RUMOR MILL: SUPER SMASH BROS. BRAWL… NOW WITH R.O.B.?!

Okay, I'll freely admit that I haven't been following all the supposed leaks surrounding Super Smash Bros. Brawl as closely as I should, but one thing I saw over at Joystiq today certainly caught my attention… R.O.B..

For those of you who may be too young to remember R.O.B., back when the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) launched in the United States, it included R.O.B., your Robotic Operating Buddy, a little robot who would play along with you in one of the included games. The initial idea was to use R.O.B. to help differentiate the NES from other gaming systems in an attempt to get retailers and customers to accept it in a post-console crash world. 

In reality, R.O.B. was a dismal failure. Only two games were ever released that made use of him (including the pack-in) and in truth, even those games played better without R.O.B. than they did with him. At his best, R.O.B. was a trojan horse that got the NES onto retailers shelves in those early test markets, but one that soon found himself on the outside looking in on the NES' success. Discontinued and alone, it seemed R.O.B.'s glory days had passed – at least until today…

If the screenshots over at Joystiq are real, it would appear that R.O.B. (along with many other borderline Nintendo stars) has found his way into Nintendo's highly anticipated Wii title Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I've always held a soft spot in my heart for the little guy, and the fact that he may finally be seeing the light of day once more is more than enough to pique my interest in the title.

Check out all the latest details at the below links – Good luck little buddy, I'm pulling for you. 

• Super Smash Bros. Brawl – Official website
• Super Spoiler Bros. Brawl: Major leaked roster update, videos & more – Joystiq
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl – Wikipedia entry
• R.O.B. – Wikipedia entry

STATE OF THE SITE: WE HAVE A WII!

Well, it turns out that rumor we reported on yesterday turned out to be true – Amazon.com did indeed put their inventory of Wii consoles up for sale at 1pm EST. Surprisingly, the Wii was in stock for at least an hour, meaning either demand is abating a bit or they had a ton of them in stock.

The reason I report back on this is that I was one of the people who managed to grab a Wii. What this means to you as that our coverage of Wii news will probably begin to expand as I now will have access to the Virtual Console and Wii titles.

You know, this is the first time I've had all three of the major consoles within a year of their release. Usually there will be one system that I just totally ignore until well into the price cut period. Now to start looking into what accessories I should grab.

Let the games begin!

RUMOR MILL: AMAZON TO HAVE WII IN STOCK TODAY?

Consider this one a public service announcement for those of you still desperately searching for a Wii – according to a rumor posted over at Kotaku, Amazon.com will be putting their inventory of Nintendo's Wii up for sale today (10/31) at 1pm EST/10am PST. 

Even if the rumor is true, don't expect them to last long – the Wii is still highly in demand, and I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who are going to be clicking like mad as zero hour approaches. If you're going to give it a shot, let me be the first to wish you the best of luck.

• Who Still Needs A Wii? – Kotaku

NINTENDO OFFERS FREE REPLACEMENT WII REMOTE JACKETS

Nintendo has announced that, effective immediately, they will begin including a new protective cover and wristband with all Wii remotes the company ships. So that existing customers don’t feel left out, the company will also begin shipping the covers free of charge to existing Wii remote owners.

“Nintendo is now including the Wii Remote Jacket for the Wii Remotes in all new hardware being shipped. For Wii owners who purchased their systems prior to this addition, we are offering to send free Wii Remote Jackets for their existing Wii Remotes.” – Nintendo.com

Wii owners who would like to request free remote jackets for their remotes should have their console’s serial number handy and fill out the form at this link indicating how many of the remote jackets they’ll need. Nintendo will begin shipping the jackets on October 15th and expects delivery to take between five and ten days.

• Wii Remote Jacket Accessory Offer – Nintendo.com

THE LATEST FROM BEN HECKENDORN – THE NESTARI

It’s been awhile since we last checked in with console hacker extrordinaire Ben Heckendorn, so we figured it would be time to head over to his website and see what he’s been up to. Turns out, it’s another handheld system – the NEStari.

This time, Ben has taken an Atari Flashback 2, one of those "Nintendo on a chip" systems and some technical know-how and built a combination Atari 2600 / NES handheld. I don’t know about you, but I really do wish I had this guy’s technical expertise – I’d probably spend all day building consoles. (ok, I’d at least spend all day starting console projects)

Be sure to check out his earlier projects if this is the first time you’re visiting his site – you’ll probably be drooling in no time flat.

• The NEStari – BenHeck.com

LAZY DAY TRAILERS: METROID PRIME 3: CORRUPTION

Continuing with our look at the trailers coming out of E3, we’ll round out the big three shooters with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Nintendo Wii. Utilizing the Wii’s unique control scheme, the game should help highlight features that the Wiimote/Nunchuck combination can bring to the genre.

My biggest concern based on the trailer you’re about to watch, as well as demonstrations of the game I’ve seen, is that there may be a bit too many platforming elements for most die hard shooter fans. Then again, I’ll admit to not having played the last two Gamecube installments of the series, so for all I know, those elements could be hallmarks of the series. (I know, it’s shameful that I haven’t played Metroid Prime 1 & 2 – they’re on my list . Honest!)

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption will release on August 27th, 2007 exclusively for the Wii.

• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption – Product page at Nintendo.com
• Metroid Prime 3 – E3 2007 Trailer – GameTrailers.com

NINTENDO E3 2007 PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTS

I’d like to preface this post by saying that I normally hate reporting on anything I haven’t seen in person. Since I had to work today, I was unable to catch the Nintendo press conference, so instead I followed along with Kotaku’s liveblog of the event. While I trust Kotaku’s take on things, keep in mind that I could be wrong about a lot of the below information as I didn’t have the perspective of actually seeing the same thing the folks at Kotaku were seeing, nor did I have the luxury of following the transcript uninterrupted.

Based on what I read, here are the more important bits of information that came out of the briefing. If you’re looking for a more complete breakdown of Nintendo’s conference, check out the full text of Kotaku’s liveblog here.

