Joystiq [Nintendo]

New Games This Month: December 2009

by Justin McElroy { 6 hours ago }

Take a deep breath. You feel that filling up your lungs? That's freedom. It's the freedom to not have to worry about the ever-growing onslaught of purchaseables for the first time in months. Yes, there are still a handful of decent releases, but it would seem that the worst/best is over.

We don't know about you, but we're happy that we'll finally have time to play games rather than just buy them.

Gallery: New Games This Month: December 2009

Tenchu: Shadow Assassins' price silently slashed

by JC Fletcher { 8 hours ago }

Newegg has been the place for heavily discounted M-rated Wii titles lately. The latest game to have its price reduced to a negligible amount: Acquire's Tenchu: Shadow Assassins, one of the first major Wii releases of 2009. At just $9.99, even wannabe ninja who spent all their lunch money on caltrops can afford to pick it up!

If you've waited all year to play a game about using ninja cats to distract sort of British-sounding targets, and you somehow missed this game, now's your chance to make that right.

Gallery: Tenchu 4

[Via GoNintendo]

Trademark suggests upcoming European release for Dragon Quest IX

by JC Fletcher { 12 hours ago }

While we wait for the real, official announcement we so desperately need to hear from Square Enix, another hint has been dropped about a Western release for Dragon Quest IX.

Square Enix has filed a series of trademarks for the phrase "Sentinels of the Starry Skies" in English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German (search for trademark #008724528 on the EU trademark database to see the English application for yourself). The phrase corresponds closely to the Japanese subtitle of Dragon Quest IX, Hoshizora no Mamorubito ("Defenders of the Starry Sky").

The publisher could be waiting to get its other big RPG out the door before saying anything. It previously noted that if it does localize the DS game (which it will!) it'll be in the next fiscal year, which starts in April.

Wii sells six million in UK

by JC Fletcher { 15 hours ago }

Gfk-ChartTrack data indicates that the Wii has passed the six million mark in the UK, one week shy of three years after it launched. Detailing the system's rise to MCV, ChartTrack director Dorian Bloch said, "In calendar year 2007, it sold 1.81 million – but really took off in 2008, with 2.73 million sold. So far in 2009, it's hit 1.31 million – but it's got a few weeks to build on that before Christmas." We know to what we should ascribe the console's success. You guessed it: Escape from Bug Island.

This feat makes Wii the fastest-selling console in the history of the UK. MCV notes that it's still not the best-selling console, an honor reserved for the over 10-million-strong PS2.

Friiboard peripheral takes all the balance out of the Wii Balance Board

by JC Fletcher { 23 hours ago }

We initially dismissed the Friiboard, a Balance Board attachment created by the husband-and-wife team at Swiit Game Gear, as another inconsequential plastic Wii add-on, or worse, a Roll & Rocker for the Wii. The device adds a convex surface to the bottom of the Balance Board, adding real movement to the board, with the goal of enhancing the realism of snowboarding and skateboarding activities.

But upon viewing the (very homemade) video, we think it actually looks like it could be fun. It gives the Balance Board a little wobble, but not so much wobble that it will destroy your body, loved ones and home like the Tony Hawk Ride board. One thing the device shares with Ride: it costs a lot. At $44.99, its price makes it a shaky proposition.

[Via GoNintendo]

Continued →

THQ gains exclusive rights to Dreamworks game tie-ins

by David Hinkle { 1 day ago }

THQ is no stranger to producing accessible, fun-for-the-whole-family entertainment and has just inked a deal to acquire exclusive rights to Dreamworks game tie-ins worldwide. This agreement will see THQ produce three titles initially: Kung-Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom; a game based on upcoming Shrek spin-off, Puss in Boots; and a title based on the animated TV series, The Penguins of Madagascar. That last one sounds a lot more interesting than a game based on Morgan Freeman's penguins, though we must admit, a game based on the French version of that would be fantastique.

But, we digress. THQ also gains rights for "Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and Nintendo Wii Virtual Console" -- we guess THQ has never heard of WiiWare? The first title to release as a part of this deal, The Penguins of Madagascar, will grace store shelves starting next year, while the other games will release alongside their theatrical counterparts in 2011.

Shin Megami Tensei password system lets your demons make Strange Journeys

by JC Fletcher { 1 day ago }

Atlus revealed a password system for its upcoming Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, through which players will be able to trade copies of their customized, leveled-up, fused demons. In addition to being able to generate your own passwords to share your awesome demons with others, Atlus will release passwords for some rare creatures.

In addition, the updated box art image shows an M rating. Clearly, demon hunting is serious business, to be left to the big kids! As Siliconera notes, there are only ten DS games with M ratings, out of 1,366 total releases.

Walmart offering $50 gift card with Wii purchase next week, cheaper games now

by JC Fletcher { 1 day ago }

Sad that you missed all the Black Friday sales? Walmart wants to take advantage of that feeling of being left out, with a series of December sales and price drops. The most exciting offer: for one week (from December 5 -12), every Wii will come with a $50 gift card, effectively dropping the price to a ridiculous $150.

Walmart's price drops on games are less dramatic, failing to reach the depths of, say, Amazon's Black Friday weekend drops, but the list provided (after the break) does include a lot of hot games for less than MSRP -- like The Beatles: Rock Band on Wii for $40 and Batman, Dragon Age, Left 4 Dead 2, and a lot more for $50 each. Walmart promises more price drops on its website and in stores. How can it afford to do this stuff?

Oh, right, by dominating the entire retail industry.

