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Nintendo is rolling out two shiny new DS colors for Fall. DS fans will be able to grab to new models in metallic silver September 7. If you want to trade in an old working model for a new DS in sleek silver, check your local GameStop for specials. Mine was offering a trade in discount for GBAs and DSs.

Nintendo has a commercial with Liv Tyler showing off these two DS models. It’s interesting to see how the games and film industry are coming together in the US. After the WoW commercials, these are the first I’ve seen where gaming products are being advertised by celebrities. With cross over games and films on the rise, I’m sure we’ll see many more star powered games commercials.

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Nintendo is celebrating it’s 250th Wii-kly release in a big way by offering players the classic Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. This Mario title starts out with your typical Mario has to save Princess Toadstool from Bowser scenario, and then throws in a twist. Mario and Bowser must learn to work together to defeat a new enemy, Smithy.

Also on this weeks update are two underwater offerings; My Aquarium and Clu Clu Land. Choose either a fresh or saltwater aquarium and create your ideal tank with My Aquarium. Nourish your own underwater habitat that changes and grows unlike the plethora of screensavers out there. Clu Clu Landis an underwater adventure for one or two. You’ll hunt for sunken treasure as Bubbles the fish. Avoid predator and solve mazes to snag the gold.

Details on all three titles follow the break. Until next Monday, enjoy your new games.
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Nintendo has a new music-rhythm game for the Wii. Helix is now available for this week’s Wii-kly update. This game is meant to get you punching your way to the music as you exercise.

Of course the offering wouldn’t be complete without a couple virtual console games as well and Ys Book I & II are real classic hardcore JRPGs. This offer comes as a two for one with SAMURAI SHODOWN 2 as the second new game. SAMURAI SHODOWN 2 is one of my favorite old fighting games for the NEOGEO.
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Opening night for Mario Super Sluggers for the Wii is August 25.

Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and the rest of the gang are battling Bowser on the diamond and in the dugout to save the island Baseball Kingdom. Players will use the Wiimote as a bat. You can play as your own Mii and create your own line up with over forty characters to choose from.

Visit the Mario Super Sluggers website for more details.

Nintendo is hosting the Ultimate Mystery Party to celebrate the upcoming launch of the new Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir game for the DS. On September 6, the Nintendo World store in New York’s Rockefeller Center will open it’s doors to parents and children of all ages. Gamers are invited to eat, drink and try out Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir at game kiosks throughout the store for their chance to win prizes.

Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir turns casual and veteran players alike into professional sleuths as they gather clues to help solve the case of a missing millionaire named Phil T. Rich. Using the intuitive touch screen controls of the hand-held Nintendo DS, players make their way through a series of beautifully intricate seek-and-solve scenes. The game’s mix of seek-and-solve challenges, multiplayer action, memorable characters and brilliant graphics offers inclusive fun for everyone in the household.

Sleuths of all ages are welcome between noon and 2pm to crack the case of Phil T. Rich’s disappearance and purchase a copy of Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir before the September 8 launch.

Nintendo has released a new trailer for Mario Super Sluggers. Viewing the trailer is a great way to catch a glimpse of gameplay and super move animations. It also gives you an idea of how the Wiimote will be used for pitching, batting and catching.

A few weeks back at E3, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed that a new Pikmin game was in the works. And that was it; no details at all. Now though, a trademark made by Nintendo has been unearthed for the name “Piktura,” which of course sounds ominously like a possible name for a Pikmin game. Besides that, there’s also the added coincidence that the trademark was filed a mere month before E3.

So now there’s the obvious question: what the hell is “Piktura?” My guess is it’s either a new Pikmin title, something involving taking pictures, or possibly both. The way Nintendo’s been flip-flopping between their casual and core markets, it’s really up in the at this point.

Via Siliconera

Pokémon fans have reason to rejoice. Nintendo is offering a limited edition Pokémon DS pack including an Onyx Nintendo DS emblazoned with Dialga and Palkia from the Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl games with matching carrying case. An exclusive animated special, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness is a never before released bonus. A collectible mini-poster tops the bundle off.

Pokémon fans can catch the Limited Edition Pokémon Pack starting August 17th for the same $129 as a regular DS.

Homestar Runner’s infamous Strong Bad makes his video game debut in Strong Bad Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner on this week’s Wii-kly update. This wisecracking prankster is coming at you with episodic content of his own ala Sam & Max. Prank your friends, destroy anything you can get your hands on and pummel your unwanted house guest Telltale’s first offering.

Details on Strong Bad as well as virtual console offerings Break In and Star Parodier follow the break.
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Some people just take up a hobby for their spare time, and that’s it. Shigeru Miyamoto, on the other hand, tends to take up hobbies and translate them into hit video game ideas. He takes up gardening, and Pikmin is born; he gets a puppy, and suddenly we’ve got Nintendogs. So maybe it actually makes sense that Nintendo has now asked him to avoid talking about his current hobbies publicly. After all, with the Wii still on top of the console heap, anything Miyamoto might even just be thinking about could possibly turn into Nintendo’s next big reveal.

