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Bombermine blasts up to 1,000 players in your browser
We'll always have a soft spot in our heart for the man with the bombs. Bombermine, a free Flash-based clone of the iconic Bomberman series, lets up to 1,000 players face off in the same game. Yes, 1,000.The premise of Bombermine is the same as in Bomberman: destroy the other players before they destroy you. All players are trapped in the same maze and must place bombs to clear paths toward the other players and powerups.Bombermine is currently in beta, with play servers across the US, Europe, Japan and Russia live right now. Once you sign up with a username and pick your server, you'll automatically spawn into an active game and probably not get any work done ever again.
Hudson US president resigns post
There's been a changing of the guard at Hudson Entertainment, the North American flavor of Konami-owned Hudson Soft, as president and CEO John Greiner will take his leave of the company on May 15. Hudson notes that it currently has no plans to look for new blood to bring in to replace Greiner, instead stating that the U.S. division's senior exec and chairman Seiichi Ishigaki will step in to fill his shoes. Citing the reason for his departure, the 20-year exec noted plans to "spend time with his family and pursue personal interests," which knowing Hudson as we do probably means hemming them into a corner with a bomb before admiring the carnage from a safe distance. Once the smoke clears, we wish Greiner the very best.
Wii Fanboy Interview: Hudson's Mike Samachisa on Deca Sports
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Wii_Fanboy_interviews_Hudson_console_division_head'; As you all know, we've had our eye on Deca Sports for quite some time. It really looks like a fun compilation of sports. But, to sway any doubt about the game's excellence that we may have had lingering around in our mind, Mike Samachisa, the head of Hudson Entertainment's console division, answered some of our questions regarding the game.Why wasn't Wi-Fi support added? What made them go with this collection of sports? What sports did they have to cut? Which is better: Wii Sports or Deca Sports? Head on past the break to get a better idea for what the present and future holds for Hudson's Deca Sports game.%Gallery-7109%
Oh, oh-oh, oh, ohhhh! It's Mario Party DS!
We were pretty skeptical of Mario Party DS, having been nonplussed by the previous portable Party (and most of the console versions, as well). In fact, we had resigned ourselves to just not being Mario Party people. But then we saw this commercial, with its bouncy, nonsensical Kidz Bop song, and ... let's just say we were successfully advertised to. If the song is in the game, we're definitely buying it; if it's not, we're still buying it to show our support of the song. At first we thought this must be some other region's crazy Mario Party commercial with the speech overdubbed into English. It appears on the American Mario Party DS website, though, which means that it must be a U.S. commercial. Is the song even ... language? [Via GoNintendo]
Mario Party DS trailer and screens arrive fashionably late
Mario Party's last handheld outing did not end well. In fact, Mario Party Advance was an absolutely witless selection of dour, unimaginative minigames, the vast majority of which were way too simplistic/based on luck to be worth our time. Yes, muggins here had to review it; did you sense any bitterness? However, we maintain a degree of optimism for the arrival of Mario Party DS in just over ten days. For starters, we're looking forward to seeing how the DS's touchscreen tech is implemented, while the media you can see in this post and elsewhere shows potential. That, and the game has the bestest boxart EVAR. %Gallery-4736% [Via Games Press]
It's a party with all of these Mario Party screens
JeuxFrance has put up a slew of new Mario Party DS screens, depicting some of the different minigames and game boards within. Mario party DS is easily one of our most anticipated titles for the DS and we're incredibly anxious to get our hands on it and see how the gameplay transitions to the handheld. Be sure to hit up JeuxFrance and check out 16 fresh screens. %Gallery-4736%
Deca Sporta isn't all about fun in the sun
So far, with the exception of basketball, everything we've seen from Hudson Soft's Deca Sporta is meant to be played outdoors under the glow of the summer sun. That's not all there is to the game, however -- the latest updates have revealed the colder side of the minigame collection. In both a recent Shonen Jump and official shots from the developer, they've revealed curling, figure skating, and snowboard cross, bringing the total of known games up to the magic number: ten! Things are looking good graphically, there's a wide range of games included, and Deca Sporta is set to debut in Japan this December. The only thing left we could ask for is a release date outside Japan -- and we hope to hear about that soon.%Gallery-7109%
Sports to the power of ten
We're not sure about the idea that everything in Deca Sporta is controlled through simply shaking the remote -- maybe that's a shaky translation? -- but we do know that the screens from the title are looking pretty spiffy. It's all about the details here: the depressions in the sand, the clarity of the audience members in the closer basketball shots, and the rippling ad-banners. For such a simple style, things are shaping up quite nicely. You'll have to head over to Nintendic to check out the shots for yourself (and mind those enormous watermarks clogging up the works), but we think it might be worth the trip. [Via NeoGAF]
Hudson Soft throws their cap into the minigames ring
Hudson Soft recently announced Deca Sports, a minigame collection with -- obviously -- ten different game types that actually look pretty interesting. The game, which is set to come out this year, was revealed in Japanese magazine V-Jump and appears to include tennis, archery, volleyball, go karts, basketball, and more. As far as sports collections go, Deca Sports actually looks pretty ambitious, and the scanned screenshots are easy on the eyes. Check 'em out for yourself after the break. Looks like EA Playground is going to have a little competition! Frankly, we may have to come down on the side of archery, but controls and content will certainly be a factor for each. We can't wait to see more.
