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The NCube: probably the best portable Gamecube of all time (video)

by Darren Murph posted Nov 9th 2009 at 10:18AM

Oh sure, we've seen a few "portable" Gamecube systems over the years, but we've yet to set our eyes on anything as glorious as this. Not surprisingly, the NCube's creator is yet another Ben Heck apprentice, with the case being a heavily modded Datamax Kid's Delight and the display an unmodded Zenith PSone. There's a 2-way switch for running off of batteries or the AC outlet, a relocated memory card slot and a rear-mounted disc drive that's just begging to be broken. Hit the read link for a look at 90 grueling hours of work, or just jump past the break for a celebratory video.

[Thanks, Jonathan]

Continue reading The NCube: probably the best portable Gamecube of all time (video)

Easy Piano bringing keys to the DS Lite in 'early 2010'

by Darren Murph posted Nov 7th 2009 at 11:23PM

We've got a sneaking suspicion that the DS Lite will be ~~old~~ ancient news by the time Easy Piano hit the market, but those who've learned to be content in life (and have somehow managed to resist the urge to snap up a DSi in place of their older handheld), have probably been hunting for this date. Valcon Games has just announced that its piano-teaching title (and the highly comical / interesting 13-key accessory) will be landing in North America in "early 2010," but it didn't go so far as to fess up to an MSRP. Not like it matters -- you know you're totally lining up to snag this during a midnight launch, regardless of how many heirlooms are forced onto Craigslist.

[Via Joystiq]

Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime squashes Wii HD rumors... again

by Darren Murph posted Nov 6th 2009 at 12:52PM

Oh, brother. Here we go again. Just over a year after Nintendo's own Reggie Fils-Aime denied the existence of a forthcoming Wii HD, the bigwig is having to make that very same denial again. Naturally, a few new rumors of an HD-enabled Wii have surfaced since that fateful day in October of 2008, and with the recent price drop, it made sense to think that the Big N might actually be looking ahead. Instead, it seems that it's perfectly content selling hundreds of thousands of consoles that want nothing to do with modern amenities like "HDMI," "1080i" and "things that the PS3 and Xbox 360 have offered since day one." The man's exact quote?

"I don't know how forcefully we can say there is no Wii HD."

And Reggie, we don't know how much more forcefully you can continue to break our hearts.

[Via Joystiq]

Thrustmaster T-Freestyle NW is your next Wii skate / snowboard controller

by Darren Murph posted Nov 5th 2009 at 11:41AM

Too broke to pay Tony Hawk's royalties on a Wii skateboard / snowboard? Yeah, we feel you, and evidently Thrustmaster does too. Said peripheral outfit has just introduced its newest Wii accessory, the T-Freestyle NW. Designed with work with any skate or snowboard game that lands on Nintendo's money-maker, the board is crafted from genuine maple and sports a totally stereotypical "skull" design on the top. There's also a safety stopper to prevent any sort of toppling disaster, and best of all, this thing will be available at the end of the month for just $29.99. Gnarly, dude.

Gallery: Thrustmaster T-Freestyle NW is your next Wii skate / snowboard controller

Continue reading Thrustmaster T-Freestyle NW is your next Wii skate / snowboard controller

French magazine shoots handhelds through boards, much to our amusement

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 4th 2009 at 3:49PM

As you know, there's one thing we love more than gadgets -- wanton destruction. Combine the two (on someone else's dime, o'course) and we're having a pretty good day. That said, we're glad that there are others out there with our bent, including Amusement, a "gaming lifestyle" mag based en France. Apparently, the theme of the current issue is "computer bugs," with a number of articles illustrated in a clever, artistic, Gallic manner. But that's not what caught our eye -- no, we were into the pictures of handheld game consoles (specifically, a Nintendo DS and a PSP Go) being shot through particle board. Feel free to peep some more action photography after the break -- and we'll just go back to working on our coilgun.

