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Topics - famicomplicated

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26
TalkBack / Eight New DSiWare Games Announced
« on: January 27, 2009, 03:06:20 PM »
The new downloads range in price from 200 to 500 Nintendo Points, and offer choices like city and transit maps, Wi-Fi enabled board games, and Panel de Pon.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17613

 Nintendo announced today that they are to release eight new titles for the DSiWare shop on January 28th. People who recently purchased a DSi will receive a free gift of 1000 Nintendo Points to spend as they wish.    


Unless otherwise stated, all games are published by Nintendo.    


Solitaire DSi  (200 Nintendo Points)
 This classic card game features both Spider and Klondike versions and will keep records of the player's best times and scores    


DSi Clock (200 Nintendo Points)
 This software looks to be Nintendo’s answer to a digital photo frame. It features a slideshow and different styles of clock to display. It also has an alarm with snooze function.
 (Japanese title: Nintendo DSi Tokei)    


Art Style : Somnium, (500 Nintendo Points)
 Another game under the Art Style label, Somnium is a sliding block puzzle game that has 100 stages to beat.    


Art Style : PicoPict, (500 Nintendo Points)
 PicoPict looks very similar to Picross and features classic Famicom/NES picture puzzles with music from their original games.    


Asobi: Playing Card Collection - Lite (500 Nintendo Points)
This collection of five card games includes Blackjack and Poker.
 (Japanese title: Chotto Asobi Taizen: Jikkuri Trump)    


Map Software 2009 Edition (500 Nintendo Points)
 Featured maps include Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and Fukuoka, as well as   train maps for all lines in those cities. Users can write notes, view photos of various landmarks and more.
 (Japanese title: Hobonichi Rozenzu 2009)    


Strategy War - Lite (500 Nintendo Points)
 Theissen is a co-operative board game/puzzle game with Wi-Fi connection mode for 2 players. It was developed by Mitchell in collaboration with Nintendo.
 (Japanese title: Chotto Suujin Taisen)    


Panel De Pon – Lite (500 Nintendo Points)
 Sometimes known as Tetris Attack or even Pokemon Puzzle League, this classic match-em-up has four modes; endless play, VS mode (human and CPU), score attack and stage attack. Developed by Intelligent Systems in collaboration with Nintendo.
 (Japanese title: Chotto Panel de Pon)    


Please note that there are no official English titles for these games as yet, these are all literal translations of the original Japanese. Whether any of these games will make it to the North American DSiWare store later this year remains to be seen.


27
TalkBack / Japanese Weekly Software and Hardware Charts for Jan 12 - 18
« on: January 26, 2009, 09:30:24 AM »
A GameCube remake tops the charts, while the DSi begins to show that it may be more than just a quick fix for DS sales.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17603

 The Wii remake of Mario Tennis GC went straight to the top spot, probably thanks to a strong TV campaign emphasising its similarities to the tennis portion of Wii Sports  (which is still the highest-selling Wii game in Japan).  Last year’s number one seller Monster Hunter 2nd G got re-released under the ‘Best Of’ label, and shot straight back into the charts.  Will the Wii versions see the same success later this year?    


Elsewhere, Nintendo’s Rhythm Heaven refuses to leave the charts and may well turn out to be another evergreen hit for the company.    It may seem peculiar to have a predominantly western game such as Fallout 3 so high on the charts in Japan, but it’s not so strange in that the Xbox 360 version failed to enter the charts.
   


     
  • 01. [WII] Play It On Wii: Mario Tennis (Nintendo) 56,000 / New Entry  
  • 02. [NDS] Devil Survivor (Atlas) 55,000 / New Entry  
  • 03. [PS3] Naruto: Narutimate Storm (Namco Bandai) 44,000 / New Entry  
  • 04. [PSP] Dissidia Final Fantasy (Square Enix) 29,000 / 848,000  
  • 05. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (Capcom) 27,000 / 332,000  
  • 06. [NDS] Rhythm Tengoku Gold (Nintendo) 25,000 / 1,594,000  
  • 07. [PS3] Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks) 24,000 / New Entry  
  • 08. [NDS] Wagamama Fashion: Girl's Mode (Nintendo) 22,000 / 667,000  
  • 09. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) 22,000 / 3,177,000  
  • 10. [NDS] DS Uranai Seikatsu (Nintendo) 20,000 / New Entry  
   


The phenomenal sales of the DS now span three systems, but even the DSi alone beat out everything else on the hardware charts this week.  As it has been for sometime now, the Wii sits just below the PSP but just above the PlayStation 3 in weekly sales.    


