Just look how main character Maxim has changed. At least his hair color is the same. Trends change, and so do Japanese RPG characters, it seems.

DSで15年ぶりにリメイクされる『エストポリス伝記Ⅱ』 キャラデザ変わりすぎワロタ [はちま起稿]

I sat down at Nintendo's Redwood City office to get a good look at the single-player mode for myself (since all I had to go on were Nintendo Power previews and Stephen Totlio's experience) before diving into the multiplayer mode. I was given a choice: I could replay the same demo Nintendo Power and Totilo had already covered, or I could be one of the first to see the second dungeon in the game – the Snow Temple.

What kind of correspondent would I be if I didn't go for the latter? A copycat, that's what!

What Is It?
The Snow Temple was described to me as the "second" dungeon in the game once Zelda and Link are sent to the Tower of Spirits to restore the Spirit Tracks of Hyrule. The level began outside the snow-covered structure with the train parked out front and Zelda hovering beside Link.

What We Saw
The temple had about three floors and judging from the main room that requires puzzle solving, I'd say I completed three quarters of it before having to stop to play some multiplayer.

How Far Along Is It?
The game comes out December 7. I was playing on a normal-sized cartridge that could well be a final version of the game.

What Needs Improvement?
My Snow Temple For An Item-Toggling Button: Link started this dungeon with the Whirlwind item and earned the Boomerang about halfway through. To use an item, you've got to select it from a menu so that it appears in an icon in the upper right hand side of the lower screen. Tapping that icon activates the item and then you do whatever is required of you to use it (blow in the mic for the Whirlwind, draw a path on the screen for the Boomerang). There came a point in this dungeon where you had to use the boomerang to create a path of ice over water (by crossing its path through an ice torch and back across the water) – and then quickly change to the Whirlwind to activate a switch out in the middle of the water. Because the ice path melts quickly, your timing has to be spot on and it can get pretty fiddly when you're trying to bust out the Whirlwind, aim it and THEN blow into the mic. I died at least twice, wishing in vain that a tap of the shoulder button would switch between items.

Dude, Where's My Zelda? As soon as I set foot in the Snow Temple, Zelda shrank and faded away with a sigh. It turns out she can't go with you or help you within the Temples and you can't talk to her for advice the way you could with other companion characters in other Zelda games. This turned Spirit Tracks into an experience that was an awful lot like Phantom Hourglass. Phantom Hourglass was good, so that's not an automatic minus – but I think people were expecting the all-new Zelda gameplay to be a consistent feature instead of an area-specific thing.

What Should Stay The Same?
Shallow Learning Curve: Truthfully, I never beat The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and it's been ages since I've touched it. But it really didn't take long to master the stylus-only controls and the menus weren't at all difficult to navigate and interpret. People who missed out on Phantom Hourglass are going to be just fine adjusting to Spirit Tracks.

Sure Rings My Bell: The entire temple was based on moving three bells into a main room together so that Link could trigger them in a sequence to open a door. This objective was communicated entirely through visuals (little panels with bells on different note lines, panels on the floor, etc.) and all of the puzzles were familiar slide-the-block, clear-the-room-of-monsters affairs that I know and love in Zelda games. I got so caught up in the familiar, simple gameplay, I didn't mind dying twice and getting stuck three different times.

Final Thoughts
Despite not having beaten Phantom Hourglass and not really liking The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (yeah, I said it – you wanna fight?!), playing Spirit Tracks felt like coming home. That's probably the best feeling I could ask for from a game, especially so close to the holidays when I long for that feeling and have all this extra time to play games.

But anyway, Spirit Tracks has multiplayer. Boy does it ever have multiplayer, and boy did we ever play it. Here's what we liked:

What Is It?
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks' multiplayer mode is akin to The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures for the GameCube – four people each control one color-coded Link and move around the same map as the other Links. The difference in Spirit Tracks is that instead of trying to help each other, you're racing each other to collect Power Gems and trying to royally screw each other up on the way.

Note: It's local-only.

What We Saw
I played two matches against a developer and two publicists at Nintendo's Redwood City office after finally getting my hands on the singleplayer mode.

How Far Along Is It?
Spirit Tracks it out December 7. I was playing on a normal-sized cartridge that may have been a final version.

What Needs Improvement?
Little Bit Laggy: When dashing around the dungeon map, things start off steady and the Power Gem drops are few and far between. As the match picks up pace, however, and players start falling into traps or getting sliced up the Phantoms, huge amounts of Gems will suddenly spill out onto the map. That plus all four players frantically running to that point to scavenge Gems caused a couple of super-laggy moments in an otherwise smooth experience.

Trap Door Confusion: There are trap doors in every map that are either random or triggered by switches. I honestly couldn't tell you which, though, because sometimes I'd press a switch and a trap door would open and sometimes the door seemed to open and shut in a kind of rhythm. It was confusing – and that much more frustrating when I fell into one because I didn't know if I should blame somebody for it.

What Should Stay The Same?
Spreading The Phantom: Numerous Phantoms – those big guys in helmets from the last Zelda DS game, Phantom Hourglass – wander the maps, prowling for Links. When one spots you, a little icon pops up above your head, indicating that it's got a bead on you. If you fail to run for your life, the Phantom will speed toward you and cut you – costing you precious Power Gems and precious seconds as you scramble to get up and recover them before the other players get there. The fun part about this mechanic is the bit where you can pass the Phantom's bead onto other players you run by – like spreading Chlamydia. It's amusing.

The Invisible Zone: One map we tried out had a patch of water in the center that rendered players invisible when they ran in. You could still see ripples where their feet landed in the water – and if you look closely, the ripples are color coded like the Links – but with all four players running around in there and Phantoms bearing down on one or more of them, it was blind panic. And freaking awesome.

Mario Kart-style Pick-ups: Occasionally, an orb with a question mark on it will fall from the sky. Players that snag this pick-up are treated to several things like a random Gem drop, invisibility or a lightning strike that you can inflict on other players. It keeps things interesting and can be the salve to the wound of a player who just went from 51 Gems to two after a string of Phantom infections.

Single Cartridge Play: I am so happy that it doesn't require four people to actually buy the game to enjoy this mode.

Final Thoughts
The multiplayer mode in Spirit Tracks certainly isn't the main attractions of the game – but it's a solid addition that deserves to be played if you can tear yourself away from trains and princesses for a little while.

But that's just hearsay from an overzealous witness violating spousal privilege*. Here's the real testimony regarding Ace Attorney's transition to WiiWare.

*Yes, I would totally marry that game if such a thing were possible.

What Is It?
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney was a crazy-popular adventure crime-solving game for the DS in 2005 where players gather evidence to present at trial to convict criminals. Now it's being ported to the Wii via WiiWare in all its investigative glory.

What We Saw
I played through a segment late in the trial where the murderer in on the stand spouting lies for Phoenix to rip apart.

How Far Along Is It?
It's a straight port with no fancy extras or overhauled graphics, so consider the game done. Ace Attorney hits the United States in January with Justice for All and Trials & Tribulations following in March and May respectively. The bonus fourth episode will also drop in May for an as-yet unspecified low price.

What Needs Improvement?
Annoying Background: Observe the screen and note that little gray border with the Phoenix Wright logo on it. Now imagine that background is actually moving gradually to the upper left hand corner of the screen throughout gameplay. Yeah, kind of distracting, isn't it?

What Should Stay The Same?
OBJECTION!!! The most amazing thing that's been done to Phoenix Wright on WiiWare is adding motion controls – or rather, motion control, because there's only one. It comes when you want to throw an objection out during witness testimony. Now, you could just open up your evidence file and press A to select evidence and then A again to present – or you could press to select and then fling your hand outward a la Phoenix himself to trigger OBJECTION! Which do you think is cooler?

Final Thoughts
Capcom is really supportive of WiiWare between this and Mega Man 9. As long as they don't jack up prices or chop up individual Phoenix Wright games into tiny episodes (which is almost the same thing as jacking up prices), I support the decision to port awesome DS games to WiiWare.

