WiiNintendo

Although we could call this the Wiikly WiiCap, that would be extreme overkill in the use of Wii in the title, lol.  Saturday is unfortunately a usually slow day for new news and to complement the others on the site who bring you so many links to photos and videos to check out, here is just a brief smattering of some of the interesting topics that appeared through our WiiNintendo gateway.

• Red Steel 2 – The First 20 Minutes
• Monster Hunter Tri – More Gameplay
• DSi XL – Trailer
• 3 – 15 – 2010:  Nintendo Download – Releases This Week
• Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver – Review RoundUp
• Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey – Review RoundUp
• Fragile Dreams – Review RoundUp
• Red Steel 2 – Walkthrough
• Trauma Team – Diagnosis Walkthrough

Today SEGA updated the Sonic the Hedgehog 4 website with some nice tidbits. First they have added the first image of one of the four stages in the game, Splash Hill, which looks and possibly pays homage to the Sonic the Hedgehog games of old. On the site it also says that a video is incoming.

In response to a Blog Post from earlier this week on the site, they have also added in the full track mp3 download for Act 1 the Splash Hill Zone (composed by Jun Senoue, composer of Sonic and Knuckles and others).

Definitely check out the official site for more updates and to get the track. Remember Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 hits WiiWare this Summer.

Official Site

Composer Announced

Today seems like it will be a great day for Nintendo’s downloads. On WiiWare, we get the highly anticipated Wii Motion Plus fighter game Rage of the Gladiator and a 3-sport shooting game called Triple Shot Sports. We recommend RotG over TSS, though. On the Wii Virtual Console, we get the original TurboGrafx-16 CD game Castlevania Rondo of Blood. For the DSiWare market, we get 4 titles, which makes sure there should be at least one that will excite you.  Zoo Frenzy seems to be a zoo simulator with mini-games, 101 MiniGolf World is exactly what it sounds like with up to 8-player support, Battle of Giants: Dinosaurs – Fight for Survival pits your dinosaur up against others as you fight to the death, and Car Jack Streets seems to be a top-down GTA-clone. What will you pick? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences. As always, you can check out the official press release below, where we have embedded gameplay videos to help you out.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GAMING

March 15, 2010

How tough do you think you are? This week’s roster of new downloadable games from Nintendo gives you several ways to prove it. Now available for the WiiWare™ service, Rage of the Gladiator puts players face-to-face with flurry of fearsome foes, enhancing the motion-control action with support for the Wii MotionPlus™ accessory. Meanwhile, Wii™ owners with a taste for classic gaming can test their mettle against bloodthirsty vampires in CASTLEVANIA RONDO OF BLOOD for the Virtual Console™ service. Other fresh releases challenge you to excel as a sharpshooter, a prehistoric beast or a criminal mastermind. Whichever setting you choose, just be prepared to step up and show your stuff.

WiiWare

Rage of the Gladiator
Publisher: Ghostfire Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Animated Blood, Alcohol Reference, Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Rage of the Gladiator is a fantasy-based fighting game in which you must fight for your life in the arena. One of the most gorgeous WiiWare games ever, it features amazing 3-D graphics, animation, lighting, shadows and special effects. Full voice acting means each boss has its own personality and taunts you mercilessly. Discover insane finishing moves: Summon a fiery meteor or savage tornado, or transform into a hulking colossus 10 times your normal size. Customize your character and specialize in skill trees – Offense, Defense or Magic – to gain new powers. You’ll also enjoy epic, blood-pumping music by legendary composer Sean Beeson. For added replay value, unlock Challenge Mode and encounter tougher bosses with new abilities. The game also supports the Wii MotionPlus accessory.

Triple Shot Sports
Publisher: The Code Monkeys Ltd.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Triple Shot Sports is one of the most advanced recreational shooting games available for the WiiWare service, immersing players in the world of competitive target shooting. Most competitive events consist of activities that are traditionally derived from hunting and combat skills. Over time, these practices have evolved into a variety of competitive sports that include Archery, Pistol Shooting and Free Rifle. As with real-life shooting events, you will have full control over the aim of the weapon. You must also account for prevailing weather conditions and the athlete’s breathing pattern, as these factors can influence the accuracy of your shot.