• DS market share is almost 25% of U.S. hardware sales
• Typically 80 percent of gamers are male – on DS it’s only 67% – Looks like the DS is crossing traditional borders
• DS has now sold over 40 million units – #1 handheld in the world
• They expect the Wii to take #1 console shortly
• Wii Zapper unveiled (new housing for Wiimote and Nunchuck) – available this year for $19.99
• Wii Zapper “approved” for RE: Umbrella Chronicles
• Games: Medal of Honor (Wii – 32 player mp), Smackdown vs Raw (Wii), Soul Calibur Legends(Wii), Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (DS), Dragon Quest: Swords (Wii)
• Super Smash Bros Brawl coming Dec 3rd.
• Metroid will have 3 sensitivity modes and a lock-on mode.
• 5.6 million downloads via Wii shop so far
• “Check Mii Out” channel announced (You can enter your Mii in online popularity contests)
• Mario Kart Wii will be online in the first quarter of next year
• Custom Wii wheel will be available for Mario Kart (Another housing for the Wiimote)
• Super Mario Galaxy coming Nov 12
• Brain Age 2 coming Aug 20
• Flash Focus (DS Observation training) coming to the US
• WiiFit coming – aerobics, weight training, yoga and balance exercises. Will include a weight sensing footpad.

As you can imagine, Nintendo is pretty thrilled with how things are going for them at the moment – hell, who wouldn’t be?

• Liveblogging the Nintendo Presser – Kotaku

TOYS R US – ANIMAL CROSSING: WILD WORLD VIRTUAL GIFT

Tenwyn at the Gamer’s Lounge forums posted that he received an e-mail from Nintendo stating that Toys R Us will be offering a free downloadable Animal Crossing: Wild World item from July 23rd through July 30th.

As with other Nintendo handheld games, there’s also a bit of community building involved here as there are actually six different items available and players can swap, sell or simply give the items away. Those wanting to get more than one of the items may be forced to do a bit of wheeling and dealing. Here’s what you have to do to get yours as per the Nintendo Event site;

• Insert your Animal Crossing: Wild World Game Card into your Nintendo DS. Power up.
• Purchase Bottle Mail at Tom Nook’s Shop.
• Write a message and release your Bottle Mail into the river or at the beach. Save and end your game.
• Visit the specially marked Animal Crossing: Wild Word promotion in the video-game section of your nearest Toys ‘R Us July 23-30. At the main menu, tap Tag Mode.
• Watch and wait for something to arrive in your town!
• Restart your game and comb the beach for Bottle Mail containing a special rare item!

Check out the Nintendo Events detail page here for more details and start thinking of ways to convince five of your friends with Animal Crossing to go visit Toys R Us so they can score you some free swag. After all, what are friends for?

DOES THE DS-LITE HAVE A CRACK PROBLEM?

It seems there’s a crack in the armor of Nintendo’s handheld juggernaut. Reports are coming in from all over the web that the hinges on the DS-Lite are prone to cracking. The story began with a few posts over at MaxConsole and quickly spread to other sites as they picked up the news and started hearing about their own readers crack problems.

In a poll over at Kotaku, nearly 14 percent of the respondents that owned a DS-Lite reported some type of crack around the hinges. Nintendo has not officially commented on the crack epidemic it’s latest handheld is facing at this time, but I somehow doubt they’re going to give it the same loving attention they recently gave a man who claimed his dog ate his DS-Lite.

Now I haven’t played with a DS-Lite yet, so I don’t know how sturdy the plastic it’s made out of is, but if it’s anything like the hinges on the GBA:SP or the fatty DS, I’d have to assume there’s something more to it… like people “snapping” the screen open, pressing down on it/over-extending it or the like. Why? Because if my GBA:SP can still be intact despite the things that have happened to it, I can’t see the crack just forming from normal wear and tear.

Click here for the MaxConsole forum post, here for the Kotaku DS-Lite crack poll and here just because I can’t come up with something witty to write here despite the billions of possibilities the term crack allows for.

ELECTRONIC ARTS CONFIRMS 6 WII TITLES

A report on Kotaku states that at a press gathering yesterday, Electronic Arts confirmed they have 6 titles in development for the Nintendo Wii. In the course of the meeting, EA advised that while working on Madden for the Wii, the teams found the controls so intriguing that they felt the need to incorporate it into many other trademark EA franchises.

“Once we started to experiment with Madden on Wii, there was an explosion of innovation. Everyone in the studio is energized by the creative opportunity afforded by both the hardware and controller. By reaching into our catalogue, we are able to bring a fresh and distinctive experience to some of EA’s most popular franchises. Creatively, the game play possibilities are staggering and endless” -John Schappert, Senior VP & GM, EA

While none of these titles has yet been confirmed for launch, the titles EA officially announced today were as follows;

• Madden NFL ’07
• Need for Speed
• Harry Potter
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour
• The Godfather
• SSX

Not many surprises there, though I’ll be interested to see how they convert The Godfather to use the Wii’s controls. Of the bunch, I think the one I’m most excited to see is SSX – I mean, they couldn’t do any worse than SSX: On Tour, could they? Check out the Kotaku article here and picture yourself beating some wiseguy down with your wiimote blackjack.

MOMMY LOVES YOU MORE THAN ME

Kotaku reports that Nintendo has announced that 2 new models of the ever so sleek and shiny DS-Lite will be made available in Japan.

The first of the 2 new models will be the Final Fantasy III branded DS-Lite. This model will be released on August 24th and should retail for 22,780 Yen (appx $199). The unit will come bundled with a copy of the remake of Squaresoft’s classic game Final Fantasy III which releases on the same day.

The second model will be colored Jet Black, exactly as the european DS-Lite is. This model will go on sale on September 2nd at a cost of 16,800 Yen ($146). As this is just another new color DS-Lite, the contents of the box will remain unchanged from other regular edition DS-Lites.

Nintendo currently has no plans to bring either model to the United States. While I’m sure we’ll eventually be seeing the black DS-Lite, my guess if that if you want the FF3 branded model, you’d best get to your favorite importer real soon – with the demand the DS-Lite has drawn in Japan, I can’t see that model lasting all that long on the open market.

Check out the FF3 edition DS-Lite article at Kotaku here and the Jet-Black DS-Lite article here. I guess now we all know how Jan Brady felt, don’t we? Japan, Japan, Japan – all I ever hear is Japan. *sniffle*

RESIDENT EVIL COMING TO THE WII?

While worshipping at the gaming shrine that is Kotaku today, I came across this little rumor; it seems the latest issue of the UK Official Nintendo Magazine ended with a little bit of a teaser – a simple note stating that they got a scoop on an upcoming Wii title, but got the information too late to make the current issue. They do give a hint though in the form of a picture next to the teaser which appears to be a silhouette of Leon Kennedy. Pretty slim, but worth noting at the very least. Here’s to hoping it’s true.

