Wii Welcomes Phoenix Wright

Phoenix Wright will finally hits Nintendo Wii but without the Western confirmation yet...

It has been revealed by Famitsu magazine that the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney games are to see a release on the Wii's WiiWare service, with the first installment in the Ace Attorney series being available in Japan from December 15th for 900 points, with the subsequent games to be released separately at various times afterward.

There is no word on a Western release, though it seems highly likely that one will happen. As for an original Wii game in the Phoenix Wright series, nothing has been announced as of yet.

source: 411Mania.com

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles Ships For The Wii

Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is now shipping to all North American retailers for Wii. The latest installment in the Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is a follow up to the successful Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles that took the series’ infamous characters and storylines and turned the gameplay on its side with new on-rails arcade shooter gameplay. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles takes this gameplay to a whole new level in terror as the camera now mimics the first person view creating a more dramatic and immersive horror experience.

The addition of a full 2-player co-op experience only adds to the game’s level of depth, as players can now shoot zombies with their friends throughout the game. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is rated M for Mature by the ESRB and has a suggested retail price of $49.99 at all major retailers across North America.

For a taste of the action, players can also check out Capcom’s Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles official interactive trailer at http://www.gametrailers.com/video/experience-the-darkside/57808. For the first time in a video game trailer, the audience will be able to engage in the action they see on screen by being able to shoot the zombies with a click of their mouse. Before players purchase the game, they can try it out at Gametrailers.com.

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles sends a full cast of characters into a world where the lines between good and evil are blurred and the potential to go to the dark side lies within everyone. Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Jack Krauser, Steve Burnside, and Chris Redfield all play their part in an engrossing storyline that will fill in the missing pieces from Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. This new chapter in the Resident Evil series retraces the terrifying ordeals of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil Code: Veronica, but this time from an all-new perspective. A vibrant new South America part of the story pairs Jack Krauser with Leon S. Kennedy as they hunt down Javier Hidalgo, a drug lord connected to the Umbrella Corporation.

The game’s on-rail, arcade shooter gameplay first featured in Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, has been radically upgraded in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. To create a more terrifying and cinematic experience, the camera mimics the first person point of view and at times, zombies surround players so they must rely on each other to advance. Combined with an eerie soundtrack and a new graphics engine utilizing state-of-the-art technology, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles delivers the most fun and accessible horror game on Wii yet.


source: GameInfoWire.com

Wii Games for 2009 I

Cave Story
Release Date: Early 2009
Developer: Studio Pixel, Nicalis
Publisher: Nicalis

While Cave Story has been available for free as a PC title since 2004, many who've played through it -- or heard the rave recommendations of people who've played through the charming game -- think highly enough of it not to mind paying for a WiiWare version.

Nicalis' port improves on the acclaimed 2D Metroidvania title with additional save slots, new character designs, enhanced graphics and music (users can also choose to play the game with the original visuals and soundtrack), and more.

The Conduit
Release Date: Spring
Developer: High Voltage Software
Publisher: Sega

With the exception of Metroid 3 and maybe Red Steel, few Wii games have delivered a compelling first-person shooter experience. High Voltage, using its Quantum3 engine, seeks to fill that void and offer a full-featured, graphically impressive FPS comparable to a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 shooter.

Along with its single-player campaign, the title will feature online multiplayer for up to 16 players, promising voice chat via the Wii Speak accessory and at least three game modes -- Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Capture The Flag. The Conduit will also use the Wii MotionPlus attachment for capturing player gestures more accurately.

Deadly Creatures
Release Date: February
Developer: Rainbow Studios
Publisher: THQ

In Deadly Creatures, players take on the unfamiliar roles of a scorpion and a trantula, both with completely different play styles, as they crawl around in the desert fighting a number of bugs and even reptile bosses, like a rattle snake and a Gila monster.

Actors Dennis Hopper and Billy Bob Thornton voice two of the villainous humans in this game, their storyline running parallel with the scorpion and tarantula's as they search for buried gold from the American Civil War.

Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
Release Date: No date announced for U.S. (Already available in Japan)
Developer: Tecmo, Grasshopper Manufacture
Publisher: Nintendo

Renowned designer Goichi "Suda51" Suda (No More Heroes) joins series director Shibata Makoto to co-direct this latest entry to Tecmo's survival horror franchise, Fatal Frame's first appearance on a Nintendo console.

As with previous installments, players unravel the mystery behind a past tragedy by exploring haunted areas and fighting off hostile spirits with an antique soul-capturing camera, except they will aim their shots with a Wii Remote instead of a directional pad this time around.

Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon
Release Date: No date announced for U.S. (January 22nd in Japan)
Developer: Namco, tri-Crescendo
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games

Set in a post-apocalyptic world in which almost the entire population has vanished, Fragile follows a boy named Seto as he searches for survivors in abandoned cities. Ghosts and demons make up the enemies in this RPG, attacking the exploring hero.

Several tools controlled with Wii Remote gestures will help Seto in his efforts, such as a flashlight, a metal detector, and a device that picks up sounds and plays them through the controller's speaker.



source: GamaSutra

Super Ghoul 'N Ghosts New on Wii

Fans of old school games will find some treasures at the Wii Store today.

Nintendo has added the classic spy game 'Elevator Action' (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) and 'Super Ghouls n’ Ghosts' (Super NES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points), the third entry in the famous franchise.

The lone Sega Genesis entry is 'Sword of Vermilion'. A one player game costing 800 Wii Points, 'Sword' is a role-playing, sword and sorcery game that allows for different views and play styles. Interestingly enough, it was one of the titles featured during the “Genesis does what Nintendon't” campaign in the Nineties when Sega and Nintendo were slugging it out for console supremacy.



source: WHAM Gaming

Manhunt 2 FINALLY cleared for UK

It's hugs and kisses abound no-doubt in the Rockstar hallways, as its long battle to get Manhunt 2 released in UK is won with an 18 certificate from the BBFC.

Rockstar's appeal to the Video Appeals Committee was quashed once before by a Judicial Review from the BBFC, but the VAC has now reconsidered its decision again in the light of "the High Court's directions on the law".

By a majority vote of four to three, the BBFC has issued Manhunt 2 an '18' certificate. But it doesn't sound too happy about it...

"As I have said previously, we never take rejection decisions lightly, and they always involve a complex balance of considerations," said David Cooke, Director of the BBFC.

"We twice rejected Manhunt 2, and then pursued a judicial review challenge, because we considered, after exceptionally thorough examination, that it posed a real potential harm risk.

"However, the Video Appeals Committee has again exercised its independent scrutiny. It is now clear, in the light of this decision, and our legal advice, that we have no alternative but to issue an '18' certificate to the game."

Rockstar said in a statement: "We are pleased that the VAC has reaffirmed its decision recognizing that Manhunt 2 is well within the bounds established by other 18+ rated entertainment.

"Rockstar Games is committed to making great interactive entertainment, while also marketing our products responsibly and supporting an effective rating system."

No release date has been given.




source: cvg

Nintendo Wii Base in Stock!

Do you need a replacement Wii base? Are you looking for something more stylish than the original Wii base? If you are then look no further! We now carry three very stylish colors of the Wii base. Replace your tired looking Wii base with something that stands out more such as red chrome, black chrome, or clear blue! Best part is that it only costs $11.99!

source: wii-news

Wii Crossbow Has Laser Sight, Tip Covered by Ping Pong Ball

We have seen our fair share of Wii peripherals, but the Wii Crossbow actually looks like it could be used by police officials to take down the bad guys. Sure, the ping pong ball tip doesn't look too menacing, but we're sure there's a razor sharp arrow underneath.

