Today's Special Archives: July 2009

News Archives Index Mickey Mouse: Object of Revenge? [ CVG ] Some of you may have seen going around the Internet the last couple days some concept images of a game being called Epic Mickey. Well, CVG has gotten the goods on what's going on here. The game is indeed called Epic Mickey (at least for now) and is, of all things, a dark, revenge-driven story featuring Mickey Mouse, drawing inspiration from games like Okami. Epic Mickey centers on a group of "forgotten or very old and/or forgotten Disney characters who are out to get their revenge on Mickey." The game will feature painting, drawing, and erasing as a main puzzling feature, and is confirmed to be Wii exclusive. Hit the source link for the (impressive) concept art Carl DeNovio -- Posted on Thursday, July 30 2009 20:13 PM [Top] Head to Monkey Island For Today's Downloads [ Nintendo ] WiiWare Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 1 Publisher: Telltale Games Players: 1 ESRB Rating: E10 (Everyone 10 and Older) - Alcohol Reference, Comic Mischief, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes Price: 1,000 Wii Points Description: Join Guybrush Threepwood, Mighty Pirate, in this first chapter of an epic five-part saga, filled with humor, romance and piratey swashbuckling. When a showdown with the demon pirate LeChuck goes up in flames, Guybrush gets marooned on a strange island. How will he escape? Where is Guybrush's beloved wife, Elaine? And what's up with the voodoo pox spreading through the isles? Jump into Tales of Monkey Island today to find out! The Three Musketeers: One for All! Publisher: Legendo Entertainment Players: 1 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Cartoon Violence Price: 900 Wii Points Description: The Three Musketeers have been imprisoned by the treacherous Count Xavier and his sinister lieutenant, Count Orsini! Well, almost - take on the role of Porthos, famed member of the Musketeers, to save the day in this swashbuckling platform adventure inspired by the classic novel. Swing the Wii Remote to launch blistering sword attacks on your foes, avoid fiendish traps and discover hidden collectables. Packed with frenetic fencing, heroic leaps and fun puzzles, this is one adventure no aspiring hero will want to miss. HB Arcade Cards Publisher: HB Studios Multimedia Players: 1 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) Price: 500 Wii Points Description: HB Arcade Cards is a great collection of fun and easy-to-play card games. The collection of games included in this title includes: Rummy, Hearts, Euchre, Canasta, Cribbage and the always-classic Solitaire. Each game comes with an interactive tutorial to show you the rules and basic game play. You'll need to be clever to outsmart your opponents, and you can even team up with a computer partner to play Euchre and Cribbage. You can play HB Arcade Cards using a Mii character from your Wii console, or play with one of our four new characters. HB Arcade Cards has lots of style and flare, and will keep you coming back for more. Remember, it's never the same game twice. Nintendo DSiWare Sudoku Student Publisher: Hudson Entertainment Players: 1 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points Description: Sudoku Student brings you the first Nintendo DSiWare sudoku experience with all the features you'd expect. For "students" of sudoku who are just getting their feet wet, Sudoku Student comes with a full tutorial. Once you've completed the tutorial, jump into simple and easy-going sudoku puzzles. Designed for entry- to beginner-level players, you'll find just the right amount of challenge to keep you hooked. Eric Jones -- Posted on Monday, July 27 2009 12:06 PM [Top] Ware-y Week as Virtual Console Gets Skipped [ Nintendo ] WiiWare FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a Darklord Publisher: SQUARE ENIX Players: 1 ESRB Rating: E10 (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes Price: 1,000 Wii Points Description: Step into the royal shoes of the Darklord's daughter as she installs traps and monsters inside her tower to fight back the endless waves of invading adventurers in this world-conquest RPG. Known as Artifacts, these monsters and traps are your only hope in keeping the adventurers from destroying the Dark Crystal on the top floor. Fly your tower across the land and conquer every stage on your way to dominating the entire world. Battle Poker Publisher: Left Field Productions Players: 1-4 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) Price: 800 Wii