Check out the Kotaku article here and then start preparing for the inevitable by picking up The Zombie Survival Guide.

NINTENDO SHOOTS DOWN EARLY LAUNCH RUMOR

Nintendo Revolution is reporting that Nintendo has responded to CNN Money’s article about a possible early launch for the Wii with a resounding “not true”. According to Nintendo Revolution, in an talk with financial site Bloomberg.com a Nintendo rep put the brakes on the racing hearts of Nintendo fans everywhere;

“There’s no change in our plan to release the console in the last quarter of this year. We are planning an announcement in September and it may be causing some confusion” -Nintendo rep as per Bloomberg.com by way of Nintendo Revolution

Just as that bit of crushing news was revealed, Kotaku brought hope back in the form of a new rumor, citing a tip from an insider at a development team working on Wii games, Kotaku reported that the insider stated that their deadlines for completion have been vastly moved up.

“The source tells us that Alpha, Beta and Final times for the game just got vastly reduced and the common belief among the team is that the Wii will in fact be hitting this October.” -Brian Crecente, Editor – Kotaku

Check out our earlier story on the CNN Money article here, the Nintendo Revolution’s article here and Kotaku’s recent rumor report here. Put it all together, and that’s one big bag of snakes – too bad they aren’t on a plane.

NES 1990 WORLD CHAMP CART NOW A STEAL AT $15,000!

Earlier today, we reported on a recent Ebay auction for a gold colored 1990 NES World Championships cartridge that someone put up with a starting bid of $20,000. Well, since it didn’t sell at the original price, it’s been relisted at the amazing bargain price of only $15,000 – and it’s a “buy it now” auction, which means you won’t even have to worry about being outbid!

At prices this low, you could easily buy two if they were available! Click here for the updated auction page and ask yourself what it is exactly that this guy is smoking.

GOT $20,000 BUCKS? WHY NOT BUY A PIECE OF GAMING HISTORY?

Look, I’m a classic game collector and even I think this guy is off his damn rocker. Someone has put a 1990 gold NES Nintendo World Championships cartridge up for auction on Ebay with a starting bid price of $20,000. Now don’t get me wrong, I realize the cart lands a 10 on the rarity scale and I certainly could see someone paying a few thousand dollars for it (not me, but I could see someone out there doing it), but twenty grand is just insane.

Click here if you want to check out the auction and if you’re bidding and have that kind of money to burn, why not send your local gaming news site a taste of it while you’re at it? (hint hint)

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS SECRET GAME MODE

4 Color Rebellion is repotting that there’s a hidden game mode in New Super Mario Bros for those that have finished the game;

“Gamers who’ve already finished the game will be able to access this secret Challenge Mode by hitting Start in the world map and pushing the following combination of buttons during the Start Menu:

L R L R X X Y Y

So what sort of obstacles does the game set against you for this challenge mode? Tougher enemies and tighter level design? A white, disembodied head that doesn’t just chase you in the game, but stares at you from outside your window while you sleep at night? Having to beat a castle while your mother bangs on your bedroom door, yelling at you to give back her nightgown?

Unfortunately, it’s nothing too fancy like the examples above. Challenge Mode puts a forced scroll on all the levels just like with the original Super Mario Bros. game. Players will no longer be able to backtrack, picking up coins and power-ups that were left behind.” -4 Color Rebellion

So there you have it. Those of you with a Nintendo DS and a copy of New Super Mario Bros have some work to do, so get moving – what are you waiting for? Click here for the linkage.

GAMEFLY ADDS PLAYSTATION 3 AND WII GAMES TO SERVICE

Gamefly subscribers should take note that the company has now added Playstation 3 and Wii rental sections and have started letting you add games for those systems to your rental queue. Not earth shaking news, but I figure if you’re a subscriber, you probably want to have your queue set up early so you don’t forget any titles you may be interested in.

WIISHLIST.COM TRACKS WII PREORDER AVAILABILITY

Much like the sites that tracked Xbox 360 availability during the early months of the launch, Wiishlist.com is now tracking places where preorders for the Wii are available online. A handy e-mail alert sign up is included on the page so you can get notified the minute someone starts taking orders online. Check it out at this link.

WII TO LAUNCH IN LATE SEPT/EARLY OCT?

CNN Money is reporting that an analyst from American Technology Research has stated that final retail model Wii’s are already in production and could be ready for a late September/early October launch. The article also credits several unnamed “industry insiders” as confirming the possibility of an early launch. I don’t know if this is real or just conclusions based on more market research from people who don’t know the industry, but if you absolutely must have a Wii at launch, I’d suggest you starting to get your money together ASAP.

Check out the full CNN Money article here and pull those red overalls out of storage!

WII TO LAUNCH ON NOVEMBER 6TH?

GoNintendo is reporting that in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated for Kids there is an article that discusses both the Playstation 3 and Wii and their upcoming titles. Normally that wouldn’t be news, but the Nintendo Wii section of the article includes an interesting little tidbit… namely a launch date. If SI Kids is to be believed, the Nintendo Wii will be launching in the U.S. on November 6th. Check out the GoNintendo story here and start limbering up now – you’re gonna need it, you lazy bum, you.

WII TO SUPPORT MICROTRANSACTIONS

Nintendo specific site The Wiire is reporting that in an interview included in the latest Game Informer magazine, Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime spoke a bit about what Nintendo’s plans are for the WiiConnect24 service.

For those who need a refresher, WiiConnect24 is the Wii’s continuous wireless connection system that allows the console to update itself on it’s own as well as at the users command.

While preparing to kick butt and make games, Fils-Aime spoke about using the system the same way Microsoft has used the Live Marketplace, namely for microtransactions.

“All of that is possible with what it is we are trying to do. If our licensee partners want to go in that direction, it’s certainly possible in our system” -Reggie Fils-Aime

I think most users already expected this, given that Nintendo plans on selling games for the Virtual Console, but this certainly shows that it’s not just emulated games that could get the treatment. GIven the success that the Live Marketplace and developers have seen with microtransactions, this should help to make the Wii more attractive to third parties as well.