(This Week Sales / Lifetime Sales) )
   


     
  • NDS - 81,334 / 25,451,951  
  • PSP - 42,559 / 11,575,747  
  • Wii  - 32,333 / 7,640,109  
  • PS3 - 20,690 / 2,711,226  
  • 360 - 9,576 / 860,788  
  • PS2 - 5,760 / 21,418,700  
   


  Here is a more detailed breakdown of Nintendo DS units sold.  It’s clear from this data that the DS Lite has far surpassed the sales of the original DS. Although the DSi is still far behind the sales of even the original system, after less than two months on the market it sits at nearly a million sold, indicating that it could prove to be another hit for Nintendo.    


(This Week Sales / Lifetime Sales)
 

     
  • DSi  - 62,525 / 979,296  
  • DSL - 18,809 / 17,416,632  
  • DS - NA / 7,056,023  


28
TalkBack / Nintendo Trademark Hints at Motion Sensitive DS Card
« on: January 18, 2009, 06:10:23 AM »
New type of card could mean motion controlled DS games in the future.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17547

 Nintendo recently entered some new items into the Japanese trademark database: one of which we know about, the other a complete mystery.    


The 'Wii Golden Handle' sounds peculiar at first, buts fans of Club Nintendo Japan will remember that as being the special edition of the Mario Kart Wii Wheel, available to platinum members of the online points-for-prizes service.    


The second item refers to a new type of DS card, called the 'Houi Sensor Card,' which can be translated as a motion/movement card.    


A similar device was made for a Japan-only title called Slide Mag-Kid, however this was a GBA slot device that required the DS to be resting on a table.  This device however seems to suggest a DS game card sized device to achieve similar results.    


We can only speculate to what this means for gaming applications, and we hope our readers will leave some of those suggestions in the talkback thread.


29
TalkBack / Flip Book Animation Software Proves Popular on the DSi
« on: January 10, 2009, 01:57:54 PM »
Nintendo collaborates with popular Japanese blog site to link with popular DSiWare app.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17509

 Nintendo announced via a Famitsu article that they have signed a deal with popular online social network and blogging site Hatena to allow functionality with DSi software.    


Users of the 'Ugoku Memo Chou' (Moving Notepad) software on the DSi, will be able to upload their drawings and animations to Hatena servers, where user creations can be viewed and rated online.    


Nintendo stated that 38% of all DSi users have downloaded the software and, just sixteen days after the service started, there have already been 100,000 user submitted creations    


Moving Notepad is a free DSiWare application, which has been available since the launch of the Nintendo DSi store on the 24th of December.    


There are already some excellent animations available, and the application could well turn out to be a proving ground for upcoming young animators.    


Nintendo has not yet announced whether Moving Notepad or a similar online collaboration will happen outside of Japan as yet, but we can certainly hope it does.


30
TalkBack / Band Brothers DX Now Open To Song Requests
« on: December 12, 2008, 10:45:22 AM »
Nintendo is allowing users to choose the next DLC pack contents for the Japan-only title.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17372

 Nintendo opened a new page via the Band Brothers DX official website today, allowing Club Nintendo members to request songs to be included in the next downloadable content selection. Users can request up to three songs and although there are no limitations on the type of musical requests, Nintendo cannot promise they will be able to acquire the rights to every song.    


As a special bonus, a hundred lucky people will receive three special songs for download: a Super Mario Bros, F-Zero and a Zelda Medley.    


The request form will only be active until the 24th of December, so if you are a Japanese Club Nintendo member, get requesting as soon as possible    


Band Brothers DX is the sequel to the Japanese DS launch title Band Brothers. Neither game has an official release date in Western markets.


31
TalkBack / PREVIEWS: Today And Tomorrow's Lucky Fortune Telling Channel
« on: December 11, 2008, 08:35:13 AM »
Another Japan-exclusive channel hits Japanese Wiis
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=17360

 Japanese Wii users are already privy to a number of exclusive channels, including a TV Guide Channel, Digital Camera Printing Channel, and even a Band Brothers DX Channel. This week yet another has been added with the "Today And Tomorrow's Lucky Fortune Telling Channel."    


Using the data contained within each Mii character, the channel can obtain the daily fortune of up to six people. The main section gives the Miis a fortune in five categories; work, love, studies, communication, and money. Each one is measured on a five-point scale and can be clicked for a more detailed description. At the end of the fortune telling, players will be given a lucky colour of the day, and their Mii will change clothes accordingly.    


Other features include a compatibility feature, where in two Miis can be dragged onto an icon and will be told how compatible they are. This is not strictly a love-meter, rather an indicator of how well they could theoretically play or work together.    


