Wednesday, July 30, 2008

SimCity Creator- Create, Enjoy, Destroy Trailer

Simcity has traditionally been a PC franchise, with only one other game(SNES I believe) ever being on consoles. This will all change this September with the release of Simcity Creator, and rather then just doing a simple traditional SimCity(like I thought they would) they have brought out a lot of really clever concepts.

Some of these include the new curvyroads that you can build with the WiiMote, or the ability to make your city into a giant array of cakes(I'm not kidding either) or an alien refuge. They also have brought out the best of the WiiMote, allowing you to use it as a way to destroy your city if you decide that you want to.
All in all, SimCity Creator looks to be the first entry in the series that I will be purchasing since 3000. And it looks like it will be well worth it.





Thanks to Gametrailers for the trailer

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Naruto: Clash Of Ninja Revolution 2 Roster Revealed

I seem to have gotten to this party a little late, but I didn't realize this was out until now. It seems Tomy had a press conference, where they showed off a video of Naruto:CONR2, and this video showcased all of the characters that will be in the games final roster(as far as we know).



Picture:

The new characters worth noting are:

  • Choji
  • New Character? Red Haired Guy
  • Kurenai
  • Asuma
  • Baki
  • 2 ANBU Operatives(the two masked men, so far they don't appear to be anyone other then ANBU operatives
  • New Character? Blonde Lady
  • Anko
  • Kabuto
  • Yugua Uzuki(Hayate Gekko's girlfriend, appears in 2 episodes)

Other then that it is all of the normal characters, all of the Sannin and all of the genin kids.

While the roster did some good things(Baki, Asuma, Kurenai and Anko), it also did some things that I have to question(two random ANBU guys? Yugua?, new characters?), I just can't help but wonder, if they spent time developing those 5 characters why couldn't they have spent the same amount of time developing the Sound 5? Or Haku and Zabuza? Just doesn't seem like the best use of their rescources putting these in ahead of those I mentioned.

EDIT: The two ANBU have been named as of this post, Yugua is also shown.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Fragile-New Screens, Characters Released

Fragile, one of those games you forget about so easily. Either way though, Fragile is looking fantastic in these screens they released today, and the characters are really looking to be something special as well.


Screens:
This game really does look good, and I love the chicken character thing(^whatever that thing is), NeoGAF has the rest of the pictures. HERE

Virtual Console/WiiWare Releases 7/28/08

Not a great week this week, but just think, Plattchen and Strongbad are coming any day now! Hold out a little more hope.
My Comments In Red
WiiWare:
Pong Toss - Frat Party Games™ (JV Games, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Language, 800 Wii Points): Pony up - it's Pong Toss time. Compete against your friends or the computer in this ultimate party-game favorite. Play on a regulation table with up to four players. Make consecutive shots for the Fireball bonuses and Roll-Backs as you or your team try to dominate the table and reign as Pong Toss champs. In Speed Pong, up to three challengers can compete at the same time. Speed and strategy are the keys to this fast-paced game. Jack up your opponents by using a slew of power-ups that will slow them down. The first one who sinks the last cup wins it all. Be fast. Be furious. Be victorious.
It's weird when these games I have never heard of come around, and it's even weirder when the company is one I have never heard of before. But from the looks of it I won't be getting this game, best to save it for something better, and 800 points seems steep for this.
Status-Not Purchasing

Virtual Console:
Chase H.Q.® (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older—Drug Reference, Mild Violence, 600 Wii Points): This is a different ****of racing game in which you attempt to catch criminals by chasing them and ramming their cars off the road. Playing as two cops from the NYPD special "CHASE H.Q." unit, the first half of each stage involves you maneuvering your unmarked car in a heated chase, followed by an action sequence in the latter half. Once you reach the target vehicle, you flip on your lights and siren, and then try to stop the culprits by repeatedly colliding with them. Use your different gears wisely as you make your way through streets and around corners, and be careful not to hit objects or other cars, or you'll lose speed. Also at your disposal are turbo units for temporary extra speed and ramming power.
Another one of those weird games that I have never heard of before, it doesn't look like it is the best racing game you could get, but for 600 Wii Points you should be able to get a little bit of enjoyment out of it.
Status-Not Purchasing
ART OF FIGHTING 2 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen—Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released in 1994 by SNK, ART OF FIGHTING 2 sees 12 characters compete for the title in the toughest fighting contest of them all: King of Fighters. Each character has a range of deadly techniques in his or her arsenal, and players must use these lethal techniques to fight their opponents. As in the original ART OF FIGHTING, however, using a deadly technique lowers a character's mental-energy gauge. For this reason, players must use these techniques carefully. Meanwhile, players can taunt an opponent to exhaust his or her mental energy, and even suppress their opponent's techniques if successful. This type of mental-energy offense and defense gives ART OF FIGHTING 2 a uniquely enjoyable spin on the fighting-game genre. Further adding to the strategy required to win, an attack will become stronger or weaker depending on exactly when the button is pressed. And even if a player is thrown, defensive action is possible with the timely press of a button. All of this adds up to an intense and nail-biting fighting-game experience not found anywhere else.
I have never played this game, but everything I have heard seems to point to it being in the "average at best" category, and I'm not planning on spending 900 Wii Points for an average game, when there are far better options out there.
Status-Not Purchasing


So not much to look forward to this week, but the next few weeks should be filled with at least a few good WiiWare games, maybe the Virtual Console will pull through as well.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

New Wii Channel-Digital Photo Channel

Nintendo of Japan released a press note today, revealing a new channel for the Wii. The Digital Photo Channel.

Thanks to some NeoGAF members, who translated the article, I am able to bring you a few small tidbits of info, particularly the prices of the channels features.

Features-
-Starts on July 23 (today)
-print digicam photos (using Image Intelligence) and costs 30yen per print
-Create wii photobooks for 1,575yen for one book
-create mii-based business cards (now thats kinda cool)

I don't quite get how the Wii is now able to print stuff, I assume the Image Intelligence thing is a completely different product, though I have never heard of it(please don't be Japan exclusive though, then we never get the channel).
Well, with the update to the American Wii's today, I think we may have a shot at getting this soon, or at least a feature like it.



Wii Update-3.3U Released?

This is an odd one, so far, no one has gotten a message from Nintendo to tell them to update. But if you head over to the Wii System Settings 3, and hit update, it will indeed update.

Now the question is, what does it update? Japan got the digital photo channel today, perhaps we will be getting something similar as well? Or maybe they are just killing some hacks...

Either way, if you aren't a freeloader user, or have a modded Wii. I suggest you head on over to the Wii and update, might as well get it done with.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Nintendo Power Has Another Secret Game

Man, Nintendo Power has really stepped up their game these last few months, they have shown Megaman 9 and the two Castlevania's before anyone else, and in this issue they showed off the newly announced Sonic title. Again, before anyone else.


This month, they leave us with the news that they will be showing off another exclusive game, and considering their recent track record, I expect them to show something new again. Unfortunately, they didn't give us a picture of a moon or a riddle to help us figure out what the game will be(but did anyone ever actually guess those things?).

Either way, expect Nintendo Power to show off another new game next month, begin speculation!

The Picture:

And thanks to GoNintendo for the picture.

