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Rare didnt want to develop GoldenEye, predicted a disaster

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:44:05 +0800

The company behind one of the best games of all time nearly cancelled development

When first asked by Nintendo to develop a movie tie-in to the 1995 James Bond flick, the team at Rare werent very eager. According to Rares Mark Betteridge, they "were trying to build [their] own IP", and they frankly werent overjoyed at idea that the film tie-in would mean "a lot of ownership by the film company." Nevertheless, development began, but there wasnt "an awful lot of faith in the game around the company", especially after a lacklustre showing at E3 1997.

Rares George Andreas, who oversaw development, saw a build of the game about four months from release and thought to himself that it was "a bit of a mess." However the core members of the dev team werent ready to give up on the game just yet. After several lengthy delays, partly because the dev team decided to incorporate a multiplayer feature to the game to demonstrate the N64s 4-player capabilities, Nintendo wrote a letter to Rare suggesting they cancel the title. But thanks to the video game gods, that letter never made it to the core development team, and GoldenEye was eventually released to a flood of critical praise and awards.

GoldenEye 007 will be reborn once more in Eurocoms enhanced remake for the Wii, which will be out by Christmas.

Source: EDGE via GamerZines

Australian Wii Party release date announced

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:54:28 +0800

Its party time folks with Wii Party launching on October 7th

Nintendo Australia has announced the release date for "Mario Party 9 with Miis", Wii Party, in Australia. The game is what we know and love about the Mario Party franchise plus a whole lot more and wrapped up in a sans-Mario package. If youve ever played Wii Sports, Wii Play or Wii Fit youll feel right at home with this one.

Aussies will be able to get the game with a Wii Remote as well, but if you already have 7 Wii Remotes in your house like me then you can buy it on its own. Itll be $79 for the game by itself and $99.95 for the game with a white Wii Remote. New Zealanders will be able to pick it up for NZ$102 dollars without a Wii Remote and a NZ$127.60 with one.

Wii Party launches on October 7th - thats only 4 days after the US and a day before Europe. Whats this? Two games from Nintendo with excellent release dates? Please continue.

Look for a preview of Wii Party from us shortly; weve been enjoying the Japanese version and its more than surprising.

MotoHeroz races to WiiWare from Trials HD developers

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:20:13 +0800

The developers of the great Trials HD are bringing their wares to the Wii

Redlynx have had great success with their Xbox Live Arcade title, Trials HD, and now theyre turning their attention to WiiWare with Motoheroz. The game is in a similar vain to Trials HD in that its a side scrolling racer and has all you would expect from RedLynx. This includes a single player adventure, local multiplayer and leaderboard support. There is a new challenge online every day so if youre on top one day, you could be the next with a newer challenge.

There will be 100+ tracks to race across and four cars to drive. The game has a 2010/2011 release, which probably means they dont know when Nintendo will slot it in. We hope it is sooner rather than later.

Nintendo Download Update - Jazz Farm hands

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:18:35 +0800

Only a scattering of releases for your downloading pleasure, yes pleasure.

You know things are bad when there is no WiiWare releases for Aussies this week, its true. The classification system has struck another victim and its left the list of games this week very sparse. Just like the American schedule has been for months. Oooh ice burn.

Virtual Console

Samurai Showdown III (NeoGeo, 900 Points) - The NeoGeo is back in it, and with another instalment in the Samurai Shodown series, this one is the third one I believe. Unless that III on the end means something else. Weirdly enough, this game takes place between the first and second games despite being the third one in the series. Madness.

DSiWare

Jazzy Billiards (Arc System Works, 500 Points) - So normally, DSiWare games have this running gag where theyre really descriptive in their titles. Now that we have Jazzy Billards, what do you think this is all about? Some sort of Jazz ballet and Billards combo? Sadly, there isnt as much fun there, its just Jazz music over a game of billiards. For shame, that would have been cool.

My Farm (BIP Media, 200 Points) - Take care of your own farm and its animals in this breeding simulation game. There are 6 animals to raise and you can edit and tend to your farm and become the king farmer over the world. For 200 points, this may be a fun diversion for some of the younger audience out there.

Wheres Wally? Travel Pack 2 (Ludia, 500 Points) - Wheres Wally? Well, hes back on the DSiWare service again for the second week. This one contains 3 more locations for you to search for Wally and his friends. If you had bought every pack so far, youd have spent 1000 points. Thats $15 bucks, how much more and you could have bought a book?