Other modes include Food, Play, and Beauty where keywords will be shown related to your fortune. The words are often general and it is left to the user to interpret their meaning.    


Today And Tomorrow's Lucky Fortune Telling Channel is available free to download now from the Japanese Shopping Channel.    


More details can be found on Nintendo's official website. (Japanese only)


32
TalkBack / Japanese Weekly Software and Hardware Charts for Nov 24 – 30
« on: December 05, 2008, 06:32:49 AM »
Professor Layton's sequel beats Animal Crossing's same-quel.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17302

 The third game in the popular Professor Layton series has yet to be released outside of Japan, but if sales here are anything to go by it should prove popular when it finally does. Selling almost 350,000 copies in one week, it beat out the annualised soccer game Wining Eleven to the top spot.    


Animal Crossing (known as Animal Forest in Japan) is Nintendo's only first party title for the Wii this Christmas holiday and has racked up another hundred thousand units this week.    


Nintendo has several Animal Crossing commercials running on Japanese TV currently, mostly focusing on the bundled Wii Speak accessory.    


The highest Wii branded software is Wii Fit at No.17, so Japanese shoppers appear to choosing Animal Crossing with their Wii consoles this Christmas.    


Weekly Sales / Total Sales    


01. [NDS] Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel (Level 5) 347,360 / New Entry
 02. [PS3] Winning 11 2009 (Konami) 168,405 / New Entry
 03. [WII] Animal Crossing: City Folk (Nintendo) 108,547 / 413,727
 04. [NDS] Chrono Trigger DS (Square Enix) 80,157 / 351,025
 05. [PSP] Yu-Gi-Oh Tag Force 3 (Konami) 64,179 / New Entry
 06. [PSP] Gundam vs. Gundam (Namco Bandai) 56,557 / 323,489
 07. [NDS] Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe (Nintendo) 56,176 / 474,749
 08. [PSP] Silent Hill 3 (Spike) 53,966 / New Entry
 09. [PSP] Musou Orochi: Maou Sairin (KOEI) 45,809 / New Entry
 10. [PSP] Higurashi Daybreak (Alchemist) 32,639 / New Entry
   


The camera-enabled  Nintendo DSi is hanging on to its No.1 position again this week, keeping back it's biggest rival, the Sony PSP.    


Meanwhile the Xbox 360 beat the PlayStation 2 this week despite not having a game in the top 20. The highest-ranking game for Microsoft's console is Last Remnant at No.23.    


01. DSi - 87,185
 02. PSP - 55,090
 03. Wii - 49,848
 04. PS3 - 34,978
 05. DS Lite - 26,851
 06. Xbox 360 - 11,423
 07. PS2 - 5,628


33
TalkBack / Play It On Wii Mario Power Tennis Controls Detailed
« on: December 04, 2008, 08:02:35 AM »
Nintendo keeps controls simple for the GameCube port in an effort to entice Wii Sports Tennis players.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17295

 Details of the latest Play It On Wii title have emerged from Japanese online magazine Inside-Games. Mario Power Tennis (known as Mario Tennis GC in Japan) will be released in the Japanese market in January 2009 and will sport a new control scheme to take advantage of the Wii's motion controller.    


Much like Wii Sports Tennis, players in Mario Power Tennis will swing the Wii Remote in the appropriate direction to achieve forehands and backhands.  Slices and topspin will also be executed via motion whilst the game's special attacks are made with the A and B buttons.    


Nintendo clarified that this version of Mario Tennis will not be compatible with any regular control-stick controllers, meaning the GameCube and Classic controllers are off the cards.    


Nintendo must be hoping to capitalise on the huge success of Wii Sports, which is not included with the Wii console in Japan and boasts an almost 1:1 tie ratio in sales.    


A North American and European release is expected, however there are no final details of a release date as yet.


34
TalkBack / Japanese Weekly Software and Hardware Charts for Nov 10-16
« on: November 24, 2008, 05:28:47 PM »
Kirby proves he’s still a Super Star in his native country, while the DSi kills the DS Lite.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17255

 Animal Crossing: City Folk is yet to be released in Japan and Konami are taking full advantage releasing their own life simulation game. Tongari Boushi (which roughly translates to The Pointy Hat and The Witch) made a decent entry at No.3 on the weekly Japanese software charts,  probably a lot higher than it would have been battling a Nintendo first-party title.  Meanwhile, Pokemon Platinum strides confidently towards the two-million mark, rounding off the charts this week at No.10.    