If you're worried aiming is going to be an issue, fret not. A laser sight is included to make sure you beat all your current scores in Link's Crossbow Training. Priced at $28, the Wii Crossbow is priced on the steep side, but you can always take it in the garden, load it up with Nerf darts and pelt the bejeezus out of next door's cat. Alternatively, you could use it to save some Christian aid officials that unwittingly have happened upon difficult times in war-torn Burma. You are Rambo.

source: gizmodo

Japan: PSP slaps Wii/DS down to size

It seems Sony's recent push to drive up PSP sales is working - last week, the console utterly owned both DS and Wii in the hardware charts.

73,702 PSP consoles were plucked from Japanese stores in the week ending March 2, according to Media Create figures - a massive 20,000 more than the previous week.

This blew both of Nintendo's usually dominating consoles out of the ball park, with 51,922 DS units sold, and Wii selling 64,535 consoles.

We can't say we're surprised. While it's been pretty quiet on the Nintendo side, Sony has been throwing announcements out at a rapid rate, with Skype for PSP launching, multiple new PSP colours announced, new peripherals, as well as Koei game Musou Orochi doing well for the handheld, holding seventh in the software charts.

Top spot on the software charts has also slipped free of Nintendo's vice grip, with Gundam Musou Special nipping in ahead of Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

PS3, meanwhile, trailed with 13,520 sales in the same week, PS2 managing 10,986, and, of course, Xbox 360 nipping in with just-got-out-of-bed 2,282.

source: cvg

Baroque for the Wii by Atlus

In August, the niche Japanes RPG publisher Atlus Co. Persona 3 gained notoriety for characters' penchats for self-inflicted gunshot wounds to aid them in their magic-making. Running with that theme, Atlus today announced that it would be bringing Sting Entertainment's Baroque, again a game where death helps push things forward, to the Wii and PlayStation 2 in February.

While the most would argue that death is a pursuit worth avoiding, Baroque will apparently reward players for meeting their untimely demises. Atlus is promising a punishingly difficult, yet addictive, dungeon-crawling experience, where players search for items and pwer-ups as they attempt to unlock the secrets of the postapoclyptic world in which they have awoken.

Baroque is rated T for Teen.

New Wii craze is opening up

Bill Thompson looks at ways hackers are opening up the Wii for uses never intended by Nintendo.

The Nintendo Wii is an astonishing computer, the console for people who don't play games, nestling next to the TV like a family pet and encouraging those who would normally sneer at a PlayStation to wave their arms around in order to play virutal tennis.

The Wii remote has a lot to do with its success, of course.

This motion detecting wireless handheld controller gives players a far more direct sense of engagement with the game than the buttons, pads and triggers of traditional consoles, and accounts for much of the Wii's success as a family gaming platform.

Like other games systems the Wii is as far from an open platform as you can imagine.

Games cost a lot of money to develop, and Nintendo has worked hard to make it difficult to get inside the Wii for fear that easy access would allow games to be copied and distributed.

As a result you can only play licensed games, run licensed programs and do the things that Nintendo thinks you ought to, even though you've paid good money for the hardware.

As you might expect, this has not deterred bands of gifted progarmmers and engineers around the world form working hard to find and exploit the holes in the Wii's setup that could allow access to its inner workings.

Remote uses

The Wii remote is just a clever Bluetooth device at heart, so it has proved to be an easy target.

It can already be used to control a Roomba robot vacuum cleaner, and the delightfully named 'DarwiinRemote' team lets your Wiimote act as remote control for Macintosh computers - the name is an pun on Darwin, one of the main components of Mac OS X.

Other members of the homebrew community, whose name comes from those who prefer to make beer at home instead of settle fro industrially-manufactured stuff, have had a lot of success with the Wii itself, just as other groups have managed to open up the Xbox and PlayStation.

According to the technology site Slashdot there is now an MP3 player, a way to convert and play gameCube game files and even a port of GNU/Linux that runs on the Wii.

The developers involved, true hackers who want to know how things work and exploit the capabilities of the hardware to the full, are not aiming to pirate Super Mario Galaxy or Jenga.