This preview is adjourned. *Thumps gavel*

Nintendo's Kensuke Tanabe, overseer of all things Metroid, tells the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine that the company is "always planning to make new games in the Metroid Prime series." And while Metroid: Other M is penciled in for a Wii release next year, the Prime series may return to the Nintendo DS for future iterations.

Tanabe says he "we cannot deny the possibility of realizing it on DS or DSi."

That backs up statements Tanabe made to Kotaku earlier this year. The Metroid producer said during an e-mail interview that Nintendo "will keep considering multiplayer for the Prime series," a feature included in 2006's Metroid Prime Hunters for the Nintendo DS.

Metroid Prime Still Has A Future [ONM UK]

As in the first Nintendo DS title, Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter asks the player to tap into their artistic touchscreen skills to draw platforms, vehicles, weapons and even the game's hero itself—my ninja Musashi, armed with a giant corndog, is just one of almost limitless possibilities—who must return color to the desaturated world and rescue a missing Raposa named Heather. In both the top-down adventure portions and side-scrolling platforming sections, players will flex their creativity to make this Drawn To Life adventure their own.

Should you apply your brush to Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter?

Loved
Presentation & Animation: Everything that I didn't contribute to Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter via touchscreen and stylus looks spectacular. Artist Paul Robertson's amazing sprites animate beautifully, adding charm and character to the game's non-playable Raposa and enemies. Beautifully hand-drawn backgrounds have lush, well-animated detail, ensuring a welcome level of visual variety across the game's five worlds. Save for the clumsy characters and items I drew—I often let the game's suggested template sprites take the place of my own creations—the game is a treat to look at.

Surprisingly Engrossing Story: It may not be wholly original, but the relatively simple tale of The Next Chapter has a few twists and a tender moment or two, made the better thanks to well directed, well scored cut scenes. The game's script is sharp and witty at times, dialogue I did my best not to miss.

Da Blob: The platforming portions start to wear thin quickly, but the addition of two additional forms—the amorphous Blob and wall-crawling Spider—help break up the monotony of playing as a sword or yo-yo wielding Humanoid. There are some clever level designs, some not-too-difficult puzzles that require dexterous use of all three forms.

Improved Creative Tools: Just about everything I crafted with Drawn To Life: The Chapter's graphics editor was an eyesore. But the tools have depth to them I've just begun to explore. A larger color palette and a wealth of interesting templates—plus the ability to add extra limbs!—offer the opportunity for a wide variety of cool or kooky creations. The "Action Draw" sections, which lets the player draw simple platforms using a limited supply, aren't particularly challenging, but they're fun.

Hated
Extended Downtime: Conversations in The Next Chapter can drag on, leading to long stretches of watching, not playing. For the most part, the game is careful not to throw unnecessary monologues and long-winded explanations, but there are a few moments where the narrative starts to wear out its welcome.

Mundane Platforming: The game's platforming sections are easy to blow through, offering little in the way of impressive level design or captivating challenge. There are, however, some well-hidden collectibles scattered throughout the game's 45 levels, but the drive to revisit some of these rather dull levels, especially with Drawn To Life's loose controls and sometimes spotty hit detection, is low.

Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter's biggest strength is its creative tool set. It's a wonderful little artistic outlet, a gorgeously crafted game that plays like it would appeal to a much younger, more patient and passionate player. It doesn't offer much in the way of depth for the more experienced action-adventure fan, but makes up for some of its shortcomings with its copious charm.

There's enough to do, see and collect over the course of the game's storyline to make the journey worth the while. It's just a shame that Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter's gameplay is its weakest link.

Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter was developed by 5th Cell and published by THQ for the Nintendo DS on October 27. (A Wii version developed by Planet Moon Studios is also available, but was not reviewed.) Retails for $29.99 USD on DS. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played game to completion.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

The latest in the SMT series, already released in Japan to favorable reviews—the highest Famitsu-rated Shin Megami Tensei entry yet, according to Atlus—will come to the DS in North America next spring, bringing with it the mind-scrambling box art you see above. Go on, admire it.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey's science-fiction flavored storyline tasks the player with unraveling the mystery of a "growing, black void" that has appeared at Earth's southern pole. The SMT standard role-playing and demon managing rules apply, with Atlus saying that Strange Journey follows in the tradition of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne.

The game's web site is now live, offering more information, should you want it.

Unlike today's smart phones and mobile 3G cards, which require monthly fees to access the network, Amazon's Kindle eBook reader figures in the price of 3G into the initial hardware cost, so the customer effectively pays one fee for the device and a lifetime of 3G access. Speaking at a analyst briefing following last week's lowered financial outlook, Nintendo's president called the Kindle's price plan an "option for the future."

"Only people who can pay thousands of yen a month [in mobile phone subscriptions] can be iPhone customers. That doesn't fit Nintendo customers because we make amusement products," Mr Iwata said. The Kindle's one-off cost would better suit Nintendo's customer base, he said. "In reality, if we did this it would increase the cost of the hardware, and customers would complain about Nintendo putting prices up, but it is one option for the future."

I don't see any problem with the handheld's current Wi-Fi access, but then again I rarely go anywhere that doesn't have an access point these days. I suppose if you want to be able to download new games nearly anywhere, 3G is certainly one way to go. Would you pay more for a 3G-enabled Nintendo DS?

Nintendo considers Kindle tactics for consoles [Financial Times]

Japan
Mario & Sonic At the Olympic Winter Games 2009/11/19
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks 2009/12/23
Famicom Wars DS2(Temp.) 2009
Golden Sun DS(Temp.) TBA

The United States
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky 2009/10/12
Style Savvy 2009/11/2
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks 2009/12/7
Pokémon HeartGold Version 2010 Spring
Pokémon SoulSilver Version 2010 Spring
Glory of Heracles 2010
Golden Sun DS(Temp.) 2010
WarioWare D.I.Y. TBA
Picross 3D TBA

Europe
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story 2009/10/9
Nintendo presents: Style Boutique 2009/10/23
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky 2009/11/20
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks 2009/12/11
Pokémon HeartGold Version 2010 Spring
Pokémon SoulSilver Version 2010 Spring
WarioWare D.I.Y. TBA

As Nintendo points out, launch dates and titles are subject to change.

According to NPD data released today, the Warner Bros. Interactive-published DS game sold nearly 194,000 copies in its first month on the market. That puts it behind Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days as the third bestselling DS game for the month.

Scribblenauts was one of only two third party games to make it into the top ten bestselling games for Nintendo's portable platform, a list dominated by Nintendo-published fare. While 5th Cell may already be hard at work on a new Xbox Live Arcade game, surely they won't leaving money on the table by not producing a sequel, right? Right!

To me, the game is what Grand Theft Auto could've been on the DS — only from the perspective of the police. You play as an ex-con who gets paroled into a special police program where he goes around busting other cons in exchange for his freedom. It's got 3D driving and shooting as well as some mini-games like "spot the gangster on the casino security cam."

Head to GameStop to get in on the pre-order deal and enjoy some screens to your left.

Insiders tell IT news outlet BSN that a single chip Tegra will supposedly power the new DS; the Tegra was developed for use in mobile devices like Microsoft's Zune HD as well as smart phones.

If true, this could explain why Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang declared that the Tegra account will account for half of Nvidia's revenues in the next couple of years. It would also be the first time Nintendo and Nvidia have partnered.

We are following up with Nintendo and will update if the company comments.

Nvidia Tegra Wins Contract [BSN via Develop]

EA's new FLIPS series takes books from some of today's best children's writers to deliver what are essentially extended director's cuts of their works to the Nintendo DS. Children will be able to read books from Cathy Cassidy, Eoin Colfer, and Enid Blyton, with quizzes and reference links built right in to help encourage getting to the end of each chapter.

"I'm over the moon to see my stories and characters brought to life on the Nintendo DS with EA's new FLIPS range," said Eoin Colfer, author of the award-winning Artemis Fowl series. "Everyone knows that reading improves literacy skills. I have two children who are DS fanatics and cannot wait for the FLIPS to arrive, so EA might finally get them reading my books!"

