Hanabi Festival Returns To Virtual Console!

Second season of classic U.S. and Japanese games set for launch in Europe

Retro gamers everywhere rejoice! The celebrated ‘Hanabi Festival’ is back on Virtual Console, bringing with it another timeless selection of retro titles – previously released only in Japan or the United States – to Wii gamers across Europe. Available via the Wii Shop Channel, discovery is the name of the game as players can experience for the first time many highly entertaining and cult classics, all courtesy of SEGA and Hudson Soft.

Named after the Japanese holiday season renowned for its firework displays, the Hanabi Festival offers Wii owners across Europe the opportunity to experience first-hand a series of gaming greats never released in PAL regions. To kick-start this, the second Hanabi Festival, three high-energy action and puzzle titles are unleashed…

· GRADIUS II GOFER NO YABOU (Turbografx) – the acclaimed space shooter!

· Columns III: Revenge of Columns™ (SEGA MEGA DRIVE) – the jewel puzzle brain bender!

· Final Soldier (Turbografx) – the action-packed shoot ‘em up sequel!

And there are even more import games planned to launch as the Hanabi Festival continues in the coming weeks, including such diverse titles as Puyo Puyo 2 and Gley Lancer from SEGA, and Star Parodier and Cho Aniki from Hudson Soft – and more.

GRADIUS II GOFER NO YABOU returns you to the helm of the legendary Vic Viper to overcome a new offensive from the Bacterion Empire. Originally only available on the PC Engine (Turbografx) console in Japan, this horizontally scrolling shooter challenges players to conquer the Bacterion’s fleet and its new leader, Gofer. With a total of nine stages, this perfect port of the original boasts one of the longest adventures in the series and also features more trademark fast-paced music to accompany the intense action! GRADIUS II is available now for 900 Wii Points.

If you’d prefer to test your brain rather than your brawn, then the mental tenacity of puzzle fans everywhere will be pushed to the very limit in the compelling sequel Columns III: Revenge of Columns™. Released in the U.S. in 1994 for the SEGA MEGA DRIVE, Columns III offers a single-player or multi-player experience that expands upon the gameplay of the first two Columns titles by giving players extra attacks to spring on their opponents. As in the original Columns, jewels fall into a column bin where gamers have to twist and manipulate them to match three or more jewels in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line to prevent them from stacking up and reaching the top. In Columns III, special magical jewels are available that influence the game in numerous ways such as raising your opponent’s crush bar or lowering yours, adding an extra element of strategy to the game. Columns III: Revenge of Columns™ is available for 900 Wii Points.

The third Hanabi Festival title this week, Final Soldier, propels you to the 23rd century where you are Earth’s last line of defence against an unknown horde of alien invaders. Part of the celebrated ‘Star Soldier’ series, this action-packed vertical scrolling shooter puts you at the helm of a space fighter created by the finest scientists from across the globe. Armed to the teeth with an arsenal of weaponry you rise up against the enemy overwhelming them with lasers, flamethrowers and missiles, many of which can be upgraded to cause further devastation. Originally released for PC Engine (Turbografx) only in Japan, this Hudson Soft classic can now be yours for 700 Wii Points.

Hanabi Festival titles that were originally released in Japan contain only minimal Japanese text that will not affect players’ enjoyment. All new Hanabi Festival titles will remain on the Wii Shop Channel after the festival has ended. Titles from the previous Hanabi Festival in September 2007 (Sin And PunishmentÔ, Ninja GaidenÔ, Gradius IIIÔ, Ninja JaJaMaru-kun, and Mario’s Super PicrossÔ) are still available, except for the limited edition Super Mario Bros.: The Lost LevelsÔ.

And watch this space in the future, because the Hanabi Festival may return…

Virtual Console offers users the ultimate retro gaming experience. This week’s titles join the list of 209 classic titles already available for Virtual Console in Europe.

