Messages

[The RPG factory will be churning out two games with beloved characters in three dimensions.]

1

TalkBack / Square Enix Announces Two 3DS Games

« on: June 15, 2010, 04:25:59 PM »

The RPG factory will be churning out two games with beloved characters in three dimensions.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=23312

 Square Enix has announced two new games for the Nintendo 3DS.   The first game is Kingdom Hearts 3D, and the second is Chocobo Racing 3D.   Although no specifics have been released regarding either, one would expect that these will be sequels to the long running franchises.  No release pricing details have been revealed.    

  LOS ANGELES (June 15, 2010) – Square Enix Co., Ltd. (SQUARE ENIX) announced today exclusive new titles for Nintendo 3DS (tentative product name).     KINGDOM HEARTS 3D (tentative title), which today premiered globally along with never-before-seen footage, is the newest project from the hit series that has shipped over 15 million units worldwide. CHOCOBO® RACING 3D (tentative title) is a racing game featuring the ever-popular Chocobo, a familiar face from the acclaimed FINAL FANTASY® and CHOCOBO series, and is a title in which the speed and intensity of racing can be felt full-force through 3D visuals.     In addition, Square Enix has also confirmed their plans to develop Nintendo 3DS (tentative product name) titles from both the DRAGON QUEST® and FINAL FANTASY series.     Square Enix will continue to deliver a variety of contents to a global audience.

[...and this time, Nintendo means it!]

2

TalkBack / New Virtual Console Games This Monday

« on: December 01, 2006, 03:20:24 PM »

...and this time, Nintendo means it!

NINTENDO NEWS: FOUR NEW CLASSIC GAMES ANNOUNCED FOR WII SHOP CHANNEL    

Dec. 1, 2006    

Every Monday starting Dec. 4, Nintendo will add classic games to the popular new Wii™ video game console's Wii Shop Channel. Four games will be added at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Dec. 4. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:    

Donkey Kong Jr.™ (NES®, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Based on the popular arcade game, Donkey Kong Jr. is the sequel to the immensely successful Donkey Kong®. Players play as Donkey Kong's son, Junior, and rescue his dad, who has been kidnapped and imprisoned in a cage by Mario™. Players use their jumping and climbing abilities to clamber up vines and chains, gather vital fruit and keys, and open the cage to free their father. Make sure to avoid the pesky birds, nasty electric sparks and creepy chompers. Four different worlds filled with numerous climbing and jumping puzzles await in this timeless classic.    

Victory Run™ (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): Victory Run is a rally racing game, made up of eight different stages set in different countries from Paris to Dakar. Players can race across highways, deserts, savannahs and coastlines. In order to advance to the next stage, players must dodge traffic and cross the finish line within the time limit. Players can upgrade their race car with such parts as tires, gears, engines, suspensions and brakes. Driving on rough courses and hitting obstacles will cause damage to individual parts, so making repairs is critical. Choosing the right setup of parts may be the difference between winning and not finishing the race at all. So go out there and prove to the world that you have what it takes to take raise the gold cup in Victory Run!    

Columns™ (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): Players test their hand at the ancient Phoenician game of Columns. Multicolored gems drop from the top of the screen into a pit. It is up to players to quickly arrange the order of the jewels into lines of three or more as they fall. If gems pile up and reach the top, the game is over.    

Ristar™ (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): Greedy, an evil space pirate, has corrupted the kings of the Valdi System's seven planets and enslaved the people who live there. The plea for a hero is answered by Ristar, who uses his amazing extendable arms and courage to save Valdi from Greedy.

[According to Perrin Kaplan, that is.]

3

TalkBack / Wii Component Cables to Hit Retail

« on: November 03, 2006, 05:18:47 PM »

According to Perrin Kaplan, that is.

In a new interview with Game Informer, Perrin Kaplan revealed that component cables will not only be hitting online retail sites, but will actually launch in retail stores along with the Wii on November 19.    

When asked if component cables would be available on day one, Kaplan responded by saying "Yes, at retail and online. Best Buy, GameStop, Circuit City, etc… and Nintendo.com."    

This is good news for those of us who have high definition displays, myself included, as it had earlier been stated that component cables could only be purchased from web sites of retail stores such as the ones listed above.

[Not even Nightcrawler can save this game from mediocrity.]

4

TalkBack / REVIEWS: X-Men: The Official Game

« on: June 20, 2006, 06:53:09 AM »

Not even Nightcrawler can save this game from mediocrity.

Games based off of feature-length films over the years have been, for the most part, utter garbage. There have been some rare exceptions, but the general rule of thumb is that if it’s based off of a movie, you’d better stay away.  I’d say that X-Men: The Official Game for the Game Boy Advance almost falls into this same bottomless pit, but it does just enough right to not be completely terrible.  It truly is mediocrity at its best, if that’s possible.    

   The concept for the game is simple.  Play as one of four X-Men (Wolverine, Colossus, Nightcrawler, or Iceman) and claw, throw, or teleport your way through a dozen levels in the Canadian compound at Alkali Lake.  This game doesn’t do much to expand upon the latest X-Men movie, but it does offer a simple explanation as to why Nightcrawler was not featured in the film.    

With the game being a prequel of sorts to the latest X-Men movie, your entire mission consists of going through the apparently abandoned complex and retrieving the parts William Stryker used to create his Dark Cerebro.  You start out playing as Wolverine so you can familiarize yourself with the controls of the game.  As is the case with most GBA games, the controls are easy and intuitive for anyone to use.  The A button makes your character jump, while pressing B along with up, down, left, and right will make your character do varying attacks.  Pressing A and B at the same time will unleash a super attack.  Wolverine’s super is a 2-way claw attack (so that if you are in the middle of two enemies you can attack them both at the same time). Colossus slams his fists into the ground, which can not only destroy nearby enemies but walls as well.  Iceman’s super attack is a freeze blast that can temporarily stun enemies from afar.  Last but not least is Nightcrawler, whose super attack features his trademark teleporting.  These attacks all tie into the character’s strengths: Wolverine’s quickness, Colossus’ brute strength, Iceman’s uncanny (see what I did there?) freezing ability, and Nightcrawler’s agility.    

The gameplay is simple side-scrolling beat-em-up action.  Simple not only in terms of what you have to do in all the levels, but simple in style, too.  There’s only a limited amount of unique enemies in the game, and most of the levels feature the same kind of basic structure, only with varying colors.  It makes sense because the entire game occurs in one place, but it’s rather depressing, even for a military compound.    