Here's what they've got lined up so far:

Enid Blyton (Egmont) - The Enchanted Wood®, The Magic Faraway Tree, The Folk of the Faraway Tree, Enchanted World – Petal and the Eternal Bloom, Enchanted World – Melody and the Enchanted Harp, Enchanted World – Silky and the Rainbow Feather

Cathy Cassidy (Penguin)– Scarlett, Angel Cake, Sundae Girl, Shine on Daizy Star, GingerSnaps, Driftwood

Eoin Colfer (Penguin) - Artemis Fowl, Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident, Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code, Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception, Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony, Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox

Too Ghoul For School (Egmont) - Silent but Deadly, The In-Spectres Call, Ghoul Dinners, The Bubonic Builders, Attack of the Zombie Nits, School Spooks Day, French Fright, Terror In Cubical Four

That's an impressive list of reading materials right there. The first four FLIPS titles are being released in the UK on the 4th of December, with each release featuring six to eight books for the low price of £24.99. Will the Nintendo DS succeed where libraries and book stores have failed? We'll find out then.

"I'd like to get involved in video games, since I really love Wii Fit," the diva recently said. "I think it would be a great idea to incorporate choreography, because, for me, my workout is way more fun when it involves dancing, as opposed to running on a boring treadmill."

So what kind of game would Beyonce like to make? "So I would love to do some kind of fitness game but incorporate dance and performance into it. I think a lot of women would enjoy that."

Earlier this year, Beyonce became a spokesperson for the Nintendo DS. If you are looking for someone to blame for any future Beyonce games, blame Nintendo?

Beyonce eyeing fitness video game [Spicezee via GameCulture]

A Witch's Tale is an action role-playing game where users play as a super-cute witch in a Halloween-themed world. Nearly all the heavy-lifting in the game is done with the stylus where you drag, drop and draw with it to cast spells and navigate the map.

I wasn't lucky enough to get any time with the game at NIS America's last press tour – but why lament over a lost preview when the actual game ready to go? Check it out, if you like all things cute and Halloween.

As we posted back in May, the first part of the game is standard fare: Players court three girls, trying to get them to fall in love. That's where most dating sims end — Love Plus is just getting started.

The second half is open ended. You've already got the girl, now what do you want to do? Want to touch her on her forehead, cheeks, arms, etc. via the touch pad? You can email her, call her via the DS mic and study together.

The game has been a hit in its native Japan and has a devoted following. How devoted? Check out all these birthday cakes that popped up on the Japanese internet. One individual event spent over US$50 on perfume, roses and cake for Manaka.

Happy Birthday, Manaka! Terribly sorry we forgot!!

「ラブプラス」 本日10月5日は高嶺愛花の誕生日です [プラティカルパ]

And that show is being made into a Nintendo DS game. Unlike American TV programs, Japanese TV dramas typically tend to run only a season. Obviously, since this is The Negotiator 2, the drama has already had a previous installment.

This go round has Yonekura sporting a low-cut black top and a black gun belt strapped to her thigh as she negotiates with baddies.

"This drama has got impact," says Yonekura. "It's not even like a Japanese drama." Okay, then! In the last couple of years, foreign TV shows like 24 and Lost have gained a large following in Japan because of their high production valves, which dwarf typical J-dramas.

The Negotiator 2 airs starting October 22, and the DS game will be out this December.

Ryoko Yonekura's 'Negotiator' works her way onto Nintendo DS [Japan Today]

The list is long and likely full of third-party goods for both the Wii and DS platforms that won't appeal to the general Kotaku readership, so here are some highlights.

• • The Legend of Zelda: Spirits Tracks has been dated for December 7th in North America. You might already know that.
• • Sadly, there is no specific release date for New Super Mario Bros. Wii. It's still listed as a "Holiday" release.
• • Shantae: Risky's Revenge is coming to DSiWare from developer WayForward Technologies.
• • Art Style: Digidrive adds another bit Generations title to DSiWare and the Electroplankton DSiWare releases are coming stateside.
• • Nintendo will release Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon and Sparkle Snapshots via DSiWare, titles previously unannounced.

But if you want the full list, here it is...

Wii

2K Sports
NHL 2K10 - Sept. 15
Baseball Blast! - Sept. 28
NBA 2K10 - Oct. 6

2K Play
Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom - Fall
Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day - Fall
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus - Fall

505 Games
My Ballet Studio - November
Baby and Me - November

Activision Publishing, Inc.
Animal Planet Vet Life - Sept. 15
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 - Sept. 15
Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2010 - Sept. 22
Rapala We Fish - Sept. 22
Bakugan Battle Brawlers - Oct. 20
iCarly - Oct. 20
Madagascar Kartz - Oct. 20
Mountain Sports - Oct. 20
Hidden Mysteries Titanic - Oct. 27
Barbie and the Three Musketeers - Oct. 27
Jurassic Hunter - Oct. 27
DJ Hero - Oct. 27
Chaotic: Shadow Warriors - Nov. 10
Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 - Nov. 10
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex - Nov. 10
Tony Hawk: RIDE - Nov. 17
Band Hero - November
Guitar Hero Van Halen - Dec. 22

Aspyr Media
My Baby and Me - Nov. 17

Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
101-in-1 Party Megamix - Oct. 27
Trauma Team - Spring
Shiren the Wanderer - Spring

Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
Spyborgs - Sept. 22
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles - Nov. 17

City Interactive USA, Inc.
Chicken Riot - November
Combat Wings: The Great Battles of WWII - January
Art of Murder - March

D3Publisher
Family Party: 30 Great Games Outdoor Fun - Sept. 22
Astro Boy: The Video Game - Oct. 20
THE SECRET SATURDAYS: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN - Oct. 20
BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: Vilgax Attacks - Oct. 27
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight - Winter

Destineer
We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Oct. 13
Buck Fever - Oct. 20
Alien Monster Bowling League - Oct. 27
Marines: Modern Urban Combat - Nov. 3
Satisfashion - Nov. 17
Rec Room - Nov. 17

Disney Interactive Studios
Disney Sing It: Pop Hits - October
Princess and the Frog - November

Electronic Arts
MySims Agents - Sept. 22
Dead Space Extraction - Sept. 29
Spore Hero - Oct. 6
CHARM GIRLS CLUB Pajama Party - Oct. 20
SimAnimals Africa - Oct. 26
LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS - October
NERF 2: "N-Strike" Elite - October
HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2 - October
FIFA 10 - October
Need for Speed Nitro - Nov. 17
EA SPORTS Active More Workouts - November

Knowledge Adventure
JumpStart Escape from Adventure Island - Nov. 1

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Walk It Out! - October
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories - November
Storybook Workshop - November
Karaoke Revolution - November
Ultimate Party Challenge - November
DanceDanceRevolution Hottest Party 3 - November
pop'n music - November
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 - Q4

LucasArts
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes - Oct. 6
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues - Fall

Majesco Entertainment
Our House: Party! - Sept. 22
A Boy and His Blob - Oct. 13
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 - Oct. 20
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - Dec. 1
The Daring Game for Girls - Holiday

Mastiff
Shimano Xtreme Fishing - Sept. 29
Remington Great American Bird Hunt - Oct. 27

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc
Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo - October
Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked - November
We Cheer 2 - November

Nintendo
Wii Fit Plus - Oct. 4
New Super Mario Bros. Wii - Holiday

Playlogic
Sudoku Ball Detective - Sept. 22

SEGA
Wacky World of Sports - Sept. 22
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games - Oct. 13
Planet 51 - Nov. 17
Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue - Q4
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing - Feb. 10
Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll - Early 2010

SouthPeak Games
My Baby First Steps - Holiday
Sushi Go Round - Holiday

Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS - Dec. 26

Storm City Games
The Island of Dr. Frankenstein - Oct. 6
Vegas Party - Oct. 27
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral - Nov. 9

Tecmo
Family Fun Football - Sept. 29

THQ
The Biggest Loser - Oct. 6
Cars Race O Rama - Oct. 13
Marvel Super Hero Squad - Oct. 20
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 - Oct. 20
SpongeBob Truth or Square - Oct. 26
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Game Time - Oct. 26
World of Zoo - Oct. 26
All Star Cheer Squad 2 - Oct. 27
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter - Oct. 27
Daniel X - Jan. 12
World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars - Feb. 2