On the subject of third party support, Fils-Aime also stated that unlike the Gamecube, the Wii is seeing a great deal of interest from third parties;

“…with the stellar third-party support we’re getting, really, right at launch, that’s another major difference from what we did with GameCube.” -Reggie Fils-Aime

Check out the rest of the report over at The Wiire and in Game Informer for the full text of the interview.

WII DEVELOPMENT KITS FOR UNDER $1,800?

We’re reporting that Kotaku found a post at Wiivolution.com that says someone over at Codename Revolution is reporting that based on an article at N-Sider.com, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has stated that Wii development kits would be sold to developers for as low as $1,732;

“Nintendo President Satoru Iwata along with the Board of Directors answered many questions at a corporate management policy briefing held last week which revealed that the price of the Wii development kits would now cost as low as $1,732. Iwata expects to increase funding for research and development to prepare for launch.” -Wiivolution.com

If Nintendo can pull off a development kit for that low of a price, it’s sure to attract legions of independent developers to the system. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing depends on what safeguards Nintendo puts in place to prevent shoddy games from making it onto the system as well as preventing the market from being glutted with said product. That said, it’s definitely still a move that could pay off with huge dividends for Nintendo.

Yes, it’s a lot of links, but here they are; Get the Kotaku article here, the Wiivolution article here, the Codename Revolution article here and the N-Sider article here. If your fingers haven’t cramped up from all that clicking, feel free to click on the comment link below and tell us what you think!

ARSTECHNICA REVIEW OF THE NINTENDO DS-LITE

While I’d like nothing better than to regale all of you with tales of my DS-Lite launch adventure and give you the lowdown on Nintendo’s newly streamlined portable, I can’t. Like many of you, the fact of the matter is I don’t have one and probably won’t be getting one for a month or two at the least. However, far be it from me to keep those of you who need to know the ins and outs of the DS-Lite from finding out all you can, and so I direct you to this full review of the redesigned system over at ArsTechnica.

For those who don’t feel like doing the required reading, I’ll quote their summary directly;

“Are these changes worth an upgrade? Easily. If you’re a casual gamer or a hardcore fan who takes your portable everywhere, you’ll like the way your games play and look on the DS Lite. It doesn’t take long to get spoiled by the improved screen and smaller size.

Nintendo does it again, and I have a sneaking suspicion many gamers won’t be able to resist trading in their old systems for the new hotness. If you don’t have a DS, this is an even better purchase. Nintendo may do this product refresh stuff a little bit too often for some tastes, but it’s hard to argue they don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to portable gaming.” -Ben Kuchera, ArsTechinca

While there do seem to be some rough spots with the redesigned DS, the overall impression I’ve seen it that it makes the old one look like a pile of… well, you fill in the details. Check out the full ArsTechnica article here, and then join me in the corner for the “No DS-Lite for me” pity party a little later. Bring booze. Lots of it.

DS-LITE: IS THERE A PROBLEM, OFFICER?

There are a lot of reports coming in from around the ‘net about fresh out of the box DS-Lites with dead pixels on screen. Whether this is a case of a widespread problem or just the fact that those who wind up with dead pixels are going to gripe while those with perfect units remain silent remains to be seen, but it certainly casts a slight pall over the DS-Lite launch. The good news is from most of the sites I read about people trying to return their DS-Lite’s for a replacement, no one seems to be giving consumers a hard time yet. However, I’m sure as the available supply of DS-Lite’s gets lower, that could change pretty fast.

My advice? If you wound up with a less than perfect DS-Lite, and feel the problem is bad enough that you want a replacement, do it as soon as possible, otherwise you may run into hassles. If you’ve got a story about your return experience at a particular retailer, be it good or bad, please feel free to share it in the comments section – I’m sure people would like to hear about it.

Nintendo hasn’t made any official comment on the situation as of yet, but if you read this article over at Kotaku, it appears that retailers aren’t exactly thrilled with the situation.

BESTBUY TAKING PREORDERS ON 3 WII GAMES

Normally I wouldn’t call a store starting to take preorders on a few games must read news, but there are two reasons why I felt this one should be posted. First off, if we’re to believe BestBuy, the price point for Wii games will be the current $49.99 standard, not the $59.99 “Next Gen” pricing we’ve seen on the 360. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, I saw this bit of news over at Kotaku and nearly burst out laughing at the way it was presented.

The games currently available for preorder are Red Steel, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Brothers Brawl. BestBuy has a release date of 12/01/06 on them as well, but I would probably chalk that up to a placeholder date at this point rather than an indication of the Wii’s launch date.

Check out the BestBuy Wii game pre-order page here and the aforementioned Kotaku posting here. Here’s to hoping Gauger can somehow escape the offices with her dignity and sanity intact. My advice? Put that training you’ve gotten through years of Resident Evil to good use. Come to think of it, it would make a great game – Resident Evil: Kotaku – you could play as Eliza Gauger trying to escape the Kotaku offices or as Brian Crescente coming back from vacation and trying to discern exactly what happened while you were gone. Hell, I’d buy it.

WII SHIP DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED THIS SEPTEMBER

A posting up at Kotaku states that Famitsu.com is reporting that during Nintendo’s Management Policy Briefing, company president Satoru Iwata stated that Nintendo would be announcing the ship date for the Wii this September.

Iwata also gave a price range for the Wii Virtual Console games ($4 – $8), noted that the Nintendo DS would be able to be used as a touch-screen controller for the Wii, commented that Nintendo planned to ship 6 million Wii consoles by April 2007 and noted that those consoles would be sold at a loss.

Check out the article over at Kotaku here and if you can read Japanese, the Famitsu article here.

NINTENDO GETTING READY TO PUT THE GBA OUT TO PASTURE?

With the wild success of the Nintendo DS and the related drop in Gameboy Advance sales, the fact that the Gameboy Advance’s life cycle is beginning to come to an end isn’t really in doubt. It’s not a question of if the GBA is going to be put out to pasture, but more a question of when it will happen.

Along those lines, I received an e-mail from Nintendo today asking me to participate in a survey regarding both of their handheld consoles, and most of the GBA questions seemed to revolve around if I thought it was still a viable option and whether or nor I planned to make any purchases for it in the coming months. The feeling I took away from the survey was that Nintendo is trying to gauge exactly when the best time to kill off the GBA will be by referencing how much more money GBA owners plan to put into it balanced against their plans regarding their next handheld purchase.

