Messages

[Famitsu article gives details on Pikmin and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and their new control schemes.]

951

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.

[Nintendo shows some new titles that Wii and DSi owners will be able to download this December in Japan.]

952

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.

[A new WiiWare channel lets you watch TV and movies on your Japanese Wii.]

953

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.

954

TalkBack / Re: TGS: New Trailers From Acquire

« on: October 24, 2008, 08:22:13 PM »

Sorry, I'm no longer in possession of the media CD!

[Growing something turns out to be a lot more involved than just cooking it.]

955

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.

[Another fitness game with an accessory from Nintendo, but for the Nintendo DS.]

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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.

[We went hands on with the TGS demo level of the Wii-exclusive Ninja game.]

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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.

[Several marvelously exciting trailers from Japan including No More Heroes 2 and Little King’s Story.]

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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
   

959

TalkBack / Re: TGS: New Trailers From Acquire

« on: October 15, 2008, 04:39:53 AM »

Were these provided as source-quality media?

I took them directly from the media CD provided at the show

[An extended Tenchu 4 trailer and a new DS strategy game.]

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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
 

[New trailers for several WiiWare titles, a brand new title and many more!]

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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  

[Ground-up remake of the PlayStation classic to hit Nintendo console]

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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.

[Not to be confused with FFCC: The Crystal Bearers]

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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.

[Famitsu reveals Wii version of upcoming arcade fighting game from Capcom.]

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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.

[Based on the Bleach anime, Bleach: Versus Crusade is being developed by the team that made the Bleach DS game.]

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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.

[Nintendo announces a sleek white device that connects to your Wii….wait, an internet router?]

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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.

[Jaleco combats the Wii's lack of RPG problem.]

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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.

[Dragon Quest slows down enough on the DS for an Xbox 360 RPG to beat it. No, seriously]

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TalkBack / Japanese Weekly Software and Hardware Charts for August 4-10

« on: August 18, 2008, 01:48:34 PM »

Dragon Quest slows down enough on the DS for an Xbox 360 RPG to beat it. No, seriously
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16564

 This week was a battle of the RPGs with Phantasy Star on the PSP going against Nintendo's own Fire Emblem on the DS. It seems that Nintendo lost out this time, maybe the PSP has found a new outlet for its crowd of Monster Hunter Portable owners?    

Even the Xbox 360 had an entry with the first Tales game for the console making an entry at No.4, an event that affected hardware sales too.    

 
1. [PSP] Phantasy Star Portable (SEGA) 148,230 / 490,000  
2. [NDS] Fire Emblem: New Shadow Dragons (Nintendo) 144,905 / New Entry  
3. [NDS] Rhythm Tengoku Gold (Nintendo) 130,412 / 343,000  
4. [360] Tales of Vesperia (Namco Bandai Games) 108,328 / New Entry  
5. [NDS] Dragon Quest V (Square Enix) 72,598 / 1,019,000  
6. [NDS] Sangokushi Taisen Ten (SEGA) 32,734 / New Entry  
7. [NDS] Summon Night 2 (Namco Bandai) 29,715 / New Entry  
8. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) 27,414 / 2,470,000  
9. [WII] Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo) 22,739 / 1,656,000  
10. [PS3] Soul Calibur IV (Namco Bandai) 22,575 / 97,000  

   

Something rarely seen outside of the west has occurred on the Japanese hardware charts: the Xbox 360 beat out the PlayStation 3 selling more than double its rival. This week also saw the DS retake its number one position after several weeks behind the PSP. The yearly sales also show that DS is over half a million units behind Sony’s handheld. Surprisingly Nintendo's systems have so far this year sold almost exactly the same amount, just a notch under two million units each.    

Weekly Sales / Year to date sales    

 
• DS Lite - 60,434? / 1,938,946  
• PSP - 58,501 / 2,510,556  
• Wii - 38,506? / 1,947,145  
• Xbox 360 - 24,962?/ 120,598  
• PS3 - 9,673?/ 618,991  
• PS2 - 8,503 / 235,686  

969

TalkBack / Re: Japanese Weekly Software and Hardware Charts for July 21 – 27

« on: August 05, 2008, 01:02:50 AM »

Ok guys, who would buy Wario Land Shake without the huge anime cutscenes for say.....1000 Wii points on WiiWare?

Personally, I think this could have been a game that convinced people to buy their first WiiWare game!

[Wario flops into the charts and barely makes a splash.]

