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lord of the rings
iphone
I was pretty wowed by the Apple presentation of Super Monkey Ball on the iPhone last month. The use of the tilt controls for this game in particular seem really intuitive. So any news about it, and games like iPhone Spore, make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Today Other Ocean announced that they are working with Sega to develop a demo version of the iPhone game.
"We were tremendously honored to be asked to work on the demo version of Super Monkey Ball and also to participate in the actual unveiling," said Ayre."Apple's SDK is extremely developer-friendly and the iPhone, with its accelerometer, is the perfect platform for Super Monkey Ball," explained Gordon Wood, Other Ocean's Technical Director and Senior Programmer. "The iPhone is going to be a major player in the handheld gaming market, and we're excited to be among the first to develop games for the device."
"We knew Super Monkey Ball could be a perfect game for the iPhone, and all we needed was the right team to partner with to make it happen," said David Cobb, Sega's Vice President of Product Development. "Other Ocean was the obvious choice to build the demo version, with their experience giving us a clear advantage."
I don't know if the iPhone is going to be a major gaming device, but it sure as heck seems to be a better platform for gaming than a regular phone. Now when is that demo coming out?
Square Enix still isn't revealing which platform tri-Ace's upcoming RPG will appear on. (Hey, maybe they don't know yet!) In the new issue of Famitsu the game's platform is listed as TBA. Other new info? Star Ocean 4 is actually a prequel, and the developer originally wanted to call the game Star Ocean 0. Apparently, players will also have a party, and the game's battle system will be similar to past titles. tri-Ace is considering networked functionality, but nothing's set in stone so far. No release date, either. 
What could be better than playing Endless Ocean on your Wii at home? Why, playing Endless Ocean on a Wii whilst on a cruise of course! From now until Feb. 29, Nintendo and Norwegian Cruise Line are hosting a sweepstakes wherein three lucky winners will receive a seven day Caribbean cruise. While on the cruise, the winners will be supplied with a Wii and some games to play to pass the time. Interested parties can sign up for the sweepstakes on the official site with winners being announced around March 5th. Complete rules can be found here.
Sounds like a pretty sweet prize, I just hope that whoever wins this thing will actually go out and do some actual snorkeling between bouts of Endless Ocean. Otherwise it would just be kind of sad.
endless ocean
psp
We finally start getting some good titles this week with No More Heroes, Advance Wars 2, Pirates of the Burning Sea and Burnout Paradise My wallet is going to start emptying itself again. I can just feel it coming. What are you going to be picking up this week?
No More Heroes (WII)
Suda 51's surreal cel shaded adventures of Travis Touchdown.
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (DS)
The follow up to the wildly popular Advance Wars hits with a new storyline and wi-fi.
Pirates of the Burning Sea (PC)
Arrrgh! Live the life of a pirate on land and sea in this new MMO.
Burnout Paradise (PS3, X360)
Drive, crash and burn!
Endless Ocean (WII)
Explore the mysterious world under the sea.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS)
Pit Mario against Sonic on your DS.
One Piece: Unlimited Adventure (WII)
Search for booty with Capt. Monkey.
Iridium Runners (PS2)
It's a space race!
Rainbow Islands Evolution (PSP)
Bub and Bob are back again in a new old adventure again.
Square Enix is there whenever you need sequels or branded goods, and this time the company is back with Star Ocean: First Departure and a Star Ocean branded PSP Slim & Lite. Both will be bundled in a special First Departure Eternal Edition pack on sale December 27th for ¥24,849 ($216). Sure, it's gonna sell big an all, but what we really like is the PSP pouch. It looks like a space blanket! That, after the jump.
If you haven't quite wrapped your noodle around what Arika's Forever Blue for the Wii is yet, this extended gameplay clip might shed some light. As you can see, it's all in Japanese, as the Western version (Endless Ocean) won't be released for months. Despite it's high Famitsu rating, I have a hard time believing this is going to be a purchase for me personally.
Arika's Forever Blue for the Wii may not look like much of "game" but the "reviewers" at weekly Japanese gaming pub Famitsu were big, big fans. The four editors apparently had a whale of a time/paycheck with the SCUBA adventure, giving the game scores of 10, 8, 9, and 8, deeming it not quite as good as The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass but two points better than Saints Row.
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The very definition of non-game, Endless Ocean—also known as Forever Blue in Japan—will immerse Wii owners in a world of fish, undersea mammals, and saltwater. Similar to Arika's previous undersea adventures, the Everblue series, you'll experience relaxing SCUBA-filled gameplay as you look for treasure, take photos and frantically rub dolphins. There's also an intense deathmatch mode involving a speargun and a bazooka that launches carnivorous fish. Alright, I made that last part up.
This clip shows the three commercials currently running in Japan for the Wii release—no deathmatch footage. I'm sure it will sell trillions.
de-licious
kickin blue ass
nintendo
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