Weekly Sales / Total Sales    


1. NDS Kirby Superstar Ultra (Nintendo) 97,449 / 363,102
 2. PS3 Way of the Samurai 3 (Spike) 81,047 / New Entry
 3. NDS Tongari Boushi to Mahou no 365 Nichi (Konami) 71,914 / New Entry
 4. NDS Fushigi no Dungeon Fuurai no Shiren DS 2: Sabaku no Majou (Sega) 45,327 / New Entry
 5. PS3 Resistance 2 (SCE) 33,584 / New Entry
 6. NDS DS Nishimura Kyoutarou Suspense 2 (Tecmo) 33,079 / New Entry
 7. NDS MegaMan Star Force 3: Black Ace (Capcom) 33,067 / New Entry
 8. NDS Rhythm Heaven Gold (Nintendo) 30,434 / 1,159,436
 9. NDS Wagamama Fashion: Girls Mode (Nintendo) 29,870 / 183,431
 10. NDS Pokemon Platinum (Pokemon Co.) 26,767 / 1,917,117    


On the hardware side this week, Japanese consumers opted for the latest model of the Nintendo DS hardware, as expected, with the release of Nintendo DSi.  As a result, DS Lite sales took a huge drop to way below even the Xbox 360.  Whether this new hardware iteration can keep Nintendo’s handheld at No.1 above the PlayStation Portable for an extended period of time remains to be seen.    


DSi - 85,327
 PSP - 38,153
 Wii - 26,787
 PS3 - 17,448
 360 - 7,983
 PS2 - 5,421
 DSL - 3,559


35
TalkBack / New RIZ-ZOAWD Details Surface from Japan
« on: November 15, 2008, 03:00:35 AM »
Learn how to pronounce the title of this impressive-looking RPG.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17199

 New information from D3Publisher and Media Vision's upcoming Nintendo DS fantasy RPG RIZ-ZOAWD (pronounced similar to “Lizard” in Japanese) has been released via the official website of the game.  Based on the Wizard of Oz fairytale, the player will take control of Dorothy and be accompanied by all the characters from the original story. The title of the game itself is an anagram of “Wizard Oz”.    


Players can control the game using only the touch screen. To move Dorothy, players must roll a ball on the bottom screen, building up momentum as they do.  Once you enter a battle, characters and attacks can be selected in a traditional fashion.  The main characters' attacks will reflect their personalities from the original story. For example, the Lion’s special is a retreat move.    


An impressive trailer and artwork is available on the official site. The game is currently scheduled for a January 1st release in Japan.


36
TalkBack / New Details from the “Play It On Wii” Series Surface
« on: November 15, 2008, 02:42:09 AM »
Famitsu article gives details on Pikmin and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and their new control schemes.
 <a href=/newsArt.cfm?artid=17197>http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17197[/url]

Famitsu detailed some games from the upcoming “Play it on Wii” collection, a series of GameCube games which will be re-released on the Wii with new controls and other improvements.

First to be released will be Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, the critically acclaimed platform/rhythm game from the team that brought us Super Mario Galaxy on Wii.  Players will control Donkey Kong with the control stick and jump with A, much simpler than the GameCube version which used the Bongo controllers for movement and attacks.  Punching and other attacks will be handled with gestures on the Wii Remote.    <P>
One improvement is the inclusion of save points in the levels, addressing previous complaints about having to replay large parts of the level again.  This remake will also contain several new levels, which may please owners of the GameCube version who are deciding on whether to purchase this.

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat will release on the 11th of December in Japan.

Pikmin was also previewed in the magazine, but it seems there will not be as many changes to it as other titles.  Direct control of Captain Olimar is handled with the nunchuck and the Wii Remote pointer works as you may expect; players point exactly where they want the Pikmin to move to or be thrown followed by a press of the A button.

Other than that no new modes or levels were mentioned.

Pikmin will be released a little later on the 25 of December.

Titles mentioned for a 2009 release include: the Metroid Prime series, Pikmin 2, Mario Tennis and Chibi Robo.

37
TalkBack / First DSi Ware Games and More Revealed
« on: November 03, 2008, 09:38:33 AM »
Nintendo shows some new titles that Wii and DSi owners will be able to download this December in Japan.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17118

 Nintendo President Satoru Iwata recently held a financial report meeting in Japan, revealing some new information on titles that will be available on the Nintendo DSi download service.    