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading French magazine shoots handhelds through boards, much to our amusement

Nintendo's Iwata muses about Kindle-like business model for future handheld

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 30th 2009 at 8:30PM

You may simply be able to chalk this one up to some freewheeling speculation and rumination, but Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata went pretty far out on a limb in talking about the future of the company during a recent sit-down with the Financial Times, and indicated that Nintendo may just be looking outside the gaming industry for a little inspiration. Apparently, Iwata is intrigued by the Kindle "because it's a new business model in which the user doesn't bear the communications cost," which he says wouldn't "fit Nintendo customers because we make amusement products." He did go on to note though, that "in reality, if we did this it would increase the cost of the hardware, and customers would complain about Nintendo putting prices up," but said that "it is one option for the future." At the same time, however, Iwata also seemingly downplayed the short-term potential for download-only games, saying that he thinks "it will take quite a long time" for the industry to shift to them -- although he did hedge his bets somewhat by pointing out how unpredictable the games business is.

[Via Electronista]

Black Wii gets unboxed just in time for the darkest holiday

by Laura June posted Oct 30th 2009 at 6:39PM

Those lucky enough to live in Europe will soon (as in November 6th soon) be able to purchase a special edition of that black Nintendo Wii some of us have been drooling over for the past few months. Sure, it's just a regular Wii... but it's black, which is so much cooler. Well someone's finally gotten their hands on it and done an unboxing, and we have to say that it looks even better than it did in the press shots. The limited edition Black Wii bundle with Wii Sports Resort and a Motion Plus controller will run you around £164.99 in the UK, and those of us in the US? Well, we'll just have to make due with the black controller and nunchuk. There are a few more shots after the break. Hit the read link for the full unboxing and video.

[Thanks, Emilia]

Continue reading Black Wii gets unboxed just in time for the darkest holiday

The DSi XL gets sized up, then Joystiq answers your nagging questions

by Joshua Topolsky posted Oct 30th 2009 at 12:28PM

Two items of note for future owners of the DSi XL (aka, The Gigantic DSi) Nintendo has slated for a November launch in Japan (and Q1 2010 here in the US). First, if you've been wondering just how much bigger this thing is in comparison to the previous version of the handheld, wonder no more. The device has been spied in action on Japanese television, and it really is quite enormous. How big? Well luckily the folks at Joystiq have put together an awesome little FAQ about the handheld (including exact dimensions -- 161 x 91.4 x 21.2mm for those keeping count) which addresses all the pressing issues and more. Check out the XL strutting its stuff on video after the break, the bop on over to the 'Stiq to fill up on notable quotes and quotable notes.

[Via Kotaku]

Read - DSi XL FAQ: Sized up
Read - My Game News Flash on the DSi XL

Continue reading The DSi XL gets sized up, then Joystiq answers your nagging questions

Nintendo DSi XL coming to America in Q1 2010

by Ross Miller posted Oct 29th 2009 at 8:04PM

Since Europe and Japan can't have all the fun -- unless, of course, it's a black Nintendo Wii -- the super-sized DSi XL is also due out in the US sometime in Q1 2010, according to a spokesperson speaking with Joystiq. Still no word on price, but we wouldn't be surprised if it parallel the slight markup for the ¥20,000 / US $221 Japanese version. Looks like that smaller-screen version isn't looking so hot for Grandma's Christmas present anymore.

Nintendo profits sink on declining console sales, weak game selection

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 29th 2009 at 6:18AM

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Nintendo just announced that its interim net profit was cut by more than half to ¥69.49 billion (about $770 million), from ¥144.83 billion last year at this time -- figures that won't be helped by the cheaper Wii price tag announced at the end of September. Speaking of which, Nintendo sold only 5.75 million Wii consoles from April to September (down 43% from last year) and cut its full year sales forecast for the April 09 to March 2010 period to 20 million units, down from an expected 26 million. DS sales were also off 15% from last year and we doubt that a bigger screen on the new DSi LL model will change that dramatically.

