More 8-bit Mega Man goodness? More hideously inappropriate artwork? Proto Man selectable from the get go? SHEEP MAN!? I'm sold, and I've only skimmed the too-brief article preview that NP has posted regarding the follow-up to Mega Man 9, coming soon to a Nintendo WiiWare service near you. I'd steal Nintendo Power's thunder, but I've already borrowed their magazine art, so you'll have to hit up the link below to find more details.

Could this be what's inside Capcom's mysterious energy block?

Mega Man 10 [Nintendo Power - Scroll down for article - Thanks Justin!]

Edge Magazine cover from 2005 back when the Wii was still called the Revolution (Via Edge cover gallery on Flickr)
Nintendo Power cover from 2006
Cover to forthcoming book, A Casual Revolution, about the impact of the Wii, Guitar Hero and other audience-expanding systems and games. (Publisher description here.)

Snippets of the June issue of Nintendo Power are now available online, giving Red Steel fans a peek at the next waggle-filled first-person slicer, but, sadly, no screen shots. Perhaps in the paper version of the Nintendo-focused mag. Nintendo Power seems jazzed about Red Steels 2, though, with the pub excitedly claiming that "wielding a sword in a Wii game feels as real as you'd always dreamed!"

I was unaware that that was a recurring dream of mine. But I trust Nintendo Power wouldn't lie to me.

The Nintendo Power table of contents further confirms that Ubisoft will be supporting Wii MotionPlus for Red Steel 2, offering up some pleasant looking artwork.

Other highlights from the June issue include our first look at Don Flamenco in the Wii remake of Punch-Out!! as well as an official review. Watch for it!

Nintendo Power

The re-imagined A Boy And His Blob will be handled by Wayforward, developers of fine products like Contra 4 for the Nintendo DS and LIT for WiiWare, reveals Nintendo Power. It also has first screens of the 2D, hand-animated game, plus how we'll be using the Blob on the Wii.

It's substantially different from the NES original.

Instead of simply feeding the Blob jellybeans to transform him into things like ladders and trampolines, the Boy will be able to use him offensively, turning him into an anvil or a cannon or a human-shaped doppelganger. Oh, and much, much more, of course.

The gorgeous looking modern day remake is planned for a Fall release (as a fully-fledged retail product, we gather) but you'll have to check the April issue of Nintendo Power for further details.

A Boy And His Blob Preview [Nintendo Power]

The classic NES adventure game A Boy and his Blob is being "reinvented" for the Nintendo Wii. So says the April issue of Nintendo Power, indicating that Pitfall creator David Crane's jelly-bean eating hero Blobert and his pal, the boy, will soon be making their triumphant return.

Remember A Boy and His Blob in NES? Then you're old! But this reinvention of the property on Wii is simply stunning.

How stunning is it? We'll have to check back on March 5th for that particular information, as right now Nintendo Power is teasing us with a blurry image of the article. That, or wait for the April issue to go on sale March 17th.

Nintendo Power - April Issue [Nintendo Power]

Excitebots: Trick Racing gets properly previewed in the mag's April issue, a portion of which is now available online. Don't worry, these scans are kosher, coming direct from Nintendo Power itself.

Perhaps most exciting about the Excitebots blowout is our first look at the game's visuals. Yes, you'll be piloting robot frog cars.

The Excitebots vehicle lineup includes an unusually appealing set of four-wheeled animals and insects, including bats, ladybugs, praying mantises, beetles and turtles. This thing has merchandising opportunity slathered all over it. Each is said to have its own weight and handling properties, with power-ups letting your Excitebot turn off its wheels, then run on two legs.

Controls look to be identical to the original Excite Truck, with many of the gameplay mechanics that worked in the original Wii game (ie. land deformation) returning for the more outlandish sequel.

Excitebots: Trick Racing looks like it will add some interesting power ups, including ... tambourines? Yep, tambourines.

Nintendo Power - April Issue [Nintendo Power]

The March issue of Nintendo Power promises the first (print, we assume) look at LucasArts' next Indy adventure, in which we'll crack whips, solve puzzles, dodge traps and... throw octopuses.

We don't know much about the game other than LucasArts' alleged plans to publish it on the Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2 and PSP.

Nintendo Power is also promising new details on The Conduit's online multiplayer mode, plus a look at Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor — which would make its English language existence all but official, I suppose — for the Nintendo DS as well as the recently announced Boom Blox: Bash Party. Watch for it! In fact, sleep with one eye open tonight.

Thanks for the heads up, Irfaan!

B theorizes that Nintendo Power made the switch to graphics designers rather than illustrators because graphic designers are so plentiful, and illustrators are perverts. I submit as a former art college student that one of the best things about being able to draw is perverting the natural order of things through art. I also submit that Agent P is a bit obsessed with sodomy, as several of the illustrations he picked involve it, and those that don't generally mention it in the caption, such as the one for this shot from a Nintendo Power Zen The Intergalactic Ninja comic.

