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