MTV Games, Harmonix and EA Announce - Rock Band Track Pack Volume 1 for WiiT and PlayStation 2

Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a division of MTV Networks, which is a division of Viacom, along with distribution partner Electronic Arts, today announced plans to release Rock Band Track Pack Volume 1 for the Wii home video game console from Nintendo and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. The 20-Track Pack features an electrifying mix of classic hits and current favorites, including songs by Boston, Nine Inch Nails, Stone Temple Pilots, and All American Rejects. The Rock Band Track Pack Volume 1 will be available on July 15th, 2008 for a MSRP of $29.99. Complete details are as follows:

Release date: Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Tracks:

• 30 Seconds to Mars The Kill
• All American Rejects Move Along
• Blink – 182 All the Small Things
• Boston More Than a Feeling
• David Bowie Moonage Daydream
• Faith No More We Care A Lot
• Grateful Dead Truckin’
• The Hives Die, All Right!
• KISS Calling Dr. Love
• Lynyrd Skynyrd Gimme’ Three Steps
• Nine Inch Nails March of the Pigs
• Oasis Live Forever
• Paramore Crushcrushcrush
• The Police Synchronicity II
• Queens of the Stone Age Little Sister
• Ramones Teenage Lobotomy
• Smashing Pumpkins Siva
• Stone Temple Pilots Interstate Love Song
• Weezer Buddy Holly
• Wolfmother Joker & the Thief

**All 20 tracks utilize original master recordings**
** All tracks are available as DLC on competing platforms**

Price: $29.99 MSRP

Rock Band is the ultimate platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music like never before. The game challenges players to put together a band and tour for fame and fortune – all while learning to master lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals. Featuring the most master recordings of any music game ever by the world’s biggest rock artists, Rock Band includes tracks that span every genre of rock ranging from alternative and classic rock, to heavy metal and punk. Rock Band has garnered over 40 awards this year including Game Critics Award: Best of Show E3 2007 and three awards at The 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards including Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, Family Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack.

Ars Technica reviews Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand Theft Auto IV is finally here, riding a wave of hype and perfect review scores. Nothing can live up to those expectations, but the game is one of the most striking cases for gaming as a storytelling medium. The Ars Technica review inside.

read more | digg story

Crosswords on Nintendo DS challenges players to fill in the blanks

Classic Game Gets a Modern Revamp on Nintendo DS

Mario's parent company (8 letters). Letter-based puzzles (10 letters). Dual screen, abbr. (2 letters).

Today's launch of Crosswords DS for the portable Nintendo DS video game system puts more than 1,000 crossword puzzles into the palm of your hand. Crosswords DS includes puzzles at multiple skill levels, so anyone from beginners to experts can give it a try. As you progress, the puzzles get bigger and more challenging. Because you write all your answers directly on the touch screen with your stylus, there's no need for erasers – just write your new answer over your old one. Crosswords DS also includes a sophisticated hint system if you get stuck. Just tap the Hint button with your stylus and choose to receive another clue, reveal a hidden letter or solve the whole word.



“Crosswords DS brings crossword puzzles into the 21st century in a way that's accessible to everyone,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “And because Nintendo DS is so light and portable, you can play it anywhere at any time.”

Crossword puzzles aren't the only classic word games found in Crosswords DS. There are also more than 200 Wordsearch puzzles that let you hunt for hidden words amid a jumble of letters. For more word fun, you can turn to Anagrams and construct almost endless combinations of words from a handful of letters.



Crosswords DS, with its quick and accessible word challenges, is the latest in the Touch Generations line of Nintendo DS games. Previous games include Brain Age - Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, Brain Age 2 - More Training in Minutes a Day and Flash Focus - Vision Training in Minutes a Day.

Bus Driver PC video game driving to a store near you...

Meridian4 and SCS Software are pleased to announce that Bus Driver has gone gold and will be ready to ship to retail stores and be available for digital download in May.

“We have been working with SCS Software to change some minor things in the game for the North American market.” said Jeff Giasson, Production Director at Meridian4, “There was very little to be done to this surprisingly addictive driving sim.”

About Bus Driver
In Bus Driver, your job is to transport passengers around an attractive and realistic city. You must drive to a timetable on a planned route, while obeying traffic rules, and taking care not to upset or injure your passengers. This makes Bus Driver unlike any other driving game - the experience of driving a bus is very different from blazing through a racing circuit.

