Star Soldiers R on WiiWare for Nintendo Wii

Next-Gen Version Of Classic Hudson Shoot 'Em Up Hits Nintendo's Hot New Digital Download Platform Today

Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm of Hudson Soft, today announced that outer space shooter, Star Soldier R for WiiWare on Wii has launched on the digital download platform and is available for 800 Wii Points. Published by Hudson Entertainment, Star Soldier R is rated E for everyone.

This latest version of the classic shooter features next-gen graphics and a top-down perspective like other traditional vertical-scrolling games.

Players fly from the bottom of the screen towards the top, shooting at any ship or environmental elements obstructing their path. Power-ups can be collected as players progress to increase weapon or shield strength. An all-new Force System allows gamers to collect up to five orbiting satellites that can be kept close to the ship for defensive cover or can be sent out for additional firepower.

Star Soldier R is a 2-level game that features a tournament-style approach in its gameplay which challenges players to achieve a high score with either a 2-Minute or 5-Minute Mode. Each mode offers quick and exciting gameplay and gives players just enough time to play through each mode. The 2-Minute Mode features one stage where gamers have 2 minutes to battle through one action-packed level while fighting against one giant boss. In the 5-Minute Mode, players have five minutes to work their way through to fight and defeat another boss through a second level. Though both modes are time-limited, the added competitive and replay value for players comes after they earn their scores, which they can post to the in-game leaderboards and then check out how they compare with other players in the region, nation, or even the world. The goal is for players to replay the game over and over again to beat their high score, improve their ranking, and discover different strategies in order to earn bonus points in the 2-Minute and 5-Minute Modes. If they can collect them all, they might have the honor of boasting the top score in the world!

The Entertainment Software Rating Board has rated Star Soldier R E for Everybody, Fantasy Violence.

2 WiiWare games added to Wii Shop channel

A new phase for the Wii-kly Update. From now on, we'll have all the information about the arrival of both WiiWare and Virtual Console games. So basically you're getting access to the best games of the past and the coolest creations of the present. With this week's releases you can blast space-based enemies with your starfighter, fly the not-always-friendly skies or even corral some cute critters in the barnyard.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time 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:

WiiWare

Critter Round-Up (Konami, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone - Comic Mischief, 1,000 Wii Points): The critters have escaped, and the barnyard is in chaos! It's up to you to quickly corral the animals in this puzzle-action challenge. You'll have to mend fences in a hurry to keep all the critters safe and satisfied. But the fun doesn't stop with the farmland; more than 50 challenging levels take you to several exotic locations, including the outback, the icy Arctic and more. There's even a series of minigames for when the critters get you down: Snowball Soccer, Predator Rampage, Chicken Catch and Fence Trap. Up to four players can compete or cooperate as the critters run wild. So roll up those sleeves and grab a friend-those critters won't catch themselves.

Star Soldier R (Hudson Entertainment, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Star Soldier R is a new kind of shooter where players aim for the best scores within a two- or five-minute time limit. Develop various scoring strategies, and pump out those points within the breakneck time frame. Assembled in record time to counter the advance of a powerful enemy, the mysterious Brain Forces, the "Caesar" starfighter takes off to fight for the very future of mankind. Shoot down countless enemies, upgrade your ship to the max with power-ups hidden throughout the levels and wage an all-out assault against the core of the enemy fortress. Combining the excitement of shoot-'em-ups with in-depth scoring strategies, this state-of-the-art competitive shooter will keep you coming back for more. Upload your best scores with Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, and pit your skills against the world's best fighter pilots from the comfort of your living room. Hone your skills and show the world who's boss.

Virtual Console

SKYKID (NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): Red Baron, from the freedom- and peace-loving nation of birds, Bird Land, faces off in the skies with his rival Blue Max in this side-scrolling shooting game. Defeat the many enemies that await you as you complete your mission, using moves like the loop-the-loop to shoot down enemies from behind. Fly low to pick up bombs placed in the stage and drop them on command posts, warships or other designated targets to destroy them. Then land safely at base to proceed to the next mission. Beware of enemy fire, though-it will cause you to crash, unless you're able to recover by rapidly pressing the buttons. You can even play with a second person and fly simultaneously, sometimes helping each other and other times competing against each other. Prepare yourself and take to the skies, but make sure that the catchy background music (which became an instant classic when this game was originally released) doesn't distract you from your goal.

