Messages

[So does this mean I should be a lot richer than I am? Perhaps not, but the rich seem to like the Wii.]

51

TalkBack / Nielsen finds Wii Households are more “Upscale"

« on: July 26, 2007, 09:30:18 PM »

So does this mean I should be a lot richer than I am? Perhaps not, but the rich seem to like the Wii.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14104

 Although the Wii is the least expensive console of this generation, it seems more likely to show up in expensive homes. Nielsen’s GamePlay Metrics has found that households that are home to Wiis are more “upscale" and even boasting an annual income of more than $100,000.        

Based on the infrastructure of Nielsen’s well-established TV-monitoring service, GamePlay Metrics is a data-tracking service of the gaming industry that gathers information from 12,000 households, that means a rough estimate of 33,000 people.    

GamePlay Metrics can show “who is playing games, on which systems, at what times, and, when integrated with other Nielsen data, illustrates which other media platforms are also engaging gamers and which consumer goods they’re likely to buy."

52

TalkBack / RE: PREVIEWS: Soul Calibur Legends

« on: July 16, 2007, 06:29:33 PM »

But they're scary..! o_o
Hehe.. it is possible to run and battle at the same time. ^_^ I do it in Twilight Princess.

[Soul Calibur Returns to Nintendo for a Wii Exclusive.]

53

TalkBack / PREVIEWS: Soul Calibur Legends

« on: July 16, 2007, 06:18:28 PM »

Soul Calibur Returns to Nintendo for a Wii Exclusive.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=14037

 The Namco Bandai produced Soul Calibur games released on Nintendo systems have been limited to Soul Calibur 2 on the GameCube in 2003. Each game in the series is your typical 3D fighting game, but with an acute emphasis on weapons. The features, modes, and characters they chucked in Soul Calibur 2 made it quite a dense game and some were disappointed when Soul Calibur 3 was not released on the GameCube. For now though on Wii, another game has emerged and this time, it’s an exclusive action adventure game.    

Soul Calibur Legends is set in the 16th century and focuses on Siegfried, as well as other Soul Calibur characters new and old. To save an empire from destruction, Siegfried seeks the ultimate power, which brings him into conflict with the other warriors seeking to unify the pieces of the Soul Edge sword. This fateful quest leads to Siegfried's possession by the cursed Soul Edge. Pretty grim, huh? So, the fact that he isn’t possessed yet suggests it must be a prequel.    

As mentioned before, this game is an action adventure game and the Wii Remote and Nunchuk are your weapons as you hack, slash, and bash your way through your moves and combos using orchestrated slashes and movements. As you progress, you master special attacks that are acquired throughout the adventure. These attacks and other power-ups are used as you play through diverse environments, battling your way through enemies and large bosses as this new angle of an old universe unfolds.    

And boy oh boy, when they said large they were not kidding! There’s at least a big ol’ dragon to battle. Screenshots have also revealed a couple of old characters, including Ivy and Taki. Also, the environments look pretty detailed, as the lighting of the temples creates the creepy shadows throughout the battlegrounds. Speaking of creepy, there are mummies in the pyramids! Run! Ninjas are also included in the enemy team by the looks of things. Run from them, too.    

As you battle these bunches of evil people, you can choose allies and switch between them to suit the situation at hand. Characters can be leveled up through the new ranking system, as weapon progression is also included as they evolve with your experience as well, giving added control and more powerful attacks. Spirit Break is also here, allowing you to unleash your characters special power to demolish your enemies with added special effects.    

Soul Calibur Legends also comes with quite a few modes.  Firstly, Quest Mode, where you play in 12 different environments and complete 40 different quests. In competitive mode, you go on a killing spree and rack up that body count. Finally, Versus, where you battle against your friend to ‘determine the true Wii weapon master’! One more time, this is a Wii exclusive to be released in North America in the fall and then released in other regions shortly thereafter.

[Ratings board lists 22 potential Virtual Console games including Super Mario Bros. 3, Sonic 3, and many others.]

54

TalkBack / Australian OFLC Hints at Upcoming Virtual Console Games

« on: July 16, 2007, 06:42:12 AM »

Ratings board lists 22 potential Virtual Console games including Super Mario Bros. 3, Sonic 3, and many others.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14032

 The following games have shown up on Australia's OFLC Classification database.    

SUPER MARIO BROS. 3
 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3
 SHINOBI III: RETURN OF THE NINJA MASTER
 LANDSTALKER: THE TREASURE OF KING NOLE
 PROBOTECTOR II: RETURN OF THE EVIL FORCES [known as Super C in other regions]
 SUPER TURRICAN
 ESWAT: CITY UNDER SIEGE
 WRECKING CREW
 STRIDER
 DEVIL'S CRUSH - NAXAT PINBALL
 DROP OFF
 SHOCKMAN
 BATTLE LODE RUNNER
 SILENT DEBUGGERS
 BONK'S REVENGE
 VOLLEY BALL
 YOSHI'S COOKIE
 GHOULS'N GHOSTS
 NINJA SPIRIT
 GALAGA '90
 BLAZING LAZERS
 AXELAY
 CRACK DOWN    

It should be noted that not all games that show up on the ratings site are  confirmed to be released on Wii's Virtual Console, but if this is a sign   of what may come, we may see the likes of Super Mario Bros. 3, Sonic 3,  and many others soon.

[The World of Mana series is returning, real-time strategy style.]