Points Description: Battle Poker is a family-friendly card game with up to four players battling against the clock to make the best five-card hand possible. Battles are played across multiple rounds, and points are scored for each round based on the quality of the hand. Each player uses a Wii Remote controller to point and click on a standard deck of cards on the screen. The first click flips the card over, at which point it can be grabbed by anyone else. You've got to have fast fingers and eyes to grab the cards you need before someone else snatches them. 5 Spots Party Publisher: Cosmonaut Games Players: 1-4 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) Price: 500 Wii Points Description: Have fun with the entire family and compete in three different play modes. 5 Spots Party is a game of skill for all ages based on the popular game of finding five differences. The goal is to find the greatest number of differences in the pictures shown. In the party modes, you must compete with other players and find as many mistakes as possible. In the 1-Player mode, you must find the differences before time runs out in order to beat the game's highest scores. How far do you think you can go? Nintendo DSiWare Art Style: ZENGAGE Publisher: Nintendo Players: 1 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points Description: Do you dream of relaxing with a great puzzle game? Art Style: ZENGAGE revolves around sliding cells (squares) to match colors with cores (beads) located on the board. Clear each stage by matching all of the cores and cells. As you progress through the game's 100-plus stages, you'll encounter cells with special characteristics, such as immovability, which further add to the challenge. To truly master ZENGAGE, you must keep your mind sharp and employ careful strategy to complete stages in as few moves as possible. Combining wistful graphics and mesmerizing sound, ZENGAGE creates a surreal world that should be experienced by all puzzle gaming fans. Carl DeNovio -- Posted on Monday, July 20 2009 17:40 PM [Top] Factor 5 To Release Wii Games...This Year? [ LinkedIn ] Looking at Factor 5 CEO Achim Moller's public profile on LinkedIn.com, we see an interesting bit on his personal experience section. He lists "Multiple unannounced Wii-Titles (2009)" for his projects. Check out the source link to see for yourself and start speculating. Carl DeNovio -- Posted on Wednesday, July 15 2009 17:49 PM [Top] Nintendo Reveals Club Nintendo Rewards [ Club Nintendo ] You probably heard that Nintendo was planning special rewards for those who were able to gain a Gold or Platinum membership at Club Nintendo for the service's first period, which ended at the conclusion of June. Well, now we know just what those rewards are. For Gold members, Nintendo is providing a Nitnendo-oriented flip calender, featuring images from a variety of Nintendo games. However, the Platinum prizes appear to be far cooler, as you get your choice of either a replica Mario hat, or an exclusive WiiWare title, Doc Louis's Punch-Out!!. A "deleted scene" from the original game released earlier this year, the game features one fight, pitting Little Mac against his trainer. The game is exclusive to this promotion, and will never be released again in any other form. Eric Jones -- Posted on Wednesday, July 15 2009 0:23 AM [Top] And Today's Downloads Are... [ Nintendo ] Bit Boy!! Publisher: Bplus Players: 1-2 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) Price: 600 Wii Points Description: Get ready for the most spectacular journey through time in the history of video games!! Accompany Bit Boy Kubi through a crazy pixellated adventure and battle hordes of nasty monsters in 4-bit dungeons, 8-bit caves, 16-bit strongholds, 32-bit labyrinths, 64-bit arenas and 128-bit worlds!! Rescue Kubi's friends!! Set off in the ultimate pursuit of fruits and high scores!! Grab a friend for even more fun in Cooperative mode!! The Wii Remote is your joystick – let the arcade adventure begin!! Incoming! Publisher: JV Games Inc. Players: 1-2 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence Price: 500 Wii Points Description: The goal of Incoming! is to defeat your opponents by destroying their tanks using the arsenal you have at your disposal. Advanced arsenals become available at different levels of the game. Incoming! is great fun for two people to play competitively. Can you defeat your opponent's tanks before they conquer yours? Collect power-ups to give your arsenal that tactical advantage. Your firing must be quick and