TOMY Corporation
NARUTO Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 - Nov. 17

Ubisoft
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - Sept. 15
Where's Waldo: The Fantastic Journey - Sept. 22
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-up - Sept. 22
The Price is Right 2010 Edition - Sept. 22
Family Feud 2010 Edition - Sept. 29
CSI: Deadly Intent - Oct. 20
Monster 4x4 Stunt Racer - Oct. 27
Rabbids Go Home - Nov. 3
Academy of Champions - Nov. 3
Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage - Nov. 8
Just Dance - Nov. 17
James Cameron's Avatar The Game - Nov. 24
Your Shape Featuring Jenny McCarthy - Nov. 24

UFO Interactive Games, Inc.
Army Rescue - Sept. 29
Rock Blast - Oct. 20
Arcade Shooter: Ilvelo - Oct. 27
Geon Cube - Oct. 27
Smart Series Presents: JaJa' Adventure - Nov. 10

Vir2L Studios
Medieval Games - Oct. 20

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Scooby-Doo! First Frights - Sept. 22
Where the Wild Things Are - Oct. 13
Game Party 3 - October
LEGO Rock Band - Holiday
SCENE IT? BRIGHT LIGHTS! BIG SCREEN! - Holiday

XSEED Games
JU-ON: The Grudge - Oct. 13
Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga - Fall

WiiWare

Aksys Games
BIT.TRIP VOID - Q3
BIT.TRIP series (3 additional titles) - Q4, Q1

Broken Rules
And Yet It Moves - Q4

Frontier
LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias - Q4

Gameloft
Ghost Mansion Party - Q3
The Oregon Trail - Q4

Ghostfire Games
Rage of the Gladiator - Q1

Incredible Technologies
Carnival King - Q3

Konami
Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth - Q3
Frogger Returns - Q4

Nabi Studios
Toribash - Q4

Natsume
Moki Moki - Q3
Harvest Moon: My Little Shop - Q4

Nicalis
Cave Story - Q3
Night Game - Q1
La Mulana - Q1

NinjaBee
The Amazing Brain Train - Q4

Nintendo
You, Me, and the Cubes - Q3
Eco Shooter: Plant 530 - Q4

Nintendo/TPC
Pokémon Rumble - Q4

Press Play
Max & the Magic Marker - Q4

React Games
Archon: Classic - Q1

Taito
Arkanoid Plus! - Q3

Team Meat
Super Meat Boy - Q1

Telltale Games
Tales of Monkey Island: Lair of the Leviathan - Q3
Tales of Monkey Island: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood - Q4
Tales of Monkey Island: Rise of the Pirate God - Q4

Nintendo DS/Nintendo DSi

2K Play
Dora the Explorer: Dora Puppy - Oct. 26
Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year's Celebration - Oct. 26
The Backyardigans - Oct. 26
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus - Fall

505 Games
My Ballet Studio - November
Discovery Kids SpiderQuest - November
Dream Diary - November
Picture Perfect Hair Salon - November
IL2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey - Sept. 15

Activision Publishing, Inc.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 - Sept. 15
Animal Planet Vet Life - Sept. 15
Bakugan Battle Brawlers - Oct. 20
iCarly - Oct. 20
Madagascar Kartz - Oct. 20
Barbie and the Three Musketeers - Oct. 27
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized - Nov. 10
Chaotic: Shadow Warriors - Nov. 10
Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 - Nov. 10
Band Hero - November

Aspyr Media
Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain - Oct. 26

City Interactive USA, Inc.
Sushi Academy - Oct. 13
Chronicles of Mystery: Curse of the Ancient Temple - Oct. 27
Animal Country: Life on the Farm - November
Party Designer - November
Art of Murder - February
Jewels of Sahara - March

D3Publisher
Astro Boy: The Video Game - Oct. 20
THE SECRET SATURDAYS: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN - Oct. 20
BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: Vilgax Attacks - Oct. 27
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight - Winter

Destineer
Satisfashion - Nov. 17

Disney Interactive Studios
Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure - October
Disney's A Christmas Carol - November
JONAS - November
Princess and the Frog - November

Electronic Arts
MySims Agents - Sept. 22
Spore Hero Arena - Oct. 6
CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Show - Oct. 20
CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Mall - Oct. 20
CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Perfect Prom - Oct. 20
SimAnimals Africa - Oct. 26
LITTLEST PET SHOP CITY FRIENDS - October
LITTLEST PET SHOP COUNTRY FRIENDS - October
LITTLEST PET SHOP BEACH FRIENDS - October
HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2 - October
FIFA 10 - October

Ignition Entertainment
Nostalgia - Oct. 20

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
WireWay - November

LucasArts
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes - Oct. 6
Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron - Nov. 3
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues - Fall

Majesco Entertainment
Our House - Sept. 22
Sideswiped - Sept. 29
Cake Mania 3 - Oct. 13
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 - Oct. 20
Cooking Mama 3: Shop and Chop - Oct. 27
My Hero: Astronaut - Nov. 3
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - Dec. 1
Dawn of Heroes - Dec. 1
My Hero: Firefighter - December
The Daring Game for Girls - Holiday

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc
Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans - November

Nintendo
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Oct. 12
Style Savvy - Nov. 2
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks - Dec. 7

NIS America
A Witch's Tale - Oct. 6
Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island - Oct. 27

PopCap Games, Inc.
Bookworm - Dec. 1

SEGA
Bleach: The 3rd Phantom - Sept. 15
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games - Oct. 13
Phantasy Star Zero - Nov. 10
Planet 51 - Nov. 17
Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue - Q4
Sands of Destruction - January
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing - February
Infinite Space - Spring

SouthPeak Games
Montessori Music - Oct. 20
My Baby First Steps - Holiday
Sushi Go Round - Holiday
Crime Scene - Holiday

Square Enix
KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 DAYS - Sept. 29
SPACE INVADERS EXTREME 2 - Oct. 20

Storm City Games
Hands On! Tangrams - Oct. 13
Jewel Master Egypt - Oct. 20
Flaw - Oct. 27
Foto Frenzy - Nov. 2
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral - Nov. 9

THQ
James Patterson Women's Murder Club: Games of Passion - Sept. 15
Fabulous Finds - Sept. 21
Just in Time Translations - Sept. 21
The Biggest Loser - Oct. 6
Cars Race O Rama - Oct. 13
Marvel Super Hero Squad - Oct. 20
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 - Oct. 20
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Game Time - Oct. 26
World of Zoo - Oct. 26
SpongeBob Truth or Square - Oct. 26
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter - Oct. 27
MX vs. ATV Reflex - Holiday

TOMY Corporation
NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 - Sept. 15

Ubisoft
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - Sept. 15
Where's Waldo: The Fantastic Journey - Sept. 22
The Price is Right 2010 Edition - Sept. 22
Family Feud 2010 Edition - Sept. 29
Battle of Giants: Dragons - Sept. 29
Imagine Salon Stylist - Sept. 29
Imagine Sweet 16 - Oct. 4
Imagine Zookeeper - Oct. 6
PETZ PONY BEAUTY PAGEANT - Oct. 13
Imagine Fashion Designer World Tour - Oct. 20
CSI: Deadly Intent - The Hidden Cases - Oct. 20
Jam Sessions 2 - Oct. 20
PETZ DOLPHINZ ENCOUNTER - Oct. 27
Might and Magic Clash of Heroes - Oct. 27
Imagine Artist - Oct. 27
C.O.P. The Recruit - Nov. 3
Rabbids Go Home - Nov. 3
Imagine Babyz Fashion - Nov. 3
Fairyland Melody Magic - Nov. 8
Style Lab Jewelry Design - Nov. 10
Style Lab Makeover - Nov. 10
PETZ NURSERY - Nov. 10
PETZ DOGZ TALENT SHOW - Nov. 17
PETZ HAMSTERZ SUPERSTARZ - Nov. 24
James Cameron's Avatar The Game - Nov. 24