Virtual Console

CASTLEVANIA RONDO OF BLOOD
Original platform: TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM
Publisher: Konami
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
Price: 900 Wii Points
Description: This is the 10th action-packed installment in the ever-popular CASTLEVANIA series, which depicts the epic struggle between the Belmont clan and the dark forces of Count Dracula. An instant classic, this title is recognized far and wide for its beautifully rendered world, outstanding game balance and haunting CD-quality music. The player takes control of RICHTER, the clan’s ultimate Vampire Killer, guiding him through a total of nine stages filled with treacherous traps and hidden secrets. Using your legendary whip – passed on from generations of Belmonts – and a powerful selection of Item Crash attacks, it’s up to you to destroy Dracula and his evil horde. What’s more, rescuing MARIA at some juncture in the game allows you to use her as a playable character for even more vampire-slaying fun.

Nintendo DSiWare™

Zoo Frenzy
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) –Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Create the zoo of your dreams and try to maximize your profit by managing tons of parameters. Enjoy five fun mini-games to train and support your animals: Feed them, heal them and even play soccer- or hockey-themed games with them. Your best-trained pets will go back into the wild to fight dangerous monsters and find cute new animals for your zoo. Enjoy use of the Nintendo DSi™ system’s built-in microphone and camera – wake up the hero by shouting at him, and see yourself in the game.

101 MiniGolf World
Publisher: Teyon
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: 101 MiniGolf World is one of the first-ever 3-D miniature golf games for the Nintendo DSiWare service. Your stylus becomes the putter for an incredibly fun mini-golf experience. Play more than 100 challenging holes solo or with up to eight players on one system. Send your ball flying through loops, pipes, arches, extreme ramps and mind-blowing obstacles. Enjoy a combination of real golf rules and wacky mini-golf fun.

Battle of Giants™: Dinosaurs – Fight For Survival
Publisher: Ubisoft
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Long before mankind stepped into the world, the Earth was a harsh environment dominated by dinosaurs. Every species of dinosaur had to fight to survive in this hostile environment. Travel through the hostile lands as one of three breeds of dinosaur while battling giant enemies to save your kind. Create and customize your own unique dinosaur. Explore four mysterious territories and discover buried fossils to complete your mission. Enhance your dinosaur’s abilities and compete against your friends in epic duels.

Car Jack Streets
Publisher: Tag Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Mild Language, Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: A critically acclaimed game with high-octane action, innovative real-time game play, stunning visuals and an awesome soundtrack, Car Jack Streets will take you to the limit. The Italian mob is calling in your gambling debt of $1 million. Attempt a wide variety of criminal and legitimate jobs to earn as much cash as possible, but remember to avoid attracting attention from the cops and other gang members. Do you have what it takes to stay alive, pay your debt and rise to the top of the criminal underworld?

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

[Nintendo PR]

The Classic Controller gives the game the dual-stick set-up it’s always wanted to have, and using the left stick to maneuver your vampire hunter while the right one aims and blasts your weapons feels natural and very easy to get into. It also supports Wiimote/Nunchuk combo and the GameCube Controller (with rumble enabled), giving a lot of different control options to a design that was originally developed for a platform that has no buttons at all (The iPhone).

This is a solid arcade shooter, just decide if you’d like it for DSiWare or WiiWare

Dive: The Medes Islands Secret is the second game developed by Cosmonaut Games, and it will be distributed online through Nintendo’s WiiWare™ service.

“It was in the Great Medes Monastery, in 1412, where Martin I “The Human”, leader of an Order of the Temple and long-time resident of the island, was buried. The secrets of the Order were also buried with him, where they would be sealed in the same crypt and kept through the centuries. But two hundred years later, an earthquake split the island in two and the crypt disappeared into the depths of the Mediterranean Sea.”

This is the start of the story that will take John Sanders, the hero, on an adventure through the 10 levels that make up the came “DIVE: The Medes Islands Secret”, a Platform/Action game that is rooted on the Medes Islands, a fantastic protected natural landscape located at the heart of the Costa Brava in catalonia, Spain.

Dive: The Medes Islands Secret recreates underwater scenes from 10 different real locations from around the world, with large levels filled with enemies, mazes, dangers and treasures. It contains an economic system that will enable players to exchange or upgrade their diving equipment, which is required to reach the deepest mysteries.

Key Features
These are the main features of Dive: The Medes Islands Secret

• Spectacular graphics. The marine flora and fauna have been recreated in detail, making the most of the Wii™’s graphics and storage capacities of the WiiWare™ service.

