Here’s the plot: You’re human. Until you’re turned into a Pokémon. Your character is determined by a personality test which assigns you to one of several Pokémon who are members of a “Guild.” Now you have to explore a bunch of dungeons, battling opponents and collecting various items in the hopes that you will revert to your human form. You’re also given a partner who helps you travel through the dungeons. Sound riveting? It would be, if the execution didn’t come off so poorly.

My opinion of this game prior to playing was slightly optimistic, but I knew upon turning it on that something was off. Instead of the new sleeker graphics which come with most new DS games, I was greeted with graphics reminiscent of the Game Boy or Game Boy Advance. This wouldn’t have been a problem if I wasn’t accustomed to better graphics. Nevertheless, the “vintage” look was a minor issue compared to the gameplay.

This is nothing like the Pokémon we had growing up, since the Mystery Dungeon series is a completely different type of game. The type of gameplay involved here is a basic dungeon crawler. You travel through dungeons and fight enemies, pick up items and move on to the next dungeon. You move in a basic grid system until you get to the exit leading to the next dungeon. However, these dungeons are not structured but randomly generated. After several rounds it became clear that the simple gameplay was meant to keep the player immersed in the game, but it failed at that because the dungeons are boring as hell. It’s easy to navigate the dungeons, defeat the enemies and move on. Sometimes the random dungeon generates with the exit next to your character, which forces you to look around a waste time looking around instead of simply walking out. (Fun Tip: If this happens to you, just go to the next level).

A redeeming feature of this game is the character side-stories. In the side-stories, you learn the motivations of each of the Pokémon you’re associated with and are presented with a more branched out plot than your own story. However, this isn’t much of a consolation, since you are still required to continue playing through the dungeons in order to gain access to the side stories. The repetitive soundtrack also starts to get on your nerves after a couple of dozen dungeons. Overall, this review seems overly negative, but I should point out that while I think the game is a cheap attempt at cashing in on the Pokémon brand (I’m half sure that if this was a game about creatures it would be quite forgettable) it succeeds with the audience it is appealing to.

For this review, I decided to shake things up a bit. After I had played through Explorers of the Sky, I tossed it off to my younger brother and let him play it. As a 10 year old Pokémon lover, he couldn’t get enough of the game. He took everything the game threw at him and enjoyed every last minute of it. There was nothing wrong with it to him. The kid, who played REAL Pokémon games, had absolutely no problem with the game. Instead he’d get very excited when side stories arrived and loved the experience overall. I asked him if he felt there was anything wrong with the game, and he said no.

Blast Factor: Dungeon crawler fans, this is my disclaimer: This game probably isn’t for you. But I’m giving it a decent score based on intention, not execution. This game is designed for little children who have just started gaming. It requires no real effort, but it is entertaining to little children who just want to have a good time. This has a dual purpose: 1.) to try and attract new children into the Pokémon mythos through a different type of game and 2.) expand on the brand. 5 games in, the Mystery Dungeon still has alot of kinks. But we also have to acknowledge that the kids who play this game will be introduced to dungeon crawler games and hopefully be interested enough to expand into the real Pokémon games and legitimately challenging dungeon crawlers. So if you’re a bit older, I recommend looking elsewhere but if you’re looking for a gift, by all means pick this up for the kids.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky is available exclusively on the Nintendo DS and DSi, and retails for $34.99. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for review purposes.

Here’s the soundtrack:

Artist – Song

Alex Metric -What Now

Bloody Beetroots feat. Cool Kids – Awesome

Crookers feat. Wiley and Thomas Jules – Business Man

Crystal Method feat. LMFAO – Sine Language

Danko Jones – Code Of The Road

Dizzee Rascal and Armand Van Helden – Bonkers

Drumagik – Make It Rock

Earl Greyhound – Oye Vaya

edIT feat. Wale and Tre’ – Freaxxx

Evil 9 – All The Cash (Alex Metric Remix) Feat. El-P – Hold The Line

Hollywood Holt – Can’t Stop

k-os – FUN!

Lady Sovereign – I Got You Dancing

Major Lazer feat. Mr.Lex & Santigold – Hold The Line

Matt & Kim – Daylight (Troublemaker Remix)

Mickey Factz – Yeah Yeah

Pint Shot Riot – Not Thinking Straight

Placebo – Breathe Under Water

Rise Against – Kotov Syndrome

Roots Manuva – Buff Nuff

Rye Rye – Hardcore Girls

Street Sweeper Social Club – Fight! Smash! Win!

Taking Back Sunday – Lonely Lonely

The Enemy UK – No Time For Tears

The Gay Blades – O Shot (Dmerit Remix)

Two Fingers feat. Sway – Jewels And Gems

Inside sources tell information technology news outlet BSN, that Tegra, the chip used in such mobile machines as the Zune HD and smartphones, will make the new DS run.

If true, this partnership would mark the first time Nintendo and NVIDIA ever teamed up. And the way both firms dominate mobile eletronics business, we can’t even imagine what would happen if they worked together. World domination anyone?

Nintendo, who released the Nintendo DSi mere months ago, aren’t likely ready to announce a new portable soon, but late 2010, that’s not soon is it?

Source: Kotaku

It’s Monday, so that means another Nintendo Download! This week’s selection is relatively short (only 3 new titles), but I’m sure you’ll love what’s been released. This week’s titles include Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon, Gravitronix, and Final Fight 2. Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon is pinball with a plot. You fight your way through a quest of mythic proportions, interacting with gods and goddesses in order to fulfill your quest to become a pinball champion. Gravitronix is a strategy game where you go head to head with your opponents throwing and dodging projectile attacks in order to best them and become the king of the Gravitronix arena. The gem in the release is SNES’s Final Fight 2 on the Virtual Console. Return to Metro City as Haggar in order to take on the Mad Gear Gang and rescue their hostages. One of those classic must play games, finally available on the Virtual Console. For more details, just check out the press release below!
Nintendo DSiWare

Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckonâ„¢
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Pointsâ„¢
Description: Pinball takes on mythological proportions in this Nintendo DSiWare exclusive. Choose from two modes of play (Regular Game or Daily Game) and begin your journey to becoming a pinball champion. Conquer mythic quests, collect gifts from the 12 Olympians, and push your skills to the limit by facing Medusa, the Sirens and more. Your portable pinball table will give you a quick adrenaline rush as you watch the steel ball fly through ramps and carom off bumpers all over the playing field. Rack up combo points, open specific game modes and enlist the Oracle for some help. Will you accept Zeus’s challenge?