Speaking of enemies, as I said, there are only a handful of different types.  The most basic enemies are dogs, and there are a lot of them.  They’re easy to defeat, but they can get annoying at times because they’re so low to the ground and thus most normal attacks won’t hurt them.  There are also a few different kinds of military-type shooters.  Some like to lie on the ground and shoot, while others will stand up and fire right at you.  They tend not to move around a lot unless you come towards them, and they’re easy to take out.  Then, for some reason, you get the privilege of dealing with some robotic enemies.  One type of these robots is attached to ceilings and will fire dual lasers at you.  Another is spider-like and the second most difficult of the robotic enemies.  The third is a robot that is humanoid in appearance, and it stands about twice as tall as your characters (save for Colossus).  Sometimes you’ll run into Toad (yeah, I was surprised too) while you’re running around levels.  He’s no different from any other enemy except in appearance.  Just keep hitting him, and once he’s defeated, he’ll leave you with an item.    

The four X-Men can be accessed and switched at any time during the levels by pressing the L button.  If one of those characters dies (unless acquiring a special token), you will not be able to access him again until the next stage.  The same method applies for boss battles.  Those battles occur with members of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants, including Juggernaut and Sabretooth.  To help you in these battles, there’s a charge meter that can be filled up to four times for each character, by collecting items.  When you press the R button, your character will enter into a brief state where he’ll deal out twice the normal amount of damage.    

Sadly, this game didn’t hold my interest for too long.  After a number of levels I got bored going through the levels and doing the same exact thing over and over, and at that point I just decided to start running through the levels without attacking anything.  The boss battles don’t do much to alleviate this problem, as they are few and far between.  For what it's worth, though, they are entertaining distractions.    

There are some good things about the game, but unfortunately the bad outweigh the good.  The characters are fun to play when you first start using them, but you’ll soon find yourself annoyed when Colossus has to break his twentieth wall in a row just to proceed through a level.  The animations of the characters and enemies are spot on, but they only impress for so long.  The hand-drawn sketches of faces used for dialogue add a nice touch to the overall presentation.  Sadly, none of these details overshadow the fact that the game becomes increasingly tedious and, in the end, boring.

Pros:
       

Entertaining… for a while  

Boss battles are a nice diversion  

Nightcrawler!

       Cons:
       

Lack of variety (enemies, level layouts, etc.)  

Game becomes extremely repetitive  

Not enough boss battles to distract from the mundane

               Graphics:  6.5
       Being a Game Boy Advance game, there’s not too much to expect here, especially being a 2D game.  There is nothing to complain about, but nothing stands out, either.  That said, the fluid animation for each individual character and enemy is fairly impressive.

               Sound:  5.0
       No voice acting for this version, and the music is generic techno.  It’s something you’d expect from an X-Men game.  The short elevator level has some nice elevator music going and is sadly the only music in the entire game (save for the main menu) that I can remember.  Sound effects are good enough, but you’ll be hearing a lot of gunfire and grunts from fallen enemies.

               Control:  7.0
       Controls are simple and easy to pick up quickly, and even if they weren’t, you can access a tutorial before you ever play a level. The attack system gets the job done even with a limited amount of buttons.

                      Gameplay:  6.0
       Starts out interesting, but the longer you play this game, the easier it is to realize that you’re doing the same exact attacks over and over again on enemies that all look the same.  The sad thing is, even with the tougher enemies, those same attacks take them down rather easily.  Soon you’ll be doing what I did and just run through to the end of levels.

 

       Lastability:  1.0
       The only reason I’m not giving this a 0.5 (or a 0.0 if I could), is because the game takes at least a couple of hours to beat.  Some of the bosses are annoyingly hard enough that you have to go through them a number of times (thankfully you have an unlimited amount of continues) before you finally dispose of them.  Other than that, there’s absolutely nothing to do that's actually worth doing. You could go through the game for a second time but honestly, why put yourself through torture again?

 

       Final:  5.0
       This game is decently fun for a short time.  I tried to enjoy it all the way through, but it just wasn’t happening.  Playing as Nightcrawler is one of the few reasons I even got as far as I did.  Like I said, it’s not a terrible game for what it is, but sadly there’s just nothing to enjoy after you’ve gone through about half of the levels.  I’d say this is a rental game, but that might even be giving it too much credit.  You’d probably be better off borrowing it for a few hours from a friend.      

[Here's some recent information on the "Wii-make" to get you ready for this launch title.]

5

TalkBack / PREVIEWS: Trauma Center: Second Opinion

« on: May 12, 2006, 07:37:28 AM »

Here's some recent information on the "Wii-make" to get you ready for this launch title.

    Last updated: 10/08/2006 by Jonathan Metts          

We first learned of Trauma Center: Second Opinion at E3 2006, and although the game wasn't playable then, Atlus did give us a lot of information about the game.  At the time, we could tell that it would be very similar to the original DS game, but just how closely the two are related wouldn't be revealed until later in the summer.  Second Opinion's title is apt indeed, as the game is an extended remake of the DS version with additional missions, some new tools, and (obviously) better graphics.  But the majority of the game is identical to the original version…except, of course, that you're playing with the Wii controller.    

The remote uses surgical tools, while the nunchuk's joystick lets you instantly select tools from an octagonal menu on the screen.  This new interface may take some practice for anyone familiar with the touch screen controls, but it’ll definitely let you play faster, and saving a few seconds in this game can mean life or death.  The tools themselves are mostly unchanged, but using them is going to feel much different with the remote.  One new tool is the defibrillator, which actually requires you to press both the B and Z buttons (on the remote and nunchuk, respectively) at a certain time to zap the patient's heart.    

Much is still unknown about the new playable doctor, but we do know that he (or she) has a mission in the dark and must operate within the narrow beam of a flashlight, and another mission to reconstruct bones in the arm.  Pieces of the bone must be rotated with the remote and placed correctly in the arm, like a jigsaw puzzle.  This mission is also notable because it involves operating on an extremity, whereas nearly all of the original missions take place in the torso.  What's next, brain surgery?    

The true extent of Second Opinion's new missions and features may not be known until closer to the Wii launch, but Trauma Center fans and everyone who missed the DS version should be keeping an eye on this game.  For anyone who thinks the early Wii game selection includes too many casual, party-style titles, Atlus is offering Second Opinion as a serious, challenging option that still fully utilizes Wii's unique interface.

     Last updated: 05/12/2006 by Vincent Anderson            

Atlus' Trauma Center: Under the Knife was heralded as an excellent start to a new franchise for Atlus.  They decided to build upon that success with a sequel for Nintendo's Wii, aptly named Trauma Center: Second Opinion.    

In a brief video/interview session with Atlus, we were able to pry some interesting information about the sequel.  Derek Stiles (and his partner Angie) will be back at it for a second time, but in Second Opinion, Derek will be joined by another doctor.  It isn't known whether this doctor is a he or she, but we were told that this doctor will most likely have the darker story of the two. The two doctors will have their own storylines until the later stages of the game, where they will combine forces.  Despite the presence of two main characters, Second Opinion will be a single-player game.    

