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Visualized: Intel's wall of motherboards at IDF 2012
We know you like naked motherboards, you perverts... Actually, we do too! Now close your eyes and imagine a wall of motherboards. Oh yes. That's exactly what Intel dished out at IDF 2012 -- a display of Intelligent Systems Alliance members' motherboards in all shapes and sizes, including server and military-grade models. We'll leave you to enjoy some alone time while you ogle the gallery below.%Gallery-165536%
Windows Embedded Standard 8 CTP2 ready to download now
Microsoft's second preview of Windows Embedded Standard 8 is available now. The latest version, typically used outside the standard office and home environs, throws in Kinect for Windows compatibility, as well as some gesture filters for arm-flailing interaction and NFC support. The preview now supports nine languages and requires at least a 1GHz processor, 1GB of system memory (2GB if you're running a 64 bit system), a DVD drive and 7GB of space for the full install. Hit up the source for plenty more detail and the download itself.
Windows Embedded Standard 8 preview now available for download
We're guessing it won't get to a million downloads quite as quick as the Windows 8 consumer preview did, but Microsoft has now made another upcoming operating system available for download in "preview" form: Windows Embedded Standard 8. That OS is at the heart the company's big push into so-called "intelligent systems," which includes everything from digital signage and kiosks to manufacturing systems and medical equipment. As you might expect, the OS is also closely tied to Windows 8 proper, including the same Metro-style applications and what Microsoft describes as "all the key functionality of Windows 8." Additional details and download instructions can be found at the source link below.
Joystiq hands-on: Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (DS)
The "Days of Ruin" addendum to the standard "Advance Wars" title is more than a surprising acronym that doesn't stand for "DS." (DR? What?) Days of Ruin marks the bleak setting and style for the latest version of this turn-based strategy game. The plucky Advance Wars characters have been retired in favor of an all-new, more tempered cast. And while this is still a Nintendo game -- don't expect anything too edgy -- the company anticipates it'll earn a T-rating for the game's language and tone. The plot is about a more serious, war-decimated planet, after all. More than just the setting, this Advance Wars was described as an Intelligent Systems relaunch of the series. CO powers have been reduced; don't expect them to let a losing side suddenly win the game. And the dual-screen gameplay from the previous DS version has been removed; the top screen shows dedicated battle info, while the bottom screen shows the game area. We recently played a few levels of the new title, and we're looking forward to an Advance Wars game again. We never liked the dual-screen battles, and the CO powers seemed to have gotten out of control in the previous version. Days of Ruin felt like a much needed course-correction for the series. Features like Wi-Fi play with voice chat, and map creation and sharing, remake the title while keeping its addictive strategy gameplay. %Gallery-8675%
Metareview: Planet Puzzle League
Planet Puzzle League has been known by many names over the years, but we really only need one word to describe it, and that word is awesome. It's not just us, either; the reviews have been pretty positive so far. The puzzler has even edged out Ouendan 2 score-wise, by a single point. That's quite a feat! Here's what the reviewers have had to say:Nintendo Power: 85% - "Holding the DS like a book and pushing blocks with the stylus makes for an intuitive and fast-paced experience ... Planet Puzzle League lives up to the rich tradition of its heritage, and puzzle fans would be remiss to ignore it." (Issue 217, p. 97)Game Informer: 85% - "Sure, it's not terribly original, but I'm not complaining about another chance to play one of the all-time greats – especially when this new DS version has been created with such care. The touch-screen functionality (which allows you to slide blocks with the stylus) fits perfectly, and Wi-Fi play means that you can take your skills online."IGN: 90% - "... the core gameplay is identical in the Nintendo DS, but the biggest change is its control: instead of using a D-pad to control a reticule in the stack of tiles, now it's a simple matter of tapping and dragging the tiles left or right. While it changes the overall feel of the original Panel de Pon by increasing the pace of the game, that's the only thing that it changes. The puzzle game still has that same enormous amount of strategy -- much of the skill comes from shifting tiles around in a way that'll trigger the stack to fall multiple times for huge amounts of points, a technique that's absolutely important in Vs. play. But now it can be done a lot more quickly and intuitively with the stylus."Games Radar: 90% - "It's not as inventive or charming as last year's Tetris DS, but that game's overwhelming Nintendo aura could easily have turned a lot of people away. Planet Puzzle League opts for a very clean, uncluttered approach that simultaneously makes it seem generic and intensely stylized. The ability to share this joy with people around you and then play them from anywhere in the world serves to make this one of the better buys you can make for the DS."
Paper Mario pencilled into the VC release schedule
The N64 version of Paper Mario is soon to hit the Virtual Console, according to a recent magazine article.If you've just finished Super Paper Mario and are after some more dimension-shifting hyper-realism , then this is the place to get it. The 2001 classic is more of an RPG than its younger sibling, with turn based combat, so bear that in mind if you're thinking of shelling out the Wii points. No news on release dates as yet -- we'll keep you posted.
Panel de Pon DS announced
Panel de Pon, aka Tetris Attack aka Panel de Pon, is a game we've loved in many guises. We loved it on the Super Famicom, with its fairies and pixie music (nothing to do with Frank Black); we loved it on the SNES, when it became Tetris Attack; and we even flirted with the GBA version in Nintendo Puzzle League. What we really need now is more Panel de Pon -- and according to Nintendo's latest release schedule, we're going to get just that. The Japanese version of Panel de Pon DS lands on April 26, with wi-fi multiplayer and -- as seen in these screens -- some very funky backgrounds. No news of a Western release as yet, but we can't imagine why it would be a Japanese exclusive.%Gallery-1738%[Image credit: Famitsu]
New Super Paper Mario Wii screens (in our favorite ratio)
Since its announcement at E3 2006, Super Paper Mario has made a format shift and still managed to keep a suspiciously low profile. It's a game that has been developed in the shadows, with only occasional flashes to give the poor gaming press anything to write about. At last, though, Super Paper Mario is coming out into the open. Nintendo today confirmed an April 19 release for Japan, which means that Super Paper Mario (like the Wii itself) is going to debut in North America. The new 16:9 screens here show how beautiful the game has become and, although Wii Remote functions are yet to be properly explained, Famitsu reports that Peach's umbrella can be used to access secret areas. (Here come the Super Mario Bros. 2 flashbacks.) We're intrigued to see how Super Paper Mario can flit from 2D to 3D at the press of a button and retain some sort of consistency. America can discover on April 9 whether Intelligent Systems' ambitious project has succeeded -- and more importantly, find out whether Bowser ends up marrying Peach. The horror.%Gallery-1722%[Image credit: Famitsu]