Virtual Console

Final Fightâ„¢ 2
Original platform: Super NESâ„¢
Publisher: Capcom USA
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Violence
Price: 800 Wii Pointsâ„¢
Description: It’s been several years since peace settled in Metro City. With Cody and Jessica on vacation and Guy resuming his training out of town, everything seems to be in order. But Haggar is feeling uneasy after learning that Mad Gear was not completely destroyed. Once again, the Mad Gear Gang has emerged, and this time they want revenge. They’ve kidnapped Guy’s master, Genryusai, and Genryusai’s daughter, Rena. Now Haggar must travel the globe in search of Genryusai and Rena. Hopefully, with the help of Maki and Carlos, the reign of the Mad Gear Gang will be destroyed.

WiiWare

Gravitronix
Publisher: Medaverse Studios
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: It’s time to claim your rightful place as the champion of the Gravitronix arena, but get ready to deal with up to seven other players who are all shooting for the same title. Vanquish your opponents with four different projectiles and the powerful beams of your gravity platform. Intercept attacks and take careful aim at exposed vulnerabilities. Deflect incoming projectiles or capture and charge them with energy for devastating explosive attacks. Team up with a friend and battle through campaign mode, or recruit up to eight players on a single Wiiâ„¢ system in versus mode for an all-out battle. Customize your matches with a variety of different options, such as flooding the arena with projectiles or making the game insanely fast. No matter how you like to play, grab your friends and have a blast.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSiâ„¢ Shop and the Wiiâ„¢ Shop Channel at 9 a.m.

Nostalgia is one of the new titles hitting the DS this October, so it’s interesting to delve into the game a bit before the release. Set in an alternate 19th century, gamers get to travel the world in a hot air balloon, looking for treasure while fighting the forces of evil. It sounds like an interesting take on RPGs and will allow players to travel to Cairo, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, Easter Island and New York.  Now, I can go on and try to describe the game to you, but that would be pointless since we have screencaps and a trailer for you! Check them out below.

Nostalgia will be released October 27th. For more information, visit the website. Comment below with your thoughts on the trailer.

According to IGN, who broke the story, the mini-game is titled Kamenin Merchant, and has players team up in groups of four to explore randomly generated dungeons. Additionally any item you earn in the mini-game can be transferred back into Graces to unlock goodies. And on top of that, the further you progress in Graces, the more levels you’ll earn for the mini-game.

The mini-game will work with both the DS and the DSi and you’ll be able to save your progress by transferring back to Graces, and saving there.

Additionally, Namco Bandai is planning to release Kamenin Merchant by itself through DSiWare, though details are currently vague.

Tales of Graces is due out in Japan in December, with no current North American release frame, but, enjoy these screens of the mini-game and a new character, Prince Richard.

Set your watches, cell-phones and grab a red pen for your calendar. The game hits shelves four days before Halloween or October 27 for those who prefer an exact date.

The game itself is packed with dungeon combat, airship battles, and elusive treasure hunts and was built by developers who brought Final Fantasy III and IV to the DS.

We previewed the game at PAX in Seattle this year. Missed our thoughts? Have a look right over here.

The game is a sequel to the PS2 and Wii “Okami” and features a full-on 3D world with cel-shaded graphics, and will hit the DS and DSi “sometime” in 2010.

Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes is set during a tumultuous period in Japanese history. Take on hundreds of opponents, as a samurai while fighting to save the land . With unlockable characters you can command and lead armies in order to re-write history.  You  could even end up in control of all of 16th century Japan. The game will be released on PS3 and Wii, with an additional online co-op planned for the PS3.

Ghost Trick is a mystery puzzle game with a supernatural twist. Players take on the role of an amnesiac ghost who must use his powers to protect several people while uncovering clues as to how he died. Players can possess items, float through the air and even rewind time to save lives during missions. The plot alone is enough to put this on my DS watchlist.

I’m going to keep an eye on these games to see if they are worth buying. Comment below with opinions or buzz from Japan!

Air-combat on the DS is a greatly untapped game-mechanic, and if Ignition can pull it off, the way this trailer shows, might just make a name for itself.

In Nostalgia you play in an alternate 19th century as Eddie, the son a legendary English adventurer, and with a cast of fellow enthusiasts, you’ll travel the world, to locations well known, including London, Tokyo, New York and Cairo, all the while seeking a land undiscovered.

Too mysterious for you? Watch this trailer and see if it helps.

Nintendo first revealed the portable Zelda project at the Game Developers Conference this year, and for those who just cannot wait, here’s the official boxart for the title, courtesy of Nintendo. No word on whether or not an accompanying DS/DSi system bundle, a la Phantom Hourglass, will happen, but here’s to hoping it does!

With Spirit Tracks now officially locked into a release date, will it’s big brother Wii version follow suit, as this rumor says. Oh we hope so!

Nintendo unveiled their full future release schedule today and after Zelda, these titles caught our eyes.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky(October 12), Style Savvy (November 2), and FFCC: Crystal Bearers Wii (December 26).

Excited? Feel free to comment below!

How do you feel about this news? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section

While the two games are separate, they take place within the same universe. Spore Hero will focus on a hero trying to prevent the annihilation of their homeworld. As the journey continues you can battle and solve puzzles to unlock over 250 new creature parts with unique abilities. This allows you to change the way creatures play and fight in the world, and upgrade your hero until you are the strongest around.

Spore Hero Arena focuses on a lone warrior trying to prevent the destruction of planets in his galaxy. As he hops from planet to planet, he can collect new parts and upgrade while unlocking special abilities.

Spore Hero will be available on Wii for $49.99. Spore Hero Arena will be available for $29.99.

Wii

Wii Sports Resort: “Even with the few mini-games, Wii Sports Resort packs enough quality into the title to make it a must-own Wii title. It makes great use of the new Wii MotionPlus accessory, and shows us what is possible now that Nintendo has the motion controls we initially believed would be included with the system in place. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is just a simple cash-in using the well-known Wii Sports name though, as Resort is a more than worthy successor, the far superior title, and one that should stay in your collection for both its single and multiplayer qualities.”

Playstation 3 & Xbox 360

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger: “There’s very little to find fault with in BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger. Sure, the story is nearly incomprehensible, but beyond that this is simply a great fighting game. There’s tons of replayability, amazingly diverse characters, smooth and refined controls, and gorgeous graphics. If you like fighting games at all, BlazBlue is a must buy.”

Nintendo DS/DSi

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor: Devil Survivor is yet another near-mandatory RPG for the DS.  While the story’s tone and characters aren’t for everybody, if you liked any of the previous SMT games, then this really is mandatory.

Downloadable

Battlefield 1943: Battlefield 1943 is a great experiment by EA, as it tries to blend classic features from one of their top series along with some of the newer innovations and advancements it has seen. For just $15, you get a first-person shooter with excellent controls, wonderful environments, and tons of variety and depth despite its bite-sized nature. DICE wanted to create a game you can go back to in between all of your larger game purchases, and with Battlefield 1943, it’s safe to say they succeeded with their goal.

