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This trailer for Resident Evil:Umbrella Chroniclesseems eerily familiar for a number of reasons. Beyond the could've-sworn-we-knew co-op feature, the footage also shows environments and bosses from Resident Evil Zero, One and Two, covering the initial train ride, the Mansion, and the Raccoon City outbreak.
Also, we could've sworn we saw Zombie #17 outside the Winchester in Shaun of the Dead. Guess they gotta make a living somehow, right? Video embedded after the break.
Games based on the popular anime Bleach are coming to the US and Europe by way of Sega, according to a press release. Both Shattered Blade (Wii) and The Blade of Fate (DS) have been out since 2006, and the DS title has a sequel that came out five months ago.
Having played a Bleach DS game at the Tokyo Game Show last year, even without knowing much about the anime I have to say I was impressed by the fighter. Both games are due out in North America this fall and Europe in early 2008.
A German gaming magazine recently revealed the student project De Blob would make its way to the Wii courtesy of THQ. Today the official announcement was released pegging a February/March 2008 release date for the title along with the surprising bit of news: De Blob will also be released for the DS. This time around you'll paint the town trying to restore color that an evil corporation drained from the buildings and scenery. The PC demo is available as a free download to give you a taste of the wackiness to come.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Atari today dribbled out screenshots along with a press release confirming the existence of a Jenga game for the Wii and DS to be released in November. The game doesn't appear to be much more than a stylized table-top Jenga with exotic backgrounds and textures, but according to Atari it features a "wealth of exciting new enhancements, power-ups and twists that are possible only in the videogame world". Bombs? Gravity-defying bricks? We'll have to wait and see. Jenga could be a lot more exciting with the right power-ups. %Gallery-4615%Permalink | Email this | Comments
Rumors surfaced over the last couple of weeks about Beautiful Katamarirolling itself away from PlayStation 3 and towards Nintendo Wii. An Xbox 360 version, already weighted its own speculation, is the only confirmed version to be shown at next week's E3.
Now comes word that Famitsu (via PS3 Center) has validated the rumors and that Namco Bandai has indeed quietly canceled a PS3 iteration in favor of rolling the Prince of All Cosmos onto the Wii. As we have yet to see the purported issue of Famitsu, we're still labeling this as rumor fodder.
We've contacted Namco Bandai for a statement. In the meantime, take a stroll down memory lane with our recent b[ack]log on We Love Katamari.
The Pan European Game Information, or PEGI, rating system is currently used for all offline video game releases in the United Kingdom and Europe. Now it's looking to tackle online, too. The PEGI Online has been a project eighteen months in the making. A multi-language website has launched to inform about the new initiative and provide resources to explain online gaming to the not-so-tech savvy parents.
Additionally, a PEGI Online symbol has been created to go on the back of games who adhere to the PEGI Online Safety Code. The code insists that license holders (developers, publishers) use their "best endeavors" to prevent offensive material from proliferating through the online service.
We applaud the clause for a coherent privacy policy, but are cautious toward a call for disallowing all game content not appropriately rated through PEGI, BBFC or German USK from a website. Pending interpretation of the wording and the aptitude of lawmakers regarding technology, that could be applied to user-made content such as Halo 3 replays or entrants in the Unreal Tournament mod competitions. We want a code to protect children, so long as it's not inappropriately used in a detrimental manner.
If the recently rumored $100 price cut for the PS3 turns out to be true, it will end the era of one of the most controversial pricing moves in the history of consumer electronics.
The writing was on the wall early on, with former SCE President Ken Kutaragi hinting way back in July 2005 that he hoped gamers would "work more hours to buy [a PS3]." When the price was officially announced at Sony's E3 2006 press conference the first wave of ridicule was practically immediate. Kutaragi's comment that the price was "too cheap" for what consumers were getting just stoked the fires, leading at least one Joystiq blogger to call the company "out of touch." Hey, $599 is pretty cheap if the thing is made of uranium.
Yet by launch time there were some signs that the high price wasn't really a deterrent. Despite some launch window reviews saying the system "just isn't worth it yet," the initial stock of PS3s sold out to mobs of fans who waited in the November cold to drop up to six Benjamins on a game console. Many of those who managed to get one of the limited initial allotment put them up on eBay, where some fetched ridiculously inflated prices. Maybe $600 was a bargain after all.
Private confession is good for the soul. Public confession is good for image and marketing. Hudson, in the latest of their kooky videos, goofs around about the upcomingBomberman Live (expected before the end of July) and just flat out admits Bomberman: Act Zero as an absolute mistake. Although low on details, the video is a fun little thing to watch, with a nice bit of political incorrectness that pokes fun at everybody -- and brings the Wii into the discussion while people fake playing Bomberman Live.
