Mini Mario-Mayhem Throughout The World!

Mario v Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis is let loose on Nintendo DS



Hold on to your hats! Mario Vs Donkey Kong is back, and this time our favourite duos mean business! In our last outing it was up to Mario to save the day by finding all the Mini Mario’s, but this time roles have been reversed and he must rely on them! Featuring easy accessible touch screen controls, over 80 different levels and utilising the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Service. Mario Vs Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis is sure to provide all with endless amounts of mind boggling fun as it marches on to Nintendo DS across Europe on 9th March 2007.

A whole host of Nintendo world famous characters make a welcomed return in this game, including Mario, Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong’s long lasting love Pauline. Enraged and jealous by Pauline’s preference for Mini Mario over Mini DK, Donkey Kong kidnaps Pauline during the opening ceremony of Mario’s new theme park – Super Mini Mario World. It’s now up to the Mini Mario’s, on orders from Mario to brave mind bending obstacle filled levels and reach the top floor of the theme park where Pauline is waiting to be rescued by her mini heroes.

The player’s simple touch on the Nintendo DS touch screen using the stylus influences and guides the path the Mini Mario’s take, you can also move blocks using the stylus to create new paths, ride elevators and conveyor belts and avoid hazards like fireballs. ‘Thwomps’, lethal lava and deadly water traps all lie in wait for our mini heroes on there march and therefore quick reactions, puzzle skills and a steady hand will stand you in good stead in this game. Donkey Kong isn’t planning to play fair either, with new weapons in the form of Crash Kong and Capture Kong to use against our heroes. Sidekicks Mummy Guy and Snap Claw will do everything in their power to ensure the Mini Mario’s do not reach the exit door preventing our Mini Mario’s from moving onto the next level.

This game features over 8 themes and over 80 diverse and rich levels packed with hazards and puzzles, which will present new challenges to all players. What’s more players can also create their own levels and maps with the ‘new level editor’ before sharing them with others across the world using the unique Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. This feature brings a whole new dimension to gameplay creating an interactive gaming context in which you and others can compete in levels you have created, as well as competing in levels created by others. Players cannot only download levels from friends using the Friend Code system but can do so from anyone around the world ensuring that players really are spoilt with long-term endless fun without restriction.

This is the perfect fusion of retro action and cutting edge contemporary puzzles and is sure to be even more exciting and fun than its predecessor. Mario Vs Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis storms into stores across Europe on Nintendo DS on 9th March 2007 at an estimated retail price of around £30.

Wii-kly Update: Three New Classic Games Announced For Wii Shop Channel

Today Nintendo adds three new classic games to the popular Wii™ video game system's Wii Shop Channel. The games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the channel every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:



Xevious (NES®, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Players control their Solvalou ship and destroy the XEVIOUS forces. Fire the zapper missiles against air-based enemies and drop the blaster bombs down upon ground-based targets. Destroy Andor Genesis to earn bonus points. Unique enemies, interesting background music, a variety of vertically scrolling background environments and many hidden game play features differentiated Xevious from the other shooting games released at the time. Are you devious enough to beat Xevious?



R-Type III: The Third Lightning (Super NES®, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): It was believed on Earth that the deadly BYDO Empire had been destroyed - but now they've returned, as nasty as ever. Their ships and armies are more powerful than before, and Earth will surely be conquered unless the new R-90 ship can destroy them. Powered with engines that launch it into different dimensions, and armed with the Round, Shadow and Cyclone Forces, the R-90 has what it takes to wipe out the BYDO threat. The BYDO mother ship must be found and destroyed to entirely erase the species from our galaxy.




Moto Roader (TurboGrafx16, 1-5 players, 600 Wii Points): Moto Roader is a futuristic racing game that allows up to five players to compete against each other. Players use the cash earned when they win a race to power up their machine. Not only can they change the "TIRE" and "BODY" of their vehicles, but they also can add "SPECIAL" parts. Jump over tall obstacles with a "HOPPER" and blast past rivals at incredible speeds with "NITRO." What multiplayer game would be complete without attack items? Use a forward-launching "GRENADE" or a backward-dropping "BOMBER" to blow up and knock away rivals. Outmaneuver rivals in all eight heats to become the champion. Any combination of Wii Remote™ and Nintendo GameCube™ controllers can be used in multiplayer games.

Battlestations - Midway Europe out 9th February

Eidos Interactive, one of the world’s leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, today confirms that the highly anticipated Battlestations: Midway will be released on 9th February, 2007 on Xbox 360 and PC.