For those who loved Battlefield 1943 or are on the fence about buying it, we will soon have an interview with DICE’s Gordon Van Dyke available.

Although the complexity is somewhat diminished – the console controller features five buttons vs. four on the DS – the difficulty is retained because the note pace is increased. I hover between 95 and 99 percent on normal on the console versions of Rock Band and Guitar Hero, and I had a similar mark on Modern Hits. The most diabolical songs will require you to quickly scratch out 10 notes, followed by a normal rhythm for a couple notes, followed by some quick-switching chords, and then back to a flurry of notes. To sound like Led Zeppelin, the scoring system remains the same in Modern Hits. You get a base score for hitting each note, and playing strings of notes without error multiples your score. Certain notes contain energy power for your guitar, and if you collect enough, you can unleash it and double your multiplier for a span of time. In a clever usage of the DS’s microphone, yelling at it starts the power-up, which is far easier than the console versions’ requirement of hitting a button or holding your guitar at a 90-degree angle while still trying to play notes. The higher your score, the more stars you receive for completing a stage.

The limitations of a handheld version of Guitar Hero are smoothed over pretty craftily by the programmers at Vicarious Visions and the content selection. While the graphics and animation are severely downgraded – there isn’t much real estate on the DS screen anyway – the sound quality is shockingly good. I thought it was slightly above the standard set by most cell phones. The content is also smartly confined to modern music, so the scratchiness to some of the songs actually helps. “Reptilia” and The Strokes in general just sound better with a bit of roughness. The same goes with most of the game’s roster: The Fratellis, Wolfmother, Weezer, Coldplay, The Kaiser Chiefs, Sum 41, Lenny Kravitz, Modest Mouse. That’s a solid range within the “modern rock” sphere, from strictly indy to pop rock and pop punk. I didn’t notice a distracting lack of sound quality at any point, and because all modern music is used, every song is the original master as opposed to a cover band version.

The only issue I had with Modern Hits was one of repetition. To unlock new songs, you typically have to beat the two or three songs at a venue, and then complete one, two or three “fan requests” at a venue. Fan requests are similar to the random challenges in the Rock Band games. For example, you might have to finish the bass part of a Strokes’ song above a certain percentage, or win a guitar duel. While this in itself isn’t bad, being forced to replay songs you’ve already beaten is somewhat annoying. I preferred the progression systems in World Tour (earn cash to unlock new venues) and Smash Hits (earn a certain amount of stars between all the game’s songs) to the one in Modern Hits, which forces a lot of backtracking. Still, this is a relatively minor quibble in the scheme of things.

Blast Factor: If the idea of playing Guitar Hero on your DS sounds great to you, then Modern Hits will be great to you. While it doesn’t really offer anything new from the console versions, Modern Hits doesn’t lose much in the transition thanks to some great song choices and its well-designed controlled adapter.

Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits is available exclusively for the Nintendo DS, and is has a suggested price of $39.99

Developed by White Bear Studios (another group with an awesome name), Bee Smart is a brain training game of sorts geared towards the “younger audience.”

Through a series of unique puzzles presented with friendly looking bees (call me crazy but bees scared me when I was a kid), children will solve said puzzles with emphasis placed on memory training and hand-eye coordination.

Here’s some training for you kids. Stay away from bees. They sting, you cry. No fun.

Look for Bee Smart on DS, DSi, and PC September 2009.

The humor starts within a minute of gaming. After watching your controlled hero, Anise, get caught by an Indiana Jones-esque boulder puzzle while robbing from the Demon Palace during the opening scene, she is seemingly dead. This causes an unidentified voice to remark, “No!  You can’t die before they reveal my face!”

Wisecracks like this are a common element of the game, most emanating from reluctant hero Anise. She wants no part of saving a kidnapped prince and the kingdom at-large from the threat of the Almighty Demon Emperor. Unfortunately, because of a thief with the same name as her — wink wink, nudge nudge — she takes up the mantle of “legendary hero” instead of being strung up at the gallows. The supporting cast is similarly nutty. The unidentified voice from the game’s opening moments is your guardian fairy, Kukri, who zealously insists that you are the legendary hero, and whom Anise ignores with hilarious thought bubbles for the majority of the game. Although the Demon Emperor is capable and coherent, none of his henchmen are, especially the sprite-ish demon Lucretia. How does she talk? Well, she always asks her own questions and provides her own answers, often repeating, that’s how she does it!

Steal Princess needs all of this humor and personality in its characters, because the game itself is fairly by the books, and downright frustrating at times. It is a traditional top-down mix of puzzle and adventure, as you use the stylus and control pad to move Anise around a grid layout. Anise comes equipped with a whip, which is mostly used to position enemies and hit switches. Other items, like swords, bombs and lances, are left lying around stages and are used to defeat enemies. The whip is the only item that carries over from stage to stage, and Anise can only carry two items at a time, so much of Steal Princess relies on good planning.

Most stages require you to complete a stated objective — normally, defeat all enemies — and to also bring a key dropped by the final enemy to a locked box in the stage. There is no time limit, although beating a stage within certain times earns you gold, silver and bronze medals. Gems are also scattered throughout stages and dropped by defeated enemies, which are used to pay down Anise’s debt in town and to buy items for your own maps in the Create-A-Map mode.

The initial stages of the Grasslands area walk you through the controls and mechanics, but Steal Princess starts to tax the brain pretty quick, and I hit my first dead end within the first 10 stages. Throughout my experience, there was nothing so ridiculous that I couldn’t figure out what needed to be done. This isn’t an esoteric graphical adventure like Myst, or one of the mind-numbing puzzlers from the 1990s like Solstice, The Lost Vikings or Young Merlin. “Tricky” is a descriptive and correct term for most of Steal Princess’ difficulty.

When the difficulty of Steal Princess is elevated, it is generally a reflection of the game’s lack of focus. It mostly rears its ugly head in design and play control. For example, while the game is primarily a puzzler, it throws mini-bosses and stage bosses at you. None of these battles are particularly entertaining, as most either involve running circles around the boss until you get an opening for an attack, or vaulting up to their platforms to take a slash at them. Repeat either tactic for two minutes, and you have victory with minimal effort and danger.

The second issue is the slippery play control. Movement is much easier with the control pad, but vaulting — using your whip to scale up several platforms — is easier with the stylus. Several stages in a row might require minimal use of whip, meaning you haven’t used the stylus for 20 minutes, and the next stage will require seven vaults in a row over a chasm that means instant death if you fall. Then, you might be right back to control pad gaming the next stage. There is little rhyme or reason to the game balance.