Whatever he comes up with, it’ll probably turn into a unique gameplay experience, although I wouldn’t bet on something geared towards the “core” gamers at this point. Let’s just hope he isn’t taking up taxidermy right now, even though I’m sure that would work great with the Wii’s motion controls.

Via The Times Online

There are those like myself who still cling to the hope that Rare will one day be able to release GoldenEye on Xbox Live Arcade. It seems extraordinarily unlikely that we’ll ever see that happen, as the game is currently “locked in no man’s land” according to Rare’s Nick Burton.

Speaking with VideoGamer.com at the Develop conference last week, Burton talked about the difficulties the game has faced. “That was a tricky one. To be fair, I kind of wished that the differences got sorted out, but obviously there’s the licensing issue for Bond, even if it’s something that’s already come out,” he said. “It’s incredibly hard to solve because there’s so many license holders involved. You’ve got the guys that own the license to the gaming rights now, the guys that have the license to Bond as an IP, and there are umpteen licensees.”

Earlier this year, sources told 1UP that the game was killed because Microsoft and Nintendo couldn’t come to terms financially. Burton explained that there’s really nothing that Rare can do, which certainly supports the earlier story. Burton explained, “The ball’s not in anybody at Rare’s court really. It’s squarely in the license holders’ courts. It’s a shame. It’s kind of locked in this no man’s land. There’s nothing on Live Arcade, there’s nothing on Wii.”

It simply wasn’t meant to be.

Nintendo is winding up for the August 25th release of Mario Super Sluggers for the Wii. To celebrate it’s taking the title to the 2008 Cal Ripken World Series which runs Aug. 8-16 at the prestigious Ripken Academy in Aberdeen, Md. The event hosts champion youth-league teams for 11- and 12-year-olds from across the United States and around the globe.

According to the Nintendo press release, Mario Super Sluggers will be set up in Batting cages during the series. Players will use the Wiimote like a bat to play. Anyone stepping up to the virtual plate will earn a chance to win a free copy of the game. Members of the youth league teams will win a copy of Mario Super Sluggers if they hit the Nintendo banner on the outfield wall. Aug. 15 during the series’ semi-final game one lucky fan will score a free Wii along with a copy of the game. Each member of the winning team for the Cal Ripken World Series championship will also receive a copy of the game.

Nickelodeon and 2K Play have announced the premier of Dora the Explorer on the Wii. Dora and her friend Boots will be bringing Back Pack and Map for their first Wii adventure, Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess. Her cousin Diego is returning to the Wii in the new adventure Go, Diego, Go!: Great Dinosaur Rescue. The Wonder Pets also have a new game exclusively for the DS; The Wonder Pets!: Save the Animals.

In Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess, players join Dora, Boots and Pirate Piggy on an adventure to save the Magic Snowy Forest from the spell of a witch. Over 12 unique motions are used with the Wii Remote™ to build snowmen, paddle a canoe, steer a dogsled and ride a Pegasus. Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess will be available for Wii, DS and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.

Go, Diego, Go!: Great Dinosaur Rescue enables gamers to travel through time with Diego, Alicia and Baby Jaguar to reunite their friend Maia the Maiasaura with her dinosaur family. Players utilize more than 12 different Wii Remote motions to stomp like a dinosaur, climb across monkey bars, fly on a Pteradon and bounce over obstacles on a pogo stick. Go, Diego, Go!: Great Dinosaur Rescue will be available for Wii, DS and PlayStation 2 system.

In The Wonder Pets!: Save the Animals!, players team up with the popular classroom pets Linny the Guinea Pig, Ming-Ming Duckling and Turtle Tuck to help a Bengal Tiger, Panda Bear and Chimpanzee in need. With the DS stylus and microphone, players tap, drag, blow, speak and circle their way through activities like pulling a thorn from the tiger’s paw, building a ladder to rescue a baby panda and towing the chimpanzee’s space capsule to safety. The Wonder Pets!: Save the Animals! will make its interactive debut on DS.

As a parent, I’ve watched my children grow up with these characters. The television shows engage children, involving them in the story. Each Dora episode is setup like a point and click adventure. My kids have learned more about the Spanish language from Dora and Boots and animals from Diego and his sister Alicia than through any other medium. The Wii seems like an especially good fit for both these programs.

The Wonder Pets isn’t my favorite, but it does expose children to classical music. Linny, Ming Ming and Tuck sing along to these tunes making each episode an operetta. I’m sure my son will love it.

Splatterhouse 2, Wild West Guns and Sonic the Hedgehog; what a combination of games for this week’s Wii-kly update.

Splatterhouse 2 is a romp through a haunted house with weapons of chunky destruction. Since most of your enemies are already dead anyway, it’s all good. You and a partner can compete to see who’s the fastest draw in Wild West Gun. Just don’t shoot the pesky innocent by standers that always manage to get in the way.