Keep in mind this is just pure conjecture on my part, but I think we all know the GBA has to die sometime, and I’ve got the feeling Nintendo is beginning to try and set a timeframe for it that will minimize any damage done in the transition. That shouldn’t be a major revelation to anyone, as it would simply be good business practice, but I figure it was worth a comment or two.

WII VIRTUAL CONSOLE TO BE A FRIEND TO SMALL DEVELOPERS

In an interview with Japan’s Nikkei Business Publications, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata discussed a wide range of Wii topics, including the effect the Wii’s Virtual Console feature will bring to the game industry. As per Iwata;

“When creating a packaged game to be priced at 5,000 yen, developers tend to feel the need to create a rich game. Yet it is possible to create a reasonably entertaining game in 2 months with a team of three. Offering such games for 500 yen over a network could lead to a reasonable number of people purchasing it. By offering an environment that allows this, we hope to encourage more developers to pursue basic yet enjoyable gameplay.” -Satoru Iwata

For those unfamiliar with current conversion rates, that 500 yen comes out to about $4.50 U.S. One thing I’ve got to wonder on that end is whether Microsoft is going to view that feature as a threat to the Xbox 360 Live Arcade experience, which has similar goals and concepts, and end the current love-fest the two companies have been engaging in since E3.

Iwata also touched on several other insights into how the Wii evolved into it’s current form, that the Wiimote speaker was added fairly recently, the reasoning for Nintendo calling the Wii a “New Generation” console as opposed to “Next Generation” as well as how Nintendo’s recent struggles for market share in the industry has led them down the path of looking to innovate rather than just create;

“Nintendo once was the champion in the console market, yet is now the challenger. Challengers have a hard time getting the market to listen to them. Our intent was to revolutionize the user interface in the portable games market, where Nintendo is the reigning champion, and follow that up with the Wii’s success in the console market. “ -Satoru Iwata

Finally, to help use the widespread popularity of the Nintendo DS to help push the Wii, Iwata revealed that the Wii will wirelessly be able to download DS demos on it’s own overnight and have them ready for the user to upload to his/her DS the next day.

“Let’s say your Wii is connected to the Internet in a mode that allows activation on a 24-hour basis. This would allow Nintendo to send monthly promotional demos for the DS, during the night, to the Wii consoles in each household. Users would wake up each morning, find the LED lamp on their Wii flashing, and know that Nintendo has sent them something. They would then be able to download the promotional demo from their Wii’s to their Nintendo DS’s.” -Satoru Iwata

Before you get creeped out about your Wii working on it’s own without your consent, the statement implies that there are different online modes users can set on the Wii, which would control or curtail this ability. This feature also finally makes sense of the downloadable demo concept that Nintendo unveiled awhile back via retail outlets. It may have been somewhat of a useless idea at retail, but in your home it’s one hell of a selling point – just ask Xbox Live users about the marketplace demos – they’ll tell you all about their love of free demos.

Click here to head over to Nikkei Business Publications to read the whole article. For those who are looking for some first hand details on what Nintendo plans on having the Wii offer, it’s a must read.

DS-LITE STREET DATE BROKEN?

CheapAssGamer is reporting that both Target and Walmart have broken the U.S. release date for the DS-Lite and have begun selling them to the public via their retail outlets. If you have either store near you and are planning on grabbing one without a preorder, you may want to head on over and see if your store is “participating” Check out the CAG story here.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

WIIMOTE TO SUPPORT MICROPHONE & VOIP?

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo may have a few more tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to the Wiimote. According to an article posted today, Nintendo has taken out the domain name “wiikaraoke.com” sparking rumors that in addition to there being a speaker built into the Wii‘s remote control, there will also be some type of microphone. From there, it’s only a short jump to the possibility that the Wii could offer Voice over IP features as well. To quote the Gamespot article;

“Besides karaoke games, the obvious application for a Wii-mote-mic would be a voice commands a la Nintendogs or Odama. However, some sites have gone one step further. A string of reports tracing back to a MegaGames.com article speculates that, with the Wii’s built-in wireless internet functionality, the Wii-mote could support voice-over IP. That would give it functionality like an Xbox Live headset and could allow it to be used like a phone. As Yanko notes, that would be a very big draw to non-gamers indeed.” – Gamespot

Click here to head on over to Gamespot and get the full story. The Wii saga certainly is getting more and more interesting.

NINTENDO’S REGGIE FILS-AIME PROMOTED

Nintendo of America’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing and E3 showman Reggie Fils-Aime has been promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer of Nintendo of America. In addition to his new task of overseeing day to day operations at Nintendo of America, File-Aimes will continue to be directly in charge of the sales and marketing divisions. I’m sure we all wish Reggie the best in his new position and hope for his continued success in being about kicking ass, taking names and making games.

NINTENDO SAYS WII WILL NOT BE ABOVE $250

Kotaku is reporting that at their press conference for fiscal year 2005, a reporter asked Nintendo what the price of the Wii console would be. While Nintendo stated that they would not be announcing a price or release date until a later date, they added that there were no plans to price the console for over 25,000 Yen (approximately $222 U.S.). Nintendo also added that they expected to sell 6 million Wii consoles and 17 million Wii games by March of 2007. Click here to head over to Kotaku for all the pertinent details.

UPDATE 1: It now appears that Nintendo has further clarified the matter by stating that the Wii will not exceed 25,000 Yen in Japan or $250 in the United States. We’ve corrected the headline to this story accordingly.

ANOTHER WII FEATURE REVEALED?

CNN Money has posted an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo in which they discuss the Wii, Miyamoto’s reaction to the name, and what could very well be another surprise feature of the console. While discussing Sony following Nintendo’s lead with the motion sensor, they hint at another feature of the console, personalized gamer images.

““The game was Wii Tennis – but instead of using generic character models, the onscreen faces in this match were caricatures of Miyamoto, Iwata and Fils-Aime (the contest winner did not have a personalized character). At the time, it seemed like a visual in-joke for conference attendees, but Miyamoto said the Wii might be able to create those personalized visages for players and their family members.” – CNN Money

When I first saw the caricatures of Miyamoto, Fils-Aime and Iwata in the press conference, I figured it was done specifically for the demonstration and wasn’t indicative of a new feature. From what I saw, I would assume it will be more akin to creating a virtual avatar who resembles you as opposed to digitizing your actual likeness. Either way, it could be a very cool personalization feature for many of the Wii games. Click Here to head over to the CNN Money article.

