Filed under wii on September 17th, 2007  Yoshi’s Story (Nintendo 64, 1 player, rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): The evil Baby Bowser has cast a spell turning Yoshi’s Islandâ„¢ into a picture book. Worse yet, the Super Happy Tree has been stolen, making the island dark and gloomy. Players must take control of six Yoshis, each a different color, and travel through six pages (worlds) of platforming adventure to recover the tree and return the island to normal. Featuring huge character models and bright, vibrant colors, the game’s various environments (such as woods, caves, mountains and oceans) come alive in a uniquely gorgeous 2½-D look. Eat fruit, avoid enemies and obstacles, and throw eggs from the Yoshis’ never-ending supply in your quest to stop Baby Bowser’s plan from succeeding. If you’re good enough, you can aim for higher scores by being picky about the fruit you eat. And who knows, you might even find the mysterious black and white Yoshis.
Super Thunder Blade (Sega Genesis, 1 player, rated E for Everyone - Mild Violence, 800 Wii Points): In this follow-up to Thunder Blade, you’ll fly a new and improved attack helicopter in a series of attacks against guerilla armies that are bent on taking over the world. Although your aircraft is formidable, your enemies are vast and varied. You’ll have to take on submarines, tanks, fighter planes and more. Your command of this state-of-the-art battle copter must be top notch, as you’ll have to dodge oncoming fire and use your various weapons to eliminate all enemy targets so you can reach the guerilla base and end their nefarious plans once and for all. Put on your flight suit and step into the thrilling action of Super Thunder Blade.
World Class Baseball (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Acclaimed for its steady game play, World Class Baseball is the definitive baseball game on the TurboGrafx16. Battle the computer in OPEN MODE or play a friend in VERSUS MODE. Customize your team in EDIT MODE or even watch a game between two computer opponents in WATCH MODE. World Class Baseball offers the complete baseball gaming experience. Of course there’s also plenty of single-player action. The main feature is PENNANT MODE, where the player chooses a team from one of the world’s leagues and strives to win their team’s league. Beat league rivals and save your progress with passwords on your way to becoming league champions. After winning your league, get ready to the face the other league’s champion in the heated series for the world championship.
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Filed under wii on September 14th, 2007 Apparently, the next 2 weeks is something known in Japan as the Hanabi Festival. This means that there will be some specially selected titles on Virtual Console.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, NES, 600 Points was originally only available for the Famicom Disk System in Japan and expands on the original with all-new level designs, trickier enemies and obstacles, and secret worlds to explore.
For the Mario purist this is the ultimate gaming treat, but make sure you hurry; this title will be a collector’s item and will only be available for download until the last day of the event on 30th September (all other Hanabi Festival titles will remain available after the event).
Mario’s Super Picross, SNES, 900 points. This classic picture crossword game, previously available only in Japan, features hundreds of challenging yet relaxing puzzles. Each puzzle features a grid of tiles that reveal a picture when filled correctly. Like Picross DS, Mario’s Super Picross includes a save function allowing players to return to puzzles later and a selection of changeable background melodies.
One game that isn’t part of the Hanabi Festival…
Neutopia II, Turbografx, 600 points. In the first Neutopia title (also available on Virtual Console) the heroic Jazeta destroyed Dirth the emperor of darkness. Many years later, the shadow of darkness is spreading across the land and Jazeta must once again take up his arms to save his father and defeat Dirth once again.