Super Brain Tease' range for Nintendo DS

Video games publisher Lexicon Entertainment today announce the ‘Super Brain Tease’ range for Nintendo DS.

The range will include a variety of specific subjects with the first 5 released in Q4 including ‘Football’, Geography’, ‘Music’ ‘Movies’ and ‘History’. ‘Super Brain Tease’ will be part of Lexicon Entertainments £9.99 range for Nintendo DS.

Christopher Allcroft, President of Publishing for Lexicon Entertainment UK Ltd said “Super Brain Tease’ is a perfect pick up and play range on the Nintendo DS, there is a lot of fun elements within the products and a £9.99 price point is what we are driving

Each version has hundreds of different questions with videos and pictures to really tease that brain of yours!!

Features include:

- 8 Different types of rounds
- Hundreds of different questions
- Easy learning curve
- Pick up and play elements
- Suitable for 15 minutes at a time game play sessions
- Bargain £9.99 price point
- Educational for young children and adults!

Age of Conan Collector's Edition Completely Sold Out

Funcom is proud to announce that the Collector’s Edition of Age of Conan is now completely sold out in all markets. The exclusive edition was announced in January, and has since topped retail charts at numerous retailers. In some markets, the Collector’s Edition has been sold out for weeks, and as a result additional boxes were made. These are also sold out, and the total print run stands at 111.000 units. Lucky customers may still find some copies on retail shelves, but no re-orders are available.

Additional retail figures for the standard edition of Age of Conan are also highly impressive. In total, Funcom is shipping around 700.000 copies of Age of Conan on day one. This impressive figure for a PC game is powered by equally impressive pre-order numbers. As a result of the tremendous interest and recent order increase, Funcom has not been able to fulfill all orders of Age of Conan in several markets due to current server capacity limitations. Extra orders of servers are now in place to facilitate for handling of more customers.

“Everyone in Funcom is delighted and humbled with the historical pre-order numbers for Age of Conan. If the information we have is correct, they represent the highest pre-order number for any global launch of an original PC game, ever, including the original World of Warcraft launch,” said Morten Larssen, Funcom’s VP of Sales & Marketing.

More than one million unique visitors visited the Age of Conan websites last week, and as a result of the great interest in the game, Funcom's early access offer was swiftly oversubscribed. The three day early access program was a limited offer reserved for pre-order customers. While Funcom scaled the servers above anticipation, player demand surpassed expectations. As the Early Access servers launched last night, the servers and game held up exceptionally well. As the game launches properly later this week, Funcom expects additional large numbers of customers to enter the game.

All the positive signals are naturally not equal to eventual success, but early indications from the press points out that the game boasts unique qualities. The very first review for the game gives it a 9 out of 10 score from Game Reactor, the Nordic regions largest gaming magazine.

While Funcom is thrilled with the early success of Age of Conan, and proud of the game launching this week, the company regrets to inform gamers that the DirectX 10 version of the game will not ship with the initial launch. As Microsoft’s DirectX 10 is undoubtedly the future of PC gaming, Funcom has decided to ship only the DirectX 9 version at launch, giving the team more time to focus on building a DirectX 10 version worthy of Microsoft’s great vision for the future of PC gaming. This postponement will let Funcom include even more features in the DirectX 10 version of Age of Conan than originally planned.

The DirectX 10 version will be premiered at the German Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, August 20 – 24, 2008. A special preview showing off the advanced graphics made possible by DirectX 10 technology will be unveiled this summer at nVidia’s NVISION event in San Jose, California, August 25 – 27, 2008.

Age of Conan launches 20th of May in North America / Oceania and 23rd of May in Europe. More information about the game can be found on www.ageofconan.com

Etrian Odyssey II - Heroes of Lagaard - Nintendo DS

Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard - Profiles of Hexer, War Magus and Dark Hunter.

