Sakurai: 'Another Smash Bros? I'd have to give it some serious thought'

During a recent interview with ONM, Masahiro Sakurai talked about his latest game, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, among other things. What might be of most interest to us all is that he's apparently willing to work on another Smash Bros. game."It's interesting, because after every Smash Bros. game I've made, I've always felt at that time that I've left nothing out," he says. "However, I also understand that there are millions of fans out there who love the series so if Mr Iwata came to me in a few years time and asked me to make another one, I'd have to give it some serious thought." A few years? You're kidding! We want another game now. And can we get less things cut out of the game this time around, please?

Nintendo Voice Chat, Episode 16

Welcome to the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast. Each week your IGN Nintendo Team – made up of Matt Casamassina, Mark Bozon, Craig Harris, and Daemon Hatfield, – get together to talk about all things Nintendo. Covering both Wii and DS, the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast is the only place you'll find reliable voice support and "Nintendo" in the same area, so be sure to tune in each week, and listen in. This week's topics include: E3 2008. 'nuff said.

Breaking news: Wii Zapper pack-in will be Zelda Crossbow Training

If you're a manager for a GameStop store, at this moment you're in Vegas, enjoying all the vendors pitching their games to you. A source at the show tells Opposable Thumbs that after Nintendo's speech, the managers were given a world-exclusive first look at the pack-in game for the Wii Zapper. Are you ready? Zelda Crossbow Training.

"The game looked beautiful," my source said. "I'm pretty sure it was running on the Twilight Princess engine. It's a third-person game, and you had some control over Link. While the video was way too short to get a good idea of the gameplay, it looks like a light-gun inspired Zelda title." (He says that as if we'd know what a light gun-inspired Zelda title would look like.)

This is huge news, and it should sell a bunch of Wii Zappers. Zelda Crossbow Training will come packaged with the Wii Zapper hardware for $20. No specific release date was given.

Worms going to space on Wii

We're really interested in the newly announced Worms: A Space Oddity that THQ is bringing to the Wii in spring of 2008, and it's not just because the Wiimote is a perfect fit for the turn-based action game. No, we're more curious about how, exactly, one goes about making Worms into a console game again after its release in its $10 downloadable Xbox Live Arcade form.

Wii will have four-player online play, but XBLA already has that. There's also apparently a "fresh visual style," you'll have to ask Worms 3D how that worked out. Don't get us wrong, we love Worms, we're just curious how they'll make it seem like a full-priced game again. If they pull it off, we'll be the first in line.

McFarlane Toys answers Call of Duty

Last week, McFarlane Toys revealed its plans to produce action figures based on Activision's hit Guitar Hero franchise.
Now another of the publisher's biggest gaming properties is making the
jump to the tangible world, as the toy maker today confirmed a line of
four action figures based on the upcoming Call of Duty: World at War.

The line features three Marines and one British Special Ops soldier.
Each 6-inch trooper features "game-accurate" sculpting and carries a
distinctive weapon, from an M2-2 flamethrower to a Mark II Sten gun.

The
line marks an intersection of two McFarlane specialties. The company
has produced game-based toys for Soulcalibur II, Halo 3, Metal Gear
Solid 2, Onimusha 2, and Ultima Online in the past, and it also has an
ongoing military line that focuses on modern-day US troops from all
armed forces branches.

Each Call of Duty: World at War figure will sell for around $10-$15. McFarlane Toys expects to launch the line this November.

---

Showdown in Japan: Wii still on top, PlayStation 3 catching up

Despite a huge 700% boost in sales last month thanks to the success of platform exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, the PlayStation 3 still wasn't able to catch up to Wii sales in Japan.

For the month of June, the Wii is still far and away the clear winner, selling 235,990 units while the PlayStation 3 sold 139,494 units.

It is of note, as Enterbrain points out, that the Wii only outsold the PlayStation 3 by 1.7-to-1, whereas in May, it had a lead of 6-to-1. Is the PlayStation 3 finally catching up? Or were sales only given a temporary boost courtesy of Solid Snake?

This is only in Japan, mind you. In the rest of the world, the PlayStation 3 still has a lot of ground to cover. By the end of march, there have been 12.85 million PS3 consoles sold worldwide - half the amount of Wiis sold at the time.
Technorati Tags: Japan, Solid Snake, Enterbrain

Pimp my Pong - rumbling paddle fun with Wii remote

Thanks to a code that Captain_Hero sifted from the early Wiimote
Demo source, the homebrew developer grafted rumble feedback plus Wii
remote control to an old arcade classic. What resulted became Pimp my
Pong, and it was named so, because coder Captain_Hero hopes to add
interesting features that could only be Wii-inspired or simply all out
fun.