New Kirbys Epic Yarn Trailer, its quite epic

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:14:46 +0800

Story, gameplay and characters shown off, all in Japanese but still awesome

Nintendo of Japan have released a new trailer for the fuzzy new instalment in the Kirby series, Kirbys Epic Yarn. The new trailer shows off a story sequence the plot [?] that reveals how Kirby gets thrown into the magical land of yarn that is the setting for his next adventure, as well as some gameplay showing off some new and old footage of how the co-op mechanic will work. Also shown is the return of a certain penguin-like boss character, but this time made out of yarn.

Kirbys Epic Yarn is slated for a Japanese October 14th, 2010 release date, with the North American release date being 3 days after that on the 17th. Hopefully there wont be too much of a delay for the Australian release of this as its looking to be one of the cutest Wii games to be released. Hopefully the gameplay matches the phenomenal graphics.

Lots and lots of Epic Mickey details

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:01:34 +0800

Details on new levels, the story, inspiration and more

The latest issue of Nintendo Power has revealed some details on the upcoming Disney Epic Mickey game. And by some details, we mean a lot of details.

First up are the story details. In Epic Mickey the wizard Yen Sid creates a fantasy land for all his forgotten creations to live and thrive in. However, Mickey accidentally spills paint thinner and paint on the model of this new land, corrupting it and all the creations inside it, turning it into a Wasteland. Years later, the Phantom Blot kidnaps Mickey and brings him into the Wasteland. Here, Mickey must rid the place of evil. The three main antagonists in Epic Mickey are Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disneys first creation, the Mad Doctor and the Phantom Blot.

There are two types of levels in Epic Mickey: Action Maps and Travel Maps. Action Maps make up the bulk of the game and are fairly lengthy, whereas Travel Maps only take about a few minutes to complete, are 2D and have branching pathways that either lead to your destination or collectable rewards such as film strips etc. They have been described by lead designer Warren Spector as a "kind of a palate cleanser between the 3D maps. They’re a fun way to let players experience Mickey in a different light and present something that feels sort of like a classic Mario game."

Two Travel Maps were revealed: one based on the 1937 short, Lonesome Ghosts, and the other based on the 1933 short, The Mad Doctor. Two Action Maps were also revealed: The Lonesome Manor, in which Mickey has to enter a spooky mansion, and a Jungle-themed Action Map based on The Jungle Book and the Lost Boys’ hideout in Peter Pan. In the two Action Maps, whether or not you help out characters will affect Mickeys character and how the characters interact with you.

Warren Spector has stated that the intention of Epic Mickey is "to make Mickey the hero he deserves to be in a video game... [and] to reintroduce Oswald to the world." He also mentioned that the game will be a linear adventure, stating that hes "a big believer in linear storytelling that progresses from beat to beat in the same way for all players."

Theres a stack more information taken straight from Warren Spector down in the link below regarding why he used the characters for the game that he did, a bit about the forgotten characters themselves and some story elements. Its pretty in-depth, but give it a read if you dont mind having the first few levels of the game spoiled.

Source: NeoGAF via Nintendo Power

Super Mario Collection announced, first details

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:27:53 +0800

Nintendos revealed a collection of Classic Super Mario games for Wii

Nintendo Japan has released some new release dates for a bunch of games in Japan but the biggest news of all is the announcement of Super Mario Collection.

The game is set to contain the All Stars (SNES) versions of Super Mario Bros 1, Super Mario Bros 2 (USA version in Japan), Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario Bros The Lost Levels (Super Mario Bros 2 over there). We’re still trying to confirm if Super Mario World is being included.

The collection also comes with a Super Mario history booklet covering the 25 year history of Mario games and a soundtrack. It is out on October 21st for 2500yen, which is very cheap. There will only be a limited print run of the game for 2010.

Nintendo registered the trademark for Super Mario Collection over a year ago.

Also announced was the Japanese release date for Kirby’s Epic Yarn on the 14th of October and Golden Sun: Dark Dawn for the 28th of October.

This post updates.

First look at Telltales Back to the Future game

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:35:19 +0800

First piece of artwork has been revealed along with some details about certain voice actors.

USA Today has posted the first piece of artwork for the upcoming Back to the Future episodic games from Telltale. The game is set to feature the likeness of both Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd and at this stage will only feature Lloyds voice talents.

The man who wrote the screenplays for all three movie is also penning the plot of the five episodes. Other details include an appearance of the DeLorean and will be take place in historical Hill Vallery circa 1985.

It certainly looks quite good. No consoles have yet to be announced for this one.

Shin Megami Tensei developer dissolved

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:00:37 +0800

Atlus dissolved by owner Index Holdings, but the Atlus brand will still continue.

In an official announcement Index Holdings, the owner of Atlus, announced that the Japanese developers of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise would be dissolved, however, the Atlus brand will still be around, but it is unknown if that will affect the development and publishing of and current games and/or future games.

