Nintendo will be a major participant in this year's Tokyo Game Show, Kotaku has learned. This will be the first time since the show's inception in 1996 that Nintendo will participate with a booth at the show.

Traditionally, Nintendo has sat out the Tokyo Game Show. Sure, company prez Satoru Iwata gave the 2005 TGS keynote in which he unveiled the Wii-mote, but the company has never had an actual booth. Rather, it has focused on its own events like Space World and Nintendo World.

But this TGS is going to be different: Nintendo will have an actual booth. A big booth at that. Multiple, highly placed insiders confirm that the company will be in attendance, which is one of the reasons why TGS is four days this year instead of three.

Why Nintendo's sudden appearance? Square-Enix's Dragon Quest IX. Every time a Dragon Quest game has been shown at TGS, the event belongs to DQ. With Nintendo landing a major coup and getting DQIX on the DS (and it's gonna sell a gazillion copies), the company has decided to put in face time.

What does this mean? Madness. Long lines. And more madness. Rest easy, the DQIX demo will apparently be available via DS download. That means no waiting for three hours plus! An official announcement is expected in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned. Brian Ashcraft

This is not a double post. Well, it is. But indulge me. On Monday, we posted a clip of an Elebit falling down and being wheeled around by Konami employees. Funny, right? Yeah, but only heh heh humorous. Leave it to a Gay Gamer reader to prove one thing: Speeding things up is bwahahahahahaha hilarious. Benny Hill music, too! Brian Ashcraft

Elebit Fall Part Deux [Gay Gamer]

Technically, it's not a new trailer and the screens have seen before, but it's probably new to you. Unless you attended Nintendo World 2006, you might have missed this post-E3 look at the next game in the Smash Bros. series, this time featuring Fox McCloud and a host of new stages.

Check out the gallery for cool stills and visit the official site for the trailer. Michael McWhertor

Super Smash Bros. Gallery
Nintendo World 2006 Trailer

Not sure which is worst: Wearing an Elebits costume, being rolled out on a cart, being strapped to that cart or falling flat on your arse? Poor bastard. Brian Ashcraft

Elebits Fall At Nintendo World [Destructoid]

This weekend, while you were passed out thanks to that mmm...mmm... sleepy tryptophan in turkey, Japanese folks were lining up to play games Wii games. Nintendo World finally made its way to Tokyo, where the peak wait for Twilight Princess clocked in at almost four hours. The lines for Super Mario Galaxy and Dragon Quest Swords both were over an hour and a half. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption's line was two hours long, and Super Monkey Ball's was 80 minutes. Some of these games, you might already own, so don't forget that the Wii hits The Land of the Rising Sun this December. No more bitching from Americans how Japan gets stuff first, 'mkay? (Europeans, carry on as usual.) Brian Ashcraft

Nintendo World Invades Chiba, Really [Famitsu]

Two minutes, 38 seconds in. She's wearing purple. Saying that it's fun for adults, too. Blink and you'll miss her. Brian Ashcraft

by Brian Ashcraft

It started with a: "There's a foreigner! Let's talk to him."

A man in a khaki jumpsuit motions for me to come over. He's flanked by a camera man and a sound guy. He's waving at me and grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Come here."

Nagoya. Home of the Toyota Motor Company, and where everyone drives either a Toyota or a Toyota. It's 8:30 am or thereabouts. In front of some convention hall down by the port. Already been up for five hours to make the necessary road trip. And I'm not alone. I'm in a line with a couple hundred Nintendo DSes and assorted people holding them. And everyone else is bitching about the chilly weather.

The drive from Osaka to Nagoya is a straight shot down the Meishin Expressway, plus a series of tolls that puts the 2 and a half hour trip over $100 easy. Still, we're up at half past three, out the door by four. Still dark. Neither wife, nor kid sleep in the car. Son talks incessantly about the Wii, calling amusingly and incorrectly "Nintendo no Wii" in Japanese. Try to explain to him that it's just the "Nintendo Wii," but his mind is made up. It needs the possessive "no."

Somewhere in Shiga Prefecture, the sun starts to burn off the morning mist that lingers in the mountains. The leaves are just on the cusp of turning, and it's feels like it could either be fall or early spring when things are still fuzzy and not quite yet defined.

Confession: I have yet to play the Wii. Two years ago at TGS, I held a Wii-mote prototype. Nintendo honcho Satoru Iwata pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to me. It was heavy, and there was an LED light. And at this year's E3, while most of the gaming press got up close and personal with the Wii, I saw a lot of the press room.