Rumble feedback kicks in every time the ball bounces off a
paddle, and tumble will also nudge in when a ball is lost. The author
says that Wiimote cursor control has been added to the left bar, so
players will have to prime their senses for incoming balls from the
right.

We also noticed that coder PaRaDoX has a feature-filled Pong
game in the works, and that the other homebrew game will feature online
multiplayer on its next release. We'll keep an eye out for that, but
right now, you can simply install this game in your HBC SD card, and
give it a go.

Wii leaves India alone and in the dark

While most readers of Wii Fanboy don't have to face this kind of problem, there are many nations throughout the world that force gamers to resort to the gray market to pick up their system of choice. Take India, for example, the second most populated country in the world.

Sony and Microsoft have distributors in the country, but the Wii doesn't. However, that may change soon enough, after Milestone Interactive tests out the market for Wii software. We're not entirely confident in Milestone's approach, though. For one, it hardly seems smart to base results on game sales when the console itself hasn't even officially released yet. On the other hand, since that's just how things are in India (and they're not likely to change anytime soon), we can understand Milestone's rush to get the ball rolling.

Here comes the other, less excusable problem: the game Milestone chose to distribute is Alone in the Dark Wii. Not even critics are playing the Wii version of Alone in the Dark, so is it fair to assess the Wii's chances based on Atari's survival horror title? Also, because Indian gamers import their Wiis, we wonder if the region of the disc will have any effect on sales.

At least this is a step in the right direction, but now that supply for the Wii is starting to meet demand globally, we hope Nintendo branches out into some of the areas it currently neglects.

New Active Life screens leap, skip, and kayak our way

We found little in the latest batch of Active Life: Outdoor Challenge
screens that was new to us, though they are the first English language
shots (not that the game was packed with mountains of kanji in the
first place). It's the usual mix of runaway minecarts, kayaking, and
jumping over logs -- increasingly, this is looking less like an
exercise game (and thus a competitor to Wii Fit) and more like a light-hearted selection of minigames bundled with a potentially fun peripheral; we could never imagine Active Life: Outdoor Challenge calling us fat, for example.

Why every guy should buy their girlfriend Wii Fit.

Nintendo Power's Sword in the Preview

As it's been known to do, Nintendo Power wrapped up its latest issue promising a new unannounced title for next month's cover. Given the exclusive reveals the magazine has featured lately, such as Mega Man 9 for WiiWare and the Castlevania Judgment 3D fighter, both arguably megatons, it's hard not to expect another huge surprise!

Nintendo Power's preview page for the next issue brandishes the above image and a quick prank on Earthbound fans (as if they needed more teasing): "We'll kick off the next 20 years of Nintendo Power with more big reveals, including a top-secret cover story fit for a king. It's got a lot of heart. Just kidding. It's Mother 3. Just kidding. Please look forward to it."

What could it be? A sequel to Square's lackluster King's Knight? Even better, perhaps a remake of Capcom's Knights of the Round? What are your gueses?

Rumor: 'Not final' box totally gives away Samba maracas

"Not Final Packaging." Yeah. Sure. Whatever, Sega.

We've always believed that the Wii version of Samba de Amigo would be lacking without a maraca peripheral of some description, and it appears we're not alone: Sega itself has already hinted (warning: prepare your retinas before hitting that link) that it was looking into the situation, and now this box has appeared on the site of UK retailer HMV.

Because we're pros, we're going to label this as "rumor" until Sega removes that unnecessary disclaimer. But let's be honest: if you seriously believe some art dude wasted his time randomly designing a bigger-than-usual box with fictional maracas on the front, you probably believe that the Komodo dragon lays its eggs in November. In other words, you'd be a gullible idiot.

Dojo update: Wait, what?

We buried our friend, the Smash Bros. Brawl Dojo, many months ago. Then, like a zombie, the beast rose from its grave to honor today's European Brawl release.

Aside from an apology (and the promise that you can play Brawl in five different languages), the Dojo doesn't offer much in terms of words. Yet, it does feature a snapshot gallery with some super silly Brawl images worth looking at. "Snapshots Galore" has been around the Dojo two times before, but since we happened to be around those parts today anyway, we decided to put the most recent ones in a gallery for your viewing pleasure (below).

We're really proud of what the Smash Bros. community has done, regarding these snapshots (which are filled with ridiculousness, awesomeness, and "huh?") and other creations, too. Now it's your turn to take the Brawl torch, Europe. Let's see what types of goodies you can come up with.

