The Koalition » Nintendo DS

Nintendo Announce Near Release Dates For Mario, Metroid, DSi XL etc.

Carl Daniel — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:10:32 +0000

The first half of 2010 is looking remarkable for the PS3 and 360. Already this year there has been astonishing titles such as Mass Effect 2, Heavy Rain, Darksiders and Bayonetta, and in the next few months HD Console owners can look forward to the likes of God Of War 3, Final Fantasy XIII, Splinter Cell Conviction and Alan Wake.

If you’re a Wii owner looking for Nintendo to deliver you your next first-party fix I’m pleased to share some exciting news with you. The sequel to Mario Galaxy is just 3 short months away according to Nintendo. During their Media Summit today the big N announced that Mario Galaxy 2 will be arriving in US stores on May 23 which is a good 6 months before it’s speculated release date. Also arriving early is Metroid: Other M. Team Ninja and Nintendo’s mysterious Metriod title is due out just one month later on June 27. Sandwiched in between those 2 huge releases is Sin & Punishment 2 which will be released on
June 7.

US Release dates were also given for Pokemon Heat Gold/ Soul Silver (March 14th), the DSi XL (March 28th for only $189), Wario Ware DIY (also March 28th), Monster Hunter Tri (April 20th) and Picross 3D (May 3rd).

Wow! Never let it be said again that Nintendo doesn’t care about us hardcore gamers.

Phantasy Star Zero Review

Carl Daniel — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:02:07 +0000

Sega has been trying for a decade to transition the Phantasy Star series from cult-favoured RPG’s to commercially successful MMO’s. Their first attempt back in 2000 was a valiant effort but was hindered by the limitations of the Dreamcast and dial-up Internet speeds. Flashfoward 10 years to a world where Broadband Internet is a standard and almost everyone and their mother owns a Nintendo DS, the time seems right for Sega to finally revive their dream and release an alternate version of the Dreamcast classic, one that will actually be embraced by the masses this time around. Though the DS too has a host of limitations it also allows Sega to focus on the elements which matter the most, namely a solid gameplay experience and fully functional online mode. The latter of which is where Phantasy Star Zero truly shines and is the reason why any RPG lover who owns a DS needs to go out and purchase this game right now.

Before I get to the online aspect of the game I’d like to congratulate Sega for including an enthralling single player mode on a game which primarily focuses on it’s multiplayer proponent. The story, which slightly alters depending on which race you choose to play as, is certainly intriguing and does a great job keeping players hooked right up until the very end. The story see’s mankind attempting to rebuild their civilization after a giant war known as the Giant Break reduced most of their world to nothingness some 200-years ago. You take on the role of a young Hunter and it’s up to you and your party to rid of the world of monstrous creatures who roam the wilderness threatening your existence.

There are three different races for you to choose from at the start of the game and they each have their own set of attributes. Humans are generally well-rounded and serve as the go-to choice for casual gamers, CAST’s are highly powered androids but lack certain abilities such a magic and finally Newmans are a mysterious race whose regaining abilities makes them perfect for more advanced players. Each race also has different class types and you can freely customize the aesthetics and gender of any of them.

The weapon based combat system is incredibly deep with a staggering 350 weapons crammed in to the tiny DS cartridge, If you like looting you‘ll love what Sega has to offer here. As with any RPG, players will gain experience, level up and expand their arsenal through-out the game. Phantasy Stat Zero also has a healthy mix of amour and items to keep players satisfied and some of the more elaborate battles can be pretty epic for a DS game. As fun as playing alone can be it does present problems which are alleviated in multiplayer. The most frustrating of which is your party members dim-witted AI, you’ll frequently have to monitor and baby-sit them as they’ll often do more harm than good. The camera system is also problematic which can make protecting your party members a little difficult but it never gets bad enough to hinder your progress.

Like the all recent Phantasy Star game the main draw of Zero is it’s multiplayer mode. Multiplayer consists of both online and local wireless co-op modes where you and up to 3 friends (or random strangers) can discover the truth behind the Giant Break together. Phantasy Star Zero boasts one of the best online modes on the DS to date, putting some of Nintendo‘s own efforts to shame. There’s no voice chat support but players can communicate via a PictoChat-esque messaging system which allows players to draw or write messages on the fly and share them with party members.

Graphically Phantasy Star Zero is certainly bright and colourful but the 3D polygons look almost like they’ve been ripped from a PSone launch title that hasn’t aged well. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing given the DS’s limited horsepower it can be a little jarring to those who have already played beauties such as Phantasy Star Portable on the PSP or even the Zelda games on the DS. Getting to the end of the game is a lengthy progress and along the way you’ll unfortunately encounter some repetitive quests, I would have liked to have seen more mission variety and less fights against bosses that I’ve already beaten!

Other than those few qualms Phantasy Star Zero is a great game which fans of the series and RPG-lovers in general will enjoy. If you have the means to play with others I’d definitely recommend it over playing alone but even if you do decide to play through solo you’re still in for a treat. There’s no shortage of great RPG’s on the DS but if you want one that you can experience along with others it truly doesn’t get any better than this.

Bleach: The 3rd Phantom Review

Carl Daniel — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:47:05 +0000

Despite being based on a Japanese anime, the first two Bleach games for the DS weren’t RPG’s, they were highly addictive 2D fighters which spearheaded the genre on Nintendo‘s dual screened portable. Looking back, the only thing I didn’t like about those games was the addition of a Card Battle system which you could use to summon special powers mid-round. I assume the card system was only included in the game in an attempt to draw in the RPG crowd, but for someone like me who grew up playing Street Fighter instead of Fire Emblem, I simply stuck to mashing the face buttons. For the third game in the series, Sega chose to fully explore the RPG route and in a bid to gain popularity amongst the DS demographic.

Bleach as gone from fighter to Tactical RPG. A questionable move that is hard to agree with. If reviews were based on initial disappointments, I’d give this game a 0 out of 10 and move on quicker than Sega could say “Wait, here’s your money back”, however it wouldn’t be fair for me to condemn Bleach: The 3rd Phantom solely based on my love for it’s predecessors and my irrational fear of change. It’s only right that I judge each on it’s own merits and hey, if Sega has no problems pretending the first two games didn’t exist then why can’t I?

The game’s story is predominately told through still image cutscenes, dated FMV’s and an array of text which bookmark each battle. I guess anyone picking up a DS RPG should expect to be bombarded with mountains of text but the least Sega could have done is make sure that the story is interesting. Although not terrible, the story is plagued with predictable twists and uninspired dialog which, to make matters worse, is usually delivered by blandly portrayed characters. At the beginning of the game you have the have to chose between two protagonists to take on the main character role, either Fujimaru Kudo or his twin sister Matsuri. Thankfully the twins are much more than just pallet swaps and whichever character you chose will significantly alter the storyline, particularly nearing the end. The game is jam packed with characters from the show so expect a lot of fan service if you’re already will vested in the Bleach universe. Your tolerance for the story will also vary greatly depending on you’re appreciation for the Bleach anime series. On one hand its an original story that was actually written by the series creator but on the other hand it’s drawn-out, unsurprising and ultimately very boring.

As with most RPG’s whether the game lives or dies depends entirely on its Battle System. Anyone familiar with game’s like Final Fantasy Tactics should have no problems jumping in to 3rd Phantom and getting the hang of it’s core concept. As you’ve probably gathered by now your job as a player is to position your characters appropriately around small isometric battlefields pitting them against various enemy types. What sets 3rd Phantom apart from most other Tactical RPG’s is the ability to attack diagonally instead of just four directions which brings some much needed flavor to the game. Once you’ve selected an attack the game transitions to a 2D side-on prospective where you watch your character dish out some deadly moves in a form very reminiscent of the first two games, only this time you’re not directly in control of your character’s movements and your opponent doesn’t instantly fight back.

The rather speedy levelling system and lack of punishment for the deaths of your party members does make Bleach a little on the easy side however there is plenty to do once the game is finished that will truly separate the men from the boys. While the story may not keep you coming back for more the engaging battle system should be enough to entice you to see yourself through to the end. Admittedly I’m not a huge fan of turn based RPG’s but I actually found myself enjoying most of the battles I fought once I got passed all the talking. Graphically 3rd Phantom is easy on the eyes but does very little to push the capabilities of the DS and the music contains a mixture of both pertinent themes which fit the tone of the game and some cheesy J-Pop that only the nerdiest of Japanophiles could enjoy.

