The transformations from pleased as punch to enraged were most noticeable in Kirby's journeys to America, going from happy go lucky to in a lather in games like Kirby Squeak Squad. Kirby Super Star Ultra changes all that, as Kirby's gay old times are back, with nary a furrowed brow to be seen.

If you'd like to fondly remember Kirby's more bitter box art outings, hit the jump.

Nintendo is promising, however, that it hasn't abandoned the core, while Nintendo prez Reggie Fils-Aime coyly suggested back in April that gamers will have plenty to be delighted about this year. He talked about "maximizing our key franchises," and hinted at "a big game for the holiday that the gamers will want." That the title in question is Animal Crossing Wii has all but been confirmed.

Thus far, Nintendo's been mysterious, with only Mario Super Sluggers and Wario Land: Shake It! announced for Wii, and Kirby Super Star Ultra and seek-and-solve title Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir confirmed for DS.

And what about the hardware? Hit the jump for more on Nintendo at E3 this year.

Given Nintendo's investment in Wii Ware, it's rational for gamers to hope for a new storage device of some sort for Wii. But the company has repeatedly appeared to deprioritize the issue, with Nintendo of Europe managing director Laurent Fischer somewhat famously stating that "geeks and otaku" were the only ones who'd want such a thing (he later apologized).

When we recently asked a Nintendo of America rep for an update on the issue, he said, "I can tell you that if you need more space, you can just delete downloaded games that you have not played for a while. If you want to play them in the future, you can re-download them again for free. And SD cards also can be used to store content." So, storage device? Seems unlikely.

Product-cycle aficionados eyeing the life cycle and sales patterns of the DS have suggested the time might be right for a DS redesign, and Nintendo's placid pre-E3 quietude (relative to some of its industry peers) just might be explained by the fact they have such a big reveal under wraps. But not so much as a peep on that front has been forthcoming, and Nintendo has been quick to dismiss any rumors that crop up, like when a widescreen DS concept design seemed to pop up in a Disgaea ad.

Meanwhile, Rhythm Tengoku Gold for DS hits July 31 in Japan, and a US release date has yet to be announced. In the April interview, Fils-Aime sidestepped questions about the Wii music game announced at E3 2006, now tentatively titled, sensibly, Wii Music — although given the current band-game craze, the timing might be right. Fils-Aime has also been mum on a Donkey Kong for Wii.

Nintendo recently said that a Kirby for Wii is still on track for 2008, while at last report, previously-announced Monolith Soft Wii project Disaster: Day Of Crisis was "delayed indefinitely."

So here are the only E3 titles we know for sure:

NINTENDO'S WARIO, KIRBY BRING THE FUN; SLEUTHS GET A NEW MYSTERY CASE FILES GAME

New Experiences on the Way for Wii and Nintendo DS

REDMOND, Wash., June 25, 2008 – While the game world awaits the E3 Media & Business Summit in Los Angeles next month, Nintendo isn't waiting to announce new titles for its mushrooming libraries for the Wii™ console and Nintendo DS™. Classic Nintendo characters like bad-boy Wario™ and pink powerhouse Kirby® will star in their own platform games. A new Mystery Case Files™ game brings the best-selling Big Fish Games franchise to Nintendo DS for the first time. These games join the recently announced Mario™ Super Sluggers baseball game for the Wii console.

"Nintendo's game libraries continue to grow at a rapid pace," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Wario stars in a great new platformer, Kirby enthusiasts get an updated version of a fan favorite, there's a new mystery for Mystery Case Files aficionados and baseball gets a few new Mario-style twists."

Wario Land™: Shake It!, a classic side-scroller for the Wii console launching Sept. 29, stars Wario, the smelly, bad-mannered alter ego of Mario™. With the Wii Remote™ controller turned sideways like an old-school controller, veterans and newcomers alike can run, jump and smash their way through hectic side-scrolling stages. Players shake the Wii Remote to help Wario take down his enemies, empty bags of treasure or cause earthquakes. Best of all, there are numerous stages each offering multiple missions to keep players coming back again and again to unlock everything, collect more coins or just improve their best times.

