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    Nintendo opens new studio helmed by Sakurai

    February 18, 2009 - 11:20am


    Nintendo has announced the opening of a new Tokyo-based studio named Project Sora. The studio will be helmed by Smash Bros director Masahiro Sakurai, who seems to have been given complete creative freedom for the project. The official website is relatively bare at the moment, but includes a dialogue between Sakurai and Iwata, in which they discuss the studio's direction.Information regarding the studio's first title is sparse, though Iwata says that it is "something that can be made because Nintendo is backing you up, but is also something that Nintendo could not make." He also indicates that it doesn't fit in the Touch Generations catalog, hopefully meaning it'll be geared more towards hardcore gamers. "If one were simply considering effective use of funding, we'd have went [sic] with a plan similar to Touch Generations. But that's not I wanted."We're intrigued to find out more about Project Sora, but it's very early days. Give them a year or so and we should be hearing a lot more about what they've got cooking.[Via GI.biz]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Dead Rising's 'Sniper Mode' crosses the line

    February 18, 2009 - 11:00am


    In addition to the 'Challenge Quests' revealed earlier this week, Capcom has shown the first screens of another new mode for Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop: "THE SNIPER" mode. On the face of it, a series of sniper-rifle-based challenges that task Frank with shooting certain targets within a strict time limit -- red birds flying among flocks of blue birds, and zombies attacking people whom you are trying to protect -- sounds like a fun arcade-style addition to the game.But we cannot support the "Kobun Mask Boom" mission. This mission puts everyone in Servbot helmets, and you must determine which of the wandering Servbot-people are zombies by observing their clothing and behavior. It's not the possibility of shooting innocent people that offends us -- it's the fact that this is almost a minigame about shooting Servbots, and that is not cool. Servbots are wonderful!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    DSiWare Katamari Damacy puzzler, DSiWare/WiiWare Mr. Driller in Japan soon

    February 18, 2009 - 10:00am


    The latest issue of Famitsu reveals two new titles for Japan's DSiWare download service, both from Namco Bandai. Korogashi Puzzle Katamari Damacy is a falling-block puzzle game starring the cast of Namco's classic rolling-stuff-up game, seemingly involving animals between the blocks and a black hole in the distance. In classic Katamari style, we have no idea. But it says Katamari Damacy in the title, so we're inclined to FREAK OUT -- while also being a bit sad about the milking of the series. Korogashi Puzzle Katamari Damacy will be out in Japan on March 25 for 500 Nintendo Points. In more easily-accessible news, Famitsu also revealed two more Mr. Driller games. Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits was Namco's first DS game; now the company is returning to the well for its inaugural DSiWare title, and throwing in a WiiWare version as well! Mr. Driller for DSiWare (whose full title we can't read in the Famitsu scan) includes a mission mode, time attack, and a Dristone mode, featuring less oxygen to pick up, and more special powerup items around the stage. This mode was removed from the North American release of Drill Spirits. The game comes out in Japan next Wednesday for 800 Points!Mr. Driller World looks like a basic implementation of Mr. Driller on WiiWare, with a tutorial mode and some kind of "simple" play -- possibly a new control scheme. It'll be out Tuesday in Japan, also for 800 Points.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Nintendo launching DSi in North America on April 5

    February 18, 2009 - 9:37am


    Early adopters can begin forming a line outside their electronics boutique of choice as Nintendo has officially announced the street date for the DSi. The company's third stab at its popular touchable moneymaker will hit and, we predict, promptly fly off store shelves on April 5. The date is just 24 hours off of an earlier prediction last month, which by prognosticator standards isn't half bad.For those who have been living under a rock (it's difficult to take pictures of you under there), this latest hardware revision will shoehorn a pair of cameras onto the handheld, as well as an interactive voice recorder and ability to play tunes stored on an SD card. Downloadables are also promised with what Nintendo creatively calls its DSiWare application, with software available for a range of prices starting at 200 DSi Points. It's unclear what software will be available at launch, however. What we do know is that the system will retail for $169.99, a bit cheaper than expected, and will be available in any color you want. As long as those colors are either blue or black.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    EA announces Dead Space Extraction for Wii, coming this fall (on rails)

    February 18, 2009 - 9:11am

    Electronic Arts has lifted the lid off its upcoming Wii port of Dead Space. Well, to be fair, calling the game, titled Dead Space Extraction, a port isn't exactly fair. According to EA, the title will be a prequel to last year's survival-horror romp aboard the USG Ishimura. Extraction will also feature an all-new female lead as players work with a group of colonists to escape the spreading infection on the mining colony, Aegis 7. New "weapons, enemies, puzzles and cooperative multiplayer gameplay" are promised as well. Even more interesting is that EA Redwood Shores is developing the game as a first-person (light gun?) shooter, promising that Wii owners will surely begin to waggle in their space boots when Dead Space Extraction ships this fall.[Update: Worried this might be an on-rails light gun shooter? According to Steve Papoutsis, the game's executive producer, that's exactly what you're going to get. He told IGN that Extraction "takes advantage of a guided and cinematic camera" - IGN translates, calling it "an on-rails first-person shooter in the style of House of the Dead: Overkill." But Papoutsis is quick to point out that "Extraction is not your typical Rail Shooter. [EA's] goal is to innovate and push the genre forward." We loved Dead Space, but consider us thoroughly skeptical. Thanks, guttertalk.]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Phantom Brave haunting Wii in North America this June