With a title like 3rd Phantom is inevitable that many fans of the first 2 games will be disappointed by this entry in the series, especially if they were expecting more of the same. 3rd Phantom is a complete departure for the series and while it’s not the best RPG on the DS by a long shot it’s hard to ignore the amount of effort Sega put forth in an attempt to rejuvenate the franchise. If you’re a fan of tactical RPG’s you could certainly do worse, and with dozen of hours worth of gameplay Bleach: The 3rd Phantom definitely offers a lot of value but whether you’ll feel compelled to stick around until the end is questionable. One thing 3rd Phantom definitely isn’t lacking in is potential, I’d love to see this battle system return in a future Bleach title. With a more compelling story and improved dialog Sega could have a yet another hit under their belt, here’s to hoping that Bleach’s 4th DS title will elevate the series rather than drag it even further downhill.

Iwata Clears Up Wii HD And New DS Confusion

Andre Tipton — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:12:49 +0000

During a Q&A session at a recent investor meeting, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata was asked about Nintendo’s future console plans. Iwata said the Nintendo has separate portable and console R&D departments and these divisions are researching future hardware. However, he did not comment on any future hardware plans.

In response to the questions, Iwata chose to clear up statements reported by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper about the plans for a high definition DS. In January the newspaper reported Iwata saying that a DS followup system would need to have high resolution image support and a system in place for detecting player motions. According to Iwata, he didn’t say that exactly.

According to Iwata, the reporter conducting the interview asked “The next DS will need to have high resolution graphics and include a motion sensor, wouldn’t you say?” Iwata’s response was, “Those are naturally considered requirements. However, do you believe it will sell with just this?”

The paper didn’t print the last part of the answer so it does sound like is saying that is the direction they are going with the new DS. But it is definitely not the case.

Iwata also told investors that he never mentioned a Wii HD. He also said he has no idea where the rumors of a Wii HD came from.

Said Iwata on the updated Wii: “If asked if making the Wii compatible with high definition — just making it compatible with high resolution — will get players throughout the world to buy it, I would of course say, ‘Do you think it would sell with just that? It needs something new.’”

One more thing Iwata says is that there is a reason Nintendo is keeping everything close to the chest by saying,”If there were no rival makers in the world, I’d could give examples of the things that we are considering. However, for competitive reasons, I cannot give specifics today on the what or when of the things we’re considering.”

Well I guess we will have to wait and see what E3 holds for all of the new Nintendo fare for 2010. It looks like Nintendo is going to have another great year. Now let’s see if they romance the third parties to give more support to the Wii.

Source:Eurogamer

Beyonce DSi Commercial

A.B. Frasier — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:32:09 +0000

After winning a U-Haul truck full of Grammys the other night, I’m pretty sure Beyonce feels great. But now she’s making moves with Nintendo and the DSi commercial I mentioned a month ago is finally being revealed. In the interview below she talks about how the game Style Savvy teaches responsibility (lulz). Glad to see her making these big moves though.

Media Create Console Hardware Sales For The Week Of Jan 18 – 24

Andre Tipton — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:18:06 +0000

Well, there is no surprise here. With the quality of Japanese PSP titles as of late, it is no surprise that the system has been number 1 for the past few weeks. Nintendo follows with a close second. This proves the notion that game exclusives still sell systems. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep and Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G are leading the charge with PSP sales. New Super Mario Brothers Wii and Final Fantasy XIII being the software leaders for their respective consoles.

Here are the latest Media Create console hardware sales for the week of Jan 18 – 24 in Japan:

PSP – 52,909 [402,688]
Wii – 45,167 [343,143]
PS3 – 26,966 [238,081]
DSi LL – 24,059 [170,341]
DSi – 20,373 [190,304]
DS Lite – 4,966 [38,995]
360 – 3,343 [20,304]
PS2 – 2,088 [11,783]
PSP Go – 1,773 [10,544]

Nintendo Worldwide Unit Sales For 2009 Announced

Andre Tipton — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:43:30 +0000

Nintendo posted a quarterly profit of 191.6 billion yen (US$2.13 billion), fell by 23% from last year; sales have declined by 20% from 1.53 trillion yen (US$16.99 billions) to 1.18 trillion yen (US$13.05 billion), which was caused by price cut of Wii.

Nintendo also posted worldwide hardware shipments as of December 31, 2009:

Nintendo DS (all models) – 125.13 million units

Japan – 3.52 million units (total 29.92 millions)

America – 10.53 million units (total 44.99 millions)

Europe – 9.3 million units (total 50.23 millions)

Nintendo DSi

Japan – 2.44 million units (total 4.66 millions)

America – 5.83 million units (total 6.16 millions)

Europe – 5.13 million units (total 5.61 millions)

Nintendo DSi LL

Japan – 700,000 units

Wii – 67.45 million units

Japan – 1.76 million units (total 9.72 millions)

America – 8.48 million units (total 32.02 millions)

Europe – 6.81 million units (total 25.71 millions)

Famitsu Console Sales Jan. 18-24th. Mario Remains King.

Andre Tipton — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:17:29 +0000

After losing the number 1 spot to Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep for PSP (apparently a PSP system seller), New Super Mario Bros. Wii proves it is still top dog. On the other hand, 2010 is starting out to be a good year for the PSP in Japan. 7 of the top 20 games on the Famitsu list are for PSP. Valkyria Chronicles 2 has the number 2 spot which is another great PSP title. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep got knocked out of the top 5 after a week. Xbox 360 didn’t chart but that really is nothing the Japanese haven’t seen before.

Here are the Top 20 Famitsu console software numbers:

1. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii, Nintendo) – 115,700 [3,118,400]
2. Senjo no Varukyuria 2: Gallia Ourisshikan Gakko [Valkyria Chronicles 2] (PSP, Sega) – 101,200
3. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A’s Portable: The Battle of Aces (PSP, Namco Bandai) – 76,500
4. Tamodatchi Collection (NDS, Nintendo) – 56,500 [2,712,400]
5. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP, Square Enix) – 54,300 [644,900]
6. Wii Fit Plus (Wii, Nintendo) – 33,700 [1,553,800]
7. Biohazard: Darkside Chronicles (Wii, Capcom) – 18,700 [97,600]
8. Wii Sports Resort (Wii, Nintendo) – 16,900 [1,719,800]
9. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G [PSP the Best] (PSP, Capcom) – 14,800 [1,151,500]
10. Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver (NDS, Pokemon Co.) – 14,300 [3,546,700]
11. Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Empires [Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires] (PSP, Koei) – 13,700
12. Zelda no Densetsu: Taiyou no Kiteki (NDS, Nintendo) – 12,800 [536,200]
13. Inazuma Eleven 2: Kyoui no Shinryakusha – Fire/Blizzard (NDS, Level 5) – 10,900 [1,048,900]
14. Tekken 6 (PSP, Namco Bandai) – 10,400 [39,700]
15. Mario Kart Wii (Wii, Nintendo) – 9,900 [2,547,500]
16. Phantasy Star Portable 2 (PSP, Sega) – 9,300 [541,700]
17. New Super Maro Bros. (NDS, Nintendo) – 9,000 [5,711,000]
18. Last Window: Mayonaka no Yakusoku (NDS, Nintendo) – 8,600 [31,600]
19. Monotaro Dentetsu 2010: Sengoku Ishin no Hero Daishuugou! no Maki (Wii, Hudson) – 7,927 [216,500]
20. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Square Enix) – 7,500 [1,861,700]

Source: Famitsu

Nintendo Announces Initial 2010 lineup

Andre Tipton — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:55:12 +0000

Nintendo’s initial 2010 lineup has nothing really new or surprises. The new Mistwalker game is news but mostly everything else has been announced or speculated. But I think the list is actually quite varied. Notable titles are The Last Story, Sin and Punishment 2 and the new Nintendo DS XL. Get your preorder money ready, Nintendo has more announcements coming at E3.