• 12 buses to drive – detailed models inspired by real-world buses, including London’s double-decker bus, America’s school bus, Europe’s low floor buses and many more
• 30 routes arranged into 5 tiers with increasing difficulty
• Multiple duties, such as driving a school bus, transporting tourists, sight-seeing tours and even the transportation of prisoners
• High replay value based on sophisticated system of traffic rules and game-play related bonuses.
• Large city to drive in, with several districts of varying styles: modern, old-town, suburb, airport, harbor and more with day/night cycles and realistic weather conditions.
• Living roads with intelligent traffic controlled by AI system.
• Non-violent, easy to pick up gameplay, suitable for all ages.

Angry GTA4 Fan Creates Freeze Page On YouTube

This page is solely dedicated to the individuals, whether owners of a playstation 3 or xbox360, who have been affected by the GTA4 freezing epidemic and also for those who have lost their entire gaming systems to the problem as well.

read more | digg story

Rockstar Games’ Dan Houser on GTA4 and New York

Dan Houser, Vice President of Rockstar Games and co-writer of GTA IV, spoke to Vulture about building a nuttier, dirtier Gotham.

read more | digg story

Top 5 Non-Violent Things To Do in Grand Theft Auto IV

After hours upon hours testing the just-released Grand Theft Auto IV, we realized there’s actually so much fun in Liberty City that is—dare we say—wholesome that we opted to breakdown the positive pastimes of the badass game rather than review it.

Leave that to the crooks.

read more | digg story

Rocketmen - Axis of Evil Fact Sheet

The next chapter of Capcom’s Rocketmen: Axis of Evil is coming! Rocketmen: It Came from Your Uranus, an expansion to the original digitally-distributed title, will be available through Xbox LIVE Arcade and the PlayStation Network Store on Wednesday, May 14 and Thursday, May 15 respectively. For 400 points on Xbox LIVE or $4.95 on PlayStation Network, Rocketmen fans will have access to new maps, weapons, and enemies.

A digitally-distributed add-on to Rocketmen: Axis of Evil

• Players must have already purchased Rocketmen: Axis of Evil in order to play It Came from Uranus
• Continue the Rocketmen saga with your characters from the original game.
• 400 XBLA points / $4.95 PSN Store

3 New Weapons

• Blobber: Shoots blobs of goo at enemies, does damage over time in the part of the ground that it covers.
• Beamer: Shoots lighting at enemies, does high intensity damage.
• Bomber: Shoots grenades instead of bullets; grenades explode on impact doing damage.

2 New Secondary Weapons

• Falcon: Robotic falcon that attacks enemies automatically
• Screw bomb: Rocket that turns into a proximity mine on impact

3 New Levels

• Level 11 - Finding Jane: The player must escape the Saturnian prison mine and reclaim Nick's ship, the Icarus Jane.
• Level 12 - Clear the Asteroids: The player must clear a path for the ship through Saturn's rings
• Level 13 - The Plan: The player must make his way through the Saturnian palace and convince Angelica, leader of the Saturnians, to join the Alliance.

New Enemies

• Saturnian Marine
• Saturnian Elite
• Heavy Mining Terra Scientists
• Terra Rocket Marines
• Saturnian Pit Boss
• Saturnian Asteroid Demolition Machine
• Lord Angelica

A high quality brain-training game for the PC - The Amazing Brain Train!

Fueled by your mental energy, Professor Fizzwizzle's Brain Train will take you on a brain-boosting adventure with 15 innovative mini-games in 3 addictive play modes. But this is no ordinary brain game; The Amazing Brain Train contains features never before seen in the genre! Say goodbye to the minimalist brain game graphics of yesteryear, as engaging full-color, animated graphics usher in a new era in brain game visuals. And forget about goal-less gameplay: The Amazing Brain Train is packed with quests, trophies, and even a global on-line high score system, so the fun will never stop!

