WHAT: Nintendo celebrates the highly anticipated release of Mario Kart® Wii and the companion Wii Wheel™ accessory with a fun-packed launch party at the Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Plaza. Excitement will run high as drivers of all ages gather for a sneak peek at the game, plus an opportunity to wrap their fingers around the Wii Wheel, a wireless steering wheel accessory for the Wii Remote™ controller that makes it easy for anyone to pick up and play. To keep the action firing on all cylinders, families will be invited to take part in a Mario Kart Wii competition for the chance to win prizes. Fans also can enjoy Nintendo-themed giveaways and special premiums such as personalized Mario Kart driver’s licenses.
Mario Kart Wii makes its official debut in U.S. stores on Sunday April 27, and will be packaged with the Wii Wheel accessory. For the first time ever in the Mario Kart series, players can control their vehicles with a simple turn of the Wii Wheel. The game also introduces a host of new courses, vehicles and eye-popping battle arenas, plus the ability to compete online with drivers from around the world using Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection.
WHO: Parents, teens, kids, Mario Kart fans and video game fans of all ages
Paper Mario was one of the greatest games on the Nintendo 64, and has even branched out onto the GameCube and Wii. Considering the enormous success the DS has earned, one would assume Paper Mario – now a mainstream franchise for Nintendo – would migrate the system. It appears Nintendo may be attempting to do so via a port. A listing has been revealed which includes the first Paper Mario game from the Nintendo 64 heading to the DS. Although fans would most likely prefer an original game over a port, the option to have Paper Mario on the go is an enticing option. As with most unconfirmed news, however, I would consider this a rumor.
REDWOOD CITY, CA – April 16, 2008 – Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm of Hudson Soft, today announced that it is bringing Star Soldier R to WiiWare™ on the Wii™. (ESRB Rating: E for Everybody, Fantasy Violence). This tournament-style outer space shooter challenges players to achieve a high score in either a 2-Minute or 5-Minute Mode. In 2-Minute Mode, players have just enough time to battle through one action-packed stage and one giant boss. In 5-Minute Mode, they also have enough time to fight their way through a second level with its own boss. Additionally, players can play Quick Shot Mode to see if they have the fastest trigger fingers around! Once gamers have their scores, they can go to the online leaderboards to see how they compare with other players in their region and can keep playing to improve their ranking. There’s also significant depth and replay value to this challenging game, as players can keep practicing to learn all of the different strategies to achieve bonus points in both 2-Minute and 5-Minute Modes. If they discover them all, players might have a shot at having the top score in the world!
Like traditional vertically-scrolling shooters, the game features a top-down perspective and players fly from the bottom of the screen towards the top, shooting at any ship or structure that obstructs their path. As players progress, they can collect power-ups to increase their weapon or shield strength, and an all-new Force System enables gamers to collect up to five orbiting satellites that can be held close to the ship for defensive cover, or can be sent out for additional firepower. Players can also decide how they want to play, choosing from three control schemes – Nunchuk™ and Wii Remote™, Wii Remote only (held sideways) or the Classic Controller™.
“There is a lot of excitement surrounding WiiWare and we are proud that Star Soldier R will be one of the titles available on the platform,” said John Greiner, President and CEO of Hudson Entertainment. “For Hudson, the potential of WiiWare is endless, and gamers can be certain that we will be bringing additional content to WiiWare in the coming months.”
Source: GamesPress
(Note: Image not real)
Over the past few days, a not-so-outlandish rumor has been circulating across the web that Nintendo is planning on unveiling a new Nintendo DS model at this year’s E3. A new DS iteration is not out of the question, as the GBA also went through a number of remakes before Nintendo finally decided to move on to the next generation of handheld gaming. Nintendo, however, has responded with a stern response, completely denying the existance of any new DS model.
“We cannot comment on the specifics of what will be announced at E3, but at the very least there won’t be anything like what Mr. Hamamura suggested, so would like to clearly deny this. We’re having a hard time understanding what kind of evidence [Mr. Hamamura] had for saying this.”
It really is hard at this point to determine whether or not a new DS is on the way. Considering a similar situation occurred before the announcement of the DS Lite, it is probably the best to wait until this year’s E3 to see if Nintendo has any DS goodies up its sleeve.
When the details of Rock Band on Wii were announced, gamers were given the impression that the game experience would be a gimped version of the Xbox 360 title. Downloadable content and online play – two notable selling points on the 360 – have been removed for the Wii version. Essentially, Wii owners have been expecting a near identical version of the PS2 game. However, those who are planning on purchasing Rock Band on the Wii can look forward to 5 “exclusive songs.”
– “Dirty Little Secret” – The All-American Rejects
– “Don’t Look Back in Anger” – Oasis
– “Roam” – The B-52’s
– “Rockaway Beach” – The Ramones
– “Roxanne” – The Police
Rock Band happened to be one of the more popular titles at Nintendo’s Media Summit, and apparently, the gameplay is still entertaining. Those wishing to purchase the Wii version can expect the title to hit stores in the summer.
“Head-tracking was something we considered including as an Easter egg in BOOM BLOX however, we did not end up including it in the final version of the game. …”
I know a lot of people were looking forward to the aspects head tracking would bring to the table in Boom Blox. Nonetheless, critics have been giving the game warm impressions, and it seems to be on track in spite of this disappointing news.
In anticipation of the U.S. launch of Wii Fit™, the new interactive fitness game for the popular Wii™ system, Nintendo of America Inc. has announced pricing details for this groundbreaking release. Available at Nintendo World store starting on May 19, Wii Fit and the innovative Wii Balance Board™ accessory will be bundled and sold together at a suggested retail price of $89.99.
Boasting a dynamic mix of more than 40 yoga, aerobics, strength training and balance activities, Wii Fit provides consumers with a fun, easy and affordable way to incorporate exercise into their daily routines. Using the included wireless Wii Balance Board accessory, every member of the household can step up and stay active, setting individual fitness goals and tracking their progress over time.
Consumers in the New York area who pre-order Wii Fit from the Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Plaza will receive a special bonus item. From April 18-20, the first 1,000 consumers who place a $5 deposit for Wii Fit will receive a limited edition Wii Fit T-shirt featuring the image and reproduced autograph of legendary Nintendo video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto.
Source: Nintendo Press Room
Launch titles:
Rayman: Raving Rabbids 2
Zack & Wiki,
FIFA 08
Elebits
Namco Museum Remix
Swing Golf Pangya 2nd Shot
Guitar Hero 3 coming in May
Virtual Console Lineup for April (NES, SNES, N64 for now only):
Antarctic Adventure
Donkey Kong
Kirby’s Adventure
Super Mario Bros.
Gradius III
Super Mario World
Super Metroid
Cybernator
Contra III
Mario Kart 64
Won Bin (Korean actor) helping to promote Wii
Not only did Mario Kart Wii debut at the top of the UK tops, but the title has managed to accomplish a number of other things as well. Mario Kart has become the eight best selling game in the UK and, surprisingly, outsold Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Strikers, Mario Party 8 and Super Paper Mario in the first week of sales.
Either the advertising in the UK has been brought out in full force, or people are clamming for some racetrack kart action!