All the classic Trauma Center instruments will be making a return, including the scalpel, bandage, and syringe.  This time however, it won't be a simple matter of just making sure you're putting the instrument where it needs to go.  Depth will play a part in the game.  So, it would probably be a bad idea to just plunge your scalpel into a patient with wanton force.    

For those of you who became frustrated at the difficulty of the DS version (myself included), you can breathe a sigh of relief.  Trauma Center: Second Opinion will feature an adjustable difficulty setting.  Also, when playing through a surgery for a second time, any and all nurse disruptions will be automatically skipped so that the action doesn't come to an abrupt stop.    

At the start, most surgeries will have an air of normalcy as you get used to the controls and any new instruments.  Later on in the game though, the sci-fi story will kick in (just like the DS version) and you'll go from there. Most of the surgeries for right now are still focusing on the torso, but it's not known whether they'll branch out from there or not.  There will however be more missions based on things like the diffusing of a bomb found in Under the Knife.    

The art style employed for Second Opinion will be the same as in the DS version.  The characters themselves are drawn anime style, while the inside of your patient uses a more detailed approach.  Just think of the DS version with more style.  The point here is that they still aren't going for realistic bodies, mainly because they'd like to keep Second Opinion a Teen rated game.    

A number of things are still up in the air, such as how rumble will be used in the game.  Voice acting has been brought up and it will be debated as to whether actual dialogue will be spoken or if they'll just stick to text.  Atlus assured us that at the very least the small samples that were used in the DS game will make an appearance in Second Opinion.  They're also not quite sure yet how the Wii remote's speaker will factor into the game.    

Atlus hopes to have Trauma Center: Second Opinion available at Wii launch.

[It's H.A.M.M.E.R. Time! See what I did there?]

6

TalkBack / IMPRESSIONS: Project H.A.M.M.E.R

« on: May 11, 2006, 09:41:44 AM »

It's H.A.M.M.E.R. Time!  See what I did there?

Project H.A.M.M.E.R. is one of the odder first party games on the E3 show floor.  It came out of nowhere, and it seems to bring the more gritty attitude that games like Excite Truck also bring to the table.    

The basic premise for the game (since there was no backstory given), is that you're just a big dude with a big hammer.  We have no idea who you are or why you have a hammer, but as long as it's there we might as well use it, right?    

At first I found the gameplay to be annoying and a bit overly complicated.  You have to keep the red cursor (the one that corresponds to the remote) on the screen at all times, mainly because that's how you attack.  Run up to an enemy (they were mostly robots or robot-like) with the control stick on the nunchaku attachment and smash them to bits with your hammer by swinging it from left to right.  You could twirl your hammer by bending your wrist and making a twirling motion with the controller, but these movements had to be precise for them to be executed.  You can also do a Power Slam by raising the remote upward slowly (to build the charge) and then slamming it back down to release a massive blast.    

The E3 demo I played had you move through a generic run-down city and your job was to defeat all the enemies.  At first I had trouble keeping the remote's cursor on the screen whilst running at the same time, but after a minute or so I didn't have much trouble and it seemed to be a decent way to control the action on the screen.  The two buttons on the nunchaku were used to boost and back yourself up.  I didn't actually use this feature until near the end of the demo, so I'm not sure how effective it will be and how much it will affect gameplay.    

Overall, I thought it was a decent start to this new IP from Nintendo.

[Like Grand Battle, but now with added adventure.]

7

TalkBack / IMPRESSIONS: One Piece: Grand Adventure

« on: May 11, 2006, 09:22:53 AM »

Like Grand Battle, but now with added adventure.

Grand Adventure follows the adventures of Luffy and his friends on their search for the treasure called One Piece.  The demo on the E3 show floor gives a basic idea of how the game will play out.  There are multiple game modes, but the one I got to try (and is the main mode of the game) is the solo Adventure mode.  Here you'll actually be put out to sea where you get to control a ship and move it to whatever area you want.  There, you'll be given a mission to accomplish before time runs out (or before you're defeated).  Some of the missions require you only to defeat your opponent before time runs out, while other missions play more like mini-games.  One of these I got to try out was a racing game of sorts.  Using an unknown creature (or at least it was one that I didn't recognize), you had to jump and boost your way to the finish line.      

The gameplay (fighting) is similar to that of Grand Battle.  You play in fully 3D environment with complete control over where you go.  There are objects laying around that you can use to pick up and throw at your enemy.  Of course, each character also has their own set of crazy moves. On the graphical side of things, it wasn't looking so hot.  There wasn't much detail that I could see (especially in the stages I played), and what you could see was pretty painful.  The jaggies were extremely evident, though this shouldn't be as apparent on standard definition televisions.    

Still, the game looked fairly complete and you can expect it to hit the GameCube in the Fall of this year.

[Nintendo goes even more in-depth with the Wii.]

8

TalkBack / Nintendo's Disruption

« on: May 09, 2006, 12:18:13 PM »

Nintendo goes even more in-depth with the Wii.

NINTENDO INTRODUCES  THE NEXT LEAP IN VIDEO GAMES    

Bold, Disruptive Approach Attracts New Players, Expands the Industry    

LOS ANGELES, May 9, 2006 – Anyone can tell you how video games look. Nintendo wants you to experience how they can feel.  Today Nintendo unveils the next leap in gaming by demonstrating its upcoming Wii™ home console, which lets users manipulate action on their television screens through the precise, life-like motion of the Wii Remote.    

Continuing Nintendo’s long tradition of developing highly innovative products that redefine the standards for the industry, Wii (pronounced “we") will allow players to “feel" games in a way never known before: the adrenaline of a tennis match, the thrill of making an airplane bank or the rush of gripping the wheel of a speeding truck. The control scheme is simple enough that everyone, no matter what their prior gaming experience, can use it with ease and will want to try it.    

“Not only is Wii compelling to current game players, but it also will entice new players with new experiences," explains Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. “To expand the total number of game players, we must make our experience both friendlier and more compelling. With Wii, it is."    

Iwata made his comments during Nintendo’s annual media briefing in Los Angeles prior to the start of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) global video game trade show. Thanks to Nintendo’s leadership in innovation, Wii will challenge conventional thinking and will be a disruptive element in the video game industry.    

Players manipulate their games through the motion of the remote control-like Wii Remote, which also includes a built-in speaker. In a four-player tennis game shown during Nintendo’s media briefing, the Wii Remote became a virtual tennis racket, from  the vibration of the hit to the sound of the ball. The Wii Remote’s sensors are delicate enough to enable players to hit straight, add slice or put top spin on the ball.    

Depending on the game, the Wii Remote could be a weapon, a baseball bat or an airplane. The applications are limited only by imagination. The Nunchuk controller attachment also includes a motion sensor, a development that suggests additional creative possibilities for this dual control system: Games could involve the use of a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. Or a clamp and a scalpel. Or a pair of boxing gloves.    

A new, immersive playing experience represents the most important factor to keep the industry healthy and growing. For more than a year, Nintendo has demonstrated living examples of how this strategy continues to work to the benefit of players, Nintendo and the marketplace. New interfaces can change the gaming landscape almost overnight, as evidenced by the success of the hand-held Nintendo DS™ system. To date, more than 16 million units have sold through to gamers of all types. Between now and the end of 2006, more than 100 new, envelope-pushing games will launch for the system to continue the tremendous momentum it enjoys worldwide.    

Wii will be available in the fourth quarter of 2006 and priced affordably for the mass market. It will feature a very quick startup, silent operation and low power consumption. These elements make the “sleepless" WiiConnect24 experience possible. Users never need to turn it off. The combination of the new interface, including the Wii Remote, the Virtual Console and WiiConnect24 (which takes advantage of the console’s low power consumption) represents a true leap forward in gaming.    

Games in development for the Wii console include a third chapter in the Metroid® Prime series, a new Mario™ game and The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess. Additionally, dozens of developers worldwide are working to bring new experiences to the Wii console. Nintendo will expand the gaming circle to as many types of people as possible, including lapsed gamers and people who have never played before.    

Along with Wii Sports, which includes the tennis game, the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will launch at the same time as Wii and thrill gamers with its captivating storyline, stunning game play and gorgeous look. The game makes use of the unique Wii Remote functions for elements like fishing and special sword attacks. The game also will be playable on Nintendo GameCube™, but without the widescreen format or special controller functions.    

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems, and upcoming Wii™ console. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 2 billion video games and more than 360 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario™, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.

[Nintendo tells us why the Wii won't compare to anything we've ever played before.]

9

TalkBack / Playing = Believing

« on: May 09, 2006, 11:42:26 AM »

Nintendo tells us why the Wii won't compare to anything we've ever played before.

Wii WILL OFFER UNPRECEDENTED  VIDEO GAME EXPERIENCES FOR EVERYONE    

Nintendo’s Console Takes the Next Leap in Video Games    

LOS ANGELES, May 9, 2006 – For more than 20 years, video game players have used body language to “help" them play. With Nintendo’s upcoming Wii™ console, those movements become a real part of the play. After grabbing the Wii Remote for the first time, hesitation gives way to concentration. Confidence builds. Excitement morphs into pure delight. And everyone watching says the same thing: “Hey – let me try!"    

What drives this phenomenon? A remarkable controller and games that enhance the experience … realizing that the swing of your arm – not the movement of your thumb – causes a baseball to leave the park or a sword to find its mark. The Wii console introduces the next leap in gaming, one where players not only control their characters on the screen, but they also become them.    

“The Wii console gives every game developer a tool to create new experiences, not just linear advancement," said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales & marketing. “It will attract all kinds of new players, and thoroughly satisfy the hard-core gamers."    

One of Wii’s launch titles will be Wii Sports, a new type of product designed to expand the video game experience to everyone, regardless of age, gender or gaming experience. These games will form the bridge that connects current gamers to newcomers. Wii Sports will include a tennis game that lets up to four players swing at, hear and feel the ball. Anyone can pick up the Wii Remote and start hitting straight shots and lobs, with top spin or a slice, using their forehand or backhand, simply by simulating the arm and wrist movements of a real tennis game. In the baseball game, players can hit or pitch a baseball using the Wii Remote as the characters on the screen mimic their  movements. And in the golf game, players can drive the fairways or putt for the cup simply by swinging the Wii Remote as if they were swinging a real golf club. Games can be played with small, precise hand movements, but it’s likely people will want to immerse themselves physically in the reality of the experience.    

The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess also will launch at the same time as Wii. It will thrill gamers with its captivating storyline, stunning game play and gorgeous look. The game makes use of the unique Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller for elements like fishing and special sword attacks.    

Other Wii games in development include Metroid® Prime 3: Corruption, which redefines how first-person shooters look and feel. Players use the Wii Remote as their pinpoint-accurate arm cannon, while the Nunchuk attachment can be used to deploy a variety of functions, such as the Grapple Beam. The amazing Super Mario® Galaxy represents a crowning achievement for legendary Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and his team. Mario™ floats from planet to planet while performing massive zero-gravity jumps in an environment new to gaming fans.    

Excite Truck™ builds on a classic Nintendo franchise, but features a radical play mechanic in which players hold the Wii Remote sideways like a steering wheel. On jumps, they must balance it to make sure their vehicle lands squarely and earns a turbo boost. Many games make racing look real, but Nintendo also makes it feel real. WarioWare™: Smooth Moves contains about 200 microgames that will have players holding the Wii Remote to their hips to do a hula-hoop motion, curling it like a barbell or putting it on their head and doing squats.    

The Wii console already enjoys strong third-party support. Nintendo is working with every major publisher worldwide to create fresh intellectual properties and host strong, classic franchises on the console. Gamers can look forward to multiple offerings, including:    

• Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam™, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Call of Duty® 3 from Activision    

• Sonic and Super Monkey Ball games from SEGA    

• DRAGON QUEST SWORDS™: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors™ and CODENAME: FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Crystal Bearers™ from SQUARE ENIX    

• Madden NFL from Electronic Arts    

• Rayman Raving Rabbids™ and Red Steel™, the only original first-person game built from the ground up exclusively for the Wii launch, from Ubisoft    

• and a SpongeBob SquarePants title from THQ.  Gamers also can expect ground-breaking offerings from Atari, Buena Vista Games, Eidos, Konami Digital Entertainment, Majesco, Mastiff, Midway Games, NAMCO BANDAI Games, Atlus and SNK. Nintendo and publishers large and small worldwide will introduce original franchises of all kinds, aimed both at pleasing the hard-core crowd and encouraging new generations and demographics of people to play.    

“Once again Nintendo has challenged the status quo and opened new creative landscapes for us," says John Schappert, EA Canada’s senior vice president and group studio general manager. “We look forward to creating original experiences for the Wii console while seeing how some of our best sellers play using the extraordinary controllers."    

In addition to a healthy selection of new games, Wii will enjoy one of the largest launch libraries in video game history thanks to its built-in Virtual Console and backward compatibility with Nintendo GameCube™. The Virtual Console provides downloadable access to Nintendo games from the NES®, Super NES® and Nintendo® 64. The Virtual Console also will feature a “best of" selection from Sega Genesis titles and games from the TurboGrafx console (a system jointly developed by NEC and Hudson).    