Here’s the upcoming lineup from Nintendo

Japan

DS
Last Window Mayonaka no Yakusoku   2010/1/14
Otona no Renai Syosetsu DS Harlequin Selection 2010/2/25
Pokemon Ranger Hikari no Kiseki 2010/3/6
Golden Sun DS (Temp.)   TBA
Famicom Wars DS2 (Temp.)   TBA

Wii
Zangeki no Reginleiv 2010/2/11
XENOBLADE 2010 Spring
METROID: Other M   2010 Summer
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Temp.)   2010
The Last Story 2010
Kensakusu (Temp.)   TBA
Span Smasher (Temp.) TBA
100 Go se Start! Eikaiwa (Temp.) TBA
Hoshi no Kirby (Temp.) TBA
Line Attack Heroes (Temp.) TBA
The Legend of Zelda (Temp.) TBA

United States

DS
Nintendo DSi XL     CY2010/Q1
Glory of Heracles   2010/1/18
Pokemon Heart Gold Version 2010/3/14
Pokemon Heart Silver Version 2010/3/14
WarioWare D.I.Y. 2010/3/28
America’s Test Kitchen: Let’s Get Cooking 2010/3/28
Golden Sun DS (Temp.) 2010
Picross 3D TBA

Wii
Endless Ocean: Blue World   2010/2/22
Sin and Punishment 2 (Temp.) CY2010/Q1
METROID: Other M 2010
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Temp.) 2010
Span Smasher (Temp.) 2010
Line Attack Heroes (Temp.) TBA
Monado: Beginning of The World (Temp.) TBA

Europe

DS
Nintendo DSi XL 2010/3/5
Picross 3D 2010/3/5
Pokemon Heart Gold Version 2010/3/26
Pokemon Heart Silver Version 2010/3/26
Golden Sun DS (Temp.) 2010
WarioWare D.I.Y. TBA

Wii
Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep   2010/2/5
Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Skies (Temp.) 2010
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Temp.) 2010
METROID: Other M 2010
Span Smasher (Temp.) TBA

R-iZZY – Super Mario Brothers Rap

Gary A Swaby — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:57:03 +0000

Recently there have been a couple rap songs made themed around a specific game, such as the Uncharted 2 Game of the Year, and the Bayonetta song. Well it seems it has become a trend. Check out this Super Mario Brothers themed rap made by a rapper that goes by the name R-iZZY. The song features a lot of punchlines relating to the Super Mario world, very slick.

Beyonce Getting More Nintendo Money

A.B. Frasier — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:35:51 +0000

Looks like one little DS commercial is not enough. Beyonce has put new life into her partnership with Nintendo, by getting into the virtual goods business. Designs from her fashion line Deréon will now be available for download in Nintendo’s Style Savvy game.

“Style Savvy is all about creativity and fashion, both of which are really important to me,” says Beyoncé. “I love that I get to become a stylist and take over my own boutique, and it’s so much fun to see some of my Deréon designs added to the mix.”

Shes also lined up for a pair of commercials to go with the new partnership, which will place 5 designs into the game. I’ll definitely post those for the “lulz.” Despite my sense of humor, I’m really glad shes opening the door a bit wider for urban culture and gaming to come together.

Salutes Mr. Bashcraft

Pheonix Wright coming to Wiiware

Jowin Okere — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:34:12 +0000

Capcom has recently announced that the Pheonix Wright trilogy on the DS will be making its way to Wiiware January 11th. I’ve heard good things about this game so Wii owners who missed out on it or that don’t have a DS at all should be feeling the love right now. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, the Wii this year is steadily looking like a system for hardcore gamers. Just check what they have coming this year and you’ll know what I mean. I’m starting to save up slowly as we speak.

Props to 1up

Capcom bashes Wii then apologizes (kind of)

Jowin Okere — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:33:34 +0000

A while ago, Capcom made comments in a recent interview with French website Gamekult (translation here) basically saying that Wii gamers have “moved on” after their two Resident Evil spin-offs (Umbrella Chronicles and The Darkside Chronicles) came out with disappointing first week sales. They also stated that they feel there is a “problem” with those style of games on the Wii. Thats not all. To heal the wounds, they made a statement regarding that interview saying:

Further to comments made in a recent article on French website Gamekult, Capcom would like to confirm its commitment as a multi-platform developer and publisher of interactive software.

Kind regards

Capcom’s European PR Team

You don’t need Google to translate this one. In essence they are saying, We feel sorry that the Wii sucks but we’ll continue trying to help it not suck. And Capcom is trying. With Tatsunoko vs. Capcom coming out this month and Monster Hunter Tri in April, we will soon see if their efforts will be rewarded more than their previous ones were.

Props to Kotaku

Nintendo Confirms Zelda Wii For 2010, Speaks On DS 2 And Vitality Sensor

Carl Daniel — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:46:32 +0000

Its official, Zelda’s next Wii outing will be released this year, Nintendo’s CEO Satoru Iwata personally confirmed the news earlier this morning during an interview with a popular Japanese newspaper. While no further details were announced it’s safe to assume the game will make its debut at E3 2010 before being released worldwide at the end of the year. With this, Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid: Other M & Sin & Punishment 2 also in the pipeline 2010 is set to be another stellar year for Nintendo and the Wii, this month alone sees the release of both Tatsunoko vs. Capcom and No More Heroes 2.

During this morning’s interview Iwata also announced that games which utilize the Wii’s mysterious Vitality Sensor will finally be unveiled in July and he even spoke briefly about the successor to the DS. Iwata stated that the DS 2 would “require high resolution visuals and sensors for detecting player motions”, which just about sounds like the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Hopefully more details will be clarified during Nintendo’s E3 Press Conference in mid-June, The Koalition staff will be there to find out.

Diary of a Mad Gamer: Can’t Find a Good Game at the Store? Go Find it at the Library

Shelton Doutherd — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:09:34 +0000

The Library!?! Yes. The Library. As I said before in a previous podcast, some Libraries let you take out video games. I was shocked and surprised when I found out that this was even possible. I never would’ve thought it and for that reason, is why I am writing this article for you guys. A week ago, my two boys and I were playing so much, that the misses was peeved and pulled an executive order, stating that we will go to the library over the weekend. Me personally I love reading, so I did not have an issue with it, however my two boys grimaced and went back to gaming. Sulking for what is to come next.

The weekend comes up and all five of us are in the library (note: the wife and I usually come to this branch only to study for our classes, however we never took out anything here before). We take our time to look around. My wife decides to take the youngest down to the kiddie section, so I take the other two with me. We walked over to the DVD/CD section and the first thing my eldest sees, are the video game section. ”DAD!” he screams, “They have video games here!” After shushing him, I told him he was a liar. Yet when I looked over to where he was pointing, I could see that I labeled him incorrectly. I would have never guessed that you can take out video games from a library! These weren’t even last generation games either. We’re talking 360, Ps3 and Wii games! After the shock left the system. All three of us were smiling like the butcher’s dog. I even text messaged my wife the situation which lead to a vicious slashing in a textual format I dare not repeat.

After calming her down, she agreed that we could take some of them home with us. We looked through the selections and agreed with Spider Man: Web of Shadows (the library would only let you take out one at a time. Correction: You can only take out one 360, PS3 or wii game, but can take out a Nintendo DS game too). A game I wanted to get, but never got the chance to purchase. What makes this so damn sweet is that, I was able to take out a current generation game for five days and it was for free! No credit card was asked, no money transactions, nothing. Just my Library card and my Drivers License. That’s it. Today, I returned the game and took out Lego Indiana Jones for the Playstation 3 (the mid-son’s first selection). From what I’ve gathered, the library has games up to a T rating, I did not see any AO or Mature ESRB rated games. Also, they didn’t have the newer games yet either. I say the game selection is about about 2 ~ 3mos. past as far as current games goes. The next game I am thinking about taking out is Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe (I had it in my hand today but put it back). So to all the readers out there, I want to let you know that if you cant find a good game at a retail store, or the game you want is in a que for long wait on an online rental website (gamefly, GamesNFlix, etc.). Why don’t you go down to your local library and see if you can find it there?

Nintendo’s Q1 2010 Line-Up Brings Truck Loads Of Shovel Ware

Carl Daniel — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:58:55 +0000

Dear Nintendo, please take a look at Microsoft and Sony’s Q1 2010 line-up. Do you see God Of War 3, Mass Effect 2, Bayonetta, Heavy Rain, BioShock 2, Splinter Cell Conviction, Super Street Fighter IV, Dante’s Inferno, Red Dead Redemption, Dark Void, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Army Of Two: The 40th Day and the countless of other gems are in the pipeline? Now re-look at the mediocrity you have to offer and hang your collective heads in shame. While there are a few games to look forward to in Nintendo’s Q1 line-up (namely Tatsunko vs. Capcom, No More Heroes 2, Super Meat Boy, Red Steel 2, Ace Attorney Investigations) the majority of games being released are straight-up shovel ware. I guess New Super Mario Bros. Wii and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks are supposed to tie us over until the next batch of AAA titles like Mario Galaxy 2 or Metriod: Other M emerge. As a Nintendo “fanboy” each day I’m finding it harder and harder to justify my love for that company, I’d like to believe that their just feeding us breadsticks in anticipation for the Wagyu Steak feast which will arrive shortly.