Dead Rising Wii-More Screens

After those first few screens(found here, must have been enhanced or something), it seems Capcom is now showing Dead Rising Wii's true colors...and they aren't pretty at all.


So far, it seems like the game will be easier(numerous reports), and that the zombies will be pop-ins, simply because the Wii can't handle them(ummm...alright...). So far it seems like there are only a dozen or so zombies in each screen.
Now, from what I have heard about Dead Rising, the whole fun of the game was having hundreds of zombies chasing after you, and then slicing dozens of them up at once. Now, with zombies being pop-ins, I doubt we will be able to get that feel while playing the Wii version.

I have hope that the game will have decent controls, and maybe that will save it, but so far Dead Rising Wii looks to be a poor attempt at a port.

Screens:

That last screen is embarrassing, awful.

Virtual Console/WiiWare Releases 7/21/08

Nintendo adds three new games to their online store today, 1 WiiWare and 2 Sega Genesis games to round out the week.

WiiWare

Pirates: The Key of Dreams (Oxygen Games, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Pirates: The Key of Dreams is a frantic nautical shoot-’em-up. Sail your way across the Caribbean, cannons blazing, looting booty, running blockades and ultimately battling Blackbeard himself. The player takes control of a navy captain sent deep undercover as a ruthless pirate in order to seek out and retrieve the Key of Dreams, a valuable and dangerous cursed artifact. Rescue castaways to bolster your ship’s crew, gaining performance increases to your navigation, weaponry, structural integrity and cartography skills. Collect increasingly powerful weaponry including rockets, mines, chain shot, saw blades and a flamethrower to hurl destruction into the path of your enemies. Play against three of your scurvy friends or A.I. opponents in pitched multiplayer battles over 35 levels, set in seven themed environments. Choose from different ship types that reflect your play style. Play in turbo mode if you're pirate enough.
I've only seen a few videos of this, from the guys over in Europe. But from what I have seen it doesn't look like you do much in this game, and for $10 you should have a good solid method of play. Also, Strongbad should hit next week, and with Toki Tori and Dr.Mario already out, you have far better ways to spend the $10.
Status-Not Purchasing
Virtual Console

Super Fantasy Zone (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Cartoon Violence, 900 Wii Points): The last entry in the Fantasy Zone series, this side-scrolling shooter puts you in the shoes of main character Opa-Opa, who is on a mission to avenge the death of his father. To do so, you’ll have to battle a variety of Enemy Generators to clear out the various levels and finish off the Menon Guardian at the end of the level. Eliminating your enemies will let you rack up some gold, which you can use to buy even better weapons, upgrades and other equipment. Spend your gold wisely, as each different boss you need to defeat presents a unique challenge.
I have never played a Fantasy Zone game, but I have heard that they are pretty good(at least some of them), so I will be looking into this later today to see if it's really worth the 900 points I will have to spend on it.
Status-Undecided
Gley Lancer (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older—Mild Suggestive Themes, Mild Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): In the year 2025, a war breaks out between humans and a hostile alien race, and 16-year-old Lucia and the rest of the starfighter pilots in the Earth Federation must join the battle. When Lucia’s father is kidnapped by the aliens, she decides to take action and hijacks a brand new prototype starfighter, the Gley Lancer, in order to try to save him. In this side-scrolling shooter, step into the cockpit of the Gley Lancer as Lucia, rescue your father and destroy the evil aliens that are bent on destroying the human race.
I used to play this game all the time back when I had a Genesis. And now that it has made a return on the Virtual Console...I don't think I can say no.
Status-Likely Purchase

So, we get a few games that may be worth a look, and with Strongbad due out next week we will have something to look forward to throughout the coming week.
These games will be released at 9:00 PCT on Monday July 21, 2008.
Enjoy!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

And Nintendo Powers Secret Game Is....

Sonic and the Black Knight(stealing characters from Fire Emblem are we?). The cover of this months Nintendo Power sports Sonic, weilding a pretty hefty blade. Looks like the Wii will be getting an exclusive Sonic game, possibly with 1:1 fighting?


Nintendo Power Cover:

Let the speculation begin!
For those that may not have read it, this was the original story, where Nintendo Power hints at a new game in their next issue.
http://frogchat.blogspot.com/2008/06/nintendo-power-20th-anniversary-secret.html

Friday, July 18, 2008

E3 08-Dead Rising Wii-First Screens

Capcom releases the first four screens from their recently announced port of Dead Rising. So far it doesn't look like it has lost much in translation, but the images are so small it's rather hard to tell. I'll let you guys judge it.


Screens:

Graphics look fine, and the zombie hordes seem intact(last picture), overall I am impressed with Dead Rising Wii so far.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

E3 08-Little King's Story New Trailer

After nearly a year of waiting, and wondering. We finnally get another look at Little King's Story, and I'll say it was well worth the wait.
Pikmin meets city building and war, great stuff.




Not a big trailer, but it should be enough to make most people anticipate this game next year.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

E3 08- Animal Crossing: City Folk Info

Straight from the Nintendo Developers Roundtable comes some little snippets of info about the recently announced Animal Crossing: City Folk.

  • Festivals like Halloween and Jingle events are returning, new events include an easter egg hunt(fun!) and a carnival
  • You can edit the back and each sleeve of your outfit, not just the front like in previous games
  • There appears to be a theatre in the city, apparently you can catch a comedy show their(updating shows perhaps?)
  • Furniture and wallpaper will be updated via WiiConnect24
  • WiiSpeak is esentially a headset for the entire room, you can all talk into it easily(sounds a ton better then a headset per person)
  • Screenshots can be saved to an SD card(more games need to use this!)

Q&A Portion

  • You will still get disconnected everytime someone leaves your town(just like Wild World), but you can do more stuff together in this game. He is sorry for not fixing this during development(apparently it's done then).
  • You can port characters from the DS version to the Wii(I don't get how this does anything...they all kinda look the same).
  • Oh, items as well can be transfered. If you don't have WiFi in your house you can transfer it to another Wii using the DS.
  • In Japan, those who don't have WiFi can download the new furniture updates at set locations(like the DS used to, I believe). Not sure if you have to lug your Wii to the store with you, hopefully the DS works for this. They want to do this in America as well.
  • No NES games(dangit!), they want you to stay within the Animal Crossing world, and apparently these don't fit in the Animal Crossing world.
  • They considered using the weather channel for the weather in the game, but they decided not too, some places would never rain, and some would. It's best to keep the seasonal parts of the game intact.

Good call on that, it never really snows here, and snow was my favorite thing in Animal Crossings past.

And so ends the Animal Crossing portion of the event. Some good little snippets of info, and I like the ability to move items between WW and CF. Nice job!


E3 08-Konami Conference-Castlevania Judgement Detailed

Konami's Conference(happening live right now I might add), brings us a good heap of Castlevania: Judgement info, and let me be the first to say. This looks and sounds really good.

