Thursday, April 28, 2011

New Pandora's Tower trailer and details


- game features thirteen towers
- two primary attacks: chain and sub weapons
- aim the Wiimote at the screen and your pointer will turn red when you can interact with something via your chain
- when you grab/tug on something, a yellow gauge builds u
- the higher the gauge, the stronger the attack power
- chain can be powered-up by defeating bosses as well
- equip one sub-weapon at a time
- use the chain and sub-weapons together
- sub-weapons are used via button presses
- start the game off with just a sword, but gain a dual sword later on
- gain materials to strengthen your sub-weapons

It looks pretty fun. The mix of chains and sub weapons should make a fun battle system.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Site Chat tonight at 8pm EST

Well one week removed from the 1 year anniversary of Monster Hunter Tri. This week I'd like to talk about the Project Cafe and E3 expectations of everybody and whatever else gets brought up. Hope to see you in the chat!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Project Cafe is real.

Well last night Nintendo sent out a letter on their Japan website.
In it it confirmed that they are having the new system playable at E3 on June 7th-9th 2011.
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2011/110425_4e.pdf

There is going to be some investors meeting tonight at 3am EST and Midnight PST.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Update from New Jersey

Hello again, true believers.

Just wanted to drop two quick notes...

1. We made it in to NYC yesterday to visit, among other things, the Nintendo World Store. It's the first time I've been back since their renovations a few months ago.

It was good times. We really enjoyed the 3DS demos and the bigger focus on the console experience on the upper floor. It was my first time actually using the AR cards. It was, y'know, "nifty"... but my wife loooved it.

I played Madden and I gotta say it was a lot of fun. I wanted to try it since the reviews of it have been soooo bad. I don't know what the problem is? Can anyone explain to me how it isn't just a Madden game with 3D?? I wouldn't pay $40+ dollars for it ... but I wouldn't pay $40+ dollars for ANY Madden game!!

I also picked up an Emolga plush to go with the Picharisu we got back in August. Heck yea!

2. I've just finished my great contribution to the world of Pokemon. I call it the "Pokemon Effectiveness Calculator" and it is available in the Extras > Downloads section right NOW! If you have played a lot of Pokemon, its value should be immediately recognizable. I'm pretty proud of it! ^_^
... but I also welcome suggestions on how to improve it.

Oh heck, here's the link... and tell your friends!
http://www.nintemple.com/extras/PKMN-EC%20v1.1.exe

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Greetings from New Jersey

Hey, it's NinSage. Just wanted to wish everyone a happy Monster Hunting day!

Sorry I can't be there but I'm far, far from my Wii at the moment.

I expect at least one Great Jaggi to be killed in my honor. Please leave its pelt in my forum inbox. ^_^

PS - get well soon, Maxi!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Sick today Monster Hunting tomorrow.

Well last night I wasn't feeling to well and that continues to today. I'm going to try to work through this today so I can Monster Hunt tomorrow. I will try to be there in the morning to hunt. There hasn't been any new sign ups on the forum since I posted about it before.

We will be meeting on the recruiting server in Greed 4, Gate 27 and City 27.If we have more than 4 at a time in a room then the overflow room will be Greed 4,Gate 27, City 28.

There is time to sign up if you can on the forums in the Tourney/Gamenight section of the forums.If you can then sign up on the forums. I'll edit the post sometime tonight or in the morning. Hope you can join us.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Nintendo download for April 18th 2011

First up on the Virtual Console is Mega Man X for the SNES.It costs 800 points.
I remember playing this back when it came out. It was challenging and fun.
Here is a video of the first part of the game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvFd8sJfwsg

Next up on Wiiware is My Little Baby for 600 points.
The demo is up for Bit Trip Core.The Demo is free to download but the full game is 600 points.Here is a video of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TjfzOqXQGQ

For DSiware we have GO Series Captain Sub for 200 Dsiware points.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVWDsw0WsZk
DodoGo! Robo for 200 points.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lFRB6cpZfk

Music on: Learning Piano Volume 2 for 200 points
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icjASxpmDj0

High Demolition #005 - Sowing Disappointment

Issue #005 of "High Demolition" is up!

It depicts my interpretation of what goes on behind the scenes of insane Wii 2 "reports."

Enjoy!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Horizon Riders, 3DS and Wii 2 hype.

So, I was out of town last week and didn't bring my most recent issue of Nintendo Power (April). Now that I'm back, I've started reading through it and saw a game I'd never heard of before, a WiiWare title called "Horizon Riders."