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TalkBack / Japanese Weekly Software and Hardware Charts for July 21 – 27

« on: August 03, 2008, 09:54:22 PM »

Wario flops into the charts and barely makes a splash.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16518

 This was a mixed week for Nintendo with continuing high sales of Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit, but a disappointing start for Wario Land: Shake It.  In fact, if it weren't for Dragon Quest, Sony would own the top half of the charts entirely. However, Square Enix's fifth Nintendo DS remake seems to be doing very well and should easily take one million units in the next few weeks.    

01. [NDS] Dragon Quest V (Square Enix) - 190,438 / 834,000
 02. [PS2] Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 (Konami) - 83,855 / New Entry
 03. [PSP] Gundam Battle Universe (Namco Bandai Games) - 42,860 / 180,000
 04. [PSP] Eiyuu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki the 3rd (Falcom) - 38,805 / New Entry
 05. [PS3] SIREN: New Translation (SCEI) - 34,532 / New Entry
 06. [NDS] Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! DS Flame Rumble Hyper - Moeyo Mirai (Takara Tomy) - 31,546 / New Entry
 07. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) - 29,607 / 2,410,000
 08. [WII] Wario Land: Shake It! (Nintendo) - 25,377 / New Entry
 09. [WII] Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo) - 25,359 / 1,610,000
 10. [WII] Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 (Konami) - 21,665 / New Entry
   

On the hardware front the PSP still remains king, while the PS3 dropped in sales significantly. This gives Nintendo a full 10,000 unit lead in combined unit sales of all their respective systems this week.    

01 - PSP 67,452
 02- DS Lite 56,968
 03 - Wii 41,024
 04 - PS3 10,692
 05 - PS2 9,291
 06 - Xbox 360 4,941

[Dragon Quest popular in Japan? Say it aint so!]

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TalkBack / Japanese Weekly Software and Hardware Charts for July 14 – 20

« on: July 27, 2008, 04:06:28 AM »

Dragon Quest popular in Japan? Say it aint so!
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16475

 The latest remake of the Dragon Quest series to hit the Nintendo DS went straight to the top spot this week, hardly surprising in a country which has a law against releasing "Dra-Que" games on a school day.  Wii Fit is showing no signs of slowing down during the hot summer months here in Japan and looks to be challenging Wii Sports for the biggest selling Wii game, not bad considering it costs almost twice as much.  Mario Kart Wii is also proving to have tremendous legs, already passing one and a half million sales.  The sequel to Band Bros. is selling strongly at No.7, a game not seen outside of these shores. Perhaps this will convince Nintendo of America to finally release it outside of Japan?  Bringing up the rear is the latest installment of the Stafi series, another title never released in the West, as well as the ever-present Monster Hunter Portable, of which sales seem to be slowing down after many weeks in the charts.    

 
1. DS – Dragon Quest V – 644,000 / New Entry
 
2. PSP – Gundam Battle Universe – 138,000 / New Entry
 
3. PS2 – Persona 4 – 41,000 / 233,000
 
4. PS3 – Tears to Tiara: Kakan no Daichi – 34,000 / New Entry
 
5. Wii – Wii Fit – 27,000 / 2,380,000
 
6. Wii – Mario Kart Wii – 24,000 / 1,584,000
 
7. DS – Grand Ensemble! Band Brothers DX – 21,000 / 212,000
 
8. DS – Derby Stallion DS - 6,000 / 223,000
 
9. PSP – Monster Hunter Portable 2 G – 16,000 / 2,293,000
 
10. DS – The Legend of Stafi : Pirate Gang Confrontation!– 16,000 / 44,000
 

   

Portables again seem to be the most popular hardware choice in Japan this week with the PSP leading the pack by almost 20,000 units.  If you compare total hardware units from Nintendo's two systems to Sony's three systems, there is only a 500-unit difference in favour of Nintendo. Some may call that a neck and neck race.   Who will come out on top during the summer vacation period of August? Only time will tell.    

 
1. PSP – 74,024
 
2. DS – 54,531
 
3. Wii – 40,803
 
4. PS3 – 11,253
 
5. PS2 – 9,535
 
6. 360 – 4,208
 

[Square Enix unveiled a new website for their DS RPG.]

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TalkBack / PREVIEWS: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

« on: July 24, 2008, 12:12:45 PM »

Square Enix unveiled a new website for their DS RPG.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=16458

 New details about Square Enix’s latest Nintendo DS RPG, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, have been released through a new official website for the game.  It is currently in development by the H.A.N.D. team that created Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales on the DS and Chocobo's Dungeon on the Wii.    