“OFFICIAL” NINTENDO WII LAUNCH TITLES

IGN has an article up where they identify 16 confirmed Wii launch titles. If you’re wondering why we put offical in quotes, it’s because there has been no full announcement from Nintendo regarding the full launch lineup at this time. The titles are;

• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
• Wii Sports
• Red Steel
• Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam
• Madden NFL 2007
• Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors
• Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
• Metal Slug Anthology
• Trauma Center: Second Opinion
• Elebits
• Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
• Blitz: The League
• Rayman Raving Rabbids
• Spongebob Squarepants: Creature from the Krusty Krab
• Disney/Pixar’s Cars

Not a bad mix at all if they all make it to launch. According to IGN, there are also a few other titles still in the running to make the launch date, such as ExciteTruck, so the list could get a bit longer. Check out the IGN article here for the full story and for info on each of the titles listed. Big thanks to Digital for the lead.

SEATTLE TIMES INTERVIEW WITH SATORU IWATA

During E3, the Seattle Times got a chance to speak to Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. Surprisingly, It’s actually a pretty good read and not the usual clueless rambling you’d expect from a “normal” news outlet. As for Iwata’s thoughts on the Wii name;

“There were some criteria for us to come up with the name. It had to be short enough so that we didn’t need any other nicknames or abbreviation. What we are targeting with Wii is not only existing gamers, but also people who have shown no interest in other games. These non gamers, for example, really cannot understand what GBA means, if GBA is something different from Game Boy Advance. We wanted something with a strong impact that people will remember as soon as they hear it.

Finally, we wanted a name unlike any video-game machines” Satoru Iwata

You know, as much as I griped when the name was announced, following the whole E3 week, I’ve got to admit the Wii name is really beginning to click with me. I think it’s all the fun people are having with the name – I mean, if just saying the consoles name is that much fun, the thing itself must be a blast!

In fact, forget about all the stuff Nintendo officially has said about the name, that should be their answer. “We wanted a name that could at least begin to provide you with the fun our console will.” – Wiially.

Click here for the Seattle Times interview.

NEW BEN HECKENDORN NES PORTABLE

Ben Heckendorn, creator of the Atari 2600 handheld VCSp and author of the ExtremeTech book “Hacking Video Game Consoles“, has created his latest portable masterpiece. The nPod is a handheld, cartridge based, NES that merges a NES cartridge port to the processor of one of those “multi-game” NES clone TV units. I picked up Ben’s book at the same time I grabbed ExtremeTech’s other book “Project Arcade”, and the projects are all well laid out, but I just haven’t gotten a chance to build any them yet. I figure the next thing I build will probably be the tabletop arcade machine I worked out last summer, but the temptation to build a VCSp is always pretty strong. Check out the nPod here.

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS IN STORES TODAY

Nintendo DS owners rejoice, your wait is over! New Super Mario Bros should be on store shelves today for your goomba stomping pleasure. For those of us who are waiting for the DS-Lite before taking the DS leap, the wait to June 11th suddenly seems a lot longer. Nintendo has also re-vamped the NSMB website, so be sure to head on over and check it out. Click here for the offical New Super Mario Bros website.

CLOSE UP PICTURES OF THE WII AND IT’S PERIPHERALS

Kotaku has come great close-ups of the Wii and it’s controllers from the Nintendo E3 booth, why not head on over and take a peek? Click here to head on over to the Kotaku article.

CLOSE UP PICTURES OF THE WII AND IT’S PERIPHERALS

Kotaku has come great close-ups of the Wii and it’s controllers from the Nintendo E3 booth, why not head on over and take a peek? Click here to head on over to the Kotaku article.

RARE TO MAKE DIDDY KONG RACING FOR THE DS

It looks like Rare will be having a homecoming of sorts. The UK based, Microsoft owned, developer has announced that they will be teaming with Nintendo to bring Diddy Kong Racing to the Nintendo DS. Given Rare’s long history with Nintendo prior to the Microsoft buyout, this should be extremely happy news for dedicated Nintendo fans.

"Diddy Kong Racing is our first official DS project, and Nintendo are busily promoting it as part of their next wave of big DS offerings for late 2006. Based on the N64 classic but improved and expanded in ways that only the DS allows" – Rare Press Release

DS owners, you may now do yet another “Dance of Joy”. Check out the Rare Website for more details.

NINTENDO SHOWS OFF WII ZAPPER

While "Wii Zapper" just doesn’t sound right, it looks like Nintendo has an attachment for the Wii that holds both the remote and analog stick in a gun configuration. Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo is showing off this device at their booth and calling it the "Zapper" – in apparent homage to the old NES light gun. Can R.O.B. be far behind? C’mon Nintendo, bring back R.O.B.! Check out the Gamespot article here for more details and join with me in hoping that everyone’s favorite little unemployed Robotic Operating Buddy can find work again!

Just to be perfectly clear, Nintendo is showing off a light gun form factor for the Wii that would hold the standard Wii controls. They have said absolutely NOTHING about bringing R.O.B. back. The R.O.B. thing is just part of my twisted thinking.

GAMESPOT GOES HANDS ON WITH THE WII CONTROLLER

Gamespot has a short first-impressions article about their time with the Wii controller. They don’t seem to mention much about it in action, but give a good explanation of the feel of the controllers. Check it out over at Gamespot

LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS COMING TO GAMECUBE AND WII

At their Pre-E3 press conference, Nintendo announced that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will be coming to both the Gamecube and Wii. The Wii version will be enhanced to make full use of the Wii controllers.

NINTENDO HAS A GAMEPAD FOR THE WII

Gamespot is reporting that inside of a package of hardware screenshots available for download at Nintendo’s press website is a file that shows a classic style gamepad for the Wii. Speculation is that this controller would be used for the backwards compatible titles that the Wii will be able to play.