Wii will launch worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2006. Prices and other launch details will be announced at a later date.    

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems, and upcoming Wii™ console. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 2 billion video games and more than 360 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario™, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.

[Nintendo gives us the low down on the newest DS games.]

10

TalkBack / Official DS Games List

« on: May 09, 2006, 11:32:06 AM »

Nintendo gives us the low down on the newest DS games.

NINTENDO DS CONTINUES TO SET  A NEW COURSE FOR PORTABLE GAMING    

DS Lite, 100+ New Games Expand the Popularity of Nintendo DS in 2006    

LOS ANGELES, May 9, 2006 – For 18 months, hundreds of thousands of new players have joined together to disrupt the portable video game market. They proudly identify themselves as owners of Nintendo DS™, Nintendo’s remarkable hand-held system that continues to overturn traditional thinking. As the movement grows and becomes stronger, developers worldwide have taken notice. Both new and traditional players will be well-served in 2006, as more than 100 new games of all kinds hit the market for Nintendo DS.    

On June 11, Nintendo DS itself gets a makeover when Nintendo introduces the lighter, brighter Nintendo DS™ Lite in the Americas. The redesigned system features a more compact size and screens with four adjustable brightness levels. The Polar White system will sell as low as $129.99 at retailers nationwide.    

“We remain committed to going where others can’t – or won’t," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications, during Nintendo’s annual media briefing in Los Angeles prior to the start of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) video game trade show. “By grouping our innovative DS games together under the umbrella term ‘Touch Generations,’ new players will easily be able to identify games designed for them."    

To date, Nintendo DS has sold through more than 16 million units worldwide. Nintendo DS demonstrates that marrying improvements to the interface with amazing software results in a dramatic shift in the way that both game makers and the public think of video games. With new ways to play and new categories of software, the success of Nintendo DS is setting the stage for Wii™.    

More than 100 games will be available for Nintendo DS this year alone frompublishers worldwide. Some of the biggest fan favorites will come from Nintendo:    

• New Super Mario Bros.®, a new 2-D Super Mario game that anyone can enjoy.    

• The Legend of Zelda®: Phantom Hourglass builds on the cel-shaded fun of The Legend of Zelda®: The Wind Waker™ with touch-screen controls and wireless competition.    

• Chibi-Robo™: Park Patrol sends everyone’s favorite robotic helper on a new mission in the great outdoors.    

• Elite Beat Agents™ brings the cult import hit Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! to the Americas.    

• DK™: King of Swing DS sends Donkey Kong® on a swinging new adventure.    

• Hotel Dusk: Room 215™ turns Nintendo DS into a film noir mystery.    

• Pokémon® Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team for the first time lets users play as a Pokémon, speaking and interacting with other characters in a world populated only by Pokémon.    

• Gamers also can anticipate creative new Nintendo DS games featuring Star Fox®, Wario™ and Kirby™, as well as a wild adventure set on Yoshi’s Island®.    

From the start, Nintendo DS challenged convention, and consumers responded en masse. Nintendogs™ taught people that they could communicate with simulated puppies – and with one another. Mario Kart® DS, Animal Crossing™: Wild World and Metroid® Prime Hunters have attracted millions of people around the world to play via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. Brain Age™: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day demonstrated that gamers could no longer be defined by age, while both Brain Age and Animal Crossing have expanded the video game market to female customers. The next wave of Nintendo DS games stands ready to capitalize on these triumphs.    

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems, and upcoming Wii™ console. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 2 billion video games and more than 360 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario™, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.

[For a second time in as many days, John Schappert divulges some juicy tidbits concerning the Wii version of Madden.]

11

TalkBack / EA Confirms Accelerometer Rumors

« on: April 28, 2006, 05:12:23 PM »

For a second time in as many days, John Schappert divulges some juicy tidbits concerning the Wii version of Madden.

In an interview with IGN today, EA Canada's head honcho John Schappert indirectly confrimed on two separate occasions that the Wii's nunchuck attachment does indeed include an accelerometer and will even be used in the game.    

IGN Wii: Does you use the trigger buttons on the nunchuck unit?    

John Schappert: You know, the buttons are all still being mapped out. It does use the trigger buttons right now. I don't know how much we'll have locked in for you at E3 because we are still working on the final button layout, but it does use the trigger buttons, and it does use the accelerometer in the nunchuck unit as well for juking.    

IGN Wii: Perfect. Could you just for clarification purposes give us an idea of how a typical play might work using the controllers?    

John Schappert: So, you take the controller, jerk it up to snap. Quarterback now has the ball. Your passing icons are now up. Take the wand controller and you'll see that the four directions on its D-Pad represent four of your receivers; the A button is your fifth receiver. Point to one of those receivers that you want to receive the ball and with your hand gesture a throwing motion to pass. Now, the harder you throw, the more that's going to be a bullet pass. The softer and the more you lob a throw, the more that it's going to be a lob. When you receive the ball, you run with the analog stick on the nunchuck and if you want to juke, you use the nunchuck to gesture it. And if you want to stiff-arm, you use the wand.    

Schappert also confirmed that an online mode was being worked on and should be ready by the launch of Wii.  You can check out the full interview by clicking here.

12

TalkBack / RE: RUMORS: CoD to REV?

« on: April 03, 2006, 10:20:54 AM »

Pirates > Ninjas

[VGrevolution]

13

TalkBack / RE:Iwata Promises Cheap Games

« on: March 30, 2006, 06:35:40 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: VGrevolution

Quote
Originally posted by: Artimus
Can someone explain to me why most first-party DS games cost MORE than third party?

Hehe, that is something I've been wondering. Remember Nintendo stating that in America first party would be 29.99? Seems to me that NIntendo has pulled a sneaky trick on all of us suckers, raising the prices 34.95, but hey at least they are great games. If I all I have do is to get a 4.95$ knife in my back for games like AC, MKDS, and Hunters I'm all for it.

Notice those games, though.  What do they all have in common?  Yeah, they're all WiFi Connection games.  That's why those are $35.

[infinitys_end]

14

TalkBack / RE:REVIEWS: Tetris DS

« on: March 30, 2006, 06:02:04 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: infinitys_end
Just wanted to say how much I disagree with the sound category.  Tetris DS's music is absolutely pathetic.  An afterthought.  The DS can handle so much better, but the decided they'd just bank on crappy mixes of known music than to write GOOD ones.  Otherwise, your review is spot on.

They didn't have to bank on it because the six modes already had themes.  It wouldn't have made a whole lot of sense to use those themes and then not use the most recognizable music for each of them.

You're right though, the mixes of some of the songs weren't exactly the greatest, but they were all good enough to where I never got annoyed by them.  That's when I can tell the music for a game is bad.