Kirby Super Star™ Ultra for Nintendo DS, launching Sept. 29, re-imagines one of the most beloved Kirby games of all time. Kirby Super Star Ultra features new graphics and fully rendered animated cut scenes. With so many adventures waiting to be unlocked, there will never be a dull moment as Kirby runs, floats, copies enemies and uses Helpers to fight King Dedede and Meta Knight. New modes like Revenge of the King and Meta Knight Ultra await, along with classics like The Great Cave Offensive and Milky Way Wishes. On top of the main modes, there are also three new touch-screen-controlled mini-games that can be played with up to three friends via DS Download Play. Not only that, but players can go on Kirby adventures with a friend via local wireless as well.

Mystery Case Files™: MillionHeir™, launching Sept. 8, uses the unique Nintendo DS interface to expand upon the seek-and-solve game play of the popular series from Big Fish Games. Players seek out cleverly hidden items in a multitude of painted scenes. Players progress through an interactive detective story investigating a cast of characters and uncovering new evidence to find the rightful heir to a million-dollar fortune. This new portable installment is available only for Nintendo DS. With interactive logic puzzles that use both the touch-screen interface and built-in microphone and include the first ever multiplayer mode for a Mystery Case Files game, Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir presents a new generation of seek-and-solve games for casual gamers and franchise fans.

Mario™ Super Sluggers, launching Aug. 25 for the Wii console, stars the ever-lovable Mario and his crew of friends. It builds on the social-gaming fun and movements people learned in Wii Sports™ and turns them into a full-fledged baseball game that can be played by every member of the household. Players make a throwing motion with the Wii Remote controller to pitch the baseball and make a swinging motion to swing at the pitch. The game boasts more than 30 playable Nintendo characters and all the madness of a Mario sports game. Just like Mario Kart® Wii, it bridges the gap between experienced players and those new to the Wii console, with fun challenges and beautiful graphics.

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

For more information about these and other Nintendo products, visit Nintendo.com.

Or it's a cake for reader Blue Cheez's birthday, and his friends were too self conscious to provide the Safeway with art samples, so they did the decoration themselves Lifeinthefridge sent the photo of the yummy-looking carrot cake, describing it as a "combination of Olimar & pikmin (Brawl) and Portal," but admitting the visuals didn't go very well.

Either way, I want a slice. But only if it's 100 percent lard icing.

[Thanks to Lifeinthefridge!]

So, yeah, Kirby's about the same.
Ninty Retro [Image Shack via Digg via Infendo]

WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Feb. 25, 2008

This week's additions take players on a psychedelic trip down memory lane. Kirby® is back and armed with a bunch of new talents, including the option to combine abilities. Curious to find out what mixing the Burn and Cutter powers gives Kirby? We won't spoil that for you here. If the colorful landscapes in the pink sphere's world are too much for you and you're looking for straight firepower instead, then try plunging your soul into the mind of a twisted demon. We'll just see how you fare against wave after wave of bizarre enemy creatures in that kind of environment.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Kirby 64™: The Crystal Shards: (Nintendo 64®, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Kirby's first 3-D adventure is also his Nintendo 64 debut, and it finds the always-versatile hero battling a new enemy called Dark Matter. Dark Matter is after a distant land's powerful crystal, but a young fairy named Ribbon attempts to save it by escaping with the gem to Dream Land. Now the crystal has been broken, and it's scattered around the world. Take control of Kirby and help him journey across six worlds, battling a wide variety of enemies and challenging bosses, as he tries to collect all 100 pieces of the shattered crystal. Along the way, you'll use Kirby's trademark copying ability to use enemies' strengths against them. Not only that, but try combining any two abilities to create a brand-new one that is usually stronger than the original. Throw in three exciting multiplayer minigames, and you've got a package of which even King Dedede would be proud. Fans of Kirby and action games with bright, colorful graphics should vacuum this one up.

