-
Nintendo’s Record Court Fine Reduced By Soft-Hearted Judge
Back in 2002, Nintendo were busted by the European Union for price-fixing. Their punishment was a €149 million (USD$200 million) fine, which is still one of the biggest penalties ever handed out by the EU. But for being such co-operative so-and-sos with the whole thing, a judge has reduced the company’s fines to “only” €119…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 1, 2009 -
The NES Mouse Looks Beautiful, Uncomfortable
The Nintendo Entertainment System may have popularized the cross-shaped d-pad, but it didn’t usher in a new wave of controller comfort. This lovely looking NES mouse, sadly just a foam sculpted mock-up, looks accurately uncomfortable. Nintendo did get around to offering a mouse with the Super NES, but it wasn’t as easy on the eyes…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 30, 2009 -
The Big Three Escalate E3 Hype Levels To Code Orange
The glorious, obnoxious return of E3 proper is mere weeks away. The hype is now palpable, with Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony inflating expectations for their respective E3 showings. But Microsoft may be hyping the loudest. While Nintendo and Sony seem content to remind video game fans that they too will be attending the Los Angeles…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 30, 2009 -
WarioWare: Myself Touches Itself
DS title WarioWare: Myself lets users create their own mini-games. That means one thing: Penis. Released in Japan as Made In Ore (“ore” is the masculine form of “I”), the WarioWare title features a microgame editor for the Nintendo DSi described as a tool to “make your own music, graphics, pretty much everything, including programming…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 30, 2009 -
How The DSi Can Filter Your Internets
Being a Nintendo product, the DSi is big on shielding children from the evils of the world, perceived or otherwise. And the DSi is no different, shipping with an internet filtering program. But how’s it work? Built into the machine’s browser, it’s been developed by Astaro, a company that specialises in web security. Using “cloud-based…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 30, 2009 -
The Story Behind The Conduit
"How can mankind fight a war that the enemy has already won?" asks the latest trailer for Sega’s first-person shooter The Conduit. The new trailer explores the story behind The Conduit in timeline form, giving us a quick synopsis as to what happened over the course of six months that ended with our protagonist running…
By Mike Fahey Published April 29, 2009 -
A Reminder Of How Small A Group “We, Gamers” Are
People like us talk a lot about video games. We read the news, scour forums, watch trailers, download screenshots. But a piece on Gamasutra reminds us how small a part of the market “we” are. Using the recent release of Madworld as an example, research firm GamePlan Insights reveals that, despite IGN naming it “as…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 29, 2009 -
Why There’s No Marvel vs Capcom 2 On Wii
While both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will be seeing a re-release of Capcom’s classic 2D fighter Marvel vs Capcom 2, Wii owners won’t be seeing anything of the sort. While this may have been obvious from the fact the game’s release announcement failed to mention Nintendo’s console, for anyone who hadn’t quite caught…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 29, 2009 -
RPG Dream Team Delivers Steampunk Nostalgia To The DS
From the creators of Dragon Quest V, Final Fantasy III and IV for the DS, Thousand Arms, Fatal Frame, and Grandia comes Nostalgia, an original steampunk role-playing game for the Nintendo DS. Released in Japan as Nostalgeo no Kaze, Ignition Entertainment and Tecmo join forces with Matrix Software and Red Entertainment to bring the game…
By Mike Fahey Published April 28, 2009 -
Ace Attorney Investigations Hits North American DS This Winter
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, an investigation-heavy Nintendo DS title first released in Japan, will be coming to the U.S. this winter. In Investigations, the game is more about the crime scene and less about the courtroom. Players will take on the role of prosecutor Miles Edgeworth as he investigates crime scenes in his search…
By Brian Crecente Published April 28, 2009 -
Yet Another New Character Coming to Wii Punch-Out!!
Little Mac, Glass Joe, King Hippo. If you’ve played the original NES Punch-Out!!, you know these characters. They’re old. But what about that character up there? He’s new. The game’s box art shows classic Punch-Out!! characters like Von Kaiser, but also shows a new fighter named “Disco Kid”. While we imagine there will be many…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 28, 2009 -
Internet Decides Miley Cyrus Slightly More Influential Than Shigeru Miyamoto
The results of Time’s online poll to determine the “World’s Most Influential People in 2009,” as decided by the mouth-breathing internet, has ranked Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto as the world’s 42nd most influential person. That’s one spot behind pop star Miley Cyrus, which might sting a bit for Mr. Miyamoto, but many, many spots…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 27, 2009 -
Reviews
Excitebots: Trick Racing Review: ***********
Excitebots: Trick Racing, Nintendo’s sequel to Wii launch racer Excite Truck, makes the tenuous connection to the original Excitebike feel increasingly strained. How we arrived at transforming car-beasts doing mid-air stunts may be beyond explanation. But here we are, racing robotic cars shaped like mice, praying mantises and vampire bats against each other in locations…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 27, 2009 -
The Nintendo Download: That Nobunaga’s Really Going Places
It’s an ambitious week for The Nintendo Download, with the feudal warlords of Nobunaga’s Ambition marching into battle against paper planes, card games, and a platforming devil. Nobunaga’s Ambition for the Super Nintendo (800 points) leads the Nintendo Download charge this week, delivering deep strategy game play that none of the newer games in the…
By Mike Fahey Published April 27, 2009 -
If Only More Games Had Box Art Like This
While “classy” game covers have so far been 2009’s game cakes, some real games can have classy covers too. Like Another Code: R on the Wii. On the left, the European art, while on the right, the Japanese box. Love it. Publishers, take note! When scanning an endless desert of garishly-coloured game boxes, this is…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 27, 2009 -
DSiCade Takes Browser Games on the Go
If you’ve run through your DSiWare points budget and you’re still looking for something to do, point your browser over to DSiCade, a site for fan-made browser games. It’s only at a beta-stage so far, so you can choose among a Simon-style memory game (pictured) a Missile Command-type game (which I couldn’t get to work)…
By Owen Good Published April 26, 2009 -
Kid Wanted DS, Got a Rock
This sounds like something my Dad would do, just to watch me lose my shit. However, it’s real. A 16-year-old unboxed his birthday present DS to find nothing but rocks and Chinese newspaper. Because she’s a cool mom, Jody Wykle, of Lake Wales, Fla., gave her son Guitar Hero: On Tour even though he didn’t…
By Owen Good Published April 26, 2009 -
Feast Your Eyes on Muramasa: The Demon Blade
GameTrailers assembled a comprehensive look at Muramasa: The Demon Blade, the latest iteration in the cult-hit series that’s due out for Wii in late July. You can get a long look at the art direction and gameplay, and both qualities seem very deep, 2D platformer or not. As the video indicates, its predecessor Odin Sphere…
By Owen Good Published April 25, 2009 -
Portable NES Gets Extravagant Add-Ons
The FC Mobile, which was essentially a portable Nintendo Entertainment System, was impressive when it launched last year. Now, though, with the addition of new peripherals, it’s really impressive. The system’s successor, the FC Mobile II, not only shrinks down the handheld’s dimensions with a classier casing, but allows you to output its signal to…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 25, 2009 -
New Green Nintendo DS Bundle Is For Moms Only
Nintendo will be releasing a new Nintendo DS Lite bundle on May 3rd, one with a brand new color scheme—new to North America, anyway—and Personal Trainer Cooking software packed in. It’s perfect for Mother’s Day. Now, we’re not implying that only mom should be slaving over a hot stove all day, especially on Mother’s Day.…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 24, 2009