Virtual Play Games
Junior Brain Trainer - Nov. 10
Junior Classic Games - Nov. 10

UFO Interactive Games, Inc.
Smart Boy's Gameroom 2 - Sept. 29
Smart Girl's Playhouse 2 - Sept. 29
Smart Kid's Mega Game Mix - Sept. 29
Reversal Challenge - Oct. 13
Balloon Pop - Nov. 12

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Scribblenauts - Sept. 15
Scooby-Doo! First Frights - Sept. 22
LEGO Rock Band - Holiday
Where the Wild Things Are - Oct. 13
TouchMaster 3 - Oct. 27

XSEED Games
THE WIZARD OF OZ: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road - Sept. 29

Nintendo DSiWare

Gameloft
Uno - Q4

Hudson Entertainment
Bomberman Blitz - Q4

Nintendo
Art Academy: Second Semester - Sept. 28
Art Style: DIGIDRIVE - Q4
Electroplankton (10 titles total) - Q4
Picturebook Games: The Royal Bluff - Q4
Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon - Q4
Sparkle Snapshots - Q4

Subatomic Studios
Fieldrunners - Q4

WayForward Technologies
Shantae:Risky's Revenge - Q4

Spirit Tracks was officially unveiled at this year's Game Developers Conference, but it wasn't until this year's E3 that we got to go stylus-on with the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. For more hands-on impressions of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, make sure to choo choo your way to our latest preview of the game.

Nintendo also firmly dated two more Nintendo DS games, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, due October 12, and Style Savvy, shipping November 2nd in North America.

This time, series staple bad guy Fawful has tricked Bowser into eating a particular strain of mushroom that causes him to inhale the court of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach included. There's also a nasty Toad affliction going around, known as the Blorbs that needs curing. Of course, the goal is to save the Mushroom Kingdom and rescue Peach, with much of that work being done by Mario and Luigi, trapped inside the anatomical depths of the King of Koopas himself.

Players will control both Mario and Luigi and Bowser, offering two very different styles of play but with a common goal. Should you dive into Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story?

Loved
Gameplay Over Storytelling: I've never been much of a fan of the conventional role-playing game genre, largely because I find the storytelling to be heavy-handed and the gameplay to generally be dull. But after playing the first Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga on the Game Boy Advance, I got hooked on developer Alpha Dream's formula. The series features timing-based gameplay that ensures a level of amusing rhythmic action on both offense and defense, one that rarely becomes stale. Part of that is due to the fact that the Mario & Luigi games regularly throw new skills, new items, new special attacks, and new characters at the player right up until the very end. Oh, and the storytelling? It may be skin deep, but it's certainly not dull.

Having The Chortles: One reason the story portions of Bowser's Inside Story are more enjoyable than what many other RPGs have to offer is simple. They're funny. The well-written dialogue is often worthy of out loud laughing, all of it delivered with well-directed animation. Some of the gags offered are for the older Nintendo fan, as the game makes reference to past Mario games and even Pro Wrestling for the NES. There are also self-inflicted jabs at Nintendo's current offerings, with a handful of Wii Fit jokes peppered throughout. It may not be as freshly entertaining or so disarming with its brand of humor as the first Mario & Luigi game, but it's still great fun.

Bowser's Guts: The bizarre fantasy anatomy of the Mushroom Kingdom's biggest Koopa is a trip. In these portions of the game, when one controls Mario and Luigi, the player will be doing plenty of 2D platform-adventuring. You'll also play a simple Galaga style shmup, whack hammers in a musical rhythm game, solve puzzles and flick the stylus in various mini-games. It's a very different experience from the portions played in the outer world as Bowser and, later on, the Bros. Alpha Dream crafted two very different experiences, one familiar to Mario & Luigi vets, another closer to recent console Mario RPGs.

Stylus Control Redux: The previous Mario & Luigi game on the Nintendo DS, Partners In Time, didn't take advantage of the platform's touchscreen in the smartest of ways. But during some of Bowser's boss battles, Alpha Dream really mixes things up. It's not worth spoiling, but there are some memorable moments—some of them occasionally frustrating in their length—while holding the DS like a book and blowing into the microphone.

Still Beans To Be Found: Even after spending more than 20 hours playing Bowser's Inside Story, there's still plenty left to discover, from power ups to Special Attacks to badges that still elude me. I did indulge in a handful of unnecessary side quests and the odd bean hunt, but I left plenty behind to dig out when I return to the game. The better part of all this stuff left undiscovered? I'm entertained by the game's mechanics enough to want to return for another 20 hours.

Complexity Without Losing Simplicity: The list of flashy Special Attacks is greater, the badge attribute system deeper, and the equipment options more robust—the Bros. can wear socks, shoes, and gloves in addition to their trademark overalls—but Nintendo and Alpha Dream ease the player into all of it brilliantly. Bowser's Inside Story actually lets the player practice Special Attacks at any time, so learning these techniques is much easier than before. There's not much in the way of intricate upgrade and item interaction systems to learn (should you actually be interested in such a thing) but series vets will find the customization in this entry far greater.

Goomba Engines And Broque Monsieur: The game features plenty of familiar enemies—Goombas, Koopas, Bullet Bills and Bob-ombs—but every visual trademark in the Super Mario Bros. series gets played with a remixed to a wonderful degree. Two of my favorites are the coal powered Goomba machines and shopkeeper Broque Monsieur. His interactions with the Mario Bros. touches on a great, unexplored topic of the series. Warp pipes and coin blocks as part of Mario universe anatomy is a wonderfully bizarre thing

Hated
Long Winded: Well-written and visually amusing though it may be, sometimes the Mario & Luigi series gets a little too wordy for its own good. And sometimes those moments of dialogue just seem to drag on, particularly if they occur before an extended boss battle. Bowser's Inside Story addresses some of that impatience with Retry Clocks that let the player restart a fight, but sometimes the fluffy storyline and copious tutorials interfere with the fun. Also, does every single character have to have some quirky speech affectation? Some of the globin here make be want to tear out my globin.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story may be the best entry yet in the portable role-playing game series. Alpha Dream and Nintendo have slathered detail on every aspect of the game, expanding the experience well beyond what Partners In Time brought to the franchise. Even better, there's little of the repetition or control complexity that bogged down that entry. It's easy to recommend to just about any Nintendo DS owner, a near-perfect correction from the misstep that was Partners In Time.

Even if you don't consider RPGs your "thing" it's worth checking out what Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story has to offer, especially if you've never played a Mario & Luigi game before. This is some of the best content to grace the Nintendo DS, a gorgeously produced game that delivers on all fronts. Find a place for it on your list of games to play this year.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Review was developed by Alpha Dream and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS on September 14. Retails for $34.99 USD. Played storyline to completion, which was about 20 hours.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

The list of new items? Texas Hold'Em Poker, Spaceball: Revolution, Mart Racer, Crash 'N The Boys Street Challenge, Art Academy: First Semester, and Oscar in Toyland. If you're struggling to recall the Virtual Console release of Crash 'N The Boys Street Challenge, just a heads up that it's from the same series and developer made more famous by Super Dodge Ball and River City Ransom.

If that list of high caliber releases doesn't already have you scrambling to buy yourself some points for the platform(s) of your choice, perhaps lengthy descriptions will.

Nintendo DSiWare

Art Academy™: First Semester
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Art Academy is a portable art course that replaces the lecture-like structure of art school and the trial-and-error of working on canvas. Art Academy: First Semester can guide you through the basics of pencil and paints, using Nintendo DSi controls to draw like the real things. With your own paintbrush set and color palette, you'll learn texturing and blending techniques, plus ways to depict light and shade. There's also Free Paint mode, which allows you to select and draw from photos in your Nintendo DSi Camera Album. In just a few lessons, you'll be discovering your inner artist and creating your own masterpieces with art skills that you can apply with real-life materials.