• 3 Levels of difficulty. Three different levels of difficulty have been prepared, suited to the requirements of the players.

• 10 Levels: Accompanied by 10 different real locations. During his adventure, John Sanders will travel to the Medes Islands, Cap de Creus, Cayman Islands, Tortuga Island, Bermuda or Santorini.

• Size of the Levels: The levels are very large and filled with mazes and enemies that will make it difficult to achieve the objectives.

• Treasures: There is a wide variety, from sunken ships to ancient underwater civilizations.

• Reusability: With different objectives at each level, players can return to any one of them to complete them, lengthening the total playing time.

• Shop: Economy system and ability to manage diving equipment. Without the necessary upgrades, players will not be able to reach certain areas of the game. Players can upgrade their Wetsuit, Diving Cylinders, Fins, Speargun and Diving Torch.

• Achievements: Where the treasures and discoveries achieved by the player during the adventure can be viewed.

• Expedition Diary: Where John Sanders will reveal the different plots in the game’s story.

• Enemies of all types, from giant Octopuses to Sharks, as well as Barracudas, Jellyfish or Manta Rays.

• Use of the most relevant features of the Wii Remote™

• Orchestral soundtrack that accompanies the entire game and was composed by El Topo Negro.

Tomorrow Corporation is pleased to announce the existence of Tomorrow Corporation, a massive new “indie game” studio.

“We’re literally bursting with cash,” said a Tomorrow Corporation PR spokeswoman, “because if there’s one thing that makes money these days, it’s indie games.”

“For years, giant corporations have been hurt by scrappy indie studios hogging the limelight with titles like Crayon Physics Deluxe, Braid, World of Goo, and Super Meat Boy. To those tiny, un-American, indie developers, Tomorrow Corporation would like to deliver a message: Your reign of terror ends… Tomorrow! ”

Tomorrow Corporation’s massive Human Resources Department has recently acquired a glut of indie sellouts, including developers Allan Blomquist, Kyle Gabler, and Kyle Gray – all former grad students from Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center and co-founders of the wasteful and profitless Experimental Gameplay Project.

More recently, Gabler co-founded the indie studio 2D BOY, responsible for creating the reprehensible game World of Goo, to which Blomquist also regrettably contributed his indie talents. Gray recently created the unpatriotic Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure, a game about sipping tea.

Tomorrow Corporation has yet to announce its first indie game title, but would like to remind fans to check back frequently for exciting new information.

“The secret to a truly great indie game is that special human touch,” says the spokeswoman, “which our producers have scheduled for insertion shortly before the product ships.”

“Let’s all remember,” she added before floating away in the official Tomorrow Corporation blimp, “the future … is Tomorrow!”

Here is the first hour and 45 minutes of my time with the game. Thanks to Triple Point for allowing me to play and review this game. Expect my review within the next week.

Today, it is all about the fantasy games for Nintendo.  On the Virtual Console, we get the SNES classic Final Fantasy 2 (which is actually Final Fantasy 4 in Japan and on DS).  For WiiWare, we get the interactive puzzle-platformer Max & the Magic Marker and a top-down shooter called Dracula – Undead Awakening.  The DSiWare lineup increases by four. A card game called Elemental Masters, a Spanish-learning game called 4 Travelers – Play Spanish, a handheld version of Dracula – Undead Awakening, and another Flips book entitled The Bubonic Builders all come to DSiWare today. Be sure to check out the official press release from Nintendo (below) where we have embedded gameplay videos and screenshots.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: WITH FANTASY GAMES THIS GOOD, WHY SETTLE FOR REALITY?

March 8, 2010

Sometimes realism is overrated. Don’t we all need a regular jolt of fantasy to keep our imaginations alive and kicking? For Wii™ owners, this week’s new game lineup is set to deliver exactly that. Max & the Magic Marker for the WiiWare™ service imagines what would happen if your own artistic creation turned against you, while the Virtual Console™ service features a big dose of otherworldly action with the classic FINAL FANTASY® II. Browse all the latest downloadable games for the Wii and Nintendo DSi™ systems to help keep your imagination fueled to the max.