Wii

Fast Food Panic – January 5
The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces – January 5
Walk it Out – January 10
Sleepover Party – January 12
TATSUNOKO VS. CAPCOM: ULTIMATE ALL-STARS – January 26
Data East Arcade Classics – January
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle – Late January

Sled Shred featuring the Jamaican Bobsled Team – February 1
Shiren the Wanderer – February 9
Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll – February 9
Chicken Riot – February 9
Combat Wings: The Great Battles of WWII – February 16
Endless Ocean: Blue World – February 22
City Builder – February
The Daring Game of Girls – February
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral – February
Family Party: 30 Great Games Winter Fun – February

FRAGILE DREAMS: FAREWELL RUINS OF THE MOON – March 16
Build-A-Bear Workshop – Friendship Valley – March 17
How To Train Your Dragon – March 23
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing – March
Let’s Play Ballerina – March
Let’s Play Garden – March
Alice in Wonderland – March
Pizza Delivery Boy – March

Yu Gi Oh! Duel Trancer – Q1
DanceDanceRevolution – Q1
Arcade Shooter: Ilvelo – Q1
Rock Blast – Q1
Jaja’s Adventure – Q1
Red Steel 2 – Q1

Rooms: The Main Building – Spring
Calling – Spring

Wii Ware

Phoenix Wright:Ace Attorney – January

Mega Man 10 – March

Zombie Panic in Wonderland – Q1
And Yet It Moves – Q1
Rage of the Gladiator – Q1
Military Madness: Nectaris – Q1
Toribash – Q1
WarioWare D.I.Y. Showcase – Q1
Max & the Magic Marker – Q1
Super Meat Boy – Q1

Nintendo DS

Puzzle Chronicles – Jan. 10
Escape the Museum – Jan. 12
Sands of Destruction – Jan. 12
Daniel X: The Ultimate Power – Jan. 12
Imagine Party Planner – Jan. 13
Glory of Heracles – Jan. 18
KORG DS-10 Plus – Jan. 19
Imagine Reporter – Jan. 20

Sushi Go Round – Feb. 1
Crime Scene – Feb. 1
Dementium II – Feb. 2
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief – Feb. 2
Fast Food Panic – Jan. 5
World Cup of Pool – Feb. 9
Hidden Mysteries: Buckingham Palace – Feb. 9
Imagine Sweet 16 – Feb. 10
Ragnarok DS – Feb. 16
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth – Feb. 16
Animal Country: Life on the Farm – Feb. 16
Super Speed Machines – February
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral – February
Myst – February
The Daring Game for Girls – February
Dawn of Heroes – February
Squishy Tank – February
Lovely Lisa and Friends (enhanced Nintendo DSi content) – February

Montessori Music – March 1
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey – March 10
Imagine Gymnast – March 10
Pokémon HeartGold Version – March 14
Pokémon SoulSilver Version – March 14
Art of Murder – March 16
Build-A-Bear Workshop – Welcome to Hugsville – March 17
How To Train Your Dragon – March 23
WarioWare: D.I.Y. – March 28
America’s Test Kitchen: Let’s Get Cooking – March 28
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing – March
Major League Baseball 2K10 – March
Cheer We Go! – March
Let’s Play Flight Attendant – March
Let’s Play Ballerina – March
Let’s Play Garden – March
Alice in Wonderland – March
Infinite Space – March
ATV Revolution – March
ATV Quad Kings – March
T.A.C Heroes: The Big Red One – March
Monster Rancher DS – March
AGAIN – March

Scene It! Twilight – Q1
Bejeweled Twist – Q1

Sonny With a Chance – Spring
Rooms: The Main Building – Spring
DECA SPORTS – Spring
Sonic Classic Collection™ – Spring
Puzzle Overload -Spring
Solitaire Overload Plus – Spring

DSi Ware

Trajectile – Jan. 4
Touch Solitaire – Jan. 11
Starship Defense – Jan. 18
Number Battle – Jan. 25

X-Scape – February
Link ‘n’ Launch – February

Downtown Texas Hold’em Poker – Q1
Fieldrunners – Q1
Gangstar 2: Kings of L.A. – Q1
Surviving High School – Q1
Legends of Exidia – Q1
Let’s Golf – Q1
Real Soccer 2010 – Q1
Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Q1

Preview Ace Attorney Investigations, Right Here, Right Now!

Carl Daniel — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:10:05 +0000

How would like to play a preview of what is likely to be the best handheld game of 2010? Capcom have now given you the opportunity to and best of all you can do so in the this very article that you’re reading! Although very brief, this demo introduces new features such as the Logic system and the brand new control scheme which until now I wasn’t entirely sold on. Ace Attorney Investigations is currently set for a February 2010 release and as always you can expect an in-depth review from your favorite Video Games & Hip Hop Authorty shortly before-hand.

Note: If you’re having difficulties accessing this demo please refer to the official website at http://ace-attorney.com/aaime/

Sonic’s Classic Adventures Being Re-Told On The Nintendo DS

Carl Daniel — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:00:09 +0000

Fancy playing some old Sonic games on the go? Sega is continuing to milk their mascot for everything he’s worth with the announcement of Sonic Classic Collection for the Nintendo DS. Set for a Spring 2010 release Sonic Classic Collection will feature genesis ports of the original Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles. If (like me) you’ve yet to complete any of the 2D Sonic games due to their trail and error nature you’ll be happy to hear that each of these games will feature Save States which will allow you to save your progress any time you please. Sega has also promised that Sonic Classic Collection will feature “a wealth of extras including video and collectable pictures” but the prospect of watching videos or viewing photos on my DS just doesn’t excite me.

Maybe I’m just jaded but in this era of 16GB micro-SD card I find it incredibly hard to believe that Sega couldn’t have included more games on this compilation if they really wanted to, so the absence of titles such as Sonic Spinball and Dr. Robotniks Mean Bean Machine is disheartening. With that said though, If Nintendo released a compilation containing the first four Mario games I’d be all over it, so I guess if you’re a die-hard Sega fan Sonic Classic Collection will be right up your alley.

Footage Of Man Marrying His Video Game Girlfriend [real]

A.B. Frasier — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:00:05 +0000

I was going to write something witty here. Or maybe something funny. Or I could have spent the whole post saying what kind of “L” he took. Or I could have ….f*ck it, just watch.

Guy In Japan Becomes The First-Ever To Marry A Video Game Character In Japan Nintendo DS “Love Plus”

Props to WSHH

Nintendo Unveils New DSi™ LL [Updated]

Carl Daniel — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:11:46 +0000

Did you just buy a brand spanking new DSi? Poor thing… Today during a press event in Tokyo Nintendo announced a new version of the handheld called the DSi LL. Although to the untrained eye it may look like the current DSi, the DSi LL actually has a much larger screen (4.2″) which as you can imagine increases the size of the unit making it even less portable. For most DS owners I’m pretty sure a larger screen is the last thing they want, especially since it retains its ancient 4:3 aspect ratio and a larger screen will inevitably make games look even worse. However if you’re one of those people who use your DSi as a multimedia, web browsing device this upgrade is supposedly for you.

Natural White, Dark Brown & Wine Red variations of the DSi LL are set to hit stores in Japan on November 11th for ¥20,000 (US$220), All systems will come with a built in dictionary, brain training software and 2 stylus (one regular, one large).

Update: Nintendo has confirmed that the DSi LL will indeed be coming to North America and Europe in the first quarter of 2010 under the new title DSi XL. Pricing is still TBA.

Amazon has a Buy 2 Games Get 1 Free Sale too.

Fergus Mills — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:25:31 +0000

Not to be outdone by Toys R Us completely, Amazon.com has a buy 2 games and get a 3rd game free sale going on this week as well. Toys R Us has the superior sale because it includes all currently released games and accessories, but Amazon has a decent selection of games with free shipping and no tax in most states. Now is the perfect time to pick up some games to go in your backlog. And who knows, maybe you could not open the games and figure out something else to do with them…

amazon.com

Nintendo Doesn’t “Get” The PSP Go

A.B. Frasier — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:23:48 +0000

Speaking with the Washington Post Reggie Fils-Aime President of Nintendo Of America didn’t hesitate to throw a few shots at Sony’s new gadget. You know how before you ‘diss’ someone you try to throw something in there before you ether them. Like saying “no disrespect” , then you go on to do the opposite and disrespect anyway. Well, Reggie started his statement like this:

“I have the utmost respect for all our competitors”

go on..