Basically, it's built like your standard Sin & Punishment rail shmup (short for "shoot 'em up" for the uninitiated). However, this game has one unique twist. A twist that I have been clamoring for since I first tried Wii Fit... a "traditional" game (no sports, no fitness) with high action intensity (sorry, Super Monkey Ball) that uses the Balance Board!!

I specifically remember playing the downhill ski portion of Wii Fit and commenting: "now let me just point and shoot things with the wiimote and we'll really be on to something!!" Well, Horizon Riders seems poised to do just that. You steer your sci-fi dude (or dudette) with the Balance Board, and point'n'shoot with the Wiimote. Of course, if Motion Controls are still something you want to keep to a minimum, you don't need to use the Balance Board to play the game.

Here's a trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pPESuj_OIo

I'm not sure when this game is coming out. Nintendo Power said it might even be out by the time I'm reading this but that's not the case. Anyone find a release date? I can't wait to (have time to) play this game!!

~~~


I played PilotWings Resort at Best Buy a few weeks ago and found the 3DS experience to be "nifty." Nothing that blew me away. Well, last night I was in a GameStop that happened to have SF4 3D on the demo unit. I have had zero interest in this game for the same reasons why I had zero interest when the game landed on consoles a while back. But, regardless of the content, the 3D effect was amazing! All I can say is it worked flawlessly. I had the slider all the way up and it was just so visually pleasing. I'm not sure what Capcom did or why my experience was so different (perhaps the lighting in Best Buy was too harsh? perhaps the screen was too grimy?), but if that is the potential of glasses-free 3D, then I think we may have something here.

Of course, all the "hardcore" gaming outlets seem to think the 3DS is floundering at market so... I guess Nintendo just effed up again!

~~~


Lastly, dear gaming media, I know you need hits on your site. But the Wii 2 rumor hype is out of control. Please stop. Thanks!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

From Sprite Mirror to Superstar

Some time ago, during a quick play of Super Mario Galaxy 2, I came to a startling realization. It was something I'd always wondered if it would ever happen, and was surprised it occurred long ago and I never noticed. It was something that has both its upsides and downsides, and now that it's here, I wonder if it was better the way before.


Luigi is no longer a neglected character.


One needn't look past Super Mario Galaxy 2 to find out that this is true. In that game, Luigi is not only any longer a prize for beating the game, but instead, becomes a playable character before even reaching the halfway point. Looking farther back, he appears in more than just the Galaxy games. He's guaranteed to be playable in spin-offs, was reunited with his brother for adventures in the Mario and Luigi series, and even starred in his very own game a decade ago. With such a prestigious resumé, there's no way he can still be The Eternal Understudy; if he is, then so is just about every other game character in existence.


This is quite a feat for a character who debuted as nothing but a recoloured sprite mirror of Mario in the Mario Brothers arcade game. He almost broke out into his own when he was given unique abilities in games like Super Mario Brothers 2 and Super Mario Brothers, uh... 2, both the Japanese and different USA versions, and then even received different coloured overalls in Super Mario World. After that, he began to fade into obscurity, being completely absent from Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, and practically nowhere to be found in Super Mario RPG, appearing only in the occasional spin-off. But it all changed when Luigi got his very own game in Luigi's Mansion, and he's now every bit as famous as Mario.


Now, there are plenty of other characters in the Mario universe who are truly neglected. For starters, we have Waluigi, a character created as a companion to the doppelganger Wario in Mario Tennis and has appeared in just about every spin-off game since. He and Wario are a great mischievous duo, and yet he has never appeared in one of Wario's own games. There's a lot of potential there; from a co-op Wario Land game to the wacky microgames of the WarioWare series, Waluigi would be a perfect fit for Wario titles.


In a similar vein, we have Birdo, who first appeared in Super Mario Brothers 2 USA and was brought back from obscurity as Yoshi's doubles partner in Mario Tennis. She shares much in common with Yoshi, in both appearance and abilities, yet she has never appeared in one of Yoshi's games; the two would make a great co-op team in a new Yoshi's Island title. As it is, she may be fading back into the forgotten; she was excluded from a few of the recent spin-offs titles such as Mario Sports Mix, where she is nothing but one of the generic races in the crowds.


Ever since this realization, Luigi has become less endearing. He no longer has the charm of being a character you seldom see, and are lucky when the occasional spin-off appears where he gets a chance to shine as playable. He still has his personality and makes a great character in games like the Mario and Luigi series, and even though he will never be the same, it's still nice to see he's made it. Now, let's just hope some other, truly neglected Mario characters can get their shot at the spotlight.