Friday Video: Super Glitch Bros. Brawl

Sure, last week we highlighted Smash Bros. Brawl, but we felt the need to do it again. The above video, which is a collection of glitches and tricks you can pull off in Brawl, was too much to pass up. So, give it a watch, as it features a very cheap Sonic, a pair of Luigis pulling off ridiculous combos mid-air and Bowser being trapped in a very small space.

Arc Rise Fantasia plays a role on the Wii

If you've played Luminous Arc on the DS (pictured), you probably have an idea of what an under-hyped little gem it was. While we might not have enjoyed it as much as a few other SRPGs, the point is, we did enjoy it. Now, some of the team behind that series are bringing their talents to the Wii.

Called Arc Rising Fantasia (no relation), both Image Epoch and Marvelous will be involved with the title. It's an RPG that involves a three-character party, all of whom share the same action gauge. Balancing your AP among your party, therefore, is part of the challenge. Other than that, the lastest issue of Famitsu didn't reveal too many juicy details. We're always thirsting for more RPG blood, though, so we feel this game will be a welcome addition to the Wii's lineup.

Another Week in Europe

Having watched the in-the-flesh Harrison Ford creak and grimace his way through Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on the big screen, this week European consumers got a chance to give the LEGO version a leg-up to the top of the charts.
And mostly, that's just what they did. The Wii edition of LEGO Indiana Jones: Original Adventures showed Grand Theft Auto IV who was boss in the UK by nabbing top spot, and versions for other consoles charted well elsewhere on the continent. It's no surprise that LEGO Indy did so well in Blighty -- we still recall the whole country tripping over itself in the rush to pick up the LEGO Star Wars games. Evidently, the titles have that oft-discussed crossover appeal that most marketing types would slaughter their entire families for.

On a sadder note, Mario Kart Wii bowed out of the Dutch and UK top tens, Deca Sports Sports Island only reached 15th in Britain, and Wii Fit is keeping up its disappearing act ... everywhere but Germany. So much for your empty, empty promises, Nintendo! Oh, and the Spanish charts failed to materialize this week, probably because they're all busy gawking at the footy.

Check out what Europe is buying past the break, and don't forget to join us next week, when we'll be sulking about how nobody bought Okami.


United Kingdom (Week 23, 2008)

01. (__) LEGO Indiana Jones: Original Adventures (Wii)
02. (__) LEGO Indiana Jones: Original Adventures (360)
03. (03) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)
04. (02) Wii Play (Wii)
05. (__) LEGO Indiana Jones: Original Adventures (PS2)
06. (01) Grand Theft Auto IV (360)
07. (__) Ninja Gaiden II (360)
08. (__) LEGO Indiana Jones: Original Adventures (PS3)
09. (05) Race Driver: GRID (360)
10. (04) Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)

Ireland (Week 23, 2008)

01 (01) Grand Theft Auto IV (360, PS3)
02 (__) LEGO Indiana Jones: Original Adventures (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, PSP, NDS)
03 (02) Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games (Wii, NDS)
04 (06) Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (NDS)
05 (03) Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
06 (__) Ninja Gaiden II (360)
07 (14) Race Driver: GRID (360, PS3, PC, NDS)
08 (05) Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, PSP, NDS)
09 (09) FIFA 08 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, PSP, NDS)
10 (04) Wii Play (Wii)

Netherlands (Week 23, 2008)

01. (01) Grand Theft Auto IV (360)
02. (02) Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
03. (__) Race Driver: GRID (PS3)
04. (__) Race Driver: GRID (360)
05. (05) Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training (NDS)
06. (__) Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit (360)
07. (__) Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit (PS3)
08. (06) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)
09. (07) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
10. (08) Mario Kart DS (NDS)

Germany (Week 23, 2008)

01. (02) Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
02. (01) Wii Fit (Wii)
03. (03) Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
04. (__) LEGO Indiana Jones: Original Adventures (PS2)
05. (06) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (NDS)
06. (04) Grand Theft Auto IV (360)
07. (05) Race Driver: GRID (PS3)
08. (09) Mario Kart DS (NDS)
09. (07) Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training (NDS)
10. (10) More Brain Training from Dr. Kawashima (NDS)

Sweden (Week 23, 2008)

01. (__) LEGO Indiana Jones: Original Adventures (PS2)
02. (__) Mass Effect (PC)
03. (__) Ninja Gaiden II (360)
04. (02) Grand Theft Auto IV (360)
05. (03) Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
06. (04) Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
07. (05) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS2)
08. (01) Age Of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (PC)
09. (07) FIFA 08 (PS2)
10. (__) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii)

Denmark (Week 23, 2008)

01. (01) Grand Theft Auto IV (360, PS3)
02. (__) LEGO Indiana Jones: Original Adventures (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, PSP, NDS)
03. (03) FIFA 08 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, PSP, NDS)
04. (04) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC)
05. (07) UEFA Euro 2008 (360, PS3, PS2, PC, PSP)
06. (06) SingStar Summer Party (PS2)
07. (18) Race Driver: GRID (360, PS3, PC, NDS)
08. (__) Need for Speed ProStreet (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, PSP, NDS, Mobile)
09. (__) Mass Effect (360, PC)
10. (16) Counter-Strike: Source (PC)

Hacker makes Wii-friendly NES, SNES, N64 controllers

The RetroUSB NES/SNES controller adapters enable gamers to easily attain a more genuine Virtual Console experience through the ability to use original controllers. Some hackers have gone even further, building custom circuitry into old equipment. Custom Nintendo themselves have contributed the Super Famicom Classic Controller to the cause of authentic retrogaming.

Raphnet's projects include not only adapters and fully-modded SNES and NES controllers, but also N64 solutions. Raphaël Assénat has documented the process of hacking custom controllers with custom circuit boards to allow them to work as Gamecube Controllers, and also sells adapters that let you plug N64 controllers directly into the Wii. People seem to like that controller for some reason.

Mega Man 9?

We'd have a hard time thinking of a more exciting title to see listed in a ratings board database than Mega Man 9. There hasn't been a new game in the real Mega Man series since 1999's Rockman & Forte: Challenger to the Future on the WonderSwan -- which we never got (its prequel, Megaman & Bass, was released on the Game Boy Advance in the U.S in 2003). There hasn't been a numbered Mega Man game starring the iconic Astro Boy ripoff since 1997's Mega Man 8. The spinoffs are okay, but they're not Mega Man.

Suffice it to say, then, that this Mega Man 9 (which is listed as "multiplatform," though that's the OFLC's catchall) is probably awesomely huge news. Unless it's a port of Megaman & Bass, in which case it's ... still pretty neat.

Wii Warm Up: Channel surfing

Depending on what you download, you might have quite a few channels on your Wii. Aside from the Disc, Mii, Wii Shop, Photo, Weather, and News channels (which can't be deleted), you might also have the Nintendo, Check Mii Out, and Everybody Votes channels hanging around on your menus.

Then, there's the Internet Channel, not to mention whatever VC or WiiWare titles you've downloaded. Some games even have their own channels, like Mario Kart and Wii Fit. Then, it's possible you have some unofficial ones lying around, too.

How many channels do you have on your Wii? Which ones do you utilize the most, and which do you utilize the least? Are there any channels you wish to see from Nintendo in the future?

Pyroblazer lights a fire in the future

The trouble with first impressions? You only get to make one. They good news for Candella? They managed to put together a pretty fancy show, and Pyroblazer looks like an interesting uber-fast racer for the Wii.

In actual fact, the speed of the game seems to be the only disappointing feature so far. You can't come to a Nintendo system, peddle your futuristic racer, then expect uproarious support when it isn't up to our existing standards of speed. Fair enough, this is only the first trailer, so we'll wait until we're cruising through New Aperion before complaining that the game might have been designed by senior "safe" drivers.

Along with the trailer, several screens are available at WiiHD. The catch? There's a PC version in the works, and apparently the media is drawn from that. The graphics are good, but surely nothing the Wii can't handle, right? Guarded optimisn, thy name is Pyroblazer.

Friday Video: Taking some short cuts in Mario Kart Wii

This week, in our Friday Video feature, we figured we'd check out some Mario Kart Wii shortcuts, since you all seemed to enjoy the video that helped you tackle Grumble Volcano. So, in the video above, short cuts are shown for five stages in the game. We hope this helps you become a more effective Mario Karter.

Somebody has to give the folks at Game Night some competition!

Gallery: Mario Kart Wii

Remember Mario? He's back -- in button form!

What are these perfect for? Making a fabric-based stop-motion Mario animation, that's what. This latest batch of buttons from Etsy craftsman Spooon features easily movable characters and items, each faithfully recreated from original NES sprites. Why, nab a set of these handy control buttons, and you'll have hours of fun manually moving our plucky hero through all kinds of pinning adventures.

Better yet, Spooon also whipped up a bunch of magnets featuring Space Invaders and Pac-man characters, so there's no real need to ever leave your kitchen. Sit by the fridge and enjoy! The sets are available in button ($8) or magnet ($10) form, so the choice of creating a retro fridge or bag is entirely up to you. The store is open for business, so take a crafty trip down nostalgia street.

technabob

Nintendo supports Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2008

Nintendo UK, along with the Edinburgh Interactive Festival, are teaming up to offer patrons of this year's show a chance to try out some Nintendo products. The show itself is a 3-day event, which is held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, and will be conducted between Sunday, August 10th and Tuesday, August 12th of this year. We have no idea exactly what Nintendo will have available on the show floor, but you can bet the Wii will be there.