  • 14 Playable Characters(Alucard, Simon, Maria((child so far)), Dracula)
  • We will have to wait to see the rest, apparently won't be shown today
  • Obata(manga artist) will be doing the character designs
  • Subweapons are in this game as well
  • The game appears to have a story, it will take place over 1000's of years, as Dracula fights the "forces of good", someone is trying to destroy the timeline, so thats why characters from different periods are together in the game fighting.
  • Availible Fall 08
  • He wants us to think of it more as a 3D action game, then a fighter
  • NPCs can effect the outcome(I assume he means the NPCs that can interrupt a fight)
  • Great music, classic theme from Rondo is there as well

He also said that he made this game, instead of a traditional Castlevania, because he thought using the Wiimote as a whip would become tiring to fast.

On to Silent Hill now, so i'll post this up.

E3 08: Dead Rising Coming To Wii

Bit of a shocker here(at least it was for me), but Capcom has indeed announced Dead Rising for Wii, a port of the 360 version of the game.

Now I have never played Dead Rising on the 360, but I imagine that it looks pretty nice graphically, I worry that this port may be gimped to the point where it isn't worth playing, but hopefully Capcom know what they are doing with this.

Only scans are these from Famitsu, not much to go on by these though.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

E3 08-Nintendo Conference Live Blog -Reposted-

Wanted to make sure this was at the top of the page when E3 started!
Well, since I am a poor guy by myself I will only be able to give you guys a Live Blog.

The Nintendo Conference will start at 9:00 in the morning(PCT) at Kodak Theatre. I will try to keep you guys as updated as I possibly can, so enjoy the blog.


Monday, July 14, 2008

E3 08-Nintendo Conference Speakers Announced

Joystiq has brought us the confidential list of Nintendo speakers for tommorows press conference. Though nothing to surprising is announced, I sure hope this isn't the order that they are set to come out in. Ending the show with some charts isn't fun.
I also hope that this isn't the full list, no surprise speakers(Square Enix guy!)? I suppose they wouldn't be a surprise if they weren't kept under wraps until the event, we will have to wait and see.

Speakers:
Nintendo Co Ltd. President Satoru Iwata
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime
Designer/producer/supervisor/god Shigeru Miyamoto
NOA Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Cammie Dunaway
NOA Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Affairs Denise Kaigler

Gotta love Joystiq listing Shigeru Miyamoto as a god, lets hope he does something great tommorow.
Source

E3 08: Harvest Moon Tree Of Tranquility Screens

Gamespot brings us some 50 screens of Harvest Moon: Tree Of Tranquility. The game looks like it is nearly finished, and the screens are in English, though the game itself doesn't seem to look quite as good as we remember it.

Still, the games main focus is the gameplay, and I can't wait to see what the Wiimote can do with Harvest Moon.
Harvest Moon:ToT will be launching alongside a DS iteration of Harvest Moon on August 26, 2008.

New Wii Remote Accessory Announced- Wii MotionPlus

Just 24 hours before their official press conference at E3, apparently Nintendo couldn't sit on their hands any longer for this one though.
According to a page ont their official website, the Wii will be getting 1:1, and we will finnally be able to reach the endless possibilities of the WiiMote(Star Wars, Zelda will benefit from this in particular).

Heres the clipping from Nintendo.com that talks about it...

"Nintendo's upcoming Wii MotionPlus accessory for the revolutionary Wii Remote controller again redefines game control, by more quickly and accurately reflecting motions in a 3-D space. The Wii MotionPlus accessory attaches to the end of the Wii Remote and, combined with the accelerometer and the sensor bar, allows for more comprehensive tracking of a player’s arm position and orientation, providing players with an unmatched level of precision and immersion. Every slight movement players make with their wrist or arm is rendered identically in real time on the screen, providing a true 1:1 response in their game play. The Wii MotionPlus accessory reconfirms Nintendo’s commitment to making games intuitive and accessible for everyone. Nintendo will reveal more details about the Wii MotionPlus accessory and other topics Tuesday morning at its E3 media briefing."

I must say, Nintendo has jumped out to a fast start at E3 this year. This is great news, now those Star Wars lightsaber battles will be a ton of fun(it should be like you are really fighting with a lightsaber). And as long as it doesn't cost that much(I suppose I will need 4 of them), I will be getting these.

Poll Closed: Results

I put this poll up for about a 1 day period, so it didn't get nearly as many votes as the others have gotten.

I realized that I had to post it before Microsoft had their press conference, so thats the reason for the short amount of time.



Results-

Nintendo-17(Winner)
Microsoft-0
Sony-2


While I admit, I am looking forward to Nintendo's Conference the most, I am glad that some people voted Sony. They have a lot of good stuff to show this year, and they are very close up their with Nintendo...Microsoft, not so much.

Virtual Console/WiiWare Releases 7/14/08

These are the games that will be released on Nintendo's Online Store today, Donkey Kong!
My comments in red.

WiiWare
Major League Eating: The GameTM (Mastiff, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Crude Humor, 1,000 Wii Points): The ultimate chomp-off is about to begin. Grab your Wii RemoteTM controller and dig into 12 different foods as you compete against the greatest major-league eaters in the world. This isn't just a race to stuff your face-you'll need strategy to master a smorgasbord of digestive attacks, defenses and counters. These include the Mega Burp, Gas Attack, Antacid and more. And don't forget to keep an eye on your Barf-O-Meter, because if the food hits the plate twice, you're out. Unlock more than 10 characters in single-player career mode, go gut-to-gut against your friends in versus mode, or compete online using Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. Online play supports friend codes, random matchmaking and leader boards.
I have been dreading this moment, we all knew this was coming, and I think we can all agree that we should pass on WiiWare games this week. There are a lot of better ways to spend $10, with LostWinds, Toki Tori and Dr.Mario out their.
Status-Not Purchasing
Virtual Console
Donkey KongTM 3 (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Based on the third game in the enormously popular arcade series, Donkey Kong 3 introduces an exterminator named Stanley as he desperately tries to protect the flowers in his greenhouse from Donkey Kong. Armed only with a can of bug spray, Stanley must force Donkey Kong higher and higher into the greenhouse rafters until Donkey Kong is off the screen and the next stage is reached. Not surprisingly, Donkey Kong isn't going to move without a fight, so he sends wave after wave of bugs, bees and other creatures toward Stanley. Not only must Stanley repel the insects in order to save the flowers, but he'll also have to keep an eye out for projectiles thrown by Donkey Kong himself. If Stanley is good enough, he'll be able to grab a can of more powerful bug spray and really get Donkey Kong moving. It all adds up to frantic fun that anyone can enjoy.
The only game worthy of a look this week, definetly not my favorite of the Donkey Kong bunch, but for 500 points I think we can all find some use for the game, and tide us over for the other, better, Donkey Kong games.
Status-Possible Purchase
NINJA COMMANDO (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Mild Language, Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): NINJA COMMANDO is a vertically scrolling action game released by ADK in 1992. Players choose from among three ninjas-Joe, descended from the Koga ninja; Rayar, a woman who has learned the ways of the Iga ninja; and Ryu, descendant of the famous ninja Fuma Kotaro-as they pursue the merchant of death known as Spider, who plans to use a time machine to bring havoc to the world. The battle spans seven time periods, including the Stone Age, the Egyptian era and the Japanese Civil War era. Each hero features a variety of attack options in addition to their own normal attacks, including a deadly attack that inflicts damage upon all enemies on the screen, special ninja-arts attacks performed by inputting specific commands, and a powerful attack unleashed by taking on the "shape of the beast" when three scrolls have been collected. The game also supports two-player cooperative play, so you're welcome to bring a friend and enjoy taking on the evil Spider together.
Never heard of this game...but I have been told that it is going to be a part of that same collection that will be coming out sometime this year(we get one game from that collection every week it seems), the collection will be priced at $20. So, like all the other NEOGEO games these last few weeks, I suggest you pass, unless you know for sure that this is the only game you want in the collection.
Status-Not Purchasing

So we wrap up another week, glad to see 3 games released, though none of them are worthy of hyping up to much. We should be seeing Strongbad in the next 2 weeks, so look forward to that and whatever else the Virtual Console brings.