The story revolves around how Roxas joined 'Organization XIII', and how he was apparently born from Sora during his year-long sleep between Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II.  Therefore, it is safe to assume that this game takes place between Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II in the timeline.    

According to the official website the title is pronounced ‘Kingdom Hearts: Three-Five-Eight Days Over Two’, and no details have been announced as to what the title refers to other than that the game will show the day-to-day life of Roxas in Organization XIII.  The game will feature all thirteen members of the team and apparently a mysterious female character as a new fourteenth member, who will be crucial to the story.    

It has been previously stated that the game will feature a 4-player cooperative multiplayer mode, although one separate to the main single player quest. There are still no final details about this however.    

The game is scheduled for a 2008 release in Japan. No US or European date has been mentioned as yet, although the developers have said they do plan to release it outside of Japan.

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TalkBack / Re: FEATURES: E3 2008 Staff Predictions

« on: July 12, 2008, 07:23:08 PM »

Shigeru Miyamoto quits and leaves for Tecmo to work on the next Ninja Gaiden game for Xbox 360.

That not funny! >=o

Awww come on, not even a little bit?

How about "Idagaki leaves Tecmo to make next Mario Galaxy"?
Half of it's already come true!
(gulp)
Now I'm starting to believe it could happen.

[The WiiWare title releases in Japan in September.]

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TalkBack / New Mega Man 9 Gets Price and DLC

« on: July 09, 2008, 07:19:30 PM »

The WiiWare title releases in Japan in September.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16305

 It came as a surprise to many when Capcom announced Mega Man 9 as a retro NES-style game for WiiWare.  More surprising news was revealed today through a recent Famitsu article in that the game will have downloadable content. This opens up the possibilities of additional levels and bosses to be added at a later date.  The initial download will cost 1000 Wii points, no details have been announced on pricing of the DLC however.
 The game is set to be released in Japan in September this year, there is no date for the US and Europe as yet. Mega Man 9 is expected to be shown at E3 where we should learn more details about the game.

[Wii Fit outruns Solid Snake in only his second week on the charts.]

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TalkBack / Japanese Weekly Software and Hardware Charts for June 23-29

« on: July 07, 2008, 07:19:30 PM »

Wii Fit outruns Solid Snake in only his second week on the charts.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16285

 Four new entries were made by Nintendo games last week including the top three best sellers. Nintendo's sequel to its music creation game, Band Bros DX made a bold entry at No.3. Meanwhile, proving that a good horse simulator can always sell well, Enterbrain's Derby Stallion dominated everything this week.    

Most surprising of all is how quickly the Playstation 3's flagship title has slipped down the charts, Metal Gear Solid 4 couldn’t even beat out the months old Wii Fit. It is a fair comparison as both titles have a high-end price tag of 8,800 Yen (about $80 US).    

 
1. [DS] Derby Stallion DS (Enterbrain) – 148,000 / New Entry
 
2. [Wii] Tales of Symphonia: Ratatosk no Kishi (Namco) – 137,000 / New Entry
 
3. [DS] Daigasso! Band Brothers DX (Nintendo) – 120,000 / New Entry
 
4. [PS2] Hisshou Pachinko (D3 Publisher) – 55,000 / New Entry
 
5. [DS] Higurashi no Nakukoru ni Kizuna (Alchemist) – 42.000 / New Entry
 
6. [Wii] Wii Fit (Nintendo) – 34,000 / 2,292,000
 
7. [PS3] Metal Gear Solid 4 (Konami) – 34,000 / 566,000
 
8. [Wii] Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo) – 31,000 /1,508,000
 
9. [Wii] Super Mario Stadium: Family Baseball (Nintendo) – 31,000 / 89,000
 
10. [360] Mobile Suit Gundam: Operation: Troy (Bandai) – 28,000 / 28,000
 

   

  In hardware the Sony PSP handheld continues to dominate, beating the Nintendo DS by a clear 10,000 units.  As per usual, the Wii is outselling the PlayStation 3 at a ratio of 2:1. Total Sony hardware is behind total Nintendo hardware by about 10,000 units.    

 
1. PSP – 58,861
 
2. DS – 48,884
 
3. Wii – 48,480
 
4. PS3 – 17,973
 
5. PS2 – 7,673
 
6. 360 – 5,104