“But it’s interesting to try and answer the consumer question of ‘what’s in it for me?’ in that product.”

He feels as if the consumer wont see any value in the PSP Go. You agree Or Disagree? He also threw a few shots at Sony’s marketing of the machine.

He added the device may have a “fundamental concept problem in terms of ‘who it’s for’ and ‘what’s the benefit?’”

Props to GI.biz

Beyonce Wants A Video Game? Nintendo, Look What You Did!

A.B. Frasier — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:49:09 +0000

I’m not going to even front on you guys. I knew this day was coming the moment I saw Beyonce doing a DS ad. From then, I began to predict the days between that moment and today. Heres what “the hottest chick in the game” had to say:

“I’d like to get involved in video games, since I really love Wii Fit,” the diva recently said. “I think it would be a great idea to incorporate choreography, because, for me, my workout is way more fun when it involves dancing, as opposed to running on a boring treadmill.”

I can see the commercial already. A typical modern day family set up in front of the television doing a “Single Ladies” rendition. That’s not a good look. Oh shit, somebody already did one here. (give me a minute to throw up)

The game would be based around fitness and choreography, because she feels regular workouts have become boring. What do you guys think? Leave your thoughts.

props to Kotaku for the heads up

(Japan) Media Create Sales September 14th – September 20th

Gary A Swaby — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:10:38 +0000

This is the listing of the hardware sales in the Japanese territory for the week of September 14th – September 20th of 2009

1. Nintendo DSi / 66,073
2. Sony PlayStation 3 / 51,055
3. Sony PlayStation Portable / 21,073
4. Nintendo Wii / 16,698
5. Nintendo DS Lite / 13,555
6. Microsoft Xbox 360 / 4,965
7. Sony PlayStation 2 / 2,723

This is the listing of the software sales in the Japanese territory for the week of September 14th – September 20th of 2009.

1. (DS) Pokemon Soul Silver / Nintendo / 222,579
2. (DS) Pokemon Heart Gold / Nintendo/ 220,554
3. (PS3) Tales of Vesperia / Namco Bandai Games / 216,593
4. (PSP) Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Portable 4 / Konami / 104,377
5. (DS) SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu – Goddess of Destiny / Square Enix / 91,574
6. (DS) Tomodachi Collection / Nintendo / 72,629
7. (DS) Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Tag Force 4 / Konami / 50,697
8. (PSP) Ys Seven / Falcom / 33,349
9. (DS) Dragon Quest IX: Hoshizora no Mamoribito / Square Enix / 32,603
10. (DS) The Idolm@ster: Dearly Stars / Namco Bandai Games / 30,786

DSi Gets new colors in Europe

Gary A Swaby — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:14:15 +0000

On 23rd October all you fellow European residents out there will be able to get your hands on three new Dsi colors.

you’ll now be able to pick up Metallic Blue, Light Blue and Red Nintendo DSi’s. If only they came in that Koalition green.

Here is the official press release from public relations.

NEW COLOURS FOR THE NINTENDO DSi

22nd September 2009 – Nintendo today revealed that the popular Nintendo DSi will be available to buy across Europe in three new colours from 23rd October 2009 – Metallic Blue, Light Blue and Red.

The Nintendo DSi launched in Europe in April 2009 in white and black and is packed with new features that excite fans of, and newcomers to, the Nintendo DS range. The Nintendo DSi enables you to create, customise and share photos with friends & family, listen to and play with your favourite music and sounds, play over 1000 existing Nintendo DS games and download games directly to the console through the Nintendo DSi Shop which is accessible through the console. .

And with the new colours comes a series of new benefits including the new Flipnote Studio and Facebook feature pre-installed. The Facebook feature allows users to post their photographic creations straight to their Facebook profile to get the most out of the fun image manipulation tools in the Nintendo DSi Camera. Flipnote Studio enables users to conveniently make notes on their Nintendo DSi or get creative and animate their own mini-movies! Upload and share your creations online via a special service accessible with the Nintendo DSi: Flipnote Hatena and join the growing community of animators!

Also those that use their Nintendo DSi to access the Nintendo DSi Shop through Nintendo Wi-Fi connection before March 31st, 2010 will receive 1,000 Nintendo DSi Points for free! Users can then use these points to download exclusive games and/or applications called Nintendo DSiWare. Users can also purchase additional Nintendo DSi Points within the Nintendo DSi Shop or redeem Nintendo Points cards that can be bought in stores where available.

Nintendo DSi is the third iteration in the range of Nintendo DS consoles which are currently enjoyed by millions of people around the world. It features the trademark dual screens and the simple-to-use controls that players have come to love. The Nintendo DSi also features improvements. The Touch Screen, that makes playing software and navigating the controls simple and intuitive, is now bigger and brighter then ever before. Users can now purchase and download games directly from the Nintendo DSi Shop onto their Nintendo DSi, as well as play over 1000 existing Nintendo DS games. Picture files can also be stored directly to the Nintendo DSi and using the new SD Card slot, music files can be played from a SD Card; all ensuring true entertainment on the go.

More colour and now more fashion with Nintendo presents: Style Boutique

And to match the stylish and colourful new Nintendo DSi, there’s another great arrival on the same day with Nintendo presents: Style Boutique hitting the shelves across Europe. Nintendo presents: Style Boutique, for both the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, challenges you to run your own fashion store as a style consultant, hand pick your own stock from 10,000 items, take part in Fashion Contests to win special items, open a branch of your shop online and even play against other consultants in multiplayer modes. Working your way up from shop assistant in a store, you can offer clothing advice and outfits for customers. With each customer having their own style and personality, you need to choose their clothes carefully to make a successful sale.

Nintendo DSi in Metallic Blue, Light Blue and Red and the new Nintendo presents: Style Boutique are all available across Europe from 23rd October 2009.

-ends-

(Japan) Media Create Sales September 7th – September 13th

Gary A Swaby — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:57:30 +0000

This is the listing of the hardware sales in the Japanese territory for the week of September 7th – September 13th of 2009.

1. Nintendo DSi / 66,498
2. Sony PlayStation 3 / 55,344
3. Sony PlayStation Portable / 18,375
4. Nintendo Wii / 17,568
5. Nintendo DS Lite / 11,179
6. Microsoft Xbox 360 / 7,568
7. Sony PlayStation 2 / 2,612

This is the listing of the software sales in the Japanese territory for the week of September 7th – September 13th of 2009.

1. (DS) Pokemon Soul Silver / Nintendo / 722,904
2. (DS) Pokemon Heart Gold / Nintendo/ 720,086
3. (DS) Tomodachi Collection / Nintendo / 73,789
4. (DS) Dragon Quest IX: Hoshizora no Mamoribito / Square Enix / 36,877
5. (PS3) Mobile Suit Gundam Battlefield Record U.C. 0081/ Namco Bandai Games / 32,679
6. (Wii) Wii Sports Resort / Nintendo / 32,217
7. (DS) Love Plus / Konami / 21,620
8. (Wii) Monster Hunter 3 / Capcom / 15,531
9. (PSP) Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP the Best) / 13,018
10. (PSP) Maplus: Portable Navi 3 / Edia Co. / 12,510

http://www.m-create.com/ranking/

Well what do you expect? This Pokemon IP is over 186 million sold worldwide, therefore making it the best selling RPG of all time. The DSi complements this nicely. Now about that region locking…

Scribblenauts Review

Carl Daniel — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:17:40 +0000

I’m sure by now you’ve atleast heard of Scribblenauts, after being awarded “E3 2009’s Game Of The Show” by several major publications Scribblenauts instantly became one of the most highly anticipated DS games ever. Developed by 5th Cell, makers of Drawn To Life and Locks Quest, Scribblenauts is one of the most ambitious games ever made. Put simply, your objective in Scribblenauts is to solve environmental puzzles and collect “Starites” but writing down any (non-copyrighted, non-offensive) object/animal/person that you can think of for assistance. The object you write down will instantly appear in the game world and it will act more-or-less as it would in real life. So for example a lumberjack may need your help cutting down a tree, you can choose to call upon a beaver to chew through the bark, or burn the tree down with a lighter, or take control of a Bulldozer and knock it down, the list goes on. Scribblenauts contains 220 puzzles in all and each can be solved in numerous ways so getting through the game in its entirety will take a very long time. The amount of objects 5th Cell managed to cram in to this tiny DS cartridge is mind blowing, there are over 20,000 objects in total ranging from an Elephant to a Sledge Hammer and you’ll no doubt spend a lot of time writing down obscure items just to see if they actually appear.