Psychosis: (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 600 Wii Points): This is a side-scrolling shooter played in a world created from the mind of a twisted demon. Your soul has suddenly wandered into that evil world that exists in every person's heart. The only way out is to blast your way past the grotesque creatures that block your path in five "causes" (stages). You must face the dangers of this psychedelic world by making full use of three shot types and the satellite option. With power-ups, you can change your shots to a wide-coverage beam, a satellite-generated laser and more. Each shot type can be powered up to three levels. You can also block enemy fire by rotating the satellites to a desired position. How you use these features will be the key to successfully escaping this strange and surreal world.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

Kirby enthusiasts will also take comfort in that the third Nintendo DS game, Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe, is similarly tentatively scheduled for a 2008 release. The remake of the SNES classic Kirby Super Star will hopefully make it before the end of the year.

Both dates are, of course, subject to change, as is that bad-ass attitude of the pink, shoe-wearing sphere.

WII-KLY UPDATE: THREE NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

July 23, 2007

Ah, the three classic summer leisure activities: golf, pinball and battling hordes of evil creatures. Luckily, it's Monday and once again Nintendo has you covered. Players can hit the crazy links with the spherical Kirby, become a pinball wizard or just enjoy an afternoon of helping good triumph over evil. So pour yourself a tall glass of lemonade and settle in for some classic gaming fun.

Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Kirby's Dream Course™ (Super NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Step up to the tee for the wackiest golf game of your life. This one- or two-player game features a floating golf course in the sky. High above Dream Land, players can pitch and putt the ever-popular puff ball, Kirby, through a maze of three-dimensional obstacles on a zany checkerboard course. Players must aim for the multitude of enemies that are spread throughout each fairway. Kirby must hit all the enemies to make them disappear, and the last one becomes the hole. Sink Kirby into the hole to advance to the next stage and clear all 8 courses - 64 holes in all.

Devil's Crush (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone - Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence, 600 Wii Points): Devil's Crush is the exciting sequel to the hit pinball game Alien Crush and features even smoother ball movement and enhanced special effects. Shoot the ball onto the board with the Devil Shooter, then use flippers and nudging to keep it in play and rack up a high score. Complete certain conditions to play up to six different bonus stages. Get a "Perfect Clear" on those to earn a huge amount of points. The game's ominous theme is enhanced by its enemies: wandering skeleton knights, sorcerers and even a giant face that changes from a goddess to a sinister serpent.

Shining Force™ (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): In ages long forgotten, Light fought Darkness for control of the world. Finally, the Ancients defeated the evil ruler of the dark forces known as Dark Dragon and cast him into another dimension, though he vowed to return in 1,000 years. As time passed, all memory of Dark Dragon was buried, and the land of Rune enjoyed 10 centuries of peace. Yet, as promised, the dark ruler returned, along with hordes of evil creatures that ravaged the land. As chaos erupted, several strongholds of Good still held out, awaiting a hero who could wield the Powers of Light.

Besides Haruhi, the big anime that has worked all otakudom into a frenzy is Lucky Star. Previously, we posted Mega-Man doing the Lucky Star dance, and now we bring you Kirby's take on it. Utterly delightful! Hit the jump for the original. Brian Ashcraft

Considering I have a quilt and an embroidery project that have been sitting around waiting to be finished for a couple of years at this point, it always amazes me when people take on crafting projects that wind up being a lot harder than anticipated ... and actually finish them! If presented with 304 wood crafting cube, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't make it past the priming stage, never mind the acrylic paint and gluing together stage.

But the final product of this project is a cute Kirby sprite, circa the first GBA game. A very cute, very pink, very 'Wow, that would be sitting half-finished in my closet' Kirby sprite. Maggie Greene

Kirby sprite [Thanks Imaria!]