David Yarnton, Nintendo UK boss, said Nintendo is "very proud to continue our support of EIF for the third year running. Edinburgh Interactive Festival raises our industry's profile into the wider cultural arena and celebrates the input, talent and creativity from all with a common interest in video games." EIFChairman Chris Deering also chimed in, commenting that "Nintendo's support of Interactive Festival in Edinburgh is great news and demonstrates an understanding of the importance of a cultural games event within the landscape of the world's biggest cultural Festival. Games and EIF have been embraced this year by Scotland PLC like no other year and the support of Nintendo is an important factor in encouraging these respected organisations' commitment to us." So, you Edinburghians are in luck, yet again!

Having never been to the UK, we honestly don't know what to expect from these shows. Sure, the official website provides some insight, but we'd much rather hear from folks who've attended. So, have you been to EIF in the past?

Chess Crusade campaigns its cuteness

Since free versions of digital chess are easy to come by, it's hard for gamers to justify purchasing titles that feature the classic board game -- we're sure this is one of the many reasons that Nintendo's Wii Chess bombed. In order to compel buyers, chess needs to bring something different to its virtual table.

The developers behind Chess Crusade seem to have gotten the message, as the game looks positively adorable. The cutesy medieval chess pieces serve to soften our embittered hearts, and add an interesting, colorful take to an often bland-looking game. What's even better is that the chess pieces actually attack each other on the board, à la Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

The title does fall a little short when it comes to multiplayer, though. While you can either play against the computer or against a friend locally, Chess Crusade has no WFC options. In chess, your opponent is such a vital aspect to your enjoyment of the game, so we're not sure if this is a sound decision. Perhaps it would have been better off as a cheaper, WiiWare release.

Yet, if online play isn't an issue for you, Chess Crusade is coming to North America in two weeks for the budget price of $19.99. There will also be a DS version available for $5 less.

Guess who's in Mario Super Sluggers

Sports nuts and Nintendo fans alike are probably anticipating the release of Mario Super Sluggers, which hits the streets of Japan on the 19th of this month. Mario won't be the only one slugging, though. You can expect his usual posse of Luigi, Bowser, Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Wario to join in on the fun.

Yet, you might be wondering who else is coming to play ball. Thanks to some tiny screens from the game's exposition mode (as well as perusing our gallery and other media), we can get an idea of a few playable characters. Unfortunately, the screens are so small that it's difficult to make out everyone.

For the spoiler sensitive types, we've posted the pictures and dropped some names after the break.

HAWX takes to the skies

Rumors have hit the web that Tom Clancy's HAWX might be coming to the Wii, after the game was announced for the 360 and PS3 not too long ago. It's a high-speed flight combat simulator, a platform for military heroes to strut their stuff, and hopefully a graphical showcase for some serious dogfighting action.There hasn't been any official announcement or media for the Wii version as yet, but several online retailers along with IGN have updated their listings to specifically include HAWX. Ubisoft is holding out on details for now, but the tentative release date of September 16 shouldn't be too far off the mark. Check out the official website to get all excited and stuff. Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer won't be involved. Phew.

GoNintendo

Tenchu 4 screens: Stealth and miniskirts

While this outfit is nowhere near as scandalous as what Tecmo's female ninjas have been wearing, we still have to question the appropriateness of Ayame's Tenchu 4 garb. Being a ninja is hard work, what with all the hiding, flipping, and killing people. Is it really in your best interest to show up for your ninja job in a miniskirt?

If you've an interest in ninja legs -- or if you just like seeing ninjas sneak behind stuff -- prowl past the post break for some stealthy Tenchu 4 screenshots.

Read - Famitsu's Tenchu 4 screenshots

Read - GPara's Tenchu 4 screenshots

Joystiq cashes in with Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

Despite our severe dislike for all things Aerosmith, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is still very much a Guitar Hero game. And that is entirely okay with us.

Joystiq recently got their hands on the game, taking care to inform us all of the tracks that were available to play (there were actually a bunch of tracks ready to play). If you’re anxious to hear how their rocking went, then head on over and give it a read.

:besttoys.myokhost.com

My Life in the Everyone’s Kingdom website

My Life as a King fan, are you? Then you’ll be happy to know that Square Enix created a love-fest site for the game, in which you take a break from being the king and become the adventurer instead.