If You're Gonna Commit Suicide Atleast Glue Toaster To Your Head First!

Playing through Scribblenauts I’ve discovered that I more than likely have mental problems, presumably caused by daddy issues. Let me explain, when I was tasked to help a kid bust open a Piñata at a birthday party in my head I know all I need to do is hand the young’n a baseball bat and be on my way. However before doing so I spent around 20 minutes thinking of new ways to massacre the little squirt and all his little friends. I’ve called upon a Cannibal to attack them, I’ve glued meat chunks to their heads then made a blood thirsty lions gatecrash the party, I’ve even gone as far as putting on a balaclava myself, grabbing a knife and… well lets just say things got messy. Even when my conscience finally kicked in and I gave the kid the baseball bat I knew he needed I still couldn’t resist the urge to throw a grenade in his direction just to see if he would attempt to deflect it. Of course he didn’t it, he just died, and honestly I was glad he did. Moving on, some of the puzzles in ‘Nauts can be extremely tricky, especially when an object that “should” help you fails to do what you want it to, there are always multiple solutions at hand though so just take the time to think things through thoroughly and eventually that Starite will be yours.

How Will You Stop That Vampire? A Cross, Some Garlic Or A Shotgun!

By far the best part of Scribblenauts is the title screen where you have a blank canvas to condure up a bunch of random objects and have them all interact with each other. Ever wondered who will win in a fight ManBearPig or a Giant Enemy Crab? simply summon them both and watch them square off! I’ve spend hours upon hours just goofing around on the title screen, giving God wings and have him perform aerial fights against the Devil above a couple land mines was hilarious and I had fun trying to initiate a threesome by drawing up a Wife, a Mistress and a Bed. If you’re waiting for the part where I say something about the game sucks, here it is… The controls in Scribblenauts suck! I’ve been following Scribblenauts for over a year now and the only negative thing I’ve heard anybody dare utter about it were regards to its unresponsive controls, so why has the game still shipped in this almost broken state? Instead of controlling your character (his name is Maxwell by the way) with the d-pad as one would assume you actually direct him but tapping on the screen, bear in mind that you also pick up and manipulate objects by tapping on the screen so as you could imagine there will be several instances where you try to interact with an object but instead Maxwell comes charging over to it like a doofus, putting himself in harms way. Maxwell seems to have a mind of his own and getting him to be where you want him to be or do what you want him to do requires way more effort than it should. It really is a testament to the rest of the game that I’m still rating it very highly despite such a major flaw but Scribblenauts is truly a game like none other. It is a game that must be played by all, and hopefully all the buzz will translate in to sales and from here on the Scribblenauts franchise will continue to grow even beyond the DS.

Professor Layton And The Diabolical Box Micro Review

Carl Daniel — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:18:03 +0000

Professor Layton and his pre-pubescent apprentice Luke are back to solve more puzzles and investigate more strange beings after last years incredibly successful outing. This time around the pair are investigating to death of Layton’s old pal Dr. Schrader who mysteriously died after opening a mythical box called Elysian, so it’s up to Layton and Luke to solve puzzle after puzzle until they get to the bottom of the case. In the progression from ‘Curious Village to ‘The Diabolical Box developer Level 5 have placed a lot more enthusiasm on the games storyline which means more time tapping A to advance the story and less solving cool, mind-breaking puzzles. Thankfully most of the games dialogue is also delivered in audio form and there are several cartoon-esq cutscenes through-out, so the story/investigative sections are much more enjoyable than your typical point and click adventure.

Be warned though, some of the puzzles/riddles featured in Diabolical Box are incredibly hard and you’ll often have to rely on the in-game hint system, which can be obtained by collecting hidden Hint Coins for the solution. Each puzzle has three increasingly specific hints available so as long as you have enough Coins handy you’re unlikely to be stuck on any given puzzle for too long (and of course there’s always GameFaqs!). As with the first game Layton has proved undoubtedly that puzzle solving and giving your brain a workout can actually be fun, there are several games (especially on the DS) that attempt to blend “work” with “play” but none even come close to Layton’s pedestal. By the end of the game (after cracking over 150 puzzles) not only will you feel satisfied by the games strong narrative, you’ll also feel a true sense of real world accomplishment which video games very rarely provide. That in itself is enough to deem Professor Layton And The Diabolical a success.

Coming Soon September 13th – 19th

Gary A Swaby — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:11:55 +0000

This is the listing of games that are due out for the North American, European/PAL, and Japan/Asia territories for the week of Sunday September 13th thru Saturday September 19th of 2009.

Nintendo Wii

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs / UbiSoft
NHL 2K10 / 2K Games
Tornado Outbreak / Konami
Our House: Party! / Majesco
Animal Planet: Pet Vet / Activision
Marvel Ultimate Allaince 2 / Activision
Toy Story Mania / Disney Interactive

Nintendo DS/DS Lite/DSi

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story / Nintendo
My Boyfriend / THQ
Princess in Love / THQ
Our House / Majesco
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs / UbiSoft
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 / Activision
Naruto Shippuden Ninja Destiny 2 / Tomy
Bleach: The 3rd Phantom / Sega
Scibblenauts / WB Games
Animal Planet: Pet Vet / Activision
Dreamer: Top Model / Dreamcatcher

Sony PlayStation Portable/PSP

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 / Activision
Need for Speed: Shift / Electronic Arts
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs / UbiSoft

Sony PlayStation 2

NHL 2K10 / 2K Games
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 / Activsion

Sony PlayStation 3

NHL 2K10 / 2K Games
Heroes Over Europe / UbiSoft
Tornado Outbreak / Konami
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs / UbiSoft
Need for Speed: Shift / Electronic Arts
WET / Bethesda
Pinball Hall of Fame: Williams Collection / Crave Entertainment
NHL 10 / Electronic Arts

Microsoft Xbox 360

NHL 10 / Electronic Arts
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 / Activision
NHL 2K10 / 2K Games
Heroes Over Europe / UbiSoft
Need for Speed: Shift / Electronic Arts
Pinball Hall of Fame: Williams Collection / Crave Entertainment

PC / Games for Windows

Batman: Arkham Asylum / EIDOS Interactive
Age of Empires III: Complete Collection / Microsoft
Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim / Paradox Interactive
Red Faction: Guerrilla / THQ
Need For Speed: Shift / Electronic Arts

Nintendo Wii

Peppa Pig: The Game
Dead Space Extraction
MySims Agents
Rock Band 2
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
Family Trainer Extreme Challenge
SafarWii
Vertigo
Medieval Games
Spyborgs
Big Top Circus
Casper’s Scare School: Spooky Sports Day
Kirby Wii
Pilot Wings Wii
Pool Hall Pro
Real Madrid: The Game

Nintendo DS/DS Lite/DSi

Cate West: The Vanishing Files
Happy Party With Hello Kitty & Friends
Kirby: Super Star Ultra
Blood Bowl
Queen Teen: The Clique
Clever Kids: Creepy Crawlies
Yamaha Supercross
Clever Kids: Pet Store
DJ Star
Imagine: Journalist
The Humans: Meet The Ancestors!

Sony PlayStation Portable/PSP

MotorStorm: Article Edge
Blood Bowl
Need For Speed: Shift
Imagine: Champion Rider

Sony PlayStation 2

SingStar: Motown
MotorStorm: Arctic Edge

Sony PlayStation 3

Need For Speed: Shift
SingStar: Motown
WET
NHL 10
NHL 2K10
Katamari Forever
Heroes Over Europe
Cross Edge

Microsoft Xbox 360

Need For Speed: Shift
WET
NHL 10
Raven Squad
NHL 2K10
Gears Of War 2: Game Of Year Edition
Fable II Game Of The Year Edition
Heroes Over Europe

PC/Games For Windows

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Resident Evil 5
Need For Speed: Shift
Blood Bowl
Red Faction Fraction: Guerrilla
Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim
Order Of War
Raven Squad
Heroes Over Europe
Cinstellation Professional (Flight Simulator X Add-On)
Supreme Ruler 2020: Gold Edition
Brain College: Lost Cities Of The Amazon
The Humans: Meet The Ancestors!