NINTENDO PRESS CONFERENCE WII INFORMATION

Just a very brief recap of what was revealed about the Nintendo Wii at today’s press conference. We’ll have more on this later once we’ve gotten a chance to review the video of the conference.;

• No specific launch date was given. Nintendo did confirm the Wii would launch this year though.
• No price information was revealed.
• The Remote controller will include a built in speaker to add more realism to games.
• Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will be released for both the Gamecube and Wii. The Wii version will be enhanced to take advantage of the Wii controller.
• Sonic the Hedgehog game announced for Nintendo Wii
• Metroid Prime 3 announced for Wii
• Super Mario Galaxy announced for Wii
• Diddy Kong Racing announced for the Nintendo DS
• DK: King of Swing announced for the Nintendo DS
• DS Air flight simulator announced for the Nintendo DS
• Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass announced for the Nintendo DS
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 announced for the Nintendo DS
• Starfox DS announced for the Nintendo DS

Update 1: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will be released on both the Gamecube and Wii. The Wii version will take full advantage of the possibilities enabled by the Wii controller.

Update 2: Images on the Nintendo press website show a standard type gamepad for the Wii that would apparently be used for games played via the Wii’s backwards compatibility.

Update 3: Added a large number of titles that were announced for the Wii and DS to the list. Sorry for the delay on that Nintendo fans.

Stay with us for more information as it breaks!

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS VIDEO PREMIERES

Nintendo dropped us a line to let us know this week’s New Super Mario Bros video was up at the NSMB website. This weeks focus? Multiplayer. One week to go until this gem comes out, until then feast your eyes on the video here.

NEXT UP: NINTENDO AND MICROSOFT PRE-E3 PRESS CONFERENCES TODAY

Well, if yesterdays Sony excitement wasn’t enough for you, today Nintendo and Microsoft will be holding their press conferences to let everyone in on their plans for the upcoming year. While I don’t expect any huge surprises from Microsoft, Nintendo should still have an ace or two up their sleeves. The Nintendo conference begins at 12:30pm EST and Microsoft’s conference begins at 3:00pm EST. Be with us as we’ll be updating you as often as we can on the revelations both bring to light.

E3 Week Begins

Well boys and girls, E3 week has officially begun, let the festivities commence. I’m sure as we work up to the pre expo press conferences the news will be coming fast and furious. For those keeping score at home, here are the official links for the big 3 and the E3 Insider page, which is the expo’s official website

Microsoft E3 2006 Page

Sony E3 2006 Page

Nintendo E3 2006 Page

E3 Insider Website

DS PRICE DROP AT GAMESTOP & EB – SORT OF

Gamestop and EB Games are offering the current model Nintendo DS in a bundle with Animal Crossing: Wild World for $129.99 – the previous cost of the system by itself. Odds are they feel the need to start moving the system out of inventory before demand drops when the DS-Lite hits on June 11th. If you don’t want to wait for the DS-Lite (and the inevitable DS price drop once it comes out) and are already planning on buying Animal Crossing, this could be the deal for you.

DS PRICE DROP AT GAMESTOP & EB – SORT OF

Gamestop and EB Games are offering the current model Nintendo DS in a bundle with Animal Crossing: Wild World for $129.99 – the previous cost of the system by itself. Odds are they feel the need to start moving the system out of inventory before demand drops when the DS-Lite hits on June 11th. If you don’t want to wait for the DS-Lite (and the inevitable DS price drop once it comes out) and are already planning on buying Animal Crossing, this could be the deal for you.

DS-LITE COMING TO U.S. IN JUNE?

Kotaku is reporting that they’ve received a tip that the Nintendo DS-Lite will be hitting the U.S. on June 21st at $150.00 and only in white. I couldn’t tell you how reliable their source is, but at this point I’m keeping my fingers crossed as I’ve been holding off picking up a DS in order to wait for the Lite. Perhaps my wait is almost over!

NINTENDO RELEASES LATEST NEW SUPER MARIO BROS FOOTAGE

Nintendo dropped us a note to let us know that they’ve updated the New Super Mario Bros. page with some new footage from the game. This time the focus is on the special moves in the game. It’s pretty nifty stuff, so why not check it out while I’m trying to figure out how to scam a DS-Lite somehow.

NINTENDO LAUNCHES THEIR E3 WEBSITE

Nintendo has finally launched their E3 website, bringing the final member of the Big 3 online for the upcoming Expo. No news has been posted there yet, but we’ll keep you updated as Nintendo starts adding content.

Tomb Raider: Legend coming to Nintendo Gamecube

Gamespot is reporting that Eidos Interactive has announced they will be releasing Tomb Raider: Legend for the Nintendo Gamecube. Eidos also hinted that the Gamecube version may contain features not found in the current release.

Nintendo drops price on 4 Gamecube titles

Nintendo has announced they are dropping the price on four of their best selling titles to $19.99. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Pikmin 2, Star Fox: Assault and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure are the selected titles.

Possible Gamecube price drop?

Gamespot is reporting that an EB Games employee has informed them their store has received promotional material for the May 3rd – May 23rd marketing period advertising a “New Low Price” for the Nintendo Gamecube. While the area the new price would be reflected in is blank, it’s certainly a good indicator that EB is at least considering a drop in the price on the ‘Cube. The employee did point out that the note included with the signage stated it was being sent out so stores could be prepared if Nintendo drops the price of the Gamecube, so there is a possibility that nothing will change. It should also be noted that the same employee told Gamespot that stores received the same type of kit just before the Playstation 2 price drop announcement.

So what does it all mean? My guess is with the 360 already on the market, and the Playstation 3 and Wii just around the corner, Nintendo may be looking to give the Gamecube a final push or Gamestop/EB may be deciding it’s time to start clearing out their inventory of Gamecube consoles. Ultimately, my guess is we’ll see the Gamecube drop to a retail price of $79.99 come E3.

Is Wii the real name of Nintendo’s new console?

With all the rumors going around about Nintendo possibly using the name Wii just to draw some press attention, I’d just like to point out that the official Nintendo website still refers to the console as the Revolution on the front page navigation bars. With something as easy to change as that, you’d have to wonder why it wasn’t done to reflect the new name. Of course, speculation that Nintendo isn’t going to name the console Wii is generating just as much press, so anything is possible at this point. We can speculate until the sun goes down and beyond, but I think the truth will only be known when Nintendo formally introduces the console at E3.

Is Wii the real name of Nintendo’s new console?

With all the rumors going around about Nintendo possibly using the name Wii just to draw some press attention, I’d just like to point out that the official Nintendo website still refers to the console as the Revolution on the front page navigation bars. With something as easy to change as that, you’d have to wonder why it wasn’t done to reflect the new name. Of course, speculation that Nintendo isn’t going to name the console Wii is generating just as much press, so anything is possible at this point. We can speculate until the sun goes down and beyond, but I think the truth will only be known when Nintendo formally introduces the console at E3.