Oscar in Toyland
Publisher: Virtual Playground
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Meet Oscar, the new kid on the block. This fabulous jump-and-run game is easy to play, packed with hours of fun and nonstop action, hundreds of collectibles and surprises. In psychedelic worlds of candy, soda pop, amusement park rides, board games, fairy tales and more, you'll meet cool toys and animals in hidden rooms, bonus and bogus mini games. Use Wings to fly, Springy Shoes to jump, and Oscar's secret weapon, his magical Yo-Yo, to swing and zap enemies in some of the craziest platform levels you'll ever play.

WiiWare

Texas Hold'Em Poker
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-6
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Simulated Gambling
Price: 600 Wii Points™
Description: Prepare to experience the intensity of a real Texas hold'em poker tournament. Whether you're a poker novice or a veteran, you'll enjoy Tournament, Cash Game and Heads-up modes with the simple-to-use Wii Remote™ controller. Hit the tables as one of six fun and charismatic characters, or import your own Mii™ character to really put on your poker face. Take on the world's most prestigious casinos, from Monaco to New York, and challenge opponents who won't hesitate to taunt or comment on your style, creating a very realistic poker atmosphere. You can also impress friends with wild poker parties, thanks to an online mode that allows you to play with up to five friends and create your own tournaments or join official Gameloft tournaments. You can even challenge random online opponents of any skill level. Even if you've never played poker before, you can learn all the rules and strategy with an Advanced Tutorial that teaches you everything from winning hands and betting to bluffing. Broadband Internet access required for online play. For more info, go to www.Nintendo.com.

Spaceball: Revolution™
Publisher: Virtual Toys
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Steer your way through 15 diabolical levels in which you'll have to reconstruct impossible figures with help from space energy balls. Race against the clock and evade obstacles to activate the correct boxes. Spaceball: Revolution will put your ability and your concentration to the test. The game also lets you compare your score with the best players around the world in various difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, Advanced and Master.

Mart Racer
Publisher: JoJu Games
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference, Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: You're a sharp-elbowed shopper racing through the store to find items before your rivals do. Use your Wii Remote controller like a handlebar to control your shopping cart as you race through different types of stores. Vex your competitors by stunning them with plungers and stealing groceries out of their carts. Outrun them by using your drifting and aisle-jumping skills. Keep away from the security guards who want to stop the mall melee. The first player with a completed shopping list at the cash register wins. A simple and fun game that's suitable for all ages, Mart Racer pits you against the computer or up to four players. Play with your friends and family on a split screen or compete online via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. (Broadband Internet access is required for online play.)

Virtual Console

Crash ‘N The Boys™ Street Challenge
Original platform: NES™
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Todd Thornley, son of the head of Thornley Industries, has had it with Crash and the Southside boys. With help from other high schools, Todd decides Hiller High will take down Crash and his Southside High cronies in an unsanctioned street challenge. Take control of one of four high school teams (with four playable characters per team) and make your way through five different sporting events. Dash and bash through the 400 meter hurdles; swing to victory in the hammer throw; swim and knock out your opponent while swimming; pole vault, jump and ride a unicycle across rooftops; and use judo to fight your opponent in a one-on-one brawl. Can you lead your high school to the top of the Street Challenge?

Just in case you missed my last preview, here's a little history lesson. The Fighting Fantasy books were penned back in the late 70s/early 80s by now-game developers Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. They were pretty popular in the UK, but over here in the US, we liked choose-your-own adventures where not every path but one led to death.

What Is It?
Fighting Fantasy is a DS action/adventure RPG where players take the role of a generic hero out to find a warlock somewhere on top of a mountain that presumably is on fire – since the specific book on which the game is based is called "The Warlock of Firetop Mountain."

What We Saw
This time around, I played through a mission immediately following the tutorial. A PR rep from publisher Aspyr backseat-gamed for me.

How Far Along Is It?
The game is still scheduled for an October release.

What Needs Improvement?
How Many Oranges Do I Need…? Within five seconds of taking the controls, the Aspyr rep instructed me to visit the store and stock up on oranges and cheese. He explained that these hit-point-regenerating items were necessary in the early levels because you don't have enough HP before level 10 or so to warrant buying expensive HP potions. That would have been fine, except it turns out you need a lot of oranges and cheese for those first 10 levels. This gets tedious because there's no way to buy items in bulk – so I spent way longer than seemed necessary clicking through menus to buy enough cheese and oranges to feed China.

Music is a Must: No music played while in the dungeon portion of the mountain. I'm told this is a bug, but after long treks through winding hallways filled with trolls and such, I realized just how crucial music is going to be for Fighting Fantasy. The right music will blend with the scenery to keep players engrossed, while the wrong music – or no music at all – would make the resulting monotony of slaying trolls and scrolling through exposition text feel like torture.

What Should Stay The Same?
They Fixed The Stylus: Before, it felt like the stylus had no purpose other than the odd menu tap or as an alternate combat method. Now I feel like I can't live (or walk) in the game without it. Pressing on the D-Pad still steers your character on the upper screen, but keeping the stylus trained on the lower screen will correct your aim during combat (which is managed by pressing the shoulder buttons or tapping the weapon slot with the stylus in the lower screen). It also helps you find items in the dungeons by tilting your field of vision to take in every corner of a room. Plus, they've added stylus mini-games.

Mini-games Make Variety: There are several mini-games in Fighting Fantasy. Like many RPGs, there's a gambling mini-game in town – but most of the mini-games are inside the dungeon. Once inside, you'll come across traps and locked doors or chests. In most cases, a hand icon will pop up on the screen and tapping it starts a stylus-based mini-game that will disarm the chest or open the lock. I enjoyed the ones I encountered – such as a timed lock-picking puzzle where you had to guide a fuzzy dot through a maze of tumblers without touching the sides of the puzzle. This was made much more challenging by the fact that the puzzle appears on the upper screen, while your stylus stays on the lower – so you've got to fight some cognitive dissonance to keep from picking up your stylus mid-puzzle because your hand is telling you you're too close to the edge of the lower screen.

Simplified Character Class System: Instead of letting you choose your class from the lineup of usual suspects (mage, warrior, etc.), the game allows you to create a custom class right off the bat. Or, if you really want to experience the choosing of your own adventure feeling you got from the books, you can answer a series of questions that the game then uses to assign you a class. Kind of like a personality test, only you could wind up as a mage at the end of it instead of being asked to sign up for an online dating site.

Final Thoughts
My appetite for this game is now thoroughly whetted. The stuff they've added, the changes they've made and just how far the game seems to have come in the last couple of months speaks to the quality of the experience Fighting Fantasy will probably offer. But then, my RPG glasses are known to be a little bit rosy.

While not normally a fan of the role-playing game genre, I've been a big fan of the Mario & Luigi RPG games. The unappealing prospect of spelunking Bowser's bowels isn't something that will turn me off, not when I know that bad guy Fawful will be around delivering ace dialogue.

Two new videos from Nintendo show off some Bowser related gameplay, plus highlight some of the "belly laughs" we'll be experiencing in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. The latter is just after this.

At 2009's Game Developers Conference, Hino talked about his marketing strategy for the Layton series and let slip the fact that Diabolical Box was heading to the US. He said at the time that he'd eventually like to bring all of the Layton games over — but nothing official had been decided.

Sadly, Hino tells us that's still the case (doubly so for the movie, Eternal Diva), but he remains hopeful that the success of the Professor Layton series in the US will carry it across the globe someday. It definitely seems like there's hope, though, because Hino confirmed that sections of Diabolical Box which require codes from the third game to unlock special rewards will stay exactly the same — leaving the door open for Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel.

Read on to find out how Hino and his team come up with the puzzle and what the deal is with Diabolical Box's fat hamster.

Kotaku: How does the team at LEVEL-5 come up with the puzzles? Do they invent puzzles from scratch or use known puzzles that they learned in school or found in books as inspiration?

Akihiro Hino: The puzzles of the "Professor Layton" series are invented by specialized puzzle creators including Professor Akira Tago, who is also the author of "Mental Gymnastics," which was a best-selling book in Japan. First, we write a game scenario, and then ask these creators to craft puzzles along with scenes appearing in the game.