Is anyone actually surprised that my first blog entry involved the Mario series?

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Site chat tonight at 8pm EST

Hey everybody we will be having site chat tonight at 8pm EST. Topics we are most likely are going to be talking about is the 1 year anniversary of Monster Hunter Tri game day which takes place on April 20th. The Quarter 2 Nintendo games and whatever else get brought up.

Hope everybody can come to the chat.:)

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Quarter 2 Nintendo release titles

Well the other day Nintendo released a press release showing the Quarter 2 games for the 3 Nintendo systems.

I'll start with the Wii games.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon Stealth Force Edition June 14th,Get Fit with Mel B in the Spring,LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game in May,Disney•Pixar Cars 2: The Video Game in Summer,Karaoke Revolution Glee: Volume 2 in the Spring,ExerBeat on April 26th,Wii Play: Motion on June 13th,Mystery Case Files: Dust to Dust on June 27th,Thor: God of Thunder on May 3rd,The Conduit 2 April 18th,Rio on April 12,SpongeBob SquigglePants on April 12th,Kung Fu Panda 2 on May 24th,and Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters on June 7.

Of the above titles I am personally only interested in Conduit 2 and Wii Play:Motion.

For the DS here are the games for the second quarter.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon AUTOBOTS on June 14th and Transformers: Dark of the Moon™ DECEPTICONSon June 14th,Squinkies on April 12th,Loving Life with Hello Kitty and Friends on May 10th,Duke Nukem: Critical Mass in Quarter 2,LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game in May,Disney•Pixar Cars 2: The Video Game in the Summer,Hollywood Files on June 14th,Picture Puzzle Collection on May 17,Match 3 Madness on May 3rd,Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s World Championship 2011 on May 10th,Cake Mania Main Street in May,Thor: God of Thunder May 3rd,Rio on April 12th,Paws & Claws Pampered Pets 2 on April 19th,Kung Fu Panda 2 on May 24th,LEGO® Battles: Ninjago in the Spring,Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters on June 7th.

Overall the DS lineup doesn't really appeal to me.There is lots of old DS games that I want to get so the lineup isn't that much of a concern.

Finally the 3DS lineup.

Transformers™: Dark of the Moon Stealth Force Edition 3D on June 14th,BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II on May 24th,s Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion on May 24th,Dream Trigger 3D in April,LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game in May, DualPenSports in May,PAC-MAN & Galaga DIMENSIONS in June,The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D on June 19th,Cave Story 3D on June 28th,DEAD OR ALIVE Dimensions in May,SpongeBob SquigglePants on May 17th,Driver Renegade in the Spring,Rabbids Travel in Time on April 10th,Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 3D on April 10th,James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes on June 7th
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters on June 7th.

Overall the only titles I am interested in for the 3DS is Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion,Dream trigger 3D, Dead or Alive Dimensions, and Legend of Zelda:OOT 3D.

Thoughts on the lineups of each system?

Thursday, April 7, 2011

One year anniversary game day for Monster Hunter Tri

On April 20th we will be having a game day for Monster Hunter Tri. It will be all day. The room will be Greed 4, Gate 27, City 27. If there are more than four people, we will use City 28, 29 and so on for any extra hunters. We will also be hunting with folks from Nintendoworldreport.com.

If you are interested, please visit the forums and check out the Monster Hunter Tri topic in the games section. [link]

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Pandora's tower for Wii Trailer and details.


- game is centered on two characters, Ende and his friend Ceres
- takes place on the Graecia continent
- this is where, in the kingdom of Elysium, the harvest festival has begun
- Ceres has been chosen to sing at this event, but as she takes the podium, a beast appears
- Ende finds Ceres after the beast appears, but she's unconscious
- Ceres is about to be taken into the army's custody as a witness to the beast, but thanks to the help of a merchant named Graiai, the two manage to escape to an isolated tower
- we come to find out that Ceres has been cursed by the beast
- to break the curse, Ende must collect the flesh of beasts that live within the tower
- Ceres: 15 year old girl chosen from many to sing at the harvest event, firm believer in the Eos religion
- Ende: 22 year old former soldier of Athens during a war with Elysium, quiet type
- Graiai: member of the dwarf race, gives you the Orichalcum Chain which lets its possessor know Ceres' state
- the Chain allows you to see a timer that indicates how far along Ceres is in the curse
- use the chain to restrain the servant beasts you encounter in the towers and tear their flesh off for delivery to Ceres
- chain is also used on other items/objects in the tower
- 12 towers with different themes, all different sizes
- tower example: Red Flame Tower, which blocks your progress with fire
- get to the tower's deepest point to fight a boss for his flesh
- must get the flesh of all 12 bosses to stop the curse, as flesh from only one boss will simply slow the curse
- simple control scheme