They are driven by a desire to overcome the limits put in place by the manufacturer so that they can, for example, run games from older Nintendo consoles on the new platform or even write their own.

Why have a GameCube and a Wii in the living room when the Wii can do it all?

And why have a powerful games system that won't let you write and run your own games?

Getting it all to work can be complicated, of course.

There are hardware modifications that involve soldering 'mod chips' onto the main circuit board, or a neat trick that uses a coding error in specific pressings of 'The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'.

And there is always a danger that Nintendo, caring more about potential games copying than the desires of their customers, will block these holes and prosecute the providers of mod chips as Sony and Microsoft have done in the past.

But this is unlikely to deter them.

Cat and mouse

The desire to open up the case and remove what are seen as arbitrary and capricious limitations on the way our computers operate is not limited to games consoles, of course.

It is estimated that around one third of all the iPhones sold by Apple have been unlocked so that they can run on any phone network, and the pressure to allow application developers to program the device has forced Apple to release a software developers kit.

All around the pressure is on for the developers and manufacturers of hardware to open it up for others to use creatively, instead of simply providing a set of authorized functions and expecting customers to be happy with what they are offered.

Doing this carries risks, of course, and not just the unlicensed copying of games that worries the console makers. Security flaws could be uncovered, causing problems for online services or even the back-end servers that support online games communities.

But those risks exist anyway, as we can see in the success that the hackers have had in opening up every single platform out there. Surely it would be better to admit that there will always be a way in?

Much as I admire the skills, effort and sheer brilliance that has gone into finding ways to hack the Wii, the iPhone and the Xbox I can't help thinking that there are better ways for us all to spend our time than a game of cat and mouse between the talented hackers who work for Apple, Microsoft and Nintendo and the talented hackers who buy their products.

Just think what brilliant software we'd have for the Wii by now if Nintendo had said: "here's a games console. And here are the hardware schematics - go play!"




source: BBC

Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed Wii

Features

• BIG WILLY – A prototype Furon Mech masquerading as a fast food restaurant mascot - BIG WILLY can destroy tanks or buildings with his massive power, pop humans brains with ease or singe targets with his laser Eye Beams.
• High Fidelity Destruction – Manipulate or destroy virtually anything in the world; on foot, in the air (UFO) or with your BIG WILLY, a giant Furon mech.
• Open World Game play – Explore 5 open world game environments and play through a variety of story missions and side-missions, or destroy everything and anything in sight via open-world sandbox gameplay.
• Multiplayer Modes – DAH! Big Willy Unleashed features all new multiplayer modes.

Description

Control Crypto as he travels the world in the Funked Out 1970's, unleashing massive destruction on foot, in his UFO and, for the first time, in the Big Willy mech. As the storyline prequel to
Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon, Destroy All Humans!® Big Willy Unleashed™ takes players around the world, lampooning hallmarks of the funkiest decade—the '70's. Take on humans and other enemies with a devastating arsenal of weapons and mental abilities—or take to the sky in your UFO to unleash massive destruction from above. Freely demolish 5 invasion sites as you take on over 30 story missions and 30 sandbox missions through three modes of play—Crypto, UFO, and BIG WILLY Mech.

source: play-asia

Resident Evil Zero for the Wii

Capcom is going to tinker with Gamecube title Resident Evil Zero and release it on Wii.

The first snaps were found in Japanese magazine Famitsu (and spotted by Resident Evil Horror).

Zero, just like Resident Evil 4, will be given Wii remote controls and probably some extra story fluff.

However, it was a weaker instalment in the series than RE4 and, if given the same ham-fisted Wii controls, could be a less appealing package. Plus you can already play it on Wii using backwards compatibility.

If and when the new version does come out in Europe it will probably carry a cut-down price-tag like RE4, which was GBP 25. But if you hunt around you can find the original for much less.

Capcom Europe was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.