The reason for the dissolving of Atlus has been stated by Index Holdings as to streamline its focus as a business and only concentrate on ’profitable core areas’. Atlus have yet to release a statement on the dissolving, but have stated that they will release an official statement soon.

Index Holdings have owned Atlus since 2006. Hopefully this news doesn’t affect the development of any future games in their established franchises or brand new IPs.

Source: Gamasutra

Bargain Wrap Up: Metroid Other M Edition

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:55:55 +0800

Samus latest outing is finally here this Thursday, in a nice timely manner after the US.

Metroid: Other M is at long last out of the production cycle and here on Aussie shores, but of course, there is money to be saved. Why not have a look. There aren’t much of the pre-order bonuses or special collector’s editions here, just undoubtedly a good game (we hope, we’ll let you know when we get it too). Anyhow, enough rambling, here’s the roundup for you.

Big W - $78.46

BigW Online Catalogue

DVD Crave - $79.95

DVD Crave Online Store

EB Games - $98.00 (Remember to price match if you can)

EBGames.com.au

GAME - $79 (Web price only, stores may accept otherwise $99)

GAME Online Store

Games101.com.au - $89.95

Games 101

JB Hi-Fi - $79.00

JB Hi-Fi Online

Of course if you see anything cheaper, let us know - some of the stores catalogues are not out yet.

Golden Sun Dark Dawn out November 29th in the US

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:37:05 +0800

Nintendo sheds light on the latest Golden Sun for 2010, its not confirmed

There was some doubt earlier in the month, and Nintendo is leaving it really late in the year. However, Golden Sun Dark Dawn will be heading to America on November 29th. The US was in doubt after previously being left off the release list Nintendo gave earlier this quarter. A release for European countries was more or less a lock with repeated showings at game events across the region.

Golden Sun Dark Dawn takes place 30 years after the original two games that original hit the Gameboy Advance. Dark Dawn has a whole new generation of cast that are struggling to survive in a world vastly different to what weve seen in previous games.

Naturally there is no date for Australians yet but with the region free nature of the DS, if you really really want it - you dont have to wait.

Weekly Round-up - w/e August 29 - Forget about it

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:21:42 +0800

The last week is of no consequence, this week its all about Metroid: Other M

Let’s start off with the weekly dose of the Pokémon news. The game has already sold one million copies... before it’s even out (via pre-orders in Japan). Yes, Pokémon is still a force to be reckoned with after all these years. Early in the week, Nintendo Australia announced three new DSi XL colors which are due out later next month - they’re very bright. Do these new colours mean there’s now no chance at all for the 3DS this year?

The developer of Wii Party, NdCube, is now an in-house developer at Nintendo after being snapped up by the big N. Wii Party has sold very, very well in Japan and we’re sure it’ll pull big numbers everywhere else. The UK is even receiving it in a special bundle that includes a free Wii Remote.

Telltale Games also put out this crazy trailer... it appears to have characters from all sorts of franchises. It’s some sort of crossover. What do you think it is?

Around the forums

Think you’re super-skilled in New Super Mario Bros. Wii? We’ve got a new set of challenges for you try and if you’re good enough, a custom-made userbar could be yours!

Lastly, a little plug for one of my own articles. If you haven’t read my "Hype Club - Avoiding hype to better enjoy games" feature, then check it out and then join in the discussion and see if you agree.

This week’s releases

This week sees the rush of titles that begin the annual lead-up to Christmas. It’s been quiet for months but now it’s about to kick off. The big game of course this week is Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. Can’t wait for that one. Or perhaps you’re hankering for Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem? We Sing Encore? What, there is no game out this week that interests you? What about this one, Metroid: Other M?

Jokes aside, look for our review (hopefully) before it’s out and a full bargain round-up tonight.

Epic Mickey to receive Collectors Edition and utilise Wi-Fi Connection

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:31:50 +0800

How online play will be integrated remains a mystery

North American Wii owners will be treated to a special Collector’s Edition of Disney Epic Mickey featuring the game, a 5-inch Mickey collectable figurine, a special DVD which encompasses behind the scenes footage of the game’s production plus trailers, and some cosmetic plates for both the Wii Remote and Wii console. It’s all included inside a special packaging. Hopefully we’ll receive this same edition in Australia.

On the revealed boxart is the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection logo, meaning that the game will somehow integrate online functionality. How will this be done? Well it remains to be seen. As far as the industry knows, Disney Epic Mickey is a single-player experience, but perhaps this is something Warren Spector (director of the title) is keeping under wraps. It may also be along the lines of trading items found throughout the game. Unfortunately too little is known about the game to accurately speculate how Wi-Fi will work. It does add another layer of mystery to the title, though.

