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
Thursday, May 22, 2008
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.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
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.
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 ...
Monday, May 19, 2008
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
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.
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.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
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! |
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!
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.
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 suitand 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 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.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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.
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.
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