Battlestations: Midway brings to life the epic naval battles of World War II from Pearl Harbour to the Battle of Midway itself. Featuring an innovative blend of action and real-time strategy gameplay, players can instantly switch between every vehicle under their command throughout the course of any battle.

“Battlestations: Midway has definitely been worth the wait. It will offer players a genuinely new gameplay experience in the single player campaign and the online multiplayer will give PC and 360 gamers something totally unique to sink their teeth into” said Matt Russell, Brand Manager.



The single player mode features 11 large-scale campaigns with 12 bonus challenge missions, while the online multi-player combat offers an entirely new online battle experience with head-to-head and co-operative style gameplay with battles boasting over 100 units.

2007 marks the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, the single most decisive naval battle in US history, which served as a turning point of World War II.

Battlestations Midway will be released on 9th February on Xbox 360 and PC.

Namco Sequel to Pool Pro Online

Head-to-head pool with customizable games plus networking

Think you’re a pool shark? Get ready to hustle your way through 8- or 9-ball games and play head-to-head with opponents in real-time in Pool Pro Online II, the newest mobile game from Namco Networks, a leading publisher and developer of wireless games and content.

Pool Pro Online II lets players create a personal profile, choose an in-game look and enter the virtual pool hall to compete in real time and head-to-head against players vying for fame and in-game cash. The game also offers offline one-player or two-player versus mode for those looking for a little practice.




The sequel to Pool Pro Online, which has been played online more than 4.4 million times and proved players’ desire to play against others across the country, Pool Pro Online II, builds on the success of Pool Pro Online by offering players a fully customizable experience, while maintaining backwards compatibility to the original game and its established player network.

“The Pool Pro Online franchise of games has been extremely successful, since its launch less than a month ago, an average of 5,000 online games of Pool Pro Online II have been played daily,” said Scott Rubin, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Namco Networks. ”Our top player plays an average of 40 online games per day, and with the new features, like betting in-game cash and weekly tournaments, this player has even more to keep him busy.”

With the customizable features, players looking to upgrade their cue or customize their felt can visit the Pro Shop, where they can use the in-game cash (won in tournaments or hustled from other players) to purchase new cue sticks, pool tables and in-game backgrounds. Because the Pro Shop is server based, new customization items will frequently become available.

Individual profiles track players’ skills, wins, loses and tournament rankings. Players can search for opponents online by skill, rank or the size of their in-game bank account. With a buddy list, players can keep a list of favorite opponents and praise or taunt them using the game’s messaging feature.

"Pool Pro Online has always been about its online head-to-head component, and this is where it leaves all other pool titles in the dust," said Hugo Reyes, WGWorld.com. “Giving players the ability to play in real-time against players across the country increases the competitive nature, making it a more enjoyable and interactive experience.”

Pool Pro Online II is available today on select national wireless carriers and will be available on other carriers in the future. Visit Pool Pro Online for more information.

Nintendo celebrates successful Christmas

Nintendo has announced that according to Chart-Track figures, almost 200,000 Wii units were shifted in the UK over the Christmas period - while DS sales topped the half-million mark.

The Wii launched in Europe on December 8 and became the fastest-selling home console ever during its opening weekend. More than 700,000 units were purchased by European consumers, leading to empty shelves across the continent.

First-party title The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess also proved popular, with more than 500,000 copies sold - meaning that over 70 per cent of Wii owners bought the game. Around 320,000 copies of Wii Play, which comes bundled with a remote controller, were also sold.



In the UK, the number of DS handhelds sold during December topped 500,000 units. According to Nintendo, again quoting Chart-Track figures, it was not only the best selling console over the Christmas period but throughout 2006.

The figure for December DS sales across Europe stood at 1.7 million units. It was the best-selling console across the continent in 2006, and accounted for more than half of all December hardware sales.

"We have enjoyed one of the most successful Christmas holidays ever, with both Nintendo DS and Wii selling at staggering rates," said Nintendo Europe marketing director Laurent Fischer.

"We are facing such high demand for both platforms that unfortunately we are facing stock shortages. However we are doing everything possible to combat this by attempting to deliver both consoles and games to retailers on a daily basis."

Nintendo also enjoyed a successful Christmas in the US - more than 1.1 million Wii units have now been sold since launch, and 1.6 million DS handhelds were sold during the month of December alone.

March 23 launch date likely for PS3

The PS3 is still on track to reach Europe in March. But Sony has not yet to reveal an official date and price.

The speculation is that the PS3 launch will be towards the end of March.

Sony are set to announce the final details of the launch within the next fortnight.

