Nintendo Voice Chat podcast summary

Donkey Kong Country Returns

– Craig played the latest build
– Saw another 6 levels
– Took him about 15 minutes
– There is a map screen
– You’re on an island
– Rotate the island to go from level to level
– Clustered into different worlds
– Map is more 3D than it was in Donkey Kong Country
– Very easy to pick up and play
– Donkey Kong can climb walls, ceiling
– Needs to be grass texture
– Jumping is pretty forgiving
– Mario-esque mechanic: If you jump on three in a row, a coin will be dropped
– Spend coins on unlockables
– No talking in the game as far as Craig can tell
– There are sharks, jellyfish
– Rambi is in the game
– There is an enemy that is an ostritch and it is on stiltz
– Craig thought the silhouette was really cool
– In the background of that level, when the rock structures come together to form a banana, and it unlocks a secret if you wait a bit
– Similiar secret unlocked when the sun is setting
– Mine cart level in the demo
– In this particular level, when you jump, the cart jumps with you
– Jump with a button, not motion controls
– Cart is following a set path
– Traditional platforming
– Clever visual tricks
– Craig didn’t see any story moments

Donkey Kong 64

– Rare said on their Twitter account that Donkey Kong 64 isn’t their game
– The game was pretty big
– Craig says the Virtual Console is dead
– Usually N64 games aren’t released when Virtual Console is updated

Halo DS

– Craig knows of 3-4 different development studios that were working on the game
– Not the one that Matt posted on IGN a couple of months ago
– Microsoft was pitching it to companies
– “Do what you can do for this game”
– Not a chance it’ll happen now

3DS hardware rumors

– According to IGN’s sources
– Two 266MHz ARM11 CPUs
– 133MHz GPU
– More powerful than the PSP, but resolution is not
– Nintendo really skimps on internal storage
– DSi has 256MB of internal stoage, which is half of Wii, and can’t write to SD cards
– 3DS will have 1.5GB of internal storage, based on today’s standards it’s not a whole lot
– Craig expecting Japanese 3DS launch this year

NBA Jam

– IGN has a copy
– Reconfirmed that there is no online in the Wii version
– Cool unlockables
– So far Craig has only unlocked different basketballs (like different textures)
– Boss battles are fun

– Craig thinks the pixel art amazing in Shatae: Risky’s Revenge
– Cammie Dunaway leaving in October