Here are some of the updates for the Nintendo Channel this week.

Demos

Crosswords DS-Wordsearch Demo
PICTOIMAGE
Carnival Games

Videos

Get Wii Fit with Alyson: Yoga
Magnetica Twist Info Video
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Hall of Fame Introduction
Guitar Hero On Tour Launch Video
Cabela’s Trophy Bucks Info Video
Alone in the Dark Info Video
Paws & Claws Pet Vet Healing Hands TV Spot
My Weight Loss Coach Info Video
Wall-E TV Spot
Order Up! Info Video
Digest Video

Source

So, the Wii with DVD playback that Nintendo was supposed to release last year? It didn’t happen, and it looks like it won’t be happening for a while, if at all.

“With supply constraints [of the Wii] continuing worldwide, the priority is on the current model.”

I’d be more surprised if Nintendo did release though. I mean, it’s not like anyone seriously held off on buying a Wii until Nintendo released this one.

Source

Thanks to some surveys, we now have more information on Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour. While we don’t know if all of the features listed below in the Rock Band 2 games will be in the Wii version, we do know that the Wii version of Guitar Hero: World Tour will have everything that the others do. Check it out below:

Rock Band 2

• 120 songs from the 60’s to the 2000’s
• Songs from AC/DS and many more
• Instruments, character creation, online play
• Develop and personalize artwork and apparel in the game, then order them as actual products that can be mailed to you
• Improved drum

Guitar Hero: World Tour

• Guitar has three options: lead, rhythm, or bass
• 85 songs by artists including Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Korn, System of a Down, Ozzy Osbourne, Interpol, Muse, Tool (at least three songs and a dedicated venue), and dozens more
• Play as Sting, Ozzy Osbourne, Ted Nugent, Billy Corgan, Jimi Hendrix, Travis Barker, Hayley Williams, Zak Wylde, and more
• Create characters and customize instruments, band logos, and album covers
• Create, upload, and share custom tracks online

In my opinion, Guitar Hero: World Tour is looking to be much better. I know, for a fact, that I will be buying that game. Guitar Hero III was awesome, so I know where my allegiances lie. Anyone got a clue as to which version you will be getting?

Source

Mario Kart Wii owners have a new tournament to look forward to starting July 1st. This tournament takes place in Coconut Mall and the objective is to collect the coins. I’ve only participated in one tournament so far, so I just might have to check this one out.

Source

Oh man, I had some good time with the Smash Bros. DOJO site. I would stay up until the update and either jump for joy at the revealed news or stare at the screen in utter disappointment at a horrible update. Well, since it closed and the game was released, the site stopped updating. It was a sad moment, but one that we knew had to come sooner or later. Well, Europe just saw their release of Brawl yesterday, and the DOJO was updated with something. It’s nothing big, but hey, it’s another update. You can check out Snapshots Galore #3 here.

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The guy who originally posted up the scans for Sonic Unleashed sent in some more scans from the current issue of Nintendo Power. A big thanks to MAR10 for taking the scans and sending them in!

Hit the jump for more scans.

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Just recently, Wii Live posted up scans of the Wii version of Sonic Unleashed. Now, I understand it is early to judge, and they are scans, and we haven’t seen the game in motion. But the one question I have to ask: Sonic Team, are you really trying?

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I’m going to be honest. As much as I like Nintendo Power, they have let us down two times in a row with these big reveals. The first was Tales of Symphonia, and the second time it was Castlevania. Now, I look at these little hints, and some speculate that it is Kingdom Hearts 3. Now what is this, the third time this has been speculated?

The title says “a top-secret cover story fit for a king.” Now, I’m going to say it’s Little King’s Story. Nintendo Power has already had big reveals about already announced games, so I couldn’t make a better prediction that Little King’s Story.

Discuss

Nintendo power has some images of the Wii version of Sonic Unleashed. Think it looks good or bad? Discuss at our forums.

Hit the jump for another scan.

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Havok, the leading provider of physics engines to the global game and movie entertainment industry, has agreed to a licensing agreement with California based game developer 2K
Games. Under the terms of the deal, 2K Games will use Havok’s pioneering physics engines to develop several upcoming titles which will be available on the Wii home video game system
from Nintendo.

2K will initially use the industry leading Havok Physics engine to support its standards of realism and interactivity in Carnival Games: Mini-Golf™, the sequel to the popular Wii title Carnival
Games™, which has sold over 1.5 million units worldwide since its release last year. Havok technology will also be used in other yet-to-be-named titles for the Wii from 2K.

David O’Meara, Managing Director of Havok, explains how Havok’s physic engines will improve interactivity in the hotly anticipated Carnival Games: Mini-Golf title.

“Havok physics engines allow game developers to realistically depict motion and the effects the game character has on their environment. Havok technology communicates with physical
elements in the game and loads them with intelligence, allowing them to react to the players’ actions in a realistic way. Of course, anyone who has used the Wii will recognise how important accurate movement is for the players’ enjoyment of the game. Fans of Carnival Games: Mini- Golf won’t be disappointed with the final results!”