When you first enter the site (assuming you’ve logged into your Square Enix Member’s account), you’ll be greeted by a quiz that will determine your job (this blogger sadly conjured up the lamest of the lame jobs, the white mage). Once you have a job and a house, you can dally around the town.

Different places in the virtual kingdom let you do various things. At the castle, you can write questions, comments, or thoughts about the game to its developers. Throughout the town you can also check out the bulletin to see the “king’s behests,” download some goodies (like screen savers), see other members’ “houses,” and other random stuff.

The website is a nice idea for fan service, but to be honest, there’s no reason to spend more than five minutes there at the moment. Hopefully Square Enix will add some more neat things to it soon.

: besttoys.myokhost.com

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Rockathonapalooza

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Rockathonapalooza Description:

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Rockathonapalooza, sees the classic cartoon creatures Alvin, Simon, & Theodore return on their latest mission.
Coinciding with the new Alvin and The Chipmunks movie release, the game takes the quirky characters to a battle of the bands competition, in search of a win!
Perform in each of the video game's musical levels including school dances and forest arenas, and finally, take on the competition at Rockathonapalooza!
Players are challenged to keep in rhythm with the music, rockin’ away to funky tunes, in order to get to the top.

Wii Fit gets people on their feet (to wait in line to play Wii Fit)

Nintendo's Wii Fit launch event in Central Park drew a crowd of interested onlookers and Balance Board tryer-outers yesterday. They could just walk over to the Nintendo World Store to buy the thing, but the rest of us chumps have to wait until tomorrow at the earliest. Oh, well, pacing is exercise too.

To entice the crowd to make that purchase, Nintendo offered live demonstrations of the game as well as personal Wii Fit sessions with trainers (who probably trained people to take their shoes off and follow the instructions on the screen). The event also served as an American Heart Association fundraiser. We've got Nintendo's own pictures in our gallery below; for more, check out Engadget.

Put on your dancing shoes: Amazon Gold Box deals for rhythm games

In just a few hours, Amazon will begin another day filled with Gold Box deals on video games, this time for "rhythm/music" titles. The sale event follows a familiar format: one Deal-of-the-Day bargain posted at 12:01 AM PST, then four Lightning Deals trickled out at 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 6:00 PM PST, each one available for only four hours or while stocks last. So, which Wii rhythm games are you expecting? There's a decent-sized list of possibilities, but, uh, not many of them would be considered "decent" themselves:

• Alvin and the Chipmunks


• Battle of the Bands


• Boogie


• Dancing with the Stars


• DDR Hottest Party


• Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock


• High School Musical

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore Looking at that pitiful selection, we're actually hoping that most of the bargains will be for music-based games on other platforms ...

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Description:
Marking the historic first time these two renowned stars have appeared together in a game, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games has players competing in events that take place in environments based on the official venues of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Using a supporting cast of characters from the amazing worlds of both Mario and Sonic, gamers will be able to compete as or against a range of lovable personalities including Mario, Sonic, Luigi, Knuckles, Yoshi, Tails and more. Innovative usage of the Wii control systems to maneuver a favourite character will allow players to race the likes of Mario and Sonic down the 100m track, engage in exhilarating rallies in table tennis and churn water in a swimming heat, all while competing for the much sought after gold medal.

Confirmed Sporting Events
Judo
Swimming
Table Tennis
Track & field
Long Jump
Fencing

Confirmed Playable Characters:
Mario
Sonic
Luigi
Tails
Yoshi
Knuckles
Peach
Eggman
Bowser
Cream

: mywii.com.au

WiiWare Out Now In Australia

Check your Wii's today ladies and gentlemen as you'll find Nintendo new games download service has gone live.
Australia Gamers now have access to:
Dr. Mario & Germ Buster - 1000 Points
Toki Tori - 900 Points
Star Soldier R - 800 Points
LostWinds - 1000 Points
TV Show King - 1000 Points
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King - 1500 Points

At Least Someone Likes the Idea of a Nintendo MMO

So it's Friday night, you're surrounded by junk food wrappers and cans of V, ready to raid the orcish camp with your level 70 raid team. And then it dawns on you, you have moved for two days. So what do you do?

You move from the computer to your Wii and play the Nintendo MMO... or at least that's what Paul Barnett of EA Mythic is hedging his bets on.

"I think probably the best chance of someone doing [the first successful console MMO] is Nintendo." said Barnett while talking to CVG. Though if you recall, Iwata shot the idea down back in February when talking about Pokemon and Animal Crossing, saying that MMO's still require a fair amount of technical understanding to really get involved in. So he wants to make a casual MMO? How's that going to destroy social lives?!