If you dig the Steal Princess experience, you can also create levels with the custom map maker, and then trade them over WiFi or with friends locally. There are 150 levels to start with, but it will be interesting to see what comes out of the minds of the niche Atlus fan base now that they have been handed the keys. It’s a solid addition to the game that extends its replay value further, and you can’t complain about that.

If you can overlook these flaws and focus on the quirky characters and dialogue, then Steal Princess is a good addition to your DS gaming library. It aligns itself closely with the type of off the beaten path games Atlus is known for.

Steal Princess is available exclusively for the Nintendo DS and retails for$34.99

I hope we have some Golden Sun fans in the audience, as the previous two games were stellar Game Boy Advance efforts–it was well past the time to see a proper sequel in many fan’s minds, but here it is, on its way.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/2009/06/e3-2009-golden-sun-ds-screens/feed/ 2 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/2009/06/e3-2009-mario-luigi-rpg-screens-and-art/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/2009/06/e3-2009-mario-luigi-rpg-screens-and-art/#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:54:17 +0000 Marc Normandin http://blastmagazine.com/?p=16045 Earlier we showed you gameplay footage straight from E3, but now it’s time to feast your eyes on some artwork and screens, both of which we have plenty of.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story features Mario and his brother Luigi as microbe sized characters that are traveling around inside of the King of the Koopas. It’s set to release this fall in both North America and Europe.

LucasArts, creators of damn fine Star Wars games, is at it again, this time with lofty promises that Elite Squadron will be the “deepest and most action-packed Star Wars Battlefront game ever.”  Sure, that’s just marketing mumbo jumbo, but fans of the Battlefront series are a dedicated and critical bunch, so let’s just hope LucasArts knows what they’re doing, as they also announced a fresh take on the series.

That new spin is the ability to start your fight on the comfort of terra firma, then commandeer a vehicle and fight your way through space, and finally land your ship on interstellar-traveling capital starships and raise hell there, too.

Furthermore, LucasArts seems to be pushing the character customization button this time around, and pushing it a lot.  On the PSP you’ll have the ability to deck out your hero with tons of weapons, armor, even manipulate their species, gender, appearance, and strengths, among other unlisted (at the moment) and unlockable goodies.

Everybody loves multiplayer, right?  You betcha, and in Elite Squadron on PSP you can take to the skies, or ground, in a frenzied 16 player all-out battle, or on the DS with up to four players in a smaller, but probably equally fun skirmish.

Check out the first batch of screenshots for the title below in their awesomeness for PSP, and with a sense of meh for DS.

LucasArts Battlefront: Elite Squadron

PSP

PSP

PSP

PSP

DS

DS

DS

A statistic filled press release from the big N this morning acts as the pat on the back of the shoulder Nintendo doesn’t even need right now.

Prepare yourselves.  Nintendo sold 827,000 Nintendo DSi systems in April and on top of that, 215,000 Nintendo DS Lite systems.  Add them together and what do you get?  1.04 million.  Oh and, life to date figures for the DS family of portables surged to over 30 million in the month of April.

What about the big brother living upstairs, the Wii?  You guessed it.  The shiny white console remained the number one system in U.S. homes and pushed over 340,000 units in April bringing the life to date figure to the powerful 20 million mark.  Nintendo sold more Wii’s in April than every other current generation competitor combined.  Jeeze.

Yeah, Nintendo is huge.  Move along, nothing to see here.  Until E3 that is, and then we’ll have more reasons to surrender our monies to the Japanese company.

Littlest Pet Shop Friends, the second iteration of the successful original was announced today and will hit Wii and DS this fall, this time centered on preparing a party and cooperative play.

EA is strongly pushing this game and franchise towards girls, as is expected, and is offering up 16 new pets on both Wii as DS including the Lady Bug, Great Dane, and Peacock.  However, little girls with a DS (and there are a LOT of you) will be treated to not one, but three titles-Littlest Pet Shot City Friends, Littlest Pet Shop Country Friends, and Littlest Pet Shop Beach Friends, each with exclusive pets only available in the specific title, a la Pokémon.

Littlest Pet Shop Friends and others are currently in development by EA Salt Lake and are expected to hit shelves this fall.  Oh joy.

The teeny bopper television show is centered on Carly and her web show iCarly.  The stunts are wacky, the dialogue is whimsical, and the show is one of Nickelodeon’s breadwinners ( I miss the good old days..Hey Arnold, Doug, Real Monsters..you know)

Activision seems to think the hilarity and mass following the show has garnered in just a few short years will make a great video game and announced iCarly the video game today due out in the fall on Wii and DS-who  knew.

“iCarly is a groundbreaking show that encourages viewers to contribute content of their own,” said David Oxford, Activision Publishing. “This game is a natural extension of that creativity, and allows players to interact with the characters they know and love through a variety of different ways, any time they like.”

The gist of the impending video game is that gamers will create an iCarly webisode with show characters Carly, Freddie, Sam, work their way through mini-games (surprise), and guide them through “new adventures.”  In addition, an iCreate mode will allow players to swap in and out props, color schemes, characters, audio, and more I guess.

Activision was very scant on details in their official press release on the title and we’re not too sure what’s in the Wii and DS versions respectively, but you probably won’t end up playing the game anyway.

According to the semi-reliable Neilsen TV Ratings, iCarly receives about 26 million viewers per week making the video game transition a no-brainer on the part of Activision.

While I am not a fan of iCarly, I loved School of Rock and thought Cosgrove did a wonderful job in her role as the domineering Summer Hathaway

iCarly.com

After you’ve seen Star Trek Friday night and if you live in the area, the big N has Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon for DS/DSi on display with a little extra fire to sweeten the experience.

They’ve built what they call a life-like “footprint” on the convention floor resembling an area from the title, for that extra sense of immersion.  Hey, don’t believe me? Check it out below.

In search of a superb DS/DSi title? We absolutely loved Shadow Dragon, read our review here.

click to make beautifully larger

Anime Central 2009

If you want the new limited edition auto you’ll have to register with the web-based Rockstar Social Club, where you can synch your in-game stats via Wi-Fi connection

Full details on how to acquire the coveted vehicle are as follows:

(1) Become a registered Social Club member before 11:59 PM ET on May 7th 2009 (Thursday).

(2) Link your Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Nintendo DS Friend Code to your Social Club account before 11:59 PM ET on May 7th 2009 (Thursday).

(3) Sync your stats anytime after your Friend Code is linked.

After you’ve completed the aforesaid process your vehicle awaits you at the Auto Merchant in BAOBO, but you’ll also have to have completed the early mission “The Wheelman” to gain entry to the shop itself.