Havok’s physics software is featured in over 200 triple A games available on store shelves today. With well over 90 games currently in development for release this year, use of Havok’s ubiquitous software is up 100% for the same period last year. Best-selling titles featuring Havok physics include Halo 3, Assassin’s Creed, Guitar Hero III, BioShock, World in Conflict, Half Life 2: The Orange Box and Heavenly Sword.

Blockbuster movies which have employed Havok technology to drive special effects include Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 10000 BC, X-Men: The Last Stand, Poseidon, The Matrix, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

At a glittering ceremony in Las Vegas earlier this year, Havok was honored with an award from the National Academy of Television, Arts & Sciences for their work on their pioneering physics engines which makes games more realistic than ever before. The company uses a combination of next generation physics, animation and tools to reach new standards of realism and interactivity in gaming technology and essentially turn their customers’ creative aspirations into technical realities.

Source - Games Press

Nintendo Everything is reporting that the image above is a Castlevania fighting game coming to Wii. The game will use the Nunchuk to move, and the Wii remote for fighting moves. Wii hasn’t really had the best fighting games, but could this be the title to change that?

Source

Discuss

Finally, the FPS game that has had games released for PC, 360 and PS3 is now coming to Wii!

“Project Origin is the name we can stand behind since it was picked by the gaming community, and this game marks a new beginning for the franchise,” says Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Production and Development, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “With the consoles and the PC, we’re dedicated to add a new game dynamic to the universe and build upon what the players loved about the original game.”

“Our team really enjoyed letting the fans drive the naming process, and we are excited to expand upon the work we began in the original game and establish Project Origin as a premier gaming franchise in its own right,” said Troy Skinner, Producer, Monolith Productions.

The Wii version hasn’t been shown at all, but it’s finally good to see more developers taking the Wii more seriously.

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Discuss

[Via Nintendo Fan Alliance]

NINTENDO’S WARIO, KIRBY BRING THE FUN; SLEUTHS GET A NEW MYSTERY CASE FILES GAME

New Experiences on the Way for Wii and Nintendo DS

REDMOND, Wash., June 25, 2008 – While the game world awaits the E3 Media & Business Summit in Los Angeles next month, Nintendo isn’t waiting to announce new titles for its mushrooming libraries for the Wii™ console and Nintendo DS™. Classic Nintendo characters like bad-boy Wario™ and pink powerhouse Kirby® will star in their own platform games. A new Mystery Case Files™ game brings the best-selling Big Fish Games franchise to Nintendo DS for the first time. These games join the recently announced Mario™ Super Sluggers baseball game for the Wii console.

“Nintendo’s game libraries continue to grow at a rapid pace,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Wario stars in a great new platformer, Kirby enthusiasts get an updated version of a fan favorite, there’s a new mystery for Mystery Case Files aficionados and baseball gets a few new Mario-style twists.”

Wario Land™: Shake It!, a classic side-scroller for the Wii console launching Sept. 29, stars Wario, the smelly, bad-mannered alter ego of Mario™. With the Wii Remote™ controller turned sideways like an old-school controller, veterans and newcomers alike can run, jump and smash their way through hectic side-scrolling stages. Players shake the Wii Remote to help Wario take down his enemies, empty bags of treasure or cause earthquakes. Best of all, there are numerous stages each offering multiple missions to keep players coming back again and again to unlock everything, collect more coins or just improve their best times.

Kirby Super Star™ Ultra for Nintendo DS, launching Sept. 29, re-imagines one of the most beloved Kirby games of all time. Kirby Super Star Ultra features new graphics and fully rendered animated cut scenes. With so many adventures waiting to be unlocked, there will never be a dull moment as Kirby runs, floats, copies enemies and uses Helpers to fight King Dedede and Meta Knight. New modes like Revenge of the King and Meta Knight Ultra await, along with classics like The Great Cave Offensive and Milky Way Wishes. On top of the main modes, there are also three new touch-screen-controlled mini-games that can be played with up to three friends via DS Download Play. Not only that, but players can go on Kirby adventures with a friend via local wireless as well.

Mystery Case Files™: MillionHeir™, launching Sept. 8, uses the unique Nintendo DS interface to expand upon the seek-and-solve game play of the popular series from Big Fish Games. Players seek out cleverly hidden items in a multitude of painted scenes. Players progress through an interactive detective story investigating a cast of characters and uncovering new evidence to find the rightful heir to a million-dollar fortune. This new portable installment is available only for Nintendo DS. With interactive logic puzzles that use both the touch-screen interface and built-in microphone and include the first ever multiplayer mode for a Mystery Case Files game, Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir presents a new generation of seek-and-solve games for casual gamers and franchise fans.