Nintendo officially renames Revolution… to Wii…

Well, Nintendo has officially revealed the true name of the Revolution, and the name is…Wii. (Pronounced We) I personally really like the “Revolution” code name, as it summed up everything Wii was about, but it appears Nintendo feels Wii is more marketable. Let the gnashing of teeth begin. I’ll update more on this story as it breaks, but for now head over to the Revolution section of the Nintendo website for details.

UPDATE: According to sources, Nintendo chose Wii over Revolution for several reasons, including;

1.) The word Revolution had too much in common with the Xbox 360. (One revolution is 360 degrees)
2.) Wii will not be abbreviated when listed the way other systems are.
3.) Wii can be promounced the same way in any language.
4.) It better focuses on the “It’s a console for everyone” approach Nintendo is looking to take with the… Wii .

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I don’t know about you guys, but Wii has “marketing pukes” written all over it to me. I think most people really liked the Revolution name as it was what the… Wii was all about – turning the industry on it’s ear with a whole new approach to gaming. A revolution, if you will.

So what do you guys say? Is Wii the worst name that’s ever graced a console and is this an even bigger blow than the PS3 took when the “boomerang” was first shown?

Nintendo officially renames Revolution… to Wii…

Well, Nintendo has officially revealed the true name of the Revolution, and the name is…Wii. (Pronounced We) I personally really like the “Revolution” code name, as it summed up everything Wii was about, but it appears Nintendo feels Wii is more marketable. Let the gnashing of teeth begin. I’ll update more on this story as it breaks, but for now head over to the Revolution section of the Nintendo website for details.

UPDATE: According to sources, Nintendo chose Wii over Revolution for several reasons, including;

1.) The word Revolution had too much in common with the Xbox 360. (One revolution is 360 degrees)
2.) Wii will not be abbreviated when listed the way other systems are.
3.) Wii can be promounced the same way in any language.
4.) It better focuses on the “It’s a console for everyone” approach Nintendo is looking to take with the… Wii .

————————————————-

I don’t know about you guys, but Wii has “marketing pukes” written all over it to me. I think most people really liked the Revolution name as it was what the… Wii was all about – turning the industry on it’s ear with a whole new approach to gaming. A revolution, if you will.

So what do you guys say? Is Wii the worst name that’s ever graced a console and is this an even bigger blow than the PS3 took when the “boomerang” was first shown?

EA CONFIRMS WII VERSION OF MADDEN

Gamespot is reporting that Electronic Arts has announced they have a Wii specific version of Madden in the works. The game will NOT be a port of Madden for the other consoles on the market, and is even being produced by a team other than EA Tiburon.
While that may be a very good thing (based on the 360 version of Madden), I’m still not sold on the concept of the Wii controller and many game types, this being one of them.

To give you an idea of how it will play…

"Players will hike the ball by mimicking a quarterback receiving the ball from the center, and then pass it to a receiver by making a throwing gesture with the free-hand controller. The faster the passing motion, the more of a bullet pass it becomes (in previous Madden editions, bullet passes were made by holding the passing button down longer).

Kicking the ball will be accomplished by sweeping the controller up as if it were a kicker’s leg striking the ball. A fast, level swing will make for a hard, straight kick.

The Revolution controller will also come into play when running the ball, as jerking the controller left or right will make the ball-carrier juke to either side, while shoving it straight ahead will make him stiff-arm the opposition." -Gamespot

It sounds like there could be a lot of problems with this concept if you ask me. On a related note, how long do you think it will be before someone "throwing" the football in the game accidentally lets go and breaks their TV?

New Super Mario Bros DS Site & Video

Nintendo sent word that their site for the upcoming DS title New Super Mario Bros. is now up and running. Better yet, the site also includes in game video footage of NSMB. You know, the desire to run out and buy a DS just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Must… hold… off… until… DS Lite…

As the news bit hints at, I still don’t own a Nintendo DS. I was highly skeptical of the system when it first came out, but Nintendo has really put some effort into the DS in the last year or so, and there’s a veritable pile of games I want to play on the thing. The problem is, with the DS-Lite coming sometime in the near future, I’d rather hold off and pick up the shiny when it hits stores. While thats normally not a problem, games like Resident Evil, Brain Age, Advance Wars, Castlevania, Mario & Luigi and now NSMB make that a very rough thing indeed.

So, how excited about the New Super Mario Bros are you, and more importantly, what are some of your favorite memories from the SMB series. Share with the class!

New Super Mario Bros DS Site & Video

Nintendo sent word that their site for the upcoming DS title New Super Mario Bros. is now up and running. Better yet, the site also includes in game video footage of NSMB. You know, the desire to run out and buy a DS just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Must… hold… off… until… DS Lite…

As the news bit hints at, I still don’t own a Nintendo DS. I was highly skeptical of the system when it first came out, but Nintendo has really put some effort into the DS in the last year or so, and there’s a veritable pile of games I want to play on the thing. The problem is, with the DS-Lite coming sometime in the near future, I’d rather hold off and pick up the shiny when it hits stores. While thats normally not a problem, games like Resident Evil, Brain Age, Advance Wars, Castlevania, Mario & Luigi and now NSMB make that a very rough thing indeed.

So, how excited about the New Super Mario Bros are you, and more importantly, what are some of your favorite memories from the SMB series. Share with the class!

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. DS SITE & VIDEO

Nintendo sent word that their site for the upcoming DS title New Super Mario Bros. is now up and running. Better yet, the site also includes in game video footage of NSMB. You know, the desire to run out and buy a DS just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Must… hold… off… until… DS Lite. Click here for the site!

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. DS SITE & VIDEO

Nintendo sent word that their site for the upcoming DS title New Super Mario Bros. is now up and running. Better yet, the site also includes in game video footage of NSMB. You know, the desire to run out and buy a DS just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Must… hold… off… until… DS Lite. Click here for the site!

SEGA RUMORED TO BE BRINGING NIGHTS TO THE REVOLUTION

Apparently at this point it’s nothing more than a unconfirmed rumor in Famitsu magazine being reported at Racketboy.com, but it appears that there may be a sequel to the Saturn classic NiGHTS: Into Dreams coming to the Nintendo Revolution.

I remember NiGHTS from back in the day, and think it would be amazing to see the game in full, free roaming 3D. Click here for more information.