Destruction Trip (Touch mode music) is absolutely my favorite of the bunch.

 

15

TalkBack / RE: REVIEWS: Tetris DS

« on: March 30, 2006, 05:53:14 AM »

For some reason, when I first played Catch I thought you had to fill that entire inner part before the core could explode.  Realizing how hard that would be I was like "Pfft, screw this.". Then I looked in the instruction manual and realized how small of an area you actually had to make and it's like as soon as I played the mode again everything seemed to click.

[EvanTBurchfield]

16

TalkBack / RE:REVIEWS: Tetris DS

« on: March 30, 2006, 05:18:33 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: EvanTBurchfield
I HATE Catch Mode. HATE HATE HATE it. I would rather DIE than play it again. It is the SCOURGE IN MY SIDE. I vomit on it. HATE.

Haha, I disliked it until I actually figured out how to play it correctly.

[The granddaddy of all puzzle games comes to the Nintendo DS in full force.]

17

TalkBack / REVIEWS: Tetris DS

« on: March 29, 2006, 07:49:13 PM »

The granddaddy of all puzzle games comes to the Nintendo DS in full force.

Face it. If you’re a gamer, then at some point in life you have played (and most likely enjoyed) one form of Tetris or another.  Nearly every system made since the game’s inception has some gotten some Tetris lovin’, and now it’s the DS’s turn.    

Tetris DS gives players plenty of modes from which to choose, along with several sub-modes.  There’s Standard, Push, Touch, Puzzle, Mission, and Catch.  Each mode’s theme is based on a specific Nintendo series, such as Mario for Standard and Donkey Kong for Push.  These modes feature backgrounds and music from those series.  Each of the game modes are fairly simple and quick to get started, which makes it that much easier to game on the go.    

There are not a whole lot of options, unfortunately.  The two options here don’t impact gameplay too much, but for someone who has never seen them before (like me), it’s good to at least know what they do and that they can be turned off.  There’s Hard Drop and Ghost Piece, and both options are on by default.  Hard Drop means that, when you’re playing, you can automatically make a game piece fall by pressing up on the d-pad. With Ghost Piece turned on, you can see where each individual Tetrimino (block) will drop before you place it.    

Taking a look at the regular game modes, Standard is where to head if you want to play some of the more classic Tetris modes.  Standard has three sub-modes: Marathon, Line Clear, and Vs. CPU.  Marathon is basic Tetris. Start on the first level and rotate (A for clockwise, B for counter-clockwise) the Tetriminos to create horizontal lines to clear them away.  You’ll reach a new level (which drops the pieces down slightly faster) every time you clear ten lines.      

While you’re playing in this mode, you’ll hear slightly redone Mario songs and the background will be that of a level in the playing field.  On the top screen a computer-controlled Mario will be going through a level as you go through lines.  It’s a nice little touch that really doesn’t add anything to the game, but it’s fun to look up and see occasionally.    

In Line Clear, select the level and the line height (1-5, with each level representing two lines of Tetriminos) and then have at it.  The point of this mode is to rack up as many points as possible before you clear twenty five lines.  Vs. CPU is exactly like the online 2 player mode (which I’ll get to in a moment), with the obvious exception being that you’re playing against the computer (with a variable difficulty), rather than an actual person.  Clearing two or more lines at once will send lines to your opponent’s side of the playing field.  Whoever reaches the top of the field first loses.  One thing to note is the fact that each Tetrimino can be rotated infinitely before being dropped, which can mean bad things for your opponents.  I don’t think this gameplay tactic hinders the game as much as some people would have you believe, because most of the time you still have to at least get the piece in the correct general area, or sometimes your piece will get stuck and it can’t be moved to the other side of the field.    

In the Metroid-themed Catch mode, you’re in control of a “core", which consists simply of a single block.  Tetriminos will fall from the screen above onto the bottom screen.  Your job is to catch the Tetriminos onto the core.  You can’t rotate the falling Tetriminos; you can only move the core and attempt to latch on to them.   Create at least a 4x4 area of Tetriminos, and the core will start counting down before it explodes.  Catch on more lines before the core explodes for more points, or if you’re sure you want to go ahead and explode the core, you can just press the X button.    

The Legend of Zelda-based theme is used for Mission mode.  Like regular games of Tetris, you get a playing field and Tetrimino pieces will fall.  The difference here is that instead of just randomly clearing lines, you’re given specific tasks to do; tasks such as clearing two or more lines at once or using specific pieces to clear lines.  The upper screen shows exactly what the mission wants you do.  The bottom screen shows ten hearts in the lower right corner (like the ones used for Link), which act as a timer for each mission.  When the hearts run out, the height of the playing field increases.  Again, it’s game over if you reach the top of the field.  Mission is the only mode besides Standard Vs. and Push to receive the multiplayer treatment.    

Yoshi is the main star of Puzzle mode.  As you might expect with the name of the mode, you’ll be given a set of lines with pieces missing and your job is to pick the correct Tetrimino in the right position to completely rid the field of blocks.  Most of the time, you will be picking from two or three different Tetromino pieces.  The only problem I have with this mode is the fact that it won’t even try the piece if it doesn’t fit at all.  Basically, you could just go through this mode and continue to randomly pick pieces until all the blocks are cleared.  There are times when you’ll pick a piece that can fit but doesn’t clear all of the blocks, but it’s more common than finding a piece that won’t fit at all and thus can’t be selected.  There are at least two hundred missions in Puzzle mode, so it’ll take quite a while to complete them all, even for the best of us.    

Touch mode is, in my humble opinion, the best new mode in Tetris DS.  In this Balloon Fight-themed mode, blocks are stacked to the sky.  Using the stylus, you must move pieces around to once again form horizontal lines.  You win when the cage of balloons at the top of the stack hits the ground.  In Levels 1-3 of this mode, Tetriminos can be rotated by tapping on them twice. In the two latter stages Tetriminos can’t be rotated at all, making things extremely difficult, yet interesting.  It gives you a real sense of accomplishment when you finish those levels. Touch also has a Puzzle mode.  Unlike the actual Puzzle mode, you don’t have to pick any Tetriminos.  Instead, you’ll use your stylus to move the blocks already on the field to complete the puzzle.    

Push is another new mode created for this iteration of Tetris. This mode is played on one giant playing field utilizing both screens.  The point of this game is to literally push the field all the way to your opponent's side by clearing lines.  So, if you're guarding the upper screen, then you'll want to continue to push the field to the very bottom.  Clearing two or more lines will push the field even farther.    