The Australian release date for Disney Epic Mickey has not yet been announced, but we are excited about this unique title. What do you think of the Collector’s Edition? Would you buy it if it was offered in Australia? Head over to the forums and discuss!

Source: Toys "R" Us (USA)

DJ Hero 2 track list is quite long

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:19:42 +0800

There are 105 songs in this one, with more content that "we wanted"

DJ Hero 2 is ramping up the mixing action by not only improving the game significantly but also expanding the songs on offer. This time around, there is a focus on more modern songs and a bit more "doof doof" than before. They say, "Working with some of the best DJs in the world, we were able to take this amazing collection of the biggest pop, hip-hop and dance hits, and with some turntable magic, craft the best soundtrack in entertainment."

We say, holy crap thats a lot of songs.

• 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman - "California Love Remix"
• 50 Cent - "In Da Club"
• Adamski - "Killer"
• Afrika Bambaataa and The Soul Sonic Force - "Planet Rock"
• Armand Van Helden - "I Want Your Soul"
• A-Trak - "Say Whoa"
• B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars - "Nothin On You"
• Basement Jaxx - "Wheres Your Head At"
• BlakRoc feat. Pharoahe Monch & RZA - "Dollaz & Sense"
• Busta Rhymes - "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See"
• Calvin Harris - "Im Not Alone"
• Chamillionaire - "Ridin"
• Chic - "Good Times"
• Chic - "Le Freak"
• Clinton Sparks, DJ Class, & Jermaine Dupri - "Favorite DJ"
• Daft Punk - "Human After All"
• Damian Marley - "Welcome To Jamrock"
• David Guetta & Chris Willis - "Love Is Gone"
• David Guetta feat. Kid Cudi - "Memories"
• David Guetta vs. The Egg - "Love Dont Let Me Go (Walking Away)"
• Deadmau5 - "Ghosts N Stuff"
• Deadmau5 & Kaskade - "I Remember"
• Deee-Lite - "Groove Is In The Heart"
• Dillinja and Skibadee - "Twist Em Out"
• Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden - "Bonkers"
• DJ Qbert - "Super Battle Breaks"
• DJ Shadow - "Midnight In A Perfect World"
• DJ Shadow feat. Q-Tip and Lateef The Truth Speaker - "Enuff (DJ Fresh Remix)"
• Donna Summer - "Bad Girls"
• Edwin Starr - "War"
• Eminem - "Not Afraid"
• Estelle feat. Kanye West - "American Boy"
• Flo Rida - "Low"
• Flo Rida feat. Will.I.Am - "In The Ayer"
• Gorillaz feat. Mos Def & Bobby Womack - "Stylo"
• Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five feat. Melle Mel & Duke Bootee - "The Message"
• Harold Faltermeyer - "Axel F"
• House Of Pain - "Jump Around"
• Iyaz - "Replay"
• Janet Jackson - "Nasty"
• Justice - "D.A.N.C.E."
• Justice - "Waters Of Nazareth"
• Kanye West - "Heartless"
• Kanye West - "Love Lockdown"
• Kaskade & Deadmau5 - "Move For Me"
• Kelis - "Acapella (David Guetta Extended Mix)"
• Kool & The Gang - "Jungle Boogie"
• Lady Gaga - "Lovegame"
• Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance"
• Lady Gaga feat. Colby ODonis - "Just Dance"
• Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz feat. Ying Yang Twins - "Get Low"
• Lil Wayne - "Go DJ"
• Lil Wayne feat. Static Major - "Lollipop"
• LL Cool J - "I Cant Live Without My Radio"
• M.I.A. - "Galang"
• M|A|R|R|S - "Pump Up The Volume"
• Major Lazer feat. VYBZ Kartel - "Pon De Floor"
• Malcolm McLaren - "Buffalo Gals"
• Metallica - "The Day That Never Comes"
• Missy Elliott - "Get Ur Freak On"
• MSTRKRFT feat. N.O.R.E. - "Bounce"
• Nas feat. Keri Hilson - "Hero"
• Naughty By Nature - "O.P.P."
• Nelly - "Hot In Herre"
• New Boyz - "Youre A Jerk"
• New Order - "Blue Monday"
• Newcleus - "Jam On It"
• Nightcrawlers - "Push The Feeling On (MK Mix 95)"
• Orbital - "The Box"
• Pirate Soundsystem - "Bashy Bashy"
• Pitbull - "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)"
• Pussycat Dolls feat. Busta Rhymes - "Dont Cha"
• Rihanna - "Pon De Replay"
• Rihanna - "Rude Boy"
• Robin S - "Show Me Love (Stonebridge Radio Edit)"
• Salt N Pepa - "Push It"
• Sam Cooke - "Chain Gang"
• Sam Sparro – "B&G" a/k/a "Black & Gold"
• Sean Paul - "Infiltrate"
• Sean Paul - "Get Busy"
• Snoop Dogg - "Who Am I (Whats My Name)?"
• Snow - "Informer"
• Soulja Boy Tell Em - "Crank That (Soulja Boy)"
• Sparfunk & D-Code - "Apocalypse"
• Stevie Wonder - "Superstition"
• Talib Kweli - "Get By"
• The Chemical Brothers - "Leave Home"
• The Chemical Brothers feat. Q-Tip - "Galvanize"
• The Crystal Method - "Busy Child (Still Busy After All These Years Remix)"
• The Jackson 5 - "ABC"
• The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Mase & Diddy - "Mo Money, Mo Problems"
• The Prodigy - "Omen"
• The Prodigy - "Firestarter"
• Tiësto - "Speed Rail"
• Tiësto & Sneaky Sound System - "I Will Be Here"
• Tiësto vs Diplo - "Come On"
• Tiga - "You Gonna Want Me"
• Timbaland feat. Drake - "Say Something"
• Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & D.O.E. - "The Way I Are"
• Tweet feat. Missy Elliott - "Oops (Oh My)"
• Walter Murphy - "A Fifth Of Beethoven"
• Warren G feat. Nate Dogg - "Regulate"
• Wayne Smith - "Under Mi Sleng Teng"
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix )"
• Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West - "Put On"