your aim true to claim victory. Ant Nation Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment Players: 1 ESRB Rating: E 10 (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Violence Price: 700 Wii Points Description: The beloved childhood pastime of lazy Sundays spent with a magnifying glass and an ant farm finally arrives in its most mischievous form via the WiiWare service. You must train your colony of Super Ants using a devilishly fun toolset. Zap, torch and manipulate your ants to make them numerous enough and tough enough to survive a variety of increasingly difficult challenges. • Zap your ants with lasers, fry them with your trusty magnifying glass, send down lightning and much more to build them to be the strongest Ants on the block. • Send your ants into war against local bullies like spiders and ladybugs. Is your colony ready for the fight? • 100 missions keep you busy facing a smorgasbord of fun and wacky tasks. • Bonus mode features 20 additional challenges that allow you to get crazy with all your favorite weapons of ant destruction. • Use your Wii Remote controller to drop a virtual hammer on your ants, use your Wii Remote like a metal detector to find in-game gold and much more. Virtual Console Secret Command Original platform: SEGA Master System Publisher: SEGA Players: 1-2 ESRB Rating: E 10 (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Violence Price: 600 Wii Points Description: Play as a lone warrior, armed to the teeth, sent on a top-secret commando mission behind enemy lines to liberate your comrades at arms. Released on the SEGA Master System in Europe as Secret Command, players will battle frenzied attacks from enemy soldiers, rocket troops, tanks and other enemies doing everything they can to stop you from saving the hostages. Use your trusty machine gun and a compound bow, equipped with explosive-tipped arrows, to pave the way to victory. Let nothing stand in your path. Play it with a friend in two-player mode for double the fire power. Pulseman Original platform: SEGA Genesis Publisher: GAME FREAK Players: 1 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Violence Price: 900 Wii Points Description: When noted 21st-century scientist Doc Yoshimaya fell in love with one of his C-Life artificial-intelligence creations, he uploaded himself into his computer, where her program core merged with his DNA, and half-human/half-C-Life Pulseman was born. Doc Yoshimaya's mind twisted as he emerged back into real life, and he became evil Doc Waruyama. Use Pulseman's ability to harness electricity as a weapon with his Volteccer attack as a means of rapid transport to fight Waruyama's Galaxy Gang across seven crazy stages. Find out why this SEGA Channel classic was widely regarded as one of the best-looking games for SEGA's MEGA DRIVE (Genesis) on release. Nintendo DSiWare Brain Challenge® Publisher: Gameloft Players: 1 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points Description: Just like your body, your brain needs exercise to stay in shape. Brain Challenge is a simple, entertaining solution for stimulating your neurons that goes way beyond logic tests. Thanks to a complete range of 48 mini-games, Brain Challenge provides an exceptional variety of exercises. Not only can you train your brain for Math but also for four other categories: Logic, Focus, Memory and Visual. Plus an original Stress Mode, featuring multitasking and authority challenges, Plus, you can now personalize your profile and some exercises with your own photos. Carl DeNovio -- Posted on Monday, July 13 2009 16:36 PM [Top] Hudson Calling All Horror Fans [ Hudson Entertainment ] Hudson Entertainment will bring players face to face with death as they roam an alternate existence in an attempt to survive Calling. The adventure horror title is set to be published by Hudson Entertainment, the North and South American publishing arm of HUDSON SOFT, and will be exclusive to Wii in 2010. “Players will be asked to use their wits and senses to survive the world of Calling,” said Mike Pepe, Director of Marketing of Hudson Entertainment. “It is a game that revolves around real people and real emotions – no chain saws or suits of armor. The game is traditional survival horror at its finest.” In Calling, players begin by visiting a mysterious “Black Page” website with a simple number counter. Some say it is a bridge to something sinister; the counter indicating the number of people who have died after visiting the page. It is said that people who have visited the site and witness a certain