For every "Professor Layton" title, we at LEVEL-5 and our puzzle creators, including Professor Tago, have "Puzzle Camp." We stay together at Professor Tago's vacation house for two or three days to discuss puzzles. We seriously discuss, from dawn to twilight (laughs), how we should arrange or polish a variety of puzzle ideas that they have invented for actual gameplay. For every "Professor Layton" title, the puzzles are invented at this camp.

Kotaku: At any point in the series, will Luke take over for the Professor and become the star?

Hino: Well, at this moment no one can really say. But Luke is the lead in a puzzle mini-game called "Luke Shonen no Nazo Book" ("The Puzzle Book of Young Luke") which is available at "Professor Layton Mobile," a website we run in Japan only.

As for the Japanese market, a new adventure will begin with "Majin no Fue (The Evil Flute)" which will be released this fall. "Professor Layton and the Evil Flute" is a story that takes place three years before "Professor Layton and the Curious Village," and shows the first meeting of Professor Layton and Luke. Before depicting Luke's future career, we are going to express how Layton and Luke came to be associates and what kind of puzzles they first solved.

Kotaku: Does LEVEL-5 plan to do anything with the Nintendo DSi system's functionality, like sell puzzle packs via the DSiWare service?

Hino: We are having internal discussions at LEVEL-5 on how we can use the Nintendo DSi for interesting projects. We don't have any concrete plans yet, but I am hoping to deliver something new and innovative.

Kotaku: What is the story behind that fat hamster?

Hino: You can play a minigame in Layton's Bag to make him go on a diet. Players allocate items they have in the correct order to make him exercise a lot to make him slimmer. Each item will impose a different amount of exercise on him, so you must calculate carefully. Please check it out!

But the first-person survival horror adventure crowd is probably going to adore Dementium II's box art, because having a hand attack you from inside your own mouth is proven to tickle the first-person survival horror bone. Sure, I suppose you could just bite down really hard in that situation, but when you're regurgitating an arm—a vicious arm intent on doing harm to your face—you're probably not capable of rational thought.

So we'll consider this box art a win, then.

The follow up to Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time and Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga takes Nintendo DS owners on an anatomical survey of the Mushroom Kingdom's most accomplished kidnapper, unexplored territory for the Mario Bros. Or so I hope.

More gameplay after the break, for the strong of stomach.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is due out in a little over a month, meaning I have ample time to find my Nintendo DSi charger to give this one a spin.

The twist here is that instead of having to coax stubborn soil into yielding seasonal crops — the status quo of Harvest Moon games — the island you're farming is overwhelmed with fast-growing vegetables. Your objective in the role of one of 12 playable characters is to find out what gives with the overabundance. Also, there's Score Attack, Mission Mode, Free Play and multiplayer modes.

By the way, it's a puzzle game. Which means I won't be that into it because from what I remember of Puzzle de Harvest Moon, you couldn't get knocked up — which is too bad because to me it just isn't a Harvest Moon game if your character is not producing on all fronts instead of just the crops.

Look for Frantic Farming in August.

The July issue of Shounen Gangan features an eight-page preview chapter of the manga which basically re-hashes all the names and some of the neuroses of Organization XIII's members. The new character, Xion, also makes an appearance as the organization's 14th member that you never see or hear about in any of the other Kingdom Hearts games.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is out for the DS on September 29 and if you're lucky enough to be at Comic Con, you can catch a playable demo of it there — like this lucky guy. If you're like me and stuck waiting until September, you'll just have to settle for a fan translation of the manga.

While we're waiting, would anyone like to take a stab at explaining to me how Xion can be Kairi's Nobody when Naminé is already Kairi's Nobody? Is Kairi just so special she has to have two?

Kingdom Hearts - 358/2 Days 0 [One Manga]

The market research firm says that in the week before the game went on sale, Nintendo shifted 51,601 DS handhelds. But last week, after the game went on sale? It sold 126,786 of them, making it the first time in around six months that more than 100,000 DS handhelds have been sold in a week.

Nintendo DS Japan sales jump on Dragon Quest [Reuters]

Choose-your-own-adventure books were popular in the 1980s. Nowadays, I can only find them at garage sales with a lot of the stat pages missing. I didn't grow up with the Fighting Fantasy series, but it sounds like the character development was more detailed than my Master of Kung Fu book. Also, I'm told that while most choose-your-own-adventures had multiple endings, the branching paths in Fighting Fantasy typically led to death. Yikes.

What Is It?
Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is a first-person action RPG set in the same place as the novel with roughly the same plot. Players can choose from one of three different classes with modifiable stats and venture through the mountain and the town around it in search of the Warlock. There are side quests along the way and tons of non-playable characters to interact with. The 3D action takes p lace in the top screen while the bottom screen is home to the inventory and the map, which you can make notes on.

What We Saw
I spent about 30 minutes with the game in a dungeon halfway through the main quest. The primary objective was to find a secret entrance into the upper levels of the mountain, while the secondary quest involved a choice between helping skeletons by killing dwarves and helping dwarves by killing skeletons.

How Far Along Is It?
The game is due out in October.

What Needs Improvement?
What Do I Do With The Stylus? The control scheme in Fighting Fantasy allows players to use the face buttons or the stylus to look around; but other than that, it's not clear what you're supposed to do with the stylus. You can use it to make notes on the dungeon map or cast spells and select weapons if you don't feel like jabbing the lower screen with your fingertips. However, unless you're using the stylus to look, it's almost like you're just trying to keep it out of the way while you play.

What Should Stay The Same?
Rich Environments: From the exterior town around the mountain to the various caverns inside Firetop Mountain, the 3D environments in Fighting Fantasy just look so detailed. I'm not sure if it's the art style that gives colors and textures this really rich detail, or if somehow the developer has optimized the DS's rendering capabilities. But either way, visually, Fighting Fantasy is very entertaining.

Fast Combat: Whether you're a melee class or a ranged class, the combat in Fighting Fantasy is fast-paced. The shoulder buttons control melee combat – both quick attacks and slower, powerful strikes – and to cast a spell, you double-tap it on the lower screen (and make sure you're pointed in the right direction in the top screen). There's no targeting reticule, but from the few spells I cast, I get the feeling that the game is forgiving in ranged combat. Always a plus if you're going to be frantically casting spells.

Final Thoughts
I'm not sure how I feel about there being only one ending, but it's good to hear that even with a single critical path, there will still be 8-10 hours of solid adventuring. If nothing else, I'm always happy to have another adventure game on the DS, especially one that comes with a rich IP already attached to it.

Perhaps most objectionable are the things one can do in Scribblenauts when babies, steak and lions come together, as amusingly described by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. Warning: gruesome descriptions of rad bike tricks performed over infants await you! Proceed with caution.

This is a puzzle game in which players navigate a series of traps, puzzles, and enemies to collect stars scattered throughout the colorful levels. Players have the ability to summon different objects by writing/typing in the word (e.g., bike, spaceship, lion) and watching it come to life. If multiple words are entered in a sequence, different whimsical scenarios can be triggered: a bicycle can be used to jump over a baby; a bulldozer can clear away a shark; and cabbage can be fed to dinosaurs. Players can elect to summon "cartoony" versions of bats, bombs, guns, and flamethrowers. These types of items can be used to destroy objects or even other summoned items (e.g., a club can be used to hit an animal; steak can be attached to a baby to attract lions; rockets can be lobbed at a man). These triggered animations are minimally depicted and are usually accompanied by popping, musical sound effects; bright, star-shaped flashes; or small puffs of smoke. If players wish to, they may type in the word vomit, which causes a beige-colored lump to appear on the screen.

Do you have any idea how many times I'm going to try to solve Scribblenauts puzzles with the words "vomit," "flamethrower" and "baby"? Neither do I. It's doubtful my brain can envision a number that large.

Scribblenauts [ESRB via NeoGAF - thanks, Alphahawk!]

According to Japan's Nikkei newspaper, pre-orders for Dragon Quest IX Hoshizora no Mamoribito have topped 2 million. That would most certainly make the Level 5 developed RPG the bestselling game in Japan for the week, on par with the 3 million or so copies of Dragon Quest VIII shipped during that game's release week, eventually going on to sell more than 4.88 million copies.