Nintendo Wii

Forever Blue 2: Beautiful Ocean / Nintendo
House of the Dead: Overkill / Sega
House of the Dead: Overkill (w/ Wii Zapper) / Sega

Nintendo DS/DS Lite/DSi

Crash King V201 / Genterprise
Kintaihi Shounen no Jiken: Kyakusen Eris-Gou no Sangeki / Creative Core
KORG DS-10 Plus / AQ Interactive
KORG DS-10 Plus Limited Edition / AQ Interactive
Motto! Hamster to Rasou: Akachan ga Umare Tayou / Interchannel-Holon
Ookami to Koushinryou: Omiowataru Kaze / ASCII Media Works
Ookami to Koushinryou: Omiowataru Kaze Limited Edition / ASCII Media Works
SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu – Goddess of Destiny / Square Enix
SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu – Goddess of Destiny (SaGa 20th Anniversary Edition) / Square Enix
The Idolm@ster: Dearly Stars / Bandai Namco Games
Bae Yong-joon to Manabu Kankokugo DS / D3 Publsiher
Bae Yong-joon to Manabu Kankokugo DS Limited Edition / D3 Publisher

Sony PlayStation 2

Biohazerd Code: Veronica + Biohazard 4 (Value Pack) / Capcom
Bully: Scholarship Editiion (Best Version) / Bethesda
Canvas 3: Tanshoku no Pastel / GN Software
Canvas 3: Tanshoku no Pastel Limited Edition / GN Software
Hachi-One Driver / SilverStar Japan
Jigoku Shoujo Mioyosuga / Compile
Jigoku Shoujo Mioyosuga Limited Edition / Compile
Zero no Tsukai: Maigo no Period to Ikusen no Symphony (Best Version) / Marvelous Entertainment

Sony PlayStation Portable/PSP

428: Fuusa Sareta Shibuya de / Japan
Amagoushi no Yakata Portable: Ichiyagi Wa, Saisho no Junan / Nippon Ichi Software
Hoshi no Furu Koku Portable / Idea Factory
Ikkitousen: Eloquent Fist (Best Collection) / Marvelous Entertainment
Irregular Hunter X + Rockman Rockman (Value Pack) / Capcom
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Portable 4 / Konami
Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! Battle Arena 2 – Spirits Burst / Marvelous Entertainment
Macross Ace Frontier (PSP the Best) / Bandai Namco Games
Memories Off #5: Encore / 5pb
Memories Off #5: Encore Limited Edition / 5pb
Memories Off: Sorekara Again / 5pb
Memories Off: Sorekara Again Limited Edition / 5pb
Need For Speed: Shift / Electronic Arts
Taikou Risshiden V / Koei
Tantei Jinguuji Saburo: Hai to Diamond / Arc System Works
Ys Seven / Falcom
Ys Seven Limited Edition / Falcom
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds Tag Force 4 / Konami

Sony PlayStation 3

Fuel / Codemasters
Makai Senki Disgaea 3 Append Disc: Raspberyl-hen Hajime Mashita / Nippon Ichi Software
Need For Speed: Shift / Electronic Arts
Tales of Vesperia / Bandai Namco Games
Tears to Tiara Gaiden: Avalon no Nazo / Aqua Plus
Tears to Tiara Gaiden: Avalon no Nazo Limited Edition / Aqua Plus
Terminator: Salvation / Square Enix
WET / Bethesda

Microsoft Xbox 360

WET / Bethesda
Fuel / Codemasters
Left 4 Dead (Platinum Collection) / Electronic Arts
Need For Speed: Shift / Electronic Arts
Terminator: Salvation / Square Enix
Velvet Assassin / UbiSoft

Coming Soon August 30th – September 5th

Gary A Swaby — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:31:40 +0000

This is the listing of games that are due out for the North American, European/PAL, and Japan/Asia territories for the week of Sunday August 30th thru Saturday September 5th of 2009.

Nintendo Wii
Muramasa The Demon Blade / Ignition Entertainment
Cruise Ship Vacation Games / Activision
Guitar Hero 5 / Activision
Guitar Hero 5 Guitar Kit / Activision
Mini Ninjas / EIDOS Interactive

Nintendo DS
Mini Ninjas / EIDOS Interactive

Sony PlayStation 2
Cabela’s Outdoor Adventure / Activision
Guitar Hero 5 / Activision
Guitar Hero 5 Guitar Kit / Activision

Sony PlayStation Portable/PSP
Soul Calibur Broken Destiny / Namco Bandai Games

Sony PlayStation 3
Mini Ninjas / EIDOS Interactive
Cabela’s Outdoor Adventure / Activision
IL 2 Sturmovik Birds of Prey / 505 Games
Guitar Hero 5 / Activision
Guitar Hero 5 Guitar Kit / Activision

Microsoft Xbox 360
Section 8 / SouthPeak Interactive
Gears of War 2 Game of The Year Edition / Microsoft Game Studios & Epic Games
Mini Ninjas / EIDOS Interactive
IL 2 Sturmovik Birds of Prey / 505 Games
Guitar Hero 5 / Activision
Guitar Hero 5 Guitar Kit / Activision
Raiden IV (GameStop is selling an exclusive Limited Edition) / UFO Interactive Games

PC
Mini Ninjas / EIDOS Interactive
Champions Online / Atari Games
Section 8 / SouthPeak Interactive

Nintendo Wii
Metroid Prime Trilogy
Cursed Mountain
Academy of Champions
Cate West The Vanishing Files
Medieval Games
Big League Summer Sports

Nintendo DS
Cate West The Vanishing Files
Happy Party With Hello Kitty & Friends
IL 2 Sturmovik Birds of Prey
Big League Summer Sports
Zorro Quest For Justice

Sony PlayStation 2
N/A

Sony PlayStation Portable/PSP
Dissidia Final Fantasy/Limited Collector’s Edition
G.I. Joe The Rise of Cobra
IL 2 Sturmovik Birds of Prey
Warriors Orochi 2

Sony PlayStation 3
IL 2 Sturmovik Birds of Prey
G.I. Joe The Rise of Cobra
Cross Edge

Microsoft Xbox 360
Section 8
IL 2 Sturmovik Birds of Prey
Guilty Gear 2 Overture

Nintendo Wii
Ousana Monogatari / Marvelous Entertainment
Tebemon / Namco Bandai Games
Top Spin 3 / D3 Publisher

Nintendo DS
Anpanman to Touch de Waku Waku Training (Special Package Edition) / Namco Bandai Games
Love Plus / Konami
Sloane to MacHale no Nazo no Story 2 / Level 5

Sony PlayStation Portable/PSP
Samurai Dou 2 Portable / Spike
Simple 2500 Series Portable!! Vol.12: The Hohei 2: Senyuu yo, Sakini Ike / D3 Publishing
Yamamura Misa Suspense: Kyoto Kuramayama Shou Satsujin Jiken / Marvelous Entertainment

Sony PlayStation 2
SweetHoneyComing / Kadokawa Shoten
SweetHoneyComing DX Pack / Kadokawa Shoten

Sony PlayStation 3
428: Fuusa Serata Shibuya de / Sega
Afrika (PlayStation3 the Best) / Sony Computer Entertainment
Hakuna Matata (PlayStation3 the Best) / Sony Computer Entertainment
LittleBigPlanet (PlayStation 3 the Best) / Sony Computer Entertainment
Mobile Suit Gundam Battlefield Record U.C. 0081 / Namco Bandai Games
Mobile Suit Gundam: Target in Sight (PlayStation3 the Best Reprint) / Namco Bandai Games
Ridge Racer 7 (PlayStation3 the Best Reprint) / Namco Bandai Games
Trusty Bell: Chopin no Yume (PlayStation3 the Best) / Namco Bandai Games
Uncharted: El Dorado no Hihou (PlayStation3 the Best) / Sony Computer Entertainment

Microsoft Xbox 360
Magna Carta 2(Asian version) / Namco Bandai Games

The PlayStation 3 Slim and the Mobile Suit Gundam 30th Anniversary Bundle is due this week in Japan. Don’t forget the Vertical Stand. The only difference in that region’s console is that you’ll be able to watch Region 2 DVD (Famitsu, Sora Aoi, etc), and be able to play Japanese PSone Classics from the Japanese PlayStation Store on the PS3. You can bypass this if you have a PSP. Also you’ll be able to access the Video Store as it is region locked via hardware. So what’s your game? Leave a comment.