These games will be released on Monday July 14 at 9:00 PCT(about 30 minutes from this posting).
Enjoy!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Animal Crossing And Punchout To Show At E3?

NGamer brings us the news that Animal Crossing and a new Punchout for Wii will be shown at E3 this year.
"And if all goes to plan (and our sources haven't played a mean trick on us), that hands-on coverage will be of Animal Crossing and Punch-Out!! Wii, aka Nintendo's great hopes for 2008."
-NGamer
Link

Animal Crossing-This is like stating the odvious, we all know it's coming and we all pretty much figured it would be at E3, nice to see confirmation of it though. The article states that it will not be an MMO(I doubt that was ever possible), but it will feature some heavy Wi-Fi options. It also states that Animal Crossing has been done for a while, that's kinda odd...but alright.

Punch-Out!!- Interesting, nice to see Nintendo bring back an older franchise, and the Wii Remote is the perfect tool to do it. The article also says that the Balance Board will be used, interetesting, but it sounds like a good idea. Looks like people will be forgetting about Facebreaker really soon.

Two solid announcements, though I find it hard to believe that Punch-Out!! is the secret game that Nintendo has been hyping up(and it can't be Animal Crossing, that was already announced), guess we have to wait for E3 again, just a few more days left now guys!

Friday, July 11, 2008

Spray Wii-First Screens

Yesterday we brought you the news that Tecmo had announced a mysterious new game, entitled Spray Wii. The game came with a small write-up, but no screenshots or gameplay videos to be found.
Here are the first few screens of Spray Wii, it's not a lot, but you can tell a lot about the game from them.







Screens:

I don't know about you guys, but that goddess thing in the top left of the last picture is freaking me out.


The game is decent graphically, a few upgrades would be nice, but I will wait to see it in action at E3 before judging it further.

Marvelous, XSeed Announce E3 Lineup

Marvelous and Xseed announce what they will be showing at E3 this year. The odvious game is Little Kings Story, which could steal the show if all turns out as planned. Rune Factory and Valhalla Knights look very nice as well.
Note that these are the games coming out under their partnership, it's extremely likely that Harvest Moon will be at the show as well this year.

Source-Email

Torrance, Calif., (July 11, 2008) – Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games today announced its E3 plans which include a stellar line up of games for both Nintendo platforms, the Nintendo DS and Wii, as well as the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system. Both companies will display their portfolio of upcoming titles at E3 2008 which will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 15th – 17th. E3 attendees are invited to visit the Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games booth located at Concourse Hall Pavilion #427.

”We’re very pleased to be able to give the North American audience a sneak peak at our upcoming lineup,” stated Yasuhiro Wada, Managing Director of Marvelous Entertainment
. “This is just the beginning of some of the great games that we’ll be releasing in the US under our Marvelous Entertainment USA banner.”

“It’s been an amazing year for us, and we feel that we’re well positioned going into E3,” said Jun Iwasaki, President of XSEED Games. “We’ve got a fantastic partnership with Marvelous Entertainment which we greatly appreciate, and the overall line up of titles we’re showcasing is strong and diverse, which we’re exceptionally excited about.”

Games being shown under the Marvelous and XSEED Games partnership are:


Avalon Code DS
From the creative minds behind Rune Factory and Harvest Moon with the development studio responsible for the Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy IV DS remakes comes Avalon Code, an action RPG boasting incredible graphics, a deep and engrossing story, and innovative game play mechanics. Using the main character’s ‘Book of Prophecy’, players can modify the rules of engagement during battle as well as weapon and monster attributes. The player even has control over the story as it changes depending on which gender the player chooses to play as, enhancing the ability to immerse themselves into the story. Avalon Code DS is scheduled for release Q1 2009. The game will be published in Europe by Rising Star Games*, a subsidiary of Marvelous Entertainment.

Rune Factory: Frontier Wii
From the creators of Harvest Moon and Rune Factory for the DS comes the first installment of Rune Factory for a home console. Developed exclusively for Wii , Rune Factory: Frontier features stunning graphics and takes full advantage of the Wii’s unique controls to fully immerse players in the Rune Factory universe. Rune Factory: Frontier incorporates an open-ended structure that allows players to choose the type of game they wish to experience. Whether it’s growing crops, expanding the town, fighting (or befriending) monsters or even falling in love, the experience is unique to each player. Rune Factory: Frontier Wii is scheduled for release Q1 2009. The game will be published in Europe by Rising Star Games*, a subsidiary of Marvelous Entertainment.

LITTLE KING’S STORY Wii
Little King’s Story has an art style that is very ‘story-book’ in look and a magical fairy tale quality that will intrigue and delight gamers. The storyline, visual look, and lyrical music of Little King’s Story, work in concert to transport players to an interactive, enchanting, fairy tale world. By combining gameplay elements from life-simulation, real-time strategy, and adventure genres, the many aspects of creating a vast kingdom come to life! As King, players will manage and involve their townspeople in the goals of creating this new territory; enlisting them to dig for treasure, build new buildings and otherwise better their community. Of course, leadership is a two-way street, so as King, players will try to conquer rival nations to create a single unified kingdom, while also granting the requests of townspeople at whim. The game transforms the Wii Remote™ to a royal scepter and offers players the chance to be the best king in the world! Little King’s Story Wii is scheduled for release Winter 2008. The game will be published in Europe by Rising Star Games*, a subsidiary of Marvelous Entertainment.

VALHALLA KNIGHTS 2 PSP system
Sequel to the popular Valhalla Knights, Valhalla Knights 2 promises to give fans of the original game a vast and expansive world to explore, and the customization tools to create the ultimate battle party. This action RPG (Role Playing Game) sequel adds new races, job classes, weapons, magic spells, foes, armor and more to the Valhalla Knights universe, all within an engrossing story arc. Controlling and choosing character aspects such as skills, race and appearance, players engage in real-time 6 on 6 battles, reliant on tactical combat strategies to achieve success. Supporting 2 player ad hoc network play, gamers can engage in Co-op and Versus modes with friends, or simply trade items and weapons. Valhalla Knights 2 PSP system is scheduled for release Fall 2008.
Separately, XSEED Games will unveil the company’s first official support of the Nintendo DS with three titles:


Populous™ DS
Based on the original Populous PC classic from Electronic Arts, Populous DS brings a re-imagination of the classic game, which pioneered the God simulation genre. Featuring touch-screen controls that utilize the dual-screens, players manipulate 5 elementally-imbued gods, each with their own unique miracles, within an extensive single-player campaign. Within the multiplayer wireless mode, up to 4 players can unleash earthquakes, tidal waves and raging volcanoes onto rival players’ lands. Populous DS is scheduled for release Fall 2008. The game will be published in Europe by Rising Star Games*, a subsidiary of Marvelous Entertainment.

