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NintendoWare Weekly: X-Scape, Ben 10, Wild Guns
Even though it's a holiday here in the US, Nintendo has released a plethora of new downloadable titles for the Wii and DSi. It's a great thing, not simply because OMG moar gamez, but because it gives us a distraction from the day's festivities. There's only so much of Aunt Linda's trip to the Grand Canyon we can listen to, you know? %Gallery-86442%
Touching is good enough with CTA Digital's new DSi/DSi XL charger
Induction-based charging is always a crowd-pleasing trick (at least among this crowd of one). It feels vaguely magical to lay a device down on top of a mat and watch the little battery light turn on. CTA Digital's new Non Contact Induction Charging Pad will enable DSi and DSi XL owners to enjoy the convenience of setting a thing on top of another thing. By replacing your battery with the special battery included with the kit, you'll be able to charge the device through contact with the charging stand with four lights (not five) to indicate charge level. The device is available now from Amazon and other retailers. We're personally going to hold off for a while, as we often do with third-party charging products, and make sure there aren't any fire-related issues.
Nintendo net profit declines for first time in six years, panic remains inadvisable
Nintendo's 2009 financial results have just been released and, shockingly enough, the company hasn't been able to break its profit record yet again. In fact, annual net profit dipped -- for the first time in six tenths of a decade -- to $2.44 billion, a 12 percent drop from the previous fiscal year's $2.79 billion. Sales of the Wii were down 21 percent year-on-year, but Nintendo still managed to shift 20 million units globally, so it's not exactly all doom and gloom at Mario HQ. And while Microsoft and Sony are working on their own motion-sensing offerings, Ninty is reloading the only way it knows how -- bringing the noir Wii to fashion-conscious Americans, and an all-new 3D portable console for the rest of us. Anyone willing to bet against Nintendo's income sheet improving next year? [Original image courtesy of Anarkyman]
Puppet Pouch puts fur on your DS / DSi, smiles on people's faces
As jaded as we are, we just can't bring ourselves to criticize this. Produced by CTA Digital, authors of other questionable gaming accessories, the Puppet Pouch acts as a superfurry (and annoyingly cute) case for your Nintendo portable console. Coming with a felt interior and elastic straps to keep your Ninty nice and minty, it also offers a zipped compartment for storing games and accessories, as well as "puppet functionality." That last bit means you can shove your hand inside it and use the little fella as part of your awesome ventriloquist act. Priced at $19.99, it's available now, but we've just got one oustanding question -- what animal is this supposed to be?
Interview: Q-Games and Nintendo on X-Scape
Click to N-Ter the galleryDylan Cuthbert's Q-Games has returned to the world of X, a Game Boy game designed by Nintendo and Cuthbert's Argonaut Software. Q-Games and Nintendo have created X-Scape, a DSiWare sequel to the 3D space tank game (coincidentally, "3D Space Tank" is the Australian title for X-Scape). Shortly before the announcement of the DSiWare title's May 31 release date, we spoke to Cuthbert, along with Assistant Director Kazushi Maeta and Kazuyuki Gofuku, in charge of Development Coordination for the title at Nintendo, about resurrecting the old franchise, the freedom of downloadable software, and, yes, the secret "Totaka's Song" first heard in X. %Gallery-86442%
DSi now cheaper in Australia
With the DSi XL arriving April 15, Nintendo's Australian branch has announced a price drop for the original DSi; a move none of the other regional branches have made. It's still pretty expensive, though: the system will now sell for $249.95 (US $233.35) instead of $299.95 (US $280). The DSi XL will now occupy that $299.95 slot, which explains why Nintendo chose to drop the price of the smaller model. Still, if you're in Australia and you want to be even remotely pleased with these prices, try not to look into how much this stuff costs anywhere else.
New DSi bundle has Bowser's Inside Story inside
Last month, Nintendo released the new DSi XL. So, of course, now it's time to promote ... the original DSi, with a new spring bundle! On April 25, Nintendo will release a bundle containing a white DSi and a copy of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, at a $169.99 price point -- which is what the DSi costs by itself. If you'd like a free copy of Mario & Luigi, we suggest you take advantage of that offer. For whatever reason, Nintendo is no stranger to the "previous hardware bundle." A little over a month after the DSi's North American release, Nintendo offered a lime green DS Lite/Personal Trainer: Cooking bundle. Nintendo UK bundled a DS Lite with the first Professor Layton game, long after the release of the DSi and soon before the release of the second Layton. It's Nintendo -- don't try to understand it, just expect it to make money.