"Do you speak Japanese?" the jumpsuit guy asks in English.
"Yes," I reply.
He switches and starts with a "Let's talk about the Wii."
"You mean 'us'."
Wow. Corny. Even in Japanese. Strike that, especially in Japanese.
"What are you looking forward to today?" Jumpsuit asks.
"The Wii."
"What about the Wii?"
"It's different from other consoles."
"But, abroad PC gaming is more popular," Jumpsuit offers.
"Like in Korea and China?"
"No, America."

Yeah? Missed that memo. Thanks for the heads up, dude.

"I wouldn't say that," I counter. "I'd say the opposite. That console gaming is more popular."
"In America, the 360 is very popular." he continues.

Where is this going?

"That's true."
"And, of course, American games are very different."

Now, this gentleman is wearing a jumpsuit. A slightly ridiculous one at that. My assumption: He must be a comedian. Not a newscaster. Comedians wear dumb clothes. Newscasters, suits. And he's not a very good comedian, I gather, because he's not making jokes. He's dead serious.

"First-Person-Shooters are more popular, sure."
Okay, Ashcraft, you're being way too polite.
"The 360 isn't so popular in Japan," points out Jumpsuit. His breath smells of coffee.
Uh, alright.
"No, it isn't."
Still playing nice.
"Are you going to buy a Wii?" he inquires.
No, I'm not, because I am a PC gaming American, right?
"Yep. And a PS3."
"And a PS3?" He seemed startled. Confused even. "But there aren't many of those. Is that your girlfriend?"
"It's my wife. And this is my son." My kid's been standing next to me the entire time. Kid looks at Jumpsuit and shakes his head.
"Oh."

The line pushes forward. It's a few minutes after nine, and my kid has his face pressed up against the glass. We're in the entry way. There's a sign that says no photography and no food. Wii Staff (people in Wii jackets) pass out handbooks. And a handbook and tote bag later, we're in.

While the Wii was in full force, "Nintendo" is remarkably absent. The letters w-i-i dominate and permeate through the entire hall. Everywhere you look, there they are, w-i-i. That's the draw. And Nintendo World 2006's goal is simple: Wii. The layout is straightforward with playable kiosks with lines. And space! Even when full, there was also a line that was short and a demo that could be quickly played. The main area is all Wii Sports. Moving right, there are games you'd think would be popular and are: Dragon Quest, Twilight Princess and Super Mario Galaxy. Within minutes, the wait for Twilight Princess clocks in at three hours. And by 11 o'clock, the line will be closed for the day as the wait time would spill over into way after the event closes.

The press are all wearing red armbands that read "PRESS." I'm not. There's an information counter, where I could register and get one, but I've elected not to. Making myself prey for TV interviews. Two tall foreigners pin their PRESS badges one. One is holding a large digital camera and has sunglasses pushed up in his blonde hair. The other one is wearing glasses and holding a notepad.

Any news that breaks, these guys will get it up in a jiff. There has been rumors that there was a new Super Smash Brothers' character, then rumors that that rumor was incorrect—a mistranslation. Not new characters, but new footage of old characters! All has been long forgotten and such is the internet.

Moving through the crowd, traffic is light. The place is hopping, but its a controlled hopping. This is what E3 should be. It's about the games, the system and not a circus. There are booth companions, but they are precisely that—companions, as in they help you play the game and wipe off the Wii-mote when you're not. They're not even especially cute, but tastefully plain in an unassuming way. And all wearing different white shoes. All personal artifacts from home, most likely.

There's a complete lack of video game-ness. Everything is white and slick. There aren't even people in Nintendo cosplay.

That's when I see Katamari. Again. She's pushing a cart of stuff through the throng and moving in a blur. See, there's this girl in Osaka. She goes to all the game shows and events, dressed as Katamari. And here she is, hundreds of kilometers away in Nagoya, dressed as Link. With a tiny Katamari doll.

My wife wants to play Wii Sports. Tennis. We line up, wait the allotted time and we're ushered to a kiosk.

"Is the child going to play?" the booth companion asks.
"No. He's gonna watch."
"He can't stand in the play area."
"And why?"

The booth companion shoots her hand up! And looks around for help. Light Blue Wii Staff Jackets pass, and she desperately tries to get their attention.