Dark Hunter
The dark hunters of High Lagaard are similar to those found in Etria; they can still work with either whip or sword to focus on bindings or status ailments, respectively. The key difference comes in their ability to set potentially deadly traps: in High Lagaard, dark hunters can react to either physical or magical attacks, no matter what weapon they use.

Force Skill: Bondage
Using every binding technique at its disposal, the dark hunter will bind a single enemy’s head, arms, and legs, rendering it completely incapable of acting in battle.

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Hexer
The hexer returns with an even wider arsenal of status ailments to inflict on enemies, making it the go-to class for crippling one’s opponent. With a whisper, the hexer can condemn the entire enemy party to be poisoned, paralyzed, blinded, asleep, cursed, or terrified. Any enemies that fear the hexer are powerless to obey its commands to freeze in place, attack their comrades, or even destroy themselves.

Force Skill: Caprice
When a hexer cannot decide which of its many curses to cast, Caprice will doom the enemy party to a cornucopia of random status ailments.

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War Magus
Combining the effects of the medic and landsknecht for a class useful in nearly every situation, the war magus can effectively fill two roles at once in your limited party. Though its skills are primarily healing- and support-based, its sturdy offensive capabilities allow it to pitch even if should all its TP be drained.

Force Skill: Invoke
With a passionate prayer, the war magus fully restores the entire party’s HP and strengthens everyone’s elemental resistances.

GGL and Sony Launch Official Warhawk Team Tournament

GGL and Sony Computer Entertainment America have teamed up to bring you an Official Warhawk Team Tournament, where the top squad can win Warhawk Limited Edition Statues from Gentle Giants Studios (ARV $50 each) and an in-game special weapon called the Champion’s Blade! This weapon is awarded exclusively to tournament winners and cannot be acquired any other way. It replaces the knife weapon in game and looks completely different so that everyone you encounter will know you won the tournament.

A Practice Ladder is open now, so jump in, form your team, and start challenging and playing opponents. On 5/27/08 the Practice Ladder will be reset (all squads’ records and points set to 0), and we will start the official Ladder Stage. You can challenge other squads, play matches, and move up and down the ladder. Points are awarded not only for winning, but also just for playing, so the more you play the better you will do! At the end of the Ladder Stage on 6/29/08, the top 32 squads will advance to a single-elimination bracket, and the winner of the Bracket Stage takes home the prize!

This is a team tournament, but you and your opponents can agree on the number of players on each side before each match. If you need help finding players for your squad, you can try our “Find/Form a Squad” forum. This prize tournament is open to U.S. residents only, but Warhawk players from anywhere in the world are welcome to join open competition ladders on GGL's Warhawk Game Group.

Warhawk is PS3 gaming at its finest – three ground vehicles, two air vehicles, three turrets, lots of unique vehicle weapons and gorgeous high definition game play combine to make this an awesome and heart pounding tournament. And if you love the game, you’ll love the unique Warhawk-specific prizing.

Join now, invite your friends, form your squad, challenge opponents, and play!

Major League Eating - Video game on Nintendo Wii

Bios - Week 1

Crazy Legs Conti
New York, NY
Age: 36
Weight: 215 pounds

Crazy Legs has established himself as perhaps the most prominent entertainer/eater in Major League Eating. He is not afraid to make a spectacle of himself, once having eaten his way to freedom having been buried under 60 cubic feet of popcorn. In Major League Eating: The Game, Crazy Legs’ specialties include eating sweet corn and attacking his opponents with a Burp that wreaks havoc on their vomit meters. He’s especially vulnerable to Rotten Food.