Rock Band 3 setlist contains big names, a lot of them

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:12:17 +0800

Along with the keyboard, Harmonix has added a great new setlist to the third title

Rock Band 3 is a big change to the Rock Band games. Not only is Harmonix adding in the keyboard (or "Keytair"), and the Pro modes which will actually teach you the basics of music, but also a set of fresh new tracks, 83 of them to be exact. You can now drop in and out of the game at any time without interrupting the flow of the game, but theyve also taken it a step further by being able to switch difficulty and instruments on the fly as well.

There is also a new career mode which follows the story of your band, a new party mode which the developer describes as taking the original Rock Bands world tour mode and mixing it together with Mario Party.

Here is the track list for all versions - the (25) DS tracks have an asterisk.

Without further ado, here is the entire, jaw-dropping Rock Band 3 setlist:

2000s:
• Amy Winehouse, "Rehab"
• At the Drive-In, "One Armed Scissor"
• Avenged Sevenfold, "The Beast & the Harlot"
• Dover, "King George"
• The Bronx, "False Alarm"
• The Flaming Lips, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1"
• HIM (His Infernal Majesty), "Killing Loneliness"
• Hypernova, "Viva La Resistance"
• Ida Maria, "Oh My God" *
• Juanes, "Me Enamora"
• Metric, "Combat Baby" *
• Paramore, "Misery Business" *
• Phoenix, "Lasso" *
• Poni Hoax, "Antibodies"
• Pretty Girls Make Graves, "Something Bigger, Something Brighter"
• Queens of the Stone Age, "No One Knows"
• The Ravonettes, "Last Dance"
• Rilo Kiley, "Portions for Foxes" *
• Riverboat Gamblers, "Dont Bury Me...Im Still Not Dead"
• Slipknot, "Before I Forget"
• The Sounds, "Living in America"
• Tegan & Sara, "The Con"
• Them Crooked Vultures, "Dead End Friends"
• Tokio Hotel, "Humanoid" *
• The Vines, "Get Free" *
• The White Stripes, "The Hardest Button to Button" *

1990s:
• Faith No More, "Midlife Crisis" *
• Filter, "Hey Man, Nice Shot"
• Janes Addiction, "Been Caught Stealing" *
• Maná, "Oye Mi Amor"
• Marilyn Manson, "The Beautiful People"
• The Muffs, "Outer Space"
• Phish, "Llama"
• Primus, "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver"
• Rammstein, "Du Hast"
• Smash Mouth, "Walkin On The Sun" *
• Spacehog, "In the Meantime"
• Stone Temple Pilots, "Plush"
• Swingin Utters, "This Bastards Life"

1980s:
• Anthrax, "Caught in a Mosh"
• Big Country, "In a Big Country"
• The Cure, "Just Like Heaven" *
• Def Leppard, "Foolin"
• Devo, "Whip It"
• Dio, "Rainbow in the Dark"
• Dire Straits, "Walk of Life"
• Echo & the Bunnymen, "The Killing Moon"
• Huey Lewis and the News, "The Power of Love"
• INXS, "Need You Tonight" *
• J. Geils Band, "Centerfold"
• Joan Jett, "I Love Rock N Roll" *
• Night Ranger, "Sister Christian" *
• Ozzy Osbourne, "Crazy Train" *
• The Police, "Dont Stand So Close to Me"
• Roxette, "The Look" *
• The Smiths, "Stop Me if You Think Youve Heard This One Before"
• Tears for Fears, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
• Whitesnake, "Here I Go Again" *