Rumor: Mario Party DS may be online after all
Mario Party DS may have been one of the more exciting DS-related news items to come out of E3, except it was missing one very useful addition: Wi-Fi multiplayer. Wireless multi-card play was included, which is all well and fine, but a soft, sad sigh rippled through us as we realized we couldn't throw down over the internets, Mario Party-style.But wait! Not all hope is lost, it seems. An image has turned up from Nintendo's 2007 catalogue that includes a Wi-Fi logo on the Mario Party DS page. But just what that tiny Wi-Fi logo means, we don't know. It could be Mario Mail rather than anything actually useful. It could even be a misprint for all we know -- but it gives us a tiny shred of hope for the future.[Via GoNintendo]%Gallery-4736%
Mario Party 8 recalled in Europe
The Nintendo releaseth, the Nintendo taketh away. Mario Party 8, which finally was supposed to release in Europe today, has been recalled. According to Ninendo, "Unfortunately we have discovered that a small number of games contain the wrong version of the disk due to an assembly error." We can't help but wonder what's on the disk ... perhaps something naughty? That would just be too much fun. Nintendo says they'll re-launch Mario Party 8 as soon as they can. Guess Europe is going to have to wait even longer now, but, you know, aren't they kinda used to it by now? [Thanks JaSoN]
E307: Mario Party DS media explosion
Well, call it a controlled explosion, kinda like a smart bomb -- but we're still pretty pleased to see some sweet new media from a brand new DS game. Er, mostly new, considering it's a franchise title. Still, Mario Party on the DS sounds like a winner, though we would prefer more than just local wireless play. Mario Party could only make Game Night that much more fun, amirite? Oh well, enough complaining -- check out the images in our gallery and the spankin' new trailer after the jump. %Gallery-4736%
Hudson admits Bomberman Act: Zero was crap
It seems so important to have some presence on YouTube these days. Every company, network, and politician is out to reach all the obsessed YouTubers with their "message," be that "buy my product," "watch my show," or "vote for me." Typically, we don't pay these much mind. Especially those fed to us by game companies. It is somewhat refreshing then, to see Hudson open its making-of Bomberman Live video by admitting that Bomberman Act: Zero was a piece of garbage. Yes, that goes a long way towards restoring our faith in the franchise, for truly it was a festering pile. It's heartening to know that Hudson began with "let's not make another Act: Zero" as a base for their upcoming Xbox Live Arcade offering.It's okay, Hudson. We all make mistakes. As long as Bomberman Live delivers, all is forgiven.[Via selectbutton]
Mario Party 8 fastest-selling game in the franchise
Eight time's a charm, apparently, as Nintendo was quick to serve up a piping-hot press release tooting their own horn, declaring that Mario Party 8 is the fastest-selling entry in the series. In little over a month since its May 29th release in the United States, the title has sold over 550,000 copies. Nintendo's George Harrison sees this as a victory for both the franchise and Nintendo's new console, stating the "overwhelming response not only reminds us how much fans absolutely love the Mario Party franchise but also proves the unmatched ability of the Wii system to attract new players."
Father of Sudoku says Slitherlink is the next big thing
When asked by the BBC what the next big Sudoku-like craze will be, puzzle guru Maki Kaji (whose business card reads "Father of Sudoku") points to Slitherlink. The grid-based logic puzzle has all the ingredients of another hit -- easy to learn, straightforward gameplay, and simple rules. Even though it doesn't have the broad appeal of Sudoku, Kaji says it could easily earn the title "son of Sudoku".In Slitherlink you stare at a grid made up of dots and the numbers 0, 1, 2, and 3 scattered about. Your goal is to join the dots around the numbers using the same number of lines as the number they are next to. The line snakes around the grid like ... a snake. Hudson published Puzzle Series Vol. 5: Slitherlink in Japan earlier this year and the game has received high marks from reviewers, including a 10/10 from Eurogamer.It isn't known if Slitherlink DS will make its way out of Japan, but thanks to the world wide web and the humans that populate it, a Slitherlink-inspired game has been crafted in Flash, cleverly titled Slither Link.