Head over to our Resident Evil Zero review from a whole five years ago for more information. Or glance at our Resident Evil 4 Wii review to put ports into perspective.




source: eurogamer

Wii Tennis surprisingly appears at Oscars

There was no saucy saunter down the red carpet, but Nintendo's casual darling Wii Sports did manage to surprise gamers with a guest-spot at the 2008 Academy Awards. In one of the night's many gags, host Jon Stewart gets caught off guard when the show returns from commercial break, to find him using one of the event's gigantic projection screens to play a quick round of Wii Tennis.

The entire segment lasts only thirty seconds, but it's chuckle-worthy, to be sure. Check out the video after the break.

source: joystiq

Big Beach Sports coming to Wii

THQ is preparing to release Big Beach Sports for the Wii in the summer of 2008, clearly tapping into an overlooked genre on Nintendo's system.

Big Beach Sports lets players compete in a number of outdoor sports, including American football, volleyball, football, cricket, disc golf and bocce, the later of which is like the best winter sports game of all time, curling. Except without the winter bit.

The game is being developed by HB Studios Multimedia, who has previously produced a series of EA Sports games for the PlayStation 2 and notably co-produced Madden NFL '07 for the Wii.

Up to four players can compete in the game, while the structure of the single player tournament encourages players to master each sport through the use of real-life sport motions.

How this applies to the football mode we can only guess - are you supposed to kick the Wii Remote around the floor? That'll hurt.

source: cvg

Wedisk flash drive apes the Wiimote, is less fun to play

Are you searching for some way to express your devotion to the Wii, but trapped in a corporate job that might disapprove of ill-considered tattoos or Mario outfits? Well, at least you can cart around your Excel spreadsheets in style -- check out these Wiimote lookalike Wedisk flash drives from SolarMemo. The A button releases the USB connector... and that's about as much fun as you can have with it, short of miming your sick WarioWare skills when no one's looking. Available in sizes up to 8GB, but sadly there's no pricing information available -- but can the true fanboy really put a price on devotion?

source: engadget

Death Jr. 2: Root of Evil coming to Wii

Eidos is bringing the PSP game Death Jr. 2: Root of Evil to the Wii in Summer 2008.

Developed by Backbone Entertainment, the game charts the adventures of the Grim Reaper's son. Despite the '2' in the title, this is actually the third game in the series.

We don't like to be judgemental, but it's hard to remain calm when we see a major publisher release a game ported from a handheld that only has a Metacritic rating of 68.

It's also not a good sign that Konami, the previous distributor of the series, isn't involved with this project.

Anyway, take a look at these screens, right here.

source: cvg

Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer for the Wii

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer features Marvel Entertainment's legendary super-powered foursome in its second big adventure. In the game and the film, Marvel’s first family of Super Heroes faces its greatest challenge yet as the enigmatic, intergalactic herald, the Silver Surfer, comes to Earth to prepare it for destruction. As the Silver Surfer races around the globe wreaking havoc, the team must unravel the mystery of the Silver Surfer and confront the surprising return of their mortal enemy, Dr. Doom, before all hope is lost!

The game is based on both the popular comic book series, as well as the movie sequel, with exclusive plot elements that complement the film. It features all of the foursome’s over-the-top super powers, as well as a unique fusion attack system that allows players to combine forces with one, two or all teammates, in order to execute devastating team attacks against the opposition. In addition to fighting familiar enemies from the Fantastic Four universe, players can unlock alternative costumes, comic covers and more!

26 Reasons Why Brawl Will be the Best in 2008

A is for... Assist Trophies

Brawl's mishmash of historic gaming figures stretches far beyond the playable roles. Not content with the already hugely impressive lineup, Nintendo have included various assist trophies that, when used, take the guise of different characters and lend a hand mid-bout. Figures like Mr Resetti (mwa-ha-ha) will be joined by retro heroes Little Mac, and Sin And Punishment's Saki Is-it-a-boy-or-is-it-a-girl1 Amamiya.

B is for... Bowser

Bowser's Final Smash is the most impressive move of the whole lot - transforming the monster into Giga Bowser and sending him on a rampage like he's Gamera's evil uncle just escaped from Jurassic Park. BOWSER SMASH!

