Nintendo Releases

2008-04-17T18:08:00.001-07:00

Wario Ware is a blast for Wii.

Wario Ware is a great game for hosts who like to entertain friends. The funnest aspect of this game is the multiplay.

So the game involves you, the player putting yourself infront of the TV and trying to play minigames by holding the wii mote, or "form baton" in a particular way. Like, in front of your nose pointing forward, called "The elephant", hand over hand, called "The Janitor".

These poses and stances are all used to play a variety of challenges. The fun comes when someone new is playing and hordes of commands come from companions describing what exactly you're supposed to do on each mingame. A new player is a quick victim but the games are amazingly simple (still fun!) so experience is gained quickly. Players can challenge themselves in single play mode, needed to unlock multiplay and a variety of other things.

I was lucky enough to scoop up a rental of this hot game last week at Blockbuster. Lucky since it has been rented out every previous visit I've made to the store.
The game has been available since the early release days and is still priced quite high. But after having experience with the rental, I think I might be looking to own the game very soon.

Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam for the Nintendo Wii

2008-04-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

Are you a skateboarder, or wish you were? Well boarder or not now you can skateboard as Tony Hawk or one of 8 original skateboarders in Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam. You can also specify the type of board your rider uses. Choosing a different board determines how fast you are, or how well you take turns and jumps. You can also chose the style of your boarder by changing closes and accessories. Within the game there are 8 different environments to chose from as well as 90 events. Players can play by themselves or compete with up two four of your friends in competitions or a straight out race

For more on Skateboards and Tony Hawk please visit this blog: http://www.skateboard001.blogspot.com/

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 for the Nintendo Wii

2008-04-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

Formerly known as "Winning Eleven". This is a two player game from Konami. The game takes full advantage of the Nintendo Wii consoles wireless remote and nunchuck. To dribble the ball players are required to point the Wii remote at the player, to pass the ball the player has to shake the nunchuck. To become comfortable with the new controls the player must use the included tutorial. When playing with two players only competitive play is available.

Are you looking for the Xbox 360 version of this game? Click here.

The Force to be Unleashed on Wii

2008-04-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

The latest Star Wars craze is coming to the Wii.

The Force Unleashed is Lucas Arts' next installment to the Star Wars universe. Players take on the roll of Darth Vader's secret Sith Apprentice who's power with the force is nothing short of Vader's expectations. The apprentice is charged with hunting down the remaining Jedi in the galaxy (remember order 66 in Episode III?) and will encounter a number of contrasting opponents.
The player however, is well equipped to handle challenges. Developers give players the ability to use household "force" powers, and then go even farther by including a combo system that incorporates these force powers into powerful melee attacks, making the title, "The Force Unleashed" all the more fitting.

The story is said to tie the two trilogies together as it caps off the modern prequel trilogy as well as provide key plot points that open the classic trilogy.
The game will be a multi-platform release, meaning it will be available on the Xbox 360 and the PS3. But the Wii version comes with a few perks for flavour. One is the addition of five new missions/quests that allow interaction with new characters/story lines not present on the competition's machines. Duel mode is the other, which is a multiplayer battle simulation that has plenty of variety.
This title is due to at video game stores on September 16.

Okami

2008-04-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

For those unfamiliar with Okami, it was created by Clover Studio part of Capcom which was unfortunately closed. It first appeared on the PS2 which I have a copy of and it is an amazing game with great artistic graphics. Now being released for the Wii which will take full advantage of the Wiimote to do one of the most important parts of the game, drawing.

In Okami you play as Amaterasu who takes the form of a white wolf. Throughout the game you gain skills of the Celestial Brush which for the Wii version you can now use the Wiimote to draw the different shapes and symbols to use Amaterasu's skills.

Released today, a great purchase for any Wii or PS2 owner, so go pick up a copy now!

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Rings of Fate

2008-04-15T06:19:00.000-07:00

A month ago Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Rings of Fate was released on the Nintendo DS. Continuing the tradition of Crystal Chronical games on Nintendo systems it retains the same charm previous ones had while removing some of the more tedious aspects.

For those who have played the GameCube Final Fantasy this is a prequel and thankfully they don't have the Miasma and a stupid lantern someone has to carry around. Fooling around with some of the multiplayer the games works nicely with dungoen crawling involving fast paced combat, simple puzzles, and even platforming. You can also go straight into quests by getting them from the king in town, no need to dredge back and forth from town to dungeon. Unfortunately you cannot play through WiFi, so get your friends ready to get together.

Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People on the Wii

2008-04-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

Strong Bad is the most famous character from the popular website www.homestarrunner.com/. This website is mostly small flash animations made for a humorous purpose. The mainly point-and-click game will be release on Nintendo's WiiWare in June. If you are a fan of Strong Bad or any of his friends, you will definately enjoy this comedic video game.