Records -
Sweet Corn: 34.75 ears in 12 minutes
Buffet: 5.5 lbs of food in 12 minutes
Lumberjack Breakfast: 3.5 lbs pancakes & bacon in 12 minutes
Green Beans: 2.71 lbs in 6 minutes

Sonya Thomas
The Black Widow
Alexandria, VA
Age: 40
Weight: 105

Like Joan of Arc before her, Sonya Thomas is slender of stature, but mighty in strength. Since her winning debut in June of 2003 at the Molly Pitcher Nathan’s qualifier in New Jersey, Sonya’s rise in the sport has been nothing less than meteoric. Other eaters watch Sonya, dumfounded, seemingly waiting for her to assume her rightful position of absolute and unchallenged dominance. In Major League Eating: The Game, Sonya shines when eating Meatballs, and terrorizes her enemies with Invincible. She’s at her weakest, however, when confronted with Mustard Gas.

Records -
Oysters: 46 Dozen in 10 minutes
Hard Boiled Eggs: 65 in 6 minutes, 40 seconds
Cheesecake: 11 lbs in 9 minutes
Meatballs: 10 lbs, 3 oz. In 12 minutes

Tim Janus
Eater X
New York, NY
Age: 31
Weight: 165

Forced to wear a mask to conceal his inner torment, Eater X is currently the number four-ranked eater in the world. A professional stock trader by day, Eater X has shown up at contests in all sorts of disguises. He's called himself the whaler, the invisible man, and also competed in a bikini. At the World Posole Eating Championship, Janus assumed the personality, and dress, of Helen Hagerty, a fictional field hockey player from Bryn Mawr College. In Major League Eating: The Game, Tim uses Antacid to his advantage, decreasing his chances of a “reversal of fortune” by lowering his vomit meter. Tim is weak against Invincible, but does his best eating when faced with Burritos.

Records -
Tamales: 71 in 10 minutes
Ramen Noodles: 10.5 lbs in 10 minutes
Cannoli: 26 in 6 minutes
Burritos: 11.81 lbs in 10 minutes


Joey Chestnut
Jaws
San Jose, CA
Age: 23
Weight: 230

Merely two years after being named 2005 Rookie Of The Year, Joey defeated six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi in the 2007 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest and is currently the number one ranked eater in the world. Chestnut has become known for his simple, levelheaded approach to the sport. Blessed with strong esophageal muscles and extremely capacious cheeks, Chestnut is widely considered the best chipmunker on the circuit. Using to his full advantage IFOCE rules that allow food placed in the mouth before time is called to be swallowed ‘in a timely fashion’ after the buzzer, Joey stuffs his cheeks in the last few seconds until they look like Dizzy Gillespie’s mid-solo, hence: chipmunk. In Major League Eating: The Game, Joey has a special talent for eating Hot Dogs, and is strong when dealing with Rotten Food. Unfortunately, a Burp can bring him to his knees.

Records -
Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs: 66 in 12 minutes
Krystal Burgers: 103 in 8 minutes
Grilled Cheese: 47 in 10 minutes
Pulled Pork: 9 lbs, 6 oz. in 10 minutes

Ubisoft, Game Crazy, and GGL have teamed up to bring you an Official Haze 4v4 Tournament

Ubisoft, Game Crazy, and GGL have teamed up to bring you an Official Haze 4v4 Tournament, where the top squad can win $5,000! The second place squad takes home two Ubisoft games per player, and everyone gets to join in on the thrill of heated competition.

The game drops on 5/20/08 but we'll open up a Practice Ladder right here on 5/14/08 - join the group and start finding teammates now, so you can join the ladder and start challenging and playing opponents as soon as it opens. On 6/4/08 the Practice Ladder will be reset (all squads' records and points set to 0), and we will start the official Ladder Stage. You can challenge other squads, play matches, and move up and down the ladder. Points are awarded not only for winning, but also just for playing, so the more you play the better you will do! At the end of the Ladder Stage on 7/13/08, the top 64 squads will advance to a single-elimination bracket, and the winner of the Bracket Stage takes home the $5,000!

This is a team tournament, so if you need help finding players for your squad, you can try our "Find/Form a Squad" forum. This prize tournament is open to U.S. residents only, but Haze players from anywhere in the world are welcome to join open competition ladders on GGL's Haze Game Group.