"Excuse me," I say, flagging one down.

Quick recap of the situation, the Light Blue Wii Jacket nods quickly and impatiently. There's an earpiece in his ear. "He can stand there. Just watch the kid, okay?" he says and darts off, scribbling on a clipboard. My first Wii hands-on hasn't even started and already a bad taste in my mouth. Swell.

We start. My wife picks it up super quick. I'm slower (surprise, huh?), but get it. And we're playing. And it's tennis. And it's fun.

"How was that?" a woman appears. She also has a camera crew, but isn't wearing a stupid jumpsuit. Rather, smart, business type threads.

"Good." I say.
Camera in my face.
"For the whole family, right?"
"Not really. We only had two controllers."
Jeez, somebody's bitchy.
"What did you think?" she asks my wife.
"It was fun. For adults, too." my wife adds.
Thatta girl!

We're in another line. Third party titles. My kid wants to play a driving game. The lines for the third party games are super short, and I'm able to get quick hands-on with a smattering of titles. In all fairness, it's hard to write substantial impressions that stretch beyond "cool" or "meh." It's a bit like reviewing a movie trailer or a book jacket. Though, the one thing I did take away is that brain games or study type games don't translate well to the Wii. At all.

There's a contest out front. A hundred Wiis are being given away, and my wife is convinced we're gonna win. Heading towards the exit, we pass Jumpsuit, standing in line to check out the Virtual Console, and Katamari, posing next to the Twilight Princess display. The foreign camera guys have their backs to the rolling camera. That news reporter has long left.

Outside. There's a bulletin board and a Light Blue Jacket calling out winner numbers that appear on the sheet stuffed in our three tote bags. A guy in a White Wii Staff jacket checks his sheet to see if he gets a freebie to take home. The jacket is nice. A console, nicer.

All three of our numbers come up short and we stuff the sheets and ourselves in the car. It's a long way back to Osaka, and my wife talks incessantly about the Wii right up until we get to Gifu prefecture, where dusk sends her into a deep slumber. Over Gershwin piped through the stereo, I can hear the faint sound of her breathing.

At today's portion of Nintendo World 06 taking place in Nagoya, Japan, the company showed off a new trailer, "comprised almost entirely of gameplay", for the upcoming Wii fighter Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Included in that new trailer was an appearance by new Super Smash Bros. Brawl addition Fox McCloud as a playable character.

Fox joins Pit, Meta Knight, Samus (Sexy Time Zero Suit T&A Version), Metal Gear Solid's Snake, and personal favorite Wario for the Wii brawler blowout.

Unfortunately, the game is not yet playable for the attendees of Nintendo World, but we hope to have trailer-watching impressions up soon. Michael McWhertor

Mr. Ashcraft is currently in a tiny Japanese sedan, cruising to Nagoya at top speeds, heading to day one of Nintendo World. What will he be playing? Probably Love & Berry DS all day, texting his wife every 15 minutes with updates on new outfits.

But what will other people be playing? Nintendo announced today that the following titles will be available for Wii wand wavin' in Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo:

- Wii Sports (Nintendo)
- Hajimete no Wii: Your First Step To Wii (Nintendo)
- Odoru Made in Wario [Wario Ware Smooth Moves] (Nintendo)
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)
- Pokemon Battle Revolution (Nintendo)
- Excite Truck (Nintendo)
- Wii Yawaraka Atama Juku (Nintendo)
- Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo)
- Fire Emblem: Akatsuki no Megami (Nintendo)
- Mario Strikers Charged (Nintendo)
- Mario Party 8 (Nintendo)
- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Nintendo)
- Hajime no Ippo - The Fighting! Revolution (AQ Interactive)
- Call of Duty 3 (Activision)
- Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (Activision)
- Caduceus Z: 2-tsu no Chou Shittou [Trauma Center: Second Opinion] (Atlus)
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (Activision)
- GT Pro Series (MTO)
- Need For Speed Carbon (EA)
- Elebits (Konami)
- Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors (Square Enix)