Not only does flasher The Legend of Zelda and the Lampshade of No Real Significance have Link and a lampshade, but it has has Samus and Kirby. What's more, Samus is eating a burger and Kirby is shooting stuff! Delightful flash game. Brian Ashcraft

Play Here [Chimp Media Thanks, Chilly!]

Stan's new superheroes—with colorful names like Doubleman, Thunder Rider, Nightbird and Blaze—will be developed for films, television, books and, of course, video games, reports the BBC.

While Stan's recent creations, like Stripperella, Lightman, and re-imagined versions of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman for DC Comics, weren't exactly on-par popularity-wise with his previous work, we'll have to wait to see what he comes up with before mocking him for it.

Ah, I'm just teasing old Stan. If I can come up with my own name when I'm 85, I'll feel pretty damn proud. Michael McWhertor

Disney to unleash new film heroes [BBC]

On Ryan Payton's Kojima Productions podcast, he dishes on how Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima played the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Brawl at creator Masahiro Sakurai's Tokyo studio. According to Payton, Kojima said that:

The game already feels very complete, it's already a lot of fun and that you guys (Sakurai's studio) could put it out now, and it would sell millions of copies.

Kojima was playing as Snake, Sakurai was playing as Mario. Yet, Kojima humorously admitted that he wasn't able to punch of kick the character he's grown up with, Mario — Out of respect. Click over to listen to the rest and hear about MPO Europe extras and about Kojima and Ken Imaizumi (above) playing Guitar Hero. Brian Ashcraft

Payton Report [i-revo]

Brandon Sheffield over at Insert Credit points to a delightful post by Mathew Kumar (pictured happy dude) and his lady friend that lists 52 game similes to describe your relationship. Just dive right in and take a look at some stand outs:

Our relationship is like...

4. Tetris. Shit keeps piling up.

7. Red Steel. I'm just waving my hands in the air and nothing is happening.

31. Ico. You're completely helpless, and I'm sick of dragging you around everywhere.

27. Kirby's Dream Land. No matter how hard I suck, I can't get you all in my mouth.

42. Oregon Trail. It's dying of dysentery.

The whole list is clever and cute as hell. Swing by, take a peek. Brian Ashcraft

The Rest [Mathew Kumar via Insert Credit]

It's amazingly disturbing, while at the same time adorable. It is the very essence of what Valentine's Day is all about. What loved one wouldn't adore being on the receiving end of such heartfelt sentiment? Hit the VG Cats page for more, including the Phoenix Wright one you see top right, and a couple probably safer alternatives to Kirby's insatiable appetite for...love. Michael Fahey

Cards! Though I don't recommend using any of them [VG Cats].

As the intertubes get filled with "best-of's" and "top whatever" lists (look forward to ours!), Michael Zenke at his MMOG Nation blog has a thoughtful round-up of the most innovative games over the past two years. (There's also a list of least innovative games, so swing by, check 'em out.) Here are the best three with choice sound-bytes:

• Half-Life 2

This, right here, is 'next generation' gaming. Valve beat everybody to the punch, and has set a very very high standard for the rest of the industry to follow.

• Resident Evil 4




This game was one of the best titles ever released on the GameCube, a complete reinvigoration of the Resident Evil franchise, and has entirely set the tone for modern shooters. A lot of the goodness from Gears of War came from filing the serial numbers off of RE4.


• Kirby: Canvas Curse




The control scheme is unlike anything else I've ever played, and is one of the first titles that hit the system where the touch screen was obviously a centerpiece of the design.