Head on over to Rockstar’s Social Club for more info on the weeklong promotion and further details on all Rockstar games.

The story is difficult to nail down (for reasons I will discuss in a minute), but the single consistent element is the protagonist, Wylfred, is deeply distraught by his father’s death in battle, and has vowed vengeance against the Valkyrie Lenneth, the goddess of fallen soldiers who marks which men are to die in battle and live in glory in Valhalla. Wylfred takes very little solace in the fact that his father is in heaven partying with history’s greatest warriors, particularly when his little sister dies because the family is steeped in poverty since his father can no longer bring in money. Wyl, like most angst-ridden teenagers, decides the best thing for it is to run away from home, earn money as a mercenary, and, at some point down the road, track down and wreak vengeance upon the goddess of death. And this is just the back story you get during the training level; things get even more depressing after this.

The game opens as Wylfred and his best friend Ancel, who insists upon accompanying Wyl on his adventures, gear up for their first big battle as mercenaries. One of the monsters defeated in the battle isn’t quite dead, and mortally wounds Wyl, who, as he lays dying, prays that any power at all be made available to him so that he might not die before fulfilling his quest to destroy the valkyrie. His prayer is answered by Hel, the ruler of the underworld, who also has it out for the valkyrie, and who gives Wyl command of one of the most innovative (and kind of messed up) narrative gameplay tools I’ve ever seen: the Destiny Plume.

The Destiny Plume is a magical feather that saves Wyl from the brink of death, and can “unlock the potential” of any ally, basically turning them into an uber-powered, unstoppable, one-hit-kill machine, who will tear through any and all enemies remaining on the battlefield. There’s a hell of a catch though: once an ally’s potential has been unlocked and they’ve ripped through everything around them, when the battle round is up, they die. And to make this very clear, they do not die the way a Pokemon dies, where you just get it healed up and you can use it again. They do not die the way Mario dies, where he just gets another green mushroom and tries again. No, they die the way Aeris died in FF VII: you can never use them again, there is a little death scene, the other allies cry, the voice actor sighs out a death rattle, and Hel congratulates you for being evil enough to sacrifice your friends for the purpose of your revenge quest. Oh, and you find all this out at the end of the first level when you have to use the plume on Wyl’s childhood friend Ancel. That’s right, you kill your best friend in the first ten minutes of the game.

As engaging as Valkyrie Profile’s story is, the strategic battle system will undoubtedly dominate gameplay. Each battle is between Wyl and his allies and several enemies spread out across a grid-based map. Turns are divided into ally phases and enemy phases, during which each combatant can move around the grid, attack enemies in range, use provisions on themselves or allies, employ tactical measures that will affect enemy units behavior, or, in Wyl’s case, turn an ally into a raging hulk for the rest of the round.

Allies’ position on the grid is as important, if not more, to RPG elements like spells, weapons and stats. Each unit has a specific range of attack determining which enemies they can attack, which enemies can attack them, and which allies they can help. Attacking an enemy from behind can stun them, making it impossible for them to retaliate, getting inside an archer’s range means that their bow and arrow is rendered completely ineffective, and attacking with an ally in range means both units get to launch attacks against the single enemy target. There are also offensive and defensive bonuses to be gained for surrounding an enemy in a particular way (e.g. if you position an ally on either side of an enemy, their attacks to 30% more damage), and you can position a weak unit behind a stronger one, and as long as the units remain in line with the enemy, attacks targeting the weaker unit will hit the one in front of it instead.

There is a separate screen for an actual attack against an enemy, where the grid falls away and only the units attacking each other are visible. This stage is also turn based, but reaction time is still important to an extent. I found out the hard way that if an ally’s magic attack launches an enemy into the air, it’s no just for show and any physical attacks triggered before the enemy hits the ground will be completely useless. You also get a chance to trigger over-the-top but very satisfying finishing moves if you react fast enough (good for racking up Sin).

The graphics are pretty good: while the environments, dialogue scenes and finishing moves all look nice, the little avatars for the units on the battlefield can be a little goofy looking, especially when they get a triumphant close up at the end of a successful fight. I know DS graphics are capable of that last extra step, and while it’s refreshing to see a game privilege story over graphics, I’m still going to keep pushing for games that achieve both in equal measure.

All in all, Valkyrie Profile is a very technically sound game. The story and gameplay are strong, and while using the Destiny Plume may have triggered some slight psychological trauma over the course of gameplay, I definitely count that in its favor, and cannot advocate strongly enough that games follow Valkyrie Profile’s lead and make story innovation an active part of gameplay. For fans of the strategy genre, it is definitely worth the full forty dollar purchasing price.

“Consumers have shown their love for Nintendo DS – 100 million times over,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “We are grateful that people of all ages continue to respond to our products, and we will continue to look for ways to please current gamers and create new ones.”

100 million is a huge number, no one is questioning that, but will it eclipse the 119 million the GameBoy sold? The DSi, which is set to release in three and a half short weeks features 2 cameras, larger screens, SD card functionality, and a faster built in web browser, will undoubtedly help sales, but to what extent is to be seen.

Did you buy Nintendo’s 100 millionth system? Nintendo claims it was sold March 6th. You may just have a little piece of history in your hands, but really there is no way of knowing.

A quick count of my inventory includes 2 DS Lites, 1 Phat, 1 GameBoy Color, 2 GameBoy Advances, 2 GameBoy Pockets, and almost a GameBoy Micro.  Whoa.

As much as I love today’s ultra-realistic and overly violent titles, I can’t help but enjoy the warm and cuddly, open and inviting characters and environments found in the MySims games.  The Wii has more mini-game collections than it knows what to do with, but I enjoyed my time with the original, granted it was no party game, but the look and feel will undoubtedly return in Party.  Similarly, the ability for local multiplayer mini-game craziness will surely be alluring and exciting on the DS.

“We are very excited to deliver MySims Party and think that it will appeal to new and existing MySims fans with the engaging fun that it provides right from the start,” said Tim LeTourneau, General Manager of the MySims Franchise. “The game capitalizes on the universal appeal and trademark humor of the MySims characters, but also takes the franchise in a different direction providing a new way for players to interact through great multiplayer arcade gameplay.”

MySims Party for the Wii features 50 action packed mini-games for up to four players to compete in, testing reflexes, strategy, smarts and speed.  Every MySim possesses different character attributes including variances in luck, strength, speed, and endurance; therefore strategically assembling your four man team will have lasting implications.  Party gets you off the couch with various mini-games including busting a move in “Go Go Dancing,” nailing the trick in “Extreme Snowboarding Challenege” and outrunning a giant robot in “Robo Assault.”  Bored at that family party? Don’t want to listen to Grandma’s spiel on the whipper-snapping youth?  MySims Party looks to be a great remedy to any dull moment.