KORG DS-10
Designed after the famous KORG MS-10 music synthesizer, KORG DS-10 is a music-creation program for professional and aspiring musicians alike. The sound sources in the KORG DS-10 come from KORG, one of the world’s top musical instrument producers, and no effort was spared in the replication of creating high-quality sounds. The Nintendo DS’s touch-screen controls are utilized to the fullest to provide an authentic feel and operability across a dual-screen layout that is unsurpassed in portable music creation. A 6-track/16-step sequencer enables precise control and provides a wide range of musical possibilities, and up to eight DS units can be linked via wireless connection to play together or to exchange sounds and songs. KORG DS-10 is scheduled for release Fall 2008.

Retro Game Challenge
An original game based on the popular Japanese GAME CENTER CX TV series, Retro Game Challenge reinvents how classic games are played. Featuring a story-driven progression, players complete short challenges in a wide-variety of fictional retro-games. Specific challenges in shooting, racing, action and even an epic role-playing game are integrated into the story, while the in-game magazines offer cheat codes as well as fake 80’s news stories paying tribute to the rich history of the gaming industry. Released to raving reviews as Game Center CX: Arino’s Challenge in Japan, the game received a Gold Award from Famitsu with a 33/40 review score. Retro Game Challenge is scheduled for release Winter 2008.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

SouthPeak Interactive Announces E3 Lineup

Nothing I have actually heard of before, but some interesting ideas none the less. Big Bang Mini sounds like fun and Ninjatown and Brave seem like good ideas.

Big Bang Mini (Nintendo DS™ – January 2009)
This addictive fast paced shoot’em up puts a flashy new spin on classic arcade gameplay. Players are challenged to navigate their ship through a brilliant array of highly stylized levels as they launch a bevy of fireworks at waves of dynamic enemies. Players will use the stylus to create their own fireworks displays and combo attacks in order to defeat waves of challenging enemies. Versus play, online rankings, and other gameplay modes only add to the chaos that ensues.

Brave: A Warriors Tale (Wii™, Xbox 360® & PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system – Fall 2008)
Set many, many moons after Shaman’s Challenge, the game plays as a series of flashbacks in which a now elderly Brave describes the events of his life. Between the warrior’s tales of his youth, the player takes control of Courage, a young boy who takes lessons from his elder’s experiences to stop the current threat to their village. The game provides players expansive exploration and in-game interactivity on their quest to defeat the sources of evil, continuously offering a significant challenge to players as they advance through a world of untamed wilderness. Brave is able to transform into various animals, track prey, and battle enemies that stand in his way with bows and arrows, tomahawks and a variety of ancient powers.

Brave: Shaman’s Challenge (Nintendo DS – September 2008)
Taking place in Native American lands of long ago, Brave: Shaman’s Challenge follows a young boy named Brave in his quest to protect everything he holds dear. He alone stands against a group of evil Shaman dead set on reviving their old master; the Wendigo. Brave: Shaman’s Challenge features a cast of intriguing characters, a diverse set of amazing magic spells, a richly developed game world, and more puzzles than you can shake a shaman’s stick at!

Igor The Game (Windows PC, Wii & Nintendo DS – September 2008)
The game is based on the highly anticipated animated movie created by Exodus Film Group in cooperation with The Weinstein Company. In the Wii version of the game, players have the ability to choose one of the main characters (Igor, Eva, Scamper or Brain) and play either simultaneously or cooperatively with up to four people. The Nintendo DS version utilizes the stylus to perform movement combinations, combat enemies and solve puzzles. Players can custom build their own monsters to take on puzzle challenges and battle against other mad scientists.

Ninjatown (Nintendo DS – October 2008)
A diverse group of fun-loving Ninjas populate the vibrant yet peaceful place known as Ninjatown. However, after the eruption of a nearby volcano, Ninjatown is attacked by hordes of sinister enemies lead by Mr. Demon, who, for reasons unknown, is bent on destruction. The game is played from the top down, where the player uses the stylus to strategically place Ninjas to defend each area. The action is non-stop!

To see their other offerings at E3(I just took the Wii and DS ones) click here.

Tecmo Announces E3 Lineup-Spray Wii Announced

Tecmo Bowl and Spray for the Wii headline Tecmo's E3 lineup, though I am not happy that Tecmo Bowl Wii will be missing the party, the DS version should hold us over until more news becomes available. Spray sounds different at least,.


TECMO BOWL: KICKOFF (Nintendo DS / September 2008)
Based on the most popular Tecmo Super Bowl™, Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff will deliver to long time fans and newcomers easy to employ controls, fun, huge plays and exciting cut-scenes. The classic, over-the-top, all-American football game enables players of all levels to engage in a fun filled, fast paced, arcade style of football.
Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff brings a host of new features that will further enhance the gameplay experience, including:
-Customizable Teams: Choose team colors, emblems, player names, team cities and abilities.
-Super Abilities: Tactically use over-the-top plays to take over a game.
-Wi-Fi and Wireless Multiplayer: Play against friends across the country or across the room.
-Variety of Teams: Choose from 32 different teams across the country.
-Cut-Scenes: All-new cut-scenes showing off the dramatic presentation of various plays.
-Stylus Control: Feel the action by using the stylus to control your player.
-Customizable Playbook: Choose four running and four passing plays to your liking.
-Music and Sound Effects: Turn up the heat on your opponent as you play the game to rock ‘n’ roll remixes of the most memorable tunes in football gaming history!

ROBOCALYPSE™ (Nintendo DS / October 2008)
Developed by Vogster™ Entertainment, Robocalypse is an innovative, new, real-time strategy game for the Nintendo DS. Featuring robotic armies equipped with unique weaponry, Robocalypse offers deep strategic warfare and a twist of humor.
A technological breakthrough for the Nintendo DS, Robocalypse features over 50 A.I. driven units with advanced distributed path-finding, dynamic music and stunning 3D particle effects. Supporting these advancements is a hilarious storyline penned by Jay Lender, a writer and director for the acclaimed cartoon series SpongeBob Squarepants™, and Micah Wright, known for his writing contributions across multiple mediums.
-Robots with Attitude: Create an army by choosing from a multitude of different robot units with specialized skills and weapons that gain power as you destroy the enemy.
-Wacky Weapons: Over 20 groundbreaking weapon types with spectacular visual effects, including; Converter Cannons, Falling Anvils, the Head-Crack’n Gauntlet and Digitizers.
-Total Stylus Control: Simplified controls and innovative Action Flag system reduces the complexity of commanding units. No buttons – just point and tap.
-Multiplayer Mayhem: 2 to 4 multiplayer wireless DS multi-card play – play head to head or co-op with unique maps and multiple play modes, then track your progress in the Hall of Fame.
-Heroes Win the War: Courageous Heroes embody powerful abilities and can be controlled directly in combat. Rampage Mode, Conversion (turn enemies into refrigerators) and Leadership (unite soldiers into a single fighting unit) are just a few of their supreme capabilities.
-Epic Storymode: Military routines are accidentally installed into prototype robots, turning them into hunter killers. Disaster ensues and to save humanity, a new batch of robots is implanted with the brain scans of retired WWII vets, giving rise to an oil-swilling, brawling, robotic dirty dozen. Campaign includes 17 unique missions, hidden objectives and a robust reward system.
The game has not yet been rated by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB). For additional information, please visit www.robocalypse.com.