Zen The Intergalactic Ninja doesn’t get mentioned a lot in the gaming press these days, most likely because we’re all still trying to wash that oil rape boss fight off our collective memory banks.

Me? I would have just gone with some light saxophone music for that one.

This one, on the other hand... ...well I'm pretty sure that's illegal.

The Top 10 Most Disturbing Illustrations From Nintendo Power Magazine [The -Minus World]

Gameplay-wise, Chinatown Wars will feature D-pad aiming and auto targeting via the R button, as well as "tasteful" mini-games — no lap dances? The arsenal is said to include a flamethrower and chain gun, and the wanted system looks to be modified to maybe shun GTA IV's "out of sight, out of mind" mechanic for one that requires the player to "disable police cars any way possible."

More details after the jump.

- True GTA game - sandbox gameplay, open-world environment, gritty crime narrative.
- M-rating
- Isometric camera angle
- Cel-shaded polygons w/ black borders
- good touch-screen implementation - "tasteful" minigames, streamlining interface
- UI based on a PDA - hub for email, contacts, map, music player, GPS, stat-tracking
- stats uploaded to Rockstar Social Club website via Wi-Fi
- finger-sized icons
- missions designed for shorter periods of play, arcade quality
- aiming with control pad, auto targeting with R button
- subtle autosteer
- if you fail a mission, you can jump back to the action sequence
- chain gun, flamethrower
- good portion of Liberty City is modeled in the game (different routes than console games)
- no probems with load times, draw-in or frame rate
- lots of pedestrians, cars, etc on screen
- Wanted system - objective is to disable police cars any way possible
- real-time weather effects, 24-hour day/night cycle
- lots of radio stations to listen to (more instrumentals than vocals)
- 800,000 lines of hand-optimized source code (hey, the people like the info, right?)
- no details yet on multiplayer/Wi-Fi features

Unfortunately, we don't have the new November issue of Nintendo Power on hand to verify these details, nor do we have scans of the magazine at the ready (because that's naughty), so we should consider this rumor for now. We'll be checking in with Rockstar to see if this is all legit while we wait with breathless anticipation for our copy of NIntendo Power to show up.

Nintendo Power - November 2008 (V234) - Muramasa, GTA DS [NeoGAF via GoNintendo]

We have little info beyond the cover details for Sonic's third Wii outing, but can imagine a Sonic themed adventure with the compelling gameplay of Red Steel or Dragon Quest Swords will fit the series like a glove. Hey, we'll take it (begrudgingly) over gunplay any day.

To sum up... :\

Sonic and the Black Knight (Wii) revealed in new Nintendo Power [NeoGAF - thanks, Carlos!]

According to details from the newest issue of Nintendo Power, the game has a hand-drawn watercolor style. Each member in your party—which can total four of the eleven available characters—will have special abilities (we're betting the farm on Sonic being fast). Battles are turn-based and attacks are said to follow an Elite Beat Agents model.

There's more to read at the message board post linked below.

Bioware's Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood in new NP [NeoGAF]

$250 may seem like a lot to some of our readers, but for a 30" x 20" piece of art that is based upon your particular various fetish fanboyisms, it's not such a bad deal. Personally, I'd love to stick about three of them up in my office/retro gaming room...and in that circumstance, it would start to become a more serious investment. My guess is that a printer-made template and a pile of magazines could make for a fun weekend, even if not a product quite as polished as Lange creates. Hit the jump for a bonus shot.

Very nice stuff.

Chris Lange's Etsy Shop [via technabob]

Jim liked Sara. Sara liked Jim. Jim was saying all the right things and if he kept it up, it was turning out to be one ___________ night indeed.

"We are honored to be selected as the new publisher for an industry touchstone like Nintendo Power," says Future US's President, Jonathan Simpson-Bint. "This is an opportunity for Future to use its core competencies - great editorial, deep knowledge of young men's lifestyles and technical expertise - in service of one of the world's great entertainment brands. We couldn't be more excited to get started."

NINTENDO AND FUTURE US TEAM TO PUBLISH NINTENDO POWER MAGAZINE Nintendo partners with country's premiere young men's media company to produce one of gaming industry's most well-regarded magazines South San Francisco, CA (September 19, 2007) - Nintendo and Future US, Inc., the leading publisher of cutting-edge special interest magazines and Web sites, announced today that they are teaming up to publish Nintendo Power® magazine, which has offered millions of Nintendo fans a comprehensive mix of tips, tricks, reviews, maps and strategies each month for nearly 20 years.

Future US will produce the title, which was formerly produced in-house by Nintendo of America Inc. Future US will also produce the magazine's Web site, www.nintendopower.com.