C is for... Coin launcher

While dumping coins into a random dispenser is all well and good, we always wanted to do a little more to earn those trophies. Enter: coin launcher. It's a minigame that requires you to shoot the ones you want to collect. Much better.

D is for... Diddy Kong

We asked for it, Nintendo provided it. Finally. FINALLY! A chance to smash his face in once and for all. Note to all game developers: a Diddy Kong pummelling minigame in your product may entitle you to an instant 5% score bonus. Possibly more.

E is for... Excitebike

When the Excitebike racers are unleashed, the rules go out the window, and you must stay aloft unless you want to die. We're all for tactical matches, but it's impossible not to smile when a spanner like this is thrown into the works.

F is for... Fludd

Let's be honest now: while we all have fond memories of Mario wa-hooing his way across Delfino Plaza, the majority of Mario Sunshine simply couldn't hold a candle to the FLUDDless sections. So why are we looking forward to it? Because the vertically-challenged plumber will be a better fighter for it. At last, E Gadd's invention has finally found its place in the Mario universe.

G is for... Gambling

Brawl just keeps on giving. Most games have nothing to offer when your fingers have been reduced to bloody stumps, but Spectator mode allows you to watch Wi-Fi battles and gamble on the outcome. You'll even get some stickers if you lose. We just know that our fingers will crumple at some point, so during recovery we'll make a fortune by betting against Matthew.

H is for... Home-run contest

When you're tired of fighting... No, scratch that. When your eyes can no longer handle the retina-bursting speed of Brawl's primary attraction, there's plenty to fall back on, including this old favourite. You can even pretend you're playing Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games without, you know, actually having to buy it.2

I is for... Items

Smash Bros has always had great items, so we're eager to get our mitts on the latest additions. For example, gobbling a plate of Super Spicy Curry will let you perform mind-bending combos you'd never even dreamed of. The Gooey Bomb's even better: letting you tag an opponent and run away giggling like a schoolgirl while they try their best to pass it on. Every single item adds a layer of depth, and you can choose which ones to activate to create the perfect match.

J is for... Jumping

No, really. The new footstool jump has taken a leaf from Mario's book, and allows everyone to 'boiiing'3 off of their fellow competitors. It's also the best way to kill someone. Think of the humiliation: there's no greater way to KO someone than to leap off a stage's edge, land on top of a recovering character and then jump back to safety as they plummet off-screen. Awesome.

K is for... K Slider

Wild World's best moment, listening to KK Slider belting out blippy music, is also the reason why Smashville will be the place to visit at 8pm on a Saturday. What other fighting game lets you wrestle while a singing dog plays guitar?

L is for... Level Editor

Seriously, it's making us paranoid. Every month we come up with great ideas for Brawl, and every month Nintendo go and put them in the game. Our super-fantastic 'wouldn't-it-be-great-if' list of awesomeness had a level editor somewhere near the top (just under Sonic actually). AND IT'S IN! Once the issue's done we're going to start scanning for bugs.4

M is for... Music

A quick straw poll about gaming's best music should see Nintendo run away with the votes. When we saw the list of musicians involved in Brawl we nearly cried with joy. Not only have we got pieces from every major Nintendo franchise, we've got contributions from Metal Gear's Akihiro Honda, Kingdom Hearts's Yoko Shimomura and Grandia's Noriyuki Iwadare.

The game's brimming with classics, and by using the My Music option you can choose which tracks will be played on any given stage. There are plenty of hidden songs too, and it's always worth risking a life to snaffle the CDs when they appear.

N is for... New Pork City

"We want to beat-'em-up in a city that never sleeps, And find we're king of the hill, top of the heap.

That little air ship, is destined to sway; We'll make a brand new start of it, in old New Pork.

If we avoid the Chimera, we'll take you on anywhere-a; We'll meet you there, New Pork, New Pork."