Filed under wii on September 10th, 2007 Nintendo has reveled today’s additions to the Wii Virtual Console. The following downloadable retro releases will be available today:
NES Play Action Football (NES, 1-4 players, rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): “Ready! Hut hut hut…†Nintendo takes to the gridiron with the classic football powerhouse NES Play Action Football. Featuring a distinct overhead viewpoint that creates an almost 3-D field, the action is more simulation-based than many of the more arcade-based games of the time. Play through four 15-minute quarters (in accelerated time) and even substitute players when your first-stringers get tired. Want more options? Each of the eight available teams has multiple running/passing plays to choose from while on offense, as well as a wide selection of defensive schemes that can be run when you’re on the other side of the ball. And in addition to viewing two full teams on the screen at once without any slowdown, you’ll hear voice snippets at key points of the game. Line up, and see if you have what it takes to win the Power Bowl.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone – Comic Mischief, 800 Wii Points): Sonic and Tails are back for another adventure as they again battle the evil Dr. Eggman (aka Dr. Robotnik), who is desperately trying to collect all the Chaos Emeralds to rebuild his Death Egg. Our heroes must again find the Chaos Emeralds before Dr. Eggman does, but winning the race won’t be easy this time – a new adversary, Knuckles the Echidna, has arrived on the scene and will do whatever he can to keep Sonic and Tails from reaching their goal. Grab all the golden rings, find various bonus zones and overcome Knuckles and Dr. Eggman as you rocket through the third chapter in Sonic’s adventures.
Neutopia II (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 600 Wii Points): Experience improved graphics and controls in this exciting sequel to the action role-playing game Neutopia. Take on the role of the main hero’s son and watch as the story begins with the apparent revival of Dirth, the evil demon. Once again you’ll need to rely on your magic compass and the information you’ve gathered to find entrances to labyrinths and defeat the bosses in them. Make your way through the field, which can be tricky at times, to search for and find hidden information and items, or move blocks and destroy walls to uncover secret rooms. Like the original, this game has a save function, a finely tuned difficulty level and a fast-paced story, making it truly an RPG that everyone can enjoy.
In-game advertising specialist Double Fusion has released a new technology which separates in-game advertising from the development process, enabling advertisers to implement new ads in already completed games and back catalog titles.
The technology makes ad placements possible where previously they could not be feasibly implemented, including in back catalog titles and titles late in the development process. Fusion.runtime also represents a compelling advertising solution for the casual games industry, where the large volume of titles launched each year requires an easy-to-implement solution to reach the market’s full potential.
Fusion.runtime also allows publishers and developers to incorporate new ad placements into their titles, whether first-run or back catalog, after the release of the game, creating additional revenue potential through the development of specialized programs, a capability Double Fusion refers to as “just-in-time advertising.” For example, if an advertiser wanted to put a branded 3D blimp in the sky across multiple titles for a Fourth of July promotion, and there were no pre-existing blimp placements, publishers using the fusion.runtime technology that wanted access to those advertising revenues would be able to easily place the blimps in their games, and have them disappear after the ad campaign was completed. With code-based solutions, the ad placements are locked once the game has shipped; fusion.runtime opens the door to a much broader, real-time development of custom, dynamically-served game advertising programs.
The technology, which is already being utilized by Ubisoft, NCsoft and casual game publisher Oberon Media, will be demoed by San Francisco-based Double Fusion at the Austin Game Developers Conference beginning Wednesday.
Consumer and technology research firm Parks Associates has forecast that the advent of dynamic advertising technologies such as fusion.runtime will help the US in-game advertising market swell from $514 million to $675 million by 2012.
Filed under Xbox, wii on September 3rd, 2007 The first week BioShock was released it sold an TruckLoad copies. Take a Look at this past week’s sales numbers for all 3 consoles and take notice Metroid Prime 3 has sold more than BioShock.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption bests former overall sales leader BioShock in its first week of release, becoming the week’s single best-selling software title across all platforms in the United States. With few major Wii releases on the horizon, Corruption’s place atop the chart is likely to remain uncontested over the next several weeks as well. Positive buzz from upcoming titles like My Sims and Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party could bring a reshuffling of chart positions in the near future, however.
Understand that BioShock was released for the xbox 360 and PC. Metroid Prime 3 was a wii exclusive title.