And in Kotaku-land, whaddaya think? What games have been innovative? What ones haven't? Stand on your soapbox. We're all ears. Brian Ashcraft

Most Innovative Games [MMOG Nation via GameSetWatch]

One of the great things about writing for Kotaku is all of the strange, completely unsolicited stuff we get sent to us via email. Take for instance these two photos. Someone, I have no clue who, decided to send them to me via their cellphone with no explanation. So of course, I can't help but post them with the same amount of explanation. I can't help it, it's like a Pavlovian response. Brian Crecente

Well, kids, I'm out of the next-gen ghetto. I got my HDTV running, my PS3 hooked up, my 6.1 surround sound system installed and I'm ready to SPEND SPEND SPEND! Let's see what's new and notable this week, so I can fill up my house with more games.

Kirby Squeak Squad (DS)
Kirby returns to traditional platforming, but now with stylus bonus control.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP)
The proper stealth Metal Gear game players demanded.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS)
All new, dual player Castlevania adventure — now with less horrid cover art!

Star Wars: Lethal Alliance (PSP)
Third person action adventure featuring those lovely Twi'Leks. Mmmm. Headtails.

Star Trek Legacy (PC)
Real time Starfleet combat spanning every generation.

Fight Night Round 3 (PS3)
Improved port of the gorgeous EA boxer.

Full Auto 2 Battlelines (PS3)
Sega jumps ship with this PS3 exclusive combat racer sequel.

WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007 (PSP)
Dudes get sweaty and half-naked, then punch eachother. You know the drill.

Wait, I finally get a proper console set up and the only thing I want to buy are portable titles? Why am I made to suffer? What are you more fortunate kids getting this week? Michael McWhertor

Nintendo must be concerned about the tough guy image of their resident bad ass, Kirby, because when he comes stateside, he is going to be pissed. You can tell by the change in artwork from the Japanese release (left), to the North American release (right).

Nevermind that in order to get the game at some locations you'll have to say "May I please have a copy of KIRBY SQUEAK SQUAD, please?" out loud, a phrase that immediately emasculatea the speaker, once people see that pink puffball with the downturned eyebrows, they'll know you too mean business.

That Kirby is one bad mother...

Thanks for the pointer, Nick! Michael McWhertor

Why the Kirby gushing after completing and then whining about Canvas Curse? It's the gameplay videos, stupid! The official site has a very brief, but sugary sweet embedded look at the more traditional Kirby platformer.

The game will surely deal with some very adult issues, like Kirby coming to terms with having a piece of cake stolen, while bringing back old school air-swallowing, Kirby copying abilities, and new touch screen controls. The site doesn't offer too much in the way of goodies (yet), but for those of you wanting a better look at the game who don't mind a little Japanese, I recommend you check it out. Michael McWhertor

Kirby Squeak Squad Official Site (Japanese)

Nevertheless... Anton Chekov, move over!

A mysterious floating island has suddenly appeared over peaceful Yoshi's Island. Soon after its arrival, a gaggle of kids vanishes from the island school. Thankfully, Baby Mario, Baby Peach and Baby Donkey Kong manage to avoid being kidnapped. Now, Yoshi and the three young superstars must set out on a wild and colorful quest to rescue the kids and investigate the ominous island hovering overhead.

Sure, it's masterfully wrought, suspense filled! But we prefer the lithe literary grace of the upcoming Kirby game's plot: "When someone steals some strawberry shortcake, the pink powerhouse sets out after them, learning new skills." And, of course, xenociding entire species of enemies while he's at it! FLORIAN ECKHARDT

Yoshi's Island 2 Storyline Revealed [Press the Buttons]

Kotakuite Mirai Mat sent along this super cute Kirby pinata his lady friend made for her high school Spanish class. Kirby soon after had his head bashed in. The horror. Brian Ashcraft

Probably Had Tootise Rolls for Brains [Wiki]

Remember the Mario cookie? Another food-minded Japanese blogger was inspired to create these yum-yum Hoshi no Kirby cookies. Knitting and crochet might be cool, but I'm a bigger fan of baked goods. They taste way better.

Cookies Here [Personality One]