The Mario franchise has arguably been the most influential series of games of all time. When creating a game, developers sometimes “study” the numerous titles that have been released, as the series has one of the most important qualities of video games – each of the games are fun. Mushroom Men will be releasing later this year in North America, although you may not have known that the mushrooms in Mushroom Men are indeed a nod to Mario. In an interview, Chad Barron explained, “Dan and Kris wanted to do a game set in an oversized world. So while they wanted to pay homage to Lorne Lanning and his Oddworld series, Dan brought up the idea of having mushrooms be the focal point as a homage to the Mario games.”
“I think the guys at Nintendo with Wii have done a truly amazing job and they’ve grown the market, which is fantastic news for everyone. It’s clear that if you innovate, you create new gaming experiences. I know from Iwata-san and Miyamoto-san, having worked with them, that innovation is what drives them and they’re hugely successful at it.For many people that’s the first step on the gaming ladder. People will want to gradate to a basic entry point into a console that will deliver a more rounded gaming experience. That’s the opportunity for Xbox.” – David Gosen, VP of strategic marketing, interactive entertainment division, Microsoft EMEA
Believe it or not, Mr. Gosen previously worked for Nintendo. I can see where he’s coming from in that for those who want to go for a more a more hardcore experience, those people will buy/spend more time with their Xbox 360. However, I’m not too sure that the average mother will begin to play Halo 3 after a few Wii Sports sessions. Also, I don’t necessarily think people will abandon the Wii, but rather, the Xbox 360 can supplement a different type of gaming experience.
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced the return of its popular Eledees characters, as the cute energy creatures head to DS in an all-new title Eledees: The Adventures of Kai and Zero heading to Europe this Winter.
Eledees was an original title designed for the Wii and starred the titular creatures who have the ability to supply electricity when gathered together. As such, players were charged with locating and collecting the tiny Eledees creatures needed to power their home, and this basic concept has been retained for Eledees: The Adventures of Kai and Zero, but within a touch-screen adventure created specifically for the Nintendo handheld.
Eledees: The Adventures of Kai and Zero acts as a direct sequel to the Wii game, and adds a mystical slant to the story. The two titular heroes find themselves transported into a mysterious realm by a magical bus created by Kai’s inventor Father. As they get used to their surroundings, the pair must use all their skills to gather the Eledees they will need to assist their progression, with Kai making good use of his special capture gun, which is used to grab the evasive Eledees, and lift, manipulate and move any objects in his path.
In addition to locating the various Eledees to power devices, players are also challenged with locating a new species of ‘Omega’ Eledees, who boast a wider range of abilities and act as side-kicks who accompany Kai through the vast stages. As the game progresses, ‘Omega’ Eledees capable of locating hidden areas, freezing water, and illuminating dark areas must be found and put to good use to progress to later stages.
The DS game also extends the multi-player elements of the Wii title, with the Nintendo DS Wi-Fi service allowing players to compete head-to-head, or in four-player battles to round up the errant power sources.
Eledees: The Adventures of Kai and Zero will be released for Nintendo DS this winter.
Source: GamesPress
Rather than a game, Wii Fit is more comparable to an exercise program. More specifically, it’s something that most people would consider playing in short bursts each day. A recent poll, however, shows that close to two-thirds of Japanese gamers are already giving up on the product. ITMedia in Japan took poll data from 1000 gamers and a staggering 64% of the participants said they stopped using Wii Fit after purchase.
Do you use Wii Fit faithfully everyday?
– 22% – I record my progress faithfully everyday
– 6% – Maybe once every two or three days
– 6% – Once a week
– 64% – Stopped using after purchase
The most recent issue of Famitsu included a bit of release date news for Mega Man 9 in Japan. The game is scheduled to release in September – perhaps surprisingly – and the Japanese website will open on July 15th. However, that’s not all for Mega Man. In Japan, both Mega Man 1 and Mega Man 2 will launch in July and August respectively on the Japanese Virtual Console, most likely in honor of Mega Man 9. This begs a question though: Will Capcom do something similar for the launch of Mega Man 9 in other territories?
Liezen, Austria, July 4th 2008; After the start of the successful cooperation with kids- and casual game publisher Tivola, JoWooD enlarges its product portfolio with lifestyle games for Nintendo’s Wii console. The first product of the series in development is Yoga Wii. The well-known and favoured doctrine for mind, body and soul guarantees a unique gaming experience for young and young at heart gamers. The game will support the Wii Balance Board, as it plays a central role for the exercising (gaming) experience.
Release of the title is scheduled for the second quarter of 2009.
Release: Q2 2009
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Source: GamesPress
The Japanese website for Wario Land: Shake It is finally up. Currently, the website features two gameplay videos – The intro to the game and a general gameplay video.
You can check out the videos directly at the website here.
“Rather than looking for specific thoughts from fans, I’d have to say this game ITSELF is basically fan-driven. It’s pretty clear that without the kind of deep fan love for Mega Man, and Capcom’s respect for those feelings, an idea this crazy would have just been laughed out of the room.” – Seth Killian, Senior Manager of Community Forums of Capcom
The folks over at Capcom has pretty “strong feelings” for Mega Man 9, so hopefully the game will be able to live up to the high expectations that most have set for the title.
