7th December 2009 – After 28 years, over 100 games and sales of over 222 million, new research today reveals Mario as the best-loved video game character of all time. Independent research carried out by YouGov across Europe places the Italian dynamo ahead of such gaming luminaries as Lara Croft, Sonic the Hedgehog, Pac-Man and the Master Chief from Halo.
And when it comes to game soundtracks, the majority of Europeans surveyed instantly recognised Mario’s catchy soundtrack. The Mario soundtrack was created by composer and sound director Koji Kondo for the Super Mario Bros game launch in 1985.
committee and Koelnmesse prepare for the event in the coming year
Cologne – “Together with our partners we intend to pick up on the success of the gamescom premiere in the coming year and successively expand on the largest event and entertainment highlight for interactive games and entertainment.” With these words, Oliver P. Kuhrt, Managing Director of Koelnmesse GmbH, and Olaf Wolters, Managing Director of the German Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software (BIU), summed-up the first meeting of the gamescom advisory committee, which met last week in Cologne. Together with the BIU, the other advisory committee members including members from the city of Cologne and from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Koelnmesse analysed the gamescom premiere and derived the potential for the coming event scheduled for 18 – 22 August 2010.
– Need to guide Kappa with stylus to a goal
– Traps, obstacles may stop you
– Draw a line from Kappa, extend it to create a path
– Point at the touchscreen, grab to scroll around
– Use the quick break icon to make Kappa freeze and void obstacles
– Baby Kappas will need resucing
– A big hand will come from a blue flame, if you get trapped, the game is over
– Mini-games, collectables (bromides, music and more)
– Use coins to purchase collectables
– 500 points
DSiWare
Rayman – 127 blocks
Pop Island – 97 blocks
Ball Fighter – 49 blocks
Army Defender – 38 blocks
myNotebook: Red – 32 blocks
WiiWare
Stop Stress: A Day of Fury – 316 blocks
My Dolphin – 289 blocks
Flowerworks – 127 blocks
Magnetis – 115 blocks
VC
Street Fighter Alpha 2 – 72 blocks
Shinobi – 32 blocks
1 1 CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 INFINITY WARD ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
4 2 FIFA 10 EA CANADA EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
2 3 ASSASSIN’S CREED II UBISOFT (MONTREAL) UBISOFT UBISOFT
3 4 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO
6 5 WII SPORTS RESORT NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO
5 6 WII FIT PLUS NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO
7 7 MARIO & SONIC AT OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES SEGA SEGA SEGA
12 8 LEGO INDIANA JONES 2:ADVENTURE CONTINUES TRAVELLER’S TALES LUCASARTS LUCASARTS
9 9 FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 TURN 10 STUDIOS MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
11 10 MARIO KART WII NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO
Famitsu has released a full report today regarding the sales of New Super Mario Bros. Wii in Japan. According to information from Enterbrain (Famitsu’s publisher), the game has already reached a milestone. 936,734 units were sold from December 3rd to December 6th. This means that New Super Mario Bros. Wii is now the best-selling Wii title of all time in terms of first week sales. Not a bad achievement for a game that has only been out for a few days.
Thanks to Thomas N for the news tip!
Take Link and Zelda on an Unforgettable New Adventure with Seamless Touch-Screen Controls, a Massive World to Explore and an Unprecedented Storyline
REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 7, 2009 – One of the year’s biggest adventures is fired up and heading down the tracks. Today’s launch of The Legend of Zelda™: Spirit Tracks for the hand-held Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ video game systems marks a fun new chapter in the historic franchise. For the first time, heroic Link™ teams with Princess Zelda™, who accompanies him on an original quest to save Hyrule from ruin. This unforgettable saga has Link navigating perilous dungeons and commanding a customizable train. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks features challenging puzzles, wide-ranging exploration and a deep storyline.
Maybe the holiday season has you grinning from ear to ear, or maybe you’re already stressing out about choosing the right gifts for everyone on your list. Either way, you’d be wise to take a look at this week’s new downloadable games from Nintendo. The latest Nintendo DSiWare™ releases include the original Rayman® – perfect for prolonging your jubilant mood or providing a respite from the season’s hustle and bustle. Speaking of stress relief, this week’s new WiiWare™ games include Stop Stress: A Day of Fury, which offers a truly unusual way for players to unwind. And Virtual Console™ fans now have two more classic titles to liven up their game libraries: the Super NES™ gem Street Fighter® Alpha 2 and the legendary SEGA arcade title Shinobi. All told, you’ll find 11 new games added to the already stellar selection on the Wii™ Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi™ Shop. Whether you’re browsing for yourself or a loved one, don’t forget that you can also use the Wii Shop Channel to download five free game demos and try before you buy.
This data comes from Famitsu…
01. [PS3] World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (Konami) – 321,722 / NEW
02. [NDS] Tomodachi Collection (Nintendo) – 308,944 / 1,709,209
03. [NDS] Layton Kyouju to Majin no Fue (Level 5) – 301,290 / NEW
04. [WII] Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo) – 282,224 / 942,128
05. [NDS] Pokemon Heart Gold / Soul Silver (Pokemon) – 250,472 / 3,021,701
06. [PS3] Bayonetta (Sega) – 187,379 / NEW
07. [NDS] Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden (Square Enix) – 178,510 / NEW
08. [PSP] Persona 3 Portable (Atlus) – 174,228 / NEW
09. [NDS] Inazuma Eleven 2: Kyoui no Shinryakusha – Fire (Level 5) – 163,769 / 659,104
10. [PS3] Tekken 6 (Bandai Namco Games) – 158,965 / NEW
