Joystiq [Nintendo]

JC Fletcher

- http://nintendo.joystiq.com

THE ERA AND TIME OF THIS STORY IS UNKNOWN. AFTER THE MOTHERSHIP "ARKANOID" WAS DESTROYED, A SPACECRAFT "JC Fletcher" SCRAMBLED AWAY FROM IT. BUT ONLY TO BE TRAPPED IN SPACE WARPED BY SOMEONE......

Just Dance box art keeps it simple

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

Superannuation, like the rest of us, seems to have been drawn to Ubisoft's irresistible Just Dance. The combination of the imperative title and the goofy enthusiasm of the trailer make us follow the Wii dancing game a little more closely than others we don't really intend to play.

The site alerted us to the box art for the title, which boldly advertises three songs: "U Can't Touch This," "Groove is in the Heart," and "Hot N Cold." We have yet to decide, but we think ... we might like the design. It'll certainly stand out on the shelf, commanding everyone who walks by to just dance. And the people on the box won't be as humiliated with their appearance as the Jam Sessions guy.

Gallery: Just Dance

European Nintendo downloads: Surprises abound

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

We'd never heard of most of the games in this week's European Wii/DSi Shop update. While that could point to shovelware, we prefer to think of it as surprises. Until we find out for sure that it's all shovelware, at least.

Heron: Steam Machine is a really promising-sounding name for a game that turns out to be a pretty familiar puzzle trope, but with rubber ducks added. Not herons. Little Tournament Over Yonder is a cutesy strategy game. and Viking Invasion on DSiWare is tower defense. Wakugumi is an interesting puzzle game in which you move black and white squares around to create unbroken loops, capturing the opposite-color squares inside. And Super Return of the Jedi is a backgammon game. Or a side-scrolling action game based on the movie. One of those.

Heron: Steam Machine (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points)
Little Tournament Over Yonder (WiiWare, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Super Return of the Jedi (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
Viking Invasion (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)
Wakugumi - Monochrome Puzzle (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)

Reminder: Space Invaders Extreme 2 out extremely soon

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

Click to invade our gallery
Space Invaders Extreme 2 hasn't managed to build up much hype; an unfortunate circumstance that can be attributed to Square Enix mentioning the North American release of the game once, in May, and then not again until just now. In fact, had it not been for Nintendo's release calendar, we wouldn't have been certain of the release date (October 20 -- a.k.a. next Tuesday) until today, when Taito's parent company, Square Enix, confirmed it. Is it too late to pre-order?

And so, we're only too happy to use this occasion to refresh your memory: Space Invaders Extreme 2 is out very soon! In fact, it's been out all month in Europe and has garnered positive reviews. Turn on a strobe light and have a look at the new screens to prepare yourself for the sequel to one of the best games of 2008.

Gallery: Space Invaders Extreme 2 (10/16/09)

COP: The Recruit: The Trailer

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

Ubisoft is releasing COP: The Recruit, its open-world, openly derivative DS cop game, on November 3. To promote the upcoming release, Ubisoft sent out this new trailer that shows off not only the impressive 3D found in the title, but the impressive variety of gameplay. There are shooting segments, interactions with security cameras and other equipment, and, of course, the combination of on-foot and driving gameplay found in a certain other series.

Like always, however, we take issue with the use of a tiny, floating DS to display this gameplay footage. Seeing one screen at a time is preferable to the extreme zoom-out -- and if you have to show the whole DS, please hold it still! We're trying to look at the game you're showing us.

WiiWare's Equilibrio is Free-quilibrio on PC

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

Would you like a free demo of the WiiWare game, Equilibrio? How about a free demo that happens to be exactly as long as the full game? That's essentially what developer DK Games is offering in one hell of a goodwill gesture. The company is offering a freely downloadable PC version of its side-scrolling maze game, in which players rotate the environment to move a ball to an exit, Cameltry-style.