The first title announced for the DSi Ware service was Utsusu: Made in Wario ("utsusu" can be roughly translated as "to reflect or copy"). Utsusu: Made in Wario uses the DSi camera to project a silhouette of the user on the screen, allowing players to interact with minigames. The video shown at the press conference showed someone responding quickly to onscreen commands to put their face and hands in various positions. The video also showed a new take on the "nose picking" minigame from the original GameBoy Advance version of WarioWare, this time requiring players to pick using their own fingers instead of virtual ones. Utsusu: Made in Wario will be downloadable for 500 Nintendo Points this December on the DSi.    


Nintendo also announced that they would release several of the best GBA WarioWare minigames on DSi Ware at 200 Nintendo Points each. The ones shown during the conference did seem to be modified slightly to allow longer playtime than the usual five seconds however.    


Mr Iwata went on to show the possibilities with smaller scale software that would be possible with DSi Ware, showing an interactive map of Tokyo's train system. He commented that it would be too small for a full retail game, making the online service perfect for these kinds of ventures.    


Six new Art Style puzzle game titles were also announced for the DSi Ware service.  They share the same branding as the Art Style games recently released on WiiWare, but the entirely new titles will cost 500 points each when they appear on the DSi Ware service.    


Last up was a retail game called Made in Ore (which roughly translates to "Made in Me") which is a fully customisable WarioWare style game for the DS that also shares many similarities to the Super Nintendo creativity title Mario Paint. Made in Ore will allow users to create every part of a minigame; graphics, sound, animation, and more. Players can even decide on the shape and design of the "cartridge" that they want to use to represent their creation.    


More excitingly however, the games created in Made in Ore will be able to be transferred to an upcoming WiiWare game called Asobu: Made in Ore ("asobu" roughly translates to "play"). Using the WiiWare game, players can test out their homemade creations on their TV instead of on their DS.


38
TalkBack / Fujisoft Announces "Everybody’s Theater Wii"
« on: October 31, 2008, 01:44:34 PM »
A new WiiWare channel lets you watch TV and movies on your Japanese Wii.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17102

 Fujisoft announced this week that it is to launch a rather unique WiiWare title for Japan in December.  Simply called "Everyone’s Theater Wii", the channel will allow users to stream TV shows and movies directly to their Wii.    


The initial download of the channel will cost 500 Nintendo Points, and each piece of content will cost additional points to view. No details have been released on pricing or what kind of titles will be available.    


When the service launches, users will be able to request titles directly from the channel and view rankings of the most watched shows. Similar to other online video services, content will be rented rather than bought through the service, suggesting that there will likely be a time limit or a restriction on how many times content can be viewed.    


Predictably, there are no plans to release this channel outside of Japan.


39
TalkBack / IMPRESSIONS: Gardening Mama
« on: October 21, 2008, 08:55:56 PM »
Growing something turns out to be a lot more involved than just cooking it.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressionsArt.cfm?artid=17040

 The Cooking Mama series has proved to be a successful for Taito, but now instead of making a cooking trilogy, they have gone a new route with Gardening Mama.    


Anyone familiar with Cooking Mama will immediately be at home with Gardening Mama. Instead of choosing a recipe to follow, players choose a particular fruit or vegetable they would like to grow.    


In the Tokyo Game Show demo only two flowers were available to grow, and I chose to grow some tulips.    The first minigame is simply picking out the best looking bulbs, requiring players to pick out one that matches the picture on the top screen.    It may sound simple enough, but you also had to open the bag of bulbs first, that involved taking out the staples and cutting the top off.   Sorting through five bags of bulbs to pick out five that were perfect turned out to be quite challenging within the time limit.    


Next up was preparing the soil for planting.  First, players had to turn over the soil with a trowel achieved by following on screen directions with the stylus.  Then you were given a choice of manure to use, a vegetable-based one or from a cow.  After cutting the bag open, this minigame had players tipping the manure bag until a perfect amount had landed in the trench.    There were another couple of stages of preparation before the ground was ready for planting.  That’s when the hole making and bulb dropping stages could start.    


After the bulbs were planted, careful measuring of water into the watering can was required, all under the watchful eye of Mama.    The watering stage was quite fun and probably the most “game like” available to play.  Players had to water the flowers in specific patterns to satisfy Mama; a zig-zag, a curve, a star-shape and plenty more in between. When I was successful I was rewarded with a rainbow of victory hanging over the flowerbed.    


By this time I was somewhat overwhelmed by just how many stages there were to even reach the stage where the flowers were fully formed.    However after my tulips had finally started to grow and were looking happy, it wasn’t over.    Evil bugs started attacking my flowers and it was up to me to spray them to death using my super-charged bug spray.    


When it was all over, I felt like I had really achieved something, as I had participated in every single minute stage of the flower's development.  I’m not sure how fun it would be to repeat all these tiny details again and again for other plants, despite the process being different for each one.  I would assume fans of Cooking Mama might be used to doing these kinds of minigames, but I just found a great deal of them to not be that fun to do.    