SPRAY™ (Wii / Holiday 2008)
Tecmo has signed an agreement with Eko Software for the exclusive North American publishing rights to SPRay, an action-adventure game developed for the Wii that features a unique gameplay mechanic involving the use of several liquids that are sprayed onto the game universe.
Players will soak in the action in SPRAY by playing a spirited Prince named Ray who must save his village from a banished evil Queen who’s returned to capture and enslave the villagers. After donning a magic crown which summons two liquid spraying spirits, he sets out to defeat the evil Queen and her army of anti-matter soldiers. Skillfully use the “angelic” and “wicked” spirits to spray water, oil, goo, and other liquids on enemies and surfaces to solve puzzles and wipe out evil!
-Perform gravity-defying moves as you spray, stick, and slide your way through challenging puzzles
-Creatively fight enemies by blasting various liquids on them and finishing them with a flurry of sword slashes!
-Use the Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ to take hold of Ray’s “angelic” and “wicked” spirits
-Get together with friends to play crazy multiplayer games like “Paint It!” and “Sticky Chewing Gum”

Fire Emblem DS-Gameplay Video

First look at how Fire Emblem DS will work.
The top screen will show the stats and inventory of the characters and enemies, while the bottom screen will be used to control movement.
The real battles(none featured here) will take place on the top screen(if I remember correctly).

Video:


Gotta say, I love the layout, having the info on the top makes it a ton easier to control and speeds up the game. Fire Emblem DS can't come to America fast enough.

Captain Rainbow Announced For Wii-Skip Developing

Well looks like Nintendo can't hold everything under wraps until E3.
Skip, developers of the Chibi Robo series have unveiled their new Wii project...Captain Rainbow.

I'll show the trailer first, enjoy.




Odd aye? Birdo yelling at you, and a guy washing up on a beach and running around, really weird, but here is a few tidbits of info from Gonintendo.

- Nick loves ‘loud’ clothing
- Captain Rainbow uses a yo-yo in his finishing move
- Captain Rainbow is a TV show mascot, and kids aren’t tuning into the program.
- Nick travels to Mimin Island, a place where dreams are said to come true
- instead of Nick’s dreams being granted, Captain Rainbow must grant the wishes of other island inhabitants
- search the island for people to help
- the island is filled with classic Nintendo characters in-need of help (Birdo, NES Golf character, and many more)
- Nick is helped by Hikari, from the Japan-only adventure game Shin Onigashima
- Catherine: Birdo-like character
- Nick (main character) mysteriously washes ashore, only to find that he has been instilled with the powers of Captain Rainbow
- rated CERO B (Whatever that means here...)

So it seems like it is about Nick, who has a TV show that is failing. He decides to go to this island to make dreams come true(or something like that), he ends up washing ashore and finds that the islands residents need his help(classic Nintendo characters who haven't been used much), so he sets out to help.

Thats what I got out of that, looks like a good concept, and it is nice to see Nintendo putting out something new every now and then. I hope to see some more of those characters that Nintendo never uses anymore, nostalgia for sure.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Blue Oasis-First Look

We get our first look at one of Hudson Soft's many WiiWare games, looks like Endless Ocean on a smaller scale. Nice graphics, decent music.



I will reserve my entire judgement until I see the game in action a few more times, looks a bit dull at the moment.

Poll Closed: Results

Looks like you guys want Nintendo to announce a new installment in their classic series of pointy eared green clad men riding horses. Nice choice.

Results:
Kid Icarus-23
Pikmin 3-17
Zelda-66 (Winner)
Fzero-10
Starfox Wii-26
Other-22

Interesting results, I am surprised that Starfox came in second against Pikmin 3, and that Other was voted multiple times.
I hope everybody here gets their wish during E3, who knows, we might.

Megaman 9 To Feature DLC, Price Announced

Even he looks surprised by this news ^^.

Megaman 9 will be hitting WiiWare this year, and for a great price.
For just 1000 Wii Points you will be able to experience the return of Megaman, and while the game may be 8-bit I admit that I would have spent at least $25 on this game(hey, the lower the better).
Also announced is DLC for the game. Now this is a little odd, Megaman doesn't seem like the type of game that would use DLC, hopefully they don't use this as an excuse to jack the price up from $10.
Either way, as long as the DLC isn't needed, and isn't overpriced I will be happy with more content for the game, October can't come fast enough.

Link For Price: Here
Link For DLC: Here

RUMOR: Fzero Coming To Wii? Made By Capcom?

Well, this isn't my news so I will post the link to the site first:
http://www.totallywii.com/gameinfo.php?gameid=264&details=news&newsid=509
Now, I have never heard of this site, so I wouldn't say this is anywhere near confirmed(yet).
It would be interesting though, Sega did a great job with Fzero on Gamecube, and I would like to see what Capcom could bring to the table.

Not to mention this would free up Nintendo to work on more games themselves(and we all want more good games from Nintendo right?).

So take what you will from this article, I'll wait for more on this, and will keep you guys updated if anything truely does happen.

Also, this may be the "surprising take" on a next gen favorite, here's the direct quote from Capcom about that(this was in NGamer):
“There’s a bullet with our name on it if we speak of their ultra top secret Wii title (a surprising take on a next-gen favourite), so we’ll stick to the safer, though still intruiging, Spyborgs.”

Either way, the thought of Captain Falcon coming back makes me happy, hopefully we will all be playing the high speed racer in the next few years.

Monday, July 7, 2008

E3 Schedule Announced

Here is the 3 day overview of the events happening at E3 this year.
This list is based on Pacific Cost time.
Monday
10:30 a.m. Microsoft Press Conference
12:30 p.m. Square Enix Press Conference
1 p.m. Shane Kim Roundtable
3 p.m. EA Press Conference
7 p.m. Gears of War 2 Reception

Tuesday
9 a.m. Show Floor Opens
9 a.m. Nintendo Press Conference
11:30 a.m. Sony Press Conference
2: 30 p.m. Ubisoft Press Conference
4:30 p.m. Capcom Press Conference
7 p.m. Activision Press Conference (Not a part of E3, but still worth noting)

Wednesday
9:15 a.m. E3 Keynote by Gov. Perry
10a.m. Sony Roundtable
10:45 a.m. Take Two Press Conference
1 p.m. State of the Industry Keynote
2:30 p.m. Konami Press Conference

Square and EA on Monday, Nintendo, Capcom and Activision on Tuesday and Konami on Wednesday. Looks to be a full three days.

Just one week left!

Virtual Console/WiiWare Release 7/7/08

One of those weeks that everyone complains about, not that the games are necesarrily bad, just that they are not anything that most people want.
Can't say I am excited for this week either.
My Comments In Red.