event are drawn into a mysterious space compiled of the memories of the dead - the space between life and death. Someone or something is drawing the living there for a reason, and it is up to the player to discover the horrifying truth. In order to do so, players will use various equipment including flash lights, phones, and other items to navigate and escape the Calling. Throughout the game players will visit various parts of the Calling world. Memories of houses, schools, hospitals and more bring players closer to either an escape or an untimely death. Players will solve puzzles, search and interact with objects, and ultimately try to avoid the inhabitance of this alternative existance. Carl DeNovio -- Posted on Monday, July 13 2009 16:34 PM [Top] WiiWare Hits 100 With This Week's Downloads [ Nintendo ] With new releases, Nintendo crosses the 100-game mark in its ever-growing WiiWare game library, a milestone that ought to keep fans ooh-ing and ahh-ing long after the Fourth of July. WiiWare BIT.TRIP CORE Publisher: Aksys Games Players: 1-2 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) Price: 600 Wii Points Description: BIT.TRIP CORE continues the BIT.TRIP saga in this retro-arcade-style game. BIT.TRIP CORE adds up to an exciting action/rhythm game that's best played while zoning out on the tunes and letting the visuals swallow you whole. The experience is inspired by games from the '80s, but with a modern twist. The game play is entirely new to the series, leaving the single-axis controls of BIT.TRIP BEAT behind in favor of the ability to control two axes. If the difficulty gets you down, grab a friend and play cooperatively with two-player multiplayer. Make it to the end and you'll have journeyed one step further to completing your BIT.TRIP. BUST-A-MOVE Plus! Publisher: TAITO Players: 1-2 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) Price: 600 Wii Points Description: BUST-A-MOVE Plus! is a simple but hugely addictive puzzle game in which you must try to burst a multi-colored mass of bubbles with your very own bubble launcher. Every time you make a group of three or more bubbles of the same color, they pop. There are two game modes available: 1P Puzzle (players tackle the game's 135 stages in pursuit of a new high score or best time) and Battle (players take on friends or computer-controlled opponents). If that doesn't satisfy your passion for popping, there are a total of 270 extra stages waiting for you in the two add-on-content packs, available for purchase on the Wii Shop Channel. BUST-A-MOVE Plus! is simple to get into and deep enough to keep you coming back for more. Heracles Chariot Racing Publisher: Neko Entertainment Players: 1-4 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief Price: 800 Wii Points Description: The famous Heracles has taken on a challenge like none he has ever faced. Our hero will have to beat his opponents in a race across mythological kingdoms and be the first to reach the top of Mount Olympus. You can play as Heracles and help him return the sacred trophy, or play as one of the other varied mythological characters from Satyr to Poseidon and claim the prize for yourself. Race through three racing cups across 10 courses set in five mythic landscapes. Use awesome fantasy weaponry to defeat your opponents: tridents, fireballs, Zeus's lightning rods and more. Get your friends together for intense two-to-four-player split-screen multiplayer action in Championship, Single Race or Battle mode. Virtual Console California Games Original platform: Commodore 64 Publisher: Commodore Gaming Players: 1-5 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) Price: 500 Wii Points Description: Welcome to California, home of the most radical sports in the world. You're about to hit the beaches, parks and streets of the Golden State to go for trophies in everything from surfing to bike racing. California Games gives you the hottest sports and the most aggro competition. You even have to pick your own sponsor. So pull on those kneepads – you're about to get into the most fun you've had since Mom hid your skateboard. California Games is going to take you from surf to the turf, from the pipe to the parks. Nintendo DSiWare Art Style: BASE 10 Publisher: Nintendo Players: 1-2 ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points Description: Art Style: BASE 10 is a game of numbers. Your goal is simple: create combinations equaling 10 by sliding numbers around the playing field. Move them horizontally or vertically, but be careful not to create