1UP takes a gander at Bomberman Live
For classic multiplayer fans, there is perhaps no Xbox Live Arcade title as anticipated as Bomberman Live. Published by Hudson and developed by Backbone Entertainment, Bomberman Live looks to properly bring classic Bomberman action into the online arena, and 1UP recently got an extended look at the game.. Sure, many attempts have been made -- even Saturn Bomberman had online play -- but Xbox Live gives Bomberman Live an edge unknown to previous online entries. Bomberman Live allows for up to 8 players online or 4 players locally. The game also allows multiple players on one 'box to venture online (here's hoping the game allows non-Live subscribers as guests). In addition to the traditional deathmatch mode, Bomberman Live also includes other modes, such as the Paint Bomb mode featured in recent titles. The game also features Vision camera support, which will snap a shot of each player the moment they are defeated and also give the round winner a few moments to gloat on camera. Finally, there are loads of costume pieces that players can use to customize their, um, Bombermen (Bomberfolk, Bomberpeople?). Costume pieces are unlocked by collecting Costume Balls during gameplay.All in all, it sounds like Bomberman Live is everything that old school fans could hope for. Here's hoping the game lives up to its legacy (or, at the very least, better than Bomberman Act: Zero). So, how much would you be willing to pay for "real" Bomberman.
Bomberman Live achievements are, um, live
Our friends at Xbox360Achievements.org have uncovered the achievements for Bomberman Live, which is set to debut on Xbox Live Arcade some time this summer. While the game contains plenty of achievements of the "win X number of games" variety, it also has a few that are a little ... eclectic. We're not sure which one we like better, "The Good, The Bad, and The Bombed" or "Girl Power!" The first requires you to outfit your character with all the cowboy accessories and frag an opponent that is wearing the same. The latter asks players to don the girl outfit and win a "girl only" match on Xbox Live. Of all the games that could promote girl-on-girl action, Bomberman was the last one on our minds.Hit the "read" link for the full list of achievements.[Thanks, Jonah Falcon]
Rengoku moves from PSP to mobile phones
Ah yes, remember Rengoku: The Tower of Purgatory? Doesn't register a blip? How about its sequel, Rengoku 2: The Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N.? If neither game registers anything resembling warm or fuzzy, the metareview scores say you are not alone. It would seem that after two lackluster efforts on the PSP system, Hudson Entertainment has decided to stake its claim on the mobile phone market with yet another of their franchise titles. This Rengoku go-round has the cybernetic hero GRAM, "searching for the truth behind his existence." John Greiner, CEO of Hudson Entertainment believes its new home on the mobile platform is "a perfect fit" since it "features a healthy dose of action and adventure that cell phone gamers are sure to relish." Good riddance to bad rubbish, we say.
Metareview: Mario Party 8
It's been awhile since we've been able to do one of these and, frankly, we're surprised at the mixed bag of reviews Mario Party 8 is getting. Sure, we had a feeling that with a game in its 8th installment, many might find the franchise to be lacking, but we were certain the implementation of the Wiimote would adequately spice things up. Guess we were wrong? GamePro (90/100) finds fun in the multiplayer: "Played alone, against the computer, the game is barely worth popping out of its case. But, having even one other human opponent ups the fun exponentially--you just can't get the same satisfaction out of trash talking against a faceless computerized enemy." GameTrailers (83/100) says it's intuitive: "The level of customization and personalization available in Mario Party 8 and the intuitive fun of the Wiimote make it the quintessential party accessory of 2007. What few control weaknesses are present are overshadowed by the inane fun and competition, a host of unlockables, and addictive mini-games." Yahoo! Games (80/100) says it's the same old thing, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing: "Let's be honest, who looks to party games for stunning originality, cutting-edge presentation, and engrossing single-player modes? It's Mario. He parties. So will you." GameSpot (65/100) finds the chance aspects of the game to be a downer: "There are some good minigames in Mario Party 8, but the overly familiar, chance-heavy board game wrapper gets in their way." 1UP (55/100) finds it disappointing, but still fun: "A really disappointing (but, as mentioned at the start of this review, inevitably still entertaining) Wii debut for the series. Perhaps the next game will truly take advantage of the Wii controls through and through." IGN (52/100) thinks the Wiimote doesn't get the attention it deserves: "All of our complaints about previous games – the slow pace, the lackluster single-player affair, the loose attention to detail – all remain and with Mario Party 8 we can add another criticism: ignorance of the Wii remote." Anyone have a pair of pennies they want to toss in?
Mario Party 8 'party' TV spot
With the release of Mario Party 8 today in the United States, those "Wii would like to play" ads have a new one in rotation featuring Nintendo's latest game. Obviously, the ad plays up the whole party aspect of the game, as we're shown many a party-goer taking their turn in the game to find it is (GASP!) quite enjoyable. Wait, an ad for something showing people enjoying it? Now there's a first! %Gallery-3452%
