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BlazBlue: Battle x Battle out this week on Japan's DSiWare store
Like many fighting game fans, you really enjoyed BlazBlue last year, but you had this irking feeling that the game would be just perfect if the characters were only a little more ... kawaii. Good news! Your wish has come true. Arc System Works says that its DSiWare version of the acclaimed fighter is ready to go. BlazBlue: Battle x Battle, which features big-headed cutesie versions of the full game's fighters battling it out Power Stone-style, will be available on the DSi's downloadable store this Wednesday. It looks, erm, interesting. Unfortunately, even if you were waiting to see a 2D franchise go 3D with hideously deformed versions of its characters, Battle x Battle is only available in Japan for now, so you'll either have to have a DSi from that region, or you'll have to wait until Aksys decides to release it here. If it keeps that 500 DSi point price, it might be worth a try.
Nintendo planning huge DSi marketing campaign, giving away 1,000 DSi Points
Rather than hoping that the merits of its soon-to-be-released handheld will sell themselves (a strategy commonly referred to as the "Game Boy Micro Maneuver"), Nintendo is apparently plotting a huge North American marketing campaign for the DSi. The company has already developed a schedule of television, online and in-store advertisements for the shutterbugged device from now until Christmas, making it Nintendo's biggest ad campaign of the year.Step one in this campaign is already in action to ensure early adoption of the revamped handheld -- anyone who purchases a DSi and signs on to the Nintendo DSi Shop by October 5 will receive 1,000 free DSi Points. It's a succesful promotion that also accompanied the system's Japanese launch -- not that Japanese game consumers needed additional incentive to purchase yet another DS.
Nintendo working up "major app strategy" for DSi?
Every major handset has one, so why not the handheld gaming consoles, right? According to a report on Develop, the suits at Nintendo are thinking of making the DSi Shop a bit more than it is right now. Reportedly, bigwigs from the Big N who met up at a company developer conference in London discussed "an exciting and major new app strategy for the DSi," with one source noting that the firm was keen on having devs "offer all kinds of software once the DSi store fully launches in Europe and America." It makes sense to have downloadable short-form titles available; after all, the DSi has an inbuilt camera and microphone, making it perfect for downloading "DSi Ware-like" apps. We'll be keeping a close eye on Iwata's Game Developers Conference keynote for more insight, but 'til then, we're filing this one in the "we want to believe" folder.[Via GameDaily]
You've got Mario in my DSi calculator app
So, you've got $2 burning a hole in your pocket and you want to calculate money you only wish you had? Well DSi users, you're in luck with a nifty calculator. But, the convenience doesn't end there. The application utilizes sound effects and visuals from Super Mario Bros. If you think about it, it's a really smart idea! For years we've been joking that the DS prints money, but now the DSi can count it, too. Oh, technology ... where would we be without you? Check out a video of the application in action after the break.
Popcap offers a firm 'maybe' to DSiWare
In a Gamasutra feature interview, Brandon Sheffield asked PopCap cofounder Jason Kapalka about the possibility of his company taking their super-popular casual games to download services they have yet to serve -- which means WiiWare and DSiWare. While Kapalka indicates a strong desire to continue with DS development after Peggle: Dual Shot, he's not completely sold on the DSi's download store yet: "So the DSi -- yeah, maybe, it's hard to say," Kapalka said, reiterating that "\We're definitely doing DS stuff." Still, prospects look a lot better for DSiWare than WiiWare: "It needs to be seen... like the Wii is cool, but WiiWare, I don't know yet; I'm not clear that WiiWare has actually turned out to be as big of a success as they were hoping at this point."See also: Wired's impressions of Peggle: Dual Shot
DS Daily: The best the DSi Shop has to offer
Yesterday, we got a better look at some of the offerings of the DSi Shop, which is set to launch on Christmas Eve in Japan. Of all of the trailers and available info on the DSi Shop wares available, which do you think looks the most promising? Are you excited for Chotto Dr. Mario (A Little Dr. Mario), or are you more excited for the Art Style games Aquario and Decode? What excites you most?
DSi Ware launching Dec. 24 in Japan, WarioWare and Brain Age top offerings
Nintendo DSi's answer to WiiWare – called, would you believe, DSi Ware – will launch on December 24, according to IGN. The initial software lineup will include 11 downloadable titles, headlined by the new camera-based Utsusu Made in Wario (WarioWare) and, as promised at the system's announcement, two Brain Age versions: Word and Logic. Our sister site, DS Fanboy, has posted trailers for the lineup.Those with imported DSi systems will be able to access the service from the US when it goes live. And, since DSi comes with a 1,000 Nintendo DS Points voucher, they'll be able to purchase a couple of titles without going through the hassle of buying more DS Points in yen.