    February 17, 2009 - 8:30pm


    NIS America confirmed that the niche game hub will bring its Wii port of Phantom Brave to North America this June. The decidedly morose turn-based strategy game was first released for the PS2 in 2004, and shares much in common with other NIS titles like Disgaea or La Pucelle Tactics. Titled Phantom Brave: We Meet Again, the port will feature a few tweaks over the original, including improved graphics (though judging by the above shot we're not so sure), a redesigned interface, and more items, skills and characters. An expanded story is also promised, though unlike other titles in the NIS catalog, this one's narrative is more apt to leave you grabbing for a fistful of Zoloft than cracking a smile.Permalink | Email this | Comments

    3 Trailers 4 Ready 2 Rumble Revolution

    February 17, 2009 - 7:00pm


    Are you ready for three Ready 2 Rumble Revolution videos? How do you even prepare for something like that? We're imagining a Rocky-style training montage before sitting down to take on these videos -- we aren't sure how punching a side of beef or running up stairs will help you watch Internet videos, but who knows? Your Ready 2 Rumble video endurance may improve as your physical endurance does.The first trailer shows the awful "Syphon Cruel" versus the (faintly) James Brown-ish "Fight Machine." Next on the bill is "Mal Function" against circa-Staying Alive John Travolta in the form of "Fever Friction," followed by "Mosh Deck'em" versus "Kaiser Kong." Developer AKI has done an exemplary job of designing punchable characters.

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    Rock Band Wiikly: Nirvana (most of Nevermind)

    February 17, 2009 - 5:50pm


    Selections from Nirvana's breakthrough album, Nevermind, are offered up as this week's content for the Wii's Rock Band music store. As we pointed out last October, when these tracks released on XBM and PSN, notable songs from Nevermind that are unavailable to download are "Come as You Are" and "Smells like Teen Spirit." Both "In Bloom" and "Drain You" are available on Rock Band and its sequel, respectively. Nirvana (200 Wii points apiece)

    • "Breed"
    • "Lounge Act"
    • "On a Plain"
    • "Polly"
    • "Something in the Way"
    • "Stay Away"
    • "Territorial Pissings"

    Videos for the tracks can be found after the break. No word yet if the Wii's sync with "new" Rock Band Weekly tracks will still occur this month, but the press release from Harmonix notes it'll happen "soon."

    Continue reading Rock Band Wiikly: Nirvana (most of Nevermind)

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    More WiiWare Crystal Defenders in Japan next week

    February 17, 2009 - 3:00pm


    The WiiWare release of Square Enix's Crystal Defenders tower defense game is episodic, based (loosely) on the three releases of Crystal Guardians for cell phones. Square Enix released Crystal Defenders R1 in Japan last month, and it is following up with R2 next Tuesday.The new episode swaps out some character classes, adding new classes like the Hunter, Flintlock, and Berserker, while leaving others like the White Monk out. R2 adds a "Power Crystal" system that uses crystals of different colors to boost character stats. The new game comes with more difficult maps, as well.Square Enix has yet to announce a release for the WiiWare Crystal Defenders games outside of Japan. But since it released the iPhone version here, we doubt it will pass up the opportunity to earn our Wii Points.[Via Siliconera]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Natsume grows another Harvest Moon puzzle game

    February 17, 2009 - 2:00pm

    Natsume has announced another Harvest Moon game, which, in itself, isn't much of a surprise. But Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming is not the same Harvest Moon that we see two or three times a year, localized from a Marvelous farming game. Instead, it's the second original Harvest Moon game from Natsume itself. It's also a sequel to the first one!Frantic Farming is a sequel to 2007's Puzzle de Harvest Moon, this time set in the world of Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness. It looks to have the same gameplay, which turns planting, watering, and harvesting into a tile-based, quick puzzle game. Players can go through the game's story mode with each of 12 characters, as they work to solve the mystery of why the island is suddenly overrun with vegetables. Apparently the best way to solve this is to, uh, plant more vegetables.Puzzle de Harvest Moon's core gameplay was interesting, but the game was a bit too light on substance, and a bit too easy to complete by randomly scribbling. We're hoping that the added modes will allow Frantic Farming when it comes out this May.
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