The DS version of MySims party looks to effectively incorporate the stylus and touch screen in 40 mini-games that aim simulate the console experience for the on-the-go Sims fan.  Some of the mini-games include digging up fossils in “Excavate-a-Saurus,” rocking out on guitar in “Air Guitar Star,” and a unique first person shooter experience in “Haunted Hunted.”  Most importantly Party allows for single game card multiplayer where friends can play against each other in Dream Festival and Mini Game mode.

MySims Party is available worldwide for $39.99 and $29.99 for Wii and DS respectively.

About EA:

Dance, Board and Flip With Your Favorite MySims in MySims Party, Shipping This Week

MySims Party Provides Hours of Fun for the Whole Family on the Wii and Nintendo DS

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS), announced that MySims^TM Party for Wii^TM and Nintendo DS^TM ships to retail outlets worldwide tomorrow. The next title from the MySims Franchise features a robust variety of fun and unique mini-games. Designed specifically for the Nintendo platforms, MySims Party offers something for every member of the family.

“We are very excited to deliver MySims Party and think that it will appeal to new and existing MySims fans with the engaging fun that it provides right from the start,” said Tim LeTourneau, General Manager of the MySims Franchise. “The game capitalizes on the universal appeal and trademark humor of the MySims characters, but also takes the franchise in a different direction providing a new way for players to interact through great multiplayer arcade gameplay.”

MySims Party for the Wii

In MySims Party players must pit their reflexes, strategy, smarts and speed against up to three friends in 50 different fast-paced, action-packed mini-games. Each MySim character possesses a unique combination of speed, luck, strength, and endurance, and by strategically hand picking their team of four MySims, players can gain an advantage over their opponents and crush the competition! Whether shaking their groove thing with DJ Candy in the Go Go Dancing mini-game, outrunning the giant robot in Robo-Assault or sticking the trick in the extreme snowboarding challenge, gamers will be off the couch and on their feet, because every gathering is an instant party with MySims Party!

MySims Party for the Nintendo DS

Now players can take the party with them anywhere! Using the stylus and touch screen, players can dig up fossils in Excavate-a-Saurus, join Goth Boy on a first-person shooter mission during Haunted Hunted, rock out with Air-Guitar-Star, and much more! With 40 different mini-games designed specifically for the Nintendo DS, there is bound to be a game for every member of the family. Additionally, using one game card, friends can wirelessly play against each other in Dream Festival Mode and Mini-game Mode.

About The Sims Franchise The Sims franchise celebrates an impressive over 100 million units sold since its launch in February 2000. Now translated into 22 different languages in 60 different countries, The Sims has quickly become a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. For the latest information about The Sims and to check out the hottest creations for The Sims 2 made by our community members, please visit www.thesims2.com. To stay up-to-date on The Sims 3 news and information, check out www.thesims3.com. For information about the MySims franchise, visit www.mysims.com.

About Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world’s leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS^TM, EA^TM, EA SPORTS Freestyle^TM and POGO^TM. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, POGO, The Sims and MySims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

There is not much to complain about when it comes to “Metal Slug 7.” Yes, the campaign is short, but you could say the same about other Slug games (and side-scrolling frenetic shooters in general) so it isn’t a surprise. The one area where you could win some points in the case against the title is in the lack of multiplayer modes, as in, the game lacks any. Part of the glory of Metal Slug has been co-op, especially with the number of foes on screen and the difficulty levels available, so not even having that option available is a negative that cuts into its value.

Besides this though, there is not much to complain about. The game has brilliant visuals that match up with anything SNK Playmore has done with the series in the past, despite its place on such a tiny screen. The characters and enemies have always been well animated, and that’s no different on the DS. The art style also retains its excellence, with giant bosses and vehicles that animate fluidly and beautifully.

The campaign mode may be short, but for those obsessed with collecting everything, there is plenty to do, as you need to save all of the prisoners of war successfully or beat through the game without using a continue in order to earn the highest scores possible. This, along with the “Combat School”, which is a game mode that gives you a specific task in a level (such as a minimum number of missed shots) gives the title plenty of replay value, in spite of its short length.

Most importantly, you will want to collect as many of the POWs as you can, or achieve new high scores, because the gameplay is excellent. Metal Slug has consistently been one of the better options in its genre since its inception 12 years ago, and this new entry in the series just adds to that rich history. If you were on the fence about whether or not Metal Slug 7 was worth it, ask yourself: How great is it to be able to carry a Metal Slug worthy of the series’ name with you anywhere you go, with the ability to blast through well-designed levels and enemies whenever you get the urge?

From EA:

ZUBO

This music-based rhythm-action adventure is an original intellectual property created for 7-11 year old boys and girls. In Zubo, players enter the world of Zubalon to help the colorful and zany characters, the Zubos, defeat an evil force which is bent on world domination. Players can befriend the Zubos they meet along the way, feed and nurture them, help them gain skills and strength, and assist them in their battles with the enemy, the dastardly Zombos. Available exclusively for the Nintendo DS handheld system in March.

Rated: E for Everyone
Release: March
Category: Comedy Action Adventure
Ages: Boys and Girls 7-11
Price: TBD

In 1996, Nintendo released Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars for SNES and decided to have an outside company known for their success in the genre to develop it. Sega must have taken a cue from that, because they went to another popular RPG developer, BioWare, makers of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect, for Sega’s first mascot-friendly RPG. While Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is a valiant effort on BioWare’s part, it has several flaws.

The game has a few nods back to Sonic’s past, and not only his video game past. Growing up, I’m sure we all would wake up every Saturday morning to catch the Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon. One of Sonic’s notable traits in his cartoon was how much of a complete and utter asshole he was. Sure, he had a friendly side when he needed it, but for the most part, he was snarky, full of himself, and “way past cool.” Bioware titles are notorious for their dialogue sections — where you pick what the protagonist says in conversations, in a return back to the old Sonic cartoon, you can once again have Sonic be an ass.

This is a nice nod back to the old cartoon. In Dreamcast titles, from Sonic Adventure onward, Sonic has become rather flat and undeveloped as a character, and it‘s nice to see what BioWare does with him. Another nice nod to the old cartoon is the return of Dr. Robotnik’s SWATbots. I always thought they were much cooler than those goofy Eggman robots which littered Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog.

The music and graphics are good — nothing really special, but by no means bad.

There is a bittersweet mechanic involving special attacks where one must tap circles on the screen or follow a circle as it glides over a line in a very Elite Beat Agents sort of way. However, the biggest flaw with this mechanic is that unlike EBA, the tapping isn’t in sync with any kind of musical cue – Something that some players might find annoying, and it might take a few tries before one can successfully get the hang of initiating or dodging an attack. I guess this mechanic was added in to make the game more upbeat and “tricky” like some Sonic games are, but in many cases it becomes tedious and repetitive. This could be a turn off to more traditional RPG gamers.