Filed under wii on September 3rd, 2007 The latest batch of Virtual Console games has now hit US Wii systems across the country, with four new titles added to the strong line-up. Check out what is on offer below:
Adventure Island (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
A mysterious tropical paradise known as Adventure Island is the setting for this side-scrolling action game. The evil Witch Doctor has kidnapped Tina, the true love of Master Higgins. To save her, you must safely guide Master Higgins through eight perilous stages - including dense forests and creepy caves - while defeating all of the enemies in your path. Each area is made up of four rounds filled with enemies determined to stop you in your tracks. In addition, as time passes, Master Higgins’s vitality is automatically drained. To keep going, he must eat constantly by grabbing fruit, milk and whatever other goodies he can as he races toward his goal. Sometimes eggs containing miraculous items like axes to throw at enemies or honey that grants temporary invincibility will appear. Use items skillfully to help you clear the areas. At the end of each area you’ll face the Witch Doctor, who you must defeat to advance. Go, Master Higgins, go!
Donkey Kong Jr. Math (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)
Learning can be fun, especially when you play along with Donkey Kong Jr. Practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division by directing Junior, a cute little monkey who must climb up and down vines to collect numbers and math symbols to solve the math problems his father gives him. Compete with a friend in a race to solve problems in Game A or add more challenge with Game B. Of course, you can also practice on your own. This game is perfect for younger players who are looking for a fun and easy way to develop their math skills.
Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole (Sega Mega Drive, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
After hearing of the legendary treasure of King Nole, the elvish treasure hunter Nigel undertakes a quest to gather various pieces of the famed loot. His journey takes him through Mercator Island’s villages, caves and dungeons that hold King Nole’s riches. Along the way, he’ll have to help the inhabitants of the island while fighting against the treachery of Duke Mercator, who is searching for the treasure as well. A variety of obstacles and foes will try to deter Nigel, who must use all his wits and skills to defeat Duke Mercator and uncover the secret of King Nole’s treasure.
Bonk 3: Bonk’s Big Adventure (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points)
The hard-headed hero is back for more side-scrolling action in the third installment of the popular Bonk series. It’s up to Bonk once again to thwart the plans of the relentless evil King Drool. There are seven rounds scattered throughout the Dinosaur Kingdom, each one filled with fun contraptions and comical enemies. Grab a Flower Copter or exchange 16 Smileys at the end of each round to play up to eight different bonus stages. Or you can change the size of Bonk by grabbing the new red or blue candy items. Depending on the situation, you can change your size to bonk your way through a dead end or to get a hard-to-reach item. And if that’s not enough, you can grab a friend and put your heads together to defeat King Drool in the new two-player mode.
What a novel concept, parents taking the responsibility for what kids (who don’t normally have jobs) buy. I have two boys one is 14 and one is 2, and they don’t play any games in my house I did not approve or buy first. So take the responsibility it’s your job not the job government to make sure YOUR kids do what is right.
If my son buys a game on his own I play it first, then if I do not approve of It make him return it. I tell him why I think the game was wrong. It’s not the job of the TV, computer, internet, his friends or the video games plays, to tell him what’s right and wrong that’s MY JOB, I am not his friend I am the parent first and I am here to make sure he grows up knowing right from wrong good from bad. If he fails in this it’s MY fault alone.
According to an Associated Press report, the Dutch Ministry was powerless to ban the controversial title as any intervention would have contravened the country’s laws.
Unlike in Britain or Germany, there is no authoritative ratings board or law in the Netherlands banning games purely for violent content, Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin wrote in a letter to Parliament:
“The current law is based on the principle that every adult is considered capable of deciding for himself which games he wants to play, unless it contains illegal material,” he said. That would include racist propaganda or images appealing to pedophiles.
Deciding on whether children should be allowed to play a game is currently “the joint responsibility of parents, the audiovisual industry and the government,” he said. His ministry was now examining whether new laws or policies were needed “to better protect the youth,” he said.
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