"By teaming with Future US, Nintendo is ensuring the continued growth of the magazine's circulation and bringing even greater value to Nintendo enthusiasts," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "The team at Future will carry on the quality and traditions of Nintendo Power, and the magazine will now be available at more newsstand locations than ever before."

The first full Future US-published issue of Nintendo Power will be the December 2007 edition (volume 222), on sale in October. Initial circulation will be 300,000 copies, with the magazine continuing to ship to subscribers monthly, with an additional holiday bonus issue each year.

Nintendo Power is a pioneering title within the video gaming category and was first published in 1988. Nintendo Power covers all Nintendo gaming systems (Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Game Boy® Advance) and their associated first-, second- and third-party software. Featuring in-depth previews, reviews of all the latest games, tons of codes, and plenty of late-breaking news, Nintendo Power is perfect for both the novice gamer and the veteran player. Future US's parent, international special-interest media company Future , also publishes the official Nintendo magazine in the United Kingdom.

"We are honored to be selected as the new publisher for an industry touchstone like Nintendo Power," says Future US's President, Jonathan Simpson-Bint. "This is an opportunity for Future to use its core competencies - great editorial, deep knowledge of young men's lifestyles and technical expertise - in service of one of the world's great entertainment brands. We couldn't be more excited to get started."

Game Informer spoke with Nintendo of America Vice President of Corporate Affairs Perrin Kaplan who confirmed that while the company is moving certain folks out of Redmond, Nintendo Power is not shutting down. Instead, the magazine will become a "licensed property" still owned by Nintendo.

If there's any confusion about that, Kaplan says that details are forthcoming, including information on who the new owner of the magazine will be. Your subscription lives to see another day. Michael McWhertor

Taking A Spin With Perrin: The Perrin Kaplan Interview [Game Informer]

IGN's Matt Cassamassina speculates that the magazine may be shutting down due to the company's recently discussed relocation of certain operations outside of Seattle and competition from other publications.

The officially sanctioned Nintendo magazine saw its first issue go out to the NES faithful in the summer of 1988. I was one of the original subscribers and pored over that issue with the obsessively nerdy intensity only a preteen Nintendo fanboy can. Michael McWhertor

Rumor: Nintendo Power Shutting Down [IGN]

In the most recent issue of Nintendo Power, it has been reported that the Commodore 64 will join the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, MSX and Turbografx 16 as one of the available platforms for the Wii Virtual Console.

Gamasutra's re-reporting of the Virtual Console update says that no game titles are specified but that "indications" are that classic Epyx titles, games like California Games, Summer Games, Impossible Mission, and Jumpman, may make an appearance. We'll wait for an official announcement and keep our fingers crossed for a downloadable version of M.U.L.E. Michael McWhertor

Report: Commodore 64 Titles Join Virtual Console [Gamasutra]

UPDATE: User Ferry wrote in to say that the Nintendo Power editors were speculating that C64 games will hit VC Land and that a handful of Epix games were being "reworked" for the Wii. From his e-mail: "A Nintendo Power editor merely speculated the announced C64 games would come to the Virtual Console, when in fact two are being remade for the PSP, DS, and Wii. To quote: 'System 3 will release Impossible Mission on PSP & DS in January 2007, 3 weeks later it will come to Wii, with California Games for PSP & DS in May 2007, and again 3 weeks later it will come to Wii.' Hope this helps." Thanks for the info, Ferry!

From Nintendo Power #31. December, 1991. First Column.

Oh, prophetic soothsayer! Tell us more about this, this... Super Mario Gal-ax-y of which you speak. Tell us more about this magical Nintendo console that can play games from past systems! Roll your eyes white, chant to arcane gods and tell us about a next generation console that will retail for between $250 and $300! Then have a little stroke and start babbling on about the rest of that crazy fanboy crap you're always spouting on about.

The last column is rather interesting, too. Although the italicized editor is cut off, he seems to be claiming that no one wants a cow-milking, breakfast-cooking, dishwashing video game console. I have a cockroach Xanadu of fungous dishes sitting in my bachelor pad sink right now that stand testament to a prospective "disgusting slob" marketshare, wiseguy.

Thanks for the scan, Brian! Florian Eckhardt

Infendo points to a new promo picture published in the latest issue of Nintendo Power that seems to insinuate yet another undisclosed Wii button over which to spend the newsless summer months feverishly speculating.

It's that indigo button at the very tip of the Wiimote that is causing all the speculation. Infendo believes that it may well be a 'Z' button, like the one on the GameCube's controller.

Our question is how is anyone suppose to reach that thing? You'd need another thumb growing out of your thumb to hit it. One theory made by an Infendo commenter is that it's some sort of volume control for the internal speaker, which certainly makes more sense than an unusable button position at the most ergonomically nightmarish place. Florian Eckhardt

Nintendo Power Reveals New Wiimote Button [Infendo]