Put your mighty mind to the test and see how far you can go! A free demo of The Amazing Brain Train is now available for Windows, Mac, and Linux at www.grubbygames.com

Based in Vancouver, Canada, Grubby Games was formed in October 2004 with a simple goal: To make accessible, polished games that are fun to play. We're passionate about developing games that are beautiful, easy to learn, and above all, fun. We want to provide you with games that we would love to play ourselves!

The Legend Returns With TECMO BOWL - KICKOFF For the Nintendo DS

Leading video game developer and publisher Tecmo today announced TECMO BOWL - KICKOFF, exclusively for the Nintendo DS. Based on the most popular Tecmo Super 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.

“We are extremely excited to bring back everyone’s favorite football game to the Nintendo DS,” said Ryan Gilbo, executive producer, Tecmo, Inc. “KICKOFF is packed with everything that fans wanted to see in this revival. No other football game will ever compare to TECMO BOWL as this is the game that started it all.”

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.
• Stylus Control: Feel the action by using the stylus to control your player.
• Variety of Teams: Choose from 32 different teams.
• Cut-Scenes: All-new cut-scenes showing off the dramatic presentation of various plays.
• Customizable Playbook: Prepare for gridiron greatness by customizing your playbook.
• 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!

TECMO BOWL: KICKOFF is scheduled to launch Fall 2008.

How to get fit with your Wii Fit

Fighting Fit?

Setting your own goals becomes compulsive, ensuring you’ll be back time and time again, be it for a few minutes or entire hours.

If you’ve been following our Wii Fitness Club recently, you’ll have an idea of what Wii Fit, Nintendo’s most ambitious self-improvement title yet, is all about. If you haven’t then you should take a look, if only to marvel at how ridiculous we all look attempting Wii Fit’s many balance games, muscle workouts, aerobic exercises and yoga poses.

Broken down into its core components, Wii Fit is really just that; a series of themed minigames with a novel pressure-sensitive stand-on controller, and a progress graph loosely tying it all together. Apply more scrutiny and it starts to look like an interactive exercise DVD; demonstrating movements, gauging successes and offering hints and feedback for better balance and posture.

With further play still, Wii Fit’s many successes and one or two shortcomings become apparent.

Wii Fit makes exercising fun, much more so than going for a run or heading down the gym. It’s also social. You can set up to four Miis to train alongside each other in Wii Fit’s Virtual Plaza, with a colour-coded graph charting their progress. By using Body Mass Index (BMI – height versus weight) Nintendo has opted for a tried and tested way to determine ideal weight range, and setting your own goals becomes compulsive, ensuring you’ll be back time and time again, be it for a few minutes or entire hours a day.

You stand on the board, input your details, get weighed (factoring in clothing), find out if you’re underweight, ideal, overweight or obese, pick a game and go for glory. You compete with others. You challenge yourself. That’s Wii Fit’s greatest achievement, giving everyone from gamer kids and casual-playing parents to exercise obsessives and more the context to burn calories or build muscle with fun regular activity.

Dip-in, dip-out
But Wii Fit slips up on that same everyman approach. Offering upwards of forty minigames, it’s a very accessible, dip-in, dip-out affair, but lacks the structure you’d expect from a product purporting to help tone, shape and train your body.

To its credit, Wii Fit does present a virtual trainer, who will take you through the more serious yoga and muscle workouts and act as a mirror image while you try them for yourself. It also tells you which exercises tone which parts of your body, and upon finishing one will advise you to attempt another that’s complimentary. Finished the Warrior yoga pose? How about Lunge muscle workout too? In that sense, Wii Fit’s great.

But there’s no training regimen. It’s open ended, with no handholding. You do set your own goals, but Wii Fit won’t design a plan for you, advising which workouts to do within a given timescale.

Wii Fit favours the casual player; the Yoga-going housemum; the office worker with a few hours to kill on evenings; the play-together family from the ads. If that’s you, then Wii Fit will be great value. But Wii Fit should be regarded more as a compliment to regular exercise, or a launchpad to it, rather than a replacement for getting out and about.

