Update: Apparently, the DSi Shop Channel is down as well (thanks to Valay for informing me!). As soon as we find out when they’re back up, we’ll be sure to let you guys know!

When I tried to access the Wii Shop Channel today, a message popped up notifying me that the Wii Shop Channel was being worked on, and (as usual) didn’t give me any sort of time frame as to when it’d be back up. Normally this wouldn’t really merit much of a news story (the Wii Shop Channel has been down numerous times in the past with little or no visible improvements) but in light of Denise Kaigler’s recent comments about online Wii owners getting a bit of a surprise soon, this may be worth watching.

More info as it comes in!

1. Halo 3: ODST (360) – Microsoft
2. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) – Nintendo
3. Madden NFL 10 (360) – EA
4. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (DS) – Nintendo
5. The Beatles: Rock Band (360) – MTV Games/EA
6. Madden NFL 10 (PS3) – EA
7. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (360) – Activision Blizzard
8. Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3) – Square Enix
9. Guitar Hero 5 (360) – Activision Blizzard
10. The Beatles: Rock Band (Wii) – MTV Games/EA
11. Batman: Arkham Asylum (360) – Square Enix
12. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS) – Square Enix
13. Scribblenauts (DS) – Warner Bros.
14. NHL 10 (360) – EA
15. Need for Speed: Shift (360) – EA
16. Need for Speed: Shift (PS3) – EA
17. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (PS3) – Activision Blizzard
18. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS) – Nintendo
19. Wii Fit (Wii) – Nintendo
20. The Beatles: Rock Band (PS3) – MTV Games/EA

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and MTV Games today announced that LEGO® Rock Band™ will feature the likeness of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and multi-platinum selling group Queen. Appearing in the game as LEGO minifigures, front man Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor will be seen jamming to their hit anthems “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions.”

Guitarist Brian May said: “This is IT! I wanna play! When do I get my toy LEGO man?”

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Even though we’ve known about The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for quite awhile, Nintendo hasn’t been keen on sharing information about gameplay. There’s about a month and a half before the game launches, but for the most part, we’re in the dark. Shigeru Miyamoto still isn’t ready to talk about the title extensively, but he did recently provide a nugget of information about how Spirit Tracks will be taking advantage of the DS hardware.

“…What I can say is that with The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, which was was the first Zelda game released on DS, I think there were a number of people who played a Zelda game for the first time with that first DS game. And so what we’ve tried to do with Spirit Tracks is take that experience and enhance it in a way that takes even more advantage of the DS hardware and the features that it has to offer. And change it up a little bit with the ability to ride around with the train and have fun that way.”

…And Miyamoto teased the next Zelda Wii title.

“It’s really fun to move your body around.”

Traditionally, details from Famitsu magazine are leaked on Monday nights, before the magazine hits newsstands in Japan on Thursday. However, we’re still without information in spite of the fact that it’s Tuesday morning in North America. Because of this, a few Japanese gamers are running wild with a rumor that the latest edition of Famitsu has been delayed due to a Nintendo announcement. Of course, this would mean that the company requested that Famitsu hold back from sending the most recent issue out.

Shigeru Miyamoto is actually speaking at the Digital Contents Expo this Saturday, and what he discusses may or may not be connected to the rumored announcement. But because no one in Japan apparently has the most recent Famitsu magazine, I’m holding back on posting the review scores from the October 22 edition, as some of the scores might be fake.

Right now, though, you should keep in mind that all of this is complete speculation. There’s a possibility that there really is no announcement and that Miyamoto may not be talking about any new game(s) on Saturday. However, I decided to post this since a few of you have sent this tip our way. We’ll just have to see what happens over the next few days.

Source

THE EVOLUTION OF A VIDEO GAME LEGEND CONTINUES!

TAITO Launches SPACE INVADERS EXTREME 2 Today

LOS ANGELES (October 20, 2009) – TAITO Corporation (TAITO®), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd., today announced that SPACE INVADERS EXTREME™ 2 has shipped to North American retailers today. Developed exclusively for Nintendo DS™, the game is a follow-up to the hugely popular SPACE INVADERS EXTREME, released last year.

SPACE INVADERS EXTREME 2 is an evolution of the legendary shooting game and a must-have for arcade fans everywhere, offering more strategic, immersive gameplay. Maintaining the simple premise that launched the popularity of SPACE INVADERS in 1978, this latest installment features pop-art visuals, an enhanced battle system, a challenging new time attack mode and an expanded gameplay progression. In addition to the ever-addictive single player modes, players can challenge their friends through multiplayer mode and compete on scoreboards with gamers around the world!

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As usual, Game Informer is having issues with video embedding, so you can watch the videos here.

Limited Edition Black Wii bundle announced for Europe, including Wii Sports Resort and Wii MotionPlus

20 October 2009 – The Wii console is about to get an exciting new look as it launches across Europe in sleek black.

The black Wii will be available to buy in UK and Republic of Ireland from 6 November and mainland Europe on 20 November, and will come as a “Limited Edition” bundled with a Wii Remote, Wii MotionPlus and Nunchuk – all in black – as well as the exhilarating new Wii Sports Resort game and the original Wii Sports. The Wii Sports Resort black bundle will offer a total of 15 different sports to enjoy.

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