Wii
Wii MotionPlus brings 1:1 motion to the Wii, claims Nintendo
Nintendo has begun teasing some of the topics they'll be talking about Tuesday morning at their E3 2008 keynote press conference, starting with a new peripheral that claims to bring 1:1 motion control to the Wii. So far only mentioned as a "MotionPlus" accessory, details about how the device looks, how expensive it will be, or what is really possible with it will likely be shown tomorrow.
It would be great if Nintendo would provide the peripheral for free to all current users, like they did with the Remote Jackets, but it's more likely it will come bundled with a new game (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed maybe?) like the Wii Wheel. 1:1 motion control, where the exact orientation of the Wii Remote can be detected, was mentioned as a missing feature when the Wii was released, but most of the noise has died down in the midst of the millions of units sold. Either a new game needed it to provide the desired experience, or Nintendo saw an opportunity to improve gameplay even more.
Full mini-press release after the jump.
Nintendo announces Wario, Kirby as part of their fall 2008 lineup
Nintendo jumped the gun on the E3 announcements by releasing a little info on some upcoming titles for the Wii and DS. Instead of being lost in the shuffle of E3 2008, they are telling us about their new Wario and Kirby games, along with the previously announced Super Sluggers and a new Mystery Case Files game.
The full press release is available after the jump.
Combo Review: Bomberman Land Wii vs. Bomberman Land Touch! 2
When a game publisher has a popular franchise, they will often coordinate the release of the next installment across multiple platforms. Such is the case with Bomberman Land, which recently saw the release of games for the Wii, DS, and PSP. The games are meant to follow similar story lines, but the controls and game mechanics can be very different. After spending time with both the Wii and DS versions of Bomberman Land, one clearly stood out as more fun, and less frustrating. Even though they both are a collection of mini-games, and both retail for $29.99, one of them is clearly the wiser investment. Want to know which one? Click the "read more" link below for the full review.
Review: Super Mario Galaxy brings whimsy back
Super Mario Galaxy was touted as the "spiritual successor" to Super Mario 64, referring to the style of gameplay, and variety found in the level design. After just a few minutes of playing, it's easy to see why the claim was made. With an expansive 3D world - not limited to a track, court, or playing field - and a non-linear level progression, the experience can be as unique as desired. With the game being under development for many years, everyone is expecting it to be good. But how well does it really do? Click "read more" below to read the full review.
Sony may have a multi-colored console in U.S. before Nintendo
You've always been able to get a PLAYSTATION 3 in any color you'd like in the United States, as long as that color is black. It appears that soon there will be an option for consumers to purchase a PS3 in white as well. With white being the "new black" of consumer electronics, Sony has been a bit behind by only offering their premiere console in the color of empty space, except in Japan where a white model is already offered. Usually Nintendo is the king of releasing the same device in multiple colors, but with their latest console, they are still only producing a single variant. The tip off that Sony might be releasing a new color came from a recent FCC filing, in which pictures clearly show a console that is not available in stores.
The photos submitted showcase a very sleek looking white system from a variety of angles. As is typical for the 40GB model, it appears it only has two USB ports in front, and no memory card readers.
Still just a rumor, it would be nice for Sony to finally offer colors in North America that they've showcased since announcing the PS3, including the picture leading this article, which is from E3 2006. Now if only Nintendo would do the same.
FCC filing for PS3 updated with white model [PS3 Fanboy]
EXTRA EXTRA! Nintendo tells fans to scram until March!
DATELINE Internet -- A big black blizzard blew through the computer juice joint today when Nintendo of the United States of America formally called out that their next big thing, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, was being delayed by another month. Nintendo's being a real flat tire about the whole thing, only giving up the following bit on the old magic newstand.
Due to delays in the completion of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we’ve had to change the release date of the game to Sunday, March 9th.
I deeply apologize to the people who have looked forward to playing the game for so long and ask that you hold on just a little longer. Thank you for your patience.
The upcoming electraniacal version of fisticuffs for the Wii has been delayed twice prior to today's caper, and a lot of people have a beef with Nintendo about it. They consider this baloney, and wonder if the people behind it are canned, corked, zozzled, or just plain splifflicated. Whatever the bull, every Tom, Dick, Harry, and Jane that was expecting this next month will have to wait to see what the Big Cheeses at Nintendo do next.
Wii gets streamable preview videos for Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Nintendo is calling August the "Month of Metroid" to promote the upcoming Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, being released on August 27th. A new channel has been made available in the Wii Shop, promising the ability to watch videos, but they are not downloaded to the system. Instead, a small player interface is downloaded that provides a Metroid-themed interface to watch videos and look at some artwork. The videos appear to be streamed, as there were occasional hiccups in the video. The compression is light, without the plague of blocks and smudges that appear on most online video services. Two videos are available to watch now, with two more being available on August 13th.
Nintendo is demonstrating the ability to have preview videos available for everyone on their system, and hopefully a similar service will be implemented for previews of Virtual Console titles. Currently in the Wii Shop channel you are told to go to Wii.com to watch preview videos, but today's release shows that this process isn't absolutely necessary.
Nintendo is slowly expanding their online presence. With the obvious lack of playable demos, they are still behind the other major players, but hopefully Nintendo is just remaining quiet on the issue, and not ignoring it altogether.