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TNA seeking 'long-term partner' for future 360/PS3 TNA Impact! games

by Ben Gilbert { 1 day ago }

Yesterday's announcement that TNA Impact!: Cross the Line would be heading to DS and PSP by way of SouthPeak Games (a game left over from the collapse of Midway Games) wasn't exactly a shock to ardent followers of the franchise. The question of whether or not TNA would pursue additional games on current-gen consoles (360/PS3/PC), however, remained up in the air. We spoke with a TNA representative last evening who told Joystiq that the company is "working on a long-term solution" for the development of said games.

"We absolutely want a long-term partner for video games, and it's super important to TNA to have a long-term partner for games on the current consoles like 360 and PlayStation," the rep said. And though he admitted (after much prying, in fairness) that development of that next TNA game on 360/PS3 is "kind of open to the market" in terms of a developer/publisher, the company "likes SouthPeak as a partner now" and "would like to continue to work with them." For now though, SouthPeak will only retain the right to publish the TNA back catalog and the upcoming handheld title.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories trailer rocks out

by Richard Mitchell { 1 day ago }

Konami has released a new trailer for Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and ... it kind of rocks. Literally. Rather than flooding the senses with creepy atmosphere, rusted metal and sexually confusing nurses, the trailer opts instead for a montage of the game's characters and some rock music, specifically "When You're Gone," a new theme composed by the series' longtime (and recently departed) maestro, Akira Yamaoka.

Sharp-eyed viewers will also notice that Cybil, the friendly police officer from the original Silent Hill, appears in two different variations in the trailer. The version of Cybil encountered will be different for each player, depending on the player's actions prior to meeting her in the game. Also featured in the video: Monsters. Lots of 'em.

Shattered Memories releases December 8.

Strike a pose: Bandai Namco localizing Muscle March

by JC Fletcher { 1 day ago }

Confirmed: Bandai Namco has lost its damn mind. And we couldn't be happier! The company has officially announced a winter release for Muscle March, the WiiWare port of a limited-release arcade game about striking the right pose to lead a line of bodybuilders through holes in walls left by a bulked-up thief.

Sure, it's reportedly awful, but it has multiplayer, and it's sure to be a conversation starter, with possible topics ranging from "what is this" to "why are we playing this." And while we're not assuming the quality is similar, does anyone else get a Katamari vibe from the music and art? It's quite likely that some of the same people are involved.

Gallery: Muscle March (WiiWare)

WiiWare's Phalanx remake is almost a Virtual Console game

by JC Fletcher { 1 day ago }

[GAME Watch]

The trailer for the WiiWare version of Phalanx (after the break) reveals that it looks very much like a 16-bit game, rather than a remake of a 16-bit game. In fact, it looks identical to the Sharp X68000 version upon which it is based (and which is included in its unaltered form in the 500-point download).

Essentially, developer Zoom is using WiiWare to release a Virtual Console game whose platform isn't supported on the Virtual Console -- with some new bonus content, like a new mode with new stages and manual weapon selection. We approve of this tactic. Phalanx will be released on December 22 in Japan.

Continued →

Report: Wii parts production shrinks

by James Ransom-Wiley { 1 day ago }

[Don Fulano]

A slowdown in Wii production can only mean one thing: Nintendo has cured the injured, ailing and aged -- there's no more work left to be done. While saving the world proved vastly lucrative for Nintendo, it also benefited the manufactures behind the scenes; or, as we like to call them, the magic makers. Nikkei reports that Wii parts suppliers, Mitsumi Electric Co. and Hosiden Corp., have significantly reduced their yearly profits forecasts following a decrease in orders to assemble Wii consoles.

Mitsumi predicts its net profits will fall 52 percent year-over-year to ¥5.3 billion ($61.2 million), down from the previously projected ¥7 billion. Hosiden expects a similar drop, from the forecast ¥7.5 billion down to ¥6 billion. These percentage changes are eerily similar to the figure reported in Nintendo's half-year results, posted at the end of October. Are the numbers trying to tell us something? Yep, there's still plenty of money being made and, apparently, more world to save.

[Via MarketWatch]

Source – "As Wii Stumbles, Parts Suppliers' Earnings Tumble" [Nikkei.com; subscription required]

Bask in the Glory of Heracles this January

by JC Fletcher { 1 day ago }

We'd understand if you've forgotten about Glory of Heracles: Nintendo hasn't mentioned the Paon-developed RPG since surreptitiously adding it to its E3 release list. Nintendo just announced that the DS game will arrive in North America on January 18.

This will be the first game in the series to be released outside of Japan, and the first to be made without Data East (from which the staff of developer Paon originates). It's an RPG set in a (more) fictionalized version of the Greek mythological tradition, with a plot written by Final Fantasy's Kazushige Nojima.

Now if Nintendo would fill us in on some more of its E3 question marks, like Line Attack Heroes and the amazing WarioWare DIY, that would be, well, glorious.

Gallery: Glory of Heracles (DS)

Standalone DJ Hero controllers now available for $70

by David Hinkle { 2 days ago }

If you've been sitting around on your fat stacks of cash, waiting to pick up an extra DJ Hero controller then now is the time, friend. Activision sent along a press release stating that the turntable controllers are now in stock at the Guitar Hero Store for $70 a pop, $40 cheaper than the regular, game-packing bundle.

With a weak showing on October's NPD charts and UK retailers slashing prices, we can't say we fully understand Activision's decision to charge so much for the turntables. From our vantage point, it looks like this: if Activision came down on the price a bit, more people would buy a second controller and have their friends try the game. Then, maybe those people would go out and buy their own set-up. Isn't that a novel idea?