28th April 2011 – If you are looking to have some instant fun on Wii which is immediately accessible to all, then look no further as Wii Play: Motion – a collection of 12 innovative, fun minigames that specifically show off the special capabilities of the Wii Remote Plus – makes its European debut on 24th June 2011 exclusively on Wii.
Wii Play: Motion is the successor to the popular Wii Play, which has sold over 9 million copies in Europe. It will have you and your friends twisting and turning as it comes packaged exclusively with a special red Wii Remote Plus controller. Wii Remote Plus combines the original Wii Remote controller with the precision of the Wii MotionPlus accessory – to deliver great value, precise motion control and immersive social fun that anyone in the household can pick up and instantly enjoy.
Tales of the Abyss 3DS was just recently given a June 30 release date for Japan. Fortunately, North American gamers won’t have to wait too long to receive the game as well. Nintendo Power revealed in their latest issue that the port will arrive in the states sometime this fall. Namco Bandai might make all of this official very soon, as community manager Rich Bantegui teased something “really cool” for Tales fans next week.
Thanks to Jake for the tip!
Something tells me that this game won’t hold over hardcore Wii gamers for the summer… On the bright side, we’ll be getting Ocarina of Time 3D around the same time, but I admit that doesn’t help out those who haven’t purchased a 3DS.
– Primary attack methods are the chain and sub weapons
– Pointer turns red when you can grab something with the chain
– Yellow gauge builds up when you grab and tub on something
– Chain’s attack power increases as the gauge builds
– Chain can also be powered up by defeating bosses
– Standard button presses for sub weapons
– One sub weapon at a time
– Use the chain and weapons together
– Example of the above: Hold down an enemy with the chain, move in for an attack with your weapon
– Begin the game with just a sword
– Sword balances speed and power
– Gain additional weapons as you progress
– One such weapon is a dual sword
– Weapons will get stronger with time, just like the chain
– Gain materials after defeating normal enemies and exploring towers
– Give these weapons to Graiai to power up the weapons
Thanks to Thomas N for the tip!
I don’t know about you guys, but this is one of the most graphically impressive games I’ve seen for the 3DS thus far. Really, they’re putting a lot of developers to shame. Beyond the Labyrinth is already showing a great deal of promise, and the development team is comprised of some top-notch talent. I hope you guys continue to pay attention to this title!
Isn’t it nice to see a Zelda game grace the cover of Nintendo Power once again? I’m not too sure that the magazine will have anything new on the title, but it should be an interesting read nonetheless. Perhaps we’ll see Skyward Sword on a cover later this year…
Thanks to Jake for the tip!
This information comes from Satoru Iwata…
“And, this is the final proposition. It is clear from our market research that many people feel that they ‘want’ and ‘want to buy’ Nintendo 3DS, and the latest demand for this device is the largest in comparison with our previous new platforms at the time of their launches, but on the other hand, there is a big proposition that not that many people believe ‘Now is the time to buy it!’ The penetration will not gain speed without overcoming this challenge. After all, the way to solve this problem lies in how to communicate ‘what kind of games can be played,’ as long as Nintendo 3DS is a gaming device. There might be consumers who are interested in Nintendo 3DS, but they are unable to find software which they want to play, and they are in the ‘wait-and-see mode,’ so I would like to inform you of the launch dates of software titles in Japan.”
I think there are a number of factors influencing the slow sales start for the 3DS. Some elements are under Nintendo’s control – such as the rather bland launch lineup – and then there are outside circumstances, like the earthquake in Japan. In any case, I imagine that things will pick up once the eShop launches along with other 3DS features, and when we start seeing some truly stellar titles for the platform.
This information comes from Makoto Yoshizumi, who shared the following information with Nintendo Power…
– Namco Bandai understands that fans want more Tales game in English
– Time and money get in the way
– Namco Bandai has taken steps to alleviate the issues above, and hopefully we can now look forward to seeing more Tales games worldwide
– It’s been difficult to fit the game on the 3DS card due to size restrictions
– Voice data in particular was challenging to put on the card and feels they solved the problem while keeping the quality high
– “Every part of the game, with the exception of the animated cut-scenes, has been redone in 3D”
– Yoshizumi believes this makes the game seem more real/immersive than before
– Character models rebuilt to improve performance
– Rest of the game has been ported over seamlessly
– Some changes made to “in-game parameters” to compensate for control differences
– No other additions, no new weapons/artes
– No communication features (StreetPass, SpotPass)
– Namco Bandai have talked about a sequel, but haven’t yet come up with something that would be good enough for a full game
– Yoshizumi says he appreciates the comments he receives on Twitter from worldwide fans, and he hopes that more Tales games can make it over in the future
– Load times have been improved on significantly
– Steadier frame rate (may have been referring to the world map specifically)
– Skits will remain unvoiced