Carl Daniel vs… ACTIVISION

Carl Daniel — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:48:53 +0000

Ever since it’s merger with PC giant Blizzard, Activision has quickly become my most hated publisher. It seems as if every other week they do something completely obnoxious that has me scratching my head wondering what the fuck is wrong with them, whether it’s buying out Genius Products solely to hinder the release of Scratch: The Ultimate DJ, or forcing a peripheral on the Tony Hawk series in order to compete with skate, or threatening to cease developing games for Sony platforms unless drop the price of their console, or milking the guitar hero cash cow until the udders have started to produce blood rather than milk, or dropping a number of great titles like Ghostbusters and Blood On The Sand simply because they’re not considered “annualizable”, or suing EA for picking up Brutal Legends after they dropped it, or giving Prototype a release date around the same time-frame as inFamous forcing SuckerPunch to release it earlier, or charging over £100 for DJ Hero and Tony Hawk Ride here in the UK, or… I can go on forever!

Despite their unmatched track record of being a dick, their latest move to rip-off UK consumers takes their arrogance and unfairness to a whole new level. Activision has recently raised the Recommended Retail Price (RRP) of Modern Warfare 2 in the UK to a wallet busting £55 ($90). To put this in to prospective a typical PS3/360 game usually costs £40 ($65) but most can be pre-ordered for around £35 ($57) so Activision charging a £15/£20 premium because they assume gamer are clamoring for it and will likely cough up the extra cash is despicable. Thankfully many retailers are well aware that charging £55 for a regular edition of a game won’t go over too well so they have reduced the pre-order price to (a still high, but more reasonable) £45.

Earlier today I spoke to an employee of Gamestation (the UK’s equivalent of Gamestop) and I was told “[Gamestation] normally sells the regular version of a highly anticipated title like Modern Warfare for £35 to £45 depending on local competition, so I can’t see any way we can justify selling a title that doesn’t come with some sort of peripheral for £55″, when asked if there is any chance Gamestation will sell the game at it’s heavy RRP the employee said “We might have to sell it for at least £50 but if we do, I for one won’t be buying it at launch and I’m sure most people will just wait and pick up a pre-owned copy”.

Some may argue that Modern Warfare 2 will have a lasting appeal of over 2 years just like its predecessors, thus making it worth the £55 asking price, but since when has the price of games been based on their length? When Activision inevitably releases another 4 hour Spyro game will they sell it for £20? No, they will still charge full price for that bitch so why is it they see fit to inexcusably up-sell Modern Warfare 2? Activision you are officially the most greediest, relentless publisher in the world, and for you deserve nothing but failure.

The opinions expressed during “TheKoalition vs…” are solely the opinions of the author and they do not necessarily reflect the thoughts and/or opinions of the entire Koalition staff.

Top Five 2009: Nintendo DS

Carl Daniel — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:20:58 +0000

5) Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (Q3 2009)
Ever wanted to travel inside Bowser (no homo) and get to the bottom (no homo!!) of what he’s really about? well now here’s your chance! Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is the third installment of the critically acclaimed Mario & Luigi RPG series which began life on the GBA and continued on the DS. I’ve admittedly never played a Mario & Luigi game before but as a huge fan of the Paper Mario series I’m really looking forward to popping my cherry here (no ho… argh fuck it).

4) Professor Layton and The Diabolical Box (Q3 2009)
Layton is back and this time it’s personal! or not… I don’t really know. What I do know though is the first game with its neat storyline, beautiful cutscenes and 100’s of mind-bending riddles to solve was excellent and easily managed to sell well over a million copies worldwide. Hopefully this sequel will be just as good (if not better) and goes on the receive similar commercial and critical success.

3) The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Q4 2009)
A Zelda game only reaching #3 on a Top 5 Games list? It seems preposterous I know, but regardless of it’s position Spirit Tracks will undoubtedly be a worthy contender for best handheld game of the year. Not much is known about the games story so far (apart from the fact that Link rides around in a train) but at this point any new game with the word “Zelda” in the title is guaranteed to be a classic.

2) Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (Q4 2009)
Seriously, the Ace Attorney series is my favorite franchise ever. I absolutely loved the first 4 games on the DS so basic logic tells me that I will love this game too!. Unlike the previous games this time around you play as prosecutor Miles Edgeworth rather than a defense attorney, and as the name suggests there will be a heavier focus on investigating rather than questioning suspects in the courtroom. I’m not sure how I feel about the drastic change in direction the series is taking but I have total faith in Capcom to deliver an utterly brilliant experience, I simply can’t wait!.

1) Scribblenauts (Q4 2009)
If you haven’t heard about this game yet, where the fuck have you been? Scribblenauts is an action/puzzle game where you collect stars by writing the name of just about any object you can think of for assistance, so if the star is on top of a tree you could write the word LADDER and a ladder will appear in the game world allowing you to climb up it and reach the star, or you could write the words AXE and LUMBERJACK and have the Lumberjack pick up the Axe and chop the tree down. Or you could call upon a Trampoline to bounce to the star, or a Flame Thrower to set the tree on fire, or Dynamite Stick to blow the whole damn thing up, or 1000’s of other objects that may potentially help you reach the star. Still not sold? Check out this video walkthrough to have your mind officially BLOWN!

Bonus Round: Nintendo E3 Predictions

Edward V — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:31:27 +0000

This is the final E3 Bonus Round episode and they saved the best for last. This time all eyes are on Nintendo. Last year, Nintendo failed to please hardcore gamers and didn’t really live up to the casual expectations either (Wii Music was a flop.) Nintendo will have their press conference on Tuesday, but we really don’t know a thing. The Bonus Round crew predicts on what to expect this Tuesday. New Zelda? New Mario? New Peripheral? Check out the show below:

[GameTrailers]

Top 5 Games Nintendo Should Reveal At E3

Carl Daniel — Sat, 30 May 2009 19:24:45 +0000

All eyes will be on Nintendo on Tuesday morning as they host their E3 2009 Media Briefing, and after disappointing fans for 2 years in a row by appealing to casual consumers Nintendo has admitted defeat and has promised to spend more time focusing on us, who they commonly refer to as”core gamers”. But what should Nintendo show during their conference? I could spend the whole day listing off titles and franchises that they should revisit but the sake our readers sanity here are my top 5 (in no particular order);

5) New Zelda (Wii)

There is currently a lot of speculation regarding Ninty showing off a new Zelda for the Wii at E3, I’m hoping that they will return to the stylized visuals akin of Wind Waker rather than going for realism.

4) Mario Power Tennis 2 (Wii)

Now is the time! Tennis on Wii Sports was a bonified system seller, so imagine replacing horrible looking Mii’s with Mario characters and giving the controls an overhaul with the magic of Wii Motion Plus… Instant Genius!

3) New Super Mario Bros. 2 (DS)

Please god please! Nothing much needs to be said here, you already have the engine Nintendo so just make the damn thing!

2) Paper Mario RPG (Wii)

2007’s Super Paper Mario was absolutely brilliant, but sadly it wasn’t as compelling as the Gamecube game, When the Gamecube adaptation Paper Mario was released I literally spent 23 hours straight playing it, if they doesn’t prove greatness (or possibly madness on my behalf) then I don’t know what does.

1) Donkey Kong Country 4 (Wii)

Donkey Kong is a gaming icon and Nintendo’s oldest remaining character, so why hasn’t he starred in a great game since the original Donkey Kong Country released 15 years ago?. Nintendo needs to step up and bring the gorilla back and what better way to do it than Donkey Kong Country 4? No stupid bongos, no flying jet barrels, just platforming perfection like they did it back in the day.

all box arts courtesy of vgboxart.com

Zelda: Spirit Tracks Being Dumbed Down?

Carl Daniel — Fri, 08 May 2009 10:02:26 +0000

When Nintendo announced The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the DS a few weeks ago at GDC, most fans were secretly disappointed that Link would be returning to the DS and not the Wii. For the fans who we’re disappointed though Nintendo has revealed a bit of news that will surely have you feeling as low as the rest of us. According to the folks over at Kotaku, Nintendo has said that the latest Zelda adventure will “appeal to a wider age group of people, and will launch in the latter half of the year.” Fantastic! hopefully Thomas The Tank Engine will make a guest appearance and the game will be so accessible that it will practically play itself. Well Done Nintendo.