I'd like to see Taito trim down the amount of games to just the few that are the most fun and concentrate on those, as I’d assume not many people would want to play a “remove staples from a bag” game that many times.


40
TalkBack / Your Life’s Rhythm DS
« on: October 21, 2008, 08:53:34 PM »
Another fitness game with an accessory from Nintendo, but for the Nintendo DS.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17039

 Via an announcement through Nintendo's Japanese website and as reported by Famitsu, Nintendo is going to release another fitness game - but this time for the Nintendo DS.    


Called Aruite Wakaru : Seikatsu Rhythm DS, this can be translated as “a way to understand your life’s rhythm.”  Using a compatible Nintendo DS pedometer, players can measure how far they walk in a day by simply putting the device in their pocket or a bag they carry with them.    


Intriguingly, this is the first game to allow transfers of Mii’s from the Wii console directly to the DS software. For people without a Wii, it is also possible to create a Mii character using the built in editor, which closely resembles the Wii’s Mii Channel interface.    


The software allows up to four people to register their data, all requiring separate pedometers. As each pedometer will be linked to an individual, it will not be possible to share one device.    However, the software comes bundled with two pedometers, one black and one white, with additional units available separately.  There is also a function for dog owners to measure how far they have walked their dog, requiring the dog to have its own pedometer attached to its collar.    


At the end of the day, users will sync their pedometer with the software by attaching it to the DS game slot.    It will then process how many steps you have done that day and at what time, this is to show you how active you have been throughout the day.    Data can be viewed by hour, day or week, Nintendo hopes that understanding of when you are most or least active will lead you to a healthier life.    


The software and two pedometers will cost 5,800 Yen (approx. $57 US) while extra pedometers will be 1,800 Yen each ($17).  It will release in Japan on November 1, and there is no word of plans for a North American release at this time.


41
TalkBack / IMPRESSIONS: Tenchu 4
« on: October 16, 2008, 12:13:18 PM »
We went hands on with the TGS demo level of the Wii-exclusive Ninja game.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressionsArt.cfm?artid=17000

 The Tenchu series has long been a PlayStation and Xbox only affair, now Acquire is developing this ground up version for the Wii.  The level playable at the Tokyo Game Show, had the player controlling returnee character ‘Rikimaru’, a lethal Ninja with a scary looking face mask.    


The Wii controls implemented seemed to work reasonably well. As you would expect, the control stick on the Nunchuk moves the character, with Z and C controlling strafing and camera reset.  The A and B buttons on the Wii Remote were context sensitive “do everything” buttons. Depending on where the player was standing, a button press would either make Rikimaru press against a wall or attack an enemy.  A quick shake of the Wii Remote would make Rikimaru dash from one hiding spot to another, whilst avoiding the enemies' gaze. There didn't seem to be any directional precision to this waggling.  The level’s path seemed to be mapped out with this eerie black smoke, so the character would always know where to roll to next.    


Other motion controls were for jumping and throwing. A flick in an upward movement would cause the player to jump. As jumping is a very small part of the game it seems there will not be any wrist fatigue problems.  A quick press of down on the direction pad enters throwing mode, a simple flick forward would then unleash a shuriken or other equipped weapon.    


A rather fun ‘weapon’ was the cat. Used for distraction, players can actually control the animal and even make it pounce on an enemy.  This should be attempted at a distance though, as being spotted by an enemy meant an instant game over.    


The kill animations were pretty brutal; Rikimaru would stab his enemies in various directions, through the chest, side of ribcage, and sometimes even break their necks with his bare hands.  My only complaint at this point would be that there seems to be no way of controlling any of these attacks. I found myself just walking up to a conveniently positioned enemy and pressing A to watch a seemingly random animation.  From information gathered from various fact sheets, I found it is supposed to be possible to choose many different ways to kill an enemy, although from this demo it wasn’t that apparent.    


Tenchu 4 also sports some nice graphical flourishes, which make it stand slightly above than the average Wii game.  For example inside the authentic looking Japanese house near the end of the level, there are several polished wooden floors that reflect the environment and characters in a realistic way.  Character models are excellent and are probably among the most detailed seen on the system as far as realistic human characters are concerned.    


Some other aspects of the graphics are not quite as good however, leaving a feeling of inconsistency.  The environments are hit and miss, and there isn’t much detail or too many embellishments throughout the level.    As this is an incomplete build it can be forgiven, but I do hope Acquire adds some more polish and a little bit more detail to give the levels more life.    