But gosh, it’s fun. And very inventive. Played together it’s the ultimate take-turns novelty party game; guaranteed to get laughs when someone gyrates madly playing hula hoop, or falls flat on their face doing press-ups. Jogging doesn’t even use the board; you run with the Wiimote in your pocket, and can be done with a friend. And succeeding at exercises not only gives harder versions of them, but gives you time in the Fitpiggy – Wii Fit’s piggy bank, which unlocks new minigames the more you play. So the sense of progress and achievement is pleasing.

It remains to be seen how Wii Fit will endure – but as a concept Nintendo have certainly spotted a gap in the market, and the execution is stylish indeed; all crisp, clean white design and easy-use, hi-sophistication tech. A dedicated training option may be missing and the price may be higher than usual, but massive motivation it gives, the stand-out social aspect, and the probability of a follow-on disc should all make Wii Fit a strong investment.

Review by: Mark 'Muscles' Scott

TIGER'S COACH IS YOUR COACH IN TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 09

Tiger's Performance Coach, Hank Haney, Guides Gamers through Their Career

Electronic Arts, announced today that Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09, the next installment of the world’s No1 selling golf video game franchise, will be available in retail stores this summer. The game will feature dynamic, personalized gameplay via Tiger Woods’ personal coach, Hank Haney. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 also features a more intuitive and customized EA SPORTS GamerNet** experience as well as an all-new game engine powering online play.

“Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 is the most authentic golf video game on the market, and we’re excited to bring an immersive experience to the masses,” said Executive Producer Mike Taramykin. “Our partnership with Hank Haney provides fans immediate coaching from one of the top minds in golf. This year’s game brings unprecedented levels of customization and control, allowing seasoned vets and first time players ‘inside the ropes’ of TOUR golf.”

Looking to drive the ball long and straight? Trying to nail the pin with the approach shot? An all-new addition to this year’s game, Haney will assist gamers as they hit the links and try to advance their career to win the FedExCup. In Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09, a player’s skill level is dynamic, constantly adjusting throughout the round just as it would during a real afternoon out on the links. Following each round, Haney will deliver customized feedback on a player’s performance. This feedback system allows all gamers, rookies or PGA TOUR pros, to compete and enjoy the game at any level.

EA SPORTS GamerNet is a ground-breaking online innovation that features a refined, easy-to-use interface in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09. EA SPORTS GamerNet challenges, such as long drive, approach shots and putting will be delivered instantly throughout all game modes and players will have the ability to post their challenges from the fairways. EA SPORTS GamerNet also features an all-new daily leaderboard and challenges customized to fit an individual’s playing style.

Online play has also been enhanced with Simultaneous Play. This all-new online engine gives up to four players the ability to play each hole at the same time, allowing players to get in a rhythm, swing when they are ready and make one round of golf even faster and more competitive than ever before possible.

Developed in Orlando, Fla., by EA Tiburon, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 will be available on August 26 on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, the PlayStation 2 and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment systems, the PSP (PlayStationPortable) system and Wii.

**Internet required. See product pack for details.

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BradyGames Grand Theft Auto IV Signature Series Guide on sale

Strategy guide publisher, BradyGames unleashes its most ambitious game guide to date – the official strategy guide to Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV

Official strategy guide expert, BradyGames, has launched its highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV Signature Series guide – the only official guide to the year’s biggest game, out now for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Created in conjunction with developer Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto IV Signature Series guide weighs in at 288 pages, features an exclusive double-sided foldout map and poster, and goes on sale with an RRP of £12.99.

Liberty City is a living, breathing metropolis full-to-bursting with thrilling places to check out, characters to meet, lucrative opportunities to discover, and secrets to unearth—and Brady’s guide is the only official and comprehensive source of information that will help gamers take advantage of everything that the most anticipated game of the year has to offer, including detailed instructions for completing 100% of the game and chalking up all 50 Xbox 360 Achievements. Packed full of over 1000 screenshots and illustrations, BradyGames’ Grand Theft Auto IV Signature Series guide provides players with game-play basics, a full single-player walkthrough, complete vehicle and weapon listings, 30+ pages of maps and exclusive multiplayer strategy.

Contents include:

- Comprehensive guide to completing 100% of the game, featuring coverage of all Missions—including Vigilante, Car Thefts, and Most Wanted—plus Friendships, Random Characters, and more!