Though the other obstacle that Barnett mentioned is of course the life ending World of Warcraft, which currently dominates the industry with nothing else coming close to it's success. "It's very hard [...] when almost everyone has only ever played one of these games and it dominates their thinking."

While it's still going to be a while before Nintendo jumps into the MMO game, at least someone out there is supporting the idea. Aside from all the Wii owners who would jump on a Metroid Prime MMO.

Mario Kart Wii

Game Overview

Compete in Mario Kart Wii tournaments

5/08 - 1st Tournament

The first tournament has begun. Race other vehicles for the fastest time! You can repeat this challenge as many times as you'd like! This tournament ends 5/9.

The worldwide race is on with a whole new set of tricks, tracks, and ways to play! Place first in Grand Prix circuits or clear skill-based missions.

• Wii Wheel: Transform your Wii Remote in to a steering wheel that feels natural in anyone's hands.
• Worldwide Racing: Play with up to three friends locally or challenge up to 11 friends via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in the biggest Mario Kart race yet! All tracks and modes of play are available for online races.
• Mario Kart Channel: Visit the Mario Kart Channel on your Wii Menu to check regional and worldwide stats, friend rankings, download ghost data, participate in worldwide Time Trial events, and more!
• New Wheels and Courses: cruise brand-new tracks and arenas, or enjoy a blast from the past going fender-to-fender on one of the classics. Tired of riding on four wheels? Bust out one of the all-new motorbikes for special tricks and techniques.

Drawing on circuits and battle arenas from every game in the series—not to mention tons of brand-new ones—the true king of the Mushroom Kingdom racing circuits will finally be crowned! Time to get turnin' and burnin'!

Mario Kart Wii Driving School Tour!

The Drivers Education Tour is racing to a city near you! Learn more by visiting Mario Kart Wii's official website.

Locations

Apr 4-6 San Diego

Apr 11-13 Las Vegas

Apr 18-20 Denver

Apr 24 Dallas

Apr 26-27 Houston

May 2-4 Chicago

May 8 Washington DC

May 10-11 Philadelphia

May 14-15 Boston

May 17-18 New Jersey

Iron Man

Game Overview

Become a one man army as the unstoppable Iron Man!

"Tony Stark had it all: a genius mind, fame, and even a multinational

corporation. But his life would soon change forever. During a routine
weapons test in the Middle East, power-hungry militants led a violent
ambush against Tony and claimed him as their prisoner. Armed with Stark
Industries weaponry, Tony’s new foes demanded he construct a new
ultimate weapon for them. Instead, with the help of fellow captive
Yinsen, Tony built his own ultimate weapon – a powerful suit of armor
that served as the key to his heroic escape.

After returning home, Tony’s near-death experience drastically altered

his outlook on life. The attack against Tony – with his own creations,
no less – inspired him to cease production of all Stark Industries
weapons, despite the protests of longtime family friend and mentor Obadiah Stane. And that wasn’t all. Aided by his charming assistant, Pepper Potts, and equipped with a new suit even more advanced than the one used in his escape, Tony took it upon himself to
destroy all Stark weapons in enemy hands – personally. He became more
than a man. He became Iron Man."

Features

Become a one man army as the unstoppable Iron Man! Customize your suit
and battle against armies of fighter jets, tanks, armored Super Villains
and more. Blast into hardcore shooting action and explosive combat from
the film as well as exclusive content created just for the game.

:www.nintendo.com

Final Fantasy Crystal Chroniches: MyLife as a King

Game Overview

You are a young king who must rebuild his kingdom, beginning with the
castle town. When the king first reaches the borders of his realm, he
finds that the crystal in the center of town has given him special
powers to be a "master builder," a unique ability he uses to construct
houses, shops and the like to rebuild and revitalize his kingdom.

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Pay & Play is an online service that offers
extra downloadable content for games, such as bonus stages or specialty
items, to extend or enhance your gaming experience. Games that offer
extra fee-based content, which may be downloaded using Wii Points, will
be clearly marked with the new Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Pay & Play logo.