1970s:
• The B-52s, "Rock Lobster" *
• Blondie, "Heart of Glass"
• Bob Marley, "Get Up, Stand Up"
• Chicago, "25 or 6 to 4"
• Deep Purple, "Smoke on the Water"
• Doobie Brothers, "China Grove" *
• Elton John, "Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting"
• Foreigner, "Cold As Ice" *
• Golden Earring, "Radar Love"
• John Lennon, "Imagine"
• Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Free Bird"
• Queen, "Bohemian Rhapsody" *
• Ramones, "I Wanna Be Sedated"
• Steve Miller Band, "Fly Like an Eagle"
• T. Rex, "20th Century Boy"
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "I Need to Know"
• War, "Low Rider"
• Warren Zevon, "Werewolves of London"
• Yes, "Roundabout" *

1960s:
• Beach Boys, "Good Vibrations (Live)"
• David Bowie, "Space Oddity"
• The Doors, "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" *
• James Brown, "I Got You" (I Feel Good) – Alternate Studio Version
• The Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Crosstown Traffic" *
• The Who, "I Can See for Miles"

Telltale teasing crazy crossover title

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:04:46 +0800

Penny Arcade characters, Sam and Max, Strong Bad and Heavy from Team Fortress 2 to join forces?

Telltale, known for bringing back the adventure game genre, has released a new teaser trailer for an (as of yet) untitled game. That’s not strange in itself, but what is strange is that it apparently features characters from four unrelated franchises and companies. The teaser trailer shows Tycho of Penny Arcade fame, Max of Sam and Max, Strong Bad from the Homestar Runner series and the Heavy character from Team Fortress 2.

There is no idea as to what exactly the game is yet, but we won’t have long to find out as more is set to be revealed next week.

Europe: Nintendo chucks in a Wii Remote with Wii Party

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:43:25 +0800

Nintendo has revealed that all copies of Wii Party sold in Europe will be bundled with a Wii Remote

What colour? White! Probably for the nostalgia of when you first opened the Wii Play box. Ah, precious memories. Though if you’ve already beaten the system and have the maximum number of Remotes the Wii can handle (4, for those of you playing at home!), we recommend you give the extra one to your cat as a toy! Actually, maybe you shouldn’t...

The spiritual successor to the Mario Party series, Wii Party will feature over 80 different mini-games and over 13 different game modes to trudge through. Mii characters will also make a return, so your Peter Griffin and Chewbacca Miis will soon be able to team up in mini-games such as Hide ‘n’ Hunt, Bingo and Word Bomb.

We don’t yet know whether we’re getting a similar bundle, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled. Expect Wii Party to be out mid-Spring.

Source: Nintendo Everything

Japanese Club Nintendo fans get straps and bags

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:08:03 +0800

Everyone else gets tears and heartache

Every time the Japanese Club Nintendo store updates it pains me to post about it. Sure we can pick these up on eBay later for a grossly inflated price, but surely wed rather buy 15 games here in Australia instead. Never mind that, there are two new cool items up for Japanese Nintendo fans. They are a series of New Super Mario Bros. Wii wrist straps and an Animal Crossing shopping bag. It would totally be for my Mum, I swear.

Source: Andriasang

Nintendo Download Update - A must-have week

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:56:45 +0800

There is a hidden gem in this weeks update, one that you must have

A lot of games on the WiiWare and DSiWare stores are pure crap, luckily we miss out on the majority of them. Today we have a brilliant WiiWare game and one that should not be overlooked. There is also a pair of apps on DSiWare you might be interested in.

WiiWare

And Yet It Moves (Broken Rules, 1000 Points) - Nintendo might be publishing this one but all the credit for this great title goes to the Broken Rules team. You know it’s good when Nintendo takes trust in it. Originally a PC game, And Yet It Moves is a great and stylish physics-based tilt and rotating puzzler. It’s made better by the addition of motion controls too, although you can plug in the old Classic Controller if you’re not too keen on that. There’s the main mode to play through along with Time Trial, Limited Rotations and even a Survival mode. Like a stereotypical eBay "A++ purchase, will buy again".

Tales of Elastic Boy - Mission 1 (Lexis Numerique, 600 Points) - I’m taking a punt and saying I don’t think we’re getting this one, so I’m not writing something for it again.