Tenchu 4 is currently slated for a 2009 release in North America.


42
TalkBack / TGS: Marvelous Release New Trailers
« on: October 15, 2008, 05:47:00 AM »
Several marvelously exciting trailers from Japan including No More Heroes 2 and Little King’s Story.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16987

 Marvelous Entertainment had a tremendous showing at TGS for the Wii and DS, as can be seen from these trailers.    


Avalon Code looks to be shaping up nicely, pushing the graphics and animation capabilities of the DS hardware.    


On the Wii, Little King’s Story and Rune Factory Frontier should give RPG fans something to look forward to on Nintendo’s home console.    


Finally, for those that may have missed it, we have the trailer for the No More Heroes sequel that premiered at the show.
   


Avalon Code TGS Trailer
   
 
 Little Kings Story TGS Trailer
   
 
 Rune Factory Frontier TGS Trailer
   
 
 No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle
   


43
TalkBack / TGS: New Trailers From Acquire
« on: October 14, 2008, 06:27:47 AM »
An extended Tenchu 4 trailer and a new DS strategy game.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16980

 Acquire released an extended cut trailer of the upcoming Wii exclusive Tenchu game at Tokyo Game Show earlier this week.  From Software’s title seems to be showing promise both graphically and control-wise, as can be seen from the trailer.    


On the handheld side a new title called Dungeons and Dam was announced at the show, and attempts to put a new spin on the RPG genre. Not much is revealed in the trailer however.    


Be sure to check Nintendo World Report’s YouTube channel for many more trailers from TGS.
   


Tenchu 4 TGS Trailer
     



   


Dungeons and Dam TGS Trailer
 


44
TalkBack / TGS: Hudson Release New Trailers at TGS
« on: October 12, 2008, 09:06:07 AM »
New trailers for several WiiWare titles, a brand new title and many more!
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16967

 Hudson released several new trailers at the Tokyo Game Show this year, including new ones for their three anticipated WiiWare titles; Bomberman, Tetris Party and Alien Crush.    


A surprise announcement came with their revelation of a brand new Wii exclusive title called “Hard Working People”, which according to Hudson representatives will feature over 50 real life job-related minigames.    


     Be sure to check out all eight of Hudson’s TGS trailers, embedded below for your viewing pleasure.    


  WiiWare Bomberman TGS Trailer      


  Bomberman Wii TGS Trailer    


   


  Custom Battler Bomberman for DS      


  Alien Crush WiiWare TGS Trailer      


  Tetris Party WiiWare TGS Trailer      


  Karaoke Joysound Wii TGS Trailer      


  Hard Working People TGS Trailer      


  Fishing Master World Tour TGS Trailer  


45
TalkBack / Klonoa : Door to Phantomile Announced for Wii
« on: October 07, 2008, 05:13:24 AM »
Ground-up remake of the PlayStation classic to hit Nintendo console
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16901

 Namco Bandai revealed through a recent Famitsu article, that they are working on a remake of the original PlayStation version of Klonoa for Wii. Fans of the original may find the levels familiar, but the game's graphical presentation is being overhauled featuring stylistic cel-shaded graphics.    


Controls are being kept simple with no plans currently to use any motion-based gestures or pointing. The game will control using the Wii Remote in its sideways position, with the 1 button used to throw enemies and the 2 button to jump.    


The game will also feature a four player multiplayer mode, but no details have been announced about this mode yet.    


Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is scheduled for a December 4th release in Japan.


46
TalkBack / FF : Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time Announced for Wii and DS
« on: October 06, 2008, 02:09:41 AM »
Not to be confused with FFCC: The Crystal Bearers
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16870

 Square Enix’s news from Jump magazine has surprised everyone; the Final Fantasy game previewed was not the single-player adventure The Crystal Bearers, but an entirely new game for both the Wii and the Nintendo DS.    


Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time is apparently a sequel to the Nintendo DS game Rings of Fate.  Primarily a multiplayer game, up to four players will choose from four different classes to do battle together.  According to the article, both local multiplayer and play over the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection will be in the final release.    


Using what is being labeled the Pollux Engine, players will be able to connect the Wii and DS versions of the game, sharing data across platforms.  Screenshots also revealed that Mii data will be able to be transferred to the DS, allowing players to have their customised character on the handheld system as well.    


Both the DS and Wii version will be released simultaneously for the same price of 4,800 Yen (~$45) making it a regularly priced DS game, but an attractively priced Wii game.    


It is scheduled for release in Japan on January 29.