Haze is one of the hottest new titles out for the PS3, so join now, invite your friends, form your squad, challenge opponents, and play!

Red Bull BC One to Nintendo DS Gamers in North America!

Bring Your B-Boy Skills to the Red Bull Breakdance Championship One Tournament, Coming Exclusively to Nintendo DS

Get ready to pop, lock and battle your way to the top! Ignition Entertainment announced today it has partnered with Playlogic Entertainment to bring Red Bull BC One to North America, exclusively for Nintendo DS.

Red Bull BC One lets players transform into a champion B-boy! Using your stylus, you'll control the action of your very own customized B-boy by solving puzzles and creating combo multipliers under increasingly tough time limits. Set a high score that's worth bragging about and advance your player to the next round. Coupled with stylized graphics, 35 original musical tracks and a variety of mini-games, a quick, steady hand and some creativity will throw you right into the Red Bull BC One arena.

"The B-boying scene has been growing and going strong for over 30 years," says Ajay Chadha, President of Ignition Entertainment. "Ignition is thrilled to partner with Playlogic to bring the Red Bull BC One event into the hands of North American DS gamers."

"Red Bull BC One for DS boasts a never-seen before gameplay that will please gamers and non-gamers alike. We are delighted with this worldwide partnership with Red Bull BC One and have found in Ignition an excellent partner to help bring this unique gaming experience to the North American shores." says Pierre Thiercelin, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Playlogic International N.V.

The ever-growing worldwide impact and influence of B-boying, commonly referred to as breakdancing, is delivered in its purest, true to its roots form at the annual Red Bull BC One competition. The top B-boys from all over the world compete in the largest tournament to determine who's got the skills to serve it up and be crowned B-Boy champion. Beginning with the first competition held in Biel, Switzerland in 2004, the Red Bull BC One has grown to become the definitive B-boy event worldwide.

For more information aboutthe Red Bull BC One please visit www.redbullbcone.com

Final Fantasy tactics A2 - Grimoire of the Rift in Europe - June

Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2 - Grimoire of the Rift will be released across PAL territories on 27th June 2008 exclusively on the Nintendo DS handheld system.

Lead your party to victory across the famous world of Ivalice! FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift turns your Nintendo DS into a tactical battlefield where you can take control of a clan of fighters, mages and more. Summon mighty Scions and Espers to overcome the challenges that await, fulfil your destiny and return home victorious!

With victory comes fame. Earn a reputation for your clan as you win battles and a whole new level of party customisation will open for you to enjoy. The stunning visuals, special effects, and orchestral soundtrack in FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift immerse you in the world, while the soundtrack narrates the famous adventures and triumphs of your clan.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “To our fans’ delight, fun strategy gameplay and an engaging story come together in FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift. Nintendo DS users will be able to enjoy a tactical and epic adventure while exploring the world of Ivalice. This is a deep and absorbing title that I hope everyone will find time to enjoy this summer.”


About FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2 - Grimoire of the Rift

Story

Our tale begins as Luso, an energetic young boy, discovers a mysterious book whilst tidying the library as a punishment for his latest episode of light-hearted mischief. He opens the book and is transported to another world called Ivalice. Before he can catch his breath, he finds himself joining a clan led by a friendly, if gruff, man named Cid. With his new clan at his side, he sets out to find a way home…

Features

• Enjoy turn-based, tactical battles on isometric 2D maps set in the hugely popular FINAL FANTASY universe
• Lead a clan of fighters, mages and more as you explore the world of Ivalice, the setting of FINAL FANTASY XII
• Battle enemies with steel, magick and summoned monsters
• Amazing graphics with special effects that push the limits of the Nintendo DS
• Immersive soundtrack from the composer of FINAL FANTASY XII
• Endless variety and customization with over 50 available jobs – more than any other FINAL FANTASY game
• More than 300 quests provide hours upon hours of gameplay
• Enhanced Law System that rewards players for upholding the law with bonuses during and after battle
• Compete with rival clans to claim territory in the unique Auction mini-game
• Includes touch screen functionality, a feature not included in the original Japanese version