DSiWare

myNotebook: Carbon & myNotebook: Pearl (Nnooo, 500 Points) - Not content with improving all the features in myNotebook series, Nnooo are giving you the grand old choice of either Carbon or Pearl. If you’ve been following Vooks, you’ll know that it now has the ability to save 128 pages and export to the SD card. If not, you now do know. See what I did there?

Where’s Wally? Travel Pack 1 (Ludia, 500 Points) - Ah Wally, you elusive son-of-a-gun. You haunted me through childhood, my young mind not being able spot you in the mess. You won’t fool me twice! If you hadn’t guessed, it’s Wally on the DS, and it even has some multiplayer.

Metroid: Other M preorder deal for Sydney residents

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 22:18:09 +0800

Want to play Metroid: Other M early and get a special gift? Nintendos got a special event this Saturday.

Were sorry about this, but there was similar event of this nature in Melbourne last night but we didnt get a story up quick enough to let you know. But weve got some consolation for Sydneysiders at least. If you head down to the Nintendo Connection at Myer Sydney City on Saturday, you can check it out before its release next week.

Theres some incentive too if you preorder, as youll get a 1000 Wii Points and a limited edition History of Metroid booklet when you pick up your pre-order after launch. But you can only get those if you head to the event.

Metroid: Other M goes on sale in Australia on September 2nd, 2010.

Source: Nintendo Australia (via SMS)

Sonic Colours could feature multiplayer

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:56:03 +0800

New screenshot reveals a red and blue hedgehog. What could it mean?

A recently released screenshot of Sonic Colours might be indicative of the existence of a multiplayer mode. The screenshot features Sonic, being closely pursued by a red coloured version of himself. Whilst this could simply be part of the single player experience, it does hint at the possibility of a multiplayer mode being included.

Unfortunately from the screenshot, little can be confirmed. It’s possible that it could be a race between two players; however it could also be a co-operative experience, as the two players attempt to beat the clock. These are just two possibilities, amongst a host of others.

Sonic Colours is set for an Australia release on November 11th, 2010. Would you like to see multiplayer in the upcoming Sonic title? Discuss it the forums.

Source: Cubed3

Wii Party developer brought in house by Nintendo

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:28:10 +0800

Nintendo grabs 96% stake in ND Cube after Japanese success

Wii Party launched in Japan this July and has already racked up close to 125,000 units in sale. This is a huge success and Nintendo are rewarding those behind it, by acquiring a 96% stake in developer ND Cube (regarded for the Game Boy Advance title, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity). Hopefully this means we’ll see a lot more titles from them in the future.

Nintendo have not released a Party genre game since 2007’s Mario Party 8, which has sold over 7.6 million units worldwide. If its current sale trends continue however, Wii Party may possibly live up to its spiritual predecessor’s legacy.

Wii Party boasts 13 different game modes and over 70 individual mini-games. We currently have no Australian release date.

Source: Gamespot AU

New Nintendo DSi XL colours out in Australia on September 23

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:31:59 +0800

Three new colours on the way for Aussies next month, plus some new release dates

Nintendo Australia has this morning announced three new colours for the jumbo sized Nintendo DSi XL. The three new colours are the yellow, blue and red colours previously seen in Japan. These colours join the party of the already available Burgundy and Bronze.

Nintendo will also be launching on the same day Art Academy: Learn Painting and Drawing Techniques with Step-By-Step Training! Art Academy provides everyone from beginners to experts with tools to create their own works of art plus simple tutorials to learn about colour, shading, movement and perspective. Art Academy has previously been available on DSiWare as two parts.

Nintendo has also announced for release on October 14th Tetris Party Deluxe. This version of Tetris contains over 20 modes, online battles and multiplayer with 8 people with only one game card.

50 classic Atari games to hit the Nintendo DS in Ataris Greatest Hits: Volume 1

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:29:11 +0800

Atari is bringing a huge compilation of Arcade and 2600 titles to the Nintendo DS.

Atari has announced a ripping collection of classic Atari arcade and Atari 2600 games. The arcade hits include Asteroids, Pong, Centipede, Missile Command, Tempest, Lunar Lander, Space Duel, Battlezone and Adventure. But wait, theres more!

Not only are there the above arcade titles, but also the following Atari 2600 titles too; 3D Tic-Tac-Toe, Adventure, Air-Sea Battle, Asteroids, Atari Video Cube, Basketball, Battlezone, Bowling, Centipede, Championship Soccer, Dodge Em, Flag Capture, Football, Fun with Numbers, Gravitar, Hangman, Haunted House, Home Run, Human Cannonball, Math Gran Prix, Miniature Golf, Missile Command, Outlaw, Realsports Baseball, Realsports Boxing, Realsports Football, Realsports Tennis, Realsports Volleyball, Sky Diver, Slot Machine, Slot Racers, Sprintmasters, Starship, Stella Track, Submarine Commander, Surround, Swordquest Earthworld, Swordquest Fireworld, Swordquest Waterworld, Tempest and Video Checkers.