Although Touch is the best new single player mode, the multiplayer is what really shines through for this game.  With multiplayer, you and up to nine other people can compete against each other in either Standard Vs. or Mission mode, all from just one copy of the game.  Push can also be played using the local wireless, though it requires exactly two players.  The online portion of the game contains not only the Standard Vs. mode along with Push, but it also features a four-player Standard game with items.  If you clear a "?" box, you’ll get one of those six items.  Thankfully, none of the items have an absolute advantage over another, like the blue shell in Mario Kart DS. However, none of the items are inherently weak, either.    

Tetris DS has all the makings of a great game.  It’s simple enough that anyone can pick it up and get a game going by himself within seconds, yet it’s sophisticated enough that all of your friends can join in on the fun.  Being able to challenge friends or random strangers from across the world only adds to the long lasting nature of the game. Simply put, it’s one of the best DS games to date.

Pros:
       

Simple and intuitive interface  

Wide variety of game modes  

Online play is a blast

       Cons:
       

Lack of options  

Infinite rotating can be exploited

               Graphics:  6.0
       It’s Tetris, what do you expect?  That said, Nintendo did do a good job to at least dress the game up a bit with various backgrounds and animations from the five series represented in the six game modes.

               Sound:  8.0
       There are some catchy remixes of classic Nintendo tunes mixed in with more generic-sounding original music and a remixed Tetris song or two thrown in for good measure.

               Control:  7.5
       Again, even with the new modes there’s not a whole lot to expect from Tetris.  Pieces fall and move exactly as you want them to.  The touch mode can be considered a bit “touchy" when it comes to moving pieces with the stylus, but it isn’t wholly difficult and doesn’t hamper the experience.

                      Gameplay:  9.0
       Levels can be adjusted for anyone’s playing skill.  Start off slow and simple, or fast and furious.  The new game modes breathe life into and complement the Standard mode very well.

 

       Lastability:  9.5
       With 200 regular puzzles, 50 Touch puzzles, local wireless, and the Nintendo WiFi Connection, there is literally no end to this game.

 

       Final:  9.0
       Nintendo has put a lot of effort into creating a version of Tetris that appeals to both old and new gamers alike.  In the end, they created a solidly fun game experience, whether you’re playing by yourself or with others. Tetris DS is an absolute must-have for any Nintendo DS owner.      

[vudu]

18

TalkBack / RE:Iwata Promises Cheap Games

« on: March 29, 2006, 08:36:10 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: vudu
Good news.  But aren't Microsoft's first party titles $50?  This doesn't really mean third party games won't be more expensive.

That's true, but it doesn't mean they can't get more expensive down the road.  Third party games might be as expensive still, but the inherently cheap cost of the Revolution makes the price of the games not as hard to swallow.

[Just how cheap is cheap, you say? Click the link to find out what Nintendo's president had to say on the subject.]

19

TalkBack / Iwata Promises Cheap Games

« on: March 29, 2006, 07:47:28 AM »

Just how cheap is cheap, you say? Click the link to find out what Nintendo's president had to say on the subject.

Satoru Iwata, in an interview with CNN Money, revealed that Nintendo's first party games are going to be no more then $50.    

"I cannot imagine any first party title could be priced for more than $50."    

He couldn't guarantee that other companies would follow suit, however.    

In regards to the reason for keeping prices low this generation, he gave this statement:    

"I really don't think that there's going to be a lot of acceptance by current customers of the $60 price tag. They may allow that for a limited number of premium titles, but not all."    

Iwata also mentioned that "practically any storage method can be used" when he was asked about the USB ports on the back of the Revolution.    

This is good news for those who thought that the 512 MB of internal flash RAM wasn't enough.    

We should be hearing more specifics about pricing and the Virtual Console as E3 continues to near.

[Ready for more hot mini-game action? Rub Rabbits delivers the goods.]

20

TalkBack / REVIEWS: The Rub Rabbits!

« on: March 12, 2006, 01:36:34 PM »

Ready for more hot mini-game action? Rub Rabbits delivers the goods.

When the Nintendo DS came out, Sega supplied the system with a quirky little title called Feel the Magic: XX/XY.  It featured fun, addictive mini-games and was one of the only games within the first few months of the system’s launch which made extensive use of the stylus for gameplay.  Now, Sega is back for more mini-game lovin’ in the form of The Rub Rabbits.    

One thing you’ll notice immediately is that Rub Rabbits is extremely similar to Feel the Magic.  The presentation (menus, game scenes, and even most of the sound effects) and the mini-games are very reminiscent of Feel the Magic.  All of the modes from Feel the Magic are back, along with some new single and multiplayer modes.    

Obviously, the main Story mode is the meat of the game.  The game follows along on your adventures against the Rub Rabbits as you (once again) try to win the heart of the woman you love.  This time though, there’s another girl who has fallen for you and has her sights set on being your girlfriend, no matter the cost.  She serves as most of the “boss" battles in the game.      

The mini-games in Rub Rabbits are more or less exactly like they were in Feel the Magic.  You’ll get a four panel comic-like scene advancing the story as well as preparing you for the next game, and then you’ll be given a short set of instructions for what you need to do for that mini-game.  After completion of the mini-game, you’ll get Heart Points to unlock new outfits for your girlfriend.  The only difference here is that Rub Rabbits has an absolute advantage in the number of mini-games present, which only makes sense.  The Rub Rabbits also utilizes mini-games where you’ll either need to turn your DS upside-down or sideways to play.  Some of the mini-games make good use of this feature, while others could have just as easily been done with the DS in a normal position.  There are also a couple of mini-games which feature the DS’s microphone. While many of the mini-games are certainly entertaining, there wasn’t a singular game that seemed to define Rub Rabbits, like what Painting was to Feel the Magic.    

The new modes in The Rub Rabbits are:  Attack, Baby making, Hullabaloo, and Connect.  Attack basically amounts to a time trial mode.  It features specific mini-games (each with three different levels of difficulty), and your job is to finish the task as quickly as possible.  Or, if the game isn’t timed, then you’re just to rack up as many points as you can.      

Connect is one of the three multiplayer modes.  It contains Battle and Exchange.  Battle is the basic mode to start a game with up to four other people, but you have to unlock these games in Story mode first.  The games used in Battle are extremely simple, even for a game of this standard.  You’ll find yourself getting tired of them, even with four people.  Exchange lets you share your Baby making data in a virtual park, along with being able to swap dress designs.      

Hullabaloo is a “party game".  The idea is that your DS is going to become a baton.  In this game, you start off with the screen giving you a button to push and hold.  Once you push that button a timer will start, and there’s only a short amount of time to pass the DS to the next person, while still holding the original button.  The next person is going to be shown a different button to push, and the original person can then let go.  The idea is to try and string as many combos together as possible.    