The PC version doesn't support the Wiimote or the Balance Board, and it doesn't include multiplayer, but it does have its own level editor. And we think we mentioned that, you know, it doesn't cost anything.

[Via DIYGamer]

RPG Maker DS: Make RPGs on the DS

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

The long-running RPG Maker series has appeared on PC, Super Famicom, PlayStation, and other home systems, but now Japanese game designers will be able to make portable RPGs. Using the RPG Maker DS software, players can create characters, environments, monsters, set sound effects and music, and even create special "event" items like chests and save points.

All the screens show premade monster and character graphics being used -- from some 800 character pieces, 150 sounds, and 1500 map features, but you'll be able to make your own if you're patient enough (the stylus helps in that regard). There's also some kind of wireless support, though we don't know if it means you'll get to share your elaborate, strategic Twilight fanfic scenario online or not.

RPG Maker DS will be out January 28. We're really hoping Agetec, who has published RPG Makers in North America, picks this one up for us. It's hard enough to play RPGs in Japanese, much less make them.

Tales of Vesperia costumes offered as a Tales of Graces pre-order bonus

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

If Xbox gamers feel betrayed enough to destroy their discs and burn magazines over the PS3 port of Tales of Vesperia, how are they going to react to news that costumes from Vesperia are also no longer exclusive, appearing in the Wii's Tales of Graces? Will they stand for this minor outrage?

Given away as a download code on a pre-order bonus DVD, the costumes enable players to dress Aspel, Sophie, and Cheria as Yuri, Patty, and Rita. Look forward to some angry message board posts featuring a spurned gamer giving a ruthless thumbprint to his Xbox disc, or throwing it straight in the garbage, then pulling it out and cleaning it.

[Via Andriasang]

Sin and Punishment 2 trailers from the Japanese Nintendo Channel

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

Two exclusive trailers for Treasure's Sin and Punishment 2 have made it to Japan's Nintendo Channel in anticipation of the game's October 29 release. It's pretty much the opposite of the North American Nintendo Channel's most notable exclusive offering, the Nintendo Week show. At least, thanks to YouTube user Nintendaan's efforts, we can see the gorgeous gameplay footage.

The first trailer is all gameplay, demonstrating the ability to shoot from the ground or fly at any time, and also revealing a Bangai-O Spirits-like ability to knock back large missiles. The second trailer is an unexpectedly somber (and incomprehensibly Japanese) overview of the story. Warning: don't get too excited about the story in any Treasure game.

Continued →

Black Wiimote, MotionPlus, and Nunchuk out before Black Friday

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

If you've been holding off on inviting friends over because you've been waiting to pick up some cool black controllers, good news! You'll be able to remove yourself from multiplayer exile and play some Wii Sports Resort next month.

On November 16, Nintendo will release the black Wiimote and MotionPlus bundle for $50, and the matching black Nunchuk for $20. From then on, it will be a race to be the first person to reference Wesley Snipes' signature line from Passenger 57 in multiplayer games. Of course, you'll then also have to win or you'll sound stupid.

USK: Digital Leisure daring to put Dragon's Lair on DSiWare

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

If you like FMV games, the iPhone port of Space Ace is something of a revelation. It's the full laserdisc game, in much better visual quality than most ports, on a handheld platform for five bucks. If you don't, it's just another FMV game, and everyone knows those aren't real games anyway.

A German USK rating suggests that Digital Leisure is planning to port its predecessor, Dragon's Lair, to DSiWare. While we have no doubt that the DS hardware can run the game -- in fact, a Dragon's Lair conversion has been in progress for years by United Coders, and we wouldn't be surprised if that's what this is -- the file size is an issue. Space Ace on iPhone takes up 243MB, which is much larger than any DSiWare game. We hope Digital Leisure comes up with a solution for this issue other than porting the NES Dragon's Lair.