We'd be excited for Bomberman Land on the Wii if recent events hadn't reminded us how unfriendly the Wii is to online. Although Bomberman Land for the Wii and DS are expected later this year, Bomberman Live looks to be the way to go for the Bomberman faithful. And at an expected 800 MS point price ($10), that kinda beats anything that the Wii and DS versions will have at $29.99+ with limited online functionality. Keep it simple, keep it fun, keep it multiplayer friendly -- that should be the Bomberman mantra.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The Electronic Arts sports titles on Nintendo Wii are making every effort to appeal to every Wii owner possible. In addition to throwing on minigames like they were free gifts in an informercial offer, the publisher is also introducing Family Play controls to their upcoming Madden, NBA Liveand FIFASoccer releases.
According to the press release, those who opt for the Family Play controls play without the nunchuk adapter and handle the key actions (e.g., shooting, passing, snapping, and throwing) while the game handles everything else. It sounds a lot like how Wii Sportshandled tennis and baseball.
More fleshed-out and advanced controls are still available and can be used alongside a Family-style player. Let's hope the Family Play-assisted AI isn't too helpful and gives them an unfair advantage in multiplayer.
We get very confused when there's "news" that we swore we knew before ... but apparently we didn't know it, maybe? The latest bit in that department is Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles has two player co-op. Apparently this is news to everyone else, so we'll just say it aloud. Considering every scene in the game has two agents and we could have sworn seeing photos with a second targeting reticle, we thought it was implied. So, yeah, Resident Evil: UC has two player co-op ... once again, we thought we knew this already. Then again, it could just be because most rail shooters have co-op and it seemed odd not to have it. Even our man who tested it at the Capcom event was surprised by the news being, well, "news."
Sometimes stuff like this happens. Assassin's Creed being for the Xbox 360 is one of the clearest examples. It was actually bigger news that it wasn't for the Xbox 360. Haze is an even more recent example because when we talked to the developers last year at E3 the PS3 wasn't even out yet and the game was being made for PC and Xbox 360. The news that it would be pseudo-exclusive for the PS3 was just silly ... that was later revised -- then revised again. Listen, when the companies can't keep track of what they're doing with their own games, we can understand how confusion comes into the mix. So, RE: UC has two player co-op, apparently that's news to us.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
On Tuesday, we saw two announcements from Nintendo that we're sure caused a handful of fanboys to tear up: no online Metroid and no playable Smash Bros at E3. Why did the House of Mario decide to break hearts just one week before their E3 press briefing? It's just good business, as observed by Newsweek's N'Gai Croal.
Nintendo PR revealed their "damage control playbook" last year, Croal said, when they announced the then-distressing final name for the Revolution, Wii, just 12 days before E3 2006. (Check the linked post and its 593 comments for a look back at the announcement.) Of course, the oft-teased title change did little to waver its hype and Nintendo is widely regarded as having a stellar E3 showing that year.
Sony, as Croal noted, gave their bad news at the very end -- namely, the $600 price tag. And with it being their final note, they left a sour taste in all gamers' mouth. With Nintendo's bad news out of the way this year (hopefully), Iwata and company can end on a high note. We've illustrated this phenomenon on a chart above. (Note: all values are approximate)Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
New media has finally surfaced for the underwater Wii title Forever Blue, a still-mysterious game developed by Arika studios (creator of Everblue for the PS2). Little information has been released about the game, but according to an unconfirmed translation, it will be an exploration-based "non-game" where you play with and study sea creatures, hunt for treasure, take pictures, and -- the real kicker -- hunt for underwater sea ruins with a friend via wi-fi. We're thinking Pokemon Snap with whales. Forever Blue is set for release next month in Japan, but no North American date has been announced.
Rumors of a Wii version of the incredibly addictive PSP/DS game Puzzle Quest have been laying still for months. Now, with an Xbox Live Arcade incarnation on its way, Amazon.com has listed Puzzle Quest Wii with a release date of September 25th. Even better: the attractive price tag of $29.99 is plastered below the box art, taunting those of us who already own a portable version of the game. Would we pick up a big-screen brother of Puzzle Quest, even if it had but a few pithy extras? Yes.
Game|Life reports this morning that Super Smash Bros. Brawl will not be playable at next week's adorable little E3 expo, according to one Nintendo media representative.