SPOGS Racing™ (D2C Games™, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Coming at you full throttle is SPOGS Racing, an all-new racer from D2C Games featuring classic arcade racing, pick-up-and-play controls, all-new racing vehicles and Crash N' Grab™ instant upgrades. Jump in, gear up and modify your ride on the fly as you compete head-to-head for a totally outrageous arcade racing experience on your Wii console. Whether you're a casual gamer or hardcore racer, SPOGS Racing features fun for all and is a must-have download for your WiiWare digital game library.
I don't know what to expect from this, the developer is a no-namer and the game doesn't exactly sound fun(that little paragraph sounds like an attempt to sell the game). I think I will stay away from this one.
Status-Not Purchasing
KING OF THE MONSTERS (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released by SNK in 1991, KING OF THE MONSTERS is an action/fighting game that features city-destroying battles between huge monsters. Choose one of six monsters and travel around Japan, stopping to fight in various famous cities with the aim of becoming the ultimate winner. In addition to punches, kicks and other regular moves, each character has the ability to use more devastating maneuvers, like throwing flames and shooting laser beams, to defeat opponents. Wrestling elements are also incorporated, as you must completely exhaust your opponent and get a three-count to pin him and be victorious. Along with the player-versus-computer game, multiplayer options allow you and a friend to enjoy one-on-one matches and two-on-two tag-team matches against the computer. Take on the challenge and claim the title of King of the Monsters.
Not a bad game at all, but it will be coming to the Wii soon in a compilation. If you know that you only want this game(from the compilation) then I suppose this is worth it for you, otherwise I suggest waiting for the compilation.
Status-Not Purchasing

Well there you have it, these games will be released on Monday July 7th at 9:00 PCT.
Enjoy!


Sorry for the late post!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

What I Expect At E3 This Year

Note: None of this is confirmed in any way, these are just my thoughts on what could happen at E3 this year for Nintendo. Nothing is 100% for sure.
Nintendo is expected to put it all on the table at this years E3, announcing future hardware, games and features for the Wii and DS. They have rented the Kodak Theatre for the presentation, which can only mean that something big is brewing over at Nintendo HQ. What should you expect at E3 this year? Here are my thoughts.

Games:

I expect Nintendo to announce a lot of games this year. So far the Wii lineup this year consists of Animal Crossing, Kirby, Warioland and Disaster: Day Of Crisis, and while that is a nice lineup it seems...I dunno, small? Not to mention they only have one other announced WiiWare game that hasn't hit the states yet, and they have a very minimal amount of DS games in the works. So I expect a lot of announcements, big franchises and maybe even some new ones thrown in, along with hands on gameplay of at least 3 out of the 4 games I listed above.

What To Expect(From Games Already Announced):

Kirby Wii-Already announced for release later this year in Japan, though we have seen absolutely nothing about it(unless it turns out to be the Gamecube game that was cancelled a few years back), I expect this game to be shown off and playable on the E3 floor this year.
Animal Crossing Wii-Another game already announced for Japanese release later this year, but again we have seen nothing about it. So I expect a large reveal and some playable demos(at least behind closed doors).
Disaster:Day Of Crisis- Nintendo bought Monolith for a reason, and I have a feeling this game was the reason. It has been in development since before the Wii was released, and only a few gameplay videos have been released. I expect full playable demos at this years E3, along with solid release dates.
Warioland: Shake It!- This game is set to release within the month(in Japan), so expect the game to be playable at E3, along with a real US release date.
Fire Emblem DS- This game will be hitting Japan by the end of the Summer, and with the news that it will indeed be coming to the US this year I expect it to be playable at E3, along with some news on the added features(because remember, it is a remake of the first Fire Emblem).
Pokemon Platinum- We know it's coming, but we don't know when. I expect release dates for this game as well.
Mario Super Sluggers- The game is completed and has already been released in Japan, and with a release date set for August I would bet a lot that this will be playable at E3.
Wii Series(Wii Chess and Wii Music)- We saw Wii Music in action a few years ago, and I honestly thought that it was just a fun little feature that they were using to show off the Miis, but now it has grown into a full blown game. With more then 2 years of developement put into it I expect it to be playable along with release dates for the US and Japan. Now Wii Chess has never been seen before, is it a WiiWare game? Full blown Wii game? Will it have online? Hopefully all of these questions will be answered at E3.
Fatal Frame IV- Grasshopper is developing it, but Nintendo is publishing it? With rumors that Nintendo may have bought the rights to the franchise I expect Nintendo to showcase more of this game at E3.
Band Brothers DX, Kirby DS, Glory Of Hercules- I would expect Nintendo to announce localization for all of these games, as well as having them playable at E3.

What To Expect(From Games They Haven't Announced):

Wii-
Starfox Wii-In an interview last year Miyamoto said that he had indeed started testing for Starfox Wii, but since then we haven't heard much about the little fox and his crew. Could this be the year that they show us a true Starfox sequel? I would say that while it is likely, I wouldn't expect this until the October Conferences.
FZero (Wii or DS)- I would expect this game in some shape or form. I suspect the DS might get a shot at the FZero series at this years E3.
Kid Icarus Wii-With IGN talking about this game like it has already been announced, and Pit getting an appearance in Brawl I would expect Kid Icarus 2 to be announced at this years E3. Possibly the "Big Game" that Nintendo has been hyping up.
Fire Emblem Wii- With Fire Emblem DS near completion Intelligent Systems doesn't have much announced. I would expect something more from Fire Emblem or Paper Mario this year.
Paper Mario Wii- Like I said above, Intelligent Systems has no Wii games announced, and very few DS games. I would expect either another Paper Mario or Fire Emblem for the Wii.
Battalion Wars 3- For those who have beaten Battalion Wars 2 you will know that the game ends in a cliffhanger, meaning that it is only a matter of time until Battalion Wars 3 is announced.

Zelda Wii- Wouldn't it be the perfect ending for a game conference to show off a brand new Zelda? While we can't expect the game to be released until 2010, we can expect them to show us a teaser trailer this year.
New IP's- So far the Wii has seen only a few new IP's(Disaster and the Wii series), I wouldn't call it likely, but it isn't a crazy idea to think that Nintendo may be brewing up some new games to rival with Mario and Zelda.
Pikmin 3- It's most likely going to happen on the Wii, only question is, when? Miyamoto would love to visit the little turnip heads again, so who knows. It could happen.
Retro Studios-They have nothing announced. After Metroid Prime 3 came out 11 months ago, and since then they have lost a few of their key people, but they are still a big developement team. And they will be showing something off at E3.
Pokemon Wii- I dunno why people think an RPG style Pokemon will come to the Wii...it's one of the biggest titles for the handhelds, they wouldn't jeperodize that by making it for the Wii. The best we will get from Pokemon is another Pokemon Stadium.