[Via GoNintendo]

Epic Mickey in an epic sketch

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

In this time-lapse video (after the break), a Junction Point character artist draws more of the incredible concept art that has made Epic Mickey not just a licensed Disney game, but something that gamers are freaking out about. The sketch depicts Mickey Mouse facing off against a gruesome, but still recognizably Disney-esque, Beetleworx monster (a name given to many mechanical creations in the game), which seems to bear the head of Hades from the Hercules movie.

This sketch may be the closest we've come to seeing Mickey's new design -- although it lacks the elongated limbs of the Mickey from the Game Informer cover. Is it just us, or does his face look a lot like Sonic the Hedgehog's?

Continued →

Japanese Nintendo downloads: Kirby and Kissy

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

Despite the continued absence of WiiWare, there's plenty of stuff to download this week if you have a Japanese Wii or DSi. After giving the DS version most of the year to sell, Nintendo has released the original SNES version of Kirby Super Star to the Virtual Console. It's joined by a Namco shooter, Baraduke, and its sequel, in the rare case of an entire series being released to the Virtual Console at once. Baraduke stars Kissy, who, in Namco's weirdly cross-game universe, would go on to marry Dig Dug's Taizo Hori and give birth to Susumu Hori, Mr. Driller.

DSiWare has an especially full lineup this week, with two new cheapo G.G. Series games, one of which is some kind of ninja platformer, and the other a brawler. There's also 200-point tower defense and math training! For a little more cash, there's another Jinguuji Saburo/Jake Hunter mystery, as Arc System Works takes the Telltale path to releasing adventure games.

Kirby Super Star (Super Famicom, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Baraduke (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Bakutotsu Kijuutei: Baraduke II (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Amakuchi! Dairou Castle (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Calculation 100 Barrage (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
G.G. Series Ninja Karakuri Den (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
G.G. Series Super Hero Ouga (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Tantei Saburo Jinguuji: Drastic Move & Mysterious Case (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)

Finally, a Wii exercise game with a bicycle accessory

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

You may see a Wii exercise bike accessory and think it's ridiculous. We think it's about time. Not because there's never been an exercise bike controller before, but because there has. The Life Fitness Exertainment System did the video game/exercise bike interface back in 1994, allowing players to pedal along with Mountain Bike Rally or Speed Racer. However, you had to order the thing, and it cost around $3500.

While the bike accessory with Big Ben Interactive's Cyberbike has yet to be priced, we are certain it'll carry a more modest price point than the Life Fitness system. Unless the company has to make back what it'll lose when Ubisoft sues it for calling its other newly-announced exercise game My Body Coach.

Go on a Great American Bird Hunt with Mastiff

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

While we think of Mastiff as the publisher of random niche games like La Pucelle and Technic Beat (and the occasional more mainstream game like Moon), the publisher has started to carve out a little empire in Wii outdoor sports games, with Deer Drive, Shimano Xtreme Fishing and now Remington Great American Bird Hunt. You can see some screens in our gallery below, and decide whether you'll be up for a Great American Bird Hunt with up to three friends next month.

And now, we get to the real business of this post: the old, hilarious, but sadly unused box art for Ultimate Duck Hunting, which we're always in search of even the flimsiest excuse to post. You'll find it after the break.

Gallery: Remington Great American Bird Hunt (Wii)

Continued →

ESRB describes Crystal Bearers pool minigame

by JC Fletcher { 1 month ago }

You may have spotted the particularly surreal moment in the latest Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers trailer: suddenly, we're not seeing a psychic teen telekinetically lifting stones and monsters; rather, we're seeing two girls in swimsuits engaging in a Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball-style competition, trying to knock each other off of a pool float.

Good news (or not): it's playable! The ESRB revealed it as a minigame in its content description: "In one mini-game, two women in bikinis try to knock each other off a floating platform using only their hips." The ratings organization also warns buyers that "If players wish to, they may pick up steaming manure and toss it at enemies or the bucolic surroundings." But you knew that!

[Via Siliconera]

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