- Necro-Nesia (Spike)
- Bleach Wii: Hakujin Kirameku Rondo (Sega)
- Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Sega)
- Sonic to Himitsu Ring (Sega)
- Cooking Mama: Minna to Issho ni Oryouri Taikai! (Taito)
- Densha de Go! Shinkansen: 06 Sanyou Shinkansen Hen (Taito)
- Furu Furu Park (Taito)
- Swing Golf Pangya (Tecmo)
- Sudoku (Hudson)
- Wing Island (Hudson)
- Kororinpa (Hudson)
- Bomberman Land Wii (Hudson)
- Tsuri Master (Hudson)
- SD Gundam: Scud Hammers (Bandai Namco)
- Ennichi no Tatsujin (Bandai Namco)
- Tamagotchi no Pika Pika Daito-ryo-! (Bandai Namco)
- Dragon Ball Z Sparking! NEO (Bandai Namco)
- One Piece Unlimited Adventure (Bandai Namco)
- Crayon Shin-Chan: Saikyou Kazoku Kasukabe King Wii (Banpresto)
- Bokujou Monogatari Wii (Marvelous)
- The Dog Island (Yuke's)
- Monster 4X4: World Circuit (Ubisoft)
- Rayman Rabbids Party (Ubisoft)
- Red Steel (Ubisoft)
- Virtual Console games
- Mii Channel (Wii Hardware)

Damn, that's a lot of Nintendo games. I can't wait to see how Dragon Quest Swords turns out. Hurry up with the impressions, Mr. Ashcraft! Michael McWhertor

Nintendo World 2006 Wii

With the DS dominating Japan, Nintendo could probably release a cartridge filled with poems or health food recipes or some such nonsense and expect to sell a million copies of each. So that's exactly what they're doing!

Here's the list of newly released and upcoming software that will be playable at Nintendo World 06 for the DS:

- Kirby: Calling on the Droche(?) Group! [Kirby Squeak Squad] (Nintendo)
- Common Sense Training for Adults (Nintendo)
- Pokemon Diamond/Pearl (Nintendo)
- Talking DS Cookbook! (Nintendo)
- Tetris DS (Nintendo)
- English Training (Nintendo)
- More Brain Training (Nintendo)
- Everybody's Play Encyclopedia (Nintendo)
- Big Brain Academy (Nintendo)
- DS Rakubiki Jiten plus Kanji (Nintendo)
- Adult Brain Training (Nintendo)
- Nintendogs (Nintendo)
- 100 Poems by 100 Famous Poets (Nintendo)
- Prose Training (Nintendo)
- Wish Room: Angel's Memory (Nintendo)
- Phantom Wario: the Seven (Nintendo)
- 1000 Healthy Recipes DS Collection (Nintendo)
- Jump Ultimate Stars (Nintendo)
- Chibi-Robo! DS (Nintendo)
- Picross DS (Nintendo)
- Sekaiki no Meikyuu (Atlus)
- SimCity DS (EA)
- Phoenix Wright 4 (Capcom)
- Meteor Rockman: Dragon/Pegasus/Leo (Capcom)
- Atelier Lees: Ondore Alchemist (Gusto)
- Castlevania: Gallery of the Labyrinth (Konami)
- Powerful Pro Baseball Pocket (Konami)
- Boktai: Django & Sabata (Konami)

- DS Kageyama Method Computerized Repetition: Math (Shogakukan)
- What a Wonderful World (Square-Enix)
- Chocobo and the Magical Picture Book (Square-Enix)
- Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker (Square-Enix)
- Gotouchi Kentei DS (Spike)
- Bleach DS 2nd: Kokui Hirameku Requiem (Sega)
- Fashionable Witches Love and Berry ~DS Collection~ (Sega)
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms DS (Sega)
- Mysterious Dungeon: Fuurai no Siren DS (Sega)
- Naruto: Ninja Biographies (Takara/Tomy)
- Puzzle Series Vol. 9: Sudoku 2 (Hudson)
- Word Puzzle: Moji Pittan DS (Bandai-Namco)
- Heisei Board of Education DS (Bandai-Namco)
- Harvest Moon: Home Island (Marvelous)
- Leyton Teaching and Mysterious Town (Level 5)

Ew. DS Kageyama Method Computerized Repetition: Math? That sounds painful! At least we'll be getting a new DS Picross and can sleep easy knowing that the Wario platformer for DS appears to be alive and well. Keep your eyes peeled for updates and impressions soon. Michael McWhertor

Nintendo World 06 DS

The store will have a dozen Wii kiosks up and running with a bunch of games playable including Wii Sports and Excite Truck. To kick-off the launching of the kiosks, the store will be throwing a party from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. All Nintendo says about the party is that they will be giving away some "great prizes." Could one of them be a Wii? Brian Crecente [Thanks Matthew]