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Introducing the new king of modded handheld Nintendo 64s

Before you start wondering: No, we don't post about every single portable Nintendo 64 that slides across our tip box -- rather, we only spend our time writing about the ones that are so much cooler than their predecessors. We were pleased to find that one such project was recently highlighted by Engadget: The Kamikaze 64, which is demoed in a video after the jump.

The device, which was commissioned by an unnamed party for an unspecified amount of cash, isn't the smallest handheld N64 we've ever seen. However, with a crisp screen, support for a second controller, video output, a headphone jack and a Controller Pak slot, it might just be the most comprehensive stab anyone's ever taken at miniaturizing the console. We'll take four, thanks.

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Mod replaces Link with Samus in Ocarina of Time

We don't get why somebody would do such a thing, but this mod by Flotonic, which inserts the space bounty hunter from Metroid into The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, is pretty nifty nonetheless. The only issue is that the brief video clip -- which you can watch past the break -- doesn't show Samus pulling off any of her classic moves in Ocarina of Time. She doesn't morph into a ball and she doesn't fire a single shot from her arm cannon, but oh boy does she look good in the game.

[Via GoNintendo]

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Ogre Battle 64 on Japanese Virtual Console in January

Ogre Battle, the greatest Queen-influenced strategy game series of all time, will make another appearance on the Virtual Console in Japan next month, following the 2009 release of Ogre Battle for SNES (which made its way around the world). Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber will be released on Virtual Console some time in January, according to Nintendo's most recent Virtual Console schedule.

Siliconera notes that releasing international versions may not be as simple for Ogre Battle 64: developer Quest was an independent studio at the time of the Atlus-published game's creation, but is now owned by Square Enix. If Quest (and therefore Square Enix) has the rights to the IP, then Atlus may not be able to publish the VC release Stateside. Perhaps the two companies can come to an agreement over the right to upload a file to a server.

See the rest of the Virtual Console offerings for Japan after the break.

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Somewhat playable N64 emulator released for jailbroken iPhones

Mobile emulation expert ZodTTD's newest project, a Nintendo 64 emulator for jailbroken iPhones, has been released -- and just in time for the holidays, too, allowing you to recreate that one video with those screaming, flailing children. With a miniscule $2.50 price tag and bluetooth support, which allows you to control the emulator with a Wii remote, it would be a pretty great deal. If, you know, it didn't run at a handful of frames per second.

Check out the video after the jump to see the emulator in action, and to decide whether the double-thick molasses-slow gameplay is still worth the price of admission.

[Via Gizmodo]

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VC in Brief: Super Smash Bros. (N64) and Ninja Gaiden (Arcade)

What a day for Virtual Console fans. For one, we've got the ultra-aggressive coin-op classic, Ninja Gaiden, to check out. Then, on top of that, the game that spawned one of Nintendo's most beloved franchises: Super Smash Bros. for the N64. If that doesn't put a smile on your face, then you just may be one of the most depressed people on Earth. We suggest consulting a doctor.
  • Super Smash Bros. (N64, 1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points)
  • Ninja Gaiden (Arcade, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points)
Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer these videos as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks like that.

Original Smash Bros. rated by ESRB for Wii

North American Wii owners, the wait may soon be over. After years of patient, patient waiting -- and watching the game land on both the European and Japanese Virtual Console -- the original Smash Bros. should soon be winging its way to American Wiis. The evidence: The game has been rated for Wii by the ESRB, hopefully signifying that a release is imminent. In case you were wondering, the game received an E rating, ostensibly making it suitable for everyone.

We'll just have to wait and see how Grandma takes it when she gets a Star Rod to the dome.

Report: Mario Kart, Pilotwings and Smash Bros. coming to Virtual Console by year's end

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo revealed to them that a few oft-requested classic titles will be added to the Virtual Console within the coming weeks. According to the report, the festivities will kick off this coming Monday, when Super Mario Kart (which has been available in Japan for approximately forever) will be added to the storefront for the standard price of 800 Wii Points ($8).

Later in the holiday season, Nintendo will also reportedly drop the original Pilotwings onto the platform, then shortly after that, will also toss Super Smash Bros. into the mix. No prices have been announced for these two titles, but according to the Gamespot article, both will be released by the end of the year. That's just great. It's not like we're already drowning in huge, time-draining blockbusters. Now we've got to start perfecting our drifting and shell-flinging once again. We appreciate the gesture, Nintendo -- but your timing is rotten.

Sin & Punishment 2 in the hands of an expert

We suspect that even if we started playing Sin & Punishment 2 now and kept playing until the North American release in spring of next year, we wouldn't be able to play with the kind of skill and confidence on display in this video of Stage 1. The player in this demonstration on Nintendo's site builds up a 16x multiplier immediately and hangs on to it throughout the level.