an unusable non-number in the process. Choose from one of three modes: eliminate a set amount of numbers as quickly as possible in ZEROSUM MODE; get rid of prearranged groups of numbers in as few moves as possible in PUZZLE MODE; or continue removing numbers until your game is over in INFINITE MODE. In addition, you can challenge an opponent to a two-player wireless battle in VS MODE and see whose number-crunching skills reign supreme. If you think you're a master with numbers, the straightforward yet challenging world of Art Style: BASE 10 gives you the opportunity to prove it in a unique way. Asphalt 4: Elite Racing Publisher: Gameloft Players: 1-4 ESRB Rating: E10 (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Violence Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points Description: For the racing elite, the world is their racetrack. Choose among 28 dream cars and motorcycles from the world's most prestigious manufacturers. Then race your way through eight of the most renowned cities, fully rendered in 3-D. Control your speed machine with either standard or touch-screen controls for precision driving. Photos taken with the Nintendo DSi Camera can be used as your personal icon or can appear throughout the various environments, including the garage where you can customize and tune your vehicles. From New York to Shanghai, Paris to Dubai, you'll weave a course through busy streets in six kinds of races plus four-player Multiplayer mode. Avoid police, demolish competitors and pass the leader to win. You'll need to floor it at every straightaway and push every drift to the limit to stay one step ahead and become the ultimate VIP of urban racing. Carl DeNovio -- Posted on Monday, July 6 2009 17:31 PM [Top] Professor Layton Teases Smash Bros? [ Twitter ] Ok, this is weird. Professor Layton's Twitter page updates us with a tease (maybe?) of some Smash Bros news. He says: I received an invitation this morning to something called the "Grand Smash Brothers Tournament". Does anyone know anything about it? and later.... I'm on my way to the "Grand Smash Tournament" now! Wish me luck! Though, I am not exactly sure what I am going to be doing... finally.... This is nothing like what I expected! I was told to FIGHT a blue robot boy, a possessed doll, and a tiny boxer! I'm leaving at once! What's this mean? Clearly he's referring to Mega Man, Geno, and Little Mac. Is this a hint of a new Smash Bros game? Downloadable content for Brawl? Absolutely nothing? We don't know, but we can sure have fun speculating. Remember a few weeks ago we reported that Nintendo had stopped accepting user-generated content for Brawl; could it be because they needed room for their OWN content? Is this just the Prof having some fun at our expense? A shameless attention grabber for him? What do you think? Carl DeNovio -- Posted on Sunday, July 5 2009 15:11 PM [Top] Grease is the...Game? [ 505 Games ] 505 Games today announced it has secured the global publishing rights for a video game based on the original high school musical, Grease. Working in collaboration with Paramount Digital Entertainment, 505 Games will oversee and publish a Grease video game for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS. The Grease video game will allow players to sing and dance alongside Danny, Sandy, The Pink Ladies and the T-Birds. The game will take full advantage of the Nintendo Wii’s motion-sensing controls and microphone, and the DS’s touch screen to create exciting gameplay for casual and family gamers eager to experience Grease in a new medium. Grease will be released on Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS and co-published by 505 Games and Paramount Digital Entertainment. Eric Jones -- Posted on Thursday, July 2 2009 14:57 PM [Top] Final Fantasy Gaiden Confirmed for DS [ Jump Magazine ] Square-Enix has revealed that a brand-new Final Fantasy title is on its way to the Nintendo DS in Japan this fall, with the announcment of Final Fantasy Giaden: Four Warriors of Light for the Nintendo DS. Shown off for the first time in the latest issue of Jump Magazine, Gaiden looks to be a traditional turn-based RPG using similar job classes to the very first Final Fantasy, with a story about a boy and three other adventurers saving a princess form an evil witch. The game will be in full 3D, and may be the work of Matrix Software, responsible for the DS's popular remakes of Final Fantasy III and IV. No word on a US release, but we'll keep you posted. Eric Jones -- Posted on Thursday, July 2 2009 14:55 PM [Top]