Nintendo DSi LL goes large in Japan on November 21 (update: DSi XL in Europe Q1)

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 29th 2009 at 4:12AM

Whoa, it's true: the rumor of a bigger screen DSi was just validated by Nintendo. Shipping November 21st in Japan, the 4.2-inch DSi LL is priced at ¥20,000 (about $221). The above comparison is straight from the Big N showing the DSi LL vs. the white DSi. Besides the obvious increase in height and width, the 21.2-mm handheld is chubbier than the 18.9-mm DSi but slimmer than the 21.5-mm DS Lite when it ships in your choice of dark brown, burgundy and natural white. The battery seems to be roughly on par with the DS Lite going for about 4 to 5 hours on maximum brightness and intensity or 13 to 17 hours when dialing back the display to its lowest settings. No word on US or international shipping yet but obviously they'd be smart to get this out in time for the holidays. A few more pics and a full spec-by-spec comparison with the DSi and DS Lite after the break.

Update: Listen up Europe, Nintendo issued a statement saying, "a new Nintendo DSi XL console is launching in Europe in the first quarter of 2010." Note the change in name from LL to XL. Unfortunately, no price was announced.

[Via Joystiq and Impress]

Continue reading Nintendo DSi LL goes large in Japan on November 21 (update: DSi XL in Europe Q1)

Nyko ships $25 Zoom Case for DSi: because your DSi totally needs a zoom lens

by Darren Murph posted Oct 28th 2009 at 6:23PM

Remember that wacky zoom lens attachment for Nintendo's DSi that was launched back in January? Amazingly, the product design team convinced everyone else in the company to move ahead with plans for production, and now it's making its way out to cold, steel shelves. $24.99 buys you a hard shell case for your handheld along with a detachable optical zoom lens, which supposedly gets your sensor eight times closer to a given subject than Nintendo ever intended. You'll also be mocked eternally if you're ever caught using this in public, but hey, maybe you're thick-skinned.

Gallery: Nyko ships $25 Zoom Case for DSi: because your DSi totally needs a zoom lens

Netflix streaming purportedly hitting Nintendo's Wii next

by Darren Murph posted Oct 28th 2009 at 5:24PM

Mmhmm. We see precisely where this is going. First came Microsoft's Xbox 360, then came the PlayStation 3. Now, the beast that is Netflix's "Watch Instantly" is coming to Nintendo's Wii... or that's the scuttlebutt, anyway. According to StreamingMedia, an undisclosed source close to the project has confirmed that the Big N is currently testing Netflix streaming on the Wii, and that it'll be rolled out to the public "very soon." Our initial reaction is to think that "very soon" will translate into "before the holidays," though we all know that only time will tell. But hey, when you've been waiting for this to happen since March, patience comes naturally.

Houston newscaster dictates slide transitions, goes bowling with Wiimote

by Darren Murph posted Oct 28th 2009 at 3:14PM

We're not sure who's winning the ratings war in Houston, but we're going to give the upper-hand to KHOU based on these shots alone. As you can clearly see in the image above (and the enlarged versions there in the gallery), this newscaster is wielding a Wiimote. It's hard to say if the news station actually has their slide transitions setup to change with a swing of the controller, or if weather map zooming is handled with something typically used for gaming, but one thing's for darn sure -- lightning rounds of Wii bowling during commercial breaks are definitely happening.

[Thanks, Edmar]

Update: Whoa, looks like this was indeed the real deal. Check the details here!

Gallery: Houston newscaster dictates slide transitions, goes bowling with Wiimote

Ghostwire augmented reality game coming to your creepy motel room, DSi in 2010

by Laura June posted Oct 28th 2009 at 1:45PM

Majesco's just announced an augmented reality game for the DSi, Ghostwire: Link to the Paranormal. While the Ghostwire title had been previously unveiled, Majesco has apparently just signed on to publish it. The game makes use of the DSi's camera and microphone so the player can hunt for ghosts in their surrounding, actual environment. Once the ghosts are detected, the player will have to track down objects to bribe them into peacefulness. Ghostwire is expected sometime in 2010, but until then, we'll just keep walking with our own ghosts.