What To Expect(Third Parties):

Treasure- They announced that they have two Wii projects in the works, and I would be shocked if they didn't show them off at E3 this year. Could we be getting a Gunstar Hero's sequel? Another Mischief Makers? What about Sin and Punishment for the Wii(oh please yes!). I don't know what to expect from them, but if I had to guess I would say Sin and Punishment is probably the most likely(first game to get localized via the Virtual Console for a reason maybe?).
High Voltage- If they are invited to E3(I don't know if they will be showing at all) I expect The Conduit to be a big hit. They will also show off Animeles De La Murete(playable) and whatever else they have planned for WiiWare(they already finished two games, they must have a few more right?).
Square Enix- The fate of Kingdom Hearts 3 will be revealed at E3(my bold prediction), but who will get it? I wouldn't be entirely shocked if the Wii ended up with a spinoff of Kingdom Hearts, but hey we may get the real deal. I also expect them to show off Final Fantasy Chrystal Chronicles, if that doesn't show up I would call it cancelled(it has been too long). I also expect them to have a great showing for the DS this year. Two Dragon Quests, Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy. Should be a great year for Square and the DS.
EA- They had a great showing last year, Medal Of Honor Heroes 2 with 32 player online. I expect another reveal like this from E3 this year. Hopefully just as good as Medal Of Honor Heroes 2. I also expect them to show off the Wii Remote features in Tiger Woods PGA 2009. Facebreaker will also be shown at E3, so expect some more info on that title.
Maxis- While they are technically a part of EA, they are noteworthy enough to list on their own. With Spore announced for the Wii and DS, expect some extensive previews and videos of these two games, along with first looks at Simcity Creator and Mysims: Kingdom
Ubisoft- They haven't done much for the Wii yet, but I expect them to show off Rayman: TV Party and announced Red Steel 2. If not, Ubisoft can go drop off a cliff for all I care(at least the Wii development studios can).
Atlus-With the latest Trauma Center being released in the U.S. I expect Atlus to show off a new Trauma Center(Wii or DS, they are all good), along with a few other RPGs for the DS/Wii. And a firm release date for Dokapon Kingdom in the U.S. would be appreciated!
Factor 5- With at least two Star Wars games coming to the Wii this year, I don't expect Factor 5 to announce anything Star Wars related. With rumors that they may have gone second party for Nintendo,(and been assigned either Pilot Wings or Kid Icarus) Factor 5 should have a nice show for the Wii fans this year, they should show what the Wii can really do.
Rainbow- Little known indie developer Rainbow will be bringing Deadly Creatures to the Wii later this year, I expect them to go in depth with the game and show us all how deadly the trantula and scorpion can be. IGN was impressed by the game, so lets hope for more previews during E3.
Konami- With the absolutely stellar Pro Evolution 2008 behind them I expect Konami to announce Pro Evolution 2009 and Elebits 2 for the Wii. Along with indepth looks at Castlevania: Judgement and Castlevania DS, along with Lost In Blue 3.
Capcom-With Spyborgs, Megaman 9, We Love Golf and Monster Hunter 3 to show off Capcom won't dissappoint with E3 this year. Will we get another shocker like we did last year with Monster Hunter 3? A new Resident Evil or Viewtiful Joe perhaps? We will see.
Tecmo- With Tecmo Bowl Wii and DS already announced I expect a ton of info on these two games, along with an official announcement of the Wii version(along with trailers please!). Also expect Rygar to show up, hopefully they will finnaly give that a true release date.
Krome- With two Star Wars games announced(The Force Unleashed and Clone Wars) I don't think they have the man power for anything else, so expect them to show off the Clone Wars and Force Unleashed exstensively this year.
Marvelous Interactive- These guys could steal the third party spotlight this year, with games like Harvest Moon, Rune Factory: Frontier, Arc Rise Fantasia, Little Kings Story and Oboro Muramasa Yotoden, they could showcase the best third party lineup for the Wii this year.
Expect at least two of the last four games to be announced for localization, along with Little King Story, Harvest Moon and Rune Factory playable.
Tomy- All Tomy has to show for the Wii this year is Naruto: Clash Of Ninja Revolution 2, and while the game looks to have the best roster of any Naruto game available, it's the features and gameplay that really count. Expect them to show off Revolution 2 and announce one or two more characters for it at E3.
Activision- Guitar Hero IV will be shown, and hopefully they will out do what Rock Band did on the Wii(looks like they will be doing that easily), they should also be showing off the drums and microphones for the Wii version. Call of Duty 5 will also be shown, hopefully they get a good online system for it, 16 players or more would be stellar. But since the developers haven't made a good Call Of Duty I wouldn't get too excited about this one.
Harmonix- Rock Band 2 should be shown at E3 this year, and while Rock Band was a disgrace on the Wii I think Harmonix knows what they are doing now. Hopefully Nintendo will reveal a hardrive and the Wii will be able to get downloadable content, like the other versions. Also expect them to show off the new set of instruments.
Namco- Though their first few Wii games haven't been anything to talk about(Soul Caliber Legends...), they seem to have cleaned up their act. Expect extensive coverage of Tales Of Symphonia 2, Sky Crawlers(made by the Ace Combat 6 team) and Fragile. Expect release dates for all three games(in the US).
Frontier- Small developer Frontier has already released a fabulous WiiWare game(Lostwinds), and with Lostwinds 2 already announced I would expect a few tidbits of info from E3 this year.
TellTale Games-With Strong Bad due out any day(for WiiWare), expect some news on the remaining episodes of the series, along with a look at what they are doing with Sam and Max on the Wii.
Hudson Soft-With 4 WiiWare games in development(including Joysound, Tetris Party, Bomberman and Alien Crush) expect a lot of info on localizations of these games. And, if it is coming, expect them to announce Mario Party 9 as well.
Blue Tongue/Helix-With De Blob getting a glowing preview from IGN I think it is safe to say this is going to be a game worth looking forward to. With Blue Tongue taking care of the Wii version and Helix for the DS version, I expect them both to show off De Blob at E3 this year. Sleeper hit of 2008(along with King Story) if you ask me.
5th Cell- With Drawn To Life getting a generally good reception on the DS, and THQ announcing a sequel for the Wii. Expect 5th Cell to announce that they are indeed working on a second Drawn To Life(whether it be the Wii version, or a new DS version).

What To Expect(Hardware):
Headsets? New Wii Channels? Hardrives? We could see any of these things at E3 this year. Heres what to expect.

Headset- High Voltage has mentioned that they want a headset for the Wii, and I'm sure EA would like to be able to use one. Nintendo would get a ton of points in the online division if they just announce a headset. Though it doesn't seem particularly likely.
Wii Channels- With all of the announced channels released Nintendo will likely announce one or two new ones this year at E3. Maybe they have found a way to bring the TV Guide channel to the United States? Maybe we will get a chat channel? Who knows, but expect a few new channels to be announced at E3.
Wii Hardrive- While Nintendo has stated that hardrives are for geeks and otaku they have to see that one of the glaring issues with the Wii is a lack of memory. I expect Nintendo to announce a solution of some sort at E3 this year. It's only right!
New DS- Games on the DS are starting to become numbered, is this because Nintendo has told developers to start developing for their new handheld? Maybe the DS will be getting a redesign(DS Lite) this year? Maybe just a few more colors will be announced? I honestly have no idea what to expect.
Wii Colors- They were shown way back at the conferences before the Wii was announced. With the Wii selling so much, and Nintendo having a hard time keeping up with demand I wouldn't expect these until at least next year. But if Nintendo wants to drive sales through the roof this holiday season, this is the way to do it.

There you have it, my views on just about everything Nintendo could do at E3 this year.
I will update this thread if anything new gets announced before E3, E3 runs from July 14-17, just twelve more days people!

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