Classic Franchise Returns to the Ring with Motion Controls, Multiplayer Action and New Surprises

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Today the world of video game boxing returns to its roots with the launch of the new Punch-Out!!™ game for Nintendo’s Wii™ console. The game brings immersive motion controls to an iconic franchise that has been around since the days of the NES™. Players are invited to step into the ring as underdog Little Mac as they go toe-to-toe with an array of memorable characters, including familiar faces like Glass Joe, King Hippo and Don Flamenco.

The motion-sensitive Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ controllers turn the swings players make in real life into on-screen punches. Both novice and veteran gamers can pick up Punch-Out!! and punch their way to the top. The optional Wii Balance Board™ accessory (sold separately with Wii Fit™) can be added to provide an extra challenge for advanced players who want to literally bob and weave through their fights. For those who insist on old-school Punch-Out!! purity, the game also can be played with classic NES-style controls by turning the Wii Remote controller sideways.

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Update: Looks like Rising Star Games will announce Feel Fear: Ju-On.

Rising Star Games to showcase Muramasa: The Demon Blade and Rygar: The Battle of Argus this weekend at the London MCM Expo; new IP to be announced
May 18th 2009 – Highly anticipated titles Muramasa: The Demon Blade and Rygar: The Battle of Argus will be playable to UK consumers this weekend at the London MCM Expo, Rising Star Games can confirm. The Expo will mark the first time the general public can experience both games ahead of their respective European releases and will form one third of a special triple experience for Rising Star Games’ maiden appearance at the MCM Expo. Other announcements comprise of a major new IP and a new initiative to complement the Home of Japanese Games campaign. The London MCM Expo will be held at the London ExCel exhibition centre on 23-24 May, 2009.

The new IP will be unveiled on the first day of the event and will confirm the identity of the game being played in a teaser video, released today. A formal announcement will be made immediately following the show.

A new component to the award-nominated Home of Japanese Games campaign will be announced before the start of the Expo, with working mechanics in operation throughout the weekend.

Rising Star Games will also be demonstrating upcoming titles including Avalon Code, Luminous Arc 2, Angel Cat Sugar and Happy Party with Hello Kitty & Friends, as well as conducting battle challenges on Valhalla Knights 2 and hands-on walkthroughs of the critically acclaimed Little King’s Story.

Every Monday for two and a half years, Nintendo has introduced new downloadable games and applications for the Wii™ console. Today marks a milestone for the Virtual Console™ section of the Wii Shop Channel, home of some of the greatest titles in video game history. The classic The Legend of Zelda™: Majora’s Mask™ becomes the 300th Virtual Console title available for download. It’s one of the highest-rated Nintendo 64™ games of all time, and its three-day time cycle and deeper, darker storyline offer players a different experience than a traditional Zelda game. People who played it years ago can relive their gaming roots, while those who never picked it up can discover its fun and charm for the first time.

Not to be overlooked, the second Art Style puzzle game for Nintendo DSiWare™ makes its debut, along with the WiiWare™ games CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R2 from SQUARE ENIX and Silver Star Chess from Agetec, Inc.

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– The first of 6 DSi-exclusive games from Square-Enix & Intelligent Systems in the works
– Unclear if the rest are DSiWare or DSi-cart games
– Supervisor is series creator Yuji Horii
– Art director is Akira Toriyama. Music by Kouichi Sugiyama
– Control classic monsters from the Dragon Quest series, each with different stats and skills
– 4-player online multiplayer battling confirmed

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Sean Brennan, managing director for Bethesda in Europe, has stated that the company will be making an announcement on a “really big Wii game this year.” Brennan understands the situation with mature Wii titles and realizes that one must understand just how large that type of market is.

“We are going to make an announcement on a really big Wii game this year, we’ve got a couple of other things in the pipeline, and it’s a format we’re really looking at with the right approach. I’ve got consoles at home but I wouldn’t sit and play an 18-rated game with my family on the Wii. Is there space in the Wii market for that? I think there is, but again, it’s all about finding out how big that is. Is it 5 per cent? If it’s five per cent of the market and you can own that space it’s worth doing because you can achieve volume. If you can’t own it at five per cent, it’s not worth doing, quite frankly…We’re not going to establish a new range and call it ‘My Girly Game Range’ or whatever these other companies are doing, it’s so me-too and boring. Looking at the opportunities in the Nintendo space is interesting for us because it’s more driven by getting the right product for the demographic and also the right quality. We’re not going to do a hamster simulator, it’s not us. We’re not going to produce games for girls or pet-sim products. There’s nothing to distinguish them from one another. We have huge respect for the Nintendo platforms, and from a marketing perspective globally they’ve been phenomenal. It would be churlish to ignore that space…It was a problem with the DS space as well, because as soon as you spot the bandwagon, it’s already too late. People don’t get that. There are still some people jumping on the bandwagon but it’s not within our business philosophy.”

Small update: Fixed minor inaccuracy

– No Wii MotionPlus support
– Resident Evil 2 is the the basis for the story but you will have to discover the specifics of the plot
– Original voice actors for Leon, Claire, and Ada return
– Difficulty changed from the first game
– Online multiplayer was considered, but technical issues prevented the team from including it
– Will have some sort of online feature

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The Conduit developer High Voltage Software confirms booth at E3 2009, plans to unveil new IP

Hoffman Estates, IL – May 15, 2009 – High Voltage Software, Inc., the independent developer behind the upcoming Wii first-person shooter The Conduit, today announced that it will host a booth at next month’s Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3), where visitors will have a chance to play the studio’s latest title. The company has chosen E3 as the venue to debut a previously unannounced IP behind closed doors to select media representatives.

“2009 is already shaping up to be a groundbreaking year for this studio,” said Kerry J. Ganofsky, CEO and founder of High Voltage Software. “The release of The Conduit is just around the corner and there is more to come. We feel that E3 is the perfect opportunity to show off our hard work and give a taste of our very latest project.”

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Yup…It’s Golf and Table Tennis – Two games that should be familiar to frequent Wii Sports/Wii Play players.

Make sure to check out a few clips of Wii Sports Resort after the break.

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Wondering which character has taken the final roster spot in Punch-Out? Somewhat surprisingly, it’s actually a Nintendo character. Head past the break to see for yourself!

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“Technically, sure. I’m not confirming anything though, just to be clear.” – Christian Svensson
Corporate Officer/VP of Strategic Planning & Business Development

I don’t think we’ll be seeing Phoenix Wright on Wii anytime soon, but it’s nice to know that the door isn’t completely shut on the idea.