- Detailed maps pinpointing locations for weapon, armour, and health pick-ups

- Locations of every “Hidden Package” and Unique Stunt Jump in the game, complete with descriptions and screenshots showing their exact locations

- Detailed descriptions and battle-tested tactics for each Multiplayer mode

- Maps, walkthroughs and strategy for all main story missions

- Pick-ups, collectibles, and places of interest—everything you need and everywhere you need to be in a dedicated section

Whether gamers need a little nudge to get them through a particularly tough mission or fully illustrated guidance on achieving 100% completion—and winning renown on the recently announced online leaderboard, Rockstar Social Club—this invaluable tome is the best and only source available anywhere.

Brian Saliba from BradyGames UK, said: “The game is sure to set new industry standards for immersive gameplay and multiplayer entertainment. And while all kinds of tips and advice will be popping up online in the coming weeks, this book is the only guide that was developed in conjunction with Rockstar—and it is the only guide anywhere that will be available from day one, for gamers looking to win Rockstar Social Club fame.”

HEAVY METAL MUSIC AND FANTASY MAGIC MIX IN NEW SACRED 2 - FALLEN ANGEL TRAILER

cdv Software Entertainment USA and Ascaron Entertainment GmbH today unveiled a stunning new gameplay trailer for Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, the upcoming Action-RPG for console and PC, slated for release in September 2008. The new video showcases the game's spectacular special effects and character models as swords and sorcery clash in exciting in-game action on the field of battle.

This new trailer also features the brand-new fantasy heavy metal-themed song “Sacred,” penned and performed exclusively for the game by renowned German heavy metal group Blind Guardian. The band, which was recently motion captured for the game, will appear in-game once the player solves a special side quest. Along with introducing the new track from Blind Guardian, this video marks the first appearance of the Temple Guardian, one of the many unique and powerful playable characters from the game, and highlights some of the mounted combat capabilities featured in Sacred 2: Fallen Angel.

Download the video from - http://www.cdvus.com

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is an Action RPG with a rich story that takes place in a giant, open-ended and seamless world. This world contains hundreds of dungeons, treacherous opponents and a variety of challenging quests. Intelligent enemies, steadily adapting in number and difficulty based on player progress, challenge in heroic single- and multiplayer battles.

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel provides numerous unique items that can be gathered in this mystical world. A deep reward system further enables advancements in character, individual attributes and character-specific fighting styles, each designed to keep players returning to the world of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel to discover what is around the next bend. Drop-in styled cooperative multiplayer gameplay ensures players will enjoy the game alone or seamlessly with friends at any time, while enemies, monsters and challenges dynamically adjust to the player’s party strength. Five unique multiplayer modes round out the experience and offer a refreshing, first-class gaming experience in Sacred 2: Fallen Angel.

City of Heroes Issue 12 - Midnight Hour Developer Diary

Senior Designer and writer Joe Morrissey explains how he helped design and write the story for Issue 12 - the highly anticipated next chapter of NCsoft Europe's popular MMO franchise, City of Heroes/Villains.

Who’s idea was this anyway?
It’s pretty safe to say that if it’s not Positron’s fault… it’s mine.

Hi. I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. I’m Joe Morrissey, some call me Hero 1. I’m a senior designer and the lead writer on City of Heroes. I’ve been on the team just over a year now, coming on during the craziness of Issue 10, helping guide the vision of Issue 11 and now laying the foundation for what is issue 12, “The Midnight Hour”. But before I get into that, let me give you a little background about myself.

I’ve been a writer/designer for about 10 years now, starting at Blizzard North working on Diablo II, the expansion and anything else us “Northies” thought was a good idea at the time. From there I went over to Backbone and learned how to roll up my sleeves and get down and dirty in design. I worked on a number of handheld games the highlight of those being Death Jr. 2. About a year ago, my wife and I found out we were going to have our first kid and that meant a couple lifestyle changes needed to occur. The main one being a job much closer to home. I applied at Cryptic Studios and apparently I “interviewed well”, a fact Positron is quick to point out anytime that I make his life difficult.

