Archive for October, 2008:
Neversoft: We Made Guitar Hero III Too Hard
Has anybody played Guitar Hero III and thought that the game’s difficulty was a little too much for him or her to handle? Well, Neversoft developer Brian Bright thinks you may have had a point, according to his recent interview with ButtonMasher.
“I agree, we made GH3 too hard.” — Brian Bright to ButtonMasher
Care to elaborate, Brian?
Orbient the First Entry in Art Style Series for WiiWare
Console allegiances aside, there’s one thing no one can dispute; Nintendo knows how to surprise people.
The company released today the curiously titled, surprisingly stylish Art Style: Orbient to WiiWare, a remake of the 2006 GameBoy Advance title Orbital. It’s available in the Wii Shop Channel for 600 Wii Points.
The Art Style series is a remake of the Bit Generations games, a series of seven Nintendo games released for the GBA in Japan in 2006. The series was popular for its simply controls and stylish presentation.
Rock Band 2 Wii Will Feature DLC and Online Multiplayer
Previously thought to be another carbon copy of the PS2 version, Rock Band 2 for Wii will feature online functionality, including multiplayer and DLC.
While unannounced, MTV Games has confirmed that the upcoming Nintendo Wii version of “Rock Band 2” will offer the same online functionality — i.e. song downloads and Internet multiplayer modes — as the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PS3 versions. The PS2 version, however, will not include online connectivity. — USA Today
So no official word from Harmonix, EA, or MTV yet, but this was actually an update from an original article that likened the Wii version of Rock Band 2 to the PS2 version.
Bit Generations: Orbital coming to WiiWare…TODAY
When I talk, Nintendo listens. Well, that’s what we all say when one of our brilliant ideas actually becomes a reality. Evidently, keeping my fingers crossed that one day Nintendo would start thinking about making something along the lines of the superb Japanese-only GBA Bit Generations games for WiiWare has paid off. Today, on the US store, you’ll be able to download Art Style: ORBIENT for 600 points, and that’s the first of three games in the newly-named Art Style series to hit the service this October. (Please let the next one be Art Style: COLORIS.)
Thrustmaster Masters the Wii Side of the Force
Thrustmaster (go ahead, laugh now) has produced some Wii peripherals that some people are actually getting excited about.
We’ve seen Wii lightsaber attachments before, but Thrustmaster’s version actually looks like something we’d be excited in using. These add-on sticks are powered by three AAAs and have 17 blue or red LEDs for glow-in-the-dark action. Nice, but we’re not sure how much more “gameplay” it’ll add to The Force Unleashed. Bonus shot for awkward Canadian teens after the jump. — Gizmodo
Well, I guess if that’s your thing… they seem a tad cheesy to me, but that’s mostly due to the proportions.
Only thing they don’t do is make a wwhhuummm noise, but if that’s what kept the costs down to $35, we can do it ourselves. — Kotaku
Know what else I can do myself? Take the 35 dollars and buy a couple of regular toy lightsabers and a budget game. Among other things.
Still, all jabs aside, one serious question: Were these things made with Wii MotionPlus in mind? It would suck to have LucasArts make that 1:1 lightsaber game and not be able to use these with it, after making a purchase.
Wii Music - official Japanese site opens
While the US site for Wii Music is bare-bones, to say the least, Nintendo’s official Japanese site has plenty of videos which show the game in a far better light than its cringe-inducing appearance at Nintendo’s E3 press briefing.
Day of Crisis is no Disaster
Owing to other commitments, I’m sadly unable to go into any significant detail about Disaster: Day of Crisis here - suffice to say I completed it in two five-hour sittings over the weekend, and am on my second playthrough now.
Media: New Bomberman Blast Launch Video, Screens, and Art
Lucky for me, no sooner than I go to add the Wii-kly Update with Bomberman Blast than Hudson passed along some new screens and art, which you can find in our gallery, and a new launch trailer, which you can find here:
Wii-kly Update: Bomberman Blast, Art Style: ORBIENT, and Super Turrican 2
Last week saw us get Vectorman, Super Dodge Ball, and Mega Man 9. Can this week’s update hope to maintain the fever pitch?
WiiWare™
Art Style: ORBIENT (Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Explore the universe like never before in Art Style: ORBIENT. Take control of gravity and anti-gravity and carefully maneuver your small star through 50 stages set in multiple galaxies. Collide with other stars to absorb them and make your own star expand in size, or capture the stars in your orbit and have them become your satellites. Space isn’t empty, though, and you’ll have to avoid bumping into obstacles or getting pulled into a black hole. If you feel like relaxing while still being challenged, this is the game for you. Its combination of simple controls, atmospheric sound and unique environment make for an experience unlike any other.
Bomberman Blast (Hudson Entertainment, 1-8 players, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): A brand new addition to the Bomberman series is available on WiiWare. Up to eight players can battle online simultaneously via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. Simple controls make this a great game for family and friends to enjoy anytime. You can trigger new items by shaking the Wii Remote™ controller, creating new levels of Bomberman excitement. You can even take the intensity up another notch by adding your own Mii™ caricatures to the mix. Battle results can be recorded on the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Ranking, so you can see how you stack up against others around the globe. This title will prove to be a blast for everyone–from those who’ve never touched a Bomberman game to the Bomberman masters.
Saturday Night Live Goes Em-Mii for the Emmy Awards
Just how ingrained has Nintendo’s Wii become in the mainstream media? Seems like a neverending question, but nonetheless, it’s one that has one more answer as the following footage shows, wherein the cast of Saturday Night Live use Miis for a presentation during the 60th Annual Emmy Awards: