works!
And we start off with Cammie Dunaway. Please. No talking about puppies and snowboarding. I beg you.
Cammie starts by talking about how gaming has been brought to everyone. Time to bring innovation...and a few surprises?
He says for a surprise, it's time to talk about a guy who's already done it all...Mario. He said it's time to bring Mario into a new dimension...a new number, 4. It's time for NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. for WII!
WITH FOUR PLAYER CO-OP! Bill Trinen and some guys from Treehouse are here to demo the game. Playable characters are Mario, Luigi, and a couple of Toads. Played with the Wii Remote on its side. Plenty of hidden areas, all in 2D, plenty of suits, new propeller suit. All players must grab the flagpole to get bonus points.
New Super Mario Bros. will launch worldwide Holiday 2009. Miyamoto-developed.
Next, it's time for Wii Fit. It's been the biggest selling game over the past year, and has an installed base rivaling other consoles. But now, it was time to make Wii Fit more appealing to others. It's time for Wii Fit Plus.
The game has six new strength and yoga activities, as well as 15 new balance games. One of which is a Mario-like action game. Will be bundled this fall with the balance board and stand-alone. No mention of MotionPlus capability.
It's Reggie time! Wii is attacking the market, and adoption has grown beyond mainstream gaming into the true mainstream. The evolution comes with interaction. The evolution of the Wii Remote to the Nunchuk to the Balance Board. And now, the next advance - Wii MotionPlus. It presents a new level of reality with precision control. And now, a MotionPlus video.
The video focuses on showing people doing real sports having the same ability to do the same things with MotionPlus. Okay...
Now, we get some gameplay from the video, mostly featuring Wii Sports Resort. Basketball, Archery, Canoeing, Golf, and Table Tennis are confirmed, plus...Samurai Swords?
Bill Trinen is set to demo Wii Sports Resort. You start the game by skydiving out of an airplane. You can spin your Mii, and grab other skydivers. Then, release the chute for the title screen. Pretty sweet.
Now, Archery, which is played with the Nunchuk. Now, Bill versus Reggie in a 3-point shooting contest. Man, I can so see them getting Obama to promote this. Reggie wins.
Wii Sports Resort launches July 26th, and the unit will also be bundled with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, and well as compatible with Virtua Tennis and Grand Slam Tennis from EA. Also, Red Steel 2, playable only with MotionPlus. Third-party development is flourishing for Wii, more 3rd party games sold for Wii and DS than any other platforms. Now, to focus on RPGs.
Time to show off Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers from Square Enix. Also, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for DS, launching September 29th. Also, Mario & Luigi 3...now called Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. It launches in North America and Europe this fall.
Now, one more piece of news. GOLDEN SUN DS!!! All in 3D...looks AMAZING!
Now, some new DSi games. First off, James Patterson's books will be brought to DS, an interactive novel from Ubisoft, Women's Murder Club. Who cares! Golden Sun DS!!! Next, a new adventure from Ubisoft for DSi, Cop: The Recruit. Has shooter elements too. Now some fashion game. Once again, GOLDEN SUN DS!!! Oh yeah, it's called Style Saavy.
Next, a little on the DSi, and a video on the fans. DSi can be personalized for yourself, based on what you download. People now create and share entertainment. A new movie maker called Flip Notes Studio out this summer, lets people make and create videos. Next, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again, which allows for level creation! Only for DSiWare, on June 8th...THIS MONDAY! Next, WarioWare: DIY (Do It Yourself), which is the Make your own WarioWare already seen in Japan. You can create and share your own games. This summer, DSi will be compatible with Facebook, letting you share and upload photos. Next, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Playable this week. Now we get Nintendo's new apparent slogan. Everyone's Game. See what they did there?
Now, here comes Iwata! He says the audience expansion movement is in three basic groups. Active players, non-players, and maybe-players. For growth, it must come from the maybe group. There are more than 295 Million active players, who are big software purchasers. However, the maybe players are even larger, and Nintendo has a long way to go. Nintendo must create games to satisfy every player, a challenge since the range is larger. Games must be appealing to new players, and decrease the bar of entry. However, experienced players must be satisfied as well, and must be intuitive enough to be enjoyed by everyone. Nintendo changed this with Mario Kart Wii and the Wii Wheel, creating a game good enough for casuals but enjoyed by hardcore. Nintendo's new games will have a depth that can surprise you. Now, a sneak peek of a new way of thinking about games: The Wii Vitality Sensor.
It looks like one of those medical pulse thingies, which measures your body as you play Wii. Perhaps games that can create greater relaxation. So a heart rate monitor. Really?
Now, more Mario! A second 3D Mario title...SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2! AND IT HAS YOSHI! This totally makes up for the heart rate monitor!