Though normally this would be considered bad mojo for any major title in development, we already know that Metal Gear Solid's Hideo Kojima played a "very complete" version of the game back in April. Game|Life's Chris Kohler chalks up Brawl's absence to Nintendo's limited presentation time at the newly-downsized event, and a possible plethora of new titles to show off.
As if to ease our anxieties further, the representative also emphasized that Brawl was still very much a 2007 release title. We all know how much Nintendo likes letting release dates slip, so let's hope that Brawl digs in and lands in our laps by the holiday season.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Michael Kelbeugh, head of Retro Studios, confirmed to GamePro that no online multiplayer would be included in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, much to the relief of of lil' Timmy Eldridge, the apple-cheeked teen that Nintendo has come in on the weekend to run their online gaming strategy. "Unless you're sending pictures of metroid that you captured, I really don't know how to help you," lil' Eldridge said as he swept the Nintendo commissary (his weekday job).
For his part, Kelbeugh gave the credit for a top-notch single-player campaign for his team's inability to include newfangled multiplayer technology. "It's something we talked about early on, but we only have so many resources. We opted to devote those resources to making a better single-player experience." Oh well, we guess there's always Metroid Prime 4.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Does anyone even use the Wii's Photo Channel anymore? We suspect that many, like ourselves, thought the Photo Channel was a neat addition for about 15 minutes, after which the kitsch factor wore off and the channel was promptly relegated to the back pages of the Wii menu, to make room for copious Virtual Console purchases.
Well, apparently one person enjoys the Photo Channel, if for no other reason than zooming in and out on giant, time-consuming mosaics. Blogger Random J found footage of one user's mind-numbing labors. Watch, as hundreds of photos of cute anime girls transform into one giant cute anime girl! Be amazed, as Mario and a goomba appear... out of around 500 pictures of cute anime girls! Hold on, I'm sensing a pattern. Check it out for yourself after the break.
Released in Japan in April, Furu Furu Park is a Wii-exclusive title that features over two dozen mini-games based on classic Taito franchises such as Araknoid and Bubble Bobble. Majesco recently announced the game will be localized for North American audiences, pulling out those squiggly Japanese lines and replacing them with the glorious Roman alphabet.
In addition to its battery of "quirky stylized" arcade games, Furu Furu Park includes three multiplayer modes (including one where you compete to win "female affection") and a number of original games that, naturally, take advantage of the Wii remote's motion sensing, such as "Safe Cracker" and "Super Karate".Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
And they thought nobody would notice! Buried at the bottom of the press release trumpeting The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass'October 1 release date is the following: "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the third installment of the hit trilogy, launches with motion-sensitive controls exclusively on Wii on Aug. 27."
Those of you with August 20th marked on your Exotic Wildlife of Zebes calendars aren't imagining that release date, Nintendo announced it (along with the release dates for a bunch of other titles) back in May. What has this lesson taught us? First and foremost, don't use indelible marker on your calendars, you should really know better by now. Second, just in case this is a simple typo we've contacted Nintendo for confirmation of the new release date. [Update: and they've confirmed the new release date.]
In a week that is admittedly pretty light on game releases, we're willing to pretty much take anything we can get. Imagine our pleasure then to find some real quality on the Virtual Console this week. Unfortunately, as you soon see, the weapondry leaves something to be desired.
Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Somewhere, Doki Doki Panicis having a pull off his half-empty fifth of Wild Turkey, hopeful that this may be the last time he has to be slapped in the face by the release of Super Mario Bros. 2 and reminded of what could have been.
Ecco: The Tides of Time (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): This Ecco the Dolphin sequel is lucky that it's slipping in with SMB 2, because the only item that could make sound waves look like a good weapon are throwable onions.
Dragon Spirit (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): Completely ruining the whole "lame weapons" motif is Dragon Spirit, a vertical-scrolling shooter where your weapon is, well, a dragon. Unfortunately, having a dragon as your weapon makes vegetables and sound waves look like ... well, sound waves and vegetables.
In an answer to (somebody's) prayers, F-Zero pilot Samurai Goro was confirmed to be in Smash Bros. Brawl by the game's official blog. However, don't expect to be playing as the hulking mound of muscle and tiny sunglasses. He's one of the first characters who'll be summoned up by "Assist Trophies," which you can read more about here.
Also confirmed to be locked away in the glass domes (we assume there are air holes) are one of the Hammer Bros. and a Nintendog. While we think it's great to include some ham 'n' eggers in the mix for a single attack without having to fully flesh them out, we'll reserve judgement until they stuff Tingle into one of those things.