Without a doubt, Square Enix knows how to make videogames. Even when looking at some of their worst, the mind-bending storylines and intricate characters are better than what is provided in most video games out there. Fortunately, Final Fantasy IV remake for the Nintendo DS is one of their best.

You follow the storyline of Cecil, commander of the Red Wings, a military sect of the kingdom of Baron. The story picks up after Cecil and his Red Wings have ransacked the town of Mysidia in order to bring their powerful crystal to the king of Baron. Cecil regrets having destroyed the town and is confused at the orders of his king. When he returns to Baron, the king is told of his indecision, and Cecil is stripped of his rank as leader of the Red Wings.

Cecil is then ordered to go to the town of Mist and get their crystal as well. Along with the help of his friendly rival Kain, they go to Mist and end up destroying it as well. They discover that their king has turned completely mad and is, for some unknown reason, trying to collect as many crystals as he can. A young summoner named Rydia is the only survivor of the attack on Mist, and she decides to join the party as well. Kain turns on Cecil and steals Mist’s crystal from him for the king, and Cecil discovers that whatever spell the king of Baron is under, his friend Kain is under it as well.

The story continues on in a tumult of twists and turns until, 30 plus hours later, the game is completed. Like any Final Fantasy game, IV is complete with a party member named Cid, plenty of airships, Chocobos, and summons.

IV is hands down one of the best Final Fantasy games of the bunch. The game plays like a very straightforward RPG, but the rich storyline feels more like you’re reading a Terry Goodkind book, which is definitely a positive aspect. Since IV came out before the renowned Final Fantasy VII, it feels like Square Enix had been more focused on creating the most involving game they could versus trying to be innovative and new and recreate the VII success.

The game looks amazing, showing off just how beautiful the DS graphics can get. Just wait until you’re 20 hours into the game and suddenly you stumble upon the Sylph Cave. Its jungle-like interior is mind-blowing with its constant animation and vibrant color scheme. It is unparalleled to anything this reviewer has ever seen.

Square Enix has recreated the cut sequences in the game so that they are similar in style to the Playstation 2 and other remade GameBoy Advance and DS titles. Take a look at the comparison from the original SNES version of IV to the new DS version below:

The game play is simple and easy; it is just your typical RPG. There are some added features to the gaming experience, however. There is a rabbit that follows you throughout the game who allows you to change the name of your characters (Namingway) or, whenever you complete the map of an area, you get some sort of gift (Mappingway).

The game can be played with or without the stylus; you can either guide your characters around the screen with the DS stylus, or just use the D-pad and A, B, X, and Y buttons to move your characters around the screen.

A new summon has been added to IV by the name of Whyt. Whyt is an interesting new addition because, through a series of mini-games, his attributes can be increased from zero to 99. Scattered throughout the game are nests and, when a gyashi green is used, a giant Chocobo will appear. The Chocobo will allow you to access all the neat features bumping into the rabbit has given you as well as being able to edit Whyt’s face and play the mini-games. The mini-games are the only part of the game that requires the stylus to be used, and they are ruthlessly addicting.

There is nothing bad about the Nintendo DS version of Final Fantasy IV. If anything, it’s perfect. Completely, beautifully perfect. Now, after having rereleased almost every original Final Fantasy game for a handheld Nintendo system, we anxiously await seeing if Square Enix can come out with just as perfect a portable adaption of Final Fantasy VII. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Harmonix’s Rock Band 2 was by far the most powerful music gaming release of the convention. It will release on all four major consoles this fall.

All old Rock Band songs are compatible with the new installment, said Alex Rigopulos, president of Harmonix, at Microsoft’s press conference. While there are 84 songs on the Rock Band 2 disc, over 500 songs will be available for play.

Almost all the Rock Band CD songs can be imported into Rock Band 2 automatically, which means no disc swapping, said Rigopulos.

Some major additions have been made to the Rock Band library. A brand new track from Guns N’ Roses will be added to the collection courtesy of Axle Rose. For the first time, Bob Dylan has licensed his songs to a music video game; in Rock Band’s case, his hit song Tangled Up In Blue. AC/DC will also be exclusively on Rock Band 2.

Twenty bonus tracks will be downloadable in the fall before the release of Rock Band 2.

While Activision withdrew from E3 before the convention, some new information was also released by Microsoft about Guitar Hero: World Tour.

The Guitar Hero franchise has sold more than 5 million copies on the Xbox 360, said Kai Huang, president and founder of Red Octane.

The new game features a new wireless drum kit complete with cymbals and a touch slide guitar. The game has more than 85 songs on the disc, though there will be many more available at the launch of World Tour and beyond.

In addition to new instruments, the game features new modes like an online band career and 8-player battle of the bands.

“I believe it is no longer common sense that players only seek new titles with new [...] graphics and more sophisticated content,” said Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo. “We at Nintendo continue to challenge ourselves to meet these needs.”

The problem is, Nintendo only had two brand new franchises to announce.

The first game was a snowboarding game for the Wii featuring Shaun White, a professional snowboarder and Olympic gold medalist from 2004. The game, simply called Shaun White Snowboarding, relies heavily on the Wii balance board to simulate a true snowboarding experience.

“Once we got the board involved, it just enhances the game play,” said White of the game that his input helped create. White credits his first-hand view of the mountain as an aspect that makes the game so great.

Beyond that, the next and only unique Nintendo title released was Wii Music, the last game of the bunch. Wii Music is a brainchild from early Wii development, Iwata said. The game incorporates Wii’s new Motion Plus device to capture every slight twist of the wrist to create a very unique music video game. Unlike games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, Wii Music does not have buttons that coincide with musical notes, but rather hand movements that do. The Wii balance board can even be used as foot petals for the drum set.

Beyond those two titles, there were relatively few big announcements from Nintendo.

Animal Crossing: City Folk was a surprising but anticipated title that was announced, which incorporates the new Wii Speak hardware. Wii Speak is a microphone that allows players to communicate with one another during game play. This is a first for the Nintendo Wii. City Folk moves players from the typical town setting to a new city one where there are additional shops like an auction house and hairdresser. Animal Crossing: City Folk will be released by the end of this year.

Other Wii titles include Star Wars: Clone Wars for a holiday release, Rayman: Raving Rabbids TV Party in the fall, Call of Duty: World at War coming “soon,” and a Wii Sports sequel called Resort which features new games to play, and comes with a new Motion Plus.