So, why the Midnight Hour?
The Midnight Squad takes the main focus of this issue. They’ve got some of the coolest history, yet hardly any of it has been opened up to the players. I choose the Midnight Squad because they were seriously crippled by the invasion and therefore were extremely motivated to take action against the Rikti. We did a lot with the Rikti story for Issue 10, but it was only through the single lens of the Vanguard. Now we see a second perspective, through the eyes of those hardest hit from the invasion, the Midnighters.

Rather than retreating further back into their libraries, they are stepping out of the shadows and throwing their pipes and monocles into the fight against the Rikti. The Squad has always been a group of intellects who research, discuss and analyze the world of the unknown, but now they have a purpose. They have an enemy – an enemy who thought them important enough to attack first. An intelligent man might believe there was something to that, something the Midnighters can use to their advantage. Now all that knowledge and hidden power is being turned against the Rikti.

The image I have in my head is of a stodgy old Midnighter rolling a big crate out in front of the Freedom Phalanx. The lettering on the crate reads, “The Arc of the Covenant”. With a smile, the Midnighter asks the group of heroes, “You gentlemen think you could put this dusty old thing to use?”

The Midnight Squad is recruiting and sharing their knowledge with others. Now in the world’s hour of need, the clock strikes midnight. It’s the Midnight Hour.

The Rikti and the Wonderful World of Magic
The landscape of magic and the Rikti have changed. When the Rikti first attacked, they came after magic users first. This showed their hand to anyone paying attention. The Rikti’s greatest weakness was magic. Already the Vanguard use magic in their weapons, the Circle of Thorns are working on their own anti-Rikti spells and now we see what the Midnighters have up their sleeve.

This best comes to light in Montague Castanella’s story arc, “Lost and Found”. Montague is at the University in Steel Canyon. It’s a lower level arc, from 10 – 20, but you get to face Rikti, aid the new leader of Dawn Patrol “Lady Jane”, ally with both the Vanguard and the Traditionalists as well as craft an item that could change the landscape of the game. You get mixed up with a lot of stuff in this arc, which is one of the reasons why I like it so much.

However, one of the standout arcs this issue, if not of the past three I’ve worked on, has to be Darrin Wade’s “Midnight Draws Near”. Wade’s an ex-Midnighter who sells his knowledge and stolen relics in the Rogue Isle. Now the Midnighters come to town and he doesn’t much like it. What starts out as a simple enforcer mission, ends up revealing a darker side to the Rikti and eventually sending you into the belly of the beast against the Midnight Squad. There are a couple nice twists and turns in this arc, leading all the way up to your final conversation with Darrin Wade.

Let’s talk tech: Contextual dialog
Finally, I’d like to talk about some new tech for missions we’re rolling out this issue: Contextual dialog. Contacts can now know specific things about your character or the state of the mission you’re on and give you appropriate dialog to match it. I think almost every new story arc uses it in one way or another.

For example, in the Origin of Power arcs you talk to a representative of each of the five origins. When you get to the contact who is the same origin as you, he or she will have more in depth information for you regarding your specific origin. This new tech also allows for us to make NPCs in instanced maps feel more like actual contacts in the zone. We’re now able to change their dialog depending on events going on in the mission. A great example of this is the Sybil you speak with at the beginning of Imperious’ first mission in Cimerora. She has three different dialog states depending on where you are in the mission.

This tech actually has the potential to replace our current system for handling missions. The design team has a couple of other ways we plan to use contextual dialog but we’re going to have to keep those plans locked up for now.

NINTENDO ANNOUNCES WORLDWIDE MARIO KART WII TOURNAMENTS

Nintendo has thrown down the gauntlet for Mario Kart Wii racers worldwide. Now it's time to see who's up to the challenge, as players take on the world in Mario Kart Wii Tournaments.

Every few weeks, a new tournament will appear on the Mario Kart Channel, an online feature that not only allows players to compete in tournaments, but also exchange race data with friends. Tournaments might take the form of a challenge for players to race a certain course as fast as they can with specific characters, or to collect a number of coins on a course using the Wii Wheel accessory or another control setup. They can feature unique rules or obstacles on the course.