47
TalkBack / Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes Announced for Wii
« on: September 19, 2008, 04:56:07 AM »
Famitsu reveals Wii version of upcoming arcade fighting game from Capcom.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16704

 Capcom revealed through a recent Famitsu feature that they are developing a Wii version of their upcoming arcade fighting game, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes.  Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is the latest in Capcom’s  “Vs” fighting game series. Previous installments had Capcom characters fighting with Marvel superheroes and SNK fighters.    


The full character roster has not been released as yet, but the known Capcom characters include Ryu, Chun-Li, Alex (from Street Fighter III), Morrigan Aensland (Darkstalkers), Soki (Onimusha), Rock Volnutt (Mega Man) and even a mech from Lost Planet.    The Tatsunoko characters might not be as well known, but fans of the series might be happy to learn that Tekkaman, Yatterman, Casshan and Ken the Eagle are confirmed to be included in the roster.    


The game is an arcade-style 2D fighting game and apparently plays similar to the previous “Vs” games. Players will choose two characters to fight with and can do combos and moves which use both at the same time.    


The Wii version will also include some extra mini-games as a bonus, some of which allow up to four players. One mini-game shows Ryu charging up a fireball and firing at various objects to destroy them.    


Capcom are planning to bring the game to North America in the future, but for now it will release in Japan on December 11.


48
TalkBack / Treasure's First Wii Title Announced: Bleach: Versus Crusade
« on: September 12, 2008, 08:40:19 PM »
Based on the Bleach anime, Bleach: Versus Crusade is being developed by the team that made the Bleach DS game.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16679

 Treasure announced that their first Wii game will be a 3D fighting game based upon the Bleach anime. Subtitled "Versus Crusade", it has a cell-shaded graphical style and features all the main characters from the series.  The same team that made Bleach on the Nintendo DS are developing it, and are planning to include some kind of Nintendo Wi-Fi connection compatibility.   It has not been confirmed whether that means online versus play, but we are expecting more details at the end of September so keep checking the site for future updates.  Bleach: Versus Crusade is scheduled for release sometime this year.


49
TalkBack / Nintendo Announces WiFi Router for Wii/DS
« on: September 10, 2008, 06:40:39 AM »
Nintendo announces a sleek white device that connects to your Wii….wait, an internet router?
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16670

 In a surprise announcement through a recent http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1217892_1124.html">Famitsu article, Nintendo revealed a new piece of hardware compatible with the Wii and DS – a wireless Internet router.    


The router will be advertised in collaboration with Internet services and hopes to simplify the process of getting Nintendo consoles online. The device will also be fully compatible with computers and other wireless enabled devices.    


The router will feature several modes which can be toggled via a switch on the back of the device. "Router" is the default option and will function like any other router, allowing you to connect your Wii or DS to the internet. The next option, "Bridge" will allow users to extend the signal of their existing router, perfect for those whose current router is too far from their Wii for a reliable connection. Finally "Auto," though not entirely clear from the article, will seemingly be able to switch between networks automatically.    


The release of an official Nintendo branded router may appear strange, but due to the recent discontinuation of the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector this seems to be a more useful replacement. Being a router, the previous issues with the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector regarding platform will no longer be an issue.    


The router will sell exclusively on Nintendo's online store for 5,800 Yen (~$54) and will be available starting September 18 in Japan.


50
TalkBack / Wii ARPG Ougon no Kizuna revealed
« on: September 01, 2008, 10:04:19 AM »
Jaleco combats the Wii's lack of RPG problem.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16619

 New information about an RPG by Jaleco has come to light through a recent preview in Famitsu magazine.    


Ougon no Kizuna, literally meaning "Golden Bonds," is a highly stylised action RPG with some incredible talent behind it. The scenario writer from Final Fantasy XII and the director of Little King Story and Dragon Quest VIII are teaming up to create what a lot of Wii owners are crying out for: more epic Japanese RPG’s.    


The game features a cell-shaded anime look and promises a huge storyline and epic boss battles. Taking inspiration from Shadow of the Colossus, the bosses will be screen-filling monsters that will require some puzzle solving to beat.    


General combat in the game is very much action-focused; players will point the Wiimote to select enemies, move with the nunchuck, then attack with rapid button combinations.    


There is very little known about the story at this point, and what the "Golden Bonds" are referring isn't fully known. It has been hinted that it revolves around the main character "Rian" and his ties with the people of the world and his sidekick, Princess Ayna.    


Aside from the main quest mode, which is divided into chapters, there will be an additional 100 or more side-quests to complete.    


Ougon no Kizuna is scheduled for a winter release in Japan. There's no news of a North American/European release as yet.


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