Baby making is probably the most worthless of the new modes.  Two people have to fill out a short questionnaire and cut a wedding cake (together).  That’s it.  Once you’re done with those two short steps your baby will be born and given characteristics based on what questions you answered and how you cut your cake.  There’s not much else you can do with your baby besides showing it off to the world, in which case you’ll never see it again anyway.    

The other modes are familiar for fans of Feel the Magic.  Memories is where all the games you’ve beaten in Story mode are stored for easy access, and for higher difficulty. Maniac is where you get to dress up your lady friend exactly how you want.  There are a number of ways to unlock different clothing items for her to wear, and you can even create a number of your own designs using the stylus.    

For being an almost exact copy of Feel the Magic: XX/XY, The Rub Rabbits is still surprisingly simple and yet extremely addictive.  The graphics are colorful, and the gameplay is diverse and offers genuine challenge at times.  The music can be repetitive, but it’s still catchy enough that you won’t want to gouge your ears out.  If you played Feel the Magic for any length of time and enjoyed it at all, The Rub Rabbits is certainly a title worth picking up.

Pros:
       

Tons of addictive mini-games  

Easy to just pick up and play  

Good for “rainy day” gaming

       Cons:
       

Main story still feels a bit short  

Multiplayer modes don’t do the job

               Graphics:  7.0
       There’s nothing earth-shattering here, but there’s just enough to get the job done.  Everything is colorful and the art style makes up for any of the graphical drawbacks.

               Sound:  7.0
       The game has a decidedly classical soundtrack, and you’ll hear the two main songs during the Story mode, over ... and over.  You’ll have to go through the different modes to hear all the music.  Sound effects are very clear, but most of them you’ve probably already heard before.

               Control:  8.0
       There was one mini-game where it was almost painful to play with the DS’s included stylus.  Luckily, my friend bought me a pen stylus.  Otherwise, there are no complaints here.  The game reacts to your touch exactly as you’d expect it to.

                      Gameplay:  8.5
       You’ll have fun going through the Story mode and playing all the different mini-games.  Even though you’re only using a stylus (or on a couple of occasions, the microphone) throughout the game, everything feels completely natural and intuitive.

 

       Lastability:  8.0
       The Story mode lasts for a while, and the Memories mode will take even longer to master.  This is one of those games where, if you’re bored and have nothing better to do, you can put this game into your DS and get almost immediate satisfaction.

 

       Final:  8.5
       A very fun and addictive game that leaves you with a lasting impression, especially if you’ve never had the chance of experiencing the unique art style employed.  It is truly a worthy sequel to Feel the Magic.      

[Reggie divulges juicy new details about some upcoming DS features.]

21

TalkBack / Details from D.I.C.E.

« on: February 09, 2006, 07:50:23 AM »

Reggie divulges juicy new details about some upcoming DS features.

THE LEGEND BUILDS: NINTENDO DS OFFERS BOLD NEW FEATURES    

DS Gets Free Retail Game Downloads, Voice Chat and a New Look    

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 9, 2006 – The video games industry's "story of the year" for 2005 is growing even more compelling early in 2006, as Nintendo today announced major new initiatives for its hot-selling Nintendo DS™ portable game system.    

In a matter of weeks: DS owners will sample free games simply by visiting their local game retailers; players will enjoy live, real-time Wi-Fi voice interaction with their portable game play; the 1 millionth DS owner will log onto Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo's wireless gaming service; and a new lighter, brighter DS will make its debut in Japan.    

Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing, announced the new DS features during his keynote address today at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' D.I.C.E. conference in Las Vegas.    

"Nintendo DS was the only video game system that exceeded expectations in 2005, simply because it dared to be different," Fils-Aime said. "By further enriching the ways in which players can compete, play and sample new games, that process is accelerating in the opening weeks of 2006."    

Here are the details announced at the D.I.C.E. conference:    

DS Download Service: Starting next month, Nintendo will offer all DS owners free downloadable game demos and other downloadable content at thousands of participating retail locations around the United States. An in-store kiosk will beam wireless demo versions of games and other downloadable content into a players' Nintendo DS system. Users simply stop by the store with their Nintendo DS, click "DS Download Play" on their system and choose one of a variety of DS games they want to sample. The game will download automatically and users can play all they want (even if they leave the store) until the Nintendo DS is turned off.    

Sequentially, players can try out as many games as they want, letting them test drive the wide array of games that can only be played on Nintendo DS. The first DS Download Service stations will include free demos of Tetris® DS, Brain Age™: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, Mario Kart® DS, Meteos™, True Swing Golf and Pokémon® Trozei, along with a Metroid® Prime Hunters video clip. The selection of games and other downloadable content at DS Download Service kiosks will refresh quarterly.    

Metroid Chat: The new Metroid Prime Hunters game for Nintendo DS will give gamers the ability to chat directly with one another before and after matches played via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Players in North America simply click the chat icon and say what they have to say. The microphone of the Nintendo DS picks up voice communication and transmits it to the people on their friend list. Players can use the chat function before a match to agree on settings or after a battle to relive their glories. This Teen-rated first-person adventure arrives March 20 and promises to open a dramatically fun new facet of gaming to Nintendo fans.    

Nintendo DS Momentum: Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection now boasts more than 20 million different connections, representing more than 850,000 unique users worldwide. Nintendo DS has enjoyed extremely strong sales worldwide, selling more than 14.4 million units worldwide through December. The Japanese sell-through of the existing Nintendo DS hardware exceeded 5 million within 13 months, which made Nintendo DS there the fastest-selling video game launch ever. In addition to Metroid Prime Hunters, Tetris DS also launches March 20. Using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, up to four players can compete in wireless two- or four-player Tetris DS battles against friends or strangers, near or far.    

Nintendo DS Lite: The lighter, brighter Nintendo DS system goes on sale in Japan next month. Nintendo DS Lite is about two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS and more than 20 percent lighter. Its availability in other regions will be announced at a later date.    

The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home and portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy® Advance SP, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 2 billion video games and more than 360 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario™ and Donkey Kong® and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere.

[*STAB STAB STAB*]

22

NWR Forums Discord / RE: Mafia: Day Five

« on: January 13, 2006, 04:30:49 PM »

Oh right LOL

*STAB STAB STAB*

23

NWR Forums Discord / RE: Mafia: Day Five

« on: January 13, 2006, 02:52:00 PM »

So... yeah.  This is moving along swiftly.

LET'S JUST START POINTING FINGERS LOLZ

Unless anyone cares to share some information?

24

NWR Forums Discord / RE: Mafia: Day Five

« on: January 13, 2006, 09:57:08 AM »

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[BLACKNMILD]

25

NWR Forums Discord / RE: Mafia: Day 4

« on: January 12, 2006, 02:25:17 PM »

ALL ABOARD THE MANTRAIN

NEXT STOP, BLACKNMILD