Monday, April 4, 2011

Nintendo Download for April 4th 2011

Nintendo DSiWare

Anonymous Notes Chapter 1 - From The Abyss -
Publisher: Sonic Powered Co.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Discover an exhilarating RPG set inside an infinitely extending dungeon. Sweep away the monsters wriggling in many places and defeat the strong boss monster lurking in the deepest part of the dungeon. Even after the boss monster is defeated, the dungeon automatically re-creates itself, so players can try new games over and over. Using the skill called Soul Capture, the male character can take magic and other skills away from the monsters, as well as weapons and shields to power up.

A Fairy Tale
Publisher: Lemon Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: When a giant menace threatens the village, young faeries Delfbert, Wilf and Angelica set out on a fantastic journey to save their home. Join them on their whimsical quest through 100 puzzling levels, marked by stunning graphics and magical music that will fill you with wonder. Featuring an exciting new type of puzzle game play and a humorous, lighthearted storyline, A Fairy Tale is an unforgettable journey of enchantment.

Absolute Baseball
Publisher: Tasuke
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Become the manager of a baseball team and lead it to the championship. Make all the decisions for your team, from selecting the starting lineup and switching pitchers and runners to giving your players pitching, fielding and batting orders. Earn points as you play games throughout the season, and use them to increase your players' abilities. Build them into the team that will respond to your strategy and make it to the top. In addition to regular league games, there are interleague games, playoffs and the championship series.

Virtual Console

Super Bonk
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points™
Description: Dive headlong into the action in the first installment of the Bonk series on the Super NES. This time, Bonk has been caught in King Drool's trap and hurled into darkness. To find his way back to prehistoric times, he must embark on an adventure through streets, caves and eventually outer space. Control Bonk as you progress through the stages, but watch out for enemies blocking your path. Eat meat to transform Bonk and perform even more powerful attacks. Many challenges lie in Bonk's path. In addition to his spin and climb moves, you can use items such as candy, which changes Bonk's size, to overcome these obstacles.

WiiWare™

Planet Fish™
Publisher: Ludia
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Ready, aim...fire suction bubbles from your underwater craft to trap fish to display in your personal aquarium. Catch and collect exotic fish in colorful deep-sea environments such as the Gulf of Mexico, the Ryukyu Islands and the spectacular Great Barrier Reef. Try to avoid obstacles and dangerous species lurking in the depths. Grow your aquatic collection with beautiful marine life from around the world. Navigate through 30 unique levels of play, each with its own challenges and obstacles. Watch out for jagged surfaces, dangerous jellyfish and paralyzing algae. Win bonus collectible fish as you advance in the game. Unlock animated Trophies with each region that you successfully complete.

A Monsteca Corral: Monsters vs. Robots (demo version)
Publisher: Onteca
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 0 Wii Points; full version available for 500 Wii Points
Description: The planet Monsteca is no longer the harmonious world it once was. It's been overrun by a robotic army set on ruling and conquering. Monsteca natives, known as the Stompies, have no choice but to run or be captured. Unable to defend themselves against such heavy machinery, they must rely on the strength of their herd to work together and defeat the meddling robots. Take control of the cute, not-so-bright Stompies, and help them avoid being captured by invading robots. It's your duty to guide them successfully through each level. This fun strategy game offers 20 levels for many hours of gameplay

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Gamers ♥ Japan aid special airs on April 3rd online and on G4

A few weeks back, there was an 8.9 earthquake in Japan which triggered a tsunami that was felt as far as the west coast of America. In light of this, G4, Hulu and Youtube will be having a special to try to get donations for the American Red Cross to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

Here are the air dates for Gamers ♥ Japan.
Citytv April 3rd Canada 4PM All markets
G4 in Canada-6PM ET/PM and 9PM ET/PT
G4 in the US April 4th 2AM ET/PT
Sci Fi in Australia April 3rd 7PM ET
SPACE in Canada April 3rd at 7Pm ET

Finally, you can watch online at Hulu.com/gamers-heart-japan
and Youtube.com/gamersheartjapan.