The first tournament, which appears today, directs racers to compete for the fastest time on the Mario Circuit. Look closely though – something may be different. Players can attempt the challenge as often as they like during the duration of the tournament. Their best time will be recorded and added to the worldwide rankings, allowing players to see how they stack up against the best racers from around the world.

NOTE: If you would like to participate in Mario Kart Wii tournaments, your Wii console needs to be connected to the Internet. For more information about how to get online, visit Wii.com. For more information about Mario Kart Wii, please visit www.MarioKart.com.

NAMCO BANDAI GAMES GETS THE GOLD WITH WE SKI ON Wii

Make every day a snow day as NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today announced that We Ski has gone gold for Wii. Step onto the Wii Balance Board or grab your Wii Remote and Nunchuk and hit the slopes for single or multi player downhill action! Up to four skiers can experience the sweetest mountain runs like never before, as they enjoy We Ski’s highly responsive and intuitive controls. We Ski will carve its way into stores on May 13.

“NAMCO BANDAI has worked to create the most intuitive and responsive skiing game available, giving players a fully immersive experience,” said Todd Thorson, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “We want players to feel the fun and intensity of real downhill skiing from the comfort of their living rooms.



It’s winter fun all year round as We Ski allows up to four skiers to enjoy a huge mountain resort with more than a dozen runs from the bunny slopes to the most challenging Black Diamonds. Not only can players shred through the trails using the motion-based controls, but they can also mix in the Wii Balance Board for a whole new level of realism. Players can even ski using their own Mii™ or create customizable characters that can be outfitted with different attire, poles, goggles and costumes.

The thrill doesn’t stop there, as a host of other activities will be available to enjoy including races, slaloms, moguls, freestyle challenges, ski school, and more! Players can even try their hand at night skiing while enjoying the spectrum of fireworks that color the sky. Skiing aficionados can also check out the game’s dedicated website, www.weskipatrol.com, to view interactive trail maps, check out photos, watch movies and download wallpapers, banners, and more!

We Ski is rated “E” for everyone by the ESRB and carries a suggested retail price of $29.99.

Activision to Cast - Rapala Fishing Frenzy onto Consoles

Bait your hook this summer to catch "Rapala Fishing Frenzy," the newest edition of the popular angling game from Activision. Developed by Fun Labs in close collaboration with Rapala, the world's largest manufacturer of fishing lures and No1 fishing brand in the world, the title will supply heart-pounding fishing action in over 20 tournament events. The game is slated for release for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, and Wii in Summer 2008.



"Rapala is the gold standard when it comes to quality sport fishing games, and Fishing Frenzy is the natural progression for the franchise," said Dave Oxford, Activision Publishing. "Fun Labs has refined the controls for fishing enthusiasts while making the game easy to learn and action-packed for amateur anglers."

With their hands on authentic gear, players will feel like they have an actual rod in their hands as they cast, jig the bait, and reel in fish. Players can battle for their favorite trophy as they angle for 25 of the most sought after species of fish in the world, all within pristine, uncrowded freshwater environments. This is the most exciting, progressive fishing game ever made and every angler's dream.



"A proper fishing game needs to capture the adrenaline-pumping intensity of sport fishing," said Adrian Filippini from Fun Labs. "Fishing Frenzy delivers big time with beautiful graphics and controls adapted specifically to each console. Rapala's involvement has resulted in a game with a new level of realistic fishing fun."

Crytek say No more PC exclusive titles

The president of Crytek, Cevat Yerli, has revealed that the company will no longer develop titles exclusive to the PC.

Speaking in an interview to PC Play, Yerli explained some of the difficulties the developer encountered with its title Crysis. He went into details on how piracy had affected the title and that it had taught the company a valuable lesson.

"We are suffering currently from the huge piracy that is encompassing Crysis," explained Yerli.

"We seem to lead the charts in piracy by a large margin, a chart leading that is not desirable. I believe that's the core problem of PC gaming, piracy."

"It was a big lesson for us and I believe we won't have PC exclusives as we did with Crysis in future. We are going to support PC, but not exclusive anymore," he added.