We’ve also got some free bonus inspiration for you this week: At last September’s Penny Arcade Expo, Nintendo invited professional artists to create one-of-a-kind animations using the Flipnote Studio™ application for the Nintendo DSi system. The results are now online and ready for viewing at the Flipnote Hatena site (http://flipnote.hatena.com), including cool clips from top comic artists like Eric Jones, Christina Strain and Mike Choi. Check them out and treat your brain to extra helpings of creative juice.

WiiWare

Max & the Magic Marker
Publisher: Press Play
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: One day Max gets a mysterious marker in the mail. Not knowing better, the first thing he draws is a wacky, purple monster. As soon as the marker leaves the paper, the monster comes to life and jumps off the paper and into another drawing. With the monster on the loose and messing with Max’s drawings, Max has no choice but to go after it. Armed with the magic marker, you must help Max track the monster through 15 inventive and challenging levels. You’ll need more than good will and quick reflexes to tackle the challenges ahead. Draw freely inside the game to help Max defeat enemies, overcome obstacles and solve puzzles. As you draw stairs, seesaws, balloons, surfboards and whatever else you can think of, your creations will interact with the physical environment, making every session unique.

Dracula – Undead Awakening
Publisher: Chillingo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Are you a vampire hunter? Are you ready to battle legions of undead foes including zombies, ghouls and werewolves? You’ll need to wield an arsenal of powerful weaponry while using your skill and intelligence. Uncover devastating firepower – machine guns, buzz-saws, flamethrowers and more – and choose upgrades for them as well as unique new perks for your character as your enemies increase in number and ferocity. You’re a tough customer, but beware – Lord Dracula is always on the hunt, and you are his prey. Enemies in Dracula have one thing in common: Undead, lycanthrope or mutant, they’re all after your flesh.

Virtual Console

FINAL FANTASY II
Original platform: Super NES™
Publisher: Square Enix
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Follow the dark knight Cecil – Lord Captain of Baron’s elite force, the Red Wings – as he embarks on a fateful journey riddled with trials, betrayals, friendship, loss and self-discovery. Plagued with uncertainty over his monarch’s motives, can Cecil turn away from the path of darkness and destruction?

Nintendo DSiWare™

Elemental Masters
Publisher: lbxgames
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: In this fantasy card game, stand your ground in a quest filled with magic and adventure, and experience a thrilling combination of strategy and role-playing. Choose your character, build up your army in your card deck and fight the mystical creatures of Elendior. With thoughtful use of your cards, you’ll obtain the monsters of your enemy and support your attacks by using arcane spells and the rules of dark magic. Dive into this captivating story in the quest mode or duel with your friends in multiplayer mode. More than 100 creatures in numerous maps are waiting for you.

4 TRAVELLERS™ – Play Spanish
Publisher: AGENIUS Interactive
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Whether played alone or together with friends, 4 TRAVELLERS can teach you new words in Spanish. The game is suitable for both young and old, and no previous knowledge is necessary. The more you play, the more your Spanish vocabulary increases. You can also play and learn with the game’s unique learning mode. The game is perfect to bring on your trip, with more than 240 carefully selected words included specifically for this occasion.

[Sorry, no screenshots or gameplay video available at the time of posting.]

Dracula – Undead Awakening
Publisher: Chillingo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Are you a vampire hunter? Are you ready to battle legions of undead foes including zombies, ghouls and werewolves? You’ll need to wield an arsenal of powerful weaponry while using your skill and intelligence. Uncover devastating firepower – machine guns, buzz-saws, flamethrowers and more – and choose upgrades for them as well as unique new perks for your character as your enemies increase in number and ferocity. You’re a tough customer, but beware – Lord Dracula is always on the hunt, and you are his prey. Enemies in Dracula have one thing in common: Undead, lycanthrope or mutant, they’re all after your flesh.

[Above images thanks to NintendoLife.]

Flips: The Bubonic Builders
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: Not Rated
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Flips Interactive Books are the fun new way for kids to read. The builders are in to replace the girls’ toilet block, but they’re more interested in cups of tea and instant noodle snacks than doing any work. James suspects foul play, but Alexander and Lenny are doubtful until a strange accident hammers the truth home. How will the three friends stop St. Sebastian’s from being reduced to rubble?

[Above image thanks to NintendoLife.]

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

[Nintendo PR]

Here’s a new trailer for the upcoming DSiWare title from Nnooo called “myPostcards.”