A custom version of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will arrive for the Nintendo DS this winter, as well as a new game in the Pokémon Ranger universe coming November 10. In addition, the DS will be the only portable system to have Spore Creatures, and Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades, a sequel to DS’ Guitar Hero On Tour.

Executive vice president of Nintendo Cammie Dunaway said that the people behind Zelda and Mario were working on projects, but gave no details or tentative release dates. In fact, the only reference to Mario, beyond talk of the previous successful games, was a performance of the Super Mario Bros. theme song by the Wii Music production team in game play.

“I’m here today to tell you that fad is no longer operable. It’s inevitable that when the paradigm shifts, imitation is just around the corner,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo in America. “[Nintendo] is not just the evolution in look, but the revolution in feel.”

While he can say it all he wants, Fils-Aime did little to prove to their audiences that they really are revolutionizing the market. The incorporation of more balance-board dependant games has the potential to be interesting, but there was no big reinvention for Nintendo like there was for Microsoft.

“For all of us in the videogame industry, there is danger in standing still,” said Iwata, and yet Nintendo looks to be not moving.

Fils-Aime spent about half of the shortened press conference talking numbers instead of games. The Wii and DS have accumulated more than $5 billion worldwide. This year almost 50 percent of DS purchasers are women. The lifetime global hardware unit sales of the DS are expected to be more than 100 million systems sold by next March. Nintendo expects the Wii to be the best-selling console of this generation.

Dunaway spoke of some new potential uses Nintendo was testing for the DS, like the ability to claim luggage in an airport or check the scores of other baseball teams while watching the Red Sox in Fenway Park. The problem was that all of the ideas were extremely pre-production. All concepts were in the trial stages, and none were confirmed as definitive new ideas for Nintendo. They introduced the potential to revolutionize the handheld device, but they just didn’t follow through on it.

“In many ways the DS may be transforming itself [...] into a natural companion for everyone,” said Dunaway, which seems to be true as Nintendo showed proof that it has a wider audience than previous years. Iwata said that the DS has sold more than 200,000 units each week worldwide.

“In a very unexpected way, we are seeing a new form of social interaction,” said Dunaway of the Nintendo console systems.

They’ve stated that fact enough. Next year there had better be some pay-off.

Ignition Entertainment’s new DS side-scroller is a retro, fast-paced button masher that’s both addictive and entertaining.

About Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys:

The Earth is under invasion by a horde of Alien Brain …uh … Thingys! Humans, succumbing to ray-guns, mind-control, and shiny flying saucers, have failed to defend their planet and have let it fall easily into the clutches of the Big Brain and his army of Brain Thingys. The only hope left for mankind is three Teenage Zombies that have arisen from a graveyard disturbed in the invasion. The undead trio ignores their normal human victims in favor of the pulsing pink brains they see EVERYWHERE, all the while being lured to the ultimate lunch: THE BIG BRAIN! The Big Brain soon realizes he’s overlooked this “Super Race” as they inexplicably resist mind-control, are unaffected by ray-gun wounds, and devour his Brain Thingy Armies like popcorn! He refocuses his efforts and resources to battle the Earth’s greatest champions: The Teenage Zombies!

With a whimsical style reminiscent of 1950s science-fiction, Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys features side-scrolling action, stylus mini-games, and challenging puzzles and boss battles. Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys is now available in stores at a suggested retail price of $19.99.

For more information visit http://www.teenagezombiesgame.com/.

Majesco Entertainment announced Wednesday that they will be marketing Air Traffic Chaos for Nintendo DS.

“Developed by Sonic Powered Co., Air Traffic Chaos thrusts players into the hotseat of an air traffic controller whose job is to safely manage a myriad of takeoffs and landings at busy airports around the world,” the company said in a statement.

“Air Traffic Chaos means fun is taking off from Terminal A,” said Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations, Majesco. “The game’s frantic pace set against the backdrop of an already high-stress job will challenge fast-fingered Touch Screen gamers in an entirely new way.”

In Air Traffic Chaos, players use the Touch Screen to safely manage takeoffs, gate assignments and landings for all incoming and outgoing airport traffic for 14 different airlines in varying weather conditions. Outstanding performance will earn players 16 different merit badges, including “Veteran ATC” and “ATC Legend.” An in-depth tutorial teaches players the basics of managing the busy skies while three difficulty levels with five stages in each offer plenty of challenge. Players can also share their high scores with up to 7 friends while Rumble Pack support makes the experience more realistic for aspiring air traffic controllers.

Game features:

• Use the Touch Screen to efficiently and safely manage takeoffs and landings for all incoming and outgoing airport traffic
• Keep track of 7 unique types of airplanes for 14 airlines at once in varying weather conditions
• Test your mettle in 3 difficulty levels with 5 stages in each
• In-depth tutorial teaches you how to handle takeoffs, landings, gate assignments, and more
• Earn 16 badges awarded for your actions like “King of Stress,” “ATC Legend” or “Ruler of the Skies”
• View and share your high scores with up to 7 friends in the ATC Library
• Use the Nintendo Rumble Pak to feel the pressure in your hands

Expect the game this summer.

The game also signals the arrival of a new grip attachment for the DS — letting games thrash to their favorite tunes.

“The game will deliver a unique Guitar Hero experience by challenging handheld gamers to rock out and prove their shredding skills on the most diverse set list of master tracks ever offered in a Guitar Hero game, including classic rock, alternative and pop favorites such as Nirvana, OK Go and No Doubt,” Activision said Thursday in a statement.

The new Guitar Hero Guitar Grip peripheral fits snugly into the DS, and a new Guitar Hero pick-stylus brings a new dimension to handheld gaming and the core gameplay that defines Guitar Hero, Activision said. 

“We are continuing to introduce new and exciting ways to bring music to audiences with Guitar Hero,” said Dusty Welch, head of publishing for Activision/RedOctane.  “The Guitar Hero Guitar Grip redefines how games can be played on handheld systems, and the integration of the microphone and touch screen gameplay on the DS further illustrates Guitar Hero’s leadership in delivering the most unique and creative quality hardware and software on the market.” 

“We’re designing Guitar Hero: On Tour from the ground up to take full advantage of the DS platform by integrating signature gameplay with fresh new content and DS specific features,” said Karthik Bala, CEO of Vicarious Visions.  “We’ve taken all of our learnings on the DS platform to date and pushed it to the limits to create a truly innovative Guitar Hero experience.”

Guitar Hero: On Tour will continue to feature easy-to-play-hard-to-master gameplay, and gives gamers the chance to take their virtual guitar playing skills on the road. There’s also a career mode built into the game, wireless network co-op mode and unique new battle items made specifically for the DS.

“On Tour” also includes five unlockable venues, custom guitar colors and six new characters.

For more information, visit http://www.guitarheroontour.com/.