Mario™ Super Sluggers, launching Aug. 25 for the Wii console, stars the ever-lovable Mario and his crew of friends. It builds on the social-gaming fun and movements people learned in Wii Sports™ and turns them into a full-fledged baseball game that can be played by every member of the household. Players make a throwing motion with the Wii Remote controller to pitch the baseball and make a swinging motion to swing at the pitch. The game boasts more than 30 playable Nintendo characters and all the madness of a Mario sports game. Just like Mario Kart® Wii, it bridges the gap between experienced players and those new to the Wii console, with fun challenges and beautiful graphics.

Source: Nintendo Press

If you had to choose the one genre that Wii needs to start covering more, a good portion of gamers would say RPG games. Wii has a couple of RPG games out, like Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, and the poorly reviewed Baroque. There aren’t to many Wii RPG games to look forward too, Fragile being the only one I can think of right now. But hopefully we will start to see more RPG games come to Wii.

That’s where Acr Rise Fantasia comes in. Arc Rise Fantasia is being done by the developers behind the DS RPG Luminous Arc. So I’m going to assume whoever liked Luminous Arc will enjoy Arc Rise Fantasia. Not much has been revealed about Arc Rise Fantasia. The gameplay system apparently will employ an action point-based system that is turn-based.

Wii Live will report more info about Arc Rise Fantasia as it comes, so be sure to check back.

Source

Discuss

Tons of new screens of Mario Super Sluggers.

You know the drill. Hit the jump for more screenshots.

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Here are the first screenshots of Wario Land: Shake It! for Wii.

Hit the jump for more screens.

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I don’t know how to say this, but I actually think this is a pretty good looking game.

Hit the jump for more screens.

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I just want to start out this post by saying sorry for the lack of posts. Most of the writers have been extremely busy. And to be quite honest, there has not been that much news recently.

X-OOM Software, a leading publisher of digital media software, has launched X-OOM Media Centre for Wii XE, to enable users to enjoy their music, videos and photos on a Nintendo Wii™. This innovative software turns the popular gaming console into an interactive media hub by streaming digital media files from a PC to a Wii™.

Share and enjoy your favourite digital media

Favourite video files, photos and music normally found on a PC in a bedroom or study, can now be easily shared and enjoyed on a TV in any room via a Nintendo Wii™ using X-OOM Media Centre for Wii XE. Once installed on a PC, the software will wirelessly interact with the Wii™. Chosen files can then be streamed to the console, eliminating the hassle of transferring content via cumbersome memory cards, USB devices or CDs.

Access web TV, radio and podcasts

X-OOM Media Centre for Wii XE also makes it possible to browse the internet, providing access to over 1,000 digital radio and TV channels. New options include podcast support, RSS feeds and access to popular video sharing sites such as YouTube™ and Google Video™.

Easy installation

Requiring no extra hardware, X-OOM Media Centre for Wii XE is easy to use and install. After installing the software on the PC, use the File Wizard to add files to the Media Centre. Then, simply select the Wii’s Internet Channel, typing in the web address and pass code provided, to navigate the simple menus and browse the streamed files.

Photos and films can be enjoyed in high quality as the software is optimised for widescreen and HD programs. Common network connection is provided through WLAN or LAN, and extensive media files are supported such as MP3, WMA, OGG, DivX, XviD, Mpeg2, MPEG4, WMV, JPG, BMP etc.

Notes to editor:

X-OOM Media Centre for Wii XE is priced at £29.99 and is available from www.X-OOM.com and www.amazon.co.uk.

System Requirements:

Wii™ including web browser and internet access, PC including Windows 2000/XP/ Vista and internet access, CPU 1.5 GHz, 512 MB of RAM, screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher, 500 MB of free disk space for installation. A LAN or WLAN.

Source - Games Press

June 24th, 2008. Toronto, Canada: DreamCatcher Games and JoWooD Productions, leading worldwide publishers and distributors of interactive entertainment software, are pleased to announce Safecracker, the unique puzzle-solving adventure originally developed for Windows® and Puzzle Game of the Year, will be available for Wii™ this fall.

As an expert safecracker, you are hired by the wealthy family of a recently deceased billionaire to search for the last will and testament of their late relative, Duncan W. Adams. An avid safe collector and an “eccentric” to say the least, Adams has hidden the deed to his riches in one of the 35 safes scattered in his extravagant mansion.

Players will need to use expert puzzle-solving skills to crack all 35 safes, which become increasingly difficult, to reach the final master safe and locate the hi dden will.

“Adventure gamers will be thrilled with the transition of Safecracker to Wii,” said Byron Gaum, Global Product Marketing Manager at The Adventure Company. “With its non-violent, family-oriented gameplay, the whole family can work together to solve challenging puzzles, all while enjoying the scenery of 40 lavish rooms in a luxurious mansion.”

Created by award-winning developer Kheops Studios, Safecracker for Wii is the ultimate challenge for puzzle enthusiasts and wanna-be safecrackers everywhere!

Source - Games Press

In the latest Nintedo Voice Chat podcast, the IGN Nintendo team talks about some projects coming from Capcom. Hit the jump for the whole summary.

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