We'll wait for actual sales numbers before weighing in on DQ IX's success or mega-success on a new platform.

With some 26 million-plus Nintendo DS systems already sold in Japan, the game will have no trouble finding an audience. We expect long lines and an additional hardware boost for the DS Lite and DSi overseas.

New 'Dragon Quest' May Test Square Enix's Staying Power [Nikkei (subscription required) via Andriasang]

C.O.P. The Recruit is all about a petty criminal who becomes a one man episode of Miami Vice set in New York City. Rather than using the DS to capture the city in a bird's eye view the way that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars does, The Recruit renders New York in 3D open world on the upper screen and uses the lower screen for inventory, maps and objective details. So while the game might resemble parts and concepts of other games and TV crime procedural shows, it really is a fresh take on DS gaming.

What Is It?
C.O.P. The Recruit is an open world shooter/adventure game with 60 some-odd missions and six square miles of city to explore. Like GTA games on consoles, the game is made up of three primary parts: shooting, driving and the occasional mini game. Right now, I'm told the ratio in The Recruit is 30-50-20.

What We Saw
I played through a couple of early main story missions. Then I watched the developer jump to a later mission to show off the "catching up" cut scene feature where the game splices together pieces of cut scenes and text to explain what you're supposed to be doing.

How Far Along Is It?
The Recruit is due out this fall.

What Needs Improvement?
Too Much Driving: Your character can commandeer pretty much any car in the whole game by standing in front of it to make it stop and then pressing one of the face buttons. This is fun for the first five minutes of driving across town to a mission, but it rapidly becomes un-fun when you spend all your time bumping into other cars or trying to navigate around Central Park. At times, The Recruit feels more like a driving sim than an open world crime adventure game.

What Should Stay The Same?
Nice Shooting Controls: Tapping your weapon with the stylus (or poke it with your fingernail) in the lower screen snaps the upper screen's third-person view into an over-the-shoulder view so you can shoot people. Basic movement still gets done with the D-pad as with the rest of the game, but to adjust aim or turn left, right, up, or down, you have to drag the stylus along the lower screen – which feels more intuitive than it sounds. To fire the weapon, you can double tap the lower screen or squeeze the left shoulder button.

Impressive Scope: There is so much to do in this game. Besides the 60 missions, there are five different times of day you can view the city in (depending on which missions you're playing) and the city itself is so big for a DS game. Even if the driving gets a bit monotonous, it seems like the variations in missions will make up for the dull bits – and you can always commandeer boats when you get sick of cars. In the 20 minutes I spent plowing through the early part of the game, I could be doing anything from shooting criminals to putting out fires (because apparently the NYC Fire Department is always late) and the lone mini game I played where you had to pick out a redhead on a series of security cameras certainly felt like a nice change of pace.

Final Thoughts
This game is invariably going to be compared to Grand Theft Auto and I think what The Recruit lacks in hookers, it hopes to make up for with its story. Twenty minutes really wasn't enough time to get a feel for the story, but if it's even half as solid as the shooting gameplay seems to be, I'm optimistic.

The game is still turn-based and there's still a lot of strategy involved. But this adorable DS game is more of a puzzle game than an RPG, even if it does have the anime cut scenes and party stat balancing. Secret of Mana fans and Puzzle Quest-ers alike will definitely want to take a look.

What Is It?
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is a puzzle RPG where players build up an army of various units to take into battle. Combat is all about forming lines of like-colored units – horizontal for defense and vertical for attacks – and trying to do as much damage to your opponent's hit point gauge before he wrecks yours by shooting attacks through or over lines of defense.

What We Saw
Games writers got a crash course of the tutorial levels and a glimpse at one of the more complex battles (which can last up to 30 minutes, it sounds like). Later I was able to sit down with the entire tutorial section and two early quests, one story and one optional.

How Far Along Is It?
The game is due out this fall.

What Needs Improvement?
No Quicksave Option: I realize that the DS can go into hibernate mode just by closing the lid, but I'd really like a quicksave option for the middle of boss fights. You know, just in case I'm tempted to rage quit or enter a hospital's intensive care unit where the doctors will get uppity with you for not turning your handheld devices completely off.

What Should Stay The Same?
Easy-to-Learn, Difficult-to-Master: Based on the pace of the tutorial and first missions, I'm pretty sure most players won't have trouble picking up the game's controls. However, based on the sheer number of units you can accumulate (way more than can actually be deployed in battle at one time) and the fact that there's local multiplayer versus, I think this is going to be a tough game to truly master. Exactly the kind of thing you'd look for in any game, even a handheld.

Final Thoughts
I really liked this game both because the puzzle combat was solid and because the 2D sprite and anime cut scenes were so cute. It reminded me of Secret of Mana, Puzzle Quest and the anime Record of Lodoss War all at once – and at the same time, Clash of Heroes felt like a totally unique experience. Very impressive.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars' 18-and-up rating isn't anything new for the series. The Japanese software ratings board CERO shows all GTA titles as Z-rated, including the two PSP entries in the series. But no other DS game has managed to secure that behind-the-counter letter rating.

Perhaps that's why Cyberfront, not Capcom, is publishing Chinatown Wars in Japan. Typically, the Japanese distribution of Grand Theft Auto games is handled by Capcom, often to success. But for Chinatown Wars, the publisher of the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV will be taking the reins.

Maybe Capcom was turned off by the atypically moderate sales of Chinatown Wars in the face of releasing a Z-rated Nintendo DS game. We'll see if this is indicative of a trend when the PSP version of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is released for the PSP in the country.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Will Be The First "Z" Rated DS Game [Siliconera]

According to a new trailer for the game, which can be seen here, Infinite Space will grace these shores in Spring of 2010. Yes, that seems like a long way off, especially if you are chomping at the bit to customize your space ship and have spacey adventures interspersed with animated cut scenes.

Fret not, impatient gamers, because it looks like the game will be worth it, if reviews and sales of the Japanese version of Infinite Space are any indication. Besides, you don't want it to come out this fall or holiday season, only to get crushed by the weight of a crowded Q4, do you?

You have until next Tuesday to rack up the required "coins" to ensure you're of Gold or Platinum membership caliber. Doing so will net you some cool, undisclosed Nintendo related thing that you can possess, look at, and have others covet. Those coins can be acquired by registering Nintendo games and answering surveys, a small price to pay for material ownership of some thing—which could very well be a cool thing.

Accumulated coins will still be available to spend on Nintendo-themed tchotchkes, but your status will be reset next week. Don't be left in the cold! Join me in being PLATINUM.

And thanks to everyone who reminded us to remind you.

Club Nintendo

Above is a shop in Den-Den Town, Osaka's version of Akihabara. It's opening early at 8:00am — which of course isn't midnight.

In Japan, Dragon Quest IX goes on sale Saturday, July 11th. Expect lines. Long ones.

ドラゴンクエストIX発売日は8:00オープン まだ予約もできる [Ota Road]

Flying airships? Check. Dungeon battles? Check. Plucky young spike-haired anime characters going on a globe-trotting adventure, fighting dragons, wyverns and other unimaginable evils? Check please! Nostalgia's game development pedigree is rock solid and looks to not rock the boat with any of its RPG conventions, perhaps with the exception that's it's set on Earth, spanning real world locations that include New York, London, and Cairo.

The first trailer for Nostalgia is dramatic and cut scene filled. Interested?

RPG Dream Team Delivers Steampunk Nostalgia To The DS [Kotaku]

The newest issue of Famitsu teases Tingle's return, offering little more than an elfin sprite, the text "Fairy?" in Japanese, Nintendo of Japan's official URL and a platform—the Nintendo DS. Tingle's already been given star treatment in two DS games, Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland and Tingle's Balloon Fight DS, the latter a Club Nintendo of Japan exclusive.

A new Tingle game may seem like the perfect fit on Nintendo's downloadable DSiWare service, but this teaser appears to be for a full-fledged title. Perhaps this one will come to America. Even if it doesn't, we're likely to see this haunting scenario played out once again.

Nothing on the official Nintendo site yet, but perhaps when the mag hits newsstands later this week, we'll know more.