Get it? There is is a ton of games on offer here. Not only are these games available to play in their classic form but many of them include single card multiplayer as well as multi card multiplayer for some games with head to head.

There is also manuals for each game included, Atari memorabilia to collect and even a trivia game.

Ataris Greatest Hits: Volume 1 is out later in the year in the US, no Australian date has been announced yet.

Editorial: Hype Club - Avoiding hype to better enjoy games

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:48:59 +0800

Its true, you dont have to buy every new game out there folks!

There’s a million and one new games released in the year, and you can’t play them all – you really wouldn’t want to anyway. But it seems there is still a dedicated group of people who love to try and think less of people who don’t.

I am not one those people, though, I used to be – and while it was simply for Nintendo games, there are people who take it even further and purchase almost every title for all the home consoles and even the handhelds, not to forget the PC either. These people either do the endless trade cycle, using trade bait to feed their addiction to new games, or simply just have enough money to purchase what they want and buy it regardless of whether they want it or not, simply because of the hype.

Yes, I said Hype. The by-product of anticipation and marketing. Some developers are kings at developing it, a game may be a whole year away from release and it still won’t stop them. No, in order to get people hyped for their games, they basically show them the entire product. It starts off as a major trade show #1, where they show just a trailer. That’s all fine, of course; people need to know about the game. But then you get the exclusive hands-on events complete with countdowns on a corporate media conglomerate site. Then, six more trailers, three sizzle trailers, and big lavish media events behind closed doors. Closer to release, pre-order bonuses start to be developed, and gamers realise they can get arbitrary extras with their games for a higher price. Imagine being able to get a remote control car with a game for a low, low (snigger) price of $129.95AU (maybe more)! Well, you don’t really have to anymore.

You can enjoy all those games, without the above stuff.

Then, we’re in the week of the game’s release. Major PR people are tweeting, last minute competitions are being run, Facebook is cranking and advertisements take over both your television and favourite gaming sites. That game you’ve been waiting for is finally here!

You’ve pored over the game, you discuss it with your mates, you tell other mates that they should have it, you play the living crap out of it, whenever you can. You absolutely love this game, after all, you’re intimately familiar with it thanks to all the pre-release coverage you’ve followed up to it’s release.

But it isn’t enough, you want more. You want to experience that joy again! Never fear though, because;

Next week it starts again!

Forget about the AAA Blockbuster you bought last week, yet another AAA Blockbuster is out next week and you need it. That thrill of it, forget the game you just bought - no one is playing that now. Spoilers for the game are already up on YouTube, you don’t need to play the rest, your friends aren’t playing it online any more… so you move on.

Brink isn’t out till March next year, but it’s already getting a push on Steam. Why?

For some people this is a real thrill (and if so, good on you), perhaps more of a thrill than actually playing the game they’ve white knighted, debated and frame-by-framed through trailers for. In the end you can do this, it’s your choice but you risk starting to forget the real reason you play games.

As I said before, I used to do this to an extent - I now don’t see the fun in it. That’s not because I’ve run out of money and can’t afford to buy these games, or I have no time to play them (but I still play what I can). I could rush down to the store and pick up Crackdown 2, Kane and Lynch 2, Mafia II and whatever is out next week. But you know what?

I don’t need to. And you probably don’t either.

Not only is it much cheaper, but you can actually get more fun from games the longer you stick with them. Apart from the hardcore player, who is still playing Starcraft 2 as they did in that few days after they got it? Who is still chasing orbs in Crackdown 2? Who is still getting all the stars in Super Mario Galaxy 2?

Is Nintendo’s strategy of showing barely anything before release better?

I still am. Well, no, I’m only playing Starcraft 2 and Super Mario Galaxy 2. And I think I am happier for it, really. I’ve played and explored these games more than I would have if I had only given them a week, or even two.

You may be thinking, well the last few months I haven’t bought much, so what is he on about? Well, take a look at the release schedule for the next 3 months, then the next 3 months after that. The video game companies have seen fit to spread this cycle not only over the pre-Christmas months, but for the three months after New Years as well.

So which type of gamer are you? Forget hardcore or casual. Are you in the Hype Club, or are you happy sitting on the outer watching them fight about it? I don’t mind if you’re either, but others might.

The author of this article wishes to advice that he still likes to play video games, if only he could get them without having to wade through miles of marketing.