The handsome devils over at Gamespot recently spent some time with early builds of Geometry Wars: Galaxies on both the DS and the Wii, and walked away happy with what they saw, even in the games' nascent stages. According to their preview, both versions feature a level structure, with solar systems divided into planets, and each planet being one playable level. Both the DS and Wii version will also include the full content from Xbox 360's Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, but Gamespot reports that that content amounts to one planet, in proportion to everything else offered in the game.
Other juicy details include cooperative multiplayer, and wireless sharing of a multiplayer DS demo of the game. The DS version can actually share a full copy of Retro Evolved wirelessly with other DSs, but perhaps what's more exciting is that the Wii version can do the exact same thing, making Galaxies the first game we know of to offer Wii-to-DS wireless downloading.
The preview also gives some detail on control schemes. The Wii version has players using the nunchuk to move the ship, with the Wii remote functioning as a cursor to indicate the direction being fired in. The DS version, on the other hand, uses the d-pad to move the ship, and the stylus to aim and fire. Gamespot has also included video coverage of the Wii version, so we'd encourage you to head over and check it out. Both versions are due out sometime later this year, but impatient folks can still find Retro Evolved on Xbox Live Arcade, or Geometry Wars XPon Steam.
Since it began on May 21 the Wendy's Wii giveaway has distributed over 400 of the 800 available systems. Wiis aren't the only thing they're giving away, they also have gone through half of their 800 Wii Point cards and games. The Wii Point cards are the 2000 point version and the games available are Mario Party 8, Super Paper Mario and Big Brain Academy. The whole thing hinges on the purchase of a Frosty Float from Wendys, which has a code on the cup you put in at FrostyFloat.com. Of course, per usual, no purchase is actually necessary, but it does expedite the process. The giveaway ends July 31. There's some interactive features at FrostyFloat.com too where you can design your own shakes, sadly they haven't figured out yet how to pay for it and just grab it out of your screen.
We got some statistics from Wendy's about the contest. So far there have been 1,283,191 "gameplays" by 302,547 people. Now, let's see, at 400 calories a shake, that means if every one of the 1.2 million plays were from people who bought shakes, the desire to Wii has injected 480,000,000 extra calories into American society. Those 302,547 people could really use that Wii right about now with some Wii DDR and a few hardcore rounds of Wii Sports to work that off -- they could always follow the WiiHealthy.com guide as well. Curse you tasty fast food with giveaways!Read | Permalink | Email this |
All Articles for Joystiq Feed: Wii News 
This trailer for Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles seems eerily familiar for a number of reasons. Beyond the could've-sworn-we-knew co-op feature, the footage also shows environments and bosses from Resident Evil Zero, One and Two, covering the initial train ride, the Mansion, and the Raccoon City outbreak. 
Games based on the popular anime Bleach are coming to the US and Europe by way of Sega, according to a press release. Both Shattered Blade (Wii) and The Blade of Fate (DS) have been out since 2006, and the DS title has a sequel that came out five months ago.
If the recently rumored $100 price cut for the PS3 turns out to be true, it will end the era of one of the most controversial pricing moves in the history of consumer electronics.
Rumors of a Wii version of the incredibly addictive PSP/DS game Puzzle Quest have been laying still for months. Now, with an Xbox Live Arcade incarnation on its way, Amazon.com has listed Puzzle Quest Wii with a release date of September 25th. Even better: the attractive price tag of $29.99 is plastered below the box art, taunting those of us who already own a portable version of the game. Would we pick up a big-screen brother of Puzzle Quest, even if it had but a few pithy extras? Yes.
Released in Japan in April, Furu Furu Park is a Wii-exclusive title that features over two dozen mini-games based on classic Taito franchises such as Araknoid and Bubble Bobble. Majesco recently announced the game will be localized for North American audiences, pulling out those squiggly Japanese lines and replacing them with the glorious Roman alphabet. 
Since it began on May 21 the Wendy's Wii giveaway has distributed over 400 of the 800 available systems. Wiis aren't the only thing they're giving away, they also have gone through half of their 800 Wii Point cards and games. The Wii Point cards are the 2000 point version and the games available are Mario Party 8, Super Paper Mario and Big Brain Academy. The whole thing hinges on the purchase of a Frosty Float from Wendys, which has a code on the cup you put in at FrostyFloat.com. Of course, per usual, no purchase is actually necessary, but it does expedite the process. The giveaway ends July 31. There's some interactive features at FrostyFloat.com too where you can design your own shakes, sadly they haven't figured out yet how to pay for it and just grab it out of your screen.