Summer Sports: Paradise Island for the Nintendo Wii

2008-04-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of winter? Do you want to escape to paradise? Why not Paradise Island. With the options to play volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, lawn darts, badminton, or croquet. There can be up to four players at one time. The game projects an image of a beautiful island in the Caribbean. The graphics are crisp and clean. To play the games you must interact using the Wii remotes. Below is a video of badminton game play.

The Wii's Aquarium: Endless Ocean

2008-04-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

Endless Ocean was released on January 21st in North America. But Nintendo dated launches in places like Japan and Europe months ahead of North America.

After playing this game, which was able to swallow up a week of my free time, I've come to realize that I would like to be a professional Scuba diver.
The game itself has a variety of things to do while submerging to the depths of a shallow tropical ocean that is filled with aquatic life. The game begins in a humble lagoon and are given a chance to get a handle on the controls and you get to look at the first of many different species of fish.
After you're released into the larger areas of the environment you're given control of your boat and can explore different areas of interest which feature deep chasms and maze like caves where you should familiarize yourself with the different kinds of wildlife that inhabit the areas. This familiarization should help you give exciting tours to other in-game personalities that come to you for underwater tours. Tourists often show up with the goal of finding a certain kind of fish. You are given a ranking on how well you perform in catering to these tourists and giving them a look at what they came for often is the five star clincher.
Travel and tourism is not the only feature. A companion on your humble sea craft is also doing research on an ancient fish, you assist her in locating this illusive fish by setting up tracking equipment underwater.
Another great part of the game is the ability to recruit dolphins in your scuba activities. Different kinds of dolphins patrol the waters waiting to be befriended. Once this is done you can take them on travels underwater and even train them to do tricks while on the deck of your boat.
The game features a custom soundtrack ability that allows you to import your favourite songs and swim along with them. However, only one track can be loaded per swim, so your favourite songs can get quite annoying if you've been below sea level for too long.
Nintendo has offered a different kind of game to their roster. This one in particular is a great way to relax and is quite informative in the process as you learn about different types of tropical fish, some of which only appear at different times of day, month or year. A great way to keep people swimming.

Emergency Heros for the Nintendo Wii

2008-04-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

In May 2008 Ubisoft will release Emergency Heros for the Nintendo Wii system. This is a first person driving game. Players drive around the city and rescue citizens in emergency situations. Ubisoft will be developing futuristic models of emergency vehicles. This game will also allow for coorperative play between two players. This will be a great game for children.

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Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon

2008-04-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Another Final Fantasy release is coming, but this time covered in yellow feathers. Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon is coming to the Wii July 8, boasting a price tag of only $39.99. Take on the role of Chocobo to explore a town and dungeons created from citizens' memories.

The game will let the player choose from one of three classes for Chocobo: knight, black mage, and white mage. It is also going to tout a Wi-Fi card battle game. It will be interesting to see how well these cute and fuzzy titles do in North America as the trend in gaming seems to gravitate towards shooters. I'll probably fall into the cute and cuddly trap and grab myself a copy.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword

2008-04-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

Ninja Gaiden is back, but this time for the Nintendo DS. Once again the players can take the role of Ryu Hayabusa or the new role Momiji and fight legions of demons, ninjas, and dragons. While it may not look like the Ninja Gaiden everyone is used to seeing, it works well on the DS.

Combat is controlled mainly with the stylus in that the direction you swing while touching is where your character slashes and can be used to create some very nice combos if you carefully aim. While easier than previous games, you can unlock a harder difficulty by beating it once and that mode is more inline with previous games.

The game is in stores now so pick up a copy if you're interested.

Bully: Scholarship Edition for the Nintendo Wii

2008-03-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

You are Jimmy Hawkins, a stout adolescent with nothing to lose. Your mom has just departed for her fifth honeymoon and has dumped you at Bullworth Academy. You get to decide what type of person Jimmy will be. He could be a bully, a hero, a romancer, etc.

Its like reliving high school through another student. A large part of the game consists of conversing with characters in the game and completing tasks for them. This game is not meant for children hence the "Teen" rating. There is violence, offensive language, and some sexual content.

This game was developed by Rockstar games in Toronto.

Mario Kart for the Nintendo Wii

2008-03-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

With both classic and brand new race courses Mario Kart for the Wii will be speeding onto shelves on April 27, 2008. If you plan on using the new Wii remotes during game play, you can buy specially designed steering wheels, known as Wii Wheels for this game.

When playing at home with others as many as four players can enter the game. If you are playing online up to 12 players can participate. A new feature of this game is the addition of motorbikes bikes into the vehicle selection.