WayForward grants wishes for a Shantae: Risky's Revenge trailer
The sequel to a relatively obscure Game Boy Color game is about to become one of the most convincing arguments for owning a DSi. WayForward has finally released the first trailer for Shantae: Risky's Revenge, the first in its episodic DSiWare platformer series. You can see it after the break, courtesy of IGN. The new game appears to retain what people loved about the original -- like hair-whipping, dance-based transformations and the evil pirate Risky Boots -- and adds lovely new graphics and a multi-plane effect. If you'd like to see what's on the other DS screen in gameplay (spoiler: it's just the inventory) you can see a few screenshots here.
DSi XL, broken down into extra-tiny pieces
The ironically named iFixIt has, once again, completely disassembled a new electronic device, allowing us all to get a look at the bits that compose it without having to tear apart our own beloved devices. The latest hardware to go under the knife screwdriver: Nintendo's just-released DSi XL, which, in its torn-down form, takes up even more space! In exhaustive detail, the iFixit team pulls apart the new, big DS, cataloging all the parts inside. Unsurprisingly, the internals are very similar to the previous DSi, save for a larger (in both capacity in physical size) battery and one fewer ribbon cable. Oh -- and, of course, those massive screens.
Best Buy Canada trading DSi XL for five used games on March 28
Farsighted Canadians who are jonesing to get their hands on Nintendo's embiggened handheld, the DSi XL, will have a pretty sweet offer waiting for them at Best Buy on March 28. Participating stores will be handing out DSi XLs in exchange for five game trade-ins -- provided the aforementioned games aren't too worthless. Check out Best Buy Canada's site to get a full list of the titles eligible for the one-day promotion. No, you can't hand in five copies of Madden '97. Thought you had the system beat, didn't you? [Via Go Nintendo]
Nintendo DSi XL review
Since Nintendo first asserted sole domination over the handheld gaming market with the release of the paperback-sized Game Boy in 1989, the company has striven time and again to make its pocket systems smaller, meeting fantastic financial success along the way. Nintendo did it with the Game Boy Pocket, the Advance SP, the Micro, the DS Lite and again ever so slightly with the DSi -- the last even at the expense of backwards compatibility and battery life. Now, for the first time in the company's history, it's made an existing platform bigger, with questionable reasons as to why. Does the Nintendo DSi XL squash its predecessors flat? Or is Nintendo compensating for something? Find out inside. %Gallery-89058%
Nintendo announces 3DS -- the glasses-free 3D successor to the DS
Whoa, now this is a whopper coming (almost) out of nowhere. Nintendo has just slipped out a press release in Japan informing the world that all-new 3D-capable portable hardware is coming, with a full unveiling set for E3 2010 this June. Tentatively titled the 3DS, this glasses-free 3D wonder is pitched as the successor to both the DS and DSi, and will use a "compatible cart" that should ensure backwards compatibility with your vast library of favorites from the older consoles. Nintendo expects to launch the 3DS into retail "during the fiscal year ending March 2011." Update: Unofficial reports from Japan suggest the 3DS will have a parallax barrier 3D LCD from Sharp, a vibration function, and a "3D control stick." Read about it all here.
Nintendo sells 1.9 million DS and Wiis through Feb. 2010
Following last night's NPD report for February, Nintendo has issued a press release lauding the amazing selling power of its own products. In typical fashion, the gaming giant that got your grandma into gaming has managed to sell a ridiculous amount of DS and Wii systems in the U.S. -- 1.9 million in the first two months of 2010, to be exact. As impressive as that 1.9 million figure is, Nintendo's ability to break its own records is even more impressive. In selling 613,000 DS units throughout February 2010, Nintendo has managed to set a new monthly record, besting the previous top-selling month of February 2009's figure of 597,000 units. It would seem that two things are certain in this life: we're all going to die one day and before that day comes, each of us is going to own nine DS systems. With March 28 fast approaching -- that's the release date for the DSi XL -- Nintendo is hoping to further build on the success of its now six-year-old handheld. And, to think, even after all that time, the gif still hasn't gotten old.