In more S&P2 news, Siliconera has been translating an Iwata Asks interview with Treasure, mostly about the development of the first game for Nintendo 64, a system that "didn't work at all."

Tosh.0 giving 'N64 Kid' a second chance


It was with awkward trepidation that we first approached Comedy Central's Internet content-laden Tosh.0 -- working online all day can leave you feeling a bit strange when you find the same content in the TV box, ya know? But when we read over at GoNintendo that the exuberant comedian would be giving his famed "Web Redemption" treatment to the Internet's own "N64 kid," we couldn't help but get overexcited. We started pumping our fists in the air and shouting and ... well, you already know, don't you? The show will be airing this Thursday on Comedy Central, but check your local listings for the specifics.

See Left 4 Dead fan-made mod 'Mushroom Massacre' in action


Remember that Mushroom Kingdom mod DoritoClock was working on for Left 4 Dead? Well, he's making progress and now has some new areas of the campaign to show off: the exterior of Peach's Castle and Super Mario 64's first world, Bob-omb Battlefield. He even added the latter's Chain Chomp!

It seems DoritoClock has also been reading our diary, because he's compiled a 10+ minute video walkthrough of all the areas. You can find that video past the break, but if you're anxious to see that Chain Chomp munching on a few undead carcasses (like we are), prepare to be disappointed. It's a work in progress, folks.

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Euro Wii 'Ambassadors' to receive keys to the Virtual Console


Eager to show its disconnected patrons that their Wiis can do more than Wii Sports -- you don't even have to eject the disc! -- Nintendo has appointed pretty much anyone in Europe savvy enough to visit Wii's Connection Settings menu an "Ambassador." Here's how the "Connection Ambassador Promotion" works: Beginning in October (as seen in Japan), if you help another Wii owner establish an online connection, you and your incompetent friend will both receive five Nintendo bucks (500 Wii Points). (Presumably, when connecting for the first time, there will be an option to credit an Ambassador.)

And if you extend your services to the maximum of twenty previously offline console owners? You're looking at a 10,000-point payout ($100 worth of old games you probably have tucked away in cart form, plus all those WiiWare options) -- not bad, eh?

But wait! There's a more tempting perk to this promotion. As Ambassador, once you connect ten users, you'll achieve "gold status" and be free to download all first-party NES titles on Virtual Console. Oh, but it gets far better: Hit your twenty connections and -- you guessed it -- you've attained "platinum status," essentially granting you the keys to Nintendo's Virtual Console catalog. That's right, all first- and third-party NES, SNES and N64 games -- for free.

Quick! Google map the twenty nearest old folks homes and get ambassadoring!

Euro Wii owners: Super Smash Bros. available on Virtual Console tomorrow

Finally, the moment you've been waiting for since you lent your copy of Super Smash Bros. to someone who then moved away. If you're in Europe, tomorrow will be a very exciting Virtual Console day: the original Super Smash Bros. will be available for download, according to the Official Nintendo Magazine, for 1,000 points.

Surprisingly, Nintendo isn't taking the opportunity to be lazy and make it a one-game week. Cocoto Platform Jumper will also be up on WiiWare, and both Asphalt 4 and Sudoku 150 will be on DSiWare. We thought we'd mention these here, because they will not get any attention at all this week due to Smash Bros.

See screens, new info from XBLA Perfect Dark


We made plenty of new video game friends during E3, but, we still care about our old friends for, as the Girl Scouts remind us, one is silver and the other is gold. Why, just today we checked in on the upcoming XBLA version of Perfect Dark and walked away with a ton of new info.

Perhaps most excitingly, the game will include online multiplayer, according to the Xbox.com listing for it. Also, it's being developed by 4J Studios, which you may know from its PS3 ports of Oblivion and Overlord. Finally, we've got a few screens, which appear to indicate the game hasn't gotten too much sprucing up. What do you think?

[Thanks, Lee]

Retro Adapter outclasses the Classic Controller

Next month, developer Komodo and distributor Innex will one-up (or two-up, we guess) RetroZone's RetroPort Wii controller adapters with their Retro Adapter. Instead of merely allowing you to use a NES or SNES controller with Virtual Console games, the Retro Adapter features ports for NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64 pads in one $20 device. The adapter, being released almost just in time for the release of Majora's Mask on the Virtual Console, purportedly supports true analog control for the N64 controller.

Innex will be demonstrating the product at E3, and we're going to do our best to get all those new games or whatever out of the way so we can spend some time with it.

VC in Brief: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)

This week, the Virtual Console finally gets Majora's Mask for the N64. Some people think Ocarina of Time is better, and some people don't. And some people probably never played either, which is something that should be addressed with one's person therapist or physician.

Gallery: Majora's Mask



Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer these videos as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks.

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