Sonic the Hedgehog brings back fond memories of playing with friends and bubbly beverages on New Years Eve into the morning light. This however is not that Sonic. It a new and improved edition of the classic Sega exclusive featuring new stages, bosses, some different zones and a level map. Those elusive Chaos Emeralds are now hidden in certain stages outside the traditional “special stages.” Check out the title that hooked gamers on the fastest critter since Speedy Gonzalez.

Complete descriptions for all three games follow the break.
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For the curious that want to get a look at Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness before buying into this RPG, there’s a video review of the game to help you make an informed decision. Once again players will take on the role of a human who has been turned into a Pokémon. Which one of the sixteen different types is determined by your answers to a personality quiz. After you’ve got your Pokémon persona figured out, your in for RPG style dungeon crawl.

Today I’m looking at Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - Explorers of Darkness on the Nintendo DS.

Not a bad dungeon crawling RPG and certainly attached to the right franchise to do well at the tills!

Pokemon fans will love its cutesy charm, but non-Pokefans can still find a pretty decent game underneath the cuddly, motivational, suger-coating. Maybe play it with Blue Velvet or somesuch on in the background to balance you back out?

via ChannelFlip

You have to admit, Bowser’s game plan when it comes to dealing with Mario has always been a little off. I mean, you’d think he’d learn by now to give his minions better orders to defeat chubby plumber. Well, as it turns out, gamers aren’t the only ones who have noticed this problem. Bowser’s own minions are tired of his methods, and they’re not going to take it anymore…

A new article addresses the increasingly prevalent problem among video gamers. The author calls it “nerd rage” equating the phenomena to gamers finally getting the acceptance from the mainstream and hating the consequences.

It comes down to the games industry wooing casual gamers while seeming to forget the core gamers that brought these companies to where they are today. Whether you call them old-school or hard-core gamers, the traditional target market is getting overlooked in the industries rush to bring in new customers.

If E3 is a sign of the times, things will get worse for core gamers before they get better. Nintendo completely ignored core games and although Iwata claimed that the company no longer considered the expo the appropriate place to premier core games; core gamers are angry just the same.

“It’s like Nintendo has forgotten the people who got them here,” Andy McNamara, editor in chief of Game Informer, a top American game magazine, said in an interview. “If you’re a serious Nintendo fan, what are you supposed to do all year, play Animal Crossing and throw Frisbees in the new Wii Sports? We understand that Nintendo has to reach out to that new mass market, but would it really cost so much to acknowledge the fans who have stuck with them for decades?”

Attendees at Ubisoft’s news conference “couldn’t stop giggling as the company explained why it was making fashion designer games and sports games for girls.”

John Davison, president of What They Like, a start-up that hopes to explain youth media to ignorant adults tried to tactfully put the rift into perspective.

“There is definitely a feeling of betrayal among hard-core gamers as the industry matures and comes to realize that the growth opportunities are not in solely catering to 18-to-34-year-old men, but in also appealing to the rest of the world.”

So, is this “nerd rage” a case of core gamers needing to put up and shut up now that they have more broad societal acceptance; or is their anger at an industry that seems to have used them and cast them aside justified?

via The New York Times

When Nintendo first broke the news of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars at E3, people naturally wanted to know more about it. Partly this was because it was about the only interesting thing from their press conference, and partly because all we got for the game was a title logo. Up until now, all we’ve really known about the game is that it will be exclusive to the DS. Now though, it seems you can add “online features” to the very short list of things we know about the game. If you breeze over to the official site for the game, you may notice the distinctive “Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection” logo emblazoned near the bottom. So we know the game with have an online something. Of course, for all we know the whole game could turn out to be another cooking simulator, much like Cooking Mama. It might still have a GTA-inspired story though: “I just got out of prison, but I think I’m finally going to change my ways. Maybe open up a nice restaurant. Hey, Chinatown has some buildings for lease!”

Ah, yes, Red Steel: the little Wii launch title that couldn’t. The game had a lukewarm reception from critics, but still sold very well, probably because it was one of the Wii’s launch titles and one of the first shooters for the system. So of course, there’s been a sequel in the works for awhile, but now the developers are looking to incorporate the new MotionPlus peripheral with the game. According to Alain Corre, executive director for Ubisoft:

Red Steel 2 has been in development for many months now, and this new device will help us be even more precise in what we do with the product. The Red Steel brand is strong - I think we released it on year one, and that people understood that it was a first try on new technology, technology that wasn’t completely finished.

That’s pretty optimistic. In my experience, of all the things gamers are, “understanding” isn’t really one of them. Besides, a lack of precision was kind of low on the list of what was wrong with the first game.

Via GameIndustry.biz

It’s Monday morning; time for another Wii-kly update. This week gamers can train for fraternity hazing with the WiiWare title, Pong Toss-frat Party Game. Toss your balls into cups of what assuredly would be root beer for an E for Everyone rating.

The virtual console offerings are ART OF FIGHTING 2 and Chase H.Q. giving gamers a variety of genres to choose from. A full description all these titles follows the break.
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