Now, Reggie is back out. And gamers want more. So they want games from 3rd parties...with a harder edge, exclusive on year before year's end. First up, The Conduit. Next, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. Finally, Dead Space Extraction. All playable on the show floor.
And now, a new, edgier game from Nintendo! Based on a storied franchise, and developed by Team Ninja!
It's METROID: OTHER M! An action-based Metroid game!!!! HOLY CRAP IT LOOKS AWESOME!
And that's it. No new Zelda, but still, a TON better than last year. Stay tuned for plenty more.
Ubisoft's press event was last night, and with it comes their press kit. Here's the hi-res trailer for No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (which, despite the subtitle, is NOT a DS game). We'll be adding more from Ubi's press kit throughout the day, and don't forget Nintendo's press conference is today too!
Today at Ubisoft's E3 press event, there wasn't much to get excited about, with one notable exception. Click below for the first trailer for Red Steel 2, which, no matter your feelings on the first game, is looking to be an absolute stunner on Wii. Expect much more on this game in the months to come.
Tales of Monkey Island Heading to WiiWare [ Joystiq ]
Wii fans should get extremely excited, as Joystiq has learned from LucasArts that the Monkey Island series, renowned as one of the best adventure gaming franchises of all time. The series will be episodic and will be developed by Telltale Games, who have also worked on the Sam & Max and Strong Bad games. Nothing more was confirmed, but expect to hear more on when we can see the latest adventure of Guybrush Threepwood at tomorrow's Nintendo E3 press conference.
UPDATE: Almost on cue, we now have the first official trailer for the game, which can be viewed direct from YouTube below.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games are teaming up with the LEGO Group, to merge two of the world’s most popular brands with the creation of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4. Based on the first four Harry Potter books and movies that tell the story of Harry’s first four years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 offers an engaging mix of magical gameplay and light-hearted humor. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is being developed by TT Games and will be published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and is scheduled for release in 2010.
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 will give gamers the chance to experience the magic and adventure of Harry Potter in a uniquely LEGO way. Playing as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, as well as other favorite characters, gamers will have the opportunity to attend lessons, cast spells, mix potions, fly on broomsticks and complete tasks to earn house points. Throughout the game, players will also have the freedom to explore iconic settings from the wizarding world including Hogwarts castle, Diagon Alley, the Forbidden Forest and the village of Hogsmeade!
Final Fantasy IV Flips On Download Monday [ Nintendo ]
Nintendo DSiWare
Mighty Flip Champs!
Publisher: WayForward Technologies
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Are you ready to become a Mighty Flip Champ? Take control of Alta and page-flip through a series of action-packed mazes. The touch screen reflects a preview of the next chamber and shows Alta's projected destination within it. When it's time to flip, use Alta's Magical Warp Wand to replace her world with the next one. Will she land safely on solid ground or be crushed under it? By cycling endlessly through room after brain-busting room, you'll match wits with some of the most devious traps in puzzle/platforming history.
WiiWare
FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS
Publisher: SQUARE ENIX
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference, Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS is the sequel to the hit RPG FINAL FANTASY IV. The story takes place many years after the original and centers on a young man named Ceodore, son of the paladin Cecil and the white mage Rosa, who, along with their loyal and steadfast friends, once saved the world from evil born of the second moon. Now, monsters are reappearing in a world that had finally attained peace. The second moon has returned anew. What tidings does this ominous harbinger bring? Familiar faces and new allies join the battle to save the Blue Planet once more.
Texas Hold'em Tournament
Publisher: Digital Leisure, Inc.
Players: 1-6
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Simulated Gambling
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: The deck is shuffled and the blinds are in – it's your move. Call, raise or even bluff your way "all in" with Texas Hold'em Tournament. You'll start off in the small Nevada gaming halls and work your way up to the Las Vegas Championship. Multi-round, no-limit hold'em game play ensures hours of serious poker action. Think you're the best poker player out there? Using broadband Internet access and Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, start climbing the worldwide rankings by winning online tournaments, and see how your poker skills stack up by viewing the online leaderboard. Texas Hold'em Tournament also lets you play multiplayer poker with up to five friends, and with full Mii character support, you can truly bring yourself to the table.
Virtual Console
Boulder Dash
Original platform: Commodore 64
Publisher: Commodore Gaming
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Originally released in 1984, Boulder Dash is one of the big computer-game classics. It is one of the very few computer games ever to be ported from home computers to arcades, not the other way around. The hero of the game is the brave prospector Rockford. He must dig through caves to collect diamonds while avoiding various types of dangerous creatures and obstacles such as falling rocks. He is in constant danger of being crushed or trapped by an avalanche or killed by an underground explosion. Strategy and planning are the keys to mastering Boulder Dash. Once enough jewels have been collected, the door to the mysterious escape tunnel is revealed and Rockford can explore another cave.
Fantasy, Fishing, and Sudoku for Download Monday [ 