55

TalkBack / PREVIEWS: Heroes of Mana

« on: July 14, 2007, 05:46:40 PM »

The World of Mana series is returning, real-time strategy style.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=14006

 The World of Mana series has been released on handheld systems since the Gameboy Advance. It's produced by Square Enix as somewhat of a spin-off of the Final Fantasy series. In the games players usually control one character, as they go around bashing the native monsters about with whatever weapons they find, just so they know who's boss. This time around however, Square Enix is going to try something just a little different on the DS.    

The first thing that is different is the fact that the new game, Heroes of Mana, will be a real-time strategy game. You are no longer playing as a lone boy trying to find his way home. You are now a full fledged general, wielding a stylus to strategize, then command and control your army to victory. You will form your army and gather the spoils of battle as you drive your way through the battlegrounds. Oh my, how did it ever come to this?    

You play as Roget, on a reconnaissance mission with your crew from Pedda to Ferolia, when your aircraft is attacked and ultimately shot down. You and your crew then realize that your superiors from Peda indeed intended to eliminate you. The Peddan Army's step to world domination starts with the invasion of Ferolia and after witnessing the evil deeds of the Peddans, you and your crew are forced to fight against them.    

The real-time strategy controls; building bases, controlling your army, and attacking, are going to be performed entirely with the DS Stylus. The monsters you are familiar with from the Mana series are featured in this game as you control them and your heroes on 2D and 3D environments which are very colorful and vibrant.  Also, Kingdom Hearts composer Yoko Shimomura is on hand for the soundtrack to 'capture the essence of the World of Mana series'.    

Finally, multiplayer is available through the DS wireless capabilities. Players can challenge one another to see who can kick the most butt. Heroes of Mana seems to be jammed packed with features. It launches next month in North America and will most likely be released in other regions soon after.

[Publisher to show off three Wii games, including Jenga and DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 3.]

56

TalkBack / Atari Reveals E3 Game Lineup

« on: July 09, 2007, 06:46:58 PM »

Publisher to show off three Wii games, including Jenga and DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 3.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=13804

 ATARI UNVEILS 2007 E3 MEDIA AND BUSINESS SUMMIT LINE-UP    

  Fighting, RPG and Board Game Genres to Highlight E3 Roster    

  NEW YORK, July 9, 2007 – Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) one of the world’s   most recognized brands and a third-party video game publisher, today   announced the company’s product line-up for the E3 Media and Business   Summit, taking place July 11 – 13 at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica,   California.  Games spanning multiple genres and platforms will be   on-hand at the Atari booth (518 and 520) and include Dragon Ball Z®:   Budokai Tenkaichi™ 3 Wii™ and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment   system, The Witcher for Games for Windows, Godzilla®: Unleashed  for Wii   and Jenga® for Wii.    

  “Atari’s 2007 E3 roster showcases some of the most exciting titles from   our diverse fall line-up – from the fan-favorite Dragon Ball Z series to   the graphically stunning The Witcher," said David Pierce, Chief   Executive Officer, Atari, Inc.  “We’re excited to participate in the new   E3 Media & Business Summit and look forward to having media and business   partners spend time with the Atari Team and our titles."    

  Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 combines the lightning fast fighting   and action that have made Budokai Tenkaichi 1 and Budokai Tenkaichi 2   the #1 fighting games of 2005 and 2006.  Dragon Ball Z: Budokai   Tenkaichi 3 delivers an extreme 3D fighting experience, improving upon   last year’s game with over 150 playable characters, enhanced fighting   techniques, beautifully refined effects and shading techniques, making   each character's effects more realistic, and over 30 battle stages.  The   immensely popular Dragon Ball Z® series is the gold standard of   anime-based video games, with more than 25 different games and over 10   million units sold since May 2002.  Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.   / Spike, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is slated to release for the   Wii and PlayStation 2 system during the 2007 holiday season.    

  Based on the world created by best-selling Polish author Andrzej   Sapkowski’s novels, The Witcher casts players as Geralt, a legendary   monster slayer and master swordfighter with supernatural abilities and   reflexes.  The Witcher presents a fresh approach to traditional   role-playing, blending an expansive, twisting plotline – in which the   impact of individual decisions can drastically alter the outcome of the   game – and fast-paced combat against a wide variety of foes.  Using   advanced graphics and physics systems, The Witcher delivers brutal   action, multi-faceted RPG options and an intriguing story to engulf all   players who dare to play.  The Witcher, developed by CD Projekt, will be   available for Games for Windows this fall.    

  Godzilla: Unleashed offers fighting on a giant scale.  The game stars   the legendary Godzilla and a slew of the most renowned monsters of   all-time.  Gamers are challenged to ultimately save the planet from   mayhem and destruction.   Set in urban arenas, Godzilla: Unleashed’s   interactive 3D cityscapes, big destructible buildings, soaring   skyscrapers and towering alien formations provide the backdrop to epic   worldwide destruction.  Godzilla: Unleashed is slated for a fall release   on the Wii and Nintendo DS.    

  For the first time, the beloved family game Jenga comes to the world of   videogames, utilizing the innovative controls of the Wii and DS for   unpredictable, quick-paced, tactical gameplay that combines suspense and   risk-taking, where mounting anticipation comes to a crashing climax.   The game will contain all the fun, intensity and challenge of the   original boxed game with a wealth of exciting new enhancements ,   power-ups and twists that are possible only in the videogame world.   Simple to learn and fun to play, Jenga promises great entertainment for   all ages when it releases for the Wii and Nintendo DS this fall.    

  For more information on Atari and its entire product line-up please   visit www.atari.com.