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Rock Band for the Nintendo Wii

2008-03-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

Rock Band is a multiplayer game based around popular music from the 1960s to the present. The game kit includes a microphone, a drum set, and two guitars. The customizable features include picking your band members gender clothes and accessories to be displayed during game play. There will be a total of 63 songs included with the game.

Rock Band is a product from Harmonix. Other popular products from Harmonix include the Guitar Hero instalments. The release date of Rock Band for the Nintendo Wii is June 22, 2008. The only difference there will be between the release for the Wii, Xbox 360 and PS2 is the ability to download new tracks will not be available with the Wii version.

Finally on the Wii: Super Smash Bros Brawl

2008-03-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

While this might be a little late to be blogging about the hypemachine's brainchild that has been available almost two months, it seems appropriate to at least cover the game in our blog.

To start off, many people in the Nintendo army are huge fans of the Nintendo Original Character spin-off fighting game that is called Super Smash Bros. Its a simplistic fighting game that is surprisingly easy to pick up, but allows for plenty of strategy. It appeared for the first time on the N64 way back in the late 90s, 1999 to be exact. From it's inception it won gamer cool status and was an instant hit. Nintendo was sure not to disappoint the horde of fans that stuck around to get a taste of the sequel which was released very shortly after the release of Nintendo's GameCube. The Super Smash Bros. title would now be recognized as Nintendo super weapon.

This third installment is just as powerful as its predecessors in delivering what was expected. The game features about 35 characters, some of which are classics and others that have been recently added to the roster. Each player chooses a character and are dropped into a themed arena to battle each other using fighting styles that are defined by the character they chose. There can be up to 4 players in a match and opponent AI is offered in varying difficulties to fill any gap. Each character has a special set of skills that are based on the character's traits and games. This third game also features character themed "finishers" that remove opponents with one hit and adds a timeless sparkle to these duels. SSB:Brawl is also the first to introduce online play that can pit people against the world by using Wii buddy codes. This has many Wii owners publicly advertising their Wii buddy codes online to battle online.
The game has a bundle of new features that aren't only present in the classic battle modes and gameplay. Aside from characters and levels the game offers a great amount of trinkets an treasures, including trophies which were introduced in the the second game. While I won't go into them all I will talk about some of what i think to be the neatest new features. The coin launcher. It's basically an arcade style shooter in which you try to hit things with coins. It's extremely simple with enough bumps and kicks to keep you entertained. I find it a great way to earn trophies and space out. Also the Diorama feature is interesting as well. Players can arrange 4 trophies from their collection amongst a backdrop and make interesting scenes of battles or poses or crazy combinations. These pictures can then be sent to friends using Buddy Codes.

I'm no where near done with SSB:Brawl, and I won't be for sometime as the 'Challenges' the game offers to unlock some pretty cool stuff is going to keep me coming back. The game has plenty of unlockables and tidbits for the info hungry gamer.

While many people had a great sum of SSB:Brawl's secrets spoiled by an daily updated host site, I'm one gamer that didn't and have plenty left to discover.

Japanese Wii Ware Commercial

2008-03-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

This is the first Japanese commercial for Wii Ware, Nintendo's upcoming downloadable games service for the Wii. They show off some of the games they are going to debut such as Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King and have the price in Wii points on the bottom right; where 100 points is approximately one dollar.

Last month IGN put up an interview with some details about the service here. Mainly they discuss what is happening between Nintendo and developers looking to create games for Wii Ware. Pointing out some specifics: developers will need to purchase a $2000 developer kit and have the appropriate licenses, they'll accept any game concept as long as it gets an ESRB ranking, developers can use any tools available on the Wii such as Wii Connect 24, and the control scheme is chosen by the developer be it classic controller or Wii remote. Wii Ware will also have approximately 100 games available at launch, but will be released over a period of time.

The launch date is planned to be May 12 in North America, so better prepare some points beforehand.

Wii Fit Tested by Blogger

2008-03-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

The Wii Fit is one of the next big releases coming out for the Nintendo Wii, it comes with a balance board players use to do one of four activities: aerobic exercise, muscle conditioning, yoga and balance games. It has been out in Japan since November 30 and a writer for Kotaku, Brian Ashcraft has a feature up here detailing his experience with the Wii Fit.

A short summary of the Wii Fit appears to be that it will work as an exercise tool, thought there are cheaper alternatives if someone is looking for exercise. It also works well to motivate users because it keeps track of your weight so you can see how it changes through the day and over long periods of time. One big downfall thought is it limits the area user can move to the board for the most part and specifically caused the writer knee pains when doing what he felt was the most useful activity and caused him to stop.

Wii Fit seems like it would work best as a gateway activity to full on exercise, but for those unwilling to take the extra step it should help tone and lose weight. Expect it to hit stores sometime in May.