Final Fantasy - Celine Dion

Final Fantasy - Celine Dion - My heart will go on



Or watch here

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes

Vanguard is going into the final stages of beta testing and Sigil has revealed that this new MMORPG will launch on January 30th. "The immersive fantasy world is comprised of three massive, uniquely-themed continents for players to discover new creatures, new items and unlimited adventure. Players have complete freedom to roam the world whether flying dragons to islands in the sky or riding swift steeds to exotic lands." I've posted some screenshots for your perusal.

German law may ban video games

Scarface could be banned!

Developing or even playing video games in Germany could lead to imprisonment if a bill before the parliament there is passed.
The bill under debate, in the wake of a public outcry in Germany about reported links between gaming and violence, would outlaw the depiction of violent acts committed against human characters. It would apply to any video title played or distributed on German soil. The legislation could effectively put a ban on most first-person shooter, action and real-time strategy titles.

The law would mean many Hollywood franchise titles distributed in Europe's largest vidgame market could be banned as well.

Popular movie franchise titles falling under the violent category, such as the "Star-Trek" series, "The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II;" and "Scarface: The World Is Yours," would likely be outlawed.

Already, Germany has some of the world's strictest laws limiting violence in vidgames. Under present statutes, for example, games cannot be distributed unless depictions of blood or bloodletting are switched off.

Ironically, Germany's gaming scene plays host to major video tournaments where "Counter-Strike," "Quake" or other titles are played in arenas attended by thousands of spectators. But the large screens at what is seen as a major spectator sport in Germany cannot depict bloodletting during "Counter-Strike" or other first-person shooter battles.

The bill was introduced late last year after 18-year-old Sebastian Bosse shot up a high school in Emsdetten, Germany, injuring 37 before fatally turning the gun on himself. According to reports and police officials, the shooting was carried out methodically, as if Bosse were trying to advance to the next level in a vidgame. The investigation that followed revealed Bosse spent most his waking hours playing "Counter-Strike."

The incident was followed by a post on a videogame forum in which a death threat was made. According to police officials, a threat was made by someone who said he wanted to murder school pupils. The perpetrator remains at large.

For German politicians who drafted the legislation, the incidents were seen as a last straw. Since Bosse was reportedly addicted to vidgames and spent his waking hours gaming, the violent link is clear, German politicians and officials say.

According to Andreas Fess, a major in the German crime prevention unit of the Bund police department, which is lobbying for the legislation, a public survey found that most Germans feel that violent vidgaming and the school shooting were linked, and support banning the titles.

"It is always young men who commit these kinds of crimes, and it is always young men who play these kinds of games," Fess said. "They play more videogames than they watch TV or films."

So why not outlaw other media, such as violent movies with the German equivalent of R ratings, or gangster hip hop music? The difference, Fess said, is that vidgames cross the line because the player is pulling the trigger.

"In a film, you only watch the scenes," Fess said.

Frank Sliwka, chairman of Deutscher eSport-Bund, a German electronic sports association, claims vidgames are being unjustly singled out.

"Politicians have to do something, so they say ‘Let's have stronger laws for games,' " Sliwka said. "No one asked: ‘Where did Bosse get the gun in the first place?"

Violent vidgames are attracting attention by European politicians outside of Germany's borders as well. The European Commission has begun an investigation of violent videogames and their alleged ill effects. The EC study is backed by British EC parliament member Michael Cashman, who seeks to create a European-wide game rating system.

But Sliwka says politicians are merely playing on voters' fear and ignorance of the gaming genre. While films have existed for over a century, videogames are a comparatively new genre, and are not yet fully understood by the general public, he said.

"Videogames are new and the politicians don't know what they are," Sliwka said. "They have never played the games."

Source: "Variety"

Nintendo Wii Outpaces Sony PlayStation 3

The first results are out in the hotly contested market for video game consoles in Japan, and so far, the results do not look too promising for Sony and its much-promoted PlayStation 3.

Enterbrain, a market research company, released sales estimates showing that Sony fell far short of its goal of selling 1 million PlayStation 3s in Japan last year. Sony sold 534,336 consoles from their Nov. 11 debut in Japan to Jan. 7, Enterbrain said.

By contrast, Enterbrain reported that Nintendo sold 1.14 million units of its less expensive new game console, Wii, from its introduction Dec. 2 until Jan. 7. Xbox 360 from Microsoft, which has had limited success breaking into the Japanese market, has sold 311,053 units since arriving in December 2005, Enterbrain said.

"We can't keep Wiis in our stores," said Naoko Ito, a spokeswoman for Bic Camera, one of Japan's largest electronics retailers. "But we still have plenty of PlayStations." Analysts said these figures offer some of the first hard data on how PlayStation 3, which was introduced here a week before it was in the U.S. was faring.