O is for... Olimar

Best. Playable. Character. Announcement. Ever. Anyone that's ever tried taking on a Wollywog with a handful of reds will know that Pikmin frequently die. We're dying to play as Olimar because he needs to forever replenish his minions to attack - with his plucking down special - and can craft specific attacks based on the colour-combos of the Pikmin. Go go fiery reds!

P is for... Pictochat

The Pictochat level is absolute genius - who wouldn't want to scrap in an area that's always morphing? Beware the flames: they look harmless but they burn... Let's just hope they're better than Team NGamer's efforts. (see page 110)

Q is for... Quitters

Filthy cheaters deserve all the abuse they can get. But while we can't send swears across the net, we won't find our games ruined by people dropping out. If anybody quits, Brawl will leap to the rescue and replace the abandoned character with an AI.

R is for... Rob

R is for revenge. Revenge against ROB: Emptier of wallets and drainer of batteries. You promised us so much, and yet delivered so little. Where were all your games? No matter, your rotational spin and broken neck joint will be no match for our Classic controller...

S is for... Snapshots

Catch Mario humping Peach? Certain camera angles make it look like Snake's snapped Diddy's neck? It's good to share the funniest moments, which is why we reckon the snapshot function is one of the best additions. Pause the game, take the picture and then send it to a friend or save it to an SD card to keep forever.

T is for... Target smash

We've always liked Target Smash, so we're delighted that a replay option's been added for extra bragging rights.

U is for... Ultimate item

Kirby's Air Ride may have worked as well as an inflatable dartboard, but that hasn't stopped Brawl from making its Dragoon the ultimate item. Find all three pieces and you can shoot down your opponents for a one-hit KO.

V is for... Vault

The vault is the one-stop shop for all things collectible. If you're like us, you'll be visiting here after every match, eyeing up your latest swag and trying to snaffle new trophies in the Coin Launcher. Gotta Catch 'Em All? All right, but it'll take months...


W is for...Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is, without question, the single greatest thing that's ever happened to the series. Not only will we be able to play people across the world, we can share video footage and photographs, and watch other matches.

X is for... X

Along with appearances from ROB and FLUDD, the inclusion of music from Game Boy game X represents something brilliant: Ninty's unwillingness to let its past creations die. We're itching to see what other retro treats are in store.

Y is for... Yoshi's Island

Sometimes we just want simplicity from our stages.5 Yoshi's Island has always been present in the series, but never has it looked so beautiful. Rolling seasonal changes and that music... We're welling up just thinking about it.

Z is for... Zero Suit Samus

Who can explain how the Big Bang occurred, or the fate of Atlantis, or even why Samus in her Zero Suit is much, much, much more appealing than in her armour? Such are the mysteries of the world. Who are we to question them?




source: cvg

COD 5 Confirmed for Wii and DS

Call of Duty 4 was so good that even internet hyper-critic Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw hardly had a bad word to say about it. That all looks set to change though, as Activision has confirmed the next COD will be released on DS, PS2 and Wii.

As we reported earlier, in a financial conference call yesterday publisher Activision briefly mentioned the title would be available on all formats.

Couple this with the last effort to bring a Call of Duty game to the Wii, the rumors that COD 4 devs Infinity Ward are not involved with the project, and the extremely short development period, and you have a fantastic recipe for a sub-par port to Nintendo's consoles.

Even worse, the game is going back to The Second World War, because obviously the contemporary setting wasn't ever one of the most refreshing and interesting parts of Modern Warfare, and we all want to go back and fight the Nazis' yet again.

source: cvg [Feb. 10, 2008]

Rygar: Battle of Argus

Grab your Diskarmor and swing into action on the Nintendo Wii as the legendary warrior, Rygar! Immerse yourself in Greco-Roman mythology as you journey through the sundered Island of Argus. Intuitive use of the Wii remote allows you to deftly and effectively control the use of the powerful Diskarmor to destroy enemies and maneuver on, around, over, and under obstacles to save Princess Harmonia!