Wii-kly Update: Two New Classic Games Added to Wii Shop Channel

Which is more important: brains or brawn? Before you answer, check out this week's awesome additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel, which give you ample opportunity to flex both. One game features frantic puzzle action with a Pokémon® twist, while the other invites players to brawl and battle in the name of justice. If you're anxious to test your mental mettle or your action-adventure muscle, these classic titles are just the ticket.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Pokémon Puzzle League (Nintendo 64®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Get ready for a new kind of Pokémon battle where the power and speed of your brain are just as important as the strength of your Pokémon. Join Ash, Brock, Misty and many more characters from the Pokémon animated series as they gather in Puzzle Village to compete for the title of Pokémon Puzzle Master. Just match three or more blocks of the same color in any direction. Sounds simple, right? But the actual game play is surprisingly addictive and deep (chains and combos anyone?), especially when you're facing off against a human opponent. Choose from six different modes offering a wide range of action, from story or puzzle modes to continuous play or timed play. If that's not enough, take on the challenge in 3-D and get ready for more blocks than ever before. Featuring animated cut scenes combined with bright, fun graphics, there's enough to satisfy any fan of Pokémon or puzzle games.

Renegade™ (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older – Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points): Renegade follows the story of a vigilante who fights his way through countless gangs in order to bring peace back to his city. Battle your way through subways, parks, alleyways and parking lots. For added fun, there's a wild motorcycle ride to challenge you. Use your arsenal of kicks, punches (including the infamous sit-on punch) and jump kicks, as well as a variety of throws to knock your opponents into submission. Along the way, pick up items like a hamburger that restores your life, a heart that increases your lives by one, a power-up to increase your attack strength, and a speed item that gives you a speed burst while on your motorcycle. You'll need all the help you can get to take out your aggression on street punks, thugs, outlaw bikers, killer kung-fu females and an array of bosses standing in your way. Take the law into your own hands to defeat countless scumbags and take your city back like the renegade you are.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

Nintendo launches WiiWare: an open playground for creativity

Nintendo's Wii console has already changed the way people play games. Now its new WiiWare service decisively tears down limitations for how developers create games - and the way people receive them.

Starting today, Wii owners with an Internet connection can download new, creative games from a wide range of developers, from large publishers to indie shops. By reducing the barriers that make console game development prohibitively expensive, WiiWare showcases original ideas in the most democratic environment in industry history, connecting the people who make games more directly with the people who play them.

WiiWare frees developers from the traditional constraints of video game development. WiiWare lets developers experiment with big ideas and small budgets to the benefit of players everywhere. Newer, smaller teams now have an outlet for their creative ideas. The constantly growing WiiWare library will have a regular flow of unique video gaming experiences consumers might not otherwise have access to.

"WiiWare is to the video game industry what independent films are to Hollywood," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "WiiWare lets developers experiment with new ideas and experiences. Combined with our collection of classic Virtual Console games, Wii provides one-stop shopping for the greatest games of the past - and the future."

WiiWare games are easy to download. Just go to the WiiWare section of the Wii Shop Channel, find the game you want, redeem Wii Points and start the download. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. New games, at various Wii Point values, will be added to WiiWare on Mondays. The newly launched Nintendo Channel on Wii will let people view videos of and read information about WiiWare games and other Nintendo products. Users also can see player opinions to help them decide what to play next.

Today, the inaugural lineup of WiiWare games is just a taste of things to come:

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King (Square Enix, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, 1,500 Wii Points): FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King takes a legendary franchise and launches it into the realm of simulation gaming. Players are challenged to rebuild a kingdom, leading its young king on a path of discovery through an adventure bristling with mystery and intrigue.

LostWinds (Frontier Development, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): A fresh, enchanting platform adventure that puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand - from raging tornados to the gentlest breeze. You'll wield your Wii Remote controller to power Toku's jumps and glides, suspend and smash enemies, meet friends and solve puzzles using LostWinds' novel, intuitive and playful control system.

Defend your Castle (XGen Studios, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone - Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): Defend your Castle takes place on a grassy plain surrounded by invaders. You are the commander of your castle, and it is your duty to fling the invading enemies sky-high, watching them plummet to their demise. As you progress, add powerful spells and upgrades to your arsenal for repelling the attacks. How long can you hold them off?

Pop (Nnooo, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Pop bubbles to score points and stop the timer from running out. Pop can be enjoyed by anyone - casual gamers can simply play to pop bubbles and keep the game moving, whereas advanced players will need to pick their shots rapidly and accurately and generate combos to maximize their score.

V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack (High Voltage Software, Inc., 1-4 players, Rated T for Teen - Simulated Gambling, 700 Wii Points): V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack re-creates the casino experience, with fully animated players and a realistic Las Vegas dealer. Single players can increase their bankrolls, while multiple players can engage in a head-to-head mini-blackjack tournament.

TV Show King (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): TV Show King transforms your living room into a real TV quiz show studio where you'll face the challenge of answering more than 3,000 questions across six different categories. Compete against family and friends and use your Wii Remote controller in original ways to make it to the finals to see who can win the greatest amount of cash in one final, deciding duel.

For more information about WiiWare, visit WiiWare.com.