Nintendo DSi XL hands-on
Sure, it's been available in Japan for quite some time, but this is the first chance we've gotten to really sit down and play with Nintendo's "more communal" (as we overheard one PR rep describe it, given it's propensity for more eyes comfortably viewing the screens) portable gaming experience, the DSi XL. So let's get the comparisons out of the way: obvious volumetric differences aside, the maximum brightness versus the DSi seems to be slightly higher, and the stylus is inexplicably a handful of millimeters longer -- not a big deal, but you'll definitely figure it out when trying to stuff it into an older model. We're not really a fan of the top lid being glossy again -- we rather like the matte DSi lid, and this one seems even more fingerprint-coveting than its DS Lite predecessor. So with all that said, is the extra screen size worth it? Admittedly we do appreciate the extra room, and it comes without a cost to the picture clarity. The inherent tradeoff, however, is a complete inability to stuff this in our pockets -- we had better luck with the Mini 5, to be blunt. You'll be able to decide for yourself soon enough, but in the meantime, there's pictures below and video after the break! %Gallery-86454%
EA Sports Wii/DSi accessory bundles announced
Because your EA Sports games need that extra oomph, EA has signed a deal with Sakar International to produce a lineup of attachments for your Wiimote and -- wait, DSi? Sure enough, the press release mentions "realistic-looking EA Sports golf clubs, tennis rackets and baseball bats for the Wii and Nintendo DSi as well as fitness gear for use with EA Sports Active" as part of a deal EA announced last month. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 and 11 on Wii will get a series of golf club attachments for kids on up to adults -- extendable up to 24 or 36 inches depending on the set you acquire -- and Sekar will also offer baseball and racquet accessories for other Wii games like Grand Slam Tennis. As for the DSi, the press release mentions five-in-one carrying kits themed around football, baseball, basketball and soccer -- each kit will include a game case, skin, stylus, and clip-on earphones or headphones. Then there's the EA Sports Active stuff, which comes in two flavors: Starter Kit and Gym Kit. The first will retail for $19.99 and comes with a Wii Balance Board bag, yoga mat, fitness cord, armband and legbands, while the Gym Kit will set you back a bit more at $39.99 and includes a gym bag, yoga mat with a fitness cord and wrist and ankle weights. While we can't really comment on these proposed attachments without at least seeing them first, we just hope EA reads the internet every now and then. Some attachments are great, while others are just a painful memory you wish you could forget.
Wallace & Gromit creators use Flipnote Studio to create Spirit Tracks animations
You likely know Aardman Animations as the creators of the hilarious cheese-loving man and surprisingly capable K-9 duo, Wallace & Gromit. To celebrate last month's release of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks in Europe, Nintendo tapped the studio to create a trio of custom animations paying homage to the game in Nintendo's free animation app for the DSi, Flipnote Studio. Now we get to see their labor bear fruit and, oh my, these came out looking sharp, as the video above this text can attest. However, the real feather in this (Minish?) cap is the odd video past the break showing Link's game-long companion, Zelda. For us, the uneasy feeling we get witnessing Link's lack of concern seeing Zelda in poltergeist form is only exceeded by Zelda's apparent glee, despite being a creepy specter. That just weirds us out!
Bash SpongeBob's boat in SpongeBob's Boating Bash
THQ describes the latest SpongeBob SquarePants game, SpongeBob's Boating Bash, as its "first demolition derby style party game," which makes it perfect for when you want to throw a demolition derby style party without all the cleanup. Boating Bash puts SpongeBob and his friends behind the wheel of customizable "boat mobiles," as they attempt to knock parts off each other's vehicles to earn points and advance through the game. The ultimate goal of the thousands of violent collisions? A driver's license, of course! Boating Bash will be out on Wii and DS this spring.
This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Marching to the muscular beat
This week's Nintendo Channel update has been pumped up beyond all recognition, and not because there's a bunch of new stuff to look at. In fact, there's really not that much at all, save for some new No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle teasers; however, the inclusion of a brief Muscle March info trailer is enough for us to question whether or not this week's update is on some kind of performance-enhancing drug. We've contacted the appropriate authorities, but in the meanwhile, head past the break for this week's content. %Gallery-79350%
Nintendo DSi XL coming to Europe March 5, US eventually
The last we heard, Nintendo's super-sized DSi XL (or DSi LL if you're Japanese) would be hitting the Colonies sometime in the first quarter of 2010. As of now we have no information contrary to that, but we do have news specifying when the European nobility will get theirs: March 5. That means UK gamers have less than two months to determine whether they are eligible for an upgrade from the slender DSi, and if you're not sure how to check, just measure the depth and breadth your pockets. If you have room in there for the new version, with its stereo 4.2-inch screens, you'd better make with that pre-order: Nintendo Japan sold more than 100,000 of the things in just two days.
Engine Software develops DSi motion control technique, demos it on video
Meanwhile, in the Netherlands... Engine Software has developed a hitherto yet undisclosed method of motion sensitivity for the Nintendo DSi (which we're guessing utilizes the camera). That got your attention, right? Well, wait'll you get a load of this: the company has been kind enough to try the thing out on a game of Tilt -- on video. According to our friends at Joystiq, the company's currently working on a DSiWare title that incorporates the technique. See for yourself after the break.
